by A A Warren
Talon shouldered the rifle and glanced over the edge of the skimmer. “Take us down, as low as you can.”
B’Turo adjusted the altitude. A few guards glanced up in surprise, as the bulky cargo skimmer streaked over their heads.
Talon perched on the edge. He took a deep breath and jumped.
He sailed through the air, then slammed into the ground. Dropping into a forward roll, he popped back up to his feet, and unleashed a torrent of pulse fire. Vaki spun around, holding up her sword in a defensive position.
Sparks flew from the advancing men, as Talon’s pulse fire punched glowing holes in their chest plates. “Get your people down,” he shouted. “There’s more of these dogs on your right!”
“Everybody, take cover!” Vaki cried. She spun around and charged through the smoke, as the workers huddled on the ground, or ducked behind the landing gears of nearby vessels.
Talon spotted the men, emerging from the billowing smoke that filled the flight deck. As they aimed their rifles, he charged towards an overturned cargo pod. He leapt up onto the pod, dodging a barrage of glowing energy bolts that flew across the deck plates.
Still moving, he somersaulted through the air, landing behind the advancing men. He crouched as his feet struck the ground, absorbing the impact with his knees. He swung his plasma axe in a low, wide arc. A scream rang out, as one of the men's legs skidded across the floor. Talon whirled the fiery blade in the air, slashing the barrel of the nearest guard’s rifle in half. As the weapon shattered in the man’s hands, Talon drove the blade down into his helmet.
The guard's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Then he toppled over and fell to the ground.
Suddenly, a pulse bolt erupted from the smoke behind him. He winced as it grazed his shoulder. Spinning around, he saw a third guard standing a few meters away. The armored man lined up Talon in the sights of his rifle. Talon swung his axe, hoping to block the man’s shot, but he felt a cold, sickening feeling in his guts… he knew he was too late. He kept his eyes open. If death wished to claim him, he would stare it in the face.
He saw a flash of light. A pulse bolt, he thought… or perhaps a trick of the light?
The guard stood before him, unmoving. A trickle of blood appeared, just beneath his helmet.
His head toppled from his body and bounced across the floor. His rifle clattered to the ground as his corpse toppled over.
Vaki stood behind him, her crimson blade casting a glow across her face.
“Talon!” She rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. “I was starting to worry… I thought I would never see you again.”
Talon chuckled. “Do you mean that? Or are you just hiding another transmitter on me?”
Vaki pushed him away and slapped his chest. “Hey, I had to make sure I could trust you. I’m not the one who got all cozy with Queen Katara, remember?”
Talon grimaced. “Believe me, it’s a decision I regret.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, you have no idea. That’s what you get for thinking with your—”
The flight deck shook as a massive tremor rippled beneath their feet. The metal deck plates buckled, and the support beams surrounding the chamber groaned and twisted.
Talon eyed the crowd of workers. “We have to move. B’Turo is prepping a ship for takeoff, but I don’t think it can fit everyone.”
Vaki turned to the crowd of workers huddling in the wreckage behind her. A few smaller passenger transport ships were still standing, parked off to the side of the flight deck. Workers from other sections were racing towards them as chunks of ice and debris fell from the roof.
“Listen up people! Can any of you fly?”
Two of the miners pushed their way to the front of the crowd. A tall, lanky man and a plump, stocky woman stood before her, each wearing grease-stained coveralls and work gloves. The woman peered out from under a dented miner’s helmet.
“I can fly. I’ve trained on Kaiju class Ore Haulers. A personal transport should be no problem.”
The man nodded. “Same here.”
Vaki pointed at the row of transport ships. Their ramps were already open, and a mass of engineers and workers were pushing their way onboard. “Get to those transports. When you’re full, you close up the ramp and take off. Don’t wait for clearance, just power up your thrusters and go!”
The woman nodded. “What about you? We owe you our lives… we can't just leave you here.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Vaki replied with a grin. She planted her elbow on Talon’s shoulder and leaned against him. “I have to look out for this big bulaka here. We’ll be fine.”
