Jeet said aloud, "These damned tunnels go on forever! Where is this damned sign those 'alien sex perverts' talked about?" Jahntu, the Minotaur, snorted in amusement. "You shouldn't quote Violet! She's still pissed off." Jalisco turned and walked back down the sloped toward them. "It should be around here. Keep your eyes open." Jalisco sounded tense. Even though he was a Cyclops machine-life, the palpable threat of the underground was getting to everyone. Lil, his human Gunnery Sargent, was jumping at shadows, as she said, "This place is creepy. What's that? Damned shadows." Jahntu's breath caught in his throat as he gasped hoarsely, "Holy shit. There he is. The planet killer, Typhon." He was over twelve stories tall, with skin like marble. He was mostly inside some kind of huge drop of fluid suspended from the ceiling and supported by some kind of structure like coiling snakes. Jeet whispered, "I'm glad I went before riding the lift down here! I'd piss all over myself, otherwise." He holstered his sidearm, and said to Jahntu, "You want to scare him with that? He's looking at you." Jalisco snapped, "Stop it,Jeet! The Telepaths said he was in stasis with his eyes open. Apparently 'planet killers' don't blink. They also said they had placed Toffet and Kella in the structure below him." Jeet made an act of will and looked away from that blazing red eye, and turned to Jalisco. "You can go get them. I don't think I can approach that thing, even asleep." Jalisco looked at Lil, who was frozen in place, with sweat running down her face. Jahntu was visibly shaking. Jalisco said, "This may be something of a psionic side-affect of the creature that I am immune to. I'll be ready to effect my RIF generator if needed." "You know...Slicey said going down here would be a piece of cake compared to dealing with the explosive android. I DO hope she was right." He didn't want to say, that the enormity and legendary power of this creature scared him like he had never felt before. Half way there, Typhon's eye moved and fixed him immobile. Jeet yelled out, "REMEMBER! They said he'd look at you, but he wouldn't do anything unless you provoke him!" Lil whispered loudly, "JEET! Jeet...shut up! Don't be SOoooo loud!" Perro had been thrilled to see Slicey and Jahntu and Jeet arrive at the frieghter. Jahntu had brought Tall White Lady and Violet clothes. They stayed behind to deal with the prisoners, and with the ticking time-bomb of an android that they had activated. Jalisco was amused thinking of TWL HAND writing something block letter on a piece of printer paper to warn them about the android. He shook his head in all to human a move and kept moving. Jalisco got to the structure and saw Toffet Delgado and his wife, the rabbit-derived beast-girl, Kella. "Finally." Jeet made a loud 'Chuck-chuck' sound. Jalisco turned and looked at him. He had his pistol out and his tail was fluffed out fully and quivering in terror. Lil had fainted, but was still alive. Jalisco looked up. A pair of glowing red eyes, each of which were as big as he, looked back at him. Typhon had moved, spinning around to look straight down at him. Jalisco cringed. He couldn't help it. He thought what his mother would say. He straightened up and asked in an even voice, "Yes? Can I help you?" He felt a response that was pure data, pure communication that was thunder and lightning. "You bear my mark in your blood. A mark with a feeling of love to your family. I can smell it. HOW?" He ran all his memories that had anything to do with blood. He found one from almost five years ago when the Oracle of his people had given him and all in his immediate family a small amount of the blood of Toxic. There was something about that... ,he thought. He said, "I got it from a wonderful woman of rainbow hue, a friend of my mother's." Typhon said nothing else. After a long, agonizing wait, Jalisco kept moving. --TO BE CONTINUED!--