Sparks in the Dark: Buzz & Cutter: Episode 1 by James Siewert

Author:James Siewert [Siewert, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-14T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Buzz

I’ve seen a lot in my life, more than most, I think. Perks of being a CAPS marine—you get to travel the stars, explore distant planets, fight the bad guys and kick ass across the galaxy.

I’ve been to dozens of worlds, each different and yet oddly the same in some respects; side-effect of terraforming, I suppose, though I’ve stepped foot on some truly alien planets, full of bizarre oddities and quirks that you just don’t find on worlds built specifically for humans to live on. Heh, it’s funny—I’ve walked on worlds my ancestors could never dream of, but I myself have never walked on Earth. I should fix that, if I survive the next few moments.

Met loads of people along the way, most of them human but a fair number that are not. Industrious Jylrelanrians, clever Myliorians, stalwart Brolocons, intimidating Harculcorians, stubborn Purdonese, cunning Alconalcs, brutal Vendovans, cannibalistic Pryok’tel, chaotic Ghilgrens, and stealthy Tekethy—even a beautiful Emumur once, who lived inside an hourglass shaped, crystalline construct.

I’ve seen the weirdest creatures known to mankind, too—everything from a Myliorian h’huh’han (pinhead-sized quasi-mammals that, up close, look like eight-legged water buffaloes, except they have feelers, like an elephant’s trunk, instead of horns) to the leviathan-class, insectoid mega-fauna of Teketh, which are so massive some of them are visible from high orbit. My favourite animals are Terran ones, though—I love dogs, and cats, and cows, and tigers, and … well, all of them really, even slugs. That’s my human bias, I guess, but I’m cool with admitting it. I do find panderkin cute though—I mean who doesn’t?

Point is, in the forty-one years I’ve lived, I’ve seen a hell of a lot, and it takes something truly out of this world to surprise me. So when I get a twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach at the sight of the glowing ball of electricity emerging from one of the consoles, that’s saying something. Something bad.

It's pretty, I’ll give it that. A perfect, pale blue sphere, crackling with jolts of electricity over its surface. Kinda like if you shattered a plasma-ball toy and the centre core got out. It’s about half a metre in diameter, but it’s got this whitish glow around it that makes it seem larger, like an angel’s halo or something. It’s taking everything in me not to raise my rifle at it, but I remember Cutter’s warning, and instead motion slowly to Mashek, who’s still backing away from the console, but in the wrong direction, heading for a corner.

‘Mashek, over to me,’ I say, firmly but calmly. The Jylrelanrian alters his path, always ensuring he’s facing the sphere, and moves towards me. The sphere just keeps hovering in place, a few centimetres above the console it emerged from, and it doesn’t appear to take interest in what he’s doing.

‘Buchanan, what should we do?’ Ng asks, her usually professional tone slightly tinted with fear.

‘We get the hell out of here,’ I reply. ‘Everyone, start making your way to the exit. Slow, steady movements, but be prepared to bolt if you have to.

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