Wow. Story worship. Cool. xD
I already printed it off a while ago, just so I could look it over once and a while. You're gonna want to switch the font size to eight. Trust me.
Sadly, the storys' starting to wrap up from here. =C There's only one chapter left. Or maybe two. Depends on how I plan to tie up all the loose ends.
Please excuse me for leaving you with the biggest cliffhanger in the history of fanfiction.
-----
Vhern was fast asleep in his own private suite. It was separate from the rest of the vykkers’ rooms, and was certainly much nicer. Mumbling in his sleep, Vhern rolled over, two of his arms draping over the side of his bed. He didn’t snore. Snoring was unsanitary.
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP!
Vhern looked up from where he lay, squinting. “Who’s there?” he demanded. The loud knocking on his door continued. Grumbling, Vhern grabbed his glasses and stumbled over to the door. He jerked it open.
Thump! Two huge shapes tackled him from the dark. Vhern gasped in surprise when he recognized who they were.
“IDIOTS!” Vhern squawked, struggling between his two slig bodyguards. They stared at him blankly. “Let me go!”
And they did. The two sligs dropped him, their snuzi’s drawn. One bolted to Vhern’s bed and flipped over the mattress while Two searched behind the curtains. Vhern adjusted his glasses and grabbed One by his meaty wrist, trying to pull him back.
“What the hell are you doing here?!”
Two and One regrouped and pulled out the dresser drawers, throwing clothes everywhere. After a thorough search they were sure that the room was clear; Vhern was safe. One and Two did a quick high five. Vhern jostled between them, slapping them both across the face.
“You morons!” Vhern hissed. “I told you to guard the door! WHY AREN’T YOU GUARDING THE DOOR?”
One and Two cringed. Vhern was safe with the sligs; but the sligs had never stopped to consider if they were safe with Vhern. One made tiny whimpering noises while Two twiddled his thumbs, looking humiliated.
Vhern sighed and grabbed them viciously by their wrists. “Come on,” he growled, leading them out of the room and down the hall. “I can’t believe you two. First, you lose your keys. Then, you leave your posts and trash my room. For Odd’s sake, I gave you direct orders, and all I asked was for them to be
followed...”
KRAAAK-BOOM!
“PROTECT ME!” Vhern shrieked as the ship tilted violently to the side. His two bodyguards, unsure of how to protect him, picked him up and lifted him out of harm’s way. The ship groaned a second time and shuddered to a halt, causing the light fixtures above their heads to rattle together. They paused, looking up at the ceiling unsurely. Then Vhern squirmed.
“Put me down!” He snapped. His bodyguards hastily lowered him. With his feet on the floor, Vhern took off down the hall, cursing under his breath. “Whichever idiot is responsible for this is SO FIRED!”
<~{.epidemic.}~>
KRAAAK-BOOM!
The force of the explosion was so strong that Durc fell out of bed. Instantly Durc snatched the snuzi on his night stand and fired blindly into the darkness, his head pounding. He squinted. He didn’t see any intruders. Satisfied, Durc twirled his weapon and stuck it in the combat belt he always slept with, just in case he needed it again. He got up quickly and leaned next to the door, eyeing the shadowed hallway of the vykker suites.
“Show yourself!” He barked. Nobody responded. Durc frowned; he figured that whoever had caused the convulsion that had thrown him out of bed would still be around. “Show yourself or I’ll shoot!”
Somebody moved in the dark. Durc tensed as the shape came closer, moving quickly. Durc cocked his snuzi.
“DON’T SHOOT!” Brux wailed, lunging from the shadows and clinging to Durc in desperation. Durc gagged.
“Get off!” Durc snarled, smacking Brux aside with the butt of his snuzi. Brux sniffled.
“Did the earthquake wake you up too?” he squeaked.
Durc snorted. “Earthquake? You can’t have an earthquake when you’re miles above any earth at all!” He pointed his snuzi warily down the hall, where more vykkers were gathering. “I think somebody is behind this.”
Brux looked down the hall, searching. If Durc said somebody was responsible for the ‘earthquake’, then it must have been true. After all, Durc was the head guard, and must’ve known what he was talking about.
“You!” Durc snapped, springing through the crowd and jabbing a vykker in the ribs. The vykker blinked groggily at him. “What are you doing up so late?” Durc squinted at him. “It seems questionable that somebody of your rank would be awake in the middle of the night.”
The vykker growled through his teeth. If looks could kill, Durc would be dead. “Everybody’s awake, you moron! There was a frigging explosion!”
A voice came over the intercom. The chattering vykkers fell silent, looking around confusedly.
“
ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS!” said the voice. “
WE’RE EXPERIENCING SOME SLIGHT TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE GENERATOR. PLEASE REMAIN CALM...”
