Читать книгу Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Weddings - Darryl Dean Wright - Страница 9

The admiral was looking at his wristband to see where the two life-forms were. Just around the corner… again. Derek said in disgust, "This is getting ridiculous. Anybody have any ideas?"

Osborne slipped her arm around the Admiral's waist and told Lynda to do the same with Noah. She said, "Nothing says safe like lovebirds just taking a walk, Sir." Noah was thrilled and nervous having Lynda's arm around him.

Derek said, "That's actually a good idea." As they walked, Derek noticed that the strangers did in fact stop running away although he understood their apprehension, because the Turtle was an unknown on this planet.

Osborne asked the admiral if he was still getting married to captain Kester and Derek smiled and said, "As a matter a fact, when everything settles down, yes I am, so you may remove your hand from my ass now, please Cadet," and he gave her a condescending smile but he really didn't mind at all.

She said as Noah and Lynda laughed, "Sorry, Sir, can't blame a girl for trying though."

He said, "If you want to get closer to me I suggest that you get closer to captain Kester. She's the one who makes all of our plans." Lynda and Toni just froze in place. It brought the guys to a halt. The ladies could not believe what they had just heard. The silence became a sound on its own as the wheels were turning inside the ladies' heads.

Toni asked, "Does that mean what I think it means?" Lynda brought both of her hands up with crossed fingers on each of them clearly conveying her hopes and wishes. Noah was wishing he were his uncle because he was so popular.

Derek put his arm back around Toni and started walking again as he asked her, "So since when did you become a security officer Toni, because I'm pretty sure you and Lynda are science officers."

Toni smiled and said, "Since nobody called my bluff on the bridge, Sir."

Just then, two strong, filthy young men came out of hiding. They demanded to know who the Turtle people were, and they both were branding pitchforks. The two knew the people came from the ship that had landed close by.

The two couples split up and Derek said in his most authority voice, "I am Admiral Houston from the Alliance of Planets, and these are some of my officers from that big ship that just landed a couple of blocks away. This is my nephew, Noah Houston, and these are two of my science officers, Lynda Clark, and by my side, Toni Osborne. We've come to help. Who might you be?"

"I'm Daque and this is my little brother Brion. We both come from the city of Townround, but we don't know where we are right now. The Leonsians captured us and took us clear around the globe. What do you mean 'help'?" the eldest Tauri asked the admiral who grimaced over his blabbering.

Derek asked, "What do you need, weapons, ships, allies, underground bunkers?" but before he could finish his question, Brion yelled in a startled exclamation, "Food!"

Derek said, "Alright, food it is. Come this way. I promise nothing bad will happen to either of you. You have my word." Derek made them relax their cautious stance somewhat.

Noah said, "Of course those pitchforks aren't allowed on the ship though."

Daque said, as he and his brother started walking with the 'Oners'[One-Oh-One crew], "Then we will throw them away at the gangway," but only tentatively was he ready to trust these strangers.

Derek assumed he meant ramp. He started again with his earlier topic, "Anyway, my people and I think your people ought to just relocate to a safe planet that we know of. The Leonsians tried to conquer our planet, and we killed them all. But before we did, we found out that this planet feeds them. We think that is too barbaric, so we've come to help."

Daque stopped walking and turned to the admiral. He demanded, "Then kill them all here!"

Derek put his hand on Daque's shoulder and said, "Why don't we get you a room where you two can shower and then you can dine with my older brother, Austen Houston? You can talk to him, but more importantly, listen to him."

Daque threw down his pitchfork and told his brother to do the same. He looked at Derek and asked, "Is this what safe feels like?" His voice was laced with tension. Noah was thinking that Brion was about his age and felt sorry for him.

Toni said, "Trust me, it only gets better," and she elicited a short laugh.

Kirk and Qworn were explaining to Leo why he would have to hide out on Qworn's father's ship until they reach Kess. Kirk said, "All we have to do is earn their trust, but that will take some time. Then you can be seen by the Tauri. Right now all they will see is their enemy."

