Mark’s voice fills Kat’s ear, “Terra and I are about to leave the ship.”
“Sounds good Mark, take care and make sure you both come back.”
23
Mark One
Stepping off the ship made Mark instantly feel self conscience. He might have been around humans for the last year or so but he didn’t just wonder around groups of them like this. Staying close to Kat is always what he wants to do. As he looks around he feels almost at home. Like he’s on a Foremid made ship. All of the guards are wearing battle armor but missing the power indicators.
Everything is as clean as they like to have it too. Engineers hate dust, dirt, and grime and the rest of the Foremids have come to expect things to just be clean.
Terra steps up close to him, “So where to Mark?”
“We need to sign the NDA, so I’m going to assume there is a kiosk or prompt to do that before it will let us go anywhere but this dock. I don’t really want to draw attention by asking the guards.”
“Ooo, there is a food stand built into the wall over there.”
Terra wraps Mark’s arm and drags him in the direction she's pointing. And she was right. There are a lot of humans heading in that direction from the other ships that are parked there in the dock. He didn’t really like the idea of getting too close to that many humans. His sunglasses might be able to hide his eyes but if someone were to see them it might out him as alien.
Swallowing his doubts he pushes himself to move forward. This all is for Kat after all. Giving the coin over to Kat had an instant affect. The moment his skin left the coin in her hand it was like an explosion of color and feelings. His parents never really talked to him about it. His brother, Archer, always said it would be something he would never forget. Finding his mate early in his life. Mark never really wanted one. He was happy with the way things were. Now he’s filled with this deep love and admiration but also emptiness. Graven is in the way but if he makes Kat happy then he’s happy for her. That is his biggest concern.
Reach the stand there is a short line. Most of the humans are talking about how amazing this place is, how the Conglomerate might be the place to switch too with all go the Glutton attacks, and how ridiculous the non disclosure agreement is.
Not being completely familiar with human law Mark might have joked about it being the NDA of death but he just figured all of them were that way. It takes a few minutes to get through the line and Mark just watches in fascination. Humans have always made him so curious.
The large sweaty man behind the counter waves toward Mark, “Hey buddy, we got hotdogs, pizza, and nachos. What will you and the lady be hav’n?”
Not being ready to be called out Mark points at himself.
“Yeah, you buddy. What will it be?”
“I’m looking for how to sign the NDA so I can roam the ship.”
“Are you sure about that? Anything you say can and will be used to try and kill you if you leak anything.”
“We’re looking for a new place to work. Our contact is just about out with our current captain and I hear there’s a lot of workers needed.” Which he knew is a flat out lie. Mark isn’t quite sure about his ability to lie like humans do. He’s seen it enough at this point to know he needs to be confident with it. Foremid are not much for lying. Misdirection and half-truths are more their thing.
The man eyes Mark for a moment and Terra right next to him. “Is this for you too honey?”
Terra nods.
“I can do it for you. Its you’alls funeral.”
He ducks behind his counter and Mark can hear him rummaging around. “Don’t get too many folks coming up to the booths for this. Most do it before they get here. Ah, here it is.”
Pulling out a sideways oval he attaches it to a handheld device from out of his pocket.
“Just look into oval and then you sign this.”
Mark leans forward and looks into the oval.
“Hey, buddy. You need to remove your glasses. Its a retina scanner.”
Mark can feel both of his hearts beating in his chest. If he takes off his glasses he’ll be outed as a Foremid. The whole plan is about to be shot.
“Look, buddy, I don’t care if you want to look cool or not. I got a line forming behind you. Hurry up already.”
Terra reaches up and takes off Mark’s sunglasses. Mark can feel a tightening in his chest. Oh crap, he thinks. That’s it, Terra just outed him, its over.
The man rolls his eyes, “Why didn’t you just say you have synthetic eyes. Kids these days. When I was younger we just used eyeball covers but it looks like you switched out your whole cornea. I just need to check a checkbox here… Alright, look into the oval.”
Mark does so and the man looks over to Terra.
“Your turn honey.”
Terra pushes Mark aside and leans in.
“Alright I need you both to sign here and here.” The man gives Mark the handheld while pointing. Mark signs and Terra quickly rips it out of his hands and does the same.
Terra asks, “Is that all mister? My brother and I have to hurry before our mother catches us out of the ship.”
The man laughs, “Sounds like mine. Your good to go. Give it about two to three minutes for the system to recognize you and you can take the elevators behind me or the hyper lift over there toward the center of the ship.”
“Thanks mister.”
“Anytime young lady and good luck.”
Terra wraps her hand around Marks wrist and he gets pulled along. He quickly slides back on his sunglasses. Which Terra rips off his face a second time.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Mark growls.
“Because you’re drawing attention to us. No one cares what your eyes look like.”
“Easy for you to say, you used to be human.”
“Why don't you look inside your human memories?”
“This is a synthetic one, I made it personally.”
