//------------------------------// // Chapter XI // Story: The Nautilus Protocol // by Knight Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter XI “Blast! This is completely infuriating!” Meliath said, striking the console with her tentacled appendage. Her partner merely shook his head in frustration. Neither of them could take the stink of the animals any more, yet they couldn't get out of Holding Cell B with the lock-down in progress. Yet, no matter what code they put in, that odd, simian skull would continue to laugh at them, mocking their every attempt at escape. “You know what this means, right?” Verila said, drawing his combat knife. Meliath slowly nodded, not even facing him as she did so. She knew what the protocol for this situation was. She knew what her duty was. They had been cut off from command for the better part of two hours, and they had been putting off the grisly task that laid before them. Slowly, she turned and approached one of the bunk beds, drawing her own knife in the process. Protocol was clear. In the event of an alien incursion, and with no orders from the bridge, they were to execute any and all test subjects. Orders were orders, but that didn't stop them from putting it off for as long as possible. They had tried everything, from hacking the console, to taking it apart. But the stone cold fact remained that neither of them were very good with technology, and try as they might, they just couldn't get past the alien virus. They were soldiers. And as soldiers, they had a duty to preform. Neither of them had ever killed another in cold blood before, and to be honest, it didn't sit right with either of them. Even if they were just animals, it still felt like murder. "...How about a game of snake, rabbit, grass to see who goes first?" Meliath asked hopefully. * * * “Ok men, we have a window of opportunity, and I for one am not going to waste it,” Hale said, gathering his fellow escapees together. “Twilight here has managed to put the mind-raper out of commission for an unknown period of time, so we need to make every second count,” he said, as Hexomer helped translate for the ones that did not know Galactic Standard. “Donny here has managed to get into the station's systems, which means that we have access to the site-to-site teleportation systems. Wiz-kid also managed to find an off-the-books frigate in the docking bay while using the security cameras. This is our escape route,” Hale said with a satisfied smirk. There was a brief muttering as this news was circulated, however that quickly quieted down as Hale raised his hand. “According to the logs, someone, probably our unknown benefactor, opened the airlock in the docking bay when lock-down occurred. The docking bay has since been pressurized, so we should encounter token resistance at best,” he said, grinning like a loon. However, his smile quickly fell as he gathered himself for what came next. “We need to board that ship, hack its systems, and rig up a control scheme that I can use. While Donny and I are busy doing that, the rest of you will be watching the docking bay, making sure that we are uninterrupted while we go about our work,” He took a second to catch his breath as Hexomer relayed his orders. “All of this should take us about an hour to complete, so if our mysterious benefactor hasn't arrived by then, then we will have to assume the worst.” Twilight held up her hoof as soon as Hale had finished in her language. “Yes? You with the purple stripe.” he said sarcastically. “What about the others?” she asked, her large, purple eyes filled with concern. “It doesn't feel right to leave anypo- anyone to these monsters.” He looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean, 'others'?” he asked, unsure of what she was talking about. She looked around at the prisoners that surrounded her, as if it were obvious. “This clearly isn't everyone that has been taken from their homes. The mess hall and work room usually had about twenty or so individuals, and there are only ten of us here,” she said pointedly. Shock ran through Hale's mind as he looked around. She was right, he did seem to remember that there had been others on board. Instantly his impression of the small unicorn improved, causing his earlier unease to dissipate almost as quickly as it had come. However, as interesting as his opinion of Twilight was, it did not change the fact that there were still people to save aboard the station. Luckily, though, he knew exactly how to remedy that situation. “Thanks for the catch Sparks.” He said, ruffling her mane a bit. She batted at his hand in annoyance, her eyes glaring up at him. “Once we get the ship up and running, we'll have Donny teleport them on board. The ship is pretty small, but I bet we could make room in the cargo hold. I want half of you to go through that section of the ship, find anything that doesn't look like food, and get rid of it. Everybody understand what we need to do?” he asked, as he picked up his weapon. As he looked around, he saw many variations of the affirmative. Some were nodding, others holding their palms to their foreheads. “Then let's do this,” he said as he signaled to Donny. * * * “There! All done! Now time to