“It is why I prioritized teleportation after I optimized the micro-drones to constantly fly around the outpost and created a net that alerted me to any incoming threats hours in advance.”
“Well it definitely eased my mind when you got them to work and told me exactly what I was doing in another room and not be in my head. We will need to keep it a secret. If anyone knew about drones the size of neutrinos, people could be spied upon and they would never know. No door could stop them and few sensors are sensitive enough to detect them. Hell, fifty trillion plus pass right through our bodies every single second of our lives at the speed of light or faster in some cases. If someone duplicated the subatomic crystal machine you made, it could be used to spy.”
“Given current technology, only two others have the capability to reproduce it. Even then, they haven’t the mental capacity to recreate and understand how I captured neutrinos as a basis to take same size pieces of crystal and reorganize them into something so small and dense that they do not degrade like normal neutrinos. And don’t worry, only you and our grey friends understand the complexities.”
“Speaking of, can your micro-drones detect if the Creelin have been using the same method to keep track of us? I do not like being watched twenty four seven.”
“Sorry, but no they aren’t. They are using long range silicone based Observers cloaked in all solar systems. For what, I don’t know. Perhaps to keep an eye on things, but the technology was here long before humans left Earth.”
“Observers? How did you find out?”
“When I was working on the micro-drones actually. They detected a strange and unnatural energy signature so I sent a few out past Zerika’s reach and at the edge of this system there is what I’m calling an Observer. They are cloaked from visual and most forms of tech, but they give off a signature identical to Netul’s armor. I think the Observers also keep track of their people.”
“You say cloaked, but do you know what it looks like? Is it manned?”
In answer he pulled the crystal tablet and voice activated it to display a three dimensional visual aid. The Observer looked similar to a human eyeball surrounded by an circling umbrella that didn’t touch the surface. The backside had a long tail and it moved around to correct its orientation. It was almost living, but Renee said “Yup, that is Creelin technology if I ever saw it. They rarely have things that connect on their ship, but is it manned and how big is it?”
“Roughly half a kilometer long, but it didn’t have any life-signs aboard.”
“Now that I know we’ve been watched by them, can you disrupt them?”
He looked up. Then smiled. “Why don’t you tell her already?”
The mind of another Archiver stiffly said “He has already proven he can, but we still request permission to continue our observations for your safety. If you find yourself in a situation beyond your capabilities, we will offer what aid we can within our laws.”
“And what do you get in return?” Renee asked testily, arms crossed under her bosom.
“It is our duty. We are honor bound to protect life. As much life as possible within our means. Especially when circumstances force us to prevent extinction. Our history is clear that when we first left Crelette, our home world, Solarians aided us many times. We merely extend the same for those worthy to advance life in a mostly lifeless cosmos. There are many dangers even with all your power, Young Renee, you are ill equipped to survive. Our mission as the eldest current race is to ensure prosperity. You may keep all your freedoms, but please allow us to safeguard you from afar. Especially in your present condition as a nursing mother.”
That last part struck her maternal instincts. She looked down and would do anything to make sure her child lived. Sacrifice anything. Anything. “Alright… but on the condition you stop watching whenever I use the restroom or enter my bedroom. Only one person has the right to see me naked.”
“Fear not. We already block moments of nudity and being indisposed. That was part of our decisions long before we sent Beyleez Netul and Bezlin Callier as instructors to your Match. I thank you for understanding we mean no ill will. And should you need privacy, your Match can hide you from our Observers, as he named them. Thank you again.” With that he left.
“Well my head is spinning dizzy.” Rose joked just enough to give the four adult sentient creatures a light chuckle. “Oliver, I would very much like to see this means of instant transportation.”
“Ditto.” Seconded Renee who wanted back on topic and didn’t know how. She winked at her pinkish reptilian friend.
“Sure.” He bent over to pick up the storage box that held all Renee’s supplies and research. He also made a quick stop by the operations closet and made sure all his and Netul’s upgrades were gone. They were.
Outside in the snow covered mountain the air was frigid and cold. The air itself was thin, but not overly so and only a few wisps of clouds were around the peaks and not anywhere near the saddle of where Amethyst Outpost was stationed. Everything else was clear and clean that bright morning. Smoke billowed out with each breath as they all came out for the show. And though the temperature was a bitter minus twenty seven degrees Celsius, all the newborns were safe and warm inside their mothers’ armor.
Staying inside the onyx wall encircling the outpost, Oliver sat down the box and stepped away, one hand resting on the pommel of the cutlass. Outside stood everyone after Renee sealed the front door for the last time. He liked how her smoking evergreen orbs crinkled as she smiled when returning her gaze on him. Yet she turned her breastplate back to something dark and he didn’t see his daughter. It only made a mild, uncomfortable twinge.
