Version 2006 - Ch 48



Cirruit had done a terrific job, gluing and welding armor plates over the sleek form of a Landing Tank, Rusty Chain curtains covered the wide Ultronit Tracks and the whole thing looked like an old many times repaired all terrain crawler with an ArtiGrav. The main cannon was still there but looked like an old artillery piece and not like the Plasma Projector it was. A few moments later we left the Tigershark, Muhammad at the Conn and flew due south. It was true no one cared and were simply another armed skimmer in the skies. Krabbel sat at the Controls and Dien Tallow next to him in the Mission command seat. Narth went along out of scientific curiosity, TheOther manned the Turret and there were four other crew members in the crawler as well, all from the science department and I was simply a passenger, more or less. Tallow directed us due South away from the city and Air traffic became less and consisted almost entirely of dirty looking skimmers loaded to the brim with waste. One of the scientists in the back with me, a red haired woman her body no more than maybe a size two, with tiny hands and thin arms said." Every type of vermin you could think of has been brought here to SIN 4 either by accident or on purpose. There are no hygiene or import rules. And for over nine hundred years they are dumping trash and waste on this island along with life forms from all across the Galaxy. I can't wait to see how Terran rats have adapted to this environment." I shivered involuntarily." to each her own. I guess everyone needs a hobby." She smiled ."Captain, I am a Xeno biologist and to me such things are quite fascinating. About sixty years ago there was a Galactic Geographic Expedition to Sin 4 and they did focus on that Trash island and found some of the strangest life forms there. It was never done again, because two Expedition members got killed, most of the gear stolen and two abducted for ransom. So I look forward to see what has changed and what is there." "I am always amazed what scientists find fascinating." "You have seen the landing field? It is cracked and corroded and disintegrates to dust." I nodded." I have. Knowing this planet I am surprised they have one in the first place." "It was leveled and installed by Kermac Civil Engineers about 200 years ago in the hopes to get the Sin 4 Cartel to join the Hegemony. The material used is very similar to our Duro-crete and should have lasted a thousand years. But someone imported a mineral eating microbe and it mated with another perhaps local micro organism and the new life form finds the polymer compounds used in that Kermac Concrete especially delicious, the result crumbling and cracking concrete." I raised an eyebrow." Now that is actually interesting. If that microbe could be altered and delivered by bombs. It could turn an entire Spaceport to dust." Krabbel laughed." Our Captain really is a real Terran! the first thing they always think of is how something could be used as a weapon!" I shrugged:" It was a logical conclusion was it not?" Narth raised his head:"Indeed especially logical to Terrans." The redheaded Xenobiologist said." Also we can devise materials immune to these effects. But the microbes are just one example. There is a common weed on Terra called Dandelion it too found its way to Sin 4 and it developed a symbiosis with a flesh eating plant. Now the little seed pods that look so lovely on Earth carry tiny flesh eating pods that instantly burrow in unprotected skin. I am certain there are more examples like this and we will find a rich sampling of various life forms there on Trash island." Dien Tallow turned." I know we are supposed to hunt Pirates and that is our primary goal but the pursuit of knowledge is also important and this is why even a ship like the Tigershark has extensive lab facilities and Command deemed it important to have specialists like us along." I raised my hands." I am not against scientific exploration and I would love to simply go on an explorer mission, we do have a little time and it is time well spend. We just need to be careful, Pirates don't explore much and we can't risk our cover." Krabbel said." We are here, Trash Island. No one has followed us and all I notice are a few Garbage floaters." If there was a hell in the Universe, I was sure we had found it. The water around the Trash island was a dark brown soup with floating spots of shimmering oil, how the island once looked no one could say. It was mountains and mountains of trash, waste and rotting garbage. Smoldering heaps belched black smoke into the air and made even the sky look dirty and somewhat greenish. Krabbel landed in a valley between two mountains and engaged the tracks. In the distance we saw one floater dumping trash and I could clearly see the form of a human body falling as well. the two man crew of the floater had bare bodies and used simple shovels. they paid no attention to us at all. It was Narth who pointed out the viewport." Please stop. I believe I seen an Itomarian Powerstick," Krabbel stopped and Dien became excited. "I believe you are correct. It indeed looks that way. What an eye!" Before I could ask, Narth voice answered as usual in my mind." A long gone species of Space