The lift door opened and a rush of air entered into the
Rellopila.
James held the pistol in front of him and peered out, his heart pounding. He shivered, feeling the coldness of space on his face, and a wisp of vapour formed when he exhaled.
The light from his pistol illuminated a long narrow corridor. The only other light was from a sparking control panel on the right wall in the distance. It lit up the outline of a closed blast door at the far end of the corridor. Cables were dangling from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows as they swung with the motion of the ship, which creaked and groaned. The air was full of a strong smell of burning plastic.
James walked slowly from the lift. The buzz of the micnorit nuronic drone behind him almost made him jump and his heart quickened.
Kalrea?
James thought instinctively, but there was no response.
I don’t like this.
He walked nervously along the corridor, occasionally glancing back towards the lift, crouching and pushing aside the cables to reach the blast door. He looked down at the drone, which had already connected to a computer access panel, to the left-hand side of the door.
James was just about to wipe the condensation from a small window in the door, when a sharp mechanical click startled him. The door very quickly retracted to the right. Cold air rushed passed him.
James shut his eyes for a second.
‘Shit! Whose side are you on?’ he said, shivering and looking down at the drone.
He edged through the door and looked quickly around, waving the pistol from side to side. He was now in a stairwell, which was slowly filling with smoke rising from the decks below. Suddenly, Kira ran by him.
‘What the— Kira! Come back.’ James said, his voice echoing around the stairwell.
He looked up the first flight of stairs.
I’m on level twenty-four; section thirty-two
, he thought.
‘Kira!’
Where the hell did you come from!
James headed slowly up the stairwell towards level twenty-six, where he noticed some emergency light through the windows of two of the blast doors. He moved to the nearest and looked quickly through the window, before the drone could have time to open it. There, just inside the room, were floating a severed arm and the bloated bodies of over fifteen people. Spheres of blood drifted slowly in the void. One impacted on the window just in front of him.
James felt a lump in his throat. He turned away and leant against the wall trying to restrain himself from vomiting.
No… What a… way to die
.
He vomited over the floor.
James composed himself, before walking over to the other blast door, which was the entrance to a corridor. This time he stood back while the drone accessed the door mechanism. It opened.
At the end of the long dimly lit corridor there was another closed blast door. A third way along the corridor, he heard a male voice coming from a side room.
James slowly moved towards the voice, holding the pistol with both hands. He arrived at an open door from where the voice was coming and peered nervously through it. He was aware of Kira now walking alongside him. He saw Antaio standing in front of Londuo, who was sitting on the floor against the far wall.
As soon as Londuo saw him she shouted.
‘James, it’s a trap. Get—’
Antaio struck her in the face. She slumped to one side, unconscious.
‘You bastard!’ James shouted, his adrenaline pumping.
He raised the pistol and pointed it at Antaio.
I’m going to kill you,
he thought.
Kira growled at Antaio.
‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ Antaio said calmly, turning slowly towards him, whilst pointing a laser pistol at Londuo.
James stood, shaking, He was sure Antaio could hear his heart pounding.
Shit! Please don’t kill Londuo!
‘Well?’ Antaio said. ‘Fire and she dies.’
James lowered his weapon.
‘Place it on the table to your left… Slowly!’ Antaio ordered.
James moved cautiously over to it and rested the laser pistol in the centre of the table.
‘Good! Now move back,’ Antaio said.
As soon as James was far enough away from the table, Antaio fired a single shot at the pistol. It glowed red for a second and dissolved away. He then pointed his pistol at James. Antaio smiled smugly and then he fired in the direction of the door. James glanced back to see the micnorit nuronic drone glowing before disappearing.
Londuo was now regaining consciousness.
James noticed Antaio had an earpiece in his right ear and was speaking to someone. He heard him clearly saying, ‘target secured,’ and he was sure he was referring to himself.
Londuo moaned, ‘James!’
Antaio struck her again.
Suddenly Kira sprinted towards Antaio, growling as she ran. She jumped towards him, claws drawn. Antaio turned and kicked out, striking her. She went flying across the floor, colliding with the table. She lay motionless.
At the same moment, James tried to move toward Antaio, but he froze when Antaio pointed his pistol at him.
‘I’ll kill you,’ Antaio said. ‘One more step and I’ll kill you.’
James looked down at Londuo. Her head moved. He looked at Antaio, who gestured with the pistol for James to approach her, but as he moved toward Londuo, Antaio suddenly stopped him.
‘Now, that’s not very hospitable of you, James. Take out the other pistol… And don’t say “what pistol?”’
James bent down.
This is not going well.
He glanced over to Kira.
Kira’s not moving.
‘Wait! Do it slowly,’ Antaio ordered. ‘Keep your hand where I can see it.’
James nervously pulled the pistol from its holder.
Do I try to kill him? No that’s a stupid idea. He’ll kill you in a blink of an eye.
James felt no longer in control of the situation.
‘That’s far enough… Drop it.’
James released the pistol and stood up.
He may still kill me.
James had never felt so frightened. Suddenly, Antaio gripped the trigger of his pistol firmly. James could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.
Shit, don’t kill me, please!
Antaio smiled smugly at James, before waving his pistol again to invite James to move towards Londuo.
He didn’t kill me.
James walked quickly over to her.
