These were tense moments which had been over a year in the making, the prospect of going from Rock Workers to messiahs in just a matter of minutes did not rest easy with either Dover or Franklin. Then, of course, there was the other possibility that it would go tits up and they would fall from hero to zero in the same period. Expectedly both men were pacing up and down the deck like a couple of brooding hens, just before the laying of eggs, anticipating the mission's outcome would result in them being scrambled.

During their brief but demanding training, they quickly understood that this mode of transport was decidedly safer and far quicker than the century's other means of space travel, so it was not adding to their anxiety. It was the prospect of coming face to face with friends and acquaintances, who metaphorically believed them to be dead ducks and only their feathers remained, fluttering aimlessly around the Rock Zone.

The anxiety persisted even though they now knew that a large part of what they had experienced together, was a lie manufactured in the Tech Lab and when first discovered or rather were informed about the truth of their existence, they both blew a gasket, just as Francesca Charles had predicted and had to be sedated. Initially, they were angry believing it to be more tech lies, which was only natural based on their real-life experience with members of the Tech Lab and the vengeful thoughts they expressed toward the Techs whilst meteorites battered Giganteas. But after intensive counselling which if nothing else prevented them from going insane, they slowly began to understand and accept their new reality and thanked God that they had each other's backs and were able to share the mental torment caused by the revelation. It was during the counselling that they were reintroduced to their families and learnt why the Blackbox they carried whilst on the abortive Rock Zone mission was so important, for it contained something far more valuable than a Single Point Modem.

Encased in their skinsuits and travelling inside the Sphere they had nicknamed the Black Onion, there was no sensation of inertia, the experience was effectively inert. In their minds, this still felt uncanny, even though they had experienced travelling beyond the rim of the solar system and over a lightyear into the depths of the interstellar void, which was well beyond the prying eyes of ISO and its army of spies. ZPT had transported them to a place where they could complete their training in secret, on an isolated asteroid base, established by the pirates assimilated into Aequalitas Causa. Now employed by Aequalitas Causa the pirate's status had changed, the name pirate replaced by buccaneer. The crew captained by Marissa Tulip were on a mission which under normal circumstances would be a one-way trip to oblivion, with instructions to establish the asteroid base. But having experienced first-hand their ship doing an enforced Quantum jump and witnessing the promise of Marissa's full recovery and her subsequent marriage to Fortuna Plume, the crew were more than happy to do it. That was of course apart from the bit where they sacrificed a year or so of their life and even knowing that the journey back would take a matter of minutes, the majority of which would be prep was a small compensation.

They could not wait all day, the whole thing was dependent on a tight schedule that ran in line with solar time, it was essential to the success of the mission that they maintained the schedule. The ship's clock was ticking, and although they could not see it, like their voices it echoed inside their heads. The throngs of people waiting outside were about to be shocked, by the mode of their appearance as the skinsuits they wore were a composite of the nanobot tech of the ship. Feeling anxious, they stepped forward, melded with the ship's interior, and exited by simply strolling forward until they were outside the Black Onion, where they stepped onto the platform. At first, the previously chattering crowd went silent as they appeared, but soon they began to murmur, and among their numbers were those wondering if this was going to be humanity's first encounter with an alien life form.

There was a growing sense of unease, and then one of the Security Academy's newly deployed recruits panicked and without instruction ran from his position guarding the dignitaries. As the academy's training determined he dropped to one knee and aimed his Static Arms at the largest of the skinsuits, the one worn by Dover Bolt which he had assumed was an alien. But Dover did not flinch as the nervous recruit released a burst of static energy which was a direct hit, considering how much he was shaking. The energy discharge landed right where he had assumed the alien's heart would be, square in the middle of its chest and the crackle of the static arm's discharge continued until the weapon's charge was depleted. Due to the nature of the skinsuit, all it did was glow brightly as it harmlessly absorbed the energy, dispersing the excess around the suit's exterior and diverting it into the platform, which had momentarily melded with his feet which functioned as conductors.

