The Boneyards of Nebula

by Rod Little

  “Stay here!” Shane called back. “And keep track of those crawler things!”

  Getting all of the groups together wasn't as hard as Shane had assumed it would be. They were scared and looking to him for direction. He played that hand well, and explained the new plan for finding the creatures and ensuring everyone's safety. In times of crisis, he found an advantage in honesty.

  The room was stifling, crowded with every person from the station, save the small crew with Bem in the operations room. The atmosphere felt suffocating, despite full ventilation in perfect working order. It was the idea that they were restricted to the lounge that made it so difficult to swallow.

  Rita and Camila did a lot to help guide the others, and only a few of the newer arrivals caused a fuss. Soon the people settled down, and barely a word was uttered, except in whispers. Fear drove many of them to stay quiet and take direction. They passed around drinks of water and cool tea.

  The intercom beeped, and Shane ran to answer it. The voice was Bem's.

  “I am tracking all heat signatures outside the lounge area. They should all be non-human.”

  “And...”

  “There are two sizable groups moving rapidly toward your location, both from the east corridor. It is possible that some are in the vents above that hallway.”

  “Fabulous.” Shane turned to Camila. “I think we did exactly what the creatures wanted us to do. We got dinner all wrapped up and ready for them in one place. A neatly packed room of TV dinners.”

  “They're coming?”

  “They're coming... like bad relatives on a holiday.” Shane punched the intercom button. “Bem. Where are they now? How far away?”

  The robot's voice was calm and even. “Almost upon you. I estimate less than one minute until they breach the hallway that leads into the lounge. What are your instructions?”

  “Listen closely. I need you to do three things.” He had a plan as flimsy as a paper airplane, but it was all he could think of at the moment.

  After giving Bem his instructions, Shane whistled to get everyone's attention.

  “I need anyone with a weapon to line up in front of this hallway. Mitch, you're on point. Anything crawls even close to the door... shoot it. Everyone else, move to the other end of the lounge.” He pulled Camila close to him. “I need you to do something.”

  “Sure. What?”

  “Take as many of these people as you can down the maintenance shaft to the lowest deck.”

  “Why? That only leads to...”

  “Yes. And you need to get them there fast. Can you do it? Quickly?”

  “I can do anything.” She leaned in and kissed him, then spun around to gather the others into groups.

  Shane was a little stunned by the kiss, but dire events shook him back into play.

  The vent above the hallway shuddered from a heavy blow. Then it popped clear and flew across the room, bouncing off a table and clattering loudly across the floor. A creature poked its head through the opening, and Mitch fired his shotgun into its mouth.

  Four more creatures screamed into the hallway and scrambled over each other to get to the lounge.

  Mitch continued to shoot, along with Jason and Jones now at his side.

  “Here we go,” Shane said, and cocked his gun. For once, he was glad Mitch was standing next to him.

  Chapter 17

  Teak had been guarding the door to the Praihawk, patiently waiting to get back to his meal. Bohai nodded to his friend, as they filed back onboard their ship and tipped off Sheni not to be frightened.

  “He's with us.”

  “That's frightening,” she said, never taking her eyes off the giant arachnid, as she passed into their ship. She had never seen a spider before.

  George retrieved the short spear from the dead Saratu's head, and was last to leave the science ship. After all five of them were back inside, the door was sealed tight, and disinfection protocols were engaged. Each of them was scanned for viruses, which came up negative. No bugs.

  Dexter turned off the magnetic clamps and eased the Praihawk away from the science vessel. They could still see it, but now they circled a safe distance away to avoid further infestation.

  Sam leaned against the bulkhead, tired from his use of the spark. Not exhausted – but sufficiently drained to force him to stop and take a moment to breathe. Bohai squeezed his shoulder as he passed, his way of saying: “You'll be okay; just take a beat.”

  “Any more of those things on the ship?” George asked.

