The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle

by John Thornton

  That ball of Jellie flesh burst apart. The Jellie shook violently. Its tentacles drew back and waved about its dome in an uncoordinated manner. Its ropy stem went rigid and the coil at the base straightened out. A thick flow of dark blue mush floated out from the ruined top knob of the Jellie. Its light quivered and the purplish-blue glow oscillated and sputtered and then faded out.

  Larissa pulled away from the loosening tentacles and swam free.

  The second Jellie attacked, and grabbed Brinley. It too glowed an odd bluish-purple color. The dome shaped top with the ball at the apex and segmented sides was right before her. The thick and heavy stem, stalk-like, shaft-like, and grooved in a spiral, came down from the middle of the dome. At the end of that stem was a strange and rapidly squirming coil. Underneath the dome there were also trailing tentacles wiggling and shooting out from that bizarre body. Its tentacles wrapped around whatever part of Brinley they could grab. One struck and tightly wrapped itself around her right leg, while another encircled her waist. They were pulling her toward it. She rolled in the water and leveled the pistol at the attacking Jellie.

  Piiiiffff!

  Brinley fired the pistol and the projectile drilled through the water and into the Jellie, just in the middle of the domed and segmented top. The segment of that part of the Jellie’s body collapsed in on itself as the projectile tore through it. There was shivering and shuddering from the entire Jellie’s body. However, the tentacles tightened until Brinley thought she was going to die. Her body felt cold, and her lungs felt crushed, and her mind started to dull and get foggy. Her vision became washed out and blurry.

  Piiiiffff! Piiiiffff! Piiiiffff!

  Brinley kept firing. The last shot struck the Jellie right where the large vertical stem met the dome top. That stem, or stalk, or shaft, was ruptured and massive amounts of lumpy purple materials floated out. The Jellie split into two sections, the mangled upper dome-shaped top, which was now deeply dented and barely glowing, and the stem with some of the tentacles which were still attached to Brinley.

  Larissa swam up and pulled on the tentacles trapping Brinley. Brinley could barely make out who it was in front of her with her vision fading. The constriction loosened. Brinley took some deep breaths, and gasped desperately for air. The oxygen extractor mask was still working and life giving air filled her lungs.

  The third Jellie turned and jetted away extremely fast toward where the spheres were waiting.

  Brinley shook her head and tried to focus her eyes. She again fired the pistol.

  Piiiiffff!

  The projectile sped away, but was way off target. It left a small bubbly turmoil through the water in its wake.

  Larissa pushed Brinley hard toward the surface. Through the masks, their eyes met. That exchange of looks convinced them both to flee as quickly as they could swim.

  21 Inaccessible island battle

  “What has happened?” Jodie said as she too looked at where the waterfalls had once been. She had trouble looking at the score of dead bodies which were scattered over the trail, bridge and down along the path toward the sea.

  “Those things in the water, the alien sphere things, they killed all these people!” Paul wailed.

  Tiffany rolled forward in the automacube. “Paul, your assertion may be a bit premature. Some of these bodies show characteristic signs of ballistic trauma consistent with the firearms used by the Constables and by the Free Rangers.”

  “And the uniforms look like the troopers we have seen before,” Gretchen pointed out.

  “But the water is brown! Like where those beasts were slaughtered,” Paul cried out. “The beautiful waterfalls are gone. Just gone and this brown junk is there. All that water gone!” Paul was staring up at the rocky cliffs where the water had once flowed. “I never saw so much water before coming to this place. It was one of the only good things about the Vanguard, and not it is contaminated, stinking, foul, garbage!”

  “Tiffany?” Brinley said through the communication links to Paul, Gretchen, and the AI. Her voice sounded strained.

  “Brinley?” Paul replied.

  “I am on the beach. Are you on Inaccessible Island?” Brinley said.

  “Yes. Where are you?” Gretchen replied as she started off down the path toward the sea.

  “I cannot tell which side of Inaccessible Island I am on. Can Tiffany help?” Brinley said.

  “I have your location already plotted,” Tiffany replied.

  The orange automacube rolled ahead as Gretchen, Jodie, and Paul sprinted along.

  As they came to the bottom of the ramps, from where the waterfalls had been, the river, which had led to the sea was now just a few stagnant pools of standing brown muck. There were smashed and crushed airboats tossed along the shoreline. Some of the blades from their propulsion fans had been sheared or ripped off, and the permalloy cages around the engines were in tatters. There were also human body parts scattered about.

  “Those are not from ballistic trauma,” Paul said in a mocking way. “Those boats were destroyed, the people ripped to shreds. It has to be the alien water things. They are killing everything!”

  “Paul, you are correct, the damage on those cadavers and airboats is more consistent with what type of damage I recorded from your communication links, when the alien life forms slaughtered the hippopotamus animals,” Tiffany stated.

