by A K Lambert
Amanda heard a loud crunching sound—bone—followed by a scream. ‘You ask me questions, hoping to delay the pain, and then you don’t listen to me, Kean. Perhaps that will focus your attention.’ The creature laughed, a guttural sound from deep in its throat, though it couldn’t be remotely related to amusement. ‘I’ll continue. Please pay attention. In the infancy of our space travel, we stumbled upon a race called the Rammor. A highly advanced civilisation, close to ascendency, so the story goes—that’s moving to a higher plane of existence to you, some races seek this—and they took us under their wings. Pets, they thought of us. But after two hundred years of being their little helper pets, we had become indispensable to them, looking after the technology that looked after them. We had stolen, analysed and learnt to use much of their advanced technology. Wait. Is someone pretending here?’
Amanda kept perfectly still until a sudden pain in her shoulder her made her jump— eyes wide open. She was looking straight into the creature’s face. She could see from the corner of her eye that the pain she was feeling was its fingernails—no, talons—slowly digging into her skin. The pain was increasing. She grimaced, trying to hold back from screaming.
‘Get your filthy fricking hands off her!’ Jon was struggling so hard to free himself from his bindings that his chair toppled over.
The creature dropped her and went to Jon. It grabbed him by his hair and effortlessly pulled him upright. Jon was clearly in pain, but his face showed nothing but rage and anger. She sneered at him, ‘If you interrupt me again, I shall cut her head off right before your eyes.’ She turned back to Amanda.
‘The lovely young Earth girl was trying to deceive the beautiful and clever Zerot girl, eh?’ She moved behind Mandy and rested three of her fingers high on her cheekbone, talons slowly digging into her skin, little rivulets of blood forming. She was looking straight into Jon’s eyes as she slowly moved her hand down Amanda’s face, challenging him to utter a word. Jon’s eyes were flicking from her to the Zerot creature. Terror and rage in equal measures. As the three bloody tramlines formed on Mandy’s cheek, she did everything in her power to keep from screaming. She was on the point of passing out when the Zerot stopped.
‘Good,’ she said. ‘Now where was I? Ah yes. And with their technology, we made a plan that ended with the death of every single Rammorian. We spent the next forty years stripping their planet of everything of value and taking back to Zerot. So, there you have it. Three thousand years later and we’re still doing it. But it’s a game now, and Preenasette is next.’ She walked back to Jon and stroked his cheek, gently this time, then strolled out of the room. ‘I won’t be long. Don’t go anywhere,’ she called back casually.
Amanda fought through the pain of her throbbing cheek and focused on Jon. He was staring straight back at her. ‘Are you all right, Mandy?’ The blood and bruising on his face didn’t hide his concern. She nodded at him. ‘I’m okay.’ His concern immediately changed to anger and he challenged Rob, ‘So, was this your great master plan? To befriend me, Rob, Kean? Or whatever your name is. Some plan.’
‘I’m sorry, Jon, I was just doing my job. We were just supposed to locate the Princess and wait for my father to arrive. He would capture her and take her back to our planet.’ Kean’s voice had taken on the broken English accent that Grace had when she wasn’t wearing a brooch.
‘And you didn’t suspect you were partnering Madame Death and Destruction there?’ said Jon.
‘We need to address our situation here,’ Kean said.
‘Can anyone move?’ Sam joined in. ‘I can’t even move a muscle.’
‘Don’t bother trying,’ Kean replied. ‘Kayson rope. You need a sharp knife to cut through it.’
We’re getting nowhere, thought Amanda. “Grace, where are you? Can you hear me? Please.” A desperate cry for help, but Grace was halfway around the world. The furthest they’d ever managed to communicate this way was about a mile.
“Mandy. I hear you. Are you okay?” Grace was in her head.
“Oh, Grace, the creature is torturing us.”
“Who? The Trun?”
“No, another creature. A Zerot. Rob is in his natural form. She’s giving him special attention. His arm is broken, and his face is messed up.”
