((Disclaimer: I am not a good writer. There. I said it. Here's a "little" background into everyone's favorite DebtLizard - DJ w00t))
PART 1 - GENESIS
In the beginning, there was darkness - liquid and deep. The world seemed created entirely of shadows and inky blackness stretching infinitely in all
directions. There was no up or down...no beginning or end.
Suddenly, light - blinding enough to bleach one's soul it seemed. The world shrank, from the endless womb of a black sea, to a glowing prison of glass,
wires, and synthetic ambiotic fluid. Consciousness bubbled forth like the head of a warm beer after being set down too hard as eyes which had never seen the
light struggled to comprehend the world around them.
Genau'Goeg was awake. And none too happy about it.
She was suddenly aware of the various hardware attached to her body - electrical leads sending gentle shocks to muscles to stimulate them, a feeding tube
shoved down her throat and into her stomach, air lines that worked their way into her sinus cavities, and most disturbing of all, the wires attached directly
to her brain through her scalp, tickling her thoughts with images she did not yet understand. She began to tear out the electrical impulse leads, only stopping
when the pulses intended to stimulate her muscles electrified the ambiotic medium inside of her capsule prison. She was vaguely aware of buzzing alarms as she
slipped again into unconcsiousness.
Again, the light was blinding, more so than before. Genau'Goeg's eyes snapped open and she instinctively lunged forward towards an enemy that might
even not exist. She found herself choking quite suddenly and looked down to see a leather collar around her neck attached by a thick chain to a smooth
alabaster wall. Genau sunk to the floor and coughed, fighting for breath. Her eyes darted around, taking in her new surroundings.
She was no longer attached to any wires or tubes - apart from the collar around her neck, she was completely unencumbered. The room was smooth and white as
eggshell, harshly lit with a brilliant white globe suspended from the ceiling and adorned with nothing more than glass partition and a few chairs beyond. There
was a door on the other side as well, but none it seemed leading into her glass prison. Gen's smooth blue scales scraped softly against the stone as she
propped herself up on her elbows and rolled onto her back, looking up into the cold, unblinking eye of a previously unnoticed camera. Her head snapped towards
the sound of an opening door, teeth bared.
A creature filled the room beyond the partition with its sheer presence. He was dragon-like in appearance, scales glossy and green as springtime, with a large
pair of leathery wings peeking over his well-muscled shoulders. He wore a set of chitonous form-fitting black armor with a large sword strapped to his hip. The
numerous scars along his body confirmed that his sword was not merely for show, Gen noted, nor was the stink of blood, palpable even from this side of the
glass partition. His claws clicked across the stone floor as he glided to one of the chairs. A thick tail swung behind him like a pendulum with each step. He
looked at the naked and snarling Genau with an air of amusement and took a seat.
"Please," he hissed in a deep, condescending voice. "Your face may freeze that way."
"Wha...what...am...I?" Gen struggled with each word, the sensation of language still unfamiliar to her untried tongue.
"What are you?" the creature smiled. "You are mine. That is all you need to know for now." He reached to his side and opened a compartment
on his armor, producing a key. "I am going to come in there, and you are going to behave, understand? If not, well, I'm sure I can find ways to make
you more...docile." His voiced dripped with an undertone of pompous power, of someone who's authority was absolute. A part of Gen recoiled and
submitted as she sat up, watching this stranger as he rose from his chair and walked toward the glass partition. He pressed his hand against the smooth
surface, leaving a glowing handprint behind which coalesced into a keyhole in the glass. When the key was inserted, the partition faded out of existence. The
large draconian creature grabbed two chairs, setting one in front of Gen, and sitting in the other a good 3 or so feet beyond her reach.
"First I should tell you my name," he started, matter-of-factly. "I am Karegu'Rhia, leader of our people, the Dran'an. You are known to
us as Genau'Goeg, the name of our Goddess of the Harvest." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "This is a lot to take in,
I'm sure, but this is very important for you to understand. Ours is a mighty race, carving our glory out of the corpses of our enemies. It is in our blood
to conquer those who dare to stand in our way - constant millenia of struggle has been recorded in countless manuscripts spanning generations of my lineage, as
well as yours. However, it would seem there is one foe that we are unable to best, despite all of our technology and all of our battle-hardness. An entire
generation of females has been born to us sterile or unfit for breeding. The cause seems to be an anomaly in our women's genetic structure, according to
our scientists." Gen was suddenly aware of Karegu'Rhia's eyes on her body, sweeping her from head to toe with a seemingly lustful intent. She
glared at him and snorted, the sharp exhale of her breath steaming slightly. Karegu smirked and continued.
"I gathered my best scientists together and sent them on a quest to find compatible genetic material to our own. They conquered countless lower races on
distant worlds to find missing DNA sequences, as well as conducted several operations on the homeworld of the race known as humans. Some of our experiments
were at best, a mediocre success." He reclined a bit, his eyes fixed on Gen's scaly breasts. "They produced us eggs, yes, but there were some
unforseen problems - mainly birth defects, but also sterility. This last crushing blow to our species was unimaginable. Luckily, we were able to adapt
technology from some of the other races we have conquered." He smiled, his pointed teeth glittering in the harsh light of the holding cell. "That is
where you come in, Goddess of the Harvest. You are a result of many years of trial and error - the first fertile, ex-utero child created in our laboratories,
and the purest of all our hybridization experiments."
"Child!" Gen spat, a growl rising in her throat. "What child looks like this?"
"Temper, my dear," Karegu said, scowling. "These are your first moments of consiousness, however, you have been growing under the watchful eyes
of my scientists, and myself, for quite some time, though not as long as you would be having been naturally hatched. That is the beauty of this ex-utero
technology - we have the ability to speed up certian stages of development. Although, others..." he trailed off, looking over Gen's shoulders at her
lack of wings. "You are, chronologically speaking, only 10 years old. However, your mind, and...other aspects, are that of an adult." Gen's head
swam with confusion and rage, her mind desperately trying to soak all of this in, and her body rebelling as a result. She wretched and vomited before drifting
off again into unconsiousness. Karegu wrinkled his snout in disapproval, sighed and rose to leave. He turned towards the two "scientists" that had
entered from the hallway - large hulks of draconian brutes, bristling with spines and barely contained animal instincts.
"Collect her, clean her up, and take her to my chambers." He said, slightly disgusted. "And remember to restrain her - I don't want a repeat
of what happened when you tried opening her capsule." Karegu rubbed a newer-looking scar on his face which ran from his cheek to the top of his reptilian
scalp...
(to be continued)
That's last line is...rather sinister in the implications. I admit, it took me a few minutes before it actually sunk in, given what her name is supposed to mean. And ouch, ouch, ouch.
Well played.
-- Acyl
brutal.
