04 - 11 Chapter 11 - John Edit

={2} Chapter 11=

Roy decided that sleeping in the rough was not as romantic and problem free as he imagined it would be. Out here was no bathroom, no shower and nothing to drink. Oh sure he knew what things he could eat, but surviving on a diet of nothing but raw things again was completely different from snacking on things while roaming through the jungle and then eating at home.

However he had made his decision and he thought in a week or so he would be used to it.

He petted Partner and said, “Thank you for keeping an eye open.”

Partner sneezed and Roy left the cave entrance and again was taken by the sheer beauty that greeted him. He was still relatively high in the mountains and there was a cover of sparkling dew over everything. It looked as if the entire world had taken a morning shower and was now fresh and new to begin another day. From up here he could see an Insecto-Saurus fight with one of those living boulders and in the distance he saw two Lightning Bolters float lazily across the horizon, their long tentacles fishing and filtering small things out of the air.

He carefully scanned his surroundings to make sure he noticed any possible danger or threat and to decide what to do with an entire day before him.

To his right, about 250 meters away, was a tumble of boulders looked like the genuine kind. On top of the largest boulder sat a woman in a green dress. He smiled and waved at her and kept on looking and then it hit him, a woman!”

It wasn't anyone he knew, none of the Kids and none of the Adults he knew, although of course there were many people in town he had not seen before. She appeared to be completely at ease and did not even wear a Bio-seal suit.

She did return his gaze and so he waved again and began to climb over the rugged terrain to get within speaking distance. He had to avoid new life forms he had not seen before, including a small version of a Water snake and a stream of black ants much smaller and not red, but he made it. He was now close enough to talk without really yelling. She had not moved the entire time he came closer, while Partner was close behind him.

She was an adult but he could not really guess her age. She was sitting there in a green dress. Her feet, sticking out from under the seam of her calf long skirt, were naked as were her arms. The dress was girded but not with a utility belt. Her hair had the same tint as freshly dried grass, a hint of green playing into earthy yellows.

Her eyes followed his approach with an expression of mild curiosity on her face.

He waved again and said, “Hi I’m Roy. I’m sure surprised to see someone else out here.”

An impish smile curled her lips and Roy realized she was heart-stoppingly beautiful. She didn’t say anything and Roy wondered if she was able to hear him. He raised his voice a little and repeated his words then he added, “Sitting out like that, you must be a Greenie too.”

She patted the surface of the rock right next to her in an inviting gesture, but then she looked warily at Partner and there was something like fear in her expression, but she had still not spoken.

Roy had the strangest feeling about her and the situation however he did not feel any threat or danger. He stroked Partner’s neck and said, “No worries lady. This is Partner and he looks much more dangerous than he is.”

She spoke then and said, “On the contrary, Child of Qaroniel, your Terror Hound is much more lethal than it looks.”

Roy motioned Partner to sit and the animal immediately obeyed and he said to Partner, “Looks like the lady knows more about you than I do so I will talk to her.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He climbed over the remaining boulders and sat down at greater distance from her than she had indicated with her patting of the rock. She really was beautiful with a fine, somewhat arrogant, smile gracing her lips. She looked at him but didn’t speak, so he said, “Come out here often?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She declined her head and said, “Yes I come here every day. You have come further than ever before. I have never seen you here at the mountains.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy blinked and said, “Lady this is the weirdest meeting I’ve ever had. You talk as if I you had seen me before, but I have never seen you. Are you one of the Scientists who usually wears one of those suits?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“No, Roy. I am not one of the Scientists and I never wear any of these technical monstrosities that allow those intruders to stomp through our forests; but yes Roy I know a little about you.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Who are you?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Her smile widened, “Come see me again, Roy. Right now I think I’d better leave, they are coming for you and they are going to be here soon.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She got up in the fluid way that only girls could and she looked down at him, “It was nice meeting you Roy, and if you keep me a secret we could meet again.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He got up as well, “Keep you a secret? Who are…?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He heard the high pitched whistle of a powerful pulse engine and turned to see Charles the robot descending from the sky.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He wanted to tell the woman she had nothing to fear from Charles, but as he turned back she was gone. He tried to catch a glimpse of her but when he couldn’t, assumed she had jumped off the boulder and was hiding between the deep crevices and gaps of the smaller boulders. There were Dagger bushes and Fire Nettles there but nothing looked disturbed, so Roy knew that she was a real Greenie for sure.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Charles landed on a column of white hot plasma, instead of using his Arti-Grav. The Robot was a combat unit and Roy knew Charles liked to remind his surroundings occasionally of that fact. His dark red eyes glowed and his deep mechanical voice sounded genuinely relieved, “It pleases this unit; one has found its master alive and unharmed.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy could not hide his feelings at seeing Charles and even though it was not something a sixteen year old should do, he hugged Charles, “Good to see you too, Charles. Let me introduce Partner to you!”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“If one would be capable of the human emotion of surprise one would indeed be compelled to express astonishment to find you 4211.5 kilometers from the place of your last sighting.” Charles head rotated towards Partner, “Is this Unit correct in assuming that this life form is the Partner you speak off?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy waved at Partner and the beast clawed itself with a few leaps up the rocks, leaving deep scratches in the hard stone surface and bumped into Charles.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Charles extended his upper main arm and formed a full hand; with it the Robot patted Partner, “The animal does not conform to any known life form but it appears to be docile and well behaved. One needs instructions from its Master as to what pet care tasks are required to tend to it.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Partner was enjoying the attention of the robot and had his eyes squeezed shut.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">***

