The
Adventures of Vyr-Na
ÒVelorians: Homo Sapiens Supremis is
an artificial race of humans who have vast physical powers. They were
genetically engineered by a people who called themselves Galen – a
widely-dispersed technologically-advanced alien race. Although the origin of
the name Velor is unclear, some historians think itÕs based on the Latin word
"velare," which means "to watch over" or "stay
awake". Another theory for the name is that it comes from the Galen word
for 'golden child', Velorea.Ó
--Library of Scribes-
CHAPTER ONE
Inside the Bellerophon the sound of her engines straining to
maintain her great speed could be heard on every deck of the ship. The shudder
in her deck plates could be felt through the boots of the entire compliment of
twenty-eight officers and crew. Then gradually the sound faded as the ship
slowed, then slipped into orbit around the third planet from its star.
Vyr-Na, paused outside the
entrance to the CaptainÕs ready room, and took a quick assessment of her
appearance. She was dressed in a full length body suit that covered her from
her neck down to her boots. The red, yellow, and blue of Velorian Protectorate
combat dress was vibrant even in the artificial lighting of the passageway.
Smoothing the front of her uniform she cleared her throat and delivered three
sharp knocks to the door.
ÒEnter,Ó a sharp female voice
ordered.
ÒProtector Vyr-na, reporting
as ordered Commander,Ó the tall blonde announced delivering a sharp crisp
military salute.
ÒStand at ease, Lieutenant.Ó
The commanding officer of the
Bellerophon was a
striking woman. By earth standards she appeared to be about fifty years of age.
A VERY fit fifty. Her red and blue uniform fit her like a second skin, and it
flattered the contour of the senior officerÕs body showing it as the perfection
it was. The only apparent concession to time was in the appearance of minute
lines in her face, which if anything, enhanced her appearance. Her piercing
blue eyes and bright blonde hair were captivating.
ÒLieutenant. WeÕve made orbit
around Tenebrific. Have you completed your preparations?Ó
ÒYes maÕam,Ó the younger
woman replied. ÒHas there been further communication from the freighter?Ó
ÒTheir last communiquŽ
indicated that though they had managed to drive back the Le Vasseur Raiders,
they sustained serious damage and were attempting to make it down to the
planetÕs surface. Our scans have detected the crash site and there are two life
signs. Their communications array was likely damaged, and we have had no contact
with them since they reported initiating emergency entry. Plus the frakked up
atmospheric conditions donÕt help.Ó
ÒThey are unique, ÓVyr-Na
acknowledged. The entire upper atmosphere is a super hurricane rotating in the
same direction as the planetÕs rotation. The lower atmosphere is stable, but it
makes for one hell of a wind shear at the transition point between the two
zones.Ó
ÒWhich is why we cannot send
down the BellerophonÕs
shuttle. ItÕs not rated for those conditions. Those winds would rip the wings
off of it. IÕm afraid that you are going to have to do this the hard way.Ó
ÒNot that hard. IÕll just
drop down there, put the two survivors into a life pod, and haul them up.
Nothing I cannot handle Commander.Ó
ÒIt is a pity those raiders
are long gone though. IÕd love for them to have to engage the Bellerophon. See how they like being outgunned in a
fight for a change.
CHAPTER TWO
The three levels of genetic classes of
Velor:
The first level, Prima, consists of
two sub-levels called P1 and P2. P1 children generally become Protectors while
P2's usually become Scribes of Messengers. A group called P3 informally exists,
but is more properly part of the M-class.
The second major class is Matra, and
it consists of those who will become the professionals of Velor. Engineers,
artists, architects and others who have been selected for creativity and high
intelligence.
The last level Brava is for ordinary
workers, including most of the bureaucrats that make up the government.
--Library of Scribes-
ÒBogey, contact bearing zero-one-five
mark zero-three six. Target angle zero-eight-eight. Range one point six million
kilometers and closing. Speed point five cee!Ó
ÒWhy didnÕt we detect them before now,Ó
the Commander demanded!Ó They are right on top of us!Ó
ÒOne point four million kilos and
closing! Target was powered down and adrift Commander Le
Vasseur, Raiders often use that tactic. Letting their prey come to them and
then taking them by surprise,Ó the Tactical Officer reported.
ÒWell, we are about to ruin
their day. X.O*. Set condition one!Ó
ÒSet condition one, aye
maÕam,Ó the second in command acknowledged, removing a microphone from its
cradle.Ò General quarters, general quarters! All hands man your battle
stations. Set material condition ZEBRA throughout the ship. Now set general
quarters!Ó
ÒTAO.**Threat
assessment?Ó
ÒItÕs an old Corillian gunship. Class two
lasers. Six short range comet missiles. Sensors do not detect any nuclear
capability.Ó
ÒA gunship? They are making a run at the Bellerophon with a gunship?Ó
ÒZebra time plus one,Ó a disembodied
voice came from a speaker in the ceiling.
ÒHull plates polarized.Ó
ÒWeapons systems activeÓ
ÒTorpedoes readyÓ
ÒTwo more bogeyÕs detected,Ó the TAO
interrupted.
ÒWhere,Ó the Commander demanded!
ÒComing in from over the north magnetic
pole. They were hidden there. Powered down letting the planetÕs magnetic field
shield their mass from our sensors.Ó
ÒZebra, time plus two,Ó the voice from
the speaker announced.
ÒFrack! Two more bogies. Coming in from
the south magnetic pole. We are tracking five, I say five hostiles. Closing
fastÓ, the Tactical officer reported.
ÒRecall Lieutenant Vyr-Na,Ó the Commander
ordered. ÒGet our Protector back up here! Now! Break Orbit. Course
zero-zero-six! Full impulse! We need some elbow room!Ó
ÒSetting course zero zero six,Ó the
helmsman responded.
ÒTheyÕre jamming us! TheyÕre jamming. I
canÕt get a signal out. Short range and long range are both blocked,Ó the
communications officer reported.
ÒZebra time plus three---material
condition zebra is set throughout the ship!Ó
ÒHang on everyone,Ó Commander Qur-ik,Ó
told her bridge crew. ÒItÕs going to be a bumpy ride!Ó
*executive officer
** tactical officer
CHAPTER THREE
ÒProtectors, more formally named
Planetary Protectors, are the most physically adept of Velorians and they are
always born of genetic class P1. They are invariably female as only the female
gender is capable of the levels of strength and resistance to injury, not to
mention energy storage. Protector genes are selected for quiet (but not
necessary deep) intelligence, versatility and resourcefulness, strength,
endurance and profound resistance to injury. Their superior genetics affords
them nearly total invulnerability to all known physical hazards when off their
home worlds. They are also chosen for bravery and a willingness to engage in
lethal combat, the later trait having been largely bred out of anyone not
possessing Prima-class genetics.Ó
--Library of Scribes-
Protector Vyr-Na descended
down through beyond hurricane force winds. The hundred year cycle storm seemed
almost a living thing, determined to make the young blonde yield to its power.
