(GE Copy)

Chapter 8: The Universal Ocean (Part 2)

“...Until then, you’re just as clueless.”

“These don’t look entirely like their uniform.” Zack contested. “More like... Last years model, you know, a real... Janitors set of rags.” The group standing in a pair of now uncertain disguises, their faith in the outfits dropping by the second.

“Well... From the back side it looks fine.” Aaron needlessly trying to defend it.

“We’re all facing each others though...”

“This is a shitty disguise...” Aaron confessed, and everyone agreed with that. “Lets find that index and get this over with.” He said, making his way to peek the doorway. Guards everywhere. “There was a left down at the end, wasn’t there?” Pointing back to the vent. “Coz, I feel like we’re getting to know these passages pretty well.”

After a small debate over who’s left is left, Sophie took point again to settle the dispute. Settling it by very awkwardly scooting herself past everyone with the slightly wider space at this intersection. That relation to relative wideness changed as the vent flattened out and their elbows were as their palms once were, crawling through the low shaft in single file. It was kind of a miracle how she was capable of cutting the chutes opening from the inside, but her Sophieisms were more luxury than the need to question them. Spewing herself from the hole Sophie looked around her enclosure. A medical bay by it’s appearance and sterile aroma, lots of fancy and dangerous goods. None of which could be identified. So, mostly useless. Having difficulty escaping, Aaron nudged himself closer and closer to the edge, asking Sophie to tug him out but she was distracted. They could hear footsteps arriving, stopping at the door, and the electronic keypad being operated. Realizing this, she took a short inventory of the room, and panicked. Pushing Aaron back into the vent against Zack’s head, she managed to get him only so far, crawling back in herself. The Door opened. “Whoa!” The man apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Sophie too stunned to speak. “It’s alright.” Aaron answered for her out of sight. “Just cleaning the pipes... Heard some tapping coming from inside, probably a cat or something.”

“I hear ya.” Standing where he was. The man’s lower half being visible from Aaron’s low angle, past Sophie. He kinda just stood there, watching for longer than was comfortable.

“Say, you wouldn’t happen to have a flamethrower on you, would you?” Joking his odds for a weapon.

“HA!” The man replied. “You mean, you’re going in there without one? Brave man, there are Black Galeids in there, they bite too. Leave you with a hive full of larva and puss. I mean, you must know that right?”

“Sure, but... The more I think about it, the more appealing a flamethrower sounds.”

“I like your bravery... Say, you got a mighty fine ass for a guy... Think I’d remember that in the showers.”

“You... You gay or something?”

“What’s it to you, cutie?” Bending down to see more inside the vent. Aaron grabbing a fistful of hair to hide behind.

“Jamire!” A stranger called from outside the bay. “Have you patched yourself up yet? We have a problem.”

“Can’t you see I’m bleeding to death here?”

“Pardon?”

“I said piss off!... Geeze.” Walking over to the first aid box. “Whatever problem it is, the guys without medical emergencies can handle it.”

“It’s a foreign life form on deck. This is the second weirdest thing since the fish hitting our haul. I don’t know what’s up but since we left our galactic corner, things haven’t been right.”

“Someone else can hold your hand while you piss yourself.” Wrapping his finger.

“The creature is like liquid butter, it’s joints disappear at will, we’ve tried to capture it but just keeps getting loose and smacking us. Licking itself... It’s like it’s a... A Deidtetic force of nature, it’s practically unstoppable.”

“Fine! I’ll... Watch you all piss yourselves, how big is the creature? Half a man?... Quarter?”

“A house plant.”

“A self cleaning house plant sized deity. Is it shooting air bubbles out it’s ass too, or what?...” Shaking his head. Mind giving me your name?” His attention fixed to the ventilation.

“I’m... Uh... Lee... Nova”

“I can see that... But that’s your name?”

“Albert...

“Albert...”

“...Cohol”

“I’ll call you Al, for short. I’ll be sure to find you next time I’m in the mess hall...” Taking his leave. Sophie slid out backwards, like a warm lumpy sundae. Wiping the tears of embarrassment from her eyes, she limply regained her standing. Aaron somehow slipping out on his own, and Zachery lept over Aaron to escape what horrors awaited them in the enclosed bug chamber. Having to move rooms, their only exit was the door, and their original entrance. The halls however exposed were far too busy taking care of alien lifeforms, and chasing space mackerel to notice them.

