ThunderStar, Part II
by Tony Chandler
There's nothing like a 'HemiDemiSemi' to get your adrenaline pumping.
I had spent all night and tuned those ThunderStars and tweaked those Tachyon Injectors until I had every ounce of power set at my disposal. Uncle Albert would've been proud of me.
Dtang had taken us into orbit and put us down near the rear of the gathered ships, all primed and as ready as we were. But I had my secret weapon still to bring out.
Haigeg and Natalie followed me as I made my way forward.
Dtang looked up and then happily rose from the pilot's chair.
It was time for magic. Techno-magic anyway.
"Why do you have to wear that stupid hat?" Natalie asked, in a grating, nerve-jangling kind of womanly way.
It was my favorite baseball hat. The one with Earth is #1 blazoned across the front.
Instead of answering, I just cocked it to one side and otherwise ignored her. I had that routine down pat.
"Well?" Haigeg asked. "You had better have something special to get us out in front. And before we reach the Tree Mountains."
I smiled as I started programming the Holo-projector.
"Most starships are controlled by buttons and computers and control pads," I lectured with enthusiasm. "Soooo impersonal. But a man has to have something more than that. A man has to have....well, something he can grab! Something with feeling!"
Dtang's red eyes began to glow.
"Dtang like man things," He repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Well, I'm out of here. Too much testosterone in the air for this woman. I'll be at my station." Natalie waved her hands in the air as she started to leave. "Next thing you know, Chase, you'll break out into your 'Man Song.'"
Nothing's sacred to women.
Especially ex-wives. Or wives for that matter.
And anyway, I wasn't going to sing it until the grand finish.
"Dtang want to sing 'Man Song.'"
"Shut up." I growled. And then my fingers finished their delicate and artistic task. I stood back and held my arms apart so all could witness the final glory, the finishing touch.
"Behold."
The pilot's chair disappeared. And with it the cold and impersonal control panel that normally graced every starship in the Three Quadrants. Now, something special appeared, something rare indeed, taking their place with Holo-Magic.
"What is that?" Haigeg shouted in complete puzzlement.
I sat down in the low slung leather chair. Looking around with a growing sense of power, I grasped the wooden ball at the end of the stickshift firmly and then rammed the clutch to the floor.
I revved the ThunderStars so that they roared their fury for all the universe to hear.
Haigeg and Dtang reached frantically for something to hold onto as the entire ship twisted under the engine's mighty power that I had suddenly unleashed.
"Why aren't we moving?!?" Haigeg shouted as he realized the ship had not moved forward, despite the terrific display of power.
"It's a human thing," I said. "It's called 'revving'.
Haigeg and Dtang nodded with approval and approached as I let the engines idle back to normal. They gazed with unabashed awe at the dark wood that was graced with large analog displays.
"You know, analog gauges, with their moving needles and redlines, are just so much more, more... fun to use than digital readouts." I said with conviction.
Dtang's mouth dropped open.
"What have you created with the Holos?" Haigeg whispered.
I put my arms behind the back of my head as I explained.
"This, my alien friends, is an honest to God recreation of one of the finest sports cars to ever race across the fields of dear, old Earth. Back in the good old days...before computers and starships."
Blank, but respectful looks followed my own gaze.
"This, with a few small added touches, is the interior of an Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III, circa 1963. With a few added touches from a Jaguar Type E Series 3 Roadster and a Ford CobraJet Mustang thrown in to give it all balance. There's a few more 'bells and whistles' on a starship than on an old-fashioned car." I chuckled. "If you look under the wooden dash," I disabled some of the Holo-projection. "Note how the gauges are connected to the hidden computer panels."
Dtang growled appreciatively.
"But the genius of this little setup is how I synchronized the ThunderStars and..."
A mechanical voice erupted from the comm unit.
"Starships and honored guests. The final countdown for the annual 'HemiDemiSemi' has now begun. All ships, prepare for start!"
It was time.
I sat in the low seat and leaned it far back. Grabbing the wood of the steering wheel, I pulled it back just a tad. That was another concession, a starship goes up and down, not just left and right. Checking my gauges to make sure all the needles showed normal, I knew I was ready.
There I sat: clutch pushed in, right foot resting lightly on the accelerator, and my right hand just above the 'stick', like I was a gunfighter ready to go for my gun.
And I was.
The countdown reached 3. Then 2. Then 1.
"You boys better hold on!" I screamed. "Cause we're gonna 'Rock & Roll!'"
My right hand slammed the stick into first gear. Almost simultaneously I punched the accelerator to the floor. For a millisecond the ThunderStars screamed raw, thundering fury. And then I let the clutch pop up.
The ship ahead of me had just started to pull away, when its form suddenly filled my viewscreen. I pulled back hard on the steering wheel and just barely missed running all over him as we passed above.
First gear was alright.
The RPM (Reactions Per Millisecond) needle raced for the redline while my PPM (Parsecs Per Minute) needle began its sweet ascent. I passed two more ships before my left foot stomped onto the clutch and my right foot and hand went into concerted motion. In one fluid motion my body worked.
We were now rockin' in second gear.
But then the ship shook under the recoil of blasters.
"Dtang! Stop shooting, you just cost us some penalty points." I screamed.
Dtang's face appeared in the lower corner of the viewscreen. Growling discontent.
"Weapons are not allowed until the second orbit, just before we blast down into the atmosphere."
Dtang began grunting something, but I was busy.
My ship was still leaping forward like a comet slamming toward its home star. It was taking everything I had just to hold on and keep from running over anybody. Just as soon as I raced around one ship, the rear end of another began to fill my viewscreen. Up and over, down and under, and then I stood her on her left wingtip and passed between two starships. Sideways.
It was beautiful.
Somewhere between passing all those ships, my RPM needle had entered the orange part of the gauge and was just about to the red.
Left foot in, right foot off, right hand slamming into gear. And then my feet reversed their motions.
Third gear screamed and sent us rocketing on our merry way. Third gear was the best, I could almost ride that gear clean up to Light speed. Almost.
But for orbit, sub-orbit or 'kickin' it out of low orbit, third gear was the gear of choice. Let it rock.
We were flying by ships so fast, and I was so busy just flying, that I wouldn't have known we had entered the second orbit until folks began shooting at us.
"GO GO GO!" I shouted at Dtang.
Dtang started shooting back.
My feet and arms worked in their fluid motion, and we were shooting along in fourth.
I quickly checked shields, but I was concentrating on the ships ahead of me. We had pulled within the leaders.
And then we shuddered, and the steering wheel almost leapt out of my hands.
"What was that?!?" I looked over at the sensors, and saw the ship closing quickly from our rear.
"It's the Andarian Corsair," Haigeg shouted from the Nav console.
I spat out a few choice words that revealed my true feelings about Andarians and their brain size or lack thereof.
I hate it when I leave the Comm on, and forget that I did.
"HUMAN!"
For some reason, that particular Andarian voice sounded too familiar. Oh well, I always did know just how to win friends and influence aliens.
"Kragon, we've got to stop meeting like this. Like... forever."
"I have come to kill you, gutless human. You will now die."
I pumped up the rear shields even as he fired.
"Dtang," I shouted as my hands felt for the control panels under the dash. "Shields won't take another hit like that. Give me some cover!"
Dtang's face appeared. With that 'stupid' look all over it.
"Dtang! SHOOT THE ANDARIAN!"
Dtang smiled and began peppering away.
But the Lightning is built for speed, not to fight, and I saw the red light begin to flash as our shields fell under the next Andarian blow.
"Chase, we've got to do something. And now is a good time!" Haigeg shouted.
I saw the Avenger closing from the rear, they were almost on top of us. And sensors showed their weapons primed.
I slammed into second gear.
My body shot into the viewscreen at several g's, until the restraining field stopped me with a jerk. Still, I was wrapped all around my mahogany steering wheel like a rubber Xaxtian leech as my ship stood on its nose.
The Avenger shot past us.
I turned hard. And punched it.
But Kragon doesn't shake that easily. Although we were alive for another minute.
"He's turning for us," Haigeg screamed.
It was time for brains. I couldn't outrun him in the atmosphere, but once in orbit again, he wouldn't be able to catch me.
I could see the five ships that led the race just ahead of us on the viewscreen. Five specks getting smaller by the nanosecond. I glanced at sensors and saw the main pack still far behind us. Too far. Brains... brains... The Tree Mountains!
"Hold on to your stomach! However many you got!" I shouted.
I pushed my ship back up to the redline, and then pushed her into third, all the while outmaneuvering the Avenger and its blaster fire. By the time Kragon figured my game, we were already back on the race course and entering the fringes of the famed forest.
The Tree Mountains, living organisms so large that their branches could reach almost half a kilometer, and their roots three kilometers. The ancients of this planet had lived among their sheltering arms, protected from the carnivores below. And as their civilization developed, they had never forgotten their love for the trees, though they had stopped living among their giant arms.
But the Tree Mountains aren't the biggest trees known in the Three Quadrants. That distinction belongs to the Vrnn home planet, where a single tree encompasses the entire planet, where all the population lives in its special ecosystem, among the valleys of its creviced bark. And, as the saying goes; The 'One' tree will always stand beside the Silver Sea.
But that's another story.
The canopy of leaves suddenly cut the sunlight, breaking my thought, and we were streaking through the maze of supersized trees.
But I couldn't shake Kragon.
Every move I made, every leap over alpine branches and every tree-hugging turn around the mountain-sized trunks, the Avenger still hung with us.
"Haigeg! Get us some shields!"
"I am working on that," Haigeg mumbled amid his frantic efforts.
Our ship shuddered and sparks leaped through my Holographic magic to burn my skin. A red light began to flash.
"I'm losing the starboard engine." With one hand on the steering wheel, I reached over and began punching up some damage control.
"Pirates coming for kill!" Dtang shouted as his blasters began pumping.
I saw their weapons powering on from my sensors. I saw our starboard engine choke and die. I saw disaster reaching out to...
I dropped back down into second, but that lone engine didn't have that same punch. Still my foot hammered her to go.
Pulling back on the wheel, we began to climb the nearest tree.
With Kragon right behind.
I was too busy avoiding branches to watch my rear, hoping that my frantic maneuvers among the leaves might lose them. And then a huge chunk of the tree exploded, knocking us outward again. Back into a large opening.
I couldn't shake him.
"Give me an idea, guys. Anything."
"I have shields back now," Haigeg panted.
But we needed more. If we were going to make it out of this alive.
And then I realized we were still on the racecourse, among the leafy leviathans. But going in the wrong direction now. I checked a mid-range scan. A smile came slowly to my face, an idea blossomed.
And then an explosion burst all around us. Alarms began screeching in my ears.
Haigeg picked himself up and stared in disbelief.
"Shields are down." He reported.
"Hang on, again."
I turned hard left and punched it.
And then I turned hard right and rolled into fourth gear, engaging my SuperCharger.
"Cover me Dtang! Aim for their weapons. We've got to get that starboard engine on-line if this is going to work." We began to pull away, momentarily.
Haigeg's eyebrows rose. "If what is to work?"
"Never mind that, get me that engine!"
In another instant we were out of the forest, back in the wide open sky. I 'felt' Kragon behind me as he began targeting us for the last time. The explosions had stopped. With our shields down, with nowhere to duck and hide, he knew he had us. He would take his time with this last shot, and savor his final victory.
But that's what I wanted him think.
I kept us on a straight and true course.
"Haigeg, you've got sixty seconds, or we're dead."
The bearded alien redoubled his efforts on the engine.
I flipped the Comm switch.
"Kragon."
Silence came. And then he spoke in that cocksure voice of the all-conqueror.
