by Jason Kent
"Move!" Georges shouted.
Kate required no further encouragement. Behind them, the entry lounge where they entered the airship peeled open from below. The wonderful wooden Steward's desk dropped out of sight. Kate found herself looking at a sweeping panorama of Aesti's rolling hills bathed in moonlight. She grabbed the nearby bannister. For now at least, the steel frame of the Grand Staircase seemed to remain structurally sound. Kate had the sudden image of the entire twisting staircase dropping out of the open bottom of the cupola taking all of them with it as tumbled through the darkness. The thought hustled her along. Kate pumped her legs and climbed higher and higher into the airship. She slowed only for a moment to marvel at a massive grandfather clock set on a landing. The pendulum ticked and tocked as if the world around it was not literally falling apart. The moment ended when Sparrow grabbed her arm and hauled Kate up the rest of the steps.
They pushed through a set of wide wooden doors and Kate found herself out in the night air. Kate looked around Katrin's observation deck. The open space did not feel especially safe given what was flying around up here with them. A screech from below reminded her the inside of the ship was not the best place to be either. Kate looked around and wondered what a lifeboat looked like on a zeppelin. A loud hissing drew Kate's attention upward. The gas bag looked to be intact, but after the damage the skyrake inflicted on the steel and glass below, it was not a stretch to guess one or more of the sacs in the framework above their heads could be compromised.
A uniformed crewman ran around the corner of the deck house. He skidded to a stop, obviously not sure what to make of the heavily armed group of passengers rushing toward him. A scream echoed through the night and some ingrained duty took over.
"Please take cover below," The man ordered in a shaky voice. "It would appear we have attracted the attention of a rake!"
"Not much to get back to," Garrett stated evenly. He ignored the crewman and scanned the night sky. He pointed and called, "There!"
The crewman took one quick look at the dark shape cruising through the night and yelped. He shouldered past them. Kate was knocked into the railing. She looked after the crewman and watched as he slid into a hatch located between two air vents set further back on the deck.
"Nice," Sparrow called after the crewman. "Thanks for the assistance!"
"Maybe we should follow him," Andrea suggested nervously.
"I think not," Georges said. He glued his eyes to the spot Garrett pointed at. Kate looked in time to see a dark shape dive below the airship.
A low rumble rattled the dirigible from bow to stern. Kate was reminded of the sound the large dump truck she and Merrick had borrowed back on Transom. The growl sounded like the truck's engine as it started up. Only much scarier, Kate thought.
Kate grabbed the railing. The airship shuddered as the rake sent yet another piece of the craft falling to the ground.
"So, the Aesti visitor brochure did not mention rakes," Sparrow remarked.
The creature swung up from under the passenger compartments and flew up toward the blimp. Everyone staggered back from the railing.
"Tral!" Garrett and Georges cursed in unison.
The skyrake was a huge flying lizard with massive leathery wings. Kate knew it possessed giant claws on all four of its legs. These she had seen firsthand down in their now-wrecked luxury suite. The rake's long neck ended in an arrow-shaped head and long snout. Kate thought back to the razor-sharp teeth and intelligent eyes. Kate watched as the skyrake shot through the air, driven by its powerful wings. She realized she was likely to get another close-up view of the creature whether she wanted one or not.
The rake arched onto its back and curved up toward the vulnerable air sacs. Before it disappeared above the blimp, the clawed tip of its wing clipped one of the support wires. The thick strand of braided steel snapped like a piece of string. The thick cable was one of dozens under extreme tension as it supported the weight of the cupola and engine section. The broken ends of the wire sang and whipped across the deck and up into the air bag. The fabric covering of the blimp flapped wildly in the night as pressurized gas escaped. The rail was ripped away a meter from where Kate stood. Kate stumbled as the airship listed suddenly to port.
"Time to move," Georges declared. He hustled toward the bow of the airship.
"No kidding," Kate noted as she looked at the missing railing.
"I don't know about you guys," Ross said as they broke into a flat out run, "but, to me, a skyrake looks a lot like a dragon."
