Rocket to Trinculo (Mastery of the Stars Book 3)

by M J Dees

  Sevan turned to see that the cockpit only contained three seats and Slar, Ay-ttho and Tori had already strapped themselves into them.

  "There are no more seats," he said but was ignored.

  "Hold on," said Slar, so Sevan sat on the floor and held onto a bar by the side of the door post.

  Slar pressed a few more buttons and Sevan heard the rocket engines roar. A moment later, he was gripping onto the bar to avoid being forced to the rear of the cockpit as the rocket accelerated with immense speed into the tunnel leaving the destruction of Trinculo behind.

  He felt his grip slipping and then lost it, slid across the floor and ended up pressed against the door which led to the passenger compartments.

  The rocket was now travelling at incredible speed through the tunnel back towards Waterfall and Slar made preparations to slow the rocket for their arrival.

  When the rocket emerged from the tunnel, Sevan noticed that a fire storm had engulfed the city.

  "The Republic has been here, too," Tori stated the obvious.

  The force of the blaze was intense and Sevan knew it would incinerate them if they stepped from the rocket for even a moment. Slar had also realised this, and she accelerated the rocket once more throwing Sevan to the back of the cockpit again.

  The rocket sped up to what Sevan imagined must be full speed, and he realised that, as they were nearing the entrance to the cavern they would, sooner rather than later, run out of track.

  When it happened, the rocket flew through the barrier, the air, the waterfall and out into the dusty atmosphere of Nereid.

  It was only then that Sevan realised, on seeing this panoramic view, that the mountain range through which the waterfall cut its course formed the rim of a vast crater.

  The rocket wasn't so much gliding as plummeting at terrifying speed towards the crater floor. Slar was intermittently firing the engines so that the rocket, behaving like a huge snake, would lift its nose in the air for a moment before plunging back down towards the ground.

  Slar judged the blasts on the engines so well that, just before impact, she got the rocket to raise its nose just enough for it to belly flop onto the crater floor rather than hit nose first which Sevan imagined would have been fatal for all of them.

  As the rocket hit the ground, it threw Sevan up into the air and landed in the lap of Ay-ttho who pushed him to the floor.

  The rocket skidded across the crater floor and then came to a halt shrouded in a huge cloud of dust.

  The sense of relief in the cockpit was palpable as they all realised they weren't dead.

  "We can't stay here," said Slar. "The Republic are already on their way."

  Sevan looked at a screen on which several flashing dots had appeared.

  "You must wear suits though," she continued. "Nereid is too polluted to go out without one. There should be some in that emergency locker over there."

  Ay-ttho opened the locker and found three suits, two of which she handed to Tori and Sevan and one which she kept for herself.

  "What are you going to do?" she asked Slar.

  "There will be one in the guard's compartment. We have to go that way, anyway. We can't stay on the rocket and they will pick us off in the open so our best chance is one of the mine entrances in the crater wall."

  Slar opened the rear entrance of the cockpit and marched through. The others glanced at each other, then shrugged and followed Slar.

  The rocket was badly damaged but intact. Sevan thought none of the very important guests had made it to the rocket until they reached the guard's compartment where Slar stopped.

  At the far end of the compartment, between them and the emergency locker was a piece of equipment which looked to Sevan like an all-terrain vehicle but which contained a gaseous substance the likes of which Sevan had only seen once before.

  "President Man?" Sevan asked.

  The vehicle moved as if the occupant had not heard them arrived and had been surprised.

  "Don't forget Man can project his presence to other places," said Tori.

  "Only if he equips the ship with the devices capable of projecting his image," corrected Ay-ttho.

  "And smell," Sevan remembered. "I can't smell anything. Not that bad smell anyway."

  "We need it to move away from the locker so I can get the suit," said Slar.

  "You need it to move away from the locker," Ay-ttho corrected.

  "Excuse me? Would you mind moving away from the locker," Slar asked.

  "Are you Man?" Sevan asked.

