As he flew, Cherry sent the comm signal again. The Nagini continued their rapid movement toward the Captain's ship. The comm beeped. When Cherry answered it, the Captain screamed, "Your monsters are attacking. Josh, Cherry, where are you at? We need help – NOW!"
Cherry said, "We're right here – behind you. I don't think the Nagini are attacking, I think they're just here to welcome you."
"Shield us just the same. I don't want to find out you're wrong."
The snakes arrived at the Captain's ship before Cherry did. Their massive bodies dwarfed the smaller ship. Cherry muttered, "It looks like all of them are trying to wrap themselves around his ship while doing their dance routine. These things are just plain crazy. I don't know if I can ever get used to them."
Josh whispered, "I can't, but right now we need them. What else can we do?"
"Good, you're still alive. I wasn't sure, but I didn't have time to check on you."
The Captain interrupted them, "Cherry, where are you at? These things are trying to rub all their itchy spots off. We're bouncing around in here like a BB in a barrel."
"I'm coming up right behind you, Captain. Talk to them, maybe that will soothe them."
"Right! How do you talk to your worst nightmares? Scream at the top of your lungs?"
Cherry chuckled, "Just tell them to play nice and you might give them a shot of energy."
Josh whispered, "We're still invisible. Make us visible once you get behind the Captain. Maybe the Nagini will come over to us."
Cherry maneuvered Belle behind the Captain's ship. Flipping the shield to visible, he almost flipped it back at the Nagini's reaction. They swarmed Belle just like they had with the Captain's ship. After a few seconds, they settled down again.
Cherry said, "We need to get to that shuttle. The air must be really stale and I'll bet the panic is at an all-time high."
The Captain said, "I wouldn't bet on that. I'm sure you'd win that one. Lead the way. I hope those monsters stay with you. They make me nervous around this ship."
Lemmy agreed, "Keep them close to Twinkles. I don't like them."
The Nagini swam back and forth between the two spaceships as they flew to the disabled shuttle. When they stopped a short distance from it, the Captain asked, "Now what do we do?"
Josh spoke in a low voice, "Pull them into the asteroids. Put a shield generator up and put all three spaceships in it. Then it'll be easier to transfer fuel and people."
Cherry said, "Josh, lean back and relax. You get over that headache and I'll take care of the shuttle."
Josh didn't argue. Talking required too much strain to even contemplate helping with the fueling and interrogation.
Cherry sidled up to the shuttle and attached a tractor beam. He told the Captain to follow him inside the asteroid field. Weaving slowly and carefully into the rocks, Cherry found a large piece to set down on.
Hours later, the three ships were sitting on the surface. He set Belle's shield to cover all three. He looked at Josh and said, "You stay here. I'll get a shield generator and set it up."
"At the rate we're using those things, we need to get a dozen more."
"I agree that they have been really handy. I just don't know where you can order Alcantaran shield generators though."
Cherry soon had the shield generator set up. Floating over to the shuttle, he tried to find a way in. Opening a small panel next to the airlock, he patched into the shuttle's computer. He quickly scanned the life support readings and looked at the power remaining. There was only enough power to have a few essential lights on. The life support systems were shut down.
Returning to Belle, he retrieved a power cell. Plugging it in, he only fed enough power in to turn on more lights and the interior sensors. The sensors showed that the air inside would still support life. Cherry muttered into his comm, "Something strange here. The oxygen levels are higher than they should be. How many crewmen did we guess were in here?"
Lemmy said, "At least ten."
"They haven't used nearly enough oxygen then. The CO2 levels are too low as well."
The Captain asked, "Why's that? Do they have some non-oxygen breathers in there? Could the crew be in spacesuits?"
"Just a minute and I'll do some visual scans. Uh, oh, I see three of them lying in the airlock. They're dead but not from lack of oxygen. They have blaster burns on their bodies."
The Captain said, "We didn't shoot them. Did you?"
"Yes, but not at individuals. Belle hit their shuttle twice but not hard enough to do any damage. Certainly not something like this. We were too far away."
"What's going on?"
"I'm looking. There's two more lying in the passageway. Wow, blaster burns on the walls in there."
