The Return of Celia Synoptics: Part Four

     "I'd personally rather not, but Green here insists the only way to keep you conscious is to give you this potion. No faerie magic in it, obviously-I read up on that magic-invulnerability glop incident." Celia glared at him angrily, though somehow with a touch of satisfaction. Well, why not? She knew her plans would soon succeed. If DeSoni had been able to see clearly, he would've seen her smirk and leave the dark maintenance vent.

     "Here ya go," said Green, gently helping the short Aisha upright and handing him an open potion bottle. DeSoni weakly reached out and took it. He swallowed, then allowed his feet to collapse under him. Green helped him into a sitting position.

     "You'll be okay," the giant explained. "Miss Synoptics shot you on a lower level then your friend. She'll be a while. Reconnaissance or something."

     DeSoni wearily rubbed his short ears as things cleared up, then looked at the potion bottle. "CR19Z?"

     "How in the world?"

     "One of my creations. A stimulator to keep the brain from putting the body to sleep in the aftermath of a traumatic incident."

     Green chuckled. Guess he wasn't as dumb as he looked. "Bet anything Celia didn't know that. Dunno why, considering all I've heard about you, but you don't seem like a bad guy."

     DeSoni smiled and rubbed his chest, which ached a little like a bruise, but nothing more. It must've been only a level two. From the energy ray he'd seen, he'd bet Rocky had been hit with a five at least. Why, oh WHY, had he pulled him into this…?

     "Glad you think so," said the tiny yellow Aisha. "How'd you get roped into this anyway?"

     "My job. Just what I do." The giant green Alien Aisha shrugged.

     DeSoni nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "At the risk of sounding selfish, what are you guys going to do to me?"

     Green shrugged again. "Dunno, really. She just said she was going to kidnap you for revenge. I'm just muscle."

     "You must have some idea. What type of transport did you two use? Did you store any food or plan on pilfering? Did she bring any unusual items?"

     The giant frowned, the bent over towards a bag half-hidden in the shadows. He ruffled through it and yanked out some sort of map. "I don't know what this is, but she takes good care of it and stares at it for hours." He handed it to DeSoni.

     DeSoni reached over and laid it out flat on the floor of the vent. "This is a topographical map of Kreludor, and not the inhabited side either!"

     "And… what?"

     "Oh man, see this image here?"

     "Yeah, but it doesn't make much sense to me. No schooling and all that."

     "See these lines? This type of map uses them to represent elevation," explained DeSoni, easily slipping into 'teacher' mode. "Closer together generally means less of a rise, or drop as the case may be. Farther apart, such as this image here…" he stopped and gulped. "That thing's as deep as a mountain is high, and easily five times as steep as the worst cliff I can think of. Celia drops me in there and-" He stopped and gulped.

     "And you're never coming out."

     "Got it, big Green. See these tiny numbers? They indicate the degree of incline. This pit is roughly 90 degrees, or a straight drop."

     The huge Alien Aisha twitched his earstalks. "Why are you helping me?"

     DeSoni shrugged ruefully. "What do you think? I though maybe if I explained what Celia plans to do to me, just maybe you'd help me out of this mess."

     "I can't. It's my job. If I wreck this one, I'll never get another."

     "Green, at least listen to me! I can tell-you aren't really a bad guy! You can't seriously want me dead. Even if I don't die from the fall, I won't have anything to live for in a giant hole in the ground! No one would look for me on the moon!"

     Green stared at DeSoni for a long moment, his eyes touched with sadness. "I can't."

     Before DeSoni could respond, Celia returned.

     The red Alien Aisha glanced at the Kreludor map, then up to Green's face. He closed his eyes guiltily.

     "You ARE working for me, correct Mr. Green?"

     "Yes, Miss Synoptics."

     "Get my map out of Sonix's paws and give it here. Now."

     DeSoni's earstalks drooped miserably. It was obvious from the familiar maniacal glint in her eyes-the same glint that had haunted him as a child. She was moving ahead with her plan, and she had every intention of seeing him suffer.

     Green did as ordered.

     "Now tie him. Here's a coil of rope."

     The giant Alien Aisha bowed his head. "Yes, Miss Synoptics." And he roped DeSoni up well and tight, arms to toes.

     DeSoni stared at Celia until their eyes met. "Why don't you just knock me out? Never had any qualms about that before."

     She smirked. "I want you to see firsthand what I have in store for you. You probably know the basics," she gestured with the paw holding the map, "but seeing your doom firsthand will turn a coward of even the great Derek Sonix."

     ******

     Meanwhile, the Space Faerie was barking orders. She pointed at officer after officer, spouting commands such as "You guard exit pods in E6," and "You scan vents A33 through D69," as well as "You run down to ops and check for unusual-" well, I'm sure you get the picture.

     The two Alien Aisha emissaries sat in a corner by the limp form of a red Ruki. Both anxiously looked from each other to the Ruki and tightly held paws.

     Rocky stirred. His antennae flicked and he mumbled something sounding like, "Stupid DeSoni." His claws clenched into fists and his huge eyes flicked open. He levered his arms to lift himself up.

