The casino owner led his family away from the rec room and toward the passenger cabins.
*****
Meanwhile, Dante was commanding his crew on the battleship. “All right, I need a group to harness ropes on top of the zeppelin in case anyone from our crew needs to escape from the Steampunks! I also need an arsenal of biplanes to follow the zeppelin! The military could ruin our plans, and I need you to have firepower! You know what I expect, so start moving!”
Some of the sky pirates manned motorized hang gliders and quickly flew away from the battleship. They landed on top of the airship and dropped ropes alongside the grafted vessel. The sky pirates fastened their ropes to the metal vessel with suction cups.
Another group of sky pirates boarded small yet-heavily-armed biplanes. The sky pirates started their engines and took flight, heading toward the zeppelin.
Inside the airship, Percy was looking out a porthole and noticed the enemies’ flight. “There’s an entire swarm of sky pirates. We need to be careful. Sky pirates are ruthless and I assume they want control of this zeppelin.”
“You’re probably right, but we still need to find Gable and Reb. I think we need to keep moving,” Savannah urged.
The couple hurried through the airship, but suddenly one of the sky pirates appeared from around a corner.
He aimed an electrical rifle at them. “Hold it! Nobody is allowed to pass this point!”
Savannah ignored the sky pirate’s orders and used her whip to harness one of his legs. She yanked the whip, causing the sky pirate the fall to the floor. “Do you honestly think I’m going to take orders from a terrorist? I have too much dignity for that!”
The sky pirate became angry and stood up. “Die, Steampunks!”
He fired green electricity at them, but Percy and Savannah ducked down and the electrical current missed them. Savannah quickly pulled in her whip and the couple turned over a table. The sky pirate fired his weapon again and then the electricity engulfed the small table.
“This is a completely different type of electricity! I don’t want to find out if green electricity is deadly to us! Let’s get out of here and find another plan!” Percy suggested.
The couple hurried down a different corridor and evaded the sky pirate.
*****
Further down the deck, Giles and Beauregard cautiously searched for their allies. Giles kept his double-barreled shotgun in a defensive position, waiting for sky pirates to enter his view.
“Do you think we’re suffering from a curse? It seems like terrorists are quite attracted to us,” Beauregard quietly commented.
Giles stayed focused on their path. “No, but I think we’re suffering from the consequences of a Post-Apocalyptic era. The world is full of anarchists and hate from subcultures that don’t fit in Steampunk society. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll get rid of the violence until non-grafted humans become extinct.”
Beauregard raised his eyebrows. “You’re just not the type of guy who gives warm and cuddly answers.”
Giles grabbed his pupil’s arm and pulled him into another corridor. “Be quiet. I think someone is coming.”
One of the sky pirates walked down the deck. He was armed with an electrical gun. The two Steampunks remained silent while their adversary searched for passengers. Everything was fine until Beauregard sneezed. The sound immediately alerted the sky pirate and he fired electricity toward the two men. Fortunately, the corridor’s wall blocked the weapon’s path.
“Sorry!” Beauregard declared.
Giles growled with frustration. “Have you ever heard of subtlety? Maybe we do have a curse!”
The sky pirate momentarily lowered his weapon and he shouted, “Step onto the deck and I’ll let you live! Hiding isn’t going to save you!”
“That’s a lie! I don’t believe you!” Beauregard snarled.
Giles prepared his own shotgun, but he was interrupted when they heard an alarm from the deck.
Before the sky pirate could react, a booby trap emitted flames from the deck’s walls. The fire engulfed the villain while he screamed in agony. He flailed down the deck and collapsed on the floor. The two Steampunks peered around the corner and stared at the burning corpse.
“Booby traps! That will work in our favor. Beau, I want us to find Reb and the rest of my family. We’re stronger as a unit, and those sky pirates won’t be able to fight all of us,” Giles recommended.
“I hope they’re alive. That green electricity looks dangerous,” Beauregard replied.
They ran across the deck and searched for their group.
*****
Gable and Priscilla led their children toward the passenger cabins. Before the couple reached their personal cabin, two sky pirates found them. The two terrorists aimed their rifles directly at the family. Realizing they were trapped, Gable and Priscilla chose not to flee from their enemies.
“Stay right there. I recognize you guys. You’re that lovely couple from Las Vegas. I recognize you - you’re the Nelson family. Your clan has a reputation for overthrowing terrorists,” one of the sky pirates explained.
Gable tried to remain calm and brave. “That’s true, but I think we can work out something peaceful today.”
“We don’t handle anything peacefully. I think you guys need to be scared into good behavior. My buddy and I are going to take the kids with us. They’re vulnerable and I know you’ll do anything to keep them safe,” the second sky pirate threatened.
“No! I’m not letting you take my kids!” Priscilla argued.
One of the sky pirates pointed the barrel of his gun in Priscilla’s face. “Think carefully about your actions. The electricity from this gun will fry your innards. It’s not regular electricity.”
“Don’t let them take us!” Maggie protested.
“I’m not going to let you get away with this! It’s my job to protect our kids!” Gable barked.
