Story: Eve Sky (chapter 10)

Authors: StarCross

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Chapter 10

Title: "I don't need no war!" (rage!)

Eve Sky
Chapter 10 - "I don't need no war!" (rage!)
by StarCross

It was supposed to be a normal routine involving the simple herding of one of the cows, Courage, out in the nearby green and grassy pasture by the creek a good walk away from the family farm. Tenaya the live-in housemaid was just dutifully minding usual herding duty, and when she had to go urinate, she left Courage to do the business in the creek. That was still a good walk away, but Tenaya was confident that no one would steal Courage in the small town she came from.

She heard a huge stomping sound. Then it became quiet. Tenaya ran back and found the cow missing. It was perplexing for her, because Courage wasn't a good runner, and she was old to boot. The land before Tenaya's eyes was flat and almost featureless, so if Courage had gone out far, Tenaya would have already spotted her.

Then she remembered that not far away there was a small valley large enough to hide a small corvette or cruiser-class airship. She headed over, but before she could even peek over, a bio-mechanical monstrosity rose onto its four feet and stretched itself like a dog.

Its nuanced movements looked so natural, yet its entire slender body was encased in a deceptively rigid pale red metal skin. The six-eyed head was long and pointed; perfect for piercing through narrow crevices so it could snatch its prey from hiding with its jagged teeth bloodied from a recent meal. It outstretched its four techno-demonic wings, two of which were connected on the shoulders above the front legs, and the other two connected on the pelvis above the back legs. Then it whipped its very long tail, which created a cracking sound of thunder.

Instinctively, Tenaya fired her hunting rifle, and fell on her butt in doing so. She should have known that was a bad idea, for bio-mechanical dragons automatically attack when they were to be struck first. The bullet was stopped by its near-invisible and rubber-like "membrane barrier. The mute Tenaya cowered silently and prepared for the worst, but instead the dragon turned its head and sadly stared at her with its six red eyes.

Regardless of why she wasn't attacked, let alone eaten, Tenaya got back onto her feet and ran home. She ran into the arms of Jerri, who was tilling the fields with her hoe. The panic of Tenaya was animated enough to attract Eva and Evie from the house.

"Is there something wrong?" Eva asked. "Where's Courage the Cow?"

Tenaya did her best to explain through pantomime and grunts to no avail. She then led her mistresses into the house and made use of the construction paper and crayons Evie was using to draw a childish drawing of the monster she saw.

"A four-winged six-eyed dragon," said Jerri, fixing her glasses. "Tenaya, we talked about this before. You don't have to make up stories to cover up for your mistakes. Things like this isn't that of a big deal. We'll just have to get another cow, although I'll really miss Courage."

"Jerri," said Eva, "I don't think Tenaya is lying. That dragon did eat Courage."

Tenaya nodded with a desperate wince.

"I thought those things were supposed to be stationed at the Great Border-Wall of Mexico," said Jerri.

"Unless somebody's killing off their operators or there's some battle going on," said Eva.

Suddenly they heard a wailing roar from a far-off distance, the sound of which had a mechanical timbre underlying it.

It was then agreed that everyone in the town should not venture far out lest they become attacked or eaten. A bio-mechanical dragon was one of the most formidable and fearsome living weapons created during the Eugenesis Period, with emphasis on nigh-impenetrable defenses due to its membrane barrier generated through its countless microscopic pores all over its metallic body, and it was capable of short bursts of flight like a vertical take-off aircraft. It requires vast amounts of energy to perform such a feat, and while it gets it mainly intravenously through an umbilical cable, it can also do so by devouring other organisms, especially for emergencies and as a means of attack if instructed by its operator.

A dragon did posses an artificial consciousness like an obedient dog, and in many cases it had the instincts of such. The full control of such creatures always required a blood-pact between it and the operator. The dragon would remain loyal at the utmost until the blood-pact was broken or if either it or the operator dies, the latter of which was more likely. If without an operator for a long period, the dragon will go in a very destructive rage, and it will likely be destroyed (killed).

Dragons were highly sought after, and until recently the Congregational Corporation had the most of what remained. They stationed them by the Great Border, not because of illegal immigration. As it so happened, the wall of the Great Border had one of the most fortified military installations in the continent. Hence, it served as a secondary headquarters.

No attacks were reported so far in the town of Victoria of East Texas. The only things that rattled their anxieties were the lonely roars in the distance.

In all inevitability, the town decided to react, particularly when a good portion of Farmer Joan's cattle went missing. A meeting was called for everyone to attend in the town hall to discuss the solution to the problem, and their expert on the issue was the town's Jack-of-all-trades Ol' Bella.

"How do you know so much about this?" asked Joan.