The superwoman however was on a mission and would not be deterred, and she made
the necessary adjustments in her flight path to keep her heading toward the
damaged space freighter.
Suddenly breaking through the
upper cloud layer, the winds violently shifted to the opposite direction,
catching Vyr-Na off guard. She tumbled ferociously out of control, rolling backwards
head over heels for several seconds; the super-stormÕs sudden reversal taking
her dozens of miles off of her intended course.
ÒNow THAT was unpleasant,Ó
she thought to herself, as she stabilized, then pushed forward and continued
her descent.
Without warning she would hit
wind shear, driving her downward at hundreds of miles per hour, only to then
enter an updraft which would shove the Velorian upward again. Again and again
she corrected for the unpredictable weather, doggedly continuing her journey.
Visibility was poor, and she was almost on the crash site before seeing it. The
entire forward section of the vesselÕs hull was split, exposing its interior to
the hostile surface conditions. The stern however, appeared intact, and it was
there, if there were still survivors, she expected to find them.
Vyr-Na entered and closed the
airlock door behind her, feeling a bit anxious as it cycled—equalizing
the atmosphere to match the interior of the stricken vessel. It took nearly a
minute, then the inner door opened and she stepped into engineering, where she
discovered not the two crew members she expected, but four armored men pointing
rather nasty looking high tech rifles at her.
ÒWhat the hell,Ó Vyr-Na said
in disbelief? ÒBoys. Unless those guns are made of chocolate, IÕd advise you to
put them down, and then someone can tell me what the frack is going on here.
Cause, if keep pointing them at me, I am going to make you eat them!Ó
* * *
In Orbit
ÒThey have locked on to us.
Incoming missiles, multiple vectors,Ó the Tactical Officer reported as calmly.
ÒPoint defense
systems—take them out,Ó the Commander ordered! Hellfire missiles tubes
one and two. Target the closest of the hostiles and fire! What are we facing?
Identify bogies!Ó
ÒOne bulk cruiser and a
frigate coming in from the northern pole. Two frigates approaching from the
southern region. A short range gunship closing bearing zero-four-seven,Ó the
Tactical Officer responded.
ÒPulse cannon fire for
effect. Set the close in weaponÕs systems for auto fire,Ó the Commanding
Officer ordered. ÒRaiders donÕt have these kinds of resources,Ó she said,
directing her comment to the executive officer. ÒI donÕt know what is really
going on here, but whatever it is, it isnÕt good.
The Bellerophon shuddered as it began taking hits. Its Vendorian steel hull remained
intact, resisting the impacts that were occurring with greater frequency and
accuracy as the enemy vessels drew closer. The two ships coming in from above
the planetÕs equator and the two others from below, with the planet itself
behind them, severely limited the options for the Bellerophon to maneuver.
ÒVyr-Na is going to be on her own for a
little while,Ó Commander Qur-ik said. ÒWhich seems to be the plan. Helmsman,
set a near miss course past the gunship. Flank speed! Tactical-use the
long-range weapons to keep the ÔheaviesÕ off our ass, and direct the close in
weapons systems against the gunship when they get in range.
ÒAll ahead flank aye,Ó the helmsman
acknowledged. ÒAdjusting heading to course two, six eight, mark four four two.Ó
ÒWhose ships are those? I need
identification,Ó the Commander ordered.
ÒAll four ships are Arion design,Ó the
tactical officer reported. All are obsolete and no longer in service in the
Arion fleet. These old ships were mostly decommissioned, but a number of them
were sold to some of the non-aligned worlds. Governments who want or who need
military capabilities beyond their own technology.
ÒGreat. They could be from any one of a
dozen worlds on the rim then,Ó the commanding officer lamented. ÒWell, letÕs
get out of here so we can get back. Something is going on down on the planetÕs
surface,Ó Qur-ik surmised, Òand I want to know just what the hell that is!Ó
* * *
Planetside
Vyr-Na was taken off of her feet by the coordinated
attack of the team of armored men. All four weapons struck her in the chest
simultaneously, slamming her violently into the thick casing of the ships
number one main engine..
ÒNunnnng,Ó Vyr-Na grunted, as her
invulnerable body struck unyielding metal. While she was uninjured, her landing
was awkward, and she had no time to recover before the Assault Team opened fire
again, highly accurate gun fire finding its mark. Round after round of spent
uranium projectiles struck her, with a periodic armor piercing round in the
mix..
Her four assailants professionally took
position in the cramped engineering space, utilizing the equipment for cover,
pressing their assault. The concentration of firepower directed at the blonde
woman was terrifying, and the sounds deafening in the enclosed space of the
engine room.
The Velorian Protector pressed her hand
against a bulkhead, and rose to her full height of two meters. With their
element of surprise spent, she now easily repelled the attack, rounds bouncing
harmlessly off of her invulnerable skin – some tearing through delicate instruments and some
ricocheting wildly off of the engine room bulkheads and heavier equipment.
ÒI told you what was going to happen if
you opened fire,Ó she said, as she almost casually moved in the direction of
her nearest attacker. ÒThe first one who tells me what this is all about gets
to keep their spleen.Ó
Almost as if in reply, all four men
discarded their weapons, each snatching up a bulky, almost primitive looking
assault rifle. The weapon had a short flat rectangular barrel with a slit at
the end in place of the traditional round pipe shaped configuration. It had a
bulky magazine, and made a Òchink-chink-chink-chink-chinkÓ sound as it rapidly
fired thin coin sized disks at the woman.
Dozens of the razor sharp projectiles
found their mark by the second, shredding the VelorianÕs uniform. Rounds that
missed their mark sliced through pipes and equipment, or became embedded in the
walls. Those that did strike, however, did not so much as scratch her skin.
From the waist up, the Velorian warrior
was nearly naked. Remnants of her costume hung from her arms and shoulders,
leaving most of her upper body exposed. Her breasts seemed to defy gravity, and
her unblemished skin had a slightly golden tan to it. As a Velorian Protector,
she was genetically engineered perfection, inside and out.
ÒMy turn,Ó Lieutenant Vyr-Na announced.