     DeSoni's father caught his shoulder. "That's not such a good idea, young lad. You need to rest."

     "I've rested enough," grumbled Rocky, shaking off Mr. Sonix's paw and sitting up.

     "And you!" barked the Space Faerie, twirling on her heel to face them. "You three are to stay here, out of my officers' way." With another deft spin she twirled back and resumed her ordering.

     Rocky's face hardened rebelliously. "I am not staying here, sitting or sleeping passively, while my best friend is in mortal danger," he whispered, then tried to gather his feet under him to stand. He gasped and almost tumbled flat on his face. His eyes shut tightly as he tried to block out the renewed pain suddenly flashing up and down his back.

     "You took a direct hit to the center of your spine!" exclaimed Mrs. Sonix quietly, trying not to draw the Space Faerie's attention.

     "I don't care!" The red Ruki gritted his teeth and clamored to his four legs clumsily.

     "Mr. Rocker!" scolded DeSoni's father. "Your body won't stand that kind of strain very long! You need to rest, at least until we can get a water faerie to see to you. You shouldn't even be standing for another three days!"

     "Fat chance!" growled Rocky, being remarkably straightforward for perhaps the first time in his life. "I'm going to save DeSoni, are you coming with me or not?"

     The two yellow Alien Aishas met eyes, then stood up quietly.

     "We're in," whispered DeSoni's mom.

     "I have an idea too," contributed DeSoni's dad.

     ******

     "Space Slorgs!" shouted Celia angrily, slamming her fist against the computer console she had hacked into. "They're covering the space pods! And all vents are being covered at the entrances!"

     "Give it up, Celia," said DeSoni bravely. "Let me go, and I'll even let you and Green here get away free. I'll even help you past the guards."

     "NO!!" screamed the red Alien Aisha. She snatched off her pack and yanked out blueprints of the Space Station. Her eyes scanned them in deadly earnest, then she tapped a section with a delicate paw as her sudden grin grew.

     "Yes! There's a vent that leads to the luggage compartment beneath the Kreludor shuttle. They'd never think of that!" She'd cheered up considerably and slipped the blueprints back in her pack when she checked the shuttle times on the console.

     "Busted energy crystals-there isn't one for another hour. We'll just have to wait."

     DeSoni couldn't hide his relief. Another hour for someone to find him! Celia glared at him angrily.

     "Drag him this way," she ordered, and stomped off down a vent. Big Green met eyes with DeSoni silently and sadly, but followed orders, hefting the small bound body with one massive arm and pulling him along after his employer.

     *****

     Two yellow Alien Aishas in sleek silver uniforms and one undressed, fairly normal red Ruki, not looking to healthy, stood in a darkened, seldom-used hallway.

     Mr. Sonix pulled out a small handheld computer and began fiddling with it. After a few grunts, he twirled a small dial. A long list appeared on the small screen. "Got it," he whispered, and showed it to Rocky.

     The red Ruki started down the list and whistled. "That is one seriously messed up girl."

     "Jealousy brings out the worst in anyone," said Mrs. Sonix, politely shrugging.

     "As you see," said the master engineer, completely in his element, "I accessed Celia Synoptic's transcribed verbal psychoanalysis, though basically it's just a long list of incredibly complex and disturbing threats regarding Derek. Notice the most common one… it's repeated several times." He fiddled with a few buttons and several lines were highlighted. "She wants to drop him screaming into a bottomless pit, or one that will trap him forever, or here one that he'll never escape from… it goes on."

     "At least it's original," gulped Rocky, horrible visuals running through his head.

     "It's psychotic, that's what it is!" exclaimed Mrs. Sonix.

     Mr. Sonix clipped his mini-computer back on his suit-belt. "My guess would be Kreludor. With the pods blocked and the vent exits guarded, I'd bet anything she'll go for the Kreludor shuttle. There's a barely known vent exit directly below where it clamps in place."

     Mrs. Sonix yanked a long roll of paper from a pocket and skimmed it lightning fast. In about two seconds it was re-rolled and back in her pocket. "We have a space of 53 minutes before the arrival of the next shuttle. Shuttle Bay 59."

     "Of course, we have to get there before either Celia or the shuttle gets there," added Mr. Sonix.

     "I don't think we can do it without being spotted by the Space Faerie or one of her officers," despaired Mrs. Sonix.

     "Sure we can," said Rocky, bending forward. "Climb on. Thanks to DeSoni's potion way back, I can easily speed to this Shuttle Bay 59 with two Alien Aishas on my back."

     "But, honey, what if-"

     "Now, Rickster, you know full well-"

     "Just get on! We need to get there before Celia, that giant, and my best friend-your son!"

     Mrs. Sonix chewed her lips nervously, then swung up. Mr. Sonix was right behind her.

To be continued...

Author's Note: Stay tuned for the thrilling climax. Well, I hope it is. :P Really, I don't know if this OR the next part is very good--that's where you readers come in. PLEASE let me know what you think, or if I left anything unanswered, or whatever!