Here to There Part 10

With the help of the medical staff, the wounded had been taken indoors when trouble arrived.  Corporal Straugh and Private Jacobs stood in the road and waited while the Corporate issued buggies rolled to a stop.  Heavily armed Colonial Security forces piled out of the vehicles.  Both of the soldiers groaned when the Chief of Security, their one time prisoner, joined them.

The Chief approached them, flanked by several of his men, and addressed Corporal Straugh, "I remember you.  From our first meeting." He leered at them in open contempt.  Then he motioned to his men.  They all readied their rifles to fire on the two remaining soldiers.

The Chief pulled himself into a commanding pose and spoke, "Let's try this again shall we?  You will surrender your weapons and allow us to escort you to a safe place, or I will have my men fill you both so full of blaster fire, that they'll need to I.D. the bodies from your dog tags.  And gentlemen, I expect that you will be grateful for this generous offer," He rubbed the spot where Lunk had hammered his skull with the butt of his rifle, and waited for a reply.


Straugh threw his rifle on the ground and raised his hands in the air. "Do it Jacobs, they've got us out gunned," he commanded.

Jacobs shook his head, "No way. I'm not giving up my gun.  They can come take it from my cold dead hands."

The Chief smiled, "I would like that my friend, but I will give you the chance to surrender peacefully one more time.  The chance that you did not give me.  Corporal, I suggest you talk some sense into your friend," he added with a hiss.


"Drop it Private," said Straugh.  "The Sergeant is depending on us to stay alive.  They're all depending on us.  That is an order, Private."  Straugh turned to face Jacobs and put his hand on his shoulder, "Put the gun on the ground, son."

Jacobs cursed and threw the gun in the dirt of the road.  Straugh gave his shoulder a squeeze and turned to face the Chief.  "We surrender. Our wounded are in the hospital, we want your guarantee they will continue to be cared for."

The Chief grinned, "Arrest them.  Find any in the hospital that can walk and bring them with us as well."

The Security forces were quick and efficient.  In short order their weapons had been seized, Private Waters and the rebel prisoner had been rounded up and joined Straugh and Jacobs in the Security Headquarters building.

Something Something Heros part 4

Nealoo the priest of Alilili glared at them, "This is all your fault.  Alilili says so too."  She crossed her arm and turned her back with an aggressive huff.  "Let me know when it's working again and maybe I'll forgive you.  Alilili might take some convincing though."  She began tapping her foot, and busying herself with not looking at them.

 Rylie bared his teeth at her back and flexed the fingers on outstretched hands in total frustration, "My fault! Mine. Me. You're blaming this on me?  Seriously?"  He growled and stomped his foot as he stood in disbelief.  "The wizard did it, for Alilili's sake.  Just ask him. Thobis, tell her."  

 Rylie spun to look at Thobis as the wizard conjured a ball of light with a snap of his fingers.  Thobis chuckled, "Don't look at me thief.  You're the one who failed to spot the trap on the door."  He bent down and examined the ruined remains of the lock on the giant double doors.  

 Rylie shouted at him, "Are you kidding me?  The trap was a magic ward that was only triggered when you insisted we didn't need to pick the lock."  He simmered in impotent rage, "You told me you could just burn it off."  Rylie began speaking in a lisping, irritating voice that sounded nothing like Thobis, "Oh don't worry guys, I got just the thing!"  Rylie spun in a wild circle and crossed his eyes while pantomiming furiously, "I'm a dumb wizard and I can do anything with my amazing magic!"  Rylie stopped and pointed at Thobis who was now grinding his teeth and turning an interesting shade of red, "Yeah, anything, like melt the damn lock and trap us down here."

 Thobis erupted with pent up excuses, "I don't sound like that, you obnoxious little runt.  I didn't lead you all the way down here to be insulted because you couldn't do your job."  He turned on Nealoo the priest of Alilili, "Hey doesn't your Goddess have some power to get us out of here?  I'm starting to doubt she does anything at all!"  

 Wrong thing to say.

 Nealoo priest of Alilili whirled on Thobis in that instant like a cornered badger.  She seemed to grow taller as she advanced on him, while the air around her grew measurably colder.  Her eyes began to glow with unearthly fire, and a guttural growl escaped her throat.  "What. Did.  You.  Say.  Wizard," the words poured out of the white robed priestess, but they were not the voice of the person they knew as Nealoo priest of Alilili.  

 Thobis would have passed through the solid granite cavern wall at the moment if could have.  He stammered something unintelligible.

"Stand aside you useless worm, and let a true magic user show you how things get done," spoke the voice of Not-Nealoo.  She brushed Thobis aside with a casual shrug.  He landed in a heap ten feet away.  Rylie was nowhere to be seen.  She raised her hands into the air and with a shout, glowing bands of power rushed into the massive doors.  With an ear splitting explosion the doors were gone. Bits of them flew down the corridor in every direction.  "You shall not pass, my holy behind," came the voice of Not-Nealoo one final time. Then if was over, and She collapsed in a heap by the door.

Here to There part 9

The fight had been fierce and frantic.  Jacobs and Straugh had arrived in the nick of time to drive the remaining creatures back into the wilderness. The creatures had turned timid when a lucky shot had dropped the power armored rebel.  Timball and Sheng were both in critical condition after being savaged by the creatures, and Sergeant Kandrini was barely conscious after taking a heavy blow to the back of her head. 

 The only real victory was that the rebel was alive.  His power armor had soaked up a hell of a lot of fire, and in the end it had saved his life when the telling blow hit.  Jacobs had flown into a rage, and put a blaster shot in each of the creatures that was still moving before anyone could stop him.  Straugh was busy calling down the Gravitycraft, while the rest bled slowly.

