Savannah was annoyed. “I despise hiding! It makes me feel weak and defenseless!”
“Hang on. I have an idea,” Percy said quietly.
The sky pirate started ranting, “Do you think a stupid air hockey table is going to save your lives? Now you’re just sitting targets! This is going to be easy!”
Percy stood up and chucked one of his tomahawks at the sky pirate. His tomahawk struck the electrical gun and destroyed it.
“It’s not going to be easy without your special weapon!” Percy shouted.
The sky pirate tried to run away, but another booby trap was triggered. An alarm sounded and then a small compartment opened up in one of the walls. Percy noticed the trap and ducked behind the air hockey table once more. A rotary gun slid out of the wall and fired multiple rounds of bullets at the thug. The bullets pelted the criminal’s body. and the sky pirate slumped to the ground as a corpse.
“That sounded nasty,” Savannah commented.
Percy looked around the air hockey table. “I think we’re safe at the moment. You know what? We should head to the control room. Maybe we’ll find some crew members along the way. If not, we might find a way to activate the zeppelin’s firepower to destroy the pirate ship.”
They stood up and Percy reclaimed his tomahawk.
“I trust your judgment. Hopefully, we’ll find Reb or Gable during our search,” Savannah replied.
Percy took Savannah’s hand and led her out of the rec room.
*****
Back on the deck, Reb peered through a broken window and witnessed a flurry of biplanes and hang gliders. She also noticed the sky pirates’ battleship flying in the near distance.
“We’re not going to solve anything if these sky pirates continue to terrorize us. Granted, it’s hard to fight people who are flying through the air though,” Reb grumbled.
Malcolm looked over her shoulder. “They have planes and we’re stuck inside the airship. The sky pirates definitely have an advantage.”
“Maybe our luck can turn around. They left a bunch of ropes hanging in front of the portholes. I feel inclined to take this battle outside of the zeppelin,” Reb said, as she grabbed one of the ropes that dangled outside the window.
Malcolm was hesitant. “That’s risky, even for you. I’m sure we can find weapons onboard the airship.”
“That can be your job. I’m going to scale the zeppelin to find another way to fight these sky pirates. No offense, but your clumsy nature would lead to a certain death. I don’t think you’ll be able to climb this rope without falling,” Reb explained.
Malcolm was insulted by her remark. “Who are you calling clumsy? You’re the one who can barely walk! I spend a lot of time rock climbing! Why can’t I climb the zeppelin?”
Reb bluntly responded, “Malcolm, this isn’t a recreational activity! The zeppelin is moving and sometimes it swerves! You’re a big, heavy guy! I’m small enough to climb through the porthole and my weapons are more suitable for aerial fighting! More importantly, we don’t have the luxury of harnesses or safety nets! If you fall, the end is real! I’ve seen you fall off those rocks plenty of times! Luckily, something was always there to prevent you from splattering on the ground!”
The sports commentator couldn’t argue with her explanation. “Okay, but I want you to be careful. You’re so worried about saving the world, but even heroes need help sometimes.”
“I appreciate your concern. Find Giles and figure out a way to blast these sky pirates out of the atmosphere. Both of you are definitely smart enough to find a solution,” Reb stated.
Malcolm pulled a gun out of his holster. “You’ve got it. There are plenty of people who need you to live. Don’t screw it up.”
Reb placed goggles over her eyes. “I have a plan. It might be crazy, but that shouldn’t surprise you because all of my plans are insane.”
She climbed through the porthole and swung on the rope. Reb slowly climbed up the zeppelin while Malcolm hurried across the deck to find help.
*****
Deeper inside the airship, Percy and Savannah came across the control room -it’s door jimmied open. Percy cautiously opened the door a little more and saw the deceased crew members slumped against the control panel.
“At least we know what happened to the crew,” Percy muttered.
“Great. How are we going to find answers now?” Savannah griped.
