Well, obviously part two. Enjoy.
Atyai smiled at the gargantuan line of ships shrink into the distance as he flew past.
Sir, Ilu didnt answer at first. He was too entranced by how clogged the earth traffic lanes were. He had never seen so many vessels during the entire time he was stationed on Europa or New Babylon, for that matter.
Sir! said his partner slightly more crisp than the last time. Ilu whipped his ahead around and faced him.
Oh, sorry.
Anyway, sir, HQ just messaged that the only ships that lifted off after your homicides were a rebel starbridge and polaris dragon. Your witness also woke up, and said the man who knocked him out was a rebel.
Right, thanks, he said slowly.
Is there something wrong, sir? Memories coming back?
Only the bad ones... his voice trailed off into the soundless arena of the valkyrie cockpit.
I thought that the federation won all the major battles, sir.
Shows how much you know. Ilu smirked slightly as the valkyrie skimmed towards Earth.
Thousands of them. The endless beckoning of thousands of voices reverberated through Keenas head while he struggled to sleep. He could see them with his mind, see their hands reaching for him from across a higher plane... from across the veil.
Keenas eyes shot open , and in his haste for consciousness he fell from his hammock and onto the duranium deck of the starbridge.
He slammed his fist against the floor again, and again in anger. The Vell-os called to him constantly in his sleep, but tonight was one of the worst nights ever. He began to think something ominous was on the horizon.
He stepped out from his sleeping quarters, and exited his ship into the Kane Band. The dead Earth lay silent below him, and the unforgiving void watched from above. He took in deep breaths of purified oxygen, all the while trying to calm himself down. After serenity had washed over him, he went back inside his ship to get dressed.
The green starbridge grew closer as Ilu and Carl sprinted towards it with weapons drawn.
Are you sure this is smart, sir? This guy killed three people, Carl whispered to Ilu, seeming nervous.
No, but its better than letting some Kane Band jerk off screw it up.
Ilu saw Carl smile slightly out of the corner of his eye at his words. They ducked down as they moved around the bridge windscreen, and slinked along the side of the craft until they were in front of the airlock.
Carl moved next to the door release switch, while Ilu prepared to rush in. Ilu nodded to Carl, and he pressed the release key. The airlock opened inward, and Ilu rushed in. He charged into the cockpit, but only heard the sound of a moth fluttering against the glass.
Anything back there! he shouted to Carl, who had made his charge to the cargo bay.
No! Theres nothing in here at all.
Dammit. Look for whatever you can, Ill go look around the outside. Ilu stepped back through the airlock and into the artificial lighting of the Kane Band. He turned around and faced the ship. He looked closer, and saw a new layer of paint along the hull of the ship. Carl, give me your scanner!
Right, Carl called out from the bowels of the ship, be right there.
Carl emerged from the starbridge and tossed Ilu the small, rectangular scanner. Ilu caught it and turned on the ultraviolet light. The black light blanketed the area underneath the cockpit, and almost the entire painted part of the ship glowed eerily under the blackness of the light. Ilu immediately recognize the kill marks, but had never seen so many in his life. He moved the light dwn the hull of the ship, and he noticed that nearly the entire side of the starbridge glowed white. Hundreds upon hundreds of kill markings...
He felt a small amount of fear as he stared, Who the hell is this guy?
Hell if I know, said Carl.
Who, is not the question, spoke a soft female voice from behind Ilu and Carl. They turned and saw a woman in a black cloak standing behind them, Ilu tried to speak, but something caused a pressure against the back of his mind, and he couldnt get his mouth to move...
~He is more of a, what.~ said the same female voice, this time seemingly from everywhere at once.
Ilu stood still and watched the woman walk away. She disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ilu with more questions.
Blood droplets shimmered in the flashing cockpit lights and electrical sparks. Ensign Michael Keena stared at his friends corpse in speechless shock. He looked in the dead eyes as they stared back into his own.
Michael closed his eyes, and he felt the creeping surge of emotion flowing into his skull for the first time. When he reopened his eyes, he saw the thousands... millions of flickering weaves of silver light surrounding him, his ship, and all the other ships. He shut his eyes again in fear...
GOD, Keena yelped as his nightmare disappeared from his mind. The entire citizenship of the bar swiveled their heads in his direction. Michael looked back at their slightly startled faces before walking out of the bar in silence.
He stepped out into the moderately cool air that came out of ceiling vents at moderately low speed, in a space station that was only moderately comfortable. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, trying to make the memories fade away. He failed to notice the hand that clasped around his mouth until he noticed his own muffled yells. He stopped his futile hollers when he saw who it was...
Lieutenant Ilu Atyai, thats right... yes from Tichel. I need to impound a ship... what the hell do you mean I cant? I dont have the authority... bull****. Would you prefer some bounty hunter instead? Ah, go to hell.
What was that about, sir? Carl looked over at Ilu, What did the Port Authority say?
We cant impound her its all just a bureaucratic nightmare. Times have changed a-
He was cut off from finishing as he was thrown against the ground with such force that the air leapt from his lungs, and he lay there gasping for air. He looked up only to see a man with a red cloak staring back.
The mans face contorted into an evil smile before Ilu lapsed into unconsciousness...
(This message has been edited by Jas86 (edited 11-11-2003).)
