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renegades: 5th grade sci-fi (part 7)

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In the 5th or 6th grade (circa 1995/1996), I wrote a sci-fi novel(la) entitled Renegades. It is more or less a blatant rip-off of any sci-fi or action movie or book I had consumed up until that point in my life. It definitely reads like the work of a 5th-grader, and I’m fairly certain I introduce a new character with a semi-unpronounceable name every few paragraphs, only to kill them off shortly afterward. Having recently recovered this work of art from floppy disk (!), I plan to serialize it here over the coming days. Enjoy (?).

RENEGADES

… Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

Part 7

Where to go now? With no cargo to deliver to Fortiva, all they could do is head for home, empty-handed. Preian was not far ahead and going at a steady speed. While the two brothers flew the ship, Jonathan DeCartier stood overhead as Claire pulled a blanket over Cassen’s body. The anger inside him burned, he did not know who to blame, himself for leaving Cassen’s cover, or the man who fired the bullet, Rian Broman, yet now he had more to avenge. All the prisoners in his cell, a man who Preian had told him about named Roman Denthra, his brother and now Cassen, to do that was all he wanted to do.

He looked at Claire, who stared into nothingness. “They’ll all pay, everybody knows there’s going to be a war soon, but I’m going to make our side stronger, they’ll pay.” He admitted as he left the small lounge room in the cargo ship where Cassen’s body lay…

* * *

Three ships with better equipped radar tracked the two ships through space, they were well out of range but enough to know they were there. The wing leader was Rian Broman with two other ships at his rear, he would save the Comachens once and for all…

* * *

Jonathan and Claire had joined the Shandler brothers in the cockpit when they were quickly summoned there.

“I see it too.” Said Preian over the transmitter.

“Were heading strait to it…” Said Devon in awe.

The radar screen told no lies, and when he saw it, Jonathan’s blood boiled. The Comachen Spaceliner…

“Okay were pulling out.” Josef said over the transmitter.

As he had prayed for, this was his chance to save the free people of Alderia, and to finish what Jack DeCartier started. “No.” Jonathan strictly said. “How much jamming equipment do you have?”

“Not much.” Replied Josef.” What do you plan on doing?”

“I plan on boarding the thing by creating an anti-detection field around our two ships.”

“You’re crazy!” Said Devon.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done it before!” Jonathan replied.

“And you failed.” Claire exclaimed.

“I don’t need dark memories now.” He turned around at her with an angry look in his eye.The two brothers and Preian waited for him to reply. “I’ll hook up radio transmissions and a download link from me to your ship’s computer and hack anything I can on board the Spaceliner. If I die, try to get all the information you can and get out of this sector fast.” Jonathan said to them.

They looked at him sadly but he did not look back, he stared at the large gray shape coming into view. “Get ready now to start jamming, do you have it ready?”

“Yeah, we often use when we smuggle something past Comachen territory.” Devon announced.

“I’ll go get ready, and so you watch out for anything.” Jonathan said as he left the cockpit to equip for his mission, Claire left with him while the others looked directly at the Comachen Spaceliner. But no one looked at the radar, which on the edge of there scan abilities, were three ships that stood still…

Claire tugged on Jonathan’s shoulder. “You are going to get yourself killed.”

Jonathan dug inside a box of electrical equipment. “If I do it’s for your good.”

“Aren’t you afraid?” She asked.

“As I enter one of my dark memories, yes I am afraid, and to tell the truth, I would not like to die, but I would rather save 3 million lives than just 1.” He said no more to her except: “Keep track of downloading, okay, that’ll be your job.”

And as he walked out of the room to get some more supplies she said. “I care for you. Just like your brother, and I don’t want you to die…”

He rejoined the other two on the bridge. “I left one transmitter with Claire on frequency four, you two we’ll have seven, and Preian will have two. I will have five. I got this codebreaker machine I found stashed away somewhere in you’re ship, a screwdriver, some rope, a handgun, five clips of ammo and two of those mini-nuke bombs I found in that weapons case.” He strapped everything to a nylon belt around his shoulder.

“How are we going to get in?” Josef asked as they got closer and closer to the Spaceliner.

Jonathan remembered how he memorized the blueprints of the Spaceliner with his brother the first time they tried this. He pointed to an external door used for landing on planets. “Right there.”

“But we don’t have any authorization to get in.” Said Josef.

Jonathan looked at him. “Got a crowbar?”

* * *

“Wait here until they start boarding the Spaceliner.” Rian Broman gave the command as they sat in the black space ten miles outside of the Spaceliner.

