“—Meow,” shrieked another cat as it tumbled scores of feet down the side of the blackened antenna and splashed into the water, only to twist around and swim back to it.
Da-da-da-duuuum.
The tree seemed to sing at the half-cat, half-girl in the water. The sound emitting from its surface sounded more like a musical crunch of bark than an instrument.
Furie’s chest expanded a few inches, the glowing pink orb inside threatening to burst out.
“I have to go, now. It’s calling me.”
Furie threw her head into the water and swam down. She hadn’t any idea just how far down she’d be going.
Giant air bubbles escaped from her mouth as she focused all her energy on following the pink light emanating from her chest.
“Glub, glub, glub.”
The shrieks from the cats many feet above her drowned to a sodden, damp halt.
Still, she kept swimming, headed for the cocoon at the base of the tree. At least, she thought it was the base. It could have been half-way up a two mile stem for all she knew.
Consciousness was about to become a thing of the past.
***
A minute felt like an eternity.
A sliver of white light struck across the darkness, taking with it an intense screeching noise.
“Whug—” Furie felt she’d made a noise, but her ears told her otherwise.
Utter silence befell her.
Her eyes opened to find herself suspended in a womb-like cocoon. Bolts of pink lightning zipped through the veins lining the fleshy walls.
"Mwweeuugggghh."
A voice she didn’t recognize bounded around the increasing spin of the cocoon.
“Honey?” the voice drifted to a halt.
Furie’s mouth moved and produced her voice seconds after she’d spoken. The air from her vocal cords appearing as a white light through the water.
“Yes?”
"Something fantastic is coming."
Jagged blue bolts of energy slammed around the internal walls of the tomb, illuminating Furie’s entire body.
Slowly, Furie begin to revolve like a pig on a spit roast. The walls of the cocoon spun in the opposite direction.
Furie felt the fur flatten against her face as it spun faster and faster.
A thunder clap rolled across the cocoon as it smoothed out into a perfect cylinder.
Spin—spin—spiiiiii—iiiiinn.
Furie’s prolonged meow stretched into a blend of gargles and growls that seeped into the fine walls of the womb that beat like a heart.
Biddum-biddum-biddum.
Furie’s body revolved faster and faster.
“Meeeeooooowww—”
WHUMB-WHUMB-WHUMB.
The pink orb in her chest expanded the faster she span, bleaching into a beautiful pulsating light.
“Whuuurrrrrrrr—” she squealed into nothingness as her frame shrunk in the intense spins, until—
SWAAASSSHHH — WVHUMP.
The pink enveloped the cocoon, and Furie vanished into nothingness.
The cocoon swallowed onto itself and bolted into the stem of the tree.
At surface level, the cats continued to climb up the tree as far as they could.
Suzie Q-Two was one of them, clinging by her infinity claws half way up the one hundred foot structure.
A strange, tingling sensation rippled through the structure’s surface and electrocuted her talons.
“Mwuh?”
ROLL — ROLLLL — THUWMP.
A giant bolt of pure, pink energy swallowed up the interior of the antenna, pushing each cat away from its shiny surface.
WHOOOOOOSH.
“Meeooowwwwww—”
SPLISH — SPLASH — SPLOSH.
Dozens of cats screamed down the side of the antenna and crashed into the water, unharmed.
The pink bolt of energy raced to the summit.
KERRR-AAA-SMAASSSSSHHHHHH.
The tip of the tree that wasn’t a tree exploded in a cloud of heavenly wonder, forcing the moon’s beam to disconnect entirely and swallow back onto itself.
WHOOOSH - SCWHUMP.
The last of the light submerged into the moon’s surface and vanished, leaving it at peace once again.
The antenna straightened and opened its tip in two, opposite directions - east, and west.
Determined and enraged, the cats continued to claw at the base of the antenna.
“Mwaaahh.”
Mau joined Suzie Q-Two in scraping the structure with her cuticles.
The rest of the cats pressed their paws against it as the antenna turned into a glowing beacon of pure, pink energy.
