Titan Fleet: The Robur

by Jason J Black

  “Ok, Titch, from now on this is your trailer, you are responsible for its contents and upkeep. It will help us get to the spire. There is a small platform for you to ride on, if you wish, and you need to download VT media from Talia’s drones. There are giant plants out there that we may encounter, and you may need to know how to fight them. Once you have done that, perhaps you could make us all a meal?”

  Titch blinks and nods. “Okey dokey, Captain.” He replies as he spins around and heads towards Talia’s drones. Megan wonders who had programmed that particular comment into him, it was funny to hear.

  The Gulmeds had heard all the blaster fire and ran over to Megan to check if they were both ok. “You are safe, what happened?” asks a concerned Drax.

  “A giant plant tried to eat us, but got a mouth full of ship instead for its efforts, and apart from that, we have enough supplies to get us to the spire, and are ready for tomorrow whenever you are, Drax.” Drax is happy to see the two humans still in one piece and he relaxes his shoulders. He had been worried about them, but now realized they were still a tough race, maybe even rivalling the Tarkons.

  “It is good to see you safe, and we shall leave early in the morning. It should take a few days to get there.”

  Talia, who has been listening to the conversation, interrupts, “What kind of place will it be. Is it a place where we can live and be safe or will I have to think about our defence? I mean, this is a hungry planet, everything wants to eat you here.”

  Drax turns to face Talia, and in a reassuring voice helps to make Talia feel at ease. “Don’t worry, there should be guards there and it is a fortified place with many buildings, and two spires which are sacred to us. You will have your pick of your new home and you will want for nothing. It will be the journey there that will be the hard part, but we will endure it and survive it, I’m sure.” Drax puts his hand on Talia’s arm and a bolt of power shoots up her arm and into her head. At the same time he is also holding onto Megan’s arm, and an image appears in both of their heads. A place of peace appears in their minds, a clean bright place where the walls are high and the wilderness is kept at bay by giant flamers, which burn the plants that encroach on the walls. The dwellings are fit for kings and queens, with running water and all modern conveniences in each house. It is a small city in the middle of nowhere, just perfect for the Gulmeds to rest and find peace. The only way to get there, unless you have one of their maps, is to fly and the city’s air defence is second to none. They even have orbital guns that can rock any ship in space that gets too close. The scenes of abundant food and happy Gulmeds, projected into Talia’s and Megan’s minds now ends, and they are both now looking forward to getting there and being able to rest.

  “Thank you for showing me, I was worried about keeping you all safe, that’s all. You mentioned guards, do they live there too, and could you send for an escort to get us there? Surely we could reach them on our gauntlets.”

  Letting go of their arms, Drax replies. “They only come when we are in the utmost danger, as they are resting in a sacred slumber. We do not wake them for petty things, out of respect.”

  The conversation is interrupted by several large explosions to the left of the ship, and an alarm rings out, piercing ears as the silence is broken.

  “It’s a perimeter mine, quick out of my way.” Pushing Drax out of the way gently, and sprinting out of the back of the ship to see what has triggered the mines, Talia watches as a large horned creature falls to the ground with an earth shaking thud. Yelling out in pain, large holes riddled its side and spewed out an orange puss for blood from the wounds. As it tried to get back up, the motion sensors were triggered again and more detonations exploded, finishing of the creature once and for all. The grey hide was now splattered with orange and its forked tongue hung out of its mouth as it hissed its last breath. Talia thought it was hideous, but also that it did not have sharp teeth and that some of the surrounding plants were missing and now at the back of its throat, a herbivore that had also brought its family along for an easy meal. Stood some distance away were more of its herd, fearing to get any closer, but watching what Talia would do next and fearing that they too would trigger mines and also die. Talia fired some warning shots at the herd making them scurry away at top speed. She needed the mines to kill monsters, not what she considered as cattle. It was just a shame the poor creature had to die, but once again, instead of dipping into their supplies, this would make a great meal.

  Talia notifies Titch that the meat would be good for some juicy steaks. The others have followed her outside and watched the whole thing, and can see that Talia is not just a killing machine after all, and that she has a heart inside her hardened demeanour.

  It does not take Titch long before he is carving the meat from the creature’s bones and then returning to the canteen to cook the food on a survival stove that was in one of the crates, while the crate is now being used as a work station. Titch had been busy tiding the canteen and there was room for the table and chairs again, after he had lifted the drooping cables up out of the way, and had even taken the time to set the table with plates and cutlery.

  Steg and Drax sat out on an outcrop of rocks overlooking the cliff, and were staring away into the distance at the two thin spires, their red stone façade rising up into the sky. You could probably see these towers for miles in all directions, the walls standing one hundred feet tall, almost matching the height of the forest trees around them.

  “How are you feeling today, my queen?” Drax rubs the ever growing lump on Steg’s back, their feet dangling off the rock, swaying in the warm breeze.

  “I will be better when we are there I think, but for now I am well and strong as always.” Steg’s voice had an unusual sound to it, the sound of fear filled Drax’s skin as he absorbed the sounds from her voice.

