Chapter 18: Against the time
D'Jok rolled his eyes when he saw the load of babyclothes and other stuff Mei had made Micro- Ice and Tia help her bring back to their home. «I swear, you're gonna make me go broke Mei» he complained.
«It's costly to have a little one D'Jok, think of how cute she will look in these pink dresses» said Mei and held them up for D'Jok to see.
«We don't even know if it's a girl» complained D'Jok. He dreaded having to return all the clothes if the baby was a boy. He was not participating in returning them.
Mei was unaffected by D'Jok's bad mood. She ordered the snowkids around, placing the baby's crib and stroller in the room of their home in upper Akillian city.
«Mei, it's still 2 months left» complained D'Jok.
«Two months travel fast D'Jok» smiled Mei. She knew she was hitting on his nerves now. Even the pirates had made a quick getaway when they realised what was up. Mei smiled when she thought of Sonny's facial expression when she had brought up the idea of shopping.
Things had changed alot over the last three months. The pirates had started their own buisness, with the help of Sonny's grandfather. The security company, named SECTECH, a name Mei suspected had been chosen, to annoy Technoid. The pirates had calmed down conciderably in that aspect, but every once in a while, they couldn't resist shooting Technoid a little sting.
What was annoying, was the security Sonny had ordered to watch her. Mei hated this surveilance. She had tried to talk to Sonny, but in vain. He wouldn't tell her why, but his mind was made up on the matter, and that was final. For once, Mei had turned to her mother for help, thinking Sonny would stop when the «dragon» would tell him to stop hazzling her doughter. Man, had she been wrong! Her mother had thought it was a great idea, and given Sonny full support on the matter. D'Jok had also tried to talk to his father, but after a private meeting with him, D'Jok had a change of heart. But Mei had enough now. «D'Jok, I've had enough of Sonny being so overprotective, I am going to tell him to stop».
D'Jok had to laugh. «Good luck on changing Dad's opinion Mei, you know he won't. He did the same to me, remember?».
Mei crossed her arms. «Well, at least, he got off your case didn't he?».
D'Jok threw his head back. «Dad's a better actor than I take him for. Can't you see that he is still watching me?»
«Whatever» Mei said in an annoyed tone.
D'Jok could just throw his head back and laugh out loud..
SECTECH HQ
He was not made to wear these tailormade suits. For the millionth time, Sonny pulled his tie. Well, if he ever needed a quick way to break his neck, the tie would come in handy. The only thing that made it bareable, was seeing Corso, Bennet and Artie suffer equally much. Corso had come to his office to discuss a security matter. «I swear Sonny, if I ever find the idiot that invented suits like this, I'll kill him» growled Corso.
Sonny had no problem understanding him. He had felt the same.
«Anything new on our old friends in Technoid?» he asked.
Corso shook his head. «They increased their security Sonny, it's grown difficult to break into their systems». Sonny nodded it. «you know, we have to have more information on the nemesis project Corso..»
Corso understood perfectly. Ever since Sonny had learned from Arendour, now one of their employees, alongside with Clamp, who had loved finding another lost friend, of Technoid's brutal revenge on him and his family, a matter that had seen even worse, when Sonny's grandfather had come clean with where the feud had started, Sonny had worked silently on the case, assigning only his most trusted men to it, and in total secretsy. The only other party he had involved, was D'Jok. D'Jok had been stunned when he learned what his father knew. Sonny had a hard time assuring his son that they would keep the baby and Mei safe. It wasn't till Sonny had agreed to keep Mei in the dark on what was going on, D'Jok had been good
to go with what his father suggested. To avoid stressing Mei, the pirates was watching her, but from safe distance. Alltough, Sonny suspected she knew, and it made her pissed off. Sonny again pulled at his tie. He should have known there was a downside when his grandfather proposed starting Sectech to help employ the pirates, and give them some normality. The pirates had bought a buildingcomplex, and moved into apartements there. Some of them lived alone, others brought their families from Shiloh or elsewhere, the only rule was that matters that was debated remained within the compound. Sonny still felt uncomfortable moving around outdoors without concealing himself with a hood. Wich was what had given Mei the idea for the sectech commercial. It put a smile on sonnys face to think of how this commercial irritated Technoid. Their would always be first, before Technoid. Sure, it had come at a cost, but Sonny had seen the use. Mei had done the commercial for them, but not without requesting a favour in return. Sonny had hoped it would involve shopping, that meant he could send one of the younger pirates in, but no. Mei knew him. She was not agreeing to something like that. The pirates had helped D'Jok ready the room for the baby. When Sonny was there, alone with D'Jok, they had installed a securitysystem that would allow Sonny to look after his grandchild at will. D'Jok was making jokes. «I bet you'll be the gentleman to take the stoller from Mei, just to spoil the baby» he teased. Sonny found it best to play along.
«Off course D'Jok, it's my privelige as a grandparent». Sonny knew he'd probobly be babysitting at will too, the minute he was asked. But all in due time.
Sonny looked at the time. He stored all his work on a memorystick, before he shut his computer down. Then, he made ready to go see Dame simbai.
«leaving already Sonny?» said his grandfather.
Sonny nodded.
« I got an appointment for a check up with Dame Simbai, and then there is a meeting with the obia moon ambassadour about Arendours case».
The old man nodded. «How's your results? Have they found traces of the serum you were injected with?».
