Voyages of the White Skull Book 1

by Jason Alan Jones

  “Apparently, he was transporting her somewhere and they hit it off. Now, they’re going to leave the solar system together. If he leaves, then I’ll never get him back. The only thing is that when I met her, I got a very negative vibe from her. She seemed to be sweet, but something just isn’t right. You know how I can sense things about people?” asked Monica.

  “Yes, you’re pretty good with that sort of stuff. Especially at reading women,” Cinnamon agreed.

  “What do you know about her?” asked Heather.

  “All I know is that her name is Jaime, and she lived on the Rockfield Space Station,” explained Monica.

  “We know someone on Rockfield, an ex-bounty hunter, named Tommy Two Fingers,” Heather said.

  “Tommy what?” asked Monica.

  “Tommy Two Fingers, he lost two fingers on his left hand, after a run-in with the Red Cardinals. He retired a year ago. Now, he lives the good life on Rockfield,” Cinnamon explained.

  “Excellent, let’s take my ship this time. I have a code for a star portal we can use to make our trip to Rockfield quicker. It will cut our trip to five hours,” explained Monica. The Haven sisters agreed without saying anything, and the three ladies boarded the Huntington.

  The Rockfield Space Station was as busy as ever. Hundreds of starships, varying in many shapes and sizes, flew around the station. The Rockfield, being so enormous, made the starships look like swarming flies. Finally, after one hour of waiting, Monica was able to dock the Huntington. None of the security guards on the station gave Monica any trouble, since she was known as the woman that was not to be messed with. Not to mention being the ex-girlfriend of the White Skull, someone else who you shouldn’t piss off. Before they had arrived at the station, the Haven sisters contacted Tommy Two Fingers, and he agreed to meet with them in the back of the bar called, the Hollow Leg. Monica was in a rush, and didn’t allow the sisters to do much window-shopping.

  “Hurry up, you two,” Monica kept repeating, trying to get the sisters to stop pausing at every shoe and purse shop on the station.

  Rockfield was the second ritziest space station ever built. Kobia Space Station was the first and largest station. Many of the richest people lived on Rockfield. Although the station housed some of the richest people in the solar system, having class was not a necessity for one living on the station. Many wealthy ex-criminals, mixed in with people who had achieved their wealth in an honorable fashion, lived together. The Rockfield was very clean, and had wall to wall carpeting, which incorporated a lot of reds, oranges, and browns in its designs. As well as having many luxury suites and apartments for sale or rent, the Rockfield also had a large range of entertainment, ranging from three casinos, an opera house, playhouses, and a concert hall. The colossal station had many shopping outlets, spas, gyms, a bowling alley, and a multitude of lounges and restaurants.

  Monitors hung on almost every wall of the station displaying the news and current events, around the clock. Cinnamon sneered at one of the monitors, which was displaying an update on the Horizon’s current location. “Bah,” said Cinnamon.

  “What was that for?” asked Monica.

  “Two years, and the Horizon still hasn’t found anything. That just sounds a little peculiar to me,” Cinnamon explained.

  “The universe is pretty big, you know,” Heather said.

  “It’s just that there are so many planets out there, and not one is inhabitable, that just doesn’t make sense;” Cinnamon argued.

  “They’ll find something, eventually. Two years really isn’t that long, if you think about it. I believe that they’ll eventually find something. Hopefully,” said Heather.

  “Yeah, if the UPG doesn’t want to lose a bunch of money,” said Cinnamon. As they walked to the Hollow Leg, men continually tripped and bumped into walls, as they stared at the three gorgeous women.

  “What are you looking at?” Heather yelled, as she placed her hand on her pistol. None of the men would answer and quickly scurried away.

  “They are probably starring at your big booty. I thought you docked that thing in the cargo bay,” Cinnamon joked with her sister.

  “Ha, ha, you’re just jealous because you don’t have a nice ass, like me,” Heather said.

  Monica laughed as Cinnamon bit her lower lip, “Knock it off, you two. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. My man needs me,”

  “Someone’s in denial,” Cinnamon whispered to Heather.

