by Ron Schrader
A second wind was forced upon her when suddenly the nuke’s timer activated. Having started with only twenty-seven minutes, the timer stared back at Kalla, taunting her with each click as it counted downward. She jumped to her feet, grabbed the nuke by a handle, and began running back to where the general’s ship still lay, smoke billowing from the tree line ahead.
A short few minutes later, Kalla reached the clearing not far from the ship engulfed in flames. She looked all around but couldn’t see any of the smaller cruisers within her view. Not knowing what else to do, the exhaustion more prominent than ever now, she dropped to her knees.
Just as she was about to lose hope, no other ideas for the nuke coming to mind, a cruiser came soaring out above the trees, hovering low. A ramp at the bottom of the ship opened up, Tuck and Dal both standing just inside.
“Tell him to go a little lower!” Dal yelled to Tuck, who ran to the cockpit. Seconds later, the cruiser lowered just enough for Kalla to jump on board, pulling the nuke up as she entered the ship.
“Time for you two to get off this ride,” Kalla said with labored breath as she broke the chain from her waist. “The slaves are free,” she said, about to turn and head for the cockpit of the ship.
“Thanks fer all yur help,” Dal said before she left, his eyes moist with emotion.
“No,” said Kalla as she turned her head back to Dal, “thanks for helping me get off that ship!” She smiled at Dal. She turned back toward the cockpit to find Tuck standing next to her. “You two need to go,” she ordered as Tuck walked past her.
“Good luck!” Dal yelled as Kalla disappeared into the hallway toward the cockpit.
~
The ship remained low enough for Tuck to jump down from the ramp, Dal following close behind, but just as Dal was about to jump down off the platform, the general appeared behind Tuck, stabbing him in deep in his back.
As his friend fell to the ground, Dal yelled, diving toward the general, but being a skilled and trained soldier, General Quinn dodged the attack and jumped for the ramp, making his way inside and quickly closing it behind him.
Dal ran in view of the cockpit and began waving his arms, but Davis just waved back. He watched helplessly as the cruiser lifted high into the sky, disappearing from view.
He rushed to where Tuck lay coughing as he struggled to breathe. Sitting next to his friend, he rolled Tuck over and held him, unable to do more than provide some comfort as Tuck faded away.
~
Kalla reached the cockpit where Davis sat piloting the ship. “We need to get this thing into space now!” Kalla commanded. “That nuke’s going to blow in minutes!”
Davis obeyed without question, steering the ship out of the planet’s atmosphere. “So the nuke’s on the ship?” he asked somewhat reluctantly.
“Yeah, just inside the ramp,” she replied.
Davis looked at her, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as if trying to comprehend what was happening. “Why is it on the ship?” he finally asked.
“We’re going to dump it,” she replied. “Give me one minute, then open the cargo door,” she ordered just before rushing out of the cockpit.
Reaching the cargo ramp, she grabbed hold of the chain where it was connected to the nuke and worked to break it free. She then wrapped the chain around a large beam on one side of the ramp, holding tightly to both ends of the chain.
Seconds later, the door began to open, forcefully sucking the air from the cruiser into the vacuum of space. Once the door had opened far enough, the large nuke began to slide across the floor until it slipped through and drifted out into the darkness.
Realizing she’d never told Davis when to close the door, Kalla waited patiently, gripping the chain as she hovered vertically above the floor. To her relief, the door suddenly began to close until the pressure in the ship stabilized once more.
“Go!” Kalla yelled as she ran toward the cockpit. “Get us out of here!” Davis hit the throttle, sending the cruiser blasting into space and away from the nuke that floated alone, now far from the planet.
The ship began to shake as the shockwave of the blast reached its frame.
“Are we far enough?” Kalla asked as she strapped herself into the seat next to Davis.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I think so. I mean, the ship’s still in one piece.”
Kalla took in a deep breath, believing the danger had passed. “That was close,” she said with a sigh.
Davis nodded and turned to face Kalla. “So what now?” he asked.
“Asherah,” she said solemnly as she bowed her head, thinking of Jarek. “Take me to Asherah.”
Without questioning her, Davis complied, entering the coordinates and setting the autopilot, knowing exactly where she planned to go.
Chapter 19
Hiding in a storage compartment near the cockpit of the cruiser, General Quinn waited patiently, listening in on the conversations between his previous captive and subordinate. As he eavesdropped, he remembered the valuable contents his jacket pocket contained. He quickly reached for the pocket, feeling the shape of the vial containing Kalla’s blood, making sure it was still intact.
During the explosion on the bridge of his ship, he’d barely managed to slide into a damaged vent entrance and escape death just before the frame had come crashing down. And the rubble left by the explosion had been the perfect camouflage, concealing his departure from the destroyed bridge. He’d then managed to make his way to the lab, where he collected the vile of blood as well as a data chip containing all of Dr. Carter’s research before leaving the ship. And the opportunity to sneak aboard the getaway ship of his enemies was just what he’d hoped for.
Reassured the vial was still safe, General Quinn reached into the pocket, feeling for the data chip. Once his fingers could feel the chip, he leaned back against the wall and relaxed, patiently waiting for his next opportunity.