BRRAAAAZOOOOWWW.
The force of energy zipped through each cat’s infinity claws, making a thick, violent connection to their organs.
Their hearts and brains glowed pink, absorbing the sheer force of nature from the generous antenna.
WHUP — WHUP — BLAASSSSTTTTT.
Two separate beams of pink energy separated out from the top of the tree and blasted into the horizon.
East, and west.
The cats released their grip on the antenna and swam back, staring in awe at its magnificence.
“Meeeeeooowwwwwwhhhaaaa—” Suzie Q-Two tried, “Whaaaaaa—?”
“Mah,” Mau snapped back and pushed her arms away from her body, “Maahhhmm—maaaaahhmmmieeeee.”
BANG — CRASSHHH.
Mau shifted around in the water and lifted her infinity claw at the coast line.
A dazzling array of lights and orange fire lit up the sky.
Mau groaned as she adjusted to her rejuvenated vocal cords,“Ov-vv-vah—theh,”
“Miew,” the cats shrieked and bobbed in the water, taking in the light show a mile or so away on the peninsula, lighting up a giant cone structure sitting in the middle of it.
Mau and Suzie caved into their urges and swam towards it with the other cats in tow.
Perimeter Zee
Lydia ran her palm along Bobbie’s back as she paced around the mack truck’s dashboard. Something was getting to the animal, but the source of Bobbie’s annoyance wasn’t apparent to Lydia, nor Rana.
“Hey, girl. Are you okay?” Lydia asked.
The cat shot Lydia a look as if the girl had just called her an idiot.
“What happened to your eyes?”
Blink-blink.
Lydia shook her head. She hadn’t noticed Bobbie’s pyramid-shaped pupils before now. She thought it strange she’d never noticed till this point.
“Huh.”
“Lydia, be quiet, please. I’m trying to concentrate.”
Rana focused her binocle at the gates to the Research building. A giant plume of smoke followed a dampened thump.
Lydia couldn’t help but squint at the commotion taking place a mile away.
“What’s going on?”
Rana shifted in her seat and held Lydia’s shoulder, “My God. The building is coming down.”
Biddip-beeeeeeeeep.
“Huh?” Rana reached over to Bobbie and scooped her off the dashboard, “Take her.”
A wave of anxiety rushed through Lydia’s face.
“Okay. Come here, girl.”
“Meow,” Bobbie said as she sunk her claws into the girl’s jacket.
The speakers in the truck sprung to life and produced Sierra’s voice.
“Rana, this is Sierra. Do you copy?”
Rana leaned forward and pinched her binocle. The lens focused onto a tiny, gray van speeding towards the gate.
“Yes, Sierra. This is Rana. Sit-rep, please?”
“Uh, we have an Anderson-shaped consignment.”
Rana’s jaw dropped with astonishment, “What? You’re kidding me—”
“—Look, no time to explain. Start the engine and wait for the gray IRI van. We’re taking it out of here.”
“Who’s with you?” Rana asked.
“Don’t ask. Start the engine and await my instruction. We’ll be there in three.”
“Got it.”
The connection paused, allowing Rana to process the news. She turned in haste to Lydia, who smiled back.
“They’ve got Jelly?” the girl squealed with glee, “They found her.”
Rana nodded and wiped a tear from her eye, “Hopefully they have Alex with them, too.”
“Who’s Alex?”
KRAAAA—BAAAAMMMM.
An almighty explosion at USARIC’s Research Facility grounds caught Rana and Lydia’s attention.
The Individmedia dialed back into the truck’s driver area once again.
“—Yeah, yeah. We’re not out of the sticky stuff just yet, my Russian friend,” she said over the cacophonous noise of destruction. “Rana?”
She hollered at the visor hanging in front of the windshield, “Yeah. This is Rana. Speak.”
“The chopper’s gonna pass right by you any second now,” Sierra said. “It’s heading south on I-Ten.”
Rana started the engine and flicked the stick shift into first gear.
BEEP—BEEP—BEEP.
