Traveling weightless felt strange to everyone. The drones responding favorably in getting them across the desert distance. If not at a slower pace than expected. Carrying them at acceptable speeds was necessary. As it warmed up the breeze brought on by the passing air flow felt great. Expanding out further than they ever had before they caught glimpses of possible new salvaging targets. Should they survive the next day or so.
More spaceships scattered about. Smaller ships of different varieties. More tech Jack considered. Possibly a power source that James needed to get their own home aloft someday. Another Cargo ship this one looking to be much newer. Carrying more contemporary cargo. Things they sorely needed to survive. Even an Apache Helicopter rested atop a lonely sand dune on its side. Going so weird as to see a 10 speed bicycle abandoned in the sand. It was amazing how many things had vanished through history and ended up here. How long they had been here was anybody's guess. Yet most appeared in reasonable condition.
Movement to the North drew Jack's attention. A small dust cloud was billowing up. Not big enough to be a sandstorm. Almost as if seeing a singular moving object. Jack's eyes were good but not so good as to see that far out. Leering to his right he calls out, "Greta? Look North. There's a dust cloud. James gave you telescopic lens. I want you to see if you can make out what's stirring up the desert."
Greta Winston trying not to get air sick acknowledges the Colonel and darts her gaze to her left. Covering her brow from the sunlight she pierces the mile plus by willing her fiber suit to amplify her gaze.
"Looks like one of those big lizards. Walkin' on two legs."
"Same kind?" Malcolm calls over his shoulder.
"Don't think so Malcolm. Head looks different. Front legs a might tiny compared to it's back legs. Lots of teeth though."
"Dinosaur." Jack grimaces, "At least its a ways away. Probably just got here recently or it would have starved by now. Not much out here to feed on."
"Let's hope it doesn't get the scent of the cattle." Madigan Ridge points out, her thought making Greta edgy.
"Let's lead it our direction. If it's good and hungry we can give it a main course. Vampire Scooby snacks." Elle suggests.
"Not a bad idea. As long as we're not on the menu." Jack nods, "Do the honors Elle. Create some light and get it's attention."
"Speaking of light." Sophia brings up, "What good is a Dino to eat them when the daylight will turn them to ash?"
"Our luck it's a plant eater." Malcolm huffs.
"Interference either way." Jack offers, "Might as well adopt every advantage we can muster. Closing on 45 miles People. Keep our eyes out for an Oil Tanker."
Gaicazar admired Jacks strategy. He too would have used the beast in any way necessary to even his odds. In his time he had seen many things. Used many people. War was war. Adapting to any recourse would always be on the agenda.
Elle raises her arm and experiments with her healing arm now coated in diamond. Generating a flashing light that was meant to be a beacon. She loved her newfound abilities more and more. As her arm grew annoying the others turned away from her.
Greta however willed her lens to shade her eyes more. Non traditional sunglasses. She wondered what the fuss was with Jack and Malcolm's dark glasses. Now she had an idea.
"I think you did it Elle. That lizard changed course. I think he's tailing us."
"Job done." Elle puckers.
At sixty miles out they begin to see the sands grow darker in hue. Almost as if it had died and was withering. A sure fire sign of oil spillage. A mass amount at that. Jack wondered how flammable the oil was after so many years laying dormant. All he knew right now was that the air was growing pungent. Smell of death in the form of crude oil. Not much could live in this environment. A good reason the Vampire Mother Lilith chose her nest here.
"Velchek up ahead. Big Tanker at least. Has to be it." Jack confirms.
"Glad we can read Russian." Elle growls, "Collars do come in handy."
"Think the ground can be walked on Jack? No footprints anywhere I can see." Mal examines the closer they get.
"As many years as this has been here I'd say the ground is parched. Might have been a tar pit at some point in the past." Jack surmises, "Madigan? Care to set down and check that theory? If you sink you can always go ghost and get out of it easy."
Madigan waves her agreement and orders her drone to lower her down into the oil baked landscape. The first footfalls in a very long time. The dirt caked up under her but easily supported her now returned weight.
"Looks good Jack."
"Okay. Let's go in on foot and do some area recon. Mal? Don't go big until I tell you too. Vamps are probably overly sensitive to vibrations. Our own feet might give us away. You go big and they know for certain."
"Gotcha, Colonel. Might want to tell that to Barney. He probably won't take long getting here."
Jack had forgotten the approaching Jurassic era beast. Yeah. That might be bad. Of course if it were after dark the Dino could be bait. Darkness was hours away though. He would factor that in.
"Elle? Sever the strobe light. Let him continue on this way of his own curiosity. Greta? Keep monitoring it. If it decides to change direction regain its attention. When it gets closer send out two drones with gravity orders to hold Godzilla in check until we need him."
"Might be a her." Greta huffs.
"It! Doesn't matter Kansas." Elle instills.
"Gaicazar? Your immortality is going to be noticed the closer you get. I want you to stay back for now. I'll signal you in when things escalate. Let's hope we can open this tin can wide and let the sun shine in. Let's turn the odds in our favor."
"As you wish my Friend."
Antonaeus didn't like taking orders but he knew Jack was correct. He certainly didn't want to be a long term dinner once again. Even though his armored state might put a crimp in their plan to do so.