“But won’t that give ‘em a chance, sir.” Said Deatte Henset, an aide of Brian Leerots, Brian Leerots had died in the explosion on Perseus 4.

“I told you I wanted to kill DeCartier myself, so I’ll board once he’s in, and you notify the Spaceliner’s commander, okay.” Broman said as they all waited silently.

* * *

The Shandler’s ship locked onto the external door which was probably the same one his Brother entered. The ship’s airlock opened, Jonathan approached the door which the ship was locked onto and examined how he could open it. He looked inside the small window, and saw no activity on the other side, it looked like an intersection of hallways ahead of him, the other three halls were probably some of the main ones in the whole ship.

Josef stood beside him as he finally cracked open the door. “Good luck.” Josef said.

“Thanks, you too. As soon as I am successfully boarded, close hatch and fly five miles away but wait for my return.”

“Will do.” Josef replied, then the both went their separate ways…

Jonathan looked around as Josef slammed the door behind him and closed the ship’s airlock. He took a few steps until he came to the intersecting halls, he saw a man pass through doors at one end of the halls, but to busy to see him. Jonathan remembered to take the same way ahead. That would lead to the computer terminal that was only authorized to certain personnel, he still held the crowbar. The Comachens usually trust their officers, they would never think one of them would break in and steal information. He proceeded down the hall trying not to step to loudly on the metal floor.

The stolen blueprints that Jack stole almost two years ago barely showed the room, it was called room 106, a room that was 24 by 18. The door had a control panel with an array of colored buttons. He then remembered how Jack had got in, with his codebreaker, but the one he found on the Shandler’s ship was an old one that was low on batteries, so he decided to use it on the computer and use his crowbar here.

“I’m at the door.” He whispered into the transmitter.

“Copy that.” Said Claire and Josef at the exact same time. With some exhausting pulls on the arm, he broke open the door with metallic bar. The room was empty, probably the exact same way Jack had found it. Memories then came back to him, he could almost see a re-enactment of Jack DeCartier and Neill Othann dieing all over again. Other memories came back, the camera, which loomed overhead, but not yet caching him, he then thought about what the Comachens would do to protect their information more ever since Jack broke in. Maybe stronger codes, perhaps repeating scans. But if there was any scans, there would be a control box somewhere in the room, most likely on the wall, which there was none. As he walked into the room he could sense where Jack laid crouched against the wall, his hands stained with his own blood… He then stopped thinking and began working. There was eight computer outlets and the main computer at the very front of the room. Before he went any farther, he then tampered with a control panel outside of the room and crossed two wires, then the camera stopped it’s circling. Just for safety he sprayed some fresh mint mouth freshener into the air all over the room to check for codes. The dim light was enough for him to see with, so he closed the door and approached the main computer…

* * *

“Calling Spaceliner.” Said Henset just before Broman sped towards the docking bay.

“This is Spaceliner control, state business.” Replied the voice.

“This is Master Sergeant Deatte Henset Comachen number 41227.”

“Permission acknowledged to enter Spaceliner zone.”

“Request docking for one ship.” Replied Henset.

“Docking granted.” Said the voice.

“Spaceliner control, I’m reporting two unregistered ships outside of the Spaceliner, they must be using a jamming code. One ship has just pulled away from docking.”

Another voice came to the transmitter. “Good job pilot, this is Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Haggart. We’ll send out some reconnaissance and fighter ships to check it out.”

* * *

Preian’s ship remained close to where Jonathan had got in hovering in mid space. The Shandlers’ ship had flew several miles away but still in contact range.

* * *

About fifteen minutes had past since Jonathan had got inside and the last report he had was that he had just logged on to the central computer. Jonathan unscrewed the small panel from the outside of the computer and installed the black box. It ran through files downloading anything it could get it’s hands on, Jonathan had plugged in a cord to a machine on his belt that transmitted to Claire’s computer. “Are you getting this?” He asked Claire.

“I’m pretty sure we are.” Declared Claire over the transmitter.

“Pretty sure’ isn’t good enough.” He didn’t try to talk much because anything could go wrong. The machine downloaded a little slower than his brother’s but he would be done in at least fifteen more minutes.

Then he got a message from Preian. “Jonny, things are starting to stir out here, there is a couple of probes and fighters being sent out.”

“Don’t take any risks, dock now and get inside.” Said Jonathan.

“But-”

“If they know you are out there, they’ll soon find out that I’m in here, so I need some cover in here, bring a gun and get out of your ship.” He explained.