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Martha could not remember when she had slept that well. She had slept in Sam Brown’s Farm house, in a simple bed underneath an open window, separated from the outside world of Green Hell only by logs of Tantalus Oak and an active energy window screen. The wood gave off a scent somewhat reminiscent of pine wood and the window screen had buzzed only once all night.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam called her to breakfast and she ate like a starving Stomper gorging herself on Sam's pancakes with real Terran maple syrup, just before the sun was about to rise. She had noticed a photo viewer on Sam’s Cupboard with pictures of Roy from as small as when he was only six to very recent images making her realize just how much her son had grown. All the pictures showed Roy laughing or smiling doing things with Sam. Working with tools, fixing Agricultural robots, shooting blasters, playing ball or wearing some ancient martial arts outfit sparring with the huge black man. All the things a father or a mother should have done.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Another picture showed the former President pinning a medal to Sam’s chest. To her astonishment the Immortal Admiral Stahl himself was in several pictures with his arm on Sam’s shoulder.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">After breakfast he told her that Charles had detected a faint energy signature characteristic of a powered down Union PDD and identified the signature as the one Roy had.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Excited, she followed Sam to a rugged Ford Farm–All Floater Truck. The Ford had heavy armor plates added that had the characteristic shimmer of Ultronit.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She completely forgot the suit. Somehow she felt safer with Sam than she would have wearing a real Quasimodo, “Where did Charles detect the trace?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Near the White Head Mountains.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“That is impossible!” She exclaimed as Sam pulled the flyer into the air, “That is over 3000 kilometers from here. Perhaps some flying animal carried his PDD in its …” She didn’t want to say what she was thinking and tears ran down her face.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam ignored her tears and said harshly, “You keep using that word a lot, you know! The word has very little meaning in a Universe where almost anything seems possible one way or the other. You should cry about how you and that yellow belly piece of work you’ve got for a husband raised that boy.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He then felt sorry for snapping at her and added, “Roy is fine. Charles has located him and found him alive and unharmed.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She still sobbed as if the first tears had broken an invisible barrier inside her, and all the remnants of the cold detached scientist were washed away in a deluge of emotions.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam gunned the Flyer to its maximum speed and kept it as high as the old Ford could go, to avoid any life form collisions. He was a big man and hard as granite, tougher than a Pertharian according to the Marines who had served with him, but little kids, fuzzy Holdians and crying women always made him feel a little helpless and he said, “We will be there soon enough. There is nothing on Green Hell or within at least a light year’s distance that could harm your son now. Not that it looked like he really needed any protection, robots don’t lie. Charles said he is fine.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She wished for a simple kerchief or tissue and thankfully accepted as Sam held a tissue dispenser under her nose. After she cleaned her nose and tears she said, “Thank you Mr. Brown for taking care of Roy all these years and I am so sorry for ever thinking bad things about you.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">***

