CHAPTER FIVE
Three hours passed since their comrade left the spaceship, and they began to worry. Zarcon relieved the other two by telling them Jeff went out to do some exploring and lost track of time. He knew when he read their minds that they didn’t believe him. It just wasn’t like Jeff to just wander off; he always had a good sense of direction, especially in the jungle, where it was difficult to navigate. He always found north by the direction of the sunset and followed the opposite way back, assuming there was a sunset on this planet.
Zarcon scanned the computer screen for more information on the reptiles of the planet. The sensors picked up stronger signals from a ridge one mile away, and indicated there was increased activity from that direction. They were no longer dormant like they had been earlier, and there was a colony of a least thirty of them.
"The reptiles are getting closer,” Zarcon remarked, with a curiosity in his mind. “I still wish I knew the size of them.”
“We’ll never know by staying in here,” the annoyed Milgic snorted. “Can’t we go out and get some fresh air?”
“Jeff told us to stay in here until he returned,” Zarcon answered.
“If he isn’t back by now something must have happened to him,” Dormiton stated.
“Not necessarily,” Zarcon said, as he tried to calm the amphibians. “He may be getting us some food, or supplies.”
“Jeff doesn’t make a habit of disappearing, Zarcon,” Milgic sniped.
“Calm down everybody,” he consoled them. “I told you he might be looking for food.”
“Or maybe something is making food out of him,” Milgic suggested.
“That is very doubtful,” Zarcon explained. “Jeff knows how to take care of himself. Besides, sensors indicate reptilian and animal life forms, but nothing that could eat him. Most of the animals are probably herbivores.”
“Herbi-what?” Milgic asked, confused by the term.
“Plant eaters like us,” Dormiton explained.
“Why do some animals eat meat?” Milgic asked. “Why do they kill?”
“You shouldn’t concern yourself with that right now,” Zarcon said. “We have to think about if he doesn’t return. Tomorrow morning we will have to look for him, but as for tonight we are staying put. We don’t know what type of wildlife is really out there, and if there is something big enough to eat us out there, it is better that only one of us gets killed, instead of all of us. Jeff knows that as well as I."
“Why does it have to be Jeff?” Dormiton asked, disturbed by his choice of words. “And how can you be so cold about it?”
“Because he is our leader,” Zarcon reminded them. “And I am not being cold, just realistic! We must respect his command, even if he’s not here. He would not want us to give our lives for him, would he? He does not seem to be that type of man."
“That’s because he’s not,” Dormiton defensively cried. “He is a sensitive, warm and caring man! He would die himself before he let any harm come to us!”
“My case in point," the scholarly insect stated. “It’s settled then. In the morning, I’ll search for him. You two stay inside the ship until I return. I’ll carry a gun, and I want each of you to have one close by as well.”
“But we detest guns,” Milgic roared, and began to irritate Zarcon.
“Nevertheless,” Zarcon remarked, taking a commanding tone. “You will carry them and use them if needed starting now, is that understood? It’s about time you started defending yourselves, instead of relying on others to help you. Where would you be if Jeff never landed on your world?”
“Probably still living in caves,” Dormiton said.”
“Exactly. The Tolarions don’t believe in keeping prisoners, unless they are of use to them, and in a society such as yours, conquest would be inevitable. Jeff has proven to them that humans can be clever adversaries, and worthy of their challenge.”
“But if they catch him, won’t they kill him,” Milgic asked.
“Not necessarily. It’s not too often that they come across humans intelligent as he is. They may want to use him.”
“For what?” the angered Dormiton asked.
“Who knows? Only the Tolarion government can answer that.”
“What do we do about your people?” Milgic asked.
“There is nothing we can do but run. They are more advanced than the Tolarions, and will not give up as easily. They can detect our ship as well, which makes it hard to flee from them.”
If the Republic captured Jeff, there was nothing Zarcon could even do for him. His political power exhausted and his own people turned against him, his only hope would be to convince the council of his innocence, but first he had to be able to talk to them.
