Episode 58
Altruism
"Yes, doctor Guerino. I understand. Right... Thank you for letting me know..."
Eagle sighed... The new information from the doctor was not keeping him warm. Yeah, so Jesse can jump dimensions. He knew that already.
Yeah, he can be anaerobe too.
Okay..., that was a new one... So what?
As far as he is concerned, he can be a frog if he wants to, but just stop being such a jerk!
He had a terrible situation going on and he had no control over it... What is Jesse going to do to his daughter? If he was capable of threatening him the way he did, what would he do to April? As a father, the worst thoughts were coming into his mind.
"So you came here for Erkanos? I can't believe it! Such altruism! Man, you guys are incredible! Pffff..." Jesse was puffing in contempt.
Saber Rider didn't feel like answering to Jesse's pokes. He just rolled his eyes and bit his tongue. After all, Jesse just saved his life, so he was giving him credit for that.
J: "What direction did Colt and Fireball head over?"
SR: "They went east. Look, there is a glove on the floor! This is Fireball's. He left a trace!"
J: "I would have been happier if I saw April's scarf or something. I don't care about Fire...Ball..." He pulled a funny face and crossed his eyes.
The two men and Glower's group kept following the path. Saber Rider threw Jesse a very serious look, the same cool-headed look that he always had:
"Jesse, you came so far for April. Despite the danger of being captured again by Nemisis, you risked everything to come here for her. I understand the power of love. Let's work together. What do you say if we make a truce?"
Jesse was looking down and pondering Saber's words. He slowly raised his blue eyes and and threw an askew glance at Saber Rider. The words touched a weak chord in his heart.
J: "Go on, I'm listening"
SR: "We can't save only April. Colt and Fireball are part of the team and we work as a team. The more people we are, the better the chances of us getting out alive from here. We will fight to protect you and your squadron also, in case of anything. What do you say?"
J: "Hm, makes sense to me. I want more than this, though. I want..."
Suddenly, screams from afar pierced the silence.
Jesse winced: "Whaaaat?!"
"Heeelp! Nooo! Help! Don't! No!"
"April!" Jesse and Saber Rider exclaimed in the same time.
More voices were coming from afar:
"Let her go, just take only the two of us!"
"Oh, but why would I let her go? I want Commander Eagle to see his own daughter betraying him! Put her in the vapor chamber! She might even be a good pair for me one day, once I'll get my feelings back."
"I'd rather die than be yours, Nemisis!"
"Ha-ha, well April, you see, death is not an option for you! Although... I like seeing you beg for that! It is only an option for Colt and Fireball. I have no interest in seeing their faces around here. But before you two losers die, I want you to see how she turns into a vapor being... Yeahhhh..." Nemisis huffed.
The three Star Sheriffs gasped. A shiver of panic went through April's spine.
"I guess this is it, pardner..." said Colt, with a desolate face.
"Forgive me, April... It's curtains for all of us..." whispered Fireball, closing his eyes.
April had her hands tied up in the back. A couple of outriders pulled her up to place her in the vapor chamber. She was squirming and kicking, trying to buy more time.
"Get in here, human! Stop fighting! Ouch!" one outrider shouted. She managed to kick him in the stomach with her foot. She was wearing high heels... The outrider fell down, struggling and contorting.
"Oh, you incompetents! I'll do it myself!" Nemisis took April by the neck with his robotic claw and pushed her into the vapor chamber. She tried to fight back but she had no chance against the cyborg. All she could do is pedal her feet in the air like a ladybug.
"Don't resist, April! There is no one to save you! Saber Rider is dead, he stumbled and fell into my lava pond. Ha-ha-ha-ha!" and he closed the vapor chamber.
"I guess you took the word "stumble" as a metaphor, right Nemisis?" yelled Saber Rider and bounced into the room.
Nemisis turned around: "What... how...?"
"Take this from me, Nemisis! Aaarrgggh!" Saber Rider attacked Nemisis with all his strength. His sword was merciless.
Caspar, the outrider doctor, sneaked behind, while the two were clashing swords. He tried to pull a handle to turn on the vapors in April's chamber.
"Not so far, Caspar!" Jesse interfered.
In an instant, Jesse's squad of former outriders spread out into the room and started firing at Nemisis's soldiers.
"Ugh..." wheezed Caspar. He was a coward. He tried to run away.
