First Contact

Chapter 876: Those Who Carry On

The forest was quiet, the ferns rustling here and there as broodcarriers moved through them, often with podlings holding on tightly. The trees looked much older than the less-than-a-decade they'd been there.

The Elven Court had done its job well.

In a modest clearing was a single tent in front of a stone circle full of embers and ash, with cut and dried wood across from the tent. There were supplies laid out, small barrels and wooden boxes, all hand-crafted.

Sitting in front of the tent, watching two small children pushing themselves up on their hands and knees before rocking back and forth, was a male and female Terran. The female had long hair in tight braids, dark brown skin, was well muscled, and was only wearing a fur-trimmed leather skirt with hammered copper plates on the pleats. The male was wearing denim pants, a cotton long sleeved shirt, and a leather vest.

Both were watching the babies closely.

One managed to scoot backwards slightly and frowned. It tried again, kicking its feet and pushing with their hands. It managed to scoot back a little ways and ended up on its stomach. It screeched in anger and frustration, laying on the dirt, eyes closed, fists balled, crying.

The other one laid down, rolled onto his side, and started sucking its thumb, eyes closed.

"There they go," the male said.

"It is tiring being that small," the woman smiled.

After a few moments the one on its stomach dozed off and the woman leaned her head against the man's shoulder.

"It is that time," the female said.

The male sat silently for a long time.

"Your paperwork is over. You are not longer property of the Confederacy. You can now live as a free man," she continued after the long moment ended. "The Digital Omnimessiah restored your flesh. I have taught you live in it again."

"That you have," the male chuckled. He brushed his bangs out of his face. "I need to cut this."

"Let it grow out," the woman said. She got up slowly, moving over and picking up a blanket. "As with your beard, let the your hair grow out and I will braid and style it."

The man chuckled.

The woman gathered up the baby with the blanket, then moved over and set the sleeping baby down. Its foot was kicking slightly even as it frowned.

"She dreams she is still learning to crawl," the woman smiled. She moved over and picked up the boy. She set the boy down behind the girl and the baby boy put his arm around his sister and pulled her close. "He loves his sister."

The man nodded as the woman covered them up and put them in the tent. She pulled a scabbard out, pulling the belt over her head, letting the sword sit on her back as she moved over and sat on one of the logs.

"I dreamed dream-walker dreams the last few nights," the woman said. She pulled the sword off her back and leaned it against the log she was sitting on.

"You said that last night," the man said.

The woman picked up a leather bodice with engraved copper shoulder plates and began putting it on. The man watched with interest and the woman winked at him, jiggling her prominent chest before pulling the armored cups of the bodice up over them.

She pulled on thigh high boots, lacing them up slowly, kicking her heels against the ground, then tightening them again. She stood up and stomped her feet for a minute then adjusted the boots again before sitting down. She put on forearm and biceps guards, tightening the belts after flexing her muscles slightly.

The whole time, the male just watched, the woman smiling at him now and then.

When she was done, she turned and looked at the man.

"Have you decided?" she asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah. I'm coming with you."

"Why? I am interested in your reasonings," the woman asked.

The man shrugged. "Our people are nearly extinct. You, and the babies, are the only humans I know that survived," he said. "The Confederacy

The woman made a face like she'd bitten a lemon.

"put me out because I was a SUDS malfunction double and the other me, who had been running around for like three years, was killed during the Terran Xenocide Event. They're not sure what to do, so they let me go," the man said.

The woman smiled. "You are a real man. Your own man. You assaulted the World Engine of Heaven with me."

The man nodded. "That's why the SUDS couldn't be recombined," he sighed. "Plus, well, this is going to sound weird, but I've been growing more and more attached to you."

The woman laughed. "Of course you have. I am exceptionally gifted, my physical appearance is unto a masterpiece painting come to life, and I make love like a goddess of lust made flesh."

That made the man grin.

"So, will you be informing the universe of the return to the universe of Lady Khoonkeenadee or will you just surprise everyone with your reappearance?" the man asked.

The woman looked thoughtful for a long moment, then shook her head.

"No. A new Age of Mankind has arrived. For a new Age, I need a new identity," she said softly. She smiled. "I would normally reroll. A new body, a new look, a new history," she looked around. "The world engine here is under the hand of an Elven Court and their High Queen," she gave a wide smile. "I could wrest it from them, if this world was a contested one, but this is a world of gentle people," her face went serious. "I will set aside Lady Khoonkeenadee and rename myself. Names have power."

The man nodded.

She looked up at the sky, her eyes flashing violet. "I set aside Lady Khoonkeenadee of my own free will," she said. She closed her eyes, putting her hands together, and whispered. Long, flowing words, moving into one another.

The man sat and watched as it took nearly fifteen minutes. It looked as if she was praying to a higher power, but the man knew that somehow she was interfacing with what was left of the Population Control and Records System.

