Kristen sighed. Perhaps it would have been easier to find a needle in a haystack. With the details she and her crew members had been getting from King Zeropta and now Colonel Havlun, the task was going to be very difficult. And with their captivity, what was already difficult was now turning out to be nearly impossible. And with their being dragged along on the Gualdions’ search for the Seeds of Life, a near impossibility was already turning out to be a complete impossibility.
What kind of mission did NASA send them on? The door clicked and then slid open. Kristen stood up on her feet as the warrior pointed at her. “You will come with us immediately. We are set to launch.”
Kristen heaved a sigh of relief and hurried out of the cell. She met her other crew members in the corridor.
They were all led to what appeared to be a hangar. Inside, they found the Atlantis, along with other ships which belonged to the aliens. The alien ships were all similar in design to the wasp shape they had seen previously. There must have been at least ten of the alien ships in the hangar.
Colonel Havlun met them in the hangar, along with some of her other warriors.
“We are going to leave right away,” the colonel stated.
“What about my crewmen?” Kristen asked. “I have not yet seen them anywhere.”
“They are already on board the ship,” the colonel replied.
“Which ship—ours?”
“Yes, they are in yours. My soldiers took the liberty of helping them get on board your ship.”
“I don’t understand. Why did you have to help them get on board? What did you do to them?” “They are fine, Captain. I will not allow their condition to be of any bother to you. Your mind and focus should be on the mission at hand.”
Kristen wanted to rush on board the Atlantis but she was blocked by one of the warriors. The Colonel patted her shoulder. “I said you had to be focused, didn’t I? If you give me a reason, I will not hesitate to change my mind about you and your crew. Please do not make me change my mind.”
Kristen glanced at the ship and then the colonel. “Okay, Colonel. I understand,” she replied. “I just got a bit carried away. I am only concerned about their safety, that is all. I did not mean to disrespect you or anything like that.”
“Good,” Colonel Havlun nodded. “Now, this is what is going to happen. Your ship has already been refuelled. Luckily, you do not possess any ammunition on board; otherwise we would have demobilized those as well. We are going in two ships—yours and mine. However, you will be flying very close to ours. If we meet any enemy or potential threats on the way, you will be alerted and will have to take cover while we engage and disperse such threats. You are not to engage with any threats whatsoever. Do you understand?”
Kristen nodded. “Yes, Colonel. I fully understand. We are not weaponised so it would be stupid of us to do such a thing.”
“The flight plan will be relayed to you through your communication systems. This will include speed, altitude, and destination. You do not have to do anything else. Simply leave your systems on and in sync with our relays so your ship can navigate automatically.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, Colonel. But since we are already your captives and all, wouldn’t it be tactically more efficient if we went on this search with just one ship: your ship?”
“I agree with you, Captain. However, for obvious reasons it will not be possible that we take only our ship on this trip. First and foremost, my ship is not designed to accommodate humans on board. We do not have any sort of air synthesis systems on board. Considering the time at hand, I do not think it would be efficient for my engineers to begin to make such modifications because we want to have you on board. Secondly, at some point during our mission, we might need to make use of a decoy when we are approaching any suspicious terrain. I am sorry to say but we the Gualdions have a bit of a bad, if not terrible, reputation around these parts. This is why a lot of races will not hesitate to engage us in combat once they detect our ship’s presence. So in such situations, we will go under cover or camouflage ourselves and use you as a decoy to gain access. I apologise, but it is the only way we can get around some of the peculiarities and obstacles that exist in these parts of the universe.”
“You will use us as bait?” Kristen asked. “Only when necessary, Captain. Only when necessary. But you can rest assured we will be watching over you to ensure that no harm befalls you.”
The arrangement was not going to be fair in anyway, Kristen was thinking. But she did not voice her reservations. There was no doubt it was a very risky mission they were about to embark on. And the Atlantis was going to serve as bait, a pawn that would be used by the colonel whenever they felt they had to do so.
“You can board and get ready to depart,” Colonel Havlun stated.
“Okay,” Kristen replied. “By the way, Captain,” the colonel added. “Once again, do not try anything funny in any way. If I sense you are trying to be smart, I will not hesitate to blow you out of existence. Do you understand?”
Kristen nodded. “You should not worry about that, Colonel. You have my word. We are not going to do anything funny at all,” she replied.
As she and her crew members proceeded to board the Atlantis, Kristen mulled over the colonel’s last threat. She was not going to try anything foolish. They were lost in deep space; outnumbered and overpowered by an alien female warrior race which was known to have a very bad reputation. Already, the mission was in jeopardy. She did not want to further risk the lives of her crew and ship. The only way they could make it out of this situation was if they were safe and alive.
On board, they met Mahmud and the other engineer. “What happened to you?” Kristen asked as she examined them. They were both sitting down and were talking amongst themselves.
“Honestly, it was the craziest thing I have ever experienced,” Mahmud replied. “For a moment, I was thinking I was dead or something before I noticed I was being carried on board the Atlantis.”
