Cyberspace 3000

 

“Stockade”

 

Hangar Bay 3 of the Worldship Sol

“You will take care of it won’t you?” The Kymellian engineer pleaded with the massive frame of the half Jovian security officer Onan.

 

“Calm yourself Cyr’ll, you’ll have a foal if your not careful, but it is a beautiful ship” a gruff yet defiantly female voice came behind him. Cyr’ll turned to see his boss the huge purple skinned chief engineer Aura Xenith. She smiled down at the small horselike Kymellian and gave him her cigar to hold while see addressed Onan. “So you all set to go sweetcakes?” she purred pinching the half jovian’s cheeks.

“Please don’t do that” Onan blushed.

“Come on now, you weren’t saying that last week in O’noonan’s bar” Aura continued.  

“Aura please I’m on duty” Onan whispered under his breath.

“No time for that now chief, Shan is wetting himself in here he says we have to go now” a voice said from the entrance hatch of the ship. Onan and Aura looked up to see the lithe form of Max Dillon codenamed Lighting due to his mutant speed powers.

“Shut your mouth Dillon and take your seat” Onan growled. In the blink of an eye Lighting was gone but he could be heard laughing from inside the ship.

The Ship itself was Cyr’ll’s pride and joy. He had spent months along side Aura incorporating the various technologies of the many races on board Sol into one state of the art cruiser. Cyr’ll and Aura accompanied Onan up the walkway and entered the ship. As they entered the metal of the floor in front of them became fluidic and formed itself into a silver humanoid form.

“Greetings chief and Miss Xenith I am Cruesoe welcome aboard me, hello dad” the strange metallic creature said gesturing to each of the three new arrivals finishing on Cyr’ll.

“I see you did manage to incorporate the smart ship technology in after all” Aura beamed at Cyr’ll. 

“Yes and it wasn’t easy, Cruesoe will take this humanoid form in order to pilot the ship and well…. I was just showing off” Cyr’ll answered somewhat sheepishly.

“The Sol bots have finished loading all fuel and supplies, we are all systems go” Cruesoe announced as he melted into the floor only to reappear in the pilot’s seat.

“It’s about damn time!” Shan growled from his seat. He was already strapped in and had been ready to go for sometime. “The longer we wait the more danger Angel is in”

“Ok ok Shan” Onan replied “All personnel not on this mission are to leave the ship”

“There’s only me and Cyr’ll here beefcake” Aura mocked. Onan could hear Dillon sniggering from his seat. “Ok we’re going, have a good trip sweetie”.

Onan blushed hung his head and quietly took his seat. As he did Cruesoe’s audio systems picked up his muttering about people having no respect for rank anymore.

Inside the ship as it exited Hangar Bay 3 were Onan’s hand chosen elite security force along with Shan O’mera, their mission was simply to rescue Dark Angel by any means necessary. 

As Onan took his seat he looked at the crew he had assembled for this mission. They were the best of his security forces on Sol and were already known as Onan’s elite by the other crewmembers. Sat next to Onan was Max an annoying grin plastered across his face. Onan only allowed him to get away with things he did, as they had known each other for many years even before Sol. They had saved each other’s lives a few times plus it was always handy to have a mutant speedster around even if he was one the most annoying men on the ship. Sat on the opposite side of the ship was Rebecca Liger who had taken the code name Battalion. Rebecca could be heard softly talking to her large powerful looking gun, which might seem odd until you heard the gun reply. 

“Full systems check please Clementine”

“All is fine and dandy shuga” the guns southern accent acknowledged.

