Isn't Life Strange
By: Heidi "Lady Niko" Reckel

Chapter VI

"I know you're out there somewhere
Somewhere somewhere
I know you're out there somewhere
Somewhere you can hear my voice
I know I'll find you somehow
Somehow somehow
I know I'll find you somehow
And somehow I'll return again to you."
     I know You're Out there Somewhere, The Moody Blues


  As soon as they were in hyperspace, Zach convinced Niko to go lie down in the back of Ranger-One and rest. It had taken some work on his part, but in the end, he had "used" Goose on her. His argument, "What would Goose say if he were in this situation, Niko?"

  "He'd say, 'be prepared,'" Niko sighed in resignation. She could see where Zach's logic was going.

  "And, what would he say if he were here now?"

  "That I ought to get some rest while I can."

  "Right, now, please, go in back and try to get some sleep," Zach asked, not ordered. This wasn't something he could order her to do.

  Niko gave Zach a small smile and said, "Thanks, Zach."

  "For what? I'm doing this as much for my own peace of mind as much as anything else," was his answer.

  She got up and headed to the back of the ship to rest, passing Doc along the way.

  "Niko, are you all right?" he asked, looking up from the computer console he was working at.

  "No, not really, but I'll survive." She gave him a sad half-smile before going to lay down in the bunk area.

  Doc watched her go, unsure of what to say, and finally a few moments later, he returned to tinkering away at the computer console.

  Alone, Niko sat on the edge of a bunk and stared absently off into space for a few moments. What was it that had touched her psyche during recharge? She puzzled it over as she removed her boots and stretched out on the bunk. Finally, exhaustion won out, and she fell asleep. Soon, she found herself caught up in a dream that was no ordinary dream...

  Light years from Tortuna, in what was commonly referred to as the Queen's Graveyard, the Queen of the Crown sat on her throne in her special asteroid, her Psychocrypt. Her throne was positioned in front of the Psychocrypt conversion chamber and various other assorted equipment.

  On the floor of the chamber, almost directly in front of her throne, there was a great deal of activity surrounding one piece of equipment that had a peculiarly shaped bracket device coming out of the top of it.

  One of the 'Crypt technicians turned to the throne and said, "The dream machine is ready, Your Majesty."

  The Queen said, "Excellent. Here is the crystal for you to place in the machine."

  The technician bowed and moved forward to take the Psychocrystal. He placed the crystal in the bracket atop the machine.

  For a moment a face appeared in the crystal, showing whose life-force was trapped inside-- Shane Gooseman's.

  The technician turned the machine on and the crystal began to glow.

  The Queen leaned forward in her throne and said in an almost whisper, "Niko... Niko..."

  On Ranger-One, Niko was caught in the Queen's nightmare, some part of her knowing that it was the Queen's nightmare, but was powerless to fight it.

  "Niko... Niko..." A voice called out to her, out of the utter darkness that surrounded her.

  "Goose?" Niko answered, confused. Where was this place?

  "Niko... Niko..." the voice called again.

  Niko now found herself standing on a platform of some kind, in the middle of a black void. The voice seemed to be all around her. She couldn't tell from which direction it was coming. She spun around, feeling like she was moving in slow-motion. "Shane?"

  "Niko..." the Queen said, an evil smile on her face.

  Niko heard Shane's voice and asked, "Shane? Where are you?"

  "Niko... I'm here," the Queen said, knowing that it was Shane's voice Niko was hearing.

  "Where, Shane?" Niko asked, turning around in a complete circle once more.

  A column of light appeared and Shane stood in the middle of it, his hand outstretched as if reaching to her.

  Niko reached out to him, "Shane, where are you?"

  "I'm here, Niko," Shane said, not explaining anything.

  "Where, Goose?" Niko asked puzzled. "What is this place?"

  "Niko, come to me..." the Queen said, enjoying herself thoroughly. It was so easy to play with these humans' minds. Their emotions would be their downfall.

  Niko ran to the edge of the circular platform and said, "Shane, I can't reach you!"

  Shane reached out his hand again. He was closer this time. His fingertips brushed against hers. "You can make the jump, Niko. Please come here. I need your help..."