CHAPTER FOUR
Only females can become Protectors
because of their more efficient muscles and greater energy storage. Given the
prodigious appetite that their super-human physiques have for energy to power
their muscles, what was formally the female mammary gland has been modified to
serve as an energy storage organ instead of a lactating organ. Other fatty
tissues of their body also store orgone energy for later use, but unless a male
is greatly overweight (essentially unheard of for a Velorian), a female will be
able to carry far greater energy.
--Library of Scribes-
Again the Bellerophon shuddered as another missile made it past the point
defense systems and detonated against the hull.
ÒBogies one and two are closing,Ó the
Tactical Officer reported. ÒTarget angle zero-five-five. Bogies three and have
changed course, and are taking a flanking position.Ó
ÒVery well,Ó the Commanding Officer
acknowledged.
ÒWhat the frack is this all about,Ó the
Executive Officer asked?Ó While he knew there would be no definitive answer, he
somehow felt the need to vocalize his confusion.
ÒThey are pushing us away from the planet,Ó
the senior officer replied. ÒTrying to isolate our Protector maybe?Ó
ÒWho ever they are. And what would they gain by isolating the
Lieutenant?Ó
ÒHell if I know. Who ever they are, their
ships are too old and obsolete to be in service in the Arion fleet, and too
advanced to be Raiders,Ó the BellerophonÕs C.O. noted. ÒAnd only an insane person would deliberately antagonize
a Protector.Ó
Moving over to the tactical station, she
scanned the displays with an experienced eye. ÒHas the gunship adjusted its course
to get out of our way yet?Ó
ÒNo MaÕam,Ó the TAO responded. ÒWe are
closing on Bogie fiveÓ
As if on cue the automated short range
weapons began firing on the smaller vessel.
ÒSomethingÕs not right. Whoever is on
that boat has got to know weÕre going to run over them. They should be pissing
on themselves trying to get out of our way. Unless itÕsÉÓ
ÒA trap,Ó the Executive Officer finished
the thought.
ÒHelm, hard starboard! Adjust course to
put as much distance from Bogie Five as you can. Emergency flank speed..Ó
ÒChanging course to zero three zero
relative,Ó the helmsman acknowledged.
ÒVery well. LetÕs hope that itÕs not
tooÉÓ
The captain never finished her sentence.
The ceiling above suddenly exploded downward and the BellerophonÕs bridge shattered. Then almost as violently, the
atmosphere vented into open space, drawing most of the bridge crew into the
hard vacuum of infinity. A heart beat later, if there had been any hearts still
beating, everything went pure white as another; now silent explosion filled the
airless command center of the Velorian Cruiser.
When the Bellerophon changed course, it cued the heavily modified gunship
to open fire point blank with twelve short range missiles. The phalanx
overwhelmed the warshipÕs defensive capabilities and warhead after warhead
detonated against the hull, striking the same point again and again, until the
hull plating was compromised. While the attack was devastating to the BellerophonÕs bridge, the remainder of the vessel to be
relatively undamaged, though main power failed, leaving the vessel adrift and
tumbling through the void.
CHAPTER FIVE
Velorian Protector Strength: The first
insertion of genetic enhancement was intended to increase the VelorianÕs
strength. Then the tendons and ligaments were similarly strengthened, and the
nature of their bones was changed by replacing the calcium matrix with an
allotropic form of diamond.
Retinal projection: This trait,
adapted into the invulnerable eyes of a Velorian, requires a great deal of
energy to be channeled up the superconducting optic nerve to the eye, enabling
the rods and cones to become emitters instead of receptors. Measuring in the
megawatt range, it is capable of melting solid steel in seconds, and rock in
tens of seconds. Energy depletion, however, is a serious problem if this
ability is used too frequently
--Library of Scribes-
The fingers of Lieutenant Vyr-NaÕs left
hand were embedded in the chest plate of her assailantÕs armor, holding the
struggling figure immobile. Her hair flailed about wildly as her right fist
hammered again and again against the alloyed shell, stress fractures growing to
cracks, and cracks becoming splits.
The other three members of his team were
frantically firing round after round into her. Energy bolts crackled uselessly
across her perfectly formed back, while the projectiles ricocheted off of
indestructible skin. When her opponentÕs screams fell silent, and his struggles
ceased; she released her grip letting his inert form drop to the deck with a
metallic ÔclankÕ.
ÒI told you what I was going to do if you
pulled the trigger,Ó she said to the remaining three. The ProtectorÕs voice had
an unidentifiable quality to it. Not anger. Not pleasure. But it was real and
it was chilling.
ÒFall back!Ó The closest of the remaining
attackers gave a hand signal and all three ceased firing and began their
retreat.
ÒYouÕve got a chain of command. Good.
Always nice to know who has the answers to my questions,Ó Vyr-Na said pointing
to the man who gave the retreat command.
Lunging forward with inhuman speed, she
struck him front dead center, just below the ribcage, with the palm of her
hand. He was taken off of his feet, the blow sending him flying backwards. He
struck a bulkhead violently, and dropped to the floor, where he lay unmoving.
ÒWho is next,Ó she asked? Tweedle Dumb?
Or Tweedle Dumber?Ó
Seeing their leader go down so quickly
seemed to break the discipline of the remaining pair, and they almost tripped
over each other in their efforts to distance themselves from the half naked
blonde. Despite their best efforts the Lieutenant grabbed the one closest to
her by the back of his neck, casually flipping him backwards over her shoulder.
Her enemy went tumbling head over heels through the air
slamming violently into a cryo-fluid storage tank, rupturing its walls. Super
cold liquids spewed onto Vyr-NaÕs bare skin, quickly filling the room with a
thick fog, and freezing the moisture in the air, making it snow inside the
engine room. Within seconds the visibility in the forward half of the engine
room went to zero.
The last of the assault team dropped to
one knee, and brought his weapon up to his shoulder, tracking back and forth,
occasionally firing blindly into the cloud of moisture. ÒShe cannot have
survived that,Ó he said to himself. ÒNo one can survive something like that.Ó
Suddenly twin beams of energy lanced out
of the artificial blizzard, striking the rifle, causing it to overheat and
explode. The weaponÕs proximity to the armored manÕs head combined with the
force of the explosion immediately rendered him unconscious. Had he remained
functional, he may have appreciated the superior visual acuity of the Velorian
as well as what the layman often refers to as, heat vision.
