33 Cape High Mega Me, page 11
part #1 of Cape High Series
“Well, duh,” Poj says. “Why it’s ridiculous is because for some reason they think we bring them back!”
They’re still discussing this as they step into the room where the machine has been built. They stop, though, as they see Chi’la holding Helena up by the throat with one hand, and Finn up by the shirt with the other.
“What, exactly, is going on here?” Negatia demands in a chilly voice.
“They were trying to sabotage the machine,” Chi’la says, her eyes narrowed with rage.
“I was NOT!” Finn says. “But even if I was, who would blame me? How are we to know that the terrestians can be trusted? They’re not Cosmics! If anyone is to make a way to protect the Cosmics, it should BE a Cosmic!”
“Explain why SHE—“ Chi’la says, shaking Helena like a dog would a toy, “has a bomb in her bag, then.”
“A bomb?” Finn repeats, looking over at Helena. “On a spaceship? Do you not pay ANY attention in class?” he demands.
Helena claws at the hand choking her, and her face is turning a different shade thanks to the lack of oxygen.
“Put her down,” Negatia says, walking over to the scene.
“She’ll use her portal abilities,” Chi’la says. “She tried to make a run for it, once, already.”
“I’ll deal with that if it happens,” Negatia says. “I want to hear her side of the story.” She looks at Finn, who glares defiantly back at her. “I will inform the other Hall leaders of your sentiments,” she says, in an almost helpful tone of voice. “We will take it into account the next time that this student exchange program is suggested. I truly doubt it will be when you are still a student, though.”
“What… um… does that mean?” Finn asks. She just gives him a little smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Chi’la, was it?” Negatia says.
Chi’la slowly puts Helena down, looking straight at Negatia as she does. Her hand is even slower to release the hold on Helena’s neck. “She’s always been out to cause problems,” Chi’la says. “She hates us even more, because we have ties with Pop and Nico.”
“Be that as it may, I still have to believe that she is innocent until proven guilty,” Negatia says. “Were you trying to destroy a machine simply because Nico had some hand in it being built?” she asks.
“I was TRYING—“ Helena starts out, only to have a coughing fit. She takes a moment to get back to where she can speak. “To use this stupid device and get protection from the power hunter. Once I did that, I would hunt it down and take care of it, myself!”
“Oh, really,” Chi’la says. “Like we’re going to believe that.”
“They only JUST gave me my powers back, you know,” Helena says, glaring at her with pure hatred. “They don’t trust me. They’ll never put me in a position where I can PROVE that I’m trustworthy, either, which is why I’m going to do it, myself! Do you know how hard it is being the daughter of the Cosmic who did… that… to a sentient planet?” she asks. “I will never be trusted to go out on patrols, I’ll always be ‘that one girl’!”
“You tried to kill an Earthling,” Poj points out. “You were just as bad as your old man was, we all know what happened.”
“Oh, shut up, Poj,” Helena snaps. “You weren’t even here when that happened. You have no idea what I went through—“
Poj stares at her, bringing up one fist and tapping the glowing tattoos around her wrist pointedly. “I’m old enough to remember everything, including being dropped into a gladiator ring, Helena. Shove your sob-story down the throat of someone who cares.”
“Ooh, harsh,” Chi’la says, but she’s grinning evilly. “Did Helena’s feelings get hurt?”
“I say we let her do it,” Poj says. “Get her that external whatever thing and toss her to the power hunter, it’s a win-win situation.”
“Ladies,” Negatia says, raising a hand. “This is not your call to make, it is your leader’s. Now, show me the blueprints that you built the machine off of and a Cosmic official uniform, please. We need to get this done quickly so I can gather my people and leave this job to yours.”
“You’ll just abandon them?” Ho’pa asks, speaking for the first time since getting here. All this while she’s been looking back and forth from the teens, as if watching a drama on TV.
“If they truly need help, it would be from Reaper,” Negatia says. “But, as we know well on our planet, from the looks of this place, they can’t afford him.”
