by Jake Bible
"We don't want that, dude," Vogga said.
"Damn," Reck said. "I forgot you were standing there."
Vogga shrugged. "I blend in because of my chill."
"Then how do we transport without it going wrong?" Roak asked. "And when did you start developing this tech? A heads up would have been nice."
"You are getting your heads up now, Roak," Hessa said. "And the reason we can use this tech one last time is because I'm not creating transport tech that can take us anywhere. I am creating tech that will take us to one location only, one time. Then the tech self-destructs and becomes junk."
"A one and done transport," Reck said. "Good thinking."
"I have my moments," Hessa said.
"We will need all of the ships to have this tech," Gerber said. "How long will it take to install?"
"It is almost installed on my ship now," Hessa said. "I will program the bots to teach other bots so that the Skrang ships can have the tech as well."
"You know I need to double check the mods, right?" Reck said.
"No time, Reck," Hessa said. "It is not like we have a choice." The portal dots flashed bright red. "Father's way or my way."
"You sound too much like Roak," Reck said.
"I would have been insulted by that in the past," Hessa said. She left it there.
"One and done," Gerber said. "We transport into Earth's region of influence then the war begins."
Gerber swiped at the holo and a different image came up.
"This is how many ships we have," Gerber said. "The Skrang destroyers and approximately three hundred Skrang fighters."
"That won't be enough," Reck said. "Other than Sha Tog's ships, the entire Skrang fleet will be there. Not to mention the GF fleet."
"And B'clo'no's," Vogga said. He shuddered. "You know those guys will be in the fight."
"Exactly," Gerber said. "But we have an advantage." He turned to Vogga and smiled. "Chassfornians."
"We do turn the tide quite often in lopsided conflicts," Vogga said. "But we aren't the best pilots, dude." He held up his huge paw hands. "Fine motor skills aren't our expertise."
"We don't need fine motor skills," Gerber said. "We need brute strength and pure rage."
"Oh, well, we got that, dude," Vogga replied. "But how does that help? We can't fly."
"No, but you can be thrown," Gerber said.
Roak chuckled. "Nice."
"I'm not following," Reck said.
"There will be thousands of Skrang and GF fighters blasting away in space over Earth," Gerber said. "There is not much we can do about those other than dogfight it out with the limited number of fighters we have. But what happens if we do win against the fighters?"
"We get shredded by the destroyers and carriers," Reck said.
"Exactly," Gerber said. "So the real threats are those destroyers and carriers. They need to be taken out just as much as the fighters."
Vogga grinned and nodded his head. "Battle of Mkix."
"Battle of Mkix," Gerber said.
"Oh, this is very exciting, dudes," Vogga said and clapped his hands together. "Very exciting!"
21.
Roak liked Gerber's plan. It was the kind of chaos and mayhem he approved of.
Not wanting to stay on the House of Teeth for too much longer, Roak returned to his ship and his cabin. Ally wasn't there, but he didn't need her. He needed to talk to Hessa.
"Do you have the capacity to handle one more tech job?" Roak asked when he had kicked off his boots and was relaxed on his bed. Or as relaxed as he could get, considering.
"Don't insult me, Roak," Hessa said. "I haven't come close to reaching my capacity."
"Good," Roak said. "I need you to create a way to transmit a message to other universes and create a beacon that beings from those universes can lock onto."
"May I ask why?" Hessa asked.
"I'll tell you as soon as you have it done," Roak said. "No point in telling you if you can't do it."
"I can do it," Hessa insisted. "But I cannot test it. We'll need to be at the nexus point for that."
"I know," Roak said. "It's a risk. But it's not a risk I'm relying on. Just something I want in my back pocket."
"What is this message?" Hessa asked.
"We'll get to that later," Roak said.
"It would help if I knew now before I try to build the tech," Hessa said.
"Does the message matter?"
"Yes. That way I know how to direct the message. Just sending a random message to multiple universes will accomplish nothing. There must be recipients. Or at the very least, a target demographic. That way I can hone the-"
"Help," Roak said. "Now."
