Starship Desolation (7 page)

W
alker gripped
his weapon and lined up a pair of eyes in his sights. He carefully placed a few logs onto the glowing coals, hoping to restart the fire. Most animals are afraid of fire, he thought. Maybe if he could get the fire going again it would keep these things at bay.

Bailey was up and barking. He kept it up even as the predators emerged from the darkness. The little guy didn’t lack on courage or tenacity, that was for certain. Either that, or he was completely unaware of just how small he was in comparison.

As the predators drew closer, their form became more apparent. They looked like armor plated saber tooth tigers. Long, sharp fangs. Ravenous eyes. Scale-like articulated plates lined their backs, with rows of thorny spikes. This wasn’t a cat that liked to be petted. These were vicious killers, and they were drooling in anticipation of their next meal.

Bailey had a lot of bark, but not near enough bite for these beasts. But he wasn’t backing down.

The beasts closed in.

Walker fired.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

One of the beasts went down in a flurry of gunfire. Blood erupted from the creature’s armor plating.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Another went down. Its heavy body slapped the rocky ground. Blood pooled around its carcass.

Walker fired with speed and precision. But he wasn’t fast enough.

The third beast tackled Walker. The creature flared its fangs and dove for Walker’s jugular. Walker dodged and struggled with the beast. He could smell its hot breath. It was powerful—300 pounds of lean muscle. A pure killing machine.

Bailey kept barking. He was the pep squad. But sensing the dire situation, he entered the fray. He bolted forward and clamped his little jaw onto the beast’s hind leg.

The beast kicked him away.

Bailey tumbled across the rocks in a plume of dirt. Then he charged right back at the ferocious predator.

Walker evaded the snapping jaws of the vicious creature. He finally heaved the beast aside and blasted his weapon. Bullets ripped through the predator’s armor. Blood splattered on the rocks. The heavy beast fell limp.

Walker was bleeding from gouges across his face and neck. He was lucky the beast’s claws hadn’t ripped out his jugular. But at least they were safe.

Bailey growled at the fallen beast, triumphantly. He looked back at Walker and barked, almost taking credit for the victory.

“You’re a killer, Bailey. No doubt about it.”

The bright side to this little altercation was that they had meat. Walker took his tactical knife and skinned and quartered one of the beasts. Then he skewed a chunk of meat on his tactical sword and barbecued it over the fire. He tossed the cooked meat to Bailey for approval. The dog wolfed it down without hesitation. Walker sampled a piece himself. To his surprise, it was tasty. Like a juicy steak back home. It wasn’t tough or gamey. It looked like Walker and Bailey were going to feast like kings.

There were undoubtedly more of these predators roaming the canyons. It was both a curse and a blessing. They’d have a supply of food, but eventually, Walker was going to run out of bullets. And that would make defending themselves even more difficult.

A constant source of clean water was their next priority.

Walker stoked the fire, and the two slept fat and happy for the rest of the night. They set out in the morning to further explore the canyon.

The shade of the canyon was much more pleasant than the direct sun. It was almost like a casual hike. Just a man and his dog. Walker kept an eye on the ridge line, looking for more saber-toothed monsters. But he didn’t have that eerie sensation of being followed. It would be nice to make it through a whole day without having to fight for your life.

With a stroke of luck, he found an entrance to a cave. Bailey rushed in, throwing caution to the wind.

“Bailey!” Walker shouted at the impetuous dog. He gritted his teeth and stormed after him. He had already grown fond of the little guy, but he wasn’t about to admit it.

Walker moved into the darkness of the cavern. “Sergeant. Get back here!”

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust.

“Bailey!” Walker’s voice echoed through the darkness. This was no small cave.

Walker struck a flashlight. The beam pierced the darkness, finding the rocky walls of the cavern. He scanned the rugged cave—Bailey was nowhere in sight.

“Bailey?”

He could hear the dog moving somewhere in the farther recesses of the cavern. The cave funneled off into pitch blackness. Walker followed the passageway as it narrowed. At one point, he had to crawl on his hands and knees to get through a tiny tunnel. He emerged on the other side in a room full of stalactites and stalagmites. A wondrous domed structure. The crystalline ceiling reflected brilliant hues of color from the beam of his flashlight.

In the center of the chamber, there was a crystal clear pond. Bailey was lapping from its surface. If it was good enough for Bailey, it was good enough for Walker. He knelt down beside the pond, cupped his hands, and scooped water towards his lips.

