TDM 09 "The Air Lifters"

He held up an acrylic rectangle and a series of lights played over it's surface when suddenly they all went green. "Yeah, no humans. Alright, you heard what the doc said, destroy that saucer !"

Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE THE DREAM MACHINE The Lost Saucer Can't Get Off This Crazy Ride ! © September 2013 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ] CHAPTER 9 - THE AIR LIFTERS * * * This chapter is Rated: EVERYONE Back in the saucer, Fum was running in high-speed. He was like a tape running on fast-forward, and his feet were a blur. Have finished sweeping up the debris and placing it in the ship's main recycler, new cables and wires were formed which he was quickly re-installing in all parts of the ship. Dorse was unable to keep up with this frenzied pace so he left the saucer to examine more of the forest. Fi, meanwhile, had reached the main building called simply Central. Two armed guards in full impressive uniform were standing at the entrance. As she approached they wielded sinister acrylic and sturdy looking staffs at her. "None may pass !" The first one said in a challenging voice. "Yeah, none may pass." the second one said a little bit more timidly. Suddenly the first one clacked down his staff hard on the floor creating a dramatic cracking sound, "Nono ... Here, listen to me." "None may pass !" he said again in a deeper more threatening voice while waving his gloved hand out as if he held dominion over the countryside. The second one's eyes got wide, "Wow. You're good !" "Yes you are !" Agreed Fi approaching. The first one looked down at the floor abashedly, "Well, it's all in the delivery. It's how you do it. You have to growl, you know ?" "Growl ?" Fi asked. The first guard sniffed imperiously, "Yes. Growl. Deep from the chest. You have to scare your opponent ! Like this, RAWWR !" and still holding on to his staff he held up his free hand to claw the air his eyes wide and fearsome. The second one, eager to support his friend added, "Like a lion !" Fi was now standing to the side of them and was almost through the entrance they guarded. "Yes you are, just like a mountain lion !" Suddenly the first one snapped to attention and looked frightened, "What !?" Fi looked confused for a moment, "Excuse me ?" The first spoke in a tremulous voice now and swayed from side to side a little nervously, as if he felt faint. "I don't like mountains. I'm afraid of heights, you know. Can't I just be - ohh - I don't know. a PANTHER instead ?" Fi grinned but coughed to maintain a serious voice and nodded, "Yes you can. There is nothing wrong if you are afraid of high places. You can most certainly be a panther if you want." The first twirled his toe shyly on the ground and spoke modestly without being able to meet her eyes, "A scary one, too, okay ?" "Very VERY scary !" Fi agreed. He sniffed and suddenly smacked his staff down on the ground again, "Right ! Then I am a scary RIVER PANTHER ! And I live at the bottom of the lake in a secret cave and swim up to attack ships that pass by ! Grawwr !" Fi grinned trying hard not to laugh but spoke encouragingly patting him on his back, "Now you have it !" The second one then shook his head as if something important here were missing and added, "Well now wait just a minuette ! Who are you anyways, miss ?" "Yeah !" The first said getting back into remembering his job and twirled his staff semi-professionally almost dropping it but didn't. The second one gave polite applause for his maneuver but then suddenly whipped the tip up against Fi's face causing a soft red glow to emit from the tip of it. "Yes, just what are you doing here anyways, miss ? This area is off limits ! Explain yourself !" the first guard said loudly, fully alert again. Fi thought quickly and motioned for him to lower his staff, "I'm here to say what a good job you two are doing, to Central !" "Which one in Central ?" The first said suspiciously, still maintaining his staff and wavered up against her face as it continued to glow a red hue at the tip. The 2nd spoke, half-believing her. "Yeah, do you mean, the left wing, the right - " The first mumbled to himself getting afraid again and his tip lowered slightly, "Oh gosh, I hope it isn't the middleman. The last time he was here he -" Fi interrupted them both taking the queue, "Yes ! I'm here to see the Middleman !" Suddenly the first whirled and clacked the glowing tip so hard against the floor it created a dramatic show of sparks against it from the energy release. "Him !" he said, his eyes saucer wide with fear. Even the 2nd guard seemed upset now and tried to look like he wasn't loafing. Fi reached over to tentatively pat the first on his shoulder, "Yes, I need to see HIM. But I'm also here to tell him what a GOOD JOB you two are doing guarding the main entrance like this !" * * * "Only doing my job, MA'AM !" The first said in an entirely different tone, deeper and full of confidence, and still stood rigidly attention and his eyes facing forward and beyond her. "Ma'am ?" the 2nd queried but was suddenly *oofed* from being jabbed hard in the ribs by the first to maintain alertness as if they were being inspected at this very moment. Fi took the lead seeing where this was going smiled slightly and shouted, "Atten-chun !" Both were now standing perfectly at attention, and raised their right foot and stamped it hard against the ground. They had their chests sucked in as far as they could, their shoulders forward, and their staffs clamped tightly against the floor. Fi nodded