SUNDAY SCHOOL (TRAMPS Book 2)

by Ray Blackwell

  “Everyone make sure you you have both an energy and ballistic sidearm. Stay in groups or at least in twos when all possible. Watch each others backs and we’ll pull through this. Any questions?”

  They all fell silent and looked at each other.

  “I’ll take that as a no. Let’s go to the Small arms and get reloaded. Aaron, I’ll be up top to relieve you momentarily.”

  “Yes sir, all is quiet up here,” came Aaron’s voice over the intercom.

  They left the rec room and single filed all the way to the small arms locker.

  There seemed to be enough room until Perry entered then the small room was very cramped.

  Rand thought about Perry being armed and wondered if he had ever held a weapon before. Rand waited for the others to finish loading first.

  After Serena found her pair of weapons and reloaded as well as stowing her power cells, Rand asked her to wait in the corridor.

  Terri and Mitchell were the first to leave.

  “Perry, have you ever held or fired a weapon before?” asked Rand.

  “No Mr. Rand, I never did.” Perry said nervously.

  “Serena, I don’t have time, can you instruct Perry on the fundamentals?”

  “I can Rand, I will try to keep him from shooting us or himself.”

  “Perry, I know you may not be fond of guns, but you have just as much right to defend yourself as the rest of us. Just promise me you’ll listen to Serena and be very careful, okay?”

  “Yes Mr. Rand. I will be careful.”

  “Good man Perry,” said Rand.

  “Serena, I’ will leave him in your capable hands.”

  Rand left them to their own training and returned to the bridge.

  “Your turn to lock and load.”

  “Sir, thank you.”

  “Aaron, you don’t have to call me sir.”

  “I want to.”

  Rand thought about it for a second.

  “Alright Aaron, thank you.”

  Aaron nodded and left.

  Rand glanced at the radar and the route planner. Less than one hour remained before they changed course. After changing course they would spend twenty light years traveling parallel to Republic held space before entering free space and the independent systems. Assuming nothing else went wrong.

  Nothing going wrong, Rand realized that was a fantasy.

  Aaron returned several minutes later. A Bentloff on his left and an 8 mm Republic Steingart stuffed down into the rear of his trousers. It was the first time Rand noticed Aaron was predominantly left handed.

  Rand thought to himself humorously, ‘My powers of great observation are slipping.’

  The crew engaged small talk for the remaining first leg of the trip. When the hyper-drive cut out, Mitchell and Terri returned to the bridge.

  “All clear so far?” Terri asked.

  “So far so good,” Rand answered.

  Mitchell took the helm and brought Lady Luck to a parallel heading with the galactic plane.

  “Easy does it Mitchell, don’t make a large hyper-wave. We already look like a neon sign.”

  Mitchell eased the engines up to twenty percent and matched the hyperdrive at twenty percent. The power drain was minimal but the generators were able to keep up without battery drain, and a trickle charge could still charge the partially drained batteries in the event of an emergency.

  “That’s plenty good, now lets just keep this setting.”

  “Rand, how long to get under this before we can re-enter known space?” Terri asked.

  “At our current speed and course with no interruptions, uhmm, close to twenty days. Give or take.”

  “Wow, gonna be a while then.”

  Rand directed his attention to Aaron.

  “Aaron, you’ve been staying at your post longest. Go ahead and take time off. We’ll start doing eight hour shifts unless something comes up, now get out of here and try to relax. Be back in sixteen.”

  “Thanks Rand.” Aaron didn’t hesitate. He scurried out before Rand changed his mind.

  “Mitchell, that goes for you also, be back in eight.”

  “Gotcha Boss.”

  Rand waited until they were both gone.

  Terri took Aaron’s seat. “You, me and a window full of stars. How romantic.”

  Rand laughed, “Yeah, and zooming through possible enemy territory with pursuers blanketing the stars above. I can’t think of a lovelier setting.”

  “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to train you and Serena to be able to handle this ship, but when we get to safety you guys might just abandon ship anyway.” Rand was fishing to see what Terri might do.

