The Andromeda Effect: Stellar Flash Book Two
By Neil A. Hogan
Chapter 9
In the wide-windowed leisure area of the Stellar Flash, a yellowish grub-like alien was decorating. She slid across the floor, up one of the windows, and over to the stage area of the large room, her antennae flickering wildly while her millions of almost invisible feet tapped the nanites in the transparent metal one by one. The microbots sent happy signals of welcome with each tap, and she shivered pleasantly.
She was going to miss this reality.
Grabbing part of a long, plastic tube, she spat on the end and stuck it to one of the bars that divided the windows, the nanites immediately understanding what she wanted. They built out a stronger attachment to hold it in place, then pulled slightly. The tube unfurled further, and straightened across the intervening space. Ssyrer then slid down, went over to the far side and attached it to an adjoining wall.
As the tube lifted higher, it inflated, words flickering across it as balloon-like decorations, well, ballooned from it.
Her translator replaced the words in her mind-view system. “Happy Death Day.”
She checked her timing. It was only about an hour away. She was going to be the first on this mission, and she was already prepared. Her bequeathments had been inscribed, her friends and family had been informed, and she had deleted all her digital accounts, sold off all her possessions, forgiven those who had slighted her and asked for forgiveness from anyone she had hurt in her life.
She was ready.
She wondered what it would be like. She knew it would be some kind of explosion, but she had no idea what would cause it, or where.
Just then, the front entrance opened and a hairless Captain Hogart strode purposefully over, sadness on his human face.
He quickly threw out his arms, pushed his stomach out and pulled it in, then closed his arms again – the closest humans could approximate for her race’s method of greeting.
She spread her front and undulated it slightly, then pulled it back in. “It was really nice of you to visit, Sir.”
“Of course, Ssyrer,” said Hogart. “When I heard, I wanted to say goodbye before the party started.” He looked about admiringly. “I love how you’ve decorated the place. You know, you could have just let the robots do it.”
“I know,” burbled Ssyrer. “It helped me to focus on something else – to keep my mind off things.”
“So, what do Slimonoids drink, anyway?”
Ssyrer split into three, and one third of her went over to one side of the room, while another third went to the other side. Those pieces reached long tendrils up to various shelves to indicate some containers, while the first piece spoke. “This is a bacteriological soup that gives us enormous energy, stimulating our electrolytic functions. And this drink here enables detoxification of the cells. We drink both of these every day.”
Her pieces came together again and Hogart felt a little embarrassed. “Thank you, Ssyrer. Sorry, my translator mustn’t be working properly. I meant a drink as in something that may intoxicate or change your perception of the world.”
Ssyrer made a sound that was almost like a burp, which Hogart knew to be her way of laughing. “Captain, we’re always intoxicated. It’s these sobering drinks that help us to focus in your reality. A bit like some of you having what you call L-Tyrosine to increase your dopamine levels.”
“So, if you don’t drink anything tonight, you’ll be too drunk to work?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Amazing!”
They laughed together for a moment, then Hogart grew serious again. “I’m really sorry that it’s going to happen on my ship.”
“All part of the great plan.”
Hogart bowed in respect.
Ssyrer bent her head a little in return. “Well, off you go. You have a ship to run!”
“Yes. Thank you for your work. Hope to see you again before you go.” Then Hogart turned sadly, and left.
Ssyrer watched him go. As he left, some of her guests began arriving. She threw a tendril out and grabbed a drink. She would need to be at her most alert for what was to come.
The Andromeda Effect. Stellar Flash Book Two by Neil A. Hogan
Now Available in Digital and Print
Sent back 2.5 million years in time to the Andromeda Galaxy to investigate why there’s a record of them having been there, the Stellar Flash crew encounter a creature so powerful that it has taken control of the entire galaxy by thought alone.
With most of the crew unconscious, Captain Jonathan Hogart is in a race against time to defeat the plant-planet, save the galaxy, and find a way to return to 2133.
But another force is attempting to take control, to use the power of the creature from the past to take over the Milky Way Galaxy in the present. And, for this, Hogart has no defense.
How is the creature controlling an entire galaxy?
Who has the technology to transmit the creature’s power from the past to the present?
And will the Stellar Flash crew and the Space Station team be able to save both galaxies?
Available now at –
