Prologue 2

Plague Intervention - Minus Thirty-five days 15 Hours

Earth Base - Zoology Holding Area

"Horse, did you encapsulate specimen 1348 for Stasis?" asked Thrust, the base's Senior Zoologist.

"Yes, Thrust, I have. All the specimens have been encapsulated, now stop being a 'mother hen', and finish packing. I swear you would think that this was your first mating, the way you are fussing about," responded Horse, Senior Stasis Engineer and bond-mate of Thrust.

"This is only my second mating, as you well know. My previous Mating only included the Nymphs who had just emerged from their birth sacs, last time. I am nervous that I will not have a son this time, either, to carry on the Thrust name."

"You have had the treatment, your swimmers should all be Male. You will produce nothing but sons, this time," said Horse, trying to reassure his bond-mate.

"Yes, you are right. But I still worry, and the fussing helps; so please check specimen 1348 once again, just to make sure," replied Thrust.

The two aliens continued their duties, the encapsulating of earth specimens, and putting them into Stasis for storage. This laborious procedure was necessary, as the base would shortly be nearly deserted, with only a very 'skeleton crew', that would be necessary to supervise the bases critical functions. The rest of the fifteen thousand plus contingent of scientists, researcher assistances, technicians, and administrators, were returning to their home planet to participate in The Mating Rituals. In fact, the senior most administrator had already been translocated to Grel, the home planet of the Grelix.

Earth Base - Command Centre

In the command centre, the Duty Officer was in conversation with 'unit six' of the Computer Servant Matrix 1475. They were discussing the outbreak of another variant of Influenza in a farm in China.

"Master, the new strain of Virus, 'Specimen 7652', is an Avian/Swine cross; and while it has not yet crossed to humans, it is more virulent in mammals, than in Avian species, which will be able to harbor the virus," 'Six' informed the Duty Officer.

"Yes, yes! But has the situation reached, or is it close to reaching the Direct Intervention Threshold?" asked Perky, the Duty Officer.

"No, Master. The current strain, while it will cause severe symptoms that will adversely affect the young and elderly, has not yet begun to approach the Direct Intervention Threshold. Also, the current version of the human Influenza Vaccine, will be adequate to contain the outbreak, if it should occur.

San LaMeer Golf Course, Durban, South Coast of South Africa

Third Director of Earth Affairs, Pole, having just translocated from the twelfth hole at Augusta, to the fourth at San Lameer; picked up his conversation with the Fifth Director of Earth Affairs, who had translocated moments before.

"This is the Fourth Hole at San LaMeer. It's a one hundred sixty four yard, Par Three, across water to a narrow green. They say that it compares favorable to the twelfth at Augusta, but I don't see it, myself," Pole said to Thumper, his golf partner for the day.

The humans, who were also enjoying golf, did not notice the two Aliens standing off to one side waiting for their foursome to clear the tee box.

"What's the delay in Zoology? They were scheduled to finish encapsulating the specimens at noon, yesterday; and they have already missed their translocation time slot. It would serve them right if the were required to stay behind," complained Thumper.

"Logistics and Support did not have enough capsules on hand, and there was a delay while materials were brought in from the Ort Cloud mining station," replied Pole.

"What happened? We had more than enough last week, when the final inventory was done," inquired Thumper.

"'Joy Stick' happened. At the last minute, the Second Director decided that one hundred Zebra were just what was needed on Grel Two, for his northern ranch," replied Pole.

The party of four had finally cleared the Fourth Tee, and moved up the fairway toward their balls. The two Aliens waited as the foursome completed their actions on the green. They then moved forward toward the Fourth Tee, their bags and clubs dutifully following them. Pole was first to tee off. He called for his six iron, addressed the ball, and in perfect form lobbed the ball onto the green. It came to rest about 18 feet from the hole. Thumper called for a 4 iron, and also put his ball onto the green, about 15 feet from the hole. Without saying another word, the two walked away from the tee toward the green, their bags and clubs following behind.

Plague Intervention - Minus Thirty-one days 2 Hours

Earth Base - Executive dinning room - Directors Table

Around the table sat nine Grelix drinking coffee, except for Thrust sitting in the First Directors Chair, who was drinking a Dr. Pepper.

"It's not fair Thrust. You did not cause the delay, why should you be held responsible?" asked Delver, the second assistant maintenance chief.

"Because I am responsible for the department. It does not matter that I did everything right, the delay was caused by my department, so I am responsible," replied Thrust.

'I am a Pepper, you're a Pepper too..." sang Thrust, "besides, I will get to see the Octopi Mating rituals, later this week," continued Thrust with a smile, as he looked at each of his fellow table mates.

"Really? They're going to be mating this week? You're not kidding? They really are going to be mating this week?" gushed the most junior of the nine Grelix remaining in the Base. "I have always wanting to see them mate," he continued, almost in the same breath, and growing even more excited as he spoke.

"Yes, Pencil, they really are going to start mating later this week. The male octopi are seeking females, even as we speak," replied Helmet.

