Star Runners: Dark Space

Chapter 15

15

Josh stormed onto the streets, emerging back into the humid stench of the masses as he searched the nearby area for Matta.

"What do you mean you lost her?" Foster spat as he stood behind Josh at the top of the stairs. "How do you lose that girl?"

"Would you shut up?" He shook his head, scanning the crowd. "I didn't mean to do it. I thought she was right behind me."

Foster snorted. "Good job."

Ignoring him, Josh glanced at every short figure on the packed streets, thinking he saw Matta at least six times in his first seconds topside.

"You get what you needed back there?" Josh asked, still searching for his friend in the bustling horde rushing through the streets. "Bardrick's an interesting source for sure."

"He's an acquired taste," Foster muttered as he squinted. "I think I know where we need to—there!"

Josh followed his gaze, finding Matta emerging from the crowd near the comm terminals. Clenching his teeth, he stomped toward her, nearly crashing into a pair of children pushing a hovering shopping cart.

Their eyes met, and Matta smiled. Josh did not.

"Where the hell did you go?" he asked, closing the gap between them in three long strides. She stared at him, the guilt evident. "You scanned for the frequency, didn't you?"

Matta raised her chin, her eyes locked with his. "So what if I did? I couldn’t get a signal anyway.”

"Did what?" Foster asked, walking up beside Josh.

Josh avoided looking at either of them. "She ran another search for Waylon’s tracker.”

"She did what?" Foster asked, grabbing Matta's shoulder. "You realize you've just risked our entire operation?"

She shook off his grip. "They could be stranded. I needed to see if they’d moved! They—"

"Could be bait!" Foster sneered, turning to Josh. "I have it in my rights to leave you here and be on my way!"

Josh lowered his gaze. "You wouldn't leave us now? What about Rodon and your payday?”

Foster released Matta and exhaled. "I've tracked harder targets before."

"But not in Dark Space. You said so yourself." He pointed at Matta. "She didn't mean it. No harm done."

A horn bellowed in the distance, followed by responding alarms. All lights on the street dimmed and flickered. Two bulbs popped, sending sparks showering across the street. Movement ceased, the air stood still. Matta inhaled sharply as she took a step closer to Josh. He placed his hand on her shoulder as he looked around. Foster looked skyward, his mouth dropping.

"I think you're wrong about no harm done,” Foster whispered, an emerald glow reflected in his eyes.

Josh turned around, a creeping fear tingling his neck. An energy wave sparkled across the Ilman City atmosphere, rippling like a disturbed pond. Flickering green embers glistened through the air, descending toward the cityscape. The entire urban center seemed to hold its breath for an instant, as everyone stood transfixed on the heavens now awash in a mysterious onslaught.

And then the sky flashed, prompting a thousand cries of terror from the streets.

The energy shield protecting Ilman City from the void fluctuated, creating a swirl in the artificial atmosphere. Gale force winds blasted through the city, toppling carts and thrusting trash into the air. Emergency shields came to life, raising a reliable barrier against the vacuum of space.

But not before distant vessels slipped through Ilman City’s protective screen.

Foster yanked Josh toward him, his eyes ablaze. "They've found us," he said in an oddly calm tone. "We have to get back to the Shadow."

"But that's several blocks from here!"

"Then we have to move."

Matta dug her fingernails into Josh's forearms, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry! I didn’t—"

"Save it!" Josh shouted, grabbing her hand as they sprinted through the marketplace, slamming into people as they scurried, panic surging through the city.

A motley looking collection of a dozen guards strolled into the market, all wearing worn leather uniforms and carrying a vast assortment of weaponry, halting in stoic silence amidst the fleeing people. A stocky man wearing a black beret marched in front of the group, his close-set eyes on the sky. Yanking a pistol from his holster, he stared up at the dazzling light display.

The Magistrate's guard, Josh thought.

Glancing back at the oscillating atmosphere, Josh recognized the energy wave eating away at the city's protection as the same weapon used on his fighter’s shields in orbiting Ashia. The Pisceans must have traced Matta's signal meaning they knew the Barracudas frequency.

Foster moved with purpose toward a line of motorcycles and hopped on the closest one.

"Can you ride?" he asked, producing a black steel device from his pocket. He thrust it into the motorcycle, and the engine came alive.

"Never have before," Josh said, sprinting to an adjacent bike.

"Time to learn," Foster said, tossing the device to Josh.

As Matta climbed onto the back of the bike, Josh slammed the ignition device into the motorcycle and felt the engine vibrating the seat. He revved once, closing his eyes as he said a silent prayer he'd be able to control the thing. Matta wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed, saying nothing as she buried her face into his back.

The motorcycle vendor ran toward Foster, screaming, "Thief! Thief! Thief!"

Foster backhanded him across the face, moving so fast Josh barely registered the attack sending the unfortunate merchant spinning to the ground like a child's toy. He remained motionless, dead or unconscious; it was impossible to tell.

Before Josh could object to Foster's treatment of the motorcycle’s owner, two Piscean vessels appeared overhead and descended onto their position. The force of the vessel's engines swirled into the marketplace, sending trash and dust flying. Citizens thrust their fingers into the air, screaming at the incoming ships before ducking into the shanty structures.

