Valiant (Jurassic War Universe Book 1)

by Kristoff Chimes

  Bron’s obsession to maintain a flat stomach was horrified by bloating.

  “Great,” said Bron, “got to starve myself for another day!”

  “I have a slot available at six this morning, Bron,” the mirror said. “Our personal trainer comes highly recommended. Shall I book him?”

  “Is he hot?”

  “Due to data protection restrictions I am unfamiliar with his temperature regulation.”

  Bron lost her patience and flipped her middle finger at the mirror. “Book this!”

  She stared at her reflection until she finally acknowledged the person she was. If you stay, you’ll end up killing yourself, Bron. Sooner or later you have to tell Aunt Annie to stick her money where the rings of Saturn don’t shine. Stop pretending the little runt is your connection to Mom and Dad. Walk away. Find adventure. Discover yourself. Before they end up killing you, or you end up killing them both...

  She stormed out of the bathroom. Within a few steps she felt engulfed by wave of guilt sweeping over her vitriolic thoughts.

  Maybe I ought to check on the little runt?

  On her way to Codi’s room she tripped and sent another empty tequila mini bottle flying across the room. She limped over to it and placed it on the small coffee table. She froze.

  At her eye-line a knife with a ten inch blade stood erect and embedded deep into the coffee table where her feet had been moments earlier.

  “That creepy little...”

  She grabbed the knife by the thick wooden handle and pulled it out of the table. It was heavy, like a hunter’s knife. A groove ran down the center of the blade. She imagined it existed to direct the flow of blood when cleaning it.

  She felt a wave of nausea hit and swallowed hard.

  Hadn’t there been a set of two of these hanging on the wall?

  She shivered at thoughts of it silently slitting her throat as she slept.

  She found the wall display where she was sure the knife came from. Expecting to find one hanging on the wall, she found the display empty.

  She felt her knuckles whiten around the hilt of the knife. She ran to Codi’s room and kicked his door open. She stood in the doorway and held out the knife to the darkness.

  “This your idea of a joke, you creepy little runt?” she shouted.

  There was no sound. No stirring from the bed.

  She ran at the bed and whipped off the duvet. The bed was empty.

  “Don’t play games, runt,” she shouted. “You know how it creeps me out.”

  She stopped shuffling along the carpet to listen. Not even the faint murmur of Codi’s wheezy chest made an impression on the silence of the ship.

  She stared at the four closet doors flat shut against the far wall.

  “If you’re hiding in there, little runt,” she said. “I’m warning you, I’ve got the other knife. Drop the knife and come out now.”

  Silence frayed at her patience.

  She stood before the first closet door and held the knife above her head. She gripped the handle and wished it was a modern door that would slid open on command. How she hated this authentic nineteenth century decor that her aunt paid a premium for. Everything was made from the finest natural wood.

  Beautiful, sure, but somehow creepy. Wood breathes even when it’s supposed to be dead. Wood is still kind of alive the way it creeks...

  She held her breath and flung open the first of four closet doors. She stared into darkness. She hated the way Codi had ordered the room environment computer to keep all lights off.

  “Lights,” she yelled.

  The darkness remained.

  Why does he hate light? Creeps me out.

  Bron forced herself to stand there with the knife until her eyes adjusted to the gloom.

  Empty.

  She let out a deep sigh.

  Damn it.

  Inch by cautious inch, she stepped closer to the second door. She reached out with a trembling hand. She gripped the handle. Felt her knuckles tighten. She yanked on it hard. The door flew open.

  She stared hard into the darkness.

  Empty.

  Her head began to throb at the back of her skull.

  She pushed herself on through to the third door. She felt like she was hunting the grizzly bear of her own fears. She yanked at the handle.

  “Come out now,” she shouted.

  Silence.

  The closet was empty. She slammed the door shut and stepped like a stalking tiger to the last closet door.

  The throbbing pain slithered to a searing hot point between her eyes.

