AOE Saga: The Wrath of the Wraith

by Cydra

The crew of the BiNebular stumble upon of a wreacked research ship. They explore it and unknowningly unleash the vengeful spirit of a old enemy.

5. Boil and Trouble

AOE Saga:

The Wrath of the Wraith

Chapter 4: Boil and Trouble

The Ohana quickly found the research ship. The crew went inside and started doing a thorough investigation. They eventually found the main testing room. Chip found a file on the computer about Red Moon and put it on the screen. The image of a Splitter researcher appeared on the screen. "Research Log 1; We have an evil spirit and captured it. We will prepare to analyze the spirit and try to find a way to destroy it. Research Log 17; We've made a break-through in analyzing the evil spirit. We discovered it is the spirit of the infamous werepire, Red Moon the Uncrushable. Now we must find a way to destroy it forever. Research Log 58; Red Moon is becoming more and more restless and is making several attempts to escape. We must increase our progressive speed. Research Log 94; As a precaution, we've designed a gun in case Red Moon should ever escape and possess someone as he has often threatened to do. This gun will destroy the body of the host that Red Moon has possessed. But we still need to find a proper fuel to power it." In the next entry, there were several explosions and screams could be heard in the background. The Splitter researcher recording the log entry was visibly shaken. "Research Log 143; We're being attacked by Imperial ships. The fools have caused damage to Red Moon's container and allowed him to escape. He's spreading all over the ship and is trying to go into the Imperial ship as well. Everyone is falling under his power. I know that I will not survive but I hope this footage will. If you are watching this, listen closely. Find the Wolfsbane Cannon! It is the only thing that can stop Red Moon once he has a host. If he is not stopped, the entire universe is," he was cut short by a blackness looming up behind him. The Splitter gave one last scream before the darkness swallowed him. The screen went blank. "End of the tape," said Chip. "We've got to find that Cannon," said Matt. "But we don't know where it is," said Draco, "or what it even looks like." In response, PlasMorph morphed into Finder and began sniffing around. Everyone followed him until he came to a safe and honked. Chip approached the safe and put his hand on the keypad. Numbers flashed across the screen until a click was heard and the safe opened. "How did you do that?" asked Matt. "It comes with being a super-hacker," said Chip. Draco reached inside the safe and pulled out the Wolfsbane Cannon. It was silver and resembled a cross between a crossbow and a plasma cannon. TechnoMorph analyzed the Cannon and said, "It still needs a proper fuel to work." "What kind of fuel?" asked MysticMorph. "Something that will nullify the curse of both lycanthropy and vampirism." "Don't you have any of that serum left from when we first fought Red Moon?" Draco asked EnigMorph. "Not anymore," said EnigMorph. "I spent it up on the siege of Red Moon's fortress. We'll either have to find the alchemist who made it or use the recipe he gave me." "And where is this alchemist?" asked Chip. EnigMorph shrugged, "He's a dimensional wanderer. He could be in any universe." "Then we'll have to use your recipe," said Chip. EnigMorph shook his head; "I don't have any of the ingredients. And it will take months for us to find them all."

Then Matt thought of something; "Red Moon said he had the crew of the Imperial ship under his control, right? And the log said that Red Moon was trying to get over to that ship. So it should be floating around somewhere." TechnoMorph looked out the window for anything unusual. He spotted something and went to one of the research ship's cannons. "What are you doing?" asked Draco. Without giving an answer, TechnoMorph fired out a shot. Everyone expected to go off far into space. But to their surprise it collided with something invisible not too far away. The area around the part that was shot shimmered and slowly reappeared. It was an Imperial ship, just as badly damaged as the research ship. "How did you know that was there?" asked Matt. "Red Moon had activated that ship's hologram projector to hide the ship from view. People wouldn't want to get to close to an Imperial ship. I was able to detect the electromagnetic frequency and simply blasted the hologram projector." Matt nodded and said, "Let's look on that ship. There might be something useful there too."

