So Close to Home

by Galen Surlak-Ramsey

  So Close to Home

  Dakota Adams: Book III

  Dakota Adams

  Book III

  By

  Galen Surlak-Ramsey

  A Tiny Fox Press Book

  © 2020 Galen Surlak-Ramsey

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by U.S.A. copyright law. For information address: Tiny Fox Press, North Port, FL.

  This is a work of fiction: Names, places, characters, and events are a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by TekTan.

  ISBN (Print): 978-1-946501-23-3

  LCCN: 2019952058

  Tiny Fox Press and the book fox logo are all registered trademarks of Tiny Fox Press LLC

  Tiny Fox Press LLC

  North Port, FL

  For Lincoln who’d love to ride the Super Vortex

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One: Welcome to Kumet

  Chapter Two: Transport

  Chapter Three: Physical

  Chapter Four: Casino

  Chapter Five: Experiments

  Chapter Six: The Dance

  Chapter Seven: Improv

  Chapter Eight: Yet Another Lab

  Chapter Nine: Meltdown

  Chapter Ten: MOAR™ Portals

  Chapter Eleven: The Return

  Chapter Twelve: The Drop

  Chapter Thirteen: Welcome Back

  Chapter Fourteen: A Nice Little Dip

  Chapter Fifteen: Rendezvous

  Chapter Sixteen: Bottoms Up

  Chapter Seventeen: Detox

  Chapter Eighteen: A New Ship

  Chapter Nineteen: Interview with AO

  Chapter Twenty: Original Sin

  Chapter Twenty-One: The Ninth Floor

  Chapter Twenty-Two: The Exhibit of Bad Art

  Chapter Twenty-Three: A New Old Friend

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Picking Up

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Yseri & The Empress

  Chapter Twenty-Six: To Orbit

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Naval Battle

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Boarding Party

  Chapter Twenty-Nine: Running Amok in Muck

  Chapter Thirty: Another Twenty Credits

  Chapter Thirty-One: Fin

  Chapter One

  Welcome to Kumet

  With wonder in my eyes, I spun in place and took in as much as I could of the Kibnali world. Admittedly, it wasn’t much since we were still inside the coliseum, but the tall, purple trees with spotted yellow leaves, twin moons hanging in the sky, and sweet-and-salty smell in the air was more than enough to light my fire for exploration and adventure.

  Since the Kibnali fighters had swept over our position only moments ago, my mind raced with all the possibilities of what the future held. What stuff will we find on this world that no one else had seen? Correction, what would we find on this world that no other human would ever see? After all, we were how many billion years in the past? Not to mention, quite literally on the other side of the universe compared to the Milky Way.

  “Don’t even think about it, Dakota,” Tolby said.

  “What?” I replied.

  “I know that look in your eye.”

  “I’m just admiring our surroundings.”

  “And looking for the next artifact to find or ruin to explore that will inevitably result in us getting cozy with the grim reaper,” he added.

  I smiled. Guilty as charged. But really, in my defense, my best bud shouldn’t have expected anything less. I mean, seriously, we were on an actual Kibnali planet. Something I didn’t even realize existed until a few days ago. Hell, this was something that Tolby for all intents and purposes never thought he’d see again either. He should be as excited as I was. Check that. He should be even more excited. But I guess since he was still macking it with Yseri and Jainon, he was still probably too enamored with them to care where we were.

  “So, what if I am?” I asked. “We are on a freaking Kibnali planet. How amazing is that?”

  “Given recent events, I would think you would be a little less wont of adventure.”

  I laughed and then winced as my ribs protested in pain. Though my psyche had obviously gotten over our latest near-death experience and battle with Goliath, my body had yet to catch up. Man, I really needed some medical nanobots to patch me up. Along those lines, I did briefly wonder what Kibnali tech would be able to do for me. Did they carry first aid for alien species such as myself? I had no idea. Even if they didn’t, I held on to the hope that given the archive cube I still had, with its immense knowledge I could fashion some sort of pain reliever at the very least. But that was another matter.

  “Look, if anything, surviving an exploding space station, an obliterated planet, and a fight to the death with a giant, regenerating Nekrael monster should do precisely the opposite,” I said. “You of all people should know that.”

  “How so?”

  “Because clearly all of our bad luck has been used up getting us here,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Duh.”

  Tolby sighed. He didn’t even have to speak his next words for me to know he was going to argue with my basic premise. “Luck doesn’t work that way. Random events are independent of themselves, which is why the house always wins.”

  “Well, if we end up in a casino and I start losing my life savings, you can bring that up.”

  “If we were in a casino and you started to lose your life savings, it wouldn’t take but two minutes before you were broke,” he said with a chuckle. “And that’s playing for quarters.”

  I laughed again. How could I be mad at that? He was dead right. Well, he was dead right up until I managed to sell the Gorrianian resonance cube and be one of the richest girls—nay, people—in all of history. Hell, when I sold that thing, I could bet star systems on a whim for the rest of my life and still retire in an extra-plush palace with gorgeous manservants for eye candy, a wine cellar the size of the Black Sea, and as much chocolate as Earth could produce for the next hundred thousand years. Wouldn’t that be nice? BMI be damned.