“He’s helping the others,” Poj says.
“Because Nico can afford him,” Negatia says, and turns to the blueprints that Poj brings up for her. It’s almost as if they’ve forgotten that Helena is there. She looks at them, and then lifts a hand—
“If you run and the power hunter gets you, we won’t be to blame,” Chi’la says. Helena stares at her, her hand unconsciously going up to her throat, and then falling again.
“Finish the machine,” she says. “After I get the Technico thing, then I’ll deal with the power hunter—and then I’ll come back and deal with you.”
There’s an unnerving smile on Chi’la’s face at that. “I look forward to it,” she says.
“Ladies, ladies!” Poj says, holding up both hands. “We’re family, you know!” They both turn and look at her. “That’s why we should make sure we take bets on that fight—you know, if she actually makes it back.”
“I would like to remind all of you,” Negatia says, tapping on the uniform image on the screen, “that you are still students, and should act appropriately, if you wish to grow to be Cosmics.”
“Why should you care? You’re out to get out of here as soon as possible,” Finn says.
“Ah, that’s true, isn’t it?” Negatia says. “Get this part of the uniform for me,” she says to Chi’la, pointing at the special cuff around the wrist of the uniform. “That should work perfectly. It’s already set up for some forms of communication, as it is, am I right?”
“The cuff? It’s an equipable thing, so yeah, I can get it,” Chi’la says. Before she can make it to the door, though, it opens and Meteor and Vo’ka step into the room.
“Interesting conversation you’ve been having in here,” Vo’ka says, looking sharply at his daughters. “Do you really think we’re just going to let you run off with one of our weapons?” he goes on, holding a hand out to Helena.
“I’ve come to inform you,” Meteor says, and the teenagers go still and tense because they’re certain they’re about to be punished. The biggest way that could happen is having their powers stripped all over again. Of course, with that thought, Chi’la relaxes, because she’s got nothing to lose. “Ah, forgive me, I have the information here,” Meteor says, digging through his pockets and pulling out a small electronic notepad. “Technico will be arriving shortly with the prisoner. Ah, no, that isn’t what I was going to tell you,” he says.
“You’re all on cleanup duty,” Vo’ka says. “That goes double for you, Helena, for playing with dangerous objects—“
“I wasn’t play—“ Helena starts out.
“Sssh!” Poj says. “She was totally playing, Dad, I swear,” she says before Helena can go on.
“That’s what I said,” Vo’ka says, “because if it was something ELSE, we’d have to take more drastic measures. Chi’la, you’re on double duty, as well, for attacking your fellow cadets.”
“She has a bomb, she hates Nico, and she was sneaking into a room with one of his devices,” Chi’la says. “I was keeping her from using a bomb in the Headquarters and blowing up a good chunk of the ship.”
“Yeah, but how many holds do you know that don’t include strangling people?” Vo’ka asks, pointedly. “Don’t push it, kid, otherwise it’ll be WORSE than latrine duty.”
“Latrine?” she repeats, the color leaving her face. “You wouldn’t! Do you have any IDEA how terrible that place smells?”
“I have every idea,” Vo’ka says, looking her straight in the eye. “And you’ve earned it. Next time use your training, not your gladiator experience, got it?” he says, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Now you can leave this project, Nico will finish it up. Go get some sleep and then report for latrine duty.”
“All of us?” Poj asks, looking traumatized.
“You… you can do kitchen duty,” he says. “Learn some more recipes while you’re at it. Did Finn have a bomb?” They shake their heads. “Then he’s on kitchen duty, as well.”
“I don’t deserve to be punished! I was the one attacked!” Finn says.
“Want to explain why you were sneaking in, then?” Vo’ka asks. “Or how you’ve been going after the earthlings since they showed up? I figure there’s a very interesting explanation for how you’ve been verbally baiting my daughter on a regular basis, as well. Don’t think I haven’t noticed, kid.”
“I’ll do kitchen duty,” Finn mutters.
