Thundering Across the Stars, Chapter Three

Over the brow of the chasm it came. Thomthar and Thragg gazed on it aghast, a grotesque giant made from millions of enmeshed blood-red vines. It dragged squiggly fingers along the ground on either side of shuffling tendril-toes, and about its face the creepers converged in a mockery of lips and eye-sockets behind which was nothing but hollow crimson shade. Here was the product of Antroar’s foul tampering, born of perverted science hybridized with the alien plantlife of which he was lord. Since its genesis this botanical behemoth had struck up a baying that routinely trembled the undergrowth, and now it gave voice to its loudest ululation yet as line-of-sight confirmed what its other strange senses were telling it. Exposed on a skewer in the scented open air was a morsel to trip the defining instincts of predators far higher up the intellectual scale.

In the command-room Flashthunder’s reactions could be heard as well as pictured. “Rescue that Mini-Flash, human, if you’re so inclined,” Contamination shrilled to Joe. “I’ll keep these other fools off your back. They won’t trouble one as pathetic as you while there’s a chance of settling old scores with me!”

Putting a radioactive warning-shot across his former friends’ bows Contamination set off at a sprint, while Joe and company started likewise for the opposite passage which led to where their vehicles were stowed. It was no time for Mini-Flashes to waste valuable seconds smoothing skirts neatly beneath them. In a triple bloom they threw themselves pants-first at their seat-cushions, knowing that if the roles were reversed Flashthunder would willingly have endured underwear ride-up for them. Canopies sealed, Joe’s rotor-blades swung into position with a clunk, and the Justice and Ingenuity sprouted wings as they switched to aerial mode. The one thing the Mini-Flashes did tuck out of view was their respective wheels, at which our heroes lifted off together from the listing hangar-deck and traded fortress floor for firmament.

Joe’s propellor chopped away above his head while in the bottom corner of his windshield teetered the superstructure and its impending drop to darkness. Croldon Thragg and Thomthar, having already discharged the transport-ship’s full complement of missiles, were holding back at a distance. Their immense and immediate concern meanwhile was negotiating the stalagmite-tops as if they were stepping-stones, and even from mid-air Joe felt the impacts each time that juggernaut jumped. Our hero gave the whole of the hideout another minute at best, but his fear for his friends was halved when he saw Contamination in his single-seat space-rod burst free far below. Tearing after him over the crevasse’s expanse were Forcelife and the rest of the five, straddling steely steeds so outlandish Joe was glad to be afforded only a fleeting glance.

He and his Mini-Flashes drove at the vine-beast. Flame spurted, lightning whipcracked and the two boys gave it everything they had with their laser-cannons, but nothing could halt the hideous one which swished and swiped its trailing tree-trunks and repelled the small squadron on every pass. A last leap carried it to the fortress against whose wobbling ramparts it clung, while insidious twisty digits twined round the sought-after scaffold and snapped it loose. Joe and the Mini-Flashes circled as the creature thrust poor Flashthunder high aloft on the end of his stick, and belligerently wielded him like an overgrown child who wasn’t relinquishing that lollipop without a fight.

The solitary shaft of stone below decided enough was enough. It cracked at last and the fortress fell, vanishing as it did so amid the same distortions that had heralded its arrival. Antroar’s machinations must have done the trick. Kicking away from the crumbling pillar that remained, the monster scrambled to the next nearest still bearing its prize-on-a-pole. Another bound brought it to the next, and the next, as the frightful fugitive commenced retracing the journey to its lair.

Banking to the left Joe led the Mini-Flashes back to land-mode along the ridge. Four dust-bowls mingled to one as together our heroes gave chase, keeping their hopping quarry in the right-hand-side of their windscreens. Overhead Croldon Thragg rigged the hauler for cruising-speed and fell into step with the ground-force. Joe opened a communication-channel and transmitted a one-word command:

“Combination.”

“This is you, lad, do the side proud!” Thragg instructed Thomthar, who was already folding his large moth-wings and swinging himself down a launch-chute.

Flashtease and Flashbuoy pulled up on either side of the Valour and matched Joe for pace, each of the dome-topped duo retracting its claws or arms. Then, without the least declension in speed from either Mini-Flash or the vehicle they flanked, both circular craft tipped through ninety degrees so that each was rolling on its rim. A quick rearrangement of superfluous parts and the revolving Justice and Ingenuity locked static axles to the Valour’s hull, whereat Joe withdrew his skis and roared on under the power of his two new gigantic wheels.

Down the transport-ship’s gaping ramp a square shape blew into space like a bomb. It hit the dirt however on spinning triangular tracks and was hot on our heroes’ heels at once, Thomthar at the helm. This tank-treaded tower closed the gap and docked with Joe’s tailgate, beefing up the nascent top-end with bodywork to suit its titanic tyres.

Flashstanch had slipped back into her flight attire and now settled the Courage in pride of place on the roaring road-warrior’s roof. Joe had never understood why this final step was always accompanied by an explosion, but for that matter he didn’t understand how everyone ended up sitting in the same four-person command centre when it was over. It still worked though, just as it had in 2596, for from his seat Joe could see the three Mini-Flashes ready in theirs while Thomthar stood to hand, and he guessed none of them had had to get up or move any more than he had. Our hero gripped the controls.

“Air mode,” said he.

Mighty wings unfurled from the undercarriage and in a single smooth motion the rumbling off-roader was gliding over the billows it had stirred. A jet-engine emerging from the stern ignited, and skyward swept the fully-assembled Heroism I.

END OF CHAPTER THREE