Planet Hopping: Ronziri

[Cptdragon9]

 

Tim had picked the larger of the two towns, mainly because he could see broken arrays at the top of the mesa as he approached, along with what looked to be landing bays built into the side of the cliff face.  All were long past the functional stage as the rusted catch- arms looked as if they could barely support the nests of the larger birds that used them for roosts. 

 

After casually coasting past the abandoned space-faring stockyard, he brought the ship back around to lower to the valley floor where the town was laid out.  It was a far cry from what it had been.  There were towers easily 30 stories tall, but were barely more than rusted out lookouts.  This he could see because as he buzzed by them, he could see people pointing and scrambling.  He wasn’t sure why there would be lookouts so high in the building, unless their neighbors, wherever they were, had been particularly pesky.   It was guesswork at this point. 

 

He continued his flyby.  The main part of the city, about 30 block dead-center of the rusted-out city, was indeed active, very active as several ballistics pinged off the craft.  From the sound, Tim was pretty sure it wasn’t guns, or mortar, but more likely rocks.  He still veered out, not wanting a chunk of granite sucked into the propulsion units of the spacecraft.  Monitors showed an ebb and flow of people rushing in and out of buildings below, but not following him out into the open fields that surrounded the city.  At least not yet.  Wanted to have at least even ground to meet these kind folks, he banked it around slowly and settled it into the dry wheat and began to set the vehicle on standby.  “Ready to meet the natives, darling?”

 

 

                                            

[marvel]

"At least we landed in one piece, thanks to you, but landed where? This town looks like one big dump and the natives seem like rednecks. It must be the town that time forgot." Mary's nose scrunched as she made a sour face and sighed. "I hope there's  something around here to amuse us."

 

[Cptdragon9]

"Well beggars can't be choosers."  He flipped a few more switches, the craft settling nicely on the soft swards of grass before slipping out of his seat.  He ran his hands along the wall of the craft before finding a case.  A few tugs exposed the weapons array.  Paltry actually, a couple of blasters but he still tucked one in the small of his back, tucked in the belt of the uniform.  Just in case.

 

The back of the craft slowly opened as Tim strode forward, squinting in the sun.  So far the greeting party wasn't in view but he could still feel the hubub.  Minds all aflutter, excited and frightened.  Probably either hadn't seen a craft in ages, or (as he suspected) had no idea what an aircraft was..  

 

Yeah, this planet might be lacking in "fun".

 

It wouldn't take long.  The lead scouts were coming,, eight figures clad in brown riding on bland bay ungulates, as if there was a lack of color in general.  Even the grass they had landed in was dried out and yellowish.   They were approaching fast, the six-legged animals thundering towards them.  Easy enough.  The Rex sent out a low vibration, one that emitted a sensation of a predator animal.  Sure enough the animals began to swerve away, fighting their riders, slowing their approach.  Tim just smiled softly, happy to cause a little chaos.

 

                             

[marvel]

before she lrft their ship, Mary tucked away a blaster for herse;f as well. She didn't need it of course, but if the need for a little amusement arose later, it would come in handy. The natives better hope they don't give her a reason.

 

A few moments later she was standing beside the Rex, smirking and rolling her eyes, knowing full well what Tim was up to. "Don't break your toys or we'll have nothing left to play with, sugar."

 

[Cptdragon9]

 

"You are So not fun," he murmured back, only because the lead rider was finally close enough to hear them.  Yeah, it could have been a mental reply, but in truth he was like her, He was disappointed that this world seemed to be several steps backwards in development.  H'ed been hoping for an active port, a mining town; something that he could use to repair their ship, or ditch for a better one.

 

By now the lead rider was close enough to threaten them both with his spear, gibbering in his language.  Tim didn't need to translate, getting the whole "Who are you?" just from the tone alone.  Tim wasn't in the mood to placate.  Instead he drew the blaster and fired above them, the bright light and sizzling electrical sound startling his hosts.  It took the lead a more than a few moments to compose himself and his mount enough to turn and give a battle cry before charging forward.  Tim easily telegraphed the spear before grabbing the haft about a third of the way up and planting it into the ground, jerking the rider back sharply.  Tim followed through with the motion, swinging up into the saddle while shoving the rider back and at an angle, easily sweeping the rider off his steed while gaining a weapon..

 

Mary would find that she was likewise targeted.  Perhaps they thought if the captured "the woman" the "man" would surrender.  Either way two riders swept behind Tim and his opponent and bore down on the Marvel.