“Hold up” Sophie stumbled out of the hall. Bent sideways, she took a deep breath. “Sonic must be revving like hes about to juice like no ones's ever juiced before.” Aaron and Zack dragging her along. “There's a freaking requiem taking place in my cavity like it's the fucking climax.” Limping along side them.

Beyond the general outline of the hall which curved, there was an open room, dressed finely with seating, and fighting ring for entertainment. Even a bar. Two stories, with notably a patrol making their rounds on the upper balcony. Slipping past the leisure room, they came upon a short stubby hall and an intersection. Waddling, a dignified and leisurely stagger, they caught sight of a familiar face. “Kraytoes!” Sophie called out. The king, stopping his saunter to look back, and greet them with a cleaning of his leg. “That means he’s doing alright. Come here Kraytoes, come boy...” Patting her lap. Kraytoes, completely disconcerned with the matter. Walking slowly up to him, with her arms down to grab him, Sophie called out. “Come here, come where it’s safe.” With his little fluffy tush wiggling in a slow but paced speed away from her.

“There it is!” The guard called forth, as the cat came into their sight around the intersection. Sophie lifting her head to see it. The men turning to a confused, yet shocked expression “Those garments... Their... Ancient.”

“Called it.” Zack mentioned from behind cover, certain they were already caught.

“And there are more of them!” Reaching for his arms. Sophie’s hands raised up like the mast of a ship. Arron, still out of sight made a clear landing place for his hand on the upside of Zachery’s head. Their attention being drawn to the malignant ball of fur walking towards them, spitting and mrowling in contestment. Kraytoes, the hero.

In her eyes, his tone tight muscles and fur fluffed out. Her hero sauntering towards the enemy baring it's fangs mid strut. She could hear his soft stern voice in a cold angered demeanour scowl out to her foes as he stepped ever nearer to them “I can't claw your smug pale faces without getting closer despite my massive bravado.” His coat glistened like a majestic rainbow of luminescent power circulated around it in a kind of harmony. Harmony with the can of whoop-ass he was about to open.

But, in reality, he kinda just hissed a few times as he took a swipe then fucked off in the other direction.

“Kraytoes!” Sophie screamed, watching the tail high feline making a beeline down the hall. Taking a shit mid flight to distract his assailant.

Taking to the distraction, Sophie threw herself behind the wall of the T-branch, throwing Aaron and Zachery aside for safety. Pinning herself to the nearest wall of the bend, only four feet away from the corner, she stretched out her arms. As the men turned the corner, she discharged her Father’s protection device. The one which he gave her before she left, and was retried from the stockaded. It shown like a bright light, and after the blinding flash dissipated, the armed guard fell disabled. The other guard in behind, wiping the flash from his eyes found himself pushed back to the wall. His weapons cast aside, firing a loud shot as it landed. His strength and training instinctively sharply propelled her back to the other wall. Reaching to his side, he pulled out a glowing foot long blade, which slid past her as she could parry. She could see his arm moving slowly, as though the pain of her bad day fuelled her adrenaline, and her mind into high gear. With her other palm, she struck his chin, jarring his neck back. His weight keeping his body still, though his disoriented head staggered him back to safety, fuzzy as it was. His warriors training instinctively doing his thinking for him, Sophie no different, it was like two animals at war. He took his blade to slash at the girl but quickly fell to his knees instead, sliding on the slick heap of the cats’ fresh defensive measure. What a shitty conundrum. Her smouldering hot device, having had it’s time to reload another high dose of blinding light, launched an arc directly into his sternum. Wriggling as it made contact for the half a second that it actually met.

“So, that’s what setting seven does...” She astonished, blowing the burning hot exterior back to room temperature. Everyone’s eyes readjusting after the light show.

Walking up to his hero, Aaron marvelled “I never knew you could be such as badass...” Carefully placing his feet from the skid mark without his full sight. “We need to take you on more adventures.” Gracing her side with a masculine punch of initiation with the boys.

