Chapter: 6. Humongous



Humongous

The next morning, bright an early Cara, Partner and Roy met at the hotel lobby after breakfast and ran into Captain Wilson. The Captain of the Gayimeera was out of uniform and wore a short white dress and carried a sports bag with a long handled thing sticking out one side. "Colonel Halvagh and Mr. Masters. I was just about to call you but running into you is even better."

While two KlackInsects stopped at a respectful distance and pointed at Partner, Roy remembered that Cara's last name was Halvagh and that she was a Colonel. He still thought it was a bit deceiving for a Saresiiman to look like a real hot looking blonde with legs to the sky and a skirt that barely covered his round behind. The Captain continued. "The Gayimeera does need a new bow shield projector after all. The Nogoll missile that hit us overloaded the coils. Nothing serious but they are short of 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 Eightday 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."

"O I think we still make it to the festival, Colonel. We just ditch the planned stop at Blue Moon and fuel up at 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 stop over for a few Tennis matches. Are you two care to come along?"

Cara spread her arms."We are on our way to Humongous and besides I am not very familiar with this Terran sport."

Roy also had no idea what Tennis was. "I don't know any Terran Sports really."

"What a shame, it is a great activity and they have excellent facilities here. Well maybe some other time."

The Captain left and turned the heads of a few human males, not even suspecting anything as Wilson did not look very Saresii.

Cara did not say anything but rolled her eyes and then smile.

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 and Humongous was the 4th planet of the system. The planet had 14 larger moons and all were occupied and utilized by the Union and there was a large floating city.

As they approached the planet he noticed how different it looked to the planets he had seen so far. She said. "It is a Jovian planet. Jovian means actually it is a planet similar to 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."

"An 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 much bigger than Jupiter or pretty much any other Gas Giant. "

"If you say Gas giant. Does it not mean it is made of Gas and thus just a puff of nothing solid?"

"You really skipped a lot of school it seems. Many 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 dense material that you can indeed walk on it, given you wear the right protection."

He frowned. "Yes I did skip some classes, but I did promise I will catch up on Sares."

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 to this day if it a Super Jovian or a failed Brown Dwarf. The planet is right at the threshold of becoming a star. Conditions there are even more extreme than on other Jovians and Surface temperatures right above the metallic helium layer hover at around 1600 on the K scale or about 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 Star, a research station near the Galactic Center and many hundred thousand floating cities on Jovian planets. 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 Galactic Bar 1 are so intense they could even kill a Non Corp and yet we have a research station there. Out Union is perhaps more fascinating than the Universe, if you think about it." She turned her head. "How life evolves and exists on planets like these were questions scientists like to answer. Your later mother was one of the foremost authorities on energy consuming and energy transferring life forms."

He looked away. "I know, she tried to tell me about the Bellebees and I remember only fragments."

She put her hand on Roy's knee. "The Bellebees 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 might have mentioned you and you must know the Bellebees do not forget anything, not the smallest detail. They can remember every word ever spoken to them, they know the names of every Union Fleet Crew member since there is a Union Fleet. They remember every bolt, screw or piece of Equipment." She gestured towards the now sight filling image of the planet. "They are Union Members for quite some time now and because out technology allows them to actively participate they take membership as serious as a religion."

The shuttle's view ports closed and the passenger view was replaced by view screens. Roy noticed that the shuttle extended wings and as it dove into the planets atmosphere, despite compensation 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 an artificial structure became visible, floating in a fantastic swirl of every shade of red. From the finest pastel pink over saturated 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 wheel with sixteen spokes and at the end of each spoke was a pine cone shaped appendix. At the center of the wheel 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. The cones where dotted with these indentations and many were occupied by a glowing pumpkin.

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. "I am a Data Head. I tuned my internal PDD to the Belle-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-Die. He has already docked in his spoon-tub. However they do share all the species memory. Ukdu-Aigs is excited to meet you as well because, you and Partner did save all their lives. Trust me this is one species who will never ever forget your deed. They will sing your name ten thousand years from now."

