"...never seen anything like such technologies," a male voice sounded. Source somewhere nearby, but however much I wanted to survey surroundings, decided to keep eyes closed for now.
There's also trick—though you don't know, eye movement under closed lids visible from outside. So better hold eyes in one position.
After all, I have hearing.
And tied behind back hands, legs bound at ankles. And kinda cold here.
Several seconds needed to understand my position. Turned out sitting on floor, leaned left side against wall. Excellent, can try.
Cracking left eye, saw my legs and chest. So, what do we have?
I'm sitting by tunnel wall, near entrance to room I was about to rob. Medical storage. And it, judging by all, already broken into.
Opposite me visible 'Jumper's stern and ship condition doesn't inspire optimism. Ramp open, and inner bulkhead separating cargo and passenger compartments brazenly breached. Don't know how much time and effort these guys spent, but they pried open the doors.
Means Chaya might be their captive.
Inside ship I counted two—one pretending to understand something in opened panels with control crystals in aft, second doing same over instrument panel. Lack of backlighting in both cases indicates no power on ship.
That's almost good, means 'Jumper' not theirs. That's also good, means none of them have Ancient gene.
But that's also bad—they clearly not examining all this out of idle curiosity. I think they saved my life not out of altruism either. Well, otherwise wouldn't shoot me.
Judging by sounds, in rooms I intended to rob, other unknown enemy people operate. Interesting, how many of these bastards here?
Besides knocking me out—quite a while ago, since chest doesn't hurt—they tied me and removed everything they could from me. Body armor, shin guards... Well at least suit and boots left.
But took weapons, scanner, and personal shield.
Shitty your affairs, lord.
Second time convinced need to wear shield on constantly. Variant to activate at last moment turned stillborn.
Well okay, now need to understand what's happening here and if can negotiate with these guys.
"Sure?" another voice continued. Cracking right eye through lashes, noticed couple men talking to each other. Hope at least one familiar didn't work. One stood back to me, second I saw first time. At least from series I didn't remember him.
"More than," first voice owner assured. "No microchips, no usual wires for us. All made of glass or similar material. This definitely not development level of Ermen residents. Here, look," through half-closed lids I saw him handing second my personal shield. "I'm sure this not jewelry."
"More developed culture?"
"Yes. That green stone and energy pistol confirm it."
"Did the woman say anything?" shaved nape inquired. M-m-m... Quite specifically shaved, shorter, and uneven edging. Becoming clearer what's happening here.
But doesn't make it easier for me.
"Silent," first answered disappointedly. "We nearly drowned her in barrel, but she refuses to answer even despite beatings."
Ah you beasts...
"Pull nails and break bones," Shaved Nape ordered. Looking closer, saw my pulse blaster on his belt. Well-well, seems about unbears you not in course. Okay, just untie hands, explain. "She definitely knows how to start ship—she already tried to fly from us. I won't leave such technology here!"
"I understand, commander. But maybe send her to home world and return for ship later?"
"Imagine honors awaiting us if we bring not only Ermen storage supplies, but this ship? How our authority grows if we manage without outside help?" Shaved Nape asked. "We have time yet. Work."
"Yes, commander."
They're dressed same as those two rummaging inside my ship. In uniform-like, but unfamiliar. Dark blue pants, beige shirts loose, dark jackets with fur collars. No insignia, no chevrons. But very fact two dressed identically leaves no hope—this not just marauders.
Thought these guys familiar to Jensen now also seemed wrong. From weapons storage came another soldier interestedly examining anti-personnel mine like 'Claymore' or our fifty 'monkey'. Oh your mother, idiot piece, why pull pin, moron⁉
"Don't touch!" the one standing back to me barked at soldier, in one long step beside the one who didn't join Darwin award fighters. "This directed effect anti-personnel mine! Pull pin—and it'll kill us all here!"
"S-sorry, commander!" fighter began stuttering. "Commander" snatched dangerous toy from him, charged straight to jaw, initiative imbecile collapsed to floor. "Get this idiot from my sight!"
First heard voice owner hurriedly hid in one storage, nearly by hand leading young idiot.
Shaved Nape turned to me face, allowing examination. For recognition took little time.
"Stop wasting time," he said, looking at me. "Need to sort everything as fast as possible."
