13 THE VOLSKI
The combined security forces of droids and officers were soon present at the site, along with Rutgers.
“They’ve got to stop doing this to my ship!” he lamented, on seeing the extensive damage, as he made through the white snow covered floors.
“Ah! Uncle, you are here!” said Kru, grinning as he saw Rutgers enter the demolished room, after the security forces
“Is he alright?” asked Rutgers, as he kneeled near Jedias, who was lying on the floor.
“Yep,” said Troy, ruffling his hair.
“And the assassin?” asked Major Ann, standing behind Rutgers.
“There were two and they were droids and they have been taken care of!” said Holloway, stroking Sniffles.
“Are you positive about that?” asked Ann and unable to keep her long pointy fingers from scratching her long pointy nose.
“Yes,” said Troy.
“We’re safe now!” said Holloway, with glee.
“Not so sure about that,” said Troy, stretching his boy and Holloway glared at him furiously.
“Thank you!” muttered Rutgers, as a medical team took away Jedias.
“They have penetrated our ship and no one’s safe anymore,” said Emilie.
“It’s true. We are completely at their mercy,” added Rutgers.
“If they are gonna send more droids like these, we’re gonna end up stranded, dead and floating in space,” said Kru.
“Will you stop saying such dreadful things?” chided Holloway, having had enough of the negative talk going around.
“I must admit though, kids,” said Rutgers in a dismayed tone, drawing to his full height. “I can no longer hold guarantee for the three thousand odd souls onboard.”
At that moment, a young man broke into the scenario.
“Captain! The aliens have made contact!” he said, panting.
Rutgers turned to the five and said, “You all better come along too!”
Saying so, Rutgers and the five made it to the Command Bridge, where another officer made arrangements for them for the call.
The hologram projectors projected the video transmission right in front of them. The video showed a humanoid, a little shorter than Troy himself. He had pale skin and short hair that was salt and peppered. His eyes and most of his face were covered by a smooth silvery metal. Both of his eyes were each covered by a teardrop shaped silvery metal lens and the same silvery metal covered his nose and his mouth extending to the end of his jaws like a mask. His body wasn’t muscular nor was it too lean but it looked well-tuned and was covered in a dazzling black armor, devoid of emblems of any kind. He was standing against a white background, where the others of his kind were seated with their backs turned, working on interfaces that looked way more advanced than of the Albeins.
“This is a warning,” the alien said with a cool accent, in Standard Order English. “Surrender before I destroy everyone one of you.”
“Who are you?” asked Rutgers, clutching his fists in nervousness and rage.
“Such petty and lowly creatures you are!” he replied, with genuine distaste in his cold, hollow voice sounding as if he were whispering.
“He asked who you are?” shouted Troy, losing his temper.
“Ah! You, little prat!” said the alien, continuing in his cold, hollow voice. “You have made quite some trouble for us!”
“You destroyed our homes, you bastard!” yelled Troy, his eyes glistening with hate.
“You have quite a temper too!” said the alien, in an irritating tone.
“Troy,” said Emilie, trying to calm him down, as she held his hand.
“And it’s you!” the alien said. “You both have something that I want-”
“We’ll not surrender!” interrupted Emilie, looking at the alien.
“Is that your decision? Where are your glorious leaders?” asked the alien sarcastically, “Them dead?”
Rutgers replied instantly, clutching his fists even harder, “I’m the captain of this ship and I say we’ll not surrender to you!”
“You think you are brave and above all others because you resist surrendering to us, you think there is glory in it while I assure you that it’s the exact opposite that’s waiting for you. There were others before you who knew surrender was the wisest thing to do,” said the alien.
“We’ll die before we surrender to you,” said Rutgers, with a defiant look.
“You’ll die even if you surrender to me,” said the alien cruelly.
At that moment, everyone aboard the Bridge realized what the alien was after and that this alien was not a conqueror but a destroyer, that unlike conquerors who took delight in capturing distant lands and ruling over them, he took delight in destroying what he captured. He was pure evil.
“Your safety is an illusion. My droids entering your ship is proof of that. You can’t escape forever from me,” said the alien.
“Who the hell are you?” asked Rutgers, his face as hardened as stone.
The alien didn’t reply for a moment and then said, “I am Olscuro, Lord of the Volski.”
“Never heard of ‘em,” mocked Troy.
The alien erupted at his remark, unfolding four mighty dark black wings from his back and stretched out his hand as if to strangle Troy and shouted furiously, “YOU DARE INSULT ME? I’LL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR, SLOWLY AND TORTUROUSLY SUCH THAT YOU’LL KNOW THAT I AND ONLY I AM THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE!”
Silence reigned throughout the Command Bridge. Olscuro pulled back his hand and his wings, then looking directly at Troy said, “I’m coming for you and I’ll destroy you like I have done a million worlds before you!”
