The group inched closer, their eyes wide with fear. It looked as though it took every ounce of strength the man had left in him to raise his head, his cloudy eyes looking directly into Scallywag’s, pleadingly.
“Help… meeee…” the man rasped.
Without warning, the man coughed out a black bile that sprayed on the group, causing them all to recoil. His body began to convulse as he started gagging. Scallywag looked on in horror as the man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. A bulge formed in his throat as something large appeared to be crawling up it. The man’s jaw dropped open in a silent scream, and a worm-like creature slithered out, hissing at the group.
Xao immediately shrieked like a woman and began to frantically fire his tiny pistol at the worm. “AHHHHHHH!” he cried in an octave so high, it hurt to hear. “KillitKillitKillit!!!!!”
Scallywag and the others flinched away as Xao’s plasma blasts haphazardly flew by, eventually striking the worm and the face it was trying to emerge from. Once Xao had settled down, the group looked at the smoking, charred remains of the horrific sight. Everyone turned and glared at Xao, who was breathing as though he’d just run a marathon.
“Ew, so gross,” lamented Xao. “Xao no like that. So tacky.”
Scallywag reached out and quickly grabbed the gun from Xao’s grasp. “Gimme that!” he said angrily. “Right now tha only thing scarier than what we just saw is you with a bloody weapon!”
Then, other bodies within the rock began to stir, as though awakened by the commotion that had just occurred. Everyone in the group looked around, tense and alarmed, as more and more supposedly dead corpses began coughing up black bile and making choking sounds.
“You lot remember what I said about knowin’ when ta be panicked?” muttered Scallywag as he surveyed the scene around him with an increasing amount of dread.
“Yeah…” replied Banjax.
Scallywag looked the bounty hunter dead in the eyes. “I do believe it’s that time.”
All around, hissing worms began slithering out of the mouths of the dying bodies lodged within the black rock, their shrieks directed at the intruders in their nest. Xao’s eyes went wide with panic and he abruptly screamed at the top of his lungs, turning and running away as he flailed his arms frantically in the air. For once, Scallywag thought the Izard had the right idea.
“RUN!” Scallywag commanded.
The group began sprinting back through the maze of towering columns all around them, trying to find their way to the exit. Scallywag dodged to the side as a worm shot from the mouth of the corpse it had slithered out of, the wriggling, foot-long creature narrowly missing him as it darted by. More and more worms began throwing themselves at the group, and Scallywag and Banjax wasted no time in firing at them, turning the creatures into charred puffs of ash in the air.
“Xao friend, not food!” shrieked Xao as he quickly outpaced the group, his tiny legs moving so fast they were practically a blur. “CHOW FRIEND! NOT FOOD!!!”
Scallywag glanced behind him to see the other three brutes keeping pace and firing all around them, as well. The one furthest in the back suddenly screamed out, grabbing at the back of his head before falling forward onto the ground, unconscious. Scallywag grit his teeth as he saw one of the worms with its tail buried in the back of the brute’s skull, wriggling and hissing as it burrowed itself further in.
Another worm shot forth, biting onto the neck of the thug closest to Scallywag. Its tail whipped around and embedded itself in the base of the man’s skull, causing him to scream in pain and stumble into Scallywag as he fell.
The body blow from the falling brute sent Scallywag tumbling, and he hit the floor hard. He looked up at the thug who’d landed next to him. The man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as the worm burrowed itself into his neck, hissing at Scallywag the whole time. Scallywag scrambled away, pushing himself back to the wall, panicked. All too late, he saw a body embedded in the black rock across from him, the worm there shrieking at him before hurling itself from the corpse’s mouth.
Right before the worm latched onto Scallywag, a cybernetic hand reached out fast as lightening and caught it inches from Scallywag’s face. The worm cried out as Banjax crushed it in his grip, black ooze squirting from it as it popped. Banjax then grabbed Scallywag by his jacket’s collar and yanked him back to his feet.
“Thanks fer the save,” said Scallywag as they began to run again.
