NEBULAR Collection 4 - Second Reserve: Episodes 17 - 21

by Thomas Rabenstein

  Nobody was watching Voit Masgur, who suddenly sank to his knees. He seemed to be scanning for the unknown power, his face red, distorted in pain as if he had to resist it with all his might.

  »Not here …,« he moaned. »It’s not here.«

  »You mean not in the control central?« Arkroid asked quickly, but got no answer.

  »I can replicate the neuronal nets of the crew better now!« Paafnas shouted. »The commander is just receiving a report that the robot and a soldier at the airlock have noticed some suspicious movements. They’re talking about us!«

  »Synchronization is completing!« Kuster~Laap warned, pointing at Helas who was slowly but determinedly getting up from his seat, looking in Vasina’s direction. His expression had changed, not to joy but to a hate-filled grimace.

  Vasina froze, staring at him. She had never seen such a look on his face. He had always been loyal and level headed.

  Arkroid grabbed Vasina by the arm and pulled her with him toward the exit.

  »We need to get out of here and locate the negative source!« he yelled.

  »No!« she screamed back and tried to free herself from his hard grip. »Let me be! Helas will change his attitude when he sees me!«

  »Duck!« Pi yelled from behind Vasina an Arkroid. From his viewpoint he had seen an officer of the command central crew draw his sword and swing it at their heads. They ducked as the blade cut through the air in slow motion.

  »Vasina … come with me, NOW!« Arkroid commanded loudly. »Your crew is trying to kill us!«

  One of the robots moved swiftly toward the exit to block the team’s escape route. Vasina pulled her sword and cut off the robot’s weapons arms and one of its three legs. The machine fell slowly over with arcing and electric discharges.

  Voit Masgur was holding his head, moaning.

  »The source is somewhere in the rear of the ship. I can barely hold it off … it’s driving me insane!«

  Several Progonauts in the corridor outside the command central reacted much faster to the intruders. They turned around, reaching for their weapons while some of them took cover by throwing themselves to the floor as Vasina and the team raced by them.

  »The machine equipment rooms, crew quarters and laboratories are located in the ship’s rear sections …,« she explained, but then stopped short.

  »What? What else?« Arkroid wanted to know. He ran into a Progonaut who suddenly appeared in the corridor, blocking his advance. The impact probably broke some of the man’s bones.

  »… the ship’s tachyon portal!« Vasina remembered. »If something took my crew by surprise then it must have entered the ship via the portal.«

  Suddenly, the corridors were bathed in red light accompanied by deep, three-toned sound sequences.

  »They’re sounding the alert,« Pi commented breathlessly. »We need to hurry or they’ll catch us!«

  The team stopped before a large isolation field.

  »It’s behind that field …,« Masgur gargled. »It’s horrible ... alien; uh … I can’t stand it any longer …«

  Masgur collapsed. Pi caught him just in time before he could fall on the hard floor. At the end of the corridor robots appeared, and heavily armed Progonauts advanced from the other side. The temporal difference was fading more and more.

  »We can’t escape, they’ve got us,« Vasina said in a monotone, uncaring voice.

  Arkroid pulled her into the portal lobby through the energy field, followed by the rest of the team.

  As they reached the portal they were greeted by a sight of pure horror!

  That's our chance

  The Frost Station was evacuated quickly and calmly, while the scientists were boarding the gravo-trains back to the city, Herimos and Ray-Tor assembled the troops and marched them toward the Temporal Vector. The object had become bigger and more transparent. As they advanced, the view became clearer, revealing what was hidden inside – a spaceship!

  Ray-Tor had never seen the ship, but he knew it from the legends. Atlantika, the ship that had devastated the planet and defeated the home forces 2,000 years ago. The ship had returned and the Neo-Sapiens had no defense against it.

  »The anomaly is disappearing!« Herimos yelled against the high wind that drove snow clouds into the area. »We’ll be able to see our enemies’ hiding place!«

  »What happened to our allies?« Ray-Tor yelled back, ordering his men with hand signals to keep up.

