Chapter 41 Leaving the Station

Dustin stepped onto the ship, and waited for the door to completely seal shut, before he turned to look at the nine people looking at him in fear.

"Granny, how long can we sit here, until we have to leave?"

"Probably a couple hours, just let me know when you're ready to go," she said in his ear.

"Alright."

Turning to them he gave orders to his PED to change him back to 'normal'.

(INITIATING EVOLUTION.)

(EVOLUTION COMPLETE.)

Their eyes were wide as they stared at his 'human' body.

"First of all, lets get rid of those ridiculous collars." He sent swarms of nanobots to eat them and to ensure that they wouldn't explode, or some other nonsense.

"Now, let's get you some clothes, and I'll introduce you to the other Uz'En we have on board."

"Who are you?" one of them asked, a man who was rubbing his neck in wonder after the nanobots flew away, carrying the pieces of metal away.

"I am Dustin," he said, motioning for them to head down the hall. Based on the blank looks he received, it was obvious they had never heard his name before. Their reaction was nothing like the reaction the other group had.

When he led them into the cafeteria, the boy ran up to him, grinning.

"Your majesty! Are we getting ready to head home, now?"

"Not yet," he said, hunkering down to talk to him. "What's your name?"

"My name's Howell," he said, cheerfully.

"Well, Howell, I just got these new people, and they need some clothes. Can you run and fetch me some with one or two of the others? You're in charge, to make sure they get the right ones."

"All right!" His eyes lit up, and he ran to get two people to go with him to the holding bay. Standing back up, Dustin noted how the kid counted how many there were and who was a boy and a girl before leaving.

"Who are these people?" asked one of the men from the lab.

"I just bought them from the slavers here."

Dustin turned to the slaves, "Where did you guys come from?"

"We are bred and raised for sale on a planet far from here," said one of the women.

"The master liked this station's market, because he always seemed to get more money for us," said another.

Dustin shook his head. If he was going to be expected to gather his people from all over, he definitely had his work cut out for him.

"Well, as the kid pointed out, I am apparently the king of the Uz'En, though if I had it my way, I would let someone else be king. I'm just good with tech and surviving."

"That's better than any of the rest of us," said one of the slave men. The others in the room quickly agreed.

This was the first time that Dustin had actually interacted with them more than just a few minutes. It was obvious they were all grateful that they weren't the ones who had to pretend to be something they weren't and be big and scary. Which amused Dustin, because he knew they were all capable of changing.

As he opened his mouth to tell them so, he was suddenly standing next to a fire place, looking down at the dead form of a man. Except the man's blood wasn't red, it was blue. His facial features were slowly changing back to those of someone else, and Dustin realized, the man was a Uz'En. What the hell?

Looking around, he found himself holding a blue cube in one hand. The room was littered with tools, that he recognized as his, but where was this? Dustin knew this was no where he had ever been before.

Outside the window, he could see a vast city spread out before him, the sky was artificial, emitting light to simulate day. Small ships, the size of small cars, flew throughout the city. As one flew close to his window, he realized the ship was made of nanobots. He saw his reflection staring back at him, shock written plain on his face, but the smile wasn't his. It was his son's!

Dustin blinked, and stumbled, reaching up to touch his face as a splitting headache roared through his head, and then was gone.

"Are you all right?" asked one of the people before him.

Straightening up, he smiled at them, "Sorry, I had a headache, but I'm fine now.

"I picked up new clothes, that may fit you better than those outfits you're wearing now, and food. I'm hoping some of you are capable of cooking, because I only know how to make stuff over fires."

Several of the women stepped up, and headed to the kitchen. Leaving them, he hurried out of the room. Pausing in the hall, he thought about the vision he had just experienced. How could he know that was his son? Where the hell? So many questions were tumbling in his head, that he could feel the headache threatening to return.

Taking a breath, he shrugged his thoughts aside. He would hopefully have time later to worry about all of that. Right now, he had to get Olivia back before his kid was born. She would kill him if he didn't.

"All right, Granny. I'm on my way to the bridge, get us undocking."

Settling into his chair on the bridge, he watched his console as Granny punched in the coordinates for the first jump. It would take two to reach the planet they were heading to. He could see the alien ship waiting to attack them, but they wouldn't give them an opportunity.

"I have this jump and the next one already planned into the computer. It will take us about ten seconds to turn, which will give the aliens a chance to jump in and see us, but not enough time to attack, before we jump again."

Nodding, Dustin watched as they were chased in slow motion, until they were far enough away from the station to jump. No sooner had they arrived, then they were already turning. The aliens arrived, just as they were jumping again. As they arrived above the planet, alarms started to ring all over the ship.

"The sun's unstable! What the hell Dustin!" screamed Granny, typing frantically.

"It's alright!" he cried, "Nanobots, initiate radiation block, and cloak!"

The alarms immediately stopped, as the nanobots that were covering the entire outside of the ship, blocked the insane radiation that was pummeling them, and cloaked them from viewers.

"Alien vessel, this area is already claimed by the A'Dfukl. Uncloak and prepare to be destroyed!" The message was repeated once more before the huge mother ship that orbited the planet sent out thousands of killer bot ships to find them.

Then the aliens from the battle site, and the station, jumped in.