Forward To The Stars Ch 15

To those that like this story, sorry for having taken so long in getting this chapter out. All comments are welcome and wanted, though the more constructive are more so!! Though if you won't comment at least vote that way I get SOME response. PLEASE??

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"So you're Marcus Fisher. I hope you're brains worth all this trouble." Said the young woman getting unsteadily to her feet.

"And WHAT do you mean by that?" Snapped Margaret, Marcus's sister.

"What I mean is that we have put a lot of trouble in tracking down someone that is into Sci-Fi and Fantasy but also down to Earth AND in a position that greatly amplifies the chance that ALL we have to say will actually be listened to." Said the brunette as she moved towards Margaret and her brother.

"So basically all you and whoever you are working for are nothing more than predators," Marcus said eying this young woman's body as any red-blooded teenager would.

"Harsh; but not necessarily inaccurate. The name's Brianna and while we DID look over possibilities like a pack of wolves on the hunt, we are more than willing to make it worth your while to listen." Brianna said offering her hand to Margaret and looked rather puzzled at Marcus.

"Make it worth our while, HOW? THEN, we will see if we are on friendly terms." Margaret said eying Brianna's hand.

"First, let's start off with an overview as to how Marcus here ended up as a quad." Brianna said leaning against the principle's desk.

"No, not actually. Let's start with WHY Mr. Abernathy is sitting at his desk looking like a cardboard cutout." Marcus said a little alarmed at the usually uptight asshole sitting at his desk bug-eyed and as stiff as a hundred year old oak.

"Mental blast at the correct area of his brain which will leave him stunned for the next hour and a half but, after that he'll be his usual charming self." Brianna said in an off-handed manner. "Now back to the overview. Last year Marcus, you and your youngest brother Thomas somehow managed to talk your Catholic parents into taking you all to last year's Sci-Fi and Fantasy Convention in Vegas, correct?"

"Yeah." Marcus sighed. "And afterwards as we were leaving Vegas we were involved in a car wreck with a bunch of damned illegals. They were at fault but since WE were the legals and had insurance, we were the ones that were held responsible by the courts and the construction firm that the illegals worked for. So WE were the ones that were handed the bills along with the medical bills, never mind the fact that I nearly had my head ripped off leaving me a quadriplegic."

"Even though mom's bringing in good money with her job at a reality agency and dad with a travel agency, the bills are just too much." Margaret said on the verge of tears from the impotent rage at the injustice of the court system.

"And so with all the bills having piled up, you all are on the verge of losing your home and all you own, Correct?" Brianna asked.

"In a nut shell." Marcus snarled. "So what are you offering to make it worth my time to listen to what you have to say?"

"WE pay off your bills including household EXCEPT phone and the same treatment that I endured with the same promise." Brianna said smiling at the shocked looks.

"What treatment and what promise?" Margaret asked.

"You see seven years ago I too was in a car wreck, luckily for me though I was only nearly ripped in half and not decapitated." Brianna said unable to keep from snickering. "SORRY! Anyway, the promise that I was given is that all they were going to promise is that they would TRY to return feeling to my lower half. IF they managed more than that, who's complaining?" She asked shrugging.

"It's not that I'm ungrateful for the offer but what is it that you are wanting me to do IF you can actually do all that?" Marcus asked after several minutes of thought.

"Valid! Okay, what we are needing is someone that is into Sci-Fi and Fantasy, can think outside the porthole and might actually be willing to help us give back to humanity our birthright with or without the blessing of the powers that be." Brianna said with a vile sneer and clenching her fist.

"So, what do you mean by 'outside the porthole' and willing to help give humanity it's birthright back with or without the blessing of people that pulls the governments strings?" Asked Marcus.

Brianna smile gently as she returned to where she had been sitting and picked up an manila envelope. "In time Marcus, in time. In the meantime, here are copies of MY X-Rays, the last of the bills should be payed by this evening while it may take a day or two longer to finalize the house. Once everything is accomplished, the deed will be returned to its rightful owners. This weekend a transport will be dispatched to collect you and your family to take you to the medical center."

"HEY WAIT, I didn't agree to any of thi....... that was a matter transport beam wasn't it sis??" Marcus asked after Brianna disappeared in the glowing pillar of shimmering light.

"You're the Sci-Fi geek, you tell me!!" Margaret said weakly as her mind struggled with what she had seen.

