Ancient Hunter

With the pole in my hands I contemplated my next move. The cables were made of the same stuff as the crystals, transparent with a core the same colour as the liquid in the pods. I hesitated for a moment and then drove the tip of my makeshift staff into the cable. I heard a cracking sound before a high-pressure jet of spray erupted from the crack in the cable. It was so powerful that it knocked me off my feet and sprayed the walls with liquid. The HUD in my helmet said it wasn’t dangerous. Shaken I got up avoiding the spray still spewing out of the crack and retrieved my staff. I wasn’t about to do that again. What I could see was that the levels in the pods were lowering. I also noted the glowing of the blue crystal dim. Obviously it had done something I just hoped it would be enough in the end. Regarding the next cable I decided on a different tack. Leaning the staff against a wall I drew my Seven Double ‘M’ I positioned myself far enough away from the next cable. I took aim ready to jump out of the way when I fired. I took my shot and dived to the side narrowly avoiding a second coat of spray. The liquid was liberally coating the walls. I did the same with the third and forth cable. Each time the liquid in the pods lowered and the blue crystal dimmed. It appeared my tactics were working. The liquid in the first section of pod was about knee high. It was at the moment the pods opened and the Keepers contained with in slumped out. I rushed over to Mouse finding her nose and mouth was covered with a transparent goo like mask. A long tube going into the depths of the pod was attached to it. It reminded me of the oxygen masks the medcentres used.

I realised that I needed proper help for her. I left Mouse and hurried over to Digger. She was lying on her front I rolled her over. A difficult task as her wings got in the way. I should have do this with Mouse, she was the only Keeper without her unwieldy black wings. I decided on Digger because of her medical experience. She had healed me countless times. Like the other Keepers she seemed to be in a comatose shape. I pulled out the little first aid pack from my combat harness. I knew it contained a stimulation injection. I didn’t think of the consequences as I stabbed the vial into Digger’s neck. I hoped it would work after all they had used my DNA to remake themselves. Digger’s eyes flicked open she was coming round. Unfortunately that was my only stimpack.

“Digger help me!” I said as I pulled the slime mask from her face.

She uttered a stream of words in the strange language she spoke .The one no human voice could replicate.

“Digger!” I repeated more forcefully.

She spoke again in her odd language. I hated to admit it I’d grown frustrated. I slapped her face instantly regretting it I was in my combat armour. A large angry bruised formed on her face.

“Damn it Digger snap out of it!”

“Gwen?” Digger sounded confused. “Where am I?”

“Time for that later. I need you to rouse the other Keepers!”

Unsteadily she got to her feet. She wobbled over to the nearest Keeper. I had to help her down. I doubted she have done it under her own steam. Like what she had done to me her hand went inside the comatose Keeper. The Keeper’s eyes flicked open and she rose more steadily that Digger had.

“Go help the others!” Digger commanded her.

One by one we woke the Keepers.

The last to get up was Mouse she stood a look of confusion on her face.

“Gwen what are you doing here?”

“Odd I was about to ask you the same question?” I was eager to find the answer to that one.

Mouse glanced around her eyes unsteady. “That last thing I remember was a First One calling me.”

My blood went cold. “What First One?” I only knew two Thomas and Jennifer. Unless this was an elaborate hoax I dismissed Jennifer. “Was it the First One that calls himself Thomas?” I asked her. I didn’t want to press her for answers but I had to know.

“No I would have known his signature.”

I could have had Moon Shadow confirm that but I suspected that was why she and the other stay behinds hadn’t been taken. It was that they were columns of data. “Did he?” I assumed it was a he? I wasn’t sure how the First Ones referred to themselves as. I knew Jennifer referred to herself as female. “Call you all?”

“We’re bound to answer their summons.”

I considered a alternative one I wasn’t at all comfortable with. “Could you tell if something was pretending to be a First One?”

Mouse stared at me as if I said something extremely rude to her. “That I don’t know.” She finally admitted.

“Well in future only listen to my voice.” I added as precaution. “Check that it was I that called you.”

“We can do that.” I saw her look at Digger as she said that.

“Don’t start a fight Digger this isn’t the time or the place!” I scolded her. I realised the stupidity of doing that to a creature aeons older than I. I had to admit by using my DNA their bodies were younger but the minds that occupied them were older far older than the Human race.

“I won’t mother,” Digger said her voice lowered.

I glanced around seeing the other Keepers around me. I’d found then now I had to get them off this ship.

“Can you get off this ship under your own steam?”

“Own steam?” Mouse asked puzzled.

I winced at my thoughtlessness. “Sorry, can you leave?”

