by Max Jager
Orlak started to say something then stopped.
"Come to think of it, the Vylons out on Ossa Shio developed something along the lines of what you appear to be talking about but they were more like protective suits than anything else. It rained damn near all the time on that wretched colony, and a body could literally drown standing around in the open. But like I said, these suits allowed the colonists to harvest merga fruit, and trap nezza, which are long, swim in the water, and have a nasty bite. They are rather tasty, but very expensive.'
"How could anybody live on a place like that?" Asked Matt. Orlak shrugged,
"You simply adapt my friend. The Vylons knew what they were getting into so colonized the planet fully prepared." Then Rekton asked,
"What would be the point of having one of these large robots as you call them Matt?"
"Something to awe or intimidate the locals to make them think you could wipe them out without even trying." Both Rekton and Orlak looked at Slavek who just shrugged,
"You should see some of the things these earthlings have come up with that they believe live out here."
"Aww just forget it," replied Matt, "It was just an idea."
"Just a moment there Matt, said Rekton, "I think I know what you are talking about now. Some sort of artificial intelligence that would impress people we might come in contact with as well as acting as some sort of weapons system to attack and defeat said people, were that to become necessary."
"Yeah! You've got it now," exclaimed Matt. "Something you could send out to make first contact so if the locals started shooting it wouldn't be you that took fire."
Orlak started laughing,
"Well why didn't you say so in the first place, I think I know just what you want. However they are not cheap, because they aren't robots but highly advanced androids." Then turning to where the females were still playing their game, he called.
"Jezang, would you mind stepping over here a moment?" The android got up scowling as she did so, but came over regardless.
"This better not take long, I'm just starting to get ahead."
"What is the name of that sentry droid the Vaeon's developed several yarns ago?"
"Are you talking about the Emshi L4070 Terra model?"
"Yes," replied Orlak, "I believe that's the one."
"It was developed by the Vaeon's to guard and protect spacecraft that have landed in unknown or potentially dangerous environments. It carries full sensory optics with enhanced night vision capabilities. A full weapons package ranging from a simple shock stick clear up to a phased plaser gun. Basically you just tell it what you want it to do, along with any special instructions such as who is allowed into the perimeter and who isn't, and let it do it's job."
"Precisely," replied Orlak, "You wouldn't by any chance know what they are going for lately would you?"
"I believe around fifty-six thousand credits sir." Orlak winced at the cost, but then said,
"Thank you Jezang, you can return to your game."
"I'm not real familiar yet with credits and the value of things yet," said Matt,
"But I'm guessing this sentry droid is pretty expensive?" Rekton, Slavek and Orlak all laughed,
"Generally governments, large corporations, and military departments are the only ones able to afford them," replied Rekton.
"Well then," exclaimed Matt, "Wouldn't the Ruddorian government have one we could borrow?" Slavek chuckled, and shook his head,
"I can tell you right now, that's not going to happen; we'll just have to come up with something else."
"Well it was just an idea," sighed Matt, "I just thought you guys would have all kinds of stuff like that."
"Well the need for something like that isn't that great," replied Rekton, "Jezang could easily handle any security problems we might have, plus I think the rest of us are familiar with weapons."
"Approaching Ruddoria," announced the pilot over the ship's intercom,
"We will be landing in approximately thirty-two micro centons."
Chapter 63
Titan Stand Chapter 63
Ruddoria was unlike anything Matt could ever have imagined, still, he really couldn't put his finger on any one thing that made the place stand out. Kaitlyn also agreed, her only comment being,
"I saw a picture someone painted on a science fiction website once that was something like this, but this is all so incredibly beautiful."
Pzia was the capitol of Ruddoria, which sprawled out from a bowl of low to moderate hills all around it. Multi-colored spires, along with what he assumed were office type buildings that appeared to be gold and silver. When Kaitlyn asked Tiag about them, she replied,
"That gold and silver you see absorb the suns energy which in turn powers the building. It's similar to those solar panels you showed me on your planet only more advanced. Pzia also seemed enveloped by strange looking trees, and massive plants, some resembling extremely large mushrooms. Not all the trees were green either, some appeared to be a sort of dark yellow, while others had a reddish look to them. They, along with other vegetation spread thick throughout Pzia adding to its exotic look. On top of that, there was a wide waterfall coming down off one of the highest hills to the east with the river it created cutting its way through the city. As they got nearer, Matt could see hundreds of small craft maintaining orderly flight paths over the city.
As Matt watched the city grow closer, Rekton stood next to him pointing out various highlights of the city.
"Although it's the capitol of Ruddoria, Pzia isn't the largest city, that honor would have to go to Higon which is some distance southwest from here situated on the shore of the Sibeion Sea. Then there's Breshi, Vlilst, Crolth. And Niyoy. Brilth is also another unique place…The whole city is underground, it's THE major manufacturing district here on Ruddoria." Rather than setting down on an outdoor landing pad, they dropped down into the gaping maw of an underground landing area, which reminded him of pictures he's seen of an old ICBM silo.
