Companionship - beyond flesh

Ghost or Golem? (BANGARANG!)

Ven Verde took the comm.

“Yee, this is Captain Ven Verde of the Ophiuchian ship Parsifal. Acknowledge.” Having spent weeks floating stranded and locked out by Emma Yee, the no-nonsense Virgo Ophiuchian had no interest in feigned pleasantry.

Emma Yee replied her voice transmitting through SIS so that all on the overcrowded deck could hear, “Yes Captain, I’m here--”

“What was the big idea? Leaving us drifting in space for twenty-one days.  Do you have any idea the uncertainty and anguish you have caused my crew?”

“Captain, I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience I’ve caused. It's complicated where I am right now.” 

“And where may that be?” asked the Captain in her best please explain voice.

Emma Yee paused before responding, “I can’t answer that other than to say, and I know this will sound unreal, I am no longer part of the material world.”

“She speaks the truth.” The strong deadpan voice of Riggs injected with authority, “I was there when Emma Yee was vaporized inside a containment field in a lab at the outpost. Emma Yee has indeed left this material world -- she is dead, and I don't believe in ghosts. 

“This thing you talk to is not Emma Yee but rather an orr construct; a golem that exists to control and torture. She murdered the population of the refinery, toyed with their bones and crucified the one who tried to intervene with reason. We address the thing from which I escaped at the outpost.”

“Riggs!” Emma replied with surprise, “You’re there! I can’t imagine how you escaped, but it’s so very good to hear a familiar voice. All I can say is that you do not understand. When I was caught in the field something happened -- somehow my mind was transferred to another dimension or maybe between dimensions. Please, you must believe me.”

“Nice try evil beast.” Riggs turned to address Ven, “Captain Verde. As per my previous recommendation. Take this ship back to your people before the phase coordinates expire, and you’re stuck in this hell system forever.”

“No!” Emma responded before Ven could voice her reply, “Please hear me out before you make a decision. The world that you know will have been destroyed by the time you return. 

"I can see and hear things that are happening across the Galaxy, and I’ve seen a massive fleet mobilise on a path of destruction against Agency and Ophiuchian space. It is a Skyean fleet, and it's killed hundreds of thousands of innocents so far.”

“Skyean?!” C-Buck piped in surprise.

“Yes,” confirmed Emma Yee and added, “Riggs, you talk of Evil. I swear I have seen Evil, and it is set on a course beyond reason.”

“But that just doesn’t make sense.” It was Verde re-entering the discourse, “The Kingdom has no need to attack the Agency and least of all Ophiuchi. The prosperity of its shipbuilding industries rely on open trade -- to war with any other faction would be economic suicide.

Riggs agreed. “Like I said, Yee is dead. These words are design by deception.”

“May I have some say in this? I do happen to be the Captain here.” An indignant Peter Grimes chirped in quickly before anyone else could talk.

Riggs, Verde and C-Buck all replied to their host in unison, “No.”

Verde sought the advice of her first mate who had remained content to listen, “D, What do you think of this?”

“It is impossible to know. There are too many unanswered or rather unasked questions.” He took a step closer to his fellow auger, “But I have known this one for many years, and we have survived otherwise unsurvivable situations under her command. In this case, I would defer to her advice.”

“I’m sorry D. Normally I’d act on your counsel, but I’m afraid this is going to have to end in bangarang.” 

‘Bangarang’, Denver knew the codeword and barely had time to let out a frantic “NO!!” before the deck erupted into action.

One of the Ophiuchian combat team launched a dart at Riggs, who read the move in time to deflect the missile mid-air while blocking a low knee kick from another of Verde’s elite crew.

A second dart launched by Verde pierced Riggs' arm. But the dart did nothing to slow the auger’s advance. She spun to hit a third attacker in the throat with the back of her elbow then landed to confront her first assailant with a vicious head kiss. The bulging base of the rams horns smashed the Ophiuchian’s skull like an egg. Deep red splashed across the mass of white uniforms. A bystander screamed. 

The ancient and seemingly frail form of Denver snapped into action. Forcing himself between the auger and her attackers, for the next several seconds assumed the impossible role of defending of both Riggs and his crew mates. With an inhuman speed, the defending auger deflected and redirected physical attacks from the left and right working the close quarters of the crowded room to his advantage.

Riggs stumbled and fell back hit only by the effects of the stun dart. She punched the air with a misguided shot as her horned head hit the ground with a clunk. 

“Enough!” Ordered Denver to the attackers bent on continuing the assault on the now unconscious Riggs.

“Back down,” acceded Verde and her remaining combat crew instantly withdrew and doubled over panting as a result of the exertion of the fight. 

Evenjevy rushed to the fallen but shook his head as a distraught comrade, the deceased’s lover, wailed in misery collapsing upon the lifeless body. 

Beyond the mourning, there was an uneasy silence as the lithe captain squared off with her First Officer. They had both been in too many fights to assume this was over.

It was Denver who spoke first, “I wish you had consulted me before undertaking such a foolish thing.”

“There was no time; we formulated the plan while you greeted Riggs boarding the ship. It is of the utmost importance that we retain control in this environment.”

The auger responded with uncharacteristic anger, “At the expense of life?! If you had understanding of how dangerous Tyr Rigel is, you would have never considered such a move. Had I not joined the fight others would have perished.”

Ven relaxed and bowed her head, “And I am glad you did. We underestimated her resistance to the tranquilizer. There should have been enough power in that to drop a horse. But also remember,” she looked her trusted friend in the eye, “We have an objective. We have sacrificed much to get this far, and we will continue to sacrifice until we succeed.”

She stepped over to the drugged auger, “Evenjevy please see that our prisoner remains sedated until further notice.” 

She also ordered, looking to C-Buck who had taken a back seat to the action but was now moving in a v-line to the paralysed auger, “You do not touch, poke or even sniff those horns. Understood?”

With a charmed grin and show of open hands to declare his innocent intentions, C-Buck replied, “No worries at all Captain. My hands remain solely at your command.”

“Hello?” The voice of Emma Yee echoed through the SIS as Mr Jones emerged from under the huddled and shook up form of Peter Grimes at the far edge of the scene. The cat slinked unnoticed between pairs of legs to the center of the deck where he began to lap at a puddle of congealing blood.