Mouse was silent for a moment. I worried about how I was going to get them on the freighter I’d ended having to answer question it didn’t want to answer.”

“Yes we can leave we’ll go back the world the First Ones made for us.”

“No!” I almost shouted out my words. I was glad they couldn’t see the redness of my face. “Go back to Saros. Shadow Moon and Running Deer are there.”

“Shadow Moon, Running Deer?” Mouse regarded me carefully.

“Sorry I meant Moon Shadow and Running Deer.” I cursed myself at the slip of my tongue.

“I see,” Mouse said.

“Can you do it?”

“We can.” Mouse stepped closer to me her intention was to take me with them.

“I mist stay I have a mission to complete.”

Mouse stared at me. “Mother?” she implored me.

I had to be firm. I had to find what happened to my team and I had to stop this madness. I hated to admit it was a afraid but I couldn’t show that to Mouse. “It will be easier for me if I know you are somewhere safe.”

Mouse nodded. “Be safe Mother.” She said with a nod to the others.

One by one the Keepers vanished. I hoped they would be safe. Mouse and Digger were the last to leave. They remained watching me for a while then they were gone. I was on my own my heart going with them.

The blue crystal was no longer glowing. The Keepers were gone and the fluid from the pods covered the floor. I checked to see if that had done anything to the comms. To my relief I could get comms my first call was to Kelli.

“Kelli do you read me?” I called out over my comms. There was a moment’s silence while my heart fell through the floor.

“Gwen?” Kelli’s voice called out over the comms.

Relief filled me. “Yeah it’s me.”

“Ancients we thought you were dead.”

“We’re coming to get you!” Jervic shouted into Kelli’s comms.

“Your location,” Denassi interrupted.

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. I described the room I was inside leaving out the crystal and the pods.

“There should be a series of numbers on the walls. I can gauge your location from there.”

I walked across to the nearest corridor. There were a set of numbers and letters on the wall. I relayed the information to Denassi.

“Ten k’s across and 5 down,” Denassi said.

“Stay put we’re coming for you!” Kelli said happily.

“Is Sergeant Hollen still with you?”

“Yes you want to speak to her?”

“Does she still have the comms set?” I asked. It was a bulky item of anyone she’d be able to get a message to the Valorous Star.

“Yes,” Kelli said. “You want to speak to her.”

“I’ll do that when you get here. In the meantime I need her to get a message to Captain Xenai. There’s a freighter it’s full of rescued, Valkyrie, Humans and Ezarans. I just don’t want them fired upon. Provided this ship doesn’t.”

“Sergeant Hollen’s doing that now. This is something I definitely want to hear from you. We’re on our way to you ETA fifty minutes.”

I felt elated they were on their way finally my ordeal would be at an end. While I waited I took a better look at my surroundings. Fluid from the pods coated the floor and dripped from the walls and ceilings even extending into the corridors. I was surprised by the amount of fluid there was. I tried to analyse using the data from the sensors in my gauntlets but couldn’t get a definite reading. It seemed to be some sort liquid silicate mixed up with what I could only call ammoniac fluid which seemed odd to me, since they were two different molecular substances and not compatible. I couldn’t do much more but when Kelli arrived she’d be able to tell me more. I turned my attention to the crystal dominating the centre of this circular room. Why here I had to ask myself it didn’t make any sense. Perhaps to an alien creature like the UP but not to me. Although it seem strange that the comms came back up when the crystal stopped glowing. I might be taken as read but could the possibility that another team had destroyed what was blocking the comms. Another theory I could discuss with Denassi.

The crystal looked like a huge quartz crystal, which is what the shaped reminded me of. I walked around it trying to discover it origins. It wasn’t anything natural in my opinion. I glanced down at the pipes and back tracked the lines to the pods. Some of the hollow crystal pipes still leaked fluid although it was much more than a seep than the gusher it was earlier. As to the main crystal I couldn’t find how it was powered. Another of those questions I could ask Denassi. They sure were piling up. I could only wait until my team reached me in the meantime I could continue my investigation. I did another circuit of the crystal then followed the hollow pipe to a pod. The pod was tall and wide enough to accommodate a Valkyrie yet they held more Human sized Keepers. I shuddered at the though of that. This pod had spilt along the seams and lay open. Inside were a pool of the fluid and one of those respirators that had covered the mouth and noses of the Keepers. I kind of reminded me of the masks worn by fighter pilots in the ancient vids I’d seen. There were attached to the back of the pods although I wasn’t totally sure of their purpose. Suddenly I heard a pounding sound as if something heavy was heading my way. It was too early for my team. I checked the magazine in my weapon and prepared for a fight. I wasn’t going to go down without one