The tractor returned to the clearing made by the landing of the ship.
All looked clam and peaceful. A few of the light birds where fluttering around the view port in the crew common area.
Raven noticed something wrong however. “Where’s Khan? He should be guarding the crew lift”.
“Oh relax he’s probably just taking a comfort break”. Arun wasn’t worried at all, but to this appeared to be a matter for grave concern. “Kargh” He called out the window. Arun brought the tractor to a halt. Kargh was already off the back of it and heading quickly towards the lift.
“Bring the lift down, quickly”. Raven hissed. Arun sighed, he still didn’t see what the problem was, but he activated his remote control for the lift. Raven was all the time checking all around looking for a source for his concern. Arun stepped outside.
Kargh guestered for him to stay back, behind the tractor. Oh that’s nice, at least Raven is slightly concerned for my welfare, Arun thought, but then he knew Raven wanted him live, so he could face Association ‘justice’. Arun knew what orders meant to the Pavians, so he complied, for Karghs sake, not for Ravens.
The lift reached ground level, Kargh boarded and the lift ascended. He very carefully checked the airlock before entering. After he did, Arun summoned the lift again and headed towards it. “No wait for the all clear from Kargh first”. Raven called after him, trying to be quiet as well as shouting. Arun shook his head and walked on.
By the time Arun had reached the lift, Raven was behind him. “And you said you weren’t going to leave anyone alone here”. He muttered under his breath.
“For you, I’ll make and exception”. They both boarded the lift and once again it returned to the ship.
The corridor to to the common area looked normal, no sign of anything out of the ordinary, but no sign of any crew. Now Arun did start to worry. He would have expected Annalaver to be here at least, when she wasn’t in jump space, she really didn’t do much at all. Sleeping and dozing where large parts of her routine.
“Okay” Arun whispered to him self. Raven, behind him drew his pistol. “You should be ready as well” Raven whispered from behind. “I didn’t bring a gun” Arun said normally.
He headed on to the bridge. Kargh was there, he had just finished his check of the area. He reacted to the return of Raven and Arun, but Raven nodded to him and he moved no. There was no one else on the bridge.
“Now that’s not right”.
“Now you start worrying? If this is a trap we would be in it by now”. Raven told him.
“Just as well it’s not then”. Arun picked up his gun as they passed his room and headed up to he engineering decks.
It was then they both heard the voices. They where shouted and strained sounding. Arun ran up the last of the narrow stairs, heading for the workshop level, Raven and Kargh followed closely.
“…no further”. Savanna was shouting at one of the troopers. The trooper, Arun thought it must have been Kargh had his rifle readied and aimed at Savanna. She had a small pistol aimed at his head.
“Report” Raven ordred.
“The alien female will no let me pass”. Karghs, raspy, hissing voice was muffled slightly by the helmet.
“Okay Savanna what’s going on?” Arun asked.
“Oh, right your back. A bit of a situation in the engine room, looks like one of the Association people was trying to sabotage the drives. Kerson told me to keep his back clear, so that’s what I’m doing”.
“We would…” Raven started. Arun cut him off. “Alright then. You can lower you weapon now, thank Savanna”. Arun asked her.
She hesitated. “But…”
“Kargh here is not going to shoot you. Are you?” Arun asked Kargh directly, he then glanced back to Raven. “Is he?”
“Stand down” Raven ordered. Kargh lowered his rifle and Savanna lowered her pistol.
“Good. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in the engine room then”.
Savanna followed him. “Good to see you ready to fight” Arun said in a low voice to her. “But you’ve got to chose your battles. That weapon wouldn’t have done a thing to him in that armour and I don’t think Luca would be very pleased if I let anything happen to you. But good job anyway”. Savanna had never been with others of her kind, she had the fire in her blood from them, but she hadn’t been through the rigours and training that the warriors of her people had.
The engine room was a large space filled with large blocks of machinery, which meant there was not a lot of space left in it for anything else. The stairway leading up from the workshops opened out between the two huge masses of machinery that where the Annic Nova’s jump drives.
By the stairs pushed up against the drives them selves was Seaton. Standing in front of him with his pistol drawn and trained alternately on him and Khan was Kerrson. Khan had his rifle aimed squarely at Kerrson’s head. Micheals stood well back from this little group and looked more than a little lost as to what to do.
“What’s going on here”. Arun asked loudly. Khan flinched ever so slightly and Kerrson’s gun witched as well.
“Weapons down everybody now!” Arun shouted. Kerrson’s eyes flicked towards Arun. “Now I said”.
“Our Assoiciation partners first I think”. Kerrson said very deliberately.
“No now and I mean everyone”. Arun looked at Raven. For a moment it looked like he might be thinking of not doing this, but to Arun’s relife, he ordered Khan to stand down. When Khan lowered hi gun, so did Kerrson.
“Good, that’s a start”. Arun put his pistol down on the ground. “Right lets put all weapons down on the ground now. We are all allies here no need for weapons any more”.
Raven nodded and Kragh and Khan compiled. Kerrson was the last to do, but it put his pistol down on the ground as well.
Arun sighed. “Good so what is going on here Kerrson”.
“Sabotage”. Kerrson replied coldly.
“I wasn’t going to sabotage the drives, why would I do that?” Seaton spluttered. “I want to get back home as much as all of us do”.
“So why would you be in the engine room looking at the drives, without asking me, with none of the crew with you and with a trooper for your escort?” Kerrson asked.
“Good questions, particularly the bit about not asking. I thought I’d made it clear that you where only allowed in the crew quarters and common area unescorted”. Arun fixed Seaton with a hard stare.
Seaton did look nervous, was it possible that he was working with the Association in a capacity beyond a Regan expert? Arun wondered. It didn’t make sense, there was no way all of this could have been planned.
“I..I was arid you might say no and I had to confirm my suspicion that you had a set of Regan jump drives on board”. He stammered.
“And Khan why did he come along?” Arun asked.
“I didn’t want him to, he just followed me and I wasn’t going to make a fuss about that since I knew I wouldn’t have long and didn’t want make a noise”. Seaton was looked red a flushed now. Did that mean the same thing in Fabian biology? Arun decided it probably did looking at his body language.
“He had to” Raven said from Behind Arun. “I ordered him to protect a valuable Association asset”.
Arun nodded. That made sense, it was what the book said should be done and a Parvian would follow orders like that to it’s death, particually one trained by the Association. “And you Micheals”. The big man jumped as Arun turned suddenly to face him.
“I just hear the noise and when to investigate”.
Arun nodded very slowly. “Okay all seems reasonable. Don’t you think”. Arun clearly addressed the question to Kerrson.
Kerrson was not happy about this, it was clear but he did nod. “Good. You may inspect our drive system, but you will need to be escorted at all times and I think we can say that any threats lay outside the ship and our best defences, i.e Khan and Kargh here, would be best deployed in that direction”. Arun looked at Raven.
“Very well”. He nodded.
“Okay good, lets break this up then. Kerrson I’ll stay with Seaton up here, you and Micheals, need to start loading the tractor up with the collapsable tanks.
When the others left, Raven stayed. Arun guessed he would. Seaton returned to inspecting the graceful metal shapes of the drive. The two drive unit’s where unlike all the rest of the heavy equipment in the room, things like the power plant and gravity generator, they where bulky and blocky. Clearly they where designed to do a job and that was it. It didn’t matter what they looked like. Regan jump drives however, where works art, the external metal parts where all highly polished, it lines where beautifully curved and the pipes and cables where are neat arranged in groups. There a large number of crystal parts as well, these where all faceted like gemstones. Not only did it look good, but it was far more efficient and powerful than a human design of the same size.
It was an marvel in brass, quartz and steel.
“How did you manage to get hold on one of these?” Raven asked.
“Oh that’s a long story and it’s one that you will never get to hear. And no there isn’t another one where I got this”.
Arun knew this drive was a powerful card in his own hand. He hadn’t planed to play it just yet, but didn’t have a lot of choice now. It ensured Raven had to use the Annic Nova to escape the nebula. They only had one pilot and two ships. The captain of the ship was used to escape would have a big advantage in the power struggle that was going to happen when they got out of the nebula. A working Regan drive was a prize far to big for Raven to ignore. Arun wondered if it was big enough that the Association wouldn’t worry about Raven not getting him.
Raven would be plotting and scheming now. He needed to get control of the ship, Arun knew that and was, he hoped, ready for anything Raven might come up with. But even still Arun needed to keep him busy, keep his mind from coming up with any such plans.
Seaton took his time inspecting the drive. Arun almost trusted the man, he knew he trusted Sung and hoped that she knew her partner well enough. Even still he was not going to leave him alone with the drive.
The loading of the tractor didn’t take long and Arun wan’t going to let Raven lead the water collecting, so Arun had to leave Savanna watching Seaton work. He wanted to take Adams with them again, that would give Raven would have to keep him in line and that would keep him occupied, but with the heavy lifting work that was to come, moving the full tanks, they where going to need the muscle that Micheals seemed to have in abundance.