James felt some relief, but fearfully looked to Antaio, who was now picking up James’ pistol.
‘You… should not have come, James,’ Londuo said.
‘What has he done to you? Let me see your face,’ James said.
He ripped a sleeve from his uniform and knelt alongside her.
Blood was smeared on her forehead, and the right side of her face was grazed. He wiped it gently with the torn piece of material.
Kalrea was right. Why didn’t I listen to Kalrea? You idiot!
‘Ah!’ Londuo cried out.
She rested her head against the wall.
‘I can’t leave you five minutes, can I, before you’re in some sort of trouble?’ James said, trying to smile.
Londuo embraced him. She held him tight, her head on his shoulders.
James. A Treitan carrier and four cruisers have appeared on the scanners. It’s time to go,
Kalrea’s voice said in James’ head.
I wish we could
, James thought, knowing that Kalrea couldn’t hear him.
‘James, everyone’s dead,’ Londuo said sadly. ‘They captured me, to get to you. They want the
Aurora
.’
‘That’s enough!’ Antaio said. ‘No more talking!’
He pointed the laser pistol at them.
Suddenly in the doorway appeared two Treitans. They slithered into the room. One was carrying a laser rifle, the other some electronic restraints. They spoke to Antaio in a high pitched squeal.
James?
Kalrea said.
I can’t defend myself whilst I’m attached to the Rellopila. They’re almost in firing range.
‘Take off that Tele… thing,’ Antaio said, pointing the pistol at the telementor on James’ wrist. ‘Throw it here!’
James undid the telementor and threw it across the floor. The nearest Treitan picked it up with one of its tentacles.
‘Why, Antaio?’ James said. ‘Why you?’
‘Destroying our base was a big mistake,’ Antaio said. ‘We were tolerant of the occasional annoyance your race posed to us but then the
Aurora
came along… as it did in the beginning. Now all your ships have been destroyed, and what’s left of your race will be hunted down.’
He smiled smugly.
‘We had our doubts that you’d bring the
Aurora
to us… But thanks to your love for this other creature the ship’s now ours.’
Antaio turned away.
‘Antaio, you’re one of us,’ James said. ‘They’ve changed you. Can’t you fight it?’
‘It’s no good, James,’ Londuo said. ‘He’ll never be the Antaio I once knew.’
The Treitan spoke to Antaio once more, before handing him the telementor. Antaio fastened it on his wrist.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t kill you. Now the Treitans want to convert you.’ Antaio said and walked out from the room.
‘James, I’m not afraid anymore now that you’re here with me,’ Londuo said.
‘We’re not captive, yet. There’s still hope.’
He half smiled at Londuo and thought,
what the hell do I do now?
James rose to his feet and placed the sleeve he had ripped from his uniform, in his pocket. Within his pocket he felt a glass vial.
What’s that? Wait, I have the astoflorinic gas Milonri gave me! He told me it attacks the Treitans’ nervous system. I don’t have much, but maybe I could use it as a weapon.
He helped Londuo to her feet.
‘Can you run?’ James whispered to her, before thinking,
it’s got to work!
‘Er… Yes I think so,’ Londuo said. ‘Why?’
‘You’ll see.’
The Treitans moved closer.
James pulled the vial of astoflorinic gas from his pocket.
‘I bet you don’t know what this is,’ he said to the Treitans, before throwing it onto the floor in front of them.
‘Now, Londuo!’ James said.
He moved quickly to the side but hit one of the chairs in the room. He fell to the floor.
There was a deafening squeal from the Treitans. Londuo grabbed James’ arm and pulled him away from their flailing tentacles.
‘What about Kira?’ Londuo said suddenly.
‘I’ll get her. Go!’
James quickly picked up Kira in his arms. He entered the corridor, just behind Londuo.
‘That way,’ James said, indicating the stairwell.
Londuo looked around. A Treitan appeared at the door, with laser rifle raised.
‘Get down!’ Londuo shouted and then pushed James to the floor.
Kira fell from his arms.
The rifle fired for a few seconds, spraying the wall. Hot ashes showered them. Then, there was silence, followed by a loud thud.
Londuo looked back.
‘I think it’s dead,’ she said.
James was patting off the hot burning ashes from his trousers.
‘I’m not going to hang around to see; we must get back to the
Aurora
.’
He picked up Kira.
By the time they descended the staircase, Antaio had already disappeared into the pojin lift of the
Aurora
.
‘He’ll get control of Kalrea,’ Londuo said.
‘No he won’t… Come on.’
The lift had arrived again. They rushed into it.
‘Londuo, whatever happens, keep close to me,’ James said.
The door opened into the bridge.
‘Kalrea!’ he shouted.
‘INTRUDER ALERT,’ echoed around the room.
Suddenly Antaio appeared from behind the seatra.
‘I don’t know how you got away from my friends, but there’s nowhere to run now, James.’
Londuo grabbed the top of James’ arm and looked back at the open lift door.
‘Close the door, Kalrea,’ Antaio said, before calmly walking over.
The door closed slowly.
‘There’s a carrier and four of our cruisers waiting for me. This ship—’
Antaio stopped. He listened for a moment.
‘Ship secured. Disengage from the
Rellopila
,’ Antaio said.
With a loud bang the
Aurora
moved slowly away.
The red eye in the ceiling of the bridge started to glow.