The Last Chance... ("Be as you r") - Part 2 Author Paul Shoumov (115612 Russia, Moscow, Brateevskaya Str. 21-1-115, Paul Shoumov) @~Continued from Issue 46 ************** and Let this ship be named... *************** -Oookay, crew. We're here, we're happy, it means that everything's okay and we are ready for fight. As u ... don't know, the ship has got a lot of abilities... But thaz not the point. As u... also don't know, the ship has already got the name... -Yeah, yeah! hooray! - crew was happy... -This name is ... umm... this name is good, this name shows what we need, tho not fully, but shows... -C'mon, cap! Tell us the nameeeee. ;) -Okay! Gawd save us... and let this ship be named...AGFounder!!!! -Hoooorray! Hoooraaay! Hooorrrray! -If u r interested... -We are! -This can be "decoded" like A Glory Founder. -Great, captain! - said one of the crew. -Maybe it is named A Girls Founder, cap?- joked another one and all the guys laughed, so the sound was like a thunder... -No. it is A Glory Founder one. so, okay! Let's celebrate it, crew! we've got less than month left... So, have fun. But then... Aliens r waiting for us... and adventures of course, too! -hoooray!! and that was the celebrating... I dunno why, but the celebrating proccess can't be held w/o alchohol, so all the crew was drunk earlier, then the sun appeared on the horisont... I couldn't sit with'em, cuz i don't drink at all... I came outta the spaceport structure to look at the sun rise... I came to the only tree growing near the building and sat there, looking at the sun and dreaming... I've been in my dreamland... and noone knows what did i feel that time... But some time later (i even dunno how much time passed), i've felt a touch.. someone touched my shoulder...I looked over my shoulder.. Yeah. That was Jules. -Hi... -Oh, hi.. - i said, getting up from the grass. -What ru doing, Paul? It's so early... Why rn't u celebrating? -Hmmm... i don't want to, really... what about u? -hehe..me too,you know... will it be okay if i sit near you? -Oh, of course... hehe.. make yourself at home. :) -hehe.. okay... And we sat down near the tree. We've been talking about something,i even don' rmmbr what was the theme, tho it doesn't matter now... We've been talking and talking... then i've felt her head on my shoulder... my heart began beating faster and faster... And then I understood what a fool I was.I should listen to my soul from the beginning! Only then i understood, that i really love her... and...and what the hell more i need? She's near and nothing more is in my eyes but joy... and love... Tho she couldn't see that... She was looking at the sun....and the wind slightly touched her hair, while she was sitting with closed eyes and her face was slightly red coz of the rising sun... ******************** ... 3,2,1 ignition ... ********************** - Oookay, guys and girls, okay, crew... we're in our AGFounder ship waiting for something kewl to happen. This kewl thing is our flight to some kinda object the name of which u'll never know and where is it situated u'll never know also. U've been hired to work, so make your work and thaz all. All the systems check passed okay, as usual, so it means we r going to start... - Jules said all this like a tongue- twister... Fast and sharply, but everyone understood her and was ready for fight. -C'mon, c'mon, base. AGF on-line... we are ready.. c'mon, base, we're ready... set over. -We've got everything u said, AGF... area is clear.. start request okay. Gawd save you, AGF... set over. -Okay, Base... start the countdown. bye. set over.... -10 seconds... Three, two, one,.. ignition... Here you goooooo!!! But we haven't heard usual roaring... Ship stayed still on the ground... -Base! C'mon, base, AGF's online! What the hell?set damn over! -AGF, we've just got info... Project is canceled. repeating: project is canceled. Please, leave the spaceship. Ship is not fueled.. set over.. -Ah, you! Base!...damn...fuck you!.. set over...project's over! -Lt. Chatter.. u r going to be jailed for using slang.bye... Ship doors are opened.. Happy getting to the base. over... ******************** Baby, come home ******************** So, I've been jailed for 3 days coz of using slang. But the project was canceled.. how could they do such a thing? miserable worthless idiots... oh... thaz UNFAIR! that ship is mine! mine and Jules'! I've made it! She decoded info... that can't be true... When i left jail, i went to Jules' place.. -So.. -Hi, Paul... u haven't even said hi to me! -oh, sawwy, hon.. Hi... -Any problems? -huh! Project, Jules! Pro-ject! it's closed.. it's infair! -Yeah, i know, but.. what can we do? nothing! -hehe... I don't believe u say that! u, who managed to become Horner's pupil, saying "nothing"!? -yes, i do... -no... what about me -- i'll never accept their laws.. i will try to... steal the ship... -whaaaaa????????? -STE-AL THE SHIP. got it? -uh..oh... Paul! ru crazy?????!!! it's guarded! u've