“You fail to see the purpose. The arrows are attached to metal cables. The arrowheads are serrated in such a way to become easily lodged into metal, wood, or concrete. For instance, in a city, you could shoot the arrow up into the side of a building, then retract the cable while drawing yourself up several stories. Or if you are on the roof, you can shoot the arrow into something secure nearby, then lower yourself slowly down the side of the building as you slowly pay out some cable. Allow me to show you how to control such a climb or descent,” he began.
The use of our right arm and the hidden tools concealed within took significantly more time. We also learned how to make our hands into blades, saws, as well as operable bit-drivers. By lunch time, we’d learned all the possible functions we’d be able to perform with our weaponized arms.
After lunch, Eight brought us back to the horrible room with the giant movie screen. Thankfully however, she was merely using it to show us the blueprints for the fashion show where we were expected to get abducted from. She showed us the layout of the nearby streets and sidewalks just in case we found ourselves outside the building for some reason.
“Our plan is to insert you directly into the fashion show merely an hour before the abduction. All you have to do is stay in the heart of it all no matter what,” Eight said.
“It might be sort of hard to do while wearing sweatpants and t-shirts,” I said.
“Which is why you’ll be wearing these,” Eight said, switching the screen to show some elegant models wearing some very revealing dresses.
“Umm… any higher and you’d see panties!” I blurted.
“Any lower in the neck and you’d see a bra,” Mercy added.
“It’s important in order to fit in. This is the sort of clothing that all the models are going to be wearing,” Eight said, “And I’m sorry, but no bras. The dresses aren’t cut for that.”
“Oh my god!” I groaned, “When is this happening?”
“By our schedule up here, the abduction happens at midnight. But in New York, it’s going to be about two-twenty in the afternoon,” she said, “We’re going to skip dinner and get you two over to the Time Shuttle because they’ve got the good transporter. There, you can nap while you wait until they calibrate everything if you want. It takes a while.”
“I think I’m finally getting butterflies,” Mercy said.
“I’ve had them all day,” I groaned.
Ten
Mercy had been right all along. That raised circular platform with the ventilated floor and the light blue lights was none other than a human transporter! She and I found ourselves dressed like hookers… well, high-end classy hookers I guess. We found ourselves seated on two chairs while we watched two unidentified men scramble at an elaborate computer terminal in the corner. All the while, the ‘transporter’ just glowed before us.
“I had a boyfriend at work. We never dated outside of work, but we took our lunches together and we talked non-stop,” I whispered to Mercy, “We should have pursued it outside of work. It might have already been some form of love.”
“Were you just good work-friends, or were you truly interested in something more?” she asked.
“Definitely interested. I don’t know why I didn’t do anything about it. He was extremely shy, so it was up to me. I should have,” I said.
“I wonder how he reacted to the news,” she breathed.
I turned to her. It took me a moment to process what she’d been inferring. While I knew that I’d survived my suicide attempt, Brian didn’t. According to him, that suicide was thoroughly successful and I’d done it on the way to work. My lunch was still sitting on the passenger seat of that Kia. The car was still running. I’d packed three waters, two iced teas, and a pepperoni pizza Hot Pocket as well as two pieces of string cheese. All evidence suggested that I’d be going to work that day and I’d be taking my lunch with Brian. It never happened because I’d leapt from the bridge without leaving so much as a good-bye note. I’d never said good-bye.
I was shocked to discover a tear running down my cheek. I quickly swiped it away as I cleared my throat.
“I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if he cried. I’m certain he was mad and maybe he didn’t forgive me. I really doubt he’d find a way to forgive me. I’d never shared the true depth of my chronic pain. He probably thought it was like having a stiff neck or maybe just a sore muscle. He couldn’t have known the true depth of the throbbing pain, so he wouldn’t understand my solution.”
“This shuttle is a time machine. What if we went back?” she asked.
