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Echelon - Ch 4
🕑 Added 2022-06-06 00:04:00 +0000 UTCIssac spent the subsequent two days thinking about various topics and spending time with Anthony who didn't plan on leaving immediately.
These two friends would hang around the lab but also explore the city. On the second day after the big proposition, Issac and Anthony hopped into the truck with Nifty right behind.
Issac sped off, his truck reaching high speeds as it roared down a long dirt road. The suspension on the wheels was only able to mitigate a bit of the turbulence as they sped over slightly uneven dirt at over 100 miles an hour.
"God, you're going to get me ejected! Slow down!"
Anthony shouted as he braced himself against the car. Meanwhile, Issac wasn't even strapped in, casually driving at such speeds as he had done many times before.
"What's your problem? You literally know how to fly a mech."
"I don't bounce around inside the mech while flying it! It's also meant to go fast, unlike this garbage heap!"
"Actually, this can go much faster. I've throttled the fuel injection inside the engine."
"Huh? By how much?"
"By about half."
"What the hell!"
Anthony couldn't help but cry out. Issac just chuckled as they pulled up to the city.
Thankfully, Anthony was no stranger to crazy rides. After getting out of the car, he only had to calm his stomach for a few minutes before recovering. Issac stretched a bit as Nifty jumped onto his shoulder.
"Come on. We're going to Miss Mary's."
"Huh? Who's Miss Mary?"
"A lady who runs a candy shop. She makes fantastic caramels."
"The hell?"
Anthony was a bit baffled as he stood and walked with Issac. The two strolled down a few streets, Issac being greeted like usual.
It wasn't long before they walked into the candy shop. Issac called out before a small old lady came waddling out of the shop.
"Issac! I'm so glad to see you."
"Hi Miss Mary. Go ahead and show me to those parts. I don't want to keep your machine waiting much longer."
"Of course, of course. Right back here."
Miss Mary smiled before hurrying to the back of the shop. Anthony followed Issac with a weird gaze as they were led to the broken machine.
Seeing the machine and the boxes of parts next to it, Issac nodded before going straight to work. Anthony watched as Nifty jacked into the terminal and Issac tore apart the machine, removing melted and ruined mechanical parts.
"This... is a candy machine?"
Anthony asked as he walked around the decade old, partially rusted machine. Issac nodded.
"Yup."
"You're telling me that a Dark Technician, someone who can handle the most advanced technology in the galaxy, is helping to repair a candy machine?"
"It's for Miss Mary."
"And Nifty, an extremely advanced piece of quantum hardware and software that can act as the processing mechanism for a mech suit, is currently editing the system files of a candy machine?"
"Again, for Miss Mary."
"And what the hell are you getting paid for this?"
"She gives me caramels."
Issac spoke as he grabbed a piece of candy from a bag Miss Mary gave him. Anthony was dumbfounded as he watched.
There were many people in Issac's lab that understood how smart he was. However, Anthony was one of the few people who understood just how advanced Nifty was. Nifty seemed like some random mechanical cat Issac kept around as a pet. And that wasn't false. But what they didn't know was that inside Nifty was a powerful quantum computer along with some hardware that made use of nanotechnology, such as its tail that could plug into any port.
Nifty was Issac's software support when he was working with Dark Tech, and the cat even had Black Iron within it, allowing it to interface directly with Issac. There were also several other secrets on Nifty that even Antony didn't know about. And such an advanced piece of technology was now being used by Issac to tackle the software behind a candy melting machine. Anthony wasn't sure how to react to this. It was the equivalent of using a starship to drive to the market for some groceries. It was the most overkill thing Anthony had ever seen.
And because it was so overkill, it didn't take long for Issac to finish. After screwing back on the outer plates of the machine, Nifty booted it up and ran it through several tests. Issac packed up the few tools he had brought along after finishing the job.
"Oh, Issac, you've truly helped me greatly. Now my candy shop is saved."
Miss Mary came walking over with praises when she saw the candy machine working normally again. Issac smiled.
"It was nothing much."