  “Whatever,” I said, popping out of my fantasy and returning to the conversation. “Maybe you’re just being overly jumpy. Did you ever think about that?”

  Tolby shook his head and flicked his tail. “I promise you I’m not being overly protective about this.”

  “Mm-hmm,” I replied. “Like when we first met, and you insisted on following me into the bathroom for a week in case space pirates tried to kidnap me.”

  “Space pirates did try to kidnap you.”

  “Yeah, but not in the bathroom, silly,” I said. “And that was only because I wouldn’t let them intimidate me into paying their stupid hyperspace toll.”

  “You mean, you didn’t have the money to pay that hyperspace toll,” he replied.

  “Same thing,” I said with a shrug. “Point remains, they didn’t kidnap me in the bathroom, and you are overreacting to all this.”

  Tolby shook his head again. “I appreciate your enthusiasm for being on one of my planets, but Dakota, you need to understand that the worlds we settled were far from safe.”

  “Can’t be any more dangerous than any other ones I’ve been on,” I said, looking around. The skies were clear. They even had a bluish tint to them much like Earth, and not a carnivorous monster could be seen. Ergo, the world was ripe for exploration as far as I was concerned. “Besides, your Kibnali buddies should be back soon, right? They can escort us out in the wilds if
it’s so bad.”

  “Dakota, you don’t understand,” he said. “Quite literally, we settled on worlds where everything tried to kill you.”

  I smirked. “Everything? Really?”

  At this point, Jainon joined in the conversation. She had been keeping Empress company and talking about…well, I don’t know what, really. I wasn’t paying attention all that much. “He’s not exaggerating,” she said. “We settled worlds where the plants are deadly, and creatures the size of your fist could destroy an entire city in under a week.”

  “Well, yeah, that’s not everything,” I said. “What about the water?”

  “Orpheaus Prime had water that was so poisonous, three drops could make an entire ocean lethal for ten thousand years,” Jainon said.

  “Fine. What about the dirt?”

  Tolby chuckled. “My first assignment out of the core system was to survey Lilinami. The dirt was as acidic as any molecular acid inside a xenomorph.”

  “Now you’re being silly,” I said. “How did anything grow there?”

  “Nothing did,” he replied.

  I tutted. Though I did, I was still undeterred and pressed on. “Light?”

  “The light from Bentani IV’s sun melted exposed skin in less than an hour.”

  I crossed my arms. “Sounds.”

  “Veniti VII had a volcano that when it erupted, the sound waves could shatter bones for a thousand kilometers.”

  My brow dropped, and my face twisted. “Fine. How about shadows then, mister smarty pants. You going to tell me a little dark was the horror of all horrors?”

  Jainon’s ears went back, and she shuddered. “Tell her about the library.”

  When Tolby didn’t, I gave him an expectant look. “Well? What about it?”

  “Came across a library not long before the Nodari war,” he said. “Huge thing. Absolutely gargantuan. Inside was filled with these…well, shadows, that ate anything they came across. And I mean anything. They could skeletonize a fully armored Kibnali warrior in seconds.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Tolby shook his head. “Not in the least.”

  “Geebus,” I said. “What did you guys do?”

  “Took off. Nuked the entire site from orbit,” he replied. “Only way to be sure.”

  My head dropped as I looked at my buddy. He was prouder than a kid who made his first bull’s-eye on a womp rat in a T-16, but despite his exuberance, I didn’t quite buy the story. “You’re telling me you blew up an entire library because the shadows were coming to eat you?”

  “We did. Despite the substantial dollar value attached to it.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll be careful. But you’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to sit cooped up in some sort of apartment while we wait to figure out where we’re going. I’ve got to climb the mountains! Skim across the seas! I’ve got to—”

  My mini-rant came to an abrupt halt when I heard a tiny growl and felt something clamp down on my toe. I looked down to see this odd creature, about the size of a large parrot, latched on to my foot. It braced itself on four legs, while multiple short tails fanned out in the air and wagged back and forth. It had large purple eyes, a raccoon-like red mask, and a short snout with lots of sharp little teeth. Its fur…well, it didn’t look like fur it all. In fact, I wasn’t sure what to call it. It glowed yellow and had an aura to it, almost as if it were made from light. Overall, he was adorably ferocious.

  “Hey cutie, how’s my boot taste?” I asked, chuckling at the sight. I bounced my foot, which only encouraged the little guy to be even more ferocious.

  “What the hell is that?” asked Jack.

  “Like I should know,” I said. “Ask Tolby. He’s the one that’s convinced everything around here is dangerous.”

  Tolby eased forward and then knelt by the tiny terror still trying to make a meal out of my foot. “I think…I think it’s an ashidasashi.”

  My brow wrinkled. “Ad…ashi…a what?”

  “Ashi-da-sa-shi,” he repeated slowly. “Their existence has always been hotly contested…so, no. It can’t be. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look like the drawings.”

  Jainon joined the inspection. She, too, knelt beside it, but she dropped her head so that her nose was practically touching its back. “I think it might well be. Aren’t they supposed to be bigger?”

