by A A Warren
Salena grabbed Talon’s arm. “That thing won’t stop with us. If it makes it to the front of the train…”
Before the warrior could answer, the door behind them buckled and groaned. With a loud crash, it exploded towards them. The flying panel struck Zobo and knocked him backwards. He thudded into the floor, and rolled towards the front of the train car.
He did not get up.
Talon rushed to the rear of the car. Grabbing Avra, he yanked her out of the way, as more limbs shot through the open doorway. Some of the tentacles anchored themselves around the doorway of the car. The beast pulled itself towards the gap between them, roaring in fury.
The train cars behind them bucked and shimmied as they sped over the guide rail. The track's inertia guides were struggling to keep the rushing train on course. The thrashing behemoth had thrown the vehicle off balance, and emergency systems were unable to compensate.
Avra slashed at the tentacles with her blades. “The rear car’s losing its grip on the track,” she shouted. “If it goes, it will pull the rest of the train with it!”
Planting his feet on either side of the doorway, Talon hefted the glowing axe above his head. “Then we send this thing back to the hell it crawled out of!”
The glowing blade swung down, slicing through the metal joint that held the cars together. The beast roared again. Separated from the rest of the train, the rear cars began to slow down. Sparks leapt from the guide rail. The overwhelmed inertia guide compensators blew out one by one. Talon grinned as they began to pull away from the wailing monstrosity.
Suddenly, more tentacles shot through the air. The fleshy limbs anchored on the door frame around Talon. A sudden weight jerked at the train. The car lurched sideways, and Talon was thrown across the floor. He slammed to a stop against the wall and looked up. He saw the fleshy blob pull itself forward. It oozed over the gap between the cars, and crashed through the rear entrance. Its massive bulk seemed to flex and grow, as it tore open the doorway and squeezed into the car.
As the train sped around the dark peaks of a rock outcropping, the rear cars finally lost their grip. They flew off the thin guide rail, and plummeted into the darkness. A plume of fire lit up the asteroid’s surface as they crashed into the rocks below.
Their train car shuddered as the creature heaved itself inside. The internal field wailed under the new stress. Metal crumpled and bulged as the creature charged after them.
Talon leapt to his feet, his face contorted in a snarl of rage. But before he could strike, another thick tentacle snaked around his waist. He gasped, as the strength of the beast crushed the breath from his lungs. Before he could recover, he felt himself flying through the air. It was all he could do to hold on to his axe, as the flailing tentacle slammed him into one of the side windows. The impact of the blow blurred his vision. He felt himself lifted up again, and thrust forward. He slammed into the window once more, and the glass shattered behind him. Jagged shards tore at his back and arms. Cold wind rushed through his hair.
He blinked to clear the haze that clouded his vision. Glancing down, he saw the surface of the asteroid streaking by at blinding speed. The tentacle coiled tighter, crushing his ribs and lungs. He coughed and sputtered, gasping for air. Looking up, he saw the blinking lights within the train car through the shattered window. Salena had staggered to her feet, and Avra was fighting more tentacles inside.
The creature had him in a death grip. He was hanging outside the train, hundreds of feet above the surface…
Tightening his grip on the glowing axe, he raised it above his head to strike. Then he paused…
If the creature lets go, I fall to my death.
Peering through the window, he tried to call out to Salena. The sorceress was obviously more powerful than he had realized. Perhaps she could use her dark energy to catch him, pull him back inside.
But trapped in the crushing embrace of the beast, his voice was a harsh croak. His cry for help was barely audible above the rushing wind. He pounded his fist against the thick, blubbery flesh that held him, but he could not break the thing's stranglehold.
He watched as Avra flipped through the air, leaping over a pair of slashing tentacles. She hurled one of her curved weapons at the creature's flesh as she flew over the razor sharp barbs. Then she landed on her feet like a cat and spun around, shielding Salena with her body.
