The Ruins of Arlandia Complete Series

by William Wood

  On the other side of the room, the scanner above Dev finished. Its lights turned off, and the bar slid quietly to the head of the bed.

  “Sir, you can get up,” Ion said. “According to the scan, all of your injuries have been healed. Your skin was treated for minor bruising and your lungs for inhaling toxic chemicals. You were also exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. The computer has treated you. Also, you had a broken bone in your arm. The computer has mended that as well. You are perfectly fine now.” Dev sat up and swung his legs over the side.

  “Thank you, I feel much better.” He took a deep breath and dropped down onto the floor.

  “You should get looked at, too,” Dev said to Ion.

  “Yes,” Ion said. “I’ll go to the repair bay as soon as I know Master Calvin is all right.”

  The medical scanner stopped over Calvin’s chest and emitted a purple light. He looked at Astra.

  “It’s OK,” she said soothingly and studied the medical computer screen. “The scratches were deep, and you lost a lot of blood, but it was nothing the Medcomp couldn’t handle.”

  “Good,” Calvin said. “I feel a lot better. In fact, I feel pretty good.”

  “That would be the pain medication,” Astra said smiling, visibly relieved.

  “I can’t believe what happened over there,” Calvin said. His hands shook, and he felt a multitude of emotions threaten to overwhelm him. He rubbed his eyes. “Those things are the most—” He stopped, searching for the best word to use. Calvin shivered and began to shake.

  “Scary?” Dev offered.

  “Yes, scary,” Calvin said. “But I don’t think that word is strong enough. We need to invent a new one.”

  “That’s why we call them Terrors,” Astra said, taking a thick blue robe out of a drawer. She wrapped it around Calvin. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better word for them.”

  “Yeah, it’s a good name for them. Thank you,” Calvin said. He sat down on the bed and looked at Dev.

  “I don’t know what those things are,” Dev admitted.

  “How did they get on your ship?”

  “Maybe you should start at the beginning,” Astra suggested, seeing Dev struggling to answer.

  “OK, I can do that,” Dev said. “My name is Dev Sorna. I’m from the planet Tryvella, which you already know. Twenty-four days ago, our colony on Sessia Six was attacked by the Goremog. Everything was destroyed. In the chaos, I was separated from my family but managed to get on board the freighter. There were ten people; nine command crew and one hundred robots. We were all going to meet on Ohniah Prime, our last colony. Halfway there we had some serious engine problems and stopped on a planet to repair and refuel. I was allowed to leave the ship but had to stay close by. I don’t know what planet it was, but I remember there was a massive castle on the horizon. I stared at it for hours. It was amazing. I loved the fresh air. Anyway, nothing happened. The ship was fixed, refueled, and we took off ten hours later. It didn’t start right away. The captain could not get ahold of the engine room. Someone went back to check, but they didn’t return. Then two more people went back to find out what was going on. One of them returned and said there were monsters on the ship.

  “The captain said they must have got on during our refueling stop. The six remaining survivors organized some robots and went after the monsters. I wanted to help, but the captain said I was too young. I thought when the ship was in serious trouble, you’d want everyone who could hold a gun to help defend the ship. Apparently the captain didn’t think so, or maybe he didn’t think the situation was as serious as it actually was. But it was. I heard a lot of screaming and weapons fire. Then there was silence. The communication lines all went dead. I figured the crew was dead. I hid in a small locker on the bridge. It was getting cold, and it was getting harder to breathe. I’m glad you came along when you did.”

  “Yeah, I’d say you were very lucky,” Astra agreed. Then to Calvin, she said, “As for you, there are traces of toxic chemicals in your lungs and an unknown strain of bacteria in your bloodstream. You also have radiation poisoning. The bleeding has stopped, and the computer is now regenerating new skin tissue. Then it will administer medication to treat your lungs and blood. You’re a mess, but you’ll be good as new in a few minutes.”