  She hesitated. She didn't think she could make it...

  Niko shivered. Something didn't feel right, but she prepared to try again. She backed up and told that nagging doubt in the back of her head to be silent. She started running, preparing to make the leap.

  "Niko, jump!" Shane said. But, was it really Shane?

  With a cry, she leapt across the chasm, missing the edge of the platform by centimeters. She fell, only to be caught by the wrist. She was pulled up on to the platform and she wrapped her arms around Shane.

  "Oh, Goose," she said, heart still pounding. "Thank you." She started to relax as his strong arms snaked around her.

  "No problem," Shane answered. "It was no problem at all, my dear Niko..."

  The voice was right, but not the inflection! Niko froze and tried to push him away.

  "You aren't Shane!" she said, trying to pull herself from the now-suffocating grip around her ribs. Niko opened her eyes and looked up into the hooded cowl of a Slaverlord. The Queen's face was peering down into hers, a mockery of a smile pasted on her face.

  "I have your love, my dear Niko, and soon I will have you!" the Queen said, via the Slaverlord.

  "NOOOOOO....." she sat up, still asleep, screaming in denial of the terror the Queen was trying to make her feel.

  She finally managed to push away from the Slaverlord, but she backed up a step too far... Her heel slid off the edge of the platform. She tried to regain her balance, but it only succeeded in making her even further off-balance. The Slaverlord laughed in the Queen's voice.

  But almost as an undertone, she could hear Shane crying out in sympathy.

  "Give up, my dear, you can't escape," the Queen declared.

  The Slaverlord shoved Niko off the platform, and she was falling... falling...

  What more did the Queen want?

  She kept on falling down an endless pit in the dream.

  "Never!" she screamed.

  But, the dream continued on....

  And when she finally landed, it was in the conversion chamber of the Psychocrypt. But, she wasn't the one about to be converted. It was Shane!

  "Niko," he pleaded. "Help me."

  "No! I won't let you do this to me!" she protested. "I won't allow you to force me to watch this!"

  She tried to shut it out...

  "Won't let me? Oh, Niko, dear, you are so quaint..." the Queen laughed sarcastically. "You forget, I control everything here. This is my domain."

  But whether her eyes in the dream were open or shut didn't matter. There was no way to block it out.

  The Slaverlord threw the switch, and the conversion chamber powered up. She looked into the chamber, and her eyes met Shane's. His green eyes reached out with a mixture of fear, pain, and (what made Niko shudder the most) love.

  Niko was powerless to resist the images the Queen planted in her mind, nor the suffering of Shane as his life-force was pulled from his body and imprisoned in a Psychocrystal. She wanted to stop this, but she could do nothing. She cried out with a suffering of her own as the red light hit him.

  "NO!!! Shane!!!" She sobbed, wishing there was some way she could help him, but knowing now that it was too late, that this was only a memory pulled from Shane's mind.

  "Niko," she heard his voice whisper. "I'm sorry, babe. You weren't meant to know..."

  The Queen just sat on her throne and laughed. "Love," she said. "A much more powerful weapon than battleships. You aren't the first loves I've parted, Lady Niko, and you won't be the last!"

  Niko found the strength somewhere deep inside her to shout from the bottom of her soul, "GO TO HELL, Your Majesty!"

  "You are in hell, my dear, and your only way out is though me!"

  She woke up, eyes wide, and shaking. Zachary nodded to Doc, who handed him a glass of water. Niko took it gratefully.

  It was several moments before she could talk coherently.

  "You were screaming," explained Doc. "What happened?"

  Niko looked up and talked directly to Zachary. "Zach, she's... Shane is... Oh, Gods...Shane is in the Psychocrypt. I...saw it."

  "Saw it?" asked Doc. "The dream machine?"

  Niko nodded mutely. She heard Zachary mutter out a colorful stream of curses.

  "But how?" Doc asked. "I thought that only worked because of some harmonic thingy between Zach's bionics and his implant?"

  Niko shuddered. "I... don't really know..."