"Seconded!" Garrett shouted. "Do you suppose the colonists created it as some sort of genetic pet and it got loose?"
"Actually," Sparrow suggested, "it's probably native to this world."
"Tell ya what," Kate breathed. "Check on it next time we get to a net hotspot and give us all the details."
"Got it."
Kate looked over at the sprite. How could she not be breathing hard?
Another bone-chilling screech filled the heavy night air.
"Here!" Georges shouted.
Kate looked around and wondered, here what? She looked out over the railing. The rake wings thumped as it pulled itself straight toward them.
"We are so..." Garrett began
"Weapons!" Georges ordered.
Georges braced his assault rifle with both hands. Garrett knocked a heavy bolt in his crossbow and raised it to fire. Even Sparrow pulled out her two hand guns, raised them, and sighted on the oncoming beast.
"How come I'm the only one not packing?" Kate asked and threw up her hands.
"Not sure," Sparrow replied. "You've been around us long enough to know better."
"Come with me," a deep voice said from behind Kate.
Kate nearly jumped out of her skin as Captain Paavo shouldered past Kate to a dark shape off to one side of the deck. She tore her eyes from the terrifying creature bearing down on them, Kate hurried after the Captain. After all, the man possessed the highly cultivated command presence sought after for Ship Masters, no matter whether the ship flew or floated. She thought she should at least see what he had in mind.
Paavo stopped when he reached a tarp-covered contraption bolted to the foredeck. For a moment, Kate thought it was going to be some sort of lifeboat. She shuddered. Her last experience with an escape pod back on Transom was still fresh in her mind. Kate did not think she could force herself to squeeze into a tiny capsule the skyrake would probably consider a snack; crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside.
The Captain tore back the covering to reveal a huge harpoon gun. Paavo grasped the handle and turned the gun so it faced out into the night and the creature heading straight for them.
Sparrow edged sideways next to Kate. She still aimed her pistols out into the night but turned her head to study the device.
"Steam powered," Sparrow grunted appreciatively.
The Captain threw a few levers on the handles and swore. Paavo looked over at Kate, an apologetic look on his face. "Any idea how to build up pressure for this thing?"
Kate looked from the Captain to the rake which was nearly upon them. Her body shook as it screeched again. Kate imagined this was a cry of victory as it swooped in for its next meal.
"Don't your crew know how to—" Kate started.
"You mean those worthless piles of tral?" Captain Paavo said. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. Seven white parasails blossomed in the sky below them.
"Nice," Kate breathed. She could clearly see one of them wore a long red velvet coat. The jacket's tails fluttered in the wind as the Steward soared away, hanging from his silken parachute. So much for morning room service, Kate thought. She took some consolation in that they no longer seemed to have a room in which to be served.
"Allow me," Sparrow said. She gently pushed Paavo away from the console packed with brass gauges, valves, and levers. "Weapons rule number one: 'Keep it simple'." She went to work studying the weapons' controls.
The rake's screech cut through the air. Kate did not need
to look up to know it was upon them.
"HOLD!" Georges shouted. "It's going for the fearless crew."
As the skyrake made its first pass and snagged one of the parasails in it claws, Kate looked away. She did not want the sight of the beast snacking replaying in her mind in the middle of the night for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, she could not close out the screams of terror which carried over the sounds of the chugging engines and the whoosh of the huge propellers.
Sparrow immediately got the gist of the harpoon's functionality. But it took all her strength to open a large valve, then the weapon belched steam from its base. She crouched and adjusted the release valve until the venting died down to a hiss. She pulled back a large lever and the lights on the panel went from red to green.
"You got power!" Kate shouted above the shrieking of the skyrake.
Paavo swung the weapon in an arc, tracking the movement of the rake.
"Get ready!" Georges bellowed. "Those snacks won't keep that thing for long!"
"Cowards!" Captain Paavo shouted and turned his attention back to the skyrake. "Battling a rake is like fighting the night. It is a shadow in the darkness."
The airship's deck tilted.
"What was that?" Kate asked. She grabbed the railing and scanned the dark sky. "Is there another one?"