  »They’re dead!« Herimos replied angrily. »Nobody knew this ship was still here.«

  Ray-Tor screamed his frustration into the wind and then blew on his horn. The two hundred Neo-Sapien troops stopped to await Ray-Tor’s orders.

  »What do you want to do?« Herimos asked as he saw the determination in Ray-Tor’s face.

  »What do you think?« he laughed out loud. »If the ship lifts off and uses its weapons from space against our city, we’re doomed! We need to attack the ship while we still can.«

  Herimos frowned. He was more scientist than soldier.

  »A handful of men against a battleship, in this weather?« he said in disbelief.

  Ray-Tor put his hand on Herimos’ shoulder.

  »For Ray-Manai, my friend, for Ray-Mainai!« he replied determinedly.

  Ray-Tor turned around and addressed his men, »For Ray-Mainai! Attack formation! Advance toward the ship! Maintain personal safety distance from each other and use the terrain!«

  His men did as ordered. Marching through the ice desert was senseless, despite their defense shields. They wanted to face the enemy despite the sight of the ship towering above them in all its might.

  »It’s huge!« Herimos remarked, impressed but without fear.

  »It looks like an arrowhead,« Ray-Tor added. »Now let’s see if they have the guts to face us.«

  An officer appeared and addressed Ray-Tor.

  »The enemy ship is resting on both grav-fields and its landing struts. Several hangar gates are open with extended ramps. Combat robots and crew members are positioned outside the ship on guard. It doesn’t look ready for take-off. Even if they bring their people inside the ship and close the hangars, it’ll still take a couple of minutes until it can launch.«

  »That's our chance then,« Ray-Tor growled. He commanded his sergeants, »Take out the robots first, then we try to get into the ship. Fight to the last breath … for Ray-Mainai!«

  A combat cry left the soldiers’ lips, and they advanced toward the Atlantika.

  Don’ worry

  Toiber Arkroid immediately felt an overwhelming mental pressure as he entered the portal room and faced a strange being.

  ›It looks like a small fat Buddha,‹ he thought through waves of pain. ›Half a meter tall and as wide.

  The ugly being was sitting exactly between the transfer projectors of the tachyon portal and seemed to be constantly feeding from the portal’s tachyon energy, the wildly flickering transport field touching its back.

  The being was very fat, but it showed humanoid features. It had a deep black skin, and was naked and hairless. It was sitting on a pillow and had its short legs crossed almost as if in meditation. Two very large, attentive black eyes watched Arkroid and his team. Its wide mouth grimaced, displaying two rows of needle sharp, dark red teeth. Degenerated technology sheathed its entire body, partially protruding through the skin. Some of the modules had torn open wounds with sap-like liquids oozing to the ground. Fine nano-conductors wove a network of thin wires around its body, enveloping the fat and squeezing it into thick folds. The energy charges from the portal seemed to increase along the nano-conductors when Arkroid and his team arrived.

  Arkroid received a relentlessly powerful mental message, and a few quick glances told him that everybody on the team “heard” it too.

  ›You will die – and after you the planet! We are no longer interested in the people hiding below the surface. It’s not worth keeping them alive even for experimental purposes.‹

  The stranger’s diabolical grin became uglier when it saw the Chiropt
er and his ZyClonians.

  ›What do we have here, a Galactic Resistance Movement peace angel? Whining losers trying to prevent the inevitable with their ridiculous counter plans! You’ll find yourselves cleaning the floors of your superiors with your tongues – begging every day to be killed,‹ it rambled.

  Then it noticed Vasina, and the glowing Jamal-Comb in her hair. The being laughed uncontrollably, high-pitched as a small child.

  ›A key to rescue the galaxy and a fallen Progonaut princess concerned only about her flagship and the people we wiped out of the galaxy! You won’t make it, princess. I’ll force my will upon you, just as I did with the miserable Progonauts on this ship!‹

  Vasina collapsed to her knees.

  »Fight it Vasina! Don’t let it steal your mind … you can fight it!« Arkroid yelled at her.

  ›Toiber Arkroid. I can read your mind like an open book. Human!‹ the stranger remarked mentally.

  »Leave us alone!« Arkroid moaned, and fell beside Vasina.

