Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 06:23:25 +0000
From: Douglas DD DD <thehakaanen@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Survivors. Chapter 50

This story  contains sex between minor boys and teen-agers.  If such things 
offend you, or you are not at least 18 years of age, then please don't read 
on.  This story is not true, but who knows, maybe some day it will be.


CHAPTER 50

Starship

by Douglas DD


Endron glared at Thraller. He knew Thraller from when his father was an
Ancient and Thraller was an assistant to them. He remembered he was a
typical Shkah, a man with a little mean streak in him.

Thraller looked inside the vehicle.  "Where did you get this fancy van?
Last I heard motorized vehicles were illegal. Or is the son of an Ancient,
even a dead Ancient, above the law?" Thraller said.

"I have permission to use this," Endron said.

"Oh? And why haven't I heard about this?"

"You can't hear everything, even if you think you can." Endron pulled out
some papers. His father had them made in case he ever needed them. He
handed them to Thraller.

Thraller looked them over and handed them back. "I probably should radio in
to check these. Your father was a good person, even if his son didn't turn
out like his old man. It was a sad day when he died." He looked into the
van. "Who is this with you?"

"This is my Meshanna and the mother of my sons and her Meshanna. In the
back are my two sons. We are testing this vehicle. Taking it to a mountain
cabin we use seemed to be a way to mix business with pleasure," Endron said
with a smile.

Thraller knew that Endron worked in the Technology Department. Their job
was to make sure that the Ancients had working technology, just like his
own job was to make sure nobody else did. So his story was plausible, plus
he had the technology permit signed by his father, who had been a trusted
Ancient.

Thraller decided to do some fishing. "Did you hear about the shuttle from
the lost colonies?"  he asked.

"Yes. I heard it crashed with no survivors. Amazing though, after all these
years somebody should come to visit." Dralkan felt his heart pounding so
hard he was sure that the man at the window could hear it, even with him
sitting in the back seat. Why was he asking about the shuttle? Did he
suspect something?

"The Ancients think we all should get vaccinated for the plague. Who knows
what those fools brought with them. I heard that they were children.
Things must be rough in the lost colonies if children are doing the
piloting."

"Really? Interesting. Makes you wonder what has been going on at the
colonies over the last twenty-five years.  Well, we probably should be
heading up to the cabin. We want to be there before dark."

"Of course. Whose cabin are you using?"

"My father's old cabin. It's in disrepair like most everything on
Hakaan. But it is something different and the mountains will test this
van."

"Of course."  Thraller started walking back to his truck, then stopped and
turned around.  "You know, I thought you owned condo space at the old
spaceport terminal."

"I do. This is just something different."

"And you didn't go check to make sure your condo was undamaged? You weren't
curious about what crashed right at your vacation home?"

"I heard you were going to fly over. I figured if there was something I
needed to know I would find out from our ever vilagent policeman. You know
how the roads are, even for a vehicle like this."

"Indeed."

"And just exactly what brings you up here into the hills, Thraller? A
vacation of your own? Oh, those are military trucks.  What a foolish
question."

"No, I happen to think that somebody survived that crash. I happen to think
they just might be coming up the road to the mountains. Lots of places to
hide in these mountain, but it helps to have transportation to get up
there."

"True. Well, we'll keep our eyes open. If we see anybody strange we'll
drive back and let you or somebody know."

"No radio? The Department of Technology doesn't have enough radios to give
out?"

"I got in a hurry. I forgot to check one out."

"I see. Well, have a good trip Endron. We'll talk more when you return."

Thraller walked away and Endron started the van up, his heart pounding and
sweat pouring down his body. Thraller watched the van drive away. One of
the patrolmen came out of the bushes.

"What do you think, sir?"

"He's lying. He knows more than he is saying."

"Shouldn't we follow him?"

Thraller took a device out of his pocket, then pointed to the other side of
the road. One of the patrolmen was standing there grinning.

"No need. We'll find them whenever we need to.  Hallmore was busy on the
other side of the van while we were talking. Give them a half hour head
start, then we'll follow. I have a feeling there are going to be some
interesting things for us to find up in those mountains.  Endron may work
in the Department of Technology. But he doesn't even begin to know about
all the real technology we have. When we want him, he is ours!"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Endron started the van up the
switch backing road. The road turned up above the lower part. Endron
stopped the van around a turn, hoping Thraller couldn't see it and he
wouldn't have to wait long. He didn't. The six Earth boys and Trundall came
climbing up the side of the hill, sweaty and out of breath. They climbed
into the van and Endron started driving up the mountain again, hoping that
Thraller wasn't following right on their ass.