Roy had no response to that. It was another one of these huge 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. The same activities, robots,beings and slide belts. The only difference were huge view ports showing the swirling colors outside.

Along with the other passengers they debarked and again Carla seemed to feel right at home and knew where to go, but they didn't get far. A committee of uniformed officials and even a band was there, as well hundreds of fist sized Bellebees, floating like a lively moving cloud behind the welcome committee.

Cara whispered. "Those are size reduced Avatars of actual Bellebees." A human sized Bellebee Avatar actually wearing a black Uniform with the Union Flag, 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 234,405,403,003.05 beings still live is certainly not a deed that should pass without any recognition of those who you saved."

Roy wished he knew what to day and how to address the alien correctly. "Mr. Ukdu-Aigs, I am really just a teenager from Green Hell. I was only a small part of the events that unfolded. The others who where 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 and so are my ears. 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 Immortals 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 its 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 giggle 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 where 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 a 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 bloating part I mean."

"I read your mother's papers on us and on the Lightning Dragons of your Home world. 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 may 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 not always chooses the same career than 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 families 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 a big dinner after all, in a spectacular restaurant, with view ports 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 view ports could be blocked out or show any scenery desired.

After the dinner, which was actually 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: 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 space suit 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 having a suit and his mental pictures seemed to say. 'this time I got a suit so you don't have to let 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 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 to much, get the meeting over with and leave Humongous. He was certain becoming an honrary member of the Bellebee society was a great honor and all that, but he did not exactly wanted 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."

"Nice to meet you, Sir. I have to tell you however my mother is dead. She and my father were killed in a pirate attack, a little while ago."

"I am a very old Bellebee and I still get confused using the Avatar technology. This is why I wanted yo meet you like this, young Masters. Let Cara and Ukdu talk while I show you a few magnificent sights."

Roy carefully adjusted the thrusters and slowly followed the huge being."Alright Mr. Moke-Die. I a right behind you, at least if that dark orange colored section counts as your behind."

"We don't really such designations. Come up and sit on my top, that way you do not have to concentrate on flying that contraption."

Roy did follow the advise and the invitation and Partner followed as well, he did not use the suits thrusters yet he managed to steer just fine

While sitting on the surprisingly hard surface of the beings upper side, it said. "Those suits are marvelous as all Union technology, but I assure no Bellebee has ever failed to fly while it was alive."

That was actually quite reassuring and Roy relaxed a little. "Yes sir, I believe that right away."

" I am one of the last Bellebees that came to be before we were Union members. As you know we have none of the senses you have, senses that are needed to interact with Non Bellebees. I have no ears, no eyes and this Avatar technology all the younger Belles loves so much gives us simulated ears and eyes, can you imagine how confusing sight can be to someone who never saw anything?"

Roy nodded and then realized the Alien could not see his nod and said. "Yes Sir, I think I can imagine, sort of at least." He wondered why the Bellebee was telling him all this, but then it appeared that as alien and strange they were, their old people acted not so different from human seniors. He also noted that they were a few hundred kilometers away from the City. The huge majestic balloons that appeared to move so slow actually traveled in wind currents of super sonic speed.

The old Bellebee seemed pleased with that answer and continued. "Your mother has been here on Humongous for a year, working on her thesis. While she wasn't the only Union Biologist who studied us; there are always ten to fifteen around at any given time; she was one of those who really cared about her work."

Again Roy nodded inside his helmet. "Yes being a scientist was everything to her." "She discovered that some of us could get sick from Ozone when it passed through a weakened food membrane. She developed a food supplement, much like you humans need vitamins and eliminated a problem that plagued us for ages and was the cause for the premature death quite a few Bellebees."

"I will add this to my memories of her."

