Chapter 14: Reunification

Sandi

Hearing a noise, I turned as the door was opened. I saw one of the aliens standing there with a strange weapon in his hands. He was pointing it at us, and I saw him pull the trigger. Hearing a pair of thuds behind me, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jonas and James lying on the floor. Turning back to the alien, I started to say something. However, a strange feeling came over me, and I felt my legs give out on me.

Valin

I looked at the two women, and then turned to the men.

The stasis field was containing the fire at the front of the building, and preventing it from spreading.

I dealt with the two human males. Reading the data file on them from the portable computer, I looked at the two men once more.

"Idiots! If you hadn't planned on killing William and taking over, we would have brought you along to settle on the new world. Now I guess you will die in the fire," I said as I pulled the levitator out.

I pointed it at the one called Jonas. Lifting him up off the floor of the trailer, I walked him to the door and set him on the loading dock. I returned and did the same to James and dropped him on his brother. They lay there, looking at me.

I scowled at the two men and said, "Enjoy the last few minutes of your life. Your supplies will be put to great use."

I turned and walked back into the trailer. I placed the girls on the bed. Doing a quick scan, I saw the babies were doing fine, and administered the chemical I was told to inject into their systems. With a sigh from the girls, they fell into a deep sleep.

"There. They should now sleep until they are put in stasis," I said.

I walked out of the trailer and activated the recall. As the beam settled over me, I watched as the last of the trailers vanished, and the replacement ones appeared. The fire shot up to the roof and across the parked trailers as I faded out.

Appearing in the main cargo hold of the ship, I watched as the trailers were stacked in their own section off to my right. To my left, the ten semi trailers (including three of what the humans called 'reefers') were being placed side by side. One of the tech crews had the back of one of the trailers open, and was setting up a portable stasis field, as five others had the coolant unit removed to be replaced. Off to the right was the semi that was being overhauled. The four humans inside were being taken off to medical, to begin their body modifications, including the restoration of the drivers left arm that had been removed ten years before.

"Valin!"

Turning I looked at the tech coming towards me. Clutched in her left hand was a data pad. "What is it Vera?" I asked.

"As the humans say, what the fuck is going on? They have twice as many vehicles than were allocated," she replied.

"I know. We were going to take two of the other degenerates, but they were planning on taking over the mission, and killing the primary," Valin said.

"Well, it's not like it would be a great loss. Like you said, they're only degenerates, but I supposed we have to do what the scientists say. So I will continue stacking the containers," Vera replied and walked away.

Turning, I went to the data port. I inserted my data pad, and uploaded the contents of the trailers into the master computer. While the system was doing the upload, I checked the warehouse. It was engulfed in flames. The local law enforcement officers had pulled back, to allow the fire brigade to try and put the fire out. With a giggle, I thought of the 'Sylex' foam we had inserted into the warehouse walls, and knew it would explode very soon. As I reached up to turn the monitor off, the foam exploded and leveled everything in a five-block radius. I pulled my data pad, turned and walked out of the hold to my quarters for a sonic shower.

Going into my cabin, I stripped and stepped into the shower to clean up, just as the com unit came on.

"Valin! What the hell happened down on Earth?" Kalib demanded through the intercom.

With a sigh, I reached over and tapped the com, "What happened, is that the local law enforcement showed up, and the warehouse caught on fire. There was nothing I could do about it. You have my report! Go read it."

Slapping the com off, I snarled out, "Fucking scientists!"

Sandi

The first thing I could feel, was a cool mist all over me. Opening my eyes, I looked up and saw a fog over me. I tried to move my hands, but they felt like they were lead. Then a tingling hit me. I wanted to cry out in pain, as feeling came to my body. I felt leg cramps like I have never felt before. My body hurt, and I couldn't figure out why. I tried to curl up, and my arm flew up from a muscle spasm, and hit something on the other side of the fog. As suddenly as the spasms hit me, they were gone. So was the pain. I could move, again.

Reaching up, I felt what seemed like glass, and when I pushed it went up and the fog dissipated. I was in a room, lying on a table, and I turned my head to look around. The white room had several counters that had what I assumed were computers on them.

I sat up, and slid my feet over the edge of the bed, as I continued to look around. I noticed I was naked, but that didn't bother me. What bothered me was I didn't know where Nancy and her cousins were, as I slid off the bed and stood up.

I walked around the room, and looked in the cabinets under the counter. I found my clothes, and slipping them on. I then continued to look at objects in the room. I found what looked like a hypo spray, from star trek. I slipped it into my pocket along with the canister that was with it. I contained to look in the drawers and I found a flat cell phone like object. When I opened it, I saw it was like a miniature computer. Closing it, I was about to drop it in the drawer where I found it, but instead I slipped it in my back pocket.

"Where the fuck is the door, I'm hungry," I said as I felt my stomach rumble.

"State type of substance you wish," said a soft voice.

I jumped and turned around looking for whoever spoke. Seeing no one I called out, "Hello? Who's there?"

"Hello, I'm the ships computer. You said you were hungry, what substance may I get you?"

"Uhhh how about a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake," I replied.

"Coming right up. You will find your meal waiting for you," the voice said.

I turned around and sitting on a silver colored pad were a plate, and a large glass. Going over, I looked at the food, and it smelled good. Taking a sip of the milkshake, I picked up the sandwich and started scarffing it down. I consumed the food in a few minutes, and drank the milkshake. Setting the glass down, I looked around and said, "Computer, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can. What can I do for you, Sandi?" it asked.

"Where am I? Where are my friends?" I replied as I searched the walls for a door.

"Your friend Nancy is sleeping in the next room, while undergoing augmentation," the voice said.

"What is 'augmentation?" I asked with concern.

"Augmentation is the modification of your body. In your time, it's used for beauty, breasts, lips, and facials. But in our time, we do full body augmentation, which is complete, down to your cellular structure. Diseases, genetic defects, your body mass, reaction time, as well as your bone strength, will be improved by one hundred percent."

"What about my baby?" I asked.

"It was adjusted as well. When born, she will be a healthy baby girl with no complications. All your children will receive your gift to them. You will never have to worry about autism, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson's disease or any other illness that would hit your children. You could have a child when you are seventy, and will not have to worry about it. Are you damaged? Moister is running down your cheeks."

I wiped my eyes and laughed, "Yes, I'm fine. These are tears of happiness. Doesn't the normal crew cry?" I asked.

"Not that I have ever noticed. I suggest you lay down, one of the doctors is approaching," the computer said.

I ran to the bed jumped up and laid down. The lid came down and I remembered my clothes as it filled with a mist and I smelled a sweat fragrance and my eyes grew heavy as I listened to the doctor talk to the computer and order it to do something called infusing.

Day 50

William

Using a specially designed grenade launcher, I launched the grappling hook up the side of the cliff. I watched it land above the ledge. Pulling the rope, I felt the prongs dig into something and I yanked hard on the rope. The hook didn't come off and it felt like it had dug into the ground. Pulling my gloves on, I checked the spikes on my boots. They were in place. I walked to the base of the cliff and started climbing. The girls watched as I climbed up to the side. I could hear the girls gasp and Shannon was explaining what I was doing. Twenty minutes later, I reached the ledge and pulled myself over the edge. I lay there gasping from my climb, and looked at the cave that I had spotted when we were hunting. Standing up, I looked down and waved to the girls who were two hundred feet below me. I started dragging the nylon cord, and I soon had the regular rope in my hands. I continued pulling that rope up. I brought the backpack that was tied to the end of the rope up, and set it on the ledge.