The miner looked Talon up and down, then beckoned to the other workers. "Everybody, follow me! We're leaving, this way!"
The crowd peeled off, running for the transport ships. Within seconds she lost them in the swirling smoke.
Another tremor shook the flight deck. Talon and Vaki stepped back, as a metal girder came crashing to the ground. Shards of ice erupted from the deck, spreading the deck plates on the floor. Fiery orange lava spilled from the ruptures.
“Enough talk,” Talon shouted. “B’Turo is waiting!”
They raced across the shuddering deck plates, dodging falling debris and stray pulse fire. Talon glanced to his left… One of the dorokuma fell, as a dozen plasma missiles penetrated its armored scales. The massive creature writhed across the ground, sending a pile of cargo pods skidding into their path.
Talon grabbed Vaki and yanked her back, as one of the metal containers tumbled less than a meter from where they stood. The girl’s face turned pale, as she watched the mass of crumpled metal go flying past.
“Don’t stop,” Talon shouted. “Keep running!”
He set her down, and they broke into a sprint. Up ahead, he saw the cargo ramp of the transport closing. The bulky ship’s rear thrusters roared to life, sending a trail of glowing gas into the air.
They were only a few meters away now. Talon pumped his legs, darting left and right as more debris pelted the deck. He swung his plasma axe, cutting down a security guard who was firing on the ice worms.
Suddenly, another massive shock wave tore through the hangar deck. Vaki and Talon fell to the ground as the deck plates shifted and exploded beneath their feet. A massive gorge tore open the floor before them. Smoke and steam belched from the chasm, and a fiery orange glow filled the air.
Talon coughed as the hot, sulfurous vapor wafted from the torn earth. A series of violent aftershocks tore the ground open even further. Vaki struggled to maintain her balance as the earth rocked beneath them. A trail of molten rock crept over the edge of the chasm, making its way towards them.
“We’re cut off,” Vaki shouted.
“Aye,” Talon replied as he staggered to his feet. “The planet is dying.”
“So will we, if we can’t get across that chasm!” Vaki snapped.
Talon took a deep breath. “I can try to jump… stand back!”
Before he could move, another tremor shook the earth… the ground on the opposite side shifted further away. The distance was now at least twenty meters.
Vaki grabbed his shoulder. “No… no way. That’s impossible, you’ll never make it.”
Talon looked her in the eye. “Then this planet will be our grave.”
NO!
Talon reeled, as the chorus of voices rushed back into his head. He fell to his knees, gripping his head.
“Talon, what’s wrong?” Vaki shouted. She grabbed his hand and brushed his tousled hair from his face. “Your eye… it's glowing again!”
A shadow fell across them. Vaki looked up. One of the larger dorokuma hung in the air, looming over them. It fell forward, covering the gap in the earth with its massive body. The ground shuddered, as its armored bulk slammed into the ice.
We made a promise, Talon of the Novarran. The woman, Salena, shared her bond with you. She allowed us to communicate. And in return, we vowed that you would not be harmed. Now you must go! L
eave this world and fulfill your promise to us. Our time is at an end. But through our children, our memories will live on.
Talon staggered to his feet. “The worm… it’s helping us cross the gap.” His voice was a hoarse croak. "Come, we must hurry!"
“Wait…” Vaki eyed the monstrous creature stretching over the chasm. “You want us to climb over that thing?”
“Iberon’s harem, girl! Do you want to wait for a more attractive bridge to come along?”
Talon grabbed one of creature’s thick scales and pulled himself up. He scrambled onto the dorokuma’s dorsal ridge, then extended his hand to Vaki. She grimaced, but allowed him to pull her up the side of the creature.
The worm was at least ninety meters long, and several meters in width. Its scaled hide was rough and uneven, but the pair were able to move at a quick pace over the chasm. As they crossed the gap, Talon felt an intense wave of heat below. Glancing down, he saw fiery orange lava, bubbling and rushing towards the surface.
“Faster!” he shouted. “The lava is rising!”
