Howler had lost all track of time as she explored the alien ship. Her anger on having been denied the choker had now faded. Upon reflection, Howler realized that the pain she had experienced was very similar to the same agonies she suffered when separated from her amulet. Could it be that the amulet itself didn't want Howler to possess the choker?
While those thoughts did cross her mind, Howler tried not to dwell on them. She could never been sure just who was in charge at times. Was it her or was it the amulet? Could it read her mind and manipulate her thoughts? Sometimes Ruth Levy felt like a passenger who had been taken on a very strange ride. That she was not in charge of her own destiny.
Howler could no longer deny to herself that there was a mental connection between the amulet and her. She hadn't really noticed it at first. One instance that showed this was when she could mysteriously comprehend the noises in the examination room. The noises were simply sounds at first, but somehow Howler had translated them into English. Or rather something had translated them. The amulet being the cause of this was the only thing that made sense. It was a product of this alien technology and had fully ingrained itself in Howler's physiology.
What was it the voice had said? 'Individual medium identified. ID code Zanthar'? What exactly did that mean? Was Zanthar also one of these aliens?
Logically, the voice was speaking of the amulet itself. It was the only thing in Howler's possession that was not terrestrial in origin. It was obvious that the amulet was a focus of sonic power. Perhaps this Zanthar was the previous possessor of the amulet. Then he was the skeleton that Howler had found in the shipwreck all those years ago. Her unknown benefactor now had a name.
As she explored further, other information began to form in Howler's mind. Instructions and commands simply came into her thoughts. It was these same unexplainable insights that led Howler to her current location.
The sonic villainess stood facing the wall in one of the many outwardly identical hallways, her white cape covering her dark blue costume. After screeching a series of seemingly unintelligible shrieks, a portion of the metallic wall shimmered into something else. Images appeared on the surface of the wall. It reminded Howler of a computer display.
In short order Howler was exploring the computer system of the alien spacecraft. A floor plan for the ship came up and Howler gave it a quick look over. The layout of the ship was surprising generalized. There were no specific crew quarters or hardly any dedicated chambers.
On this ship such things were not necessary. The strange metal that formed the rooms and chambers was malleable. Each chamber could be altered to meet a specific need, and then changed to serve a different function with ease. Thus a room could be a dining area at one time, a crewman's quarters the next, and later changed into an examination room. It did serve to cut down on space needed inside the ship.
The display changed on Howler once more. It flipped back to the ship's layout. She glanced at it for a few moments before registering the change. There were a handful of dedicated rooms on the ship. Such as a main control room, the power systems and ship's propulsion chambers, and a medical section. Every few minutes the display would change back to this particular screen.
Annoyed at the change, Howler moved back into the computer's archives and records. Perhaps here she could find out more about the aliens and their technology. There must be some way to break the hold the pulsating orange amulet had on her. Or at the very least, counteract the pain it could induce.
Mission records unfolded before Howler, but these were just a general outline. The highly secured records remained beyond her ability to access. As she read, Howler came to realize that Azkan was in a sense an alien anthropologist. He had come to Earth to study all their life forms and catalog them.
His ship had arrived on Earth well over a thousand years ago, landing far away from civilization on a South Pacific island. Azkan traveled the Earth collecting specimens and samples. Returning to his ship, he used the super science the aliens possessed to recreate extinct life forms from trace DNA samples.
Next he divided the island into game preserves so that he could study his specimens in their natural habitats. Each creature had been specifically engineered to remain within their own areas to prevent creatures crossing from one preserve to the other. The boundaries between each preserve were invisible to the naked eye. Azkan could freely pass between the preserves, as could anyone not engineered for a specific habitat.
The years passed and the number and sizes of the preserves expanded rapidly. While space on the island was finite, Azkan was able to fold space and overlap the preserves. Each preserve existed independently of the other habitats.
Azkan collected living specimens as well, such as a small group of Aztecs before European invaders could destroy their culture. A route for stragglers to follow was set up, but none had successfully completed the journey in Azkan's time. With the rise in human technology and their rampant exploration of their world, Azkan decided to conceal his preserve from the primitives. The island was shunted just out of phase of reality. Explorers could literally sail right through Azkan's island and never realize that it was there.