“Anything you say…” Said Preian as his ship swooped closer to the exterior door. Jonathan was now afraid for Preian, that perhaps Preian would take the role of Neill Othan and repeat the story.

Broman was greeted at the Spaceliner’s docking bay by several officers. “Welcome aboard.” They said in turn.

He gave a light wave and said.” There is someone aboard who shouldn’t be. I will search for him and extinguish him, alone.”

“Whatever you say, sir…” One of them said while looking at the others who were all shrugging and had no idea.

“Give me some guns and some equipment, this may take a while.”

Preian arrived on the Spaceliner with no clue where to go. But as soon as he did, he heard the echoing blast of his exploding ship outside.

“Proceed down the hall until room 106.” Jonathan transmitted to him.” And stay quiet.” When he arrived he knocked on the door. Soon it was opened and Jonathan stood there for a moment before he closed the door and Preian entered before he ran back to monitor the downloading.

“I’m almost half done, I can let it download freely the files and it will all go to Claire, but after it’s done the files, it will start downloading the system.”

“But isn’t that a good thing.” Daniel asked.

“It won’t download all of it, but at least we’ll get what’s important.” Replied Jonathan. “You are telling me we could leave, but anyone who finds it can stop it.”

“If they know I’m here, they’ll send guards from the barracks and docking bay to catch us, that we’ll take several minutes, by then the program will be totally downloaded, but it will give us no time for us to escape, so it’s better to go now.”

“But with our jammer, how were we found?” Asked Preian.

“Someone must of followed us here from Perseus, probably Broman.” Replied Jonathan as sweat trickled down his face.

“How could he of survived that blast? He must be some unlucky penny.”

Jonathan punched one more command into the computer and told Claire they were leaving, then him and Preian left the room in a great haste.

* * *

Josef and Devon found the transmitter better than yelling through their ship. “Claire, come to the cockpit, can you just leave it for a second?” Josef asked.

Without replying, Claire arrived there wanting to know what was their next problem. “More ships are coming out of the Spaceliner looking for us, and we can’t put up a real good fight. “Explained Devon.

“That’s right, if we stay, we’re dead. If we go, we lose the last few Comachen files.” Said Claire.

“Where’s the closest Alderian border base?” Asked Josef.

“A good five minute flight through hyper-space. What are you proposing, a distress call?”

“Yeah. They’ll be able to help us out for a couple minutes til we leave.” Replied Josef. “But that would be suicide for them!” Exclaimed Claire.

“It’s for the good of Alderia.” Replied Devon. “So tell me when the downloading stops, then we can get out of here.”

“But what about Jonathan?” She said.

“Even he said: It’s for the good of Alderia…” Repeated Devon as he activated a long range distress signal.

Claire turned away with a growing temper…

* * *

Colonel Leo Haggart stood on the space view balcony, while many radar and monitor personnel worked a few feet below the balcony he stood on. Unlike many Comachen ships, the bridge was very large and was much better lighted, that was one of the many reasons he had signed on. “Sir, we’re picking up 23 unidentified ships moving towards this sector, they’ll be here in two and a half minutes.” Said one radar technician.

Another technician look ed up at him. “Should I give the order to send out more ships?” “Yes, just in case.” He replied without the slightest fear. “And where is that Commander Broman who was supposed to board?”

A slim officer approached him. “He’s already on board sir and said he’s searching for someone….”

“Okay, I want him found and whoever he’s searching for.”

“But sir-”

“Do it!” Haggart yelled.

The officer ran down the bridge hall to send out the order.

* * *

“This way.” Jonathan motioned with his hand. “I studied this place for days.”

“Couldn’t you find a better hobby?” Preian asked.

Jonathan ignored Daniel’s bad sense of humor.

“How are we going to get out of here?”

“Are you just full of questions?” Jonathan said angrily. “Be quiet, stick to me and we’ll steal a ship or something.”

Preian shut his mouth. But as they proceeded down the hall he just couldn’t help himself. “I think I just saw two guards down there….Wait there’s another.”

They had come to another intersection, voices echoed behind them and got slightly closer. “Split up, I’ll keep in touch, try to find a way out.” Jonathan suggested.

Preian went another way and said. “I’ll see you later.”

With a nod, Jonathan proceeded down his way of the station.”Claire, do you read?” He asked on her frequency.

“I’m here, it’s starting to form out here, in two minutes will be a firefight, the brothers sent out a distress call and are getting help from a nearby Alderian border base.”

“Good.” He replied.” How is the download going?”

“It’s finishing now, I’ll copy them to disc and then they’ll be in good hands.” Claire said.