turn control back over to Qualda, then teleport to the docking bay to be there when my master arrives!” Jaleth said cheerfully as she made her way to the control console. Please! Just do something! Anything! I could even go for a voluntary eye movement at this moment! Jaleth thought as she fought for control. However, nothing that she thought or felt gave her release from the terror of not being in control of her own body. * * * “Sir! We've regained control of the station sir!” the technician said excitedly. “Finally! Give me a status report, soldier,” Qualda ordered. After a few quick key inputs, the technician suddenly turned very pale. “Well, sir... the animals are no longer quarantined in the genetics labs. They're in docking bay two, attempting to steal your personal vessel,” the tech said nervously. “WHAT?” Qualda screeched, his shrill mind-speak causing everyone else in the room to cringe in pain. “Let me see.” The main view screen flickered to life, revealing the docking bay. Sure enough, there were the animals, looting his personal frigate and throwing his effects out of the cargo hold. He was about to order the docking bay doors open, when he was interrupted by the technician again. “That's not everything, sir. The Dominator is orbiting the station, and has apparently been hailing us for the past half hour,” the technician said fearfully. Silence pervaded the bridge of Research Station Genome. Nobody dared move, or even think to each other for a full minute. Finally, Qualda seemed to regain his composure. “...patch them through,” he said, straightening his lab coat and forgetting about his previous thoughts. Almost instantly, the view screen flickered to life, revealing the bridge of the Dominator. “Your Excellence! Welcome to-” Qualda started to say, but was interrupted by the first officer. “Your genuflections are neither needed or asked for, nor can they be acknowledged at this moment. Psywarrior Hivanti is currently trancing to clean up your mistakes,” he said dismissively. “We will notify you when the situation is taken care of. Until then, just sit there and try not to mess up anything else.” Qualda visibly deflated as the view screen shut off. Quietly, he stumbled back to his chair and sat down, his face held in his tentacled hands. “Sir? What are your orders sir?” the technician said as he brought up the security camera from the docking bay. Qualda looked up dispassionately at the screen where the escaping animals could be seen throwing thousands of quids in equipment overboard. “...Those animals are under Hivanti's control. To do anything now would be acting against the will of a Psywarrior, and by extension, the will of the Emperor,” he said as he stood up. “If anyone needs me, I will be in my chambers, getting a drink.” Qualda then turned and left the bridge. * * * “So, Donny, how long do you think it will be before you can hot-wire this thing?” Captain Hale asked as he handed Donny a plasma torch. “Well, considern' the squids use a combination of physical controls and mental controls to fly their ships, this could take a while,” he said, as he began to cut open the panel. “How long is 'a while' noble crafts master?” Hexomer asked, tilting her head to one side. Donny scratched his head in thought. “Well, considern' I need ta rig something up that flies a bit more like the fighters Cap'n is used to, could be anywhere between ten minutes to three hours. Dependin' on how fast that hacking software the spy was using works, of course.” He paused for a second to wipe his brow, gesturing towards the toolbox they had found in the process. “Also, I don't have proper fabrication tools here with me, just the crap that the squids use,” he said, as he started to rewire the console into Hale's arm. “The best I can do is wire the ship up to you and let your computer sort out what needs sort'n. At least your computer is an operating system that I'm one hundred percent familiar with.” “Hey, whatever you can come up with to get us out of her is fine by me Donny, just make sure that we can get off this deathtrap when we need to,” Hale said as he settled into the pilot's seat a little more. The cockpit to the frigate was pretty small, but Hale was expecting that from a ten man vessel. Sure, they might be a little cramped in here, and they might be a bit strapped for food near the end of their journey, but he was sure they could at least make it back to Alliance space before supplies ran out. The real problem was choking down the slop that the squids called food. Alliance scientists had already checked it over and found that it was digestible and nutritious to most of the species in the Alliance. They even recommended that, given a choice between Dridune cuisine and unknown alien plant life, go with the squid stuff. That didn't stop it from smelling like month old diapers, or tasting like them to boot. According to the ship's navcomputer, though, they weren't too far behind enemy lines. Not to mention they had an expert engineer with them to help crank out a little more juice out of there Hyperspace Emitters and propulsion system. All they had to do was get out of range of the station's disruption field. “Hey, Hexomer, Donny's got this. Why