Percy entered the control room and pushed one of the dead bodies out of the way. “From what I know, this control room handles the zeppelin’s security footage and many of the weapons. Maybe I can hack the controls.”
Savannah had entered the room behind him. “You’re certainly a computer genius, but do you know anything about these aviation controls?”
Percy checked several of the panels and said, “No, but it doesn’t matter. The controls seem to be fried.”
“It must be from that green electricity. Maybe the crew was set up. Steampunks don’t usually worry about electricity, but this type is different. The entire control room is a giant copper conductor,” Savannah mentioned.
Percy stepped away from the control panel. “We need to find help somewhere else. This control room is useless.”
Savannah expressed her worry. “I can’t stop thinking about the kids. Do you think something happened to them?”
Percy stroked the side of her face and gently said, “Gable and Reb won’t let a bunch of sky pirates push them around. Our son has really strong parental instincts. Reb is one of the bravest women I’ve ever met. Let’s keep them in our prayers and I’m sure we’ll find them soon.”
They exited the control room and searched for another solution.
Chapter 13
Giles and Beauregard hurried through a different section of the deck.
Beauregard looked through one of the portholes. “There’s a whole bunch of planes and hang gliders flying alongside the zeppelin. It would be great if we could shoot them down.”
Giles motioned to an area ahead of them. “This might be our chance. I see a station that’s designed for attacking flying enemies. It looks like there’s a huge turret gun and maybe some other weapons.”
The two men trotted to the weapon station and Beauregard commented, “Shouldn’t the crew be using this station? I don’t understand why they’re not here helping us.”
Giles examined the weapons. “Unfortunately, they’re probably dead. The entire crew would never abandon their passengers. I’m sure that green electricity killed them.”
The station was shielded by a glass window that stood several feet tall and several feet wide. It provided an excellent view of the sky. The station was equipped with a seat that was fastened to a turret gun. A tablet on the floor appeared to be able to digitally target enemies outside of the airship and fire missiles at them. Overall, the station was a moveable pod that could shift to the right, left, up, and down to destroy flying targets.
“I hope you understand how to use these weapons,” Beauregard said as he motioned to all the items.
Giles hopped on the seat and prepared the turret gun. “We’re improvising. Put your brilliant mind to use and knock down some terrorists!”
The attorney moved his pod until the radar focused on a biplane. He fired several bullets at the biplane and nailed it.
The biplane’s pilot was startled by the impact. “Who’s shooting at me? My biplane can’t take this kind of damage!”
Smoke billowed from the biplane as it plunged down toward the earth. The sky pirate leaped out of the plane and deployed his parachute.
Beauregard was impressed by Giles’ accuracy. “Awesome! Let me try!”
He picked up the tablet and activated four missiles himself. Beauregard used the tablet’s navigational system to aim the missiles directly at the pirate ship. He fired the missiles and they soon exploded against the battleship. Dante and his crew were shocked by the attack. The explosion shook the vessel, although the damage was very minimal.
“I thought the crew was dead! Some
body is firing weapons at us!” Dante shouted.
Aiden was confused. “Maybe the passengers are retaliating?”
Oliver and Maggie were also frightened by the attack.
“Are we going to die? I’m really scared,” Maggie said to her brother.
“Our family is going to rescue us. You just need to be patient, and brave. Here, you can hold my hand if you feel nervous. It’s going to be okay,” Oliver said in a reassuring tone.
Dante was determined to join the fight. “I should have known the Steampunks would cause a problem! Keep an eye on those kids and make sure the crew stays busy! I’m boarding my biplane to join the battle!”
“Be careful, Captain. Steampunks are bred to fight their enemies. Sometimes, I think you underestimate them,” Aiden warned.
Dante entered his biplane and turned on the engine. “The Steampunks have never seen an enemy like me! I’m not letting this situation get out of control!”
The motorized propeller spun around and Dante drove the biplane across the runway. He took flight and quickly followed the zeppelin.
