CH36
A week passed allowing them time to hunt and replenish their water from a mountain stream that fed a beautiful lake surrounded by tall trees on all sides. It was a little cool but not bad. Rick saw Kate standing at the lake's edge looking over the water. Not doing anything just looking. "You're thinking rather loudly out here all alone." He wanted to know what was going through her mind. "It's quiet, peaceful, and alluring in its own way. If it wasn't for all the snow this area probably gets in winter I could see living here," she sighed. "Next to the lake or on the lake?" He was still hoping to find them a planet to call home. This one was already claimed and his people would leave them to it. As for the other planet or even the moon, those two were up for debate. But that would likely happen years from now and he wouldn't be here to watch it. "Both, either. Put the house in those tall trees over there looking out over the lake maybe. Or on the edge of the lake on pilings or stilts with a walkway to shore. Perhaps a ladder down to the water. We could have boats or jet skies." She just wanted the view.
"How about floating on the water itself out in the middle of the lake. Take a boat to get to shore," Rick suggested instead. Kate shook her head. "No land to live on and since we don't breathe water..." She let shooting down his idea just die. "You misunderstand me." He looked around for a stick and bent down to draw in the soft mud in front of them. "The house of any type or design would be built on a floating hex." He drew a simple hex in the mud. "You build more hexes around it like so." He started drawing hexes of equal size all around it. "This one could be a boat yard with a dock sticking out into the lake. Or a garden like our hydroponics deck complete with a greenhouse. How about a landing pad for our own ship? Nothing too big, maybe the size of the shuttle we have now. This one could be nothing but grass or low rolling hills with a few trees around the edge. You just keep adding a hex as you expand. Another house, that baseball field you told us about; maybe it doubles as a football field that you also told us about. Perhaps we need more grass, only filled with wild flowers this time. The list is endless." He stood back up and launched his stick out into the lake.
"You can make something like that? Have our own beach so we can go swimming or just lounge in the sun?" Kate was intrigued and fast warming up to the idea. "Can and have, or working on actually. One of our six colonies is a moon that's about 40% water with two large land masses that presently have a bridge connecting them." It was actually a big bridge almost as long as the Seven Mile Bridge that went out to the Keys off Florida that Rick knew nothing about. "The plan is to build a small floating city. I read where it'll be powered so it can actually move around to try and avoid major storms. It's supposed to have everything a city needs: homes, places to work, shops to buy things, parks, a spaceport, everything," he told her. "They've only just started so there's nothing to see ...yet."
Kate stared out at the lake. "A floating home with a beach and land to use and explore. A view of the water all around. ...Bridges between each hex?" Suddenly she saw a problem. "I don't know, Kate. I only read the brochure that talked about it. How it would all work or be connected... Ask Alexis to look it up or Vincent," Rick offered. "Want to go swimming?" He pointed at the lake. She shook her head. "The water's too cold to go swimming." She had already tested the water. She'd be an ice cube after a few minutes. "So put on a bikini if you're bashful and then put on one of our space suits and go swimming. In case you haven't noticed, our suits are skin tight and since they maintain body temperature you won't freeze. You can even swim to the bottom of the lake if you wish since they provide an environment." Her eyes opened wide and the look of shock on her face made him smile. "Let's go!" She took his hand, dragged him to the ship, and into their room. "Strip babe, we're going skinny-dipping." She began undressing and throwing her clothes onto the bed.
Kate felt a little exposed as she walked back out to the lake with literally nothing on save her space suit. Rick was right behind her. She turned to look at him and found he was kind of sexy looking. He was naked wearing his space suit that gave his skin a kind of reptilian look, but she couldn't see his face because of the visor. "Let's go babe, last one to the bottom cooks dinner." She started running out into the lake till she finally dived in and started swimming.