"Oh, nonsense. Here, take these candies. And if you come by in a couple more days, I'll have another batch ready for you."
"Thank you Miss Mary. Unfortunately, I'm actually going to be leaving soon."
"Are you really? Let me guess, you're going out to the islands off the coast? I heard the weather there is tropical year round."
"Well... something like that."
Issac scratched his head. Deciding that there was no reason to explain everything, he just sighed.
"Anyway, I'll be gone and likely won't be back for a long time. I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to help anymore."
"Really? Well, you go and do what you need to do Issac. You're a growing man. If you ever have time, do stop by. I'll always have candies waiting for you."
"Sure. Thank you Miss Mary."
With that, Issac bid the little old lady goodbye. He and Anthony left the shop, likely never to return again.
"Well that was a little depressing."
Anthony spoke as they walked back to the car. Issac shrugged.
"I can't stay here forever."
"So you really have decided to go to the Mantle?"
"Yea. I mean, how am I supposed to reject? If I don't go then I'll just stay and rot on this farmland. Or maybe open a candy shop. While running a shop like Miss Mary's sounds fun, going to the Mantle is a bit more interesting. Plus, it also looks a bit fun.
"I wouldn't say fun. More like back-breakingly stressful with freaks around every corner."
Anthony scowled as he recalled what he knew about the Mantle. It was the most competitive planet in the galaxy. How was a place like that fun?
"Eh, let's just head home. Even my dad is already making preparations for me to go."
"Mm. Wait, hang on. What's that?"
Issac nodded before suddenly spotting something in the corner of his eye. He stopped walking and nudged Anthony, both their gazes turning up to the sky.
Up in the atmosphere, both of them could see a bright streak draw a fiery line through the air. It looked like a ship.
"Is that a starship? What the hell is is doing breaching the atmosphere like that?"
Anthony was dumbfounded as he watched this ship streak toward the ground. When he saw the black plumes of smoke behind it though, he realized what was happening.
"A crashland? Hey, that's going to crash awfully close to us."
"Yea. Wait, did you see that?"
"See what? You've got much better vision than I do."
Anthony was curious. As someone who could control light, Issac had much better vision than him.
Meanwhile, as the ship crashlanded, Issac could see a small object shoot out of it. It looked like a pod, and Issac figured it was an escape pod.
"Something came off the ship."
"Off it? Whatever, I'll call my dad. There's no way response forces won't be on that things ass."
"Yea, you do that. I'm gonna go."
"Go? Where?"
"To explore! Just stay here!"
"Hey!"
Issac waved as he ran off to his truck. Anthony was left behind as he called his father, speechless.
Nifty was right behind Issac as the two jumped into the truck. After roaring to life, the truck sped off and left the city.
"Nifty, calculate that thing's position."
*Meow!*
As they drove, Nifty's eyes flashed before projecting an image onto the windshield of the truck. Issac saw as the pod's trajectory was plotted and a map was made. In only a second, Issac had a definite landing position. It was about 25 miles away in the middle of a desolate farm field.
Seeing this, Issac smiled before veering off the road he was on. The truck immediately rumbled as it hit uneven terrain, but that didn't stop him from flooring it. His speed rapidly approached 150 miles an hour. He would arrive in less than 15 minutes.
The truck's exterior was caked with dirt as it kicked up a dust storm. Thankfully, the suspension was good and Issac could maintain the high speed while not flipping the thing. Like that, he quickly arrived at the crash site.
..........
Meanwhile, several minutes after the pod crashed into the ground, a door was blasted open. A single person came stumbling out, coughing.
"Agh! Damned ship! An actual pile of garbage! Can I not jump through a few star systems without fighting for my life? That would be greatly appreciated!"
This person kicked a few scrap pieces of metal before huffing and sitting on top of a boulder. Their clothes were messy from the crash and were now dirty due to the small fit of rage.
After calming down, the person took out a small device, tapping it a few times before hearing a sound in their ear.
