RM2-ch5:Humongus-edited

Chapter 5: Humongous

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. He was tall and had a physique as if he could go toe to toe with a Pertharian

The man’s face was rectangular, with a very pronounced chin and jawline. There was a scar from his left eye to his mouth. The blonde hair cut high and tight. The man’s eyes were gray as steel and there was an eerie inhuman quality to them.

Next to him sat Admiral Richard Stahl the eternal Warrior. The living immortal legend.

None of his legends, however, reported that he had a warm, caring voice. The Immortal still had his arm on Roy’s shoulder and then produced a piece of white cloth out of a pocket.

“It’s an old fashioned handkerchief, but I have found no high tech alternative that really substitutes.”

Roy felt suddenly very embarrassed for his tears and his conduct and took the handkerchief and wiped his eyes and blew his nose. “Sir, I don’t belong out here. In my jungles I know what to do, out here I can’t even fly a spacesuit without making a fool out of myself.”

“This is just how I felt, the first time I left Earth.”

Roy looked up with disbelief in his face, “Sir, not you! Everyone knows you are...”

“I was a young Marine Lieutenant from a planet that knew nothing of extraterrestrial aliens or Faster than light travel. When I saw the first real Xunx, I almost shit my pants. A trip around our planet, aboard an airplane, back then took many hours longer, than it took me to get here after I heard what happened. Even today I wonder if all this isn’t simply too big for a simple Pre Astro Marine. They did not teach Faster than light weapon tactics at Parris Island or Quantico and because I am blessed and cursed with immortality, I saw more friends die than I can count and every one of them left an empty spot in my soul. When the day is over Roy I am as alone as you feel right now, my last relative died 2800 years ago.”

Roy completely forgot his misery for a moment.

“Sir, I had no idea. You can come to Green Hell anytime. I am sure Uncle Sam would be thrilled!”

A deep smile parted the chiseled features of his hard face. “Thank you, Roy, and might just do that too, but first let’s get out of here.”

“Am I not charged with something?”

“Nobody filed any charges and the Commodore clearly understood the errors of his ways. You are the Union's biggest hero after all.”

“I don’t want that. It was a Partner and not me.”

“I know Roy. I made sure your name and the details were kept out of the news, but that does not mean I and a few others don’t know about it and we won’t forget it either. Twenty Five Star Systems could be saved. You saved billions of lives by sending Sobyr and Partner to the Station. Thankfully we have instantaneous communication and our magnificent Bellebees instantly sent out the correct orders to every System Defense.”

“And Partner paid for it with his life.”

Stahl got up. ”Then I have a surprise for you.”

Roy also got up and followed the Immortal Admiral. Stahl pointed his finger at the marine with the black eye.

“Mocking a prisoner, any prisoner is simply not acceptable behavior for a Marine.” The stout marine trembled at Stahl’s gaze and gasped.

“Sir, no Sir it is not. I volunteer to run the entire Concourse with full gear Sir and I will correct my behavior.”

“Accepted.”

The Kermac in the other cell came to the field screen and waved at Stahl. Stahl pushed contact for the two way audio and barked.

“What do you want?”

“I recognize you. You are the one they call the Immortal Warrior. You are our greatest enemy but they say you are integrity personified. Tell me what will happen to us?”

“As despicable your act was, we are at war and you are now prisoners of war.”

“I knew our lives were forfeit the moment we stepped aboard the bomb carriers. I mean what will happen to all of us, the Kermac?”

“I am no psychic. I can’t predict the future, but I assure you I will do my part to retaliate in kind.”

The Kermac looked distressed and defeated, “We know of you. No Wizard will ever admit to it but we fear you.”

“If you have something to say, say it now. I am wasting time.”

“I know of another plan and I am willing to reveal it, for certain concessions.”

“Sorry I don’t make deals with enemies.”

Stahl tabbed his Wrist Com. “Alycia can you come down to the Prisoner hold and talk to our Kermac inmates. He has something about another Kermac Scheme.”

To the Marine he said. “Make sure they can’t lift a finger or kill themselves before General Lichfangh comes here.”

Stahl waved Roy and said. “I still need to show you your surprise.”

Roy was once more dressed in his Bio-Seal Suit and had his belongings back. A marine handing him his things told him that the Immortal himself ordered them to get it all. “I also apologize, Sir. Our conduct was inappropriate.” Roy didn’t say much and as he stepped out of the Security Office he saw Stahl talking to a pretty woman in a US Army Uniform. He waved Roy over.

