Chapter 13: Visitors

~~ October - Week 41 & Tychy Week 6 ~~

It was the rest day, and everyone was happily kicking back, taking it easy.

It had been a busy week, and Lee and Sean were thinking of taking the faeries and Drako and going home. The new residents were now part of the scenery and all happily employed. Their addition had helped immensely.

Dye now had two Pixs to help her out, and they had taken to the new banking and contracts system like ducks to water. Other Pixs were now running the replicator. The new families of Prols were split between the farms and the mines.

The Burgis males turned out to be craftsman and metalworkers, so they were kept busy. Some of the women looked after the kids, and some worked in the kitchens or boosted the cleaning staff. Others were assigned to the gardens or animal husbandry, or with some of the Prol males.

The fact they were now all employed, fed and housed in the wonderful houses had them very glad of their new circumstances. The three young Prol males had no problems with acquiring their new wives. This lot were probably the most shagged, eh, happiest of the lot.

Lee suddenly sat up in bed and looked at Sean, “Trouble is coming.”

Sean was wondering what she was on about when he received a call on his com. “Sean, it’s Captain Clark here.”

“What’s up, Captain?” He replied, looking at Lee.

“We are getting visitors,” came back the Captain’s grim reply.

“What visitors?” Sean replied. He looked at Lee, and she scowled. Obviously, this was the ‘trouble’ she knew was coming.

“The Australian Starship Ulysses captained by Group Captain Rohan Bligh, is about to set up in orbit and expects to send a shuttle over to us in about four hours. He will be accompanied by a Colonel Vincent Flag. A representative of GB & JK Corp, a Sir John Nash and one from UNSEC, a Duke Henry Lindsey will also be coming to visit,” the Captain, told him.

“Shit, Colonel Flag is coming. Fuck, I’d better get the team dressed up pretty. We will see you soon, Nick. Oh, who else do you need back up on the ship?” Sean asked.

“You may want to load Nicko, Eze and Essco and their loved ones in the transporter. It might be nice to have a cook as well. I’m sure I’m expected to feed the dignitaries. Also, if you wouldn’t mind, I think I’d like Philip and Ulani here as well,” Nick asked.

“Consider it done, Nick, Sean out.”

“Gary, Sean here.”

“What’s up boss?”

“Collect the troops, Sergeant. Colonel Flag is coming to visit. We need to be topside in two hours.”

“Oh crap, the shit is about to hit the fucking fan. We are on the go, Captain, Gary out.”

Sean called Eze, Nicko and Essco and told them to meet him in the diner in the dome.

Lee offered to go get Philip and disappeared.

Lee appeared in the diner in Futura just as Philip and Ulani came in to get lunch.

“Hi guys, just the people I’m looking for. War of the World’s is just about to begin,” she told them. She gave them a brief of what the Captain had told them, and the couple hurried off to get ready.

Lee smelt something wonderful cooking and headed towards the kitchens. Chief Andre’ was just arranging several large roasts on the bench to cool. “Andre’ how would you like to cook for dignitary tonight?”

Andre’ smiled at her, “I’d cook for you any night, Lord Lee, you know that.”

Lee kissed his cheek, “You ol’ smoothie you. No tonight, Captain Clark has the privilege of entertaining a Duke from UNSEC, a Colonel, a Group Captain and a Sir from GB & JK Corp., plus us, say about twenty-four sittings.”

“Oh my, so they have come. Nick will be in a tizzy; he hates fancy entertaining at the best of time.”

Lee said, “Well, they are supposed to be turning up in about three or four hours. What do you suggest?”

Andre’ thought, “How much can you transport at once, Lee?”

“Heaps, why?” she asked.

“Tell the Captain not to worry I have it sorted. Can you come back and pick us up in about three hours? We will pack everything into several of June’s carts.”

“Cool, I’ll let you get to it.” Lee looked at her comm, “Say about 17:00 U-hours?”

“We will be ready,” Andre assured her and bustled off to organise the food for the dinner.

Lee thanked him before he went, and sent a thought to Sean to tell him Andre’ had dinner sorted, not to worry and to pass it onto the Captain. Sean was appreciative as it was one less worry for him.

Lee then went and found Kyle, Tony and Debora. She told them what was going on. Kyle said they would meet them at the dinner at 17:00 hours to help with Andre.

“Hey Lee, wear your wedding dress tonight,” Kyle said with a big grin.

“Why?” Lee asked mystified. Kyle winked at her. Then she got it, and she grinned before she disappeared.

She went to her treasure cave and had a look around. She thought it might be helpful if she contributed some table decorations. She also found some bling the girls might like to borrow. A few other items also appealed, so she collected them as well.

She also collected her documents as she had a feeling that she was going to need them. She had been back to the cave a couple of times. She had found some other very interesting documents that she thought Philip and Bentley might like to read as well, so she packed them into her satchel.

Her treasure room, like Kyle’s, was also kept at negative pressure, and everything inside was very well preserved. Lee had also detected a spell that helped as well and had boosted it. She likened it to a preservation spell and decided it would come in handy in the future.

Lee found several chests full of Genteli style dresses of various sizes. She picked out about seven of them, which she thought might look attractive on the ladies. She put them into a spare chest. She even found a couple of formal suits for the guys and tossed them in, as well as the other goodies she had collected.

