The gold skimmer

Piper watched the sky of Atmos. The big clouds hung over the wasteland like candy floss. The wind was normal but the sun went down. Piper gazed at her map and studied it. Then she looked up at the controls of the waypoints. "Where could it be?" Piper mumbled a little bit angrily. She looked back to the map. Was it all a fake? Suddenly Piper heard the roar of jet engines. As she looked back a giant ship broke out of the clouds. Piper's breath froze. "Murk Raiders." She finally said. The huge ship was bigger than anything Piper had ever seen. The skull on the front of the ship opened. Over twenty skimmers flew out of it, with Piper as their primary target. Piper moaned slightly at the sight. She accelerated her skimmer and flew away from them. "Girl! You have no chance. Give up!" The enemy skimmers approached her. Two Pilots went to attack Piper directly with their swords. Piper activated her fight stick and shot. The first skimmer exploded. Against the second one Piper had to fight directly. With sword vs. sword, finally Piper cut the wings of the other skimmer away. Piper smiled as the two pilots with their parachutes fell into the wastelands. Piper noticed a noise. When she looked up she saw a gold skimmer. "What's this?" Piper asked. At that moment, the wings of the unknown skimmer began to shine a light blue. Then it released a big blue green energy ball, bigger than Piper's skimmer flying directly towards her. Piper held her arms to protect her face from the light. The wave of energy hit her skimmer and Piper. She was carried out of her seat. The energy flew through her body. Her muscles cramped and she blacked out.

Piper woke. She was in a small dark room lying on the ground. When she tried to get up, she noticed that her arms were tied to her back. Her legs were also tied up and roped to the arms. She tried to free herself but the ropes were too strong. Finally she was able to sit but it was not comfortable. She looked around in her cell. It was dirty and wet. A rat ran on the ground and entered a small hole in the wall. A small light behind a grid in the left corner was the only light in the room, and it was not very strong. The key to the heavy metal door was clicking. The door opened, and a man entered the cell. He was no murk; he was a normal human man, yet he wore the uniform of the Murk Raiders. He was tall, more than 2 meters. On his belt carried a big sword. "Morning little one!" He spoke in a threatening voice. Piper swallowed and he entered the cell. Taking a small wooden chair which was standing in the corner, the man sat down in front of her. He looked at the helpless Piper for a long time until Piper asked him. "Who are you?" "Captain Imram Narnosh. Chief of the Murk raiders!" Piper gasped. She had heard of this man many times. He was a legend, the chief of all Murk Raider pirates. He had fought against the old Cyclonis and won. He also hunted dragons and killed Phoenixes for fun. But then Piper began to giggle. She knew Narnosh was over 70 years of age. But the man standing in front of her was maybe 20 years old. "What's so funny, little one? Your Situation?" "No no! For a short moment you scared me. You're not Imram Narnosh. Imram Narnosh is over 70. He may be dead. Nobody has heard anything from him for years!" The man laughed. "Yes he is so old, but I am also Imram Narnosh!" Piper looked at him. He ridiculed me, Piper thought. "I am Imram Narnosh. Junior! The old man is my Dad!" Piper was not sure what that meant for her but she had a bad feeling in her stomach. "So what you want. Do you know who I am?" "Yes of course, Piper. You're the navigator of the storm Hawks and the best expert for crystals and stuff. Is this right?" Piper pushed herself right away from him. "Y...Yes!" "Good! Now I know I have the right girl." "What?" "Yes I have searched for you for a long time. Then we saw you with your crew at this diner. I sent one of my men over to you with this fake map. You fell so perfectly into my trap. It was too easy." Piper was angry. "For what do you need me?" The man pulled an old piece of paper out of his uniform and showed it to her. "Do you know what this is?" Piper looked at picture of this crystal. "It's a live crystal, but it's a myth. Nobody has ever seen it or used it."

"I want you to make us this crystal, little one!" "What. Did you hear me? It's a myth. The crystal does not exist." "Well so you think. I know it exists, because we have a recipe. But we're unable to make it, and the only two people on Atmos that are able to do that are you and this complete wacky girl, Cyclonis." "And what happens when I don't help you?" He drew his sword and held it at Pipers neck. "That wouldn't be so good for you, little one!"