I chuckled, then realized she had a serious expression on her face, “Would you seriously help me if I decided to do it? I mean obviously we’d need to commandeer this thing first.”
She grinned, “Yeah, I’d help. But if you went back, what would you do? Would you take over your old life and keep on reading those mindless scripts to potential donors on the phone?”
I thought about it for a moment, then finally shook my head, “It’s not my world you’d want to live in. I think you want to take over an alien spaceship, Mercy. You want to test out these guns.”
She chuckled and nodded, “Yeah, obviously!”
“How about I join you on your journey, then you join me on mine. We’ll kill some aliens, then you come back with me and help me find a way to fix my broken life,” I said.
“Now that’s a deal! We’ll have some real fun, then we’ll force Brian to take you out on a proper date. Then… you’re taking your machine-gun arms and joining the Marine Corps!” she said.
I laughed out loud, causing those two computer guys to glance quickly in our direction. One of the two guys pointed toward the raised platform.
“We’ve got it calibrated. You’ll be appearing behind one of the stage curtains, so no one will see you arrive,” the blond man said, “Time to get on the transporter.”
Eleven
It happened almost instantly. One moment, the two of us were standing on the ventilated platform, then suddenly we were standing in the dark with a thick fabric curtain up against our faces. Someone grabbed my hand just then – it was Mercy and she was leading me out into a crowded reception hall, or so it appeared.
It took me only a moment to see the place for what it really was. This wasn’t a wedding reception and our presence hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Will you look at that? Who’s the designer?” two flamboyant men in curiously bright suits stared as we aimed to slip past them.
I couldn’t tell who it was that had spoken as there were several people in that small group of flashy-dressed men.
“Tell us the designer, Darling!” someone hollered.
“We need to situate ourselves among the other models,” Mercy growled through clenched teeth, still holding onto my hand.
“Definitely,” I said, feeling quite naked as it seemed all eyes were upon the two of us.
Somehow it appeared that we’d been deposited among the audience or near those who were reviewing the models that passed by on the runway. I think we were meant to be somewhere backstage with the other models. If we didn’t make it there before the abduction, we could end up being left behind. I most certainly didn’t want to exist in the New York City of the future for the remainder of my days.
“What are you doing?” a thin bald man stepped directly into our path, “Are you lost or something?”
“Yes, we sort of got lost,” Mercy said, feigning the worry of a lost princess.
“Well, let’s get you back where you belong,” he said, gesturing for us to follow him to a door located a few yards away.
He spoke rapidly into some sort of handset as he led us through a noisy galley where cooks were far too busy to take notice of us. Our guide then led us to another door which he held open for us. Mercy and I rushed out into what appeared to be an alley outside of the building. We turned to our guide only to discover that he had a small weapon trained on us. The door shut behind him, cancelling out the noise from the kitchen.
“You’ll find a transport at the end of the alley. Keep walking and get into the backseat,” he said, “Go! Before I shoot!”
“What is this? It’s not supposed to happen like this?” I pleaded.
“This is exactly how it happens! I have debts to pay and you two will do just perfectly!” he chuckled.
Mercy turned to him and approached him very seductively. He took a cautious step back as he thrust the weapon toward her, aiming at the center of her chest.
“Shouldn’t you test the merchandise before you go and pass us off to someone else?” she purred.
To my shock, she reached up a hand and caressed his cheek. He took another step back, then nodded quickly toward the asphalt.
“Sounds like a great idea actually, however if you were hoping to distract me, I’m keeping the gun aimed at your skull the entire time,” he jabbed it at her, “Why don’t you get down on your knees and unfasten my pants. You see where I’m pointing the gun? And you over there… I’ve got my eyes on you as well.”
He looked over at me when he said that. Mercy knelt down and smiled at him as she began unfastening his pants. She then tugged his pants down. I couldn’t see anything from where I stood, but it was clear that she was probably touching him or caressing him with her right hand.