“AH!” Sophie quivering at the sensation. “I’m flattered, but it's far too soon for you to do that with me!”

Picking up the guns from the floor, Aaron and Zachery armed themselves. Aaron beginning to wonder if he actually had the fortitude to actually take another’s life. Down the hall, they made headlines with the locals. Aaron freezing trying to avoid the moral choice. Zack took his rifle to the forming crowd and let loose an entire round of bullets. They sprayed across the hall, plastering the walls and the ceiling, missing every single shot. He would have made some space men across the faraway universe very, very proud that day.

Having laid the covering fire, they escaped into the unknown of two possible directions. The men in pursuit, splitting up into both halls. Calling it in, the lights turned to a dim orange, and an alert was broadcast over the coms. “We have intruders, the prisoners have escaped. All personnel to deck four, all personnel to deck four. Our weapons have been compromised, they are armed and dangerous.”

To their side was a man who’s attention was scarcely caught over listening to the intercom. Laying down another line of bullets, Zack scared the bystander far from sight. “I was really hoping this thing came with a bigger mag, could you spot me yours?”

“Why,” Aaron asked. “So you can waste the other rounds too?” Turning the corner, Aaron looked up to see a guy right in front of him. Automatically, he pulled the trigger without a thought. The plasma blast firing out of the gun in slow motion as he knew he fucked up. The irreversible shot, penetrating the enemies chest.

“Shit that hurts...” The man collapsed to the ground.

“I am so sorry, you came out of nowhere!”

“You’re sorry!? Look at this thing! You know how sore this will be when I’m in my nineties?”

Sophie kicked the enemy gun away from the hands which were still capable of using it, dragging Aaron away from the invalid. Zack, trading up his gun in the process.

Making their way through the halls, the gang dashed through open bay and maintenance hatch. On their escapade, they caught the attention of many high alert authorities but the space warriors were far from keeping up with a highschooler fed on pure adrenaline. The peek of optimal human agility and aerodynamic momentum. Like a kid to an ice cream truck. Like a cat, with Sophie behind it. Over desks and under tables, they came to a messy office space and then quickly left the messy office space from the other side as they made for the back door. They heard the enclosing presence of the footmen. The hair raising on Zack’s back began to stiffen like quills as he closed the door behind hoping to dust their tracks, soon finding themselves in a mechanics shop. Probably explaining the messy papers. Sophie began sifting through the tools on the shelf, identifying which ones could be used to their advantage, especially with breaking her Father out. Aaron caught sight of the large shuttle exit, and a fully docked ride like a fancy European space craft aimed straight for the door. Outside they heard down the side entrance, a group of people. “Freeze!” Stunning everyone inside the mechanical bay until the another voice met the demands.

“Cease fire!” The other party issued.

“Sorry, just heard someone running here, figured it was the prisoners.”

“Same here.”

“You’d think for someone on the run, you’d have a more tell tale sign of them.”

“It’s like an Anglo hive in here. Can’t trust your ears... Good thing they haven’t started stealing our clothes as a disguise.”

“Come on!” A familiar handsome voice, called. “How dumb would you have to be, to be fooled by an alien in our clothing. Now where is this damn boneless deity? I’m passing up a lot to see it.”

“Well, carry on... We’ll check inside, make sure the exits are blocked.”

Taking their cue to dip, the gang turned around to met face to glowing face with the long cylindrical shaft of an alien weapon; it’s owner smirking at the caught rats. “You mind scooting off into the corner there?” His old scruffy voice putting on a cheap bravado. “Promise I won’t shoot. They want double if yee’s alive, schucka.” Wind whistling through his missing teeth.

Sophie stepping up to the old man’s threat. “That’s probably just a floor polisher...”

Laughing himself ill silly, “Yup!” Sitting back on a wheeled metal tool table. “Stopped ya long enough though, didn’t it?” Hacking on his chewing gum as he did. The men who poured in rose their rifles. Aaron, and Zack scattered, while Sophie’s instincts took the old man hostage in his wheeled work tray, using him as a living, choking, meat shield. With one arm around his neck, and the other on his seat she scooted him along, always keeping him between her and the armed forces.

“You’re done running.” The men ordered. “Dismantle your weapons, or we’ll be forced to send you to the celestial ocean with some extra breathing holes.”

