19 comments/ 19718 views/ 8 favorites Galactic Whore Ch. 01 By: dweaver999 Galactic Whore Ch. 01 My bright feelings ended when I reached the sick bay. Checking the stores, was a human woman. While I doubted I'd be using the services much, thanks to my Crystal friends, I knew I should check in as if I would use it. [WARNING. HUMAN MEDICAL TECHNITIAN IS CRYSTAL SLAVE] Damn! That meant she was slave to the Hellfire group. They would be able to see and hear everything she did. My life just got complicated, again. Galactic Whore Ch. 02 Galactic Whore Ch. 02 There was nothing in the previous survey that even hinted at an advanced presence, now or in the past. I wondered just what information the good professor actually had. Normally, I wouldn't pry into someone's data records, but Thoraxer had pissed me off. Plus, there was something about this mission that didn't make sense. Most of the worlds scheduled to be investigated had never been visited before. Where did his information come from? Crystal was infiltrating the professor's data pad almost as I was thinking that we should. I was always amused at the pleasure I felt from him when he was unlocking the secrets of another lattice, as he puts it. Then I felt his shock. [BRING DATA UP ON VIRTUAL ROOM.] [I've put up a scan block] With some trepidation I called up the data Crystal had just downloaded to my room. A hologram was projected in the air; a hologram of a section of a star field. I was no atsrogator, but I do have a good memory. [This is the star map from the Map of the Heavens.] [AFFIRMATIVE. OBSERVE THE ANIMATION] As he spoke, I saw the stars moving. There seemed to be a shifting in a vaguely circular pattern. [What am I seeing?] [This is stellar drift. The positions of the stars are being updated for 50,000 years of natural movement in space.] The process took only a couple of minutes. Once it was done, there was nothing significant about it that I could see. Then a second starfield appeared and superimposed itself on the map. This second field was larger and the map fit in it. [Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the map has always fit in known star maps, only it had to be adjusted for 50,000 years of time passing?] [AFFIRMATIVE] That explained much. When Brusjin and I first encountered the Map of the Heavens, we tried to fit it into known star charts, and at first part of it seemed to. But, the rest didn't. We concluded that it was a coincidence that part did; that some portion of the map just happened to match known stars. Now I could see what had really happened. The part that seemed to match up was a small cluster of stars that moved together as a group. They would always match up, but the rest of the map wouldn't. [Crystal, where was your homeworld?] My hand adjusted a control and a star lit up in red. Oh my. We weren't going there, but we'd get close on this trip; close enough that it might get dangerous. Still, why these particular worlds? [Is there any indication of just why he picked these worlds. I mean, it's interesting that he figured out how to fit the map in, but why these 13 worlds?] [OBSERVE] Again, I called up the original map again. Then data started appearing along side various stars; data about number and type of planets, life on those planets, mineral resources. [Where did this data come from?] [It seems the professor had access to more than just a copy of the map. He somehow was able to pull specific data about the star systems from the Map of the Heavens itself.] Damn! He's figured out how to use the map interactively. [You mean he's been to Ralint and convinced the Ralinti to let him play with one of their religious artifacts?] [No, he has the Map of the Heavens with him right now. He apparently stole it from the Ralinti.] Bloody hell! Only Hellfire would be brazen enough to go in and steal artifacts from Ralint a second time, now that Ralint was a protectorate. * Thanks to Sugaro at The Masque for her editing work. I love the feedback, so let me know what you think. I do try to answer all non-anon private feedback. Galactic Whore Ch. 03 Chapter 3 Tomb Raiders Even as I thought it, I realized that something didn't make sense. Hellfire already knew where the home planet of the crystals was. What did they need the map for? Even if there were other discoveries, useful discoveries to be found with the map, I couldn't see the group sponsoring an expedition that would pass so close to the source of their ability to enslave people. Not unless the entire ship was working for Hellfire; and I knew I wasn't. [Is there any indication that the professor is an agent of the Hellfire Group?] [NEGATIVE. PROBABILITY OF HELLFIRE ASSOCIATION UNDER TEN PERCENT] [What's your reasoning?] [Mostly financing. Hellfire would fund the expedition through one of their corporations. The actual funding comes from the professor's personal accounts. If the expedition doesn't show a profit, he'll be bankrupt.] It was still amazing how much better Jewel was with syntax that Crystal was. [If he isn't part of Hellfire, then how did he manage to steal the map? The only reason the initial thefts were successful was due to the technological differences between Ralint and the Federation.] [UNKNOWN. THEFT IS AN ASSUMPTION] [What? You mean they may have given him one of their holy artifacts? I find that hard to