"Maddy? Carefully phase in and examine what we're dealing with. Go silent unless you have no choice. Communicate with us outside not inside. Again, unless there's no choice. If you see Verago get out fast. Don't get anywhere near him or he could bring you down. I don't think we've seen his full potential. Let's just hope Sophia's little pals can run interference for us."
"On my way Colonel." Maddy goes ghost and drifts away from her drones captivity.
"Sophia? You need to lay back too. With the Amulet now a part of you it's a safe bet Verago and Lilith can sense you coming. Let's just hope they haven't already."
"My friends are telling me they haven't discovered me yet. I'm digging this communication level over distances." Sophia hovers.
"Malcolm? Let's you and I do a stealth fly by. We know none of the Vamps are going to be outside but let's look to see if we have any booby traps that could jeopardize any of us. Stay aloft. No footfalls that close to the ship until it becomes necessity. Like Maddy we go silent. Hand signals only."
"Right behind you Boss."
Guided by the soaring drones Jack and Malcolm separate to circle the Tanker from bow to stern. Each taking a side. Madigan phasing through the hulls exterior for an inside reconnaissance. All would need to be in silent mode. One tiny misstep could lead to a world of trouble later. Vampires having been alive for centuries would undoubtedly have a few safety measures in place. That and it was still hard to measure what they were up against with Verago. Nobody, even Gaicazar knew what an Angel was truly capable of. Even a fallen one. With a billion microscopic parasites in him under his control and a renewed immortality. No telling what else he might throw at them that they were unaware of.
Jack going solo his in direction to the North notes zero movement. The Tanker seemed in very good condition. No real structural damage other than its lower basin. Where the large rupture that allowed its liquid cargo to form a shadowy ocean around the vessel. The upper deck and all of the communication towers were sturdy looking. Eying more closely at the windows to the Tankers bridge he realizes they were smoked over.
Obviously to secure them from sunlight. The question was, were there guards posted even in the daylight? Surely not. In every War there were day and night watchers. This was probably no different. If there was a guard it was already too late. He was flying directly toward it.
To the stern of the ship Malcolm also encountered a darkened set of windows. A few of these were shattered though. Yet shrouded by billowing blankets. Aging cloth with tiny tatters in it that could conceivably let sunlight through enough to harm a Vamp. Mal considered that particular lookout was likely vacant. Something else caught his eye. Hovering thirty feet toward the center of the deck was a closed in Plexiglas addition. It was clear as day in seeing through.
"Greenhouse? Vamps aren't vegetarians. What the?" Malcolm pondered as he notes movement within. Telling his drone to take him lower he comes in for a better look.
Hiding behind whatever gave him shelter from being seen. Doing his best not to touch the deck or anything else.
Within the greenhouse shuffled about a lone old man with straggly hair. Had to be in his 80's. Yet appeared quite spry. No way was he a Vampire due to embracing the sun. How did this guy manage to survive out here alone? Living right on top of Hell on Earth. He needed to inform Jack.
Madigan stuck to the shadows in her inside travels. So far she had found nothing. Not a single body anywhere. Room after room. Hall after hall. All that was left was the tanks themselves. Should she risk going down into them? Not that they could touch her in this state unless Verago himself could reach out and challenge her ability. She decided to take the risk. Carefully seeping through the steel framing she entered the tank. By far the largest room in the entire ship. Once entirely within the chamber her eyes adjusted to the darkness as her abilities stepped up. Shock after shock. Thousands of slumbering Vampires. No sign of Verago or Lilith herself. Where were they?
Silently Maddy continued throughout the length of the tank until she found a catwalk above them. There she chose to follow its path toward a far doorway. As soon as she reached the door there was a small port window in it. Choosing to glance within before phasing she gets the shock of her life. Almost synchronized as she peers in another face peers out. One with a mission at hand.
"Sabbath?" Maddy realizes without speaking. The alabaster beauty was holding a finger to her lips to remain silent. Then pointing toward the left of her at a large shell of a steel room. Maddy uses her own finger to point at the room then to confirm that she was suggesting she journey there. Could Sabbath be trusted? What if this were a trap?
Fate had it. Madigan Ridge would take the risk. Easing away she slips easily through the wall. Once on the other side she senses the arrival of Sabbath. Even face to face the British stunner reminds Madigan to remain quiet. Her hand motions then directing Maddy to take her hand. It became a game of charades to get the ghost to comprehend what she wanted from her.
Finally, Madigan Ridge reached out and delicately phased her hand into Sabbath's before altering the girls molecular level and making her ghostlike as well.
"Thank you for understanding me." Sabbath speaks telepathically, "We cannot risk being heard. In this state Verago nor Mother can pick up our thoughts. I was afraid you would not come. Yet, I knew that Cameron was family. You had too. I think Cameron is still alive. Within Verago. I saw it in Verago's eyes. Cameron peered out at me in silence. As if trying to communicate."
"You are correct. Cam is trapped inside but Verago is unaware of him being a threat. Why are you nude?"
"Verago attempted to rape me. Mother intervened. That and my sister. We must tread carefully. Can you take me into my sister's prison?"
"Maybe I should fill Jack in first. Before we do."
"There is no time. Should Verago enter Lily's habitat all might be lost. His curiosity grows. Before long not even Mother will be able to keep him at bay. Only his child will prevent him from entering."
"Child?" Maddy looked haunted.