As they headed up the road Dralkan looked at the map. "We have to turn off
in about a five miles dad," he said.

"Okay," Endron said. "That was pretty smart thinking back there,
Douglas. Since the road had tire tracks, but no unicorn prints. That meant
whatever left the tracks had to be motorized."

"Well, you had the idea of checking the map to see if there were side roads
to hide on. We got lucky and they were on the first one, or we would have
to keep stopping and getting out. We got lucky all the way around", Douglas
said.  "We can't rely on luck forever."

"Dad?" Shamene asked.

"Yes, son?"

"What was that one guy doing on the other side of our car?"

"What guy?" Endron could feel his heart thumping hard again.

Shamene told him about seeing the patrolman sneak up to the car and get
under it, then go away. Endron shook is head.

"I wonder what that could have been about? Maybe we better stop to check."

He stopped the van and they all got out. The Hakaanen didn't think much
about it and gave a cursory glance over the van. The Earth boys were more
suspicious. They'd watched enough action vids to know that patrolmen didn't
crawl under cars for no reason. The Hakaan had had peaceful lives for so
long they didn't understand things like the Earth boys did.

Scooter crawled under the van and saw something clean attached to the dirty
frame.  He pulled it off and showed it to everybody else.

"What is it?" Endron asked.

"A tracking device," Stevie said.

"A what? What does it do?"

Stevie explained to him what it was and what it did. Douglas was looking
over Dralkan's shoulder at the map. He sent his thoughts to Scooter, who
asked Dralkan a couple of questions. He relayed to Douglas what Dralkan
answered. Douglas was coming up with a plan. He called everybody together
and told it. Scooter translated the plan for Endron. Endron looked at the
boys with new respect. He liked the plan. He liked it a lot.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thraller looked at the screen in
the back of his truck. The van stopped a couple of times. He thought about
going after it to see what was going on, but he knew he had to be
patient. He wanted to see where it ended up. He figured wherever it ended
up would he would find some kind of rebel treasure.

Maybe the Ancients didn't believe in the planet having technology any more,
but they believed in having it themselves. This tracking device was one of
the best they've come up with and this was the first time he was able to
use it. And he knew Endron's office knew nothing about it. He made sure of
that. Son of an Ancient or not, somehow he didn't trust Endron.

It looked like the arrival of the shuttle had brought Endron out into the
open.  If Endron was getting more willing to take risks, the other rebels
will be too. It didn't surprise him that Endron was driving that van. He
figured he and his rebels were hiding technology, and he was going to find
out where.  He was going to end any plans for a rebellion before it even
started.  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It was dark by the time
they got to the old mine. They got out of the van and entered the
mine. Endron flicked on a switch and the mine passage lit up.

"Solar batteries run our power here," he said.

They kept going deeper and deeper into the mine. The boys could see a lot
of side passages. None of the Hakaan children had been in the mine before
and they were as amazed by it as the Earth boys were.

Endron took them into a side room full of tall shelves stacked with
boxes. He took them down another passage and to another room. The only
thing in the room was an empty box on the floor. They walked past the box
and then stopped. Endron was still at the box. He turned and took four
carefully paced steps. Then he bent down and lifted a part of the
floor. There was a control panel under the rocks, hidden like the runway at
the cargo port had been. Endron pushed a button and a panel of rocks slid
open. They went through opening and into another room. It was dark and
Endron had to flick another switch to get light.

That room had another single box in it, but this one was full. Inside was
what looked like a radio.

"What's that?" Stevie asked.

"It's the ticket to your rescue. And maybe a way to get our Hakaan way of
life back," Endron answered.

Then Endron told them what the mine was all about.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hakaan had been ruled by a
Service Council for hundreds of years.  Members were elected for six year
terms.  They had a limit of two terms on the Council.  The Council had
allowed Hakaan to become a peaceful, prosperous planet. They encouraged
growth and space exploration, while seeing that the ecology of the planet
was protected.  Hakaan was able to combine technological growth with care
for the environment.  Hakann was a beautiful planet.  The fact that its
inhabitants respected her showed, even in its cities.  The Ancients named
their group for the Ruling Council that brought peace to Hakaan after the
great war. Even though the Service Council eventually became the Hakaan
government, it was a stronger ruling council that had brought the Shkah
under control.  The Ancients felt the time for strong government had
returned.  When the Ancients started taking control, Endron's father knew
how afraid they were. He knew how afraid everyone was. Going into space was
blamed for the plague which was killing so many people. As the plague raged
out of control, some groups started blaming all technology. The Ancients
ran for positions on the Service Council, saying they would end space
flight and control technology. After they won they brought an end to all
space flight immediately. Endron's father got them to agree on two more
space flights, the ones that went to the two colonies to tell them the
news.

