Captain Meteor #4

Captain Meteor #4

The Galactic Knight:

S P A C E W I T C H

By: Michael Wydock

“Mission log.Finding at least one crew member was a success.Boris Manifold was stranded, marooned on an alien planet called Mysterion.Correction, one of the many moons of Mysterion.These strange alien creatures called Genomorphers attacked us without warning, hunted us down as if prey.Now, we need to find their queen, destroy her and leave this rock.The mission to find the others and my mother continues.”Eric Starz was determined to find his remaining two crew members, if they’re still alive of course.Finding the Genomorpher queen was proving to be a challenge.The mist and fog were getting denser.Every single dead tree that they went by started to look the same now.

“This looks familiar to me.” Said Shiela.

“We’re going around in circles.We have been for half an hour.At this rate we’ll never find the queen.”

“Does Dell even know how to work that thing?”Complained Boris.It was funny, this planet has little to no effect on Eric but Boris was starting to lose his mind.Just how many days has Boris been marooned on this moon for...?No one truly knows.Just then, Dell had begun to see the soundwaves on his radar raise higher and higher indicating that they were on the right track.

“Of course I know how to work it Boris.I invented it.”

“Wait, how did you hear me?I said that completely under my breath.”

“Ha, you think these fins are just for show?”He said pointing at his fin-like ears.The soundwaves on the radar were getting higher and higher.They were so close to the nest.Then they started to drop.

“Wait, turn back.”They started walking back and the soundwaves started to grow higher again.But there was nothing here, just emptiness.

“I don’t understand.There should be something here but there’s nothing.”Then Dell looked down and realized that the nest could be underground.He kneelt down and put his hand upon the ground.He could feel the vibration in the ground.

“The hive is underground here.We need to dig down.”

“Or maybe there’s a cave nearby.If their nest is underground then there’s a cave for them to enter through.”Said Eric.Dell stood up and looked at Eric.

“Well, I suppose we could search for the cave too.”He said crossing his arms and pouting while looking away from him.It seemed he really wanted to use that drill.The drill that Eric was gonna use on that meteorite but never got to.

“I really wanted to use that drill.” He said to himself.Eric placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, come on, we’ll find something to use that drill on.I promise.”

“Well.... Okay.”Dell let off a little smile.Eric led on.He and his team looked everywhere for that cave entrance.It was only a matter of time now before the planet fully consumes them, they were running out of time.As they were walking through the marsh, Boris had stopped for something that was bothering his head.He placed his hand on his forehead as the others turned to see if he was alright.

“Boris, are you okay?”Eric asked concerned.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.Just a headache I guess.”

“GUYS!I FOUND IT!”Dell called out.The others came to where he was.All four of them stood in front of the cave entrance.The nest had to be somewhere in these caves.They find the nest, they find the queen.Eric pulled out his blaster and leads the pack inside the dark cave.Inside this dark and misty cave was a whole network of tunnels, the nest could’ve been anywhere.Eric’s jewel lit up the entire cave brightly as he led the way.Dell’s radar seemed to be pointing them in the right direction as the soundwaves were getting higher and higher.The walls were covered with hives and slime as they’ve progressed through those dark tunnels.

As they continue onward, Boris’s head started to throb again.The others had stopped in their tracks as they heard Boris’s cries for help.Eric ran up to him concerned for his former captains wellbeing.

“Boris!What’s wrong?”

“Killer headache.”Although he said it was just a headache, Eric could tell something was wrong.Even Dell could sense it but he wasn’t sure.He ran up to both him and Boris as he wraps his arm around Boris.Eric saw Boris’s head throbbing.

“Shiela and I will take Boris back to the ship, he needs medical attention.”