Oliver tried to keep the situation peaceful. “Dad, it’s okay! I don’t want them to kill you or Mom! They’re not messing around! We’ll go with them! Later you guys can rescue us!”
“Smart boy. If you follow us, the kids are dead. This should be enough leverage to keep you and the rest of the Nelson family out of the way,” one of the sky pirates said, before he led the children away from Gable and Priscilla.
The two parents watched helplessly while the sky pirates kidnapped their children.
Priscilla shoved Gable as she hollered with, “Gable, do something!”
“Like what? There were two sky pirates with modified weapons! I don’t want them to hurt you or the kids!” Gable disputed.
Priscilla struggled to maintain her composure. “We have to get the kids back!”
Gable hugged her and said, “I know. We’re going to find a way to bring the kids back safely. Let’s find the other members of my family. We can rally together and bring down these sky pirates. Everything is going to work out in the end. We just need to keep our faith strong.”
The couple hurried away from the passenger cabins and searched for the rest of Gable’s family.
Chapter 11
Reb poked her head around a corner and looked across the deck. She spotted a sky pirate heading in their direction. “There’s a lone sky pirate walking down the deck. He should be an easy target. I’m going to ambush him.”
Malcolm grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? Stay back! Those sky pirates are dangerous!”
Reb slapped his hand away. “It’s going to take a lot more than one sky pirate to scare me!”
The attorney jumped around the corner and used her miniature crossbow to fire an arrow at the villain. Reb’s arrow struck his electrical gun, causing the weapon to short circuit. He dropped the weapon and immediately noticed her.
“So you’re a woman trying to be a hero! You’re going to have a hard time fighting a crew of sky pirates!” the invader growled.
She unsheathed her sword from the baton. “People like me have to earn a happy ending. I’m counting on
some adversity.”
She swung the blade at her enemy several time but he danced out of the way. The sky pirate was both impressed and concerned with Reb’s swordsmanship. She swung her baton at him, but the sky pirate stepped out of the way, causing her to strike the wall with a loud clank. Reb spun the two weapons around and swiped at him again. She turned clockwise and struck the spy pirate’s skull with her baton. The impact knocked him unconscious and he slumped onto the floor. She slid the sword back inside her baton and then rolled the sky pirate against the wall.
Malcolm hurried down the deck and joined his agent. “You have amazing fighting skills! How did you learn to be so scrappy?”
“Instincts and desperation. Steampunks are capable of remarkable feats if they’re in a terrible situation,” Reb muttered.
Malcolm rubbed his chin. “Where do you think we’ll find everyone? The deck goes in a huge circle, but the zeppelin also has corridors with other rooms.”
“They could be anywhere. I doubt my family is hiding in one location. This morning we split up to enjoy different activities. For now, I think we should keep heading down the deck. Knowing my family, they’re not going to spend a lot of time hiding like cowards,” Reb explained.
They moved swiftly across the deck, although Reb’s limp hindered their pace somewhat.
Meanwhile, Oliver and Maggie’s captors found the zeppelin’s armory. They turned on the light and searched for a getaway vehicle.
“You’re not getting away with this! My parents are going to kick your butts!” Maggie threatened.
One of the sky pirates was amused by her protest. “Your aunt and uncle are the ones who frighten me. That’s why we need to escape from this airship.”
The second sky pirate found a functional biplane. “This plane is very similar to our vessels. Let’s take it and get out of here.”
“Why are you guys taking us? I don’t think you need hostages,” Oliver griped.
“The right type of hostages can be valuable. You guys come from a celebrity family. The Nelsons have more money than any family in America. Our captain might have a use for you. Besides, your family is very rebellious against terrorists. They’ll stay out of the way if your lives are in danger,” one of the thugs explained.
The other sky pirate found the exit and started the biplane’s engine. “The motor is working! Grab the kids so we can escape!”
They loaded Oliver and Maggie into the biplane. A large iron door slid open, revealing the clear sky. The two sky pirates joined the children in the smaller vehicle and exited the zeppelin before the door closed. Oliver held Maggie’s hand as they flew toward the enemy battleship.
“It’s going to be fine. Someone is going to rescue us,” Oliver whispered.
Maggie felt less confident. “I don’t know about that, Oliver. We might need to find an escape route by ourselves.”
“Mom and Dad aren’t going to abandon us. Just stay calm and try not to upset the sky pirates,” Oliver stated.
Within a short period of time, the biplane landed safely on the pirate ship. The two villains took Oliver and Maggie out of the plane and presented them to Dante.
“We brought hostages for you! These two kids belong to the Nelson family. You’ll have leverage if we have a couple members of their family,” one of the sky pirates proudly declared.
Dante was intrigued by the situation. “So, the Nelsons are onboard the zeppelin? They’re definite troublemakers for criminals like us. Well, I don’t think they’ll attack my battleship if the kids are stranded here. Good work, men! Return to the sky and keep those Steampunks in check.”
The two sky pirates obediently hurried to available biplanes.
Aiden glared at the captured children. “What are we going to do with these kids?”
“Tie them up and keep them out of my way,” Dante replied.
Oliver spoke up. “I’m not afraid of you! The people in my family never cower to terrorists!”
