Termination - Book 9 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series (The Conclusion)

by Peebles, Chrissy

  “Won’t work,” said Thorn. “These doors are much stronger.”

  “Can’t we shoot the doors open?” offered Jack.

  Thorn huffed. “Not in a million years! The outside of the ship is reinforced with titanium, technology you can’t even begin to understand. And don’t forget about the force-field around the ship.”

  “Keep working on those codes, Thorn.” Casey tried to keep her voice calm in spite of her overwhelming fear. She had complete faith in his ability to crack this alien computer system and hack in. If anybody could do it, Thorn was the one.

  Thorn tapped away at the controls, frowning as he moved from one symbol to the next.

  Mike waved his arm, motioning Casey over. She patted his shoulder, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her close. She looked into his eyes—his terrified, desperate eyes—and touched his shoulder. “It’s okay, Mike. We’re not going to die—”

  A low hum, like that of an electric fan, echoed all around them. A giant image of Commander Tio flashed in midair in the center of the room. His silver cloak and hood glittered, and his eyes stared at Casey coldly. It was obvious he didn’t take kindly to guests leaving early. “Surrender now or be taken by force,” he declared.

  His voice sent shivers down her spine. People gasped. Mike squirmed in his seat. Jack froze, his skin drained of color.

  Casey glanced down at her radar device and cringed. There were fifteen minutes left. Trying to break out was a lost cause. There was no way they could fight against a force-field and titanium walls. They needed to think outside the box. What’s the one thing that will get us off this ship? The answer popped in her head: Tio’s cooperation! That’s it! She pressed a gold switch on the control panel, then walked over to the hologram.

  “Go away, you little pest.” He stared at her intently, his eyes blazing with fury. “Get my brother. Now.”

  “Listen, Tio, we have one last request,” said Casey.

  “You’re not in any position to ask for anything, human.”

  She shrugged. “How about my execution? Right here, right now.”

  He smiled. “I’m listening.”

  Now that she had his attention, she went on with the charade. “As much as we hate to admit it, you’ve won.” She lowered her head in defeat as tears slipped down her face. Drama class had definitely paid off. “We’re dead no matter what way you look at it, so why don’t you open the doors, take down your force-field, and let us die with our own people?”

  Choking sobs, shrill screams, and frightened cries rippled from all around Casey. She wished she could fill the Agarthians in on her plan, but there wasn’t time. Plus, she needed the realism of their cries and tears. Tio had to think they were all going to their deaths.

  Casey collapsed to her knees, tears blinding her vision. “Commander Tio, you have the ultimate power in deciding how we’ll face our deaths. Please grant us this one final wish.”

  He tapped a finger against his chin. “Very touching indeed, Earthling. If I comply, I hope you don’t think about running. You’ll never make it past my force-field surrounding Earth, and I can always shoot you if you veer off course. I’ll consider your request and get back to you.” The hologram faded from view.

  Consider? Why can’t he just do it? Casey scrambled up, but two strong arms gripped her shoulders. She spun around and found herself staring into piercing green eyes, throwing daggers.

  “How could you do this?” one of the men roared at her. He seemed so different from the Agarthians. He had flaming red hair, tied back in a ponytail, and wore a robe. In fact, he resembled a Greek from ancient times. The red hair was a dead giveaway. She would have bet anything that she was standing face to face with Kira’s father.

  “Whoa, back off, Zeus.” Craning her neck, she looked him straight in the eye, meeting his anger with her own. “I’m saving your life here, so take your caveman instincts somewhere else. I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime.”

  “We all know what’s going on. Commander Tio told us about the weapon he developed before he put us in deep sleep.” He took a step forward, towering over Casey. “Anyone in their right mind would try to stall the rebels, because if we leave this ship, we’re as good as dead.”

  “Sit down. You don’t know the facts!” yelled Thorn.

  “The girl’s sending us to our deaths!” The man’s eyes bulged like he was some kind of nut, his hands clasping and unclasping at his side. “We can reason with the rebels, maybe strike a deal. Why would you do something that stupid and buckle under him? Either you’re not right in the mind or you work with them.” He turned to his companions and roared, “Brothers, let’s stop this madness now!”