Cherry quickly scanned the rest of the shuttle. He found three more bodies. In the cockpit, he found the Exec sitting in a spacesuit holding a blaster. Cherry heard the man talking on his comm unit, "Come out, you coward. You know you'll give them all your secrets. Let me seal them in your head."
Another voice said, "NO. I'm staying right here. I want to be alive when the Zlata get here."
"Those other people will have you before then. Let me kill you so you won't disgrace us by giving away secrets."
"You protect me."
Cherry hacked into the computer to make certain that no external sensors would work. He reset the password so he was the only one able to change anything in it. When he started the air circulators and oxygen scrubbers, the unseen voice said, "What's that, Exec? Have the Zlata come?"
"I don't know. We can't take a chance. Open up. Let me kill you."
Cherry eased inside the airlock, stepping over the dead bodies. As soon as it cycled through, he stepped inside the shuttle. The Captain asked a question, but Cherry turned his comm off. Creeping forward, he tried to take advantage of any shadows in the passageway.
Evidence of a one-sided fire fight shone along the corridor. Black blaster burns all coming from the cockpit were etched in the walls and floor. Cherry held his weapon at the ready as he crept forward. Just aft of the cockpit, he saw a door that had numerous blaster burns on it. A low murmur coming from it confirmed where the unseen voice hid.
As Cherry stepped in the door, the Exec said, "Ahh, the Hanami arrive at last —"
Cherry shot him then whirled to make sure the other door didn't open. The Exec slumped to the deck. Walking back to the burned door, Cherry pounded on it. "Open up in there or I'm going to let our little pets out there finish what they started."
Silence greeted his words. He waited thirty seconds then said, "It's your death. I understand that the Nagini suck the energy out of everything. They'll do the ship first, then any powered equipment around here. Then they'll get to you. I hear that it usually takes hours for them to suck all of your energy out – downright painful, too."
The door stayed shut. Cherry silently called the computer to turn off all life support systems. A minute later, the door opened a crack. The edge of a comm peeked out. Knowing that it would be videoing him, Cherry backed away from the door. He said, "Have fun with the snakes. I hear you scream until you don't have a voice and then try to scream some more."
The door whipped open and a small alien stood in its opening. Cherry's blaster covered it but found no danger. The creature shivered from head to toe and big tears streamed down its face.
It said, "Where's the Exec?"
"I shot him. He's in the cockpit if you want to go cuddle up to his body."
The being trembled, then sagged to its knees. It said, "Are you going to kill me, too?"
"Not if you tell me what I want to know. If you try to hold out on me, I'll push you out the airlock to my pets."
Cherry grabbed his arm and led him to the cockpit. As they stepped in, two of the Nagini could be seen crawling over the shield outside. One of them opened its mouth showing the rows of razor sharp teeth. The little alien passed out.
/> A noise from the rear of the shuttle made Cherry leap to the side of the cockpit door. He readied himself for a fight. Then the voices made him lower his weapon. Seconds later, Lemmy, the Captain and Josh came into the cockpit.
Josh said, "Looks like you started without us. Why'd you kill all of them back there? We could have —"
"For your information, I didn't kill them. The Exec did. This little guy here just fainted when he saw your pets out there."
Lemmy asked, "What about the Exec? Who's that in the spacesuit?"
"That's the Exec. I shot him. How did you get your spacesuit?"
"Josh brought it to me. Way to go, Twinkles. You shot someone who might have helped us out."
Cherry opened his mouth to say something, then just closed it. He reached down to the little alien and jerked him upright. A rough shake made him moan. Lemmy frowned at him and laid her ears back.
Cherry said, "Wake up. We have some questions. If you don't give me the answers, you'll get a much closer look at them."
Josh and the Captain took their helmets off. Josh sniffed and said, "The air in here seems stale. Doesn't their life support work?"
Cherry replied, "I turned it off. Here, hold Shaky. I'll get it working again."
Lemmy said, "Twinkles, you're cruel. I think —"
Cherry snarled, "What's that got to do with the price of rice on Vega IV? Get out of my way little fur ball before you join that pile of quivers checking out the inside of a Nagini."
