Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6)

by Andrew Mackay

  Meydo pressed his finger to his ear and averted his eyes to Santiago’s drone.

  “You getting all this?”

  “As best I can.”

  “Mr. Sheck?” Meydo said into his mouthpiece, “She’s making her way to the arena.”

  “Take care of her,” came the response.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Meydo chuckled. “Keep safe.”

  Jelly picked up the pace and sprinted into the central grounds.

  A mega-vehicle stormed after her and extended two metal prongs on either side of its chassis.

  WHIP — SCHWIP.

  The second mega-vehicle joined the first. Both blasted a grenade in her direction.

  FWUMP.

  The giant shell hurled through the air and exploded on her breast plate.

  KRA-BA-BOOOOM.

  The force of the detonation pushed her onto her ass, busting the armor clean away from her chest.

  “Move, move,” the speaker on the first mega-vehicle said as the turret reloaded.

  The third mega-vehicle sped up the far side of the grounds and extended its metal prongs. A giant, carbon wire mesh net spat out and fired from the side.

  WHUMP.

  The end of the net bounced across the floor and magnetized against the pole on the side of the second mega-vehicle. Both units sped towards each other, snapping the net taut as they whizzed in opposite directions.

  As Jelly returned to her feet, she felt her armored shin plates crack and dagger into her leg.

  “Arrgghhh.”

  SQUEEEEEEEEZEEE - CREAAKKKK-KK.

  The last two mega-vehicle zoomed away, forcing her two legs to slide together like a mermaid’s fin.

  CRACKK — SCHUNT.

  Trapped, Jelly aimed the grenade launcher on her mini-gun at the approaching horde of USARIC mercenaries.

  The first mega-vehicle swung its turret at Jelly’s abdomen.

  “Keep firing,” the speaker advised. “Aim for the chest.”

  FWUMP.

  The first mega-vehicle rocked back as the grenade bolted out of the barrel and crashed into the busted section of her armor.

  KERRAAA — B-BAAAAANG.

  The suit splintered open as she returned fire with her mini-gun’s grenade launcher.

  BLASSTTT.

  Jelly’s shell rocketed into the ground. The explosion pushed the first mega-vehicle onto its side. A dozen USARIC mercenaries burst into flames and shot across the grounds like balls of fire.

  Meydo approached the first mega-vehicle and marveled at the giant creature caught with its legs between the two nets.

  “My God, Jelly Anderson,” he grinned. “Look at you.”

  GRROOWWLLL.

  She tried to swung her mini-gun at the enemy, but she was far too tall to reach.

  Meydo flipped a lever on the side of his headgear.

  WHHAAARRRRMMM.

  His visor projected his voice like that of a loudhailer, “Stop firing.”

  The last of the bullets bounced off her armor as the mercenaries released the triggers.

  “Grrrrr,” Jelly howled within her helmet and focused her eyes on Meydo as he took a step forward.

  His voice whirled around the grounds at a deafening volume, “You’re looking pretty beat up there, Anderson.”

  Jelly stretched out her index finger and moved her infinity claws to her mouth.

  CLANG.

  She bit down onto the side as Meydo enjoyed his time in the spotlight.

  “Are you hurting, pet?” he asked.

  “Ngggggggg,” she growled as she wrenched the rigid claw out from her finger, “Ngggggg.”

  “You don’t say very much now, do you? Look at you. You’re a monster.”

  SCHPLATTT.

  A tidal wave of blood spattered up her visor. The severed infinity claw tore away from her teeth.

  GRUNT.

  “Mr. Sheck asked me to pass on a message to you,” Meydo continued. “Before we kill you.”

  “Grrrrr.”

  “Tell her it was a mistake,” Maar’s voice drifted into Meydo’s ear. “Tell her that she is a mistake.”

  “He says you’re a mistake, Anderson.”

  Jelly grabbed the spear-like infinity claw in her left, bleeding hand and gave it a squeeze.

  RAAAMMM.

  The two mega-vehicles kept the net taut around her shins, locking her into position.

  Meydo listened to Maar’s final statement and cleared his throat. “Anderson?”

  Jelly lifted her left hand and bent her elbow.

  “You’ve changed nothing,” Maar finished and released his hand from his visor.

