by Amelia Esla
Artifacts and items of the Y’All or Piostla Artifacts of ancient unknown or little known civilizations.
True Calipharm Dust – (From Green Hell) 1 gram is traded for about 5 Million Credits
Clive stopped reading there and revised his opinion on Califerm, The real stuff so he just learned was worth many thousand times more than the illegal drug sold on the black market to junkies.
According to this article, there was great interest in obtaining quantities of the genuine material by the Shiss and the Kermac.
He deepened his research and found out that the genuine material was used by the Saresii to create Psionic Drugs, medication that, according to what he was reading could increase the Heidelberg PSI Index of a person, without the ill effects of God Dust as the Gal Drifts called the illegal synthetic version. Clive wondered if that was the ultimate goal of his clients, getting a supply of that stuff. While he was reading that he noticed a note tagged to the article that is was generally believed that the real Calipharm could kill a Narth. He shrugged and then made sure his clients were updated on the progress.
-“”-
It was almost dark when Roy found a cave. At first he wondered why the first visitors to this world did not land on the mountains, as it seemed there was nothing really dangerous. But then his sense of danger made him aware of patches with violent ice worms in the snow and he found that not all boulders were just inanimate objects, but cleverly disguised huge relatives to the Blister crabs. Green Hell was what it was even here in the mountain region. The idea to make a cave his home was a good one at first, but now as he stood before the dark crack that appeared to be the entrance of a cave even he didn’t feel brave enough to actually find out what Green Hell life forms lurked in there. To Partner he said. “Well Uncle Sam was right, there are caves but I didn’t even bring a light and I don’t think it is a good idea to go in there.” Partner snorted and with two fast strides disappeared inside. Roy pulled his blaster and went after his friend. As tough, as he knew his friend was, there could always be something that was tougher and more dangerous. His four legged friend surprised him with his abilities all the time and now was no difference. The short tubby horns on Partners skull were glowing in a bright white light and illuminated a cavern of about twenty meters in diameter. It smelled dry and musky.
Pieces of something pelted and bloody stuck between Partners wide chops, streaks of dark blood down the animal’s chest, proved that Partner encountered something in this cave. Whatever it was didn’t have a chance so it became apparent. Partner was neither distressed, wounded nor upset. He sat there on his hind legs and looked as pleased with itself as ever. After an inspection of the cavern and his instincts told him it was reasonably safe. He didn’t find any passage way deeper into the mountain, so he bedded down next to Partner who now was settling down as well, between him and the cave entrance. He had spent a few nights out before, but never to bed down and sleep. This was the first time he actually closed his eyes to sleep. He was more tired than he wanted to admit to himself. More emotionally drained than physically and soon sleep came to him and he slept, with a big black paw gently placed over his side and dark red eyes glowing watchful towards the cave entrance.
-“”-
Ranger Salomon, Martha and Paul Steward arrived at Sam Browns Farm as the local sun was just about to slip behind the horizon. Martha had never seen the place and now as she looked over the neatly rows of cultivated fields, surrounded by only a twelve meter high energy fence and not a complete energy dome. The most unusual site to her was the log home in the center. Not an Ultronit construct but a house, a genuine house made of wooden logs, with a smoking chimney. Paul was all excited as it looked like something out of his Pre Astro books. The tall black man standing on his porch and waved his raised finger. “Not a step further!”
Martha and Paul wore full gear as usual and stomped their armor suits from the landed armored floater across the packed dirt path. The black man said. “Not a step further, folks. My home isn’t an Ultronit shell you know. It isn’t built for Off World Geeks in 8,000 pound monkey suits.” He eyed them with open contempt.
He stemmed his fists into his sides and shook his head . “If it isn’t the Masters, Roy’s parents. Let me introduce myself. I am the bad influence and I used to be a dumb brute as you call us Marines ain’t that right?
“I am the one who pulled your asses out of the wreckage too, if you recall.” Sam Brown raised his massive arms. “Oh right, you are too busy to call your son or me to say anything.”
Martha showed she was much braver than Paul and opened her Suit, stepped down from it and onto the reddish dirt.
Now wearing just her Bio Seal suit just like Sam Brown did.
Paul almost fainted as he saw his wife completely exposed. There was no force field above them and Martha was breathing the real air of the planet for the first time since she had landed here seventeen years ago. The fresh breeze of natural wind and a sweet flowery scent felt strangely invigorating. She said. “Mr. Brown, we know we have acted like social recluses and we have used words and did things we are not proud of. Things that only became apparent to me as I was forced to look into the mirror and see our own reflection. Whatever we have been can’t be changed and we will try to remedy our behavior in the future, but right now our son Roy is missing. We know he thinks the world of you.” She continued without taking a breath. “I begin to realize now that you have been a better adult influence in his life than we have been.”
Sam completely ignored Paul or the Ranger and said stepping to the side. “Come on in Ms. Masters. I think it is time you and me have a long talk about Roy. I have fresh Hell-ade or something stronger if you care and we can sit on the veranda.”
