Alura's Bind_Book One

by J. P. Douglas

  She assumed he was captured and not killed since his body wasn't there. That was her hope at least. The only reason not to kill Cooper though was that Farkak wanted to use him to get to Alura. He might make it aboard, but even Cooper couldn't fly Alura. And once Farkak realized that Cooper would be worthless to him.

  Judging from just the last six months with the gambler, Shaltia was certain that Cooper had seen worse situations than this. Cooper was sharp and guileful, if he knew he had anything that Farkak wanted, then he would play the game for his own benefit. Cooper knew how to stack the odds in his favor.

  For the moment, Shaltia was going to have to trust his instincts. She needed to be ready to go when he got free or she found him. With no idea where the hybrid was, the first step, she thought, was to acquire the wormhole generator. She was fairly certain she knew where it was. Avoiding Farkak and the monster would need to be a high priority.

  Engineering was quiet, and curiosity made her question how loud the area would be if the Burnside was running. She passed the magnetic drive. Glancing at the panels that were dismantled, she smiled. Her father had built hundreds of magnetic drives. This one was larger than the drive that he put in her first cruiser. She was thirteen, and she loved Persepone, the small cutter. She had helped him build it, grabbing tools when he asked and the occasional synthetic ale after a few hours of work. Persepone had taken her all over the quadrant, and the one time the magnetic drive went out, she was half a million kilometers from home. Her father had walked her through the repairs over the comm. The thought brought a mixture of sorrow and joy.

  Leaving the magnetic drive, she followed the highlighted path to the front array. The array was at the bow of the ship and worked both for the sensors and laser tech. The laser tech was designed to prevent collisions with close calls, asteroids, meteors, and space trash that managed to veer to close to the hull.

  The panel over the array covered the wiring and communication web feeding the array. Leaning the plasma launcher and the matrix blaster against a railing, Shaltia quickly removed the panel.

  "Where is this device?" she asked Alura as she passed the scanning computer over the weave of comm cables.

  "The device appears to be right here," the computer answered as the scanning computer stopped over a box wired into the array.

  The instrument in question was encased in silver and was slightly too long to be a cube. It had been bolted into place, and obviously from its attachment had been added after the array was constructed. Several wires exited the encasement and attached to the instrument array.

  "Alura, what do you make of this?" Shaltia asked as she let the scanning computer examine the device.

  "It appears to be a redrium alloy encasing a small processing computer and antimatter generator. The generator is able to fire an antimatter blast through the laser tech, which has been completely redesigned. The processor then uses a lyrenium crystal to generate the magnetic field behind the antimatter blast."

  "This is our wormhole generator?" Shaltia asked.

  "Whether it will actually generate a wormhole will have to be determined. Theoretically, it could cause one."

  "How do I disconnect it?"

  "The connectors that are tied into the panel at these points need to be removed." The scanning computer projected an image of the connection points.

  Shaltia reached into the array panel when something grabbed her shoulder. Her body lifted in the air, and she found herself spinning in the air before she crashed into a service station. Dazed she looked up at her attacker, the cloaked figure stalking towards her. The matrix blaster was ten meters away, and the blow to the station slowed her movement. She rolled over to face the hybrid. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Gritting her teeth, she waited for the next attack.

  None came.

  The hybrid froze staring at her. His head cocked sideways as he watched her tremble and cry with fear. He lowered himself until he was on his hands and knees. His eyes were red and staring at her intensely.

  When she realized that it was just watching her, she took a deep breath. The anger seemed to turn to curiosity. He moved closer to her face. She could make out his cheeks and nose under the hood. Wiping a tear from her cheek, Shaltia sat up a little straighter.

  "Hello," she whispered.

  His nose sniffed at her reminding her of Mitch.

  "Please don't hurt me," she said softly. He moved back a step.

  "Can you speak?" Shaltia asked.

  The red eyes of the hybrid remained locked on her, but he remained silent.

