by Nick Pond
Suddenly an old fashioned telephone rang from the corner, and one of the officers picked it up.
“Hello… Wait hold on,” He said, then turning to the other officer, “It’s one of the presidents aids sir,”
The other officer then grabbed the phone.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Sir, those gentlemen you have in the room with you... They are on a mission on our behalf! The crate needs special service, and round the clock guarding! This is no joke! If you fuck it up you’ll either get killed, or we will tug all your finance from out your bank accounts – either way you will be screwed! Got it ass-hole? Now hurry up and get on with it!”
The officer was now slightly scared as he said thank you and put down the phone. In complete and utter shock he then said, “Well... You guys better get your flight...”
The leader of the pack now looked very smug and said, “Oh... And you better not tamper with the nuclear bomb,”
The group of men left the room, as the stunned officers looked at each other scared. What was the government up to?
The old man and Keagan were now in a much different environment, after their journey through the hostile jagged rock-scape. They now passed through the very green and lush jungle, with its tall trees and variety of leaves invading the majority of space offered. Numbers of animal noises will sound now and then from chirping to growls. But Keagan soon realized he could hear a trickling noise, the sound of running water.
“Nearly there!” The mad old man chuckled.
“What is this place?”
The old man grabbed the hanging branches in front of them and revealed a deep blue lagoon with a small sandy island in the center. Upon the island was a log made house, but you could tell it was professionally made as all the wood was tied together to form the structure. On one end of the lagoon was the biggest waterfall Keagan had ever seen. This place was a paradise.
“I made it myself,” The old man smiled, “welcome to my humble abode!”
“But? How?”
“This was just a meteorite rock... But I Terra-formed it myself, and made it my home! I grow and hunt all my resources, and fish in the lagoon,”
“This is the best ever! This is literally amazing!” Keagan shouted excitedly.
“Oh... You wait,” He said who then pulled out a remote control, “Speakers all over, come up from the ground! I can throw the best drum 'n' bass parties!”
“On your own?”
“You actually are a complete ass-face aren't you?! No... I host for numbers of paying guests in season, but it’s my time off at the moment, when I like to be alone for a while...”
Keagan pondered at his old broken home, the “Dub Starz”, “yea my life used to be like that...”
“Space Sharks, huh?”
“What?”
“You don't need tell me buddy, we all go through it, and they always win! In the end, they always do!”
In a subdued silence the old man clicked a small remote device, and soon the most soothing drum ‘n bass was added to this exotic landscape of beach and paradise, as speakers began to rise from the sandy land.
“Yep... But you are right about one thing... I do enjoy being alone more... It’s how I like it really these days, can’t be dealing with any of them governments anymore either, especially with their crack pot ways! I have full independence from that right here! Away from everything... My Space Rex, Mittens, keeps me company most times... Yea sorry about him, he just gets bit protective!” The old man explained.
Soon the loud footsteps are heard again. The dinosaur stomped from out the jungle trees, with her head down sulkily, as she entered the lagoon and swam to the sandy white island. The island was a fair distance out, and the gushing of waves indicated it was large enough to contain currants.
“I got a boat, we would die trying, I still don’t know how deep the water is,” The old man said, “By the way, and my name is Jimmy! It is nice to meet you!”
Keagan watched the Space Rex finally reach the island, as she stomped behind the white washed grand looking house and disappeared.
“That’s it... She’ll stay in her kennel now! Expect Mittens will be down that water hunting for fish soon! Bless her,” Jimmy added whilst cackling away to himself.
Everyone in Zara’s capsule was now a pool of sweat, as the air was stagnating.
“WHEN ARE THEY COMING?” Mr. Willon screamed, “We’ve been forgotten!”
Everyone was lying on the floor. Zara has a form of plan coming together in her head; she knows that when the oxygen was finally gone; she would get in a space suit from the red box in the corner. This would give her more added time to live. What if that time is still not enough? Stop it! Her mind started racing loose, and she had a war going on inside her head. JUST STOP IT! She thought trying to gain control of herself again. She was still sprawled on the floor though from her previous injuries, but every now and then she would try and get up gaining more strength. She knew she wouldn’t use the strength though until it was her time to get the orange box; then she would give it her everything to do it. She just longed to be in a natural atmosphere again, feeling the natural wind blowing against her face, or standing next to an ocean and feeling the sea spray against her. She would do anything to not feel like she’s being kept inside a Tupperware box; as she felt sympathy for the food inside starting to infest with mold. She then finally thought where the hell Zipper is! She still had faith in him as there has been previous occasions before where he’s had to come save her. He was always late, or left things to the very last minute – but he’s never let her down!
Zipper has now entered space, and Sharon was still giving him the urge to reapply for his ‘right to take a life’ license. Every now and then throwing her out the space ship doors to meet her doom became more enticing. But luckily his humanity and conscience would kick in, and remind him it’s Zara he should be focused on.