  “What was that?” Monica asked.

  “Nothing,” Heather said, as the two sisters smiled at each other. They reached the Hollow Leg. On the side of the entrance to the lounge, there was a wooden Indian statue holding an upside down hollow leg. A simulated image of beer poured out of the leg, and onto the floor.

  “Charming,” Monica said sarcastically, as the three women entered. They made their way to the back of the crowded bar. Red curtains hid a small private booth, which was dimly lit by a white candle. Cinnamon moved the candle aside and the three women sat down.

  Behind a round table sat a man in his sixties; his hair was white, short, and messy. His right eye was larger than his left eye, giving him a lunatic type of appearance. His mouth was badly scared from a knife fight, making him look as if he were always smiling. Monica and the Haven sisters waited for the man to speak. He quickly glanced behind the ladies to see if anyone was watching them.

  “I’m only here because I knew your mother and father. It is a shame about what happened to them. I have to warn you ladies. I’m being watched heavily by the UPG, so it’s not safe for you to be seen with me,” Tommy explained.

  “But, why?” asked Cinnamon.

  “You’re in danger just being with me. You have to leave quickly. My people are keeping an eye on things, but it’s still not safe,” Tommy explained.

  “Why not?” Heather asked.

  “The UPG has spies everywhere. All is not what it seems,” the old man said nervously, continuing to look around. Monica got up and grabbed Tommy by his shirt. “Listen, I don’t have time for this shit. The White Skull is in danger. I’m sure you knew he was my boyfriend, right? He has fallen in with a woman, by the name of Jaime, who used to live here. He said he was transporting her for Luis. Can you get me some info on her?” asked Monica.

  Tommy Two Fingers slapped the palm of his hand on his forehead. “She’s out? Oh no, the White Skull’s a dead man. We’re all going to be in trouble now. He was supposed to transport her, not free her,” Tommy shook his head with worry.

  “What do you mean, let her out. Is she locked up or something?” Monica asked.

  “No, she was frozen, en route to be taken to…him,” said Tommy.

  “Frozen? What do you mean, frozen?” Cinnamon asked.

  “She was frozen in an obelisk type of container. She was to be taken to the dark one,” Tommy explained.

  “Dark one? What the fuck have you been smoking? Are you on crack or something?” asked Monica.

  “No, listen to me woman; he’s an evil man, in with the UPG, and no one has actually seen what he looks like. I don’t know why the girl is going to him, but I’ve heard that when someone is delivered to him, that person does not return. I was the one who froze her a year ago. It was my last job for the UPG. I have a feeling they think I may know too much. That is why I’m being watched. I overheard a white-haired man and Elijah talking about the evil one. They called him Mr. Toad.” Tommy seemed to explain the whole story in one breath.

  “Mr. Toad? He sounds like a character in a children’s book or something,” Monica said, while giving Tommy an insane look.

  “You mustn’t make jokes about him, dear. He’s said to be ten times more deadly than Elijah. He’s some type of sick murderer,” Tommy explained.

  “So, let me get this shit straight…crack head, this Jaime girl was frozen, then Jesse unfroze her, and is now planning on running off with her, never to return, ever, ever,” Monica asked. The Haven Sister knew Monica was upset, so they kept quiet.

 
“I’m afraid your boyfriend won’t be able to leave this system alive. Once they find out that Jaime is not in her freeze chamber, they’ll find him and kill him,” Tommy said.

  “Why would the UPG be in with someone like this Mr. Toad?” asked Cinnamon.

  “Because, the president is an evil, power-hungry man. I’ve heard that he got his presidency by having the previous president impeached on some conspiracy charges. I’ve also heard that this Mr. Toad helped him get into office,” explained Tommy.

  “President Gray is not evil. Are you crazy?” asked Heather.

  “No, no, he’s the worst president ever to exist. He has dealings with the Red Cardinals. Rumor has it, that he pays them regularly to do jobs for him, and that he knows the head of the order quite well, Archbishop Blackwell. He has hidden that fact quite well,” said Tommy.