“We’re not far away. I think I’ve pinpointed you now. William and a small armed force will be with you in a few minutes.”
“Hurry, Grace. Please. And be careful. This creature can get in your head.”
“I will.”
The men were still bickering. ‘Jon, listen to me.’ She got their attention. She tried to whisper. ‘Grace, William and some others are outside, only minutes away. We’ve got to keep this creature distracted, to give them chance to get in and surprise her.’
‘Are you talking to Grace?’ Jon asked.
‘I was. Not anymore. The Zerot can hear your thoughts, I think. She knew I was awake, but pretending to be unconscious. Concentrate your minds on each other. Rob, how is your arm?’ She could see he was in a bad way.
‘Hurts like hell, but thank you for asking.’
Jon looked questioningly at Mandy, but he didn’t comment. In the midst of this horror show he was somehow pleased that she could still infuriate him.
‘If we ever get out of this I’ve got one hell of a story for Cycling Weekly.’ Sam, the eldest of them, attempted a wry laugh. And for a brief moment the four of them, though bruised and battered, smiled with him.
* * *
Then the Zerot walked back in.
Chapter 40
Ventar's Sphere
Earth - Space/South Africa - 2013, Tuesday
* * *
Ventar’s sphere was approaching Earth very cautiously, aware of the Trun battle cruiser in orbit around the planet. The cruiser was in geosynchronous orbit above the Republic of Ireland, so Kobios approached from the other side, keeping the Earth between them. Stevos, Hondry, Maot and Jake were around her flight station, discussing the limited range of actions open to them now the Trun were on the scene. Prince Ventar was sitting at the table ignoring them, deep in thought.
‘Tauriar’s Life Team must be in the country of Ireland,’ said Jake. ‘Why else would it be there, stationary?’
‘But, they don’t appear to have found them yet,’ Hondry said. ‘They are doing nothing,’ He waved his arms with animation. ‘They haven’t released any search or recovery ships.’
‘I agree with you.’ Kobios was looking at Hondry. ‘They appear to still be searching. If the team are under cover of a shield, they may never find them in this technologically dense environment.’
Ventar lifted his head and looked over to the group. ‘I think they have people already here, Spies perhaps. They may be trying to contact them. They may be the ones that know the location of the princess’s Life Team.’
‘Will they be in Ireland?’ Kobios asked.
‘One would have thought so,’ replied the Prince. ‘But I’m not sure. We need to keep out of sight for the time being.’ He put his head back in his hands and continued concentrating, completely ignoring the others again.
They all went quiet for a while, sifting through their thoughts.
A few minutes later the prince sat bolt upright. ‘I’ve found Tauriar!’ he exclaimed, an anxiety in his voice the others had never heard before. ‘She is in danger. We must go to her immediately.’ He was accessing a holographic map of Earth. ‘Here, South Africa. Go. Now.’
‘What about the Trun ship?’ Stevos asked, while Kobios entered the new course heading into her flight computer.
‘Forget about them,’ Ventar replied. ‘There is something infinitely more dangerous in South Africa.’
Sub Commander Brawn double checked the reading on his surveillance screen, then shouted over to Captain Rapha, ‘Unidentified vessel—I’m pretty sure it’s a sphere—detected in the planet’s southern hemisphere. It’s on a tangential heading—it appears quite random.’
Rapha and Mancer were immediately behind Brawn,
studying the sphere’s trajectory.
‘It may be a ruse or a decoy to get us away from here,’ Rapha stated.
‘I agree,’ Mancer said. ‘Dispatch a fighter,’
‘I suggest two.’ Rapha looked at Mancer who nodded his agreement. ‘Sub Commander, send 3W fighters two and four immediately.’
Kobios entered the Earth’s atmosphere at the last possible moment, slowing down considerably. They still had one hundred and fifty miles to go and would arrive in approximately twenty minutes. Soon they would be able to pinpoint their exact position.
Ventar was pacing around, apparently concerned. He approached Kobios. ‘Drop me off here, just outside of the city of Durban. I can’t do what I need to do on the ship. Now please, Kobios. Lives are at stake.’
