Void's Psionics (70 page)

Renee spoke up. “Let’s begin the surface
scans and split up to cover more ground. Preliminary pulses show no
sign of any activity in this system that might be a threat. No
Keptl or ships are a good sign we’re all alone out here.”

“
If you say so.” Oliver
pressed the ship’s long range scanners while also releasing
billions of micro-drones from tiny pores in his armor after making
many more than last time on Mereddia. It would speed things up and
more accurately give readings.

Many hours were spent cataloguing the planet
and its moons. Readings took gravity measurements and was a mere
half gee despite the planet being twice Earth’s girth. Also scans
searched for life and remarkably there were native species of
small, furry animals that thrives on the near endless tundra.
Feeding on mineral deposits as well as the ice itself. To keep them
in check were moderately large clawed predators.

When eventually the ships converged together
Renee swallowed to say “Olly, please tell me my readings are
wrong?”

“
Noticed it too
huh?”

“
Like I’m that oblivious?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never seen flash-freeze storms before.
They are supposed to be theory. How can it be that they are even
possible when the central star doesn’t produce enough heat to reach
this far out?”

Flash-freeze storms refer to a severe drop in
temperature where practically all thermal energy is lost in mere
seconds. The average temperature in sunlight on the icy planet is
minus one hundred seventy Celsius and on the dark side being minus
two twenty. With flash-freeze there is no actual storm. To the
naked eye you see nothing. In the storm the temperature plummets
from whatever temperature is down to minus four hundred Celsius in
under five seconds. Anything caught will instantly be frozen no
matter how thickly insulated.

“
It’s the moons.” He stated
calmly. “The moons generate a tidal effect which pulls and pushes
the deep sea and thin atmosphere below the frozen surface. The way
the spin around in orbit whirls the little amount of atmosphere to
suck and spread at seemingly random times. It’ll take a couple days
to calculate how the flash-freeze storms move by the moons’
effects. Hopefully I can figure it out before the Dorgenox arrives
in four days.”

“
Then while you do that I’ll
figure out how the hell animals still live with these conditions.
I’m going to go land on that largest moon and throw up an
atmosphere tent. We’ll be safer there than landing on the planet.
At least on the moon the only worry is getting hit by meteorites
and shards of ice. No atmosphere, no flash-freeze.”

“
Good idea. I’ll go complete
a full analysis on the five moons and how they work. If I can find
a safe method I’ll alter their orbits to make sure it all comes to
a stop.”

“
Do that.” She said and flew
over to the moon to land and manipulated the River Skipper’s shield
into a bubble. Airtight, she released the spare air tanks to make a
sixty meter wide area. It would be temporary, but would allow them
to walk and stretch their legs.

Right on schedule boomed the voice of the
king of the pirates. “Lass? We arrived. Are ye there?”

Snapping awake in the arms of her lover Renee
got up and sat in the pilot’s seat. “Yes, Papa, I’m here… I’ve got
visual on you.”

“
So do we, Lass.” The
bearded Scotsman smiled. “Any problem’s?”

She knew exactly what he meant. “Not at all,
Papa. Olly manually moved all the moons into orbits which have
stabilized the weather from any more sudden flash-freeze effects.
It took the better part of a day to telekinetically to move the
moons around without turning them rogue and flying off, but he got
the job done. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still freezing down there,
but at least there’ll be no more that is so sudden you’ll turn to
ice about as fast as you can blink. My scans have been running at a
constant twenty three and a half hours and there hasn’t been any
more signs or fluctuations of those storms after they sputtered
out.”

“
What of the
animals?”

“
Heartiest hairy Beasts I’ve
ever seen, Papa. Yes, I’ve established they are in fact Beasts. The
predators are all A-Rank though we’ve never run across them till
now. Their biology is fascinating. They have a special gland that
is so thick that when they lose all their thermal energy the gland
produces a chemical that literally unfreezes their undamaged cells.
They are a fascinating Beast, but we need to keep away from them
and the other lesser Beasts. They are well camouflaged and without
an aerial scanner you could be standing on one and not even know
it. Besides, they are built for traveling long distances in minimal
time on the lesser gravity. They practically fly, Papa.”

“
Thank ye, Lass. Ye did
well. What of the city?”

Oliver came over, holding Isabella all
bundled up. “It’s as expected. Normal sensors can’t find it, but my
micro-drones found it buried under three kilometers of solid ice.
The city is made of ice, like Mereddia’s water city, but I
recommend boring a twenty five degree angled hole to the surface
using lasers so I can get hold and pull out huge cylinders.”

“
Are ye sure that is a wise
idea, Lad? Zerika wasn’t too kind when we dug a chunk too close to
the city.” Captain Dorgen reminded.

“
I’m well aware of the risk,
Captain. It is a risk I believe will have the most minimal reaction
from the city defense. If the heated lasers melt only ice, I
believe it won’t be seen as a threat compared to me using a Kinetic
Stream.”

