Chapter 28
Sol System
Planet Earth, Subterranean Aquifer, The Lilly, San Bernardino, CA
__________________________
Summer, 1995 …
Perry walked through the DeckPort and into another corridor. He saw Ricket up ahead, walking toward a wide-open hatchway. Where was Gus?
“Ricket … is my father up ahead?”
Ricket turned and tilted his head, as if the question was nonsensical.
“He walked through the DeckPort just before me, but I don’t see him,” Perry said, the nervousness in his voice apparent.
“No, Captain Reynolds, only you have arrived here.” Ricket hurried back toward Perry and hesitated a bit before reentering the DeckPort. Perry saw the frustration on his small face.
“So much is missing from my memory bank, but I believe there are areas on this vessel one should not venture into without—”
Before Ricket could finish his sentence, the lights suddenly went out.
Perry instinctively brought up his hands—palms facing outward. “Ricket … what the hell just happened?”
“This is interesting,” Ricket said. “Seems to be a complete systems shutdown … even auxiliary power has been affected. AI, are you functioning?”
Perry waited for the annoying female voice to respond. “She … it’s … not there, Ricket. I don’t like the idea of my father wandering around this ship in the dark. Believe me … Gus has a propensity to get himself into trouble.”
* * *
Ol’ Gus chided himself for letting his mind wander when he entered into what Ricket referred to as a DeckPort. It was only after he’d arrived on who knew what deck—all alone—that he realized he was no longer with Perry and the little robot-man. Now that his initial nervousness had mostly subsided, he was becoming more and more fascinated with the ship. There was nothing cold or sterile about the vessel’s environment. In fact, it seemed warm—even welcoming. Continuing down the long corridor, Gus soon arrived at an open vestibule area—like the entrance to a theme park, or perhaps to a zoo. He looked back over his shoulder, toward the DeckPort he’d arrived through. Five minutes of exploring, he told himself, then he’d go find the others. Hell, how often does someone have the opportunity to explore such a fantastical spaceship as this?
Within the expansive compartment, he saw—both to his left and right—two even wider corridors. He moved toward the corridor on his left and, as his mind absorbed what he was actually seeing, his jaw dropped open. Spaced evenly along both sides of the wide passageway were numerous deck-to-ceiling aqua-blue windows, running the full extent of what he guessed was about an over one-hundred-and-fifty-foot-long passageway. Actually, he quickly realized, the windows were more like energized portals—that, alone, was utterly fascinating. But what resided on the far side of the closest portal had his heart beating much faster than it did normally. He was standing less than ten feet away from what looked to be a great tiger. If he were to guess he’d say it was one of those saber tooth tigers—he was pretty sure were long extinct here on planet Earth. The beast lazily yawned, exposing the full length of its two ten-inch-long teeth. Gus reached a tentative hand out and felt a small electrical charge as his fingers glided over the portal surface. He smiled, realizing the portal was indeed solid and that the tiger, somewhat more interested in Ol’ Gus now, was safely kept at bay. In a blur, perhaps a bird, or some other prey, caught the great cat’s attention and he was off in one great stride—gone from Gus’s view. This place was amazing—just being here he felt like a kid again.
Gus continued moving down the corridor. Each aqua-blue portal offered a window into a new, alien world. Some views were familiar, similar to Earth-like environments, while others were dramatically different, some even frightening. Several portals offered fleeting glimpses of unique alien life forms. It wasn’t until he reached one of the more Earth-like portals, midway down the corridor, that he saw a group of something, way off in the distance, moving closer at incredible speeds. A desert scene—not unlike what was found in Arizona or Nevada—consisting of a sandy terrain, pocked here and there with dry cactus scrub. Dramatic reddish-brown cliffs towered in the background. Gus’s eyes focused on what appeared to be a herd—some kind of unified beasts—that moved together like birds within a flock, instinctively knowing when to veer left or right at the exact same instant. What the hell are they? At fifty yards out, he could now discern their distinctive forms and how they were running. On their hind legs! His chest tightened and he held his breath. They looked to be some kind of lizards—specifically, similar to prehistoric raptors, although much larger—maybe six- or seven-feet-tall. Dark-blue raptors.
