Suddenly a loud roar sounded from behind them. "I think we should go," said Stryker. "NOW."
When they started to back away, the creature leapt again. "Move !" Stryker shouted, pushing the others into a run and falling in behind them. MRess was limping heavily on his injured leg and barely able to keep up.
The creature was gaining on them. It looked similar to a full grown lioness, but with black hair and a really big ugly head. Alice's heart leapt at the roar, and she spun her head around in a breathless instant of adrenalin fired fear. She saw it jump towards Stryker. "Look out!" Alice cried.
It leapt into the air, its claws extended. Stryker stopped when he heard Alice's yell, and spun around, trying to shield the group from whatever was attacking. There is no escape, he thought as he threw up his arms in a blocking stance. The thing crashed into him and together they fell over. Stryker frantically attempted to push the creature away while it closed its jaws around his arm. It bit through some skin, but unable to pierce his tough scaly hide.
Stryker kicked at the crature, and grab onto it's paw, a patch of hair, anything to fight it. Ray got hold of its tail and pulled hard. It turned around to pounce at Ray and Alice but Stryker tackled it in mid-air, his arms around its hind legs. Alice's flashlight fell from her grasp and rolled out of reach in the confusion. Darkness fell, the only source of illumination was an orange glow from Mouse's fluorescent hair.
The creature roared again and Stryker got a face full of its horrible breath. The thing's fury and hunger was again focused on the Edenian. Stryker stuggled to keep its jaws from his neck, but the creature was slowly getting closer and closer. Mouse picked up a loose slab of stone and smashed it over the animal's head, stunning it. Stryker pushed the beast off of him. "Thanks Mouse." he said gratefully.
He kept the group moving quickly away from the downed beast, unsure how fast it would recover. He was sure they escaped from it when he saw it leaping from the shadows. Ray, Alice, Mouse and Stryker fell over in shock as the creature nearly knocked them over. It bit MRess's bad leg. MRess cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
MRess looked up to see the beast standing over him. He tried to back away, but with his injured leg he was not fast enough. The creature pounced on his chest, slamming him forcefully back to the ground. MRess winced as his head hit the hard, unyielding surface and he saw stars. The creature was lowering its head and opening its mouth.
MRess'd die in an instant. And I do not what to be food to these things, or any other animal for that matter. I must protect the group. Stryker thought.
MRess barely saw the blur that was Stryker's boot slam into the creature's head. The creature slumped to the ground, unmoving. Stryker made sure no one was standing too close. Time for a finishing move of my own.
He turned to the animal, took in a deep breath, the area around his vocal chords swelling for a second. The oily purple liquid escaped Stryker' mouth, landed on the creature's head. Stryker knew the venom would immobilze the creature within five minutes, another twenty minutes will kill it.
Alice looked at him strangely, its the first time he ever used his ability in front of his new friends. They did not even know of this ability. His friends started acting nervously around him. But there is no time to explain now. Time to move ...
Stryker went quickly to MRess's side and pulled him into a sitting position. Mouse dropped on to her knees at his other side, in shock. Alice picked up her flashlight, "Just great, its damaged, " she said as she repeatily hit it. The flashlight's beam was flicking and almost too weak to be useful.
"MRess, how bad are you hurt ?" Ray asked. "Can you walk ?"
"I ... maybe," MRess gasped.
Mouse gripped her hand tightly in his. "You can do it, MRess," she said, fighting tears. "We will help you."
Stryker went quickly to MRess's side and pulled slowly to his feet. "We have to find a way out of here fast, there might be more of those things, " He looked MRess in the eye. "Are you ready ?"
MRess glanced at Stryker. "Yes," he said faintly. Ray took his place at MRess's other side.
With Alice still in the lead, they moved together. Darkness flowed down the tunnel like an endless black river. Five quiet sets of footsteps made their way steadily. Stryker calculated they have been walking for more than twenty minutes now. He looked over his shoulder again, still seeing nothing but the empty tunnel they just been through. "See anything up there, Alice ?" he called.
"No," she answered. "Not a thing."
Stryker had noticed that MRess was having more and more trouble walking. Alice's failing flashlight certainly was not helping matters either, as it flicked off and on. "I think we lost them. There is nothing back here."
"Maybe we should stop and rest," Stryker suggested. He helped Ray ease MRess to the ground against a wall of the tunnel, then walked to Alice.
"I am not seeing any way out of here," Alice said quietly, worry showing in her voice.
"I know," said Stryker. "But we know those things are back there, so we should just keep going and hope we find a way out soon." Alice nodded, then glanced over her shoulder.
Stryker took a moment to survey his own injuries. He had numerous scratches and cuts from the thing that had jumped him, but none of them serious. But he knew the alien creature's physiology might infect him with a virus or bacteria within a matter of hours. "How is he doing ?" Stryker asked, referring to MRess.
Alice sighed, concern written on her face. "Not good. And getting worse ... " she trailed off, not wanting to voice her fear.
"We will find a way out." he said reassuringly. "MRess will be okay."
Alice smiled a little. "I guess you are right."
