MILO

With the blood kept a trickle it would last him long and still provide that sense of power. If the negotiations went sideways, he could widen the flow in an instant and wreak havoc.

Was that frown in Beth’s face a sign of worry? Milo heeded Sam’s words and he would not hesitate to use his power at its fullest extent. Like Sam said, being stupid makes you dead and he was not keen on that.

He let Beth and Tern exit the airlock first. They were bonded and Tern likely knew the way, so it seemed natural for him to hang back. It gave him better room to observe and think. This was their clan meeting after all and he was only a guest, maybe not by choice, but that was the truth. Beth balanced that weapon on her shoulder, its size in relation to her made it look silly. She must be having her water at a trickle to be able to lift it. From barely being able to summon lightning bolts, to this, having his power blood fueled at all times with little effort. Their desperate escape from Europe13 felt an eternity ago.

A second shuttle parked beside the landing pad. The rear bulkhead door opened, Chieftain Argus accompanied by two other orbs floated out. Three companions; two of which were of the flesh species and one of the insect swarm kind. Tern floated forward and greetings were exchanged, also Beth stepped forward. 

Milo nodded when the Chieftain turned towards him. “Good day.”

“We are moving out,” Beth said. “Milo, stay at the back. We will keep Chieftain Argus between us and out of harm’s way.”

A short tunnel led them into the building, until a translucent veil of light blocked their path.

Tern jerked when floating through the veil, a twitch to its otherwise perfect smooth movement.

“This is the border of the suppresionfield.” Beth stepped closer and reached with her hand beyond the field. “Just a slight tingle.” She stepped through it. Argus and his entourage followed through.

Milo kept a handful of electrical tendrils snaking around his fists, just to make sure. He stepped up and over the invisible border. A slight tingle across his body. The tendrils moved at the same speed and patterns as before. The trickle of blood had not been affected, his connection to the water deposit was also unaffected. He was impervious to the suppression.

“Tern is glad,” Beth said. “But it felt like it would be obvious. If me, Lisa and Tom were all impervious to their suppresionfield, why wouldn’t you? Maybe Tern thought you were affected because of the electrical nature of your power and the function of the field.”

The corridor continued into the building before opening up to a single giant room. Many orbs of different sizes floated around the floor, some stood in circles and some bumped into each other. And the companions! There had to be fifty different alien species in this building alone. They came in different shapes and forms, colors and limbs. Some in vacuum suits, some don’t, some in small vehicles, some don’t. 

Milo took a breath, he had held his breath for several seconds without realizing it. That moment which occurred before the door opened, when you could still leave without anyone noticing, that moment had passed.

It was just too big to comprehend, it was jaw dropping. Everyone of these aliens had their own kind, their own people, their own home worlds, friends and enemies. There was nothing special about humans. There were plenty of bipedal aliens, but even more with different setups of legs and arms and heads. Sam would never have believed this, it was too jarring.

“Chieftain?” Beth said as a bigger orb floated up behind them, shovin them aside.

Milo walked in the back, looking at when Argus positioned himself in the front and moved forward.

Beth met Milo’s eyes. “Chieftain Argus is not afraid, he wants to show strength.”

“Idiot.” Milo shook his head. Pride was one of those things that got people dead. “What is the play?”

“Observe and think. If you see anything hostile, let us now, but always keep Argus inside your line of sight,” Beth said. “We will understand little of what is said. Observe and think.”

“Okay,” Milo said.

“Try to distinguish some individuals and how others react to them. Like the distance they keep and which companions are behind them,” Beth said. “It might tell us about their alliances and intentions.”

Tern followed at Chieftain’s side and Beth followed tightly behind Tern. It was natural for Milo to stay on her side, no idea to wander off on his own. They would hear little of the conversations between the orbs. Beth might distinguish some of it through her communication with Tern. He didn’t have that, he relied only on his own senses.

Something was exchanged between Tern and Beth, she always looked at the orb whenever a conversation was made between them. The two of them broke off. Beth turned to him and waved at him to stay with the Chieftain. He didn’t like being left alone with the aliens, there was no one he could talk to or really interact with at all.

He stayed at the Chieftain's side, but kept his eyes on Beth. They were in conversation with other aliens and their orbs. Even Beth seemed involved, being able to talk through her companion. Three modules slotted out and protruded Tern’s shell and one of the opposite side’s orbs. A trade. So, one module of higher quality was exchanged for three of lesser quality. Their different functions would be valued differently with the different clans. Like human trading. An interesting parallel. Beth and Tern turned away from their trade deal, returning to him.

