After dressing and a quick bite to eat they were on their way. The streets were always filled with people and the air was always thick. Visibility was low and it was easy to get lost if you didn’t know where you were going. Lanie unconsciously marveled at her ability to get around. Climbing the metal staircase to the upper level, they would soon be at Ku’s place. Ku let them in quickly and seemed to be in a huge hurry.
“Lanie, I’m going to give you an address. You must go there and they will add a temporary disguise to your features. It will make you look like a resident from the Red Zone. That will account for your hesitancy to meet with him, just say you are a sympathizer.”
“Wait what?”
“It’s simple Lanie, just do it!”
“I don’t know anything about the people from the Red Zone, nothing!”
“That’s the beauty of it! No one does. You can tell him anything, just say you defected.”
“So how do we know what they look like?”
“Reports, static filled messages, unclear ramblings, from ships logs who have encountered them. It doesn’t matter.”
Lanie had a bad feeling about this. She wanted to trust Ku, but she thought this was a half-baked idea and he just wanted to save his relationship with DuBont.
“Okay, but I want to be heavily armed, just in case.”
“He will be suspicious if we give you a big gun, but I will have them fix you up with some covert weapons.”
Ku sent her to the weapons specialist first. They hooked her up with some pretty 007-type weapons. Lanie was impressed. She had a taser –like weapon in the buttons of her left sleeve and some kind of a blaster that slide into her palm with a shake of her arm. Just for good measure she stuck a knife in her boot.
From there she was sent to get her disguise. They stained her skin a greenish brown, and then they added a few tentacles to her head. The tentacles her organic and actual living things, so they moved appropriately. It would have to do.
More than once Lanie saw One rolling on his back in laughter. She warned him that he would be getting a good spanking as soon as she could reach him. Sobering up some he sat at her feet.
“I can’t help it! You look ridiculous…wait till you see.”
She rolled her eyes as he rolled over in another fit of laughter.
Finally she was done and she was sent back to Ku for approval. Never intending to spank One, she still tortured him about.
“I don’t have time now, but you are so gonna get it when we get home!”
“Oh Lanie, sense of humor, ever hear of it? Get one!”
“You are such a smart ass!”
One was saved by Ku calling to them. “Lanie, come here let me look at you! Your ship is ready to go and you can leave right away.”
Standing in front of Ku she turned around slowly so he could see everything. When she faced him again Ku had a smirk on his face. One stood next to him and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
“I look ridiculous, right?”
“No NO! Just different… it will be fine. Get going right away.”
“Okay okay, but when I get back I want a week off to do some stuff for myself.”
“All right, just get moving!”
One hoped up her leg and scampered to her shoulder as she broke into a run for her ship. Once inside Lanie sealed the hatch, and then sat at the console.
“Wow! I can read what the dials say and what these markings mean now!! This is so cool!!”
“Don’t get cocky, you’re still gonna need my help.”
“Remind me why I keep you around?”
“You think I’m cute.”
Lanie shook her head,
Once they were on their way, One noticed Lanie was very quiet.
“Lanie? You okay? Are you thinking about Azano?”
“Nosey little stinker, aren’t cha?” She asked without looking at him.
He waited another minute and said, “I’ll be going with you, ya know. I’ll do some scouting or whatever you need.”
Lanie softened and smiled at him, “Thanks little buddy. It’s just weird to think about. I always knew I’d be in space, but not like this.”
One ran and picked up a shiny piece of metal to use as a mirror. He held it up to her and said, “You have no idea.”
Lanie was able to look and see the work they did on her. “Oh my universe,” she used Ku lingo, “I look ridiculous…”
“You do but DuBont won’t care, trust me.”
“Well we are going to get in there and get out, so we can head to Krayton right away.”
“We? I’m not going to dinner with you.”
“Why not?”
“Really Lanie? Do you have any memory as to how we met?”
“Um yes, are you running from someone there?
“They do horrible experiments there…on the prisoners and species like me, they overpower us.”
“Okay then, stay on the ship I won’t take long.” Some other time she would have to ask him about the experiments.