“Alright, I’ll be okay by myself.I’ll meet you two there when I’m done.”Dell handed Eric the radar before they left.He and Shiela took Boris back to the ship leaving Eric by himself to fight the queen.Eric turned back around as he continued on his quest.Although Shiela didn’t like the idea of leaving Eric’s side, but she needed to help Dell take care of Boris.She was worried but Dell told her that she needn’t worry too much.He believed that Eric could pull this mission off.He let off a smile to ease her as she smiles back.Eric turns back and continues onward towards his missions objective.He was so close now, the soundwaves on the radar were going even higher than ever before.He spots a Genomorpher as he tried to go into hiding but there was nowhere he could go.He panicked, fear was within his eyes thinking what that Genomorpher would do if it saw him.He backed up against a wall thinking that it wouldn’t see him.

But then something happened to him.His skin and hair color started to change, matching the texture on the wall behind him.He was camouflaged into his surroundings.The Genomorpher walked right by him, not seeing him at all.As soon as the coast was cleared, his normal colors came back.He looked upon himself wondering what just happened.Was this a new power that he had discovered completely by accident?Instant camouflage?Where were these powers coming from he thought to himself.But then he started to remember something, something long past even before he was training to become a pilot back on earth….

PARADISE CITY, 2006

Eric and Marina were driving down the road in a brand new Corvette that she got him for his 24th birthday.The Corvette was painted a galaxy blue with little white stars all over the exterior of the car.The windows were down as Marina’s hair blew ever so gently in the breeze.It was a bright and sunny day in Paradise City, a perfect day for a drive.Eric was wearing his wire framed sunglasses while driving so as to not get blinded by the sun.He wanted to thank her for the expensive gift by going out shopping which was her favorite thing to do.

“Where are you taking me?” She asked with a smile.

“I told you babe, it’s a surprise.”

“I surprise you and in return you surprise me?” She giggled.

“You’re so good to me Eric.Sometimes I think to myself ‘I don’t deserve you’.And yet here we are tackling the world together.That day we met up at sophomore prom and you’ve kissed me for the first time.”

“You still remember that?That was a long time ago.”

“Well yeah, of course I remember.I still have that note you gave me that day too.Every time I read it, I cry tears of joy.You are my shining star, Astro Eric.”He glances at her and smiles.He told her about that nickname that his father gave to him when he was little.They both giggle as they pull into the parking lot of the Paradise City’s megaplex mall.Eric finds a parking space and pulls in.He gets out of the car first and like a true gentleman, he goes around and opens her door.She smiles as her eyes sparkle with joy.So many shops inside of the mall to explore.They go inside of the mall’s main entrance.The Paradise City’s megaplex mall was huge with three floors filled with shops, restaurants, arcades and even its own movie theater.Escalators going up and up to each floor.And an elevator in the middle of it all.Glass windows on the roofs and even chandeliers that hung below the floors.The megaplex had so many shops, one can’t even keep count.

“There’s just too many shops and so many choices!” She said with glee.

“We’ve got all day babe.We can shop to our hearts delight.”As Eric and Marina walked, someone was watching from a distance.It was the mysterious man in white.The man in white took out his walkie and spoke into it.

“I have located Eric Starz as requested.He’s within my sight.”

“Excellent.He’s the perfect candidate we’ve been searching for.Bring him to us.”

“Understood sir.”Eric wrapped his arm around Marina as they walked unaware of what was really going on.A couple of brute men blocked their path forward and soon surrounded them.Marina got scared and terrified but Eric looked stern and ready to protect her at all costs.Before anything else happened, two men came up from behind and bounded their hands.Eric and Marina were confused.

“What is this, what’s going on?”

“Quiet Mr. Starz.All will be revealed soon enough.”

“How do you know me?Who are you people?”The man in white did not answer back.He just threw bags over their heads and sedated them with a needle.That was all he could remember for now, the rest was but a blur to him.The Genomorpher queen was much deeper underground then he thought.He continued onward.

Meanwhile back at the ship, Dell and Shiela helped Boris into the ship.His headache was getting worse as he could feel it pounding.They both helped Boris onto a medical table.They could see his left eye bulging as if it was about to pop out of its socket.

