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EPISODE FIVE
by Dan Wallace
The
small starship appeared as a ghostly vision, slipping across a field of
stars. Its dimensional field generator kept it phased between dimensions,
existing solidly neither here nor there. Maintaining a navigational lock on
its home plane, the ship utilized the differing physical laws on another to
travel at speeds that would otherwise be impossible.
Inside the spectral
vessel, Wargen Rast rose from the pilot’s well and moved to the back of the
heavily modified cargo ship. Discarded bits of equipment, food packages,
and other refuse littered the metal mesh walkway that rang under his
armored boots.
Upon reaching the hold,
he peered through the view port at the five unconscious captives within. He
checked a gauge that had been hastily lashed to the wall and adjusted the
anesthetic gas level within the chamber. Subduing the four Guard officers
had been even easier he expected but he licked his sharpened canines at the
delicious thought of the fifth prisoner whom he had added shortly before
his trip to Triathis. Everything so far had worked out perfectly and only
the simplest last few steps were between him and the power he sought.
Devin, Cory, Areon, and
Brithe had fallen so quickly and now hardly looked like the saviors of the
civilized galaxy that they were intended to be. Areon’s face was bruised
and dried yellow blood crusted his lower lip and the back of his skull.
Brithe’s shoulder was severely burned but had finally stopped bleeding from
the laser wound. The back of Cory’s shirt was ripped to shreds and tiny
lacerations covered her body from her neck to her waist. Devin had clearly
suffered the worst though. His clothing was practically burned beyond
recognition although he had suffered no burns himself as a result of his
genetic enhancements. Instead, he was covered in cuts and bruises including
a large, dark purple bruise that had formed over nearly his entire chest.
Two ribs had been fractured when the plasma bolt struck him but Rast had
already scanned Devin and the others to determine that none of their
injuries were imminently life threatening.
Rast turned away from
his handiwork and returned to the recessed command console. The ship was
coming up on its final destination and the culmination of months of careful
planning was about to reach its conclusion.
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"Distant Storms" is ©
and ™ Dan Wallace 2001
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