Endron's father also saw that the ruling council wanted to do more than
just control technology, they wanted to get rid of it, except when it
helped them keep power. With their emergency powers they got a real taste
for power and the members started behaving like Shkah. The way of Hakaan
government was to do as little as possible. Hakaanen weren't interested in
power. Members of the council were there to serve the people not to rule
them. But with the election of The Ancients that philosphy was
changed. When the council started going to Shkah villages to recruit
members to be in their police force, Endron's father knew the Hakaan way of
life was being threatened by more than just the plague. He went along with
what the council did, but he started his own secret program. When the
Ancients got themselves elected council members for life to "protect the
Hakaanen way of life", Endron's father saw that every important piece of
Hakaan technology was stored in a secret mine location and every book and
article on technology, plus the history of the Hakaanen, their government
and their way of life, was downloaded into a super computer and then backed
up five times. Many books were stolen from libraries or donated to the
cause. All of the book were hermitically sealed and put into the mine.
Only a few people knew about the project. Endron was one of them. Most of
the people helping thought it was a project of the whole Council of the
Ancients, but a small number knew this was the only chance to bring back
the real Hakaanen way of life later.

When the plague was defeated most people thought the council would return
things to normal; however, the Ancients were in love with their
power. Things would never be normal again until The Ancients' rule was
brought to an end.  Unfortunately, Endron's father died before he could do
that. Now it was up to Endron to find a way. And with the arrival of the
round eared boys it looked like he had found that way.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thraller was furious. He had watched the
blip stop late in the afternoon, not moving from its location. In the
morning the blip was in the same place.  He had heard rumors about some
kind of rebel hiding place for a long time, and now he knew where it
was. He was sure it was where Endron's father had had his old vacation
cabin.  The shuttle's arrival had brought the rebel leader out into the
open. He wasn't at all surprised it was Endron. He had never really trusted
his father, Ancient or not. He now wished he had trusted his instincts
about him.  Someone in high office had obviously been helping the rebels.
The fact that Endron was obviously one of the rebels said it all.  Maybe it
was a good thing the old man died. Thraller drove up the road up to where
it ended at a narrow trail. There was nothing there except trees and the
old abandoned cabin.

He found the homing device stuck to a tree with a note. The note said,
"Have a nice day." He took the device, threw it to the ground, and smashed
it with his foot, forgetting it was the only one in existence.

How had they found the device? Nobody even knew it existed? How did they
know what it was? Did Endron have a spy in his office?  They had come this
far, but where did they go? It had to be back down the road. Endron had
obviously followed his own tire tracks back. But back to where? There were
a lot of roads coming off of this one, and he never noticed tire tracks
going off on one of them. Which meant they wiped out the tracks, and he
would have to investigate every road and trail wide enough for the van.
They probably only wiped them a little way, but how far would that little
way be?

Thraller stomped into his vehicle. He could wait at the bottom of the road
until they came back, but that wasn't what he wanted.  He wanted to know
the location of their hideout. He wanted to confiscate or smash everything
they had. All he knew now was it was someplace in the mountains. And the
mountains, even the part served by roads, covered a lot of territory.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Douglas woke up just before
Scooter, who was cuddled up with Dralkan.  He got off his cot and kissed
his lover. Douglas and Shamene had their cots pushed together. Some rooms
of the mine had been built and furnished for long term stays if
needed. Douglas had ended up next to Shamene and Mike next to
Trundall. They had all done their best to help interplanetary
relations. Travis and Alex jerked each other off while Jeremy jerked
himself off. Travis and Jeremy weren't on the best of terms. Alex was happy
to jerk himself off, but he ended up with Travis climbing into his cot with
him.

Douglas thought about their escape. They had traveled up the road to the
abandoned cabin that used to belong to Endron's father.