“Wow, you’re really ripe for the taking,” she purred, reaching beneath him with her left arm, perhaps to cup his buttocks.
Just as she leaned in, I heard three rapid gunshots. I watched as these flaming balls shot up toward the sky, the first erupting from his chest, and the second and third tearing through his shoulder and throat. I screamed, then I suddenly threw up.
She turned to me and stood up as the man fell backward to the ground. Her left arm had been transformed into the weapon and she had apparently fired upward through his butt and testicles, causing those plasma rounds to destroy every bit of his internal structure. The prone man lay smoking behind her, still fully ready for action as near as I could tell. I threw up again, hunched over in the alleyway.
“W-what the heck was-”
“Let’s get back in there!” she said, transforming her weapon back into an arm.
She tried the door but it was locked. I spat on the ground, trying to rid my mouth of the bitter acidic taste. Then I joined her over at the door as I tried to remove the images of death from my mind. She then beat on the door repeatedly, only glancing over at me once. After a few seconds, the door opened and someone peeked out at us. Mercy pushed her way in, causing the chef to move back before he could discover the reason why it smelled like burnt hamburger in the alley. I followed close behind, hoping I didn’t look as pale and guilty as I felt.
“We sort of got lost,” she offered as an explanation while we pushed past him and headed back through the galley.
Just before we left the galley, Mercy turned to me. She grabbed me by my shoulders and forced my eyes to meet hers.
“You okay?” she asked.
“You j-just killed someone in the alley. It stunk like... like burned… Did you see? We almost got kidnapped and probably raped,” I sputtered.
“You do realize that this is what we’re going to be doing pretty soon! You said that you had my back, Hunter. Do you? Can I count on you to fire your weapon if necessary?” she asked.
I looked at her for a moment and then slowly nodded.
“For real, Hunter. I need to know. Can I count on you when things get scary? I understand we’re not used to this. I understand you just got startled and maybe never saw someone get shot before,” she said, “But it’s behind us now and we’ve got danger up ahead. Can I count on you?”
“I’ll shoot if I have to, Mercy. You can trust me,” I whispered.
“Good,” she nodded, then patted me on the cheek, “You’ll be alright. Now let’s get out there and somehow get into the thick of it all.”
About thirty minutes later, Mercy and I found ourselves in the dressing room seated in front of one of the vanities. We were pretending to touch up our makeup when suddenly, the world around us melted away. The dressing room disappeared, but the women around us didn’t. Suddenly, we were all located inside a large gymnasium where the screams and shouts of startled women echoed quite loudly off the walls and ceiling.
Mercy and I were pleased, yet at the same time frightened to note that we’d just been abducted as intended.
PART TWO
ABDUCTION
Twelve
It most certainly was an ordinary high school gymnasium with scoreboards, basketball hoops, and wooden plank flooring. The confusion of the women around us was palpable, but my attention was focused on those English words “home” and “visitor” imprinted on the scoreless alien scoreboard.
Were we not inside an alien spacecraft? Were we just transported to a high school gym somewhere nearby?
“What happened?” “Where are we?” “What’s going on?”
Their words all overlapped in a cacophony of confusion. Only Mercy and I had been expecting something similar to this. Suddenly a male voice blared from an intercom somewhere.
“Please calm down as an explanation is going to be forthcoming. Please quiet down so I can explain. You are safe and you will remain safe. Everyone in this gymnasium is in a safe environment, so please quiet down.”
“This isn’t a spaceship,” Mercy whispered to me, “Maybe it’s a waystation on Earth where they prepare us for transport.”
“Yeah, and you can bet all the doors are locked,” I whispered as the room slowly quieted down.
“Allow me to welcome you aboard the USS Maelstrom, circa 2508. You probably don’t remember this ship because it seems your whole society has forgotten its ancient interstellar past. If you do remember the Maelstrom, then you’ll recall we set out to Zeta2 Cancri in the Cancer constellation over three hundred years ago. We had set out to start a scientific research colony on the first human-compatible Earthlike planet we’d ever discovered which happened to be about eighty-three light years away.