The night was long and lonely for Milgic, who monitored outside with the helm’s scanners. He heard several species of animals through the ship’s sensory devices. Nothing sounded or seemed unusual, other than their comrade not returning yet. From what he saw on the viewing screens, the world was much drier than Lingwort. The animal sounds he heard consisted of wolves, birds, and insects. Although it was dark, he did notice something close to the river. The figure was sleek and tall, much like a humanoid, and stood as a biped. He knew it couldn’t have been Jeff, due to its size, which was close to eight foot tall. As it turned towards the ship, Milgic noticed a button on the helm marked ‘landing lights.’ He pressed it, and the outside lights of the craft turned on, revealing the beast. Milgic gazed at the behemoth in fear, which was a reptilian creature of some kind.
“Zarcon!” he screamed, as the creature wailed in pain and scurried into the woods.
Zarcon woke up, and grabbed his laser gun which lay beside him.
“What is it,” he asked frantically, as he turned off the landing lights. “Why are these on? We don’t want anyone to know we’re here!”
“I’m sorry!” the frightened amphibian remarked. “Some kind of creature is outside the ship!”
“Life forms only indicate reptilian and animal life,” Zarcon stated.
“It was a creature!” he sneered as Dormiton awoke. “It was three times taller than me and green!”
Zarcon checked his scanners, revealing the reptilian life was very close to them. He consulted the computer for some answers.
“Indicate structure of reptilian life forms,” he ordered.
“Reptilian life form indicated as Vardicon, found on planets Volarius, Remot, Zebula and Zardick in this galaxy. Atomic structure similar to reptiles and humans. Internal temperatures sixty four degrees Fahrenheit. Non intelligent, nocturnal life form. Physical characteristics indicate evolutionary process is under way.”
“What evolutionary process?”
“Unable to determine at this time.”
“What is their chemical composition?”
“Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Iron, Oxygen, Magnesium, and various other elements.”
“What is their size?”
“Sensors indicate they are eight feet in height.”
“I told you I saw it,” Milgic said, pointing his left index finger at the insect.
“What do they consume,” the Belorion asked the machine.
“Sensors indicated that they survive on meat, mainly smaller animals.”
“Well that’s just great!” Milgic snapped. “They’ve probably already killed Jeff!”
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Zarcon stated. “We can’t go out there tonight, so we’ll start first thing in the morning. They cannot travel in the day, so that will work in our favor. They can’t get us in here, but just in case they do, take my laser gun.” Milgic reluctantly grabbed the weapon from his hand, as his friends returned to slumber.
When the morning arrived, he was still very much awake. Jeff still remained missing, and their time was growing short. Zarcon estimated that they only had a day to find their friend and the materials they needed to complete their jamming device, before their pursuers found out where they were.
Their immediate leader de
cided to set out by himself, just in case the Tolarions showed up before the Republic did. The two lingworts were shown how to use the weapons onboard the spacecraft to protect themselves. There were shields to protect the ship from attack, but unfortunately they wouldn’t last forever. He approached the amphibians by the door, threw on a back pack, and grabbed a laser pistol.
“Listen to me,” he said, his blue compound eyes staring at them. “If I cannot find Commander Walker, and I do not return within two hours, you must abandon the ship immediately. They’ll give up searching if no one is on the ship. There is a black button at the top of the helm panel marked ‘self destruct.’ Press it, and type in the code 623990456 and then get out of there. You will have about sixty seconds to run clear from the ship.”
“Can’t we go with you?” Milgic pleaded.
“Absolutely not!” their leader stated. “If our enemies catch up with us, we’ll need this ship to get away, and I’ll need the two of you to get it started before I get in if necessary. At least if I find Jeff we’ll have a better chance. Besides, there is nothing you can do to help but stay here.”
“Very well,” Dormiton agreed. “You are right, as always. Can we at least go swimming in the river?”
“Yes,” Zarcon said. “As long as you go no further. And only one of you at a time.”
“We won’t,” Milgic sneered. “Only one at a time. I understand.”
“And you better carry guns. Just because we’re hidden doesn’t mean we’re safe.”
“Yes, Sir,” Dormiton responded, hesitant to pick up the gun. Milgic followed his actions accordingly.
Zarcon opened the main door of the Rigil Four, and peered outside. “It appears there aren’t any enemy forces at the moment,” he said. “You are free to swim, but be careful. Remember, only one of you at a time should go in. The other should keep watch. I’ll be back in a little while.”
