Spider Queen (Completed)

Pacific AM

After supper Ruby went to the stack of parcels of paint goodies that May had bought in from town. She was just going to pick up a pink bag to put on the table when Maw telepathed her, Ruby touched her head and listened to Maw telepathically. May saw Ruby was communicating with Maw. "What's wrong" May asked. "Maw needs our help" Ruby said. "We have to go now" May said, May knew the relationship between Maw and Ruby was sacred. Ruby sat on the edge of the bed deep in communication with Maw while May bought in LD50 from the porch. May saw the worried expression on Ruby's face before she went to the top of the Frons and flew the ship to Silkwood.

It was close to 10 PM when the Frons approached Silkwood. Silkwood looked like a construction site and light was beaming out into the darkness from all six levels and every level had thousands of workmen busy doing their jobs. May landed the Frons on top of Silkwood. Maw ran up to the porch and climbed onto the roof of the Frons, the Blue Green metallic male was on Maw's abdomen.

Ruby lifted the Frons and headed towards the Abyss. Half an hour later the Frons was travelling down the Abyss. When May came up to the drivers nest she stood next Ruby at the controls, Ruby still had on her bikini and a jacket. May looked at the darkness and asked "why don't you switch on the lights". Ruby turned her head, looked at May and said "because there is nothing to see". "Then how do you know where you are" May asked. "I don't, I know we have to go down 500 miles so all I am doing is keeping the ship stable and the speed just right so we see the landing area as the sunlight starts" Ruby said.

"Where is the side of the Abyss" May asked. "150 miles that way", Ruby nodded her head slightly in the direction to her left, "the Abyss wall I can see, I don't need lights for that and before you ask the next question, we are so far out so we can descend in the more stable air as opposed to the more turbulent air closer to the edge of the Abyss".

"Are you miffed at me" May asked. Ruby gave May a peck on the cheek and said "Not at all, I am just used to being alone in the Abyss; you have to focus on staying alive".

May didn't know if she could stay or had to leave.

Ruby spoke some more, "The closest thing I can compare it to is making love in silence, it's just you and your partner on a silent journey to an as yet unknown destination".

May stood closer to Ruby and groped her butt, then she stood against her but not too close to hinder Ruby operating the controls.

"That's a lot better, just don't get me sidetracked lover" Ruby said still looking forward, "you know I love you with every fiber of my being don't you May".

All May said was "Yes".

Ruby spoke while focusing on controlling the decent of the Frons, "I used to jump into the Abyss every night on the glider never knowing if I would be back again". "When you jump you have to leave everything behind, there is no place for baggage, you have to enter the Abyss with a clear mind because if you don't you die". "It's pure darkness in the Abyss, it can draw you in and kill you and you won't even see it coming".

"1 taught me how to fly the glider, we used to launch near the dark zone in two gliders so I could practice in the dark and the light, we used to jump off a hired transport wagon and had a mile or two of height to practice in before we landed on the dunes". "When I finally found the courage to face the Abyss 1 had the training glider built, we would fly in the glider together". "Before we launched the first time 1 said I had the heart of a true warrior, 1 said that fear blinded a warrior and a true warrior left his heart and fear at his home before going into battle". "I saw a side of 1 that few others have seen; we made more than 1000 training jumps into the Abyss together". "1 taught me how to hunt for the crystals and ride the tube".