Oh you mother, affairs not just bad. They're 'Shit and nowhere!'
No, he didn't notice I came to, because... looked somewhere behind me.
"Don't worry, father," female voice sounded behind, simultaneous with kick to my kidneys. "I think I know who'll help us."
*
Without any piety they lifted me, punched fist under breath (quite professionally, must say), then pushed back to wall. Simultaneously cocking bolt clicked.
"I've waited long for you to come to," red-haired girl aimed massive pistol at me with poorly concealed irritation. "Start talking before I shoot you."
Coughing, I looked at girl, then at man standing beside her. Difference between them twenty years, but... Similarity extremely superficial. More precisely, almost absent.
Red curls, plain face without intellect marks, average height... Nothing outstanding in her—neither front nor back. Legs... Well, so-so, figure like teenager.
Such combat hamster. Any moment now drool will flow.
"Lower weapon," Shaved Nape ordered, approaching girl. "I need him alive. For now."
"But he lay unconscious so long!" girl was indignant. "We could've gotten what we wanted from him long ago!"
"Three shotgun rounds could've killed him!" Shaved Nape snapped. "I gave order—shoot legs!"
"I waited like fool for him to come to..."
"Well, why like," I smirked. "Could just kiss, whisper something tender in ear..."
Man reacted to pistol movement with warning growl. Girl with gun feigned fury on face.
"I said—lower weapon," man said in commanding tone. "Go to woman and continue interrogation. Varilon will fuss with her long."
"Exactly, Sora," rummaging in memory, I recalled how to call this mad doll with mimicry deficit. "Listen to what daddy says. Tyrus, how's things?"
Both Genii, stunned by heard, glanced at each other.
"Father, I..."
"Go," Tyrus squeezed out, with glance signaling two soldiers to drag me from corridor.
Sora Tyrus.
Girl, throwing me enraged glance, shoved pistol into holster, then strode to open storage. From there I hauled gear. There went the one whose voice I heard first. Varilon, seems.
Means Chaya there. Strange no sound reaches from there.
"I see daughter unloved," I said as soldiers, grabbing me under arms, dragged to empty medical supplies storage. What bitches, looted everything here!
"Why you think?" Tyrus inquired.
"You specially not tell her weapon needs safety on?" I inquired. "Or because she's not blood such attitude?"
"What⁈" they threw me to floor, and Tyrus with fury-distorted face loomed, barely restraining from shooting me. "Ah, repeat that lie you just said⁈"
Tyrus, Genii.
"Easy-easy, Tyrus," not taking eyes from his hand holding pistol, I said. "You don't want to kill only pilot of this ship in whole galaxy."
"You're right," he hissed, returning pistol to holster. "But I won't let slide what you said."
Next five minutes he beat me like boxing bag. In fact... Well, some experience I have, so authoritatively declare—Earth gopniks kick more professionally.
"Finished?" I inquired, feeling I'd need couple new kidneys.
"Say it again and I won't look..."
"You'd better not look at me, but nearby redheads," I said. "Trust representative of civilization with more genetics experience than Genii—red hair gene incompatible with your black. It's dominant to light hair, but suppressed by black. And you, as I see, not much like redhead..."
Actually full nonsense. Confidently can say only that I have no idea what's dominant, what's recessive. But main—say it confidently to make doubt.
"You're lying!"
"That's all you care?" I asked. "Not that I know both your names, not that you're family, not that despite disguise you're Genii."
"Yes, that interests me too!" Genii said thinking. "Where do you know this from?"
"Telepathy, friend," I smirked seeing soldiers behind Tyrus glance at each other. "Not as strong as could be with amplifier, but..."
"He could've heard while pretending," one soldier suggested sane idea.
"Right, empty-headed," I agreed. "And can say you're pretending farmers on home planet, live in underground bunker, develop nuclear bombs you hope test on Wraith in five years or so..."
Tyrus darkened, looking at me.
Seems soldiers clearly couldn't say anything of this. Too cautious all here. Conspiracy-s.
"Tyrus," I whispered calling senior, apparently Genii here. "Not too sure, but... Can I talk about spy network among galaxy peoples and data storage device you got from shot down 'Dart' of Wraith? Just don't know if soldiery initiated in such secrets or not. But in your head much interesting..."