made a monster and they wanna have this monster in their hands! -but i don't want'em to. thaz why i've made some built-in functions in the ship. even u dunno nothing about this stuff. -damn, Paul! secrets again??? -i had to do that.. don't u rmmbr that story about Horner? -oh ho! of course i do! -thaz why i made that functions.. cuz i supposed that they will steal my baby, my AGFounder. -hmm.. okay.. u know, i'm agree with u... guess what do i have for you? -what? She came to her table and got some kinda sheet of paper from somewhere... like a secret place. -What is this? map of the landing place? -hehe... silly u... look. She gave me that sheet of paper... -gawd, Julie!!!!!!!! oh, honnnnnnn!!! but how? how did u manage to? - i was happy to tears. -Rmmbr i gave u that folder? -yeah. -rmmbr i've put that pix back in the folder? -no... -hahaha! silly u.. that's it! -what? u 've not just put it back? -uh huh... -oh, Julie! ur even smarter than i thought. -i am.. u just dunno me at all. hehe.. silly guyieee. I embraced her and we stood like that for a long time, laughing wildly... -So... -So... - she answered. -AGFounder, come home, baby? -uh huh... it's ours.. lez take it back, hon. -Yep.. see this thing? - i shew her that bracelet on my hand. -Of course i do, hon! -So, here's photoelements. if i make like this.-i shew her hand movements far from bracelet.-my baby will come home. -wha??? u mean... w/o fuel? -of course no! it has got the newest thing... did u think that i meant that engines like "the wheel"?? -uh huh.. -hehe.. silly u now. this ship has got the stuff, which was never accepted and invented coz it was counted as impossible -- antigravitational engines built in both wings of AGF. -whaaaa???? antigraves? it's not true! it CAN'T be true.. such a big huge monster flying like a piece of wool by air??? fantasy, not more. -okay, lez go and ask the crew. -hmm. oki... We've walked to another barracks... -Oooookay, crew. Lizn now... we've got a problem.. -we know... we're fired. -Stop interrupting.. now! - i cried. -yes, sir. -ookay, crew.. now... u've got two ways: 1 - bail out; 2nd - come with us.. -where? -to steal the ship. -hey, cap, ru crazy? steal that "big mommy"? haha.. u must be kidding. -no...everyone who's coming with us -- stand up now! 90 of 93 crew members stood up. -Okay, guys. We've got 5 hours till the morning...is everyone ready? -yeah, cap! - sounded like thunder. -here we go... We went to the "big plaza". Big plaza was the biggest free place in the city. -So, guys.. -haha, cap! u gunna cry: "come AGF here, come!"huh? LOL -yeah, i 'm going to.. >Paul , c'mon.. call it... I've made that movements, my bracelet began blinking... -is that a kinda lighter? -wait now, all... Hey, Howarden, see that electricity cables? -yes, sir! -your purpose is to make me see these cables here. u've got 15 minutes.. -but... yes... sir... In ten minutes we've heard a rattle and cries. 1 minute later i saw my ship, AGFounder, silently moving above the ground and breaking all the trees on its way, thaz why there was a rattle. -Paul, it's unbelievable! -hehe... who told u that, hon? hehe... -but.. how? -antigravitational engines... flying like a wool by air... -heh... okay... but how r we going to start?! no fuel! -see that Howarden? he's making the access to fuel base. -what? -electricity... -wow... i see now... it's... it's great.. just no words.. Then AGFounder flew near me and stopped. Howarden connected the cables.. -Howarden! run.. i said RUN!!!!! -why is that? -i said RUN, u stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- i cried... i was going to turn the recharging module on... it meant that 100 meters around connection place will be electrified... Howard began running around the ship... -All the crew. Heyyyy-ho! Everyone! begin loading the ship.. now! In five minutes everyone was on their places, ship has been almost fully recharged and the whole city has fully run out of light and electricity. Police sirens and war trucks roaring could be heard, but i've already been in AGFounder's "body"... i felt safe... ******************** Nerves of Steel ************************ -AGFounder.. base is online .. AGFounder. set over. -yeah, Admiral... i am here. -Paul Chatter, Julie Starshaped u r under arrest for stealing stateowned battleship. -haha, u fools.. try to get me. haha..- i cried.. -army on its way, Paul. don't laugh yet... -umm.. we'll see... speech over. bye. I sat down calmly, began waiting for that so-called "army"... -Paul! start! r u crazy? they'll kill us! start the engines! -Wait, Julie.. pls, trust me... -ookay.... but be careful. In 15 minutes about 100 marines and 10 special forces trucks arrived... -Time to start the show...