So, it's time for the story to move along. The former Queen Bitch of the universe has finally arrived, only without the queen and the bitch part. As Ander Arias has pointed out in his/her comment: Does this mean that the story is almost over?
No. It just means that it will switch gears. And the perspective. Expect less Paula in the next chapters and a lot more "everyone else".
Chapter 16
Leave it to the semi-professionals
''Come on! We don't have any time!" Jim barked as he pushed the two young women forward. Both figuratively. And, in Sirella's case, literally.
"I... ah...can't...ah...go...ah...on...any...more..." the young Protoss panted.
"You don't even have a mouth, how can you even be out of breath?!" Paula squealed behind those two. She was making up the rear and looking over her shoulder every two seconds, making sure that no one was following them.
"You...still...don't...know...anything...about...Protoss'...physiology...you are...a damn...ignorant..." Paula's "friend" managed to squeeze out.
"Ladies..." Jim snarled as he kept pushing the taller and heavier Protoss forward.
"Should we...die...then I want...people to know...that it's all...Paula's fault!"
"That's not what a friend should say about another friend!" Paula protested.
"Ladies...!"
"I'm honestly thinking...about...revoking...my friendship..."
"LADIES!" Jim shouted, only to realize that yelling in this situation was probably the worst thing he could do. "Get it together. The ammunition bunker is straight ahead. Once we are there, we will barricade ourselves inside and wait for the cavalry to arrive." Oh, he so not looked forward to explaining this to her.
"I'm so not looking forward to explain this to her..." Jim could hear his daughter mutter behind him and realized that she had just thought the exact same thing he had.
"Yeah, well, don't sweat it, kiddo. She'll probably roast both of us for this mess. So, cheer up." he chuckled.
"Why should she blame you for this mess? You didn't cause it!" Paula whined.
"It's simple. Everything you do right, that's because you're her daughter. Everything you do wrong? Well, that's because you are my daughter. A mother's logic. Don't argue with it. Ever."
"Noted." his child whispered. Even though he was not psionically gifted, he knew that Paula felt terrible. And perhaps it was the ultimate proof of Jim's parenting skills that he managed to look over his shoulder while pushing Sirella forward and smile at his child.
"Don't worry, kiddo. We'll get out of this. And then we will laugh our asses off."
"How can you be so certain about that?" Paula wanted to know.
"Because..." he replied. "...I've survived worse." And that wasn't even a lie. No matter how horrible this situation seemed to be, Jim knew that it was nothing when compared to the stuff he had endured when he had been a young man. And this time he only had to manage to keep everyone alive until his better half arrived.
"You know...your mother actually once suggested to me to teach me some tricks, should I ever end up in a situation like this." Jim remembered.
"Getting chased through a derelict battlecruiser by a horrible mutated infested Terran?"
"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised how familiar all this feels." her father muttered. "I declined. Told her that we should all stick to what what we're good at."
"You totally should have accepted her offer." Paula groaned.
"I guess so..." Jim whispered and made a mental note to himself never to do such a thing. If he would, her smug grin would haunt him for the rest of all of eternity. "...up ahead! There's the blast-door!" And indeed, they had almost reached their destination.
Ammunition bunkers were nothing unusual on board of a vessel build for combat. History was full of examples where a lucky shot had hit a magazine, resulting in a catastrophic explosion, usually taking down the entire ship. So, in order to minimize the risk of something like that to happen, ammunition bunkers had been created; especially reinforced rooms that were made out of hardened materials and possessed specifically designed weak-points. Should a hit actually manage to penetrate the walls of the bunker and cause the ammunition inside to explode, the force of the explosion would be led through specifically designed weak-spots, ensuring the survival of the vessel.
But every system had its limits, and Jim remembered at least half a dozen times when a battlecruiser had succumbed to such a fate, when even the ammunition bunkers hadn't been able to save those vessels from their doom.
Still, the ammunition bunkers were the sturdiest parts of the Hyperion, and Jim was certain that, whatever Stukov had become, even that guy wouldn't be able to force his/it's way through those blast-doors.
"I don't think...I can...go on...anymore." Sirella gasped. Jim had a hard time to push her forward and to keep her from falling over. Even though the young Protoss was not nearly as massive as a warrior in full armor, he would still have a hard time pulling her into safety.
"Sirella..." Jim snarled. "Hang on! I won't be able to pull you to safety!" She looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Did you just call me fat?!" she whined.
"I didn't know that Protoss could even get fat!" Jim tried to apologize.
"Now I know...where Paula...has her un-knowledge...of Protoss' physiology from."
"Like I said..." Jim whispered. "...she got all her flaws from me. Ask her mother."
"I think...I will..." Sirella panted. "I will...tell her everything! And then...I will ask her...to lock Paula away...for the next...I don't know...as long as I live..." Now it was Jim who looked over his shoulder.
