Man Of Earth
16
“So good to see you again, Dan the Man!” Dan Ward, Man of Earth, simply stared at Rodaire in disbelief.
“Look, Dan, people greater than I assure me that he has worked hard, and is a reformed citizen.” informed Rex Canon, the Democratic Prime of Sunray City, in his private offices, “And I’m inclined to believe them. They said he passed all tests, and that would simply be impossible with someone who still maintained animosity toward you or anyone of Sunray City. He’s one of us now, Dan.”
Dan didn’t take his eyes from Rodaire, “I trust you, Rex, you know that. But I don’t trust him.”
“It’s good to be good.” remarked Rodaire, ever with the quippy comeback.
“Anyway, since Rodaire here was rehabilitated at the Hidden Fortress of Turpitude, it has been deemed that Starla Vegana would be best served by a spell in there also. You and Rodaire are to transport Vegana across the Plains, to -” Rex was cut off by Dan suddenly.
“What?! Me and him?! In a Ship together?! Transporting her?!”
“Yes, Dan. There’s no one else who can do it.” nodded Rex. Dan, of course, knew it to be true, but he remained reluctant all the same.
#
## For the next day, Dan and a couple of Engineers spent time on a Hover Slide, making it secure to transport so dangerous a cargo. When dawn rose for the new day, Dan stood with Rodaire at the ramp to the Hover Slide, as Starla Vegana was led up and into the Ship, bound and secured. The Guards made doubly sure, and just for good measure, Dan tested the straps himself. She was secure. At least for now ##
The trouble was, she refused to remain silent, despite Dan’s insistence. The Hover Slide rumbled over the rough terrain as it came mere yards from the outlying land before the Plains, “You know you can’t trust him, Danny boy?” chuckled Starla, staring down Rodaire.
“Don’t listen to her, Captain.” added Rodaire. Dan was paying attention to the road ahead, though. He wasn’t going to be taken by surprise again, not like last time, “She’s a wind-up merchant.”
Dan huffed, “Takes one to know one.” he remarked, under his breath.
Rodaire sounded from the rear of the Hover Slide, “Sorry?” he asked of Dan.
Dan began to speak as he turned, “I said, it takes one -”
“- To know one?” finished Rodaire. He held the Raygun, pointed at Dan’s chest, with a diabolical smile upon his face. Behind him stood Starla Vegana, rubbing her wrists.
“You know, they really do tie those bindings very tight.” she remarked, “Remind me, Rodaire, that once we’re done, I should pay them a visit one dark night.”
“I should have known.” expressed Dan, turning his body fully and raising his arms in surrender.
Rodaire laughed, “And yet, you didn’t?” Starla joined in with the quip and laughed along with Rodaire.
#
“You know this’ll never work.” spoke Dan calmly, seated on the ground some distance from the Plains, under the cover of some trees. Dan had his back to the bark as his feet and hands were bound. Rodaire and Starla were in heated discussion. Dan cut their attention near the end of this particular discussion, ending in Rodaire stomping to the Radio of the Hover Slide.
“Shut up, Captain!” yelled Starla, with a boot to the leg, just to keep Dan in check. Dan laughed and Starla threatened another kick further up. Dan stopped laughing, but the grin never escaped him.
The Radio crackled as Rodaire spoke. He was using some kind of dampener to disguise their location, “Listen to me very carefully! We have Captain Ward with us, and will release him on one condition - that myself and Starla Vegana be allowed to leave the planet unmolested, even and up to the Sigma Dissonance Mother Ship -”
“Don’t do it! You cannot negotiate! Destroy this Hover Slide, even if I am aboard!” called out Dan, as loudly as he could. The Radio went dead.
“Damn it!” shouted Rodaire, slamming the Radio to pieces in his anger. Starla returned to Rodaire and the two began a heated discussion once more. Dan could only hear the tail end of it, but it had the desired effect, and that was distraction.
“We kill him! That’s all there is to it! We cut our losses -” tried Starla, but Rodaire cut her off.
“Are you insane? We do that, and how do we get off this disgusting planet?” said Rodaire.
“Look, I say we just get him and -” Starla stopped suddenly, as Dan pushed past her, knocking her onto the floor. As the two had fallen into argument, Dan spent the time breaking his bonds and preparing to run, which he did, stopping for nothing.
“After him!” called Rodaire, completely done with the whole affair, but Starla became the voice of reason.
