"In here." Commanded Isaac and Dudley could hear the wrath in his voice. He pointed with his index finger at a small tunnel that was makeshiftly supported by old looking and obviously wet wooden beams that led into the mountain.
Inside the tunnel a chain of lights casted their weak shine on the rocks and were apparently not to there to illuminate the tunnel but just giving the tunnel walker a hint about the direction in which he should walk. All in all the construction of rotten beams and the slight gleam looked not really trustworthy.
Dudley looked to Kitty who he was carrying now because she had realized during walking that she couldn´t go on. He didn´t care though, he just enjoyed the feeling of having her close. Kitty nodded to him and Dudley looked to Isaac again and followed him into the tunnel.
"Dammit, Dudley, it is always the same with you." Mumbled Isaac angrily.
"Isaac, shut it, okay?" Sighed Dudley and rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I will not tell Powers about that, so you have to stand my nagging!" The scientist grumbled.
"What does he mean with Powers?" Asked Kitty whispering.
Dudley moved close to her ear and replied. "It´s a person. You will get to know him." Her smell entered his nose before he could move away. An intoxicating felling accelerated Dudley´s heartbeat to an unhealthy rate and now it was him who had to look at her in disbelieve.
He was back, back with her. Finally. A big wide grin formed on the dogs face and his whole body just wanted to dance in joy right now. But then again he felt the hateful glare of the dog that walked behind him, and that let his whole body feel numb.
"So…" Dudley started and his voice had a slight tone of cluelessness in it. "Kitty… how was everything while I was away."
"Well…" Sighed Kitty. "I was busy, I mean 9 months after you died… I mean left… I mean…" she sighed again but more desperately sounding. "Anyway, 9 months later I gave birth to my little sunshine."
Nick huffed behind Dudley what gave him the hint that he hated being called like that.
"Well, and then I of course had to raise him and work…"
"The typical boring single mom story." Isaac intervened bored.
"Isaac, god dammit!" Growled Dudley and then turned his head back to Kitty. "Please excuse him, he´s an asshole."
"No need." Sighed Kitty. "It was pretty normal… besides this invasion now."
"Well… I´m sorry it… I´m just sorry that I wasn´t there."
"You hadn´t intended to be gone..." Kitty smiled and stroked softly through his hair.
"OH HELL NO!" Nick grabbed his mom´s hand and pulled it away from Dudley´s head. "Are you drunk mom?!"
"What do you mean?"
"First he died during a flight with a space craft. That´s fucking dangerous, of course it´s his fault!" Nick hissed and then laid a smile on his lips that you could just describe with the word disgusting. "Also did you forget about Rob"
"Who´s Rob?" Asked Dudley and looked at Kitty who Scratch the back of her head.
"Uhm… I think there´s something I have to tell you…"
"She has a new guy." Nick grinned widely. Dudley had almost let Kitty fall down as he heard that.
"Pardon?" Dudley needed to hear that again to really believe it.
"He´s right…" Sighed Kitty and looked away as Dudley stared in shock at her.
That felt like another punch in his face. He lost her, then he found her again and now… Dudley knew that the rule said 'Till death do us part' and of course Kitty thought he was dead and he for a while that she doesn´t exist but even if he knew that all it still was hard to grasp.
"And he´s a greater man than you!" Grinned Nick and enjoyed Dudley´s confusion but right as he said that Isaac in front of them stopped and turned around.
"You little disgusting cluster of cells." The scientist built himself up in front of Nick and looked angrily at him. "If I hear you insulting this man ever again I will skin you, grill you and eat you."
"Isaac!" Meant Dudley angrily and shocked at the same time.
"Do you got me?! I know enough recipes for dog and also for cat! You are both so I have plenty of choices." He whispered to Nick who went pale. "I will tell the others about that…"
"Isaac, stop now." Growled the dog.
"I just scare him a bit." Isaac said in his mother´s tongue so that Kitty and Nick couldn´t understand it.
"I know, but I nevertheless don´t want you to hear you threatening him, got it?" Dudley replied in the same language.
"Understood." Isaac nodded and turned back to Nick. "I keep an eye on you." The scientist said so Nick could understand and then turned around.
Dudley looked at Isaac and though he was angry on him he felt somehow relieved. At least Nick wouldn´t rub salt into his wound.
Maybe he should thank the scientist for defending him later and then slap him for being rude to everyone… he would probably just slap him.
"So… Rob…" Dudley mumbled while they stepped in one of the caves that was called decontamination lock by the resistance members.
Kitty stayed silent, she just looked away. It seemed that she couldn´t look him in the eyes.
"This is a joke." Isaac called out loud as they crossed the container. "Decontamination lock, what a joke."
"That´s all they have, Isaac."
"Yeah yeah, I know." Sighed the scientist and entered the basis. As they walked through the hallways all eyes were on the tall scientist that returned their stares with angry glares. "Rude, very rude, all of you." He said loudly and understandable for them and after a while of walking through them he started enjoying it.
Dudley approved the fact that he wasn´t watched now. To be honest he´d liked to be alone in that moment anyway, to let his mind digest the whole day. And though Dudley usually wasn´t a friend of that, he thought that maybe some alcohol could help. He should ask Powers about that, he know that the captain had some fine spirits in his collection. If he gets wasted then in style.
