NEBULAR Collection 7 - Guardians of the Continuum: Episodes 31 - 34

by Thomas Rabenstein

  Chambers breathed shallowly and sniffed.

  »It is getting colder. The temperature falls unusually fast. Typically, the ship wouldn’t cool so rapidly due to an AC failure. I think that in a few minutes, it’s really going to get uncomfortable, and our protective fields will automatically activate.«

  The chef seemed to be contemplating. On steep fold formed on his forehead.

  »You know; I don’t believe in a failure of the AC module. There’s a method behind it! This prickly creature attacked me in the cooling chamber. Apparently, that beast loved cold temperatures, and now the ship cools down in record time. The whole thing stinks!«

  »Really?« Kokrint whispered, sniffing the air with his trunk-like nose. »I don’t smell anything. Perhaps, the climate system is kaput, and I can fix it. These stinger beings may just be pests or rodents, which can be found on many merchant ships. Once they spread, it’s hard to get rid of them. It’s possible that the animal has slipped on board at one of the spaceports. Since the GCC opened all ports for visitors, we have to deal with these unpleasant side effects.«

  Chambers knit his eyebrows, looked at Kokrint and then dismissed his argument with a wave of his hand.

  »If it were like that, then we’d have a serious public health problem.«

  A piece of debris suddenly crashed against the ship’s hull with a dull thud sound. Frightened, Kokrint jumped into a niche between two aggregates. His fur turned to black in a split second, which caused Chambers to whistle surprised. Kokrint was barely visible in the shadows of the two aggregates.

  »Very practical, this fur color changing ability. A good camouflage, but why so jumpy?« Chambers commented on the change and crept cautiously forward, directly toward the bow module airlock.

  » I can’t always control that,« Kokrint replied softly. »Sometimes it happens against my will. We’re not warriors, we’re technicians.«

  Chambers nodded slightly and examined the airlock.

  »And I’m just the chef.«

  After a short check, Chambers muttered irritated, »Very strange … this main airlock is locked from the inside. Someone has blocked the lock mechanism. It can’t be opened. Didn’t I say that already? The thing stinks!«

  Kokrint aimed a small analyzer at the heavy airlock and then pointed to the intercom.

  »It’s nothing burnt up or shorted out. The locking mechanism works in principle. Why don’t we just call the two technicians in the bow section and ask them to give us access?«

  Chambers bat an eyelid mysteriously.

  »That wouldn’t be wise, because I fear, that there’s something wrong with these two men. Maybe they’re responsible for the sabotage of the climate control system. I’m more for a direct approach, we grab and confront them.«

  »I agree,« Kokrint whimpered and stepped back from the airlock. »You talk to them, and I repair the climate control system.«

  »That’s what we’re going to do,« Chambers smirked and looked around. »Is there another way to get around this airlock?«

  »Is there one?« Kokrint asked insecurely.

  »You’re asking me?« Chambers replied startled and restless. »You tightened all the nuts and bolts on this ship, so tell me now how we can get to the bow sector, damn!«

  »There’s a maintenance hatch, which can be accessed from this corridor, only a few meters behind us. The maintenance tunnel runs parallel to the ship’s main corridor. It’s, however, very tight,« said Kokrint uncomfortably with a side-glance at Chambers while his fur changed color to a dirty gray.

  »What’s going on with you? Are you sick?« Chambers asked worriedly.

  »We Zerbites hate narrow tunnels and shafts. Tunnels and crawl spaces are the homes of vicious bitewarpers.«

  »I don’t want to know what these are. It sounds unpleasant, to say the least,« Chambers guessed.

  »Oh yes,« Kokrint shuddered while his hair was straightening up in disgust.

  »Unfortunately, we have no choice,« apologized Chambers. »I’m taking the lead, and you follow me, but please, quietly.«

  Mystery of destruction

  The man on the stretcher looked at Fosset with hazy pupils. No blinking interrupted this rigid, frigid glance. The body was Human, but his eyes were like out of this world.

  He sees right through me, Fosset thought quivering.

  The ambient temperature had fallen further and was now at almost minus thirty degrees Celsius. Although Fosset was protected from the freezing cold by his protective field, yet every breath he exhaled produced a fine fog.