Nit #1 - she'd be 'Chronologically' ten years old, with physical and mental development occuring at an accelerated pace.
I approve.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies
Certainly darker than what I expected from the debtlizard, but enjoyable non the less.
Eagerly waiting for more.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy
Okay... I read it.
Since I know you respect my opinion I'll tell you flat out I was whole heartedly dumbfounded miss 'I'm not a good writer' the only thing that I
got hung up on was "Consciousness bubbled forth like the head of a warm beer" and that was only because I had to bust out laughing at the imagery.
Appropriate just unexpected and seemingly out of place for the rest of the writing style HOWEVER it does fit the point you're trying to convey rather well.
I'm looking forward to the continuation and I to your "not a good writer" I'll show you worse if you really feel inadequate here.
CHAPTER 2 - GALATIANS 6:7
Genau'Goeg dreamed restlessly under the heavy sedation of an alien multi-drug cocktail, her shackled body stretched out on the soft, deep piled fur of some
alien beast in the personal chambers of Karegu'Rhia. He watched her from a distance as she slept, his brow furrowed in a knot of distain as he lounged in a
large, intricately carved wingback chair. Her body and higher conscious functions may have been shut down, but a deeper, more animal part of her brain was
still alert - and it was that part of her brain the Dran'an scientists were having the most problems with.
Karegu held reports detailing the results of various tests performed on the sleeping Gen and poured over each one with bored annoyance. A lot of the jargon was
too technical, but what he did understand troubled him. Generally submissive by nature, Dran'an females are not prone to attacking males, unless they have
a brood to protect. The presence of young releases an aggression hormone in the female, similar to what males produce during combat. However, in Gen's
case, there was an abnormality that went unchecked - a deformation of her pituitary gland. It was slightly enlarged, but within tolerance, a scientist tried to
explain before being run through by Kageru's sword. Such incompetence, he thought, is responsible for the downfall of our great race. He took a deep
breath, dropping the reports on the floor in a spray of disheveled papers and played the previous week's events in his head, trying to figure out where it
all went wrong...
They found her half dead and quivering from the force of the electric shock sustained by trying to pull the muscle stimulation electrodes from her skin in a
liquid environment. According to the readouts on her vital monitor, she was in a state of cardiac arrest. Ten years of research and the promise of renewed hope
for the species would come crashing down if she were left to die.
"Do something!" Karegu hissed, almost frantic. Two massive hulks of scientists strode up to her seemingly lifeless body floating in the egg-like
enclosure of her ex-utero capsule. The scientists pushed a panel on the front of the capsule and it opened with a hiss, dumping Gen's form on the floor in
a puddle of synthetic ambiotic fluid. One knelt beside her and injected her with adrenaline through an IV tube coming out of her chest, rebooting her
cardiovascular system.
"She's stabilized now, m'lord," said one scientist, turning towards Karegu. "Heart rate and breathing are normal. She's going to be
unconscious for awhi--GURK!" His voice choked off suddenly as a glowing sliver of energy suddenly appeared on his neck. He mouthed a few more words before
his great, draconic head bid adeiu to the rest of his body, sliding wetly and landing with a sickening thud on the floor. Karegu stepped back, barely avoiding
being splashed with blood as the scientist's headless torso slumped to the floor, revealing a dripping wet Genau'Goeg, claws of angry crackling blue
energy eminating from her wrists. Her snout curled up, revealing a mouthful of dagger-like teeth before she unleashed a massive roar, bounding down a hallway
after the remaining scientist, tubes and wires pulling out of her body as she gave chase.
He fled along the winding corridors of the ex-utero incubation capsules, not paying attention to where his feet were taking him. Too late, he realized that
he'd taken a wrong turn and rounded a corner to a dead end. The scientist frantically activated a long-unused computer panel on the wall and activated an
alarm just as Gen found him. Klaxon alarms blared in the background and the lights overhead began to flash red. With this as her killing symphony, she was upon
him with cobra-like quickness, screaming and clawing at his chest, his skin sizzling under the baleful glow of her blades.
Karegu's blood turned cold as he heard the screams of his scientist above the wailing of sirens, coupled with the screams of bloodlust from his potential
breeding stock. He reached for his sword, the sound of steel singing in his ears as he drew it from the scabbard on his waist. The older warrior dropped into a
fighting stance, the sword a comfortable weight in his hand as he saw Gen stagger into view down the hallway preceded with the cool blue light of her glowing
blades. Her body was spattered with blood, turning her dark powder blue scales a glossy black under the glaring red alarm lights. She spotted Karegu and
stopped, glaring at him with the same fixed, glassy eyes of a coma patient. He snorted and choked up the grip on his sword, his reptilian eyes narrowing at
her.
"Such behavior," he began, "is completely unbecoming of a Dran'an lady. I am your master, and you will do as I say, or there will be
consequences." His voice dropped a couple of octaves at the end, his deep tones resonating against a second set of vocal cords at the back of his throat.
This was a talent unique to the Dran'an males - the dual vocal structures resonate together, creating pulses of sound that affect the cerebrum of
Dran'an females and make them placid and impressionable. Gen's shoulders and head slumped a little, her body relaxing in response to Karegu's
"vocal Prozac". He smiled, baring his gleaming white fangs.
"Very, very good, my goddess," he hissed, "now come to me and let's put an end to this nonsense." Gen slowly walked forward, each step
seemingly painful to her. The grimace of bloodlust never faded from her face as she staggered towards Karegu, her unsteady gait forcing her to support herself
against the wall. Karegu walked towards her reached his clawed hand toward the hand supporting her, putting his sword back in its scabbard. The moment he
clasped his massive clawed hand around Gen's still wet palm, he saw a bright flash and felt incredible searing pain on the right side of his face. The
world grew a little dimmer as he felt his blood pour down his armor and spill upon the stone floor. The glowing blue blade of her off hand had imbedded itself
into the stone wall above Karegu's head, flaying the flesh on his cheek and scalp open as it sailed through the air.
He slumped to the floor just as a contingency of soldiers armed with suppression armaments rounded the corner. One soldier fired a net gun with razor-tipped
bolos, which opened around Gen and pinned her against the wall. She snarled and melted through the netting with her blades, covering the distance between her
and the soldiers quickly. They opened fire as she came, pincushioning her body with tranq darts. She finally succumbed to the drugs coursing through her system
after maiming two more of the soldiers, collapsing on a third...
Karegu was interrupted from his meditation by a low groan as Gen slowly blinked back to consiousness.
"Ah, my sleeping bride," he chuckled, rising from his chair and walking over to the groggy form on his bed. "At last you awaken." His wings
flexed as he began unfastening and shedding his armor, throwing it in a pile near the chair on top of the scattered papers. The last thing he removed was his
sword, which was placed in a holder above the bed. He knelt down on the pile of furs next to Gen and spread his arms wide, muscles rippling under spring-green
scales.
