Forbidden World

by Jeremy Michelson

  “What the hell are they doing?” Liz said.

  “Keep watching,” I said.

  “Shouldn’t we be shooting at them?” Liz said.

  I shrugged. "I doubt that it would do any good," I said, "They're Dendon made, so shooting Dendon weapons at them is pretty pointless. They have all the frequencies of this ship's energy weapons. And they have the best shields the Dendons ever made."

  “So what are we supposed to do?” Liz said, “Just wait for them to hook up and beat the crap out of us?”

  I shook my head. I was still watching the murder worms do their little dance on the screen. But most of me was connected to the ship. Running checks on ship’s systems, devouring sensor data, exploring the ship’s data files.

  Interesting stuff.

  I also readied the ship’s power plant. Stroking and tuning it for what I planned to do.

  “They don’t realize the war is over,” I said, “That’s what I’m here for. Sort of. Except I’m going to do it my way.”

  I noticed Zek staring at me. Alien expressions were pretty easy to read. They were a lot like human expressions. At the moment Zek had an expression on his triangular blue face that was suggestive of the notion that he thought I was completely batcrap crazy. Or some similar animal, familiar to him, crazy.

  My darling Liz was probably ready to agree with him.

  “Of course you’re going to do it your way,” she said, “Now, you want to clue me in to what that means?”

  I sighed and waved a free hand at the screen. “Just keep watching. You’ll see.”

  The murder worms were almost done, anyway. The last piece, the big, bronze murder dick that had streaked out of the sky and blew up the Don excursion craft, zoomed into place and connected to the place were the smaller worms were.

  As it did, the bronze skin of the assemblage glowed bright, like it was lit from within. The light dimmed slightly, and I saw pieces sliding and expanding into new shapes. Two brilliant red eyes flared to life near the end of the former murder dick. From the back of the beast unfolded two enormous wings.

  “Oh, you have got to be shitting me,” Liz said, “A dragon? What is this? The fucking Hobbit? Or is it Game of Thrones?”

  On the screen, the assemblage of bronze pieces was rapidly acquiring the familiar shape of a dragon. And it looked exactly like the one in the dreams the Dendon had been feeding me. And the etchings in the Ministry of Records.

  Somewhere, the Dendon people had acquired a serious hardcore fantasy hard-on.

  “That is indeed a dragon,” I said, “Or, more specifically, THE Dragon. The mythical beast that strangely–or maybe not so strangely–is a common element in lots of cultures across the galaxy."

  “Does this have anything to do with the weird dreams I was having?” Liz said.

  I twisted around to look at her. Of course, her face was covered in golden armor and totally unreadable.

  "Dreams about some medieval crap, only with Dendon?" I asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  I nodded and turned back to the screen.

  “Yeah, it has everything to do with them.”

  I’d have to ask Liz later just what her dreams were. Though I had a pretty good idea. The Dendon had probably been feeding her dreams about Ivfa.

  After all, we were two sides of the same solution, weren’t we? There couldn’t be one without the other.

  On the screen, the Dragon stretched its wings and took flight. It looked quite elegant, even though it was swimming around in vacuum. Little details like a lack of atmosphere wouldn't bother it.

  Warnings flashed across the screen. The ship was trying to tell me that things were getting too close to it.

  I wiped the warnings off the screen and silenced the poor ship’s alarms. It was a good ship. It just wanted to keep its passengers safe. I called up an inventory of its weaponry.

  Quite the impressive list, actually.

  For such a peaceful people, the Dendon sure knew how to blow crap up in an efficient manner. The Don didn’t know how lucky they were that the Dendon had shown restraint.

  Even after their entire race had been murdered.

  It was clear, especially by the mechanical monstrosity outside the ship, that the Dendon had the means to exact their revenge from beyond the grave.

  Which was why I was here.

  To make sure that didn’t happen.

  And to make sure the Don–nor any other race–ever got ahold of the Dendon toys.

  “Where is your champion!”

  The thunderous voice blasted from the hidden speakers on the command deck. Zek and I clapped our hands over our ears.

