With that, I hope that you do enjoy these chapters. Not bad for 3 in a weeks time then eh:D
Ch 15 No need for Shadow Fears
The soft sounds of sleep could be heard through the dark corridors of the Zenith. The ship gently cruised along in space. All was serene and peaceful for the few days following the departure from the wasteland planet of Vestra. But not was peaceful for long.
Zack tossed and turned in his bed, thrashing out left and right.
"He...he...he...I've got you now, Zackalazeriath." the voice echoed in his dark dreams. "There's no escape now..."
"Who are you! Show yourself!" Zack called into the black void.
"Soon Zackalazeriath, Soon..." the voice taunted.
"Soon what?" Zack shot back into the darkness.
"Ill take it all from you Zackalazeriath, Soon I WILL!" The voice shot back. "Ahahahah HAHAHAAAA. FEEL THE FEAR!"
A wave of horror rushed over Zack and he shook, and visions of ungodly evil flooded his eyes, and all he could do was scream in horror. He awoke to a sweat on the floor as the fall from his bed wrenched him back to reality. His hand and arm still spasmed from the dream. He sat up and held his head in his hands and slicked back his hair after a moment to clear away the sweat, only for it to spring backforward after a moment.
Warning sirens sounded off. The room's lights automatically lit up and a red glow began it be emitted from the small sirens on the wall. He raced out of his room. The computer droned "Intruder Alert." A door up ahead slowly opened from the crew quarters that was set up for the girls.
"...mm huh? Whats going on?" Ayeka said standing in the door way, half asleep. Washu came up behind her In her night gown, Sasami following on the other side. Ryoko's snores could still be heard.
"Stay in your rooms!" Zack called out as he ran past. "And keep the door secured!"
Tenchi came out of the door opposite Ayeka's, Master Key in hand in his shorts and white t-shirt. "Zack, whats going on!"
"I dunno. Follow me to the bridge" Zack said calling behind him. Tenchi followed. "Computer! Lock down all compartments, and set up security turrets at the infirmery!"
The computer clicked in acknowledgment. The sirens and red lights continued to roar in the hallways of the ship. Within moments, they were on the bridge. Zack ran over to a console and began typing. Tenchi drew his beam saber and stood in an attack stance towards the only door to the bridge. After a moment the alert went away, and the lights returned to normal.
"Computer, open up all view ports and scan the ship for breaches." Zack said, still facing the console. The front port opened up, and the sea of space greeted them. "Hm, no ships or anythi...WHAT THE HELL!"
Zack stumbled backwards startled as something hit the bow port view. It looked like some mangled bloodied and half burnt away body sprawled across the port viewer. It was still moving and it's 'head' exhaled and inhaled and bit at the outer glass. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Zack yelled and turning to Tenchi while pointing at the horror across the window.
Tenchi turned to see Zack on the floor against the console. "What's what?"
Zack turned back to the window. The view port blast shields were closed. Zack pulled himself up to his feet, but steadied himself on the console."Com-Computer, did you just close the blast shields to get rid of what ever the hell that was?"
"The blast shields were never opened. No command was received to open the blast shields" The computer reported back to him.
"Open em up, now!" Zack said with urgency. The standard affirmative was messaged and the blast shields creaked and moved down. The sea of space once again met their view. Zack walked over the window and looked all around it. No signs of the thing remained. As if it wasnt even there. "It was...was...hazol, I have no idea what the hell it was..."
He shrugged it off as maybe a day-nightmare of some kind. "What's our current heading?"
"Currently on coarse to Star Point A: The Gridgen System. Estimated time of arrival in star time, 126 Hours, 48 minutes, and 34 Seconds." came the reponse.
"..ok, And the scan?" Zack continued to enquire. Tenchi lowered his beam saber, now feeling that there was no threat.
"Scan negative. Shields are at 0 syphon. Hull Integrity is at 58. Structural Integrity 97. All damages resulting from Prior engagements. Last damages received as of 96 Star Hours ago. A bio form scan was ran after the initial scans. No new entities have been detected internally or externally." the computer informed Zack. He began to breath easier and relaxed a bit at the news.
"Alright," Zack finally said. "Nothing seems to be the problem. A false alarm then. Let go back, then..."
They began to walk back to their rooms, and struck of a conversation as to the cause of the false alarm. Everything was quiet again, until screams shattered the silence.
