The Boneyards of Nebula

by Rod Little

  “Your... friend there, he startled me. That's all.”

  “Really? Teak? He's a pussycat.”

  “I was surprised. Even a pussycat can surprise someone, you know.”

  “Yeah, it was a little unexpected,” George said.

  “Teak? Or my scream?”

  “Both. And also a little too high-pitched for my taste.”

  Teak disappeared into the tubular vent. Sheni and Dexter came rushing into the engine room, saw the dead body and looked up for answers.

  “Anyone hurt?” Dexter asked.

  “Only Junior's feeling,” George said, nodding toward Sam. “He'll be okay, though. None of us were bitten.”

  The clicking sound started again, then broke off. There was a faint squeal inside the engine's vent tube, then a scraping sound. All five of the humans raised their guns and waited for the next thing to crawl out of the vent.

  It was Teak, dragging the dead body of another Saratu. He dumped it on the floor for the others to dispose of. He himself was already full.

  Random thumps echoed off the ship's hull. They took a guess that it was more of the Saratu crawling around the ship, trying to find a way in.

  “Can they get in?” Sam asked.

  “Not if we don't open the engine vents,” Dexter replied. “I don't see any other way they can get inside.”

  “Which means we can't use the engines,” Bohai said. “We're stuck here. Stuck again.”

  “But we're at the target,” Sheni said. “The Blue Orca, it's right on front of us.”

  “So how do we get to it?” Sam asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  Before they walked back to the control room, Sheni grabbed George's arm and yanked him aside. She held out the pistol, and said, “Show me how to use this.”

  Back in the control room, the crew stared at the main monitor. The giant whale-shaped ship filled the screen, a shiny metal hulk against the backdrop of pure black space. It had a giant silver eye, and sharp silver teeth jutted at the front.

  “It's not blue,” Sam said. “It's called the Blue Orca, but it's not blue.”

  “Thank you for stating the obvious,” Dexter snapped. “Coloring is not our problem at the moment. We need a means to get on board that vessel.”

  He punched up a readout on a smaller screen. No life signs appeared inside the whale ship. That meant no humans and no creatures, unless they were minuscule. A virus was always possible, so they would wear protective gear. Heat shielding might also interfere with the sensors, but right now it did appear to be a ghost ship – an empty vessel hanging in space, oblivious to the universe around it. Even for the Boneyards, this sleeping giant was a specter of despair, a lonely dead shell. It imbued a cold and heartless feeling, which none of them could explain, but which all of them experienced.

  “Empty. Well, that's a bonus,” George said. “At least those bony varmints aren't on it.”

  “I don't see any way to open their loading bay,” Dexter said, rubbing two fingers pensively along his temple. He turned to Sheni, “How did your team plan to get inside? How do you propose we get inside? It's not like the science vessel. This one didn't leave the back door open.”

  Sheni quoted:

  “And through the eye we entered the craft,

  its iris we pressed and opened its shaft,

  and into its chamber we found its star chart,

  to take control of its powerful heart...”

  Everyone looked at her, and she explained, “It's from an old poem about the myth. Or... I guess the reality of it, of the Orca. Look at the silver eye. It's a doorway. We can get inside through the iris, get onto its bridge.”

  “You got that from a poem?” Bohai asked. “I don't actually see how you got all that from a few lines of an old poem.”

  “Trust me, it makes sense, if you listen to me,” she urged. “We can get in through the eye. That leads to the artifact, and probably also to the bridge where we can control some of the systems. Turn the lights on and look for any other secrets it holds.”

  “It holds a weapon or it is the weapon?” Sam asked. “I'm still not clear. You said it stopped an ancient war. By itself or with something else?”

  “There's a powerful weapon on that ship,” She said. “I don't know what it is, but we'll know it when we see it. I'm sure of it.”

  “That is all pure speculation,” Dexter said derisively. “We don't know if any of it is true, including the eye.”

