Authors: Jr H. Lee Morgan
“
What’s going on?” Satellite
asked before the other three in the room could.
“
Oh, just that he somehow
invented a space manipulated isolated area where Renee has
stored
all
her
genetics supplies from her lab for when she and Oliver leave us to
go get knocked up.” Jessica said dryly.
“
I thought that manipulating
space was against the laws of physics.” Stone spoke up, his brow
furrowed.
“
So did the rest of us, but
inside
this
little
box Renee has put all her gear from her laboratory inside
it.
All
of it aside
for lab rats. She’s even carrying a portable clean room tube as
well as a Repurposer, incubator, cryogenic systems. You name it,
she is holding it strapped over a shoulder like a
purse.”
“
Brother, how…” Stone
began.
“
Sorry, but I cannot tell
you. I’ve gotten to the point that the mathematics humanity has as
of right now, is not yet ready for what I’ve just begun to see. And
the storage vessel can’t be reverse engineered. Crystal technology
cannot break down or hold all the information my Valek put into
making that. The downside is living matter cannot survive inside
the altered space. What I can say is a box of that size can store
up to four tons before the gravity manipulator exceeds its limits.
I’m sorry, but none of you would understand and I cannot tell you.
It can do much harm.”
“
Harm? It just stores things
right?”
“
Yes. It only stores. The
downside is that I can make a box small enough as to hold a ring
and inside it could hold chemical weapons or explosive and
basically anything bad you can imagine so long as it fits in the
opening and has adequate energy within. If an explosion happens
within… let’s just say not even I would want to be in the blast
radius. Yet that too is an issue. The more it holds, the greater
the expenditure. Though it is gradual. If it loses its containment
field within the box itself, all the contents will explode outward.
And when I mean explode I mean all the stored energy within matter
will be released instantaneously as pure energy.”
“
So it makes a big boom.
Whoopee.” Steven said dryly but there was no denying the gleam in
his muddy brown eyes. “But I want to know what brought it up to
make you create this.”
“
Me actually. My idiot can’t
think of anything important unless I tell him to.” Renee smiled and
acted smugly superior though internally she was excited. “We were
in bed two nights ago and I told him I wished I could bring my lab
to continue my work so I’m not bored for three whole months with a
bun in the oven. I’ll need the distraction if it’s just going to be
me, him, Sparky, Rose and the Pride. Told my idiot how nice it
would be to bring it all and late last night he gives me this
container and I spent the remainder of my time in the lab putting
everything inside it. Kind of tricky to use, but is great. And it’s
kind of strange. Anything inside gets so cold it’s like a natural
cryogenic freezer… and the samples are in as perfect condition as
first put in.”
“
I’m satisfied. But now I
want to see it in action.”
Renee was too happy to pull things out,
linking her chip to the storage box to pop out an object far too
large to have been contained naturally. Jessica meanwhile kept
trying to ferret out the mathematics and ideas on how it was made,
but he kindly told her no. He foresaw many problems should it
become common. He didn’t lie about the complexity. His way of
thinking exceeded humans now and in it he was enlightened as to why
the Creelin didn’t trade technologies. It was too dangerous till
they learned on their own.
He had made a personal promise to help, but
not introduce technologies far beyond their current level of
advancement. It had bugged Renee when he openly told her, but as he
began explaining she saw it too and grimly agreed.
At the open docking door the swirling rainbow
of color outside suddenly went dark and they dropped into normal
space. Seeing the vastness again struck Oliver and was calming.
Distant starlight was welcoming.
Up on the bridge the jaguar spliced first
mate sent a message. His whiskers twitched as his fur rippled in a
stream of air from ventilation above. “Zerika tower two. This is
the Dorgenox. Do you read me?”
A holo-screen popped up in front of the helm.
“Loud and clear, Dorgenox.” Came a rugged and grizzled man wearing
standard Hunter armor. Like all Hunters they were large and stocky.