"What are your last words... human?"
I keyed the mute, and signaled Dtang.
"Dtang, turn your gun forward, but hold your fire."
"Me got no fire to hold."
I shook my head.
"Dtang, stop shooting. Wait for my order."
I flipped back to the Comm.
"Kragon, I just wanted you know that we deciphered your secret. From my scan. We know where your gold is." I chuckled to myself, imagining his rage as he leaped from his chair. But I had no time for entertainment.
"And more than that, we know where to land, so we can go straight to it. And get out, before your little monsters get us."
The roar of rage almost startled me. But it bought us time.
"Haigeg...?"
"Almost... almost. Thirty more seconds."
I smiled.
"And Kragon... we've transmitted..."
The second roar made me jump.
"And Kragon..."
"Shut up, human. And die!"
I saw their weapons become fully charged on my sensor screen.
"Haigeg! It's now or never!"
I looked up at the viewscreen, and saw it was full of ships.
We were back in the race alright.
Going the wrong way.
"Dtang! Shoot at everybody!!!"
Talk about a Hollith dream coming true.
I started howling war whoops as the ships we had left behind began zipping past on all sides. That was so I didn't go crazy. Or maybe I was already?
Dtang did good. His cool aim hit about a dozen approaching ships as his guns blazed.
And then they started shooting back.
But I was already pulling straight up. I noticed with a sigh of relief that the starboard engine had kicked into life again.
"Good work, Haigeg!"
Kragon's ship, built first to fight and second for speed, was just a wee bit slower in his maneuver to follow us.
All those tracers streaking for us, hammered the ship right behind us. The Avenger.
I saw his shields falter, and his power grid skip a beat.
That was all we needed.
Kragon's ship was still recovering when we left the atmosphere and I started calculating the jump to hyperspace.
I was almost sad as I turned the Holo off and the control panels reappeared. But it was time for Light Speed.
In a flash of exploding light, we were
gone.
"Will we go?" Haigeg asked for the hundredth time.
I sighed, and tried not to think about it.
Haigeg spread his hands wide, and that strange twinkle came back into his large eyes.
"We could retire, you know. Travel to the edges of the known universe. We'd have everything we needed. Or thought we might ever need."
I felt like throwing up again.
"OK, OK. I'll think about it. But that's all you'll get from me today."
That familiar laughter of his began then, from way down inside. And it grew louder.
I rolled my eyes.
"Dtang think we should try. Monsters never stop us before."
"But Chadras is different, you micro-brain idjit. Everything's against us on this one. Andarian pirates, monsters, planet eternally shrouded in a sensor defying mist, armed traps... you name it, if it'll kill us, it's already there." I sighed again.
"Don't forget the pockets of poison gas, that we could stumble into," Haigeg laughed louder.
"Yeah, yeah, let's don't forget that!" I shouted.
"I think we should go."
Haigeg immediately stopped laughing. Dtang eye's widened. And I about fell out of my chair.
Natalie stepped onto the small bridge.
"Yes, don't look so shocked. I said it," She crooned.
I tapped the side of my head.
"And I was beginning to think you were the only one that had any sense, after this last fiasco."
She smiled.
I hate it when she smiles like that. It only means one thing.
"I have an idea. And, it might just work." She said.
"I knew it! I knew you were going to say that!" I stood resolutely. "I'm not going to take on Chadras. And Kragon. And monsters. Not unless, unless, we get some kind of message, some kind of 'no doubt this is how we can pull it off' kind of plan." I sat down, shaking my head vigorously.
"And!" I stood again. "that plan would give us at least a 50-50 chance of pulling it off."
Natalie's smile grew wider.
My hands rose, fending them all off.
"You'll have to convince me. Really
convince me..." 
Story © copyright 1999 by Tony Chandler <thunderstar5@yahoo.com>
Artworks "Kragon's Reach for Chadras" and "Running the Raceway" © copyright 1999 by Romeo Esparrago <public@romedome.com>
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