Chapter Thirteen
Melinoe
Lubdan watched as Varissa floated in the air three feet above the floor of the boiler room, white energy pulsating around her body. She seemed to be exerting an extreme amount of energy. His eyes widened as to her left and right he saw the outline of two humanoid figures begin to appear. Sweat was pouring off Varissa's brow and her skin was turning pale. He could tell it was taking a lot out of the young doctor but she was so close.
"You're doing it, V! Try to hold on a little longer," Lubdan cheered.
As he watched he saw the outlines begin to fill in and he could make out Nero and Warlock. After several moments they were completely corporeal and Lubdan spoke up.
"You did it, Varissa! They're here!"
Varissa let go of the power she was connecting to and dropped to the ground with a thud, her eyes closed.
"What the hell is going on?" Warlock asked, looking over at Varissa's prone body. "Did Freddy get to her?" he asked showing great concern. He knelt at her side and lifted an arm and placed his fingers around her wrist checking for a pulse. When he found one he breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't do that to me girl. You're gonna give your old work dad a heart attack."
Nero knelt on her other side, confused about how he came to be in a dank room covered in pipes and scaffolding. He decided that didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was the woman that lay unconscious beside him. They had a date planned after their current trip and he intended to keep the engagement.
"Hey, hey," Nero said, shaking her shoulder gently. "Talk to me. We got plans for Yarv- something or other...eh whatever it's called, Noc'Tralian coffee, remember. Varissa, can you hear me?"
"She's got a pulse so I think she's okay. Where are we? How did we get here?" Warlock questioned directing his attention to Lubdan who had been sitting on the floor not far away but was now standing.
"It's a long story but listen, we are it. Freddy has killed the rest of the crew. Talos has been trying to help from the outside. Varissa will explain everything to you as soon as she wakes. She said this might happen after she pulled you two here. Freddy had us separated so he could pick us off easier. Varissa has the ability to take him on and there is a way we can help. We brought him off Old Earth and we got to stop him before he can spread his legend anywhere else. Talos was able to get here before and he saved my life and gave me this."
Lubdan showed the two men his count down bracelet. The timer now said one hour and forty five minutes.
"When this timer hits zero we are going to wake up back on the Beowulf. If Freddy doesn't get us first, and when we wake up, Freddy is still gonna be here in the dreamscape waiting for us. When we go back to sleep he is going to be after us again. We have to defeat him, because no matter what happens now the records of the Beowulf are going to show our research into Freddy and that glove and just the knowledge of that bastard is enough for him to spread like a virus! But if he is dead and gone it won't matter!"
"How are we supposed to kill something that isn't mortal?" Warlock asked.
"We take the fight to him and we don't stop until he's gone for good," Varissa said with a moan as she slowly sat up.
Nero immediately put his arm around her, "Hey, take it easy. Are you okay?"
"Yes, just a bit of a headache. I'm glad to see you Nero," Varissa said with a smile. Nero smiled back, a slight blush on his cheek. "Still up for that Yarvestiq when we get to Somnium-5?"
"Yep, that's what it's called," Nero said, snapping his fingers. "I definitely remembered that name and of course we will. You know it!"
Varissa turned her attention to the grizzled pilot kneeling at her other side. She looked at him and a smile grew on her face.
"Warlock, you're okay!" she said with joy.
"Gonna take a lot more than a walking scrotum with butter knives for fingers to take this old soldier out young lady!" Warlock replied. "Besides, somebody has got to be here to look out for you!"
"I'd say she looked out for you fellas," Lubdan chimed in with a chuckle.
"Yes, yes you did. I don't know how you did it, but you got me out right in the nick of time !" Warlock said, embracing Varissa with a hug. "I owe you my life. Thank you so much. You're like the daughter I never had."
Varissa hugged him back, "Wait, you have two daughters though."
"I said what I said," Warlock said with a smile as he released the hug. "Now, tell us what you need us to do."
"Of course, whatever we can do, you can count on us! Thank you for pulling me out of the fire too," Nero began and then he gave Varissa a serious look. "Lubdan told us that bastard killed the rest of the crew! He's gonna pay! What do you need from us? How do we fight him?"
"Right! Here goes, get ready because it's gonna sound a bit out there!" Varissa said, rising to her feet. Nero and Warlock stood as well both helping her as she stood with a slight wobble.
"If they've been through anything like you and I have then I think they'll just about believe anything you tell them, V," Lubdan said.
Varissa opened her mouth to tell them about Alice, about the dream powers, about the dream warriors but before she could the furnace behind her fired to life and steam began hissing through the pipes.
"Lubby Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling," Freddy sang out as he popped up behind Lubdan. Lubdan turned quickly and saw Freddy bringing his glove down to slash him. Lubdan instinctively threw his arm up to block the strike and Freddy's blades slashed across his forearm. The impact knocked him to the floor as he held his bleeding arm.
"You're going down, you worm!" Warlock said, seething.
