After the airship lands, Mariah and Hamilton exited it, and found themselves on a room that could accommodate twenty trucks and the truckers would still have space to make a barbecue, a big "03" in painted on the wall.They are in one of Lil Rock reception center airships docks, each one made to support even 5 big military airships, with dozens meters of length, in comparison with them the small military transport airship that Hamilton is responsable is like a cat besides an lion. Looking at the empty dock, Hamilton said, "There is something strange Doctor Silvercliff, usually someone of the prison staff would welcome us, i have never found here this empty".
"Maybe some problem have emerged in the prison?" worried said Maryanne.
"I don't think that is the case", Hamilton look upwards and didn't move for 5 seconds, suddenly he facepalmed himself and said, "oh shit!, i forg...!", before end his phrase, an automatic door opens, 15 meters from them, from it emerges an humanoid entity, two heads bigger than an average human, but by any means was a human, what made this clear are two big pinchers stained in a crimson liquid on his face, a light green exoskeleton wraps his body, four legs, and four black lifeless eyes adorning his face.
"Oh my god!!" shouted Hamilton spreading his arms.
"What?!" said Mariah making a frown.
Looking at the intruder, Hamilton forced a smile on his face and said to the entity, as if he was a political on in times of election, "Didi you is so thin that i almost didn't recognize you".
Didi, aka the entity, is one of the staff who works at the dock 03, that Hamilton usually lands on the reception building. The humanoid insect looked at Hamilton and said with a robotic voice, "Oh Hamilton ... (chew sounds)... you have arrived on our lunch time", his voice sounded like he was speaking in front of a fan, while eating he evidenced the red fruit on his hand, "Thank you for the compliment, i'm on a diet of only eat RedBagas...".
Didi looked at Hamilton side, this made Hamilton shivers, and seeing Maryanne Didi finally understand why Hamilton was so friendly. With a swift moviment, like an baseball pro player, Didi throw his half eat RedBaga and made a severe look at the shameless man, "We have not received the signal that you are arriving with a visitor".
"I can't believe that you are the same guy, as my granny said, time runs fast", spoken Hamilton trying to change the conversation.
Didi while comes near them, with his four slender legs, ignoring hamilton he looked to Maryanne and said, "Sorry doctor Mary Anne for this rushed welcome, the airship that brought you here, is responsible for noticing us when you are arriving, it's seems to have some operational problem", in the last half of his sentence, Didi sent Hamilton an accusatory glance, but Hamilton pretended that wasn't for him and made and an "i know notting" face.
"I understand Mr Didi, i came to know that airship defect on the way. At journey beginning i was troubled by it, but with time, i came to found it tolerable, would even say that this problem is a little entertaining", said Mariah, who liked to see the duo interaction, Didi looked like an older brothers taking care of his sibling mess. Hamilton listening the two calling him "defect" is making a face of one wronged prisoner.
Seeing that Marianne doesn't care about Hamilton inability to follow protocols, Didi is relieved that his friend would not be reported again because of his airhead, he said, "I am grateful for your understanding, i will notice the central and an administrative officer is come to guide you on your stay here in Lil Stone".
"Thanks Mr Didi".
***
While waiting, Mariah was told about Hamilton mistakes from Didi, like one time that lost his way to the prison, because, him had dropped some sauce from his snack on his airship paine and make the airship gps go crazy, making his superior office arriving late to an important meeting, the same officer made him cleaning the staff's bathroom for three months.
After ten minutes of waiting, Maryanne felt an buden on her back, dry throat, and out of breath, a heavy atmosfery appeared on the room, making the trio became alert.
Thump...thump...thump.
Steps starts to echo through the room, they aren't particularly heavy but everyone could clearly heard them
From on corridor appear an Entomo, he has a black exoskeleton painted with red marks, his face has two big eyes on front, six smaller eyes are distributed on the sides making a ring formation around his head and four knife like fangs are on area of his mouth. Having the same height than one average human, one pair arms with three smaller pairs below them, he is more arachnid like than bug like, what made this clearly is an spyder abdomen behind the lower area of his back and glutes. Different from Didi manual labor oriented clothes, he wears a white shirt, red tie and an open trench coat.
Didi still could move and rigidly said to Maryanne,"the officer had arrived".
Looking to the officer, Mariah shivered and felt her heart beat on her throat, struggling putting her hand on the chest she take a deep breath and thought, "This must be the effect of a strong organism on a weaker", she take a step back, "this is truly dreadful the books aren't wrong".
Just behind the administrator officer, someone is following him, it seems to be his assistant, her size and clumsy atmosphere make a big, almost comical, contrast with him. She has 2.10 meters of height, a prominently grey with a little orange painted her bushy fur, addax horn like horns are on top of her head, long rabbit ears and a feline face adorns her figure. Holding a clipboard and wearing a brown coat.
Seeing who is the man sent to welcome Mariah, Hamilton shivers and regrets not going away sooner, he thought, "Shit!, of course, it had to be him".
The officer slowly gets closer, he looked direct in Marianne eyes and said with a deep, robotic, husky voice to her, "My name is Heitor Anax Sofos, i am one of Lil Stone Administrative officer".
Heitor force of presence and voice made Mariah a little stunned, for even a civil like her felt his aura, he must be a big deal, "Eh...oh...it..It's nice to meet you Mr Anax".
