SEETHE: PART IV (John Cox Art)

GarandFan:

Stark prepared himself for the flight, insuring that all life support connections were firm and tight.

What a cock up! Stark was fuming that this mission had come up now. Freign Alstrol would be livid! Woe be anyone from Gathalon Subsidiary Stellar Force who crossed her path in the next 48 centairs. They had planned this tryst for months, timing it to coincide with the annual cribbage tournement on Celeste III.

Negotiating with the Nefarini would be child's play in comparison with dealing with Freign right now. Still, having the new Trexlaaz i366 Mark IV gave him added confidence in coming out of this assignment in one piece. The escampment spike generated by the Trex would turn any 'living' creature into a quivering hedious shell of it's previous life form. It's purpose was not to kill, but rather to make living in such a gelantenous form so unthinkable that immediate surrender was the only viable option. Death held no meaning for the Nefarini, perhaps this was the edge Stark needed.

Ha! A lot of good completion of this mission would do him once Stark got back. He considered how he would deal with Freign Alstrol's disappointment as he drifted off into hypersleep.

Posted by GarandFan | August 6, 2007 6:44 PM

Posted on August 6, 2007 18:44

john Cox:

Hey G

I hope you're keeping notes. I'm utterly lost (in a mind-bending kind of way). Seems to be turning into a Herbert epic!

Posted by john Cox | August 7, 2007 10:35 AM

Posted on August 7, 2007 10:35

Joanna:

Of course, if he had a working phone number for the guy who sold him the spike, he'd get into hypersleep easier.

Posted by Joanna | August 7, 2007 10:38 AM

Posted on August 7, 2007 10:38

Joanna:

'Scuse me, misread that. Replace "spike" with "the damn thing" for a better read.

Posted by Joanna | August 7, 2007 10:40 AM

Posted on August 7, 2007 10:40

GarandFan:

Pirus 7 disappeared as it’s Kinka engine thrust it into hyperdrive. He turned from the viewdex with a sly grin on his face. Stark was going to flip out once he arrived at his “destination”, only to find himself orbiting Celeste III. Hearing the soft voice of Freign Alstrol in his earphone welcoming him would be a nice touch, especially when the collision alarm went off and Stark ran to the nearest Belyan screen to check ship’s status, only to find the pre-programmed message Trash had left for him. “Now we’re even pal, enjoy yourself! Conrad”

Trash mused that it has cost him a pretty good chunk of zepell’s in order to have the ground crew insert the altered inter-nav program on Stark’s on-board systems drive.
Luckily, Phollbian’s had access to Gathalon ships while in port. After all, someone has to R&R ( replenish and refurbish) between missions. And since the job always went to the lowest bidder…..well, let’s just say money, in any form, talks. Stark would be wasting his time running a drive scan after the fact, the program would auto-erase the second Pirus 7 dropped into normal space.

Trash turned and looked at his “passengers”. Bindar XI, that aging hippie pacifist, was nodding off in his thruster couch. Probably chewed on some asplytic cells to calm his nerves. ‘Ol Bindar didn’t like to travel much, but given the option of remaining on Bastos for the remainder of his life or helping Trash with the Nefarini “negotiations”…well there wasn’t much need for thought there.

The incessant giggling aft next drew Trash’s attention. Mori and Nori were obviously “strapping” themselves in for the flight. Trash grinned at the thought. Yeah, it would be quite a “flight”. No need for hyperdrive, this would be a slow warp into the Octoroon Splinter system. The Galathan Ultimatum might have specified “negotiations”, but Trash didn’t exactly get his reputation by strictly following orders.

But that was for later. Trash nudged the Mod 7 throttles forward two notches and scanned the boards. Satisfied that the correct timspa co-ords where in place, he walked aft, passing Bindar who was lying back staring upwards, straining to see but not seeing anything. The Nornly twins giggling grew louder.

Posted by GarandFan | August 7, 2007 7:32 PM

Posted on August 7, 2007 19:32

Randy Rager:

Damned thing looks like a Democrat, only not quite so evil.

Posted by Randy Rager | August 7, 2007 10:26 PM

Posted on August 7, 2007 22:26

john Cox:

Color me boggled. And I thought I had an imagination!

Posted by john Cox | August 8, 2007 1:03 AM

Posted on August 8, 2007 01:03

xxx: