OUTWORLD: Dark Planet

OUTWORLD: Dark Planet Part 11

Doreen staggered into the street, her body aglow with unholy energy. To any observer, it would appear that she were in flames; from Doreen's tormented perspective, however, it was deathly cold.

The bushwhackers in front of her were backing off a little as she neared; a small number of them began to break the retreat and advance. One of them, a young-looking female Fox, raised her weapon and yelled something that Doreen could not make out – and then she fired. Doreen felt her body jerk as the round hit her somewhere above the waist, and looked down. It had been a grazing shot, a warning – and Doreen knew whatever was inside her would not take it.

It didn't. Her paws came up, fingers splayed, and she reeled off another string of incomprehensible shouts. The ground around her feet began to shimmer in a circle, and her arms were suddenly shooting straight up. Twin pillars of light exploded from her open palms...

...and Doreen was suddenly back at the obelisk underneath the surface of Ilarik H5, the solid core of a lost planet, and there they were, the figures from her dreams. They were tall, vaguely canine, and dressed in bizarre ceremonial dress of some sort. In their hands rested curving hooked weapons that reminded Doreen of the Egyptian khopesh.

They looked down at Doreen, and their mouths spread into smiles; at least, they appeared to be smiles. Then their eyes began to glow, and Doreen felt a sudden rush of what felt like adrenaline.

No sooner had this happened than Doreen was suddenly back on Sedalia Station, staring down a pack of armed hostiles, and her palms were no longer disgorging that damned light. She was still glowing, but that was somewhat secondary to what Doreen was seeing now.

For a moment, she thought she was dreaming again, but she knew after that moment that she was still very much awake.

The figures from her dream were still there.

So were the armed goons.

So was Rodolfo, with Bill peering out from behind him like a frightened puppy.

Doreen wanted to howl and shriek in terror and sheer confusion, but the light failed to see things from her perspective, and her right arm was up and gesturing in the direction of the bushwhackers, and she loosed another command.

The figures smiled and unsheathed their weapons, advancing on the attackers.

No! Doreen tried to speak, to tell the world at large that this was not her doing, that no one needed to get hurt, but her efforts were once more in vain. Run, she told the bushwhackers in her mind. Just run!

The poor buggers obviously didn't get the message. They all stood rooted in place, their eyes wide, their mouths slack, and their weapons falling to the floor.

The Fox was the first to fall, one of the khopesh-like weapons cleaving her through the top of the head.

One of the others, a male Dog, seemed to recover some of his wits, and screamed in horror at the sight of his dead comrade. "Nina!" he howled. He grabbed up his rifle and tried to aim it. A sweeping blade cut his weapon to pieces and, then, him as well.

Meanwhile, the group – what was left of it – apparently realized that they were in serious trouble, and made to flee. A brave couple tried to stand and fight, but they were lying and dying as the figures laid into them.

Doreen was crying and pleading inside, but her body continued to stride across the street, barking.

"Doreen!" came a shout from behind her, and she turned to see Rodolfo charging towards her, arms waving. She wanted to cry out to him, implore for him to help her, but she could not.