Gelio opened her eyes to find a tiny, unique robot with adorable blue eyes staring at her. It blinked with its robotic eyes and continued to scan Gelio’s face. She gave her “snaky” grin to the robot and then picked up an instrument from her worktable that was beside her. She opened a panel on the side of the robot while it gave her the same stare with those big blue eyes. She adjusted a gear on the motor and then grabbed a diagnostic tool. She ran a scan on the robot and found her repair was satisfactory. She gently closed the panel, and the robot gave her a nod as to thank her for her help.
Suddenly a robotic voice shouted behind her, “Alert! Alert! Intruder detected!” She peaked at the monitor above her which showed someone walking through the front door of the building where she was working. She slithered from her position through the doors that lead to the front of the building.
“Barrick!” she said to the species that had entered the building. “What brings you to this side of town? Don’t you have too much class to show your slimy face in this neighborhood?”
“Funny,” said the species that resembled much like Gelio other than his head was larger, and his snake-like body was longer. The biggest difference was his long fangs that definitely made him appear to be a threat to anyone he encountered. His dark deep voice helped everyone’s suspicion that this character was up to no good. “You still rummaging around this shop working on your stupid gadgets?”
“Many species have found my gadgets very useful,” responded Gelio. “Even you if I remember right.”
“Still think your robots are going to take over your world?” said Barrick with a condescending look.
“Give me a few years and you will be surprised,” said Gelio with a slight grin. “What brings you back here?”
“Surprisingly, we have a job for you and one of your stupid gadgets,” snorted Barrick. “We want to rob a vessel that is found in one of the graveyards created by those green freaks that are terrorizing the galaxy.”
“You are talking about the Kraken?”
“Call them whatever you want, but what they have stolen from the many planets that they have overtaken is quite lucrative,” replied Barrick. “All we need to do is sneak into one of their ship graveyards they have created and take what we want. That is where you come in.”
Gelio gave him a nasty look. “Stealing is not why I build these gadgets.”
“You have done it before, if I remember correctly.”
“That was a while ago. I have changed.”
“And look where it has gotten you,” said Barrick half-yelling. “Stuck on a planet that uses all of its resources to defend itself from these green freaks, leaving the deprived to defend for themselves.” Gelio could only look away knowing he was right. Barrick’s voice surprisingly changed to that of sympathetic. “You know that they will eventually take over your planet. Why not pack up and leave? You could be very useful to our trade.”
“Stealing what was taken from others is not what I would call a trade!” yelled Gelio. “You are taking advantage of those that have lost everything so you can gain a profit!”
“How do we survive?!” responded Barrick. “Those at the bottom of the totem pole have nowhere to go! Only the rich and resourced can defend themselves!” Barrick looked around the room and saw many parts and gadgets everywhere with no organization found. A layer of dust forming on most of it. “Looks like you are in the same place that I am. Don’t you want to take back what has been taken?”
“What you are doing is wrong and I will not help you take away someone’s lost treasure.” Gelio moved back to the robot she was working on before through the closed doors. Barrick only stayed in the same place but did not remove his eyes from her as she left the room. He then slowly slithered back to where she was working.
“Why do you have to make this so difficult?” said Barrick in an angry tone. Geilo closed her eyes knowing what was coming next. “Your father still lives in the same place? His health still declining?” She turned around and faced him. Her stare was intense. The grin on his face was huge. “One job and then you are done. I will even give you ten percent of what we take.”
She closed her eyes and bowed her head, knowing she was defeated. “What is the job?”
“It is simple,” Barrick said with an awful grin. “Those green freaks don’t protect their prizes very well. They have one small ship with two crew members protecting an entire junkyard of prime goods. The worst part is the security system they have set up. That is where your robots come into the plan. They take down the security system, gives us the access we need. We fly to one of the ships in the junkyard, get what we came for and then we leave.”
“That does not sound simple, “responded Geilo. “Plus, I have limited experience with the Kraken’s defense system.”
