by Jake Bible
“If we get through the Klatu System and to the black site without issues,” Geist stated. “It could be smooth sailing or it could be a clusterfo of epic proportions.”
“Sounds like someone still has some mite issues,” Cookie said.
“Hey, you agreed with Wanders,” Geist said. “I’m agreeing with you.”
“We’ll make it from the wormhole portal to the black site without incident,” Motherboard said.
The way she said it made everyone, including Hole, pause and regard her with curiosity.
“LT, do you know something we do not?” Hole asked.
“I know a lot that you do not,” Motherboard said. “But that is beside the point. Specifically, I think I have a trick to keep the natives of that system from converging on us before we reach our intended destination.”
“Care to share with us?” Hole asked.
“I’d prefer to show you,” Motherboard said. “Follow me to the cargo hold. There is something you all need to see.”
The teammates didn’t question or argue, just stood up and followed the lieutenant off the bridge and to the lift. They waited in silence, saving questions for the lieutenant’s reveal. The lift doors opened and they stepped in, still silent as the lift took them down to the cargo hold below. Once off the lift, Motherboard led the way to a stack of crates pushed up against the port wall of the hold.
“Spare parts?” Geist asked.
“Not quite,” Motherboard said.
“Inventory does have these crates listed as spare thruster parts,” Hole said. “Except I can’t find a manifest invoice for them.”
“You won’t,” Motherboard said.
She stepped to the closest crate and pressed her hand flat on the panel. There were a series of clicks and clangs and the crates shifted about, revealing themselves to be only shells. Every member of Zero, except for Motherboard, instinctively reached for their sidearms as they saw what was revealed.
“Fo me,” Wanders said. “This thing has been onboard the whole time?”
“It has,” Motherboard said. “And, as I am sure all of you are aware, we are breaking so many covenants of the War Treaty that I should not have to tell you that you are not seeing what you are seeing and what we do with this creature will never, for no reason whatsoever, make it onto any official report.”
“I’m not stepping on that landmine, LT,” Geist said. “My lips are sealed.”
“Same here,” Wanders said.
“I could care less what happens to this thing,” Cookie said.
“Hole?” Motherboard asked.
“I am more troubled by the fact you did not alert me to this thing’s presence than by what we are going to do with it,” Hole said.
“Then you agree that silence on this subject is the best course of action?” Motherboard asked.
“I agree that it is the only course of action,” Hole said. “As an android and synthetic being, I am not a fan of this species at all.”
Zero stared at the containment cube that was filled to capacity with the black goo that made up the B’flo’do. It was a creature that was like thick tar with a barely discernible mouth and eye indentations. A feral race that survived by sapping all energy from their environment, the B’flo’do were from the same system as B’clo’no’s, but a cousin species. The B’clo’nos had used them during the War as battlefield clearers, sending them en masse to drain the Galactic Fleet’s forces of all energy so that the Skrang Alliance could swoop in and massacre the Fleet Marines with almost no resistance. That was, if any Marines were left alive after the B’flo’dos had sapped them of their life force.
“That containment cube doesn’t look too stable,” Geist said. “If the slime monster gets free on the Eight-Three-Eight then we are all dead.”
“I am aware of that, Geist,” Motherboard replied. “But the cube will hold. Colonel Leguin obtained it from the SMC specifically for this purpose.”
“The Salvage Merc Corps has containment cubes that can hold B’flo’dos?” Cookie asked. “Since when?”
“It has been a recent development,” Motherboard said. “Leguin is not certain of the hows or whys, but apparently the SMC had itself quite the run in with a good-sized contingent of B’flo’dos and they felt the need to create a containment cube that could hold one of the creatures, if needed.”
“Lucky us,” Wanders said.
“I’m fuzzy on how this will help us get through the Klatu System,” Geist said.