 They loaded the wounded on board, then Jacobs and Straugh dragged the prisoner on board as well.  "Get us back to base, Waters," came Sergeant Kandrini's weak command.  Waters gaped at her before Corporal Straugh stepped in and got him moving back to the colony, and what passed for first aid on this planet.  With the familiar dull thrum of the gravity jets they were off.

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Meanwhile, back in the clearing, other eyes watched the soldiers depart.  They noted the efficiency with which the native creatures had been executed before they left.  More of the creatures flooded the clearing and some cried in wild grief at their passing.  A human walked among them to the spot where the rebel had fallen.  He called out to his native allies, and promised them revenge.

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 The dirty, squat, prefab buildings of the colony came back into view as the sun was setting.  Corporal Straugh pointed to the building that housed the colony’s hospital, “Land us right there Private Waters.”  He turned to the only other non wounded soldier left, “Private Jacobs, I want you in that hospital as soon as we land, getting the doctor ready for this, this.”  He waved his hands at the blood stained uniforms of the other passengers. “Just get them ready, understood?”

 Jacobs nodded, and stood at the door as the ship lurched into landing in the middle of the street.  He ripped it open before the ship finally settled fully to the ground.  He jumped out and disappeared from sight.  

 Sergeant Kandrini looked up as the ship vibrated with the landing, “Help them first.  I’m going to be fine.” She flashed what would have been an encouraging smile if her face and teeth weren't covered in her own blood.  

 Corporal Straugh moved over and looked at her eyes which struggled to focus on anything.  “Shit.  Waters!  I want this prisoner under your gun until we have these three stabilized.”  He looked at the makeshift bandages on Timball and Sheng.  Private Timball would have given him a stern lecture on the proper use of Corporate first aid kits had he been conscious.  He hoped there was still a chance he might get that lecture yet.  He climbed from the craft carrying his limp body, and laid it on the ground.  Then he went back for Sheng.  

 He’d began to move the massive soldier, who had been covered in dozens of deep bites and scratches from the savaging he’d experienced before breaking the creature’s neck. Sheng had somehow managed to take three more of them down before the fight was over.

 As he got him to the edge of the door, he heard angry voices coming from the direction of the hospital.  It was Jacobs.  “I said hurry the fuck up!  People are hurt and you’re going to do everything in your power to fix them or I’m going to hurt You.  DO I make myself clear you frontier loving piece of Corporate trash?  Move IT!”  Jacobs and a small group of uniformed medical personnel moved out of the door then.  Jacobs kept up his yelling the whole time as he herded them to the bodies.  

 Straugh stepped up then and assumed control, “Private Jacobs!  Thank you for rounding up these fine folks.  Listen up we have three soldiers in bad shape.  Which one of you is the doctor,” he demanded.  

 Private Jacobs spat at the ground the civilians had just walked on.  “Ain't nothing Corporal,” he tossed a half-assed salute and moved to the ship.  “Waters, help me with Lunk.  He weighs a fucking ton.”

 With Jacobs no longer terrorizing them, one of the group stepped forward, “I’m the doctor, you two.” She pointed to two of her people,  “You heard the Corporal.  Go get gurneys and stretchers.  Darnell, you’re with me.”   Her and another man moved to Private Timball.  

For a moment Corporal Straugh allowed himself to relax and believe everything might work out alright after all.  Then he saw the Corporate buggies headed their way from the Governor’s compound.

Here to There part 8

Something moved in the mottled shadows of the underbrush.  Lunk froze and tensed his finger on the trigger.  One heartbeat. Two. On the count of three a chilling shriek to the left caused him to snap his head in that direction to try and spot the source.  He didn't know what hit him, just that it was big, hairy, and pissed off.  He cursed at himself for falling for the distraction that gave it the opening to strike as much as the pain from the blows it rained down on his head and body.

Private Timball watched the thing erupt from the treeline and hit the massive soldier and drive him to the ground.  He raised his rifle and began taking aim at the beast.  As he did so, he noticed another one come rushing out into the open.  It wore a strange harness and held something sharp in one of it's hands.  "Sergeant!" he cried while starting to move and turn his weapon on the newcomer.  "We've got company. Hostiles are Native creatures.  They appear to be tool users.  Requesting backup right now."

The sergeant was already sprinting towards Lunk and Timball.  More of the creatures were coming out of the trees now.  Timball was starting to fire on them in short meaured bursts like he'd been taught.  The creatures were shrieking and calling back and forth to each other as they moved to circle around him as Lunk continued to struggle with his assailant.   "Straugh, ! Jacobs!" she called into her communicator.  "Contact at the treeline.  Lunk is down.  Get over here!"

With a another long stride she arrived, and brought her rifle up to fire. One of them jumped at Timball and it's weapon smashed his shoulder and glanced off his body armor.  He screamed in pain just the same.  Just as she was about to start laying down covering fire a rifle blast exploded the dirt at her feet. Her whole body poised to fire whirled and sought it's source.  Blaster fire meant something more dangerous then wild animals with sticks and stones.

A large bulky shape moved out of the trees then.  It was a human in a suit of fully powered combat armor.  The local atmosphere and a year of living in the jungle had taken the sheen off it's once glowing shell, but it was still going to be a real pain to crack that she thought in a panic.  A deep gruff voice called out from what she assumed was a member of the survey team, "This one!  Kill this one.  She is the chief."  Two of the bigger creatures moved away from the assault on Timball and Lunk and began moving her way.

Anna cursed and fired at the heavily armored threat.  Her shot hit the mark, but it was deflected by the power suit.  She didn't have time to aim for a weak point as the two creatures closed in from behind while the Surveyor advanced firing his blaster rifle indiscriminately.  Luckily he's not a great shot in that bulky suit, thought Anna. She found herself now actively fighting to stay alive.