  The automacube rolled into the sandy area of the beach and past the ruined fish dehydrator.

  Paul remembered running the opposite way when the children were there playing pirates. He could still see his arm throwing the monkey’s paw out into the sea, and the shocked look on the young boy’s face. He could not recall the children’s names, and that troubled him. So he called to Brinley.

  “Brinley, we are coming. Are you able to meet us?” Paul asked.

  “Tiffany, connect in a visual link as well as the audio so we can see Brinley,” Gretchen commanded.

  “I am not sure that is advisable,” Tiffany replied.

  “She must be horribly injured. I am coming Brinley!” Paul said and increased his running. He caught up to the automacube just as they were rounding a rocky point of the shoreline.

  In the distance he could see two figures that were pulling themselves, arm in arm, up and out of the water. They both were in tight fitting suits of black and gray color. They had odd flipper things on the arms and on their feet.

  “Brinley? Are you hurt?” Paul asked as he ran toward the two figures.

  Something else was rising out of the water behind the two figures. It had a stiff projection emerging from the waves.

  “Get away!” Paul screamed. He pulled out the pistol he had.

  “Paul?” Brinley said as she looked around.

  Piff. Piff. Piff.

  Paul fired the pistol at the thing coming up out of the water. Geysers of water sprayed up from where the projectiles hit, but none were near where the thing was arising.

  The arm of the thing broke through the water, and red color was seen as it progressed further up the shoreline.

  “Gretchen something is after Brinley! Come quickly, I cannot hit it,” Paul yelled.

  He fired again.

  Piff. Piff.

  Two more misses.

  Brinley let go of the other figure and rushed toward Paul. “What do you see?”

  “That thing is chasing you!” Paul called, barely looking at Brinley, he was intent on watching the thing come rolling up out of the water.

  Gretchen reached them and had her pistol drawn.

  “Stop. Do not fire!” Brinley yelled. “It is an automacube!”

  Paul and Gretchen could see the outlines of the boxy shape and the upper manipulation arm as the red machine rolled up and out of the water. It had the designation ‘LS-2’ on its side.

  “Brinley!” Gretchen threw her arms around her and they hugged tightly.

  Paul continued to look at the sea. The red automacube had now rolled all the way out of the water and was patrolling on the beach.
Water was dripping off its chassis.

  “Paul? Gretchen?” Jodie said in a quivering voice.

  “Brinley says it is just an automacube, I guess she has…” Paul said as he turned.

  Larissa was standing there with her handgun drawn and aimed squarely at Gretchen.

  “Larissa?” Paul said and began to move his pistol toward her.

  “Do not move,” Larissa said. Her aim was right at Gretchen’s chest. The water was still dripping off her braided hair, and her eyes were intensely blue. “I can easily kill her if you try anything.”

  Paul kept the pistol in his hand pointing out to sea.

  “Larissa?” Brinley said. “We have a truce. Do you betray me now?”

  “Truce?” Gretchen said. “With her?”

  “Yes. It is a long story,” Brinley began to explain.

  “Halt!” Larissa called. “No more talking. Now is the time for actions.”

  Paul winced as he knew he could never get his pistol aimed and fired nearly soon enough.

  Gretchen stared at Larissa without fear. “If it is my time to die, I accept it.”

  “It might be your time to die, but not at my hand,” Larissa said. She stepped over and flipped her handgun around and handed it to Jodie. “Brinley saved my life several times, and I extend the truce to her friends as well. However, that does not mean we are free from enemies.”

  Jodie looked at the handgun. She looked at Larissa in amazement.

  Paul quickly pointed his pistol at Larissa.

  “Do you think you could hit me with that, before I take it away from you?” Larissa said, but not in a mean or threatening way.

  Paul had a shocked look on his face. “You are our enemy! Right Brinley?”

  “It is complicated,” Brinley replied. “Very complicated, but the Jellies are in the water, and they truly are our enemies. They are an enemy to everyone here.”

  Jodie made a quick decision. “If you are not going to kill any of us,” Jodie stated. “Then take this back.” She handed the firearm to Larissa. “I am sure you are more skilled with it than I am. Do not make me regret this.”

  “Indeed,” Larissa said. “Besides, that automacube was prepared to defend me at all costs.”

  Everyone looked back at the red automacube which had its weapons’ muzzles pointed at the group. Paul pointed his pistol upward now, unsure what all was happening and why.

  “Paul and Gretchen, I must confess to keeping this information from you. I saw the visual links with Brinley and recognized Larissa. They have been cooperating against a common enemy. Forgive me if I was wrong to withhold those facts,” Tiffany said. “I can replay visual recordings that confirm what has been happening. At least since the new communication link was provided to Brinley.

  “You trust her?” Paul asked Brinley. “You honestly trust her?”

  “We are allies against the Jellies,” Brinley replied.

  “Jellies?” Gretchen asked.