  I keyed on the communicator.

  “Dude, I’m right here,” I said, “You don’t have to yell.”

  The Dragon soared in front of the Dendon ship. Pivoted abruptly, then brought his nose right up to the front of the ship. We were only feet away from each other.

  “You are hardly a champion,” the Dragon said, “Until you prove you are worthy.”

  The Dragon’s snout and blazing red eyes filled the view screen. He was big. Stylized bronze scales covered his bullet-like snout. Six twisting, black horns sprouted from the back of his head. The huge bronze wings encircled the ship. The beast opened his long jaw. Energies pulsed red down from the depths of his throat.

  If the Dragon was trying to be intimidating, he was doing a great job.

  Beside me, Zek was pressed against the flight couch so hard it seemed like he was trying to melt into it.

  "Shoot the beast," Zek hissed at me, "Use the weapons. Send an ion torpedo down its throat."

  I contemplated it.

  “Nah,” I said, “That’d just make it mad. That thing probably eats ion torpedoes like potato chips.”

  Zek stopped being terrified long enough to throw me a look.

  “Potato chips? Are those weapons?” He asked.

  “Well,” I said, “Kinda. They’re weapons of gut expansion and artery clogging.”

  “Can they kill this beast?” He asked.

  “Well, over time I suppose,” I said, “As long as he’s sedentary and doesn’t eat anything that’s healthy.”

  “Chris…” Liz said.

  “Okay, fine. Time to stop playing around,” I said.

  I keyed the communicator on. The Dragon’s eyes onscreen glowed brighter.

  “Hey, Dragon,” I said, “How about we take this outside and settle it like real men? What do you say?”

  The Dragon’s eyes dimmed. “What?”

  I stood up from the flight couch. Somewhat reluctantly. It was pretty comfortable. I could have taken a nap on it. Was there no technology the Dendon people hadn’t mastered?

  Oh, right, turning off their crazy defense systems.

  And other little experiments they had going on across the galaxy.

  Busy people, those Dendons had been.

  Lucky me, I somehow drew the short straw. Now I had to spend who knew how long cleaning up after them.

  “Come on, Dragon,” I said, “You ready for a challenge? Ready to find out what kind of champion you picked the wrong fight with?”

  The red eyes dimmed further. Then brightened to blazing intensity.

  “I am here to challenge you,” the Dragon said.

  “Yeah, yeah, I already got that,” I said, “In fact, you’re waaaaaay behind the curve here.”

  The Dragon opened its long jaw. Red energy pulsed from the depths of its throat. The jagged black teeth glistened in the red light.

  I bet if we were outside–someplace with some atmosphere–I’d smell that same sulfur stench that I’d gotten with the dreams.

  Which made me glad I wasn’t anywhere with an atmosphere.

  Yet.

  “You are insolent, champion-in-waiting,” The Dragon said, “This does not bode well for your challenge. Pretenders are not treated with kindness.”

  I casually put my hand on the wall next to me. An instant later the ship was sending me all sorts of
data about the metal murder dragon outside.

  None of it good data.

  Apparently, the Dragon had an impenetrable hide made of some super special alloy. Because of course it did.

  The ship solemnly informed me that none of its weapons would harm the Dragon in the slightest. Wouldn’t even put a single nick or scratch on that bronze carapace.

  Which didn’t surprise me. When the Dendon went all out for defense, they spared no trick.

  Though they ended up getting killed anyway.

  So much for defense.

  “Okay, Dragon,” I said, “Shall we get this over with? Shall we face our respective challenges?”

  The Dragon moved even closer to the ship. His blazing eyes nearly filled the view screen.

  “I do not think you understand the nature of your Challenge, young one,” The Dragon said, “And I do not think you are ready.”

  I shrugged. “And I think you’re a wind-up toy that got left in the attic for too long.”

  The Dragon paused to digest this for a few seconds. I didn't look back, but there was deathly silence behind me. No doubt my dear, sweet Liz was wondering if I'd lost my mind. And, I admit, it was a possibility. After everything I'd been through the last few days and months, I'd have good reason to have lost all my marbles. Human beings weren't designed to go through this much stimulation.

