Chapter 43: The Path Back

“Grandma, Tame, and the Supreme Queen went to one of the Drunduh planets this morning,” said Atra.

“What is happening?” Brendan asked. His voice was deeper and more mellow than previously.

“XaX intelligence made some important finds,” said Imra. “We won’t find out until they return, but Grandma was not looking happy, and neither was Tame.”

“Grandpa will speak to the Admiral to find out if she will allow us to stay here for six months while you recover. The XaX will permit us to do the same engineering work here. We will learn a new type of power and its accompanying electronics,” said Atra.

“That way, we can keep safe from the assassins,” said Imra. “What will you guys do?”

“We are weak; we can only walk around for a few hours before we are exhausted. Our relentless rehabilitation stretches ahead for months. Last night was the first time we slept outside the tube. Progress is frustratingly slow.”

“We know; we were there,” said Imra, giggling. “You weren’t that weak, but you collapsed like a box in a vacuum by the end.”

“What will you do over the next six months?” Atra asked.

Brendan smiled. “I will continue with my development work, which I am doing with my new beetle and the brainiac. The Brainiacs have different but complementary concepts. I can also speak directly to our Brainiac through the one here, as they are connected, and I can use their link. David and Ashlyn are learning XaX medical practice. How are the XaX getting on with their projects?”

“The Hospitality Queen is progressing well, constructing and decorating a hotel close to the hospital. They also set up an underground communications infrastructure so visitors can communicate outside easily. They work fast and are efficient and effective,” said Atra. “Our people enjoy working with them. You can now easily talk to our ship with your cube. You could continue to liaise with Prof. Shohsukit.”

“How big will the hotel be?” Brendan asked.

“It’s small by our standards but a good start. It will have four thousand bedrooms. Most of our hotels start at ten thousand rooms. Our resort hotels have up to a hundred thousand rooms.”

“Amazing, that is the size of a town!”

Atra smiled. “Brendan, I believe the demand for tourism will be huge. We have cruise ships that carry a hundred thousand people at a time. Imagine a mob like that rampaging through the city below?”

“There is a lot to be done before they can look at tourists,” said Brendan. “Hotels and tourism are not something I’ve thought about.”

“I was brought up hearing about it. Eventually, some of it sank in,” said Atra.

“We build the ships and the hotels,” said Imra, smiling.

“It sounds like a daunting task,” said Brendan. “The XaX have a lot to learn.”

“That is what we thought, but it’s not true. The Queens constantly travel between planets. The bugs run efficient accommodation for visitors and arrange tours. The XaX understand logistics; they manage an enormous flow of goods between planets. It’s not commercial trade as we know it, but they manage it remarkably well.”

“How will the XaX cope?” Brendan asked.