Lance – Pandora’s Box

Imp sent me the shelter's layout as Hope, Tegan, Rey, Iona, Effie, and I ran down the private corridor from the emperor's suite to the hardened shelter. I passed that info along to my team's internal display's. After all, they had almost a hundred years to practice using their implants; now it was time to use that implant seriously. Keeping my communication to our internal channels, I passed on my plans, [If they, whoever they are, have penetrated our internal command structure to the point that the emperor's guard was all composed of those cat people….]

[Lance], Serina injected, [let's call them the Xiǎo Māo, that way we won't get confused about just who we are talking about.]

I responded, [Ok, but cat people or Xiǎo Māo, we still need to keep a tight security lid on this. No, one outside the family needs to be in on this. Serina, please confirm this with your Dad. Imp and Bit that means you guys also.]

Our private channel was full of acknowledgments for a few seconds before I could resume my original instructions, [Hope I want you and Tegan to act as greeters and direct people to the different sections. Imp will brief you as to what is customary. As you detect a sclera lens wearing xiǎo māo send them off to the Emperor's rooms. Effie and Iona, you act as servants inside that suite. Imp will direct you to where you can find maid outfits. At this point, we don't want them to suspect anything. If we do this right, we can get a hundred percent cleanup of the Imperial Palace. Imp, can you devise a method to collect genetic samples from everyone in the shelter and eventually spread that out to the general population? Also, I want samples from everyone that we have already detected. The difference between humans from Tera is only about a tenth of a percent, be that black, white, red or yellow skin color. Even the extra-terrestrials that we have discovered and integrated into our civilization are only about two tenths different and cross-breeding with them has not been an issue. But I am guessing that this new variant is much more than a few tenths, I am betting it is around a full percent different but let's find out just how much and see if we can track them that way.]

Imp, popped up, [Lance I doubt that you will find a full percent difference between Terran and Xiǎo Māo. If you were going on just the eye, hair and nipple variance, then I think you will see a few tenths difference is all. Supernumerary breasts or polymastia is rarely seen in homo sapiens, but it does happen. History has recorded individuals with up to eight supernumerary nipples, including multiple fully functioning and lactating breasts. And amazia which is the presence of a fully functioning nipple but no fatty tissue to plump up the area is not unheard of either. Besides…]

[Imp I get it, I get it.] I interrupted, [Now is not the time. Just check things out and see if this an idea that we can use, OK?]

Imp sounded a bit hurt when he replied, [OK, Lance. I will see what I can detect.]

[Rey, you and I will stay outside the doors as guards just in case someone discovers a skunk inside…, as soon as we get there the four of us; Hope, Tegan, Rey and myself, will duck inside and change into Marne guard uniforms, you will have to abandon your light armor for now. Bit, I need more of the family on the ground. Both in Marine uniforms, and light armor, our version of light armor if possible. Ashley, can you spare a platoon of mech's to patrol the capital proper? I do not need that platoon immediately, but as soon as possible?]

Betty said, [I'll try it all depends on if this surprise attacks works or not.]

Even though Ashley could not see me, I nodded my head, and said, [Do your best, love, that is all I can ask.]

Serina could not resist adding, [All of you be careful, I love you.]

I switched channels and sent a private thought to Imp, [Imp, as soon as this mess settles down, I want you to remove Serina's fertility block. And I mean as quickly as possible!]

I'd never really thought of Imp and Bit as having a sexual orientation, but I'd swear that Imp had just finished crying as he, (she?) sounded choked up, when, she(?), responded, [I will Lance, I will.]

Considering that we had only been back on Terra for minutes, not hours, a lot had happened. I full faith in Ashley and her team on the Enterprise, with Bit's assistance I did not think that any existing mobile force could harm them. Serina and her team were taking care of Dad, and my ream was ready for our guests.

People started to arrive in that lackadaisical way that people have when responding to the I-know-it-is-a-drill fire alarm. Word had gone out that all the Marine's on security assignment inside the Palace were to sweep the buildings in the complex and make sure that everyone went to the shelter, including themselves.

Hope was as busy as a Bee, flitting from one group to the next as they arrived. We started to notice a pattern as the department heads were almost exclusively wearing sclera lenses, Hope and Tegan did a heroic job of separating everyone. Deciding to send the Xiǎo Māo into the Emperor's suite was a stroke of genius as Hope and Tegan made it feel like they were being singled out and honored to be with the Emperor during this alert. The typical line was "Yes, most honored… (fill in the blank), the Emperor wants to meet with you specifically, but there is not enough room for your staff as well." The guards were just as simple to separate, with lines like, "You are assigned guard duty to protect the emperor, proceed to your duty station inside the Emperor suite. The normal guards were told to "Report to the Captain guarding the entrance." Effie and Iona took care of their guests every want—right up to the end when we flooded the suite with a scentless but extremely effective knockout gas.

[Lance?]

[Yes, Ashley?]

[Splash one carrier with all troops onboard, and two cruisers. We still have two destroyers that are trying to leave Dodge, but our mechs are gaining on them rapidly. I can send one platoon of mechs down now. Scanners report that the closest possible targets are about one hour out.]

[That will earn you a huge hug and long kiss! Keep a look out for the unknown, sweetheart. I'll be busy down here for the next few days; I'm counting on you.]

[Sounds lovely; I'm looking forward to my reward. Ashely out.]

[Serina, did you catch that?]

[Yes dear, do I get a hug and kiss also?]

[Just as soon as I get done here.]