Josh said, "Will you two stop it? We need to interrogate him – it – her; whatever. Bring him where we don't have to look at dead bodies."
Cherry opened his mouth to speak, but Josh held up his hand and walked out. Down the passageway he found a room with a table and some chairs. Motioning for the others, he stepped inside.
As he forced the quivering alien to sit, Cherry stood behind him. Josh and the Captain fired questions at him. As he answered them, the two would look to Lemmy to see if he answered truthfully. Fifteen minutes later, they had all the answers he could provide – none of which were really helpful.
Lemmy quipped, "Well, that was a waste of time. Why'd you kill the Exec? He would have known more than that idiot."
Cherry didn't say a word. He walked to the cockpit and grabbed the Exec by the collar and dragged him into the room. Everyone looked at him with a question in their eyes. Still not saying a word, he started taking the spacesuit off of the man.
Once he had him free of the spacesuit, he lifted him and plopped him in a seat. Using some ties he had brought with him, he secured the man's feet and arms to the chair. Cherry pulled a small device out of his pouch, then turned the alien's hand palm up.
Pushing the device in his palm, he touched a button. The man arched up out of the seat as far as the bindings would allow. A scream broke from his lips. Josh said, "You could have told us you shot him with stingerray. What's with all the mystery?"
"I tried, but I was already convicted of murder before I could even open my mouth."
"I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance."
Lemmy said, "Me, too."
Cherry didn't say any more, but turned back to the Exec. Another jolt of electricity elicited the same reaction. When the charge stopped, the man groaned and glared at Cherry. He tried to lift his hand but the restraints held him tight.
Cherry said, "Won't do you any good. That was a pretty good act trying to shift the questioning to shake over there."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Why did you shoot my spaceship then let those monsters attack us?"
"You're the one who flew right into their mouths. What were you running from?"
The Exec snarled, "I don't have to talk to you guys. You'd better release me before the Zlata get here. They'll make you wish you hadn't been born."
Cherry chuckled, "They'll be much too late for you. You'll be wishing that in just a few seconds."
He slapped the device back in the Exec's hand and hit the button. The man's body arched in agony. Josh asked, "Why are you using his palm? Why not the ears, nose or some other part?"
Cherry said, "That's his most sensitive place."
For the next four hours, Cherry, Josh and the Captain asked questions. At first the Exec fought their torture but soon just answered rather than go through the pain. He tried lying but Lemmy told them each time he did. Cherry inflicted severe pain with each lie.
A picture of cruelty, deceit, greed and corruption slowly built as the man answered their questions. They saw an organization dedicated to evil and making money any way it could. Cherry and Josh had seen it many times, as had the Captain, but Lemmy seemed surprised at the depth of depravity.
She asked, "How can they do this to so many innocent people?"
Cherry said, "Because they can. The only way to stop them is to kill them."
Josh and the Captain agreed. Lemmy asked, "Can't they be stopped by throwing them on a prison planet?"
Josh nudged the Exec, "What happens if someone is named to testify against your organization?"
The man looked at him, started to speak then stopped. He said, "Their friends and significant mentors all disappear. If that doesn't help them change their minds, grandparents, uncles and aunts start to disappear or have accidents. The longer they take to change their story, the more people in their family cease to be."
Lemmy gasped, "Demmy, did you hear that?" Her head cocked as she listened to something only she could hear.
She replied, "Right, I agree they should wipe them out. Demmy, I don't think you should go with those three. They're too crazy. I know I'm not. It's much too dangerous."
The Captain chuckled while Cherry rolled his eyes at Josh. The Exec just looked around at each of the people in the room. The look in his eyes said they were all crazy enough to be committed. Josh said, "We need to check some of these answers with the shills. Besides, I haven't checked on them for two days."
Lemmy asked, "What are we going to do with the two in here?"
Josh said, "Leave that bird tied to the chair. I'll take care of the other. I don't want them to talk. We'll have some more questions later."
When they all entered Belle, they removed their spacesuits. Lemmy said, "I'm hungry."