"Its from the girl's room!" Tenchi said, drawing his master key and sprinting down the hall way. Zack followed suit, creating a small energy knives in his hands. They came to the door. Screams heard inside from various people. A grotesque snarl and roar could be heard as well.
"OPEN UP!" Tenchi cried as he banged on the door. Zack ran up to the door.
"COMPUTER! OPEN THIS DOOR!" Zack demanded. No response. "COMPUTER! Damn It! What is going on?"
He began to work with the panal near the door but it short circuited.
"Stay Away! NOO!" A voice inside screamed. Something hit the floor. A tearing noise was heard along with the splashing of liquid.
"You BASTARD! Gah...ah...ge...ah..."Something snapped and a loud thud hit the inside wall adjacent to Tenchi.
"GOD! OPEN THIS DOOR!" Tenchi yelled slamming on it. He took his blade and began to try to cut away at the door, but cursed when it didnt seem to have any effect. Zack began to hammer away at the door along with Tenchi.
"STAY BEHIND ME SASswipeGAH.splat." Came another voice. It sounded like Washu's.
" LESTA HAZOL! WE HAVE TO GET THIS DOOR OPEN!" Zack yelled, now clawing away at the door, using his flame daggers to try and cut at it. "COMPUTER OPEN THIS DAMNED DOOR!"
Banging from the other side of the door rang through the Dracadian alloy. "TENCHI HELP ME! HEL" A bone crunching slam hit the door leaving an outward dent, and all was quiet in the room. Tenchi and Zack froze. Something wet seeped around their feet. It oozed crimson red.
"COMPUTER! OPEN THIS VANGRAD DAMNED DOOR!" Zack yelled one last time before. The door slid open and they burst through.
"Ah!" Ayeka said startled. "Lord Tenchi! Whats wrong?"
Zack and Tenchi looked about the room. Everything was calm and quiet. Sasami sat on a bed with Ryo-Ohki. Ayeka had just gotten off the corner of the very same bed when Tenchi and Zack burst in. Washu leaned against a wall and looked at them with seriousness while Ryoko was still sleeping. Tenchi and Zack, however, were sweating hard, gasping for air and wide eyed and red faced with fear and urgency.
"What wrong, Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka said walking over as Tenchi backed up against the wall and slid down it, till he was sitting on the floor. "Tenchi?"
He grabbed her close and embraced her in a hug.
"..oh.." Ayeka muttered, completely caught off guard. "AH!"
Ryoko kicked Ayeka away from Tenchi. "What the hell do you think you were doing? Acting all concerned and caring?"
Ayeka rubbed her head. "You blithering dolt! He hugged me! Not that there's anything wrong with that!"
"And why would he want to hug the likes of you?" Ryoko asked, anger in her voice.
"Well, it is obvious, y'know?" Ayeka said, now putting on her 'princess' act and rose to her feet.
"And what is SO obvious?" Ryoko asked, now toeing the mark.
"That IM who he prefers!" the princess replied
"Really Now?" came Ryoko. "Who would want an ugly flat chested thing like you?"
"Grr!" Ayeka growled. She didnt like it when Ryoko made fun of her figure. "Atleast I act like a woman, you bardyard beast!"
"THAT DOES IT!" the pirate roared. "Lets take this outside!"
"Fine by ME!" screamed a princess. Tenchi got up, a warm smile on his face. He put one hand on Ryoko's shoulder, and another on Ayeka's. They paused and turned to him, anger drained from this simple gesture.
"Im really just glad your all alright. Both of you." He hugged both of them at once, and they blushed. Sasami came up to Tenchi.
"Tenchi, whats wrong?" she asked, and he let go of the princess and pirate to talk to Sasami. They both drifted off in their own fantasies for a moment, not even realizing Tenchi had let them go.
"That's what Id like to know..." Washu said looking suspiciously at Tenchi and then to Zack who was propping himself up with a wall and an elbow. "Just what happened that made this sudden change of mood?"
"pant...something like a nightmare when your awake, that's what..." Zack said looking up to Washu. She was about to ask what he meant when the high pitched scream of automated gun fire could be heard echoing through the dark hallways of the Zenith. This brought Ayeka and Ryoko out of a daze and instantly alert. They turned to Zack, as he realized where it was originating from."THE INFIRMARY!
