Chapter 7: The Formula
"Blast it Swen," Sea Hawk shouted slamming his fist down on the railing, "why haven't we cast off yet!"
The little man who was first mate of the Solar Clipper quivered slightly. Normally he didn't let Sea Hawk's temper worry him, as he knew the pirate captain talked tough, but had a good heart. However when it came to the issue of Adora's safety, Hawk was all serious.
"I'm sorry captain, but we weren't expecting you back so soon. And you did order us to give the ship a complete overhaul before you left. We simply aren't prepared for immediate departure."
"It doesn't have to be perfect," Hawk screamed, then placed a hand to his chest in pain. His body still ached from where Road Queen's stun blast had struck him. The fact that he had run the last mile and a half to the Solar Clipper didn't help his condition any.
"Just get us airborne. Every second counts!"
"I understand captain," Swen said. "Believe me I want to help Adora too. We're going as fast as we can."
"I know Swen," Sea Hawk sighed. "And I don't mean to be taking out my frustration on you old friend."
"It's all right captain. We'll find that bounty hunter and get Adora back safe and sound. After all, it's not like we don't know where she's going."
Sea Hawk nodded. "True, but I'd much rather catch her before they reach the Fright Zone. I don't like the idea of Adora being in Hordak's clutches even for one moment."
Though if Road Queen is as fast as she bragged, he thought to himself, she may very well have already made it to Hordak. No she couldn't be there yet. Her bike was low on fuel when we had it. So there's no way she'd have enough to make it all the way to the Fright Zone.
"Captain," Swen called out snapping Sea Hawk out of his haze. "We're only at 40 power but we can take off now."
"Then cast off. We can continue refitting the ship as we go."
"Aye aye captain," Swen said taking the helm. "What course should we set captain? That bounty hunter could have taken any route especially on a hover bike."
"Plot a course along the route that would take us to the closest place she could refuel her bike. With any luck that should give us a good lead."
"Aye captain," Swen said. "If the fates be with us, we might even catch up with her there."
"I certainly hope so Swen," Sea Hawk nodded. "And not just for Adora's sake. I have a few questions I'd like to ask that woman before I ring her neck!"
Like why she didn't kill me when she had the chance, he thought. Hawk's mind had been pondering over this ever since he had awoken to find himself carefully hidden in the foliage.
Road Queen wanted Adora alive so that would have explained why she had her gun set to stun only. But what she must have done next made no sense. She could have easily killed him afterwards, as he lay unconscious. Perhaps she had decided there was no need. Many bounty hunters, though often low life scum, did have certain codes of honor. There was certainly no honor in killing a man when he was out cold unable to defend himself.
But then why take the time to hide the body? Surely she realized that when he woke up he would be coming after her. It would make more sense to simply leave him as he was and take off quickly. The only logical reason he could think of is she didn't want some Horde patrol finding him before he awoke. But why not?
A frightening thought struck Sea Hawk. Maybe she wants me to follow her! But that only raised further questions. What possible motive could there be for that? If she meant to have him captured or killed she could have done so there and then. Perhaps she was hoping he'd seek the aid of the Rebellion and thus lure them all into a trap. Or maybe it was just a sick game of cat and mouse. Road Queen testing her skills against another.
Questions plagued Sea Hawk's mind. Questions that had no answers that he could think of. But of all these questions there was one that bothered him the most. Why? Why was it- with Adora in such eminent danger- why was it that his locket was not glowing.
Adora groaned as she slowly woke up and placed a hand to her head, then suddenly withdrew it in surprise. Adora was startled to discover a small compress strapped to her hand. Looking down she saw another on her leg. Someone had dressed the wounds she received from Road Queen's gun.
That someone turned out to be Road Queen herself who looked up from where she was sitting nearby.
"Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry I'd hit you to hard." She reached into one of her pockets and tossed Adora another medi-swab. "Here put this on your chest bruise. Nothing personal, but I wasn't going to hold it there myself."
Adora looked at the compress in suspicion as Road Queen turned her attention back to whatever it was she was doing. The young princess struggled to get her bearings. They had stopped for whatever reason in a small clearing outside of a rather foreboding forest. Adora was leaned up against Road Queen's bike while the bounty hunter occupied herself a short distance away. She seemed to be mixing some liquids together and her attention was fully on her task.