“See?” The vykker squawked over the blaring voice. “They’re just having a little problem with the generator. The control panel operatives’ll handle it. Nothing to worry about ”
“But there was an explosion....” Durc mumbled half-heartedly. His comment was ignored among the reassured crowd. If the mysterious voice over the intercom said everything was fine, then what was there to worry about?
Brux perked up. “Did you hear that, Durc?” He asked. “We’re perfectly safe!”
“Come on,” Durc growled, grabbing Brux wrist. He started heading towards the exit to the vykker suites.
Brux blinked. “Where are we going?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder. The rest of the vykkers were returning to their rooms.
Durc pulled a flashlight from his combat belt and flicked it on. “We’re going to see what’s really happened to the generator.”
<~{.epidemic.}~>
Dan and Red were running. They weren’t sure exactly where they were going; they were just following Helix, who apparently knew exactly where they should be.
“The generator,” Helix gasped while they ran, “was completely trashed by Nedd. They started fixing it almost as soon as it was broken. But I’m afraid they might’ve done something wrong. They should’ve just left the damn thing alone until the airship landed!”
He destroyed it? Dan whispered.
What happens if the generator’s destroyed?
“If the generator’s destroyed, the ship can still run. It would just have to land before it ran out of power. But if there’s a major problem, say, the generator catches on fire, and the fire spreads to the ship’s circuits...” Helix frowned. “Then we have a problem.”
Helix bolted up a flight of stairs, maneuvering awkwardly on his three legs. The two interns followed closely.
So what’ll happen if the circuits are ruined? Red asked slowly.
“You don’t want to know.”
They moved quickly onwards. Dan would’ve liked to slow down, but Helix was moving so frantically that he could barely keep up as it was. Dan and Red struggled to keep their flashlights fixed ahead as they wove through the rapidly-tightening corridors. Soon the hallways had become so thin that they had to move in single file.
Helix stopped abruptly. Red and Dan ground their feet into the floor, almost slamming into each other. “Here we are.”
Dan blinked up at the tall doors that marked the entrance to the Generator Room. He couldn’t help but notice that the metal was dented outwards. Helix tried the door’s handle, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Shit,” he cursed, fumbling with the lock. Red put a hand on the door’s metal, looking engrossed. “The door’s locked! What were they thinking?”
Do you feel that? Red murmured, pulling his hand back. Curious, Dan placed his own hand on the metal, only to jerk it back quickly. It was hot
Oh no. Dan gasped, trying to pull the door’s handle. Even when he pulled it, it wouldn’t open. The three watched the door long and hard, feeling with their fingertips as it became hotter and hotter. There was only one explanation.
Fire.
“Come on!” Helix cried, taking off down the hall. Dan and Red followed behind quickly. “We need to get to the ship’s control panel. We can turn on the sprinklers from there!”
The trio found themselves once again running. This time, however, they were so desperate to get to the Control room that they didn’t care how hard they had to run. Dan swiped the sweat from his forehead as they swung around the corner, heading for the elevator that would take them to their destination...
SMACK!
Dan rammed straight into somebody, hard. Whoever they were, they were strong, and didn’t even budge. Dan staggered back and looked up, surprised by who he had crashed into; one of Vhern’s bodyguards. Whether it was One or Two, he couldn’t tell.
“Watch it!” Vhern snapped from behind him, slapping him smartly. It didn’t even hurt. Dan blinked in confusion.
“Vhern.” Helix shuddered venomously. Vhern gave him only a passing glance.
“Come on,” Vhern said dully, motioning for his bodyguards to follow. “The Control rooms’ this way.”
You’re going to the Control room too? Red muttered in surprise. Vhern stared at him. He wasn’t good at understanding interns.
“He asked,” Helix growled, “if you were also going to the control room.”
Vhern scoffed. “Of course I am! Somebody has to take control in times like these!” He made a careless motion with his hand, grinning smugly. “Now go return to your rooms or whatever. Let me, the
supervisor, take care of this little mishap, okay?”
“
Little mishap?” Helix echoed. He was at his wit’s end with his so-called ‘boss.’ “You don’t even know what happened, do you? The generator’s
destroyed!”
Vhern licked his lips. “Destroyed? I’m afraid you’re mistaken. If something that bad happened to the generator, I would’ve been informed of it.”
You weren’t informed of it because nobody lived to tell you about it! Dan snapped. Vhern rounded on him.
“Did I tell you to speak,
intern?” Vhern’s voice was harsh. “I don’t think so. Those stitches are there for a reason- to keep your mouth
shut!”
Hey! Red snarled, lunging at him. Dan had to hold him back to keep him from mauling Vhern with his fingernails.
Nobody talks to us like that! We've dealt with too much shit in the past weeks to let some little dick tell us what to do!
