Author: troggle2710

Elsa turned to the left tunnel. “Follow me.”

Marshall Bell Andrisican watched the female as she led them to town. She seemed to get less bubbly and enthusiastic as they got closer to the underground city. She seemed to be nervous, twitchy. “Are you alright?”

The guide turned her face and brightened. She bubbled again saying, “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”

Halbman glanced at Andrisican his eyes wide. The guide appeared to mean it she showed no sign of fear or nerves. She turned to lead the way again and there was an immediate change.  Andrisican pulled his Wasp from the holster at the same time Halbman hauled up his EXXO P4.

The small tight tunnel the three had been traveling opened onto an open underground cavern city. The city of Marshtown spread out before the Marshal and Majour. Halbman touched the nearest wall. Andrisican watched as Halbmans hand sank into a gray slime.  The slime oozed down the wall to puddle on the floor before sckooging off toward the center of the city. “We should follow right?”

Andrisican shook his head.  “No, it’s a trap. He doesn’t know we’re here for him. So let’s try not to spring it.”

Halbman nodded before asking. “Could you please lead us to the local office? The repairs will take a few hours.”

Andrisican nodded. “Yes, I think that’s wise.”

The three moved to the right following the cavern walls to a rundown tiny building on the edge of town. The building stood two stories high on the opposite side of town from the port.

Above the building a sign declared.

‘Galactic Force Local SX661 Milky Way’

Halbman glanced at Andrisican and gestured to the holes with burn marks in the sign. The Marshall smiled and nodded leading the way in.

Bell Andrisican stepped over the threshold of the office and the building came to life. A mechanical voice filled the small space. “Bell Andrisican, World 4, Sector Prince, Galaxy Onx, Marshall Galaxy Force.

The voice echoed in the empty room.

Halbman turned slowly. “What? This day is definitely getting worse, isn’t this where we started?  It looks like the ship.”

Bell glanced at the Majour. “Not a field operative, huh?”

Halman glared. “No.”

Bell ran a finger over the nearest console. “The offices in the field are always flight ready. The ship has the public space at the rear and to the left of the docking bay. It looks abandoned so that means the primary ship has been locked down.”

“Why?” Halbman asked.

Bell lifted his hand to show a layer of dust. “I don’t know. I an open the lockdown for us and leave the main door closed. No reason to announce we’re open for business.”

Halbman nodded and moved to the nearest console. “I’ll start the holo protocols.”

Bell moved to the left to the control at the fire door. If anyone saw them enter the building the fire door would distort the memory. Once he set the panel to abort the last few minutes, he reset the codes. “Okay the reset will take a few minutes and it will encompass each of us. Your clearance level will determine your access.”

“I’m sorry. I need to get back out in the field. Repairs need to be made elsewhere.” Elsa said suddenly.

“What exactly were the repairs you did at the port?” Halbman asked curiously.

Elsa turned to Halbman. “I was sent to repair the port it’s been running a little off. The new leader of Delwork request for a personal register device to be added to the port gateway as well.”

“A PRD? Those are illegal on ports. Why would he add one? Those things are only used on class 12 protected planets for entry keepers into palaces. How’d he even get his hands on one?” Halbman said.

Bell sighed. “I think I know how?” He flipped a switch on the wall and a file history started to play out in front of the small group.

‘Hoosier Fear, Assassin. Weapon of choice: Wrist rocket

Specialty: long distance strikes

Theft: Personal Register Devices, Holo craft communication systems

Creed unit Fareed, No survivors

Pudent Cross Monastery, Planet Skude, 40,000 lost

Hillusdre Cruiser Faire, No survivors.’

The list continued for four hundred pages

“Great. So, he’s not the delusional pirate she thought.” Halbman said as the report ended.

“No, he’s not and I’m starting to wonder about Elsa. She seems completely different in town.” The Marshall said watching the woman. “Hello Elsa?”

Halbman turned back to the screens. Bell waved a hand in front of Elsa. He could see Halbman from the corner of his eye pull his sidearm. The PRD had identified them when they landed Hoosier would know what species they were and how to control them. “Fankle.” Bell dropped as Halbman turned and fired.

“Hello?  Um…I say hello,” A voice came up from the floor below Andrisican and Halbman. Halbman jumped back as a hand reached up from below him to touch his leg.

“My gugh…” Halbman said as Andridican looked down at the arm reaching up to them.

“Could you hand me that shovel?” The hand pointed to the left of the visitors.  Haldman turned to see a Tracks Deep Digger near the port. “There yes.”

Halbman grabbed the shovel and pushed the heavy toward the offending hand with a growl.  “What are you doing there?”

“The port system is running a little off today.  I’m here to get things running smoothly once again.” The distinctly female voice drifted up to the two males.

Andrisican could see Halbman winding up to yell at the female for touching his exposed leg. “Calm Halbman, the people here do not follow the protocols of the council. They do not have the training or the interaction with the people of your planet to know your laws.”

“Why the cribben not? This galaxy is part of the ten systems is it not?” Halbman asked incredulous.

