by Chris Mills
Suddenly, Darren went quiet. He grinned. Kim rose in a flash. She tried not to hug Stephen too hard. “I’m fine,” he assured. All day, she had waited to see him awake. Herald let the chair come alongside the couch in the lounge.
“Well,” Darren said. “I’m going to talk with the cook like I promised. You’ll have some great burgers before we hit Galat II.”
“I could go for a burger,” Stephen said.
“I’ll let you know what I managed when I get back. Nothing a bit of bribery can’t do.”
Gabe questioned why they didn’t have some sort of machine like in the shows that replicated food. ‘A good burger is all I’d ask’ he had said. Darren talked about the cook onboard making a mean one. He went by a schedule he set. Gabe might get his wish before they landed, unless they arrived early and didn’t have time. She doubted they’d get right off the ship till things were sorted out. Had Herald got a hotel, or how did that work?
“I hope the lift doesn’t get stuck again,” Andy said. “Darren said he got caught yesterday in it.”
“Yes he did, along with two others,” Herald said. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. We got down here okay. This ship will be tuned up. I’m not sure what its new course will be.”
“They could take us home,” Gabe said. “The Voyage Home.”
“I doubt he wants to send this ship out for a while.”
Kim didn’t mind the room onboard. The issues she saw weren’t horrible - though she hadn’t been on other starships. Feeling like a speck to the one she saw yesterday was scary. She peered out the window. There was another one out there now. Its distance made her realize they were once again a speck. How could such a thing be built so large?
“Uh, what the heck,” Kim said. She stood slowly. Something flickered their way.
“God no,” Herald said. Kim found a hand on her shoulder. She was pushed hard into the hall. Andy followed. He hit the ground hard, face in shock. The very ship shook hard.
Gabe stumbled a bit, able to catch himself on the wall. Once more, a massive shake took the ship. Kim could barely stand before a wheelchair hit her side. “What’s going on?!” Gabe boomed.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Herald exclaimed. “We need to move.”
“Who’s attacking us?” Stephen asked.
“I don’t know, but we aren’t going to stand a chance.”
Red light illuminated the halls. Kim finally came to her feet. The onslaught had stalled. Herald motioned them towards a small set of double doors. He placed his hand on the panel. A small tunnel lit. He ordered them inside. Kim’s breaths quickened. Someone had joined them who clearly hadn’t been there a second ago.
“Don’t move,” the man demanded. He wore a black suit of armor and a helmet. Not a mark or symbol rested upon him.
The man took a single step. A hand flipped his arm into the air. A bullet tore into the ceiling. Herald brought his elbow back hard into the man’s chest. Back he went, hand reaching for his weapon. Two shots fired, one tearing through the man’s helmet.
“Now!” Herald ordered.
“You killed him,” Kim said faintly. Gabe took hold of her. She groaned. The tunnel was small and made her knees ache. Herald sealed the doors behind them.
“Where are we going?” Stephen asked.
“There’s a way off here,” Herald said. “Damn it, I need to get ahold of Darren.”
“You killed him,” Kim said once again.
“Wake up to reality, or you’ll be dead,” Herald said sternly. “Follow me. I’m going to try to contact Darren.”
The tunnel led into a small room where Kim could finally stand. Andy’s hand flowed through the air till she managed to help him up. Gabe had enough trying to help Stephen. Could he not walk yet? Herald kept his handheld out. He soon cursed.
“He’s not answering,” Herald said. “Damn it. We need to move. I fitted an escape shuttle with a modification out of request of the captain. It’s a long story. I doubt he’ll be using it.”
“How do you know we don’t stand a chance?” Stephen asked.
“We haven’t had a chance to fight back. The ship’s key systems are disabled. We are dead in the water. Now come on.”
The trip up a level was difficult. Stephen could climb, but not as fast as the rest. The images kept coming to mind of that man. Herald had to stop the man, like Howard, but what would have the man done if they’d complied? Kim felt like a fool to question someone aiming a weapon at them. A good smack to the face would help. Once again, she was on her knees.