Knowing the portal window would keep any from entering the ship, he still continued to hold his breath. Closer now, the group of ten or eleven suddenly scampered off to the right, and were soon out of view. Except for one, who slowed and, upon seeing Gus, rhythmically raised and lowered its large head. Goopy strands of drool dripped from both sides of its immense jaws—jaws with too many jagged, oversized teeth to count. Gus had zero doubt that the animal was a highly effective killing machine.
“Go on … scoot! Get out of here!” Gus yelled, staring into the beast’s two cold black orbs. At that moment, Gus knew he was being sized up—perhaps as an adversary. Who was he kidding? He was being sized up as a potential meal.
Suddenly the corridor went dark—the only light being emanated was from several habitats. In that instant, Gus had the terrible realization that the pretty, aqua-blue portal energy field was no longer present. Now, he not only could smell the rancid breath of the nearby beast, he could hear its short—fierce—breaths.
Ol’ Gus ran … he ran for his life.
Chapter 29
Sol System
Planet Earth, Subterranean Aquifer, The Lilly, San Bernardino, CA
__________________________
Present day …
Jason leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Hold on a second, Dad, I never heard this before … how come this part of the story—”
Dira chimed in too, on top of Jason: “And the way you’re describing things you weren’t … well … really there, were you, Admiral? How would you even know what Gus saw …?”
“For Christ’s sake … are you going to let me tell the story my own way or what?” the admiral asked them, mild irritation evident in his voice. “Just so you know, The Lilly’s AI captures video feeds from all over the ship 24/7 … you do know that. There was a visual record. Now I may have hypothesized a bit about what happened once the ship’s power went out, but I don’t think I’m too off the mark. Not by much, anyway.”
Jason thought back to when he’d first learned of his grandfather’s passing. Was it all the way back in the year 1995? He wasn’t sure, but it may have been around then. What he did know was he was finally learning some family history that was new to him. He wondered how many more nuggets of information remained hidden that he hadn’t been privy to hearing?
“So you’re going to tell me Ol’ Gus was what? Devoured by a Serapin-Terplin? And I’m just finding out about that now?”
Jason and Dira were more than a little familiar with The Lilly’s Zoo habitats, especially the one designated HAB 12. That habitat, like all the Zoo habitats, was a creation of the Caldurians. Both explorers and scientists at heart, the advanced alien race had, systematically, created miniature microcosm environments of a wide range of planet environments throughout the universe virtually identical to their respective originals. The Caldurians collected all those habitats with passion and a keen eye for detail that still amazed Jason. Miraculously, the numerous habitats within The Lilly’s Zoo did not actually take up space within the vessel’s hull, but were accessed through various Zoo portals. Although Jason didn’t fully understand the science behind it, he understood that the habitats were actually stored within a multiverse realm … somewhere. In the past few years, several unavoidable missions were initiated into that unforgiving, helli
sh, environment. HAB 12 was a place where the raptor-like creatures were undeniably at the top of the food chain. Serapin-Terplins, more commonly referred to as simply Serapins, had killed scores of humans. Jason would never forget watching, in horror, as his men screamed—voraciously being eaten alive.
“Relax! Gus wasn’t devoured … not completely, anyway,” the admiral said reluctantly. “Look, there are things you were never told because … well, because there was no need to ruin your fond memories about Gus. Hell, he practically raised you and Brian. I thought it best to spare you some ugly details.”
Jason and Dira exchanged a glance. She asked, “So tell us, what happened to him? What did the Serapin do to him?”
The admiral said, “Apparently, when the lights went out, Ol’ Gus hightailed it all the way back to the DeckPort, with that blue demon fast on his heels. Just as he reached it, the beast took a bite out of his right arm.”
“You’re telling me it bit off his arm?” Jason asked, looking aghast.
“Not all of it. But yeah, pretty much below the elbow.”
“Without medical attention immediately, he couldn’t have survived that,” Dira said.