The Ohana made the short trip over to the Imperial ship. When they got inside, they found that the inside was even more wreaked than the research ship. Maybe it was because the Imperial troops had better weapons and used them in vain. Then Draco stopped moving and closed his eyes. His horns started glowing and swiveled to point in a particular direction. "There's somebody alive over there," he said. "How do you know?" asked Matt. "My horns have psychic powers. I can use them as divining rod." They followed the direction that Draco's horns indicated until they came to the cargo bay. There were several statues of humans made of the same gray metal. EnigMorph sniffed it and said, "It's adamantanium." "This is Virustoxico's work," said Chip. They noticed some cells in the walls, apparently to hold either prisoners or E.X.P. Virus victims. They heard some noises coming from one of the cells. Matt tapped on the door and got a responding tap. He opened the door to reveal what was inside.

Inside where Commander Silvia, Virustoxico, and NegaMorph all shackled to the cell's manacles. They had a slime put on their mouths so they couldn't shout. They now seemed to shouting quite loudly now. Matt studied them and said, "One part of me is glad that we found someone, the other part wants to close the door and pretend we never found them." The protesting shouts seemed to grow louder. Matt sighed and said, "If we let you guys out, will you promise to help us and not destroy us or anything?" The prisoners nodded their heads in agreement. Matt pressed the button and they were released from their shackles. EnigMorph helped them out and ripped off the slime on their mouths. Silvia was a bit of a problem since the slime was applied to her furred face. EnigMorph had to yank hard and rip some of the hairs out of their roots. Silvia restrained from screaming and said, "Ow." "How did you guys get in here?" asked Draco. "Something from the research ship came over to this ship," said NegaMorph. "It captured all of the crew and locked us in that cell." "I guess Red Moon didn't want any competition," said Matt. Piton Toxico became more alert, "What did you sssay, Traveler?" "I said I guess Red Moon didn't want any competition." "If you're referring to Red Moon the Uncrussshable, you mussst be lying. I worked for Red Moon before I met Virussstocron. He wasss defeated on Earth. There isss no way he could have gotten all the way over here." "Then what do you call this?" asked Matt and he ripped off the bandage on his shoulder, revealing the twin wounds were Red Moon embedded his fangs. Piton took one look at the wounds and became very quiet. Fear was etched on all of his faces. Virustocron also looked troubled but not as troubled as Piton. Silvia and NegaMorph looked at Matt's wounds with disgust. "What did that?" asked Silvia. "A werepire," said Chip. Silvia looked shocked; "Those things are real." "They're more than real," said Chip. "One particular werepire named Red Moon the Uncrushable has taken over the BiNebular." Piton was now near the state of panicking. "Where is he taking it?" asked NegaMorph. "He wanted to go to Nocturnus-13," said Draco. "I've heard of that planet," said NegaMorph. "It's a planet of darkness that's isolated from any star. It gets it light from the red moon that orbits it. Such a planet would greatly increase a werepire's power by at least eightfold." "At least we've got something to slay him with," said Chip. "Even if we can't make the serum to fuel it." Then MysticMorph had a brilliant idea; "What if I went back in time and got all those items? Location is part of time-travel." "And how will you get back to us?" said Matt. "You can only go backwards, remember?" "I've been meaning to speak about that," said TechnoMorph. "I highly believe that Matt's Time Drive and MysticMorph's TimeScythe are compatible." "We've tried that before," said Matt. "It didn't work." "That's because I wasn't there," said TechnoMorph. "The reason you two had so much trouble was that your time-travel devices work in opposite ways. Matt's Time Drive is powered by technology while MysticMorph's TimeScythe is powered by magic. Combining those two is very difficult. Let me have them." Matt and MysticMorph obediently gave TechnoMorph their time-travel devices. TechnoMorph activated a couple of tools in his TechPack and got to work. In a few minutes, he had successfully equipped