scottydoo
05-20-2010, 08:28 PM
John and Keith ran outside the landing bay door and rounded the corner where they came to a stop. Their breathing was the only sound John heard so he took a moment to lean up against the metallic wall. Keith followed his lead.
“Well that wasn’t part of the plan,” Keith said, sliding the empty handgun back into its holster.
“No ****,” John said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
John hadn’t expected to confront one of the alien guards when the doors of the small alien craft opened. Normally, Chim-Wau and his assistant were the ones who met them. That was what John was planning on during their long ride from the arena to the ship.
The alien guard had looked just as surprised as both Keith and John felt when the doors of the craft opened up. Before it could even draw out its weapon, Keith had drawn his handgun from its holster and emptied the entire clip into the alien’s stomach.
Surprisingly, this wasn’t enough to kill the alien. The lower ranking guard doubled over from a combination of shock and pain. On the ground it curled up into a ball, grasping its stomach and wheezing heavily.
John rushed to the side of the alien and began pulling on its body. Keith followed John’s lead and helped him drag the writhing alien inside the small craft.
Once the alien was inside the doors of the craft shut and the anti-grav generators buzzed as it lifted off and shot out of the landing bay. Once it was out of sight Keith and John bolted for the door.
“Good thinking back there though,” Keith said, patting John on the back.
“I’ve seen a lot of action movies,” John said with a forced laugh.
It was his attempt to keep the mood light. Not so much for Keith as for himself.
“Now what?” Keith asked.
The fact of the matter was that John hadn’t planned any further than the landing bay. His entire plan was based around his desire to stare the lead alien right in the eyes as he shot it dead. The surprise arrival of the guard alien added a whole other element. An element John felt that he was ill-equipped to take on.
He looked over at Keith who was staring at him. He felt the tremendous burden of now having the responsibility of keeping Keith safe. He had gotten Keith involved in this. It was John’s idea to seek revenge against unfathomable odds. He knew he had to be strong. He knew he had to be a leader.
“Well,” John said, adjusting his grip on the RPG. “We do what we planned to do.”
“I’m totally with you man, but if you haven’t noticed. We’ve never been any further on this ship than the landing bay. I have no idea which way to go.”
Keith was right. Attempting to find their intended target in one of many identical metallic hallways that surrounded them would be almost impossible, especially doing so while remaining unseen.
Then it hit him. He had been further than the landing bay. If only slightly. On the day he was recruited.
“Actually, I’ve seen the command center to this ship, well, at least I think it was the command center,” John said.
“When?”
“Over two years ago,” John said. “Back when they first started this game.”
“Do you remember your way around?”
The truth was he didn’t. He only had small fragments from his walk to the command center floating around his mind. Not enough to be able to find the room quickly. But he didn’t want Keith to know. Keith needed him to be a leader.
“I just need to retrace my steps from that day,” John said, buying himself some time to collect the fuzzy distant images in his head. He closed his eyes and forced every memory from that day to the forefront of his brain.
“There are two swirled statues,” John said, holding on to a fleeting memory. “They look kind of like DNA strands, sort of. We need to find those.”
“Okay,” Keith said, looking up and down the hallways that sat to the right and straight ahead. “Which way?”
“Straight ahead,” John said, still orchestrating the memories in his head.
The two men took off down the hallway at a slow run. John led the way with Keith close behind. Neither one said a word to the other.
***
“Where is it going Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau yelled from behind his desk as he typed code after code into the camera feeds in an attempt to find the two missing humans.
“It’s not saying sir,” Dev-Noi said, staring intently at the scrolling information on his data pad. “The retrieval pod’s AI has taken over primary control. It’s not letting me know why. The life signal aboard the pod is constantly deteriorating though. I’m thinking that it’s simply a glitch in the AI’s programming.”
“That means the humans are still in the test field,” Chim-Wau said. His large eyes moving rapidly as he scanned each camera feed.
“Shall I check the secondary landing bay camera feed sir?”