  After another minute, there was a flash of light, and the scanner slid back up against the wall and turned off.

  “All done,” Astra said. “You can get up now.” Calvin slid off of the bed and stood up. He felt dizzy almost instantly and nearly fell down.

  “Whoa,” Astra said, grabbing his arm and holding him. “You still have to take it easy. Your major injuries are healed, but you need rest now.”

  “Now you tell me,” Calvin said. “Hey, wait a second. We forgot the third segment.” Then he remembered something else. “Do we have to go back,” he asked Ion. “I really don’t want to go back there.”

  “Sir, that won’t be necessary,” Ion said. “You forgot, Dev still has it.”

  Dev pulled the small black and silver key from around his neck and handed it to Calvin.

  “That’s a relief,” Calvin said. “Astra look, it’s the third segment.”

  “Segment of what weapon?” Dev asked. “Come on, please tell me.”

  Calvin explained the mission they were on. Astra would occasionally interject a point or two.

  “Where did you get that from?” Calvin asked.

  “My father gave it to me,” Dev answered. “It’s been passed down through my family for generations; sort of a family heirloom.”

  “Interesting. Ion, did you know one of the segments was taken to Tryvella?”

  “No,” Ion answered. “No piece of the weapon was hidden there. The weapon was a joint venture between the Arlandians and Alerians. I have no idea how it might have gone to Tryvella. But it’s hard to say what could have happened over the last eighty years. Someone must have found it.”

  Astra examined the segment.

  “It does look like a key,” she said. “I need to examine it in the lab.”

  “Can we have it?” Calvin asked.

  Dev hesitated. “Sure,” he said. “You need it more than I do. It’s the least I can do for you, since you saved my life.”

  “Thank you,” Calvin said.

  “Now what do we want to do with that ship floating out there?” Astra asked. “Do we just want to leave it there, or destroy it?”

  “If we leave it,” Calvin said. “Someone else could find it.”

  “There is a group of nomadic scavengers operating in this area,” Ion pointed out.

  “If they find it, they’ll try to salvage it,” Astra said. “They’ll all die,” Calvin said. “Those things are a nightmare.”

  “Then we should destroy it,” Dev added. “It’s not worth the risk.”

  “I agree,” Ion said. “But may I please make a request, before we do that?”

  “Sure, as long as it doesn’t involve going back to the freighter.”

  “No, sir, I think I can do what I need to from here. I would like to scan the ship thoroughly, maybe get a live sample.”

  “Sample?” Calvin asked. “What are you talking about? Sample of what, a monster?”

  “Sir, Mistress Astra, this is an incredible opportunity.”

  Calvin was horrified. “No, no way,” he said firmly.

  “I don’t know,” Astra said slowly. “Ion’s right. This is a unique situation. We’re always being chased by them. There’s eighty-five live Terrors on that ship, stuck there. We can study them safely.”

  “No, it’s too risky,” Calvin said.

  “I can send a sipper,” Ion said.

  “OK,” Astra agreed. “But why don’t you have one of the other robots set it up. You can supervise deployment after you visit the repair bay.”

  “Yes, Mistress,” Ion said. “I’ll do that.”

  “Excuse me,” Calvin said. “What’s a sipper?”

  “Sipper is short for Spe
cial Purpose Robot,” Ion explained. “It’s a very small robot that can be configured for a variety of special jobs.”

  “In this case,” Astra said, “we’re going to put our best imagers on it and send it over there to scan the Terrors.”

  “But you scanned one earlier,” Calvin said to Ion.

  “Yes,” Ion said. “My scanners are good, but sippers are better.”

  “I think it’s a bad idea,” Calvin said. “But you two have made up your minds, so while you’re doing that, I’m going to get cleaned up and change into some new clothes. Come on Dev, let’s go get you a room.”

  “That sounds good,” Dev said. “Thank you.” On the way out, Calvin heard Astra say, “Let’s go, Ion. I’ll help you get down to the repair bay.”

