"Tre, tell me what we're involved in or I won't be able to help. I'll call the Spire and get Atmos involved. You really don't want him nosing about 'round here."
"It's.. well.. delicate. You see the princess Rabecka doesn't really act in an.. umm.. appropriate way."
"Just tell me Tre." Rol says softly, gently cajouling.
"She's in a relationship with Gahald, her chief security guard."
"Was he one of the guards who's remains were found?" Even as he asks it Rol knows that Tre is happy that the former lagionnaire isn't asking about something else. There's relief written on Tre's face like grafitti.
"No he wasn't found so you see.."
"And what else Tre, no more pointless secrets."
"Well.. they kind of both also see Elizabori, the Princesses handservant." Tre looked horrified. A schoolboy caught squirming with embarrassment.
"Polygamy isn't that unusual Tre, my own uncle Buzz was in.."
"You really don't understand, it's the Transposed Tribal Wars of 2803 all over again. The ruling families have to ensure a clear hereditary line or it gets messy Rol. If the Queen were to find out or if Rabecka were to get the throne suddenly it would be bedlam!"
"Explain it to me again Tre, you've lost me now."
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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King Orufus had only one daughter, Charltsi. Princess Charltsi was renowned for her parties and social gatherings. She was reputed to be rather plain, well educated but not especially clever, but still she was the hostess everyone wanted to served by as her charm and attentiveness are legendary. She had a low level meta skill that made her alluring to anyone of a sexually reproductive age. Not too strong a reaction but enough that she could turn the head of anyone, anyone who was old enough to notice. She had several lovers and had three children, two boys and a girl. When she took the throne from her father in 2800 she was hailed as a perfect modern mother, well regarded by all, definitely approved of in Royal Court circles, held in high accord by the other Ruling Families and adored by the public and media planetwide.
Until the Red Eye Plague came in 2802. At this point, with over 25% of the population either dead or blinded by the mutated Khundian virus there were louds howls of social unrest being heard by all. The Academy of Medicine based in Central Continent had a cure developed within a week from the first case being confirmed and all townships in even the most remote parts of the planet had it within a standard day afterwards. That wasn't quick enough for poor Princess Charlsti. She had died two days before.
Ten days of planetary mourning and then her oldet son, Prince Elwiar was to be given the crown, sword and drums of his mother's royal office. Until a random DNA search showed some anomolies. He and his siblings all had different fathers. Not something that would normally have even been mentioned, let alone cared about. Unfortunately in the aftermath of the dealt Red Eye Plague public trust in High Office was at an all time low. In a desperate move the Royal Court determined that the Prince's father was a highly regarded business man with strong familial ties to the Royal Court of the neighbouring kingdom. DNA samples of the young prince's siblings showed that neither of these children had fathers from within their kingdom. On the one hand it was not really a matter of concern. Who cared surely? The High Vizier decided that the younger opf the two Princes father would potentially be better connected to a more politically powerful Royal House so the oldest prince, and by planetary law also the rightful heir, was overlooked and Prince Elwiar stood and watched as young Prince Alpward was given the crown and authority.
It took two weekd for the story to come out and the High Viziers decision became public news. Initially the political fallout was minimal, but slowly the family of the father of Prince Elwiar gained support within the Royal Courts, their obvious dissatisfaction at the seeming snub that one of their lineage would not be fit for rule became a scandal that wouldn't die. Prince Elwiar, in a moment of teenage rebellion left his family to reside within the neighbouring Royal Courts generosity. By now diplomatic and trade routes had been damaged and the rumours flew like ravens.
Before long there was a small skirmish along a border, harsh words turned to harsher violence. The Royal Families convened, politicians were summoned, diplomats scurried in excited circles. This situation would be dealt with swiftly. No-one doubted that this situation would be dealt with accordingly. Until Prince Elwiar was murdered in cold blood by his younger brother Prince Alpward.
Before the end of the day warplanes flew, bombs were dropped and the war had started in earnest.
