Roll Call, part 1
By: Festus3 festus3@netins.net
Scene opens in the bridge of the Voyager, everyone is sitting in their chairs around the various stations, outside the viewport is the bright colored trans-dimensional tunnel wall.
CRYNOTH: We will achieve dimensional jump in five...four...three...two (Fwap! Silverbolt is thrown forward from his chair. He lifts his face from the floor.)
SILVERBOLT: Crynoth, what... (Crynoth isn't in his chair, Silverbolt looks around the bridge, he is the only one there.) What? (He looks out of the viewport, the dimensional wall outside is frozen, like the rough inside of a crystal column.) Computer! (A voice comes from behind him, fairly normal, somewhat deep, with just a slight hiss.)
VOICE: It won't work. (Silverbolt whirls around to be greeted by a dark, hooded form, a little taller than himself, two glowing, slit-pupil, yellow eyes are the only thing visible in the dark hood. Silverbolt reaches for his gun and brings it up to fire.) That won't either. (Silverbolt cocks an ear.)
SILVERBOLT: Why not? (The form lifts up an identical gun in a black sleeved and black gloved hand.)
VOICE: Because I have it. (Silverbolt looks in his own hand, it's empty.)
SILVERBOLT: How? How did-
VOICE: There is no time for that, I am here to warn you of something, (He looks outside the viewport.) simply being here is dangerous enough.
SILVERBOLT: What do you mean?
VOICE: I will answer no questions, I am here to warn you that when you arrive past this point you will be faced with many tasks, and no matter how real death seems, it isn't. (Silverbolt is obviously confused.) You must never repeat any of what I have said or anything about me out loud to your crew, or to anything for that matter. Trans-dimensional is the only place I can contact you in that she can't access.
SILVERBOLT: Who is this 'she'?
VOICE: You will find out, you could say she is my enemy.
SILVERBOLT: What were you saying about death? (The form yells in frustration.)
VOICE: Do I have to write it all out for you!? My enemy will force you to go through tasks to save your crew members.
SILVERBOLT: Why?
VOICE: That I can't tell you. You have learned all you need to know, but I warn you, be brave, be careful, and do not cheat, my enemy will heavily punish cheating. I must go now.
SILVERBOLT: Wait! What should I call you dark sir? (The eyes center on Silverbolt's curiously.)
VOICE: You may call me Festus. (He walks away.) Remember! You never saw me! (He twirls his cape and disappears. Silverbolt stands alone on the bridge, he looks down, his gun is now back at his waist, he looks up, he is sitting back in his chair and Crynoth is counting down-)
CRYNOTH: Two...One. (A rift opens in space and the Voyager shoots out, in an instant Silverbolt is standing alone somewhere completely different, he is in a small room, red on all sides, another hooded form appears in front of him like a cast shadow, the seven red eyes glaring out at him, the two slit cat-like eyes, the three marble-like ones on the forehead, and the two at the temples. The form is a little shorter than him. Silverbolt jumps back when it appears.)
IVYNA: Welcome captain Silverbolt, I am Lordess Ivyna. (Her voice is soft and fluent, yet darkly evil.)
SILVERBOLT: What's going on!? Where is my crew!? (He looks around.) And my ship!? (He starts to step up to her but she raises a black gloved hand and he flies back against the red wall.)
IVYNA: You will come no closer than is necessary. I want you to know that this will be the last time I speak to you in person, all of your tasks today will be given to you by my assistant.
SILVERBOLT: Then why are you speaking to me, (Then he realizes his cover story.) and what tasks?
IVYNA: I am speaking to you to enforce that there will be no cheating, for penalty of loss.
SILVERBOLT: Loss of what?
IVYNA: Your crew. The outcome of your tasks today will determine which of them continue on your journey.
SILVERBOLT: What!? M'lady, why?
IVYNA: You do not need to know. Now, you must get on with your mission. (She is instantly gone, and so is the red room, Silverbolt is now sitting in what looks like a press box, the creature in the seat next to him shakes his hand, he is a chubby little fellow, of a humanoid amphibian species, he is mainly orange with black spots, hairless, and wearing a komono.)