Stepping out of the mist, Lieutenant
Vyr-Na was completely white. With each movement large flakes of ice cracked and
fell from her body, shattering into smaller pieces as they struck the deck
plates. A thin white vapor drifted off of her skin as the moisture in the air
came into contact with her super cold flesh. Despite the horrific cold the
blonde was not only uninjured, but seemed almost unaware of the severe
environment from which she was emerging.
ÒVery good Protector,Ó a very masculine
voice boomed in the enclosed space of the engine room. ÒMost impressive. I
cannot tell you how pleased I am at how quickly you dispatched my men. I so
often find myself disappointed when a person falls short of their reputation.
It is most gratifying when I see someone live up to my expectations.Ó
ÒI am so glad that I have been able to
please you today,Ó Vyr-Na replied sarcastically to the figure looking down on
her from the upper level catwalk.
ÒI doubt that is true Velorian.
Interesting though how prophetic your words are. I will have to remind you of
them later.Ó
ÒSetting aside your delusions of grandeur
for a moment,Ó the blonde replied, Òjust who the frack are you, and why this
elaborate ploy?Ó
ÒOh please forgive me my manners,Ó he
answered. ÒIntroductions are in order. I am Imperator Ursik. Though you shall
be calling me by an entirely different title soon enough. And as for my
motivations? They will be made known in their own time, I assure you.Ó
CHAPTER SIX
Velorians are universally blonde
(although the exact shade can vary day to day depending on energy absorption
levels), phenomenally fit, and their skin appears to have a permanent golden
tan. Their eyes are usually a brilliant shade of blue, sometimes with an
aquamarine or violet accent, their eyes seemingly glowing with their own light.
Green eyes are a genetic defect that have been observed a handful of times over
the last thousand years, but such VelorianÕs generally do not survive the
birthing process as they are considered flawed
--Library of Scribes-
Lieutenant Vyr-Na took a moment to assess
the man looking down on her from the catwalk. Imperator Ursik stood at least
two meters in height with a broad chest, and shoulders. The corded muscles in
his forearms were pronounced, easily visible to even to someone without the
VelorianÕs enhanced vision. He wore a dull metal breastplate over his upper
torso, and metallic half gloves that covered his hands just past his knuckles,
leaving his fingers exposed.
UrsikÕs long black hair was tied into a
ponytail, and his perfectly white teeth formed a smile that projected no
warmth. He wore a full goatee with moustache. His skin was deeply tanned, and
he projected the appearance of a physically powerful man who spent a great deal
of time outdoors.
UrsikÕs eyes however, were his most
striking, and his most unnerving, feature. Black on black. From the whites of
his eyes which were actually inky black, to the only slightly less black
eyeballs locked onto the Protectors vibrant green ones.
ÒI cannot express how much I have looked
forward to this moment Velorian,Ó his voice boomed. ÒYour life as you have
known it before now is dead. I am your Master. You will soon refer to me as
such. You will kneel at my feet and will obey me without question.
ÒYou canÕt be serious? Who really talks
like that,Ó Vyr-Na replied sarcastically. I mean. You are WAY over the top.
Have you been reading, ÔHow to be a Super VillainÕ or something? You set all this up to capture me,
and then speak like a character from some B holo-vid?Ó
ÒYou flatter yourself.Ó UrsikÕs voice
expressed no more emotion than if he were ordering dinner. ÒMy interest in you
is no more than recreational. Some powerful men relieve their stress by
hunting. Others relax by keeping a harem, or concubine. I prefer to combine the
two concepts. And I assure you. I do not practice catch and release.Ó
Taking a few steps down the walkway to
gain a better view of the blonde woman below, he continued. ÒYou are merely a
distraction. An indulgence I am allowing myself while the true genius of my
plan is executed. The capture of a Velorian ship of the line.Ó
ÒThe Bellerophon,Ó Vyr-Na asked, suddenly serious?Ò What do you mean?
What are you planning?Ó
ÒI have done more than merely planned
Protector. Events are in motion. By now my elite troops have taken the, Bellerophon. They have boarded and secured what is left of it as
well as any surviving crew. It is mine. They are mine. You are mine.Ó
Vyr-Na felt a sudden panic sink to the
bottom of her stomach like a chunk of lead. The man was obviously deranged.
This type of insanity, along with the resources he had demonstrated so far, was
extremely dangerous. She was reasonably certain that the Bellerophon had not actually been captured, and this was an idle
boast on his part. But it was possible that Bellerophon had sustained damage if he had made such an attempt.
There may even have been casualties.
ÒI donÕt have time to play games with
you,Ó Vyr-Na said. All levity was gone from her voice now. ÒThis is over. You
hear me? Over!Ó
Flexing her legs she launched into
flight, rocketing toward Ursik like a guided missile. About a quarter of the
way across the expanse however she felt herself slam into an invisible wall.
Her first thought was that she had impacted a force field. That impression was
immediately replaced by confusion as she felt herself being dragged downward,
impacting the deck with a hard metallic BANG.
ÒGravity,Ó Ursik said. ÒYou have entered
an intense artificially generated gravity field. What you are experiencing is a
direct result of my intellect. The genius of Imperator Ursik.Ó
The half naked woman remained motionless
on the floor for several moments, then, with a grunt, rolled over face down.
Placing both of her palms on the warped deck plates, her biceps swelled
slightly as she pressed off of the deck and slowly she came to her feet.
Standing fully erect her blonde hair was pulled downward, all of its body and
bounce negated by the effect of the gravity field.
ÒAn interesting trick, but IÕm still
standing,Ó Vyr-Na replied, as she slowly backed up toward the entry point.
ÒIt is far more than thatÓ, Ursik
answered. Stepping casually off of the upper catwalkÕs grating, he slowly
drifted down to the lower level, and effortlessly walked toward the Velorian.
ÒThere is no point in trying to retreat
back to what you erroneously believe to be a boundary to normal gravity. The
field is centered on you now. It is going to stay with you like your own
shadow,Ó he informed her.
ÒA field we both occupy,Ó she pointed
out, swinging a roundhouse toward UrsikÕs head.
ÒBut not one we share equally,Ó he
replied as her fist struck an invisible barrier between them, leaving him
untouched.
CHAPTER SEVEN
--Library of Scribes-
The Velorian ProtectorÕs fist delivered
enough power to shatter granite as it impacted against the protective barrier
between her and Ursik. Vyr-Na was of course capable of delivering a massively
more powerful blow, but she did not want her opponentÕs blood spewing on her by
having her hand smash through his skull; so she used what she estimated to be
just enough power to crack it open without exiting the back of his head.
