Hero Lanterns
Chapter 10: Deep in the Abyss
The Interceptor flies through the vast space of the Frontier. After the prison, Razer had agreed to join David, Hal, and the crew of the Interceptor to fight against the Red Lanterns. However, Kilowog does not trust Razer.
In the mess hall, Razer is eating what appears to be steak in a polite manner, while the others eat either sandwiches or soup. David on the other hand is having a shake. It is quite on board the ship while Kilowog appears. In his hand is a bowl of grub. He bumps into Razer before sitting down.
"Ah. Grub time." Kilowog said before he devours the bowl.
Ahsoka, Barriss, Jenny, and even Penny had disgusted looks on their faces while the boys raised an eyebrow.
"Has he ever learn a thing call manners?" Brian asked.
"Apparently no." Ahsoka replied.
Razer sees this before Kilowog looks up at him. Wiping his mouth the Sgt asks, "You got a problem, pozer?"
"Only I dislike clumsy seven-foot pigs." Razer replied sternly.
That sets Kilowog off before grabbing the Red Lantern. David and other stop eating before pulling the two apart. Bolt growls at the two bickering lanterns.
"That's enough!" David shouted.
"Kilowog, stop!" Ven said.
"Razer, calm down!" Brian said.
"What is the matter with you two?!" Sora asked.
Hal then arrives and sees the commotion, "What did I say about killing each other?"
"Oh come on. We're just fooling around." Kilowog said to Hal before glaring at Razer, "Right?"
"We're on our way to find the Reds and we're seeing the two of you at each other's throats." David said.
"This ship is too big for this nonsense. Now I want the both of you to shake hands. It is an old Earth custom to show no hard feelings. Now you two shake hands." Hal explained.
Instead of shaking hands, Kilowog and Razer shake their fists. David shakes his head in disapproval.
"Not like that." Hal said, grabbing hands their hands before putting them on the table.
"This is gonna be a long journey." David muttered, facepalming.
"I hope we get to do something besides sitting down." Sora said.
Then Aya appears over the table, "Attention. Incoming distress signal."
"And there's your answer, Sora." Jenny said.
A holographic image shows the a pilot in desperate need of help.
"This is Captain Goray of the freighter, Truvedon. I've struck a pinhole and I have no way of pulling myself out. One of my engines has failed but the other is slowing the inevitable. I don't have much time!"
"Aya, hold the transmission." Kilowoh said.
Aya holds it as the Lanterns discuss.
"What do you think?" Ven asks.
"Could be a trap, Hal. We move in, the disabled ship opens up and Reds swarm in." Kilowogo said.
"Are you sure?" Penny asked.
"We should be ready if they come." Sora said.
"There are no Red Lanterns in this sector. It's not a trap." Razer said.
"How do you know?" Barriss asked.
"I was in charge of setting those traps." Razer replied.
"Now we know how tactical droids used this tactic." Ahsoka said.
Hal opens up the transmission, "This is Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps. Hang tight, Goray, we're on our way."
With that said, the Lanterns head for the bridge. The Interceptor flies off to help the Truvedon.
"I got two questions. One: How close are we to the pinhole?" Hal asked.
"1.8 terraquats and closing." Aya replied.
"Which leads me to question two: what's a pinhole?"
"I assume its a type of black hole that lures anything into the abyss." Jenny replied.
"Close. It's in fact a microscopic black hole in the center of a whirlpool full of energy. The closer the ship is the stronger gravity becomes." Razer explained.
"Translation: it will crush the Truvedon into a cube in a matter of seconds." David added.
The freighter meanwhile is being pulled down by the pinhole's gravity. Captain Goray is struggling to keep the ship away, but the pinhole is overwhelming him. Approaching the freighter was the Interceptor.
"That's enough, Aya. We don't want to get caught in too." Hal said. "Deploy the tractor beam."
The ship fires a tractor beam, but the pinhole yanks it away from the freighter.
