NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26

by Thomas Rabenstein

  »Don’t be fooled, Nuri. Even if it doesn’t look like it, the walls, halls and ceilings are filled with technologies. It is much different than it appears to the naked eye.«

  Hassan steered the spaceship abruptly onto a different course as the opening before them was blocked by a building module.

  »We need to be careful. The modules are still in the process of arranging themselves. It seems that the structure isn’t completed. We might need to find a different way out when we’re done here.«

  »I hope you find your way out of here. I don’t want to be buried alive?«

  She glanced at the special, suitcase-like container.

  »What do you think is in there?«

  »It’s not a bomb. I’m sure of that.« Hassan was flying the spaceship deeper into the fortress. »If there were an igniter or a hint of technology inside the case then I’d know about it.«

  »Did you try to analyze the contents already?«

  He grinned, »Certainly, but to no avail.«

  Nuri produced a thin, insecure smile

  »You don’t like it, eh? You’re used to being able to see and understand, right? You get nervous if you can’t analyze things systematically, right?« Hassan poked at her.

  »Don’t you analyze me!« she snipped. »That’s my job.«

  »It’s not possible to see everything, Nuri. Look, something’s coming up about five hundred meters before us. The walls have nooks and coves. They’re housing several of these containers we’ve encountered on our way into the fortress.

  Nuri closed her eyes and tried to taste the countless bio-electric fields.

  »I can see clearer now. There are different auras and also different beings. There’re also Quadranans in these containers. This might be a good place to dump our load. We open the case and blast out of here.«

  »Without checking what’s going to happen after?« Hassan said.

  »Hmm … I think we should take a look at what we’re supposed to deploy inside the fortress. Do you want me to open the case or you?«

  Hassan pondered for a moment.

  »I don’t know … maybe we should wait a little longer. Our mission parameters clearly state to open the case if several Moxantans are present.«

  »It’s a weapon! I bet you, it’s a weapon! Anything else won’t make sense. Just fly to one of these coves … I’ll open the case.«

  Nuri removed the clasps after Hassan had docked at one of the coves and opened the lid. Then she entered the security code via a holo pad. A second lid opened.

  With wide open eyes she stared at the open case.

  »What the heck? Is this a bad joke? Look at this, Hassan! The case is …«

  I know, Boss

  Greenland …

  »… empty! We’re hauling this damn can around for hours, risking our lives … and this thing is empty!« Hosch raged. »If we lose Bondi over this then the shit hits the fan … I swear!«

  »Wait, Hosch!« Main said. »Calm down, look … here, the fine glass ampoules …«

  »Hosch reached into the box and pulled a thinly walled glass ampoule from the cushioning material. The ampoule was much smaller than a syringe.

  »Alright, the case is not empty and contains glass ampoules.« Hosch was rolling his eyes.

  He had handled the glass ampoule a touch too hard, causing it to break into fine fragments.

  »For Heaven’s sake, Hosch!« Main stepped back. »Pull yourself together! There could be highly concentrated poison in these ampoules or a special weapons-grade agent! Do you think they sent us here, not achieving anything? There’s too much at stake here!«

  »Well … we’re still alive. Whatever is in these … uh … little test tubes, it doesn’t smell, you can’t see it and it doesn’t kill. I don’t get it.«

  Main frowned.

  »Did you think about a chemical weapon agent, before you broke the glass? We might already be dead, we just don’t know it yet!«

  Hosch shook his head.

  »With all due respect, Boss, now it’s you who isn’t thinking straight. The Solar Union is not sacrificing anybody. What did Monta say? “The Kamikaze times are over”. You even said that we could stay beside the case when we release its content. Consequently, this stuff is not dangerous to us.«

  Main was breathing flatly and looked at the Frigonan Circle Fortress.

  »I hope you’re right, Hosch. But what comes next? If we deliver this stuff to the fortress then we probably won’t come back. They’ll see us from the distance and attack us. I think we should release the stuff inside the fortress, even better, close to a group of Frigonans. What do you think?«

  Hosch was silent and seemed to ponder that. His eyes looked at the spindles and to the sky.

  »If we release the agent and the Frigonans catch us in the act, you have to promise me something …«

  Main nodded and swallowed hard.

  »I don’t want to end like Uma Boss or these other Circle beings down there. If I can’t fend off these prickly bastards, then you make sure that I won’t be running around like a zombie and kill me!«

  »I expect the same of you!« Main said without a hint of sarcasm. »Let’s put these ampoules into our pockets and finish this!«

  »No … I do that!« A scratchy voice surprised them from behind.

  Hosch twitched and screeched briefly as he saw the speaker. Lightning-fast he pulled his gun from the holster and aimed it at Bondifar.

  Bondi was standing before them – naked.

  »Montas! My God!« Main couldn’t believe his eyes. Bondifar’s skin was blue and he was standing naked in the ice-cold snow, carrying the motionless Frigonan on his chest.

  »Hehe …doddoesn’t … concontrol my … thouthoughts,« Bondifar stuttered and reached out with his hands.

  He seemed absentminded, as if under the influence of drugs. Main and Hosch had noticed the same symptoms before with Uma Boss.

  »He’s injejecting somesomething into mymy blobloblood stream. It … it keekeeps meme alilive. Hehe cahan commumunicate with me. I cancan hear hihim. He’s uusing mymy nervnervous system and wawants meme to go …«

  Hosch put his gun away and pulled out his combat knife instead.

  »We’ll cut the beast out!«

  He stepped forward.

  Bondifar seemed horrified and his mouth opened to release a silent cry …

  »Nonno! Thisthis wouwould kikill meme too!« Bondifar screamed. »Ggive meme this stustuff; I’ll cacarry it dowdown to the Circle Forforfortress. They wowon’t attack me. I cacan do it! There isss no neeneed for youyou to ssussubject yourselves tooto the danger.«

  Hosch and Main exchanged some quick glances and then cautiously transferred the vials into a small bag which they then surrendered to Bondifar.

  »Friend … be careful, take care of yourself,« Hosch whispered to him as he gave him the bag. »We won’t leave here and get you out of there if need be. After you delivered the stuff, you come back here, you hear?«

  Bondifar took the bag and slid down the slope toward the fortress. He briefly stopped and waved at his comrades before he continued his walk.

  »Uhem … he didn’t say a bloody word when he left,« Main cleared his throat. »He doesn’t believe that he’ll come back.

  »I know, Boss, I know!«

  The climate control system will do the rest

  Circle Fortress Moxa …

  Hassan Khalil didn’t seem surprised while Nuri was holding a small ampoule between her fingertips.

  »What’s that?« she asked silently. »There’re a couple of dozens of them in the case. What’s in these slim glass tubes? Gas? A transparent liquid?«

  Hassan shrugged.

  »Gas, probably, maybe a biological agent.«

  Nuri twitched, the ampoule slipped out of her hand and smashed on the cabin floor.

  »Watch it!« Hassan warned her. But it was too late. Hassan reacted lightning-fast. He bent down and covered the broken glass with his hands while a reddish glowing energy field envelope
d the broken glass and the released content.

  Nuri just watched in horror, unable to explain how he’d done this.

  »A containment field,« Hassan explained. »If this is a dangerous substance then we’ll know about it in a moment.«

  Nuri frowned as fine nano-conductors extended from Hassan’s fingertips, penetrating the reddish energy field.

  »I’m analyzing the content,« he winked at Nuri. At first he looked tense, then his facial expressions changed over a range of emotions until an understanding glance came from his eyes. He pulled his hands back and deactivated the field.

  »It’s not dangerous, is it?« she said, a touch of relief in her voice.

  Hassan seemed to be deep in thought.

  »Hmm … we need to find an air distribution system with extended ductwork,« he suggested. »We throw these ampoules into the ventilation system and get out of here.«

  Nuri cautiously closed the case again.

  »What’s in these tubes, Hassan? Is it a virus or poison? Why are we safe?«

  »There’s no danger to us. Look outside, what do you see?«

  Nuri tried to make out some details, but it was darker outside than the darkest night on Earth.

  »I can’t see anything, there’s no light.«

  »Use your senses.«

  Nuri concentrated. Suddenly, everywhere around her she sensed small little flames – too many to count!

  »Hassan …,« she whispered horrified. »Where are we? There’re thousands of beings inside theses nooks and niches!«

  »Correct, Nuri. We came here to release the agent – this is the right place. This is the Moxantan nursery! The containers which entered the Moxa with us enclosed the brood of the Moxantans, but that’s not all, Nuri. Can you handle the truth?«

  Nuri looked at Hassan with wide open eyes, and then looked outside again.

  »There’re containers which seem to house two different auras,« she detected. »One aura is weak and almost extinguished, whereas the other one is small but strong, full of energy! The being with the strong aura just began its lifecycle and the weaker one is more or less taking its last breath.«

  »What you’re seeing are not transport containers, but brooding stations. The Moxantan larvae leave the eggs and are eating their first meals … and for that, other Circle beings lose their lives.«

  Hassan sounded disgusted.

  Nuri squeaked.

  »Oh, my God … I see it now too! That’s horrible!«

  »This seems to be another aspect in the lives of the Circle people. Each member is paying a blood toll to the Moxantans to ensure their own safety. It serves the Moxantans to sustain their future. Maybe it’s the same with the Frigonans …«

  »What are we doing at this horrible place, Hassan?«

  »These larvae-chambers are flooded with an atmosphere. These incubators, which we thought to be transportation containers, are being continually ventilated. I can feel the air convections which distribute the atmosphere; a constant temperature prevails inside these chambers. Pheromones are being emitted from these chambers and circulated throughout the fortress. These pheromones probably serve as messengers, signaling to the fortress inhabitants that their offspring is developing well and all is safe.«

  »I feel sick, Hassan. I want out of here! I’ve never seen or sensed such horror in my entire life!«

  »That’s not quite true, Nuri. Similar situation can be encountered on Earth. Just remember that wasp, the ichneumon, which stuns spiders and then buries them in the ground with her eggs. The growing larvae then feed on the spiders.«

  Hassan saw that Nuri wasn’t very excited about the likeness.

  »Whatever, we’ll deposit the vials right here. The air-distribution system will then transport the content throughout the fortress.«

  Nuri nodded.

  »Let’s do this quickly, I want to get out of here as soon as we can.«

  Hassan looked at her inquiringly.

  »It’s not that I’m afraid, but it’s this horrible feeling of sensing all these extinguishing auras. I can’t stand it much longer!«

  Hassan steered the pod to the nearest alcove and landed the small ship on a level surface. Small landing struts extended from the pod and the ship touched down softly.

  »The outer pressure is okay, the atmosphere suitable, we have sixteen degrees Celsius outside,« announced Hassan after reading the instruments. »I’m opening the cockpit ... now!«

  With a slight hiss, the difference in atmospheric pressure between the pod and the fortress was equalized. The air was cool.

  Hassan left the pod and took a couple steps.

  »We have artificial gravity on board the fortress, come on, let’s take a look around,« he invited Nuri to follow him.

  Nuri only followed him hesitantly, she disliked the surroundings. She shivered as she glanced over to one of the breeding containers. A small, round window allowed a peek inside it. She twitched as she recognized a Quadranan, who was staring at her with big eyes. She panicked as a dark, hairy shadow swooped by the window, settling on the Quadranan.

  »So far we know two dependencies between the Circle People … this one seems to be the most disgusting and terrifying!« she moaned.

  Loud screams sounded suddenly. Hassan immediately assumed a defensive position as he heard the screams. Several dozen Moxantans were spilling from openings at the alcove’s backside, encircling the two Humans.

