Far Pangaea 04 : Pest Aside

The night grew eerie.

Even within the alien aircraft the survivors were on edge. Not just from the crash or their physical condition, but from the unknown. Convinced they were safe from the outside world was balanced by the uncertainty of their residence. They were taking the word of a fifteen year old genius. Not only that he knew too much about the aliens that once inhabited the ship but how to use their scientific equipment. As likeable as he was the kid certainly made them uneasy.

Colonel Ruby Goddard had shed her uniform shirt in favor of her wife beater. Comfort made her think more clearly. The obvious drawback was the fact her breasts were an enormous 34DD. No male could resist their approach. Only her rank and commanding attitude kept them from glaring.

"How's Jack?" She nudges next to James Ian and Sargent Eleanor "Elle" Franklin. It took Elle to snap her fingers in front of the boys eyes to contain his focus away from Ruby's chest.

"He's resting." Elle offers.

"I contained his blood flow by placing him within this gravitational crib. It was designed to hold the functions of it's inhabitant safely during long trips. I've been reading up on the ships medical journals. Luckily these collars help me read their language." He points at his worn collar around his neck that was a dialect manipulator.

Ruby nods, "Just keep him alive James. Please."

"His vitals are steady. He's tough." Elle adds.

"I'll make him better than he was before." James salutes Ruby.

Smirking Ruby steps away from the medical bay and heads to the ships command center which had a huge crystal window on looking the distance. Here sat Pilot Cameron Scott and Sargent Malcolm Brand.

"Pitch black out there." Cameron looks up at Ruby as he holds a bottle of opened Vodka..

She nods faintly peering out, "No signs of light anywhere?"

"Not yet at least. Only been dark a short time." Malcolm puckers.

"Wonder what the area around us is like? We can only see what 20% of our landscape?"

"Good question Ruby. I don't think any of us want to venture outside to check." Cameron offers up his bottle. Shockingly she claims it and takes a swig. As she tilts the bottle back both men risk a glance at her chest. Ever growing nipples had ill fated attention.

She lowers the bottle and swallows before wiping her mouth with her wrist.

"Keep staring at the guns and I'll show my rank and force one of you mugs to check the perimeter."

Both men shrink into their seating as Ruby passes the bottle to Malcolm.

"Where's Sophia? I haven't seen her in awhile." Ruby squints.

"Probably cringing in a corner. I had to spank her earlier. Kid's hormones needed checked. Grabbed my Johnson out there." Cameron shook his head.

Ruby rolls her eyes, "Kid's grieving the only way she knows how. I'll have a talk with her."

Turning away Ruby decides to dare the halls of the ship. Dimly lit due to James Ian's tinkering of the remaining power grid she could view enough to keep from stumbling. Her journey went from what appeared to be one laboratory to another. Finally she comes across what appeared to be museum of sorts.

"Biology class all over again. Frogs in jars." She grunts.

As she peers more closely she found a critter that blinked. It made her ease away slowly.

"That's a Tantalorian bullfrog. Don't ask. Not from our solar system. Highly poisonous. They can live thousands of years if I read correctly."

Ruby jumps at the voice behind her.

"James! Don't sneak up on me like that. I could have shot you on instinct."

"Sorry. Like you I felt like exploring. I want to catalogue what could be useful in my noggin."

"More labs than leisure in this boat." She calms her nerves.

"Scientific race of aliens. To them everything had benefits. Medicinal or weaponized. I think their studies was their leisure."

"So what's helpful here?"

"Well! I know in the morning I can attach Jack's arm as if it had never been severed. No scar even. Every nerve perfect."

Her eyes flare, "That's good news. Isn't it?"

"Of course. I'm not the universe's best neuro surgeon although I did perform brain surgery on Xander when I was 12. In my reading I did locate a simulation surgery this Race performed. They used an insect called a "Weaver" in our language. Placed within the wound it connects everything as it was."

"Insect? What?"

"I know. Sound's crazy but it works." He shrugs

"What happens to the bug?"

"Dies within I think. Honestly I don't know. But, if it saves Jack."

Ruby sighs heavily then reaches over to pull the boy into an awkward hug. She hadn't even considered her chest was in his face. She was merely hopeful.

"Ummm! Is this where I yell, "MOMMY?"

Her eyes bulge and she chuckles, "Traumatized you, huh. Sorry Kid."

Releasing him his face was beet red.

"I'm loveable like that. Hug me any time."

"Mind out of the gutter Genius. Is there even one of these so called Weaver's alive on this ship?"

"Let's find out." He lifts a small keypad and does an inquiry, "Say's there is a nest in Galley 12. Follow me."

He turns away as she follows him the length of a football field deeper into the ship. Reaching a chamber with the alien markings for the number 12 they enter with caution. The door was jammed slightly.

Within the room things were spilled over but mostly unbroken.

"Anything escape that could harm us?" Ruby lifts a handgun that was tucked behind her in her pants waist.

Examining the keypad screen he does a diagnostic of the room.

"I think were safe. There's no warning of deadly contamination. Radiation is normal. No contagion risk."

"No bugs roaming free?"