the Time Drive to the TimeScythe. MysticMorph took his TimeScythe back and said, "We'll I better get those ingredients." He raised his TimeScythe as if to slice through the air. "Wait," said EnigMorph. "Before you go I want to do something with your TimeScythe." "What's that?" asked MysticMorph. EnigMorph studied the blade and asked, "What metal is that made from." "The blade? Why, it's mithril of course." EnigMorph nodded and said, "I thought it was. That's why it could reflect Red Moon's attack. The reason I asked is because one of the things needed to make the serum is an adamantanium blade coated with mithril. I want to reforge that blade." "No problem," said Virustoxico. "We've got all the adamantanium you need." They gestured at the several adamantanium statues. EnigMorph grimaced and said, "I won't be melting down any people, thank you. Use that Iron Gorgon ability on some scrap metal." Virustoxico grumbled about this and gathered up some metal sheets that were ripped off during Red Moon's attack. While they were changing these to adamantanium, EnigMorph had removed the blade from the TimeScythe. He swallowed the blade just as Virustoxico came back with the adamantanium. EnigMorph swallowed this too and started forging the metals. The screen on his belly glowed red like a furnace. Then with a ding, the glowing stopped and the screen flipped open like an oven door. EnigMorph reached inside and pulled out a scythe's blade. It was similar to the TimeScythe's old blade except it seemed sharper and stronger. EnigMorph attached the new blade to the TimeScythe. MysticMorph swung it around experimentally before spinning it in a counterclockwise direction and slicing through the air. The TimeScythe created an azure vortex-portal in the air. EnigMorph handed MysticMorph a list of ingredients before he jumped though. The portal sealed up behind him. The others waited a few minutes and the portal reappeared. MysticMorph jumped back out and the portal resealed itself. "Got everything," said MysticMorph. He pulled several things out of his cape: a golden crucifix, seven large bottles each containing a gallon of holy water, some holy wafers, a sexton's shovel, graveyard dirt, and a very large cauldron. TechnoMorph constructed a kerosene burner for the cauldron. EnigMorph put the cauldron on and put the holy water, crucifix, holy wafers, and dirt in it. He stirred it with the sexton's shovel until the dirt and wafers dissolved. EnigMorph then picked up the TimeScythe and dipped the blade in the water, muttering some magic words. The crucifix dissolved instantly and the water developed a metallic sheen. "Now we need some grounded herbs," said EnigMorph. "Which ones," asked Matt. "Rosemary, lavender, garlic, rowan tree, ash-thorn, and wolfsbane." Before MysticMorph could lift his TimeScythe again, EnviroMorph grunted and sprouted the plants from his back. Chip plucked the plants and said, "Good job, EnviroMorph. I'll do the grinding since the wolfsbane is poisonous." Chip quickly donned an ancient Japanese outfit and started grinding the plants with a stone wheel. He quickly had them all made into power. Chip tipped the powder into the cauldron and the water began letting off knife-shaped steam. "There's only one ingredient left," said EnigMorph. "Thirteen drops of naturally-immune blood. That leaves out us Morphs, NegaMorph, Chip, and Virustoxico because we don't have any blood at all. Silvia isn't immune and Matt is only immune because of the translation nanites in his blood. It'll have to be Draco." Draco hesitantly approached the cauldron. He held his top-right arm over the water and used his claws to make a scratch through the skin. One by one, thirteen drops of blood fell into the cauldron. The water finally turned silver, signifying that the serum was done. TechnoMorph quickly adjusted the Wolfsbane Cannon to use the serum as a fuel. Matt held up the cannon and looked at Silvia, NegaMorph, and Virustoxico. "Are you guys going to help us?" he asked. "Only to repay you for rescuing me," said Silvia. "Only because I want to fight," said NegaMorph. "Only because we fear what Red Moon would do to us," said Virustoxico. Matt nodded and said to the others, "Lets go get our ship back."

Will this shaky alliance be able to overthrow Red Moon? Will they stop the werepire's evil plan before he reaches Nocturnus-13? Keep an eye out for the next update to find out.