  "I don't want to hurt you," she said, thinking of the irony of that statement. "I'm a friend."

  The hybrid's head snapped a different direction as if something attracted his attention. He looked back at her and jumped to his feet. Dashing off toward the rear of the ship, he left Shaltia sitting on the deck holding her breath. She sat frozen for a minute before standing on her feet.

  Her body was sore, but nothing seemed broken. A gash on her shoulder had stained her shirt red in one spot. She moved back to the panel.

  "Captain Shaltia, are you safe?"

  "Yes, just a run in with the hybrid." She worked quickly to dismantle the device that she hoped was a wormhole generator.

  You Should See the Other Guy

  Cooper opened his eyes slowly. He had barely made it to the smaller cargo bay on deck four without collapsing. Wedging himself between two crates, he dozed off as he waited for the perladine to regenerate his blood cells. Perladine reacts quickly in the body and can regenerate most blood cells in a couple of hours, provided of course that one doesn't go head to head with a monster.

  Guessing that he'd been resting about an hour, Cooper pulled himself to his feet. Looking around the cargo bay, he had no clear memory of coming in here. The haze was like a drunken stupor, and Cooper was lucky that his subconscious had guided him to a safe nook. He felt better with the proper amount of blood in his system.

  He looked around the cargo bay. This one seemed to be storing most of the personal belongings of the colonists. Trinkets and memorabilia too sentimental to leave behind, now floating in space forgotten and wasted.

  Armed still with only the dagger, Cooper moved around the crates looking for any weapon. The deadliest weapon he found was a club that resembled a baseball bat from Earth only shorter. He held the club in his hand wondering what kind of game used it. It wasn't much, but it was a step above nothing.

  With the dagger in his right hand and the club in his left, Cooper started for the exit. He needed to get back to Alura and check on Shaltia. Then, he was rearming himself and coming back to shove a pulse cannon up Farkak's ass and pull the trigger.

  But he froze. Something in the corner caught his eye, and he moved toward it. An eight-foot tube rested on a cart. The tube was empty and powered down. There didn't appear to be any damage to it. Cooper smiled. Beside stabbing himself, he thought things might actually be coming together.

  Then the gunfire erupted in the corridor. Cooper stepped behind a crate. He planned to go after Farkak, however, there were only a few things at which he would be firing his Smith & Wesson. Cooper made a quick decision that going against the monster with a knife and cricket bat seemed like the poorest of ideas.

  Shouting was coming from the other side of the door. Cooper cringed a bit.

  "Fuck it," he said moving toward the door.

  Three shots rang out, and Cooper opened the door. Farkak was up the corridor firing at the monster. Learra was in front of the door. Cooper eyed Farkak, grabbed Learra, and ran down the hallway towing her along.

  "What are you doing?" she cried.

  "Saving our asses."

  "But Farkak," she started.

  "Fuck him," Cooper mumbled. A lift at the end of the hallway opened, and the two stepped in. Turning, Cooper saw Farkak running toward the lift and trying to reload the gun. The hybrid was gone. Farkak fired at Cooper as the lift doors closed and the lift shot up.

  When the doors opene
d, Cooper smashed the controls with the bat.

  "What are you doing?" Learra asked. "He's been helping me."

  "Well, he tried to kill me. He doesn't want to help you. He wants to sell you."

  "What?"

  Cooper shook his head and said, "Come on. We don't have time to talk about it now."

  The number on the wall indicated they were on level seven. Damn, he wished he could talk to Alura right now. An arrow pointed down a hallway with the word "Entertainment Area" written underneath it.

  "Let's go this way," he urged Learra.

  "Where are we going?" she asked.

  "I don't know. Someplace where we can think."

  The Entertainment Area was behind a double door. The room was large with a few areas for sitting. Bars that looked like they served alcoholic refreshments were around the room. Large screens were hanging like a movie theater. There were several doors along the side, and Cooper picked the fourth one at random.

  He and Learra stepped into a game room. There were tables and chairs with pardo tiles and nine-sided dice. Cooper slid into a chair, feeling at home. Even at an empty pardo table.

  "What happened?" he asked Learra.

  "When you went to get some food, Farkak came running out saying we had to move. Something was coming. We ran out of that room. He took me to his room. I fell asleep there. Then he came back and said we had to move. There was a room with blood on the floor trailing to the..." She searched for a word. "The room that goes up and down."

  "The lift."

  "We were looking for you when that monster showed up."

  "Looking for me?" Cooper asked.

  "That's what Farkak told me," she responded. "What did you mean he wanted to sell me?"

  "Farkak killed everyone on this ship because you and that monster were on this ship. He wanted to sell you both to a slaver."

  "A slaver? Why me?"

  Cooper sighed. Breaking the news that not only had she been kidnapped from her home, but also she had been forcibly used in an illegal genetic testing sounded very shitty to Cooper. Still, she needed to know.

  "The man who stole you from your home also stole that monster. Only it wasn't a monster when he got him. He was a man."

  "What happened to him?"

  "He was genetically enhanced. Do you know what genes are?"

  She shook her head.

  "Genes make up what kind of being we are. Like I have human genes, a dog has dog genes, and so on."

  She nodded.

  "This man who stole you took the genes from other animals and spliced them to the genes of that man. It turned him into a monster."

  "Oh, are they going to try to turn me into a monster."

  Cooper bowed his head and said, "I think they already have. You are stronger than most people. Do you notice anything else different?"

  "I can hear lots of sounds."

  Nodding Cooper continued, "I don't think you will turn into the same creature. According to the records of the man, he made improvements on you to help maintain your humanity."

  "I'm not human?"

  "Yes, Learra, you are. You are very human. You just have some extra gifts."

  "And Farkak killed everyone just to get to me?"

  Cooper shook his head gently. "No, I think he already had you. He killed everyone to cover it up."

  "Both of us though?"

  "Yeah," he answered. "The two of you were to be the scientist's breeding pair so that he could create a race of you."

  "Breeding? With that monster?"

  "I don't want to do that. I want to go home."

  "I'll do my best to make sure of that."

  "Thank you," Learra said as she sat on the floor. Her eyes stared off into space as the truth sank in.

  Cooper picked up a prodo tile and let it walk through his knuckles. He needed a new plan. One that got this girl to safety and allowed Cooper to put the bat firmly against Farkak's head.

  She's Had Enough

  "That should be the last connection, Captain Shaltia," Alura said.

  Twisting the connector free, Shaltia sighed with relief. Detaching the unit itself would be a quick task. She unbolted the six fasteners holding it to the array's instrument panel. Then she lifted the unit free.

  "I hope you remember how it came apart," Shaltia said.

  She stood and carried the wormhole generator in her arms.

  "I need to secure this and then find Cooper."

  Heading for the lift, she froze. The hybrid had run off about an hour ago, but she sensed him. Her eyes moved around the room looking for anything. When she finally saw him, he was crouched in a corner fifteen meters away watching her.

  "Alura, he's back," she whispered more out of a comfort for herself.

  "Cooper?" the ship asked.

  "No, the hybrid."

  "Is he attacking?"

  Shaltia said, "No, just watching."

  Looking directly at him, she said, "Hello."

  He didn't move.

  "Captain Shaltia, if you are attempting to bond with him, may I remind you that he seems to be functioning on a primal level."

  "I am very aware of that. If I only had some food."

  "Yes, positive reinforcement is a typical training method for animals."

  "I don't need to train him, just keep him from eating me."

  Shaltia smiled at the hybrid and then moved toward the lift. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the hybrid was following slowly and curiously. The unnerving feeling of his presence was mingled with a strange comfort.

  "Alura, I'm bringing this to secure on you."

  "Yes."

