Adventures of a Greenie Vol 1 Chapter 9 A New Game is in Play
- 2 years ago
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The Admiral was gone, and so was the Devastator so the Silver Swan was once more on her way to its next destination.
Roy was back in his suite, Cara sat next to him on his balcony. They had both watched the Devastator accelerate and go to trans light in a flash. Even though there was no sense of size in deep space as there was no reference. The immense ship had dwarfed the Silver Swan to insignificance hanging next to her and then as the most famous ship of the entire Galaxy accelerated they could see her in its entirety for a brief moment. Roy swallowed and somehow he could understand how an enemy would feel seeing this ship appear.
Cara said. “You see you judged him to early.”
“Yes I think I did.”
She then changed the subject. “Thank you for helping me with the Wurgus,”
He scratched his chin. “Not that I have any idea what this was all about and why the President was at Harper’s Junction, but aren’t you some sort of bodyguard and now you are a diplomat, who are you for real?”
She pulled of her right glove and from under her fine skin just above the wrist a glowing badge became visible and expanded to a floating Federal ID Card and she said. “I am Cara Halvagh, Colonel in the United Stars Army- PSI Corps – Chief of Security for the Alpha Wolf Detachment protecting the President of the United Stars in this role and on behalf of the Assembly and the State Department I also act as Diplomatic envoy and adviser to the President. I am also a Gray Cat and an operative Member of NAVINT.”
She pulled her other glove and deactivated the ID projection and then added. “I am telling you this because I trust you and because I think your ordeal is not over yet, the Admiral is right. Your best place is to be on Sares and go to school there until we can unravel that pirate mystery for you ... This is a job for professionals and not a college student fresh away from home.”
He wanted to say something but she wasn’t done. “I want you to trust me too and that I have your well being in mind. I know you are a formidable individual and you are eager to find out what this is all about, but hunting pirates and investigating conspiracies is what trained specialists need to do for you.”
Roy nodded. “You won’t get an argument from me about that one. I would not know where to start and the most recent events clearly showed me that I am like a Stomper that went for a swim. It’s all a number too big for me and I am out of my environment, but what I don’t understand why you do this?” Her female face was as perfect and as beautiful as can be but also somehow quite alien and she lowered her long lashes and said. “When I first touched your mind I felt sorry for you but that is only part of the reason. We at the PSI corps take our oath and duty very, very serious and we are sworn not to just protect the president but the Union and more so its citizens from all dangers domestic and foreign. You are an citizen and you are in danger and it’s my sacred duty to make sure you are safe. All this is of course underlined by a growing friendship I hope you feel for me as well.” He had to agree.
He did feel comfortable around her and he said. “Will you tell the rest and what the deal is with those chicken heads?”
She grinned. “You did real good with the Wurgus and it seems they do prefer the naked truth but if you can don’t call them chicken heads.”
“I won’t do that again. I am sorry.”
She dialed herself a cup of tea from the Serv-Matic integrated in the small table and said. “Let me begin with the Wurgus. They are a nomadic race because as you seemed to know they did make their own sun go super nova after luring a big part of the Y’All Armada there and destroying it but at the cost of their own home world.
They are very gifted solar engineers and their tech level is generally believed to be TL 9 and reaching even TL 10 in some areas ... They are able to repair suns, alter suns and even make and ignite suns. They know how to make and understand quasars, fix unstable suns, change their radiation output, and make them go supernova if they want. Making a sun go supernova is a terrifying weapon as you can instantly destroy an entire solar system and everything in it.”
She paused to sip on her tea and it smelled interesting so Roy called up the tea menu and ordered the same.
Cara approved of his selection with a blink of her eyes and slow nod and she continued to educate Roy about the Wurgus, “Our intelligence has found out that the Kermac approached the Wurgus to make them a bomb, a device that the Kermac could use to make any sun go supernova. We don’t know if they actually delivered such a weapon to the Kermac or not, but such a device was found virtually in the last moment only a few months ago hidden aboard a civilian freighter approaching the sun called Sol, that is the Terrans home system. The device and the freighter was destroyed before the device could be analyzed and the three agents who found the bomb paid with their lives. The detonation of the device also killed 20,000 Mercurians by destroying the surface domes of two towns and wounding many more.”