To her surprise however her punch
impacted short of its target by mere millimeters. There was a subtle
ÔshimmeringÕ effect where her fist struck, leaving her arrogant opponent
untouched.
ÒAgain,Ó he boasted, Òwitnesses the
genius of Ursik!Ó With surprising speed and dexterity for a man of his
considerable mass, Ursik delivered a powerful one-two combination; catching
Vyr-Na in the chin sending her stumbling back two steps. With her enhanced
eyesight and reflexes, she had seen the punch coming, but had been slowed by
the gravity field just enough that she failed to evade the blows. When his fist
struck her face, she felt a Ôkinetic kickÕ of sorts—an effect she
attributed to the unusual gloves the man wore. It was also apparent that the
gravity field which pulled against the statuesque blonde, was having no effect
whatever on her opponent.
ÒWitness this,Ó the Protector replied as
she leapt forward delivering a much more powerful blow to his chest. There was
a loud ÔKRAKÕ sound as her fist struck center mass, and his protective shield
glowed brightly with deep ripples passing over his torso. The powerful man was
taken off of his feet and was thrown violently back four meters, his flight
abruptly terminated when he impacted the bulkhead. His personal shield remained
intact however, and it took him but moments to regain his footing and
composure.
Imperator Ursik was actually smiling as a
very determined Vyr-Na purposefully strode toward him, now ignoring the
gravitational forces pulling against her. She had adjusted to the change in her
environment and other than its effect on her appearance, pulling at her hair
and tattered clothing, she showed no sign that the increased gravity was an
issue for her any longer.
ÒFinally,Ó he bellowed. His rich voice filling the room.
ÒFinally a challenge has been presented by someone worthy of me!Ó Taking a
defensive stance, he turned slightly to the side, minimizing the amount of his
body exposed to the approaching blonde. His black inky eyes were locked on hers
as she closed the distance, as he continued to smile. His left hand came down
to his belt, and he pressed one of four studs on the buckle, his unblinking
eyes never breaking contact with hers.
Immediately Vyr-na felt the already
massive gravity pulling against her increase dramatically. Her body began a
subtle transformation as she drew upon her energy reserves. Muscle tone became
more pronounced. Her biceps more defined. Her calf muscles more cut, as still
she doggedly continued her march on Ursik.
ÒDo you know what the problem with force fields are,Ó she
asked? ÒThey require massive amounts of energy in order to maintain their
integrity. Sooner or later, and I am betting sooner, your battery is going to
run down. When that happens there is going to be nothing to stop me from
expediting an introduction to your chosen deity!Ó
Clenching both hands together into a
single fist, Vyr-Na swung an incredibly powerful blow from left to right across
her enemyÕs face. Again his shield flared brightly, waves rippling through the
energy field as Ursik staggered back. Pressing forward, she struck again bringing
her clenched fists back from right to left, and rapidly back again, driving her
opponent backwards. ÒItÕs just a matter of time and itÕs over for you!Ó
CHAPTER EIGHT
Vyr-Na violently hammered at UrsikÕs
personal force shield subjecting it to almost immeasurable forces. Each of her
blows caused the field to flare brightly, with ripples spreading out from each
point of impact. So rapid and intense was the assault, that the previous
distortion did not have time to disperse before another, and yet another would
form.
Inside the protective barrier the
heads-up-display (HUD), which was projected against, and was only visible
within the field, was unreadable due to these distortions. Even without access
to the data, Ursik knew the assault against his force shield would soon take it
to its limits. It was critical to get his opponent to break off her offensive
to give it time to cycle. To allow these forces to be equally distributed
across its entire surface where they would bleed off harmlessly.
Pressing the control on his belt again,
time itself seemed to slow as the gravitational forces increased exponentially.
Each succeeding punch the Velorian delivered took a fraction of a second longer
than the one before it. The denser air visibly pulsed as Vyr-NaÕs fist plowed
through making it undulate in sync with her now slowing attack.
ÒYouÉcantÉ<gasp> last much
longerÉnow,Ó she wheezed; her voice distorted and deeper in the pressurized
air.
ÒIn this, as in most things the
Protectorate interlopes in,Ó Ursik answered, Òyou are most wrong.Ó In a move
that defied a man of his immense size, Ursik moved out of the way of the
blondeÕs next swing with the grace of a dancer—obviously still unaffected
by the forces at work against his opponent.
ÒCan you feel it yet? ItÕs not just your
arms and legs you know. Not just the skin and hair and clothing that the
gravity is pulling against. It is your internal organs as well. You can feel it
squeezing your heart can you not? Crushing your lungs? One cannot help but
wonder what effect it is having on your kidneys.
The young Velorian, now drawing fully on
her energy reserves, was physically transformed by the process. Orgone fueled
muscles became fully defined. Muscle on top of muscle became visible, and her
skin almost seemed to glow as she bulked up under the demand for more strength.
ÒInstead of wondering about the inner
me,Ó Vyr-na replied, determined not to confirm the accuracy of his assessment
of her situation, Òlet me give you something more important to occupy your small
mind.Ó
Twin beams of her heat vision lashed out
from her eyes, striking the massive man at chest level. The dense air rapidly
expanded, and then collapsed in on itself, creating a deafening thunderclap as
the air was split by tremendous heat, followed by the vacuum filling itself
violently.
Energy rolled angrily off of the
protective barrier with tendrils erupting and twisting, resembling miniature
solar flares rising from its surface. His force field flared brighter than
ever, and it seemed for a moment that its failure would take only a few
seconds.
The sounds of the downed starshipÕs
fusion reactors could be heard screaming in the distance through thick
bulkheads. Then, just when it seemed that it could withstand no more, and the
womanÕs strategy was going to bear fruit, UrsikÕs force field stabilized
leaving him safe inside it.
In her minds eye she had seen a gaping
hole in his chest where his heart used to be. She had imagined his blood
boiling away, with smoke and steam drifting out from the wound. The reality of
her opponent weathering the attack gave her pause, and she suddenly felt her
confidence wavering. Still, Vyr-Na pressed the attack, reaching deep within and
redoubling her efforts to overwhelm his defenses with her retinal projection abilities.
Ursik showed no outward sign of alarm or
concern as the assault on his defenses continued, despite the data on his heads
up display informing him of just how serious his situation was. And it was
getting more so with every passing second. Not only was his force field, or as
he referred to it his electromagnetic armor, being strained to its limits; so
were the three dedicated shipÕs fusion generators being clandestinely used to
supplement his force fieldÕs power supply.