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"So how was your day Mark?" Marcus's younger brother Thomas asked as he joined Marcus and Margaret outside the high school. "Heard you get called to the office, what the atheist want this time? To try to convince you again that there isn't a God since a loving God wouldn't allow bad things to happen to his people?"

"Let's get home and talk to dad. Hey whys Lee not at practice?" Marcus asked looking as their older brother walked up them.

"I'm on light duty for the next week for a quote end quote sprain. You guys will NOT believe my day. Let's just get home before anything else happens." Lee groaned as he led the way to his van.

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"Oh no!" Margaret groaned as they pulled up too their house. "Who the heck is that guy?" She asked indicating the tall, stick thin no-nonsense looking man talking to their father.

"I don't know BUT he sure as heck can't be taken to seriously much with that pink suit!" Thomas snickered.

"Considering that he's probably serving eviction papers, that pink suit probably helps him survive too serve papers another day by making people laugh to hard to concentrate on him." Lee said disheartedly.

"Well let's get out and see if that Brianna was full of bullshit." Marcus said earning gasps from his siblings at his language.

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As the siblings finally exited the van, the man in the pink suit turned and walked away from their father. "Hey!" Lee hollered. "You're that guy that.... whaaat the hell just happened?" He stammered, as the man seemed to vanish like morning fog in a brisk breeze.

"Normally I would say something about your uncivil tongue Lee but how can I, when all 'I' can say is this has been one very fucked up day." Their father whimpered as he slid too his knees.

"WHAT'S WRONG DADDY?" Margaret asked hugging her father.

"BELIEVE ME, IF I had ANY idea of what the HELL was going on I'd tell you but I don't! All I can say is God is finally answering our prayers." Richard sobbed as he got up and started twirling his daughter around in his arms.

"That all our bills except phone have been paid for and someone is in the process of getting the house with a promise of giving us the deed in exchange for Mark listening to them?" Margaret asked.

"For the next THREE YEARS!" Richard said dumbstruck. "How?"

"Someone came to the school today and..... let's just wait for mom, who knows what she'll have to tell us." Margaret said shaking her head.

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Marilyn Fisher pushed the door open and all but fell in the front door of the house. "MOM are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay Megan." Margaret's mother said as she unloaded her arm full of papers onto the hall table. "And after my day, I am NOT going to ask where people got the money for pizza." She said after taking a deep breath.

"WE didn't order it mom, 'they' did." Margaret said. "Now come on, let's eat and tell each other about our screwed up day."

"I take it that I was not the only one that's had people visit them and.... well, like you said let's eat and compare stories." Marilyn said as she followed her daughter into the living room where the pizzas were.

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"I have to at least listen to what they have to say." Marcus said firmly.

"If they've spent this much money just to get you to just listen to them of course you are going to at least listen to what they have to say. BUT I want you to be VERY skeptical of whatever they say and DON'T say." Richard said emphatically.

"That's a given dad." Marcus said smiling. "Personally I don't care how many times I have to go through that 'procedure', I am going to walk again. If nothing else, I'm going to be able to hold my own slice of pizza."

"Well if that guy can put a metal shell around a compound fracture and an hour and a half later when the doctor finally figures out how to take the shell off and that section bone is in better shape than the surrounding bone, it seriously suggests that you'll at least get feeling back bro." Lee said with a smile.

"Are you sure that the doctor actually figured out how to get the shell off and not the shell came off on its own AFTER completing what it was meant to do?" Thomas asked.

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Margaret groaned as she shifted on her bed. As her mind slowly began to work again she figured that she'd had been dreaming again since she was even more exhausted than when she'd gone to bed the night before. "Sing better dreams?" Squeaked a high-pitched voice. A gut and blood chilling terror swept through her as she felt a mass shift on her bed. As she shifted to look behind her she felt the mass shift again. "Sing better dreams?" Came the question again as she saw the blue-gray skinned dolphin head next to her face drug out a terror-ladened shriek from her lungs. "No good dreams?" Came a sad squeak.

"Yo sis what's.... the heck?" Lee managed as he stuck his head in her room and took in the crying animorph.

"Remaker see Marggie have bad dreams. Remaker send Tabie-tha sing better dreams. Tabie-tha fail Remaker. Tabie-tha no more fishies." Wailed the little dolphin as sobs racked the little body.

"And just who or WHAT is this 'Remaker'? Richard said as he stood in the doorway as Margaret wrapped her arms around the little dolphin and tried to console her.