"I don't think you are going anywhere!" A few more steps... and Jesse shot him. The outrider fell to the ground and turned human. He tried to run again, but Jesse pulled him by the arm and pushed him back into the room.
"Easy, brave man, you come with us!" Jesse ordered.
Saber Rider was still engaged in the fight with Nemisis. Sparks from the two swords were flying over the room.
"Aim for his skull, Saber!" Jesse yelled, while he pulled out an electric lasso and tied Nemisis up. The big cyborg struggled to free himself up. Jesse was using all his force to keep him contained.
A sharp move and Saber Rider's sword pierced through Nemisis' metallic skull. The cyborg fell to the ground.
A screeching sound resonated along the room and the hallways. The hoarse voice of Nemisis started huffing all around, like coming from the ground... His consciousness was still active in the master frame and he was now again reduced to a brain in a computer, stripped of his body. Nevertheless, he was still very dangerous, since he had control over the entire infrastructure.
Jesse opened the vapor chamber and untied April.
"You guys have a talent for timing!" April elegantly surrendered herself into Jesse's arms, while he was pulling her out from the chamber.
"I really thought this would be my last breath!" Fireball exclaimed.
"Jumpin' tumbleweeds, Top Sword, what happened!?" Colt asked while he was having his hands freed by Saber Rider.
"Well, long story short, Jesse saved me and we saved you" said Saber Rider, looking back at Jesse.
April looked up at Jesse, then jumped up in joy and hugged him. He crossed his eyes and pulled a giddy face. He wanted to say something, but all that could come out of his mouth were syllables:
"A... I...am...ha-..."
Everyone was laughing now.
Caspar interrupted...:
"Gentlemen, we are short on time here. Nemisis has probably released his araneae-units."
"What is that?" Colt asked.
"Araneae or arachnids are spiders, in our human language." said Saber Rider. "I've seen them before. They are big nasty spider-robots. Caspar, where did you lock Erkanos and his wife?"
"This way!" he pointed.
They all started running up a narrow corridor.
"Spidery-tumbleweeds! This wacky Nemisis sure has imagination!" Colt was muttering. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a red-haired lady running next to him.
"Annabelle? Is that you?" Colt was astonished.
"It's me, Colt..."
"But..., you're human now!"
"Yes... indeed, can you believe it?..." and she giggled.
"I'll be damned, wait until I tell Robin about my adventures today! Um, maybe I shouldn't tell her about Annabelle..." Colt said to himself.
Jesse was running alongside April. He didn't want to loose sight of her ever again. He didn't care where they were going now. They might as well be stepping on hot charcoal, he wouldn't feel anything, he was numb like a fire walker and happy as a hummingbird.
"Here are the vapor chambers!" said Caspar. "Or... what's left of them."
They arrived at a large entrance. Colt remembered the chambers from when they were having that "peace" treaty with "ambassador" Blue... Colt threw an angry look at Jesse...
"Nemisis put them in vapor chambers..? Oh no..., it's too late now...!" said Fireball.
"Remember there is the option of shooting them. It will turn them into humans" said Saber Rider.
"They might be too old and die because of the shock, Top Sword," said Fireball.
"It's worth a... shot." said Colt, contemplating his gun.
Saber Rider, with his tactical sense, ordered:
"Only a few of us will go in there. Colt, you come with me. The rest stay here and guard for us, OK?"
"Right, I'll stay here with April, you guys go in!" declared Fireball.
"I'll stay too. Glower, get three more people and go in." said Jesse, pulling April towards him, while smirking at Fireball.
April had a weird feeling... It was an awkward scene to have Fireball and Jesse around her in the same time. But she wasn't feeling offended by Jesse's protective gesture. Somehow, she preferred Jesse's arm around her, rather than Fireball's.
The young Fireball could not believe the scene. He was absolutely taken by surprise by the friendship between April and Jesse. He couldn't deny his own anger and jealousy. Although he really liked Claudia, his pride was being put to test now. He definitely didn't want Jesse to be that guy. He was the last person Fireball would want to see around April. Plus he's such a jerk, how in the world does she like him? But then again, love is unpredictable, and Jesse is charming, just like Saber Rider once said...
"They are here", pointed Caspar to a couple of vapor chambers.
"Let's take them out" ordered Saber Rider.
Colt pushed a button to release the lock to each vapor chamber, then he took position with his gun pointed at Erkanos's chamber.