After landing, he noticed that Slavek was wearing his "Durango Colorado" tee-shirt, while Tiag sported her "Little A'Le'Inn" tee-shirt. Both Orlak and Rekton noticed them as well, and asked about them. When Slavek and Tiag told them about the little diner in the Nevadan desert, both wanted to go there as well.
"Actually it's rather demeaning to extra terrestrials;" added Kaitlyn, "See that little bug-eyed character, that's what many people on earth think aliens look like." Rekton turned to Orlak and said,
"Well in that case all the more reason to visit there, we'll show them what we really look like…Eh; we won't get shot at will we?"
Matt and Slavek laughed,
"I don't believe so," said Slavek, "They treated us very warmly, although I think many were simply stunned at our presence."
"Good," replied Rekton, "We'll stop there first."
Once they had debarked, Mrs. Slykhor led them to a set of sliding doors that opened to reveal some sort of subway like car. It was long and narrow, with only one row of plush brown seats along the opposite side of the car. As soon as everyone was seated, the car began to move, and what seemed like less than a minute, the car stopped and the doors opened.
"Here we are," she announced. The terminus was made up of multi-colored glass, or what looked like glass,
"It could be anything," he thought. The whole room seemed very light and airy just the sort of thing you would expect to find on an alien world. A large door slid upwards revealing an elevator.
Once they were all in, the door slid down with Mrs. Slykhor quietly speaking,
"Four please." Almost immediately, the door slid upwards again revealing what he guessed was someone's office. Although everyone else behaved as though they had all been here before, Matt and Kaitlyn stopped to take in their surroundings. This room also consisted of multi-colored panels, along with stark black ones. A Ruddorian whom Matt guessed was probably Mr. Slykhor was sitting behind a very futuristic looking desk talking to what appeared to be another Ruddorian male. Around the wall
s were pictures of could only be described as alien landscapes. Some had what could only be moons hanging over the stark landscapes, while others were of cities, and structures. In the middle of the room, sat a large black table with a single leg underneath in the middle holding it all up.
The chairs around it also looked rather stark and uncomfortable.
"While he and Kaitlyn stood staring, everyone else began to sit in more chairs around the desk the two Ruddorian's were sitting at. Matt then became aware of someone talking, then realized it was Mr. Slykhor, and he was beckoning for them to come over. As they approached the desk where Mr. Slykhor and the other Ruddorian were sitting, Mr. Slykhor greeted them. The other Ruddorian then stood up closely studying them.
"Welcome to Ruddoria," said Mr. Slykhor, "As you no doubt already know, I'm Slavek's and Tiag's father Roikas. You've already met my personal assistant and all around problem solver Vasta Tramik, please allow me to introduce the Chancellor of Ruddoria Kyzine Talik. Kyzine, these are the two earthlings that traveled with Slavek and Tiag to their home planet."
Both Matt and Kaitlyn weren't sure how to greet high dignitaries so each gave it their best shot by offering their hands with Slavek quickly announcing.
"Honorable Chancellor, it is the earth custom to take the offered hand and firmly shake it. Matt, Kaitlyn, in stead of shaking hands in a situation like this, place your left hand over to the upper right of your chests as that is where the heart is, then make a quick nod." Each performed the other's greeting, then Chancellor Talik spoke.
"This is a very momentous occasion, although we have long known of your existence, this is the first time earthling and Ruddorian have ever actually met. Welcome to Ruddoria."
"Thank you," replied Matt, "I'm sorry Kaitlyn and I aren't diplomats or anything like that, just a couple of kids from earth, and probably the only people from earth you will meet for a very long time to come." the Chancellor chuckled,
"Well be that as it may, please enjoy our hospitality." Then looking over at Slavek's mother and father, he sat back down and added,
"Sit, and tell us about your adventure on earth, especially you Slavek, and your sister there." Tiag then took the opportunity to speak to her father.
"Father, I've already given mother her gift, here is your's. She then produced a coffee mug with the A'Le'Inn logo on it. Her father examined it, then asked.
"I assume this is writing, what does it say?"
Tiag took the mug from her father, and patiently explained the logo and where Rachel Nevada was. After her father thanked him he then addressed Matt and Kaitlyn.
"When Chani told me two citizens from earth were coming here," he began, Chancellor Talik and I sat down to discuss this momentous occasion. We then decided to make both of you honorary citizens. Now what this will mean is that your identity cards will now show that you are citizens of Ruddoria enabling both of you legal protection as well as citizenship status in the Loridian trading empire. However, in order for you to enjoy full citizenship status you will face a six drowl probationary period. Be mindful of our laws, don't engage in any illegal activity, or become a burden to the state. As far as the two of you are concerned all this will mean at first is that as citizens of Ruddoria, you will be able to clear customs and security much faster." Both Matt and Kaitlyn thanked him as Tiag's mother said,
"Kaitlyn, this will now make it much easier for you to accompany us to places we wish to take you."