believe.] [What if the Ralinti themselves made the initial discoveries. The map was inactive until you approached within ten meters. Once active, the Ralinti themselves could have studied it.] That actually made sense. Unlike many religious belief systems, the Ralinti accepted as a matter of both fact and faith, that their planet was visited by aliens in the past. I remember reading about the stir on the news vids when first contact was made with them. They were unique in welcoming the aliens with a level of expectation that was thought to be impossible. It was very believable that they would study anything in the artifacts that spoke of alien worlds. [If the Ralinti are actively behind the expedition, then why is the professor risking his entire fortune?] [UNKNOWN. CONSIDER THAT HELLFIRE PRESENCE IS MINIMAL IN SHIP] It was beginning to make a weird sort of sense. I imagined myself as the Ralinti government. My precious religious artifacts had been stolen, some of them perhaps permanently. Once a protectorate, I'd discovered that the technology used in the thefts was advanced, even for the Federation and was government built. Only a powerful organization would be able to pull off such a heist. I might even know of the existence of Hellfire itself. At the same time, the Map of the Heavens actually starts showing me a real map to the stars. My best scientists and holy men discover possible clues to the beings that came to us centuries ago. How could a protectorate world, without space flight capabilities of my own track down these clues to my past? An official expedition would take time. Having to use Federation resources would leave Hellfire, or whoever tried to steal the artifacts, ample opportunities to infiltrate. But, if someone stole the map and financed his own expedition, that powerful organization might be caught flat footed. [Crystal, can you tell how recently Cassie was made a crystal slave?] [NEGATIVE] [Improperly joined buds don't develop increased connectivity with their hosts over time.] [So it's like their development is stunted] [AFFIRMATIVE] I'd bet that Cassie hadn't been a slave for very long. I suspected that she was a last ditch effort to get an operative on board before we left. Because the crystals are implanted while the subject is unconscious, she would have no idea that anything had been done to her. Until she actually started being used like a puppet as opposed to as a spy, she'd have no reason to suspect anything. Something else occurred to me... [Crystal, who was Cassie's medical assistant, the one that didn't make it to the ship in time for departure?] [SHIP'S FILES INDICATE A RAX CALLING ITSELF UNTOOLI] That explained much, and was disturbing as well. I discovered a while back that the ameboid Rax could not only detect the presence of a voratex crystal, but were able to neutralize them. The fact wasn't well known, I assumed at the time, because the species didn't want to be targeted by Hellfire. If Hellfire had somehow taken the Rax out of the picture while making Cassie a slave, it would mean that Hellfire did know of their racial ability. Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that Cassie, as a crystal slave, was the only operative from Hellfire on the ship. My thoughts were interrupted by a beep from my pad. "Yes, can I help you?" I asked to the image forming on it. "Madam Courtesan," came the electronic voice, obviously from a translator. I saw the Critchen on the screen must have programmed its pad to filter its voice out so I wouldn't have to sort out the translation from their natural clicking sounds . "I would like to discuss engaging your services." "Forgive me, gentle bug, but how is that possible? I wasn't aware our species were sexually compatible." Critchen actually view the term bug as complimentary, thanks to a quirk of the first contact between them and humans; a story too long to tell here. "It is something that I cannot discuss on an open channel. May we talk in person?" "Of course. Shall I come to your quarters? I fear mine will not accommodate your physical size." "That is acceptable. I am here now." "I'll be there shortly." I wasn't sure just how I could assist the creature. Critchen are a hermaphrodite egg laying species. Their sexual organs are the largest of any race in the Federation. Plus, they experience no pleasure from sex; it is solely a reproductive mechanism. A Critchen on a space ship would be under the influence of contraceptives that suppress its need to reproduce. Without that drug, the bug would have to have its eggs fertilized or become increasingly sick and unable to function. Eventually it would slip into a hibernation coma until another Critchen fertilized its sleeping form. I buzzed at its door and the door opened. When I entered, I stifled a gulp of fear. While not as bad as it was in the past, my fear of insectoids was still there. I didn't know much about the Critchen, but physically, they are one of the larger exoskeleton bearing species. Their initial discovery by the federation led to a re-examination of certain assumptions about mass and size for living creatures. They were prized as members of starship crews because their exo-skeletons could contain their bodies in vacuum with sufficient oxygen for prolonged periods. Their 12 feet exuded a natural glue that made it