ÒTime to end this,Ó he announced in a
confident voice, increasing the gravity field to its full density, subjecting
the Velorian Protector to itÕs maximum and horrible potential. The remaining
five of the vessels generators joined the first three in a harmonious shriek of
protest as they delivered more power than their designers had ever intended
them to provide. It was everything or nothing for Ursik. Total victory or utter
defeat. It was his most thrilling hunt to date.
To an observer though, he watched with a
detached and almost clinical demeanor as her heat vision suddenly stopped, and
the blonde staggered under the horrific gravity field. The heavy metal casings
of the ships engines began to twist and distort. Loose items were drawn to her.
Debris, equipment, and even the unmoving armored form of one of her earlier
opponents were drawn toward her, all crushed or compressed as they approached.
Vyr-na, a Velorian Protector, and one of
the strongest sentient beings to ever live, stood frozen for a moment, then was
pulled to the warped deck despite her determination to remain standing. She
caught herself on her hands and knees, her powerful biceps straining and
quivering in defiance of what she refused to accept as a greater force. Steam
rose from her skin, only to be drawn down by the abominable gravity. The veins
in her arms, legs and neck were distended, and every muscle in her body was cut
and defined. She was physical, visual perfection. And she was on her knees
before Ursik.
The situation was as unbelievable as it
was humiliating to her.
Gravity at levels that nothing living had
ever survived pulled downward upon her, and what was left of her uniform was
ripped from her body, revealing all of her to her enemy. Her efforts to raise
her head to ascertain his position only brought excruciating pain to the back
of her neck. Her view was limited to the remnants of her costume on the floor
and her hands, which she could see cracking the metal deck plates beneath her.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered about the paradox of how much
force it took to put her in this position, yet she was not pulled through the
floor. How was it that the deck did not collapse under this much gravity?
Her hair felt like it was being pulled
out by the roots and her arms began trembling uncontrollably as she struggled
bring herself erect. The toes of a pair of black boots came into her limited
field of vision, placing Ursik only inches from her now. But given her
situation it may have well as been a kilometer, with her inability to move her
arms without being dragged face down into the diamond-patterned deck below her.
ÒYou are in the unique situation to
appreciate this,Ó he told her as he removed a collar crafted from the purest
gold from a pouch strapped to his leg. ÒMy metallurgists have created this for
you .It is impossible to remove any further impurities from the metal. Your
collar has been made from the purest virgin gold that can be produced, and it
was created specifically for you.
As Ursik placed the collar around her
neck Vyr-Na felt her strength fail with alarming speed. It took just seconds to
fade completely and she was brutally driven downward. For a moment she was
award of every square inch of her body being crushed within an unyielding
fist---then nothing as the world went black.
CHAPTER NINE
Soldier had had no sense of movement as
the breaching pod he rode fell through space, guided by the most basic of
navigation systems. With no window to look out from, he lacked the means to
sense its movement until the final moments when the braking engine would fire.
Neither he, nor the thirty-nine other men
in the pod showed any sign of apprehension for what was about to happen. No one
fidgeted. None of the men seated in the small uncomfortable chairs that ran
along the walls of the conveyance displayed a nervous habit. No one made eye
contact. NobodyÕs heart raced in anticipation. The only sound that broke the
eerie silence was an occasional maneuvering thruster firing with a hard
ÒTHUMPH.Ó
No one spoke.
Soldier was not always known simply as
ÔsoldierÕ. Just five days earlier he had gone by the name Desco and he had
worked the family farm. Just as his father and his grandfather before him.
Desco had a girl he intended to marry as soon as they both came of age. He had
been concerned that it was going to rain before they could harvest the crop,
but even more so that his belovedÕs father would somehow find out just how much
ÔinterestÕ he had actually shown in his daughter.
But that was before he had been
conscripted into the where he immediately began the standard three days of recruit training.
Desco received his surgical implant, was fitted for the standardized
auto-injectors. After a solar day to heal, basic training was uploaded into the
chip now embedded into his brain .Day three was spent with the quartermaster
where he was equipped and the reservoirs for his injectors were filled. By day
three Desco was gone, replaced by Soldier.
The pod, designated two of three
performed its programmed roll over maneuver to achieve proper orientation,
which was immediately followed by its braking engine Ôlighting offÕ.
Soldier felt his body weight triple, and
seconds later the heavy impact of the barely space worthy craft slamming into
the hull of the Velorian warship. Explosive charges fired anchoring pitons into
the skin of the targeted ship where upon a system of winches, cables, and
hydraulics pulled it tightly against the outside of the vessel. Once anchored
and in position shaped charges detonated; breaching the hull of the Bellerophon.
The inside of the space-borne personnel
carrier filled with acidic smelling smoke, as Soldier and the rest of the
boarding party poured through the opening just created. He heard the sounds of
two more distant THUMPHS, which his implant identified as the audio signature
indicating the arrival of the two other breaching pods. He quickly mustered
with three other men, each of which he simply identified also as Soldier.
Soldier knew they needed to be away from
the entry point and spread out before shipÕs force could organize a response.
From his basic training he knew this would give them a tactical advantage. The
enemy would have to divide itself into smaller units, or perhaps even
individuals to deal with a disbursed invading force inside their vessel. It was
important that they as invaders did not engage at a chokepoint where their
enemy could concentrate on a counter offensive.
Ten teams, consisting of four men each,
quickly spread out. With three pods, this allocated one hundred twenty
ÒsoldiersÓ to hunt down the surviving nineteen Bellerophon
crewmembers. Soldier carried his weapon exactly as he had been trained. He was
an expert marksman, and was totally familiar with every aspect of every piece
of the small arsenal he carried. Possessing the battle experience of the past whom his implant had been
placed into before him, Soldier was already a hardened combat veteran.
He heard the struggle before he saw her. A blonde female was
engaged in combat with another of the ÔQuadsÕ. He immediately ascertained that
she was not a Protector, but still classified her threat assessment as high. He
was no longer capable of appreciating the oxymoronic nature of referring to any
Velorian as ordinary, so Soldier instead made a very precise assessment of her
abilities and her limitations. Even the most ordinary of Velorians, are
stronger, faster, and more resilient than most any other species in the
galaxy—including his own.
The Velorian was putting up a fierce
fight even when the odds suddenly shifted to eight to one against her. Soldier
was just bringing his weapon to bear, when the woman hurled an oblong piece of
machinery approximately a meter and a half in length at him, which despite his
now enhanced reflexes and speed caught him in the left shoulder, shattering
bone.