“You die, those funds you transferred don’t get released,” Banjax growled.
“Then remind me ta thank capitalism when we get a chance,” muttered Scallywag.
The two men kept firing at every face they could see jutting from the black rock to try to keep the worms from emerging and launching at them. Not far ahead of them, they could see the third thug of their party, making a bee-line for the exit, just as a massive worm descended upon him from above, latching its mouth completely over the brute’s head.
Scallywag and Banjax skidded to a stop. The worm’s long, gargantuan body was wrapped around one of the pillars, giving it the leverage to pull the brute up off his feet, the man frantically kicking in the air as he clawed at the mouth that held his head, his muffled screams leaking out from inside.
“What the kitten is that???” cried Banjax.
Scallywag looked at the smaller worms slithering from the mouths of the corpses in the room. “If I hadta guess,” he replied, “I’d say we just found momma.”
The mother worm pressed the thug in its mouth against the wall, the black rock growing around him, holding him in place as he struggled against it. The worm began to make a gulping sound, its body rippling as though something were working its way through it. A ghostly glow emanated from the inside of the worm that sped through its long body, eventually finding its way into the thug its mouth was latched onto.
Scallywag watched in horror as the thug’s body tensed when the ghostly glow entered him, settling in his gut before disappearing. Then, the mother worm released its hold on him, and the thug hung limp and unconscious.
Banjax wasted no time raising his blaster and firing, hitting the thug square in the face, killing him instantly. He looked at Scallywag as though he expected the pirate to object, but all Scallywag did was nod. “I’d expect ya ta do the same fer me,” Scallywag said.
“Likewise,” replied Banjax.
The mother worm reared toward the two men, the three flaps of its mouth opening wide, revealing circles upon circles of sharp teeth within the worm’s slimy esophagus. It released an ear-piecing scream that echoed like a harpy’s cry throughout the cavernous room.
Scallywag and Banjax both raised their blasters, firing at the huge worm, making it recoil and squirm with each hit that landed. Then, it shot a cannonball-sized orb of death energy from its mouth, the chaotic, ghostly white ball rocketing right for the duo. Banjax and Scallywag both dove out of the way as the blast impacted the ground, taking a massive chunk out of it when it did.
The mother worm gagged a few times as it propelled a number of smaller ghostly death-blasts from its mouth. Scallywag and Banjax scrambled behind a nearby pillar as the smaller orbs of death energy peppered the ground, narrowly missing them.
“Please tell me ya got somethin’ in that fancy arm o’ yers that can bloody kill that thing!” Scallywag cried as he cringed away from another blast that took off a chuck of the pillar right by his head.
“When I was picking out the extras, I wasn’t exactly planning on using it to fight giant honkin’ monster worms!” replied Banjax.
Scallywag peeked over the side of his cover and looked up at where the mother worm had its body wrapped around another pillar high above. “At least tell me ya got an explosive or two handy.”
“A couple bolt charges,” Banjax replied. “Strong enough to take down an unshielded door or blow a hole in some light armor, but nothing that will put a dent in that thing.”
“As long as they’re strong enough ta put a dent in some rock, they’ll do,” said S
callywag as he pulled out both his blasters, giving them a twirl and crouching as though he were getting ready to spring from their cover. “Fire all o’ them at the rock it’s got itself wrapped around, and blow it just as we get within its range. That may give us enough time ta get past it and inta the tunnel out o’ here without one o’ us ending up as worm chow.”
Banjax popped the bolt projector from his arm, its muzzle extending as it charged up. “Good to go,” he said.
Scallywag took a deep breath, then sprung out of cover, firing his blasters to distract the huge worm. Once the mother worm’s attention was fully on Scallywag, Banjax emerged, firing the tiny explosive bolts from the launcher on his arm. The bolts, their tiny red detonator lights beeping, latched onto the rock of the pillar the worm was wrapped around.
“That’s all of them!” alerted Banjax.
“Run!” replied Scallywag.