Douglas told Endron the plan for leaving the tracking device behind
somewhere and then covering their tracks. Endron loved the plan and picked
his father's old cabin as the place to leave it. The fact that it was left
at the cabin of a former Ancient would anger Thraller, plus it wasn't
really that far from the mine. There were plenty of side roads to throw
Thraller's search off if they did a good job of covering their tracks.

His thoughts ended when Scooter woke up and came over to him. They kissed
deeply.

"How was Shamene, my love?"

"He is eleven years old and knows sex like you can't believe. I love the
Hakaan way of life. How was Dralkan? He has a crush on you, you know."

Scooter laughed and gave Douglas a quick kiss and hug. "I love you,
Douglas."

"I love you, Scooter."

It was time to wake everybody else up so they could put their next plan
into action.

They met everybody for breakfast and then after they ate they moved
everything they needed outside.

Outside the mine were four vehicles that looked like ATVs. They each could
seat the driver and the rider. Dralkan, Trundall, Mike, and Scooter were
the four drivers. They all had experience driving those or similar
vehicles; Mike and Scooter with their own ATVs on Earth, and Trundall and
Dralkan getting to drive when their dads brought them to the
mountains. Those joyrides were now going to come in handy.

Shamene was the passenger on Scooter's ATV. He had his arms wrapped tightly
behind Scooter.  Travis was wrapped around Mike, Stevie around Trundall,
and Corrina's Meshanna around Dralkan. They were part one of the plan.

The boys started their engines and soon the ATVs were bouncing through the
woods heading to a meadow about five miles away. Even using the trail it
would take at least twenty minutes one way carrying a passenger.

When they got to the meadow, the four drivers dropped off their passengers
then raced back to the mine.  Even though it was uphill, they made good
time since they didn't have any passengers and knew the trail a little
better.

This time Endron got into a driver's seat and tied a large package to the
seat behind him. It was the item they had found in the secret store
room. Dralkan had his mother on his ATV. Mike had Dralkan's little
sister. Scooter had Douglas. That left Trundall and Jeremy behind. The four
ATVs took off down the trail.

Trundall and Jeremy watched it leave. Jeremy couldn't speak Hakaan and
Trundall couldn't speak English, but they both could speak the language of
sex. They both understood they had forty minutes to wait. They both knew
what the other boy's boner meant. Trundall hadn't touched one of the
uncircumsized Earth boys yet.  He couldn't wait to see how Jeremy's strange
cock felt inside his mouth.  The air was kind of cool. They found a place
in the grass, lay down a blanket, and took care of keeping each other warm.

When Scooter and Mike got back they saw the two boys hugging tightly on the
blanket and smiled. Trundall and Jeremy had heard them coming and just lay
there in their after sex glow. Trundall was Hakaan and wasn't embarrassed
by sex and Jeremy never had been.

They made it to the meadow in fifteen minutes. Scooter and Mike were on
their third trip and had the trail figured out. When they got to the
meadow, Endron got on his radio. A half hour later the flyer showed up and
they boarded it. It could hold a dozen people, and with the pilot they
filled it. He headed the way he came, which was from the opposite direction
of the old space port. He wasn't going back there, yet.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thraller walked a tenth of a mile
up the side road. It was the fourth road he'd tried.  The dirt on the road
looked like something had happened to it recently, and a short walk up the
road confirmed his suspicions. Tire tracks were visible. He waved to his
truck. It was time to follow the tracks to their destination. He was ready
to close in on the rebel hideout.  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The flyer finally landed on a farm in a large valley. Endron knew how the
farmers felt about the policies of the ancients. He had watched them plow
their fields behind large oxen-like animals. The older ones had used modern
equipment before the plague and knew how much better things had been. They
wanted their tractors back. They wanted the rich farms they used to have.
They hated the Ancients, like so many on Hakaan did now.  Most of Hakaan
now realized The Ancients had used the fear of the plague to acquire their
power, and now they used fear and intimidation not only to retain power,
but to increase it.  The farmers wanted the same life for their children
and grandchildren that they had had. Endron saw the coming of the round
ears as their best chance to get their way of life back.

The flyer was hidden in a large barn. The owner of the barn, Kraekan,
welcomed everybody into his large farm house. It was here that the final
plans were set up. It was time to go to the next phase.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thraller followed the narrow road
until its end. He saw the van parked in a clearing. He was there! He had
them! There was an old mine in this area. He bet they were there, and the
mine was where the rebels hid their illegal technology.

