Chapter 4: Rescue and Recovery

I scream pounding on the glass and cry out but it is no use…no one can hear me. The fire’s burn all around me and I am trapped in my seat. I try to lean to the other side of the ship to keep away from the fire but as I am leaning away I see the fires move towards my munitions and fuel and I know this is the end…”Father…please save me.” And I close my smoke filled eyes, coughing and trying to take another breath.

 

Then I see a light…like a star coming towards me and it floats through the glass and it grabs me. I hold on to it and I can see a face but can’t move. My whole body is numb and then I am lying on my bed…in the ship, but I can’t move and then everything fades into the grey as my eyes are forced shut…by something. “We still have plans for you” it whispers into my ear.

 

Kelly moves back into the bridge breathing deeply. “Alright take us in right there” “Aye, Aye captain” Ari replies as she lands where Kelly directed. He gets off the ship the suns bright glare slightly stunning him as he stubbles off the ship. He falls into the soft grass and lets the sun comfort him.

 

J.J runs over to him “Kelly are you okay?” he asks as he tries to help him back up. “Fine…It’s just…I knew her for so long.” “Wait, who are you talking about?” “Didn’t you hear” he says trying to stand back up “Dalia…she…her ship.” J.J’s eyes widen “what?” He runs into the ship to the top floor shoving her door open. Her body lie there covered in blood, ash, and suet. He grabs my hand and sits beside me calling my name. The thing in the darkness looks at him, it’s eyes narrowing.

 

I am still unable to move I try to open my eyes, to say something…but everything is so numb. J.J, watch out…the darkness. It comes out from the shadows and moves closer to him. It pulls something from inside it’s clothing a knife? And it stabs him with it and he falls into the haze like me. What is it...he is not dead. I try to force myself from the artificial comma…but it feels like the dream is grasping my soul holding me there in suspended darkness.

 

Kelly catches his breath he breathes deeply “Maybe I should check on J.J” he whispers to himself stumbling back to the ship. He reaches the top floor and opens the door. The ship fills with bloodcurdling screams… he sees it the monster. He reaches for his gun and fires at it. It slams him against the wall it’s thick, brutal accent fill it’s words “Leave them…these are part of my destiny!” “No!” He yells firing multiple shots at it. It screeches and turns to a black liquid seeping through the cracks to the lower decks. Screams fill the whole ship from all levels.

 

My eyes are finally aloud to flicker open and then I remember…

 

I kick my legs but continue to fall and then I stop and I close my eyes and I cannot breathe…and I thought I died. Then I open my eyes screaming as a dark figure drags me to land…a monster but it hits me and blood spills onto the sand and then I close my eyes.

 

…the monster.

 

I sit up and agonizing pain shoots through my body and I scream. Kelly comes and picks me keeping his gun handy. “Alice…Jane we need some help here.” He calls out to the nurses in the med bay. They immediately prepare a bed and lie me down. “Walker…he’s still.” I say as anesthetics are pumped into my blood stream and everything goes dark, but I hear Kelly “Don’t worry I’ll get him.” Kelly walks through the halls nervously and pushes the door open to my room. He finds J.J completely knocked out and pulls him up over his shoulder. He carefully moves through the ship to the med bay and lays J.J down on the other bed.

 

A laughing sound thrives all around them in all directions. Kelly takes the gun from J.J’s belt and holds ready. “You don’t understand…” the voice echoes as if it where many voices speaking in unison. “We have plans for them…We have plans for them!” The figure moves into the light…and everything stops. A little girl stubbles into the light and falls face first into the cold, hard metallic floor. Is this what we where so afraid of?

 

Alice approaches her and lifts the small limp body. She lays it on one of the beds and begins to examine her. Her eyes open “I came to warn you…of the great puppet master.” And her eyes close and she falls asleep but gun shots and blood cover her small body. Alice looks at Kelly concerned. “Sir…it is a Zoid Walker. What shall we do?”

 

The next day…

 

I open my eyes my head in deep pain, I grimace and look around. Jane sit there beside me and smiles down towards me. “Feeling any better?” She asks “Tons” I say as I look at the small limp body lying in the other bed across from me. My eyes widen “Is…Is that it?” I ask in a concerned tone. She looks over at her sadly “Yes…how sad to find a Zoid Walker here and so young.” “What is a Zoid Walker” I ask turning to her.

 

“A Zoid Walker is as you know part of the artificial race of aliens known as Zoid. The sad part is that they consist mainly of outcasts. You see Zoid share a hive mind sharing all knowledge with each other. Well some break free and are called Zoid Walkers because although they can walk among the Zoid they only contain their own knowledge. But these kind are special…they no longer have to look for new bodies once their old one start to decay, they have mutated and are shape shifters.”

 

I look at her intrigued by her understanding of the race “How do you know all this?” she looks at me with a smile “Because I was saved by one many years ago.” I look back at the small limp girl Why did you save me all those years ago…why did you save from my ship? Jane looks over at me “God’s really watching out for you isn’t he?” I sit there silently…thinking about what she said yeah…maybe he is.