Chariot 3: Conception
Chapter 20 – Hit and Run

“I have been willing to ask you something for a while. What is that?” Asked Flumen, staring at that same butterfly that had just landed on the bracelet that V-Nus was wearing.

“It`s a butterfly.” He replied.

“No, I am referring to your bracelet.” Flumen approached the Martian, giving the bracelet a closer look for the first time. Its gold color created a sublime contrast over the dark uniform.

“What`s your guess?” V-Nus asked.

“Uh…”Flumen pondered“…The wide long filaments of gold are hand-made and end with a green stone at the end of each one of them, these are not emeralds…uh…jades, I presume. The fact that the stones are purposely placed on the upper part of the bracelet, the closest to the head of its owner and directly combined with gold, depicts to be a good meant to be worn by the elite ranks within a society. These items are definitely only found on Earth, I would say that this artifact is probably of ancient Mesoamerican origin.”

After a pause, Flumen added. “Definitely a well composed replica.”

V-Nus could not contain his loud laugh. “Flumen, you are always unexpectedly full of surprises!”

Flumen did not quite understand what the Martian meant neither had time to ask any more questions as the silence between the Captain and his ship was broken by the voice of Chariot 3.

“Captain, I believe you will be satisfied to hear that our synthesizer finalized refining the sodium nitrate prior to the expected, and managed to create a new formula of fuel utilizing hydrogen.”

Chariot 3 sounded as if she was proud of herself, if that was even possible.

At the meantime, observing how speechless the Captain had become after his sentence, the Grey being wondered what the last words of the Nibirian would be.

“Captain, I am now performing the last adjustments in our propulsion systems.”

“Fine, do you think perhaps we can take off now?” Flumen was the most patient of all the four, which did not necessarily mean that he had any of his patience left.

“Propulsion system is now operational.” She was much quicker than they ever thought.

“30 seconds to launch. Electromagnetically charging ions.” Chariot 3 simply ignored the fact that her Captain and part of his crew were still caught up with a few unpleasant affairs outside.

A countdown started being displayed on their E-Lenses showing what appeared to be a graphic image of ions being charged. As if her words were not enough, the graphic made rather clear that the ship was about to take off, with or without her Captain. “The price of technological advancement”…Shoffer though with a grumpy look in his face…“a ship that can leave without the captain.”

“Cai Yiu Hun.” Chariot 3`s voice called his attention.

“Yes.” His serene voice waited for what she had to say.

“Spheres are now operational. I thought you might want to use them.”

“Save us from the details Sissy and be ready to take us out here before there is nothing left to be taken!” Shoffer ended the BCI conversation as smoothly as he could.

“The engine`s ready Captain.” V-Nus voice sounded very enthusiastic as he arrived at the Bridge. This was what they all wanted to hear after all.

A loud roaring was produced by Chariot 3, catching the attention of the Grey leader and his guardians.

Captain Shoffer and Cai Yiu looked at each other. It was time.

“Hit!” The Captain ordered.

With one move, Cai Yiu pulled out his spinning blade and slashed one of the Grey guardians on the collar of his uniform. At its first assault the blade did not cause any harm leaving not even a scratch on the immaculate uniform, until it slid up finally reaching the unprotected bottom of his head.

Lifeless, the head of the deceased guard felt to his right while the body followed the opposite direction.

The viscous blue blood started to slowly flow over the soil.

At the same time and in a very unusual manner, Captain Shoffer grabbed the other guardian by his ankles and lifted him off the ground, smashing his head on Cai Yiu`s helmet like a bat.

Cai Yiu felt the eye of the Grey popping on the left side of his helmet. The creature`s body then fell on the ground completely unresponsive.

“You asked for it!” The Grey leader who was still untouched pressed the little disc he held in his hand.

Shoffer and Cai Yiu yelled “Ahhh”, feeling the immediate excruciating pain inside their heads.

With the hands over his helmet, Cai Yiu fell on his knees diving into the blood puddle. With difficulty, his index finger finally switched off his visor as he lowered his head to remove the helmet, completely useless at that point, but not for long.

With the little but sufficient strength he had left, as if it was the very last thing he would ever do in his life, Cai Yiu tossed the helmet into the air by spinning his right arm.

Shoffer whose knees were just about to follow same path, straightened up his arm, caught the helmet in the air – with a blend of pain and anger stamped on his face – and following the same motion, used his last breath to smash it on the head of the leader, activating the visor of plasma at the precise moment of the impact.

The noise of the flesh being sliced could be heard by the crowd next to them, immediately followed by a shout of agony and pain that preceded the smell of burning flesh.

The disc shaped remote fell off the Grey leader`s hand, giving Cai Yiu and Shoffer a break from their pain.

Along with Marcaya and Acari, the natives` faith was shaken by the image of their gods falling on the ground.

Not daring to waste the opportunity, Ezekiel pushed both of his aggressors back with his body and turned around facing them.

“In the name of the Lord!” As he shouted, his walking stick followed similar spinning motion, and smashed its edge onto their mouth and chin simultaneously.

The wave of blood and teeth fragments that reached the floor just before the faces of the enemies who they belonged to, was remarkable and would forever remain in many of their memories.

Surprised with the power of his faith, Ezekiel looked down to the two figures laying by his feet and released the piece of what used to be his wooden stick, still remaining in his hands.

The man did not feel good about it, but also did not feel bad; he just did what his faith guided him to do.

“Captain, I am afraid my sensors indicate that a second ship of very similar design is about to intercept us in three seconds.”

“Run!” No one knew for sure which one of them shouted first, but they all said the very same word.

They run and run. “Don`t look back”, jumped over a fissure on the floor and tried to dodge other imperfections of the rough landscape which, if they tripped over, could cause them a lethal delay.

While the time seemed to slow down, their bodies were pumped with adrenaline, and Ezekiel, Cai Yiu, and Shoffer did not look at anything but the ship. All obstacles on the way were being left behind one after the other, either by luck or by an impressive instinct for survival, motivated by the critical objective of reaching Chariot 3 alive.

The other natives remained on their knees, same place where now Marcaya and Acari struggled to be.

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