The Alien Within

Chapter 226: I will make you talk!

Seeing Tessa and Gastro walk through without harm or disturbance, it made the other aboriginals equally perplexed. Their culture had prepared them for a specific pattern when aliens landed: the visitors would typically arrive with seemingly peaceful intentions, offering soft words or gifts, only to later reject the aboriginals' "offerings" of protection.

This rejection would inevitably spiral into conflict, leading to the Zubo warriors taking what they could by force. It was a cycle they had perfected over the years. But Tessa's calm demeanor and measured response broke that cycle, leaving them unbalanced and unsure of how to proceed.

As Tessa walked through the parted crowd, the aboriginals stepped aside with wary expressions. The path they created revealed a kaleidoscope of beings, each one more unusual than the next. Some had elongated necks like Rinliner Ao, their heads crowned with feathery crests, while others had translucent skin that shimmered like liquid crystal. A few resembled bipedal lizards with scales that shifted hues in response to light. Their eyes, wide and reflective, followed her every move with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

Gastro trailed behind her, his steps deliberate but unhurried. His earlier wariness had eased, replaced by mild fascination as he took in the scene around him. His gaze lingered on the smaller figures—children peeking out from behind their parents. They clung to brightly woven wraps, their delicate hands gripping tightly as they whispered in musical tones. Gastro's lips twitched in a faint smile at their innocent curiosity, though he quickly masked it when Tessa glanced back.

As they neared the settlement's edge, Tessa stopped and turned to Gastro.

"Gastro, I need you to guard the Clover," she said firmly, her tone edged with authority. "I'll return within a week. If I don't, you're to leave without me. Head back to Kaelria and tell my parents what happened."

Her words were carefully chosen, cloaked in concern, but her true intention was far more strategic. The wormhole, her real destination, was a secret she needed to protect—even from Gastro. The fewer people who knew, the better. She couldn't risk him following her or accidentally revealing it.

Gastro, oblivious to her hidden motives, gave a short nod.

"Understood," he replied, his voice steady.

Without hesitation, he turned and retraced his steps, moving through the clearing of aboriginals. Their eyes followed him silently, their unease still palpable. Gastro entered the Clover and sealed the spacecraft's hatch behind him, the faint hum of its locking mechanism echoing in the stillness.

Unbeknownst to either of them, danger loomed closer. The Clover Manufacturing Company, driven by greed and an insatiable hunger for profit, had already set its sights on Planet Zubo.

Their plan was simple yet ruthless: harvest the planet's unique resources, exploit its indigenous population if necessary, and leave Tessa and Gastro stranded.

They believed the two fugitives had inadvertently led them to untapped wealth, a treasure trove waiting to be pillaged. But they were walking into a carefully crafted ruse, unknowingly chasing a false trail. If only their greed allowed for patience, they might have realized the truth before it was too late.

Back on the dusty roads of Zubo, Tessa pressed forward, her mind racing with thoughts of the wormhole. It was her top priority, her only chance to do what she had to do and leave this primitive planet and journey toward her ultimate destiny. But navigating the delicate balance with the Zubo people—who seemed centuries behind in technological advancement—would require both caution and precision.

For now, she allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction. The first hurdle was cleared; she'd managed to escape the direct surveillance of both the Clover manufacturing company and that of the Zubo planet aboriginals. Yet, the journey ahead loomed large and uncertain.

The wormhole was far from her current location, and traversing the distance would take months, if not years, on foot. Flying wasn't an option either; without a spacecraft or any advanced technology at her disposal, she was stranded in every sense of the word. To make matters worse, her abilities remained dormant, shackled by the constraints of the drama of her abrupt exit from the realms of power.

It frustrated her endlessly. She felt like a caged god, her limitless energy suppressed beneath layers of reality. Tessa clenched her fists, her veins pulsing faintly with unawakened power. To push past this limitation, she needed the tree sap of the legendary Universal Tree—a relic that could reignite her dormant abilities and elevate her as far as to even the level of the Xanthex gods or even higher if she so desires. But for now, she was powerless, her potential locked behind an impenetrable door.

Her thoughts drifted to the vast knowledge she had gained after inheriting the legacy of the deceased time god, Zorath, including the infamous hot potato— the time seed. His memories, now part of her mind, included a labyrinth of fragmented blueprints, ancient technologies, and esoteric knowledge. Somewhere in that mental archive, she hoped to find the key to overcoming this obstacle using this knowledge.

As her mind combed through the data, a spark of inspiration flashed. A blueprint emerged, vivid and intricate, depicting a mechanical device that could traverse vast distances in mere hours. It wasn't a spacecraft—more like a hybrid between a glider and a ground vehicle, powered by a unique energy source.

Excitement flickered in her chest, but it was quickly tempered by reality. Tessa wasn't an engineer or a mechanic. She lacked the skills to build the machine herself. However, Zorath's knowledge provided her with a crucial lead: the materials required to construct the device could be found on Zubo itself.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. Fortune favored her—she was already on Zubo. Now, she just needed two things: the materials and a mechanic capable of assembling them. But therein lay the problem. Zubo's people were strangers to technology, their society reliant on rudimentary tools and practices. Would she even find someone capable of understanding what she needed?

As she pondered her next move, a prickle of awareness slid down her spine. Her keen senses picked up on movement behind her. She turned sharply, her sharp blue eyes scanning the rocky terrain. There were shadows in the distance—too faint to identify, but unmistakably the Zubo aboriginals.

A soft laugh escaped her lips, edged with mockery. "How sinister. You claim to grant me free passage, yet you slither in the shadows, tracking my every move. Is this your idea of hospitality?"

Her voice carried, sharp and clear, as though addressing the open air. But she knew her pursuers could hear her. Somewhere in the distance, they crouched behind rocks and low vegetation, hidden but not invisible.

Tessa folded her arms, waiting for a response. None came, but she could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy with unspoken words. She was sure of who these people were—however, she wasn't sure of the group they belonged to, whether they were agents of the Zubo Council or rogue opportunists—but one thing was clear: they weren't here to help her.

Her smile widened, this time with an edge of danger. If they thought they could corner her, they were sorely mistaken. Dormant god or not, she wasn't defenseless.

"Fine," she said softly, her tone dripping with menace. "If you refuse to talk, I'll make you regret your silence."

The chaos had begun.