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy was still puzzled about the strange woman and her sudden disappearance but he almost forgot her when Charles fired his main TKU in a wide focused beam and burned a stream of ants and reduced one of the moving rocks to ashes, he deemed too close for safety reasons. Roy was not sure if he should scold the robot or commend him for his diligence. The strange woman and Charle’s actions were forgotten as he saw Uncle Sam’s floater approaching. What made him to drop his chin to his chest in sheer disbelief was the sight of his own mother jumping out of the hovering Ford and see her approach and hug him! She hadn’t hugged or really touched him for a very long time.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He could feel her wet cheeks against his and her thin arms pressing him with surprising strength and intensity to her chest. All he could hear her say was, “Sorry.” Over and over again.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Finally Roy said, “Mother, you are out without a suit?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She held his face between her hands and smiled between her tears, “Roy, I was so worried! I thought I’d lost you!”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He shrugged, “So? I was just in the way anyway and without me you and Dad have no distractions from your important projects.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Roy, the last few days made me see things in a new way. I know Paul and I have made some very bad decisions based on bad assumptions.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The sudden motherly hug, something he unconsciously craved for so very long, felt incredibly comforting and strange at the same time. Part of him wanted to forgive and simply take in the moment while another part didn’t believe the sudden change and the cynical, skeptical voice in him won as he said, “You want to take Partner and dissect him, and all this is just some show they told you to put up for me so I would go home.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy swatted an Arrow wasp out of the air just before it would have hit his mother; Charles was already engaging the rest of the swarm. Not like the teenagers, but with the blistering roar of his turbo flamer. Charles said, “Guys this is still Green Hell. Let’s continue this inside the Floater, or better at the ranch.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Martha said, “Roy you don’t trust me but you trust Sam, so please come.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy agreed, mostly because he saw an agitated Lighting Bolter coming their way, and that was only for starters as it seemed the whole jungle below was looking at them with extremely hostile intentions and actually moving towards them. Even Roy had never seen Tantalus Oaks actually move. From somewhere he heard the angry scream of a very big Water Snake. It was the strongest feeling of danger he had felt so far. Unless Charles was to burn and kill until he ran out of energy and lay waste to half the continent, he had to go along.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Charles and Partner found room on the flat bed cargo hold of the Ford and with Sam, Martha and Roy in the cab, the rugged flyer climbed into the sky. Something rocked the flyer hard and bluish energies played over the body. Roy could hear the roar of Charle’s weapons twice and Sam curse. He turned to see a Lighting Bolter explode. Sam grinned and said, “I don’t think the critters around these parts have been disturbed by outsiders much.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Martha was visibly shaken, “I would have died if you didn’t swat the Wasp! Are you alright?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy looked at his hand and nodded, “Yes Ma’am.” He didn’t look at her. He felt confused about his mother and her so uncharacteristic behavior, “You are my mother, right? Not some Avatar or did you get Psycho Surgery or something?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She stared at his lowered head and said, “No Roy, I am your mother and I spent all night at Mr. Brown’s house. We talked till very late and I am beginning to see Eric. I was a young girl once and actually forgot my own mother over my obsession, not so much with science but with my career. That was and is wrong but I can’t change overnight or make up so many years in just the few months we have left together.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She sighed and caressed his hair that was colored exactly like hers, “You can keep your pet and I won’t harm a hair on its body. We’ll go to town today and have Ranger Solomon sign your pet license. You can keep Charles of course and we will go to Harper’s Junction to remove my brother and make Sam Brown your godfather so you can call him Uncle legitimately.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam nodded with his trademark grin, “As she said we had a long talk. I told you, everything works out one way or the other eventually.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy was not sure if he had died in the cave and this was all still a dream. He said, “And I can go outside?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“I doubt we could keep you in if we wanted to. I’m still trying to understand it all, but I have seen you outside and you survive as if it was child’s play.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam said, “How did you manage to get all the way to the Mountains, did someone give you a ride or something?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Roy didn’t want to spill the beans about Partner’s abilities just yet, he did not trust his mother completely so he said, “Yes someone gave me a ride alright.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Sam grunted, “Those damn Swanson boys, they’d do anything for you. Should have thought about it right away.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Since Sam didn’t phrase it as a question, Roy didn’t feel he needed to correct his friend. At least not in front of his mother.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">***