Grabbing whatever tools they could find along the walls, Aaron and Zack made for the last doors in, opposite of their assailant’s entry. Sophie already in place with the suffocating shield between them and the road to safely escort her friends out of the room.

Leaving him by the doorway, she backpedalled with her rifle aimed for the helpless door blocker to gain as much distance as they could. “The movies got it all wrong, that’s how you use a hostage.”

“Do these look useful?” Aaron inquired, holding up their swiped merchandise. With a look of disgust on her face, they dropped the tools. “Why can’t anything we grab be useful.”

“Where even is the prison cells anyway?” Zack whined.

“By the looks of thing,” Sophie took charge. “Behind us...”

“Then why are we running his way?”

“Because they are behind us... We’ll have to loop around.”

“We know this how?” Aaron instigated.

“We... We don’t... I’ve always been good at navigation, but even I lost track of where we came from.” Pulling into a passage while out of sight. They found a vent. Even the Black Galeids and their hive like bites sounded pretty inviting now. From the other side, they could overhear the conversation.

“Where were you?” A roaring voice hollered. His authority digging in with his assertions. “We’re haulted during a high alert! Get this ship moving!” Proficiently, they got quite good at vent crawling by now. In the side grate, they could see into what looked like a large computer wonderland, brightly lit and flickering every colour imaginable. Sophie stalled in the vent, her eyes caught onto a very curious danger seeker, batting away at a coffee mug sitting on the side of someone’s desk. Pushing Sophie along, they came onto a vertical climb. Ever loudly overhearing the cowardice whimpers and conversation in the other room.

“We were investigating the fish that plastered against our haul, Sir!” The perturbing statement irking his captain but the superior silently issued the man to continue until some reliant information could better his grievous claims. “In case they could reveal some kind of evolutionary breakthrough for depressurized space travel. Fish, in space! Alive too! How in the heck could they have gotten there?”

Beside himself, “And did you... Find... Any breakthrough for suitless moon walking?”

“Well, I... The dissection will tell us most but... Um... Their completely bloated... I mean... Not made for space travel at all in the slightest... No...”

“I wanted to believe you had a good reason, but you went salkin hunting outside the airlock to find FISH BALLOONS!?” The familiar tone of the captains roars stuck in Aaron’s mind even through the walls.

“It’s possible they were artificially injected into space through dwarven magecraft... But...”

“Dwarven fish craft, oh... This is rich.” The voice becoming more and more familiar by the second. “Who makes an ability like that? Huh? Tell me? Did the magical Fish God in the sky come down one day, and say ‘Hibbity bibity boo, HEY! Everyone look at the shit I’m about to do?’ And start gifting people fish? Here’s a fish, there’s a fish, EVERYONE GETS A FISH!... I want that dissection result on my dinner table before we make it back home, and pray it entertains me before I throw you out the airlock to visit your fishy friends in defying all rationality of the literal world. Now get to your seat and drive this thing or I’ll have to activate the autopilot early!” Hearing a crashing noise from the desk “...What in Odin’s belt loop is that hideous creature?” Witnessing the spangled mud blood proceeding to piss backwards on the touch screen.

“Sir!” another man calls out. “We have captured the prisoners! They are right here, we believe they may have been attempting to ambush you, Sir!”

Bringing forth the captives, “You couldn’t snake in an empty room with a magic invisible box!” Aaron reprimanded. Zachery taking a harshly depressed response to the nameless guilt trip.

In the back hall, as they were escorted in, another man was being dragged away. His teary eyes scowling as they carried him along. “You shot me, you bitch!” Taking the injured soldier back to the medical bay.

“Great. One less problem at our feet... And another voice to rumour in the jail cells about my pilot’s idiocy...” Aaron’s eyes meeting very closely with the warrior captain. He’s flaming eyes of fury, burning a deep, horrifying memory in his mind. It was Dalmayo, of the seven.

Barking in her pain, Sophie ran out of patience. “You already got me as your prisoner, you could at least tell me why I’m here.”

