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Two Earth hours later the Piron had indeed cause damaged to the filtration plant. Luckily it was only minor exterior damage with various pipes and other fittings ripped off. They could be replaced. It did mean that certain supplies were reduced or cut off completely to the Knurlings.
The use of water was restricted in some areas. The cleanser units used ultrasonic dispersal and the same re keeping the Kets clean, so that was not an issue. Drinking water for some Kets was vital to their physiology and well being.
Some races, their biological makeup demands water as a necessity, without it they can have their health and wellbeing seriously compromised. Also not forgetting it is required for reconstituting foods! Imagine over 2,000 hungry Kets?!
Another hour passed and the Piron had indeed dispersed after it had hit the mountain region to the North of the Akademy across the Estuary in the forbidden lands. Curfew was lifted and most of the Kets were free to take trips out, onto the snow laden landscape. Some were allocated in teams to repair the damage to the filtration plant.
It did look picturesque with the snow. There were also some of the Kets, trying out some new ‘Skudders’. They’re like snowboards, cept they have training progs inbuilt into them so you can learn pretty quick OR NOT. They can ‘HOVER’ Useful for getting you out of trouble. Which can happen as Margise and Becci discovered the day the snowstorm came in, cept they didn’t know it was going to turn into a full blown SNOWSTORM.
Extracts from Becci’s diary.“We’d been loafing around chilling out, but BORED. Margise and I decided to take a walk over to the Jaila ‘flats’ near the estuary. We could also take a look at the damage the Piron had done? On that we were to be disappointed, most of the repairs had been carried out by the time we came upon the hilltop overlooking the plant.
You can see a great view of the sunset from there, today the clouds obscured the sun. It was cold, but we had suits. We put those on, ensured the biotherm controls were working properly. A decision to take our time and watch the sunset? The clouds had started to clear to let the sun through, so maybe we might get to see one of those rare sunsets with a vista of color that is breathtaking to watch as the light fades.
The suits and the design of them? They emit, a luminous soft flare which makes it look from a distance, as though there are two streaks of light moving across the land.
It had started, to snow again?. CHEERS from some of the Kets with added comments. “Good, we’ll be having another snowball fight. “Hmm yes, well less, said about that the better! We had to retreat! Under a hail of snowballs! The walk was slow and in some places, due to the depth of the snow, hard work to walk through, coming up to our knees in places! But we eventually got to where we wanted to be. Some hot food and drinks to keep our energy levels topped up.
One of the main packs contained Trexylium fused Nitrate bonding elements that you twisted the bottom on the container that had the food in it, causing the food to heat before the reaction stopped. Likewise when it came to the liquids. Tap and twist the bottom to initiate fusion generating heat that surged through the liguid. Nothing unusual to us but in situations like this?
Elsewhere. If other Kets too had been partaking of some refreshments? In the main control room they had been pleased to see the amount of work successfully carried out on the filtration plant to restore full services. Relaxed? Across the bulkheads of the command centre the red flashing band had their attention. It was NOT the Piron that was now of concern.
Part of the grid had been compromised?. In the atmosphere of Onica, a craft had entered. Illegally breaching the grid defences. It could not have happened at a worse time. With all the emergency teams on standby for the Piron who had now been stood down to take some much needed rest? NO one expected what was to happen.
The deployment of interceptor craft was urgently required. Problems? Pilots who were not on alert, grabbing their gear and heading over to the main hangars. Timing was critical re the interception of the intruder. The only thing they could do, was to launch drones.
“HOW did that craft get past our defences? Through the grid.“ Serenia was stood in a corridor off the main control centre. Away from prying eyes and visual detection. Adjusting some of the core components to the grid defence systems. History and experience coupled with skills way beyond many here at the Akademy.
Now part of the grid was temporarily disabled. Allowing the craft carrying the cargo through. IF Serenia had thought she had NOT been detected, not been seen? She was wrong.
Becci and Margise had enjoyed their meals. Were now watching the fading sun. The colors on the water of the Estuary were indeed, breathtaking. "I love the way the colors swirl then sparkle on the water surface." Becci nodded. She had rarely seen such a beautiful sunset and with her best friend? What could be more memorable! "We should take an image recording." Margise smiled, pointed to a small triangle on her suit.
"Already recording from our journey to here and now." She knew the other Kets would enjoy watching what they had seen in the domicile. Sometimes if Kets really liked what they saw they would take it and show it to others via the coms set up in one of the Ovirs.
