Echo-1 The Whale

19: Diamonds and Gold

We pulled into the hangar bay and drove down an aisle of ships backed into place and lined up perfectly. Near the airlock, the sidewall retracted, and a glass wall was revealed. Jonas and Veronica were floating behind the glass. The outer doors of the airlock were open and you could see through the window on the inner door that the Varan ship was approaching. 

It was a rectangle much like Mox's ship, but instead of being a rusty brick, looked more like a giant bar of gold. Flying around it where what I could have only assumed were diamond ships. They sparkled like little stars in the distance.

Mox and X were in the hangar already, along with Dr. Death in his full dress battle gear. There were two additional grunt guards, also in Robo-Combat armor, stationed on each side of the glass wall. Their white armor matched the hull, I assumed it was ceremonial. I would have felt underdressed, but X was naked and Mox and Blunt were in their matching leather pants.

The Save the Whale gang unloaded the Inuit's gear and drove the trucks out of the hangar. The four commandos got into the vehicle I had used and parked on the far side. My twin droids took up a station in front of the glass wall. Blunt let his monster polar bear out and mounted up.

Dr. Death was extremely interested. "You can ride them?"

Mox ordered the others released from their cages. He walked up to the male and staring into his eyes, hypnotized him. The bear went from acting wild and agitated to being tame and calm. He then did the same to the mother and her cubs, which still kept their playful spirit. Both X and Sunshine proceeded to hug and pet the polar bear cubs. Mox sat the two adult bears down on the deck like trained dogs.

"Lessor minded creatures are highly susceptible to suggestion," Mox noted.

Death stood very impressed. I think he was starting to come around to the Varan. Aanak and Atuk went over to the glass wall and waved to the huge floating whales within. I walked beside them.

Jonas asked if he could use my droids to translate. I said I didn't feel I owned them. To which he laughed with bubbles floating out of his mouth. Though the Inuit couldn't hear our conversation via transmitter, they were very aware of the interaction between Jonas and myself. They began talking to the whale. Wingus and Dingus translated the Inuit language and spoke for Jonas.

Atuk raised his harpoon.

"Great Jonas, thank you for your guidance in the afterlife, we will live well and though we leave you now, we know we will meet again, in the next life after this. We travel with you always. Your spirit travels with us."

Jonas replied through the droids.

"Go my friends. The Varan will be your new family and will teach you their ways and you will teach them the ways of your people. You will start a new village and be the elders they seek. Take the wisdom of your lives to their people."

I looked out the hangar doors. The golden ship was much closer now. It was probably ten times the size of Mox's ship, there was no way it would fit in the hangar. It pulled up closer and closer until the entire bay was cast in a golden reflection that filled the room like sunlight. I hadn't felt sunlight in this new life. The Inuit shielded their eyes and asked Jonas if this was the sun they would journey on to the next life. Jonas replied, yes, it was.

The ships connected with a thud. The airlock pressurized and the inner door opened. I felt a bit of tension in the air and didn't know what was going to happen. A large door in the golden wall opened up and we could see into the ship's interior, which also appeared to be a hangar bay. 

Out ran what looked like a pack of robotic golden hyenas. The four-legged droids raced around the hangar scanning everything with their eyes and sending the polar bears into hysterics. Mox did his best to calm them. The hyena droids then all ran back into their ship. One remained standing in front of Dr. Death who was the only armed commando on the deck. He held his giant blaster rifle in his hands and took a step back from the golden beast. The Varan appeared, slowly walking out of their ship.