S.P.E.C.T.O.R – [A Sci-fi space adventure with fantasy elements]

”I will ask around and see what I can find out.” Joe said.

”Well in the meantime there isn’t much to do.” Adam said with a shrug.

”How about you use our services?” Jessie offered with a wink before adding, ”I can give you the business partner discount.”

”Oh hell no.” Stacey suddenly said as she grabbed Adam’s hand and dragged him out the office while saying, ”We’re going to get a drink.”

The other three laughed at her actions before following the pair out to the bar area where they found many of the patrons watching something on the large holographic display.

Adam looked up to see an alien he didn’t recognise sitting behind a desk and wearing an expression that said ’I can’t believe I’m about to talk about this.’

”Oh great, the MMM show.” Susan sighed.

”The what show?” Adam asked curiously as Stacey dragged him down next to her on one of the large couches in the bar.

”The MMM show.” Susan replied as she lounged next to Adam before continuing, ”It’s a talk show hosted by that Solaarian Malgath Morthil Mirawenys. It’s a super popular show though he’s like seriously anti-Terran.”

”Then why watch it?” Adam asked.

”Because he gets all the celebrities and other famous guests no other talk show can.” Jessie said as she sat on a couch opposite.

Adam was about to ask something else when he heard Malgath slap his desk causing his attention to shift to the holographic display.

*SLAP*

”Ladies and gentleman I honestly can’t believe I’m about to discuss this with you. Malgath said with an obviously annoyed look on his face before he continued. ”But as the professional I am, it would be remiss of me not to report to you the ludicrousy of what is being said on the streamers section of Xer-verse right now.”

”This ludicrousy knows no bounds, first of all claiming that dragon princess Tephe.” Malgath began causing the audience in front of him to gasp in surprise, ”Yes, yes I know, that dragon princess Tephe, the one that no one except a select few outside her family has ever laid eyes upon, not even yours truly who has had the privilege of interviewing the biggest celebrities and the most influential politicians has ever had the privilege of meeting her.”

”And yet, AND YET.” Malgath yelled, ”Some people on Xer-verse are claiming that dragon princess Tephe actually wrote in a streamers chat, a streamer our research shows only streamed for a couple of days before taking three years off and has now decided to come back, is such a streamer going to stick around this time or the likely scenario them of disappearing again.”

”Wow he loves you, he won’t even promote your stream.” Stacey giggled.

”You seriously had dragon princess Tephe in your stream chat?” Susan asked to which Adam nodded in response before asking.

”Why are they going so crazy about her and why is she even so famous when she has never appeared in public and odds not even a real princess?”

”It’s because of the dragon’s attitude towards her which goes completely against their nature that everyone is so curious. Dragons are prideful by nature and while they are generally solitary creatures they never hide.” Joe who stood at his usual spot behind the bar began to explain.

”The fact that they have been hiding dragon princess Tephe for hundreds of years has made her famous in her own right and has also made everyone curious about her.”

”Now I’m sure you’re all wondering why they would assume it was her and not some fake claiming to be the dragon princess.” Malgath continued. 

”Well there claiming that Lord Malacross himself confirmed her identity. Personally I’m finding this difficult to believe and my people are trying to contact Lord Malacross at this very moment to verify these claims.” 

”However, if that wasn’t enough, they are also claiming that she will appear at the upcoming Terran ceremony in the next couple of days that’s celebrating the twenty-five years that Emperor Daniel Terran has been on the throne.”

”Please somebody explain to me how that’s even possible? I mean our research shows that out of all the races the Terran’s sent invites to only their galactic neighbours are sending representatives and the highest of those is only the Catonian second Prince, not the first Prince but the second.”

”I personally find this whole situation ridiculous and do not believe for an instant that dragon princess Tephe will make her first public appearance … her public debut at a Terran event of all things.”

”I am so confident in this that I promise that if she does indeed make her debut at this event I will do the show following her appearance in nothing but my underwear.”

💫💫💫

”You can’t be serious.” The holographic image of a male Solarian who looked similar to Liluth Solar said before adding, ”Do you know how much something like that will cost to build? Not to mention the time and resources.”

”I have a fairly good idea, elder brother Steven and as the supreme commander of the Solarian military you’re the one who can arrange it all.” Liluth Solar replied as she sat at a desk in her lab coat and her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail.

”Then why even ask this? I still find it surprising that instead of finishing your one hundred years of service in your teachers laboratory researching new exploratory vessels to explore the unknown, you decided to start your own research lab. What are you even researching?”

”Something that will revolutionise exploration.” Liluth replied cryptically.

”Since when did you have so many secrets? I remember the days when you used to follow behind me whenever I went.”

”That was hundreds of years ago, brother and I was what five?”

”Was it? Seems like yesterday, what happened to my sweet obedient little sister?”

”She grew up, now are you going to give me what I asked for?”

”And how exactly do you expect to pay for this? The military has not budgeted for an entirely new space station purely for the spoiled princess.” 

”Use my lab’s research funds.”

”Not only did father and grandfather grant you your own lab, they even provided you with research funds, you really are spoiled.”

”I don’t mind being spoiled if it makes it easier to get what I want from them.”

”Tell me that when you find someone you want to marry, you know they will never allow anyone other than the man they pick out for you … if they even find anyone they think is worthy enough. They’re so protective of you I’m surprised they don’t treat you more like Tephe.”

”Oh god I don’t know how she survives not being allowed to even leave her planet without escort, I still remember how she told me that what she wanted more than anything was to go out and have fun.”

”Speaking of Tephe I heard a strange rumour that I’m not sure is true or not.”

”Go on.”

”Rumour has it that she ran away from home because she wanted to go see Diva Lorelie perform at the Terran anniversary event.”

”Seriously?” Liluth replied with a thoughtful look before asking, ”There must be more to it than that?”

”Always so astute.” Steven replied before he went on to explain what had apparently happened, ”Malgath Morthil Mirawenys is having a field day slandering the Terran’s over this.”

”Hmm.” Lilith replied with another thoughtful look.

”It seems you’re still not willing to explain to everyone including your own family why you have refused to appear in public much since that incident, after all you yourself say that you’re not bothered by what happened with that Terran diplomat’s son.”

”And I’m not, I wasn’t bothered by the event back then and I’m even less bothered by it now, especially since fifty years have gone by. I have my reasons for not appearing much in public since then.” Lilith replied vaguely.

”Not that I care but you know your actions are only straining relations between us and the Terran’s right? Father and grandfather are doing what they can but public pressure allows them to do only so much.”

”I need to get back to work now, elder brother, please do as I have requested.” Lilith replied before ending the holographic call.

As the holographic screen vanished from in front of her she leaned back in her chair with a sigh and closed her eyes.

After a few moments she opened her eyes and used her uniband to display a holographic projection of a photo taken many years ago in front of her while she said to herself, ”I must stay strong, things are already starting to progress and I can’t falter now or the plan will be ruined.”

After staring at the photo and reminiscing for a few minutes Lilith coded the image before calling her assistant on her uniband and saying, ”Lets go over the list of scientists we plan to invite to join project T.”