The Voyages of Neptune 2
by R. L. Copple
Charlie drummed his fingers on the captain’s chair of the Neptune 2. “Peter, how long till we reach Io?”
“One point five, six days, Sir.” Peter’s Sunari eyes, reminding Charlie of trolls from stories his mother had read him as a child, stared into space. He pointed. “That cluster over there.”
Sunari touted android-like mental capabilities, but they were also highly emotional, sometimes to the point of instability. Yet, Charlie had known Peter for fifteen years and knew he could trust the Sunari – most of the time.
Charlie stood up and gazed at the cluster representing Earth’s solar system. The ceiling of the control room, buried in the center of the ship, acted as one giant screen, producing the effect of standing on the ship’s hull.
Charlie would be glad to get the space-mist he’d found to Io. It had proven the first substance that could reverse the plague on Jupiter’s moon base. It would only be a matter of time before help would arrive.
He sat back in his chair. “Nep, can you get any more speed out of your engines?”
The ship’s positronic brain, overlaid with Charlie’s Russian, ex-girlfriend Nepatalie’s mind after a gravcar accident had killed her body, replied like any good ship’s computer. “Sir, an extra hour or two isn’t going to make much difference. I’m already past recommended specs. The warp-port is only a few hours away.”
Sometimes, Charlie wondered if having a computer who would argue with him was such a great idea. Or was he simply reacting to her familiar voice?
“Intruder alert, Captain,” Nep’s voice sounded as if her circuits had been shot with adrenaline.
Charlie slipped on his ray gloves and grabbed his battle stick – a multi-function blaster, deflector shield, and fighting club. “Didn’t your sensors warn of an approaching ship, Nep?”
“No, sir.”
He shook his head. “Peter, lose that ship.” He headed toward the door past Tim, the only other human on the ship. “Tim, come with me.”
“Yes sir,” both Tim and Peter answered.
Tim left his station, grabbing his own battle stick and gloves to follow Charlie.
Charlie glanced at Tim as they moved down the hall. Tim’s rugged face and muscle tone indicated he did more than sit at a desk, which as ship’s mechanic, was true.
Charlie stopped in the hallway, realizing he didn’t know where to go. “Nep, where are the intruders and how many?”
“On the second level, section five. There are two beings of an unknown origin.”
Charlie picked up the pace. “They’re headed to the engine room where the mist-energy is stored. We can cut them off at section three.”
“Sir,” Tim said, “why don’t we just warp to the engine room and take the mist somewhere safe?”
“No good. If they can track where it is, they can track wherever we take it. Besides, where on the ship will it be safer than behind the strongest security shield we have? Better to catch them than to play hide and seek with the mist.”
Jim? Charlie accessed his implanted mind communicator. Jim, a Rilian, made an ideal medical officer. His six arms, two eyes in front and two eyes in back, and mental multitasking ability meant he could easily assist himself in any operation.
I’m here, Captain.
Be prepared for possible injuries.
I’m monitoring your life signs. Keep your warp bands active and if I need to, I’ll pull you out.
Charlie frowned. I doubt there will be much time if I’m hit by a ray blast.
Contrary to popular opinion, doctors are not gods. I’ll do the best I can.
Charlie shook his head. I’m sure you will Jim. Your god status is safe with me.
Crazy Earthers!
Tim smiled as well, having heard the conversation.
Shadows against the walls ahead caused them to focus on their mission. As their smiles faded, they dropped back behind a corner, peering around its edge. They unsheathed their battle sticks and crouched in preparation to strike.
The invader’s shadows stopped, and after a pause reversed course. Charlie felt the adrenaline flowing as Tim ran point down the hall, with Charlie close behind him.
Charlie suspected the creatures had sensed their presence. Maybe they could hear the crew’s mental communications? Charlie signaled to Tim, and he swept opposite the corridor where the shadows had been, with battle stick sighted. He signaled nothing there. The strangers had disappeared.
“Nep, where did they go?”
“They’re bypassing you through section six.”
“How do they know the layout of Nep’s halls so well?” Tim questioned.
“They must have scanned the ship before they warped over.”
“They’re highly advanced to scan a spherical ship like the Neptune 2 and get a layout of each level.”
“Or to approach without triggering our sensors. I agree.” Charlie motioned for Tim to follow. “No mental communication. I suspect they can hear it. Follow me. We can intercept them through an adjoining room.”
“Why don’t we just warp over there?”
“Less chance of them seeing the warp port door form before we get out. We’ll lose our surprise.”
The two scooted to a stop in front of a door. Charlie ran his hand by a scanner and the opaque door-like security field faded away. They moved sideways through the narrow storage isles, filled with various food items and supplies from floor to ceiling.
“Charlie, why did you leave me the day we were dating at the Francis restaurant?”
Nep’s comment ripped Charlie’s mind from his focus. “What?”
“I just ran across this memory in my data banks. It didn’t make sense then, and it still doesn’t now. Why did you leave?”
“Nep, this is hardly the time for rehashing old memories. If you aren’t quiet, we’ll lose our surprise.” Charlie rubbed his temples. There were disadvantages to having an ex-girlfriend as the ship’s computer.