"I am unarmed, and I do not want to hurt you," Karegu said, almost sweetly. "I just wish to...talk."
"Talk...then..." Gen said slowly, the concept of speaking still foreign to her.
"Very well. I admit, it was wrong of me to force so much information upon you at once and expect you to have any other reaction than what you did. But, it
is important you know your place here. You are to be my conicubine - my royal consort of highest ranking." He smiled and leaned in a little closer as he
whispered in a low tone, "My favorite." Gen's eyes widened a little and she blushed as he placed a hand on her scaled thigh.
"What...you...want from me..." she struggled. Karegu put a finger on her lips and hissed softly.
"Shhh, your vocal cords still aren't properly developed yet, try not to speak," he shifted his body onto the bed and straddled her. "In fact
there's no talking necessary for what comes next..."
(I apologise if this chapter rambles, or if I go off on tangents about the intricacies of Dran'an culture - I feel it's important information to
Gen's overall background - DJ w00t)
CHAPTER 3 - REVELATIONS
"Are you sure?"
"Her metabolism, endurance, everything is off the charts...and those glowing blades, there is no other explanation for them."
A glowing 3-D model of Genau'Goeg's body floated before Karegu'Rhia and a knot of scientists. The great leader's spiny brow furrowed slightly
and his breath steamed as he exhaled. Behind a 5-foot thick glass partition, Gen was still running on a treadmill after 12 straight hours, with no sign of
slowing down. Her head was locked in a sensory deprivation helmet hooked up to sensors and a feeding tube - her "home" for the past 6 months. All
she'd known in this time was the all-encompassing darkness and silence...and pain. Karegu had made sure of that. The only time her helmet ever came off was
during her and Karegu's weekly trysts, in darkness, so as not to damage her eyes. Still, even in the darkened gloom of the great scaled leader's
bedchamber, Genau'Goeg could see everything.
With all their couplings, however, Gen had yet to produce a single egg. At times, she seemed to show signs - increased appetite, nesting behavior, and more
irritable towards other females. Tests even revealed increased hormone levels. However, a few days later, all symptoms of Dran'an pregnancy would fade.
Infuriated and more than a little concerned for his lineage, Karegu had ordered a battery of testing on his new "mate".
What his scientists found was incredible. Due to the abnormality in her pituitary gland, Gen's metabolism was apparetly stuck on "survival" mode.
She utilized every nutrient, vitamin, and mineral from whatever she consumed, creating little to no waste as a result. Her body, it seemed, was metabolizing
her brood as soon as it was conceived, and was having a similar effect on her developing wingbuds, still encased in protective sacs, failing to grow.
The glowing blades of energy she manifested were the most suprising, and had the least explaination. This, and the fact that Gen was barely controllable
without massive doses of sedative, or what equated to a "falconer's hood" for deranged draconian scientists, was sewing seeds of fear among
Karegu's ranks. Rumors of long-forgotten prophecies and legends began circulating like wildfire.
"You know my...concerns about saddling a "mythological" explanation to something created entirely in a laboratory environment. We've had
complete control over every aspect of her biology from the time she was protien chains in a petri dish, to now. And as for her unfortunate name, it is just
that - a name, assigned by computer." Karegu lowered his glare at one of his scientists, who recoiled in a sign of submission. "Are you here to tell
me the only explaination you can come up with for her...interesting weapons is a fairy story told by my grandparents to scare my parents into going to bed
before the gorwydd bellows?"
"S...s...sir, we only know of one other instance of this phenomena, and that is in the old legends! Th...th...the Goddess of the Harvest..."
stammered a scientist.
"IS A STORY!" Karegu bellowed, his voice seeping into the minds of his already-frightened followers, demanding submission, fealty, and above all
else, a satisfactory explaination. Their leader sighed at the quivering mounds of scales that had thrown themselves at his feet. "Get up, you worthless
neidr spawn. And do some REAL science. Leave the fairy tales to the children, when we have them."
Karegu turned and left, his wings snapping open and shut in a sign of extreme annoyance. He muttered to himself, walking rather aimlessly through his massive
strongold. He found his way to a parapet, above the underground portion of his fortress, where Gen was housed for most of the time, apart from their
"special" nights. Karegu had made sure that Gen's exposure to the outside world was minimal, and the layout of his fortress a mystery to her. He
took a deep breath as he breached the outside, taking in the rich air, and paused to survey the landscape.
The Dran'an homeworld of Draxis is a planet rich in life and biodiversity. Although a war-like race by design and temperment, the Dran'an are feircely
connected to nature, and have focused their entire culture around living in balance with the environment and "low-impact" conquering - take only the
cities, leave the wildlands untouched. As a result, over centuries and millenia, the Dran'an empire was famous for beautifying any planet they conquered,
utilizing the native inhabitants as plentiful slave labor. Draxis was unique in that the Dran'an themselves had toiled for centuries and millenia,
perfecting building techniques and roadways that coincided with the natural order, and left little to no impact on the surrounding landscape.
The result of this constant striving to be at one with their environment was spread out before Karegu in a breathtaking panorama of seemingly undisturbed
forest and pristine rivers. The fortress itself stood on a small mountain-top, flanked on all sides for miles around by a vast city nestled in the trees,
completely hidden except for the tell-tail glint of sunlight reflecting off the metallic surface of air exchangers (most of a Dran'an building is actually
underground). Above, small, bat-winged dragonets wheeled in the sky, riding the wind towards the horizon. Below, herds of gorwydds - horse-like reptiles that
served as beasts of burden and a plentiful food source - grunted and bellowed, calling in the approaching night.
As beautiful and serene as this scene was, it did nothing to still the unrelenting sense of unease within Karegu. He sighed and wandered back into the halls of
his fortress, not paying attention to where his feet took him. He snapped out of his reverie long enough to realize that he had somehow found his way to his
personal library, inexplicably drawn to a long-neglected section of literature, covered in dust and cobwebs. He focused on a single tome - "Tales of the
Great Harvest" - an extensive collection of myths, legends, and laws handed down through generations of his lineage and beyond, from a time when his kind
did not live as one with the natural order. Karegu shook his head as if to clear some mental cobwebs.
"Insanity," he whispered, but found himself reaching for the book anyway. Slowly, with great trepidation and more than a little fear, he walked over
to a massive, overstuffed reading couch and reclined, carefully opening the fragile, yellowed pages. The book opened to a brilliantly inked picture, drawn by
steady hands millenia ago, depicting a beautiful blue Dran'an female, basked in glowing light, with large fighting claws wreathed in unearthly blue flames.
