Adventures of a Greenie Green Marine Vol 3 Chapter 4 Betrayed
- 4 years ago
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Sergeant Leven had second thoughts as he was leading his platoon of recruits away from the damaged dropship. None of them had ever worn a Destroyer suit before. The first introduction to these marvels of Union military technology was planned for tomorrow and then the first planet drop would commence. That was the plan at least before the Basilone dropped into a system filled with angry Larkami battleships.
Glancing back his heart sank as he saw the proud dropship trailing a cloud of debris. Their ride would not last much longer.
A fully trained Marine elite force accompanied by Cerberus robots in deep space boarding configuration could perhaps carry the fight to the enemy, but...
Leven noticed he was not the only instructor with the same idea. What seemed like specks of dust emerging from the wounded drop ship were more marine recruits.
His suit computronic painted a bleak picture. There were twenty enemy battleships. In any other situation, he would only afford a weak smile at the outdated Kermac Habyr Battleships, but right now there was hardly anything scarier and more terrifying.
However what occurred next made him very proud of his recruits, of his branch and the Union.
His recruits came from the most diverse societies and all sorts of backgrounds.
True, the USS John Basilone
had only one Translocator cannon and not a single war load in its bomb magazines. The Destroyer suits authorized by himself to be fully enabled were equipped with a wide range of weapons and each suit included a micro TL with five one gram bombs. Laughable small and meant to defeat battle walkers and enemy landing tanks, but just like their big counterparts, no known Galactic Council shield technology could protect from Translocator fire.
His desperate, fatalistic decision deemed suicidal by himself just moments ago, changed into the same angry gung ho aggression his recruits displayed.
The big Line Cannons of the enemy ships that had no problems targeting and hitting the Basilone and the few other mostly civilian ships in the system had a hard time locking onto the minuscule targets, that buzzed like swarms of angry gnats around the Harbyr battleships.
The lead ship of the enemy forces suddenly lost shields. Bright flashing explosions where the Harbyr class had their shield projectors.
Roy only briefly noticed the four-armed friend Dirmon right next to him making contact with the hull of the enemy ship. The Petharian tore into the metal skin with an angry fury that was matched by Faragon to his other side. Ken, the Triple Strong held to a jagged tear of armor, while he poured withering fire from his SITKU into whatever was beneath.
The attack of the marine recruits was not without casualties, the large Line Cannons did have a difficult time locking onto targets, but when they did the blast spelled doom for the recruits caught in the light speed accelerated stream of energy.
The lead icon of Sergeant Leven blinked out and disappeared from Roy’s retina display along with three recruits of Bravo company.
He did not think about what he was doing next, he simply did it. “MAMA, can you switch me to platoon level?”
“Com Authorization level increased.”
“Dirmon, lead those troops on your side against that Cannon battery. It needs to be silenced.”
“Aye.”
“Ken, Mike take the starboard ordonnance. Our boys still coming in.”
“On it, Roy.”
Faragon, and you two,” Roy pointed past his Drach friend and motioned at two recruits he had no idea who they were.” Follow me!”
Rou dropped through the hull breach, blindly trusting his dragon friend to engage the suit-wearing enemy troops that had just entered the room below the hull breach. Roy disregarded the shots impacting his shields and instead of fighting he took a breaching kit from a suit compartment, lurched forward, and tossed the soft pillow-shaped object past the defending troops against the armored door. The thing adhered to the door and a heartbeat later an entire section of the wall crumbled to molecular dust.
Roy had never used a Breech Kit before, moments ago he did didn’t even know it existed, but he simply knew what was there and how it could be used. Neither Roy nor the other recruits knew that the Nano Wire connections not only allowed them to use these eight-ton battle suits intuitively but it fed much information into their minds. The device he had just used was not just a simple demolition charge, but a SPLAT, MK 4. These simple gray pillow-like things about human hand size were marvels of Human Terran war technology. SPLAT stood for Spectrum Pulse Load Anti Tech and these things adhered to virtually any material, analyzed what they were thrown against in a few nanoseconds, neutralized the energetic cohesion between molecules, but modulated the freed energies into a broad spectrum pulse, neutralizing most technical systems and devices. The SPLAT not only breached the wall but neutralized countermeasures, potential intruder containment measures, and automated weapon systems.
