by Max Jager
Then Slavek offered his drinking mug in a toast.
"Here's to the good times we had visiting your home Matt, hopefully we'll get to do it again but if not, well I will wear my Area 51 hat proudly."
During the party Orlak told Matt,
"I know you are currently having "female" problems so perhaps I've only made the situation worse but my granddaughter Ilmi would love to meet you."
"Well that's nice," he replied "But as you know I've got a lot of unfinished business to take care of."
"By all means," replied Orlak, "As it so happens she's off to parts unknown at the present however I think she might very easily be interested in journeying with you back to earth. Neb's sponsors a message board that everybody in the galaxy uses at some time or another. Next time you stop there sign up for it, and when you do mention my name Neb and I go way back. Being a friend of mine as well as from earth he just might give you an access code that will open access to people looking for jobs or offering services."
"Thanks Orlak, I'll be sure to do that."
As he sat there laughing with his friends Matt thought about how fortunate he was to be able to say he was friends with not only the Ruddorian's, but Golian's and Malhazar's. Not bad for a dumb kid just out of high school, thousands of light years from home.
"One other thing," added Orlak, "Promise me you will get your pilot's certificate, The next time we go to earth, I want someone who can share pilot's duties with me. And if you're having trouble, I think Ilmi might be persuaded to help you out."
Since his reconciliation with Holliqua Matt had made the decision to just let the "chips" fall where they may. He smiled as he wondered what a space voyage involving Jezang, Holliqua, and Ilmi would be like. Before he left for his room Brand stopped him.
"As soon as that Malhazar fellow comes through with the reward money, I'll see to it that your account is credited Matt. Oh and as soon as Aesil and I get all these loose contracts wrapped up we'll be in touch."
"Well I certainly had a good time with you guys," replied Matt, "I look forward to hangin' around with you again."
It had been a long time since he had lain in a real bed even though the hotel bed was a little on the hard side. He had offered to go the cost of a double with Jezang but she politely declined opting for a place just for androids promising to meet him at the departure gate in the morning.
He lay there thinking of all the women who were starting to crowd his life.
"Was crowding the right word?" He wondered "No, perhaps "shaping," was a better term. He had convinced Jezang to join the crew of the Nora-Lee, Amber and Gandric certainly wouldn't mind, Amber would be happy to have another Tharg on board.
Orlak's granddaughter Ilmi was the one he wondered about.
"Would she be a bitch or was what Aesil had told him so much BS? Would she get along with Holliqua or even Kaitlyn?" He chuckled to himself,
"Hell! Maybe she was another Kaitlyn?" He fell asleep at this point waking to someone banging on his door. It was Jezang calling for him to wake up as the shuttle was scheduled to leave in twenty Klix. He had to skip the shower and lugging all his gear slowed things down but Jezang grabbed his duffle bag and threw it over her shoulder like it weighed next to nothing. They made the gate just in time being the last to be allowed through, once on board Matt received a pleasant surprise. As he was securing his gear a voice behind him called out,
"Hey Grak! Look who's trying to sneak on board." Turning around he grinned ear to ear as he came face to face with his old friends Grak and Karlt.
"What are you guys doing here?" He exclaimed.
"We rotate this run with the Golia trip two or three times a ceme however we got word you were heading back to the Fort so we swapped with the crew that normally handles this run. Listen, once we get settled into warp drive tell the steward you've got permission to visit the bridge, we can talk then."
Matt sat down in his seat next to Jezang who, along with Matt was drawing interest from the other passengers.
"Seems we're quite the show," she remarked.
"Yeah, but why?" He asked,
"Well a Tharg and a being from earth sitting together aren't something you see very much." There were small flat screens set into the seats in front of them to which both of them selected the Loridian network which ran news occurring in the trading empire. Matt found a sub channel devoted to commodity prices, and what they were going for on any given planet. Jezang chose one that was covering the opening hearings dealing with the destruction of Bline-Aichel. He pressed a button on the small keypad next to the screen allowing him to hear a translated audio over his Psy Pyx translator, while Jezang could pick up the audio automatically.
He watched as Slavek's father spoke as the camera panned a group of defiant looking Malhazar's sat at a table. There was another group he guessed were the Khufrian's, a strange looking reptilian species that looked like Wally Gator a cartoon character he remembered from when he was a little kid. They were a yellowish-green in color and wore what looked like the orange jumpsuit's LaPlata County made prisoners wear. However the Khufrian's all seemed to have all sorts of gold and silver baubles and decorations adorning their jumpsuits. The camera didn't linger long on them but he wondered if somehow alligators had mutated into bi-pedal beings on Khufria. Suddenly a voice came over the intercom directing passengers to fasten their seatbelts and shoulder harness's. He could feel the craft lift straight up then slip sideways before moving forward like a shot.
His attention then returned to the video screen where he gasped in surprise.