possible for them to walk on any surface in any orientation, even in space. "Welcome, madam Courtesan. I hope you will agree to assist me." In person, the clicks of its native tongue were a mildly distracting counterpoint to the voice of its translator. "I'm not sure I can. Just what is the situation and how can I help?" "My contraceptive drug has suffered contamination and is no longer effective. I have entered reproductive crisis." "How did the drug become contaminated? I've never heard of such a thing." "I do not know. I require your assistance in avoiding reproductive hibernation." "How could I possibly help? I thought only successful fertilization of your eggs would stave that off." "That is correct. There has been a recent advance in Critchen medicine that will allow you to assist. The normal reproductive cycle is for mates to fertilize each other's eggs and then swap egg bundles. Swapping bundles increases chances of successful hatching by 50%. The new advance allows the swapping of egg bundles prior to fertilization." "I see. You want to implant your egg bundle in me and fertilize it. How do we get the egg bundle back in you? I'm not sure I could survive the hatching" "Your concern is well founded. Your body would not develop a sufficiently massive placental mass for the pupae to consume prior to birth. They would begin to consume your body." I blanched at the thought of being eaten from the inside out. "That would not be allowed to happen," it continued. "I would transfer the bundle back to my own body once the eggs were fertilized." I took a pose of thoughtfulness while I talked internally with Crystal and Jewel. [Can you two protect me from being eaten if things go really wrong?] [ELIMINATION OF THE EGG BUNDLE PRIOR TO HATCHING WILL BE POSSIBLE USING SUITIBLE HORMONE SATURATION] [We might be able to actually generate a regenerating placental mass that would feed the pupae until they hatch.] [What's its position on the crew?] [POWER SYSTEMS TECHNITIAN] [So its loss would be serious. Not a lot of choice, is there.] My internal partners agreed. "I will agree to the procedure. What do we need to do?" It lifted itself on its legs and extended what looked like a proboscis. "I will implant the egg bundle with this organ. Will this fit into your body orifice?" I took a look at it. It was quite a bit larger than any cock I'd taken in the past; some seven centimeters across and nearly a meter long. I knew I could expand enough to take the girth, but fate help me if it tried to bottom out in me. "As long as you don't try to insert more than about 30 centimeters of length. Impalement is a particularly unpleasant form of death." The egg planter retracted and another organ extended. I was hard pressed to see a difference between the two, except for the rougher surface of the new one. "Then I will fertilize the egg bundle with this organ. Note that this is a dual use organ and to ensure that fertilization doesn't happen by accident, vigorous, repeated thrusting motions will be needed. Normally, the entrance to the egg chamber tightens to increase the friction; the more friction, the greater the volume of semen ejected." I couldn't help myself; I just had to smile. "That shouldn't be a problem. Human sex involves vigorous and repeated thrusts of the male organ into the female organ, as well as a tightening of the entry walls. Why don't we get started?" "Please take a position to facilitate the process." As a prostitute, I frequently have to deal with singularly unromantic approaches to sex. In some cases, the species in question simply doesn't see sex as a vehicle for romance but simply as a biological function. There's also the occasional customer that has a backward attitude towards professional sex. The Critchen's approach was one of the most blasé I'd encountered since Brusjin purchased me as a slave. In spite of its greater size, lying on my back seemed like the best way to proceed. Its bed wasn't much, just a raised slab that it could set down on to give its legs a chance to relax. Once I was lying down, it extended its egg planter again and moved over me. I shuddered as my phobia tried to assert itself. I gripped the edge of the slab with my hands and spread my legs. I could feel myself lubricating and was again thankful for my partners' presence. Contact was made and the thing probed my cunt, spreading the flesh as it forced its way inside. In spite of the fear, the penetration was actually pleasant, creating a fullness that any woman knows when getting fucked by a really big cock; almost painful, delightfully stretching, and fully satisfying. It reached my cervix and pushed on, creating more than a little pain until Crystal managed to dilate me more than normally possible. Then it just sat there and I had to resist the urge to thrust with my hips. Shortly, I could feel something oozing out of the planter, filling my womb. After a couple of minutes, I could feel myself expanding to take the entire mass inside me. By the time it started to pull out, I could see myself doing a passable imitation of being three months pregnant, with the just noticeable pooch in my abdomen. Surprisingly, it didn't stay over me, but backed off. The explanation followed shortly. "The egg bundle can not be fertilized for at least 27 hours. Its presence should not interfere with any duties