THE SENTINEL FULCRUM 5: Rebirth
08 Nov 2021Creamy Goodness III
Continued from Off Station“That was easy. You must have earned your reputation ambushing research vessels like mine”
Doctor Hochstein was not impressed with Meowers now she was injured and restrained.
“Bring her this way, the Fulcrum is close”
The doctor led the men through an impressive living room that contained a grand piano as a centre piece.
“Dammed Imperials. I was aboard Lord Goodness the Seconds’ flagship, a Beluga, and even that was not as well-decked out as this thing. The galaxy is being eaten away by heartless aliens, and this selfish bastard is wasting credits on a turning Conda into a holiday home. He must have been missing the creature comforts in his old age”
They were in a bedroom just as ostentatious as the living room now. The location of the Fulcrum was obvious even to Meowers, who was doing her best to regain her senses. A grey stone chest at the foot of a large canopy bed was pulsing. Blue veins of energy crawled through fissures in the stone that didn’t end when they reached the floor. They continued like roots, growing and exploring the vessel.
The troops holding Meowers stayed just inside the double doors, too fearful to tread on the strange blue trains. Doctor Hochstein was not so hindered and eagerly fell on the chest opening it.
“I was right. All along I was right”
His arm was rhythmically humming along with the Guardian rune inside the chest. The sigil was harmonising with the Fulcrum now they were so close together, and his prostatic arm was already turning to grey stone. The Fulcrum didn’t look like this research had led him to believe it would, it should be a box that contained the technology that would erase everything thing Thargoid it encountered, truing them into yet more weapons to eradicate the aliens.
“Oh, it must have opened because the activation sigil was so close” The doctor stood up turned to look at his captive.
“Now you will pay for every life you have taken under the guise of your simplistic moralising. Bring her to the Fulcrum”
The troopers didn’t move until a look in the doctors' eyes hinted at a brewing madness, and not wishing to be on the wrong side of a learned man turned rabid, they did as they were told.
Flexing his Guardianised arm, Hochstein stroked its fingers down Meowers face plate, stopping on the exterior release. She struggled ineffectively against the three men.
“Oh don’t worry mercenary hag, I’m not going to kill you. Study tells me the Fulcrum works best with a living host. I would suggest you take a deep breath and close your eyes before I remove your mask. I’m not a medical doctor, but I believe the frigid conditions and low pressure would do irreversible damage to your eyes and lungs”
Barely giving Meowers time to prepare, he took a knife from one of his men, and opened her helmet. Blood was already dripping from her nose, so he didn’t need to cut her head open.
“Lean her over the chest” ordered Hochstein.
The troops pushed Meowers to her knees, and the doctor took a handful of her hair to steer the drops of blood onto the Fulcrum. He watched the freezing drops fall onto the Guardian rune and after a short moment, the blood was soaked up without leaving a trace. Hochstein closed Meowers helmet and stood back while she gulped down breathable air. He watched, waiting for the Fulcrum to bond with the woman that had left him floating in a pod, nursing an arm so badly burned, he was trying to tear it off when he passed out.
Noting was happening, and Meowers seemed to be getting some fight back. The men were having to brace themselves to stop her from pulling free. Something was wrong, once the Fulcrum had a genetic sample; it should have started bonding and over writing the host genetics. There was only one reason it wouldn’t accept the material Hochstein supplied. The Fulcrum was still awaiting a sample from the man that had taken it from under his nose in the first place.
“You killed the Explorer didn’t you Ina? You love killing Imperials, tell me Goodness is dead”
“I’m not, so I wouldn’t pay her”
The upper-class Imperial accent was right behind him and he turned to find a flying foot inches from the side of his head. The Guardianised arm move instantly stopping the kick surprising both Creamy and Hochstein. The doctor was doubly shocked to find himself looking into a face very much like his old partner, but many years younger.
Creamy however, always had a follow-up attack. He took hold of the arm and pushed a sidekick into Hochstein chest. There was a wet wrench as the arm came away from its bone mount a little, breaking the seal in his suit. Hochstein sailed into one of the men holding Meowers, and landed in the stone chest. The gunman sprung up, bringing his weapon around on Creamy. Instinct made the imperial try his favourite disarm technique for pistols, but the man was well-trained and countered, narrowly missing Creamy with a shot. The gunman twisted the pistol, and Creamy narrowly pushed the barrel off target twice more. They were locked in combat now, if Creamy made a mistake, it would be his last.