“Sorry, I forgot you can’t multitask like I can. We can discuss it later.”
I’m looking forward to it. Charlie hit himself on the head in disgust. “I may have just given us away. I accidentally broadcast a thought over the mental communicator.”
They hurried to the door leading into the next hallway. With a wave of his hand, the door vanished. They both sighted their sticks and looked as far down each hallway as possible from the room. Neither could see anything.
Charlie heard a buzzing noise – a blinding light angled into the doorway and filled Charlie’s field of vision. A powerful force lifted him from his feet. Darkness overtook him as his mind shut down.
#
Charlie woke to a pounding headache. Throbbing pain washed over his body like waves breaking against a shoreline. Jim’s angular and nose-free face hovered over him. His two circular front eyes gazed emotionless as two of his hands punched buttons at the medical station plugged into Charlie. The smell of a doctor’s office hit Charlie’s nose.
“How long have I been out?”
“Just a couple minutes, I noticed you both blacked out so I immediately warped you to med ops and revived you. They hit you with a stun force ray. Apparently they didn’t want to kill you – this time.” His round eyes narrowed as his upper and lower lids partially shut. His Rilian mouth and tone of voice accurately mimicked human irritation. “Next time you may not be so lucky.”
He unlatched the cuffs around Charlie’s neck, ankles and wrists, which served as restraints in addition to medical monitors.
Charlie rose to a sitting position, rubbing his head and grimacing. “Can’t you give me anything for this headache?”
“I’ve a mind not to. It might remind you to be more careful.” One of Jim’s brown arms came around and placed a cylinder to the back of Charlie’s neck. Using warp technology, the instrument placed painkiller directly into the brainstem’s blood stream, providing immediate relief. He injected Tim as well with one of his other arms.
“Thanks.” Charlie relaxed. “Nep, where are the intruders now?”
“In engineering.”
“They’re after the mist!” Tim hopped down from the table.
“Nep.” Charlie dropped to his feet, dusting his shirt. “We need a warp port opening from here to just outside the engine room door.”
In one second, a light blue warp door outline appeared in the room, and then faded to the familiar distortion caused by the overlapping of space and time.
“I guess you’ll need these.” Jim pointed to the battle sticks and ray gloves stacked on a table by the door. Charlie and Tim reequipped themselves.
“And Nep…” Charlie held the battle stick in his ray glove, waving it to the wall as if pointing a big finger at her. “No chit chat. I don’t need any distractions.”
“Yes, sir.”
Charlie walked briskly through the warp door, followed by Tim.
#
In a split second, they stood at the engine room door. With a wave of Charlie’s hand, it dissolved to reveal two creatures blasting their ray guns on the security field holding the mist-energy.
Their appearance, a cross between an ape and an insect, which looked like mutated spiders with big heads, shocked Charlie for a brief second. We must look quite ugly to them.
One of creatures swung its blaster around to bear on them. A blinding light forced his eyelids closed as the blast smashed onto his battle-stick’s deflector shield. The unexpected force of the blow knocked Charlie back, ripping the battle stick from his hands and tearing a grunt from his throat. Charlie heard his battle-stick rolling down the hall. Why do I have all the luck?
He sprang back on his feet, legs spread, body low, and one hand extended – a ray erupted from his glove. By pointing with his little finger, Charlie set it to stun, not kill. Might as well return the favor.
The intruder jolted with the impact. The energy from the glove dissipated over his body like a panel short-circuiting. Blast it, they have a force field covering their bodies. We’ll have to use hand-to-hand.
Charlie dived into the room and to the side, smelling ionized gases and hearing a loud buzz. He could feel the hair on his head stand up from the charge.
Too close.
He looked over to see Tim pushed back as two blasts hit his deflector, but he held his ground and stick.
Tim, if we hit them at the same time with all four of our ray gloves that might stun them long enough to reach them.
Four beams of light cut through the air from the outstretched gloves, vapor wafted from sizzling air. The creatures ducked in anticipation. The split second stretched into an eternity as Charlie realized the rays would hit the security field holding the mist instead of their intended target. A sinking feeling pounded in his stomach as the weakened field absorbed the full blast.
The security field imploded, generating shock waves through the room. The cold steel floor shook briefly; then a force knocked Charlie backwards. Breath escaped and wouldn’t return for a long second. A sharp pain shot through his arm as he landed on the metal floor. Ignoring the ache, Charlie sat up and looked at the mist, fearful he had destroyed it. The mist, now free, floated into a steel tube held by an alien hand.
“No!” Charlie launched himself into the air towards the tube. He strained to reach it, focused only on taking it away. Instead, he felt the weight of a body crashing into him, sending waves of pain from his throbbing arm as it knocked him from his target.
Charlie gagged as the sewer-like smell of the creature’s breath attacked his nostrils. The room spun as he and the attacker rolled across the floor. Like a roulette wheel coming to a stop, Charlie knew the intruder would have him pinned on the floor.
I must save the colony.
As they rolled to a halt, Charlie swung his leg under the attacker’s. A jerk pulled Charlie up as the other fell; he grabbed its neck with his glove.