“Ok, I’m erasing our signal, I’ll see you when I come out.”

“Good luck.” She admitted. Claire trembled with fear. If he comes out…

The ongoing serialization of “Renegades” will continue in the coming days. Please stay tuned.

Read Part 8.

http://matthewbrehmer.net/2009/08/06/renegades-5th-grade-sci-fi-part-7/

renegades: 5th grade sci-fi (part 6)

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In the 5th or 6th grade (circa 1995/1996), I wrote a sci-fi novel(la) entitled Renegades. It is more or less a blatant rip-off of any sci-fi or action movie or book I had consumed up until that point in my life. It definitely reads like the work of a 5th-grader, and I’m fairly certain I introduce a new character with a semi-unpronounceable name every few paragraphs, only to kill them off shortly afterward. Having recently recovered this work of art from floppy disk (!), I plan to serialize it here over the coming days. Enjoy (?).

RENEGADES

… Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Part 6

PERSEUS 4

To get off the planet without nobody knowing was to cross the mountains and the plateau area to get to a secret spaceport in the middle of the desert. There they would be smuggled off in a ship. Claire had just enough money to rent them a 4 wheel drive dune rover. They packed it with all they needed, water, food, gas for the rover and two pistols that were low on ammunition. The three of them left the mid-morning, by noon they’d be under the shade of the mountain, and by mid-afternoon, they’d be on the plateau, and by midnight, they’d reach their destination.

They The two hour journey across the desert was not as hard as they thought it would be, the sun only peaked when they were safely under the shadow of the plateau wall towering over them. Now they would have to go west until they found a place where they could steadily mount the plateau. The rover rose at a slow pace up the mountain up a rocky crack in the plateau just big enough for their rover, at the other end was the top of the plateau. Out of nowhere, guns from the top side of the canyon started to fire at them, as Tim’s response as being driver, he put the rover into reverse, sending it at a fast pace down the hill.

“What the heck are you doing!?” Jonathan yelled at him.

The rover was sent strait into a pillar mortally damaging the rover. Jonathan felt like hurting Tim for canceling his trip, but he had other problems, the gun firers from the top of the plateau were running after them.

“Rats, they’re Comachen infantry.” Declared Claire as she pulled a gun from a provision bag, inserted a clip and aimed at one of the lead commandos running down the hill, she kneeled knelt behind the rover for cover as she shot one of them in the arm.

Tim handed Jonathan the second gun and another small sack. “You never know what they’re after, but I do know one thing, Johnny, they want you dead, so we’ll cover you, run East until there’s a place to climb the plateau, head north from there! Now run!”

Jonathan at first wanted to say no, but if he was killed, that would mean Comachen victory, since he is the only man alive daring enough to steal from a Comachen Spaceliner. He ran away at his fastest speed. Claire an Timothy held off resistance until they could break away too, but by then, they did not know where Jonathan had went…

* * *

The consequences of the canyon fight were not severe at all, his team had only lost two, and the others had lost twenty-three out of their 34. The Perseus resistance had gave up and the bounty hunters were now roaming the streets of Takroth. They had come upon an old spaceport, Broman and two others entered the building when they saw a cargo ship identical to the one reported of escaping Sortak. A woman outside of the ship was checking it over and over.

“Would you know anything about a Jonathan DeCartier? “Broman asked politely.

The woman turned towards him. “No I would not.”

Broman did not trust her, he checked the ship for a marking that meantt in delivered to Sortak, a serial number. There, below the cockpit was a Sortak symbol. The two other bounty hunters drew her back to the wall.

“Now I’ll ask you again. Jonathan DeCartier escaped from Sortak on a ship just like this one, and you have a Sortak Delivery marking on your ship, now are you telling me that Jonathan DeCartier never met you?”

Maria said nothing.

Broman nodded to the others, they threw two plasma grenades at the ship and it erupted in blue flame.

“Okay, okay, he was aboard my ship.” Maria finally said.

“And where did he go?”

“He, he, he went to a place to get off the planet, North over the Plateau.” She trembled.

“Good.” Broman replied.

Suddenly Raechal opened the door from another room. “What’s going on, Maria?”

Maria turned. “Nooooo! Ruuuun!”

But it was too late, one of the guards shot her above the hip bone.

They threw Maria to the ground as the three guards walked out of the spaceport.

“Thanks very much, miss…”

* * *

Broman arrived at the base just in time for a long explanation from Lieutenant Leerots. He explained Preian’s treason and escape, and the murder of Berzerac.

