“Unless you let us capture one,” Gretchen said.
“Why are the Jellies away from water?” Paul asked suddenly. “You say they are not so good at digging, and I know we have almost always seen them around water, so why are these still here? Where is the water?”
“These were part of a group of the Jellies that I was able to intercept,” Lyudmila stated. “Sadly the other Jellies got away as the last of the water was flowing out of the river. They are fast in water. They dragged that pile of corpses away. This rear guard was all that remained. They tried to follow, but I began cutting them down one by one.” Lyudmila’s voice was that of a young woman, yet there was a tone it in that sounded older and much more seasoned. Like her face had looked, her voice carried the weight she had born over the recent events.
“Paul, now is the chance,” Gretchen stated. “Lyudmila can keep the Jellies confined in that place under that wrecked barge. We will walk in and capture one of them.”
“I will kill the other,” Lyudmila stated flatly.
Paul looked at the spear in his hand. He doubted seriously that they would be successful. He kept replaying the scene of Sibat and Oda in his mind. He was about to propose just letting Lyudmila kill the Jellies when the medallion warmed on his chest. The Artemis’ words came to him, ‘You will succeed.’
“Okay, since The Artemis says this will work,” Paul responded. The look in Gretchen’s eyes told him she had not heard the message from The Artemis.
“I will watch for your approach. If the Jellies come out before you get there, I will kill them before I let them escape. When you get there, if it goes badly, I will still kill them. So go, and with my blessing capture one of these monsters. I will then spit in its face!” Lyudmila said as she continued her vigil.
Paul and Gretchen walked down the stairs and out the back of the house. They proceeded along the street toward the riverfront. Several smashed automacubes were along the road, as well as overturned wagons, and a dead and stinking horse.
“It is not one of the ones we rode,” Gretchen stated. “I hope.”
The dock which had once stretched out over the river was a shambles. Walking along it took them to the end of where the barge was located, and out of any possible view from the cavity in which the Jellies were hunkered down. They climbed down one of the scaffolds on which the dock had been built. It was obvious where the water level had been, as the scaffold was stained by the decades of river water flowing by. Reaching the bottom, Paul could see that the mud was now very dried, hard, and fractured into a multitude of cracks. He stepped onto it and found the footing firm and sure.
The barge stuck up out of the dried mud at a strange angle, and its brightly colored sides were streaked with muck, and marred with rips and tears. The cabin of the barge had been bashed down. The cargo area was empty, and its ropes and nets hung in tatters.
“I doubt the Jellies can see us over here,” Gretchen said. “So we will just walk along the edge of this barge and get close to where they are. They will not see us.”
“Do we even know how they see?” Paul asked. He looked back and thought he could tell which house Lyudmila was in, but was not sure. So many of the houses were ruined and destroyed, and he did not see anything that gave away her position. “These are aliens. Do they have senses like we do? Do they see and hear, or do something else? For all we know they are waiting for us to come down to them.”
“We have defeated them before,” Gretchen reminded Paul. She tapped the holster where the pistol was kept. “We have our pistols, and Lyudmila will be watching over us. This can work.”
Creeping up to the spot where the Jellies were hiding was nerve-racking. Paul felt the sweat of his hands on the spear, and looked again at the tip. The coating was still there, and he wondered what difference that would make. He glanced back to the houses where Lyudmila was ready to fire. He hoped she would not mistake him for a Jellie or that she would not miss her shot and hit him or hit Gretchen. Paul remembered what a poor shot he was with weapons and worried.
Gretchen was getting ready to move around the corner when one of the Jellies stretched out just a bit and let fly three white balls. They emanated right from its body and flew up and away toward the target.
Wump. The sound echoed from back in the buildings. The capsule smashed into the dirt just to the side of where the Jellie had launched its own weapons. There was a high pitched whine, and a small detonation in the mud. The organic disruptor had went off.
Waiting a moment, to make sure the disruptor was finished, Gretchen then leaped around the corner, spear at the ready. Paul followed.
The two Jellies had been digging. They had pried parts of the barge’s hull off and were using them as makeshift shovels. They had progressed down next to the buried barge about five meters. There was a steep slope down to where they were working. The area was lit by the strange bluish-purple light, and the Jellies themselves quivered and were blurry up close. One Jellie still had its tentacles around the metal piece fashioned from the hull. The other was the one which had just used its weapons.
Gretchen yelled and raced forward.
The nearest Jellie whipped its tentacles around and snapped them at her as she approached. One tentacle was sliced deeply by the spearhead. That tentacle shook violently and then shriveled up and fell off. Another tentacle wrapped around Gretchen’s leg and yanked. She nearly fell, but went with the pull and kept her balance.
Paul leaped down and plunged his spear deep into that tentacle and it too shook violently, dried up, and detached from the main sphere of the Jellie.
