I heard the metal creak with each step; Toni draws his bone sword. A loud voice blared from the darkness, and a bright screen turned on from the wall.
“Hello, if you hear this congratulation on not dying because it means we have. The planet is filled with endless amounts of danger. Within the first five days, my Ten-man crew had been killed by everything from razor wind and acid lakes to strange creatures and beast. My wife and copilot Margret were the last to die before me. She was driven mad by the deaths of the crew and the betrayal by the governments who sent us here. Project Orion was a Top-secret mission, so no one knew that it had secretly been built. When the public scrutiny Grew too much due to the fear of radiation fallout, the public was told the project was merely an idea and had not begun to be built. However, the government knew it had to cover up the work as well as get their monies worth. They told us in the mission briefing that our goal was to prove to the world that the nuclear bomb powered spacecraft was the future and that the planet held a cure to radiation poisoning.
However, it turned out we were the second government cover-up sent to this planet to be out of the public eye because when we arrived, the mission we received was to survive. We were told the reason we were able to use nuclear-powered bombs to push the ship was that they had tested the radiation on living people before and blasted them into space a few years before, and they had survived. It turned out they had attempted to test dead bodies, and a few of them happened to be alive. They pretended that it was an accident that it was a mistake, it wasn’t. They were testing to find people they could send to space and would live. We figured out when we got here that they had lived alright, they had been covered up and sent to die here like us. We attempted to repair our ship without fuel or replacements for the damaged parts we were stranded.
We are left to die. If you’re watching this message, avenge us and kill the bastards responsible. In the next room, I left what few supplies we had a burner and few other things. As I write this the monsters close in on me.”
The video depicted a strange giant dinosaur-like beast bashing through the door and feasting on his body as his bloody body parts were strewn about.
Agatha spoke up first, “Damn guys, that’s crazy I think maybe we should turn it off now. Like, guys, that’s disgusting, let’s take the supplies, the parts and go.”
Gabriel grabbed her wrist before she turned on the video.
“Whoa girl, why you in such a hurry to go.”
The room on the video was filled again when Agatha and Thermal and Splinter filled in to search the room. We watched in silence as they emptied the room of everything and dragged away from the man’s body. The scream dimmed and shut off completely. Smith and Ray spoke up first enemies that had a new equal feeling of hate and distrust. They pushed Agatha to the floor. Gabriel screamed, “You continue to lie, girl. You lied to them. You lied to us. You knew they existed which means you knew we existed, and you helped us not. Why should we not kill you right now!”
James and I looked at each other in agreement. I said, “let her go, Gabriel, Ray back down now!” I placed my hand on Gabriel’s arm, and James drew a blood shaped sickle to Ray’s throat.
“THAT’S ENOUGH I’m in charge. We will settle this civilly. This is not the old west; we all have questions we want to answer our selves. We will not survive by killing one another. Now Agatha explains yourself.”
Agatha wiggled and writhed out of the men’s grasp. She started in a slow whisper, then threw her hands about wildly and shouted. Agatha said
“We were dying; I had already watched dozens of my friends die horrid deaths. I knew I had to save them! Had to save us! One day A ship fell from the sky. Before it even crashed to the ground, we were waiting. We knew we had to kill them before they killed us. So, we made sure the beast and the dinosaurs, the acid, and the planet were dealt with. We would use their ship to escape and be saved. Then she had it broken, she killed the remaining people, and she sealed off this place with the fermenters. I am sorry that I didn’t tell you all this before I promise I stand with you Catalyst I won’t betray you and I’ll do whatever you need me to get me home, don’t let them kill me .”
I pondered everything she said and questioned everything she had told me before. While it answered some things, it opened more questions. Who’s this mysterious lady, how can we beat her, and why does she want people to forever stay on this planet. I wanted to ask her all of this and more alas I was hungry, and we had that aardvark thing to eat. We’d have time to figure this stuff out later. So, I looked at Agatha in her eyes and said.
