Beyond the End of the World, Lokians 1

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

Jor-Tune leaned against the bridge's wall, speaking to Admiral Yew through his comm. unit. Then, he addressed the crew, relaying that he announced their success. Day waited patiently for Thewls to finish their correspondence as she needed clearance to dock with the Carrier.

"You may proceed, Miss Day," Jor-Tune said.

She maneuvered closer to the giant ship, looking on while the bottom compartment slid out and into place. First, she released the Lokian by gingerly laying it onto an unoccupied platform, which rose into a sealed compartment. After operatives announced that it was clear, Day landed on another lift, which also rose into position. Finally, the interior lockout system re-pressurized, and beneath them, the whole Carrier closed docking bay doors.

The crew marched from their ship to witness a sea of Thewlian scientists using small cranes and lifts to move the defeated Lokian to the proper area. The head Thewl on the project was a short, stocky alien, who introduced himself as Frep. At a modest seven feet in height, the twitchy alien ambled up to the captain and initiated a handshake then called for his team to begin studies.

"Wow, a real live ship," Frep commented.

"Better believe it," O'Hara replied. "Enjoy it."

The captain excused himself before announcing they were ready to contemplate the next step.

"Sir, I'd like permission to join the Thewls in studying the Lokian ship," Swain said.

O'Hara raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Are you sure it's what you want? I could really use you here while we plan."

"Yes, Sir. I'd really like to dissect that thing and find out how it works," Swain responded with barely contained anticipation.

Swain rarely wrung his hands, but when he did, everyone knew he was about to leap out of his skin. Smiling to himself, O'Hara nodded. Swain bit his lower lip, fighting off a cheesy grin. The big man sashayed off with Frep; the two were overheard chatting about the battle.

Once the science team sprawled the Lokian onto the floor, a moment of hushed awe ensued. Several Thewls started poking and prodding with tools and instruments. A few carried some recording devices. They took their scans or gave out readings while both the admiral and ambassador supervised.

Swain found the view refreshing. It reminded him of Humans working while their supervisors stood by idly. For a moment he was unsure as to where to begin, but he took a breath and calmed himself, just staring for a time.

An exterior pull helped him to quiet his mind. Slowly, the sounds of chattering Thewls subsided. His vision grew dark, tunneled, and then everything evaporated into darkness, everything except the Lokian.

Its girth demanded all of his attention. Suddenly, a plethora of images barraged his mind. It was an overwhelming experience, but it ended abruptly. He saw O'Hara had placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Swain. Didn't mean to startle you," the captain giggled.

Swain laughed and wiped his face. "No, it's fine; just excited."

When O'Hara raised his brows, looking at the ship, Swain returned all his attention to the enemy transporter.

DeReaux took a look at Swain then turned to the captain. "What do we do now?"

"We gotta' wait to find out how this thing works," Fitzpatrick interjected.

O'Hara nodded, and said, "Probably not much we can do. I'll check with the ambassador. Maybe he's had some luck on his end. After that, we can relax and hopefully figure out where to go from here."