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Ellie had been with Poddy looking over some archive imaging of past moments now gone, 
Some tears forming?
This world is almost barren. Desert, dry sand with crushed stone, grit gravel, replacing what had once been rich and lush pastures.
Debris from the attacks, the savage after shock of the various land masses moving, shifting, vanishing as water levels rose or were pushed up to form mountainous solid rock.
Volcanic eruptions had also scarred the former landscape.
Exploding cascade of hot molten lava with ash.. choking the air and poisoning the water systems.
Fluro carbons, acids turned the water into an undrinkable toxic slurry. The inside of some of the newly created caves were lines with sulphuric acid stalagtites.. or was it hanging down or standing columns. of stalagmites. ?
Combustible gases made the interiors subject to random explosions. A piece of flint rock breaking apart like someone flicking their fingers over a lighter.
To strike the flint creating a spark.. one that now ignited a wall of flame..
Ellie and her ‘clan’ had grown up with, LEARNED, ADAPTED IMPROVISED to stay alive in those situations, the changes the necessary to stay alive to maintain the safety and security of their own people?
We know of course that Ellie with Poddy had not stuck to those rules. In doing so had encountered Nodu, taken them back to the secret lair of her Clan. In short broken the rules.. BUT.. her Clan were deeply religious, NOT Zealots, fanatics but their faith in the Gods.. the true Gods of Creation ?
You learned, accepted the RULES and we could say; REGULATIONS knowing one rule for all often meant just that, Singularity was not dismissed BUT one act one lapse of obedience could leave YOUR CLAN YOUR FAMILY; dead or wishing they were.
Little or nothing could grow re food crops, the essentials that the NORMALS or those NOT reliant on SHELLS or other bio forms now were left with only chemically engineered often cubes to consume to stay alive.
For all of them, the Clan had stood together. Against the odds that were, from the moment the Orians invaded and they knew, it was an INVASION by them; the reality kicked in, that if they were caught by them, the clan was doomed.
Little knowledge of the technological advances the ‘city dwellers’ indulged in I would not say enjoyed.
Stress was a common factor from the first time Ai introduced such to the populace.
By those wanting to make money control the populace and CONTROL was at the forefront of a lot of the politics used to give them the global capitalists an unfair advantage. 
Paid for of course. Bribery, corruption. were rife.
The Orians used them to provide volunteers for the food processing olants.
Advertising that they would have a job for life and a good income.
True they were right about the job for life. Up until they were fed into the processor they had a job for life.
The arrival of Nodu and Yie was keeping the Orians occupied.
Giving information to the rebels the SHELLS were carrying out the raids the savage merciless attacks.
Their enemy, was finding no way to stop the sudden unpredictable attacks and not just their food processing but also power units.
The Clan had become far more focused on finding some means to exploit their advantages, one or two losses against the ever increasing successes was regarded as acceptable.
The main area for the Xeus plant was rich lush and it had been kept free of contamination because their leaders the ones who profited from the sale of that slurry.. would not attend any of the other sites.
NOT an enormous site but it could be cleared and turned into an area the Clan could use. Inhabit. When they had explored options they had discovered an unsettling truth.
Most of the planet was contaminated. Overcrowding, toxic zones, places where no living being could live.
The iClones who protected their secured areas with a violence that was a shoot first ask questions later ..
you got the picture?
The arrival of more of the Orians an elite militia now made that ideal a trap. The new militia were there to focus on those who had been trashing their factories, power plants and ? Armed with new terrifying weapons.
Creatures that were ugly mutated beasts.
The leaders were no longer interested in attending that site.. Those ugly beasts left it trashed.
Turning a would be paradise a WAS a paradise into a slum.. It stank, it became a dumping ground..
The Elite were now attacking, interrogating to find information as to the whereabouts of their enemy,.
Desperation was not theirs alone. Over 200 of the ‘Clan; ? Nodu and Yie had attended a meet to listen noting some of the sheer despair. They had seen how bad the planet was. BUT how could they help Ellie and the Clan.. ?
Shu had been at the Orion Portei Semperu learning how it worked. Impressed by the technology.
More than qualified to use it. Skilled and four others were now stood watching the craft they were in
Over 500 of them and most of them were bio engineers, technology experts. Weapons and militia with new staff weapons. Advanced proton cannons.
The base on the off world former emergency embarkation site was abandoned but the main buildings were intact, operational though requiring extensive modern adaptation to also allow the install of the cannon arrays.
The planet itself was not colonized and for those present the 500 too invested in using the Portei Semperu older than the more advanced Orion version.. but still powered up and working they had tested the link using the Orion one to link and send through a number of their own.
IT worked perfectly. NO glitches. Back on Solus 3 the main Orion forces had not realized that it existed had been seized? It could be said that those responsible had no intention of allowing others of their kind to find out their failures.
BUT the underground base was virtually impregnable, but also UNKNOWN to them.
The appearance of the Jester? Unseen by others but visible to Yie.. Nodu not so much which was puzzling.
Yie had however reasoned that this whatever it was? Could manipulate spacial presence and attune it to align it with the chosen allowed by IT to view IT.. ?
Nodu had seen Yie with her ears now being raised.. coming into view. He was amused as were those of the assembled Clan. Ellie in particular as Poddy hissed at her.. Do not touch her ears.. it is disrespectful.
Ellie turned to the Clan.. “NO one is to attempt to touch those ears..”
Lips moving but saying nothing. Looking around he was not seeing any other than those present ?
“Why don’t you.. “ Yie waited listening clearly pre occupied. NOT paying attention to them in fact it was good that they had not taken offence to her silence.
Finally her ears lowered out of sight.. She now looked Ellie.. Gather all together ALL of your Clan and make sure they are ready for the journey.. YOU ALL will NOT be coming back and “ she paused.. “TRUST me.. TRUST your true Gods of Creation.. the ones YOU ALL pray to.. YOUR faith will see you rewarded. “
Nodu shifted close. “Do not whatever you are about to say.. SAY. Just make sure they get ready to leave. I have to go find Symp, someone called Holli and Aims.. hmm.. “
About to tell her he knew where they could be found but? The look on her face he went silent turned to them with Ellie now barking commands.. she always amused him when her and Poddy took over. The Clan did as they were TOLD ! He grinned GRINNED, more of the traits that seemed to be appearing, NOT that he was complaining.
Too much going on around him. Dragged away by Ellie and Poddy. He helped in the gathering of so much it astonished him and the arguments over what was what was not going to be taken?
Finally Ellie stamped her feet, hands down by her side as she growled.. LOUDLY and they went silent?
Poddy whispered to her.. “ Why don’t you LET Nodu have the final word.. “
Ellie looked at Nodu and her lips moved as she broke into a smile...
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