"You two really should sit down and talk this out. A friendly advice, you know. From your old man." he muttered.
"Meh, Sirella has no sense of adventure." Paula tried to joke.
"Doesn't surprise me. Her grandfather is just the same."
"Leave...Grandpa...Artanis...out of this!" Sirella protested.
"We are just here for him, remember? Also-" Paula started when suddenly Jim looked over his shoulder.
"You're here because of old grumpy? Seriously?" And then a shocked expression appeared on his face. "Oh no! Don't tell me you dragged old grumpy out here too! Where is he? You know he can't travel anymore! It's way too dry on Flemmington anyway! He will shrivel up and just turn to dust!"
"We didn't bring Artanis out here, Dad, don't be ridiculous!" Paula protested. "Also: Stop talking about him as if he's a plant that needs some water."
"I don't...know...Paula..." Sirella panted. "...Grandpa...kinda does look...like a shriveled potato..."
"Not you too..." the young woman whispered. Making fun of her childhood-hero was a sure way to ruin her mood. Then again, Jim was to blame for Artanis being Paula's childhood-hero. Right next to individuals like Fenix and Tassadar. And let's not forget the most heroic of them all: Zeratul. To Paula, these names were the names or real heroes! And it was a certain topic to sour her mother's mood for good.
To think that someone named Kerrigan would squeal in joy when hearing about the heroics of Artanis, Zeratul, Tassadar and Fenix...
Before they could continue with this bickering, Jim noticed something ahead. A relieved expression appeared on his face and he pushed Sirella even harder.
"There it is! Ammunition bunker ahead! Come on, girls! Use those feet! Gogogo!" he barked. Sirella tried her best, yet she was in a pitiful shape. Not only for a Protoss, but even when compared to a human. A human with a lousy stamina. When they finally reached the open blast-door, Jim pushed Sirella through and stopped in order to turn around. Paula slipped past him and he pointed his gun at the dark corridor behind them. So far Stukov hadn't found them, yet Jim was pretty certain that this thing, this guy was still looking for them. Either he wanted to eat them or he wanted to infest them. And Jim wasn't certain which one was the worse fate.
"Paula, can you operate the door?" he asked without looking at his daughter.
"Pressing a single red button? I think I can handle." she replied.
"Good, get to it. Close this thing." he ordered.
"Uhm..." Jim could hear the confused voice of Paula. "...I don't want to sound rude or anything, Dad...but shouldn't you be inside the ammunition bunker when we seal it? Not outside?" She was right. Jim was standing right in front of the blast-door. He looked over his shoulder and flashed her a smile.
"Ah, don't worry about your old man. Just close the door. I will play some hide and seek with this freak." He noticed how Paula's eyes widened in shock.
"What? No!" she protested. "That's stupid, you can't stay outside! Stukov's gonna tear you apart! He's out of his mind and knows only pain. He will-"
"Paula." Jim interrupted her and walked over to his daughter. He placed his hands on her cheeks and looked the young woman straight into the eyes. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me. Have some faith in your old man, yes?" Yet all Jim managed to do was to make his daughter cry. Golden tears streamed down her face.
"Dad, no! This is my fault, you don't have to do this! I can-"
"This is not your fault, Paula." Jim said with a surprisingly gentle tone in his voice.
"I know...she's your daughter...and all..." Sirella panted and sat down. "...but it's pretty obvious...who's to blame...for this mess."
"She's right." Paula whispered and lowered her gaze. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have come and-"
"No." Jim replied with a stern tone in his voice. "It isn't." He knew that neither Paula nor Sirella were believing him. But it was the truth. You can't blame someone for just being who they are. Especially if they have no clue what they are.
"But-" Paula tried to protest. That's when she was cut short by her father.
"Enough of that. You are your mother's child after all. Only a Kerrigan enjoys playing this blame-game."
"I don't-"
"It's okay, Paula. You tried. I know that. You bit off more than you could chew. And you wanted to do this on your own. I get that. Just stay here and let me do what I'm best at." Jim told his child.
"Moral support?" Paula whispered, which earned her a grin from her father.
"Yeah, well, maybe I got a few more talents. Some that are actually useful in situations like this. You and Sirella stay here, where you are safe. If anything happens to you two, I won't hear the end of it, from either your mother or Artanis."
"I'm...fine with that...plan." a visibly exhausted Sirella mumbled. Jim looked his daughter once more into the eyes and searched for the answer he was looking for.
"Okay?" he whispered and pointed at the emergency override right next to the door. "There's the override. Now, this is an ammunition-bunker. So, there's another one outside that can override this one. Since, you know, this place is mean to keep stuff that might explode on the inside. This ain't no saferoom after all. So, once I'm outside, I'm gonna lock you in but leave the override-function active. That way, if all things go south, you can still open the bunker from the inside. You got that?" Paula sniffled a few times before she nodded.