  “This is your final warning,” she shouted and gripped the door handle tight. “Come out now, or I’ll slit your little throat.”

  She yanked at the door handle. It stuck firm.

  The little runt locked it from inside.

  She slid the tip of the blade into the lock as she grabbed the door handle and violently twist them both. With all her strength she tugged at the door. It flew open into her face.

  A tall, dark shadow leapt out at her. The knife sprang out of her grasp. The shadow sent her falling backwards onto the carpet. It lunged at her.

  She threw one arm up across her face as her other hand frantically searched the carpet for the knife.

  She felt the shadow fall on her and smash into her arm.

  “Get off me,” she shouted and kicked the shadow off her. She crawled backwards on her elbows and kicked out at the shadow.

  It lay still.

  She stared at it. It was flat, metallic and seemed to have a pair of metal legs folded up against its flat surface.

  “An ironing board?” She gasped. Nineteenth century authenticity sucks a big one.

  She giggled more with fear, than relief and embarrassment.

  “So where the hell are you, Runt?”

  Bron turned and stared back at the bed. She dropped to her knees. She held her breath and slowly put her face against the carpet.

  She stared into the darkness under the bed.

  A pair of eyes stared out at her. They blinked. A pair of teeth snarled at her and then it leapt at her face.

  Bron threw herself back as she slashed the knife through the air. A tabby blur of fur hissed at her.

  “Duke?” Bron said with a shuddering laugh.

  God what’s with my nerves tonight?

  Her aunt’s cat fled out the door.

  “Traitor,” she said.

  She realized yet again for the third night in a row, Codi, had vanished. For all she knew, he had gotten himself lost on his way to the Holo-games deck, again. She’d have to humiliate herself, yet again. Go begging to the ship’s crew for help in finding the brat.

  Again!

  Maybe if she was really lucky, she’d discover Codi had launched a life pod and ejected his sorry ass into an asteroid field.

  But he could do no wrong.

  He was, after all, the golden child. Their childless Aunt Annie’s only nephew. The son she never had.

  Bron considered how all the family half expected he’d get the bulk of her estate when she finally kicked the bucket. With one flash of his stupid gap-toothed, lopsided grin he had their aunt wrapped around his stupid little finger already.

  Bron had twice been chastised for asking for a night off. Told in no uncertain terms that Codi’s space sickness and mile-long list of allergies meant that under no account was she to have a good time. Vacation romance? Forget it! You’re the responsible one, Bron. You have to think for both of you!

  Her Q-NET skinphone pinged. She glanced at the back of her left hand and the message from yet another friend asking to be the first to spread the hottest gossip in the galaxy. She reeled with panic when she reminded herself she’d done her best to make all her friends so jealous when she got the invitation. It was getting to the point she’d have to invent a fake romance just to salvage her rep.

  Already, her posse had sent a dozen unanswered messages on the Q-NET, asking for romantic updates.

  How much longer can
I blame poor reception caused by asteroids and the rings of Saturn?

  “I’ll post pics when I can. Send.”

  Yeah, right, kiss my lying butt. I need to get creative, and fast. Or lose all self-respect.

  She checked under Codi’s bed. Found his asthma inhaler. “Why do I have to be the responsible one?” she yelled to the empty suite. “You little puke-head.”

  She figured it was a Saturday night back home on Earth.

  Right now, I could be on a date with that gorgeous college guy who gave me his number the day before the voyage. How long before bestie Monica steals him? They’re probably doing it, right now. Ex-bestie.

  “I hate you, Codi.”

  She slipped out of the suite and cursed her moron brother.

  This is definitely no life for an eighteen year old.

  Outside their cabin she looked left and then right down the miles of empty corridors.

  “Where the hell is everyone?”

  She shrugged.

  “Having more fun than you, Bron,” she replied to herself.

  “Where are you, puke-head?” she growled under her breath and headed for the Holo-games deck.

