HAB 12 (Scrapyard Ship) (14 page)

“Kill it? Why would you kill it?” Morgan protested. “Look at it. It’s not hurting anyone.”

“Should we feed it? Maybe—give it some water?” Jason asked, reaching a hand out to the tiny dog-like creature with six legs. The creature backed away from Jason’s hand, and then tentatively moved forward, as if to sniff his fingers. Dira retrieved a water bottle from her pack and poured some into the palm of her hand, holding it out in front of the creature’s face. Again, it stepped back and then came closer. A blue tongue lapped at the water. Jason broke off a small bite-sized piece from an energy bar and held it out for the creature. It sniffed it and then licked it several times before taking a bite. Seeming to like the taste, it finished chewing and looked up.

“I think it wants more,” Morgan said smiling. “Here, give it to me, let me feed the thing.” Jason handed Morgan the rest of the energy bar and they continued to watch him feed the creature.

“We need to get moving,” Jason said, getting back on his feet. “Morgan, if you’re going to keep that thing, make sure it doesn’t get in the way of your duties. Understood?”

Morgan watched it for several more seconds before answering, “Yes, sir. I guess it can stay in my pack,” but Jason was already heading off in the direction of the team.

* * *

The transition from quadrant 2 to quadrant 3 was dramatic. The jagged rocky landscape first changed to deep red soil, then to lush green grasslands atop gently rolling hills. Separated by the volcanic gorge, it was as if they’d entered a different world. Jason wondered if Serapins were among the wildlife. Perhaps this was a gentler, kinder type of environment. One could only hope. Jason heard the familiar melodic tone in his ear; he was being hailed via his NanoCom.

“Go for Captain,” Jason said. “XO, I wasn’t entirely sure we’d still have comms this far in.”

“Captain, we have a situation—”

That was all that Jason heard before the transmission dropped. He tried several times to reestablish contact, but had no success.
Something’s not right
, Jason thought to himself. Hopefully, Perkins would be able to handle the situation on his own. Jason had been testing the comms link every few miles up to this point. But now, not having communications with
The Lilly
had other implications. Undoubtedly he’d need to talk to Glenn—
who exactly were they meeting at the portal? Had he arranged for a ship?
This was far more serious than simply a lack of communications; this put the whole mission at stake.

Jason looked for Ricket. “I’ve lost comms with
The Lilly
. Any way you can boost the signal, or something that will open a channel again?”

Ricket listened, then appeared to be testing the comms himself. “Communications with
The Lilly
will be impossible this far into the habitat.”

“This is important, you can’t do anything?”

“Sorry, Captain, no.”

Irritated, Jason was about to push Ricket to try harder.

“Cap,” Billy said, diverting his attention. At that moment, all hopes of quadrant 3 being a kinder, more peaceful environment were squashed. The ground began to rumble and each member of the assault team turned this way and that to see what was happening. Traveler, easily the tallest in the group, pointed a meaty finger toward the distant horizon. Jason adjusted his HUD’s zoom optics. What he and the others were looking at defied comprehension.

There were two chariots, each drawn by a bright blue Serapin. Side by side, the chariots were racing across the plains and headed in their direction. As they drew closer, it soon became apparent who held the reins of each chariot: small Craing warriors clad in leather battle garments. Secured at the rear of each chariot, a long a spear reached into the air. Billy and Jason ordered the group into defensive positions simultaneously. The remaining three rhino warriors moved to the front of the group. Jason and the SEALs took up positions in a semi-circle behind them. Both Ricket and Dira kept back and stayed low to the ground.

“They’ve changed directions, Cap,” Billy yelled. It soon became apparent the charging Craing chariots were heading away from three other chariots in fast pursuit. Those other chariots, each drawn by two Serapins, were configured differently. Wider in size and carrying two Craing warriors instead of one, the figures wore black capes which fluttered in the wind behind them.

“What the hell!” Billy said. “Since when did the Craing grow a spine? And what are they doing here?”

“Something tells me they aren’t the same Craing we’re used to,” Jason replied.

“HAB 12, in all probability, is not experiencing the same time frame as the one we currently exist in. We could be viewing a period of time in their ancient past—even thousands of years ago,” Ricket interjected from the back of the group.

