The Project

Chapter 27

The Project Chapter 27

I must warn you," said Deev, Moriedians are highly telepathic."

"Well we mean you kids no harm," reiterated Alex, but I'm sorry that's what you look like, so sue me." Seeing their chance, both Kelly and Bria immediately went to their defense.

"Pay no attention to him," stated Kelly, "He doesn't know anything." The children continued to glare at Alex as Deev introduced them.

"You must be Navek? he said to the boy, who nodded.

"And you must be Marga?" The little girl nodded. Neither of them were smiling.

"These people will be returning you two back to your home world," said Deev, the children didn't appear to be very impressed, until he mentioned that Alex and Kelly were responsible for the deaths of Agrat and Kreed.

"Someone killed our mother and father, as well our family council," exclaimed the boy very softly.

"How do you know that you killed the right people?"

Alex looked at these strange looking children with curiosity, the boy spoke and behaved like an adult, very unusual.

"Because the report we received, only listed on raider ship, both you and the Oxynian craft Alex, and the others here were on was only a thousand "skibbens" from your ship Navek, you should know as well as anyone what a short distance that is," explained Deev. The Moriedian boy considered this, then said,

"Perhaps…When are we leaving?"

"Just as soon as I hear from the Moriedian authorities, replied Deev, "Shouldn't be long now." Then Kelly started to say,

"Do you kids have…"

"No," replied Navek, "Father threw both of us in the escape pod everything happened so fast." Kelly just stared at him wondering how he knew what she was going to say.

"I told you they were telepathic," said Deev. Alex then said,

"Well Arna it's your call."

"We'll be happy to take them, come on children, are you hungry?"

As they were leaving, Alex turned to look at Deev, who just grimaced and shrugged,

"If you want to leave now, I'll let you know what's going on the moment we hear from the Moriedians."

Alex and Garmik brought up the rear, as their party made their way down the corridor towards the hostelry. The two kids stayed up with Arna, Kelly, and Bria. It gave him his first chance to really talk to Garmik.

"So how did things go on Xindus, he asked.

"Better than I had hoped," replied Garmik. "We have made a good start, but my mission isn't over yet, but we have made a good start."

Although neither she nor Garmik needed to eat, she led them to a place where everyone else could get something to eat. As they entered, she instructed everyone to take a menu. Alex noticed that the "menu" was actually a very thin tablet, finding a table large enough for seven they sat down when Arna announced,

"Touch that blue button which will activate the menu, touch each selection and it will show you what it is."

"For being an android, with no need to eat," thought Alex, "Arna seems to know a lot about this place, almost like she's been here before." He found that by touching the small picture and the name of the selection a small hologram of the actual dish as well as an audio description informed him of what he was ordering. The audio was coming automatically through his headphone which he now could hardly tell was stuck to the side of his head it was so comfortable.

"If you don't see what you want, touch "cook it yourself," came through his translator. When he did as instructed the menu quickly expanded to reveal the name of the ingredient, as well as a small picture.

He noticed that he wasn't the only one who had gone to the ingredients section, obviously Kelly and Bria, along with the children were doing the same. It also looked as though Navek was helping his sister with her selections. Through trial and error Alex settled for eabak and what Bria recommended as Aillock juice. Not wanting to take a chance, Kelly ordered the same thing, while Bria ordered a salad and a cold sharma meat sandwich. The two Moriedian children not being sure what they wanted didn't make up their mind until they saw Bria's order. It turned out; the place was self-service and completely automated. You placed your order on the menu, and when it was ready the menu glowed. Arna then explained.

"When your menu glows go up to where you pick up your order, there are a number of small doors select the one with the corresponding number to your menu. Insert your card in the slot wait for the door to open then take your order."

Again Alex wondered how Arna was so familiar with this place, but before long, his menu started glowing, so he went up to where you picked up your order. As he slid his card into the slot it occurred to him that you were paying for food sight unseen, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The food looked good anyway. On his way back to the table, he had to make a stop at a kiosk where he picked up his eating utensils. There were pictures of various tools which he assumed the various races ate with, the closest he came to a knife spoon and fork was a…Spork. When he saw that he burst out laughing, drawing looks from the other patrons. Kelly thought it was funny as well. The eabak was incredible; it certainly beat the stuff Gruk and Kleg had on their ship. The Aillock juice tasted suspiciously like grape juice, not quite as sweet, but very good.

While they were eating, Kelly and Bria tried to make conversation with the children, but they weren't especially talkative. Alex figured they were just sad and frightened over loosing their parents and being in the hands of strangers.

Since their room only had three beds, Alex volunteered to sleep on the ship, leaving the room to the children and the girls. The plan was to leave after getting several hours of sleep, Arna said that Moriedia was slightly more than a million skibbens from the fort but she wasn't planning on seeing how fast she could get there, in order to conserve fuel. As Alex was following Arna and Garmik to the ship, Garmik said,

"While we were on Deneva, a package was delivered to the ship; the courier said it was for you." Alex tried to remember what it might be, then it came to him, and when he opened the package, his hunch proved right. The accompanying note read;

"I didn't forget you, but good craftsmanship takes time. The metal is Duranix layered with mekkarion steel, tempered with konia oil; it will hold an edge practically forever. However should you need to dress the blade, sharpen it on a klemmite stone, using plenty of Konia oil. Take care and good luck, and if you're ever this way again please stop by."

