New to Space Traveler Fargone? Start at the beginning.
Em and I got back up and started running again. We made it to Rustbucket, got inside, and blasted out of the landing bay. To my horror, there were hundreds of ships shooting at the station. I flipped Rustbucket under the station, shot out the other side, climbed to put the station between the Nanmons and us, and then rolled back upright. Em threw up Bizzos all over the flight deck.
“Sorry, I had to make some quick maneuvers to get us out of danger,” I said.
I kept an eye on our rear as we sped away, but I didn’t see anything.
“I think we are safe. Nothing is following us.” I added.
“We have to go back,” Em mumbled.
“What?”
“They need our help. We have to go back.”
“This is real, not Star Wars 87. We only have a laser cannon, and I am no fighter pilot. It would be suicide.”
“You saw all those ships. We have to help them.”
When did this spoiled socialite get a conscience?
“It’s not happening,” I replied.
“Coward,” Em said with disgust.
“Going back there is not brave. It’s stupid.”
Em sulked.
I kept flying.
Why is life so hard?
As we flew, I kept thinking about what would happen if we returned. We would have the element of surprise, but we were vastly outnumbered. I couldn’t imagine a good outcome.
“Flow made a cage around us to protect us from the Stoniums. Couldn’t she make a shield around our ship to protect us from the Nanmons?” Em asked.
I hated to admit it, but it was a good idea. And just might work.
“Crap!” I said and turned Rustbucket around.
Em smiled.
When we got in range, I hailed Flow on the com. She replied.
“Fargone? Why are you still here? You need to escape as quickly as you can.”
“Em had an idea. I think it will work,”
I explained the idea to Flow.
“It has a good chance for success, although it is dangerous,” Flow said.
“We want to help. We’ll take the risk,” Em said.
“Enter from the rear of the station. I will create a landing bay for you.”
“When we get to the station, you are getting off,” I said to Em.
“No way. I am your co-pilot. I am going with you.”
“It’s too dangerous,” I replied.
“And sitting on a space station getting shot at by Nanmons isn’t dangerous? I am staying on Rustbucket.”
I could see there was no point in arguing.
When we approach the station, we saw that the Metallums had transformed into a shield protecting several zones on both sides of their own. We flew in and landed. Flow immediately became liquid and wrapped herself around Rustbucket. We turned and exited the station.
“Hold on,” I said as we swung under the station.
When we exited the other side of the station, the Nanmon ships were buzzing the station, shooting missiles. Ships from several of the zones were out trying to fight them off. We saw several ships from both sides explode as they were hit.
I picked the closest Nanmon ship and headed straight for it. I lit up the laser cannon and made a direct hit on the Nanmon ship. It exploded.
“Yeah!” Em shouted.
Another Nanmon ship saw the explosion and spun to attack us. It shot a missile. The missile locked on us, and within seconds we were knocked sideways by the impact. But we were still alive.
“Are you alright, Flow?” I yelled.
“Yes. I absorbed the impact damage and the explosive blast.”
“Are you good for another attack?” I asked.
“Proceed.”
We continued taking out Nanmon ships at will. Once the Nanmons realized that Rustbucket couldn’t be destroyed and they were fighting a losing battle, they turned and fled.
“Should we pursue them?” I asked Flow.
“No. Now that the Nanmons know we have a superior weapon ship, they will leave us alone and seek easier targets.”
We returned to the station, and Flow took on the shape of a Human female again.
“Thank you for your assistance in fighting the Nanmons. You must be tired and hungry after the battle. Please rest and nourish yourselves. I will be waiting in the common area when you are finished,” Flow said.
“Thank you, Flow,” Em said.
“Yes, thank you,” I added.
“There is no way we are going to sleep for a while. That was too much of an adrenal rush. But I am starving. Let’s go get some lasagna,” I said to Em.
“Is there anything else on this ship besides lasagna and hamburgers?”
“Donuts.”
“It figures.”
“There is some healthy stuff in there too. But I try to avoid it.”
Em found a salad while I heated up my lasagna. Then we sat at the table.
“Flow is pretty amazing, isn’t she?” Em said.
“She is,” I replied.
“Why don’t we ask her to come with us?”
“What?”
“She can shapeshift into anything. That could be very handy. And she wouldn’t need any food or air.”
Where are these ideas coming from?
“Hmm, I need to think about it,” I replied.
“Of course, she may not want to come with us,” Em added
“She hardly knows us. And we hardly know her. I don’t know.”
“Think about it.”
Like I could think about anything else, now.
Em smiled and took a bite of her salad.