A description, lettered in ink unblemished by the ages in an ancient tongue said simply, "Genau'Goeg - Goddess of the Harvest". Karegu turned the
page and began pouring over the text carefully.
Lo, and all was lost, and the land was beset by great pestilence and war. Behold, the time of the Great Harvest was among all of Dran'ankind, as was the
will of the gods, for ages of quarrels and pilliaging of Draxis' vast bounty had angered them. In their wisdom, they did appoint the youngest of their
enclave, Genau'Goeg, the great Goddess of the Harvest, in the task of reaping the dark crop sown of and by Dran'ankind. With claws of flame she did cut
Dran'an and beast alike in a harvest of souls and filled the larders of the heavens to overflowing. When the heavens could hold no more bounty,
Genau'Goeg did call the Kings of the Ten Tribes, the great bloodlines of Dran'ankind, and bid them to cease their evil ways, and live at one with each
other, the land, and all manner of beast, lest another Great Harvest should befall them. Hear her words, and may they echo through time neverending. "You
will know the sign of my coming, when the seeds you sow fail to bear fruit, and by the light of my Holy Flame."
At that, Karegu slammed the book shut, a plume of dust erupting from the ancient pages. An unrelenting sense of fear spread over him as the last passage echoed
through his mind. The name, the strange glowing claws, the strange affliction that had overcome almost every female on the planet...indeed, it all seemed too
much to blame it on mere coincidence. Still, the staunchly scientific part of Karegu'Rhia tried in vain to discount this terrifying revelation on mere
superstition. Surely, the stress of dealing with the greatest catastrophe in the long recorded history of Draxis was just taking it's toll...
(Some more rambling in this chapter, dealing with Karegu'Rhia - read it anyway - the next chapter has Gen in it. Apparently, I'm on a roll - DJ w00t)
CHAPTER 4 - PSALM 1
It was a ritual Karegu'Rhia had not partaken of since he was a hatchling. During the night of the double full moon (Draxis is approximatelly 3 times the
size of Earth and has 2 moons - Glas and Danio), twice a year, many Dran'an males have their futures told by a priestess assigned to him at birth. Even in
a culture dedicated to science and understanding one's surroundings, spirituality and mysticism had not been completely extinguished, it seemed.
Yet tonight, on the longest and coldest night of the year, Karegu extinguished the "voice of science" and, if only for a moment, embraced the fact
that there are things in this world that can never be measured by any scientific instrument or technology, yet exist nonetheless. In the dead of night, with
the blazing light of the double full moon overhead, Karegu stole out of his fortress using a path he found as a child that evaded all means of detection by the
formidable security system that surrounded the area of the stronghold. The only breach in his defenses.
Some nights he would stroll along this route and glance up at the sea of stars overhead, contemplating worlds he had not yet visited or conquered. Among those
worlds, was a small blue gem circling a yellow star - the inhabitants called it Sol, and their world "Earth". Thousands of ago, the last of the
previous royal bloodline, Mirr'Lin the Red, had made contact with the Earth natives and found that he felt sorry for these poor creatures, on the brink of
civilization, with no clue. He lived among them, teaching them the Dran'an tongue, the ways of agriculture, and the art of stonecrafting. Before departing
many years later, Mirr'Lin formed a pact with the tribe's leader, where they assumed each other's name in a sign of brotherhood, and where no
mention should be made of his presence among their kind or of his hand in crafting their culture in any stories they write. Upon returning home, Mirr'Lin
was killed by Karegu's ancestor, Draig the White, as it was his belief that these "humans," as they called themselves, were not worthy of
Dran'an wisdom - and those that lie with the nghi, should die like one. As was discovered later by an autonomous probe sent to planet Earth to covertly
gather genetic material, the pennant designating Mirr'Lin's band of humans proudly displays a crudely-drawn representation of a rampant, red,
Dran'an male...
Tonight, Karegu walked with urgency. He wasn't even sure if the old priestess was still alive, but something compelled him further down the path. After
walking through the deep forest for what seemed like miles, Karegu came to a break in the trees that opened to a vast meadow - where he first learned how to
fly. This place was beyond the prying eyes of his attendants, and not on an approved list for development. There wasn't another house for a full square
mile surrounding this glade - the closest house being that of his assigned priestess. Karegu flushed slightly when he found himself blanking on her name.
Surely, she knew his. He flexed his wings and took to the air, covering the mile between him and possible answers with extraordinary speed. In a little less
than a minute, he circled and flared his wings, landing silently at the doorstep of a simple, one-story wooden shack, its air-exchange system covered in moss
and vines, chugging silently. The structure, like most Dran'an architecture, was slightly sunken to stabilize temperatures, making it cool in the summer
and warm in the winter. Karegu paused only briefly before knocking on the door.
"Ahhh, my child. You are right on time." came a raspy voice from inside. "Enter - I have prepared us a drink." Karegu swallowed heavily and
felt the color drain under his scales. How did the wrinkled old hymlusgiad know it was him? He opened the door and walked down a small set of stairs into the
main chamber. The room was filled with thousands of books, stacked haphazardly on bookshelves, spilling onto the floor and across the several small reading
tables set up in the corners. The large central pipe for the air-exchange system was decorated with the same symbol over and over again - a tribal sun with
three rays etched by naked claws on the bare metal. It was the mark of the Great Harvest, which came to a head on the longest day of the year. The grey,
toothless old Dran'an crone that had called this place home since he had known her adjusted her long, white flowing robes and limped over to a simple
wood-fired stove where a kettle was boiling. She poured the contents into two glass mugs and handed one to Karegu.
"It's your favorite, remember? Afal blossoms and ground synamon. Do drink up, before it gets cold." The old crone's weathered snout wrinkled
in a smile as Karegu took a long draught from his mug, his eyes widening slightly as his childhood came rushing back in a sweet and spicy rush. He remembered
his last visit to the priestess, when he was but a child of only 15 years (Dran'an can live 150 years or more), and she was already very old. Now, he stood
before her, well into his 80th year, suddenly very aware of his impending mortality.
"Now that I have buttered you up, it's time to tear you down," she hissed softly. "Karegu, I am fully aware of your bloodline's betrayal
of our kind, and the curse that carries. Your parents were only acting out the motions of protecting their spiritual bounty when they brought you to me for
your first reading over 80 years ago. They wanted to hear something different than what I had to offer your father, when he was first brought to me, on this
very night, nearly 2 centuries ago." She took a sip of the contents of her mug and savored the taste before continuing. "That is not and apparently,
will not be the case. The stones have been cast, Karegu, and not in your favor. Your ancestor violated the Goddess' ancient law when he murdered
Mirr'Lin and assumed the throne in the name of enslaving our fellow thinking creatures." She took another drink and leveled her exceptionally bright
eyes at Karegu. "Your father had the opportunity to change his destiny several times along the way, and he did not. Instead, he taught his lineage of
bloodshed and war to you, filling your head with glorified stories about the old days when we were locked to our planet, and engaged in senseless bloodshed
among ourselves."