“Of course you did, because you're awesome.” Terra calms down and smiles, “Look, my body hasn’t been human for a long time. When I was young, my parents preformed the joining with me. It's a Guild thing where they see what Eydulan you're compatible with. They found out I'm compatible with all of them. From that moment on I wasn't human anymore. Since I've made the full switch over I've actually felt more human than ever. Because I am of one body and one mind now. You on the other hand are two minds and one body. You need to get out of your head and just relax. You know you're Foremid but they don't.”
“Are you sure about that Terra?”
“As sure as that guy was. Your eyes aren’t weird at all. They're beautiful.”
Terra points toward a man with bright white eyes that glow. Mark can still make out the iris but there is just a luminescence to them as if a light is turned on underneath the flesh of the eye.
“See Mark, anyone who sees you will just think you’re a person that wanted to look different and be a unique snowflake.”
“I don’t remember you normally being this kind.”
“Well its just you and me today. I figured it would be nice to get to know you better.”
“How’s that going?”
“Good I hope.” Terra brushes a stray stand of hair behind her ear. “Just relax and enjoy being here. These are all just regular humans. They want to go to work, get paid, and get home to be with family and entertainment. They aren't looking for Foremid imposters amongst their ranks.”
Mark had studied humans from afar through their galaxy-net communications and watched their shows. There wasn’t anything like what Terra describes in those shows. There are a lot of humans that he’s met on Illusion that seem to be the way that she’s describing. Maybe he doesn’t have to worry as much. It’s not like he’s going to run into another Foremid or Eydulan here that will be able to pick him out.
“I’m sorry Terra. I will try and let it go. I have never liked crowds not even around my own people.”
“Good, now lets get going. Kat and the others
are already on their way to the inspection room and we need to be ready.”
24
Mark Two
Mark follows Terra to the hyper lift that goes to the middle of the ship, which is where the lab is supposed to be. He watches each group of guards that walks by and is amazed at the human technology. Everything appeared on par with Foremid tech with small modifications here and there. Something he had been doing for the Felicity since he boarded her. The armor the guards are wearing is especially well crafted. He could almost mistake it for Foremid tech.
Approaching the hyper lift the crowd splits into three lines, each lift headed to the same area. Mark internally nods at the design option they chose. Hyper lift tech can traverse long distances in minutes as opposed to hours. His only complaint would be it should be short range teleportation. Which is more efficient and out of the question for smaller ships but a battle station this size would have no problems. Then again, humans may not have that technology yet.
Conversations buzz around and are mostly ignored until Mark catches a phrase. Captured Glutton ships. He hadn’t hear of humans being able to do this. The two older human’s conversation was over as quickly as it started. Mark listens in to all the conversations around him but doesn’t yield anything new. He sighs as their turn to get onto the hyper lift is next.
Terra seemed to be fine, floating through the humans without so much as a bat of the eye, a beautiful thing to watch. Mark wishes he could be that way too. Another thing he needs to work on. Kat would tell him he doesn’t have to worry about it and that he’s fine the way he is. She could always make him feel better. Her touch could set his skin on fire. She just wasn’t ready for him yet and he will wait as long as he needs. He hasn’t even reached the half the life span of his current body and will imprint on as many as he needs waiting for her. She is his coin bearer and will always love her as long as she holds it.
As the hyper lift slows Terra tugs on Mark’s arm pulling him out of his thoughts. She gestures with her head toward the display showing their stop is next. Stepping off the lift feels like entering a whole different planet.
Vibrant colors and neon signs are everywhere. The roof is a picture of an open blue sky, making Mark feel as if he wasn't on a battle station at all. People are densely packed walking down streets alongside covered transportation.
One structure in the distance sticks out with its bright golden coloring. It had to be the lab they were going to. Once Kat and the others got there.
Across the street from it is a Starbucks coffee shop. Mark never understood humans need for high priced coffee but it is the prefect place to overlook the lab. He and Terra make their way there pushing through the crowd as she holds tight to his arm.
The buildings go on for miles in every direction like he was in the middle of a city on the ground. The ceiling if he had to guess is at least forty to fifty feet high based on the tallest building he could see. His guesses were normally only off by a few centimeters at most.
Entering the Starbucks Terra turns to Mark, “Go find a good seat and I will get in line. Shouldn't take too long, and it will let us blend in.”
That suits Mark just fine, he never likes to wait around in lines anyway. It was something he never had to do back on his home planets. Being of the Master class, all the lower classes had to let him pass. He never really knew about the difference until he passed his first hundred years. It was kind of an oblivious thing he should have noticed sooner but doesn’t fault himself for it. He was raised with that as the norm but he is trying to change all of that now.
Finding seats near the front of the store that look directly at the lab is easy enough. Most of the humans don’t stay and leave with their drinks and food. One human female is off in the corner with a portable display and one male is continually looking through or over his handheld at the female. Mark turns to look at the lab. There is a glass enclosure around the front. Something he has seen thousands of times but can't place it.