She paused and watched as Roy suspiciously eyed the delicate egg shell thin porcelain cup that was shaped like the flower end of a Terran Lilly out of its filigree silvery holder and carefully sipped hot liquid. It tasted strong and had a tangy bitter herbal flavor.
She leaned forward and pointed at the top of the Saresii Tea set and then took the smallest porcelain cup and said. “The tea tastes much better if you put a few drops of Calum fruit sugar syrup in it.” He did and the tea became much more palatable and had now an added minty sweet flavor and the bitterness was gone.
She appeared satisfied with his reaction and leaned back again.”What do you think would happen if the Wurgus decided to join the Union and then tell us that the Kermac tried to blow up Sol, and that after the Blue intervened for them during the last Cease Fire Treaty?”
Roy thumbed over his shoulder and in the general direction the Devi disappeared and said. “Even a backwater Greenie like me can figure that one out and I did pay attention in School when we talked about the Blue and their intervention. It would mean war and Stahl and his Devi would do what the Blue prevented, eradicate all that is Kermac.”
She nodded. “Yes the Terrans are already suspicious and only the lack of proof is keeping them from openly screaming for war.”
Her eyes looked past Roy into the eternity of deep space and then she said. “Yes we would win I am certain, but the Shiss and the Nul might very well get involved too and the Kermac are not an easy opponent and they have many Slave and Thrall species. Your new friend Stahl argued for many centuries that we should simply get it started and get it over with, but war is a terrible thing Roy and they are very easily started and almost impossible to stop.”
She put down her cup. “Things are very simple to the Eternal Warrior but McElligott the other old Admiral says that the worst peace is better than the best war.”
Roy also put his cup back into the holder and said, “But would that not be a reason for us, I mean our side to not want to have the Wurgus join?” She shifted in her seat and looked at Roy, “That is a very keen question and one I don’t know a straight answer. The Union does not go out and recruit new members usually. It is the other way around, potential new members must go to Pluribus and meet many criteria and agree to conditions before they are accepted as Union members. Everyone is welcome, even the Kermac if they would decide to join tomorrow but it is them who must ask.”
She paused. “However in this case the State Department was asked to make the case to the Wurgus and offer them membership.”
“Who asked them?”
“It was an official Assembly decision but not without controversy.
A few month ago the Wurgus said they are accepting first talks but under greatest secrecy. They insisted on a remote, little known world to meet and talk.
Harper’s Junction was chosen because it is a very little known mining community and it is more or less halfway between Pluribus and the Wurhh Nebulae, the former Wurgus Solar System.
So the President and a delegation of Assembly representatives including two Klack Diplomats went more or less incognito and without much fanfare aboard the Silver Swan to Harper’s Junction. The Wurgus arrived as well and the entire conference lasted four hours when the Wurgus you met demanded to travel around the Union aboard a civilian ship to gauge how much anti Wurgus sentient there is. The Patriarch said there was little hope he would endorse Wurgus Union Membership, but it appears you changed that.”
“He was just one Wurgus, don’t they have like millions?”
“That Wurgus is one of the most influential patriarchs if our Intel is correct and what he says is more or less law.”
Roy asked. “Is he aboard now too?”
“No after the Assassination attempt you stopped, he went back on a military ship.”
“And the Kermac sent the assassin?”
“We don’t know yet. The door security was disabled and we found that a space port employee was influenced to disable the door security systems. This is why you could so easily walk into the lobby we thought secure and that is why the assassin was able to come in right after you.”
She opened her purse and retrieved a silvery cylinder and sprayed something in her mouth. “Saresii Tea can stain your teeth very easily. This prevents it, care to try?”
She handed him the little atomizer and then said. “The Kermac are great spies and schemers and it is very likely that they are behind it, but the Union has other enemies, and the Shiss are perhaps even better when it comes to manipulations. It’s not Nul style but they too are an intelligent advanced species who could easily change their tactics. We are working on finding out who is behind it all and trust me, we will. That is something we are good at.”