"Hey admiral? Yes, I was wondering if you could give me an escort. No, I'm not on the home planet. Look, I'll send you the planetary coordinates. I'm on some backwater human farming colony. And do me a favor. Don't tell anyone about this. I've gotten enough crap from my brother and aunt, and for a damn day, I need things to not backfire on me. Yes, I can keep myself safe. And no, don't send the damn armada. Just send a starship that works. Thanks."
With a sigh, the sound from the device cut out. The person rubbed their head, exhausted by the recent happenings.
At that moment though, there was a roaring in the distance. The person turned their head, seeing a single barreling vehicle that left behind a cloud of dust in their wake.
"Fantastic. A hillbilly farmer coming to check things out. I thought the pod was cloaked? Whatever."
They shook their head. The next second, a red truck came to a skidding halt. Half of the truck was covered in mud, looking even worse than the pod that recently crash landed.
Then, a person jumped out. It was Issac, and he waved away some of the dust that blew in his face as he walked forward. Unlike normally though, his hair was white, indicating that he had activated his shadow clone. The shadow was hidden though, and only he knew where.
"Hello? Is everybody alright?"
Issac shouted as he approached. In his hand was a box with a medical sign on it. He was expecting whoever crash landed to be hurt, and he luckily had some spare supplies in his truck. Granted, it had been sitting there for years, so how good the stuff inside was, he didn't really know.
When he laid eyes on this mysterious person though, he was stunned.
This person sat on one of the rocks with a casual but noble demeanor. It was a female, but not a human female.
She had light red skin. Her hair that grew down to her shoulders was made of fine crystalline thread and refracted the sunlight coming from above, making it shine white like snowy ice. Her facial features were unexpectedly similar to a human's, with a small nose and full lips. Her eyes were a bit different from humans, her pupils being large and her eyes a deep purple.
Other than the red skin, crystal hair, and fuller eyes, this girl was exactly like a human female, with a full chest and everything. Issac was surprised. He quickly recognized this girl's race.
She was an Aatrix, a member of the second of the galaxy's three civilizations. The Aatrix were known for their red skin and crystal hair, and also their surprisingly human appearance. Despite looking similar though, they were very much a different species. On the inside, their bodies were genetically very different.
Still, although Issac had seen many Aatrix while surfing the galactic net, this one in front of him was easily one of the most beautiful. He was slightly stunned by her appearance.
And Issac wasn't the only one. The Aatrix girl sitting on the rock was a bit surprised by Issac. His height, lean body, white hair, bright blue eyes, and handsome appearance that couldn't be hidden by his rugged clothes. Issac was by no means an ugly man. He could even be called pretty.
To this girl who was expecting some trashy farmer, she was pleased. Her eyebrows raised, and the two stared at each other.
After several moments of silence, Issac summoned the courage to speak. He had never spoken to another alien race before, so this was totally new to him.
"Uh, can you understand me?"
"If you speak the galactic language, then yes."
The girl responded with a smile. Issac sighed in relief. He wouldn't know what to do if there was a language barrier.
"Oh, good. Uh, I got a box here."
"That sounds exciting."
"Yes? It's got medical supplies. Are you hurt?"
"Emotionally or physically?"
"Anything that can be treated with alcohol."
"Then yes."
The girl giggled, revealing a bright smile. Issac also smiled giddily as he walked over to the rock she sat on. He laid the medical case down and popped it open, squatting down next to her.
"So which wounds should we treat first? And just forewarning you, I am not a licensed therapist."
"Huhu, I think I'll start with the cut that keeps pouring blood onto my eye."
The girl spoke as she dabbed her forehead with her fingers. Looking over, Issac saw some red streaks streaming down from a cut above her eyebrow. Her blood was also red like her skin, and he didn't see it at first due to the matching colors.
He grabbed a towel before taking a small bottle of pure alcohol and wetting it. He looked at the girl.
"May I?"
"Hm, go ahead."
She smiled and nodded. Issac then pressed the towel onto the wound, causing her to wince as the alcohol stung the cut.
"Sorry. I'll be quick."