She opened her eyes. "I am now and again Mukantagara Elizabeth Carnight," she smiled. She stretched and stood up, her skin beaded with sweat. "It will take the system a moment to run that update," she smiled at him. "You might want to give thought of who you are, Major Acharya."

The man smiled. "Major James Winnifred Acharya."

The woman shook her head. "You will need a new name. Something suitably heroic for someone accompanying me on my quest."

"What quest?" Acharya asked.

She shook her head. "We cannot start the quest until we have decided our names," she looked around at the forest. "This is a good place to start a quest. Many tales of heroics and legends start in such a humble place."

"What about you?" Acharya asked.

Lady Keena smiled. "I have one. Not one I have been saying, but something new, something interesting."

The man nodded. "All right," he thought for a moment. "Huh, this is harder than I thought it would be."

Lady Keena got up and went over to a small tapped barrel on top of two boxes. She scooped up two mugs, filled them with foaming brown liquid, and walked back to hand one to Acharya.

They sat for a long while drinking off the mugs.

"OK, I think I got it," Acharya said.

"Let me know your name. Whisper it in my ear so an ill wind does not carry it to the ears of our foes," she said.

Acharya moved over and whispered it in her ear. She smiled and nodded. "A fine name. Now, kneel down in front of me and I will teach you the prayers and words of power to revoke your old name and write your new name into the heart of the stars."

-----

The day was sunny and pleasant, making Truxal stare out the window and sigh while he waited for people's ID's to clear. Normally, he enjoyed his job at the customs counter of the primary spaceport of Telkan-2.

But he was recently pair-bonded, with a wife and two broodcarriers, and all he could think of was that beautiful day was going to waste. His wife had taken the pregnant broodcarriers to the park to enjoy the day with the two gentle spouses.

He scanned the ID of a Treana'ad matron, with a half-dozen hatchlings on her back wearing back wraps to keep them from flying off to look at/try to eat/taste/dance on anything that caught their short attentions. It came back smoothly after only a few seconds, the red letters letting him know that everything was in order.

The computer was slower than it had been, but Truxal knew it really didn't matter.

In a weird way, it felt more efficient, more ready to work than the old system.

He waved the Treana'ad matron through, who nodded regally before moving on to the ship she was taking back to Smokey Cone itself.

Up next was a strange sight.

A male and female Terran.

That was strange, in and of itself, seeing that he could count the number of Terrans he'd seen in the last year on one paw.

They also looked weird. Their bare, furless skin (which he still wasn't used to) was dark brown on the female and a pinkish-peach color for the male. The female had black hair in tight braids, the male had shaggy reddish blond hair and facial hair. The woman was wearing a modest dress, the man was wearing denim jeans and a cotton long sleeved shirt.

Each was carrying a baby with brown skin that were looking around.

He looked at their ID, which was so new he could feel the warmth of the lamination machine and almost smell the fresh ink.

Truxal checked the ID's, checked their paperwork, checked their destination.

"Anything to declare?" Truxal asked.

"Nanite infused melee weapons and nanite infused archaic armor in carryon," the woman smiled.

Truxal checked. They were listed as Class IX (out of 1-10) melee weapons and Class VI personal protective gears. All with Class IX nanite infusion. They were 'locked out' but the two in front of them could undo the lockout.

Truxal double-checked the transport that the two were taking to make sure the crew new. He pinged the Captain real quick, got confirmation that the Captain knew about the weapons and armor, and nodded.

The whole time one of the infant lemurs stared at him.

"You're clear," Truxal said.

He looked down at the destination.

"That's a dead world. Shade infestation that wiped everyone out," Truxal warned them.

The woman nodded, smiling.

"We are aware. Thank you for the warning, public servant," the woman said.

"Appreciate it," the male said.

Truxal stamped the female's passport, then the male's. He handed them back.

"Thank you for visiting the Telkan System. Enjoy your travel," Truxal said.

The male and female Terran both nodded. The infant lemur that was awake gave a toothless happy innocent smile as the pair walked away.

-----

Captain Kent Kalkitikak met his two passengers on the bridge.

The female was large, muscular, tall, with a predator's stare and a warm smile. The male was even larger, more heavily muscled, with almost a lazy way of moving and a slightly bored expression.

Both were dressed in archaic armor, both with swords on their backs, daggers on their belts and in their boots. They had harnesses on that let a small Terran infant recline by their sides.

"No resume?" Captain Kent asked.

Both shook their heads.

"Non-rebuilt reroll," the woman said.

Captain Kent nodded. "You have experience fighting shades?"

They both nodded.

The woman smiled. "We have quite a bit of experience recently. We will be happy to help defend the ship if we are boarded in Ghostspace."

Captain Kent nodded again. He moved a few icons on his black and red GUI.

"Glad to have you," Captain Kent said. He checked his GUI. "We'll be jumping to Ghostspace within the hour. We'll be at our destination in two weeks."

Both Terrans smiled.

"Welcome aboard," Captain Kent said.

Both babies smiled.