“That’s true. But the ship’s lights had come back on by then … the power restored. Gus reentered the DeckPort and emerged out on Deck 2, pretty much right in front of Ricket and me.”
* * *
Summer, 1995 …
Perry, hurrying several paces in front of Ricket, was jogging for the DeckPort. The lights were back on now and Ricket was able to retrieve enough information from the newly initialized AI to discern the old man’s whereabouts. He was on Deck 3.
Suddenly, Ol’ Gus appeared through the DeckPort’s energy field, right before them, screaming some gibberish about monsters and clutching a shredded bloody stump—what was left of his right arm. Arterial blood pumped into the air, splattering bulkheads and Perry and Ricket’s faces alike.
It took several moments for Perry to comprehend what he was looking at. Getting Gus flat on the deck, he first unfastened, then pulled his belt off from around his waist. Quickly wrapping the leather strap twice around Gus’s bicep, he made a tight tourniquet.
“He needs a doctor … he’s lost a lot of blood,” Perry said, looking up at Ricket. Desperation in his voice, he asked, “Is there a sick bay on this ship?”
“Sick bay?” Ricket repeated.
“A hospital! Damn it, he needs medical attention … right now!”
Ricket, looking as if he were close to fainting, glanced all about the blood-splattered passageway as though searching for answers amongst the grisly surroundings. “I don’t …” He then looked up and asked, “AI, is there a Medical Station on board this vessel?”
“Yes, Medical is on Deck 4. All but one of the MediPods are available for use.”
Perry wrestled Gus to his feet, positioning his own body beneath his father’s good arm. Gus, semi-unconscious, was dead weight. “Get us there, Ricket … tell me where to go.”
Ricket nodded, seeming to have regained some nerve back. He reached out for Perry’s wrist and pulled him toward the DeckPort. “I’ll get you to Medical, Captain Reynolds … I promise you.”
Ricket entered the DeckPort first, still holding on to Perry’s wrist. Perry in turn dragged the now-unconscious Gus into the aqua-blue energy field and immediately they were back on Deck 4, although Perry guessed it was closer to mid-ship. Ricket released his hold on Perry and ran in the direction of the stern. “I think it is this way, Captain Reynolds.”
With Ol’ Gus’s wife-beater undershirt now completely saturated with blood, Perry fought to hold on to his dad’s slippery, unconscious heft. He was almost tempted to let the old man fall to the deck and then drag him, caveman style, by his one good arm—or perhaps by a leg.
Getting a somewhat better arm-hold around him, Perry continued to haul Gus in the same direction Ricket had gone.
Ricket met them when they reached what was obviously the ship’s sickbay, or Medical compartment. He tried helping Perry support some of Ol’ Gus’s dead weight.
“I’ve got him, just tell me where to take him!” Perry demanded.
Ricket stepped out of the way and hurried over to the first of several man-sized tubular devices. Its lid cover was in the process of opening up, similar to a giant clamshell. “Place him within this MediPod; hurry, if you can, Captain Reynolds.”
“You think? What do you think I’ve been doing?”
At first glance, the four lined-up pods looked like modernized iron lungs, which Perry had seen in hospitals as a youth. But close up, these sleek-looking devices were a far cry from those ancient breathing apparatuses. Obviously, these machines were highly advanced … whatever they were. It took the last bit of Perry’s remaining strength to heft Gus up and into the MediPod. Immediately, Ricket moved across to some kind of control panel and began manipulating a touch pad.
“Do you even know what you’re doing? I thought you didn’t remember anything about this ship,” Perry asked, suddenly wary of what was about to happen to his father.
As the clamshell began to close, Perry continued to watch his father through a small porthole, lying on top of the observation window. His face was ghostly white—blood had seeped about his body, staining the formerly white-cushioned interior a bright crimson. Through the window, Perry noticed his belt had been removed from around his father’s bicep, which Ricket must have done at some point. Perry winced, noticing the full extent of Gus’s arm wound. The flesh at the elbow was badly shredded—some areas looking more like raw hamburger meat than flesh. The lower, knobby end of the humerus bone was clearly visible and looked partially shattered. Hot bile burned at the back of Perry’s throat. He pulled his eyes away—concentrating instead on what Ricket was doing at the controls.