"Unamolous gravitational fields are affected my instrument. Unable to extract." Aya informed.
David shakes is head, "Well that didn't work. Now what?"
"Captain, do you have any tow cables?" Hal asked the captain.
"Deploying them now." Captain Gorey replied. He fires the tow cables from the stern of the ship. They were inches from the Interceptor until they were pull by the pinhole. "Heh. Miss."
"Well you better have a Plan B." Penny said.
"We'll have to go out there and attach the cables manually." Hal said.
"Penny, Ahsoka, Ven, Brian, come with me. The rest of you stay here." David said.
Hal, David and his selected members, Kilowog, and Razer head out to the platform.
"Anomolous gravity always gives me a bug in my britches." Kilowog groaned.
Razer spoke out, "If you think you are up to the task."
"Just keep your head up, punk" The Sgt retorted back, "Green Lanterns are trained to fly certain gravity. Let's see whose clever when you're weighing 1000 kilos. Then 2'000 and finally 6000."
"Be careful you guys." Sora said.
"May the Force be with you." Barriss said.
The team prepares to depart when Aya spoke out, "This is a delegate yet dangerous situation. Why are we risking eight lives to save one?"
"It is what we Green Lanterns do, Aya." Hal said.
"As them, it's our duty to get the job done. No matter what the cost." David finished.
The group departs the Interceptor to attach the cables.
"Oh." Aya said.
"I just hope they help the captain." Sora said.
The eight Lanterns are approaching the Truvedon but the gravity is making it difficult. They struggled to stay leveled.
"Quite a downdraft!" Razer shouted.
"And I though Jupiter has the strongest gravity but this is nuts!" Penny exclaimed.
"Maybe I should have stayed on the Interceptor!" Ven shouted.
"It's too late to turn back!" Brian said,
They reach to the cables and they pull, but Razer struggles. Kilowog sees this but he flew past him. Penny and Ahsoka turn back and help the Red Lantern. With that the Lanterns reach back to the Interceptor and attached to it.
"Alright, Aya. Let's haul this baby out!" Hal said.
"Warning, gravitational pull is intensed. Cables will may not withstand strain." Aya alerted.
"You better figure something fast cause we're running out of time!" David said.
"The ship's stabled for now, but I'm telling you sooner or later, she going in." Kilowog said.
"We'll have to get the captain ourselves!" Hal told them.
The group head back to the Truvedon before making their way inside.
"You really could have given him a hand." Hal said to Kilowog.
"I don't need a recruit. Especially a Red Lantern on my six." Kilowog said sternly.
"We need him, otherwise more bodies will be piling up." Ven said.
"Down here" Captain Gorey shouted.
"Deal with it." Hal scolded.
The group meets up with the captain. The area they are in is a large refrigerated container with shelves of eggs.
"Thank the gall mother you're here. I'm only at half engine powered with no way of pulling myself out." Gorey said.
"Exactly what kind of cargo are you hauling?" David asks as his group looks at the eggs.
"Some kind of eggs?" Penny asks.
"Leave them. With the refrigeration system offline, they'll spoil anyway." Gorey said.
"Spoil? It's only a matter of time before these things hatch." Kilowog said.
"Hatch?"
Hal picks one up before scanning it, "I do not want to know what kind of creatures are in here."
"Obviously who cares. Only vermin and insects hatched from eggs." Razer said with no mood.
"I hatched from an egg." Kilowog defended himself.
"My point exactly." Razer said.
"The Trevudon's logs identified them as Smignarians. They are incredibly rare ever since their home planet was devastated by volcanic activity." Aya informed.
"So I assume these are the last ditch colony?" Hal asked.
"I suppose so. I was paid to avoid major shipping lanes." Captain Goray said.
"Change of plans, guys. We're going to rescue every colonists." Hal said.
"It's a waist of time." Razer opposed.
"He's right. The engine is dead." Gorey said.
"Then we'll restart it. David, take your team back while I secure the captain." Hal said.
"You're leaving me with him?" Kilowog asked reference to Razer.