travelers, believed to be associated with the UNI. They had a large empire long before the Celtest. We had little contact with them as we Narth isolated ourselves as much as possible from other species. However their technology was highly developed and very unique." We stepped through an Auto Dresser putting us in the new Atlas Class Battle suits, altered in such a way that they did not look like Union technology. Even Narth choose to put a battle suit on. Krabbel remained and kept an eye on the scanners as well. I sank to my knees into waste, before the suit adjusted and lowered the gravimetric ground pressure. Something like a centipede with many segments and as long as my arm had coiled itself around my left leg and tried to burry sharp looking mandibles into the material of my suit. TheOther stomped past me and he truly looked terrifying in that battle suit as his had four arms "What amazing technology, these new suits are! I was always at awe at the Quasimodos and I remember well how Union Marines fought us wearing them. Now I am wearing one so much advanced I believe I could hold an entire Y'All landing force all by self with it." Narth and Dien uncovered an elaborately decorated five meter long stick like object from the dirt. It had a dull metallic color and roughly looked like a giant ear cleaner with round ends on each side. A red crystal like object was embedded on one side. The crystal looked damaged. I said to TheOther." Do you think the Y'All will return?" "I am what we called a Battle Drone, Captain. I was not given much information. I was grown in a vat and came to be in this Galaxy aboard a Hatching Ship, and I know less about the true motives of my kind than you. My purpose and only purpose was to destroy and kill. No other reason to exist. When I questioned that existence and wanted to know more I was declared damaged and malfunctioning and my section command put me in Stasis for further evaluation and was scheduled for disassembly." He sighed a very human sigh." I found killing and destroying without reason very disturbing. Be assured I will defend you and the ship and my friends, but I would have a hard time following an order to kill without a very good reason." I watched Narth and Dien poke through the trash obviously searching for more artifacts and the Red haired Xeno biologist transferring something slimy with lot of legs and struggling into a Specimen container." I think this is a good philosophy and I promise you I won't order you to kill for no reason, but our mission might require that we terminate individuals." "It will have a reason though. We are defending the way of life of the Union. Were even one like me receives mercy and a chance." My sensors picked up a human shaped heat source hiding underneath a crate not too far from Narth. I did not read any energy sources indicating weapons or shields so went towards that crate to see who was hiding there, something hit my suit, at the chest area. The threat Computronic switched to battle mode and said." Chemical projectile weapon impact. Threat level 0,1. The sensors homed in on a extremely dirty man crouching behind a wall of trash aiming a weapon at us, next to him a Stick Alien armed with a spear. TheOther turned into a running battering ram and plowed through the dirt and trash, and grabbed the human. Then he turned and grabbed the other being with his other hand, a gangly tall and thin somewhat human alien. The crate flew to the side and a meager, dirty girl was exposed and it floated into the air. Held by Narth's telekinetics, but I sensed Narth having trouble at first. I lowered my gun to shoot her. Narth voice said." No Eric please don't shoot. I got her now!" TheOther carried the struggling man, he wore only rags and was bare feet! the tall Alien was in no better shape, dirty and wounded. The weapon bent into a pretzel in one of TheOther's other hands. the man screamed in perfect Union Lingu." Let her go you bastards! Let her go! She means no harm! Let her go!" Narth just looked in my direction and I nodded. Narth said." We mean you no harm as well. It was you who shot at us and I know you only did it to protect that female." The man stopped struggling and TheOther let him go, but said." No matter how fast you try to flee I am faster. So stay until we are done talking to you!" The Alien being did not move, it simply hung in the huge fist, like dead. He did not relax and eyed us with open mistrust." Oh you must be Union: No other species in the Universe would poke through trash." I said." You appear human, are you a Union Citizen?" "Not anymore. I have done some bad things a few decades ago and fled to Sin 4." His shoulders sank." I'd say take me. I would give up. I rather face charges at home as to spend another day in this hell, but I can't I must protect her and stay with my friends here." Narth said." Captain, this girl has tremendous Psionic powers, almost at par with mine, but she is in great danger to others and herself as she is not trained at all." Our tiny Xeno scientist held out a Ration Bar to the girl:" Are you hungry?". While Narth examined the Alien. " He is badly injured." She was incredibly filthy and her hair like a dirty mob, she was meager and had big blue and incredibly