  The face of the stranger turned into a grimace as he said with an asthmatic, scratchy voice, »This ship belongs to my children now.«

  What a nightmare, Fosset thought dismayed and got closer to the man who was unable to move. What has made him to such a monster?

  »Your name is Montas Bondifar,« said Fosset firmly. »We’ve identified you through your dog tag. You were missing for a long time. What happened to you? Can you remember how you got into space?«

  The man produced a hoarse laugh.

  »The humanoid creature, which once bore this name, has long been absorbed. You speak with Zugol, brood father of the survivors and master of this empty shell.«

  Unsure, Fosset looked at the surveillance camera.

  I hope Dorothea records everything.

  »I don’t understand. What do you want to tell me with this?« whispered Fosset. »Who am I talking to?«

  »You’re an ignorant fool,« the man replied angrily and rolled his eyes. »I’m wasting my time with you. Why can’t I control this body? You blocked my musculoskeletal system! Call back these mechanical parasites, immediately!«

  He knows of the nanobots! He might even feel them, Fosset suspected and straightened. Musculoskeletal system, so that’s what Frigonans calls their victims.

  Fosset’s glance became harder. He despised this hostile and derogatory attitude of the unknown being.

  »Forget it, Zugol!« he replied in the same disrespectful manner.

  Most of Montas Bondifar’s tortured body was unable to move, but his head jerked furiously back and forth. Fosset thereby slowly walked around the stretcher, without breaking eye contact.

  »I don’t care who or what you are. One of your children has attacked my chef and dearly paid for it! We’ve already disposed of this little monster by throwing it into space, the rest of your brood will follow soon.«

  The mouth of the man opened in a silent scream. He could only produce a lifeless gargling.

  »For every snuffed out life of my brood, we will kill a hundred of you!«

  So much evil and aggression, Fosset thought disgustedly.

  He shook his head in disbelief and bowed slightly toward the stranger.

  »You misjudge the situation, Zugol. You’re at our mercy. This plague, which you call your children, we’ll have soon under control. If I were in your place, I’d try gentler tones and hope to reach an understanding.«

  The dark blue, swollen veins in the man’s neck seemed to pulsate when he declared with a trembling voice, »No understanding or negotiation with primitive and unworthy creatures! You have summoned a Demon from the Continuum to do your Warcraft! What a shame! Although you had granted us free passage, it still came to this cowardly attack. But your plan didn’t work! We cut off the Demon’s arm before he destroyed our proud ships. The wrath of the Circle People will come over you for this cowardly act, that is certain! Perhaps you should commit suicide and steer your small, insignificant planet into your sun, because if it is not the Circle People who incinerate your world, then you will sooner or later face the demons.«

  Fosset took a step back. The stranger’s words were so full of hate that he staggered for a moment.

  »What on Earth are you talking about?« hissed Fosset.

  »I’m talking about the end of your miserable existence,« the stranger hissed back quickly. His blue tongue suddenly flicked between his pale lips, creating slurping noises. »If you want to seek death before h
e finds you, then look in the direction of the large gas nebula Orion, which you also call the hotbed of new stars. The Demon has disappeared in this direction and will return from there.«

  Fosset turned away abruptly. Without looking back, he left the intensive care unit.

  Dorothea DaDiva awaited him outside the room already. She appeared to be somewhat more composed. Nevertheless, her voice trembled slightly as she explained, »I was able to make a tomography of the skull when you spoke with the man. There’s some strange tissue in the area of the former brain stem!«

  Fosset swallowed hard.

  »This Zugol, or whatever he calls himself, is inside Bondifar’s brain?« Fosset asked.

  The doctor just looked down.

  »The man who once was Montas Bondifar is probably long dead. This strange creature inside his head killed him. Where there was once the man’s brain, there is only a hazy and frozen lymph liquid left, in which a spiny parasite is embedded. This being has attached itself into the remains of the old brain stem. The parasite now regulates all functions of the Human body and sustains it with unknown substances, which it delivers to the bloodstream to keep the man alive artificially.«

  Fosset didn’t flinch while he was listening to her. Quietly but sternly, he commanded, »This Frigonan is not allowed to leave the man’s body, by no means! If the parasite should make the slightest effort, then terminate it! Re-program the nanobots accordingly. I need to call Chambers, immediately. He doesn’t know yet what we’re dealing with here.«

  »You want to leave me alone with this thing?« Dorothea asked nervously.