The insect jumped from the craft unto the sand. He found several footprints around the ship, but only one set were human. He decided that those were his friend’s, and proceeded to follow them. His two other companions watched from the ship until he was out of distance, and also jumped out.
“Shouldn’t we follow him?” the inquisitive Milgic suggested.
“You heard what he said,” Dormiton answered. “He needs somebody to watch the ship.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?” As usual, he was a little too curious for his own good.
“Why should I doubt his word?”
“He’s probably just saying that so we won’t be in his way.”
“He said to stay here, so we’re staying here!”
“All right,” Milgic snapped. “I’ll go swimming first. You keep a lookout.”
“Be careful,” Dormiton warned. “That water has a bit of a current.”
“I’ll be all right,” his companion hissed, and jumped into the river. The fury of the river started to carry Milgic away.
“I warned you!” Dormiton yelled, placing the laser in his shoulder holster. He shut the main door hatch and ran after his friend, following the embankment.
After he chased him for almost a mile, he came upon a fallen tree which was in the river. He found the frightened Milgic hanging onto it, gripping tightly.
“Stay there!” he yelled, and inched out carefully on the log. Dormiton held his hand out to him, and helped him climb up out of the embankment. “See what I told you! You should start listening before you get us both killed. Let’s get back to the ship.”
During the lingworts’ escapade with the river, Zarcon had reached the waterfall from where Jeff fell earlier. Through his compound eyes he saw the lake and the jungle below. They allowed him to see 360º, like a dragonfly, and enabled him to see many more colors than humans. This also allowed him to detect if he was being followed. He saw the damaged spaceship below, but no sign of Jeff.
He took some rope from his pack to climb down the cliff; tightened it around his waist, and anchored the grappling hook between some rocks. He estimated that the cliff was at least eighty to one hundred feet and was very steep. Below it were several points he could touch down without falling into the river. The water was very turbulent at the bottom, and Zarcon couldn’t swim at all. He carefully lowered himself, keeping his clawed feet firmly on the rocks. He used two arms to do the lowering, and two to hold onto the rocks, a task impossible for a human. There wasn’t any wind to interfere with the climb, so it went rather smoothly.
When he reached the bottom, he found some rocks to firmly walk on. He jumped to the river edge away from the waterfall. He couldn’t see the derelict spacecraft that he saw earlier, but he knew the direction it was in. The lake seemed to span for miles as he gazed out at the water. He knew that something must have happened to his friend because he was nowhere in sight and there weren’t any tracks. He didn’t want to travel too far, having left the two lingworts alone. He decided to venture towards the wreckage, and hoped it would lead him to his friend. Perhaps Jeff found the vessel and decided to investigate it, but this would not explain why he didn’t return. There was a possibility that these lizard creatures either captured or killed him, but he hoped this was not the case. He tied some vines to a tree in an “x” fashion to use as a marker, just in case he got lost.
Proceeding into the jungle, he heard several wild animals. He wasn’t scared of them, however, because on his home planet there were much more dangerous creatures stalking the jungles. His friends thought he was a native Belorion, but actually he was from Zacharas, a planet much warmer than this one. On summer days, the surface temperature reached one hundred and thirty degrees, and uninhabitable for a human. In fact, this world was actually quite cool for him.
After traveling another mile, he stopped and dropped his pack to the ground. He opened it, and took out a device about the size of a human palm. This was an electro-metal sensor or EMS for short. It was similar to a metal detector, except for the fact it could also detect electrical impulses up to twenty miles away. He turned it on, and noticed he was getting a faint signal to the north, which was the direction of the wreckage and decided to head in that direction.
He threw his pack back on and kept his laser pistol on his belt within reach, in case he was attacked. He walked in steady strides, using his two top arms to guide his way through the thick vines. The farther he traveled north, the stronger the signal became. He continued to follow the river embankment to keep from getting lost. He realized that his time was growing short, and opened communication with the Rigil Four, using a hand held radio he also brought with him.
"Zarcon to Rigil Four,” he said, without an answer. “Zarcon to Rigil Four.” After about ten seconds of silence, there was a faint transmission.
“Dormiton speaking,” his friend answered. “We had a little trouble learning how to use the radio.”