  ›A Chimera of Progonauts and Neo-Sapiens … this is the kind that will rule this galaxy – on behalf of the only true cosmic power!‹ the being continued.

  »Never!« Arkroid cried out weakly, even as heavily armed Progonauts and robots arrived in the portal room.

  Hateful, evil laughter welled from the being.

  Arkroid despised the being.

  ›Hate all you want, your hate is like an expression of love to me,‹ the being explained amusedly. ›You and the other two Humans will find a new meaning in life under my control. All the rest will be executed!‹

  Suddenly, a wild scream sounded throughout the room. It came from Voit Masgur.

  »You are a disturbance – you unbalance this world!« he screamed. »You don’t even come from this universe! Your aura is evil – poison to the aura of life on this planet!«

  The stranger laughed out loud again, then mentally commanded the soldiers, ›Kill the Progonaut woman first, remove the comb and then kill the loud screamer!‹

  »This will not be. I won’t let it!« Masgur shouted, staring at the being with his golden eyes.

  The stranger returned Masgur’s look with a grin, then its face froze, changed. It began to babble and scream. The energy charges behind its back changed and missed the nano net, as the being itself twisted under waves of pain.

  »Kill him first!« the fat Buddha yelled uncontrollably, but the Progonauts looked uncertain. Some even lowered their weapons. Moments later, surprised calls were ringing through the room.

  »Your Majesty … Vasina? Vasina of Atlantika?«

  The Progonauts were like ones roused from a bad dream. The robots shoved them rudely aside and assumed attack formation, aiming their weapons at Vasina lying on the floor and at Voit Masgur, who was still staring at the Buddha.

  A shot, fired at close range, melted the torso of the first robot. There was loud shouting.

  »Protect the queen! Save Vasina!«

  As soon as the fat little being was dead. It fell into the transportation field, and at once, the rest of the Progonauts changed their behavior. They realized the danger immediately and quickly deactivated the remaining robots. A wall of soldiers surrounded Vasina and Arkroid’s team, protecting them.

  A Progonaut officer barked something into his wrist-comm unit and then kneeled beside Vasina. Outside in the corridor, shots sounded. Soldiers were fighting the robots, destroying or deactivating them if possible. Vasina struggled to sit up. Her soldiers had set up a defense field. She glanced at Arkroid, who was looking around flabbergasted. Vasina grinned at him – rare for her.

  »Everything will be good, Toiber.«

  Vasina accepted the officer’s hand and got up, ignoring the fact that the same officer had been ordered to execute her only a minute ago. More soldiers entered the room, led by a face familiar to her – Commander Hellas. He looked around and suddenly a huge smile creased his face as he recognized Vasina.

  He bowed and greeted his queen according to Progonaut protocol.

  »Vasina, I profoundly apologize for the mess on board your ship. Forgive me if I cannot give you a full report at this time. I cannot explain how our ship got to this planet – or how you got on board.«

  »My dear, loyal Hellas,« Vasina greeted him. »We’ll discuss these riddles and solve them together. First, I’d like you to meet my friends.«

  She quickly introduced the team to Hellas.

  »Please, send a message to the people in the Frost Station, I imagine they’re pretty restless by now,« she invited Hellas.

  Hellas smiled again at Vasina.

  »A large group of very courageous warriors are shooting at our ship. They’ve destroyed some of the robots outside but have not harmed any of our soldiers so far. We’ve established a protection field around the Atlantika. That should suffice for the moment,« Hellas reported.

  Vasina sighed, relieved.

  »Contact the Neo-Sapiens. Invite them aboard on my behalf.«

  »Do you want us to take any precautions?« Hellas inquired.

  Vasina cleared her throat and blinked at Arkroid.