The strangest thing of the entire situation was not the attack, not the DI’s unconventional decision to lead his recruits into an all-out Deep Space assault; not the fact that Roy and his friends fought for their very survival and it was all real, but that despite all this, it felt right to him. This is what he was born to do. He loved being a Greenie, he could imagine himself eventually and maybe in many years to come to tend a farm with Tanya and Partner at his side, but this was him. Like in his beloved jungles, where he had to rely on his senses, his instincts to survive. Storming down smoke and fire filled corridors of an enemy ship and physically fight was nothing he would ever consider fun, but it was something he understood on its most basic level. Yes, graduation was still distant, but he knew it then and without a doubt. He, Roy Masters was a Marine.
The chair with Jane Smith on it burst into flames. The anger and penned up emotions of Geha made the fire so hot, the very metal frame of the variform chair had burst into flames.
The portel room’s fire suppression system instantly reacted and doused the fire with energy siphon rays and extinguishing chemicals, but for Jane Smith, it was too late, the mousy woman had only time for one painful scream before she had been utterly consumed.
Red strobe lights and the earsplitting wailing sound of a fire alarm told everyone of the fire emergency. Even though fires were pretty much a thing of the past, the necessary technology to deal with such an emergency was still mandatory.
Geha panicked. She knew emergency responders were already on their way and she was certain her psionic outburst had been noticed as well. She did not know much about the Union in detail, but she had heard of their Psionic laws, and this being primarily a military base, there was bound to be PSI Corps.
They would hunt her and she knew nothing about Lorman’s Starbase or the environmental conditions of the planet. If she was caught her chances to ever escape into Freespace were nil.
She rushed into the corridor of the fifth floor of this Portel. Every door she could see was wide open, bright orange robots emerging from wall compartment were already rushing towards her.
She ran the other way hoping to find some way to escape and avoid arrest. This was the second time she used a buildings fire systems to escape. This was not a secure medical facility, but a commercial accommodations provider, and this time she was not the only one rushing towards the marked exits. The other guests and perhaps also personnel of the portel were urged by speaker voices and more arriving robots to vacate the premises.
Moments later and as part of a group of beings, she emerged onto the main concourse of the local spaceport.
She didn’t stick around and used the quickly gathering crowd of onlookers to slip away.
Her eyes caught a Taxi stand and she signaled one of the bubble-shaped vehicles to take her on.
The fully robotic vehicle asked her with a friendly voice. “Thank you for choosing Lorman’s cab as your transportation provider. Where do you wish to be conveyed?”
“455 Judge Petro Ave.”
The cab accepted the destination and while the bubble whisked her through a brightly lit tunnel she realized that she was able to kill the woman that was tormenting her, but she still had this uncanny knowledge of things. 455 Judge Petro Ave was a valid address so it seemed and while she had never been on Lorman’s it was apparent whoever programmed her mind gave her this information.
She had been able to escape the woman, but she realized now that she could not run away from herself. All she knew about herself was a lie. Geha, the chosen daughter of the Tar, the beloved First Daiyee of Bas-Co did not really exist. She was Sybil Putnam, an evil construct created to betray those she loved.
Jane, the woman she had burned called her Sybil Putnam and said she had been a full-grown woman before she was turned into a girl. That the name Sybil rang true and with this realization, she felt that there were other memories, still hidden or blocked from her conscious mind.
She had betrayed the Co tribe. Divulged Tribe secrets, not even other Dai knew. She had revealed the location of the sacred grounds of the Co Tribe. A place where the Tribe could retreat to sent their fallen onto their last journey, and take rest. Devour and distribute the resources gathered and hold important Tribe meetings. Each Dai tribe had such a place, usually, a planet less sun far from traffic lines. Tribes were vulnerable while being there, conducting much-needed repairs on ships and the mothers themselves.
Dai lost all rights to ever be called Than and instantly became Okthi if they ever mentioned the location. A Dai would rather die than reveal any such information, yet she could not stop herself from giving Jane every detail.
The Bubble Taxi descended and the voice said. “We have arrived at 455 Judge Petro Ave. Please deposit the fare of three credits.”
She swiped her wrist com against the reader and the cab opened the door.
She was outside alright and not under a protective dome or somewhere subsurface. The local sun was about to set behind a distant mountain range and transformed it into a sharp black outline.
The local town was built onto a desert plane. Even now she could feel the heat of the day. There were robot gangs with vacuum hose attachments collecting fine reddish dust that seemed to be everywhere and she was certain the task of those robots was never-ending.
The taxi had dropped her off before a three-story, non-descript building. An illuminated sign told her that this was indeed building 455 making her certain that the street she was standing on was Judge Petro Avenue. Her urge to go towards that building was strong.