"You picked the wrong people to fuck with!" Nero added as he and Warlock advanced towards Freddy.
"Sticks and stones, boys!" Freddy crooned as he threw his hands to both sides and an unseen force struck Warlock and Nero and knocked them to each side of the room. They both hit the pipes and fell to the floor slightly dazed.
Freddy looked at Varissa with a fire and intensity in his eyes like never before, "I waited too long for my big comeback for you and your Futurama rejects to fuck it up! This new world is in dire need of a boogeyman and I've got my application in!" Freddy growled
Varissa stood firm. She looked at Lubdan on the floor holding his bleeding arm then at Nero and Warlock who were both slowly trying to stand after being hurled against the pipes of the boiler room. Then she stared Freddy dead in his eyes and concentrated. Freddy saw her eyes turn solid white.
"NOT THIS TIME BITCH!" he yelled and with supernatural speed was directly in front of her and had his ungloved hand around her neck choking her as he lifted her off her feet. "Say goodbye, nice try, time to die!"
Freddy pulled his gloved hand back and lined the blades up with Varissa's abdomen, ready to strike.
"NOT TODAY KRUEGER!" Warlock yelled holding a large pipe over his head and running up behind Freddy to strike. With lightning reflexes Freddy released Varissa who fell to the floor and Freddy spun around completely facing Warlock and threw his gloved hand out in front of him. Still holding the pipe over his head Warlock ran directly into Freddy's blades. The blades cut into his stomach and Freddy smiled and began flicking his fingers and lifting his gloved hand, cutting up into Warlock's rib cage.
"Yes, today, Warlock. Today you die and this meddling bitch gets what's coming to her!" Freddy replied.
Varissa watched from the floor in horror as her work dad looked down at his gutted belly in disbelief. Her solid white eyes returned to normal. "WARLOCK, NO!" she screamed.
Warlock lost all strength as blood poured out of his open stomach and sternum. He let go of the pipe and it fell to the floor as Freddy continued to jerk his hand upwards a moment longer. "Get your gut off my glove asshole!" Freddy said with a laugh as he jerked his blades out of Warlock's stomach and Warlock fell to his knees and crumpled to his back next to Varissa, his stomach bleeding.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you more, Varissa," Warlock said, breathing hard, the life draining from his body. "Listen kiddo...It's not too late, I still believe in you. Kill that son of a bitch and send him to hell" he finished, using every bit of willpower and strength he had left to finish his sentence before falling limp as life left him forever.
Varissa dropped to her knees and lifted Warlock's head and cradled it in her arm, "I will...I will..." Varissa said and then jerked her head up at Freddy. "You're dead, Krueger!"
"Look around! You're in my world! You are only alive because I wasn't done playing with my food yet!" Freddy said, holding his hands in the air. "But that ends now!"
He brought his hand down fast, his blades heading straight for Varissa's face, but right before they made contact a blue hand caught Freddy's wrist. Freddy jerked his head to the owner of the blue hand and saw Nyquilio standing defiant, staring into the dream demon's eyes. The Noc'Tralian's middle eye was still a gaping bloody hole, his stomach still an open mostly empty cavity.
"What! WHAT THE FUCK?! I KILLED YOU!" Freddy yelled, shocked to see one of his victims seemingly back from the dead and much stronger than they were in life. Freddy moaned in pain as Nyquilio squeezed his wrist. Freddy then took a closer look into the alien's two remaining eyes, seeing something familiar.
"Oh I see! Looks like Go-bot is more than meets the eye! Clever little shit, aren't you! Don't worry I'll send you packing ag-"
A beam of pure white energy slammed into Freddy, cutting off his words and sending him flying away into the darkness so far that nobody even heard him land. Nero looked to Varissa, saw her eyes were completely white. She closed her eyes and when she reopened them they were back to normal.
Nero got to his feet and reached down and extended a hand to Lubdan who took it and Nero pulled him to his feet. Varissa, Nero, and Lubdan all looked at Nyquilio.
"Talos? Is that really you?" Lubdan asked, his eyes watering.
"Yes, Freddy was blocking me from accessing any of your neural implants making it impossible to access your subconciousness but he wasn't watching the deceased crew member's neural implants. Nyquilio is dead but the neural implant is keeping a very small part of his brain alive and that was enough for me to sneak back in. I am sorry you have to see our friend like this," Talos said from Nyquilio's mouth.
"Is there any part of him still in there?" Varissa asked amazed.
"Yes, a very small part. He is not in pain and he knows when he is unjacked he is gone forever but is happy to facilitate my entry to assist you all. He apologizes he's not here to help and says…" Talos closed his eyes to receive the full message and continued, "To give the burnt bastard hell." The last part of his message came out in Nyquilio's voice instead of Talos'.
"Thank you, friend. I'm sorry this happened to you," Varissa replied. Lubdan's eyes watered more and a tear slid down his cheek.
"You got it, bud! Thank you!" Nero called out.