appreciatively. Then after another moment of seeing them perfectly motionless, smiled and yelled, "About - FACE !" The guards like mechanical clockwork thump-thump-thumped their feet until they were facing their backs to her. Fi wasted no time now and entered inside. A few minutes after she left the second one whispered to the first, "How long are we supposed to stay like this anyways ?" Back inside the doctor, otherwise known as Minister Glask, was preparing himself a drink back in his own room. It was a rich green color he savored the taste of it and looking to a rounded rectangular transparent rectangle, it suddenly lit up and showed a display. News of some kind. "... As you know, Minister Glask had earlier sent out a security detail to see what remains of the craft that earlier penetrated our defensive shields. While there is no word yet as to their progress in the Reverie Woods, we at station JK-9 will keep you informed to developments as the progress. In other news - " Glask had touched a console and the screen went dark. Back at the saucer Fum was starting to slow down finally, "I could sure use a charge right about now." he told himself and going over to one part of the saucer, connected a cable up to his chest and a slight hum could be heard. Suddenly DORSE re-entered the craft but he was looking terribly distressed. Fum faced him. "What's wrong, boy ?" Dorse spoke, "Brawf brawf, beer-ooo, arrrhoo !" "You say Timmy is still trapped down at the bottom of the well ? No ? Well what is it then ? Oh ! Intruders ! Well, why didn't you say so ?" Since most of the repairs were complete in the saucer except for the navigation and the hatch was working again, Fum reached for the center console and smacked a switch, "Hatch closed !" he said. With the familiar warbling sound suddenly the opening to the saucer vanished to be replaced by the edge of the saucer and you couldn't even see where the opening was originally. Outside were 4 armed guards watching this. One, clearly the leader of the group spoke. "Yeah, we've been spotted. Okay, this is what we're after. Let me check this for a moment." He held up an acrylic rectangle and a series of lights played over it's surface when suddenly they all went green. "Yeah, no humans. Alright, you heard what the doc said, destroy it ! I don't want so much as a micron remaining !" The other 3 guards brandished wicked looking acrylic rifles and at their captain's command fired at the saucer. Showers of brightly colored sparks and explosions went off all around it. Laser-fire continued to flicker around it, bouncing off of it's hard shell and smoke poured from around the edges. But after a full minute of this barrage, it was clear that the saucer was completely unaffected by their weapons ! "Cease fire !" the captain called out and the other 3 stopped to lower their weapons. The captain then approached to touch the surface of the saucer which wasn't even warm. "Strange alloy we have here, nothing I'm used to." he commented quietly to himself. "We'll need that big laser drill." Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a clear rectangular unit to speak into it, "Yeah, air control ? let's get 3 Lifters out here. We're gonna pick this thing up and drop it off at the scrap yards. We'll use the mountain cutter there to crack it's shell. That beam will go straight through anything." He laughed wickedly and then returned the unit to his pocket. He re-approached his troops to let them know what the new plan was. Less than a minute later there was an odd whistling sound and three air-lifters, well, that's what they were soared into view. They were basically two large sharp concentric circles laying inside one another spinning rapidly in opposite directions and at the tilt, angle, and speed at which they spun around and rotated, they could navigate quite freely in the air thissaways. In the center held by a strong centrifugal force was a pilot in full uniform with a single ribbon or refractive material around their eyes to shield them from the high wind the devices created, and upon a countdown signal, they each threw down a silvery line near the fallen saucer. Each of the 3 soldiers already on the ground clamped and connected the lines to the corners of the saucer as Fum and DORSE watched with an outside camera. "This doesn't look good, DORSE. And we don't have enough power to get away as I'm still making repairs to the engine. How will Fi find us later ?" DORSE put his furry paws over his head and reeled it from side to side being very upset himself. Suddenly the saucer lifted up creating a cloud of dirt as it was partially buried and with the incredible pull of the 3 air-lifters and in moments was being pulled to it's new destination. Back in Central, Fi was a little lost but fortunately no-one was calling an alarm in seeing her. If anything it seemed like most of the citizens were brain dead and didn't seem the least bit bright. Finally she came to a large acrylic triangle that was stuck in the ground like an informational panel. As she approached it, it suddenly lit up and looking at it she could see suddenly realized where both kids were being held captive. Then a citizen approached who, unlike the other residents, seemed to be a bit more aware than the others and had a security uniform on. In seeing her he cried out, "Intruder !" and smacked a side circle on the wall which lit up a bright red and a moment later an alarm klaxon started sounding throughout the building ! END OF CHAPTER 9 Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #