Kaushik POV:

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It’s been some time since we got our unique ride. What are the unique features you ask? You will know, when the time is right. Right now, I am lying on my bed face up at my home in the Hub, thinking about various thing. Lots of questions still remains. I am trying to summarize my questions.

How are my parents? How do we go back? What was that ‘cut the hard line’ protocol I heard before I woke up in the pond? Who was the owner of the voice? What happened to our suits? What my ability actually do?

I don’t know if there are any machines capable of sending us back to our world. Moreover, even if we do find such a machine, I don’t even know how to locate our world. I mean, theoretically, there are billions of parallel worlds out there.

Well it’s not like I have any attachment to the previous world. Even if I can’t go back, it’s file. But in that previous world, there are people I care about. If somehow I could at least send them a message like ‘we are alright, don’t worry about us’, or ‘we will find a way back’, I would have had some peace of mind.

Regarding the protocol thing, I don’t have any lead. Mike can’t remember anything like that. As per Mike’s description, he remembers the black space, then regaining the control of his limbs. But he can’t remember any voice. Then what was it?

Our suits weren’t organic, so it’s safe to assume our bodies didn’t assimilate with the suit or the virus in the pond didn’t disintegrate it. A full body suit weighting almost 10 kilos couldn’t just vanish. Then where is our suit? Why that voice awfully sounded like my suit?

As for my ability, I am almost certain that there is more than meets the eye. Call me mad and spit on my face, but I have this gut feeling that the absorption and creation thing is not the end of my ability. But I can’t do a thing until I know what my ability actually is.

Sena – “Hey.”

I crane my neck to see Sena is standing at the doorway. I smile a bit and motion her to come over. She comes close and straddles me.

Sena – “What are you thinking so deeply?”

Roy – “The usual.”

Sena – “You do know just thinking about it won’t help right?”

Roy – “Mmhmmm.”

I look at Sena. Right now, she is wearing a blue short pant, fully revealing her glorious, smooth, long legs. Her large, perky breasts are particularly accentuated by the ash colored tank top she is wearing. Waist long hair tied up in a ponytail also added to her cuteness. She skin is not white, for being a soldier who spends most of the time under the sun. But her slightly tanned skin is full of youthfulness.

Sena – “(Smirking) fallen in love?”

Roy – “(Placing my hands on her hips) who knows?”

Sena leans on me, pressing her breasts on my chest. She kisses my earlobe and rubs her cheeks onto mine.

Sena – “If you do find a way home, will you leave?”

I ponder on her words. She’s right. What will I do even if I find a way home? Will I leave her behind? Will I take her with me? Will I invite my family to come here?

Roy – “Truth to be told, I don’t know Sena. I haven’t thought that far, yet.”

Sena sniffles a bit and presses her body closer. I can’t see her face as she is burying her face in my neck, but I am sure she is feeling insecure. I place my hands on her back and hold her.

Sena – “Will you promise me one thing?”

I hold her more strongly.

Roy – “As long as it’s within my ability, yes.”

Sena looks up and stares directly into my eyes, as if trying to see through me.

Sena – “Never, ever, ever, leave me alone.”

I kiss her on the tip of her nose.

Roy – “Consider it done.”

Sena holds out her right pinky.

Sena – “Pinky swear?”

Roy – “(Smirking) what are you, five years old?”

Sena – “(Pouting) just do it.”

I hold her pinky with mine.

Roy – “I promise.”

Sena smiles, getting red.

Roy – “How do you feel about me?”

I slip my hands down her firm ass. Sena whimpers and rubs my nose with hers.

Sena – “I am not entirely sure.”

I trace her sensual curves with my fingers and she licks my cheek.

Roy – “Why not?”

I kiss her on her neck and she squirms on top of me.

Sena – “I like you, that much I am certain. However, I am not sure if it’s love or lust.”

I slip my hands under her top and her body jolts a bit.

Roy – “That makes me sad.”

Sena grips onto my hair and pushes her boobies on my face.