"I am telling you this, to explain to you why I dedicated whatever live I have left to her and that self-elected task of course extends to you and I did that long before you decided to save us all."

Roy sighed and looked to partner who sat next to him behind a shimmering force field bubble of his suit that automatically created a perfect aerodynamic lens shaped bubble. Roy was certain he had one around him too, "It was not just me."

"I analyzed the events and I came to the conclusion we would all be turned to Supernova ashes without your intervention; but let us not talk about this."

"Thank you!"

" When the news of your mother's death reached Humongous, I was mourning her passing indeed. However I am Bellebee, young Roy Masters. I collected every bit of data I could find. Fleet Reports, intercepted Kermac telepathic messages, flight plans and mission parameters and that is only a small selection of information topics. While I analyzed the data, I discovered that a clerk on Pluribus had leaked the mission plan of the UES Zheng He. She and her Kermac sponsored Spy handler have been apprehended and will receive the punishment spies deserve."

Roy no longer felt bored by the sermon of the old Bellebee. The UES Zhen He was the Explorer of his mother and it appeared the Kermac deception he thought was over ran much deeper. He clenched his fist and said. "If there is one thing I learned not to like,it's spies and clandestine missions and all that."

\The Bellebee elder went on. "Yes, I have collected and analyzed everything I could find and due to my security clearance I was able to analyze your recent adventures as well, as you and any data you created are of course relevant to my dedication to your mother."

Roy watched as they passed two other Bellebees, one of them appeared fleeing from a greenish glob with tentacles and what looked like a round mouth full of teeth. While he wanted to hear more what the Elder had to say, he interrupted. "I think one of your fellow Bellebees is about to get eaten or something."

"Oh how wonderful eyes are. Yes I noticed the Belsnap. They are our natural enemy, but they are rare now. We Bellebees have never been completely helpless against them, as we have the benefit of sentience. We used to gang up on them and crush them, but the Belle out there just play with the poor Belsnap. They both are Union Citizens and carry shield generators and weapons."

A bright bolt of energy glared across the violet sky and pierced the green glob and it instantly fell and disappeared beneath the swirling colors of angry clouds.

The Old Bellebee said with sad regret in his voice. "There are voices who say we should preserve the Belsnap and we elder can see wisdom in this, but the young ones like the two you are seeing want to be like Terrans. Do not understand me wrong, young Roy Masters. We are Union Citizens and very proud of this fact, but I wish the young ones would also listen to the Elders and not trying to emulate Terrans too much."

Roy frowned and said. "I don't like this killing for sport and no real reason either. Off Worlders try to stomp through our jungles in Armor suits and think the answer is to burn, shoot and blast everything in sight, yet they disturb the balance and at least on Green Hell, pay the price for doing so."

"Cara described you well; you are an impulsive teen as the young of humans and Bellebees have been since time begun, but you do have a quality of deep perceptiveness and wisdom that makes you quite different. Your mother was a lot like this and that is why I always considered her a real friend."

"How about my mother, there is more to what you wanted to tell me, right?" "Yes there is more." The Old Bellebee did go on. "The UES Zhen He was attacked by a Pirate Ship called the Green Snake, commanded by a pirate known as Captain Coldblood."

The Bellebee paused for a brief moment and said. "When I say I am analyzing information, I use the collective knowledge and memory of all Bellebees and I co-relate info to other information based on meaning, impact and relationship. While a Computronic can do the same and even faster than us, these machines cannot see the significance of a rumor about a pirate transmitted via Tachyon radio..." He paused again. "I am trailing of the subject and it isn't important for you how I do thing."

"You are talking about events that affected and killed my parents, so I am eager to hear whatever you know, but that does not mean I should not know how you alien floaters do things. I kept myself ignorant and did not learn what I should have. Nothing I learned in the Jungles has any meaning out here."

