by Piers Platt
Falken saw Auresh swear and tap on his wristpad again – at the far end of the bay, the ramp began to swing upwards. The cage slammed into the back of the bay a second later, and for a second, it hung there, trapped in the half-open ramp. Then with a shriek of metal-on-metal, it slid free, and dropped into the darkness outside. The ramp shut, sealing the bay again.
Falken’s eyes dimmed again – the pain in his chest was all-consuming now. He gasped, and then flipped over onto his back, turning to see Auresh standing over him, his broken arm hanging limply at his side. He had a pistol in his other hand.
“You son of a bitch,” Auresh said.
He fired, and Falken’s vision went dark.
Chapter 33
Holding his broken arm, Auresh limped onto the Starfarer’s bridge. Cadellium stood behind the pilot’s seat – he eyed the captain’s injuries with alarm.
“What happened?”
“We were boarded,” Auresh growled. “They left one of their proxies in the cargo bay.”
“You took care of it?” Cadellium asked. “He’s dead?”
“Not ‘dead,’ ” Auresh said. “Disabled … disconnected. And I tossed the goddamn proxy off the ramp, just to be sure. But the dragons are gone.”
“What?” Cadellium seethed. “Gone? But … I need those specimens.”
“You’ve got the research data,” Auresh said. “You said that was the most important part.”
“No, no,” Cadellium said, shaking his head angrily. “I need blood samples, too. Our contract was for the data and two dragons.”
“Fuck your contract!” Auresh told him. “No other crew could have gotten you that data. If you want the dragons, you’ll have to find someone else to get them. Or maybe I’ll drop you back on the surface to catch them yourself.”
Cadellium’s jaw worked in silent rage. “We’re going to discuss this when we get out of here,” he promised Auresh. “This is unacceptable, Captain.”
Auresh opened his mouth to reply, but a crewmember interrupted. “Captain, I’m picking up a number of airborne radar signatures coming from Mount Olympus.”
“Ships?” Auresh said, hurrying over to the man’s station.
“No, too small,” the man replied. “Either my sensors are acting up, or a bunch of dragons just took to the air.”
“How many?” Auresh asked.
“Most of them,” the man said. “Hundreds. Some of them are headed our way.”
“Shit,” Auresh observed. “Any word from Kuda?”
“Not yet,” the man replied.
“Call him now,” Auresh demanded.
The man tried calling Kuda, twice. When there was no answer, he shook his head.
“No luck, Captain.”
“Give me a visual on the research center,” Auresh ordered.
On the man’s computer terminal, a thermal image appeared. Auresh could see the Liberty Belle sitting on its landing pad, and further away, the entrance to the vehicle bay. Scattered over the side of the mountain, on the hull of the Liberty Belle, and crawling in and out of the vehicle bay, were numerous heat signatures, glowing white-hot against the cool background.
“Jesus. Dragons all over the place,” the crewman observed. “It looks like they’re inside the vehicle bay, too.”
Auresh gritted his teeth. They got Kuda. That fucking tour guide played us.
The pilot cleared his throat. “Uh, Captain: that fuel line is acting up again.”
Auresh turned and crossed to the pilot’s station.
“It … it doesn’t look like it’s fixed, sir,” the pilot reported, tapping on an indicator at his station. “The pressure in the line’s definitely dropping.”
“God damn it!” Auresh exploded, punching the computer terminal. “Is anything going to go right tonight?”
“Sorry, sir,” the pilot said. “But if it leaks, I’m going to have trouble going to full thrust on engine three.”
“Can you get full power now?” Auresh asked.
“For a little bit,” the pilot guessed. “Not sure how long it’ll hold, though.”
“Do it,” Auresh decided. “Take us up into orbit, now.”
“You’re just going to leave?” Cadellium asked.
“If we stay any longer, we’re going to be stranded here,” Auresh said.
“What about the survivors? The witnesses?”
“I’m not finished with them yet,” Auresh said.