Rebecca was a second-generation super soldier; her mother was a genetically perfect human breed by Earth’s military. Her father on the other hand was a bit of a mystery some said he was from somewhere else in space/time but Rebecca never answered these questions and no one dared to press grim super soldier any further for fear they would soon have their head introduced to their anus. Next to Rebecca was Atlan he was an Atlantean from Sol’s New Atlantis colony, he wore an environment suit when out of water. Atlan was still relatively young by Atlantean standards but he had taken his combat training immediately and had quickly been noticed by the Atlantean military. What made Atlan stand the most amongst other Atlantean warriors was not his skill but rather his relaxed attitude in battle, never had anyone seen him get angry.  In front of Atlan and Rebecca was Sasha who had taken the code name Vixen. Sasha had spread her long furry legs across two chairs and had decided not to strap her self in, which was fine, as her enhanced reflexes would compensate for any turbulence. Vixen was from Wundergore on Earth, she was an evolutionary part human and part fox. She was one of a number of New Evolutionaries who had joined the Sol space ark programme in order to escape some of the prejudices they still experienced on Earth, plus their natural hybrid abilities made them excellent crew members. In Vixen’s case these abilities were heightened extra sensory perception and increased agility making her a formidable combatant and tracker, however her animal side also made her extremely flirtatious when the urge was on her which angered quite a few of the females on board Sol. The final member of the team was a bit of a mystery too; he had been given the code name Crome and that was all he used, as he could remember no other name. Crome was found adrift in space on a derelict ship and taken aboard Sol. He soon proved himself very useful, although he had no memory of his past he could remember his skills in engineering and particularly in combat. However these were not Crome’s only advantages as a crewmember of Sol, Crome was covered from head to foot in a metallic coating which was odd in itself but this sheen was alive. The metallic symbiote also had no memory of what happened to them before Sol found them but did have the amazing ability to morph itself around Crome’s body to create various forms of weaponry or tools. This ability made Crome a very formidable opponent and Onan was glad he was on their side.  The combined personality of Crome and symbiote was fiercely loyal to Sol and her crew in gratitude for rescuing and giving him a home, especially to Onan. Onan and the other friends he had quickly made on board had also said they would help him discover his origins.

 

The plan to find Angel was simply to find Whyst who had “absorbed” her. Since his release from the service of the demon like Gamble Whyst had been making a bit of a name for himself in this galaxy’s underworld. Shan claimed he could feel Angel calling to him and was convinced he could retrieve her from inside Whyst if he could be found. It had taken a while but they finally had a lead on him and were off to meet a gentleman by the name of Skeet who claimed to have worked with whyst on behalf of a mutual employer and was prepared to sell what he knew.

Back in the hangar bay on board Sol Aura and Cyr’ll watched the ship depart from a viewing hatch. “You do think they’ll take care of him don’t you?” Cyr’ll asked never taking his eyes off the departing vessel.

“What seven of the toughest crew members on board Sol off in a state of the art vessel to rescue a cosmic powered being from a dangerous criminal, I’m sure it’ll be fine” Aura smirked down at her assistant as he hung his horse like head.

A few hours later Cruesoe was approaching Jetsam Paradise, a sleazy space station orbiting a dead moon in the middle of nowhere. Jetsam was a stop off point for a lot of this galaxies most undesirables.

Cruesoe pulled up along side the rusting station near the crumbling docking port.

“Let us off here then pull back and remember the plan” Onan ordered to his ship.

“Will do boss man” the liquid metal face of Cruesoe beamed as it morphed out of the nearest bulkhead to Onan.

“Jesus we’re gonna have to put a bell on him or something” Lighting squeaked as he nearly jumped out of his skin “does he have to do that?”

“I see you only pick those with nerves of steel for the security elite force” Liger sneered still tending to her weapon, causing Atlan and Vixen to surpress smirks.

The seven Sol crewmembers exited Cruesoe, who then quickly launched again and set into a steady orbit around Jetsam Paradise. Onan lead his crew through the docking port and into the main hub of the station.

“ What’s the place called we’re looking for?” Onan whispered to Shan over his shoulder.

“Its called The Pitt and it’s over there” Shan whispered back pointing across the square they were currently in. “O’noonan back on Sol knows the owner that’s how I got the tip”.

The Pitt bar looked shabby and run down even by the crumbling stations standards.

 

As Onan and the others approached the doorway a large Jaddroxian stepped in front of them.

“All weapons remain at the door” the Jaddroxian bouncer rumbled in his deep gravely voice. He was eyeing Liger’s gun “Clementine” suspiciously. 

“Ok everyone leave it all here” Onan ordered. A look of disbelief passed between the crew until Crome smirked and form his hands into blasters behind his back so the others could see. They all passed the bouncer placing their various weapons in his storage unit.

“She doesn’t come back the way I left her and I’ll be using your skull as a toilet” Liger growled. “Activate genetic lock” she added.

The Jaddroxian just smiled as he clearly towered over her “she?” he questioned but got no reply.