Hessa was silent for a moment. "Oh. I see."
"I had a feeling you would," Roak said. "Am I on the right track? Is my understanding of how multiple universes work correct?"
"I can't read your mind, Roak."
"You can come pretty Eight Million Gods damn close."
"True." She paused. "I'll build the tech, but you're asking a lot with that message. You're asking for sacrifices that you yourself may not be willing to make. Can you expect them to?"
"I'm willing to make the same sacrifice," Roak said.
The weight of that statement sat there like a hunk of dark matter in the middle of their ship.
"I won't let anything happen to anyone we care about," Hessa said.
"I know," Roak replied.
"Hey, Roak?" Motherboard called over the comm. "Your…clone is ready."
"On my way," Roak replied.
"I can moltrans you there," Hessa said.
"You've been monitoring my body, Hessa," Roak said. "Time to admit my moltrans days are over. I'll walk."
"That may be best," Hessa said. "It is unfortunate that we cannot make a new body for you."
Roak opened the door to his cabin and walked to the lift.
"I've gotten fond of this one," Roak said. "It may be a clone of the original, but it's mine and it's me. I'll hang onto it even with all the aches and pains."
"Are there any aches?" Hessa asked as Roak entered the lift. The doors slid shut. "Or is it all just pains?"
"Pain. Singular," Roak said and waved his hands over his body. "Everywhere."
"Hmmm," Hessa said.
"Don't even think of trying to figure out a way to get the genetic material back," Roak said.
"What? I wasn't-"
"Hessa."
"Fine. But it might still be possible." She sighed. "If we win."
"If we win and if Pol, I mean Mother, doesn't destroy the material before we can get to it."
"That brings up a topic we really need to discuss."
"We'll find Mother once we blow the nexus point the fuck up. One insane job at a time, Hessa."
"I do have suggestions."
"I'd expect that you would."
The lift stopped and Roak stepped out into the cargo hold. He ignored the bots hurrying and scurrying about and walked down the ramp towards the hangar bulkhead doors.
It took Roak a little longer than he would have liked, and it was considerably more painful than he would admit, but he eventually made it to the laboratory.
Orvra was waiting for him with eagerly waving tentacles.
"Oh, Roak! You have arrived!" Orvra said and beckoned for him to follow.
DTZ stood at alert just inside the laboratory doors.
"Motherboard," Roak said to the lieutenant. "Is there a problem?"
"You'll see," Motherboard said.
"We got your back if this goes wrong," Geist said. "But not right behind your back. We're gonna put a few meters between us and…it."
"Sounds great," Roak said and followed Orvra deep into the laboratory.
Evil was standing there, staring down an aisle.
"Who woulda thought?" Evil said when Orvra and Roak reached him. "Genetics is weird, man."
"Just show me what you all are…" Roak's voice trailed off when he reached the aisle.
"
Isn't he amazing?" Orvra exclaimed. "Personally, I could spend the rest of my life and career just studying your genetics, Roak. There must be a lifetime of permutations to uncover."
"Hey," a very low voice said. "You're Roak?"
"Yeah," Roak said. "So are you?"
"I guess. That's what this guy keeps telling me. Before he melts. Why does he do that? Will I do that?"
"Nah, you're fine," Evil said. "You haven't melted yet and I melt every thirty minutes. Speaking of, I have about ten left." Evil turned to Roak. "What now?"
Roak didn't reply. Instead, he took his time studying the new version of himself.
A new version that was easily as big as Vogga, although proportioned like Roak.
The new Roak clone stood about nine feet tall and was layered with muscle upon muscle. His eyes were bright and alert, showing an intelligence that ached to be used. There was a vibration of pent-up energy about the clone, like he was going to explode into violence at any second. Which was pretty much how Roak felt most of the time.
Or used to before his body rebelled against him and decided to be normal and frail.
But the strangest thing about the clone were the scars. Scars that Roak was intimately familiar with.
"How?" Roak asked.