MELLONE: Greetings, greetings Silverbolt, my name is Mellone Boskall, I have been told of your brave exploits, and seen some on occasions.
SILVERBOLT: I am honored to make your acquaintance sir, but I have to know, what is going on?
MELLONE: You are going to save your crew Silverbolt. (Silverbolt looks out of the window of the press box, they are above an indoor stadium filled with multitudes of cheering and yelling creatures, in the center of the stadium a tall and mid-size creature with smooth purple flesh and a cocky stride is in hand-to-hand combat with a muscular reptilian bipedal.)
SILVERBOLT: What is going on?
MELLONE: Oh forgive me. The finals are just finishing, to enhance the game Lordess Ivyna has created a new force of warriors called the Elementals. These are the finals to gain power over the element of electricity. Earth, wind, fire and water have already been won. (The burly reptilian pulls off a body slam on the other.) Oooh! The burly one is a Ghorscht named Nannex, the other one is a promising young Florren named Bromix.
SILVERBOLT: Why am I here?
MELLONE: Oh I'm sorry again, the Elementals will be the ones to test you. (Nannex dives at Bromix, the Florren jumps to the side and Nannex runs into the ropes, before Nannex can back up Bromix pulls the rope in and loops it around Nannex's neck, he then lets go and the rope tightens up again.) Can he do that? (Silverbolt looks at Mellone.)
SILVERBOLT: How would I know? (A referees draws an energy sword and cuts the rope loose, as Nannex turns around Bromix knees him in the face, the big reptile goes down, Bromix kneels next to him and yells in his face.)
BROMIX: Ha! Did you think you could beat me!? You're weak! Worthless! All muscle no intellect! (Nannex starts to get up but Bromix kicks him hard in the stomach, when the Ghorscht hits the mat Bromix continues to kick him.)
SILVERBOLT: Where's the honor in that!? (A referee steps in and holds back Bromix while the battered Nannex is taken away, the ref raises Bromix's hand in the air.)
REFEREE: We have a winner! (Mellone stands up.)
MELLONE: Let us go outside for the award ceremony. (Instantly they are outside, standing in front of many, many creatures. In front of them is a podium with Bromix and four other beings, Mellone points them out.) You know Bromix, the one next to him (A very strong-built and furry humanoid.) will be awarded the title of Earth, the next (A thin blue-skinned female, fins going likes stripes on the sides of her arms, the backs of her calves, her head, and down her back, her whole body is smoothly aerodynamic, she winks at Silverbolt.) will be Water, standing next to her (An ugly character with skin that looks like cracked magma, and spikes coming out of most of his body.) is Fire, and the last (A tall and thin bird-like creature, resembling Crynoth, only with just two arms, but his beak is razor-sharp and jagged.) will be Wind. They fought hard to earn their positions. (A little rodent-like alien steps up to a microphone.)
RODENT: Congratulations, you five have earned your rank as Elementals, Lordess Ivyna's personal squad. (Small pillars raise to waist level in front of each of them, on each of the pillars are a plain mask, made of black metal with only a basic mouth hole and eye holes, and a set of mitten-like gloves, also a black metallic mesh.) I hereby award you Electricity, Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind! (The audience cheers, Bromix picks up the mask, as he puts it near his faces it changes shape to fit his head exactly, small visors covering the eye holes, vents mesh across the mouth, tubes leap from it and connect around his neck and head, the masks do the same with the others, he then picks up the glove, it changes to fit his three-fingered hands. The rodent turns to the audience.) Ladies and gentlemen! The Elementals! (As soon as they have put on the masks and gloves, their bodies are covered with their element, Electricity's purple skin is covered in a network of pulsing electricity, Earth's skin has been covered with a thick rock armor, Water's body now shows through a thin layer of crystal clear liquid armor, Fire's skin is now covered completely with licking and flaring fire, Wind's body has been covered by what looks like a gray body-suit, but on closer observation is a layer of fast-moving wind, on cue each of them raises their right hand, a pillar of electricity envelopes Electricity and shoots into the sky, a pillar of rock and dirt shoots up around Earth, then a pillar of water, fire, and wind. The site is brilliant, it rips apart the podium.)