  Zachary turned to Doc. "Not quite. The Queen can manipulate me the way she does because I love Eliza. Emotional bonds are tools to her."

  "There's the fact that my Gifts make me a little more... receptive. That goes both ways - good and bad," said Niko.

  "Glad she doesn't have Maya," Doc said dryly. He avoided mentioning the existence of a bond between Goose and Niko.

  "That'll happen someday if we don't stop her now." Zach said.

  Just then, GeeVee popped up on a nearby monitor and said, "Ten minutes to Tortuna space, Captain Foxx."

  Zachary let go of Niko. "Are you going to be okay, Niko?"

  She nodded. "I'll be fine, Captain. I'm just a little shaken."

  Doc lingered for a moment after Zach left and asked, "Are you sure you'll be all right, Niko?"

  She nodded, she had to put on a brave face, "Yeah, Doc, I will." She patted Doc's shoulder. "Thanks, Doc."

  Doc got up and went forward to the front of the ship.

  Once alone, tears threatened to overwhelm Niko, but she refused to give into them. She had to keep it together to rescue Shane.... She had to, otherwise it would be all over.

  Niko picked up her boots and went to the back. She'd have to get into the Zanguil outfit very soon.

* * * *

  The Queen sat back in her throne and nodded to the technician to shut the dream machine down. The ground work was laid, and soon, very soon, she'd have one more of the Galaxy Rangers in her service. She fingered Goose's crystal almost lovingly after the technician handed it back to her.

  "Oh yes, my dear Niko, you will serve your Queen..." she said and then tucked the crystal away in her cloak. The time would come soon enough to make a Slaverlord of the Galaxy Ranger she had in her Psychocrypt, but for the moment, she had other business to attend to.

  She stood up and wrapped her cloak about her. She left the conversion chamber and headed for the medical facilities. Having to delay making a Slaverlord of that presumptuous human, Daisy O'Mega, might yet prove useful. She could use that human's transformation to break the Galaxy Ranger Niko to her will. The thought made her smile evilly.

  Upon her entrance in the medical facilities, the technician straightened from the instrument panel he had been leaning over and bowed, "Your Majesty."

  "So, tell me, technician, how is your patient doing?" The Queen moved in closer to check Daisy over visually.

  She was under heavy sedation and had restraints on both wrists, keeping her tied to the bed.

  "Despite her injuries, Your Majesty, she is a most healthy specimen and should make an excellent addition to your Psychocrypt," the technician answered, looking back at her chart once more.

  "How long before she can withstand the transformation process?" The Queen was eager to transform this human.

  "Not for another seventy-two hours at the minimum, Your Majesty," the technician almost sounded disappointed that it was going to take that long.

  The Queen's eyes narrowed. That would be just about the time to teach her new student another lesson.... "That will do just fine. I plan to use her conversion as a lesson for my new pupil that I expect to have willingly joined my service by that time. Keep me informed of her condition. I want to make sure she will survive the conversion process," The Queen ordered.

  The technician bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will see to it that she is strong enough to survive the conversion process."

  "Excellent," the Queen said. She flung her cape about her once more and left the medical facilities.

  Now, she had to plan for the capture of the remaining Galaxy Rangers team. She headed for her communications room to contact her troops on Tortuna to set the trap for the Rangers. Oh yes, she knew exactly where they were headed. The same bar where the Black Hole Gang had captured Ranger Gooseman. How poetic....

* * * *

  The three Rangers, now dressed as Zanquils, rode their cybersteeds up to the guard post at the entrance to the main dome of Tortuna City. The Crown Agents had gotten greedier since the last time they had bribed their way into the city. Instead of the six hundred crowns, the guards now wanted eight hundred crowns. Zach almost choked at the amount.

  But it was Doc with one of his usual , "Oh, fearless leader, I would suggest that you pay the man since I'm allergic to torture," that got him to hand over the stuffed bag of crowns. The crown guards had laughed, and what could have been a bad situation was quickly diffused.

  "Where to now, Zach?" Doc asked once they were inside the dome.

  "Geezie's shop. I want to know if he's found out anything more on Goose and see if he can get us into the Queen's asteroid complex," Zach answered.