  However, he zoomed in on the great eye's form and did find a depression in the center of its iris. He aimed a low-power force-field laser at it, powered just enough to apply pressure, and fired its beam at the eye's center. Upon impact, the iris began rotating a series of blades that spun open.

  The eye had become an open door.

  “I'll be damned,” George whistled. “We got ourselves a way in.”

  “I am as surprised as you,” Dexter said. “I never thought that would work.”

  “Okay, so we have a doorway, and its open,” Sam said. “How do we get from here to there. And keep in mind, if we get close enough, those creatures up there will also get into the Orca ship.”

  “We cannot activate the engines again,” Dexter said. “We must stay here, keep our distance, and go over in primary life support suits. We'll walk inside. Or rather, you will walk inside.”

  “Um, may I point out a glaring flaw in your plan?” Sam asked. “If we go out there to space-walk into it... won't those creatures get to us and have us for lunch? I don't want to be a Munchable today.”

  “Not if you kill them first,” Dexter said, pointing to the blaster rifles and then at George. “Isn't that why he came along? You need to shoot them off the ship, while these two go on board.” He pointed to Sam and Bohai.

  “Us?” Sam asked. “Me and Bohai?”

  “Well, I'm not sending her,” Dexter said. “We still don't know who she is or if we can trust her. If you do find a weapon, we'll decide whether or not to bring it on board the Praihawk. But either way, she shouldn't have access to it. Please do remember, she is on a mission from the Sayan Command. Or so she claims.”

  “What is your problem?” Sheni asked angrily. “Have I done something to offend you? You've been hostile to me since we met.”

  “And by the way,” Dexter continued, “I'm not buying this poem crap. You didn't figure out that eye-shaped door from some ancient story. You're not telling us everything you know. There's more to your mission that you're keeping from us. I'm sure of it. In other words: you're lying.”

  “Fine, I'll stay here,” She huffed. “I appreciate the rescue. I do. But I told you already I'm not keeping any secrets. And I've given you no reason to distrust me.”

  “Well, you did invade our planet,” George offered. “That's a start.”

  “We invaded to help you,” she insisted. “We brought a cure for your virus, and now we're rebuilding your cities. We're also getting rid of the rebels for you.”

  The others exchanged looks of confusion.

  “What virus?” Dexter asked.

  “The one that killed off most of your population. That's why we decided to break the treaty and go rescue the rest of you.”

  Dexter frowned and looked at her sideways. “That's the story they sold to you? It's highly inaccurate.”

  “It's true.”

  “Babe, it's pretty far from true,” George said. “It's not even in the same county as true. Your army sent a biological weapon that turned most of us into reptiles. Then your rebels swooped down to kill off the rest of us. This was all just so you could take our cities and relocate to our sunny planet, as I understand it.”

  “That's ridiculous.”

  “He speaks the truth,” Dexter said. “We've lived through it, so we know first-hand. And I can tell you it was not a pleasant experience.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Sheni took a step back as if slapped. She appeared to need time to absorb this new information, but Dexter didn't buy
it. He believe her reaction was all an elaborate act.

  “As a scientist I often mistrusted the government I worked for, but I never thought they would outright lie to us,” she said.

  “Lying is my brother's favorite past-time,” Dexter countered. “It's his mantra.”

  She snorted. “Okay, so some of this story does make a modicum of sense. It fills in some unusual gaps and coincidences in the story being spun back home. But I'm shocked.”

  You're not shocked, Dexter thought. You're not even startled.

  George cleared his throat. “Not to break up this little party of truths and lies, but... we do have an open door. Shouldn't we get in and close it before someone or something else gets inside ahead of us?”

  “Yes, yes,” Dexter agreed. “We need to move quickly. Our power reserves are still draining fast. You three get suited up. There's no time for argument. Quickly now.”

  “And how do we get from here to there?” Sam asked again. “It's pretty far.”

  “The PLS suits have booster rockets in the boots and on the cuffs. It's too far for a tether, so you'll have to get it right the first time.”