“Ms. Negatia, we apologize that you had to see such a situation,” Meteor says, “and children, do understand that we do this out of love. We need you to learn self-control before you can be put in a position of control.” They just look at him, not saying a word.
“That was his way of saying get,” Vo’ka says, pointing at the door. They practically run to get away from him. He turns to Negatia once they’re gone, looking her straight in the eyes. “I get it,” he says. “He’s a little—“ there’s a beep that proves Nico’s translator is censoring things even for the Hall leader. “I’ve been tempted to toss him off the ship several times, and he’s gone after one of yours. I also get that we’re in a difficult position, and you’d rather let us deal with it while protecting your kids—“
“No,” she says, looking at Ho’pa and sighing. “I understand the situation very well, now. I do want to take our children home, I won’t lie, they are very precious to our planet, but these children, the ones you are bringing here, are very precious to the universe. That is why I require all of your Cosmics to bring this part of their uniform,” she says, pointing at the cuff on the screen. “We’ll get them equipped to deal with the power hunter for good, because I truly doubt there is only one of them out there.”
“Have you, perhaps, had experience with a power hunter?” Meteor asks her, looking intrigued. “I would never assume that you have, but—“
“We have beings that could, possibly, be related to them,” Negatia says. “We call one of them Mimic. Now, I can’t swear that he’s directly related to them, but there are similarities.”
“I see,” Meteor says. “And have you figured out how to deal with them?”
She smiles slightly. “Of course we have.”
***
*Central Hall, Earth, the Next Day*
“And we’re going,” Nico says as he steps into the cell that Stellar is being kept in. “I had more than I thought to clean up… and frankly, it’s not cleaned up, now, but I’ll have to leave it up to Century and the others. Something nasty is out in space right now, and with as long as you were out there, I bet you know what it is.”
“The Broccostian courting rituals,” Stellar says, sounding certain of it. “That is one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen… in a series form.”
“They had a series?” Nico asks, distracted.
“It was actually several seasons long,” Stellar says, looking both disturbed and fascinated. “I think it was canceled because of just how brutal the females are when rejecting the males—no, that would have caused it to end the first season…”
“More likely they wanted them to be more brutal,” Nico says as he gets together the collar to transport the other technopath with. “Honestly, I’d bring in my old man as my second, here, but he’s busy with other things at the moment. Are you going to try to run?”
“Tell me, did they program those fat-laden, overly-salted snacks into the system?”
“That could describe a LOT of earth foods, you’re going to have to be more specific,” Nico says, examining the statement from all angles.
“No, I think YOU need to be more specific,” Stellar says. “Just how many earth foods does it describe? Can I get all of them?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Nico says. “I’m planning on stealing the design of your matter creator, so I suppose I owe you that much.” He taps on his comm and the laser wall keeping them in shuts off.
“Hey!” Star Born says. “I’m out of salty snacks, too, you know.”
“I’ll talk to the chef,” Nico says.
“If that was sarcasm, you’re doing it wrong,” she says. “Where are you taking Mr. No-personality, anyway?”
“I have a personality,” Stellar says, offended.
“Of course you do,” she says.
“Thank you,” he says, completely missing the sarcasm.
“We’re heading out, now,” Nico says to the black suits. “Someone get Star Born some chips, would you?”
“We’ll miss you, Stellar,” one black suit calls out. “Ignore Star Born.”
“Do you often grow attached to your inmates?” Stellar asks, looking confused, especially as they start laughing. “Did I say something amusing?”
“It might have been the line about the Broccostian females,” Nico tells him, the faintest of grins pulling at his lips. “Having met one, though, I’m not actually that surprised.” He doesn’t even grab Stellar as they head down the halls, he just walks next to him, telling him when to turn down a different hall. “One of my kids is at the Cosmic Headquarters, in the middle of a growth spurt,” he goes on, conversationally. “I didn’t expect it to be this drastic, though…”
“Drastic, how?” Stellar asks. “Also, will you be bringing that cube toy along with us? I received a letter from the creator on new ways to use it.”