Lee blinked back to Debora, and after scaring several years off her life, she got her to pick a dress and some bling. She then went and picked up her dress. Next, she then went and found Ulani, and she too happily picked out one of the silk dress and a couple of pieces of jewellery that would go with it.

After a quick stop to guzzle down some food and restock her satchel with energy bars and water, Lee then blinked back to Harmony and to Tammy and got her dressed. Bray was with her, and they found one of the suits looked very handsome on him. She then found Kelli and Cath and soon had them happily getting dressed as well.

Next, Lee found Dye. She was with Zan, and they too happily picked out clothes. When Zan looked at the clothes, he told Lee they were worth a small fortune on the other continents of Utopia. They were made of faerie silk and decorated with small gems, pearls and gold and silver threats he told her were the real deal. Lee shrugged and told them they made a handsome couple.

All the ladies and even the non-military guys had been in a flap as to what to wear, to a formal dinner with the dignitary. Lee headed for the ship and stopped off in the dining room to deposit the bling and tableware she had found. She then dropped the chest off in her room and scoffed down six of the energy bars from her stock.

She was very grateful they were there. They were excellent for a quick energy boost. Jumping between the planets did suck the energy out of her. Sean had been in the habit of keeping a box of them in their room for them. She added another half a dozen into her satchel for later. She might have to raid Andre’s kitchen as well.

She checked her comm and headed back to Futura to pick up the food and the crew. She found everyone assembled. She got them to link-up with Her, Kyle and Tony. Everyone also had a cart, and the wizards transported them all to the dining room on the ship. They all told her it was a cool way to get around.

Lee showed Andre’ the stuff she had brought and asked if he wanted to use any of it?

“Oh my God Lee, this stuff is fit for royalty. We are going to ‘rock their socks off’,” he told her with the biggest grin.

Lee had gotten the Captain to check just how many were expected for the formal dinner. He told her six-plus ten soldiers. The girls set the main tables up in a ‘U’ shape and arranged the other tables for the rest of the crew and the soldiers.

They soon had it set up with the gold cutlery and the cream and gold-trimmed spider-silk tablecloths. Lee had brought enough settings for twenty-four, so they set them all up.

They added crystal wine and water glasses. The fancy water jugs and the Amazing gold, crystal and gem-studded table arrangements, which doubled as candlesticks but had long thin de Ray crystals as the candles. Everyone thought they looked awesome.

Lee had even found a case of assorted wines. She got Andre’ to check if they were any good. He opened half a dozen bottles and said they were all excellent. But they were potent. The crew should take it easy if they drink any of it.

Lee asked if it was better to water it down a bit. He poured half the bottles into the six gold and silver decorated carafes; which Lee had supplied. He added soda water until he was happy. He said they tasted even better. He had Biscuit make them presentable to place on the tables.

The Captain was agitated and came to check how things were going. Andre’ poured him a small glass of unwatered wine for medicinal purposes, as the Captain rarely drank. Lee warned him and the rest of the crew to take it easy on the wine. Even watered, it was still potent.

Sung commed the Captain to tell him the military transport was entering the hold. Terry and Penny had taken one of their transporters back to the surface to make room and Sean and blinked them back.

Sean, Gary, Philip, Essco and Nicko went to meet the dignitaries.

Sean expected Lee to be with him, but she said she had something to do and would catch up with him later and told him to have fun.

Sean and Gary saluted the officers, and they all exchanged brief pleasantries. The visitors had also brought and another couple with them. They had simply said they were Mr and Mrs van Holton. The Captain gave the dignitaries a quick tour of the ship while Andre’ finished the dinner arrangements.

Sean passed on the presences of the two surprise guests to Lee. She told him not to worry about it as they were expected. Sean smiled to himself, ‘Trust Lee to know they were coming.’

Group Captain Bligh asked why so many systems were shut down. Did they have problems with the ship? Captain Clark explained that they were only running a skeleton crew now.

The teams were split between Clarksville and Futura. The ship was in perfect working order. He didn’t mention the modifications.

Colonel Vincent Flag asked where the rest of Sean’s troops were, as he had expected to inspect them. Sean grimaced inside and said they were doing their jobs protecting the citizens on the two different planets. This mollified the Colonel.

The Colonel was a bit of a stickler for protocol’s and not one of Sean’s favourite Colonels. However, he did have a reputation for being fair to deal with. There was hope for him and his team yet. They finally made their way back to the dining room.

The representatives from the Company and UNSEC had brought their wives as well as, the very stuck up and prim looking Mrs van Holton. Philip and Nicko had escorted them to the dining room. Philip introduced them to the other wives and left then to get to know each other.

Three of the pretty young Burgis girl’s that Andre’ had roped into waitress duties offered the dignitaries and the locals a glass of wine while they waited for everyone else to turn up for dinner.

“Good heavens, where did you get this wine? It tastes like a fine French vintage,” Lady Nash said in her nasally, fake posh speech.

Ulani replied, “I believe it was provided by the Lord Wizard for your enjoyment.”

“Lord Wizard? What sort of charlatans do they have in charge here to be called Lord Wizards?” Deanne, the Duchess of Lindsey, scoffed.