  WHUP.

  Jelly threw her arm forward and launched the infinity claw in his direction.

  Meydo raised his eyes as the sharp end of the claw flew towards him.

  “Oh, shi—”

  SCHPAATTTT.

  The claw daggered into his visor and stabbed out the back of his head. Meydo dropped to his knees and grabbed at his neck, before passing away in front of his men.

  “Tell him likewise,” Jelly roared as the men opened fire on her once again.

  “YAARRRGHHHHH.”

  Jelly held out her three remaining claws and slammed her knees to the ground.

  SWISH — SLICE-SLICE.

  She performed an uppercut and swung her claws through the net, busting her shins free. Her ass hit the ground, her flying calves bearing the brunt of most of the bullets.

  BRAAAA-AAZZZZEEEEE.

  Several concentrated whips of bullets chewed up the back legs of her armor as she punched the ground. The resulting earthquake shook half of the mercenaries to the floor.

  The first mega-vehicle blasted a grenade from its turret at her face.

  KRAAA — BLAAMMMM.

  The side of her helmet exploded, forcing a high-pitch ringing through her skull.

  ROOAARRRRRR.

  She climbed to her feet and swiped at the mega-vehicle.

  WHACK.

  She closed her left hand around the turret and wrenched her hand back. The front of the unit lifted up as she pulled it towards her waist.

  SCREEEEEEECH.

  The mega-vehicle blasted another grenade, which went off in her hand.

  SPATCH!

  The grenade exploded, blasting the smallest infinity claw off her fourth finger.

  KERAAMMM.

  The mega-vehicle slammed to the floor and raced forward, headed straight for her boots.

  GROWL.

  Jelly swung her left foot at the approaching vehicle and booted it in the turret.

  The front of the vehicle lifted over the front of her boot, as a giant, busted hand swung at it from the side.

  WHUP.

  Jelly caught the vehicle in her hand and wrenched it from the floor.

  She spun around and extended her arm out with the intention of tossing it into the air. The trajectory of her spinning forced her eyes to a set of glaring headlights running up the metal wall at the gates.

  “Huh?”

  WOOOOOOOSH.

  Time seemed to crash to a halt.

  Jelly’s swinging arm roared over the roof of the 4x4 that had launched off the end of the ramp.

  Her pupils dilated as she caught a glimpse of the person in the driver’s seat.

  The driver looked her dead in the eyes.

  She turned around and swung her right mini-gun arm at the 4x4, intending to smash it like a baseball.

  The mini-gun rocketed past the 4x4, missing it entirely.

  GROWL.

  Jelly watched the vehicle land front tires-first to the ground and tumbled onto its side. A woman’s body blasted through the windshield and screeched across the ground, leaving a trail of thick oil behind her.

  GRUNT.

  Jelly turned around and stormed toward the mass of mercenaries firing at her. The bullets continued to blast off her body, causing a litany of dents and chinks in her armor.

  GROOOWWWLLLLL.

  ***

>   The 4x4 zoomed across the dirt path leading to the busted USARIC HQ gates.

  Jamie and Leesa held the dashboard and braced themselves.

  “We are about to reach your destination,” the dashboard in the 4x4 advised. “Please remember to disembark responsibly and pay due attention to other road users.”

  Jamie glanced at the speedometer - 150 mph. He shut his eyes and braced for the worst.

  “We’re going in!”

  “Oh, God,” Leesa screamed, “We’re heading straight for USARIC.”

  Quick thinking, Leesa grabbed Santara’s hair with both hands and attempted to pull her off Jamie’s lap.

  “Nggggggg,” she huffed with all her might.

  SPATTCCHHHH.

  Leesa’s shoulders crashed against the side door. “Yaow,” she squealed as she turned to her hands.

  She’d taken Santara’s head clean off. The casing around her neck sparked like a broken electrical socket.

  Jamie glanced at his right thigh to find her neck puking sparks across the seat.

  “Agh, guuuuuh—”

  SCHWIZZ - SPITTCH.

  Santara’s decapitated body gyrated on Jamie’s lap. Her arms shot into the air. Her fingers grabbed at anything it could find.

  “Damn it,” Jamie shrieked. “Get it away from me.”