“I had the same problem with Denthra myself, but I eliminate my traitors quickly.” Said Broman. “I have now acquired some useful information, that DeCartier is heading North to a secret spaceport on the other side of the plateau. Oh, and you are now my second in command.”

“Yes sir!”

* * *

Cassen and Claire had got up on the plateau two hours later, and by then, Jonathan was probably way ahead of them. They still had plenty of water to drink and provisions as they walked across the scorched desert plateau.

* * *

Hours had passed, and without the rover, it was a slow going. Darkness had come and he knew he could not go North without a compass, so he sat down and had a sip of water. The quarter moon and stars were out. To keep him awake he [Jonathan] searched for familiar constellations, but before he knew it, his eyes were closed, awaiting morning…

* * *

When he awoke two shadows blocking the morning sun stood directly above him, perhaps it was Cassen and Claire? He blinked twice, then the figures came into view. They were two unfamiliar men he had never seen before.

“Well we know he’s not dead.” One of them admitted.

“Who are you?” Jonathan asked.

The two looked at each other. “We’re with the Perseus resistance, we kill Comachens, if it frightens you.”

“Of course not, I hate Comachens too.” Jonathan said as he rose to his feet. “Jonathan DeCartier.” They shook hands.

“Josef and Devon Shandler.” The shorter one said. “What you doing out here?”

“Running from Comachens, tryng to get off the planet.”

“Well you are in luck mister, we run a spaceport five miles from here.” Said the one named Josef Shandler.

“Then I shouldn’t have stopped here, should I?” Jonathan shrugged. Judging from the position of the sun, he estimated it was around nine in the morning.

They told him to walk with them to their house that was over the next few ravines. “So did two others pass by here last night?” He asked.

“Might of, we don’t see everything.” Said Devon.

In five minutes they had reached a small desert shanty sticking into a large boulder, by his judgments, there house was bored into the ground.

“Need anything to eat?” Josef asked as they entered a wooden door.

“Sure, I ate my last provisions last night, and as a matter of fact, I’m starved.” Jonathan replied.

The house was neat, but almost nothing was in the front room, they pointed down the tunnel which was lit by power from generators.

“Almost everything is down there.” Said Josef as Devon walked down the stairs to get some food for them.

“Do you think I’ll be able to get off the planet?” Jonathan asked.

“Well, we got a shipment from Takroth a couple of days ago, we are late for delivering it already, so we were going to go this afternoon, you are lucky.”

“Where’s the shipment going?”

“A planet called Fortiva in sector 18.” Responded Josef.

Just then Devon came up the stairs with packets of food, he tossed one to Josef and another to Jonathan.

When they had finished eating, Devon spoke. “We’ll get our vehicle ready, and we’ll reach the Spaceport in no time.”

Jonathan stepped again outside when Devon pulled up in a large expensive desert tuck, it had a shielded roof, a tent covered storage compartment in the back, they loaded some cargo aboard and Jonathan and Josef climbed into the back and grabbed hold of a metal bar. They steadily rose and descend the rocky hills until a three story station came into view. It had a garage roof and a warehouse door on the first level, two doors were on the west side, they pulled up along side them, and Josef was the first to disembark the truck. He was going to open the door with a key, but two his surprise, the door was already open.

The three suspiciously stepped inside the building, instead of the one ship inside the hangar, there was two. Beside the Shandlers’ cargo ship was 2203 bounty hunter ship, Devon rushed outside to the truck and armed them all with handguns. They stepped inside and looked around, on the upper level looking down was a young man who appeared to be not armed. “There!” Said Devon, and they all pointed their guns toward him.

“No need, no need.” The man said. “I’m a friend. Daniel Preian, with the Alderian Rebellion, DeCartier.”

Jonathan lowered his gun.” How do you know my name?”

Preian ran down the stairs. “I’m a spy for the rebellion, and the Comachens are on this planet looking for you, so I’m supposed to help you get off Perseus 4.”

Just then Cassen and Claire appeared beside Preian. “Where’ve you been?” Cassen asked.

“With them.” As he pointed to the Shandler brothers. “This is Devon and Josef Shandler.” The two brothers waved in turn.

“We should not waste any time at all.” Suggested Preian.

“Of course.” Josef said. “We’ll go get the cargo.” Josef and Devon walked out of the building to unload the truck.

By chance, Devon looked at the sky and saw a group of black shapes moving towards them. “Drop everything! Get back into the ship, something’s coming!”

Josef looked at the sky, the black shapes that looked like ships approached. “Oh no!” He said as he only carried one case back into the building. “Everyone, Comachens are coming, they’ll be here any minute!”