MELLONE: It is done, now, your tasks begin. (Silverbolt is suddenly standing inside a hallway with stainless steel walls. Mellone's voice comes in over a small wrist communicator strapped onto Silverbolt.) Your first task is Mission Impossible, the Elemental in charge, Electricity, the crew member, your beloved Blackarachnia. (A light comes on at the end of the hallway, Blackarachnia, in robot mode, is strapped to an electric panel. Silverbolt's heart leaps.) As soon as the game starts I can no longer communicate with you, good luck. (Electricity smiles.)
ELECTRICITY: Hello, (He touches Blackarachnia's cheek.) I bet you'd like to save her huh? (Silverbolt growls deeply, Electricity hits a button on the wall, tons of lasers crisscross the hallway between them and Silverbolt, an area about twenty yards long.) This game is simple, get to this end, she lives, touch a laser, she dies.
Blackarachnia: Silverbolt! What's going on!? (Electricity slaps her.)
ELECTRICITY: Shut up! (Silverbolt snarls even deeper.)
SILVERBOLT: You will regret that scum! Beast mode! (He converts to beast mode, his transmetal face contorting as he approximates the procedure.)
ELECTRICITY: You might as well save yourself the embarrassment and give up.
(Silverbolt finds his pattern and leaps, tucking his wings in, he goes in a spiral, bouncing off walls and sliding on the floor, he is getting closer and closer, Electricity looks worried. Silverbolt is only ten feet away, Electricity raises his hand, everything goes into slow motion, Silverbolt is leaping over the last laser, it bends up slightly, time freezes as the laser moves upward and is crossed by Silverbolt hind foot, the lights in the room turn red, Silverbolt is still traveling through the air, Electricity's eyes brighten behind the visor, two light panels beside Blackarachnia change from green to red and her body begins to convulse from massive electric shock, Silverbolt slides to a stop a few feet away, staring in horror.)
SILVERBOLT: Blackarachnia! Nooooooo! (Blackarachnia screams in pain, then falls limp. Silverbolt is suddenly somewhere else, a barren field, Mellone's voice comes over the communicator.)
MELLONE: Welcome to round two.
SILVERBOLT: No! Blackarachnia! (He howls in agony.) I failed you my love, please forgive me. (A tear trickles down his cheek.) He cheated! I know he did! It is he who has caused this! Where is Bromix!? Where is Electricity!?
MELLONE: Yes, please calm down-
SILVERBOLT: My love is dead! How am I supposed to calm down!? She is dead by my fault!
MELLONE: We know Electricity cheated, that is why he will be penalized in this game. (Silverbolt continues to howl in agony.) Your second task is Twister, the Elemental in charge, Wind, the crew member, Crynoth. Let the game begin! (Wind appears next to Silverbolt with a howling silence.)
WIND: It was dishonest, Electricity cheated, he will be in the eye of the storm with your crew member, it is your choice if he dies or is spared.
SILVERBOLT: The eye of what storm? (He looks up, Wind spreads his hands, in the distance the clouds darken over the immense field, they begin to rotate, a funnel cloud forms, Silverbolt transforms and stands up, his eyes are flaming red, he takes flight and heads for the huge tornado, it touches down and swells, a powerful image of nature's fury, it grows to a mile in diameter and keeps growing, Silverbolt is approaching the outer edge, he pulls out his feather swords and lops a tree in half as it travels by him on both sides, he shoots through like a bullet, dirt, plants and trees are flying by at incredible speeds, his raw speed is so great the wind barely phases him. A huge tree slams into his side and sends him spiraling down, the wind sends him flailing through the air, he is caught in the downward rotation and slams into the ground, his vision blurring, he rolls out of the way as the tree comes down, the branches pin him to the ground. He struggles for a moment then collapses under the dead weight. He closes his eyes, the howling wind is silenced, in his memory he sees Blackarachnia's face, she is smiling, he sees long ago during the Allied Wars when she was beating him at chess, he sees her step out of her pod fighter a transmetal, he sees them about to kiss- a voice pierces the dream and it disappears, he hears a cackling sickly laugh, he opens his eyes and sees Electricity, held to the ground only because his electric suit works as a magnet.)