It tasted perfect. Crisp and clean. No odor or aftertaste. Pure, spring fed goodness. A smile curled on Walker’s lips. They had an endless supply of water, shelter from the sun, and there were beasts to hunt. He felt like he could survive on this planet for as long as necessary. Years, if need be. It was like a huge weight was lifted.

Walker and Bailey drank their fill. But there was something in the water that had plans of its own. A massive tentacle slipped quietly out of the water. Walker and Bailey were too preoccupied to notice. The tentacle slithered and coiled, then lunged for Walker. It wrapped around his forearm. Another snared his leg.

The tentacles jerked him into the water with a splash, pulling him under. Water rushed into his lungs. He hacked and coughed, and that only let more water in. Walker struggled. Bubbles rushed to the surface amid the commotion. More tentacles restrained him, pulling him closer to the hideous amphibian. A giant, squid like creature with black eyes and a mouth like a meat grinder.

Walker struggled, his lungs burning from lack of oxygen. The horrid leviathan pulled him deeper. He could hear the muffled barks of Bailey at the surface. He hoped the little guy would be smart and run. This creature had plenty of tentacles. Nothing near the surface of the water was safe.

“
Y
ou cannot make
me marry a Saarkturian,” the princess said. “I won’t do it.”

She was like any other teenage girl, except she was blue and orange and had black spots. And her father was Emperor Tyvelon.

The two argued on the terrace of her chamber in the Royal Palace. It overlooked the muggy swamp city of Bhodulaa. The sounds of the swamp insects filled the night air. It was as thick and tense as the conversation.

“Kyva, you will do as I say.” Tyvelon’s face tensed. “You will sit upon the throne of Saarkturia, and ensure peace for our people.”

“It’s repulsive that you would use me as something to bargain with. And don’t talk to me about peace when you intend to destroy the humans as part of the deal.”

If Tyvelon had hair, he’d have pulled it out in frustration. He was ruler of the Decluvian Realm. He was feared and respected. No one dared to utter a contrary word. Except his daughter. She was the one person in the Realm he couldn’t control. “You get your politics from your mother.”

“At least one of my parents has common sense.”

“Watch your tongue, young lady. I’ve sent men to their death for less than that.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not a man.”

“You are going to marry the prince and ascend to the throne, if I have to imprison you and ship you to Saarkturia in a cage.”

“It’s so dry there. My skin is going to flake and crack.”

“Kyva!”

“I have a life here. You can’t make me leave it.”

“Is this about that boy?”

“He has a name, father. Sivaan.”

“Whatever.”

“I love him.”

“You don’t know what love is.”

“According to mother, neither do you.”

Tyvelon scowled at her. “I’m going to make this very simple for you. Do as I say, or life is going to get very difficult for Sivaan.”

Kyva glared at the Emperor. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’ve already had him arrested. I’ll release him when you’re in Saarkturia.”

Kyva’s big eyes filled with tears. She beat her father’s chest. “I hate you.”

“One day you’ll learn, a leader makes sacrifices for the good of the people.” Tyvelon marched out of her chamber.

Kyva crumpled to the floor, sobbing.

Tyvelon returned to his chambers and activated a 3D communication device. A few moments later, a holographic image of Rylon appeared before him in the room.

“Emperor, it’s so great to see you. Have you given consideration to my proposal?”

“It is acceptable to me. My daughter is enthusiastic. She will be on the Royal Transport to Saarkturia tomorrow.”

“Excellent,” Rylon said, grinning. “Valinok is eagerly awaiting her arrival. It seems we have a deal.”

“My legion will crush the humans. And our agreement will produce an heir to the throne of Saarkturia, unifying both our species.”

Rylon smiled. “I look forward to the day.”

“
P
robably shouldn’t have done
that,” Marlow said.

“I’m not really known for doing what I
should
do,” Slade said. “I tend to follow my gut.”

“Seems like your gut landed you in this place. May want to reevaluate.”

“What’s Tiny’s story?”

“Does he need one? He’s trouble. That’s all you need to know. I’d tell you to keep your head down and steer clear, but you’re already on his radar.”

“His real name is Beauford T. Jackson,” Kirby said. “He’s in for murder, aggravated sexual assault, drug trafficking, and conspiracy.”

“How do you know all this?” Marlow asked, surprised.

“I hacked the correctional system database. I wanted to find out as much information about this place as possible.”

“What else do you know about this place?” Slade asked.

“Lots of stuff. Daily operations. Maintenance and delivery schedules, annual revenue. I know this place is probably cooking the books.”