The voice from below floated up to answer his question. “Mars is still a free territory and hasn’t been integrated into the council yet as the Milky Way has just reached the level for visitors in the last few decades.  Help me up!”

Halbman grunted and turned away. Andrisican grabbed the hand and pulled the female up out of the hole past the grate. “Thank you, Elsa Insigdia and you are?”

“Bell Andrisican, Marshall. This is Abrick Halbman, Major. Would you be able to lead us to the main thorough fare?  I must admit it’s been awhile since I’ve been here.” Andrisican asked the female after introductions.

Halbman sighed. “Madam.”

Elsa smiled and turned to the left. “Well then follow me please. So, what brings you here to the lower surfaces of Mars? Could you be here to investigate Hoosier Fear?”

Halbman stopped. “What do you know about The Fear?”

“The Fear.  Really that’s that name that you’ve come up with for that pirate. Hoosier Fear is nothing more than a street rat with delusions of grandeur.” Elsa said.

Andrisican moved to stand between Halbman and Elsa.

The dark skies above the Planet were a comfort to the young Krindrenian.  He glanced up at the pop screen where the planet scan analyzed the planet below.  “What are we looking for, Marshal Andresican?” A voice called from the Krindrenians left.

“We are looking for unusual tech for this region, Halbman. The energy pulses recorded in this Sector the last few weeks have the Counsel on edge.” Marshall Bell Andrisican replied his voice distorted by his mask. The mask he used was from old Earth rather than his home world. Bell used the plague mask and dark goggles to keep the pale skin from being fried by everyday light.  A creature from a dark world Bell Andrisican needed to have the best protection he could find.

“Do you really think this is anything? I know this is your normal quadrant but Sir the people here are privative.  The humans kill each other in wars.” Halbman said concern evident on his face.

The Marshall turned to the crewman. “That’s why I think this needs to be checked out. The people of Earth are ripe for attack. An invasion of Earth so close to the core of our Galaxies would put the Counsel on its ear. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“What of the Resenchi deal?” The Marshall looked in the direction the quiet comment came from, Alician Arcassal.

Bell smiled sadly, “The Counsel is doing what they can to have the Resenchi’s plan moved before the Intergalactic Counsel.  The Intiari may have a large voting block but this can’t be ignored. The contract will go through however the Resenchi will be penalized and any human choosing so will be moved to the Counsel home station for integration.”

Alician glanced at Bell over her shoulder. “Where to then, Marshall?”

“The Marsh of Constilane. The farthest surface of Mars from the sun.” The Marshall said as the helmsman pulled away from the jump coordinates. “Just land us at the East gate.”

The helmsman dropped into normal space above the planet twisted the yolk and pushed forward into the planet’s atmosphere. The ship set down on the space gate buried in the red dirt. The gate opened beneath the ship and ports connected to the opened port below. Marshall Andrisican and Majour Abrick Halbman stepped into the port lift to drop to the planet’s street.

Dark creature of the Anricallie System

Planet Krinden – Krindrenian

Bell is a Krinrenian of the Huccs clan. He is a happy, friendly creature the live in the dark. The Krindrenians world is in darkness more than 60% of day leaving the intelligent race on the planet pale with extreme light sensitivity. The creature’s dark hair is a signature among his people as most of his race have little hair that matches the skin tone.  Bell is small about four foot, three inches tall with leathery wings.

 The Krindrenian’s are a race descended from a bird like creatures that have wings but are flightless.  They are the first race in the Milky Way galaxy to step forth into the intergalactic councils. The Krindarenian’s led the local galaxies in the protection of their people and put in place laws to keep parasites like the Resenchi (Race from another galaxy) out. The Sector Marshalls for the Milky Way’s Galactic Council sent Bell to investigate rumors of missing citizens.

Sorry for the missed blog last week. I had finals for my class and was at a home football game. I have new ideas for characters on a regular basis. I know who the character/alien/person is when I start writing but of course they always change on me before I complete the story. The character Jeng in my new Sci-Fi/Fantasy is one such person. She started out as a snarky background person to the main characters drama. Now I don’t know she has grown ugly. I want there to be funnier offbeat back ground characters later though.

I don’t try to force my characters into the box I built for them at the beginning that would take away the fun. I want the main person in my tale to change and grow along with the background people. No one stays the same. The best way I can showcase that is by letting my characters grow into who they were meant to be and they will tell me how their story end.

But what kind of new characters does a writer want to add to each story. A general follower that makes an appearance in every plot only to find out his/her full story randomly along the way. The neighbor that is only seen in glimpses or an unnamed person walking through a scene. Each of these characters are the make up of the story but each has a distinct history or unnamed past that can haunt the reader if done with precision. The writer may not even realize that the person is there or that there is an open path that leads the main characters in another direction.

I want to be able to plot out some of these background character stories to be able to tell an unexpected tale or to just give the person life to help with writer’s block. That said I will add a new character description new week to try out. The character may be seen in passing or become a regular background character in one of my upcoming stories. Let’s see if these people go anywhere.