Heitor bows in Maryanne direction and said,"Doctor SilverCliff sorry for my delay, it will not be repeated".
This act and Heitor voice full of sorrow, surprised Mariah, she trough,"Bowing!? What an abnormal act for anyone raised on the empire", she didn't expected this level of politeness and humility from a high officer of the empire, at least is her first time seeing on her live, she said, "Mr Anax you don't need to be sorry by this small delay, sometimes things happens and we can't control".
"i appreciative yours comprehension, but my delay is inadmissible", said Heitor while still bowing.
"I... er.." said Maryanne, not knowing how to act on this situation.
All of a sudden Heitor straighten his spine move moves his head in directions of Hamilton, who was sneaking out. A grave expression is formed in his face, not that Hamilton and Mariah as a human can tell, Didi on the other side, noticed and take a step away Hamilton, knowing what from his past experiences what is going to happen with his airhead friend.
Heitor said with an angered voice, "Off course that the pilot was you Hamilton".
Heitor elevates one of his six hands, Mariah felt something gathering in his hand, in a blink of an eye, bright circles and algebraic lines and forms appear in air. As the circle began to emit an crimson light from the reddish energy being inserted on it, Hamilton is raised from the ground.
Quickly Hamilton legs aren't touching the ground, and his face is painted in an unhealthy red color like an RedBaga, not because he is embarrassed by his mistakes, but, because he is losing air.
Maryanne eyes are wide open seeing him gasping for air while touching his own neck seeking a way to breath, she knew that the army is merciless with mistakes, but this is too much.
As he look direct to him with his black lifeless eyes, Heitor comes close to Hamilton and said, ""Staff Sergeant Hamilton! This is the second time that you made me lose my face in front of someone.", as he speaks the angrier he gets, as his anger grows his body resonates emitting more pressure in those near him, "I Hope that this not happens again, because if happens!! I would made you literally lose your face! and that... that would be a crime." at ends of sentence Heitor eyes gain some of they clarity, but he continued "....You don't want me go to the same jails as those criminals, don't you?".
When Heitor said the last sentence he close a little more his hand, making Hamilton face became more red. Even with her heart beating fast enough to her have fears of it exploding, Maryanne take two step in Heitor direction, but Didi put his hand on her shoulder, as she look at him, he shake his head to the sides.
This is the first time that Mariah found herself in a situation that a powerful person is mad, being lost she chose to follow Didi advise, what helped her in make this decision is Didi calmness, he didn't look too nervous with the situation, as it had happening many times before.
Hamilton while being strangled, struggles to say,"I don..d...dont wanna sir...". Receiving a answer, Heitor became more calm, and said, "Another six months cleaning this reception staff's bathroom should helps you think about your mistakes".
The Reception Center 03 has at least sixty soldier and dozen of staffs types, like mechanics, that is Didi case. They produce a lot of dirth, enough to make Hamilton gorff just by remembering it, if he could gorff, of course.
"Yes sir", said Hamilton already with a purple face.
"Good!", Heitor undo the crimson formation on the air and turn down his hand.With this, Hamilton falls in the ground and even before his lungs get full of air, he instinctively make a salute and go, while a little dizzy, to Didi side.
Heitor turned his back to Hamilton and walking away said, "Mr Hamilton you can't do something wrong and not be punished, rules are rules, starts follow them or i will follow you".
Marianne seeing the conflict not ending up on a murder finally relax. She thought,"Even me, a human, be incapable of understand any theory applied on Heitor's magic circle structure or what exactly his magic did to elevates and choke Hamilton, was like an invisible hand... weird. Heitor is truly unusual to an entomo. He use magic and bowed... he must be raised far from his queen".
After this event, Mariah felt that know she knew who was the officer that Hamilton made lose a meeting, she don't know if Hamilton was too misfortuned or too carefree, probably the later.
While Mariah was drowning on her throughs, Heitor is finally totally calm, he adjust his red tie and more cold-headed than some moments ago he look to Maryanne, "Doctor Mary Anny please come with me, in my office we can speak more privately". Maryanne come back to her senses and found Heitor addressing to who she thinks that is his assistant, "Miss Alanys decrease Hamilton fly schedule for the next months, he will be busy".
Alanys as she write it down something on her clipboard, nervously said,"Ye...Yes Sir Heitor! I will arrange his new schedule".
"Good".
Heitor start to walk way, Marianne signals saying bye to Didi and Hamilton, and followed Heitor and Alanys.
Heitor guide she by some doors and corridors, she soon arrived in a room with a cableway with the size of a bus, installed on one of the prison chains by a ring that circulates it, this ring look like made of thousand of small parts.
They come in the cableway and sit on some seats inside it. Alyne sit on a seat on the center, it has two levers, after her pulled a lever the ring outside becomes magnetized, stretching itself, now he didn't touch the golden chain and the cableway rises, now it don't touch the ground anymore. As she pulled the second lever, a door opens to the cableway and it starts moves to the huge rock on the other side of the golden chain.
When passing above the huge lake of lava, Heitor and even Alyne look like are in their backyard, but this was a new for Maryanne, felling a cold in the belly, she can't stop of thinking that the cableway will fall, and even in her best imaginary scenery, she would still become a medium beef.
"This will be a long ride...", murmured Maryanne.