"We will get out," he said firmly, looking her directly. "All of us."
Alice looked at him, still overwhelmed by the events of the last few minutes.
They enjoyed about five minutes of rest. Stryker signed as he turned back to MRess, Ray and Mouse. "You think you are up for another walk, MRess ?" he asked.
MRess winced, but nodded. "I just want to get out of here," he said painfully. Ray and Stryker helped him to his feet, which he gained with difficulty, and they continued on their way through the ominously quiet darkness. The twisting and turning tunnel seemed endless.
Every minute or so, MRess would stumble and nearly collapse with exhaustion, but Ray and Stryker held him firmly upright, refusing to let go. There was a faint sound behind them, no louder than a whisper, and MRess lifted his head wearily, straining his ears. "I hear something," he said breathlessly.
"Alice, wait," Stryker said softly, and all four of them stopped and listened.
The silence was deafening. No one dared to even move or breathe. Behind them, almost inaudible, was a quiet scratching sound. "Is it them ?" Mouse whispered. The sound stopped.
Stryker listened for a moment longer. "I am not sure," he said at last.
MRess listened carefully. "I don't hear anything."
"Neither do I, but that doesn't mean its gone."
"Maybe it will go the other way." Alice suggested. Silence again. The scratching stopped. MRess let out a small, shaky breath and relaxed just a little. The others let out tensed breaths as well. The sounds started again, louder this time. It was coming towards them, getting closer.
"Move," Stryker whispered. MRess gave a muffled moan as they began to move again, his strained muscles tensing.
They moved as swiftly as they could manage through the dark halls, but the noises kept growing louder. The tunnel turned steep downwards, and everyone was forced to brace themselves against the tunnel walls. Finally, the steep section ended and the tunnel leveled out again. The flashlight flickered on and off for the last time.
Total encompassing darkness again. They now relied on MRess's excellent nightvision. A few minutes later they found the tunnel leading upwards, it was just as steep as the last. Helping MRess up this one was difficult.
Whatever it was, was chasing them. Everyone knew it. Alice risked a look back over her shoulder when she glimpsed several movements in the distance behind them. "Stryker ... " she said.
"I know. Just keep moving."
Ahead of them, Alice suddenly stopped short as she ran into something solid. Using her hands, she felt along the wall to one side. When she found it connected to another wall, she felt back the other way, silently praying that the tunnel turned sharply. Her hands hit flat, solid rock. "What is it ?" Stryker asked.
"Dead end," she said. "We are trapped."
Stryker's eyes went wide. Alice moved around them. "How many ?" she asked Stryker.
"I can see one, but there may be more."
MRess took a sniff at the air, "Better make that three."
"Great, this means they hunt as a pack." Alice muttered.
Stryker helped MRess sit down against the wall, then stood beside Alice. MRess was wheezing. Mouse put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The creatures, for the moment, hung back a short distance.
"What are they doing now ?" Mouse said to Stryker. "They are just standing there."
MRess picked up a noise of some kind. "Listen ... "
"What is going on ?" asked Mouse, confused. "What is wrong MRess ?"
The four friends could do nothing as a low, steady hum began from nowhere. The vibration turned into a rumble. Small pieces of the roof of the tunnel began to fall to the floor.
Alice looked up. What she saw made no sense, larger pieces of rock start to fall. "Earth quake." Stryker groaned. "Just what we need."
Together, three friends tried to protect MRess from the falling debris. The hum grew louder. Mouse tensed, waiting for the roof to come crashing down on her. When it did not, she carefully looked up. What she saw next, made her jaw drop. The ceiling, instead of falling down onto them, briefly turned red before disappearing in a flash.
Stryker squinted at the sudden brightness as artificial light streamed into the cavern. Above them, the cause of it all, was a very angry-looking Lucida. A gold and purple blur shot jumped down, landing between them and the creatures, an old 23rd century phaser rifle in her hands. She fired her rifle many times as the creatures fell to the ground, dead or stunned.
"Who's next ?" Lucida yelled at the darkness. After regaining her senses, Mouse looked down at MRess. He was unconscious.
"MRess ?" she said, trying to wake him. MRess looked up to see Mouse standing over him. She took his hand and she helped him to his feet. Someone was at the opening of the new hole in the ground, lowering a rope.
"What the hell were those things ?" Lucida asked.
"Not animals native to this planet, thats for sure." Mouse replied.
"I do not care." Stryker felt like cursing, his nerves were shot. "Let's get MRess to a hospital."
Personal demons
Three hours later.
There is three ways to get Stryker's attention. Alice knew two of them. She was fairly sure the third involved a random act of violence, but she was not feeling particularly enthused about testing that theory right now. After they had MRess taken to a hospital, Stryker took off without a word. Alice figured something was eating at him.
She feared she might be intruding on a personal matter. What that matter is, still eluded her though. Maybe its nothing. Everyone had secrets they wish to keep, whether trivial or personal.
The sky shone an icy blue-white, but at least it was clear and bright. The weather was cold, though not brutally so, and in full sun it seemed quite bearable. She could hear the music well before she reached the maintenance bay.