“You have more experience than anyone I know. Besides,” another large grin, “you’re the smartest geek I know. You will figure it out.”
“I prefer engineer,” said Geilo with her angry eyes. “Give me a week.”
“You have two days,” said Barrick with a serious face that made Gelio know that there was no negotiating.
Gelio lowered her gaze knowing she was defeated. Barrick slithered towards the doors and as he was leaving turned and said, “And do not try leaving because we will find you.”
The doors slid shut behind him and Gelio was left to sulk in her own misery. Her first thought after he left was, “Leave? Where would I go? No friends to help me and no money for resources. Maybe I should had stayed a criminal. I probably be a lot better off.” Gelio closed her eyes and darkness appeared.
Her eyes opened to find herself aboard a small spacecraft. There were three other crew members aboard the craft with her. One was Barrick and the other two looked similar to him which made Gelio think they were all related. No other species would dare work with Barrick unless they were family. Family was most important to him which made everyone else worthless unless he needed something which was why she is here.
“So how does this gadget work?” asked one of the similar looking species pointing at the small robot that was sitting next to Gelio. “This thing is going to get us past the security system? These green freaks are ugly looking but they sure are smart.” When this Barrick relative saw that Gelio looked upset for questioning her expertise, he continued, “No offence, but this gadget looks like a piece of junk, and you don’t look to be that smart.” He made the same hideous face that Barrick always did.
“You and Barrick sure have a way with others,” remarked Gelio. “Hard to tell who is more offensive. You questioning my work or Barrick threating to kill my father.”
All three of them began to laugh with the same nasty look. “We do what we have to do to get the job done,” said Barrick. “You know that.” He pointed a finger with a long claw at Gelio as he continued to fly the spacecraft. “You used to be one of us.”
Gelio could only shake her head hoping this job would be her last.
“Still,” continued the other species, “you haven’t answered my question. How does this piece of junk work?”
Gelio rolled her eyes, and her tongue began to flick. “It maps out the security system, makes a copy and then sends that to the main system while it shuts down the actual security system.”
“Wow!” said the other species sounding impressed. “How can this piece of junk trick a high-tech security system?”
“It can for only seven to ten minutes, but the main system will eventually learn that it is being deceived,” explained Gelio. “But my robot is the only one that will be able to do this.”
“That is why we came to you,” smiles Barrick. “We needed the best.” Gelio did not smile, but her tongue began flicking faster. She could tell when she was being scammed.
The navigational system of the spacecraft sent alerts to the crew. “We are close, you two better get ready,” said Barrick pointing at his two relatives. They immediately slithered over to their equipment and began putting on body armor and loading large laser rifles.
“You certainly came prepared,” said Gelio. “Those are military grade weaponry.”
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“I have my connections as you know,” said Barrick as he studied the ship that they were approaching.
“Won’t blasting your way in make them call for help?” asked Gelio. She could never keep her mouth shut when she was nervous which usually create trouble for herself. Luckily, Barrick was in a talking mood.
“Not if we do it right,” explained Barrick. “I am targeting their communication array which should allow us to board and take out the two guards.”
“The weapons on this ship are powerful enough to take out the communications on a Kraken ship?”
“I have my connections,” Barrick said with a smile and a wink.
A deep voice sounded on the ship’s communication system asking why they were approaching. Their spacecraft was heading directly toward the small Kraken vessel and the two crew members on board were getting worried.
“They will give us one warning and then they will fire,” said Barrick. “So, we better make this quick.” Barrick targeted the ship and fired a high-powered plasma rocket towards the small Kraken vessel. No one would believe this small spacecraft of theirs would have this type of weaponry.
The impact on the Kraken vessel was a direct hit. The communications array went down after a large explosion ripped through the bridge of the vessel. Barrick swung their spacecraft parallel to the Kraken vessel and erupted the side thrusters. He was targeting the side door of the Kraken vessel so they could board the ship. His two twins were standing at the side door of their spacecraft, ready to attack.