  “This ship? No. Only the three that are dead,” Dexter replied. “But on that ship, still a good horde. I hope you don't still need anything on it, because I'm inclined to blow it to smithereens with a torpedo. Any grievance with that?”

  Sheni fished the drive out of her pocket. “No, we're good. I've got what I need from it.”

  “Then this science vessel is about to become part of history,” Dexter announced. He turned to the others. “No objections?”

  George shook his head. “None. Send it to hell.”

  Dexter backed the Praihawk further away, raised shields, and launched a torpedo at the Sayan science vessel. Without its own shields powered, it exploded into a ball of yellow, and then nothing but darkness. Instantly it became a thousand pieces of metal and wire, more rubble for the boneyards, and the creatures left on board were destroyed.

  They hoped.

  The dead bodies of the disfigured creatures on the Praihawk were also jettisoned into space, including the remaining shriveled carcass of the one Teak had eaten. Only a small sample of flesh had been retained, isolated in the lab for study.

  “You sure no one else was on board the ship?” Sam asked.

  “Impossible to be sure; the heat signatures were all over the place. Difficult to differentiate between human beings and alien creatures.”

  “Trust me, no humans were left but me,” Sheni said. “It's pure luck that I survived. And... son of a...” Her mouth fell open, and she eyed Dexter like someone examining a severed head in a jar. “I know who you are. You're the President's outcast brother. The damn President's brother.”

  Dexter looked her up and down, visibly unimpressed by their guest. “Yes. In the flesh. And who are you?”

  “Sheni Akan, from the Science Corps.”

  “Would you like to tell me what you're doing out here in the Nebula? In the Boneyards, no less! Please enlighten us.”

  “Looking for a ship.”

  “Any ship? Or one in particular?”

  She hesitated before answering, then exhaled heavily and surrendered the information. She looked weak and tired and in no mood to fight back any longer. “We were sent to find a special ship. Your brother's defense minister needs it to complete the invasion, and to solidify the reunification efforts. There is something special on board it.”

  “What ship?”

  “The Blue Orca.”

  “Another myth,” Dexter snorted. “It never existed. You're hunting ghosts, lady.”

  “A myth like the Saratu? The same Saratu you just saw with your own two eyes. Were they ghosts? No.”

  Dexter couldn't argue with that. More than one myth had been busted today, and the day was still young. Would unicorns be proven by day's end? The whole encounter broke against what he knew, and that annoyed him – even galled him. He hated unsolved puzzles when they undermined his science.

  “Will someone please tell me what the hell a Blue Orca is?” George asked. He reached over and snatched the revolver from Sheni's hands. “You won't be needing this anymore, lady.”

  She gave it up, no argument.

  Dexter explained: “The myth says the Blue Orca was an ancient ship, not Sayan and not Earthian, that was sent here to stop the Sayan-Earthian wars years ago. They say it forced a peace treaty. It was sent by a special power, some even think by God, to keep peace in this universe.”

  “Clearly, it didn't work,” Sam said.

  “It did!” Sheni argued. “Until this invasion, this galaxy h
ad known only peace. For a century, peace here and in the galaxies around us, too.”

  “And Loxtan wants this phantom ship to control the world?” Dexter asked. “He wants to complete his invasion and also keep Lusus in line with some super-weapon? That is ridiculous.”

  “It's not ridiculous, if we find the ship,” she countered. “Are you helping your brother. Is that why you're here?”

  Dexter raised an eyebrow. “Decidedly not.”

  “But...”

  Sam interrupted, “Let's not pull at that thread right now; it's a long thread, trust me. We have bigger problems. Here are your germ samples, Dexter. Space goo and icky dust.”

  The scientist took the two vials from Sam, but looked disappointed. “That's it? Only two?”

  “We were a little busy over there, guy! We were trying to avoid being eaten. Sorry I didn't have time to wipe down every surface and stay alive at the same time.”

  “Never mind,” Sheni said. “I have all the data you need.” She tucked her hand in her pocket and caressed the data stick.