- i said, pressing the "start engines"... The ship began roaring... But the stuff that happened outside the ship was more interesting. As soon as we've charged AGF with electricity as a fuel, its electrical engines turned on. So, in half of a km area there began an "electrical storm". All the trucks and police cars has blown up and all the marines and special forces guys felt some millions watts on themselves... Of course, noone left alive. That was the cost of the freedom... The ship was ready to enter open space in 8 minutes, but... -AGF...AGF...Base's onli.e.. set o..er.. -Yeah, Base...connection's unstable... whadya want? set over... -U've got 12 se..nds to tu.n the ship ba..k or u gunna get a mis..ile in you.. tail.. man.. .... over.. -C'mon! R u going to blow up the ship that costs some billions of bucks? heh.. try... i'll look at you after it.. from the sky. speech's over, los stupidos. -u ..ve ma..e you.. choi..e... see y..u in hel... -Sir. Captain. The missile's on radars... I can't describe what did i feel... something between fear and calmness... i was sure that they'd never blow us up, tho, the missile was upproaching...like a roulette game... the price is your life.. huh. -C'mon, Base! Stop that stuff! We've also got guns. Wanna see how your cozmoport's burning down? -AGF... bye... ................... Pooofffff!!!! ................................ I've opened my eyes... Hmm.. I'm in AGF... means not in heaven... nor in hell... huh! alive! -Johnson! Where's that damn missile u say? -Missile has been blown up in the air, not by us... -wow! i was right!!!! yeeehaaaaa!!! -Paul. U never joke like that any more... If u've got nerves of steel, think about us....- said the captain. ************************ Feel Free **************************** -Captain Starshaped... We're in open space... ! -Tnx, space-cadet Johnson... -So, Julie... we're outta that hell now.. what do u feel? -I feel like flying in an open space. And also I feel that we'd better not even think about returning back. -Hmm.. u know, i think the same things.. hehe... what do u need? u r free... nothing holds u on Earth, as it doesn't hold me... we're free and on our way to... how is that thing called? Victorystes? -Noo... i don'rmmbr. -Then it'll be victorystes. And the planet name will be Vantalonthia 44... -yep... oki... Feel Free, man... we're in Free Space, Free Zone, Free Life etc.. all FREE... btw, for how long will our flight last? -Umm... lemme see... We're using solar power, then electricity power, power of that warm we've got during breaking thru atmosphere... umm... 2 years... or if we'll be able to "catch" metheorite, it'll be about 7 months...coz those "stones" in space have got a big energy inside... -Oki... >Crew Look for metheorites approaching... if u see the one(s), u'll lemme know.. okay? -yeah, cap... -now everybody, relax... we're flying... I've got the whole year at the minimum, to think about anything i want... that Vantalonthia 44 is damn far... nah. better get some sleep... Then each day i've got up,checked the engines, some on-boarb systems, read some books from the ship's library or watched some filmes.... just had some rest...I've met Julie very often that time... And we liked getting together somewhere, where it's cosy enough and to sit and think or to talk about something great... That stars outside became more and more boring view with each day...Planets weren't very amazing either... Tho... i've just slept and slept.. sometimes doing something... That is how the year passed... I began looking thru my diary, correcting some of the events mistakes... That things happened to me are very interesting itself... just amazing thingies... who else could get in such a story? huh... only me :). ******************** Vantalonthia 44 ************************** -Planet! Look, planet! Radars!!! -Hooooooorrrrrraaaayyyyy! Yeah! We've got it!!! -So, Paul... The coordinates were right! -Agree ;) What will we find here? Death, treasures or happiness forever? -Even dunno what 2say...-she answered. Planet was beautiful. Lime stripes covered its atmosphere or what is there... The ground itself was a kinda red, like Mars... As on-board computer said, comparing with that alien info records, the planet is similar to Earth. Also computer remarked, that there's no any activity in the planet zone. But an alien info said that there're tens of spaceships guarding the planet... Okay, anyway we go, we've landed... The place of our landing was an old spaceport, built not by "us". Planet was lifeless... We've offloaded two Jet Flyers and prepared'em for working and discovering on surface of the planet. Julie decided to stay at the ship, 'coz as i said: "there can be dangerous things... better to stay for you. u r the captain". So, one Flyer (me and 4 more members) directed to the "north", another one -- to the "east" like it seemed for us. -- Look, Dementiev, see that whole?