“What the stars is happening to him?”Shiela shrieked.But her question was about to be answered.A worm-like larva bursted out of Boris’s left eye as he screams with agonizing pain.A sense of surprise and shock wiped across Shiela and Dell’s faces.It was a Genomorpher larva.It crawled out of Boris’s bleeding socket and retreated to a safer place in the ship before Dell could get rid of it.

“Wh…. What the fuck?”Boris reacted.

“That thing was inside my head?”

“We need to find it before it gets too large.We only have a few hours before it fully matures.”Said Dell as he was looking for wraps to put around Boris’s head.

“It grows into a fully grown Genomorpher in just a few hours?”

“Correct.A Genomorphers lifespan depends on how well it is nourished when it is in its larva state.The larva needs to feed on brain matter in order for it to mature.A Genomorpher can live up to 200 years or maybe even more.”

“Wait, back up!You’re saying that thing was gnawing on my brain?”

“Yes.But the true question is how did one end up in your head in the first place?”Dell had finished wrapping Boris’s head until they could get off the planet.Boris thought hard.He remembers back on the freighter where he saved that alien girl.But was she even real or was she a Genomorpher in disguise?

“That bitch!I knew it was too good to be true but I still fell for it.”

“Sounds like you were thinking with your wrong head Boris.”Dell joked.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So how do we catch this thing?” Asked Shiela.Dell arms himself with a specialized blaster that he designed himself and tosses Boris one.Shiela didn’t need one since she can summon her own at will.These blasters were more like rifles and their lasers can pierce through the Genomorphers hide.

“In order to hunt a Genomorpher larva, we must think like one.It would find a safe place to hide and form a cocoon around itself until its ready for its next cycle of evolution.We’ve got no time to waste.Check every square inch of this ship.”While the three of them were looking for the creature, Eric had found the queen’s nest and also the queen herself.The Genomorpher queen’s hide was much lighter in tone than her subjects.She stood tall above the rest of them at a height of 7.5 meters or 24 feet tall.She had four arms with three elongated fingers on each hand and tendrils coming out her back.Her face was skull-like with no nose and her eyes blackened.The top of her head was like that of a squid and acts as her crown complete with a black stone in the center.

She had only three elongated and sharpened toes on each of her talons.And a long slender tail which was longer than her entire body.Eric’s jaw dropped at her sheer size alone.But if he could stop a flying meteorite, he can surely slay this thing.There were about five other Genomorphers with her so getting to her would prove to be a challenge.Eric snuck up behind one of them as he cut off its tail.He then rammed his blade through its back before it could regenerate.The queen was alerted and screeched at the top of her lungs demanding the others to protect their queen.He flipped over one of the Genomorphers as it tried to jab him with its tail.He pulled out his blaster and shot it in the face.Eric then ran and kicked off the walls as two more came after him.He shot for their faces but the Genomorphers used their arms as shields.

He then used his jewels power to give himself speed before the Genomorpher could slice him.The queen threw her fist down as Eric slid under but missed him horribly, he was too fast for her.He then proceeds to cut off the queens tail before she could even use it.She screamed and backed up, almost tumbling over Eric.Eric jumped onto her back and holds on tight.He ran up it as he proceeds to cut off her head.But her tail grew back and wraps around him before he could get to her head.She threw Eric off as he crashed into the wall.

A Genomorpher jumped up toward the wall trying to pin Eric to it, but he bolted off of the wall as fast as lightning before the creature could pin him down.Eric slid onto the ground and ended up behind the queen again.She turned as she tried to crush him with her hand, but Eric just kept on moving.The jewel’s power was unlimited so he could keep this up all day.Eric jumped off a Genomorphers chest as he came back down with his sword and sliced the creature in two.The Genomorphers blood may be deadly, but the heat from Eric’s blade just melted it away.

The queen finally managed to hit Eric as she smacked him and sent him flying across the room.She then took a grip onto Eric as he struggles to get free.She drooled as she savored her meal to come but then something happened.The ceiling of the cave broke through as a mysterious alien woman came to his rescue but it was not Shiela.She appeared to belong to the race of the Krystinites but somehow different.Wearing a black dress with a stick up collar and a cape as well as a silver belt around her waist.Her head with tails that were dangling from the sides and back of her head as well as purple flaming hair coming out of the top of her head.She also had on a silver circlet with a black gem stone in the center around her head.It was Mortana, the same alien woman that Eric saw in that hologram back on earth.

