by Eden Blue
The Needle Express punched through the atmosphere, nose pulling up. Power glitched as systems went down. Evan lost control of the ship as its nose aimed for the desert floor. Lydia was thrown around in the back as Venna coiled a tail and hands around anything to keep her upright. The Cyborg looked to a control panel and threw herself at it. Palms touched the blinking lights and electronic tendrils slipped out connecting to the systems. Activating her booster, she diverted power to the controls. Evan smiled as the panels blinked to life and resumed power. He pulled the nose up, and with the desert floor approaching underneath, activated the landing and reverse thrusters.
The ship shuddered forward. Venna was thrown into Evan while Lydia was ripped from the panel. The Engineer felt Venna crash into him, sending his face into the controls. Hit points drained as he pulled back with a bloody nose, the ship stabilizing. Landing gear unfolded while the ship vibrated and shifted as it landed on the sandy, uneven ground.
Venna reared back, a scaly hand to her head as Evan unbuckled himself, grabbed the hanging dog tags and jumped from the seat. Lydia was on the floor, looking up as Evan opened storage hatches and began rifling through them. He grabbed modules and put them to his E-pack. Small robotic claws reached out and grabbed each one, storing it in its proper place. The engineer then pulled out masks and tossed one to Lydia and then Venna.
“The air is thin, you will need these,” Evan said as he stuffed a few more in his E-pack.
Moving to another hatch, it opened and something like a large suitcase slid out. The box began shifting and expanding, taking on a strange shape before turning into a hover bike. The antigravity plates hummed to life and the bike floated in the air.
Evan turned to Venna and Lydia, “The drones will be here any second. There is a place we can go, but it’s six miles away. I can pilot Bruiser. Do either of you know how to ride a hover bike?”
Venna slithered forward, her body coiling onto the bike and hands taking the handles. The Shri-Ka’s body melded with the machine as she revved it up.
Evan smiled and turned to Lydia, “I’ll carry you.”
Lydia nodded, “Do you have any weapons so we can fight back?”
Evan shook his head, “No, long story. We just have to make it six miles to safety.”
Venna put on her mask and Lydia did the same. Evan put on his mask and moved to a side panel.
“Pris, eject your core,” Evan directed.
A tube opened as the ship’s lights blinked. A cylinder with glowing green lines shifted up from the tube and a small handle extended. Evan wrapped his fingers around the handle and pulled. The core was heavy as he hauled the foot-long cylinder to Bruiser. The power suit shifted his back to Evan and knelt. The power suit’s back flowered open. Evan hefted the cylinder up and shoved it into an open port. The engineer climbed up and sank down into the power suit’s cockpit. Bruiser’s back closed shut, as the exo-suit stood up and turned around. A large hand opened and lay on the floor, palm up. Lydia climbed up just as the ship’s rear hatch doors opened and a ramp extended.
Venna revved the engine and charged out onto the desert floor. She drove the bike around in a circle while her eyes gazed up at the brownish sky. Dark eyes drank in black dots as drones appeared through the clouds.
“They’re coming,” Venna said with a cool tone.
Bruiser held Lydia close to his chest as thrusters blazed on. The power suit burst from the damaged ship and streaked forward. Venna turned the bike and revved to full power. The bike’s core glowed as it blasted off after the power suit.
Lydia clutched to Bruiser while Evan checked the sensor display. Hundreds of drones came raining down from the sky, cannons aimed at the Needle Express. Plasma bolts poured down, pelting the ship until the hull cracked and finally exploded.
Evan’s heart lurched in his chest. He’d had that ship for years. He was careful to not get into too much hot water so he wouldn’t lose it. Pushing away the recent, horrible events, he focused on surviving. Lydia looked up to him as they sped along. Evan knew saving them was more important, but darkness stabbed at him as images of his brother floated into his mind’s eye. Questions began to mount, but the player pushed it all away with his purpose blazing into focus.
Venna sped along, trailing behind the large exo-suit. The Shri-Ka turned her head to see the drones changing direction. Pulling her pistol, she held it close as she held on with her tail and one hand. Turning her upper body, she aimed as the drones moved in closer, plasma cannons charging.