Roy sprayed the stuff in his mouth and his teeth and gum begun to tingle in a refreshing way.
She reached out and pressed a tiny little jewel like stud on the spray and a mirror field established itself. His teeth looked almost as if there was a light in his mouth, so white had they become.”Wow, with this I don’t need a flash light in the jungles. All I have to do is smile and I got all the light I need.” He bend over and said. “Partner, you are about to have the whitest killer fangs this side of the Orion Arm.” Roy sprayed some of it into Partner’s jawing maw and laughed as partner blinked surprised. The he handed the thing back. She too giggled as Partner licked its chops and revealed his truly terrifying rows of dagger like teeth. Roy had never noticed that Partner had three rows of teeth side by side on both his upper and lower jaw and back in his throat was the same bright red glow he had in his eyes, but Roy leaned forward his head almost inside the maw and inspected the teeth. Then he patted the beast and said. “I don’t think the spray worked as well on you as it did on mine but they are nice and clean.”
Partners answer was a dry lick right across Roy’s face.
She lowered her voice and now she sounded more like a girl than a woman and she said. “You look so innocent and young but you fight with confidence and resolution. I never sensed any doubt, fear or panic in you and I thank you for saving my life as well.”
Roy petted Partner and said.”I had no time to panic. I was pissed at the pirates and got really angry when he said those things to you!”
She smiled. “I noticed and you sure showed them.”
“Once I started to pick a fight, I could not stop until it was done, besides I could not have done without a certain black Sleepy Hound of mine”
“I think it might be because you have been raised on Green Hell were everything is dangerous and deadly. In order to survive there, you had to be even more dangerous and deadly.”
He sighed deeply. “No not really. That’s what all of you Non Greenies don’t understand. Yes everything is dangerous but that doesn’t mean everything kills everything constantly. It is more like a balance, if you don’t disturb the balance and become part of it you survive just fine without killing everything in sight. A Marine in a five ton destroyer suit is much deadlier than I am, but he has to blast and shoot everything because he disturbs it and that is his doom. Energy will go down, a mud grabber will pull you deep below, one false step and your gun hand is glued to a Tantalus Oak. That’s what my parents and all the Off-worldviews never understood.”
“There is a deep truth in what you said.”
She got up.” It is late and I think you experienced more in one day than anyone should, maybe you are able to find some rest. Tomorrow is hopefully less eventful and we can attempt to have another nice dinner maybe this time uninterrupted.”
Celyciia
Celyciia was thankful for the break when her Interrogator was called to the door by a voice. The man stumbled back and collapsed. Someone came in. She raised her weary head, she was so thirsty and hurt all over. All the torture and mistreatment could not make her scream but now she screamed on the top of her lungs, Phil Decker was standing before her holding the controls to the Prisoner suit and said. “There is time for screaming later, Kid, but now we really need to scramble. This place is about to blow and we still need to get Riddick!”
She stumbled after him out the room where she saw a half a dozen dead or unconscious guards on the floor.
Riddick reacted differently; he smiled and said, “So that’s how the afterlife looks like. Strange I still feel like shit!”
Phil said, “If you don’t follow me very fast we’re all going to meet in the afterlife for sure.
The ancient detective pushed and shoved the two stunned police officers before him and up a short flight of stairs. Then he simply grabbed Celyciia and put her across his shoulder and ran while he cheered Riddick on to move faster.
Celyciia was sure she had passed out, because the next thing she noticed was the cold dry air of Blue Moon and the coarse sharp grass she had noticed only briefly before poking in her skin all over. She was completely naked; the prisoner suit had remained behind. Phil threw himself over her and almost at the same time a deafening explosion roared and rolled over them and she could feel the stinging heat and the air sucked out of her lungs. She passed out again...
She coughed and spat and noticed Phil had performed CPR on her, He was covered with sod and his suit was in shreds, the old Detective was bleeding from little cuts all over and she noticed a fresh looking scar the size of a fist right above his left chest nipple.
