Forward to the Stars Ch. 12

"You've definitely got you're work cut out for you." Brianna said thoughtfully pulling at her lower lip.

"So what are YOU thinking of sis?" Asked Tina as she sat comforting Doris.

"What possibilities this would open up for Brian and what his uses for such abilities could bring about. Doris you said that your were going to try to circumvent the barrier if you could, just how OBVIOUS would the human chromosome be in the infant's DNA?" Brianna asked slowly.

"Welllll..... I don't know. I guess I could try to get it so that all the sperm would provide the X and Y so basically the babies would all but be clones of the mother." Doris said slowly and thoughtfully.

"Okay then fluffy, aim for that. We'll see to it that you get what ever it is that you need, be it materials or personnel. IF you can make it so they are the father's kids and not genetic clones of the mother all for the better but if you can't, we'll take what you can give us." Brianna said. "Atherian how close are the shuttles too launch?"

"The shuttle with equipment that is for the Station is nearly ready. It will be ready in the next thirty minutes. Anilease has been secured on her her shuttle and has been advised not to... 'fuck up'. Tina, yours' has been equipped and stocked for setting up a small base while the exploration takes place. Tina may I ask you a question?"

"Uhh.., yeah sure go ahead." Tina stammered confused, an emotion that was shared by the others.

"Brian seems to have full trust in the 'Pleasure Beasts' but he is adamant over having a human or EX-human in the case of Anilease in charge of these expeditions." Atherian observed. "Can you explain this and help me too understand?"

"It's so Tina can get some experience." Brianna said getting ahead of her sister. "The deer and rabbits are the ones that are going to be the ones to do everything or just about everything. When it comes to Anilease the reason she's going to be in charge of testing for sentience is that she's had FORMAL training in that kind of testing. All everyone else has had the tests pumped into our heads, there'll be a difference in practical application of those tests that we wouldn't be able to compete with."

"Correct sis. You see Atherian, Brian may trust them but they're new too their knowledge and abilities as are we BUT we've been around him longer so we'll be able too think of things he might decide to have done and have it done by the time he asks for it to be done." Tina said stroking Doris's back.

"Actually it's pretty much because I want you guys too have had some practical application on using this technology because I've got plans that will have you guys largely separated from most of it in a few years." Brian said as the door on his alcove slid open.

"So how much have you heard?" Asked Michelle as she got up to walk over to him.

"Atherian's question." Brian said with a shrug as he slid off the table. "Okay pure and simple guys we've been using these bays too much, so unless it's a emergency we go to Robin and the few deer that have gone medical. So, how long is it until lift-off for the shuttles?"

"Another fifteen minutes and the shuttle with the equipment for the station will be ready for launch Captain. What are your orders with handling the possible Palaricilon life-sign?" Asked Atherian.

"Are there at least three cargo carriers that'll work for troop transports yet?" Brian asked as he went over to the table where the dragon pups had curled up on to sleep off their lunch.

"There will be four more cargo carriers ready in six hours captain two are ready now." Atherian said matter-of-factly.

"Very well Atherian." Brian sighed. "I want those two and the next one to come on-line to be loaded with as many of the Fast Attacks with full battle gear as you can beam in since that'll be the best way to can those sardines. The fourth I want loaded to the hilt with weapons and equipment as well as twenty of the animorphs. Their skills need to cover command, biology, entomology and herbology and whichever course study that you think would be helpful. BUT there is ONE thing that EVERYONE is to keep in mind." He said emphatically. "IF we can keep from genocide we WILL."

"Captain are you out of your MIND?!!" Atherian asked as Tina and the others looked at each other and waited for an explanation.

"No, no I'm not." Brian said calmly. "Atherian what was the ORIGINAL cause of the war between humans and the Palaricilon? Easy little one, just wanted too make sure guys were all right." Brian said as one of the dragon pups woke up and started hissing at him.

"All the records that I have are that the war took place, I do not have the trigger for the war in my records." Atherian said as the babies started waking up and untangling the knot that had formed from sleeping dragon pup bodies.

"GREAT! Basically I've got to go in and ask WHO was at fault." Brian groaned. "Okay fine, lets do this right. Just how EFFECTIVE will our battle suits and droids be against the Palaricilon if we can't get gas and nerve agents to do the job?"

"The suits and the droids would be able to withstand an extended face to face fight but the main problem will that they will in all likelihood burst through to the surface and spread out making for a harder quarantine." Atherian said as Brian started rubbing his temples.

"How extensive have scans been of the tunnels and caverns? We NEED to know any and all exits and places where the tunnels come close too the surface. We also need to know egg chambers, sleep and food production as well as storage." Brian said as one of the babies rose on its hind legs bracing itself with its tail and started pawing at the air with its front legs at Brian. "Okay little one, come on." He chuckled as he offered the little one a hand to use as a bridge.

"Extensive scans can only be accomplished by a internal inspection since the tunnels are shielded, though the shielding appears too be deteriorating at a exponential rate. Even with the deterioration the tunnels appear to be lined with some form of mineral that distorts the scan making for incredibly inaccurate scans." Atherian said as Brian grimaced at the discomfort that the dragon pup's claws were causing.

"Are we able to create some kind of cloaked drones that have antigrav abilities?" Asked Brianna.

"We do but the problem is we do not have power packs or power generation that would be able to keep them charged and functional for the time necessary." Atherian intoned as he searched the database.