*
Falken’s proxy slammed the pod door shut, and Vina felt a massive jolt, and suddenly the hull of the Starfarer disappeared out of view through the porthole. Her stomach dropped as she felt the pod fall, then the capsule jerked again a moment later.
“Parachutes deployed,” a robotic female voice announced.
The falling sensation stopped, replaced by a gentle swaying – in her seat harness, Vina craned her neck to look out the porthole behind her, but all she could see was the black of night. She clutched the master key to her chest and waited, trying to will her heart to slow down to a normal pace.
A minute passed, then two. Then, with a bone-jarring crash, the escape pod landed. Vina was thrown against her restraints as the pod rolled onto its side. It flipped again, and then came to a stop.
“Emergency descent complete,” the female voice told her. “Sensors assess that the exterior atmosphere is not safe to breathe. Remain in the pod for safety.”
Vina released her harness buckle and stood up, crossing to the hatch to peer out the porthole. White fabric covered the reinforced glass – she realized one of the parachutes must have draped itself over the pod, blocking her view. Then the fabric flapped, and a gust of wind caught it and blew the parachute to the side.
Vina saw that she had landed in a wide, crater-like depression. But none of the familiar terrain of Olympus was visible – no circular rock formations or groves of giant mushrooms could be seen. Instead, in the moonlight, she spotted several dragons, and her breath caught in her throat. One was preening itself, while nearby, two others fought over territory. A fourth dragon shook its head as it gnawed on the white bones of a faun that littered the gravelly ground.
Where am I …?
The parachute ballooned again in the wind, and the two dragons stopped fighting. They faced the pod, and seemed to be evaluating it. As she watched, they hopped closer, sniffing the night air. Vina looked past them, out over the rocky landscape, and realized that entire crater was full of a host of dragons of all sizes. Her blood ran cold.
Oh, shit, Vina thought. I landed in the aerie.
*
Falken gasped, throwing the sensory displacement helmet off his head. The air was choking him, his lungs aching as they fought to find the oxygen they needed. He fumbled at the pod’s lid, and then it swung open, and he lurched out into the room, tumbling to the floor.
I’m back inside the research center – why can’t I breathe?
He shook his head, confused. And crawled forward along the floor.
Kuda! The thought pierced his foggy brain. He vented the air. Get your mask back on!
Falken’s vision blurred; he turned, trying to pull himself up, searching for the oxygen mask he had left in the room.
Where is it?!
He heard halting footsteps. Falken held his hands up, shielding himself from a possible attack.
“Easy!” he heard a male voice say. Falken felt a hand on his shoulder, and then a mask was held in front of his face. He pulled it to his mouth and sucked in air hungrily, his chest heaving. Finally, he pulled the mask’s straps over his head and stood.
Raynard stood facing him, leaning on a mop handle as a crutch.
“You okay?” the journalist asked, from under his own mask.
“Yeah,” Falken nodded, still catching his breath. “Thanks for the help.”
“About time I returned the favor,” Raynard replied.
Falken smiled, steadying himself against the lid of the pod. Then a look of worry crossed his face. “Kuda? And the crew trying
to break in?”
Raynard shook his head. “Your plan worked like a charm. Nearly got me killed, too, but it worked.”
“Are they sending anyone else after us? From the Starfarer?”
“I doubt it,” Raynard said. “Right now there are about a dozen dragons roosting in the vehicle bay, which looks more like a slaughterhouse. Did you get Vina?”
“Yeah,” Falken said. “She’s off the ship, and the two dragons they caught are, too. One of them ate Ed.”
“Oh,” Raynard said. “Uh … is this the part where I’m supposed to act sad?”
Falken shook his head. “I don’t know. But we need to find Vina.” He crossed to a computer terminal mounted in the room’s wall, and opened up the communications app. “Muir, you there?”
“I’m here. You guys okay?”
“We’re okay. The research center is secure,” Falken told her.
