Box Set #4: Sisterhood's End: [The 3 book 4th adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood]

by Robert Iannone

  Serenity wanted to pull her friend back toward the campfire, which was still smoldering. It wouldn’t take much to get it going to full blaze . . . the flames and the heat keeping the predators at bay.

  But, dragging the fallen Shamie might inflict more damage . . . and most certainly more pain. Reluctantly, she abandoned that plan.

  Since she had no weapon (another oversight she intended to correct), the situation called for clever improvisation. The hover jets on her wheelchair should serve as a deterrent to the gator onslaught. The trick was to get close enough to scare them but not so close that one or more might try to grab her.

  And it worked.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t so very long before she began to run out of fuel.

  With a last sputter and cough, the hover jets went dead.

  The wheelchair and occupant landed with a thud on top of the front most alligator. The unexpected whack on the head sent him scurrying back into the water . . . followed by his ugly, hungry friends.

  They swam a dozen feet away and waited to see if they would be attacked again. When nothing happened, they began to paddle back to the outcropping of land . . . and the intoxicating smell of fresh blood.

  It was definitely time for lunch.

  Serenity was badly shaken and in great pain when her chair fell. Nevertheless, through sheer will power, she was able to claw her way over to Jynx and throw herself over her fallen friend. “I’m so sorry, Jynxie. I let you down . . . just like I did to my mom.”

  *****

  “This is Egg . . . can anyone hear me?”

  Serenity was in no position to respond . . . she was fighting for her life and Jynx’s. Even if she wasn’t, her communications crystal couldn’t pick up Egg’s signal.

  But she had designed the emergency beacon for just such an occasion. The device received the message, which was on the correct frequency thereby triggering its automatic response . . .

  “This is Serenity. Jynx and I require assistance. We’re located at 25°23'42.97" N and 80°34"59.36" W. We are safe for the moment but the environment is hostile. If you hear this message, please hurry.”

  The message was designed to repeat continuously just in case whoever was looking for them needed a signal to home in on.

  “Goose bumps . . . really big goose bumps,” cried Egg. “Let’s go.” She grabbed Tee’ka’s hand and disappeared with Sylvia and Soo just behind.

  *****

  Antarctica

  The pod was never designed for such extreme cold as it was now experiencing in the frozen wasteland of Earth’s sub-continent (something else Serenity would have to remedy if she survived). The temperature outside had plummeted to over one hundred degrees below zero at night . . . causing the metal walls to turn brittle. To make matters worse, the ice which trapped the pod was continuing to exert enormous pressure on the hull . . . squeezing it well beyond its tolerance to endure.

  Though Bl’azzz was ill equipped to understand the science, her basic street sense told her she was in trouble. Well, so did the automated message that began to play.

  “Warning. Under current conditions, the structural integrity of this pod will fail in sixty minutes. Any occupant is advised to leave immediately. Emergency supplies can be found in the cabinet to the right of the exit.”

  The message continued to repeat every minute.

  “Oh boy.”

  It really was a tough choice. Stay in the pod when it cracked open . . . and watch the cold water flood in and sink the broken craft to the bottom of the lake. Or, try and get out (not a given since the craft was encased in ice) and brave the life-threatening cold and a flock of angry birds.

  Either way, her chance of survival was not as good as Serenity’s and Jynx’s . . . and their chance of survival was a coin flip at best.

  To her credit, Bl’azzz didn’t panic. She had always known that being a Hameggattic Sister was dangerous business . . . and a risk she was willing to take. Her only regret was that if she had only an hour left, she would have rather been fighting Mobius or the Empress or some other evil. Fighting for her life against cold water or cold air . . . that seemed downright embarrassing.

  The warning system repeated its message yet again . . . giving forty-two minutes as the time remaining.

  Not wanting to waste any more time, the F’yre Dragon tried her best to open the hatch . . . but it wouldn’t budge even against her enormous strength. She tried a burp and burn . . . maybe a little heat would melt the ice enough for her to make an escape.