Evan’s scanners lit up as drones followed. Slowing down, he put Bruiser between them and Venna. The Captain eyed the flying brute and lowered her pistol before Evan’s voice came over the speaker in her mask.
“I’ll cover us. Just keep going straight.”
Venna gave him an uneasy gaze as she turned her attention forward and blazed ahead. Bruiser followed, a horde of drones speeding closer. Evan poured on the speed when something blinked ahead of them. Data streamed in as a large man appeared, waving his hands in the air. Evan magnified the suit’s vision and picked up a man and a smoking escape pod. There was another person there, her head barely looking out the open pod. They both wore breathing masks as the big man continued to wave.
“Venna, do you see them?”
The Shri-Ka nodded, “I’ll pick up the big guy. You get the one in the pod.”
The hover bike zoomed forward, Venna’s eyes locked on the large man. Bruiser barreled through the air, glowing blue eyes on the pod. Drones moved in closer, speeding along and gaining on them. Cannon’s charged and fired. Sand and debris shot into the air as Venna and Bruiser weaved back and forth. Bolts blasted forward, barely missing the giant power suit. One glanced off the suit’s shoulder causing Bruiser to dip slightly before regaining his balance. Evan watched as the shield held but it was only a matter of time before the rest of the swarm reached them.
In the distance, a small mountain range emerged. Evan knew they had to reach it or they were all dead. Bruiser and Venna closed the distance, reaching the two players stranded in the desert. The large man waved for another moment before he dropped down, digging his hands into the sand. Evan’s mind went on full alert, wondering if this was another trap. Venna kept her gaze steady as plasma bolts rained down, feet from her.
The large man smiled as he pulled his hands up with a crystal spear in each one. Energy arced along the spears as he lifted them up. Drones closed in, firing over and over with cold targeting. Venna barreled toward the man, ready to run him over if he was going to attack. Seconds passed before the big man heaved back both arms and threw each crystal spear. Venna watched as the spears shot past her. Bruiser descended as low as he could go with drones on his six. The spears slipped past him, each one sinking into a drone.
The big man smiled wider as the spears glowed and sent an electrical charge. The drone’s CPU burned as energy arced up the spear and leapt to another drone. Evan watched his scanners as an EMP bolt jumped from drone to drone in rapid succession. Four, eight, 16, and 32 drones lit up before falling from the sky and smashing into the sandy ground.
Venna turned the bike sideways and slowed to a halt just before hitting the big man. Bruiser landed at the pod and extended a hand down. A blue skinned woman stepped out of the smoking pod and into Bruiser’s oversized hand. Lydia was up close as Bruiser lifted her up and held her to his chest. The two looked at each other and nodded. The blue skinned woman’s expression was neutral, but her skin tone shifted to purple before turning a light blue once again.
“Thank the Code some of us made it out,” the large, bald man smiled at Venna. “Thanks for the ride!”
Venna said nothing as the man brought his leg over and sat behind the Shri-Ka. Venna revved the engine and burst forth, streaking toward the mountains. Bruiser’s thrusters fired up and the power suit was several feet off the ground, following the Captain on the bike. More drones swarmed above them into a stream, giving chase.
Evan increased speed, knowing they had
to outrun the enemy. He knew the green cave was before them, but he didn’t know if it would be enough cover to fight back.
“There’s a cave at the base of that mountain. When we get there, take cover while I set up two auto plasma cannons. They might be enough to slow down the drones while we retreat,” Evan said over comms.
“Two won’t be enough,” Venna added.
“I can boost them,” Lydia chimed in.
“It still may not be enough. We need to get a ship and get off this planet.”
“We’ll have to work it out. For now, the cave system is pretty deep. If the drones can’t find us, they will call off their search.”
“I can set up an EMP pulse if the right raw materials are in the cave. I’ll just need a little time,” the large man said, looking back.
“Are you a Nano Weaver?” Evan asked.
The large man nodded, “Doctor Samuel Vickers, Nano Weaver and Healer.”