“Good. I’ve got angry dragons crawling over my ship right now thanks to you guys, but I guess I can’t complain.”
“That’s what the armor’s for, right?” Falken asked.
“Yeah, we’ll be okay. But we shouldn’t hang around much longer,” Muir said. “They’re liable to start doing real damage if we do. Starfarer just boosted into orbit, so that’s good news.”
“Are they gone?” Falken asked.
“Well, they disappeared over the horizon, but I haven’t picked up traces of a leap signature yet. It’s a good bet they’re waiting up there for us.”
Falken and Raynard shared a worried look. “Probably,” Falken agreed.
“We don’t really have a choice, though,” Muir continued. “Talus is in a bad way, Luthena says we gotta get him to Harrison’s ASAP. Did you get the master key?”
“Kinda,” Falken said. “Vina has it. Did you see the escape pod?”
“From the Starfarer?” Muir asked. “Yeah, I saw it. It landed upslope on the mountain.”
Falken felt his stomach flip. “Where upslope?”
“Looked like it was headed right for the aerie,” Muir radioed.
“Ah, shit,” Falken said. “Raynard is headed your way.”
“Where are you going?” Muir asked.
“The aerie,” Falken said. “Be ready to take off as soon as I get back.”
“Be safe,” Muir said.
“Yeah.” Falken cut the connection, then looked at Raynard. “Can you make it back to the Liberty Belle on your own?”
“Think so,” Raynard said, glancing down at his ersatz crutch. “Slowly, but I can make it.”
Falken patted Raynard on the shoulder then hurried out into the corridor, jogging back toward the funicular base station. He paused at base of the ladder, tugging open an equipment locker, and sorting through it for a moment until he found another noise cancellation staff. At the top of the ladder, the hatch sat open – Falken climbed through, then pulled it shut, sealing himself inside the vehicle. He tucked the noise cancellation staff over one shoulder, took a seat, and then jammed the control lever up. The pod jerked, and then rose smoothly up along the track, emerging out of the tunnel a moment later.
Hang on, Vina.
Chapter 34
Vina shrank back from the escape pod’s porthole, willing herself to remain quiet. Outside, a dragon laid its head along the side of the pod, sniffing it curiously. The creature’s breath fogged the porthole glass momentarily, and then it disappeared from view. The pod shook, and Vina heard a loud scraping sound coming from overhead.
It’s on the roof. And I think it’s trying to get in.
Moving carefully, she crossed to the other side of the pod, to peer out the opposite porthole. Less than fifty yards away, she was surprised to see some kind of large, metal box embedded in the earth on that side of the pod. The metal was twisted and buckled in places – it looked as if it had survived a major impact.
Something familiar about that box …?
As she watched, the huge container shook, and then Vina realized what it was.
The dragon cage, from the ship! It must have fallen past me while I was floating down.
She heard more scraping sounds from the outside of her pod, and felt the pod tilt again.
“Warning: hull damage detected. It may be necessary to abandon this pod,” the female voice told her.
Oh no …
*
The funicular passed out of the final tunnel and leveled off, then slid to a stop. Falken surveyed the aerie through its clear canopy. He could vaguely recall several trips up to the aerie for observation sessions when he had worked at the research center, sitting in the cab and recording video, or taking notes on dragon social behavior.
But they were never this active, even during the middle of the day. Raynard really got them worked up.
Falken checked the noise cancellation staff, flipping the switch on to activate it.
… and I never got out of the cab, either.
He spotted the dragon cage that had fallen from the Starfarer first – it stood half-buried in the ground, leaning to one side, its metal support beams bent from the crash. The escape pod sat just beyond it, its parachutes draped across the ground, billowing softly in the night breeze.
Not too far, Falken thought. Maybe a hundred yards. Could be a lot worse.
But a smaller dragon stood on top of the pod, tearing at it with his hind claws. Falken grimaced. He took a deep breath, and then slid the cab’s door open. He stepped out carefully, and then let himself down slowly from the metal platform along the edge of the funicular track. To his right, a dragon stirred, and Falken froze, but it settled back down, wrapping a wing over its head to sleep.
