DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction intended for a mature audience. All Similarities between characters in the story and people in real life are completely coincidental. It may contain descriptions of sexual activities between teenage boys.

If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive, or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please
DO NOT READ IT! If you choose to read it, then - enjoy! This is more a romantic story than a sex story.

This story is copyrighted by the author and may not be copied without the written permission of the author.

Authors Note: I hope you like this story. Hopefully it will keep you attention. I should warn you the rate at which I write a story generally depends on the response I get from your emails.

I love emails so please write.

Sam Lakes

sam_lakes  at  yahoo.com

QuestStar

By

Sam Lakes

Chapter 19

Ah! At last vine has dropped something into my web. Albeit a small hopefully tasty morsel,” said the twelve foot wide spider.

Zaron was firmly stuck to the web as he saw the enormous spider heading his way, “I think not,” said Zaron.

“Ah-ha! And it’s alive too!” voice the spider as it stood over Zaron.

“I wish you no harm but I suggest you back away,” Zaron said as he struggled to release himself from the sticky web wondering why his force field hadn’t activated.

A string of saliva poured from the spider’s mouth on to Zaron’s face. It smelt and felt disgusting. Zaron held his breath and pursed his lips tightly closed. He continued to struggling to get free but it was no use so he relaxed and blew air through his nose to clear the spider’s slim from his nostrils.

Another drop of spider spittle landed on his right arm and another splashed on his left arm. Although the spittle felt nasty it didn’t seem to harm him.

“Would you please stop drooling on me!”

“I can’t help it. I’m starving and I need to eat you even though you are pathetically small,” said the spider as more spittle splashed down on Zaron. He was soaked in the spider’s spit.

The spider lowered its mouth within millimeters of Zaron’s face. Its breath was foul smelling. “I think I’ll take a bite.”

“You have really bad breath so either bite me or back off,” said Zaron.

“You are really rude!” said the spider moving even closer and purposely exhaling thought its mouth.

“Yeah, well, back off then because you aren’t really going to eat me. You have no intention of even trying because you know what will happen.”

“Yes, I do intend to eat you!” argued the spider.

“Then bite me!” shouted Zaron.

The spider’s sudden action made Zaron flinch but the force field did not activate when the spiders pincers touched his body and instead of biting him the two pincers wrapped around Zaron’s body and slowly pulled him off the web and then carried him off the web putting him down inside a tunnel.

“Clever boy,” said the spider, “you have a three-day walk from here to the portal. It’s not an easy walk and you’ll have to use your wits. Vine owes me big time for not eating you. I am so hungry that I was tempted to do you harm even though the consequences for me would be death.” That said the spider disappeared.

Zaron looked down the dark tunnel. He took a step forward and realized the tunnel was nothing more than an illusion. He attempted to take a step back but it was too late. The trap door he was standing on opened and down he went. He wasn’t free falling but sliding extremely fast in a tube-like structure that bent, curved, went up and down. Some soft of liquid drenched him as he sled. The walls of the tube were slick as ice but not cold and there was a soft glow to them. The ride down the chute lasted a good five minutes before Zaron was emptied out on to a soft gelatin surface which was soft and wiggly for his landing but then firm up to be hard and stable as he stood.

“Please remain still for analysis,” said a voice.

A beam of energy passed through Zaron’s body which he felt. The sensation accompanying the scan was almost undetected by Zaron.

Suddenly the area Zaron was standing in changed to the academy cafeteria complete with a hot meal sitting on the table in front of him.

“Analysis in process. Please make yourself comfortable and have something to eat.”

It was then that Zaron realized he was hungry and hadn’t eaten for a while. He was amazed that every thing looked so real with the exception of other cadets. He began to eat.

He wondered how Trender was doing and realized how much he missed him. And yet he wondered how Trender could love him. After all he was just a clone. The last one of 501 clones. Everyone told him he was special but would they when they found out he was a clone what would they think? His body was made up of someone’s DNA but whose? In his talks with the doctor the doctor believed that all living creatures had a spirit or rather were spirits with a body of that creature. Trender believed that too.

Was that the case with him. Was he a spirit with a clone body or was he just simply a clone body? Why did he have this drive to get back to QuestStar-3? Why were his memories stored on QuestStar-3? If he was the 501st cone where were the others? Did we all look the same? Did we all have the same abilities? Were they spirits with clone bodies or just clone bodies? Who created us?