 

                                                     

[marvel]

"I'll remember that remark tonight..." Mary mumbled under her breath as their "welcome party" drew closer. Mary just stood there, arms crossed, shaking her head in disbelief as two of the riders charged her, spears pointed at her chest as threateningly as possible.

 

"I really wish you hadn't done that, boys." She murmured. "Actually, I'm pretty happy you did. It's time to get real."

 

"Shazam!"

 

Lightning split the sky and rumbled down, startling the horses as it struck Mary Bromfield and triggered her transformation. The smoke faded quickly as the black clad Marvel grabbed the two riders off their mounts and hoisted them over head. "Are you boys ready to play nice before I get mad?"

 

[Cptdragon9]

Tim smirked, happy that Mary had a chance to flex her muscles a bit, even as he turned his mount to face the remaining five, bringing the blaster down to point it at the “new” leader, now that he’d incapacitated the previous one, though judging by how still the body was laying on the ground, the mutant guessed that it was a more permanent state.

 

Apparently the new guy was a bit smarter than the last one, pulling up his mount, gesturing for the others to back away, even while the two Mary was holding aloft were yelling, damn near crying actually.  The exchange did give Tim a little insight as to their language and structure, and being a quick study (with a lot of cheating) gave their welcome committee and ultimatum:

 

“Take us to your leader.”  Or something to that effect.

 

There was a lot of head swiveling between the last standing warriors, including a bit of squabbling in which leader #2 whapped one of his subordinates with the but end of his spear, looking to save a little face.  He finally turned his posse about then gestured for Tim and Mary to follow suit, pretty much leaving the wounded and possibly dead behind.

Tim swung his mount about, moving it up to where Mary was playing with her toys.  He held a hand out to her to help her up into the saddle behind him should she want a ride..  “Ready to meet the natives?” he asked

 

 

 

 

                                                                                       

[marvel]

Mary fixed her steely eyed gaze on the 2 creeps she still holding aloft, pondering whether to put them back on their rides or feed them to them. After a moment, she smirked and chose the latter. " Go home and change your diapers and don't look back." She ordered them in no uncertain tertms before grasping Tim by the hand and mounting up. "Let's ride, lover."

 

[Cptdragon9]

The ride back to the gutted city took about an hour.  It might not have taken as long if their escorts weren’t so damn skittish.  The still had their bats and spears at the ready, but gave both of the “prisoners” a wide berth.  Tim looked like the cat that ate the ten – pound- canary, his head aloft as he rode in the saddle as if born to it, even with the odd wibble caused by a six- legged gate.

 

The view riding in the “Citadel” was rather disheartening to the mutant.  He had hoped for space-faring tech, but it seemed there was little to no tech to be found at all.  The once proud sky-ports and towering buildings were hundreds of years into decay.  Even the lush jungle that had once conquered had now faded to dried vines and stalks, giving way to a land that barely eked out enough moisture to sustain the grasses that extended for miles all around the city.  He could see people way up on the barren buildings, peeking out from the broken glass that barely remained around the windows.  One landing platform was swinging in the hot breeze, hanging on by one thick cable, but judging by the fraying, it wouldn’t be for much longer.

 

Soon their pathway running into the heart of the once great city was lined with the natives.  Again, their clothing was woven flax or thin skins in various browns and greys.  Most were barefoot, several had poles, spears, knives and other base weaponry.  Not a gun in the bunch.   He could feel the tide of emotions running from fear to anger to awestruck and back again.  Their trip ended in the heart of the bivouac.  More skins and sheets were strung up between the buildings, making a large tent where a lot of the locals had collected, clearly alerted to their coming.  Tim and Mary’s escorts stepped back, letting the duo ride forward to where another brace of warriors, these with white feathers sticking out of the back of their headbands, stood in a funnel outside a smaller tent.  With the entrance not large enough to accommodate them mounted Tim slid off, graceful as a cat, holding a hand up for Mary to use to dismount if she so desired.  Not that she would ever need help, but it would give them a show of unity.

 

 

[marvel]

With every breath that she heard Tim take along their trip, Mary took the opportunity to murmur the words "I hate this place", just loud enough for Tim to hear. By the time she took Tim's hand and allowed his assistance in dismounting, she almost felt sorry for the natives. "This is no way to live. Why couldn't we have crash landed in Las Vegas?" She muttered as she stood by waiting idly for whatever would happen next.

 

"There's got to be something more than meets the eye around here somewhere, Tim. This is sad."