"The blast-door is operated from the other side and without override, you are stuck inside this thing. Got that." she told him and took a deep breath. "Thanks for the info."
"Yeah, well, that's what parents are there fo-wait, what did you just say?" Jim stuttered. But before he could even react, Paula grabbed her father and made him trip over her leg.
"SUNNOFA-" Paula's father shouted as he stumbled deeper into the ammunition bunker and landed straight on his face. The young woman wasted no time and ran outside. She grabbed the lever that was supposed to close the blast-door.
"Sorry, Pa, but I ain't done yet! I created this mess, I'm gonna fix it!" Paula declared. She didn't sound like a scared and vulnerable (and ashamed) young woman anymore but like the cocky brat that Sirella hated so much. "Also: I still need to find Zeratul!"
"Paula, what the hell are you thinking?!" Jim barked and got back on his feet. "Don't you dare to pull that lever! I take everything back, you are in so much trouble, young lady!"
"We can talk this out later, Dad. Hold on tight!" And then she pulled the lever...
...and nothing happened.
…
…
…
"Oh, come on!" Paula yelled. "Can you make up your mind, dammit?! Either everything should work or nothing should work, but this is getting annoying!"
"Young lady! I think I just chose the wrong approach!" Jim growled. "You are so grounded! If your mother hears about that, then-" He had almost reached her when suddenly the ancient mechanism sprang to life and the heavy and reinforced blast-door came crushing down, locking both him and Sirella in inside the ammunition bunker. Jim couldn't believe what he was seeing and slammed his fist against the cold and hard steel of the door.
"Paula! PAULA! Open the door, dammit!" But it was futile. He ran over to the lever on his side of the door and pulled it down, yet nothing happened.
"Good thing...that you explained her...how that security override...works..." Sirella panted, yet Jim was too furious to care about that.
"I don't care about what you will say about this mess, Sarah..." he growled as he clenched his hands into fists. "...she's got that from you!" Yet when he felt his trembling fists, he noticed another thing. Jim's eyes widened in shock as he looked around. That's when he realized...
...that the Marshal's gun was gone.
"Well, since I'll be grounded for life anyway...what the hell." Paula mused as she stared at the blast-door. She wiped a tear of her face and couldn't hide the smug grin on her face. Crying on command? Now that was a skill she had mastered a long time ago. And you know what? So far, this unique skill had never failed her. There was simply no one in this universe that could stay mad at her if she was crying.
Except her aunt Izsha.
Sure, her father would probably be raging for the next couple of centuries, and she wouldn't hear the end of it anytime soon. But she had come here for a reason, and she was not done. Not by a longshot. Besides, now that her father was here, she no longer had to worry about Sirella. He was more than capable of looking after her friend, making sure that she wouldn't end up as Stukov's next meal.
"In hindsight...I guess I shouldn't have brought her along in the first place." Paula muttered. Then again, pretty much everyone she knew had told her that Sirella should see more about the world, to broaden her horizon. As an aspiring artist, she should see the places with her own eyes! So, in a way Paula had done her friend a favor!
She was such a good friend!
They should give her a medal for all of her effort!
"Well, better get to work then. Still got something to do." Paula muttered and turned around. As she walked away, she could hear how something hammered against the thick blast-door. Probably her father, screaming and cursing as if her mother's "no cursing!"-policy had never been in effect at all. Too bad, she would have loved to hear some of those curses. When it came to that, her father was still the unmatched master of all that is vile and should never be spoken out.
As Paula walked away from the ammunition-bunker, she realized that something was wrong. She couldn't really put her finger on it...not until her finger brushed over the trigger of the gun in her hand. She stopped and looked at the pistol. Weird. She had never used a gun in her life. Perhaps she should have left it with her father, he was more than capable of handling a weapon. But they should be safe inside that ammunition-bunker. Besides, even though this whole trip had been nothing but a gigantic nightmare, so far no one had been hurt...
...well, terminally hurt.
"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" Paula muttered when she spotted a small hatch nearby. She walked over to it and opened it. It was a garbage-hatch and when Paula looked down the dark hole, she simply tossed the gun down the hatch, closed it and walked away.
"Well, let's get going. Before even more things go south."
"Professor?" the young man named Ashton mumbled as he stood right next to his fellow students. And, of course, the Professor. "Do you think this is really a wise idea?"
Yet it wasn't Allagan who answered that question.
"They've been gone for some time now." someone else mumbled. Everyone could hear the anxiety in the woman's voice. Deidre, that was her name. Deidre Fisher. An average student, but easily to inspire and an earnest and hard worker. Professor Allagan suddenly remembered that he still had to finish correcting her mid-term homework, something that he would rather do right now than standing in front of this dark hole that didn't look like the path to an archaeological sensation but the pits of hell.
"Maybe we should head back to the capital and get help?" Ashton offered. Perhaps they should.
