The Province Of Terrans 2

A Starshatter adventure

Mar 07, 2025

(Art source unknown)

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Index: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16

Chapter 9

Regeneration

The gloom of ruined pipes, their metallic innards dotted with molten holes and vibroblade cuts, they were a scene known. The Roundabout’s patrons did not crave incessant access to ever more holo-data, yet their Spacer storyteller had already provided them with more. This time, they witnessed him leading his new followers, the Vaugn men, through and across treacherous pits, their jagged metal edges alike the teeth of a maw hungry for the flesh of the thoughtless.

The Vaugn had pseudo spacesuits, yet these were beyond rudimentary and their bodies experienced pain as they traversed areas without atmo. More, these were of thin fabric, made for emergencies only and most had already been damaged. Tied with pieces of wire, glued, and various sheets of metal covering the bigger holes, it was indeed a recipe for disaster. The audience cringed every time when the Spacer’s holo-footage displayed any of these suits since they could almost feel the hurt of those who wore them.

Had they perhaps not been led by a master explorer like Northstone Firehand, mayhap some of these tired soldiers would’ve succumbed to the deathly environment. Derelicts, just like a dry desert, a sticky swamp, or gloomy damp forest, they devoured the living with but a single, misguided step. Noting that these pipes had accumulated countless years of battle damage began to weigh heavily upon the audience.

A respite came for their weary minds, when Northstone projected a short holo-vid of him and Niv, going through the traps set around the Shelter.

“Look and learn traps.” – Niv grumbled, pointing Northstone’s every move to his soldiers – “Teach, removal.”

“Yes, I made sure to show them the basics.” – the Spacer motioned at his holo-footage and his face was not as sad as before – “Them being disposable, these soldiers were used as a tool to trip booby-traps or clear mines. Indeed, they became aware of our way, yet I made sure to repeat myself... just in case their old programming resurfaced.”

The Spacer showed a number of holo-slides, where he personally instructed the Vaugn soldiers how to disarm the booby-traps. Since these were looted Jaern beamguns, he gave them one each and led the troop inside the Shelter, explaining:

“No more are you expendable, for as my friend Vinson the Morale Officer always says, ‘Dead soldiers save no one!’”

“To make things better, I made sure that they could rely upon my knowledge and experience. That I would gladly teach them how to survive, and they shan’t be abandoned.” – Northstone addressed his audience with a calm smile, adding – “And since this was perhaps one of the most brutal space survival situations, logically, to ensure that as many of them would live to see another life, I became their leader.”

Jenn sneaked a slice of salami and as she sipped from her own glass, the bikar woman enjoyed American whiskey, she mentioned – “Would you imagine it any other way? I was once told a tale by one of our good patrons about a gaggle of netfluencers who ventured inside a derelict. The bathetic simpletons whined, complained, argued, and instead of a clear leader, they ‘collaboratively’ led the group.”

Patrons and storyteller shared a moment of chuckles, sighs, and nods, before Northstone asked – “I would entertain an experienced guess, yet do tell us, please, what happened?”

“Why, they all died, of course.” – shrugged the woman and took another sip of whiskey – “No one could reach them in time and them dumb asses never planned a backup in case things went sour.”

“Two weeks?” – inquired the Spacer with a raised eyebrow.

“One.” – answered Jenn, offering an explanation to the intrigued audience – “They perished by radiation exposure since they did not properly scan the derelict.”

“Thoughtless. This is indeed the most basic of things one should do in such places.” – sighed Northstone and proceeded to show another set of holo-slides.

The Roundabout witnessed him organizing the Vaugn. Split in three groups, one to rest, the second guard, and the third collect bits of salvage. Those of them who were the most tired, including that young soldier, they went to sleep. Armed with looted Jaern beamguns, the guards established a perimeter while Northstone got to work.

First, he made sure to craft simple spacesuits so the rugged soldiers would not have to struggle with their flimsy suits. A thing that he, a Spacer and master of spacesuit design was more than capable of doing. In record time since he already had looted Jaern armored suits to work with, the Terran fashioned a number of good spacesuits and dispensed them to those who worked outside.

“See, dear friends,” – said Northstone, as he showed a short set of scan-data files of the suits he Frankenstein-ed together from Jaern parts and Terran ingenuity – “I was able to make these and in short time only because our Jaern hosts were gracious enough to provide. Otherwise, it would’ve taken me a week to craft twelve spacesuits with working life-support.”

Not too shabby, nevertheless the armor protection of these suits was minimal. Of course, the Spacer had crafted them in such way that he could easily add extra plates at a later date. For now, it would seem, these and the bulky shields which the Vaugn had slapped together had to be enough.