“What did they do to you?” Kristen asked. “Seriously, I wish I knew,” the other engineer remarked. “It is so strange.” Both of them now recounted their experiences with the alien warriors. They described all that had happened up to the moment when they passed out.
“That is some weird experiment,” Lynda remarked. “I really don’t know,” Mahmud stated. “All I can remember is this weakness. I am still very weak, as though I was drained of all my strength.”
“But why would they go through all that routine? I mean, the tying down on the bed and all?” Kristen asked. “It kind of reminds me of what is done in biological clinics, where samples are collected from individuals. The conditions which you have just described fit what is being done at such places.”
“Samples? But what kind of samples would they have collected from us?” Mahmud asked.
“Many kinds. Maybe blood, bone, or just tissue samples,” Kristen replied.
“Do you think they collected ours?” Mahmud asked. “Probably,” Kristen replied. “Although I doubt if it will be of any good to them if they wanted to use it to find ways to procreate. We are not even closely related, not to talk of being of the same species, for that matter. Maybe they want to simply conduct some experiments. Gosh. These women must really be desperate in trying to procreate.”
Lynda made a face. “That is so gross. You mean they did these tests to see if they can fertilize themselves with samples from humans? This is crazy. These aliens are very crazy.”
“Shhh,” Kristen gestured with her finger to her lips. “Keep it quiet. We don’t want to be telling them what is gross or not. We are still their captives, remember? So we have to be on good behaviour.”
“Anyway, I don’t think it was really that bad,” Mahmud stated. “I mean, apart from all the secrecy and the mystery that surrounded the entire process, I don’t think it was too terrible at all. They could have simply opened up and told us they needed to have kids and we would have easily cooperated.”
“Mahmud, you are
terrible,” Lynda replied. “Everyone was worried about you and yet you seem to have enjoyed the entire experience.”
“Well, what can I say? At least I can now add on my resume that I was once a subject in an alien experiment. How many people have the opportunity of going through such a gig in their lifetimes? I bet you they are very few,” Mahmud stated.
“All right, everyone should go to their respective posts. I am sure they will soon be departing,” Kristen stated.
Her crew members all settled in and waited. Kristen watched from the bridge as the Atlantis readied itself for departure. It was not like in previous trips when she had complete control of the ship. This time around, they were being controlled by the wasp ship belonging to the Gualdions.
Their transmitter came on as a message was being relayed through it. “Captain,” the voice said. It was Colonel Havlun. She appeared on the central screen on the bridge. She was already on board her ship and there were other female warriors seated at various parts of the ship.
“Hello, Colonel,” Kristen replied into the mouthpiece. “We are sending over the coordinates of the trip right away,” Colonel Havlun stated. “You should embed them as soon as you receive them.”
“No problem. You can send them over.” There was a message on the screen flashing: COORDINATES FROM COLONEL HAVLUN. PRESS HERE TO ACCEPT AND RECEIVE.
“Accept and receive,” Kristen stated. One of her engineers pressed some keys on a console by her right. The message changed into: COORDINATES ACCEPTED AND RECEIVED.
“Upload them into our drives,” Kristen stated. Another engineer pressed a lever. The engines of the Atlantis revved as it was rebooted.
A message popped up on the screen: UPLOAD OF NEW COORDINATES SUCCESSFUL.
“Colonel, we have successfully loaded on the coordinates,” Kristen stated. “Okay, Captain. I have confirmed so as well from my monitors,” the colonel replied. “We will proceed to depart right away.”
From the Atlantis, they could see the wasp ship lift off horizontally and gradually like a giant cargo ship. It was going upwards. As it ascended, the roof of the hangar opened up to reveal that they were a form of trap doors. This meant that anytime the ships wanted to land, the door would open up and the ship would come in through the top and not the side. The wasp ship was soon at the roof.
“Fire up Atlantis and lift off,” Kristen commanded. The Atlantis also lifted and ascended towards the roof. Kristen checked their systems summary. The aliens had done some work on the Atlantis because she could notice their efficiency levels were restored and their supplies for fuel and battery power had been enhanced to almost 100 percent.
They had stocked them up and prepared them well for bait, Kristen was thinking to herself. They soon came out of the roof and as the roof shut itself, they flew in the direction of the wasp ship. The Atlantis increased its speed and was soon tagging along by the side of the wasp ship. As they flew further, Kristen saw the slit in the sky open up. They both flew out of the protective dome and the barren land of the Gualdion Protectorate stared at them.
As they sped through the dark skies, Kristen was wondering what type of life the ordinary people of Gualdions lived.
***
Colonel Havlun was studying the charts on her screen when another warrior approached her. “So far they are complying with our instructions, Colonel,” she said. “Yes, so far they are. They have to for their own sake. After all, they really do not have any option,” Colonel Havlun replied. “Where would they go? They have no clue where we are located. They have no choice but to stay with us.”
“But they might try to run.” “I don’t think so. A prisoner would want to run when they see or think there is hope for survival outside the prison. But when you do not even know what dangers lurk outside, would you attempt to try such a foolish thing? Especially in this part of space, which to the humans is uncharted territory?”
“You have a point there, Colonel. They have nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide.”