  "I am Man," a voice came from the vehicle.

  CHAPTER 9: THROUGH THE CRATER WALL

  "President Man?" asked Ay-ttho.

  "Not president," came the voice from the vehicle.

  "There has been a coup?" asked Tori.

  "No," said the voice. "President Man is... I suppose the closest thing you will understand is that he is my... how do you say... uncle."

  "Uncle?" asked Sevan.

  "Mother's brother," Ay-ttho explained.

  "Father's brother," the voice corrected.

  "Either way, he is the President's nephew," said Slar.

  "I didn't know balls of gas had relatives," Sevan whispered to Tori.

  Ay-ttho glared at him as if to suggest he should keep his thoughts to himself.

  "My father was president but when he died, my... uncle... took his place because he took my... how do you say... mother... as his... er... is it wife?"

  "They marry?" Sevan whispered to Tori.

  Another glare from Ay-ttho.

  A blast exploding nearby broke the collective astonishment.

  "Come on, we have to go," said Ay-ttho.

  "Excuse me," said Slar.

  She edged around the vehicle, opened the emergency locker and took out a suit which she hurriedly put on.

  "What is your name?" Ay-ttho asked nephew Man while Slar was dressing.

  "They called me Ozlioprock Man."

  "Do you mind if we call you Ozli?" asked Sevan who was never one for long names, or even medium length names.

  "Pleased to meet you, Ozlioprock," said Ay-ttho. "This is Sevan, Tori and Slar. My name is Ay-ttho."

  "Let's go," said Slar, who had finished dressing just in time for another blast to shake the rocket.

  Slar opened the door in the side of the rocket from where they could see the crater wall.

  "Do you see those dark patches?" Slar asked. "Those are disused mine entrances. If we can make it to one of those, we should be safe."

  "They're too far," said Sevan. "We'll never make it."

  "You had better," said Ay-ttho, as another blast shook the rocket.

  "I have an idea," said Ozli.

  Before Sevan could argue, he found himself clinging to the top of the all-terrain vehicle with the others as Ozli sped them away from the now exploding rocket towards the mine entrances while the Republic fighters fired at them from above.

  Blasts exploded all around as Ozil steered around the small craters getting closer all the time to the wall of the much larger crater. Each successive blast was getting closer as the Republic fighter pilots perfected their aim.

  They were almost at the entrance to one mine when a blast exploded behind them. The explosion had the effect of lifting the vehicle and everybody on it off the ground and throwing them forward into the entrance of the mine.

  Dazed from the blast, they lay in the dust for a moment or two before dragging themselves to their feet and dusting themselves down. Ozli's vehicle had landed on its side but was still intact. Ay-ttho helped Tori and Slar to lift it the right way up.

  "It's heavy," said Ay-ttho, suggesting that Sevan should help.

  The four of them got the vehicle the right way up just before a blast at the mine's entrance caused a rock slide, sealing them in darkness.

  Ozli's vehicle had lights, and he switched them on.

  "Now what," said Ay-ttho, looking at the pile of rubble blocking their exit.

  "These mines are all interconnected," said
Slar. "We just need to find a passage through the crater wall until we find an exit."

  "That sounds simple," said Sevan sarcastically. Tori had to restrain Ay-ttho.

  "Let's all stay calm," Slar suggested. "Ozli, you have the lights so maybe you should go first."

  Ozli set off down the tunnel, his vehicle negotiating the bumpy ground with ease. Slar followed, then Ay-ttho and Sevan with Tori being the rear guard.

  "Are we still trying to kill Barnes?" Sevan asked Tori.

  "I don't know," Tori admitted.

  "He didn't destroy the planets. Do you think Lopez is in league with Barnes?"

  "I don't know."

  "Well, what about this attack by the Republic? I thought Barnes and President Man were in league together."

  "I don't know."

  "Is there anything you do know?"

  "I know that we are stuck in a tunnel with the president's nephew and one of Lopez's associates."

  "I know, weird."

  "Why would President Man try to kill his own nephew?"

