The controls flashed on his screen and he adjusted the ship’s speed to approach the planet that the distress signal came from. To track the sharp, blaring signal in his head. To confront its source, whether the distress was genuine or the bait for a trap. He scanned the surface of the world meticulously, growing frustrated with every minute that went by.
I might be too late. I’m not going to find her.
Norah Lee.
The name stuck to him and he found himself saying it out loud when he powered down into his rest mode. The female’s voice sounded young and so filled with fear it made him, a Cyborg, worry. He had to get to her.
I have to try.
Stryker didn’t know how long the signal had been going. For all he knew, it could be weeks old, months old, even years old. But what he did know was that he never failed a mission. Whether they were given to him or self-initiated, he had always known success.
Lady Luck looked down upon him with a radiant smile.
Norah Lee, I’m coming.He flew his ship over the swampy jungle landscape of the world, populated solely by giant trees and giant bodies of water.
Stryker eyed the monstrous black clouds up ahead–the sky looked as if it had been beaten black and blue. He let out a hiss, “Not in there.”
He cursed under his breath as the signal grew stronger as he got closer.
A storm rained havoc down from the atmosphere, thick with thunder that bore a striking resemblance to blood-curdling howls. He could hear it past the metal barriers of his ship. The clouds flashed muted purple as lightning arced inside. Every one of his mechanical heart beats was accompanied by a hundred bolts.
Stryker said goodbye to the sky as he flew into the maelstrom.
He found the source of the distress call.
It’s not an ambush...it’s a fucking death trap.
He lost all visual. Stryker turned on the intercom and slowed down his ship.
“Matt, I need you in the bridge, stat!” He watched the water pelt the reinforced glass of his window. His fingers drummed on his knee as the wind and lightning tried to tear his ship apart.
No one could survive this storm.His worry grew tenfold for Norah.I’m coming.He urged her to feel the willpower of his thoughts.
He was going down into it. He was going to save her. He steeled his heart with his oath.
A grunting, gurgling noise, followed by the annoyed footsteps of his crew-mate, sounded just before the man walked into the bridge.
“Yes, Master?” The sarcasm was evident. Stryker had no time for it; he turned around.
“I need you to man the ship–” He was cut off.
Matt jerked back, “Put your goddamn mask on, man!”
Stryker stared the horrified alcoholic down. He didn’t have time for incompetence he had a woman to save. Nevertheless, he lifted his mask up.
“–fuuuck, you could have killed me.”
“No one would mourn. Matt, I’m dropping down, taking the flyer with me–”
“Oh what the fuck man? Why is it raining out there? Aren’t we in space? Space doesn’t have water!”
Stryker sighed. Every second was one more second an unfortunate death could happen. A death he was going to prevent, if at all possible.Norah Lee…
He turned back to the controls and flew the ship above the clouds. Stryker was out of his chair and rushing to his armory with an urgency he hadn’t felt since he was on the battlefield years ago.
The smell of space-brewed beer followed him. It didn’t take much when a food replicator was involved.
“I don’t want to die!”