Falken placed each step carefully, moving slowly from rock to rock. At one point, a patch of gravel shifted under him, but the noise was muffled by his staff, and lost amongst the cacophony of sounds the dragons themselves were making.
I guess it’s a good thing they’re all awake, Falken thought.
He neared the escape pod, and saw movement inside. Vina’s face appeared at the porthole, and she spotted him – a look of pure relief washed over her features. Then she pointed upward, at the roof. Falken nodded.
I know. Don’t know what I’m going to do about it, though.
A shadow passed overhead, and Falken ducked instinctively. Heavy wings beat the air, buffeting Falken in the downdraft. The dragon on top of Vina’s escape pod shrieked in alarm, and then took off into the air. Falken panicked as well and broke into a sprint, running a zig-zag path across the ground. He reached the pod a moment later, and yanked the hatch open, then ducked inside, shutting it behind him.
“Warning: loss of atmosphere. Deploying oxygen masks – please put one on immediately.”
Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling, but Vina was already wrapping Falken in a hug. “Oh, thank god,” she said.
Falken squeezed her in return, then stepped back, handing her an oxygen mask. “We’re not out of this yet,” he told her. “Not even close.”
Vina coughed, sliding the mask on. “I know. Just glad to see you.”
Falken smiled. “All these rescues cost extra, you know,” he told her, wagging a finger at her. “This is definitely going on your bill.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m getting a refund for this trip,” she said. She frowned. “Except I won it in a contest, so …”
Falken chuckled. “You get what you pay for, I guess.” He scanned her from head to toe. “Are you hurt? You made the landing okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just wanna get out of here.”
“Yeah,” Falken said. “We gotta get back to the funicular. It’s not far, but … it’s not that close, either.”
“You don’t want to wait until the dragons settle down some?” Vina asked.
“No,” Falken said. “They’re awake, but all this commotion is distracting them. Now’s our best chance.” He detached Vina’s oxygen tank from its mount in the ceiling and handed it to her to hold. “You’ve got the master key, right?” Falken asked.
<
br /> Vina patted her pants pocket.
“Okay, good. Ready?”
“Ready,” Vina agreed.
Falken took her hand and pushed the hatch open. They stepped outside, and then froze. Vina’s hand gripped Falken’s fist hard.
The massive female sat perched on top of the cage, towering over them. Falken could hear his heart pounding in his ears – he watched as she tore at the cage with her snout. The metal bent, but held in place. The great creature lifted her head into the sky and shrieked with rage.
She’s pissed about the cage. Is she trying to eat the dragon inside?
The female tried ripping the cage with her back talons next, but her claws slid across the smooth metal, finding no purchase. She roared again, and butted her head against the cage’s door. Falken heard an answering roar from inside the cage. Falken frowned, watching carefully.
Wait a second …
The dragon paused momentarily. Then she seemed to sense them watching her, and her ears swiveled, pointing toward them.
Falken held himself stock still, praying that Vina would follow suit. He could sense the tension in her – in his own hand, her hand trembled.
Don’t run. Stay still.
The dragon hopped down off the container, blocking their route back to the funicular. She was so tall that he could see the funicular through her hind legs – her long, whip-like tail reached almost all the way back to the platform. The female took a step toward them, then another.
She might not be able to hear us right now … but she can smell us. And she’s got us dead to rights.
Falken glanced at the cage again, then made a decision. He dashed toward the cage, pulling Vina along behind him. The dragon hissed as it heard their foot-falls – Falken kept an eye on her as he ran, and saw her rear back, coiling her neck for a strike. She lunged forward, and Falken pulled Vina to the ground. The great head snapped past him, scraping along his back as it passed by. Falken grunted in pain, then scrambled up, pulling Vina back to her feet. In three more steps, they were at the door to the cage. He grabbed the locking bar and tugged on it.