“What followed next was a mad dash to craft all spare parts we needed to fix the Farm. I worked hard with them bringing me suitable bits of salvage, what would’ve taken me perhaps a day or longer, lasted six hours. I was a bit tired, but we couldn’t linger about and so, waking the rested Vaugn up, I left four to guard the Shelter and left.”

The audience witnessed him, Niv, and six Vaugn carrying each a small bundle of parts tied onto their backs via reused bits of grappler cables. Encumbered, they moved slower and had to stop each time when they traversed one of the ruined pipes. All in all, the indexes of Northstone’s files showed that the trip back took them two hours.

“Earlier, I had a feeling.” – began the Spacer and projected a set of holo-slides which showed the Farm was tampered with – “Indeed, it was a choice between strategy and my Spacer gut...”

Something or someone had raided the bio-incubation vats, taking all of the eggs which they once hatched. Strange, as it looked that great care was taken so the unborn critters would suffer no damage. There was not one shattered egg lying on the floor-plating. More, the longer they looked at these holo-slides, the more they began to notice a slew of other things. First, there were dried trails, as if something slithered its way around the Farm. Then, all the strange and partially withered watermelons appeared to have been plucked, yet their plants remained unharmed.

“Who or what had visited this upon our new Farm, I could not say. However, bar the loss of our protein source, we still had all plants and the hydroponic pools, their stems were able to grow more watermelon-like fruit. Thus, counting our losses, I directed Niv to help me while his fellows provided security.”

There came a number of holo-vids and slides that Northstone projected. It depicted him and Niv first pruning the overgrown plants, disposing the unneeded biomass in the hydroponic pools, fixing their thermal regulators, and finally, all interconnected control systems. This meant that the simple portable computing device which someone had installed could automatically operate the entire Farm.

“I made sure to explain how one tended to hydroponics. For sure the Vaugn men were not even told how to farm or even hunt for food! They were instead fed with a vile paste and, the longer I and Niv worked together, the more he opened up, telling me one horrid tale after another. I shan’t bore you with all the hours we invested putting the Farm back into working order, only but the most impactful of star-minutes.”

The Roundabout’s audience listened with bated breaths as Northstone projected a short holo-vid of Niv and himself talking.

“Farming... fixing... it feels proper.” – muttered the towering Vaugn, snapping his jaw a few times when he connected a broken plasma line under Northstone’s guidance.

“Us eat Soylent Zero.” – continued the ex slave soldier, his scarred face twisted in a fearful grimace when he explained – “Tastes, nothing. Expired rations and Vaugn fetus... bits.”

“Like I said, your mistresses are scum.” – said Northstone with ice cold chill in his voice as he showed Niv the correct way to hold a welding tool, changing his tone as he instructed the Vaugn – “Focus on learning, improving, surviving. Thus, you will save yourself, your kin, and many others.”

This induced a rare Vaugn smile, as the man otherwise considered waste by those who spawned him found yet another peaceful thing he enjoyed.

“I had my suspicions, Niv, but you helping me repair the Farm confirmed them.” – said the Spacer, as the two men regulated the main life support system which was why anyone could even take a breath here.

Niv blinked with his triple eyelids, snapped his jaw and head lowered, talked in Primal – “Niv, understand. Vaugn, murderer. Not easy, trust.”

It was Northstone’s turn to smile and he explained what he meant – “All that murder was not of your doing, but the Matriarchs. Niv, you have an innate desire, a talent even, to repair, to grow, and to build. My people, all Terrans, we like to create and explore, talk to others, not kill them.”

“But Terran, lethal warriors!” – emoted the confused Vaugn, unintentionally dropping his tool.

Northstone Firehand made Niv sit and slowly drew one of his pistols, placing the Deathknell in his big scaly hand. As this one was carefully studying the weapon, the Spacer quietly explained – “Many a man claim I am a great gunslinger. In my day, I have shot many a slaver, a narco, an invader. I killed all of these would-be oppressors dead and without a shred of mercy. Yet, what I prize the most is not death, though justified and enabling the safety of others the doom of parasitic villains always is, but all things of life I did in between.”

The Spacer showed Niv a set of holo-slides and the Vaugn’s hand shook, his jaw quivered. These were boyish pictures of Northstone showing him when he forged his spacesuit, worked on to build the FSS Bird Of Hope. There were many of these and each was a fond memory; cooking and eating foods, camping, performing acrobatics in open space.