Things where getting complicated with who Arun wanted to take and leave, he was getting to the point where he thought it would be worth moving the ship, now that the complex was a secure as they could make it. He would move the ship when the tanks where ready for collection, he decided.
Before leaving again Arun checked up on Annalaver, she was as he had expected her to be sleeping. Good, he thought, if the journey back is anything like the one here, she will need all the rest she can get.
With the white dwarf star now way above the horizon the forest was now dimly lit in a faint white light. The effect was to make the place look almost ghostly, only the edges of the trees and there leaves caught the light, the rest of them was hidden in a inky darkness.
There where a few of the light birds that had seen before but not so many now and they seemed to be more wary of the tractor. Arun wondered why, maybe it was that the predators of this world where mainly creatures of the day?
While driving long in the tracks the tractor had produced before, Arun did see some a few shapes made of light in the distance. Probably other animals. It did seem to be a universal thing on this strange world that anything which was alive produced light in some way. Maybe this was where the legends of the Lord’s of Light started?
It had taken just under 2 hours to make it back to the pyramid this time. Arun and the rest of the party entered the main chamber at the heart of the pyramid on it’s lowest level. They where all carrying the collapsable tanks.
Arun’s heart skipped a beet when he saw there was no one there. “Hello” A voice called down from above. It was Sung. She was on one of the galleries with Luca. It wasn’t the gallery they had explored before.
“You been doing some more exploring, despite what I said”. Arun looked at both of them. Luca shrugged. That simple gesture was enough to tell Arun what had happened. Sung had insisted and used her femininity to get Luca to agree. Even Luca, who was in a good steady relationship with Savanna wasn’t immune to that it seemed.
“Yes and we have made some pretty important discoveries. Can you come up and see?” She called back down to him.
Arun looked at the others, he should really help bring in the rest of the tanks, pipes and pumps, but he did want to see what she had found. In fact he just wanted to talk to her again. Arun knew that if he went, Raven would come. There was no way he was going to give up and potential advantage to Arun.
“Okay, how do I get there?”
“The lay of this place is totally symetrical around the middle”.
Arun nodded. That told him all he needed to know.
A few minutes later, he and Raven arrived on the gallery with Sung and Luca.
“So what have you got”. Arun asked.
“Quite a bit actually. Each one of these galleries controls a separate function. The one we first discovered seems to control the power source of this place. This one…” Which was diagonally opposite. “…seems to be some sort of sensor system, maybe. The over there…” Sung pointed to the next one to left. “…well we haven’t been able to figure that one out just yet. And the final one, is the most interesting. It seemed to have lots of controls relating to geometry and depth. I couldn’t figure it out really, then Luca suggested they might be…”
“The jump gate”. Arun suddenly realised. Sung nodded, smiling broadly. “Yes, this seems to be the controls for the gate. We can trigger it from here, probably”.
“Probably?” Arun asked.
“It’s not that simple. There a quite a few symbols which I don’t know. I think this could be a very early form of Regan script, which might in fact be a common script used by all the 5 races. It has been…”
Arun held up his hand. “Okay thanks for the lecture, but can we get back to the jump gate”.
“Ah yes. Sorry got carried away”. Sung looked a little embarrassed. “There are controls we haven’t been able to identify and jump gate operation is much little jump space navigation, it needs instintic”.
Arun nodded. “So Annalaver will need to look this over”.
“Yes, also I really think Seaton needs to go over this as well. Apart from the personal reasons that his discovery will be huge for his kind, he has a deeper knowledge of the Regan technology”.
“That’s okay I’m going to bring the whole ship over hear once the water tanks are ready…”.
“What!” Raven exclaimed. “You can’t. We don’t know if it’s safe”.
Arun turned to face him. “It’s safe enough for you and me, why wouldn’t it be safe enough for the ship?”
Raven didn’t answer.
They spent the next 6 hours setting up the pumps and moving the collapsable tanks around. First half of the where bought in and filled using the pumps. This was the easy part. Then the full tanks where moved as close as they could be to the narrow corridor which lead in to the pyramid. The tanks where large and when full of water, very heavy. Luca and Micheals did most of the work moving them, but there was far to much water there from just two of them to move it all. Raven, Arun and Adams helped, but Arun knew he wasn’t in reality do much of the work, despite working harder than he had for a long time. Luca and Micheals where clearly trying to out do each other and while Micheals had a lot more obvious muscle, he was being beaten by Luca.
Then the tanks once they where in position at the entrance to the narrow entrance corridor where pumped out to the other half of the tanks out side. By the time this was half done the white dwarf star was beginning to set and night was falling. Arun now had a choice, they could leave the water here and move back the relative safety of the ship or stay here for the night. Since there body clocks where still on Kason time, which was would make the time late afternoon as they where concerned, Arun decided it was time to call a halt to the work. They all needed it, particularly Luca and Micheals. They needed proper beds to sleep on tonight.
They loaded one of the tanks on the tractor, easy since the tractor was designed to lift standard cargo containers and after a short discussion with Sung as to why they should leave now, the tractor pulled our of the complex.
The star was now low on the horizon, so was invisible to them once inside the forest.
Once again Raven had insisted on being in the cabin. Arun would have preferred someone else, but that wasn’t going to happen. Anyone could have driven, but Luca and Micehals needed a rest, Arun didn’t trust Adams and Sung…
Arun should stop thinking about Sung, he decided. She was just a member of his crew now.
As the stars light faded again the trees started there sound and light display. Tings, pings and pongs filled the air as waves soft blue and green flashes propagated through the trees.
Arun checked his timer and the navigation system, they where only 20 minutes from the ship. He figured they where close enough that they could stop for a bit and take in this wonder. Of course Raven, who had been sleeping till then, complained, Arun just ignored him.
Arun got out of the cabin. “What’s up?” Sung asked.
“Nothing. I just thought it would be nice to stop and stare at this for a while”.
Sung’s face lit up. “Wonderful idea. Can you help down please?”.
Arun did so without thinking. As he held he waist and lowered her to the ground, he felt the warmth of her body next to his own. Her waist was slim, but firm, he small breasts beirfly pushed against his chest. Her smell filled Aruns nose.
Arun realised he’d been holding on to her for a too long, she was down now. He let go, quickly stepped back and stumbled on stone. He fell backward.
Sung’s grinning face came in to view above him back lit by the flashing rings of the trees leaves. “Are you okay”.
She looked so beautiful right then to Arun. “Err…yes fine”.
She helped Arun up, Arun hoped she hadn’t noticed the Arun had held her or the fact that he was now blushing deeply. It felt like his face was burring.
They all stood and looked around as the trees flashed and pinged to each other. It was a specatualy beautiful sight, but Arun’s eyes where focused on Sung. She was as a specatualy beautiful sight too Arun thought. Her hair in the light of…
No, I can’t think like that, Arun told him self and he forced him self to look at the wonders the surrounded them.
Again in the distance he saw some glowing shapes moving on the ground. They where to far away to make out any details, but they where not, for sure the light birds. They had no seen any of those on the way back this time. Must be day time creatures, Arun decided.
In the distance a blasting horn sound rang out. One of the odd looking dome plants must have triggered. A few moments later another one sounded. They must have been way in the distance as the sound was now soft and quiet.
“That’s odd. We haven’t…” Sung started to say. Another horn blast sounded. “…heard one all day now three together?”
“Is it me, or is there another sound in the background?” Micheals asked everyone.
No one spoke for a few moment, everyone was straining there ears trying to hear something beyond the tinging of the trees.
Raven started to edge back towards the tractor.
“Yes there’s something there” Sung said at the same time as Arun said. “The sound of the trees is getting more intense”.
There was another horn blast, this time it was a different sort of sound, longer than before, but instead of ending suddenly, it faded at the end, as if the horn player had run out of breath.
Raven was already getting in to the cabin, Adams was getting in too.
“I’m getting a bad feeling about this”. Arun wishpered under his breath.
“Me too”. Luca agreed.
“Arun where are you now”. His radio suddenly burst in to life. It was Savanna.
“Not far for the ship. About 20 minutes away. What’s going on?” He replied.
“You’d better get moving now”. It was Kerrsons voice this time.
Luca was already moving, he swept Sung up in his arms and practically threw her to the waiting hands of Micheals who was already on the tractor’s back. By the time Arun was at the tractor. Luca was on board, he grabbed Arun’s offered hand and hulled him up. “Okay lets go”. Arun shouted to the cabin. The tractor lurched forward. “Carefully”. Arun shouted.
The tractor moved off again, billding speed more slowly this time.
“Okay we are inbound now, what’s the situation?” Arun asked the radio.
Before Kerrson gave him the answer, Arun had an idea of the problem. Ahead the glowing shapes that he had seen before where now much more clearly defined. There where lots of the shapes and they all seemed to be moving towards them.
“Some sort of stamped. Something has seiously spooked the local wild life and it’s not us. They are streaming by the ship…” Another horn blast cut Kerrson off. That one was much closer.
“Any idea what it is?” Arun asked.
“None. There must thousands of them, the forest is glowing with them now…Hold on”.