A False Fresh Start part 3

Previous: part 2

He was leaving the park behind now.  Memories of Kate's voice echoed in his mind. Slowly he peddled.  Then fast up the hill, then a leisurely coast down it's far side.  His knee throbbed now.  He focused on his riding.  It would not do to fail now.  Home.  He would be there soon.  Safe.  Kate had been so kind.  He mentally reviewed everything he had said to her.  He weighed and judged her every response.  A laugh here, a smile there.  The awkward silences when he did not have a response.  Why had there been so many of those?

He closed his eyes and took a ragged breath to clear these memories. When he opened them again, he realized he was still riding his bike.  Pay attention! He was coming to a crosswalk too fast.  The light hadn't changed.  Brakes! There was a terrifying screech, and arms and body tensed and fought the front wheel as the entire bike bucked and twisted under the strain of the sudden stop.  Time slowed as the bike surged off the curb.  No!  Yesterday had been so perfect.  With massive effort, the bike was dragged onto the curb as horns blasted and angry voices shouted in frustration.

On shaky legs, he stumbled back.  Blinding sweat burned and clouded vision.  Hacking, labored breathing echoed beneath the raging wall of sound pouring from the busy road.  Another man, waiting for the light to change so he could cross, glanced at him occasionally, but made no move to interfere. With a shudder he dropped to sit on the warm concrete, with his bike laid out beside him.  He put his head between his knees and struggled to control the panic.

So close, came the thought. Too close.  He remembered Kate.  He stood again and composed himself.  In his mind, he could see her. She was standing in the sun.  He picked up his bike.  She was giving him her number, in case there was any issue with the bike.  The light changed, and he started to walk the bike across.  He would never see her or talk to her again, he knew.  On the far side of the road he climbed back on the bike.  There was no chance. She was gone. He knew he wasn't strong enough. Burning pain lanced through his knee as he began peddling. He would replay their meeting over and over again in his mind.  Up ahead he could see his street.  Some part of him trapped deep inside raged and cried at the loss.  He peddled faster.  It swam in darkness, drenched in it's own tears.  He was home.  Safe. At last.  Yesterday had been perfect.

The end.

Something Something Heros part 3

There was a terrifying rumble in the deeps that shook the bones and rattled teeth.  "Sorry about that," said Nealoo the priest of Alilili as she placed both hands over her stomach.  "I should have eaten that pie after all I guess."

The trio of Adventurers stood at a fork in the passage.  Noone picked it up.  "Great.  These jokes are going to kill us before the monsters can," muttered Rylie.  "Listen, Thobis. You're the leader of this group I guess.  Which way should we go here."  He gestured to the three passages that split in different directions.  Each as different in appearance as it was in smell and other important passage identifying characteristics.

Thobis stood in the middle of the three exits and stroked his beard while considering his options.  "Hmmm," he purred sagely.  "I like this brightly lit one.  It seems to be well-travelled.  Probably the safest."  He puffed up his chest and crossed his arms over his too large belly.  "How's that for leadership!"

"Yeah, sure," Rylie grimaced.  "That's clearly not a trap or a path to certain death."

Nealoo the priest of Alilili giggled, "Come on Thobis, at least put a little effort into this.  I thought wizards were supposed to be smart or something."

Thobis grumbled and kicked at an imaginary rock.  "C'mon guys!  Cut me slack here.  It has to be the best.  Here I'll prove it."  He picked up a bit of loose gravel and threw it down the large well lit passage.  It bounced and skipped on the well worn stones; the sound of it's journey echoing in as they all held their breath in anticipation.  For a brief moment after the stone came to a stop the silence became overwhelming as the trio stared at the passage.  Thobis pointed at it, and BOOM!  A stone as big as the passage itself fell from the ceiling onto the tiny stone.  For a moment all vision was lost as a dust cloud billowed out in it's wake.  "Yikes," managed Thobis in a whisper.

"So...door number two?" said Rylie with a clap of his hands?

Thobis snapped out of it and shook the dust out of his beard, "Right! Right. The one I meant to pick is this one here on the left."  He moved to stand in front of the smallest of the passages.  It was barely big enough for a Grue to move through, and full of spiderwebs.  A flickering cold blue light could be seen in the depths.  "Huh, huh?" Thobis moitioned at the cramped, dirty, and eerie tunnel seeking approval.

"Alilili says no to spiders, and dying in dirty hobbit holes," said Nealoo priest of Alilili as she crossed her arms and shook her head with fervent enthusiasm.  "No way!" she added.

With a quick glance at Rylie, who was already walking to the third passage, Thobis sighed, "Well, that settles that."  He pulled himself to his full height and pointed with dramatic intensity at the remaining tunnel, "We go that way!"

Rylie moved to the last tunnel, and peered into it's deep, dark, depths.  The brackish scent of salt water wafted up on the gentle breeze caressing their faces,  "I don't suppose either of you brought any torches?"

Something Something Heros part 2

Previous: part 1

The room is 10 foot by 10 foot square.  There is a pie on a pedestal in the center.  "I take the pie!" they all three shouted in unison.  The Orc that had been guarding it moved to stop them.

"Wait, no one said anything about an Orc being in this room," declared Rylie, a squat, mud-covered man, clothed in what had once been expensive leather armor.

"Try telling that to him," whined Nealoo the priest of Alilili while dodging the hacks and slashes of Schrodinger's Orc.  Her once pristine white robes swirling as she danced here and there. "I never thought I'd miss Agthor the Meat shield."

"Ah the GM's a dick," Rylie mumbled with a frown.

Thobis crossed his arms and sneered at the Orc standing between them and the pie, "Why is there an Orc guarding a pie in this tiny room anyway?  This adventure is getting worse all the time."

With a wave of his hand and some muttering of the half remembered lyrics to a Led Zeppelin song, Thobis cast a spell.  No one was sure what spell had been cast at first.  The fact that he had actually cast something was certain even though there was no obvious effect.  Even the Orc stopped and looked around for some sign as to what it was.

