Panting, the two crewmembers ran as hard as they could, the air stretcher with the unconscious captain floating between them. Finally, gasping for breath, shoulders aching from the heavy, jouncing packs, they slowed to a walk.
There was no sound of pursuit. Yet. Hopefully the Arkon pirates were more interested in the Golden Door’s rich cargo. After a few miles Roxanne and Koba halted for a breather, staring at each other’s miserable faces through the pelting rain.
“Did we bring the drone Koba? Can we use it to see if the Arkons are chasing us?”
Panting, Koba shook his head. “Can’t send it up. Too much wind and rain. Don’t worry in a few minutes we will be the least of those rat bastards’ worries.”
“What do you mean?” Roxanne asked.
Chapter 4
Koba did not answer Roxanne, only checked his chronometer. Then began to count: “10-9-8-7-6-5…”
“Koba – what did you do?”
A tremendous boom vibrated the air.
“Omahgawd you blew up our ship! We’ll never get home now!”
Koba stared back toward the beach, brown eyes slitted with hatred. “We could have been rich! Someone had to teach those parasites a lesson. Sooner or later there’s a price for stealing. Arkon pirates killed my father. With luck some of them were in the cargo bay rooting through it when the bomb went off.”
“Now the Arkons will vow vengeance against us. You know they never forget an injury. If you had just let them take the cargo maybe they would have left us alone. Then we could have come back later and repaired the ship.”
“Leave us alone with our ship? Don’t kid yourself. What planet did you grow up on – Earth? If the Arkons couldn’t repair the Golden Door they would have blown it up. We were going to lose that ship no matter what. If we can’t keep what is ours, then no one can! At least this way we took some of them down. Now those fuckin pirates will have to lick their wounds and have fewer men to chase us with.”
As they sat there, wet and cold, the rain, wind and dark clouds began to clear off. As sunlight streamed through the thick green jungle, Koba and Roxanne got their first good look at Rastabahn.
“Holy shit.” Koba breathed, gazing around wide-eyed. “This place is alive.”
From the dead blackness of outer space, they had landed in a veritable Garden of Eden. A primeval world oozing with life. Koba felt the very ground under his feet literally surging with vitality.
Crystal blue sky met rolling jungle in a pristine, green Eden. After the endless blackness of space, there was a strange unreality about this new world, as if they stood in an electrically created dimension.
Roxanne gasped, poised to leap away. Several large, languid serpents were hanging from nearby branches, observing them with alert slitted black eyes.
A brown mottled, six foot long lizard slithered right by Roxanne’s feet and up a huge tree next to the trail. The lizard flung her a knowing glance, just before it disappeared into the waving green tree canopy. Strange - the way these reptiles’ look at you. So aware. As if they can think.
A huge gold and black patterned python seemed to materialize out of the earth itself. The incredibly long thick body sensuously undulated across the sun-dappled forest floor. Roxanne’s inexperienced eyes had initially taken the big snake for a fallen log dusted with leaves.
Danger! - her instincts commanded her body to freeze, her mind fraught with uncertainty. Some of these snakes must be venomous. Who knew what other predators lurked in this dense green forest?
As if she was under the influence of some potent, mind-bending drug, Roxanne found she could no longer distinguish the real from the unreal. The camouflage of these creatures was so effective, she could not even trust her own eyes.
Reptilian eyes watched their every move. She was reminded of a saying - Do not stare long into the abyss, or the abyss will stare back at you. The more closely she looked the more she saw.
The ground and everything all around seemed to be surging, in a state of flux. From the corner of her eye Roxanne kept glimpsing flickers of things. Creatures, invisible beings barely visible and then - Gone.
It was not safe to simply walk. Every step had to be checked first. A venomous serpent could be coiled right beside the trail, it’s natural camouflage hiding it from sight. No more could she simply sit down without first carefully checking the spot where she would put her vulnerable backside.
Suddenly Roxanne found herself hesitant to move at all. Her senses needed to adjust to this radically new environment. Rastabahn was so different from the nihilistic emptiness of deep space. Struggling to get her bearings, all senses on overload; she found she could not even trust her own eyes. Her own judgement.