She sat up while Phil was fighting to get Riddick to breath, she looked around and noticed them sitting on a vegetation strip of a wide street, while across the street she saw a smoking crater and several collapsed buildings, three more were burning.
She could hear the wailing sirens of first responder flyers.
He said, “We need to leave, we can’t trust the Police. Can you help me with Riddick?”
The Sergeant stirred and got up, coughed and said. “I am so far down the rabbit hole, I don’t know right from left and now I am talking to a ghost.”
Phil led them down an alley way and to an old looking freight flyer. “Get in and no worries Kiddos. Everything is going to work out.”
Celyciia could still not believe he was alive but she climbed into the flyer and Phil sat behind the controls, looked nervously around and then steered the flyer into the night sky, The flames of the burning buildings creating an orange glow behind them.
Riddick wiped his mouth. “You really are immortal aren’t you?”
Phil turned and nodded. “More or less, I received this gift of immortality not from the Guardian like most of the others, but from an entity I only know by the name of Dark Cloud. I heal very fast.”
Celyciia started to cry simply because she was at the end of her nerves.”What is all this, and why are we running? Is the entire Union gone mad or has it always been a lie?”
He touched her hand. “Please try to relax, Kid. The Cavalry is on its way and we can start bagging the bad guys and muck out the stable.”
Roy
She was right, he was more tired than he realized and barely made it to bed. As he woke everything seemed like a bad dream and for the first moments he thought he was in his own bed and soon Charles would call and breakfast be ready. But as he opened his eyes he saw Partner’s giant head on a pillow next to him, in the huge bed, blinking at him still sleepy. Roy boxed the beast in the side and said.” Now I know why your former owner threw you out. He wanted a ferocious beast and all he got was you sleeping all the time!” Partner sneezed and closed its eyes. Completely content. Roy was hungry and got up.
Stahl “If that is an Army Exercise then my name is Donald Duck.” Stahl grunted from the command seat. “Sir we getting thousands of calls for help from short range GalNet PDD’s. They are coming from Desolate, Harper’s Junction and Green Hell.” “There are nine Capital Kermac Units and there is debris of at least seven civilian craft including a space bus, Sir” “We are detecting Energy Weapon fire from the surface of Green Hell.” Stahl interrupted the flow of reports. “Launch Wolfcrafts,...
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Celyciia, the Federal Police officer of the Recksnostal precinct was on her way to the interrogation room where she had the Warden of Penal Colony 23. Phil Decker the old detective wanted to question the Warden and not eat him, as she now knew. They had returned from Planet Parajsa after over two days of detailed investigation. She was completely fascinated with this man who had lived on the Human world Earth before they even knew there were other sentient life forms in the Galaxy. He wasn’t...
Far from Green Hell, an asteroid without a corresponding solar system slowly made its way to a region called Ballard’s Expanse in Union galactic maps. The asteroid would reach this dense dust cloud around the year 5020. The asteroid was a wanderer on a course across the Galaxy for many eons. This big chunk of rock and ice was hollow and known as Sobody’s Seat. One of the fabulous Galactic Markets operated by this neutral and enigmatic civilization. Some claimed that the Golden were somehow...
Martha tapped the activation sensor and established connection. Geha did not use an Avatar connection. “Martha, I managed to get away from the ones that tried to capture me again, but this is not why I am calling. I wanted to let you know that I am trying to get back into Freespace.” “Geha, Sister is alive.” “I am glad, it appears I gathered enough of her and it appears there was enough life in her for them to keep her alive. What will they do to her once she can be regrown?” “Geha, she...
He did not know how long he had cried and he must have fallen asleep. This time there was no dream of his mother. He was certain he imagined things but there was a warm heavy arm on his shoulder and as he looked up a man sat next to him, the energy curtain was gone and the marine that mocked him stood there with a black eye and with a face of pure fright. “Everything is going to be alright, Roy.” The man next to him wore an all-black uniform, his calf-high boots polished to a mirror shine....