Kate was a smooth swimmer, however, Rick had power and more weight so she found she would be cooking again tonight which didn't upset her. "It's dark down here." She could only just make out his visor. "I thought you had training in how to use a space suit," he said. "Only enough to know how to put it on. It's not one of the ship's systems so I don't know how it works or how to fix it," she replied and found him right in front of her. He was holding onto her. "The visor works a lot like the skin of our ship. Just tell it what you want to see, or how you want to see would be more accurate," he informed her. "Seriously!?" All this time she had been swimming in the dark and she didn't have to. She started out with infrared, changed to ultraviolet until she settled on thermal vision. Suddenly he showed up almost perfectly as did all of the other water life in the lake. "WOW!" She looked around and spun in place. "Better?" he asked her. "Much. ...You look good naked, babe." She looked him over. "So do you wife." He was smiling wide not that she could see it.
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They had exited the lake and were sitting in mud along the edge of the lake with thick trees behind them. "Too bad we don't have space for this in our ship," Rick commented as he sat next to her and looked out onto the lake. "Have you seen Alexis's wall?" Kate was sure he must have by now. "You mean the thirty foot wall of beach and ocean complete with the sound of waves coming ashore? What about the rainforest during a storm? Or the mountain with snow all around?" Yeah, he'd seen it and was just a little jealous that he hadn't thought of that for their room. Not that he didn't like their room. "Rainforest?" That was one she hadn't seen yet.
Rick stood up and offered his hand to Kate who took it and let him help her up. She went with him farther into the woods. "Babe?" She wanted to know what he was up to. There were likely predators in these woods. Maybe not bears but something similar or worse. However, he didn't go far. He spun to face her and pressed the jewel on his chest that turned off the suit and did the same for Kate. The air was cool but not cold. She still didn't know what he was up to till he guided her hand to his semi-erect cock and she found herself being kissed. Sex in the woods on an alien planet. 'You should see me now Mom. Or maybe in this case you'd better not,' she thought. She wrapped an arm around his neck and returned his kiss while she slowly pumped his penis and felt it harden. Was she about to get pregnant in the woods on an alien planet?
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It had taken two weeks to fill their walk-ins with what Alexis had cleared as being edible and free of parasites. They had gotten clearance to fly back to their city and this time they were allowed to land a lot closer. "Looks like we're going to have company," Alexis commented as she showed them the shuttle leaving one of the cruisers. "Probably Admiral Zandur," Rick remarked.
After landing they watch his shuttle touch down not far away. They also watched as a small crowd who had seen them land started to gather. "Shall we go see what they have in mind this time?" Rick asked and they went over to and down the ramp. "Close the ramp behind us Vincent," Kate told him, not yet secure that these people were that friendly or if they would stay that way.
Rick greeted the admiral using Kate's method of shaking hands. "Thank you for allowing us to hunt and get fresh water. It was an enjoyable and peaceful moment. Your planet is lovely." Rick handed him the pad so he could read and respond. As ever, the admiral was impossible to read.
"Have you not been to the other planet in this system?" Rick read what he had written. "No. That planet as well as the moon belong to you since you were the first ones here. Landing on it without your approval would have breached your rights to it. Though I am sure my planet would love to put a colony on it." Finally the Admiral showed a momentary look of shock before he schooled his features. "If you are granted colony space what would happen?" The admiral was still a little worried about these people. They were obviously more advanced and he wondered if he had the ability to keep them from taking what they wanted.
"They would build up the colony while they established a large farming community. Eventually an entire fleet of military ships would be stationed here for protection of the colony. In addition a large orbital military base would be built to help protect it. We have had trouble with pirates in the past and one of our colonies still has an occasional problem with them." Rick saw him stop reading and took the pad and pen back from him. "The military protection would extend to your planet(s) in the system as well if the negotiations between us include that. Long-term would be a free exchange between us. Your officers would serve on our ships, we might even build you your own ships or provide you with the means to build your own." Rick handed the pad back to him to read.