"Perhaps they're hurt and need help." Deidre replied. She was by no means ready to storm the castle, nor was she any braver than the rest of the group. They were scientists and students, the biggest problem they had encountered so far was that their morning coffee was either too strong or too hot. Besides, if someone like Marshal Bowski was down there, then everything was fine, right?
"Professor, what should be do?" another student asked. Allagan bit on his lip when he heard that question. He knew why they were asking but wished they wouldn't. He was a professor, not a marshal and certainly not an adventurer.
"I suppose we should head back to the city and look for help." Allagan mused. He wasn't able to hide his own insecurity, something no good leader should do. But he was not a leader, he was just a random civilian. His expertise wasn't the field but the world of books. He had only come out here because the value of the suspected artifact below the surface of this world had outweighed all other concerns. And, maybe, the fact that he would go down in history as the scientist who had discovered (or helped to discover) an ancient battlecruiser from the time of the foundation of the Empire had helped a bit too.
Professor Allagan was not an arrogant man. He was humble and kind. But he had to admit...
...being called the man who "had achieved something" had a nice ring to it.
"But...what about the people down below? We can't just leave them here, can we?" Deidre mused. What was he expect to tell them? Without anyone to guide them, they were unable to come up with a solution themselves. Bowski was the one barking orders, and even though Allagan disliked the grumpy attitude of the man, he respected his authority. Or at least was afraid to question it. And even Paula Kerrigan, no matter how reckless she was, at least knew how to take the initiative and tell people what to do...even if that usually ended in a disaster of epic proportion.
Speaking of disasters of epic proportion...
"I suppose we should go and see the Magistrate, tell her what this is all about. I...I think she knows what to do. She can send more people out here." Allagan mused.
"But what if they enter the derelict? They might damage the artifacts inside!" another member of his team wanted to know. "I mean no offense, but if we allow just any random person to go down there, we might do more damage than good!"
"We are talking about lives here." Deidre replied. "Maybe the Marshal, Kerrigan and that Protoss are injured. Maybe they need help."
"We don't know that." Ashton protested. "Perhaps we should wait a bit longer and-"
"And what if we do that and they are in grave danger?!" Deidre snorted. "When Janice was lost, they didn't hesitate. They went down there and got her back!" That was a fair point and right now Jerome Allagan felt like garbage for not doing what seemed to be the right thing to do. Yes, he was afraid. So afraid, in fact, that he was desperately looking for a way out of this mess without looking like a coward in front of his students and the rest of the team.
"I think we should vote!" a new voice suddenly spoke up. Allagan didn't recognize it, but he was too busy staring down the dark hole that led into the insides of the Hyperion. "Everyone who's in favor of going down there says "cheese cake" and everyone who wants to run away like a bunch of little pu...I mean cowards say "Wakka wakka wakka!"."
…
…
…
Everyone fell silent and they all turned around, looking at the man who had just said that. When Allagan looked at the man, he frowned.
"Who...are you? And where did you come from?"
Right between them was a man no one had seen before. He was skinny, had short red hair and looked rather sickly. It didn't stop him from grinning like an idiot though.
"Who, good old me?" the man asked and looked around. "Sometimes I ask myself that question. And where I come from. Where we all come from. Is there really a god? And if so, why does she hate it if I curse? Shouldn't cursing be the right of every sentient being? Isn't it the ultimate expression of a free mind? Where do we come from? Where do we go? And why can't we just scream profanities whenever we feel like? It is-"
That's when suddenly a new voice behind the group stopped this dreadful monologue.
"Are you done?" an inhumanly deep voice asked and some gasped in surprise when they noticed that there was a Protoss standing right next to him.
"How did you-" Professor Allagan gasped. He was no expert on Protoss but even he could tell that this one wasn't Sirella. This Protoss was taller, bulkier. And his voice sounded as if it belonged to a male.
"As a matter of fact: I wasn't!" the redhead protested.
"Well, now you are!" the Protoss shot back. "Why did you have to drag me out here anyway?"
"Because Niadra's too fat. Also, Karax told me to get lost."
"That still doesn't explain why you brought me along!" the tall Protoss growled. He was massive and far more imposing than Sirella. "You always brag that you have more daughters than hairs on your bu-"
"Leave my girls out of this!" the man replied. "They got better things to do than...whatever we're supposed to do."
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"I don't know, I only work here, man!" the redhead shouted. "All I know is that we should meet those two here. Speaking of which..." He then turned his attention at Jerome and his people. "'Scuse me, Gentlebeings, but have you seen two lovely ladies around here? One tall, dark and mysterious, with a fine sense of humor. And the other one...is there too."
"Smooth. I make sure she knows about that." the Protoss mumbled.
"Uhm...pardon me." Allagan said. "But...who are you?" The Protoss and the redhead exchanged knowing looks, until the human sighed and offered his hand to the Professor.
"Joseph Brent, master gardener, awesome father and occasionally savior of the known universe." the man explained.