sad eyes. She nodded but didn't take the bar, instead she looked over to the man. He said." Go ahead Alya take it. Those are real Union Soldiers like I told you so often about." She took the bar and ripped it open, she wolfed it down like an animal. I noticed the longing eyes of the man and handed him a bar as well. At first he tried to maintain some dignity but his hunger won and he too tore it open and literally inhaled the bar in two three bites. They both got two more and finally he chewed slower and his eyes glowed with bliss." Oh heaven, I never thought a RICE bar would taste so good. He knew even the acronym for Ration Individual Combat Emergency. I said "I think it is better we take you two to the ship, have our med officer check you out and get you a real meal. That Stick friend of yours really needs medical attention . I give you my word that if you want to leave you can. You are not under arrest." He nodded." The word of a Starfleet Captain is enough for me. I know you are Fleet even though you try to hide it." "Let's make sure no one else comes to this conclusion and go back to the ship for now." Narth asked." Have you seen any more artifacts that look like this stick?" The man looked at it and then nodded." Yes Gothar the Dealer has four cases with the same markings, standing in his store. There are little round crystal balls in them just like the busted one in that stick." "We must return here, Captain." Narth said." We must recover those cases. If I am right then we discovered a find perhaps more important than hunting pirates." Back at the ship, Shea had already returned and told me that she had the blessing of the Mother Superior for our union. She also handed me a sealed package with a message from the Mother Superior. In it was my Sojonit costume I had worn and a brief note that I was supposed to use it and return to the Temple for a meeting disguised that way tomorrow. We all met in Hangar B, were Cateria and Narth accompanied our two guests after they had been released from Sickbay and cleaned. Both looked much more human now. Cateria held an E Board and said." I am surprised these two are still alive. I doubt I have ever seen so many parasites in only two individuals. The Man suffered from gastritis, had an early from of lung cancer and a festering sore. I was able to treat it all and he is as good as new. The Girl is an enigma. She had only a few cuts and bruises and a nasty fungus infection on her scalp, but her immune system is exceptionally well developed. She carries human DNA and a DNA pattern unknown to the Computronic and unknown to me as well. Her Heidelberg Psi Index is at 14,000 considerably lower than Narth but beyond anything Saresii or Human. She is not telepathic her entire Psionic power manifests in telekinetics. the strain fighting Narth had caused severe cerebral bleeding. She too is out of danger but using her powers until she has completely recovered could kill her. Both have severe nourishment deficiencies. The Stick is on its way to recuperate. I doubt it happened on purpose but the powerful hands of our Y'all friend augmented by the suit, crushed his backbone. I am growing him a new one as we speak. " The man bowed and said." I thank you for your hospitality and for saving our lives. I knew I had cancer I was quite sure of it and hoped I would survive long enough to see Alya grow and be safe." Elfi stepped in and handed me a printout." I ran his data and he is identified as Nestor Faller, born on Tillsquare, he was a very successful Burglar and Computronic Hacker and for a long time only known as Fusionbeam. He stole among other things the Arco De Farma, the largest Ruby in the know Galaxy right from under the Noses of Schwartz Security. It was said that he could hack into any system and steal whatever he wanted. He was betrayed by a close friend and his identity made known. Schwartz Security had put a huge reward on his head and it is generally believed he is dead." Nestor nodded." Yes that is me. I am, or I was Fusionbeam. I never killed anyone or stole from anyone who could not afford it, but when that Snake Peterson double crossed me and my identity was known. Those bastards at Schwartz Security hunted everyone down associated with me. My family, my friends and I did give them back that ruby, but it wasn't enough! So I faked my own death and fled to Sin 4. even here I was not safe so I became a Skaakh. Twelve years ago I found her, she was dumped from a garbage flyer, a tiny baby girl, wounded and barley alive. I did what I could to help her grow. If it wasn't for my friends the Stick we would never made it." Shea said." I am sure I can arrange for Schwartz Security to drop all charges and leave you alone. Since you never been convicted or stood before a court for your crimes I don't see a reason why you should not be able to return home." " I long so much to return, but my home is gone and it is here now. The Stick the true owners and natives to this planet are oppressed and murdered,, their world trashed and destroyed and I promised them to fight with them till I die. They helped me when I needed it most, I will not abandon them." He then nodded towards the silent girl." However if you could take her, she would have