  “You seem a little uncertain, my queen, what bothers you so? Is it the birthing or something else?” Drax knows this is not the way Steg had planned things and the worry about the journey and then the freeing ceremony must be playing on her mind, she seemed deep in thought.

  “I am just worried that we won’t make it, and our people will end with us. If anything bad happens to me, then save the younglings or all will be lost. You have to swear this to me now.”

  Drax puts his arm around Steg’s body and comforts her. “You have my guarantee and word on it, but we will not fail and we will live a good life, you will see, trust me.” Steg just smiles back at Drax and then looks out once again towards the spire, leaning her head onto Drax’s shoulder and quietly contemplating what he has just said, and making a plan in her head.

  Megan’s new space suit had done the trick, there were large scrapes on the armour on the outside, which could have been a fatal injury if she had not been wearing it. The gold colour was not great for camouflage, unlike Talia’s suit which was a dark green fleck, but it was probably a good thing to be seen on this planet. But armour was armour, and after the last fight it gave her confidence once again.

  The wafting smell of cooked meat found its way to Megan’s nose, and feeling hungry she gathered up the others and then sat at the table waiting for the food, which would be a real treat. Food always tasted better if someone else cooked it, she thought. Titch dished up a steak each for the four hungry dinner guests, and then some potatoes and some vegetables all from the supplies they had just retrieved, and it was going to be washed down with bottled water, their first drink in two days.

  Talia did not know what she enjoyed the most, the fat steak on her plate or the refreshing water.

  The Gulmeds and the humans sat at the same table eating and chatting away, like they had known each other for years, and the hours ticked by until they realized the time and decided to turn in for the night, and with food and drink in their bellies the four of them sleep well through the night.

  Chapter Six

  The morning comes around fast and the sunlight sparkles on the window in Megan’s room, heating one of her eye lids, wak
ing her and as she begins to stir, she also wakes Talia who yawns and sits up in bed. The two women are surprised to see Titch stood at the end of the bed staring at them. He looks at them both in eager anticipation of new orders.

  “Titch, what are you doing in our room at this time of the morning?” Megan also sits up and puffs her pillows as a back rest against the headboard, waiting for a response.

  “Captain I was protecting you, as you ordered. When you are asleep you are prone to attack.” Titch stands motionless at the bottom of the bed.

  “Ok, well that’s good, but it is a bit weird to have someone staring at you when you are sleeping, that’s all, so in future can you turn your head or something please?”

  Talia also feels uneasy and agrees with Megan. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a strange thing to do, Titch, but we are grateful of your protection.” Talia knows that they will need sleep in the forest and he will not ever get tired, so he will make a good guard, along with the two drones.

  “I take it we have some sleeping shells packed, Titch?” asks Megan, now fully awake, but not wanting to get out of bed, showing her half-naked body to a boy robot.

  “Yes, Captain, we have sleeping shells and lighting, and also I have disconnected the small blaster unit on the crane arm and fixed it to the tracked trailer unit, so we have a portable gun platform for added protection, increasing my protection for you.”

  Megan thought what a great little robot he was and adaptable too.

  Talia smiles. “That is a fantastic idea indeed, Titch. You can help me dismantle the proximity mines when we are about to leave, and then I can show you how to put them up again, just in case anything happens to me out there, and then you will know how to do it, if that is ok with you, Captain, that is.”

  Megan nods at Talia and wriggles her toes, stretching her legs under the covers. “Is that coffee I smell, Titch, because if it is, you are indeed a star.”

  Titch moves his head slightly and answers, “Yes, Captain, it is. I know that is what you like in the morning, and I have also packed some in the supplies.” Megan is happy; this is a great way to start a busy day. “Meet me with a cup outside in ten minutes please, Titch. Thank you.”

  Titch leaves the room and Talia begins to put on her underclothes and then armour. As she does this, she seems to be quite happy and has more of a spring in her step than usual.

  “What are you so happy about then?” asks Megan, wanting to share the happiness that Talia is creating.

  Talia sits down on the bed next to Megan, and beginning to put her boots on, she looks at Megan with her green eyes sparkling. “It is my twenty fourth birthday today and I am grateful I’m alive.”

  Leaning in and hugging Talia, Megan feels bad she had nothing to give her for a present. “Happy Birthday and many more to come, I’m sure. Sorry, I would have got you something if I had known.”

  Talia slides her other boot on and stands up. “No problem, Captain, we have coffee downstairs, what more could a girl want, apart from a man and a home. See you downstairs, Captain.” Talia strides out of the room with a smile on her face and Megan twists her body and dangles her legs off the side of the bed and moves her hair from her eyes, and then placing her feet down onto the cold floor and standing up, she suddenly remembers that she has some ginger cake in her bag, which she could use for a cake for Talia. She contacts Titch on her gauntlet and the Gulmeds to meet her, knowing that Talia would be in the canteen for coffee for her birthday surprise, but she is still wondering what she could give her as a present, so in her underwear she began to look around the room for a present. There were a few ornaments of ships in the room and the pictures and photos of the captain’s family, and then she spotted the perfect present in a collection case in the wardrobe. So wrapping the case in a jumper and tying the arms into a make shift bow, Megan had a great present. She then got dressed and put on her armour and walked down the stairs and into the canteen. She wondered over to the sink area, while the two Gulmeds distracted Talia with chatter, and found a tea light candle, which she then lit and placed on the top of the ginger cake.