“I’m investigating the wreck of another spaceship out here. I haven’t found Jeff yet. How are things there?”
“Okay so far,” he answered. “There is no sign of our enemies yet.”
“Good,” Zarcon said. “Stay there and continue to monitor. I’ll be out of your range shortly, so give me some time, maybe about four more hours. If I’m not back by then, you know what to do. The Republic is due here anytime.”
“Yes, Sir,” the amphibian answered. “Do you think that they have captured him?”
“Not likely. I see nothing to prove that, and I’ve been traveling a good three miles so far. If I see anything, I’ll let you know. Zarcon out.”
Zarcon put away his radio and continued towards the craft. The sun was high in the sky by this time and the air became quite muggy, even for a cooler planet such as this one. He stepped on brush that was at least a foot high, which also harbored an alligator that scurried quick into the water when he approached. It startled him, but he wasn’t frightened by it. The insect turned, drew his laser to shoot, and put it away after realizing what it was.
The signal on his EMS was rather errati
c by the time he reached the wreck. He stepped out into the clearing, inspecting the damage. It wasn’t far from the water and if it was indeed a crash, they just missed a softer landing on the lake by a matter of ten feet. He examined the broken hull of the craft and tried to determine its point of origin. He wished there was a way he could tap into the computer of the Rigil Four. At least then he would have a better chance at deciding what it was and where it came from. There were hieroglyphics on it, but he was unable to decipher what they said. He never saw this type before, and it was nothing like the Republic or Tolarion symbols he had seen in the past. They were totally alien to him; he recognized the typical Republic or Tolarion symbols.
He found what was left of the main console; a fragmented piece of metal with melted buttons and a broken viewing screen. Much to his surprise, the distress signal was activated, and still working. There was no way to tell when it was activated, how long it had been going, or what message they left for the rescue party.
There were no bodies present, so he assumed that it crashed a least a year or two prior to their arrival. The metal wasn’t rusted, however, indicating that it was from a rather advanced society. They created a metal that wouldn’t burn, break, or rust under severe conditions. There were several fresh footprints around the wreckage which belonged to their reptilian visitors and other animals. He decided it was the only clue he had to find Jeff, so he followed them.
It was getting close to noon by the time he reached the halfway point around the lake. The footprints didn’t stray far from it, and indicated the creatures stayed close to the water. He only had one hour left before he needed to return, and no way of telling the others of his whereabouts. He realized that finding Jeff this way would take days, but he also knew if he approached by air, they would be in plain view and in even more danger from Riona’s men. He needed to help his other friends get out of there before Riona came regardless of what happened to his human friend.
He headed back at running speed, feeling defeated he couldn’t help as far as his friend was concerned. “Jeff could be out there,’ he thought. ‘Dying at the mercy of those creatures, or already captured by Riona or the Tolarions.’ He wished there was something else he could do.
By the time he reached the Rigil Four, his friends barricaded themselves behind the main door. It hadn’t been opened since the incident on the river. Zarcon entered and dropped his pack and laser.
“Did you find him,” Dormiton asked.
“No,” the insect sighed, who was just as disappointed as they were.
“He’s dead,” Milgic cried.
“Let’s not get worried,” Zarcon said. “We have enough to worry about. Riona will be getting here soon, and we need to be ready for him. Milgic, I want you to set up some torches outside in case our reptilian friends come back tonight. Dormiton come with me. We have to find the cobalt we came here for, and set up some traps for Riona and our friends.”
The lingworts nodded and followed their orders. Zarcon grabbed a handful of hand held explosives about the size of an orange, and headed out the main door with Dormiton. Milgic followed them and pressed the button to shut the door hatch. The insect placed the bombs in a circular pattern in the jungle surrounding the Rigil Four. The bombs could be triggered by pressure that was applied to them such as a foot stepping on them, or anyone trying to move them after they were activated.
He knew the first thing Riona would do was to try to tap into their thoughts. Zarcon had developed a tolerance for this to some degree, and could block out some of the thought transmissions, but not all of them. Minor things, such as planting explosives could be blocked out by thinking about where his friend might have gone. In their present situation, this could work to their advantage.