"Wow. There are at least two lies in that statement." the Protoss whispered yet Brent didn't seem to care about that at all. He grabbed Allagan's hand, who was still baffled by these two newcomers, and shook it.
"Don't listen to big grumpy over there. He's just pis...he just doesn't want to be out here in the desert, makes his skin dry out."
"I... uhm..." Allagan stuttered. Who were these two? Brent? He knew someone by that name. Professor Izsha Brent. A brilliant historian who excelled on the field of Zerg-research. He had worked with that woman before. But this guy...was he somehow related to the her? No, that couldn't be. The name had to be a coincidence. "Are you...sent here by the Magistrate?" Both Joseph and the Protoss exchanged quick glances and then the man shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure, why not." Joseph replied. "That big guy over there is Tesson by the way. Don't let his lack of humor fool you: He's a cold-hearted bastard."
"I thought you were afraid of cursing?" Tesson growled.
"Bastard is no word, it's a description. One that fits the bill I might add."
"Once this is over, I'm going to throw you down a cliff."
"Empty threats. You wouldn't dare."
"I threw Paula down a cliff. So, what do you think?" Tesson asked. Joseph opened his mouth, ready to reply something before he hesitated. And after a while...
"Okay, fair point. Let's talk about this later. Right now, we-"
"Just WHO are you people?!" Jerome Allagan yelled and interrupted their bickering. It was brutally clear to pretty much everyone that they were in fact not sent here by the Magistrate.
"Moral support." Joseph declared. "What you said: Magistrate sent us. Just leave the rest to the professionals."
"Then what's the name of the Magistrate?" Allagan asked. Joseph opened his mouth again and was about to reply something but then he fell silent again.
"By the Ancestors, I wish I could record this moment and show it to the entire universe." Tesson sighed. "Joseph Brent speechless." He turned towards Allagan and bowed his head. "I want you to know that I will be forever in your debt for making this man look like a complete idiot."
"Hey, no cursing!" Joseph protested.
"Idiot is no word, it's a description. One that fits the bill I might add." Tesson mocked his companion.
"Should have brought Niadra along." Joseph growled.
"Too late for that." the Protoss mumbled. Only then Allagan's eyes widened in shock when he realized the truth.
"You...are looters!" he gasped and immediately the other members of the expedition backed away.
"Yeah, sure, you got us. We are looters. Give us all your...uhm...do you use money out here?" Brent mumbled.
"We are not looters." Tesson sighed and tried to defuse the situation. "We are...uh..." When he didn't manage to find the right words, Joseph started to snicker.
"By the guys you worship, I wish I could record this moment and show it to the entire universe." he mocked his companion. It was hard to take these two serious, which helped to defuse the situation even without them trying.
"I demand to know: Who are you? What are you doing here?" the Professor said. He clenched his hands into fists and his whole body trembled. Not because he was afraid. Well, that was only partially true. He was afraid, very much so. But at the same time, he felt a cold rage inside his chest. Whoever these two were, they didn't seem to be very dangerous. Aside from the fact that one of them was a Protoss that was nearly three meters tall and looked as if he weighed more than 300 kilograms...
"We are farmers." Tesson said. He didn't even try to sound convincing.
"Yeah, dirt farmers." Joseph agreed.
"Yes. He's the dirt, I'm the farmer." the Protoss continued.
"Yep, that is...hey!" the redhead protested. "Are you gonna do that forever now?"
"Only until I find a cliff."
"You are not farmers!" the Professor declared, which caused Joseph to chuckle.
"My, you are a sharp one! What gave us away?" Brent wanted to know.
"I will ask one last time..." the Professor gasped. "...who are you? And what do you want? If you are here to loot this derelict, then I swear I will-"
"A fair warning..." a new voice suddenly interrupted him. This one belonged to a woman. And it almost sounded...ethereal. "...do not take anything serious that comes out this man's mouth." Everyone turned around and looked at yet another newcomer. A goofy smile appeared on Brent's face when he spotted the woman. Now he was no longer the only redhead, how fun!
"Hey, Sarah. How's life? And how's the offspring doing? Causing mischief and acts of domestic terrorism?"
"Point A: Yes. Point B: Not sure yet, but highly possible. And I blame you for that." the beautiful woman replied. Joseph gasped in shock when he heard that and made a step back.
"What? Blame me? But why, oh why? I have never ever told her to go out there and do crazy stuff like that. Except, you know, when I did. Last time last Friday I think."
…
…
…
There was another awkward moment of silence and the woman sighed before rubbing her eyes before she took a deep breath and started to count.
"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five..." Her words trailed off yet no one dared to stop her. The woman's lips continued to move and no one dared to interrupt her until she was done counting down to one. "Okay, let's do this." And then she turned towards Allagan, who realized that he had seen this woman before, some years ago on Earth...