“Get your hands off of my boy you galactic bitch!”She shouted as she blasted the queen with a powerful beam that it sent the queen flying back.Mortana floated down to Eric.

“Mom?Is that really you?”

“There’s no time Eric.We’ve got to get you and your friends out of here!”She grabbed hold of Eric with some kind of psychic wave and flew off.But before she could fly away, the queen wrapped her tail around Mortana’s leg.Eric took his blaster and shot off the queens tail as Mortana was free.She threw another beam toward the queen as the beam went straight through her chest.Mortana then took Eric and flew away.Dell, Shiela and Boris could feel the ship shake as they were just as confused as to what was going on.Mortana managed to lift the ship up and carried it with her and Eric.They were now off of that rock and entered the vacuum of space.Eric looked up at her.

“Mom, I can’t believe this.You were an alien all along?”She looked toward him and smiled.Seeing her face was now so much different from her human form, he couldn’t help but feel lost and confused.He had so many questions to ask her.Once they found a safe rock to land on for a breather, she put the ship gently onto the ground.Her flaming purple hair was gone now.Eric and Mortana entered the ship as it flew off the rest of the way.

“How did you find us?” Eric asked her.

“A mother always knows.” She smiled.Boris’s jaw dropped, he was at a loss for words but soon found them again.

“Eric, your mother is an alien!?”

“Well I had to keep it a secret from him.” She told Boris.

“Did dad know?” Eric asked.

“Yes, he knew.I came to earth a long time ago in order to hide from Moltroid.”

“So that was your ship that I found in the desert.” He realized.

“My ship crash landed and that’s where I met your father.Your father was M.I.B. at the time.I told him my story and instead of locking me up, he went against protocol and helped me hide.I disguised myself as a human to blend in and took the name Jane.Your father risked his life and career to save me.He was a good man.”She said as she shed a tear for his loss, but Eric still had more questions for her.

“So what even are you?”

“I am a Crysolite, the ancient ancestors of the Krystinites.We are also known to other races as ‘Space Witches’.The most powerful beings in the galaxy and keepers of the knowledge of the universe.”

“I still don’t understand.If you were the most powerful beings, then why couldn’t you destroy Moltroid yourself?”

“Moltroid is not from this galaxy.We tried to fight him, but he quickly overpowered us.Plus he has an army at his back.I had no choice but to flee.I watched in horror as he killed my sisters one by one.His power is truly terrifying.I’m the only one of our kind left, or at least I hope not.Emperor Moltroid will do anything in his power to find me.He wishes to conquer all seven universes.But he seeks the knowledge to do so, that is why he is after me.”

“Mom, you’ve spent your life protecting me.Now is my chance to return the favor.As long as I draw breath, I will make it my mission to protect you from him.”

“Count me in.” Said Shiela.

“We’ll join you on this mission Eric.” Said both Dell and Boris.Mortana was relieved to have such good friends and a loving son.

“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

“Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a rat to kill.”Dell said as both him and Boris left the room.Eric was confused.He turns to Shiela.

“What did he mean by that?”

“When we got Boris onto the ship, a Genomorpher larva popped out of his eye and is now loose somewhere on this ship.”

“WHAT!?!” Both Eric and Mortana shrieked.

“Don’t worry, those two have it under control.I’m sure it would be long gone before we make it to our next destination.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late.” Mortana spoke.

“Once a Genomorpher larva is inside of its hosts head, it develops a psychic connection to its host.With it, the larva can manipulate its host and make him do whatever it wants.Even commanding the host to protect it while it grows.So your friend Dell might be in danger.”

“Oh no, we’ve got to find them fast before he does something to Dell.” Shiela shrieked.