Thobis giggled, and with a smirk asked, "Hey Orc, what's your name?"  The Orc pointed at himself in disbelief that he was being addressed.  "Yeah, you," said Thobis.  "You look like an, uh, intelligent fellow."  Thobis leaned over to his two companions and gave them an over obvious wink, while the Orc tried to come to terms with suddenly not wanting to kill this annoying jerk.

"Me, Transk.  I mean, I'm Transk," said the Orc slowly working over the half remembered words from Human language 101.  Somehow this weird wizard seemed like his best friend in the world.  Yet, there was something still bothering him.  He remembered the not-spell that was maybe cast and asked, "Why did you try and take my pie then, if we're friends?"  The Orc scratched his head while coming to terms with actually having thoughts.  Wasn't he just supposed to just guard the pie?

Thobis pressed on, "Look here Transk, old buddy. I've got a fierce case of the munchies. If I don't get a piece of that pie soon I might just lose my mind."  Sensing the lingering reluctance of the once fierce Orc, he added, "I'd bet you'd like a slice too huh?  Finally see if it was worth guarding all this time, eh?  That smell has got to be driving you crazy!"  Thobis chuckled and rubbed his hands together in sheer delight.  He was pleased as punch and now he would have some pie too!

Rylie and Nealoo the priest of Alilili glanced at each other and rolled their eyes around until they were looking at each other again.  Rylie began edging slowly around behind Transk, who was sniffing the air and realizing how good the pie really did smell.  Transk realized his mouth was watering at the smell of the pie.  "Ok, you and me will split the pie, but those other dorks can't have any," Transk turned around towards the pie.  This was it, he was finally going to eat the pie that he had been guarding in the this small room for so long!  He could practically taste it already.

Instead he found himself facing the weird muddy twerp, who was holding a knife.  Transk roared, "I said you two couldn't have any pie!  It's just for me and my best friend."  Thobis grinned at that, and he and Transk high-fived.  That was when Rylie drove the knife into Transk's back.

As Transk lay bleeding on the ground, the spell dissipated. Transk's final view was the human, who had only moments before been his best friend, stepping casually over his corpse on his way to eat some his pie.

Nealoo the priest of Alilili turned down the offered pie.  "Too fattening," she declared.  "Alilili can have mine," with that she threw her piece on the ground.  "Praise Alilili to the Ground!" she shouted.

"Now what," asked Rylie.  "Did we just come here for the pie? I bet I could have found some that required less murder."  He harrumphed.  He felt like he was going to be doing a lot of that.

Here to There part 7

Previous: part 6

"Get your gear and get in the Gravitycraft,"  The alarm beeped with a unsettling pulse.  "We have contact with unknowns at one of their communications arrays.  I want us in the air and inbound for that position in five minutes.  Am I understood!"  The men and women of the Sergeant Kandrini's squad called back with a renewed energy, "Yes Sir!"

Four and a half minutes later they sailed out of the sprawling colony, into the clear air of the alien world.  Large winged creatures wheeled through the unnaturally colored sky and screeched in atonal defiance as they soared.  Strangely colored vegetation of unnatural shapes and sizes spread and creeped across the hills and valleys that zoomed by beneath.

The Gravitycraft moved about as gracefully as a 10 meter long brick of grey-black metal, plastic, and glass could move.  Which is to say not at all.  The steady thrum of the gravity jets seemed to rattle everyone's bones.

Everyone was silent, even Jacobs for once.  They were going into battle they knew.  And, the enemy was largely unknown.

Sure they had all been briefed on the files of these men of the Corp Survey team.  But, what sort of men might still be alive after living in the wilds of this strange world for more then a year.  What secrets were worth protecting that had driven them to these extremes, and what might it drive them to still.

Waters called to the squad from the pilot's seat as the ship began to descend, "I can see the tower over the..uh...treeline.  Looks like there is a clearing nearby."  The Sergeant loosened her safety straps and moved to see over his shoulder.

Winged creatures erupted from the tops of the things that mostly resembled trees as the slowing Gravitycraft began disturbing their roosts with its gravity jets.  There on the bank of a small river where the plant life seemed to not grow as heavily was a gated facility holding a large assemblage of metal and wires that formed a structure, protruding up above the vegetation into the alien sky.  A pulsing light blinked relentlessly at it's peak.

"Where are they Waters?" asked Anna.  "I don't see what set off the alarm."  The area looked peaceful enough.

"There," he pointed to a shabby looking buggy parked near a hole in the fence line.  "They must have spotted us and hid in the trees."

"Set us down Private.  Everyone else, I want these men alive.  Fire in self defense only.  Straugh, I want you and Jacobs to secure the tower.  Make sure there aren't any more of them hiding over there."  Corporal Martin Straugh was a reliable man, and Anna trusted him to handle Private Jacobs.

She turned to the others, "Sheng and Timball."  They snapped to attention,  "You two are with me and we are going to find these rebels.  I want a their trail found."

She nodded at them all and tried to project her confidence into them, before turning back to Waters in time to watch the final descent into the clearing.  "Waters, once we're off, I want you back in the air.  We can't afford to lose our ride home.  Keep your channel open in case we need to lift off quickly."

With that they touched down.  The doors opened and the gravity pulses from the still running engines were causing ripples in the dirt.  Their boots hit the ground and no one hesitated.  In moments the Rectangular-cube shape of the Gravitycraft was gone from site and the sounds of the alien jungle became all they heard over their own breathing.

