Capellan
Explorer
"Blast Off!" - Part 18
Outside, the four space adventurers follow a dusty track through the dense tangle of Venusian vegetation. Most of the plants around them have a tubular or bulbous shape, with spined leaves sticking out at all angles. Few have flowers, and even those few that do, resemble cacti more than any other Earth-plant.
"You vill notice ze lack of insects." As they walk, Gustav conducts an impromptu lecture on the surrounding fauna and flora, "ze Venusian plants do not use zem for pollination -"
A woman's scream rings out.
"It came from over there!" Fury points left, then dives into the jungle. Whether he's running toward the scream or away from the Doctor's lecture is no entirely clear. The other three pursue, and within seconds, all four of them are out of sight as they go crashing through the undergrowth.
"Woah!" Fury comes racing out of the jungle, but skids to a halt immediately, arms wind-milling to retain his balance as he finds himself on the edge of a cliff face. Below, in a narrow ravine, a lithe young woman races from rock to rock. As she runs, she screams again.
Half-stalking, half-shuffling up the ravine behind her is a large but clumsy Venusian predator. The beast seems to be having some trouble with the obstructions it is forced to negotiate, but - thanks to the girl's frequent pauses to glance back and scream - it is slowly closing the distance to its prey.
"A Grognor!" S'Ondra skids to a halt beside him, her heat lance held ready as a spear, "Big, but no more intelligent than your Earth predators."
"We have to save her!" the Captain cries, beginning to scramble down the side of the ravine. Behind him, S'ondra rolls her eyes.
"What a great plan. Charge the woman, not the monster."
Racing across the rocks, Fury reaches the woman's side, and swings him behind her.
"Don't worry, Miss!" he calls over his shoulder, "I'll keep you safe."
Sighting his atomic pistol on the Grognor, he presses the firing stud. Unfortunately, the power capacitor shorts out, causing a shower of sparks, several of which ignite a nearby bush. Behind the Captain, the woman whimpers, cowering away from the flames.
"Damnation." Fury curses mildly as he tries to work the capacitor free, "Must have burned out then I disintegrated that rock." He glances up as the Grognor draws nearer, raising its clawed hands above its head and bellowing.
"Yaaaaah!" S'Ondra leaps at the creature from the side, drawing its attention away from Fury and the native woman. The Princess' stab with her lance fails to draw blood, but it does fulfil its primary role, as the beast turns, swiping clumsily at her.
"Get back, leibchen!" Gustav calls. The Doctor is hanging from Archie's back as the robot trundles across the ravine floor. The twin exhausts of Archie's plasma burners are turned toward the Grognor.
"Indeed, Princess. Please stand clear as I sterilise this contaminant."
S'Ondra leaps back as two jets of superheated plasma spray out over the creature, which bellows in fear and rage. The woman they are trying to rescue whimpers again, huddling and clinging to Fury's leg.
Despite the massive injuries it must have suffered, and the patches of its skin that are still on fire, the Grognor charges forward, one clawed fist pounding against Archie's shoulder. The robot is undented and undaunted, but Gustav is forced to slide off his back.
"Keep avay from my leibchen!" the old man shouts, brandishing a wrench. His leibchen, meanwhile, makes use of the space that has opened up between her and the creature. Spinning her heat lance up to her shoulder, she sights along the shaft. The crystal head glows orange, and a bolt of concentrated heat energy flies from the tip. Unfortunately, the Grognar drops to all fours as she fires, and the shot goes over its head.
Bellowing again, the creature charges toward the Princess, swinging its head down to try and bite her. S'Ondra manages to twist out of the way of its teeth, but the creature's powerful lunge knocks her from her feet.
"Now you've made her dirty!" Archie lumbers in, clouting the Grognor with his fists. Gustav and Fury also attempt to pound at the creature, but they lack the robot's sheer physical strength. The Grognor, bellowing in anger, batters its way free of all three, rearing up over S'Ondra with a triumphant roar.
The roar suddenly chokes off into a confused mewl of shock and pain. Staggering, the beast tries to force out another bellow, but manages only a tired wheeze. It staggers back from the Princess, and the source of its sudden distress is apparent: S'Ondra has driven her heat lance deep into its chest.
"Never hunt more than you can handle." The Princess quietly observes, as she scrambles to her feet. The Grognor cocks its head at her, as if trying to parse this concept, but then its legs give way and it tumbles to the ground, stone dead.
"Remind me never to get her angry." Fury holsters his atomic pistol and hurries to the side of the Venusian native. As he does so, she cowers down, throwing up and arm to shield herself, and he slows his approach, "It's okay. We're here to help."
No Venusian of this universe can ever have heard human speech before, so the words are meaningless, but the tone of them gets through to the young woman. Slowly, trembling slightly, she lowers her arm.
"Mein gott." Gustav's wrench clatters to the ground.
"And mine." Fury agrees, staring at the woman with a mixture of shock and pleasure.
Despite the streaks of dirt on her skin, and the bikini-like furs that she wears, there is no mistaking it: the woman is S'Ondra.