Dell and Boris walked down corridors as they soon entered the hanger bay of the ship.Dell had out his Genomorpher radar to make it easier to track down.The waves on the radar grew higher and higher as they came to an airlock.

“It must be beyond this door somewhere.”Beyond the airlock was the engine room of the ship.Huge machines and engines used to power the whole thing.The room was boiling hot like they’ve entered into a steel mill.The room was filled in a red and orange hue giving off the impression that it was hot in that room.It would make sense for the larva to make its cocoon in here where it was nice and warm.The room itself was pretty huge with lots of hiding places for it to go.After several minutes of searching, Dell had found its cocoon hiding in the far back corner of the room.As he got his blaster set to shoot the cocoon, he heard Boris setting up his blaster to shoot him instead.

“I cannot let you do that Dell.”Dell turned around sticking his hands up in the air.

“Boris, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I have to protect my child.”

“Are you mad?”Boris said nothing more.He just smirked as he shot Dell right in the chest.Dell covered up his wound as he fell to the floor.Boris stepped over his body as he approached the cocoon.He bent down as he caressed it like it was his baby.The cocoon started to form a protective web around itself wrapping Boris up into it as well.At this point, Boris’s mind was not his own, not as long as the larva is still in the ship anyway.Boris hung there entangled in that web.He noticed that Dell was still alive as he was crawling toward the airlock.The web wrapped itself around his leg as Dell was hoisted up and brought to Boris.The entangled Boris looked at Dell straight in the eye.

“I must protect my child at all costs until it grows.”

“Boris, you’ve gone mad!That thing has corrupted you!”Eric and the others had arrived just in time before Boris could do anything else.Upon looking at what has become of his former captain, Eric knew that he had to save his friend.The web tossed Dell aside as Shiela and Mortana aided him.

“He’s still alive but not for long.We need to get him out of here.” Mortana said as she and Shiela helped Dell up.They wrapped Dell’s arms around themselves and walked him out of the room.Eric looked up at his former captain in awe.

“Boris, snap out of it!This isn’t you!”

“Must protect the cocoon.I will do what I must.I am sorry friend.”

“I’m sorry too.”Eric pulls out his blaster as he begins to shoot the web.But it was no use.The web starts to repair itself as it tries to whip Eric.Eric dodges the webs tendrils as he keeps shooting it.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work.” Said Boris as he commands the web to attack his friend.As a tendril was coming toward Eric, he used his blade to cut the tendril before it could grab him.Back at the medical room, Mortana and Shiela placed Dell on the table as he grunted in pain.

“He’s losing too much blood.We need to seal up the wound, cauterize it.”Mortana conjured up purple fire from her hands and placed them over Dell’s chest where the wound was.Dell grunted as he tried hard not to scream in pain.Mortana turned the temperature of her fire down a bit as the flames did their magic.Dell’s wound begins to heal and the bleeding slowed.

“I’ll take it from here Mortana.Go help Eric.”She did as Shiela asked of her and ran to her boys rescue.As more of the webs tendrils came toward Eric, he swung his blade.But no matter how much he cut, the web would always regenerate.He thought that the only way to destroy this web was to pull Boris out of there.And lucky for him, his mother came just in time to help him.

“Mom, I need your help!We’ve got to pull Boris out of there!”

“I’ve got an idea!Go help your friend!I’ll take care of the rest!”Eric did as requested.He put away his weapons and rushed to Boris’s rescue, dodging and weaving from the incoming tendrils.Mortana summoned her purple flames as she levitated.She begins to burn the web from the bottom.Eric leaps and grabs onto Boris.Boris looks into Eric’s face.

“No, I must protect my child!”

“Screw that!”Eric used all of his might to pull Boris out of that web.Mortana’s fire grew and grew as it soon engulfed the whole web.Eric managed to pull Boris out of it just in time as the flames consumed the web.

“Eric, get Boris out of here!”

