Hey there readers! Sorry for taking so long to put this up. Massive writer's block as well as work. But back on track now, so let's have an update.
Last time, Jaden and the others travelled into the Dimensional Void, armed with their duelling skills as well as their ship, the K.C.I.I. Enterprise, and are now on their way to rescue Chumley and Syrus who have gone missing on Dark World. But they have very little idea of who and what they are about to walk into…
Chapter 8- Setting the Trap
The takeover of the Reliant was both swift and devastating. By the time half of Viper's forces had beamed aboard ship dead bodies of Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp staff were littering the corridors, falling in the wake of the deadly charge led by Zure and his fellow monsters.
At the bridge, Denham and Garett tried to maintain control and command a defence of the ship's vital systems. But more and more monsters came via the transmat and those defences were overwhelmed. The engine room fell first. Then the weapons bay. After that, the shuttle area. Soon all that was left was the bridge itself.
Zure and four other monsters entered the elevator. At the same time, in the transporter room, another two monsters moved the tank carrying the Dark World parasite off the pad. Under pressure of death, the chief programmed one more transmat into the computer. As Viper and Brron, and Chumley and Syrus, arrived, the monsters rushed the bridge, laying waste to its crew. Zure took care of Garett first as the acting captain recklessly confronted him; he gave the man a thickly thrusted stab of his sword. The rasp of shock gave Zure the knowledge and satisfaction that he had pierced the lung close to Garett's heart. He moved in on Denham next, running the communications officer through to almost instant death.
He looked around. All of the bridge's crew were dead on the floor. He smiled.
"Your Majesty, Master. The ship is ours," he transmitted.
Good work Zure, came Viper's voice. We shall be with you soon.
The smile turning into a grin, Zure turned to his monsters. "Take whatever position you please; just don't end up damaging anything or each other. You will all be needed for the Master's plan."
The monsters all nodded, choosing where to go with ease. Zure himself took Garett's post as Second Officer and pilot.
Viper and Brron arrived on the bridge with Chumley, Syrus and the two monsters with the tank in tow.
"You two secure the tank, We do not want it falling over and smashing, or else you want to have the maggots crawling inside you ears," Brron threatened them.
One of the two shook its head, remembering what it was like to watch someone attacked by the insects. "No, no, your majesty. We don't."
Brron nodded, walking off to the seat belonging to the First Officer.
Viper remained where he stood, examining the bridge with scrutiny. It was his now. The ship was his. He felt the potential of what he could do with it rise inside him. He could go out to other dimensions and conquer them, gathering far more power than he had on Dark World. Rule all of existence, every living being under his command. But that had to wait because of two things.
The first was that he had to learn everything about the ship, and when that was done, the second thing would come into play.
His vengeance.
He strode over to the captain's chair and seated himself easily in it. To him it was a better throne that what he had sat in day after day on the world below them. He smiled.
"Familiarise yourselves with the controls. We need to learn how to run this ship," he ordered.
My brethren, he signalled mentally. Take posts in the engine room and weapons bay and wait for my command.
Of course, Master, the replies came.
"Chumley, over here," he spoke to the possessed captain.
"Yes, Master?"
"How do I access your information systems?"
Chumley walked over to his right side and pointed at the middle of the lowest row of buttons on the control panel on the arm of the chair. "You must hold down this button here; it turns the computer on. You ask the computer what you would like to research and it will appear on the view screen for you."
Viper did as he was advised. "Computer," he said. "Show me all information on the Project."
"I am sorry, Captain," a mechanical voice echoed through the bridge. "You are not allowed access to that particular subject."
"May I ask who is?" Viper growled.
"Maximillion Pegasus of Industrial Illusions. Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corp. Kisara Kaiba of Kaiba Corp. Mokuba Kaiba of Kaiba Corp. Along with all science staff registered as working at Regula Station. Would you like a detailed list of those registered?"
"No, that is unnecessary. Give me information on Regula Station."
To his pleasure, images now appeared on the view screen. First there were flashes of schematics showcasing the operations that took place on the satellite. Then came live images. Supplies being run. The Reliant itself hovering near the station. The globe representing a dimension beneath it.
"Wait! What is that dimension?" he demanded.
"It is called Regula for the satellite. Regula was created by a member of staff known as Mana as a means of place of recreations for off-hours crew."
Creation of a dimension, Viper thought. Intriguing, but this Mana can't be human.
"Does this Mana go by another name?"
"Indeed. She is officially known as the duelling spirit, Dark Magician Girl."
