Jet Black – Return to the Planet of the Merwomen #15

by John Stevenson

clip and looked at Jet. “Are you guys ready?”

  Chub wasn’t. “We can believe her when she says it’s sedated, cant we?”

  Jet nodded to James and he pulled the switch, as he did an impulse flooded Jet’s mind; it told him freedom. Jet was stunned and looked quickly at the others, but his eyes were forced back to the cage; it was parting in the middle. A red light was flashing above the opening and an alarm had begun ringing.

  “What the hell is that?” snapped James.

  “That’s your alarm system,” grumbled Chub.

  James was anxious. “We need to hurry.”

  “Sure.” Said Chub, “Why don’t you wonder over there to our friend and ask they get a move on?”

  “Guy’s we haven’t got time to argue…” As Jet intervened the swamp monster was lifting itself up: they all began to back away.

  The creature’s movements were sluggish and in slow deliberate steps it moved forward and out of the cage.

  James voice was raised. “What do we do now?”

  “We could slip a rope around it neck; or we could just back away and hope it follows us,”

  “Great plan Jet,” muttered Chub, backing away.

  But it seemed to be working; it was following. Jet hoped that it wasn’t pretending to be docile, especially as it hadn’t taken its eyes of him for a single moment.”

  When they heard to commotion they were halfway along the passage. Further down the tunnel there was shouting and it didn’t take too much thinking to know the Mermen had been alerted. The Swamp monster had obviously heard too as it stopped and looked back down the tunnel, but then the din died away and there was silence again. The monster turned towards Jet and without reason Jet heard himself mutter, ‘Just us’ again they slowly trudged on.

  Every moment they expected more and closer Mermen, but nobody came; nobody stopped them

  Getting the creature to follow was one thing but when they got to the Flyer, just how would thy coax it into the container. Selian was outside when they arrived; she stared at the creature as it lumbered after the three men. She stepped in front of them as they got close and confronted the creature, before she backed off into the container. It veered away but not without turning its head to Jet; opening its jaws and exposing its teeth it gave a chilling sound between a gargle and rattle in its throat.

  Jet watched helplessly as its bulk closed of the containers entrance trapping Selian inside. He wanted to shout or do something to warn her but it was already too late and she did know.

  The creature’s tail was all that was left outside when a door at the rear opened and Selian jumped out slamming it behind her. Chub and James were doing the same at the front. In seconds it was done and the swamp monster was contained.

  Chub was leaning against the container wiping his brow. “Wow that was intense.”

  James was grinning. “I cant believe how easy that was,” he said punching the air in delight.

  Jet couldn’t feel the same euphoria, and Selian saw it. “It talked to you didn’t it?” she said softly.

  Something had happened but Jet didn’t know what. “I don’t know? But I do know it wanted us to bring it out.”

  Rosie voice blared out over the intercom. “When you guys have finished celebrating we need the hold door closed, and to get out of here.”

  As fast as they dared they traversed the tunnels back to find a torrent of water blocking the way out.

  “They have closed off the vortex,” Selian said in fear.

  Without hesitation Rosie plunged through, and immediately hit the anti-gravity. Suddenly they all felt incredibly heavy and sitting at the controls Rosie was the only one not to have her feet buckle under her. Fighting the feeling of rapid acceleration she was pressed onto her seat as the Silver Flyer forced its way up against tons of water falling onto them from the collapsing whirlpool. The whole ship was shuddering; the noise of crashing water was deafening but without warning it was over and lifting her arms she grabbed the controls again, and took them into the atmosphere.

  Jet and the others lifted themselves up off the floor, as Rosie looked back over her shoulder smiling. "Straight to the Ant Planet then?" Nobody contradicted her so she set course for above the asteroid belt but quickly saw what she intended and where the Flyer was going we're not the same.

  Jet could see something was wrong, "Rosie?" he said, slightly mystified.

  "Something's playing up in guidance system Chub?"

  "I didn’t do anything to the guidance system Rosie; it was working fine." Even so he began to upload a diagnostic. A minute later he looked at Rosie with a reproachful smile. "You've got the auto pilot on."

  Rosie felt a flood of embarrassment as she went to disconnect; but it wasn’t on. "No I haven’t," she said haughtily.

