Impregnating the Galaxy Ch. 14

It had taken Dorian one week to learn how to control his snow power, but it wasn't until a full month had passed that Hex was able to locate the signal of the next data chip.

In that time, Dorian had visited his harem to impregnate them again after they had given birth. Eight more babies were born, bringing the total to thirty out of one hundred.

"Master, can I ask you something?" Hex said, her artificial voice coming through The Chimera's control panel. They were undocking from The Collector's Tower, preparing for the journey to the datachip's location.

"Of course Hex." He replied, locking in the coordinates of the Planet Bagua. The previous data chip had given Hex the frequency that the next data chip would be transmitting, allowing her to use the ship's radar to search for it. When she found the signal, it pointed directly at Bagua.

"Are you sure that what you're doing is a good idea? Sireing the children to open the portal, I mean." She asked.

"Well I did agree to the deal," he replied, gesturing to the small tracking device locked around his ankle, "I have to follow through now."

"I know, but you don't even have the slightest clue about what's on the other side. The Collector believes that it was created by the first empire, and from what I learned from your father about them I don't think that is something you want to explore." She said, her usual sarcastic voice replaced by a serious tone.

"I haven't even decided if I'm going to join him when he enters the portal. I'm only creating the children so that it can be activated. That was the deal."

"Whether you decide to enter or not is irrelevant. You might be unleashing something simply by opening it."

Dorian took a second to consider her words. "Hex, is there something you're not telling me?"

"I'm simply stating the possibility that you're making a mistake, nothing more. I've already told you what your father told me. The first empire was comprised of a bloodthirsty species with a superiority complex, conquering everything they laid their eyes on. Even worse, they were ruled over by a dynasty of tentacle wielding monsters after they overthrew your father. It's only logical to be concerned over unlocking one of their ancient portals."

"You have a point, but I've already agreed to the deal." Dorian said. "Just...I'll think about it."

***

The Chimera touched down onto Bagua's lush surface. Most of the planet was covered in a thick jungle, dotted with large swamps.

Dorian walked down the landing ramp, already holding his energy sword in his hand. There were all kinds of strange creatures on the planet, and he didn't want to be caught off guard.

"The signal is close, head north. And try not to get eaten." Hex said, speaking through the communicator built into the wrist of Dorian's jumpsuit.

"Don't get eaten? Couldn't have figured that one out on my own." He replied sarcastically. He walked forward, heading in the direction that the signal was coming from.

Swinging his sword as he walked, he slashed through the vegetation, clearing a path. After several minutes he reached a clearing, and was stunned by the sight of a massive rectangular space ship, ploughed into the center of a shallow swamp. A long ditch followed behind the vessel, created when the ship skidded along the jungle floor and into the watery mud. Plants and vines had begun to spread over the ship's metal surface, and Dorian guessed that the crash must have happened a long time ago.

"So...the chip is definitely inside that ship, isn't it?" Dorian asked, looking up at the massive metal remains.

Before Hex could answer, a voice came from Dorian's left side. "Oh my god...another human!"

He turned, readying his sword. From the vegetation emerged a girl, seemingly eighteen or nineteen years old. A brunette, she had long hair that reached her B cup breasts. Her fair skin was mildly tanned from the jungle planet's sun, her breasts covered by the remains of a shredded bodysuit. Everything below the midriff was exposed, except for her crotch, which was concealed by a chastity belt.

"I can't believe it, it's been so long since I've seen another person!" She said, running to him. She was about to wrap him up in an embrace, but decided against it at the last moment. She blushed, and stepped back. "Sorry...I've just been here alone for so long..."

"Are you...stranded here?" Dorian asked, surprised by the sudden appearance of a scantily clad girl.

"Yeah...I'm the only survivor of that huge ship over there..." she said, looking down. Something seemed to occur to her, as she began looking around for possible signs of danger. "Look, I know we just met but this place is too dangerous for us to stay out in the open. If you follow me to my hut we'll be safe to talk."

Dorian didn't exactly trust her, but he decided that whatever information she might have about the ship outweighed the possibility of her offer being a trap. Besides, he was pretty sure that his energy sword and blaster would be more than enough to deal with her if she turned on him. "Lead the way then."