The blade impaled itself in the massive central eye that dominated the fleshy blob. A pulsing light on the handle of the twin blades filled the car with a blinking violet glow. A fireball exploded out the rear of the car. The noise drowned out the creature’s roar of pain.
Talon felt the beast’s muscles contract. Wounded by the explosive blade, its tentacles shot inwards, wrapping around its body to protect itself. Talon blinked, as the metal wall of the train rushed up to meet him.
He raised his forearm in front of his face to shield himself from the blow. His body slammed into the side of the train. Fighting through the pain and disorientation, his fingers grasped a slim metal rail that ran along the roof of the car. He grabbed it with a white-knuckled grip.
With a hoarse cry, he swung the blazing axe, slashing off a chunk of flesh from the tentacle that held him. A high-pitched shriek pierced the air. The appendage fell away from his body, leaving him hanging from the side of the speeding train.
The muscles in his arm flexed and bulged as he pulled himself up over the railing. He rolled onto the roof of the train, then staggered to his feet. A bitter wind roared around him. His hair whipped across his eyes, as dust and debris pelted his face. Looking ahead, he saw a shimmering blue glow in the distance. A forcefield tunnel encircled the train and guide rail, as the track snaked around the tight curves of a deep gorge.
Talon sliced through the roof of the train with his axe, cutting a glowing three-foot gash in the metal surface.
Avra peered up at him. “Talon? What in blazes are you doing up there?”
“Never mind that,” he shouted down. Get the others to the next car, quickly!”
“And then what?”
“I’ll let you know when I figure that out!”
Cursing, Avra knelt down and began slapping Zobo’s snout. “Come on you mangy furball. Nap time’s over!”
Talon saw the beast thrash beneath him, lurching towards the others. He slashed the roof again, swinging the axe back and forth. A rain of molten metal spilled down from the opening, pelting the wounded creature’s massive eye.
With a snarl, it rolled onto its back and glared at Talon through the torn, mangled roof.
“What are you waiting for, demon spawn?” he shouted. He slashed again, sending more fragments of burning metal raining down on the creature. “I’m right up here!”
The creature’s remaining tentacles darted through the shattered windows on either side of the train car. Talon counted six in all, dancing around him like massive pythons. Each one was as thick as a man’s leg. One by one, the orbs that tipped each appendage slid open. The glistening, deadly stingers emerged…
“That’s it, you cursed pile of blubber," he shouted. "Come have a taste of me, if you can!”
Talon swung his axe, slicing the stinger off the nearest tentacle. He whirled and danced across the roof, dodging the rapid strikes of the other appendages. A jagged barb plunged beside him, burying itself in the roof of the train. He slashed down, lopping it off at the tip. Then he rolled on his back as another limb swung overhead.
Glancing down the track, he saw the blue tunnel of crackling energy growing closer and closer.
Almost there… Got to keep it busy!
He leapt to his feet, spinning the axe in a wide circle above his head. The tentacles pulled back, hovering just beyond the whirling blade’s reach.
The light of the energy field cast a turquoise glow across the rocks in the canyon. Talon felt the train shift as the track began to curve. The guide tunnel kept the train on the rail, as it shot around the hairpin turn.
Now! he thought.
<
br /> Powering down the axe, he sprinted forward, racing towards the curtain of blue energy. The tentacles flexed, and dove through the air after him.
As he neared the front of the car, he saw the edge of the glowing tunnel, curving around the rock face. There was only about a foot or two of clearance between the sides of the train and the humming energy field.
He dropped onto his back and slid forward. The glowing tunnel rushed overhead. Its blue light was almost blinding in the darkness of the asteroid’s eternal night.
Talon heard the creature howl, as the energy barrier sheared though the tentacles like a giant blade. Then he slid off the roof, and dropped into the narrow gap between train cars.
The door behind him slid open. He felt a pair of hands yank him forward into the next car.
Avra and Salena stood before him, staring at him with amazement.
The beast roared again. Spinning around, he powered up his axe. He drove the glowing blade through the linkage, once again decoupling the cars.