Leo smiled, which looked eerie because of his fangs, and he said, "I understand completely. Could I bring some plants with me because the Lizardians only eat meat, and could I borrow a laptop to keep me entertained?" He was already teetering on the edge of boredom. He was glad these humans captured him because now life wasn't so scary.

Kirk said, "Okay about the plants. Qworn and I will help, but as for the laptop, my dad says when everything settles down." He admitted that he was sorry, but Leo understood.

Qworn said, "You can have my room on the ship, and they will teach you everything about our star-drive engines, and Kirk and I will bring you books and anything else you might need."

Leo said, "How can I turn down your hospitality, Gentlemen? Let's go."

The cafeteria was busy as always. Admiral Austen was sitting at a table with Amy and his two guests. Daque was holding himself back but his brother, Brion, was stuffing his face with every breath. Amy sympathized with the young men because she had been the same way when she was rescued from the Centurions and the Trex on their planet. She was starved, malnourished and tortured beyond belief.

Daque, with his mouth full said, "But this is our planet Admiral. It's our planet!"

Austen said, "I'll give it to you straight; you are food for fodder son. Their planet has more than a billion on it with a lot more in space, but your planet is down to more or less, twenty million or so. You are already dead with those odds, and your planet is fifty-percent water while theirs is three percent. They are coming, make no mistake, just as sure as stars shine. I think you should relocate." Austen folded his arms to push his point across.

Daque looked at his brother who was not paying much attention to the admiral, and both brothers were wondering what the hell an admiral was anyway. He put some more noodles and sausage on both his and his brother's plate, took a drink of water and said, "Your brother says that you killed all the Leonsians and their ships back at your world, so why can't you just do the same here, Admiral?" Daque folded his arms the same way the admiral did to prove his point.

Austen flat out said "No," and took a drink of whatever it was he was drinking. It smelt like tea but it had bubbles in it. He said, "We did what we had to do in the defense of our planet, but we do not believe in genocide. We will give you weapons and a ship if you want to go your way. But our way, everybody lives on a very nice planet."

Brion stopped shoveling food into his mouth and asked what the name of the planet was. Kirk said, "Kess, and it is really nice." Everybody at the table from Earth agreed with Kirk and told the Tauri that it was true.

Brion asked him, "Is that where you all are from?"

Kirk answered, "No, we all come from Earth and our lizard pals come from Lizarde. Earth is in another galaxy, but Lizarde is more or less in this same galaxy, give or take a million light-years. Kess is Earth-like and we go there all of the time. It is like our second home, and it could be your second home too."

Daque asked the admiral, "How many of us can you take at one time?"

Austen said, "Almost a million at a time, so we would have to make twenty trips or so."

Daque said, "I'll take the ship and weapons if you get my brother out of here safely." Brion was mad at that statement, but he was tired of running, and he did want it to stop. No one should live like this, he thought.

Austen said, "It is a Leonsian warship so the bad guys will be fooled into believing that it's one of theirs. As long as you don't fire on their fleet, you should be able to move about freely."

Daque said, "Don't worry; it'll be used in defense only, to save my people until you get back."

Austen kissed Amy's hand and said as he got up from the table, "Well, if we're through here, then Kirk and I will show you to the ship and explain to you how to fly it. But you're going to need about thirty more people to fly it well and use its capabilities. I will provide those people for now, and you will be their captain. I'll ask you nicely to take care of my people until I get back here."

Daque said, "I'm sure there are more of my people like me on the planet who might join me, and I will take good care of yours, Sir. I do hope you don't take too long in getting back here though."

Austen shook his hand and said, "I don't know, that town we picked you up in seemed like a ghost-town. Your people are pretty scattered about. Why is that? We haven't picked up any Leonsian ships nearby or even in space around your planet."

Daque said, "They bragged to a friend of mine that their fleet left to conquer a new world or blow it up. That is what they do. We stay fanned out so they don't get all of us in one place. That is what we do." His brother was agreeing with that statement.

Austen said, "Well they didn't conquer our world or blow it up because here we are."

Daque said, "There are two fleets now. You only destroyed half of their fleet, and if only just one ship survived your battle, they will launch a nova-bomb into your sun. If they lose, you lose. It is their way." Brion was nodding his head agreeing.