Solar Warden, Jakob Waechter [book club suggestions .TXT] 📗

to improve it. But others already have failed and even your kind itself. If you master to get free and a ship, the last thing where you want stay in this universe will be Earth. Sure you may try to give them some of your experience, but you won’t stay there.”

“So we give you our experience as soldiers. That’s the deal?” Knight wanted more details which in the end would not matter much. They had to cooperate to some extend or do nothing and hope the others would rescue them.

“Not only that. It just means that you show your cooperation. But what we want is that you learn also from us. How to behave in our society and how an advanced society works. You know the rebel and conflict stuff on Earth is caused by the lack of controlling and understanding yourselves. A missing social education or also genetically problem that leads to unneeded violence. So to advance in our society you need to show some skills,” she answered.

“What about your behavior. Killing people on board a starship, where you could negotiate peacefully?” Knight had enough from this arrogance.

“True, but some will have the chance to escape to the planet and join you in the struggle of better beings. It’s just a little decision we made. Sure your ship can surrender at any time and save all lives on board. But we expect resistance which may lead to death.” Now the three insectoids talked in their own language which sounded strange.

“It is time for your first duty. Just follow us,” the right one with a more male voice said. “I’m Tarsus and will observe your progress. We will go now to a small training facility, where you can show a bit of your skills.”

Two of the insectoids stood up. Tibia stayed seated. Then the two left the room with Knight and his companions.

Knight did not like it and as close as the others were, he could not discuss it with his companions. He had to wait for a better situation.

They went down the stairway to the left and used a side exit of the building. There also stairs were leading further down to the ground and they went to a bigger mushroom crossover.

On the left they could see to the highest mushroom in the middle. It was going up to the top of the cave, where it was connected to some support constructions which seemed to carry the cave. Would it be possible to burrow the city with some well-placed charges? Knight was not sure. The experience with the strong doors told him, that they would need special charges. Which they most likely had not enough brought down from the Icarus.

They went into the other building. There was a smaller hall which looked more like the planet side facility entrance. Light was coming from the above area and nothing decorative was found. Left and right were doors and also in front of them. They went straight ahead into a corridor which was leading to the sides.

Tarsus opened another door in front of them. They were now in a smaller room. A bigger door was at the end.

Tarsus said something to the other which then went out.

“You can choose now to get new suits or just helms. It’s just for your safety. With the new suits the effects of our weapons will be damped. So you will just slowly go down on a hit. With your suits and helms you just fall unconscious. The helm will protect you. Here in the training area is all mostly flat. So there is not much danger. You will fight three of our workers. The area has some cover to make use of it. At the middle there is a building which you should try to capture and hold. But winner is the one team which has someone still standing or five minutes holding the middle building,” Tarsus explained.

“So what is this? Some kind of entertaining game?” Knight asked.

“You mean like an arena. No. It’s just a training and research facility where we test new genetic materials. In this case our workers are monitored. So we can determine their efficiency and optimize them. Later this year you will fight our warriors. They will be a bit superior. Which means you will have to find a solution, improve your abilities or if you want let us genetically enhance you. If you can’t beat them whatever you decide to try, you will get a new assignment you can try to master. I go out and let you decide how you want approach this. The door to the training ground is open so you can inspect it. When you come back your equipment will be here.” Tarsus went out of the door.

“What now?” Riley asked.

“We go out and inspect the arena. I don’t know how intensive they are monitoring us. But for now a bit cooperation won’t hurt,” Knight walked into the training arena. Further out there he whispered, “I assume they give us no lethal weapons. That will make our options limited. Don’t give your best here. Just try to win and look around for options. I don’t know what’s best. But having our suits will give us the option to remove their helms and run. Using their suits may give them probably more control over us. Who knows what else the helm does.”

“But without helm it is quite dangerous against the worker I guess. He didn’t lie or sadly we have no other choice,” Pearce whispered back.

“I may try to ask for our helms. But that will probably don’t work,” Knight replied still whispering to them. Then continued normal, “This is a standard fight scenario a lot of cover. We can try some flanks and in the building we could sure hold the position. But also have a problem with one not covered side. The same is with the opponent.”

“Best we try to prevent them from entering it. If they lose one or two trying, we could have an easy play with the last one,” Pearce replied.

“Riley any suggestions?” Knight asked.