"But who will stay behind at the base? Someone has to be here, we can't all leave the base, can we?" asked Pencil. "I am the most junior... You're going to make me stay behind, aren't you. It's not fair," concluded Pencil Dick with a pout.

"No, we will all be going. There is no reason to leave anyone behind, the computers will monitor things and report if anything comes up," replied Thrust with a smile.

Plague Intervention - Minus Twenty-one days 16 Hours

Off the West Coast of Florida, onboard a Grelix Research Shuttle

Pencil Dick was sitting in his rest cubical aboard the shuttle, watching a live feed of the gathering of the Grelix Females, being broadcast from the home world. Grelix males, wearing the traditional articulated steel plated armor suits, were herding the much larger females toward the mating ponds. Looking very much like headless alligator skinned Hippos, standing at about seven feet at the shoulder, the average female weighed in at will over two tons. Their armored hide where inches thick over most of the body, except for their genital area. Though now retracted, the genitals of the female looked almost exactly like the tentacles of the Common Octopus: Octopus vulgaris. Right down to the suction pads, when they were fully extended.

There had already been several deaths, as one herder after another succumbed to the pheromones of the females, dropping their herding prods as the mating urge overcame all reason. As they approached and touched the female, the male was stunned by the female's ultra-Sonic defensive song and knocked to the ground. Thereupon, the females stomped the males to death. This was a much more muted response than the normal female raging stampede response that occurred when a male approached a female herd, outside of mating season.

While watching the live feed, Pencil Dick was also listening to a human recording on the secondary information channel.

"... as a species, Octopi have separate sexes (male and female) and fertilization is internal. In some species, the male can be distinguished by modified sucker discs at the tip of one of its arms. After courtship rituals between the sexes involving elaborate displays, including colour and texture changes, a male cephalopod copulates with the female, placing a packet of sperm in her mantle chamber with its specially modified tentacle. In octopi, this process can take more than..."

'Attention, male octopi designated specimen 25, bearing 146 mark 47, sensor data indicates specimen has been dead for under fifteen minutes. Standby for course change..."

The research shuttle, banked as it assumed an intercept course.

"... eighteen hours. Within two months after mating the female attaches strands of clustered eggs to the ceiling of her lair. The number of eggs laid by a female varies greatly depending on the species laying the eggs. The Common Octopus, Octopus vulgaris found off the west coast of Florida may lay 200,000 - 400,000 tiny eggs. The Pygmy Octopus, Octopus joubini, lays about 150 large eggs. Once the eggs have been laid, the female octopus will gently caress the eggs with her suckers to keep algae and bacteria from growing on them. She keeps the eggs oxygenates by gently squirting them with streams of water from her siphon..."

'Recovery team to water deck, prepare to retrieve specimen 25'

On hearing the last announcement, Pencil Dick turned off the Holo Projector. He leaped out of his cot, and ran out of his rest cubical toward the water deck.

Plague Intervention - Minus Seventeen days 6 Hours

Earth Base - Command Centre

"Attention! The danger posed by Virus specimen 7652 has exceeded Direct Intervention Threshold. Human deaths now stand at 5,472,018, with a further 5 million expected to occur with in 6 hours. Request permission to initiate Intervention Procedures."

Silence once again reigned, for precisely 15 minutes.

"Attention, the danger posed by Virus specimen 7652 has exceeded Direct Intervention Threshold level one. Human deaths now stand at 5,587,245, with a further 5.1 million deaths expected to occur with in 6 hours. Request permission to initiate Intervention Procedures."

Off the West Coast of Florida, onboard a Grelix Research Shuttle

Pencil Dick was sitting at the command station on the command deck, gingerly using the shuttles two tractor fields to move gathering sharks away from the eight Grelix gathered around the mating Octopi couple. Currently, the couple was in the seventh hour of their mating ritual.

"Attention, the danger posed by virus specime..."

Pencil Dick disengaged the command channel, as it was interfering with his concentration; besides he already knew about the danger posed by specimen 17645, the shark he was keeping away from the gathered Grelix on the ocean floor.

Plague Intervention - Minus Twelve days 13 Hours

Earth Base - Command Centre

"Attention! The danger posed by Virus specimen 7652 has exceeded Direct Intervention Threshold, Level Two. Human deaths now stand at 2,376,217,265, with a further 1 billion deaths expected to occur with in 72 hours. Furthermore, indications are, that Virus specimen 7652 has undergone a further adaptive mutation, involving the Human SARS Virus. The new designation is Virus specimen 7655. Request permission to initiate Intervention Procedures.'

Off the West Coast of Florida, onboard a Grelix Research Shuttle

With the exception of Dainty Member who was keeping watch on the command deck while watching the live feed from the home world, and Pencil Dick, who was on the ocean floor watching a female Octopus as she oxygenates her eggs; all the other Grelix were asleep.

The command channel remained disengaged. Dainty had noted the fact in the shuttles log, but had made no attempt to reengage it. He thought that Thrust, the vessel's commander, had ordered it closed.

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