The edge of the chasm was only a few meters away. Vaki gasped as her foot slipped on the creature’s jagged scales.
“Talon!”
He spun around, and saw her rolling over the side of the creature’s serpentine body.
He dove forward, reaching out with both hands. He felt the worm’s scales rasp across his chest and tear at his skin. His fingers closed around Vaki’s flailing wrist, as she tumbled over the side. Talon’s eyes grew wide… he could see the lava beneath her dangling feet, rising faster and faster.
Grunting with exertion, he pulled her back up. They both staggered to their feet. “Keep running!” he shouted.
A plume of lava erupted behind them. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, as the worm bucked and writhed beneath them. The molten rock doused the creature’s body, leaving charred black flesh everywhere it touched.
Hurry… The creature’s frantic thoughts battered his mind, drowning out all other sensation. We cannot hold on much longer…
Talon and Vaki stumbled across the remaining distance and leapt to the ground.
Talon spun around. “We’re safe! Go now, before—”
Another burst of lava erupted from the chasm, flying into the air. The worm’s flesh buckled, then collapsed, as vast chunks of its body were reduced to cinders.
It writhed and lurched behind them, losing its grip on the edge of the chasm.
There is one more thing, Talon. Something you must know. Our bond connects us to our brothers and sisters, scattered throughout the stars. But through Salena, we have also sensed others... others who have touched your thoughts. The man who trained you, Orex Griff. He is… he is not… Orex Griff is not d—"
The worm’s charred, flaming body crumbled apart, collapsing into two segments. It fell into the chasm, sending another wave of molten fire bubbling over the edge.
“What?” Talon shouted. "What do you mean?"
Vaki grabbed his arm. The tide of lava sloshed out of the chasm, sending a blast of heat rushing towards them.
“Talon, the ship is right over there! We have to go!”
Talon kept staring at the chasm, but did not resist as Vaki tugged him towards the ship. A voice crackled through the speaker in her wrist unit.
“What the hell are you two waiting for?” B’Turo shouted. “I can’t maintain this position much longer!”
The ship listed a few feet into the air, hovering over the rippling deck plates of the collapsing hanger. The rear cargo ramp was closing, but a smaller passenger ramp hung open near the nose of the ship.
Talon clenched his jaw, but said nothing. He glanced one more time at the fiery chasm behind them. Then he turned and followed Vaki. They jumped up onto the ramp, and let it close behind them as the ship streaked towards the hanger bay exit.
The doors at the far side of the hanger bay hissed open. Katara braced herself in the entrance as the room shook. Another quake pummeled the structure, and the entire deck seemed to tilt before her. She stumbled forward, moving out on to the deck as the battle raged around her. A beam-skater tipped over and slid across the floor, crashing into a small cargo hauler. Katara squinted as the colliding ships exploded in a massive fireball, bathing the deck in a brief orange glow.
“My Queen, please,” one of her guards shouted. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. “We have to find another way out… this entire deck is collapsing. Perhaps we could—”
Katara whirled around. Her jaw gaped, and the two tendril-like tongues snaked out, dancing in the air like swaying cobras. She hissed, as rows of sharp scales erupted from her face and arms. She swung her hand, striking the guard in the chest. The force of the blow sent him hurtling backwards. He struck the wall with a loud crack and slumped to the floor.
“My Queen… What are you—” The other guard took a step back, and raised his pulse rifle. Katara whirled to face him.
“There is no other way,” she hissed. “All the other decks are sealed. Neros is collapsing. We find a ship here, or we die with this planet.” Her voice reverberated off the sloped metal walls, a chorus of inhuman clicks and growls.
The guard’s eyes were wide behind his helmet, as he watched Katara continue to morph and mutate. Her arms elongated, stretching down to the floor. Long, sharp talons erupted from her fingertips, clicking across the metal tiles as she advanced towards him.
The terrified man ducked out the doors, letting them close behind him.
