C-01

Jacob stopped to breathe, cowering behind the science console. They were soon there, they could smell him. He needed more than just a quick breather, but he feared to stay. The beings were after him. And as far as he knew, it was just him left. Him, and the cyborg.

It had started with a scientific mission to Kelvin, the cold fifth planet in the Oyster system. They were to set up a base camp, and retrieve some samples from the deep ice. The scans had indicated First Generation construction under the ice.

Jacob, hurry up! Mac had yelled at him. Jacob had sped up, he was several crossways behind his friend Tolon Armac, they were racing to the shuttle bay to help packing the shuttles.

Run on, I'll beat you to it anyway! Jacob replied to his tzord friend. He was actually faster, but Mac had gotten ahead from the start. This mainly because he had ran on the benches and jumped over the tables in the mess, while Jacob had takne his way around the tables instead.

The tzord were a caucasian human race with tattoolike markings on their skin. Apart from that, they were more calm, silent, less emotional than the mundane humans. Some were even considered sociopathic, but Mac was not one of them. He was unusually wild for a tzord. The redheaded lad vanished behind a corner.

Jacob sighed. 'Speed freak,' he thought, and turned after him. The somewhat short barain teenager of soon twohundred lapses of age, he was soon seventeen terran years old, sped up, and was now gaining on Mac.

The barain were the mundane caucasian humans, with no visible mutations from the Iota radiation that penetrated everything except oortish clouds. Most barain not on living on the ground were diplomats or starship personell, but Jacob, and his father, Norman Asiiras, were both scientists.

While Norman was a biologist with an expertis in kryptozoology, Jacob was studying to become a linguist. Since they were going to a First Generation world, Norman wanted his son to come with them. For the training, and to share some time with him. Most time they spent together was in classes, even linguists needed to take general classes, and Norman held most of Jacob's biology classes.

Mac, on the other hand, was an orphan, that Sulni Tevern had adopted. Sulni was the tzord first officer aboard the Nefertiti, the research vessel they were on. Sulni and her husband had both been working on a military vessel before, but when Tanim died, Sulni went over to safer lines of work. She also adopted Mac then, ninetythree lapses, soon eight years ago. The sixteenyearsold was now skilled both in both combat and piloting. All tzord were to learn to defend themselves.

Arriving at the same time at the docking bay, they found a mountain of crates to move down to the planet. Kotek, are we gonna move all of this down to Kelvin? Mac asked the black man with his arm in plaster.

the nom captain replied. The black bluehaired captain, or kolantekor, was happy to see the teenagers come to help. He asn't planning on forcing them to do everything, though. Be glad you don't have to carry it down to the planet, he said, laughing. Guys, the other students awake are on their way, just get started. Take the ones marked with red first. I'll be helping you place them right. He entered the cargo hold of the shuttle, and started directing.

Soon enough, the heavy labor was done. Jacob said, How come officers don't help out carrying stuff?

Well, it's not part of their job description, he simply said. As for my sake, I'm suffering from my excuse.

Wanna bet he's keeping it just to avoid hard labor? Mac said to Jacob.

jacob said. The kolantekor had joined the two.

Tolon, I do not want to hear any such ridiculous statements again, he said.

No sir, Mac said, and saluted him.

The kolantekor shoved his bandaged arm into Mac's belly, gently giving him more of a prod that a punch. And not from you either, he told Jacob, smiling. He was faking the arm injury. or well, he rather faked still having it. Having had his arm smashed in an automatic hatch in the engineering area, he was handicapped for a lapse. However, that was two lapses ago. And with the wonders of modern science...

Norman said, just having finished breakfast. The captain turned to him. I want the boys down with me when I leave for the planet, he said.

kolantekor William Rutovdo said. If that's okay with Tevern.

Sulni is going with the first shuttle, Norman said.

Right, I forgot about that, Rotuvdo said. Well, it's not my job to organize that. I'm here to provide space support, transport, and military cover in case some unfriendly groups decide to show up.

Well, tehre's always that risk. But other than that, we shouldn't have many problems. I hope you won't be bored, kotek.

Let's hope I will be, he said. Othervise we'll be having trouble.

He did not have a boring mission around Oyster V. They had trouble.