The Condor flew round the same location where Piper was last seen. "Are you absolute sure?" Aerrow ask the old fisherman. "Yes Storm Hawks. The murk raiders get this girl about four hours ago." "Dude, this is not good!" Aerrow look angry towards Finn, before he asked the fisherman again. "Do you know which direction they flew?" "Yes in this direction." He pointed to the north with his hand. "Ok thanks." "It is an honour to help the Storm Hawks. Good Luck. I have to go back on my ship." "Yes of course." Aerrow went back from the landing platform into the Hangar. "What do they want with Piper?" Finn finally asked. "I don't know. But Piper is a smart girl. What I'm really worried about is this Gold Skimmer. Did Piper finally shoot him down? What if what this old man said was the truth? These things have a gigantic power." They entered the Bridge. Stork was reading his books about the dark history of Atmos. "I have it!" he screamed. "What do you have?" ask Aerrow. "The Gold Skimmer, See." He presented Aerrow with a picture in the book. "Dude, what a nice ride." "Oh yes. But the owner was a Murk raider!" said Stork in a dark voice. Aerrow looked at him. "Who?" "Imram Narnosh! The Master of the Murk raiders." Radarr heard this name and hid behind Aerrow's legs. Aerrow's expression was also dark. "I know the stories. But I thought he died a few years ago?" "Maybe yes. But if that was the real gold Skimmer, Piper is in really big trouble!"

Piper moved and kicked but the ropes moved no centimetre. Her wrist was sore and throbbing. Her legs were damp. She moaned and try again to get the ropes off. There was no change, so Piper gave up. "Great. Next time I'm not flying out that way. Maybe with another person?" She said to herself. She searched the dirty floor after something useful. But only found a paperclip and a knob lying in her cell. Piper tried again to free herself, but again, no moving. "HELP! Can anyone hear me?" she screamed. No answer. "Hello? Help! I was kidnapped!" Piper shook her head. Why should anyone hear her? She was on a ship. Nobody was here, they wouldn't help her. Her situation was bad. Really bad. Piper closed her eyes. She thought of only one thing. Aerrow! She remembered her first date. In a nice Coffee at terra Atmosia. Or on her second date. A Picnic at Terra Tropica. Where is he at the moment? She thought. Something squeaked. Piper opened her eyes and saw the rat again. But now Piper noted it was a mouse. A dog mouse. A little bit like Radarr. "Hey. Can you help me?" The mouse looked at her and tilted its head slightly to the right. "What's going on with me? I ask a mouse for help. I have to get out of here as fast as possible." At this moment the mouse ran to Piper's Back. Seconds later, Piper noted that it was plucking on the ropes. Then the ropes fell off. Piper rubbed her wrists. "Thanks!" the mouse looked straight at her, and then it ran back into the wall. Now it was not very hard do get the ropes from her legs off. Piper walked around in her cell. Maybe somewhere there's hole where she can flee through. She noted that one wall was rusty and old. She threw herself against it. Two times. Then she noted how the wall broke. When Piper looked up. She was laying on a piece of the wall in a corridor. Piper smiled. "Too easy." She stood up, brushed her clothes of any dirt and was ready to leave this place.

Aerrow searched with the binoculars in the sky after Piper. Or something else. Junko came up to him. "We have alarmed all Squads in Atmos. They will come as soon as possible. But many of them are in heavy fights with the Cyclonians." "Yeah, I know. It's really bad." "Did you see anything?" "Nope, only clouds." "Stork says we flew in the unknown areas of Atmos. He warned it could be dangerous." "And when have followed them to the other side. I would do it!" "Aerrow!" Stork walked onto the bridge to address the Captain. "I have an Idea!" "What?" "Yes. Who knows more about the Murk Raiders than anyone else and is stupid enough to give us this information?" Aerrow looks unquestionably to Finn. "No idea!" said Aerrow. "Eyeball!" scream Finn. "Bingo!" "And where is he?" ask Aerrow. "What I know is he plays poker every Thursday in half an hour on Terra Neon." "Good. Stork maximum speed to Terra Neon!"

