Tor held out his hands in defiance. "Manuel, no—"
"—Ah, hello, Tripp. Tor asked me for everyone’s coordinates within Opera Beta. Here they are."
Tor closed his eyes as three purple dots blotted out inside Medix. Three in the control deck, and one in the corridor just outside.
"Those are just the crew, however."
Baldron scrunched his face in confusion at the last pulsating purple icon. Someone was just outside the door. He shot Tor a look and then made for the glove on the flight panel.
Tripp didn’t see Baldron snatching the glove - he had his back to him.
"Why do you want to know where everyone is?" Tripp lifted his K-SPARK and slipped his finger around the trigger.
Dozens of purple blobs appeared around the ship’s vector.
Manuel flew around the room trying to catch everyone’s attention, "I seriously advise you act on this information, good people." A giant blob appeared at the front of the ship’s vector image.
"B-Because…" Tor struggled.
Tripp opened his mouth and shouted at the door. "Jaycee, now!"
"What?" Tor didn’t know where to turn. He backed up and gripped the edges of the deck, "Quick, the glove!"
"I got it, I got it!" Baldron wiggled his fingers into the glove.
Jaycee stomped into the room and pointed his gun at Baldron, "Hey, you."
"No, d-don’t shoot!"
SCHPLATTT!
Everyone turned to the source of the noise. A giant creature slapped itself to exterior of the flight deck windshield.
"Jaaaaysus," Tor gasped at the underbelly of the thirty-foot tall creature thumping the transparent plastic.
"Gah!" Baldron looked up at the hundreds of sharp teeth scratching at him from up above. The magnificent beast was darker in color than the other, smaller ones they’d seen, "We’re in hell!"
"Shut up," Jaycee aimed down his sight and stomped his foot to the ground, "Hey! You idiot, over here."
Baldron turned around in an utter daze, "Huh?"
The creature shunted the windshield, squealing an ungodly roar at the humans on the other side.
"I want my damn glove back," Jaycee’s K-SPARK beamed to life, seconds away from firing a bullet, "Throw it to me."
Baldron squeezed it in his hand, "No!"
"I said give me the damn glove!"
"No!"
CRAAA-AAA-ACK… Scores of hairline cracks blasted across the windshield. It wouldn’t hold off the beast much longer.
"Hell’s teeth!" Tripp backed up and waved everyone to the door, "Everyone, get out of here."
Manuel flew through the vector image and emitted a beam at the hundreds of purple flashing dots, "Tripp, these unidentified things everywhere. Observe, Primary Air Lock, Level One.”
The vector contours of the airlock image enlarged, offering a more detailed view. A flurry of purple dots bundled up at the line pushing one of them through.
"We’re on level one!" Tripp gasped.
A thunderous crash rattled down the walkway followed by a cacophony of high pitch screeches.
"It’s them! We’re stuck," Baldron screamed, "We’re all gonna die!"
Jaycee lifted his K-SPARK to the windshield and yanked the trigger back with his index finger.
"You first."
The bullet charge bolted out of the barrel, tore through the vector image, and made its way to the dead center of the windshield.
KERR-RAASSH!
Baldron threw himself back. The plastic shield exploded, raining sharp fragments of plastic over the control deck. The giant creature smashed against the flight panel, accidentally knocking the yellow thruster level forward.
"Gaaah!" Baldron tried to swipe at the creature.
Jaycee stepped back slowly as he led the retreat to the closed door, "Quick, behind me."
"What?" Tor yelled and pointed at Baldron, "You can’t leave him there. That thing will kill him."
"Good riddance. He can keep that big, ugly bastard busy while we run."
The entire ship began to rumble to life. Manuel spun around on the spot, "Engines initiated. Prepare for launch."
"We’re going!" Tripp backed up with Jaycee. Both held their K-SPARKs up at the enormous monstrosity.
"Holy hell, look. It’s killing him."
"No, no!" Baldron slapped the creature’s bulbous mid-section with the glove. His Decapidisc kept his neck and head inches from the floor, rolling side to side. It also protected his neck from the sharp talons as they jabbed away at his face and neck, "Help me, p-please!"
The creature roared into his face, rippling his skin up the front of his face.