Chim-Wau shot him a questioning glare before returning his attention back to the holo-screen.
“If the retrieval pod has malfunctioned it is impossible for the humans to be aboard the vessel.”
“Of course sir,” Dev-Noi said.
After hearing about his master’s mental instability and watching him break down before him, Dev-Noi felt himself for the first time questioning his master’s decisions. Turning his back to Chim-Wau, Dev-Noi silently accessed the ship’s camera feeds from his data-pad and selected the secondary landing bay.
It was empty, just as he had hoped. However, Dev-Noi noticed a long pool of a dark liquid smeared across the metal deck. He zoomed in on the streak and almost dropped his data-pad in horror.
“Sir,” Dev-Noi said. “Blood sir. Blood in the landing bay.”
Chim-Wau’s typing stopped as he looked at Dev-Noi. “Human blood?”
“No,” Dev-Noi said, shaking. “Kri-Wa-Jing blood...sir.”
***
John and Keith sprinted in between the two swirled statues and headed down the long empty corridor. John felt his legs quicken as the memories flooded back into him. Everything started to look familiar. He knew where he was going.
“Okay,” John said as they rounded a corner to the right. “Around this next corner there is going to be a big domed room with a bunch of constellations on the ceiling. Down the hallway to the right is the command center.”
“Sounds good,” Keith said.
They turned left and entered the domed room. John took a minute to take in the images of constellations that scrolled across the domed ceiling. At the center of the room was a round table with a series of different keypads on it.
“What is this?” Keith asked.
“Navigation I think,” John said. “And that’s the command center up there.”
John pointed down the hallway to the door of the command center which, like the rest of the doors of the ship, was flush with the metallic walls.
“Do we knock,” Keith laughed.
John threw the RPG onto his shoulder.
“I don’t think we’ll have to.”
***
Chim-Wau growled in anger as he flipped through the remaining camera feeds aboard the ship.
“Where are those insufferable humans!”
“Sir, check the Navigation Room,” Dev-Noi said, watching the holo-screen. “Maybe they’re there.”
Chim-Wau smashed the keypad on his desk with his hand causing the screen to flicker off.
“You idiot Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau hissed. “There’s no way those humans could find their way on this ship.”
“I apologize sir,” Dev-Noi said. “I just thought that...”
Chim-Wau stood up from his desk and threw his robes to the side.
“That’s the problem Dev-Noi, you weren’t thinking. You allowed this to happen. You allowed those humans to roam my ship like a bunch of pests. In fact it’s your constant ineptitude that has led us to where we are now. Defamed and ruined! With the gods as my witness Dev-Noi I will make you pay for everything your stupidity has cost me!”
Chim-Wau walked to the far wall of the command center and pushed a button. A small compartment opened up which contained an assortment of weaponry. He picked up a larger semi-circular blaster and flipped a series of switches on it. The bottom of the blaster turned bright red.
“I will find those humans myself and put an end to this,” Chim-Wau said.
“Sir, please,” Dev-Noi said. “Those humans may have weapons. Let us call the guard personnel to scout the ship beforehand.”
“Enough suggestions Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau said, making his way towards the door. “The longer we wait, the longer those humans have to desecrate my ship with their stink.”
Dev-Noi sprinted for the door and pushed Chim-Wau back.
“Listen to me you fool!” Dev-Noi hissed.
Chim-Wau glared down at Dev-Noi as he leveled the weapon with his head.
“I should shoot you for your disrespect,” Chim-Wau said.
With that Chim-Wau reached for the button on the right side of the door and pressed it.
Dev-Noi didn’t have time to process everything he saw before the sharp projectile ripped through his chest, knocking him to the ground. He reached for the wound and gripped it as excruciating pain pulsed through his body. He tried to raise his head with no avail. The last thing he saw was his own hand covered in a dark blue liquid. Then his world turned dark.