She took off through the trees, keeping a quick pace. Dorian did his best not to trip on the roots but the girl was far more experienced transversing through the dense vegetation. They reach their destination after only a few minutes, and Dorian realized that her 'hut' was actually a large escape pod, resting on top of a smashed tree trunk.

"Here we are, it's not much but it's all I've got." The girl said as the pod door slid open with a screech. The inside had two padded benches with seat belts hanging off of the wall. One bench had been turned into a makeshift bed, while the other acted as a shelf for the girl's supplies. She quickly cleared a spot for him to sit.

"How long have you been stranded here? This place looks like it's been here for a while." Dorian asked.

"Five years...or at least I think. It's hard to keep track of time. My name's Delia by the way."

"Dorian." He replied.

"Dorian...what brings you to this hellhole? I'm assuming you're not here to rescue stranded girls, are you?" Delia asked.

"I'm looking for something very important to me, and I think it might be on that crashed ship."

She was silent for a moment before responding. "A data chip?"

"How did you..."

"I didn't think that you'd actually come for it. I honestly thought that your father was lying about being from another dimension."

He was surprised at the fact that Delia knew the reason he had arrived on Bagua. "You're too young to be a keeper. What're you, eighteen?"

"Nineteen actually. I haven't heard the word 'keeper' in so long...but no, I'm not. My father was the keeper of the data chip. He told me everything, including the part where you'd one day search for the chip. I guess it's true."

"He 'was' the keeper? Was he on that crashed ship?" Dorian asked, remembering her explanation of being the sole survivor.

She nodded. While there was sadness in her eyes, it was clear that the five years since he had died had allowed her sorrow to subside. "He was the captain."

"I'm sorry..." he said, his tone genuine.

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's been years. When you're stranded alone, you get more than enough time to work through your emotions. However, I'm sorry too because the data chip is still inside the ship."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"Trust me, it is. The ship is in the center of a swamp, and is infested with monsters."

"Of course it is...how am I supposed to get it then?" He asked.

"Well, that energy sword of yours would be helpful. I've never been able to get close, but you have weapons."

He let out a breath. "If fighting is the only option, then I'll do it."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see any other way. I've tried to sneak through the swamp but it's never worked before. There are so many monsters that I only leave the pod to scavenge for berries."

"I understand. If I'm going to have to fight, I better get started. I want to get this over with before the sun goes down." He said, standing up and turning to leave.

She grabbed his hand to stop him, turning him back around gently. "There's one more thing..." she said, blushing. "It's kinda embarrassing..."

He gestured for her to continue.

"You probably noticed my chastity belt. My father locked it on me when I reached puberty to protect me from his crew. When the ship crashed, he had no time to unlock it before he pushed me into the escape pod. The key must be in his quarters still. If you brought it back to me...I'd really appreciate it." She said, her thighs pressed together in a mix of embarrassment and arousal.

"I'll keep an eye out for it." He replied.

"Great! Thank you, you have no idea how long I've been trapped in this thing..."

***

Dorian reached the edge of the trees, stepping into the muddy water of the swamp. He began walking, making his way towards the ship.

It didn't take long for something to go wrong. He stepped on something hard, and initially thought that it was a tree branch until he felt it slither away. He saw the mud bulge until a creature emerged, straightening up and turning to look at him.

The beast looked reptilian with brown scales, though stood on two legs like a human. It's arms ended in long fingers tipped with claws. It's tail dragged behind it, and Dorian realized that it was what he had stepped on. The creature stared at him, two pairs of eyes at the end of a long head.

It must have decided that Dorian was prey, as it's eyes glared at him. He was shocked when it's head began to split, separating into four jaws lined with sharp fangs.

"What the hell..." he said to himself.

The monster lunged at him, barely allowing him to dodge as it's claws missed his abdomen by mere inches.

It took no time before it slashed at him again. Dorian blocked the attack with his sword before slashing back, injuring the creature.

"Master?" Hex asked, hearing the sounds of struggle through the communicator built into his jumpsuit's wrist.