After the losses of the Red Eye Plague Xanthu's population was approximately 248 million. After eleven days of fighting and before the peace deal the United Planets enforced with diplomatic finnesse the population stood at 242 million. Six million died. The infrastructure of East Continent was damaged beyond immediate economically affordable repair and the world would never have a government made from their own hereditary ruling classes again. a tribune was introduced by the United Planets who would oversee the governments and political decisions from then on.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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"So you are saying that since then Royal Families have to... what, show DNA scans of their kids before they can ascend the throne?"
Tre looks like a sponge that had been wrung out, exhausted. He had not enjoyed telling Rol the history behind his planet's, and in fact the United Planets last civil war.
"There are protocols now Rol, Royalty can't be seen to give the Great Divided Tribes any reason to argue again. The Royal families are not nearly as powrful as they used to be. At one time our Queen woud be state head for 50 million people. These days her authority only covers maybe 10 million people. We must protect the line Rol, it's our.. my job."
Rol doesn't say his thought out loud though he's sure Tre must know he's thinking "But why?"
Instead, he turns away from the young guard and points to the dip in the land that leads down to the entrance to the Caves of Ornathax.
"It'll take us ten minutes to reach the Caves, let's not argue Tre. I do understand your loyalty. It's very admirable." He turns to flash Tre a warm smile."So, Tre, what are these fruit called?" Pointing to a large tree with blue-green leaves shaped somewhat like hearts and deep red luscious looking fruit hanging low from the wide branches.
"Stinking Egg Cherries, they are totally inedible Rol, don't even try."
"That's not what I had in mind." Rol smiles as his vision from earlier clicked into place. No, eating was not what he had in mind at all as he picked several of the plump fruit, not eating at all.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Crushing the fruit in his hand released a cloud of vomitous stench. Rol dry retched several times before gaining his breath back.
The juice and pulp from the fruit oozed slowly between his fingers as he rubbed it quickly into his flowing softly curled blond locks. More dry retching before he picked more fruit and crushed thse again between his hands. This pulp went into his clothes. More dry retching and tears followed.
Tre shouted "Don't expect me to get within 10 mets of you, that is disgusting!"
Rol threw a fruit with marksman accuracy into Tre's chest. The resounding thud splattered the fruit's pungent pulp across Tre's otherwise clean uniform. "Do it Tre, you got to trust me on this one."
"What do you think you are doing, you are mad!" More fruit was thrown and more painful strikes splattered the juices over the worried guard.
"Do it!"
It takes five long minutes and half a dozen more distressingly accurate splats before Tre relents and joins Rol in rubbing the fruit juice into their clothes and skin. Much retching, tears and slightly hysterical laughter is involved.
"There better be a damn good reason for this!"
"Trust me." Rol smiles and Tre curses.
"You not going to tell me then?"
"Oh you'll find out soon enough, but 'til then talk about something else eh?"
Tre grumbles as he rubs the last of his pile of fruit into his trouser legs.
"Okay Prophet, tell me about the Amazers. Tell me about Atmos and Psyche and the Monstress. Tell me about the amazing people you've met."
Rol smiles again and is not quite quick enough as Tre stuffs some pulp into his mouth.Even as he retches Rol howls with laughter.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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"The Monstress is fantastic. She's so physically poweful it's a bit like meeting a walking talking mountain." Rol smiles a bit to himself as he starts talking. Since talking to James yesterday he hadn't thought about the Amazers and he realises that he genuinely misses them. "She's one of the most stable people I think I've ever met. Can't cook to save her life though, oooh you should be glad she isn't here or she'd find a way to marinade these fruit into something." Both young men laugh, Tre with a childish glee at knowing this private information, like a schoolboy overhearing his parents talking about another child. "No, but seriously Tre, She is just lovely, a total gentle giantess."
They continue to walk towards the coldera where the Caves start, the sun warming the pulp on their clothes and skin, somehow making the stench even worse.
"Psyche is quite charismatic, very focussed, intense but suprisingly caring. She genuinely cares about all the recruits and team members. I guess she's like a mother to many. Her eyes don't miss anything you know?"
"She looks scary on the Infonet."
"Nah, she's a doll, so long as you don't cross her of course." Again they laugh.