“Sophenya... You’re Father is a very special man, and if he’s even told you, you too are an exceptionally... Special... Girl. The moment we caught sight of you in the chaos, we knew you’re Father was very close. Since then, we’ve taken to scouting out your part of the world, hoping to find him. If unchecked, you could become far too powerful for even us to handle with his knowledge, and your mother’s blood.” Approaching the feline stowaway.

“Leave Kraytoes alone!”

“Oh! He’s precious to you? Then, we have an agreement for your co-operation? He is an ugly turd of the sea, isn’t he? Skinny and fat at the same time. To think we caught your Father trying to catch such a rodent outside his porch. Perhaps this specimin is one in the same” Reaching for it’s nape, but the cat instinctively hunched it’s entire body away from the hand as it walked away unhindered. “Impeccable response. Fascinating, isn’t it.”

“I KNOW RIGHT!?” Sophie squealed excitedly.

Grasping the skin of it’s nape, Dalmayo picked up Kraytoes. Half submissive half mrowling angrily. It hissed, taking a few swipes as it did. “Send samples to the cloning chamber. To Almatas with the fish, we might be able to make a roaring beast out of this one, certainly. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt him, we might even keep him for a few centuries as an idol of his original genetic magnificence... If... He... Oh, yes, he’s truly fit to be king.”

“Shit!” They heard from behind them, and the sound of something fleshy breaking against the metal wall. The morbid screams following deafened the room. Their eye’s were set to the back stage, where an encore performance was about to unfold, with a bold figure emerged from the dark hall.

“You did good work kids, with distracting them long enough that I could free myself from my cell.” Tall, and furious, Keith made his Unbelievable appearance. “Now then, let an old man do his job and save his daughter.” Ripping the metal device from the guard’s hands, which tethered directly onto his wrist like a magnetic force. It lit up, in an astonishingly vivid navy blue which brightness seemed to radiate like water upon the walls and the very air. Men approaching in from the sides, their rifles aimed at the seemingly unarmed man.

Making a death roll, Kraytoes slipped out from his captors hands like violent razor embedded butter. “You truly have betrayed our trust in you, Belship.” Commanding his reinforcements through the grit of his fresh stinging abrasions. “Fire!”

With great clout, Keith swung his fist in an explosion that followed it, shattering the computers behind him into a fireball that engulfed him. As the flames settled, he stood with a wall of metal in front of him. The shrapnel had formed around him in the gravitational pull which surrounded his device. Protecting him, and soon his daughter with Zack and Aaron in tow. The phase blasts of their rifles reddened the scrap until it’s heated charges primed to discharge onto the enemies, sending most the room into a darkened discord. Quiet, after the storm.

The reserve lights kicked into auxiliary. Most screens shattered and the railing in front of him was eviscerated. Belship walked forward, stepping with great heft and sturdy footing. “No, Dalmayo, You broke mine... I, however, was able to see it before it was too late for me and my family to escape. While we fled to higher ground, you slept with your transgressions strung around your neck, the lapdog of their delusions as they ripped the sanctity of what was meant to save us all, right out from under our feet. If we cannot find peace at the end of our road, then it is not the war we fight for.”

“Shaltin... He knew where you were this entire time, didn’t he? Khroutz too, their working with you in secret aren’t they? Your deceit reaching beyond simply leaving. You took our secrets with you, and imparted with your own.

“There are no secrets about the seven, just a name... But we still have our own, don’t we my old subordinate.”

“Like your daughter? When we saw her there, a goat amidst the sheep, we knew you laid to resided amidst the sleeping Calree, the unknowing, the blissfully ignorant. Why are you not a king?

“The seven are forsaken, they are not the ones of prophecy any longer, but your group of posers, reaping off the glory which you fail to uphold. The ‘seven’ have departed long ago but the ones who rise have yet to show themselves to you.”

“So be it, when I return, your spies will...”

“You won’t get the chance.” Belship’s voice hallowing through the halls. The room before him began to shorten, even light was dragged towards him and the dislodged metal returned to Belship once again. As his ammunition came back to orbit, this time they came onto Belship like snakes and daggers. Reformed by another force, as Dalmayo warped the very ground beneath him into an autonomy of living metal and steel. The ripped railing animated and tore itself from it’s bindings, as it’s supports came to life also. The scrap which orbited Belship spun, clashing with the metal serpents, amalgamating, and subsuming the animated forms into his field. Soon more objects turned to life, ripping from the casings and shattered glass like an army of metallic wolven soldiers which surrounded the rebellion. Even the walls from behind Belship began to contort, but only the objects outside the radius of Belship’s wall of influence. With his impending danger, Belship discharged the scrap into the forces which amalgamated into the adversaries benefit and the ammunition became his enemies to play with.

