Page 36 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

“Brilliant! The way that the Terraforming process is going we might be doing first Biologicals in about
a month, only bacteria at first but… Did you think it could be modified to boost the process? More to
the point have we an instruction manual?” Alicia asked
“I gave Lisa the details on two data crystals. It might take about a month to get to speed on how it
works anyway.”
“Good! Why don’t you take that month to square things with your mother? I’m sure our Flutvarn
friends can hold the fort till you get back. I’m glad to have you here, a familiar face. It will make the
work pass quickly” and she gave him a peck on the cheek. He blushed.

The alarm stirred Fenton to wakefulness, but didn’t do a thing
to wake the recumbent form next to him in the bed. He rolled over
and stared at her sleeping. Meorr looked more kitten-like when she
was deep in sleep, like she was now. He didn’t have the heart to wake
her. He carefully slipped out of the bed and closed the bathroom
door behind him as quietly as he could. The hotel they were in had
thoughtfully put them in an en-siute room that was intended for
newlyweds. It afforded some privacy away from the tourist sector.
The manageress understood the wants of young couples just forming
relationships, besides the room wasn’t booked and her staff were
discreet enough to let the weary pair lie. She was an old soul, with an
attitude from a more pleasant time in history. She too had fallen for a
handsome man once, in fact she was still in love with him, and
Alfredo, who ran the Hotel bar, had married her some fifty years ago.
Fenton and Meorr had turned up the evening of their hosts
Anniversary. As a consequence they had caught them in a giving mood...
Jicklac had brought them back to Mira aboard his new vessel the K’raahn Vekor a full class
larger than H’Gru’ Fen. Meorr renewed her friendship with Lehran and had caught up with all the
gossip. Lehran had found a beau; a Zyxani Engineer called Frillit Thurigson. They were getting serious
enough to be making marriage plans. Zyxan had been an outer rim Thule colony at the time of the
first expansion, so the local’s names were a hangover from that era. It had fallen under the auspices
of the Dark Empire and then liberated by the Untharans some six hundred years ago. The Buraxin
had been among the first to form trading relations with the lost colony. Lehran was behaving almost
like the other female crew that she had once disdained. Meorr and she struck back up where they
had left off. Fenton had gotten back in with the crew and had managed to beat the Doctor at Triton
Bridge, having learned a few clever moves from some of Catrahs’ palace guard. He had instantly
become a hero in the crew’s eyes. Jicklac, as always, was more restrained…

Showered, shaved and scented, Fenton was getting dressed as Meorr woke up, she
stretched very cat like and opened her eyes, focussing on Fenton “Mm mm… ‘Morning my love.
What time is it?” She asked sleepily.
“It’s a little before tenth hour. Jason Hightower of the Achenazi Council of Elders wants to see us
around noon. I’ll see if I can rustle us up a little breakfast while you get ready. That was some night. I
don’t know where those old folks got their energy from”
“You had plenty of energy last night too” she purred, and she playfully slapped him across his
bottom as he rose up from the bed. He kissed her and went down to the lobby to find Marcia the
owner’s daughter who was also the Hotel cook.

Jason Hightower was in charge of the Achenazi archives and had discovered more ancient
records of his ancestors encounters with the, as they now knew, Ulahri. He had found them after
Hubert Lestrange had departed for Lunaris. Fenton and Meorr had to go to Lunaris on their way back
to Terra Prime and he was intending to ask them if they would take copies of the files with them. It
was something else in the Archives that he’d come across that was giving him concern at this time. A