Cherry snorted, "You're always hungry. I think you must be kin to those snakes out there. You just need protein and carbohydrates instead of energy."
Josh rolled his eyes at the Captain. The Captain asked, "Do they ever stop?"
Josh said, "Not since they came together. I'm not sure why they don't kill each other."
Lemmy sniffed and headed to the galley. She said, "Twinkles is just rude and crude. I'm much too refined to kill him."
Cherry muttered, "It wouldn't take much. I could easily wring her neck."
Josh said, "Captain, go with her. Cherry and I will check on the shills."
When the Captain was out of earshot, Cherry asked, "Josh, what are we going to do with the shills? I don't feel right hauling them around with us. I don't trust them for one thing and…"
"You don't want to put them in danger if we have to defend ourselves."
"Right. Besides, what will it cost to feed that bunch? If they come close to what that little fur ball eats, we'll have to empty a cargo bay to have enough food for two weeks."
Josh answered, "I have no idea. I haven't thought that far ahead. Maybe we can leave them with the Captain."
"Do you think he can afford to have a dozen hungry mouths to feed? What if the jerks on that pleasure palace come to look for them? Will that put the others the Captain takes care of in danger?"
"I don't know. For now, let's check on these guys and then see about finding out where that pleasure palace went."
They checked the shills in the three rooms and heard complaints about the blandness of the processed food from two of them. Before the third room could complain, Belle's alarms went off. Josh and Cherry ran to the situatio
n room to see why.
Belle projected the image from the remote detector closest to the Captain's planet. A warship and two escorts had come out of hyperspace and were now streaking toward the planet. Cherry said, "This doesn't look good. We might be able to take on those two smaller ships but no way the bigger one. Who do you think they are?"
The Captain said, "Is there any doubt they are the Zlata? The bigger question is what they will do. No one on that planet knows where we are."
Lemmy asked, "What are you going to do?"
Josh said, "Nothing for now. We have to wait to see what they will do."
The Captain said, "I've got to get to my ship. I'll —"
Cherry said, "You'll what? That ship over there doesn't have enough firepower to touch any of the three, let alone all of them together. It would be suicide to even show yourself."
"I can't sit here and do nothing."
Josh said, "We won't be doing nothing. We need to finish our interrogation. Then we can make some plans."
The Captain said, "Why don't you just use your trained pets out there to take them on? They could even the odds in a hurry."
Josh said, "I would, but we need to get them there in a hurry. I don't know how to make them jump through hyperspace or even if they can. It would take days to travel by normal speed and those ships would be waiting for us. I'm afraid it would be a pigeon shoot for them."
"I suppose you're right. Come on, let's go get some more answers. We've got to do something. I have people down there depending on me."
Josh said, "Captain, you and Lemmy go talk to our shills about procedures and what the Zlata have done in the past. I need to talk to Cherry a minute."
Josh remained silent until the other two disappeared down the passageway. He turned to Cherry, "Do you think we could get the Nagini to stick to Belle? Would it be safe to have them inside the shield?"
Cherry looked him in the eye, "You know you're crazy for even thinking about doing that. We don't know enough about those animals to know what they'll do." A sigh escaped his lips. "Oh, well, as one crazy man to another, what do you have in mind?"
Josh explained what his plan was. Cherry kept shaking his head in disbelief. Finally, Josh said, "Go see if the portable shield can be set to invisible. If we can leave the shuttle and the Captain's ship hidden here, we could leave him, Lemmy and the shills."
Cherry said, "You're joking, right? The Captain isn't going to stay here. Lemmy, maybe."
"Do you have a better plan?"
"No. I'll go check the other shield. We'll have to move some food. No telling how long our little experiment will take."
"I'll go help the Captain and Lemmy interrogate the shills. Cherry, I ah – umm I think we should keep a lot of this under our hat. You know, the invisibility, the asteroid and some of the things about this ship. We haven't known him for long and I like him, but…"
"But. I agree. One other thing I want to do if we have time is do a data dump from the shuttle. There may be something in there that might be useful – once I have time to look at it."
The two hurried down the passageway to complete their tasks before they launched Josh's plan.
Chapter 24