  “Can you tell us if you found that ship, the Blue Orca?” Sam asked.

  “It's here in the Boneyards,” she said with total certainty. “I know it is. But we couldn't reach it. It's deeper inside, and those creatures are everywhere. They can hold their breath for days and are immune to the pressures of space, which means they can live outside the ship, on the ship even. They can jump from any piece of wreckage onto any ship and enter through the engine vents or weapons portals.”

  “Fascinating,” Dexter said. “It's as if they were made for the Boneyards. We'll need to keep a safe distance from any other ship – or any wreck or debris. Do you know how far they can jump?”

  “No, but I'm sure they can jump at least a few meters,” she said, “and you'll be shoulder to shoulder with all kinds of wreckage if you go deeper into the Boneyards.”

  “We'll find a way.”

  Then Sheni looked at Sam. “I've never seen anyone with that much spark. It's incredible.”

  “I take my vitamins,” Sam said. He felt no need to share his life story with this stranger.

  “He is different,” Dexter said, but also seemed annoyed at the distraction. He switched the subject back to the Blue Orca. “Do you have the ship's coordinates?”

  Sheni produced her data stick and handed it to Dexter, who took it with an exasperated frown.

  “This ship isn't equipped to read Sayan data sticks. We can't use this.”

  “It doesn't matter. I can show you where the Orca is right now.”

  She sat down at a keyboard and punched in the coordinates. The monitor created a map and showed their position in green, and then a red dot blinked to show the Blue Orca. In between them lay a hundred wrecked ships and their parts, all floating in space, and any one of them could be infested with more of the Saratu.

  “That looks bad,” George said. “Like a minefield. I don't like it.”

  Bohai sat at another panel and started stabbing buttons and turning dials.

  “We're not going in deeper on a wild goose chase,” Dexter said. “You're chasing a dead end. Even if the Blue Orca exists, there is nothing of any value on it. Trust me. I know fake gold when I see it.”

  “And if it's real? You want your brother finding it? Or Lusus?”

  “We're going back to Starbase 21,” Sam said. “We rescued you. The mission is over.”

  “Speaking of the Starbase,” Bohai said. “I can't raise them on the comm system.”

  “The data-stream?”

  He tried again. “No. There's no more link. They're gone.” He turned to look at them. “They're just gone.”

  Part II

  “They glared upon us with their goggle-green eyes, twisting their long snaky necks and tails, snarling and spitting like enraged cats.”

  ― G. W. Pope, Journey to Venus

  Death requires reverence. Otherwise, it may take note of you!

  ― Soren Jayden Summer

  Chapter 18

  Neptune's defense minister met with Lusus in a private meeting that was tantamount to treason. The two men had been conspiring for months to share control of the planet. Of course, Lusus did not share power.

  “The science vessel has been destroyed,” the minister reported.

  “That is unfortunate,” Lusus said. “And the crew, all dead?”

  “All evidence of our involvement is gone. But there remains the Earthian ship. That damn Praihawk is still poking around the Nebula.”

  “Still there? Why?”

  “No matter. They will be dead soon enough, as well. In the unlikely event that they escape the Nebula anomaly alive, I will have a few surprises waiting for them outside the anomaly.”

  “And if they get the object?”

  “You really think there's a chance of that? Surely not. I am certain they do not even know why the science ship was there in the first place.”

  “I hope you're right. Be certain, before you destroy them. I want the ship boarded and searched.”

  “Everything is under control.”

  “If so, then why are we talking now,” Lusus said through gritted teeth. “Nothing went as planned.”

  The defense minister was a little frightened of this strange man, and did not like being aligned with him. However, it did seem the only way forward.

  “Get it done,” Lusus said. “I don't want that ship ever to make it back here.”

  “You worry too much. Consider it taken care of.”

  * * *

  Gena and John were awakened at the same time. The group was being relocated to another holding area. They were marched out of the small jail building and up a street toward the top of a hill. A tent city had been set up on the other side for the refugees.