“This...” – Niv was barely able to mutter in between furious breaths, as he examined the holo-images – “They... denied us... this.”

“Survive.” – stated the Spacer, his voice full of iron as he looked the Vaugn in the eyes – “There is a place where you and your soldiers can all live in peace.”

“Peace!?” – shouted Niv as he slowly wrested control of his rage and exclaimed as he handed Northstone his pistol back – “Kill, mistresses first... peace, then!”

“If that is your wish, Niv, I shall teach you the Terran Way.”

“Learn, Terr’aan soldier.” – agreed the Vaugn with a vigorous nod.

The Spacer holstered his gun and gave the Farm’s repaired computer a thorough look. Since everything appeared to be in order Northstone activated it and asked Niv to follow him, the two checking the perimeter together. There was more of that dried slime, trails which descended deeper into one claustrophobic to behold maze of piping.

The Vaugn reported nothing of interest, yet they guarded their fingers on the trigger, rightfully weary of yet another Jaern sneak attack.

Northstone elaborated while they patrolled, heavily emoting with his hands as it was customary for Spacer and generally in Terran culture to do so.

“Soldiers protect. Their real strength is not this,” – said the Spacer and pointed at his weapon first – “but here and here!” – and he motioned at Niv’s heart and head.

“Heart and mind.” – snapping his jaw said the Vaugn soldier.

“Each droplet of life-blood you spill, every torturous moment on the battlefield... these are all seeds of future peace. This is the essence of real, Terran soldiering!”

The holo-vid ended and everyone, Jenn included, gave Northstone a blistering look full of questions.

“Why yes, but of course I would teach them the Terran Way! Otherwise even with me trying to protect them, they’d die in battle. Their filthy ex-owners spawned them expendable, yet that genetically imprinted foolishness could be healed too. These ruined souls would be recovered, their hearts regenerated, even by one inept in the Terran Word such as myself!” – and the Spacer’s voice echoed across the Roundabout.

His words spread elation among the patrons when he announced – “No longer broken but made whole... Soldier, show yourself!”

One among many an alien, as the visitors of the Roundabout thought, a bulky silhouette rose from his chair. Clad in a beautiful, Spacer-made spacesuit, the man removed his helm and everyone witnessed Niv’s scarred face, his jaw half-snapped an honest smile.

Gasps and whispers of wonder, at first, spread across the venue, immediately followed by bouts of hearty cheer. Shouts “For Life Eternal!” and “He saved him!” boomed in the air! A bit startled, he who was spawned and chipped, a puppet to be thrown into the meat grinder by foul mistresses, Niv kept his unusual for a Vaugn man smile.

“He was your secret guest?!” – Jenn emoted with cheer in her voice, as she joined the choir of vigorously clapping patrons.

With a shining smile and a nod the Spacer replied – “Why yes, and he is one of two.”

“There is one more? Oh, now it gets even more interesting! How exactly did they manage to escape the derelict with their lives?! Were they able to save those doomed for the Jaern tables?” – Northstone Firehand’s audience, now even more intrigued, asked question after question among themselves.

“Yes, and you best believe it, dear friends, that guest is just as interesting a person as my friend Niv over there!” – exclaimed Northstone and gave the Vaugn a hand salute.

“Now, following many hours of extensive repairs, time came for my next decision.” – said the Spacer as he occupied his storytelling chair, reaching for his bikar beer and forked a thick slice of spicy ham.

Indeed, my dear readers, what would that decision look like is entirely up to you!

(One) “We were exhausted after working on the Farm for so many hours, and the mad dash to manufacture spare parts beforehand. Therefore, Niv and I set up a watch and the tired went to sleep. One hand on the gun, of course. In a few hours we would awaken; the Vaugn continue their work and I, my exploration!”

(Two) “That strange dried slime, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Thus, after a short rest and a bite to eat, I left Niv in charge. Gun in hand, scout goggles set on continuous active scan mode, I crawled into the slimed piping. Even if the thing (or things) which left that trail was long gone, as a Human and a Spacer, I felt uncomfortable not exploring it.”

(Three) “With the salvage still piled up back at the Shelter, I could craft a few hand scanners. These would significantly help my Vaugn allies and, hopefully, prevent any Jaern sneak attacks. Universe is my witness, the vile munchers were furtive and quite fond in sneaking about! Tiring as it was, safety during a deadly survival situation such as this one was of paramount importance, therefore I trekked back to the Shelter.”

(*_*_*)

Dear reader, please do not forget to post your pick in the comments below, and elaborate upon why you think our protagonist should do so.

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