"He wanted me to be a great leader and follow in his footsteps," Karegu spoke softly, remembering that though he may be king and a Dran'an of
science, there are rules to follow - never piss off a Genau'Goeg priestess among the most important. The hellish-looking battle claws of her station hung
on the wall behind her, glowing with an unearthly blue light. He shuddered a little and continued. "My father never killed more than was necessary, and
kept in line with the basic tenants of your teachings - live at one with nature."
"Your father corrupted my words and twisted them to suit his own needs. As did your ancestors." She took in a deep, rattling breath as she finished
her drink and drew her robes in tightly around her, as if to ward off a chill. "The urge to conquer is strong within our species, Karegu'Rhia. It is
the edict of the gods that we cast off this primal urge and better ourselves, both spiritually and physically. Without the health of one, the other sickens and
dies over time." The crone started coughing violently, covering her toothless muzzle with the sleeve of her white robe. Karegu could see small flecks of
red spattered on the cloth when she withdrew it. After a moment, she continued, more quietly now.
"I have lived far beyond my years to serve one purpose, my child, fitted to me by the Goddess of the Harvest. I was assigned to the start of your horrible
lineage, to Draig the White himself, to be a moral compass for you and your ancestors, in the hopes that the events in your very near future would not come to
pass." She fell into another coughing fit, but managed to make her way over to the wall where her fighting claws hung. The old priestess took them down
and carried them over to Karegu, presenting them to him.
"The girl...one who carries the signs of our returning Goddess...these belong to her now," she hissed before slinking over to the doorway, blood
trickling from the side of her mouth.
"You she-bitch!" Karegu snarled. "You give me only criticism, bad omens, and bits of old metal? I came seeking answers!"
"Manners, child," the priestess snarled, disrobing and revealing her shredded and age-disfigured wings. She opened the door and staggered outside,
with Karegu following close behind. "The time for my final flight has arrived. And the answers you seek, you are not willing to hear." With a grimace
of pain, she spread open her wings, a sudden and strong wind gusting around them. "I leave you with this, my final vision. I foresee your Goddess
incarnate escaping you into a sea of black, only to return to you later, more powerful than you could ever imagine, to reap the dark crops your ancestors have
sewn." With that as her epitaph, the old priestess climbed painfully into the air on long-neglected wings and turned southward towards a vast mountain
range in the distance, crowned by a smoking, active volcano - the Mountain of Black Fire, where all old Dran'an make their final flight. Karegu watched the
volcano for some time, and was sure he could see the glint of her grey body in the moonlight, sillouhetted against the black of the sky and smoke, plummeting
to its final, firey resting place. For the first time in his life, Karegu'Rhia now wondered if, when his time came, he too would make that last flight...
4 is tangent but tell me more.
CHAPTER 5 - EXODUS
Three years had passed since Karegu'Rhia visited the ancient priestess. In that time, Genau'Goeg had finally produced a small clutch of eggs - all
female offspring. It was still too early to tell if her dranlings would grow to be fertile, but the initial tests seemed promising. No visible genetic defects
or abnormalities, and thankfully, no sign of having inherited their dam's nasty disposition or unique weaponry. The brood was ripped from Gen upon their
laying, and indeed, she seemed to have no conscious knowledge of even bearing young.
As time passed, Karegu's fear of the priestess' final warning faded, and he was content in the assumption that above all odds, he and his scientists
had finally overcome the spectre of oblivion haunting his kind. However, doubt always tickled the back of his mind, and had Gen put on 24 hour monitoring, with
a double contingent of heavily armored guards posted in the wing of the fortress where she was imprisoned. Karegu had even taken to performing their weekly
trysts in the confines of her cell, rather than risk moving her from one part of his fortress to the other. The sedatives that had long kept Gen placid and
manageable were no longer affecting her. The only thing standing between him and her wrath was the sensory deprivation helmet. It had not been removed from
her, not even for Karegu's advances, for a full year.
Despite being deaf and blind, Gen was definitelly not dumb. Once a day, she would be allowed an uplink through her helmet to the fortress' learning
computers, a repository for all collected Dran'an knowledge - everything from the biology of their homeworld, to the biology of worlds beyond, history,
culture, and more. She astounded both Karegu and his scientists with her capacity to learn and process information. As a result, her access to the fortress
computer system was closely monitored and heavily firewalled.
In this time, Karegu had also taken to a new weekly "ritual" with Gen - combat training, using the claws given to him by the old crone - a mistake in
hindsight, but his reasoning deemed this to be the right choice, despite the many pleas to the contrary from his enclave. If she was indeed, so murderous and
vicious, he should put that energy to use in conquering other planets. She could prove to be an effective weapon, if she could be controlled. Indeed, Gen's
prowess in combat was approaching unrivaled, second only to Karegu's. Despite what seemed a foolhardy venture, he assured himself that he had taken all
necessary precautions. Gen's calorie intake was severely reduced in an attempt to slow down her metabolism, and a tight collar was placed around her neck
to limit the flow of oxygen reaching her brain, just enough to leave her docile, but not enough to incur any foreseeable long-term brain damage. As a result,
her baleful, glowing claws had not manifested for quite awhile, much to the relief of Karegu.
Despite all of these measures, Gen's body still healed her wounds as soon as they were inflicted, leaving little to no scarring behind, and her terrifying
speed and strength, even in her weakened and senseless state, were a force to be reckoned with. This alone was starting to spread outrage among the scientists
that watched over her every moment.
"You are damning us all to be among the Bounty of the Second Harvest, m'lord!"
"Not safe at all, I say, you should TRIPLE the guard!"
"She has accessed everything in the approved reading list over ten times already - and she still demands more knowledge."
Three of Karegu's science team were jockeying for position at the foot of his throne, all trying to talk over one another, eyes wide with terror. It was
just before sundown, the eve before the summer solstice - the longest day of the year. Whether it was superstition that had taken ahold of his lessers, or the
fear of a very real, unseen threat, the sense of foreboding had been building up since the discovery that their leader was grooming Gen to be a "weapon of
mass destruction". And their protests had only become louder on this night.
