**********
Jake walked to the back of the shattered ship. He grabbed the rope and then began putting together a big enough sled out of what remained of one of NightHawk's wings.
When he finished the sled and gathered the needed supplies, he made his way back to Skip. Skip was unconscious. Oh no! He knelt down and placed two fingers on Skip's throat. There was still a pulse. Skip must have been so exhausted he had fallen asleep.
Jake mustered enough strength to lift Skip and gently placed him on the sled. He was grateful the space suits he and Skip wore were environmentally controlled as the sky grew darker and the temperature seemed to plummet. Jake looked towards the city they had seen just before they crashed. It was dark except for the orange glow from the fire that was the result of the alien ship colliding with the tower.
The building wasn't what Jake would call a skyscraper. It was only about two hundred feet tall. From the air, it had looked taller. He scanned the rest of the buildings. Unfortunately, it was too dark to get a clear visual of them. No lights seemed to be present within the city at all. He hoped there would be someone or something there that could help them.
As Jake walked to the back of what was left of NightHawk, he saw what it was that the two aliens arrived in. His jaw dropped. It looked a lot like a black Hummer, only more aerodynamic, and it didn't have any wheels. Instead, it was held in place by three stands; two in the back and one in the front. Jake looked under the impressive vehicle. The stands extended like landing gear on a plane from its belly.
Jake checked to make sure Skip was all right and left him at the front of the vehicle. He walked to the door on the right side, opened it, and looked inside. Once inside, he saw that it was spacious. The front could seat three people and the back seat could seat four. The seats were made of what seemed like fine black leather. Behind the back seats was a place to hold cargo. Jake thought that would be enough room for Skip to lie down in.
He then pulled himself up to the driver's seat, which was situated in the center of the front of the vehicle. He looked at the steering device, which wasn't in the shape of a wheel at all. In fact, it seemed like the control stick of an old B-2 bomber, except modernized. He looked around the control panel and was stunned to see that everything was in English. He found the ignition button and pushed it.
The vehicle sprang to life. The three stands on which it was positioned retracted back into its underside. The vehicle hovered in the air about four feet from the ground. He pulled back on the controls, and the vehicle moved in reverse. He then moved to the left and right. This will do, he thought.
Jake pushed the ignition button again. The legs of the vehicle lowered, and the soft sound of the engine turned off. He stepped out and walked to Skip who was about fifteen feet away. Skip was awake again, but seemed to be falling in and out of consciousness. He didn't look well at all.
"Skip, are you all right?" Jake asked.
Skip looked up at Jake and nodded. He pointed to the hover vehicle and said, "You-" he coughed and spit up more blood. "You were going for a joy ride and leaving me ? weren't you?" he said, trying to force a smile, but he was too weak.
"Ah, man. You're not doing well. We've got to find some help fast," Jake said as he grabbed the rope and pulled Skip to the back of the vehicle. Jake looked for some sort of lever or button that would open the back door. There wasn't one. He went to the front of the vehicle and looked inside. He found the button that said rear door. He pushed it and the rear door to the vehicle lowered slowly.
He lifted Skip and placed him in the cargo hold. As he did so, Skip cried in pain.
"Sorry."
Jake then went back to the wrecked ship and grabbed their backpacks. He loaded up the rations and water, also grabbed both of the alien's weapons, and tossed them into the seat to his right, along with his handgun. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. The vehicle hovered there above the ground for a few moments. He pushed the controls forward, and the vehicle moved forward slowly, but not at the kind of speed Jake wanted. He wanted it to move faster, so he could get to the city in enough time to help Skip. He estimated the city was about five miles away. He looked around and found a lever on his right side. The lever had numbers next to it all the way from zero to two hundred. The lever was set at zero. He moved it forward slowly and the vehicle began to pick up speed. He set it at forty-five.
When Jake reached the outskirts of the city, he had familiarized himself a little with the vehicle. He was also impressed with the technology. When he had hit a small river about a third of a mile back, the vehicle had hovered over it without any trouble at all.
Jake looked around. Small houses were beginning to appear. It was dark now, but both of this strange planet's moons were full, so it was light enough for Jake to see the details of the houses and buildings. The houses were of a familiar design. "Hey, Skip, are you doing all right?"