The view was awesome, absolutely awesome. He could see the entire ocean of trees and far in the distance the shimmering of an ocean, a river meandered in a green valley far below. He saw tiny houses there and on the side of a mountain, he saw tiny dots sliding down that white stuff. On top of the other mountain was a building of sorts. Connected with little gondolas traveling up and down suspended on cables. He wondered what they were doing and said to Partner. “It’s freaking cold up here...
Roy returned to the hotel to find Cara in the sitting room of their shared suite. She was lounging in a comfortable chair with her legs up gathered in a feminine fashion. A field screen displaying apparently local news floated before her. Cara had her long silvery hair open and wore something soft caressing her curves. To Roy, she had always been an exceptional beauty of exotic grace, but now his mind compared her to his Tanya, and in his mind, no female could compare to her. Just as he was...
Roy was quite angry, partially at the situation, partially at himself but mostly at Paul Masters, Yet he should have known better, he grew up sharing a home with Pau; Masters, who was according to human biology, Union law and common convention, his father, Roy, at first never saw anything unusual in the rather unsocial behavior of his father, but when he started school and heard about how other fathers treated and connected with their offspring, Roy knew his father was indeed not what one...
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Ieshia pressed a sub-dermal contact on the base of her jaw and tapped it twice and with that she activated her Data Brain connection to GalNet. She now could make GalNet calls directly using her minds speech center without opening her mouth. It took a little practice to separate what you were thinking and what you wanted to say without using your vocal cords or your mouth, but she had been doing it for a long time and because of that she earned a very generous salary. She was an employee, but...
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Ken Kener, the Triple Strong was the first who had his rack inspection ready. He was always first in things like that. Ken somehow managed to have his boots shined, his footlocker squared exactly to specifications and his bunk looked like the image in the recruit handbook. Faragon, was on the opposite spectrum and struggled with these things. Ken grinned and even found time to help the Drach before their instructor called them all into attention. Their drill instructor was a Botnaar. Roy...
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Roy doubted there could be a moment more perfect than this one. There beneath the invigorating light of a GIII type yellow sun, standing at attention, wearing his dress uniform, he and the other 22 were officially decorated in recognition of their heroic deeds. However, that he was the one receiving the Navy Cross was not the source of this feeling that made him almost explode with pride. It was the fact that Admiral Stahl, commemorating his Marine roots and wearing an old fashioned but still...
Sam could not deny a sense of deep friendship as he saw the towering Cerberus standing there by the entrance. Even though it was a Mark IV, made obsolete quite a while ago with the Union military now using the Mark IX, it still was an impressive combat system. The fact that Charles was truly sentient made the Cerberus much more dangerous than any known main battle system in Sam’s opinion. Sam has just stepped out of a TMT booth and onto Treasure Island Plaza, right before the sky-reaching...
“Nice to meet you, Sir. I have to tell you my mother is dead. She and my father were killed in a pirate attack, a little while ago.” The alien creature paid no attention to what Roy had said. “I am a very old Bellebee and I still get confused using the Avatar technology. This is why I wanted to meet you like this, young Masters. Let Cara and Ukdu talk while I show you a few magnificent sights.” Roy carefully adjusted the thrusters and slowly followed the huge being. “Alright, Mr. Moke-Die....
Geha melted and faded away, dissolved like a puff of smoke in a strong breeze. As they raised the helmet-like apparatus she had been under, it was as if she woke from a long deep sleep. She could remember everything and in a clear order. She also remembered what she had experienced while she was Geha. Including the lasting impressions of her ending up on Alvor’s Cove and meeting her new friends, Martha and Sister. She remembered meeting them again in an old secretive satellite in an orbit...
Celyciia Paydhal and Sergeant Ruddick sat on a picnic blanket in the soft ankle deep grass of North Africa Park, the largest Terran style park of Reckno City. The capitol of Recksnostal Colony. Ruddick said after he devoured another sandwich. “This is how I dreamed police work would be, before I ever joined the force.” Celyciia smiled. “Having a picnic in the park and eating while on duty?” He shook his head. “Of course not, I eat all the time on duty or not. No I mean us listening in on...
