Amalthean Quests One

by Jeri Dion

  Out in the corridor Marc was leaning against the white corridor wall in thought. Nothing in particular, just passing time. Lydia slipped out of Jonathan’s room and immediately met him, asking had he come alone?

  “No Tayce and I flew Lance out here, he wanted Tayces support, I though I was going to pilot the new fighter but Tayce beat me to it and flew us here, she hasn’t lost her touch, are you all right?” he asked gently he could see that she was troubled by what was happening with Jonathan.

  “Yes fine, though what has happened with Jonathan has surprised me he collapsed this mornet whilst I was in his Officette, there he was one minon talking about plans for Questa, the next clutching his chest and down he went right before me,” explained Lydia softly.

  “What a shock,” replied Marc looking at her softly.

  Tayce walked back from the outside overview balcony she had a look of great concern on her normally beautiful features. Marc studied her and could see something wasn’t right she was in concerned thought.

  “What’s up?” he asked as she came to a pause.

  “I thought I would contact Tom on Amalthea and make sure that everything was fine, but for some strange reason I can’t get anyone to answer not even Midge,” said Tayce extremely concerned something wasn’t right back at the cruiser. She felt very uneasy.

  “Maybe there’s a galactic storm again, or a technical glitch, why don’t you try later,” suggested Lydia trying to be helpful.

  “Yes, maybe your right I’ll try later,” replied Tayce in thought of what might be happening back at Amalthea.

  Tayce for some strange reason felt that something was dreadfully wrong, she was feeling a nagging feeling that she wanted to head back there and then, but she knew she couldn’t, because she was there for Lance and her Mother over Jonathan. She tried to push the feeling to the back of her mind and do what her Mother had suggested, call the cruiser later, maybe it was what her Mother said just a glitch and she was worrying over nothing. Marc could see she was troubled by the fact she couldn’t call the cruiser and slipped his arm around her slim shoulders in a reassuring way. He knew that she thought a lot of the team and he understood her uneasiness. Lydia suggested that some light refreshment was in hand, back at her new Apart-House. Tayce agreed, there was nothing she could do for a while. Marc suggested he catch up with them later, as there was something he wanted to do, he would inform Lance where to find them, when he’d finished visiting his Father. Tayce agreed walking away with her Mother in the direction of where the new Apart-House was. But the uneasy feeling not getting a communication through to Amalthea resurfaced and nagged at her conscience, that there was something more to the fact she could not get a call through to her cruiser. Marc watched both women walk away, then went to tell the nurse in charge of Jonathan, to tell Lance, where he could find Lydia or Tayce later.

  Back on board Amalthea One across space. New recruit Duncan Leyres regained consciousness. He lifted his head feeling the most amazing groggy effect he’d ever felt to date, everything spun dizzily before him. What in Gods name had that weapon been that had rendered him unconscious, he thought. He concentrated hard trying to look down the corridor, remaining in a sprawled position, because his body felt numb. He listened for any unusual noises. When he found that there was nothing more than the sound of the cruisers quick reaction engines, humming away, he figured the raider had gone. He’d obviously found what he had come for and jumped cruiser. He slowly gathered himself together, pushing the immense pain that he was feeling to the back of his mind. He had to try and find this jerk, if he was still on board before he took over the cruiser and flew them off to Gods know where. He gradually made it onto his feet, with bouts of sudden dizziness hitting him. The corridor seemed to sway. He closed his eyes for few minons then opened them, hoping he’d see straight. Everything was as normal as it could be. He looked around for Tom’s Slazer, that had landed on the current Level, he’d ended up on. Looking for Tom, he saw him still out cold up against the corridor wall. Crossing he felt for Tom’s pulse and was glad to find that he wasn’t dead, but as he was when first took down by the raider, in an unconscious state. It looked like it was up to him to save the cruiser, before it fell into the wrong hands. He picked up the Slazer and proceeded off in search of their unwanted guest.