When the spacecraft was a few feet away, Barrick launched what looked like grappling hooks. The grappling hooks snatched on and began pulling the spacecraft towards the vessel. A perfect maneuver that aligned their side door with that of the Kraken vessel. A maneuver that Gelio thought that Barrick had done many times. Then a device that surrounded the side door on the outside shot out and suction itself against the door of the Kraken vessel. This made it so there was a way to move between the two ships without being sucked out into the coldness of space.
Barrick then pointed at one of the other species. This twin immediately opened the side door and ignited a high-powered plasma burning torch which emitted a very bright white light. Luckily the two had on high-powered goggles or the light would have burned their retinas almost immediately. The torch burned through the Kraken vessel’s side door within seconds creating a large hole that both of them could fit through. Then the torch was extinguished and tossed aside. At the same time the other look alike threw in an explosive which detonated on impact. Smoke began billowing through the hole that was just created. They began pushing forward through the hole in the door into the smoke with their laser rifles firing at any movement. Laser fire was now seen coming from all directions. A light show of laser blasts through all the smoke combined with screams, yells, and panic could be heard. Another loud explosion and then there was silence.
Barrick with his own laser rifle slowly approached the hole. Smoke eerily poured through the door as he waited for the sign. Suddenly, one of the twins poked his head through and gave him a nod and then disappeared back into the Kraken vessel. Barrick turned around and looked at Gelio who was hiding behind one of the consoles on the ship.
“These two are idiots, but they are very good at what they are trained to do,” said Barrick with another large grin. “Now it is your turn to do what we brought you here for.”
Reluctantly, Gelio grabbed her robot and made her way through the hole to the Kraken vessel. What she found on the other side were two dead Kraken soldiers that she could tell were low grade. Not the elites that she had heard about from many others. There were still some small fires that the two idiots were putting out, but the system on the Kraken vessel still looked like it was operating normally. She began looking at the controls, searching for a port that would allow her robot to communicate with the main system’s computer. She located it and then flipped a switch on her robot, and it came to life.
A robotic voice spoke, “Master, what is thy bidding?”
One of the idiot twins gives her a weird look. “It calls you master?”
Gelio ignored him and began typing on a small computer attached to the robot. Immediately, the robot extended a small device and plugged it into the port that Gelio had found.
“How long will this take?” asked Barrick.
“Depends on what trouble I run into?” answered Gelio furiously typing, giving commands to the robot.
“Running command, Duping the security system,” shouted out a robotic voice. “Attempting plan A.”
“Plan A?” asked Barrick.
“Not all security systems are the same, so I have many plans that it tries. Hopefully we find a winner.”
“I know that your father hopes you do,” answered Barrick while the two idiots gave big grins. Gelio ignored the comment and continued working.
“Plan A unsuccessful, commencing Plan B.” Gelio continued furiously typing, watching the monitor closely.
“Plan B unsuccessful, commencing Plan C.” Barrick and the idiots began eyeing each other.
After a few moments of furiously typing and code on the monitor flying up the screen, a robotic voice was heard again, “Main System access granted. Mapping security system.” Gelio’s hands seemed to be shaking as she watched her robot do what it had been programmed to do. The robotic voice shouted out, “Unknown error occurred. Restarting mapping program.”
“Gelio, what is going on?” said Barrick in an angry tone.
“This stuff is not like firing a laser rifle or plasma rockets. This stuff is complicated. If the system gets angry at me, it will lock us out and will have no chance of shutting down the security system. I have to be careful.” She began furiously typing and the robot began making more noises and blinking lights.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, a robotic voice was heard again, “Mapping complete. Communicating with Main Computer.” A few seconds later the voice said, “Main Computer has been duped, shutting down security system.” A large generator sound began lowering quickly and green lights began appearing on all the consoles.
“That sounds like it worked,” said Barrick with another large grin. “How long do we have?”
“This system is highly advanced,” said Gelio with a heavy sigh. “It will figure it out quickly. Ten minutes at the most.”