  “Wonderful,” Bohai moaned. “I always wanted to die floating in space.”

  “I'll guide you through it. If you pay attention to me, it will be fine.” Dexter said. He maintained a strong tone of certainty in his voice, which went a long way to reassure all of them. “Magnets in the boots will allow you to walk on the ship's wing until you're ready to fly over. And George, you'll need to keep the creatures busy until the boys take off. Once in flight, they should be okay, as long as they don't miss the eye's door.”

  George winked. “You're lucky. I'm in the mood to shoot critters today. Let's suit up, gentlemen. Daylight's burning!”

  “Daylight is not burning,” Dexter corrected him. “There is no sunlight here. But time is indeed short. Please hurry.”

  A space walk, Sam mused. If only Shane could see me now. He'd be livid.

  And then he wondered if Shane was okay, and what he was doing at this very moment. The space station was still silent. He wondered what was keeping them off the comm systems.

  “Probably just a loose wire,” he said to himself. “Just a loose communications panel wire.”

  Chapter 22

  After reaching the last deck at the top end of the shaft, the discouraging reality sank in for Shane, Jason and Mitch; they realized how dire their situation had become. Chased up the service shaft to the top floor by a rogue group of creatures, there was no place left to go. Few spaces existed for hiding on this floor. Only a large Atrium, its doors agape to the right, but it led nowhere. The room was a giant vault housing plants and shrubs, and a domed skylight to view the stars. A veritable dead end.

  But it was about to get worse.

  Shane found the intercom on the wall and hit the buttons: 2-1-2 for the control room. “Anyone there?”

  Bem opened the channel. “Bem here. Why are you located on the Atrium deck?”

  “Did everyone else get to the rendezvous point?” Shane asked.

  “They did. But you did not.”

  “See those three heat signatures on the top deck? That's us. And we're being followed.”

  “Your situation is more urgent than you know,” Bem stated mechanically. “The lounge force-field has failed. The other creatures are now migrating in your direction – and at a rapid pace. Soon you will be overtaken.”

  “If we hide in the Atrium, can you lock it?”

  “I can.”

  “And the creatures won't be able to get in?”

  “They should not be able to penetrate the Atrium doors, once they are sealed.”

  “No,” Jason said. “I have a better idea. Bem, if we get all the beasts inside the Atrium, can you seal them inside?”

  “I can.”

  “How are we gonna....” Shane started to ask, but then he followed Jason's line of sight and saw what he had in mind.

  “We'll lure them in, then climb out the roof maintenance hatch,” Jason said.

  “That particular hatch is situated thirty-six meters above ground,” Bem informed them. “The creatures are avid climbers. I do not believe you can climb the ladder faster than your pursuers.”

  “We can,” said Jason. He looked scared, but confident. “We can.”

  “What's the code to the hatch, Bem?”

  “0021. I suggest you proceed with increased alacrity,” Bem chided. “You have less than two minutes before contact.”

  Shane's mind was reeling with a dozen questions, but he followed Jason and Mitch into the Atrium. He eyed the ladder that seemed to stretch a hundred miles into the air. It made him dizzy just looking up at it.

  “Mitch, I'm guessing you're not a fast climber,” he said. “You go first and open the hatch.”

  The nine-fingered man began climbing the ladder toward the top, but didn't complain about the insult. He knew he was gaining weight and knew he wasn't fast; he knew his own shortcomings better than anyone.

  Jason jogged to the center of the Atrium and searched around the chairs arranged for stargazing, and the bushes there for aesthetics. Frantically he looked for something that would attract the horde deeper into the room. And then he found it: the music player. Speakers were fastened to four short poles, arranged to play soothing symphonies for the guests of the star show.

  He bolted back to the intercom, past Shane and Mitch already on the ladder, knowing he had only seconds left.

  “Bem, can you start the music, and only in the back speakers, the ones further inside? And play it loud!”