To alleviate it he said “You all heard me talk about my teleportation earlier like a start and exit. In a way it is more like a bridge. You get on one end and end up on another via a folding of space itself.” He lifted his right arm and flicked the metallic vambrace and it made a dull ‘Tink’ sound when solid. “What happens is it envelops us in a bubble before warping and shifting our place with another. It doesn’t switch one place with another otherwise I wouldn’t worry about arriving somewhere solid. We’d trade places with a rock and be none the worse for wear. I haven’t found a way, but I’m working on it. What I do like though it my method doesn’t generate light when I enter hyperspace, a space where distance is meaningless so long as you got the power to withstand the danger and pressure exerted in the moment upon the bubble I told you that surrounds everything inside.”
“How much power are you talking?” Renee had to ask.
“Equal to point five percent what I can Gather for each move plus similar for each additional mass I bring with me. The smaller, like yourself will need maybe sixty three or four and each of the others will need more since they obviously have more mass than myself.” He gestured to the Drakes and Ligers.
“Do you have enough?” Sparky asked.
“I’ve been diverting a constant stream, the most I can withstand, every hour of the day for over three months after what happened after the Dorgenox ripped a crater out of the Zerika’s crust to remove that poison. I’m not going to stop funneling till I fill this oval completely in.” He tapped the amber oval on the forearm. “I got my ass kicked and barely held back the assault. You know this, Sparky. Since twenty five percent my maximum is needed, I could potentially do it without using my storage to teleport upwards of sixty times a day. Carrying all of you would take me just two days to be on the safe side for that travel. Give me three months and you don’t need to worry about the bubble bursting. Now watch, my target is that boulder halfway to the peak.” He pointed at the mountain.
Oliver connected to the near endless functions of his specialized tool and located the means for instantaneous travel. From the vambrace, it made a bond to his intended nearby target just over a kilometer away and sent a probing energy stream to detect for any solid objects, found none and returned the signal for all clear. Power emanated from the armament and a translucent bubble expanded from it, e
nveloping Oliver. It was plenty for them to see the clear sphere surround him. When it seemed to solidify, if you blinked… you missed it. One moment and he was there. The next, not.”
Renee and the others turned to the mountain where a large boulder was and found a black caped individual waving down to them in a string breeze. The glint of sunlight reflected off his angular armor. Zooming sight via the chip had him laugh at their expressions. Then he did it again and arrived very close to the exact same spot he had stood initially. “It looks simple, but the math took even me a full month to create. A month.”
“We got it. It was hard. It took you less than twenty hours to learn all about human history and finish schooling within that span of time. Believe me, I know. I’ve watched your sorry ass from the day we found you. But it has me thinking. How could you have made the Valek? You suck at biology. Technology and you have no equal, but how did you integrate it with what I’m good at.”
“I get the feeling I wasn’t alone inventing it. You do things with biology I can’t wrap my head around… so I think Mantiv was like a lead researcher. If women are better at manipulating molecules, DNA and living organisms then a woman must have been key to creating the bracelet as well as how technology and biology can work as one superior form of tech. Besides, Mantiv lived millions of years longer than all humanity scientists at the tops of their field. He had plenty of time to tinker. And I haven’t scratched the surface to fully appreciate how great this thing is.”
“Same here. It is almost like they are teaching us too. But now that I’m willing myself to find my teleportation features, I get the feeling it’ll need a mountain of work to understand… but I do feel the limitation of distance and yet the power I’ll need is less than what you suggest yours needs.” Her gaze refocused to the outside world again. “This will definitely help me out when I need to move quick in administering medicine to wounded patients. Thanks for telling me. And I did know about the locked functions, but I didn’t have time to find out what they all were. Later I want help discovering them.”
“I would be happy to. Now let us get off this mountain and somewhere warmer. Red, mount Sparky. We’re going to fly a little. I’ll take care of my Pride and Rose. Keep a bare hand on Sparky. He and Rose needs to bite my hand or touch it. The Ligers will hold each other by the tail and Nova will bite my leg.”
“Gently I hope.” Renee laughed as she threw a leg to hop in the contoured saddle. She let her hand out and firmly rubbed his scaly neck as he took off vertically.
Oliver Psionically lifted the twelve who showed no signs of distress as they were deeply connected within his conscious mind, placing them in a long line. They each carefully bit the tail of the other all the way to the last. Making a chain that curled in a ragged circle to keep things relatively tight. Rising twenty meters off the ground Nova was the first to latch his maw on a bare foot. Almost forgetting the box of supplies, Oliver plucked it out off the snowy ground and threw it over a shoulder as the Drakes instead maneuvered to encircle their pseudo, talon tipped, hands around his arm. It was better than sharp curved teeth meant for shredding meat.
Everyone was connected physically and the bubble expanded from the black device, but left no physical sensation as it encompassed all within. Once it expanded to hold everyone there was a sudden and abrupt change in scenery. No sounds like an electric hum, rush of air, explosion as a sudden increase of mass appeared out of nowhere. Nothing outwardly foretold of their arrival.
Snowy mountains were long gone and below was a great sprawling forest surrounding the Hunter village. Frigid temperatures and thinner air abruptly turned summer hot and heavily humid. Next to the village of gems floated the Dorgenox inside the forested canyon, anchored from drifting too much. Besides, the starship sailboat was nearly ten times as large as the village. It was easier to spot.