"Not now Hex!" He replied, thrusting his sword and piercing it's left arm. It let out a shriek, backing away as it pressed it's injured arm against it's torso.

Growing angrier, it threw itself at him in blinded rage. Reacting on pure instinct, Dorian ducked as it slashed at him before thrusting out, driving his weapon into it's stomach. It made a pained cry, throwing itself onto it's back. It squirmed in the mud, holding it's wound. It's shrieking echoed through the swamp, grabbing the attention of other creatures nearby.

Three more creatures rose from the mud, running towards him to replace the first as it died on the ground. The one to reach him first hurled itself at Dorian, claws slashing wildly. He spun out of the way, the mud slowing his footwork. He had to fight to stay on his feet, while also making sure that none of the creatures managed to gut him.

After he slashed at the next creature to reach him, sending it crashing to the ground, the last chose not to lunge. Instead, I crept forward, claws ready.

It lashed out, slashing once, then twice, landing a blow that opened a deep cut along Dorian's left shoulder. He cried out, swinging wildly at his attacker until it was driven back, giving him a moment to steady himself.

While he had put down two of the four creatures that had attacked him, the one he had dodged got back on its feet. Both creatures began circling him, each pair of eyes watching him carefully as they looked for an opening.

Dorian grunted, bringing his sword up in a defensive position. "Come on you bastards..." he said, though mostly to himself.

They went for the kill, attacking him in a coordinated strike that left him no time to think, only to act. He swung his body out of the way of one of the creature's slashes, bringing his sword around and severing the hand of the other. It's long-fingered appendage dropped into the mud, oozing a dark green liquid. The monster howled, stumbling back. It cradled it's newly created stump, backing away slowly until it turned away and took off running.

Hearing the pained howls of the retreating creature seemed to fuel the remaining one, as it's slashes became faster, more primal. Dorian parried each one, moving his sword as fast as he could to keep it away until the one time he wasn't quick enough, allowing the creature to backhand his energy sword hard enough to rip it from his grip. Disarmed, Dorian's eyes widened as the reptilian monster's claw slashed a cut across his crest with enough force to throw him onto his back.

The creature pounced on him, it's four jaws opening wide as it went to consume his head. Dorian used his right hand to hold it back. He was disarmed and pinned by a beast that wanted nothing more than to eat him.

Using his left hand, he lowered it into the muddy water. It was only an inch deep, but it was enough. He used his power to cool the water, freezing it and creating a sharp ice sickle. Struggling to hold the monster away from his face, he thrusted the ice sickle into its side, burying it deep.

The creature cried out, rolling off of him and into it's back. It flailed, rocking back and forth in the mud.

Dorian heard howls from behind him, and realized that the creature that had lost it's hand had gotten the attention of many of the other creatures in the swamp.

"Oh for..." he said, watching as they began running towards him. They were far, but he knew that they'd be able to run much quicker in the swamp than he could. He picked up his sword and took off towards the giant ship, hoping that his headstart would be enough.

He ran at full speed, trying to keep his footing on the uneven ground. The creatures were catching up, and he knew that he didn't have much time before they caught up.

Dorian reached one of the ship's air locks, slamming his muddy hand on it and hoping desperately that it was still powered.

The door creakily slid open, and Dorian jumped inside before pressing the button to close it. It slid shut as the creatures reached it, and he heard them pounding at the door.

"That...was way too close..." he said, regaining his breath.

"Master? Are you alright?" Hex asked, genuinely sounding concerned.

"Yeah..." he said, putting his hand on his wounded chest. "Well, mostly."

"You can patch yourself up when you get back, just try not to die. That would really hurt our mission to collect the data chips."

Dorian rolled his eyes. "Where is this one anyways?"

"Well, the girl did say that her father was the captain. If her chastity key is in his quarters, maybe the chip is too."

"Good point." He said, looking around the corridor. The interior of the ship was illuminated by standard red emergency lights placed on the walls near the floor, which allowed Dorian to deduce that only the backup generator was functioning. He spotted directional signs, which were typical for a ship of its size. He looked down the list of notable locations until he saw the sign that said 'crew quarters' with an arrow pointing to the right. Deciding that it was his best option, he began walking down the hallway.