Sena – “It just means you have to try harder, to steal my heart.”

I cup her boobies with my hands and a little moan of pleasure escapes her lips.

Roy – “If you keep pushing your youthful boobies on my face, I will be hard elsewhere.”

She releases my face from the confinement of her boobies, which makes me a bit lonely and rubs my groin with her nether region.

Sena – “Really? Where?”

I trace her lips with my fingers and she playfully tries to bite it.

Roy – “Something tells me you already know where.”

Sena – “(Purring) ehehe.”

We play and cuddle with each other to our hearts content. After what felt like an hour, Sena got exhausted and went to sleep using my hand as a pillow. I used this chance and my free hand to grope her sweet ass to however I want, until Mike rushed inside.

Mike – “Sorry for intruding, but I think you need to see this.”

I wake up Sena and rush outside to join Jin, Wolfy, and Edi. Jin points towards a direction without a word. What I see in that direction makes me think that I am seeing things.

If I have to describe the phenomenon, imagine big, round plates are floating in the air.

Roy – “Is that a plate… In air?”

Wolfy – “My sensors are picking up highly concentrated volatile energy fluctuating in a curved, almost oval pattern.”

Roy – “Ok, you have any idea what that can do?”

Wolfy – “Negative.”

Roy – “Edi?”

Edi – “No.”

Mike – “Well, I might be assuming things, but Roy… Doesn’t that direction looks like where we were after the jump?”

My eyes widens in realization. I missed this fact because the direction is a bit off, but nevertheless the general direction is same.

Roy – “Edi, we need RAWR.”

Edi – “Acknowledged.”

Edi’s eye color shifts from black to red, indicating she is now interfacing. In a moment, our mobile home, RAWR comes out of the garage.

RAWR, abbreviated from Really Advanced War Ride, is a normal looking trailer from outside. However it hides a shit-load of advanced weaponry in it, both lethal and non-lethal. RAWR’s speed using the afterburner can reach up to 200 mph (322 km/h), at least theoretically. It’s nano-machine composed body can withstand hits from a heavy machine gun. It can fix it’s own damage over time, but the process is slow. There are also many cool features, like a fully functional kitchen, a single king sized bedroom, two guest rooms, etc.

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We get inside and Edi puts RAWR in auto drive mode. We should reach the point of disturbance within 10 minutes. We get battle ready, in case something happens. Sena with a sniper rifle, Jin with two machine pistols in two hands, Mike with an assault rifle, and me with pistols. Wolfy donned his chainsaw and Edi interfaced with RAWR’s weapon system.

We reached the point of disturbance quite fast. It’s the clearing where crimson caravan was staying. We get out of trailer and Edi deploys RAWR’s standard weapon system. Eight Vulcan guns on four sides for rapid fire, three 60mm anti vehicle cannons, and one 120mm anti-tank gun.

It’s chaos in the clearing. A human donning full body suit and a huge sword is attacking everyone. Several mantis as big as an adult human is brandishing it’s claw and attacking. Several man-sized ants are also attacking. Several mouse-alike looking creatures also joined the fray. Three women are hugging each other in the middle of the chaos. It’s quite problematic to distinguish the number but I am sure I counted right. The woman in the middle and on the left also looks familiar, but I have to get closer to get a better look.

RAWR’s whole weapon system starts targeting anything that has more than two legs. We also brandish our weapons and jump in. Sena stays on the trailer and snipes anything that threatens the women. Wolfy brandishes his chainsaw and goes on a killing spree. Jin starts laughing manically. Mike takes out both his assault rifle and his sidearm, and starts shooting with it. I also join in the fun. We have to rescue the women first, then clear out the area.

Closer.

Closer… I think I know them.

Roy – “MOM!”