“Alycia I want you to meet Roy Masters, he is a very resourceful young man. We now met twice.”

The Woman had a Cara like quality to her, and while she had some similarities to a Saresii, he had the distinct feeling she was not of that race.

“Nice to meet you, Roy, I am Alycia Lichfangh.”

In all the misery he still felt, he could not deny the uplifting effect of the Eternal Warrior treating him like a friend.

“It is an honor, Ma’am.”

Her eyes had an even more penetrating quality than those of the Admiral.

“No one has told you yet?”

“Told me what?”

“The station went under a Saresii Psi Shield as the last bomb exploded. It was feared there could be Kermac Psionic attacks to follow.”

Roy had no idea what that supposed to mean. The Woman glared at Stahl.

“Go take him to his animal!”

“Take me to my ani ... Partner is alive?”

The woman said, more to Stahl than to Roy.

“The boy and the beast have a very strong Psi bond. The Shield has severed it. They both think the other is dead. The Brig down here is permanently shielded.”

Stahl grunted. “I still hate Psionics in the first place.”

Roy grabbed the arm of the Admiral. “Sir, where is Partner?”

“They found your beast floating out there in an almost catatonic state. He is with your new friends. I take you to them.”

The second he stepped out into the corridor he could feel Partner again and a heartbeat later, with a loud bang, Partner appeared. Roy immediately slung his arms around the big neck and kissed and hugged his friend, while he was licked. It was the second time today Roy could not keep back his tears.

The waves of love and emotions he received from his partner had never been as intense. The Universe simply wasn’t as big or as scary while he had his friend and was not alone after all.

Stahl interrupted him after a while. ”I am sure glad you two are back together, but I do need to go back to my duties.”

Stahl pointed to Roy’s PDD.

“I added my personal call code. If you ever need me, call.”

Stahl padded Partner and then turned and walked away. Only now he noticed Cara and his new friends standing a short distance down the corridor. He did not let go of Partner as he walked up to them.

Cara gave him a scolding look. “I said to explore the Station, not half the Galaxy.”

Roy snapped angrily. “I am nothing but an assignment to you. Stowed away on Sares till it is time for the Wurgus conference. I promised Uncle Sam to be good, but no one ever asked me if I even want to be here.” It came out like a flood. “I thought you would be there at Sares, and now I know, I am just order and you decided to put me up with your parents. I don’t know them, could you not at least have told me that?”

He pointed at partner and said. “And then you let that prick talk like that when I thought Partner was dead?”

She took a step back. “I am sorry Roy. I know things haven’t been easy for you since I met you, but I thought we were friends. I called the Admiral to let him know what happened and he actually left his ship and the war behind and took a space train halfway across the quadrant to come here personally. You physically attacked and wounded the Commandant of this base. No matter how insensitive and callous his comments might have been, it was a serious thing. Yes, I understand your emotional state at that time, but everything went so fast you gave me no time to react or even say anything.” She looked sad and hurt. “I volunteered to help you from the day I heard your parents got killed. If my help was not adequate then I am sorry. Go back to Green Hell or whatever.” Sobyr looked troubled. “I came to apologize for what my father said and did and for the mess, I got you in. I am sorry, we all felt enriched by your presence and would like to thank you for everything you did, saving our lives and all.” Aat also made sad eyes. “If you go back to Green Hell we won’t have a chance to get to know you better.”

Roy suddenly felt rotten for snapping that way at Cara. What she said was true. She had his best in mind and never was anything less than a friend. Cara stepped forward and simply hugged him and pressed her soft cheeks against his. “I am sorry Roy. I don’t know what it is I can do but I will try to be a better friend.”

“What do you say if you wished you never said something that hurt a friend in the first place?” She stopped him. “Telepathy has its good sides too, apologies are easier because we can feel if they are sincere. Can we forget what happened and simply go from there?”

Roy was becoming a man and Cara felt lovely, soft, warm and emitted a faint but heavenly scent. He said. “Yes, please. I did not mean what I said. It was just so much. I think I still want to go to Sares. If everything I experienced was a lesson then I learned that I have to catch up with what I missed in school”

Cara held him at arm’s length. “I said it before, deep down you are a wise young man, Mr. Masters.” She looked a little embarrassed and added. “Why don’t we all got to Arthur’s have pigged out dinner and we all catch up. You and your new friends and of course, Partner.”

