Children Of Gaia

Chapter 31

Watching on from the bridge of their new ship, Felix, Lloyd and Eva were utterly mesmerised at the birth of their new home. Finally completed, Alpha Colony was released from its docking clamps and slowly it propelled itself out from the belly of the Bo'rarn Tarsk. With his assignment complete, Kor'tahn docked his Barooda and prepared to escort the Bo'rarn Tarsk back to rejoin the Tarraxen High Command. The Council had gathered to bid him farewell and give thanks once more but Kor'tahn found this tedious and unnecessary instead saying a quick good-bye and leaving promptly before Una could drag it out any further. The humans all watched on as the Bo'rarn Tarsk moved off slowly with its immense escort then disappeared in a flash. Erranos remained behind to wait for the Lotars as the humans prepared to dock with the new station and board.

Felix hailed Una on the 1st Lotar's bridge, with the ships all of Tarraxen design they were able to see and hear each other during transmissions. "We're all set here. Don't start the house warming party until we get back," he joked.

Una and Gaia smiled, "bon voyage," they chorused one another. The entrance to the Sarrat bridge opened and in stepped Ruby.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this lot," she chuckled as Felix and Lloyd rolled their eyes.

"Me too," came a second, most familiar voice. The bridge turned to see Gaia standing behind them. In shock, they performed three double-takes to confirm that Gaia was both on the bridge of the Lotar and the Sarrat simultaneously.

"But how?" bleated Eva, the first to find words.

Gaia smiled, "all Tarraxen ships have machine shops, dear. Took about 3 hours to whip up this beauty," divulged Gaia as she curtsied.

"So there's two of you now?" asked Lloyd scratching his head.

"For now, I'll be having to increase my ranks significantly to assist with medical and teaching duties on Alpha Colony among many other things for quite a while. And someone needs to keep an eye on you," Gaia huffed before giggling.

"Welcome aboard," announced Felix with a victorious grin. "We are just preparing to leave." Gaia found her seat on the bridge and the Sarrat moved off. As it would take several months for the humans to settle into their new home, Erranos advised he would stay until the Sarrat returned from Darsalae. Of course that way the Sarrat crew could say a proper good-bye as Gaia had pointed out so cheerfully.

Eva lent over to Ruby whispering in her ear, "you're going to love it there, it's amazing," she boasted to an already over-stimulated Ruby who shivered in her seat.

The Sarrat began to fold space and within seconds was far beyond the Earth system. It only took a few weeks and the Sarrat was almost at Darsalae when they returned to sub-light speeds with an alarm sounding on the bridge. Red lights flashed across the ship and they began to panic.

"What is it Gaia!?" called out Felix raising his voice over the loud alarm tone.

Gaia silenced the alarm, "Scourge!" she screamed as the sinister image came up on the main screen. A Scourge pod was on a direct course for Darsalae. Its solar sails already retracted, the pod had found its next target and was propelled along by producing and igniting controlled bursts of volatile gases. Closing in on its next meal.

"How long until it hits?" called out Lloyd.

"I'd say less than 12 hours," advised Gaia much to the horror of her companions.

"Shit!" cursed Felix loudly, "there's not time, Erranos won't make it. Gaia any suggestions?"

"Of course silly, I suggest we destroy it," gloated Gaia without reassuring them whatsoever.

"But how? This ship isn't enough for a full size pod!" exclaimed Felix, his anxiety growing.

"Please Dear, just remain calm," she insisted as she held up a hand passively. "This is a most opportune situation, now we can test the new weapon system," she winked.