"So that was REAL dolphin squeaks and clicks that kept me up all night, I thought sis had on one of her CDs again." Thomas groaned as he stuck his head into the room before bolting for the bathroom just as Marilyn started her mad dash for the bathroom as well.

Margaret couldn't help but grin at Thomas' 'NO FARE!!' as their mother made it to the bathroom first and slammed the door shut inches from his fingers being in the doorway. "What do you mean by that this 'Remaker' SAW I was having bad dreams?" She asked the dolphin continued its sobbing and her eyes filled with tears.

"Remaker see, taste, mind, emotions, being with being." The dolphin squeaked out between sobs.

"So this 'Remaker' is a telepath? Why would he, she, whatever care about our sleep?" Asked Marcus from the hallway.

"HE!! HE care for those worth care for!" Wailed the dolphin.

"Well THAT kinda answers part of the question anyway." Lee chuckled. "Say Tabitha, that is your name isn't it?" He asked as the dolphin continued to bawl. "Is this 'Remaker' the one that sent that guy in the pink suit and that Brianna yesterday?"

"Dilithium/harcorium machine man?" Sniffed Tabitha as everyone stared at her.

"I'll take that as a yes." Marilyn said as she came into the room. "By the way how are you talking?"

"Voice generator." Marcus and Tabitha said at the same time. "So Tabitha." Marcus said taking the opportunity that was created by the startled Tabitha. "Since everyone in the neighborhood is probably up because of Megan's scream what are we supposed to do with you?"

"Want Tabie-tha stay?" Sniffed the little dolphin. "But me no sing good dreams!"

"Well 'I' have nothing against it, don't know about anyone else but I don't and besides you probably really DID help her sleep better, she wasn't up fixing breakfast hours ago. The reason I was asking is that everyone's got things to do today, which will leave the house empty for most of it." Marcus said smiling. "Besides, how would you stay wet all day? We don't have a pool."

"Ask." Tabitha sniffed as she pushing a spot on her bodysuit and hold up her left arm.

"This is Legion Command, what is the situation Tabitha?" Came a voice from the suits wristband.

"Want stay, no wet." Squeaked Tabitha.

"RRRAA! I swear you ARE going to go back into that pod and learn how speak right you stupid fish and besides what do the Fishers think of your wanting to stay there?" Asked the voice.

"I'm more interested in this 'Remakers' sudden interest in our lives." Richard said loud enough to be heard. "If nothing else we can fill the bathtub for her."

"You DON'T want to do that!!! She splashes! I know because I had to help drain three of the flooded halls." Came the voice. "As to his interest, it can be better explained here when you see what Marcus Fisher is being asked to assist with."

"So, basically what's going on is this 'Remaker' is trying to butter me up into taking this.... whatever?" Marcus said at the near desperation that such actions indicated. "And anyway call me Mark, PLEASE?"

"Very well...Mark." Said the voice. "IF no one in your family minds Tabitha staying there and no one minds the instillation of what I understand is generally referred to as an 'Endless Pool' and the instillation of a cold fusion power generator at your residence."

"You're kidding? An Endless Pool????!" Margaret squealed. "I've ALWAYS wanted one of those."

"NO KIDDING." Marilyn said. "But how big will this cold fusion generator be and won't there be radiation?"

"NOT with a fusion generator. Those things generate energy without possible radiation leakage and with a COLD fusion there won't be any heat generated from it either." Mark said excitedly. "Can we hook up the house to it and stop drawing on the power grid?"

"To stay under the radar; you must continue to draw from the grid. Although we can install a limiter that will keep the draw to the absolute minimum." Said the voice. "Also the generator is about the size of a washer/dryer double decker combination."

"Hey wait a minute guys!" Lee said quickly as he noticed the greedy looks on faces. "Yes all this sounds great and all BUT there is no guarantee that Mark's going to accept the spot that these people are offering."

"Do not worry Lenard." Came the voice interrupting him. "Anything that is given, will be exactly like that, GIVEN! Although we MUST ask that you never tell anyone about anything and if you ever decide to move, you MUST tell us so that we can transfer the equipment to your new residence."

"I can live with that." Richard simply said as he tugged on his lip. "Though can we have the generator installed in the basement? Now if everything has been settled, we have got to get ready for our day people."

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Saturday morning, three days later.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to tolerate the smell of fish again." Margaret gagged holding her nose as Tabitha shoved both of her bandaged hands into a bucket of herring again.

"Stink?" Tabitha squeaked as tears formed in her eyes.