Roy learned that Sobyr went to his father right away and thanks to the presence of the PSI corps found the Calypso right away and had no problems to use Tech Stop and Paralysators to overwhelm the Kermac and the Nogoll. Thus free Aat and Pictfram. Sobyr’s father alerted the Bellebees and they instantaneously issued the detailed orders to ten thousand Union Fleet posts where Kermac battles happened and thus Union forces were able to avert a terrible catastrophe in the proverbial last minute. Cara explained that the Bellebees had no natural eyes or ears, no arms or faces but still were a tremendously important member of the Union. Bellebees could remember collectively every little detail over thousands of years and easily correlate the most minute detail with a million other details and come to a sensible solution. They were as efficient as any computronic but added intuition, creativity and a certain level of emotional response to a solution only living beings could.

For this ability, many Bellebees were part of Fleet Command and able to react to a widespread problem in a fast and decisive way.

This was the reason the Kermac attacked this system, as they correctly identified the Bellebees as powerful asset of the Union.

Sobyr’s father was a true Thauran and could not apologize directly to a “Non-Thauran” but he expressed his apologies to Roy via his son.

Sobyr assured him that had little to do with Stahl coming during a war and despite all the events halfway across the Galaxy to intervene.

It was primarily the fact that Roy was instrumental in saving Sobyr’s life. Of course, having the Immortal Admiral breathing down his neck made more than just a deep impression on the Station Commander and just about anyone.

That Stahl had been on Pluribus at that time and only a Space Train ride away from Belle Station was beside the point.

They had all a great dinner at an Arthur’s Swine and Dine and even Partner participated by eating the wrappers, entire cups of soda: cup, ice straw and all, two pepper shakers and an entire napkin holder Pictfram tossed in Partner’s direction, much to the delight of the others.

The plan they agreed on, was Roy would visit Humongous with Cara the next day and then have a whole day with his new friends before they had to resume their journey to Sares.

The next morning, bright and early Cara, Partner and Roy met at the hotel lobby after breakfast and ran into Captain Wilson, the commanding officer of the Gayimeera. He was out of uniform and wore a short white dress and carried a sports bag with a long-handled thing sticking out one side. He waved at them as he came out of the IST.

“Colonel Halvagh and Mr. Masters. I was just about to call you but running into you is even better.”

Roy remembered that Cara’s last name was Halvagh and that she was a Colonel. He also still thought it was quite deceiving for a Saresii man to look like a real hot looking blonde with legs to the sky and a skirt that barely covered a round apple-shaped behind.

The XO of the Gayimeera, even though being half Terran was telepathically gifted and gave Ray an impish grin.

“Oh yes, indeed it is quite deceiving and fun.” Then he changed the subject. “The Gayimeera did need a new bow shield projector after all. The Nogoll missile that hit us overloaded the coils. Nothing serious but due to the war they are short of shield-projectors and have none that fits in stock.”

Cara said. ”So how long will that delay us?”

“They ordered one from Ross 123 and it is already on a Post ship and should be here on Eight-day of Red Week and since we got Threeday, it will be here in five days. Fitting it is a matter of hours and we should be on our way to the HHW on Sixday latest.”

She sighed. “I hoped to be on Sares for the Silver-Cat festival so Roy could experience something that happens only every five years and get a good first impression.”

“Oh, I think we still make it to the festival, Colonel. We just ditch the planned stop at Blue Moon and go straight through Intergalactica SW 1 and that will get us to Sares Gate on schedule.”

Roy had no idea what they were talking about but he understood that they would be here for five more days but still somehow manage to reach Sares without much of a delay.

Cara seemed pleased with that and thanked the Captain for the information.

Captain Wilson held up the sports bag. “I am using the stopover for a few Tennis matches. The station has excellent facilities and I am participating in a local competition. Are you two care to come along?”

Cara spread her arms. “We would have loved to see you compete in whatever it is you are about to do, but we are on our way to visit Humongous and the Bellebees.”

Roy also had no idea what Tennis was. “I don’t know any sports.”

The blonde captain shrugged. “You should check it out one of these days, it, but then you can play Tennis anywhere, but meet Bellebees only here.”

The Captain left and turned the heads of a few human males, most likely not even suspecting anything as Wilson did not look very Saresii, being blonde and tanned and all that. Roy didn’t say it aloud but was thinking. ‘He should wear a sign or something!.’

Cara rolled her eyes at Roy’s thoughts. ”You might be a Greenie, but your mind is all Terran Male.”

