Future Shock: Chapter Five-Company Wars (Date: 2 Month's Later)

Riddick opened his eyes and abruptly shut them again. The emergency lights were on
at full brightness and he’d taken his shaded goggles off before entering cryo. Groggily,
he shook the last of the cryo disorientation from his weary brain. With a loud hiss, the
cryo tube opened and Riddick stepped out, grabbing blindly for his goggles hanging on
the wall of the tiny chamber. He pulled them down over his smooth, bald head and
looked around. He became aware of the slight jerking movement of Raye’s planetary
hopper and realized something far more ominous than mere turbulence was at work.
They were being attacked.

“So, you’re finally awake,” Raye said calmly from her place in the pilot’s couch as
Riddick rushed into the cockpit. She nodded towards the plastisteel viewshield. Just
beyond them, a dozen or so ships were engaged in battle, firing upon each other
mercilessly. “We drifted right into it,” she explained, buckling her safety harness over
her chest. “By the time I realized it, it was too late to set another course.”

“Those are Company ships,” Riddick observed, taking a seat in the co-pilot’s couch. “I
don’t recognize the others, they must be rebels or vagabonds. Can you get us out of
here?”

Raye shook her head, patting the control console infront of her, “She’s able but she’s
not fast. I try to pull out now and draw fire on my ass, we’d sustain too much damage
before I could jump away. I’m broadcasting the white flag on every frequency, but I’m
getting no response. We’re taking too many hits here!” she hissed through her teeth as
several warning lights on the console lit up bright red. “Taking her to manual,” she said
aloud to no one in particular. She hit the auto switch and the small craft shuddered for
a moment then went into a gentle free fall. Raye took hold of the controls, wrapping her
hands around the directional shift and placing her feet on the foot yokes.

Quickly she rolled them to the left, narrowly avoiding an incoming torpedo. Riddick
was glad he’d insisted Jackie stay behind on Thelta with Imam and Mona as the idea of
bringing the girl into a combat zone was undesirable to say the least. Raye took them
down hard, looping around to avoid another missile coming in fast. “That’s the lead
ship,” Riddick told her, recognizing the sleek design and style of one of the larger
attacking vessels as being that of a Company official’s. “You’ll want to stay away from
that fucker.”

“Advice taken,” she said calmly, swinging around to keep some distance between
them and the lead ship. For a moment the name of the Company craft, illuminated on
the underside of the bow, came into sight. Riddick drew in a deep, harsh breath as
memories of his past came flooding back through him. In bold yet elegant letters was
written on the bow: ‘The Steerpike’. As quickly as it had come into view, it was gone as
Raye’s hopper maneuvered away. “We’re getting a distress call from one of the
vagabonds. I’m going to sweep in closer and see if I can do anything to help them.”

Raye took them in close to the injured rebel cruiser and opened a communications
channel. “’Lucky Lady’ to unidentified cruiser, we got your back.” She moved the
hopper into position so it was taking the brunt of the hits meant for the vagabond,
shielding it from the Company fighters. “Anything we can do for you?”

“Much obliged ‘Lucky Lady’,” a male voice replied gratefully. “This is ‘The Dreamer’s
Web’. Our condition is critical, repeat, our condition is critical. We’re getting slammed
pretty hard out here. I don’t know how much longer she can hold up. Request to come
aboard.”

“Read you, ‘Dreamer’s Web’. Permission granted. Preparing for docking, “Raye said
firmly, nodding to Riddick who stood and made his way to the back of the hopper to the
small docking port. He worked the controls that released and extended the space walk
towards the cruiser. It connected with a thud against the disabled ship and hissed as
the atmosphere inside the translucent tube decompressed, filling with oxygen. Riddick
opened the hatch when the controls flashed him the green light and saw two figures
already making their way across the space walk, grabbing hand holds and propelling
themselves forward in the zero g.

“Just you two?” Riddick asked pulling the first one to him, an older Iyysh male, inside.
The man, obviously the captain, nodded and turned around to help Riddick grab hold of
and drag in his companion, a younger human female and probable pilot. He quickly
recalled the space walk and moved towards the bridge, new passengers in tow.

“The others are retreating,” Raye told him as he entered the cockpit. “I’m going to use
their exit to cover our asses, then jump us the hell out of here.” The controls felt
sluggish in her hands and acceleration was slow. Damage must be worse than she had
estimated. With much effort she managed to turn the ship, using the fleeing vessels as
a shield. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the small craft . Raye glanced back to see ‘The
Dreamer’s Web’ implode in a flash of brilliant orange and white, its debris showering
the heavens. Once clear of the battle field, she locked the co-ordinates into the
computer and went to hyper jump. It was short lived. The power cells were too drained
to make a full jump and they fell into dead space far enough from the Company ships to
be safe but too fat from their destination for comfort. “Shit!” she exclaimed slapping the
control console with the palm of her hand. “We got cocked too hard. I’ll have to stop for
parts and repairs.”

“Closest station?” Riddick asked and Raye grinned sheepishly and shrugged
apologetically as she checked the readout on the console screen and answered ‘New
Tokyo’. Riddick scoffed, folding his arms across his muscular chest. “Go,” he told her.
She nodded, punching the co-ordinates into the navcomp.

Riddick turned to the Iyysh captain who was grinning widely at him through a neatly
trimmed and graying beard. “Captain Devo Ellis, at your service, sir,” he introduced
himself. “Looks like you made a few powerful enemies back there.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like the Company ever did anything for me.” Riddick grinned slyly,
“Well, nothing I wouldn’t want to fuck them royally for. Richard B. Riddick,” he held out
his hand for the older man to shake, “former Company ranger.”

“That would certainly explain it,” Ellis laughed heartily. He indicated the woman
standing beside him. “This is... was my pilot,” he corrected with a grimace, “Paulo.
She’s a former ranger as well.” Raye asked them what had happened and the Iyysh
replied bitterly, “We were out there minding our own business when John Damien and
his psycho cronies attacked us! The Company just cannot except that their presence is
no longer needed nor welcome in some parts of the galaxy.”

“Well, that’s a nice speech,” Riddick smirked, “but you’re gonna have a hard time
convincing them of that.” Raye announced that it would take approximately ten hours
for the ‘Lucky Lady’ to limp its way to New Tokyo. Riddick grinned at their unexpected
guests. “I hope you don’t mind sharing close quarters with strangers.”

Back to Menu