  It didn’t.

  Well, apparently she was about to go down with her ship. She took deep breathes to try and calm herself . . . but it didn’t work. Now that she was out of options – and almost out of time – her resolve not to panic was beginning to erode.

  The one thing that could comfort her was to hear her sisters’ voices one more time. So, she tapped her communications crystal . . . but without much hope of being heard. “Hey, guys, it’s Bl’azzz. I’m stuck in my pod which is about to sink to the bottom of a lake in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Just wanted to say goodbye.” She stopped to get hold of her emotions. “Um, I love you all and I just wanted you to know that. It’s been amazing being a Hameggattic Sister and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything in the world. If . . . um . . . if Soo hears this, would you do me a favor and tell my parents goodbye and that I love them. Tell them I’m sorry if I didn’t turn out as well as they had hoped . . . but I tried. I really did. Anyway, I have about thirty minutes so I’ll just sing some of those stupid Fandango songs to keep from thinking too much. I . . . I just can’t remember all the words. But here goes . . .

  She’s my friend till the end, and I love her

  We may yell, and we can fight

  Over who is wrong and who is right

  But in the end, she’s my friend and I love her

  She is pretty, she is smart

  Very tall with lots of heart

  Or she is short and kind of silly

  With a stare that turns you chilly

  But, she’s my friend till the end, and I love her

  Can she sing or can she dance?

  With two left feet, not a chance

  Her voice is squeaky and hurts my ears

  When she stops, I want to cheer.

  But in the end, she’s my friend and I love her

  “I . . . I can’t remember the rest.” The effort was too much and she started to cry. That only served to make her mad . . . in the end, when it counted most, she couldn’t be brave. ‘What a lousy sister’ she thought. You and I know that wasn’t true at all . . . Bl’azzz was being as heroic as any sister had ever been.

  Her emotional thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected burst of static coming from her communications crystal.

  “Somebody there?”

  “Bl’azzz, it’s Egg. The next verse . . .” but the rest was lost.

  “Egg, what did you say?”

  “The next verse is . . . She’s my friend and she’s the best. I would take her over all the rest. She makes each day shine ever so bright. Even when nothing else is going right. She’s my friend till the end, and I love her.”

  *****

  The Everglades

  Everything happened so fast that an ordinary person would have had to stop and think about what to do first.

  Not Egg. In moments like this, her mind seemed to speed up – causing everything around her to slow down. One quick scan of the situation was all she needed to make a decision . . . and to save the lives of her friends.

  “Soo . . . can you belly dive into the water? Land just in front of those alligators.”

  With a mighty leap, the sea serpent went airborne and landed with a huge splash just where Egg wanted. The dozens of surprised gators reacted instantly . . . they turned and swam away as fast as their stubby little legs could paddle.

  While Soo was still airborne, Egg rushed over to her two fallen friends followed closely by Tee’ka and Sylvia. The three girls
gently pulled the barely-conscious Serenity off of the Shamie.

  “Careful,” said Syl needlessly.

  “She’s covered in blood.”

  “Egg, it’s not hers. It’s Jynx,” responded Tee.

  “Oh my gosh. Quick, get me something to wrap around her leg to stop the bleeding.”

  Tee’ka had her red scarf, which she pulled off and handed to her friend.

  Egg took it and wrapped it around the wounded paw. When she finished, she pulled it tight and tied it. The pressure caused Jynx to growl in pain.

  “Sorry, girl.”

  Soo had climbed out of the water but stood guard just in case the ugly beasts decided to return. Over her shoulder, she asked, “How are they?”

  Before anyone could answer, their communications came alive. It was Bl’azzz.

  They listened to what she had to say . . . then gasped when they realized she was minutes away from dying. Egg tried to talk to her sister but couldn’t until the dragon stopped singing.

  When she finally did, for some reason Egg responded with, “Bl’azzz, it’s Egg. The next verse . . .” but the rest was lost to a burst of static.