She wanted to commit suicide, simply turn her destructive powers against herself, she wanted death as it seemed the only way to escape that demon she had inside.
Yet she could not form the necessary will power to even cause a blister on her little finger.
A voice without substance or real presence inside her spoke with a strong notion of amusement. “Geha is not real, you are Sybil. It is your purpose to betray the Dai. You are not Than and not Dai. Now be a good girl and enter the regional NAVINT post to receive new orders.”
Geha knew this was true. Whatever was inside her grew stronger by the moment. Rebellious she yelled. “I am Geha.”
Yet, her own feet betrayed her as she already approached that building. It was then she felt a painful prick at her neck and that was the last she remembered before she passed out.
The former Saresii knew only to a few as Admiral Deepa Lydaa still went by that name she was assigned after the Arti Womb spit her out and into life, Deepa Lydaa was a member of the mystic Gray Cats ever since the First Age of Knowledge. Deepa, who after a long odyssey found the Planet of Rainbows and the Crystal Palace. A place where she came face to face with an old entity of godlike powers and knowledge. It was back then she became the daughter of Sojo and took on the identity of Mother Superior of the Sojonites.
When the Union was formed and the Saresii decided to become a member, it was another entity that urged her to become a Union Citizen and use her position and knowledge to assist that young mega civilization to take its place among the great societies of the universe.
There in the Temple of the Gray Cats, perched upon the rugged mountain peaks of Sares One, the Gray Cat appeared to her, revealing that this mystical creature of worship existed. There in the presence of the Gray Cat, she could not conceal who she had become. The Gray Cat itself made her aware of her true origins, despite all she had become, she was still Saresii first and foremost.
She had met the other immortals chief among them the warrior Richard Stahl, the administrator O’Brock McElligott and the mysterious woman with the name Alycia Lichfangh.
Deepa looked back on a life that exceeded one million years, neither Stahl nor McElligott was even close to that, yet she instantly recognized them to be one of her kind. Beings where age and time were a different thing than it was to mortals. However, Alycia who appeared with Stahl after the Immortal Warrior returned was a different story. She was neither accessible to Deepa nor did she seem to be impressed by a lifespan measured in eons.
In her time as Union Citizen, she met beings like the Camogi, the living matter cloud Vantuur and the glob thing Eduk who claims it fell into this Universe by accident. As diverse and unique these beings were, they all eagerly embraced the concept of the Union and so did she.
Deepa was dedicated to the Union and the concept it represented, this sentiment was recognized by the Administrator and it was McElligott who asked her to become the NAVINT Commandant and built this intelligence organization free of any restrictions, to become the shield of the Union. To defend it against all the invisible threats where battleships were useless.
Officially, NAVINT was formed in 2222 and right after the Union was formed. It was created to incorporate all the different Intelligence services of Earth, Saran, Pan Saran, and the Ult. Just like the individual fleets became one. NAVINT incorporated every intelligence service of new members ever since, but behind the scenes, it was an incoherent mess without a clear structure and a real unifying policy in place. Under the umbrella of NAVINT, they all kept cooking their soup and did not trust each other.
This was without a doubt the main reason the Peace Hawks could take hold within the Assembly and almost caused the young Union to falter and become a victim of the meddling Kermac. In 3592, just after the Y’All were defeated and the Galactic Council declared war against the Union when McElligott approached her and offered her command of NAVINT. To restructure it and shape it to what it had become. The Immortal Administrator gave her unlimited funds and a level of command power no other being possessed within the Union and Deepa accepted. Right after the Peace Hawk fiasco and the Darkest Day that marked the height of Peace Hawk influence, the Assembly was stricken by a collective shame that it was easy for McElligott to have her, the new NAVINT director approved and all her special powers and permissions accepted. To this day, her actual identity was known to the Assembly Security Council only. Neither her name nor her identity was known to the General Public. Pauli Station the NAVINT HQ was known to NAVINT operatives and a handful of high ranking Naval officers. Outside of NAVINT, only McElligott knew about the X Fleet and the Chimera Units. That held true for all the secret bases and outposts NAVINT operated. Some of them deep in enemy territory. No one but McElligott knew about New Olympus and the real role and purpose of the Nova Dioj. Only McElligott knew about the many secrets and some quite illegal and highly unlawful projects. At first, she felt vastly superior to the Old Highlander, but that quickly changed. That old Terran was among the most dangerous beings alive because people underestimated him and he carefully groomed that perception over centuries. If a man like him would have been alive when she rebelled against her father and the Saresii Council things would have been different, she was certain and he was the only man she respected on so many levels. The other one they called the Eternal Warrior was a different story. He remained an enigma to her and while she deeply respected McElligott, she had to admit to herself it was Stahl she feared. Deepa was certain he was the one that had the potential to develop into a real entity. While there was no one more beloved by the General public than Stahl. There was also no one the many enemies feared most. It was that apparently simple Terran soldier who became a real friend to the Klack Queen. She would send every last Klack to fight for him to the death. The elusive Mothermachine who had long transformed past the point of being a sentient machine, but a super-intelligent AI.
