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Tapiet has some symbiotic relationship with some good virus to allowhim to be in
space with no spacesuit. He puts a wad of gum on the cameras sothat he can sneak
into a den of pirates and cutthroats. He has been therebefore and got out. He tells
all of them to follow BDC's instructions. Ifthey haven't learned in 30 minutes what
they have to the mission is doomed.Rigell knocks the machine awake, it tells him
he encouraged Tapiet'sattachment to him: Books work alone but are too easily exploited
for the infothey carry; Rigell is told he ignores what Tapiet tells him. Tapiet goes
downto Outpost Slaughter Blue One. He has to knock out the system of the KoviiRu.
A cat-lion male sees Tapiet and knew him when he was sent here. Tapietuses his sleep
gun on him. When he wakes up he won't remember a thing. Themachine lets out the air
and tells them they must learn to work in a vacuumor they won't survive in 20 minutes.
The three of them have the parasite. Ittakes 12 to 18 hours for the virus to act
and for both host and parasite toadapt to each other. Ting flies naturally. Tapiet
puts a lizard man and a cator dog man to sleep. He moves past the Arak, flying in
space and he blastsgiant spider guards. Ting takes Korskoff who has trouble flying.
The trio goto help Tapiet. Korskoff shoots and kills a spider after Ting. Tapiet
says,"Nice shooting, Red Robes." On the enemy ship, there are butterflies,
clifflike structures and waterfalls...Ting's new home. The distant ancestors ofthe
Builders. The Sea of Lights is filled with abandoned bioships. The sizeof a whole
world. Many civilizations in the far past have fled the Wave butas centuries passed,
they often forgot the Wave's danger and abandoned theirships for planetside life.
They put the other bio ship in tow. Pirates attackbut Tapiet flips a switch and a
shield goes up. Rigell sees a creature onboard...one who looks like Tapiet with shaved
sides of his head, tattoos onthe sides of his face, large fin like ears, arm wraps
and leggings like furtopped boots. As Ting and Korskoff order food, Tapiet tells
Rigell thiscreature is a planetary who is restoring the bio cells--the Seconds will
havea primordial forest and a little sea in a month's time. The ship can helpTing--who
wants to blast the Imperial Slavers to rescue his people---but hecannot attack or
his people on the same ships--will die. Tapiet tells himthat using Ting's special
gene pattern, the ship can scan the Slavers' shipsand planets--and teleport all the
other Seconds on board. Korskoff will staywith Ting and the Seconds. Rigell asks
Tapiet what they do next. The two talkabout how Books work alone but Rigell tells
him he has other connectionsthroughout and beyond this universe. Tapiet's face shows
that, at first he ismad at this, but then that he does want Rigell to stick around.
They willhave to face the Slavers, the Warp Riders, and the Sea of Lights pirates.Rigell
picks up Tapiet who tells him, "You got a deal, cap'n." Korskoffsays, "I
think they dimensional wave will be easier to deal with than thosetwo." Ting
says, "I think you're right." |