by Nolan Fury
37
The large powerful pincers plunged toward me. The beast was about to scoop me up and start gnawing on my flesh with its jagged teeth. But another Velnox entered the chamber.
The two of them squared off against each other, about to fight over a meal.
I couldn’t move my legs, and I could barely move my arms—and I wasn’t going to be able to do that for long. I rocked myself and rolled onto my side, then wormed my way toward the pool of the anti-venom. I crunched across the broken glass and plunged my face against the wet stone, lapping up the puddle.
I didn’t know how much of the serum I needed in order for it to be effective. I licked as much as I could from the dirty rock. It tasted like bitter medicine, mixed with dirt. I didn’t care what it tasted like as long as it allowed me to move again.
The two creatures rammed into each other, their armor clacking and clattering. They stabbed at each other with their stingers and locked pincers. Their feet clacked against the stone floor as they scuffled.
First, I was able to wiggle my toes. Then my ankles. The feeling came back in my hands. I had the coordination of someone who had downed a bottle of tequila, but at least I was able to move. I grabbed the dagger and flashlight and crawled across the floor while the two beasts occupied each other.
I reached a neighboring passageway and staggered to my feet, listing like a drunk. I fell when I tried to run. My feet couldn’t move as fast as my brain.
By the time I reached the water I was feeling better, but I still didn’t have my full abilities. My chest felt tight, and my limbs were rubber. But I didn’t have the luxury of waiting around until I regained my strength. The victorious Velnox clattered out of the passageway and scrambled toward me.
I sucked in a huge breath of air and dove into the water. I hoped that the beast couldn’t or wouldn’t follow me.
I pulled my self down into the depths and swam into the tunnel. The water was still murky, but it had settled a little. I saw the dismembered tentacles at the bottom of the passageway. The creature lay slumped half in and half out of his crevice. I figured he was really dead and not just playing possum, but I still had a bit of trepidation as I swam over him.
I kept pulling my way through the water. It was like one of those nightmares where you just couldn’t seem to get anywhere. My lungs burned. My arms and legs were weak. I was beginning to have my doubts that I would reach the other side.
I had gotten this far, I couldn’t pass out now. I kept stroking until I reached the end of the passageway, then nosed toward the surface. I was a second away from blacking out when I splashed through the surface and gasped a breath of air.
I swam to the shore and pulled myself out of the water. I took a moment to catch my breath. I almost grinned in triumph, but the blurry shape of a Velnox underwater cut my moment of glory short.
I sprang to my feet as the creature launched from the water, splashing and sloshing. Violent waves of water crashed against the shore. I sprinted through the stalagmites, racing toward the exit.
My fingers grabbed the tiny earbud from my ear canal and pulled it free. I tilted my head, draining the water from my ear and replaced the comm device. I tapped the earbud, activating it. “Tyler, do you copy?”
My chest heaved for breath, and my legs drove me forward, leaving a trail of watery footprints behind. I could hear the clack of the beast’s footsteps as it chased after me.
“Tyler, do you copy? I’m going to need an immediate evac!”
I worried the comm device no longer worked. I didn’t know if it was waterproof.
“Tyler—”
The robot’s voice crackled back. “Where are you?”
“Use this signal to home in on my location. I’m coming out hot.”
“Copy that,” Tyler said.
The spot of daylight at the end of the passageway was a welcome relief.
The scorpion-like creature gained on me. One misstep and I’d be toast, with no potion left to save me.
Its massive stinger struck down, nipping at my heels.
I narrowly escaped the onslaught, exiting the cave. I rushed into the sunlight, darted across the ledge and leapt into the air.
Tyler had pulled the Warbird around in the nick of time and I landed on the roof as he hovered the craft by the ledge. I tumbled and rolled, grabbing onto a cowling.
The creature skidded to a halt at the edge of the cliff and almost toppled to a rocky death.
I climbed to my feet and flipped the bastard off.
Tyler kept the craft hovering steady, but it still pitched and rolled a bit. I staggered to the hatch on the roof deck and climbed inside the Warbird.
Quinn flung her arms around me in the corridor. She held me tight. “I was worried sick about you. Why didn’t you let me know you were going?”
“Because you would have wanted to come with me.”
“You’re damn right!”
“I’ve already put you in enough jeopardy.”
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” She gazed at me with concerned eyes. “Don’t you ever do something like that again without telling me first. I was terrified you weren’t going to come back.”
“I survived.”
“Promise me!”
“I promise.”
Quinn rested her head against my chest and gave me another squeeze. When she pulled her hands away, they were covered in blood. Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God! You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing. Just a scratch.”
She looked at the puncture wound in my back from the creature’s stinger.
Her face tensed. “You need medical attention. That could get infected. Or worse, you could have internal bleeding.”
“I’m fine, trust me.”
She scowled at me, then shouted, “Duane Earl!”
I knew I was in trouble.
“I’m taking you to medical. Now!”
“Fine,” I sighed with resignation.
The engines rumbled as Tyler engaged the thrusters. The craft angled skyward, and I steadied myself against the bulkhead as the deck pitched.
