Beyond The Glowing Whirlpool

Chapter 46: GHOST OF THE PAST

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The shuttle with Stacie's team flew all night and managed to cover most of the planet already with very little luck. The sun began to rise, greeting them with it's warm, golden rays, waking up the life beneath them. Though the sunrise was breathtaking from their point of view, it did not cheer up anyone. Though everyone was long awake already, the shuttle was engulfed by a grave silence. Another day Stacie spent in her captivity while they were gradually running out of the planet to search, was heavily weighing on everyone. And though no one wanted to accept it, a fear that they may not find her was starting to slowly creep in. But Ivar refused to give in. He sat in the copilot's seat intensely staring at the holographic map projected by the orb directly onto the windshield, gripping the handles of the chair.

-I see something! - Suddenly exclaimed Kylus, pointing at the holographic imaging.

-What?!

Everyone crowded to the front of the shuttle with alertness and noticed a very faint, ripple-like distortion displayed on the map.

-What is that? - Asked Melinda.

-It looks like another aircraft or a shuttle, perhaps. - Replied Aries. - They are using a cloaking device to hide their presence.

-Indeed. But the orb was able to pick up on its frequency waves regardless. - Added Kylus.

Kylus fell on the trail of the distortion and followed it on a safe distance. The orb concealed their presence, and the other aircraft had no idea they were being pursued. In just about half an hour or so, the shuttle had disappeared into one of the tight rifts between two mountains and vanished from their radar.

-What happened? - Exclaimed Captain - Where did they go?

-It would seem there's something in those mountains, but it's also being shielded, so I can't see it on the map. - Replied Kylus.

-Is it possible to somehow scramble that signal, and penetrate their shield? -Asked Melinda.

-I shall try. The orb should be able to do that. Lord Ivar, I transfer the control of the shuttle over to you.

Ivar immediately took over the controls from his copilot seat and Kylus began to work his magic on the map finder orb.

-It's working! - He exclaimed after few minutes of fiddling with it, and they all could see a hazy holographic image flicker on the map, just beyond those mountains.

-What is that? - Captain leaned in closer.

-Can you clear out the image, Kylus? - Asked Aries.

-Yes, sire. - And he proceeded to work on it - There's a cove-like clearing past those sheer cliffs. It looks like it was converted into a base! A rouges base, to be precise. There's a refuge shelter carved deep into one of the caverns. - Said Kylus, examining the holographic image of that location.

-So, they really were hiding on this planet. - Said Ivar darkly. - Cloaking themselves, thinking that no one could find them. Pretty clever for some savages. But not clever enough.

-Alright! Let's get down there, and deal with those bastards once and for all! - Responded Melinda.

-Since they don't know we have found them, we have an element of surprise on our side, and now we need to devise a good plan. Kylus, how many of them do you see there? - Said Aries.

-At least thirty people, sire. Four are on lookouts, five just arrived in that shuttle we were following, two are guarding the entrance of the cavern, and the rest are inside.