And so we dive, nose deep, if not deeper.
Well, sort of?

And yes, too short again..
A slow writer.

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With their little community preparing for war, old suit found little time for rest. What quirks he developed he would have to compensate for himself, the best he could, as Royal was fully occupied analyzing those genes. Working tirelessly Royals attention now was fixed on finding a countermeasure. And with neither Jeff, nor the suits, trusting Janelle’s judgment anymore Royal had invoked survival mode, inducting her into a prolonged sleep. Jeff who hadn’t been asked at all had to admit to himself that he secretly was rather pleased, it was better this way than to constantly have to check on her every move. He hated what the Planet had done to them, and most of all, what it had done to her.

They had raised their defense level to the ultimate now, still encircled by those IR visuals of life forms, continuously creeping closer, and closer, strangling their freedom of movement. The time for fishing long gone, suit had sat down with Jeff to instill some of its old combat wisdom.

“What we have here Jeff is more of a guerilla situation than a regular war. Us being outnumbered, and probably outgunned too.” He had explained. “We will have to work from what resources we have, using them to the fullest.”

They couldn’t leave, well, Royal could with Janelle, and probably it would if worst came to worst. But suit needed some serious tinkering before he could be trusted to be flyable. Still, the situation hadn’t become that desperate, yet. There seemed still a possibility of negotiation. Royal had been contacted by a presence, operating on its command frequency of all frequencies, offering yet unnamed bribes for its acquiescence. It had flatly refused any negotiations so far though, demanding her Ladyship to be released before any such could be possible. Royal stood its ground there, refusing to be moved any further. But Planet on its side just as stubbornly refused to let go of its newest acquisition, hoping that winning the suits over with flattery and bribes would bring its newest breeding stocks into their pen.

It tried again.

“Immortality Royal? The first suit to live, for ever? You may sneer at it now my friend, but think about it." Observing Royals indifference it continued. "Have you ever wondered what it would be to be organic then, to breathe and feel?”

The Royal still refused him an answer.

“You could become one of them my friend, a real person. I have that knowledge.”

The Planet was most insidious there. It knew from experience that most 'artificials' thirsted for what that other side might offer. To experience first handedly what biological life would be like. To be able to create their own biological offspring’s. They might try to hide it from it, even deny it to themselves, but it knew that there always existed that corn of nagging self-doubt, hidden deep inside their circuits.

At last Royal answered. “Now I’m disappointed, An intellect, as mighty as you propose yourself to be, expecting me to fall for such a measly bribe.”

“Ahh, but what about your Lady then? Why leave her in the clutches of a lowlife to ravish? Why not make her yours instead, to love and cherish.”

And there it touched a sore spot in Royals armor. No matter what Royal thought of Jeff. As a betrothed to her Ladyship, as he actually was becoming here, he left such a lot to wish for. All protocols instilled by her parents actually forbid it, making it one of Royals foremost priorities. If now a Royal could sigh forlornly, then surely our Royal would have done so. It was true that someone as close to perfection as Royal would be so much more fitting, simple logic told him so. But it must be said, and much to our Royal’s credit too, that even this he refused, although not without a certain regret.

“Leave. There will be no further negotiations. Our demand stands. Free her Ladyship, then negotiate.”

Looking out from the cabin they could now see the life forms with their own eyes, well, Jeff could at least. Some reminding him, and the suits, of bloodthirsty prehistoric beasts, same as those roaming all over Earth once, others looking more like some sort of giant spiders and insects, some just as harmless as rabbits, but all waiting, restlessly pacing their perimeter. At least none had tried to pass it, so far.

“We can’t stop them if they attack.”

“You’re right Jeff. What’s stopping them is not the perimeter, More their fear of losing us.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know why? But it do seems that they find us of some value.”

It was then one of suits glitches, for once, came to do them some good. He had a old but strong resonator, it was mostly used when studying the interiors of asteroids looking for ore. Seldom used, it was a relic from those times when Space first had been opened, and new resources constantly were needed. Anyway, it malfunctioned, sending a short series of pulses through the floor. To the suits surprise they didn’t bounce back? Considering that planets are solid, and of different solidity depending on strata, one could expect them to meet a density reflecting them, but, this time they just seemed to disappear?

While Royal and Jeff continued the discussion suit, now becoming increasingly curious, continued the exploration of the planets innards that it so inadvertently had started. It circled through different frequencies trying to define the different strata. After some extensive testing, as well as a thorough testing of its own circuits, it called them to attention, exclaiming as it sent them a Tri-D of what it had found.

“This can't be a planet, it's just a shell?”
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