Dante chuckled. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice. My first mate is going to keep an eye on you. Don’t even think about causing trouble for us. I don’t have any qualms about killing children.”
“Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll chain their wrists and ankles together. These kids won’t be able to cause mischief,” Aiden responded confidently.
Maggie looked at her brother and quietly asked, “Do you have any big ideas?”
“Not yet, but I’ll figure out something,” Oliver confessed.
*****
On the zeppelin, Gable and Priscilla hurried through a hallway then they entered the casino.
“I think we can take a shortcut through the next two rooms to reach the deck. This morning, Reb and Giles were playing games on the deck, but they probably ventured somewhere else when the sky pirates attacked us,” Gable explained.
Priscilla didn’t want to waste time. “If you think we can find them on the deck, let’s keep moving. We need to find allies who can help us rescue the kids.”
Before they left the gambling area, one of the sky pirates found them.
“Two more Steampunks! Prepare to fry!” the sky pirate yelled as he powered-up his weapon.
Gable grabbed Priscilla’s hand and said, “He doesn’t look very friendly! Duck!”
The couple hurried behind a row of slot machines when the thug fired green electricity at them. Fortunately, the slot machines shielded them from the electrical current.
“These terrorists are making it difficult to find anyone!” Priscilla complained.
Gable didn’t want to move. “We shouldn’t run! He’ll zap us with that green electricity and then we’re done!”
The sky pirate walked closer to their location. “Come out and fight! I thought Steampunks were brave and resilient! You’re just a bunch of cowards!”
“Who are you calling a coward? Two of your friends kidnapped my son and daughter for leverage! That’s real cowardice!” Gable lectured.
They heard a siren blare from above and the sky pirate became startled. He dropped the rifle and covered his ears. Suddenly, a trap door underneath the sky pirate opened and dropped him into a pit of quicksand. The villain flailed and tried to climb up the metal wall. His efforts were futile and the quicksand slowly sucked him downward.
“Help! Somebody needs to get me out of here! I don’t want to die!” the sky pirate pleaded.
Gable and Priscilla hurried to the trap door and watched as their assailant suffered. He soon disappeared into the muck and the metal door tightly closed above him. The casino seemed perfectly normal again.
“That creep got a piece of justice. Let’s head through the next room to find Reb and Giles,” the casino owner suggested.
Priscilla nodded her head. “Works for me.”
Gable took his wife’s hand and they ran into the next room.
*****
Giles and Beauregard hurried through another portion of the deck. They noticed several dead bodies.
“What happened to the passengers? This zeppelin was full of Steampunks. Now it’s practically vacant,” Beauregard said.
Giles had a theory. “Most of the Steampunks are probably hiding in their cabins and other rooms. We’re usually fighters, but this green electricity is a serious threat. I’ve never seen anything like it. Ultimately, Steampunks will do what’s necessary to survive.”
One of the sky pirates found them. The thug aimed his gun and fired a stream of green electricity. It nicked Beauregard’s left side, sending the artist flying through the air and landing roughly against a wall. Beauregard fell to the floor and lie unconscious. Giles fired both of his bullets at the sky pirate and barely missed. The assailant quickly fled and darted down another corridor. Giles put down his weapon and kneeled next to his fallen companion. The artist appeared completely lifeless.
Giles shook Beauregard’s shoulder while he said, “Wake up! Beau, I need you to show a response! I can’t let you give up yet!”
He noticed that Beauregard had stopped breath
ing, so the attorney promptly began CPR. Giles used chest compressions in the hopes of restarting Beauregard’s heart.
Chapter 12
Giles continued the CPR, but his optimism quickly waned. “Come on! You’re a Steampunk and that means you’re a fighter! I’m not letting you die on my watch!”
The CPR finally worked, prompting Beauregard to cough and wake up. “That green electricity packs a punch! I never want to be electrocuted again!”
Giles sighed with relief. “You really scared me for a moment. I thought you were a dead man.”
The attorney helped his client stand up.
“Those sky pirates are making me upset. I have every intention to make them regret this fiasco. They’re not going to mess with me anymore,” the Frenchman muttered.
Giles slung Beauregard’s arm over his shoulder and helped him stumble across the deck. “I like your energy. Channel that anger into something useful. You might need it against those sky pirates.”
The duo continued to search for their companions.
*****
Percy and Savannah found the recreational room, but none of their relatives were present.
“This room is a dead end. What do you think happened to our kids?” Percy asked.
Savannah placed her hands on her hips. “They could be anywhere. The zeppelin is enormous and they could be hiding, or searching for weapons.”
Percy rubbed his chin. “Something else is bothering me. Where’s the crew? We have a captain and a crew who are trained to fight sky pirates. Aside from booby traps, no one is fighting the enemy or firing at their battleship. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I don’t want to sound morbid, but they might all be dead. The sky pirates probably found a way to eliminate the zeppelin’s crew because they’re the bigger threat,” Savannah suggested.
“That sucks, but you could be right. It would explain why no one is helping the passengers,” Percy muttered.
One of the sky pirates found them and fired his weapon. He missed them and blasted a television set. The couple quickly turned over the air hockey table and hid from their attacker.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 18