Return to Bermudas Index
by wordboy
APPARITARUS – A COMMERCE PLANET
John glanced quickly over his shoulder at the hole blasted in the office wall. He frowned and began to sidestep around the Sheyang, drawing his pulse pistol as he did so. “Y’know, Rolaids will clear that heartburn right up. ‘Cause how do you spell relief?”
As he dove clear of another fireball, John said, “Me, I spell relief W-y-n-o-n-n-a.” He raised the pistol, but had to dodge again as a third fireball came at him. As he rolled away, he saw this fireball pass through one of the other holes…and head toward Aeryn’s cage.
As he heard the explosion as the fireball struck the clear walls, John came up to one knee and fired again and again. The Sheyang took the multiple hits and staggered back. He fell backward onto the desk and lay still.
John stared at him for only a microt before he ran from the office.
The fireball had blasted a large hole in one wall of the cage. John stared at it, fearing the worst, but saw Aeryn on the far side of the cage, coughing and shaking her head. He climbed through the hole and ran to her. “Aeryn!”
Aeryn coughed again, brushed away splinters of debris and stared at John. “Well, this plan appears to be working better than most.” She gently touched the cut on her cheek and winced.
“Shocking when you stop to think about it, isn’t it?”
“What the frell’s going on?”
John spun, again drawing his pulse pistol. Ixa stood in the hole, holding a satchel and looking shocked. “I let you out of my sight for a few microts…”
“Shut the hell up and give me the bag.” John to the satchel and handed it to Aeryn. “Just a few essentials.” He smiled at the relieved look that crossed Aeryn’s face when she pulled out her clothes.
John stepped away as Aeryn began to dress. “Why didn’t you tell me the sheriff was a Sheyang?”
Ixa looked indignant. “You didn’t ask.” She leaned to one side and tried to watch Aeryn dress.
John reached over and turned Ixa around. “Hey, none of that!” He herded Ixa out of the cage and glanced back into the office. The Sheyang hadn’t moved, but John wondered if the pulse blasts had actually injured him. “You know a fast way back to the hanger?”
“I can get you there. But Tianza’s probably alerted security by now. You’ll…”
“You’ll just have to get us around them, won’t you.” Aeryn stepped up next to John and closed up her vest. She checked her pulse pistol and nodded toward the main door. “Is there another way out of here, besides the one the Sheyang used?”
“There’s a backdoor around here somewhere, but I’m not sure where.” Ixa began to look around.
Aeryn watched her, then pulled John aside. “You’re not trusting her, are you?”
“I didn’t have much choice, Aeryn. She could get me in. Now, as to how much I trust her…” The hair on the back of John’s neck stood up. He spun and drew his pistol.
Behind them stood Ixa, aiming a small pistol at John. “Where do you think you’re going, Crichton? Master Tianza won’t like you taking his property.”
Aeryn drew her own pistol and took position next to John. “Perhaps you should inform Tianza that I’ll be dead before I go back into his little display case.”
“Do you think you’re the only one to resist him? He has a whole gallery full of people who resisted him.”
John heard a door open and saw Aeryn spin. “Frell…” she said.
“Not now, baby. We’ve got other things to worry about.”
“You only have one thing on your mind, don’t you.”
“What do you expect? I’m a guy.” John glanced over his shoulder and saw six armed men standing in front of the door, Tianza behind them. “Oh frell.”
Tianza held up the ring. “I will commend you on your attempted ruse, Crichton. However, molecular dating on this ring shows that it was made last night, and shows no supernatural properties. It’s just a band of gold.”
“Well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” John’s eyes went to the office door, and wasn’t surprised to see the Sheyang get up and shuffle toward Tianza.
“What does it take to kill a Sheyang,” he said.
“Pulse rifles are best,” Aeryn replied. “There is another way, but it takes precise timing.”
“Well, whenever you feel like taking the shot…”
Tianza slipped the ring into a pocket. “And you, Aeryn Sun. Since you won’t enjoy the life I’m willing to provide you, I’ll have to add you to my gallery. You’ll be beautiful forever.”
“Oh please.”
With a resigned sigh, Tianza said, “Tirim’bella, if you’ll take care of them. And try not to be too harsh with them. I don’t want to have to replace too much of Aeryn’s body.” He smiled and backed out of the room.
Tirim’bella stepped forward, inhaled and opened his mouth, preparing to release another fireball.
Aeryn quickly aimed for his mouth and squeezed off two shots. Both found their target, the Sheyang’s open mouth…and the gas about to be ignited.
Tirim’bella exploded.
John staggered as Aeryn was thrown into him by the force of Tirim’bella’s explosion. He recovered in time to see Ixa take aim for them. John pushed Aeryn aside as Ixa opened fire, then squeezed off a shot of his own. Ixa dropped to the deck.
Aeryn considered the guards that had been caught in the explosion. A few that had been close to Tirim’bella had been killed in the explosion. Several were unconscious. A couple were beginning to get to their feet. “John, I think it’s time for a strategic withdrawal.”
John looked at the guards and nodded. “Right. Backdoor.”
---------------------------------------
They managed to make it to the hanger without meeting any serious resistance.
John and Aeryn rounded a corner, each trying to look in every direction at once. John was beginning to think their luck might hold.
Then he saw Tianza standing in front of the transport pod’s lowered ramp, arms folded behind his back.
“You just don’t know when to stop.”
Tianza ignored John, concentrating his attention on Aeryn. “I fail to understand why you resist, Aeryn. I’m offering you a life of ease, where your every wish would be taken care of.”
“And all you ask for in return is for me to parade around naked so you and whoever else can stare at me.” Aeryn’s face became hard and she shook her head slowly. “You’ll have to find some other way to entertain yourself.”
“Ever since my accident, no one wants to be seen with me. There is no other way, Aeryn.”
“There’s always a way,” John said. “You’ve got two hands. Alternate every now and again.”
A look of disappointment crossed Tianza’s face. “So, your answer is no.”
“Have your translator microbes failed? The answer is no.”
Tianza nodded slowly and brought out a pulse pistol. Both Tianza and Aeryn fired at the same time. While Tianza’s shot went wild, Aeryn’s struck him in the chest. Tianza fell back, a surprised look on his face.
John stepped close to Aeryn. “You okay?”
Aeryn inhaled deeply and holstered her pistol. “Fine. Let’s get out of here.”
Microts later, as the transport pod sped away from the orbital habitat, John sighed. “Well, so much for that vacation.”
Aeryn nodded. “Setting course for Talyn. He won’t seem so small now, will he?”
“I’ll learn to live with it. How long a haul have we got?”
Aeryn looked over the console and nodded. “About two arns.”
“Two arns, huh.” John leaned back in his chair and stretched. “Gee, what can we possibly do to fill up two arns?”
With a smile on her face, Aeryn turned to John. “Oh, I’m sure we can find something to do.” She leaned forward and pulled him close.