Something Something Heros

The swamp reeked of old people's farts.  That was what Rylie kept telling them anyway.  There wasn't anyway to deny what he was saying, it did smell distinctly of gas and decay.  But, man was it annoying being constantly reminded of the fact.  Thobis had been the genius that agreed to drag them into this pungent palace of peat and piss, but he was too busy swatting at the millions of insects that assaulted them all every waking moment to appreciate how unhappy everyone else was.  That wasn't going to get him off the hook for this mess though.

"This swamp reeks of old people's...," came the all too familiar icebreaker.  It was cut swiftly short by a furious shove from Agthor the Mighty.  More like Agthor the Anger problems.  Rylie stumbled and bounced off a tree from the waaay to hard shove Agthor had brought.  Dick move.  With a girlish scream and a valiant scramble, Rylie tried to catch his balance, but it wasn't enough.  With a splash and a gurgling sound he was on his back in the muddy water.  Thobis swatted at his neck, before balling his fists and shouting at them all, "This is supposed to be an easy adventure!  Quit being such children."  He then stormed off in a huff mumbling about learning a spell of protection from incompetence.

Meanwhile Agthar the giant jerk was studiously ignoring Rylie flopping about in the muck and instead was busy striking out with the Nealoo the priest of Alilili.  Her plain white robes had been frayed and stained beyond repair and the last thing she wanted was the over-muscled no-brained Barbarian telling her how many goats she would be worth in his clan. Besides, had this guy ever heard of brushing his teeth?  Ugh.  Finally, Rylie climbed out of the gooey swamp and pulled himself on shore.

Nealoo the priest of Alilili looked over at him and wrinkled her nose.  "Now, who smells like old people's farts."  Yuck.  Once Rylie had his feet again, Agthor gave him a too strong pat on the back and the encouraging shout, "At least we know you can swim now!"  They all laughed, but Rylie.  He grabbed at the mud encrusted knife hanging from his belt and stared holes in their backs as they moved ahead swatting at mosquitoes.  With a final shake of his head that sent mud and gunk flying everywhere, Rylie pulled himself together and started after them.  "Wait up!  I don't want to get stuck out here alone."

They drudged on for what seemed like a half hour of eternity.  Finally they came to the place Thobis had told them about.  The entrance of the Sunken Dungeon of Evil and Hateful Bad Stuff.  "We shouldn't stay out here any longer," Thobis suggested with a slap and a swat at his hated foe the flying buzzing insect.  Nealoo the priest of Alilili held her hand aloft and struck action poses while whispering to herself, before providing them with a bit of advice, "Alilili suggests we all wait 30 minutes after eating before entering the pool."

"Ha!" Agthor the Mirthful shouted, "I laugh at your God's puny warning."

Rylie shook his head and scraped a bit more of the muck from his hair.  "Let's just get this over with you big idiot."  With that he began slowly moving towards the entrance looking here and there for the ancient traps the Evil and Hateful Bad Stuff no doubt left to guard their Sunken Fun-geon.

Suddenly, Agthor the Big idiot pushed him aside and strode confidently into the entrance.  He stumbled back out seconds later clutching at the poison arrows the trapped entrance had shot into his chest.  Nealoo the priest of Alilili knelt over the corpse of Agthor the Once living and shrugged.  "I guess that'll teach him to laugh at Alilili's warning," she beamed.

"I'm sick of this swamp!" shouted a now furious Thobis.  "Rylie, can you disable the traps or not?  Why did we even bring you?"  He slapped his neck again and grinned.  "Got one that time!"

Rylie gripped his knife again, but calmed himself.  "Patience wizard.  Go cast a chill spell or something while I do my job."  With that he began working his way around the entrance and inner hallway.  The pit trap, the arrow trap, the gas trap, the mouse trap.  All identified and disabled in under 30 minutes.  Rylie was pretty pleased with the situation now.  He might be wearing the swamp, but Agthor the Aerated was gone and things were looking up.

Nealoo the priest of Alilili and Thobis followed Rylie into the Sunken dungeon of Evil and Hateful Bad Stuff.  They didn't bother to loot Agthor the Forgotten, as no-one wanted his loincloth or sandals.


Next: part 2

Here to There part 6

Previous: part 5

The conversation with the Governor had gone as she had expected.  He had said a lot without saying anything.  "It was a total waste of time Martin," Anna complained to Corporal Straugh.  "I should of just thrown him in a cell with that worthless Security Chief."  With a fierce shout she kicked a nearby desk.  "Ow. Ow. Ow!" she cried as she hopped on one foot and grimaced with the sharp pain.

Corporal Martin Straugh chuckled at her distress. "We found out that he's got more Security forces we should be worried about.  He's probably got another 20 guys that were out searching for this Survey team that will back here before you know it.  And, then things are going to get ugly for us."  He suddenly looked up from the computer terminal he had been steadily working on and locked eyes with the Sergeant as she pulled off her boot to rub her toes.  "Sergeant, you need to see this."

"What?" she cursed as she worked her boot back on and hobbled over to look over Straugh's shouder.  Displayed on the screen were what appeared to be Transmission schedules and dates.  "What good is a damn list of Transmission dates?  You just said it yourself. If we don't figure this out, we'll be dead before we can arrange a transmission back home."

"No don't you see," The Corporal motioned to the dates again.  "A year ago was the last time they sent a delivery back to the Receiving station on Marron.  The same date of the attack by the Survey team, and there hasn't been another since."  He looked at her expectantly, "They're only generating enough power to  do annual transmissions.  The next one is in two days."

She grimaced and crossed her arms as she began slowly, "They're going to make another attempt to get off planet. Of course, that's why they hadn't shown their faces in so long.  They were waiting for their ticket out.  So, why the double dealing with the Chief and Governor?  Why not deal straight with us and round these men up and stop them."

Her pacing took her back and forth on the thin carpet as she reviewed all she knew about this situation.  "The Corporation set this colony up to make a profit, but the records show it's been in the red for a decade now.  The Survey team had spent a year out in the unexplored frontier looking for easily exploitable resources to help turn this place around, and on the day they were to return home and report their findings, they started a war, that trapped them back out in those same wilds.  Why? We're missing something obvious."