"Ready?" said Saber Rider.
"We are ready, sir" said Glower while getting ready to shoot, too, if necessary.
Swoosh... The vapor pressure was decreasing in the chambers. Erkanos opened his eyes... Saber Rider gasped - he was expecting to see his eyes lighten up, just like he saw it on other outriders when they activated. Instead, Erkanos's eyes were normal, with pupils and iris.
"Don't shoot unless I say so," whispered Saber Rider to his partners.
He slowly opened the door... Erkanos moved... Everyone's pointer fingers were ready to spring on their triggers. Erkanos looked around with an amazed look and started speaking, with his slow, old voice:
"It worked... My vaccine worked...! Ah!" he noticed everyone was pointing a gun at him. "I mean no harm, Star Sheriffs! Oh, my wife, where are you my dear?"
Saber Rider stretched his eyes at Erkanos in astonishment: "Ha? You didn't turn evil! How is that possible?"
Colt: "He might be tricking us, Top Sword! How do we know he's not playing on us?"
"I don't think so, Colt. He just asked to see his wife. An infected outrider doesn't care about that stuff, they don't have emotions." said Saber Rider.
Erkanos started moving... Saber Rider stretched his hand out to help him get off the chamber.
"Oh, my dear! There you are... Let's see..." Erkanos was in a fever of excitement. He opened the door to his wife's chamber...
"Ah..." She opened her eyes - she wasn't infected either! Her knees were shaking, though. He helped her descend from the chamber. Then he turned around and started speaking:
"We worked together on a vaccine against Nemisis's virus. We tested it on ourselves. We did it, it works! It protected us!" the two old scientists hugged each other.
Caspar started yelling:
"Run! Everyone run! The araneae are here!"
Big spider-like robots entered the big room through one of the doors.
Saber Rider and Colt took the two scientists and flew across the room. The rest of the group was running also.
Fireball started firing at the robots from his hideout: "Quickly, guys! I've got you covered!"
Everyone was now running back the way they came, away from the spiders. But they were very fast and getting closer and closer. Jesse turned around and started firing. It was too late to run. Everyone was engaged in firing at the robots. April took Erkanos and his wife and tried to protect them. Caspar swarmed with them. He was shaking in fear. April looked at him and said: "Don't worry, we'll all get through this fine!" The same moment, a spider grabbed her by her waist with one of its legs and lifted her up in the air.
Jesse, yelling in anger: "No you don't!" and he jumped over the big spider, landed on its head and started piercing its eyes with a knife. He still had the scalpel that he took from the Yuma hospital. April fell out from the robot's clasp. Another robot approached. Jesse jumped fast and grabbed April - they swirled around the room while April was screaming.
"Having fun, April?" he threw her an amorous look.
"Look out!" She pushed him and they rolled together a few more feet away. The spider was chasing them, trying to pierce them with a sharp leg.
Fireball jumped in and shot the spider's head. The ugly beast fell down.
"You owe me, bud!" Fireball glanced at Jesse.
"Fireball, watch out!" Colt jumped and shot another spider.
Suddenly, the end of the tunnel turned all black. More and more spiders were pouring from all directions. They were surrounded from both sides. Hundreds of spiders were coming... They had sharp steel fangs and ugly-looking legs.
"Chums, we are running low on ammo. We have to find another solution. We can't keep fighting them, we are outnumbered!"
"I can see, that, Top Sword!" Colt exclaimed. "This is getting ridiculous! Say again, Jesse, these handsome gents used to be your friends?"
"Yeah, he was having dinner with them every night!" Fireball cut in.
"Keep joking, Star-Clowns!" Jesse gnashed his teeth. This was his pet peeve: Star Sheriffs laughing at him while he was around April. He felt their bullying like a punch in his stomach.
Saber Rider, while throwing his sword at an approaching spider: "Friends, no time to joke now! Let's get outta' here alive!"
Glower was bleeding... His arm was injured. A spider grabbed him by his leg and dragged him along the corridor. Annabelle gasped. She jumped after him. A few shots, the spider fell down and he was released. She lifted him and they ran back to the rest of the team. Glower was confused... Someone helped him... Someone from his own kind... That's what humans do, they help each other!...
The situation was becoming critical. The araneae were closing in on them...
"HA-HA-HAAA!" Nemisis's voice resounded across the tunnels... "You are all mine!" There is no escape for you, Star Sheriffs! And you, Jesse, you are such a fool! You fell right back into my trap!"