  »Hmm … the Frigonan likes the cold, right?« Fosset concluded. »Then let’s freeze him stiff so we can give him to the GCC. I’m sure, they’ll be very interested in our find.«

  Don’t mess with the chef

  With a thud, followed by a metallic clatter, the safety grid in front of the maintenance shaft hatch flew into the adjacent corridor. It hit the ground and slid across the floor where it came to rest at the opposite wall after a couple of wobbling movements.

  First, a chef’s hat pushed through the rectangular opening, then the glowing, red face of Mark Chambers, peered suspiciously into the bow sector corridor.

  »The coast is clear. We can get out here,« Chambers declared.

  »What coast? We’re on board a ship, a freezing ship, I might want to add. There’s no coast. I don’t know what you want to say,« said Kokrint and followed Chambers, crawling on his knees from the service tunnel into the corridor.

  Chambers puffed his cheeks.

  »Kokrint, you need to adjust your translation chip. I meant, there’s no immediate danger.«

  The now ocher-colored fur hair of the Zerbite vibrated slightly.

  »Why don’t you Humans say what needs to be said in the right context?« he complained. »What does a non-existing coast have to do with this dangerous situation?«

  »Just follow me,« Chambers rolled his eyes with a smile and signaled Kokrint to follow him.

  »Was it really necessary to crawl secretly through a narrow service tunnel just to make such a noise at the end? The crawlthorn catchers on Zerbit would’ve noticed this noise long ago and eaten us already!«

  »Crawlthorn catchers?« Chambers repeated with a frowning face, only to become tense again a moment later. »Where exactly is this air-conditioning thing?«

  »It’s not a small aggregate, as you might think, but a machine block with a large footprint,« corrected Kokrint softly. »We’re not talking about the air-conditioning of the captain’s cabin, but the ship’s life support system.«

  »As long as you find the right switch to turn off the refrigerator, it’s right by me,« grumbled Chambers and followed the corridor toward the bow section, where, according to Kokrint’s hand signal, the mechanical room could be found.

  »What I always wanted to ask you, Kokrint, exactly where is Zerbit located?« Chambers asked quietly as he slowly walked through the corridor, reading the signs on the steel doors.

  »Not far. We’re almost neighbors,« Kokrint replied happily.

  »Really? replied Chambers puzzled. »How far is your home-world away and how is it there?«

  »With the speed of light it would require 20.4 Earth orbits around your sun, but on the regular tachyon track, it takes just 40 minutes,« Kokrint replied mysteriously. »If you look from the Earth then our world is located in the constellation, which some of your ethnic groups of your planet call Libra. Our sun is, however, not very bright, but small and red. In your star charts, it’s listed only with a number. I think it his Gliese 581.«

  »Interesting,« commented Chambers and then pointed to the airlock in front of him. »This is the mechanical room. We’re there.«

  Apparently, Kokrint didn’t want to end the conversation not just yet and shook his head, which made his thick fur move and flow around while blinking his big frog eyes frantically.

  »Again a silly name. I understand when primitive cultures use reminder images to identify constellations. But why use a primitive weighing instrument?«

  »What do you mean?« asked the chef confused and quickly opened lock to the mechanical room.

  »I’m talking about your confusing …,« Kokrint swallowed the rest of the sentence. His thick fur bristled and instantly turned to whiter than snow. The Zerbite uttered a high-pitched warning sound. Directly behind the rapidly opening airlock was Pillgreen, staring Chambers in the eyes … expressionless! His glance was rigid, his work suit torn and stained with blood. Icy air greeted Chambers and made him step back.

  Chambers was shocked by the man’s appearance.

  A faint signal indicated to him that his protective field had just activated. Accordingly, the ambient temperature must have fallen below the lower tolerance limit. It was colder than minus 30 degrees Celsius.