Viper was bout to make an outburst to that answer when he heard Syrus speak as though he was waking up.
"Dark…Magician…Girl?"
Viper turned, realising he was trying to break from his control.
"Truesdale, pain!" he commanded.
Syrus' teeth clenched. A searing heat roared from the top of his head down through his neck and into his chest. Into his heart. A guttural yell emerged as his jaws wrenched apart.
Viper listened to his screaming like it was music. Beautiful heartfelt from the soul music. It made him smile and he let it go on for twenty seconds more before deciding it had to be stopped. He made more to learn.
"Relax!" he shouted.
Syrus stopped crying out and he resumed to his controlled zombie-like state. Satisfied, Viper rounded back to the screen.
So, Dark Magician Girl is involved, is she? Why am I not surprised? Pegasus and Kaiba would need a spirit on their side. That is something I can no longer let them have. I must have the home advantage here. Regula Station will have to be dealt within due course. Right now, the home advantage-
"Cease process," he told the computer. "Show me everything about this ship and its capabilities."
The picture of the Regula dimension faded and designs of the Reliant took its place, followed by a categorised view of the inventory the ship had. Viper took careful notice of the lists of weapons as well as the kind of damage that could be done with them. The various levels of speed the ship could handle came next; he noted the risks of increasing the speed to a higher level. A map replaced that, showing where the ship was in the Dimensional Void and the locations of dimensions that had already been explored and the Regula satellite.
Well, I know their names, but that's not as sufficient as knowing about them.
He let the information continue. It showed minor details, but five years in exile taught him to know everything he had missed in that time. Being ignorant would only give his enemies leverage.
The computer finished off its presentation with a quiet report on the food and drink machines in the ship's cafeteria.
"Hmm. Quite the ship," Viper said aloud. "But I hardly think only one ship could have explored through so much of existence on its own. Are there any other ships in use?"
"No other ships are in operation," the computer replied.
He gave this some thought. Pegasus and Kaiba are not stupid, especially Kaiba. There should always be a backup.
"What about ships that are not in operation?"
"One result. The K.C.I.I. Enterprise. Would you like the information on the ship, sir?"
"Affirmative."
Images appeared again on the screen, this time showing the Enterprise schematics. Viper's eyebrows rose as he caught the name of Dr. Vellian Crowler as its designer.
"Currently berthed at a secret Industrial Illusions base, the Enterprise is primarily designed as a rescue ship should potential danger befall either the crew of the Reliant or of Regula Station."
"Weapons?"
"The same supplied to the Reliant."
Making it equally capable. If these dead fools called for help, they will undoubtedly send that ship, which will have a crew well-trained to maintain it. I have to know its vulnerabilities.
"Computer, what would happen if a hostile gained control of one of the ships?"
"Primary option: the hostile must be ousted from ship's control without damage to the ship. Second option: should the crew of either ship be rendered unable to fulfill primary option, the rogue ship must be destroyed."
"By the other ship?"
"That is one course of action suggested, yes."
Viper smiled. "Then give me all known weak spots of the Enterprise."
The computer retorted, "For this command, captain, you need to give me your special clearance password along with that of your First Officer."
Easily handled. "Chumley, Syrus. Your passwords please."
Chumley stood at attention by his right while Syrus walked to stand at his left.
"Captain Chumley Huffington. Password is Gumleaf."
"First Officer Syrus Truesdale. Password is The Tin Man."
"Vocals recognised. Passwords accepted. Vulnerabilities on the Enterprise being triangulated."
"There is an update on the Enterprise," the computer said after a little while. "Would you like to receive?"
Viper became curious at the mention of the word update. What could have changed in so very few minutes?
"Go on."
"The K.C.I.I. Enterprise is now listed as being 'in operation', its current mission to rescue members of this ship."
As I thought. They did call for help.
"Computer, any information on the ship's crew?"
"With the exception of the leading officers, unknown."
"Then give me the officers' names."
"Chief of Engineering: Bastion Misawa. Deputy Chief of Engineering: Marcel Bonaparte. Officer of Communications: Fonda Fontaine. Pilots: Tyranno Hassleberry and Blair Flannigan. Ship's doctor: Doctor Zane Truesdale. First Officer: Doctor Vellian Crowler."
With every name that was mentioned, Viper leaned forward in the chair, his ears waiting to pick up the name they had suddenly got the urge to hear.
"Captain: Jaden Yuki."
Viper very nearly laughed but he found restraint as a plan began to form in his mind. Remembering he had no idea where the Enterprise was going to be coming from in the Void, he knew he had to get the knowledge of its trajectory. Fortunately he had a slave to do just that for him.