She watched with horror as an arm long centipede slithered over the path and into the low green plants she recognized as Fire Nettle Bushes, neatly planted in rows and obviously cultivated. Sam had seen it too and said. “No worries Ms. Masters this is Lockjaw, one of a few thousand living around here, hunting for Vamp Fly larvae and Suck-Painers. Not interested in you at all.”
With cramped fists and to the amazement of her husband, Martha walked the eight meters and climbed the short steps.
The Ranger turned. “It seems I am not needed here. I am in town in case you need me.”
Paul Masters finally found words.” What about me?”
Sam said. “Why would a grown man asks such a question, with a voice that sounded as if he was close to tears? You can go with the Ranger, stay where you are as long as you want or come in, like your wife did. Without the suit of course.”
Paul Masters thought about it and decided that he was not ready yet to leaver the comfort and safety of his suit, but standing there seemed foolish. Martha said with a strong edge in her tone. “I am out of my suit for less than five minutes but I begin to see us how the locals see us.” Then she sighed and said. “Go home Paul. I call you when I am done here.”
Paul Masters, never thought of himself as a coward or a wimp, but the fear that knotted his throat told him otherwise. All he had to do was to release the suits seals and walk a distance of six or seven meters. He could not do it. So he did what Martha said and followed the Ranger. He wondered if he could ever look into her eyes again and for the first time, science was no longer on his mind at all.
Martha watched her husband climb into the Rangers floater and Sam said. “No worries about Roy, he will survive. There is no sense to search him tonight, but you and I can look for him tomorrow. I have a feeling he is headed for the White Had Mountains and we should be able to pick him up somewhere along the Shore of Vast Lake.”
The floater disappeared over the tops of the Jungle and into the incredibly beautiful dark red painted sky. Martha was still very tense. Her suit had closed itself and stood like a deactivated robot out there. To get to it she would have to cross the same distance again.
The black man wore his bio suit with the sleeves rolled up. His suit had the exact same camoufl
age pattern as she had seen Roy wearing. He produced a glass pitcher and two glasses, filled them with ice cubes and a dark red clear liquid. He pointed at it and said. “Drink!” His voice left no room for doubt, it was an order.
In the lab and in her field she was quite accustomed to give orders, but here in the presence of this towering man that oozed an almost primeval flair of true Terran aggressive , male readiness from his very being she felt like a little girl that did what she was told to do.
She took a sip and then eagerly drained most of the glass, it was that good. A tardy fresh taste that had was somewhere between Cherry and Cranberry with a hint of lime but the overall taste was something completely new and absolutely delicious. “This is delicious! What is it?”
Sam Brown flashed his white teeth. “It is called Hell-ade and is something your son came up with. Made from Hell Berries.”
She choked. “You saying this is from a local plant? Everything is poisonous!”
“Silly arrogant scientist! You and your kind haven’t even begun to analyze one tenth of what is out there and you already claim to know that everything is poisonous. What kind of generalization is that?”
She swallowed at that logical irrefutable critique and said meekly. “Roy made this?”
Sam nodded . “The Hell Stinger bushes have deadly stingers, deadly roots, leaves filled with nettle hairs that make a Terran Jellyfish sting feel like a relieve. Yet the berries it produces are perfectly eatable and as you found out delicious.” He replenished her glass and said. “Roy came up with the idea, pressed the juice, and blended it with water and presto.”
“I do not know what to say...”
He snorted. “And that from a woman who claims to know everything about Green Hell.”
“I never claimed...” She stopped and said. “Well it appears the Ivory tower we built for ourselves seems quite real and becomes only apparent if you look at it from the outside.”
She looked at the glass and almost whispered. “I forgot my own son, but it wasn’t always like that, back then I made the decision to have a child the traditional way and only now I remember how much I loved that little thing that came out of me. ”
The man sitting across the table said nothing and he had almost melted into the long shadows of the impeding night. She simply kept talking. But she still was a scientist and that what defined her and she said. “How come you can survive out here? In a house made of wood?”
Sam answered with his deep barrel voice, that had authority to spare but also a soft timbre that spoke of genuine feelings. “It’s wood of the Tantalus oaks; the Ants hate it and stay away from it. The beasts of the Jungle have accepted the fence and only occasionally something runs into it.”
Just then something flew towards the porch and with a bright flash burned to ashes and he laughed. “That doesn’t mean this is a harmless place and free of danger. It is still Green Hell. I just learned to live with it and those open windows of mine are guarded with effective invisible force fields as you just saw.” He made a gesture in the dark, moving his hand across the cleared land. “I am not a Greenie like Roy, but I too have learned to live with the planet and not against it. ”
“You think he will be alright?” She asked. “He isn’t really a Greenie you know.”
“Have you not seen him, being outside? Your son is the quintessential Greenie, Fiercely proud of his world; instinctively he knows what is dangerous and what is not. I was a Marine and I have visited a 1000 different worlds, fought in Jungles and waste lands with beasts, men and other sentient beings I seen a lot and yet there is no world like Green Hell anywhere.”
She nodded. “I know that, that is why we are here and what we call the ‘Green Hell Question’. Not even after all these years of research can we explain the conditions of this world.”