  “But, if anyone knew that he was in with the Red Cardinals, then he would be out of office in a heartbeat,” Cinnamon stated.

  “My dear, Cinnamon, if anyone says anything, they would be dead,” informed Tommy.

  “That’s true,” Monica said, starting to realize that there was a lot more going on than she had anticipated.

  “That fucking anus. The Red Cardinals killed our parents, and to think that I voted for him,” stated Heather.

  “Yeah, it was Archbishop Blackwell that captured them and tortured them to death. That asshole is one sick man. I heard he is completely mad and obsessed with converting the whole world into Catholicism,” Cinnamon added.

  “You must warn your boyfriend as soon as possible. All of you should leave the system, and not return for a very long time,” Tommy advised.

  A red dot appeared on his forehead, right in the middle of his eyes. It took a few seconds for the women to realize that he was being marked. Monica sprung across the table, pushing Tommy to the floor, while a shot was fired. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. The Haven sisters rose to their feet immediately and began running after the shooter. They yelled and pushed the patrons out of the way. Monica leaned over Tommy, who had been shot directly in the chest. He was fading away fast. Monica felt pity for him.

  “You’ll be okay. Someone will take you to the hospital,” Monica said.

  “I’m dying, and you know it. Anyway, if you love the White Skull, then save him. All is not what it appears to be. Here, take this, and you can get all of the answers you seek. For the right price, this bounty hunter can help you find the answers you need, and help rescue your White Skull. If he’s not…dead…already. That girl he’s with isn’t what she appears to be either. Don’t be afraid of my friend when you see him, he is a ro…” Tommy let out his last breath, and died before he could finish his sentence.

  Monica held the paper in her hand in which Tommy had given her. She had difficulty reading it in the dark, so she slipped it in her pocket and drew her pistol. She cautiously walked out of the lounge, and searched for the Haven sisters. The hallway was almost empty after the shot was heard, and with Cinnamon and Heather running through it with their guns waving around.

  “We lost them.” Heather said, as they ran up to Monica.

  “How’s Tommy?” Cinnamon asked.

  “Dead,” Monica said, with her thoughts resting on her pocket.

  “Shit,” said Heather.

  “He gave me the coordinates to somewhere, and said that a bounty hunter could help us,” Monica stated.

  “Let’s check it out,” said Cinnamon, wanting to see the coordinates.

  “No, not here. Let’s get the hell out of here and go find this bastard.” advised Monica.

  “Right,” the sisters said in unison.

  They quickly ran to the Huntington, passing a small troop of security guards on their way to the Hollow Leg. Hours later, traveling in the direction of the coordinates, the three women sat in Monica’s flight room. Monica pulled out the piece of paper that Tommy had given her. She opened it, and looked at it with confusion. She then passed it to Heather.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” asked Heather. Cinnamon pulled it away from Heather, and asks in confusion, “What the hell is this? Rojex? 23-95-6141,”

  “Rojex sounds like what I use to clean my toilet with,” Heather said.

  “Your friend says that this bounty hunter could help us find out the answers we need. I’ll have to admit the name is a little weird, and I’ve never been to that sector before. Let’s check it out,” Monica said.

  “Let’s do it,” both sisters said.

  Monica wasn’t sure where they were headed, since she had never been there before. Her female navigator informed her that the coordinates would take them beyond the rim, and into an asteroid field, “That sector has a large asteroid field, Monica,”

  “An asteroid field?” questioned Heather.

  “I know, it doesn’t make any sense. The only thing I can think of is that there’s a secluded base there or something. Maybe this bounty hunter doesn’t like guests. It makes it a wonderful place to hide,” Monica concluded.

  The Huntington was a large ship, and Monica had a rather large crew of females, all beautiful. She had personally picked them out from her three thousand followers. Her flight room was spacious, and was operated by four women. Monica had a large command chair in the center of the room where she gave her orders. Luckily, she had luckily purchased a code for the very star portal she needed.