  Calvin led Dev to the top level by way of the elevator, being too exhausted to use the stairs. Calvin took Dev to a room near his and showed him how to use the computer to get anything he needed, including clothes.

  “I’ll come get you in an hour, and we can go to the bridge.”

  “All right,” Dev said. “Thank you, Calvin, for taking me with you.”

  “I’m glad we were able to help.”

  Calvin went to his room. The door closed and he was immersed in silence. it was nice at first but after a few minutes it started to bother him. He turned on some soft, relaxing music that he found in the computer data base.

  His muscles ached as he slowly undressed and put his clothes in the matter recycle unit. He lingered in the shower, letting the hot water soak his sore muscles. He felt like a new man after he dressed. He felt more relaxed but very tired. Calvin walked next door and pressed the electronic doorbell. There was a soft chime. After a moment, the door slid open, and Dev stepped out. He was wearing new clothes and seemed happier. Together they walked to the bridge. He had a thousand questions, but didn’t feel like asking them. He assumed that Dev felt the same way, since he didn’t say a word. Calvin sat down in the pilot’s chair. Dev stood behind him. Ion was already there, sitting at the computer in the back.

  “Ion, how long do you need, how long to—” Calvin stopped, and tried to organize his thoughts.

  “I’m finished, sir,” Ion said. “The sipper returned to the ship a short time ago. You may destroy the freighter now.”

  Calvin felt a certain amount of grim enjoyment locking the weapons onto the drifting monster infested ship. “Missiles are locked,” Calvin said. “Our shields are up. I’m ready to fire.”

  Calvin heard Dev quietly whisper, “I’m sorry, Captain Frella.”

  Calvin pressed the firing button. The Azure Frost shook gently as four missiles shot out of their launch tubes. They flew through space and struck the side of the drifting freighter. The ship exploded in a bright flash of light and was gone.

  They sat quietly for a moment, until the resulting explosion and fire were gone completely.

  Ion broke the silence. “I’ve set a course for the next segment. You can take us back into hyperspace whenever you want. I recommend putting some distance between us and the debris field first.”

  Without a word, Calvin complied. He pushed the throttle forward and pointed them away from the debris field. After ten minutes, the ship jumped back into hyperspace.

  “So what are we going to do with you?” Calvin asked Dev.

  “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to take me to Ohniah Prime,” Dev said. “I’d really like to get back to my people. Hopefully some of them made it there safely.”

  “Is that something we can do without losing too much time?”

  “I have the coordinates for Ohniah,” Ion said. “It’s not too far from our next destination.”

  “Can we drop him off on the way?” Calvin asked.

  “I recommend we take him home after we retrieve the fourth segment,” Ion said. “Look at this.”

  Calvin got up out of the pilot’s chair and walked to Ion’s station. A red line stretched across the navigation screen.

  “The next segment is here.” Ion pointed. “It is only eight hours away, on this planet. This is Ohniah.” It was well beyond the next segment. “Essentially, it’s on the way.”

  “Do you mind if we drop you off after we get our next segment?” Calvin asked.

  “That’s fine,” Dev said. “As long as we stay away from the planet with the castle.”

  “Actually, I would like to know what planet that was,” Ion said. “So we can avoid it.”

  “Do you think that’s where they came from?” Calvin asked.

  “Yes,” Ion said. “It’s likely the Terrors that were on the freighter came from the planet where Mr. Dev stopped for fuel. I’m concerned about this version of Dark Terror. They have several modifications I’m not familiar with. It seems the Goremog have created a new version, a more violent, stronger, and harder-tokill version.”

  “Why would they do that, if they are impossible to control?”

  “I don’t think they meant for the creatures to be difficult to control. They must be attempting to perfect them, make them controllable,” Ion said. “I’m going to examine the ship’s logs and see if I can learn anything.”