"If you look at your life and all the events that occurred to you, all the decisions you made the Bellebee way, you will realize that everything you did and learned was important in the forming the person you are. The sum of it all influences all decisions you make and will make. You don't want to hear about it, but your decision to trust your big animal instead of running away forged the first bonds that allowed you to save billions of lives. If you could see the net of connections I can see, you would be amazed what even the most minute event has on the great whole."

"Yes Sir, I think I understand, but could you go back again to the Green Snake and that pirate?"

Seamlessly the Elder Bellebee continued: "Analyzing this pirates patterns I concluded that he is acting under Kermac direction and the Pirate identity and behavior pattern is a cover.

Captain Coldblood knowing when and where the Zheng He would be at given time, strengthens this conclusion considerably. Checking many sighting and scan reports, the Green Snake is not armed well enough to take out a Union Explorer under shields, therefore I ordered a detailed trace inspection of the area where the Zheng He was destroyed."

"You can order something like that?"

"I carry the rank of Rear Admiral in the Union Fleet and I am attached to Fleet Operations, like many other Bellebees are, so yes investigating the demise of a Union Ship falls within my authority and I can dedicate assets within certain limits and frame works of course."

"What did that inspection find?"

"The detail sweep of the region resulted in two specific findings. One is the use of Nul Gravo Mines, that had to be set up prior by a bigger ship, and the other result was the discovery of much of the Zheng He's debris and her log book drone. Furthermore we concluded that the bridge module that can be jettisoned as an emergency craft was missing."

Roy's mouth became dry and he completely forgot that he was floating in a violent killer atmosphere. "Tell me everything!" He yelled.

"Slaver activity, the recent sale of a Union Bridge module on a Golden Bazaar, reported by a NAVINT operative, the content of the log book and your recent dream where you correctly identified the name of a Klack that was part of the Zheng He crew leave only one conclusion: Your mother is still alive and held as a slave at an unknown location."

Roy unconsciously had known it the entire time and now as it was said, there was no doubt in his mind that this was true. "What is done to free them?"

"There is nothing done, Roy Masters. Your parents are most likely sold as Slaves and all known Slave markets are in Freespace."

"Are we not at war? Is the Free Space treaty not voided?" "And have the Shiss and the Nul enter the war as well? No, Roy. The Union will not break the treaty now. We are winning this war, our calculations are correct I am certain, but it is better we concentrate on one enemy at the time."

Roy became angry. "My parents! The others, I saw other humans in my dreams as well! They are held in terrible conditions."

"We must first know where they are."

"And then? Will the Union Fleet get them, before they are dead for real?"

"I can not give such orders and even your remarkable friendship with the Immortal himself won't change the fact that the fleet or the Union can not help you. The slavery issue is an old one and a sore spot that is discussed at the Assembly at least twice a year."

Roy wanted to strangle the 800 meter sized life form beneath him. Not that this would have been possible, Bellebees had no necks."Why tell me all this then?"

"I said the Union can not help you, but that does not mean I won't help you. I will do whatever I can to assist you as long as it does not interfere with my oath. The rest is up to you, Roy."

The words made it clear, Roy needed to postpone Sares, the marines and everything else. He needed to find his parents. "Cara knew about this, didn't she, Stahl knew it too!"

"Young Roy Masters. I can not claim to know what the Immortal Warrior knows, but I can assure you that even if the Universe will try to deceive you, he will not."

The Bellebee changed course and headed back to the City.

Roy knew of course that Stahl would not deceive him. The Immortal left everything in the middle of a war to come to help him personally, but he was angry."How about Cara?"

"She is your friend I am sure, but it is you alone who must make the decisions who you can trust with what."

"Sir, how would you try finding a pirate?"

"I am an Officer in the Union Fleet. If I knew the whereabouts of any Pirate within Union territory, that Pirate would meet with a Battle ship instead with a merchant ship, but Free Space is beyond our reach and the Intel assets we have there are few and I can not jeopardize them for you, but if I were you I would talk to the Wurgus. They get around."

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