"They stink, you don't. And will you PLEASE stop putting your hands in your mouth! They WON'T stand up to your biting them much longer." Margaret said softly as tears formed in her own eyes as she struggled to pick up the dolphin in her arms again.

"You're an Eco-terrorist just waiting for her boat, you know that, right sis?" Asked Marcus as his chair was anchored to its spot for launch.

"No Night-Terror." Tabitha squeaked. "No mind read" Tabitha said tapping Margaret on the forehead. "Night-Terror mind read!"

"There are so MANY things that are needing to be explained when we get to wherever." Richard said as he strapped himself into his chair.

"There are something's that cannot be explained to those that are not one of us." Said Brianna from her co-pilot seat.

"Now THAT is understandable dear." Marilyn said sweetly inclining her head at her husband. "You CAN'T deny their needing to keep SOME secrets."

"There are very few secrets with us. The way we limit information is that the correct questions have to be asked and they have to be correctly worded. If you can correctly word the correct question you'll get your answer, the only real secrets we have pertains to the swords." Brianna said rubbing her left leg.

"On how to make them or what?" Asked Marilyn.

"I'm not to sure myself actually." Brianna laughed. "I don't know the correct questions to ask to find out what secrets are being kept." She said laughing. "Anyway where are Thomas and Lenard? A procedure was started on Lenard that should be completed and Thomas should be given the same opportunities that all of you are to be given as well."

"While Lee may be benched he still needs to show up for games." Marcus said before anyone else could start talking. "And Thomas? Well Thomas somehow or other gets along with a cheerleader that's nearly to much of an uptight snob for anybody else to handle."

"Ooh Kinky!" Brianna purred. "Well we're about to dock with the transport so if we can continue this conversation in a few minutes it'd be appreciated."

"SKY-SWIMMER!!" Tabitha squeeed excitedly before falling silent until after the shuttle had docked.

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Memory Based

"It's beautiful." Margaret whispered as she stood in the doorway of the shuttle.

"I'd probably agree if I could see what you're seeing BUT all I see is sister rump." Marcus laughed.

"Sorry!" She said as she quickly got down off the ramp and turned to help ease Marcus's chair down the ramp.

"So, who are these people?" Marilyn asked as Marcus's chair was eased down the ramp of the transport.

"Hmm? Oh, their probably here to bitch me out. All noobs are SUPPOSED to be taken up to Mountain's Crown. Some of the Legion and I don't exactly mesh." Brianna said as everyone started looking around the cavern's landing pad.

"Mistress, what are you doing?? You know the rules as well as anyone, why have you brought them down here." Asked the lead Legionnaire as they reached Brianna.

"Aren't you the cutest little bunny butt." Brianna said sweetly as the Legionnaire drew back in horror.

"What's that about?" Asked a laughing Margaret.

"My cousin's a little... promiscuous shall we say? Male, female doesn't really matter to her just as long as whoever is legal age." Brianna said with a smile.

"And she does NOT give up!" Groaned one of the Legionnaires at the back of the column

"Nice deer costume." Richard said as he noticed someone hurrying up behind the column of Legionnaires.

"Sorry I'm late! I'm Tara to those that CARE. Evelyn!" She said getting in the face of the head Legionnaire. "Oh, and by the way." She added handing Evelyn what looked too Marcus like a tablet of some kind. "God I love that." Tara said smugly as Evelyn stormed off after reading what was on the tablet. "So you guys going to go after her or what?" She asked turning to the other Legionnaires.

"Group A, sorry but you get babysitting." Brianna said taking charge and indicating Evelyn's retreating back. "I'll see what I can do about getting you extra bullshit points." Brianna laughed when Group A perked up a tiny bit.

"I'm sorry but can you explain by what you meant by 'bullshit points'!" Asked Richard a question seconded by the rest of his family.

"Around here along with any other kind of pay or compensation people receive, they also acquire points that they can use for different things. Such as personal upgrades to equipment, as long as it does not interfere with what it is meant for, such as battle armor. Yes, battle armor may be upgraded whenever newer, better materials are developed but they can also be personalized if you have acquired the points. If your personalization actually improves the... let's go with effectiveness. If your personalization improves the effectiveness any equipment your points are refunded and more are added according to the extent of the improvement." Brianna said pushing a button on her sleeve. "Sorry but I need to sit down." She said as her own chair materialized nearby. "Let's go in and get things started, shall we? While I may be able to walk after seven years but, after seven years I don't have much stamina in my legs so I have no idea what to expect for you Marcus."