The truck’s exhaust spat out a cloud of smoke as the tires rolled forward.
“Got it. Leaving Perimeter Zee, now.”
“Good luck.”
Lydia dropped Bobbie into the foot well and fastened her safety belt, “Girl. Stay there. It’s much safer.”
Rana spun the wheel to the right and entered the slip road, “Hold tight, they’re coming.”
VROOM — VROOM.
The truck gained speed along the road.
ROOOAAARRRRR.
The gray van smashed through the battered gates and skidded on its two right wheels as it turned left and joined the road.
Amelia yelled over her shoulder and pointed at the back of the truck half a mile ahead of them.
“That’s them, that’s them.”
Roman and Remy grasped the handles on the two front seats, “Get closer,” they both yelled.
Remy pressed the side of his face against the side window and screamed at Rana as he saw Metal Bird One zip further and further away, “Damn it, speed up. They’re getting away.”
Sierra pressed her finger to her ear.
“Hit the gas. Rana? We’re right behind you.”
“Got it,” Rana glanced at the rear view mirror, “Right, they’re behind us. Hold on tight—”
The front of the gray van grew larger and larger in the mirror.
A giant, armored cat perched on top of it, ready for battle.
“My God,” she squealed. “Is that Anderson?”
Lydia clocked the same image in the side mirror and widened her eyes in terror, “Jeez, she’s huge.”
WHUDDA — WHUDDA — WHUDDA.
Metal Bird One zipped across the roof of the truck and tilted its nose to the ground.
Maar grabbed his headset and kicked Brayn in the leg, “Hey, genius.”
“What?”
He yelled into his mouthpiece and pointed at the extended eighteen-wheeler, “That’s them. They’re following us.”
Brayn shifted in his seat and scanned the freeway.
“We’re up here and they’re down there, sir. They’ll never catch us.”
“Lessense.”
Unsatisfied with the response, Maar leaned forward and thumped the pilot on the shoulder.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes, sir?” the pilot said.
“What course have you plotted?”
“USARIC HQ, sir,” the pilot yelled. “A little under ten miles from here.”
“Have you got any weapons up here?”
“Sure do. Standby.”
The pilot hit a button on the panel next to his gears.
WHIIIIRRRRR - SCHTUNK.
Santiago’s mini-drone flew over to the side door and continued to broadcast. A side-mounted turret unfolded across the opened door and snapped into place.
Brayn tapped his own helmet and winked at Maar, “Pure genius, sir.”
“Shut up and shoot them.”
“Which one, sir?”
“The van, you moron,” Maar screamed and pointed at the small, gray rectangle speeding up alongside the much larger truck, “And be careful with the reinforcements. Try not to shoot them.”
“Of course, sir.”
Brayn slid both hands around the handles of the turret and booted the lever on the side.
BRROOOOOWWWW.
The barrels on the gun began to spin as the device heated up through Brayn’s gloves.
Maar waved at Santiago, “Hey, you.”
“Yes.”
“Make sure you get all of this,” Maar snapped and turned to the drone, “Understand this, citizens. You wanted to know what happened to Jelly Anderson, Star Cat? Look at her. She’s trying to kill everything and everyone. Not so friendly now, is she? It’s our duty to put a stop to her, and her friends.”
“Stand back, sir,” Brayn said as he yanked on both triggers. “This is some serious firepower.”
BLAM — BLAM — BLAM — BLAAMMM.
He fired a round of shells at the ground.
Maar gripped Brayn’s shoulder and yelled into his ear, “Go for the tires.”
Amelia applied her body weight to the gas pedal and looked at the odometer, “Nggg, come on. Faster, faster. One hundred miles per hour.”
BOLT.
The gray van blasted along the tarmac and shuffled alongside the mack truck.
Jelly clung to the two railings on either side of the van’s roof and tilted her head towards the sky. Metal Bird One struggled to outrun her and the ground vehicles.
ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR.
Sierra kicked the van door open and clutched the frame, “Jelly,” she yelled as she look at the roof, “Are you okay?”
