Release

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{The story on P-a-t-r-e-o-n is at 185 chapters.}

{Book 1 has been completed.}

~~~(POV: Durado)~~~

The restraints are undone, and the tension in the air around this little room rises as I stand up. I roll my neck and shoulders. "I take it any person or machine on or in the Yelare System that was armed is dead?" My question is directed to the group, but no one want's to step forward and say anything. That's when the leader goes over to a table and picks up a datapad.

He walks back over and hands it to me, and I start to look at all the information. It seems that anything that was deemed a threat by the ruins was thoroughly handled.

This group must've survived because of something not in this datapad.

I lift my head from the datapad and look at the leader for some explanation. "It all happened in an instant. We were all on break and in our team's private quarters. The only reason we weren't killed in the initial attack is that none of us had our weapons on us. We can use them now, but we don't know why." That seems to fit with what I've seen so far.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us if I'm going to get to the structure alive. These people's lives are secondary to my concerns.

I place the datapad on the only table here, and I turn to the only door in the room. "I arrived here with another person, and my current objective is to find him. He was taken by one of the machines that destroyed my starship. Does anyone know where he might've been taken?" The members of the group look at each other and shake their heads.

I'm willing to bet a lot of credits that Scott's the first one to be taken alive anywhere. Scott's a good kid, but he's got some dangerous secrets. What happened to him proves that there is a lot he isn't telling me.

The leader of the group leans against the doorway. "We know next to nothing regarding what's going on. If your friend was really taken alive, then this is the first I've ever heard or seen something like that. The construct that chased you into the jungle doesn't take prisoners. They either let you live if you're unarmed, or they eliminate you." Scott was armed.

He was taken unharmed regardless of his threat potential. This is all very strange and isn't really leading anywhere. I know he's alive. He's too smart to die without giving his opponents some serious struggles.

I walk towards the door and past the leader. "Let's head to the ruins. That was the place my friend was taken." They give hesitant looks.

I'm guessing that there is some sort of threat potential. "If none of you want to come, you're welcome to stay here. But once I find Scott, I'll be finding another way off this planet. This is going to be your only chance to get off Heroor." I'm not going to be holding anyone's hand.

I know their highly capable and trained professionals. Teller-Bravo wouldn't have hired them. If they can pull their own weight, they're welcome to come.

~~~(POV: Larzacks)~~~

This is a total shitstorm, and I warned that messing with Primordium tech for extended periods of time can have dire consequences. "I'm sorry, sir. There is nothing we can do to get out of this room. The entire structure has locked us out, and we can't access anything. Even the systems that we brought and set up have been taken over." One of the eggheads begins to ramble about how dire this situation is.

My main concern is getting that warning beacon out for Teller-Bravo. If they bring any ships, they'll be decimated like our stationed fleet.

The console begins blinking, and the structure lights up the same way it did before the first attacks on our fleet. "Son of a Bitch!! What the fuck is happening!?" One of the more foul-mouthed eggheads starts mashing buttons and inputting commands.

I can already tell a problem is coming. "Incoming fleet! Teller-Bravo reinforcements!" I look at the screen, and a fuzzy picture comes through of ships exiting hyperspace. "Sir, they're trying to contact us, but the structure is blocking all comms!" We all watch as the same weapons systems that destroyed our fleet light up, and movement all around the structure is heard.