Suddenly, an electric spark passed through the tunnel. The lights went off...
"Oh, shucks! This is the last thing we needed, to fight these varmints in the darkness." sighed Colt.
"We have headlamps, Colt!" announced Saber Rider. "Turn it on"
"Hey, it's awfully quiet. What happened to the spiders? There's no sound!"
He turned his headlamp on: all the spiders were stopped in a frozen pose. No movement. What a creepy view!
All of a sudden, a sound from above. A hatch in the ceiling opened up. They all raised their eyes and gasped. In the light of the headlamps, two faces showed up: Captain Hikari and Prince Roland!
"You guys needed some help...?" said Prince Roland.
"A ladder would be a good idea, right?" Hikari added. He dropped a rope ladder down for them.
"Dad! I can't believe it!" Fireball cried out. "You turned these creepy-crawlers off?"
"Yes, hurry up, they might come back on, we don't have much time"
Everyone rushed up the ladder, one by one. Saber Rider waited until they all climbed up, then he proceeded up, too. The same moment, one of the creatures turned on and rushed towards him. Hikari and Prince Roland pulled up the ladder quickly and closed the metal hatch behind. Whew! Everyone made it...
"This way out!" announced Hikari. "We can make it, people, let's move! I faulted the electric system, but Nemisis might have a way around it. He's a smart evil scientist, he'll figure it out for sure."
"Dad, how..."
"Fireball, I spent some time in these bunkers in the past few weeks since I got out of the suspended animation. I did my homework..."
"You're my hero, dad! I love you!" Fireball burst into tears.
"Pfff..." Jesse laughed. "What a sucker!..."
Fireball looked back at Jesse in anger. These two guys weren't going to become friends too soon.
"We have good news for you, Jesse! Our team of doctors is close to figuring out a way to treat you," interrupted Hikari.
"Oh, excellent! I would like to participate in the research!" Erkanos joined the discussion.
Jesse didn't reply. He was a little skeptical now. After he saw the advantages of having the virus, he was now kind of reluctant to getting rid of it. He could survive with no oxygen..., jump dimensions... Hm, the only thing he didn't like was the risk of getting captured by Nemisis. But he could figure that out somehow, like he always did...
They finally arrived outside. Ramrod's shape was projecting against the dark horizon.
Boom! A big blast fell close to them. An outrider ship was shooting from above. Colt started firing back. More ships started coming.
"Gotta' make it to Ramrod!" Colt screamed. "Come on, people, let's run this way!"
"Oh, no! Our ships have been destroyed!" exclaimed Prince Roland. Indeed, his ship and Hikari's ship have been blasted earlier. Smoke was coming out of them.
"You'll have to come with us! Let's go!" Saber Rider yelled, among the loud sounds of bombs falling from above.
The group of fugitives was running through a dark field, rolling and shooting up towards the enemy ships. Colt got a few of them. Explosions in the sky...
"Yoo-hoo! That's it, bushwackers, bite the dust!" Colt expressed his contentment.
Finally, after a treacherous run, the group arrived at Ramrod. They ran up the stairs and got inside... Saber Rider looked back at the group and counted... about 30 former outriders. He turned around and said:
"Jesse, these are your men, you stay here and... Whaaaatt? Where is Jesse?"
Everyone gasped. They looked around and...
"April is gone too!" cried Colt.
"That rascal!... Ugh... He tricked us again!" Fireball yelled.
The sound of an engine came from outside. A ship took off the planet. It was Eagle's ship..., the one that Jesse came with.
"You're not going anywhere, you sleazy varmint!" Colt rushed up towards the control room.
Saber Rider, Fireball and Hikari rushed up too. Prince Roland remained in the hangar room, along with Erkanos, his wife and the group of former outriders. Glower's arm was still bleeding. Roland took a piece of scarf and wrapped it around his hand: "You'll be fine, it's just a superficial wound." Glower was not used to feeling pain the way humans do.
Ramrod took off in a rush. A few shots and the outrider ships attacking them got blasted away. Now it was time to chase Jesse.
Fireball opened a channel:
"Jesse, we're right behind you, don't even think you are going to get away this time!"
No answer from Jesse...
Will the Star Sheriffs be able to chase down Jesse? What will happen to April? Find out in our next exciting adventure!