“Shut up and drive faster,” Jelly snapped back, “Faster, faster, faster.”
Sierra swung herself back into the van and pressed her hands on the windshield, “Amelia?”
“Yeah?”
“Faster.”
Rana rammed her boot on the pedal, “Are you serious, right now? I’m going as fast as I can.”
“Damn it, it’s not fast enough. Go faster.”
VROOOOOOOOOM.
The gray van drove up beside the mack truck.
Both kept a steady pace of 130 mph.
Rana looked out of the driver’s window and gave Amelia the thumbs up, “Hey, over here.”
Amelia returned the gesture, then extended her index finger, and placed it to her ear. “Rana?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Follow that helicopter.”
“Goddamn it, what do you think I’m doing? Taking in the view? Of course I’m following the bird.”
“I’ll flip you the bird if you don’t speed up, girl.”
WHOOOOOOOOSH.
The two vehicles sped up, side by side, and turned onto Junction Twenty which led them towards Interstate Ten.
SCREEEEECCHHHH.
Amelia spun the steering wheel.
The gray van lifted onto two left tires as it banked to the right to join the freeway.
SCHWUMP — VRROOOOOOM.
Its two right tires slammed to the ground. The van sped in front of the mack truck.
“Go, go, go,” Rana shouted. “Don’t let the bastards get away.”
She peered into the rear view mirror once again and held her breath.
“Oh, no—”
“—What, what?”
A dozen MagCycle headlights snapped to life half a mile in the distance.
“They’re coming. Cycles. Hundreds of them.”
“Who’s coming?” Sierra’s voice whirled through the driver’s area. “What are you—”
“—USARIC. Mercs on MagCycles—”
Sierra ran up the aisle and aimed her gun through the shattered back window.
Sure enough, scores of MagCycles were gaining on them.
“Amelia?” Sierra yelled, keeping her eyes on the approaching bad guys.
“Yeah?”
“We got company.”
“Company—?”
Roman and Remy joined Sierra at the back of the van and raised their eyes at the forthcoming assault.
“—Company, in the form of at least twenty MagCycles. Maybe more.”
“Damn it,” Rana fumed. “Let me guess? Go faster?”
“God, you’re quick.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now be quicker.”
Rana planted both her boots on the accelerator pedal.
150 mph, 155 mph…
Sierra turned to Roman and Remy and lowered her gun, “Any moment now, those sons of bitches will be all over us like flies on a freshly-laid turd.”
“Not if I can help it.”
“They’re using the MagStrips,” Sierra said. “We don’t stand a chance.”
“We can take care of—”
“—No,” Sierra spat, cutting him off, “Don’t argue. There’s too many of them. We need to shut them down. I need to get onto the truck and get the EMP. Slow them down a bit.”
“The EMP? Are you out of your mind? We need that as back up—”
“—Sweetie, don’t argue with me. I know what I’m doing, for Christ’s sake.”
“But, but—”
“—Concentrate on the damn road.”
Sierra barged past Roman and Remy and ran to the front of the gray van. She peered over Amelia’s shoulder and looked through the windshield at the sky.
“Where are they?”
Amelie pointed at the chopper through the side window, “Rana’s keeping up. But that damn helicopter is speeding up.”
Sierra turned to the door with her finger to her ear, “Rana. I need to get on the truck.”
Rana turned the steering wheel and shifted the mack truck closer to the van, “What’s the score?”
“About Five-Twenty in their favor.”
“Very funny—”
“—Listen, drive in front of us and hit the brakes. I’m coming aboard.”
“What?”
“The EMP is in the back of the truck. Do as I tell you.”
Rana yelled as she applied the gas and allowed the gray van to zip in front of it.
“Uh, sweetie?”
“Yeah?”
“This heavy beast won’t outrun those Cycles. They’re closing on us.”
“I know, just get in front. We’ll ram you in the ass if we have to.”
“Promises, promises,” Rana quipped.
Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6) Page 26