Before Howler could read any further, a security alarm sounded. The image on the computer screen shifted to ship's layout display. The source of the problem was pinpointed on the map.
"I better investigate this," Howler complained in annoyance. In spite of her mood, the words came out in a very seductive tone. Throwing open her white cape, Howler took one step and then rose up into the air. The sonic-villainess flew off to investigate the cause of this intrusion.
Panda and Raccoon kept pace with the unusual procession. To their left was the prize of the latest hunt: a dimetrodon. Neither mutant was exactly sure just what that meant. All they knew was that it was some sort of dinosaur long thought extinct. Exactly how it survived all these millions of year was a mystery. Maybe aliens really had set up this place as Howler claimed.
Both mutants were sweltering in the tropical heat. The costumes they wore didn't help matters any. There had been no sign of either Howler or Tempest since the new island had appeared. Neither could be sure of the two women's fate, but both had the suspicion that Daigon had something to do with their disappearance.
Carlson was in charge of things once more. With Daigon doing Carlson's bidding, Raccoon and Panda deferred to their authority. Both knew, however, that the situation could quickly change once more. They fully expected Daigon to turn on them once they were no longer useful. Such was the nature of these types of alliances of convenience.
There were over a dozen heavily armed men in the procession that was dragging the dimetrodon back to base camp on the island shore. It was the largest specimen to be captured this far. It took two jeeps just to drag the giant lizard along. Men armed with shock-sticks lined the side of the dimetrodon. They would shock the beast into submission if need be. A few of the more sadistic men would shock the lizard just for the fun of it.
The husband and wife mutants were on edge. There had been assaults by many strange creatures while on the island. Some of Carlson's men had been killed, trampled, and mauled. So much so, that everyone was in a high state of alertness. No one knew when another ambush was going to occur.
Thanks to her nose for danger, Panda realized that something was just about to happen. "Robin! Be careful, luv. We're in for trouble!"
A moment later, cries of alarm rang out over the sound of the jeeps and the grunts of the dimetrodon they were dragging along. Fingers were pointed off to the other side of the dinosaur. Intruders were moving in rapidly! Yet another battle seemed inevitable.
"Tigress!", Gladiator called out almost in annoyance. "No! Come back here!" The commands of the mentor of the Young Champions went unheeded. Gladiator could tell that the procession was in a high state of alertness. It was only a matter of moments before he and his team were discovered.
The Tigress continued to glide forward through the high grass, her senses solely locked upon her prey: the armored form of Daigon. Just like a true feline, the Tigress curved around her prey attempting to strike unsuspectingly from the rear. She would move as close as possible and then pounce.
"Move out. Let's give her a hand," Gladiator instructed the rest of the Young Champions. With that, Gladiator stalked after Tigress and towards the procession. Behind him, Archangel drew his broadsword and readied himself to take flight. Sapphire moved through the tall grass, not bothering to conceal her presence. That just left Terra Fire and Nemesis behind.
Nemesis finally managed to pull herself away from her newly discovered friend. In this case, it was a Sabre-Tooth tiger kitten. While it was the size of fully-grown German shepherd, the animal was still a baby of its species. It had allowed Jennifer to hug and pet it while it repeatedly licked the young girl's face. Jennifer had even named her new friend 'Snuggles'.
Nemesis took to the air and then came to a pause upon seeing the dimetrodon being dragged along like a prize catch. "You leave him alone, you meanies!", Nemesis cried out in shock. How could they be hurting such a cute critter like that?
Acting without thought, Jennifer gestured towards the men with the shock-sticks. The ground before the men exploded, sending a shower of earth and rock every which way. The force of the blast dropped three of the shock-stick bearers like flies.
One was unfortunate enough to land close to the mouth of the dimetrodon. The ancient dinosaur whipped around and bit the man deeply in the chest. Blood flowed freely from the wounds and down the sides of the dimetrodon mouth. The thug never had a chance and died screaming as his chest was crushed.
Jason took several steps forward, but was content to remain at a distance. His training thus far had demonstrated that he was best served in combat in the role of a sniper. He didn't have the strength or toughness to go toe to toe with other superhumans. Terra Fire gestured towards a group of four armed men. At his command, the earth began to move of its own accord. The ground literally swelled up and engulfed the men, leaving only their shoulders and heads uncovered.