The Warbird had a small medical unit that was a minor emergency center. There were bandages, antiseptic creams, regenerative ointments, pain medication, and a med pod that could scan and perform minor surgeries. I didn’t know the first thing about this advanced technology, but Quinn was more familiar than I was.
I climbed into the pod, and Quinn pressed the button to start the scan. A robotic arm passed a wand over my body and the 3D image of my bones, soft tissue, and nervous system appeared on screen.
It was a remarkable piece of equipment. The body could be analyzed as a whole, or separated into components. If you just wanted to see the skeletal system, you could adjust the view, peeling away the other layers.
The stinger had done more damage than I had anticipated. The sharp prong had punctured my thoracic cavity and pierced my lung. Massive edema pooled in the area, and if I would have left it untreated, I would likely have ended up with a collapsed lung and an infection that would cause sepsis.
The med pod recommended surgery. At that point I didn’t have much choice.
I lay on the table, and a series of robotic arms swooped around me like a mechanical ballet. A needle injected me with a light sedative, then multiple shots of local anesthetic to numb the area.
Within minutes of the injection I dozed into a twilight haze. Robotic micro-arms entered through the wound site and repaired the tissue and vascular structures and extracted the excess fluid. The area was irrigated and cleaned within antibiotic gel. A regenerative compound was applied. Another needle injected a long acting antibiotic into my system. When it was all over, skin sealing gel glued my skin together, leaving a barely noticeable scar.
It took about 20 minutes for the light anesthesia to wear off. I didn’t feel a thing with the pain meds, though I remained groggy. The med pod cautioned me against strenuous activity for a week.
Sorry, but I was goi
ng to have to break recovery protocol. I climbed off the surgery table and attempted to stagger to my feet.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Quinn asked.
“Somebody’s got to fly this bird.”
“Tyler is doing a fabulous job. You need to get some rest.”
“Rest? What’s that?” I said, dryly.
Quinn grumbled in frustration. “It’s going to take at least six hours to get to Cygnus Reticuli. At least use that time to recover.”
“Yes, dear.”
Quinn helped me from the table and I slung an arm around her shoulder. We made our way back to the berthing compartments, and she helped me crawl into my rack. High from the pain meds, and groggy from the anesthesia, I fell asleep in a matter of moments.
I dreamed of monsters and drowning.
38
Somebody hit me in the back with a pickax. At least, that’s what it felt like. I woke the next morning sore as hell.
All the anesthesia and pain medicine had worn off. I was left feeling like I had gotten into a fight with a Mack truck and lost. I winced as I tried to climb out of my rack. 90-year-old men are more spry in the morning than I was.
Quinn stepped into the compartment, and when she saw that I was up, she rushed toward me. “Are you okay?”
“Just moving a little slow today.”
“Don’t push it. You’ve been through a lot.”
I was beginning to realize that.
“Tyler says we're almost to Cygnus Reticuli.”
“Good,” I said.
“But I don’t think you need to rush into anything the moment we get there.”
“I’m not.”
Her eyes narrowed, not believing me. “Do you even have a plan?”
“Sure.” I had no plan. I fumbled in my pocket for the crystal and pulled it out. That was my plan.
“Do you think it actually works?” Quinn asked.
“Of course it works,” I said boldly. It was a horrendous thought. What if it didn’t work? My stomach twisted. “I mean, I certainly hope so.”
Now that the question had been raised, I needed to find out if that last adventure had been a wasted effort or not. The fact that the stone glowed even brighter in the presence of Quinn made me optimistic.
I hobbled out of the compartment.
“Where are you going?”
“To see if this thing works.”
I remembered seeing a broken strut in the storage compartment. I started to bend down to pick it up and quickly realized that was a bad idea. Pain jolted through my body like a bolt of lightning. It felt like someone had stabbed a kitchen knife into my back. “Can you grab that for me?”
Quinn scolded me with her eyes. I don’t think she was too happy about me roaming about, rummaging through the storage compartment.
She picked up the steel rod and handed it to me.
I gripped it in my hands. I could feel Quinn's energy flow through me. My skin tingled, and I felt like I had downed a few cups of coffee. The stone in my pocket radiated with heat. I strained with all my might, gripping the bar. My wound hurt like hell. My cheeks flushed, and the veins in my forehead bulged. The metal bowed into a U-shape.
“Careful, you’ll rupture your incision!” Quinn shouted with concern.
“I bend a piece of solid steel and that’s all the praise I get?”
“Do you want a cookie?” she asked, teasing me.
I handed the bar to her, and not to be outdone, she bent it back straight.
“Show off,” I muttered.
She set it aside. “I think you’ve had enough activity for now. Why don’t you get back in bed?”
I frowned.
“You know you’ll have to be close to me in order for that crystal to work. That means you can’t leave me behind.”
“I’ll be able to draw power from the other supers as well. There’s no need for you to put yourself in danger.”