Yes, Genii have such secrets too.
"Don't know who you are, but..."
"Oh," I feigned surprise. "You'd better care for your scientists safety. Working with radioactive materials without reliable protection fun, of course. Especially when later start dying of cancer and glowing at nights... But think your commander smart enough to guess himself not to believe scientists all good. Remember how bad Radim's sister!"
Another Genii surname Radim recalled because his sister, like him, was scientist. In known events she along with other scientists got serious irradiation, so useless for Genii. Used in suicide mission, so...
"Enough!" Tyrus barked. "You'll answer my questions!"
N-da... What thickhead. No, to impress...
"As you wish," I shrugged. "Our acquaintance start not fountain, of course. But we could cooperate. Perhaps I'd help refine problems with uranium-235 separation from uranium-238 and refine bombs..."
"We refined them ourselves," Tyrus smirked. "With Ermen energy archive help."
Your mother...
Think-think-think...
"Don't pass wishful thinking for reality," I advised smiling. "You of course good fellows, found where to profit. But compared to my technologies, what Ermens have—just aperitif before main dish. You understand yourself—my ship not from this world. And head and shoulders above all that was here."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Tyrus snorted. "They have much interesting. Including anti-radiation drugs that help our scientists."
"Glad for you," I shrugged. "And cloaking tech so ship not detected on scanners and visually, they had too?"
Soldiery glanced again. And vertical wrinkle ran between Tyrus's brows.
"Through Gates their ships fly too?" I continued stoking interest. "Or perhaps they have self-guiding projectiles of such power one suffices to destroy Wraith cruiser?"
"You're lying," but greedy fire in his eyes already spoke for itself.
"Well check then," I smirked, nodding head toward pulse blaster hanging on his belt. "Of our tech power can judge by what our pistol can."
Eh, pity I deceived Alvar then saying it works from gene...
Tyrus glanced at weapon.
"Don't chicken out," I encouraged. "Shoot wall. But better not underground."
"Why?"
"Because shot charge such wall hole five meters diameter. Guess what happens if violate structure?"
"Test later," licking lips, he said. "Now you'll tell how start ship and its weapons."
Seems really blew his head. I know little of POW interrogations. So, Tyrus asks completely wrong questions. For military and scout definitely wrong.
But for person trying to stand out in militaristic society by acquiring more advanced tech... If he didn't lie and Genii refined their atomic bomb using hidden here knowledge, then he clearly needs something more.
Invisible ship with drones at least somewhat resembles.
As I thought, playing on greed most correct.
"Sure," I agreed. "Ah yes, you can't anyway. Ship tied to my genetic code. Without it key won't work."
"What key?" Tyrus perked up.
"Looks like finger-sized ornament," as innocently as possible I reported. "Reacts to DNA on skin, then glows green and allows mental contact between person and ship. Useful thing, by the way."
"Mental control?" Tyrus was taken aback. "With mind power⁈"
"Why so surprised," damn how painful to smile when half internal organs hurt. Take back words— this goat's blows only at first glance harmless. "No such thing on this planetlet?"
"No," he confirmed. "Stranger that you help us."
"Why not?" I asked. "No desire to die here, so..."
"And your girlfriend told us nothing," Tyrus squinted.
"Her right," as indifferently as possible I said.
"And why help us?" and brains starting to turn on. Bad.
"Who argues with those who have weapons?" I asked.
"How many ships like yours?" well, bitch, not he idiot, I am. He lulled my vigilance to chat and get desired. In fact, same as me.
"We're scouts," I said. "Two of us. Maybe heard of Lanteans? Sometimes called Ancestors here."
Understanding appeared on Tyrus's face.
"Gate builders," he understood. "Wraith exterminated you thousands years ago."
"Well, as see—not all," I pretended brave. "Some ours left through Gates to other galaxy. Waited, recovered. But when bad there too, sent us here scout base spot. Found one old outpost, then figured what's what here. As resources few, decided explore planets. Here found storages, thought no one claims them."
"You wrong," Tyrus said. "Ermen once part of our interstellar confederation. Thought them destroyed thousands years ago, but recently found traces they actually survived. Came here so their legacy not wasted."
***
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