The animals where clear now. Most of the them where large low 4 legged things, with long snouts and a tails and long, upright standing ears. There skins looked almost hairless and a large patch of it on their back and sides glowed an constant cool blue. The weren’t big enough to upset the tractor, but would have easily knocked a man over. There where hundreds of them streaming past now. They looked like they where running in panic, but at least they avoided the tractor.
Mixed in with these where a few much larger 4 legged animals with huge heads, that had something like antlers on them. A few light birds zipped by as well countless glowing insects on the ground.
More of the strange fading blast sounds cut through the constant clanging of the trees. The blasts now ended in wet sounding puffs. It where a human horn player making those sounds, something unpleasant would be happening to him at the end. Over this came the unmistakable sound a tree crashing to the ground.
“It’s not the animals making the glow”. Kerrson shouted over the radio. It was getting very loud in the forest now and it wasn’t the rumble of the animals anymore. Most had passed them now.
“We see the glow now”. Arun shouted back. “But there aren’t many animals passing us now”. A huge worm with hundreds of legs zoomed past as Arun said this, the 3 glowing stripes on it’s back flashing red, green and blue as it ran.
“It’s what ever is making them run. I don’t know it is, but it’s big, wider than the ship and is knocking trees down”.
“Hells’ fangs! Get the ship ready for take off now. How long do we have?” Arun asked.
“No idea, I can’t even see anything, just a glow advancing through the forest. Wait…I think that is it. Yes it’s some kind of glowing mass. It’s the main bulk of it which is pushing the trees down. But there are tendrils of the glowing stuff stretching out before it. They aren’t far from the ship”.
“What!” Arun didn’t believe what he was hearing, but this was an alien world why should things be the same as any other world he’d been on?
“You’ve not got long. 5 minutes…”. Another horn blast cut Kerrson off.
The sound of trees falling was replacing the constant pings and tings from the trees in the cocophoyn of sound now.
“Get off the ground now!” Arun shouted over the radio.
“We can’t! Savanna is ready to do this”. Kerrsons voice was only just audible above the noise now.
“She’s ready and we don’t have time for her to be ready. Get the Nova of the the ground now!” More horn blasts, much closer this time, left Arun’s ears ringing.
“What about….” Arun didn’t hear the rest of what Kerrson said, the sound of more trees falling blotted that out, but Arun guessed what he asked.
“Get of the ground. You can worry about picking us when your safe. You need to be off the ground now”.
The radio fell quiet.
“What’s going on?” Sung asked. The noise was starting to fade. Arun realised this was not a good thing. This mean that most of the trees where down. The thing what ever it was had reached the clearing made by the Annic Nova it’s self. Things would get loud again when it crossed that and hit the trees again. Assuming it wasn’t after the Annic Nova.
“No idea, some sort huge…thing, just smashing it’s way through the forest. Big, wider than the ship, apparently.
“Okay we are moving…” Kerrson started to say over the radio, but this was cut off by the sound of the Nova’s engines engaging.
“What now?” Sung shouted. The tractor stopped suddenly. Raven stuck his head out of the window and shouted something, but it was lost in the wall of sound coming from the Annic Nova as she started to lift.
“Drive!” Arun shouted as he pointed towards the glow in the distance. Raven got the message and the tractor started up again.
They could now see the Annic Nova rising in the gaps of the thick canopy.
“Are you clear”. Arun shouted at the radio. “Can’t it reach you there”.
No reply came for a few moments. “No, I don’t think so. The tentacles have reached the clearing. They don’t seem to be aware of us being here. No attempts to reach up to us, but they are probably long enough to reach if they could support them selves.”
The thing, wasn’t going for the Nova, Arun thought, which meant it would probably just keep on going. Maybe this was why their was a wall around the complex and the reason for the sharp stones inside it? What ever it was they might not be at the clearing in time.
“We’re about 4 minutes from the clearing. Will there be any space left in the clearing by then do you think?”. Arun asked.
“It’s not moving fast. Probably not as fast as you can move, but I’m not sure”.
Decision time, Arun thought. He could dash for the clearing and hope it wasn’t moving fast enough to fill it all in the time 4 minutes it would take for them to get there. Alternatively he could turn and run. The only place he knew the Nova could land as the complex, but that was nearly 3 hours away. In that time could whatever it was catch up? He had no way of knowing.
“Okay, stand by to pick us up from the clearing”.
The tractor carried on towards the electric blue glow on the horizon.
“It’s huge”. Kerrsons voice came over the radio again. “It’s just a huge glowing blob of something. The tentacles are now spreading across the clearing. There are only 3 in there at the moment and they aren’t moving fast. Looks like they are feeling there way, whatever this is it can’t see”.
Arun could see the thing it’s self now. Beyond the trees there was a mountain of glow blue…stuff. It was semi transparent and Arun could see the trunks of trees inside and sticking out of it.
“What is that thing”. Arun muttered under his voice. “Slow down”. Arun shouted to Raven. The tractor continued forward at speed. “Raven slow down now”. Arun shouted again.
Sung suddenly understood as well and added her voice. “Slow, down you idiot. The trees”. Arun garbed Sung with one arm and wrapped his other around the hand rail. Luca was doing the same
The tractor burst out from the tree line. Raven could now see the problem and slammed the breaks on, but it was to late by that point. The ground under the tractors wheels turned from soft forest loam to large logs of fallen trees. The tractor hit the first one at almost a right angle. The front wheels left the ground. The rear wheels then hit the log and bounced up to. The front of the tractor pitched down violently. On the back, Sung and Arun slammed against the metal bulkhead by the weight of Micheals as his limp body was thrown forward.
Tractor continued forward, the impact had killed most of it’s speed, but it was still going fast enough to mount the next log. This one it hit at a sharp angle. The left side titled away from Sung and Arun. Micheals body slid across the flat metal of the tractor floor. Luca made a grab for him and caught his arm. Then the rear axel hit the log. The impact of this jerked Meicheals free of Luca’s grip, and he was thrown clear. The impact pushed the tractor ‘s angle past it’s tipping point. The tractor rolled over on to it’s side.
This was enough to stop it completely.
Arun and Sung fell just centimetres to the ground. Luca fell further and hit the ground with a grunt.
Arun was half laying on Sung. He got up quickly. “You okay?” Sung struggled to get up, Arun helped her.
“No, it’s okay. I’m still in one pice”. She stood up shakily.
Luca stood up to with a grunt. His left arm, the one he had grabbed Micheals with hung, loosely by his side.
“We’re still alive, get down here now”. Arun barked in to the radio.
Luca was already headed for where Micheals body had fallen.
Arun did a quick scan of the clearing, no sign of any tentacles near by, but the tractor blocked half of the clearing from view. Arun gently rested Sung against the now vertical floor of the tractor. “Rest there for a moment”. He then sc up the cabin side. As he did the door opened and a very battered looking Raven climbed out.
“Alright?” Arun asked. Raven looked dazed and had blood trickling down one side of his face. He nodded. “Adams is out cold”. Arun took a quick look over the side of the tractor. The mountain of blue was now moving in to the clearing. A thick tentacle of it was twisted around a near by trunk and was pulling it back to the main body. An other was closer still and seemed to be headed there way.
“It knows something big is here”. Arun shouted down. It must sense vibration, Arun thought. “Let’s go!”. Luca was dragging Micheals back with his one good arm. “Okay get out, I’ll push Adams out to you”. Arun told Raven. He nodded weakly.
Overhead the Nova started to move down. Raven got him self clear of the cabin and sat on it’s side. Arun lowered him self in to the cabin. It was pretty much destroyed, the tractor was not going to get out of here. Adams body lay at the bottom of the cabin. Nothing was on him, so Arun figured he could just lift him out. He would need to be careful of broken bones however.
Suddenly a loud wet slapping sound came from outside the cabin. Arun spun around to see one of the things tentacles right outside the smashed window of the tractor. It’s thick rounded shape quickly flattened and divided in to many much smaller tentacles, which started feeling there way around.
“No time to be careful”. Arun said as he heaved Adams body upward. “Raven” Arun shouted. “Raven grab him”.
But Raven wasn’t there. “Dam it, where are you Raven”.
The tentacles where spreading out across the glass, a few had found a hole and where ozing through. Adams body lifted slightly from Arun’s hands.
“Got him?” Arun asked.
“Yes”.
“Right pull”. Adams was half out of the cabin. He grunted with the movement, at least he was alive. “Come on man pull”. Arun shouted as he push the mans legs up. Adams was out of the cabin.
The damaged glass gave way under the weight of the glowing blue tentacles. They quickly started to spread out inside the cabin. Arun jumped up on to the side of a console and started to climb out. One of the tentacles found Aruns leg.
It’s touch was icy cold and stung like crazy. Arun grunted with the pain. His grip slipped and he fell backwards. More of the blue tentacles where now quickly wriggling there way towards him. Arun jumped up towards the open window. One of his hands slipped again, but he didn’t fall. The free hand scrabbled for purchase on the door frame. It was grabbed by another hand, which started to try and pull him free.