"Pardon me for these two being, well, themselves." the woman declared and offered her hand to the Professor. "My name is Sarah Kerrigan and-"
"Kerrigan?" the Professor stuttered. "As in-"
"Yes. You heard right. You already made the acquaintance of my daughter, Paula. I hope she didn't cause you too much distress." Sarah Kerrigan explained. "If she did, then forget what I just said. The name is Kluivert. Sarah Kluivert." Next to her Joseph started to snicker when he heard that.
"Your daughter?" Allagan mumbled. "But...that can't be right. You look way too young for that." When Sarah heard that, a toothy grin appeared on her face.
"Oh, I like where this is going!" she replied. "Also: Don't let my youthful look fool you. I've been around." And then her smile vanished. "But don't you dare calling me old."
"She doesn't like that." Joseph mumbled.
"Yes, whatever you do: Do not call her old." Tesson agreed. Both of them shuddered as if they were just remembering something horrible, something vile, something utterly nightmarish..." Like when someone had accidentally congratulated Sarah Kerrigan on being "officially the oldest woman in the history of the universe". The planet she had destroyed after that had been a lifeless rock, but still...
Some of the old fire still remained.
"Anyway!" Sarah then declared and her smile reappeared. "Back to my illustrious daughter. From what I've gathered she has found this ancient husk of a worthless scrapheap and now everyone's gone bonkers. That sounds about right?"
"Uhm...this is a priceless archaeological discovery. I think calling it worthle-" Allagan protested.
"Ohohoho, no!" Sarah interrupted them. "The Hyperion was already a piece of scrap back in the old days, I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed by being buried under tons of dust and rubble." That statement caused Allagan to frown. Back in the old days? The Professor squinted his eyes and when he took a closer look at the woman.
"I think we have met before..." he mumbled. "...a few years back. Where did-"
"Oh, yeah, I remember." Sarah interrupted him. "Earth. The exhibit on Korprulean history. You even got most things right. I especially enjoyed the part about the Swarm. Oh, and the "Horner's Raiders". Made for a few good laughs back home."
"You...and Paula...related? But how...?" Allagan stuttered.
"Yeah, the galaxy's a small place. Funny how that works, eh'?" Sarah sighed before looking at the gathered mass of people. "Trust me, when I got up this morning, I didn't imagine the day playing out quite like this. Then again, I guess it is the proof that the universe still finds ways to surprise me, even after all those years." Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Kids, let me tell you. Want a tip? Don't have them. They're a hassle and they never do anything you tell them to do. And they especially do everything you explicitly tell them not to do." Suddenly an annoyed grunt escaped her lips and she placed one of her hand on her belly. Sarah looked down and frowned.
"No, I'm not talking about you." she whispered. "You haven't done anything wrong. I'm talking exclusively about your older sister."
"Pardon me, but I do think we deserve an explanation." Allagan spoke. "If you are not looters, if you are truly who you claim you are, then why did you come out here?"
"I tell you once I figured it out myself." Sarah sighed. "Anyway, I thank you for your efforts so far but me and the boys are going to wing it from here. I suggest that you return to your camp and wait for us to clean up this mess and then we're on our merry way. How does that sound?"
"I am sorry but I cannot allow this! This is an archaeological dig-site and no amateur should mess with this place." the Professor protested, which caused Sarah to snicker.
"Boy, it's been ages since someone called me an "amateur". Hoho. Good thing Jim isn't around. Speaking of Jim..." Sarah looked at Tesson. "I can sense him down there. And he's raging. Hard. Guess Paula found yet another way to drive us mad."
"She's your brat." Tesson muttered. "Like mother, like child."
"Oh, she got that from her father!" Sarah shot back, which caused both Tesson and Joseph to exchange knowing looks, which seem to irritate her even further. "What?"
"Nothing!" the two replied at the exact same time.
"Ugh, you two are insufferable." Sarah growled before she turned her attention back at Allagan. "Anyway, you should get back to the camp. We got this. I promise that we won't do anything reckless."
"Absolutely not!" Allagan protested. "I cannot allow anyone to enter this derelict who doesn't know a thing about how to handle a dig-site! Only professionals should be allowed to enter this place!"
And that's when another voice reached their ears. It too belonged to a woman, yet unlike the warm and slightly amused (and annoyed) sound of Sarah's voice, this one sounded cool and under control. Everyone reacted differently when they heard that voice. Sarah sighed while Tesson dropped his shoulders. Joseph, like usual, was grinning like an idiot. Only this time even more so than usual. And there was a good reason for that.
The Missus hat arrived.
Allagan gasped in surprise when he spotted the woman. Unlike Sarah, who was wearing casual clothes, this one looked as if she had been in a business meeting mere moments ago. How someone would come out here wearing such clothes was beyond Allagan's comprehension. What baffled him even more, however, was the fact that he recognized this woman immediately because he had already worked with her before, back on Earth when he had helped to organize the extremely successful exhibit on Koprulean history. One of the leading experts had been a female professor from said Koprulo Sector, a woman that he had learned to both admire...and fear.