  “Okay, you creep, I’m coming, you better think twice about taking this cruiser anywhere, if your still on board, because as far as I’m concerned, your not going to get the chance,” he said beginning off.

  Going along Level 2 he soon caught sight of Treketa, down the corridor. Her body laying motionless and looking like a rag doll that had been discarded by an unwanted child. Her blonde hair swept across her pretty round face, in a dishevelled way. Again he upon pausing at her side, reached down and felt if she was still alive. He felt sorry for her first she’d lost Dean, now she’d taken a beating from this on board raider. Relieved she was alive, he raised his Wristlink hoping that Midge would still be able to communicate with him. Depressing the Commun button, Midge much to his relief answered. He was relieved that not all the team had been rendered unattainable by this unwanted fiend even if it was just the guidance computer.

  “At last someone to talk to, are you able to communicate Duncan?” asked Midge quietly.

  “It’s good to hear your voice too, yes I can talk, is that jerk still on board, if so can you pin point him?” asked Duncan in near whisper.

  “I’m glad to inform you that he’s no longer aboard he’s done a lot of damage however to my Aircom circuitry by stealing my Transceiver, if Tayce calls, she’ll think the worst, however I am able to communicate with you, but I cannot see you, as the raider caused all on board Intruder Cams to blow,” said Midge.

  “What would you like me to take care of first?” asked Duncan trying to sound helpful, even though he was feeling like death warmed up. He began thinking what a way to start his new career.

  “Duncan you are injured according to my scan of you, you should not even be standing up, but take care of the team first they’re your first priority above anything else,” said Midge surprised he was still standing by the reading he was getting.

  “I’ll survive, there are worse sights than me down here,” replied Duncan trying to ignore the pain searing through his ribs region, every time he moved.

  “Before you start, I think I can activate the Life Ability Centre and administer something for the pain, if it is too much to bear,” replied Midge.

  “Believe me if it gets too much to bear, I’ll let you know, I’ll take care of things down here,” replied Duncan ceasing communication.

  He crossed to a stores cupboard and retrieved a Heat Sealant Blanket. Crossing back he draped it over Treketa, then took off his jacket, folding it into a makeshift pillet, gently placing it under her head lowering it back down. Without warning, she began to come to, moaning about how her head hurt.

  He spoke softly and gently down at her.

  “Treketa it’s Duncan, your safe now, your going to be fine stay where you are,” he assured her.

  Treketa drifted back into a deep state of unconsciousness. Duncan was not sure if it was sleep, or something a lot more serious. He went on into the Life Ability Centre to find Donaldo, hoping that he fared better than Treketa, but it was not meant to be. He raised his eyes how much worse could this get he thought.

  Tayce on Questa couldn’t stand the uneasy feeling any more, it had been a houron since she’d tried to make contact with Amalthea to no avail, she was going to try again. Upon doing so, all that could be heard was static and the Questa Operator informing her once more, that all Aircom Satlelink communication link up with Amalthea was not possible at the present time, to try again later. Tayce slammed the handset down. This was not helping she thought. She decided to try and use her Wristlink and try again. She waited and once again all she got was static across the air waves, she was unsuccessfu
l. It was Like Amalthea had disappeared off the face of the Universe, there was nothing to make her feel any less uneasy. Lance entered the Apart-House. He looked shocked beyond belief and greatly strained. Lydia crossed with a fresh Coffeen, ordering him to drink it. He took it and sat down on the nearby soffette, gathering for a moment what had occurred in the last hourons since his arrival and it was near impossible to comprehend. Taking a sip of the refreshing Coffeen he looked over at Tayce, he could see she was uneasy about something, he recalled that he’d seen Marc and he’d told him that she had been unable to make contact with the cruiser.

  “I heard from Marc, your not getting contact with Amalthea when you call?” he asked, his mind really on his Father and what could be happening.