“We lived and thrived as an extra-solar colony, growing in size and in population as we waited and prepared for more and more ships to arrive. We built extra housing and infrastructure, knowing that the people of Earth had no choice but to join us shortly. We were prepared for the ships to arrive, having already built hundreds of vacant homes and apartments. As the years passed by, we continued to farm and build, knowing there was surely a reason for the delay.
“And then the decades passed. Generations went by and still, we were met with no more ships arriving from Earth. Here we were, a mere two months away from the Earth via the Hawke Jump Drive, and yet we’d had no more ships coming or going. It took a while before we grew concerned enough to return to Earth and question their lack of urgency and motivation when it came to retreating from a doomed planet. We needed-”
The noise level rose as the women around us because asking questions amongst themselves or some questions directed toward the unidentified speaker. I took a hold of Mercy’s hand and tugged her away from the other women. As I did so, I pointed toward one of the exits which happened to be in the shape of a metal hatch, much like those on ships and submarines – or perhaps spaceships.
“This is a human ship? What year are we in again?” I whispered.
“Twenty-eight-something. I think it was something like 2890 or 2895,” Mercy replied, “Does it really matter?”
“He said ‘circa 2508’ so we’re talking about a ship that left Earth three hundred years ago. Think back to our own time, Mercy. Do we really know all the details about stuff that was going on in the 1700s? Can you name a single ocean vessel from the 1700s? Do you know where the ships were all going as they left England or ports in the ‘New World’?” I asked.
“What are you saying? That this guy is making this stuff up because the people here can’t confirm anything?” she asked.
I drew back from her as I gave her a sidelong glance, “Actually that’s a good point, but not the point I was making. I was
saying that he might really be part of a forgotten colony. It’s not so unbelievable when we’re talking spans of centuries. And everyone always thinks the Earth is doomed, so it makes sense that they thought leaving the Earth was a good decision.”
“The USS Maelstrom was named after a rogue black hole that was headed for the Orion arm of the Milky Way. People… People, please quiet down and listen,” the man continued, “In 2450, a black hole was detected in intergalactic space and it was moving at an enormous rate of speed. The Doppler Effect showed it was moving toward the Milky Way and more importantly, toward the Orion-Cygnus Arm which is where we are located. Please quiet down as this is important information I’m sharing with you.”
He seemed to pause as he waited for the gymnasium to quiet down. Then he continued.
“The Maelstrom, a name given to the rogue black hole, would collide with our galaxy in about two hundred and fifty years, beginning to tear apart the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. The gravitational effects would begin to destroy our own solar system in another hundred to two hundred years after its initial collision. The numbers have been crunched since then and been made more accurate. It was when we returned to the Solar System that we learned that the people of the Earth had forgotten about the Maelstrom. Whether this was intentionally kept from the people in order to avoid panic, or whether it was somehow naturally forgotten, we didn’t know at the time. What we do know now is that this will be our last trip to Earth to rescue women and children.
“This ship can only hold so many, and the trips to and from our new home world take about six months total. There was only so much we could do without creating mass panic. By the time we bring you to Zeta2 Cancri and return to Earth, the outermost gravitational effects of the black hole will have begun destroying the Solar System. In a year, the planetary orbits will be shaken and altered. Shortly after that, the planets will be stripped from their orbits altogether while the sun is drained of its mass. Two to three years from now, the sun will lose its ability to maintain a proper nuclear chain reaction, but that won’t matter to the people of Earth anyway because the planet will have already been removed from the Goldilocks Zone and the oceans will have all frozen over. And that’s assuming the atmosphere hadn’t already been stripped away. I’m sorry to share this horrible news with you, but you will be the last of the survivors taken from Earth to our new home far from the path of the Maelstrom.”
Maelstrom Page 4