Piper crept over the corridor of the big ship. She saw many hangers and Soldiers, but nobody noticed her. She was clever and she knew exactly where she could hide. She entered a corridor where nobody else was. Slowly Piper moved forward. Now she was in a small hangar. Only one skimmer stood there. It was the golden one which attacked her. Piper looked at it closer. It was Old, but well in excess. The skimmer had several weapons and four operating plants. "If I escape, I'll get to do it with style!" Piper thought, but the moment she jumped on the ride, she heard a click behind her. "Get her!" Somebody screamed. Two soldiers grabbed Piper and dragged her arms behind her back. "Ow. Let me GO!" she screamed. She felt how her arms were short before they broke. She screamed in pain. The two men roped her arms again, then grabbed one arm and held her. Imram Narnosh came up to her. He smiled, his black hair was hanging in his face.

"I must say I really have underestimated you. You are really smart, but you have no chance of fleeing." "We will see!" Piper snapped back. He smiled. "Take her back to a cell, but this time in a high security one." "Yes Sir!" the two confirmed. "No. let me go you bastards." "Wait!" Narnosh said. The soldiers turned around before they left the room. "I have something for you, little one!" He took a pistol from his belt and aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger. Piper was shot by the crystal energy. Her muscles were immediately numb. She couldn't move any more. Only her head was able to move. But Piper was short for sleep. "This anaesthetic will help so she is silent for the next few hours. Take her to her cell! And Watch her! I need her."

Piper was taken to a new cell. It was not as dirty and old as the last one, but the heavy door was frightening for Piper. There was no light in this cell. The guards sat Piper down, then one took another rope and wrapped it around her upper body. The other took a chain which was fixed on the wall. On the other end was a cuff for a foot. He laid it around Pipers right foot, over her boot and closed it. Then he took a big padlock and locked it. The first was finish wrapping and made a large knot in the rope. "Is she secure?" The first guard asked the second. "Yes. This time she has to cut off her leg to get away!" The two laughed and left Piper alone. The heavy door closed. It was pitching dark. No light or anything else. Not one noise was to be heard. Piper was close to tears. She didn't want to be a hostage. But she had no choice. Only somebody else could help her. She worked against the ropes but they made no movement. The chain was also a problem. Piper stood up and walked around. She noticed this heavy metal thing on her foot. With every single step there was this metal noise. It was terrible.

Arrow, Finn and Junko landed on Terra Neon. They walked between the roller coaster and the candy bars. Finn wanted to go on everything but it was not possible. "There it is!" Junko pointed at this old fisherman bar with the name: "the fish." The boys joined it. It was dirty and sticky. Smoke from cigarettes hung in the air. There was brisk business in there. "Has anybody located him?" ask Aerrow. "Yes, 11 o'clock" Answered Finn and held is hand at Eyeball. He sat on a table with some other guys and was playing poker. He stood up angrily and screamed. "No you liar. You damn cheater. Nobody can have a good game four times in a row. Show me your arms!" The storm hawks approached him slowly. Junko and Finn grabbed him and push him against the wall. Junko took a pair of handcuffs from his belt and arrested Eyeball. Aerrow stood behind them and screamed at the baffled bar visitors. "This is an operation of the Sky Knight from Atmos. No reason for excitement!" Then they took Eyeball out of the "Fish." "What do you want, kids? When have done nothing for a month. What's your problem?" Aerrow Stood in front of him. "Who is the captain that flies the gold skimmer?" Eyeball laughed. "Nobody has a gold skimmer. Only this old man named Narnosh had one. But he is dead!" Aerrow whacked him. "This guy kidnapped our navigator. Where is he and where can we find him?" "This isn't a joke?" "Of course it is not. Why would you think that?" Eyeball was thoughtful "The small rat must've found that thing of his dad's!" "Who?" "His son. He would be the same boss like his father, chief of all Murk Raiders. But to be the boss you have to have a ceremony where the old boss says the new one is now boss. But Narnosh died so early that nobody was chosen as new one." "But what would he need Piper for?" Finn asked. "Maybe Narnosh will make a crystal to relive the old Narnosh!" "Is that possible?" Junko asked. "Maybe, I'm not sure. Good. Un-cuff him. He is free." "Thanks. But there is still something more the new one needs a woman by his side."