Vhern’s bodyguards cracked their knuckles. Red finally realized how risky it was to mess with Vhern. He fell silent, his fingers tightening impulsively.
Vhern dusted his glasses with a cloth. “I’d hate to have to file a restraining order on your workers, Helix. It would be such an embarrassment. I suggest you keep them under control.”
“Oh? Like you kept Nedd under control?” Helix butted in. Vhern exploded.
“Thats it!” He snapped, pointing a quivering claw at Helix. “One, Two, teach this menace to keep his mouth SHUT!”
“Hey ” A voice squeaked suddenly. Everybody turned. Brux skipped into the room, smiling widely. “Look, Durc! Other people are going to the Control Room too!”
“No!” Vhern shrieked as the two vykkers entered the hallway. “Only me and my bodyguards are going in the control room! NOBODY ELSE!”
Durc made a face. “Then what are they doing here?” He asked, pointing at Helix, Dan and Red.
“They’re getting in my way! Everybody, GET OUT!” Vhern was practically screaming now. Durc crossed his arms.
“Well sheesh,” he grumbled. “No need to get so upset.”
Dan couldn’t help but notice that Vhern’s left eyelid was twitching really, really violently.
CKKKRAAAKKK-BANG! The ship shook a third time! The group were thrown against the wall, most of whom were crunched under One and Two’s gargantuan bulk. Helix clawed free of the slig’s weight and made a mad dash for the Control room elevator, only to fall back over in a fourth violent shake. The ship screeched and tilted, throwing them in the opposite direction. Red dug his fingers into the ground.
Hold on! He cried, struggling to keep his grip. Dan tried to do the same, but couldn’t find anything to hold on to. The hallway was thrown into utter chaos. One and Two ground their feet firmly against the floor, their backs to Vhern protectively. Brux was clinging to Helix and sobbing, making it difficult for Helix to move at all, Durc was digging around in his belt for something to use to stop himself from being thrown around, and Dan had his back to the wall, his eyes rotating crazily. Time seemed to slow. Everything seemed surreal. The group panted in terror and confusion, slowly detaching themselves from whatever they were holding. Dan’s horn flicked. He could swear he heard something; a faint humming.
Do you hear that? he whispered, breaking the silence.
“Do you
feel that,” Helix growled, standing up. Dan had to admit he felt it too. He felt strangely... light, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The humming in the distance grew until it was an earsplitting roar. A voice over the intercom started shrieking.
“
THE SHIP IS FLYING OUT OF CONTROL!”
Brux started crying even harder, if it were possible. He dug his claws into Helix’s back. Helix kicked him in the stomach, hard, and Brux curled up in a fetal position on the floor. “Go! Go!” Helix cried, pointing towards the Control room elevator. The group, no longer caring who went or not, crammed themselves into the lift. Helix pulled Brux up and dragged him into the elevator, jostling to make room.
The elevator sped upwards. Brux’s tears were soaking the elevator floor. Red patted him awkwardly on the shoulder, unsure of what else to do.
Beep The elevator swung open. Vhern, One, Two, Dan, Red, Brux, Helix, and Durc all piled out, shoving everybody out of the way. The unusual group made a break for the main control panel. The control room was located at the exact top of the ship, and was made out of nearly ten inches of bulletproof glass. Dan glanced up briefly at the night sky.
A vykker sitting in a spinning chair was leisurely pressing buttons on the control panel. “MOVE IT!” Helix roared, shoving the vykker aside. The vykker yelped as his chair spun erratically out of control.
How do you control this thing? Dan demanded, slamming his fists on the panel. It was covered in hundreds of dials and buttons; trying to steer it was suicide!
“Hang on,” Durc said, digging in a cabinet nearby. “There must be a manual in here somewhere...”
“WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!” Brux sobbed, his arms wrapped tightly around Helix with his face buried in his chest. Helix gingerly tried to pry him off. He was unsuccessful.
Red, surprisingly, was silent. He was looking out the window, at the forest canopy below. Dan put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
Its gonna be okay, Red.
Red didn’t reply.
“Here!” Durc cried triumphantly. “I found it!” He held a stack of papers as thick as a three phone books over his head.
“How the hell are we supposed to read that?” Vhern demanded. He flinched when the ship jerked again, moving even faster. They were running out of time
“We don’t have to read the whole thing! We just need to figure out how to pilot the ship manually and keep it from crashing!”
Durc slammed the book down on a table. The group jostled around it as he flipped through pages of tiny script. “There’s so many
words!” Durc groaned. “Who the hell takes the time to
write these things?!”
“Just shut up and read it!” Helix snapped from where he was struggling away from Brux. Durc stopped at a page halfway through the book and recited the title.
“‘Manually Overriding the Ship’s Controls.’ Straight and to the point. Okay, lets see...” he trailed a claw quickly through the lines of writing.