Koba gazed around in a state of shock and wonder, his ears bombarded by a strident cacophony of animal and insect sounds. Some sounds harmonious, rhythmic, others powerful and menacing. The jungle was so thick, a dangerous predator could pounce and he wouldn’t be able to see it until it was right on top of them.
Observant eyes watched for weakness. Koba had the strange sensation that the very earth under his feet, the trees and plant life, even the planet itself was aware. Their presence had disturbed the planet’s rhythm.
Crashing through the myriad of animal calls came a huge, almost metallic shriek. The challenging roar dominated the atmosphere. Roxanne and Koba stared at each other, understanding encompassed in that one telling look. They dared not attract ITs attention.
It was like stepping into a gigantic illusion. Rastabahn, the dream of a sleeping god.
Moving carefully they slogged silently onward, the air stretcher with the silent captain floating between them. Finally they stopped at a small clearing. After carefully surveying the ground, Roxanne sank down with a soft groan and eased the heavy pack off her shoulders.
She was dying to lie down. Stretch out. Sink into the earth itself. What a relief to just breathe and rest to get her bearings.
“We lost everything. Again.” Her head dropped into her hands.
“Not everything.” Reaching into a deep pocket of his camo pants Koba pulled out a pouch. Shook it. There was a tinkling rattle. “Remember these?”
He handed her the pouch. Opening it with hesitant, hopeful fingers she peered in. At the sight, her face flooded with wonder.
“Koba - You are The MAN. I just hope the Arkons weren’t tipped off that we were carrying diamonds in our cargo.”
“Well they will never know for sure since they didn’t get time to investigate the whole cargo.” Koba’s face wore a devilish grin.
“I agree, you did the right thing, blowing up the ship. Only - what do we do now?”
“The only thing we can do – follow this road.”
Chapter 5
Koba’s head jerked up. He stared at the waving green leaves.
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“I thought I heard voices. People calling.”
A gust of wind hit, causing a million green leaves to hiss, shimmer and shake.
“Never mind. Must have been the wind in the leaves.” Koba dismissed it. That’s the second time I heard voices. Roxanne is sensitive. Better not get her freaked out.
Jivan uttered a low moan. Roxanne checked his pulse and wound.
“How’s the captain?”
“As well as can be expected. We need to find a safe place to camp. Jivan’s lost alot of blood. He needs a plasma transfusion.”
Coiled less than a yard away from his right leg, Koba noticed a large green serpent with horizontal golden stripes. It glared fiercely at him, needle sharp fangs extended and dripping. Instinctively Koba leapt back and shot it several times with his laser pistol.
“Yeah, find a safe place.” His expression conveying - Is there any such thing here? “We better get moving. This trail leads upward. We need to get out of this swampy land up to higher ground.”
Sweat dripped from Roxanne’s entire body including her eye sockets as she trudged along carrying
the heavy backpack and laser rifle. The weight of so much equipment was too much and not enough. Every single thing she carried would be invaluable and irreplaceable in this primitive environment.
“Watch out!” Koba hissed, stopping in his tracks.
A thick spider web was stretched across the trail. In the middle, sharpening venomous tusks, was a furry black spider the size of a basketball.
“Ow!” Roxanne swatted at her neck. “The bugs are eating me alive.”
The image of an inviting crystal blue pool materialized in her mind. She imagined the cool waters cleansing, soothing her scratched, burning skin. Somehow she felt energized by the vision, like a man wandering in the desert who sees the mirage of a shimmering blue pool ahead. Always just ahead. How long since I went swimming? Years.
Picking up a long thick stick Koba pierced the web, let the spider climb onto the stick, then tossed it aside. They trotted quickly by.
So much insidious crawling, slithering life here. A huge shock after the endless black void of space. So many calculating predatory eyes. Panting, they sped up, pushing quickly through webs ruled by venomous spiders.