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">{3}PART 3

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Phil Decker pushed his hat back and scratched his hair line as he had done countless times in his very long life and with his other hand in his coat pocket he turned from the carnage and destruction before him and said to the tall woman standing a few feet behind him, “Roast me an Ult if that was done by Shiss pirates.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The tall woman brushed a silver strand of hair out of her face that the wind kept blowing back, “When I heard legendary Phil Decker was in a system nearby I could not resist putting in a call. I am just a little precinct Commandant and only a Lieutenant at that, and HQ hinted they want this case closed and filed deep before the beginning of Union week.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The man, in the somewhat anachronistic outfit, knelt down next to the skeletinized remains of half a human hand, the rest had been burnt, “Deep enough so no news hound or sensationalist can dig it up and make a stink before the entire Assembly, maybe even call for war against the Shiss.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The Saresii woman, in the dark blue uniform of a Union Police Officer, watched Decker with great interest. Very few knew he existed, or rather still existed.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He was just like Stahl or McElligott, one of the Immortals, and he had been a policeman, a detective in an Earth city called New York, long before even the Saresii had shown themselves.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He waved at one of the forensic robots and said, “Tin-head over here and collect this hand for me.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The robot immediately responded and floated across the rain soaked charred ground of what once had been a Penal colony settlement and collected the bones with machine efficiency.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He pointed at a few black streaks and said, “Tinhead, make sure you record and measure all the charred marks. I’ll eat my fedora if whoever did this didn't use Bolter Gatlings. Streaks set at exactly two fingers with, and then evenly arched across the field by someone very strong but not a robot. Perhaps a SII Fafnyr or an Enroe Firestorm.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She came over and knelt next to him in the muck and only now could she see what he saw. He was kneeling exactly where one of the shooters had stood, the slight depressions the blasts made with each turn of a Gatling barrel were clearly visible. She said, “Weeks of rain almost obliterated any evidence, any traces and clues and yet you find something. Now I believe everything they say about you, Mr. Decker. I am humbled!”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He smiled at her, “Call me Phil, Celyciia. I never liked this hero worship stuff and special attention. I am just a cop, always have been and as long as I can, always will be. Don't believe half of it, try to find evidence for the rest and forget most of it.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“What else have you observed about this case then?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“This is the fourth of the settlements we’ve seen so far, but only this one was destroyed from the ground. Whatever they were after was here.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“The Penal Colonies records show that there was a yellow throat Shiss here and that would then support all the other evidence that it was a Shiss raid after all. “

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She sighed, “The faint engine trails, Shiss Disabler Drones, the bribe for the Warden coming from a Credit box we know has been stolen in a Shiss raid. So I guess HQ was right and I dragged you out here for nothing.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He got up ignoring the fact that his nice trousers were completely caked in mud, “Why did you?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Drag you out here?” She shrugged, “It’s really true, I did hear you were at Suraman Colony and since this Penal Colony and Suraman are all within my precincts jurisdiction...”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He shook his head, “Barely anyone remembers me, certainly not a young real Saresii woman from the first World.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She gestured around, “It doesn't add up Phil. This is overkill, yes the Shiss could have been angry and they are vicious and maybe the Yellow throat was really pissed and ordered them to take it out on the others here, but then why bribe the Warden and not kill him too? They had the firepower to do it for certain and then there are a few other things that simply don't feel right.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Once again he waved at one of the robots and said, “Hey Tinhead. I want aerials of this island, millimeter scale and then get me a ground radar image and look for matter compression. Something landed here and used Landing struts.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Celyciia enjoyed her own amazement and then raised one of her eyebrows, “How did you know I am from Prime One and no Human Terran, not even a Saresii, can really tell who is female and who is not!”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He answered her while watching the robot ascend into the sky to make the bird’s eye view visual scans, “I am still waiting for all my answers. Still your turn and then I’ll tell you why it is easy to tell real women from Saresii disguised men apart, even after they’ve had a million years of practice.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She said with a sigh, “Because I needed help and because my academy instructor always quoted you and told us about the old Gumshoe from Earth and the great detective. When I called BRUCE to see who was in the area I really could not believe when it told me that you were on Suraman.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The robot descended and reported, “Confirming Soil compression spots. Nine points located now covered with mud and water.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“I guess you made detailed 3D impression scans of the exact shape of the landing plates?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Affirmative.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“No sense in hurrying things. Make detailed micro scans of the depression areas for lubricants or sealants and excavate the depressions to preserve them as evidence.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">While the robot turned to execute the orders the Saresii woman asked, “Why are you taking the depressions?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“The exact shape of the landing gear might tell us the manufacturer of the ship. The dirt underneath the struts is from before the attack and there is a slim chance that the ship transferred some material, a bug or something from another world and deposited it here. Telling us where it might have been before and when we catch these murderers we can compare the dirt in their landing gear to this place.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She smiled deeply, “You know what, Phil. I begin to feel we might catch them after all and I’ll eat your Fedora, whatever that is, if this has been done by Shiss.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“My hat, the Fedora is my hat, and I think neither you nor I will need to eat it any time soon. When we are done here we’re going to grill the Warden.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She blinked. “He is Thauran but he is humanoid and I had no idea you would resort to torture or cannibalism!”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">***