  Gena saw their new friend Erakan among the guards, and she caught him with a smile. John also ticked off a hand gesture that passed for a wave in his cool manner. Erakan restricted his response to a half-smile in return. He didn't want to seem too friendly with the refugees. The Earthlings formed a long line and hiked up the hill. The guards lingered around various points on either side, guns in hand, scanning the group for any problems.

  Near the top of the hill, a commotion began to rise from startled voices to shouting, and then sprang into a full riot. People started running and screaming, tossing their wares aside to get out of the way – shoving each other to escape from something. A few raced back down the hill, while most others fled west onto the grass. Much of the yelling made no sense.

  And then John saw it, and somehow wasn't surprised. He always knew those cocoons were cooking up something bad. This, however, was worse than he had imagined.

  A dozen Saratu burst from the trees and attacked, horrid animals sprinting on six legs. People clamored, ran, and screamed. One man curled into a ball and hid his head, as if this were a bear attack. Hysteria blinded the reality of what was actually happening, as everyone solely focused on escaping the assault; many cresting the hilltop to try and reach the tent city first.

  No one noticed that the creatures weren't attacking them. They were only attacking the guards.

  But John caught on right away. He pulled Gena away from the nearest soldier and urged her forward. She was no desert flower, and didn't need to be protected. She scanned the roadside and found a large stick. She weighed it in her hands, a sturdy enough bludgeoning weapon. John pulled out his pocket watch and twirled it on its chain. It could deliver a blow itself that was not to be taken lightly.

  The guards were poor shots, but they did manage to kill five of the twelve creatures. The other seven began taking down the soldiers one at a time. John saw a creature knock down Erakan, who was using both arms to try to push the creatures jaws away.

  John pounced and wrapped his pocket-watch chain around the creature's neck, then pulled back with all his strength. Gena swung wide with her stick and delivered a hearty blow to its skull. This bought Erakan enough time to get his gun in place and shoot the beast in the ches
t. It collapsed dead on top of him.

  Gena and John helped roll the creature off Erakan and onto the road. Its body jerked with a spasm, white blood exuding from its wound, but it had expired. John extended a hand and helped Erakan to his feet. He mumbled an embarrassed “thanks,” then chased after his comrades to see the last of the creatures put down.

  More shots fired clumsily from guns – poorly maintained guns in the hands of poorly trained soldiers.

  Outnumbered, eventually all the Saratu were killed. Their milky blood trickled back down the hill and forced the refugees to sidestep its slick stream to avoid slipping and falling. For now, the humans were safe. And Gena thanked God for that, out loud.

  “We were never not safe,” John whispered to Gena. “Those things only wanted... them. The invaders.”

  “Strange as I've ever seen,” she said. “But you're right. They only wanted the alien folk.”

  “This ain't the last of them, so keep your eyes open. We saw a ton of those cocoons all over the countryside, and you and I both know that's what these animals done hatched from.”

  “Yep. Sure enough.”

  “Just keep both eyes peeled. And stay close to me.”

  “Better you stay close to me,” she chuckled. “I'm the one with the big stick.”

  John laughed. He'd never have made it this far without his wife. Her wit kept him going, and her strength kept him alive.

  “Right you are, honey dew.”

  Chapter 19

  Deeper into Nebula's Boneyards, the Praihawk steered around debris and metal parts of ships so old they once flew above dinosaurs on strange planets and tormented their daily routines.

  The decision had been made to look for the Blue Orca, despite radio silence from Starbase 21. This followed a heated debate, but ultimately none of the team members wanted to see a mysterious weapon fall into the hands of either Lusus or Loxtan. If it truly existed, better for Shane's people to have it – or to destroy it.

  Their ship sailed on the lowest power setting, inching its way past the fractured wing of an L-class warship. Its tip almost scraped against their own starboard wing, missing them by a hair.