Beth wore a smile on her face. “Tern traded himself a new weapon. A microwave emitter. It will cook organic matter from a distance. Should be effective against humans. Cool, right? I really love how integrated the modules are to their way of living. They don’t just construct their bodies from them, but they are a vital part in the economic structure in their culture.”

“It’s just like our currency,” Milo said. “Precious minerals can be traded for currency. The same concept. The parallel is neat.”

Beth shook her head. “No. Human currency is made up, it has a value because mankind has put a value on it. Do you get it? Synthetic value. But here, the modules are the very building blocks that create their bodies. It has real, tangible value and applications.”

“Right,” Milo said.

Milo looked away, trying to get his face away from Beth, and so she could not read him. She had this irritating need to be the one who always was correct, and the one who managed to deduct clever answers to questions. It nagged at him. It was a small thing to get annoyed at, but she just had to do it at every chance possible.

“We are going after another trade opportunity. See you later,” Beth said, walking away with Tern again.

“Good luck,” Milo said.

Was she growing more distant towards humans and closer to the aliens? She seemed more comfortable with them than her fellow humans. If he had not done that dna test, he would doubt that she was his sister. There was nothing he could do to change the trajectory she had committed towards. It was difficult seeing someone that close move in a direction of life he didn’t approve of.

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Chieftain Argus bumped into him. A hologram projected from his shell. It was Beth with Tern and she looked happy. She smiled and laughed.

“I know, I know. Everybody changes,” Milo said. “She is happy, that’s a big improvement. You should have seen her a couple of weeks ago.”

Chieftain Argus bumped into him again, as if acknowledging what he had said, then the orb floated away with his remaining entourage. Milo moved to the side, keeping Argus within eyesight at all times.

Beth and Tern were in trade with another pair of orb and companion. Modules were exchanged, five for one. Tern’s surface area diminished when the five modules exited his body, the single module they had traded for didn’t provide the same volume. Tern’s new module slid into his orb, something clicked and plates of interlocking metal slid across Tern’s surface. Beth and Tern went deeper into the crowds and Milo’s line of sight was obstructed.

“Armor,” Milo muttered.

A few of the companions were larger than the rest. He stepped to the side as a towering shadow fell on him. The dragon-like creature walked forward without concern to anything in its path, puffs of smoke billowed out from between its teeth and thin flames licked out from its nostrils. A prominent smell of sulphur and warmth hit him from a close distance. It had a scar across one eye and the side of its face. It had no skin, but instead scales all around its body and each scale looked as if made out from some black metal. The dragon had not paid him or any other companion any attention.

“A dragon?” Milo said, not taking his eyes off the creature as it moved across the open space. “Beth, it’s a dragon. In space. A space dragon. It looks just like the ones from fairy tales. That cannot be a coincidence. Should not Tern and Chieftain talk to its orbs? It looks like a great ally. Just look at it!”

Beth turned to him. “They are of the Celeste Clan and which is one of the most powerful clans, their territory is vast and their numbers of individuals even vaster. The dragon’s name is Rahgon and the orb is Freet. I know and I can barely contain myself. It’s dangerous to initiate contact with a clan of that strength, there will be battle. It’s safer if we wait for them to notice us, finding us interesting and valuable.”

“As you explained before. Devou Clan is often viewed as the weaker clan. So it’s better to let the Celeste Clan initiate contact with us?” Milo asked.

Beth smiled. “Exactly! If we initiate contact, we would have to battle Rahgon to get to the term setting. How well do you think we match against a space dragon?”

Milo sighed. “It sounds unnecessarily primitive. So, should we hang back until someone finds us interesting? We are leveraging the existence of the human race, that some alien creatures find us interesting? That is stupid.”

“It is how the world works here,” Beth said. “Or galaxy.”

Milo let the blood flow. More tendrils crackled to life from inside his gauntleted hands, slowly snaking out on top of the suit through the conductive materials Birgitta had designed.

“This is stupid. I am not going to hang back while Saif is left unchecked. We are going to have space dragons on our side. This Celeste clan, just have to listen carefully,” Milo said, stepping towards the dragon.

Beth grabbed his shoulders and turned him. “Stop that, you idiot. Look beyond the obvious size and shape of the companions. Can you spot which are stronger or weaker?”

Rahgon and Freetlooked to be in negotiations with a clan that had a robotic companion. What could it have that they didn’t? Electricity that functioned inside the field. Milo looked at his hands. But they had that too.

He smiled. “We might be able to speak to them. I will show them.”

“It’s a risk,” Beth said. “An unnecessary risk. Our clan has lasted for thousands of years and you don’t do that by taking blind leaps of faith.”

“Did you know, you talk as if you are barely human anymore? As if you are alien to us?” Milo said. “All the things you have learned from Tern and how you have been integrated into their clan.”