Evan nodded in the power suit, “Then we might have a chance.”
Venna pushed the bike to maximum speed with Bruiser at her side. The swarm edged closer, cannons firing. Explosions rocked the area as bolts came dangerously close. The mountain loomed before them and Evan could see the wide mouth of the green cave. Even at a distance, he could make out the vibrant colored moss against the shadows of the cave entrance.
The hover bike blazed into the mouth of the cave with Bruiser flying in next. Venna slid to a halt as the doctor brought his leg up and over onto the hard ground. Hands reaching down, he lifted two large stones and pressed them together while nano-drones emerged from his skin like a liquid cloud. They worked at near the speed of light, changing molecules into useful items and slowly building a small machine. Bruiser swept in and landed. Oversized hands lowered, letting Lydia and their other passenger off. Once they were on the ground, Bruiser’s back opened and Evan sat up. Hands reaching behind, two rods ejected from his E-pack and into his palms. With a swing and a throw, the rods twirled in the air and stabbed into the ground. Tripods fell and metal shifted, barrels extending.
Evan sank back into Bruiser, the back folds closing over him. Checking his scanners, he readied himself to instruct Pris to take over the auto cannons when he looked to the screen and hesitated.
The swarms gathered high above the mouth of the cave for a long moment. Venna aimed her pistol as Doctor Vickers hefted in his hand a small device. Lydia and the blue skinned woman backed off and Bruiser took a step forward. The swarm hovered in the air for a few seconds before they turned and floated upwards to the sky. Venna continued to aim as Doctor Vickers let his hand drop to his side.
The group watched as the drones blasted up into the cloud cover, disappearing dozens at a time until none were left.
Evan checked the sensors, each enemy dot fading from sensor range.
“I think we’re all clear,” Evan said over comms.
The doctor bowed his head with a smile, “Thank the Code.”
Three
“I detect a signal within the cave. It is emitting a Cease and Dismiss code,” said Pris.
Evan turned Bruiser toward the cave. The power exo-suit stepped in while Venna holstered her pistol. The doctor looked around while Lydia and the blue skinned woman stepped closer, eyes on the power suit.
Evan looked to the scans, taking another step deeper. Besides the green moss, the cave was empty. Scanners pinged repeatedly as if getting closer, but there was nothing to see. After a few more steps, Bruiser’s chest bumped into something. Bruiser took a step back as ripples moved through the air, cascading along the entire cave until they stopped.
“It is a camouflage shield. I will attempt to power it down,” Pris said as a small screen blinked code.
Evan watched as the field rippled once again and then faded from sight. Bruiser took a step back as he turned his glowing blue eyes upward. The entire team stepped closer, marveling at the sight before them.
A large ship filled the cave with a black hull and purple lines running along it. It was long and sleek with two wings pointed forward. Bruiser stepped closer, lifting an oversized hand and ran it along the black hull.
“Raptor Class Strike ship, it can hold a crew of twelve with six bays for exo-suits. Scans indicate it has shield capabilities, full complement of missiles, two plasma stream cannons and eight quad plasma cannon turrets. There is a simple AI and the ship is full of supplies. It has a fully functioning Tempest Drive,” Pris said with no emotion.
“Can you interface and open the loading doors?” Evan asked.
“Working….” Pris replied.
The Doctor stepped closer, “Pretty convenient that a ship was hidden here, considering what happened on Azure Station.”
Lydia remained quiet as Venna gave the doctor a sideways glance.
“I didn’t see any escape pods jettisoned as we made our escape. How did you manage it?” The Shri-Ka asked.
The doctor smiled, “Nyn and I were running late to the meeting hall. When the alerts went off, we made a run for it. I managed to fight off a few sentries before making it to the pod. We ejected and here we are.”
The doctor eyed Venna, “Those drones would have taken us out if your ship didn’t distract them. I say we owe you our lives.”
Venna eyed the large doctor before turning back to the ship.
Lydia turned to the blue skinned woman as she looked on with a blank expression and touched her shoulder, “Are you okay?”
