“We thought, we’d go after we’d had some refreshments -rather than leave it until later.” “That’s fine, whatever." Lumor was not drawn to conversation with them. He had other things on his mind, that he considered, far more important.
"Suki and I, with Joden, will, be sorting out, the first breeder units and generate stocks. Dahhan is extending the camp, with a few drones, to ensure extra security.“ Lakir glanced over to him, as he started, to walk away from them.
“We had a perimeter alarm, trigger earlier this morning, one of the sensors activated." "Probably dust." "Exactly what I thought. It does get a mite windy here at night.“ Lumor did not seem to take any notice, he continued walking towards the hatch, disappeared through it.
“I always thought those sensors were quite accurate. If you set them up right, they shouldn't be triggered by a dust.” Lakir stepped over to the unit in question, there was a small rock at his feet. “Not this size.“ He grinned. Caley smiled. “You might have a point there!“ She picked it up.
“Uck, this is a bit heavy, to be carried by the wind!” Lakir started to laugh. "I've seen heavier objects than YOU, thrown around in the wind! You’ll be telling me next, it was horrible green goblins!“ She walked over to the Terrain mobi apparently ignoring him.
Not quite it would seem. “That _b'stard Dahhan was sniffing around Gi again. WATCH him! You know, that female he had working with him at the centre at Hesat's? Well before he fled, he dragged her off, raped her. Left her for dead.“ “Rumors Caley rumors.“ She sneered back at him, incensed at him sticking up for Dahaan?
“He’s an ucking animal. An that’s insulting animals! I’m warning you, WATCH him! Joden is just as perverted.You know when he interviewed Suki, he ordered her naked, made her perform oral on him.“
Lakir fetched his suit, slipped into it before heading over to her. She was still muttering to herself. He had long since stopped taking any notice! "Got no idea what they’re capable of. Only known them for a few weeks." "Don't you mean years?" He grinned. "Ha bloody ha! Well OK, YEARS."
"You know how to pilot one of these things?" Caley shook her head, stared at him. "Lakir! A four year old could fly this!" Minutes later it was a bumpy take off. Some moments, when the craft failed to respond. Finally on auto pilot and mid air as Lakir heaved a sigh of relief. "You can stop ucking grinning!" They were above a forest. Occasional breaks from the trees to reveal flat land and what we would call a large area of water.
Landing on one of the flat expanses, they looked around. “Weird!! Have you noticed, how purple this ground is.“ "Probably the same organic stuff as in the plants, don’t touch it." He looked at his hand. "Unless you want permanently coloured skin!“ After gathering a few specimens and samples, for analysis, they took off again.
This time heading north. Still no signs of habitation? “You know this place is beautiful, against that sky everything looks so fresh, so uncontaminated, nothing pissed about with, ucked up; like on Earth?”
That was something, they could both agree on. They continued cruising, enjoying the peace. Suddenly out of nowhere came this huge bird like creature. Its wing span was huge! Easily equaling that of the Condor from the Andes. Its bulk was twice that of the Condor. More a dragon like thing, than a bird. The kind of creature kids learned about in stories as a child than reality!
As it soared, it seemed to stare at them, then dropped at an incredible speed to vanish. “Bloody hell. That thing was freaking massive!“ She grinned almost laughing. “Hell, you sure jumped, when it appeared from nowhere. I thought you were going to pee yourself!“ “I’m not a fan of things like that. Ucking dangerous and unpredictable.“
One of three lakes, was the next stop. It afforded a break. Lakir kept looking upwards and around. Nervous? He could imagine that creature swooping down and him ending up in its jaws. Caley was busy testing the water.
For the second time, on the insistence of Lakir. It revealed almost Earth like qualities about it, cept this was a lot cleaner and fresher with a mix of some minerals. Perfectly harmless.
“Few extra ingredients, as the tests previously had shown, but in no way harmful.“ He swigged a drop of it back, grabbed his throat. letting the glass drop to the floor to smash. He staggered back she stared at him totally expressionless. Her hand, stuck out, several fingers abusively, telling him, in no uncertain terms, what she thought of his little exhibition?
She turned to pick up her drink! “Tosser!“ “Worth a try!” “Well I’d only give you uckin seven out of ten for effort and zero for being uckin convincing!” She grinned. “Just don’t let me kill you.“ He stopped what he was doing, turned to stare at her.