All six of them were sent into a large confusion.

“It’s him, Rian Broman, and he’s after you, DeCatrier.” Said Daniel.

Echoes of ships landing trembled the spaceport. Josef tried to open the case. “Fortiva is a place of conflict, I wonder what were delivering!” As he kicked open the case full of ammunition and machine guns, he tried to fill as many as possible with ammo. He kept one for himself and tossed one to Cassen, one to Preian and one to Claire. Cassen and Devon stood guard over Jonathan with their guns pointed at the warehouse garage door. Sounds of men got closer and closer.

In a burst of fire, the garage door exploded and nearly twenty-five Bounty hunters stormed the warehouse with Rian Broman at their rear. The first wave of gunfire was fired by the Bounty hunter, bullets slammed into the metal walls, but causing no injuries, Josef fired two bullets killing two of them on impact. Cassen covered Jonathan and fired a couple rounds, but only causing a few injuries. Gunfire continued and lowered the force of twenty-one against six.

Devon ran up the ramp and into his ship and powered up the engines. A low hum was heard in the room as the engines charged. Claire covered Josef as he ran to the case two arm his gun with more bullets. In a corner he noticed something, a mini-nuclear bomb, that could scorch anything within fifty meters. Then he had an idea, leave the planet in four minutes and make a run for it. Claire yelled at him to get back but he was setting the bomb for four minutes. He set it down near the wall. He rejoined the battle and said: “Back up a bit to the ship, in four minutes the whole place is going to blow!”

Jonathan was the first to run to the ship, leaving his cover. Rian Broman had a clear shot on DeCartier, it didn’t matter when he killed him, now or later. He aimed with his handgun, smiled and pulled the trigger.The bullet tore through the air at a whistling speed.

Jonathan had heard the bullet fire, but then Cassen dove in the way and took the bullet in the chest. Jonathan felt guilty for what happened. But there was no time.

“Nooooo.” Cassen groaned as Jonathan dragged him inside the ship.

Josef gazed at the bomb, it read 1:37 left, he was the last to finally enter the ship with the weapons case. The ramp went up and almost one Comachen got in, but he was punched senseless by Josef.

Preian climbed into the cockpit of his ship and launched a minute before the other ship. Then, the other ship with everyone aboard left with just 20 seconds to spare.

Then as Rian Broman inspected the partly destroyed spaceport, he spotted a blinking object beside him, it read 13….12… “Everyone run!” he screamed as they all began to run away.

He barely made it when fire broke loose everywhere as the bomb exploded, leaving only seven men and three ships to spare.

The two ships headed towards the stars.

Broman stood on a dune. “I’ll have vengeance, DeCartier…”

The ongoing serialization of “Renegades” will continue in the coming days. Please stay tuned.

Read Part 7.

renegades: 5th grade sci-fi (part 5)

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In the 5th or 6th grade (circa 1995/1996), I wrote a sci-fi novel(la) entitled Renegades. It is more or less a blatant rip-off of any sci-fi or action movie or book I had consumed up until that point in my life. It definitely reads like the work of a 5th-grader, and I’m fairly certain I introduce a new character with a semi-unpronounceable name every few paragraphs, only to kill them off shortly afterward. Having recently recovered this work of art from floppy disk (!), I plan to serialize it here over the coming days. Enjoy (?).

RENEGADES

… Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Part 5

SORTAK PRISON

The X-22 Comachen patrol robot scooted down the corridor blazing it’s lasers at him. Isaac Fairthorn ducked behind an open door as it watched for him. He slouched back into the closet and found it was a useful artillery bunker. A handgun was all he needed. He the ducked behind the door again and looked for the robot, it was gone, then Vrrmmmm came the sound from behind him, he twirled to face the shining visor of the X-22, within a split second, it became a pile of scrap metal. A soon as it blew, a siren above rang, it was a trap!

He ran down the corridor and did not look back. Fairthorn stopped after running almost a kilometer down the climbing corridor, he guessed he was now near the surface when he found a door marked Emergency launchpad. He gazed inside the tinted window, a ship waited. This was his chance to get off the moon, he had to get it. But the door was locked shut… And he found himself surrounded by more killer robots, and behind them all was Paul Wallin smiling in his Comachen uniform…

* * *

The ventilation shaft that they found quickly after the waste disposal extravaganza led them directly beneath the docking port. Cassen looked up through the grating, they were about five meters from the main runway, but most of the shuttles were on the other side of the port, a couple were preparing to take off from the runway.

