Space Panda
Reaching the Stars
Chapter XIII: Inside
Po gets rematerialized in front of me.
"The second time I am doing this, but it is still awesome." he mutters.
"Have you the Orb?" I ask him.
"No, Cien. Plan A was a failure. They brought it on the ship."
"Funny, so we need to infiltrate the Roaring Dragon. And by we I mean Me.", I respond head shaking.
"Yes, Plan B. Like we had discussed it.", Po reminds me, while he steps from the Teleporting Platform.
I step on it.
"Are you ready, Cien?" Aijna asks me.
"Is someone ever ready to be cut into atomic pieces? Don't try to miss at least. I don't want to rematerialize inside a wall."
"Of course." she replies gleefully grinning.
I have a really bad feeling about this.
Then it begins.
…
Odd feeling.
Like you would put down weight.
The vision gets blurred.
…I don't feel like I am disappearing right now, although that is happening in this moment. I would have never guessed, that I had to use the invention of Eric for this instead the Orb.
…I feel something on my back.
Uhhh…
In front as well. I need to raise my leg a little, because of something below it, but it is hard, when there is no space in front of you.
The vision gets back and I see the wall of the Tunnel in front of me.
After a while my sensation normalizes again.
…
I hate it in here!
Too tight. Too less space to even move a muscle. The engineers, who have built these Upkeep Tunnels, have to be idiots. How small one needs to be to have no problems to crawl in here?
"Aijna, is the channel secured?" I say to no one in particular despite the communicator in my ear.
"….Secured. We can't talk too long, if you don't want to be found." Aijna replies in my ear.
"I know. After all it was my idea. Can you detect the Orb?"
"Yes. It is some decks below you. Need to be the Engine Room."
"I see. The fastest way to it?"
"Simply follow your nose."
"Understood. I contact you, when I need something more."
"Like always." she replies smugly.
I turn my head so I can see, what is above it. The tunnels are going further there and wider.
I curse. Why didn't you rematerialize me there Aijna?
With my legs, feet, arms, hands and head I try to crawl forward. Man, I haven't believed that it could be even more uncomfortable than it was already, but it is.
…Ow….
I hit an edge. Damn! Why something like this happens always, when you think it can't become worse anymore?
I crawl above it.
It is under my neck now. Here it fits.
Under my back…Ow…
Under my ass…..Get away there!
Under my knees…there it fits as well.
Finally I have reached the wider tunnel. Wide enough that I can crawl on my elbows and knees.
I turn around on my belly and stand up on them. The Tunnel is going only in one way.
So, let's go.
….
Crossroads. To left, right and front.
"Aijna, which way?"
"Right."
I follow the right one.
…Is this only me or is it getting downwards here?
…It is going downwards here and it becomes steeper!
Damn! I can't stop on this smooth metallic ground.
Oh no…There comes a hole. No, no. no….AHHHHH….
….
Ow…
I look up. At least now I am down.
"Thanks for the warning, Aijna."
No answer…
"Aijna?"
Still no answer. Shit!
…
I need to get further. Crawling into the unknown…Like I love this….
"When will you Master arrive?" I hear a voice and stop in the track immediately. The voice was the distorted one of Shadow Cloak and was coming from below.
"He will arrive soon. And wouldn't it be better, if you would unmask finally, Commodore Tai Lung?" an unknown cunning voice asks.
I hear something like an unmasking.
"Better to breathe fresh air again, isn't it?"
"Only a security matter. One lives dangerous as a Traitor." an aggressive voice tells, probably Tai Lung, "But to whom I tell this? Your Master and yourself Laoban should know it better than everyone else."
Laoban? Lang Laoban? So his master needs to be…
"Lord Shen has found a way to bypass it: Dying."
"Yeah, not everyone is so creative, don't you think?"
It comes a break.
"I must admit, that I was not sure about you, Tai Lung. Giving up your carrier as a Star Fleet Officer and even abandoning the family. But after I saw like you shot down, your own sister, it changed."
Captain Tigress is dead? Po will not be pleased…
"Sometimes a man needs to do, what a man needs to do. And my sister stepped into my way."
"So…what is your reason for betrayal at the end?"
"…I think that I will tell this, when I meet Lord Shen finally."
I hear like the voices become weaker. They seem to have walked further.
I need to go as well.
"Cien!"
I scream almost, when I hear this voice.