As Karegu and his scientists bellowed back and forth, Gen sat yoga-style in the middle of her cell and concentrated. She had picked up a new trick, unknown to
her captors - by focusing inward, she could subtly influence the workings of her helmet through slight manipulations of her own EM field, interfereing with the
electronics and rerouting electrical pulses in the circuitry. She managed to poke a "hole" in the electronic firewall surrounding her helmet, and had
experimented with expanding her conciousness into the fortress' computer systems. She'd already managed to find blueprints to the fortress and
committed them to memory without being discovered by either Karegu or his servants. Tonight, she perused a chunk of data holding a text document on the
piloting of a long-unused variety of shuttle craft. Inwardly, she smiled. The previous day, she'd stumbled upon the location of one such craft in an
underground hangar not far from the fortress...
Her meditation was broken by the slight vibration of footsteps resonating through the floor of her cell. She backed her mind out of the data stream, carefully
erasing her electronic steps, as a scientist walked into the room beyond her glass partition and checked the readouts. His brow raised slightly at some of the
data, but he thought nothing of it. The entire system had been a little glitchy for awhile, but all of Gen's restraints were in place, with no signs of
failure. The scientist pressed a button, which initiated a "bedtime" sequence for their captive - alpha-wave stimulation, followed by a cocktail of
tranquilizers administered via IV drip. As drowsiness washed over her, Gen stretched out on a small cushioned pad and allowed sleep to take hold. She would
need all her strength if she planned to escape.
Night fell upon the fortress, and only the barest sliver of the double moons visible in the sky. Karegu, mentally exhausted by the day's ceaseless
bickering with his subjects, strolled down his secret path to clear his head. Unknown to him, however his presence here was being monitored on this night...
The sedative had worn off and Gen slowly swam to consciousness, carefully shaping her EM field as she did so as to fool the sensors and not to provoke an
inspection by her captors. Now was the time to act if she desired her freedom. She could stand no more of this existence, of being locked inside her own mind
in the engulfing dark and quiet, while her body was raped in every sense of the word. Carefully, she extended a tendril of her consciousness through the wires
connecting her helmet to the fortress' computer network. Through a few moments of probing, she managed to find the feed for the camera security system. It
jolted her a bit at first - the images hundreds of cameras on and off grounds streaming into her brain all at once. She slowed her breathing and with great
effort, was able to separate the individual camera feeds in her mind, and began "surfing the channels". One feed in particular caught her attention -
a long-forgotten camera system embedded among the deep forest surrounding the fortress, running on an obsoleted redundant circuit. She spotted Karegu in the
images projected into her brain, working his way down a winding path. Her consciousness hopped from camera to camera, tracking his movements through the thick
stand of trees and brush. She slowly realized that this path was leading directly to the underground hangar holding the key to her escape. She smirked to
herself as an idea began to unfold.
Karegu was broken from his reverie by a beeping noise coming from the wireless monitor that informed him of Gen's vitals and condition. It indicated she
had awoken, and was "in season" early this week. His brow quirked and he smiled. Another attempt at a brood was always a welcome idea to him, and
could be just the thing he needed to relax after a trying day. Humming to himself, he snapped his wings open and took to the air.
This was just the mistake Gen hoped he would make. The other camera systems picked up his location towards the east of the fortress, in an uninhabited tract of
wildland. Within a few minutes, she could feel his unmistakable footfalls through the floor, and the change in air pressure as he opened her enclosure. As soon
as she could feel his rough, scaled hands on her thighs, she acted.
Silently hoping to herself that she would find her mark, her clawed fist imbedded squarely in Karegu's genitals. As the howl of pain reverberated through
her helmet she wasted no time and lunged forward, feeling the mighty leader stagger backwards away from her. The force of her body reaching the end of her
helmet's tether jarred her violently, but was enough to dislodge many of the wires imbedded in her scalp. This had just the effect she was looking for -
the containment system shorted out and the helmet clattered to the ground around her. Gen screamed in pain as her eyes, accustomed to years of darkness, were
exposed to light. Ignoring this, she continued her assault on Karegu, swiping at him with her clawed hands, feeling his flesh rend open under sharp keratin.
She could hear him fall to the floor and felt the cool breeze from the hallway on her skin. Karegu jumped up and lunged at her, catching the collar that bound
her throat. It snapped in his hands, leaving his creation completely unencumbered to run amok through the stronghold.
Blinking tears from her eyes, her vision slowly came into focus as she ran along the corridors. The fortress' layout spread out like a map in her mind as
she ran, body-checking guards as she went. She rounded a corner in the hallway and came out in the combat room, where the fighting claws given to her by Karegu
hung on the wall. A broad, malicious smile crossed her face as she reached for them.
They seemed made for her, in all appearance. The viciously serrated black blades, tinged in a glowing blue light, fit perfectly over her hands and wrists. The
stabilizing handles, worn by the ages, seemed familiar and almost inviting. As she slipped them on, a contingent of guards burst into the room, training their
weapons on her. Gen grinned horribly as she leapt at them, deflecting tranq darts and rubber bullets with her blades. She plowed through a weak spot in their
ranks, sending supposedly battle-hardened troops flying before her like ragdolls. A few darts found their way home, but she could feel their effects subside
almost the moment they manifested. Her body kicked into overdrive as she hurtled down the hallways, leaving scores of butchered guards in her wake. Finally,
she found the hallway that led to the outside. As she cleared the distance between herself and freedom, a guard rounded the corner behind her and opened fire
with a heavy energy pulse rifle. Two shots found their way home, ripping through her chest. The impact hit her with enough force to send her body sailing
through the air and over the side of the steep cliffs of the stronghold. Karegu emerged just in time to see his "mate" fall to what could only be her
death.
The pain was incredible - like nothing she'd felt before. The burning pain of the energy blasts was compounded by the sensation of having nearly every bone
in her body broken with the impact of her fall, powerful enough to rupture one of her eyes. She laid at the bottom of the deep crevasse, unable to get up,
barely able to breathe, and half blind for quite some time. She was dimly aware of someone standing over her.
"She's done for, sir. I suggest we leave her for the blaidd to feast upon and put this nightmare behind us."
"Yes, perhaps that is wise. All is not lost, though, gentlemen. We have a brood to attend to."
Footsteps leading away in the night. Then silence. Gen whimpered in pain as she could feel her bones begin to knit. Slowly, and quietly as she could, she
managed to prop herself up on one elbow to relieve the pressure on her collapsed chest. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, even through the haze of pain, too
powerful for her to ignore. She peered into the night-cloaked forest, aware that her depth perception was slowly returning to her as her ruined eye reformed
and filled with vitreous fluid once again. She spotted a small covey of dragonets, nestled in the underbrush. Every movement was torture as she drug herself
silently towards her prey.
Her belly full, Gen's body reacted beautifully. Her bones were completely knit, with only the barest sense of stiffness. She looked up at the steep cliff
she had tumbled down - a 500-foot drop, at least - and for a moment, wondered how she could have possibly survived. Her battle claws she found several yards
away, hidden in the underbrush, and none the worse for wear after taking such a fall. She gathered them and truged through the forest towards the east.