I holster my pistols and impact the nearest ant, blowing out it’s head. Next, I duck under a mantis claw and cut down the mantis through it’s mid-section with an impact blade. One of the mouse-looking thing tries to tackle me. I absorb the impact and use it blast away the creature. One mouse jumps at my neck from behind me. BANG! A well placed bullet through it’s skull. Next mantis tries to cut me on my leg and succeeds. I blow it’s skull away with an impact. My wound is already regenerating. I finally reach the women.

Roy – “Mom, follow me.”

Mom – “(Looking up) Roy? Yo-you’re alive?”

The woman on the left looks up and stares at me.

Neha – “Roy?”

I point my pistol at my back without looking back and shoot through an ant’s head which was getting ready to attack me from behind.

Roy – “Yes. Now come on we will talk later after this is over.”

Mom – “What about your dad?”

Roy – “He will be fine. He has his suit on. Plus, I brought reinforcements.”

Mom – “Ok, lead the way.”

We lead the women out and others covered our retreat. I safely guide the women to the trailer and sigh a relief.

Roy – “Now you damned creatures. I don’t know where you’ve come from. Actually, don’t tell me, I don’t wanna know. But know this, you, have bared your fangs towards my family. For that, some punishment is in order.”

And needless to say, the rest was a one-sided slaughter.

When we came back to our home, it was fairly dark outside. We all gathered in our room. To start the conversation, I went to mom, held her close, and buried my face in her bosom.

Roy – “I missed you mom.”

Mom – “I missed you too.”

We stayed like that for several moments. Then I switched over to dad and Mike switched over to mom. I gave dad a bear hug.

Roy – “You didn’t let mom cry too much, right?”

Dad – “Absolutely. I ‘consoled’ her to the best of my abilities.”

Say it our man’s pride, but we never ask if the other was hurting or not. Maybe it’s the thing like, ‘boys don’t cry’. I know it’s silly, but this is how we act around each other.

Then, I went over to Neha.

Roy – “(Forced smile) hey.”

Neha – “Hey? You promise a girl her first date, then you go off missing, make the girl worried whether she has been forgotten or not, only to find out you might be dead, then suddenly we are sent somewhere, then some weird looking creatures attacks us, then you show up and say ‘hey’?”

Roy – “What do you want me to do?”

Neha – “………… Just kiss me already you stupid.”

Neha wraps her hand around my neck and fiercely puts her lips onto mine. I don’t resist and accept her kiss. I can literally read her mind through the kiss. Her bottled up worry cause of me missing, her happiness of meeting me, her sadness, all of it. When she parts her lips, I see two streams are flowing on her cheeks. She puts her face against my chest and keeps crying.

Neha – “I… Hic... I thought you forgot about me… Hic… I thought you didn’t like me… Hic… then I heard from chief… Hic… that you might be dead… Hic… I cried so hard… Hic… then… then…”

I pat her back to console her. She calms down fairly quickly.

Roy – “Dad, if you please.”

Dad – “Sure. After you two disappeared without a trace, chief immediately notified us. He briefed me on the mission you took and all that happened afterwards. I caught on one clue he gave me. He told me that you contacted him before the mission. So, I went out for a search. And I found your camouflaged car. I extracted your last mission log, because I knew you tend to keep a video and audio log for every mission.”

Roy – “After we got sent here, I was hoping that at least YOU will search for the logs.”

Dad – “That I did. Then I went to chief with my findings. Chief carefully searched through the logs, and after one month, produced a search warrant. We waltzed through the front door and confiscated the jump machine. Atlas confessed of smuggling the parts. They wanted to build a machine to bring raw materials from a parallel world. In this way they could effectively cut their investments and make a profit.”

Roy – “At least something good happened from keeping all those logs.”

Dad – “There is one flaw to the design of the jump machine. It can send things to another world, but it can’t bring things from another world. So, before decommissioning the machine, chief offered us if we want to join you on this side of the world. We four agreed.”

Roy – “Oh yeah, who’s the forth girl?”

I look around and find the girl with deep blue eyes and black hair sitting on Mike’s lap.

Mike – “Hey Roy, meet my girlfriend, Sneha.”