There was a blinding pain and his vision
went to red, as auto-injectors mixed then administered a potent combination of
drugs from his armorÕs reservoirs. The pain, numbness and shock had not yet
taken hold when it was interrupted, and the wounded regained the use of his arm despite compound fractures and
milk white bone sticking out of a gash in his composite armor.
With no discernable delay, Soldier again
brought his modified assault rifle to bear, placing the battling blonde in his
sights. Without conscious thought he paused his breathing and gently squeezed
the trigger, the report of the weapon deafening in the enclosed space. Gold
filaments with minute particles of cutting diamonds embedded in them struck the
woman, entangling her.
The effect, while not immediate, was
rapid. As the shocked woman struggled against her assailants, more and more of
her clothing shredded. Unlike a Velorian ProtectorÕs uniform, hers was not
designed for combat and it was sliced to ribbons by the tiny diamond particles.
Contributing to her rapidly deteriorating situation, the more of her skin that
became exposed to the gold filaments the weaker she became.
The woman was hit by a second weapon, and
then a third. Soldier knew that they were going to be victorious in this
skirmish. Still the enemy remained verbally defiant and continued her vigorous
resistance, despite the now irrevocable shift in the balance of power. Both
quads descended upon her like a pack of lupus forcing the woman to the deck.
Soldier unclipped the orgone generator
from his belt, and thumbed the device on at its maximum intensity It was an
older design. A remnant from an earlier age. Rod shaped and six inches in
length--three inches in diameter it was designed for function, not esthetics.
Desco would have been mortified by the
mere thought of, other than his betrothed, viewing a womanÕs private parts,
much less performing the act of forcing the orgone generator inside her.
Without emotion, Soldier did just that.
The woman screamed as her senses and
nervous system were overwhelmed by the massive amounts of orgone energy
flooding her body. Far more than was necessary to incapacitate her. She was
suddenly and uncontrollably sexually aroused, her own ultra-feminine physiology
over stimulated. In mere seconds she had been transformed from a woman fighting
for her life, to one whose need for sexual satisfaction was literally so great,
all she could do was writhe and moan with desire. Her screams and pleas for
relief were echoed throughout the Bellerophon as different versions of this scenario played out again and
again.
CHAPTER TEN
It had been three days since Vyr-Na had
been placed in the wooden crate, with its hinged lid secured with a shackle
lock. Three days of pure hell.
Having succumbed to an obscenely intense
gravity field, her body hurt everywhere. For the entire first day her fingers
and toes ached like they had been crushed in a hydraulic vice, and she felt
like every bone in her body had been individually twisted back and forth in
opposite directions repeatedly. Even her eardrums had been pushed to the
breaking point introducing her to a totally new form of agony.
To further add to her miseries she was
now totally immobilized, and unable to find the slightest relief by
repositioning herself more than inches. Her wrists were manacled tightly
together behind her back, separated by a thick rigid rod only two inches in
length. A set of wide metal cuffs had been placed around her upper arms just
above her elbows connected together by an only slightly longer rod, forcing her
shoulders back and her chest forward. A dull metal band was locked around her
waist with a rigid metal bar running up the center of her back, connecting the
three components together as a single unit.
When she had been forced into the crate
she had been barely able to stand, but two burly men whose sweat smelled of
spoiled meat, had supported her as a short chain was fastened connecting the
back of her collar to an eyebolt sunk into the rear of the shipping container.
Upon its closure, the crate was then reoriented from standing on end to
lengthwise on the deck. What had been the back wall of the wooden box was now
its floor, and the floor became the vertical wall at her feet. Her bound and
already strained arms and shoulders suddenly bore her full body weight as she
lay face up, the eye bolt pressing into the back of the collar, and her neck.
Three times a day the crate would be
opened for just a few minutes. Two of the most unprofessional appearing
soldiers she had ever laid eyes upon kept unfamiliar weapons trained on her as
her gag was removed and she was given one ladle of water to drink. It had a
salty taste to it, and the guards would make a show of spitting into the bucket
before her ration was dipped out. She tried not to think of what else they may
have done to the water.
The girl holding the bucket looked to be
no more than sixteen years of age. She wore a torn and dirty dress that like
its wearer obviously had seen better days. The young girl seemed frightened and
was apologetic, as Vyr-na would eagerly drink the water, which was never enough
to fully satisfy her thirst. The prisonerÕs pleas for more were always denied,
the girl stating in a timid voice that she was only allowed to give each of
them a single serving, and she had to attend to the others quickly. Before the
guards grew impatient, which would result in one of more of the others not
receiving their scheduled ration.
The gag would then be put back in place
and the crate closed, Vyr-na looking into the very young womanÕs eyes, which
seemed to beg for forgiveness as everything would plunge back into the hot,
muggy, darkness.
By the end of what Vyr-na had no way of
knowing was only the second day; she was desperate to be free. Every minute in
the crate seemed endless, and it was followed by another, and yet another such
minute. She silently prayed to the Galen for deliverance, promising to live a
better life if rescue would just come quickly. Then she swore vengeance against
those who had done this to her. Finally she had a renewal of defiance where she
told herself she would not let this break her, only to have it falter and
compromise into where she would just pretend to be broken. The cycle would then
come full circle, with her again praying for rescue whereupon she would deliver
a renewed dedication to her duties and good works.
On the third day following her defeat she
heard the now familiar sound of a metal door being opened and footsteps
approach. This time however instead of the lid to the crate opening, she felt
it being lifted and heard grunting and cursing as an undetermined number of
people hoisted it up. Whoever was carrying the container was careless in their
task. Numerous times the wooden box was jarred violently sending shockwaves
into the cruelly bound Protector inside. Vyr-naÕs mind was drifting in and out
of consciousness preventing her from determining how long, or how far she had
been carried. The sudden sensation of falling refocused her thoughts just
moments before her enclosure was roughly dropped the final few inches to a
metallic deck.
There were scratching sounds as ropes or
straps were dragged over the lid, and she could hear a ÒvwhiippppingÓsound as
they slid over the lid and were tied off securing the crate. The fallen
Protector heard a door or hatch shut, then felt a change of air pressure as it
sealed, followed minutes later by the rumble of reaction engines starting. The
sound of the engines increased to over two hundred decibels and she was just
beginning to fully comprehend that she was inside a shuttle of some sort, when launch
occurred.
Vyr-Na immediately felt her body weight
triple as the forces involved in the sudden acceleration crushed her.
Immediately her memory flashed back to her battle with Ursik, and a feeling of
panic replaced the emotional numbness she had been experiencing the last
twenty-four hours. Fully energized she would scarcely notice three gees of
gravity, but collared and exhausted as she was, three gravities were enough to
squeeze her into unconsciousness again.