a future then and you could teach her to use her powers and have her grow in a healthy and clean environment. She must be about 16 or maybe even 18 now and there is nothing for her on Sin 4. " The girl cried." I don't want to leave you Dad!" "Alya don't you know it would be better here? I told you so much about the Union. Everything I told you is true. You never be hungry again. Never have to fear anyone or anything, you will be safe and clean. They can make sure you won't have any of those terrible headaches and nose bleeds again. Alya, If you love me you go with them!" She sobbed but nodded." I love you Dad." and as she said it Blood trickled from her nose. Cateria jumped up, and Narth caught her collapsing body."We must get her back in sickbay and she needs to go into deep sleep or we lose her." Nestor looked helpless at the frail floating form and tears welled in his eyes." Will she be okay?" Narth put his hand on the man's shoulder." She will recuperate, but I must teach her much or she will damage herself beyond any chance and that will take time!" "Please take care of her." I said." He is a Narth and she is a Celtest, there is no better care in the Universe." His eyes widened."He really is a Narth?" "Yes." A Med Bot arrived and took the girl on a field stretcher. Cateria leaving with the Bot and the girl. Shea pointed at the Itomarian Powerstick on the table." Please let us talk about this for a moment. I heard you would know where other artifacts like this one can be found." He nodded." Yes Gothar the Dealer has four cases with writing like that and red spheres like that inside." "Narth and I are quite certain, that this is Itomarian. The Stick is a sort of a library access device and those spheres hold knowledge and records of that long gone, barely known and yet once highly developed civilization. If even one of these spheres is still undamaged it could provide us with important information. It is said the Itomarians knew the secret of the Y'All invasions and how to end them once and for all. Some scholars believe they are the ones who made the Y'all in the first place." "Who is this Gothar?" I asked "He is a Lipsiar, non Union species from somewhere in the Core ward sector. He lives at the Village and buys the scavenged materials from the Skaakh. Valuable Metals, plastics and everything of value. We can buy knives, chemiguns, food and such from him. Once a month or so he takes his freight skimmer to the Commodity Market and sells what we collected." The Door to the Hangar opened once more and Cateria returned, accompanied by the tall Alien. He too was clean now. his skin a pale yellow and he somehow looked as if skill had been stretched over an elongated human skeleton with a pointed skull. He was at least 350 cm tall but his arms almost reached to the ground, he reminded me of a Spindlar, only that a Spindlar looked fat compared to him. He bowed before me and said."You are the Chief of this flying Village?" "Yes I am." "I am Camael Sincenine, I am the Chief of the Um tribe and Elder in the Coooouncil of Elders of all Peoooople. I am good friend to Nestooohr." "I am glad you are better Chief." I knew I could not let him go back before Narth had wiped his memory or placed a hypnotic block. "Nestooohr has told us so many things about the Uniooon. Is it all trueee? "I do not know what he told you but I am sure it is more or less so." "Nestooohr told us that we are the true owners of our World. And that the Union law would say so." "Yes the sentient native life form of a planet is by union law the rightful owner of their home world. However this is not Union Space and our laws mean little. We must be here in secret." "Noooo it is not true. Nestoor says that everyone can become Union and then Planet becomes Union and Union comes and kicks off all Mighty Ones and we are free People again." Har-Hi whistled." You know he is right. if the Stick would officially ask for membership, then the Free Space status of Sin 4 would no longer apply. Any Civilization including the ones in Free Space have the right to associate themselves with any of the big four. that is so stipulated in the Free Space Treaty. the Stick are the rightful owners of this world." Nestor nodded." That's why the Cartel tries to murder all Stick. Stick are not allowed to speak in public, cannot use Flyers or are allowed to leave on space ships. The old Cartel boss has seen that danger and wanted to eradicate them all but the new generations don't even see the Stick anymore and pay no attention to them. I studied the Treaty and I knew this would be the solution one day! I never dreamed it would happen in my life time." I played with my braids as I always did when I was thinking and said." This is a little problem. I need to call Fleet HQ about it. But first I need to ask you Nestor for a favor. I need to find and talk to this Gothar and I best do it incognito. Could you lead me to him?" "Yes Captain I would. Scrap dealer do come from time to time to Gothar to make a deal with him." Har- Hi agreed:"It would not be out of character for a Pirate to look for spare parts there either, or to buy a load of stuff to pay for a trip instead of flying with empty cargo holds." ________________________________________