  Leesa yelped and smashed the passenger window with her elbow.

  TWIZZZ - CLICK.

  “B-B-Batterr-ry f-f-failure,” the severed head said.

  Leesa tossed Santara’s head through the window and rubbed her hands, “Jeez, I thought she was gonna—”

  THWACK — GRAB.

  Santara’s arms blindly grabbed at Jamie’s face.

  “Ugh, I can’t s-see. Get her off me.”

  Leesa lifted her legs and kicked at Santara’s ribcage which only exacerbated the headless droid’s desire to fight back.

  “B-Battery cr-critical,” the tinny voice escaped from her bullet wounds. “R-Requesting shut-shut-down-down—”

  “—I’ll friggin’ shut you down,” Leesa said as she thwacked the neck hole with her right boot.

  SCHPIZZ — SPARK.

  “Gah, my foot’s stuck,” Leesa wailed as the tip of her boot lodged in the neck hole.

  WHUMP.

  Santara’s epileptic right arm thrust through the steering wheel as Leesa pressed her left foot onto its shoulder in an attempt to release her other foot.

  SWERRRVVEEEE.

  The steering wheel drifted clockwise in Santara’s hand, forcing the 4x4 off the beaten path and straight for the battered gate.

  “Oh, shiiii—”

  Jamie covered his face as Leesa’s foot sprung out from Santara’s chest cavity.

  “What, what?”

  Leesa faced front to find a spectacular fireworks show taking place on the USARIC compound grounds.

  Mega-vehicles, USARIC mercenaries, helicopters, and a whole host of artillery behind that fired into the sky.

  All of it occurring behind the thick wire mesh gate they were about to collide into.

  Leesa’s face fell as she stared certain death in the face.

  “Oh, shit.”

  The 4x4 bolted at speed. Jamie uncovered his face and decided to watch the end of his life play out in all its glory.

  “Wow.”

  The scene of war slowed to a halt, like a freeze-frame. Leesa watched with him and screamed in intense slow motion.

  A bullet escaped the end of the mega-vehicle turret. It flew through the air, headed straight for something gigantic with a tail waving behind its legs.

  Jamie felt the warm plastic of the dashboard soak into his palm as the scene taking place outside of the 4x4 twisted forty-five degrees counter clockwise.

  “Whaaaaa-?”

  The armies and vehicles on the ground sunk down the window, which forced Jamie to look through the windshield.

  A blanket of beautiful white, sparkling stars twinkled across the glass. The light from the moon reflected off the shiny material at the front of the hood.

  WHOOOOOSH.

  The roof of the truck groaned as it provided a ramp for the 4x4.

  It bolted at full speed up the entire length and launched into the sky.

  GRROOOOAAAAANNNN.

  The huge creature spun around and briefly caught the 4x4 as it opened its left hand.

  SCHPANG — SCHPANG.

  Two colossal infinity claws fanned out, releasing the nozzle of a mega-vehicle.

  “Ahhhhh,” Jamie and Leesa screamed as the giant hunk of metal bolted towards them.

  WHOOOOSH.

  The mega-vehicle tumbled over the 4x4 as it flew underneath. A genuine near miss, as the giant droid with a tail continue to spin and extended its mini-gun on its right hand.

  ROOOAAARRRRRRR.

  Jamie caught a glimpse of the two, furious yellow beams blasting from within the giant’s visor.

  WHUUUUUUUSH.

  The mini-gun swung towards the 4x4, intending to smash it out of orbit.

  Jamie hurled himself to the right and grabbed Leesa in his arms.

  GRUNT.

  The mini-gun arm swung above the roof of Jamie’s vehicle, missing it entirely.

  The front tires of the 4x4 slammed into the ground, spilling all five PAWZ forklifts onto the grounds.

  ROOAARRRRR — KERRAAA-BAAAMMM.

  The mega-vehicle connected with the entrance gates and exploded in two halves. The back half blew first, forcing the machine to slice in two and catapult the front half thirty feet into the concrete ground, killing the occupants in an instant.

  The 4x4 tumbled across the ground. The windows shattered, pushing Santara’s complicated bundle of mechanical limbs and torso across the tarmac.

