PYRA AND THE TEKTITES

by Rebecca Melanie Sunquist

Part 2: Captured!

A minor impact jarred the pod as the Tektite 'skip docked with it. Inside the cargo hold, Pyra heard the groaning metallic sounds of a hatch being opened from outside. The Tektites who worked for Mark the Shark were breaking into the pod. If the docking seals failed to align, the pod would lose all its air...but Pyra tried not to think about that. Nearby Flanagan was stacking hermetically sealed plastic crates for transfer to the Tektites. Germs, he had said. Bacteria. If even one vial broke...

"What's going to happen?" asked Pyra.

Flanagan set the last crate on top of the stack and held it down to keep it from floating away in the light gravity. "I don't know, now, Skinny. We were supposed to rendezvous on the far side of Ceres, but that cutter changed our plans."

"My name is Pyra!" She stomped her foot on the deck for emphasis. The movement made her float against the bulkhead. For a few seconds the cargo hold sounded like the inside of a steel barrel that someone was pounding on, and she covered her ears.

A shadow loomed just outside the cargo hatch, and Pyra hid behind the stack of crates and peered cautiously around it. A man in a white outsuit entered the hold. A jagged pale scar divided his face diagonally, from upper left to lower right. The tip of his nose was missing. He aimed a Sizzler at Flanagan.

"The weapon is not necessary, How To," said Flanagan. "Here's the Solia bacteria, as agreed. Pay up, and we'll be on our way."

"It's not gonna work that way this time," said the man named How To. "You attracted official attention." The aim of the Sizzler shifted, and Pyra could see into the tube all the way to the ruby crystal that powered the laser. "Or maybe the kid did. It doesn't matter, either way. You're coming with us. If Mark the Shark still wants you to be paid, he'll pay you in person. But he's not gonna be happy about that cutter."

Flanagan lifted a crate by the handles and gave it the lightest of nudges. It began to float toward the gangway on a gradually descending trajectory. A touch from How To gave the crate more elevation. Pyra watched closely, ready to flee if Flanagan gave a signal or disabled How To. Instead, he pushed another crate to How To, and took two more for himself.

"She can transport one of these in this gravity," said How To. He waggled the Sizzler at Pyra. "Let's go, girl. You can't stay here. That cutter commoed for help. They'll be here in a few minutes, and they won't be happy."

"I can't lift that," cried Pyra.

"You don't have to, girl. Just let it float and give it a gentle nudge now and then. Don't they teach you anything in school?"

"Ease off, How To," said Flanagan. "She's just a stowaway. She's nothing to do with this. Leave her here, and commo the cutter to come get her after we're gone."

Pyra held back while the two men float-hopped along the gangway. If she went with them...if they allowed her to go with them, she'd end up with the Tektites. If the cutter personnel rescued her, they'd send her back home.

How To said, "Nobody will be coming to get her from the cutter, Flanagan."

Flanagan swore. "Razza frackin! You should have left them alone."

"Wait," called Pyra. Already the two men were out of sight. She tugged at the crate handle, and it floated into her, knocking her aside. "Ouch!"

A latch broke on the floating plastic crate, and Pyra stared in horror as the lid opened. She scrambled after the crate, but lost control in the low gravity, and bounced off the gangway bulkheads. Finally she caught one handle of the crate, but the lid had come open, and a vial of pale yellow powder floated into the air.

"Flanagan!" Pyra screamed. "Germs! The germs are loose!" She held her breath. Maybe if she didn't breathe any of it...

The vial continued to float, tumbling toward a bulkhead. Pyra couldn't reach it in time. It was going to shatter. She was going to die...

"Flanagan!"

Flanagan rounded the corner and snared the vial. "It's okay, Pyra," he said, and handed it to her. "They aren't that kind of germs. Just put this back and close the lid. And hurry up. No telling how much time we have."

Pyra gulped. "Not---? What kind of germs are they?"

"Hurry!"

Pyra swam through the air in slow-motion, gaining on them. As Flanagan's feet disappeared through the hatch and into the 'skip that had docked with the pod, Pyra pushed the crate of bacteria ahead of her, and followed it inside. The scar-faced man named How To closed the hatch and secured it, and gave instructions to the pilot to disengage.

Flanagan pointed to a pair of chairs webbed with mesh belts. "Strap yourself in, Pyra," he said, and secured himself, then began fastening her straps. "This will be a fast trip, with maneuvering. We can't have you bouncing all over the place. You might damage some equipment."