“So how are things looking?” Terra sets down a cup of ultra-coffee on ice next to him with one in her hands.
“Normal. There isn’t anything that looks out of place to me.”
Grabbing the cup he looks at it. There is a warning on the cup about the addictive nature of ultra-coffee and to only consume once per month. Any more can and will be addictive with any and all liability from drinking ultra-coffee removed from Starbucks and its affiliates. Mark rolls his eyes, humans.
“So Mark,” Terra asks while running her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. “What is it you see in Katrice?”
“I…” Mark pauses. He has never given it any thought before. There has to be something other than the coin, right? “When I first met her on Etchten she reminded me of how strong my mother was. She is of a lesser race, an Altoreous. Have you heard of them?”
Terra shakes her head.
“They are shape shifters, in the since they mold those minds around them to make any who look upon them think they are attractive. Foremid use them to breed, as our race is all male. My mother was an exceptionally strong willed Altoreous, and gave my father trouble to no end. But he was happy, until she passed.”
“How long ago was that?”
“A few thousand years ago. The Eydulans had been taken into hiding and we started a war.”
“That's terrible.”
“Yes it was. So have you heard from Kat or Graven?”
“No but do you think there is anything weird about this building?”
Mark heard the question more in her tone than what she said. He puts down the cup and looks back over to the building. Everything is perfectly symmetrical, the color choice is exactly what he would choose for a building, and there is even a smooth surface door on the front so the symmetry doesn’t get out of balance.
“No everything is just as it should be.”
“Exactly.”
Mark instantly gets what she means. Its a Foremid building in the middle of a human ship and it is labeled as the lab.
25
As the hyper lift slows, Kat feels her stomach turn over. It takes another minute for the lift to slow to a halt. Kat’s stomach feels a little woozy but ignores it and unlatches the herself and the crate. A single guard in full black body armor is standing on the other side of the door as it opens. A large auto blaster across their hands.
A harsh and muffled female voice says, “This way, come along.”
Kat and crew follow along with the crate in tow. The hallway looks very similar to dock in the stark whiteness of everything but she can’t help shake a feeling she’s been there before. There isn’t a single visible door anywhere. Along the walls are an occasional panel with a single square blue light. Which could mean a door to a nightlight. The guard leads them to a wall and raises the front of her forearm to the blue light. Much like the helmet she saw break apart a few moments ago the door does the same. Blue lines both horizontal and vertical cut a section of wall into a door and quickly disappear in a wave of motion.
The black guard gestures them in, “Wait here for the inspector. If you leave without a guide you will be deemed criminals and killed on sight.”
The door closes like it opened and Kat says, “I hope all their greetings are this warm.”
Graven laughs, “As warm as a cold night on planet Carter.”
“Don't even bring that up. You know we almost died out there.”
“I do but at least we had each other.”
Kat smiles and almost replies but the door opens. A short bald man with a white lab coat and gloves is standing in the doorway.
He asks, “Hello, I am inspector Brawn, please show me a sample.”
Kat opens the crate. Ten rows of three cores line each side of the now open crate. This is the first time that she’s opened it and can tell each are real. Like she can feel the energy coming off them.
“Careful with those, some are very fragile.” Says the inspector with shaking hands.
Kat steps out of the wa
y and thinks, no kidding and you better follow your own advice.
He reaches in and grabs one of the cores. Kat can see a small leaf within a twig circle. She wonders what their name is and what they look like. It is hard for her to think of a core without thinking about the eydulan inside anymore. Thoughts of her father spring to mind and how she might be in a core right now, somewhere.
Fighting back a tear, she watches as the inspector pulls out a clamp like device made for cores. It wraps around it perfectly. The core then lights up from the center as the leaf glows green and twig circle glows brown. The inspector smiles.
“They’re all of this same quality, yes?”
“Yes, they are.” Kat answers.
“Excellent. This one has a great signature on it. I can’t wait to get down to the engine room with these. The Captain will be in here shortly to escort you down there.”
“Engine room? I just figured it would be a lab.”
“Is this your first delivery? It must be, yes, there is a lab but it isn’t for these power crystals. The Engine room is where we put these to use. Anyway let me put this back and get the Captain over here. She is going to be pleased, Gen always delivers.”
He walks out of the room after placing the core back in the crate. As the door closes he is talking to someone on a handheld device but Kat can’t hear anything he’s saying. Then there is just the three of them. Everyone silent. Kat wants to talk to Graven about what to do or send a message to Mark to tell him they are about to go to the wrong place but can’t. The room is more than likely monitored and it is too risky to take the chance.
Tia walks over to the crate and looks inside. Kat can see the worry on her face and watches Tia's hand twitch at her side like she wanted to reach out and touch them. Tia doesn’t and just walks over to a wall where she can’t see inside of the crate. Kat can only guess at what she’s feeling right now. If what Tia told her is true, then she feels like every Eydulan is family and that is a lot of family she’s about to possibly hand over if their plan doesn’t work.
Starship Magic 4: Extraction Page 11