“What is it? Where are we?” Whispered Jonathan.

“Main docking and runway for shuttles.”

Jonathan gazed at his surroundings when suddenly he thought he saw one of Claire’s friends, Raechal. “I think I see the ship, there’s that girl Raechal.” He said as he helped Cassen out of the shaft.

“Just try to act as cargo ship pilots and we’ll slowly go to the ship.” Suggested Cassen.

Slowly at first, they made their approach to the ship. “Wait, what about Wallin and Fairthorn?” Demanded Jonathan.

“They’ll find there own way out.” Said Cassen like he had a heart of stone.

As if anything else had to go wrong a man in uniform pulled up along side them and asked them for ID. “Can I see some ID please.”

“Hi, were with that ship over their.” Jonathan said as he pointed to Claire’s ship.

“You stay right there while I get some proof on that.” He replied as he walked away.

Jonathan’s first impulse was to make a run for the ship when Tim’s grip restrained him from going anywhere. “You don’t want us to look like prisoners, do you?” Tim explained.

As he finished his sentence the guard returned. “Okay, the records show that the ship had a crew of three, now I see three people already there so that makes five…”

“-Uuhhh, two of them aren’t with us, they must be with another ship.” Cassen lied.

With hesitation, the guard allowed them to proceed to their ship. They were greeted by Claire all five climbed aboard.

* * *

The same guard watched suspiciously as the five climbed aboard the cargo vessel and the takeoff engines began to rumble. He picked up his transmitter and notified Sortak control. “That cargo vessel leaving 109-C, I think we may have an escape in process, don’t let it out.”

“Yes sir.” Sortak control replied.

The security guard did not know how to fly well, but if anything happened, he would follow them out in a lately fueled Comachen starfighter…

* * *

The cargo vessel continued it’s descent down the airlock tube out to open space, and as soon as they got to a certain point, the airlock closed behind them and now they faced the black space door, which was slammed tight. Only Claire, Jonathan and Maria were in the cockpit. As they waited for the space-door to open Jonathan finally realized. “They know, they know!”

“They should be coming up behind us any time now, we got to get out of here.”

“Well we can’t go back so I’ll have to use last resorts…”Explained Maria. Then she open a small area of the ship’s control to reveal a small keypad, she pressed a large red button and two fighter guns springed sprung from the side of the ship, she pressed another…. And she blew the space door to pieces, fragments of the door exploded in all directions. It could have missed, but a large fragment collided with the engines and damaged it.

“Shoot!” Maria yelled, “We can still travel but not long range, the nearest friendly place we could get from here is Perseus 4.”

“Perseus 4!” Exclaimed Jonathan. “That desert planet has been under civil war for four years!”

“Or we could go back to Sortak?” Said Maria sarcastically looking at him.

As the ship disappeared into the blackness of space, leaving Sortak behind, one Comachen star-fighter followed them every mile they went….

* * *

ALDERIA

Rian Broman had awaited Nicolai Berzerac’s return from negotiating with the traitor Harri Elton. “I told him Jonathan DeCartier was a traitor among the Alderians and as being in charge of Alderia until a new President is elected, he would aid us in our quest to catch Decartier and prevent him with giving the rebellion Comachen secrets. So he is now providing us with a fully equipped bounty hunter team of forty men.” Berzerac explained.

“Good.” Broman replied. “I have also good news. The Comachen base of Sortak let DeCartier slip out of their hands, but they are now tracing him and his associates to Perseus 4, they also apprehended DeCartier’s information disk.”

“Then it’s off to Perseus 4 we go.”

“Exactly.”

* * *

By chance, Daniel Preian had overheard the conversation, and he knew this was his and Denthra’s biggest chance for their plan of treason and sabotage… “Long live the rebellion!”

* * *

PERSEUS 4

Takroth was the capital city of the free republic of Perseus 4, but for four years the Comachens have occupied the desert planet trying to seize it’s resources. Most citizens in Takroth lived in poverty and it was known for it’s large factories and trade industries. They had landed in the west end of the city inside a large shipping companies’ unloading center where they were to refuel. Jonathan sat with Claire and Timothy in a street side parlor just down the dusty road. Cassen stirred his drink as he listened to the conversation going on.

“So they have the disk, so why are they still after you?” she demanded.

“They want to make sure I wouldn’t do it again, and nobody is daredevil enough to hack a Comachen space-liner.”

Timothy was longing to speak up. “So when do we get back to Alderia?”