“OK, we are now switching to flight mode, average speed will be... Stupidly dangerously fast! Any problems with that, well you know where the door is,” Said Zipper from one of the pilot seats.
“You’re a jerk,” Sharon reminded him.
“Just belt up, we should be there in under an hour,” Zipper reassured.
Suddenly in front of them through the ship’s visor, a cluster of fish shapes emerged looking like they were coming straight for them.
“What’s that?” Chris asked.
Zipper squinted, and analyzed.
“Erm…” He let out again, as he got closer to the window, “Hammerheads! Counting 5 or 6,”
“Are they dangerous?” Sharon screamed.
“Not unless their hungry or panicked... Best we keep tight for a second,”
The group of Hammerheads flew straight through and passed the ship, with one even hitting the ship with her head as she clumsily went into them. Sharks had a habit of not using their eyes. After a half effort whack again with her head, she then pointed her snout behind her, and she went to speed off catching up with the others.
The group was all scared, and clutching whatever they could find that was hard and firm in the room; as their panic mechanisms went into overdrive.
“OK, OK. Don’t panic! I think our craft sustained the attack, nothings been breached!” Zipper shouted reassuringly.
“What the hell? I want to go back home!” Sharon sobbed.
“No... We can get the hell out of here now! Nothing will keep up with our speed!” Zipper said as he tried to pull himself together.
One of the radios started buzzing. Zipper threw off his headset, and leaped to it like a long distance jumper.
“This is Zipper, copy?”
It was the Ruler of Playa De Sontos.
“Where are you?” The ruler hissed.
“Where you think? In space picking up the survivors you didn’t bother to rescue!”
“They won’t be alive! It was all a big explosion! There’s no point! We got a big problem! The government of Am
azbos are delivering a nuclear bomb over to our country to bring down the war effort!”
“And what do you want me to do about it? Sorry but this is your mess up! Once I get my other half, I’ve got nothing else to do with this!” Zipper shouted.
“Lives are at stake! Everyone will die! Along with our asteroid nation! It will all be wiped out if they use the nuke!” The ruler shouted.
“Look! Just go away! My partners trapped out there! That is my first priority! If I have time to check afterwards, then I’ll see if I can do anything... Then I might try and squeeze it in my diary, goodbye!”
The ruler stood in his blackened hotel room, with no company and no life – in contrast to the loudness of the 24 hour drinking and gambling establishments surrounding his hotel.
“Shit!” He screamed, as he tossed his radio gadget across the room.
He opened a bottle of whiskey, and took a few swigs, and then he lit a cigarette, as he sat at his desk. As he tapped away at a computer keyboard, the stock exchange screen came up, showing all the parent companies from Playa De Sontos displaying big red arrows pointing down, and ridiculous amounts of figures in minus. It could also be used to represent the ruler’s sudden decline from a content leader to manic full-blown depression, displayed like a declining graph of teary negatives. A sudden thought occurred to him though, as he started to fumble for his radio. Clasping the device and looking intently at the screen he called a frequency on the Hydrogen line (the only line suitable for long distance galactic calls), as he waited for an answer.
Jimmy and Keagan were comfortably sat by a log fire in the grandest looking living room. There were corner leather sofas, a roaring fireplace, and various pieces of china and crockery decorating and filling in the wall space. Keagan was in his element, and well deserved too after the nightmare he’s had previously, as he drank victoriously from a bottle of beer.
“That’s my radio going off! You wait there, Keagan! You wanker!” Jimmy laughed, as he went out the room.
Keagan sat back on the sofa, and took in such a homely and pleasant room. The feel took him back – seeing very old fashioned pictures of English homes, which has comeback in fashion with home refurbishment for the well off.
“Jimmy here, what can I do for you?”
“Jimmy, it’s me! I need to call in a favor!”
“Yes?”
“The Space Rex! Is she available at the moment?”
“Erm.. Yeah... Why?”
The voice slowly laughed and then said, “Some men are already on their way! Make sure your ready for them!”
The radio then blipped, and cut off.
Jimmy looked very perplexed, “Who on earth was that? What a strange man!”
After a few minutes of thought, he then shrugged, and re-entered the living room with Keagan.
“Let’s pump up the volume! Pump up the volume! Pump up the volume!” Jimmy sang, as he danced towards his hi-fi, “Oh I grow my own... You know... If you want bit of a mellow!”
Keagan’s eyes lit up excitedly, “Oh my god! Jimmy! You are the man! Can I maybe do a few laps around the island on the Space Rex? It's gotta be done!”
Jimmy showed a sudden look of utter horror and defiance, as he couldn’t believe what Keagan had just asked.
“You what?” He spat.
“Oh... Well... You know... I just thought maybe… Have bit of fun? Take the Space Rex out for a ride...”
