Four Heroes
Prologue -
"What do you suppose it says?" One of the Hunters asked.
Rico adjusted her glasses and gazed at the alien script chiselled into wall in front of her. It had been over a month since excavations from the underground lab had unearthed these "ruins" and examples of this strange language had been found all over them. The Principal Government had order a complete investigation of the site. That's when they found out the ruins where in fact an ancient space ship. That's also when "IT" appeared. No one on the investigation team had made it out, now this was the Government's "Final Solution".
"I'm not certain," Rico mused, "but from what I've learnt so far, these characters seem to make reference to a vessel or containment, pretty much what we've found everywhere else." A large man in military gear stepped forward to examine the text for himself.
"Can you tell us anything new?" Flowen barked rather brashly.
"Damn WORKS," Rico said to herself before adjusting her glasses once more and turned to face the Commander. "All I'm sure of is that "IT" was imprisoned here…hang on there is what looks like a name here…Dark Falz, that's what they called it."
"Dark Falz?" Flowen asked, puzzled.
"Or something like that," Rico smiled, "Most of what we know about this place we've had to piece together ourselves. The pictographs gave us most over out information, but it seems out that there are no other traces of the people who built this. No living quarters, no remains, nothing to suggest people lived here. It really is…
"Miss Tyrell," Flowen spoke in a deep, matter of fact sort of way, "I didn't come down here for an anthropology lecture. We are here to stop "IT" before Pioneer 2 arrives. When the main body of the government arrives I want to have something to show them beside some dusty ruins and few animals. We have to make this place safe."
Rico cursed the military under her breath again. "Safe? All the Government wants is the photon energy, like they found in the meteor! This has nothing to do with finding a new home, and you know it." Flowen fell silent and began to move the squad in. Rico turned off the recording device, and like the other she had been recording on her journey, fixed it into the ground. As one of the other Hunters approached her
"Hey Red, you sure we should be doing this?" he whispered nervously, "I mean what if the translation is right? What if there is some kind of dark spirit in there?"
"It's not my decision any more," Rico whispered back, looking around the WORKS personnel, "This is all in their hands now. You know how hungry the military gets as soon as someone mentions photon energy."
"Whatever, I still think this is a really bad idea," the hunter said before moving off."
"You're preaching to the choir…" was Rico's flat response. "Ok, let's go"
The hunters from Rico's party and the WORKS soldiers moved further into the ancient ship. Eventually, they came to a large chamber. It's red, pulsating walls gave way to a huge machine in the centre of the room.
"Photon readings in here are higher then any were else in the site," a scientist spoke up, "They seem to be centred around the device, but I'm also getting massive readings from the door ahead." The party moved carefully towards the door, only to find it securely sealed.
"I want that door open now," Flowen snarled, "This must be the core of the ship, exactly the kind of technology we're after." Rico stepped up to him.
"Or what ever this Dark "IT" is, it's wait for us behind that door," she countered, "We don't know enough about this place yet, let us do some tests and…"
"Miss Tyrell, we don't have time for tests." Flowen cut her off, "Coral doesn't have time for tests. Now I'm ordering you to get that door open! Bring that portable Photon generator up here." Two scientists scurried forward carrying a large black box between them.
"Using a technology we barely understand to open a door to a room which could contain anything. "Rico muttered, "I'm only the one who thinks this is a really bad idea?" The scientist hurriedly connect wires from the box to the door and began, seemingly randomly to Rico, pushing button, but before long the box crackled to life, and pure photon energy began to flow into the door.
"This marks a great day for the people of the Pioneer Project!" Flowen boomed with more than a hint of pride in his voice, "Soon we will have the secrets to photon energy, and with the burden on Coral lifted due to the soon to arrive migration force on Pioneer 2, this discovery will give our old home a new lese on life, as well as provide a safe a fruitful life on our new home, Ragol." A cheer went up from the military personal as Flowen flipped the final switch on the box. Lights went on all around the door, screens and displays began to flicker on all round the group. A low, but clearly audible whir was heard as the photon generator breath new life into the ships systems. Rico looked over the displays, quickly translating what she could. Air pressure, power transfer ratio, hull integrity, engine status, brig status. Brig?
"My god!" Rico blurted out. "It's a prison ship!" as the words left her mouth the door shot open with an angry cry. An unseen force quickly snatched up the box, along with the unfortunate scientists.
"Miss Tyrell!" Flowen called out alarmed, "What's going on?"
"If I'm reading this correctly," Rico pointed to one of the screens," then we just jumped stared an interstellar prison craft." The floor shook violently, knocking a number of the party to the floor. "WEAPONS!" ordered Rico. Hunters and military alike drew there weapons. They waited for something, anything to happen. Everyone stared into the blackness behind the door, dumfounded.
"Oh my god! What the hell is that!" The attention of the group was diverted to the cries of one for the soldiers, pointing down the corridor. Appearing before him where a number of vaguely humanoid creatures, each at least seven foot tall, with some kind of luminescent energy flowing though them. Their arms became glowing blades as they marched towards the group. Before anyone could react the soldier was stuck down by one of the beasts, a sizable wound cut deep into his chest.
"Attack" barked Flowen and the shot began to ring out. What little good they did. The few shots that connected seemed to do nothing more than slow the hostiles down for a second before they began their assault a new. It wasn't until Rico took the offence that any damage of note was done. Leaping over the soldiers, closely followed by her team, she draw a red, glowing blade of her own, slicing the lead creature in two as she landed. The remains of the beast promptly vanished into black mist. The rest of the team finished off the remainder of the beast like wise, all of which met a similar misty fate.
"Permission to get the hell out of here, sir!" Rico coldly addressed Flowen.
"Of course, everyone back to the teleporter, double time!" Came the order. In all the commotion, no one had noticed the shadowy tentacles that had crept round there door, and as she past, they made their move. Rico quickly found herself ensnared.
"What the hell! GET OFF ME!" Rico valiantly fought against her capture, but her sabre passed clean though the extremities the held her. Sadly her colleagues where occupied with a new wave of the vile creatures.
"It's no good these, ones are stronger"
"This is it we're done for!
"RICO!"
The last cry came from an unexpected source, Commander Flowen. He dived past the creatures, grabbing his side arm, he charged at the…thing that held Rico captive. Only to stopped as another tentacle cut straight though him. Flowen collapsed to the floor as Rico was dragged into the darkness and the door hissed closed.
"We've got to get out of here" cried one of the embattled soldiers.
"We can't leave without Rico!" A hunter shot back.
"She's gone! Activate you're emergency telepipes now!" The solider commanded, "That's and order hunter!"
Everyone, grudgingly or not activated their units, and the entire party, along with Flowen's body vanished in a bright light…