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Harlex had no idea where they were. He had never been a spacer; some of them he heard could tell where they were in the Galaxy just by looking outside a space ship window and comparing constellations in relation to the Galactic core or something like that, at least that is how Captain Ironfist on the Starblazer always did it. His former, and as it looked like future, partner in crime had not spared attention to make him feel welcome. The yacht was stocked with the finest liquors and real glass bottles with traditionally made Whiskey. There was a light year wide difference between the 24 year old Dalwhinnie he was slowly swirling in the heavy bottom glass he was holding and the gut burning booze Napha used to sell. He wondered if good whiskey and the possibility of a fat credit box were worth being on the side of a mass murderer.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">He watched the silver blue swirls of thick smoke of the cigar he nursed with careful slow drags and was certain whatever he had to do whatever these Employers needed done was something very sinister and that they would not let anything or anyone stop them. The Yacht had everything to make a long trip very pleasurable, he enjoyed a king sized vari-grav cloud bed in a spacious cabin and there was an infinity pool at the ships aft with a breath-taking view of deep space while taking a plunge.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">It was here, at the pool where he watched the smoke of his cigar and between the fast dissipating wafts of aromatic smoke he made sure he saw as much of Ieshia Yeager as he could. She was swimming and had just climbed out of the water, in a white bathing suit that was made nearly transparent by the water and most certainly chosen by the woman for that exact feature of the fabric.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">It left very little for his imagination to visualize how she might look without any fabric but it did lot for his other fantasies. He was a man after all, and he had spent the last 5 years with no other acceptable sexual companionship than his hands or Guilly the guy who operated the big mushroom-stem saw and didn't mind acting as a girl for some attention.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">They had kept the women separate to make sure nothing happened in terms of pregnancies, as it would be unfair to a child to be born into a prison colony.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Ieshia came closer with a fluid sway of her hip and said with a smoky voice, “I am included in the benefits if you do your part right.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">His body wanted nothing more than to accept her invitation but his mind was not completely switched off just yet and he asked, “What is my part? What could I do to pay for all this?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She knelt before his chair and let her colored nails slide over the skin of his thighs protruding from underneath the bathrobe he was wearing, “We want you to guide a small expedition onto Green Hell and help us locate the old Saresii ship that landed there and never left.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Her answer was so surprising to his ears that even her fingers that slowly crept towards the seams of the bath robe didn’t distract him so he said, “The Mila Tyray?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“You know the name of the ship?” She acted surprised.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">“Every Greenie knows the legends of the Mila Tyray and the Saresii Commander Tradiderias. He was the one who discovered Green Hell first and named it Mrtgtha, but that is over a Million years ago, whatever is left of his ship is covered by miles of dirt and sediment, and it could be anywhere.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">She pulled the bathrobe open and said, looking at him from underneath long lashes, “The Saresii from the First Empire were as evolved and technologically advanced as the Celtest, that is Tech Level 11, Harlex. Our associates obtained the Ship’s log and think they know the approximate location of the ship’s resting site. Your job is to get us there so we can do the excavation without being killed or noticed.