Chapter 17: Departure

Green Hell didn’t have a spaceport, just a shuttle pad on top of Merchants Tower, the highest building of Ant Hill. A daily shuttle service-connected to Harper’s Junction.

He felt a little forlorn as he stood there on that platform from where he had a breathtaking view over the shimmering lake and the jungles lining its shores in the distance.

Partner nudged him in the side, and a feeling of warmth spread in his mind. At least he was not alone; he had Partner.

According to the woman behind the shuttle service counter, a level below, the shuttle was on time and would arrive in about an hour. He could have waited below in the waiting room, but he had chosen to stay up here. From the looks of it, he was the only passenger.

The Passenger Elevator shaft rose from the otherwise smooth surface, and a big black man and a huge robot appeared.

The big man embraced Roy with a rib crushing bear hug. He lifted him off the ground and said. “We could not let you go without seeing you one more time!”

As it was proper for a machine, Charles stood a few steps back. Still, Roy was not too old to embrace the colossal war machine. As usual, the grim machine, designed to strike fear into an enemy just by appearance, managed to look slightly a little less threatening, and Sam noticed the Robot’s hand on Roy’s head in a most tender motion.

Roy said. “I am so glad you came, Uncle Roy, and thank you for bringing Charles along.”

Sam chuckled. “I am not entirely sure I would have dared to tell Charles he could not come along.”

Full knowing the answer, Roy said. “I don’t want to go!” He lowered his voice and looked to the ground. “I am scared.”

Sam said. “It is perfectly normal to be afraid of the unknown, but it will be good for you. It will widen your horizon, and you might even find something or someone out there that changes your mind, and you never come back.”

“I know I must go, but I will be back as soon as I can.”

The shuttle arrived and slid through the force-field membrane of the landing pad. Four S-10 robots appeared and hosed the shuttle down with high pressure steaming water. A Vampire Fly had attached itself to the shuttle’s outside during its descent was caught by the superheated steam. Almost instantly killed and washed away. Other robots pushed the water, and whatever had been washed down into gutters on the floor. After the robots had completed a decontamination scan and cleared the pad, the hatch opened, and four passengers debarked.

Roy knew one of them from sight, he was a technician for the Xeno Institute, but he could not recall his name.

Sam hugged Roy a last time, and Charles did the same while Sam padded Partner and then the big man said. “Take care, Roy! I am going to buy myself a GalNet terminal, after all, so that you can call!”

Roy waved once more and went aboard. There was a human attendant, and he checked his ticket and the permits and scanned Roy’s CITI Implant.” Alright, Mr. Masters. Booking confirmed for you and Partner. We will depart shortly and arrive at Harper’s Junction in eight hours.”

He ushered them to the front of the shuttle and lowered two seats into the floor so that Partner could find room. “Mr. Brown has upgraded your tickets to First Class, Sir. We will serve refreshments shortly after departure.”

Roy whispered a thank you and then looked out the viewport to see Uncle Sam and Charles. In the back by the elevator, he could see a green-haired woman in a fluttery green dress. Somehow she looked very familiar, but he was not sure where he had seen her before.

He then tried to wave to Charles and Uncle Sam, but the viewport was mirrored from the outside with no chance of seeing him. However, the machine did not rely on standard light visuals alone but had a wide range of sensors. To anyone else, it looked extraordinary to see a Cerberus Robot wave; to Roy, it was perfectly normal.

Just out of a notion, he could not explain the again looked into the elevator’s direction, but the woman was gone.

Instead of her, a thin-looking man tumbled out the elevator on unsteady feet. Roy thought it was a late passenger who had too much to drink, but the man collapsed only a few feet out of the elevator.

The air pressure changed, and the air became cooler. Then a slight vibration, and the shuttle took off. Sam waved.

While the shuttle rose on its Arti Grav Cushions, he watched Uncle Sam and Charles rushing to the fallen man.

The shuttle passed through the force field, and a swarm of arrow wasps peppered the side of the shuttle. These dangerous insects did not leave as much as a scratch on the shuttle’s tough carbon-ceramic armor. In moments he could see the entire big lake. Roy wondered what had happened to the man who collapsed at the elevator, but down there that little spot that was Ma Swenson’s Boathouse and only little to the south of it would be the rocks; way too short of course to be seen from this high up. The shuttle passed through the first layers of clouds with a humming sound; the vibration became more intense as the shuttle added its main engines to the Arti Grav.