"Gah, gah, please," Baldron rolled his neck along the rim of his disc and looked at Jaycee, "P-Please, shoot it."
"I will," Jaycee looked up from the sight on his gun, "Just as soon as it kills you."
Tripp looked away, somewhat resigned to the execution that was about to take place.
"Gimme that gun," Tor gripped the barrel of Jaycee’s K-SPARK and tried to pull it away from his hands, "Shoot that thing, it’s going to kill him."
Jaycee winced and booted Tor in his gut. The man tumbled bounced against the door, "Get off me." Jaycee swung the gun back at the creature. It lifted the first two of its mangled, black limbs and fanned out its talons.
STAB-SHUNT-CLAMP!
The sharp ends pinned Baldron to the ground on his back. It lowered its razor sharp teeth-filled slit down to his face and roared once again.
"Okay…" Baldron convulsed with fear, "If… if I’m g-going, you’re coming with me."
He gripped Jaycee’s glove in his right hand and punched the creature in the throat, releasing it deep inside its throat.
The beast shunted back on its limbs as the ship tilted forward, trying to pull away from Pink Symphony’s sandy surface.
The horizon shuddered in the background, wading around, suggesting the ship was struggling to take off.
Tripp, Jaycee, and Tor stumbled away from the door and hit the wall. "Damn it."
The creature munched away on Baldron’s glove. The ship tilted back, rolling Baldron out from under the creature and sliding along the control deck floor.
"Comrade!" Tor flung himself up the raised length of the ground and caught Baldron in his arms.
"Hey, you two," Tripp shouted at them as he clung to the door. His feet drifted into the air as the ship tried to launch, "Enough lessense, get over here."
Jaycee peered through the window in the door. The corridor seemed clear enough, "We gotta get to Medix and protect the others."
"Jaycee, open the door," Tripp shouted over the combined deafening sound of the creature’s squeals and the ship’s thrusters, "Now!"
Jaycee waved Tripp through as the door slid open. He swung his gun back at the creature and prepared to blast it to pieces, "Come on, you ugly spider-looking bag of puke. Let’s do it."
CRUNCH!
The creature’s mouth crunched Jaycee’s glove, spitting out strips of fabric. It nestled against the flight deck and roared again.
"Thank God," Tor said to Baldron, "Let’s get out of here—"
Biddip-biddip-beeep…
Three white lights lit up on Baldron’s Decapidisc. He gasped and tried to pull it away from his neck, "No, no, no…"
Tor looked at the creature. "Oh no."
GULP! The creature swallowed the glove and spat the plastic activation button to the ground. It spun around on its axis and fell on its side.
"Help me!" Baldron screamed and pushed away from Tor. He ran through the vector image of Opera Beta, toward the beast, tugging at the metal disc, "I’m going to die!"
The creature spread all twelve limbs across the floor, ceiling, and walls, looking for all the world like a fleshy spider-cobweb.
Beep-beep-beep...
The three white lights flashed on Baldron’s Decapidisc. The creature widened its mouth behind Baldron as he squealed for the last time.
"Comrade, p-please," he begged
Tor slumped to his knees.
"I c-can’t," Tor squealed, utterly helpless.
Biddip, biddip, beeeeeeeeeep. The three indicators flashed faster and faster.
The Decapidisc vibrated around Baldron’s neck. The blades within the metal housing spun to life and produced a whirring sound.
Baldron accepted his fate and closed his eyes.
SCHWIIRRR-SCHUNT.
The disc rocked gently around Baldron’s neck. He lifted his head and looked at Jaycee with sadness, "I’m sorry."
"Yeah, you keep saying that."
Jaycee thumped his thigh compartment open with his fist. A red dumb bomb fell into his palm just in time for him to scowl at Baldron in his last seconds.
A comforting smile stretched across Baldron’s mouth. His eyes, nostrils and mouth released a fountain of pink liquid. His head wobbled atop his shoulders for a couple of seconds.
The ship adjusted itself, throwing Jaycee and Tor to the left - and Baldron’s freshly severed head from his shoulders. The opened, lively Decapidisc clanged to the floor - mission accomplished.
"Go to Hell, you sonofabitch."