  On her way, down a corridor of authentic wood paneling, she made a detour to the observation deck. She considered maybe a few cool photos of the rings would keep her social orbit from being banished to Pluto when the Hermes finally pulled into Earth’s space port. Or at least until she could get an intimate selfie with one of the cute young officers.

  Like that was going to happen anytime soon. But if that same officer is on duty again tonight...

  “Can I help you, miss?”

  She whipped around to get an eye full of the cutest young hunk in his crisp white officer’s uniform.

  She took a deep breath. She swallowed hard and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She hoped she’d remembered to wipe away the crustaceans of sleep from her eyes.

  “I was hoping someone might help me take a picture of the rings,” she said and wished she pulled on something sexier than jeans, t-shirt and sneakers.

  “Codi’s sister, right?” he said with a sardonic smile that made her weak at the knees and flush hot. “Agatha Doone’s niece?”

  Of course he’d remember her aunt. They all kissed her butt. And of course he’d know her brother’s name. Everyone fell for the runt’s charms.

  “And you’re Bron, right?” he said with that perfect, easy smile shed fallen asleep imagining was all for her just a few hours ago.

  She felt a genuine smile creep across her face for the first time in three days.

  “I’m lieutenant Reilance. Nathan to my friends.”

  “Hi Nathan,” she said and tried to work a casual flirtation into the way she batted her eyelashes.

  Don’t act desperate, Bron.

  “How about the background of the rings?” he asked. “You’ll be my first, Bron, you know.”

  I want to be your first. She felt her skin flush hot.

  “Sorry?” she said.

  “For your picture,” he said. “My first before I report for my shift.”

  “Oh, um, yes.” Keep it together Bron. “Sure, cool,” she said and spent the next minute silently berating herself as they climbed the stairs to the observation deck.

  Who says ‘cool’ anymore, moron?

  The vast glass domed observation deck was empty. Perfect!

  He stood by her side. So close she felt she was burning hotter than a comet. Double Perfect!

  She lined up her skinphone with her palm-screen facing her. She eased into the well-practiced pose that was a combination of confidence and nonchalance that captured her good side. She took the picture.

  “One more for luck?” he said and put his arm around her shoulder. She clicked away.

  Die with envy, selfie-bitches!

  “Might want to redo that one,” Nathan said. “Someone appears to be photobombing us.”

  She turned to face puke-head giving her the bird.

  “Why?” she snapped. “Why do you exist to plague me?”

  Nathan stiffened and put some distance between them. “I guess that wraps up my duty here,” Nathan said. “See you around, Bron.”

  She spun around, stepped forward and reached out to him with the intention of getting him to ask for her number when she stopped dead in her tracks.

  Over Nathan’s shoulder, beyond the dome, floated a vast collection of misty lights. Pinks, blues and greens. Like a flock of butterflies moving in unison as if with one mind.

  “What the hell is it?” Codi asked.

  The color in Nathan’s face drained. He tapped the comm unit insignia on his chest.

  “Armstrong observation deck to bridge, Lieutenant Reilance reporting a--”

  A loud scream burst out of his comm unit. Abruptly the scream was swallowed by a shrill burst of static. His eyes popped wide.

  “You two, stay here,” he said.

  “Don’t leave me,” Bron cried out.

  “I’ll be back for you,” Nathan shouted. “I promise.”

  The entire deck shuddered as if it something massive had collided with the ship. The deck tilted on a forty five degree angle.

  “We’re capsizing,” Codi gasped.

  The ship rolled onto its side. Slamming them into the glass walls.

  Codi began to gasp. He clutched his chest and turned blue.

  “Don’t do this to me,” Bron shouted.

  Codi slumped to his knees.

  She reached inside her jeans pocket and pulled out his inhaler. She held it out to him, but he wouldn’t or couldn’t take it. She forced the nozzle into his mouth.

  “Breathe,” she screamed and punched the button that sprayed his medicine into his airways.

  Codi’s eyes rolled back inside his skull.

  “Codi,” she screamed and instantly felt a wave of guilt for hating him. She grabbed at his arms, just as the Hermes shook and violently turned upside down.