“Not far,” Herald whispered. “Keep quiet. We have to get out of here before security stops trying to fight them off.”
“How long will that take?” Kim questioned.
“Not long.”
Gabe cursed under his breath. “You told us, things were going to be fine,” he said a bit loudly.
“Quiet,” Herald barked. “We don’t have time for this. Howard had obviously put a failsafe in to ensure we didn’t get far. He must have been working for someone.”
Kim kept moving. Her knees really started to ache. They couldn’t keep this up with Andy and Stephen. Finally, they took a turn coming back to the hall. Herald pressed his ear to the hatch.
“We need to move three doors to the left, fast,” Herald whispered. “I’m sorry, Stephen and Andy. Kim, Gabe, move them quick.” Kim nodded. She had been letting Andy keep hold of her shoe. His nails had dug into her ankles a couple time.
Hiss. Herald leaned his head out briefly. Like lightning, he was out. He pulled them each and rushed. His hand went quick with the panel. “Come on,” Gabe whispered.
“I’m trying,” Herald whispered harshly. He tried another pin. Kim sighed some relief. She led Andy quickly inside. “Now to -”
A force took Herald to the ground. Kim barely spun around when something hard slammed her face. The door slid closed behind a man in dark armor, unlike the one before. His helmet had an odd set of red eyes. A wicked-looking, curved gun with a long barrel was in his hand. Those eyes moved over them.
Andy groaned. Next to Herald, he had taken a hard hit to the floor. Blood seeped from his nose. “Curious,” the man said. His voice was dark and distorted. “What brought you here? Nevertheless, I know you have Kodon. Your colleague wouldn’t give me anything.”
“What did you do to Darren?” Herald said. He groaned once more and held his gut.
“So that was his name. Rest assured, I can have you join him soon as well. Give me Kodon.”
“I don’t know -”
Pieces of the metal ceiling splintered. Once more, the man fired his gun. “Who are you?” Stephen questioned. “Why do you want it?” More splintered. The man pointed the gun at Stephen.
“I am Hanash,” he said. “Kodon will be in my hands. Is it greater than your lives? You may get out of this if you cooperate.”
“Liar,” Stephen said.
Hanash sent a kick towards Stephen. If he hadn't managed to dodge a little, it could have broken his jaw. He rolled over the ground, holding his shoulder, till his belly came to the floor. God, please. That armor was tough. Kim still held her face. “Please,” she pleaded. “Give it to him. No one needs to die.”
“Very smart, miss,” Hanash said.
“Okay,” Herald said. “I have it. Please, don’t hurt them. They don’t belong here. They’re innocent.” Hanash held out his hand. He motioned once more for it. Herald stood up. “Please, put the gun down.”
“Give me it, now,” Hanash demanded.
Herald reached into his pants pocket. Why hadn’t it been in the lab, like he told Darren and them earlier?
“Faster. My finger is getting twitchy.”
Kim shrieked. A bullet struck the wall. A horrible distorted scream took hold. Hanash fell back, gun firing. He hit the ground. Kim didn’t think, she kicked the gun away. He writhed in pain, holding his chest. The gun so close could end it. That very thing had killed Darren. She felt some temptation yet wouldn’t budge. Murder wasn’t right
, and she hated it more seeing it firsthand.
Herald stood over Hanash. “Who shot him?” he asked. Stephen groaned. He sat up. Something sleek and deadly lay on his lap. “Jeez.”
Hanash screamed on. Herald took a deep breath and his foot swept. The man’s head turned hard. Hanash’s screams were gone. Herald bit his lip and wobbled to the back of the small room, cursing lightly
“Is he going to live?” Kim questioned.
“He got hit pretty bad,” Herald said.
Kim tried not to get to close. Hanash’s arm moved suddenly. A leg too. He groaned. If he were to die, she wanted to be far away the moment it came. This had to stop. Then a hiss turned their attention.