It took no time to discover Karegu's secret path. It was still heavy with his scent, even above the "background smells" of the forest. Gen
scrambled up into the thick canopy above and started working her way down the trail, leaping from tree to tree, beyond the view of the hidden cameras. There
was no guarantee that Karegu and his scientists wouldn't find the same uplink she had.
Just before dawn, she reached the edge of a large meadow. Obscured in the treeline was an access panel, imbedded in the side of a large boulder. Gen slashed at
the door with her claws, cringing at the sound of metal scraping metal. When it became obvious that the door would not budge, she removed her battle claws and
peered at it for a moment. She looked down at her arms and took a deep breath. After a few moments of concentration, her blue energy blades flickered into
existence. With a large swipe, she instantly melted through the door. Not knowing why, she gathered up the ancient claws again and went inside.
The lights of the facility still worked, much to her suprise. The batteries that powered this place were still holding a charge, but not for long, she sensed.
Gen wasted no time in making her way to a rusted heap of a shuttle craft, blemished by years of disuse and abuse. The concern that this rustbucket wouldn't
survive liftoff never even crossed her mind. She had righteousness on her side. She climbed into the cockpit, shooing away a nest of long-tailed llygod from
the controls, and activated the ship. The self-fueling system fired up and filled the ships tanks with propellant as she garbed herself in a black and grey
spacesuit she found in a storage compartment. The heavily buckled suit began form-fitting itself to her body as the countdown began and she took her seat in
the control chair. Liftoff was shaky, but other than a few sticking controls, the craft was handling beautifully. A rumble filled the air as the
"meadow" opened up and Gen climbed skyward.
She looked down and noticed what looked to be an aftermarket weapons module next to her flight controls. Gen smiled and whispered, "Karegu...I've got
a surprise for you, bastard." She leveled the craft's weapons, a cluster of small anti-matter missiles, at the fortress in the distance, laughing as
they streaked through the air towards their target.
In the fortress, Karegu only had time to curse under his breath as he and his stronghold were engulfed by a brilliant white fire.
Gen's ship climbed higher into the sky, toward the sunrise. As she broke atmosphere, she turned her ship towards the Sol system - a place she had read
about in her forced studies. A cryostasis system kicked on as the craft unfurled a solar sail and jettisoned its fuel tanks, speeding her towards long-sought
freedom...
EPILOUGE - PROVERBS 18:24
Gen could feel something tickling at her mind as she sailed through the Sol system, deep in the embrace of cryosleep. The journey had taken months, even at
sublight speeds and with the wormhole "expressway", and her craft was damaged from the rigors of interstellar space. Her tail, usually thick and
pendulous with a rich store of fat, was shriveled and vestigial. Without making planetfall soon, she would die. The tickling increased, coalescing into words
in her mind.
Lost child of the stars, to where to you head? The dialect this entity was using was unfamiliar to Gen, but she could understand the question.
"...Earth..." she whispered. She opened her eyes, blinking the ice crystals out of her vision and looked through the heavily frosted window. A
brownish gas giant filled the entire view, with the swollen red pockmark of an enormous hurricane rotating slowly across top cloudlayer. A shimmering purple
haze was visible to her aft, trailing her ship by a few klicks. She looked confusedly at it as it flew in close to her ship.
You will be delighted in your temporal lobe to know that you are almost there, star child! Your ship appears to be damaged, though. You'll never make
it in time. The interior of Gen's craft was filled with a strange violet glow as the haze floated into the cockpit, its wild energies crackling inches
from her snout.
I do not know why, star child, but I will help you. Maybe one day, you can help me in return... The purple mist shot through the roof of her ship, as if
the bulkhead didn't even exist, and hovered behind the tattered solar sail. The remaining fabric swelled as if filled by an unseen wind and Gen could feel
the craft pick up speed.
You are approximately 15 minutes from making planetfall, star child. Your current heading will suffice. And prepare yourself - the Earthlings are a little
paranoid of new visitors from the cosmos, with good reason. The cloud floated away and banked back towards the gas giant rapidly retreating from view.
I fear that even this small gesture of kindness will lead to my discovery, star child, but I feel that taking this chance will benefit both of us! Until
next we meet... Gen thought she saw the cloud change shape into a strange, tentacled creature as it descended toward the cloudtops.
She didn't have time to worry about that now, as her ship careened through an asteroid field. The cryosleep sequence started shutting down and Gen's
mind sharply came into focus. Gone for now was the strange "purple" sensation that crackled across her body in the presence of the mysterious entity.
The only thing she focused on now was getting her craft out of the way of some of the bigger boulders. Carefully, she piloted the speeding ship, trying hard
not to make any sudden movements that would rob her of precious inertia.
A small, red planet came into view below her, her short-wave radio receiving three separate transmissions spread across the surface. For a moment, she thought
she'd made a horrible mistake and overshot her target, until she spotted a brilliant, blue marble in the distance. Her reciever crackled and squealed as
overlapping signals and communications leaked into space from Earth's surface innundated her craft. The cacophany was almost overwhelming. Sooner than she
had anticipated, her ship rounded the sole moon, and she found herself scrambling to pilot her craft into an orbit around the planet, too late, she realized.
Frantically, she grabbed the radio transmitter and called out a frightened SOS to anyone that could hear. The cabin of her craft became uncomfortably hot as
her ship breached the atmosphere, enveloped in a blanket of fire. Warning bells went off in the craft as a fire broke out towards the aft compartment. Gen
cursed and initiated an emergency separation sequence. A translucent shell enclosed her chair and the craft's canopy blew off the bulkhead with a deafening
boom. Just as the escape pod dislodged from its mothership, the aft compartment exploded, sending bits of flaming debris raining towards the
rapidly-approaching ground. Gen was suddenly jarred by the force of a large parachute opening on her pod. She took a chance and surveyed the landscape below as
she floated down.
The scene was a little startling. There were smouldering, ruined buildings and what appeared to be the wreckage of an enormous alien craft, the likes of which
Gen had never seen, surrounded by an equally huge green forcefield. She spotted large, armored vehicles rumbling across roadways that were naked of any
vegetation, and giant bipedal metal beings slowly picking their way across the rubble. Here and there, she caught brief flashes of energy weapons fire below,
but before she could discern who was fighting what, a low "whop-whop-whop" rumbled in her ears. She turned and saw several aircraft, circling her pod
as it lowered to the planet's surface, spotlights and weapons trained squarely at her.