"Well now that we've taken care of that, shall we begin the meeting?"
"Another meeting?" Thought Matt, "I wonder what this one would be about?"
It soon became apparent the meeting was about them traveling to earth. At the time Rekton first purposed it he assumed it was to be an informal venture privately sponsored which it turned out that was the case, but there seemed to be some sort of "official" sanctioning which he never quite understood. It took the form of traveling in what Matt understood was a Dryikka class XLX "Starsoul" long range recon/scout ship. Orlak Klo'Ax spoke of it as though it was his own, but then Chancellor Talik acted like the ship belonged to the government. Either way, there would be eight passengers including himself. Surprisingly, Jezang would also be going, along with Mr. Slykhor's personal assistant Vasta Tramik, as well as the ship's engineer, another Ruddorian named Gyod Yeindol.
However it was a member of the Vaeon race by the name of Skart Grexie that caught Matt's attention.
Being a member of the Vaeon race, Skart was the same height as Matt, very light green skin, and pointed elf-like ears.
He also had yellow cat-like eyes, a pronounced brow and only four fingers on each hand, although the fourth also seemed to double as a thumb. He also had a very nonchalant attitude a trait Matt was all too familiar with.
Grexie was signing on as an assistant engineer but something about him hinted that he was more than an engineer. Since Grexie was also bald, he wore a short brimmed black hat that reminded Matt of an army ranger cap. The final member was apparently a close friend of Rekton's by the name of Ifwol Skyn who always seemed to be scowling, although whenever Matt spoke to him he always acted otherwise. Skyn, it turned out was an ex-bounty hunter/ soldier of fortune, and all around "pipe hitter," who along with Grexie was quite interested in Matt's home world.
Even though Matt was slowly learning the language, and his translator picked up everything he missed, he couldn't help feeling that something else was going on here.
"Christ!" He thought, "They could be planning to invade earth and I wouldn't know it." He even thought of asking Jezang what was going on but then he asked himself,
"What if she is in on the whole thing?" He felt like he was being swept along and into something he wasn't being given full facts on.
"Well maybe I should ask more questions?" He thought, "But what? Supposedly we are going to earth to simply look around, check out some wild animals, make a stop at the A'Le'Inn, find some isolated place where we can talk to the locals. Now they are talking about this Area 51, if only Slavek had kept his damn mouth shut. It looks like we'll be stopping in Durango again, so I can probably see mom and dad. But Damn! Why am I so worried, what is it these guys really want to do?"
There was something else bothering him as well and that was the fact that he found himself really liking these guys, on top of that, he and Kaitlyn were now citizens of Ruddoria, even if it was honorary.
"After all they have done for us, then making us citizens, it's certainly going to improve our standing out here, we belong to a planet now, we aren't just a couple of freeloaders and hitchhikers now." Finally he gave up trying to tack ulterior motives to the venture; after all, they were aliens, and just thought differently.
"Maybe if I just talk with them during the voyage, someone will slip up and say something that will make sense of this whole thing." Then there was the situation with Kaitlyn. She made it very clear to him that she was going to be on her own for awhile, running off with Tiag and some of her friends. All he could get out of her was something about attending some sort of school, Tiag knew someone whose friend was head of some school, but beyond that things got pretty vague, Hell! Maybe she was getting sucked into something suspicious as well.
Another thing that concerned him was that they were leaving the day after tomorrow,
"I'm certainly no ship captain, but this thing is certainly going down pretty fast."
That night as he and Kaitlyn slept in the governmental guest house; he tossed and turned worrying about his impending trip. Earlier, he had managed to talk with Slavek who was going as well, about his concerns. His Ruddorian friend assured him he had nothing to worry about,
"We Ruddorian's don't sit around like a bunch of Khufrian's always talking about doing something or going somewhere, then never doing anything. When we make the decision to do something, we charge straight ahead." He did a pretty good job of trying to convince Matt everything was on the up and up, but he just couldn't shake his concerns. Prior to departure, Matt was also given a fighter batt
le jacket, special gloves, and a sort of half helmet that resembled a BASE jump helmet paintball or air soft players often wore. It was flat black in color, and had a protective shield that slid down in over his eyes. He also discovered that it would accommodate his Psy Pyx translator, having internal headphones, and a mounting point for the pop-down magnifier eyepiece. The battle jacket seemed light, but Slavek told him it would keep him warm and dry in all conditions due to internal thermo-devices that sensed the ambient temperature and adjusted for it. The jacket appeared to be made of supple grey leather with matching gloves.
It also had a mantle of black leather over the center of the jacket, on the right shoulder was the Ruddorian military emblem, while on the left, was a patch of the same material the jacket was made of depicting the planet and six stars encompassed by a red flash. There were also plenty of pockets vas well as a special inside pocket where a small comm unit went. Before he was due to leave, Matt spent some time with Kaitlyn.