Like Stone, the man was shaven bald and had skin the color of onyx.
“Landing permission approved by Elder Scythe. He got the message
from Stone Callicko and High Elder Void.”
“
Twenty minutes out. We’re
in deceleration.” Abdul said as they exited on the opposite side of
Zerika. Dropping out there so Zerika’s own gravity will help speed
up declaration since they were already moving at half the speed of
light. A hard turn had them going in an elliptical pattern to slow
down more and more.
But before that the man stationed at the
tower said “And Dorgenox, please try not to crash land again.”
Abdul as well as the captain laughed along with the others
stationed at the fore of the bridge.
The comment was for after Oliver was
discovered, they were attacked by large Stingray Beasts and in that
fight there was some feedback that cracked the container of Booster
Oil, but Jacob Wrench managed to save a single drop since raw and
refined Booster Oil evaporates near instantly when in contact with
air. The drop had kept them in proper FTL for a day, but when the
fumes were gone the FTL drive disengaged too soon and rather than
appear on Zerika’s other side, they met face to face and Zerika
wasn’t going to surrender first. Only Abdul’s expert piloting
skills limited the devastation to the great sailboat of the stars.
Luckily no one died though there were injuries.
When speed had become slowed to ideal
parameters, Abdul pushed on the helm forward to drop the nose of
the Dorgenox and the sails were furled. Using a well tuned
combination of manipulated gravity and ship thrusters the Dorgenox
dove into the atmosphere of the great jungle planet nearly
completely covered in greenery and clouds foretelling rain.
Slight friction heated the shields, but when
the great ship spotted the large valley it lifted the nose and came
in for a smooth hovering landing. Enormous anchors dropped
kilometers down the valley and hit part of a stream. With lowered
anchors, no wind would broadside the ship and make it leave the
Hunter port.
Made completely out of colorful grown
gemstone was the Hunter village. The port had a single shuttle for
emergencies and was mainly the most technologically advanced piece
of equipment aside from emergency drones, a full time medic and
their Hunter armor. Anything else was forbidden on the wild world.
Only special circumstances would be allowed to fly by shuttle. As a
Hunter planet, any who are permitted to come must adhere by Hunter
laws. One being that all travel must be done by foot or flight by
wings if they had them.
Colorful homes were grown by crystals and
encircling the whole village was a black, semitransparent wall ten
meters tall. But as Oliver looked with new eyes, he saw the
electrical dome covering the entire village. It was necessary
because Zerika was a Beast planet as well as a place where Inferno
trees grew well. These trees bare Inferno Fruit, the only
ingredient in making Booster Oil to increase speed in FTL by a wide
margin. Its lush soil perfect for producing the commodity.
Most building in the village were grown below
a cliff where a waterfall fell and cut straight down the middle of
the village to fall again down into the valley where there was
plenty of space for starships to hover. Just one large dwelling
stood atop the cliff, the Elder’s lodge. Oliver remembered it well
and all that happened with all the Elders last time.
Sparky and Rose had already arrived. Renee
mounting Sparky’s saddle. Jessica and Stephanie had left the room,
going to ride in the captain’s shuttle. Nova gave the command once
all had settled and the Dorgenox was moored. Twelve sets of Liger
armor transformed into flight capability and they ran right after
their master who jumped easily through the shielding of the dock.
Oliver jumped and fell down, feeling the instant increase of
gravity pull and was most welcome. He flew telekinetically and in
precise formation behind was the Pride squad.
Stone and Steven levitated also, but their
limitations had them hurrying across the open space before they
passed out.
Waiting for their arrival in the midmorning
sun was the whole village standing behind a man taller than the
others carrying a massive battleaxe. The villagers were by far from
timid and rather than cower, they raised weapons in event the
creatures proved to be unfriendly.
Oliver landed in front of the man and they
stood nearly the same height, but the back man’s armor did not hide
he was more stocky. “I see you’ve undergone many changes, Brother.
Welcome back.”