"You two need some bonding time." Hal said.
Hal, David, and others head back to the Interceptor with the captain.
"I heard you Green Lanterns are impressive but I never thought you would do crazy things." Gorey said.
"That's my uncle's natural habitat." David said whcih earned him a few chuckles from his team. Hal was unimpressed.
"Green Lantern Hal. I have several suggestions that can concern the energy before the engines are fully operated." Aya suggested.
"Yeah that great, Aya. Just keep us out of crush zone as long as possible." Hal said, ignoring the A.I before stepping back out.
"What happen, Aya?" Jenny asked.
"He must've not heard me." Aya replied.
After dropping him off the group returned to the Trevudon only to fine Kilowog and Razer fighting each other.
"We turned our back for two seconds and you two are killing each other again!" David said angrily.
"Don't make us turn this ship around." Hal spoke.
"Isn't that we're trying to do?" Razer spoke out.
"Try that again and I'll blow my ring charge on you! Pinhole or no pinhole!" Kilowog told Razer sternly.
"I'm not afraid to die." Razer spoke back.
"You two can argue later, but right now. We have got to move." David said.
The team move out to the engine room. Back on board the Interceptor, the others including the captain are waiting when the lights along with the systems go out. Jenny, Sora, Barriss, even Gorey were in the chairs when they fall due to lack of power.
"What happen?" Sora asked.
"We just lost power." Jenny said.
"Hello? Can anyone here me?" Gorey frantically call out.
"Where's Aya?" Barriss asked.
"We ha
The Interceptor begins to get pulled in. Captain Gorey takes the controls and turns the ship away from the pull.
"What are you doing?!" Sora asked.
"We're out of time!" Gorey shouted.
Back at the cargo ship, the group feels the entire vessel moving.
"Guys, what's going on?!" David asked.
"The captain's turning the ship around!" Sora replied.
The Truvedon begins to fall towards the pinhole.
"HANG ON!!" David shouted!
"WE'RE GOING IN!!" Kilowog shouted.
The group were thrown down the hallway before they see the edge getting close. David creates a large sword before stabbing into the wall before he slows down his fall. He looks up and sees falling debris hurling towards him.
Penny sees a small platform before creating an airbag and cushion her fall along with Brian. Ahsoka creates a lightsaber and stabs in the wall. Ven creates a construct of his Keyblade Glider to retard his fall. Hal, Kilowog and Razer reaches to the bottom before the Sgt creates large bubbles stopping their fall. The debris closed in before David creates another large sword and cuts through it.
With the debris cleared, the group heads back up.
"We have to get the engine back online!" David shouted.
Kilowog gets an idea before heading outside. He tells the he will buy some time by slowing the ship down. With Kilowog delaying the inevitable, the others quickly move through the hall before noticing creatures crawling through the lines. They reach to the engine room only to fine it completely frozen.
"They doomed us all." Razer said.
"Now what?" Hal asked.
"The engine isn't just dead. It's frozen solid! The hatchlings must have eaten the system that power the heat. It would take a team of engineers to get it repaired before the inevitable." Razer said.
"We do not have any engineers or time." Hal said.
The doors to the room begin to open up.
"They're coming this way!" Ven shouted.
"Let's light this candle!" Hal said.
"Uncle, are you brain dead?! If we ignite the engine, the explosion will not only vaporize us but to turn the Truvedon into a raging inferno!" David shouted to his uncle.
"Kilowog, I want you to cut us loose." Hal said to his friend.
"Guy I want you to head back to the ship with the others and complete the mission without me." David said to Ven, Brian, Penny, and Ahsoka.
"No way!" Brain opposed.
"We're not leaving you!" Penny said.
"Not happening. You go we all go. And the worst part is that the captain who can't fly straight gets the kepp the Interceptor." Kilowog said.
"Your friend is right. I can't fix this. Not without a few more hands." Razer said.
"We can't give up." Hal said as the door to the room opens up.
