Act 1 - Island Affairs
Chapter 1 - The past catches up
Sydney ran along the compacted sand of the beach lining Mwarotu Bay, the cloaked
Majestic
sat at anchor in the deep water to his left. The big muscular man with his dark mane of hair with its errant lock across his forehead shook as he ran. The dark-blue eyes were focussed on the sand in front of his feet barely lit by the pale overhead moon. Sydney's enhanced vision made it easy for him to see in the darkness and his feet found solid ground easily as he loped.
Ian and Thelma had chosen the big bay on the relatively unpopulated west coast of the Solomon Islands to allow their leader time to fully recover from his poisoning before he faced the media and hectic schedule of the upcoming cricket tour. The tranquil waters and warm sunshine had done as much for his recovery as the love and attention he had received in the little sick bay on board the big boat.
Running would help improve his fitness and he knew that he still had a little bit of work to do to convince the doctors on board the boat of his total recovery, particularly because of the bulbs, as Alfred called them, of trapped poison that still remained in his body. Not only that, Esmeralda had disappeared and running took away the worry he was feeling about her absence. The Zygotian had resided comfortably in Keith Richardson's body whilst Sydney was totally incapacitated but had only briefly came to him when he finally was allowed out of his bed.
Recalling the strange encounter with his lifetimes friend and protector he puzzled over the things she had told him. "I have to leave you for a while my lord," she had said softly in his mind. The voice was one of sadness and yet at the same time held an excitement that Sydney could not quite fathom. When he pressed her for more information she had been effusively evasive. Talking about how she had great things to do and see. She spoke as if he would know later but for now she was going to keep him in the dark.
It was not only Esmeralda that left. Marmess and Orial also disappeared with her. The three Zygotians were tearful but also happy at the departure at the same time. Their three earthly hosts were all left confused and, Sydney admitted, a little worried. Marmess stroked her large claw over his chest as he stood with the creatures on the aft deck prior to their departure. "We will be back Enyalius. Go do what must be done. Our short absence will hardly be noticed," she had told him. Sydney worried even more as the huge magenta guardian had never called him Enyalius before.
Still they had not offered anymore. The whole crew had stood and watched the magnificent creatures lift from the deck in their gigantic size, spread their wings and arrow into the dawn sky. Keith Richardson and his men had gasped in awed wonder at the sight. None of them had seen the Zygotians in full form before then. "She loves you madly, Syd," the captain had said to him as they strained to watch the figures high in the sky.
"Yes she does, as I love her too, Keith," he had replied.
"Es knows that too, my friend," the big captain said as he turned away and clasped the hand of Anne-Marie who stood waiting beside him. Sydney had watched them go and could see the shared aura around the pair.
"Es you crafty little bitch!" he had uttered under his breath. The grin on his face was with him for the rest of the day.
Now it was the late night, early morning after their departure and Sydney used the time to escape his ever present protectors to push his physical limits. Lying in his bed and talking to everyone was nice and in some ways comforting. But his mind was never quiet as he roamed the realms and talked with the residents there. His body craved physical action but Xavier, Wendy, Jo and even Lex, forbade him to do much more than walk on the decks. The stairs were even out of bounds, taking the lifts between the decks. In the quiet of the hours after midnight he had snuck over the side of the boat and swam to the shore.
His eyes adjusted to the darkened sky where only a pale moon had appeared and so he saw the figures on the beach ahead well before they knew he was there. He paused and stood listening, casting his mind ahead seeking out the thoughts of the six people that appeared to be in a very tight bunch surrounding something in the centre of them.
Suddenly he began to sprint towards the group as he sensed their intentions towards the drugged girl that they crowded around on the dark sand. As he ran his mind travelled the big boat desperately hoping that someone aboard was awake at 3:00 am. Alfred was the only one that sensed him, the cyber doctor never slept as he continued to arrange and categorise his expanding databases of knowledge.
"What is it Sydney?" came his voice as he noted the man's increased heart rate and the pumping of adrenalin into his charge's body. Alfred saw the figures on the beach and the woman that they were now binding to stakes driven into the sand.