***

He walked for several minutes, following the occasional directional sign along the way. He had to hide several times from creatures roaming the halls of the crashed ship, though luckily none of them knew that he was aboard. They seemed to rely heavily on sight and sound, as they lacked a nose.

Dorian continued, holding his wounds, until he finally reached the crew quarters. The door slid open noisily, revealing a rectangular recreation room. Several doors that lined the walls led to individual quarters for the ship's former crew. A sign above the door at the far end read 'captain's quarters', so he walked towards it.

All of the doors except the captain's were propped open, and as he walked by he realized that each room had been filled with eggs, converting them into birthing chambers.

"That's not good..." he said to himself. He quickened his pace, walking to the far side of the rectangular area. He reached the captain's quarters, pressing on the keypad. It looked unpowered, which has confirmed when the door didn't respond. Dorian put his hands on the door's cold surface, grunting as he manually forced it to slide into the wall.

Sliding through the gap he had created, he entered the captain's quarters. Sunlight shined through the giant window that looked out of the front of the ship, illuminating the many bookcases inside the room and the destroyed desk that was smashed into the wall. The window was shattered, seemingly damaged by the impact of the crash.

"Where would he hide the data chip?" He asked.

"You better start looking before one of those things finds you." Hex said through the communicator.

***

He spent half an hour searching through every single book on the shelves. He had first thought that the chip could be in a hollowed out book, but he was proven wrong when he turned up nothing. Next, he moved the bookcases, hoping that it would be hidden behind one of them. When he found nothing, he decided that he would have to search through the destroyed desk.

Pressed upside down against the wall, the desk was in several large pieces. Mainly made of wood and not bolted to the floor, it had gone flying during the crash. Dorian grabbed onto the largest piece and pulled, moving it away from the wall so that he could search it easier. However, he was shocked when he saw the arm that was pinned underneath.

"Oh god...there's a body pinned under the desk..." he said, informing Hex.

"Is it the captain? It's possible that his own desk crashed into him when the ship plowed into the ground."

"Well that's a happy thought..." Dorian responded.

Clearing the rest of the desk debris from the man's body, Dorian looked it over. It was wearing a long heavy coat over a standard jumpsuit.

"Hex, please tell me that it would be crazy for him to keep the data chip in a pocket."

"Perhaps the only hiding spot he trusted was on himself." She replied.

"Great..." Dorian said, taking a breath before leaning over the corpse. "Sorry about this..." he told the dead man as he riffled through the coat pockets. Feeling something, he pulled a shiny object out.

"Well?" Hex said impatiently.

"I found Delia's key." He replied, continuing to search until he pulled another object out. Looking at it closely, he realized it was what he had come for. "Found the chip!"

"Good, now get out of there master."

"That's harder than you'd think, I barely managed to sneak through." Dorian said, tucking the key and chip into his own pockets.

"Did you try the armory?" Hex's artificial voice asked.

"I don't even know if this ship has an armory." Dorian replied. He looked around the room trying to think. "Actually...I might have a way out; the escape pods. Delia was the sole survivor, so there must be leftover pods!"

***

The trip to the escape pod didn't go well. As soon as he left the captain's quarters he ran into more of the creatures. While he managed to sneak passed half of them, the rest were alerted to his presence when he stumbled over a small piece of debris. His recent injuries ensured that fighting them wasn't an option, so he took off running at full speed.

They chased him, desperately trying to catch their prey. He reached the escape pods, and was relieved to realize that all of them except one still remained. The crew had truly gone down with the ship. He threw himself into his bed and sealed the door, narrowly managing to escape the horrific creatures.

Breathing heavily, he strapped himself into one of the seatbelts and hit the launch button. It took a few seconds, but the weathered mechanism activated and the pod shot out of the side of the crashed ship.

Dorian held on tightly, remembering back to when he had ejected from The Nimbus, feeling like it was an eternity ago. Much like that escape pod ride, however, everything went black when he hit the ground.