“Bending steel rods is one thing. Fighting a powerful super is another. I’m not letting you go alone. And you are in no condition to fight.” She gave me a stern look. “There are some things you should be aware of. I’m strong. But I’m not the strongest super in the galaxy. I’m not bulletproof. I can be killed just like anybody else. That means you can too. My strength only lasts for a certain amount of time, then I need to recharge. And with the two of us using the same energy source, I’ll drain twice as fast. Something also tells me that since the crystal is channeling energy from others, there will be some loss in the transference. You won’t be as strong as the super you’re up against.”
She brought up some good points that I hadn’t fully considered.
“You’re going to need to practice using that crystal. You’ll be walking into a situation where you don’t know what powers these people have, or how to utilize them.”
My brain was still foggy, and I was starving. My stomach growled. The first thing I wanted to do when we reached Cygnus Reticuli was grab some breakfast.
“I’ll wing it.” I staggered toward the cockpit.
“Where are you going?”
“Somebody’s got to land this thing.”
“Tyler is doing a fine job. I’m sure he’s more than capable of handling things. You should be taking every opportunity to rest.”
“I’m fine.”
“You look like shit.”
“Trust me. I’ve looked worse.” I smiled and continued toward the cockpit.
Quinn huffed. “You’re incorrigible.”
I shrugged innocently. “That word is above my pay grade.”
I hobbled into the cockpit and slipped into the pilot’s chair.
“How are you feeling?” Tyler asked.
I smiled. “Never better.”
Quinn rolled her eyes.
“Nice flying back there. You saved my ass.”
A smile lit up on Tyler’s face. “I think I’m getting the hang of it. Can I land when we reach Cygnus Reticuli? I’ve been studying and running simulations in my neural network.”
I considered his request. He had gotten us this far. And I would be right at the controls in case something went wrong. “I have full faith and confidence in you.”
His eyes lit up with glee.
We exited quantum space and Tyler angled the Warbird toward the planet. We plunged into the turbulent upper atmosphere, heading toward the blue and green orb. Tyler handled the quaking well. Once we dipped below the clouds, the ride smoothed out.
Tyler navigated the craft to Zorca Nova. The steel towers of the sprawling metropolis spanned from the base of the mountains to the waters edge. Traffic filled the streets. Spaceships of all sizes and types took off and landed from the central spaceport.
The comm system crackled to life, “Zorca Nova Air Traffic Control to unidentified Warbird. Please identify?”
Tyler responded. “This is the SS Savage Storm, request permission to land?”
“State the nature of your visit.”
Tyler glanced to me for an answer. I mouthed the word tourist.
“Vacation,” Tyler said.
There was a long silence, then the control officer’s voice crackled through the thin speakers, “Permission granted. Proceed to docking Bay 61. I’m sending a flight guidance program now.”
The nav screen lit up with the incoming program. The automated flight controls took over the vehicle.
Tyler frowned. “I guess I’m not going to get to land after all.”
“Maybe next time.”
The automated pilot guided us flawlessly through the towering skyscrapers. With so many ships coming and going, a computer-controlled system was necessary to avoid collision in such a dense area.
The Warbird touched down on the tarmac like the surface was made of marshmallows.
I clicked my safety harness and climbed out of the seat. A robot greeted us on the tarmac. I asked if he could find us another oscillator.
The robot scanned his database. “We don’t have a match. But there is a
supply house across town that has the part in stock. I can have it here tomorrow morning. Would you like me to order it for you?”
“Yes, please.” At the rate things were going, I wasn’t sure if I would be alive tomorrow.
Tyler nudged me as we left the docking bay. “You know we don’t have enough money to pay for the rental space, or the repair fees.”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Guys, quit stressing about it. I got this. We’ve got bigger things to worry about than money.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“If I thought you were using me for my money, it would be a different story.”
“I’m not using you,” I assured her.
“I know. I’m just using you for sex, anyway,” she said with a mischievous wink.
She could use me all she wanted for sex. But we both knew there was something a bit more involved.
We found a diner that was still serving breakfast. It was almost noon, local time. The diner was open 24 hours a day and served whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it. A hostess seated us in a booth. I winced as I slid across the bench, my back still tender.
“Your waitress will be with you shortly,” the hostess said as she handed us menus. She spun around and darted back to the hostess stand.
“You really need to be fully healed before you go up against Severin,” Quinn said. “Maybe we can find a healer?”
“That may be difficult,” Tyler said. “Supers here tend to keep their presence secret.”
I looked over the menu. The smart paper was animated, and a 3D picture of the entrées rotated. They didn’t have Earth food, but when the robotic waitress arrived, I ordered the closest thing to an omelette that I could find.
“So, how are we going to do this?” Quinn asked. She had a tone of resignation in her voice. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to talk me out of waiting until I was healed. There was no sense trying. As far as I was concerned, Ruby had already spent too much time in captivity.
“Severin lives in a high-rise on 43rd Street,” Tyler said. “He has the penthouse suite. The building has security, and he’ll have a few of his own as well. Severin is a vampire, among other things, and he will have a few underlings with him.”