The clouds fell fast behind the shuttle’s aft, and the bright blue sky turned black a few seconds later. Roy could see the White Mountains and then Green Hell in its entirety.

The voice of the attendant said:” Sir, we are serving refreshments now. What can I bring you?”

Roy turned and said.” Nothing at the moment, thank you.” As he turned back to the viewport, Green Hell was a sphere of greens, whites, and blues and became smaller by the moment.

As the planet shrank to a small bright spot, there was a nagging question deep down. Would you be allowed to return?

Uncle Sam Ranger Solomon stood next to the now covered body. Dr. Herbs, the Shail Medic, said. “Nothing mysterious about his death, Buzzsaws went through his ears into his brain; however, I never saw such aggressive Buzzsaws, not even here on Green Hell. These little critters caused this gentleman quite some pain before he died.”

Ranger Salomon said. “How he got them is a mystery, though. He had just arrived with the shuttle, and there are no Buzzsaws anywhere in the city or on the island for that matter.”

The shuttle service manager had come up and held up a booking PDD. “He was a strange one. He had just arrived from Harper’s. His ticket shows he came from Blue Moon. He came to me at the counter and asked me who the young man was, and then he purchased a ticket back to Harpers.” Salomon scratched his chin. “Maybe he has forgotten something,”

Sam, who was still there as he was interviewed as an eye witness, however, asked. “Say why did he ask about Roy, and what did you tell him?”

The attendant shrugged. “He asked me who that young man was hugging a Cerberus Robot. So I told him that it was Roy Masters.” The Rangers PDD beeped, and he said. “Ah looks like our dead passenger identity check got something...”

Solomon looked at the readout and stopped speaking.

Sam said. “What is it?”

“It is strange; the Scanner detected two CITI. One is for an Adam Smythe, slide belt lubricant salesman, and the other is for Leo Swarthi, on the Federal Police wanted list for kidnapping and assassinations. This Swarthi is a killer for hire.”

The Maxell System had three occupied worlds. Harper’s Junction, Green Hell, and Desolate. Roy did not know all that much about Desolate, other than it was an icy planet with only a little frozen water. As far as he knew, only five or six thousand lived there. Harper’s Junction was the first planet in the system. The seat of the System administration and the Local Court. It had a Ranger Station; it was the one Ranger Solomon reported to. There was a big city and a D Class Spaceport, College, and a real Terra Style Park. Harper’s Junction, however, had no atmosphere, and it was scorching on its surface. He knew from school that several mining companies dug for heavy elements and minerals. The planet was famous for his Psionic Pharma Industry. The shuttle approached, and Roy saw a dirty dust ball from space, unlike the luscious greens and blues of his home.

They landed inside a giant crater that had been turned into a spaceport landing field, and a robot arm took the entire shuttle and pushed it inside a hangar.

Roy and Partner were the only passengers, but the shuttle had a load of mail and freight from Green Hell as well.

A slide belt carried the two towards the terminal; since he came from an intersystem flight, there was no custom control.

Roy stood there in the main terminal with an open mouth. So many beings and robots and shops!

He did not notice the dark blue uniformed Cop and the Robot approaching him. The Flesh and Steel patrol team halted right before him, and the policeman with his visor helmet snarled, “Citizen, no sudden moves now, but I want to see some ID; that artillery piece you carry is illegal.”

Roy blinked and only now noticed the policeman. The Robot had already raised his Paralysator arm. “Are you talking to me, Sir?”

“Who else would I talk to standing right before you? Whatever that thing is with you doesn’t seem to be sentient.”

Roy exposed his Citizen Implant, and the Cop scanned it. “Oh, of course, a Greenie! Seems all in order. You do have a permit for that TKU and the animal. I should have known.”

“Is it always that busy around here, Sir?”

“Busy? It is late on a Tuesday evening. This is Nothing. You should see the place on a Friday afternoon when the Miners get their pay.”

The Robot snarled, “Seven-ten in progress at the Swine and Dine.”