you may have with other members of the crew." "I see. Shall we recommence in two days, then? That will give the bundle plenty of time to be ready." "That will be satisfactory. My shift ends at 21:00 hours. Will that be acceptable?" "Yes, I'll be here then." The ship, like most vessels in the Federation, used the universal 30 hour day that balanced the normal day lengths for the various races that made up spaceship crews. As I was walking back to my cabin, the ship dropped out of Dolman space. After recovering from the sensation of instantly collapsing into a singularity and back, I started walking again. I didn't get far before my pad beeped at me again. Professor Thoraxter's voice sounded when I keyed to accept the call. "Melnin, would you report to the conference room on deck seven." "Of course, professor." The man was really getting on my nerves. Of course, it could have been worse; at least he didn't address me as "Whore". The conference room had nine people in it, from seven different races. The professor had even hired a Gravelian for security. My breath caught at the memory of Grankt, Brusjin's bodyguard. He had been caught in the same discharge from the Sword of Ralint that had taken my husband. Thoraxter pointed me towards a chair. I didn't miss the fact that he had waited until everyone else was here before asking me to join them. The professor started his briefing. "The planet we're approaching is called Thintel. It was surveyed by the Scout Service 53 years ago. New information has revealed the presence of ruins of an unknown species. We'll be spending a week doing a preliminary survey of the ruins. Let me make this clear; we are not on an artifact hunt. I want to generate an idea of just what and who this species was. Nothing is to be removed from where you find it unless I give permission." He continued with the briefing, giving instructions to the individual members of the team. Clearly he was a micro-manager who preferred his subordinates to not think for themselves. I couldn't tell whether he was doing things by the book or not, as I've never been on an archeological expedition before. I could see the rolled eyes (a nearly universal gesture for those with the organs) from several of his staff. He finished with, "Any questions?" "Yes, Professor. Why am I here?" I asked. I was sure I knew what the answer would be, but I wanted to be sure. "To do your job, of course. If any of my team needs a release of frustration or tension, they can use you. Do I need to use simpler language?" "No, you've been perfectly clear. What about the ship's crew?" "What about them?" he asked back. "Nothing," I replied. I didn't want to get into an argument about just who I worked for. I would just have to make things work. At least I didn't have to con my way into the landing team. I left with the rest of the team to pack for the trip to the planet surface. We would be staying on the surface for the entire week, though I had every intention of returning to get the egg bundle fertilized. Apparently, part of the expedition equipment was a series of modular shelters to be used as living quarters and work spaces. It was only a couple of hours before we were in orbit and the shuttle was flying into the atmosphere. I had used the time to make sure the pilot would bring me back to the ship as needed. Surface shuttle flights should be boring; if they're not, then something's gone terribly wrong. The landing point was under dense cloud cover and there was rain falling from it. Once we were on the ground and the hatchway opened, the soft sound of rain drops hitting the grass (?) covered surface gave a soothing ambiance to the alien world. It was reassuring to see the Gravelian acting with the professionalism I'd come to expect from the mercenary species after my time with Grankt. The rest of us spent the next hour erecting the shelters and spraying the catalyst on them that would take the inflatable tents and turn them hard as steel, while the Gravelian set up a series of sonic and movement sensors in a circle around the camp. I think I was the only one doing any rubbernecking, trying to see the ruins to be explored. I didn't see anything that looked like ruins. I would discover shortly that I had a vid-distorted idea of what an alien ruins should look like. Once the camp was up, everyone grabbed an armful of laser boundary poles and moved towards some mounds about 500 meters from the camp. I watched in bewilderment as they set up the poles so that the visible beams delineated a series of rectangular areas encompassing some of the mounds in each area. I moved next to an Occampa who was sketching the arrangement on her pad. That's when it hit me; the mounds themselves were the ruins. One of her six eyes fixed on me and she whispered in her lilted voice, "So you it figured out?" Occampa diction can be a little hard to follow at first. "Yes, I think. Each mound is part of something, maybe a building, that's been covered up over time?" "Exactly, yes. Maybe building not, though. Bad speculation is." "I understand. Similar to assume; it makes an ass out of u and me." At her look of confusion, I added, "a play on the spelling." "Nädren, have you completed the drawing?" came the professor's interruption. "Yes, professor, drawing finished is. Work proceed can." As he turned away, she asked