Her companions were shocked, neither Gaia nor Erranos had eluded to a new weapon type in production or even development. Gaia alleviated their stupefaction with great enjoyment, she rewarded their curiosity by briefly explaining it was a new type of energy weapon, yet to have a new fancy name it was essentially a neutron particle beam. Erranos had kept himself busy by developing with Gaia's assistance, a way to harness the devastating radiation of the neutron bombs he witnessed used on Earth. Without prompting, Gaia activated the new weapon system and an opening appeared on the bow of the Sarrat, producing a small turret with a wide dish around it's shaft. Under Gaia's controls the Sarrat moved in behind the pod just out of range of any incoming tendrils and the weapon began to charge. Within a few moments the weapon was primed and Gaia gestured Felix toward the station with a joystick and a unit to place upon his head. As Felix slipped on the unit a heads up display appeared showing him the firing arc from the bow of the ship. A rudimentary cross-hair in the centre indicated his target acquisition and a coloured bar to represent the charging cycle for the weapon. Getting a feel for the joystick Felix panned left and right, up and down, and the turret moved with his every command without delay. He aimed along the port side of the pod and slowly squeezed the trigger. A beam of intense pale orange light a few meters in diameter soared from the turret and as the dish contracted to focus the beam, it condensed into a bright orange array just under a meter wide. Once focused the beam cut its way through without any resistance. Felix trained the turret downward, a large slab was severed from the pod cleanly. The charge for the new weapon drained quickly, Felix had only held down the trigger for 5 seconds and the weapon had to recharge before firing again.

"Whoa! Again! Again!" yelled Lloyd pumping his fists both amazed and bloodthirsty.

"Keep your pants on, it's recharging," groaned Felix trying to hide his excitement until the end. Gaia covered her mouth symbolically trying to keep from laughing.

In reaction to its assault the pod pieces reached out to one another with tendrils in a feeble attempt to begin regenerating and literally pull itself back together. Within a moment the weapon was fully charged and Felix fired again, this time dragging it along the main bulk of the larger portion. The beam was unstoppable, cleaving the pod into more pieces as it passed through unchallenged. The bridge cheered at their achievement, the radiation was so intense the pod was not able to hold itself together and the portions all drifted apart. Felix spent the next few minutes cutting each piece of the pod into further chunks of decreasing size, all the while the severed chunks just floated aimlessly, incapacitated by the radiation and unable to regenerate as if temporarily stunned. Lloyd was unable to contain his excitement and Gaia directed him to another console. He stepped in manning the Sarrat's standard weapons to clean up the remnants of the pod in a hailstorm of energy blasts. Gaia, Eva and Ruby cheered on as the boys momentarily regressed into children, while they relived a few video game flashbacks. Soon enough there was no trace left of the pod and Felix removed the targeting unit from his head to the roaring cheers of the others.

"That was so awesome!" he bleated proudly. Felix stood up and turned to find Lloyd had been at his own console the whole time. They celebrated their victory with a solid high five and an almost obnoxious sneer.

"Complete success. I'll send a detailed report back to Erranos at once," testified Gaia as she brought up a technical breakdown of their encounter on the main monitor.

"Simply amazing!" added Eva, "I just can't believe it, we took down a pod with a single Sarrat."

"Indeed," agreed Gaia, "and this was just the initial prototype, a bit of a rushed job really. I imagine they will be able to increase the firing time with more power on the next version."

"This could mean so much," pointed out Felix as he sat back down, his adrenaline dump now wearing off. "Now they can spread their forces thinner to cover more space."

"They might actually stand a chance of exterminating that filth now," proclaimed Lloyd.

"Let's hope," responded Gaia, "now, shall we go get some food?"

"Sounds like a plan, take us in," commanded Felix.

The Sarrat entered Darsalae's system then closed in to an orbit over their target. Slowly they entered Darsalae's atmosphere, the clouds opened and the natives animals fled from the thunderous sounds of the ships thrusters. They maintained altitude whilst they sent out a few probes to scan for Drusai settlements. There was nothing in the immediate vicinity so they moved toward the area of the large Southern tribe. Finally some Drusai were detected, a small tribe was located in an encampment of the edge of a large woodland area. The probe was sent closer and began to scan the faces of the locals as they watched it hover overhead.

"Wait, go back," ordered Felix as they skimmed the faces coming through to the database. "He's missing an arm, it's Argus!" he cheered. "Recall the probes, we will land in that clearing," he advised pointing to the screen. Gaia nodded and the Sarrat headed down.