"No Sydney! There are too many of them!" he screamed as the man ploughed into the group knocking several of them down in his initial rush. Suddenly the air was rent with sirens and the beach bathed in bright lights as the
Majestic
uncloaked in a cacophony of sound and light. The unexpected distraction gave Sydney the opportunity to blast his fists and feet into three of the attackers knocking them out cold. Turning to the remainder he saw them look at the big boat then at him before hightailing it into the surrounding thick bushland.
He watched them run before turning to the woman lying on the ground before him noticing that she was unconscious and tightly bound to the stakes with thin rope around her ankles and wrists. Watching the other men carefully he squatted beside the woman feeling for a pulse at her neck. It beat slowly and softly against his fingertips, her skin appeared slightly bluish in colour to his heighten senses. "Poison," said Alfred in his head then added, "Xavier and Wendy are on their way."
One of the men beside the woman stirred. Sydney glanced quickly at him and suggested that Serenity and Lucy might be needed as well. "Already here Sydney," said Serenity quietly as she let her green machine settle beside him with her gun turrets exposed and trained on the men on the beach.
She passed him a wicked looking knife never taking her eyes off the forms in front of her powerful spotlights. "Don't even twitch bastard!" she said as the first man to awaken looked at them with wide eyes. Sydney finished cutting the last of the bonds from the woman's feet as the Go-go mobile gently slid to a halt beside them with Xavier alighting from the vehicle with her medical bag as Wendy cut the motors.
Quickly Xavier examined the patient then groaned in frustration as the woman died in her arms. "Too late!" she cried rocking the woman in her arms softly weeping as she watched the big man above her hang his head in sorrow.
His body moved fast, picking the now fully conscious man up by his lank, filthy black hair screaming into his face. "Why? Why did you kill her?"
The man gibbered in fright and finally stammered out, "Sacrifice!"
"What!" exclaimed Serenity then grabbed Sydney's arm as he drew it back to slam it into the man's face.
"No Sydney!" she shouted, "We won't get any answers if you kill him!"
Sydney's breathing was harsh, his eyes blazing as Serenity used all of her strength to hold his arm down. In the distraction the other two men had fled and Sydney threw the man back to the ground. He had turned to follow them when Jennifer's voice exploded in his mind. "Get out of there now all of you! I am sorry about the woman but get in the Go-go mobile and move it!"
Sydney instantly obeyed, landing in the passenger area of the medic craft alongside Xavier as Wendy gunned the machine up and into the sky. Raising his head a little he saw Serenity's machine slip past then brake, turning sharply to face back down into the water. Wendy and Lucy copied her movements. Sydney gripped the tie down straps tightly as he beheld a horrific sight on the beach that they had just vacated.
Something black crawled up the beach. No, not crawled, it was like the beach was sucked downwards giving the impression of a beast crawling along it. Suddenly a trench opened, a high pitched scream reached his ears as the man they had left behind was suddenly engulfed by the blackness. A red maw opened impossibly wide then shut taking the man and the dead woman with it. Rumbling noises filled his ears and as he watched the beach rippled then stilled. "What the fuck was that?" breathed Wendy in a horrified whisper.
"Deathworm," sent Jennifer, "And it's not the only one around here. Come back aboard people it is the safest place to be at the moment."
"Fuck me Jennifer how the hell did you know that they were there!" cried Serenity as soon as she had alighted from her craft. She ran to her curly haired sister standing at the side of the landing area on the rear deck.
"Let's wait till we are upstairs so we only have to say this once," suggested Sydney forestalling further discussion. The five of them walked further into the deck to the lifts, making their way to the C deck mess area. By now the whole of the crew aboard was awake and congregating in the room.
Ian, Thelma, Ronnie and Lissa were missing, spending some time in Arohane where they were checking out the accommodations for the rest of the team that was due there in a few weeks.
Greg Collins, Martha Ranatui and, surprisingly Big Suzy, had headed back to Townsville to check out developments in Cellarium. With the older amazon saying that she wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
The rest of the group waited to hear Jennifer's answer to the question that Serenity had screamed and was uppermost in all of their minds.