"Dagger's at the helm," Merrick said and pointed back to the door leading into the bridge deckhouse. He took hold of the railing and held on as the airship turned in the opposite direction.
"Tral," Ross cursed behind Merrick. "Does she think going serpentine will help?"
"It's coming back!" Sparrow shouted.
Kate took a few steps to the link sprite's side and grabbed the railing as their ship turned and began to dive. The giant skyrake was banking sharply in the distance. "It's going into those clouds."
"Yeah," Sparrow noted, "so are we."
Kate glanced over to where Merrick took up a firing position near the leading edge of the deck. He looked back, saw her and smiled. As she watched, the sniper brought up his rifle and sighted down the scope just as the bow was enveloped by the leading edge of the cloud. Like a fog bank, the thick cloud rolled across the deck as Dagger guided the ship in the same cover the rake sought.
"This ought to be interesting," Sparrow declared. She raised her handguns and strained to find a target out in the surrounding mists.
"That's an understatement," Kate replied. She figured they would not need to wait long to find out just how interesting things could get. Kate wiped her brow. Her face and hands immediately became clammy and her hair became damp as the whirling tendrils of the cloud closed around her. Kate tapped Sparrow and pointed across the deck. "Any chance there's another one of these things over there?"
Sparrow followed Kate's finger. They could see dark outlines where the others stood. The hulking outline of the bridge house was nearby. Kate looked up, the blimp was a brighter section of the night, since its beige covering weakly reflected what little moonlight now reached through the clouds.
"Captain," Sparrow asked over her shoulder, "Would Katrin be equipped with another harpoon?"
With his dark uniform, Paavo nearly disappeared in the heavy mist. Only the white of his collar above his jacket stood out. Kate thought for a moment it looked like a priests' collar. She shuddered at the crawling sensation up her spine and wondered if they would need their last rites read to them.
"Starboard side," Captain Paavo called out. "But about twenty meters further back toward the engine section."
"Garrett!" Sparrow shouted.
A shadow appeared near them and materialized into the shuttle pilot.
"You bellowed?" Garrett asked.
"Come with us," Sparrow said. "We need to get the second harpoon working."
Garrett looked from his bow to the hulking outline of the harpoon mount nearby. The skyrake screeched out in the night.
"Now you're talking!" Garrett exclaimed.
Sparrow linked arms with Kate and together they set off across the deck in the best straight line they could manage in the gloom. Garrett stayed close behind. They reached the opposite railing and moved aft. They edged through the enveloping mist, careful of where they stepped. Several times, Kate's foot snagged on cleats or the chairs sliding around the deck as Dagger maneuvered wildly. The thump of the propellers cutting through the night grew louder the further back along the deck they went.
"Eleven o'clock!"
Kate turned when she heard Merrick's voice. It was muffled by the cloud. She flinched when a single shot from his rifle rang out. He must have scored a hit because the rake screeched in response. Several assault rifles joined in the attack. The cannon Captain Paavo was manning went off with a deep roar. The skyrake bellowed again.
"Score one for the Captain!" Kate called.
"Here!" Garrett shouted. He slung his bow over his shoulder and grabbed the canvas covering the dark shape in front of them with both hands. He quickly cleared the gun mount. Garrett snatched one of the massive harpoon shafts from the holder affixed to the mount and slid it into the barrel until only the wicked barbed point was visible. He took his crossbow in his hands and aimed out over the railing, looking for the skyrake's dark form.
Sparrow went to work with the controls, priming the system. Kate eyed the heavy wooden handles and steeled herself. She stepped forward and wrapped her hands around the grip. They were already slippery with moisture. Kate found the trigger. By the time Sparrow slapped her on the back to tell her the machine was pressurized, Kate was ready.
Kate listened as the skyrake's scream got softer.
"Maybe it's tired of us," Sparrow offered.
"I doubt it," Kate replied. As she strained to hear the now distant rake above the wind and nearby propellers, Kate thought she heard a slight change to the creature's wail. She wiped her damp palms on her pants leg and adjusted her grip on the harpoon's handles. "He's coming back for more."