*****
Inside the airship, Giles continued to use the turret gun. He fired more bullets, causing the sky pirates to fly out of harm’s way. Finally, he shot another biplane and damaged the engine.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I thought we got rid of the zeppelin’s crew!” the pilot complained.
He pressed a button on the control panel and then a mechanism ejected him from the biplane. One of the sky pirates used a hang glider to rescue his airborne companion. He grabbed the defeated villain and steered away from the zeppelin.
“Dante won’t be happy about that! You lost one of his biplanes!” the hang gliding thug remarked.
The rescued sky pirate griped, “Shut up and take me back to the battleship! Those Steampunks figured out how to use the zeppelin’s firearms!”
Dante flew toward the turret station. “Let’s see how you’ll react to my bullets!”
He swooped down and fired multiple shots at Giles and Beauregard. His bullets broke the glass and the two Steampunks dove out of the way. The glass rained on them while Dante’s bullets narrowly missed them. Dante turned in another direction, then he circled back toward them again.
Giles quickly stood up. “Beau, we need to get out of here! We’ll find another way to fight those sky pirates!”
“No problem! I don’t want a terrorist’s biplane to kill me!” Beauregard hollered as they fled from the scene.
*****
Meanwhile, Reb was still climbing up the zeppelin. Due to her leg injury, the task was somewhat difficult. She fought through the pain in her leg and scaled the Steampunk vessel. Reb used the strength from her arms to move up the rope. The treaded soles of her boots, along with her strength, made the climb easier. She tried to ignore the wind that wiggled her rope.
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. I’m afraid of heights and the wind is really bad,” Reb muttered while she gripped the rope.
A sky pirate spotted Reb from another rope. “Who are you? You don’t belong out here!”
He swung a bolo overhead and threw it at Reb. She immediately swung out of the way.
“I guess you want to pick a fight with me! Hopefully, you’re prepared for a grafted boot to the face!” Reb shouted.
She used her body weight to swing toward the terrorist. Reb kicked him off his rope and the sky pirate fell through the air until he grabbed a windowsill.
The villain looked up and yelled, “Screw you! We’re still going to take control of the airship!”
He climbed inside the vessel while Reb remained on her rope. She ignored the sky pirate’s comment and then she went back to scaling the zeppelin again. Reb slowly crept up the rope while the wind hindered her progress. “This is very tedious. I want this trek to be done soon.”
Two more sky pirates descended on available ropes to ambush Reb. One of them aimed a handheld electrical gun at her and the weapon. She climbed up the rope faster to avoid the green electricity. As a result, the second sky pirate was electrocuted and he fell from his rope.
The remaining terrorist became angry from his misfire. “Darn it! That stupid woman is ruining our plans!”
Reb overheard his complaint. “Who are you calling stupid? You’re the one who can’t aim!”
The sky pirate growled and briskly climbed up his rope. “I’m not letting you speak to me that way! Come back here!”
Reb climbed toward the top of the airship, but the sky pirate quickly caught her. She grabbed his neck and slammed his head against the airship’s surface, twice. The impact disoriented the sky pirate, giving Reb enough time to tie him up. She left him dangling from the rope while she went back to scaling the zeppelin.
“I might be ruthless, but killing isn’t my style. Humiliating jerks like you is much more satisfying,” Reb remarked as she climbed.
Eventually, she reached the zeppelin’s peak and climbed on top of the Steampunk vessel.
Chapter 14
Malcolm kept his gun handy while he stalked across the deck. He stopped walking when a sky pirate found him. The sports commentator raised his weapon a little higher.
“Don’t fire that weapon! I’m a better shot than you!” Malcolm declared.
The terrorist laughed while he powered-up the electrical rifle. “How do you know that? I’m pretty sure this green electricity will overpower your tiny little handgun!”
Malcolm quickly shot the sky pirate’s left shoulder before the terrorist could fire his weapon. “It’s nothing personal, but I can’t waste my time with you!”