Green gel caps blasted from beneath the alien vessels, splattering into the comm terminals Matta had used only moments before. The acid washed over everything, burning and filling the air with the odor of scorched plastic. The communications attendant held her arm up as her skin engulfed in the green goo disintegrated, screaming as she fell to the deck.

The incoming fire alerted the Magistrate's guards. Raising their weapons in unison, the local officers fired their assortment of lasers, the shots flashing blues and reds across the marketplace. Josh looked up to see the bolts absorbing into the Pisceans’ hulls.

Foster's motorcycle accelerated away, bobbing and weaving through the rapidly clearing streets. Twisting back on the gas, Josh pushed hard to follow, risking one quick glance again at the guards firing from the marketplace.

A flurry of gel splattered from above, directly hitting the line of firing guards. The lethal liquid incinerated their bodies, sizzling them into smoking piles of sludge. The Pisceans dropped oval pods to the ground just like they had on Sanctum, opening to reveal alien soldiers in shining black armor.

Turning around, Josh winced as the engine whined and Foster increased his lead.

"Switch gears!" Matta shouted, pressing her lips to the base of his neck. "You’ll blow the engine!"

He frowned, trying to remember the basics he'd learned from his father on driving a stick. I have to use the clutch.

Squeezing back on the left handle, he eased off on the gas.

"At your left foot!" Matta screamed, smacking his back. "Hurry! They're right behind us!"

He peeked over his shoulder. Two hovering cars with two occupants landed in the smoking marketplace and darted in their direction.

"I got it!" he yelled, switching the gear and pulling back on the gas.

To his relief, the motorcycle lurched forward with renewed speed. He leaned around a vendor selling fried rodents, inclined again to avoid a cart full of handmade jewelry. The engine grew into a high-pitched wail again.

Clutch. Gear. Gas. Go!

He repeated the process, retracing their path toward the Shadow and managing to keep Foster in sight.

Piscean fire shot to his left, enveloping an unfortunate man and woman rushing across the street, their screams cut short as they zipped past. Lowering his head and squinting against the wind in his face, Josh needed to make himself a harder target.

Left. Right. Left.

"Grab my gun!" he yelled without turning.

Matta raised her head from his back. "But it won't do no good against those things!"

"Yeah," he said, biting his bottom lip, "but maybe you could hit their vehicle!”

Matta slipped the laser pistol from his holster. A moment later, she twisted around to fire behind them as he focused on avoiding debris in the streets.

An explosion rumbled. Fire flashed, filling the air with orange light.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, afraid to turn around.

She paused. “Oops!"

"What?"

Matta fired once and turned around, pressing against his back. "Think I hit a vendor's gas tank!"

Josh smiled. "That'll slow them down!"

As he leaned around another marketplace that hadn't evacuated completely, Josh saw their landing pad extending from the deck with the Shadow parked on top. Almost there ...

"Get ready to get off!" he yelled.

"You going up that?”

"I'm not that good on this thing—we have to run!"

Foster had no such concerns. He barely slowed as he approached the landing ramp, his bike shooting up the incline toward the Shadow.

Josh eased off on the throttle, bringing the motorcycle coasting through the square. At the last minute, he leaned away from the landing pad and back, slowing his approach without completely stopping.

"Go!" he shouted.

Matta leaped to the ground, rolling twice and coming to her feet. She sprinted to the ramp as he slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing with the maneuver. Swinging his leg over the side, he dropped the motorcycle and sprinted toward the landing pad.

"Here!" she yelled, tossing the pistol to him.

He caught it in both hands and turned, running backward and staring toward their pursuers.

Two hovering vehicles zipped through the narrow street leading to the expanding square, blasting away any obstacles with their acidic weaponry and leaving a path of c*****e in their wake. More of the Magistrate guards gathered in the square, firing energy weapons without effect. Two guards fell ten yards from Josh, their bodies falling apart like ashes. The Piscean cars came to a stop, four soldiers in their reflective black armor jumping out. Their piercing yellow eyes stopped on the landing ramp and bore into Josh.

More local guards appeared, adding their fury to the battle. The Pisceans returned fire, their weaponry overmatching their enemy.

Swallowing, Josh tore himself away from the sight and ran up the ramp, away from the Ilman City guards who unknowingly sacrificed their lives to provide them escape.

His lungs burned as he climbed, his muscles aching with each step. By the time he reached the top of the pad, the Shadow's engines whined and blasted gusts toward him. Matta stood at the hatch, waving him forward.

"Come on!" she shouted.

His hand fell into hers, and he nearly collapsed into the hatch.

"Are you in?" the intercom buzzed.

Matta slapped the wall. "Go! Go! Go!"

The Shadow lifted, the engines booming to life as the vessel soared away from Ilman City. Breathing heavily, Josh slid to the floor and buried his face in his hands.

"You okay?" Matta asked, gasping.

"Sure," he said, trying to breathe normally. "You?"

"'K."

He leaned his head back against the wall as the artificial gravity took over, signaling they had at least exited Ilman City without further delay.

Matta suddenly reached out and caressed his cheek. "I listen to you from now on, 'K?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Why start now?"