New Xanocite: Part 2

[rcblazer]

As Timo raised the ice shield to protect everyone from the possibly radioactive environment and Steve checked the control panel to see how to open the door, Buttercup looks at the castle with a frown. "I don't like the look of that place." She says, pointing at what appear to be skeletons shackled to the outer walls. The doors of the castle open and a drawbridge is lowered as several armed and armored men come running out. They are dressed in masks and helmets that conceal their faces, and their weapons resemble swords and rifles from Earth. Much to Timo's dismay, some of them even appear to be carrying flamethrowers!

"Those guys don't look too friendly." Blossom comments as they surround the ship. One of the warriors removes their helmet, revealing a horrific, rotten face with blood red skin and several scars and burns!

"Eep! They're zombies!" Bubbles cries out, hugging Timo tightly in fear.

"They can't be zombies Bubbles." Buttercup remarks. "For one they're wearing some heavy duty armor and carrying weapons. These are probably the mutants that inhabit the planet that Sunshine told us about."

"You are trespassing on the domain of The Great Kai'zhar!" The mutant shouts, pointing a weapon that resembles a gladius at the ship. "Step out of your space vessel and explain yourselves, or we will come in there after you. Try to take off and we will open fire!" The mutant signals to the others, who aim their own weapons at the ship.

"They talk too! I think we better do what he says; these guys look serious." Buttercup says, looking at their weapons closely. "Those guns may not look like much, but we aren't exactly sitting in a tank here. Those flamethrowers will eat through the shield like its made of tissue paper."

"We still don't know what kind of radioactivity is going on out there. It could be dangerous." Blossom argues.

"Maybe, but it'll be more dangerous if those guys decide to start shooting at us!" Buttercup argues back. "They wanna talk to us, so let's do it. Maybe they'll back down once we explain the situation."

"They're monsters!" Bubbles shouts. "They look like they'll kill us anyway and eat our brains afterward or something!"

"By order of The Great Kai'zhar, you are to step out of your vessel and explain your reasons for coming here NOW! This is your final warning!" The mutated commander of the army says, his voice giving off the hint that he has grown impatient.

[blossomgb]

Steve scanned the panel. He thought he'd found the door release, pressing it and heaving a sigh of relief when the doors opened. They all stepped out and made non-hostile gestures at them as the guards looked them over.
'What are you doing here', One asked.
'We were looking for a place to land. This is all we could find', Blossom told them.
They looked at them and the ship.
'That's a federation cruiser', another guard said.
'But they aren't in federation uniforms', the first guard says.
'I piloted it down. The federation robot in there was disconnected by the federation. We're here looking for two people. We mean you no harm'. Steve told them, Angel was close to him and Blossom just in case, but she was invisible,
'Ready if they try', she whispered.

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rcblazer]

Having heard their explanation, the commander lowers his sword and gestures to the others, who also lower their weapons. "Forgive us for our discretions, but we needed to make sure you were not our enemy." The commander says. "The Galactic Federation are a threat to the continued existence of our kind and therefore our enemy. You do not wear their uniform, nor do you wear their mechanical eyepiece. Where have you come across this vehicle?"

"We got it at the Federation prison." Bubbles says, not even thinking about the message this would send to the mutants, but eager to answer any questions. She is obviously still nervous due to the commander's unnerving appearance.

"Ahh, say no more." The commander says. "Welcome to our fortress. Before I allow you inside, I must request that you relinquish any weapons you are carrying, along with any banned items."

"We're kinda new here, so we might need you to tell us what exactly you guys consider a 'banned' item." Buttercup comments.

"Our people must be vigilant at all times against any threats. The Great Kai'zhar's laws clearly state that any alcohol, medicine, cigarettes, or any other potentially addictive substances are forbidden inside the fortress." The commander explains. "Addiction is considered a weakness, and we must never show weakness in the face of our enemies. If you truly mean us no harm, then you will have no problems with handing over your weapons. Any confiscated possessions will be returned to you upon your departure; this I swear on my honor."

[rulerofice]

Timo looked at Steve when he heard this. What Steve was carrying could be considered as "medicine." Bubbles was still clinching onto him, afraid of the creatures.

Timo looked at the commander. "I'm afraid I cannot comply completely. If you take my weapon away, this shield of ours will disappear and it's our only shield against the radiation this planet emits. However, I can promise you that I will not attack you unless you attack us first." He was hoping they would understand and betting on that they didn't know about their powers. He didn't want anyone to get contaminated or hurt.