  Jelly watched the sliding droid’s neck wound leave a trail of oil across the tarmac as it slowed to a halt next to the upside-down 4x4 with Jamie and Leesa inside.

  GROOWWLLLL.

  Satisfied that the projectile had been dealt with, Jelly spun around and stomped her way into the flurry of bullets coming from The Arena.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Jamie crawled through the 4x4’s windshield frame, careful not to press his hands on the shards of glass on the ground.

  “Ugh, ugh,” he looked into the horizon and widened his eyes. The tree that wasn’t a tree forced its thick beams east and west, forcing the black sky into an amazing pink glow, “Oh, wow.”

  “Uhhhh, help m-me,” Leesa squealed from inside the 4x4. She held out her hand for Jamie’s assistance, “P-Please.”

  He grabbed her hand in his and pulled her through.

  Her jeans crunched across the glass and tore the fabric.

  “Yaaoowww,” she squealed.

  “Come here. Let me look at you.”

  He held her dirtied face in his hands and stared into her eyes. Apart from a few cuts and bruises, she appeared to be fine, but shaken.

  “You look okay. Are you okay?”

  “I’m o-okay,” she whimpered.

  KRAAA-BAAMMMM.

  Both faced The Arena to see a giant android creature smashing the hell out of what look like a tank.

  “Jeez, what is that?” Jamie asked.

  “I don’t know,” Leesa muttered. “Looks like a big robot.”

  Jamie looked at his forearm. The Individimedia ink remained gray and diluted.

  “We can’t contact anyone. They removed our VM chips, remember?”

  “I know.”

  A familiar voice hurled behind Jamie’s shoulders.

  “JAMIE.”

  He turned back to see the truck. Rana hopped out and waved him over.

  “Come here, quick.”

  “It’s Rana.”

  Leesa focused her attention on the five PAWZ forklifts scattered across the grounds, “What about those things?”

  “Leave them. They’re no use to us.”

  Jamie and Leesa ran over to Rana.

  “Jamie, you’re okay. Leesa?”

  “Yeah.”

  R
ana pointed at the destroyed android woman laying a few feet from the truck.

  “Who’s that?”

  “Roman’s weird robot thing,” Jamie said. “It tried to attack us and forced us to come here.”

  “Ugh, I never did like that woman,” Rana said as she took Jamie’s shoulder.

  He peered into the side window of the truck and saw a young girl blink back at him.

  “Who’s she?”

  “Roman’s kid. We rescued her, kinda.”

  “Kinda?” Jamie asked. “Where’s Roman? Where’s everyone else?”

  Rana pointed at the frenzied battle taking place a quarter of a mile away at The Arena.

  “We’re on standby. Jelly’s tearing the damn place apart, and there’s nothing we can—”

  Jamie’s face lit up as quick as his heart raced.

  “—That’s Jelly?”

  “Yeah, but—”

  He grabbed Rana’s wrist, threw it from his shoulder, and ran towards The Arena.

  “No. Jamie. Come back,” Rana yelled as Jamie raced towards the war zone.

  “Jamie,” Leesa hollered after him. “Come back.”

  Jamie ran as fast he could and concentrated his eyes on the back of the monstrosity whipping her tail around and thumping the ground, killing scores of USARIC mercenaries.

  “Jelly, Jelly!”

  GROWL — STOMP.

  She slammed her right foot onto the second mega-vehicle and, quite by accident, looked at the tiny human being running towards her.

  “Jelly, Jelly, it’s meeeee—”

  GROWL.

  She roared at the tiny boy, having failed to recognize him.

  His heels screeched to a halt as he registered the venomous creature’s determination to kill.

  They glanced at each other for what felt like a lifetime. In actuality, it was just a half-second.

  Jelly wiped her mouth with the back of her busted hand and returned to the fight.

  “But, b-but—”

  ROOOAAAARRRRR.

  Jelly reached down and grabbed the second mega-vehicle by the turret and hoisted it into the air as a million bullets panged off her armor.

  Sierra ran towards the war zone, with Roman and Remy not far behind her. She noticed the young boy standing on his own in the middle of the grounds, staring at the creature tearing the place up.

  “Jamie?” Sierra hollered at the boy, “Jamie.”

  The dead mercenaries and smoldering parts of machinery caught Jamie’s attention.