The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Shade – Year One







Introduction:



WKD965 possessed an advanced propulsion system, had stasis pods and pulse canons for and aft. It even had mattrans capabilities, thanks to the acquisition of a prototype model, from a battlecruiser, found just insider the ring of small steroids that acted as a shield, to the larger ships that might want to enter the Outer Fringe.



It was a freighter like no other, using prototypes of several systems yet to be rolled out, such was the enterprise of the ships former captain, Jason Tolliver. The mattrans had been his protégé’s acquisition.



Since Tolliver’s death the ship had a new owner, but no name itself. It had lost that when its captain had died.



Already a good shot with a pulse rifle, through his days in the military, Shade had inherited an antique revolver, a .357 long barrel Magnum, with stopping power that could shatter the armour of a corporate marine at fifty paces, prior to taking out what was left with a cross-headed bullet. The times he’d seen the gun in used, Shade knew that the weapon met its reputation.



The gun, his long dust-coat, blue-jeans and boots had all belonged to ‘The Captain’ and now, they were his…



*



The Journey Continues…

The Mantle Piece Gleams



Chapter One.



The Wilsorm did not live long, leaving the young man staring at the ceiling, cursing himself for wishing it harm.



The chimira could not be blamed for it’s programming, anymore than an Earther could stem the survival instinct and, hold their breath till dead. It was not possible, as simple as that…



Therefore, the wolf/human hybrid was as much a tool for the corporates, as was the device they used to terraform planets, so they might suit human need, for profit.



A year had passed since he had first encountered the hybrid known as Adam and, much had changed for the young man, who had taken the name Jason Tolliver and taken Kaira as a life-partner. She had been the only other colonist to survive the corporate marine’s attack on his homeworld Altares Thirteen, named after a scifi flick from the middle of the twentieth century, like many other planets in that quadrant of the Outer Fringe.



And, arising from his bed, Jason scowled at his reflected self in the mirror.



“Why did they have to take what little that we had?” Jason looked older than his years, having already seen more than most his age, in just one year with Juliette.



Jason’s captain on the small starhopper was Juliette, a young woman and seasoned spacer; a trader with an eye for a loophole, or an avenue of possible escapes, no matter the need or occasion. And, Kaira and he owed her their lives, times over.



Now they travelled with her and, still she looked after the two newbies to space and, the lives they might lead; giving them an awareness of Life and Death, out on the Outer Fringe…



*



Jason left his room, making his way to the ladder that led from the habitat level, to the main control room, where he found the two women in his life at the ships controls.



“There’s a gas cloud ahead?” he heard Kaira call out.



“And, that means?” Juliette responded, her hazel green eyes ablaze.



“It means we have a chance of running…” Kaira answered, suddenly aware that Jason stood in the doorway, watching her being taught, by their captain.



“And, it means we’ll soon be letting them get ahead…” She added, aware that Juliette had a plan; ‘after all’ she mused, ‘the captain always has a plan.”



On this occasion the plan had been simple, win enough in the Scarstown Stakes, to be able to provision the ship, with some much-needed essential foodstuffs.



So, with little to bet other than the ship, Juliette had wagered the ships ownership, with a certain Cyr Solustar, a corpulent fellow, who had upon a suspensor chair, as lackey’s waited on his every need.



She disliked the fellow, for many reasons, the chief one being his use of non-paid labour. ‘Slavery,’ she called it; but out in The Fringe, a blind eye was turned to such things, to the extent that parents would often indenture their youngest into bonded servitude, to make enough credits to see them through another season on The Fringe.



Yet, Cyr Solustar controlled the book for the race, so she had to go through him, even though he met her shortlist of the most-hated.



Now, two craft shadowed them, each with enough firepower to destroy her star-hopper if given the opportunity and, that was something that the spacer would not allow: “Besides,” she muttered, “the girls right.”



Juliette Marx did have a plan, she always had a plan, for every eventuality, it seemed to the Kaira and Taylor, watching as she steered the ship into a nearby gas cloud.