Neither the Cop nor the Robot paid any more attention to Roy. The policeman climbed on the Robot’s back, onto a little platform, and the machine ran with flashing lights through the crowds.

Partner sneezed, and Roy nodded, “Yep, this is one crazy place, alright!”

He hadn’t even walked ten meters when a thin fellow with a colorful jacket and huge hat bumped into him, said sorry, and wanted to go on. His sense of danger flashed in his mind, and he grabbed the man by the neck and wanted to pull his TKU. It wasn’t there! He did all this before he knew he was doing it, just as his sense of danger helped him understand what to do in the Jungles of Green Hell. He now saw the man held his gun! The man cursed and wanted to turn and use the weapon on Roy. Partner roared and opened his vast maw. The man became pale, turned the gun with a fast move, and held it out butt first towards Roy. “It was an accident, sorry!”

Roy took his gun and said, “Stealing a weapon is against the law!”

“You don’t say! I would have never guessed!”

Roy didn’t like that dark-skinned fellow. “I will hand you over to the Police!”

The man didn’t like that and kicked Roy pretty hard against the shinbone. “Let me go, you oaf!”

“I’ve had about enough of you!” Still holding the man by the throat, with no effort at all, Roy squeezed a little harder and gave him a little shake. “One more like this, and I pop that ugly head right off your neck!” The robber first struggled some more, coughed and wheezed, turned a little darker, and went limp. Roy dropped him right on the floor and said to Partner, “Let’s get out of here.”

Everything felt big, and he missed seeing anything green. Except for a few sad-looking trees and bushes, Nothing was growing anywhere.

He went straight to the Gray Line Lobby, where his ticket gave him access, and opened the sliding doors. There he sat down in one of the somewhat worn-out chairs. To go into a Hotel didn’t even occur to him. The partner settled next to him.

The lobby was bare and dull-looking, and no one was there but an ancient-looking S5 pushing an actual mop. The friendly-looking bot at the ticket booth repeated advertisement lines every time the S5 mopped past him. Roy found that quite funny as he was confident that the old janitor robot was not interested in any special trips to Para-Para to enjoy the beaches there. But he responded each time with. “I am not authorized to perform janitorial services outside my designated service area.”

There was a Public GalNet booth and a smudgy looking Virtu Game machine. A Vend-Matic offered a variety of snacks and drinks.

He noticed a dusty ruffled looking bush in a pot in one corner that somehow looked dead. He wondered what kind of attack weapons this bush had. But his danger sense did not warn him, so he figured he was well outside the danger zone.

After he had finished counting the chairs, there were 179; he estimated ceiling lights, 20. He knew it would be a long ten hours since he wasn’t tired one bit. The partner was quite content. He spent a few Credits on the Virtu Game Machine only to find out that the Virtu Experience was about five Marines fighting their way through Green Hell jungles. Completely unrealistic. The title sequence praised the show as the most gruesome experience on the Universe’s most horrible planet! He felt a bit angry and, most of all, homesick already.

Only now Roy knew why there were only 179 chairs. Partner had one of the seats between its massive paws and chewed on it, twisting metal and stuffing sticking out of his giant maw. “Are you hungry?” Yet again, he could not formulate what hunger meant in terms of Partner understood, and he sent waves of affection and licked Roy.

Then he heard his name called “Mr. Masters?”

He turned to find the ticket booth robot had called his name, and he went over. “Yes?”

“Thank you for choosing Gray Lines. I must inform you the scheduled coach to Blue Moon has been delayed due to engine malfunction for an as yet undetermined period. Gray Line apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. Gray Line can offer you a free voucher for the Holiday Portal or a price reduced upgrade E Deck ticket to the Luxury Clipper Silver Swan, also operated by Gray Lines Inc. The Silver Swan will leave in 4 hours from Landing Field North, Sir.”

“How much is the Upgrade?”

“One-way passage to Blue Moon aboard Silver Swan on E Deck for two Beings in a Super Economy Cabin will be 1650.00 Union Credits, Sir.”

“I am just wondering what it would cost without the price reduction?”

“We are deducting the price of your Space Bus tickets of 350 Union Credits and the price of one night at the Holiday Portal of 34 Union Credits. The regular ticket would be 2034 UC, Sir.”

“That’s not a reduction, you know.”