"That's because I used to be the bitch who maintained them for the damn Congregationalists," Bella proudly replied. "Anyway, we will have to do something, because it will eventually wander into town and may decide to feast on the rest of our cattle, if not us. However though..."

"However what?"

"The way it's wailing sounds like it failed to protect its operator, and in its distraught mind it continues to search for her.

"Attacking it directly would make things worse obviously, and I don't want to have to rely on outside help--especially from Nataraja Agriculture. We have to calm it down, and I know of a method. It is a bit of a longshot, not to mention risky."

"What do you mean?"

"I need someone with a will stronger than that of the missing operator in order for the dragon to acknowledge the new one as its master."

All eyes looked about for that someone, but Bella had someone perfect in mind when she stared directly at her.

"I wonder which gal will tame that thing?" Jerri wondered out loud.

"You are," replied Bella.

"Me?"

"Who else given your outstanding track record of heroism, not to mention your impeccable popularity with the ladies."

"Ahem," Eva coughed.

"I didn't forget about you Misses Adams. You too have the capability to tame that dragon, but I didn't want you to risk the child inside of you."

"Despite it all, I will say that this is most certainly a crazy and dangerous suggestion on your part Miss Bella. But I will agree to it on the count that we should only rely on ourselves. Are you up to it honey?"

"I'm taming the dragon?" Jerri exclaimed.

After listening to the further details of Bella's plan, Jerri finally agreed--reluctantly though. The pretty teenage girls, Tenaya especially, cheered her thus giving the courageous Jerri the necessary confidence.

The operation slowly went underway when a small scouting group consisting of Jerri's teenage fans set out to find the said dragon. In no time its location was found a good ways east from the town. The reports indicated that the dragon was moving slowly in a mope, contrary to the perceptions many. The plan then moved quicker, with half the town coming with Jerri as backup.

It was positively sunny on the day of wrangling, and after hours of waiting the dragon finally fell asleep, and it was lying peacefully in a grassy field dotted with patches of daises. That was the time for Jerri to climb up the beast as quietly as she could. Like all things, it was easier said than done. Three times she slipped off its body, and on the third fell she cursed and yelled. Her family and her fellow townsfolk shook with total anxiety as they watched from a safe distance. The dragon kept on sleeping, purring occasionally.

With her patience run out, the irritated Jerri redoubled her efforts and in a screaming rage she clambered on the dragon's back to position herself at the back of the neck where the access hatch for the blood-acceptor was located. She drew out a hunting knife, but then the dragon stirred into waking. Jerri fell onto her butt, but she remained on the beast's back as it rose to its feet to let out a rumbling yawn. It shook left. It shook right. It even bucked up and down, not knowing that Jerri was on its back screaming as she held on for dear sanity.

Then suddenly, the dragon took flight, although relative to its size it looked more like it was hovering. It sped away and disappeared off to the horizon still not knowing that it was carrying the panicked and screaming Jerri.

Eva and the others weren't just speechless--they were dumbfounded at what just happened with the scene being so anti-climatic. They remembered that Jerri was still in some kind of danger, so they quickly boarded their vehicles and searched the surrounding farmlands for both the dragon and Jerri.

Almost an hour later, they saw something suspicious at the brewery plant north of the town. They did not just find the dragon, which was inside stirring and hiccupping, they also found the missing cattle, including Courage, mooing quite happily. To their relief, Jerri was found without a scratch but was lying against the dragon napping with a smile and bottles of rum surrounding her. She was finally hurt when Eva woke her up with whack to the head.

"You had us all worried, and here you are drunk on your ass!" Eva yelled.

"What did I do?" Jerri slurred. "I tamed the dragon didn't I?"

"Did you perform a blood pact?" asked Bella.

Jerri showed everyone her bandaged left wrist. "Of course I did."

The rest of the townsfolk cautiously advanced towards the resting dragon.

"Is it safe to approach?" asked Joan.

"If the blood pact was successful," said Bella, "then Jerri should have full control of it."

"Of course I do," said Jerri. "Once you get to know her, she's a well-behaved gal. Though she's a bit of a heavy drinker."

"She?" said Joan.

"Dragons are genderless you know," said Bella. Bella then moved fearlessly right up to the dragon to feel its metallic skin.

"It's been in battle," she continued.

"It has?"

"A hard battle. There are numerous scratches on most of its body."

"Against whom?" asked Eva. "Nataraja Agriculture pretty much rules the world now."

"An interesting thought. But hey! Our town now has its own dragon, so no one will mess with us! Let's bring this baby back and celebrate!"

"All this was your plan all along, hasn't it?"

"I've always wanted one of my own ever since I started taking care of them."

"It's technically my wife's since she made the blood-pact."