ELECTRICITY: What's wrong!? Can't handle a little storm!? (He causes lightning to strike the tree, Silverbolt is wracked with it and his vision blurs again.) You loved her man! Why did you let her die!? You could have taken it slow, it's your fault! If she'd been my woman I wouldn't have let her life go so easily. (The tornado throws various objects between them, Electricity barely splits a tree in time, before he can be taken away. The mask gives Silverbolt a motionless grin as Electricity's eyes show through the visors, enjoying every word.) Maybe you didn't love her!? (Silverbolt has had enough, his eyes burn like fire and he yells in rage, with a powerful push he forces the tree off his back and into the tornado's circulation, it spirals up into the dark abyss, Silverbolt transforms into beast mode, his wings straighten and flames come from his engine he shoots through the tremendous wind at Electricity, Electricity jumps to the side and as Silverbolt goes by he veers and slams into him, they are swept up into the storm, Electricity courses Silverbolt's body with a massive amount of electricity, the force sends Silverbolt flying up while Electricity is forced back to the ground, he lands next the a bio-pod, fastened to the ground by chains, inside is Crynoth, they are in the eye of the storm, a strange and eerie brightness is showing through, Electricity grabs onto one of the chains.) Might as well kill this one to!
(Above the roaring of the tornado he hears a bloodthirsty howl and whirls around, through the dense dust and dirt of the twister he sees the engines of Silverbolt burning white-hot, Silverbolt travels like a rocket, he shatters through a tree, his body becoming white-hot as well from the friction of the dust and blades of grass flying over his body, Electricity aims with one hand and shoots a solid bolt of electricity, Silverbolt transforms and draws one of his blades, pointing it forward, he travels through the center of the bolt, Electricity stares in horror, he brings up his second hand, releasing his hold on the chain, the second bolt spirals with the first, Silverbolt's body absorbs the shock and his speed doubles, time freezes and the blaring wind is silenced as Silverbolt enters the eye, the camera pans around to behind Silverbolt, time goes back to normal with a thundering crash as the winds return, Silverbolt's sword passes through Electricity's armor and all the way out the other side, but Silverbolt's sheer momentum carries them both past the pod and into a formation of upturned dirt, Silverbolt pulls the sword out and grabs him by the neck, he them throws him back into the side of Crynoth's pod.)
ELECTRICITY: Please! Don't! (He chokes on his blood inside the mask. Silverbolt mechanically walks up to Electricity, who is slumped to the ground, clinging to one of the chains, already dying.) Please! (Silverbolt looks down at the now defenseless warrior, he picks him up by the throat and starts to squeeze. Electricity coughs out another plea.) Please... let me die... with honor. (Silverbolt growls, he rips the mask off of his face, the electric armor disappears.) Ahhh! My lungs... They'll ex... explode! (The wind takes his breath away before he can pull anymore in. Crynoth is pounding on the side of the pod, his mouth silently says, 'Silverbolt! Stop!' Silverbolt tightens his grip, he watches the body flail as the wind tries to pull him up, Silverbolt stares into the pleading eyes and lets go, Electricity grabs onto his wrist with both hands, Silverbolt draws his second feather sword and with one swift movement cuts both of the hands off at the wrists, Electricity flies screaming up into the darkness of the storm, Silverbolt slumps to the ground, the hands still digging into the metal of his wrist, the storm disappears as well as the chains on Crynoth's pod, the mask lands next to him on the ground while trees and chunks of land rain back to the surface, Crynoth rips the door open and steps up to Silverbolt.)