  Niko rode along in between, still troubled by the nightmare. It had scared her more than she was willing to admit, and longed for something to divert her mind from its present train of thought...

  The Rangers left their cyberhorses at a parking facility just inside the dome and headed on foot to Geezie's shop. They blended into the crowd much better without the horses and this time, they didn't really want to attract attention. Even Niko had managed to pull her hair up under her Zanquil hat.

  They entered Geezie's shop, only to find him nowhere in sight, but heard him moving around in the back of the shop, and then call out, "I'll be right there!"

  He came bustling out of the nether regions of the shop and stopped short when he saw the Zanquil outfits.

  "Zanquils! I don't do business with Zanquil Slavers!" the Pendulant bristled with outrage.

  "Guess again, Geezie," Zach said, pulling the concealing cloth of the Zanquil costume from his face.

  "Galaxy Ranger Zachary Foxx!" Geezie exclaimed.

  "Hi Geezie, you miss us?" Doc grinned, also pulling the concealing cloth on his costume away from his face.

  "What can I do for you today, Galaxy Rangers?"

  "Information, Geezie, information," Zach said sternly. "I want to know what happened to Ranger Gooseman, Geezie."

  Geezie trumpeted, "I already told that Commander Humming all I know!"

  "Tell me now. Goose is one of my men and I don't intend to let the Queen keep him as a Slaverlord." Zach said with menace. He meant what he said.

  Geezie backed up a couple of steps, waving his hands in front of him, "All right, all right! I'll tell you what I know! Just let me make sure we won't be disturbed."

  He went to lock the front door and pull down the shade that had "closed" written on it. He led the Rangers to the lower level of the shop before he told them what he had told Goose about the Sunset Bar over in Sorry End being the Black Hole Gang's latest "public" hang-out on Tortuna.

  "I warned him not to go there, yes I did," Geezie felt he had to defend himself.

  "What happened at the Sunset Bar?" Zach asked, with just a hint of menace in his voice.

  "The Black Hole Gang! That's what happened!" Geezie answered. "The Ranger found the Black Hole Gang and got himself captured by them."

  "How, Geezie?"

  "It was a set-up. They attacked him from behind and shot him in the back!" Geezie blurted out.

  Niko paled considerably at this confirmation of her vision.

  "When did this happen?" Zach asked all the questions. He could be as good as Goose when it came to being intimidating.

  Geezie had to think for a minute, "About eight hours ago."

  Zach cursed, that gave MaCross more than enough time to have handed Goose over to the Queen of the Crown, and more than enough time for her to have transformed him into a Slaverlord as Niko had seen in her horrible nightmare on board Ranger-One on the flight out from Earth.

  "Where's MaCross now?" Zach asked, eyes narrowed in thought.

  "He's off-planet now," Geezie said apologetically. He had no love for the Black Hole Gang either. He continued, taking a deep breath, "Shortly after the brawl at the Sunset Bar, he took off in a land-cruiser with two bundles in the back under a tarp. He went to the Queen's dome, the Excellon, and delivered his 'cargo.'"

  "What was his cargo?" Zach asked.

  "It was the Blonde Ranger Humming and that Daisy O'Mega Humming," Geezie answered, his whole body seeming to droop as he told the news.

  Niko's knees buckled. It was true then, the Queen had transformed Goose... Doc was quickly at her side and supported her with a hand at her elbow. He quietly told her, "Easy, Niko. Just take it easy."

  Zach cursed. He had hoped that it would be otherwise, but now he knew what they had to do. He put his shoulders back and pulled the face wrap back up over the lower half of his face. He gave Niko an understanding glance and turned his attention back to Geezie.

  "Thanks for the information, Geezie." He said, before turning and nodding to Doc and Niko that it was time to go.

  As they walked back up to the main level of the shop, Geezie stayed where he was for the moment and called out behind them, "Remember Galaxy Rangers, you never saw me!! I don't exist!"

  Doc couldn't hide the grin that found its way to his face. Some things would never change, and Geezie was one of them. "Geezie, it's so nice to know you care for us!" he quipped.

