Starship Magic 3: Abducted

by Mark Brandon Powell

  It feels like the elevator is taking forever to get wherever it is they are going. Kat adjusts her hands around the grip trying to cool them off. She’s not used to getting clam-y. There have just been a lot of things recently that have changed her perception on the universe. No matter what came at her in life, there was always this feeling that she would get through. In the last couple of weeks, that little daydream of hers has been shattered, melted, remade, then disintegrated. That was all before today and entering into an alien Dyson Sphere. Something humans are hundreds if not thousands of years away from doing.

  The elevator finally stops with a cheerful chirp. Kat squeezes the grip of her blaster and pulls it up to her shoulder. As the doors open a hallway comes into view. Everything is a dull grey gunmetal color, from ceiling to floor. The lights overhead are a nice bright white which is a nice turn of pace.

  She leans carefully out to see either side of the elevator and what might be waiting for them. The elevator was placed on a T section of identical looking hallways. On the service lever there was a colored stripe to show where they were, but nothing like that was visible to Kat.

  Kat says, “It’s clear.”

  Mark says, “Well it should be. This is a floor for only the power generator. It’s mostly self-sufficient. There is monthly maintenance but that won’t be for a few weeks.”

  Jinx says, “That seems awfully lazy of the Foremid. From what I remember they always like to over manage everything.”

  Mark has a slight tilt with his head as he says, “I did not know you were an expert with the Foremid?”

  “Not an expert, just a Eydulan.”

  “Well isn’t that interesting. I heard that your kind was wiped out by us lowly humans.”

  “If you know anything about the Eydulans, then you know we’re more durable than that.”

  “Yes, it seems you are.”

  Kat says, “Ok you two. Lets get to this generator and reset it so we can get into the lab.” As the word ‘lab’ leaves her lips she has an aw crap moment. “Which we need to have Jack for, who just ran back to help Hanna. Well isn’t that great.”

  Mark says, “That does make things more interesting. It won’t be a problem. I have another way to get into the lab, and it requires a hard reset of the main power to do it. It’s a longer route but will get us to the same place.”

  “Tell me, because I’m not sure how many more surprises that I can take today. I’m pretty surprised out.”

  Mark nods. “I need to set a timer on the controls for the power to reset after we reset the power. All of the terminals have individual power sources, but the security runs off of the main power. When I reset it, it will cause the security on them to reboot which will take time so I can get in and change around rights and privileges for users. I didn’t really want to do it this way, but if I have to use myself because I won’t be able to add anyone else to the system.

  Once all of that is set, we need to head to the security level, which is a couple of floors up from here. We are going to take the stairs because they will be using the elevator to come check the power. At security I update my privileges, and if I have time, set up a distraction for the warriors to run to.

  After that I lead you to the lab level, which is right above the service level. We need to find the information on how to free Terra from her chamber. The Guild locked her in it, and only the top researcher had the information on how to do that. Then we go to Terra’s containment room, free her, escape, and get back to your ship. Which if it isn’t already running I will get running. How does that sound?”

  Kat thinks over the plan. It was good, thought out even. He had at least two plans on how to get her out of here. With out this guy she doesn’t know how they would have even gotten this far. There is one thing that’s bugging her though.

  She asks, “Why did you need the info to free Terra we didn’t need it before right?”

  “No we didn’t. I had set your friend up as the new head of research. It gave him access to everything. Now that is done, things don’t change that quickly around here. It would take another Foremid year before the system would allow another change to that position. I can change the rights of my access on where I can go in the facility, but not the information that I have access too. Which means I can get us into the room with Terra, just not open her chamber, which is in the top researcher’s personal terminal access.”

  Everything sounds logical to Kat. She wasn’t great with technology. Sure she could use just about anything you give her, and might be able to pick things up quickly but she wasn’t any kind of hacker. Almost everything he was talking about with changing permissions and adding users she understood the concept. Add the fact that it’s also alien tech, similar to human, but different enough to where she would be lost. Getting Terra out of the chamber wasn’t even in her thoughts when she came running in here. Mark had to have been planning the escape for some time to have everything so meticulously planned out.

  Jinx says, “So we just have to trust that you can do these things. That another mistake like what just happened a minute ago won’t happen again.”

  Mark says, “In short, yes.”

  “Give me just a minute with my partner here.”

  “If that is what you want. Any more time wasted is time we don’t have later.”

  Jinx pulls Kat a few steps away from Mark. The grip and pace was similar to when Graven had something to talk with her about away from Whisper. The looks in her eyes was the same as well.

  She whispers, “Lets just go to the lab level and rip Terra and her containment chamber out of here. Whisper can figure out how to bust it open. We don’t need this guy any longer. If you want to bring him along, sure, but I don’t think we should let him run this right now.”

  Kat whispers back, “Why are you so anti-Mark. He seems to be helping us to help himself. Enemy of my enemy and all.”

  Jinx shakes her head, “I don’t think he’s telling us everything. I can’t place my finger on it, but there is something about him that is making my skin crawl. Like an invisible hand running up and down the hairs of my arms and legs.”