  »Look, who we got here? The chef, accompanied by the Yeti,« Pillgreen whispered softly.

  Chambers glanced at Kokrint whose fur had become even denser. He took it as a joke and was about to chuckle when he realized that Pillgreen didn’t give the impression of wanting to be funny at all.

  »The airlock to this section was unfortunately blocked from the inside, and we had to take a little detour,« Chambers said with a sidelong glance at Pillgreen’s torn and blood-spattered jacket. »You don’t look good and should see Doctor DaDiva in the sickbay.«

  The technician fixed Chambers with bluish-shot eyes. The arteries in his neck stood out strong and had a strange, dark coloration. It looked as if the blood vessels were pumping ink through the body.

  »I never felt better,« Pillgreen replied dryly and slowly approached Chambers, who stepped back at the same pace.

  »What are you doing here, Chambers? Shouldn’t you be in the kitchen? This is our domain. You’re responsible for pots and pans, we take care of the ship’s technology,« Pillgreen said with a hoarse voice.

  Chambers noticed the underlying threat in Pillgreen’s voice. Apparently, Pillgreen wanted to push him back into the corridor and block the way to the mechanical room.

  »You know, Pillgreen, we had this dinner to which you, unfortunately, couldn’t come …,« Chambers began cheerfully.

  »…and?« Pillgreen interrupted unemotionally.

  Chambers smiled jovially.

  »I’m here to bring the coupon for the promised welcome drink for you and your colleague. Sparks is still here, right?«

  Pillgreen seemed confused for a moment and swayed slightly. But then he recovered and looked at Chambers with narrow eyes. When he spoke, fine mist formed in front of his mouth. Apparently, Pillgreen’s body protection field was not activated.

  »Yes, Sparks is also here, but unfortunately, he’s indisposed.«

  »Oh, that’s a shame,« Chambers said apologetically while smiling at Pillgreen, rubbing his hands together.

  »It’s a bit chilly in the ship,« he said.

  Pillgreen’s facial expression seemed icy. His mouth barely moved when he replied, »I like it like that
.« After a brief moment of silence, he suddenly said, »You’re not here because of the coupons. Fosset sends you!«

  Chambers made a regretful gesture and shrugged briefly.

  »Oooh, you caught me. The commander wants us to check the air-conditioning system and sends Kokrint. You don’t mind, right?«

  »We’re looking at the problem already. We don’t need your support,« said Pillgreen and made another step toward Chambers. This time, however, Chambers didn’t yield.

  »Strange, Pillgreen. I thought Kokrint is the chief technician on board and Fosset the commander. This was not a request!«

  A strange crackling and rustling made Chambers hold his breath. Pillgreen’s eyes clouded over and looked right through him.

  »That doesn’t look good,« whimpered Kokrint and slowly retreated. »That man is sick, maybe even contagious!«

  »Something is moving under his jacket,« Chambers commented dryly and then grimaced in disgust. »I think you’ve caught something, Pillgreen.«

  Suddenly, with brute force, something broke through Pillgreen’s jacket near the left shoulder. Spikes appeared. Little paws with razor-sharp claws tore through the thick uniform jacket without difficulty.

  Kokrint’s warning was unnecessary. One of the creatures quickly darted from Pillgreen’s chest toward Chambers, who instinctively, had pulled his two filleting knife from his pockets, whirling the blades through the air. The stinger being jumped directly into Chambers’ knives and ended like its predecessor from the walk-in cooler. Another being, that had surfaced from Pillgreen’s body, was about to jump. His target was Kokrint!

  »Watch out, Kokrint!« Chambers yelled.

  While Chambers yelled his warning, he quickly spun around his own axis, as the stinger being jumped through the air. Then Chambers was stunned only capable of uttering a few surprised words, »Kokrint, my goodness!«

  Kokrint’s fluffy fur had turned into needle-sharp spines. The approximately thirty centimeters long spines equaled the weapons of the small aggressor in every way but were many times longer. The attacker had jumped directly into Kokrint’s protective fur and had impaled himself. The being twitched briefly, then went limp, lifeless.