By the time the two planted the bombs and found the cobalt, their friend Milgic had set up and lit the torches. They found various berries and fruits to dine on for dinner. It was just before nightfall, and Zarcon told Milgic to keep the first watch. He sat at the open main door, and held his laser gun tight. He was scared, but he knew this instrument of destruction would save him.
As it grew darker, he heard the growling sounds throughout the jungle that became closer. He shouted to Zarcon, who worked on the casing to his jamming device. He jumped up, as Dormiton followed him quickly.
“They’re out there!” he stated.
“The light hurts their eyes. As long as those torches are going they won’t bother us.”
“How can you be so sure?” Milgic asked.
“Because I am,” explained Zarcon. “They appear to be afraid of the light. Stay out here with him, Dormiton, I’ve got to get the casing done. If any of those creatures attack, climb back in the ship and start shooting.”
Zarcon went back to finish his task. He melted the cobalt down, shaped it, and formed a crude casing around the wiring in the dimensional tracker device. He was just putting on the finishing touches; and all he needed to do was to test it. That would have to wait, however, until they got off the planet.
The trio found it tough to sleep, as the growling continued through most of the night. Zarcon stayed awake to monitor the scanners and keep watch. It was two days since their arrival and there was still no sign of Riona. He began to wonder if the same thing that happened to Belor happened to Riona as well. Riona seldom let his enemies get the best of him. He fought battles with Balta and the Tolarions for years and never let them get the best of him. They were clever adversaries, even by his standards, and even without his mental power. Balta and Riona were both tyrannical dictators at their best, moving from planet to planet, defying anything that got in their way. The humanoid wasn’t any different than a Tolarion; the only difference was Riona used the Republic to do his dirty work.
Zarcon wanted no part in it. He was a being of ‘true peace’ like his friend Dormiton told him earlier. Unlike his amphibian friend, however, he knew peace would not come without a fight. He summoned the computer for an explanation of what had happened to Belor. The machine responded immediately.
“Records before wormhole generation indicated Belor in tact, but no life forms indicated,” it answered.
“Explain,” stated Zarcon.
“Sensors indicated no life readings, other than microscopic life forms.”
“Did the planet emitting any radioactivity or electromagnetic impulses?”
“Affirmative, radioactivity is at extremely high level.”
Obviously, the base on Belor suffered some kind of attack. The planet was there, all right, but the dome city and force field were destroyed by an explosion, probably from the death ray itself. He hoped the ray gun was destroyed as well, but had a feeling that Riona was somehow behind this. He decided as a last alternative he would find Jeff using the ship’s computer.
“Are there any homo sapiens life forms on this planet?” he asked.
“Affirmative. Sensors indicate one homo-sapien life form located three point nine miles from this craft.”
“Is it living?”
“Affirmative. Sensors indicate breathing pattern irregular, loss of blood, structural damage in bone in lower right leg, structural damage in bone in left arm.”
It was clear to Zarcon Jeff was injured, and possibly dying and hiding. He decided in the morning they would abandon the ship and set out together to find him. If they destroyed the ship at least they could find a place to hide until Riona left. He noticed a faint reading on his scanners coming from beyond their current star system. He guessed that Riona discovered their whereabouts, and was on his way to Zebula. It would take him at least a day to reach them, which gave them little time to find their friend and escape. Zarcon had finished the jamming device in time, and he tried to get some sleep, but it wasn’t easy. He lay awake, and thought what to do about Jeff. “I shouldn’t have let him go alone,’ he thought. Then he thought that wouldn’t have mattered anyway, Jeff being as determined as he was. While pondering the situation, he heard scratching at the door. He peered out the viewing
screen, and saw the torches had gone out. This led him to believe their visitors knocked them over and were proceeding to claw their way in. He grabbed his laser gun quick as one began to pound on the door. Another beast threw his weight into it, and the lingworts awoke.
"What are we going to do,” yelled Dormiton, as a hand reached in, prying the door open at its crack.
Zarcon fired his laser at the hand, burning it severely. The creature screamed in pain as another hand reached its way through, and began to pry the door again. Zarcon fired again, hitting the creature square in the chest. “Open the main door hatch,” he yelled in haste, as the lingworts looked at him as if he was insane. Dormiton tried, but it was jammed.
“It’s jammed!” he yelled, as another creature reached in and grabbed Zarcon’s leg.