The group raced out of the crew cabin and back into the deep abyss of the hallways. The automated gunfire had ceased, and the sound of metal being twisted and contorted could be heard echoing ahead of them. They dashed around another corner. A scream. Gunfire. They ran as fast as they could. They turned the final corner, and could see the sentry guns lay in ruin, and the door of the infirmary had been turned into scrap. They stopped as something agilely jumped out of the door way and down the other way into the darkness. Shot's fired out the doorway.
"What the is that?" Ayeka asked, half startled by the 'thing'.
"I don't know but it isnt friendly!" Ryoko said running forward and firing off a charged shot into the darkness. A scream of pain from something echoed back to them, a loud thumping and then nothing. Ryoko chased down the hall a little bit but returned after a moment. "Nothing..."
"What's going on here?" Washu asked, now beginning to think something was definitely wrong.
"Seems like some alien is aboard the ship." Ayeka said.
"We'll, only one person to ask what that was," Zack said now walking in front of the door.
Zwipp. Zack grimaced and was forced backwards as a shot hit him in the shoulder. Inside the dark infirmary came a voice.
"St-STAY BACK, ZACK!" A scared Mihoshi called out. "Stay back or Ill KILL YOU, or what ever you are!"
Washu helped drag Zack away from the door, still grimacing at the sharp pain in his shoulder.
"Ayeka, Sasami, look after Zack, Ill see if I can talk to her." Washu said getting up. She walked over to the door and called into the Darkness. "Mihoshi? Is that you? This is Washu."
"Is..Is Zack gone?" called out a voice in the darkness.
"Yes, Zack is gone...Im coming in, alright?" Washu said to the darkness.
"N-NO!" You stay right there!" Mihoshi called back. "I-I don't trust you!"
"Mihoshi, its just me alright? Washu. No one else." the scientist called back. " I just want to see that you and Kiyone are alright. I promise Im not going to do anything."
There was quietness for a moment. Washu stood apprehensive, sure that Mihoshi had her blaster pointed dead on, with the intent to kill if need be.
"...O-ok. But just you!" came the response. "But stay against the doorway light, and don't make any sudden movements!"
Washu nodded, sure Mihoshi saw it, and walked in slowly. She could see by the time she was half way across the room that Mihoshi had over turned a bed and Kiyone and her were behind it. As she got closer, she noticed that Kiyone was not dressed, and Mihoshi's clothing were in rags. She ran forward as soon as she knew Mihoshi recognized her and thought it was safe. Mihoshi began to sob. "What happened to you?"
"I woke up and saw Zack on top of Kiyone, doing...doing..." Mihoshi sobbed unable to complete her own sentence. "And then he attacked me, and started to cut at me and...and..."
"You sure it was Zack." Washu asked sternly.
"I-i-t Looked like him, but he was..." Mihoshi sobbed.
"Listen, you have to tell me if it was Zack you saw. Was it him? Was it Zack?" the scientist questioned. Mihoshi just sobbed.
"It..it wasn't him..." Kiyone said in the corner, now pulling off the blanket off the turned over bed and covering herself. Washu could barely see her face, but it was full of a mixture of feelings, primarily fear and disgust. Her eyes seemed far away and silent. "His eyes...they didnt glow softly, but were black and unkind...and his voice was different too..."
Ryoko and Tenchi had since walked in and heard the latter half of what Mihoshi and Kiyone said.
Tenchi helped turn over the bed and Ryoko helped Kiyone to her bed, as she was still weak from the prior ordeal. Washu had gotten another blanket for Mihoshi to help cover her up. She turned on the lights and inspected Kiyone and Mihoshi for abuse and foul play, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, except Mihoshi's tattered clothing and Kiyone's lack of clothing. "Were just going to go out into the hall and talk with Zack, alright?"
Mihoshi and Kiyone nodded., and they proceeded out. Faint talking between Mihoshi and Kiyone could be heard soon afterwards. Zack was still propped up against the wall, rubbing his shoulder, Ayeka holding a rag to his shoulder. Washu stopped a second before turning to Zack to talk with Tenchi.
"Tenchi, Zack was with you the whole time, right?" she asked.
"Yeah," Tenchi said. "He was even the one who ordered those sentry guns to be here, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember." Washu said looking down in thought. "They say they saw Zack but it wasn't him, You two looked like hell when you got to our cabin, even though nothing happened that I was aware of, we see that strange creature too... Something is definitely wrong, here."
She turned to Zack who was looking up at her after over hearing his name. "What do you mean they saw me?"