me, "Can you sex with my species engage in?" "Yes, I'm fully capable. I can even modify my body to have a male sexual organ." "Unnecessary it is. I word not have, but prefer own gender sex with." Curiously, the iris of all her eyes narrows to fine points. "That will be easy enough. I am well versed in pleasuring females as well." Her body started shaking and her irises were convulsing in size. "Is there something wrong?" "I abstinent for three years have been. Same gender sex a great shame among my people is." "I'm sorry to hear that," I soothed as I ran my fingers along one of its spine ridges. She seemed to settle a bit and I smiled. "I've never had the pleasure of playing with an Occampa female before. I'm looking forward to our get together. Right after dinner?" "I would that like. Then you I see." If you haven't seen an Occampa before, they are one of the more unusually shaped races. Imagine a barrel like torso with three spinal ridges covered in a soft fur. At the bottom are three pairs of legs, each with a circular arrangement of six toes at the end. Their leg joints allow them to move equally well in any direction. A pair of arms are located between each pair of spinal ridges, ending in six fine, and long, fingers. At the top of their bodies are six, equally spaced eye stalks capable of independent movement and focusing. They normally use them in pairs to gain the benefits of binocular vision, but I've heard they can use three and four to perform amazing feats of triangulation (hence her ability to render an accurate drawing without measuring). Their mouths are at the ends of their arms, between the fingers. Their sexual organs are located on top of their bodies. In both genders, they are covered by a series of interlocking bony plates that protects them from the ravages of the outside world. Needless to say, the male penal member is very long, flexible and motile. The female vaginal opening is actually very small and tight and ringed with the equivalent of six clitori. I do know that they only ovulate upon climaxing. I suspect that lesbian sex among the Occampa would involved combined masturbation and oral sex. With the site sectored out, they started assembling some sort of equipment above one of the gridded areas. It took me a few minutes to recognize what I was looking at, thanks to the overly large size. They had set up a sonic reflection imaging system. Normally, such devices are quite small and portable, being intended to look inside a living body; part of the diagnostic systems in a medical unit. This one was nearly ten times the size of what I was used to. I had no trouble picking up the whine of the sonics. Galactic Whore Ch. 03 I wondered over to get a discreet look at the image on the screen. The Rawulf operating the device seemed to know what he was doing, and he soon had a three dimensional picture of what was under the mounds of dirt. Nädren was drawing the sketch on her pad while several others where making observations about the structure. From the comments I overheard, it seemed to be the consensus that this particular set of ruins was the remains of some sort of building. No one speculated on the purpose, based on the scans, but it did seem to have five interior divisions. They proceeded like this for most of the remaining daylight hours and I soon found myself bored. The only reason I stayed on the site was to allow Crystal and Jewel to access the data storage of the team members' pads. I'm sure they had more fun than I did; both were in Voratex heaven when unraveling a lattice structure, as they call the data streams. Apparently, someone on the team was a decent cook, and the expected meal of ration packs was not on the menu. I recognized parts of several species' culinary offerings and thoroughly enjoyed the fierce battle they waged on my taste buds. It was during dinner that I had to ask. "Excuse me, I was wondering why Nädren was drawing on her pad. Wouldn't a holographic recording be more efficient?" Gothen, the Rawulf answered. "It would be if she was anything other than an Occampa. Her species has the widest range of visual reception of any form of life known; from low energy gamma rays to high energy radio waves. The sonic scanner used a form of false color in her visible spectrum to encode properties that are not visual properties, such as density and chemical makeup. Her drawings then take those colors and retranslates them into the properties scanned. It ends up being incredibly efficient in terms of data storage." "Ah, I had known about their visual acuity, but not that you had managed to use it so effectively." Once dinner was finished, I followed Nädren to the quarters she shared with another team member who had apparently agreed to give us some privacy. There was no need to remove her clothes and I shed my own quickly, sensing that she would not appreciate the visual appeal of a slow reveal. I started by simply caressing her body; getting a feel for what excited her. Unlike many species with fur, rubbing her fur against its grain brought trills of excitement and encouragement to continue. She settled down on her base to give me better access to her entire body. Her hands wandered, seemingly randomly, over my body without any regard for what areas were stimulating my own arousal. It took me awhile to realize she was