  But then, humans were pretty good at adapting to just about anything.

  Which made us the logical heirs to the Dendon.

  Well, except for humans like General Mattany and T&T.

  That was why there needed to be one of us humans set aside to go find all those dangerous toys the Dendon left lying all over the damned galaxy.

  Including this nightmare toy they left right in their backyard.

  “I think you are at an end now,” the Dragon said, “Even though you carry the Soul of Dendon, you are not worthy. I will give you one minute to prepare for your death.”

  I laughed. Threw my head back and had a near rib splitter. I laughed and laughed.

  I laughed most of my minute away.

  I don’t know if the Dragon could get pissed off. I suspected the A.I. in it was capable of a range of emotions. Getting laughed at probably didn’t make it happy.

  “Your time is up, person of Earth,” the Dragon said, “I regret this is the path you have chosen.”

  I still had my hand on the ship’s wall. I should have been sitting on the flight couch, but I didn’t want the Dragon to suspect what I was about to do. I wanted the silly thing to believe we were helpless.

  Nope. We weren’t helpless at all.

  The Dragon’s jaw opened wide. The pulsing red energies within its maw flared bright.

  “My name is Chris,” I said, “Not person of Earth.”

  I sent a command to the ship’s engines.

  For a Dendon ship, this little craft wasn’t much. It was almost an afterthought. But it was also part of The King’s emergency command bunker.

  It was equipped.

  It wasn’t gold plated or stuffed full of fancy furniture.

  But it did have one thing that a normal Dendon ship wouldn’t have.

  A faster than light drive.

  As I activated the L-Drive, the Dragon’s fire blasted forth.

  But we were gone.

  “What the fuck Chris!” Liz shouted.

  Someone was whimpering. I couldn’t tell if it was T&T or one of the Dons. Either way, I didn’t have time. I jumped back down in the flight couch and put my hands on the control console. The ship sent me waves of data. Damage reports poured in. The L-Drive wasn’t supposed to be used this close to a gravity well.

  Too bad. I did it anyway.

  I brought the ship back out of L-space.

  Right behind the Dragon.

  The burst of augmented plasma it had shot at us was still dissipating. Red clumps spun off in all directions, rapidly cooling to black.

  I brought up the weapons systems. Shot an ion missile up the bastard’s ass.

  It didn’t hurt the beast.

  But it sure got its attention.

  The Dragon spun like it was on a pivot. The red eyes blazed fiery red. It opened its maw and let out a blood-curdling roar across all communication frequencies. The sound reverberated and thundered about the cabin.

  It was designed to spook and disorientate.

  I ignored it.

  Instead, I had the ship spin around and run for the horizon. The ship responded like a racehorse, sprinting for the thinning atmosphere of Dendon.

  “Son of a bitch! Chris!”

  Oops. I guess I should have warned everyone to hold on. By the thump of bodies and cursing behind me, I gathered that some unsecured Dons had gone flying.

  A quick glance back showed I was correct. Captain Tejoh and his beefy soldier were in a pile against the back wall. Tejoh was cursing about something, but he was muffled because the soldier’s naked butt was planted on his face.

  Liz was still standing in place, of course. But she had her hands on her hips. If I’d been able to see through that smooth armor covering her beautiful face, I’m sure there would have been a surly look there.

  A very cute one.

  “Sorry!” I called back to them, “You should probably buckle up. Gonna get bumpy fast.”

  I quickly realized there was a problem with that, though. There weren’t any more seats to be sat on. Hmmmm. I rummaged through the ship’s systems and found a solution.

  Moments later, flight couches were rising from the floor behind me.

  “Could you get our guests secured, please?” I said.

  “You’re trying to get on my last nerve, buster,” Liz said, “I’m not a fucking stewardess.”

  “Trust me,” I said, “Your opportunity to exorcise your frustrations will come.”