"They say you broke into the infirmary," Washu said, not going into further detail.
"Where would I find the time to break into the infirmary when I was with you guys the whole time? Urg.." He shifted himself, causing a moment of pain.
"Let me look at that..." Washu said bending down and inspecting Zack's wound. It was nothing more then a flesh wound, even though it should have been more because she was sure Mihoshi had set her blaster to a lethal setting. "Ah, its nothing. Suck it up."
"Hey, you didn't get shot." Zack replied, a bit agitated.
"Fine fine, Ill put some salve on it to take care of the pain and aid healing." Washu said, now summoning her holo laptop. But it did not come on her command. "Huh? I cant summon up my laptop."
A moment later, Tenchi's beam saber began to flicker and it went out. He tried to recall it, but it gave a few sparks and nothing more. "My saber!"
Ayeka quickly summoned up her protective logs, or tried to. She could not summon up them either. "I can't summon my logs either. What's going on?"
Ryoko, fearing something might be wrong, tried to summon her own. He showed bright in the darkness.
"Whew, atleast mines works." Ryoko said with a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as her own beam saber dissipated within seconds of her last comment. "No way!"
"Help me up." Zack said to Sasami. He tried to ignite his own weaponry, but could not do so either. "What the? Impossible."
"What's going on!" Washu said frustrated that her holo laptop would not come to her, and even worried that they could be very well defenseless.
Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh.
The screamish sound echoed down the hallways to the group. Something in the dark hallway could be seen moving along sluggishly. They squinted to get a better look at what it was in the darkness.
"...I think its time we go back in the infirmary!" Zack said now seeing what was coming to them from the darkness. It was like a freakishly misshapen zombie, it's large mouth hanging open, piles of teeth lining. It dragged a long claw like arm, the other one something of a scythe. It's eyes pure black like obsidian. It took up the whole hallway. It was all the way down the other end of the hall. They ran into the Infirmary and started to pile stuff in front of the door way. Ayeka looked out the door again. It was half way there. She blinked in horror. It was an arm's length away when she opened her eyes. She screamed and drew back.
"Holy Hell!" Zack said drawing back from the barricade. The monster broke through it in one swipe.
GraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH!
Zwipp Zwipp
The monster's head lurched back and it fell to the floor. A slime seemed to ooze from it's head.
Mihoshi stood from the corner, panting, holding her blaster still in the position she killed the hideous thing with. Washu stepped over to it.
"I've never seen anything like this..." she said, half panting. "How'd something this big get so close so fast..."
"Look's like you had an alien problem.." Mihoshi said from the other corner, now lowering her blaster.
Tenchi and other other's looked to Mihoshi.
"Damn, nice shooting." Ryoko commented.
"Yeah," Tenchi said in agreement.
"Where'd it go?" Ayeka said. Everyone turned to where it fell, but saw nothing but Washu kneeling over empty floor.
"I-I don't know." Washu said. "I just blinked and it was gone. Not a trace left."
"I still cant get any of my natural weapons back." Zack said trying to summon of a fiery sword or daggers.
"Me neither." Tenchi said negatively.
Scra...uhhhhhhhhhh...scree scree...
Noises echoed out in the hall. Everyone froze to listen. Zack slowly walked around the toppled barricade and looked out the hall.
Scree scraww...
Something moved. Not just something. Somethings. Zack concentrated his gaze to see if he could see what it was. The other's saw him beginning to back up. "Guy's...Grab Kiyone and lets go. NOW!"
They did not hesitate or ask questions. Tenchi quickly grabbed Kiyone and they all filed out past the barricade and down the hall. Sasami, in curiosity, paused when leaving the door and looked to where the noises came.
"Aieeeeeeeeeeee." she screamed. Something like skeletons with bloodied and beaten skin draped over their frames crawled upon the walls and floors like spiders. Instead of hands, they had scythe like bones coming out of their wrists. No eyes visible, just empty sockets and blunt decayed teath.
SCRAAAAAAAAAAAA
They hissed and with with unholy speed raced down the hallway after the fleeing group. Sasami tripped and fell backwards, but Ryoko quickly grabbed her and bolted down the hallway.
"Hurry!" Zack called out leading them down the dark passages of the ship. "Computer! Intruder Alert! Security Protocol 01326!...Computer! COMPUTER! Damn!"