don't you head back to the landing ramp and act as the communications hub for everyone there?” Hale asked, pointing a thumb towards the back of the ship. “Very well, mighty warrior. Please alert me the second we are ready to leave, however,” the mantis-like being said, bowing slightly to Hale as she left. * * * Hexomer walked towards the back of the ship, deep in thought. Even though her mission had ended in disaster, the attack on The Excelsior may just have been the push needed to get the Queen to fully commit to the war. If I could get home, relate to my people what had happened, then hopefully the Queen could be brought to see reason... Hexomer thought to herself, absentmindedly scratching at the chitin underneath her mandibles as she did so. Her thoughts were interrupted once she reached the exit ramp for the ship. As ordered, some of the prisoners were standing guard, while others were busy searching through the crates in the hold, and tossing anything non-essential overboard. The way they carried out their separate tasks, however, told Hexomer everything she needed to know about these people. With the exception of Pride Leader Alik, they all preformed their various tasks with the efficiency of amateurs. It was clear that none of them were soldiers, and that they were all very, very scared. This fact was probably the reason why the purple equine was looking so distraught. Hexomer noticed her immediately, helping the others unload the ship with her telekinesis. She also noticed that, every so often, the small unicorn would receive an odd look from one of the other escapees. The looks she was receiving were a mixture of awe and terror, and it was clearly unnerving the small equine. Hexomer could understand their suspicion, though. To be honest, anything with that kind of power unnerved her. She couldn't help but think that that cute exterior only served to hide a monster underneath, despite all the good that she had done for them. Cautiously, she approached the somewhat distraught unicorn and cleared her throat. Instantly the unicorn turned towards her, but in her flustered state she managed to drop the large crate she was carrying. “Oops! Sorry! So sorry! You surprised me...” Twilight said, smiling nervously as she did. Hexomer waved off her apology nonchalantly. “It is quite all right, little one. I think the others can take care of this though, so I thought we could take this opportunity to talk,” Hexomer said politely. Inwardly, however, she couldn't help but wonder at the small unicorn's mannerisms. It was clear that she had been in dire situations before. Perhaps had even held positions of leadership, based on how easily she kept a cool head. The equine was also very, very powerful. Yet, even with all that power, she was easily put on edge by the unfriendly stares of others, and had an almost larval-like fascination for learning. “Are you sure? Because I don't want anypony to think that I'm not pulling my own weight...” Twilight said as she eyed the still working escapees. That was another thing odd about the pony. She was so willing to please others, as if she were afraid of offending someone. “I'm sure that it is fine. No one can claim that you have not 'pulled your own weight.' Especially after how you so easily defeated a Psywarrior,” Hexomer carefully baited her. Twilight blushed at that. “I wouldn't say that it was easy. It was actually quite difficult, and had he been a little more careful, things could have easily turned out differently,” she said, fiddling with her hooves as she did so. “Yes, but to defeat a Psywarrior is no easy feat. You must have trained for years in the art of psychic combat in order to best him so handily,” Hexomer said, laying on the praise a little thickly. Twilight only looked more uncomfortable at the praise however. If this is really an act, then she is really good, Hexomer thought to herself. “Well...” The purple unicorn started to say, but was interrupted by a shout from the landing bay door. With a brief mental exercise, Hexomer switched her translator back and addressed Pride Leader Alik. “What was that?” “I said it looks like we've got company,” he said, taking aim with his stolen beam rifle. * * * Jaleth materialized in the docking bay a little disoriented. After clearing her head, she took a look around. It seemed like Master hadn't arrived at the station yet, but that didn't really matter to her. She just knew that she had to be ready for when He finally arrived. Gently, she put the duffel bag full of Thor-12 charges down and made her way to where her master was going to dock with the station. She then fell to her knees, and bowed herself towards the sealed airlock, ignoring the conversation in Galactic Standard that was happening not twenty feet from her. Sure, she had seen the animals, but nothing in her orders said anything about them. As far as she was concerned, they didn't exist. However, inside, that small spark that was still her had leaped for joy! They can help me! Please, take me with you! she thought to herself. But inside her heart, she knew that they had no reason to trust her. She still looked like a Dridune, and the most she could hope for from them was an end to her current misery. “What is it doing?” she heard a feminine voice say. The voice had an odd quality, it seemed to hum a little, and click every so often. “It appears to be genuflecting that airlock,” a deep, male voice rumbled. “...Have you ever seen a Dridune do that before?” the female asked. “Never. Though I have seen our own forces do that on occasion... Usually in the presence of a Psywarrior,” the male said. The was a pregnant pause, then Jaleth heard another female voice speak up in a language she couldn't understand. The humming voice responded, and the two conversed for a couple of seconds, then silence. “...What did she say?” the male asked after a bit. “I told Twilight what the alien was doing, and she seems to think it might be a good idea to take it with us. I am inclined to agree, seeing as how this could possibly be our mysterious benefactor,” the humming female answered. There was a short pause, followed by a rustle, then a clicking noise. Jaleth then heard a loud, oscillating hum that usually signified the use of a stun pistol. Then everything went black. * * * “Almost... and done!” Donny shouted as the screen in front of him lit up. Captain Hale could feel the ship's computer pour into his mind. He was in control of the whole vessel, and while he was used to a more conventional control scheme, he still breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally back where he belonged, behind the controls of a starship. “Fantastic work, Chief. Go ahead and teleport the others aboard, and we can get out of here,” Hale said as he made himself more comfortable in the pilot's chair. Donny turned on a nearby console and started to input some commands. “Uh oh,” he said. “I don't want to hear any 'uh oh's Chief. Thats the last thing you want to hear from your doctor, dentist, barber and chief engineer. What's with the 'uh oh'?” Hale asked in a rush. “Well... It seems like the squids have control of the system again. The virus is still there, so I can lock them out again, but they may have set traps,” Donny said as his fingers flew across the console. "Well... lock them out and get the others on board. Give them a headache," Hale said as he powered up the ship's reactor. * * * They had played snake, rabbit, grass over a thousand times, and after a very loud argument over the results, the two guards had finally reached a decision. Because of her rank, they had decided that Meliath should be the one to take the first life. Verila watched on as the guard slowly made her way to the first bunk, knife in hand. She would have preferred to use her pistol, but the stun gun wasn't in any way lethal. She would have to do this the old fashion way. As she stood above the reclining alien, she noticed that it was one of those amphibious fish beings from Chothis. The creature looked up at her, those large, slitted eyes boring into her soul. However, it did nothing as she brought her knife to its throat, the drug in its system keeping it docile. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and pulled. Yet, instead of a sickening slicing sound, followed by the creature gasping for breath, she heard a shimmering, oscillating hum. Her eyes shot open just in time to see the sparkling energy field fade, letting her know that the fish-creature had been spirited away. Quickly she turned to the other bunks just in time to see the others disappear as well. “No! They're escaping!” Verila said as he scrambled over to one of the bunks. Meliath said nothing. She simply fell to her knees and cried on the bed. * * * First officer Qualk knew that something was wrong. Unless Master Hivanti was playing some elaborate game with the animals aboard that station, he should have come out of his trance by now. Of course, he couldn't be sure that Hivanti wasn't playing some elaborate game, but he certainly wasn't about to disturb his master without good reason. But it had been a full hour since they had arrived, and he was starting to feel nervous. “Uh, sir? The docking bay doors are opening, and a frigate is coming out. What are your orders?” the helmsman asked, glancing over at the still comatose Psywarrior as he did so. Qualk looked over at his Master. Sure enough, he was still comatose, which meant that this was all part of the plan. “I think the Master is sending the Alliance a little present. Stand down and let them through,” the first officer said as he straightened his shirt. He watched as the frigate accelerated away from the station, then glow as it warmed up its Hyperspace Emitters. Silently, a blue tear appeared in space in front of the fleeing frigate, and the ship disappeared as it made the jump to Hyperspace. Qualk then turned and sat down next to his Master. Slowly, he straightened his collar, then looked towards the view screen. “The Alliance won't know what hit them, right Master?” he said, turning to Hivanti as he did so. Hivanti responded by sliding out of his chair, completely limp and unresponsive. There was complete silence aboard The Dominator's bridge for a full minute. “Bridge to medical, we have a priority one! Teleport up here NOW!” Qualik shouted as he rushed to his fallen master. Right as he said that however, Research Station Genome exploded.