“I am familiar with these menu constructs … quite intuitive, actually,” Ricket said. “I do have medical experience, although I would not be able to tell you to what extent, as my returning memories are still incomplete.”
Ricket looked up at the now-hovering 3D virtual representation of Gus. It slowly revolved around, providing Perry visual scenes of his father’s body from each side. He watched as the injured arm came into view.
“As you can see … his heart rate is already beginning to stabilize.”
Sure enough, the symbolized red beating heart, at the left of the revolving injured man’s chest, looked steady and strong.
“Captain Reynolds, I believe we got your father medical attention in sufficient time.”
“So what the hell is this thing?”
“As I said before, Captain, this one … and the others here too are MediPods. They possess amazing healing capabilities. Looking at the software, the development code, I can see some of what is already taking place.”
“And exactly what is that?”
“The infusion of nanites—tiny bio-mechanical devices—millions of them into your father’s body. He will be healed, exponentially faster, from inside. He should be back to normal … perhaps even within hours.”
“Normal? Like with a prosthetic arm?”
“No … nothing artificial like that. With his own, fully anatomically correct, natural arm, Captain.”
Perry looked at Ricket skeptically. It was only then, as he took in the rest of the compartment, and the other three MediPods further along, that he realized his father wasn’t the only one being treated.
Perry walked around his father’s MediPod to stand in front of the next one. Through its small observation window he saw an alien lying inside it. “Ricket?”
“Yes, Captain, I did notice there was another organic life form in there.”
Perry tilted his head and brought his face closer to the porthole window. “He looks … similar to you.”
Glancing up, Ricket didn’t seem to have a ready response. He eventually said, “I am Craing … quite dissimilar in physiology to that individual. You will also notice the being is much taller, similar in height to a full-grown h
uman. No, Captain, that is most definitely a Caldurian.”
Perry scrutinized the alien. Its head was somewhat triangular in shape, like Ricket’s, but there weren’t many other similarities otherwise. This guy, Perry thought, looked to be middle-aged, with salt-and-pepper gray hair and white stubble growing along his cheeks and chin. His long, hawk-like nose gave him a human-ish quality.
“Is he dead? He must be after … what? Two hundred years?”
Ricket came around the MediPod and joined Perry’s side. He reached over and accessed the pod’s control panel. Immediately, a 3D revolving representation of the alien’s anatomy hovered over the MediPod. Perry was surprised to see, as with his father, a steady and strong beating heart. He looked at Ricket questioningly.
“Nanites … I presume. While, yes, the ship was only partially operational, certain functionality remained intact. Such as the MediPods. This Caldurian has been here, in a suspended sleep state, for almost two centuries.”
“Do you remember him? He must have been here with you when the ship crashed.”
Ricket rose up on his tiptoes to get a better look at the Caldurian’s features. He shook his head. “I do not remember him … or much of anything.”
The MediPod Ol’ Gus occupied started to chime. Looking toward the hovering, revolving, anatomical figure, Perry saw the symbolic red heart begin to flutter.
“What’s happening, Ricket? What’s wrong with him?”
Ricket hurried to the control panel and tapped in several commands. The little Craing shook his head in obvious frustration.
Perry watched, feeling useless. He wondered if Ricket would be able to correct what clearly had become a life and death situation.
Annoyed, he glanced to his right. Twice, over the last few minutes, Perry heard noises, coming from the open hatchway that led into Medical. He’d passed them off at first as some peculiarity associated with an alien vessel—perhaps the AI doing something. But hearing the same noise again, even over the sound of the MediPod chimes, he realized this was something else altogether. He remembered his father, screaming at the DeckPort just before falling unconscious—something about a monster. A throaty, clicking growl echoed in the not very far distance.
Glory for Sea and Space (Star Watch Book 4) Page 16