Raptor One – Chapter 59
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My pack cheer as they see the moving motes of dust pass by us at shorter than light speed as we cruise our way to The irradiated clown station, a name that’s funny at best as it jokes about old terra nuclear waste worry, of which was null at the time, as i see the station history i see this small part of information.
I give my cheering and laughing pack a look before looking at the station description again, a station occupied mostly by machinery used to process the gas giant bellow it it’s simple and natural components, it’s docking bay is enormous as it needs space to allow ships outfitted with gas collecting machinery to dock and unload before returning back to work or repairs.
Looking a little more into the station logs i manage to collect another interesting fact, the station has a lower orbit manufacturing plant fitted with ‘Scarlet collectors’, where ‘Red Sludge’ collection is done, and where it’s processed into a variety of drugs, the worst being ‘Luciferium’ and ‘Last Wish’.
“Huh, no wonder the smugglers get so much money on the Glitterworlds, most of these things are forbidden and ‘Last Wish’ is outright hunted at sight...” i sigh and i see Zu look my way in curiosity.
I just ignore it and get to work at mapping our space travel route, but get surprised by Zu sitting on my lap again, i look at her and see her with red face and shy smile before she lean of me, i grip my helmet a little so it won’t fall as she reads the same log i read and the one i managed to dig out.
I look down and smile before giving her a smooch and getting back to work as we share the console, Zu reading the logs i managed to get my hands on and me getting out map updated and getting a better travel route.
As i work with one hand, the other keeping Zu company and gripping my helmet so it won’t fall i manage to get some interesting space data, found some ship wrecks, some obscure data of which i need to identify... And done, it’s a cluster of floating cargo, need to see if it’s on the route... completely off route, had to imagine by the camera feed.
I hear Zu gasp as she starts reading the yet not illegal ‘scarlet collectors’, i see her face show a frown, she don’t like it but don’t seen shaken by it, that’s a good sign, i stop what I'm doing and close up on her with my other hand hugging her completely, this made her lose sight of the logs as she looks up at me, i give her a smile.
“Don’t get side tracked, we know now that there’s smugglers there and a potential den of pirates, so the situation is simple, care for our pack, finish the job, and get out, ponyal?” i ask her.
“Ponyal?” Zu ask me, repeating the work in a cute way.
I can’t help but laugh, the seriousness of the situation lost.
“Haha, ponyal means understood.” i say with a big smile, still chuckling.
“Oh.” Zu say and i look up and see the others trying to rope in their laugh, i can’t help but nod in affirmation, she don’t fail much, but when she do, it’s in a cute way.
To not lose this light atmosphere i close the logs in a natural looking motion, everyone missing the fast motion, even Zu that is sitting on my lap right now.
Resuming my work of coordinating the in system space chart, i try to get a more optimized route, after some thinking and some looking around as i gather data and update this old chart i manage to get a better route, but trying to be skeptical i try to coordinate the actual route to the new heat territory, after some cross referring i do manage to understand that the route is unlikely to pass by heated territory as the route pass mostly on the cold zones, where piracy is very low, so i nod, happy for the find and pass the new route to the Su brothers.
*BeeP**BeeP*
Both of the brother's console announce the new data, as they look at the data, confused at the sudden change of route, they look at me.
“Captain?” Su’ra talk after exchanging glances with his brother.
“Follow the new route, i know it’s uncharted territory but the heat is low.” i say after nodding back, they both look at each other.
“”Aye Captain!”” Both brothers say in chorus.
“Initiating maneuver thrusters.” Su’ra announce.
“Relocating energy graph for maneuver.” Su’zu reply.
“Full burst!” Su’ra annouce again.
I tighten my hold on Zu so she won’t get thrown around the bridge and watch as the others do so as well.
“Off course, wrong energy graph, too much stress.” I announce and both brothers rush their hand to not damage the ship as it almost spiral out of control, i see that i don’t need to do anything as the combined effort of the Su brothers helped the ship stabilize.
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I give a look at my boots as it release the metal floor of the bridge with a thump and a hiss, my helmet is still under my hand and Zu is unharmed.
I look at the others and see all unharmed too.
“Nice catch, but don’t put us in a spin again.” i say and both brothers nod, the face of both red in shame.
“Re- Retrying.” Su’ra say, shame on his serious voice.
“Retrying.” Su’zu also reply, his voice even colder, a sign he’s hiding his shame.
I watch with Zu as this time, the ship align correctly with the given course, sending us out of the normal route into uncharted territory.
“Nice one boys, Su’ra, i saw your minor error, but i also saw you correcting it, good work, to both of you.” i say and nod their way. “We don’t need to give changes for some time, let’s go.” i finish my words and get up, Zu yelps as i get her on a princess carry, taking the opportunity of her panic i attach my helmet on my waist before leaving.
This time everyone can’t help but laugh, the laugh itself opened the pandora box that is the chatterbox that Avali are known for, but i smile as they chat in fast speed as we leave the bridge, heading into the recreation room.
After walking out of the bridge i easily jump into the recreation room, Zu that where on my arms yet yelped again at the sudden jump as she thought i was going to let her down so we can climb.
Walking out of the small bulkhead i place her down on our usual table but i don’t sit, instead i head into the sleeping quarters, passing another pair of bulkheads i look at a corner.
