Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 52: The Gift

"Hell no! We can't have one of those things on the station. You know they can get up to nine feet tall, right? And he wants one as a present for his formday?" Russell rejected the notion immediately; it was awkward for Ollie, Kody, Howie, and Polly because they just stood in the corner as Tommy and Russell discussed Bodi's request. They'd argued about Bodi's gift in the briefing room for the past 30 minutes. Russell was entirely against it, especially having learned of the death storm looming on the surface of Omeocoon. Tommy was hellbent on making his cousin happy. "Dude, I already told him yes. If we can't even get him what he wants as Chancellor, he'll never be happy!" 

"Where are we even supposed to find one? Panthorians don't exactly advertise themselves as wanting to be pets. They travel in packs and live in the woods, Tommy. Some of them attack people. We had a bunch of them living on my island back home; all they did was tear stuff up and bite people. They also talked a lot. And they have four arms! They're pests." Tommy heard Russell's objections, nodding along fakely, but he would do this for Bodi, even if it took three months or even 60 years. "Funny, you should mention that, now that Bodi is the Chancellor, he can finally start talking to the sovereign islands and getting people on board to live on the ship in an official capacity. I figured it would be best to start with your tribe." 

Russell fidgetted uncomfortably at that thought. "Why do you want to start there..? Wouldn't it be better to start with a tribe that didn't try to assimilate us forcibly?" Russell frowned, and Tommy nodded. "I know, but that island has a Panthorian breeder. His name is Oscar, remember? Your brother. I could call him." 

"You already did call him when you dumped him. Remember?" Russell countered. Tommy did dump him; that was the only way he could start a relationship with Cal. "It wouldn't work out... I live in space, and he lives on the planet. The communications are spotty. It would be easier for both of us." 

"Well, if the Eclectus returns with that ship, you'll both live in space. Are you prepared to face your ex?" Russell smiled deviously, "Yes, I am, for my cousin. I'll do anything. When I merged with Oscar, I learned he had a lot more going on than gardening. He was a prized breeder of Panthorians when they were in season. He'll know everything about them, their calls. Where their nests are." 

"Why does he even want a Panthorian anyway? Did you tell him they spin webs, have four arms, and have a devilish appetite for the unsuspecting? They practice cannibalism." 

"Well, I don't blame them. Our planet doesn't really have that many options in terms of food. Panthorians are carnivores. I looked that up in the database last night." Tommy took pride in his rudimentary understanding of Panthorian biology. Tommy was right; Oscar did know quite a lot about plants and Panthorians, among other things. But if they had to talk to Oscar, then that meant talking to Kallum, and Kallum was a jerk with whom Russell decided not to bond again. "How are you even going to get them up here?" 

"Escape pod! I've been tinkering with it. Since Kipp is gone, I thought I should try my hand at engineering." Russell laughed, "You think you can engineer better than my son?" Tommy shrugged, brushing the doubt off. "We talk... he's going to be gone for two months. Some of us need to learn how to be an engineer. You studied to become a field medic for Cam." 

"Because I just so happened to know a thing or two about medicine from being in a tribe that needed EMTs. But you don't know the first thing about an FLT drive." 

"I don't need an FTL drive. I need a box with impulse thrusters to take off and land on a planet. And I've already fixed it... sort of. It's not so hard once you've oozed around it for a little bit!" Russell's face remained blank, so that's where all of Tommy's independent time went. Instead of going to the gym, he'd been hitting an operations manual, and Tommy was also a quick study. "Well, have a nice trip, Tommy."