"Syrus, send a message to Regula Station. Explain to them that Dark World is too dangerous for further expeditions and that we shall be heading back to them."
"Yes, Master," Syrus replied, moving to the communications booth.
"All weak spots of the Enterprise located," the computer spoke and presented the information. Viper looked at it eagerly.
And here I was, thinking I had to go to Duel Academy to get at them, he smiled.
:*:
Operations at Regula Station still ran as scheduled but the people supervising them were not as easygoing. The news of the disappearances of the Reliant's captain and first officer and another ten members of their crew had violently spread, causing disquiet and tension. In the research lab however all work lay forgotten. The scientists, Jesse included, all sat at their desks, not making a single move. Dark Magician Girl who had come from the library after feeling that Syrus was in extreme pain stood alone, now sensing with every thought that the young man she was in love with was in danger.
Alexis was sitting at the communications booth, her eyes on the dull blank screen, on edge for any word from either the Reliant or the Enterprise. She dared not to look away or close her eyes as she wanted to be the first to know that Chumley and Syrus were both okay. Ever since getting the message from Garett and Denham, she thought what else could be there on Dark World that was dangerous. According to what Jaden had told her after his return from there, Brron and his followers were gone. Yubel was on their side now. What else-
A beeping interrupted her and brought everyone else in the room to crowd around her. Ignoring their action, she turned a switch on the console. Syrus appeared on the screen.
"Syrus!" she, Jesse and Dark Magician Girl gasped with relief at the apparent sight of him being safe and sound.
He smiled. "Sorry about the worry, guys, but all of us are okay. We managed to get out without a scratch."
"What happened, Syrus?" Alexis asked.
It took some time for the light blue haired first officer to answer. "We walked right into a war zone. Every bad monster on Dark World is vying for control now that Yubel and Brron are gone. Because of that, we recommend that Dark World is registered unsafe for future exploration."
"Naturally," Alexis nodded. "But you know, Syrus, that you and Chumley have to attend a meeting with Jesse and me to make that recommendation official."
Syrus continued to smile as if the slight rebuke did not affect him. "Of course," he said apologetically. "Completely slipped my mind. We'll be on our way to you then. Hope we didn't make you guys kick up a lot of fuss because of this."
"We did call for a rescue team on the Enterprise," Alexis admitted.
"The Enterprise, huh? It'll be great to see it in flight. Would you like us to tell them that everything's all right?"
"No. We'll do that. You and Chumley and the others relax before coming here, okay?"
Syrus nodded, the smile still fixed on his face. "Will do. Reliant out."
The screen went to black. Everything in the room was as quiet as it was before until Jesse broke it, asking the same question they were all feeling they should say.
"Did Syrus seem weird to you?"
Alexis turned to Dark Magician Girl. "Mana?" she asked.
Knowing that she was talking about what she was feeling, Dark Magician Girl answered. "I don't know, Alexis. I still feel as though he's still in danger, but he doesn't feel that he's in danger."
Alexis and Jesse exchanged a look. If the situation before made everything feel wrong, why did they now feel just as bad?
"Everyone back to work now," Alexis slowly said. "Things are fine for the time being."
The scientists dutifully returned to their workstations. Jesse gave her another look of uncertainty before going back to his. An equally unsure Dark Magician Girl left the room, pondering on what she was sensing from Syrus.
Alexis turned back to the communications panel and set in the frequency to contact the Enterprise.
:*:
"Alexis Rhodes. And Jesse Anderson," Viper mused aloud in the captain's chair after watching Syrus converse with the people at Regula Station. "Another coincidence? I think not."
He smirked, looking at Syrus, whose face had formed back to the blank monotone of no emotion. "Wonderful performance, Truesdale," he remarked, then he turned his head to one of his monsters.
"Did we get the satellite's transmission codes?" he asked.
"Yes, Master."
"Good. Monitor them. Let them contact the Enterprise. Fillet out every piece of information you can about its exact trajectory. I want to know even the slightest change." The smirk on his lips turned into a sneer. "Then jam Regula's communications. Nothing goes in or out of that station until I get my hands on the Project information. Brron, I shall leave the timing up to you. Ensure the Enterprise does not go back home."
"Yes, Master."
So far so good, he thought proudly in his head.
:*:
"Jaden, we're getting a transmission from the Regula Station."
Jaden's eyes lit up at the mention of the satellite. Please let it be good news, he whispered to himself.