Clods of dirt smashed all around them. Gretchen dodged down but was still struck by a dirt clod. The other Jellie had thrown the chuck of metal it had been using to dig. It had crashed into the dirt and sprayed the clods up. Paul rushed at the second Jellie only to be pushed down by the first one as it crashed past him and rolled up the slope. Paul looked up just as the Jellie moved out from beyond the safety of the barge.
Wump. The sound of the L-ROD was muffled and distant but clear.
The Jellie sphere shook from the impact of the organic disruptor capsule as it struck right on the edge of the Jellie. A high pitched whine resounded through the small area with a piercing cry. A dull glow of yellow radiated out from the initial point of impact as the organic disruptor detonated. The sphere rolled itself over and tried to place that part of its exterior against the mud of the ground. It did no good as the yellow shaking took hold and a meter sized section of the Jellie’s sphere suit crumbled apart. Fluids sloshed about as the Jellie writhed in agony.
Piff. Piff. Piff.
Three more impacts hit the Jellie. This time all three were right near where the organic disruptor had blasted the hole in its side. The Jellie spun about, but fluids were now massively leaking out. The high velocity nuggets from the L-ROD had passed inside the Jellie suit through the wound in its side and had ripped through the interior as they rebounding off the still hard other parts of the Jellie suit.
Paul saw a tentacle come out of the hole and fall to the ground as it jerked in a death spasm.
Gretchen meanwhile was stabbing the remaining Jellie. It had sprouted several appendages, but each time it tried to use them, Gretchen stabbed it with the spear. Each one became rigid, the glow faded from it, and the Jellie had less movement.
“Paul, help me cut it open!”
Paul thrust his own spear into the side of the Jellie sphere and sliced downward. The tissue or substance of the Jellie suit parted as if the atoms it was made from individually sought to escape from the spearhead.
“Get the canister ready!” Gretchen ordered.
Paul rammed his spear into another section of the Jellie suit, this time fully penetrating it and pinning that part to the ground as his spear sank into the dried riverbed. He then pulled the canister out and activated the inflation mechanism.
A fleshy tentacle came whipping out of the inside of the now split open Jellie suit. It wrapped about Paul’s
arm and squeezed hard. This was unlike the external tentacles as it was much more vividly detailed and obviously of flesh. Paul grabbed at it and instead of trying to dislodge it from his arm, he heaved with all his strength and the Jellie itself was pulled out from its watery environment inside the sphere. Many other tentacles flailed about, but Gretchen grabbed onto them as well and between Paul and Gretchen they were able to wrestle most of the Jellie into the long inflatable canister. The Jellie’s crown shaped top did not move much at all when grabbed or punched. The long stem which came out from the bottom of the crown, that body part did flop about, and had a very mushy, yet flexible end with a sharply pointed barb. Paul and Gretchen avoided that with care.
The Jellie continued to squeeze Paul’s arm, and the grip was painful. Gretchen grabbed her spear and placed it right near the bell shaped crown and when the spear-tip got close to the fist sized ball at the very top of the bell, the Jellie released Paul’s arm and allowed that final tentacle to be stuffed into the clear canister.
Paul and Gretchen both sealed up the canister and then sat down in exhaustion.
“You did do it,” Lyudmila said as she stood at the top of the slope. The L-ROD was pointed right at the Jellie which was now restrained inside the canister. A gray and black cat was rubbing his head against Lyudmila’s legs as she stood there. “You have your captive. Now what do you do with it?”
12 Transition
“I understand Larissa,” Governor Konstantin said. “However, if you allow me to take a team of troopers with you there will be no chance for additional assassination attempts.”
“Governor, you have made your position on this very clear,” Larissa said as she stood up from the conference table. She looked over at Constable Brock, and Brinley who were seated on the other side. “Brinley and I will make the journey. We will be leaving the Wilds, and heading to our target destination. I am sorry, but for security purposes, I cannot tell you that location.”
“Larissa, I am not asking for you to tell me the location, I am insisting that you allow me and a squad of troopers to come along. You were nearly killed, and I do not want to see that happen again,” Governor Konstantin stated emphatically. It was one of the very few times that he had stood up to Larissa and it was the first time he had ever made such as strenuous demand. In a way, Larissa liked it, but she could not tolerate it.
“No.”
Governor Konstantin started to say more, but then closed his mouth as Larissa stared at him. Her eyes were tight and focused and he backed down.
“I do appreciate the thought,” Larissa said, not unkindly. “But remember in a previous battle, you and the troopers were not able to keep me from being kidnapped. I know you tried, and good troopers died that day. I will be more secure on this mission with a small party. Brinley and I will be leaving after this meeting. Now to the other matter.” She turned to look at Constable Brock. “Your report says that Sigmond was the assailant. It was meticulous and complete. Is there any doubt in your mind that he acted alone?”