"I can still pretend, can't I?"

Later they all found out that it was a cattle-rustling gang responsible for stealing the cows, and that the dragon rescued the cows and scared the offenders out of town.

That was how Jerri and her family acquired their new pet and another protector of the town. Jerri named it Roja, and even ascribed it a feminine gender. Bella assured her and her family that they needn't worry about feeding Roja, because bio-mechanical dragon could operate in minimal activity mode for a year. She decided to put in a large order of liquefied food, an intravenous-umbilical feeding system, and silos of beer just in case.

Besides performing menial guard duty and farm work--like large-scale digging, hoeing, and towing--Roja usually lounged around in her designated plot of land behind the barn and house. She occasionally acted as a babysitter for Jerri and Eva's children, which they enjoyed because they loved playing on Roja and even rode her. Her presence, as well as the few town visits, served as an effective deterrent, not that it was needed since Jerri and Eva were effective enough.

The peace of the town continued. Eva was now in her fourth month of pregnancy, and the quiet Tenaya was so acquainted with the family that Evie, Nikhila, and Odilia assumed her to be an older sister or an aunt. Evie want as far to call her Jerri's second wife, but she was scolded by Eva and forbidden from saying such things again.

"But Other Mother and Tenaya were kissing!" exclaimed Evie.

"That's enough!" Eva cried. "Go to your room!"

With tears of frustration, Evie silently marched away and whimpered once she was in her room shared with her toddler twin sisters.

Children liked to say outrageous things (especially Evie), there was always some ground truth behind it. Knowing this, Eva had to make sure it was a mere exaggeration by confronting Jerri who was feeding the cows just outside the barn.

"Did Evie say something inappropriate again?" Jerri asked. "Man that girl is just too young say such things, let alone say anything at all."

"Um, yeah."

Jerri spiked the pitchfork into the ground, not because she was done.

"What is it really?" she asked.

Eva backed away with a feigned smile. "It's nothing really! I just forgot about it, that's all."

Before she could hurry away, Jerri pulled her back for a passionate kiss.

"I love you," said Jerri.

"Jerri..."

"I'll do my best to never make you sad."

They tightened their embrace and kissed again. If it weren't for Eva's current predicament, they would be making love.

The idyllic peace soon came into a clichÇ end. Dark clouds formed across the lands, and the crops were withering--it wasn't even Fall yet. Sounds of distant mechanical thunder and explosions echoed and frightened the cattle, the children, and even Roja.

In one pre-dawn morning, intimidating visitors in tanks, trucks, and green military uniforms at the entrance to the family farm. Tenaya, who was doing her usual chores at the front porch, was the first to notice, and she also noticed that Roja was stirring herself into waking. She took a quick look at the back lot and saw soldiers surrounding and standing calmly before the confused bio-mechanical dragon.

Tenaya quickly ran inside to alert her mistresses, which wasn't really needed since sensing danger was almost natural for Jerri and Eva. They sent Tenaya off to look after the children, and the couple watched discreetly from the window as a high-ranking officer accompanied by four Amazon soldiers approached the house up the unpaved pathway.

"Did they finally find us out?" Jerri asked.

"Their uniforms are that of the Congregational Special Forces," replied Eva. "I guess they're under my grandmother's command now."

"What the hell do they want from us now?"

"Jerri, wait!"

Throwing her overcoat over her shoulders, Jerri marched right up to the normal-sized officer who upon closer inspection was missing her right arm and had eye-patch over her right eye.

"May I help you with something?" Jerri asked with a feigned smile.

"Are you the operator of that dragon?" asked the officer.

Conscription. That's what it was.

"I am," Jerri replied. "I only use her for farm work though. As you can see, it is badly damaged, and it was about to be destroyed until I came along to make the blood-pact."

"A damaged dragon is many times better than a regular regiment, and I'm pretty sure that its membrane barrier defenses is working quite fine. Please come with us so we can brief you on the situation."

"Hold on! You can't just waltz up here and forcibly draft me. I have rights you know!"

"There is no time to argue over this! The enemy is approaching fast!"

"That's a lie!"

"She's telling the truth Jerri!" cried a familiar voice.

Hobbling towards them was someone Jerri had not seen in a long time.

"Lieutenant Drake," said the officer. "Are you okay with that new leg of yours?"

"I'm fine," said Farrah.

"I'm sorry it ended up like this."

"It's all right. After all that had happened, we'd all be agitated."

"Farrah?" Jerri said. "Really, what's going on?"

"Why not we all go inside? It's a bit chilly, and I'm sure we're all a bit starved for breakfast, eh?"

Reluctantly, they were allowed in. Eva remained cordial as possible even as the soldiers were already settling not just on the land but the barn as well. Even though Farrah reassured the family that nothing would get damaged or stolen, Eva sent Tenaya out to keep watch on the soldiers from a safe distance of the porch.

"I should have introduced myself first," said the officer after sipping her coffee. "I am General Tesla Cole of the Unified Forces, and this here is my second Lieutenant Farrah Drake, which seems you know so well."

"I never heard of the Unified Forces," asked Eva.

"We were formed fairly recently after the fall of Nataraja Agriculture."

Eva's face became grave. "Are you sure?"

"It is no ruse, I assure you."

"Then who's the enemy then? Has the Valkyries of Melfa struck back?"

"If they did, we wouldn't be here soliciting for your help. So many have died since their continuing assaults."

"Kelly is dead by the way," said Farrah.

"Farrah was fortunate to escape with a missing leg, while I lost my arm and eye. In fact, we're one of the few survivors of that battle."

"Yeah."

"Fine, I'll believe your story," said Jerri. "Just tell us who it is that was powerful enough to take out Nataraja."

"They weren't just taken out," said Cole. "They were wiped out to the last bloodline. They didn't spare the males either.

"They are killing machines created during the Eugenesis Period, long thought to have been destroyed. They highly sentient and sapient, and are capable of rapid matter transmutation beyond that of Nataraja Agriculture's Conjurer Units."

"There are three confirmed units, and there is said to be a total of seven spread all over the world conducting a campaign of annihilation against humanity," said Farrah. "They take human forms of beautiful women."

From her pocket, Farrah pulled out three photos for Jerri and Eva to see. Indeed they were beautiful, yet even their smiling facial expressions were indicative of their heartless and mechanical malice.

"Silver Spinner Annette was reported to be the one who destroyed Susheela and her entire airship convoy over the Atlantic Ocean," Cole explained. "Pearl Caster Cherise was said to have obliterated the countries of Bay-Haven and Pacific Mariner. Right now, we are currently being pursued by Blade Ribbon Hina, who is said to have destroyed the nation of Central America."

"The only advantage we have over them is their vast energy requirements and their risk of time-space atrophy," added Farrah. "When their time limit is up, they revert to an orb-like state and return to the heavens to rest and recharge. The period is only just twenty-four hours."

The Silver Spinner was a teenage-looking female with very thin pigtails, while the Pearl Caster looked like a supermodel with white hair. The Blade Ribbon looked like the most beautiful Indian woman in the most luxurious lavender sari ever.

Suddenly they heard a death-like gasp. Tenaya, whom everyone did not notice coming in, was at the head of the table backing away with her frightened eyes still set on the photo of Blade Ribbon Hina.

"Mama..." she uttered. She then collapsed on the floor to curl up and wail and scream, and she uttered Spanish phrases that hinted her place of origin.

With the help of two of the Amazon escorts, Farrah hobbled over to comfort Tenaya, while Eva shooed a waking Evie back into her room.

"Poor girl," said Cole. "Misses Adams, I implore you to lend us you and your dragon's assistance. We don't have much time!"

"We are already recruiting at your town hall as we speak," said Farrah.

"We'll dutifully compensate you by sending a hired hand or two for your wife, though I hate to request some of your crops for our troops."

"That's if things are going well for us in the battle," said Eva as she nursed one of her twin daughters Odilia. "If things are really bad as you say it is, then it is pointless for me and my daughters to wait here for inevitable annihilation."

"Then I shall arrange for an aircraft to evacuate you to safety."

"They'll still find us even if we run away. I'm taking my children with me when I accompany my wife."

"Eva you can't!" Jerri cried. "You can't fight in your condition!"

"It never stopped me before you know."

Jerri paced about, thinking that once Eva made up her mind, she would be a force to be reckoned with. Finally, she faced her wife and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"All right," she said. "You can come with me, but only as support. No heroics either."

"Okay," Eva nodded.

"We would dare to bring a pregnant woman and her children to the front lines," said Cole.

"I won't fight unless they are with me," Jerri declared.

"But..."

"You might as well," said Farrah. "I know for a fact that Eva is an excellent sharpshooter, and the kids may very well motivate us to victory."

Cole sighed. "I'll let them, but I have an obligation to protect the pregnant and the young. If things do get really dangerous, Eva and her children should be the first to evacuate."

"I'll accept those terms," said Eva.

"I..." said a soft voice.

With tears dried, Tenaya suddenly sprung to her feet.

"I... want... join," she stuttered. "I want to join."

"Will you be all right with this?" Farrah asked.

Tenaya nodded. "I want to fight... along... with Jerri."

"Very well," said Cole. "I need every able body to fight in this battle. Let us all head over to the town hall so I can brief you in the battle plan and equip you all with your armaments."





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