"Then we go down fighting." Razer said determined to fight to the death.
Hal the notices a green bot emerge from the door.
"Wait. Maybe I can get you those hands." He said before opening the door.
"Hal, what are you doing?!" Penny asked.
"Those are not the hatching. They're Aya's. She must have snuck herself on board." Hal explained.
"But the power lines." Razer said.
"She was shutting down all nonessential systems to save power." Hal said.
The bots move in the frozen engine before it powers up. The heat melts the ice and engine is fully operational.
"Both engines are up." Razer said.
"Aya, full reverse!" Hal commanded.
The Aya bots turn the engine full reverse. With that the ship pulls away from the gravity. Kilowog looses his strength before falling. Razer sees this before pulling him inside.
"Been saved by a red." Kilowog muttered.
The group head for the bridge of the ship.
"So what now?" David asked
"We're past the point of no return." Razer said.
"I'm going to fly to pinhole." Hal said.
"Say what?!" Penny shouted.
"If I could generate enough velocity, I can slingshot out." Hal said.
The Truvedon slams into the wirlpool as it creates speed. The others were thrown to the wall from the g-force. With enough velocity, Hal pulls the controls and the ship is shot out of the pinhole.
"Yes! Still got it." Hal said grinning.
The others fall to the ground from the speed nearly dizzy.
"This is why I don't want to be an astronaut." Penny said fixing her hair after it was messed up.
"Me too." Brian said
"I think I had too much fun." Jenny said.
"So do I." Ahsoka said.
"Uncle, you're an idiot." David said before fainting.
Back on board the Interceptor, the group reunites. Hatchlings were small aliens with one large eye. Some of David's friends were admired of the creatures. Even Bolt plays with one of them.
"They're so adorable." Jenny said petting one.
"If Kairi was here she would have seen these." Sora said.
"So do mom, Brad, and Tuck." Jenny said.
"So this is the cargo." Gorey said.
"Cargo huh? Look at you." Kilowog said to the small alien.
"And to think I was going to abandon them." Gorey said.
"At least you did the right thing, Captain. I just hope you find them a new home." David said.
After the Truvedon is repaired Captain Gorey along with the Smafnarians set off.
Later on the Lanterns enjoy their meal when Kilowog appears.
"This better not be a rinse and repeat pattern." David whisper to his team.
Kilowog passed Razer without bumping into him. He sits down before gobbles down.
"You were foolishly brave today." Razer said.
"Yeah. Well right back you. Thanks." Kilowog said which Razer nods.
"And thank you Aya. We were going to be here if it wasn't for you coming out of your shell." Hal said to the A.I.
"Yes. Like a hatchling from an egg." Aya said.
"Now hold on. It is dangerous for you to go out like that. We need to set some perimeters for you, yound lady."
"A green lantern protects innocent life, even at the risk of his own. Correct?"
"Aya, we understand that you're a nave com not a Green Lantern. You can't be a GL." Kilowog said.
"Why not?" Aya asked.
"First off, the ring's gotta pick you."
"Why?"
"Jordan. Help me out." Kilowog said to Hal.
"Oh no. I wanna hear this." Hal said.
"David?"
"Sorry, sir." The nephew replied.
"Team?"
They denied the offer.
"Red?"
"Leave me out of it." Razer replied sternly.
"Ugh fine. Look. Green Lanterns got to have a physical body to walk around and interact with other people. Not a bunch of creepy bugs." Kilowog explained.
"Take me for example. When I was created, I was not a computer but a living being. I have also a heart and mind of a human teenager. That is what made me special and I suggest you do the same." Jenny said.
"Parameter set." Aya said.
Coming down the compartment were the drones before they assembled together into a feminine body before green energy creates her faces and fingers.
"A body like this?" Aya asked.
"Yes, Aya." David said.
Now the Lanterns have a new comrade on board and together they will combat the Red Lantern threat.
Review...
Also I was thinking of having Jenny show Aya the 101 of interaction and feelings.