“Wait!” He shouted to Vargev as he slowed to investigate, “there’s a map right here.” Running up to it, he quickly began studying it just as another Krenaran entered the corridor from a door further ahead.
Vargev quickly dispatched it with a shot from his laser, “four shots.”
Michael looked at the display; it showed several red decks, with a flashing middle deck. And a thick black line that led up to a small blue deck, there were several symbols that Michael didn’t understand.
“This deck is going to be crawling with Krenarans, can we fucking go now!” Vargev shouted across to him.
Michael ran over to where Vargev was stood, “at the end of this corridor there’s an elevator; we need to take it; it runs directly to the bridge I think.” He said as he stopped for a breath.
“You think; that’s the best you can do?”
“Hey, I’ve never been on an alien ship before either, remember!”
Vargev kept quiet; he couldn’t argue the point, neither of them had been on an alien ship before.
They ran past what appeared to be an intersection of two corridors, there were two Krenarans on either side running towards their position.
One of the aliens loosed off a shot as the two humans sprinted past. The shot fizzed past Vargev’s right leg, blowing a fist size hole into the deck plating next to him. Vargev could feel the heat from the shot scorch his fatigues and winced slightly.
They sprinted as fast as they could towards the elevator at the end of the corridor; the four Krenarans in hot pursuit.
Together they both vaulted into the elevator just as the Krenarans let loose with their weapons. One shot scorched the edge of Vargevs’ boot, melting away some of the sole, and another narrowly missing Michaels’ left arm. As he jumped, Vargev twisted his body rapidly in mid air; his back slammed into the elevator wall, the laser instantly trained on the rapidly approaching Krenarans.
Michael quickly got to his knees and opened fire; one of the Krenaran’s heads instantly disappeared into a mist of white froth and brain matter.
The other Krenarans flung the headless warrior aside and hurtled towards the two humans. However they were too far away; the elevator doors slowly closed shut.
A deep, gruff sounding voice said, “Gorush’te,” from inside the elevator.
“Does that mean destination?”
“Probably? What’s the Krenaran word for bridge?”
“I’ve no idea,” Michael replied panicking.
“Shit!” They both said in unison.
Two head size holes suddenly blasted through the elevator doors.
“Holy shit!” Vargev shouted.
Michael hefted his weapon so that it was pointed straight upwards and fired two shots, blasting open a large hole in the roof of the elevator.
“Up there!”
“Now you’re thinking like a commando.”
Michael put his palms together and gave Vargev a boost; the Major hauled himself onto the roof of the elevator and grabbed Michaels arm. The big Russian heaved with all his might. Michael just about managed to scrabble up onto the elevator roof as well; just as the Krenarans succeeded in blowing open the elevator doors entirely.
The aliens quickly checked the interior; there was no sign of the humans. One of them looked up and saw the hole that Michael had made in the roof.
“Kunesh Gorald Desh!” One of the Krenarans shouted as the alien disconnected his weapon from his hand; and reached up, putting both huge hands through the makeshift escape hatch. He heaved his head through, however in the dark gloom of the lift shaft he could see nothing.
The alien dropped back down inside the elevator with a thud.
There was a flight of steel rungs that led up to the top of the elevator shaft. Michael and Vargev were perched on a narrow access hatch barely two rungs up from the elevator roof. The only light in the shaft came from a small white light affixed to the top of the shaft far above which cast their position into a deep shadow.
Vargev pointed to four strange contraptions; two on each side of the elevator roof.
“Do they look like brakes to you?”
Michael risked a quick glance at the damaged roof and nodded an affirmative.
An evil smile crossed Vargev’s lips. “Shall we give them something to remember us by?”
Michael nodded again. Understanding what the major meant. He aimed his weapon; and let loose four shots, one at each brake. The elevator swung wildly; then finally the last shot sent it plummeting at a horrific speed straight to the bottom of the lift shaft; where it smashed into the floor. The force of the impact crushed the elevator and the occupants inside. Finally it exploded in a huge fireball that swept up the entire lift shaft; bathing it in a bright yellow-orange glow and rocked the entire ship.
Michael and Vargev stood as far back on the narrow hatch as they could manage, as the fireball just about bypassed them and continued to rise up the shaft, finally dissipating on the ceiling.
The two men started climbing the rungs up the dark, high lift shaft. Michael hoisted the heavy Krenaran weapon over his shoulder. The weight of the thing made his shoulder ache constantly as he climbed.
The small white light at the top of the lift shaft suddenly changed colour into a red one bathing the shaft in a deep ruddy glow. A barely audible siren began to wail in the distance.
“Looks like they’re on to us,” Vargev said.
“They must have found the dead Krenarans.”
They re-doubled their efforts to get to the top of the shaft; rung by rung they pressed on. By now Michael’s shoulder felt like it was on fire, but he knew he simply couldn’t stop; he just had to keep on going.
Eventually they neared the top of the shaft. The entrance to the command centre was on the far side, how were they going to get from the rungs to the entrance?
Vargev thought for a moment; it was risky, but there was a small overhang just below the entrance. He would have to jump for it; checking that his hand laser was safely stored and wasn’t going to fall out, the big Russian bent his legs; and with a huge effort leapt across the lift shaft. His hands managed to gain a slight purchase on the ledge. For a moment which almost seemed like an eternity he just dangled there; 40 meters above the fiery remains of the destroyed elevator desperately trying for more grip.
Slowly and with a tremendous effort he managed to gingerly haul himself up onto the ledge. “You have to jump as well!” Vargev shouted over the noise of the wailing siren.
“What If I don’t make it?”
“What’s this, a Navy boy who’s afraid of heights?” Vargev tutted, “what would your Captain say.”
“I’m not afraid. I was just pointing out a fact.”
A door quickly slid open on the deck below where Vargev was standing; a Krenaran emerged, spotted Michael and quickly opened fire.
The shot blew off one of the rungs just above Michaels’ head, one of his hands lost its grip, flailing, he dangled there one handed. The rung flew past his head with a whoosh as gravity took it; before it hit the remains of the elevator below with a loud clang.
Michael was temporarily blinded by the shot, his pulse began to race; frantically he reached for the rung his other arm was clung to, barely managing to find it.
“Jump!” Vargev shouted in desperation.
Michael braced himself and leapt across the elevator shaft, just as a second shot blasted a hole into the wall where Michael had previously dangled. He almost didn’t make it across; at the last second Vargev reached out and grabbed his forearm, hauling him up onto the ledge.
The Krenaran below fired again; blasting a large chunk out of the ledge they were standing on; rocking it and nearly throwing both men off.
Quickly they walked to the doors that signified the entrance to the command centre; they didn’t open.
“Must have sealed off the bridge,” Vargev said.