  Calvin shivered and wondered if he was going to have nightmares. “Are you hungry?” Calvin asked. “I’m starving.” “I’m not hungry,” Dev said. “I’m too tired to eat. But if you don’t mind, just show me where the dining room is, for later.”

  “Sure, let’s go,” Calvin said.

  “Before you go,” Ion said. “Since you’re going to be with us a while, you should have this.” Ion handed Dev a small device. “Just put it in your pocket, it will help you understand everyone’s different languages.”

  Dev took it and put it in his pocket. He put his hand on a chair to steady himself for a brief second. “Whoa,” he said.

  Dev followed Calvin to the dining room. After Calvin showed him how to order food from the computer, Dev went to his room. Calvin walked to the computer and stared at it blankly. He was hungry, but he had no idea what he wanted to eat. The sound of the door opening caught his attention. He turned to see Astra walk through the door. He immediately felt better.

  “Hey,” she said, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired,” Calvin answered. “And very hungry.”

  “Where’s Dev?” Astra asked.

  “He went back to his room,” Calvin answered. “He said he was too tired to eat. I almost went to bed myself, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep without eating something.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” She asked.

  “I’m not lying to you,” Calvin said. “I’ve never been that scared before. Nothing seemed to stop them. The weapon I had just seemed to make them mad. We need better weapons.”

  “I know,” Astra said. “Even Ion’s beam weapon was ineffective.”

  “And the suit,” Calvin continued. “It was supposed to protect me, but it was too bulky and hard to move in; forget running. Is there a way you can make the portable shield units stronger, so we can go into hostile environments without wearing a space suit?”

  “I don’t know,” Astra said, raising an eyebrow and taking a deep breath. “They’re good for what they were designed for—emergencies. Maybe you should work out in the gym a little bit. Anything else? If you have anything else to complain about, I’ll need to make a list.” She smiled at him.

  “Thanks,” Calvin said. “I’m done for now. But I’m telling you, we won’t survive against the Dark Terror with the equipment we have now.”

  They got some food and sat down at their regular table. Calvin described his ordeal on the monster-infested ship while they ate. Astra mostly just listened, only asking a couple of questions when she needed more information.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” she said when he was finished. “The level-five laser pistol is the most powerful handgun we have. The problem is the Dark Terror. They were designed to be very difficult to kill. Their skin is composed of triventian, the strongest known metal in the u
niverse. It’s very difficult to penetrate. Their internal organs and vital components are well protected and have multiple backups. Even our best scientists haven’t been able to find a weakness that we could exploit. Ion and I are hopeful that the scans the sipper collected might discover something we may have missed.”

  “That sounds like too much to hope for,” Calvin said. “I think the best thing would be to stay away from them.” He closed his eyes and yawned. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I need some sleep. It’s been a very long day.”

  “At least we have something nice to look forward to. The fourth segment is on the planet Axia. You’ll like it. The database says the lab was built on the coast of big blue ocean.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  “Go get some rest,” Astra said, smiling. “I’m not staying up too much longer, but there’s something I want to try with the first segment. I’ve been working on a power converter that will allow me to plug it directly into the main power grid.” She rubbed her temples. “I’m really nervous about it. It could be dangerous.”

  “All right,” Calvin said. He was so tired, he didn’t hear the last thing she said. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”

  “Good night,” she said. Calvin felt like he was already asleep as he headed to his room. It was only a short walk, but it felt like it was miles away. He climbed into bed and was asleep almost immediately.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

  THE CRASH

  Calvin woke up late, amazed that he hadn’t moved all night or had nightmares. The events on the freighter replayed over and over in his mind, but for some reason the details were hazy.

  He took his time and eventually wandered to the dining room, which was empty. He didn’t know what he wanted to eat, so he just got a cup of coffee and sat down. He knew it would give him a stomach ache later, but he didn’t care. Calvin sat quietly, sipping his hot coffee.

  The door slid open, and Dev walked in and looked around. When he saw Calvin he walked over to him.