“Help me!” he yelled to his friends, who each grabbed a laser.
Dormiton fired, and hit the creature in the arm. The blast of the laser threw him clear across the ship and against the wall. Zarcon stumbled to his feet, as his leg bled from the claws which ripped into him. Another reptile threw his entire body weight against the door, denting it. Zarcon limped to the door, stuck the laser gun through the crack, and fired erratically in all different directions. They heard the screams grow louder and then three minutes later there wasn’t a sound.
“Are they gone?” Dormtion asked, as he lifted himself off the floor.
“For the moment,” Zarcon said as he examined the damage to the door. “We’ll have to stay alert, however. They probably will come back, once they’re no longer fearful of us. I can’t understand why none of the explosives worked.”
“Maybe they found them,” Milgic suggested.
“If that’s true,” Zarcon stated. “They’re capable of reason, which I don’t believe is the case. Perhaps if we were to offer them food or something they would go away.”
“You have got to be kidding!” Milgic laughed. “It’s obvious that we’re food to them.”
“They may have Jeff,” Zarcon said. “We’ve got to find some way to get him back. Are you willing to risk his life for your own?”
“No,” Milgic answered. “But we can’t make deals with savages, especially if we’re their main course!”
“We can’t attack them forever either. They’ll outnumber us and take the ship anyway,” Zarcon said. “Maybe they feel we are a threat and are defending themselves.”
“What about defending ourselves?” Dormiton asked.
“I thought you were advocators of peace?” Zarcon joked.
“Not with something as dangerous as they are!” Milgic snapped. “We have to do something!”
Zarcon laughed, putting his laser pistol back in his belt around his waist. He was pleased they finally saw his point of view.
“I agree with you. But we have to try at least. If they become violent, then we’ll defend ourselves. Agreed,” he asked. They nodded, reluctantly.
“I’ll go out and try to offer them some of the fish I caught earlier,” Zarcon told them. “Leave the main door open, so I can get back in, in case they’re hostile.”
Zarcon jumped from the ship as they pried the doors open with their hands and a laser rifle. The reptiles were still present, but had backed away from the ship about thirty feet, and didn’t even touch the fish hanging on a tree next to the ship. Zarcon could barely endure the pain in his leg as he limped towards them, and raised his arms in the air.
“I do not wish to harm you,” he said slowly. “We come in peace.”
The reptiles’ reddish eyes glowed in the darkness as they crept towards him. It was obvious they had seen a spaceship before because they were neither frightened nor bewildered by it. Zarcon couldn’t determine whether they could understand him or not, for they didn’t answer him
“Have you seen our friend?” he asked. “The human?”
They continued to creep towards him, leading him to believe they had no intention of communicating. He backed up towards the ship and gripped his laser tight. They followed his every movement until he ran towards the door, and several of them attacked him with lightning speed.
Zarcon felt the claws upon him as he fell, dropping his laser to the ground. One grabbed his injured leg and sank its fangs into it, as another bit his top left arm. He found it difficult to escape, even with four arms as the searing pain grew unbearable. Dormiton hit the landing light control which quickly scared them off. He ran out to help their injured friend, with his comrade, Milgic close behind.
“Are you all right?” Milgic yelled, as he bent over Zarcon.
“Not really!” he snapped, trying to block the pain from his mind, finding it extremely difficult.
“What can we do?” Milgic asked.
“There is something,” their insect friend gasped. “I must transfer my pain to one of you to heal myself. You'll only be in pain temporarily, and then we both will be okay.”
He touched Dormiton’s head with his gently squeezed right upper claw and began a form of mind transference with the amphibian. Milgic watched as the insect transferred his pain to the lingwort, and his wounds gradually disappeared. Dormiton screamed as he felt every bit of agony his friend went through. When the wounds were gone, the pain subsided as well.
“Are you okay,” Milgic asked them both.
“I’m all right,” Dormiton answered.
“We’ll both be just fine,” Zarcon answered, and lifted himself from the sand, feeling drained. “The wounds have disappeared and the pain is gone.”
“How?” Milgic questioned.
“By thought transference,” he explained. “I used my mind to eliminate the pain. The pain was transferred to Dormiton until I could heal my own wounds. When they healed, there was no longer any pain.”