It had been curious why such a small room was here. There hadn’t been signs of any other doors in here, yet she knew the depth of the others was greater. All this had was a bookcase, a chair, and a table. The plate outside did read ‘Captain’s Lounge.’ The hiss came once more. Herald backed from the bookcase. Weird - it didn’t have any books, but plenty of tablets and odd fixtures. It came out with the rest of a section of the wall.
Hidden in here was a shuttle behind the wall. Someone rather slim may be able to squeeze around it for repairs. “Well, come on,” Herald said. The door slid open to the shuttle. Kim stared uncertainly at this blessing.
“Are you okay?” Kim asked. She helped Andy up. He already had signs of bruising.
“Are you?” Andy questioned. Kim shook her head, fighting back some tears. “We’ll be okay.”
“You can’t say that.”
“It has to be.”
Kim took Andy onto the shuttle. It only had seating for three and little else in it. Herald powered it up and got the door closed. His hand moved along the small dash. The light within faded. It didn’t appear like they’d be going anywhere. Suddenly, the shuttle shook.
“We have limited air,” Herald warned. “Control your breathing. We are emitting the least bit of power we can to keep the stealth field the captain had me install up. If they pick us up, we’ll hopefully come off as debris.”
“Oh no,” Kim said. She covered her mouth. They really were a speck. A massive vessel was above them.
“Who is that?” Stephen asked.
“Quiet,” Herald said. He soon shrugged. For something that big, there had to be money. On they floated. Kim could not see a thing anymore, but distant stars. Her mind kept pleading to be calm.
In, out; Kim closed her eyes. Had the air already thinned? Something peaceful had to come to her mind. Home, the wedding; there had to be something. A chill started to take to her body. Kim tried to limit the breaths she took further.
Warmth, airflow. Kim took a deep breath. Herald worked with the dash. He tapped a screen. “We aren’t out of this,” he said. “I’m going to take us to the gas giant. It should shield us. We need to make for the Cradle Launcher Station on the edge of this solar system.”
“Why aren’t they helping?” Stephen asked.
“It’s a private company, and I doubt they are paying too much attention to something far away like us. We aren’t in their area by far.”
Thrusters fired once more, altering their course. A greenish gas moved quickly towards them. The shuttle shook lightly. Engines finally fired. Herald took them through. Kim tried to clear her mind again. She searched the two compartments in the back and hoped to find more. Tools had no use. A rag would have to do. She brought it to Andy’s nose.
“Hold this here,” Kim said. “You didn’t get much on your shirt.”
“I don’t care about my shirt,” Andy whispered. “I don’t even know what’s going on. Who was that man?”
“I don’t know,” Herald said. “I can’t believe what I’m reading. It’s impossible.”
“What?” Stephen questioned.
“My scans read that as a Talon Federation cruiser. The Amandora.”
“Who?”
“Another alliance,” Herald explained. He rubbed his face. A few times his fist slammed the armrest. “This isn’t right. There will be much to talk to Councilman Wallace about. Once we’re on Galat II; things will be fine. Damn it, Darren,”
Kim wished she had something to say. Herald had managed to save them and get them here, yet she barely knew him. Now all he knew was gone - like them.
“I think we’re in the clear,” Herald said. “I’m going to slowly increase our - No! How could you?!” Kim took a sudden breath. Herald’s brief cry tore upon them all. “No, not them all.”
“The whole ship?” Stephen questioned.
Silence fell once more.
Chapter Eight
Bits still continued to fire off what was left of the engine. It was never clean like this. All that would be left to identify the Galatian Empire’s Explorer C would be the indicators on the hull fragments or specific pieces that were placed in the workings in cases like this. Debris continued to move out from the final point of explosion.