“Okay, shut down everything but lifesupport, alright?” she instructed of Kaira, who nodded and did as instructed, pleased to be able to help her captain and, guide through Life, this last year.



“Anything I can do?” Taylor asked from the doorway, feeling quite left out by the two women, who appeared to need him less than ever.



“Get me a drink!” Juliette grinned, looking back at him over her right shoulder.



“Yes… good one, I’ll have a Siamese Sprinkler!” Kaira added, not knowing whether it really was a drink, but it sounded good.



Chapter Two



Disconsolate, Taylor turned from the cockpit doorway and made his way towards the ladder leading down to the habitat level, to get the drinks requested, ‘if The Beamer was not on the fritz again.’



“Hey fool!” Juliette called.



He stopped and turned round once more, knowing who she meant: “Yes?”



“Stop taking this all so seriously. Frell, how many times have we nearly been fried this year? Four? Five, or six times?” She added, with a grin.



“Now, ignore the drinks and go to the cargo level, where’s there’s a door marked with a white G…” she instructed, “You recall it?”



“Yes,” he admitted.



“Well, the G stands for gun, in this case, big gun, very big gun… And, you’re going to provide those ships with a little surprise, as they pass us by…” And, the grin widened somewhat, once she finished talking.



“Difficult to use?” Taylor quizzed.



“It can’t be, she sent you…” Kaira snapped, her manner no surprise to Taylor, who loved her for all she was; even when she said things like that.



“Yes… well… I’ll radio through once I’m situated…” he retorted.



Chapter Three



Minutes passed as the starhopper sat motionless, waiting for the two ships to catch up.

“Are you sure about this?” Kaira asked of Juliette, concern evident in her voice.



“What do you mean?” Her captain retorted.



“Well we know little about the pilots of those ships, nor what weaponry they carry and… well, he is not always the best shot amongst us, now is he?” Kaira asked.



“Thank Frell you’re his partner and not mine…” Juliette sighed, turning on the viewscreen and, the ship-wide intercom.



A Beep from a monitor warned her of the presence of their adversaries in near space and moments later, Taylor’s voice came over the comms: “They’re coming within range Captain Marx… shall I ready the weapons?”



“They’re not primed!?!” He heard Juliette screech, as he turned to look the small viewscreen before him, a wide-grin on his face.



It seemed that she did not appreciate his humour. But then, he knew it already.



The controls were simple enough, loose the weapons, then take hold of the grips and guide it towards the enemy and pull the trigger: “Easy enough…” Taylor muttered, watching as the two retrograded star-fighters enter the rectangular green box in the centre of the monitor.



“Now ‘Fire’…” he muttered, pulling the trigger twice and directing two missiles towards the star-fighters.



“Ah Frell…” Taylor exclaimed, realising his mistake; he could only control once missile at a times, so this would all be very spilt-second.



He guided in one missile, toward the nearest stars-fighter, then pulled the trigger.

As the missile opened up and rapidly deployed its lethal cargo, Taylor began to direct the second missile. So far, he was on target.



“Taylor!” Juliette called, “How are things?”



Taylor was absorbed: he had his hands full with the controller, as he watched the first missiles payload of thousands of small pieces of super dense hard metal, that directed themselves to the starfighter, forming a shell around it, before they compressed toward each other, thereby compressing anything within their cocoon shell.



“And now for number two…” he muttered, sending the second missile toward its intended target.



“Taylor!” Juliette called again, “How are things?” There was an edge to her voice.



“I’m doing… fine…” He answered, pulling the trigger once more, as the first ship was crushed, into a very large ball of metal, glinting silver.



Again thousands of small pieces of super dense hard metal directed themselves to the second starfighter, forming a shell around it. Then Taylor sat back, watching the destruction of the small ship unfold before his eyes.



“Ha!” He exclaimed, “Come out to stop us, eh?”



The lead craft had fired just the one shot, before Juliette had acted. Now both were gone and, they were free to rejoin the race…



Kaira looked to the viewscreen, giving a triumphant yell, as the starhoppers main engines came to life…



“See,” she laughed, “I told you she had a plan…”



And, down in room G, Taylor scowled, ‘she was always telling him something… or other… always…’

Following another piece I wrote about my grandfather, wherein I wrote of how he lost much of his ankle, I'd like to present...



