Oh, cruel time. Oh, cruel transformation!
His people beheld a mysterious beauty.
An iridescent light gray haze illuminated the space behind the brightly lit exit from the spaceship. The rain pouring from the heavens resembled silver threads. The luminous, tricolored pansies lining the flower beds were akin to bright, magic gems.
Under Alex’s gaze, several pansies, fluttering their petals, nimbly moved to the side. The elastic roots, like little drills, gnawed into the ground. Seconds later, the buds bloomed again, as if they had always grown there.
The crew gasped. Some swore under their breath.
Alex hesitated for a minute, then took the first step onto his native land. “Hello, our incredible new world!”
He gently touched the pansies, doing his best to not disturb the beautiful shining flowers.
.
Three-colored pansies (the magic of herbs) — valuable raw material
Stabilizer of magic ingredients + 300
Seduction + 300
Perception + 300
Discovery of the hidden + 200
Use: alchemy, ritualism, druidic magic
Requirement: knife for collecting magical herbs
.
Alex straightened up. This new world continued to amaze him. Through the gray haze, his squad was approaching the square. AK-47 and the girls rushed forward like a herd of noble stags, jumping gracefully over the tall, trimmed bushes. Another detail they had in common with the stags? They were naked.
Holy Mother! Nudists? What’s happening? I only left my combat group a few days ago!
When the Ice Vigors neared, Alex realized he was wrong – the dense fog hid the group’s primary sexual characteristics. Alex nodded and greeted them, “You have great swimwear, lads.”
His people took turns asking him about the spaceship, shaking his hand, congratulating Alex on his success, and sharing their news. Under the influence of the Intellectum-infused rain, people had the opportunity to modulate space on short notice. They were able to create cloudy loincloths or unmatched shoes. Sportswear designers would have gone to hell if they had existed.
“Impressive,” Alex muttered.
Five minutes later, after everyone had calmed, Alex also sported a similar foggy-like ‘suit’. He found the outfit wearable, though it did not prevent the raindrops from wetting him completely.
Alex watched his people frolicking in the rain and smiled. He saw the predatory power awakening in them, and whispered, “Jokeiro’s right. When the time comes… we will be ready. With justice by my side, all of the Supreme worlds will bow before us. We’ll make them beg for mercy!”
Alex introduced Sophia to the rest of the crew as his old acquaintance, and then thanked Anna for a job well done. “Anna, do you know where the monsters have gone? I can’t detect any of them in the area.”
“Commander, they disappeared an hour ago,” Anna stammered. “I don’t feel them either.”
“How is this possible?” Alex asked, surprised.
She shrugged. “I don’t understand. I sense another danger approaching the Earth. I don’t know who or what it is, but I’ll try to find out.”
“How much time do we have?”
Anna lay face-down on the ground next to Flash, sharply gesturing that no one touch or disturb her.
Several minutes later, she rose, her face as pale as death and her eyes closed. “One day… maybe two.”
Gulping Alex opened communications the main AI of the Dark Radiance. “Activate all droids and take them out into the street. And I mean all droids, even those in conservation.”
“It will be done,” the AI replied.
Alex requested a map of St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas. It appeared, with two areas marked on the southern outskirts of the city. Jokeiro had already connected the ‘Fiery Whip of the Commonwealth’.
Alex noticed a hologram of Gres and Tataki arguing against the background of flashing warning lights. Off-screen, he heard Smiley reporting on the readiness of all spaceship systems to land.
“Gres, what about the landing?” he asked. The girls turned to face him, smiling and stroking their hair with movements similar to twins. Alex could not resist admiring the beautiful girls for a few seconds.
Gres reported, “It’s alright, Alex, we’re just about ready. On final approach.”
“Very well. Circumstances have changed so land at Pulkovo airport. Occupy the entire territory and assume control of all nearby heights. Pay special attention to the cemetery. Here’s a map of the area, I’ve marked everything. And Gres, entrust this task to someone smart that you trust. I’m waiting for you and Tataki right now, so don’t delay. The monsters seem to have vanished, so don’t worry about that. I haven’t figured out why yet, but one of my people says we have about twenty-four hours of relative safety left. Over and out.” He broke the connection.
He found the landing of Gres and Tataki’s small spacecraft to be spectacular. It seemed to jump out from under the domes of the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, flying tangentially to the hull of the Dark Radiance and landing only three yards away. To a layman, such a landing might seem like a successful crash fall. Alex, however, appreciated Gres’ skill.
“Bravo!” Alex cheered at the girls approached him. After getting over their initial shock, they looked around and discerned separate details. They saw the mostly naked people, sporting cloudy blurs over their private places. Even Alex had joined this dizzying new dress code-free party. In short order, the two Homo-42s eagerly found practical use of the new skills.
The Ice Vigors formed a large circle in the center of the square under the torrential rain. The sight seemed eerie and ominous, yet the people seemed at ease. Their bodies flickered slightly in the swirling gray haze.
The young man stood at the center of the magic circle, a huge beast sitting behind him. Between these two predators, the man was far more dangerous. This conclusion wasn’t