  “I tried just now, there’s still nothing, I don’t like it,” replied Tayce thinking all the worst thoughts.

  “Do you want to head back I won’t mind, I wouldn’t want us to get back and all is gone, because of me, honestly Tayce go back if you have to,” replied Lance in an understanding way.

  “Thanks, you know I would love to stay and be there for you, but I don’t know what I’ll find when I get back considering I can’t make a communication link-up, Vargon may have struck already,” replied Tayce worried.

  “You go, I would rather you find out what you think is bad, is not and that everything is okay, after all Amalthea is my home too,” replied Lance, giving her a reassuring smile, even though it was a tired one.

  “I’ll be here to assist Lance and when things start to improve, I’ll have him flown back out to the cruiser via Launch,” promised Lydia, putting her hands on Lances shoulders in a reassuring way

  “All right, Lance I’ll contact you the moment I get to the bottom of this and get communications back up on the cruiser, and find out what’s happened,” said Tayce thankful that Lance saw her point in the reason she was walking away, leaving him in his time of need.

  She began towards the entrance doors. Pausing and turning, she asked Lance to give his Father her regards and explain her sudden departure. He nodded and assured her that his Father would understand. He continued to down the Coffeen Lydia had given him earlier. Lydia watched as the doors drew apart and her daughter and Marc almost collide in meeting. She smiled, thinking that she was glad Tayce had found Marc. Everyone laughed at the almost collision. Tayce turned him around, before he had a chance to say anything, telling him there was no time to stop, they were heading back to Amalthea there was a problem on board and they were going back to find out what. Marc gave her a somewhat surprised questionable look at the idea, but fell in with what she wanted, it could be just a break down in communications he thought, but he also understood that she would not return to the cruiser without good reason that something wasn’t right. They soon crossed Questa Square, heading towards the Arrival and Departure Area. As soon as they entered, they ran through the busy throng of people and aliens coming and going from Questa. On over to the Quest Fighter. Marc on the way took the de-locking device out of his pocket aiming it at the entrance doors so they would unseal ready for boarding. Marc was first on board, followed by an eager Tayce. Both were soon strapped into their harnesses ready for take off, as the entrance doors closed. Marc started the Quest engines, he decided he was flying back, as Tayce had flown to Questa and he could fly much more expertly than she, when there was an emergency ahead. Upon Marc gaining clearance for take off he manoeuvred the Quest up slowly off the bay floor and turned to head down the departure tunnel for departure into space. Within the blink of an eye the Quest shot down the tunnel, under the experienced guidance of Marc, back into clear dark space.

  Two hourons later on board Amalthea, Midge was able to at least watch the sector they were in, he was finding that something with immense speed was heading in their direction. He kept the scanner pointed on the fast moving object and was ready to activate weaponry if it was the returning Yarrick Raider, back for more spoils. This was something he was not going to allow to happen again. It was bad enough the first time around and after a self assessment of his many operations, he had found not only had his Aircom transceiver been stolen, also his detection scanner had partly been picked to pieces, that scanned who was on board, like the crew, had been. Plus many of his main operations computer boards had been damaged in the careless way in which the transceiver and main scan pack had been partially removed, he had to use Wristlink link-up facility and hope it held, so he could talk to Duncan.

  Tayces stomach was doing uneasy somersaults, at the fact of not knowing what she was going to find upon arriving back at the cruiser if there was a cruiser to find. Even though they had flown at Hyper Thrust Turbo speed across the Universe, to get back quicker. Marc didn’t like dosing the new engines so soon after a test flight, but they had no choice. Tayce after catching sight of Amalthea and seeing that there was only dim lighting coming from within was glad in one way that at least she was still in one piece and in the Universe, though she wondered if the worse was about to face them in the fact the team were all dead on board. Marc glanced at her and saw her greatly concerned expression, but said nothing. He brought the Quest in towards the cruiser, now at a more cautious speed, ready to fly into the Flight Hanger Bay. As they were unable to make contact he hoped that Midge had detected that it was them and he had opened the Flight Hanger Bay doors otherwise they would have to try docking along side.