Then the transmission went blank. Rutgers looked at the five and his officers on the Command Bridge.
Nearly all of them looked scared and seemed hesitant to speak.
“I’ll talk to the last of the Senate and Jedias too, when he wakes up,” said Rutgers and went out of the Bridge.
Troy’s fury hadn’t cooled down but he left as well, following Rutgers.
“Well!” said Kru, looking at Holloway and Emilie. “We might as well as go too!”
The four couldn’t find Troy in his cabin so they all settled in Holloway’s cabin for the time being.
“Baby, can you see where he is?” asked Holloway, with Sniffles playing on her lap upon her bed.
“Yeah!” said Kru, getting his Holotab out from his pocket.
“May I use your washroom?” asked Emilie, getting from the bed.
“Yeah, sure dear!” said Holloway, smiling.
“I can’t find him anywhere on the ship!” said Kru suddenly loudly.
“What do you mean?” asked Emilie, stopping in her tracks.
“His ID isn’t showing up anywhere on the ship!” said Kru.
“Do it properly, Kru!” said Holloway, looking panicked.
After a while, he almost cried out, “I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM!”
“Where is he?” asked Emilie, holding the washroom’s door.
“In the gallery arena!” said Kru, showing the holographic projection which displayed Troy’s ID on the gallery arena level.
“What’s he doing up there?” asked Holloway.
“I don’t know!” said Kru disappointedly.
“He’s angry. Let’s leave him alone for a while, he’ll be alright,” said Emilie and went inside the washroom.
After Emilie had gone inside the washroom, Kru asked, “What do you think, Holly?”
“About what, baby?”
“About all this!”
“We’re lucky to be still alive, beyond that I don’t what to say!”
Kru put his head down and let out a heavy sigh.
“Mmmmmma!” cried Sniffles, all of a sudden.
“Yes, little cute baby!” cuddled Holloway.
“Mmmmmma!” said Sniffles again, showing all his tiny milk teeth.
“He’s so cute, ain’t he, darling?” asked Holloway.
Kru nodded and put his hand forward to hold Sniffles’ hand but Sniffles hugged himself, looked sadly at Kru and said “Bua!”
“Why does he do that?” Kru cried.
Holloway laughed, almost rolling with Sniffles on the bed and said, “He’s just scared of you!”
Kru couldn’t believe that answer, he knew he didn’t look scary at all and he asked Sniffles, “Do I scare you?”
“Bua!” replied Sniffles, his big round green eyes glistening like a puppy dog’s.
“Is that a yes?” asked Kru.
“Bua!” said Sniffles and buried his face on Holloway’s tummy.
“Cho Chweeeet, my baby is!” said Holloway, hugging Sniffles tight.
“Yea! Yea! Have your chweet little baby all day!” said Kru, crossing his arms and a bit pissed.
“Ah! Baby, no one is sweeter to me than you are!” said Holloway, looking at him.
“Ah! Is that true?” asked Kru, smiling.
“Actually, no!” said Holloway after considering it for a moment and returned to cuddling Sniffles.
“What the-” said Kru, keeping all his anger in and stomped around the room for a while and settled down on a chair and got busy with his Holotab.
Holloway laughed quietly to herself on seeing Kru do that, when Emilie emerged out of the washroom.
She looked brighter and more beautiful as she came and sat beside Holloway.
“Oh! Look at you, beautiful!” exclaimed Holloway, upon seeing her.
“I am nothing compared to your beauty!” said Emilie, modestly.
“Oh! Don’t you do that? You know the truth, sister!” said Holloway.
Kru was getting irritated in the corner where he was sitting, feeling awkward with all the beauty talk going on and so before Emilie could answer, he said, “Anyone care to talk about the Volski?”
Both the girls looked at him with vacant expressions and said, “Yes.”
“What do you want to talk about them, Kru?” asked Emilie.
“Well, they have destroyed our planets and are now threatening to destroy us too! Don’t you feel somewhat weird?” asked Kru.
“We’ve done what we could to sabotage their plans for now,” said Holloway, feeling quite content with what they had done so far.
“But that doesn’t mean we can rest peacefully here, while the enemy is actively planning to bring us down,” argued Kru, his tone getter deeper and stronger.
“Kru is right,” said Emilie. “But what do you want us to do here, Kru? Rutgers and the rest of the Senate are the ones who have to make a decision!”
“I know Rutgers, he’s not exactly leadership material-” said Kru.
“Then how do you think he became the captain of this ship, Kru?” cut in Holloway.
