Serve and Protect

by Douglas Varnell

  Even though it was not called in as an emergency, Lucy must have placed a sense of urgency in her request for help. In about an hour the atmosphere exploded with the sound of 200 spaceships entering the skies of Tramlaw. The shocked Elders looked skyward to see the horizon covered with ships as big as their largest buildings, and were about to run for their hidey-hole when Major Dumas said, “This is your help. You might want to wait and meet them.” When they realized that the Marines were cheering the arrival of the fleet of ships, they quickly relaxed and looked on as the ships began to cover the landscape around them. Right in front of the fleet of ships landed the blindingly-white ship of King Verron, with the big red dragon on the sides. He exited the ship followed by Yadvega on one side and General Zarman on the other. Behind them came Princess Renee, Princess Marie, Princess Desiree, Dr. Joe Verron, Michael Verron, Zimuel, Tlase, and several more of the medical staff. The last one off the ship was Jill Morgensson. Chase and Daniel were pleasantly surprised to see her accompanying Tlase on this trip. Paul Verron stood and looked at the carnage around the battlefield and looked at Major Dumas and asked, “Did you save anything for us?” Dumas smiled, and replied, “Fraid not, unless there are some hiding around here somewhere.”

  Before he walked over to meet Nitaleg, Paul walked over to look at one of the things that were earlier feeding on human flesh. He turned to Chase and Daniel, and stated, “Lucy said they were cannibals.” Chase nodded toward the communication module turned meat-house. He walked over and opened the door. He paused a moment and turned back to the group of dignitaries and told them, “If any of you can identify who they are, we’ll see to it they get to their families for a proper burial.” Paul and Yadvega approached the Elders and as Paul spoke, she interpreted, him telling them, “I am King Verron. These two young men are my nephews Prince Chase and Prince Daniel. They are the ones I sent to respond to your distress call. We had no idea what was going on here or we would have been here much sooner. But now that we are here let us see what we can do to keep this from ever happening again.”

  As Yadvega was finishing the interpretation, there was a rumble of ground vehicles crossing the hard ground of the desert and headed toward the group. They were being driven by the small albino looking people. One of them exited the lead vehicle and quickly opened an umbrella over the head of Nitaleg. Others followed and did the same for the other Elders. Nitaleg informed Yadvega, “We never come to the surface during this time of day. We will no doubt suffer for this trip tomorrow, but it was much too important to delay. If you will join me, we will show you to our city. I will then send out the alarm to notify the rest of our people that the Volvs are gone.” While Paul, Yadvega and General Zarman rode in the rugged looking surface transports, the rest of the party climbed into the Dragon Wagon and hovered behind the slow moving vehicles. They had traveled about ten miles into a mountainous area when the caravan came to a halt in front of a dead-end box canyon. The ground began to rumble and the huge wall of rock in front of them began to slowly lower into the ground. What it revealed amazed the people from Verron. After being around the little Lyncardi of Molnar, they were expecting another tribe of primitives, they couldn’t have been more wrong. The manmade tunnel on the other side was big enough fly the Dragon Wagon through; even if they did choose to park it outside. The passageway was coated in bright white ceramic tile squares about a foot wide. There were rows and rows of bright gas filled lights. The paved roadway was smooth and well maintained. The Verron group soon switched to much smaller troop transport ships and followed along behind the locals. Paul knew that those left on the surface would take care of the thankless job of salvaging the bodies of the big Volvs for future biopsies and analysis, retrieving their weapons for closer study, scouring the planet’s surface for any remnants of Volvs ships and searching for any that might have gotten away and be hiding out in the rugged terrain that covered the entire planet’s surface.

  The medical teams were accompanied by Dr. Jill Morgensson, who was going to have the pleasure of studying the grotesque life-forms. Her first thought as she looked at the blood soaked battle zone, was, “I can’t believe my girls wanted to go with those boys. They knew what they were doing when they told them no.” She walked over to see what was so interesting in the small modular building across the body strewn camp. She stepped through the door and nearly passed out. One of the Doctors escorted her back outside and, after administering some quick acting smelling salts, pointed to the Volvs, saying, “We need to know everything about those things. The Major informed me they were tough beyond belief and super strong. We need to know more.”

