Dare to Dream discussion
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End of the world
*I walk over to Sophia and sit down in a chair, watching the two play. She looks up at me and smiles* I've decided what I want to name the puppy. I'm going to call him Rusty since he is that rusty looking color. *I nod* Good choice. Rusty it is.
* The ship completes it's drop from light speed. Mike stands and looks at the instruments and screens, then turns on the large central screen. It's sort of a major anticlimax.
Mike motions to the screen. A ship hangs in space ahead of them. It's about twice the size of our ship, not huge. It's simply parked in space.*
Minimal power on the ship, no shields, no beacon, nothing. Give me a second and the sensors will let us know about life. Should be easy, no shields.
*I walk up behind you while Rusty and Strong Knight distract Sophia.* That could be the ship that was waiting for the women to drop us off to. We need to be really careful if it is. The no shield thing could be just a ploy.
...maybe.....looks like there are, * Mike hesitates and double checks readings* looks like there are seven life forms. They're healthy but a little weak. * Now he carefully double checks and triple checks the readings* They're small...I think, child sized.
Child sized? It could still be a trap. Someone with the ability to alter what our ship sees. She said that she was taking us to someone who wants to use our kind. *I chew on my lip nervously* I can try and read their minds but I'm actually scared to.
Well, I don't see us just going away. How about I go over and see about getting the airlock open and send in a probe? We can get a look inside. If there's a trap the probe will set it off.* Mike looks at at her face and hugs her.*
I promise I won't go in unless you agree. No more kicking doors and looking for trouble now that this is a family adventure.
*I smile and kiss you* Probe it is for now. Or we can send clones again. But it the real us unless I go with you. Our son can make force fields around the both of us so we would be safe if we set anything off but I would rather not put any of us in danger. Especially Sophia. She doesn't know how to control her gifts yet.
But you'll need to stay with Sophia for now. The whole double thing sort of creeps me. Once they've been alive I can't see just letting them vanish...I bet they hate that.
Okay let's do this. I'll send a remote over. It'll take longer than just going and over and slipping a probe through the airlock myself...but I guess I need to take fewer risks.
You did warn me about this part of having children.
Yes I did. *I shake my head* You need to get over the clone thing. They are fine with vanishing because they can't feel. They are just a fragment of my imagination. But if it still makes you feel uncomfortable I at least give you permission to physically put the probe on the other ship then you get your butt back on this ship just as fast if not faster than when you put it on the ship.
* Mike grins, pulls Lacy yo him and gives her a long kiss, then winks at Sophia who's giggling.*Should be just a minute.
* It takes Mike little time to suit up and float across to the other ship. Within seconds the airlock is open and Mike has launched a small flying probe inside. Then he returns to the ship and rejoins Lacy and Sophia.
Within a few minutes they are watching views of the other ship. It seems unremarkable. There are a few rooms set as quarters. There are offices, storerooms and so on.
Then they come to a bank of open detention cells. Inside seven of these there are children, the oldest looks to be about ten standard years. They are dirty as the cells have a toilet and sink. Food seems to be delivered through a small wall device. *
No one other than the children? Maybe these children were abandoned? Maybe the ladies got our a warning to the ship that we weren't to be messed with and they ran away? *I touch my stomach as I look at the sad faced children* What do we do?
I suspect that these children may be like Sophia...they have some mutation or power that whoever hired the women could make use of. First lets get them off that ship and safe, who know's what they've been through. Then maybe we can find out who's behind this from the ship's records.
It still feels like a trap to me. What if they have hiding places like Han Solo? And once we walk in the grab us?
Well, I don't see anything on the readouts, wait and let me check something.* Mike maneuvers their ship in a close circle around the other. *
We've got an ion trail headed toward that star system and there are docking cables there with no ship. I'd bet that when we showed up and didn't send a recognition code of some kind they dropped everything and ran.
They may be back but not soon. If that ships drive hadn't been completely shut down they'd probably fled in it.
Nothing has bothered the probe. I'll go in first, check for traps then you and Sophia can come in behind me. That way you'll be close and the animals can surround Sophia and watch out for her.
*I nod* Looks like our family keeps getting bigger. What are we going to do with them? Take them home and build a mansion?
We've got a whole planet...if we need to we'll manage I think. Mike grins as he helps Sophia into coveralls for the visiT to the other ship.*Let me hook the two ships up and get a safe walkway across.
* Mike docks their ship beside the other and soon has the cables and tubing hooked up. Then in an atmosphere suit he gets a flexible walkway over. After this he returns, changes out if the suit and get's a side arm and a few knives.