  “Egg, what did you say?”

  “The next verse is . . .” and she sang, “She’s my friend and she’s the best. I would take her over all the rest. She makes each day shine ever so bright. Even when nothing else is going right. She’s my friend till the end, and I love her.” Singing that verse seemed so out of place to the others and they looked at her quizzically.

  But when she finished, something shocking happened.

  A gray fog enveloped the girl. When it cleared, there stood Flying Girl. . .

  . . . flying suit and all.

  “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I’m back. I’m Flying Girl again.”

  “How?” asked Tee’ka.

  “Later,” replied Egg. “Syl, get a fix on Bl’azzz. Bl’azzz, say something.”

  “Like what?”

  “Anything. Sing that verse back to me. Hurry.”

  The dragon did and Sylvia got her fix on the signal. “Wow. She’s at the South Pole.”

  “What’s that?” asked Soo.

  “A frozen land mass. Gets very, very, very cold there.”

  “She can’t survive if it gets too cold,” answered Soo. “You need to hurry.”

  “Give me the coordinates.” Syl did as she was asked. “I’ll get her, you take Serenity and Jynx back to Gram’s . . . then return and get Soo and Tee. Go. Now.” she commanded.

  Sylvia grabbed the two fallen sisters and an instant later, she disappeared. Satisfied, Egg told the others, “She’ll be right back. I’m going for Bl’azzz.”

  “Good luck.”

  Egg touched her ring and disappeared. A moment later, she was standing on the edge of the frozen lake looking at the trapped pod. “Bl’azzz, I’m here. Can you come out?”

  “Sorry, Egg. This thing is frozen shut.” A moment later, she added, “Uh-oh, the warning just said there’s three minutes before I sink.”

  “Okay. Hang on, I’ll get you out.”

  “How?”

  “Well . . . give me a second.” Egg had no idea.

  While she was thinking, she heard a popping sound. “What was that?” she asked the dragon.

  “I think I’m about to sink. Egg . . . thanks for trying.”

  “Like I’m going watch you drown. Move away from that door as far as you can.”

  “Okay. Now what?”

  “Um . . . here goes nothing,” and she leapt into the air about a hundred feet then dove straight into the pod’s door as fast as she could fly. Dazzle had always said the flying suit would protect her from injury whenever she flew. It was time to test that theory.

  She smacked into the door . . . then she and it crashed to the other side of the pod.

  “Are you crazy?”

  “My mom had me tested, don’t forget.”

  “Why aren’t you dead?”

  “The suit.”

  “Egg . . . if you’re okay, the water is beginning to flow in.”

  “I’m good,” responded the other girl . . . but without conviction. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  “Then, after you,” and Bl’azzz used her wings to help her friend to stand.

  They exited the little craft, which promptly sank.

  “That was a little too close for comfort.”

  “Speaking of comfort . . . and not to complain or sound ungrateful . . . but I’m freezing my feathers off.”

  “Give me your wing,” and Egg took hold. “Let’s go home,” and she touched her ring.

  Chapter 8 – Of Butterflies and Aliens

  Grammy’s

  The house was getting way too crowded so Ezra had to empty the hangar of his plane and other equipment. He brought in space heaters and whatever else he could think of to make it a warm and comfy place.

  For the moment, Soo and Bl’azzz had the building to themselves and were talking quietly. The conversation was a bit strained . . . on one hand, the dragon was so happy for her friend when she heard the news of her pregnancy. On the other hand, they waited nervously for word on Serenity and Jynx.

  Back in the house, Serenity had been taken to the master bedroom where she was attended to by Grammy and Sylvia.

  Jynx was in the living room lying on a pile of furry blankets that were placed in front of the roaring fireplace. Ezra, who had plenty of first aid training in the military, took charge . . . with Egg and Tee’ka helping.

  “That tourniquet probably saved her life.”

  “There was so much blood. Will she be okay?”