  He wants to bargain with the aliens, the very same ones that chloroformed him like a frog and anxiously awaited to take him to biology class for dissection? How do you strike a deal with somebody like that? And he called me stupid.

  A few captives started to whisper. Casey felt their apprehensive glances on her. A group of agitated men marched over. Two of them yanked Mike and Jack out of the pilot seats and threw them across the room.

  “Are you crazy?” shouted Casey. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Father, no!” Kira gripped the red-haired man’s arm. “She’s only trying to help us. Trust me, you’ll be thanking her.”

  “When, in the next life?” Kira’s dad retorted.

  Casey’s gaze swung to Jack and Mike as they scrambled to their feet, and she let out a sigh of relief. Luckily, they weren’t hurt, but a new fear swept over her. Thinking back to all the pirate books she’d ever read, one word stuck in her head: mutiny. She began to think that maybe they should’ve left the Agarthians in deep sleep because it didn’t seem like they were big fans of trust—or teamwork, for that matter. Glancing down at her radar device, she noted they had eight more minutes.

  Her mom stepped in front of her like a mother bear protecting its cub. “Leave my daughter alone.”

  Casey gently pulled her to the side. “Mom, please. These people are dangerous.”

  “This girl’s trying to get us all killed,” one of the men shouted, throwing his arms up.

  Her mom lifted a brow. “How can you understand a word they’re saying, Casey?”

  “I’ll explain later.” Perspiration dripped down Casey’s forehead. She peered at the watch on her wrist and groaned inwardly. If they didn’t get moving soon, they’d all be turned into roast dinner. She yanked on Thorn’s sleeve. “Hey, I hate to hurry you, but you have to override those codes and open the doors…like now.”

  “No! That’s not happening. We’re not letting this ship take off!” someone shouted from the back of the room.

  Casey rolled her eyes. “Yeah? Well, if we don’t evacuate immediately, we’ll need lots of sunscreen and a fire extinguisher.” Blue let out a monstrous growl, and Casey leaned over and whispered to her new pet, “What is it, boy?”

  “Just give me the word and I'll attack.” Casey patted the lodomodo’s head as he showed his teeth and took off toward the back of the room, crouching like a tiger waiting to pounce.

  The men jumped back, gasping.

  Casey held up her hand to stop the lodomodo. “Blue, no! Don’t hurt them.”

  Thorn raised his pistol and aimed at Kira’s father. “Stand down, or I’ll shoot you.”

  “And so will I, Socrates.” Mike pointed his gun and widened his stance.

  “You can’t shoot all of us!” Kira’s father yelled. Bulging veins throbbed on his forehead and neck, giving him the look of a madman. “We can easily overpower you…and the beast.”

  Blue growled.

  Casey was angry at herself for yet another mistake. What bit me in the butt to wake up this madman? She gritted her teeth, mentally slapping herself for her own stupidity. If she hadn’t let the caveman out of his ice pod, they’d all be slurping astronaut food on their relaxing cruise back to Agartha.

  Jack cocked his gun. “I won’t tell you again. Sit back down, or I’ll take you off
your feet myself, and it won’t be a pleasant fall from your height.”

  “Father, please listen to them,” begged Kira. “We have three minutes left.”

  They didn’t have time for the drama, and enough was enough. “We’re not your enemies!” Casey pulled out her gun and fired several times. Red beams of light bounced off the ceiling. Screams pierced the air. Some Agarthians dropped to the metal floor and froze, and others ducked, their eyes darting around the room. Finally, she had their undivided attention. “Listen to me!” yelled Casey. “Stop working against us.” She dashed to the middle of the room and peered from one face to the other as she addressed them. “We were sent here by General Ashtar, who gave us a microchip to deactivate the rebels’ fancy little weapon.”

  “How do we know you’re telling the truth?” a blonde woman asked, her voice wavering.

