Bestial Planet

Chapter 33: Home

I wasn't sure when T.V.R. would come back but I hoped the directors would keep their promise that they would be treated fairly. Beyond that, the seven of us had done our job. We started what would be the true Space Age revolution for the Humans of Earth. A Space Age that included our participation in this war with the Halgred. A war we were dragged into but be damned if we stayed victims of.

That word held a strange meaning to me now, victims. I'd seen some of the bodies of Lancieta's crew, I'd seen the way she and the others looked when they thought no one was paying attention... I imagined it was what War-Torn veterans looked like, sometimes though I'd see it on anyone's face.

Something else I didn't understand was the last communication I received about mom and the others on my way back to Earth.

"Former Captain Lancieta Steegle will forever be barred from military service.

Any party found to have enabled her or the remaining members of her crew
in this capacity will be charged as War Criminals. She and the remaining

crew-members of the disgraced Shinimorte are from this day forward,

prisoners to the Inhabitants of Earth - Earth's prisoners will be sent to them

after the Androids are refitted with non-millitary grade bodies. To specify

that term for you Ambassador's, they will receive civilian bodies pertaining to

their skill sets. The entire process should take - 4 Earthen weeks for the

less severe cases. Do the Ambassadors of Earth have any rejections to these terms?"

Would they look different than we were used to? A few Androids on the Frigate back to Earth said receiving a new body could be jarring. A few mentioned mental health problems because they didn't want the new bodies. Since then I couldn't stop thinking if keeping them alive was worse than death.

"Ambassador Steegle, we're about to exit Warped-Space."

Her voice startled me out of my head. I looked out the window and noticed the simulated stars going by on the window were starting to slow down. "Thank you Private."

I turned off my music and put away the interface before nodding to my tail case. She picks it up before leading me to the disembarking terminal. This time around I had a normal room, complete with real windows and easy access to all parts of the ship. I stole a glimpse at the Inter-Galactic class Mortuary Vessel that had come with us as we walked down the hall. It didn't look Gothic or scary. It was utilitarian, sterile. Modules were sticking out of the rear of the ship, pock-marking it at strange points that I guess made sense when you were inside the ship. The front was smooth and looked like those streamlined semi's from... before.

The seven of us got into our designated drop ships after slightly longer than necessary goodbyes. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to handle telling everyone back home what had happened these past weeks. The court appearance was one thing but the hold up afterward and the cagey mettings with other ambassadors from the Milyway were – awkward.

Part of me wished that everyone on Earth had gone back to their smaller groups/herds and that it was just me, Nik and Catty at Section 6; waiting for Mom, Yora and Roisin. Another part of me knew that was the unlikely scenario. Things kept changing.

A fractal-energy-field appeared around the ship before we hit atmosphere but it was barely visible, just like when we left. There was no shaking like in the sci-fi movies, no red lights, it was just like a plane coming in for a routine landing. When the drop-ship sat down on the dock I was partially surprised. The counsel we set up was waiting for me with Catty and Nik. Mei-lin spoke first.

"Welcome home."

"Mutha Fucka!" Catty said with a grin on her face.

"Ambassador." Nik said with a mocking bow.

"It's good to be back."

I looked to the drop-ship and something finally registered in my head about the area. A port had been fashioned by the water; which we landed on. Barely any of the forest was cleared if any at all, the buildings were relatively cleaned up and the roads seemed to be getting rebuilt. Not repaired, but rebuilt with some kind of matte metallic look to them. There were other ships docked on the top of buildings that could support the weight and something else caught my eye.

"Catty, why are all the doors missing?"

"It's not that hard to figure out. We ain't got thumbs anymore genius. No thumbs equals no doors. Simple."

I smirked and looked to the few people walking around. The odd aid-bot carrying building supplies and trailing behind a few. I walked up to Nik while still taking in the efficiency of the repairs.

"It's cool they didn't wait for us to come back to start rebuilding... Who's been in charge for all of this?"

"Well the council had elections for positions as the need arose man but I think that's stuff for you to talk about with Mei-lin and the other members." He said motioning to the smiling people to his right.

"Did you get an official position?"
"Nah. Most people who want to help just do what they can. I'm a quadruped so if I wanted to help I'd need one of those things following me around. They aren't giving them out like candy though so it's whatever."

Catty pawed at Nik's head which he shook off.

"Nik has been in charge of dinner. Turns out breathing fire isn't that common."

"What about your poison and the whole flavour thing?"

"I figured that out man. I got control over my flames and poison now, I'm still not catching the food though. Just start fires and teach people how to cook, so my poison isn't much of a concern."

As we walked the few hundred or so feet to Section 6, I saw that it was being repaired slowly too, or at least just enough to where it wouldn't snap in half. Panels that were missing were replaced and the doors that Lancieta blew open were totally removed and now just had two people standing outside them, one was an over-sized hawk and the other the feathered-wolf.

"Hey Panzer welcome back!"

"Sup... what's up with the doors, or lack-there-of?"

Mei-lin answered. "Well when the question of repairing the doors came up we remembered that you said you'd like for the ship to be open to everyone if they wanted to live in it. The guards are here because we wanted to make sure the Androids weren't bothered. They're only here until the deceased are taken home. So for now it's just been Catty and Nik's mansion for 3 days."

A smile inched across my face which Catty noticed; "You sure you wanna let people into our home?"

"Guys this thing is huge! If people want a roof over their heads who am I to say they can't live here?"

Then a disembodied voice spoke.

"Welcome home Ambassador Steegle. I am the A.I. for this domicile, if you have any questions or requests please, do not hesitate to call me. My name is Hex."

The A.I. made me angry. How long did it take them to just fill in T.V.R.'s home with some assistant program? I felt the muscles in my face tense.

"What's this?" I said, almost growling.

"Calm down man. He was only installed when we were told T.V.R. were going through the test."

"If Tould, Vould and Rould wish it, I can be removed without trouble and installed where ever you need me."

I didn't respond to it. As non-sentient as it was, I didn't want to say something rude, so I asked for some alone time to unwind from the travel back home. I had the private put my tail case in a locker in the lobby and relieved her of duty. Then I just walked around exploring the changes that were happening in the area and got some food. After that I asked Mei-lin to call a meeting to get caught up on how things were running, it proved to be a busy week back for me.