Stryker liked his music, and he liked it loud. He was always playing some kind of music, sometimes human music and sometimes other music, presumably from his homeworld. Turning it off was, therefore, a sure-fire way to earn his utmost, undivided attention ..., she thought.
The Starfleet Academy maintenance bay was a wide, circular building. As she entered, Alice noticed a tiny balcony jutted out over the room, and set on it was the main control panel to open or close the domed ceiling. A small feeling of apprehension nestled in the base of her stomach as she leaned in the doorway, and waited. Three... two... one -
She turned off the music device. "Hey!" came the indignant yelp. Engineering tools clattered to the floor. "Hot slag, who is messing with my music ?"
A face appeared round the side of the small alien ship. His expression was one of pure, unadulterated malevolence - until it registered on him who was standing just eight meters away. She was surprised by the fierce expression on his face, which set off her jitters. "Hey." she said softly.
He looked in confusion at her nervous body lauguage. "Great Light, Alice. You look like you expect to have cold water poured on you. What is wrong ?"
Alice took in a deep breath to recompose herself. "I am sorry if I am intruding. I could come back later." she said, her legs were trying to get her out as fast as possible.
He sighed. "No, no. You are not intruding." he said. "Let's go for a walk."
"And you sure ?" she asked.
He nodded. "Siren, shut down. Security mode four."
The ship made a rude noise at him. They walked through the doors. "Who is Siren ?" she inquired.
"The Landale's S.A.I."
"S.A.I. ? "
"Sentient Artifical Intelligence. She ... Siren has a little attitude problem."
"I heard that !" Siren announced. Alice let out a little chuckle.
They walked north along a short path through a wooded area. Alice said, "You took off pretty fast from the hospital. You practically ran out the door before the doctors were done healing your wounds."
He nodded. She thought of something and made a connection, "Let me guess. You hate hospitals."
A sudden flash of emotion flashed in his eyes. Alice almost missed it -- as it was, she could not tell just what it had been. He looked tired and relieved, but he also looked--Anger? Sadness? Emotional pain? I have never seen that expression on his face before, Alice thought.
"Yes I do." he admitted.
A minute of silence passed between them. "Everyone is freaked out." he said. His tone neutral, but Alice sensed the brief, hot spark of his anger. "Keeping their distance from me."
"Yes." Alice confessed. "They need time to accept the concept. Venomous alien species is almost unheard of in the Federation."
"This is what I am. Screw them if they cannot accept me for who I am."
Alice understood his fury and his isolation. With her left hand, she took his right hand into hers as they walked. "I already accepted you for who and what you are." she said.
Stryker felt very grateful to have a friend like Alice. He felt close to her, but he had no romantic intentions, as she was dating Adam Malkovish.
A small image caught her eye on his shirt. "Uhm, Stryker."
"Yes ?"
"I have been meaning to ask you a while about that golden emblem." she said, pointing at the tri-blade.
"The tiger-angel, a goddess, otherwise called the Protector deity. It is the insignia of the Guardians."
"Guardian angel of sorts."
He nodded.
Stryker stopped leaning into his jacket and walked straight and tall. He realized he had a true companion now. A real friend. Well it is just impossible to talk to Wiuen without him making a joke something, or annoy or embarress. And it had been so long since he felt this great that he smiled, Rakurai Stryker really smiled.
She raked her nails lightly along his palm when she noticed she was not wearing his black gloves for a change. "Why are you always wearing gloves ?"
He lifted his left arm and made slow airslashes with his talons extended. Alice laughed.
The new arrivals
It was a grand sunset, slowly going down, peaking its head through the various buildings of San Francisco. There was always a wide spectrum of purples, yellows, reds, and oranges.
The final rays of the sun hugged the city like it was a protector. Overhead, a Predator-class runabout descented slowly in the sky. "What is their names again ?" Stryker asked as they waited at the landing pad.
"Jias, Freina, Forren and Suraja." Wiuen answered. "You are terrible at remembering names, aren't you ?"
"Yes." Stryker admitted.
There was eleven days left before the next semester started. Stryker and Wiuen returned early to welcome the new students. As Stryker predicted, a number of young officers on cultural exchange was sent, while Starfleet sent four of its own to learn from their new friends at the Guardian Academy and the Edenian Federation of Worlds.
Wiuen looked at Stryker, "Why did we volunteer to escort them around the planet ?"
"Chief Administrator Anndraia asked very nicely." Stryker answered. "Besides. It will be nice to have of few of our own people around. Despite having made friends here, we are still a little lonely."
The runabout landed, its engines started shutting down and the rear hatch opened. Stryker and Wiuen approached the runabout from the left side. "Where is my ugly brother ?" a mystery voice hollered from the rear hatch.
"Miau." Wiuen said in disbelief. He looked accusingly at Stryker, "You did not tell me she's coming !"
"She told me not to." said Stryker, smiling bemusedly as Miau hugged Wiuen a little too tightly, just to embarrass him in front of the crowd that was forming around the landing pad.
Next Chapter
Test of Character
Back to fiction
Author's note
Two semesters in 1 SFA year.