Sonny nodded. They had probed deep to find it, it had been unmerciful and painful to do, but they found it. Dame Simbai had given him a special herbal treatment for it, as well as helping him with harnessing his flux, the seed of shiloh.
It kind of made the years the pirates stood alone against technoid seem lonely and cold. Sonny knew they weren't, they had their fair share of adventures, but it felt good being part of a bigger picture.
«Dame Simbai put me on medication to help remove it completely. It's worse for D'Jok» he sighed.
The old man nodded.
«And the baby?»
Sonny sighed. «We don't know yet. There is no way to run any tests without Mei getting suspicious».
«I assume you have a back up plan for that?».
Sonny nodded. He had severals. Some pirates habits just didn't go away.
They talked loosely, before Sonny left for his scheduled appointments of the day...
A tiny baby girl. D'Jok stared at the pictures, and the holographic video. His doughter. Only now, it started to get to him. He was soon a father. He didn't know anything about children this age. Sonny had been abscent in these years, not because he wanted to, but because he thought him dead. D'Jok walked like in a mist. He didn't know wheter it was out of habit, but as he looked up, he noticed he was outside the pirates apartementcomplex. Maybe he should go see his father, and tell him news on the baby? With a huge smile, D'Jok walked up to the gate. Stevens was on watchduty today, even as free men, the pirates didn't let just anyone come inside their home. «Hey D'Jok, looking for Sonny?» he asked with a smile. «Yeah, is he in?», Stevens checked a board. «According to this, yes».
«Thanks» smiled D'Jok, as Stevens opened the gate and let him in.
Sonny's apartement, wich he shared with Corso, was one of the bigger apartements in the complex. It was also the best protected. No wonder, Sonny was, afterall, the pirates leader.
D'Jok buzzed the doorbell as he arrived. Minutes later, Sonny opened it.
«D'Jok!» the pirate chief smiled and hugged his son before he held the door open for his son to enter. D'Jok was amazed at how the apartement Sonny shared with Corso looked.
«This is huge Dad, I understand why you didn't want to live here alone» D'Jok said as he looked around. The livingroom was in a nice shade of white, and masculine decorated. A few pictures on the walls, indicated the apartement had an owner.
Along with a huge leather salon. And in the recliner, sat Corso, relaxed, and zapped through the many holotv channels.
«Nice of you to drop by» greeted his father's second in command.
« Just dropping by for a pleasure visit D'Jok, or did you have something you wanted to talk to me about, without Mei knowing?» Sonny was searching D'Jok's face to look for clues of anything abnormal. He had been ever since Arendour told him of project Nemesis. But D'Jok looked normal.
«Is all well with Mei and the baby?» he asked his son.
«All is, except she is drowing me in babystuff back home» complained D'Jok. He pulled out a floppy disk.
«Here you go Dad, meet your firstborn grandchild» he said with a smile as he handed Sonny the disk.
Sonny walked up to the tv, and put it on. Soon, a 4D image of the baby appeared.
«The next generation Blackbones» he smiled.
«Can you see the gender?» asked Corso curiously.
«Hush Corso, don't ruin the fun for the father to be» said Sonny mildly.
«Actually dad, I already know the gender» smiled D'Jok.
«Really?» Sonny shot him a gaze that looked both curious and surprised at the same time.
D'Jok had to laugh.
«Honestly Dad, you're the scientist of the family. Can't you tell us what you're looking at?» he laughed.
Sonny studied the image of the baby. Then, slowly, a small smile spread upon his face.
«A babygirl!» he looked at his son.
D'Jok smiled. «I'll be fathering the galaxy's most beautiful girl in just two short months» he smiled.
Corso laughed. «Don't let Mei hear you say that, she'll take offence» he said.
The threesome spent yet some time before D'Jok made his way back to his wife and child to be. When D'Jok had left, Corso looked at Sonny.
« You're worried for the baby?» he asked.
Sonny looked at him, realising that Corso had seen him search the image for any signs of anything out of place, something that would indicate what form Technoid's serum would effect her.
«is it that obvious?».
«Oh, come on Sonny. Everyone can tell».
Sonny nodded. He had copied the file from D'Jok's floppy, and now, he looked carefully at it.
He saw nothing. Then, he pulled out the bloodtestresults Dame Simbai had given him for Mei.
«We don't have enough to conclude» he told his friend.
Corso could feel the frustration that pulled in Sonny. He wanted to protect the ones closest to him, his family, and yet, he couldn't.
«What do you want to do Sonny?» he asked.
Sonny was clearly thinking of a plan.
«I don't know Corso, all I know, is that the answer to this riddle, is found there» he said and pointed out the window, where Technoid's officebuildings could be seen in the distance.
«Where? At Technoid? Sonny, you can't just walk in there. If they find you..»
«I'll have to take that chance Corso, I owe this to D'Jok, Mei and the baby».
«What do you hope to find?» Corso put a hand to Sonny's shoulder.
« If they created something that was potentially dangerous to their lives, they created an antivenom for it too. I don't know how to, but some way, I have to find that antivenom, and have Mei digest it».
«And if you can't?» Corso was still trying to talk him out of it.
Sonny looked at him, «If I can't save the baby Corso, Technoid has won the ultimate victory»...
Now what? What do you think? Drop me a rewiew and tell me where you think this is going please?