“No!My child!”Eric had no choice but to punch Boris’s lights out.He punched him so hard, it knocked Boris clean out.He took Boris and went out of the engine room.The cocoon hatched but by that time it was too late for the creature.Mortana was using that time to charge up her strongest move.Her dress transformed into a void into space as it sucked the creature right in.The creature was now gone from the ship and left floating in the vacuum of space until it dies.Her dress transformed back into fabric as her job here was done.She left the engine room to join up with the others.

Boris finally wakes up moments later surrounded by his friends.He sits up from the table rubbing his jaw as if it still hurts.

“That was one hell of a punch Eric.”

“Sorry I had to knock you out captain.You were acting crazy.”Boris turns to Dell.

“Sorry I shot you earlier.I wasn’t myself.”

“It’s alright, water under bridge.At least the creatures gone now.”

“Finally, no more headaches.” He chuckled.Eric approaches him and places his hand on Boris’s shoulder.

“I’m just glad that you’re back to your normal self.But we’ve still got to find Amy and Gordon, if they’re still alive.M.A.I.R.A., see if you can pick up Amy and Gordon’s distress signals.”

“Of course Mr. Starz, I will do what I can.”

Meanwhile back on earth, it was only hours ago when the unconscious Voltro came into Area 51 for experiments.After Captain Meteor cut off his tail and burnt Voltro to a crisp, he arrived laying on a stretcher escorted by doctors and scientists.Voltro was placed inside a tube of jelly until the scientists got everything set for experimentation.Voltro then was taken out and wheeled to the operation room.They carried his body and placed it onto the table.

“This is Dr. Keto on September 26th undergoing autopsy.Subject is an alien of unknown origins with his tail completely cut off.Captain Meteor sure did a number on this guy.Undergoing procedure now.”But before the experiments happened, Voltro begins to regain consciousness.His tail grew back as his fingers started to wiggle.

“The hand is moving.” Said one of the doctors.Voltro’s eyes opened up as he looks around.As the doctors were distracted, he took his tail and wraps it around the doctors neck.Voltro’s strong tail hoisted the doctor into the air as he threw him through the glass window.Voltro stood up onto the table as everyone screams and panics.Voltro used his stinger and jabbed it into one of their backs.He hopped off of the table as he ringed one of the doctors by the neck.Another doctor pulled out a gun and pointed it at Voltro.

The doctor fired but Voltro used the other doctor as a meat shield.He then kicked the dead doctor into the other one and knocked him down.Before the doctor could get up, Voltro used his stinger to stab him in the neck and killed him.Voltro killed every single doctor in that room as blood splattered everywhere.He crashed through the window and escaped.The base was on high alert as Voltro made his way to the exit.Agents armed with guns tried to take Voltro out.But he would accept this challenge and kills everyone that stood in his way.Leaving a massacre in his wake, Voltro makes his way outside of the base.

Desert sands and nothing for miles except rock and dry canyons.Area 51 was in the middle of nowhere, it wasn’t even on the map.Before Voltro could go any further, helicopter blades blew wind in his face as he looks up.Men covered in armor from head to toe swooped down and surrounded Voltro.Their guns trained on him.Two other men with white coats slide down from the helicopter as they approached Voltro being Professor Morales himself and the man in white.

“Voltro I presume.”

“Who are you?”

“You have nothing to fear, my men will not shoot you unless I say.”

“Hmph, it’s you and your men that should fear me.”

“Fair point.You did after all escape the most secured base on earth.Well, almost escaped.” Morales smirked.

“What is it that you want with me?”

“I only seek an audience with you and your boss.”Voltro sees the professor’s skin bubble and rattle as if something inside him is trying to escape.

“You’re not human.What are you?”

“I am the key to your boss’s success of pure domination.”He approaches Voltro and hands him a device.Voltro takes it without question.

“We’ll be in touch soon.”Professor Morales and the man in white leave Voltro’s sight.They grab onto a ladder that fell from the helicopter as it flies off.Voltro watches as the helicopter flies away.He looks at the strange device the professor gave him.It looked like a holographic projector.Voltro calls for his ship as it lands in front of him.He then gets into his ship and flies off, leaving Area 51 behind.But who knows if he will return to earth.

TO BE CONTINUED...