El Juego - SDIV Chapter Four Pt1

Chapter Four

Private Yacht
Princess Marie
Fold Space

The vagaries of Fold Space affected everyone differently. There were some who spoke of psychedelic nightmares, yet to Alana it had always been a gut-wrenching entry, weeks of boredom and an even worse exit. Not this time. From the exact second of entry she had suffered; vomiting until there was nothing left to project, blood dripping from nose and ears and the awful wailing sound which threatened to collapse her skull. Something had changed and she could only think that it had been Viker.

Their pilot was unconscious and so the craft continued on its unknown course, with no indication of the duration of their torture. Alana just wanted it to stop. Her last conscious thought was of the pain increasing, heightening her agony and then darkness claimed her.

*

Space shimmered and the Princess Marie re-entered reality smoothly. Those within her protective steel shell whimpered and cried, vomited and bled, and some even died with the strain of their passage. Faint tendrils of light clung for a brief instant before dissipating into the surrounding blackness. This was the last touch of their erstwhile Lord, whose pique had turned him into a murderer. Momentum continued her flight as she left Fold Space, yet it was the only velocity she had. Her engines lay idle and the craft drifted until gravity caught her and pulled her relentlessly in.

Game Control
Flagship
Unknown Location

“Scan them.”

There was a grunt of acceptance and the console whirred.

“Small yacht. General rabble...although we do have armoured personnel.”

“Elite troops?”

“The scan shows a pleasing level of technology...and something else,” the silver-haired man slapped his hand against the screen, causing the readout to shiver and then clear.

“Nope. It’s gone now.”

His companion laughed, “Segregate the soldiers and place the others in Zone Two. If nothing else, they will make a useful food source.”

In response to the hammering of fingers on the keyboard, the Flagship’s main hold opened releasing a bulky craft which moved purposefully towards the yacht. On board the private vessel, Alana still slept oblivious of her impending danger.