Who really understood Vantuur, the living Matter cloud? Its existence was not measured by years but by Galactic Rotations, compared to the billions of years Vantuur existed, she was a mere speck. Yet no one doubted the deep friendship Vantuur had developed with Stahl. Spark the living energy intellect who created the Non-Corps, openly called the Eternal Warrior its closest friend. The Petharians of the Andromeda galaxy worshipped him as a living god. Of course, there was the elusive and mysterious Alycia, a being belonging to the Coven. There was nothing known about her or the Coven, but that she possessed great powers and was not in the least impressed by Deepa’s apparently unequaled Psionic abilities. That Alycia was deeply in love with the Eternal Warrior was known to everyone, except perhaps Stahl.
Deepa had to include Cherubim. There was even less known about her, she was known to be older than all the other Immortals of Earth. No one knew her true identity or how she came to be. Officially she was the director of the Assembly News Service, a small Intelligence Service created by the Gray Ghosts long after NAVINT. Cherubim had been the commandant of the Terran Space Intelligence service that existed before there was a Union. Officially disbanded and its assets incorporated into NAVINT in 2222. Those in the know were convinced TSI still existed and was only pro-Union as long as it was also Pro Earth.
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Geha felt almost as miserable as she had in the Portel room on Lorman’s Starbase. While she was free of the tormenting mocking of that infuriating woman calling herself Jane Smith and was no longer compelled to betray the ones she loved, she knew her life was a lie and that her real name was Sybil Putnam. Her body was perhaps not even the one she had been born with. Geha only knew for certain that she wasn’t the girl she always thought she was and that her existence was based on deceit. She...
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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...
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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,...
Lamax system was only 61 lightyears distant to Faysummit system. Meaning the superfast Colt reached Faysummit only 136 minutes. Roy was getting more anxious by the moment. The closer he got the more he felt convinced that his mother was close and that she was in great peril. The Colt was brand-new and by law, it was his ship. The Phantasian who piloted the ride was an employee or more precise a contractor. Tanya was right, this passenger cabin was not big enough for Partner, but then this...
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Dr. Ivan Harrow disconnected the Comm-Link with a forceful gesture, reflecting his feeling of annoyance. He really respected Paul Masters and he simply adored Martha, but he hated to be called while he was attending a lecture at the annual Galactic life-sciences Conference. This time it was being held on Earth (Terra) and the ancient hallowed grounds of the famous Cambridge University. Even though he was unable to attend in person this year, and he was there only via GalNet tele-presence...
Roy had left his animal with heavy heart and foreboding gloomy thoughts in the mostly gutted ruin of Research Outpost 2. Even though he was sure the animal understood and would wait for him, he feared he might have seen his new friend the last time. Bob always left Wobbler here, when he had to go inside and Wobbler was always there the next day. Norm’s Zisch always came right out of the water; so Roy sighed and petted the humongous head of the black beast and received a dry lick across the...
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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...
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...
The Space Train terminal was located on the very apex of the truly gigantic station known as Sares Hub. Roy, while he started to become a seasoned traveler, still found places like this overwhelming. There was so much activity, this was by far the busiest place he had been so far. He had to admit he was glad Tanya was with him. She was not intimidated and seemed to know where to go. While he traveled with Cara, who also always seemed to know where to go and what to do, it was different with...
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...
Roy never really thought he would ever meet the Eternal Warrior, the man Uncle Sam respected so much, and now he was sitting across from the legendary man and was questioned. Stahl appeared to be a normal human being but Roy’s back hair stood on end whenever he looked into the eyes of that man. It was just as if staring into deep space. The legendary Admiral wasn’t exactly friendly and his voice had a razor sharp edge. Cara had left to talk with the Wurgus delegates. Ship crew was starting...
“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....
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...