“That’s incredible!” Milgic said, as they climbed back in the ship. “Has Riona ever used his power like that?”
“No, as far as I know he never had this ability. Only our kind does.” They closed the main door behind them, and then helped Zarcon sit down at the helm.
“You were right,” he admitted. “It appears that they do not wish to communicate.”
“Do you think they’ve got Jeff?” Milgic asked.
“Well, they haven’t eaten him yet according to the ship’s life readings sensors. In the morning we’ll get him and get out of here.”
“The morning may be too late,” Dormiton pleaded.
“We can’t attack them at night,” Zarcon explained. “They have the advantage. We’ll have to wait until morning, and once we find their den or nest, we can attack them by air. According to our sensors, that would be approximately three miles from here.”
“Won’t we kill Jeff if we do that?” Milgic asked.
“Not if we get him out first. Dormiton will be in charge of that. You and I will need to operate the ship. Right now, we need to get some rest.”
“What about those things out there?” Milgic screeched.
“As much as I hate to do it, we’ll have to leave the landing lights on,” Zarcon said. "I will repair the door first thing in the morning.”
Zarcon was uncertain if these creatures slept at all, but he knew bright lights bothered them. f they slept in the daytime, there was at least a chance of saving their friend from impending doom.
The next day, the glare of the black spacecraft was bright as the sun rose above the canyon on Zebula. The inhabitants jumped through the crack of the door and eyed the area for any left over visitors. Dormiton ran to the water to get a drink and felt the current of the water, careful not to make the same mistake his friend Milgic made a day earlier. Milgic followed Dormiton cautiously.
“Enjoy, my friends,” Zarcon said, realizing this may be their last swim. He reached inside the craft, pulled out a long, three inch wide plastic tube, and placed it into the water. This was to collect their drinking supply, carried in a tank inside the hull of the ship, which also was part of the shielding system that protected them from gamma rays and radiation. He turned on the
pump which circulated the water, and turned towards the damaged door.
Crawling back inside, he searched for a welding device to repair the metal. He noticed the sensors were picking up a number of alien vessels, which were no more than three hours away. He knew that if they wanted to escape, they would have to do it soon-Jeff or no Jeff.
“After I’m done with this door, we’re getting out of here!” he yelled to his two friends, and jumped back in the ship.
“What about Jeff?” Dormiton asked, running towards him. He knew that neither of them were going to like what he had to say.
“I’m afraid we don’t have enough time to save him,” he explained. “Riona will be here in less than three hours. We have to get out of here before he gets a link on our minds.”
“Can’t we escape to the far side of the island?” Milgic asked, as he began to panic.
“He’ll find us,’ Zarcon answered. “If we remain here, we will die.”
“Isn’t there anywhere that’s safe?” Dormiton asked.
“There is only one place in the universe that’s safe,” Zarcon stated.
“Where is that?” Milgic asked.
“At the council chambers on Sentros. He cannot harm us there,” Zarcon said.
“Why not?” Milgic asked.
“Because his powers are ineffective there. The council is Republic headquarters.”
“I thought you said he is the leader of the Republic?” Dormiton questioned.
“He is,” Zarcon said, as he repaired the main door. “But he doesn’t control them. There are powers in the universe even stronger than his.”
“Then I suppose that is our next stop?” Milgic asked, his green eyes fixed on the insect. “After we search for Jeff again, right?”
“No,” Zarcon insisted. “We have to distract Riona so he doesn’t know we’re leaving.”
“How?” Milgic asked.
“By creating a small diversion. We’ll use that wrecked spaceship as a decoy. I don’t want either one of you to think about Jeff. I want you to concentrate on fear, as if we are crashing. Maybe we can trick him into believing we crashed. By the time he gets here, we’ll be gone.”
“What guarantee do we have that he doesn’t already know what we’re planning?” Milgic asked in a sarcastic manner.
“He cannot read minds at this range,” Zarcon answered.
“That’s a relief,” Milgic sighed.
“But he will be able to as he reaches orbit, so be prepared,” Zarcon commanded.