“The only reason I’m letting you stay with us and not leaving you here alone is that I made a promise that I would get you off this planet, and I will keep that promise you do what I say. “Gabriel, Smith, Willard, Ray, and Toni all drew their weapons.
“She is a traitor. She would have killed us! Better her than us.” Gabriel said
I said, “ No you are not going to kill her, she has fought side by side with us, she could have let us die many times; she has lost more than all of us if you want to kill her you’ll have to go through us.”
I drew my sword and got my hand ready. James raised his sickle again poised to slash. Annabelle raised her sword and stood in front of Agatha. The room grew quiet; you heard a slow drip of water echoing through the ship. I began to speak
“once again, here is what’s going to happen…” Gabriel cut me off and slashed his talons in the air attempting to slice my face open. I grabbed his arm and twisted it, pushing Komodo dragon venom into his skin and with it the lizard's immobilizing agent. Smith and the rest of the men were taken aback. Toni crossed over and stepped beside me and said.
“That is why he’s the boss, I guess.” I touched Gabriel again and withdrew my poison from his vein and body. He slumped to the floor and passed out. I was breathing heavy, and I felt beads of sweat rolling down my forehead.
“Now Smith, you and Ray go drag in that Aardvark start up the stove and cook that damn thing. Toni, you and Willard, figure out a way to get James a new arm or something.”
He paced the cabin for a while. He walked from one end of the room to another. Then he stopped, and his eyes lit up his brain replayed memories of battles and wars through his own eyes as if he were there.
“THAT’S IT!”
Toni said as he jumped excitedly. He ran through the ship’s rooms. He rummaged through the mostly empty cabinets and hatches. He screamed with excitement when he pulled out a 3D printer, and he turned it on. It buzzed and shook free cobwebs and dust.
“Back in 2046 Japan grew frustrated when they realized it had been a hundred years since they had been beaten by the allies in WW2 they claimed they needed to Invade China for something, anyway long story short they militarized their police force and the Police chief lost his arm in battle so they 3D printed him a new one.“.
James stepped over to where Toni was standing, he uncovered his shoulder stub, and after a great while, Toni was able to 3D print him a new arm. Annabelle was excited. She raced for the control panel of the ship and wedged her blade inside and pulled out wires and parts. Gabriel walked over reluctantly and said.
“If I offer a mere drop of acid small enough to melt the wires, you’re using not destroy them, will that be helpful?”
Agatha was focused and flying. She and Gabriel Worked together, and after a while, they took the 3D printed arm and handed it back to James. They Attach the wires to his arm, and the other half lead up to a helmet. When James placed it on his head his brain sent impulses to the arm, and he could control the arm and hand. He was floored with excitement he jumped in the air and began to dance around thanking everyone for all they had done.
I smelt the aardvark like animal toasting in the next room, and then they brought it in and for the first time since we had gotten to this planet. We had a good time we gathered around a Conference table in one of the rooms of the ship. We ate, and we talked, and we had a good time.
We bonded,
and we got to know each other more. Until Gabriel turned to Agatha and asked her the question, all of us had wanted to ask her we were avoiding.
“Who was this lady you spoke of before, this big bad. Killing and plotting and puppeteering if she even exists at all. You were probably lying about her like everything else.”
Agatha stood up and slammed the table, shoving her food to the floor and got in his face.
“You are the liar! She is real, and you know if she calls herself the goddess of suffering, and she can kill you any way she likes by barely touching you, some say she plays with her victims testing out different ways of torture and death with each new person. She never uses the same method to kill twice.”
I stood up and raised my glass of purplish water in the air.
“If she is real, we will kill her, the fermenters were impossible to beat, and we beat them the demon could not be downed we defeated him we can conquer her if we work together! Now let’s get some rest so in the morning we will grab what we can carry or what we think we can use to fix the Mach infinity.”