“It seem’s a game of tug of war, but tell me. You of the Seven were the only one in history to be without a gift, no magecraft, nor powers. How then, had you awoken some latent blood?”

“I was never granted a gift. My gift was my loyalty...”

“Loyalty?”

“I do not serve dogs! My family, my loved ones, the only pleasure in this world. That truth... This shield was made to defend them again you’re kind. The simple people who’s lives live with decency and respect.”

“The ignorant have made you weak. You are a God to them, a mind to reshape all they have ever known and you live a peasant, a bumpkin. Do they not deserve to know the real world?”

“Knowledge alone will not change a man’s heart. Should he be without one, he has no baring to what power such changes make... And the others made to suffer his mistakes grow increasingly.”

“You never were a warrior... A panalia loving scientist. When he arrives, we shall slay him, while you will be picking flowers. The majority was called, you’re title has been revoked, knave.”

“Seems a real scary person, who picks panalias, to warrant their death.” Taking his steps closer. “What are you so afraid of? Is it the waste of a title, or the fear of what a pansy can do? Because my title was revoked before you kidnapped my daughter you coward. This goes beyond your call to duty. Your true colours are painted everywhere you walk.”

“Power overwrites all, so show me what a panalia picker can do, ‘pansy’.” The floorboards came to life, and the metal siding too. Anything that was not a ship component became a swarm of bees from beast to malignant shape which wriggle upon the ground.

Calling his family and friends, Belship walked onwards through the onslaught, his shield absorbing everything into a shroud of metal which protected them. Inside was a cannon fire of glass shrapnel which shattered like dust and penetrated fast enough to reach Belship before it could be converted in his field. “This is redemption, my requiem, the safety of my family and loved ones.” The children held their mouths behind their shirts, with the glinting of glass dust rolling in plumes. Inside the dome, it rattled with a deep frequency that echoed inside Aaron’s chest. “It doesn't matter how ingrained your malice becomes, you have taught me enough of your abilities. I pity what you have become. From honour, to deceit, then to tallow with you!”

The resonance changed to a high frequency, and the metal lost it’s strength to hold up as each assault wobbled their defences more ferociously that the last. The glass dust from earlier seemed to be void, it had dissipated, and the powder beneath their feet flowed away. Aaron’s gut felt itself bounce around as his ears were ready to explode, hearing a loud sizzle. Though he couldn’t see what transpired beyond the field, he felt a horrifying disturbance. The barrier soon lifted, and Belship threw his coat over his enemy

“From Earth, requiescat in pace, momento mori, you duplicitous son of a bitch.” The walls in front of them glistened like mother of pearl, and a red hue began to emit from under the covering. They heard men issue from outside. Belship plugged his shield into the open wire of the computer; overclocking the power flow to his device which extended the range for the ample disarray of shrapnel to barricade the entrances. Finally, some peace to work. A thin layer of powdered glass covered the desks and whatever remained as though it was embedded with a great force. “It is as I imagined...” Keith, or rather Belship announced. “All things to their own frequency to control, even glass can be gravitated with the right hand. He could only control what he could count upon, the more he controlled, the weaker it became... And glass is a nearly invisible blade. His pride ruined the man I once saw great potential in.”

His device flickered many colours until it became a stagnant white. Belship pulled a knife from his back pocket, dismantling the shelled computer in front of him. Underneath the glistening assault and transparent slivers he retried a piece of hardware. Biting the prickle on his fingers, he blew whatever debris was on the chip and took his shield with him.

The kids followed as he left through the front door. “Um... Keith,” Aaron mentioned. “We saw a ship, parked in the garage...”

“Where is it boy?”

“Down the hall, straight.” Sophie directed in Aaron’s place.