 

[Cptdragon9]

Tim hoped so too.  Granted the locals looked a little rough around the edges, and the city may have seen better days, but the fact that the city had been once a spaceport, there was still a chance they could find something to help them along, but he would have to deal with the riff raff first.  The chieftain was already making his way out to them.  At least he dressed a little snazzier, his brown and grey tunic adorned with colored pebbles and fancy feathers, reminding him of the Native American Indians of Earth, except not as majestic.  He was trying to give the mutant a steely glare, but Tim could see the fear in his eyes, never mind the timor in the native's brain.  Tim stood his ground, looking much more confident than the chieftain, and was clear that everyone could see it.  The rest of the horde shuffled nervously, unsure of what might happen.

 

Tim's favorite type of playground.   For ths sake of ease, the mutant mentally translated the discussion for Mary, those it was base enough to figure out what was going on.

 

"Who are you?" the Chieftain asked.

 

Tim smiled, giving a small turn so he could eye those surrounding them, getting a face to match the emotions and thoughts of those around, determining who to watch and who could be buffaloed.  "I am the Rex."  He added a bit of a mental push, making his words sound more fearful in their minds.  "This is the Marvel."  Again a push, this time coupled with a threat of physical and painful violence.

 

The Chief did his best to hold his ground against the mental onslaught.  "What do you want?"

 

With that the Rex smiled a mouth full of pearly white teeth.  "Why, to rule you all."

[marvel]

Mary grinned from ear to ear at those words, and later when the two of them were more secluded, she would show her man how much she appreciated them. For now she fought hard to keep her mind on business as she rose up into the air, over their heads and pointed at the ground while drinking in the fear in their eyes. "I suggest you discard all weapons and kneel. Now would be good, don't make us say it twice."

 

[Cptdragon9]

There was a collective gasp at Tim’s declaration.  In fact they might have attempted to rush the duo had Mary not raised up and floated above them.  Tim provided the mental translation to the group so that Mary’s demands sounded as if in their language.  A couple of the young turks in the groups still seemed to want to charge the duo, but clearly were hesitant, not sure as to How to take Tim, and more importantly Mary.

 

So far nobody kneeled as they were very confused as to what was happening.

 

Tim sighed and ‘pathed to his squeeze.  “Mary, luv.  I think they need a demonstration…”

[marvel]

 Mary could do nothing except roll her eyes and huff at the cololective stupidity of the natives, just as she heard Tim's voice in her head, to which she responded "Agreed, Romeo. Any colorful, creative suggestions? Show me your sense of whimsy in your response. I mean, I could very easily wipe the floor with each and every one of them bui then we'll have no one to rule."

 

[Cptdragon9]

Tim's eyes rolled about, taking in the terrain, noticing that it was mostly rusted metal.  <<There... that dish antenna up there.  See if you can pluck that for me and bring it down.>>

 

While chatting to his main squeeze through their mindlink, the telepath, gave a broad gesture upwards, towards the dish.  It had been white at one time, perhaps made of ceramic to help diffuse the metallic ping of space-transfer, but several of the plates had fallen and some of the jungle that had once claimed it was now dry and brittle.  Still it was substantial, almost three stories tall.  With a little finesse, he could use it to scan to make sure no unexpected surprises snuck up on them.

 

That and Mary hauling the massive disk down from it's perch might well give all these yokels pause.

 

  

[marvel]

<See if??? I almost find that comment insulting, Tim, darling.> Mary sighed < I'll be right back, watch my smoke.>

 

Before any of the natives could even twitch, Mary had become a blur and was now standing above everyone, hovering with a look of disgust on her face. She then made a small turn and with the crowd still in her line of sight, detached the tower as if it were made of paper. One handed to boot.

 

For a moment, she was tempted to just heave it down upon their worthless heads. The moment quickly passed. She had no real desire to kill them all when making them grovel was so much more appealing.

 

A heartbeat later she smiled smugly and was back on the ground, hoisting the object overhead.

 

[Cptdragon9]

If there was any doubt that Tim and Mary were people to contend with, it was pretty much shattered.  Almost all of the natives fell to their knees, bowing and prostrating themselves in front of the power couple.  Only the leader and a few of his attendees stood, shellshocked, mouths agape as Mary showed off her strength.  Tim now sauntered toward the chieftain, plucking the crude feathered crown from his head and placing it upon his coiffed black locks.  The posse looked as if they might defend their leader, one even raised a spear, but Tim merely gestured.  He didn't have to, but he wanted no confusion.  Spear guy froze in his steps, then collapsed before convulsing in a seizure.