  “I can. What selection – ?”

  “I don't care! Play anything! And loud!”

  Jason sprinted back into the Atrium and started up the ladder. Mitch was already at the top, punching the key code. The hatch swung open, and the man waited. Shane stood on the ladder six feet below him, one hand on the rungs and the other holding his gun. He faced outward toward the room's center.

  The music started, loud, as promised. It was Beethoven's Fifth.

  “I would have gone with Deep Purple,” Jason griped, but continued up the ladder. “Okay. Let's see what happens.”

  Jason was only twenty feet from the ground when the four rogue creatures found the Atrium and crept inside toward the music. Then the horde from the lounge raced full speed into the Atrium and tore straight for the speakers at the back. The sound drove them to madness, and they tore into the audio devices with a vengeance. Only one small creature broke away and started climbing the wall toward Jason. He shot it in the head, and it fell hard to the floor, leaving him with only one bullet left in the chamber.

  Mitch passed through the hatch and slid down the wall on the other side, cursing at the lack of any ladder on this wall. His hands and feet caught the edges of the slats on the partition to slow his fall. Shane came down after him, a bit harder, and they both splayed onto the floor and rolled. Mitch got back to his feet and reached the door first; he punched the control panel and the door shut.

  The horde was trapped inside!

  In that instant the music fizzled out – the wires had been ripped from their sockets. The beasts had taken out their frustration on the speakers and the entire sound system. Sparks sputtered, then the electronics died.

  Shane hit the intercom. “Now Bem, lock the door.” A snap could be heard, the doors locked tight. “You and Walter lock the station down and meet us at the rendezvous point.”

  Shane looked up and watched Jason close and lock the hatch at the top of the wall, and that's why he didn't see the stragglers behind him. Two alien creatures had lagged behind. They clicked first, then snarled before lunging at Shane, knocking him onto his stomach. His pistol slid across the glassy metal floor and spiraled down the hall. One creature moved in for the kill.

  Mitch fired his shotgun at the closest one – the last of his shells – and blew the right side of its head off. The other one was already on top of Shane, who rolled over and fought hard with both han
ds to keep its jaws at bay.

  Mitch dropped his shotgun and grabbed the alien by its back leg. He pulled with all his strength, until the creature was off of Shane.

  Then something strange happened: the creature screamed in pain, almost like a human baby's scream. The rest of the horde stopped clawing at the door and howled back. An odd look of understanding suddenly passed over the alien creature's eyes, as if it realized something unexpected. Its back leg was hurt, but the men had no clue why. And then the creature hobbled away, down the hallway, out of sight. It did not put up a fight. It limped on five legs, as its hind leg seemed to shrivel and fail.

  The horde in the Atrium grew silent.

  Jason jumped to the floor. He and Mitch helped Shane to his feet and checked him for any wounds. They were all uninjured.

  “That was weird,” Jason panted, catching his breath. “Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine. Never knew you were so strong,” Shane said to Mitch. “You broke its leg.”

  Mitch looked confused. “I'm not. And I didn't. I just yanked hard. Strangest thing... I don't get it.”

  “Let me see your hands. You get something on them, like a pesticide?”

  “No. My hands are dirty, that's all. Got nothing else on 'em.”

  “Never mind. Let's catch up with the others. Walter and Bem should be there soon.”

  They ran down the left bifurcation of the hall, avoiding the corridor into which the injured creature had disappeared. There were no sounds in front or behind them – no clicking, no growling, and no voices. Only their own footsteps tapped into the air, as they raced to get back to their group.

  Then in some distant duct or hallway, the wounded creature screamed again – somewhere far off, as it gasped its last breath and expired. The cry echoed for several seconds and sent chills through the three men. They stopped walking for only an instant, exchanged looks, then continued forward. Something felt wrong, but they remained quiet and focused on the service shaft ahead.

  Their feet pounded metal, and left the horde farther and farther behind them.

  And still, something seemed not right.