  “I’m going back to Coalition Marines, but maybe one day,” she smiled.

  Rand slowly nodded. Terri undoubtedly enjoyed her career and the Coalition needed all the volunteers they could get.

  “Hey, if you’re alright up here alone for a while I’m going to get some shut eye,” said Terri.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Get some sleep.”

  Rand watched Terri leave the bridge. He turned his attention back to the forward viewing ports and the stars, as they had entered the red shift spectrum.

  The next few days had passed without events and it was welcome, however their nerves were still on edge. The three manning the bridge kept their appointed watch.

  Serena had made a low power adaptation to one of the laser rifles and taught Perry some very good firearm techniques. And while Perry was not fond of weapons, he showed an interest in her instructions and was showing an upper apprentice capability. At least a proficiency in safe handling to keep his allies from being accidentally shot.

  While being mentally challenged in thought processes Perry showed an amazing ability for short and long term capacity. He had an almost photographic memory.

  Day 6 after leaving the relay station and the attack of the Republic Fleet, Mitchell was keeping an intermittent eye on the radar during the end of his watch.

  Aaron had earlier had his daily work-out and had previously showered, evident by his damp, but shiny black hair, floating on his head like underwater ferns.

  “You are freed Mitchell,” Aaron reported as he took his navigator seat.

  Mitchell drug his feet from the console and let them bounce on the floor.

  “Alright Sparky, she’s all yours.”

  The light’s immediately went out. The little ship went black. No warning lights, no emergency lighting, nothing. The red oncoming stars went to their natural colors as the hyper-drive shut down. The batteries indeterminably refused to send power through the lines, to provide life support. The crew became weightless as the flooring grav plates went dead. Mitchell caught a glimpe of stars to his left blinking out as though something had moved into position blocking their view.

  Something similar to the size of Lady Luck. Something disc shaped and possibly on it’s side.

  Rand and Terri were both in the galley. Rand felt his coffee cup go lighter. Unseen, coffee formed droplets and drifted outward and upward.

  Rand immediately aware that they were not alone tried to block the voices in his head. Terri also became acutely aware of an unfeeling presence in the total blackness.

  “Terri!” Rand yelled.

  There was no answer yet Terri was only a couple feet away. Rand couldn’t say another word.

  Serena slept in her bunk, yet she never woke.

  Mitchell and Aaron both stared from the pitch black bridge at the ominous vehicle. Their faces went blank yet unseen. Neither blinked as they and the rest of the crew slipped into a ca tonic state

  All but one.

  Perry sat up in his bed then began floating upward. His night light was inoperative. In cave like blackness, Perry’s eyes darted left and right in his little bedroom. Perry could hear a voice in his head telling him to stay calm.

  “Who is that?” Perry asked.

  The voice repeated. It was an unknown language but Perry understood it’s meaning. It repeatedly told him to sleep, b
ut Perry wasn’t sleepy.

  Perry’s size in Lady Luck was an advantage in zero gravity. Perry’s height coupled with Lady’s low ceiling allowed Perry to walk with both his hands and feet.

  He had to see what was happening. In boxer shorts only, Perry fumbled around and found his Serena fashioned coat. He slipped it over his massive frame and opened his small hatch.

  Perry peeked his head into the black corridor. He turned his head left then right. Nothing to see and dead silent. Perry needed light. He recalled the chemlight balls in the weapons locker which was only two rooms away.

  Barefoot, Perry quietly spider walked his way to the armory, listening for any motion. Perry felt a great surge of fear in the pitch black, but he forced himself to the armory. He slowly opened the hatch hoping no boogey-man waited on the other side.

  He entered the eight by twelve foot room and felt his way to the drawer containing the chemlight rubber balls. He grabbed all he could, shoving his pockets full.

  Perry exited the armory. He pulled out a ball and tossed it at the circuity room wall. The ball impacted and began glowing red. It bounced off the circuitry wall and came back toward him. He watched it pass him, bounced against the far wall and in zero gravity continued bouncing randomly. The hallway lit up in eerie red shadows, which didn’t fill Perry with any confidence. But at least he had a way of seeing.