“There are Dormitory style Bunks on F Deck available. For a combined Ticket price of 750 UC, Sir. The Silver Swan will not make any stops along the way, and you will be on Blue Moon three weeks earlier than aboard a Space Bus, Sir.”

“Alright, sign us up.” He glanced at his Cred-Stick. His parents had given him 3000 for College added to his usual Allowance savings, he had 8450 Unions to his name.”

750 Credits poorer, he took a Taxi to the designated address on his new ticket. Cursing as the Taxi charged him 12 Credits, he wondered if he would be able to afford even a glass of water by the time college started.

He was surprised when his Multi Com beeped with an urgent message. He also recognized the Call-ID. It was Ranger Solomon! He pushed reply, and the Rangers’ face appeared, and he looked more severe than he had ever seen the Ranger. “Am I in trouble? I only defended myself again, thief. He was breathing when I dropped him, Sir!”

“Roy, we can talk about that later. It is not the reason I called. I have awful news for you, and I think you should find a place to sit down for this!”

He looked around, found a row of benches just before the Silver Swan passenger lobby, and sat down. “I am sitting now, Sir!”

“Roy, I am not sure how to tell you this the right way, and I wish I could be there to tell you in person.” The Ranger sighed, “Roy, your parents have been both killed. Pirates attacked Their explorer ship, and it was confirmed an hour ago that all hands of the Explorer Rene Descartes had been killed as a shot of the pirate ship hit the antimatter coil.”

Roy simply blinked. He had heard what the Ranger had said. He understood the meaning of the words, but still, he failed to comprehend. “My Parents?” He managed to say, but his voice was a mere whisper.

“Yes, Roy, both of them. I am so sorry!”

“What now? What about me, and do I need to do anything?”

“No Roy, the Explorer Corps of the Navy is taking care of everything. There will be a memorial service aboard the USS Vincent, the ship first at the scene.

You are welcome to attend via holo, of course, and I am sending them all your contact data. I could not find your grandparents. It looks as if your father’s parents went on a trip across the Bridge, and your mother’s parents have left no forwarding address.”

Roy wiped his eyes, unaware he was crying, and said, “They are probably traveling with the Roaming Kids again. They are a bit on the strange side.”

“Well, I did find an uncle of yours on Terra who will be your legal guardian till you are eighteen. I am sending you his contact data, and he expects you to come to Earth. It appears your parents never followed through making Sam Brown, your guardian.”

Roy nodded, feeling numb. Partner pressed his head in Roy’s side, and he could feel the waves of compassion from his animal friend.

Ranger Solomon added. “You have my heartfelt condolences, and you can call anytime if you need something.”

“I will.”

Roy disconnected and simply sat there. Then he got up and went inside the passenger lobby. He wanted to get a refund on the ticket and go back home and to Uncle Sam. He was the person he wanted to talk to. He would know the answer to it all, and if it was true, why could Uncle Sam not be his guardian?

He saw two Klack, man-size Antlike non-humanoid Union members argue with a gray-bearded man just before the Service counter, and suddenly he felt danger!

He turned and noticed a green-skinned man just raising his hand. Nothing seemed dangerous in that gesture, but he acted and threw himself forward, pushing both the Klack and the bearded man in a tumbling tackle to the ground. There was a humming sound, and someone screamed. It smelled of burned plastic, and seconds later, rough fists grabbed him, pulling him off the ground.

Two tall and strong-looking men in dark suits held him with much strength, and another having a weapon fired at Partner! The partner held the green-skinned man tackled to the ground and was now turning to help Roy. The energy beam hit beast right between the eyes, and Roy fearing to lose his friend, hammered his elbow in the stomach of the man holding him. It was as if he hit a steel wall, but the man still was driven back and let him go. Roy whirled around and gave the man an added push with both hands, sending him tumbling between the chairs. He pulled his own TKU and pointed it at the man coming up from the chairs.

Partner seemed unhurt but now extended his claws and gouged deep scratches in the metal floor. He didn’t want Partner to cause a bloodbath before he knew what was going on and yelled, “Partner, Stop!”

His animal stopped in its tracks, slid a few more meters, and stopped only inches before the franticly shooting man, his enormous maw wide open exposing his sharp teeth.

