Once the relevant messages were sent out, and their allies understood that the Terminus Fleet was returning to their home Galaxy to work on the next generation of Mecha and ships, the rest of the Anomaly Fleet was completely fine with holding the line and helping with the cleanup on their own.
[Good luck, and say hello to the rest of the research team for me.] Was the last message that they received from Celia's Love, the Command Ship for the Anomaly fleet.
Max didn't take them directly back to Absolution. Instead, he had the Board of Directors bring Absolution to them so that they could combine the research and development teams with the local ones at their destination.
For a project this big, he wasn't going to work alone. Instead, and not entirely because Mary Tarith had demanded they come back on occasion, he was going to enlist the help of Uncle Lu and the research team at the Rae 5 Moon Base.
They didn't warn anyone that they were coming, with the hopes that they could finally take Mary Tarith by surprise.
[Rae 5 Control, this is Commander Keres Max of the Terminus Trading Company, requesting a berth at the Moon Base Station for an urgent matter with Researcher Lu.] Max announced.
He only had to wait a few seconds to know that, for once, they had actually managed to surprise Nico's mother.
[I swear that if you have broken my daughter, there will be hell to pay, Commander Max. I will meet you at the base in four minutes.] Mary Tarith announced.
[Um, clearance granted, I guess? You heard Madam Tarith. Please proceed to the main Cutter berths within the next four minutes. Docks seven through forty and dock forty-three are open at the moment.] The traffic controller announced.
The old Darkling was quietly laughing at the exchange while Nico covered her mouth to hide her amusement.
"I see that Humanity is just as amusing as it always was. I haven't had a chance to interact with your species for a long time now, but it seems that their sense of protectiveness and humour remain intact.
Tell me, have your people retained their creative edge? I have analyzed your genome, and it should be intact, but there are some strange modifications made to the two of you that are making a large-scale analysis difficult." He asked.
"We are considered among the most creative for certain. There are also the Innu, which will be arriving with our research team, who are equally inquisitive and well attuned to technology due to a genetic adaptation." Nico explained.
"Oh, I have seen those ones. The creatures with the sensory tentacles on their heads, correct? They are a curious species and a hybrid, not a natural evolution. According to my data, they might also be considered an extension of humanity, though there is a chance that natural selection gave them a similar genetic base code." The Darkling exclaimed, seeming much more excited now.
He was more of a biologist by specialty than an engineer, though he had been given a variety of information to help him in this mission. But he wasn't sent for his personal specialty. He was sent because he was considered expendable due to his imminent demise from age-related degradation.
In short, there was no more that medical science could do for him, and he was only a few years from dying of old age. In the minds of the Darklings, that was essentially his last breaths in hospice care, but it would be long enough to get the humans started on a new development, and the other two "Mortal Species," as they called themselves, were counting on something good to deal with the issue at hand.
The Android Pilot smoothly swung the Cutter into Bay 1, the closest to their location, and settled the ship in at the docks.
[We have arrived. There are currently ninety-six seconds before Mary Tarith is expected to arrive.] The Pilot explained.
She wasn't the only one on her way up. Uncle Lu was already in the elevator on his way across the planetoid-sized space station, and a half dozen other researchers who had worked on the Terminus or Absolution teams in the past were on their way as well.
"It looks like we're going to have a sizeable welcoming party. Has Mary's ship docked yet?" Max asked the Ship's Pilot.
"Mary Tarith has requested access to our rear cargo bay in seventeen seconds." The Android responded.
Mary was saving herself the time of landing at a shuttle dock and coming over and had decided to dock directly with the Cutter.
"Open the spare bay for her. She gets inventive if you deny her requests." Max laughed.
"Understood."
Max opened all the doors between them and the cargo hold as Mary Tarith came flying down the hallways like a human missile, grabbing Nico in a hug and spinning her in circles.
"There's my baby girl. I've missed you while you were away. Did I get here first, or did that old man Lu beat me here?" She asked.
"He's four floors away in the elevator. You got here first. I would like to introduce you to Ranarth of the Collectors. He is here to help us with our development efforts until the energy beings and their forces emerge from their tactical retreat." Max explained before Mary could get too lost in whatever she wanted to say to Nico.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Ranarth. I am Mary Tarith of the Reavers, mother to Nico Tarith and soon-to-be mother-in-law to Commander Keres Max." She greeted the old Darkling.
"A pleasure, Lady Tarith," the old Darkling replied with a smile, then turned to Max.
"I like this one. She's decisive and knows what she wants. That is an excellent quality in a leader." Ranarth mock whispered.
"It's a gift and a curse at the same time for those of us caught up in her energy. I will introduce you to the rest of the researchers as they arrive. Absolution should be here within the hour. They were just finishing up with some ship transfers before they moved." Max explained.
"We should move to the greeting dock for the others' arrival. Old Lu should know he's still too slow." Mary insisted, pulling Nico along while Max and their Darkling ally laughed at her exuberance.