Before anyone could say anything, Timo felt something strange from his ice shield. Like it was getting hit from all sides by something... invisible, but weak.

"Radiation?" Timo wondered.

[blossomgb]

Steve heard this and looked at them.
'Of Course', he said, and passed the commander a number of bottles, bullets and the gun he had on him. He offered them the stick too.
The commander looked at this and said 'It's a stick'.
Steve looked at him. 'I know, and not dangerous, but I thought you may need to see it to make sure.'
The commander looked at it and then at Steve. 'I see. Here', he replied as he offered the stick to him. Blossom looked on in disbelief as he'd handed over all the medicines as well as weapons and bullets. Angel became visible beside him.
'It's OK, she's ours', Steve said to the commander as he pointed at Blossom. 'Bit difficult at bedtime!!'
The commander stood there as another guard laughed.
Blossom spoke up then. 'We're a bit out in the open here', she commented.

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rcblazer]

Buttercup hands over the laser rifle she brought from the prison as Steve hands over his own possessions. "Thank you for your cooperation. We know of some rooms within the fortress that are safe from Radiation X. Please follow me." The commander says, turning and leading the way into the castle. As the heroes go in, they notice the things they gave to the guards being placed into a footlocker right outside the gate, likely for safe keeping until the time came to return them.

The commander leads everyone to a room with a slightly damaged couch and some wooden chairs. "Please, relax in here. It isn't much I know, but we do not have anything better. At the very least, this room is safe from the Radiation X outside the walls. If you need anything, the servants will attend to you."

"If you don't mind, we would like to meet this leader of yours you mentioned." Blossom says. "Perhaps he can help us find the people we're searching for."

The commander nods. "Word of your arrival has already reached The Great Kai'zhar. He is a warrior, a visionary, and an udd of honor, so it is possible he may know of whom you seek, as well as aid you in reaching them. However, there are others on our planet who see him as a barbarian and a tyrant. Besides the Federation, our leader has to contend with enemies here on FL-49 as well. If you wish to speak with him, I'm afraid he will insist that only one of you be permitted into his chamber. The others must remain here."

"In that case, I will go." Blossom says to the commander, but Buttercup pulls her aside.

"Is that a good idea Blossom?" Buttercup asks her. "We know Imposter's keeping tabs on us through your thoughts. She's well aware that we're here, and I think it may be better if someone else go and speak with this Kai'zhar. Keeps her from eavesdropping, y'know?"

Blossom nods. "Yeah, you're absolutely right. So, who should go instead of me?"

"I'm not going anywhere on this planet without Timo!" Bubbles replies. "I don't like the look of this place at all."

"Well, that means both Timo and Bubbles are out." Buttercup says. "I'll assume you guys aren't letting Angel go anywhere alone, so that leaves it between me and Steve. I gotta say between the two of us, Steve is way better with words than I am, so he should be the one to go."

"If that is what you wish, then take this." The commander says, handing Steve a copper token with the image of a warrior's crown on the front. "This is the Mark of the Pantheon. Show this to the guards outside Great Kai'zhar's chamber and you will be allowed safe passage."

[rulerofice]

After getting into the room, Timo had lowered his ice shield.

"I don't mind. It wouldn't be a good idea for me to go anyway since I'm still practically armed."

Seeing how Bubbles was still quite shaking, Timo hugged her. "I think it'll be alright, Bubbles. They don't seem to be hostile at all. Just cautious."

Timo's thoughts turned to what had happened outside. "If my ice shield was able to... feel the radiation, exactly how deadly is it then?"

[blossomgb]