Roy had learned that the ship he was on was a Saresii Courier and officially operated under the charter of the Science Council. It was a Henjiitah Class cruiser and 600 meters long. It had the outer appearance of an elongated bulbous plant leaf and reminded him of the thick water filled fleshy leaves of the Glow bush. The ship was not green however but had an iridescent color of pearly pale orange. The ship was called the Gayimeera and since it was not a Union Fleet unit it did not carry the...
The trip back to Belle Station was eventless and so was boarding another long-range shuttle to the outermost planet of the system a few hours later. The intersystem trip would take only 35 minutes as the shuttle did have FTL engines and would bridge most of the six light hours in Quasi space. Sobyr did not even bother finding a seat and went straight to the shuttle’s small lounge for a burger. Roy was too excited to eat or feel hungry, so he opted for a cup of water. “What are they doing...
Siebzehfie, a high ranking Wizard in the Ministry of Information just finished consuming a detailed intelligence report and then looked up and noticed a new participant just taking a seat at the perfectly round, white table at the top of the Ministry of Information tower. There was a shocked hushed silence because it was the Supreme Wizard himself. No one knew how to react, this was unprecedented. The Supreme leader of all Kermac was accompanied by two other Kermac. The one to his right was...
The ship must have gone trans-light, so far they had not spaced anyone. Roy and everyone else had been left behind in one of the destroyers cargo holds. As Cara walked by Partner he saw something his four-legged friend has never done, he flashed his formidable teeth and growled deeply at the Saresii woman. From his animal, he received emotions of confusion and anger towards Cara. She hissed at Partner. “Shut up, stupid beast.” Then she walked out the door. Partner had always liked Cara,...
There were those who doubted the Union could win this war. The Galactic Council led and controlled by the Kermac, was a powerful entity, with hundreds of Thrall species, massive fleets and many millions of warriors. The Larkami were no exception, difficult to control but tremendous fighters. Ninsibfiv, the High Wizard of the Military himself had traveled to Lark, the homeworld of the Larkami to coordinate. He planned to use Larkami manned Kermac warships to counter-attack several Union...
Space bus travel was subsidized and tightly regulated under the Travel Assistance Act of 2224. Union Citizens took this service for granted, as it connected virtually every possible destination within Union Space, but the envy of so many other societies. Roy had his head turned to the viewport on his right, rather than using the field screen he could have activated. The local sun was settling behind the distant horizon and sent its last rays of light over a sprawling orderly Union city....
Cara and Roy had left their seats for a ight meal in the main lounge. Partner insisted to be there as well. While the huge black animal never wanted for any sort of food, it was happily consuming the leftovers and wrappers Roy tossed its way. Cara had finished most of her Muuhn cakes, which were a traditional Saresii lunch item. She educated him, that these vegetarian-based air baked protein dumplings were considered spicy on Sares. He tried, and to him, it was as if eating something...
Paul no longer looked like a slave. He was clean, well-groomed and wore a loose-fitting, light brown colored shirt and pants combination underneath an open seamed dark brown dust cloak, that was so common on Alvor’s Cove. The belt pouch contained an Alvor’s Cove resident license, officially purchased and verified. The colony officials selling these and a host of other permits and licenses only cared about the Iridium chips or the Fullweights they charged and did not ask any questions at...
Kukur Nurop found himself covered with bruises from a severe beating and completely naked in the lizard scat composter. His hands tied to his back, it took him quite some effort to get his head over the lid, only to receive a shovel load of more of the revolting greenish lizard poop into his face. He yelled and cursed on the top of his lungs and his racket alerted an Oghr overseer. “What have we here? Trying to escape by hiding in the shit box? Couldn’t handle the stench eh?” I am Kukur...
The Unth had reached Bhrama Port and rested against the long mooring arm. Groghr nu Trrmphka, the Togar shipmaster stood by the open passenger hatch, accompanied by his Kakth Oghr mate. He watched the tall human debark. “Have a nice time on Brhama, Human and thank whatever gods you may worship that we actually made it.” Sam turned. “I noticed the alarms, but it seems you mastered the situation, whatever it may be.” The Togar shipmaster brushed over his whiskers. “Turned half my fur gray,...