“Stars!” “Stars!” the redhead and reptiles exclaimed at the exact same time. Sparky and Rose let go of his arms and flipped away to have more maneuvering room to take a look at their new position. They let their emotions bleed in Oliver and he could tell they were genuinely flabbergasted in the early morning heat.
The bubble merely disappeared, even though it was difficult to see, even though it left no Psionic signature, Solarian eyes could see live active energies. Like how he and the Ligers seemed to stand on a blue-white cloud of telekinetic energies constantly emanating from him to keep it active. It was either that or fall two kilometers to the ground, which would kill even Oliver at this height if he did nothing.
“I’ve seriously got to work on teleporting next!” Renee laughed loudly. “Talk about a lazy man’s dream. Every medic in the galaxy would love to get their hands on it. Olly, we really need to seriously consider making a teleporter for medics at least.”
The seriousness for saving lives was paramount in her entire being. Even though she had the tact and bedside manner of a badger on PMS, she hated people dying passionately and wanted to save everyone from the true end. Or at least prolong the inevitable.
He sighed, standing on air surrounded by his Pride. “I already told you and we agreed that some things must…”
“Yeah. Yeah.” She rolled her eyes judging by how the glow in them fluctuated. “I’m a woman and therefore entitled to changing my mind when it can benefit the lives of anyone in danger. Didn’t you know that already? Come on. Everyone knows the almighty vagina rules this universe. It makes the world go round so deal with it. Besides, I’m not stupid. Teleportation is a serious moral obligation we must address. What I’m saying is for you to think about it. If Mantiv made these and had a woman’s help I know that between us we can figure it out. Like how all Hunters got the ligament and fast-twitch muscle fibers and not given them to everyone else. Let’s do something like that, but for licensed field medics. I can create, with Jessica’s help in programming, make up a biological key for a teleporter to respond to a medic’s specific and unique biology. If you can come up with an efficient way for short range teleportation, I can figure a way to allow only the designated person to access. I’ve already figured how my bracelet is connected with my brain. I can duplicate the connection even if the individual has no telepathic talent. So unless you want more pussy, you do as I say and figure out a way.”
“Even if I must show the math humans don’t even know about? If someone smart figures it out…”
“Olly, I have a responsible obligation to save lives. I could care less about math. If they can’t figure it out, all the better. But know that until you unconditionally surrender to my demands, my legs will be crossed and your full access pass will be revoked till I decide otherwise.” She was serious even though she smirked at her own wordplay.
“Seems like the Hellcat is back to boss me around.”
“Oh she never left.” Renee flicked him, off and mentally nudged Sparky who glided towards the Dorgenox. At a leisurely glide. “She’s just a little tired now that motherly instincts are in control, Smartass.”
Nova roared and then twelve sets of wings were made from their collars so they could fly and not need him to hold them aloft. Oliver let go and simply flew under his own power. “Good argument.”
“I often win them. Now let’s check in and let the new mothers stay somewhere safe to rear their adorable kittens.” She reached out through her chip and the private docking bay opened up. “Even I can tell they want to get them somewhere rather secluded.”
Moments later their coms beeped and it was followed by the voice of Abdul, the man who spliced feline features into his lithe body. “Stars… the captain said you all would be heading home today, but… Did… did you guys just…” he was finding it difficult to form words. Clearly understandable.
“Teleport?” Renee laughed richly. “Yup. Olly has been a busy idiot these months while I created another new life to join the crew.”
“Then Oliver needs to speak with Davan Took. He’s been driving me crazy saying he’s recreated up to the point his team were at before he was used
to kill them. He is rather annoying, but said something about a promise he made.”
“I did make the promise.” Oliver suddenly remembered. “Tell him tomorrow I’ll stop by if I get the time.”
“Good. Keep him out of my fur before I give him a swipe he’ll not forget for a long time. So how is baby Isabella?” the first mate asked in a way that didn’t hide he was smiling.
Renee looked down and her breastplate turned translucent to find the pink form still weakly suckling and liquid around her breast proved the newborn had tinkled a little. “She’s doing great.”
“So is it safe to be around you two so I can see her?”
“You mean you want to meet us? The answer is no way. The Liger cubs are being protected by their mothers. Do not go near them unless you want to be their next meal. Until they are weaned in about six months, you should steer clear. As for me, you just need to keep girls away from Oliver and men from me. I won’t kill anyone, but my control is hardly solid. I know I’ll hurt anyone. Oliver on the other hand is a fucking parasite. If you touch me when he’s looking, you’ll wish to come say hello to the cubs with a few raw steaks dangling around your neck.”
“Warning is seriously noted. You just come up and see me when you get the time. Besides, Jessica will take up plenty since she returned yesterday with Stephanie and a few artifacts she brought along from the city.”
“Hold on. She’s back?” Renee asked as they all flew inside the bay and came to a landing.
“Didn’t she tell you?” Abdul sounded suddenly nervous.
“Nope.” Renee popped the P sound.
“Damn. Don’t tell her I said so. Act surprised.”
“Do my best, but no promises.” Renee loved screwing with people.
“Then it looks like I need to arrange for my funeral.” He deadpanned for a moment before he and Renee chuckled.
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