The Door opened again. Piper closed her eyes to protect them from the strong light. "Stand up, crystal girl. The boss wants to speak to you!" Piper noticed when somebody uncuffed her leg. Then he pushed her out of the room, throwing her down the small corridors of the ship. "Where are we going?" Piper asked. "Shut up and go. He doesn't like it to wait!" Piper entered a huge room. Gold was seen everywhere and expensive looking pictures were hanging on the walls. In the middle was a huge table, well covered with expensive looking food and a red looking juice in big glasses. Narnosh sat on one end and read a newspaper, 'The Atmos Post', the biggest newspaper on atmos. Fortunately it wasn't a Cyclonian one. He looked at Piper when she was brought in. He laid the newspaper away and smiled. "Morning little one. Are you hungry? I hope you like it, my cooking is excellent." Piper was hungry but she didn't want to sit on the same table with him. It was a bit fishy. Why was Narnosh so nice? Finally she walked up to the table. "Take the ropes away. She doesn't need them!" The guard unroped Piper. Piper rubbed her wrists painfully. Narnosh sent the guard away. "Sit down!" He ordered her. Piper was looking at him. "And if I don't want to sit down and eat?" she asked. "Then you can eat with the crew. Naked!" Piper stared at him in disbelief. "I'll do it!" Piper sat down immediately. "For your information, should you try something stupid, I have sixteen guards outside of this room. One scream and they are here. Ok!" Piper confirmed. "So let's start. Take what you want. We have enough." Piper grabbed some meat and bread and start eating. Narnosh looked at her. "They're searching for you!" He began, showing Piper the article in the newspaper. "Your crew." "And they'll finally find me and rescue me." He laughed. "What do you mean, little one!" Piper started to eat. "When will you let me go?" "After you finish your work for what I need you, to make this crystal." "How do I know that you won't kill me after I've done it." "My word as pirate." Piper rolled her eyes. "You can trust me. If this crystal is finished, you can go. You even get a substantial reward." "I don't want your money. I will not be a prisoner any longer."

"Maybe I can do something. But you are a Storm Hawk. And I know what you are able to do. So I think it is better for your health and my ship. You will stay in the cell where you are."Piper threw the fork. She stared at him angrily. "I want to go back in my cell." "Of course." He laid the newspaper away and screamed at the guards. When Piper had left the room, Narnosh spoke in a friendly manner, "Enjoy your little vacation dear. In a few hours we will arrive at my place. Then you have to work."

The condor flew with maximum speed. Aerrow stood on the bridge. "Are you sure Stork that that is the last resting place of Narnosh?" "Yes after this book the famous resting place in Atmos. It is the Skull Mountain." "And when do we arrive?" "In 2 hours."

Piper waited again in the pitch dark cell, her legs chained to the wall. It was so boring. She played with her fingers and planned in her mind what she should do next. But it wasn't very hard. She had to get out of here as fast as possible. Whatever Narnosh will do with the live crystal couldn't be something good. The doors opened and Narnosh walked in. "So little one, the boring part you've endured, you behaved. Now it comes to something more strenuous." One guard removed the chain. "Come with me." Narnosh said bluntly. Piper walked behind him, followed by five armed guards. Sounds of creaking metal and moving machinery could be heard. "What are all these sounds?" "We just landed on our base." "Your base?" Piper asked a little bit surprised. "Yes of course. Where did you think we were going to take you? Maybe to Cyclonia!" He laughed. They left the corridors and stood on a balcony at the front of the ship. Piper saw in the distance a huge mountain in the shape of a skull. "Skull Mountain!" Piper only stared in disbelief. "I thought this was only a myth." "Like the crystal?" Narnosh only asked. The ship flew in the mouth of the skull. Inside there was a huge base. It was modern and held many troops ready for action. The ship landed. Narnosh looked to his guards "Take her into the lab. She should start to work!"