Nijaii plaza was just like everything else, a perfectly groomed, perfectly clean open space multi-leveled space connected with sweeping two or three-step stairs. Interconnected with water features, gurgling fountains and more of those artistic shaped, but not very natural-looking trees. There wasn’t a single leaf on the ground, no one walked or sat on the carpet like grass. Some of the grass was not even green, but pink and peach-colored. The TMT Gazebo centrally located on that plaza had...
Martha and her new friends did not run into anyone as they made their way to the hangar deck. While the Union scientist would have never found anything on this alien ship. It was evident Geha did not have the same problems. She unerringly used elevators and corridors as if she had been raided on this Karthanian. Geha said as they emerged from an elevator shaft. “I wonder where the rest of the crew is. I am sure there are more than the dead goons up in Command and Control.” “There aren’t...
The subject of that angry interchange inside the hidden chamber beneath the tower of Wizards was strapped into his command seat, a good 60,000 Light year distance. Einulsiebzwe was a Kermac, and like the current Supreme Wizard Zwhehzwheneu he could trace his roots all the way back to Koken and he was proud of his heritage. As his T-cruiser, the very latest of its kind with the finest and best technology the Galactic Council had to offer, was accelerating to punish that impudent Union Police...
Two hours just weren’t enough to find a man who knew this rock and did not want to be found. Sam knew the Bennett’s were quite serious about their warning. Even with Charles, he could not win. This wasn’t an open planet where he could hide in the wilderness somewhere. This was a closed environment with areas not accessible to him, and with too many eyes and ears. He had asked all the usual sources and while they all knew something about Dimon, no one really knew where he was. Sam did find...
Roy found himself waking in a huge bed, Tanya snuggled close to him, Partner behind them both like a giant living pillow. The window across the bed provided a vista over a green mountain meadow. It took him a moment to get oriented and remembered taking a shower and crawling more tired than he realized he was into this bed. A glance on his Wrist-com told him, that was six hours ago. The enormous bed, greatly expanded to accommodate Partner was part of this uber-lux master bedroom. The window...
This was the first time Supreme Wizard Zwhehzwheneu noticed that the seven xenomorphs in their hidden chamber right beneath the Tower of the Supreme Wizard were not as arrogant and aloft as they usually acted. It almost seemed the seven were disturbed and perhaps even afraid. They had summoned him and he of course obeyed. “I have heard your call and here I am.” “Our assets, the eyes we have developed within the society known as the Union disappear at an alarming rate. We lost contact with...
All the anxiety he had felt over the past months melted away, there before him was his mother, kneeling between vegetation, almost completely naked, covered from head to toe in sod, small cuts, and welts. Her once carefully coifed hair a filthy mop. Yet he recognized her like only a child could recognize its mother, this bond was older than thought and as powerful as psionics. He dropped to his knees, “Mom, it’s me, Roy. Everything will be alright now.” Martha came to her feet. “Roy, oh my...
Paul felt the fine stinging sensation of the suit’s Auto Doc administering drugs and injecting tissue and medical repair Nanites into his back. He tasted blood in his mouth and opened his eyes. He lay sprawled on the vegetation covered ground of Green Hell. He saw the wrecked skimmer not far away, a smoking and twisted wreck. Then he saw something he had never wanted to see up close, hundreds of Dragon Ants crawling over the faceplate of his helmet. The suit must have automatically sealed...
Roy and his friends arrived a little early. No one said much and had a gloomy mood, already fearing they were about to lose their animals. Roy was especially depressed, even if all other parents said yes. He was certain his would never allow it and most likely take Partner away and dissect it. So he had already made up mind; he would run away and live in the jungle for good. They’d never find him there. There was plenty to eat, if you knew what was consumable, and he had heard there were...
Thanks to the course and flight plans the Green Snake and her crew knew exactly when the Explorer Cruiser would be here. The ship was known as the Green Snake; Captain Coldblood commanding her was feared and known as a ruthless pirate. That he was sponsored by the Kermac was a careful kept secret, not even his crew knew about. Taking on a Union Explorer ship was actually a number too big for even him, and he knew it would stir up the Union hornets like nothing else, but he had his orders and...
