Chapter 5: Inklung

The trip back to Belle Station was eventless and so was boarding another long-range shuttle to the outermost planet of the system a few hours later.

The intersystem trip would take only 35 minutes as the shuttle did have FTL engines and would bridge most of the six light hours in Quasi space.

Sobyr did not even bother finding a seat and went straight to the shuttle’s small lounge for a burger. Roy was too excited to eat or feel hungry, so he opted for a cup of water.

“What are they doing so far out? I mean what is on Kappa VIII?”

Sobyr munched happily on his burger and waved to Alejandro who only had coffee. The Stellaris said, “This is a member species System in the Old Neighborhood region. Sol is only 168 light-years from here. Every rock is either utilized, occupied or under construction to be occupied. Like most Union Star system, the outermost planet is first and foremost used as a long-range listening and scanning outpost. On Kappa VIII is a large Union Army Post with a compliment of gunships. There is a system defense battery with Loki torpedoes and the region’s GalNet repeater station. Those large repeater stations usually have a crew. Kappa VIII also does the maintenance for all GalNet Buoys in the region.”

Ncchsi ate her raw uncooked burger. She did not chew but devoured the burger in fast snapping motions and swallowed the pieces whole. Roy could picture how she would sink her teeth filled jaws into a prey animal and it was clear to him that the Maggi-Surons developed from a fierce predator life form.

Despite her somewhat frightening appearance, he found her to be a nice person and she said. “SII has a factory there, making GalNet buoy parts or something. All in all, I think Kappa VIII has a population of 200,000. That isn’t very big but far from small. Inklung’s Sip Sap is a Union teacher there.”

Sobyr wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I love those Earth Castle Burgers, they only serve this brand on shuttles and Space Busses around here. They come all the way from the Sol System, not printed food but Zero Stasis real meat.”

Roy still wasn’t hungry and said. “Maybe I have the stomach to try one on our way back. Did they get attacked during the battle?”

Sobyr shrugged.”I don’t know but unlikely. Kappa VIII is currently all the way on the Galactic South side of this system and the Kermac-Nogoll fleet came from Galactic North, that is Coreward in Sector terms. Even if they were, they have Loki Batteries and not just one. The Army Gunships probably didn’t even launch. They are useless in an all-out space battle anyway, everyone but the Army knows that.”

Sobyr checked the time and ordered another burger from the Lounge waiter. Then he said, “The slide caves on Kappa VIII are worth a visit. If we are successful with our attempt locating your parents, we should visit them. Four Kilometers of a steep ice cave tunnel you can slide with a Duro-Plast board. Great fun I tell you.”

Kappa VIII didn’t look like much from space. It was a dark dull gray ball without a visible atmosphere. The local sun was nothing but a bright star among many other stars. But as they descended, Roy noticed a bright lit dome in the otherwise stark gray and featureless smooth landscape.

He hasn’t traveled all that much and seen only a few other places, but so far none of them could hold a candle to Green Hell.

Sure enough, the town on Kappa VIII, once they had landed, was no different than Anthill inside. The same bright corridors. He was quite happy to see that the corridors and the main concourse featured quite a few green plants and open water.

A weird-looking semi-humanoid being, gray from head to toe waited for them. The being was about as tall as Sobyr and had two legs and two arms, but arms and legs had at least one more joint. The head was completely smooth except for three darker almost black areas where eyes and mouth would be. The being appeared as if wore a tight fabric semitransparent hood or mask over his head that smoothed any facial features into a vague representation of a human face.

Aat noticed Roy staring at the being as they approached. “The Leedei developed on a planet with three suns and there is never any darkness or night. To protect their eyes they and many other life forms of their planet developed a second-skin-like cover over the actual eyes that is semitransparent and filters out most of the bright light and harmful radiation.”

Ncchsi performed a complicated greeting ritual with her hands and Roy noticed the Leedei hand had eight fingers and each finger had at least six joints and looked almost independently alive and more like many-legged insects than hands.

Ncchsi turned and placed her scaled hand with sharp claws on Roy’s shoulder.

“This is Roy Masters and the big black thing answers to the name Partner.”

Then she pointed to the being. “This is Inklung, he is a good friend of mine and its Sip-Sap was my Basic School teacher. Inklung is, like all Leedei, a formidable Telepath.”