There was Drok Irdurg being interviewed while behind him in the distance a massive machine that looked like a silver pill bug was stirring up clouds of sand and dust. It had to be one of the purifiers beginning its work. His translator seemed to be getting some sort of interference from something in the shuttle so it was hard to hear everything Drok was telling what looked to be a Golian asking him questions. The camera then focused on the purifier that was farther away than it looked.
"Damn!" He thought, "That thing must be huge!" The only thing he could reference it to was the Houston Astro Dome moving along the ground.
Pointing to the screen he told Jezang,
"That's Ussen Ommo and that's Drok Irdurg, I know him. And that machine out there is a purifier Amber and Gandric got all that going." Jezang nodded,
"I wasn't sure at first, but I am now anxious to join Amber, I now think it is where we belong."
The scene changed and the story now centered on some new spacecraft the Vaeon's were developing. A voice then caught his attention. Looking to his right a being Matt recognized as a Selantrian was trying to get his attention. He wore a gray-green with silver striping one piece outfit you couldn't really call a jumpsuit, with olive toned skin, dark red hair and ears shaped like leaves. Piercing red eyes and ridges on his stubby nose marked him as definitely Selantrian.
"Pardon me, but I don't believe I've ever encountered a being such as yourself. I pride myself as having visited every planet worth visiting in the empire, and a few that are not. Where are you from?" Matt shrugged and replied,
"My name is Matt Grainger, and I'm a human from the planet earth. The Selantrian gave him a puzzled look as Jezang leaned past him announcing to the Selantrian.
"His home is listed as planet Abbai 4, standard star map 860, quadrant XX000460 L206 sector." The Selantrian thought for a moment then gave an amazed expression.
"Astounding! Do you mean to say there is actual life out there?"
"Well earth is the only planet in our galaxy with life on it," said Matt.
"Well tell me then, by the way, my name is Crolth Strijac, I'm a professor of astro physics and cosmic nuclo-chemistry at the University of Selantria in Vlet-Pruis.
"Tell me, er, Matt, is this earth of yours a level 8 or above?"
"Umm I'm not sure," he replied, "If you're asking if we have interstellar space travel then the answer is no, I'm only here because I caught a ride with a visiting
motok." Strijac looked crestfallen but then brightened. Tracing his finger along what looked like a pocket seam on his suit Crolth removed a small metallic card with writing on it Matt couldn't read.
"Please, take this, I know they are a bit out-dated but I still use them. If you should find yourself on Selantria, pleas visit the university. Show anyone this card and they will direct you to my office, I would very much like to talk with you." Matt looked at the card then back to professor Strijac.
"Well sir, once I get a few things out of the way, I would love to visit you."
Chapter 86
Titan Stand Chapter 86
Matt sat down in a jump seat just behind the pilot and co-pilot's seats and waited until his favorite aliens Grak and Karlt got the shuttle vectored and set on course.
"So what you guys been doing since I last saw you?" He asked.
"Well," sighed Grak, we had our Fort Kamata to Golia run taken away from us for awhile…Uh…"
"Oh just say it!" Injected Karlt, then turning his head towards Matt, he said,
"We started a rather intense row in the bar at Fort Kamata and were put on administrative discipline, this is our first trip back there since the brawl."
Somehow he couldn't picture these two instigating a fight but both were freely admitting they had started it
"So what happened?" Asked Matt, Both Golian's looked at him with a sheepish expressions,
"Well we were sitting with Sualla and Freia," began Grak "And I suppose all of us had had a bit too much balmok and were feeling no pain. Anyway I had just ordered a fresh round when this oafish Gri'Fodian blunders past and knocks the drink from my hand. Well I guess you know what happened next. My drink spilled all over a couple Selantrian's sitting next to us. The next thing I know I'm being lifted off my feet Sualla and Freia are screaming, somebody punches me in the face and suddenly the whole bar is in an uproar."
Taking up the story, Karlt added,
"There must have been a lot of pent up rage in that place because everybody started punching each other, overturning tables and hitting each other with chairs. The next thing I knew I was waking up in a security cell along with Grak and two dwarves from Denedra." Matt grinned,
"Boy, you guys must have really kicked over a hornet's nest, so what happened next?"
"Well at least we had enough in our accounts to cover our bail; along with our share of the damages which left us more or less broke. Oh yes, now Sualla and Freia refuse to see us anymore, they claim we ruined their reputations."
"We've been banned for almost two yeans from the bar, but that wasn't the worst of it. Once Neb got word of the incident he's put both of us on strict probation, whenever we go to the Nebula we have to let them know we're there, then we're restricted to just beer and we can only stay one milacenton." Matt knew that to be slightly more than an hour which was hardly any time at all when you were trying to socialize in a bar.
"Why is Neb punishing you guys, the fight happened on Fort Kamata." asked Matt, Karlt sighed,
"Unknown to us he has half interest in the place, and he wants to make sure we don't start something in the Nebula."