The woman turned, her eyes emotionless, but her skin turning a pale pink, “I am. Thank you for your concern. My name is Nyn Flur.”
Lydia smiled, “Lydia Ward. You’re a Lyress aren’t you?”
Nyn nodded, her skin staying pink, “I am a pilot for the Freighter ship, Dakota. I have been with the Azure Guild for two years, shuttling supplies between galaxies.”
Evan watched the group as Pris worked. The doctor was the largest man he had ever seen, built like a bald freight train. He carried a disarming smile, but the way he handled himself spoke to his nano-weaving capabilities. Looking past him to the Lyress, Evan drank in her form. Her skin color had changed back to a light blue and her long lustrous black hair flowed along the top of her head, down to her shoulders. The sides of her head had no hair and slightly pointed ears stabbed outward. She wore a pilot’s uniform, white with black lines running down the arms, legs, and across the chest. The skin along her face, neck, and hands changed with her emotions. Evan had met a few Lyress during his missions and picked up that they were a somber people. They lacked the facial muscles to express emotions like Terrans. Only the color of their skin gave off what they were feeling. Many Lyress learned to control their colors, seeing it as an advantage so other races couldn’t read them. Nyn seemed to either not have that control or simply didn’t care.
A beep went off and a small alert appeared in Evan’s vision.
“Access complete,” Pris said.
Under the ship, doors opened and a ramp descended until it touched the floor, sanitizing smoke drifting down along the open edges of the ramp. Venna slithered closer when Evan put up Bruiser’s giant hand.
“I should go in first,” Evan said over coms.
Venna pulled her pistol and let it hang at her side, “Bruiser may not have much maneuverability inside. We need this ship. I will go in and scout it out. I will give the all clear when I’m done.”
“Captain, I can’t….” Evan was cut off.
“That is correct. My title is Captain. Stay here and wait until I have finished. That is an order,” Venna said with a blank mask.
Bruiser stood for a long moment before taking two steps back.
“At least keep your coms open so we can rush in if you run into trouble.”
Venna gave a slight nod. The group watched as the Shri-Ka slithered up the ramp, pistol in hand. Evan watched as Venna’s implant connected with Bruiser. He could now see what she saw and watched the monitors. Venna moved slowly into the main hatch. She checked down corridors and made her way to the Bridge
.
Memories of the cave caressed Evan’s mind as he gazed at the screens. Images swirled on of Evan working on equipment while Ryan tested out his collection of rifles and pistols. Ryan was a gun enthusiast. He often talked about some of the movies they used to watch during their recess breaks. Platoon, Hamburger Hill, and Apocalypse Now were among their favorites.
Evan touched the dog tags around his neck, remembering how his brother thought it would be cool for them to have a pair. Ryan made two sets of dog tags and gave one to Evan in this very cave, a brotherly warmth in his eyes. He told him that no matter what happened, they would always be warrior brothers, fighting the good fight. Evan took it to heart when the dog tags fell into his hand. It had become a silent pledge between them, to fight and protect one another, no matter the circumstances.
Memories drained away as the player watched Venna make her way to the bridge. She moved to a panel and began tapping away at the screen. Performing an internal scan, she quickly saw that the ship was completely empty.
“It’s safe,” Venna said over coms.
The back of Bruiser opened and Evan lifted himself up. The engineer reached down and took hold of Pris’s AI core and pulled. The cylinder had some weight to it as Evan pulled his legs up to the edge of Bruiser’s open back. Climbing down the back of the power suit, he landed on the ground as Bruiser’s back closed. The group moved closer as Evan looked to the ramp.
“It’s safe. Let’s go in and check the systems,” Evan said and started walking to the ramp with the core hoisted onto his shoulder, “Bruiser, guard mode.”
The exo-suit turned to the wide mouth of the cave. The group made their way up the ramp and into the ship. Evan noticed it was brand new. It showed no signs of use, not even a smudge mark on the terminal screens. Connecting his control implant to his E-pack sensors, the Engineer could see that there were six decks, engine room, small eating area, bedrooms, a training and gym room, the bridge and power suit bay. It had all the creature comforts a crew could ever want or need.