Another two tentacles found his leg. The pain shot up his leg and Arun couldn’t hold back the cry of pain. His body was half out of the cabin now and he was able to kick at the tentacles with his other foot. They where soft but still tough. As he clawed his way on to the side of the cabin his left leg was no becoming numb. Arun, while relieved at the pain fading, knew this wasn’t good, what ever it was had put some sort of poison in to him.
One of the tentacles let go. Arun was now on the cabin side with Sung standing over him. Raven lay by her side. It had been Sung that had helped him, out not Raven. The pain in his leg flared again, another tentacle had attached it’s self.
“Hold still” Sung told him as she held his shoulders down. The Nova hovered just over head, the cargo ram just a few metres from Sung’s head. “Watch out!” Arun called but Sung didn’t move. “Hold still very, still”. She hissed.
Then Arun saw why, one the both of the troopers where on the ramp, there guns aimed down. They where going to shoot the tentacles!
Arun closed his eyes and hopped that Savanna could hold the Annic Nova steady and that the troopers aim was true.
5 shots where fired in quick succession. Arun opened his eyes. This leg was still numb and the numbness was traveling up wards, but he was alive. The Annic Nova dropped down closer. Sung ducked, it was just a metre above her head now, but the cargo ramp was level with cabin and only a few centimetres away. “Get in!” Arun shouted to Sung, she looked like she was going to stay, but one of the troopers didn’t give her the choice, he grabbed her and pulled her on the ramp.
“Luca, get up here, we are leaving”. Arun shouted as he tried sat up. The troopers fired more shots at ground wards. The tentacles seemed to be converging on the ship now. There where still 3 tentacles attached to Aruns leg. He dragged his leg over the edge of the door to bush them off, one fell off.
One of the troopers jumped out and was now hauling Ravens inert body on to the ramp.
Luca’s head appeared by the side of the cabins edge. He had Micheals over his shoulder. Luca’s face was screwed up with pain. Arun helped pull Micheals up with the trooper moved Adam’s body on to the ramp.
“Dam arm” Luca cursed. He flopped out on the side of the cabin. The trooper returned and helped Luca up, the other trooper fired again. More tentacles where gathering around the cabin and starting craw up it’s side now. Arun stumbled up to his feet. The trooper helped him up with one arm while shooting with the other. He dragged Arun on to the ramp.
The ramp closed and Arun felt the ship pitch forward as it moved away from the clearing.
Arun surveyed the carnage on the loading ramp. Adams, Raven and Micheals were laying motionless on the floor. Luca at least was standing, but clearly didn’t have the use of one his arms. Arun him self couldn’t stand, he tried but the numbness in his leg was now total and it just wouldn’t move. Only Sung seemed to have survived unscathed.
Savanna was checking over the 3 unconious bodies. Kerrson stood watching. “Not our finest hour” He said as he walked over to Arun.
“You had to say something didn’t you”. Arun looked up at him. “So now your here, do something useful and get this stuff off my leg before it kills me completely. But don’t touch it”.
Kerrson bent down and glanced at Arun. “I’m not so stupid as to do that bear handed”. Using the blade of his knife he scraped away the goo. It seemed less solid now, almost like it was melting now it had been separated from the the parent…creature.
The cloth of Arun’s trousers looked like it had been burnt by the touch of the tentacle, it was blackened, stiff and crumbled away. Underneath his skin was red and blistered. Kerrson took an involentary breath in at seeing the wound.
“I can’t feel a thing. Whatever it was, injected some sort of poison, my whole leg is completely numb”.
“Right, your first then” Savanna’s voice came from behind Arun.
“Is everyone else okay?” Arun asked turning to face her. She nodded. “Mostly. Nothing I can really do for them. They will need time to recover. You I can do something for. She pulled a sringe from the medical bag she had slung over her shoulder.
“Board spectrum anti venom. Might help. Then we need to clean those wounds”.
She injected Arun in the leg. “I’ll need to get you in the stick bay”.
Luca appeared behind Arun and helped him to his feet. “Hey, your arm!” Savanna exclaimed.
“Oh it was just dislocated. I’ve reset it now”.
“But…”.
Luca grinned. “Done it lots of times before. And yes it hurts…”
Arun was up on his feet now. “But that’s nothing to a tough old nut like you” Arun said as he limped off with the help of Luca to the sick bay.
Arun awoke with a start. The ship shuddered. Something was wrong.
He looked around, disorientated for a few moments. The ship shook again and a warning buzzer sounded for a few moments. He was in the stick bay. Memories of what had happened suddenly flooded back.
The ships hull creaked a little as it settled. They had just landed, but unless something was very wrong, the impacts and shudders he had felt should not happen durning landing.
Arun swung his legs out of the bed, the wounds on them where neatly dressed and sadly the numbness was warring off. He could feel the distant stab of pain from wounds and he knew that was going to get worse, much worse shortly. The leg was however now at least responding to his commands…just.
Arun stood up. The pain in the leg surged violently and for a moment he felt very faint and sick, but this passed, the pain however did not. He looked around the room for something to use as a walking stick and found a collapsable pole which formed part of a strecther.
He hobbled towards the bridge.
“…There is nothing else in the air, it must have come from there”. Kerrson was saying angglry as Arun walked on the bridge.
He was looking at Savanna in the pilots seat. Luca was at his console and Micheals stood next to Kerrson.
Raven stood in the centre of the bridge. Didn’t take him long, to try and take charge, Arun thought.
“What just happened?” Arun asked.
“Just as we where landing, something fired on us. I…” Savanna started to say, but the Kerrson cut her off. “It was a focused charged particle beam. Fired from somewhere on the ground. It must have come from within the complex”.
“We where hit twice?” Arun asked, this wasn’t really a question, he knew they had been.
Savanna nodded. “But nothing since I landed. I don’t think they can see us now we are on the ground. Must have been using some sort of movement sensor”.
“Their is nothing in the air or even in orbit above us, it came from the same complex we have just landed in”. Kerrson said in an exasperated voice.
“What sort of damage?” Arun asked Luca, ignoring Kerrson and Savanna for the moment.
“First hit caused minor hull damage, the second did a lot more damage, seemed to be more powerful”.
“It was” Kerrson told them. “3 times more”.
Arun nodded. “But nothing since, your right it must have been some sort of motion sensor, but why now”.
“It did come from the central pyramid”. Micheals said. “I’m showing an hot spot on the surface, both in temperature and radiation. It’s position is consistent with the beam coming from there”.
Kerrson nodded. “He’s right”.
“We activated the pyramid when we entered it remember”. Sung said as she stood up from behind a console. “Or it could be that we didn’t fly here before. It doesn’t seem to be worried about us now we are not flying”.
Kerrson nodded again. “Yes. There is a direct line of sight between us and the hot spot, which is cooling rapidly now”.
“Are we still good for a the flight and jump back?” Arun asked Luca. He nodded, then added. “Probably”.
“Well the plan is unchanged then. We collect air and water, trigger the gate from here and then jump back home”.
The Annic Nova had put down on next to the wall off the complex, some distance from the central pyramid.
Arun knew it was going to be hard work moving the water tanks from the exit to the pyramid to the ship, but there was no tractor anymore and he wasn’t going to risk moving the ship closer. This still left the problem of what might happen when they tried to leave. The pyramid had shot at them on approach, maybe it would again when they left, maybe not, maybe Sung and Seaton could figure out the controls and disable the weapon.
Arun was left on the bridge with just Raven and one of his ever present troopers.
“Your not going to admit you where wrong are you?” Arun asked him.
“Wrong?” Raven frowned as if not understanding.
“To drive full speed in the clearing. That was just wrong and stupid and cost us the tractor. We where lucky, it could have cost us so much more”.
“How was it wrong. We didn’t know how much time we would have in the clearing, getting there faster had to be the right thing to do”.
“But you knew the clearing was full of the fallen trees, we both knew that”. Arun stood in close to Raven, his finger prodding him in the chest. “You where just running scared, not thinking”.
“And you would have done differently?”
“Yes, I would have gone in more slowly and…”
“…and probably would have run out of time, you saw how close that thing was, we didn’t have time to be cautious”. Raven pushed back against Arun’s finger. They where now nose to nose. “And we all made it out of there alive, which is more than I can say about your last escape fiasco”.
Arun grabbed Ravens uniform. “You had better not be talking about what I think you are”. Arun’s voice was low and sounded very dangerous.
“I…” Raven started to say in a belligerent voice.
“Children! Bloody children”. Sung shouted from the entrance to be bridge. “All men are the same. Does it matter what happened we made it out alive and I for one want to stay that way, but if you two keep on having these macho pissing contents we won’t”
They both looked at the small lady before them. Arun released Raven.
“That’s better”. Sung said as Raven walked away.
“My…” Arun started to wisper.
“Oh typical for a man, you have to have the last word”. Sung cut him off. “Well not this time, I’m having the last word and those words are shut up and get out there”. Her voice was strained and angry.
Arun held up his hands, saying nothing. Raven just walked off the bridge.
Arun wen’t to say something to Sung. “I don’t want to hear it”. She cut him off again and then stormed off the bridge.