Adora shifted slightly trying to get up and make a break for it but her leg was still somewhat numb. The best she would have been able to manage was a limp. She would have to make sure Road Queen couldn't follow her first.
Looking around Adora found a large stone. She slowly and quietly lifted it, preparing to hurl it right at the bounty hunter's head.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Road Queen said without even looking at her. "If you cause me to make a mistake here we'll both be blasted into a million pieces."
Adora hesitated, unsure if Road Queen was just trying to scare her or if she was serious. Either way it didn't really matter since she had lost the advantage of a surprise attack.
"What is that you're doing?" she asked finally.
Road Queen sealed one of the vials in her hand, tucked it back in her coat and withdrew a swirling green and yellow liquid.
"You probably wouldn't recognize these chemicals if I told you what they were." she said pouring the substance into her concoction slowly so that it crept down from the vial like honey off a comb.
"Suffice to say that individually they are perfectly safe, but if mixed together in anything but just the right amount at the right speed they form a highly unstable, and extremely powerful explosive. But, if mixed together in the right way, what so you think it does?"
"I have no idea," Adora said, not really bothering to give it much thought.
"Of course not," Road Queen said with a playful tone. "Only a few people in Etheria know what it does. Of those few only one man ever figured out the correct formula and he only shared the secret with one other person."
"And that one other would be you I suppose?"
"Exactamundo."
"Are you going to tell me what it does or are you just messing with my head?"
Road Queen chuckled slightly. Her attitude really made her seem less dangerous and even friendly. She would have seemed like a decent person if it weren't for the fact she was holding Adora hostage.
"Well," she said with a proud smile, "when combined in just the right way these chemicals form a type of super fuel. Clean burning, ultra powerful and extremely efficient. Stick one pint of this stuff in your tank and you could travel from Bright Moon to the Ice Mountains and back with fuel to spare."
Now Adora was interested. "On one pint?"
"That's in an average gas guzzler like the Horde uses. My baby there," she said gesturing towards her bike, "it has a special carburetor which does even better."
"Incredible," Adora said thinking of what good such a fuel could do the rebellion. Of course, learning the exact formula from Road Queen was a forgone impossibility. But perhaps there was a way.
"So who was this guy who taught you the formula?"
Suddenly Road Queen lost all of her pleasantness and she spoke sternly, "That's none of your concern."
So much for that idea, Adora thought. She guessed that Road Queen must have realized what she was thinking and was not about to divulge any useful information. But then why had she bothered to tell her so much in the first place? And furthermore why would she become angrier over this than of Adora's attacking her earlier? What was she hiding?
Road Queen got up and poured the apparently finished mixture into her bike's fuel tank. She then covered her nose and mouth as a pink gas escaped out.
"Don't breathe that in," she said through her hand as she replaced the cap and closed the tank up. Adora turned her head and held her breath, deciding it would be unwise to ignore Road Queen's advice.
"Engine was still a little warm," Road Queen said once the gas had vanished. "That's the one problem with this stuff, you can't add it to a hot engine or it gives off that gas."
"I thought you said it was clean burning."
"It is once it's had a chance to sit and fully stabilize, but before that it can emit those fumes. They're not particularly dangerous but they will make you loose your lunch. Speaking of which, I'm kind of hungry. How about you?"
"Why are you being so nice all the sudden?" Adora asked suspiciously.
"Would you prefer I treat you like shit?"
"Well, no but…"
"Then what are you complaining about?" Road Queen laughed. "I've already explained I've got nothing against you Adora. This is strictly business for me. Now come on let's get some food. You're going to need your strength to escape after I turn you over."
Adora was forced to do a double take. "Wait, you want me to escape?"
"Only after I give you to Hordak and collect my fee. After that my association with old ridge head will be over."
"Are you trying to tell me this whole thing is just a plot to trick Hordak out of his money?" Adora gasped.
"Not money," Road Queen said. "What I'm after is far more valuable to me than Horde gold."
"But if you're plotting against Hordak why didn't you just ask for my help instead of all this?"
Once again Road Queen's expression turned dead serious, "Because I couldn't afford the chance you'd say no. I've waited far too long and sacrificed far too much in my quest to let anything stop me now."