 

The rest of the gang dropped to their knees, including their dethroned boss, and clamored and begged for forgiveness, causing the Rex's grin to spread in glee..

[marvel]

"These people are all pathetically slow learners, aren't they love? I guess they do have brains somewhere in those craniums after all." Mary mentally relayed her thoughts to Tim. She triumphantly took a lap around their new slaves, hands on her hips as she surveyed them with a sneer on her face. "What's our next move, chief? That crown looks good on you by the way. Pretty fly for a white guy."

 

[Cptdragon9]

The “white guy” reference went over the Rex’s head, though many of Mary’s colloquialisms did.  Not that he didn’t understand them for what they were; it was just that he’d visited so many worlds, and variations of those worlds, that trying to keep every bit of trivia straight just wasn’t worth it.  One world at a time, he would say.  And indeed, it was one world he had to deal with at a time.  If he had plans of moving on up in the world, he would need to get this one tip- top shape.  Like pull it back out of the stone age.

 

It was now that he looked everything over with that intellectual eye, especially the skeletal structure of the dilapidated towers that loomed over them.  His mind seemed to slip into overdrive on its own, calculating, estimating, judging, weighing, estimating, and most of al analyzing.  It would be guesswork at first, but once he got a better look at this place’s underbelly, he might actually be able to get things literally off the ground.

 

“I think we need to take inventory…” he finally murmured as if in some sort of trance as he gazed upwards….

 

(time jump coming forthwith)

[marvel]

(Go for it)

[Cptdragon9]

It took Tim and Mary about a month to whip the city into shape.  It hadn’t been easy.  While they had plenty of man-power, the task at hand was still monumental and dangerous.  While the womenfolk set about making the village more palatable to the picky mutant and his mate, the menfolk were commanded to climb up into the towers, looking for anything salvageable.  There was quite a bit.  Granted most was either rusted and corroded or sun-worn, or wind damaged; but Tim meticulously picked through each piece, then teaching the womenfolk what to look for.  Soon there was a decent pile of cables, connectors, electronics, glass, metals; anything he could start to rebuild the station, starting with a listening post.  Tim’s talent, with a good boost, could reach quite a few miles; but he needed a better ear to hear out into space.

 

There had been a foundry at one time, clearly to process whatever ore the planet had to make the metals used in construction.  Again, he applied the backbreaking work to his enslaved force, clearing away years of rubble.  It took several tries to get it fired up, one explosion killing 7 workers, but once the furnace was lit, even his subjects cheered, perhaps seeing that what the Rex was doing would be good for them in the end.  The ore itself had to be carted in as local supplies had been gutted long ago, but again with a little instruction, they soon had a mule trains of copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, and two other ores unfamiliar with the mutant, but a little more suitable to his means; coming to the foundry in an endless trek.  His minions, for the most part, did a good job producing clean product for manufacture.

 

While they stockpiled the components for their future project.  Tim and Mary were lifted up to be the king and queen of Ronziri.  They had their own castle, as it were.  Being inside the metal structures proved to be too hot, at least until Tim could get the generators reconfigured and could find a substitute for the coolant that had clearly been shipped in once upon a time.  As rustic as it was, living in the woven tents was actually the better option.  The tent was as big as a two-story house, with several walled off areas sufficing as rooms for the couple.  The bedroom was pretty luscious; the mattress woven with the finest cloth, stuffed with down; with rich tapestries and matching down comforters as and expensive bed-and-breakfast would offer.  Food was just as rich, with breads and meats and wild-roots.  Tim tinkered with some of the recipes to match his high-caloric palate, and the cooks quickly learned.  They had attendants by the score to cook and clean and fetch and do with what they will.  Tim, for the most part, left them to do whatever duties had been assigned to them, punishing them only when it was necessary to make a point.  He’d only had to make a spectacle of such on three occasions, but the horrendous results had clearly been etched in the rest of the throng’s mind that he didn’t need to monitor the mind hive for any dissenters. 

 

Of late there weren’t any.  In fact the city seemed to be keeping pace with the forced evolution.  More stores had opened up.  More goods were on the market.  A few ingenious folks had taken when they had learned from their overlords and actually invented a few things to make their harsh life a bit easier.  The metals that Tim tossed away as imperfectly produced from the forge were refashioned into useful tools, bringing the natives out of the stone age and into the equivalent of the Middle Ages.  Armor was too thick to wear, but the carts were upgraded with bearings, making them roll easier over the now improved roads.  A police force wasn’t necessary, but there was a sort of national guard that grew into the role of not only escorting the duo about, but to help out those in need.  The tithe that Tim levied against his people wasn’t substantial either, but was enough to keep his “household” stocked and fed, making holding any position in the “house” a high honor it itself.