The tractor returned to the clearing made by the landing of the ship.
All looked clam and peaceful. A few of the light birds where fluttering around the view port in the crew common area.
Raven noticed something wrong however. “Where’s Khan? He should be guarding the crew lift”.
“Oh relax he’s probably just taking a comfort break”. Arun wasn’t worried at all, but to this appeared to be a matter for grave concern. “Kargh” He called out the window. Arun brought the tractor to a halt. Kargh was already off the back of it and heading quickly towards the lift.
“Bring the lift down, quickly”. Raven hissed. Arun sighed, he still didn’t see what the problem was, but he activated his remote control for the lift. Raven was all the time checking all around looking for a source for his concern. Arun stepped outside.
Kargh guestered for him to stay back, behind the tractor. Oh that’s nice, at least Raven is slightly concerned for my welfare, Arun thought, but then he knew Raven wanted him live, so he could face Association ‘justice’. Arun knew what orders meant to the Pavians, so he complied, for Karghs sake, not for Ravens.
The lift reached ground level, Kargh boarded and the lift ascended. He very carefully checked the airlock before entering. After he did, Arun summoned the lift again and headed towards it. “No wait for the all clear from Kargh first”. Raven called after him, trying to be quiet as well as shouting. Arun shook his head and walked on.
By the time Arun had reached the lift, Raven was behind him. “And you said you weren’t going to leave anyone alone here”. He muttered under his breath.
“For you, I’ll make and exception”. They both boarded the lift and once again it returned to the ship.
The corridor to to the common area looked normal, no sign of anything out of the ordinary, but no sign of any crew. Now Arun did start to worry. He would have expected Annalaver to be here at least, when she wasn’t in jump space, she really didn’t do much at all. Sleeping and dozing where large parts of her routine.
“Okay” Arun whispered to him self. Raven, behind him drew his pistol. “You should be ready as well” Raven whispered from behind. “I didn’t bring a gun” Arun said normally.
He headed on to the bridge. Kargh was there, he had just finished his check of the area. He reacted to the return of Raven and Arun, but Raven nodded to him and he moved no. There was no one else on the bridge.
“Now that’s not right”.
“Now you start worrying? If this is a trap we would be in it by now”. Raven told him.
“Just as well it’s not then”. Arun picked up his gun as they passed his room and headed up to he engineering decks.
It was then they both heard the voices. They where shouted and strained sounding. Arun ran up the last of the narrow stairs, heading for the workshop level, Raven and Kargh followed closely.
“…no further”. Savanna was shouting at one of the troopers. The trooper, Arun thought it must have been Kargh had his rifle readied and aimed at Savanna. She had a small pistol aimed at his head.
“Report” Raven ordred.
“The alien female will no let me pass”. Karghs, raspy, hissing voice was muffled slightly by the helmet.
“Okay Savanna what’s going on?” Arun asked.
“Oh, right your back. A bit of a situation in the engine room, looks like one of the Association people was trying to sabotage the drives. Kerson told me to keep his back clear, so that’s what I’m doing”.
“We would…” Raven started. Arun cut him off. “Alright then. You can lower you weapon now, thank Savanna”. Arun asked her.
She hesitated. “But…”
“Kargh here is not going to shoot you. Are you?” Arun asked Kargh directly, he then glanced back to Raven. “Is he?”
“Stand down” Raven ordered. Kargh lowered his rifle and Savanna lowered her pistol.
“Good. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in the engine room then”.
Savanna followed him. “Good to see you ready to fight” Arun said in a low voice to her. “But you’ve got to chose your battles. That weapon wouldn’t have done a thing to him in that armour and I don’t think Luca would be very pleased if I let anything happen to you. But good job anyway”. Savanna had never been with others of her kind, she had the fire in her blood from them, but she hadn’t been through the rigours and training that the warriors of her people had.
The engine room was a large space filled with large blocks of machinery, which meant there was not a lot of space left in it for anything else. The stairway leading up from the workshops opened out between the two huge masses of machinery that where the Annic Nova’s jump drives.
By the stairs pushed up against the drives them selves was Seaton. Standing in front of him with his pistol drawn and trained alternately on him and Khan was Kerrson. Khan had his rifle aimed squarely at Kerrson’s head. Micheals stood well back from this little group and looked more than a little lost as to what to do.
“What’s going on here”. Arun asked loudly. Khan flinched ever so slightly and Kerrson’s gun witched as well.
“Weapons down everybody now!” Arun shouted. Kerrson’s eyes flicked towards Arun. “Now I said”.
“Our Assoiciation partners first I think”. Kerrson said very deliberately.
“No now and I mean everyone”. Arun looked at Raven. For a moment it looked like he might be thinking of not doing this, but to Arun’s relife, he ordered Khan to stand down. When Khan lowered hi gun, so did Kerrson.
“Good, that’s a start”. Arun put his pistol down on the ground. “Right lets put all weapons down on the ground now. We are all allies here no need for weapons any more”.
Raven nodded and Kragh and Khan compiled. Kerrson was the last to do, but it put his pistol down on the ground as well.
Arun sighed. “Good so what is going on here Kerrson”.
“Sabotage”. Kerrson replied coldly.
“I wasn’t going to sabotage the drives, why would I do that?” Seaton spluttered. “I want to get back home as much as all of us do”.
“So why would you be in the engine room looking at the drives, without asking me, with none of the crew with you and with a trooper for your escort?” Kerrson asked.
“Good questions, particularly the bit about not asking. I thought I’d made it clear that you where only allowed in the crew quarters and common area unescorted”. Arun fixed Seaton with a hard stare.
Seaton did look nervous, was it possible that he was working with the Association in a capacity beyond a Regan expert? Arun wondered. It didn’t make sense, there was no way all of this could have been planned.
“I..I was arid you might say no and I had to confirm my suspicion that you had a set of Regan jump drives on board”. He stammered.
“And Khan why did he come along?” Arun asked.
“I didn’t want him to, he just followed me and I wasn’t going to make a fuss about that since I knew I wouldn’t have long and didn’t want make a noise”. Seaton was looked red a flushed now. Did that mean the same thing in Fabian biology? Arun decided it probably did looking at his body language.
“He had to” Raven said from Behind Arun. “I ordered him to protect a valuable Association asset”.
Arun nodded. That made sense, it was what the book said should be done and a Parvian would follow orders like that to it’s death, particually one trained by the Association. “And you Micheals”. The big man jumped as Arun turned suddenly to face him.
“I just hear the noise and when to investigate”.
Arun nodded very slowly. “Okay all seems reasonable. Don’t you think”. Arun clearly addressed the question to Kerrson.
Kerrson was not happy about this, it was clear but he did nod. “Good. You may inspect our drive system, but you will need to be escorted at all times and I think we can say that any threats lay outside the ship and our best defences, i.e Khan and Kargh here, would be best deployed in that direction”. Arun looked at Raven.
“Very well”. He nodded.
“Okay good, lets break this up then. Kerrson I’ll stay with Seaton up here, you and Micheals, need to start loading the tractor up with the collapsable tanks.
When the others left, Raven stayed. Arun guessed he would. Seaton returned to inspecting the graceful metal shapes of the drive. The two drive unit’s where unlike all the rest of the heavy equipment in the room, things like the power plant and gravity generator, they where bulky and blocky. Clearly they where designed to do a job and that was it. It didn’t matter what they looked like. Regan jump drives however, where works art, the external metal parts where all highly polished, it lines where beautifully curved and the pipes and cables where are neat arranged in groups. There a large number of crystal parts as well, these where all faceted like gemstones. Not only did it look good, but it was far more efficient and powerful than a human design of the same size.
It was an marvel in brass, quartz and steel.
“How did you manage to get hold on one of these?” Raven asked.
“Oh that’s a long story and it’s one that you will never get to hear. And no there isn’t another one where I got this”.
Arun knew this drive was a powerful card in his own hand. He hadn’t planed to play it just yet, but didn’t have a lot of choice now. It ensured Raven had to use the Annic Nova to escape the nebula. They only had one pilot and two ships. The captain of the ship was used to escape would have a big advantage in the power struggle that was going to happen when they got out of the nebula. A working Regan drive was a prize far to big for Raven to ignore. Arun wondered if it was big enough that the Association wouldn’t worry about Raven not getting him.
Raven would be plotting and scheming now. He needed to get control of the ship, Arun knew that and was, he hoped, ready for anything Raven might come up with. But even still Arun needed to keep him busy, keep his mind from coming up with any such plans.
Seaton took his time inspecting the drive. Arun almost trusted the man, he knew he trusted Sung and hoped that she knew her partner well enough. Even still he was not going to leave him alone with the drive.
The loading of the tractor didn’t take long and Arun wan’t going to let Raven lead the water collecting, so Arun had to leave Savanna watching Seaton work. He wanted to take Adams with them again, that would give Raven would have to keep him in line and that would keep him occupied, but with the heavy lifting work that was to come, moving the full tanks, they where going to need the muscle that Micheals seemed to have in abundance.