  Geezie sighed and shook his head, why did he ever bother to get involved with these Hummings in the first place?

  Outside the shop, Doc asked Zach, "Where to now, Zach?"

  "The Sunset Bar in Sorry End. I'd like to see if Geezie was right about MaCross being off-planet..." Zach answered, eyes narrowed, and hat pulled down low on his brow. He turned to Niko and asked, "Are you all right, Niko?"

  "I think so. I just didn't want to believe it, but..." Niko's eyes were full of agony.

  Zach put a hand on her shoulder and said, I know, Niko, I know. But we are going to get Goose back. Even if I have to face a court-martial when we get back to Earth."

  "Thanks, Zach," Niko answered.

  Doc tried to find a quip, or some remark to make, but couldn't find anything to say as the trio headed back to where they had left the cyberhorses.

  The Ranger trio got their horses and headed over to Sorry End and the Sunset Bar. Once they were outside the bar, Zach told Brutus, "Keep your ears open, Brutus, let us know if trouble's coming."

  "Right," Brutus answered.

  "Doc, Niko, watch your backs. We don't know what we're going to find in there." Zach said, checking to make sure he had his blaster and that it had a full charge. Doc and Niko both checked their weapons; Doc, his blaster pistol, and Niko her blaster shotgun.

  The three Rangers entered the bar, looking for the Black Hole Gang. They walked up to the bar, and were about to order drinks when glass shattered, when the bar filled with the screams of blasters and the splintering of wood.

  "Hit the floor!" Zach shouted.

  Doc needed no prompting, leaping behind an overturned table and firing his blaster at the thick herds of purple and black suited guards, that seemed to be coming out of the woodwork.

  Niko was near the middle of the bar and had kicked aside a couple of the mob, but they were closing in. She found cover and started blasting away with her shotgun.

  The horses were also trying to hold their own. They were lashing out with their hind-legs, taking out two to three of the robots at a time. Brutus bucked, knocking one robot clear off his feet, tossing him into another cluster of troops, scattering them, and shattering a plate-glass window. Brutus took the opening and jumped through the broken window to go help his rider. The other cyberhorses followed him into the bar.

  The Queen's robots troops were everywhere! She must have sent a full battalion against the team.

  One of the soldiers tried to throw himself on Voyager. She bucked him off. Another one tried to shoot Mel and scorched the ornamental mane. Mel neighed in anger and lashed out with his hind legs, taking out four more of the robots.

  Doc tried to shoot his blaster and got nothing. Picking up a blaster from an unconscious thug, he started to keep firing, but the more he took down, the more came.

  Zachary was also fighting to keep from being overwhelmed. He managed to get over to Brutus.

  "They're multiplying! I swear!" Doc shouted over the din. He dived to the side as a blaster bolt took a chunk out of the table he was using as a shield.

  Voyager and Brutus managed to fight their way to their riders.

  Zachary struggled to mount up, kicking Crown troops off his legs in the process. Doc stumbled onto Voyager.

  "Come on Wilbur!" Voyager said, prancing in place.

  "Fall back!" Zachary ordered. "There's too many of them!"

  "One of these days, I'm going to get all the bugs out of your programming, Voyager..." Doc muttered, turning to shoot at another of the robots.

  "Mel! Over here!" Niko called out to her cyberhorse.

  Another shot, and Mel screeched. It was a lucky shot. Sparks shot out of his neck.

  Niko started moving towards her cyberhorse, fighting off the robots in her way. She saw Mel get hit, "Mel!"

  Voyager and Brutus had fought a way out, and Niko was only a few steps from Mel. She got close. "I'm coming."

  Zach turned to look over his shoulder, "Niko! Come on!"

  She was about to get back on when another volley of shots broke out. One of them hit her shoulder. She slumped over Mel's back.

  "Niko!" shouted Doc. He turned Voyager around and went to go back in after her.

  Mel tried to stagger out of the bar, but like a group of piranhas, the Crown troops were swarming around them...

  Zach, wheeled Brutus around and joined Doc with a look of grim determination on his face. The Queen wasn't going to get anymore of his friends if he could help it.