  Perry moved toward the right corridor. He correctly guessed someone would be on the bridge. Quickly he pulled another ball and threw it against the steps. This ball lit up green and it managed to go around the corner. He liked the green one better.

  Again, the odd voice in his head told him to stop and remain calm.

  Perry yelled “No!”

  He pushed himself up the steps, around the corner and up the next set of steps.

  He grabbed another chemlight ball but instead of throwing it, he smacked it against the wall and remained holding it. This was another red ball. Using it as a flashlight, he entered the bridge. He found Aaron and Mitchell, both wide eyed and staring out the left side of the bridge.

  From outside of of Lady Luck, the faint red ball in Perry’s hand formed more dark shadows, flickering in the black bridge.

  Perry shook Aaron, but Aaron gave no indication of being coherent.

  “Mr. Aaron, can you hear me?”

  Aaron remained blankly staring and began drifting from his seat. Perry pushed him back down and buckled him in so as not to hurt himself.

  “Mr Aaron, please wake up!”

  Still Aaron remained motionless.

  Perry tried Mitchell.

  “Mr Mitchell,” he shook Mitchell. “Mr. Mitchell, I didn’t mean you had a boyfriend. I was jus’ kidding. Mr. Mitchell, please wake up.”

  Mitchell remained as lifeless as Aaron.

  Perry had to find Rand and Serena, they’d know what to do.

  Perry also buckled Mitchell down. He squeezed the ball between two toggle switches so they both would have light.

  Perry pulled out another ball. Again he smacked it on the wall hoping for green but it began glowing blue. ‘Blue is pretty,’ he thought.

  Using the blue ball, he made his way to the galley.

  He found both Terri and Rand floating lifeless. Again, like the two young men, their eyes were wide open and unresponsive.

  “Mr. Rand, Miss Terri, Hello? Please, please wake up,” Perry pleaded.

  Again the voices were more insistent. They commanded Perry to not resist. Perry put his hands over his ears. “SHUT UP!” he yelled.

  Perry pulled Rand and Terri down to the table. He used their cuff buttons to fasten them to the table by buttoning their sleeves together on each side of a table leg. It looked odd to Perry but it worked.

  Perry left the Galley and began bouncing different colored balls through out the ship. He quickened his pace looking for whatever caused the problem. He searched the ship then finally caught a soft white light coming from the port airlock.

  His heart pounded and he felt a lump in his throat. He edged his way toward the eerie soft light. It was unlike the lighting of Lady Luck. It almost seemed like it had it’s own life. Perry wasn’t sure how to describe it except to call it ‘spooky.’

  “Hello?” he called. Shadows cast from the light and Perry realized the airlock was open. Shadows came closer and larger in the ghostly light.

  Perry, scared out of his mind knew this was the reason his friends would not respond. He felt an older familiar feeling slowly build up in him. It didn’t replace his fear but it definitely pushed his fear to one side squeezing fear and anger together like two beasts in a closet.

  There was only one way to fix what was going on. Perry growled and rushed into the light.

  Perry’s body drifted through the short column of light and floated into the unknown attached vessel.

  What Perry thought was fear, was nothing compared to the reality after he entered the saucer. Again his feet found gravity. His head scraped the ceiling and he hunched over.

  Perry gazed into the largest black eyes he had ever seen. It was like staring into a two-legged cat’s eyes filled with fear. The first one that Perry locked eyes with raised it’s hands in defense or protest.

  Perry bellowed a sound between a grisly bear and a teenage girl. His giant hand squeezed around the aliens neck and felt it crush like squeezing a canned mackerel’s spine. It didn’t just snap, it turned to mush. Perry threw the limp figure across the room.

  His aggressive side took over.