The admiral had obviously finished reading and was simply standing there contemplating what came next. "Dad?" Alexis tapped his arm to get his attention. Rick smiled knowing just what his daughter was thinking. He reached for the pad and pen again. "Our daughter, Alexis, would like to go back to your hospital and help again." He watched as the admiral smiled for the very first time and he wrote something. "I will make the arrangements and send an armed escort with her for protection. Not everyone is comfortable with the color of your skin." Rick allowed Alexis and Kate to read it. "I wondered about that. Will he let her go armed this time? Or maybe we should both go armed." Kate was including herself in this. "If he has concerns then so should we, I suppose. You two only go if he agrees, Alexis and no buts." Rick pointed his finger at her to show that he meant it and his decision was final. Alexis slumped. "Yes, Dad."
"My wife will go with her; both will be armed with hand weapons only. Ours are capable of stunning and killing." Zandur's face was as unreadable as ever. "We are not teaching him how to play poker babe," Kate commented knowing he didn't understand a word she said. "I hear that," Rick agreed. Finally the admiral wrote something, handed it over, and took out a small communications device that to Kate looked like an old-fashioned walkie-talkie.
"He has agreed," Rick informed them. "Go get what you need pumpkin and stop and get hand weapons for both of you." Alexis launched her hands in the air. "YES!" She ran for the ramp as soon as Kate told Vincent to lower it for her. Admiral Zandur naturally saw her enthusiasm and for the second time in just minutes Kate and Rick saw a hint of a smile. "Maybe we're making progress after all," Kate remarked. Their escort of two heavily armed men showed up in a vehicle that reminded her of a cross between a oversized golf cart and a large four wheel ATV. It was relatively silent so she was guessing it ran on batteries. "At least they're thinking clean," she commented. "More likely due to necessity. I doubt they have a factory that can make small combustion engines or have a refinery to make the fuel," he countered.
Alexis came racing back down the ramp and Kate had Vincent raise it again. Alexis handed Kate her weapon along with a spare clip. Kate was still bummed that they didn't have lightsabers but at least their idea of a hand weapon wasn't as big as a blaster either. It had a grip and a conventional look to it except for the large hand guard that wrapped around the shooter's hand. Still she had learned that she could use it as a handheld weapon and the hand guard could be charged to deliver a stun when she hit someone with it, provided it still had power. Unlike the rifle Rick had used for hunting, this was a true energy beam weapon. It also had clips that housed the power. Run out of power and slap in a new clip.
"Remember your training you two, including the hand-to-hand training," Rick cautioned them. "Like I could forget that part," Kate snarked with a snort. Her body had been sore for weeks because of the hand-to-hand training. The three of them had spent a lot of time in the Jacuzzi at the gym. "We'll be fine Dad." Alexis had more Faith this time than he did.
Rick and the admiral watched them drive away with the guards up front facing forward while Kate and Alexis sat in back and faced the rear. The guards had doors while Kate and Alexis could simply jump out the back or simply step out since there was nothing to stop them.
The admiral had given the two men their orders so Rick had the pad and made a spot decision. "Would you like a tour of the ship? You can keep your weapon if it makes you feel better." For the third time Rick saw a hint of a smile. Zandur kept the pad and walked over to his shuttle. Carefully and making sure Rick could see him do it, he removed all of his weapons including the two knives he had hidden away, and left them in his shuttle. He walked back to Rick and just stood there.
"Vincent, lower the ramp and keep close eyes on us. I'm giving Admiral Zandur a tour of the ship," Rick told him. "Understood Captain," Vincent replied. Rick raised the ramp once they were inside. Since the ramp location was near Medical, he started there. Rick wasn't Alexis but he knew how to use the equipment and had the Admiral lying on a diagnostic bed. What he saw had him quite concerned. Rick tapped his watch. "Alexis can you remotely read what a diagnostic bed shows?" he inquired and Kate watched her read it. "DADDY!?" Alexis was frightened. "I've got the admiral on one of your beds," he informed her. Alexis could breathe again.