"Put it onscreen, Ms. Fontaine," he said.
Fonda pressed the button to transfer the message to the view screen and everybody turned or looked up to face it. Neon blue static crackled over it, cutting out the endless realm of stars. The image of Alexis came into place. Something moved in Jaden's stomach.
"A-A-Alexis," he stammered nervously.
The woman he wanted to confess his feelings to looked more surprised to see him. "Jaden! What are you doing on the Enterprise? I thought you'd be back at Duel Academy."
Jaden thumbed to himself, a small grin on his face. "Captain," he answered.
Her eyes widened. "You're the rescue team?" she exclaimed, looking around the bridge and recognising the other familiar faces. "Ms. Fontaine?"
"Hi Alexis."
"Doctor Crowler?"
"Greetings, Alexis."
"Hassleberry?"
"Hello to you too, private!"
"Blair?"
"Long time no see."
"Blair?" they heard Jesse say.
"Hey darling," Blair called out.
"Marcel, Bastion and Zane are on the ship too," Jaden added.
"Great. But I've got some news."
The joy that was beginning to come out of Jaden as he talked with Alexis brimmed down.
"Bad news?"
"To be honest, I don't know. We got a report from the Reliant. Chumley, Syrus and their team are back onboard and they seem to be all right. But, when I talked with him, Syrus was acting strangely."
That's never good, Jaden thought. "So what do we do?" he asked.
"Well, you've got to come here to fill out your involvement report since you were on this mission anyway."
He put his head in his right hand and groaned. "Paperwork!"
"Yep," Alexis giggled. "And don't forget your glasses."
"Hey," he shot up. "How did you know that?"
"Because I know you, Jaden."
He sighed in defeat. "Okay, Lex. We'll see you there."
"Looking forward to-
The clear vision of Alexis began to static. The smile she had turned into a worried frown.
"Wh-t's go-on?" her voice appeared to splutter as she turned around to someone out of view of the screen.
Jaden stood up from the chair, fear taking ahold of him. "Alexis!"
"Ja-en. Some-ing's wrong. Our com-ica-ons are-
The transmission abruptly cut out, returning the screen to a view of the stars cape outside of the ship.
"What the heck happened?" Jaden exclaimed.
Fonda checked the communications panel. "Transmission cut off," she muttered under her breath. "Didn't look natural; had to have been deliberate. Hold on." She turned a switch and spoke up. "Enterprise to Regula Station. Regula Station, come in. Regulation Station, this is the Enterprise, please respond." After hearing no answer she turned the switch back to off. "Sorry Jaden, but we can't get through. Someone cut us off."
"Try the Reliant."
She turned the transmission switch around a third time. "Reliant, this is the K.C.I.I. Enterprise. Come in please. Reliant. Nothing from them either, Jaden."
Jaden looked down to his shoes. His worst fears seemed to be coming true. All his friends were now in apparent danger, probably in two separate locations. But what kind of danger, he said to himself.
Something capable of knocking out electronic communications through technological means, he heard Yubel trying reach him from the medical bay. An intelligent mind.
An intelligent mind. A scientist, most likely. There were no scientists on the Reliant.
Regula. The danger had to be coming from Regula.
"Hassleberry, Blair. Change course for Regula Station. Increase speed to Warp Eight."
"You got it, captain." the pilot answered.
Jaden sat back in the chair when he heard Crowler ask, "Is that wise, Jaden?". He turned to his old teacher who continued. "We haven't heard anything from the Reliant, that's all."
"It's a communications jam, Crowler, not the destruction of something. If that was the case, we'd able to hear from at least one of them, but we're not. So without any way to contact either of them, the best thing to do is follow our current order. Go to Regula."
"All right. That's a…thorough way of looking at the problem."
"Thank you, Crowler."
He faced the view screen ahead as his body experienced the increase in speed of the ship's flight.
Who or whatever you are, he threatened. If you hurt any of my friends, if you so much as even touch Alexis, I'm coming for you.
:*:
"What happened?" Alexis shouted. "Get us back in touch with the Enterprise."
"We can't."
"Our transmission codes have been hacked."
"We can't get anything in or out."
"Then find out who the hell is behind this!" she roared back at them.
Jesse who had been working on discovering just that blinked when the information came up on his computer screen. He re-read it again to be sure. His heart plummeted when his eyes confirmed there was no mistake.
He made the announcement in a shocked manner. "It- it was the Reliant."
:*:
"Well?" Viper asked impatiently.
"We've managed to place a virus in the Enterprise's navigation system. It's not much, but it will tell us when it changes course."