Archangel followed Nemesis in and flew towards the dimetrodon. "Lets give these thugs something else to worry about!" His broadsword drawn, 'Angel sliced the lines connecting the jeeps to the dimetrodon.
The effect was instantaneous. The jeeps, no longer dragging along their gigantic burden, unexpectedly accelerated. The vehicles surged forward wildly, causing several of the passengers to come flying out. One vehicle crashed headlong into a tree, while the driver of the second vehicle managed to regain control and safely bring the vehicle to a stop.
The dimetrodon spat out the man it he had been chomping on and turned to its right. More of the men that had been tormenting it were invitingly before the beast trapped in earthen mound that Jason had created. They wouldn't be trapped, nor living, for much longer.
Following behind the dimetrodon, Daigon watched as the attack started. Before she could even react, the dinosaur had been freed and was on the rampage. She quickly scanned the battlefield and found unfamiliar foes rapidly approaching. A large blue skinned woman emerged from the high grass. She looked like a tough costumer.
"Good," the demoness hissed, her red and gold armor glistening in the tropical sun. "It's been too boring around here lately. Time to bust heads and break bones!"
The villainess started to move forward, but paused in her action. Something made her turn around. The Tigress emerged from the high grass and was moving towards her. Daigon had only a split second to prepare herself for the incoming attack.
"Hey there, Ms. Creepy!", Tigress called out once she had been spotted. "Did ya miss me?"
The Tigress sailed in feet first and landed a drop kick on the armored thug. Daigon was braced for the attack and unmoved by the assault. The Tigress hit with a clang and then flipped backwards away from her foe. The feline Young Champion landed on the balls of her feet ready to make her next move.
"I've been looking forward to our reunion, cat girl. You will not catch me unawares again!" Daigon lunged forward swinging, but missed the nimble heroine. Tigress simply tumbled away from the assault.
"It seemed only fair to me, since you like to sucker punch people so much! Give you a taste of your own medicine!" The Tigress leaped once more in an attempt to kick Daigon. This time, the armored mercenary ducked under the attack, allowing Tigress to sail harmlessly overhead. She landed a short distance away and was quickly ready to renew the fight.
"You'll not find me so easy to beat this time," Daigon taunted. "I'm going to enjoy crushing your bones into dust!"
"Big talk, Ms. Creepy, from such a twit! Bring it on!"
"I'll rip your heart out!" Daigon let out a battle cry and moved in on Tigress, eager to continue the battle. Each combatant was now oblivious to what was transpiring around them. There own personal duel was all that mattered.
Inside the pyramid/ship, Tempest was having her own problems. "Let me go!", she screamed to no avail. The mechanical arms that had emerged from the ceiling continued to hold her fast. They were too strong for the young woman to break free from with brute force.
In spite of the fear she was feeling, Tempest began to concentrate. The more relaxed she was the easier it was to change forms. While the tentacles holding her captive could not be overpowered, once she had changed into air there would be nothing solid for them to grasp.
As a serene look came to over Jessica's face, yet another tentacle emerged from the ceiling. This new mechanical limb ended in a three-pronged claw. Tempest inadvertently gasped as the newcomer snaked its way towards her face!
The horror Tempest was feeling turned into full fledge panic. The appendage drew closer and suddenly stopped mere inches away from Jessica's face. She couldn't help but stare at it with wide eyes. As she watched, a small opening appeared between the three claws at the base of the limb. An orange colored gas began to issue forth.
The next thing Jessica knew she was falling, the gas harmlessly passing overhead. The tentacles were above her and growing more distant. Tempest felt disorientated for a moment and then hit the deck with a splash. It took a few more seconds before Jess realized that she had indeed changed forms, but into water instead of air. She had simply flowed free of the tentacles and gravity did the rest.
It was a new experience for Tempest, who had only changed into her water form while actually underwater before. Her 'body' was a large puddle lying on the floor. It was a very disconcerting feeling.