Kobios looked at Stevos, who looked back questioningly.
‘Leave me, then carry on and rescue Tauriar. Come back for me later.’ Ventar could see them both readying themselves to protest and added, ‘I’ll take my father with me.’
‘He’s helping me fly the ship,’ Kobios protested. ‘We’re all doing two jobs, as it is,’
‘I’ll take my mother with me.’
Stevos was still frowning.
‘Give her a laser pistol then!’
Stevos could see the desperation in Ventar’s eyes. She nodded to Kobios.
The sphere landed, and Ventar and Maot disembarked, moving away quickly as the ship prepared for immediate takeoff.
Two minutes later and all was quiet.
Ventar sat down, cross legged. He looked up at Maot and smiled. ‘Please do not disturb me, mother.’ He looked back down and was soon in a trance.
Maot, brandishing her pistol, looked in every direction. Seeing nothing, she let it drop to her side. She sat down on a nearby rock, thinking how hot it was and wondering what the heck was going on.
Chapter 41
The Rescue Attempt
Earth - South Africa - 2013, Tuesday
* * *
William and Kurt approached the front of the motel. A couple of weary travellers wanting a bed for the night. Grace, Janet, Gordon and Oscar skirted around to the rear, looking for an alternate way into the building. Krankel was glued to Grace’s side, feeling his mistress’s anxiety.
They didn’t communicate telepathically, not wanting to alert the Zerot. The CIA agents had short range radios that were low tech and likely to stay off its radar.
Kurt reported in, speaking as quietly as possible. ‘No activity at the reception desk. Emergency lighting only, and the no vacancies sign is up. Gordon is sorting the door lock now. Over.’
Oscar replied, ‘We are approaching the rear. There’s a goods access door here. Over.’
Kurt continued, ‘We’re in, there are two dead behind the reception counter. Over.’
They crept towards the door to the conference room, stopped and listened. They heard a scream, followed by an eerie cackle.
‘They’re inside the conference room,’ whispered Kurt. ‘We need to move quickly. Over.’
‘We’re in, there’s a rear entrance to the room,’ Oscar replied. ‘Prepare to enter on our mark. Over.’
Sonia returned with a set of industrial secateurs. ‘I’ve wanted to try these out for a while, but unfortunately, I don’t have a garden. Let’s see which of you is the bravest.’
She went straight to Sam and adeptly slipped the blades around the little finger of his bound right hand. She paused for a few seconds to see him register what was about to happen, enjoying the horrified look on his face. Then her fingers closed.
It was a few more seconds before Sam realised what had just happened. The rush of blood and the sight of the end of his finger lying on the floor seemed to delay the onset of the pain. But when it came, his face twisted and a deep moan escaped from his throat. He was desperately trying to keep himself together, but with his hands bound he was unable to give his wound any comfort. He looked helplessly around at the despair on his comrades’ faces. He came to grips with the pain, but couldn’t take his eyes off his severed finger. His mind started processing the letters on a computer keyboard that he would now be unable to type. He looked up at the Zerot, stalking her next victim, and realised this was just the start of the torture.
Sonia laughed as she strolled around the other three. She was enjoying their undivided attention.
‘And don’t think your little planet will escape a visit from us. One of our planetary violation teams—Cadre 176—was chased away by your grandparents. After being here for two years, I still wonder how that could have happened. They were here orchestrating the Nazi movement. I recall their pseudonyms were Hitler, Goebbels, Bormann and Schroeder. A standard template used many times, with only a handful of failures. But we always revisit; no one survives the Zerot.’
She stopped at Jon. In an instant, she had the secateurs around his little finger, but this time she cut it straight off.
Jon, having seen Sam’s plucky reaction, bit his lip and stared straight back at the Zerot, determined not to react, to deny her any satisfaction. Sonia was ignoring him, though. His gaze eventually came to rest on Mandy. Her determined look surprised him. She stared at him fiercely, the love she had for him manifesting in unspoken instructions telling him to hold it together. A weak smile was his only reply, but that was sufficient for her.