"So basically you two are blackballed, how about the bars on the other planets?"
"We're fine with them," said Grak,
"We were shuttling from all these wretched mining and manufacturing planets in the Zan-Argo and Skye-Eda systems, places like Ugar, Skaig, Stos Itzak, Uggi-Klarn, and Crie-Effa. However the worst was Ourrhon 4 you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy on that planet, there is evil there that does not sleep."
"Is it a raider planet?" Asked Matt, Grak shook his head,
"Although they do show up from time to time, they don't like to stay there. No my friend it's worse than that, it's an end of the line place that sustains a minimal atmosphere, and a short life span. However one of the richest veins of Vulnite and Kokron ore ever found in one place."
"Well who lives there?" he asked. Karlt laughed,
"People with a price on their heads, newly released prisoners trying to clear their records and get a fresh start, and general losers. While we're on the subject, I know you're from a galaxy light yeans from here and aren't entirely familiar with our ways. Always be mindful of your actions and what you say to people, you don't want to end up on a place like Ourrhon 4."
"So you guys are back on track again?" Asked Matt,
"Well it looks that way," said Grak, we're on our best behavior for a full yean which really isn't such a big problem; the fact that we can't relax in the bar is what hurts. You've been on that planet so you know what I'm talking about; it's basically just an outpost for the Loridia trading company and a transfer point."
"Well it certainly isn't what I would expect a place like that to be," replied Matt.
"Is that the only bar there?" he asked, Grak nodded, "No pleasure dens either," snickered Karlt, "That's why we plan to do a very quick turn-around one milacenton tops, and we're on our way back to Golia."
"Have you guys ever thought about hanging out on Denedra, there's a pretty good tavern called the Moon spinner that serves up a damn good Eabak along with a homemade rip dyne brandy, I think they have…Um ladies there as well." Both Golian's ears perked up.
"You don't say," replied Grak, "No we aren't familiar with that establishment. Denedra eh? Well it's not that far from the fort. We can't do it this time but if things play out like before we're going to run into some lengthy lay-overs maybe we'll give this place a visit. What else is there to do there?" Matt shrugged,
"Well they have elves, witches, fairies and centaurs. Queen Breca's pretty cool. A guy named Lord Morrone is the royal advisor and Halx Dalewick is their trade minister."
"Well we'll check it out," said Grak.
"Heard any rumors?" Asked Matt.
"Other than this big blow-up over the Malhazar's destroying Bline-Aichel and now this business with the Khufrian's." He then gave Matt a suspicious look.
"You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
He just grinned and told them all about escorting the Malhazar gun ship that destroyed the raider planet along with his trip to earth, and the adventure on Tumar-Ju.
"You know," said Karlt, "I'm not sure where I was but I remember talking to a Diyari who told me there was some secret project going on there. He didn't say what it was or who was involved with it but he made me swear not to say a word about it."
"Yeah well if he was a Diyari," said Matt, "They were in cahoots with the Khufrian's, we found all sorts of evidence."
"Well we're sorry we can't party," said Karlt, "But who knows, perhaps if we like this Moon Spinner place it might become our new "base of operations."
As they were disembarking at Fort Kamata the Selantrian professor reminded Matt to pay him a visit at his earliest opportunity.
"Well I will certainly do that," replied Matt. Grak and Karlt discovered that there were restrictions on where they could go such as only the trading company field office, and the crew hostel. In fact security had to escort them to the Loridian office. Matt felt bad for them but both seemed to have a positive outlook on life and he had no doubt they would quickly rebound. With Jezang carrying half his gear both of them worked their way through gate security to the waiting and reception area. The fact that he was able to carry a number of weapons through security amazed him but he remembered that the scanners were probably not picking up his earth weapons. He also carried a Phatron pistol in a drop leg holster just as Jezang did but even then nobody said anything.
As they entered the waiting area he immediately heard a familiar voice call his name. Looking to his left, he spotted Kaitlyn, Tiag, Amber, and one unidentified female. She appeared to be Lyskandan, who appeared to be wearing some sort of tight fitting chrome helmet with a drop down scanner lens like he wore She also seemed to be wearing a lot less clothing than the others, Capri-like cargo pants in a light grey some sort of low cut tee-shirt with what looked like a tactical vest. As he got closer it also app
eared the vest held two hand guns. Then it hit him,
"Shit! That has to be Ilmi Orlak's grand daughter. By this time the women were swarming around he and Jezang although it looked as though Ilmi was hanging back. Dropping his bags, he hugged Kaitlyn whose hair was much shorter on one side and was a light green her skin also seemed to have a metallic like shimmer.
"Matt! You're back and in one piece, we heard all the stories, gee you're looking great!"
"Well thanks Kaitlyn," he replied, "Say how did the pick-up go with Bria?" She gave him a frown and replied,
"I'll tell you later."