  Casey shook her head as low murmurs raced through the crowd. “You don’t, but at this point, you have no choice except to trust me.”

  “If we were the bad guys, why would we rescue you?” asked Jack.

  “Exactly,” said Casey. “Now, please, I need you to listen. We deactivated the weapon. Earth is safe. What greater proof do you need? I do have some bad news though.” She paused, considering her words. “We unknowingly set off the self-destruct sequence developed by Kira and the other scientists. When the weapon goes off, this ship will explode. We don’t want to be stuck here when that happens.”

  Kira tugged at her father’s arm. “She’s telling the truth. Now do you see why we have to leave immediately?”

  His tone softened. “It’s true?”

  Mike wagged his finger at him. “If it weren’t for us, your sorry little toga party butt would be asleep in one of those capsules.”

  Casey swallowed past the lump in her throat. “We have one minute and twenty seconds.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kira’s father clapped Thorn’s shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

  “Figure out those codes,” he said.

  Staring at her radar device, Casey screamed, “We have one minute!” Thoughts flooded her mind. How can this be the end? We’ve come so far, gone through so much, accomplished the impossible, and saved the human race. We even made it on the ship with all the prisoners. But now the only things holding us back are two thick doors. Casey kissed her sleeping dad on the forehead, then hugged her mom, squeezing tight. “Fifty-five seconds…fifty-four…fifty-three!” she yelled. Her legs threatened to buckle. They had come so close to escaping this nightmare, but now it looked as if it would never end—at least not the way they’d hoped. “If we don’t get off this ship…” Casey paused. She didn’t want to think about that possibility.

  The familiar hooded image of Commander Tio suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

  “What the heck does he want?” asked Mike.

  “Let’s find out,” said Thorn, pushing a button on the control panel.

  Tio’s voice boomed through the hologram. “I’m feeling quite generous today, so I will let you die with the others just as you requested. It’s the least I can do. Thorn will crash when the other two human pilots are vaporized. I’ll be electronically monitoring your demise and shall replay it many times for posterity and amusement. Your deaths will be magnificently displayed on my fifty-foot view screen.”

  Casey’s voice wavered as she looked down. “Forty-one seconds!”

  “You wouldn’t do that,” Thorn hissed.

  Tio laughed. “I’ll zoom in on the cockpit window and watch your final moments of life…and Thorn’s pathetic expression at his defeat. It’ll be a good training module and quite useful in convincing my enemies how futile it is to stand against me. All will see that no one is safe from my wrath, not even my little brother or a beloved hero.”

  “Twenty-two seconds,” announced Casey.

  “Put down your weapons and let them go to their final resting place in peace,” Tio said over his shoulder.

  Jaws dropped in unison, and eyes bulged. An intense wave of relief washed over Casey, and an ironic smirk touched her lips. Mike and Jack looked into her tear-filled eyes with surprise. She squeezed her parents, hoping this was the miracle they’d been hoping for.

  “Ten seconds!” yelled Casey.

  “Ten…” a computerized voice echoed from her wrist band.

  “Nine…”

  The commander motioned behind him. “Open the hangar doors for the Earthlings.”

  “Eight…”

  “Yes, sir,” said a soldier.

  “Seven…”

  Tio laughed, raising his fists in sweet triumph. “Goodbye, brother.”

  “Six…”

  The two giant octagonal doors slid open, and Casey glimpsed stars shining in the blackness of the Milky Way. She pressed her palm against her chest as her heart pounded in her throat. “What’re you waiting for? GO! Get us out of here!”

  “Five…”

  Casey stumbled back as the ship darted out into the black void of space.

  “Four…”

  A gentle humming purr, like that of a kitten, turned into the sound of swarming bees, and then changed into a high pitch that echoed from the walls. The lights flickered, and Casey covered her ears to block out the noise.

  “Three…”

  A deep, rolling thunder shook the walls and floor. Casey peered at the others; there was terror written on their faces.

  “Two…”

  She looked up at the floating image in the middle of the room accompanied by an electric buzzing sound. Tio’s composure crumbled. His eyes widened and filled with fear as his image flickered in and out, like a beam from an old projector on the fritz. He let out a loud scream just as the hologram faded from view.