“The B’flo’do can handle a full-vacuum environment,” Hole said. “We eject it from the ship at the first sign of trouble. The B’flo’do will instantly engage any creatures that come to inspect us. It is a rather ingenious plan.”
“Thank you, Hole,” Motherboard said. “It was something I came up with during the War. This will be the first time to test my theory, though, so we will all need to be as vigilant as if we did not have this edge.”
“What if the Klatu creatures do not engage with the B’flo’do?” Cookie asked. “I’m not worried, just want to know what the backup plan is.”
“No backup plan,” Motherboard said. “We eject the snot monster and run like Hell to the black site. Whether engagement occurs or not, our first priority is to get inside the black site and lock that facility down as fast as possible. I have no illusions that the B’flo’do will be much of a match for the Klatu creatures. They are on a nightmarish scale that truly require a Fleet cruiser to handle. But the B’flo’do will slow them down as it tries to devour their energy. That is all we need for them to be slowed down.”
“Can I ask how the black site will be safe from the Klatu creatures?” Geist asked. “I mean, I know you said it is built into one of the moons, but that’s just rock. What if one of the creatures decides to do a little digging?”
“They won’t,” Motherboard said.
“Why not?” Cookie asked. “Be straight, LT.”
“I’ll be as straight as I can be,” Motherboard replied. “From what I know of the site’s construction, the moon was chosen specifically because the nightmares that inhabit the Klatu System are afraid of it. They avoid that moon at all costs. It is one of a very few satellites within the system that the creatures will not go near.”
“Which begs the question as to why,” Hole said.
“We don’t have the answer to that,” Motherboard said. “And that is me shooting you all straight. I honestly don’t know and even Fleet Intelligence couldn’t figure it out. Let’s just be glad it’s true since that means once we are securely inside the black site, we will be safe.”
“Yeah, I’m not buying that one hundred percent,” Wanders said. He held up all four stone hands. “Not whining or anything, it’s just that if those nightmares steer clear of the moon then maybe there is a very good reason.”
“I believe there is,” Motherboard said. “But for right now, we can’t worry about that reason. We hit the site, get ourselves established, then wait for Leguin to give us more information as to Sha Morgoal and the Keer boy’s location.”
Hole cocked her head and held up a hand.
“We’re about to reach the off-grid Klatu wormhole portal,” she said. “We should return to the bridge.” Hole nodded at the containment cube. “What do we need to do to prepare the bait?”
“I’ll help Wanders load it into the ejection chute,” Motherboard said. “The rest of you get to your posts on the bridge and prepare for engagement.”
“Crossing my fingers that we have none of that,” Geist said.
“Yes, do that,” Motherboard said. “Any last questions before we do this?”
“A million, but I doubt you have answers,” Geist said.
“I doubt I do, as well,” Motherboard said. “Now, get to your stations and let’s all cross our fingers that we can get into the system, through it, and to the site without incident.”
Everyone nodded and hurried off to the bridge except for Motherboard and Wanders. The Gwreq stood with two hands on his hips and two
arms crossed across his stone chest.
“I saw a nest of these take out a full platoon without even pausing,” Wanders said. “We’re playing with fire here, LT.”
“Don’t I know it,” Motherboard said. “Now help me get it loaded into the chute. We need it to be ready for ejection the second we’re through that portal.”
“Copy that,” Wanders said as he went and fetched a hover jack to lift the cube with.
Twenty-Three
There was the distinct thump and feeling of movement coming to a full, sudden stop, even though the Eight-Three-Eight was still moving at close to lightspeed, as the ship exited the wormhole portal and entered the Klatu System.
“Give me a reading,” Hole ordered as she sat in the pilot’s seat. “Geist? What are we looking at?”
“No movement and no sign of anything coming our way,” Geist said. “Scanners are clear.”
“Cookie?” Hole asked.
“Shields are at maximum and I have all weapons hot,” Cookie said. “It may not do much, but we are ready to fire on anything that tries to engage us.”