"Atmos.. well Atmos is full of energy, literally! He isn't really the calmest of people either so sometimes he rushes into things a bit. Not maliciously you understand, just ill-advised." Rol was rather pround of the diplomatic description he'd given. If truth were told Rol would have to admit that Atmos scared him silly. "His skillset is awesome, he's probably a match for virtually anyone." Tre frowns as he listens so Rol explains. "He can fly, is incredibly strong, fast, tough. He can blast energy like a rocket booster, can absorb and even manipulate ambient energy and... hey I just realised something!"
After a seconds silence Tre excitedly asks what.
"Atmos, he can influence people, like not mind control or anything but you kind of have to listen to him when he talks.I bet it's that energy manipulation. You see his appearance is, well striking is putting it mildly! I bet he used to see a lot of fear and anxiety, but if he can influence others brains, the tiny electricity that fires their thinking... hmmmm."
"What so he can, like, make you do what he wants?" Tre looks concerned as he asks.
"Not exactly, but you know he's someone you just have to listen to. Maybe it's a subconscious thing where he just fiddles a bit with peoples electrical impulses to fire them in a direction which won't let them freak out when they meet him. He is very striking Tre, what a prescence he has! Wow, that'll explain the friction between him and Psyche, her brain with all the emotions from everyone around her must be like a bonfire. It must be some low level psychic feedback loop."
"Yeah? You reckon that's what it is? The Infonet scandal pages all reckon it's because they both just need a damn good florgging."
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Shameless bump before I post more of this during the week
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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"Right, let's do this, let's get into those caves and rescue your Princess!"
Approximately an hour later when he awoke swinging upside down tied to the still unconscious Tre he knew he really should have just called the Amazers when the queen had asked for help and chances were he wouldn't be in such a precarious position now.
Keeping his eyes closed his other senses told Rol the more distressing news. They had obviously been uncomfortably stuffed inside a small wooden cage - grazen knees, pressure on face, chest and thighs -suspended above a boiling vat of a suspicious liquid that bubbled and spat it's angry heat upwards into ther faces smelling horribly of burning blood; a sweet heady mix of carbon and iron.
With his senses telling him how awful the situation was Rol's Pre-commando's disciplined training kicked in and he tried to remember as much as he could before readying himself to finally open his eyes. Anything he remembered might well help him understand the where's, why's and whatnots of his current appartently life threatening position.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Rol remembered the two young men had entered the cave mouth both pretending to have far more confidence than either really felt. Rol walked ahead of his guide with his eyes shut, Seer's sense allowing the former Legionnaire to pick his path with a stumbling security that Tre marvelled had at.
Twenty minutes later they had been slowly picking their way through the cavernous maw leading them ever downwards towards the start of a pitch dark drop when they first heard the scurrying. Both young men froze for a second before Rol grabbed Tre around the waist and willed his flight ring into life. The pair flew eight feet into the air just in time to avoid the pouncing giant fanged, horse sized, albino rat. The rat screeched in a strangely childlike wail as it fell tail first into the stonily patient mouth of the shaft. The beast,s pale claws desperately scrabbled to grasp anything that might stop it's killer fall.
"Oh my floggin' Stars!" Tre cursed, frozen in Rol's grasp as he realised what had just happened.
"Sssshh..." Rol gently floated the pair away from the tunnel below, out towards a ledge of granite jutting from the otherwise vertical fall of dark and silent imperviousness that seemingly made the cave walls that surrounded them.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Flaming Planets NOW! Magazine's easy guide to the Legends of the Observator's Planet.
Part 13, The Great Caves of Doom!
The Caves of Orthranax are a natural feature, mainly.
The original settlers of Xanthu had discovered the huge labarynthian structure in their very first planetary scan. One of half a dozen sites deemed a natural wonder under the ancient Obligatory Rites of Planetary Explorers written in 2104 by Captain Frances Beake, the cave system and 50 Clicks around them in all directions were immediately declared off limits to any form of development. As the caves run for nearly a thousand clicks out from the long exstinct volcano at the heart of the Central Massif of the continent known as East their very existance decided the fate for their home continent. East was to be given to the settlers requesting relocation to a Lo-Tec culture, one that would have the least harmful effect on the geology and enviroment.
