I of the Storm (Chapters 10 & 11)
A serialized book for SubStack
Link to first installment: https://chrisprophet.substack.com/p/i-of-the-storm
Chapter 10
>>Lava dome, 600m beneath the surface of Enceladus, Saturn moon system<<
The air filled with dolphin tailed children as Shree began cracking seed pods with her pearly teeth.
Chuckling, Declan stepped back into the lagoon to avoid the ruckus, “Hahur, where’s yah manners yah surly squibs.”
Behind him something exploded from the water, making him duck. A young male emerged from the cloud of water droplets to hover overhead, using flicks of his tail to counter the low gravity. A discordant exchange with Shree ensued which descended into sharp clicks, ending in steely looks. The young male opened a bulging shoulder bag and dumped seed pods on the beach in disgust. Then swimming powerfully through the air he disappeared into a shadowy wall niche. Declan dropped to the sand next to Shree and shrugged.
She pointed to the wall niche, “Zek...” with a disconsolate shrug.
He pulled his knife to work on a seed pod and the juveniles immediately crowded in.
Shree covered the blade with her hand: “Surly Squibs.”
Declan nodded and carefully resheathed the knife. “Surly squibs.”
She nodded back, with a serene smile.
-
>>Lava dome, 600m beneath the surface of Enceladus, Saturn moon system<<
Declan carefully laid out colored husks of seed pods on the sandy beach, in what he hoped was a reasonable representation of the solar system. In afterthought he scribed circles in the sand to show the rings of Saturn. Shree looked on curious as she chewed on some leftover seeds.
He added a husk fragment to the edge of the Saturn’s rings, “Enceladus,” pointing to the ground. “Fins,” he said, wiggling her tail, “come from Enceladus,” making her giggle. Then: “Declan comes from Earth,” pointing to the third planet.
She looked at him and the solar map with a measured expression. Nodding she pointed to Earth “Fins come from Earth.”
“Well that would explain the human half,” he said to himself, “but how did you end up here?”
She drew a line between Earth and Enceladus, while undulating her tail.
He cracked up, “Hurhuh, that’s quite a swim,” making her laugh in reply.
Chapter 11
>>Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok Island, China<<
Naem surveyed the sprawling multiplex airport, and could find no reason why he was so jacked. Nothing but the thrum of electric aircraft arriving and departing in AI symphony. Chen seemed happy for once as he loaded cargo containers onto their parked transport aircraft. Trinity nudged his elbow and looked up at him with a worried expression. He pulled her cargo handler’s cap low over her eyes.
She spluttered: “Great, now I can’t see anything. Is there anything I should worry about?”
“Nothing, ‘cept it’s too open, and the transpo…” he replied, eyeing their mottled transport aircraft with faded Chinese markings that vaguely proclaimed: ‘Shalee Airfreight.’
“Don’t listen,” Trinity soothed, patting the extended loading ramp.
He joked, “Huh, sure she’s the pride of Chen’s cousin’s girlfriend’s transport business.”
Trinity nodded, “What’s the chance Chen knew someone who was shipping goods to Qionglai Air Base, right? The biggest military base in the Chengdu area. We’re getting close, I know it.”
He nodded, “These Shalee coveralls should allow us to poke around some. Long as we move with purpose. Just a quick recon then back to the transport…” A high pitched screech made his head snap around. Across the apron 3 black figures on power skates were zigzagging in a line towards them. Classic Sun Tzu helix used by Specials. “Fuck!”
Same on the opposite side, they were bracketed. A round buzzed angrily past his ear. He pushed Trinity to the ground and readied on one knee. Abruptly he was on his back, a stabbing pain in his right shoulder. Skates screeched to a halt around them. Dragged sideways he was forced to kneel, with Chen and Trinity on either side.
A special leveled his pistol at the back of Chen’s head. “So die all traitors!”
Blood splattered Naem’s face half blinding him. The special moved behind him, close enough to smell acrid gun smoke. The air ripped with a high velocity round. Crump. The headless special hit the ground, his pistol cartwheeling across the concrete. Three specials sped away, leaving two behind. Naem shook the blood from his eye and rolled forward. Coming up pistol in hand he unloaded on the two remaining specials. Rounds thudded into his dragon armor but kept firing until he was out. Hardly believing he was still alive he surveyed the battlefield. Chen was barely recognizable – face gone. Trinity was sprinting up the loading ramp…
“No – its fully juiced!” he croaked, too late.
Fatefully he staggered after. His back ached with exposure but somehow made it onboard the transport. Holding down the control button the ramp began to inch higher. Impetuously he raised a one finger salute, knowing they’d never get off the ground.
– To be continued –