*



From Captain to Private



“During the first world war my Father played in a brass band,” Dad told me, when I’d arrived home to find him watching ‘Brassed Off’. Dad could not recall whether he’d played a cornet, or a Saxhorn in E. But, he’d carried on talking, so I listened. “After the war he carried on playing and did quite well in several major competitions: even won a Blue Ribbon.” And, even I had known that was somewhat of an achievement. “During the end of the Second World War he had been a Captain and he had helped get together a brass band to commemorate the home-guard and he’d worn a privates uniform, so he could play.”

...feeling a modicum of satisfaction as he left the pulped Brood; Taylor helped Kaira, as she began to regain a conscious state.



“We’re safe?” She quizzed, eyes flickering open.



“Better off than we were, thanks to you…” Taylor explained: “And, given an arduous crawl, perhaps safer again!”



Chapter Ten



Taylor found it hard to focus, as he crawled behind Kaira, through the tunnels, back toward Juliette and Adam...



Much had occurred since the colonies invasion; much of the events had since the colonies invasion; and, these experiences had acted to change both Taylor’s outlook and character.



And, he was aware of that…



The changes had been radical, leading Taylor to make several radical decisions of his own, because having learned what he was capable of, Taylor did not want to return to his ‘old ways’.



‘If I’m lucky enough to get out of this and into the stars, I’m leaving everything behind… and, that includes my name… ‘an, I’ll take Kaira to be my Life Partner…’



Then, he continued to watch Kaira crawl on, with no thoughts of Juliette. Finally he smiled, ‘If she’ll ‘ave me that is!’



The sound of his name being called ceased Taylor’s ruminations on a possible future: “Taylor, I’ve come to a grill, what now?”



“Now what?” He repeated quite unnecessarily. “Now you push the grill outward and, call for assistance…”



He could imagine Kaira frowning in the pause before she spoke again, “Is that what you want me to do?”



“Yes,” Taylor answered, before sighing.



Again he imagined hi friend frown; yet she did as he wanted.



Kaira pushed the grill from out of the end of the tunnel with both feet. Then she was shocked, as her ankles were grasped by large hairy, clawed hands… and, Kaira began to screech with surprise. It ended when she found herself in Adams arms.



Then, as the chimira licked at her face, Kaira’s mouth opened and, she had no voice.



A short distance away, Juliette watched the scene with crossed arms and, a smile.



“What the?…” Kaira called out, finally finding her voice again, as Adam set her down beside Juliette.



As all this transpired, Taylor had got his lower half out of the tunnel, before getting stuck, due to the bulk of the suit he wore…



“Help!” He called out, “Anyone care to give me some assistance?”



Briefly Juliette nodded to Adam, who ambled toward Taylor and then turned her attention to Kaira.



“You might feel better once we’re on my ship and, you get a shower?” She suggested.



In response Kaira frowned; then smelled beneath one arm, then the other.



“You are right,” Kaira admitted: “Can your shower do boiling? We Brood need steam, to ‘clean skins as thick as hide’. Or, so the adverts say…”



“Oh I’m sure we can fix up something…” Juliette proposed, a tad distracted, as Juliette’s attention was drawn to the tunnels exit, where Adam gave one last pull.



She watched Adam pull hard on Taylor’s armour, then fly backwards, taking the young man with him, leaving the suits upper half in the mouth of the tunnel.



Juliette turned to Kaira and grinned, “Well the gangs all together!”



In response Kaira frowned, the reference to twentieth century humour was lost on her.



And, as Adam and Taylor struggled to stand, Kaira found that she wanted to laugh; yet while she was polite and did not, Juliette had no qualms about such things and began to laugh uproariously, the tensions caused by recent events finally released…



Then, as suddenly as Juliette’s laughter began, it ended and she began to walk down the long hangar, aware that the others walked behind.



“Last one to leave the colony gets terraformed!” She called over her right shoulder.