  Megan turning around and beginning to sing happy birthday was indeed a shock to Talia, and spotting the glow of the candle and Megan’s singing, Talia had tears in her eyes which began to roll down her face as Megan placed the cake on the table. It was now time to make a wish and blow out the candle, which Talia does and with everyone clapping Megan turns to Talia with her present.

  “Like I said, it’s not much, I could not find a single shop open today, but I hope you like it.” Talia quickly unties the jumper and looks into the case and then reaching in, she picks up two shining, silver coloured, spiked knuckle dusters, which had on each knuckle a spike at least two inches long. They were pit dusters for the death pits and were rare to get hold off.

  “Wow! I know what these are and I’m sure I’ll put them to good use. Thanks, Megan, that’s awesome, I’ll treasure them.” Talia began to cry and Megan moved in to comfort her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Talia takes a deep breath and replies, sobbing. “That is the first birthday cake and present I have ever had, it means a lot, thank you so much.”

  Not wishing to upset Talia any further, Megan just hugs Talia and gently whispers in her ear. “You’re family now and the past ends here, ok?” Talia nods and then slides on the dusters to see if they fit, and they fit well and feel good in her clenched fists.

  The cake is cut up and shared and a great cup of coffee is poured and savoured. Dusting the crumbs off her top, Megan thinks it is about time they got ready to leave, and with that Titch jumps onto the back of his mech-trailer and runs it outside near to the first proximity mine. The mine senses him as friendly and Talia, having followed him outside, begins to show Titch the dismantling protocols, powering down and then storing them onto the trailer.

  Megan is ready and slings her satchel over her armoured body, and with blaster on one arm and the spear ready in the other hand, she is ready for the forest once more.

  The Gulmeds activate their glowing shields, the white haze of peace surrounds them and they too are ready. A few moments later the other two mines are dismantled and put onto the trailer, and the trailers blaster is also activated. Talia sends off the two drones ahead of them and they begin to travel east.

  The Gulmeds maps had been loaded onto the gauntlets and trailer, and also Titch had a copy on his CPU, in case anyone got lost. The tracks on the trailer upturned the soil as it gained traction and looking back every now and then, the crew of the Robur watched as the ship got smaller and smaller. They had been walking across a clearing and were just entering the outskirts of the forest. A red mist gathered in the air above them, cool and damp. The small bugs danced in the air around them and the giant birds were way up high above them. The noise of creatures that were hidden in the forest before them was unnerving, but the crew kept moving on and finally entered the forest.

  The trees were an amazing sight; there were a multitude of colours and textures. Some trunks were shiny and smooth, some spikey and red coloured. Some were even sparkling with tiny crystals infused in the bark. Some trees they could not see the tops of, as they wound high into the sky, many hundreds of feet tall. The trees rocked in the wind slowly, the trunks and branches making the odd cracking noise. This was a dense forest and things were going to be slow moving. There were a few tracks of crushed vegetation and flattened mud that was like a smooth path, and the path was going in the same direction as the crew, obviously made by large animals wondering in and around the forest. Light shone through the trees in places and they were surrounded by so many different plants, the sweet smell was over-powering, just like a grandmother’s perfume. The beautiful colours of the plants were a visual delight, but they were not there to pick flowers and as they began to get deeper into the forest, the track leads them downwards alongside the cliff on which the Robur balanced. They had trees on the right hand side of them and a sheer drop to the left. They lent back on to their h
eels and slowly they began to descend. Their view was astonishing and the sun beamed down, warming them as they walked. So far, so good.

  The path downwards was quite stony and gritty, so it was easy to get a grip on. Every now and then a giant bird would swoop down at them, trying to get an easy meal, only to be shot at by the sentry blaster on the trailer, and having their plans for an early lunch foiled.

  They had been walking for a while and had passed the canopy of the trees. It was an odd feeling to be on a path the same height as a tree top. They could almost touch them. But as they got lower, things began to get darker. The trees were fighting for light and the gaps in the trees were few and far between now, and they were now down in the ravine. They continued walking, feeling colder now. It was like being in a giant cave, very damp and Megan and Talia’s noses began to run. The Gulmeds did not feel the heat or cold due to their shields creating a perfect climate for them inside, and they were happy now that they had started their journey.

  As they wandered on, Megan notices a small clearing and the sound of running water, and as they passed some shrubs that had been blocking their view, the forest opened up and flowing before them was a large waterfall and stream. The sun shone through the gap which was making the whole scene seem far too inviting for Meagan and Talia, who had not bathed for some time.

  “Ok, we will stop here for lunch and rest a while,” Megan told the rest of the group. The trailer came to a halt and Titch lowered himself off the back and began to prepare a light snack for them all. The Gulmeds sat on the rocks surrounding the inviting pool. Megan and Talia rushed to get their suits off and tiptoed into the water, testing the temperature as they got deeper in. The two women, wearing only their underwear, could now at least have a wash.