“Indeed.”
“What is the plan for this mission going to be like?” “I plan on us taking the Grimaldorian Belt.” “The Grimaldorian Belt?” the officer repeated.
“Yes. There is a contractor I used to work with at one of the outposts over there. I want to see if we can re-establish contact with him. He will be able to give us a clue on where the biggest market for Seeds of Life currently exists.”
“Is he aware of our coming?” “He isn’t. I have been trying to get him on the radio but the signal keeps on disconnecting. There must be a lot of interference between our location and his. Anyway, we will go there and meet him and if possible, take him along.”
“He might take an interest in the humans. You know it is not all kinds that can resist not having a taste of human flesh.”
“I know, my dear. That is why I decided to spare them and not have them killed earlier on.”
“I see. That was very wise. What about the specimen that was extracted from their men?” “That is still being incubated with some of my eggs. I hope to get the results soon, perhaps in about another three hours or thereabout.”
“Do you think it could work?”
“I hope it does, so we will be rid of this inconvenience of searching for the Seeds of Life. That way, we can see how we can be able to prolong the stay of the humans and enhance their comfort.”
“I think we are covered on all fronts. If the incubation turns out not to be successful then the search for the Seeds should work out.”
“And if that does not work out, then we might have to consider the option of the humans, which is to search for the makers.”
“You think we might have to go to that extent?” “We will if we have to,” Colonel Havlun replied. “Just like the humans are doing, anything must be done for the survival of our race.”
The wasp ship continued to fly, and soon they were out of the planet’s orbit. They headed in the direction of the Grimaldorian Belt. As they went, they passed through several other planets, asteroids, and galaxies.
During the trip, Kristen was working on two tablets that were close to her.
Mahmud came to her side and watched what she was doing. “What are you trying to do?” he asked. “Are you not supposed to be getting some welldeserved rest?” Kristen asked, ignoring his question. “I am going to be all right. I am getting stronger by the minute.”
“I see. Maybe you will be willing to go for another round of experiments when we get back.”
“Another one? No, not anytime soon. At least not by those alien hotties.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Captain, what are you doing?” Mahmud asked again.
“I am trying to map our trip from the Gualdion Protectorate,” she replied.
“Why are you mapping our trip?” “I want to see if the Atlantis will be able to determine where we are in space exactly. And besides, if there is any emergency or eventuality, we will have a guide to direct us.”
“If there is any emergency or eventuality?” Mahmud repeated. “Captain, I hope you know that even though they may be hot, these women are dangerous. They mean business. You shouldn’t be taking them for granted.”
“Relax, Mahmud. I know what I am doing. They cannot monitor the sub-programming of the Atlantis systems because there is no external link attached to our ship like before when we were being towed. Besides, we need a backup plan because, like you rightly said, they are dangerous and should not be taken for granted. I do not trust them one bit. For all I know, these are simply bandits, space pirates who will not hesitate to discard us when they have no further use for us.”
“Crazy, sexy, wicked women,” Mahmud muttered. “How are you mapping the terrain?” “I had to develop an app by writing a program which mimics the Atlantis’ movements. It then uses the coordinates we are flying with to trace both the distance and speed from our last known location, which was the Gualdion Protectorate. In addition, it is taking snapshots of the entire region
around our flight route and by so doing, it is generating a 3D image of the entire space we are covering. Afterwards, the app will be able to draw up a route for us. When it is ready, we will then begin to sweep the entire regions around space until we can locate some familiar terrains and bodies again.”
“Sounds interesting. But you wrote it as a subprogramme?” “Yes, of course. You really don’t think I would have been stupid enough to write it off our main servers. Those women could easily check for a log of our system’s activities whenever we get back. But if it is a sub-programme, I can always delete it and warehouse it on one of our tablets. That way it will remain hidden from prying eyes.”
“That is excellent, Captain.”
“Thank you, Mahmud.”
“What is excellent?” another voice asked. It was Lynda. She had come up from behind Mahmud without his knowledge.
“Nothing,” Mahmud lied.
“What are you hiding?” Lynda asked, searching.
“You don’t need to bother. It is nothing,” Mahmud insisted. “It is all right, Mahmud,” Kristen said. “You can tell her what it is. But you must not divulge it to any other person, Lynda. Do you understand?”
Lynda nodded. “Sure. I promise. Your secret is safe with me.”
Mahmud explained the app Kristen had worked on. “That is a smart but risky move,” Lynda said once Mahmud had finished. “These women are mean. Do you know what they will do if they discover it?”
“That is if they discover it,” Kristen replied. “I do not intend to let them know about it in any way. It will be deleted and warehoused on one of our mobile devices.”
“It better be. Because they will not think twice before they get rid of us. We should not really give them a chance to think of such a thing. They really give me the creeps.”
“Don’t worry, I am going to be careful. But like I said, this knowledge should remain between the three of us and no one else. Do you understand?”
Mahmud nodded. “I understand.”
“I understand,” Lynda replied.
“What about that device that was given to us by King Zeropta?” Kristen asked.
The End Of The World Page 10