  "Maybe he didn't know he was here."

  Sevan thought about this for a moment.

  "No, that makes little sense," he said.

  "Ozli said that his father used to be the president, maybe he was next in line for the presidency and his Uncle wanted to get him out of the way," said Tori

  "That's not how a republic works. The presidency is not hereditary."

  Tori looked blank.

  "You don't get to be president just because your father was president."

  "Well, how do you get to become president then?"

  “Those who live in the Republic vote the president of the Republic into office."

  "I never voted for him."

  "Me neither."

  "What's the plan?" Tori shouted towards the front.

  "The first thing is to get out of this mine," said Ay-ttho.

  "And then what?"

  "Then we have to avoid being killed by the Republic."

  Tori knew it was not worth pursuing further.

  They followed Ozli's vehicle and on the occasions he reached a junction in the tunnel, Slar would decide which direction to take. When they rested, Sevan quizzed Slar.

  "Come clean Slar," he began. "What's the deal with you and Lopez and Barnes and why is the Republic attacking us."

  Slar sighed.

  "Barnes and Lopez both belong to the order of assassins. President Man has been hunting down members of the order for years."

  "I thought it was Barnes who was hunting the order."

  "Lies designed to keep suspicion away from the president."

  "But Lopez said..."

  "Sometimes confusion is the ideal state in which to get things done."

  "But he abandoned us in space."

  "He just needed some distance to implement his plan."

  "What plan?"

  Slar was silent.

  "Come on Slar, stop twisting our antennae. Where's Lopez now?"

  "I will take you to meet him."

  "Where?"

  "Atlas."

  "Atlas? But that planet is the president's stronghold, it's where he trains his armies."

  "Which is why it is the perfect place to attack. Barnes intends to use his new discovery to encase Atlas into one of his containment globes. We will imprison the president and his armies in their stronghold."

  "I don't understand," said Ay-ttho. "Barnes told us he destroyed the planets."

  "You must understand, Ay-ttho, that they always monitor interstellar communications. Barnes could not risk Man discovering his intentions."

  "Then how did the Republic find out about this little gathering on Nereid?"

  "I'm not sure," Slar admitted. "Maybe there is an informer."

  "What about him?" said Ay-ttho, pointing to Ozli. "He's the president's nephew."

  "I believe he is not the informant," said Slar.

  "What makes you think that?"

  "I don't think he likes his uncle," said Slar quietly.

  "Oh, great! That's your hunch is it?" Ay-ttho scoffed.

  "He came to help the order."

  "As a spy."

  Ay-ttho sighed. Sevan thought she looked like a child who had had her toy taken away.

  "So, instead of hunting Barnes you expect us to help Barnes, do you?"

  "If you would like."

  Ay-ttho looked like she wouldn't like.

  "We need not decide now," said Slar. "We just need to get out of these tunnels. Come on, let's go."

  She went over to Ozli who increased the brightness of his lights and continued down the tunnel while the others followed.

  Sevan watched Slar as she followed the vehicle. She looked uncomfortable, as if something was on her marbles, bothering her antennae.

  "The thing is," she said, turning to Ay-ttho. "I know you don't like Barnes, he can be annoying. But he is by far a lesser evil than President Man. It is Man who must be stopped. He was the one who wanted to destroy the planets, destroy everything that Barnes has created."

  "Barnes has created armies of slaves."

  "Are you slaves?"

  "We belong to the enlightened few."

  "I think Barnes felt that the secret to happiness lay in ignorance. He just wanted his creation to be happy in the work they did. He thought they would be happier if they had nothing else to envy."

  "That was true on The Doomed Planet," said Sevan. "I tried to give them the option to change and they voted for more of the same."

  "What does President Man want?" asked Ay-ttho.

  "Barnes was useful to President Man when he was creating armies and a workforce for him. But now he sees Barnes as a threat, now that Barnes has discovered how to open holes in space wherever he wants."

  "Maybe Barnes is a threat."