Very few weapons for Mike. Lacy decided long ago he just liked guns. *
*Sophia squealed in excitement as Tor steps up beside her, fluttering his wing protectively. I step behind you and ready myself with a few weapons of my own.* Ready?
* Mike leads the way over with Lacy coming up behind...giving little actual leeway between them. As the probe had indicated the ship is apparently abandoned with signs of a quick exit left behind. There are odd bits of clothes and equipment on the floor here and there, doors left open.Mike moves directly to the detention area. The children are there. 4 boys and 3 girls ranging in age from the oldest who is about 10 to the youngest who's a toddler maybe 3 years old. She's a mess but appears to have been eating and drinking what was supplied.
The children are all wary of the newcomers (though the little one less so) and pull back after Mike manages to shut down the force-fields that kept them in. They begin to relax a little however when Sophia and the animals come into view.*
Well, lots of baths and clothes. Good thing we have all those crew quarters on the ship. I suppose if all of then stay with us we'll have to live in the ship again till I can...enlarge the house.
Lets download the computer files and search for anything else here. We might find we can get some of them back to parents.
* Mike stops and looks around.*
You think we should see about stea....err, liberating this ship and taking it with us. Be easier to search.
*I look at the children and smile gently at them before I glance up at you.* Liberate away. I'll take these little rascals back to the ship and get them cleaned up and fed properly. Do you think that you'll be okay on your own?
Sure. Think you'll have any problem programing our ship to jump back home?
*I shake my head* Nope I think I can handle it. Be careful okay? *I motion for the children to follow me, which they do hesitantly at first but after the toddler grabs my hand happily, they follow quickly. Sophia and the animals follow behind the children after giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. We goes back onto our ship and I lead the children to one of the rooms where they can shower or bath and clean up.*
* Lacy notes that Knight had stayed behind with Mike...though she's not surprised. As sh programs the ship the readings from the other on the instruments show the reactor coming up. Mike should be ready to jump in a half hour or so. The communicator lights up the screen and Mike is there. *Okay got it programed. It'll take the reactor and the engine a little to be ready for a jump, they were cold. I'll jump right behind you. If you want to wait and coordinate our jump we'll be able to get the ships close enough together to communicate on the way back. That'll mean for the 2 days home we can all at least talk.
* Lacy notices that Knight has jumped up beside Mike on the copilot's chair. His tongue lolls out and he seems to almost smile.*
I like that idea. Just let me know when to jump and we can jump together. Looks like I've been replaced as a co-pilot huh? *I giggled*
* Mike scratches Knights ears.*I think he wants to make sure I do it right.
* Within a half hour the engines on "Mike's ship" are ready and they make a jump, their computers coordinating the move to keep the ships together*
*I sit down in the chair and laugh when the toddler runs in and climbs up into my lap, cleaned and dressed in purple pants with a cute shirt that had an ice cream cone with purple ice cream and purple stripes. The little girl turns in my lap, gently touches my stomach then rests her head against my chest. I look back at the screen at you with a smile on my face*
Well, there's nothing like getting a big start on a family.
*I gently brush the little girl's forehead then look up at you* Did you make sure that the GPS in the ship was disabled so that whoever owns the ship won't be able to find us?
Yep. Did a complete once over and then did it again. No signals from this ship. Double check when we drop out of light with the sensors but there's nothing broadcasting.
Good then no one who wants to use these children or us can find us. I think we should start going through the data from that ship and see if we can find these children's parents.
* After about 3 hours Mike calls back*Well, the older boy's folks were peace keepers on a colony planet not too far out. Maybe a three day jump from home. Looks like both his folks are peak humans. Maximum perception, maximum strength, speed, everything. Looks like the boy shows signs of being Xman level. They kidnapped him and as far as I can tell the parents weren't harmed.
There's also a girl around seven who was taken from Earth 2. Her whole family is bioengineered. Her folks are still trying to find her.
I haven't found any living relatives on the rest, at least not yet.
I have found a reward flyer on all mutated children. It makes a special point of offering a hundred thousand credits for us. Not sure who put it out, just a subspace radio code.
Any way that we can hack the code and make the reward for catching the monsters who go after our kind? *I grumble and curse in my head* Too bad Professor X isn't around. He would have loved to take these little guys in. *I look down at the little girl the back to you* Well keep looking and see if you can find anything about where these children came from. Maybe they have living relatives somewhere....hopefully not the kind that would sell their mutant family members though. And we'll drop the other two off as soon as we get out of hyper space.