Constable Brock looked rock hard and replied, “The Governor’s investigation and the one I did myself confirm he did act alone. Some of the other smugglers, excuse me,” he looked at Brinley, “the Free Rangers, have sympathies for him, but none were involved in the assassination attempt.”
“The Free Rangers are to be treated as equals to the original inhabitant of the Wilds. As to Sigmond’s punishment, that I will handle personally,” Larissa said. “Have the prisoner brought here. Have him dressed for travel, I am taking him with me.”
“A public example should be made,” Governor Konstantin interrupted. His face then looked troubled as he realized again he had challenged Larissa.
“My good Governor Konstantin. The people will see me taking him away. That will be a more than adequate public example. How many others want to travel with me like that into the Velky Weep Canyon alone?” Larissa waited, but there was no reply. Konstantin did not even meet her gaze. She turned and then said, “Constable Brock, please go and fetch the prisoner, now.”
Constable Brock instantly got to his feet. “Yes, Larissa.” He left the room quickly.
“Governor, I assume the poitevin are ready for my departure?” Larissa asked, but in a tone expecting compliance. “You will need to arrange for one more mount for us, for Sigmond. Go now and make that happen. Brinley and I wish to leave immediately, enough time has been wasted here in Miass.”
“Yes, Larissa,” Governor Konstantin stood and left quickly.
“Brinley, please come with me,” Larissa said and walked out the conference room.
They walked through the palace and out to the front where there were two well equipped poitevin donkeys waiting. Their saddles, saddle bags, and other gear were well supplied. That included long scabbards on each mount which contained an L-ROD.
“You have been unusually quiet, Brinley,” Larissa stated. “Do you have questions or doubts about our quest? I still need to gain control of the lattice, and this is the only way.”
“I told you I would assist you, and I will.” Brinley’s normally cheery smile was gone.
“Oh I see the donkey comes before the man,” Larissa said as Governor Konstantin rode up on a poitevin. That mount had a rough and well used saddle with no equipment at all.
“Larissa, I got the first mount available, will this be satisfactory?”
“Yes, Governor. The mount will not be needed for long,” Larissa said.
Konstantin dismounted and presented the reins of the donkey. He listened attentively and expected another assignment.
“Now as to you,” Larissa continued, “The Free Rangers will be an asset to our cause of defending the Wilds. Now the old man Tennard is wise and helpful. Treat him well and listen to his advice. Appoint him as a liaison or some other titled position. Make sure the public knows that, especially the Free Rangers. Both sides will need to work together until I get back. I expect my habitat to be safe while I am gone and I expect you to keep it that way.” Her voice then softened and lowered as she leaned over to Konstantin. She whispered, “I have confidence in you. You cannot come with me because the people need a strong leader, and you are well suited for the role. Between you and Constable Brock, things will run smoothly.”
Konstantin was surprised and pleased by the unexpected words from Larissa. She turned as Constable Brock and Sigmond walked out of a different door of the palace. Sigmond was dressed in travel clothing and appropriate shoes. His hands were restrained in cuffs and there was anger, resignation, and frustration mixed in his face.
“Here is the prisoner as requested,” Constable Brock said as he led Sigmond to Larissa.
“Assist him onto that donkey, and tie his hands to the saddle horn. I do not want him to fall off as we travel,” Larissa ordered.
Constable Brock did exactly as instructed. Sigmond said nothing, but his eyes blazed with hatred, nearly as severely as the eyes of a Roe blazed with the rabies of infection.
The three of them rode out of the town of Miass. People on the streets turned and watched as Larissa led the donkey on which Sigmond was tied. Brinley rode behind, not really secure in her equestrian abilities, but managing well enough. They rode in silence as they passed out of the town and along the plateau and the trail that led to the paths which led down and away from the highland.
The town of Miass sat on the edge of the large Velky Weap Canyon which constituted about a fifth of the habitat. The view from the trail leading out of Miass was amazing. The sky tube shined down on the Canyon, and its various colors shined back. There were countless spires of rock which stood up. Between the spires there were areas of dirt, some various trees, and other foliage. Each spire was horizontally stripped with shades and tones of brown, or red, or white, or tan. The river cut through the center of the Canyon and led all the way to the end of the habitat. At Miass, the river dropped into the Canyon in the cataract which was on the far side of the town. The river was seen in the distance, as were the multitude of
small streams and creeks which also led down into the Canyon.
“Larissa, I have not said anything so far about Sigmond,” Brinley began as they came to the edge of the plateau. They were just about to start on one of the many trails which descended down to the Canyon below. “However, if I am to assist you in the mission we are on, to shut down TS1-99, I need to know what you are planning for Sigmond. I know what he did was terrible….”
“He tried to kill me, and he shot at you,” Larissa said in a cold and firm voice.
“Yes, I am well aware of that, but he and I both endured horrific….” Brinley stated, but was again interrupted.
“You both survived a massacre of the people you knew, cared for, and loved,” Larissa finished. “I was responsible for that massacre.”
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 160