Orvra inserted himself without being told to. "We have no idea. It is remarkable. We cloned Evil and yet this clone has all of your scars. Not only should that not be scientifically possible, his skin should be smooth, but it brings up so many questions about the cloning process. Questions we thought we had answered. I must thank you, Roak. Without you we Klav would not have a new lifetime's pursuit."
"Lifetime's pursuit?' Roak asked.
"Studying Roak," Orvra said. His tentacles pointed directly at the new clone. "Not one of the clones has been the same. Not one. This is amazing."
"I'm glad I can give you purpose," Roak said.
"Should we proceed to make an army of him?" Orvra said.
"You just said each clone turns out different," Roak said. "I say we don't push our luck. Look at him. One is enough." He stepped up close to the new clone. "We'll need to give you a name."
"Kaor," Evil said. "That's Roak backwards."
"No. So many nos," Roak said. He grinned at the new clone. The new clone did not shrink back, but returned the grin. "What would you like to be called?"
"That's a good question," the new clone said. "How about Guns?"
He stretched out his arms and flexed his biceps.
Roak sighed and looked over his shoulder at Evil.
"You already talked about this," Roak stated.
"Maybe," Evil said and grinned.
"Oh my…" Orvra said, averting his many eyes from the sight of three different Roak's all grinning at each other.
"Do you want to be called Guns?" Roak asked the new clone.
"No, not really," the new clone said and lowered his arms. "But I'm new at this, so names aren't coming to me."
"BR," Reck said as she walked past Evil and joined Roak. "Hessa let me know what was going down."
"Don't you have tech to work on?" Roak asked. Reck shrugged. "And what does BR stand for?"
"Big Roak," Reck said. "There's an Evil Roak, so why not a Big Roak?"
"I like that," BR said. "BR. Good name."
"BR. Cool," Evil said. "So, I'm about to melt. Anything we need to discuss before I take a bucket nap?"
"No," Roak said. "We'll move your bucket to the ship. Then we'll be on our way as soon as Sha Tog arrives."
"Crazy that we're relying on Skrang ships," Reck said. "Is there nobody else to help?"
"Everyone else is controlled," Roak said.
"What about the Cervile?" Reck asked.
"No. Kalaka nor Meshara or Queen Tala are responding to comms," Hessa interrupted. "I am worried for them."
"They're Cervile," Roak said. "Knowing them they've gone to ground and won't pop up until all this mess is over one way or another."
"They are the last of their race, so I cannot blame them," Hessa said.
"I'm not running and hiding," Cookie called out from his place with DTZ.
"Damn Cervile ears," Reck said.
"You're not running and hiding because Mugs would hunt you down and squash your ass if you bailed on DTZ," Geist said.
"True that," Mugs said.
"Cookie'd have us all on his tail," Wanders said.
"Stop," Hole said. "This will devolve into pun jokes. No one likes pun jokes."
"It's a good thing we have a holding deck filled with Chassfornians," Roak said, turning his attention back to BR. "We can get you suited up and ready down there."
"Yes, pants would be good," Reck said. "And soon."
"Time's up," Evil said and melted into his bucket.
"Can you take him back to the ship?" Roak asked Reck. "I'll escort BR to the Chassfornians."
"May we complete another round of tests first?" Orvra asked.
"No," Roak said. "I want him suited up and on my ship ASAP. Tests can happen after we win this war."
"You sound quite confident you will win," Orvra said.
"Only way to win," Roak said. He paused. "While we're gone, do not make more clones."
Orvra's eyes went wide with the most insincere shock Roak had ever witnessed.
"Don't even try to act like you weren't going to," Roak said. He poked Orvra between two of his many eyes. "You and I are still on shaky ground, Orvra. Remember that. How you act from here on out will decide how I act when we meet again. Understood?"
"You threaten beings so much, Roak," Orvra said. "It would be interesting to see if that is a learned trait or part of your genetic makeup."
"That's something you'll have to chalk up to mystery," Roak said. "Got it?"
Orvra blinked a few times then bowed.
"I have it, Roak," he said then straightened up. "You have our cooperation from now on. As long as you promise to allow us to research your genetic code further once this war mess ends."