Lemi, my Nanite Snake, once a Rakkle, or Lamia as they call, lies coiled, angry at me for some motive, this started after i moved definitively into Jason’s bar, she stopped coiling on my left arm, the absence of her presence drill pangs of pain on my left arm as i hold it with my right, i tried to wait and see if she would mellow out a little, but instead she just became more aggressive, i know she don’t have neural problems, on the contrary, she’s as mindful as she can be, more sapient than the bipedal humans and the rest of the races.
I sigh as i see that she is as hostile as always, so i decide to do crazy things as a crazy person, my armor hiss open as the latches release with a metallic sound, my Avali power armor opening itself for my leave, walking out of the power armor i head into her direction, my approach is met with a angry hiss and a snake rattle, her hostility open to see, but she don’t attack as i move in closer and kneel down in front of her.
I try touching her before talking, but I'm met with a bite, not a venomous one, but a simple one before she unlatched her face from my hand, now with two big fang holes, red nanite flowing down as i don’t allow the wound to close.
“Lemi...” i say, not flinching at the bite, her head moves up to lock eyes with me.
“Why the hostility?” i ask her, but I'm met with a hiss.
“Talk to me Lemi, share your thoughts...” i say, sad, i don’t want to get into plaz Z.
‘Traitor.’ her melodious yet cold voice resounds on my mind as she share her thought.
“Traitor... Why? We are Sem’ya, family...” i ask Lemi, my cold tone cracking as i try to touch her scales.
I’m met with another bite, more red nanite flows down as she refuses to talk to me.
“We lived together for so long, we took care of each other so much, we threw so much out for each other... Why am i a traitor...?” My cracking voice resound as red nanite flows into the ground again, but with more flow.
I’m met with another bite, her silence resounding as the silence hurts me in the heart as much as it hurts on my ears.
“You won’t talk? You are taking fire into the ties we have?” i ask her but I'm met yet again with silence and a bite.
“Okay, you left me with no choice...” i say in a calm and cold voice.
She reacts badly as i take hold of her with my left hand, her bite going deeper as i feel my reinforced bone get pierced, the flaring pain of pure agony, yet i don’t release my voice, nor my face changes as i use my right hand to coil her forcefully into my left harm, her struggle is minimal as i feel her tense snake body relax it’s muscles as i finish coiling her on my arm, her head still latched to my left hand.
“It’s your choice Lemi, this is my last wish.” i say with a cold voice and continue. “Now that you wish to burn this bridge, go all the way...” My voice starts to crack a little. “I can’t bear to live without your presence on my left arm, the pain of you absence hurts too much.” At this time my voice is fully cracked, my tears rolling down my face as i look at her small face latched on my hand. “Break and tear off my left harm... Then devour it... I don’t need it if you won’t be there anymore...” i finish my words, my tears wetting Lemi as i look down at her.
I feel her hesitation, her muscles contracting and expanding as i feel her tighten dangerously, sometimes loose considerably before constricting with force again...
In the end she remained there, with a loose yet firm grip on my left arm, her head lifts my way after releasing my hand, her eyes locking on mine as i bring her closer to me by lifting my hand.
‘Sniff, no fair...’ i hear Lemi break down, her voice as cracked as mine.
“You forced me...” I say, my head down, my voice trembling.
I feel the nanites flow down my hand as Lemi coils again, this time properly as her head lies on my shoulder, i lift my bleeding hand, full of holes, i feel Lemi’s sadness and disgust at herself as she looks at my hand full of snake bites.
“Say, Lemi... We are Sem’ya. Why do i feel so... Separated from you? After all we lived through...” i say and sigh...
I feel a sudden pain on my mind, both me and Lemi recoils in pain, i fall down on top of my tail and slam my head on the ground, worsening the dizziness.
“What was that?” i ask myself as i feel another bout of pain, this time less intense as my pack rush to my side.
“What happened!?” Zu say to the others, her voice dim to me.
“No clue! Do we have another Medic that is not him!?” Li’lak ask, her dim voice sounding panicked.
Then another sudden pain, very umbearable as i lose my consciousness for some seconds before waking up again, seconds later, groaning as i feel Lemi dissipate into nanites and float around a small orb.
Sitting up i look at the floating orb, Lemi’s unmade snake body, now pure flying nanites.
'Pick me.’ I hear her voice, serious yet clear to me.
Extending my wounded hand to her i feel the orb, HER consciousness float above my hand, her nanites coiling on my arm, the oh so missed psionic wave flowing around my body in visible arcs of red, our mind now truly linked as one.
“WOW!” Li’luk say and jump back along with the rest, her voice full of awe.
Getting up i close the wounds, but keep the marks, something to remember what made us truly bond.
Lifting my hand i feel the psionic arcs intensify. “Serene Calm.” Two phrases, words made into a weapon, be it to heal or kill.
The psionic arcs intensify as i wave my hand, a psionic wave bringing calm to all as i test our connection, the new power being used naturally.
I watch as the expression of my pack relax, serene looks on their faces, the same energy washing me with calm, yet my mind feels the heat.
“We like this new capacity.” i say as Lemi’s snake form condenses again around my hand, her form coiling back into resting place on my shoulder, exhausted.
“Thanks, Lemi.” i say as i caress her head with my left hand.
“Isvinyayus’ guys, lets go?” i ask with a smile as i head back into the recreation room.
The pack looks at each other before following.
“Hey, Hey! Teach me that too!” Li’luk’s peppy voice resounds behind me as we walk back....