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In the caves of Axui on the planet of Ti43e with a Human(a) population of over 40 million. Mountain range was extensive with mines in some of them that were delivering a good amount of valuable resources.
Similar, atmosphere to Solus 3 (Earth), Larai was professional archaeologist, with extensive knowledge, thanks to obtaining invaluable data on the mountain ranges cave layouts.
A previous, it was rumoured; outpost for the Matsupa. Zealots had been and gone. The race who had been here carried off as slaves or as Zealots.
The mass graves, of those sacrificed by them to their Gods.
Smashed bones, hearts ripped out and left to rot.
The stench, had long gone, BUT the bones remained. Harrowing to stumble upon and, Larai, never really got over the shock, horror of finding such places.
Statues and, sacrificial slabs, could be found along with precious offerings of Drax and jewels.
Deep within the cavern. she now entered, flooded by light streaming from the opening in the roof; she could see a statue.
Only, when she got closer, could she make out that it was indeed a Matsupa sacrificial nest. It was, difficult not, to step, on the crushed bones.
Liken as we would know it; to fine gravel. In some places trying to climb up a slope was difficult as it shifted to have you losing momentum.
Warning markers, for some sites, making it clea,r that trespassers would be sacrificed to their Gods. NO mercy for those who did not have their consent for being there. Zealots could appear at any time and amy
A good defence system in place, was of some value, re being an acceptable deterrent, to any would be Zealot forces.
Her training, re weapons, was something she had paid attention to. You never knew what you could up against re the caves. Wild beasts, was nothing unusual. Reptiles, snakes, wall climbers with sharp claws or could spit venom at you.
The real, dank cold places, with icy slippery surfaces, could also, have ground, that gave way, under you, or turn into quicksand like conditions.
Rock falls and even the roof, cracking above you, to release rocks, or icy spears, that can pierce you killing you instantly or worse still leaving you injured and unable to call for help? Wet walls, waterfalls, streams and the risk of being somewhere that suddenly floods?
As for those gases, chemicals, the need to wear various sensors was an absolute. Resting up, after her latest adventure, she headed to the local ‘watering hole’; a local Inn, run by an off worlder known as Tei. . 
He, was heavily, into ‘Renais’ and the whole bar area, echoed early Solus 3 antiquities. Including a strange looking ‘juke box’.
It was, a strange looking ‘contraption’. Tei she reasoned was Human(a) though he denied that, claiming he, was from a planet, in the Orion Galasia. Mxiophe 4. A recognised ‘resort’ planet offered a large number of places, to rest up.
Laira: ‘When, I presented him, with some artefacts, I had recently acquired, he was pleased, that I, had given him, ‘first refusal’ on them. One item in particular, fetched a good price from him. Well, at first.
“Do you know what this is?” I shook my head. “Give me the Drax I gave you for it, and if you join me, IF we succeed, you will get back, ten times that, a share in the loot?
Not, that there won’t be, some risks involved, but nothing, you are not already used to.” I, was intrigued. Tei? That look on her face, he knew she was hooked.
See the design? Its a code, but also a MAP, to a long lost treasure. He moved, to retrieve an old parchment, made from ‘Laminum T2’ what we might know as crushed bamboo.
“See here, an almost exact image of that.” Underneath, in a mysterious language, known to us, as Shi Zua, was another set of symbols. Probably, a key of sorts, to the coding on the plate?
For now, we packed. A trip such as this was going to be requiring a stop over and the nearest one was a well known one on a planet he had travelled to before.
There, we could rest up, get some more provisions and take in refreshments. The local Inn, was excellent. Ulrik the owner, was a robust jolly fellow, with a wife, that often had Tei smiling.
NO desire, on his part, to get too close to her. Her body odour, was at times, overpowering on the nostrils.
NOT, that you dared, to mention that. Their daughter Lys, had a pension, to insist, that customers, should not be subjected to ‘that SMELL’. Even after, a good hosing down, the smell remained pungent.
Ulrik, had of course, gotten used to it. Her sisters, were all river folk, bar one, that seldom ever went near the river, unless it was to use it, for travelling from, one part of the zone to another. 
Ah yes transportation?. Stood next to that ‘Juke box’?
IT, illuminated. Larai instantly recognised what it was forming before them.
