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The Space Spoon 93. The Lava Fields
The rotting smell arrived before the view. Tejeda had been the unlucky recipient of several deadly scents in his lengthy life, but none was quite like this.As he emerged out of the woodland at the edge of a cliff, his field of vision expanded. Standing on top of a large boulder, Tejeda scanned the surroundings. An open-world graveyard for anything organic that the non-organic beings on RK10 considered trash.A river of lava coursed around the cesspool, meandering between the piles of junk. The burned land around the ford showed that it flooded from time to time, which was how most of the trash got obliterated faster.The molten lava oozed slowly across the landscape. Dark red streams flowed from the ground, filling the cracks between the rocks before draining back into them.A swirling, blue sea perforated the beach up to the nearest channel of the lava river on the far left. Each time a fresh wave crashed into the searing stream, the water evaporated instantly, resulting in an inver
The Space Spoon 94. Face to Face
The heat increased in intensity as Tejeda passed by the lava streams. Combined with the stench of rotting organic materials, the scorching air etched the miasma inside his nostrils. He definitely wouldn’t be able to get rid of it until he got a new body.A few steps ahead, the lava stream merged into the rock, forming a small pool. The surface of the rocky edge was smooth and shiny as if polished by a thousand years of erosion. In fact, it had been polished by the hand of time.The Nubilae had a proverb: “There is neither a beginning nor an end. Time exists solely as a stream within the mind.”Tejeda let his thoughts wander as he marched across the fields. The concept of other worlds remained lodged in his synapsis. The belief that the universe divides for every important life decision one makes.According to the theory, every decision creates another reality. It applies to every alternative, every major decision, and to every individual. These infinite worlds were difficult to compre
The Space Spoon 95. Make Fun of My Pain
“Equal footing?” Tejeda smirked. “Why would I need to turn in a titanic lifeform when all I need to level out the play field is a tiny grain of sand?”“I don't know if I should be proud of myself or feel sorry for you.”“I'm sure you can find a way to do both.”Rahul laughed. When he spoke again, a terrible gust of wind rushed through the remnants of the cave, and saliva spilled from the monster's jaws.“I’m going to eat your body and pick my teeth with your silica core.”Tejeda sneered, displaying his gorgeous, regular human teeth. "Speak with your lips closed until you find a way to freshen up your breathing. It stinks!" He pulled out a bag and shook it in the air. "Do you know what I've got here?"Rahul opened his mouth wide and released an ear-splitting roar. “I don’t care!”His hand had grown large enough to pick up over a dozen Tejedas off the ground at once.Tejeda didn't even flinch as the razor-sharp claws wrapped around his torso, the arrogant sneer remaining on his face. He
The Space Spoon 96. His Blade
Tejeda's lips moved as though they were not his own. “Who’s she?”Shayla placed a hand on his back, touching for the first time the sludgy skin he had in this form. “Tejeda, stop. He’s dead.”Tejeda lifted his head to look at the sky. He remained like that for a long while before murmuring, “Why did you kill him?”"Sorry! Next time," Shayla murmured, sheathing her scimitar, "I'll kill the other guy after he kills you."“How did you know which one was me?”“Really? Is there another idiot who would risk dying for a spoon?”She observed how he flinched but said nothing. There was something wrong with him. Nonetheless, Shayla didn't believe she had the authority to inquire. In any case, she didn't expect a fair answer from him."Did you bring any DNA for me?" Tejeda asked without turning around. "As you can see, I’m in bad shape."Shayla hurled a vial toward him, and he grabbed it with one of his two remaining tentacles.“This is the last one holding the blood of King Astin. Enjoy!”Tejed
The Space Spoon 97. Sunsetrise Part 1
A/N: Sunsetrise is a short story I've written before even starting the novel. It holds the ending of the first volume and is made up of 4 parts. The first 2 parts are from Tejeda's POV and the last 2 parts from Shayla's. Enjoy!***Tejeda Hajar's POV“Happy birthday, Shayla!” I invite her to sit on the blanket next to me with a pat.It took me about a week to create a perfect replica of Genoria Prime inside Jackeye's world.Once every two thousand years, Genoria Prime, a water planet with just a few stretches of land covered in sand, is perfectly aligned to get the ultimate romantic view. One of its suns sets while the other rises, a phenomenon called sunsetrise.To recreate it from my memories inside Jackeye's virtual world involved a few setbacks. But that isn't important anymore.Shayla takes one of the glasses of red wine and fixes her dark green eyes on me. “Whose body are you wearing now?”“You know bodies are just meat suits for me.” I give a sly smirk, looking her over. “Well,
The Space Spoon 98. Sunsetrise Part 2
Reaching out, Carmen’s hand brushes against mine. Even though I’m mad as hell, a rush of electrical discharges takes over my core. That happened every time she touched me since the moment we’d met. Every fiber of my body, carbon and silica alike, crave to have her again by my side.“I tested the spoon. All the results said the same thing: it’s Nubilae. Who was it?”“My sister, Celia.” For the first time, a vein throbs on Carmen’s forehead. But she regains the glazed look. “She died during Iadfoc’s experiment. Many did. The rest went insane. Only I, you, and Rahul remained true Nubilae. Well, now only you and I since you killed Rahul.”“He had multiple run-ins with me and my crew. If I let him continue, surely one of my men would have died. I had to do something.”“No,” Carmen shouts, showing the anger hidden behind her previous blank expression. “I sent him to see how you are and test you. Well, you failed. No Nubilae should value the life of a lesser being over one of his brethren.”
The Space Spoon 99. Sunsetrise Part 3
Shayla Bale's POVOnly Tejeda Hajar is capable of disappearing and leaving me with an ambassador’s corpse. Once again, I had to assume the role of acting captain and evade the Interplanetary Police. We are all renegades once more, as we were before Tejeda found us.The crew needs me to steer the ship in the right direction, but my thoughts are far away, following the faceless Nubilae who left us. I lean against the wall and stare at his empty chair, wishing he will appear there, smiling without giving me any explanation as he always does.“Thinking about him won’t bring him back,” E00’s voice echoes from the ceiling speakers. “If you want him here again, you must go after him.”“Don’t get me wrong, E00, I want to. But it was his choice. He left us. Even if I go after him, he may not come back.”“If there’s anyone who can shake him out of the state he’s in, you’re the one.”“Why must you torment me?” I slump in Tejeda’s chair, rubbing my eyes to forestall crying. The gesture is pointle
The Space Spoon 100. Sunsetrise Part 4
Time passes differently on Yacleemb. I can’t say it’s the 56 hours days, the peacefulness of the Spreahs, or Lyam’s company. What I do know is that I’ve lost track of time. Every day, he builds things for the village; he’s happy, full of smiles, and I’m drunk with his genuine blissfulness.Unfortunately, I still have memories and can’t help but feel guilty for not contacting our friends. Wanting to know how things are working out for our crew, I stroll through the forest to the shuttle. After it powers up, a small blinking red light appears on the console. A message from E00.“Shayla, I hope you’ve found Tejeda by now. More than two months have passed, and no news from you. In the time you've been gone, things got worse around here.“Since the day you left, Jackeye has been trapped inside his virtual reality. I can’t say if it’s a voluntary decision or not. He cut me off completely.“Cato took a shuttle and left the Space Spoon about a month ago. The Interplanetary Police files show t
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