  "Not to us."

  "Are you sure?"

  "As sure as I'll ever be."

  Ay-ttho did not look convinced.

  "Listen," said Slar. "The real threat is President Man. We have to stop him before he gets hold of Barnes' new technology. Otherwise we really will see planets disappearing, starting with this one."

  Sevan didn't like the sound of that.

  "Do you think Man might destroy Nereid?" he asked.

  "Sure of it," said Slar.

  "But do you think he will?"

  "It's possible. This is where Barnes based his research station and the president won't want to leave Barnes the ability to create any more armies."

  "But if Barnes can open holes in space at will, then he doesn't need armies."

  "That's why President Man must not develop the ability or he would be able to just disappear anyone who opposes him. We have little time, we have to find Lopez and Barnes."

  "And get out of this tunnel first," said Ay-ttho. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

  The tunnel Ozli was following seemed to be descending into the bowels of the rock rather than leading them up and out of the mine.

  "I hope that it will lead us right through the crater wall to outside the crater rim which should be safer from the Republic."

  "And if it doesn't?"

  "Then we will have to turn back but I wouldn't advise that, maybe Republic troops have followed us here."

  "Oh, great," said Sevan. He was not convinced he could retrace his steps all the way back to the crater without collapsing. It had been a while since he had last eaten and he was feeling very irritable.

  The tunnel continued to descend for some time and then levelled out and after a while began to ascend once more.

  "Miners always dig themselves two entrances in case of an attack," Slar explained.

  The lights on Ozli's vehicle flickered.

  "My power is getting low," he said. "We'd better find some sunlight soon, otherwise I'll be stuck down here.

  For a while it looked like that would be Ozli's fate.

  "Wait. Did you feel that?"

  “Feel what?” asked Tori.

  "That breeze."

&n
bsp; The group paused, to see if they could sense the breeze too.

  "Yes, I feel it," said Tori.

  "Me too," said Ay-ttho.

  Sevan tried as hard as he could to sense the breeze but could not. He put it down to his tiredness.

  The group continued forward and, before long, Ozli spotted a dot of light up above.

  "That's it," exclaimed Slar. "That's the exit."

  After a little more climbing they emerged into what they had imagined was light. In fact, it was night on Nereid and the light illuminating the entrance of the mine was light reflecting off the enormous globe.

  In the reflected light, the land around the crater looked even more desolate than the crater itself.

  "Stay here," said Ay-ttho. "Tori and I will have a quick scout around and see if there is anywhere we can hide from the Republic until morning."

  They had barely disappeared out of sight for when a small door opened in Ozli's vehicle and a weapon emerged, pointing at Sevan and Slar.

  CHAPTER 10: MAROONED ON NEREID

  "What are you doing?" asked Sevan, feeling he was about to faint.

  "He's pointing a weapon at us," said Slar.

  "I can see that. What I mean is, why is he doing it?"

  "Why are you doing?" said Slar.

  "You have it all wrong, you and your friends," said Ozli. "I will take you to the Republic so you can see who the real enemy is."

  "So you are a spy," said Slar. "And I was defending you."

  "I am not a spy but I know that Barnes wants to replace everyone with his own genetically engineered minions."

  "Excuse me, but we are two of those minions you're talking about."

  There was a pause in which Sevan imagined Ozli was processing this information.

  "Move round there into the light," Ozli gesticulated with his weapon towards the fading beams of light in front of his vehicle.

  "I thought you hated your Uncle," said Sevan as he followed Slar into the dim beams.

  "I don't like the fact that he... married my mother, that doesn't mean I think he is wrong."

  "You will let him go around destroying planets?" asked Slar

  "I will let him dismantle Barnes' evil machine, yes. Start walking."

  Slar and Sevan started walking in the direction Ozli's dimming lights were barely illuminating while Ozli followed behind, his weapon trained on them at all times.

  "This is madness," said Sevan. "Ay-ttho and Tori are bound to find us and when they do, they'll kill you."