“I didn’t think this habitat was large enough to support that kind of civilization,” Dira said.

“When the Caldurians created these habitats, whatever or whoever was present within the confines of this specific area would have been duplicated—or, better put, their alternate dimensional counterparts would be represented here also,” Ricket replied.

“They appear to be all male warriors. Certainly they would have died off fairly quickly,” Jason interjected.

“Yes, an interesting observation. Obviously, we aren’t seeing the entirety of the habitat’s inhabitants.” Ricket was quiet a moment while he looked off toward the chariots speeding across the plains. “My sensors indicate that somewhere out there beyond the plains there are close to one thousand Craing life forms—males, females and young offspring.”

Excited yells and cheers rolled across the open planes as the black-caped Craing closed in on their slower counterparts. Jason shook his head, amazed. The speeds of the Serapin-drawn chariots were easily double, perhaps even triple the speeds of what Earth’s Egyptian horse-drawn chariots would have been capable of many centuries earlier. The pursuing warriors had the obvious advantage—not only having multiple fighters, but also a second Craing in their chariots who was able to throw spears—which evidently was now their intent. With arms pulled back, poised to throw, they moved in closer. Looking behind now almost as much as looking forward, the fleeing Craing warriors began to weave their single-driven chariots back and forth. But when each of the three black-caped Craing let their spears fly, their aim was true. Two spears entered the back of one, and a single spear pierced the back of the other. Both fell dead to the ground. Their chariots continued on for a while, then slowed, then came to a stop. The three pursuing chariots pulled alongside the two dead Craing. Two Craing stepped off their chariots. They were speaking to each other. They both unsheathed what looked to be a small sword.

“Are they going to do what I think they’re going to do?” Billy asked.

No one answered. There was no need to. In the distance, the two black-caped Craing warriors raised their swords over their heads and swung their weapons down in an arc across the exposed necks of the two dead Craing. Heads rolled free and were quickly fetched up and thrown into their empty chariots. The warriors walked over to the fidgety, unmanned teams of Serapins and brought them around and in close to the others. All the Serapins seemed to be getting agitated. One stood up and nearly upended the chariot behind it. The headless Craing bodies were deposited at the Serapin’s feet. In a flurry, jaws ripped and tore at the bodies, devouring everything in a matter of seconds.

“I could have gone all day without seeing that,” Billy said to no one in particular.

“Captain, the portal indicator just became active,” Rizzo said.

“I see it. Thirty miles away—straight ahead into quadrant 4,” Jason replied.

Ricket took several steps forward, watching as the black-caped victors in their chariots disappeared over the horizon. “Accessing that portal may be more difficult than we had anticipated.”

Chapter 17

By the time Perkins had warned Dak of the trap and to get off the freighter, it was already too late. Craing security hover drones, hundreds of them, seemed to appear out of nowhere. Helmet cams showed what came next. An ambush. Bright plasma bolts targeted the team members quickly and efficiently. In less than five seconds, Dak, along with five SEALs, was dead. Perkins sat mesmerized.

“XO, our hull’s been breeched; we’ve been boarded, sir!” Grimes shouted, now working both tactical and comms.

“Damage?” Perkins asked.

“Um … Actually, none, sir,” Grimes said, confused. “And the AI continues to be unresponsive.”

“Get a security team—”

“Sir, those SEALs—they were our security team.”

* * *

Mollie recognized the sound of the general quarters’ klaxon. She also knew exactly what she was supposed to do. Before that, she needed to get to her mother.

"Lilly, what's going on?" Mollie asked aloud as she headed down Deck 4’s corridor toward their cabin. "Hello? Lilly? Are you there?" Mollie yelled above the sound of the alarm.

Nan rushed from their cabin, still zipping up her jumpsuit. "Mollie, what's going on?"

"I don’t know. But Dad told me what to do if ever I heard that sound."

“What?”

“Hide.”

Nan grabbed Mollie’s hand and together they headed for the DeckPort.

