Tag: Sci-fi

Pegasus (Part 134)

“Let’s do it,” Leanne shouted. The others all nodded.

This was my moment. I could feel it in my racing heart. “Follow me. The first priority is to try to get some weapons. Otherwise, we’re toast.”

We go back out and along the corridor before we reach a stairwell.

“Come on,” I whisper back to them as I wave. It takes several minutes to get to the bottom.

Leanne, who had gone ahead of me, abruptly stopped. I went in front of her, and glanced around the corner.

There were some of the men in red uniforms who had captured me earlier. In intense conversation, they seemed oblivious to what was happening around them.

I knew we only had one choice. A sneak attack, we needed to get into hand-to-hand combat, before they drew their weapons.

In whispers, I told the others that I would go first. They were to follow in a line behind.

With care, I placed one foot in front of the other till I got within striking distance of the closest soldier. I put my arm around his neck and began to squeeze. Then all pandemonium broke loose as the rest got involved, punching and kicking the soldiers into submission.

Pegasus (Part 133)

Moments later, she sat at the side of the bed, her mouth ajar.

“You were being drugged by a tube inserted into your neck. They did the same to me. I’m sure all the others are the same. Come on, help me with the others. We don’t have much time.”

She nodded in agreement and went to Leanne, while I went to her Mum. Within a few minutes, they were all back standing up and ready for action.

For the first time, I could see steely determination in their eyes,

Leanne was the first to speak. “What now?”

I knew she wasn’t talking about escaping. They were all looking in my direction.

“The Emperor has taken ill. Now is the time for us to strike. If we run, it is only a matter of time before we are all captured once more. We keep to my original plan. Except we’re all in it now.”

“And what is that?” was murmured from the rear.

I replied with gusto, trying to keep their spirits up. “A nuclear blast inside the Emperor’s chamber can blow the whole habitat. That is what I have been trying to achieve since Tabitha and I left the dinosaur habitat. And we are now so close to achieving our objective.”

Pegasus (Part 132)

But which way to go? I tried to remember my time with the Emperor for any little hint. Then I remembered that he had looked in a particular direction when he had mentioned my friends. I thought back to where my bed was positioned at the time. I needed to go to my left.

Without hesitation, I quickly walked in that direction. The next door was over twenty meters away. There was a circular red button to the left, which I pressed. The door opened to reveal a darkened room. I stepped inside, careful not to make any noise. I could make out that several people were lying in what looked like hospital beds.

I searched the wall for a light switch and pressed it. The glare briefly closed my eyes. I reopened them to see Tabitha and the rest of the crew lying in the beds, shouting for my help.

Tabitha was closest.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Tears were flowing down the side of her face as her eyes darted from place to place. “I can’t move, love.”

I guessed what the problem was and lifted her head with care, searching for a tube, which I pulled out.

“What are you doing, love?”

I rubbed the side of her face with my palm. “Give it a minute.”

Pegasus (Part 131)

A few moments later, I realized that full movement had been restored to my body. I immediately sat up and removed the tubes from my left hand. I looked back at where my head had been resting. There was a small needle piercing through the pillow. Standing up, I saw it had been connected to an intravenous drip with a cloudy blue substance.

It came loose when they pushed the bed. This is my opportunity.

I looked around the spacious room that had been my prison.

Flexing my legs, I was confident of my full strength. I noticed my clothes on the hanger in the corner and put them on.

Walking towards the door, it automatically flew open, leading me to a fluorescent tunnel. My eyes winced in the light. In front of me was an expansive view of the habitat. I was near the top of one of the pyramids.

How am I going to save Tabitha and the others?

I tried to think back to what the Emperor had said, and remembered him stating I’d have to make some sort of decision. It was a hunch, but they must be close. He wanted me to physically see them.

But I must be quick in case he recovers.

Pegasus (Part 130)

Then the Emperor continued. “That is why I need you. You are the only one of my progeny to show the guile required to leave one’s comfort zone and try to effect change. It was something that I thought would be ubiquitous, but I was wrong.

The Empire faces many challenges. If I die without a successor, there will be war, and everything I have built will be ruined. All I ask is that you kill your comrades to show your loyalty. I don’t think that is too much to ask.”

For a moment, I wondered if he was serious. His seething eyes told me he was.

“Never!” I responded angrily.

He gasped and took a step. “Are you my blood at all?”

He placed his hands on his chest. Then fell to his knees, before tumbling to the floor.

A loud siren went off, and the whole room started flashing red. Within thirty seconds, the room was full of men in white overcoats, all huddled around the emperor. My bed was pushed over to a side wall, and I could no longer see what was happening.

Then I could hear them carrying him away, and the room was silent once more.

Pegasus (Part 129)

Just as I had accepted my fate, that dreaded voice bellowed for me to wake. “Open those eyes.”