stimulating herself with the combined hand and mouth actions she was undertaking. Apparently, her hands and mouths were erogenous zones. I started to pay close attention to her appendages, going so far as to take individual fingers into my mouth to suckle on. A deep purring started and I could see the plates covering her sex vibrating and loosening. I kept up my ministrations, walking around her to give equal time to her entire body. Occasionally, I would tease her sex with light caresses along the exposed portions. Her lubrication was milky white in color, and was far slicker than what I produced. The tastes I sipped in my ministrations were a curious combination of bananas and garlic. While not a mixture I would seek out, it wasn't unpleasant. "More, please. I need more," she pleaded as her plates fully retracted. I ran my hands through the pooling wetness, feeling her pussy clenching open and shut. Each time I passed a hand over one of her erect clitori (they stood out almost two centimeters), her body shuddered and gave that keening trill that signified her intense arousal. I climbed on the post that served as her bed and reached over her to bring my mouth and tongue into action. To make up for the lack of enough hands, I used the entirety of my face, as well as my mouth, to stimulate as close as possible to what she was used to from her own race. One of my hands penetrated her pussy, bringing a deep purr of satisfaction from her. I fucked her with my hand, stretching her cunt like a male Occampa's cock Her clitori angled in so that my hand rubbed all of them as I fucked her. It didn't take much of this stimulation for her to cum. Her body shook and her pussy clenched on my wrist like a vice. I clenched and unclenched my fist in an attempt to imitate the actions of a male cock ejaculating. I spent additional time with her, bringing her to two additional climaxes. She tried to play with my body as well, but was hampered by a lack of knowledge of how to get me off. This sort of thing happens occasionally when you're a prostitute. It's something you learn to live with. It would be out of place for me to try to instruct her. The next morning, the team continued with their exploration of the site. I really couldn't follow much of what they were doing, other than to note that they were uncovering one of the areas, exposing one of the foundations. Most holos show archeologists using hand held instruments when they bother to show archeologists as something other than tomb raiders. This crew was using high tech devices that cleared the surrounding dirt and debris away fairly quickly. I suspected that the sonic scans done yesterday were guiding the excavators. Several times, the clearing was halted so someone could retrieve a revealed piece of something, an artifact perhaps, and bring it out. The recovered piece would be scanned with a hand held device and data recorded on someone's pad. I couldn't get close enough to see just what was being recovered. [Crystal, Jewel, what do you make of the site?] [ARTIFACTS ARE ORGANIC MATERIAL] [They are not living, however.] [So we're taking about what, bones of some sort?] [UNKNOWN] [Depending on the species, it could be anything from excrement to the equivalent of pieces of wood from an artifact of some kind.] It was midway through the day when they recovered something even I recognized; an externally laid egg of some kind. From what I've been told, the shape of an egg is nearly perfect for its function and every species that lays eggs has the same shape. The egg caused quite a stir when it was scanned. "Professor," one of the team called out. "there's an intact infant in this egg." Excavation came top a halt. "Any indication of species type?" "It looks like a mammalian species, quadripedal with two manipulative appendages. There's a light covering of fur on the infant." "Can you tell if it's related to the bones we've been pulling out?" "At first guess, I'd say no. The bones seem to be from an avian species, based on the large hollow spaces in them." "What was a mammalian egg doing buried with an avian?" asked one of the other members. The professor's voice was quick and harsh. "Don't make assumptions! There's no reason to think this is a burial site. It could have been a nest raider was killed with the egg he procured. Stick to the science, people. Tullen, Havil, take the second area and start excavating. Let's see if we can figure out what this really is." The two unpacked another set of equipment and started the process in another cordoned off area, one not adjacent to the one already being worked. Watching Archeology is actually quite boring; nothing like the holo programs. Apparently, doing the work was also somewhat boring. I found my services used quite a bit. The professor wasn't happy with my returning to the ship twice to meet the needs of the crew (and get the egg bundle fertilized). On the sixth day, things changed. I and one of the human team members were returning from my tent when we heard a cry of excitement from the dig site. We rushed over in time to see the professor taking something from the scanner it had been lying on. [Crystal, what is it?] He was ahead of me. [THE EGG THE PROFESSOR IS HOLDING IS STILL VIABLE] [Viable, as in it can still be hatched?] [AFFIRMATIVE] [This doesn't make sense. They have dated