  “Egg, I’m obviously no expert on Shamies . . . but her pulse seems to be weak and her breathing is very shallow. That might be normal for her, but I don’t think so.”

  “Should we call a vet?”

  “And tell him what? It might be a little awkward considering his patient is from outer space.”

  “Then what? She’s going to die without help.”

  “Egg, give me your ring and I’ll take Jynx back to Aerianna. The doctors there should be able to fix her.”

  “Tee, that’s a great idea. Take her to Nautica and put her in K’ssss’ care. If she can’t help, she’ll be able to find someone who can.” Egg slipped off her ring and gave it to her friend.

  “Should I stay with her?”

  “That’s very sweet . . . but there’s nothing you can do for her. On the other hand, we still have two sisters to save. Come back as quickly as you can.”

  “Okay. Um . . . tell me again how this works,” indicating the ring. It had been five years since she last used it.

  “Think of the place you want to go . . . in this case K’ssss’ lab . . . then just touch the ring. When you want to return, think about this room. Okay?”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll see you in a little while.” She slid over to the unconscious Shamie and put her hand on her back. “Come on, Jynxie, we’ll get you fixed up as good as new.” An instant later, they were gone.

  “She’ll be alright, won’t she?”

  “Egg, the problem is if she needs a transfusion of blood . . . where will they get it?”

  “What are you saying . . . she’s going to die?”

  Ezra wanted to look away but forced himself not to. “Say a prayer for your friend. She’s going to need all the help she can get.”

  *****

  “How are you feeling, dear?” asked Grammy.

  Serenity took a few seconds to answer . . . using the time to take inventory of her aches and pains. “Much better, thank you. Hi, Syl . . . it’s great to see you. How’s Jynx?”

  “Ezra, Egg and Tee are looking after her. What about you . . . is there something specific that’s hurting you?”

  “No. When my chair lost power, it fell about ten feet and the jolt was unexpectedly sharp. My back is pretty sensitive to such things. But, the pain is all but gone now. If you don’t mind, I like to get up. Were you able to rescue my chair?”

  “Ezra fixed something
or other that had gotten damaged. I’ll go get it for you.”

  Before she could leave, Egg and Ezra came in. Egg went up to her sister and gave her a big (but gentle) hug. “How are you feeling?”

  Serenity smiled. “I like your hair.”

  Egg laughed. “Thanks. Now answer my question.”

  “I’m good. In fact Sylvia was about to get my chair . . . weren’t you?”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Ezra, thank you. I’m told you made some repairs.”

  “Nothing major. A few things got bent when you fell. You’ll need to test it yourself to make sure there is no other damage.”

  “I will. How’s Jynx?”

  Egg answered. “I sent her back to Aerianna with Tee.”

  Serenity eyes went wide. “Why?”

  “She lost a lot of blood. The gator took a big bite out of her paw.”

  The other girl was a genius for a reason. “Where are they going to get more blood for a transfusion?”

  Egg just shook her head.

  “I will not let her die. She saved my life . . . and I will save hers.”

  “Do you want to go back to Aerianna?”

  “Aerianna? No, of course not. I’m going to find Spirit. She can heal her friend . . . my friend.”

  “Oh, right. Geez, I totally forgot about her healing ability.”

  Sylvia had just returned with the chair. “We’re pretty sure where she . . . or maybe BreeZee . . . landed. We can’t tell which one.”

  “Could you give me a hand?” asked Serenity.

  “Oh sure,” and Sylvia helped her sister out of bed and into the wheelchair.

  “Give me a second,” and the girl tapped at her control panels. “I’m running a self-diagnosis.” Twenty seconds later she said, “It’s working fine . . . except for the hover jets which are out of fuel.”

  “What kind of fuel does it use?” asked Ezra.

  “Something I concocted. But, it can use almost anything . . . just not as efficiently.”

  “I’ll get you some aviation fuel to try.”

  “That will work. Thank you.”

  At that moment, they heard “HELLO?” from the living room.