And there he was beside me. Not the youthful image I had expected from television and other sources. He had shoulder-length grey hair and deep wrinkles. His eyes were a pale blue, surrounded by crow’s feet.

For a moment, he said nothing, just staring blankly as if I were some sort of exotic creature. I decided to speak first. “What is wrong with you?”

He gave a wry smile.

“Ah, you’ve never seen an old person before. Even with all our technologies, what would have been considered magic when I was born, there is a certain timespan we can not compensate for. In about two hundred years, you and many more will noticeably age. And there will be nothing you can do about it.”

I replied, somewhat confused. “Aging? I thought that disease was cured?”

He seemed to take some twisted delight in my response and laughed. “I thought it had been cured, too, but no. We extended our lifespan many times over, but it’s still nothing compared to the enormity of eternity. Eventually, our medicine ran into barriers that simply could not be overcome. And that is why you are here.”

Pegasus (Part 128)

For too long, I stewed in that bed, longing to touch Tabitha, or at least hear from some of the gang. I wondered where they were and what they were facing. I wasn’t in pain or discomfort; I was just restless for something, anything, to happen.

By now, I had spent hours looking at each imperfection on the ceiling in a trance-like state, wondering if they could be a clue to aid an escape. I could not raise my arms, only move my head slightly. It was like the messages from my brain were unable to reach the rest of my body. I feared it might be permanent.

Every so often, I would hear the electric door and the patter of feet. I would roar out “Help!” but to no avail.

In the service of the Emperor, no doubt.

I wondered about my time since meeting Tabitha. What mistakes had I made?

No, I had made none. She was the love of my life. All I had been doing was dying slowly. No matter what, at least I had given life a try. It might not be about to end well, but at least I tried. And I will always have the time I spent with her.

Pegasus (Part 127)

A familiar male voice came from the other side of the room. “Impressive view, I know. Imagine that all of humanity once lived on that now inhospitable rock. I remember it well. You could breathe the fresh air, look at the sky, and fear nothing worse than getting wet.

Not like now. There were warnings about how bad things could get, but they were ignored.”

I was now sweating profusely. It was the voice of the Emperor. He had heard it hundreds of times on his home habitat, usually speaking in Irish.

“What do you want?” For I could think of nothing better to say.

The voice grew louder and angrier. “What do I want? You’d swear I was the one in the wrong. Don’t think that I don’t know about your plan, and what you signed up for. I’ve been following your actions since you first met Tabitha. There are cameras everywhere in the habitats. It astounds me that the rebels ever thought they had a chance. I found your little adventure quite amusing. However, all good things come to an end, and I’m afraid your little adventure is no exception. But now we must decide what happens next.”

My heart sank. “Please leave Tabitha and the others out of it. It was all my idea.”

The Emperor laughed. There was a sound of an automatic door closing, and I was alone again.

Pegasus (Part 126)

“We need to run Tabitha, they are trailing us.”

Fear is written all across her face. We start to jog, but they match our pace.

I received a voice message from Leanne: It’s a trap. Get out of here. Then I hear the sound of a thud before it ends.

“Run,” I shout out.

They start to run too.

We run out from under the pyramid, but immediately stop. There are more armed men in front of us. We are surrounded.

Everything was for nothing. I suddenly feel cold before a flash of pain from the back of my head.

I thought that was my end – my only concern, the fate of Tabitha. But it wasn’t.

My next conscious thought was the feeling of being unable to move. Instinctively, I tried to raise my arm, but it was to know avail. I shook my head and opened my eyes. I was strapped down on a bed, a gag stuck in my mouth.

I moved my head to the right, where I was confronted by a white wall.

The view, on the other hand, was much more impressive – You could see the Earth, North Africa to be precise.

Where am I, and what has the Emperor planned for me?

Pegasus (Part 125)

Onwards we went through what could have been a tropical paradise. A pungent smell of flowers added to the experience. I wondered if the mission was really worth it; we could just stop and stay here. I shook my head, trying to regain my composure.

The white pyramids drew closer. No guards were in sight, only drones hovering overhead in a gentle breeze.

When they reached the nearest pyramid, the only option was to go underneath it. A handful of silver columns held the whole structure aloft. It was much cooler. I could hear the thud of our feet against the concrete. It made me nervous, and I noticed that Tabitha increased her pace. Nevertheless, the bright light at the other side grew larger and we were soon back outside at the other side.

And yet, there were more. A chill went down my spine. Something was right. We should have been within view of the nearest settlement. I stopped and looked around. But there was nothing unexpected or out of place.

“What’s wrong?” Tina frowned.

“I don’t know.” And I didn’t.

We turned and walked to the next pyramid, which was even larger. The buzzing of the drones had stopped, and even the gentle breeze had dissipated. Once more we went down the ramp underneath.

We quickened our steps still further. I tried to take solace in the sound of our footsteps. But then I heard an extra set, and then still more.

I glanced at Tabitha, and then behind. Armed men in red uniforms were behind us.