'Are you sure it'll be safe from radiation?', Steve enquired.
'Yes. I'll show you the way', The Commander said. As they were heading down towards the Great Kai'zhar's main hall, he was thinking. Should he tell them about Imposter? Tell them that the Federation has been taken over by a criminal monkey? Ask for the medicines back?
He reached the chamber and showed the guards on the door the coin known as Mark of the Pantheon. They let him pass and he entered the great chamber, where he stood, waiting for the Great Kai'zhar to appear.
He did, and the Great Kai'zhar appeared before him and said simply 'Sit'.
'Thank-you', Steve whispered back.
'We're sorry we had to threaten you on arrival. We couldn't be sure what or who you were. You piloted the ship down?'
Steve looked at him. 'Yes. Luckily.'
The Grand Kai'zhar looked it him.
'Luckily?'
'Yes', Steve replied. 'I'd never driven one before. We come from a planet where space travel is not common'.
'Ah. Who are these people you seek?'
'Well, it's a bit of a tale. This morning I was on Earth and now hours later I'm here. The girls's father turned up and wanted the Professor to help him clear this planet of radiation. Then a robot appeared and whisked us off here. It was sent by a cruel monkey that took over the federation and maybe got his helpers to send them here. This planet is inhabited though and therefore we don't want to stay, just get our friends back.'
The Kia'zhar looked at him and clapped his hands. Wine appeared, brought by a maid with equally burnt skin.
'You'll take wine', he said.
'A little', Steve answered as the wine was poured. He took the glass and had a sip. It tasted OK.
'So, who are these people?', Kai'zhar asked.
'Professor John Utonium and Patriach.'
Kai'zhar looked at him, then clapped again. The maid came forward again and he repeated his story, adding the phrase 'Get the spies out' on the end. 'Anything else', he asked.
'Blossom is my wife, and Angel my daughter. There is another that looks like Blossom but can read her thoughts. That is why I came rather than her. She is aligned with the monkey and they are as much an enemy to us as to you. She may be dressed differently now, but do not trust her.'
'We know them both. But thanks for the warning.'
Steve sipped his wine again.
'You may stay here to seek shelter from the radiation. Inside this castle is safe from the radiation. It was built before the war that did the damage it did to this world.'
Steve bowed politely. 'Thanks and I understand. I am an engineer, which is similar to a scientist and I know nearly as much as the Professor. I will help cure this planet if I can and if you wish it.'
Kia'zhar looked at him. 'Science caused this mess. We live a different life now. One warning - there are some nasty creatures outside, affected by the radiation. If you do go outside, then be wary of them.'
'We will. Thanks again for your hospitality. I hope we can speak again soon.'
'As do I', the Kai'zhar replied. 'I notice you walk with a stick. What happened?'
'That was a long time ago. Some of the medicines I left with your guards I may need. May I have these back, as they are not addictive but necessary. I will be ill without them pretty soon.'
'You are an honest man. These will be returned. Go back to your friends and tell them that Dinner will be served soon'.
Steve bowed before the Great Kai'zhar.
'Thank-you. I will'
When he returned to the rest of the group, they were hungry as well as desparate to know what had happened.

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rcblazer]

A short time later, a female udd dressed in a ragged yellow dress enters the room carrying a large tray of food. "Dinner is served, friends." She tells them.

The tray she sets down consists of fresh fruits and vegetables. Buttercup looks down at the tray and frowns. "Hey, you forgot the beef!" Buttercup says, to which the serving girl turns and lowers her head.

"My apologies; Great Kai'zhar's order. The meat we have on our planet is hunted for by the soldiers, and consists of the mutated animals of FL-49. They are often still irradiated even after cooking and could potentially be poisonous to your kind, so we kept them off the menu for your sakes. All these were grown in a laboratory which still contains a working purifier. They aren't much, but it is the best we can do for you."

"Hey, how come we haven't seen any female mutants in armor guarding the fort?" Blossom asks.

"Oh yes. The Great Kai'zhar does not allow women to serve as soldiers in his army. He places our value above his own need for warriors, knowing that the Federation threatens our kind with eradication." The servant explains.

"Sounds a bit chauvinist to me." Buttercup remarks under her breath. The servant girl does not hear her, merely nodding her head with a friendly smile and takes her leave.

Once she's gone, Bubbles picks up a carrot sitting on the tray. "I sure hope they aren't planning on fattening us up before they cook us."

"Bubbles!" Blossom scolds. "I admit, these guys do look like monsters right out of an old Romero film, but they seem to be more afraid of us. They're desperate and trying to protect themselves. Please try not to antagonize them."

"Sorry." Bubbles says, sounding somewhat insincere in her apology. "I know I don't normally treat others who are different this way, but most other people I've met weren't crazy zealots who threatened us with guns!"

"They're not zealots!" Blossom starts to argue, but then pauses to think about her statement. "...are they?"

Before the conversation can continue, the commander enters the room again. "I bear a message from Great Kai'zhar through our spy network."

"Any news on the Professor or Patriarch?" Blossom asks.

"What do you got on Mojo and Imposter?" Buttercup asks.