Martin glanced up from his computer screen briefly to reply, "Money.  Everything is about money. They're a survey team.  Either they found something great or they found nothing at all, and our "friends" here in the colony couldn't allow them to go back and report it.  Either from greed, or from fear that they'd be shut down, due to lack of profit."  He glanced back at his screen and returned to typing,  "Or something like that, I dont' know."

Next: Part 7

Here to There part 5

Previous: part 4

The bright yellow star rose that morning and drove the dark away. The Colonists emerged from shelters and homes and began their day mostly unaware of the arrival of the soldiers in the night.  Sergeant Anna Kandrini watched them with a frown while standing at the large window in the Chief's office.  She mused on the events of the last night and sipped the steaming cup of stimulant infused liquid they had found in the Security Administration building.  She grimaced at it's bitterness and then turned to face the other occupant of the office.  Planetary Governor Arnold Fairley's bulk was barely contained in one of the flimsy plastic chairs that were haphazardly placed in front of the Chief of Security's desk, which was Anna now claimed.

"As I was saying, my dear, there was no need to take these extreme measures."  The Governor straightened his tie.  "The Chief was a bit...overzealous; I'll admit.  However, his job is keeping the peace, and that is made difficult when heavily armed strangers appear from thin air in the dead of night."  He leaned forward and flashed his pearly whites.  "And, as last night's events demonstrated, his fears were not entirely unfounded.  We've had enough violence here recently, and tensions are high."  With a  nonchalant gesture he continued, "It was all I could do to keep the rest of the Security personnel from laying siege to this building to free their Chief from the cell you stuck him in." He paused and steepled his hands and peered at her over them. "So, in the interest of making the remainder of your stay here productive, and with the full authority of my position as Planetary Governor, I am going to have to demand that he be released."

Anna took another sip of the disgusting brown fluid.  "I will respectfully refuse," The Governor bristled and began to rise from his chair when Anna stopped him.  "For now.  My men have taken over Security here while we sort out what exactly is going on."  She grabbed one of the printouts her Corporal had provided her after accessing the non encrypted parts of the archaic computer systems in use.  Most of it wasn't even able to be accessed with a virtual reality interface for profit's sake.

"This is a copy of the report of the night you sent for help.  It states that a Corporate Survey team, sent to find new mineral wealth, became drunk and engaged in a firefight with Security Personnel.  Further it reads that most of them were killed and the remainder driven into the wilds."  She shook her head,  "We've also found that Security teams have been hunting for them for months now with no luck."  With a tilt of her head she finished the remainder of the viscous concoction.

She leaned forward and placed her hands on the desk and spoke directly at the politician.  "What it doesn't mention is why these men as a group became so aggressive that they would fight to the point of losing multiple men and being driven into the untamed wilderness of an alien world.  Nor, sir, does it explain why they were not left for dead, and an ongoing hunt for them is continuing."

Next: Part 6

Here to There part 4

Previous: part-3

They didn't stand around long before the welcoming party came.  No doubt the Technician had run to report in after his run in with them.  The squad had setup patrols and word that someone was coming came a healthy five minutes before the corporate buggy had come chugging along out of the darkness.

The Sergeant stood flanked by Private First Class Sheng, known as "Lunk", and Corporal Straugh.  The three of them held their hands up to block the light from the buggy's lamps as it creaked to a stop.  The hatch opened and a lean ragged man unfurled from within.  He straightened his Corporate Security uniform.  Anna recognized the insignia of Chief on his shoulder as he approached.  She noted the two armed men who got out next and took up covering positions as well.  She tried not to tense as the Chief stopped short of offering his hand in greeting.  He took a hard look at the three of them before settling into his pose and clasping his hands behind his back.

"So, you are all the help the Department of Armed Forces sent to us?"  He shook his head slowly.  "I don't know whether to be disappointed or offended," were the venom laced words he followed up with.  "I'll have you know my men have this situation well in hand.  We don't need any outside interference."  He drew himself up to his full height again.  "You will surrender your weapons, and we will escort you to a safe location until you can be sent back."

Anna stared at him a moment to make sure he was finished speaking before she gave her reply, "No."  The blaster rifles the two men accompanying the Chief hit the ground near Anna feet then.  Shortly their owners walked into the lights of the buggy with their hands in the air.  Private Jacobs and Timball emerged from the darkness with rifles up and ready in case anyone made any sudden moves.  Timball called out, "These were the only two, sir."

Anna turned her attention back to the Chief.  She motioned to Straugh and he moved and relieved the Chief of his sidearm as well.  "You should be grateful," Anna said to him just before Lunk dropped him with his rifle butt.


Next: part 5

Here to There part 3

Prev: Part 2

It was night when Sergeant Anna Kandrini stepped outside onto the alien world.  Fat furry insects buzzed at the lights near the door.  One buzzed by her face, and she swatted it aside.  It hit the ground with a satisfying thump.   The rest of the squad were milling about the front steps of the Transmission Station.  Jacobs was pacing off by himself, taking long drags on a hand rolled cigarette.  Timball was talking to a still sickly looking Waters.  The Sergeant glanced at the alien sky with it's billions of stars spreading from horizon to horizon and then back at the squad with a snort of derision.  Seen one sky, then you've seen them all she figured.

"Listen up," she called out and waited for the conversations to die down and attention to focus on her.  "If that little worm in there is still alive, then this isn't a death world. With that said I still want standard precautions taken when interacting with local foods.  Private Timball, please continue to monitor everyone's health while we are on planet."