  The lift carried her up to the main level. Moving toward the airlock, Shaltia tensed up. A figure stepped out of a door between her and the airlock. A man wearing a wrinkled shirt and Cooper's Smith & Wesson in his belt.

  "Are you Cooper's partner?" he asked.

  Shaltia stared at Farkak. "How many people do you think are on this ship?"

  He smiled. "We need to move," he urged. "The monster has been chasing me."

  "Really?" she asked letting her eyes linger on Cooper's gun.

  "It killed Cooper. I'm so sorry."

  "What about the girl?" Shaltia asked.

  "I couldn't stop it. He slashed through Cooper's chest and grabbed the girl. I took Cooper's gun to chase it, but it got away."

  Shaltia nodded. "We need to move then."

  "Your ship is ahead. Will we be safe on it?"

  "Yes, the hybrid can't get into the airlock."

  Farkak breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank god. I'm so tired of running."

  They continued down the corridor to the airlock.

  "Alura, this is Shaltia. We are coming in the airlock. Initiate the proper protocol for decontamination."

  She looked at Farkak and showed him the unit she was carrying. "Do you mind getting the hatch?"

  Farkak nodded and grabbed the hatch with both hands.

  "Alura, now."

  A jolt of electricity zipped through the hatch knocking Farkak back against the wall. Stunned for a second, he scrambled to his feet while Shaltia dropped the unit and grabbed her laser pistol.

  "You fucking bitch," Farkak charged her before she could aim the pistol.

  The two hit the floor, and Farkak punched her in the face. Shaltia threw a knee into his groin, but the impact didn't faze him.

  "I'm going to drag your ass onto that damn ship. If you want to live, you better not fight me."

  Farkak had her pinned to the deck.

  "If you're really lucky, I'll keep you around awhile to play with."

  "Fuck you," she spat into his face.

  The back of his hand struck her cheek. Then a howl reverberated through the corridor as Farkak flew off her. A figure bounded over Shaltia, and she realized the hybrid was after Farkak.

  Farkak fired three shots from the Smith & Wesson, and the hybrid closed in quickly. The left hand sliced out tearing through Farkak's shoulder. He dropped the gun and ran, turning
and firing a laser pistol. Shaltia jumped to her feet. She ran down the hall and picked up Cooper's gun.

  Farkak seemed to escape the hybrid, but he was definitely wounded. Blood splatters on the walls had come from the traitorous engineer. The corridor was empty again.

  Shaltia lifted the wormhole generator.

  "Next time, hit them with enough juice to kill them," Shaltia told the ship as she opened the airlock hatch.

  "My apologies. I was only set to deter entry."

  Shaltia locked the hatch and carried the generator to the bridge.

  "Is there any way to find Cooper?" Shaltia asked.

  "The engineer stated that he killed Cooper."

  "Yes," Shaltia said, "but he was lying."

  "I do not have any way to track him with the internal sensors on the Burnside offline, and since, he does not have a comm, there is no way to reach him."

  Shaltia left the bridge heading for the galley. She opened the cooler to find some bacon that Cooper liked to find. The last time they passed an Earth outpost, he traded some equipment parts for a twenty kilos of bacon made from the outposts own herds of pigs.

  Two kilos would work, she thought as she stuffed it in a storage bag that she pocketed.

  Then she ran to Cooper's quarters. There were still plenty of ammunition for the Smith & Wesson, and she reloaded the chamber and took a handful of extra rounds.

  Heading back to the bridge, she asked Alura, "Can you tap into the Burnside's intercom system?"

  "Yes, I should be able to."

  Stepping onto the bridge, Shaltia stared out the clearviews at the two ships still sitting at bay.

  "How are our friends out there?" she asked Alura.

  "Both have their weapons armed, but neither has fired."

  "A standoff."

  "Yes. I do have access to the intercom system on the Burnside."

  "Good, I want an open channel to transmit over the entire ship."