“Just hide left and right of the building and shoot them on the run to it,” Riley said. It was a one level building with windows on each side and two entrances. The ground level was rectangular and there were no doors that could be closed. The window part was also just an opening which was a bit higher than a normal window would be. A stairway led to the flat top which was for whatever reason a circle. So the building looked like a mushroom with a rectangular stem. An about one-meter-high wall was the top cover in an octagonal configuration. Also there were the same walls around the stairs. They were now standing at the top.

“The other option is to hold the position up here if we are much faster here. But they might spot us,” Pearce said.

“Yes, the position up here has some advantage over the lower covers, which will them prevent from hiding. It will depend how good they are in long-distance shots. Till now that was not very impressive. Let’s go back we have seen enough.” Knight led the way back.

Both aliens were back. There were now two tables in the room. On one were the three suits and helms. The other one had three rifles on it, which were more like the microwave rifle, but smaller.

Knight took one of the rifles targeted with it, checked the weight and handling. It was lighter than the microwave ones they used. Also he found nothing that showed the number of shots.

“It is a very simple rifle. You see the targeting point. It works similar as with your rifles. Here is a hidden button to show how much shots you have in the display.” Tarsus showed Knight and the others it. “Removing the energy cell is also simple. You have 500 shots and can get another cell in the building or from an opponent.”

“What about our helms. We are more used to them not that I think yours might be bad. But all our training was in this suits we have,” Knight mentioned.

“We guessed you will try these. Your helm electronic is screwed. But no problem. Just try these helms and check how they feel and work. Then you can have your screwed helms back if you want,” Tarsus replied.

Knight put a helm on. They seemed all to be the same. It did fit to the suit connection and then adapted to his head. It felt good even better as his helm. The sight area was a bit better to the bottom and it seemed to have nearly no weight.

“You have voice commanding. It understands infrared mode, normal mode, targeting mode and enhanced mode,” Tarsus added. “Oh and when you take the rifle, you get the shot count.”

The others also used the helm now. Trying out the modes worked well. They seemed to be better with comparable features. But for that they would have to test them.

Knight removed the helm.

“Yes, it is not bad. But here in this fight our helms are sufficient and they have the optimized weight we are used too,” he said.

“No problem, as I said you can use yours. It’s just for the safety.” Tarsus looked to the door and three Gray came in with the helms.

Knight checked the helm he got now and could see it was his by the number code in it. He put it on.

“Now when the door opens the first round will begin. We have speaker to inform you if needed. I will now go to the observation room. If you need something, outside in the entrance hall a Gray is waiting. They will also patch you up after a hit,” Tarsus and the other insectoid went out, then the Grays followed.

Knight and this team were ready. The door opened and they went out.

 

“Icarus I have sent the list of replacement parts. I will now go back to the cave and help the others,” Newman radioed and stepped on his bike. He was up there on the shot combat drone with no cover except the monitoring of the drones and satellites.

“We send it to the landing zone. The pilots will then put it on a container,” Fisher replied.

“Perfect, I also wrote a short list on the Icarus what I wanted to check out. May the physics department have a look on it. It might have some use.”

Fisher was a bit curious what that could be. He immediately let open a channel to the department. It took a bit of time then he got a list. He changed the order and let the work start.

Newman was with Ryan now.

“The Laser will need about 15 minutes, I guess,” Newman reported after checking the progress.

“Well, then Watkins has not much time for her stuff. When the door opens I want her and primary the scientists at the top level. Maybe you can assist her a bit,” Ryan replied.

“I’m on my way.” With the bike it was a short ride for Newman.

 

Watkins was with Jones and a scientist at the humans. The others of her team were taking samples and scans of the greenhouse which had violet lighting in there.

Watkins was checking the readings of some displays of the hibernation chamber. She used a tablet to help with the translation. Then Newman joined them.

“Can I assist?” he asked.

Watkins turned around then the identifier showed her who was standing there. She did not recognize his voice while studying deeply the data. “Oh, Newman. Yes, we are trying to figure out if we can wake this one or just open the device and take samples from him. Those readings show me at least that it would take some time to wake him up from his current temperature,” she told.

“If it does not kill him I can search for the opening mechanism or an override.” Newman looked at the device.

“We are assuming this thing is just holding the temperature and is monitoring