  When the group from Verron reached the end of the constantly descending tunnel they were high above the city below. The caravan stopped so they could get a good long look at the Capital City of Tramlaw. It was truly amazing. They weren’t sure how far they had traveled down, but beneath them were buildings at least 50 to 60 stories tall. It reminded Paul of the view from the surrounding mountains that overlooked Hong Kong. There was even a large park with a lake several miles across in the middle of the city. Overhead, High-Speed-Trains darted about the city as millions of white-haired people travelled about on foot or in private vehicles. No one from Verron or Xhondar had seen anything this impressive underground. They looked up to see what supported the mountain above and were bewildered to see more buildings hanging down like stalactites. The residents of this Nation did not waste any space. The caravan traversed the steep grade to the city below and was greeted by cheers and applause from the pale-skinned, pink or blue eyed, white-haired-people lining the streets and sidewalks. Eventually they reached their destination. It wasn’t the grandest Palace or Mansion Paul had ever seen but it was the most unusual. As Paul stared up at their idea of a Governor’s mansion he wondered how they were going to get to the Mansion hanging from the cities roof above. In a moment three hover platforms arrived and transported the visitors high above the city. After parking the platforms, the party was escorted to a large meeting room with a glass window at one end covering the entire wall. The view of the city below was indescribable as viewed form the Mansion’s vantage point nearly 2000 feet above. Paul was impressed and even Renee was speechless, for once, and Renee never shut-up.

  Paul hated to use an interpreter, but on such short notice didn’t have much choice. He gave his usual speech about uniting the Nations of the Universe to protect each other from the attacks of enemies that would destroy or enslave all of them. This was going to be the easiest group he had ever had to convince. After living under siege for over two years and 7 foot-tall Volvs eating those who ventured out, they were prepared to ally themselves with anyone who would help them to protect themselves from future invasions. Paul had Yadvega explain that to help support the high expense of maintaining a large military, it was critical that the two nations establish as much trade with each other as possible and that Verron would in turn do everything it could to help Tramlaw become as productive and self-sufficient as possible.

  The Governor was concerned about their small stature and being able to handle weapons. Paul handed Nitaleg a com unit with a picture of the Dragon Guard. He couldn’t help but notice the small stature of 99 and Tala. He then showed him a picture of the Lyncardi in their optically enhanced helmet carrying a laser rifle. They were so small the rifle was longer than they were tall. Paul noticed the smile on the face of the Governor as he looked at the little man with the over-sized headgear. Yadvega informed them, “This planet was facing the same situation as yours. There were creatures who viewed them as food too. Verron fought these creatures twice; once outnumbered 5000 to 1. We will do the same for you whether you are our ally or not. Paul saw a tear of gratitude in the white skinned Governor’s eyes.

  That evening there was a dinner in the Mansion. The Grand Ball Room had a thick glass floor and it took some getting used to, staring down at the city lights below your feet. Chase and Daniel were hailed as heroes of the people and when Metsis spoke of their actions their
heroics became grander and grander. Both boys made a point of telling them that the real heroes were the Marines and Pilots who had to fight the Volvs up close and personal. Metsis told his father and he made arrangements for food and drinks to be taken to the Marines still on watch on the planet surface. It was agreed that Paul would leave behind five hundred Marines and two fully manned Gljarne Class Destroyers to protect them if any of the Volvs should return. Renee and her group stayed behind to do an analysis of the economy and trade possibilities. Chase and Daniel invited Metsis to accompany them back to Verron to see what their new allies were all about. The Governor liked the idea and asked if he could send some of his business and military leaders with them.