Shan scanned the room, briefly looking down at his holographic display of the man they were after. In a corner near the end of the dingy bar sat a small yellow skinned alien, two antennas grew from the top of his bald head. He was wearing a snug fitting business suit that had certainly seen better days and was idly flipping a coin in the air. Vixen was forced to stifle another laugh at this comical looking creature.  

“Skeet?” Onan enquired placing both hands palm down on the alien’s table.

“I prefer Mister Skeet” was the off hand reply as nine or ten other Jaddroxians who had been lounging around the bar came up behind Onan and the others to encircle them in the corner of the room.

“So Skeet” Onan continued pretending to ignore the fact that he was surrounded by nearly a dozen large powerfully built alien mercenaries who looked like they good give the legendary Hulk a run for his money. The others all followed Onan’s example, but Atlan was having a hard time masking his nerves. He was still relatively young for an Atlantean and this was his first big away mission.  “ I believe you were just about to tell me where I can find the man called Whyst”

“And why should I be doing that?” Skeet replied still tossing his coin. “What’s in it for me?”

“Oh I think you’ll be doing it out of a sense of good will” Onan smiled down at the would be gangster.    

“I very much doubt that” Skeet smirked. “I didn’t shell out for this muscle to be giving out information for free, especially to the law” he continued eyeing Onan’s security badge.

“But I think we have something you really need” Onan said rising from leaning on the table as a Jaddroxian hand clasped his shoulder. “Everybody grav-boots on”. With that the room was filled with the click of seven pairs of grav-boots securing themselves to the floor. “Now!” Onan commanded into his communicator and turned to face the bar’s window looking out into space. As all assembled followed Onan’s gaze a silver ship vaguely resembling a Kymellian Smartship rose into view its cannons targeted on the window.

“Roger chief” a voice replied back through the communicator. With that Cruesoe fired shattering the window completely. The doorway to the rest of the station immediately slammed shut to seal off the rest of the station from the vacuum. The crew of Sol 3 stood still their grav-boots holding them in place, oxygen masks fixed across their faces. Everyone else in the bar desperately clung to whatever was nearest to stop themselves been sucked out into space.

“You wanna tell me now?” Onan bellowed at Skeet over the noise out the oxygen been sucked out into space.

“You skreg, he’s in Stockade ok. Somehow the constabulary managed to capture him. He’s in bloody Stockade, now turn the emergency shielding on” Skeet screeched clinging to his nearest henchman who in turn was clutching the edge of the bar.

“That’s better,” Onan shouted back casually walking over to the shielding controls, his heavy grav-boots cluncking as he did so.

“He always like that?” Atlan whispered to Vixen as they left the station.

“He’s just riled up as one of his crews in trouble is all, plus that was him being nice. Welcome to Onan’s Elite!” she purred in reply.

“Believe me that wasn’t bad” Lighting added.

 

The Prison Planet Stockade, Deep space

“This is bad” Lighting sighed as he looked at the monitors in the office of the chief of security on Stockade.

 

“That’s just the vid links we’ve got working” Chief Summers said coming to stand by Lighting. Onan knew this was very bad if Summers was worried. Chief Summers was from a long line of space faring heroes who sometimes trod the fine line between rebels and piracy but ultimately their cause was just.  Onan had heard stories about the Summer’s Corsairs and was surprised one was acting as chief of security at the biggest prison in the galaxy, but in an odd sort of way it made sense.    

 

“The riot started about eight hours ago and has been raging ever since” Summers began to explain. “It started we believe with an escape attempt by the Earther known as Diablo. He somehow managed to contact the beast in his service Dragonman who promptly arrived and began tearing the place apart” Summers continued, then stopped to catch his breath.

“Don’t you have procedures for this kind of thing?” Onan enquired.

“Of course!” Summers snapped harsher than he had intended. “We have a system called Double D or as you might know him Drax the Destroyer, but the battle resulting between these two powerhouses has done more damage than we could have guessed. At the moment half of my men are trapped with some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy".

“That is bad,” Lighting added.

“That’s not the half of it, we have the freed prisoners contained for the moment but we can’t hold them for long plus they have some of my men as hostages now. As I see it our only option is to go in find Diablo and who ever is leading the riot and take them down. Plus find a way to disable this Dragonman” Chief Summers continued. 