“Because you looking at it with a Micro viewer and don’t see the big picture. It’s like looking at a jig saw puzzle piece by piece and trying to guess what the whole thing might look like instead of taking a step back and looking at it from a distance.”
She was glad it was dark, so he black man across her could not see her face. This man she always equated to be just another mindless soldier, had a keen mind and maybe he was right. Maybe it was time someone would take a step back and correlate all the data and all the research and filter it for a true common denominator and go from there. She had never known Green Hell had red dirt, before she had seen the exposed ground. She had no idea that parts of certain plants could be consumed, or that the unstoppable ants could be kept at bay with the smell of a certain local wood. Maybe Saresii experts would need to look into this Sense of Danger Greenies claimed they had. Martha who knew her son did not have the necessary HPI to manifest Psionic talents, must indeed have this sense. How else could he survive out there? If he was indeed alive.
Sam reached for her hand and padded it. “I see what you are thinking. I simply know he is alive and tomorrow we find him.”
She believed him but said. “How can you be sure and how will you find him, where Marines and the Ranger have failed?”
“Lady, I know because I know Roy and I know in my heart he is alive. As for the Ranger and the Marines. These are Privates of the Expeditionary Marine Division.” There was a gentle tone of amusement in his tone. “Good boys they are indeed, but they are not United Stars Marines, to you all the same I know. Yet there is a world of difference. Besides I got a secret weapon.”
She actually knew there was a difference, Expeditionary Marines were trained for the Explorer Fleet of the Science Corps and received similar but not the same training as Combat Marines attached to the Fleet.
She asked. “What secret weapon?”
“Charles of course.”
“The robot you supposedly gave him?”
“Oh I did give Charles to Roy. He got the owner license and everything to prove it too. You do know what Charles is, right? Charles and Henry saved your live just very recently.”
“Yes I remember and I should have thanked you too! Charles is a Fight robot, right?”
“Charles is a Cerberus IV Main Battle Robot with all the weapons except the TL Cannon of course”
She slipped back into her old self for a moment and said. “So he is a weapon of destruction what good will that do to find Roy?”
“It found you and your husband.”
“I thought it was you who found us.”
“Without the robots, I still be looking. Charles is not just a weapon. It is the finest piece of equipment SII ever came up with in its time.”
She simply sat there and listened so he continued .“What good is a weapon without a brain or good eyes? Charles is at least as smart as your Lab Computronic and has the finest sensors. If he has the correct life form data, he could find a single ant on this planet, eventually of course and after weeks of scanning.”
She didn’t believe him. “We got the best Life form detectors and could not determine a human life form past 100 meters in those Jungles.”
Instead of answering her he asked. “What is the budget of the entire Science Council, Corps and all?”
“I happen to know it is 90 Trillion Credits annually.” Her voice sounded proud and confident. “We are the well-funded and the Assembly considers Science paramount!”
“True that, Lady, but the Fleet alone however gets almost 60 percent of the entire Union GDP. The Cerberus program alone is worth more than the entire Science Council budget.”
She was intelligent enough to understand. Just the other day she had tried to get a new Neuro Pulse Scanner and her request was approved for the budget of the next year and she knew Ivan had to ditch his plans to get two more Floaters and new Armor Suits, to accomodate her request.
Sam was still speaking and said. “Only very few people are licensed to own a real Cerberus no matter how old the machine might be.” He laughed and as if he had read her mind he said. “You probably could equip your lab with the newest and latest hardware, buy a few flyers and
run the entire Green Hell Institute budget for a year for the price you had to pay for just one IV.”
She was speechless but could simply not accept the facts the facts the old Marine had told her and so she checked it on her GalNet PDD right there in front of him. Her GalNet search confirmed every bit and as she saw the going price for a Cerberus IV. “You gave my son a present worth 5Million Credits?”
“No Ma’am I made your son an equal partner in Sam Brown’s Farms LTD and the Robot was part of his share, your husband signed the permission.” Sam giggled. “I bet he didn’t read it, when Roy handed it to him.”
Martha knew this was most likely true and didn’t get into this any further. “So Charles will find Roy?”
“As I said the machine found you and there is no machine more dedicated to its owner than Charles.”
“It is a robot is he not?”
Sam sighed. “You civilians truly have no clue what a Cerberus is or can do. These machines were designed to fight the Y’All and the most lethal threads our enemies could come up with.
“Charles fought with me against the Pertharians before they became Union members. If you never seen a regiment of attacking Pertharians, you probably won’t understand anyway.” He waved his own memories away with an impatient gesture and said. “A Cerberus is capable to react to new situations, and adjust its own programming, direct its repair Nanites to adjust and re-manufacture its equipment to fit the situation if necessary and it is smart, very smart.
Charles has over eighty percent of his program and loyalty routines dedicated to Roy. Henry who is my IV for over 20 years has dedicated 40 percent to me and that is way beyond the 20 percent Factory setting.”
This was way beyond Martha’s expertise, but she understood that Roy was special to the robot and that gave her hope.
“Why can’t we not send out the machines right now?”