  Chubs smile faded as he checked his data. “Yes you have and we’re set on a course directly into the asteroid belt;” his words slowed to become concerned, "And we're accelerating?"

  They plunged into the field, and asteroids of every conceivable size and shape hurled past them as the ship ploughed through. What at first had been a faint hiss became a scream as the billions of grains of rock filling the voids between the rocks hit and slid down the spacecraft's sleek sides. As the noise became unbearable, it suddenly stopped and they hurled into deep space.

  They looked at each other mystified as to what had happened until Chub broke the silence. "We're still accelerating."

  "It's impossible," gasped Rosie. "All my controls are working, but they are not responding."

  "It's the Swamp Monster." Said Selian, calmest of them all.

  Jet looked at her.

  "I told you it was telekinetic. It wants the spaceship."

  Rosie shook her head. "You want us to believe that thing can somehow take over the controls?"

  "All you are doing is sending electrical impulses; they can be diverted; changed: it can influence the electrical field with its mind."

  Jet doubted it could but he wasn’t going to take chances. "Well it aint gunna have my starship," he said angrily. "Chub disconnect auto; take it completely off line."

  Moments later Chub stared at him. "I can't Jet; my terminal is cut off from the system too."

  "Where are we going Rosie, back to its planet?"

  "No Jet. If our velocity keeps increasing and stays on this course we are heading out of the galaxy."

  "That doesn’t make sense; Selian can you read it?"

  "Jet we were only beginning to understand its powers; it is the expert."

  "We need to find out what it wants before we all end up dead in the void."

  The answer wasn’t long in coming as they began a sweeping turn and returned to the same trajectory in reverse, and at almost maximum speed.

  Rosie gasped. "Jet we're heading back towards the planet."

  "Wherever were going it intends to kill us," grumbled Chub, “It’s going to burn us up in the atmosphere.”

  "No," said Jet adamantly. "It could have killed us any time, it intends to do something more than that."

  A look of horror came over Selian's face. "The planet?"

  "No, we’ll be just another meteor, we wont affect the… " Jet raced to the display." Rosie exactly where are we going?"

  "Directly to the planet Jet."

  "But exactly where are we going can you get a precise course before we hit?"

  Moments later she turned to him. "We're heading through the asteroid belt, and…" A computed image appeared on the screen; a red line entered the asteroid belt but did not emerge. She hit magnification and they saw the line stopped at an asteroid.

  "We're going to impact an asteroid; that one," she said slowly. They all looked in horror: the asteroid was immense.

  "That’s a relief," muttered Chub. “We’re not going to be burned up, we're just gunna get vaporized into dust on impact."

  Jet shook his head. "It doesn’t care what happens to us; or to itself. Rosie run a scenario through; what happens after we hi
t?"

  A tiny stylized explosion on the screen made them wince, but nothing happened.

  Chub sighed. "It looks like it is us Jet?" as he spoke they saw the asteroid wobble almost imperceptibly.

  "Speed it up," said Jet urgently.

  The asteroid was moving now: off its course and towards the edge of the belt, but Jet knew what was about to happen. "Faster."

  Moments later the asteroid dropped away, and towards the planet in a decreasing spiral that as it entered the atmosphere; it turned it red with fire. Almost simultaneously the forward face plunged into the ocean. A klicks high column of water erupted; and as the asteroid hit the seabed a circle of fire spread out turning the atmosphere afire. In moments the oceans were boiling and the entire planet was engulfed in flame. Volcanoes had begun erupting through the fireball as Jet turned away. "That’s enough,” he said.

  They stared at each other dumfounded.

  Jet looked at Rosie. "How long do we have?"

  She looked at him hopelessly. "Twenty; maybe a little less."

  "Chub break me out a couple plasma pistols. Rosie keep on trying to get the Flyer back." Chub handed him the weapons as Jet walked to the door.

  "Jet you can't; it knows." Selian called to him.

  "Yep."

  "It's my fault, let me."

  "Not in this ship; you stay here."

  "Then I’m coming with you," she said determinedly. "Maybe I can get through to it?"

  "I doubt it’s going to be listening, but if you want to try its up to you.”

  Jet apprehensively opened the cargo bay door and was totally unprepared for what he saw. The Swamp monster was out of the container.

  It looked at him unafraid and snarled