He and his troops searched the area. One of them went around a rock and
yelled to the other ones. The patrolmen ran to where he was. What they saw
was an avalanche of rocks along the whole cliff side. If there had been a
mine there it was covered now. And if anybody was in it, they weren't going
to get out soon. They looked for signs of footprints. There were none.
They didn't notice where leaves and dirt had been kicked up, thinking it
was done by the wind or by animals.

Most of the Earth boys had played baseball. Mike remembered the metal drags
that were put behind a small tractor to drag the infield. It was no problem
to find something to put behind the ATV on their last trip from the mine.

Thraller was frustrated.  He didn't know Endron and his group were trapped
in the mountain, or if they left. He still didn't know why the shuttle went
to the old spaceport to crash. He didn't know a lot of things he wanted to
know, but it was time for him to go there to find out some answers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "I'm sure Thraller will visit the
spaceport. As soon as we get word he's inspected it and left we will take
the flyer there. We've delayed him some, but we won't fool him forever. He
is very smart. He is big reason why the Ancients are able to maintain their
power," Endron said.

Endron started telling the boys about the radio they had loaded into the
flyer. They remembered Endron's trip down the hill. It took him twice as
long as anybody else. It wasn't that he wasn't able to keep up with the
kids. it was that he couldn't take a chance at damaging the only radio like
it on Hakaan, maybe in the entire galaxy.

"Do you understand what to do when you get back to your starship?"

Douglas nodded his head. "Ryan said we have enough warp fuel for four days
travel. So we warp out on half the fuel, and then come back. The whole time
we use the radio."

"I'm just amazed," Alex said. "A radio that is faster than warp. We never
did figure out how to make one."

"We completed our just as the plague broke out. It's never really been
tested. We can only guess that it works. It should work, but we still don't
know for sure. It only works from one ship in warp to another ship in
warp."

"And the other ship doesn't need a special radio?"

"We don't know.  We don't think so. We think that the warp radio will send
and receive to and from any radio in space. But it's never been tested. We
just don't know. The big problem for you is, the radio on the other end has
to be turned on to have any chance of receiving the signal, and from what
you tell me your starships turn them off because they don't need them when
they're in warp."

"What we said is, we think they have them off, not we knew they have them
off. You guys had yours off. We figured we did the same thing," Alex told
him. Scooter was glad he was translating. It took a little of the edge off
of Alex's words.

"Even if we get hold of a starship, who's to say they will help your
rebellion," Douglas said. "We can't guarantee that. But I know we will be
telling them what we think. But we're just kids. Who says they will listen
to us.  They might just elect to stay out of your politics."

Endron wondered about a society that didn't listen to kids. But he kept
quiet. If the radio didn't work, or they couldn't find a radio on a
starship that was turned on, then it didn't make any difference what they
did.

"Dad?" Dralkan asked.

"Yes, son?"

"Do you think Trundall and I can go with them? Into space I mean?"

"Me too," Shamene cried out.

Endron was stunned by the question.  He immediately answered with a
resounding no. He said the round eaedr boys didn't need the distraction of
people who couldn't help. The boys and Endron argued back and forth for a
while.  Finally, Dralkan said, "We can help. Douglas keeps saying how they
needed more help on the watches. We are two more boys who can help.  We can
read things on the ship without needing translations taped to it. And
besides, we may never get a chance again," he smiled

Endron was willing to concede that his son had some viable arguments.
"Son, you may never make it back."

"Dad, it's only four days. They aren't going far. And we may never get a
chance again," he said again.

Endron thought about it. And he remembered what he had just thought about
the a society that didn't listen to their children. The round ears had been
through a lot worse than a trip two days away from Hakaan. After all, they
had piloted a starship between two solar systems. What they were about to
do was child's play compared to what they did before. Dralkan should have a
chance to go, and so should Trundall. But not Shamene. He was still too
young. Shamene might not think so, but there was a big difference between
eleven and thirteen.  He wasn't risking both sons even if it did seem
fairly safe. So he approved of Dralkan and Trundall going, but not Shamene.

Dralkan hugged his dad, but Shamene went off to sulk.

Later Travis found Shamene all curled up on a bed, crying. He sat down next
to him.

"If we succeed you will have lots of chances for going into space. And I
bet we will succeed. I bet you will be one of the first ones up into space
after we get back, because you will help us a lot down here."

"You think so?"