The two men began running forward, firing their blasters the entire time. The mother worm shot more balls of death energy, which the two men narrowly evaded as they kept charging forward.
“Blow it, now!” commanded Scallywag.
Banjax detonated the bolts just as they got under the mother worm. The explosions cracked the black rock, causing it to slide off and break away, taking the worm wrapped around the pillar with it. The mother worm screamed as she fell, momentarily forgetting about trying to latch onto the men as they ran past her toward the exit.
Scallywag and Banjax both turned as the mother worm hit the ground with a thunderous THUMP and lay still. The two of them stood breathing hard as adrenaline rushed through their veins.
“I can’t believe that worked,” Banjax said.
“Me neither,” said Scallywag as he caught his breath.
“You neither?” said Banjax, looking at Scallywag incredulously. “It was your plan!”
“I know,” replied Scallywag. “It’s just that typically, when I have a plan, something unexpected usually happens that makes it go horribly wrong.”
Suddenly, the mother worm reared back up, turning toward Banjax and Scallywag with a screech so filled with anger and malice, it practically made the tunnel the men were in vibrate.
“Case in point…” muttered Scallywag.
“Remind me never to take another job from you again,” growled Banjax as he turned to run.
The mother worm wasted no time slithering after the two men as they raced back down the corridor, spitting balls of death-energy at them as it gave chase. Scallywag and Banjax fired behind them as they ran, trying to slow the worm as it began to close the distance.
Scallywag started aiming for the pipes on the walls, his blasts causing eruptions of steam from the fissures, making the mother worm cry out as the heated vapor struck her. The gambit seemed to be paying off as the two men increased the distance between them and the creature, with the stairwell leading out of the tunnel finally in sight.
Then, the mother worm ejected a massive ball of death energy, aimed right for Scallywag, which was too big to easily dodge. It impacted the wall right by him, breaking the pipes there and sending chunks of the wall flying from the powerful impact. Scallywag was thrown off his feet, hitting the ground as debris rained down around him. When he looked up, he saw Banjax had not turned back to assist him, already halfway up the stairs leading to the street.
Scallywag glanced behind him as the mother worm rushed to catch up. He cursed and got back to his feet, firing blindly behind him with his blasters as he sprinted as fast as he could for the exit. The mother worm was bearing down on him as he reached the stairs. The pirate took the stairs two at a time as he ran for his life. He could feel the warmth of the worm’s foul breath behind him as it screeched and slithered up the stairs in its relentless pursuit.
I’m not gonna make it! was the only thought that ran frantically through Scallywag’s mind. I’m not gonna make it!!!
Scallywag glanced up to the top of the stairs where Banjax stood in the doorway, his cybernetic arm extended, its hand hanging from its wrist revealing the tip of a small missile protruding from the arm’s center.
“GET DOWN!” Banjax cried right before firing.
Scallywag dove and flattened himself onto the stairs as the small missile rocketed overhead, missing him by inches as it streaked directly toward the mother worm. The creature’s mouth was open, its circular rows of teeth gleaming in its gaping maw as it prepared to strike out and latch onto its prey. The missile flew right down its gullet. The projectile exploded in a spectacular fashion, blowing bits and pieces of the worm in every direction and splattering gunk and ooze against the walls.
Scallywag turned, looking behind him as what remained of the body of the mother worm wriggled feebly before slopping to the ground and lying still, black ooze seeping from the gaping wound where its upper half used to be. Banjax’s hand appeared, helping Scallywag back to his feet. The pirate scowled at the bounty hunter. “You had a blasted missile in that arm o’ yers this entire bloody time???” cried Scallywag.
“It doesn’t have the ability to lock onto targets,” Banjax said. “I only use it when I have a straight shot, and only as a last resort. These things ain’t cheap.”
Scallywag looked at the smoking remains of the mother worm, his frustration giving way to relief that he was actually still alive. “Mate, I’d say that fancy arm o’ yours was worth every penny,” he said. “When we get out o’ here, I’m gonna buy ya a whole stockpile of bloody missiles.”