As the dust settled Felix addressed the ship, advising that they had landed and would organise a scouting party first. Gaia opened a storage locker producing the same weapon types they used previously during her extraction. Lloyd handed them out to their party, Felix, Eva and Ruby. To ensure their safety in what was still a relatively unknown world Gaia activated 4 drones which waiting outside to escort them.

Stepping outside they breathed deeply, though it was perhaps only in their minds Felix and Eva were convinced they could smell the difference from artificial atmosphere. The drones spread out into a wide harbour formation moving with them as they advanced.

"The probe sighted them this way," Gaia pointed ahead of them, "about 2km." After proceeding for only 15 minutes they could see Drusai approaching them.

Ruby took a hesitant step backward as the Drusai closed in at top speed, "guys they look angry," she uttered starting to panic.

"It's alright, we'll be fine," reassured Felix looking back at Ruby. "Just keep that weapon shouldered, you won't be needing it for now I promise." Ruby nodded back nervously as she trusted Felix, ignoring her instincts and slung the weapon back over her shoulder.

There were nine Drusai incoming, and now only 40m away. Felix opened his arms and the Drusai came to a halt instantly. Felix went forward to greet them and the Drusai starting to walk in slowly.

Felix spotted Argus in the group and started to send him greetings with his mind. The very moment Argus felt Felix's presence he picked up speed. With his remaining arm open Argus ran right up to Felix embracing him.

"Felix come back!" Argus beamed from the unexpected visit. Lloyd and Eva approached and Argus hugged them both too. The other Drusai had arrived and they were overjoyed to find their new friends had come back to visit.

Felix briefly explained the reason for their visit and asked where Argai was. Argus was more than pleased to accommodate them and took them back to their current encampment. As they walked Argus asked Felix about the four drones that accompanied them as he could not sense their minds. Felix referred to them as helpers and said not to worry about, to which Argus simply smiled no longer curious about them instantly.

After half an hours march they arrived at Argai's camp. Argai ran out to greet them and Felix felt a sense of tranquillity he was yet to achieve since first gaining his new abilities. Lloyd and Eva explained to Ruby that the Drusai spoke very little as much of their language was conveyed as thought.

Felix and Lloyd had already decided not to elaborate too much about their mishap with Earth. They thought it best to keep their visit on a single focused track. When the request for food was made, Argai instantly called out for his best hunters to assist them. It was difficult but Felix was able to explain in his own way that they needed very little but many different types of foods.

The Drusai already had a few edible fruits collected for the day, the seeds within were exactly what Felix needed to grow their own crops. Felix asked where they were picked and Argus agreed to take them to gather more. Satisfied, Felix contacted Gaia to bring all their numbers, to ensure they arrived safely another ten drones were activated as their escort.

An hour later the rest of the Sarrat crew had arrived and were blown away by the sight of the Drusai. Gaia had briefed them all prior to the landing, with an introduction that included several images of the Drusai, but it still wasn't enough to prepare them. Felix could sense some of his crew were uneasy but he did his best to keep those close enough calm among their savage looking hosts. True to form the Drusai were friendly and most welcoming. Despite the language barrier, most of the crew were willing to connect physically with the Drusai, allowing them to speak telepathically at Felix's request. He clarified to the crew that they were not required to do so but most welcome to. The act greatly pleased Felix as his mind began to wander toward the possibility of others becoming like him.

That afternoon the crew collected thousands of seeds from five species of plants that bore edible fruits. Each time soil samples were taken as it was imperative that they match the conditions in order to grow successfully, noting the pH, salinity and nitrogen levels was paramount. The Drusai were most helpful, their knowledge of both edible and medicinal plants proved invaluable as the foraging continued. Felix managed to find a few of the leafy greens they had eaten previously and took whatever seed pods they could find. At Felix's recollection there were two varieties of tubers but they hadn't yet ascertained if they produced seeds. Upon identification the entire specimens had to be excavated and taken back as parent plants to branch off into subsequent stock in time.