"I know so. And I know we will succeed. I feel it." Travis hugged Shamene,
who hugged him back. They both decided to check out the barn and see if the
flyer was still there. It was. They celebrated as Travis let the little
Hakaan boy make love to him. Like all Hakaanen, the eleven year old was a
skillful lover, even if he wasn't very big yet. He had learned his sexual
lessons from older boys, men, and from his brother.  When it was over
Shamene felt better. He thanked Travis and said one day he would meet him
in space. Travis kissed him and they returned to the farmhouse.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thraller got to the
spaceport just before sunset. He and his patrol set up camp. They would
inspect the place in the morning. The three people in the terminal had
detected their arrival and they were prepared.

When morning came Thraller and his men drove to the crash site. The entire
shuttle was burned out. Parts were strewn along the runway. There was no
way of knowing anybody survived. The runway was torn up.

Thraller went to the terminal.  Endron's Meshanna and two other men were
there. They said they had no idea why the shuttle decided to try to land
there. They were just happy it hadn't crashed into the terminal. They had
searched for survivors, but there were none. The entire incident had
surprised, frightened, and saddened them.  Endron had come by to check the
place out, they told Thraller, but they thought he had left for the
mountains with his children and their mother.  That was about all they
knew.

Thraller knew they were lying, but he figured that was all he was going to
find out for now, so he looked around a little more and then left.

After a couple of hours had passed they radioed Endron.  Endron and the
pilot pulled the flyer out of the barn and the boys boarded it. The pilot
flew it across the fields and forest until they went over a wide river and
toward the clearing where the old spaceport was. He landed it next to the
terminal.

Everyone agreed they had to get the shuttle into the air as fast as
possible. They also would need to evacuate the cargo port.  Endron had a
feeling that Thraller hadn't gone too far away, and he knew that the
launching of the shuttle would give away all of their secrets.

The door to the hidden hanger was opened. Thraller had gone right past it
and hadn't even noticed it. The shuttle was backed out using a small
tractor.  Then Endron and the other three men fueled it up while the Earth
boys got into the shuttle.

Dralkan hugged his little brother. "Next time, we'll go together. If it was
up to me it would be this time. I love you, little brother."

"I love you. I'm gonna be with you next time."

Dralkan wiped a tear off Shamene's cheek. Trundall gave Shamene a hug. They
both hugged Endron, then climbed up the steps onto the shuttle.

Dralkan was amazed by the shuttle. He sat down in a seat and Douglas showed
him and Trundall how to buckle in. A couple of days ago, on the flyer, he
had flown in the air for the first time. Now he was going into space.  It
had all happened so quickly it was almost overwhelming.

Endron and Corrinna hit the switch that started the runway cover
moving. Dralkan had seen it before, when he and Trundall were old enough to
understand that could never tell anybody outside of dad's group about
it. It was just being tested then.  This was the real thing.

Endron watched as the runway was uncovered. He and Corrinna went out on the
balcony that wrapped around the control tower. The runway was
uncovered. Endron knew the engines on the shuttle would start up any time.
He wondered if he would ever see Dralkan and Trundall again. There was no
way to hide the shuttle's takeoff, which meant landing again could be close
to impossible. Once the shuttle took off, Thraller and his men would be at
the spaceport in a flyer within minutes. They would take it over, because
it would no longer be a secret, but when they got there Endron and his
followers he would be long gone in his own flyer, heading for one of their
hideouts.

When the shuttle takes off a lot of lives will change, Endron thought.  The
whole planet will change. The round eared boys carried the future of the
Hakaan way of life on their shuttle.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The runway was clear. Alex started
the shuttle's engines. He started taxiing to the end of the runway. Endron
watched the shuttle as it taxied slowly. He remembered when he was a boy
and used to watch the space shuttles take off from here and from the main
airport at Kana. Now the Kana airport was weeds and broken concrete. The
forest spaceport was the way it was because of a lot of hard work by his
small group and because they were able to keep it secret.

The arrival of the shuttle had exposed that secret. Thraller and the
Ancients were suspicious. They had been able to fool them for a couple of
days, but as soon as the shuttle took off, the secret was over. It was time
to act now while they could. If they didn't take advantage of this chance
the Hakaan way of life might disappear forever. Right now they had Hakaan
technology and knowledge saved, and people who knew how to make and use
things were still alive, but in a few days that all could change. He was
sure the shuttle was directed to them by the God Jeswa.