His new friends already waited outside the hotel. Altogether, and a taxi ride later they boarded a local shuttle bound for Humongous.

The shuttle was packed to the last seat.

Cara leaned over and explained to him that Belle Station was located about 12 Light minutes above the local Star called Kappa Andromedae as the sun was known to Terran astronomers even before the Ascent. Since the Bellebees had no name for their sun, not being able to see it, the name remained. Humongous was the 4th planet of the system. The planet had 14 larger moons, all occupied and utilized by the Union. According to the information he got from an onboard brochure displayed on an info screen, several large cities were floating in the gaseous layers of the planet.

As they approached he noticed how different it looked to the planets he had seen so far. Sensing his unspoken questions, Cara said. “It is a Jovian planet. Jovian means it is a world similar to a big gas planet, called Jupiter. We Saresii have a completely different name for giants like that, but for some reason, the classification Jovian stuck and now the entire Union is using it.” “And Jupiter is where?” “It is a Gas planet in the Sol System, you know where Earth is, the home system of the Terrans. Humongous, however, is bigger than Jupiter. It is one of the biggest known planets in the Galaxy. Some say it is a failed sun”

“If you say, Gas giant, does it not mean it is made of Gas and thus just a puff of nothing solid?”

“You skipped a lot of school, you know. Planet classification is taught in 5th grade.”

“I am getting that and that is why I am on my way to Sares, of all places, to catch up.”

She answered his question. “Some Gas giants do have a solid core, but technically no solid surface. Pressures and conditions change the properties of such basic elements like hydrogen and helium to such density that you can indeed walk on it, given you wear the right protection.”

She pointed at the dark red ball that was getting bigger by the minute. “Humongous is a little different than most Jovian planets and scientists argue if it a Super Jovian or a failed Brown Dwarf. The planet is right at the threshold of becoming a star. Conditions there are more extreme than on other Jovians and temperatures right above the metallic helium layer hover at around 1600 on the K scale or 1326 degrees on the old unscientific C Scale, so many Terrans still prefer.”

The red ball had little in terms of features and appeared more like a dirty glowing sun with some orange swirls.

Roy kept looking at the planet and said. “How can they have a city on a planet like that? How could life develop?”

She smiled. “The Union has cities on the surface of stars, a research station near the Galactic Center and many hundred thousand floating cities on Jovian planets. For example, the temperatures outside Bright Star City on the sun the Non-Corps call home are many thousand times hotter than here. The radiation conditions near the Galactic Bar are so intense they could even kill a Takkian and yet we have a research station there. I know of a certain green planet, where everything is deadly and yet even there people live.”

Aat the Saran girl sitting right behind him said. “To me, our Union is even more fascinating than the rest of the Universe. We visited Gore II just last year, and that is a planet-sized single organism.”

Ncchsi the big Suron female next to the Saran said. “I too wonder how life could develop on a place like this failed sun.”

Carla turned in her seat. “How life evolves and exists on planets like these are questions scientists, scholars and theologians try to answer for a very long time. Heck, we don’t know why life really comes to be on a Garden world. However, Roy’s mother was one of the foremost authorities on energy-consuming and energy transferring life forms and she was an authority on the Bellebees and she was well known and well respected among them and that is the reason for Roy’s invitation by the way.”

He looked away. “I know, she tried to tell me about the Bellebees and I remember only fragments. I didn’t want to hear what she had to say.”

She put her hand on Roy’s shoulder. “The Bellebee we are going to meet is eager to make your acquaintance because he was a good friend of your mother and he knows about you.”

“He knows about me?”

“Yes, your mother most likely mentioned you and the Bellebees do not forget anything, not the smallest detail. They can remember every word anyone has ever spoken to any one of them.”

Alejandro sitting one seat row ahead turned and added to the conversation. “They know and remember the name of every Union Fleet member since there is a Union Fleet.”

Carla nodded pleased and gestured towards the now, sight filling image of the planet. “They are Union Members for quite some time now and because technology allows them to actively participate, they take membership as serious as a religion. They are even more serious about it than the Shaill or the Pertharians and that is saying something.”