“Zobo’s gun! Give it to me!” he shouted.
The furry alien lay behind them on a bench. He sat up, rubbing his head. “Take it,” he snarled. He tossed the heavy pistol through the air. Talon caught it, just as the wounded creature exploded through the front of the loose car.
Talon unleashed a barrage from the pulse gun. The bolts did little damage, but they battered the creature back, keeping it away from the door. He saw the fleshy nubs of its severed tentacles pulse and wiggle. They had not yet had a chance to reform. He continued pummeling the creature with pulse bolts.
Looking down, he saw a row of green lights, blinking on the guide rail as the train raced over it. “Avra," he shouted. "Take out the inertia compensators as soon as we leave the tunnel!”
“On it,” she snapped. She drew one of her knives and flipped it open. The hilt flashed purple as she activated the explosive charge.
The loose car began to slow down and fall away from the train. It shuddered on the guide rail, as the massive creature thrashed about inside.
The beast surged forward again. Its tentacles began to regenerate… they were a few feet long now, enough to pull it out the open door in the front of the car.
Talon unleashed another barrage from the gun. Salena pushed herself into a standing position beside him. Hey eyes glowed, and mystic symbols swirled around her hands. Bolts of crackling blue lightning streaked from her fingertips. They stuck the doorway of the rear car, sending more bolts arcing across the beast’s skin.
Their combined fire drove the howling creature back. The train rattled as it picked up speed, and shot around the curve. The loose car slipped further behind them on the track.
They streaked out of the glowing energy tunnel. Once again, darkness surrounded them.
“Now!” Talon shouted. He and Salena took cover on either side of the doorway, giving the red-haired woman a clear shot.
Avra crouched. Her arm swung behind her. In one flowing movement, her body spun around, and the blade flew from her outstretched hand. It whistled through the air, striking one of the glowing green lights just in front of the loose train car.
The inertia compensator exploded, lighting up the rocks with a shower of sparks. The thrashing car lost its grip on the guide rail. The front end dipped down, weighted by the bulk of the massive creature. The edge of the car struck the rail. More sparks flew up from the track, as metal scraped against metal. Then the car flipped up and tumbled through the air.
As they completed the turn, Talon watched the loose car shoot off the tracks like a bullet. It plummeted down, disappearing into the canyon below them. The creature’s howl echoed through the darkness, then faded as they rushed forward into the night.
Chapter Fourteen
“So much for keeping a low profile,” Zobo growled, as he checked his pistol, and slid it back into its holster.
Talon grinned. He slapped the wolf-like alien on his furry shoulder. “Why the long face, Zobo? We are victorious!”
Avra pulled back her hair and adjusted her gold headband. “Yeah, we’re the big winners alright. What are the odds the local rent-a-cops are waiting for us at the next station?”
Salena gripped a pole to steady her swaying body. Her long blue hair whipped behind her as the wind rushed through the broken windows. She stared out the shattered glass. A pensive frown marred her beautiful features.
“Talon is right," she said. "We worked as a team, we fought well. We can escape into the crowd at the next station. Or I can mask our appearance if I must. “
Avra gave her a concerned look. “You look tired, Sal. You used a lot of energy in the fight. I’ve never seen you cut loose like that before.”
Salena shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We have a bigger problem.”
“Bigger than a giant monster from another dimension?” Avra asked.
Salena nodded. “The man who released it on the train… Talon, do remember what he said?”
Talon nodded, his expression grim. “In Daizon, we are eternal.’ Those were his last words. He followed the cult of your enemy… The same man who tried to kill me.”
“Bloody blazes,” Zobo cursed. “Sometimes I hate being right.”
Salena nodded. “As you suspected, the prince must have a spy in his ranks. Sartarus knows we are here.”
Talon slid his axe into his harness, and gathered the scraps of a discarded cloak from the floor of the train car.