"Nothing else?"
"It was all we could get before the moment of cutoff."
Affronted by the claims of his minions, Brron huffed. "The conversation did not give me any kind of opportunity to get Yuki in the right mood to charge in blindly but that moment."
Viper put up his hand. "No need, Brron. To tell you the truth, I do not think I could have handled much more of it. It sickened me. The tracker will be sufficient."
A beeping tone occurred on the tracking monitor. The monster who had reported the virus being placed checked the information.
"Enterprise is changing course. Heading for Regula Station at Warp Eight speed."
Viper grinned. "Good. Get the ship underway. I'd like to make them a welcoming party."
At the command of its new crew the Reliant angled away from Dark World and sped off into the Void. To meet the Enterprise.
:*:
"It was the Reliant?"
"No way."
"Impossible."
"How could Chumley and Syrus turn on us?"
"Syrus was acting weird though."
"Maybe something from Dark World got on the ship."
"Yeah, something on the ship."
"We should report this to HQ."
"No, we should destroy the Reliant."
Alexis decided she had let the loud bickering amongst her workmates to have gone on for long enough. "PEOPLE!" she roared out.
Everyone slowly quieted down, turning their heads to their chief scientist. She looked around, saw that no one was going to interrupt her, and cleared her throat.
"Listen carefully. We don't what's really going on here so we're not going to make any offences until we do. Now, we are going to evacuate the station. Take only the things you need and get down to the Regula dimension via the transmat."
"What about you, Alexis?" one asked.
"I'll be staying here, for now. If something hostile is aboard the Reliant and it means to attack here, it can't be allowed to access the Project. Without communications, the only way to keep it safe is to download it from the system."
"But that could take up to a day."
"Which is why I'm remaining with her," Jesse spoke up.
"Me too," Dark Magician Girl volunteered.
Not happening, Alexis seethed protectively. "Jesse. Mana. It doesn't matter how many of us there are, the download will still take the same amount of time."
"We know that," Jesse argued. "But if whatever it is gets here before it's finished, we are not leaving you to deal with it alone."
Seeing both the determined stares of his and Mana's faces, she growled. "Fine, but just you two. Everyone else, down to Regula! Now!"
The other scientists and staff of Regula Station did not dare to reproach her and scattered off to their quarters for their belongings.
Alexis let out a breath. "Let's get to work."
:*:
"How much longer?" Viper pressed his monsters.
"Twenty more minutes at this speed, and you'll see the enemy on the screen," the estimate was given to him.
"Perfect," he smirked. The corner of his eyes caught movement behind him. Brron had left his station to come to his side next to a stationary Chumley. He turned to his right hand monster. "Something to say, Brron?"
Brron fidgeted and looked uneasily at him but came around to face the chair and bowed. "Master, I am with you. I always will be. As are we all. But forgive me, I-
His confidence failed as Viper's triumphant stare grew impassive. He backed away a step.
"Go on, Brron. Speak your feelings," his master urged.
He gulped and moved forward again. "Just think on this, please. We have this ship now, and all this technology, the weaponry at your command."
"Yes."
"But going after Jaden Yuki and Yubel carries a strong risk. We've got the advantage of surprise here, but I had an advantage over Yuki years ago. Look where that got me. It led me to my destruction; he destroyed me. And Yubel betrayed me to that destruction."
Viper nodded, his eyes looking sharply in judgement.
"That was when they were on their own. Now they are together, stronger and more powerful than they were when we met them. Maybe instead of going after them we should become more powerful ourselves."
Viper remained silent for a short while, making Brron nervous about him getting furious. But when he chose to speak it was in a calm and stable way.
"I understand what you're saying Brron, but you do not understand me. These five years since I brought you back, you've been home on Dark World. You've always been home. But I? I have been forced all that time to stay out of mine."
His eyes took on the manic glare he had given Chumley and Syrus before he put them under his control as he spoke more fiercely.
"It was all their fault, their silly little vendetta. They task me, Brron. They task me and I shall have them for it. I'll chase them around the moons of Amazona, around the Veronus maelstrom, and around Perdition's flames before I give them up!"
He faced Brron again as if he had only just recognised he was there. "No, Brron. We shall strike while the opportunity remains fresh."
Brron nodded and returned to his post. Glad that that was out of the way, Viper looked at the screen, his eyes hungrily waiting to see the ship he had only seen in designs, the ship he wanted so much to destroy.
"Stay the course," he ordered.
And there it ends for the time being. Please review.