“Good children. Mind your eyes.” He ordered, making more bloodied patience for the sick bay. As they entered the garage he broke the overhead opening mechanism with a loud shrapnel discharge, testing the door to assure his handiwork. Then going to the remaining doors to do the same.

On the rolling work tray, Sophie found an old can. Twacking it, she called out. Dislodging another shard, Belship tested the integrity of the glass veiwports between him and the approaching soldiers. Tying up the office door, he could hear them on the other side, rallying to the sealed entrance, and then rallying out to the next door. Before he could get to it, the passage opened. Raising his weapons, he halted as one medium sized James Bond Calico sauntered through the passage to the call of food. Belship sealed the last door in, assuredly. The last possibly point being above them, where stood a scruffy old fart with a sore neck and throat.

“You here gonna jack my ride, ain’t ya?” The old fart called out solemnly more hoarse than last time. “Pride... Joy...Mmn!” Walking down the steps from the docking bay tower. “A lot of elbow grease in that one. Man put’s his heart and soul into a set of wheels, and you wanna take that from him?” Wielding his fancy lighting rod which arced a high voltage static. “Well, that’s just not a very neighbourly thing to do. So... COME GET SOME!” Standing tall and flailing menacingly.

Belship risen an entire gravitational field of menacing objects around him.

“Right, I’ll get the door for you. Don’t scratch her up too badly. Extra ‘fuel’ in the back if you don’t mind rotgut. Careful with the landing gear, been procrastinating that one for a few years now...”

“It’s important to you?” Belship confirmed.

“Why... Why yes...”

“Then we got an agreement on your cooperation?” Getting a silent nod, the old guy rustled up to the control hub.

“Oh, and, uh... Autopilot knows where home is.... So, uh... Just bring my baby girl back before dark, kay?” Worry clearly coming out from his trembling voice.

Looking back at the old man, Belship shook his head. “You need a wife...”

“Hail no I don’t!” Slamming the door between them and the control hub, the old guy made good on his word, and they left through the main exit port.

Keith gave him a friendly goodbye from the cockpit, as the kids settled down. “I can’t tell if he’s waving... Or flipping us off...” Zachery mentioned, taking a back seat in the cargo station.

Finally having the breathing room, Aaron looked around him at the alien storage loft. He was at ease. He couldn’t seem to get over how unsurprising this all was, yet everything should tell him it was strange. Taking only a few minutes to navigate the automatic flight controls, Belship made his seating in amidst the crew. “So, this is...” Aaron trying to find the words to express this oddity.

The saddened glaze over Belships eyes returned, and his loamy voice carried in an audience. “I never wanted you to know about any of this, in my mind, I picture you as a brilliant mind. When you have something to hide, you always worry that someone else will sniff it out, or ask you a question that will pin you against your darkest secrets... These were the people who I knew, and no offence, their kids were... A lot smarter, and were taught in guile. I suppose I have imparted this assumption onto you unfairly... I hate to say it. I feel very guilty at how happy it made me to hear you wanted money for this stone.” Looking deeply into the crystal core around his wrist. “Money, instead of answers. Answers, that could open a man’s dark past. But I appreciate your simplicity, it saves me from my defences. I can trust a man with a lot more knowing they have no sadistic pleasures in taring a man open to have a pick at his secrets. Like... The people of my old life once did.

“So, you’re Belship then...”

“Just picked up on it?”

“No, just... Opening that one up...”

“In many ways, these selfless ways of yours also humble another brilliant quality of knowledge, a gut feeling that tells people what the score is without needing to quantify it. I have always appreciated this primal discernment of humanity.”

“Seems kinda like a stereotype, powerful guy leaves everything behind him for a family.”

“It's usually true. Any young feller who seeks fame will be drawn to it but any older feller worth his salt will tell you that it wasn't what it was cracked up to be.”

“Dalmayo... He said some things about you... At the rooftop, but I guess really, I’m more curious about the guys you were in contact with.”