“We’re not going back to Alderia.” Jonathan replied.” I have to do it again to save the rebellion back home, and if I don’t, I’ll be caught if I do it or not.”

“And this time you want us to help you get on board a Comachen super-ship .” Said Claire.

“That’s it-”

“Wait, but first we got to get off this dirtball, how do you expect us to do that, Raechal and Maria announced that they had done their part and are not helping us no more, so if we don’t get out, are journey will end here…” The grim toned Timothy said.

Claire sighed. “There is a place on the other side of the mountains next to Takroth that might be crazy enough to help us, two brothers…”

* * *

Four hours later, a small fleet of miscellaneous ships had arrived on Perseus, Rian Broman knew anyone with the Free Perseus 4 Campaign who saw their Comachen ships would start to protest and cause a riot, that’s why the bounty hunter fleet landed in a secure port on the tip of town, just beside one of the largest canyons on the planet, Bishop’s Canyon, a great way to slip undercover. While Rian Broman, some street bounty hunters and Roman Denthra slipped out into the population of Takroth, Berzerac and Comachen Lieutenant Brian Leerots stayed at the port with the rest for refueling.

Daniel Preian was preparing, his sabotage plan was to begin any moment. He sat on a ledge in the second floor of the port, he was on a deck overlooking the warehouse below. He began loading a Gatling gun with 20mm bullets, any time now, Nicolai Berzerac would come out of the office area with the Comachen Lieutenant, and he would take them out. Their first priority was to eliminate the chain of command. While he did that, the others would fly their crafts down Bishop’s Canyon to downtown Takroth, where they would search for DeCartier, and while still in Bishop’s Canyon, as being part of the rebellion, Roman Denthra would destroy Rian Broman. As Preian watched, voices came closer, as if they were soon to exit the office.

Suddenly, the large body of Nicolai Berzerac walked out the entrance and Preian, hiding on the upper floor, pointed the gun and fired a round of bullets into Berzerac’s chest. Berzerac fell to the floor and three Comachens came storming out of the office, led by Lieutenant Leerots, returned fire in a split second. Preian dodged bullets and dived to the floor. He tried to fire again, but in such confusion, he could not hit a target. He decided to run, he got up and ran down the corridor of the upper level. He spotted an open hangar ahead of him used for crane shipments. He stood at the opening, and below him was a ten meter drop to the pavement below. The crane was right in front of him with a loose hook dangling two feet in before him. He climbed onto the hook, punched the crane release, and the rope carrying him and the hook lowered slowly to the ground.

In a great hurry, he ran to a freshly refueled Bounty-Hunter ship, climbed aboard, started the engines, and as he was about to take off, a troop of Comachen commandos appeared at the lower level hanger with guns pointed at the cockpit. But as he did with Berzerac… He switched on weapons control and powered up the twin Gatling guns on either wing. In the next few seconds, most of the Comachens were on the ground, but some remained standing. Several shots had nearly plummeted through his windshield, but before they could, he was safe in the air, and heading away into the Perseus 4 desert.

* * *

The group of fourteen Bounty Hunter ships sped down Bishop’s Canyon towards downtown Takroth. “Sir, there’s a band of free Perseus rebels here in fighter ships nearly twice our force here demanding that we go no farther cause were Comachens.” Said Broman’s scout over the transmitter.

“Good, we’ll give ‘em a beating they’ll never forget.” Replied Broman. “Come on guys, we’re goin’ in!”

This was Denthra’s lucky day, in this battle it would look like Broman was killed by the rebels. The thirty-four pack of rebels in rusty 2185 Perseus Corvette fighters armed with old-model Gatling guns were waiting as the bounty hunter team sped around the turn in the canyon guns blazing taking out three in they’re first wave of fighting, one of the first that came around the corner lost control and slammed head-first into a rebellion Corvette taking them both into oblivion. Broman had taken out two more after he turned corner. Denthra had risen over the battle to get a clear bomb’s drop over Broman, but Broman remained defending his fighter under a ledge, so Denthra had to lower his craft back into the canyon, then he piloted his craft just below the ledge but directly above Broman. He targeted, and then armed two radiation bombs to drop directly on him. But as like he knew, Broman turned upwards, and fired at the base of the ledge, and rock debris came crashing down on Dentrhra’s ship, Broman sped out of the way as the two radiation bombs Denthra forgot to fire, turned Denthra’s ship into a burning ball of fire.

As Broman speeded sped past the battle, he whispered under his breath. “I knew it, I knew it…”

The ongoing serialization of “Renegades” will continue in the coming days. Please stay tuned.

Read Part 6.