No response as Zack yelled out for the main computer of the Zenith. He led them down a hallway but quickly double backed to go the other way as soon as more of those things seemed to spawn from the shadow's in front of them. The other's were getting tired from the constant running and turning, as they could not defend themselves, and it seemed that at almost every turn, those creatures of nightmare seemed to be in there path.
"Almost there!" Zack said, now panting. The things were catching up. "THERE! IN THOSE DOUBLE DOORS! NOW!"
Zack ran up and waved his hand in front of a red orb on a door. It glimmered and the two double doors it sat between opened up. They ran inside the dark room, as Zack sealed the door behind him. Their breathing could be heard.
"It's dark in here..." Sasami said. "Im scared."
"Me, too..." Ryoko whispered to her.
WHAM... WHAM... WHAM WHAM...WHAM...
Noises of something banging hard on the steel could be heard that instantly startled everyone in the dark room.
WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM...
The dreaded thought is that those things would bust through the door any second and they would all surely perish, but a frightening silence followed instead. Ragged breathing and heart beats in the darkness.
After a moment, they heard some fumbling around, and the lights came on. Zack had found the light switch. They were in a large rectangular room now with computer terminals and wall screens mounted periodically from each other laid against the two side walls. A large emptied wall with a large Dracadian symbol or logo was on the wall opposite the doors. A hatched red and yellow strip of tape on the ground with Dracadian lettering sat about 10 feet from that wall. Zack ran up to a terminal and began typing something in.
"Yes, it still works." Zack said. He turned to the wall mounted monitor, and touched a small box. A sub menu came up and he proceeded through that for another moment. Then he turned his attention to the empty wall. Red lights began to blink and a small long dull warning sound let out. The wall immediately broke away into smaller rectangular parts They shifted around as mechanical arms began to appear out behind the wall. A table elevated itself out of the floor beyond the red and orange strip. The machine's worked with haste drawing out parts, boxes and crates and other objects from the depths of the wall. After a moment the arms retreated back into the wall and the smaller rectangular parts reassembled back into the wall and the sirens and lights stopped. Zack moved foward to the table with crates. He opened up a crate and dug into it, after a moment pulling out a small rifle. He went over to a smaller box and pulled out what appeared to be a small orb. He put it near the base of the gun and the it seemed to absorb it right through the metal. He fiddled with some other small parts and threw it over to Tenchi, who had by now put Kiyone down against a near by terminal.
"So this is a Dracadian armory..." Ryoko said, now understanding the room she stood in. Sasami stood next to her and looked about as well.
"Here, Catch!" Zack said. Tenchi caught it a bit thrown off by its weight. Zack quickly assembled another rifle for Ryoko and tossed it to her.
"Wow this is heavy." Tenchi commented, looking over the strange weapon. Ryoko just looked at it with a bit of contempt and indifference.
He handed a rifle to Washu, who looked it over extensively. She was a bit impressed with it already, not even seeing how strong it was. Zack pulled another weapon, smaller in design and gave it to Ayeka. She accepted it without question and looked at it.
Zack pulled out a weapon that looked something like a sub machine gun. Its frame was boxier and more squashed then the rifle like weaponry everyone else save Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi and Kiyone had been issued.
"It's real simple alright." Zack finally said. "Point and shoot."
"Why not just stay here?" Ryoko questioned, still not interested in the toy, as she thought of it, she had been issued.
"Because I cant control the Zenith from here, and there's no food or water here or any other commodities." Zack began. "And I don't know how long those doors will hold. Im also real curious how come my computer didn't pick up those 'things' when it performed a bio scan"
"So then where are we going to go then?" Ayeka asked next.
"The bridge detaches from the ship and can act as an escape shuttle in itself. We'll lose most of our weaponry among other things, but atleast we'll be safe from ..those.." the dracadian said. "Mihoshi, please carry Kiyone, and Ayeka keep close to her and Sasami. The rest of us will act as guard. Alright, lets roll..."
Zack moved to the door and waited for everyone to ready themselves. He gave a look as if to ask if they were ready. They nodded a yes. He cocked his gun and it may a vwering sound. A faint glow surrounded Zack for a moment before disappearing. He then held up his hand and stalled a moment, before bracing his gun and waving his hand in front of the orb. Nothing happened. He waved it again. Still nothing. He looked at it puzzled before he spun around along with everyone else to the noise of the warning sirens from the wall again. The wall activated, metal plates shifting, arms extending. It began however, to move irratically. The wall jerked violently and unhinged itself from the surrounding frame and began to creak and crawl forward, loud screeches of noise made from steel scratching across steel.