Sonia’s short pointed teeth gleamed in the dull light as her thin lips parted. The Zerot’s smile brought home—to Amanda and Rob at least—the horror still awaiting them.
‘Of course, Cadre 176’s failure was a delight to my team, as they are our nearest rivals in the Killing Games. But, in the vast scheme of things, know for tonight, at least, that the fate of your planet is sealed, and it will be a magnificent destruction. I very much hope to be part…’ she stopped, stood still for a moment, turned towards the door and activated her full body force field.
William and Kurt positioned themselves on either side of the conference room door. Kurt held his Glock 23 at shoulder level, pointed towards the ceiling. William’s laser cannon required both hands. As firepower went, this was the most powerful weapon the group possessed. William whispered to Kurt, ‘Open the door, but let me go in first.’
At the rear door, Gordon was marshalling his group. ‘Oscar and I will go in first. You girls stay out here until the room is secured.’ He grabbed the communicator from Oscar. ‘William, as soon as you hear weapons fire, enter. Use the cannon with discretion.’
Gordon took a deep breath, checked his laser stun setting, then crashed through the door.
Only when Gordon had kicked the door down did Grace feel the magnitude of evil nature and power of the Zerot. ‘No!’ she cried out. But it was too late. Janet stared at Grace then entered the room herself, her Glock 27 trained straight in front of her.
Gordon picked out the Zerot in the middle of her captives and discharged his gun. A visible glow appeared around the strange, insect-looking creature, showcasing the harmless dissipation of the weapon’s power. He set his gun to maximum and fired again, only to see the same result. The Zerot’s lips rolled back to reveal pointed teeth, leering at his inability to harm her.
Bullets from Kurt’s Glock ricocheted innocuously off Sonia’s protective shield. She turned her attention to him, willing him to turn the weapon on himself. Kurt had no way of stopping his arm turning the gun on himself or his finger slowly squeezing the trigger. William entered through the front but stopped dead in his tracks. There before him was the horrific sight of Kurt’s skull and brains spraying from the side of his head.
As William’s eyes met the creature’s his hands went limp, and the cannon clattered to the floor. He watched helplessly as the Zerot withdrew an object from her belt that flicked open in segments, creating a sword. She started towards him.
The captives, to a man and woman, were shouting at the Zerot and shaking their chairs. Trying anything to distract it. Sonia ignored them, and carried on towards William.
Nothing was stopping the cr
eature. Grace could feel the futility of everyone’s actions. She must distract it. Stepping into the room, she looked straight at it and issued a challenge.
* * *
“I can stop you, creature.”
* * *
The Zerot turned away from William, blood dripping from its sword, to focus on Grace.
“Ha! You are nothing. Your power is nothing. I will show you power, child.”
Grace’s attention was drawn away from William’s fallen body as the creature slowly began sucking away at her will. She resisted, using everything she possessed to fend off the mental attack. Krankel felt the attack on his mistress too, and as with the troll, felt compelled to defend her.
‘No Krankel!’
But he was off. The Zerot, seeing the large dog running at her, smiled wickedly and prepared to meet it with its bloodstained sword.
Grace focussed hard and formed a time acceleration bubble; it was all she could think to do.
“Do you try to play simple tricks on me, girl?” It immediately burst the bubble.
But the split second it had taken the Zerot to break the bubble had given Grace a few precious seconds within it, to prepare a wedge node. She deployed it the instant the bubble failed, using all of her remaining concentration to aim it as best she could. I can’t fail Krankel this time. The dog yelped as it reached the Zerot, glancing painfully off the force field. As the sword arced towards the dog, Grace braced herself. It hit the oblique block of pressurised air from the wedge and was deflected harmlessly underneath. Krankel landed with a yelp, winded. Grace felt the alien’s annoyance as it refocussed on destroying the Princess’s will.
It crawled deeper and deeper into Grace’s mind, sucking away at her. She resisted, but her resolve was weakening.