The groan of torn metal echoed from above. Katara glanced up… a metal support beam swayed in the air above her, torn loose by the devastation that engulfed the hanger. She dove away from the door, as the beam plummeted to the ground, bringing a barrage of debris and ice with it.
The rumbling subsided, and Katara lifted her head from the ground… the collapse had blocked the doors. She glanced left and right… All around her, Toho security guards battled hordes of shambling corpses. Glowing pulse bolts crisscrossed through the air, lighting up the haze of smoke and mist that hung above the deck. She heard a horrific wail, and watched as a dorokuma plunged into a lava-filled gorge. Molten rock erupted from the center of the hanger, sending glowing trails across the deck.
The floor rattled beneath her, and a few loose cargo containers tumbled by. As she had suspected, the entire hanger was collapsing, falling into the pit of fiery destruction unleashed by the planet’s violent death throes.
There was not much time left…
She struggled to pull herself to her feet, but she promptly fell back into the ice. Her limbs felt cold and numb. She looked down, and her mutated features twisted into an all-too-human grimace of horror. Her once shapely legs had become entwined, like two thrashing serpents. They stretched out behind her for several meters, dragging across the ground as she clawed her way over the ice. A wave of flesh seemed to ripple through the limbs as they fused together. With a shriek, she reared up, her legs replaced by a single, serpentine tail. More armored scales emerged from her pale skin.
The metamorphosis, she thought. I missed my last bio-harvester treatment. The dorokuma queen’s DNA is becoming dominant… it’s taking over my…
She screamed in agony. The pain pushed all conscious thought from her mind. Her spine bent and twisted, and a row of jagged, bony plates tore through the flesh of her back.
She felt her skin crack and peel… It shed away from her, congealing around her quivering flesh in puddles of blood and slime. As her body continued to change, she felt a vibration run through the ice. The sounds of battle seemed muted and distant. Her nerves tingled as a web of new sensory information assaulted her. She could feel every molecule of the frigid air dancing across her flesh. The vibrations of the surrounding battle formed a collage of glowing images, searing her retinas with glowing trails of light.
She saw transport ships taking off, men falling dead on the ice. She could hear the death cries of the great worms, drowning out the roar of thruster jets. Even when she closed her e
yes, she could still see a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. It was like nothing she had ever experienced. It was too much, a tidal wave of sensations crashing over her.
She clutched her head and screamed.
Suddenly, all at once, her senses seemed to clear. Her eyes snapped to her left. She saw another ship, a small personal transport, fire up its engines. Through the wisps of haze that filled the air, she could just make out the vessel’s rear cargo ramp as it hummed shut. A single cargo container lay nestled in the rear bay, held in place by hydraulic clamps.
Through the sliver of the closing ramp, she could read the letters and numbers on the side of the container. They were Zigra markings.
Talon, she thought. He has returned. And he has brought my prize with him. The larva are here…
The ship lurched off the trembling hangar deck. Its lower thrusters belched smoke and plasma trails into the air as it hovered a few feet above the deck and oriented itself towards the hanger exit.
If I can get the larva to my husband’s ship… He will have bio-harvesters onboard. I can restore my genetic profile. And with the larva under my control, the plan can move forward…
Katara’s vision became a blur. She could sense ripples of invisible energy, radiating from the black jade within the closing cargo bay. The sensation washed over her body, flooding her nerve endings with white-hot pangs of hunger. The larva, the children… she could hear their cries, sense their fear. They were a part of her now, linked to her mind through the web of dark energy that bound the dorokuma together.
She slithered across the ice, rushing towards the hovering ship with inhuman speed. The hanger, the battle, the streams of molten rock… everything else faded into the periphery of her senses. All that mattered was the ship, and the precious cargo it contained. The larva were hers to claim, and hers alone.
A prize fit for a queen…
Chapter Thirty-Six
PLANET NEROS
Consortium of Free Worlds
Low Orbit
“I thought you said this guy was a decent pilot,” Vaki shouted. She grabbed the side of her passenger seat as the transport lurched up and down. She pursed her lips and blew her purple braid out of her face. “He’s even worse than you!”