He softly spoke as he wiped the blood from her face, cleaning her up. It wasn't long before the cut was exposed. Dabbing it, he cleaned it up before grabbing some gauze and other bandages. Thankfully, everything was still fresh despite the years of sitting around.
Placing some healing ointment onto the cut, he covered it with gauze before placing down an adhesive bandage. As he did so, he noticed markings on her face. There were a few white lines that traced elegant designs near her eyes and forehead, traveling symmetrically upward along the curves of her face. It didn't take away from her beauty at all, only adding to the exotic feeling Issac got when looking at her.
After several seconds, Issac finished. The result was a big white square just above the girl's eyebrow. She felt the bandage when he was finished.
"Why thank you. How do I look?"
"...Like you just came off a battlefield."
"Hah! I wish it was that great a story."
The girl couldn't help but smile as she stood up. Issac closed up the medical case as he rose from the ground.
"Alright, so now that your physical wounds are healed, let's talk stories. What was the miraculous chain of events that led to you crash landing on this planet?"
"Oh, it's not much of a story. I was heading to school, only I decided that I didn't want my obnoxious brother to take me, so I snatched one of the old ships that had been sitting in my backyard for years and used it to leave. Turns out though, starships have expiration dates."
The girl spoke as she walked back into her pod and grabbed a bag. She walked out as she finished, looking at the pod with a gaze of disappointment.
"A few shuttles and the fracture drive failed. I was ejected at this star system and was thankfully near to this planet. So I steered into it. I'm sure you know the rest."
"Yea..."
Issac nodded a bit absentmindedly.
Fracture drives were devices that allowed starships to jump across star systems, reaching across the galaxy. They're easily the most important transportation technology ever built. The jumping process was called shuttling, since one would shuttle through a sub-dimension to achieve faster than light speeds.
Only, Issac was dumbfounded by the fact that this girl could so easily get her hands on a starship with such technology. She obviously wasn't some nobody.
Issac spoke.
"...Anyway, I'm not sure what your plans are..."
"I have someone coming to get me."
"By ship?"
"Yes. I told him to pick me up at wherever I happen to be. Only, it'll be a day before he gets here."
"I see. What about your ship?"
"It's actual garbage. I never want to see it again."
The girl spoke with a small surge of anger. Issac tactfully didn't push the topic.
"Right. So you have until tomorrow and nowhere to go."
"Yup. This is where you offer me some help."
"Y-yea. Uh, I have a house."
"Really? You don't sound too sure."
She titled her head, glancing from Issac to the truck in the background.
"I promise I do. And no, it's not my truck."
"Hehe, that's a relief."
"Come with me then."
Issac scratched his head as he turned and walked. The girl followed behind, the two approaching the truck.
"Sorry Nifty, you get the dashboard this time."
"Nifty?"
The girl tilted her head as she opened the passenger door to the truck. When she did, she immediately saw a black mechanical cat sitting in the passenger seat. It was Nifty, and the cat looked at her with its glowing blue eyes.
"Oh? A cat. You built this?"
"Yes. He's called Nifty. He's my partner."
"Well your partner is very cute."
The girl spoke as she tapped Nifty's nose. Nifty didn't shy away, instead moving to get out of the girl's way. With that she jumped into the car.
"Wow. To be honest, I've actually never ridden in a land vehicle."
"Huh? Like, never?"
"Nope. Where I come from, we only ride in flying cars. Much faster and more convenient."
"Oh. Well, allow me to indulge you in some good old fashioned land transportation. So, we're about 30 miles away from my house. How fast to you want to get there?"
"Hmm... As fast as possible."
The girl symbolically rubbed her chin before spitting out her answer, a bit of an adventurous spirit radiating from her. Issac only smiled though.
"So be it. A friendly reminder, the seatbelts in my truck work. They were just recently tested."
"...I'm not sure if that's reassuring or not."
"Hehe, well here we go!"
With a mischievous grin, Issac started the car. Then, he floored the gas pedal. The tires spun a few rounds before the truck jolted forward, blasting through the desert.