The being had a muffled, voice. “Nice to meet you, Roy and Partner. Your psi-connection to the beast is amazing.”

Roy didn’t even try to repeat the greeting Ncchsi did and simply accepted the being’s hand. It was as if a bony spider crawled up his wrist. “I am too glad to meet you.”

The being gestured to the exit gate of the shuttle landing berth. “Let us go to my home, where you can tell me in detail how I can be of assistance.”

The home of the Leedei was located deep underneath the surface, a house carved into a rock alcove. One of many such homes lining a long tunnel wall. To Roy’s surprise and delight he noticed that some of the houses had front yards with green grass and even flowers and bushes. A gaggle of kids two humans, a black being with a dense black pelt and a Small Version of a Maggi Suron chased after a ball. A Klack guided a hover cart, wearing the green Uniform of a Union Post employee greeted them clicking his mandibles and then carrying a package to a door.

A woman with a large hat was clipping a bush with a pair of scissors. Roy somehow had not expected this idyllic peaceful scenery underneath the ice and rock of a distant outpost planet and he recalled Cara’s words. She was right, in these aspects, the Union was quite fascinating.

The interior of the Leedei home was very dark. Only dim strips of red light provided the faintest of illumination. There was very little in terms of furniture.

Their host led them into a living room where sitting furniture had been added, and from the looks of it in anticipation of their visit, as it appeared out of place.

Inklung gestured to the seats. “Please make yourselves at home. I know Roy is eager to come to the point and we shall as soon as my Sip-Sap can join us, Knunging will be here any minute now. My Sip-Sap is in contact with G 6783, our homeworld to gain permission to use the Telelistener.”

An S-10 robot in domestic service configuration came in and asked with the same type of whispering voice. “Welcome to the Ging-Lung household, this unit was summoned to provide refreshments. Please state the type of snack or drink you like to consume. This household is attached to the Kroger groceries Network and we can provide virtually any desired refreshment.”

Ncchsi was not very shy and said. “I like a Grobil blood squeezer.”

Inklung said.”Please do as our common friend did. Serving guests as good as possible is a Leedei tradition and it makes us very proud and happy if guests do avail to offerings.”

Ncchsi apparently was here before as she switched on a little light above her seat, “Yes do order something, serving guests is like a religion to the Leedei.”

Sobyr found the little contact and also turned on a light above him. “Well, in that case, Robot get me some Thauran Grape Juice.”

Aat ordered Saran Beer. Alejandro wanted a coke with ice and Pictfram asked for a small bag of snack grubs. While Roy wanted to get started, he did ask. “Any fruit juice will do, maybe Cranberry?”

The robot took the orders and Inklung sounded very pleased. “Thank you, friends of Ncchsi. You made this home a happy one and yes, we can provide almost everything. We have a Matter Radio enabled GalNet terminal.” There was a tone of pride in the Leedei’s voice.

Roy had heard about this technology. It was among the newest developments. He knew the Institute on Green Hell had received one only recently. The technology allowed the transmission of actual matter over GalNet. It was limited to 1000 grams and the Matter Radio enabled Terminals, just like the service were ridiculously expensive.

Roy was getting very nervous as the anxiety was killing him. First, he heard his parents got killed in a pirate attack. The news affected him more than he thought. His life had changed so much since then. His carefree days roaming the jungles seemed ages ago, and now he was sitting in the dark living room of strange aliens hoping they could tell him if they were still alive. He wished it would be all over soon so he could simply go back. Deep down he even regretted giving Uncle Sam his word to become a Marine. While he still wanted to do that, it was no longer his first choice, he simply wanted to go home. This constant feeling of being in situations he had no real control over made him terribly homesick.

He was smart enough to know that his depression was caused by the uncertainty of his future, the forceful uprooting caused by the very parents he now wanted to save. Maybe he should simply let them rot, where they were. It wasn’t him who wanted them to go on an expedition and abandon the only place he knew as home.

He was a homeless drifter if you really looked at it.

The Leedei reached out for his arm. “I promise we will do what we can to help.”

Just then a second taller Leedei entered the room, right behind the robot who served the refreshments. Despite his state of mind, he could not take his eyes of the plastic bag, the robot handed Pictfram. He was certain the little things inside moved.