"Thats...not...possible." He said wide eyed.
"Hurry and open the door and get us the hell out of here!" Ryoko said turning back to Zack. He spun around and tried to open the lock again. No response. He tried again and agian. Nothing. Until he noticed a swirling black cloud start to grow inside the red orb, till it was no longer red, but pure black. His mouth hanged open, not sure what to make of what just happened.
ZVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVPHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Zack turned around to see that Tenchi had fired a charged shot at the wall. It punched a hole in it but it still kept crawling forward, as if alive, and swung viciously with its many mechanical arms at the group of people. Washu and Ryoko joined in the fight, firing charged rounds into the wall. It groaned but still kept coming.
"If you don't hurry, Zack," Tenchi yelled, "Were going to die!"
Zack turned back and continued with the door. Nothing. He fired a couple of rounds into the door. Nothing but bullet holes.
"GRRR, To Hell with this Door!" Zack said finally in frustration. He stood back away from the door, and a red glow emanated from him, The other's glanced back, feeling a wave of heat behind them. Zack clicked a notch on his weapon. "RRRRRRRRRRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The weapon jolted and glowed red as a powerful blast of concentrated flame burst from the gun at the double doors. The wall glowed as the flames lashed, licked, and leaped against the double doors. After a moment, he let go of the trigger and the weapon slowly returned back to its grey black color and the glow faded away from Zack. The door had a melted hole in it, easily large enough to fit a person through, though the edges glowed fiery red with heat.
"Go!" Zack called signaling the other's to go. The wall still crashed after them, now full of holes, but still able to crawl on forward and lash out at them. "This way!"
They ran down the hall. Scuttling noises could be heard in the vents. They dared not think what thing made those sounds. They just charged forward running, and turning corners. Zack lead them as fast as he could, but it was obvious he was very tired and would need rest soon. The creatures from before the Armory appeared, once again cutting off their paths. They were lead up to an elevator eventually, which they all piled on. Zack hit the button which would take them to the level of the bridge. The elevator rose slowly, and then gained some momentum.
Zack relaxed against the transparent glass. Ryoko let out a sigh of relief.
"pant Whew, atleast a small break..." Mihoshi commented, panting from the fatigue. A spark flew up from beneath the elevator. "Oh no..."
The metal underneath the elevator groaned, and it came to a sudden stop. It was between levels.
" ...this isn't what I think it is..." Ayeka prayed. CLANK. "AHH"
The elevator dropped a few feet rather fast and stopped. Everyone was forced to the floor, being thrown off balance. Metal groaned, and the elevator began to shake and buckle from underneath.
"Its going to break. We have to get out!" Zack said. Kachink. They plummeted. Floors raced by as they screamed. The elevator emitted a high pitched scream as it plummeted. The numbers on the panel flying by.
10 9 8 7 6 5
Almost the last floor they saw in horror.
4 3 2 1
They tensed up and clenched each other tightly for the impact
Ding. The transparent sliders opened on the level of the bridge. They all slowly opened there eyes, breathing heavy. They scrambled out of the elevator. The sliders closed calmly.
"W-what was that..."Kiyone finally managed to say.
"Vangrad, lets just get out of here." Zack said, still sitting on the floor looking at the elevator. It made another ding and slowly decended. They got up and ran towards the bridge. The opened the door and closed it. Ryoko and Tenchi remained at the door, rifle's ready.
"Computer, Disengage and jettison the main decks of the Zenith, were getting the out of here." Zack commanded as he took his seat at the helm.
"Affirmative." The computer said as if it did not matter either way. "...Malfunction. Couplings on decks 1-7 are failing to disengage. Cannot disengage bridge."
"Dammit! Find a way!" Zack yelled back.
"Warning, Proximity Alert. Battle Zone being Set up." The computer responded, however. Everyone turned around shocked at to what the computer was saying.
"What? Open main views!" Zack commanded. The blast shields lowered allowing them to view into space. "No..."
They all stood in horror as his last word echoed through the room. A Juraian battalion was circled around the Zenith.
" 70 enemy targets detected." The computer warned. "Approximately 1 minute till they are within firing range. Warning, Energy spikes detected from all hostile targets. Enemy cannons are coming on line."
"Shit! Jump Us JUMP!" Zack commanded in a panic.