Outside, the four space adventurers follow a dusty track through the dense tangle of Venusian vegetation. Most of the plants around them have a tubular or bulbous shape, with spined leaves sticking out at all angles. Few have flowers, and even those few that do, resemble cacti more than any other Earth-plant.
"You vill notice ze lack of insects." As they walk, Gustav conducts an impromptu lecture on the surrounding fauna and flora, "ze Venusian plants do not use zem for pollination -"
A woman's scream rings out.
"It came from over there!" Fury points left, then dives into the jungle. Whether he's running toward the scream or away from the Doctor's lecture is no entirely clear. The other three pursue, and within seconds, all four of them are out of sight as they go crashing through the undergrowth.
"Woah!" Fury comes racing out of the jungle, but skids to a halt immediately, arms wind-milling to retain his balance as he finds himself on the edge of a cliff face. Below, in a narrow ravine, a lithe young woman races from rock to rock. As she runs, she screams again.
Half-stalking, half-shuffling up the ravine behind her is a large but clumsy Venusian predator. The beast seems to be having some trouble with the obstructions it is forced to negotiate, but - thanks to the girl's frequent pauses to glance back and scream - it is slowly closing the distance to its prey.
"A Grognor!" S'Ondra skids to a halt beside him, her heat lance held ready as a spear, "Big, but no more intelligent than your Earth predators."
"We have to save her!" the Captain cries, beginning to scramble down the side of the ravine. Behind him, S'ondra rolls her eyes.
"What a great plan. Charge the woman, not the monster."
Racing across the rocks, Fury reaches the woman's side, and swings him behind her.
"Don't worry, Miss!" he calls over his shoulder, "I'll keep you safe."
Sighting his atomic pistol on the Grognor, he presses the firing stud. Unfortunately, the power capacitor shorts out, causing a shower of sparks, several of which ignite a nearby bush. Behind the Captain, the woman whimpers, cowering away from the flames.
"Damnation." Fury curses mildly as he tries to work the capacitor free, "Must have burned out then I disintegrated that rock." He glances up as the Grognor draws nearer, raising its clawed hands above its head and bellowing.
"Yaaaaah!" S'Ondra leaps at the creature from the side, drawing its attention away from Fury and the native woman. The Princess' stab with her lance fails to draw blood, but it does fulfil its primary role, as the beast turns, swiping clumsily at her.
"Get back, leibchen!" Gustav calls. The Doctor is hanging from Archie's back as the robot trundles across the ravine floor. The twin exhausts of Archie's plasma burners are turned toward the Grognor.
"Indeed, Princess. Please stand clear as I sterilise this contaminant."
S'Ondra leaps back as two jets of superheated plasma spray out over the creature, which bellows in fear and rage. The woman they are trying to rescue whimpers again, huddling and clinging to Fury's leg.
Despite the massive injuries it must have suffered, and the patches of its skin that are still on fire, the Grognor charges forward, one clawed fist pounding against Archie's shoulder. The robot is undented and undaunted, but Gustav is forced to slide off his back.
"Keep avay from my leibchen!" the old man shouts, brandishing a wrench. His leibchen, meanwhile, makes use of the space that has opened up between her and the creature. Spinning her heat lance up to her shoulder, she sights along the shaft. The crystal head glows orange, and a bolt of concentrated heat energy flies from the tip. Unfortunately, the Grognar drops to all fours as she fires, and the shot goes over its head.
Bellowing again, the creature charges toward the Princess, swinging its head down to try and bite her. S'Ondra manages to twist out of the way of its teeth, but the creature's powerful lunge knocks her from her feet.
"Now you've made her dirty!" Archie lumbers in, clouting the Grognor with his fists. Gustav and Fury also attempt to pound at the creature, but they lack the robot's sheer physical strength. The Grognor, bellowing in anger, batters its way free of all three, rearing up over S'Ondra with a triumphant roar.
The roar suddenly chokes off into a confused mewl of shock and pain. Staggering, the beast tries to force out another bellow, but manages only a tired wheeze. It staggers back from the Princess, and the source of its sudden distress is apparent: S'Ondra has driven her heat lance deep into its chest.
"Never hunt more than you can handle." The Princess quietly observes, as she scrambles to her feet. The Grognor cocks its head at her, as if trying to parse this concept, but then its legs give way and it tumbles to the ground, stone dead.
"Remind me never to get her angry." Fury holsters his atomic pistol and hurries to the side of the Venusian native. As he does so, she cowers down, throwing up and arm to shield herself, and he slows his approach, "It's okay. We're here to help."
No Venusian of this universe can ever have heard human speech before, so the words are meaningless, but the tone of them gets through to the young woman. Slowly, trembling slightly, she lowers her arm.
"Mein gott." Gustav's wrench clatters to the ground.
"And mine." Fury agrees, staring at the woman with a mixture of shock and pleasure.
Despite the streaks of dirt on her skin, and the bikini-like furs that she wears, there is no mistaking it: the woman is S'Ondra.
.