~
Reaching the planet of Asherah, Davis steered the cruiser toward the area where Kalla had been captured, taking them right to the exact spot. Kalla immediately sat up and began to glare at Davis, who avoided eye contact with her.
“So where’s my ship?” she asked, expecting an answer, her voice irritated.
“I swear I don’t know,” Davis replied, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. “General Quinn could have scrapped it for parts by now. Or maybe he just sold it? I really don’t know.”
Kalla watched his demeanor, finally accepting his response as truth. “If it’s not here, maybe . . .” She stopped midsentence, tightly gripping the arms of the chair she sat in. “Get us out of here,” she said in an anxious tone. “We’re going to Paradise.”
“Wait, where?” he questioned as Kalla stood and left the cockpit, in need of some rest.
“Paradise,” she yelled back.
Just outside the cockpit, Kalla found a room with a bed where she went and laid down, intending on getting some much-needed rest, but as she lay still, her mind continued to go over the recent events that had taken place. She wondered how long she’d been held prisoner by the general and how they were able to make her believe she was someone else. She wondered about the research they had done and what they may have learned about her.
Sitting up with some concern, she began examining her body, looking for signs of needles or anything else that was out of the ordinary, only to find nothing. Even the skin beneath the bullet holes all over her shirt revealed no traces of injury. With Carter and the general both dead and her body able to heal itself so quickly, she’d never know what they’d done to her.
She laid her head back on the pillow and tried once more to relax. Her focus quickly turned to Jarek as she wondered if he might still alive, hoping that’s why her ship was gone. Maybe he’d survived. And since she was gone, no longer on Asherah, he would have had no choice but to go back to Paradise. Deep down she believed that had to be true.
She closed her eyes and began to focus on Jarek, hoping she might be able to make a
connection like she’d done before, but with no luck. Convincing herself it must be the distance preventing the connection, Kalla tried to get some sleep, still believing that Jarek had to be alive.
After tossing and turning for nearly an hour in an attempt to rest, Kalla finally dozed off, replaying in her dreams the adventure that had been thrust upon her. She slept for several hours as the cruiser soared through space, heading to the last place she ever expected to return to so soon.
“Kalla? Kalla?”
Opening her eyes, she could see Davis standing above her, gently shaking her awake.
“We’re almost there,” he said with a half smile.
She sat up, planted her feet on the ground, and began rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Finally awake, she looked up at Davis, motioning him to come closer. She stood to face him as he approached, then reached up and gently kissed him on the forehead. “I never did properly thank you, Davis.” She spoke softly as he blushed. “Eventually, I’d have found a way to break free from those restraints on my own, but I didn’t. It’s because of you that I was able to get free and get my revenge on the general. I owe you a debt that I promise to repay if I ever get the chance.
“No, don’t mention it,” he said. “I’ve been on the wrong side for a long time,” he continued, looking away as he spoke. “Thanks to you I was finally able to make up for some of the things I’ve allowed to go on for so long.”
Kalla smiled as he made eye contact for just a moment before looking away again.
“Well, anyway,” he continued awkwardly, “we’ll be landing soon, and hopefully you’ll find whatever it is you’re looking for.” With that, he turned to leave the room. “Meet me in the cockpit?” he asked as he walked out.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” she replied.
As the cruiser pierced through the planet’s atmosphere, Kalla entered the cockpit and sat down. She watched with excitement as they moved toward the surface. “No, you don’t want to land down there,” she said with caution. “Trust me. Head up to those cliffs in the distance.”
Davis obeyed and steered the ship toward the top of the cliffs, where Kalla had pointed.
“There’s my ship!” she said with excitement, an ear-to-ear grin now clearly on her face. “He made it!” she said, barely loud enough for Davis to hear. Her heart began to race in anticipation of seeing Jarek again, alive.
Davis gently touched down a few meters from where Kalla’s ship was docked, but before they had even reached the ground, Kalla had left her seat in the cockpit, ready for her reunion with Jarek.
She raced to the cargo door and manipulated the control panel, opening the door while the ship still hovered above the ground. As soon as the door had opened enough for her to slip through, she jumped out, dropping the few remaining meters.
When she landed, she looked out toward the village to see Jarek standing off in the distance, just staring. “Jarek!” she yelled as she started running toward him.
Jarek met Kalla at the halfway point, just outside the perimeter of the village, where the two embraced.
“I thought you were dead!” Kalla said just before Jarek leaned down and kissed her softly. After a moment, she pulled away and stared into his eyes. “I watched them kill you,” she said as a single tear slid down her cheek.
“You really think you can get rid of me that easily?” he replied in jest. “It’ll take a lot more than a few bullets and some wannabe army to take me out.”
The two laughed at his remark, embracing once more, both happy to be reunited.
Wiping the moisture from her face, Kalla took Jarek by the hand and began leading him back to the cruiser that had brought her and Davis to Paradise. “I need you to meet a new friend,” she said with enthusiasm, anxious to introduce the two men who’d both had a hand in keeping her alive.
