Lone Star Renegades (10 page)

“Can you walk me through what each of these readouts is telling us?” Bubba asked.

“I could try,” Orman said. “Let’s start with this one.”

Collin felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see DiMaggio standing there. He didn’t look happy.

“You’re back. Everyone come back with you?” Collin asked.

“There was some trouble. You better come see.”

Chapter 13

Collin and DiMaggio exited the ship and found their fellow Middleton High School teammates already assembled before them. They looked tired and, worse, dejected. All eyes fell on Collin as he moved into the center of the group. Then Collin spotted Humphrey and Darren. Both looked as if they
’
d been dragged behind a wagon.

“
What happened to
—”

“
Shut up! Just shut the hell up, Sticks!
”
Humphrey said between clenched teeth. His face was so badly scratched that he was barely recognizable. Smeared blood was caked around his eyebrows and ears. His lower lip was swollen and cracked.

“
We don
’
t take orders from you or that freaky-looking alien either, for that matter. What were you thinking, sending them back for us like we
’
re little children?
”
Darren added.

Cine was standing at the back of the group, looking no worse for wear.

Darren continued,
“
You do realize we
’
ve spent hours carting those stinking, disgusting, dead bodies out of the railcars
…
right? We
’
re supposed to just drop what we
’
re doing and come running when you call?
”

“
What happened between you and
…
you and Cine?
”
Collin asked.

“
Let
’
s just say he got a little too close to our food supplies.
”

“
You attacked him?
”

“
Hey, we don
’
t know who this freak is! All we know is he
’
s an alien and trying to take what wasn
’
t his.
”

“
Well, at least you made it here. This ship is the safest place for us. There
’
s breathable air, in case the aperture opens up, and we might be able to get it flying again,
”
Collin explained.

“
That?
”
Humphrey spat.
“
That
’
s a ship? Because I was under the impression it was a big turd
…
a gargantuan big piece of shi
—”

Collin cut him off.
“
Do you have any better ideas, Humph? You want to go back to the railcars, be my guest.
”
Collin turned to the rest of the group and spoke louder now,
“
Any of you want to return to the railcars or the jetliner, be my guest. Maybe you
’
re thinking if you just wait long enough you
’
ll be rescued
…
somehow
…
by someone. Good luck with that. But if you
’
re going to go, go now.
”

Collin continued to stare at the grimy group of teenagers. His frustration quickly turned to regret. These were kids, like him, and they
’
d pretty much lost everything important to them. And they were all scared and confused and probably at an emotional breaking point. Collin saw Lydia standing next to Tink at the outer fringe of the group. Both looked small and terrified. It occurred to him that what they had all gone through, clearing out the railcars, must have been one of the worst experiences imaginable. They didn
’
t need a lecture right now
…
they needed a shot in the arm. They needed hope.

“
This ship, this big turd-looking ship, looks almost as bad on the inside,
”
Collin said.
“
With that said, there
’
s individual cabins for each of you.
”

The expressions on the teens
’
faces lightened some. Collin even saw a few smiles.
“
You
’
ve met Cine. Um
…
we should be nice to him and his two friends. They found this ship first and we
’
ll need their help if we
’
re going to survive.
”
Collin realized this was the longest speech he
’
d ever given in his life and suddenly felt embarrassed.

Bubba came out of the ship and walked over to Collin.
“
We want to try it again.
”

“
You figure something out? Got it working?
”

“
I don
’
t know shit about spaceships, man. But I do know simple mechanics. I think these guys have been trying to use a kind of burst mode
…
maybe something that
’
s used in open space. But takeoffs and landings in an atmosphere would probably be different. I don
’
t think it
’
s an engineering problem, after all. I don
’
t think they were accessing the right controls from the bridge.
”
Bubba shrugged his shoulders.

Collin looked at Bubba
’
s large black face. His mind flashed again to the bus ride and the obnoxious bully who
’
d taken delight in punching his arm. Then, there was the frightened boy-man who
’
d actually peed his pants in terror at being abducted.
Talk about stepping up
, Collin thought. Bubba
’
s transformation was certainly a welcome and unexpected surprise.

“
You going to just stare at me, or what?
”

“
I
’
ll join you in the bridge in a minute. I need to get everyone who wants to come on board.
”
Bubba rushed back toward the ship. Cine followed him inside. DiMaggio said under his breath,
“
There
’
s something else.
”

“
What
’
s that?
”

“
You said to lie if I have to. I told Darren that you were waiting for him to come take charge. That he was the one everyone wanted to follow. So
…
he
’
s here to take command. Sorry, I didn
’
t know what else to do
…
you know, to get everyone back here.
”

Collin smiled and said,
“
That was actually a good idea. No worries.
”
He approached Darren and Humphrey, who were now talking to several other teammates. Undoubtedly, he was conjuring up some kind of plan or scheme.