“He’s a good pilot. He’s the best at understanding ships and the only qualified aeronaut with experience in our wormhole technology! He was brought in as the Orion Swift’s captain not because of his leadership abilities but his knowledge of this ship and the galaxies. Since this ship had the Chancellor and the Senate on it, they thought it would be better to appoint a person with a better understanding of the galaxies than a person of leadership abilities.”
“So what’re you finally trying to say, baby?” asked Holloway.
“I’m saying Rutgers can’t make a decision on his own, with most of the Senate dead and Jedias unconscious.”
“So what about the other Intelligence officers onboard?” asked Holloway, “Rutgers can surely get their help!”
“Honestly speaking,” said Kru. “They don’t know shit either!”
“Come on! Kru!” said Holloway. “Don’t act as if you’re the only smart one in the whole ship!”
“I’m not saying that, Holly-” said Kru.
“Oh! Shut up, Kru!” said Holloway, furiously. “It’s always this thing with you, acting as if only you have brains in the whole bloody universe!”
“You’re not under-”
“I said shut up!” snapped Holloway, as Sniffles buried his face further deeper into Holloway’s tummy.
“Let him speak, Holloway,” said Emilie. “You can scold him all you want if you think that he’s still vain, after he’s finished.”
Kru seemed a bit relieved on hearing Emilie bat for him. He cleared his throat and began again, “Three months ago, on Albein, all the Intelligence officers underwent a common test called A.M.O.E.B.I.A.C.S, which stands for Albein Module Order of Excalibur for Brilliance in Intelligence Advisory in Critical Situations-”
“Just get to the point, genius,” said Holloway, irritated.
“The point is-”
“Did they all fail the test?” asked Holloway sarcastically.
“Will you allow me to speak, Holly?” asked Kru, giving her an annoyed look.
Holloway snorted in return. Kru stared at her and began again, “Eighty-nine percent of those who took the test suggested we should surrender if we face a more powerful enemy.”
“So, what’s wrong with that?” asked Holloway, interrupting his flow of thoughts.
“Albeins are controlled by their intelligence, especially Intelligence officers rule with their heads and not with their emotions, Holly. Surrender is the most logical thing to do, even if Olscuro makes it very clear, that he’ll kill us even when we surrender. The rest, 10.99999 percent suggested we retaliate immediately with everything we’ve got-”
“That’ll surely kill us all!” said Holloway.
“What about the remaining percent?” asked Emilie, looking intently at Kru.
“I suggested that we should escape the enemy’s sight, set up a base and strike when convenient later,” said Kru.
“You were the only one who suggested that?” asked Holloway, unable to able to believe her ears.
“Yes,” replied Kru grimly.
“That’s impressive!” said Holloway, staring almost admiringly at Kru, mixed with guilt.
“Your strategy sounds good and at least it offers better hope than any other strategy,” said Emilie.
Kru just nodded his head, agreeing with her.
“So where do we suggest we go?” asked Holloway.
“Earth!” said Troy, who was standing at the cabin door.
“Troy!” exclaimed Emilie.
“How are you now?” asked Holloway.
“Better!” replied Troy, coming inside the cabin.
“You said earth?” asked Kru, straining his neck to look at him.
“Yes!” replied Troy. “That’s what on your mind too, right?”
“Yes,” said Kru, unclear as how Troy came up with that idea.
“I had been listening to your conversation for some time, and it was pretty obvious that Kru was gonna tell earth!” said Troy, looking his old self again.
“Show off!” mumbled Kru, under his breath.
“But we don’t know much about earth now, do we?” asked Emilie.
“We have pretty crude data about earth, from what my dad had told me years ago,” said Troy.
“What is it?” asked Holloway, as Kru looked at Troy with all his concentration.
“That earth was populated again, from what my dad had heard, he didn’t say who, but now I believe it was the one of the Albeins,” said Troy, casting a look at Kru. “And it had become the home of something called the Rippers.”
“Rippers?” gasped Holloway. “You’re not making up that, are you?”
“No, I’m not!” assured Troy. “But, according to the Albein mission, earth is fertile again after what had devastated it allegedly, the meteorite Omega 1950DA.”
“That last mission to earth was lead by Rutgers, a top secret mission that was sanctioned after we had successfully tested our wormhole technology,” said Kru.
“Earth is our best shot then!” said Emilie.
“Except for the Rippers!” cautioned Troy.
“What are they?” asked Holloway.
“I wish I could tell you but the details of the mission were back on Albein,” replied Kru.
“Why earth?” asked Holloway, after some thought. “There are a million other worlds throughout the galaxies!”
“Earth has got everything we need, oxygen, water now and plenty of other resources that we need to build a military base now,” said Kru.
“Are you sure about that?” asked Holloway.
“I’m positive about that report!” said Kru.
“I think it’s time we tell Rutgers then,” said Emilie, getting up from the bed.
“Right!” said Troy, extending his arm towards Emilie.