Over the centuries the caves had been investigated, mapped, mined, inhabitted and quarantined in equal measure. There were quite literally hundreds of tales about the various inhabitants but there were five Planetary legends that every lover of the Xanthi system can recite without prompt:
26th Century Meta gangsters who specialised in blackmail and extortion, Fats Anaconda and her daughters Tarki the Tooth and Headbutt Dekku hid out within the huge cave system for nearly two months before the Science Police finally collared them;
Tariq Mohamud al-Massol, the 27th Century android maker set up his illegal Droidfarm here under the guise of a local workers market exporting untold numbers of his vat grown slaves throughout the Northern Arm of the fledgling United Planets for over six years;
Maelstrom Guianna and her meta-group the Xanthu Justice Brigade had initially set up headquarters underground within this natural wonder at the tail end of the 28th Century, and as a result of that;
The escape and resulting population boom of genetically altered vermin bred and released by Baron Blackblood and his Injustice Squad in one of their final battles with the original line up of the Xanthu Justice Brigade in 2799;
and of course most recently, Atmos the Amazer had one of his first all channel broadcast live battles when he stopped a confused giant Space Dragon from destroying the galaxy famous Observatory on the Massif above.
............
One of these tales' subject matters would be responsible for the death of Xanthui citizens within hours of Rol setting foot within the Caves.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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They clung to the granite ledge and listened to the cave echo with the grunts, whistles and excited squeals of the previously hidden inhabitants of the dark. Tre quietly rummaged within his pockets and pulled out a dark reedlike object. Pressing both ends it unfurled and became a paper thin Commscreen. Tre deftly pressed his fingers seemingly randomly to express his requests onto the materials edge using a skill that Rol had only heard about in hisory lessons.
Rol was genuinely impressed that Tre obviously knew how to manually type. it was an almost legendary skill!
The screen started to glow giving a gentle light that allowed Rol to read the message.
"WTF?? U betta hav a ansa Rol or wes EATEN!"
Rol reached out his left hand and typed his reply-
"l/''jkjkl'/kuj.hasdsssssss"
It was several seconds before Tre answered. . "U not type? U ansa by squeezing my arm. 1 squeeze yes, 2 squeezes no, 3 squeezes don't know, ok?"
Rol lightly sqeezed Tre's wrist once.
"U know wot that was?" One squeeze. A pause again.
"U gonna get us killed" Two rather firm and deliberate squeezes.
"Do we move or stay?" A small slap at Tre's wrist lets him know that his quuestion could not be answered with the sqeeze system they had just arranged.
"Sorry, we move now?" two squeezes. A pause then another three squeezes.
"Wot sort a prophet r u?" three squeezes.
Silence.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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They had sat for almost ten painfully quiet and still minutes before Rol slowly stood up. The squeals, hisses and scuttling noises had subsided and neither young man had heard anything in several minutes. Rol gently pulled Tre up onto his feet, Tre massaging his left foot to ease cramp. Rol once again wrapped his arm around Tre's torso and willed his flight ring to lift them gently off the granite ledge into the dangerous darkness.
Below them the scurrying noises increased and there were a few excited yelps. The giant fanged rats had not left the two menalone, they had mearly waited!
Rol froze. Tre was starting to shake. Rol knew what was coming, he even knew that they would both survive but that didn't make the choice to move forward any easier.
Whispering softly to the terrified young guide "Ssshhh Tre, we will rescue your Princess, that's a promise. You must be brave and trust me" Rol suddenly dove down towards the pit and the snarling, fanged and hungry gene spliced vermin below.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Dream Boy had foreseen what was away to happen and slipping his consciousness out of the here and now to prepare for the next he instinctively relaxed his body. Tre clung onto Rol as if using the young Naltorian as a shield. They flew down the pit as fast as Rol could risk, snapping jaws almost catching them as the blind giant rats jumped to try to drag them down to the dark cave floor and a guaranteed horrific encounter. As they flew they could hear and sense with the certainty that defying death in total darkness gave that the rats were all around them.