A ‘Portai Semperu’. This one was one of the biggest she had ever seen. So the ‘juke box’ was a power coupler device.
A doorway to other connected network devices.
Ancient technology but extremely powerful. There was however a downside to it. IF the power failed, whatever was enroute to wherever, would be wiped from existence.
Whilst that, in this instance, might have been on their minds, it was quickly dispelled, by the acceptance, that the link, gave them, such a fast transfer, between network devices?
NOT that Zendu Vae, had such a receiver or transporter portal.
Well, it was believed, to NOT and the truth, that would soon be revealed, would be astonishing.
Setting the ‘approximate’ end lock, was always dependent, on it, being the nearest, to where they were planning on going? In this instance, Zendu Vae. A ‘lock’, cannot be achieved, on a dead terminal. FACT.
For obvious ‘ healthy’ reasons. Thus the FACT, that the lock, was confirmed ?
Now they were heading out and where?
Stepping out into a cave. Behind, where they were now stood, was an enormous, solid stone
A three headed? Female all three faces.. Very classical in style. The sudden realization,, that this?
Was a ‘Portai Semperu’?
A one way transfer, no controls or recognised system to operate it. That had them looking at each other, with some trepidation? If they, could not use it, to leave here, then where was HERE and, what lay beyond the cave opening? Luckily, it was a little way off, but, clearly defined, as an open entrance of sorts.
There were, some markings, on the base, that Larai now took a shelde to take some imaging of.
“Definitely ancient.” At least, it was NOT Matsupa. No crushed bones or other attributes to it being that.
Looks like Immortai which is a surprise.
Tei was, moving towards the entrance, carefully following behind Laira, almost in her footsteps. He knew, that if, she was OK, then being precise, in his following her, would be more than common sense. A flashback, to another place where, he had still not learned, a lesson in staying safe, saw him almost fall to his death.
An opening in the ground, swallowing him up to his waist? Luckily a few bruises and that, included, his ego.
If he had been alone the odds of him coming out alive ? NOT good. Larai had always been good to explore with.
He liked her Renais style clothing.
His thoughts were interrupted, as they now stepped out beyond the entrance. Blue sky, with some clouds? Warm!
In front of them, they could look out over a valley? Something seemed familiar? Laira shifted to raise a small device, a location sensing unit that now beeped before she lowered it to stare at the data.
She handed it to Tai as he smiled. “That ‘Portai Semperu’? is well hidden here and I doubt the locals know of its existence.” He had to admit she was right. “Now all we have to do is to get a message out to those in the Vae.”
Xib and Aliha, were busy in the main control area processing the latest cave data when a uinit close to them suddenly buzzed into life. It was vibrating and moving on the surface.
Grabbing hold of it, Xib looked at the flashing symbols.
“Enemy?” He shook his head. It’s Pai, includes references, to this planets ident coding. Location is due East of here and, the signal is asking for transport for two, a male and female. 
Janeir was moving towards them. He handed her the unit as she glanced at it and then broke into a smile.
“Well I never, Its Laira, long time since we were on the same planet. I’ll go fetch them.”
“Be careful! We have no reports, of any enemy, in that zone but still?” “She nodded. “Taking Xib with you might be a good idea?.” A little while later, they headed out, on a hopper.
How, had Laira, landed up here and, THERE of all places? That area was a seldom visited zone.
The terrain was unforgiving. Not just forest, but rocks and plenty of them. Big and small boulders.
A nuisance to traverse without a lot of care.
Finally, landing on a large flat rock, with a ledge a short distance from them? Luckily, they, were carrying only a few lightweight packs. Introductions over and Larai was equally pleased to see Janeir.
The idea, that they were going, to use this planet, as a hop, to where they were headed? After of course, topping up their required equipment. Tei had been somewhat puzzled, by the absence of any questioning, on their part, as to where they finally headed?
Finally, back at the main camp, they were pleased to be sipping on a hot drink or two, as Janeir told them the situation and the surprised look on both their faces? “YOU are kidding me.” Laira was shaking her head.
“We have Zealots? A Zealot transporter, one of those big beggars?” Janeir nodded. “BUT the bulk of the Zealots were taken out by something, not sure what but it turned them to dust. We think some kind of super weapon was used on them but not by the Human(a).”