  “Something doesn’t seem right here, I think you had every right to be uneasy,” said Marc feeling as uneasy as Tayce, as to what they were about to face.

  They headed towards the Flight Hanger Bay and the slowly opening doors. Marc breathed a sigh of relief, that Midge had detected them somehow, but it didn’t stop him from being ready to abort boarding, if he had to. Nothing but near darkness was waiting as they entered into the bay cautiously. Marc activated the Quest search lights, so that they could see the interior of their surroundings. Nothing seemed to be waiting inside so they could tell, much to their relief, all that could be seen was the stationary fleet of Quests.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, so what’s gone on here?” asked Marc casually.

  “Let’s set down and find out, I still feel something has happened here,” said Tayce in reply.

  As Marc expertly brought the Quest down in it’s designated space, Tayce unstrapped herself and went to the on board weaponry store. She retrieved two fully charged Slazers, setting them to disintegrated kill. Marc walked through giving her a questionable look, when he saw what she’d set the guns to.

  “We don’t know what’s laying in wait and I don’t intend to let anyone take this cruiser,” she pointed out.

  “I guess we’ll need our Light Pencil Torches, main power aboard failed several hourons ago, according to readings I checked just now in scan, whatever or whoever hit this cruiser, took out whatever he could, to cause the most damage according the readings,” said Marc recalling.

  Both stood ready as the entrance doors opened, in case someone or something was waiting in the shadows for their arrival. Marc suggested he go first, jumping out onto the Hanger Bay floor cautiously. He shone his torch and aimed his gun in the in every direction, checking that there was nothing out of the ordinary His finger was rested on the activation button, ready to fire at the first sign of intruder weapon fire. Nothing but silence greeted him! He walked forth suggesting to Tayce in a whisper to follow on. She did so cautiously, her gun poised ready to shoot.

  “We need to check out and find why lights are on low setting, these torches won’t last long,” said Marc.

  He headed over to the emergency power box for lighting. Tayce halted him, in his idea as it had suddenly struck her whoever had boarded, if they were suddenly put in daylight, they would know that there was someone back aboard, it would also enable them to get a good shot at the both of them. Marc saw her point.

  “How about you stand at the entrance and get ready to shoot the moment I a
ctivate lighting, if they think they have us, we’ll have an advantage on them,” suggested Marc.

  “All right, but if someone starts shooting, shut it down again quickly,” said Tayce.

  “Right!” replied Marc

  Tayce didn’t much like the idea, Marc was using her as bait. It should have been the other way around, after all she was Colonel, but then she didn’t have a clue what he was going to do to enable the cruisers lights to come back to full operating power, he knew more about computer gadgetry than her. She watched him, as he eyed the override sequence, that he hoped would work in their favour.

  “Get ready, activating now,” announced Marc in whisper.

  The lights activated turning the Flight Hanger Bay, back into full operational daylight mode. The far Hanger Bay doors closed. Tayce glanced to Marc, he raised his eyes in surprise. Tayce glanced around the entrance doorway. Nothing but silence was ahead. Marc began that one thing was for sure, whoever might be still on board if they were in hiding, they were now locked in with them. Once all clear had been surmised, they both cautiously proceeded out of the Flight Hanger Bay, on up the corridor. Out of nowhere Duncan sprang. He thought he had trapped the Yarrick Raider, instead he and Marc collided in the middle of corridor and Duncan brought him to his knees, preparing to take him out, once and for all. Tayce yelled for Duncan to stop. Marc pushed him off. It didn’t take much effort considering his injuries.

  “Get of me, it’s Marc,” he said in protest.

  “What! God Marc I’m so sorry mate, I was hoping you were the creep that raided us,” said Duncan climbing to his feet, breathing with great difficulty