Overhead, the tentacles snaked about seemingly in confusion. One moment the intruder was formerly in their grasp, the next it had disappeared and was off sensors once more. The only anomaly was a puddle of water on the deck surface. The tentacles snaked about, trying to re-locate their target.
Tempest remained on the floor, watching the tentacles dance overhead. So far they had paid her no heed. Perhaps they could not detect her in this state. Maybe that's why the door to the room Jessica had awoken in had opened. One moment they were examining her, the next she had seemed to vanish when she had changed into air.
Jess tried to move along the floor and away from the mechanical arms. She was hesitant to change back to her normal human form in fear that they would come after her again. Maybe she could reach a safe place before her energy ran out and she was forced to change back.
"Blimey", Panda cursed. "It's that cat girl again and this time she's got friends!"
One of the new arrivals wore white and gold and was airborne on white feathery wings. He made an excellent target Panda thought. The mutant's ears twitched as she launched a mental assault at her angelic foe. He plummeted to the ground without a sound.
"This is perfect," Raccoon said aloud. As he spoke, a field of blackness came into existence around himself and Panda. "Come on, Ginger, let's blow this pop stand!"
"Robin?", Panda cried out in confusion. She felt her husband's strong hand grasp hers and begin to lead her away through the patch of darkness. "What are you doing?"
"We're getting out of here, luv. Let Daigon, Carlson, and their cronies' deal with this lot. We've got ourselves a ship to catch!"
A smile came over Panda's features and she realized just what Raccoon was suggesting. Considering everything that Daigon had done on this job, abandoning the creepy mercenary was somehow fitting. This diversion could be used to their advantage. All they had to do was reach the Jade Princess, deal with the few men left behind and sail away.
Sapphire emerged from the high weeds just in time to see Archangel plummet from the ground. The azure-skinned warrior couldn't see where the attack that downed him had come from. Archangel was clearly not in control of his facilities as he hit the ground hard. He was still conscious, but seemed to be unaware of his surroundings. The winged Young Champion landed dangerous close to the dimetrodon and had been noticed.
"I never knew that such powerful creatures existed on Earth," Sapphire remarked in admiration. Clearly, the beast was a powerful hunter. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth and its maw was large enough to grab man-sized prey.
The giant lizard grabbed another of Carlson's men in its mouth. The man couldn't help but scream as he was nearly bitten in half. The dimetrodon whipped its victim around in its mouth before spitting the bloody carcass out. The unfortunate man's remains landed with a sploosh. The great lizard next rumbled towards the prone and defenseless Archangel!
Upon seeing this Sapphire rushed to defend her teammate. She interposed herself between Archangel and the dimetrodon. "You are free now," Sapphire told the giant lizard. "Return to your home!"
The ancient dinosaur, even if it could understand, ignored Sapphire's plea. Instead it snapped at the large woman, trying to bite her. Sapphire easily avoided the clumsy attempt.
"If it is battle you wish, then it is battle you shall have!" Sapphire gritted her teeth and then unloaded on the dimetrodon. She struck the beast under the chin, causing the head to whip upwards wildly. The force of the blow lifted the dinosaur off of its feet and flipped it over in the air.
For a brief moment, all combat in the area ceased as everyone watched the huge dinosaur that had taken two jeeps just to drag along went flying backwards from one punch! The dimetrodon hit the ground hard. It lay on its side, disorientated from Sapphires punch.
"Way to go, big blue!" Archangel had shook off the pain in his head just in team to see Sapphire lay out the dimetrodon. "What a punch!"
Sapphire turned to face Archangel as he forced himself to his feet. "The beast would have torn you to pieces. I had to act."
"Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did!" Looking around, Archangel realized that he and Sapphire were not alone. Carlson's men had gathered their wits from the sudden attack. Rifles and pistols were being drawn, while a few men with shock sticks were advancing. "But it looks like this party is just getting warmed up!" Archangel reclaimed his broadsword and joined the fray.
A guy with a shock stick came running up towards Sapphire. He pressed his weapon into the large woman's side. For a few seconds, a powerful current was discharged into Sapphire's body. Her long dark blue hair stood on end during the attack.