 

Normally Tim would have been bored, but he was driven to bring this planet back out of the dark ages, hopefully before the Militants could find them.  He seemed almost frantic at times, pacing back and forth in front of the slate chalkboard he had mounted in his “study”, timetables and charts and equations written askew all over it.  Matching piles of parchment written in charcoal piled on his marble desk.  It wasn’t much more than a solid slab propped up on two sandstone boulders, but it also sufficed.  Computers were also a long way off.  Currently he was trying to get generators to turn over.  With the hope of electricity would come quicker production and an increase in the time-table.  Plasma would have been an optimal source, but solar was probably going to be the norm, once he was able to produce the panels

[marvel]

Mary had to admit it, she was amazed by how far she and Tim had come on this planet in such a relatively short time. transforming it from a dark ages slum to something respectable. There was still plenty to be done but it would take time and it would come together. It wasn't like she could just sit in a chair shouting shazam all day over and over again just to produce electricity. She and Tim both had better things to do and so did theit loyal subjects

 

Mary hadn't just been sitting around sipping coffee and nibbling on bon-bons however. As hard as Tim worked, Mary worked equally so as queen. Lending her king her aid wehnever and wherever needed, including having her own hand in the recipesd that were prepared just as Tim did, and Mary had plenty. She had been quite the cook back in her world. And though she was content to let others do the actual cooking, she had plenty of recipes to give their slaves.

 

[Cptdragon9]

When the neighbors came a calling, Tim wasn't all that surprised. Ronziri wasn't the only city on this rock. In fact it had been one of the smaller homesteads that had been colonized by the primitives. Whatever had happened to the one- time spaceport that caused it to fail had driven many people far and away into the mountains and jungles far and away from the desolate dry grasslands that surrounded the abandoned skyscrapers. The drazai (the 6 legged camels as they were properly called) - mounted greeting party Tim and Mary had initial run into a month ago had been out to protect the colony from harassing interlopers. Tim had been warned of them, and the mutant had picked up some mental activity in the foothills of the mountains to the west of Ronziri, but it had taken the month before the neighbors got nosey enough to ambush one of the foraging parties. Tim's forces were able to escape, but not without injury.

 

It was the party of 8 that now road back into the city. The youngest, a boy of 10, had been injured and was now being rushed into the courtyard, looking to be healed; along with bringing back the news of the attack to their king and queen. Two healers from the queen's court did rush forward to take up the boy, attending the wound in his side, while the remaining seven kneeled in front of the empty thrones, waiting for their king and queen to arrive.

 

 

                                        

[marvel]

The assembled party did not have to wait long before the queen entered the throne room. Having heard the commotion arriving, she made a beeline there, and saw the boy being tended to on her way. With a disgusted look of irritation, Nary took a seat on her throne upon reaching it. She had a pretty good idea of what had happened by the wisdom of Solomon but it didn't stop her from demanding to be briefed anyway. "Explain." She calmly insisted.

 

[Cptdragon9]

At first there was a babel of noise, but finally one managed to take the leadership role, getting the others to shut up before he began his tale, just as the Rex entered, quietly taking the throne next to his queen.  "My Lady, My Lord.  We were patrolling the Western perimeter by the Black Grove when we were attacked by a war party thirty strong.  Normally my warband would easily match them, they are weak and run from an organized defense, but not this time.  They had...." 

 

He paused, trying to put word to the images in his head; images that the Rex easily saw.  "You saw a light.  A Beam."

 

The Rex's mind- reading talents were no longer a shock to the inhabitants of Ronziri, but it still amazed them as to what he could see in their heads.  The war-party leader stared up at his King wide - eyed, but thankful that his Lord believed that he wasn't making it up.  "Yes!  yes!  A bright light.  Blinding it was.  Hot it was.  It struck my nephew right out of his saddle before cleaving his mount in half."

 

Tim pursed his lips as he tried to make sense of the images in their heads.  "Think hard.  This beam, did it come from the man himself, or from something he carried?"

 

The rank officer scrunched his brow, trying to remember.  "From a metal stick.. a fat stick, nigh as big around as a log carried under my arm."