* * *

They wore old and battered combat suits, which only covered their torsos and upper thighs. Tattoos covered thick, muscular arms. They moved with purpose. Their energy weapons held at the ready. Bristol raised his hand in a gesture to let them know he was one of
them
. He counted forty raiders in all as they continued forward, away from the two breeched areas. Moments later, the missing sections returned. One of the raiders, the largest, stood before Bristol.

“Good work, little brother. I knew you could pull this off. Now take me to the bridge.”

Bristol was unprepared for his brother’s abruptness. Where was the gratitude? If anything, he should be asking for permission to come aboard
his
ship.

“I don’t have all day. Lead on, Seaman Bristol,” his brother said smirking.

Bristol moved to the front of the group and led them to the closest DeckPort. Bristol entered first. The pirate captain hesitated and then followed. One by one, they reemerged on Deck 4. Captain Stalls stopped in his tracks. Nan and Mollie stood before him. Stalls made a gesture and twenty of his men continued on toward the bridge. He ran his fingers through his long, black, somewhat messy hair.

“Please excuse the commotion,” he said in an accented voice. He was smiling and obviously taken with Nan. “I am Captain Stalls.”

“You’re a pirate?”

“That I am.”

“What are you going to do with us?”

“We have no interest in hurting you. It’s the ship we want.”

Realization was dawning on Bristol. Obviously he’d been misled. His brother never had intended to hand over the ship to him. He’d been naïve.
How could I have been so stupid?
Bristol continued watching the enamored pirate captain speak to the woman. All of the men seemed to be transfixed by her.
Seriously?
He’d seen this before. More than a few of the men onboard
The Lilly
had a major hard-on for that one. Bristol’s own sexual orientation was no secret—simply put, he played for the other team. But he wasn’t blind; she was striking. He just didn’t care.

Nan was smiling, engaging Stalls as well as some of the others.
They’re not buying this, are they?
That’s when Bristol noticed Mollie was no longer standing at her mother’s side. She had slowly slid her way back down the bulkhead. Before anyone noticed, she was sprinting toward the DeckPort.

“Run, Mollie!” Nan screamed in the distance.

“I’ll get her,” Bristol said, rushing after her. He had no idea what deck she was headed for, so he took a guess and used his nano-configured devices to take him to Deck 2.

* * *

Halfway down the corridor, Mollie heard him yell after her.

“Wait. Please. I’m not going to hurt you.” She ran fast, but every time she looked back, the tall, solemn-looking man in a battle suit had further closed in on her. Halfway down Deck 2’s corridor, she knew she wasn’t going to make it all the way to the Zoo. He was too fast. She wished Lilly could help her—
why won’t you help me, Lilly?

“
Hey, I’m not going to hurt you, kid. Just stop running. Truth is, they’re after me too.”

Mollie yelled back, “You’re trying to trick me. I’m not dumb enough to fall for that. Go away!” She had a stitch in her side and she was spent. Half walking and half running, she turned to face the man behind her. “My daddy will hurt you if you come near me. You know who he is, don’t you?”

“Of course I do, and I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you. But I need to hide too. I’ve, um, made a big mistake.”

Mollie had given up running and was stopped several paces in front of her pursuer. “You were going to steal my dad’s ship and give it to that bunch of pirates.”

As Bristol moved closer, Mollie stepped back, keeping her distance. He smiled down at her. “I need your help. It’s Mollie, isn’t it?”

They circled around, now both facing in the opposite direction they had been in. Jack, broom in hand, emerged from the Zoo. Once behind Bristol he swung, Mickey Mantle style, striking the back of Bristol’s head. The broom handle snapped in half and Bristol fell unconscious to the deck.

“This way, hurry,” Jack said, grabbing Mollie’s hand and heading back toward the Zoo.

“Did you kill him?” Mollie asked.

“I don’t think we were that lucky. He’ll definitely have a bad headache, though.”

Mollie looked back over her shoulder. Bristol was defiantly still alive. “Jack, he’s moving. He’s getting up.”

Jack went directly to the access panel for HAB 4. Several keystrokes, and the portal window opened. Jack took Mollie’s hand again and they stepped into the habitat.

“He’s coming, Jack. Close it!” Jack hesitated, then scurried over to the inside panel and started to enter the code again.