Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. Andrew Claymore (primary phonics books .txt) 📖

not using the word‘governor’ but they’re hoping you aren’t going to just pickup and leave us.”

“It’stypically a job for the nobility,” Gleb said. “A governor isalmost always a relative of the overlord.”

“I’dbet they’re a lot older than I am, though,” Gabriella replied.

“Maybe,but look at me.” He gestured to himself. “A full lord and onlyhalf your age.”

Gabriellaflopped back on the couch with a sigh. “Abuela always toldme my mouth would get me into trouble,” she told the ceiling.

“Iwonder if there’s room in city hall for an apartment…,” shemuttered.

“Youdon’t want to move into city hall,” Luna insisted. “You’dhave them knocking on your door every five minutes if you were justup the stairs from the council hall.

“Youneed to build an official residence on the other side of the mainsquare. Make ’em walk all that way if they want to bother you.”Luna resisted the urge to glance at the real reason she was insistingon privacy for Gabriella.

Thereason spoke up. “You should have guards posted as well,” Vikramsaid. “We’ll never know if we captured all of the enemy survivorsfrom the battle.”

“We’llneed to reconstitute our defenses if we’re going to hold thisworld,” Gleb mused.

“Ofcourse we’re going to hold it,” Gabriella saidimmediately. She held up her hands. “Look, we can’t explain rightnow. We don’t even really understand ourselves but it’s importantthat our people continue to make this world our home.”

Lunastared at her. She’d had the feeling that something was being leftunsaid since she’d arrived.

Now,Gabriella was confirming that but she wasn’t ready to explain anyof it? Whatthe hells?

“It’simportant,” Vikram told them. “It goes to the heart of who we allare as a species but we need time.”

“Timehere on Ragnarok,” Gabriella added. “Can you give us that? Noquestions asked, for now?”

Lunawas speechless. She looked at Gleb.

Heshrugged, clearly curious, but he nodded. “Thereissomething going on here. I felt it when we first arrived with thecolony.”

“AndI’m just hearing about it now?” She glared at him.

“Wehad a lot going on,” he said defensively. “Plus, I didn’t knowit was anything definitive at the time.”

Heseemed to space out for a second.

Gabriellagave Vikram a look.

Glebshook his head. He gestured to Gabriella and Vikram. “It feelsright. Let’s give them time to sort it out.”

Lunashook her head. Atleast he’s got some idea what’s going on, I suppose. Unlesshe needs a catscan…

“OK,”Luna turned to the newgovernor.“Yousure you’ll bealrighthere?”

“Yeah,”Gabriella exchanged a glance with Vikram.

“I’mexactly where I need to be.”

Chance of a Lifetime

Babilim Station

Thetwo humanoids strolled hand in hand through the hall of rest. Largeslabs,longenough to accommodate a body twice their height, stretched away intothe hazy distance in every direction. Theywere roughly shoulder height.

Everywherethey looked seemed the same – endless rows fading to nothing. Itwould be easy to get lost in here if they went much farther.

Theywere half a kilometer from the nearest entrance, by this point, andthe door was barely visible, easily blending in with the squarishslabs.

“Noghosts yet,” he teased. “Nothing but old fool’s tales. Theancients disappeared a quarter million years ago. Ifany are left, they’ve probably forgotten how to haunt anybodyanyway.”

“Youwereright,” she said but she wasn’t referring to his irreverence forthe dead. “There’s absolutely no place to hide in here!”

Shelet go of his hand and turned to one of the platforms. She used thedusty control panel at the end of the slab to climb up onto it.

Hewatched her, his heart pounding, as she sat on the end of the slab,legs dangling over the controls. She touched a finger to the raisedmetal nub at her temple, temporarily disconnecting her mind from therest of their civilization.

Herproximity receiver was still running, though, and it was sendingshivers through the young male. He disconnected his own long-rangesystem and scrambled up onto the control panel.

Itwould have been unrealistic to expect he’d have noticed the lightthat had started pulsing through the glazed surface beneath his feet.Evenif he had, a blinking light would have been a poor distractioncompared to what the young couple had in mind.

Shewrapped her arms around his back, locked him in place with her legsand kissed him like there was nobody else in the room.

Asfar as they knew, they were right about that.

Sheedged back onto the slab and he crawled up after her, theirshort-range link amplifying their desires. They were practicallyvibrating with…

Hefrowned. No,he thought. “Can you feel that?” he asked her. “The air isvibrating.”

Shelaughed. “Wereyouup all night comingup with that line?”

Hegrinned at her, deciding to go with it. “No, I got to bed aroundtwo – two thirty…”

Shelaughed turning her head. “Oh Gods!”

“Youlike that?”

“No…Gods! Get off me!” Sheshoved him hard and he fell off the edge of the slab.

Beforehe could figure out what he’d done to upset her, she was landingbeside him. She raised up to peer over the top of the slab they’dbeen on.

Hisbody responded to his curiosity before his conscious mind got aroundto telling himwhatto do.Hegrabbed the top of the slab and pulled himself up to see what she waslooking at. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Abody lay on the next slab to theirs.

Well,to call it a body wouldn’t be entirely accurate. Itwas a skeleton, at the very least, but it also had tendons and somemuscle tissue attached. Themuscles are growing?As he watched in horrified fascination, he noticed that there wereveins snaking along, coming into existence just ahead of the muscletissue.

Itwas large, he realized.

“She’sbig,” the young female said. “She’d be the right size for thisstation…” She trailed off with a shudder and grabbed his hand.

“She?”hesaid but then he noticed the fattytissue on the body’s chest, now being covered with skin.

Evenafter watching an alien body grow out of thin air, they stilltwitched in alarm when her eyes opened. He didn’t even notice thathis lover’s fingernails had drawn blood from his palm.

Agroan escaped the newly created body’s lips. The young pair backedaway from their slab. He had his hand out behind him to feel for thesupport base but he felt something soft and warm instead.

Theyboth turned, staring up at another of the large creatures. This onewas male and he looked down in mild surprise at the pair.

Stilllinked by their short-range system, the two young humanoids fled likeit was