"He's got a heart murmur and a heart attack is imminent. It's likely he's already had one." Alexis kept reading her device while Kate just listened. "He has a defective heart valve, Dad. Can you ask him if he knows about this already?" Rick wrote it down and showed it to him. Zandur nodded. "He knows pumpkin. What do I do?" He was standing in front of the bed after all. "We're coming back," Alexis told him. "We have to go back, Mom. The admiral will need surgery to fix this." Alexis took the pad from the doctor and wrote down that they were leaving and why. In the end the doctor stayed but sent a nurse with them which required yet another vehicle to get her there. She had only seen their ship when it was in flight and hadn't been one of the gawkers that were presently surrounding it.
Alexis raced up the ramp and ran to Medical so she could get started before he had another heart attack which might be his last one. Kate motioned for the nurse to follow Alexis and stood at the bottom and watched her walk her way slowly up the ramp a bit timidly. "Come on you two, you might as well come too." Kate waved at the two armed guards and started walking up the ramp still waving at the guards till they followed her. "This should be fun." Not that she believed that for an instant. She found the nurse at the top and no sign of Alexis. She waited for the guards and then closed the ramp to keep the others out.
Kate started walking and motioned for them to follow her. By the time they had reached the main medical area Alexis already had Zandur up off the bed. "We need to get him into the operating theater. Have him strip and get gowned up while I clean up." Rick wrote it all down and handed the pad around to everyone starting with the Admiral. "What will this do?" He wanted information. "Alexis is going to replace your defective heart valve. The new one will last longer than you will." The admiral seemed to accept this and started talking to the nurse who came with them. She in turn looked at Rick and started talking. He handed her the pad. "Where do I take him to get him ready?" Rick showed her the closest room to get him out of his clothes, cleaned up, and into a gown.
Alexis came back changed and walked past everyone straight into the operating theater and began getting ready. "You can send them in Dad," Alexis called out and watched a moment later as the nurse walked Zandur in, nice and clean, and gowned. Alexis patted the bed for the admiral to get on. "NO, stay." Alexis pointed to the nurse and showed her where she wanted her to stand.
Satisfied, Alexis got to work. The nurse just stood there since she didn't recognize anything in this room. She had even missed seeing the admiral go under. She did, however, see him encased in a blue glow. She watched in awe as Alexis had his chest open in seconds and was busy working on his heart. "Hold this!" Alexis handed her what to her looked like a flashlight. Alexis shook it. "Hold this." And waited till she had her hand on it. "Hold it just like this and don't move." Alexis put the device and her hand where she wanted it and got back to work.
Alexis left the two of them for a moment and came back with something. "Press this button here and hold it." Alexis put her finger on the button and pressed and held it for a moment. Satisfied that she wasn't going to lift her finger off the button, Alexis got back to work.
Alexis took her finger off the button and she watched as the Admiral was seamlessly closed up like he had never been open in the first place. Alexis showed her how to wave the device around where she had been working. She moved to her screen on the wall and studied what they showed her.
Alexis pressed a number of buttons and moved back over to the admiral. She injected him with something and then moved back over to her screen and watched. "That's better." Alexis liked the results. She decided to look the rest of him over and started pressing buttons. Something had her attention. "Do you have...?" Alexis stopped talking. Alexis shook her head and motioned for the nurse to join her.
Alexis typed on the keyboard that she brought up on her screen. "Do your ships have artificial gravity?" Alexis watched the nurse shake her head. "That certainly explains that." She now knew what the cause was but wasn't sure how she was going to handle it. They had thousands on their ships. Problem was she only knew of two ways. She exited the operating theater leaving the nurse behind.
"How is he?" Rick and Kate hopped off of one of the diagnostic beds as the guards got up from their chairs. "He's fine but we have another problem. Their ships don't have artificial gravity," Alexis said. To Kate that didn't mean anything except that they floated around their ships instead of walking around. Rick knew just what that meant. "There's only one way to fix that, Dad." Alexis knew they could do it if their ships had the power and if they could all still land.