The two mechanics of the base were working hard in the garage, aided by the sole techie in constructing multiple new things, with the super 3D printer known as the Fabricator being their top priority. All the while, the rest of the troops were either training, scrapping, or digging more trenches.
With Wrench's introduction to the group during the victory feast, Adam announced to the Earthlings that more Men-at-Arms were joining the camp in the coming few days since the "Commander" was working hard to rendezvous his army. As for the fact that both Flint and Wrench were non-Venuxians, he simply shrugged and said that there were clearly more than just one type of people in a different world, hinting that there was Yapper, an African-American; Brains, a Middle-Eastern; Kave, an Asian, etc.
It was a simple enough reply, but it didn't stop the Earthlings from asking more questions, questions that he let Flint answer with more plans for brutal training for the recruits.
After using his runic ability to summon most of the tools, Adam prepared around seven Auxiliary Miniatures to summon in succession, but waited until enough food was supplied by the Grub Processor, and with the Krant Workers being all over the place, there were many things to feed the Belly of the Beast.
Still, the most important luxury to introduce at the moment was Alfari Spices, which Adam had put some hopes on, in order to make better quality food bars, ones that at least didn't cause damage to the group's morale.
To that end, Adam halted most of his work and prepared his van for travel to Professor Hendricks's shelter. He was taking Megan, Kave, Elena, Stone, and Buzz with him as a light team.
The expelled recruit Mop, who deserted during the fight with the Krants, also requested to come since he was supposed to return to the shelter. Yet Adam wasn't keen on letting him go. For the past week, Mop had all the dirty jobs pushed on him and was only given water and food bars, resulting in his request to leave the camp.
Adam didn't trust him, since he might reveal the base's location and invite trouble to everyone else, so he was told to stay put until another chance arose, which Adam wasn't willing to give anyway. At best, he'd keep him as a Serf, a low-status servant who was confined to the base, but he didn't want to raise concerns just yet, as it was too inhumane for Earthling standards.
It might have been him getting more accustomed to the ways of the Solarium as he spent most of his days with his summons, so thinking of keeping someone incarcerated with minimal human rights wasn't gnawing on his Earthling nature. He even had Megan justify it for him with the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice that any incident of desertion could be punished with death during wartime, let alone during a total invasion.
But since there was no time to chart codes or make laws for such a small population in camp, and with the Solarium's units operating on an indoctrinated common sense, Adam would need to address that when he could at least have someone to consult on legal matters.
The van rushed on the road towards Professor Hendricks's shelter with Elena behind the wheel and Adam in the passenger seat. He was actively using his Bending Rune to make the road smoother, which guaranteed a faster journey to Professor Hendrick's shelter.
Once there, Adam was met with Raj's team, which was on defense duty, greeting each other like allies. Adam had been there four days ago for the delivery of a Grub Processor to the shelter, something worthy of celebration, as starvation in this place was becoming a worry.
But there, right at the entrance of the shelter, stood Professor Hendricks, with Kahori, the Alfari alien and envoy of the Elden, at his side. Adam approached the two at the head of his group. Kave and Megan were at his side, giving friendly looks to the people they were acquainted with, while Elena, Buzz, and Stone were giving death stares to Kahori, the alien.
It was Stone's first time meeting the aliens or getting this far from camp, so he looked menacing as he cast her a glare. As a Grunt, he was an armored Man-at-Arms with metal plates and a visor helmet that looked like a blend of medieval and sci-fi plate armor. Combined with his heavy blazer, the appearance of this Grunt demanded immediate respect and fear.
But as Adam didn't want to appear threatening, he didn't reveal that another team was already following them, composed of Officer Reeves, Sharp, Hammerhead, and Patch. Officer Reeves's squad car was used for the purpose of having its own radio, which could be easily called from Buzz's combat radio.
The two parties met, and Adam stepped ahead and greeted the professor with tension in his words:
"I thought we agreed that we would get here before the aliens." Adam said with a hint of discomfort in his eyes.
"Greetings to you, too, Herald Adam." Kahori smiled, facing the antagonism with a cool attitude.
Her appearance was different from before, no longer wearing large rags or hauling an oversized backpack on her back; rather, she was in an elegant robe made of a strange blue fabric that felt like thick, woven threads, held together to form a braided and knotted fabric, definitely nothing Adam had seen before.
As for her appearance, she had black hair, long and straight, unlike what he expected, but it seemed that the hair of this alien race grew from further behind their foreheads, as their heads, undeniably alien, sloped back in a pronounced, yet graceful curve, extending the cranium well beyond where a human's would end.
"I apologize if I wasn't clear on the matter, but Ms. Kahori had been staying the night here." Professor Hendricks said while trying to gloss over the matter, "Why don't you come inside? Our esteemed guests are on the way."
Adam watched the Professor, whose expression was one of glee, and shook his head. If he hadn't once been his professor and hadn't felt appreciation towards him on a personal level, he would have made a scene just to gain leverage, but he let it go since it wouldn't give him much of a hook on the aliens anyway.
Megan went ahead and greeted her professor as soon as the formalities were done, and Kave walked around with Buzz, looking around the place. Kahori then approached Adam with casual steps, looking with smiles at the Wartopians, who never stopped looking at her with hostility.
"Herald Adam." She spoke, addressing him with a title.
"It is Justiciar Clay to you, alien." Adam retorted right away, a look of disdain all over his face, perfecting his Solarium RP to an extensive degree.
A concerned look appeared on Professor Hendrick's face, a surprised look on Megan's, and a sneer on Elena's. While Megan and Kave were in on the act, since Adam couldn't afford to appear friendly to the aliens with his summons around him, Elena and Professor Hendrick totally believed he didn't like the Alfari.
Nonetheless, Kahori remained entirely unoffended, merely joining her hands in a non-human gesture, wherein her fingertips met to form a crescent. Yet, the familiar tilt of her head unmistakably conveyed her inquisitiveness.
"I find that title most difficult to understand. What is a… how did you speak it? Jushu-tishi-huru?" Kahori asked, her translation rune not functioning as she tried to spell out gibberish.
"It is a military office for discipline, order, and morale among soldiers with some oversight and leadership authority." Adam said, flaunting his sophistication to the aliens.
"Ah!" Kahori was taken aback as she put two and two together, "Like a Vindicator? That's… an esteemed office."
"Vindicator? Hmph!" Adam looked away with a snort, "Such a primitive term!"
"Kindly excuse my insolence, Vindicator Clay. It is most imperative to note that my people have suffered from a most unfortunate diaspora for generations, through the Frontier Worlds. Our ways may have regressed compared to your flourishing culture." Kahori said with a polite smile, still maintaining the same hand gesture, "Even after the reunion, our Elden government is barely able to maintain twelve branches of governance."
To that, Adam, Elena, Stone, and Buzz only looked at Kahori with open, unblinking eyes.
Twelve branches of government? Why? The Solarium only had five; the United States had three.
Just how sophisticated were those aliens?
Adam was curious about the Alfari, not because they were xenos that needed purging in a true Solarium way, but because of how mysterious they were. He hadn't lost all common sense to wage wars based on xenophobia, and he would simply avoid them as long as there were no clashes of interest. Now, however, he became worried since they seemed more capable than humans; if it was true, they had twelve branches of government.
Today offered a chance to assess them, understand their true nature, and determine the best course of action. If they sought refuge on Earth from the Rift, these potential new arrivals would need rigorous vetting and assessment before it was too late.
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