Confident that his foe had been defeated, the thug pulled his weapon back. To his immense surprise, Sapphire did not simply collapse to the ground. In fact, she didn't appear to be experiencing any pain at all! It was not a look of agony that was on her face, but one of annoyance!
"You cannot hurt me with your little stings," the large woman growled.
"Oh hell..." the thug managed to mumble before Sapphire hit him with a backhanded slap. The man was instantly rendered unconscious. He wouldn't remember sailing thirty feet through the air or his ungraceful impact in the high grass.
After unleashing her attack that blew away the men tormenting the dinosaur, Nemesis simply hung in the air overhead. She watched with great interest as the fight took place. She cheered as the dinosaur was freed, but was repulsed as the beast extracted its bloody revenge.
"Icky!", the young woman said as she crinkled her nose. "That's so gross! How could that cute critter do something so nasty?"
As Carlson's men entered the battle, one couldn't help but notice the pink clad girl hovering in the sky. He took aim and opened fired with his assault rifle!
Before Jennifer could even comprehend what was going on, a flurry of bullets struck her. The young girl plummeted from the sky without a sound.
"Jennifer!", Terra Fire screamed as he came running out from the tall grass. He had just witnessed Nemesis being shot! Jason's mind was in full panic! Jennifer could be hurt, or even worse, dead! "You murdering scum!"
Terra Fire's outburst attracted the attention of other thugs. A different man had Jason in his sights and fired. The first impact stopped Terra Fire dead in his tracks. Jason couldn't help but look down at his chest where the bullet struck him. He couldn't comprehend what had just occurred. A second shot put him down without a sound as well.
Gladiator emerged from the high grass to find Tigress and who he guessed to be Daigon locked in deadly combat. Knowing of the personal grudge that existed between the two, Gladiator was content to watch. This battle should be a fine test of the Tigress' skills. Mock combats were useful, but this was the real thing against an unforgiving foe.
The two combatants were not holding anything back. In short order it became clear that this Daigon was a skilled combatant. She lacked the Tigress' speed and agility, but her protective armor more than made up for that shortcoming. To defeat Daigon, Tigress would have to land many more blows than Daigon would need to win.
Gladiator couldn't help be feel pride in witnessing his student's performance. No longer was she the unskilled young girl who had arrived on Sanctuary all those many months ago. Erica now had completely mastered all her abilities. There was no doubt, no second-guessing as she fought. Tigress was now operating on instinct.
Gunfire drew Gladiator away from the battle. He turned just in time to see Nemesis fall from the sky. Gladiator felt his mouth go dry as he realized that Jennifer had been shot! Cursing himself for not keeping a better eye on his other students, Gladiator ran towards Jennifer.
As he moved across the clearing, more shots rang out and Terra Fire went down. That just further fueled Gladiator's fury. He changed course and rushed towards the gunmen. They fired at the advancing hero, but he deftly deflected the bullets away with his forearm bracers.
Gladiator plowed into the gunmen before they could realize what hit them. Precisely aimed chops and kicks disarmed two of the gunmen a heartbeat later. Three seconds later they would be unconscious.
An anger that he hadn't felt in many years swelled up inside Gladiator. He didn't hold anything back and Carlson's men faced his full, unleashed fury. The entire battle didn't last longer than fifteen seconds. Carlson's men never had a prayer.
When the gunfire broke out, Tigress couldn't help but turn to see what was going on. It was the opening that Daigon had been waiting for.
"That was a mistake, bitch," Daigon cursed in amusement. "Now you will pay!"
Daigon struck with a gauntleted fist to the ribcage of the Tigress. The armored mercenary heard and felt the satisfactory sound of bones breaking. Tigress couldn't help but cry out in pain. The heroine gingerly tumbled away from Daigon.
"Yeah, you're really good at cheap shots, Ms. Creepy. You never could win a straight up fight!" The Tigress' side felt like it was on fire. It definitely felt like she had broken a rib. She couldn't help but guard that side away from her foe.
Daigon used the small break to see what was going on around her. Those blasted misfit mutants, Panda and Raccoon, were nowhere to be seen. Daigon cursed the husband and wife pair and swore revenge if their paths ever crossed again.
The situation had gone straight to hell. Carlson's men were on the verge of defeat, meaning that Tigress' allies would soon turn their full attention to Daigon. She was not pleased with those odds.