“How so?”

“They’re claiming more inmates than they have. By my count there’s 2037 inmates in the mess hall, give or take. There’s 2354 on the official roster. Where are the other 300?”

“People go missing around here all the time,” Marlow said. “Or worse.”

“What do you mean, worse?” Slade asked.

One of the guards strolled past the table.

“Some other time,” Marlow said, keeping an eye on the guard.

The guard thwacked his stun baton on the table, then pointed it at Marlow. The cups of breakfast slop bounced and fell over.

“You eyeballing me, old-timer?”

“No, sir,” Marlow said.

“Clean that mess up. Now!”

“Yes, sir.”

Marlow grabbed a napkin and started mopping up the spilled slop. He wiped it off the edge of the table and shovel it back into the cup. Then he gulped it down.

Slade looked at him with wide eyes.

“You gotta take what food you can get around here. Trust me, you’ll do even more degrading things in order to survive.”

This was the kind of place that broke you down mentally, until you just gave up and complied. But Slade had never been one to comply. She wasn’t going to start now.

“Just watch yourself,” Marlow said. “They’ll come at you in the bathrooms, the showers, they can even get to you in your cell after lockdown.”

Kirby was rattled. His face went pale and his big eyes stared at Marlow. His hands were trembling. “How can they get into your cell after lockdown?” he stammered.

“The guards are as crooked as the cons in this place,” Marlow said. “Inmates buy them off with money, drugs, sexual favors, or a share the profits for turning someone out.”

Kirby swallowed hard.

“Don’t accept any favors from anyone,” said Marlow. “You may soon find that you owe them something.”

Slade had heard enough, she was going to set the tone right here and right now—in front of everyone, for all to see. She pushed up from the table and marched over to Tiny’s table. The whole cafeteria went silent.

Marlow watched with concern.

Tiny’s glaring eyes pierced into her. He sat still and waited for her to speak.

“I hear you run the show,” Slade said.

“The inmates have put their faith in me. Have you come to worship?” His voice boomed in a low rumble.

“I came to tell you that your show is over. It’s my show now. And I’m gonna make you my bitch.”

Tiny’s gang burst into laughter.

“Damn, honey. You got big balls for a sweet little thing,” one of them said.

“You gonna let her speak to you like that, Tiny?” another asked.

Tiny wasn’t laughing. He pushed up from the table.

Slade got an eyeful of just how massive this man was. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, like she had made a big mistake. But she couldn’t back down now. She looked him up and down, then let him have it. “Yeah, you look bitch to me.”

There was no laughter this time.

Tiny’s gang was stunned. They stared at Slade, slack-jawed with wide eyes. Nobody ever insulted Tiny, and lived.

Tiny clenched his jaw, and the veins in his forehead bulged. Rage boiled behind his eyes. He cut through the clearing between the tables, and the mammoth man squared off against Slade.

The guards had taken notice. But they weren’t going to do anything. This was a free show. And they were going to let it play out. It wasn’t often they saw someone go up against Tiny.

“Tell you what, sweetheart,” Tiny said. “If you drop to your knees right now, I might be willing to forget this whole incident. Let me put the faith in you.”

People were starting to place bets on how long the fight would last, or if Slade would comply with his request. Nobody was betting on who would win the fight. It was a given that Tiny would crush her. He was an easy 400 pounds. Slade was maybe 105 pounds, after a meal.

Slade held up her pinky finger and wiggled it. “I bet it’s no bigger than this. Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself in front of all these people?”

Tiny clenched his jaw, and his fists balled up. He had taken all the abuse he was going to take from Slade. He charged at her and swung a sweeping right hook. She ducked down, slid under, and bounced up behind him. She could feel the wind from his swing as it narrowly missed her face.

The crowd was on their feet, screaming and cheering.

Tiny and Slade had switched positions. Tiny turned around and came back at her with the same right hook. Same result. She ducked again and bounced up on the other side. He was big. Big and slow.

Slade needed to keep him moving and wear him down. Just one hit from those cinderblock fists would be enough to put her out cold. This was going to be a war of attrition. Gorilla tactics.

Tiny charged her again. He was like a Mack truck, barreling down the highway. And he was coming in low. She wasn’t going to be able to duck under him this time.

Slade feinted right, then left. But she had nowhere to go, stuck between the rows of tables.

Tiny swung an uppercut that connected with Slade’s jaw. The impact launched Slade into the air, throwing her several feet back. She smacked the hard concrete floor like a stone.

Tiny was moving in for the kill.