Phil Riddick felt like a child in a shiny world of really big adult things, The Federal Police Precinct responsible for Blue Moon had its very own Minimon Space Station and it was busier than Silver Hawks Emporium two days before Union Week. He marveled at the rows of shiny Victoria Class Police Cruisers, the latest models, with all the bells and whistles. Back at the Recksnostal they had two almost 100 year old units. Granted they were still perfectly alright and they had never needed more...
Roy Roy came around and felt awful. There was a metallic taste in his mouth and his tongue felt three times as big as normal. Every muscle and every nerve ending was hurting in his body. Now he knew why Neuro Rippers were illegal. It was more a Torture device than a weapon. He found himself sitting in a reclining chair of sorts, his hands and legs wrapped with memory tape. Cara was in a similar seat, and also tied up. Including a layer of tape across her mouth and eyes. He strained his...
Roy stopped his own impulse. There were simply to many of the Kermac elite commandos on the platform and there were a few civilians and innocents as well, not to mention the 200 plus Kermac already in the City. He also did not forget Cara who had remained on Desolate, tied up in the office of a fat man he had only briefly seen. He was certain Cara would die if he could not do something to get her rescued. It was better to gather more information and then he could try to contact Uncle Sam and...
Phil Phil, Celyciia, Riddick, and Cherubim had been shoved into the elevator guarded by five muscular aliens. As the elevator was moving, Cherubim said. “No worries, those are just Krthar. I take them out now and then we discuss what we can do to solve this dilemma.” Ruddick snorted. “They might as well be Holdians, we are tied up and their guns are active” One of the Kermac soldiers grunted. “You will be dead if you just lift a finger, human.” Phil rolled his eyes. “Just get it over with...
Sol Hub positioned right at the edge of the so-called heliopause. Almost exactly one lightyear from the actual star at the center of this system. As star systems went, this one was without question one of the most important. While every rock and floating pebble big enough to put a boot on was occupied or utilized. It was all about the third planet; by all accounts, he heard, one of the most beautiful and perfect garden worlds in existence, with a rich diversity of climates and life forms....
The United Stars of the Galaxies, more commonly and simply referred to as the Union, was as societies went, still young, and had only existed for about 2700 years. This was not a very long time even in human terms. There had been empires and societies existing for much longer than that. Compared to other galactic societies and empires past and present, the Union had not even really started. In this short time, however, it managed to spread over a considerable region of space and even into...
McElligott was not certain what talents the Glou might have, but he was pretty sure they were based on Psionics, and this latest Union shield technology was not only opaque to it, but an effective way to isolate a psionic user from accessing that trans-spatial condition where Psions could be accessed. The small humanoid, sure enough, fell to the ground, no longer able to levitate himself. The Old Highlander got up and gestured towards a visitor chair that established itself. “As I said,...
The planet and the system had many names, but to most it was known as Summit Peak. Like the Planet of Universal Peace, this world was also famous for being a place for important meetings between space-faring societies. It was almost forgotten during the height of the First Galactic Council, as such trans-society meetings took place on the Planet of Universal Peace. However when the Original Galactic Council became a farce to most because of the Kermac demanding sole control and the rise of...
“My ship?” Roy repeated the question. The Wurgus made the confirming gesture again. “Yes, Masterun. The All Patriarch has gifted you a Pod ship. You can’t be a Patriarch without a Podship.” Roy sighed. “You Wurgus value honesty right?” “Yes, above all,” “We humans like to be asked about things like that. This should go both ways you know. I want to become a Marine and I don’t need a ship or want to make a career out of becoming a surrogate Wurgus. I think you guys are very nice and go out...
That night, the boy Roy Masters retreated into the past forever and the golden morning light filtering through the tall windows of this luxury apartment found Roy Masters the man instead. No other event, no other act was as decisive and profound as the one he had shared with the most incredible creature in the entire universe. It began in the most innocent and playful way, simply wanting to know more of her, not her mind and nothing she was saying. His mind was detached from reason or...