She looked at Tei. Laira shook her head, “No he’s NOT Human(a)>” Janeir smiled a sigh of relief? “Well we have a Human(a) militia detachment under some female called Helieja, even she was shocked by the devastation at the Zealot encampment.”
“So hold on, we have Zealots, what remains of them, Human(a)? “ “Yes and not forgetting the.” She paused as she nodded to Xib to take over. She needed a drink. “Cflen. They are a race who came to the aid of the locals here after the Human(a) ..”
Janeir handed him a drink. “After the Human(a) did their usual take over of the colony established here for centuries. Their usual bullying, thieving and well we all know about THEM. The Cflen hate them. They will kill them on sight. NO mercy.
OH and they, have what they call ‘the b’stard spawn of he BEAST.’ The BEAST to them is the Human(a). Unless they are attacked, the Cflen do NOT attack other races. IT would seem the Zealots attacked the Cflen.
It is a dragon like creatures. NO threat to us well unless.” She glanced at Tei. You attack them unprovoked of course OR are Human(a). Damm are those things terrifying! One or two seeing them for the first time crapped themselves.
We thought they were responsible for the carnage at their site but NO. Not even they have such a weapon.”
She sipped her drink as Xib took over.”Whatever it was was, POWERFUL, VERY VERY POWERFUL.”
“Tei is a Scieste with extensive knowledge explosive, incendiary and biochemical weapons, You say the area looked as though it had been scorched?” “Fine dust with some black particles. I thought fusive reactance?”
Leah approached them, with a small vial of something? She handed it to him. “I, am so pleased to meet you.” They looked at her, uhh? “I read your works on Fusive reactance and the chemio synthesis manipulation stats were astonishing.
This, is one of the samples, we took from the site. It’s not radioactive or toxic, though I would suggest, no one inhales or ingests it, to find out!” She grinned. He took the vial and after looking closely at it; shook it.
“Interesting. The black particles don’t mix with whatever the other is. Must be heavier than the other, as they, settle to the bottom, with the black particles on top.” Putting the vial down, he reached into one of his packs to now hold in his hands.
A small device with what looked like a round plate on it. He carefully poured some of the contents of the vial onto it. There was a beep and a small screen illuminated. Replacing the cap on the vial, he shifted to empty the small amount from the unit into a waste receptor.
“With that reading, the temperature required, to reach the level, it combusted at, was beyond extreme. You might, get close to its temperature, in the centre of a volcano. A fusive red star, disintegration, would produce similar effects.
I saw a planet, that had been blown into pieces, by such an event. The asteroid fragment, was covered in this, burned into it. This device i programmed with all of my latest results, tests, it, registered the sample, as so close as to be an accurate representation of that.
Nowhere else affected by this? A contained controlled ?” Leah nodded. “Whoever, used such a weapon of destruction, is beyond our comprehension. ONLY a Matsupa Immortai and I hear you have Zealots?”
“Though virtually all of them were destroyed, we have some in the stockade. Locked up so to speak. Under guard of the Cflen. They have said, the removal of them will be their responsibility. Any Human(a) amongst them, have already been fed, to their b’stard spawn of the BEAST.”
“Well we know that a Matsupa so called ‘God’ by them would not have done this, the attack would not be on their own chosen ones; the Zealots. That I think we can assume. An Immortai is capable BUT.” 
Laira shifted to sit forward glancing at Tei.
“The cave? The statue, the Portai Semperu’?” Janeir moved in closer.
Reaching for her shelde, laira showed her, the recorded imaging. Janeir she knew, had a knowledge well beyond most, others when it came to things like this.
“Why, does this, look so familiar? Well certainly, the main face. Dolly, might know more on this.” Laira stared at her, “Dolly is here?” Janeir smiled, she contacted her sending her the data.
A little while later, as Tei and Laira, were given some refreshments? One of the optical generators lit up displaying in front of them; Dolly in all her glory.
“Laira!!” She too, was delighted to see her. “Long time!!!” Laira grinned. “Dol!”
“Oh yes. They are Omini. I am surprised Jin you did not recognise the Trifactoi statue of Omini ‘sisters’ . Can’t be specific, but isn’t it one of the most famous across the Qiverse. To depict Adei, Azure and Alure. “ Nothing usual really to find one of them.
BUT an Omini Portai Infiniti ?
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