"Hang on!" Rol twisted his flight path to avoid a towering column, his Seers senses not warning him of the beast that lept towards them. The resulting smash knocked Tre unconscious, left the rat bleeding as it impaled itself on several small stalagnite spikes that littered the floor and Rol desperately aware that the pack was closing in on them, fast.
They had landed beside the smooth wall, not ten feet away from the bleeding rat. It wasn't dead and it's painful whimpers were a beacon to all the others around them. Rol scrambled over to Tre, wrapping an arm under the unconscious guides shoulder Rol heaved him over to the wall. Once there Rol frantically pulled a small military looking pouch from Tre's belt and pressed the side. The automatic defense dome. Six feet out from the small pouch in all directions sprung a force field, good for up to five seconds to keep off the stealthily approaching pack. Hopefully long enough for Rol and Tre to find an escape.
Also more than long enough for the wounded rat that had slunk close enough that the force field sprung up behind it allowing it an uninterupted to cause a whole lot of hurt to it's prey.
Rol pulled Tre into a small crevice, placing the unconscious guide carefully down before slipping out to face the giant rat he had foreseen that would inadvertantly save their lives.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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The force field thrummed and rippled throwing an aurora-like shimmer of pale blue, lighting the cave for the first time possibly in centuries. Rol didn't have time to sightsee. The giant rat, surprised by the howling commotion behind the force field jerked it's head away from Rol for less than a second.Dream Boy lept onto the rats back, flinging his arms around it's broad back and willed his flight ring to take him back the route he'd just come from. The rat resisted with a ferocious thrashing, it's screams turning truly blood curling once Rol had whipped his arms away as he barely squeezed through the crevice mouth. The rat smashed heavily into the edges, it's bulky body jamming against the rocks. At the same instant the pack broke through the energy shield that had kept them from their next meal and like a wave of biblical terror they dove onto the bloody body of their pack mate and gorged themselves.
Tre was behind Rol, so Rol's muscular body blocked out much of the immediate risk from the packs raptorous actions as they bit, chewed, clawed, fought over and generally ate their way through their pack mate to get at the two adventurers. Tre was later heard to say that this experience would probably never make his top three best experiences he would ever have wakening up. Neither he not Rol ever told anyone that they both clung to each other as the pack tore it's bloody way towards them.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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With a savage screech the top half of the rats carcass was ripped away and a large toothed blood smeared face pushed it's way towards Rols chest. Warm blood streamed from it's mouth. It sniffed once as it forced it's ways towards them. As it did Rol put his hand onto a glob of the stinking berries he'd smeered over himself and rubbed it into the blind rat's nose.
It choked then violently ripped it's head away. It's bulk as it twisted crashed into the remains of its former pack mate and the ravening pack. Rol knew what to do next. As fast as he could move he grabbed the stinking berry pulp and smeared it across as many of the startled rats faces as he could, narrowly missing being bitten and clawed.
The resulting pandemonium gave Rol several seconds grace as several of the pack tried to flee, more faught amongst themselves and a few slunk to safety dragging bloody chunks and limbs from their falling.
Tre had uncurled from behind the former Legionnaire, the two young men seizing the opportunity to flee. Within seconds they were airborne again and leaving the savage pack behind.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Tre, finally breathing normally asked "If you knew those berries would stop them why did we have to throw them at each other, I could have put them in a pouch much easier."
"Oh I know, but be honest Tre, it was far more fun throwing them at me wasn't it?"
"What the sprock you saying?" indignant surprise raised Tre's voice.
"If you are going to have me as your Prophet Tre then take this as your first pearl of wisdom - it's never to late to have a happy childhood. That's my first lesson if you want it. One more thing... I'm sorry."
".... Rol, forget it."
"You misunderstand Tre, I'm sorry about the force field."
"What you talking about..."
Rol didn't answer as by that point both had flown into a wall of energy slung invisibly over the cave which had rendered them unconscious and left them spinning into a crash on the floor below.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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