Beth put her head to the side.

“Maybe there is something to it,” Milo said.

The tendrils jumped and snaked up his arms, his barrier was taking shape.

“Not true,” Beth said.

A shadow towered over him with a fantastical shape, lumbering steps approaching them.

Tern bumped into him while moving away.

“We are leaving,” Beth said, pulling at Milo.

But it was too late. Milo turned and those large green eyes came up in front of him. Ancient, judging dragon eyes. He noticed the tiny scarring around the edges of the eyeballs. Rahgon was not wearing a vacuum suit or any clothing that would sustain the pressure of the atmosphere for it. The space dragon only wore those metal looking scales on its body, except those scales probably were part of its body. The dragon made a low growl, thin flames licked at him from its nostrils. There was a warming sensation, his suit complaining about the elevated temperature, but otherwise he was fine. Rahgon’s orb, Freet, floated up and met Tern. 

Milo barely noticed that Chieftain Argus in the distance had observed them. 

“There are discussions,” Beth said, standing a bit from him. “They are not sure what you are or how to handle you. You have peaked their interest, that is certain.”

He dared to glance, for a moment, away from the dragon’s gaze, through Beth’s transparent faceplate he saw that she had flowed her skin into metal. This was serious.

“Do something with your power,” Beth said. “Cover yourself with the barrier or something. Don’t stand there like a scared, little mouse. You started this, you idiot, you cannot hesitate now. Do something.”

It was easy for her to say, she didn’t have a dragon’s snout pressed up against her threatening to either devour or burn her.

But Milo was mighty. With the blood on his tongue there was nothing that could stand in his way. Not even space dragons. Blood flooded his mouth. The tendrils thundered to life and sped out from his hands, through the gauntlets. Around and across his body they merged and separated, covering his body in crackling electricity.

Rahgon’s head rose and its jaw opened, revealing the rows of impressive teeth. Its ear deafening roar was mingled with the dancing flames from its nostrils. Milo stood there, right underneath this spectacle and could only watch as it unfolded. He was unsure. Had he been challenged or accepted? Would he die or live? He raised his hands up. Lightning felt no fear. He was blood fueled. The dragon’s giant claw went up and came down for him.

“Do something!” Beth yelled.

The claw met the barrier and sunk deep into it, barely slowing against the crackling resistance. Milo went down on a knee, stalling for time, but the claw sunk deeper and deeper into his barrier.

“I am the conduit,” Milo muttered under his strained breathing, trying to put more power into his tendrils. The blood deposit drained fast, but the claw sunk deeper, pushing against his vac suit.

His vision grew foggy. Beth waved her arms and traces of her voice spoke in the speakers in his suit. The taste of iron lessened. The vac suit groaned by the sheer pressure. He reached for the adrenaline deposit. But his concentration grew dim and the claw pushed harder, he was pulled out of his own mind.

Milo fell away and the claw struck the floor. Chieftain Argus floated at his side, and with the sudden removal of the pressure his senses returned.

“We are leaving!” Beth said. “What are you doing?”

She held him under her arm, like an angry mother would do to their disobedient child.

“What are you doing?!” Milo yelled. “Let me go. I was just about to turn things around. I am mighty and Rahgon was just about to feel the true punch of it.”

Beth sighed, Tern and Chieftain Argus floated on their side. “Are you really that stupid?”

Beth ducked under something big and sharp, barely dodging the dragon’s claw, but Argus was launched to the side by the same sweep.

“Stay here,” Beth said and put him down.

Tern propped up against him as Beth ran into the fray, her strength making it possible for her to leap over an incoming dragon claw. She shoved the orb, Freet, to the side before it was able to discharge its beam weapon. More and more pairs of orbs and companions grew agitated by the commotion. She finally arrived at Argus’ side, grabbing him and headed back, right through the mess they had started.

Tern bumped into him, urging him to get up and Milo obeyed.

Beth ran past Rahgon again, the dragon was angry and the flames from its nostrils chased after her. But the dragon’s attention was pulled into another direction, where it grabbed something with its large mouth. That something shattered in its mouth, something black, hard and round.

“Move!” Beth yelled, grabbing his arm and pulled them away. Back towards the two shuttles. Argus’ entourage followed after them.

The tunnel was free of resistance, it widened and the outside world came into view, and the shuttles. Beth ran ahead and activated their rear hatches. Chieftain Argus and his entourage left in their shuttle, while Milo, Beth and Tern rushed into their own.

Beth threw him on the shuttle’s floor, he came to a grinding halt against its wall.

“Stay down!” Beth said, staring at him, before she took to the controls.

Their shuttle took off, leaving the planet in haste and turned towards home.