"Warning, Malfunction. Primary Jump coils on decks 8-12 have been disengaged due to connection loss."
"Power up the shields and thruster's to max!" Zack commanded as his next course of action.
"Unable to comply. Syphoning system is malfuncti...malfunc..malfunc.." The computer monitors began to fizzle about them and then went black. The power shut off and the door from which they came slowly slid open. Emergency lights came on as Zack and the other's became weightless.
"Shit!" Zack cursed.
"Ayeka Look!" Sasami said pointing out the window. Buds of light began to appear on the Juraian warships. Ayeka hugged Sasami close, realizing they would soon no longer be apart of this universe.
The warships fired simultaneously, and a bright wave of energy charged at the bridge of the Zenith. The room filled with white light and they shielded themselves from it.
Tenchi opened his eyes. He was still on the bridge of the Zenith, along with everyone else, who also began to open their eyes and realize they were still on the bridge of the Zenith.
"Computer!" Zack called out, "Where are the enemy targets!"
"Enemy contacts, 0. Last recorded enemy contact was of 99 Star Hours ago." The computer droned.
"...O-Open main view ports." Zack commanded. The computer acknowledged and the blast shields slid down. Space, once again, was all to be seen.
"This must be some kind of nightmare,"Mihoshi said, looking out into space.
"Its to real to be a nightmare," Washu replied.
...SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The screech from the monster's before echoed from the depths of the ship.
"It must be those things playing mind games on us!" Ayeka said, fear in her voice.
"I say we go out and kill those things," Ryoko said.
"They can dent the doors of this ship, what do you think they are going to do to flesh and blood?" Kiyone said from the floor.
WHAM
The turned to the single door of the bridge. Zack got out of his seat and picked up his rifle.
WHAM
A dent was left in the door.
WHAM..WHAM
WHAM
WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM
The door began to buckle and dent.
WHAM SCRITCH
A long scythe like bone pierced the door. It yanked at the door.
WHAM SCRITCH WHAM SCRITCH
WHAM WHAM WHAM SCRITCH
More scythe like bones pierced the door and began to pull on it. Ryoko and Tenchi back away.
SCREE SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The door groaned and began to bend outward, like it was being sucked off by great force.
SCRAAAAA SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The low gurgled screech taunted them through the door. Zack stepped up closer to Ryoko and Tenchi, weapon ready. Ayeka held her hand gun ready, as did Mihoshi and Washu hold their weapons ready. The metal looked like it would give away any moment.
SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WHAM SCRAAAAAAAAAAA
It was obvious everyone was afraid, guns gently rattled in everyone's hand. Eyes on the door. Ryoko pulled back her trigger and the gun blared. Tenchi and everyone else followed suit. The door began to be studded with bullet holes, but soon enough the door flew away into the darkness and those things leaped and crawled through that doorway, only to meet a hail of bullets. But it seemed to many to great. There seemed like an infinite number and they were slowly gaining ground in the hallway and starting to get through the door.
Zack's ammo ran out fast, since he used most of it up getting out of the armory. He pulled off another small orb that was attached to the side of his gun and fed it to his gun. It stuck for a second and he banged on his gun. It finally went in, but noticed for a moment between the shots a small hum. Something mechanical was running. He looked to his left and noticed that the large syphon cylinder had glowing black light running up and along its sides. A small piece of panel near a floor connection ajar.
"COMPUTER! SHUT DOWN SYPHON CORE!" Zack yelled through the gunfire. The things were gaining ground.
"Warning, Syphon core shut down will lose shielding abilities as well as jump abilities. Weapon systems will drop to 50 and power out put will suffer." the computer warned.
"COMPUTER! I GAVE YOU A COMMAND! NOT ASKED FOR WARNINGS" Zack yelled. Ryoko's and Tenchi's guns clicked empty and they looked at them. Another click across the room sounded. The things crawled in through the door and leapt at Ryoko and Tenchi, since they were closest, mouths wide and dark with their scythe hands extended for the kill.
SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
"Syphon Core Shutting Down" the computer bellowed. The ship's computers clicked and the core turned dead black.. The monster's faded into thin air as they leapt right through Ryoko and Tenchi like ghosts. Everyone but Zack looked bewildered but sighed with hope that the things were gone.
"Warning, Proximity Alert." the computer announced.
They all turned to the front window, expecting the horror to continue. But what met there eyes startled them. They were no longer in space, but in a large dark hanger of some kind.