  The Huntington reached the star portal, which would take them directly to the outer rim. From there, they would have to travel an additional two hours to reach the asteroid field. Monica’s navigator typed in the code 00000-YUIA-000112 to open the star portal. The metallic diamond-shaped gate opened slowly from the center, revealing a purple, violently swirling light. The pilot flew the ship into the star portal, and the Huntington rushed forward, being pulled in by the portal’s force. Monica was relieved she had the code, otherwise, the trip would have taken a lot longer. The flight was long, and Monica grew anxious to see what mystery the asteroid field held. She hoped that she wasn’t wasting her time, since time was short. Monica desperately wanted to know what was going on with Jaime, and wondered how she could convince Jesse that the girl was no good for him. Now, she was intrigued by what Tommy Two Fingers had told her about the president, the Red Cardinals, and Mr. Toad.

  If there is one thing Monica loved, it was unraveling a mystery. Monica was a little concerned that if Jesse did take her back, how she would go about breaking the news to her three thousand women. The hardest thing would be telling her crew of the Huntington, since they were the closest to her. Her other women lived back on Monica’s rather large, all female base. She didn’t think they would want to stick around after she would tell them that she was going completely straight. Monica’s thoughts were interrupted.

  “Ma’am, we are approaching the end of the portal,” informed her pilot. The Huntington exited the star portal and the metal diamond shaped gate closed behind them. They still had two hours ahead of them until they reached the asteroid field, so Monica and the Haven sisters decided to get something to eat.

  While in Monica’s private room, Cinnamon asks, “What do you think we’ll find in the asteroid field?”

  “I have no idea, Hun, I have no idea,” Monica said.

  “You don’t think Tommy could be leading us into a trap, do you?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have been shot. It’s bothering me as well. We’ll just have to wait to see what’s in store for us,” Monica said.

  Two hours quickly passed, and the three ladies were back in the command room.

  “We are approaching the coordinates, Monica. Two more minutes and we will be exactly on point,” her pilot, Janet, reported. Once they were dead on point, Monica instructed her pilot to slow the ship to a dead stop. The Huntington was now directly in front of the large, spread out asteroid field. Monica stood up from her command chair and walked closer to the flight window in astonishment. The Haven sisters followed behind her. The size of the asteroids were amaz
ing, like the size of small moons. The field itself was dark and disturbing. Massive chunks of destroyed starships floated among the asteroids.

  “Are those battleships?” Cinnamon asked, in awe.

  “I think so. It looks like there must have been some kind of battle many years ago. I don’t remember hearing of any battles,” said Monica, equally in awe.

  “It looks like a graveyard. I have never seen anything like it. There has to be at least two dozen destroyed ships. My God, look at that,” said Cinnamon.

  “What?” asked Monica.

  “This field is at least two miles long, and there are pieces of ships scattered almost all the way, completely from end to end,” Cinnamon explained.

  “Let’s take a closer look. Take the ship in, and fire up the weapons” Monica ordered her crew.

  As they passed the chunks of ship, and massive asteroids, Cinnamon notices something, and asks, “What are those small black marks on everything?”

  “It looks like blasts from a laser pistol,” said Heather.

  “How can that be? Someone would have to be outside in order to do that,” Cinnamon said.

  “Yeah, you’re right, those marks are too small for the weapons of a starship. Even a small fighter would make larger blasts. I do not like this,” said Monica.

  “Who the hell would shoot at asteroids…outside?” Heather asked. No one answered.

  “Wait, look at that. That ship over there. I’ve never seen anything like it. It kind of looks like the Black Ice, the White Skull’s ship, but a little different,” said Heather. The women leaned in.

  “You’re right, it does kind of look like his ship, but a different design, and a lot bigger.” Monica said. A chill ran up her spine, giving her goose bumps.

  “It’s doesn’t look like anything the UPG has built. Maybe it’s an experimental ship.” Cinnamon said.