Sparrow tilted her head and listened intently. After a moment, she aimed her guns out into the gloom.
"Yeah, I think you're right."
"Tral," Garrett replied.
"It's coming underneath," Sparrow remarked.
Kate tried to detect what the link sprite was hearing, but failed. The enveloping mist made distant noises sound as if they were coming from everywhere at once.
"The propeller pitch changed," Sparrow explained without being asked.
"Right," Garrett said. He raised the crossbow, ready to shoot when the rake decided to make an appearance.
Merrick heard the thump of the huge propellers change. Most likely due to an alteration in the airflow around the airship. It was not much, but his time stalking targets had taught him to pay attention to even the slightest change in your environment. Usually, it meant tral was about to hit the fan.
"Heads up," Merrick called over his shoulder. "Coming up the port side."
Captain Paavo's dark form turned to look at Merrick.
"Eye's front, Captain," the sniper suggested. "You have the big gun."
"Aye," Paavo acknowledged.
Merrick checked to be sure the Captain was focused on his field of fire. The man proved he could hit a skyrake once. Merrick hoped he could do it again. He was pretty sure their smaller caliber weapons were just making the rake angry.
Rattling gunfire sounded behind Merrick as Ross and Georges opened fire. The men were too far away for Merrick to see if they managed to hit anything in the mist. He studied the whirling shadows and raised his rifle. Paavo saw the rake before Merrick.
"There!" Paavo shouted. He pulled the trigger and the big gun roared. Paavo was thrown off-balance by the recoil. The rake screamed.
Merrick saw the skyrake then. Its screech of pain was nearly deafening. The sniper wanted to cover his ears but dared not lower his weapon. A massive shadow loomed. Merrick pivoted to follow the dark shape. Paavo was directly between Merrick and the rake.
"Captain!" Merrick shouted.
Paavo recovered fr
om the harpoon launch. He saw the rake. But it was too late. The beast was on top of him before he could react.
Merrick fired into the skyrake's head. Merrick knew he hit the rake but the shot did not appear to do any good. Merrick wondered briefly if there were any soft spots on the creature.
The rake slammed into the side of the airship and snapped out its jaws. Paavo was ripped from the deck and tossed overboard. Merrick fired again and again as the creature scrabbled to hang on to the steel hull of the ship with is long claws. It turned to Merrick and lunged.
Merrick inched forward as he fired. When the rake struck, he dove sideways. The skyrake's sharp teeth passed centimeters from his feet. The movement threw the rake off balance and it tumbled over the side, screaming as it went. Merrick jumped up and rushed to the railing, ready to fire again.
The rake's tail disappeared under the airship.
Merrick turned and ran. The rake was heading for Kate.
Kate looked over her shoulder when the firing began. She almost left to try and help when she heard someone scream. It was cut off quickly. Kate wondered who had been injured. Or worse.
"Stay focused," Sparrow urged. "We'll get our chance."
A moment later, Sparrow was proven right.
The dark form of the skyrake materialized below them. It's wings beat fast in the dark as it pulled its way up to get even with the open deck.
"Now!" Garrett shouted and fired a bolt. He reloaded fast and fired again. Whether or not he scored a hit, Kate could not tell.
"Open up!" Sparrow yelled. She followed her own advice and started firing her pistols toward the on-rushing beast.
The rakes head was suddenly right there in Kate's view-finder.
"TRAL!" Kate shouted and reflexively pulled the trigger.
The skyrake was so close she could not miss. The harpoon buried itself in the beast's neck. It screamed and thrashed then dove away from the airship.
Sparrow dove for Kate and knocked her to the deck. The rake's wing smashed into the gun mount, tearing it lose. The contraption went overboard. It was in this moment, Kate noticed the harpoon she fired was attached to a heavy steel cable. She suddenly realized these devices would not normally have been used in the manner she so aptly demonstrated. More likely, the harpoons were used to launch lines from airship to airship to facilitate the transfer of cargo while they were afloat. The lines would keep the ships together. She watched in horror as the coil of braided steel unwound with a zipping sound. The line now kept the skyrake firmly attached to the airship.