“Who are you talking to?” Tor asked.
“Both of them.”
Jaycee hurled the dumb bomb at the creature. It unlatched its limbs from the wall and made for Jaycee and Tor. It screeched at the top of its vocal chords.
The bomb flew into its open, wailing mouth.
"Run," Jaycee grabbed Tor’s sleeve. "C’mon, let’s go."
Tor trained his eyes on Baldron’s severed head and neck. It spat orange sparks and protruding sparks across the floor. Baldron’s severed head rolled against the flight deck, in between the creature’s limbs.
"What—? He’s… he’s not—"
"Yeah, another Androgyne Series Three unit. Sucks doesn’t it?" Jaycee pushed Tor through the door and jumped after him, "Finding out you’re one of them can really screw up your day."
The creature pushed itself forward just as Jaycee slammed the door shut on one of its limbs. Its squeals muffled violently behind the sound-proof window.
Jaycee took the opportunity to watch the impending execution, "Look at it, Tor."
"Wh-what?"
"That’s one angry mother—"
KA-SCHPLATTT!
The beast exploded, painting the entire control deck with pink gore and charred remains.
"We… we gotta get out of here," Tor held his hand to his mouth like a frightened child.
"Damn straight," Jaycee bounded up the corridor and turned the corner.
Tor double-took and followed after him, "I need a gun."
"Ha! Very funny," Jaycee bopped him on the back of the head, "The only way you’re getting a weapon is if you use it on yourself."
"Jaycee?" Tripp’s voice shot through Jaycee’s headset, "I’m at the Primary airlock. They’re everywhere, man."
"Tripp?" Jaycee ran across the corridor, "Everywhere?"
"Those creatures. Listen, do not come here. Get to Medix. Bonnie and Wool are there with Jelly. I can’t hold them off. Both airlock doors are damaged."
"But, we’re taking off?" Tor muttered, "If we hit orbit… hell, if we leave its atmosphere, all the air will get sucked out—"
"—Understood." Jaycee turned left and made for the bank of descending stairs, "Come on, Viktor. We’re heading to Medix…"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Medix
Space Opera Beta - Level Three
A holographic scan of Jelly’s brain projected from Wool’s thumbnail, which sat on the central desk. The left and right hemisphere glowed red and blue, respectively.
"Head?" Jelly pressed her fingers to a digipad secured on her scalp, "What is?”
"No, honey. What… is… this?"
"What… is… this?" Jelly repeated verbatim, understand very little of what she’d just learned.
"It’s a tracer," Wool walked around the image and analyzed it, "It shows us what’s inside your head. We’re just making sure you’re okay. It’ll take a few minutes for the report to return."
Jelly shifted her buttocks across the mattress still not fully accustomed to the new position. Her tail got in the way much of the time which went some way to distract her from the pain in her stomach.
"Tummy hurts."
"That’s normal, Jelly. Probably adjusting to your new posture and diet."
"What… ad… just?" Jelly asked.
"Well, when you like things a certain way but something makes you change it."
"Oh," Jelly wiggled her nose and pricked up her ears. The bed began to vibrate, "Why bed move?"
"Why is the bed moving, honey."
"Not knowing," she purred and gripped the sides of the mattress for safety.
"No, I wasn’t asking you, honey. I was correcting you."
"Correcting?"
Wool turned to the ceiling and stepped away from the image scan. The largest of the three sun’s rings revolved in all directions around its body. The pink horizon slid down the window. Opera Beta was in motion.
"Thank God," She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Jelly, "Looks like we’re going home."
"Like house," Jelly returned the smile, "Want Jamie."
"Home, sweetie. Not house. You like home. We all like home," Wool walked over to the bed and sat into the chair. She was on the verge of crying for joy, "I have to tell you something, Jelly."
She lifted her jaw, "Do chin."
Wool ran her knuckle under Jelly’s chin, "Feeling better?"
A gleeful purr came from her throat as she spotted Bonnie napping on the chair.
"I guess you are," Wool enjoyed Jelly’s relaxed nature.
"Bonnie. Dead," Jelly turned toward the sleeping woman on the chair.
“Bonnie isn’t dead, honey. She’s recharging her batteries,” Wool pretended to rub her eye with her fist, “Tired."