CRYNOTH: What were you doing!? He begged for mercy, a fallen and disabled enemy! And you killed him in the most painful and ruthless possible manor!? Where's the honor in that Silverbolt!? (Silverbolt tightens his grip and breaks the sword in his hand, Crynoth steps back.)
SILVERBOLT: I know! I lost control! (He sees the eyes, pleading, begging, as the body is torn away by the wind.)
CRYNOTH: This is not you. What happened? Why are we here? (He looks around the ravaged field.) Where is here!?
SILVERBOLT: I-I-Blackarachnia is dead! It's my fault! (Crynoth is shocked.)
CRYNOTH: No, it can't be. (Silverbolt sees the life-less hands still on his wrist and rips them away.)
SILVERBOLT: He cheated! But he was right, I should have taken my time, it was my fault.
CRYNOTH: What happened!? (Silverbolt explains everything, Crynoth's eagle eyes look away as he realizes Silverbolt's pain.) I'm sorry.
SILVERBOLT: Don't be, it's my fault. (Mellone's voice comes over the communicator.)
MELLONE: Congratulations, you won. (Silverbolt gets to his feet.) As your prize you may have the power of electricity. (Silverbolt shakes his head.)
SILVERBOLT: No, I will not accept, I wouldn't ever. (Mellone frowns.)
MELLONE: Well then, Crynoth? Will you accept?
CRYNOTH: If it will help me to save our fellow crew members, yes. (He stoops down and picks up the mask, it melts to fit his beaked face, the visor changes to a single V-shaped lens, tinted purple still, the hands inside the gloves incinerate, he picks them up, each one splits into two.) Cool. (He puts the four gloves on his four hands, his body is covered with the powerful electric shield.) Incredible! (Silverbolt scowls in disgust.)
SILVERBOLT: How could you even consider wearing those!?
CRYNOTH: I would like to take any chance possible to help save the crew.
SILVERBOLT: Why bother!? (He turns away and begins to walk.)
CRYNOTH: What did you say!? (He chases after him, and jerks him around.) What did you just say!?
SILVERBOLT: It's no use! I would just cause more death! More loss!
CRYNOTH: What are you saying!? When I joined this mission I joined a born hero! (Silverbolt pushes him away.)
SILVERBOLT: That hero is dead! (He clenches his fists in rage.) He died long ago!
CRYNOTH: Oh bull-
SILVERBOLT: I am no hero! I do not deserve the title of Captain! Or-or leader! I have failed my crew!
CRYNOTH: You'll fail them if you quit! Don't you get it!? If what you've said is true then there will be losses, but at least you would have tried and given it your all! That is what a captain would do! That! Is what a hero would do! (He puts a hand on Silverbolt's shoulder.) I understand your loss, several years before I joined you, my wife was killed in an accident, an overload in one of the dimensional test runs, I blamed myself for it for years, and it didn't get me anywhere! I went downhill for years until my friends finally convinced me to let it go. I'm not telling you to forget about Blackarachnia, but I don't want you to forget the rest of the crew. It is obvious that Opal and I are now an item, and I would do anything to save her, that is why I am wearing this armor right now. So get with it Captain! And let's save your crew! (Silverbolt lifts his head and looks through the visor, he then stands up and looks toward the sun.)
SILVERBOLT: What are we waiting for then, friend? (Silverbolt's trademark trumpet blares in the background.) Let the journey continue! (He raises his blade in a picturesque pose, Mellone cheers over the communicator.)
MELLONE: Bravo! That was marvelous! I'm glad you wish to continue. Shall we? (Crynoth and Silverbolt are now suddenly standing on a dock-like construct, in front of them is a tall and long wall seeming to float on the water, the dock connects to the base of a massive door, a small wave washes over the dock and standing in front of them is the sleek and beautiful Water.) Your third task is Water World, the Elemental in charge, Water, the crew member, B'boom. Let the game begin! (Water's eyes seem to smile under the mask.)