“I’ll have one set up in your cell,” Nico says. “And he’s a size changer type,” he adds. “Oh, right, I forgot—it’s not the Broccostian courting ritual that’s the problem.”
“Then what is it?” Stellar asks. He seems slightly confused at how smoothly this is going, but he’s distracted enough by the conversation to not ask for an explanation, yet.
“A power hunter,” Nico says, “or that’s what the Cosmics call it. You ever have a run-in with one of them?”
“Oh… I see,” Stellar says, frowning. “Does it have a name?”
“A name?” Nico asks. “I have no idea, what does it matter?”
“The ones with names are the ones you need to worry about,” Stellar says. “They’re the ones who have eaten enough powers to be… memorable.”
“Eaten enough…” Nico repeats, as if tasting the words. “You mean… they collect the powers they eat?”
“Yes,” Stellar says. “And they live very, very long lives.”
“Huh,” Nico says. “So the older they are—“
“The more troublesome they become,” Stellar says. “The ones you truly need to fear are those that eat sentient planets like they’re candies. There shouldn’t be many of them out there, though. Once in a while, if two of them run into each other, well…”
“Babies?” Nico offers.
“That, or several destroyed planets and one dead power hunter,” Stellar says. “The TRULY disturbing ones are—ah, well, let’s just say that there don’t tend to be many power hunters in the same area. Thankfully, once it eats something powerful enough it’s sure to go into hibernation for several decades, at least. Of course, it’s a terrible thing for the one that got eaten, but… it is, as one of those cartoons they showed me proclaimed, a circle.”
“That’s not a circle, that’s a dead end,” Nico says. “Still not planning to run?” he asks as they reach the back exit of the Hall.
“This job you have lined up for me is sounding more and more intriguing by the moment,” Stellar admits, cheerfully. “Do they plan to capture the power hunter, or will they send you and your father after it?”
“I’m not working for the Cosmics, you know,” Nico says. “I just did the last few jobs because it involved something from our planet.”
“That’s another intriguing question,” Stellar says. “Just why is it that things always come back to this little backwater planet?” And then he LOOKS at Nico, clearly showing what he thinks is the cause.
“Who knows,” Nico says. “Maybe it’s the potato chips—although I’ve heard that hotdogs are pretty high up the list, as well.”
“Oh? And what is this… hot… dog that you speak of?” Stellar asks. “Is it as delicious as the other fat-laden salt items?”
“Depends on what type you get,” Nico says. “According to Century, it’s one of the reasons aliens keep coming back.”
“Can we program those into the matter creator, as well?” Stellar asks eagerly. “I would very much enjoy trying it!”
“I’ll make sure to toss in all the condiments I can think of, while I’m at it. My kids will appreciate it while they’re out there, as well.”
They step out of the Hall in the back, and Stellar looks up at the sky, at the sun. “It is fascinating,” he says, finally.
“What?”
“You,” Stellar says, looking at him. “You and your father could easily terrorize the universe, and yet you choose to live on this tiny planet, cut off from the universe.”
Nico smiles slightly. “From a guy who hid away on an empty ship for a hundred years, that’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?” he says. “You could have been terrorizing the universe all these years, as well. What’s stopping you?”
“I assume it’s a device that reconfigures my energy to negate it, and possibly rebound it,” Stellar says, reaching up and pointing at the collar he’s wearing. “If it was my design, I would definitely put some sort of fail-safe—“
“BEFORE the collar,” Nico says. “I heard what you said to my grandship, you know. You’re not quite wrong, but you’re not quite right, either. There was a lot of bad on Lerrestia, but not everything. I figure, with a bit of education and common sense, you’ll turn out to be all right. Although,” he adds, “I haven’t forgotten the dirty tricks you pulled on one of my students.” He heads through the parking lot next to the Hall, stopping at a rather old looking firebird. “Come on, we’ve got a teleportation booth to catch.”