Alex turned the shuttle around and looked down the long runway. The had
fueled it from a tank hidden under the hanger. It had enough fuel to reach
the starship and come back. He knew that coming back might be
impossible. Once they took off this secret runway was no longer going to be
secret. The fake crash bought them the time they needed, but now the secret
would be gone.

He went through the checklist with Travis. Scooter was in the cabin. He
wasn't going to be needed since they weren't going to be using the
radio. They finished the checklist and Alex revved up the engines, let go
of the brake, and let the shuttle surged forward. He watched the trees race
by, and then the terminal. He got the shuttle to lift off speed, pulled
back, and let the huge space craft lift into the sky.

Dralkan looked out of his window hoping to see his mom or dad or little
brother. He thought he saw somebody waving, but he wasn't sure. They were
racing by too fast. The feeling was exhilarating as the thrust of the
shuttle pushed him against his seat.

He felt the "Survivor" leave the ground and looked out and saw the trees
get smaller below them. He could soon see the mountains underneath them.
Trundall had his own window seat on the other side of the aisle and he was
as enthralled as Dralkan was.

Alex hit the super thrusters, pulled back until the shuttle pointed almost
straight up, and gave it full thrust. The "Survivor" blasted straight up
into space, leaving a trail of white smoke behind it. Dralkan was now being
compressed against the seat, almost feeling crushed by the Gs forcing
against him, as the shuttle headed out of the atmosphere of Hakaan and into
the blackness of space.

Thraller was half way back to Kana. He was on a rise in the road. He heard
a low roaring in the distance, then a louder sound. He saw a small spot
rise into the sky, then saw a streak of white shoot out behind it and rise
straight up behind the dot. He had no doubt what it was he was looking
at. He had been fooled, but he knew who had fooled him, and he would go
back to find him. If that shuttle ever returned, there would not be a rebel
waiting to meet it. He would be there to meet it.

Endron also had his thoughts as he watched the shuttle roar up into
space. For Endron, all the hopes of Hakaan were rising on that trail of
smoke. He watched it disappear, then gathered everybody together to get
them into the flyer. There was no need to cover the runway now. The secret
was over. One way or another, Thraller would know the runway was there. If
he wanted to destroy the runway, there was nothing to stop him, and he was
sure that Thraller would do just that.

Endron knew that the Earth shuttles wouldn't need a runway. That they could
land vertically, just like the flyer. Endron knew that if the round ears
didn't get hold of an Earth starship he would probably never see his son
again. He left the space port wondering what the future held for his
beloved home planet.  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The "Paxton" rippled into warp space.  Dralkan sat in an observation lounge
watching the bright colors go by. He thought about what he had seen in the
past few hours. He thought about how beautiful Hakaan had looked from
space. The greens and browns of the land, the blues of the oceans and seas,
and the whites of the clouds. He and Trundall both cried. Their home was
the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. Dralkan couldn't take his eyes
off it as it retreated from view, until it was a bluish speck and then
vanished as the starship blasted into warp space.

The feeling of going into warp, of seeing the colors of warp space, were
sensational. No matter what happened from here, Dralkan and Trundall were
both glad that they had asked to come along.

Before they even left orbit, Stevie and Ryan got the warp radio hooked up,
but there was no way to test it. The receiving radio had to be in warp
space as well. All the lights were green, so all the right wires were
hooked up. The only question was, would it work? There was no way to know
unless they got an answer to their message from somewhere.

When the "Survivor" docked with the "Paxton" there were some excited
reunions. Some of the boys had wondered if they would see each other again
or how long it would be before they did. That night was going to be a night
of reunion fun.

Trundall and Dralkan were welcomed by everybody. All the boys could speak
enough Hakaan that they could all communicate. They were asked after dinner
if they wanted to be with anybody for whatever sexual fun there was to be
had. They said not that night. They both knew the round ears wanted to be
with their partners. They sensed in the way Hakaanen can sense things that
this night was one for the joining of partners. They were given their own
cabin. Six cabins of boys had the sounds of hard hot boy sex, and up on the
bridge Jim and Stevie had the watch, since they were the one pair to stay
on board.

The radio was set on auto-repeat. The message was, "This is the starship
'Jordan M. Paxton'. We carry survivors of the 'U.S.S. Starkeeper'. Please
reply on this frequency."