Things where getting complicated with who Arun wanted to take and leave, he was getting to the point where he thought it would be worth moving the ship, now that the complex was a secure as they could make it. He would move the ship when the tanks where ready for collection, he decided.
Before leaving again Arun checked up on Annalaver, she was as he had expected her to be sleeping. Good, he thought, if the journey back is anything like the one here, she will need all the rest she can get.
With the white dwarf star now way above the horizon the forest was now dimly lit in a faint white light. The effect was to make the place look almost ghostly, only the edges of the trees and there leaves caught the light, the rest of them was hidden in a inky darkness.
There where a few of the light birds that had seen before but not so many now and they seemed to be more wary of the tractor. Arun wondered why, maybe it was that the predators of this world where mainly creatures of the day?
While driving long in the tracks the tractor had produced before, Arun did see some a few shapes made of light in the distance. Probably other animals. It did seem to be a universal thing on this strange world that anything which was alive produced light in some way. Maybe this was where the legends of the Lord’s of Light started?
It had taken just under 2 hours to make it back to the pyramid this time. Arun and the rest of the party entered the main chamber at the heart of the pyramid on it’s lowest level. They where all carrying the collapsable tanks.
Arun’s heart skipped a beet when he saw there was no one there. “Hello” A voice called down from above. It was Sung. She was on one of the galleries with Luca. It wasn’t the gallery they had explored before.
“You been doing some more exploring, despite what I said”. Arun looked at both of them. Luca shrugged. That simple gesture was enough to tell Arun what had happened. Sung had insisted and used her femininity to get Luca to agree. Even Luca, who was in a good steady relationship with Savanna wasn’t immune to that it seemed.
“Yes and we have made some pretty important discoveries. Can you come up and see?” She called back down to him.
Arun looked at the others, he should really help bring in the rest of the tanks, pipes and pumps, but he did want to see what she had found. In fact he just wanted to talk to her again. Arun knew that if he went, Raven would come. There was no way he was going to give up and potential advantage to Arun.
“Okay, how do I get there?”
“The lay of this place is totally symetrical around the middle”.
Arun nodded. That told him all he needed to know.
A few minutes later, he and Raven arrived on the gallery with Sung and Luca.
“So what have you got”. Arun asked.
“Quite a bit actually. Each one of these galleries controls a separate function. The one we first discovered seems to control the power source of this place. This one…” Which was diagonally opposite. “…seems to be some sort of sensor system, maybe. The over there…” Sung pointed to the next one to left. “…well we haven’t been able to figure that one out just yet. And the final one, is the most interesting. It seemed to have lots of controls relating to geometry and depth. I couldn’t figure it out really, then Luca suggested they might be…”
“The jump gate”. Arun suddenly realised. Sung nodded, smiling broadly. “Yes, this seems to be the controls for the gate. We can trigger it from here, probably”.
“Probably?” Arun asked.
“It’s not that simple. There a quite a few symbols which I don’t know. I think this could be a very early form of Regan script, which might in fact be a common script used by all the 5 races. It has been…”
Arun held up his hand. “Okay thanks for the lecture, but can we get back to the jump gate”.
“Ah yes. Sorry got carried away”. Sung looked a little embarrassed. “There are controls we haven’t been able to identify and jump gate operation is much little jump space navigation, it needs instintic”.
Arun nodded. “So Annalaver will need to look this over”.
“Yes, also I really think Seaton needs to go over this as well. Apart from the personal reasons that his discovery will be huge for his kind, he has a deeper knowledge of the Regan technology”.
“That’s okay I’m going to bring the whole ship over hear once the water tanks are ready…”.
“What!” Raven exclaimed. “You can’t. We don’t know if it’s safe”.
Arun turned to face him. “It’s safe enough for you and me, why wouldn’t it be safe enough for the ship?”
Raven didn’t answer.
They spent the next 6 hours setting up the pumps and moving the collapsable tanks around. First half of the where bought in and filled using the pumps. This was the easy part. Then the full tanks where moved as close as they could be to the narrow corridor which lead in to the pyramid. The tanks where large and when full of water, very heavy. Luca and Micheals did most of the work moving them, but there was far to much water there from just two of them to move it all. Raven, Arun and Adams helped, but Arun knew he wasn’t in reality do much of the work, despite working harder than he had for a long time. Luca and Micheals where clearly trying to out do each other and while Micheals had a lot more obvious muscle, he was being beaten by Luca.
Then the tanks once they where in position at the entrance to the narrow entrance corridor where pumped out to the other half of the tanks out side. By the time this was half done the white dwarf star was beginning to set and night was falling. Arun now had a choice, they could leave the water here and move back the relative safety of the ship or stay here for the night. Since there body clocks where still on Kason time, which was would make the time late afternoon as they where concerned, Arun decided it was time to call a halt to the work. They all needed it, particularly Luca and Micheals. They needed proper beds to sleep on tonight.
They loaded one of the tanks on the tractor, easy since the tractor was designed to lift standard cargo containers and after a short discussion with Sung as to why they should leave now, the tractor pulled our of the complex.
The star was now low on the horizon, so was invisible to them once inside the forest.
Once again Raven had insisted on being in the cabin. Arun would have preferred someone else, but that wasn’t going to happen. Anyone could have driven, but Luca and Micehals needed a rest, Arun didn’t trust Adams and Sung…
Arun should stop thinking about Sung, he decided. She was just a member of his crew now.
As the stars light faded again the trees started there sound and light display. Tings, pings and pongs filled the air as waves soft blue and green flashes propagated through the trees.
Arun checked his timer and the navigation system, they where only 20 minutes from the ship. He figured they where close enough that they could stop for a bit and take in this wonder. Of course Raven, who had been sleeping till then, complained, Arun just ignored him.
Arun got out of the cabin. “What’s up?” Sung asked.
“Nothing. I just thought it would be nice to stop and stare at this for a while”.
Sung’s face lit up. “Wonderful idea. Can you help down please?”.
Arun did so without thinking. As he held he waist and lowered her to the ground, he felt the warmth of her body next to his own. Her waist was slim, but firm, he small breasts beirfly pushed against his chest. Her smell filled Aruns nose.
Arun realised he’d been holding on to her for a too long, she was down now. He let go, quickly stepped back and stumbled on stone. He fell backward.
Sung’s grinning face came in to view above him back lit by the flashing rings of the trees leaves. “Are you okay”.
She looked so beautiful right then to Arun. “Err…yes fine”.
She helped Arun up, Arun hoped she hadn’t noticed the Arun had held her or the fact that he was now blushing deeply. It felt like his face was burring.
They all stood and looked around as the trees flashed and pinged to each other. It was a specatualy beautiful sight, but Arun’s eyes where focused on Sung. She was as a specatualy beautiful sight too Arun thought. Her hair in the light of…
No, I can’t think like that, Arun told him self and he forced him self to look at the wonders the surrounded them.
Again in the distance he saw some glowing shapes moving on the ground. They where to far away to make out any details, but they where not, for sure the light birds. They had no seen any of those on the way back this time. Must be day time creatures, Arun decided.
In the distance a blasting horn sound rang out. One of the odd looking dome plants must have triggered. A few moments later another one sounded. They must have been way in the distance as the sound was now soft and quiet.
“That’s odd. We haven’t…” Sung started to say. Another horn blast sounded. “…heard one all day now three together?”
“Is it me, or is there another sound in the background?” Micheals asked everyone.
No one spoke for a few moment, everyone was straining there ears trying to hear something beyond the tinging of the trees.
Raven started to edge back towards the tractor.
“Yes there’s something there” Sung said at the same time as Arun said. “The sound of the trees is getting more intense”.
There was another horn blast, this time it was a different sort of sound, longer than before, but instead of ending suddenly, it faded at the end, as if the horn player had run out of breath.
Raven was already getting in to the cabin, Adams was getting in too.
“I’m getting a bad feeling about this”. Arun wishpered under his breath.
“Me too”. Luca agreed.
“Arun where are you now”. His radio suddenly burst in to life. It was Savanna.
“Not far for the ship. About 20 minutes away. What’s going on?” He replied.
“You’d better get moving now”. It was Kerrsons voice this time.
Luca was already moving, he swept Sung up in his arms and practically threw her to the waiting hands of Micheals who was already on the tractor’s back. By the time Arun was at the tractor. Luca was on board, he grabbed Arun’s offered hand and hulled him up. “Okay lets go”. Arun shouted to the cabin. The tractor lurched forward. “Carefully”. Arun shouted.
The tractor moved off again, billding speed more slowly this time.
“Okay we are inbound now, what’s the situation?” Arun asked the radio.
Before Kerrson gave him the answer, Arun had an idea of the problem. Ahead the glowing shapes that he had seen before where now much more clearly defined. There where lots of the shapes and they all seemed to be moving towards them.
“Some sort of stamped. Something has seiously spooked the local wild life and it’s not us. They are streaming by the ship…” Another horn blast cut Kerrson off. That one was much closer.
“Any idea what it is?” Arun asked.
“None. There must thousands of them, the forest is glowing with them now…Hold on”.
