Elders.
Chloe spoke up, her arms still wrapped around Jose and Abby. “I know how you all feel. But we have nothing to fear. This is merely the most visible manifestation of the Womb.”
“This is the Womb?” Hud asked.
Chloe nodded as the rest of the survivors allowed their revulsion to speak for itself.
“Ah . . . Netty . . . do you mind explaining why we need to go inside this . . . this . . . ah . . .” Dezi’s voice evinced a note of panic.
Netty raised her hands in a gesture of supplication. “Please . . . it’s alright. This is just the framework the minions must work in. Yes , it is alive. The minions plug into the Womb for guidance. Much as Baby and Echo plugged into the membrane in the Hive. This is the communication pathway for the minions. It also provides sustenance for those not able to eat from the power of their sun due to their duties.”
Netty met the eyes of the survivors, as comprehension and wonder replaced the fear in their countenance.
“The minions don’t require shelter from the elements on this planet. There are no weather patterns as we know them. This planet revolves around their sun star in such an orbit that the entire planet is stable and stays temperate. It is always at the same distance from the sun, a feat matched nowhere else in any galaxy I know of. The bodies of water are all salt-free and emanate from below—the water table is very shallow. This planet serves as a staging area for their missions. Look.” Netty pointed to the membrane where shadowy figures could be seen scurrying around in service to any number of mysterious projects.
“Not there . . . over there.” Netty directed them to the right of the organic entrance to the Womb. Everyone could plainly see a portion of the Womb that appeared darker, less transparent.
“That’s where we’re going. It’s for us. That’s where we will live. Some of us will work there.” She glanced at Dezi. “I’m thinking your kitchen will need to be expanded in there. When Wil and I were in attendance, we never needed much of a facility.” She nodded to the crowd. “I think it’s time to fashion something more permanent.” She smiled at Dezi, “Whatever you feel you need is available with the help of the Kreyven. If we’re lucky, we’ll get the assistance of the one most familiar with humans. We may not be able to match everything you are comfortable with from Earth but we can come darn close.”
“What do you mean, Netty? You mean there are more Kreyvens?” Kane’s eyes widened at the prospect.
Netty glanced at him with amusement. “Of course there are. Did you think an asset as valuable as the Kreyven would be expended to save a few human lives if there were only one? The Womb has galaxies and galaxies to monitor. Other interventions are occurring as we speak.” Turning away, she laughed. “You may never see more than one Kreyven at a time. They are the busiest life form ever produced by the Womb.”
As the survivors’ attention turned back to the minion city they advanced their inspection, awed by the walls of the Womb that extended forty to sixty feet in the air, structured in various configurations. Not a single square corner was observed; roundness abounded, yet it appeared sturdy. An almost imperceptible motion vibrated the entire structure, its rhythm clearly a result of the iridescent fluid being pumped through the veins and arteries. But pumped to where?
Cobby stepped up to the structure, testing the outer wall. All could see the slight give, showing the pliant nature of the Womb.
“Do not fear, Captain. It is quite indestructible.”
“It’s not that, Netty . . . I’m just a bit queasy with the thought I’ll be living inside this . . . this . . . organ.”
“On the contrary, Captain. You will be living inside the Womb. There is no place as wondrous anywhere in all the galaxies.”
From behind them, they suddenly heard what could be taken as a warning siren; staccato beeps, not