As the group stepped into the tunnel that led to the shuttle a tall wolf with grey fur ran to them and called "Kitty!"
"Rob…" Kitty seemed not really happy to see him in this moment. Dudley deduced that from her face that was contorted like she was in pain.
"Kitty!" The wolf ran to Dudley, pried her away from the dog´s arms and hugged her tightly. "God, Kitty… I thought I lost you."
So that was Rob. Dudley had liked to start screaming in this moment. Rob was somehow a taller and better looking version of him. Okay he had a big scar in his face but this thing just made him look more of a tough guy.
"Thank you…" Rob said to Dudley. "Thank you so much for bringing her back… she´s all I have…"
The suppressed grin of Nick was almost sensible in the room as he saw his genetic father´s eye twitching.
"Rob… I have to tell you something." Kitty whispered.
"Everything honey…" Said the wolf.
"Okay… I have to go." Dudley stammered and walked past Rob into the tunnel. By now the idea of having a drink was obsolete. He now just wanted to search a calm corner and puke.
He staggered through the tunnel towards the ship and directly into the arms of René who stood in front of the ship and examined at the hull.
"Whoa, dude, are you alright?" The engineer asked and caught him.
Dudley just shook his head.
"You look like a fucking zombie." René said. "We better get you inside the shuttle."
Dudley was lifted over the broad man´s shoulder and carried into the ship in which just Powers, his mom and the chief sat and discussed.
"What´s wrong?" Powers asked sternly and stood up.
"Nothing… I just feel a bit… sick…" meant Dudley as René sat him on one of the empty seats.
"I´ll deal with this from now on, go back to work." The engineer nodded and left the shuttle.
Powers walked to a little inlet in the wall. "Water." He said and a glass of water materialized.
The chief´s and Peg´s mouths fell agape seeing appearing a glass and water out of thin air.
"Thanks." Panted Dudley as Powers handed him the glass and drank it eagerly. "Where are the others?"
"Meternagel wanted to walk around a bit to get an overview. Isaac is also somewhere, I don´t know. And the tick is probably causing turmoil somewhere, so what she can do best. And René is writing a status report for the shuttle." Powers explained and sat down on his seat again. "But what´s wrong with you?"
"Okay…" nodded Dudley. "I´m okay…"
"Sweety…" Peg meant concernedly.
"I´m fine… I guess I just was a bit dehydrated." He lied. "Everything´s fine."
"I know that you´re lying…" Powers meant eying him critically. "But I can´t and won´t deal with this now." The captain turned his angular face back to the chief. "How safe are we here?"
"Well, as safe as rebels can be." The chief laughed bitterly. "Luckily Keswick built some kind of device that doesn´t allow the lizards to find us here. But also that doesn´t come without a price."
"What do you mean?"
"The field needs energy and after we ran out of fuel for the generators we had to redispose."
"How do you power your base now?"
"We use the energy cores of the lizards weapons. I don´t have to say that it´s a dangerous undertaking to get these, do I?"
"That explains the casualties you told me about." Nodded Powers.
"How long does one of these cores last?" Asked Dudley and sat up straight in his seat. He still felt like someone had used his stomach as a punching ball but the acquiring of tactical information at least gave him a feeling of routine again. After all he collected and evaluated tactical information since he was promoted to a captain in the fleet.
"About 3 days. Luckily we mostly find four or five of them." The chief meant and sighed. "It can´t go on like that."
"Well, I think I know everything I have to know." Powers nodded and pushed a button in the armrest of his seat. "René, could you come inside?"
"Sure, captain." Echoed the engineer´s dark voice back and a few seconds later he stomped up the ramp. "Yes?" asked René and stepped into the shuttle.
"René, take Isaac and go to the base´s generator room. Say Isaac that he should explain to everyone to everyone who wants to interrupt you that you have to upgrade their generator. I guess we have the blessing of the chief." Powers looked down at the flea who nodded. "And after that send Isaac to this Keswick, he should see if he can improve this jamming device."
René nodded quickly and moved wordlessly out of the shuttle.
"Okay." Powers stood up and adjusted his uniform. "Next thing is that we should introduce ourselves, at least to the higher members of your resistance. We need to work together so we should get to know each other. Do you have some kind of conference room for us?"
"Hmm… We actually..."
"Keswick´s lab is mostly empty and pretty wide." Dudley´s mom meant as she and the chief also stood up.
"Yeah, good idea, Peg." Nodded the flea. "Let´s meet in the lab."
"Great, lead the way. Oh, and Dudley…" Powers grabbed Dudley´s hand and pulled the dog on his feet. "No matter how bad you feel, we need you."
"No!" Peg said, walked to Dudley and wanted to push him back on the seat. "Sweety if you feel bad you can stay here and sleep."
"Oh hell no… sweety." Powers said slightly grinning. "That´s an order."
"It´s okay, mom, really." Mumbled Dudley and took his mother´s hands. He smiled softly at her and pulled her into a hug. "I´m okay, really."
"Right, he´s old enough Peg…" The chief said but more out of a reflex what made Powers laugh excessively loud.
"Indeed!" roared the captain.
Dudley looked annoyed at Powers and just shook his head. "Let´s go, okay?"