"P-Professor Brent?!" Allagan gasped. The woman that stood in front of them looked exactly how you would imagine a strict teacher. She looked at Allagan and squinted her eyes.
"Professor Allagan. It has been some time. How have you been?" she asked casually as if there was nothing surprising about the fact that they were finally face to face again on a random world at the ass' end of the galaxy.
"I... uhm...eh..." the Professor stuttered. "Is this...how...how did you get here? Is this...some kind of joke?"
"I wish it were..." Sarah sighed. Next to her, Joseph's grin became absurdly wide.
"Hey, Babe." he said. "Missed me much?"
"No." Professor Izsha Brent replied.
"Hehehehe..." Tesson snickered when he heard that. "...guess someone's getting the cold shoulder."
"You don't even know what that means." Joseph shot back. The two faced each other and were about to start another bickering-conquest when Sarah intervened.
"Well, the gang's here. Or at least most of it. So how about-" she started when Izsha simply interrupted her as she turned towards Professor Allagan.
"Professor, it is a delight to see you again. I read your latest work on cultural exchange between the Koprulu Sector and Earth. It was quite..."
"Enlightening?" Allagan offered.
"Hilarious." Izsha explained, which caused Allagan's ego to visible deflate.
"Oh..." he muttered.
"I especially enjoyed the part where you claimed that the Zerg had no real part on the development of human society. Have you not listened to my lectures that I gave during my time on Earth?"
"Zerg are awesome?" Allagan mumbled, which put a faint smile on Izsha's face.
"So, you did listen to my lectures. Very well, I shall let it slide. For now."
"Great, now that we are all here and-" Sarah started again, only to be cut short by Izsha once more almost immediately.
"Professor Allagan, I understand that you are worried about the derelict and the artifacts inside." Izsha simply continued as if Sarah wasn't even there. Neither did she seem to notice how her friend's eyelid started to twitch. "Rest assured: We have not come here to take that away from you. If it helps, then I can give you my promise that we will treat this place with the utmost care." Sarah nodded when she heard that.
"Yes, and we will be-"
"I promise that it will not take long." Izsha interrupted her again. "We have just been dragged out here to reclaim the little Prin...to bring Paula back and to make sure that she will never ever leave her room, for all of eternity, at least until she has found a mate and/or wants to reclaim the Swarm in order to lead the Zerg to glory again."
To say that there was an awkward moment of silence would be the understatement of the century.
"Uhm...what?" Sarah muttered.
"Did you just say...reclaim the Swarm?" Allagan gasped. Izsha looked at him, blinked a few times, and then...
"That was a joke." she said with a tone in her voice that lacked any sense of humor whatsoever.
"Alright, let's get this over with. I got important things to do. So important that I can't even name them." Tesson mumbled and straightened himself. "Everyone who's not a Protoss, a professor or a retard-"
"Hey!" both Sarah and Joseph barked at the exact same time.
"...may now go back to the camp. Fail to do so and I'm going to beat you all up and drag you there. Your choice, people."
"You're bluffing!" someone shot back. It was Ashton. Tesson chuckled when he heard that and leaned down until their faces were almost on the same level.
"Hohoho. Do you know how the skin of a Protoss feels like, girl?" the huge Protoss asked and suddenly the young man started to shiver as he realized just how big Tesson was.
"I'm a man, not a woman..." Ashton whimpered.
"Do I look as if I care?" Tesson shot back.
"Uhm...no?"
"And? Do you know how a Protoss' skin feels like?"
"Ehm...also no?"
"Well, if you fail to do as I say, then you get your chance to find out. When I sink my fist in your face. How does that sound?" Tesson chirped in a way-too-friendly way.
"Painful?"
"I see we have found common ground. And they say humans are illogical creatures. You do your species proud, young human." Tesson declared. "Now get lost." And much to everyone's surprise the students and members of the research-team did as they were told. Except for one...
"Yo', dude." Joseph groaned and looked at Allagan. "Big gray over here just told you to leave."
"No." Allagan mumbled. "He said, and I shall quote: Everyone who's not a Protoss, a professor or a retard...and I am a professor."
"Huh, he got you there, big guy." Joseph mumbled.
"I should have come alone..." Sarah whispered and shook her head before taking a deep breath. "Fine, he can come with us." That caused Tesson, Joseph and Izsha to stare at her in disbelief. "What?" she asked. "It's not like he's going to believe any of what he's about to see. And even if: Who's gonna believe him?"
"That's one way to look at it." Joseph muttered.
"I agree with Joseph, your Majesty." Izsha declared. "It seems to be a rather...retarded thing to do."