A sudden rushing slithering movement caught Roxanne’s eye. A large black and tan mottled lizard twice her length slithered up the twining vines of a huge tree right next to the trail.
Using its long curved claws the lizard walked out onto a thick limb directly overhead. The big reptile stared down at them, yellow eyes marked by vertical black slits. Tail coiling, lashing.
Drawing their laser pistols they slunk under the branch, daring the damn thing to pounce. The reptile’s yellow/black slitted eyes watched them pass. Unblinking. Unmoving. Except for that lashing, coiling tail.
The crew of the Golden Door struggled on for hours as the trail became steeper, winding up into the hills. Then, with deep relief, Roxanne heard the welcome sound of splashing water.
The trail opened up to a pool in the form of a hollowed out stone bowl the size of a swimming pool. It was filled with crystal clear blue-tinted water in which fish as long as her forearm swam languidly.
The pool was fed by a waterfall that fell from another, higher pool. Looking up, Sorsha saw a whole series of pools connected by waterfalls. Seven gorgeous stone pools all linked by a narrow river rushing from the mouth of a huge cave set into the hillside.
The White Road led along the pools and bypassed the cave, continuing up into the hills. Roxanne and Koba decided to investigate the cave.
The cave mouth was wide with plenty of dry space to camp next to the cascading stream. Koba gazed around appreciatively. Here was fresh water, cover from the elements and fresh fish for food. The answer to their prayers.
From the cave entrance they had a magnificent view of the descending blue pools and the trail leading up from the beach. The perfect place to take cover for the night.
Unless there were predators living in the cave, which seemed likely considering the prolific life on Rastabahn. Koba’s nostrils flared, hit by a powerful dank scent coming from the depths of the cave.
“Holy shit Koba - Look!”
A gigantic cave bear with two cubs was trotting up the trail straight toward them. Sniffing and huffing, the huge cave bear rose on her hind feet, twice the height of a man. Scenting intruders, the bear dropped to all fours and roared, shaking her head. Uttering a hoarse grunt, she charged.
Dropping to one knee, Koba got off several shots with his laser rifle, winging the bear in the shoulder and foot. He didn’t want to kill her, just drive her off. But the burning pain from the laser fire only infuriated the massive animal.
Chapter 6
With an ear-splitting roar, the bear swung her massive head, snapping at air, trying to kill the invisible enemy which had bitten her. But she soon realized the source of her pain. Huffing with every bound, fangs bared, she bore down on them in a black whirlwind of speed.
Koba and Roxanne both fired at her but the huge bear’s massive size and momentum were too great. Bellowing a ferocious roar the bear slammed into them.
Koba was thrown against the cave wall. In a flash the giant cave bear grabbed Roxanne’s arm in its jaws, shaking her like a rag doll. Then with a deep groan the bear sagged, collapsing to the ground.
Groaning, panting and cradling her bleeding arm, Roxane’s body folded into a fetal position. Any longer and the massive bear would have crushed her arm, or torn it off.
“Can you move your arm?” Koba bent over her, deep concern in his eyes.
Gritting her teeth she lifted her bleeding arm.
“Thank God. Don’t worry, you’re gonna be okay Roxanne.” Koba breathed as he went to work on her, disinfecting the deep gashes. He applied antibiotic salve, then wrapped her arm and shoulder snugly.
“Take these.” He helped her swallow more antibiotics and pain analgesics washed down with water.
Moving her carefully, Koba propped Roxanne up against the cave wall. “Stay here. Rest while I check out this cave. God knows what else lives in here.”
Jivan lay unconscious on the air stretcher. Koba checked his pulse. Weak and rapid. The captain was in hypovolemic shock from blood loss and needed a transfusion. Moving quickly, efficiently Koba set up IV lines to replenish his system with plasma.
“Watch the captain Roxanne. Keep that pistol in your lap. Don’t go to sleep until I get back.” Holding his laser pistol in one hand he dug a powerful flashlight out of his backpack and set off to check out the cave.
Some 50 feet in he came upon hundreds of large black, bat-like creatures with six foot wingspans. Faces wrapped in leathery wings they hung upside down from the cave ceiling.