Talos in Nyquilio's body nodded at the three, letting them know Nyquilio got the message and then Talos began to speak, "I gathered some important data from the diary scans. You may have trouble defeating Freddy Krueger here in his dreamscape but there is a way to put him on an equal ground."
"How?" Varissa asked.
"As I'm sure you know, Lubdan has a device that has been counting down how long you have been in Cryo-Sleep. When that device hits zero you will all wake up in your cryo chambers. You need to have a physcial hold on Freddy Krueger when that time hits zero. If you can accomplish this task you will bring him into our reality and out of his dreamscape. By doing so he will be mortal again which will make him easier to defeat and destroy. The artifacts that were brought back from old earth have all been destroyed or have disappeared and no longer pose a threat of being found by others." Talos explained.
"What do you mean destroyed or disappeared?" Nero asked
"The glove vanished before my eyes shortly before Candilynn's death and the diary combusted into flame at that very time as well. The model home also combusted moments before Christina's death. I did not fully understand at the time but I now believe those items were a manipulation from his dreamscape, tools Freddy Kreuger used to lure us in and give him access to our ship and your subconsciousness and once he had that access the artifacts were no longer needed. If we can bring him out of his dreamscape then we can correct the mistake we made by falling for his trap."
"You're damn right we will! Lubdan, how much time is left?" Varissa asked.
Lubdan glanced at the timer, it seemed to be moving faster than ever before. "Fifty two minutes and twenty three seconds."
"Okay, let's find him or hope he finds us first and we'll be ready!" Varissa said. She gave Nero the fast version of events that had transpired with Alice. She spoke of the bloodline, her dream powers, and how Nero could look inside himself and find the dream warrior within. She explained that this may be Freddy's dreamscape but that they all could manipulate their dreams. After she was done Nero spoke up.
"Okay, Varissa, you use those sexy powers and Lubdan and I will hulk up. We'll kick his ass up and down his little dream world then we pull him into the Beowulf and show him who he's been fucking with!"
"Sounds like a plan," Varissa said.
Lubdan walked over to Talos/Nyquilio and stood in front of him and placed a hand on his blue cheek. "If I don't make it back, I just want you to know the past eleven months have been the greatest of my life and no matter how you came into my life I still feel like the luckiest guy in all the galaxies."
"And I the luckiest android," Talos/Nyquilio responded. He looked at Lubdan's arm with the four fresh cuts still oozing blood and seemed concerned. He kneeled next to Warlock and tore fabric from the sleeve of Warlock's shirt.
"I am sorry, Warlock. Thank you for your bravery," he said and stood to turn back to Lubdan as he wrapped the fabric around Lubdan's fresh injuries tying it tight. "Be safe my friend and I will see you soon," Talos/Nyquilio said.
"Aye, friend," Lubdan responded as he reached up and held Talos/Nyquilio's face in his hands and leaned his head in and pressed their foreheads together. He then let go and stepped back next to Nero and Varissa.
"Are you going to fight with us?" Nero asked.
"I will do everything I-" Talos/Nyquilio began but did not get to finish his sentence as the body of a gigantic red and green snake the girth of a semi trailer fell upon him, smashing him against the floor of the boiler room. Blood shot out from both sides of the snake's body. It's head was almost four times bigger than any of the three remaining humans that stood before it.
"Sorry, I found his conversation a little flat!" The snake said in Freddy's voice, flicking it's gigantic forked tongue.
Varissa, Nero, and Lubdan backed up and prepared for the fight of their lives, white energy began encompassing Varissa's body and her eyes turned solid white.
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Talos-16's eyes snapped open at the control panel in the cryo-chamber lab. He disconnected the cable from his index finger from the control panel. He had successfully delivered the information and now it was up to the remaining crew to do the rest. He had intended to stay but Freddy had snuck up on him and taken him out of the equation. He knew trying to go back in through another deceased crew member would be futile at this point. Instead Talos walked to the lift and took it to the cargo bay and returned to the Cryo-Lab with a Plasma Rifle. He would stand ready for his friends return with Freddy and he would be the one to take the child killer out for killing so many of his friends and for hurting Lubdan.
After Freddy was dead though Talos would have to inform the remaining crew of another problem that would need immediate attention. The surge Freddy had sent through the control panel and into the Beowulf after Candilynn's death days before not only caused the comms to stop working but the auto-piloting system had been affected and warp speed would not stop at the scheduled time that cryo-sleep ended like Warlock had set it to do. Now, without Warlock Rollins to deactivate the Warp Speed systems manually they would be overshooting their desired stopping coordinates with every passing second once Cryo-Sleep ended.
They would be flying blind and could collide with any number of things in space and their fight to stay alive against Krueger would have been in vain. He had thought to tell them while he was in the dreamscape but knew they were about to face a serious challenge and thought it best to wait until they were awake. They would have to come up with a plan and fast. Talos held the Plasma Rifle up at the ready. When Freddy appeared he would take him out right away so they could work on coming out of warp speed and end this nightmare once and for all.
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