“
True.” Jake nodded. “And I
agree. I’ll get Jacob to create a laser system to do just that. Not
weaponize the lasers. Perhaps we’ll get lucky.”

“
Don’t jinx us, Papa.” Renee
teased and her father chuckled. “We’ll dock in an hour or
so.”

Two days later the expedition team stood on
the planet behind Oliver. The Pride and cubs were out running the
perimeter to make sure no tundra Beasts got near. The area selected
was further from all signs of life in a two hundred kilometer area,
but best not to take chances. Everyone was bundled warm and wore
masks as the air was too cold to breathe without freezing the
lungs. Without informing their armor, Oliver and Renee’s attire
altered into woven fur that locked all bodily heat so they were
nice and toasty compared to the others.

Currently deep red lasers were spinning round
and around in a perfect circle, melting ice into instant steam
after attempting to make water just froze back near instantly. The
ring was ten meters wide and every hour Oliver summoned his power
to pull several hundred meters out at a time. The lower gravity
helping out. Cutting took another nine hours before coming within
two hundred meters of the city where Oliver called the laser off
and removed the last core.

Isabella and David were watched after by
Jessica while the parents were working on the planet.

Sleds were made and sat on before being
pushed down into the tunnel. Nearly everyone threw their arms up
and screamed in enjoyment for the long ride down the smooth
incline.

It was a complete rush and having Renee cling
to his arm for dear life was an added bonus.

The heated skates eventually angled out to
make excellent brakes and they slowed down right to the end.
“Jacob, is the tube undamaged?”

“
Yes. It unrolled like a
charm.” The little man admitted as he unrolled more and flung it
right to the wall. “Pump is working too. How long though is the
question. My equipment wasn’t meant for this level of wet and
cold.”

“
I’ll make it quick.
Captain?”

“
Ye just get to it. Don’t
worry. I’ll make sure no one gets wet or fears for a
collapse.”

Oliver lifted his left hand and created a
sphere of electricity that became superheated plasma that he pushed
into the ice and watched it melt on contact. The hose sucked up the
melt and the steam that turned back into snow collected on Jake
Dorgen’s barrier thrown up over everyone and the three large sleds.
Oliver walked, trying to keep a steady angle.

In just several minutes came a woman in a
thick snowy gown. “Master, cease your approach.”

Her sudden appearance right in front of his
face was a moment before the ball exploded, but he managed to let
it safely seep back into his body and get dumped into the vambrace.
“Don’t scare me like that.”

“
My apologies, Master Void.”
She curtsied. He and the others saw she was by far the most
concretively dressed AI they had ever come across. Her clothes
hugged her slim body and her platinum hair was done up in a
delicate bun, enhancing her neck and pointed ears. “I merely wish
to see you do not push further and endanger everyone by forcing me
to defend myself.”

“
Quite alright.” Renee said
as she came up to his side. “What is your name?”

“
I’m known as Quelette,
Mistress Void.”

“
Quelette, we would really
like to enter the warmer city if you do not mind. Can you lead us
to an entrance?”

“
You have but to ask.
Please, follow me.” She turned and suddenly the solid wall of ice
began parting for her roughly the same as the one they had made.
Only the angle was different. They were forced to take sharp
left.

Dragging the sleds they arrived at an
enormous black nano-wall. The AI merely gestured to it.

Surprisingly Renee said “It’s warm.” As soon
as her bare hand pressed on it beside Oliver’s.

“
I’m glad. My hand was
sweaty and it would have hurt when it froze to a surface.” He
smiled and rushed everyone inside before the wall solidified
again.

Andrea was off like a bolt to the nearest
dwelling and going right in so fast it gave everyone a chuckle.

Oliver said to the team “I’m going to go get
the fourth piece of the puzzle. You all just warm up.”

“
We’ll meet up soon lad.”
Jake said as he walked off after his beloved.

Before Oliver took another step his vambrace
vibrated and a face he hoped not to see appeared through the chip
so he could see her said “Master, the Corrupted One has been
detected on my sensors. He is coming for me.”

The AI Aqurril had just pleaded for his
aid.

The story concludes in the search of the
universe’s greatest untold mystery in Evolution’s Essence

Be sure to read other books by this
author:

Balancer’s Cycle

Balancer’s Soul

Changer’s Blood

Keeper’s Knowledge

Harmonizer’s Evolution

The Item Trilogy

Untamed Gift

Furion’s Trials

Ra’van

Death Incarnate
Saga

The Grin of Prophecy

Familiar’s Ancient Throne

Laugh of Destruction

Ascension of the Warlock

Empress’s Endgame

Spirit Guide Saga
(Coming Fall of 2014)

Forgemaster

Wrath of Flames

Atavism of the Ifrit

Star Pirate Legends
(Coming Fall of 2015)

Cutlass Sharpened

Void’s Psionics

Evolution’s Essence

The Fey Files
(Coming Fall of 2016)

Banshee’s Calling

Feeding Frenzy

Harpy’s Plea

(TBA)

Harsh Realms
(Coming Fall on 2017)

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