At a time Felix found that he and Argus were finally alone and he could share the news of his developing abilities. It hadn't occurred to any of the Drusai that Felix was communicating without the need for physical contact, too easily it slipped their minds as they saw him as one of their own. Felix divulged that he had something amazing to show him. Argus was excited and Felix had him stand still and relax. Felix closed his eye and seconds later Argus began to lift off and float above the ground. Argus found the whole experience delightful and he snickered as he jostled around not at all bothered by the fact he was levitating. Felix placed him back down gently and then Argus seemed troubled.

"Where Maddison?" he vocalised instead of using his mind. Felix went still, his mind quiet.

"Gone," sighed Felix, "lost in battle," he added.

Argus said nothing, only nodding his head slowly as he took in the news. Felix felt as Argus' mind grew dark for a split second as he grieved for Maddison in his own way. After a few seconds Argus seemed to have snapped back to their reality. He took Felix by the arm pulling at him. "Come, come, more food to find," he insisted as he tugged at Felix.

The first procurement day was very successful. The Sarrat crew had managed with the great help of the Drusai to collect samples, seeds and specimens for over 50 edible plants, along with a few others for basic medicines. Perhaps the most significant of their spoils was a small shrub like plant that produced large pod like growths not unlike legumes. The Drusai said they simply peel and chew on the kernels within for hours of sustained energy. After a more detailed analysis the pods were found to have two main characteristics that were both very appealing. The outer husk is removed and discarded, the inner husk around each kernel contained high levels of plant proteins, perfect for milling into a type of flour. The kernels themselves contained high levels of protein and oil along with fats and carbohydrates. The cultivation of such plants would prove to be invaluable in the struggle to feed the masses and produce hundreds of subsequent byproducts.

As the day had ended, in the interest of safety all the humans returned to the Sarrat for the night. Argus was disappointed but understood that with the peak of the Dunak mating season there were many predators in the area having followed the migrating herds. That night the talk among the crew was remarkably positive. After their initial shock of meeting the Drusai waned, many had found themselves enjoying their time foraging immensely. Though their mission was what drove them, they found solace in exploring an untouched ecosystem and the beauty that it had to share. Gaia was immensely pleased to see so many with happy smiling faces, in light of all that had happened people now had goals and tasks to focus on, and they were enough to help distract from the recent calamities.

With plants covered within a few days they then focused on animal proteins. Being mating season there was ample Dunak nearby. Gaia remained with the crew at the Sarrat as only Felix, Lloyd and Eva were invited to participate in the hunt. Felix had forgotten how quickly the Drusai could traverse open ground. Once in their formation, the trap was sprung and with only a handful of hunters a small group of Dunak were isolated from the herd and being corralled away. The protein slabs only required a few cells to begin the process, so only a single Dunak was speared. Felix collected their sample and stored it in the specially made transport vial to preserve the sample indefinitely. The kill was butchered and the Drusai took what they needed to be dried and the remainder was cooked then and there to be relished.

In order to find other protein samples they would have to venture into the woodlands. All the drones remained back at the Sarrat as there would be next to no danger having a Drusai hunting party as an escort. For five days they roamed and searched the greater surrounding area. A few small flying creatures of pink flesh were caught and samples taken. Felix and Eva found their meat to be quite sweet and more subtle than the robust, gamy flavour of the Dunak. Though he could no longer eat, Lloyd still savoured the time they spent hunting with the Drusai, the thrill of the chase or the anticipation surrounding a slow, quiet stalk. Eventually a herd of Bok Boks were found and another kill made. Felix remembered their taste and though there was nothing off-putting about it, but he did make reference that they were a poor man's Dunak being more of a consolation prize. This was only solidified by the fact that the Drusai would rarely bother to hunt them when better quarry was still available. There was an old Drusai saying that "only lazy hunters ate Bok Bok."

After returning to the Sarrat with their spoils, Felix asked Argus if he would accompany them to the Great Southern Tribe. Living on the coast, there was still the bounty of the sea to collect from. Argus agreed and he boarded the Sarrat with them bound for the coast. He felt uneasy on his feet as the craft left the ground, using his arm to grab at things in reach as he walked. Gaia explained that the inertia dampeners maintained the smoothest of travel and Felix was convinced that it was all his Argus' mind.