  Doc and Zach charged towards him on top their cyberhorses.

  The Guards thinned a little, leaving what looked like a mangled cross between a stripped car and a dead horse behind. Niko was nowhere near Mel.

  And from behind the building, a Crown shuttle blasted upwards.

  Zach and Doc looked up in unison. "She must be in that shuttle!" Doc said, fighting off another crown robot.

  "Let's get back to GeeVee," Zach ordered, already spurring Brutus into action.

  "Right!" Doc said, wheeling Voyager around. "You don't have to tell me twice!" Doc said, bending low over Voyager's neck.

  The Rangers and cybersteeds fought to cut a path through the teeming guards. The ozone smell of blaster fire filled the air, and shots of deadly light whizzed past. The cyberhorses raced down the streets of the domed city.

  Voyager stopped near what was left of Mel for a moment. "Wilbur. Get Mel."

  Doc understood what Voyager was talking about. Mel's central processing unit which held the personality chip. He grabbed the small device, then spurred Voyager on to catch up to Brutus.

  A shot whizzed by Doc, scorching the edge of the Zanquil parka. He clutched onto Voyager's reigns with one hand and pressed the memory disk containing Mel's personality program against his chest.

  "Come on Voyager! I don't want to end up as Psychocrypt fodder," Doc complained, ducking to avoid another shot.

  Barely ahead, Brutus was already reaching the gate. Zachary turned dangerously in the saddle to fire at the Crown Agents behind them.

  Voyager whinnied and started to dash. The old girl might have been shy a few chips, but she knew how to bolt when it required it. "I'm going as fast as I can, Wilbur," she said, head stretched out, and her legs pumping.

  The ship was straight ahead of them, but it seemed to get further and further away.

  GV was hovering, blasters keeping the crown agents at bay.

  Brutus dodged a blast and wavered a bit in his step, coming dangerously close to throwing Zachary from the saddle.

  "Come on Doc!" Zach yelled as he regained his balance.

  "Coming!" Doc said, dodging the heavy blaster fire.

  "GeeVee!" Zach called, "Set down and lower the lift!"

  It seemed that the lift took ten times longer than any other time.

  Zach turned in his saddle to fire one more shot with his blaster at the approaching crown agents.

  Voyager passed Brutus and raced for the lift.

  "Captain! Let's move!" Doc shouted as he raced past and got on to the lift.

  "Raise the lift, GeeVee!" Zach cried, once Brutus made the leap on to the lift.

  "Raising Lift, Captain Foxx, sir," GeeVee answered.

  Without bothering to secure the horses, both men rushed to the cockpit.

  "GeeVee- can you get a heading on where that crown shuttle was going?" Zach asked, hastily buckling himself in the pilot's seat.

  "Heading before the leap into hyperspace indicates that they are headed for the Asteroid Palace."

  Zach growled, "Great, just great.... GeeVee, plot a course for the Queen's Graveyard. We're going after Niko."

  "Course coordinates plotted, Captain Foxx, sir," the AI replied.

  "Then, make the jump GeeVee. Doc, take care of Brutus and Voyager, see that they're secured."

  "Right," Doc said, getting up from his seat.

  "Captain Foxx the shots from the Crown agents have done damage to my Hyperdrive system. I might be unable to make the jump into hyperspace," GeeVee said.

  "Doc, get on it!" Zach barked out the orders, "GeeVee, just get us out of here."

  Doc went to work on the more urgent priority, the hyperdrive. He pulled some fried wires from a panel, then ran to the storage cabinet and tried his best to make the patch job.

  Zachary heard the panel swing shut and Doc's voice well from the back. "It's the best I can do. Hit it, Captain!"

  Zachary didn't wait a microsecond before hitting the jump button. The ship's deckplates surged beneath his feet.

* * * *

  While Doc had struggled to make repairs to the ship, the Crown shuttle had slipped into hyperspace, carrying one more of the Galaxy Rangers for the Queen. Their destination was indeed the Asteroid Palace inside the Queen's Graveyard.

______________________________________________________

On to Chapter Seven!
Back to Lady Niko's Fics!
Back to Authors Page!