Private Jacobs finished his smoke and tossed it against a wall where it exploded in a shower of glowing tobacco.   Sergeant Kandrini ignored him, and pressed on, "Now, it sounds like there are some rebels lurking out in the forests, or hills, or whatever landscapes this miserable rock has.  If they're still alive out there, then someone is helping them."  She peered past them into the shadows, suddenly cautious.  "Everyone is armed at all times.  I don't want any screw-ups, do you hear?  We need to minimize Corporate losses on this mission."  

"Yes sir!" came the responses.  Some of them immediately began checking their sidearms.  While that was going on the Sergeant looked around the street impatiently.  In the dim light she could make out that the roads were packed earth, not concrete.  The buildings were largely prefabs imported from off-world.  Some showed a bit of battle damage she noticed as well.  The fighting must have centered around this Transmission station.

Next: Part 4

A false fresh start part 2

Previous: Part 1

The sun was shining, but he saw only the shadows.  A cool breeze was passing through, but he heard only it's howl.  All around were the laughs and sounds of a happy families, and he heard only the dull thump of his heartbeat.  He gripped the bikes handles and took a ragged breath.  Home.  The thought thundered through his mind.  Home. Safety. Alone and quiet.  He had to get there.  Just get back on the bike, and start peddling.  Why had he come here?  Dumb. He was so dumb.  Just keep moving.  Don't stop.  Why had he ever thought this was a good idea?

That's when it had happened.  A shaking, nervous man riding a bike through a busy park without paying attention to where he was going.  It was inevitable.  The collision had sent them both tumbling through the grass.  The bike toppled on it's side, with one wheel slowly spinning.  The others in the park had looked on in shock or amusement depending on their personalities.  No one rushed to help.  They were both still moving after all, and the absence of blood and screams made them all apathetic really.  Some people had tentatively started heading towards the prone people, but drew back when the man and woman both got to their feet under their own power.

What had he done?  What!  He saw her then.  She was brushing grass off her jogging shorts.  NO!  Not that.  Not this.  Why was he cursed, he stepped back and watched her warily.  She was going to yell.  Or cry.  That might be worse.  Then she looked at him.  He saw her eyes.  He instinctively flinched and looked away.  "I'm so sorry," he blurted in a coarse whisper.  "It was all my fault."  He lapsed back into silence. He wanted to tell her about the bike, and his trip to the park, and how things had been going so well, only to end in ruins yet again. The words pounded through his brain while he fidgeted. He needed to get them right before he said them. He could sense her moving. although he hadn't looked at her directly again. She wouldn't want to hear about him he thought.  She probably hated him.  Why hadn't she said anything?

He risked a glance at her.  She had her hands on her hips.  Was that a smile he saw?  What was going on?  A trick he decided. He backed up another step.  He could look at her more easily now that he was a safer distance.  "My bike," he spoke in her direction.  "It's my first ride in awhile," came the confession. With it came a calmness.  He swallowed for the first time in what felt like forever.  He turned his head and looked at her face.  At her eyes.  "I..," he started.  She was looking back at him.  At his eyes.  He found the strength to continue. He spoke to her,  "Are you alright? Were you hurt?"

She beamed at him, "I'm fine. Name's Kate. That was a nasty spill you took there."  Kate held up a hand to silence any replies, "Now I know jogging on the bike path was dumb, but I was trying to take a shortcut.  Luckily we both ended up in this grass, and none the worse for wear, I'm sure.  How's your bike?"

He hadn't even thought about his bike.  It was brand new.  His mouth opened to reply, but the words died on his lips as he turned to look at it.  Quickly he picked it up and squatted down to began looking at it. His knee let him know he hadn't emerged completely unharmed, but he ignored it's sharp reminder of later suffering.

Behind him, Kate approached, and spoke over his shoulder, "Like, I said.  I'm such a goof.  You'll have to let me pay for any repairs.  I couldn't be more sorry about this."  Slowly he eyed the frame, the tires, and the rest while dragging his hand over it to feel for things his eyes might miss.  Scratches in the paint, a bit of a scuff mark on the grip that had hit the ground.  It seemed there was no major damage.  It was okay.  No harm done...

Was that a hand on his shoulder?  He tensed.  Still as a tree.  Quiet as a mouse.

Kate leaned around, "Are you sure you're okay?  You're being awfully quiet.  Is something the matter?"  She paused briefly and looked at him.

He realized he was clenching his jaw, and relaxed slightly.  He stood and turned to face her. She was close.  He was trapped between her and the bike.  She took her hand off him as he stood and he breathed a sigh of relief.

She smiled at him again before rambling on, "You're not upset are?  I'm such a klutz, please don't be mad," she continued without pause.  "Let's walk a bit and we'll make sure it's all working again, okay? You'll see.  Everything is going to be fine."

He looked away unsure of how to respond.  She'd said so many things.  He managed a weak, "Uhh.."

Kate seemed unfazed,  "Say, what's your name anyway?"


Next: Part 3

Here to There part 2

Previous: Part 1

Sergeant Anna Kandrini towered over the Technician.  Her stare would not be denied.  He visibly shrank back from it like a wounded animal.  "Listen to me," she began.  "Your planet's colonial government sent for help from the military.  Well we're it.  I don't think a little bit of human decency is too much to ask, you balding little shit."  With each word she stalked forward, and he shrank back.

"Please," he spewed from behind the clipboard he held up between himself and the large aggressive soldier in a feeble attempt at self defense.  "You have to understand.  It took six months for our message to reach you and another six for you to actually get here. The situation has changed."  He gulped nervously, as the Sergeant slowed her advance and glared at him with a heavy frown.  "And, besides," he quickly added.  "This is just corporate policy I'm enforcing here."