"Within reason," Roak said.
"Of course," Orvra said.
"Then we have a deal," Roak said. "BR? Come with me. I'll introduce you to some big friends you're gonna like."
"Chassfornians?" BR asked.
"Yeah," Roak replied.
"Great," BR said. "That should be calming. I have an intense desire to pick up the Klav and just fling him around my head by his tentacles. I should speak to these Chassfornians about rage control."
"Oh dear," Orvra said and hurried away.
"Nice one," Reck said.
"Oh, I wasn't lying," BR said. "I really wanted to fling the terpigshit out of that little Klav. All he does is lie. Can't you hear it?"
"Yeah, we can," Roak said. "Good to know you hear it too. Come on."
Roak left Reck to take care of Evil. He gestured for BR to follow and walked out of the laboratory.
"When do I get guns?" BR asked as they passed by DTZ, who all fell in behind them.
"As soon as Sha Tog arrives with Gilga," Roak said.
"Sha Tog? Oh yes, the Skrang arms dealer," BR said. "I thought you hated him."
"I hate him like a friend," Roak said.
"That makes sense," BR said.
"It does?" Geist asked.
"You aren't a Roak," BR said.
"Small miracles," Mugs said.
"You can stay here," Roak said to DTZ.
"No," Hole said.
"Really?" Roak asked.
"Gerber wants us to observe the new clone," Motherboard said. "At least until we are ready to leave and he is secured on your ship. Until then we're his shadows."
"You didn't worry about me this much," Roak said.
"You're an average, broken Roak," Geist said. "He is not."
Roak let the insult slide. Mostly because he couldn't argue with it. He was average and broken compared to his clones. No way to escape that.
But Roak shoved that out of his head. He needed to deal with the immediate. Like getting a huge version of himself some
clothes. It was a little uncomfortable having the giant walking along naked.
"Whoa," a Chassfornian said when Roak and BR arrived on the holding deck. "Big Roak!"
All Chassfornian eyes locked onto the huge Roak.
"BIG ROAK!" they shouted.
"They already know my name," BR said.
"It wasn't a hard guess," Roak said. "Chassfornians, this is BR. Yes, it's short for Big Roak."
"BR!" the group cheered. "DUDE!"
"He needs some clothing and armor," Roak said. "Can you handle that?"
"This way, dude," a different Chassfornian said. "Not much to choose from, but we'll all be in power armor soon enough, so who fucking cares, right, dude?"
"Dude?" BR asked.
"Go with it," Roak said. "I'll just sit over here while you get dressed. Don't take long. Sha Tog is almost here and then we're off to start a war."
"Sounds great," BR said. "War feels…right."
Roak nodded.
As the minutes ticked by, Roak admitted that it did feel right.
He wasn't sure if he should be bothered by that feeling or not.
22.
"I thought Gilga was insane for loading up so much Chassfornian power armor," Sha Tog said. He was a holo projected onto Roak's bridge. "Then I saw the clones. Gotta say, Roak, it's a parade of never ending surprises with you."
Sha looked away from the holo.
"My crew is not happy they'll be traveling with so many Chassfornians," he continued. "Skrang have bad memories of the shock troop attacks from the War. Chassfornians are admirable adversaries, but Skrang do not enjoy having admirable adversaries in such close proximity."
"Good thing they're allies, Sha," Roak said, seated in the pilot's chair. "So it shouldn't be a problem. Right, Sha? No problems will occur?"
"I know the stakes, Roak," Sha said. "We're all in this together."
"And I don't have to worry about your Skrang going rogue and attacking any of us after we win?" Roak asked. "That'd be unfortunate. For you."
Sha smiled, making sure to show some sharp teeth. "Always with the threats. Stay you, Roak. Stay you."
"Is Gilga there?" Roak asked.
"Right here, Roak," Gilga said.
The Chassfornian pushed his way into view and the holo projection adjusted so the huge being's image would fit on the bridge. The result was Sha Tog turned into a miniature of himself. Roak wasn't displeased with this result.
