Trust Issues -- Chapters 3 and 4
Two more chapters for you. :)Chapter 3
“All right, can everyone hear me?” Lion-O asked through the radio in his protective helmet.
“Yes.” Replied Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, and the ThunderKittens.
“Good. Any ideas on how we can get this thing open?” The lion wondered.
“There should be a hatch somewhere that we can pry open. WilyKat, find us some pry bars.” Panthro said. The teenage cat nodded and took off. Everyone else walked around the strange ship. The markings had been etched over and Tygra called Lion-O.
“Look at this. It appears that the original call name and numbers were stamped over. The tiger showed him by pointing out the large scratches.
“That would explain why Ben-Gali couldn’t find the ship in the database. Can we get the numbers to come up somehow and find out what the identification is?” The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.
“I can try.” Tygra told him.
“Have WilyKit help you.” Lion-O nodded. The tiger acknowledged with a nod of his own and went to get the other half of the twins and some equipment.
On the other side of the ship, Cheetara found a crack and figured she’d found what they were looking for. The cheetah was about to call attention to her comrades when her hand pushed something on the side of the ship. Pressurized steam shot out of the holes that surrounded the hatch and the large door lowered itself. Within a few seconds, Lion-O, Panthro, and WilyKat arrived next to her.
“I guess we don’t need those pry bars WilyKat.” The panther said.
“Figures.” Kat mumbled. The four ThunderCats entered the ship and looked around. There didn’t appear to be anyone there.
“Panthro and WilyKat, go right; we’ll go left.” Lion-O told them. The panther gave a nod and the four separated.
As the lion and cheetah moved through the ship, they found evidence of the crew but no actual crew. Uniforms lay in chairs and over the computer panels on the bridge. Lion-O examined the panels while Cheetara looked around. She couldn’t help the feeling that someone or something was watching them.
“Look what I found.” The Lord of the ThunderCats called out. Cheetara looked over at him and he pointed out a button that was pushed half way down near what they both assumed was the captain’s. Lion-O pressed the green button all the way down.
“This is Captain Hobart. We request permission to land. My crew and I come from the planet Solvay. Our serial number is Alpha Beta three six four seven Zulu.” The message ended. Cheetara gave a thoughtful look from her spot near what seemed to be the pilot’s seat.
“Well that answers one question.” She raised her eyebrows.
“I guess so but what’s up with all the clothes? Where are the people who are supposed to be in them?” Her husband wondered.
“Seems to me all we keep getting is questions. We still don’t know why they were coming to New Thundera.” Cheetara said.
“We don’t even know if this is where they wanted to land. I’m going to have Ben-Gali check into the serial number. Let’s try to find the captain’s log. Maybe we can shed some light on what happened with it.” Lion-O told her.
“Good idea. I wonder if Panthro and WilyKat found anything.” The cheetah said as she moved toward a chair that was in the middle of the bridge. She touched the arm of the chairs and suddenly Lion-O vanished. People appeared around her and they continued on with their assigned tasks. They took no notice of her and she watched them for a few moments until the door in the back of the bridge opened. The captain stepped through it and the people around her straightened and saluted before getting back to work. Then the captain came toward his seat and went through her as he sat down. He pressed a yellow button and then he was gone.
Sucked back into the present, the cheetah whipped her head around. Lion-O heard the racket she was making with her suit and looked over at her.
“Are you ok?” He asked.
“Did you see that?” She wondered.
“See what?” The lion came to her side and looked into her brown eyes. Cheetara answered his question by reaching behind her and pressing the yellow button. Up popped some sort of blue disk and she removed it from the chair arm.
“How’d you know to do that?” Lion-O gave her a concerned look.
“I had a vision but not like one I’ve ever had before.” She told him.
“Let’s get out of here and find the others. We have what we need.” He said.
Chapter 4
The six ThunderCats returned to the control room and met Ben-Gali there. The white tiger turned to them and asked,
“Did you find anything?”
“Mostly clothes without any owners and some tasks half done but nothing to indicate how long they’d been there.” Panthro told him.
“I found the serial number and what planet they were from. Cheetara found what we think is the captain’s log.” Lion-O informed the group.
“WilyKit and I were able to raise the serial number despite someone’s attempt to remove it and it matches the one Lion-O found. However there is no explanation as to why or who would have tried to remove it.” Tygra spoke up.
“All right well I’ll run the number and see what I can get off that disk.” The white tiger smiled.
“I’ll help you.” Panthro offered. Ben-Gali gladly accepted the help and the rest went off to do their own tasks. Cheetara and Lion-O headed down to the nursery where Snarf and Sahara were. Neither one discussed what happened on the ship. It was still confusing to them and they really weren’t sure how it happened.
They walked into the nursery and Snarf put his finger to his lips and shooed them from the room.
“She just went down for a nap about ten minutes ago.” The loyal snarf said. Both parents smiled.
“Thanks Snarf.” The Lord of the ThunderCats told him.
“My pleasure Lion-O. She is such a good baby.” He smiled. The three walked toward the bedchambers. Cheetara was feeling awfully tired all of a sudden and she didn’t even bother to take her uniform off as she collapsed onto the bed she and Lion-O shared.
“Are you all right?” Her husband asked.
“I’m not sure. In the ship I felt as though we were being watched and then I had that vision. Now I feel as though I’ve been drained and all I want to do is fall asleep.” Cheetara sighed.
“Could it be the after affects of the vision? Whenever your sixth sense kicks in, you do get tired.” The lion wondered.
“It could be.” She said. Lion-O climbed onto the bed and rolled her over. Gently he pulled her to him and wrapped his big muscular arms around her shoulders. She snuggled into his chest and fell asleep. Lion-O hoped this little nap would help her out and that they could eat dinner together with Sahara. He wouldn’t let on that he was worried about her because at this point there might not be anything to worry about. Still the possibility bothered him, he loved Cheetara and their daughter more than life itself and if something happened to either one he wasn’t sure he could deal with it.
About an hour later, the cheetah awoke and it was as if nothing had happened. She playfully flicked her husband’s nose and he woke up with a start.
“I take it you’re feeling better.” He smiled.
“Much. Have I told you how much I love you?” She wondered.
“Hmmm well only about nine times today.” The lion teased. Cheetara smiled and they kissed.
“Why don’t we go find our daughter and get some dinner?” She suggested.
“Sounds fabulous. Dinner with my two favorite ladies.” Lion-O beamed at the thought. That’s when the COM went off again. Both the ThunderCats looked at each other before the lion answered it.
“Yes?”
“Lion-O I have those results for that serial number and you’re not going to believe what I found.” Ben-Gali said.
To Be Continued...
Two more chapters for you. :)