"You have got to be kidding me," Anna snarled at him.  "Corporate policy!  It's the damn Corporation's assets we're here to protect from whatever tentacled slime monsters this back woods star has crawling all over it."  She shook her head and gestured emphatically, "What is it this time?  No, no.  Let me guess.  Three meter tall flying lizards that spit acid?  We made boots out of those on Riga V. No?  Giant spiders with fricken laser beams coming out of their eyes that swarm over the country side like ants?  We'll find the queen and have breakfast with her eggs."  She laughed and leaned forward, while bending down to eye level with the Technician.  "But, if you're telling me we traveled to this damn pebble in the night sky and their's nothing to kill..." she trailed off while taking a step back and setting her jaw.

"I didn't say that!" The Technician was sweating now.  "Just the rebels retreated into the wilds, months ago."  He ran his hand through his thinning hair and cast about for a way out of this.  Anna blinked at him. "Rebels?  In the wilds?  Great, now I wish it was a bug hunt," she exclaimed while throwing her hands in the air.  With a sigh her shoulders drooped and she spun on her heel and marched out of the Transmission station without a backwards glance.  The Technician could only stare open-mouthed in stunned silence as she disappeared through the exit.

Next: Part 3

Here to There

There was a flash of light.  Time slowed and thoughts melted away until there was nothing else.  It stretched and enveloped.  There was no touch, taste, or smell.  It consumed everything. Endlessly filling the void left behind with itself.  It was everything and nothing.

Then just as quickly as it began, it was gone, and we were there. There was a sense we had just hit a brick wall at Mach 1, and suddenly we were ourselves again.  Everything and nothing were gone and the yawning gap left behind was replaced with our fragile bags of meat. Private Waters retched and drained his lunch on the polished metal floor.  The others stumbled and leaned against the walls and cargo either dizzy and seeking balance or just looking for something solid to touch to prove they were still alive.  It's the same every time.

A stocky man with a clipboard and an ill fitting grey jumpsuit covered in stains approached them then.  He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell of Waters' shame.  "There's always one in every delivery," he said with a sneer and a shake of his rapidly receding hairline.  He gave the rest of them a snort and glanced at his paperwork before continuing, "I'm a busy man, we've got to get these supplies off the landing pad before the next delivery.  The exit is that way," He gestured vaguely in the direction he had come from. "I haven't got all day," he added gruffly when no one made a move to leave immediately.

"Well.  That's fucking frontier hospitality for ya,"  growled Private Jacobs while grabbing his gear and rifle on wobbly legs.  "Get it to-fucking-gether Waters.  We trained for this for a month back at base," he shot over his shoulder as steadied himself and took a few practice steps. Then,with a final snarl, and a rude gesture to the Technician that so rudely greeted them, he strode out of the Receiving station without looking back.

Sergeant Kandrini watched him go while clutching the handrails mounted on the wall.  "That one is going to be a discipline problem," she thought.  With a final squeeze of the cool solid metal she pulled herself upright and looked at the others.  "Squad!" she barked.  "Let's move it!  Get your gear and line up outside.  Private Timball help Waters get his gear.  Move. Move. Move."

With a practiced calm she watched them.  Combined with her words it had an amazing affect.  While no one had so much as moved when Jacobs stormed out.  Now they were moving like the soldiers they were trained to be.  The unreality of Point to Point matter transmission across 10 light years and coldness of their greeting were quickly forgotten and shortly the last of them marched out of sight, and all that remained were the Sergeant and the Technician.

Next: Part 2

A false fresh start.

He hid in his room.  The door closed, the shades drawn, the covers over his head.  The deafening beating of his heart drowned out all sound, and cold sweat trickled down his back.  His eyes were open, peering into the dark, but seeing nothing.  Ragged breaths pushed through as he clutched and clenched his hands in a well practiced dance that accomplished seemingly nothing.

Yesterday things had been better.  Yesterday was the best day.  The sun had burned away the clouds revealing the true colors of things.  Promises were made and plans set in motion.  People stepped out of the shadows and became human again.  He had vowed not to be different this time.

The park.  Green grass and sparkling water.  The dappled shade of many trees inviting and patient.  A promise of quiet reading, or leisurely strolls and pleasant conversation.  This was the life that he deserved.  The time for hiding was done.  Both feet would be planted and with a powerful and clear voice the world would know he was ready to be happy.

It had started with the new bike.  Bought months ago and assembled with impatient glee.  The sense of pride and purpose was lost when the rains started the next day.  But yesterday, things were perfect, and so was he.  Nothing could stop him.  Athletic clothes and comfortable shoes.  Lock the door.  Walk the bike to the road.  Mount it and just start peddling.

It was a bit of a rocky start, sure.  Years and decades had passed since the last time.  But, soon muscles and mechanics worked together and the world rolled by.  There were people and so many cars.  He managed to not hit anything or anyone, for which he allowed himself a smile.  A random man walking saw it and smiled back.  Yesterday had been a great day.

Arriving at the park tired and sore, but elated was almost enough.  He stopped and looked around and caught his breath while he wiped the sweat away with an equally sweaty forearm.  There were people everywhere.  There were young women sunning themselves on blankets on the hill and playing with their phones.  A group of men threw a ball back and forth in the large open area by the lake.  Attentive parents escorted children and pets with equal ease through the throng.  Others ran and swam and absorbed themselves in individual pursuits of all manner.  They were Everywhere!

His heart had started racing then.  Surrounded by them, watched by them, and now he was just staring at them.  They were going to notice.  They were going. to. notice.  He was going to be the weird guy with the bike, just starting at them.  They would know he didn't belong here. The dryness of his throat was demanding his attention.  He averted his eyes staring at anything else.  My the sky sure was interesting all of a sudden.  Wow.  Look at that tree over there. Quickly, before he drew any more attention to himself, he walked the bike back up the trail, and climbed back on it.  His smile was long gone, but he forced his lips and face to pretend it wasn't. 

What was he supposed to do now? 

Next: Part 2