The disturbed creatures opened their wings, revealing hissing reptilian faces punctuated with bright black eyes. Strong jaws gaped with sharp white fangs. Long prehensile tails slashed angrily back and forth, warning Koba to keep his distance.
As he passed underneath, the animals erupted in high-pitched, angry hissing. He was struck by the awareness in their gleaming dark eyes.
The floor under his feet was thick with squishy dung. Mouth pursed in disgust, Koba strode cautiously, pistol in one hand, torch in the other. Huge foot long centipedes scurried away from his light. The shadows were dark and deep with numerous smaller passages leading off the main tunnel.
An explosive hiss snared his attention. Holy Shit!
He swung the flashlight to see a massive serpentine creature slithering at him with stunning speed. Koba crouched, taking aim. But the big reptile was moving in a fast zigzag pattern, confusing his aim.
Holy fuck. Its head was the size of a Nile crocodile, with long sharp horns. Ridges of thick golden platelets armored its back and sides. The scales surrounding the platelets were gleaming black. It was huge, at least 30 feet long.
Darting back and forth in the murk, the reptile’s head was almost impossible to hit. Koba opened fire. Trying to hit something. Any part of its thick, muscular body even just to slow it down. But it just kept coming.
Still firing, Koba jumped back until he was backed up against a rocky outcropping. With nowhere else to go he jumped, the low gravity enabling him to bound 15 feet up onto the outcrop.
Black eyes gleaming with territorial fury, the giant reptile was erect head was level with Koba’s as he stood on the rock. Half of its muscular coils were still on the ground. Swaying back and forth the reptile uttered an explosive HISST and struck at him.
Firing like a madman, Koba jumped aside. He thought he might have hit it. He couldn’t tell. The reptile suddenly veered away, disappearing down a narrow passage.
Reptile bats, giant bears, dragons. What else is in this cave? I won’t be getting much sleep tonight. Panting, nerves on edge, Koba strode further down the dark passage, flashlight swishing back and forth.
The cave branched off from the underground river. The ceiling grew higher until Koba found himself in a huge cavern bristling with stalactites and stalagmites.
A fissure in the enormous cavern ceiling let a sliver of light throu
gh. Shadows flickered over images drawn with soot on the walls - lifelike drawings of reptiles, serpents, catlike predators and cave bears. But no humanoids.
Apparently there are sentient beings on this planet. Wonder what they look like?
Then he noticed something that made his eyes widen - one of the stalactites hanging down from the ceiling was carved in the shape of a giant cock.
Hmmmh a very human-like rendering of fertility equipment there.
Water dripped from the tip of the stalactite penis. Koba’s eye fell upon a carving on the floor directly below it. Is that what I think it is? Well I’ll be damned, it’s a vagina.
There was quartz in the rock cut vagina. It glittered under the running water. Looks like these Rastabahn hominids enjoy sex. I think we might have something in common.
A shaft of light directed his eye to the cavern’s center. What in hell is that?
Sitting on a flat boulder was the six foot tall statue of a coiled serpent. In solid gold. At the pyramidal top of the coils shimmered a golden human head.
The multifaceted ruby eyes of the entity were rolled up in its head, giving it an expression of suffering. Or ecstasy. Koba could not be sure.
The icon’s hair was fanned out in a golden halo around its face like sunrays. A shaft of light highlighted what appeared to be brilliantly cut diamonds embedded in the golden sunrays. Wow.
Serpents with human heads? Rastabahn - Eye of the Dragon. This planet is like the dream of a sleeping god.
An earth tremor vibrated the cavern floor into his feet. Followed by a humming sound. A chill ran down Koba’s spine. What is that?!
Before his eyes the glittering golden statue began to turn, as if spinning on a pivot. The ruby eyes shot blood red light streaks over the stalactites as if they were giant white teeth, dripping blood.
Chapter 7
Eye of the Dragon (Vision of a Dreaming God) (Fallen Drakon Empire Book 3) Page 2