  Paul and his group slowly departed the planet, and eventually returned home. Michael stayed behind with Renee and her staff of trade and commerce people. General Hall stayed behind to see what, if any, military they had. The Gljarne Destroyers flown by Chase and Daniel were tasked to stay behind on Tramlaw. A new crew was assigned since the ones who had just fought the bloodiest battle of their life deserved a little time back home; some actually needed medical attention. The Marines knew that their turn for rotation would come back around soon enough. Chase and Daniel sat beside and across the aisle from Jill Morgensson as the Dragon Wagon departed. None of them quite knew what to say. Finally, Chase spoke out, telling her, “Mrs. Morgensson, we’re sorry you had to see what we sometimes have to do. We’d appreciate it if you don’t tell the twins. We really made a promise to ourselves that we would protect them from all the gory details of what we sometimes do.” Jill smiled warmly at the boys and asked, “Do you do this sort of thing often?” Daniel quickly answered, “No mam, this is only the fourth or fifth time in five years. But this one was definitely the messiest.” Jill gave both boys a hug and told them, “I appreciate that you would keep this from them. If they knew what you really faced on a regular basis they’d worry themselves to death. I’m not even sure that I can handle my new job and what I saw yesterday made me sick. I promise to find out anything I can that will help you be successful in your fight against them.”

  No one was there to greet the returning troops. They slipped in unannounced and headed quietly home. King Verron escorted the visitors to the Klelta Palace with a promise of joining them first thing the next day. Chase and Daniel went home, washed the smell of battle off their skin and went to bed, thinking of what they would do the next day with the twins.

  Chapter 8

  Renee and Michael were escorted around the planet of Tramlaw in style. In their Capital city, they were driven in very plush electric powered automobiles that used a hydrogen reactor for power. Michael had wondered how they dealt with the pollution problem underground with millions of vehicles using the city streets and busy freeway system. The Tramlawians appeared to be very advanced in energy production and electronics; they even had an intricate underground fiber-optic cable system connecting the thousands of underground cities and towns. The two of them were given tours of several manufacturing operations. It appeared that these people used titanium like it was cold-rolled steel and were proud of the fact that when you purchased a vehicle on Tramlaw you never had to purchase another. Their automobile manufacturing facilities were far more advanced than Earth’s or anyplace they had seen besides Verron and Xhondar I. What impressed them even more were the underground transports. They had both been on the mass transit system inside Beriya-Haven and it was very impressive, but this put them to shame. The trains were larger, smoother and much faster; hauling both people and freight at super-sonic speeds between cities. As they traveled to their next destination they passed hundreds of agricultural areas and small residential communities. The two also got to view gigantic underground reservoirs and large rivers and complex ductwork connecting the water systems to the cities and farms. Neither could comprehend the engineering marvel of this planet.

  When they reached their next destination they were shocked to actually see tall trees and green lawns. When they looked overhead to see an artificial sun providing the UV free light to nurture the plants, they knew that these people knew what they were about. There were children in the streets and parks in this much smaller city that was home to 300,000 people. The Verron visitors were driven through a tunnel to a set of double doors over 100 feet high and twice that wide. Along the path leading to the doors was a wide variety of farm equipment. One side of the doors opened and they were driven into some of the most beautiful farmland they had ever seen. For miles, this farm was covered with twenty-foot tall fruit trees with a brilliant red and peach-colored fruit. When the vehicles came to a halt next to a group of farmers, Renee and Michael looked up. What they saw was the most amazing feat of engineering they had ever seen. This farm was in a deep valley surrounded completely by high mountains. From one edge to the other, it was completely covered with a sand colored canopy. One of the farmers placed the translator headgear on and spoke to the visitors, saying, “I apologize for the poor appearance of our farm. We have only ventured out a few of times in the past couple of years to tend it.” Pointing to the canopy above, he continued, “Because of the extreme heat on the surface of Tramlaw we only cultivate these more fertile valleys. The canopy holds in the cooler air vented up through underground shafts below. That air pushes with enough force to provide a positive pressure on the spider-silk canopy, holding it in place. We allow only enough sun to nurture our crops without burning them up. This farm is over ten miles long and 3 miles wide and covered by a continuous canopy. It also blends in with the surrounding mountains and make it very difficult to see from above.”

  While Daniel was taking in the marvel of a 10 mile by 3 mile canopy and enjoying the perfect 80 degree temperature in the fertile valley, Renee was thinking about something entirely different; Spider Silk. As Michael was continuing his conversation with the farmer, she turned the their guide and asked, “Do you call that stuff Spider Silk because its light and thin like a spider web or because it is silk actually made by a spider?” The young tour guide assigned by the Governor was eager to please, replying, “We have the finest silk-spiders on the planet in this district. Ours produce a third more than other areas. I will show you on our next stop.” Renee was suddenly not as thrilled about her next stop.

