I had my mecha step through the gate and instead of popping up planet side as intended we came out in a large central hanger, lined with gates along the wall, I had been here before and I could only wonder what the hell I was doing here again. Garhan station, there was no doubt about it. This was unnerving to say the least; last time I was here I had to follow an elaborate gate jump sequence just to get to this place. Now I just go through one gate and wind up here, when I had no intention of ever stepping foot on the station again.
I looked out of Frozen Dreams canopy and saw the Niodemancer, Captain Johnathan Judas casually leaning against a wall. I never got used to the sight of him. He stood roughly seven feet tall, was covered in a sickly synth skin giving him a leaden color, scars criss crossed his form on what skin could be seen. His hair was a combination of bronze, tan, and copper. Past his shoulders in length, but were really ultra-fine wires. It was his eyes that got to me the most; his left eye was bright neon green, so bright it glowed. The right was a dead and dull metallic bronze with a feral yellow pupil.
“Welcome back Brotherhood pilot!” He smiled and called out cheerfully to me as I clambered out of my mecha.
“Judas what the hell am I doing back here? I just refitted my mecha, and am in no mood to take on another one of your special projects in combat!” I replied as I made my way down towards him.
“No, no combat today my friend.” His tone and facial expressions became more serious in a moment. “I wish to talk to you this time. Forgive the hijacking but this station may access any number of gates on any number of worlds, I just had to find the one you were about to use and take over the signal. There are some things I wish to discuss with you, so please relax and follow me.”
Not much I could do really except to follow him. He was the Niodemancer and could control almost all technology in use with a thought. I had no doubts if I got rude or violent with him I would soon find myself vented out into space. So together we stepped onto the central elevator in the hanger bay and made our way up through the station. I kept my mouth shut and it seemed as though he was concentrating on something, needless to say the ride through this colossal station was awkward.
We exited the elevator and made our way down long tall halls. We passed labs and weapons bays all filled with drones working steadily away at various projects. I stopped to look at one of the bays and the work going on inside, when the Captain took me by the arm and lead me quickly further down the corridor to a huge door.
When the door opened I could see a large control room filled with various controls and monitoring screens. It seemed every area in the station could be viewed or controlled from here. There was even a monitor that displayed the unknown planet below us; it was quite beautiful from up here slowly rotating in space. It looked like a giant green, brown marble hanging in the curtain of the blue black space backdrop. I was admiring it and taking it all in when my thoughts were interrupted by the Captain clearing his throat. He motioned for me to take a seat in one of the chairs available, while he sat his large frame in another not too far away.
“Alright Captain, just what am I doing here and what do you want?” I asked him a second time.
He simply looked at me, shook his head slowly answered, “Not yet there is one other we are waiting for before we can begin.”
“Kellek”, I said suddenly finding my mouth very dry. The mere mention of that Forerunner construct could give anyone nightmares. It was a biotech, nanotech niobium artificial construction based on an actual Forerunner scientist by the same name. Through the use of a Thought Box he imprinted his personality and memories into a construct to carry on his work after he died. I had the misfortune of accidentally activating and freeing the construct when I was out and about on one of my forays.
The word as well as the accompanying thoughts was like an invocation. The doors to the room opened up yet again and a monster stood there. It had a dull pearl skin tone to it, a large domed head with slits in the skull for a nose, cross pupil eyes as if someone had overlaid a cats pupil on a goat. Long muscular arms and legs were sat firmly on a squat torso. The hands and feet ended in six digits with an extra knuckle to each one. All told it stood just a little over six feet tall, not as tall as my host but still a striking figure none the less.
As I watched the new arrival started to reform itself. Ropes of doughy flesh like skin crawled over the form, the extra digit on the hands and feet melded into the body. The skin took on a healthy pinkish appearance; the head seemed to fold down into itself as it achieved a more human look, the nose filled out, in as little time as it takes to tell I was now looking at a very human looking being. Granted it retained those unnerving cross shaped pupils, but aside from that in every other aspect it looked quite human.
Now the Kellek construct looked like an average tall, dark haired, unshaven human male. He was unremarkable in just about every aspect, except for the pupils of the eyes. As I watched the new arrival walked over to the wall and took a lab coat off of one of the hangers that were secured to it. When he felt he was dressed he came over to where I and the Niodemancer sat, pulled out chair for himself and joined us.
In a higher tone than would be expected in such a burly looking person he asked, “Illyrian ale anyone?”
Both I and the captain declined. To which the Kellek construct simply shrugged and summoned a service drone to bring him a drink. When it returned he poured himself a glass, downed it in a massive gulp, made a show of enjoying the bitter aftertaste, and returned the glass to the drone. He then turned to Judas and asked him, “So what have you told him so far?”
“Nothing, we were waiting for you but now that you are here we may begin.” The Captain replied.
“Ah how wonderful”, came the answer. “I want to extend you an offer from both myself and the Captain here. We are about to embark on a massive venture and we find ourselves in need of a, shall we say public relations officer, or press release person. Whichever you wish to call it we need one. So that is why you now sit here with us.”
“Why in all the stars would you two, I’m sorry but there is no other word for it ...Freaks need someone to work the presses for you? I am a Brotherhood clan member that is first and foremost, and editor–in-chief second. So just how am I expected to moon light as your press agent?” I cried out in probably harsher tones than the situation called for.
I really couldn’t help it. I was a little stressed out, my mecha had been hijacked mid transport, I found myself yet again on a massive orbital defensive platform, and to top it all off I was dealing with two very inhuman individuals. One thing I did know however was if I wanted off this station and back to my life as a Brotherhood pilot I had best hear them out.
They both just smiled ever so slightly at me like they were expecting an outburst like that, the Kellek construct just waved his hand as if to dismiss my previous statement and continued on. “Here in Garhan station we are creating the heart and soul of what will soon be J&K Distributors. We plan on being a mecha manufacturing plant, sales floor, and distribution center. We need someone to help spread the word and let the Galaxy know who we are and what we can do for them.”
I leaned back in my chair and just started at them both. I really couldn’t believe what I just heard much less how serious Kellek had sounded when he said it. Best to hear the whole story though or this “friendly chat” would turn into my funeral fast.
“Alright”, I replied let’s hear it.
(To be continued…)
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534