“Good,” Hole said. “Sit tight and stay aware.” There was a shrill beep and she looked down at the console in front of her. “Nav system just locked onto the black site. I’m taking us that way as fast as possible, but not at full speed. Too fast and we will draw attention to ourselves, but too slow and we will be sitting targets. I need all of your attention on your consoles. The instant you detect anything, I need to know about it.”
“Aren’t you dialed into the ship?” Geist asked.
“I am, but I am putting my full processing power into piloting the Eight-Three-Eight,” Hole said. “If we are engaged by the creatures of this System then I plan on flying this ship like it’s never been flown before.”
“That is surprisingly hot,” Cookie said. Geist glanced over his shoulder at him and frowned. “What? You telling me you aren’t kind of wishing we see engagement just so Hole can do her android pilot thing?”
Geist began to respond, but stopped as a smile crept across his lips.
“Exactly,” Cookie said. “They didn’t put us on Zero because of our over abundance of caution.”
“Yesterday, I’d be freaking out,” Geist said. “Those Volgassian mites really did a number on us.”
“On you,” Cookie said. “Cerviles are immune to mite influence.”
“As are androids,” Hole said.
“Well, those buggers did a number on me and Wanders, that’s for sure,” Geist said. “I felt like I was a Marine cadet again and ready to crud my uniform. It’s nice having that balls-to-the-wall feeling back again.”
An alarm rang out and Geist whirled back to his console.
“Incoming,” he said. “It’s big.”
There was a second alarm and a third.
“What do you have, Geist?” Hole asked.
“Three hostiles coming in fast,” Geist said. “Smallest is twice the size of our ship. Largest is six times. They are converging on our coordinates without delay.”
“Cookie,” Hole said. “Once they are in range, send a couple warning shots their way.”
“You aren’t worried we’ll just piss them off?” Cookie asked.
“I know we’ll piss them off,” Hole said. “I want them pissed. There isn’t a creature in the galaxy that doesn’t lose efficiency when angry.”
“The entire Cervile race might argue with you on that,” Cookie said.
“The Skrangs are pretty efficient when angry,” Geist said.
“You’ll just have to trust me on this,” Hole said. “Your perceptions are clouded by emotion while I am looking at hard facts and verifiable data.”
“Yeah, you hang onto those hard facts and verifiable data when these things try to rip us apart because you had us poke them with plasma bolts,” Geist said.
“Bridge? How are we looking?” Motherboard asked over the com. “Give me an ETA.”
“Engagement within the minute,” Hole replied. “Be prepared to issue countermeasure on my mark.”
“We’re prepared,” Motherboard said. “Cube is loaded into the chute and ready for ejection. You sure you have this timed correctly, Hole?”
“I am more than certain,” Hole said. “Whether the creatures take the bait is not calculable. That remains to be seen.”
“Holy Eight Million Gods,” Geist said as he looked at the ship’s main view screen and what was coming at them.
“You might actually be right on that exclamation,” Cookie said. “Those three could easily be mistaken for gods.”
“But they are not,” Hole said. “They are mortal and subject to the same rules as all life in the galaxy.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Geist said. “But I sure as crud hope you are right, Hole.”
The three members of Zero stared at the images of the three massive creatures racing at the ship. None of them, even cool-headed Hole, could say a word as they watched the nightmares close the distance.
The first was more tentacles than body; a swirling mass of ever-undulating limbs that seemed to propel it through open space. It had a set of eight eyes, all in a row across its brow. The head that held the eyes was wedge-shaped, but inverse with the smaller end closest to the body and the wider end leading the way in what was a clear defiance of all things aerodynamic. Luckily, the vacuum of space cared not for streamlined efficiency. That was a planetary worry and the odds of the giant monster ever setting foot, or tentacle, on a planet were slim to none.