The armored mercenary turned back to Tigress. "Follow me if you wish to finish this in private. If you've got the guts!" Daigon activated her jet pack and boots and rose into the air. She hovered about ten feet above the plain and then flew off towards a lightly forested area.
"Hey, get back here! I'm not through kicking your can!"
The Tigress winced in pain, but stalked after her foe. She hadn't come this far to simply let her get away, even hurt. They would settle this grudge today one way or the other. Without looking back and trying to block out the pain, the Tigress set out after the elusive Daigon.
Terra Fire sat up in surprise. He felt his chest and was greatly relieved to find no bloodstains. Jason had been shot twice, but neither bullet had penetrated his skin. Other than feeling like a mule had kicked him, Terra Fire felt no worse for wear.
"I guess that's what Dr. Marin meant by dense skin," he muttered to himself with a laugh. During his first examination on Sanctuary, Dr. Marin had stated that Jason had 'dense skin' and that it probably could stop bullets. Not that Jason had been eager to test that particular theory! Still, it appeared to be an accurate one.
"Jennifer!"
Terra Fire scrambled to his feet upon remembering that he wasn't the only one who had been shot. He started to run towards where he had seen Jennifer fall. As he moved along, he subconsciously willed the ground to rise up and carry him along as if it were a wave of water.
In short order he reached Jennifer's side. The earthen wave was willed away as he knelt down beside Nemesis. Snuggles was already beside Jennifer. The great cat was licking the young girl's face, but Jennifer had not stirred. Jason was relieved to note that there were no apparent wounds on the young girl. Maybe her skin was also bullet proof?
"How is she?"
The query came from behind Terra Fire. He turned to see Gladiator approaching, Sapphire following behind him. "I think Jen's just unconscious. I don't see any bullet wounds."
"That is a relief," Gladiator acknowledged. "I had feared the worse."
"Me too. I don't ever want to be shot like that again! At least now I know I can take it, but still..."
"The small one is surprisingly tough," Sapphire noted.
Archangel flew in and landed a short distance away. "Hey, Sarge. I don't see Tigress and her armored friend anywhere."
Gladiator rose to his feet once more and scanned the surrounding area. "Obviously, there are two possibilities. They have either run off to continue their battle in private or Tigress has been taken prisoner. I find the former to be the most likely occurrence."
"So what do we do now?" Terra Fire's question hung in the air unanswered.
Epilogue:
Tempest was nearly exhausted. Crawling along in her water form was far more physically demanding then she could have ever imagined. Thus far she had only traveled about twenty feet away from where she had landed with a splash. Most of the tentacles had retreated back to their ceiling cavities, but four were still visible.
Jess could feel herself changing back to flesh and blood. She had changed forms enough now that she took it for granted. It wasn't as scary as the very first time had been when she nearly collided with a tree while chasing Archangel. After the events of the last week, the time she, Jason and Jennifer arrived on Sanctuary seemed almost a lifetime ago.
Once solid, Tempest scampered to her feet and started to run. Maybe she could out run the mechanical arms. It was a vain and futile hope.
New openings appeared in the ceiling above her followed by more of the metallic tentacles. They streaked forward with nearly blinding speed. One whipped around Jessica's ankle, causing the young woman to trip. Spent, she crumbled to the floor. A moment later, the tentacle started to drag her back down the hallway while other limbs attached themselves to her body.
"This is just great," Tempest wearily thought to herself. "Done in by a alien octopus!"
As before, a tentacle snaked towards her face. Perhaps it would attempt to subdue her with gas like it had tried earlier. At least she hoped it was only some type of knock out gas. Heart pounding, Tempest could only watch and wait. A fearful grimace was locked on her young face.
Suddenly, an almost unearthly screech filled the hallway. It seemed to come from everywhere and hurt Tempest's ears. A moment later, the tentacles released Jessica, causing her to fall to the metal deck with a thud. While that was happening, the arms all retracted into the ceiling and were covered over once more as if they were never there.
"Are you injured?", a very seductive voice inquired. Lifting her head up, Tempest could see Howler floating down the hallway towards her. The sonic villainess landed a few feet away.