“
Darren, I
’
d like to bring you up to speed on what
’
s happening here with the ship. Get your thoughts on how to proceed.
”

Darren kept talking for several more moments before looking over to Collin.
“
Looks like you
’
ve got everything already in hand. You don
’
t need my help.
”

Collin looked at his smug face and then at the faces of Clifford Bosh, Owen Platt and Garry Hurst. All were loyal compatriots of Darren and Humphrey. Collin realized he
’
d need to take a different tack.

“
We won
’
t make it without your help. All your help. It
’
s not a fluke the Lone Stars are undefeated for two years. You
’
re a good quarterback, Darren
…
but that
’
s not why we
’
ve won so many games.
”

“
Oh yeah? Why else?
”
he asked, looking ready to throw a punch.

“
You inspire. When you
’
re not being an ass hole, you
’
re a great leader.
”

“
Yeah, well, I already know that,
”
he said with a smirk. The other boys chuckled.

“
Here
’
s the thing, though. You
’
re not going to lead us, moving forward. I am. I
’
m smarter than you are and I
’
m the best chance we have to get off this collector ship and to eventually make our way back home.
”

Humphrey huffed and shook his head.
“
Ego a bit much, dude?
”

“
It
’
s not ego
…
it
’
s just the way it is. So what I
’
m offering, what I
’
m hoping you
’
ll agree to, Darren, is for you to continue to lead
…
but with me. We lead together.
”

“
With you being the boss man?
”

“
Yeah, I guess.
”

All the teens, including Humphrey and DiMaggio, looked to Darren for his response.
“
I
’
ll think about it.
”

Collin nodded but didn
’
t say anything more. He and DiMaggio exchanged glances and the two headed for the ship. Collin abruptly stopped and turned toward the crowd.
“
Anyone coming with us, now
’
s the time to decide. We
’
re going to try to lift off in a few minutes.
”
Collin and DiMaggio entered the battered spaceship and headed for the bridge.

Bubba was seated next to Orman at the center console. Collin sat down on Orman
’
s right.
“
So, where are we at?
”

Bubba said,
“
Seems none of us have piloted a spacecraft before.
”
Collin looked at Orman.

“
I
’
m a musician. All three of us are musicians from the planet Dacci. When we were sucked up into this collector ship, our vessel was transporting us, and others, to perform on a planet near our own.
”

That explains a lot
, Collin thought. Sure, they knew more than he and Bubba about advanced technologies, but not enough to pilot this ship.

Collin got up and went to the forward observation window. He looked down and to the right. He saw the last of the group moving toward the hatch.

“
Give it a second for the hatch to close. Okay
…
let
’
s see if you can get us off the ground, Bubba.
”

“
Me?
”

“
What
’
s the worst that can happen? Give it a try,
”
DiMaggio said, standing behind him.

Bubba looked over to Orman and together they moved their hands over two different sections of the panel. Apparently, the pilot interface was just a matter of hovering one
’
s fingers over certain areas and moving them either up or down.

Immediately, Collin felt the vibration of the drive coming alive, toward the stern of the ship.
“
That
’
s a positive sign, right?
”
he asked.

Bubba shrugged.

“
We got this far before,
”
Orman said.

They manipulated the panel controls with fingertips and the ship rocked and shook and then, slowly, lifted into the air.

Collin watched Orman. He was ever so slightly nodding his head.
“
Drives are sustaining.
”

Getting to his feet, Collin felt exhilarated to the point he hauled off and slugged Bubba in the upper arm.
“
You are the man, Bubba!
”

The big defensive tackle looked ready to jam Collin into the closest bulkhead. Then he grinned,
“
I am
…
aren
’
t I?
”

“
What are those?
”
DiMaggio asked, pointing to a large display beneath the forward observation window.
“
They
’
re moving toward us, aren
’
t they?
”

Orman
’
s oblong-shaped eyes went wide.
“
Yes. They
’
re spider droids, deployed by the sim rover. I think we
’
re in trouble.
”

Chapter 14

Collin
’
s attention was split between Bubba
’
s not so smooth attempt to keep the ship up in the air and the three approaching droids.

“
Where did they come from?
”
Collin asked.

“
They were there the whole time. When they stop moving about they blend in with everything else. We
’
ve seen them before
…
especially when we attempted to take off,
”
Orman said.

The three mechanical spider-like droids made their way over the acres and acres of collected metal with almost graceful agility. Collin walked over to the forward observation window to get a better look. They were enormous
—
easily two hundred feet tall
—
with six spike-like thin legs that constantly moved. One of the spider droids halted and used two of its legs in unison, like claws, to move an old tugboat out of its way. Collin let out a breath; not only were those things agile, they were incredibly strong.

The ship dipped and Collin felt his stomach rise into his throat.

“
Sorry, my bad,
”
Bubba said.
“
I don
’
t have the best dexterity.
”