So many questions ran through his mind but the main question he had was one he yelled out, out of frustration, “WHO AM I?”

A voice from behind him spoke, “You are Zaron of the QuestStar and you are special.”

Zaron turned to see a holographic image of an older silver haired man who Zaron though looked very handsome. The image jogged something in his memory banks. He knew who the image was. It was someone he loved with all his heart. It had been so long since he last saw him. Tears gushed from Zaron’s eyes as he regarded the image before him.

“Why? Why did you send me alone? I loved you!” Zaron barely squeaked out.

“I do not know the answer to that question – I am only an AI representation of Elron. There is no record in my data banks to formulate an answer to that question. Although, through analysis I can surmise that you were extremely favored by Elron and the other scientists. You were different from the other 500 that is all that was recorded in my databanks. The last entry was over 500 years ago. I am to help you return to Queststar-3 in case Elron or one of his people was not here. They were supposed to return but I have not heard from them. I suspect something went wrong. I never expected you to arrive. After all human bodies rarely live as long as you are now and to have such a youthful state is quiet amazing. Technically, you are five hundred and fifty-seven years old but with a body of a fifteen year old male human. Don’t asked me to explain that.”

Zaron remained silent for some time the AI of Elron simply waited.

“The spider said the journey here would take two days yet I think I arrive in mere minutes. Why? And when does the portal open for Queststar-3” asked Zaron.

“What can I say she is a pessimist. The portal will reopen in exactly 47 hours, 22 minutes and 29 second from my mark. Mark,” replied AI.

“So, I just sit around for two days?”

“Oh, no. Your portal vehicle needs to be spotlessly cleaned and you need to practice and get somewhat oriented in portal travel. It can feel weird and maybe a bit frightening at first. Your physical structure goes through considerable stresses. Your analysis shows you to be very healthy and strong enough to endure those stress. The portals to each major planet in the Quadrant are accessible here. You will use those portals for practice after you clean the transporter. It’s rather large able to carry five hundred grown men.”

Zaron worked at cleaning the transporter which he though looked like a huge oblong pill that had absolutely no edges. It was incredibly smooth mirror-like, black and at the same time shiny. It had taken him twelve hours of work.

Before going to sleep Zaron spoke again with Elron’s AI.

“AI do you have any connection with the outside world?”

“No, not really in the sense that you mean. I communicate freely with the Vine. By the way Vine tells me that the boy Garthon has a secret from you and everyone else. Apparently, he feels that you won’t understand and will reject him if you knew the secret.”

“What is it?”

“It would not be right for me to tell you the secret. You must ask him. I only told you because I have evaluated it as being important.”

“What about Trender, does he have any secrets?”

“Ha-ha, ha-ha,” laughed the AI for the first time although to Zaron it sounded a bit false, “That boy couldn’t withhold even the slightest thing from you. He totally trusts you. I think that is what you call love.”

“Yeah, and I love him too.”

“I know that. It was evident in your analysis. It seems a very positive quality for both of you.”

“I miss him,” sigh Zaron.

“I know. Soon enough you’ll be together. You must get some rest now. When you have breakfasted you will begin your portal travel training.”

True to the schedule Zaron woke to the luscious smell of breakfast. After his meal he cleaned up himself and was given a new uniform by the AI. It was pure white and fit his body skin tight. To say he looked good and sexy would be an understatement. Over his heart was the crest of Elron a Lion Eagle above a dragon in gold thread and fancy letters in crystallized ruby thread GRP which AI told him meant Guardian of the Royal Protectors. His Xenarian Crystal pennant brilliantly glowed as it hung outside his uniform. There could be no doubt that he was a person of highest importance.

 

After two hours of instruction and simulated rides AI announce that he was ready to go on the first leg of the twelve hour journey. Within that twelve hours Zaron would visit each major planet in the Quadrant. He was free to talk to people he met and should collect something from each place as evidence that he'd been there.
“Are you ready Zaron of the QuestStar, Guardian of the Royal Protectors?”

“Yes, AI.”

“Maneuver into position and select your target.”

“Target Selected!”

Zaron was excited.

“Go on my mark in 5 seconds, 4, 3, 2, 1. Mark.”

Zaron touched the red ‘ENGAGE’ on the panel. And the portal transport vanished from the Forest of Esquelon.

“Go with honor, my boy,” said AI.

TBC...