"Guns and Roses." Gems for Fools. Part 7
11 Aug 2016Stryker Aune
<<Part 6]HIP 103260, B4, 96.22, -109.25
Madam Tri'qua pressed her thumb against the pad. Her assets were queued to transfer once they were within range of a transmission beacon. Black Rose was currently smiling that 'cat got mouse grin'... "Glad to do business with you..." She gloated over Tri'qua before returning her attention back at her associates. "Mongoose, go back to the Orca, fire it up, were taking it with us. Snake, keep an eye on our...guests." She turned on her heel to follow Mongoose out of the cargo bay.
"We're not on the Orca" Stryker thought to himself and scanned his surroundings. He continued to work at the zip ties holding his hands together. They bit into his wrists and he ignored the sharp stinging pain and the wet of his blood seeping from the cut.
Snake took his helmet off and positioned himself next to the now closed door. His brown hair was cut short. His eyes dark and heavy. He had replaced his firearm in its holster, and cinched to his leg was combat knife. He chuckled shaking his head at Stryker "I've never seen anyone break loose from those bonds. Besides...we doubled up yours...So, sit back, relax, and soon enough, your gunna to start a whole new life."
Evy shifted her weight pressing her back against the wall. She used it as a support as she stood. Snake eyed her and scoffed. "Oh, its always the same. What'cha gunna do love?"
Stryker looked up, and noticed that behind her back her wrists were a bloody mess but she was holding the zip tie. Somehow she managed to wrench her hands free.
She had also managed to spit out the gag. "Break your fracking nose, you pile of shit."
Snake scoffed. "I'm not the one tied up love," as he took a few advancing steps towards her.
Evy spat at him as Stryker shimmied his bulk along the floor away from Evy.
"Maybe I'll teach you a bit of respect...." Snake was an arms length away from Evy when she suddenly shot her palm out and up, catching the man full in the face. There was a sicking crack as his nose broke. With her other hand, she caught hold of the comm on his collar pulled it up and ripped it out. In that moment, Stryker swung his bound feet in an sweeping arc, under-footing Snake who then fell back hard onto his backside. Evy seized the moment, fell forward onto her knees next to the man and quickly liberated his firearm. She pulled back the slide and aimed it at Snake. Snake tried to turn to disarm Evy but Stryker took advantage of the situation. He lift his feet up and then brought them down like a sledge hammer on the man's gut. Snake convulsed as he balled up to protect his stomach groaning and gasping for air. Thinking quickly, Evy tightened her grip on the firearm and used it to pistol whip the man in the forehead. There was crack and Snake slumped over eyes rolling up.
Evy fell forward panting. With shaking fingers, she unfastened the combat knife hitched to Snake's leg. Working quickly, she severed the ties around her ankles before freeing Stryker and Madam Tri'qua.
There was a shudder through the body of the ship as the main engines kicked over.
Stryker pushed himself up and held his hand out. "The knife..."
Evy handed it to him.
"Where's the rest of my staff?" Madam Tri'qua asked terrified... "We need to find them..." as she rubbed life back into her wrists.
"Help find them Evy..." Stryker slammed his palm on the door actuator. As it slowly opened as he bolted under it.
"Where are you going?" She called after him.
"Engine room."
He had seen a blemished Faulcon DeLacy logo in the cargo hold they were just in, and surmised by the interior build that they were on a Python. He rounded a corner, and scrambled up an access ladder. He pushed open a heavy hatch and pulled himself up. The engines started to intensify in their pitch. Quickly, he got to his feet and rounded another corner. The engine room, but he was blocked by a magnetically sealed door. Quickly Stryker located the door's service access panel and pried it off with the knife followed by his fingers. The panel hit the floor with a thud. With clarity he located the circuit of interest and using the knife shorted it. A shower of sparks accosted him along with a nice shock, but the seal on the door demagnetized. Stryker bolted over to it and muscled it open while at the same time felt the ship break contact with the surface of the planet. He raced over to the the power plant and instantly found what he was looking for. A seemingly innocuous black box with a thick metal rod protruding from it. He popped the case off, selected two wires from a bundled braid, ripped them out and crossed them.
"Warning. Magnetic flux depolarization event detected in the primary reaction chamber..." The cool female voice of the computer came over the comm. "Initiating safety protocols....Main power plant output at 99%..... 75%...... 50%...... 25%...... Main power plant offline. Auxiliary batteries initiated." The thrusters petered out and the ship hung suspended over the surface of the planet for a moment before its heavy back end started to fall. Twenty meters later it collided with the surface. Stryker was buffeted around as various tools and equipment were scattered about. He finally landed on his backside dazed. He shook his head clearing it then picked himself back up rubbing a blossoming bruise on his shoulder where it had smashed into a large piece of machinery.
"She would be daft to not know something is up..." He thought to himself, "...the question is, where will she go first? Here, or the cargo bay? She's probably going to try to communicate with Snake..." He turned to make his way out of the engine room, back to Evy.
BAM!
It felt like his chest was hit with a hammer followed by a searing pain. Stryker staggered backwards, dazed and with a puzzled expression on his face. He looked down, and did not remember placing his hand on his chest. He slowly pulled it away... The palm was covered in wet sticky blood. He looked up and Black Rose was standing in the doorway breathing heavily. Wisps of smoke curling out of the barrel of her raised weapon.
[Part 8>>
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