The animals where clear now. Most of the them where large low 4 legged things, with long snouts and a tails and long, upright standing ears. There skins looked almost hairless and a large patch of it on their back and sides glowed an constant cool blue. The weren’t big enough to upset the tractor, but would have easily knocked a man over. There where hundreds of them streaming past now. They looked like they where running in panic, but at least they avoided the tractor.
Mixed in with these where a few much larger 4 legged animals with huge heads, that had something like antlers on them. A few light birds zipped by as well countless glowing insects on the ground.
More of the strange fading blast sounds cut through the constant clanging of the trees. The blasts now ended in wet sounding puffs. It where a human horn player making those sounds, something unpleasant would be happening to him at the end. Over this came the unmistakable sound a tree crashing to the ground.
“It’s not the animals making the glow”. Kerrson shouted over the radio. It was getting very loud in the forest now and it wasn’t the rumble of the animals anymore. Most had passed them now.
“We see the glow now”. Arun shouted back. “But there aren’t many animals passing us now”. A huge worm with hundreds of legs zoomed past as Arun said this, the 3 glowing stripes on it’s back flashing red, green and blue as it ran.
“It’s what ever is making them run. I don’t know it is, but it’s big, wider than the ship and is knocking trees down”.
“Hells’ fangs! Get the ship ready for take off now. How long do we have?” Arun asked.
“No idea, I can’t even see anything, just a glow advancing through the forest. Wait…I think that is it. Yes it’s some kind of glowing mass. It’s the main bulk of it which is pushing the trees down. But there are tendrils of the glowing stuff stretching out before it. They aren’t far from the ship”.
“What!” Arun didn’t believe what he was hearing, but this was an alien world why should things be the same as any other world he’d been on?
“You’ve not got long. 5 minutes…”. Another horn blast cut Kerrson off.
The sound of trees falling was replacing the constant pings and tings from the trees in the cocophoyn of sound now.
“Get off the ground now!” Arun shouted over the radio.
“We can’t! Savanna is ready to do this”. Kerrsons voice was only just audible above the noise now.
“She’s ready and we don’t have time for her to be ready. Get the Nova of the the ground now!” More horn blasts, much closer this time, left Arun’s ears ringing.
“What about….” Arun didn’t hear the rest of what Kerrson said, the sound of more trees falling blotted that out, but Arun guessed what he asked.
“Get of the ground. You can worry about picking us when your safe. You need to be off the ground now”.
The radio fell quiet.
“What’s going on?” Sung asked. The noise was starting to fade. Arun realised this was not a good thing. This mean that most of the trees where down. The thing what ever it was had reached the clearing made by the Annic Nova it’s self. Things would get loud again when it crossed that and hit the trees again. Assuming it wasn’t after the Annic Nova.
“No idea, some sort huge…thing, just smashing it’s way through the forest. Big, wider than the ship, apparently.
“Okay we are moving…” Kerrson started to say over the radio, but this was cut off by the sound of the Nova’s engines engaging.
“What now?” Sung shouted. The tractor stopped suddenly. Raven stuck his head out of the window and shouted something, but it was lost in the wall of sound coming from the Annic Nova as she started to lift.
“Drive!” Arun shouted as he pointed towards the glow in the distance. Raven got the message and the tractor started up again.
They could now see the Annic Nova rising in the gaps of the thick canopy.
“Are you clear”. Arun shouted at the radio. “Can’t it reach you there”.
No reply came for a few moments. “No, I don’t think so. The tentacles have reached the clearing. They don’t seem to be aware of us being here. No attempts to reach up to us, but they are probably long enough to reach if they could support them selves.”
The thing, wasn’t going for the Nova, Arun thought, which meant it would probably just keep on going. Maybe this was why their was a wall around the complex and the reason for the sharp stones inside it? What ever it was they might not be at the clearing in time.
“We’re about 4 minutes from the clearing. Will there be any space left in the clearing by then do you think?”. Arun asked.
“It’s not moving fast. Probably not as fast as you can move, but I’m not sure”.
Decision time, Arun thought. He could dash for the clearing and hope it wasn’t moving fast enough to fill it all in the time 4 minutes it would take for them to get there. Alternatively he could turn and run. The only place he knew the Nova could land as the complex, but that was nearly 3 hours away. In that time could whatever it was catch up? He had no way of knowing.
“Okay, stand by to pick us up from the clearing”.
The tractor carried on towards the electric blue glow on the horizon.
“It’s huge”. Kerrsons voice came over the radio again. “It’s just a huge glowing blob of something. The tentacles are now spreading across the clearing. There are only 3 in there at the moment and they aren’t moving fast. Looks like they are feeling there way, whatever this is it can’t see”.
Arun could see the thing it’s self now. Beyond the trees there was a mountain of glow blue…stuff. It was semi transparent and Arun could see the trunks of trees inside and sticking out of it.
“What is that thing”. Arun muttered under his voice. “Slow down”. Arun shouted to Raven. The tractor continued forward at speed. “Raven slow down now”. Arun shouted again.
Sung suddenly understood as well and added her voice. “Slow, down you idiot. The trees”. Arun garbed Sung with one arm and wrapped his other around the hand rail. Luca was doing the same
The tractor burst out from the tree line. Raven could now see the problem and slammed the breaks on, but it was to late by that point. The ground under the tractors wheels turned from soft forest loam to large logs of fallen trees. The tractor hit the first one at almost a right angle. The front wheels left the ground. The rear wheels then hit the log and bounced up to. The front of the tractor pitched down violently. On the back, Sung and Arun slammed against the metal bulkhead by the weight of Micheals as his limp body was thrown forward.
Tractor continued forward, the impact had killed most of it’s speed, but it was still going fast enough to mount the next log. This one it hit at a sharp angle. The left side titled away from Sung and Arun. Micheals body slid across the flat metal of the tractor floor. Luca made a grab for him and caught his arm. Then the rear axel hit the log. The impact of this jerked Meicheals free of Luca’s grip, and he was thrown clear. The impact pushed the tractor ‘s angle past it’s tipping point. The tractor rolled over on to it’s side.
This was enough to stop it completely.
Arun and Sung fell just centimetres to the ground. Luca fell further and hit the ground with a grunt.
Arun was half laying on Sung. He got up quickly. “You okay?” Sung struggled to get up, Arun helped her.
“No, it’s okay. I’m still in one pice”. She stood up shakily.
Luca stood up to with a grunt. His left arm, the one he had grabbed Micheals with hung, loosely by his side.
“We’re still alive, get down here now”. Arun barked in to the radio.
Luca was already headed for where Micheals body had fallen.
Arun did a quick scan of the clearing, no sign of any tentacles near by, but the tractor blocked half of the clearing from view. Arun gently rested Sung against the now vertical floor of the tractor. “Rest there for a moment”. He then sc up the cabin side. As he did the door opened and a very battered looking Raven climbed out.
“Alright?” Arun asked. Raven looked dazed and had blood trickling down one side of his face. He nodded. “Adams is out cold”. Arun took a quick look over the side of the tractor. The mountain of blue was now moving in to the clearing. A thick tentacle of it was twisted around a near by trunk and was pulling it back to the main body. An other was closer still and seemed to be headed there way.
“It knows something big is here”. Arun shouted down. It must sense vibration, Arun thought. “Let’s go!”. Luca was dragging Micheals back with his one good arm. “Okay get out, I’ll push Adams out to you”. Arun told Raven. He nodded weakly.
Overhead the Nova started to move down. Raven got him self clear of the cabin and sat on it’s side. Arun lowered him self in to the cabin. It was pretty much destroyed, the tractor was not going to get out of here. Adams body lay at the bottom of the cabin. Nothing was on him, so Arun figured he could just lift him out. He would need to be careful of broken bones however.
Suddenly a loud wet slapping sound came from outside the cabin. Arun spun around to see one of the things tentacles right outside the smashed window of the tractor. It’s thick rounded shape quickly flattened and divided in to many much smaller tentacles, which started feeling there way around.
“No time to be careful”. Arun said as he heaved Adams body upward. “Raven” Arun shouted. “Raven grab him”.
But Raven wasn’t there. “Dam it, where are you Raven”.
The tentacles where spreading out across the glass, a few had found a hole and where ozing through. Adams body lifted slightly from Arun’s hands.
“Got him?” Arun asked.
“Yes”.
“Right pull”. Adams was half out of the cabin. He grunted with the movement, at least he was alive. “Come on man pull”. Arun shouted as he push the mans legs up. Adams was out of the cabin.
The damaged glass gave way under the weight of the glowing blue tentacles. They quickly started to spread out inside the cabin. Arun jumped up on to the side of a console and started to climb out. One of the tentacles found Aruns leg.
It’s touch was icy cold and stung like crazy. Arun grunted with the pain. His grip slipped and he fell backwards. More of the blue tentacles where now quickly wriggling there way towards him. Arun jumped up towards the open window. One of his hands slipped again, but he didn’t fall. The free hand scrabbled for purchase on the door frame. It was grabbed by another hand, which started to try and pull him free.