- i asked, pointing at the whole. -Where,sir? -Down there, near the hill... -Oh, yeah.. and it's becoming wider near the hill, sir... -Johnson,come down accurately... there must be an old mine. -Got it, sir... Prepare for the close observing... We've made some rounds around the place, and only then landed. Johnson was the first one stepped on the ground. -Sir, area's clear... -Okay. Everyone take the guns... be careful, we need yo lives. Johnson carefully came forward to the whole... -Wow, sir.. it's not deep... it's deep as big as my leg long... hehe... i gunna jump in there and see... -Johnson! Stop, you..!!! But he was down there already... I came near the edge and look at him, being ready to shoot at any moment...Johnson walked around there, then took some glass-like stones and gave it to me... I looked at those. The stones looked like glass really, but they've had some kinda strange blinking empty space inside. -Hmm... interesting... Johnson, how do u think, what is this?-i murmured. -I dunno, sir. Glass... tho not seems to be. Maybe a kind of lighter? hmm.. i dunno... -Okay. Be careful down there. Who knows what happened in here... -i said.- hm... glass-like stones...strrrange, very strrange that blinking thing.. - i murmured again and again... Johnson has been walking here and there and everywhere for a long time, giving me all kinds of junk he found. Most of those were useless things, as drills etc elements... That strange glass-like stones could be hardly found again... ************************* What is THIS? ********************* -So, Paul... u've got some of those victorystes, i suppose. Coz only these stones are important on this planet... So, u've brought some of them.. hmm... it's cute.. I'd never think it's a weapon or a power source. -Yeah, Julie... Sometimes beauty kills.. but sometimes it's just great. - i said, looking in her direction with a look of a guy in love. -Okay. Let's see what has the 2nd group got. -Oki... We've walked outside and on our way we've been told that the 2nd flyer is approaching. This flyer has been a little strange: its covering became red and the sign AGF on both sides became hardly visible. When it landed we came near. -What's up, Hatawushi? -Sir, yes, sir... we've got some troubles on our way. I don't know what was THAT! That thing was damn huge, it was roaring... like a dinosaur! -Stop telling stuff, Amuee Hatawushi! Where could here be dinosaurs from? It's not Earth!- i said, feeling shame, coz it could be true. -I don't say it WAS dinosaur, but it was dinosaur-like creature about 25 meters of height and it was breathing with fire sometimes... Thaz why we have got our flyer burnt for a bit... -Okay, Amuee. U may go. -But, sir... We've got losses...-he replied in fear. -What??????????? - me and Jules said in one voice? -We have lost one of our crew -- Andrej Broz. -But how? -He tried to shoot... aimed his gun at this thing... and then, then... then i dunno what happened, but he began crying and grabbing his head... i don't know... then we couldn't do anything.. he fell down on the ground and this thing took him in its arm or i dunno hw to call that... claw...- he seemed to be really scared by all this... -Okay, get some rest... I turned and walked back in my room, being sure, that next day i'll fly to see that monster... -Paul! Stop! I won't leave u alone! >Hatawushi! Stop Cap.Ass.Chatter.. now! -Amuee, stop!- i said touching my gun. I was ready to shoot... - Julie, sorry. It seems to be wrong, but I MUST see that monster. I've got some ideas... It needs checking... alone... We've lost one human already, so don't try making more troubles, Julie... and... Excuse me... If I was wrong sometimes or what... but i should do what I want to... And there she stood, being slightly touched by fresh Vantalonthian wind. She was serious, and only her haircut has been free, though even haircut obeyed the winter. I've sat in the jet flyer and turned the engines on... -Bye, Julie... I promise you -- I will come... will come back! I promised her and could forgive myself, coz i was not sure will i be back or not... That was my first step... And later i knew it was right. Some hours of flight and I've got to that place Amuee has been talking about. There was the same looking hill as at the place we've seen ourselves and the same holes in the ground. But one of the holes here has been bigger... It looked like some kind of a door. Closed door. I've landed being ready to fly away each moment, though no movement could be noticed. I went to see that giant hole... I came near and heard (or felt) something like ... umm... maybe ultrasound... But it was real, i was sure. I came closer to the hole and saw, that there's the whole cave-like structure inside. The noise seemed to become louder... I walked about 50 meters inside the cave and saw this... This was blue energy shield, closing an entrance to the cave. It was making a great noise...I've decided to walk through that shield.. That was my mistake... I've got shocked by this shield and i've beenthrown by electrical charge for abour 3 meters away. I don't remember what happened then, but the noise disappeared... @~The next part will be in Issue 48 - o -