Jelly slid the side of her face along the back of Wool’s hand, purring twice as hard.
"When we return home I don’t know if Jamie will recognize you. He might be a bit scared."
"Scared?" Jelly’s head bolted upright, confused. She pointed at the picture of Jamie on the wall, "Friend."
"No, I know that," Wool rose out of the chair and lifted Jelly’s blanket over her shoulders, "It’s just that you’ve grown up a bit and you look different. So he might not know who you are."
Jelly wiggled her nose along the top of the blanket, "Smell? Know me?"
Wool removed the scan pad from Jelly’s head and placed it on her stomach, "Hold still, honey."
"You hold. Picture," Jelly nosed around the device in her master’s hand.
"No, you hold yourself still. Don’t move," Wool strapped the pad in place and lifted the wires over her right leg, "We’ll do your body next."
The brain scan image rippled wildly, quickly replaced with Jelly’s body shape and the outline of her organs.
"PET scan report," the machine advised. "Two minutes."
"You know, a hundred years ago, they’d have had to put you in a big tube to do this."
"Big tube. Water?" Jelly extended her claws and touched her teeth, "Thirsty."
"Yeah, kinda," Wool looked at the machine and held the pad in place against Jelly’s chest, "Commence enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, please."
"E-MRI activated."
"Now, don’t worry, honey. This might tingle a little bit."
The pad sucked in and absorbed itself onto Jelly’s abdomen.
"Miew…" she whimpered. "Tummy. Hurts."
"I know. It won’t hurt much longer," Wool flicked a switch on the front of the machine, "Administer tracer."
The door to Medix slid open.
A giant killing machine decked out in an exo-suit and K-SPARK shotgun was the first person in.
"Jaycee?" Wool held Jelly’s head in her hands at once, realizing the two hadn’t been formally acquainted, "What are you doing here?"
"You got time for a long, drawn-out story?"
“No,
I don’t. But I’ve been left alone here with jelly all this time.”
Without so much as a courtesy greeting, he yanked Tor by his collar and threw him into the room, “Get in.”
"Gah!"
He staggered forward and crashed against an empty bed. The medician tools spilled from the attached tray. Jaycee rolled his eyes and lunged after him, "Get off the floor, you self-absorbed, Soviet ass-clown."
"No, p-please, no m-more—"
Jaycee bent over and grabbed Tor’s collar, lifting the top half of his body into the air. "We’ve only just begun—
"—Hey!" Wool barked at the pair, "Behave yourselves. We have a guest."
"What the—" Jaycee spotted the strange half-cat girl sitting with his colleague on Jelly’s bed, "I, uh…"
"Is that… Anderson?" Tor asked, confused.
Jaycee absentmindedly released Tor’s collar and dropped him to the floor. "What happened to her?"
"We don’t know yet and she won’t tell me."
"Huh? Won’t tell you?" Jaycee pressed his knee against his gun. "Want me to make her?"
"Are you out of your mind, Nayall?" Wool yelled at his face, “It’s not that she doesn’t want to tell me, it’s that she’s not able to."
"She can speak?"
"Yes. Speak," Jelly scowled at the large mercenary filling her periphery vision, "Jaycee. Bad man."
"Yes, that’s right, honey. Don’t pay any attention to the bad man," she finished in a mocking tone and gave her a cuddle.
Tor winced and staggered to his feet, "You’re right, he is a bad man."
The remark snapped Jaycee back to reality - and the severity of their current situation.
"Well," he half-mocked and thumped his exo-suit, "This bad man just saved all your lives."
"Did you?" Wool asked.
"The ship is swarming with those creature things. Just killed a massive one out in the control deck."
Wool stood out of her seat in shock, "What?"
"They’re everywhere," Tor confirmed. He spotted Bonnie fast asleep on the chair behind Jaycee, "We got Manuel operational. He’s trying to get us out of here."
"Cannot leave," Jelly blurted matter-of-factly and patted her mattress like an excited child, "Stay, stay, stay."
Jaycee approached the bed and felt the urge to touch her face, "What did you say?" His gloved fingers made contact with her cheek.
Star Cat: Pink Symphony Page 21