Author's note: This will be the last installment of Capt. Lanie Romein. I am going to edit what I have and finish the story, then publish it. The main reason for this is a decline in readership. Thanks to those who read consistently every week there are still quite a few of you! I appreciate that! I hope you will enjoy the ending, and the new content when it's published.
“Lanie, I’m going to give you an address. You must go there and they will add a temporary disguise to your features. It will make you look like a resident from the Red Zone. That will account for your hesitancy to meet with him, just say you are a sympathizer.”
“Wait what?”
“It’s simple Lanie, just do it!”
“I don’t know anything about the people from the Red Zone, nothing!”
“That’s the beauty of it! No one does. You can tell him anything, just say you defected.”
“So how do we know what they look like?”
“Reports, static filled messages, unclear ramblings, from ships logs who have encountered them. It doesn’t matter.”
Lanie had a bad feeling about this. She wanted to trust Ku, but she thought this was a half-baked idea and he just wanted to save his relationship with DuBont.
“Okay, but I want to be heavily armed, just in case.”
“He will be suspicious if we give you a big gun, but I will have them fix you up with some covert weapons.”
Ku sent her to the weapons specialist first. They hooked her up with some pretty 007-type weapons. Lanie was impressed. She had a taser –like weapon in the buttons of her left sleeve and some kind of a blaster that slide into her palm with a shake of her arm. Just for good measure she stuck a knife in her boot.
From there she was sent to get her disguise. They stained her skin a greenish brown, and then they added a few tentacles to her head. The tentacles her organic and actual living things, so they moved appropriately. It would have to do.
More than once Lanie saw One rolling on his back in laughter. She warned him that he would be getting a good spanking as soon as she could reach him. Sobering up some he sat at her feet.
“I can’t help it! You look ridiculous…wait till you see.”
She rolled her eyes as he rolled over in another fit of laughter.
Finally she was done and she was sent back to Ku for approval. Never intending to spank One, she still tortured him about.
“I don’t have time now, but you are so gonna get it when we get home!”
“Oh Lanie, sense of humor, ever hear of it? Get one!”
“You are such a smart ass!”
One was saved by Ku calling to them. “Lanie, come here let me look at you! Your ship is ready to go and you can leave right away.”
Standing in front of Ku she turned around slowly so he could see everything. When she faced him again Ku had a smirk on his face. One stood next to him and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
“I look ridiculous, right?”
“No NO! Just different… it will be fine. Get going right away.”
“Okay okay, but when I get back I want a week off to do some stuff for myself.”
“All right, just get moving!”
One hoped up her leg and scampered to her shoulder as she broke into a run for her ship. Once inside Lanie sealed the hatch, and then sat at the console.
“Wow! I can read what the dials say and what these markings mean now!! This is so cool!!”
“Don’t get cocky, you’re still gonna need my help.”
“Remind me why I keep you around?”
“You think I’m cute.”
Lanie shook her head,
Once they were on their way, One noticed Lanie was very quiet.
“Lanie? You okay? Are you thinking about Azano?”
“Nosey little stinker, aren’t cha?” She asked without looking at him.
He waited another minute and said, “I’ll be going with you, ya know. I’ll do some scouting or whatever you need.”
Lanie softened and smiled at him, “Thanks little buddy. It’s just weird to think about. I always knew I’d be in space, but not like this.”
One ran and picked up a shiny piece of metal to use as a mirror. He held it up to her and said, “You have no idea.”
Lanie was able to look and see the work they did on her. “Oh my universe,” she used Ku lingo, “I look ridiculous…”
“You do but DuBont won’t care, trust me.”
“Well we are going to get in there and get out, so we can head to Krayton right away.”
“We? I’m not going to dinner with you.”
“Why not?”
“Really Lanie? Do you have any memory as to how we met?”
“Um yes, are you running from someone there?
“They do horrible experiments there…on the prisoners and species like me, they overpower us.”
“Okay then, stay on the ship I won’t take long.” Some other time she would have to ask him about the experiments.
Author's note: This will be the last installment of Capt. Lanie Romein. I am going to edit what I have and finish the story, then publish it. The main reason for this is a decline in readership. Thanks to those who read consistently every week there are still quite a few of you! I appreciate that! I hope you will enjoy the ending, and the new content when it's published.