“What about Whyst and Angel?” Shan asked an edge of desperation in his voice.

“Ah that’s why you’ll be going in with me in there” Summers smiled. “Diablo’s cellmate was prisoner 118 of as you know him Whyst, they were quite pally by all accounts, so where you find one the other is sure to be near”.

“Ok you head the man, lets lock and load” Onan bellowed turning to his team.

“About god damn time” was all Shan muttered in response.

“We’re going in there?” Atlan murmured looking at the monitors showing the prison riot in progress.

“Sure are kid, ain’t it cool” Vixen answered slapping him on the back.

Minutes later Onan,Shan and the others were assembled along with Summers and his men outside a huge metal arched doorway.

“This is the entrance to the cell blocks, 80% of the cells have been opened releasing some of the worst scum this galaxy has to offer” Summers briefed everyone. “Power is fluctuating due to the damage caused and which is still been caused by the Double D protocol. Shoot to incapacitate where possible but I am authorising kill shots “ Summers continued “ Any sign of the prisoner 118 or Whyst is to be immediately reported to Chief Onan or a member of his team, now lets go take our station back” Summers yelled the blood pumping through his veins as the mighty doors opened.  When the doors opened a sense of anti climax circulated the assembled security officers, as the entire area was deserted.

“Looks like the parties downstairs” Lighting joked covering the fact he may pee himself at any moment.

“I’ll take my team down to left and you take yours to the right, then make our way to the centre of the complex” Summers suggested. Onan nodded in agreement.

 

“Careful that’s where we last had Drax and Dragonman”.  

“Lighting scout ahead” Onan ordered.

“Great I’ll go off alone into the wrecked prison full of killers” Lighting answered sarcastically. However the look he received from Onan told him now was not the time for his brand of humour.

“Angel’s calls to me are getting stronger” the increasingly anxious Shan announced.

“Good means were on the right track,” Onan added. “Anything coming up?” Onan continued into his communicator, but there was no response from Lighting. “You getting anything Vix?” Onan enquired with some urgency as the team set off running in the direction Lighting had speeded off to moments ago.

“It’s hard to tell this place has so many strange smells, but there are definitely living beings up ahead” Vixen confirmed. 

As the team rounded the corner they screeched to a halt instantly aiming their collective weapons at the scene before them. Lighting was crouching over a downed Stockade Axi-tun security officer, his communicator cracked and sparking in place on the chest. Around them circled the Cult of Purification. These were inmates caught up in the religious bigotry of long term Stockade prisoner, the Earth born man known simply The Master. 

“According to the briefing Summers gave me on route these guys all believe in the purification of the races of the universe and a end to genetic abnormalities. With Max been a mutant I don’t think he’s gone down too well” Onan answered the looks on his team’s faces. The two groups faced each other in stand off. The cultists had managed to arm them selves quite well from the guards they had killed or wounded. However Onan knew his teams abilities would give them the advantage and that Max could take care of himself. 

“And still more of you genetic trash and halflings infest my new kingdom” a booming voice came from above. The centuries old Master leaped from his perch two floors up and landed between his cultists and Onan. The Master was as big and powerfully built as he ever was, his once blonde hair and clean shaven chin had given way to flowing pure white hair and a full long beard. Cybernetics could be seen strewn around his body, which may explain in some part his extended years. 

“Oh cruk! Ok enough of this crap. Elite move on through and Max move your butt!” Onan ordered as he charged head long at The Master pulling out his hand cannon as he moved. Before he could raise his weapon The Master had clutched by the throat, lifting him off the ground with one outstretched arm.

“Pathetic half breed, you’re not even worth my effort” The Master scowled. The others were having better luck taking on the cultists, using their abilities to overwhelm the most normal humanoids. Vixen leapt about using her bestial agility to kick and punch any poor sap that got in her way. Battalion was in the thick of it, as she fired various different rounds from Clementine, sending bodies flying. Shan although distracted by the voice of Angel in his head held off a number of cultists. Lighting was busy using his speed to disarm the cultists leaving them open to attack by Atlan’s war staff. It was then Atlan noticed Onan’s predicament. Atlan whirled round and fired his war staff at full power into the back of The Master. This had very little effect except for some scorching and causing The Master to turn his head in Atlan’s direction. This was all the opportunity Onan needed.