Extract from Becci's diary. We were about to turn and head back, when we saw a fast moving object coming towards us, from our right. I was nervous, given its speed? The sudden realization, there were two or more of our security drones, chasing it. An attack? We activated the shields on our suits. There we are, watching the chase, when something falls away from the pursued space ship.
It shimmered a silvery white color, almost invisible against the snow, which I think was a form of camouflage deployed by it to fool the drones chasing the craft, who appear to ignore it. If it had slowed momentarily to release whatever it was, the main craft now picked up speed at such an astonishing rate, the pursuit drones were left almost motionless, in its departure. A streak of light and it was gone!
I only knew of one craft with speed capabilities of that nature. Our flagship the Raptor! So whoever the intruders were they shared the same tech? Was that where my father had sourced the energy units and drive units from? The sky above us is now clear of anything. Maybe we need, to let the security forces, know about the object, that had left the main craft?
Margise was insistent that they would have been aware of what had been released. Leave it to security to search it out and take whatever action was necessary. I accepted she was probably right and we moved off, albeit in the direction of wherever the object had ended up. I think it was curiosity on our part, though in fairness it was only slightly off our route back to the Knurlings.
"What if its dangerous? Carrying a hostile?" “We are protected by the suits and my biogems. IF and I say IF, we go and investigate, we are still going to have to be very careful.“ “So where do you think it landed?“
“Just beyond that ridge. i watched it drop. The heat trace from the object, had left a small wisp white trail behind it, eerily, still visible. See there?” I pointed to Margise. We moved closer and stepping up and looking down? There it was. I had been right. It was pod shaped, distinct markings on it and if it had been silvery white, almost luminous. Now it was more solid in form. It was an unusual design, but we both agreed, its construct was definitely that of a pod.
Closer to it, the main exterior, I was sure, was a metal ore of Draxetnium Dicort Phenorium alloy. That always has a distinct yellowy appearance blended in with a silvery color? Made it light and heat resistant. No mistaking what it was, now we had been able to see it up close. The black metal orb, a Phenoy type B pod. We knew the section above the pod, at this moment in time, closed; was in fact a Reticulis (As Humana would call it, a screen.) That, can be made, transparent. Allowing the occupant to see out of the orb.
Several sub section panels and one of them housed the main control circuits. Having worked on one of these with her father Tovinak, Margise knew how to bypass the interior controls and open the Reticulis. That would allow us, to peer inside the pod? The orb was hovering, just above the snow covered ground. A high pitch whine started to build up in volume.
We initiated the shields on our suits! Relieved to hear the sound die away to nothing. Silence! Then suddenly, the whole thing started to DROP. Clearly the hover unit was malfunctioning and any minute now, it was going to hit the deck with a loud thud. Whoever was inside, was in for a heck of a shock.
IT DID. There was a whoosh. a VERY LOUD thud, as it just dropped. Luckily the snow took up some of the impact. The craft lurched, then leaned slightly, to wobble to a standstill. Motionless in all respects. Margise had me help her as she turned off the shield, pulled out a multi tool from one of her pockets. She always carried, never ever, known her without it. She swears it has saved her on many occasions in all sorts of scenarios!
Ultrasound resonance against one of the panels, releasing it as it drops to the snow. Her hand doing things, her fingers running across certain parts of the interiour compartment. "Got it!" The Reticulis went transparent, splitting into two segments?! The first, moving to the left the second to the right. We saw the occupant!
A hiss and the pod released the main hatch taking the top up and allowing whoever was inside, to step out. They were wearing what is known as a Miradorian Tspar suit. Distinctive because of its design. Both Becci and Margise remembered seeing some of these suits aboard Raptor! Asking what they were and how they worked? They hid the identity of the occupant!
It, we were not convinced it was male or female? Looked at us. We had our shields active and fully protected, waiting for whatever it was to reveal its true form? The suit fell to the ground. The form of a male? Stunning in features and across his forehead a Draxetnium braided plait. To Humana it would have shone like brightly polished chrome. Worth so much more, in fact, difficult to put a price on it!
To say that he had a price on his head might have been very true, for some, would have killed to get their hands on such treasure! What it echoed was the fact that whoever it was, wore the symbol of power, of being Royal or Imperiatta? A Prince?
The eyes and the lips. The most stunning beautiful green eyes, I have ever seen. Even Animors don’t have eyes, that deep in color! We dropped our defence shields out of respect. Whoever our visitor was, we both sensed, he was clearly no threat. When he smiled? Margise, fainted!
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