The loudspeaker was set to high volume, so any reply would be heard.
Stevie had also hooked up an alarm, so any signal back would set the alarm
off. If a reply came, they shouldn't miss it. If they heard nothing it
would be either because radio didn't work or that nobody had a radio on to
receive the message, or no radio was within range of the warp radio.  The
problem was, nobody knew what its range was.

That morning Mike made up a huge pancake breakfast. Big pancakes, cooked on
a large griddle, stacked three deep and covered with thick helpings of
butter and buried deep in syrup, were not something that was a Hakaan
recipe. Dralkan and Trundall fell in love with them, and Mike had to make
them each another stack. They stuffed themselves with pancakes until they
couldn't move.  Douglas sat at the table staring at his stack of
pancakes. He thought about all the Saturday mornings on Earth when his mom
had served up her wonderful pancakes to Douglas and his friends after his
sleepovers. Scooter saw the faraway look on his lover's face. Scooter
touched Douglas with a thought, 'Where are you, my love?'  `I'm frightened,
my love.  For all of us.  If this doesn't work, if we're not rescued, we
will have to return to Hakaan and we will spend the rest of our lives
there.  The Shkah police will see us land, they will come to arrest us, and
we will probably end up in prison.  We've come so far, and now here we are
relying on a radio that nobody has ever tested, on the off chance that an
Earth exploration ship is somewhere within it's range, IF it happens to
work.  After all we've gone through, it could all end up being for
nothing.'  `Not nothing, my love. We're alive, and as long as we're alive
there is hope.  You've kept us alive and you are still going to lead us
home.  I feel it in my soul.'  Douglas kissed the cute little blonde boy he
loved so much and said aloud, "I'm so happy I have you here with me. You
give me my strength.  I love you."  The other boys smiled as they watched
Douglas walk out of the dining hall.  They could tell Douglas was full of
confidence, and it made them feel confident too.  It was a good thing they
weren't aware of Douglas's fear and insecurity.  Like any good leader, he
had learned to hide those well.  The day ended up being long and a little
boring. They were going to go two days out and then return. The ship was
running itself. The boys were sitting around waiting for a reply to their
message.

Mike put together a dinner of beef stew. Then they watched a Hakaan vid. It
helped having Dralkan and Trundall to help explain it.

That night Mike and Alex took the bridge watch. Dralkan asked if he could
be with Scooter and Douglas. Trundall was invited by Brett and
Jeremy. Brett hadn't had a lot experience with Hakaan boys. When Trundall
sucked him, it was as good as any blow job he'd ever had, and when Trundall
entered his ass awhile Jeremy watched, Brett almost fainted from the
feeling. Hakaan boys knew their stuff when it came to sex.

Scooter got the same feeling. Douglas told him it was okay to have Dralkan
make love to him, While Douglas made love to him in totally incredible
ways, Dralkan gave Scooter feelings he'd never had before. After he
finished with Scooter. Dralkan did Douglas, and Douglas knew he would need
some lessons from the Hakaan boy.

Mike and Alex had a sweet time making love. They did it on the darkened
bridge. The only light was from the instruments. Alex feel asleep with his
still cock inside of Mike, and it was still there when the alarm started
blaring. Both boys sat up in the sleeping bag. It was the radio alarm.

The alarm stopped and a voice came over the bridge speaker, a voice
speaking in English.

"This is the 'U.S.S.  Starfinder' replying to the 'Jordan M.Paxton'."

NEXT CHAPTER 51 U.S.S Starfinder

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The boys are almost home.  But they're return will,
unfortunately, be delayed a bit.  I will be leaving on a trip, and won't be
back until the beginning of March.  I wanted all my loyal readers to know
so you wouldn't be wondering why the story wasn't being posted.  I had
hoped to have everything posted before I left. Obviously, I didn't succeed.
Yes, the boys are on the homestretch, but the road will not be smooth.  The
question to ponder is, Will Douglas be able to stand up to the authority of
the Captain of an exploration starship- a man who is a member of an elite
group of Captains who wield more power than anyone in space?

I have sent the next 3 chapters to my proofreaders to be ready on my
return.  Please note that I will not be answering e-mails during that time
as well, but will do so as quickly as possible upon my return. I apologize
for the delay and will try to post the last chapters as soon as I can.  I
will be dreaming of Hakaan boys as I bask in the tropical son.

Douglas

Constructive comments are welcomed.  E-mail me, Douglas DD, at
TheHakaanen@Hotmail.com