“
It is good to be back,
Elder Scythe.” They shook hands.
Elder Scythe raised a casual eyebrow as the
winged creature weren’t winged at all. “Big lions you have there.
They as deadly as they look?”
“
Oh, they are definitely
much more dangerous. And they’re resemblance is to ligers so keep
it simple. They’re Ligers. You remember how fast I was? They quite
literally run circles around me. Watch.” Oliver turned and unhooked
his shield. “You guys ready?” the Pride chanced a glace to Nova who
gave a little grunt to Read his master had no fear of these people
and why. They were beyond reproach and the large leader would kill
to keep guests safe. Nova then jabbed every human’s mind with the
others. Some sensitive felt it, but they were quiet when Elder
Scythe held up a patient hand. Through Nova, Oliver realized nearly
all Hunters believed Oliver belonged to their village and the
remaining held deep respect for him.
Nova decided his master was safe and changed
to playful, lowering his head and the other happily followed his
example.
“
Don’t blink.” He glanced
over his shoulder.
He threw it clear over the village and the
Pride seemed to disappear to the majority. Only the most skilled
were able to barely keep track.
“
Stars, Brother! Just how
fast are they?” Elder Scythe asked when he lost sight when all
twelve leapt over the cliff like pouncing fleas.
“
Nova, the really big one,
is the fastest and I measured his peak speed at five hundred and
forty two kilometers per hour at ten times Standard gravity.
Average of them all is five fifteen.”
“
And they are bound to
you?”
“
As deeply as them.” He
gestured to the landing Drakes. “They’re what is called a Warrior’s
Pride. Highly trained Solarian companions like the birds and wolves
you use, but they are not made by man, they are born. And they are
the last of their kind. As the last Solarian, I must protect
them.”
The village gasped when it settled in. All
except one.
“
You don’t seemed surprised
I’m Solarian, Scythe.”
“
Because I’m not. I figured
it out before GNN broke the story about the derelict ship and
before Grandest Vanishing Claw told us.”
“
Oh?”
Before Scythe could continue there was a
white and black striped blur as the Pride returned, the smallest
getting the shield this time. Oliver threw it over the cliff behind
him and far out into the valley, showing off how far he could throw
and the Pride was gone again.
“
After looking over files
again, it was easy to see you for what you are, but you are still a
brother. Just a
much
older brother. But I never expected your eyes to glow like
Creelin. That is a surprise. Oh, and thank you.”
“
For what?”
“
For the ligament
enhancements. Many of the young ones are finding it difficult, but
for me it saved my life three times already. The first was finding
a Tortoise nest and was able to get away without injury. I outran a
Praying Mantis and was able to grab the last handhold in a cliff I
was climbing before I fell into a jagged bed of Vipers. Without
you, I’d have died. With new speed I can conserve my energies much
more efficiently and get up close to my liking to let my axe have a
nice drink.”
“
Well you are welcome then.”
Oliver patted Scythe’s shoulder.
“
So do any of us smell
stronger to be your mate?” one of the women asked.
“
Back off, Bitch, he mine.”
Renee snapped as she dismounted.
“
We can share can’t we?” she
asked. “There is certainly plenty of him to go around.”
“
I don’t share him. He is
mine and even if I did, his semen would kill you. He can’t mate
with humans.”
“
And you can?” Another woman
asked sarcastically
“
Damn right. I’m his one and
only mate because my Ma screwed with her ovaries and made me into a
human born Solarian before she died. And believe me, Sweetheart,
I’ve ran tests on over a hundred woman ovum and his semen will
induce a fever because your hypothalamus will be increased above
tolerable levels as the potent chemicals in his semen will be
beyond what your body can safely store. Furthermore, even if you do
manage to get pregnant and stay cool throughout, your body will
crave nothing but Beast and especially their brains. And as soon as
you give birth, the fetus will no longer be able to negate the
poison in your body and you’d still die. Just as my Ma
did.”