“Forget him! He’s miles away from anything, and it’ll take him forever to contact someone! Let’s go, while we have the chance. We need to get to the rendezvous point anyway!” Rodaire watched the fleeing Dan Ward, before frustratedly hitting the side of the Hover Slide and joining his partner in crime. The vehicle jerked as Starla punched it into full power and the vehicle thundered over the long, tall grass.
#
After he was sure they were gone, Dan pulled the emergency communicator he had stowed about him earlier in the day, hoping that this incident wouldn’t happen, but expecting it might. He clicked the button, firing the small but powerful communicator into life.
“Captain Ward here! Over!”
“Dan!” came the voice of Susan from the other side.
“Susan! Put the Prof on, if you don’t mind?” There was a click and crackle, before the Professor’s dulcet voice sounded on the other end, “Professor! Is the Call Button functioning as we discussed?” asked Dan.
“Yes.” answered the Professor, “Just press the insignia and it’ll be there sooner than you can say -”
Dan interrupted the Professor, “Done and done! It’s here! You’re a marvel, Wilson, you really are! Over!”
“You’re welcome, Dan. Over and out.” The communicator went silent and Dan climbed into the cockpit of his Hopper, rising it into the air.
Dan pushed the Hopper hard to catch up with the outlaws, and eventually he caught them, overtook them and turned, weapons aimed at the engines of the Hover Slide. Rodaire and Starla had no option but to stop. It was either that, or be blown to smithereens.
#
Some time later, Dan had finished securing the two fugitives into the Hopper cargo hold, which was much more secure, and fit for purpose, and isolated from the cockpit, so Dan didn’t need to hear the constant arguments of the two, of how it all went wrong and who’s fault it was.
As the Hopper began to rise again, the Sigma Dissonance Ship that had arrived to rendezvous with Starla and Rodaire fell into view. It already had weapons armed, and it took some acrobatics for Dan to avoid the missile that could have blown him out of the sky. It wasn’t over, and Dan pulled the Hopper directly up, several hundred feet into the air all at once. The other Ship turned and came after Dan. The Hopper was less manoeuvrable, but it was also flown by Dan Ward, the test pilot of Earth. They matched each other in speed, and the continual firing of the Ship bounced off the hull of the Hopper. Dan had to think quickly and he instigated a plan already built into the Hopper for occasions just like this.
Dan manoeuvred the Ship over the forests of White Haven, waiting for the right moment. It came with a shot, hitting hard onto the rear of the Hopper, where a piece of the Ship tore off, catching fire and sparking electricity dangerously from the hole, with smoke pouring out of the gap. The Hopper listed and shuddered, heading dangerously close to the tree canopy, breaking the ceiling of tree cover. Then there came an explosion and more smoke from the point the Hopper had entered the forest. The Sigma Dissonance Ship then turned and headed back out into space, presumptive of a job well done. What it didn’t see was the Hopper lifting slowly through the tree cover once again, completely unharmed. The decoy had worked.
#
I don’t agree! I mean, its absurd!” shouted Dan Ward, quite upset. But Rex Canon was insistent.
“Dan, we can’t hold them, not any more, if it means Sigma Dissonance releasing those innocents in exchange for these two! You know it’s right?”
Dan started as if to say something else, but simply sat down again and sighed, “Of course you’re right, and you would be right one hundred times out of ninety nine. Just, sometimes - it frustrates me!”
“I know, I know! But the Ship's out there, and we have the location of the neutral spot for the exchange. Are you sure you’re up to it?” asked Rex.
“Of course. Leave it with me.” said Dan, rising from the seat in Rex’s office, returning to the Hopper Bay, despite the protestations of the others, like Able, Low and Susan, but he understood it was right. It always would be. It had to be.
#
The Guards surrounded Rodaire and Starla, as the Troops did the same with the innocents. Dan met the representative of Sigma Dissonance in the middle an the two shook hands, “This is them?” asked the Soldier of Dan. Dan merely stepped aside and allowed the Troops to come in and take the two captives, even as the Guards pulled the innocents away. They were cautious, arguably, but allowed the Guards to lead them anyway. Dan watched to make sure the two criminals were securely on their way, giving Rodaire the chance to part with a quip.
“You know, situations different, we could have been friends!” he smiled.
Dan looked darkly into his eyes, “I could never be friends with such a deceitful, dishonourable man.”
Rodaire stepped into the back of the Transporter, “Oh, well, Dan my boy - see you again soon, eh?” he grinned as the door closed in his face. Klink!And Dan watched as the Ship rose into the the air, continuing to rise out of view. Dan turned and walked away then, without a word.
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