  His left fist hammered the next closest aliens face. He felt it’s eye against his skin before the alien could close its eye lid. Perry felt a slight shiver at the touch. The alien felt something like being hit by a two ton grav truck. The little alien flew back three meters.

  The fight was on!

  More Reticulii entered the room from surrounding doorways. A dozen approached and circled him. They pressed a button on the side of rectangular boxes attached to a belt around their waists’.

  Flashes of hazy blue beams lashed out at Perry. What would have knocked a normal human out only tingled against Perry’s nerve endings. It felt like Perry’s legs when they were asleep, only the feeling covered his body.

  The next four Perry punched in the head, he never felt against his numbed knuckles.

  Perry turned into an angry bull in a crystal shop.

  He felt one of the light beings climb on his back. Perry bent over and jumped, smashing the little gray mass against the ceiling. It’s fragile ribs snapping like dried twigs.

  Perry reached behind him, grabbing it’s neck and swung it like a floppy club.

  In less than five minutes, smears and streaks of a thick green viscous fluid covered the room. Small bodies littered the floor. Over a dozen, were cut, smashed, broken, twisted and mangled.

  Perry turned looking in all directions. He collapsed to the floor. This giant of a man, collapsed exhausted.

  With the unconsciousness or death of the small gray aggressors, Lady Lucks crew were finally able to regain their thoughts.

  Mitchell was first to regain control. He turned to look at Aaron. Aaron blinked a couple of times but still seemed somewhat stunned.

  “Hey Sparky, what happened?”

  In the dull red bridge, Mitchell focused on the little chemlight ball and looked confused.

  “How’d that get there?”

  Aaron shook his head.

  “Wow, was I sleeping?”

  “You were like all zombie and stuff,” Mitchell teased.

  They both turned back to the window. The object outside the left bridge portal still blocked the view of distant stars.

  “”Hey, it’s still there, let’s see what’s going on,” Mitchell unstrapped himself and floated up to Aaron. He slapped Aaron on the shoulder to follow.

  Aaron unbuckled himself and wondered how he got buckled in the first place.

  In the galley, Rand and Terri came too.

  ‘Terri?” Rand called out.

  “Rand?” Te
rri answered back. “Where are we?”

  Both hovered above the floor with their wrists attached by cuff buttons in total blackness.

  Rand pulled Terri closer in total darkness and smacked both of their heads into the table leg.

  Both of them, “Ouch!”

  “What the hell?” Terri remarked.

  A few seconds later and Rand caught a glimpse of something.

  “Hush,” Rand whispered, “Something’s coming.”

  Rand stared at the open galley hatch. A green glow grew and grew until he saw a green chemlight ball float by.

  “Okay, that was different.”

  Mitchell and Aaron grabbed a blue lightball that happened to be passing through and used it to illuminate their way through the ship.

  Upon reaching the galley hatch both young men pulled their way through as if swimming through space. They saw Rand and Terri attached at the sleeves under the table.

  “Hey Boss, can I join?”

  “Shut up smart ass and help us out of this,” Rand replied.

  “So who’s playing tricks?” Mitchell asked, unfastening their sleeves.

  “I have no idea,” Rand answered.

  “Oh, hey guys,I forgot. We’ve got a ship attached to our port side.”

  “Mitchell, you idiot!” Rand verbally blasted.

  “Let’s go!”

  The four crew members drifted head first through the corridors headed for the port airlock. They floated down the half flight of stairs and caught a glimpse of the strange white light flowing into their airlock chamber.

  Cautiously all four pulled their sidearms and slowly floated into the airlock chamber itself.

  Rand motioned silence with his index finger over his mouth and then pointed to Terri then gave her the ‘hold’ signal.

  Rand pushed himself through followed by Aaron then Mitchell.

  As Rand’s head entered the alien ship he stopped short. His eyes scanned across the floor. He could make out a few aliens laying flat, both face down and face up. Closer examination and he saw green body fluid slung and splattered. As everything was deathly quiet he slowly proceeded into the alien ship. As he kicked himself to the side, artificial gravity took over and Rand landed safely on his feet.