Yufic Mooncalled

Alex took the knife out of the package, noting the beautiful leather sheath; the knife was even more impressive. He was expecting a Damascus style blade after all Yufic had mentioned layering the metal. Instead the metal was a dull gray but without the squiggly designs of Damascus steel. The blade was Wharncliffe type blade with a slight recurve, as well as being of the Bowie style, although Alex was pretty sure Yufic had never heard of James Bowie. The handle was, as Alex had requested made of compressed leather washers, cut to a very form fitting handle. Alex tried cutting a piece of paper free form finding that the knife cut the unsupported sheet with incredible ease, indicating that the blade was razor sharp. Yufic had created him a beautiful knife, a knife with a unique style and perfect balance he had never seen before. At some point, he would insist a return to Deneva, if only to thank the master knife maker.

Before he hit the sack, Alex sat up and talked with Arna and Garmik who were sitting next to each other on the small padded bench seat.

"Do you two still want to continue our travels?"

"Why," replied Arna, "Don't you?"

"Oh absolutely," he returned, "I wasn't sure, you guys seem like you'd rather just hang out on Xindus."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" said Garmik, "My mission is not over, it isn't just about finding work for all the androids and robots there, I have been entrusted to seek out any companies of living being's that might wish to settle there, as well as possible suppliers of raw materials."

Alex was thoroughly confused now,

"But I thought your people hated living beings as you call them, or was I mistaken?"

"No," said Garmik, there are still a lot of hard feelings that remain, but the people also realize that not all beings are evil. It's a rather complicated situation, but the right people would be welcomed on Xindus. Back to your original question though. Arna here seems to have wandering "programmed into her, and apparently I do as well, that's one of the reasons I was chosen for this mission, and why the two of us are perfect together." Alex thought that made sense but decided to push things a little further.

"Arna, while we were with the Golian government officials, they showed us computer records that indicate you originally came from Xindus, but at the time it was called Maltorret." With a steely tone to her voice he had never heard before, she replied.

"If you were anyone else I would kill you, however I will explain to just you, and this is for only you is that clearly understood?" Shaken by her threat, Alex wished he had kept his damn mouth shut.

"I-I'm sorry Arna, If I've stumbled onto a part of your past I shouldn't have please forgive me, let's just forget I ever said anything."

"No," she replied, "No, you have a right to know, but it is a secret for only you is that understood?" Alex held up his right hand,

"I swear."

"Well as you were probably already made aware," she began. "Maltorret" was the old name of Xindus, that name is cursed and must never be spoken of ever again, is that clear?"

"Yes Arna," he replied, "I understand."

"Good, as bad as that is, it isn't the reason I threatened you. How old do you think I am?" Alex scrunched up his face and shrugged,

"Geeze Arna I don't know, twenty, thirty years old?" Both Arna and Garmik snickered.

"Thank you for the complement, but I'm one hundred and fifteen yarns old. When I was originally created on…Xindus, I was but one of only four "Tharg." We were the most advanced creations at the time. Technically, I'm considered a cyborg." Alex started to speak, but she held up her hand.

"Alex I was created solely for the purpose of killing, killing specific targets." He didn't like where this was going, Arna was telling him she was a goddamned "Terminator" Oh s**t!"

"The Sibranthi," she continued, "Were a very vengeful race. At the time there was another race called the "Eihon" who contracted for the production of a number of maintenance and s*x bots. I understand a considerable sum was involved. Anyway, the Eihon were very dissatisfied with the robots they were sent, and as a result refused to pay. Myself and four others were created to resolve the problem."

"Well did you?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, "Very much so, I'd rather not go into the details. However as a result, the Eihon sabotaged the robots and returned them to the Sibranthi in the hops that they would wreak a terrible vengeance, which they did up to a point. But regardless, the whole affair was the spark that eventually led to the destruction of the creators, and the near destruction of Xindus."

"Wow!" Replied Alex, "That's some heavy s**t, so what happened to you?"

"The other three Tharg and I were on our way back to Xindus when we were captured by raiders, who had some way of deactivating us. As to the others I know not what happened to them. I ended up on Glira which is a place well out of both the Golian and Oxynian systems. It is a planet frequently visited by raiders, and specializes in trafficking in all manor of illicit goods. I was purchased by Gideon, who somehow knew what I was. He then took me to a place that reprogrammed me away from my original tasks, but not my basic functions."

"So basically you're a trained killer," said Alex,

"Yes," she replied, "But partly because of what Gideon did for me as well other's along the way, my whole focus has changed, however should the need ever arise please stay out of my way." He knew what that meant. Alex stood up and approached Arna placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Arna, you're secret is safe with me, so you have no idea whatever became of the others?" She shook her head,

"It's a vast galaxy out there, and even if they still exist, they could be anywhere."

"What if we did run into one, say the raiders had one would it just attack us?"

Arna looked up at him,

"That I cannot say, I'm pretty certain I wouldn't be attacked, certain safeguards were built into us, however you and the others might be in danger, I suppose it would depend on the situation."

"Well let's hope we never have to face that situation," replied Alex. "Well I don't know about androids, but this mortal needs sleep, if Kelly and Bria show up before I wake up, don't let them bother me OK?"

"Oh you bet!" replied Arna.