“You’re gonna buy me more than that,” Banjax said with a grin. “My fee triples each time I save someone’s life. And by my count, that’s twice you owe me.”
“By Osiris, take quadruple,” replied Scallywag, making his way for the exit. “Far be it from me ta discourage that kind o’ work ethic.”
Scallywag never thought it was possible to be so happy to see the decrepit, run-down streets of stratum one. But as he began making his way from the alley, he took a moment to appreciate the fact that as dreary as his surroundings were, they were practically paradise compared to what he’d just been through. And now that he was safe once more, a sense of relief washed over his body…
At least until the spotlights shined on him.
“Halt!” came a voice emanating from a speaker. “Do not move. We have you surrounded.”
Scallywag and Banjax shielded their eyes from the bright spotlight emanating from the Peacekeeper hovercar in the air. Two intimidating security-bots loomed before them, their arm cannons raised. The sound of feet hitting the pavement caught Scallywag’s ears, and he turned to see four members of the Royal Guard, complete with their red armored uniforms and powerful plasma rifles, take positions behind them.
Scallywag and Banjax put their hands in the air as another Royal Guardsman emerged from the shadows, standing between the two security-bots. Scallywag eyed the newcomer suspiciously. He was not wearing a helmet like the others, and his shoulder pauldrons denoted a high rank, as well.
“I am Commander Gunner,” the man announced. “The two of you are under arrest.”
“Since when is walkin’ around stratum one mindin’ our own business a crime?” asked Scallywag.
“We have evidence that you broke into a restricted government facility,” the Commander replied. “And once we investigate further, I’m sure we’ll find you committed acts of domestic terrorism, as well.”
Banjax stepped forward. “Commander, my name is Banjax’ontoda’raal. I am a fully registered bounty hunter and licensed member of the Imperial Peacekeeper Deputy Service. As a law-enforcement professional, I can attest that there was no crime committed here. But I can offer testimony as to an imminent threat to the city which this Visini and I have discovered.”
The Commander eyed Banjax. “Very well,” he said. “Let’s see your credentials.”
Banjax was about to approach the Commander when Scallywag put his hand on the Endolan’s shoulder. “Something ain’t right,” Scallywag said. “What business does the Royal Guard have with this?”<
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“Relax,” Banjax said. “This will be a third time you owe me. And I’m holding you to your offer of a quadruple fee.”
Scallywag glanced around him uneasily as Banjax approached Commander Gunner, taking a datachip from his cybernetic arm and handing it over. Gunner inserted the chip into his datapad and reviewed the information on his screen. “Impressive resume you have here,” Gunner said. “You appear to be quite good at your job.”
“I’ve received a number of Imperial commendations,” Banjax said proudly. “I don’t break the law, Commander. I help enforce it. So believe me when I say, we’ve got a real problem down here.”
Gunner nodded and handed Banjax his chip back. “Since you check out, I’m going to spare you, for the time being,” he said. “But only because I believe it would be valuable to have a man of your skills on our side.”
Banjax smiled. “You’re making the right call, Commander,” he said. “What about the Red?”
“Him, I’m afraid, we’ll have to deal with differently,” Gunner replied.
“Isn’t there a way we could—”
“No,” said Gunner, flatly.
Banjax frowned. “Let me be the one to take him in,” Banjax said. “He knows better than to put up a fight with me.”
“Very well,” the Commander replied.
Banjax turned and began heading back toward Scallywag. Scallywag knew in his gut something was wrong. But even he didn’t expect it when Banjax’s eyes grew wide, before they rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed onto the ground. Scallywag’s chest clenched as he saw a worm wriggling into the back of Banjax’s skull, hissing as it did so. He looked up at Commander Gunner, who held another worm coiled around his left wrist, petting it gently.
“You… you wormed him!” said Scallywag in shock.
“Don’t worry, your friend will be fine,” Gunner said. “In a couple hours, once the slythru has taken root, it will vanish, and your friend will be back to normal… at least until the joining process is complete. Then he’ll fully be one of us.”
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 58