"Though we are aware of the threat of the one you call Mojo Jojo, we have not been able to uncover any information as to his current location. We have however, come up with a good lead in your search for the alien human you call Professor Utonium."

"You found the Professor? Where is he?" Bubbles asks.

"Our spies have reported that a human was spotted in Udd City. He was traveling with one he referred to as Patriarch, who wears the mechanical eyepiece that brands him as an Enforcer of the Federation. The human spoke with a doctor named Seymour Saw before he and the Enforcer left."

"Then we gotta find this Doctor Saw and talk to him!" Blossom exclaims. "Which way do we go to get to Udd City?"

"I'm afraid getting there won't be easy." The commander says. "The surface area is still ripe with Radiation X. You best chance to get there would be to take the underground tunnels, but they are inhabited by pries."

"What's a pri?" Bubbles asks.

"We had once assumed the pries to be nothing more than lost souls; mindless and aimless, but otherwise docile. With the arrival of the Federation, we discovered their true nature when they became vicious toward the aliens, snarling and biting and clawing. They seem to only attack those who are not mutated, which unfortunately would mean you."

"Why can't we just fly there?" Bubbles follows with her next question.

"You could try if you wanted, but you would likely be attacked by ults." The commander says. "They would see you as a tasty meal and shoot you down as though they were hunting birds."

"What about the ship?" Blossom queries.

"Same thing. The ults will shoot at anything that isn't another ult or a gol, and that would include your ship. They carry larger weapons than we do as well, including miniguns and rocket launchers. We have taken down Federation ships using lesser weapons, and it seems that only the robots they connect to the front have the ability to start them once they stop. Since your robot broke down, we have followed the orders of The Great Kai'zhar to dismantle it for metal which we will need for weapons and armor. We are sorry, but the tunnel is the safest route."

"With the zombies?" Bubbles asks, flabbergasted at the idea that a tunnel full of flesh eating monsters would be the safest path available.

"The pries are unarmed, but they are strong and fast." The commander explains. "It is not a safe path, but with the Radiation X and the ults with their stronger ranged weapons on the surface, it's your best chance. Pries will not attack right away upon spotting you; they will usually take a few seconds to enrage before they strike. That is your best chance to strike them first. When you are ready, I will have your confiscated items returned to you."

[blossomgb]

Steve listened to all this while eating the fruit. He was hungry after all, especially considering that the last meal turned out to be something horrible. He needed to keep his strength up after all. Angel was beside him and was also still tucking in.
'You've got some sort of laboratory', he said to the commander. 'Have you got a geiger counter by any chance?'
'I don't know what you mean, but I'll ask. Geiger counter?', he asked, to be sure.
'Yes. For measuring radiation', Blossom chipped in.
'I'll see. '
'And how about a map of the tunnels', Buttercup asked. 'Could be very handy'
'I'll ask the great Kai-Zhar', the commander said before leaving the room.
'Thanks!', Steve yelled, as he picked another Apple type fruit from the bowl. When the female had gone, he spoke again. 'And I'm not too struck on this Federation either. They seem to be a bit like Nazis.'
Angel asked the classic question. 'What are Nazis, daddy?'
He looked at her and round at the room. 'Nazis were a race who didn't like anyone who was not like them.'

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rulerofice]

"Pries, huh?" Timo said. "They sound pretty tough, but so are we. I do hope we'd get something that would tell us how bad the radiation is, though." In his mind he added: "Even though my ice shield might do that for us, I'd like to be able to attack anyone who threatens us."

Timo looked at the commander. "Thanks for the information, commander."

Timo looked at Bubbles then. Seeing as she was practically scared, Timo went to her. "We'll be okay, Bubbles, this shouldn't be that different from what we do at home. I mean we just need to get through that tunnel, avoid or attack any pries that are in our way or fly through it as fast as we can."

"It's still scary." Bubbles said.

"I know, honey." Timo said. "I know."

[rcblazer]

After eating their fill, the guard commander shows the heroes to the passageway leading into the underground tunnels. After giving Buttercup back the laser rifle and Steve all of his things back, he hands him two more objects. One is a piece of paper, the other is a mechanical wristband with an LCD screen.

"Here is a map of the tunnels. I have taken the liberty to draw out the path you should take as well as mark all exits and where they lead to. The wristband can be used to measure the levels of Radiation X you may come across. It will make a buzzing sound if radiation levels increase, and it may also detect pries and other mutants in advance. I wish you luck on your journey, and may the Pantheon guide you."