Before the recruit had time to load another charge Dover was standing over him, understandably the young recruit froze, and no doubt he was expecting the giant alien that was towering over him to batter him to a pulp. But Dover calmly placed his hand on the recruit's helmet as if he were about to perform a baptism, which allowed nanobots to spill from his suit and enter the recruit's helmet and do their work. In a matter of moments, the nanobots had penetrated the helmet and reconfigured its coms allowing Dover to hold a conversation inside the recruit's head, advising him to relax and put down his weapon. The recruit was in shock, it felt as if God was speaking to him and he reverently responded by doing exactly as Dover had asked, enabling the broadcast of their conversation via the televised network, using the recruit's regular coms channels and everyone listening was amazed but relaxed when hearing him say.

"Don't worry son, we mean you no harm."

Among the crowd, increasing numbers were saying.

"I'd know that gravel pit of a voice anywhere."

And soon they are whispering the name of Dover Bolt in their coms, and although neither Dover nor Franklin expected this turn of events, it came with a welcome wave of relief encouraging Franklin, to speak for the first time.

"Yes, you are right my friends it is Dover Bolt and me, his best friend Franklin Charles.

We have a great deal to talk about, but most importantly can I ask the security guards among the crowd, to please disarm and put down your energy weapons?

As you can see they will not harm us, but if fired again you could be responsible for harming or even killing members of the unarmed friends and families around you.

Something I am sure none of you would wish to do!"

The larger portion of the crowd sighed in agreement however, the first instinct of dignitaries whose authority was under threat was quite the opposite, they rejected the peaceful requests. And irrespective of the potential collateral damage to life and limb, they ordered the Security Forces to ignore their words of pacification, instructing the guards to blast them with everything they had. But to Dover's and Franklin's surprise, the Security Force ignored the sheep-like bleating of the dignitaries and did as just as they had requested, disarming their weapons and standing down. Then with a round of rapturous applause, the Security Force's reaction receives overwhelming approval from the crowd, and in the background, a huge contingent of the crowd begins cheering in delight at the dignitary's humiliation, which adds to the cacophony of happy noises filling the arena.

Throughout the ISO business empire, they will replicate a similar set of events, including at the ISO HQ, where the Sphere that dared to enter the heart of Oscar Zillion's empire continues to hover millimetres above the platform at the centre of HQ's gigantic plaza. Oscar had remained seated and unmoved throughout the events that were unfolding on Space Station Pioneer, which played out before him in full 360 Degrees 3D, directly above the hovering Sphere, it was a whole new dimension of reality TV. However, unlike his minions, he showed no visible signs of shock but instead felt a sense of admiration for what was undoubtedly the work of his elder siblings. It is probably needless to say that in parallel with his admiration, the dark and devious part of his mind was already at play, working out his plan of action, to prevent the same thing from unfolding here at ISO's HQ. There was no need for Oscar to rush as there was more than adequate time for him to sit on his throne and ponder some devious action, because Dover and the rest of his Aequalitas Causa's cohorts were far from finished, as this was only their opening gambit. They had only just drawn the curtains and there was much more to come from the duo, who took centre stage in a real-life reality TV show which spanned the Solar System, as they performed live to an audience of trillions, praying for the script to go according to plan.

It was a stroke of good fortune that the voice of Dover was easily recognisable, making things go easier than planned, were running as smoothly as silk, that is apart from the shooting however from here on in, things could become very tricky and could just as easily lead to good ship Aequalitas Causa running aground. There had been debate about where to go next, the outcome of which was that the men on the ground should be allowed to make the decision based on what transpired during their reception. So, without consultation both men agreed that it would be best to allow the warmth of Dover's recognition to run its natural course and then put the Sphere's other passengers under the spotlight, providing the watching audience with another surprise.

If the camera had taken the time to focus on the face of Oscar Zillion which was becoming increasingly smug, they would have had time to realise that inside his devious mind, he had formulated a plan and was about to launch a counter-offensive against the perpetrators, who he assumed were his siblings enjoying what he planned to be a short-lived moment of glory in the solar spotlight.

Total Words: 1792

Rolling Total: 19062