* The traveling about takes a couple of weeks before they are finally back home. There are still leads on three more of the children to check but no actual information on how they were taken. Two of the children, the toddler and a a small boy of about six seem to have no family left.They decide to stay at home a few days to recharge before trying to track down further information about the other 3 as this may entail more travel if they can't find someone trustworthy to go to the children's home worlds.*
*I stand in front of our ship and watch the Aimee's Dan the children run around laughing and having fun. I clap my hands* All right guys, go get your swimsuits n so we can go swimming in the waterfall lake. *The children yell out in excitement as they race past me to get the swim suits that the ship has provided for them. I laugh and zip up my blue swimsuit cover, already having dressed, and sling my towel over my shoulder. Sophia is the first to emerge ready and eager to get going* Is Dad going? *I look down at her* Not sure go bug him until he says he'll go with us. *Sophia grins evilly and runs off to find you. Once she does she begins to bug you about going swimming with the rest of us.*
* Mike's easy to convince..as Sophia "has him wrapped around her finger". His biggest worry lately in not spoiling her. He gets her to help him pack a huge picnic lunch and joins everyone out front...including a horde of animals. *
Everyone accounted for? Perfect! All right troops lets head out. *The kids cheer as they walk in front of me, chatting excitedly together, the animals following close at their heels. I walk behind them laughing as I watch them go, enjoying their talk and laughter. I look at you* This is definitely what this planet was missing out on. It was nice with just the two of us but the planet definitely needed more laughter and cheer from children. Have you noticed how nice the gardens having been doing since we have brought them here? Along with the other plants?
Animals seem happier to, though the cats say they're not all that thrilled with swimming. They think they'll hunt while we get all wet.
*I take a hold of your hand, the one not carrying the basket and laugh* I'm not surprised that they don't want to go swimming. Do you think the owners of the ship we took ever went back for it?
Don't know...and I'm not all that worried about it. Making a living snatching children isn't something guaranteed to put anyone in my good books.Beside that I've got months of work going through the records. I think I may see if I can get the intelligence from the alien ship to help. When I checked with her she seemed bored with downloading books and playing computer games.
Too bad we can't transfer her into a body. Then she wouldn't be so bored. But yes I agree have her help you. Might take her less time to go through everything and won't take you months so you can enjoy our time together before the newborn baby. *I stop next to the kids and put down my towel with the others before I take off my cover and head for the water in my new maternity swim suit and walk into the water with the kids, keeping the toddler close to me*
You know I never thought of that. * Mike looks over at Lacy with a thoughtful look.
I happen to know where Dr.Noonien Soong is in hiding. Everyone thinks he's dead. I stumbled on him just outside Federation space in the Star Trek Universe but agreed to keep his secret.
I bet he could build an android body for her if he's willing.
Give him a call and see what he says. I'm sure he'll like to help. He loves to build things and he loves the challenges so why not? *The toddler who told us her name was Jackie sat in the shallow end, splashing water everywhere under my watchful eye*
Yeah, but he's been a bit...reticent since Lore, "killed" him, or thought he did. Still I'll get a subspace call out to him when we get back, tell him the situation and see if he calls back.
*I splash you* We'll deal with it later. For now let's have fun.
* Mike dives and comes up under Lacy he grabs her legs and pulls her under the water. They both come up laughing, Lacy spluttering and jumping to push Mike's head under.The kids laugh and cheer them on. *
*I quickly push my hair back into a pony tail before I dive under and pull you down deeper before I let go and swim back to the surface. I reach the surface and laugh*
* When Mike comes up all the kids jump him at once. While letting them drag him down he watches the little ones to be sure they are all right in the water. Their fun goes on till afternoon when the children suddenly start clambering for lunch asking what's in the picnic basket.*
*I swim over to the younger children and usher them out of the water, making sure that they dr off while the old ones clamber out of the water, dripping water as they ran for the basket* I think not! You lot need to dry off before you eat. *They all moan at me but do as I say, grabbing their towels and drying off*
* Mike whispers in Lacy's ear as he walks past her drying himself *Party pooper... * Then laughs*
Alright, alright let's see what i packed for lunch...asparagus sandwiches, broccoli raw...blood pudding.
*I laugh when I hear the groans, fake puking, and 'yuck' sounds as you say each thing. I sit down next to Sophia and Jackie.
Dare to Dream
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (other topics)Phoenix Rising (other topics)
The Janus Affair (other topics)
* Mike heads for the control room and begins setting up for an emergency jump should they need one.*