We all headed toward different areas of the Orion and laid down. Annabelle followed James and me, and we found spots in a room that appeared like it had been the kitchen. Of course, Gabriel and his friends took the bunks. Toni and Ray were first up to keep watch outside the ship. Annabelle walked over to me.
“Hey, Catalyst? Do you think you and I could cuddle; you know for the warmth of course
I smiled, and my eyes lit up, and I felt my cheeks get warm.
“Of course, we can cuddle I would love that, for warmth, of course.”
Annabelle and I had laid down together, and as she laid on my chest, I wrapped my arms around her. We had begun to drift off to sleep when I remembered I hadn’t thanked her for helping James.
“Hey, Annabelle? Thank you for helping James and especially for helping to create that bad-ass new arm. I had no idea you were that good with inventing stuff or technology.”
“Hey Catalyst, I think it is weird that everything is happening so easily. Catching that random animal, not only finding this ship it is fully functional. Not to mention the fact that a video we need to see happens to be the first thing to play. I would have to say the craziest thing was when Toni, a random guy was able to create a new, fully functional arm with little trouble. I can’t even make a wooden box without running into a problem.”
“Annabelle, what are you saying? Someone has been able to not only influence what happens to us is using that to make our lives easier. I’m sorry I don’t think that is possible.”
She sighed and turned away from me. After a few minutes I began to think about all the thoughts running through my head. Could I trust Agatha? What about Gabriel, Willard, or Smith? Would I be able to kill them after fighting side by side with them? Am I a good guy now? I was a bad guy. I’m tired of hurting people I could have. I have great friends, and I feel like Annabelle, and I could go somewhere. I scratched my face, and I felt a cut slice across my chin, and I looked down, and I saw what I tried so hard to forget. I ran my good hand across my cold burnt hand and forearm – not even a thin layer of charred tendons covering the bone. I shed a single small tear and felt it roll softly down my cheek. After a little while longer. My mind finally settled, and I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter six
I jolted awake when Toni shouted.
“Hey, Catalyst, it’s time for you and James to be on lookout duty!”
“Hey man, quiet down Annabelle’s sleeping dude,” I said.
I heard someone scribbling feverishly on paper. I looked up, and I saw Annabelle was mesmerized by her work.
“Annabelle? “I asked, what are you doing up it’s the middle of the night?”
She set her pen down and leaned her head back.
“I couldn’t sleep; writing is my favorite thing. My mom always said, “Writing is your superpower; when you write anything can happen. You can make everything end up the way you want it to.”
She smiled and started to write again.
“Wow that’s inspiring, your mom sounds like a smart lady.”
James stood up and pulled me to my feet.
“It’s time to go, dude, we have to keep watch,” James said.
We walked toward the door when James put his arm in front of my chest.
“Shhh listen,” he said.
The hair on my neck stood up, and a shiver ran down my spine. The unfamiliar voice of a lady spoke slow and like a demon.
“So, you are the new people trespassing on my planet. Like many before you, I will enjoy killing you one at a time. Savoring the sound of your screams and the sweet gasp of your last breath.”
I stood with my mouth agape. For once in my life, I knew what fear was.
“Uh, James,” I asked hesitantly, “what the hell was that.”
I saw the fear on James' face. He was so scared he couldn’t speak. I slapped him out of it. He came around and opened his mouth to speak; no words came out. A rustling came from behind James and me.
Agatha stepped out into the light. She spoke quietly so that the others wouldn’t hear.
“I wanted to wait until the three of us could talk in private because I don’t trust anyone else, yes I’ll admit I was bad, and I let her kill people so that my people could live. When I met you guys, I knew I could not let you die. I was a disciple for the Duchess of death. This time we go to her. We fight, and we win! “Said, Agatha.
James stood up and his massive frame towering over Agatha and me.
James said, “Agatha when we go to fight this demon witch lady or whatever I’ll be right by your side if we can’t get off this planet we might as well stay here sucking down aardvark creatures with purple sludge water. I suggest we scrap the usable parts and Take them with us until we can find some fuel source to take us out of here.”