***
John watched as the smaller alien’s body went limp. Chim-Wau was frozen in his spot, staring down at his fallen comrade. John braced his body and looked down the reticule of the RPG. He watched as the lead alien slowly turned towards them and looked John square in the eyes.
“I’m done playing your game *******,” he said as he squeezed the trigger.
***
Tarlan-Xi
High Priest’s Quarters - Capitol City
15th Cycle of the Age of Expansion
High Priest Mrik-Tei sat upon his ceremonial throne overlooking the small courtyard. Beyond it were the towering skyscrapers of Capitol City. Even though his private quarters were located on the 100th floor, the surrounding skyscrapers still towered over him for another twenty to thirty stories.
He marveled at the ever growing metropolis, which according to recent estimates now encompassed almost forty-seven percent of Tarlan-Xi. It was the ultimate testament to the prominence of the Kri-Wa-Jing. Of course, this was only the beginning. With the Age of Expansion barely started, the Kri-Wa-Jing would surely touch every piece of the universe. It was simply a matter of time.
“More Wyadir Wine High Priest?” Feu-Na, his personal servant, asked.
“Certainly,” Mrik-Tei said, holding out his glass.
Feu-Na filled the glass to the brim, bowed slightly and stepped back.
The entry way of the courtyard opened and Mrik-Tei’s bodyguards stepped through, escorting Trenk-Reh. They made their way past the bubbling fountain and up the stairs towards the High Priest’s throne.
“Ah, Delegate Trenk-Reh. How was your visit to Earth?” Mrik-Tei asked, raising his glass.
“Eventful, as always,” Trenk-Reh said, bowing before the High Priest.
“Did you come to a decision with regards to the situation with Chim-Wau?”
Trenk-Reh nodded as he made his way up the remaining stairs and knelt down next to Mrik-Tei’s throne.
“I have your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said. “However, I come with even more troubling news.”
Mrik-Tei took a long sip of his wine.
“What is this troubling news?”
“Well, only mere moments after I left Earth’s atmosphere, two of Chim-Wau’s test subjects made their way aboard his frigate,” Trenk-Reh said.
“Without Chim-Wau’s knowledge?”
“That’s what I have been told. It turns out the humans were executing a plan to kill him.”
Mrik-Tei swirled the remaining Wine in his glass. “Were they successful?”
“Yes your Graciousness. They killed both Chim-Wau and his second in command. They also seriously wounded a guard. Fortunately, the humans placed him into the retrieval pod so that the AI aboard could take him to the nearest Healing Facility. He will heal from his wounds after a few moons.”
“Very good,” Mrik-Tei said. “And what of these humans?”
“The remaining guard personnel placed them in holding chambers within Chim-Wau’s ship. The guards are now awaiting a decision from the High Council on whether or not to destroy them.”
Mrik-Tei coughed on his drink. “Destroy? We should be giving these humans medals!”
Trenk-Reh nodded apprehensively.
“Do you have any idea how much paper work and hassle they just saved us? My gods, I was absolutely dreading all the work of having to demote Chim-Wau yet again. What a relief.”
“My sentiments exactly your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said. “But, aren’t you afraid that this may give the other humans ideas?”
“Who is to say that anyone should ever hear about it? Keep it from the books and tell the guard personnel that any mention of this ever happening will be punishable by death.”
“What about the humans? What will stop them from trying to do it again?” Trenk-Reh asked.
“I know a great deal about these humans, Delegate. Our forefathers met them millennia ago when they worked together. We’ve watched them for years from a distance since then. Now our generation has gotten a chance to work with them again. Throughout all these years the humans still show the same desires and compassion as they did so many moons ago. Allow these humans life and their families and they will not revolt. That was Chim-Wau’s mistake. It was a mistake he had to learn the hard way. I have a feeling these humans won’t try anything again. But of course, we shall keep our eyes on them just to be sure,” Mrik-Tei said, finishing off the rest of his wine.
“You are very wise your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said, standing up.
Mrik-Tei bowed his head. “Faith and Belief lead to Ascension.”
“Faith and Belief,” Trenk-Reh repeated as he turned around and headed back down the stairs.
“Well that wasn’t part of the plan,” Keith said, sliding the empty handgun back into its holster.
“No ****,” John said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
John hadn’t expected to confront one of the alien guards when the doors of the small alien craft opened. Normally, Chim-Wau and his assistant were the ones who met them. That was what John was planning on during their long ride from the arena to the ship.
The alien guard had looked just as surprised as both Keith and John felt when the doors of the craft opened up. Before it could even draw out its weapon, Keith had drawn his handgun from its holster and emptied the entire clip into the alien’s stomach.
Surprisingly, this wasn’t enough to kill the alien. The lower ranking guard doubled over from a combination of shock and pain. On the ground it curled up into a ball, grasping its stomach and wheezing heavily.
John rushed to the side of the alien and began pulling on its body. Keith followed John’s lead and helped him drag the writhing alien inside the small craft.
Once the alien was inside the doors of the craft shut and the anti-grav generators buzzed as it lifted off and shot out of the landing bay. Once it was out of sight Keith and John bolted for the door.
“Good thinking back there though,” Keith said, patting John on the back.
“I’ve seen a lot of action movies,” John said with a forced laugh.
It was his attempt to keep the mood light. Not so much for Keith as for himself.
“Now what?” Keith asked.
The fact of the matter was that John hadn’t planned any further than the landing bay. His entire plan was based around his desire to stare the lead alien right in the eyes as he shot it dead. The surprise arrival of the guard alien added a whole other element. An element John felt that he was ill-equipped to take on.
He looked over at Keith who was staring at him. He felt the tremendous burden of now having the responsibility of keeping Keith safe. He had gotten Keith involved in this. It was John’s idea to seek revenge against unfathomable odds. He knew he had to be strong. He knew he had to be a leader.
“Well,” John said, adjusting his grip on the RPG. “We do what we planned to do.”
“I’m totally with you man, but if you haven’t noticed. We’ve never been any further on this ship than the landing bay. I have no idea which way to go.”
Keith was right. Attempting to find their intended target in one of many identical metallic hallways that surrounded them would be almost impossible, especially doing so while remaining unseen.
Then it hit him. He had been further than the landing bay. If only slightly. On the day he was recruited.
“Actually, I’ve seen the command center to this ship, well, at least I think it was the command center,” John said.
“When?”
“Over two years ago,” John said. “Back when they first started this game.”
“Do you remember your way around?”
The truth was he didn’t. He only had small fragments from his walk to the command center floating around his mind. Not enough to be able to find the room quickly. But he didn’t want Keith to know. Keith needed him to be a leader.
“I just need to retrace my steps from that day,” John said, buying himself some time to collect the fuzzy distant images in his head. He closed his eyes and forced every memory from that day to the forefront of his brain.
“There are two swirled statues,” John said, holding on to a fleeting memory. “They look kind of like DNA strands, sort of. We need to find those.”
“Okay,” Keith said, looking up and down the hallways that sat to the right and straight ahead. “Which way?”
“Straight ahead,” John said, still orchestrating the memories in his head.
The two men took off down the hallway at a slow run. John led the way with Keith close behind. Neither one said a word to the other.
***
“Where is it going Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau yelled from behind his desk as he typed code after code into the camera feeds in an attempt to find the two missing humans.
“It’s not saying sir,” Dev-Noi said, staring intently at the scrolling information on his data pad. “The retrieval pod’s AI has taken over primary control. It’s not letting me know why. The life signal aboard the pod is constantly deteriorating though. I’m thinking that it’s simply a glitch in the AI’s programming.”
“That means the humans are still in the test field,” Chim-Wau said. His large eyes moving rapidly as he scanned each camera feed.
“Shall I check the secondary landing bay camera feed sir?”
Chim-Wau shot him a questioning glare before returning his attention back to the holo-screen.
“If the retrieval pod has malfunctioned it is impossible for the humans to be aboard the vessel.”
“Of course sir,” Dev-Noi said.
After hearing about his master’s mental instability and watching him break down before him, Dev-Noi felt himself for the first time questioning his master’s decisions. Turning his back to Chim-Wau, Dev-Noi silently accessed the ship’s camera feeds from his data-pad and selected the secondary landing bay.
It was empty, just as he had hoped. However, Dev-Noi noticed a long pool of a dark liquid smeared across the metal deck. He zoomed in on the streak and almost dropped his data-pad in horror.
“Sir,” Dev-Noi said. “Blood sir. Blood in the landing bay.”
Chim-Wau’s typing stopped as he looked at Dev-Noi. “Human blood?”
“No,” Dev-Noi said, shaking. “Kri-Wa-Jing blood...sir.”
***
John and Keith sprinted in between the two swirled statues and headed down the long empty corridor. John felt his legs quicken as the memories flooded back into him. Everything started to look familiar. He knew where he was going.
“Okay,” John said as they rounded a corner to the right. “Around this next corner there is going to be a big domed room with a bunch of constellations on the ceiling. Down the hallway to the right is the command center.”
“Sounds good,” Keith said.
They turned left and entered the domed room. John took a minute to take in the images of constellations that scrolled across the domed ceiling. At the center of the room was a round table with a series of different keypads on it.
“What is this?” Keith asked.
“Navigation I think,” John said. “And that’s the command center up there.”
John pointed down the hallway to the door of the command center which, like the rest of the doors of the ship, was flush with the metallic walls.
“Do we knock,” Keith laughed.
John threw the RPG onto his shoulder.
“I don’t think we’ll have to.”
***
Chim-Wau growled in anger as he flipped through the remaining camera feeds aboard the ship.
“Where are those insufferable humans!”
“Sir, check the Navigation Room,” Dev-Noi said, watching the holo-screen. “Maybe they’re there.”
Chim-Wau smashed the keypad on his desk with his hand causing the screen to flicker off.
“You idiot Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau hissed. “There’s no way those humans could find their way on this ship.”
“I apologize sir,” Dev-Noi said. “I just thought that...”
Chim-Wau stood up from his desk and threw his robes to the side.
“That’s the problem Dev-Noi, you weren’t thinking. You allowed this to happen. You allowed those humans to roam my ship like a bunch of pests. In fact it’s your constant ineptitude that has led us to where we are now. Defamed and ruined! With the gods as my witness Dev-Noi I will make you pay for everything your stupidity has cost me!”
Chim-Wau walked to the far wall of the command center and pushed a button. A small compartment opened up which contained an assortment of weaponry. He picked up a larger semi-circular blaster and flipped a series of switches on it. The bottom of the blaster turned bright red.
“I will find those humans myself and put an end to this,” Chim-Wau said.
“Sir, please,” Dev-Noi said. “Those humans may have weapons. Let us call the guard personnel to scout the ship beforehand.”
“Enough suggestions Dev-Noi,” Chim-Wau said, making his way towards the door. “The longer we wait, the longer those humans have to desecrate my ship with their stink.”
Dev-Noi sprinted for the door and pushed Chim-Wau back.
“Listen to me you fool!” Dev-Noi hissed.
Chim-Wau glared down at Dev-Noi as he leveled the weapon with his head.
“I should shoot you for your disrespect,” Chim-Wau said.
With that Chim-Wau reached for the button on the right side of the door and pressed it.
Dev-Noi didn’t have time to process everything he saw before the sharp projectile ripped through his chest, knocking him to the ground. He reached for the wound and gripped it as excruciating pain pulsed through his body. He tried to raise his head with no avail. The last thing he saw was his own hand covered in a dark blue liquid. Then his world turned dark.
***
John watched as the smaller alien’s body went limp. Chim-Wau was frozen in his spot, staring down at his fallen comrade. John braced his body and looked down the reticule of the RPG. He watched as the lead alien slowly turned towards them and looked John square in the eyes.