  They soon exited the valley and were transported to another subway line and launched through the tunnel for their next destination; to go see spiders. Renee could hardly wait. The fast transport passed through a couple of the large canopied farm areas on their trip and blew through a few more towns of various sizes, finally coming to a stop in a large industrial area filled with factories as far as the eye could see. The guide was quick to inform them, “We build our silk weaving and clothing plants as close to the same area where the spider nests are located. It saves a lot of transportation of materials when we are close to our source of supply. They didn’t go to the factories as Michael and Renee had thought they would, instead they crossed the large employee eating and break area to an elevator on the far wall. As if they weren’t already far enough below ground, the elevator began to drop like a rock into the heart of the planet. Renee thought she was going to be sick from the rapid drop and sudden stop. When they exited the elevator, the first thing noticed by both visitors was how warm it was down here. It felt like the attic space in a South Georgia attic; in August. They followed a narrow hallway that ended at a glass observation window. Both Renee and Michael were glad it was there. On the other side were billions of sparrow sized spiders weaving away as they produced huge webs of Spider Silk. Their guide pointed to dozens of men wearing protective gear at the bottom of the cavern that were collecting large lumps of silk into rolling carts as big as a truck bed. The smiling guide proclaimed, “As long as we collect it, they keep spinning webs. They are tireless workers and have never failed to produce as much as we take. It all goes up to the factories above to be converted to tread, clothing, ropes and canopies. Almost everything we wear or upholster is made from some form of silk.” />
  They were escorted to the factory above as soon as Renee had enjoyed all the spider viewing she could stand. She and Michael were both more impressed with the factory above than the spiders below and were relieved to be in the noisy fabric plant. The totes of spider-webs were unloaded from large elevators into a holding area, where it went through a process much like making wool or cotton thread. The spider raw silk was a much longer strand than worm silk and was more easily converted into thread that was turned onto large spindles and moved to the weaving department. It was an amazingly automated system and Renee was wondering how the long strands of fiber kept from breaking. She asked the guide and he walked over and used a small laser wand to cut a four foot piece of thread sized yarn. He handed it to Renee and Michael and they attempted to break it; it couldn’t be done. Michael removed a pocket knife he had carried for years and prided himself for the razor sharp edge he always had on it. He had Renee hold both ends tight while he cut it; it wouldn’t cut. They both looked at the man and asked, “Is this why you can make such massive canopies over your farms?” He smiled and informed them, “Most of those canopies are over 100 years old and just as strong as they were when they were installed.” Michael could immediately see hundreds of applications for such a high performance fabric. They finished the tour with a view of the weaving and sewing process used to make the giant canopies. They were folded almost parachute style and placed in large boxes for future use.

  As they were returning to the transportation system Michael asked, “We saw your vehicles and these transports and were told that you use titanium even for construction purposes, where do you mine such large amounts of raw material?” The guide thought it was a stupid question, but gave a polite reply, saying, “It’s everywhere. You have been travelling through our mines all day. Every tunnel, farm or city was our mine. As far as I know, over 80% of the planet is made of titanium. We only have to process the ore after we dig. I’ll be glad to show you our mills.” They both nodded and let the man know they would like to see their titanium plant. It was a long ride to the other side of the planet even at more than Mach 2, traveling through an express transport tube. When they arrived, they saw why. The steel mills were spread out for miles in every direction. It looked like they built one to begin with and continued to add on for the past 500 years. The old sections were ragged looking but still operational. The newer ones were operating on hydrogen power and much cleaner. They had been shut down during the Volvs siege so they couldn’t find the huge exhaust stacks and penetrate the underground domain by coming through them, but wasted no time in cranking-up production as soon as it was safe to do so. Daniel could clearly see that they produced about as much titanium as Verron did steel. These plants were not highly automated and you couldn’t help but observe the thousands of workers as they buzzed around the city sized complex. The guide pointed out the freight cars being loaded to carry sheet stock to the various customers all over Tramlaw.