the ruins at 50,000 years in age.] We had reached the site itself and picked up on the conversation. "...check the dating of this section. Maybe it's from a later addition to the burial site." "At once, professor." "Professor, what do you want to do with it? If it does hatch, we have no way, or even any idea how, to care for it." "Havil, think before you speak. We can't permit this to hatch. We'd be in quarantine longer than some of our lifespans." The professor was exaggerating, of course, but had made his point. "Record everything you can about the development and life processes, then we'll put it into cryogenic suspension." I heard the whine of the pulse rifle charging just before the gravelly, reptilian voice. "Professor, there's been a perimeter breach. An energy source has appeared on my scanners." The Gravelian was looking around, as if he didn't know where the energy source was, which struck me as odd. "Where? Where did it come from?" "It didn't come from anywhere, it just appeared, as if a dormant machine had come to life." [I can confirm the bodyguard's statement. A power source has activated five meters this way, and ten meters down] Jewel had turned me to face in the correct direction. [Is it dangerous?] [POTENTIALLY. IT IS BUILDING IN STRENGTH] Strom had been reporting the same data to the professor while we had consulted in my head. The professor ordered a new sonic scan of the area, to reach deeper than the original, which had only gone three meters deep; deep enough to map the ruined structures. Meanwhile, Nädren had been scanning the viable egg with both the scanner and her own eyes. "Professor," she exclaimed, "the infant in this egg is different from the others. There is an extra organ in its throat. It's also emitting sounds in the ultrasonic frequencies." "Why can't Tullen hear it?" Yeltri can hear and speak far into the ultrasonic frequencies. "It's very low volume; I doubt it can penetrate the shell, which is an excellent sound insulator." "Is there any type of modulation?" he asked. "I don't think so. Let me put it on speaker." I'm not sure why she would do that, given there were only three people here that could hear it; and she didn't know that I could, thanks to modifications by my friends. If I were to describe the sound, my first thought would be that it was white noise. Everything around me seemed to fade into the background, not impinging on my senses. I was vaguely aware that Tullen was crying out at something, but it didn't seem important. The only person who seemed to be doing anything was Strom, the bodyguard. I did think it strange that he would be attacking the egg with his scather. The world seemed to jerk back into place. Tullen was on the ground, blood seeping from his ears. There was a lot of shouting and milling about as people became aware of what had just not(?) been happening. I knew there was no one else on the team who was a medic, other than Tullen himself, so I moved to him and looked him over. [What happened to him?] [EARDRUMS RUPTURED FROM SONIC OVERLOAD] [He also seems to be in a coma. There's no higher order brain activity.] I shouted over the din. "We need to get Tullen back to the ship!" My cry galvanized people into action. Strom was in sentry mode again, and I wondered over to him. "How did you manage it? Everyone else seemed to be incapacitated." "There is a species of predator on our world that uses sonic attacks. We evolved the means to shut our hearing off at will." That's an ability I would have killed for years ago when I was trapped in meetings. "Is what happened related to the energy source?" "I can't tell. It was from the egg. The energy source is strengthening." He turned from me, towards the Thoraxter. "Professor, we should leave the site. The energy source is getting stronger and may be dangerous." "Do we have time to complete the new sonic scan?" He thought for a moment, and then nodded. Three people took Tullen away while the rest began to work again, this time with a new sense of urgency. I hovered near enough to the scanner so that Crystal could transfer the results to my virtual room. I still couldn't figure out how the professor knew about this specific site. There was nothing in the enhanced map data that said to dig here. The new scan took 30 minutes and then we all cleared away from the site. The shuttle had returned from taking Tullen to the sick bay. Strom had left his perimeter monitors at the site and was watching the energy source like a hawk. The team started going over the new data. I took the opportunity to talk with our Garvelian. "What's happening with the source?" "The power readings have stabilized, though I can't see why they would." "Have you figured out what kind of energy it is?" "That's why I'm concerned. It's the same energy readings you would get from a Voratex slave." "There's a voratex crystal buried there?" [NEGATIVE] Strom confirmed Crystal's assessment. "No, definitely not. It's as if someone has devised a means to duplicate the type of energy that the crystals emit." "Wait a minute, I didn't know Voratex slaves could be detected without an intense medical scan." I didn't count my ability to detect them vis-à-vis Crystal and Jewel. "It's a recent development, very secret. Very few people know about it. We can't afford to let those using the crystals know that they