"Well. There are but luckily none are of a deadly variety. The Weaver's are somewhere over there." He points to the north end corner of the room.

"Too damned dark in here." She squints against the dimness.

"I can help with that."

James keys in a sequence that creates a shrill sound. As the vibrations echo a container of bugs similar to Fireflies on Earth glow white hot. Almost blindingly so.

""Flood lights." She covers her eyes against the glare.

"Better though. Right?"

"Useful. We can use them to conserve power when we get low."

"No worries. Power's low but not a serious problem. Unless were stuck here for ten years."

"Good to know. Now lead the way." Ruby encourages.

He carefully avoids debris until he locates a large jar like vessel. It takes both of them to stand it upright. Within are fibers like webbing concealing the interior.

"Ok, now what? If we open this jar we have no idea how many come flooding out." Ruby frowns.

"Reading up on Weaver's, now." He hums to himself annoying her greatly.

"Come on James."

"Hibernation. The webbing is eaten when they wake up."

"So, they're asleep and of no use?"

"No. We open the jar, grab one, and place it alone in another jar. Wake it up during surgery."

She winces, "Not fond of crawly things."

James manages to find an unbroken test tube, "Open it. I'll pick it out."

Crouching down She grits her teeth and removes the troublesome lid carefully. Once open they both peer inside. Ruby uses the barrel of her gun to remove the web like fibers. Finding the bugs which resembled a cockroach, James joins her crouch then slowly reaches in and pinches one between his fingers. It was dormant and still.

"This was easy." James lifts it free of the jar as she closes the lid. Just as she tightened the lid the bug stirred and James felt a moment of fear. His grip panicked and the bug flew into the air. No wings just momentum.

Embarrassingly it landed in Ruby's open cleavage and crawled about under her shirt. She freaked out and tugged her shirt out in all directions looking for it. In the process James could view her bare breasts easily. He refused to blink.

"Christ! This things evasive." She frets not even noticing James grinning like the devil in heat.

"I think I see him lower." He points toward her belly button.

"Where?" Her fingers probe her belly button area. In the search she pulled her shirt out from beneath the waist of her pants. Belly button in view James spotted the bug attached to her lifted shirt. He approached with the test tube and tried to corral it into the tube. Before he could catch it the bug ran upward and crawled over her left breast. James became embarrassed suddenly as it circled near her nipple. Without thought he placed the tube over what he thought was the bug until it moved.

Ruby looked up at him bitterly, "WRONG BUG!"

"Sorry. I'm trying to help."

"I GOT THIS!"

She grabs the tube and goes under her tank until she finally pins it down. Once in the tube she planted her thumb over the entry to keep it isolated in until James could cork it.

Once able to breath Ruby glares at James, "Nobody. NOBODY! Finds out about this."

His eyes bulge as he nods.

Shaking her head she stands up and pulls James along with her.

"Do your magic. I just pray you know what you're doing."

He becomes expressionless, "Sorry."

"Don't be. Shit happens. Just zip it."

Nodding the two abandon the room sealing it tightly. Ruby hears crying from the distance and realizes it had to be Sophia. Hesitant she nudges James to head back to check on Jack. Once gone Ruby locates Sophia in another galley.

"Sophia? What are you doing way out here all alone?"

"Stay back."

"You know you can talk to me." Ruby attempts kindness.

"You don't understand."

"Is it about what Cameron did?"

"God no. I needed a shower. I thought I found one. I was wrong."

Ruby's eyes bulge and she rushes toward Sophia whom she found sitting on the floor in a puddle of liquid.

"Sophia? Where are your clothes?"

"Am I dissolving?"

"What?"

"My clothing dissipated like acid ate them away. I didn't feel any burns though. I'm soooooo stupid. I just needed a shower."

"This place isn't the Ritz, Sophia. We know very little about anything on board this ship. You can't go around without learning what this place can do."

"Now you tell me."

Ruby stands over her at the edge of the puddle. She scans about at what appeared to be a shower stall. Luckily, Sophia had shut off the valve after it had doused her. Mere droplets trickled from a faucet.

"You showered with your clothes on?"

"No. I tried to get dressed afterwards. No towel around so I just put my dress back on. Then, it ate away from my skin."

"You look unharmed at least. Let me find you something to cover up with."

From another room Ruby returns with a blanket and motions her to stand up. Holding it up for her to enter Sophia cloaks herself.

"There. Much better." Ruby smiles.

"My body feels like its coated with baby oil. Glossy even."

Sophia shivers as the blanket begins to sizzle and dissolve just like her dress. All Ruby could do was stand in awe. Within seconds the blanket was gone.

"Oh my God! What have I done?" Sophia freaks.

"Stay calm. As long as you're not in any pain. Do you feel sick?"

Sophia shrugs, "No. I feel really good actually. I'm comfortable in my skin luckily."

"I hate to say this but I need to call in James. He might be able to figure this out."

"What? Let him see me naked?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

She frowns, "I guess not."

"Stay here. I'll be back shortly."

Vanity struck. Even in her fear. Sophia admired her glossy flesh.

As Ruby made her way to find James she knew trouble was ahead.