Gabriel walked through the door, pissed, and slammed stuff around.
“Glad to know we’re a Team Catalyst you guys are over here having secret meetings without me, I moved here trying to save us all. I was able to salvage the liquid fuel valve. You know how hard it is to pop one of those off with a sword and a claw.”
I walked over to Gabriel and Agatha and folded my arms while I stroked my chin.
“Look, I’m sorry we didn’t include you; I thought you were sleeping, you know since it’s the middle of the night. Silly me. All that happens was we heard the voice of some crazy duchess of death who promised to kill us all and enjoy doing it and that James wants to scrap this ship ASAP. I promise we will include you from now on. Let’s get started on grabbing parts.”
I extended my hand out and shook Gabriel’s clawed hand. He didn’t look pleased with least it shut him up. The four of us started to walk outside when the rest of the group joined us. Our trust issues had grown high. Gabriel, Smith, and Willard flew to the top of the crater forming an assembly line style of disassembling the ship. Toni pried up a chunk of paneling with his bone sword. They are carefully severing bolts and screws while trying not to slice wires. Ray turned the fuel tanks' potential energy into kinetic energy, and it began to slide and move. James and Ray pushed it up the side of the crater and into the hands of Smith and Willard. I slid back a chunk of metal that was blocking several of the fuel valves when they busted into flames.
Agatha raced over and doused the ship with a blast of sand. Ray stopped pushing the fuel tank and through heavy breathing, said.
“Guys we can’t push this stuff across the entire planet. We’re going to need another way.”
Annabelle and Toni stepped inside the ship and were brainstormed ideas. I heard a low humming sound, and then a loud crash, and the door flew off. After several hours of crashing and cursing
They whizzed by on a hover cart they rigged up by attaching several seats to a platform along with a control panel and the large storage hold. They were able to rig it to float by attaching the former space suits manned maneuvering units to the bottom of the platform, creating a hovercraft.
Annabelle and Toni spoke together.
“Everyone can ride and carry their stuff under two conditions, we get to be the pilots, and we get to name it the cosmic carriage.”
We filled the storage unit with everything we thought we could ever possibly use it to fix our ship. We almost gutted the rocket. I climbed into the seat behind Annabelle and James sat next to me, Toni and Agatha behind Gabriel and us, Willard and Smith flew above us as lookouts. Ray kept the Giant fuel tanks kinetic energy at max, which let it slide behind with ease.
James spoke up.
“Hey, I hate to sound like a jerk, shouldn’t we have some protection from the rain and razor wind?”
Toni ran his fingers through his hair and stroked his goatee.
“You are right, so let’s get some sides and a roof for this thing.”
Ray, James, and I ripped some of the metal panels from the ship and attached them to the craft. I looked back and realized it looked like an old west carriage metal and with thrusters instead of wheels. We all climbed back inside and shut the doors. We began to speed off and traveled faster and faster.
“Hey Agatha, how far away is this lady, and what can we expect from her?”
Agatha’s face turned red and angry, her eyebrows narrowing.
“Catalyst it’s not going to be easy people will die I’m telling you right now, it’s about ten clicks south of here she has a citadel. I have only been there once, I know there are guards one floor, monsters, demons, traps I will try to lead us through the best I can, it is going to be tough. Catalyst is possible that people are a prisoner there. She keeps people alive to feed on them …so we have to go face her.”
I turned to Toni and Annabelle
“You heard her let’s go! Once you see this citadel, stop, and we will finalize a plan.”
I heard the low humming sound of James forging a weapon from the blood. I watched him as he formed another sickle-shaped weapon this time. It was more like a flat sickle sword. “That’s it!” James screamed excitedly.
“This whole time, I’ve been trying to think of a signature weapon, and I finally found it. After I had served my final military tour, I was hired as a weapons archivist for several museums. I studied history’s greatest weapons.”
Journey to a darker world Page 5