Two of the guards open the tunnel, allowing everyone to go through. The tunnel is pitch black, illuminated by the dim glow of the wristband light. A couple of groans and tapping sounds are heard, but the wristband does not yet indicate any potential threats.

"All right, this looks like fun. Which way do we go first?" Buttercup asks. Looking over the map, Steve can see the tunnels are a vast underground network of caverns. Several points on the map are marked with a dot, along with various names such as 'Fortress', 'Museum', 'Factory', 'Ult Barricade', and 'Monument'. Steve sees a green line has been drawn on the map that connects 'Fortress' to 'Udd City' through the tunnel system.

Looking at the LCD screen, Steve can see that the device has a built in radar, and that a few red blips have appeared, possibly indicating nearby pries. Almost as if to verify this suspicion, a few hisses and growls can be heard coming from the direction indicated by the radar.

Bubbles backs off instinctively upon hearing these sounds while Buttercup readies the rifle. "Don't worry Bubbles, I promise not to let those things get within three feet o' ya. The only thing those freaks are gonna eat is laser!"

As they walk through the tunnel, Buttercup takes aim at a mutant sitting on the ground. It looks similar to the udds they saw at the fortress, but more skeletal in appearance, dressed in torn rags and hissing to itself.

Buttercup attacks Hissing Pri
Attack: Laser Rifle
Defense: None

"All mine." Buttercup says, which stirs the creature to turn around, but not to react to a full on blast to the head from the laser! The laser blasts the pri's head clear off its shoulders in a spray of blood and the body collapses to the tunnel floor.

Hissing Pri Condition: Destroyed - Irradiated 2%

As the blood of the mutant pours from the spot where its head used to be, the wristband begins to give off a buzzing sound, warning of faint Radiation X levels in the air.

Blossom figures out right away what it means. "The mutants themselves are irradiated. That's why that device can detect them; their blood is radioactive!"

"Oh great, how was I supposed to know that before I blew its head off?" Buttercup remarks, holstering the rifle. "Guess that means we shouldn't go around decapitating pries left and right, eh?"

The sounds of hissing and growling begin to echo in the tunnels again. "It sounds like there's more of them. Stay alert, and only kill them if they see us first." Blossom commands, looking at Buttercup when she says this. She then turns to Steve. "Which way does the map say we should go?"

[blossomgb]

Steve turned on the light in his stick and looked at the map.
'Straight on and the tunnel bears left. But before we do, can I give you another piece of advice. Treat them as zombies. Don't let them bite you.'
He gave his own gun to Angel and the wristwatch device to Blossom.
'Thanks!', Angel commented as she looked at the gun.
'Stay close to us, whether visible or not. Nobody go off on their own.'. Steve added, giving Bubbles another torch from deep within the pockets of his coat. The tunnel veered off to the left and they came to a fork. 'That way', he said, pointing left.

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rulerofice]

"Radiation in blood." Timo said. " Makes sense, since this whole planet is covered in radiation. No living thing would live a minute here with normal blood and get very sick."

Bubbles held Timo tighter than ever at this, while holding the torch. "We shouldn't have come here at all. I hate this place."

Timo put his hand in front of his mouth. "I suggest we all be as quiet as possible. We don't exactly know how easily these pries can hear and we don't want to be the center of attention here."

[rcblazer]

Following the map, the heroes follow the tunnel hearing the constant sounds of hissing and groaning. A few aggressive snarls are heard now and again (each one scaring Bubbles), but no mutants attack.

"So far so good." Blossom whispers. "If we keep quiet and move quickly, we may be able to get out of here without any trouble."

As they make their way forward, they reach a spot where the tunnel splits in three directions. Thanks to the map, the group knows to take the left fork and are about to do so, when they suddenly hear loud talking coming from the right side passage.

"You said this is where the exit was! Well, where is it?"

"I was sure it was right here! Keep looking!"

"We've been looking for ten minutes now! We're lost and it's your fault!"

"My fault? It was your idea to come down here in the first place!"

"Hey look, there's another pri."

A loud gunshot sound is heard, followed by sadistic laughter.

"HAHAHA! Stupid pri! Did you get a good look at its face right before I blew it off?"

"Yeah, that was funny! Stupid pri!"

"Hey, I think I found a way out! Bring the body; the hounds will want the bones after we skin it!"

The sound of big thumping feet suddenly can be heard, getting louder and louder, and seems to be coming in the direction of the group!