  »Just open one of the lower hangars and let them in. We’ll welcome them in person, no armed escort.« Vasina smiled briefly then added, »Hellas, do we have honor guards on board?«

  »These people are still attacking us. I’d suggest greeting them with an equal number of soldiers …«

  »… Hellas,« Vasina whispered, calm and friendly. »You don’t know it yet, but it’s we Progonauts, who need to make the first steps.«

  »As you wish, Your Majesty,« Hellas replied respectfully. »One more thing: We’ve detected some strange energy fluctuations in orbit, as if from a strange, disguised ship. Our gunners and security people want to know how long we’re to remain exposed on the surface.«

  »That is my ship,« Arkroid announced. »Don’t worry, Nautilus is the friendliest ship in the known universe. Vasina, with your permission I’ll contact Nautilus and have it land by your ship.«

  Vasina raised her right hand, according to Progonaut customs, and waved the okay to Hellas.

  Another riddle to solve

  The Neo-Sapiens marched up the ramp, led by Ray-Tor with Paafnas on his back. It had been necessary to send Paafnas to tell the Neo-Sapiens that everything was under control. They trusted the alien better than Progonauts or Humans.

  Ray-Tor stepped into the large hangar and looked around cautiously.

  The Progonaut honor guards saluted the Neo-Sapiens. This was Progonaut protocol, but it didn’t sit well with Ray-Tor’s men. They returned the salute but remained skeptical – at least until Vasina, Arkroid and Hellas appeared.

  Ray-Tor greeted Vasina with a slap on his chest.

  »I didn’t entirely trust you at first,« he admitted. »You were courageous enough to enter the space-time fold, and that changed my mind. I’m glad to see you alive and well!«

  »We still need to understand why my ship is here, hidden inside the Temporal Vector. There’re a lot of questions screaming for answers. Something horrible has happened. My ship and its crew were involved,« Vasina replied. »But not of their own volition. They were under an evil influence. We have to work together to learn what has happened in the past and in the present. You have my full cooperation, Ray-Tor and free run of the ship.«

  »Thank you, Vasina. Yes, we need to work to heal the rift between our peoples,« Ray-Tor agreed in his growling tone, looking to Arkroid. »We have to put aside the past to survive the future – I believe now in the danger to the galaxy.«

  »We’ve managed to convince you?« Arkroid echoed.

  »No …,« Ray-Tor answered, baring his yellow teeth, »... but I’ll take you at your word.«

  »An alliance, then,« Vasina proposed. »The last of the Neo-Sapiens and the Progonauts shall work together and support each other. You needn’t fear our ship; in fact we offer you security. The Atlantika and her crew will be there when you need us.«

  »We need all the help we can get. The Looter proble
m is still there, and there’re still Globuster ships in the solar system. We want to rebuild Ray-Mainai on the surface, a generation project and a longtime dream.«

  »We have to make the future safe first,« Arkroid tried to steer the discussion toward the core problem. »We’ve recovered the Atlantika but the main problem hasn’t changed. Let’s determine what resources we have between us and the rest of the galaxy to take on this threat.«

  »I want to know who this being was whose mental powers overwhelmed my crew,« Vasina put in. »How did it hide the ship inside a space-time fold? My people report that the ship made several time leaps. It appears to have been kept inside a Temporal Vault. The unknown being used the ship from time to time for its own ends.«

  Kuster~Laap’s ears fluttered nervously.

  »That’s how the ship was able survive all this time. From what we saw at the ship’s tachyon portal the being was connected to the field projectors, tapping into tachyon space energy to boost its powers exponentially. I suspect, too, that the being was in constant contact with its superiors via the tachyon continuum ...«

  »… interesting that the being was infested with degraded technology, but not the crew,« Pi interrupted.

  »Yet a lot of the combat robots were infected,« Maya Ivanova threw in.

  ›There has to be a reason why the crew was not infected,‹ she pondered but had no clear answer.

  Hellas cleared his throat.

  »It’ll take time to repair the Atlantika and determine what happened to us. The ship’s computers are reporting full readiness, but Vasina and I insist that we need to check the ship’s systems for degenerated technology,« Hellas remarked. »I’ve been told, Ray-Tor, that your scientists have a lot of experience regarding the degenerated technology. I’d like to ask for your help. Can your men stay on board for an exchange of information?«

  Ray-Tor waved his right hand through the air and pointed at Herimos.

  »Herimos is one of our leading scientists,« Ray-Tor replied with a smile. »He’s very familiar with the Temporal Vector, degenerated technology and the Looters. He’s the man you need!«