"Weelll...." Doris stammered. "I've heard that Anais has been going over power generation and accumulation database. We could always ask if he's managed too come up with something that can draw what's needed from that distortion field that's shielding the tunnels from scanning."

"I'll go and ask him if someone'll give me directions." Rachel said eager to be of some use.

"Well if you want to, go ahead and find out Rach. Atherian come up with the absolute minimum power needed by the drones and go several volts above that for a emergency cushion." Brian said as he looked over his shoulder so that he was nose-to-nose with a dragon pup which squeaked from surprise that he know it was back there. "Little one you really need to work on your sneaking up behind someone. Oh and a word of advise, don't climb on who or what you're sneaking up on." He laughed as he rubbed its head with a finger.

"Well at least they're a playful bunch." Laria laughed as she moved her foot so it wouldn't stop the rolling ball of pup bodies as it tumbled around on the floor.

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Laria's head was spinning to say the least! She, Brianna, Rachel and Brian had seen off Tina and that bitch Anilease. Brian had surprised everyone when he had gone up to Anilease and had grabbed her arm and shoved his hand down under her pants, as she was about to protest his actions he had started talking in a harsh whisper. The only one that they MIGHT have gotten answers from had disappeared again and she was beginning to wonder if BRIAN was having any say in what that horse ever did she was so 'preoccupied'. It WAS kind of funny she thought the way Anilease had started whimpering and whining like a 'poor little doggy' had been given a bone with meat still on it! The way that tail had been going she was sure it was going to unscrew itself before it stopped, if had stopped YET she though with a chuckle. She managed to strangle most of the chuckle when she realized it had slipped out, she darted for a door frame in hopes that if anyone had heard her they wouldn't see her and shrug her slip up as hearing things. She couldn't figure what was going on for the life of her. Brian should be getting ready to go squash some bugs and here he was heading for that cavern that he had laid down the law on. NO ONE except for NO ONE not even him was to try to 'improve' that cavern!!! When she had seen the holos of that cavern she understood perfectly why he was so adamant about that, it was beautiful! ANY 'improvements' would only destroy the ambiance of all the stalactites, stalagmites and what not of that cavern. So WHY was Brian following the rabbits that had approached him and led him down the hallway that led to that cavern?

She hid around a corner of the hall as Brian and the rabbits opened the hatch that opened up into the cavern and as the door started close behind them she just managed to slip through. 'DAMN!! THAT could have ended badly.' She thought as she watched three additional blast style doors slide closed and latch with multiple audible clunks and hisses as the half circle catches slid into place and the air in the voids of the locks got sucked out sealing the mechanisms with vacuum. 'So.' She thought. 'Where did everyone go and how am I to get back out?' As she started down the marked path that led from the door she found herself appreciating Brian's stubbornness on leaving the cavern unaltered but also found herself wondering just what the hell was going on!! As she wandered along the paths she could have sworn she saw patterns and patches on the calcite formations that were even more reflective than usual but as it was the first she had ever been in personally she had no idea if they were natural or not.

"That's far enough." Said a voice right behind her causing her to nearly piss herself. "What are you doing in this place? None but those that are absolute followers of the Remaker may enter here!"

As she turned around she saw three battle suited figures shimmer into view. "What do you mean by 'Remaker'?" Laria asked as two of the figures took up positions on either side of her.

"YOU will find out soon enough and WE will see if you a absolute follower and for your sake you had better be!!" The figure snarled ominously as it turned and walked between two columns and led down a paved path that was made to look like the uneven floor of the cavern.

"Well at least Brian wo...YAAAAA!!" She screeched as one of the figures swung a electro-staff into the back of her knees.

"NO ONE but the absolute followers may utter the Remaker's name in this place!" Snarled the leader as it hefted her so she look into the face plate.

"Well at least one of my questions is answered but a few more just got asked." Laria chuckled. "So how did you bunnies get the 'Remaker' to allow you to actually congregate down here?"

"All of OUR questions will be answered inside." Said the figure as it led the way through a holographic column that was backed up against the wall.

"Impressive!" Laria breathed as they entered a large cavern though most of the lower half of the structures that filled the vast expanse was more or less blocked by the mass of bodies that were arrayed in front of them. "It's impossible for ALL of this too have been completed in just a couple of days so HOW....?"

"There was a cavern already back all they had to do was make a entrance." Brian said walking up behind her. "Granted curiosity is rampant around here recently but PLEASE Laria, be CAREFUL!! Some of these guys are more zealotous than others and some.... WAY more." He said gesturing towards the massed animorphs.

"So just what the hell is going on here?" Laria asked as she took another step into the cavern and looking around.

"I guess it's show off time and too show me that they're more than capable of handling what might get handed to humans instead." Brian said with a slight smile.

"Well considering that you're going to be going up against over grown Praying Mantises you're liable to need people that are willing to die for you so soon after becoming sentient, but if they can rework a cavern and make it into a parade of Cathedrals and buildings that are probable far more elaborate than any standard Cathedral this quickly, YOU be careful!" Laria said planted her fists on her hips. "I'd HATE too see what would probably replace these architects."

"You and me both!!" Brian said with a laugh. "Well since we're here let's have a look around especially since everyone's turned out for this and some of them should still be in class or getting fitted for equipment."

"What kind of equipment are we talking of?" Laria asked just as inhuman scream/snarl lifted the hair on the back of her neck, as well as her feet off the ground.

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And in other news the Israeli Internal Affairs Office has announced the planned opening of a gold mine in the southern region Israel in conjunction with Terra-Part Minerals. No further details have been released at this time.