As they approached the ship, still a good fifty meters away, they could see not one but two men standing outside the ship, clearly in a scuffle.
Confused by the scene, Kalla focused to find that one of the men was Davis, the other General Quinn. In disbelief, she froze for a moment as her mind processed what she was seeing, but by the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. She watched as the knife in the general’s hand went deep in to Davis’s chest. “No!” she called out before taking off at full speed toward the scene.
The general smiled at her just before jumping into the cruiser and closing the door.
Kalla rushed to Davis, who had fallen to the ground, now struggling to breathe thanks to the wound that had clearly pierced his lungs. She looked into his eyes with tears streaming down her face, searching her mind for a way to save him.
Right behind her, Jarek had reached the ship just as the engines fired up.
“Get out here, you coward!” he yelled. He only managed to throw a single denting blow to the cruiser’s door before it lifted off the ground high into the air.
The general hovered just long enough to peer out the window of the cockpit, sneering at Jarek and Kalla below. Then, without any further delay, the cruiser turned toward the sky and shot off into the setting sun until it could be seen no more.
“Jarek!” Kalla screamed, still holding Davis, who was fading fast. She looked up into his eyes with a tear-stained face. “Will it save him?” she asked. “Should I try?”
Jarek shook his head. “I . . . I don’t know if it will work,” he replied with uncertainty. “You were the first.”
Kalla looked back at Davis, who was fighting to catch his breath, his eyes filled with the fear of death. “You’re going to be all right,” Kalla whispered, gently pulling his shirt down over his shoulder to expose his bare skin. She slowly leaned toward him, revealing her unusually prominent teeth just before they pierced his flesh.
Paradise Unraveled— The Prelude
Dr. Terry Staves searched frantically through his numerous belongings, all randomly piled in the large rectangular trunk that took up a corner of his small room. He’d placed it here years ago when they’d first settled on Paradise, a once-uninhabited planet in the Tri System. The trunk had safely guarded many of his most prized possessions, so he knew it had to be here.
“Where is it?” he frantically asked himself over and over again as he rummaged through the clutter, throwing items over his shoulders as quickly as they entered his grasp. “Where is her picture?” Then he saw it.
With the room now a ravaged mess, the frenzy ended as he carefully reached down with his now-deformed hands, finally holding the picture for what was sure to be one of the final moments he would even care about anything material ever again.
He gazed into the eyes of the woman beautifully displayed in the photograph while slowly sitting as best he could among the pile of belongings now scattered all around him. He knew his time was short, so he waited, staring at her beautiful smile, hoping he’d never forget his wife’s face in spite of the transformation taking place in his body and mind, all thanks to the organisms that had infected him and the others just a short time ago. He’d tried so hard to fix this, but there just wasn’t enough time. It had all happened so fast, and there was nothing left to do but wait.
Hours passed as he held the picture, staring intently at the image, burning it into his subconscious, but his mind inevitably lost the battle. As he bolted out of the room into the darkness of the mist-covered valley, the picture floated softly to the floor.
Fifteen Years Earlier
The last of the transport ships from Cremzen slowly descended from the sky toward the designated area of the field where the other nine vessels, already lined up in two rows, had left an open spot for one more. As the pilot maneuvered the final ship in the direction of the planet’s surface, the large thrusters rotated toward the ground, providing the necessary resistance to land the massive vessel that carried the remaining survivors. Only feet away from the earth below, the ship slowly touched down in a billowing cloud of smoke coming from the engine thrusters, until at last it stood still, having fina
lly reached its destination.
As the gaseous smoke quickly dispersed into the otherwise clear sky, a ramp soon appeared on both sides of the large rectangular-shaped mass, followed by the last group of settlers who began exiting the ship in an orderly, side-by-side fashion. Among them, Dr. Staves, accompanied by his fifteen-year-old son, Seth, stepped off the ship’s loading platform to set foot on Paradise—their new home.
“Do you think it’s already gone?” asked Seth as the two men started their walk across the grassy surface of the planet.
Dr. Staves forced a smile and said, “This is our home now. We needn’t worry about the past anymore.” A feeling of remorse swept over him, and a lump in his throat prevented anymore words.
It had only been a few short weeks since their home planet had been struck by an asteroid. The size and speed of the projectile had been so great that their planet had been knocked out of orbit, sending it on a new, destructive trajectory toward their sun.
The impact alone had wiped out most of the population, including Dr. Stave’s wife, Marith, who had been visiting a friend halfway around the globe when it happened.
“I just miss her.”
He swallowed and took deep breath. “I know, son. So do I. But we can start over now,” he said, looking out across the lush valley of their new home, which, from his view, truly was a paradise.
The two men followed the crowd of settlers being ushered by a single soldier in full military garb, his desert camouflage uniform faded and worn from the wear and tear it had been put through.
The unexpected damage caused by the asteroid had left little time to gather belongings, just enough to make the trip. Even Dr. Staves, a renowned scientist who had previously been to Paradise on expedition only a few years ago, was not given special preference. It was simply a matter of survival, an attempt to save as many people as possible.