"I'll live," Tempest groaned in response. "What the heck is going on here? What were those things? What did you do?"
"It was the ship's security system. I have deactivated it now. As near as I can figure, they considered you to be a specimen that had escaped." Howler offered the prone Tempest a hand and helped the girl back to her feet.
"That's what I was beginning to feel like," Tempest added. "Thanks for the help. How did you do that, anyway? Didn't they try to catch you too?"
"Fortunately, no. My amulet is a product of this same technology. They considered me to be one of their own. From what I can tell, this whole ship is automated. There is no true intelligence in action here, just a computer carrying out its programming."
"So now what? Where do we go from here?"
Howler paused for a moment before answering. "I think we should go this way."
With Howler in the lead, the two women walked along the corridors of the alien ship. In Tempest's eyes, it all looked like the same dull passageway over and over again.
"Are you sure you know where you are going?", Tempest inquired after a time. "This all looks the same to me."
"Yes, I believe so. I've seen the schematics for the space ship several times now." In spite of her claim, there was a hint of uncertainty in Howler's seductive voice. Something was pulling her in this particular direction. The reason why remained a mystery even to her.
The pair emerged into a good-sized chamber. Much larger then any of the rooms either woman had seen before. There was much equipment here, none of which was even vaguely familiar to Tempest. The dominant feature was a small enclosure in the middle of the chamber. The walls were transparent, perhaps made of some type of glass-like substance.
"So what is this place?", Tempest demanded, hands on hips. "The kitchen I hope. I'm starving!"
Howler looked around, momentarily confused. "I believe this to be a medical lab of some type." The sonic villainess moved deeper into the chamber, slowly examining the equipment as she passed. She ran her gloved fingers across the controls. "I have been drawn here for a reason."
"What reason is that? What is going on?"
Howler did not answer any of Tempest's questions. Instead, she stood before a control panel that faced the enclosed glass chamber. She opened her mouth, but no comprehendible words came out. Instead, it was a stream of sounds and shrieks. It was very similar to the same howl that had been used to activate the obelisks and deactivate the mechanical arms. The controls seemed to glow in response.
Tempest just stood back and watched. There was a puzzled, but curious look to her young face. Just what was Howler doing? Should she interfere? Jess thought about it for a few seconds and decided no. Howler had been fair with her thus far. No need to question her motives just yet.
As Tempest watched, a glow of unknown energy began to form inside the glass chamber. It was small, almost unnoticeable at first, but rapidly grew in size and intensity. Howler's amulet pulsated a bit faster, almost in rhythm with the energy inside the chamber. Suddenly, Howler's head jerked up and she looked directly towards the glass chamber. And then she screamed!
Tempest couldn't help but cover her ears in pain. A stream of orange and yellow energy erupted from inside Howler towards the glass-like chamber. The blast passed harmlessly through the transparent walls of the chamber and merged with the energy already inside. The sonic discharge continued on for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, the screaming stopped. Howler crumbled to the floor, seemingly exhausted from what had just transpired. Tempest was on her knees by this point, the ringing in her ears blocking out all other sounds.
Looking up, Tempest could see that something was happening inside the glass chamber. The various energies were coalescing into a definable shape. It took time, but soon Tempest realized that it was humanoid in appearance, but much taller and thinner than a regular human. The creature was bluish-gray in color and lacked body hair of any type. Its eyes were the size of lemons and jet black in color, but its mouth was small in comparison. There was no nose.
A door simply appeared in the glass-enclosed chamber. After a pause, the alien creature stepped out and took in his surroundings. What Tempest considered to be a malevolent smile came to the beings face. It was dressed in what looked like an orange jumpsuit to Tempest.
"What the hell are you?", Tempest managed to cry out as she struggled to her feet.
The alien just looked at the young woman in contempt. It opened its tiny mouth and screamed! Sonic energy battered Tempest, flinging her back against the wall. Then she collapsed to the floor in a pile.
Seemingly satisfied with his efforts, the alien stalked towards the chamber's exit. His tool had finally completed her task. Soon he would be on his way home once this ship was completely under his control. Then there would be terrible vengeance wrecked upon his enemies!
