Spaceships and Magic, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Yr'Arl, the predator and I all slipped through the door.

It had opened only just enough to let the three of us in, and as soon as we had made it from the brightening outdoors into the dark tunnel it swung shut behind us, locking all three of us in complete darkness. 

I let BB come up and out of our Synchro mode, I'd need to pick his databanks on any of the species we came across while we were in the city. Especially the races of anyone in positions of power. 

The lights of the tunnel flickered on, a bright and harsh fluorescent light that made me blink a couple of times. 

The tunnel that we were in was truly cavernous. It stretched down into the ground for what looked like at least a mile before shutting off into another massive door, much like the one that we had walked in through. 

The way that we had come in was clearly meant for ships. 

On the bottom of the tunnel was a gigantic transport tray with clamps that would likely connect to the underside or landing skids of a small transport ship. 

Equally, there were two holding arms protruding from the upper right and left-hand sides of the tunnel, with some kind of amorphous gel making up the hands at the end of each. They'd be able to wrap around any ship with ease, no matter its specs. 

That meant the people we had ended up with were at the very least quite advanced.

<Yeah, advanced for sure, but I'm not recognising any of this technology,> BB said in the back of my mind, it was rare to hear him so worried. 

If he didn't recognise any of the technology, and the Guard was the most dominant form of civilization in the galaxy that I had been reincarnated into, then I only had one real guess about what had happened. Where we had ended up. 

I was pretty sure that we were in another galaxy altogether. 

"Alright, not sure what species the cat guy is, but you're definitely human," a voice echoed throughout the tunnel through some kind of overhead tannoy system, "What the hell were you doing out on the plains? You were seconds away from being roasted!" 

"Uh, our ship crashed down on the opposite side of the jungle," I called back out, assuming that he could hear me since he had been the one to start talking. "Didn't put it all together until the plants started sinking into the ground, figured we should run to the closest sign of civilization." 

"Yeah well, good thing you did too because you were literally seconds away from getting scorched back there," the voice continued. "Bring yourselves down to the second door. That chamber only has the mountain for protection, and that mountain only shields from so much heat." 

Ah, I had started to wonder why it had been getting so much hotter in here over the past few moments. 

"I believe we should do what the voice says, Squadron Leader Jacob Lyre," Yr'Arl said, already beginning to walk down the slope. 

He was dealing with the heat a lot worse than me, it seemed. I wasn't too surprised at that fact, Yr'Arl was covered in fur from head to toe and then had a flight suit on over that. I was hot, he was probably boiling. 

"Yeah, good idea," I said, following after the feline alien. 

It was at that moment that I realised I had no idea what the predator had disappeared to. I could still feel our link, and it was still strong so I knew he was nearby, but I couldn't see him at all. 

I felt a pulse of energy directed at me and followed my line of sight directly to it. The predator had become… near enough invisible. It had cloaking abilities? I was getting to be happier and happier that I had tamed the beast. 

<Jacob, don't react, but I've got something rather important to tell you. Can't let Yr'Arl know, he'll freak out,> BB said. 

I steadied my facial expressions and readied myself for whatever bombshell BB was going to drop on me next. 

<I act as a translator system for you and the rest of the aliens that you come across, but for the person, you just spoke to I didn't have to translate anything. It was perfect Earth English,> BB revealed. 

I almost stumbled as the news hit me like a pile of bricks. 

Earth English?

That meant the people who ran this place were… humans. This place was run by the human race, the second most feared species in all of the galaxy. 

My mouth went dry. I'd led Yr'Arl right into the belly of the beast. Would he even make it out of this situation alive?

I'd do everything I could to make sure that he would. 

"Hey, Yr'Arl," I said, speeding up slightly to overtake my feline extraterrestrial friend, "Lemme take point on this, I'm now the physically stronger of the two of us, and if the Predator is anything to go by the creatures on this world are pretty strong." 

Yr'Arl gave me a look that screamed of suspicion, but he wasn't one to disagree with any sort of order that I gave him, or at least he hadn't done so far. 

"Very well, Squadron Leader Jacob Lyre, I will keep an eye on our rear," Yr'Arl replied, falling back slightly so that I was in the lead. 

If I hadn't been so worried I probably would have cracked a joke about Yr'Arl watching my rear, but as it stood I was terrified for the safety of my friend. I felt like an ant walking into a nest of angry wasps, each one of them ready to jab me with their pointy stingers. 

Before long we had reached the bottom of the tunnel, where it was decidedly cooler than at the top. 

We couldn't stay in here, or we'd likely still get baked. 

Our only option was inside the mountain, underground, out of the frying pan and into the fire.