The sky pirate fell to the floor and cursed at his opponent. “I forget that Steampunks have quick reflexes! That’s fine because I can still electrocute you!”
He fired a massive amount of electricity at Malcolm, but the Steampunk dove out of the way just in time. The electricity struck the ceiling and created a black scar. Both of the men heard a siren blare above their heads.
Malcolm crawled across the deck to avoid a booby trap. “Sirens are never a good sign! I’m not getting stuck in one of those death traps!”
“What are you talking about?” the sky pirate asked, still lying on the floor.
Suddenly, a compartment opened in the ceiling and a sharp guillotine-type blade dropped down. The villain screamed briefly before the weapon promptly severed his head.
Malcolm stood up and looked at the headless corpse. “Steampunk violence can be really gruesome, but it works.”
The German man kept his gun in a defensive position as he moved forward again.
*****
Oliver and Maggie were being held as captives in the captain’s quarters on the pirate airship. The two kids were shackled and kept away from the action.
“This sucks! I don’t want to be a hostage!” Maggie complained.
“Neither do I. Maybe I can get out of these restraints. I can still improvise like a Steampunk,” Oliver said, as he struggled to pull a lock pick set out of his pocket.
Maggie stared at her brother. “You brought a lock pick! Have you ever used one before?”
“No, but I should be able to make this work,” Oliver replied.
Oliver clamped his teeth on the lock pick and carefully used it on his wrist shackles. It was a slow and tedious task, but he eventually unlocked the mechanism. The shackles dropped to the floor and then he used the tool to free his ankles.
Maggie was impressed by her brother’s handiwork. “Not bad. I think you’ve done this before.”
“That can be your interpretation. Let me get rid of your shackles so we can escape,” Oliver commented.
“How are we going to escape from this flying pirate ship? We’re stranded!” Maggie griped, as Oliver unlocked the shackles on her wrist.
He tossed the shackles aside. “They have biplanes, right? Let’s steal one and get out of here.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “That’s your big plan? You’ve never flown a plane before. I think we should hide s
omewhere until help arrives.”
“We don’t have that kind of time. These sky pirates will kill us before anyone can launch a rescue mission. It may not be the best plan, but it might give a chance to survive,” Oliver explained as he removed the shackles on her ankles.
Oliver took Maggie’s hand and led her toward the exit. He opened the door, but the kids were stunned and disappointed when Aiden appeared in front of them.
The sky pirate aimed his electrical gun at them and said, “Your conversation was a bit loud. You’re not leaving the battleship. I didn’t want hostages onboard the ship but my captain thinks you might be a useful bartering tool. Stay inside the captain’s quarters unless you want to be electrocuted. It’s a very painful way to die, so make your decision wisely.”
The kids felt defeated as they sat back down in the captain’s chairs.
“Nice try, big bro. It’s going to be a while before you’ll have the knack of a Steampunk,” Maggie commented.
*****
Back on the zeppelin, Gable and Priscilla searched for a solution to their predicament. They wandered through a few corridors and stumbled upon the armory. Gable and Priscilla entered the room and examined the multitude of equipment and weaponry.
“This is a promising room. It’s loaded with weapons and transportation. I hope something in here can help us find the kids,” Priscilla muttered.
The couple looked at a variety of Steampunk weapons, including rotary guns, missile launchers, harpoon guns, and several bombs. They also noticed several modes of aerial transportation, such as biplanes and jetpacks.
Gable looked at a large bomb. “This would be an excellent way to take revenge on those sky pirates. I’m not letting them kidnap our children without facing consequences. Those jerks will learn to fear us.”
Priscilla noticed a window that was built into the floor. “Look at this! Part of the floor is transparent.”
Gable touched a metal lever. “This might be a method to drop bombs on enemy aviators. I’m pretty sure this lever will open a trap door. See what I mean? This section of the floor is mechanical. It can open and drop objects below the zeppelin.”
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 19