Marines and Police stormed the lobby and surrounded Roy and his animal with drawn weapons. “No move, buster, or you’re toast. You only live because we have questions!” One of the Marines barked.

Roy was still shocked by his parent’s death and the sudden violence. In the jungles of Green Hell, his strange sense of danger usually instinctively told him how to react, and that was always enough. Here it appeared to be a handicap as it didn’t provide him with any follow-up.

The man with the beard held up his hand. “Stand down, Marines! This young man just saved my life and that of the Klack Delegates!”

The marines weren’t so quick to lower their guns. One of them said, “Sir, this brute just manhandled a Special Serviceman and is armed to the teeth!”

“Soldier, if you do not lower these guns and do your real job, I will make sure your next posting will be somewhere very unpleasant!”

The guns went down, and Roy carefully and slowly holstered his weapon then said. “Come, Partner, we’re done here!”

The bearded man said, “Young man. I really am Pandar Strong, and you saved my life. Come sit with me for a little moment and tell me how you knew about this assassination attempt.” He said that in a way as if Roy should know who he was.

The two Klack spoke at the same and in perfectly synchronized timing. Their voices came from little speech boxes glued right to their chitin bodies. “We also say thank you not to let it happen, our extermination! We think it so that we have to say the thank you custom to you for performing this most welcomed task.”

“Not necessary. I have some severe problems of my own to deal with. I saw the guy pointing and just knew what he wanted to do. I have never seen the man before, and I would remember if I had seen him on Green Hell before.”

The man with the gray beard had wrinkles all around his eyes, and a smile parted his lips. “I assume you are a Greenie then?”

“That is the case, Sir. I am from Green Hell! Just arrived, and everything I’ve experienced so far from the outer worlds is more than I ever want to know, and I am going back home!”

The Marines collected the seriously wounded green man. The black-suited men questioned and scanned everyone and everything but kept a healthy distance from Partner, who growled like rolling thunder every time they forgot.

Mr. Strong said, “Somehow, I think you do not know who I am!”

Roy shrugged. “You said you are Pandar Strong. Should I know you?”

A beautiful woman with long silvery hair, wearing a dark purple velvet-like Catsuit that seemed almost painted to her perfectly shaped curves, spoke up, “Mr. President, he has no idea, only moments ago he received a message that both his parents have been killed in a pirate attack. I can verify he has no connection or even an idea of what is going on here. He acted out of instinct to a sudden reaction.”

Roy stared at the tall woman. “How do you know all this about me?”

“I am sorry, Mr. Masters. I am a telepath.” She pointed at a small silvery pin on her collar shaped like a human brain. “PSI Corps.”

The older man said with great warmth in his deep voice. “I am so sorry you lost your parents. I am so sick of hearing these pirate attack stories. I want that Fleet of ours to hunt them down and hunt them to extinction.”

The man put his hand on Roy’s shoulder. “Son, I am the President of the United Stars of the Galaxy.”

Roy snapped his fingers, “Oh right, ‘Vote for Mr. Strong, and you never go wrong!’ Sure I remembered that from the election campaign posters last year. What a cheesy line! I always laughed about that one!” But then he realized, even in his current confused and somewhat dazed mind, he realized he was speaking to the President himself! “Jumping Stomper, Sir! Mr. President. Your Excellency, Sir. I didn’t mean to ah...” His mind raced, and he tried to remember anything in school about what one had to do when facing the President.

“It’s quite alright, Son. I didn’t like it much either.”

The silver-haired woman said, “There are no special requirements at all. No set formulas.” Then she turned to the President, “I think it is all a little much for the young man right now, and I would like to get with him to a more quiet place so he can collect himself and cope with it all. It is quite a load, Sir!”

“Yes, Cara, I think this is a good idea!”

The woman said to Roy, “If you like, you can come with me. We’ll find a quiet place now and maybe get you something to drink.”

Roy nodded thankfully and followed the woman. Even in his current state, he could not wholly ignore her cat-like movements in that skintight suit.

After a short elevator ride, they came to a luxurious looking lounge with comfortable looking couches and chairs. Huge viewports allowed a view outside onto the landing field. He could see an exquisite looking space ship, somewhat looking like a swimming swan, with a tall neck little bridge section like ahead, and a big body with elegant wings. It was bright white.