  Kat huffs, “Look, his plan makes sense, and I think it might be better than carrying around however heavy that chamber is. You might be able to do it, but what happens if another warrior shows up. It would slow you down because you would be the only one who could carry it. Sure we might get luck and not run into anything, and hop back onto Felicity and leave this place without anything else happening. I could also be pregnant with a unicorn who could shit flawless diamonds.”

  “Fine I get it.”

  “Good, now lets just get on with this and stop wasting time.”

  “You know Graven is on my side.”

  “Well if he was here to tell that to me himself it might be a little different, but that got sidetracked didn’t it.”

  “How was I supposed to know there was a warrior patrol to the Resurrection site.”

  “That isn’t what I meant. I don’t blame you, I’m just. I need him, and this.” Kat waves her arms up and down, “Isn’t helping.”

  “I know. Graven is telling me that I will try to keep a cool head about all of this, and follow your lead. Human relationships are so exasperating.”

  Mark says, “Are you two done yet?”

  Kat says, “Yea we are.”

  “Everything settled?”

  “It was girl stuff. She likes you and doesn’t know how to say it.”

  Jinx glares at Kat who smirks back. Mark gestures down the hallway the elevator was facing and they start to make their way down the hall.

  16

  The first thing that Kat notices is there are no doors. She just assumed that there would be at least a few. Like a janitorial closet or something. But there was nothing, and doors you can visually see as doors might be a human only thing. She didn’t know and wasn’t going to ask.

  Her thought was answered as they finally reached the end of the hallway, which was a dead-end.
Kat was about to ask if they went the wrong way when Mark walked up to the wall and placed his gloved hand on it. A piece of the wall recedes around his hand.

  There is a faint scraping noise followed by the wall swinging open. The room behind the door was massive. In the center was a three story sphere atop four angled pillars. It was glossy white white the pillars around were a matte black. The sphere and pillars looked as though they were touching, but there was a small gap where a faint glow emanated. The floor underneath was a type of glass or crystal cube with a black bottom. Each cube was clearly defined. The walls large panels and were the same matte black as the pillars.

  As far as Kat could see there were no controls, consoles, or terminals to access anything. Mark takes a step into the power room, and the floor beneath his feet illuminates yellow. He holds up a hand toward her and Jinx, telling them not to follow him or the alarms will go off. With each step the next cube lights up under foot. He stands underneath the polished looking white sphere, places his hand on it, and spins it slowly to the right. A small five pointed black star rotates into view.

  Mark spins the sphere until the black star is next to him. He presses it in and Kat watches it slide out. On one of the points he flips open a hatch as a display screen projects from the point up.

  Jinx calls out, “Mark what are you doing with that starcore?”

  He replies with a barely audible voice, “I’m turning it off and setting it to restart. Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

  “We did about a power generator, not a friggin’ starcore. Do you know how dangerous those can be even for Eydulans?”

  His voice still soft, “Yes I do, so I would appreciate you not raising your voice any more than what you already have.”

  Kat places a hand on Jinx’s shoulder. Jinx looks back at Kat with worry on her face.

  Kat asks, “What is this all about?”

  Jinx says, “Its an S. T. A. R. C. O. R. E. Starcore, as in the center of a star. The normally giant balls of gas and blazing hot plasma that gives planets sunlight. You know that kind of core of a star. A friggin’ st-a-r-core.”

  “How, why?”

  “Magic, that’s how. A very special and very rare kind of solar magic. There was one Eydulan. ONE. She had this thing for tinkering. They called her Tinker, I called her Tink for short. She made like five of these for the planet here after realizing the solar panels weren’t going to be enough power. When the planet was getting over run with humans, she was supposed to destroy them all. So I don’t know how this is even here, or how that man is using it. Each one is very advanced Eydulan technology, with security and firewalls and encryptions.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t a scientist. How do you know all of this?”

  “I am the second princess to the royal throne. I wondered around. A lot.” She turns to Mark and yells, “Don’t blow us all to hell.” He gives her a thumbs up. She continues, “Who is this guy anyway?”

  Kat says, “I don’t know, but could you do anything with this starcore?”

  “What me!? Hell no. I know just how dangerous it is. This doesn’t even look close to the original housing for it either. Who knows if whatever that white sphere is can really contain it.”

  Mark finishes what he was doing, closing the starcore back up and placing it back into the white sphere. He then rotates the sphere so the starcore points toward the ground. Before he turns around and comes back, he gives it a little spin. As he walks out along the same path he walked in, the yellow light fades on each cube.

  Kat was nervous with what Jinx might do. The things that she’s been saying have been pretty crazy. Was Jinx at one time really a princess, who knows. She sure didn’t act like one. It also seems like there is way more she’s holding back on a lot of things she could be saying.

  Mark returns saying, “I set two reset timers. It would be nice to use the elevator again.”

  Jinx says, “Just what do you think you were doing with that? Do you know what that was and how dangerous it is?”

  Kat cringes a little with her tone. There wasn’t anything good coming out of this.