Her pod landed with a soft "thud" in the middle of a pile of debris, and was instantly beset by a group of what Gen could only assume were the native
inhabitants - Earthlings, as the strange entity called them. They were short in comparison to her, most covered from head to toe in metallic armor. The few
that weren't in this garb looked truly alien indeed. Flat, pink faces, no signs of scales or claws or horns, walking stiffly on two legs. Despite their
non-threatening appearance, Gen was more than aware of the crafted weaponry they carried, and had no doubt of their prowess with them. One of these Earthlings
came at her craft cautiously, armed with a long piece of metal. He wedged a sharp end into the seam on her pod's canopy and leveraged it open with a sharp
crack. As this one stepped back, two others came forward, weapons leveled at her head. One of the unarmored Earthlings started jabbering at her in a language
she did not understand. Gen only shook her head and shrugged in a universal sign of "I don't understand."
She spoke slowly and carefully, "I come for freedom", her hands raised above her head, trying desperately to show them she meant no harm. As she
spoke, another of the unarmored Earthlings cocked his head slightly and spoke to her in what sounded to be a very butchered dialect of her native tongue.
"Freedom? ...you...refugee?" was all she could pick out. There were other inflections and tones that Gen could not understand. She nodded
emphatically.
"Yes! Refugee!" she pointed excitedly at the heavens, recoiling when she heard the clack-clack of a weapon being primed. The Earthling that spoke her
tongue waved the weapon-weilders away and extended a smooth, pink hand to her.
"You come with us, refugee," he said haltingly and helped Gen's 7 foot tall form out of the escape pod. "You answer questions, you get
freedom." As the Earthling sheparded Gen into the belly of a waiting armored vehicle, he produced a small greyish box from the pocket of his strange cloak
and began jabbering into it in the language the others used.
"Yeah, is this the Legendary base? Yes, I need Morgan MacHine, stat."
Gen sat quietly, peering out the rear window at the convoy following them, her crashed escape pod tied to a flatbed truck bouncing along behind them. Her
battle claws had been locked in an armored chest, which currently supported the posterior of several weapon-weilding Earthlings. They peered at her as they
whispered among themselves, making Gen a little more than uneasy. Still, nothing could be worse than what she'd encountered on Draxis...
She must have dozed a little - her body was exhausted beyond belief from the arduous trip across the interstellar medium - for she found herself being poked
awake by the barrel of an Earthling weapon. The one that spoke her language encouraged her out of the vehicle and into the doorway of a large bunker. A
swirling green portal, crackling above a metal platform, was the only thing inside. "Get in", said the Earthling. Gen obliged, fearful of what
appeared to be unholy green fire waiting to consume her.
As she stepped in, she found herself in a large base, with many more of these strange creatures dressed in bizzare garments milling about. One of the large,
metal beings she'd seen earlier stood in a large repair alcove, with several Earthlings toiling over its maintenance. Gen glanced at her
"translator", looking very confused.
"We ask questions first, then it's your turn," he said before Gen could even formulate a question. "Fair?"
"Yes, fair," she sighed as she was led into a small room with a table and a few chairs. As they seated her, Gen could see outside the doorframe two
strange-garbed Earthlings - one with a shock of red hair, the other extremely short, wide, and covered from head to toe in what appeared to be icy blue and
white armor. She tried to listen, but her head spun with lack of food and confusion.
"You understand that my grasp on the 'mothertongue' is tenuous at best," Morgan said in a heavy Scottish accent. "I don't know what
help I can be."
"And I really don't know why I was volunteered to be drug along..." Mag Flashlight clamped his unlit cigar firmly in his teeth, shifting it from
one side of his mouth to the other. Morgan shot him a hot look.
"An alien that is neither Rikti, nor Kheldian. Something we haven't encountered yet. That doesn't intrigue you in the slightest?" Morgan
stole a glance at the topic of their conversation. He noticed a passing resemblance to the rampant dragon of the Welsh flag. Morgan turned to the operative who
phoned him. "You're sure? She speaks Gaelic?"
"It seems to be a dialect that we've never heard. The MK VI translators would do the trick, but unfortunatelly, they're back-ordered. It will be
months before we can requisition one." The operative looked at Gen, who had been given a plate of donuts while she waited. She sniffed the confections,
sneezing when a sprinkle went up her sniffer. She snorted and began devouring the donuts. After they were gone, she started to lick the plate with her forked
tongue, thought better of it, and started munching on the porcelain. He looked at another operative with an air of urgency. "For god's sake, man, get
her more food! She's eating the damn plate!" Morgan quirked an eyebrow at this.
"Does she eat meat, too?" Mag whispered, a little fearful.
"With teeth like that?" Morgan motioned towards the lanky reptilian as she thoughtfully crunched the last of the plate and licked the sugar and
porcelain dust off her fingers. "I'm pretty sure that armor of yours would be nothing but a crunchy shell, if she really wanted." Morgan leaned
towards the operative. "Are you sure she's friendly?"
"Friendly? Not sure. I can tell you that she has shown absolutely no sign of aggression. I think the poor creature is just frightened." The operative
sighed. "Look, I'll be on the level with you. Vanguard doesn't pay me to babysit every potentially friendly alien that tumbles out of the sky, no
more than you guys are expected to stop every bank robbery, or save every lady that gets her purse stolen by Hellions. As per Section 10..."
"...you can hold her for a week, the maximum time alloted for quarrantine." Morgan interrupted. "This isn't my first dealing with Vanguard.
So what you're saying is you called, not only for the slim chance that I can hold a meaningful conversation with her, but also because you need her to be
someone else's problem."
"Umm...yes. I wouldn't have been so blunt of course, but I'd heard through the grapevine that your supergroup's base was fairly
sizeable..."
"Are you SERIOUS?" Mag bellowed, startling Gen in the next room, who instantly dove under the table, quivering. Her energy blades flicked on
instinctively, flooding the room and hallway beyond in a soft blue glow, much to the shock of the Vanguard operative in their midst.
"Talsorian blades? How? Those are reserved for Security Clearance level 35 heroes and above!" The operative drew his sidearm and trained it on Gen,
who froze instantly. The glowing blades ebbed and flickered out of existence.
"Hey, hey, buddy, I don't think she meant anything by it," Mag intoned, carefully working between the operative and the terrified alien in the
next room. "You said so yourself - she's scared. Look, she don't look like no bad egg to me, right, and I fancy myself a pretty good judge of
character. Even if that character is over 7 feet tall, covered in blue scales, and has magical glowing blades." The operative slowly lowered his weapon
and glowered down at Mag.
"I think you just volunteered your services, hero." The operative motioned for one of the base medics to come near. "This gentleman has offered
to be the new arrival's guardian. Do see that he fills out the proper paperwork...."
Quote:"Does she eat meat, too?" Mag whispered, a little fearful.
"And how much meat is she going to eat?" Mag's budget chimed in, also fearful...
awesome.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies
I loled when she ate the plate. -two thumbs way way up-