The lobby had a curved bar and a lonely looking barkeeper who came over right away and asked, “Sure glad to see some guests. Normally this place is packed before a departure, but something has happened downstairs. What can I bring you?”

The woman said, “A Sparo-Pop for me and whatever my young friend and his partner would like.”

Roy sat down at one of the small tables and wasn’t sure, so he just shrugged, “Anything would be fine.”

The barkeep said. “You most certainly look like a Greenie to me with that Bio-seal suit and that enormous gun. We do have that new Hell Ade from Sam’s Farm. The stuff sells like hotcakes!”

Roy managed to smile as he heard Sam’s name and said, “That I’ll have! A big glass of it and Partner, he doesn’t drink anything.”

The woman changed her order and wanted to try it too.

The orders came, and again Roy could not help but smile as he saw a picture of Uncle Sam on the bottle with his arm around Roy’s shoulders!. It read Hell Ade, invented and named by my best bud Roy.”

She tasted it and said, “I can see why this is selling. I found my new favorite drink. This is very refreshing, somehow almost like Cherry and Pineapple but different.”

Then she turned the bottle and said. “That is you on the bottle, is it not?”

Roy nodded.

She leaned closer over the table, and her long hair fell forward. She had large purple-colored eyes that matched her suit and very feminine shaped painted lips. “Roy, I am Cara. I am a Saresii, and I am a Telepath. Normally I do not poke in other minds. I had to do it down there because of the assassination attempt.”

He nodded. “My mother is...” he paused as his mind corrected him, and tears welled up in his eyes against his will, “ ... my mother was from Phantasm. She was a Telepath. I am quite used to it, and I know you are not allowed to read any others’ deep thoughts.”

She put her hand on Roy’s, and her touch felt warm and gave him some comfort. He wiped his eyes with a defiant move; a future Marine and a real Greenie would not cry like a baby in the open.

Her voice became softer. “It is perfectly okay to cry. I have seen the greatest Warrior in this Galaxy cry. There is no one here but me and your magnificent animal. The barkeep pays no attention to us.”

He knew she was much older than him, but he was glad she was there and tried to comfort him. When he started to cry and how she ended up merely holding him, he didn’t know. She was still a perfect stranger to him.

After a little while, he still felt empty and didn’t know what would happen. He was afraid of the future and wondered what life on Earth would be like and who this uncle was no one had ever mentioned, and he didn’t know he had.

He found a recorded message on his multi com. He somehow must have missed the actual call. He had never seen a man look with a sour face into the visual sensor and said with a gruff voice. “That’s just great. Now I have to take care of my step brother’s teenager. I assume that would be you. Well, I won’t change my life because my dear brother decided to get himself killed. No one in his right mind would fly in that pirate-infested Unclaimed space, but no. He was always so smart and even took his wife along. They didn’t give a hoot about you, Roy! You were an accident, not meant to happen. You distracted from their only love: those damn beakers and micro scanners and all that science crap. Now I won’t change my life or my plans to make that clear. I am going on a trip I have been planning for months now, and you are frankly in the way. So find somewhere cheap to stay till I am back in 16 months. There will be no money and if you need anything, call my dad or someone. The law made me your guardian, so that is what I want you to do. Stay out of my hair. But go to that damn College or else!”

The man, his uncle, didn’t even bother to say his name or anything.

The woman had heard it and said, “Well, it seems not much is working out for you today. Tell you what, why don’t you come with me to Sares for a while so you can find your bearings. Till college starts.”

“But you are a total stranger! Besides, I need to go somewhere where I can take Partner too!”

“If I tell you I do it because I feel sorry for you, then you certainly won’t agree. So I say I am a little curious about your Danger Sense, as you call it. Like most Saresii, I am a Psionic expert, and we don’t know of any ability that lets you sense danger. Then there is the fact that you are the Psionic twin of that Fury Hound. I have never seen one as big as this one.”

Roy looked up. “You know what Partner is, and you have seen one before?”

“I am not certain, but the way it absorbed blaster shots like that, it might be one. Richard Stahl, the Admiral, has one. I’ve seen it. There are rumors Rex Schwarz has one too. I am sure the Narth could tell you what it is for sure, but they are quite isolated and don’t allow visitors.”