Ah, I have you now. Move and I’ll shoot. Yeah, you saw what comes out of my glove!
Both intruders froze. A two-second pause seemed like minutes. A picture formed in Charlie’s mind. What is that?
I see it too, Tim responded.
It came from one of the creatures. So they could mind-speak, using images.
Charlie watched as the mist-energy floated in space. Like a time-lapsed vid, the mist floated to a nearby orange-white planet. As it went though the atmosphere, the mist congealed until it settled next to a swampy lake. As it solidified, a baby formed on the shore.
Charlie looked up at Tim. Now we know why they’re desperate for this mist. Space is a womb for the life-energy of their children.
“They could be lying,” Tim said.
“Maybe, but my gut says they’re telling the truth.”
Charlie paused as the realization sank into his consciousness. How unfair. He sank his head and closed his eyes in disappointment. The only way to save the Ionians’ lives involved the destruction of energy destined to become children. He raised his head back up, opened his eyes and knew what he had to do.
Charlie let go of the creature’s neck and helped him to its “feet.” He sent them a picture to take the mist and go. He sighed and allowed his shoulders to slump. How could he save the Ionians now?
The intruders complied with Charlie’s directions. As they passed by, one stopped in front of him. It extended a hand holding a vial and sent Charlie a picture: many of their kind lying on a floor, dead. Charlie didn’t know what the substance was but figured he had better accept it. No sense in offending them.
Charlie accessed his mental communicator as his new friends dematerialized with the mist. Jim, I’ve something for you to check out. Make sure it isn’t dangerous.
#
The odd visitors’ ship had departed by the time Charlie and Tim returned to the control room. Charlie plopped into his seat. Now he had to face a dying population with no solution. What would he tell them?
“Nep, I need some coffee. Make it Brazilian Cerrado, vac-pot brewed, full city plus.” Charlie rubbed his temples with one hand.
“After you explain why you left me at the Francis Restaurant.”
Charlie sighed and shook his head.
“Yeah, Charlie,” Peter leaned forward in his seat with a big grin, “Why did you leave a fine girl like Nep in some restaurant?”
Charlie stared into space. “My mother called.”
“Did you say your mother!” Peter laughed. “The great space ship captain gets a call from his mother and he drops everything and everyone!”
Charlie narrowed his eyes. “Petrianlian…” Peter controlled his Sunari emotions at the mention of his full name and turned his attention to the controls.
“I’m sorry, Nep,” Charlie said, “My mom called, said an emergency required my presence and I totally forgot about you. Turned out a sick plant required my presence.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“If you recall, you weren’t too happy with my mom at the time. How would it have sounded if I said I stood you up to attend to my mom’s plant?”
She paused. “Like you’re a life nurturer.”
Jim entered the control room, the door rematerializing behind him. He saw the coffee sliding out of the food dispenser. “Make that two, Nep. I’ll have what he’s having.”
“Can’t you push your own buttons? What am I, a servant?”
“Regular computers don’t talk back,” Jim responded with irritation.
“I’m not a regular computer.”
“Yes, that’s painfully obvious.”
Jim handed Charlie his coffee and the vial the creatures had given them. “Charlie, I’ve ran some test and this will cure the plague on Io.”
Charlie straightened up in his chair, putting the coffee down. He smiled with rising hope. The intruders must have read enough of their mental communications to know why they needed the mist-energy. “Really?” Charlie held the vial in his hand, looking it over.
“No. Not really. I tell you these things to pull your legs.”
“Legs? The saying refers to a singular leg.”
Jim lifted four of them in the air. “Why would you pull only one leg when you can pull three or four at a time?”
“It’s my legs you’re pulling, and I only have two,” Charlie quipped.
“No matter. What I said is true. It will counter the disease.”
Charlie breathed deep. “So, we can save the Ionians without killing anyone else’s future. Guess it goes to show that saving lives isn’t always a good excuse for killing others.”
“Or saving a plant a good excuse to desert your date,” Nep said.
Charlie sighed as he handed the vial back to Jim. “Peter, full speed to Io.”
© 2009 R. L. Copple
Original fiction debuting at Residential Aliens.
Did you enjoy this story? Then own the book!
You can enjoy more of R. L. Copple’s adventures in his new collection of short stories, Ethereal Worlds: An Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories. In this volume you’ll discover 25 space-opera-style science fiction and fantasy stories from the pen of R. L. Copple.
Copple’s unique perspective creates experiences beyond the ordinary and takes the reader on journeys into other worlds. Stories range from epic fantasy to surreal, drama to humor, and space adventures to fairy tales. Whether reading about an angel trying to marry a dragon and a dragon-slayer, a super-hero spoof set in space, or a man driven to bring renegades to justice, one thread runs through them all: a fun read.
Tags: R. L. Copple, science fiction, short story, space opera
[...] flash fiction titled Life Intruders has been published by the on-line science fiction and fantasy magazine, Resident [...]
[...] The other story is a space opera series I’m doing called “Neptune 2.” Residential Aliens took the first story of that series called “Life Intruders.” [...]