Another two tentacles found his leg. The pain shot up his leg and Arun couldn’t hold back the cry of pain. His body was half out of the cabin now and he was able to kick at the tentacles with his other foot. They where soft but still tough. As he clawed his way on to the side of the cabin his left leg was no becoming numb. Arun, while relieved at the pain fading, knew this wasn’t good, what ever it was had put some sort of poison in to him.
One of the tentacles let go. Arun was now on the cabin side with Sung standing over him. Raven lay by her side. It had been Sung that had helped him, out not Raven. The pain in his leg flared again, another tentacle had attached it’s self.
“Hold still” Sung told him as she held his shoulders down. The Nova hovered just over head, the cargo ram just a few metres from Sung’s head. “Watch out!” Arun called but Sung didn’t move. “Hold still very, still”. She hissed.
Then Arun saw why, one the both of the troopers where on the ramp, there guns aimed down. They where going to shoot the tentacles!
Arun closed his eyes and hopped that Savanna could hold the Annic Nova steady and that the troopers aim was true.
5 shots where fired in quick succession. Arun opened his eyes. This leg was still numb and the numbness was traveling up wards, but he was alive. The Annic Nova dropped down closer. Sung ducked, it was just a metre above her head now, but the cargo ramp was level with cabin and only a few centimetres away. “Get in!” Arun shouted to Sung, she looked like she was going to stay, but one of the troopers didn’t give her the choice, he grabbed her and pulled her on the ramp.
“Luca, get up here, we are leaving”. Arun shouted as he tried sat up. The troopers fired more shots at ground wards. The tentacles seemed to be converging on the ship now. There where still 3 tentacles attached to Aruns leg. He dragged his leg over the edge of the door to bush them off, one fell off.
One of the troopers jumped out and was now hauling Ravens inert body on to the ramp.
Luca’s head appeared by the side of the cabins edge. He had Micheals over his shoulder. Luca’s face was screwed up with pain. Arun helped pull Micheals up with the trooper moved Adam’s body on to the ramp.
“Dam arm” Luca cursed. He flopped out on the side of the cabin. The trooper returned and helped Luca up, the other trooper fired again. More tentacles where gathering around the cabin and starting craw up it’s side now. Arun stumbled up to his feet. The trooper helped him up with one arm while shooting with the other. He dragged Arun on to the ramp.
The ramp closed and Arun felt the ship pitch forward as it moved away from the clearing.
Arun surveyed the carnage on the loading ramp. Adams, Raven and Micheals were laying motionless on the floor. Luca at least was standing, but clearly didn’t have the use of one his arms. Arun him self couldn’t stand, he tried but the numbness in his leg was now total and it just wouldn’t move. Only Sung seemed to have survived unscathed.
Savanna was checking over the 3 unconious bodies. Kerrson stood watching. “Not our finest hour” He said as he walked over to Arun.
“You had to say something didn’t you”. Arun looked up at him. “So now your here, do something useful and get this stuff off my leg before it kills me completely. But don’t touch it”.
Kerrson bent down and glanced at Arun. “I’m not so stupid as to do that bear handed”. Using the blade of his knife he scraped away the goo. It seemed less solid now, almost like it was melting now it had been separated from the the parent…creature.
The cloth of Arun’s trousers looked like it had been burnt by the touch of the tentacle, it was blackened, stiff and crumbled away. Underneath his skin was red and blistered. Kerrson took an involentary breath in at seeing the wound.
“I can’t feel a thing. Whatever it was, injected some sort of poison, my whole leg is completely numb”.
“Right, your first then” Savanna’s voice came from behind Arun.
“Is everyone else okay?” Arun asked turning to face her. She nodded. “Mostly. Nothing I can really do for them. They will need time to recover. You I can do something for. She pulled a sringe from the medical bag she had slung over her shoulder.
“Board spectrum anti venom. Might help. Then we need to clean those wounds”.
She injected Arun in the leg. “I’ll need to get you in the stick bay”.
Luca appeared behind Arun and helped him to his feet. “Hey, your arm!” Savanna exclaimed.
“Oh it was just dislocated. I’ve reset it now”.
“But…”.
Luca grinned. “Done it lots of times before. And yes it hurts…”
Arun was up on his feet now. “But that’s nothing to a tough old nut like you” Arun said as he limped off with the help of Luca to the sick bay.
Arun awoke with a start. The ship shuddered. Something was wrong.
He looked around, disorientated for a few moments. The ship shook again and a warning buzzer sounded for a few moments. He was in the stick bay. Memories of what had happened suddenly flooded back.
The ships hull creaked a little as it settled. They had just landed, but unless something was very wrong, the impacts and shudders he had felt should not happen durning landing.
Arun swung his legs out of the bed, the wounds on them where neatly dressed and sadly the numbness was warring off. He could feel the distant stab of pain from wounds and he knew that was going to get worse, much worse shortly. The leg was however now at least responding to his commands…just.
Arun stood up. The pain in the leg surged violently and for a moment he felt very faint and sick, but this passed, the pain however did not. He looked around the room for something to use as a walking stick and found a collapsable pole which formed part of a strecther.
He hobbled towards the bridge.
“…There is nothing else in the air, it must have come from there”. Kerrson was saying angglry as Arun walked on the bridge.
He was looking at Savanna in the pilots seat. Luca was at his console and Micheals stood next to Kerrson.
Raven stood in the centre of the bridge. Didn’t take him long, to try and take charge, Arun thought.
“What just happened?” Arun asked.
“Just as we where landing, something fired on us. I…” Savanna started to say, but the Kerrson cut her off. “It was a focused charged particle beam. Fired from somewhere on the ground. It must have come from within the complex”.
“We where hit twice?” Arun asked, this wasn’t really a question, he knew they had been.
Savanna nodded. “But nothing since I landed. I don’t think they can see us now we are on the ground. Must have been using some sort of movement sensor”.
“Their is nothing in the air or even in orbit above us, it came from the same complex we have just landed in”. Kerrson said in an exasperated voice.
“What sort of damage?” Arun asked Luca, ignoring Kerrson and Savanna for the moment.
“First hit caused minor hull damage, the second did a lot more damage, seemed to be more powerful”.
“It was” Kerrson told them. “3 times more”.
Arun nodded. “But nothing since, your right it must have been some sort of motion sensor, but why now”.
“It did come from the central pyramid”. Micheals said. “I’m showing an hot spot on the surface, both in temperature and radiation. It’s position is consistent with the beam coming from there”.
Kerrson nodded. “He’s right”.
“We activated the pyramid when we entered it remember”. Sung said as she stood up from behind a console. “Or it could be that we didn’t fly here before. It doesn’t seem to be worried about us now we are not flying”.
Kerrson nodded again. “Yes. There is a direct line of sight between us and the hot spot, which is cooling rapidly now”.
“Are we still good for a the flight and jump back?” Arun asked Luca. He nodded, then added. “Probably”.
“Well the plan is unchanged then. We collect air and water, trigger the gate from here and then jump back home”.
The Annic Nova had put down on next to the wall off the complex, some distance from the central pyramid.
Arun knew it was going to be hard work moving the water tanks from the exit to the pyramid to the ship, but there was no tractor anymore and he wasn’t going to risk moving the ship closer. This still left the problem of what might happen when they tried to leave. The pyramid had shot at them on approach, maybe it would again when they left, maybe not, maybe Sung and Seaton could figure out the controls and disable the weapon.
Arun was left on the bridge with just Raven and one of his ever present troopers.
“Your not going to admit you where wrong are you?” Arun asked him.
“Wrong?” Raven frowned as if not understanding.
“To drive full speed in the clearing. That was just wrong and stupid and cost us the tractor. We where lucky, it could have cost us so much more”.
“How was it wrong. We didn’t know how much time we would have in the clearing, getting there faster had to be the right thing to do”.
“But you knew the clearing was full of the fallen trees, we both knew that”. Arun stood in close to Raven, his finger prodding him in the chest. “You where just running scared, not thinking”.
“And you would have done differently?”
“Yes, I would have gone in more slowly and…”
“…and probably would have run out of time, you saw how close that thing was, we didn’t have time to be cautious”. Raven pushed back against Arun’s finger. They where now nose to nose. “And we all made it out of there alive, which is more than I can say about your last escape fiasco”.
Arun grabbed Ravens uniform. “You had better not be talking about what I think you are”. Arun’s voice was low and sounded very dangerous.
“I…” Raven started to say in a belligerent voice.
“Children! Bloody children”. Sung shouted from the entrance to be bridge. “All men are the same. Does it matter what happened we made it out alive and I for one want to stay that way, but if you two keep on having these macho pissing contents we won’t”
They both looked at the small lady before them. Arun released Raven.
“That’s better”. Sung said as Raven walked away.
“My…” Arun started to wisper.
“Oh typical for a man, you have to have the last word”. Sung cut him off. “Well not this time, I’m having the last word and those words are shut up and get out there”. Her voice was strained and angry.
Arun held up his hands, saying nothing. Raven just walked off the bridge.
Arun wen’t to say something to Sung. “I don’t want to hear it”. She cut him off again and then stormed off the bridge.