“So you’re telling me! That for another life’s displeasure, you would take for your own pleasure!!! You son of a bitch!”
Jimmy turned into a fired up beast now!
“No... Look... I’m sorry... I just got caught up in the mo...”
“THAT IS A FANTASTIC IDEA! I CAN’T BELIEVE I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE!!! OH MY GOD! YOU ARE THE MAN! I LOVE YOU!!!” Jimmy screamed excitedly, as he started taking all his clothes off and ran out the door.
As the echoes of Jimmy’s frantic screaming vibrated down the hallway, Keagan shook his head, “What a crazy son of a bitch! I love him!”
He then bolted after Jimmy joining in with the excitement.
Zipper and his crew have been traveling light speeds in no less than ten minutes. Sharon was pale, and had vomit down her front, plus the G-force pulling her face back weren't doing her any favors either.
“PLEASE STOP THIS THING!” Sharon screamed frantically.
Zipper was vibrating manically around in his pilot chair, along with his cheeks flapping around making whipping sounds; even with his previous space experience he still struggled to keep grace when traveling light speeds. Chris and Jake continued to just look menacing, even if it was in difficult conditions. Their space craft hurled itself through space as if it was imitating a shooting star, as sparks tailed from out the rear. They are now less than twenty minutes away from the “Dub Starz” crash site.
“THOSE SHARKS LOOKED MORE LIKE THEY WERE RUNNING AWAY! AND WE'RE GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION THEY ARE SWIMMING FROM!” Chris managed to shout through all the high speeds and tremors from the flight.
Suddenly out of no where, their craft took a hit on something, as the whole unit shuddered and turned to violent shaking.
The IGS Spacetonia two has left the port, and has just ascended out the Amazbos atmosphere. Ready to penetrate the open space vacuum, everyone on board were settled in; especially in the bar areas – a stiff one for the road. However, the security on board was not as settled as they panicked about the presence of nuclear arms; knowing that any slight thing out of place could set the bomb off. The shady men who boarded were now in one of the bar areas; a smoky place from all the cigarettes, a stagnant smell of alcohol and beer, along with dark lighting, and hosting wooden table and chairs with a snooker table.
“We got few hours to kill yet boys; I just hope you are all ready for war!” Alan hissed, in his long trench coat and pork pie hat.
The surrounding sounds of laughing and chatter from everyone else meant no one could listen in on them.
“Apparently the Space Shark's roaming; the “Dub Starz” was taken down,”
“Oh what nonsense! They asked for it, they went straight into the breeding ground... Serves them right! Idiots!” Alan said.
The general, who was now technically controlling Playa De Sontos, was continuing to orchestrate orders from a secret underground bunker.
“Sir, our air force has got an incoming ship, few hours away, coming for us!” One of the uniformed men said, who came into the general's office.
“I knew this would happen, probably our government sending forces! Get our fighters out there! Torpedo it! Under no circumstance, let it come into our air space!” The General barked aggressively, as his mustache spiked out and moved with his lips when he spoke.
Chapter 5: Sharkaggedon!
Keagan and Jimmy were both riding the Space Rex doing laps around the island, whilst passing each other a spliff. The artificial daylight was turning too dark, as the atmosphere allowed in the elements of space to fill in the skies. Different variations of bird tweeting are whistling through the trees, and Jimmy was off his rocker.
“FASTER MITTENS! FASTER! This bad boy is ONLY THE FASTEST LAND RUNNER! WOOOOH!” Jimmy shouted, who was in front holding the end of the Space Rex's reigns which came from the muzzle over her snout.
“This is some good shit!” Keagan praised.
“Oh... You wait until we get to total blackness... The aurora lights will start coming through soon, lights this place up like a disco!” Jimmy boasted.
The ground shook violently, a lot more than the vibrations the Space Rex was making with her stomping; as she became distressed and stood upright on her two powerful legs, as she roared! The muzzle instantly snapped into pieces – followed by both Jimmy and Keagan plummeting to the sandy ground.
“Mittens!! Go check it out! Go!” Jimmy ordered, as he got up and brushed the sand off himself, “We've got visitors...”
“Oh...”
The Space Rex raced towards the sea aggressively, and
gave one last mighty scream before diving into the sea, and she submerged herself as she swam back to the hostile lands on the other side.
Meanwhile in the pilot cockpit of the Spacetonia; things were getting a bit steamy when a couple of girls in stockings came through the hatch-door each carrying a feather a duster; much to the delight of the two pilots in white uniform. The girls went over to them, as they let themselves be embraced before one says, “There's nothing to see out there? Can I close the curtains?”
“Well... We are meant to be driving the shi- ii...” The pilot couldn't speak as she kissed his neck; he then tried to take back a bit more control again, determined for it to be only a temporary submission, “Space Sharks! We been getting a lot of warnings about them recently...”