Skip answered with pain in his voice, "Yeah, I'm just exhausted. But I'm a little concerned. I'm still coughing up blood."
"Hang in there, buddy. We're going to find some help. But everything looks deserted." Jake looked around for any sign of life. "Hey, Skip?"
Skip coughed. "What?"
"These houses and buildings look familiar. They look like something out of a history textbook."
Skip pulled himself up to get a better view of the houses and buildings. "Hmm, that's inter-" He coughed again. "That's interesting."
"What?"
"It looks like Baroque architecture."
"What?"
Skip coughed before he answered again. "The Baroque style ? of architecture was used a lot in Europe ? during the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries."
"Makes sense. The lampposts for the streets are set up for what looks like oil-burning lamps. I don't know. Maybe this place is an abandoned city for ? What did those aliens back there call themselves?"
"I-" Skip coughed again, "I think they called themselves 'Gnols' or something like that."
Jake slowed the vehicle down and meandered up and down the streets, looking for any sign of life that could help them. Some of the buildings had been burned from the inside out. Carriages, which looked as if they could be pulled by some kind of animal, were spotted here and there along the streets; some tipped over and burned and some left unmolested.
Jake looked straight ahead and saw the building that he nearly hit in the aerial chase about two hundred yards away. He steered the vehicle toward it.
He was beginning to get frustrated and worried. Skip was coughing more frequently, and there wasn't a soul in sight. Why would a city like this be abandoned?
They entered what seemed to be an old courtyard, and directly in front was the building he had nearly hit. The building was made in the same style as the other buildings, but bigger and taller. It seemed to be the biggest building in the city, about three hundred feet in height. It reminded him of the Parthenon in ancient Greece - only bigger. He wondered if this was the city's central government building or some religious center. Jake decided he would get out of the vehicle, go in the building, and take a look.
"Skip ? how you doin'?"
Skip wheezed and coughed. "I've been better."
"Listen," Jake said. "I'm going to go into that main building in front of us and see if anyone is in there that can help us. Will you be okay for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
Jake stopped the vehicle and was about to get out when he saw two headlights approaching from the rear of his vehicle. "Wait," he said. "Someone's coming. Maybe they can help us."
"You better hope that they're not with those guys that found us earlier," Skip said.
Jake stopped himself before he opened the door. "You're right. I'd better wait."
The two headlights stopped about ten feet behind Jake's hovercraft. The communication system within the vehicle came to life. "Sergeant Rossetlagn! This is Captain Jamear. Why are you and Private Toupast not at the wreck sight of the sto
len spacecraft?"
Jake glanced back toward Skip and looked through the back window for a better look. With the light from the moons, Jake could see the aliens through their front windshield. He could tell that the two aliens were dressed the same as the previous aliens they encountered.
The voice spoke again. "Sergeant Rossetlagn, do you copy?"
Skip turned, looked at Jake, and shrugged. "May ? Maybe we should make a run for it, Jake?"
Jake shook his head. "I don't know. These guys can probably maneuver their hovercraft better than I can. Also, I noticed that these things are equipped with guns or some sort of weapon on the front, just above the headlights."
"I say again! Sergeant Rossetlagn, why are you not at the crash site, investigating? You should have reported to me at Chast over an hour ago."
Jake quickly made a decision. He pushed the communicator button, lowered his voice, and tried to mimic the alien who he thought was Sergeant Rossetlagn. "Yes, Captain. I'm sorry. We were on our way back, when I decided that I should investigate the other crash just ahead of us."
There was a long pause that caused Jake to become anxious. He could see the two aliens discussing something.
"Sergeant, investigating this crash was not part of your orders. Why do you sound different, and who is that in the cargo area of your vehicle?"
Skip quickly lowered his head. "Jake, I don't think they're buying it."
Jake responded. "Sorry, Captain. I thought that it would be a good idea to investigate this cr-"
Before Jake could finish, the captain spoke to him in a language he did not recognize. Then silence. The alien repeated the phrase again.
"Jake, we better make a run for it. I think they've got us figured out," Skip said.
"I think you're right," said Jake as he noticed one of the aliens get out of the vehicle, beginning to walk toward them with his weapon drawn. Jake quickly pushed the ignition button. The vehicle's engine roared, and its legs retracted. Jake was about to push the lever that would send them off, when he felt a sudden pain surge through his head. His ears rang and his vision blurred. He screamed in pain; Skip did as well.