The shuttle’s viewports closed and the passenger view was replaced by view screens. Roy noticed that the shuttle extended wing-like control surfaces as it dove into the planet’s atmosphere. Despite computronic flight stabilization some shaking and bumping motion came through. The pilot ensured the passengers that this was perfectly normal as they entered a 1600 miles per hour storm layer. Air and matter particles pounded the shuttles strong shields with supersonic speeds. The view sensors compensated for the strong glow and after a twenty-minute descent, an artificial structure became visible, floating in a fantastic swirl of every shade of red. From the softest pastel pink oversaturated orange to deep red and dark violets. The structure featured an illuminated Union flag in its center, proudly proclaiming that this construct was of Union origin. It had the appearance of a star like a wheel with sixteen spokes and at the end of each spoke was a pine cone-shaped appendix. At the center of the wheel was a sphere-like hub.

As they approached he could see hundreds of softly glowing pumpkin-shaped things float around the cones and settle into spoon-shaped tubs.

As one of the floating pumpkins passed close by, he realized how big those things were.

Cara said. “This is Ukdu Aigs, he is one of the Old ones and about 800 meters across.”

“You can tell them apart and know them by name?”

She tapped to her ear. “They are hard to read with Psionics as their thoughts are simply overloaded with a flood of details, but I am also a Data Head and I tuned my internal PDD to the Belle-radio frequencies. He floated by to say hello and wanted to know if you are aboard.”

“Is he the one who knew mother?”

“Not in person, no. That would be Moke-Dies. He has already docked in his spoon-tub, remember they do share all their species memory. Ukdu-Aigs is excited to meet you.”

Roy had no response to that. It was another one of these events that were so much bigger than him and something he simply wasn’t prepared for. He sighed. “I hope I won’t make a fool of myself.”

“I think you will do just fine.”

“Do you think I should get myself such a Data Head thing?”

“I would wait if you are still serious about becoming a Marine. They get their own implants.”

The shuttle approached the hub of the big wheel and slipped through an energy membrane.

Inside it was just another high tech dock, smaller of course than on Belle Station, but still, the same activities went on everywhere he looked; freight handling by robots, beings traveling in every direction on foot or on slide belts. The only real difference was the huge view-ports. Instead of deep space, one could see the swirling red-hued swirls of color outside.

After a short trip on a slide belt across the landing deck, Roy, Carla, Partner, and his five new friends came towards a row of wide doors with a big sign reading: City Access.

There, by the doors, a sizeable committee of uniformed humans and human-sized Bellebees floating above the deck plates awaited their approach.

Cara whispered. “Those are size reduced Avatars of actual Bellebees.”

A human-sized Bellebee Avatar actually wearing a black Uniform with the Union Flag on the side, established itself in a central position.

“Hail and welcome Roy Masters of Green Hell; hail and welcome Partner of Green Hell. May the winds lift you always to rich feeding grounds. I am Ukdu-Aigs an Elder of the ones you call Bellebees. The one of Highest Respects has told us that you are humble and honest and not out for glory. That you do not wish to be celebrated, yet being the core cause why 234,405,403,003.50 beings still live is certainly not a deed that should pass without any recognition”

Roy wished he knew what to say and how to address the alien correctly.

“Mr. Ukdu-Aigs, I am just a teenager from Green Hell. I was only a small part of the events that unfolded. The others who were with me deserve praise. Alejandro the Stellaris and Ncchsi the Maggi-Suron didn’t even hesitate a second when I wanted to blow up the bomb.

Sobyr delivered the message. Without him, there would not been enough time and then there is my animal Partner who teleported Sobyr to the station. I had the smallest part in all of this.”

“I am long enough among humans and other beings to understand the fine nuances of human emotions presented in facial expressions and tone of voice. Even though my eyes are artificial, I can sense your embarrassment. The Eternal Warrior was right when he said you would be uncomfortable if we tried to celebrate you.”

The band seemed to have received an unspoken command and left without playing and the Bellebee floated closer. “We will heed the Immortal’s advice and your unspoken wishes, yet we want to express our gratitude.”

Roy felt better already after the band and half of the officials left and he waved his hand.

“No worries your Highness, it’s just that I feel it’s a bit over my head.” Then he rubbed his chin, “Just one thing I do like to know. How did I manage to save half a being? I mean the point five number means there was half a guy?”

There was a moment of silence and then one of the officials started to chuckle and someone else started a suppressed laugh.

The male voice of the Bellebee also sounded amused. “No, Roy Masters not half a being, but we Bellebees have access to quite precise numbers and there were 3,434,112 births and in correlation to the precise time when the last bomb was intercepted, one mother was at the exact moment of giving birth so technically her child was not entirely to be counted as an individual.”

That statement clearly impressed Roy. “Wow, that’s whamo. You knowing all that I mean.”