“They were the dribbles of a man who believes the world is out to beat him... It seems easy to think everyone wants to hurt you, when you live like that. As a man who has held many secrets, I know the eyes of someone with much to hide... And myself as a child with untested theories. When that barrier departed in Penticton, when... I reviewed my aerial footage, the faces that emerged were mostly of Altar... And it would seem the council was bought out after all. I guess... She lost that bet for nothing. I will admit, seeing my old friends was nice but I fear for where they stand may fall from beneath them, as was to my family and I. How I long to warn them, to speak with them once more. It was the old way that bound us... It meant something. I miss them.” Looking over to his daughter, the sideways slant of his mouth giving her a parenting lament. “Sophie please” Reaching out to the cat.

“No!” She defended, hugging him tighter. “He’s mine, and I love him!”

“Hon... You’re squishing him.” He said earnestly.

Getting the foothold, Kraytoes smacked her a few times, before going back to clean himself of her.

“Can’t believe you were caught trying to chase one of these things,” Zack chimed in. “We thought you hated them...” Belship sighed, speechless.

“So this is the normality that you are used to seeing?” Aaron marvelled. “No wonder your so messed up.”

“I told you most things make sense to me.” Sophie answered. “The only thing I don't understand is the passion that drives people, maybe I have it, maybe I just don't feel it the same way.”

Peering out from the shuttle’s port window, Zack gazed. “What evening tides as the sky. From days in to the close of our life times... It seems so still out here, ever weightless in motion. When neither tell of night or passing of stars can be seen, yet courses more fervourantly and more hastily than the passionate clouds on earth. It should seem so zen to be between them, moving ever quickly yet never seeing the passing of such great forces at work. Yet it is nature, and the earth too moves, and the stars too bare life as we. When two eyes from afar should meet the stars and wonder, how truly small we are...” Nodding. “Yes... I should have written that one down, might make me some money one day... Amazing what a different perspective can show you...”

Arron nodded, his mind wishing he could construct such an inspiration. From before his eyes, he could notice small differences that he never noticed. Being so close to her for so long, it became more apparent. A small flicker passed by his eyes, and the anomaly caught his attention. Trying to figure it out, he could almost see an invisible ligament flowing. Almost glowing. Her skin colour was tinted olive, like it always was. Her ears, flatter, and wider, yet it matched every memory. As his eyes began to glisten, he noticed things that were truly strange, and the flowing ligaments become more visible until he could actually see them. The texture, and quality of her skin, the shape, it’s smell and ambient chill temperature. What was taken for granted, accented itself and between the cracks of his perception and a strange realization followed this; finally making peace that she was never really human.

“Sophie...” His lips uttered. Gaining her attention, piecing his past with her peculiarities and obsessions. “The hole isn't where it normally is, is it...”

Her attention however was not brought to his blatant inappropriate remark, but into the fascinating glimmer in his eyes “You are doing that thing again Father told me about. You can't see it, can you? Then I guess you don't know what you are looking for. I've always been able to see it, people just never have it. It's why I love it when you're so passionate about something, the way that you are... That's when it activates. Everyone else, only pretends that their passionate, even if they don't know it.”

“Child,” Belship called to him. “You have a great potential. But at your rate, it's only a side effect and will never grown to flourision. Perhaps your children after you can bare the torch and discover it's true power in your stead. It is not of the Seven’s strengths, it is utterly unique. Perhaps benign, and utterly useless... Yes, perhaps very benign indeed. But that is the flower that any parent wishes to see grow. It is what supersedes us.”

Making it’s landing back upon the Earth, somewhere in the back hills, Belship studied the interface to return shuttle to belligerent sender.

“You seem out of it now that we’re on the ground.” Sophie mentioned.

“It’s just so weird, what are the chances of all of this? It seems impossible. Planed by a bad writer... Who, or what could make something so inconceivable happen...”

“It’s ‘in-per-ceivable’ but as I said. There are forces at work which makes oddities like this rather trivial. And yet, in a single person, has more mysteries than all the stars in the sky.”

Aaron looked back to the soaring ship. Though he lost the focus to see her Alien qualities, he took comfort in knowing that such simple things existed. Having learned of their existance. Mysteries, in much smaller places. “Really gotta wonder if this is what he... He was, uh... Showing me... The... Short guy...”

Belship stood still, catching even Sophie’s attention. And in their eyes, they saw the sunder and the loss, when Aaron’s mind was cut short. The boy, utterly oblivious to the tread, that sewn his mouth shut under a vice once more.

Chapter end