"Stay small, stay stealthy?" Olivia chuckled. "As my mom says, 'The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys.'" What would she say about this place? Overgrown boys acting scary to keep the bug-eyed monsters away.
You miss your mother. Hernando smiled. I miss her too—especially her apple crisp.
Will we ever be able to return to Earth after this? Olivia glanced about the maze of construction happening around them, all of it being accomplished by robots ranging from the size of a grasshopper to the size of a giant earth hauler in a strip mine. Has humankind made the biggest mistake in the galaxy by stealing the Pure Bloods' technology?
I hope not. We'll see.
The submarine hatch-like door of the bunker swung open. Caveman popped his head outside. "It's safe enough to come indoors. You might not like what you see, but it is what it is."
The group made its way into the bunker, single file. The security personnel dispersed throughout the crowd, and Olivia ended up near the front of the line and Hernando in the middle. They entered a long, dim passageway sloping downward. It reminded Olivia of photos she'd seen of World War II bomb shelters, and she supposed it was patterned after their design. The protective device sat on the surface, but its operators could huddle down far underground during an attack, safe and sound.
Caveman spoke the truth when he said they might not like what they saw. Olivia didn't. The command center buzzed with activity. She recognized several of the women officers working at consoles as having traveled to BloodDark with her and the other vampire mail order brides. She suspected other technicians accompanied the so-called "archeological expeditions" which had claimed they were going to dig near Penumbra City.
Perhaps the most telling were the cliff dwellers who ran the airships. She recognized their distinctive garb, a cross between North African and seventeenth century Caribbean pirates. They appeared to be a part of the family here. She watched several in Bedouin-like garb coordinating the transportation of parts and people from the desert's edge to the facility. It appeared there had been no need to bring many military technicians and scientists through the Portal from Earth since the robots did all the hard work and the locals cooperated as well.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with boyish good-looks exited a side office and crossed to the center of the large space. His auburn-brown hair and round, freckled face didn't fool Olivia for one second. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, she knew who he was.
"Welcome. Welcome to BloodDark Base One. I'm Colonel North. I apologize for meeting under these circumstances, but we were given very little notice you were coming." He crossed to Caveman and offered his hand. "You must be Charles Caveman of the Ruling Council. A pleasure to meet you, sir."
Caveman Charlie considered the offer for a long moment. The disdainful look he flashed at the colonel made Olivia think Caveman felt shaking North's hand could spawn another crop of locusts. She bit her tongue to keep from laughing. Their handshake was short and perfunctory.
"I suppose your contacts within the airship pilots aren't always as accurate as you'd hope?" Caveman's remark hit a sore spot. He chuckled at North's frown. "Well, it's to be expected. This is BloodDark, after all."
"Yes, it is. Contracts are handshake deals, we've learned." The colonel turned to members of Clan Alpha. "We've not met, but I've seen photos of your kinsmen who had dealings with Mr. Grundfest. I see the family resemblance." North offered his hand, but Moreau and his family members turned away instead. "Sorry to have offended you. It's nothing personal. I'm just doing the job my superiors set out for me to do."
Caveman crossed his arms. "What would your job be, exactly?"
"To make this weapon operational so it can protect both Earth and BloodDark."
"For some reason, we aren't allowed to protect ourselves or ask for help at a government to government level?" Councilor Kai asked. She tilted her head back and looked down her beak-like nose at North, frowning and harrumphing. "Why should we respect a child who steals sweets from the jar before meal time?"
The colonel forced a grin, but Olivia could tell Kai had hit another sore spot. "Earth may seem young to an old culture, such as the original one which colonized this world, but it doesn't mean we aren't capable and willing to go the distance to bring peace and security to our part of the galaxy."
"So, you're saying we're unable to take care of ourselves? We are to be treated as shamelessly as you've treated other Earth peoples whose resources you've coveted?" Moreau spat out his words like bullets. "What honor does a conqueror have who cannot keep a confidence?"
The mood in the command center turned frosty. The military technicians tried hard to look busy at their desks and consoles, but Olivia could sense many didn't like everything they were doing here. The chance to travel to another planet might be a prime motivating factor for taking this assignment, but taking over another society wasn't.
Colonel North chuckled. "Let's not quibble over how we came to be here. We're here now, and we're your friends."
Caveman crossed his arms and leveled a long stare at the military man. "Funny way of showing you're our friends by attempting to crush us in those mechanical beasties."
North scratched the back of his neck and shifted his weight back and forth on his heels. "No worry, I've deactivated the nanobots. I swear our motivations are honorable. We want to protect you from the Kloog." The Pure Bloods in the group hissed and cringed. "I apologize. Did I say something impolite?" he asked.
"Those who mention the name of the ancient enemy bring shame and evil upon themselves," Hernando said, approaching the colonel. "I don't believe I've met you before
