[Coadmaster]

Synopsis: Well, I finally got it done, Chapter two Sorry it took so long, I had a falling out with internet, and had not even thought about the Terrix these last few weeks. Anyway, I hope you forgive me, and enjoy this ^ ^ (notes at the bottom are all in order. marked with a "*" in the story.

Chapter 2

As the Dragon Brigade ship flew through the force field surrounding the base, designed to keep renegade Terrix flyers out, everyone stripped off their battle suits, changing into their more formal clothes. In half an hour, amid the chaos of numerous ships leaving and coming, they finally touched down in a vacant spot near the end of the docks. The ship dropped into the spot roughly in an attempt to beat the other three ships trying to get it, knocking the passengers inside the ship off their feet.

“Damn, Rick!” Al yelled into the cockpit, his neck muscles straining against his black tuxedo. He was thrown into an uncomfortable position between the storage room door and a 20 pound box of granola. “Could you land any harder?!”

“Nope, sorry boss!” Rick yelled back, smiling beneath the pilot’s helmet. “But any chance you could get me a bag of chips while you’re back there?”

There was a roar of laughter from the squad members as they picked themselves off the floor.

“Need any help, Al?” Ryu said, grinning widely as he put his hat back on his head. He held his hand out to Al, which took it heartily. “That was quite a knock though; maybe next time Rick, maybe go easy on the sauce?”

“Can do, Ryu” Rick said, flipping various switches and buttons. Before long, the right side of the cruiser opened up, as it became an unloading ramp. “Have fun, fellas!”

“What?” Lee asked quizzically, looking up from polishing his canister rifle. “You’re not coming along, Rick?”

“Nah, sorry. Gotta get some sleep in before we leave again. Someone’s got to stay up and fly the ship, y’know!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right then,” Lee said, waving to Rick as he walked down the curved ramp. Rick waved lazily, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head. Before all the squad members even walked down the ramp, he was asleep. After all, three days is a long time with no naps.

Ryu, Al, and the rest of the squad members walked into the Conference Room, ready to be briefed for the next mission. Lee had split up with them, going to present his upgraded rifle to the Military Committee, which would hopefully go well enough to get a good sum of cash from it.

“What do you think the next planet we decimate is?” Ryu muttered to Al grimly, his gaze wandering about the room with no objectivity. His eyes finally landed on a new recruit sitting on the Delta Brigade balcony. He was listening to his music player in silence, bouncing his head occasionally to the music. Finally, Ryu went to go see the guy.

“Hey buddy,” he said quietly to Mr. Music. Mr. Music simply turned his head and said unintelligently,

“Whayawant?”

“Well, what’re you listening to?” Ryu said, trying not to laugh at Mr. Music’s bad grammar.

“I listenen to Tenacious D,” Mr. Music said quizzically, as if it was the simplest thing ever. “Y’know, classical music.”

Ryu frowned inwardly, never hearing such a band. “Can I have a listen?”

“Sure thing, pal,” Mr. Magic said, handing Ryu an ear bud nonchalantly. Ryu stuck it in his ear, and the ancient song Tribute blasted through his brain. “…AAllright-Di, tooga dooga goo dee, dooga vrigga giggoo, du vrigga diggoo da deeHEE- oogagoo dee oogra roogagooga GEE, vrigga giggoo, vrigga whoa-pa-pa-pa Lucifer!” A small guitar solo later, and that’s all Ryu could take. “…Thanks, buddy,” he said, patting Mr. Music on his shoulder. “Stay alive, and we might just play that when we kill the Terrix.”

He smiled at the man, and walked back to the Dragon Brigade balcony. He shook his head at Al, a wane grin frozen on his face. “Now I see why the classical stayed classical,” he muttered to Al, earning a tilted head of confusion.

“Huh?” Al said, staring intensely at Ryu ‘s eyes to make sure they weren’t dilated. Ryu shook his head and laughed.

“Never mind, mostly talking to myself,” Ryu stated, shifting in his chair like a child in a car seat. “I just can’t wait until these things are over and done with.”

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As the Surrogate* scurries through the air vent, it hears the small chatter going on just below. Too noisy for its taste however, it prefers quiet much more. Since it dropped off the Beta Brigade's hull, it has been searching for one place where it can start. So far though, all it's found are either occupied areas, or spots not suiting the Surrogate's picky tastes. Its senses are mostly jammed from the adapting process, so it has to go purely on sight and sound.

After several hours of searching, the Surrogate has chosen. All that can be heard is the soft whispers of air moved by the circulation systems; all that can be seen is illuminated by a small light bulb glowing faintly in the dank, isolated chambers of the deserted storage room. A lone Surrogate sits in the corner of a room, spinning its dark purple silk into what a Picasso-inspired spider’s web might look like. After five more minutes of work, it has completely sealed off a square foot of its corner in its demonic netting. Feeling it has made a well-suited wall, throws its sentient part of its mind away, instinct and the Core taking over. It slowly conforms to the shape of its cocoon, scales melding in with the floor, wall, and slanted ceiling. The process has begun.




Notes

*The Surrogates, as humankind knows them, is the smallest and quickest of its Terrix brethren, able to scurry into small crevices any shape, made possible by its invertebracy. Its appearance would remind you more of a jellyfish with scales than the most dangerous creature of a race of world destroying monsters, but looks are ever so deceiving. These can survive the vacuum of space, and adapt well to the gravitational pull of any planet it arrives on. When it has found a suitable place to stay, it mutates itself into the breeding form of the Surrogate. When the Surrogate is in this form, it is entirely in the Core’s control, and is shaped into a suitable unit to start spawning the more dangerous Terrix.__________________

[Lubesh]

Hi

Can you revise the rest of your format ie spaces for each line of dialogue and apras as u started out. Also, I am not sure your inention with the different font and break but normal works just as well..if not better.

Please keep up ur posting and I will get to this soon.

[Coadmaster]

well, the change of font is to symbolize the change in perspective, from human to Terrix, so I thought changing the font would be a good way to symbolize the switch into the bestial mind of the Terrix.

and the notes are just that- notes. and if I make them the same size as everything else, then people might think that the notes are actually part of the story.

[Coadmaster]

woo! 'Tis up and running (>' ')> <(' '<) ^(>.<)^

[Zoidberg]

Nice One. I especially liked how you described the Surrogate. It seemed like a pretty cool alien.
Nice work, just one thing.

As Ryu, Al, and the rest of the squad members walked into the Conference Room, for the next mission briefing.

That's a fragment. You need to change those couple sentences.

Other than that, great story, and I always look forward to more.

[Alex]

Good chapter, it is better I think than the last one. Even though you needed the last chapter to lead to this one, this was desert and the first one was merely supper.

[RENA HANDS]

What about…What do you think the next planet of decimation should be?

Your story is an entertaining wonder. It reminds me of some episode out of Star Trek: Next Generation.

Anyway, I also wonder why not separate and create a new chapter of Surrogates?

[crackdaddy]

In the paragraph with the tenacious d song you said "Mr. Magic" in the first sentence, i think you meant mr. music.

Ryu frowned inwardly, never hearing such a band.

that seemed a little off. possibly lose the inwardly, and just say he frowned. I think the right way to say that is "having never heard of such a band", i may be wwrong though.

i really like the surrogate part, and that whole idea in general. Off to read parts 3 n 4!