adjoining passageway, waving for
the others to follow him across.
Nick peered
around the corner. The hangar bay was only several yards down the hall. He
could see straight into the open doorway. Inside, two Mok’tu stood guard over
the module, their legs hidden from view by a few crates stacked in the way. The
sight of the Mok’tu in person was a whole lot different than watching them on
the vid-display. In the vid they looked as though they were wearing armor, but
at this distance they appeared to be more like robots than armor clad aliens.
Nick froze for a moment, worried they might spot him.
Apparently
annoyed by his hesitation, Arya grabbed Nick’s wrist and pulled him across the
hall and into the supply room. Karg was already busy opening some sturdy
containers at the back of the room. The beast carefully removed a metallic bar
from one container and set it on top of a crate. Reaching over to a shelf, he
grabbed a peculiar looking device out of a box and plopped it down next to the
metal bar.
Meanwhile, Arya
combed the room in search of something.
“What are you
looking for?” Nick asked.
“Tarodine fluid.
It’s a green liquid in a short cylinder.”
After a few
minutes of going through boxes of stuff totally foreign to him, Nick found one
that held numerous tubes of green liquid. An odd aroma wafted from the box,
confronting his nostrils with its unusual scent. The contents smelled like a
blend of wintergreen and motor oil. “Is this it?” he said, holding up a
cylinder.
“That’s it.
Bring it over here.” She took the cylinder from Nick and tossed it over to
Karg.
After quickly
emptying another container onto the floor, Karg placed the gathered supplies
into it.
With everything
they needed packed in the box, Arya eased up to the door and peered out. “Okay,
come on, we need to get to the lab.”
Nick followed
close behind her as they crossed the corridor. Carrying the container of
supplies, Karg tip-toed along behind them.
Clink…clink…clunk…. The odd sound coming from behind them gave Nick a hefty dose of
adrenaline. They all turned in unison to see a round device rolling into
the corridor. The blinking light on the small orb warned of impending danger.
Nick spun around and forced Arya further down the hall. “Run!”
“Plasma
grenade!” Karg turned and ran, scooping up Nick and Arya in his two free arms
as he raced down the corridor.
Boom! The
blast erupted behind them, knocking Karg forward off his feet. Hot plasma flew
down the corridor toward them. With one arm around Nick, one around Arya and
two bracing his fall, Karg landed on the floor and slid several yards before
coming to a stop. He let go of his two passengers at the same time the box of
supplies he’d dropped tumbled haphazardly down the corridor in front of him.
Glowing edges of red-hot plasma rolled around Karg as the explosion dissipated.
Beneath his chest lay his two companions, untouched by the blast.
Nick had landed
on top of Arya, and the two lay sandwiched together nose to nose on the floor
beneath Karg. He stared at Arya, half shocked by the explosion and half
mesmerized by her eyes. Which one’s heart raced more, he wasn’t sure. He felt
like a school boy, suddenly flung face to face with his biggest crush.
“You can get up
now,” she said softly. Nick’s hesitation caused a smile to spread across her
face.
“Oh, um, right,
just making sure you’re okay.” He rolled over onto the floor. Karg was still on
his knees hunched over them. As Nick looked up at him, a slight wisp of smoke
rose off Karg’s shoulder. “Thanks, Karg.”
Karg nodded
slightly.
Arya spotted the
smoke coming off of Karg. “You okay, Karg?” she said in a concerned voice.
“Yeah, a little
singed, but alright.” He stood up and turned to look at his back. His clothes
were burnt halfway off, leaving all four of his shoulder blades exposed.
“Good thing
you’re Rakozian,” Arya said as she studied his back.
“Yeah,
the others to follow him across.
Nick peered
around the corner. The hangar bay was only several yards down the hall. He
could see straight into the open doorway. Inside, two Mok’tu stood guard over
the module, their legs hidden from view by a few crates stacked in the way. The
sight of the Mok’tu in person was a whole lot different than watching them on
the vid-display. In the vid they looked as though they were wearing armor, but
at this distance they appeared to be more like robots than armor clad aliens.
Nick froze for a moment, worried they might spot him.
Apparently
annoyed by his hesitation, Arya grabbed Nick’s wrist and pulled him across the
hall and into the supply room. Karg was already busy opening some sturdy
containers at the back of the room. The beast carefully removed a metallic bar
from one container and set it on top of a crate. Reaching over to a shelf, he
grabbed a peculiar looking device out of a box and plopped it down next to the
metal bar.
Meanwhile, Arya
combed the room in search of something.
“What are you
looking for?” Nick asked.
“Tarodine fluid.
It’s a green liquid in a short cylinder.”
After a few
minutes of going through boxes of stuff totally foreign to him, Nick found one
that held numerous tubes of green liquid. An odd aroma wafted from the box,
confronting his nostrils with its unusual scent. The contents smelled like a
blend of wintergreen and motor oil. “Is this it?” he said, holding up a
cylinder.
“That’s it.
Bring it over here.” She took the cylinder from Nick and tossed it over to
Karg.
After quickly
emptying another container onto the floor, Karg placed the gathered supplies
into it.
With everything
they needed packed in the box, Arya eased up to the door and peered out. “Okay,
come on, we need to get to the lab.”
Nick followed
close behind her as they crossed the corridor. Carrying the container of
supplies, Karg tip-toed along behind them.
Clink…clink…clunk…. The odd sound coming from behind them gave Nick a hefty dose of
adrenaline. They all turned in unison to see a round device rolling into
the corridor. The blinking light on the small orb warned of impending danger.
Nick spun around and forced Arya further down the hall. “Run!”
“Plasma
grenade!” Karg turned and ran, scooping up Nick and Arya in his two free arms
as he raced down the corridor.
Boom! The
blast erupted behind them, knocking Karg forward off his feet. Hot plasma flew
down the corridor toward them. With one arm around Nick, one around Arya and
two bracing his fall, Karg landed on the floor and slid several yards before
coming to a stop. He let go of his two passengers at the same time the box of
supplies he’d dropped tumbled haphazardly down the corridor in front of him.
Glowing edges of red-hot plasma rolled around Karg as the explosion dissipated.
Beneath his chest lay his two companions, untouched by the blast.
Nick had landed
on top of Arya, and the two lay sandwiched together nose to nose on the floor
beneath Karg. He stared at Arya, half shocked by the explosion and half
mesmerized by her eyes. Which one’s heart raced more, he wasn’t sure. He felt
like a school boy, suddenly flung face to face with his biggest crush.
“You can get up
now,” she said softly. Nick’s hesitation caused a smile to spread across her
face.
“Oh, um, right,
just making sure you’re okay.” He rolled over onto the floor. Karg was still on
his knees hunched over them. As Nick looked up at him, a slight wisp of smoke
rose off Karg’s shoulder. “Thanks, Karg.”
Karg nodded
slightly.
Arya spotted the
smoke coming off of Karg. “You okay, Karg?” she said in a concerned voice.
“Yeah, a little
singed, but alright.” He stood up and turned to look at his back. His clothes
were burnt halfway off, leaving all four of his shoulder blades exposed.
“Good thing
you’re Rakozian,” Arya said as she studied his back.
“Yeah,
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