  “They are referring to the alien life forms,” Tiffany stated. “If my conjecture is correct?”

  Brinley and Larissa nodded. Larissa said, “We have spoken to one of them. Ugly things, bent on killing us all.”

  “So they are like you?” Paul asked in anger.

  Brinley interrupted. “Yes, we have seen the spheres and what is inside of them, the Jellies.”

  “Inside the spheres?” Gretchen asked. Some of what she had seen was becoming more understandable.

  “Yes. I am referring to the beings inside the spheres,” Larissa said. “The real Jellies.

  “I believe they use the spheres like we would use a spacesuit,” Brinley said. “From what we have seen, they…”

  “Something else is coming up!” Paul screamed. “Out there! It is slowly coming to shore.”

  All eyes looked to the water where there was something coming up. It was the broken arm of another automacube. The arm was twisted and bent backward, and the drive wheels were rolling in a jerky manner. As the machine waded in the water there was a bouncy regularity to it.

  “That is LS-1. It looks like it survived the attacks,” Larissa said. Her handgun was still in her hand, but resting pointed upward.

  “So, are the automacubes going to attack us?” Paul asked. “You have two of them against us.”

  “They are aware of the truce, and who the true enemy is,” Larissa replied.

  Paul turned back to the water, “Well at least it was not one of those spheres.”

  The second automacube was just cresting its boxy frame out of the water, when suddenly a long purple-blue sphere appendage swiftly shot out of the water and wrapped itself around the automacube. The machine was yanked backward and toppled over. Its drive wheels spinning helplessly.

  Blam, blam, blam, blam, blam.

  LS-2 fired from the beach into the water next to the stricken red automacube. Water shot upward from the impact of the rapidly fired bullets. The tentacle pulled away, and the LS-1 automacube struggled to right itself.

  “Those aliens are here?” Paul wailed. “Just great. Wonderful! Larissa, and aliens, and automacubes! Will some Roe show up next?”

  Brinley grabbed him and looked him straight in the eyes, “Paul, the only enemy right here and right now are those Jellies. Remember that. The Jellies are our enemy on the Vanguard!”

  “We should withdraw to a defendable position,” Larissa said as she kicked off the flippers on her feet.

  “Agreed,” Brinley responded. “I hope the other automacube can get up the beach. We need the supplies.”

  There was a purplish glow under the water in several places just beyond where LS-1 was righting itself. Gretchen took careful aim and fired.

  Piff.

  She retargeted another spot and fired.

  Piff.

  Paul saw what she was doing and joined in.

  Piff. Piff. Piff.

  Paul fired rapidly and without adequate aim. His shots landed around the purplish glow, while Gretchen’s were dead on target.

  “Paul and Gretchen, this stand is not the best tactical position,” Tiffany stated. “Retreat to a defendable position is advisable.”

  “You are on Larissa’s side in this!” Paul yelled as he fired again into the water at what looked to be some shade of purple. “You lied to us. You knew she was coming and you lied!”

  Piff. Piff. Piff.

  “Paul, I did what I thought was best to protect you and Gretchen. That is my primary goal. I am your advocate and will always work for your best interest,” Tiffany replied.

  “Lying to me is not in my best interest!” Paul yelled. “Is there anyone I can trust?”

  “Paul,” Gretchen said. “You can trust me. Come on, we will find a place where we can snipe these enemies until they are all dead. Willie’s pistols seem to be effective.”

  Gretchen grabbed Paul’s hand and they ran from the beach.

  Tiffany had the orange automacube follow after them.

  The red automacube, LS-1 finally made it out of the water. It was missing three of its drive wheels, and it was battered and dented, and yet it pressed forward. Larissa and Brinley rushed to the automacubes and unloaded the cargo compartments.

  “Jodie? Will you please help carry some of these supplies?” Brinley asked.

  Jodie eagerly grabbed onto the items and joined in the retreat.

  “LS-2 and LS-1 guard our retreat. While withdrawing maintain a steady amount of fire on any enemy that exists the water. Try every combination of weapon systems, even try things not considered typical weapons. Report to me what is most effective in hurting the enemy,” Larissa commanded.

  “Affirmative,” LS-2 replied.

  LS-1, apparently was unable to use audio links, looked to be partially functioning as it swung its weapons muzzles toward the water. Both machines then rolled along with their weapons trained and ready should something come out of the sea.

  Larissa slipped off the swimming gear and put on her uniform, and the personal body armor. She did it quic
kly and efficiently, abandoning the flippers and swimming suit in the sand. She glanced up to see that Brinley had also done that, and had her tool belt under her body armor. They exchanged nods to each other as they holstered their weapons, and began the retreat back toward where Paul and Gretchen had raced off.

  The bridge that leads to the top of Inaccessible Island will be the first choke point,” Brinley commented.

  “I was hoping you knew the landscape here,” Larissa said.