At the Highways of Madness

by West, David J.

  Cormac jumped using the Salyut’s hit to project himself at the X-20.

  Though the azimuth in Cormac’s own mind was close, he missed the X-20 by several feet. His fingers outlined against the sun, cruelly empty.

  The Salyut and X-20 drifted by in an awful slow-motion of despair.

  The tether flailed behind.

  His hand shot out against all the blood and doom and Cormac caught the lifeline.

  He never knew how long it took to pull himself and Driscoll aboard the X-20, it seemed agonizing hours.

  Inside, he strapped the delirious Major into Ryman’s former seat and fired up the Titan booster, shooting himself ahead of the revolving Salyut.

  “Hey Ryman. Remember what I do up here.”

  The radio crackled to life. “You’re still alive? I would have thought you would have accepted your fate and embraced the darkness at last.”

  “Yeah, I don’t do that.”

  “Sergei must have been a suitable enough conduit. Can you see from whatever lost perspective you have, that a tendril from the leviathan now engulfs the station? Accept that I have succeeded and will take the monstrosity back to earth and rule!”

  “Yeah about that. What happens if you can’t make it back to earth?”

  “You cannot stop me. When we reach the atmosphere, my powers shall be complete. I had feared my return without a suitable vehicle, but I feel the power pulsing from the Mistress of the Void, I will survive re-entry and then I shall burn a madness deep into the world.”

  Cormac turned the X-20 into a rendezvous directly ahead of the Salyut. “Remember what I do up here? I’m the best.” He dumped the load of ball bearings directly into the flight path of the Salyut.

  There is no possibility of a Salyut changing its course on such an abrupt path. Ryman’s screams instantly silenced are testament of such.

  For every light, there is a darkness. Repulsed by its loss of a conduit, the Mistress of the Void retreated to await another time and avenue to enter this realm.

  There is no fair in the universe, but there is justice.

  About the Author:

  David J. West writes dark fantasy and weird westerns because the voices in his head won’t quiet until someone else can hear them. He is a great fan of sword & sorcery, ghosts and lost ruins, so of course he lives in Utah in with his wife and children.

  You can visit him online at:

  http://www.kingdavidjwest.com/

  https://twitter.com/David_JWest

  http://david-j-west.tumblr.com/

  Also by David J. West

  Dark Trails Saga

  Six-Gun Serenade

  Cold Slither

  Whispers Out of the Dust

  Fangs of the Dragon

  And Coming Soon

  Crazy Horses

  You Only Hang Once

  Lit Pulp Collection

  Weird Tales of Horror

  The Mad Song: and other Tales of Sword & Sorcery

  Gods in Darkness

  Whispers of the Goddess

  The Hand of Fate

  Eldritch Collection

  Space Eldritch

  Space Eldritch 2: The Haunted Stars

  Redneck Eldritch

  Heroes of the Fallen Saga

  Heroes of the Fallen

  Bless the Child

  Blood of Our Fathers (forthcoming)

  Reviews are always appreciated,

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