PEGASUS (FARSIDE SAGA: BOOK TWO)

A spacial rip began to form just inside of the galactic oort cloud. The large cube-like ship, Stema 12, burst through the greenish vortex and, without changing orientation, made a ninety-degree bank towards what looked like a large, almost invisible distortion bubble. As they approached, it began to take on a more solid form. A small piece separated and flew towards the ship.

Stema 12 came to a complete stop as the small sphere-like bubble came up to the ship and began forming into a large black screen. The intercom crackled a little as thin green horizontal lines came from the top and bottom, meeting in the middle to form a thick white oscillation line.

"Welcome Hyderian Hugo. Unfortunately we are not allowed to let you pass." A multitude of voices said in perfect unison.

"I do not understand. I was summoned here by Nano himself." Hugo responded, confused.

"We are aware of the summons. However, we are still bound to protect those that are left. You bring with you a Lesser, therefore we cannot let you pass." The voices said.

"These are humans, from the old Trade Routes. They come from a place called Earth. They are no threat to Farside. They've come to help us with our problem." Hugo said, indicating Jason and his crew.

"We know of the humans and there assistance, but it is them that carry the Lesser." The voices said.

"I'm sorry, what exactly is a Lesser?" Jason asked, stepping in front of Hugo.

"It is great pleasure to know the human race still exists Mr. Dodge. We were afraid we ended your species when we introduced ourselves to your planet. To answer your question, the Lesser you carry is your propulsion system. The one you call Stardrive." The voices said.

Not expecting that answer, but somehow not surprised either, Jason thought back to when he received the order to build the Impala and that there was an experimental engine that the ship would have to be designed around. Trying to find a connection between Farside and the Stardrive, Jason was caught off guard by a single tone.

"This was before Regan!" Bianca said with sudden realization.

Jason, starting to put the pieces together, he turned to Hugo to ask a question, but was stopped short by the look on his face.

"What?" Jason asked.

Hugo reached up and slowly poked Jason in his arm, then grabbed his cheeks and examined his face. Jason noticed Hugo's pupils change color with each turn. Hugo finally let go and stepped back.

"How is it that you have my A.I?" Hugo asked, a little too calmly.

"I'm sorry, come again?" Jason answered, just as confused.

"Hyderians recognize their own technology, especially if it's a part of them that was lost." Hugo said as he turned and looked at Mike.

"Don't look at me. I didn't know he was my dad until the blue dude took me to him. That's how I got my memory back...I think. Besides, he already had it then." Mike said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That blue dude's name is Frank, and that's how I acquired this." Mike said as he showed Hugo the silver strip around his wrist. "Said it would help me with what I'm doing here." He finished.

Hugo gently grabbed his wrist and examined the silver strip. Once again his pupils changing colors.

"I see." Hugo said as he let the wrist fall back to Jason's side then looked him in the eyes.

"Indeed it will, although you are the first successful integration with Hyderian/organic technology. What's even more puzzling is that it also has Krev technology." Hugo said as he looked at the white line on the floating screen.

Now loaded with a thousand and one more questions, Jason went back to his original intended question, still trying to figure out the last piece of the puzzle.

"How long have you been visiting Earth." Jason asked Hugo.

"The Trade Routes were established while your species was still young. I believe you referred to them as cavemen, but it wasn't until your President Truman came that we made an.....official contact. The last from Farside to visit were the Peacekeepers during the time of your President Reagan. There was a Palaxian on your planet up until recent but has now returned home." Hugo answered.

"I see..." Jason said, stroking his grey beard as he began pacing between Hugo and the view screen.

"....and can anyone in Farside duplicate this...Lesser...you call it?" He asked.

"None. The Lesser is a derivative of the Other." The floating screen said.

The white line disappeared and was replaced by the pinkish-purple orb.

"It comes in many forms..." There was a multitude of images that popped out from behind it showing it's many shapes in a grid like pattern "...but this is it's base structure." The screen said, indicating the purplish black hole looking object before returning to the white line. Jason recognized it as the Stardrives main core. They told him it was a stable artificial black hole.

"There is mention of a purplish unknown object in your government's secret case files. One called Project Blue Book." Bianca said after a soft ping.

"We are definitely going to have to talk about this blue dude named Frank." Hugo said, looking at Jason.

"Not now Hugo." Jason said as it slowly began to dawn on him.

"I don't know much about the Stardrive," Magi said as he stood up. "But when I read the classification on the Impala, it did say the Stardrive was being shipped from a place called Groom Lake. Suppose to be a top secret research facility there. I think my grandfather used to call it Area 51." He continued.

"It seems our visitor has visited your planet as well." A single voice said over the intercom, plucking the thought right out of Jason's head.

Everyone was so busy in thought that no one paid attention to the view screen until now, as they looked at the shiny black humanoid being floating in front of them. Hugo rushed to the control panel and pushed a few buttons. The being seemed to disintegrate downward in a stream of small dark particles. After a few minutes, both opaque doors opened, and the two streams flowed in, meeting in the middle. They began to swirl around into a thick mass, forming once again into a shiny black humanoid figure, almost looking like a Kregorian without the yellow circuitry lines. With no orafices, it spoke in a single voice as it floated a few inches off the floor.

"Greetings. I am Nano. It is a pleasure to once again know the human race still thrives, our worries are no more." Nano said as he bowed his head.