Malachi, nodded as the last of her fellow comrades in cause sat at
the conference table. Strange though it was to no longer be able to take
wing to where ever in the world she desired, she was at least able to play
part in events outside the borders of her adopted…..beloved country!
"The next order of business is that of the slipgate system," the dragonness
said. Several puzzled looks greeted that statement.
"What of them?" Duke Dredrick asked, at a loss. "Besides being the mode
of choice for desperate or foolish men, what does this have to do with
the price of squash at the market?"
The others echo the Duke's question and the dragonness waited for the
noise to die down. She saw that Frederigo D'Honaire had a knowing look
on his foxy face, he and his friends of this world….of all people….should
have an idea about what the problem was.
"Problems began…..and deadly serious ones at that…..started apparently
on the day that nuclear bombs destroyed….DESTROYED….mind you…..an Atlantian
control nexus located in the now defunct Kingdom of Gelda. This caused
a major disruption in normal operations as the system-from what I can tell-kept
trying to connect to a component in the system that no longer existed."
"The Atlantians built the slipgates well…..but they never envisioned
the horrifying power of nuclear weapons." Dragon Synizn muttered darkly.
"Yet another group blindsided by technology and science. This is a frightening
time, folks."
"Frightening yes. " Malachi agrees. "However, what has been done, can
not be undone. We either face the challenge and overcome it, or we will
be overcome by the challenge."
This draws vigorous nodding and affirmations.
"And we were VERY lucky that when my group tried to use the slipgate-using
a combination that Willian had found that worked when he and Alstra were
fleeing for their lives from my father-that we only ended up in Ethiopia…..instead
of inside solid rock." Fred says gravely.
"It also disrupted any magical communications I tried to make to Fred
and the adventurers," Carradene related to the audience. "That was also
why I could make no contact with Malachi sometime after the Golems left….for
a time."
"Hell!" Probe swore. "I was even told that spacial distortions from
that slipgate system of yours was credited for throwing the Enemy ship
and my companions ship off course…..into one of the other Mirror. Lt. Bristol
ran into two demi-foxes that a bunch of thugs were going to kill. Since
he was scouting around in an Avatar-a Golem-since we weren't sure if yet
another Phage might be in the works below…the darts that hit him instead
of the the vixen demi-fox…..only ruined his shirt with the stains."
"An being grateful for the timely actions," Astra 3 says softly, drawing
attention from everyone. "The former demi-fox vixen….would you please pass
along my heartfelt thanks for saving me and my children from those bastards,
Probe?"
"Uh…sure!" Probe blinks, then nods. He had a suspicion that one of these
Freds and Astras had been there…..but this sure clinched it. "The peace
loving folk of the Alliance hate such cowardly acts that that, ma'am, and
any one of the ship would have done it!"
And I'd have had a little….fun…..with those creeps before stripping
them of their weapons….and sending them to Hel (re: 1748). Probe thinks
grimly.
-
 "And that brings me to
my point," Malachi continues.
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