  Liz slammed her fist into her palm. The metal hitting metal rang like a bell.

  “It better.”

  I was glad she was on my side. It was my fervent wish to keep her there.

  I pulled my attention back to the ship’s sensors. Precious seconds had been lost dealing with loose items in the cabin.

  The sensors told me there was a large, angry object pursuing the ship. Okay, it didn’t tell me the object was angry. That was just assumed.

  On the screen, the huge, bronzed Dragon spread its wings. It streaked after us like a vengeful demon. Its eyes blazed red. The pulsing red maw of its mouth opened.

  And sent a blast of augmented plasma fire streaking at our tail.

  I sent the ship tumbling away from it.

  Liz swore at me again.

  “Sorry! Evasive maneuvers underway. Brace yourselves!” I said.

  “Let me get these assholes strapped in, first,” Liz said.

  The Dragon pivoted on a wing and zoomed after us.

  “No guarantees,” I said.

  I spared a glance at Zek in the seat next to me. He was clinging to the seat and console, his eyes wide and his tentacles quivering. I activated the seat restraint system for him. He yelped and tried to fight the straps the shot over him.

  The straps won.

  “You’re welcome,” I said.

  He hissed something at me that might have been some sort of opinion about my parentage. I chose to ignore it.

  I turned my attention back to the sensors. The Dragon was drawing closer.

  I plunged the ship into the thin atmosphere of Dendon.

  The Dragon overshot. It flipped around and dove after us.

  The communicator came to life.

  “You only put off the inevitable,” The Dragon said, “You cannot escape your death. You will never be King of Dendon.”

  I didn’t bother to answer.

  “You got a plan, dear?” Liz said.

  “Of course I have a plan,” I said, “Some of the parts are fuzzy. But it’s definitely a plan.”

  “Oh, goody.”

  The sensors screamed at me. The Dragon launched another blast of plasma fire at us. />
  I put the ship into a hard pivot. Beside me, Zek let out a high pitched scream, then went silent. A glance showed he was blacked out.

  “I thought you didn’t want to kill the squishy things?” Liz said.

  I didn’t look back at our other passengers. Though I let the ship show me their vital signs. Still alive. Dons were pretty tough.

  “Trying not to, dear,” I said, “Let me know if they start bleeding out their ears or anything.”

  Thanks to our Dendon parts, little things like extreme g-forces didn’t bother Liz and I like they used to.

  I surprised me a little how easy it was to get used to things like that. And how much I enjoyed it.

  It was something I’d have to watch. That’s how the Dendon lost their way.

  I turned on the communicator.

  “Hey, Dragon dude,” I said, “Do you know your masters are long dead?”

  I didn’t expect the Dragon to answer, but it did. Maybe it was lonely after all those centuries cruising the darkness by itself.

  “I know well the Dendon race has been exterminated,” the Dragon said, “It is my duty to protect Dendon until her King returns.”

  “Great, glad to hear it,” I said, “But there’s something else we need to talk about.”

  I pushed the ship down into a low arc over the surface of Dendon. The Dragon stayed on our tail. The atmosphere seemed to be slowing him down a little. I brought up a map of the world and called up the coordinates of the capital city.

  “The leaders of Dendon didn’t think they’d ever face extinction, did they?” I said.

  “Of course not,” The Dragon said, “Dendon has always been. And it shall always be.”

  Denial is part of the grieving process. Though the Dragon might have taken it to an extreme.

  But it was just a machine. An incredibly sophisticated–and pissed off–machine. But, in the end, just a machine.

  “But they got outsmarted, didn’t they?” I said, “Or at least they got out-sneakied. They had never planned for their demise. Never thought it would be them taking the forever dirt nap.”

  I brought the ship closer to the surface. Zooming past jagged mountains. Diving down to brackish gray lakes. Blasting over dead cities and towns.

  So many dead beings. My heart ached for all of them.

  In the end, they were just people. People with families and homes. They probably grumbled about yard work and taxes, and enjoyed sitting on their butts and watching their version of TV. People just living day by day like most everyone.