Tevun-Krus #66 - Satanic SF

Inferno's Core - Part 2 of a Short Story by @JeffreyVonHauger

Inferno's Core

Part 2 of Significantly Advanced Tech

By Jeffrey Von Hauger

A hard-edged perfect cube lifted off the moon of Elipso. Its six smooth square sides pulsed through the six colors of the rainbow every six seconds. The ship's interior was divided into two decks; the bridge and the gear room.

On the bridge, Abaddon St. Baal stood before a massive view screen. The sheer enormity of Inferno filled the floor to ceiling monitor. Endless turbulent gas storms roared across the planet. Abaddon's normal indifference was accented by a gentle flutter. Slits on the shoulders of his fine tailored suit allowed his large white feathered wings to casually hang from his back.

Sitting on the floor next to him was Melock the Wise; a little old man with a spindly Fu-Manchu beard and long white hair loosely held atop his head in a messy bun. He wore simple course robes of an ascetic monk and no shoes.

"Space travel." The old wizard took in the glorious sight before him. "I shall never grow tired of its infinite repetition."

"Indeed." Abaddon was more the tall blonde handsome nontalkative type.

"Will this ship be sturdy enough to get us into Limbo?" asked Melock.

"We can pass through the upper gaseous layer to the edge of the dark hydrogen, beyond that the liquid and metallic hydrogen will crush us," responded one of the two identical #71EEB8 clone pilots.

"That will do nicely, boys."

Melock had taken to referring to the middle-aged clones as boys, which confused them as they stepped out of the cloning chamber bald silver skinned fully matured adults and never got to be boys nor even understand what boyhood was. Not to mention they were both well over four centuries old. They took no offense as their sensors informed them Melock was, in fact, their elder.

Abaddon's readings were inconclusive.

In the gear room below, the ladies were looking through a box Melock had brought. The pale waifish human with a Joan of Arc haircut stripped out of her lightweight silver Zero-G combat armor and handed it Pippalotti. She stood there in a dirty white t-shirt and shabby underwear with bruised legs and blackened toenails. Her calloused hands held out the body armor like a sacred offering.

"We're almost the same size, might fit you better though."

Pippa looked at the slick fitted suit. "This is military grade stuff."

"You should wear it. And this too."

She stepped in close to Pippalotti and taking her grayish Grandorian hand placed a simple blown glass ring on her finger. It had a slight hint of a rainbow within.

"It will protect you from the fire."

It was rather pretty, but Pippa failed to see how it would protect her from anything.

"So, Sister John Murphy, do you have another name you go by?"

"My maiden name was Melody Cherrycoke. I was married to Lord John Murphy at 15. He died when I was 16 and I was put into the nunnery. I ran away a year later and met Melock in my battles against evil. You may call me Murphy if you like."

"Ok, Murph. How old are you now, BT-dubs?

"19."

Murphy pulled what looked like robot body parts out of the box and began clamping the heavy metal cylinders around her arms and legs. She shoved her smashed up little feet into thick steel boots and pulled broad metal shoulder pads over her head. When she finished she looked like a girl pretending to be a robot.