By that, I mean, I will, if you do an uckin encore!” Dammit the bitch, was laughing! Back onboard, a few more samples stashed and they were now, headed back to camp.
They flew over a strange mound, some distance below. Partly brush, partly stone. Finally the got back to camp. In their absence, others had not been idle. They had fully established the main generate tanks. After thoroughly cleansing and priming them.
Now all he had to do, was to find Gi. She was laid back, relaxing, when in stepped Lumor. “We’re ready when you are.“ He leaned over, checked her skin, then smiled. “Good, nothing on it, that would cause us to have to revite.”
She stood up, stripped naked and slipped on a gown. "Just keep Joden’s hands off me. He gives me the creeps.“ “Otherwise occupied ‘sweets’, no probs on that.“ The room, had been carefully cleaned and sterilized. Clinically perfect, air wise and otherwise. They all stripped naked, showered, dried and then donned the clothing, from sterile packs, before moving into the main chamber.
It had a large flat area, where Gi was asked to lie, outstretched, as they removed cells from her skin for cloning, carefully skinning parts of her body. Carefully examining the pieces and double checking them, to ensure they were perfect for the cloning sequences. The hours drifted by as now they embedded the cells into the generates gel. Regeneration, would not be long.
The process completed, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Some time later enjoying refreshments. Gi had been settled and sedated. The skin cell removal process left her with some mild burns from the actions of the lasers. It was unpleasant and the sensation mildly painful causing some degree of discomfort.
A special topical spray was used to revitalize her cells. It would take twenty four hours for the skin to stop itching, signs of healing. The generates were in production and everything, was to the standard they wanted. They could only wait.
Lakir and Caley, arrived back. Caley asked after Gi “Resting!” Lumor watched them unload the samples. “Any signs of life?” Lakir looked back at Caley who now turned to grin. “Other than that big uckin bird thing, that scared him shiteless. No!“ She started to laugh. Lakir growled calling her every name he could think of.
A heated discussion on the creature in question and also an argument with Caley and Lakir over her insinuations he was scared bloody rigid of the dammed thing. “It was bloody fast.“ "After it had taken one look at you I was not surprised to see it take off!" Caley fell about laughing.
Lakir said nothing, he was staring up at the sky. Squinting his eyes against the sun? Coming out of it towards them at great speed were two of the dammed things ! “UH.“ No one was listening, too deep in conversation.
“Uh I don’t like to tell you guys “ They loomed ever nearer the things were everything he had said they were DAMMED HUGE! He raised his voice to scream at them.
“Will you lot, bloody listen!” They stopped, turned towards him as he grabbed one of the laser rifles and pointed it at the oncoming. They were now eyes on the things, staring in disbelief, as the things zoomed in, grabbed a drone. Swept up with it, only to drop it, over the sleeping dome, as it fell smashing against it, the sound of smashed metal and other, on metal.
Pieces thrown out, as they ducked! The creatures flew around seeming to hover, watching them before flying off. Suki was the first to speak. “Uck me, if that had been one of us!“ She stared at the large jagged piece of the smashed up drone, that had zipped past her ear now embedded in the sensor arm!
“We’d better carry weapons, in case we ever meet those things again!“ “Well at least they didn’t get a taste of us!” Dahhan came out of the hatchway. He had heard the racket and decided he needed to investigate. He looked at them.
The bits of the drone? Caley glanced towards him, you could almost see in her eyes, the image of him, between the jaws of the thing! She started to grin as Dahhan hissed at her.
“What’s so ucking amusing?” Lakir told him. His hand went up, his fingers out, to give Caley the indication of what he thought re what she had been thinking! She said nothing as now Gi appeared in the doorway. She too, had been disturbed by the noise!
“I wouldn’t want, those jaws wrapped round me!“ Dahhan stepped closer to her she started to move back from him. She was trying to listen to Caley describing in detail, events. “You should have seen the size of the teeth on those things! I bet they’re razor sharp!”
The creatures had left empty of food, but not for long, as a Cflen in flight looked up, to see them. She dropped to the surface, tucked her wings in and started to run for cover. Too late, as one of them grabbed at her, with its claws, sweeping her up, its jaws around her neck.
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