"Aijna, do you want to get me to a grave or what?"
"Sorry. My connection to you broke apart."
"Why?"
"The Computer of the Roaring Dragon had found my first Trojan. Still two to go, but its gets tighter for you. I don't think they know this, but we can't teleport through shields. So don't risk that they can activate them."
"I know, I know, I heard the instruction of Eric as well. How far is my target?"
"You are almost there. Continue crawling."
I had expected this answer.
I curse again and crawl further.
Slowly but steady it becomes loud here. Engine noise, chatting as well and I see light.
I reach a latticed window, from where I can see the whole Engine Room. It is a circle in which center is the Antimatter Core. Computers and Security gadgets at the ground, above the blue shining Sphere, – in which the Antimatter-Matter-Reaction takes place – which is secured by further Electromagnetic Shields and above it are the gadgets, which are there for controlling this big Energy Ball down there. It is bigger than Aijna's and I bet that even Po is not so fat. But still this big ball is nothing against the Energy, which the smaller Jade Orb can create.
I look around. At the walls of this room are further computers and the room is filled with engineers. Most often rats, cats, dogs and mice – now I know why these tunnels are so small.
Not far of the Antimatter Core is the Jade Orb in an own version – but bigger - of my suitcase, which is no suitcase at all, but a platform.
I see Commodore Tai Lung in his Black Suit as well like Lang Laoban behind him.
I can't hear about what they are talking, there for it is too loud in here.
"One still to go. Cien hurry up!" Aijna yells almost in my ear.
I turn to the right, where the tunnel continues without a window and in the same shape like this circular room. I follow it and reach something like an Operating Station – that means there is more space for moving.
From there a ladder leads down.
Damn! An engineer is doing something there. It is a female cat.
Damn again! What to do?...I have only one choice. I activate my Bracer Blasters.
I crawl further till I can hang my legs down and then I jump on her.
The impact is strong enough that she gets unconscious immediately and I collapse on her back.
….Hmm she is a beauty….Focus you idiot!
I look up, raising my bracer blasters and realize that they had not noticed me still. Thank you loud Engine Room.
I look around from this door slowly and see that there is no way to the Jade Orb without being noticed.
Damn! So I need to go with this plan after all.
I leave this small operating room and go across the room like it would be the most normal thing of the world in this situation. I come closer to the Jade Orb Platform from the direction, from which Tai Lung and Laoban have to see me.
Still no one has noticed me. Lucky!
The two are looking at the Jade Orb and are chatting.
"With this my master will be at…" Laoban explains right now, but…
"Who are you?" a voice from the side asks me. It is a female Collie engineer…looks good as well…Focus!
I look back to the Orb. Tai Lung and Laoban had noticed me. Laoban wants to yell for two guards, which are standing at the entrance to the Engine Room.
"Not so fast!" I yell and fire in his way.
He stops of course, but the guards are running at me and are pointing their rifles at me.
Tai Lung chuckles.
"Wouldn't have thought to see you again, after the Wu Sisters have beaten you, Cien." he wants to make a step.
"Not a step further!" I yell and point my Blaster at him.
He stops, but smiles still.
"So what? You are not a killer, when I remember correctly. So what do you want to do?"
I grin and begin to point at the Core.
Like I hoped his smile vanishes.
"My Blaster is switched to Destruction. Level 10 like you know. One shot and the Core begins overloading."
"You are bluffing." he shakes his head, "You would kill yourself as well."
"Do you think? I was able to enter your ship without that you notice it. Do you really believe I have not thought about a way out?"
I admit I am bluffing. I don't know, if the tracking signal of the Teleporter is strong enough right now.
But I grin further.
"What do you want?" he admits finally his defeat.
"You should be able to guess."
"The Orb? For what reason you want to have the Orb?"
I step closer.
"I know it. You can guess when you want."
I am standing now right in front of the Orb. The Guards can't fire now at me. The right timing.
I take out the signal amplifier and attach it to the Platform. I activate it immediately by pushing the button.
Now I am not bluffing at all.
"Beam me up, Aijna!"
I feel like the teleporting starts.
"You don't get away with this!" Tai Lung yells at me.
"I got away already." I say grinning broader, right before he vanishes from my sight.
Friday the 13th :D Have posted some pictures on my DA-Account
Kung Fu Panda and its Characters belong to DreamWorks.
This World and Idea is mine.