“Read faster!” Vhern hissed anxiously.
“Don’t rush me!” Durc shoved him back roughly. Dan looked over at Vhern’s bodyguards. They didn’t move a muscle. “The first step in overriding the ship... press the blue ‘cntrl escape’ button.”
They got to work extremely fast. The room was small, but the panel was huge, and wrapped around all the walls; even with them all searching, it was a while before they found it. Red nailed his finger down on the blue button and called out over his shoulder
Got it!
“Next,” Durc stated, claws rattling against the paper, “Hold the black ‘lock release’ button while twisting the red ‘override’ lever.”
“Oh, well when you say it
that way,” Helix said sarcastically, reaching around and holding down the black button. Dan quickly twisted the red lever. Pop A little box with a red button appeared.
“Press the red button.” Durc said quickly. Dan pressed it. “Now please wait fifteen second for... oh, for odd’s sake, could this take any longer?!”
Fifteen seconds passed as the control panel registered the command. The group waited anxiously, silent. Finally Durc spoke again.
“Now unlock the black control box underneath the panel’s main operative gear.”
Helix made a face. “I don’t have a key, do you?”
“I don’t.”
Me neither.
Durc raised his snuzi and shot a hole in the black box’s lock. He looked back down at the book as though it wasn’t a big deal. “Now, just pull the lever inside. Easy.”
One and Two fumbled with their big clumsy slig hands before finally forcing the metal box open and pulling the lever.
There was a tense pause. Helix bit his claws. Brux, no longer sobbing, was still hugging Helix. Vhern stepped back to stand alongside his bodyguards. Red and Dan watched with haunted eyes as the control panel’s flashing lights started to fade.
Pop!
A little joystick shot out of the center of the control panel. It had no buttons, no specific colors, nothing. It was just a stick. Vhern’s jaw dropped.
“That’s it?” he hissed shrilly. Durc looked over the manual again, scratching his head.
“Yeah. Just steer with the joystick.”
KREAAA-BOOM! The ship screeched for the fourth time. The walls shuddered. The ship, groaning, tilted slightly towards the ground. Vhern, Durc and Helix all reached for the joystick at once, pulling it back as far as it would go.
“Is it working? ” Durc cried over the ship’s howling. Dan, clinging to the control panel, gasped
I think so!
KABOOOM! Dan felt it before he heard it. He looked, wide-eyed, back over his shoulder. Through the windowed walls he could see smoke.
The fire had spread.
They were too late.
CRASH! The sound of glass shattering Somewhere nearby, a window burst, filling the room with smoke. The ship rocked and shook, screaming in their ears. Dan looked around. Everybody was close to the ground, trying to avoid the chaos.
It suddenly occurred to Dan that this could be the last time he ever saw any of these people. It had taken an entire catastrophe for him to realize that, really, they weren’t so bad. They were different, yes, and obnoxious, but not unbearable.
Durc! Dan cried, staying close to the ground. Durc’s hands were over his head. He looked back at Dan angrily.
“This isn’t exactly the best time for a chat!” He screeched.
Dan sucked in a quick breath.
I just wanted to say I’m sorry! Yeah, you were a jerk, but you weren’t so bad!
Durc, caught off guard, stuttered. “I-I mean... oh fine, I’m sorry I was a jerk to you too! I should’ve listened to what you said in the basement, because if I had, we wouldn’t be so royally screwed!”
“I hate this mushy stuff.” Vhern snapped.
Helix bared his teeth. “You can apologize for being an asshole if you want, Vhern! I won’t stop you!”
“Keep dreaming!”
“I’m scared!” Brux cried.
The ship screamed louder. Smoke billowed out behind it like a cape. It shrieked towards the ground like a comet from the sky, a ball of fire that could be seen for miles. Birds flew squawking in all directions in the forest below. The trees swayed under the immense heat of the burning ship.
Red looked over at Dan, his eyes even more bloodshot than normal. Dan wondered if he was thinking of Ian. Red extended a hand. Dan, with a faint, reassuring smile, shook it.
The ship, spinning like a frisbee, struck the ground.
Fire burst from the back of it. The wharf was shattered in seconds. It ground against the forest, toppling trees and killing wildlife in one swoop. The ship groaned as it temporarily regained lift, just to crash again, harder, deeper. Crack! The basement was ground away. Boom! The intersection burst into smoke and rubble. Smoke dappled the sky. Debris was thrown all around. The ship’s main support beam snapped, causing the entire structure to cave in on itself.
And then, slowly, quiveringly, unresistantly,
unstoppably, the ship ground to a noisy, almost graceful, halt.
I love your fanfiction. I really hope to see Red and Dan in another story.
(though I hate when stories come to an end)