“There is an Earth tradition where one can become an honorary member of groups and institutions and we like this tradition. In this tradition, we like to pronounce you and your partner to be honorary members of the Bellebee civilization. It must be an alien and strange culture to you, but Humongous will always welcome you in ways no outsider ever will be.”

“That’s sure a nice sentiment, and you are not all that strange. We got something like you right on Green Hell. Of course not as smart or as big but the gas bag floating part I mean.”

“I read your mother’s papers on us and on the Lightning Dragons of your Homeworld. She was a remarkable scientist and understood us. Do you know that her work was instrumental in improving our health services and developing a medical treatment for a disease that plagued my kind for a long time?”

Roy pressed his lips together and then took a deep breath. “No, I did not know. I did not listen as much as I should have when she talked about her work, I don’t have the same interest in science as my parents had.”

“We observed that the offspring of humans do not always choose the same career as their parents do. It is not necessary that you follow your mother’s path. It is however important you follow your own and it appears that your family’s path is already intertwined with ours.”

One of the human officials stepped forward.

“I am the City manager of Humongous One and while I can understand your sentiment not to bask in glory or expect much fanfare, I hope you allow us to celebrate the fact that we still have a sun and our lives. You are of course a guest of honor not just for today but as long as you and your partner live. I make sure the same invitation goes out to the rest of the individuals you mentioned.”

“Thank you.” was all that came to Roy’s mind.

There was a big dinner after all, in a spectacular restaurant, with viewports showing the colorful swirling outside. He wondered if looking at that all the time would drive people crazy and Cara explained that most residents didn’t even see it anymore and most viewports could be blocked out or show any scenery desired.

After the dinner, which was pretty good and since he had a few formal dinners in recent history, he did not feel totally out of place.

Especially the lessons he got from Cara while he was aboard the Silver Swan were quite useful now.

To his delight, he saw the others also enjoying themselves: Sobyr, Aat, Ncchsi, Alejandro and Pictfram. The City manager had kept word and made sure they were invited too.

He didn’t have much chance to talk to them, as they all got the grand tour of the City and the Manager himself did the tour guide bit.

Sobyr, as much as he tried, could not completely deny the fact that he was a Thauran and he did enjoy being at the center of attention.

While his new friends continued with the tour, Cara and the Avatar of Ukdu-Aigs took him through one of the wheel spoke connections to meet Moke-Die.

The IST dropped them in one of the cone-shaped appendixes and Ukdu-Aigs said. “Would you care to go outside? Union Technology developed special flight suits allowing a Human to leave the city and share our environment.”

“I made a fool out of myself in a spacesuit just recently and I sure don’t want to meet my mother’s friend bumping into everything.”

“You can meet Moke-Die. Just like me as an Avatar of course, but this is not free space. Up and down do have meaning if that was the problem in space, besides the Suits do have computronics that do the flying.”

Roy agreed but had mixed feelings as he stepped into the Auto Dresser.

He had to laugh as he saw Partner, also wearing a flight suit. Tailored to his shape and size. He was certain that Partner didn’t need a suit but, his four-legged friend looked very proud of having a suit and his mental pictures seemed to say. ‘this time I got a suit so you don’t have to leave me behind.’

Cara was right behind him as he stepped through the Airlock membrane and into the atmosphere of the huge planet. The Bellebee Elder’s Avatar blinked out still inside the station, two of the humongous balloon-shaped beings were hanging right outside.

Ukdu was right, this wasn’t deep space, this was much worse! Yes there was an up and down, and the suit kept him stationary with grav projectors and positioning jets; at least for the moment. For some reason, his mind told him that he was hanging a few hundred kilometers above a swirling storm. A storm they had told him was raging with wind speeds at over 1600 kilometers per hour and that storm created a whirlpool-like vortex that appeared to look like the maw of a gigantic monster.

While his sense of Danger was silent, he still could not completely ignore a feeling of fear. So he decided to not look down too much, get the meeting over with and leave Humongous. He was certain becoming an honorary member of the Bellebee society was a great honor and all that, but he did not exactly want to spend much time here. The floating city was nice, but it was just another enclosed space. He preferred a planet with a surface and forests, preferably jungles. In other words a place just like Green Hell. He realized that he was a little homesick again.

He almost missed the radio signal, the reason he was here in the first place and he told the suit to connect him.

“Welcome, Roy Masters. I am Moke-Die and I am a friend of your mother.”