“Let’s see how you handle close range” Onan winced putting his powerful modified hand cannon right up against The Master’s chin. Onan pulled the trigger, sending The Master hurtling literally head over heels and releasing his grasp on Onan’s throat. Onan nodded his thanks to Atlan.

“ Welcome to the Elite” Atlan smiled back.

By this point The Elite had most of the cultists backing into a corner. 

“You will all die” The Master roared as he rose to his feet once more.  He clenched his powerful fists and was about to take a step forward when he heard a tremendous cracking sound from the wall behind him. There was no time for The Master to move out of the way as the brawling forms of Drax the Destroyer and Dragon Man came tearing through the wall. The two behemoths and tons of debris landed directly on top of The Master knocking him clean out. 

“Drax is sick of Lizard Guy” The Destroyer moaned pummeling the reptilian creature beneath him.  Unseen by the Destroyer the ancient alchemist Diablo emerged from the hole in the wall carried aloft by two of the Dragonman’s hatchlings. Diablo flew in front of the Destroyer blowing some twinkling orange dust in his face. Drax immediately fell asleep.

Dragonman rose unsteadily to his feet behind his master. “I think it is about time we left this place” Diablo announced to no one in particular.  Diablo’s announcement was followed by a stream of the worst on Stockade escaping through the hole in the wall lead by the sythezoid housing the intelligence of the Mad Thinker. 

“I have taken control of a ship we are ready to leave now” the Mad Thinker made his own announcement. It was then that in the middle of the crowd of villains Shan noticed Whyst.

“Angel!” Shan screamed rising into the air. Shan began to glow a bluish colour as he exercised his unrefined cosmic potential. An immense wave of energy released from his body pinning friend and foe alike to the walls of the room. The energy plucked Whyst from the wall.

“Where is she give her back to me!” Shan screamed at the terrified villain.

“I I I can’t my powers don’t work that way I just absorb” Whyst stammered in the face of such power. 

“Nooooooo!” Shan continued to scream, energy billowing from his eyes. “I will retrieve her myself”.

With this everyone was released from the wall and all watched mesmerized as Shan’s energy speared whyst’s chest. Whyst screeched in agony but Shan didn’t stop. Suddenly Whyst erupted in an almost blinding flash. When the light dissipated Shan could be seen unconscious in the arms of Dark Angel with the crumpled form of Whyst lying at her feet.

“His power is gone take them!” the Thinker yelled the collective villains former incarcerated in Stockade surged forward. Diablo mounted his faithful steed Dragon man and prepared to leave. The Emerald fist of Drax however rudely interrupted this as he woke up from his forced nap. With Diablo down Dragonman was lost and confused, little more than a trapped animal. Another flying fist sent Dragonman flying through the hole he and Drax had created earlier. 

“To the ship” the Thinker yelled to those that had chosen to follow him.

“Oh I don’t think so” a loud commanding voice came from the balcony of the level above as an energy net flew down trapping the Thinker within. The voice belonged to chief Summers who leaped from the balcony using his grav boots to slow his decent.  From all the doorways leading to the room Summers’ officers poured in weapons draw. Summers’ not finding much resistance as everybody seemed to be around Onan’s team had spent his time rounding up his men who were trapped with the prisoners when the riot began. A few hours later the inmates had been re-caged along with new prisoner Dragonman or prisoner 204 as he was now known. 

“Thank you for all your assistance here chief” Summers said shaking Onan firmly by the hand. “I’m glad you got the little lady back safe and sound”.

“Me too” Onan answered. With that he left to join the others on board Crusoe to head back to Sol.

Hours later a nervous Kymellian engineer was staring out of porthole in the side of Sol, as he had been doing for hours previously.

“Two clicks to your left” Gully’s voice came over Cyr’ll’s communicator. Cyr’ll shifted his attention and let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding as he saw the unscathed Cruesoe returning home. 

 

Author’s Notes

Well there you go the final part of the trilogy myself and Travis planned to tie up a number of the lose ends from the series. I most admit I have really enjoyed Cyberspace and it’s characters, both created ones and established. I would definatly like to return to Sol one day and if I get just one request I will. Please let me know what you think as always you can get me at daveevans78@hotmail.com or at the Pendragons mailing list.

Cheers

Dave