The sensation was similar to when they had first encountered these aliens in space. However, this time, he had an overwhelming feeling to shut down the vehicle and surrender to the aliens. It was as if he was outside of his body, and somebody was controlling him with a remote control.
Jake fought the urge to surrender. He heard Skip scream for help, and willed himself to throw the vehicle in reverse. He reached down, his head in agony, and pushed the lever to twenty-five. He then reached for the controls, using all of his strength, as his muscles wanted to resist every command he gave them. Struggling with all of his might, he finally commanded his arms to do what he asked them to do.
Grabbing the controls, Jake pulled back, and the vehicle shot backwards. The alien between the two vehicles tried to get out of the way, but he was too close. The rear bumper of Jake's hovercraft hit the alien square in the chest and carried him back into the vehicle behind. Jake glanced at the rearview screen as he hit the other vehicle and saw blood spatter on the rear window, obviously crushing the alien to death.
Jake pushed the lever all the way to one hundred and pressed the controls forward. The hovercraft shot off like a rocket. He quickly steered the vehicle to the left before hitting the main building, and sped off down a narrow street.
Before the other alien had realized what had happened, Jake and Skip were already about a quarter mile ahead, but he quickly closed the gap. Jake increased the vehicle's speed and zigzagged its way in and out of buildings, alleyways, and streets, all the while dodging plasma fire from his pursuer.
He heard Skip cough and say, "Jake, toss me your pistol and one of the alien's guns."
Jake liked what Skip had in mind. He quickly reached down, grabbed the guns, and tossed Skip the pistol and then the alien's gun. He heard the handgun and glanced behind him as the rear window shattered. He saw Skip pull himself up with his left arm as he screamed in pain. With the alien's gun in his right hand, Skip began to fire plasma lasers at the pursuing vehicle.
Jake turned back and saw a building within ten feet. He quickly jerked the controls to the left, slamming Skip into the right side of the vehicle.
"Aaaaah!"
"Sorry."
"You-" Skip coughed. "-you'd better be. Are you trying to kill me before I slowly bleed to death?"
Jake continued to look for a street that would take him out of the city and into a clearing where, maybe, he could circle around to get behind the alien. Jake looked right and saw a street that might be what he was looking for. When he was about to reach the street, he warned Skip that he was turning and to brace himself. Jake turned right and saw that the street did indeed lead out of the city.
The alien fired again. The bolt brushed the side of Jake's vehicle, causing him to lose control momentarily. The left side of the vehicle smashed into one of the buildings. Jake regained control, but noticed steam spewing out of the hood of the vehicle. Alarms began to sound within, but he continued to maintain speed.
"Skip!" yelled Jake. "You better take him out. I don't think this thing can take much more!"
"I'm trying, but this guy is good. Every time-" Skip coughed yet again. "Every time I shoot, he dodges!"
"Use the pistol!"
"Good idea!"
Skip pulled himself up a little straighter. With the pistol in his right hand, he pointed it at the center of the windshield of the alien's vehicle. He painted the center of the window with the laser and fired four rounds into it. The windshield shattered, and the hovercraft swerved right and then left.
Skip could see the driver now. He was still alive, but holding his neck. "I got him!"
Jake glanced at the rearview screen and saw that the alien lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the building on his right. An enormous explosion ensued. Jake was so relieved that he wasn't being pursued anymore that he failed to notice the alien had fired a round of plasma blasts before he crashed.
One of the blasts clipped the right side of the vehicle. Jake lost control, and the hovercraft flipped onto its roof. Jake heard Skip scream in pain.
Jake remembered that Skip was not buckled in. However, he was. Upside down, he looked ahead and saw a familiar building about fifty yards ahead and approaching fast.
Because of the snow, the upside-down vehicle would not slow down. The vehicle skidded to and crashed through some sort of wood fence. Jake closed his eyes and held his arms up to protect himself from flying glass. He opened his eyes again and saw the building getting closer and closer. There was nothing he could do to slow the hovercraft down. He just hoped that when the vehicle hit the building, it would not explode. He closed his eyes and braced for impact.
Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1) Page 22