“Then we better find this grave robber of yours quickly,” he muttered. He threw the garment over his shoulders to hide his weapons. “Before Sartarus finds us.”
A pair of guards in white battle armor escorted Prince Lucian and Commander Javis down a long, sterile corridor. Above them, orange emergency lights spun in the ceiling. The glowing domes cast long shadows across the dura-plas panels that lined the hall.
Lucian bit his lip, and turned his head to follow a squad of soldiers that jogged past them down the corridor. Javis ignored the men, and kept his gaze focused on a small, glowing tablet he held in his hands. A long list of letters and numbers flashed before his eyes. His lips twisted into a scowl, and deep furrows of concern creased his forehead.
“Your Highness, preliminary analysis still hasn’t determined the cause of the accident. We’ve had to seal off the entire hanger to prevent implosion. I must stress, you should not—”
Lucian looked up at the captain. His face was pale and his voice quavered a bit, but his eyes held a glint of steely determination. “How many did we lose, Javis?”
The older man gave him a concerned look. “Your Highness, I—”
“How many?”
Javis sighed. “Four-hundred and twenty-five souls were onboard the transport when the tube collapsed.”
The prince shook his head. “Refugees. Families, elderly and children. If I am to lead my forces into battle against Kyr, I can’t hide in my quarters while death claims my subjects.”
“Your Highness!” The guards stood at attention, as a young man in a rumpled technician’s uniform jogged up to them. His hair was plastered to his face by sweat, and dark circles hung beneath his frantic eyes. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.
Skidding to a stop a few feet away, he gave the heavily-armed guards a nervous glance, then bowed before the prince. “Prince Lucian, we’ve received a message on a coded channel. It’s from the Star Claw.”
Lucian glanced up at Javis. “Salena. She must have news!”
The Commander nodded. “Officer, take us to a secure terminal.”
The young man bowed again. “This way, Your Highness.”
The boots of the guards echoed through the corridor as they marched after the technician. He led them down a smaller service passage, and through a glowing security checkpoint. They stopped, and allowed the scanner beam to authenticate his identity.
“SUBJECT CONFIRMED: SAMUL DORAN. TECHNICAL OFFICER. ACCESS GRANTED.”
“How long have you been on duty, Officer Doran?” Javis asked.
>
The security door hissed open, and Samul led the others inside a small, circular room. “Forty-eight hours, sir. I apologize for my appearance. We were storing fuel cylinders for the other transports in the hanger bay. When the force tunnel collapsed, the backlash set off the chain reaction. The other cylinders exploded. We’ve got cracks and field failures radiating through all the structural supports. I’ve been supervising the repair mechs day and night, but there's still a lot of work left to do.”
“You’ve done well, officer,” Lucian said, as he examined the holo screens that floated along the walls of the room. “Javis, after this, see that this man is relieved.”
Samul nodded as he sat at a control panel, and tapped in a response code on the glowing keyboard. “Thank you, Your Highness. I’m patching in the transmission now.”
The screens flickered to life, displaying a series of holograms along the walls of the room. Lucian grinned, as he saw a pair of fierce yellow eyes and a long furry snout floating in the air before him. “Zobo,” he said. “It’s good to see your face again. How goes the mission? Have you made contact with—”
Zobo growled, cutting him off. “Salena and the others are en-route as we speak, Your Highness. But they sent me back to the ship to warn you. We were intercepted on Bakala. Armed fanatics unleashed some kind of dark energy tech. It appeared to be a smaller version of the weapon that destroyed Hadros.”
Commander Javis turned to face the nearest hologram. “Fanatics? What do you mean?”
Zobo shifted in his seat. “They claimed to be followers of Daizon.”
“Daizon,” the prince hissed. “The being Sartarus worships.”
Zobo’s ears twitched, and his lips curled up in a snarl. “Exactly. Sartarus sent his followers after us. There must be a security leak somewhere in your forces.”
The wolfish alien leaned forward, and his eyes narrowed. He squinted at the green haze outside the windows of the small room.