  »Halflings!« Hassan yelled. »They haven’t matured yet. It seems the larvae have sensed us and are calling for help by means of pheromones.«

  He established a protection energy field around Nuri and himself. Just as one of the Moxantans fired his weapon at them. The Moxantans’ anger increased as they saw the energy being deflected by the field.

  »I don’t know how much longer I can keep the energy field up. I’m worried about our pod! If they destroy the ship then we’ll be doomed.«

  Nuri stiffened and concentrated on one of the attackers who was shooting at her head. She would’ve been dead if it weren’t for Hassan’s field.

  Moments later, the attacker’s eyes became starry and he collapsed – dead.

  The situation became critical as another energy blast hit the pod.

  Now, Nuri seemed relaxed and calm. She closed her eyes, relying on Hassan’s energy field, then she groped for the attacker’s auras. She detected the auras and one by one sucked off their life-energies. The Moxantan auras imploded – a horrific event, entirely transparent to the observer. Death came swiftly and painlessly. The attackers collapsed …

  When Nuri opened her eyes, she was surrounded by dead bodies. Hassan took a deep breath as he saw the result of Nuri’s self-defense.

  »It was their own undoing … they wanted to kill us!« he said dryly as if he needed to find an excuse for her actions.

  Seconds later, he threw the vials against the alcove walls, releasing the contents.

  »The climate control system will do the rest.«

  I can only speculate

  Greenland

  As Montas reached the fortress, Hosch and Main closed their eyes. They had seen enough. Montas was surrounded by Moxantans, Kresolytes and Uma Boss.

  »Two naked Humans surrounded by extra-terrestrials, in the eye of a storm and an ice-cold country side. Boss … please slap me and wake me up from this nightmare!« Tiller Hosch said. He was breathing heavily and observed several Frigonans jumped Montas.

  »Oh, God, no …!« Hosch grunted loudly and lowered his binoculars.

  »Tiller, our friend was right. They would have overpowered us immediately … if not them then their robots! Did you see how fast they can move through the snow … unbelievable. We wouldn’t have had a chance in Hell. I hope he’s got enough energy left in him to release the agent.«

  Main drew a deep sorrowful breath.

  »I hope these vials contain small pocks or something like that. These bloodsuckers deserve it!« Hosch said.

  Main looked around the scene.

&
nbsp; »We should retreat. If the Frigonans find out that more Humans are in the neighborhood then they might become hungry for us and hunt us down.«

  »Montas would never rat us out!«

  »Not Montas, but that Frigonan on his chest. Don’t forget that these bastards are intelligent. The invaders can put one and one together and may assume correctly that Monti is not alone. We return to the groomer and wait for what happens next. I also need to check the current situation reports and establish contact with the troops. Maybe they’re already preparing an attack. I don’t want to be caught in the middle and killed by friendly fire while we’re observing snowdrifts and aliens. I also need to tell them that we delivered the vials and the bad news about Monti. Let’s give Monti the benefit of the doubt and that he can finish the mission.«

  »Alright, I understand.«

  Both men turned around, knowing, that they couldn’t do anything for Montas.

  Main followed their faint tracks back to the groomer. When they arrived, he pulled Hosch to the side and cautioned him as he went straight for the cabin. He pulled his weapon and inspected the cargo platform as well as the interior before he allowed Hosch to follow him inside since the Frigonans could have found the groomer in the meantime, waiting for them.

  Main increased the cabin temperature and took off his helmet after a couple of minutes. His face was pinkish and his lips had turned blue.

  »I knew it, Boss,« Hosch shook his head. »Your suit-thermostat wasn’t working. Why did you lie to me? A little bit longer outside there and you would’ve suffered severe frostbites.«

  Main coughed mutedly.

  »The mission comes first!«

  »Seems that we’re alone, nobody followed us. The Frigonans may not have an idea,« Hosch said looking outside.

  »I hope so.«

  Main moaned and applied an ointment on his face and neck.

  »Make contact with the fleet and transmit the code. They need to know that we’re finished here.«