“That will do,” said Barrick. He and the two idiots grabbed their stuff and headed back to their ship. As Barrick was making his way back to his ship, he tossed a communication device to Gelio. “We will keep in contact with this. You watch the system here and when we have what we came for, will come back and get you.” Without waiting for a response, he entered his ship. One of the idiots placed a device on the large hole they created and sealed up the hole, leaving Gelio alone with which she was all too familiar.
The spacecraft detached from the Kraken vessel and raced towards one of the large ships in the junkyard. There were many ships floating helplessly in space. It appeared that some were torn apart and many inner workings of the spaceships were exposed. The Kraken left the ships here and when parts were needed, they came here and grabbed what they need. It was an eerie view to see so many ships floating helplessly in the middle of space. Each of these large spacecrafts carried thousands of species across the Universe but now were gone.
After a few minutes, a voice was heard from the communication device. “Almost done. Our source was correct, what we want is exactly where we were told it would be.”
“Great to hear,” responded Gelio sarcastically. “What is it may I ask?”
“Oh, something that many planets will pay quite a bit to have,” said Barrick. Gelio could tell that he had that big stupid grin on his face. He could hear him lifting and moving objects as he spoke. “You remember the Darkkarians. Well, some of their best weaponry is found in this junkyard.”
Gelio’s face turn to concern, “You are not talking about Crimson reactors, are you?”
“Oh, so you have heard about them,” said Barrick with a surprise tone.
“There is a reason why they were hated by so many. They placed those reactors in rockets and other weapons which allowed them to take over many planets because they were so powerful. I thought the Darkkarians had gotten rid of all those types of weapons.”
“That is why these are so valuable,” explained Barrick. “These reactors can be used to make the most powerful weapons and with an enemy like the Kraken, many species will pay big.”
“Glad that I can help you extort other planets into using all their resources to save their lives,” remarked Gelio.
“Oh Gelio. Always one to shoot her mouth off.”
Eight minutes had passed and then the communication device started talking again. “All cargo has been safely stored and with two minutes to spare.”
“That is great,” responded Gelio. “The system is giving me signs that it is about to find out that I tricked it. Better get back here quick.”
“Sorry Gelio. But there is no more room. Will have to leave you behind.”
She was shocked but somehow, she always knew. She did not feel like begging for her life because she knew that was what he would want. She quietly sighed and flicked her tongue.
“Nothing to say. Well, that is ok because you have said enough. Do not worry, I hear the Kraken do take prisoners if they feel you worthy enough to live.” Gelio could tell he was enjoying this. “You know this business, Gelio. Someone has to take the fall.” Gelio was seething but she would not give him the pleasure of saying something. “Also, if you feel like talking to the Kraken about who you helped, well, we know where your father is, and we would not mind paying him a visit. Take care Gelio.”
Gelio saw the spacecraft go to lightspeed just as the system identified that it had been tricked. The security system turned back on, and alarms were going off on all the consoles. Gelio knew that this place would be filled with Kraken ships in no time. All she could do was sit and wait. She lightly sighed and then closed her eyes and darkness appeared.
She opened her eyes, and the General was standing in front of her. Before he could say the program was finished, she quickly slithered forward and hugged the General’s waist. This surprised him but knowing the pain and strain this device could cause he gently patted her serpent like head.
She slithered backwards and looked up at him with a giant grin. “Thank you for trusting me with your technology.”
“I know you will use it wisely,” responded the General.
“I promise!” answered Gelio as she slithered out the large glass doors. “Criminal life is behind me now.”
The General could only grin as he followed her out to meet the others. Gelio stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at all her friends below. She did not notice how good she felt or how strong she had become or how much improved all her senses were. She could only stare at all her friends. Her team. Her family.
“How do you feel, Gelio?” pondered Igetis.
For a moment longer Gelio just looked around at everyone which made some feel uneasy. Finally, she gave a large grin across her serpent like face and said, “I feel like I will never be alone again.”
Igetis gave his famous smile, and everyone was hooting and hollering.
Then Filos steps forward. “I believe I am next.”