  Tolby flicked his tail. “Who knows? Maybe they aren’t. Or maybe he’s a baby.”

  “Could someone tell me what we’re looking at?” I asked.

  Jainon glanced at me with a smile. “Watch.”

  Slowly, the Kibnali high priestess put her massive paws around the creature, and once she had it nearly enclosed, she flattened them together.

  “Don’t squish him!” I exclaimed, jumping back. “He wasn’t hurting me!”

  Jainon held her smile and separated her paws. Between them, there was no sign of the little devil. “Don’t worry, he’s fine,” she said. “Somewhere else now, but fine.”

  I spun in place, trying to figure out where the little guy went. “Somewhere nearby?”

  Tolby stood and shrugged. “Perhaps. It’s been theorized that these guys are almost always in a superposition. They are only in one spot when directly observed. Soon as you turn away from them, they’re gone.”

  “To?”

  “To anywhere they like, I imagine,” Tolby said.

  “So, he’s kind of like a leprechaun, only a space leprechaun.”

  Tolby tilted his head. “A what?”

  “Little guys with hats back on Earth,” I explained. “Irish mythology? Pot of gold? Disappear when you look away?” As I continued to get a blank stare, I waved my hand at him and sighed. “Ah, forget it.”

  Something wet hit the side of my cheek. I turned my head to see the ashidasashi perched on my shoulder. He lunged for my face with an open mouth, but before he could get a hold of me, I snatched him up. Now in my hand, he flopped his head back while letting his legs flop to the side, exposing a belly I couldn’t resist rubbing. “Aw, look at him,” I said, making the little guy squirm in delight as I scratched his midsection. “So cute.”

  “Until he tries to gnaw your face off again,” Jack said.

  “For the record, he only tried to eat my boot, and as far as I can tell, he didn’t even leave a scuff mark. I think I’ll take my chances. He’ll make a cute pet.”

  Yseri grinned. “Do pets in your culture have pets?”

  “Huh?” My face scrunched in a ball of confusion. “What do…Hey, I’m not Tolby’s pet!”

  “If you say,” Yseri said.

  “I do say!”

  “He does have to take care of you a lot,” she went on. “And always getting you out of trouble. I bet he feeds you, too.”

  “He does not! I can…sort of cook, thank you very much,” I said with a huff. I then looked down at my new tiny friend and went back to rubbing his belly. A melodic purr came from his chest, and my heart warmed. “He’s a keeper for sure,” I said. “In fact, this has to be a sign. I’ve been wanting a new lucky elephant to rub, and this little guy is totally letting me get his belly. You watch, we’re going to have a great time together.”

  An ear-piercing shriek filled the air, and a giant shadow flew over me. Before I could react, a giant tentacle coiled around my torso and hoisted me into the air.

  Chapter Two

  Transport

  This gargoyle-snake-monkey hybrid thing the size of a bus managed to fly about twenty meters with me before my furry buds sprang into action. A trio of plasma shots hit it in the head and chest, one of which sizzled by my arm as I fought with the stupid beast. The monster crashed to the ground, nearly squashing me in the process. Thankfully, I had enough wits to not brace for the impact, so instead of breaking my arms trying to catch myself, I simply rolled along the ground.

  Jack was on me in a flash, helping me up. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” I replied while making sure I didn’t have any bones protruding fro
m my skin. “Some extra dirt and bruises, but what else is new?”

  “That gash on your head, for starters.”

  “Huh?” Gingerly, I reached up and touched my scalp. Immediately, I wished I hadn’t. A sharp sting hit me, and when I pulled my hand back, it was covered in blood, and not just a little. Going by the amount that I could see, and the bit I could feel running down my neck, I’d probably need a transfusion or two. Good thing I’d cracked myself open a million times growing up or I might’ve freaked out. “Damn it,” I moaned. “Tell me my brain isn’t leaking out at least.”

  Jack undid the clasps to his battle-worn armor so it fell to the ground and then took off his shirt and pressed it against my head. “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s long and shallow. Nothing serious.”

  “Serious enough for you to take off your shirt, apparently.”

  “It was ruined anyway,” he said, stating the obvious. The thing had been put through the wringer lately. It was a small miracle it was even remotely intact.

  At that point, I noticed his right arm, or rather, what was installed in his right arm. “You have Progenitor implants?”

  “Yep,” he said with a grin, flexing his muscle to show off even more so than he usually did. “How do you like that?”

  “I should’ve guessed. How else would you have been able to use the portal device?”

  Jack brought his arm over to mine. Once they were lined up, it was plain to see that the circuits on my arm were more intricate than his. Not only that, but they took up more space on my body.

  Jack dropped his hand to his side and snorted. “Bah,” he said. “I knew that little bugger didn’t give me the full package.”

  “Well, I hope you didn’t lose your wallet over the deal,” I said. “Especially since I don’t think they offer refunds. Who put it in you?”

  “The orb guy in Lambda Labs,” he replied. “He wasn’t going to at first, but once he realized I was about to vaporize the planet trying to get the portal device to work, he came around.”