  Blue lifted his head and let out a primordial, wild animal-like howl.

  “One…”

  A blinding beam spilled through the window. A second later, the shockwave hit with a thunderous blast. The ship tumbled end over end, rattling the walls and floor.

  Casey, unable to keep her footing, hit the deck hard and rolled forward, crashing into the navigation console. She gripped it with shaking hands, holding on for dear life, her eyes fixing on what was going on outside the cockpit. She couldn’t help but watch as the vacuum of space enveloped the fireball that had been the alien mothership only seconds earlier.

  Alarms blared. The ship computers flickered and turned black. The inside of the craft plunged into sudden darkness.

  Casey drew in choked breaths and peered around her, a sense of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. “What’s happening?” she whispered.

  Chapter 4

  The ship rocked and shook in total darkness, like some kind of terrifying amusement park ride. Casey scanned the room for her parents, but she couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of her. With trembling hands, she hung onto the wall, patting her way forward as she took one step at a time, minding the people sitting on the floor.

  A deep rumble echoed, and the ship lurched, throwing her against a metal pillar. She stumbled back, then lost her balance and tumbled to the floor with a thud. Groaning, she sat up and tasted salty blood on her lip where the flesh seemed to burn, but she needed to find her parents and she knew they couldn’t be far. “Mom? Dad?” she shouted. Her voice came high pitched and insecure, and she wasn’t sure her parents would hear her through all the mumbling and screaming coming from the others. She tried to stand, but another jolt made her stumble. Her knees hit the floor hard, then somebody knocked into her. For a moment, she couldn’t move, and her vision blurred.

  “Casey? Is that you? Are you okay?”

  She recognized Jack’s voice and stood. “Oh, Jack!” Her head ached with every single breath, but her eyes adjusted enough to make out his gorgeous face in the dim light.

  “I’m right here,” he whispered, his hot breath caressing her cheek.

  “Shouldn’t you be steering the ship?”

  “Everything’s offline,” he said, “so the autopilot cam
e on. Thorn said it’s temporary and won’t last long. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “You’re so sweet.” She pressed her cheek against his chest, gathering strength from the way his hand rubbed her back. “This isn’t the end. It can’t be,” she muttered, breaking their embrace.

  The floor quivered under their feet; the windows rattled; the darkness seemed foreboding, surreal.

  “Just hold on to me,” said Jack.

  She reached for his hand. “I’ve got to find my mom and dad.”

  He kissed her cheek, his lips searing her skin. “Let’s go find them.”

  “This way!” With a last squeeze of his hand, she patted her way forward like a blind bat, listening to the faint moans and whispers, cries and prayers. At least people weren’t running over each other in their panic.

  “Someone turn on the lights!” a male voice shouted.

  Casey snorted. What help will the lights be if we’re going to die anyway? Memories of her trip flashed before her eyes, every detail passing by like a film. She wished she had the time to tell her parents about everything that had happened, to share the magic with them, things no human had ever seen, but fate wasn’t in her favor.

  The ship took another tumble, tossing Casey forward. She sat down to wait out the turbulence, realizing that at that insane speed, she’d never find her parents. “Jack, let’s wait a minute.”

  “What? I can’t hear you.”

  Time slowed to a crawl as the ship continued to rattle. She peered around, barely paying attention to the shadows occupying most of the floor.

  Jack inched closer and draped his arm around her. “Turn around.”

  She raised her gaze at the billions of stars shining through the cockpit window like an array of tiny diamonds, bouncing and dancing their way across the Milky Way. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “It’s beautiful. Not a bad way to die, I guess.”

  “We’re not dying, Casey.” His voice was soft, but unconvincing. The whites of his eyes shined as their gazes connected.

  Casey stared at the sight for a long moment. She pulled herself up and sniffled, determined not to give up. She struggled to hold on to Jack’s hand. “Do you see your star? The one I picked out especially for you? It’s the brightest one out there.”