can be detected." I was dumbfounded. "If it's so secret, why did you casually tell me?" "Because, prior to his death, Grankt told me of your special status." Grankt. Brusjin. The loss hit me again. I forced myself to ignore the memories. "How did you know who I was? I've changed my appearance." "The detector is a passive scanner, not active. It detected the presence of two crystals. Only Susan Valenshenko would have a second crystal, especially after the disappearance of the Jewel of Peace. We suspected that you had survived in some way after your disappearance on Yeltion, but had no way to verify our suspicions, and wouldn't have if we could." "If I may ask, who's we?" "The less we know of each other, the better. Just think of us as a loose association of people dedicated to fighting the Hellfire group. There are many Rax and Gravelians involved, as well as a few properly joined crystal partners. More than a hundred other races are represented." It made sense, actually. Brusjin had been part of a group dedicated to bringing slave worlds into the Federation so they would be exposed to freedoms and abandon their slave laws. It wasn't much of a stretch to figure that some of those involved would be actively opposing Hellfire. "What can I do to help?" "We want to help you as well. We need to pass on information. With your apparent shape changing abilities, your ability to gather information must be very good." "You have no idea," I whispered, thinking of Crystal and Jewel's ability to plunder other peoples' computers. "But, if the energy source isn't a crystal, but gives off the same energies, what is it?" "I'm hoping the professor's scans will provide the answer." "Is the professor one of us as well?" "No, but several members of the Ralinti government are." "Ah, that explains much. I take it they arranged for the professor to have access to the Map of the Heavens. Are you aware that the medic is a crystal slave?" "Yes. I suspect her implantation was very recent." There was a commotion among the archeologists that drew our attention. We moved closer to see what the cause was. "...swear, professor, it wasn't alive when I scanned it the first time." "How in the name of everything holy did a dead egg revitalize itself? Is it going to start doing what the other one did?" "Not if we don't transmit any sounds it's making inside the shell. As for the revitalization, this seems very similar to how a dormant spore can awaken after hundreds or thousands of years." "Mycan, this egg is not some kind of fungus. It's a mammalian egg. It was dead. It should not be alive right now. Check the rest of the specimens. Now!" I could certainly understand the professor's confusion and concern. We'd seen that the eggs could be dangerous; or rather the infants inside the eggs. What effect would they have if they actually hatched? [ALL THE EGGS ARE NOW VIABLE.] I had a suspicion. "Strom," I whispered. "Scan the eggs." He did so and replied, "Nothing, no crystal energy readings." I sighed with relief, but was still suspicious. "Professor, the other eggs are also now viable," Strom said. "Something's happened recently that's changed these infants. They also seemed to have grown that mysterious organ the last one had." He fiddled with a control. "Yeah, they're all emitting that low volume ultrasonic." "Cease all work on the eggs. Put them all in the cryo-suspension box. I don't want even one of them to hatch." "Professor, we should leave them behind. I believe they pose a great danger," Strom insisted "No, they'll be safe at 200 below zero. Once we get back to the university, we can study them in a bio-containment facility. We need to understand the relationship between the avians and the mammalians. Is there some kind of symbiotic relationship? Are we looking at the first case of species differentiation? The potential for learning here is very big." I wondered what species differenciation was. He turned to Strom. "Have you managed to learn what that energy field is?" "It stabilized as we left the area. What did the sonic scans reveal?" There's a metallic container down there; a box. It's not very large, just 20 cm on a side. The scans can't penetrate it, so we can't tell if it's a container, a device, or what." "Are you planning on excavating it?" "Yes, but only after the remaining eggs are frozen and on the ship. The energy showed up too close to the egg being taken out to risk both being out of the ground in close proximity." That decision didn't surprise Strom or myself. He was a scientist, after all. But, at least he wasn't a reckless one. I took the opportunity to return to the ship with the cryo-suspension box, as I had an appointment on the ship. The shuttle ride up was as boring as ever and I followed the box out of the shuttle, where we parted company as I headed for my quarters to prepare and the team members with the box turned towards the cargo hold. Cassie, the med-tech passed me as I rounded a turn in the corridor. I took a few more steps before I stopped, confused. She had a patient in a coma in her sick bay; what was she doing heading for the shuttle bay? Then it hit me. The voratex slave was following the cryo box with a dangerous alien life form in it. Why? Thanks to Sugaro and Steve150177 for their fine editing work. Please let me know what you think of this latest chapter.