Ah, Screw It!

chapter 37

"Welcome to Othala, King Harry."

"It's an honour and a pleasure to be back." Harry smiled and bowed before extending his hand.

There was a slight smile on Thor's face as he reached out his thin hand and shook it. King Harry always returned the Asgardian greeting first before offering one of the human greetings.

"We have requisitioned a large scientific compound in a remote area of the planet." Thor explained. "It was designed for weapons testing. As Asgard weapons are energy based we believed it would be the most useful to monitor your spells, you do seem to 'fire' them from your wands."

"Sounds great. And again, my thanks to you and your people for helping me with this."

Thor waved the thanks off as he led them away. "Your people have reduced the threat of the replicators to a nuisance. Now you are giving us the opportunity to study the amazing power you use.

"Which reminds me. Have you noticed any difference since you arrived?"

Harry nodded. "I feel weaker. Less energetic. You might want to send some scientists back with me to monitor what happens when I step back on Earth."

"I shall make arrangements myself." Thor agreed.

"Supreme Commander Thor-"

"Please, call me Thor." He offered the girl as they walked.

"Thank you, I am Hermione." She curtsied in her school uniform. "I was wondering if at some point you could arrange for a ship to transport Harry from Earth to Othala and back again. That way we could measure the effect of him gradually approaching and leaving Earth."

Thor stopped and smiled at her. "Some day your people will be as old and experienced as mine. Hopefully you will have made less mistakes than we have, but you will come across a civilisation that was once as young as you are now. I hope you will take joy in the freshness of their minds as we do yours.

"My personal ship will be at your disposal, Hermione. We have plenty to spare as your people have already helped relieve the stress on our planet and galaxy caused by the replicators."

Harry smiled and patted the blushing Hermione on the shoulder. "Speaking of creepy bugs, what did you all come up with to deal with them?"

"It was quite ingenious." Thor answered. "One of your people saw that the Replicators were held together by energy. This energy also gave them the power to move and essentially 'live'. They managed to create what they called 'wave cancellation'. We have since modified our weapons to emit the required energy wave."

"So you are still hunting?" Harry asked.

"Yes. But your people were also able to come up with the idea to 'imbue' our ships with the same energy. Working together we now have automated defence ships patrolling the galaxy. In the event that the Replicators defeat the ship, they will essentially be consuming poisoned food."

"Gem, make sure to get the names of all those involved. This deserves recognition. Thor, I'd like to offer the same award or recognition to the members of your people who were involved as well."

"We would be honoured." Thor inclined his head. "At the moment the teams seemed to have plateaued in their research. At Lord Terrence's suggestion we they have set the issue aside to focus on the Asgard cloning problem. He called it a mental change of pace."

"Terry's good at that." Harry nodded. "He's not really an inventor or super smart brain like that one." He jabbed his thumb at an indignant Hermione. "But he is excellent at helping people reach beyond their potential. Half of the innovations that came from his little club only did so because he recognised when individuals needed a break or who to point the towards if they had hit a block.