  Kat says, “Let’s just keep moving.”

  Jinx spits back, “No. We are not going to just keep moving. This guy could have almost killed us, and if there is anything wrong with whatever he programed, it could blow us all up.”

  Mark says, “That won’t happen. The containment unit will either consume the core or eject it. The Foremid improved the casing, the Eydulan who put it together did a great job, but it just wasn’t up to master class standards.”

  A vein starts to show on Jinx’s forehead pulsing.

  She says, “Why is it that you keep up talking the Foremid and down talking the Eydulans.”

  “Jinx, I have been fascinated with the way things work for as long as I can remember. The Foremid take what is already there and make it better. The Eydulans were able to fuse magic with technology which is, to me, a feat within itself. I just think Foremid have a lot going for them, if they could be less about the conquest and more about what they do best.”

  “How could a human really understand any of this.”

  “I understand things far better than you.”

  Jinx slaps Mark with a back hand. “Stupid human. Who do you think you are to be talking to me that way. I’ve been alive since before you family tree was a seed. You have no idea who I am.”

  “All of that time seems to have been wasted on you.”

  Jinx goes to slap Mark again. Mark blocks the slap with one hand, waving a finger at her with the other.

  He says, “See, so quick to anger.”

  Kat says, “Hey you two need to cut this out now. This is not the time more the place to be having it out. You two can have an all out brawl back on the ship if you want. Once we get back out into space and far away from this place.”

  Mark nods.

  Jinx says, “No. This is wrong. I don’t trust this guy.”

  Kat steps between the two, looking at Jinx. “Graven wouldn’t be acting like this right now. He would know the situation we’re in and act accordingly. I bet if you really can hear him he’s screaming at you to calm down.”

  The vein on her forehead goes away and she breaks eye contact with Kat, starring at the ground.

  Kat lets out a breath, “Good. Time to rescue Terra.”

  Mark says with a smirk, “Yes, you should listen to your tamer.”

  Kat glares at Mark. Before she knows what happening, she’s sideways laying on the floor. She looks up and Jinx is in Mark’s face. Saying something about telling that to her face. Looking down she’s laying across two - now purple - cubes.

  She says, “Uhh, guys.”

  Jinx and Mark pay no attention to her and keep bickering.

  “Jinx, Mark, I think we have a problem.”

  Still nothing.

  Kat yells, “Jinx, help.”

  Jinx twitches her head and looks at Kat laying on the cubes within in the power room. Her eyes get big.

  Mark says dryly, “This is going to complicate things.”

  Jinx helps Kat off the floor, “I’m sorry Kat. I let my emotions get the better of me. It’s been so long since I’ve had any of my own. That isn’t an excuse, I’m just trying to say sorry.”

  Kat says, “Thanks.” She looks toward Mark, “So what’s going to happen?”

  Mark looks over his shoulder gesturing with his head, “That.”

  The walls of the hallway start opening all of the doors that Kat had originally imagined would have been there. Out of each was a small three foot talk bipedal robot. Every one of them looked like twigs with arms, legs and a head. As they converge they inner link together. Twisting, coming apart, folding, and clicking into place.

  Mark takes off running into the generator room.

  He says, “We need to get out of here before it finishes.”

  Kat was already following him before he gave a reason. The whole cube floor was now purple except for which ever
one Mark was standing on. It was yellow. Jinx was behind Kat, and not talking. Every time Kat looked back, she wouldn’t make eye contact.

  The generator room wasn’t as large as Kat originally felt like it was. With all of the floor cubes lit, she could actually see where the walls were. The back wall was a mirror, or mirror polish, but with the sphere in the way she couldn’t tell when she first saw the room. They were running toward the far corner of the room.

  Mark reached it first, pressing against the non-mirrored wall. He give even more effort the second time he tries.

  Kat asks, “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s stuck. I told them multiple times we needed to fix this door. Why no one listens to me about things like this I will never know.”

  Mark rams his shoulder into the door and it still doesn’t budge.

  Kat asks, “Are you sure it’s right there?”

  He says, “Yes, now do you want to help or just watch me.”

  Jinx says, “I’ll buy you some time.”

  Kat says, “No, don’t you dare. You’re not leaving me too.”

  Jinx shakes her head, “I’m not going to leave you anywhere. I’m just giving you time to get the door open, then I’m right behind you.”

  Mark says, “That’s the first good decision I’ve seen you make.”

  Jinx rolls her eyes, and Kat glares at Mark again. Kat plants her cybernetic leg and presses into the wall with all her might. She can feel it give way before it seizes up again.

  Glancing back to Jinx she can see her when she stops to pivot positions but she goes back to being a blur. The robot is near the size of the warrior they were fighting earlier, and with each hit Jinx gets in, the size of the robot grows.

  Kat rams her shoulder into the door. It still doesn’t budge.

  She says, “Hey Mark are you going to help me or what?”

  “Sure, it just looked like you wanted me out of the way.”

  Mark pushes while Kat rams into the door. Something snaps behind the door and it swings open. Mark say under his breath that sounds like a curse. Jinx screams.