The second creature resembled a gigantic version of Wanders. If a Gwreq had huge, leathery wings billowing out from its back and claws at the tips of its fingers that were the size of asteroids, yet considerably sharper. But it did have four arms and was built in a more humanoid fashion than the first creature. The thing’s face resembled its tentacled brethren in that it appeared to have an ever-undulating mustache and beard of huge cilia that twisted and turned in all directions.
The last creature was a mix of the first two. The top half was like Creature Two while the bottom half could have been severed directly from Creature One and glued in place. Two wings and four arms above with a never-ending mass of tentacles below. Its head was neither humanoid nor wedge-shaped. It was rounded like a half-orb, the flat portion pressed down against its neck and the dome leading its way through space.
That was all the time the teammates had for observation before they were forced into action.
“Now!” Hole called out. “Release the snot monster now!”
Lights blinked and alarms blared as the ejection chute was engaged and all safety protocols warned against personnel being anywhere in the vicinity.
“Geist,” Hole ordered and the Tcherian tapped at his console, silencing the alarms. “Thank you.”
Hole dipped the Eight-Three-Eight, steering it on a trajectory that would take the ship well under the three creatures coming at them. She spun the ship upside down, although the gravity engines made it seem like nothing had happened at all and everyone stayed firmly in their seats, but the move meant the B’flo’do’s containment cube was ejected up and at the creatures instead of down and away.
“Thrusters at full power,” Hole announced. “I’m going to put some distance between us and the mess that is about to happen.”
She banked the ship harder and kept it at that angle for a full minute. Then she brought it right-side up and pointed the nose towards the coordinates that blinked on her navigations console. The black site was only a few thousand clicks away, so it wouldn’t take long for them to reach the sanctuary of the small moon.
Hole made sure thrusters were in the green and running steady then brought up a magnified view of the creatures and the B’flo’do that were now far above and behind them.
The containment cube came apart and the gelatinous creature burst free of its prison. It moved like a blob of black grease dropped into water, but with slightly more purpose and control. It was obvious that the thing could sense the i
mmense energy coming off the three gigantic creatures, and if it could drool, the holo would have recreated a steady stream of black saliva.
It was only a quarter kilometer from the three creatures when it seemed to fold in on itself. The three teammates on the bridge watched as the B’flo’do did everything in its helpless power to reverse its direction and try to flee from the creatures.
Even with her android programming, Hole gasped as the creatures closed in on the B’flo’do and began to tear into it.
“Sheezus,” Geist said, his eyes on the scanner readings before him. He tapped at the console and swiped his hand upward then back, creating a full holo image of the conflict in the center of the bridge. The holo was a scene of total brutality. Brutality for the B’flo’do, at least. “This shouldn’t be possible. I’ve seen a B’flo’do take a full ion nuke in the chest and not come apart like this.”
Hunks of black goo were torn this way and that. The B’flo’do, which was only a fraction of the other three creatures in size, was soon reduced to fist-sized hunks that bobbed and floated in space like crumbs from a cookie in milk. Then the three creatures began to consume those crumbs, sucking them up into their various mouths.
With the consumption of each B’flo’do crumb, one of the creatures would glow slightly. It was faint, but there if one was looking. And the three members of Zero couldn’t help but look. In a matter of seconds, the B’flo’do was no more. The only evidence of its existence was the empty containment cube that floated lazily through space, ignored and forgotten.
“What do we have?” Motherboard asked as the doors to the bridge slid open and she and Wanders entered quickly, both out of breath from the race up from the cargo hold. “Is the distraction holding?”
“No,” Hole said and returned all of her attention to the flight controls. “Not even close. Strap in, I’m going to do some flying that may make things less than comfortable for those of you made of flesh and bone.”
“That would be all of us,” Geist said, nodding at Motherboard. “With a few miscellaneous exceptions.”
Motherboard and Wanders grabbed seats and strapped in tight. Cookie and Geist made sure their straps were as secure as possible as Hole slapped a hand against the console.