"He, can't even remember the last time when you called me "Your Majesty". Kinda miss that, to be honest." Sarah chuckled before turning around and walking over to the hole in the ground that led into the innards of the long-forgotten battlecruiser. As she stared down the hole, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned. Behind her Tesson and Joseph started to hush the students and researchers away while Allagan was doing his best to not have anyone beaten up by a Protoss. She did notice how a certain someone approached her from behind. And when Izsha stood right next to her, Sarah sighed.
"Izsha, I need to ask you something serious." she mumbled.
"The Little One did not tell me anything about this. At all." Izsha replied. They didn't have to read each other's thoughts to know what was going on inside their heads. After all that time they knew each other in and out. And even though Izsha was a master of keeping her emotions in check, Sarah was certain that she could hear some indignation in her friend's voice. As if she was annoyed by the fact that the Little One hadn't told her about any of this.
"I don't know if I should be impressed that she found this piece of crap on her own, without telling anyone, or mad as a hatter for making us come out here." Sarah wondered.
"Is she down there?" Izsha asked. "I can smell her, but not much else."
"Oh yeah, she's down there alright." Sarah replied. "I can sense her all over the place." Both women stared at the hole for a long time until Izsha spoke up again.
"You could end this now." she mused. "Just get down there, get them out and fix whatever went wrong."
"I suppose so." Sarah mumbled.
"But you won't." That wasn't a question.
"But I won't." she confirmed Izsha's suspicion. "I have no idea why Paula came out here. Is it because of all that stupid stories Jim told her when she was younger? Or does she want to prove something?"
"To you?" Izsha asked. "She knows she doesn't have to do that."
"Maybe not to me. Maybe she wants to prove it to herself." And then an annoyed groan escaped Sarah's lips. "I swear, Izsha, she inherited the most annoying traits of both me and Jim."
"If that's true, then you can't blame her for what she did."
"Oh, I'm gonna blame my little girl." Sarah replied. "And then I'm gonna ground her until she's old and wrinkly." And then a sigh escaped her lips. "Almost one hundred years old, yet still acting like a five-year-old..."
"Come on, move it!" they could hear Tesson in the distance. "If you stumble and fall, then I might step on you and break your spine. By accident!" A grimace appeared on Sarah's face and she placed her hand on her belly. Izsha noticed that and pulled her brows up.
"Are they worried?" she wanted to know, referring to the unborn life growing inside her oldest friend.
"No. They actually enjoy what's going on. That's what worries me." Sarah replied.
"Well, I suppose the little princess isn't exactly what you would call a role-model." Izsha mused. "They should instead look up to my children. They are all well-behaving."
"Uh-huh." Sarah snorted. "You haven't seen them when you aren't around, obviously."
"What was that?" Izsha asked.
"Nothin'!" Before Sarah got another chance to turn herself into an even bigger fool, the king of fools finally returned. Oh, and so did Tesson.
"All done. They won't bother us." Joseph explained.
"How do you know?" Sarah wanted to know, instantly regretting that she had asked such a question the moment the words had left her throat.
"I told them that I placed booby-traps and landmines all around the camp." Yes, that sounded like something Joseph would do. "Jokes on them, though. I only used spring guns."
"Maybe asking you to tag along was a mistake after all." Sarah mumbled. But what was done was done. So, she looked down the hole leading into the empty insides of the Hyperion and sighed. Sure, she could end this in an instant. But what good would do that? Why had Paula come out here? What was she trying to achieve?
...and why hadn't she asked her mother to help her?
Sarah chewed on her lip until she noticed Allagan, who was still standing right next to them. Then a smile appeared on her face.
"So, Professor, ready to jump down the rabbit hole?" she wanted to know.
"I was already down there, I know what awaits me."
"Oh, I seriously doubt that." Sarah mused. "When you were down there before, you lacked something that you will soon have."
"And what would that be?" a confused Allagan asked.
"Context. A fair warning though. What you're about to learn might not be what you expected. So if you want to chicken out now, then I can understand." she offered him.
"I am a historian. I think I can handle whatever is down there." the Professor declared.
"Bold words. Let's see if you still think that way if you know a bit more." And then Sarah looked at Tesson. "Down the hatch?"
"Thought you'd never ask." the huge Protoss declared and jumped through the hole as if he had waited for that moment a long time. They heard how he landed down below. Only that his feet didn't land on steel...
"GHAAAAAAAAA!" the pained screams of a poor tortured soul echoed through the insides of the derelict. "WHY?! WHYYYYY?! JUST KILL ME ALREADY!" Allagan's eyes widened in shock when he recognized that voice.
"I-is that...the Marshal?!"
"Ops..." Sarah mumbled. "...I knew I forgot something." From down below Tesson's voice reached them.
"I think I landed in something. And it's still moving. Can someone help me, I think my foot is stuck inside something fleshy and wet." When Joseph heard that, a chuckle escaped his lips.
"Hehehe...just like the old times. This will be fun! Thanks, kiddo!"