“I’m done playing your game *******,” he said as he squeezed the trigger.
***
Tarlan-Xi
High Priest’s Quarters - Capitol City
15th Cycle of the Age of Expansion
High Priest Mrik-Tei sat upon his ceremonial throne overlooking the small courtyard. Beyond it were the towering skyscrapers of Capitol City. Even though his private quarters were located on the 100th floor, the surrounding skyscrapers still towered over him for another twenty to thirty stories.
He marveled at the ever growing metropolis, which according to recent estimates now encompassed almost forty-seven percent of Tarlan-Xi. It was the ultimate testament to the prominence of the Kri-Wa-Jing. Of course, this was only the beginning. With the Age of Expansion barely started, the Kri-Wa-Jing would surely touch every piece of the universe. It was simply a matter of time.
“More Wyadir Wine High Priest?” Feu-Na, his personal servant, asked.
“Certainly,” Mrik-Tei said, holding out his glass.
Feu-Na filled the glass to the brim, bowed slightly and stepped back.
The entry way of the courtyard opened and Mrik-Tei’s bodyguards stepped through, escorting Trenk-Reh. They made their way past the bubbling fountain and up the stairs towards the High Priest’s throne.
“Ah, Delegate Trenk-Reh. How was your visit to Earth?” Mrik-Tei asked, raising his glass.
“Eventful, as always,” Trenk-Reh said, bowing before the High Priest.
“Did you come to a decision with regards to the situation with Chim-Wau?”
Trenk-Reh nodded as he made his way up the remaining stairs and knelt down next to Mrik-Tei’s throne.
“I have your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said. “However, I come with even more troubling news.”
Mrik-Tei took a long sip of his wine.
“What is this troubling news?”
“Well, only mere moments after I left Earth’s atmosphere, two of Chim-Wau’s test subjects made their way aboard his frigate,” Trenk-Reh said.
“Without Chim-Wau’s knowledge?”
“That’s what I have been told. It turns out the humans were executing a plan to kill him.”
Mrik-Tei swirled the remaining Wine in his glass. “Were they successful?”
“Yes your Graciousness. They killed both Chim-Wau and his second in command. They also seriously wounded a guard. Fortunately, the humans placed him into the retrieval pod so that the AI aboard could take him to the nearest Healing Facility. He will heal from his wounds after a few moons.”
“Very good,” Mrik-Tei said. “And what of these humans?”
“The remaining guard personnel placed them in holding chambers within Chim-Wau’s ship. The guards are now awaiting a decision from the High Council on whether or not to destroy them.”
Mrik-Tei coughed on his drink. “Destroy? We should be giving these humans medals!”
Trenk-Reh nodded apprehensively.
“Do you have any idea how much paper work and hassle they just saved us? My gods, I was absolutely dreading all the work of having to demote Chim-Wau yet again. What a relief.”
“My sentiments exactly your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said. “But, aren’t you afraid that this may give the other humans ideas?”
“Who is to say that anyone should ever hear about it? Keep it from the books and tell the guard personnel that any mention of this ever happening will be punishable by death.”
“What about the humans? What will stop them from trying to do it again?” Trenk-Reh asked.
“I know a great deal about these humans, Delegate. Our forefathers met them millennia ago when they worked together. We’ve watched them for years from a distance since then. Now our generation has gotten a chance to work with them again. Throughout all these years the humans still show the same desires and compassion as they did so many moons ago. Allow these humans life and their families and they will not revolt. That was Chim-Wau’s mistake. It was a mistake he had to learn the hard way. I have a feeling these humans won’t try anything again. But of course, we shall keep our eyes on them just to be sure,” Mrik-Tei said, finishing off the rest of his wine.
“You are very wise your Graciousness,” Trenk-Reh said, standing up.
Mrik-Tei bowed his head. “Faith and Belief lead to Ascension.”
“Faith and Belief,” Trenk-Reh repeated as he turned around and headed back down the stairs.