"You are so thoughtful...ow!"

"The cinches have to be tight, Pyra."

How To glanced back at them from his chair on the bridge. "Five seconds," he announced.

"Hold on, Pyra...what's your last name, Pyra?"

The 'skip lurched forward before she could answer. Its propulsion system was far more powerful than a pod's, and in seconds they were out of the cluster on a trajectory away from the Sun. Then, without warning, the 'skip banked sharply toward starboard. A blue beam passed them and died in the dark of space.

"They must want you badly, Flanagan," said How To.

Flanagan was doubtful. "I'm not so sure. You did destroy a security cutter."

"Nah, we destabilized it. They should make repairs in a couple hours."

Flanagan frowned. "Then...Pyra, it has to be you. Are you wanted for something?"

Pyra closed her eyes. She'd have to tell them, now. But they'd send her back! They'd have to!

What to do?

"We're being ordered to heave to," said How To. "We can't destabilize this one. They want to board us." His hands moved on a console on the bridge, and Pyra heard a low hum. The 'skip was preparing to return fire.

Suddenly the entire 'skip turned blue. On the bridge, sparks crackled. Pyra smelled smoke very dry and bitter, like burnt hair.

Flanagan quickly unstrapped himself. "You stay here, Pyra," he ordered, and climbed to the bridge, where How To and the pilot were slumped in their seats. He unfastened the pilot and spilled him onto the deck, then sat down and began to configure maneuvers.

Pyra unstrapped herself and climbed and floated onto the bridge. "What are you going? What's happening?"

"I told you to stay there."

"If we're going to die, it doesn't matter where I stay. If we're going to live, maybe I can help."

"We're not going to die, Pyra. Oh, all right. Push How To out of that chair and sit down. And strap in! See that control panel off to your right? That controls the shielding. Keep those sine waves aligned in that oscilloscope by turning those---"

"Wait wait wait!" screamed Pyra. She was still strapping herself in after dumping How To onto the deck. "You give too many orders!"

The 'skip banked sharply to port, and Pyra almost spilled free. A blue beam passed them to starboard, and faded. "They're not trying to kill us," said Flanagan. "They're trying to destabilize our systems to bring us to a drift. Somebody must want you badly, Pyra. No, no, both hands on those knobs. Make the two sine waves coincide, and hold them in that position. That maintains shield integrity."

"What's a sine wave?"

Flanagan stared at her. "How To asked the right question, didn't he? Don't they teach you anything in school?"

Pyra started to cry. "I flunked math, okay? My parents were going to send me back to Mars, okay?"

Aft of the bridge something electrical sputtered and died.

"Nice job," said Flanagan.

"What did I do?"

"You kept those waves aligned. That last beam would have disabled our motive power. So you flunked math, eh?"

"Don't remind me. Hey?"

"Razza frackin," Flanagan said softly. "Look in the Videx. That's a Tektite schooner."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they'll kill the cutter behind us and take us on board. After that, it's anybody's guess."

"No, I mean...what you said."

"Hmm...razza frackin...y'know, I don't actually know. I got it from Ichthia. She says it a lot---"

Pyra's eyes rounded. "You know Ichthia?"

"Mind those sine waves. Yes, we've met a couple times."

"She operates the only orbital flexible aquarium in the Solar System. Oh, I'd love to see that. I was going to...but then I flunked math."

"Next time don't flunk."

"There won't be a next time. I embarrassed my parents. Omigod!"

"I saw it."

A brilliant blue beam passed by the 'skip. On their console scannar the blip that indicated the security cutter chasing them faded out. The bridge speakers crackled. A voice as rough as dry sand said, "This is the Black Spot. Cut your engines and heave to. Prepare to be boarded. Is Flanagan aboard?"

"Right here," said Flanagan.

"Do you have the Solia bacteria?"

"On board. Do you have my fee?"

"Is Pyra Newcombe with you?"

Flanagan frowned. "Who?"

"Pyra Newcombe! The daughter of President Newcombe. Is she there with you?"

"She's here. We're standing down." Flanagan closed the commo and sat back in the chair, staring at Pyra. Finally he said something under his breath. It wasn't "Razza frackin."

Don’t Miss PYRA AND THE TEKTITES, PART 3: ‘HIDDEN COLONY’ appearing on this site on 10 August 2002.

PYRA AND THE TEKTITES appears EXCLUSIVELY on the AOIFE’S KISS/KISSES FOR KIDS sites courtesy of prize-winning writer Rebecca Melanie Sunquist.