The bridge around had two levels, one for observation, the other for officers to command from. Many stations were filled for this. Crew continued to scan around, keep tabs on what transmission may be going on, and ensuring the rest of this operation went well. A long walkway served for commanding officers and ran straight down the bridge. At the very end, before the drop, was a chair. A roughly built human male in his fifties sat, one leg extended over the other, watching the holographic monitor before him. A shine could easily come to the top of his bald head.
Reports piled up from security crews who had been onboard. The crew had been dealt with. Many pointless deaths could have been stopped if they’d have answered. A dozen were being searched in the shuttle bay and no clue yet had come what to do with them. Not everyone needed to die.
“Captain,” someone called. Captain James McCall’s head snapped to a woman below. “Herald Zumerkrin is not aboard the Amandora.”
James leaned forward. A report ensured the Explorer C was clear. They investigated a small animal that was now aboard. He scratched his chin briefly. Some scarring had come under his chin from years back, which he had yet to have healed. His sharp green eyes stared once more at the detailed report on a screen projected above his armrest.
“Are we sure he wasn’t onboard that ship?” he questioned. “Positive,” a man assured from not far away. “Let’s hope your force didn’t kill him.”
Commander Vixen served as second in command of the vessel. His black wavy hair wasn’t trim as a man in his command should be, and the odd choice today of a black jacket with buckles down its front added to the uniqueness. The second in command of this fine vessel could hold his own with as toned and fit as he was. Their green eyes locked quick. Vixen tended to push James’s buttons, yet orders stated he could not be removed from command. He strolled back down the walkway. Stairs would take him in the back to his desk - where James would prefer him to stay.
Knuckles on head; James stared off out the window above. He knew little of this Zumerkrin fellow. He once more pulled up this boring fellow on his screen. What was so special about him which allowed him to retrieve Kodon? That too, James was uncertain about. He wanted to see it firsthand. He scrolled through the reports more. Not much had changed.
“Sir, we just got a report, sending it your way!” a man shouted in the back. They did have a better system than that.
James shook his head. “You gotta be kidding me,” he said. “Damn it! Scan beyond. We’re looking for a shuttle.”
“There’s no way we could have missed that,” a young officer assured. James rose and approached the edge. This height made him truly tower over the young crewman. His last name may be Corte. James forgot the names of those who were weak.
“Do you want to keep your job, or would you prefer the abyss?”
“I, I’m certain, I didn’t see anything. A power signature would have been detected.”
James huffed. “We had an agent go right for Kodon,” he mocked. “Not even he could do the damn job. We need to figure out if there is a trail
out there. It can’t have gone far!”
“I think I have something,” a woman said. “I, I am uncertain. There is a lot coming into the cradle territory. Rest assured, captain, they would have not got a distress call. We hit them.”
“I know what we did! Find them. There has to be a vessel belonging to the Explorer C. We wouldn’t be in this mess if our agent hadn’t gotten -”
“I would watch your words, captain,” a dark, distorted voice rose.
Hanash approached in newly darkened red armor that had been delivered a week ago aboard, special for him. A slim portion of the chest was pitch black and wrapped over his shoulder. The same darkness ran down in four parallel lines on the helmet, past those void-of-light eyes, and split back around. Tiny red horns fit what those who known Hanash to be - The Demon.
“I am not responsible for shuttle launches.”
“They found you on the floor,” James spat. “You were as good as dead.”
“Watch your words. I do not work for you.”
James’s hands did not raise. That weapon of Hanash’s could be set to kill or shoot something into a person’s system to cause severe pain. This demon tortured people when he started this career. His record had more in the past to show, and James did not want to read some bits again. Hanash’s real name had been lost to true record or one James couldn’t obtain.
James took an easy breath. The gun retreated into its holster. “Herald Zumerkrin outfitted another stealth shuttle,” Hanash said.
“We took the shuttle bay first,” James said.
“The captain had an escape vessel. You easily would look over something that seemed to be debris on your scanners. He’s smarter than you.”
“Details I was not told do not make it my fault. You have been ordered to leave. I will supply a vessel on hand for you. I will figure out where he went.”