He finished welding the replacement metal on the door and fixed the circuitry, opened and closed the doors for a test, then ordered them to get on board. After two hours of making sure all systems were running normally, and after putting away the water tubing, they prepared to lift off. The sensors indicated the Republic ships were at the edge of that particular solar system, and they decided to make their move immediately.
Zarcon’s scheme would hopefully distract his enemy. They were going to fire the weapons on the area where the spacecraft was, creating an explosion big enough so it would show up on their sensors, and escape just before they landed to investigate. Riona didn’t know that Zarcon created a special jamming device, making him invisible to even their scanners.
Zarcon fired the propulsion rockets, which lifted them off the ground, and burned the plants and rocks below them. The lingworts peered out of the viewing screen, the ship slowly rising above the canyon, leaving what they hoped would be a new home. They couldn’t help but feel remorse and shame for leaving Jeff behind.
Zarcon also felt this way, but he knew they had to leave, if the rest of their crew were to survive. It was one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make; he just hoped Jeff would stay out of their enemies’ hands. Zarcon knew Jeff was the only thing Riona could lock onto and would use him to get to the rest of them. He became more neurotic the more he thought about it. He began to sense the presence of the adversarial tyrant who approached closer to Zebula.
The Rigil Four passed over the lake, and Zarcon instructed the computer to fire the lasers. They struck the clearing where the ship was with pin-point accuracy. ‘It seemed a shame to destroy these precious artifacts,’ Zarcon thought. The wreckage was obviously from a much superior race than either Belor or Tolaria. He wished for more time to study this strange, mysterious race. He fired the booster rockets, and they headed through the atmosphere towards space.
“Goodbye Jeff Walker,” he said, while the lingworts wept. “We’ll miss you, my friend.” He checked his scanners, making sure Riona was still out of range, and then turned to his two friends.
“I’ll need your help,” he said. “Dormiton, activate the dimensional transporter and jamming device. We’re going to head back to our universe.”
The lingwort walked over to the panel. “Which button is it,” he asked.
“It should be marked,” their commander said. “There is a red button and a green button; press them both.” He followed his orders, and the solar flare appeared again and created another wormhole. They traveled through it and found themselves back in their own universe within seconds, and dizzy as ever.
“Plot a course for Sentros, star sector 891101,” Zarcon said, as the computer reacted to his command. He then turned to his friends. “We still may have to hijack another ship.”
“Why?” Dormiton asked. “We’ve escaped for the moment. And we’ve left our best friend there!”
“That moment won’t last for long,” Zarcon stated. “Riona already has a death warrant out on me, and when he finds out we’ve escaped him again, he won’t be so easy on us!”
“What about Jeff?” Milgic insisted.
“His fate is out of our hands now,” Zarcon said.
“He wouldn’t leave you here!” Milgic sniped.
“I’m afraid that isn’t true,” Zarcon replied. “He’s courageous, but he’s not stupid.”
“I still think you’re wrong!” Dormiton snapped.
“Look, Guys. I don’t like this anymore than you do, but if we did rescue him, we would put all of our lives at risk. Do you want that?” They shook their heads, bowing them. “All right then. Besides, Jeff would have wanted us to finish our mission. Instead of sulking, you should be helping me come up with a plan. We can’t just coast into Sentros in an enemy ship unannounced. The Republic will destroy us!”
“What do you suggest we do then?” Milgic asked.
“We send a distress signal,” Zarcon replied.
“A distress signal?” Dormiton asked.
“Yes,” the scholarly insect stated. “Even if it’s a Tolarion ship, they’ll investigate it.”
“Then what,” Milgic asked.
“Then we’ll try to explain our situation. The council is bound to help.”
“And if they don’t,” Dormiton questioned.
“Then we won’t be any worse off than we already are.”
“At least now we’re alive and free,” Milgic sneered.
“We’ll never be free as long as Riona is after us. If the council can’t help us, no one can.”
Fear and doubt overcame the small crew, as the Tolarion ship traveled through the endless region of space. The doubt of ever reaching home again and fear of what became of their friend plagued their minds. Zarcon couldn’t help but feel defeated in the task of rescuing his friends from a certain death. He tried to deal peacefully with his leader, but he knew now that he was beyond reasoning and had slipped towards madness. He also knew he would stop at nothing to seek his revenge against them, even defy the council-if he hadn’t already.