-- Next day, in the lab --

Erik was operating the crabman and installing new devices inside its body, like replacing the damaged eye with a camera that looked almost like the lost eye, and then he also planed to install secret weapons like poison releasers on the claws so that it would make infiltrating easier, and also a precise mapping of the nerves, while also hearing some music.

(Song: Billy Idol - Rebel Yell)

He had always loved old songs and couldn't really concentrate to work without hearing some music.

Inky was also by the side observing, and acting as his lab assistant, she didn't understand all the song but she kinda liked it, she had seen dancing in vídeos but never tried herself. When looking at Erik's feet she could see how he tapped the floor at the rhythm of the song.

Erik extended his hand and said.

Erik: "a new cutting disc please, this one broke" he waited a moment but nothing changed, looking back he saw Inky looking at his feet and then at her own tentacles trying to slap the floor to the music's rhythm too.

He loudly chuckled, taking Inky out of her reverie, as he looked at her now embarrassed face, he approached and carefully grabbed her face, making her look at him in the eyes.

Erik: "wanna learn how to dance?" he said with a smile.

Inky eagerly nodded and flapped her fins. 'she's so cute' Erik thought to himself.

Erik: " okay, I will teach you, but not now," he pointed at the crabman on the table "this is important okay?"

Inky: "okay..."

He kissed her lips, surprising her.

Erik: "don't get distracted love, we have the entire day after this to learn"

Inky nodded and they continued the operation. After a while, Inky seemed to struggle a bit and finally asked.

Inky: "actually, there's something I wanted to ask you"

Erik: "huh? what is it?"

Inky: "how was your life back on earth? can we go there together in the future?"

Erik: "My life was pretty normal, as for going there... well, it might be possible one day, nothing is impossible with enough resources after all"

Inky: "hmmm... normal, what's normal there? tell me more, I wanna know!" ( ' 3 ' )

Erik: "Jajaja, okay, let's see... first is the gestation center where the babies are grown healthy, and once you are born your parents come to pick you up. My parents weren't rich or anything so I just had the basic free genetic modifications paid by the national health care system for free to ensure you are healthy and can live long, its actually an investment as if you get sick it will be more expensive for the government to pay for all your medical bills than just once. Other people more well off gave their kids better brains and bodies for example..." he saw Inky's confused face "okay... so you understand, i would be the equivalent of a son of scout caste, like you"

Inky: " yeah, like me!" she hugged him.

Erik: " yeah, and others would be the equivalent to warrior, hunter, etc descendants okay?" he saw her nod "well, then all kids go to the same free public schools to learn, after the kids get to be 15 years old, they are divided into 3 groups depending on their decision between biology, electronics or social sciences, i choose electronics by the way, and after 5 years when we are 20 years old then most people take 10 or 20 years of rest and then finish university in 8 years and study 3 or 4 careers in the public universities, i didn't rest though, they also give you a monetary bonus if you get the best marks, so yeah i didn't have a good start in life with my average genetics but i worked always the hardest and got to the space program, everyone was so hyped about it... the training was both the hardest and also the best thing i've done in my life, we were trained for 20 years together... we were like a family... sigh i might not see them again anymore..." Inky hugged him tighter and he just took a deep breath and continued " we trained in simulated alien planets in hundreds of different scenarios using Nerve connected Virtual Reality... (saw her confused face), its like a realistic dream sweety, everything feels real but you know it isn't... well, we were also trained in military tactics in the real and virtual worlds, we relived wars like if we were in them... but my favourite part always was when we went all together to a bar or a night club dancing, the competitions, we played darts, pool and futbolín..." 'yeah i will make some when i have the time' "we even did drinking competitions and i usually won as the youngest jajaja i never got drunk then-"

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Inky: "drunk? what does that mean?"

'they don't need to know what alcohol is right?...'. He wasn't about to introduce them to alcoholism.

Erik: " oh, I misspelled, I meant I won the... fight, we had a fighting competition "

-- also the truth as they got in a fight later -- They had fought 3 times their number and won, running away when the others came back with more people and told Inky "Remember Inky, one must always know when to retreat and when to fight okay?"

Inky: "what about fighting to save someone? wouldn't you fight for me?"

Erik smiles.

Erik: "of course, love is a good reason to fight, it makes us stronger and i do love you Inky"

then lightly kissed the reddened Inky.

And Inky whispered: "I love you too..."

Inky: "but... if you had fun, why not staying on Earth then?"

Erik: "well..., Earth is fine but every single space has an owner there are way too many humans there, sigh I just wanted to explore and find new lands..."

Inky: "you never think about Earth?"

Erik: " well, I do wonder how they are all doing right now, but having you with me helps a lot"

And they hugged.

--- Back on Earth ---

The second and third expedition members were reunited on a bar eating some tapas while talking.

Antonio: "so, miss Sara, are you excited? your flight launches tomorrow after all"

Sara: " yeah, Erik should also be arriving in a year or so, I wonder how he's doing, he will be spending his birthday tomorrow on that spaceship... with just the AI to keep him company, sigh..."

Mónico (systems engineer): "no need to worry about that, we recorded a Message to be played to him that day by the AI, I wonder what his face will be like when he sees it, we even added his favorite viking metal playlists" his face was smug.

Sara: " wait, why didn't you tell me?"

Antonio: " sigh, you can't keep secrets from him young one..."

Sara: "that's not true... I can do it if I try..., b-but when I see him he's just too nice, I can't keep secrets from him... but if it's for his birthday I can do it..."

They all laughed at that.

Antonio: "but anyways, hope it all goes well, Erik always tries too hard, he will have 10 years to set up the living environment, if he fails... we will be in trouble..."

Sara: " Shut up! don't talk about failure when he's still on the spaceship"

Antonio: "wow, a maiden in love okay jajaja, don't worry I'm sure he will do fine, he had the best score in habitat setting and had the best psyche qualifications from all of us, you remember those virtual worlds? some people could go crazy just from that..."

They all shuddered remembering it, even if you knew the world around you wasn't real if you can feel, smell, and hear something so closely... the world becomes real to you.

They had been killed and hunted down by alien creatures in those worlds, other times they even went through impossible scenarios just to check their minds limits and Erik had got the best qualifications in those situations, remaining calm and surviving almost impossible scenarios full of monsters, his leadership skills were lacking though as he did most by himself, another reason he had been sent first.

Elena (farm and food production specialist): " well, I'm sure he will be fine, you better make sure he sets up my lab and growth fields when you reach there Sara" she said with a smile, lifting the mood of the group.

Elena: " by the way, Antonio I heard you were getting a new custom-made body?"

Antonio: " oh that, yeah, an A+ class combat body, the best a civilian can buy"

They all looked weirded out at that.

Elena: "but don't the A+ remove some... organs to make space for the extra muscles and recovery glands?"

Antonio: chuckle "don't beat around the bush, I've had 300 years to enjoy sex in all ways possible, believe me, I'm tired of it already, now I just want a body that can carry me everywhere I wanna go"

Sara: "what about your wife?"

Antonio: "well, she might have chosen the opposite with a hermaphrodite body, well it will be more than 30 years until we see each other again, it's fine if she has some fun in the meantime, she's only 180 after all"

--- back on Ark world 52836383637 ---

Erik had finished the surgery, giving the crabman the ability to spew poison out of its claws and also added a chainsaw to one claw to render enemies apart.