  Codi flew out of her grasp and tumbled away two hundred feet down the inside of the dome to its apex. She glided on her back down towards him.

  The Hermes seemed to stop rolling at an angle of one hundred and eight degrees. For an instant she grabbed his arms and held him tight to her. He felt limp and lifeless in her arms.

  She parted his lips and titled back his head. She took a deep breath and forced her mouth over his. She blew hard. She pulled away and put her ear to his chest.

  She lay spread eagled across the glass apex. Their bodies engulfed by the revolving lights shining up through the dome’s apex below. She couldn’t hear Codi’s heart. She beat at his chest with her fists.

  His body lay motionless.

  “Codi, damn it,” she shouted. “You can’t die. You can’t leave me alone. I love you, punk-head.”

  She continued pummeling his chest.

  His body convulsed. He vomited in her face. His eyes popped open.

  She cried with revulsion and joy.

  She felt she should kill him for that, but all she do was hug him tight. A weak smile crossed his face. She wanted to accuse him of faking it, but his wild stare convinced her otherwise.

  A silent tremor shook his lips, as if he was trying to tell her something.

  “What is it, Codi?”

  “They’re... coming,” he croaked.

  She glanced over her shoulder. They were alone. Accept for the mass of floating lights a few inches below them on the other side of the high-impact glass.

  “Who’s coming?” she shouted. “Who?”

  Codi opened his mouth. Hermes shook violently once more and began rolling again. Not the gentle capsizing roll as before. A much faster roll.

  Bron grabbed Codi into her arms. He clung to her so hard his fingernails made her arms bleed.

  “Don’t worry, Codi,” she shouted as the ship bobbed back and forth a few degrees, “I’ll never let you go.”

  “Promise,” he shouted.

  She stared at the two hundred feet drop. A heavy pressure pushed d
own on the top of her head. There was no gentle smooth slope like the glass dome to slow their descent. Only the sheer walls and a sudden collision with the hard flooring. She knew there was no way they’d survive.

  She glanced around and spotted a maintenance ladder fixed to one wall.

  “We need to get to that ladder,” she shouted. “Like now.”

  He nodded. They crawled frantically along the glass dome as the ship tipped into a two twenty degree angle.

  When the ship listed at a two seventy degree angle she cried out, “We need to climb down.”

  She grabbed him and stared directly into his eyes.

  “Can you run?”

  He nodded, but when he stood he collapsed.

  “Climb on my back,” she said. Codi wrapped his arms around her neck and she ran down the inside of the dome. Her feet slipped. She bent her knees to steady herself, but knew it was no use. She tripped. With one hand outstretched she lunged for the ladder.

  Her wrist screamed out as if she’d sprained it. Try as she might, she couldn’t grip the rung tight enough. She clung on to Codi as he slipped down her back.

  “Hold on to my shoulders,” she screamed and hooked her legs around the ladder’s lower rungs.

  “Codi I need my other hand for the ladder.”

  “No,” he screamed.

  “I have to let go of you or we’re going to fall.”

  He was unable to look her in the eyes. His frantic grasp around her neck began to tighten. She choked and grabbed the top rung. She let go of him and grabbed the top rung.

  “Stop wriggling,” she shouted as he slipped further down her back to her legs.

  She glanced down and felt everything spin.

  “Codi, hold still,” she shouted as he grabbed at her feet and pulled them from the ladder.

  As they tumbled down the globe some two hundred feet to the hard deck flooring Bron felt everything spin around and turn to blackness.

  CHAPTER 34 - INTERROGATION

  Subject: Ursu ship Gy-Fly-Mach.

  The girl stamped her foot. “Damn it, Glaw,” she said. “They got us. Give it up.”

  Glaw’s grip relaxed slightly. Dax took sips of air through his constricted airways.

  The Ursu sighed. “It’s your call, Myf.”

  “I know who my parents’ killer is, Glaw.” she said. “Surrender.”