Vyr-Na awoke to a cool breeze and the smell
of living air. While the recycled atmosphere on a spacecraft is carefully
filtered, or ÒscrubbedÓ as it is called; there are always remnants of machine
oils, sweat, and the hundreds of other smells that are dumped into the air.
Most are removed, but a minute amount is unavoidably recycled through the
system repeatedly. For anyone who has spent any serious time on a star vessel,
the living air of a planet with its organic ecosystem at work is as
unmistakable as it is welcome.
The sun was bright on her face and the
Protector was squinting as she struggled to cope with the disorientation of her
new surroundings. She was no longer in the transport crate and her bondage with
its many associated discomforts had been greatly reduced. Her wrists were now
manacled closely together in front of her, with a heavy chain running from the
middle three links connecting the wrist cuffs together to an even thicker and
heavier chain locked tightly around her waist. All were cast in gold, and they,
as did her collar, shined brilliantly in the morning sunlight.
Blinking to adjust her eyes, she watched
with some alarm as at least half a dozen crates identical to the empty one near
her were loaded into the cargo area a ground transport.
ÒGood you are awake,Ó came a gruff voice,
disrupting her thoughts. ÒDrink all of this,Ó Ursik ordered dropping a
liter-john of water to the ground next to her. ÒBe sure to empty the canteen.
You are dangerously dehydrated, and I would prefer you not collapse during my
walk of glory.Ó
Vyr-Na wanted to tell him to have
intercourse with himself. She wanted to kick him between his legs and watch him
writhe in agony in the dirt. She wanted to know what the hell he meant by his
walk of glory. But more than these things, she wanted the water.
Her fingers trembled as she uncapped the
container; itÕs outside slippery with condensation. The untainted liquid cooled
her parched throat as she greedily gulped it down, pausing only when she felt a
trickle on the side of her chin. She felt as if she was dying of thirst and she
did not want to let a single drop go to waste. Ursik actually laughed with
amusement when after the bottle was empty, she licked the plastic exterior for
those droplets of water that had formed on its surface.
ÒBring her to a standing positionÓ, the
Imperator ordered! ÒI want to make sure she can still walk.Ó
Two of the guards grabbed her by her
upper arms and roughly dragged her unsteadily to her feet. It was then that she
got the first realization of just how heavy the gold chains binding her
actually were. It took her a few seconds to steady herself, but she was
determined not to fall to the ground at the feet of men whom had used the crate
she was in as a card table, and verbally taunted her while they pounded on itÕs
sides and lid for their amusement.
ÒAgain, it is good to see something live
up to its reputation,Ó Ursik commented as he walked up to her. Despite her
above average height and muscularity, the man clearly was the more physically
imposing of the two of them. She found herself looking up to meet his eye, and
she suddenly came to the realization that she had forgotten, or perhaps failed
to notice in the heat of battle just how big he actually was. He wore a black skintight tunic
that was accented in white in the chest and lower arms. It fit like a second
skin contouring and highlighting his muscular arms and chest. His black pants
were equally form fitting, displaying perfectly formed calves and thighs. ÒA
lesser specimen may have perished on the journey. Or been unable to recover
from being bound for so long,Ó he continued. ÒYou were the luck of the draw so
to speak and it was entirely possible that you may have been the weakest link
in the chain of Protectors patrolling the galaxy.Ó
ÒI am going toÉÓ Vyr-Na started to threaten
angrily.
ÒYou are going to play your part in my
plans,Ó he interrupted, squeezing her face in his powerful hand, middle finger
and thumb pressed painfully into opposite cheeks. You will do nothing more. You
will definitely do nothing less, I assure you!Ó
Nodding to the guards on either side of
the captive, Ursik gave the order, ÒGag her! It is time to proceed.Ó
The blonde struggled ineffectively, her
superhuman abilities held in check by her restraints as a pungent black gag was
forced into her mouth, pressing down on her tongue, flooding it with a pungent
raw rubber taste. It was fastened in place with a brown leather cleave with
straps that ran under her chin, around her cheeks, which was buckled out of
reach behind her head.
Vyr-Na shook her head about, like a dog
trying to dislodge a muzzle, her tangled shoulder length blonde hair, whipping
about wildly. Her angry protests were distorted by the gag and became nothing
more than a series of totally undecipherable grunts. Finally, exhausted by her
tirade, she was forced to stop and she fell silent, breathing hard through her
nose glaring at Ursik.
ÒYou will follow me as I lead you through
the streets of the city to the Public Gardens in the center of town. You will
do this for two reasons. Not because I have ordered it. At this point you feel
it your duty and responsibility to resist me and ultimately thwart me. It is
what you have been trained to do. It is in your conditioning. This is literally
what you were bred to do, though I suppose you prefer the more romantic term, ÔengineeredÕ. I doubt you self image allows for the realization
that in the most important ways, your creation is nothing more than the
technique used for the breeding of a show animal.Ó
None the less, you shall do as I
instruct,Ó Ursik continued as he placed a loop of hemp rope around the blondeÕs
neck, and drew the noose snug. ÒYou will do it, because your conditioning as a
Protector dictates it. This very moment I know how you are watching me.
Observing your surroundings. You are assessing your situation,Ó he continued as
he let out the almost two meters of rope, and tightened his grip on the lineÕs
bitter end, Ôand weighing your options.Õ Waiting for that opportunity. The
longer you are my prisoner you presume the more likely it will be that that I,
or one of those who serve me, will become complacent. Careless. Someone will
make a mistake, and you will be ready to exploit that opportunity. Fortunes do
not favor you at the moment, but you know that these things change. You know it
is just a matter of time, whether it is within the hour, or perhaps weeks; and
you will be in control. And perhaps you are correct.Ó
Vyr-Na felt herself being pulled forward,
the noose tightening on her neck, as her captor began walking. She squelched a
defiant thought where she contemplated just sitting down and refusing to move.
But the contracting rope around her throat alone was reason enough to
reconsider this as an effective form of resistance. He would probably just drag
her through the streets to their destination, and unconscious she would be
unable to observe her surroundings .As much as she hated to admit it, he was
right. She did need to find the opening this madman was ranting about. She
critically needed more information than she had right now. Not the least
important being, where is the rest of the crew of the Bellerophon?
If the packing crates she saw earlier did indeed contain her shipmates, she
could at best only account for six of them. Her first priority was to locate
and free her friends.
Ursik was right. Her time would come.