The Adventures of Tim Bodge Ch. 16: Pt. 02

The flames continued around her body, always slightly moving up the body at the middle section and increasing the heat while removing the oxygen she could breathe.

Tawni was able to see that the flames were acting as she requested. They had covered the central and rear parts of the Queen's body. They were taking oxygen from her, and her body was ablaze.

Now that the Queen was distracted, Tim and Pauline were able to pick themselves up. They grabbed onto her upper arms and pulled back, pulling her head down; it would make for a better target. Tabitha and Tammy were shooting towards the Queen's head now that it was an easier shot. Madlyn had recovered the weapon of Tim's that he had dropped before the change. She shot into the Queen's head, too.

It took about five minutes to finish off the Queen, but she was finally dead. Tim and Pauline changed back to themselves. Pauline now found a part of her uniform and held it in place. Within a minute, she was back in uniform. Now they were looking around to see if there were any more guards. The guards now just seemed to move around doing nothing.

Tim made a call to the Commander to see what was happening on the lower decks.

"Tim, a few minutes ago, all the Red Ants stopped fighting and are now roaming around." She said,

"Well, we just killed the Queen and the same thing with the guards here."

"Have you found the prisoners?"

"Yes, on the first deck, they were all in a large room with cages, but most were just in the room. There were two rolls of cages; the one in the back had individuals in them, the front ones were empty."

"Have you started the freed ones back to the shuttlecraft? Make sure they understand where they are going."

"Yes, we are transporting about two hundred now. We have contacted your Doctors to let them know. We transported the injured ones first per your instructions."

"See if you can find the machinery that runs the cages, but do not run it. On the third deck, it drops the individuals out of the cages and into a shredder. We need to run it in reverse.

The people in the cages were screaming to let them out. Tim approached them, looked up at them, and began to speak. "Please, quiet it down. I know you are scared; the Queen is dead, the cages have been stopped, and we are trying to find the machinery to reverse how this thing runs. You will not die today. Please be patient; we are doing our best."

"Tim, we have found the machine that runs the cages; we are going to try the reverse now. Please let us know if everything is going OK on the third deck. We don't want to lose someone now." Said the Commander.

Tim stopped talking to the girls and went to the cages, "Can I have your attention? They found the machinery and will start reversing the course; please hold onto something."

"OK, these people have been told and are now ready to go in reverse." Said Tim.

The machinery started, and it jerked at the first movement; the people screamed, thinking it was running in the wrong direction. But once they felt it was going in the right direction, they sat down, knowing that it would take a while.

"Tim, what are we going to do about all these babies and everything else on this ship?" Asked Tabitha.

"Well, are we still in your father's kingdom? If so, it will be his decision." Said Tim. Tim and the girls were heading for Tabitha's ship. The prisoners stopped them, and they thanked them for saving them.

They were joined from time to time by soldiers as the group got close to the first deck. They could see a line of the freed prisoners, going all the way down the aisle. The soldiers that were with Tim went back up to the second deck. That is where all the soldiers were gathering.

The Commander stood by the MTS and greeted Tim. "Tim, this operation went very smoothly, don't you think?"

"It worked out better than I expected. How many members of your people were harmed?" Asked Tim. He had a genuinely concerned look.

"Well, we lost three, and six were injured. We could have lost more if not for your new ammo." Said the Commander. "The troops wanted to thank you for your head and the ammo."

"Tell them thanks for their help." Said Tim. They just stood there watching the people pass by on the way into the MTS machine. With the shocked look on their faces, they did not even ask why they were going into this machine as they passed. They just walked into the machine, like the walking dead.

"Do we know how many there are?" Asked Tabitha.

"The count isn't finished yet. But so far, we are around one thousand and sixty-nine. I have soldiers going back through this ship, checking through every room and nook and cranny to make sure no one is left."

"Commander, we found these children in one of the rooms; they were nowhere near the mainline of passengers." The three soldiers each carried a child like it was their own. They were holding the child close and hugging them. Hopefully, the child would feel safe. A fourth-soldier was transporting all their weapons.

"Take the children on through to the medical bay to be checked out. Then return to your unit." Said the Commander. She turned to Tim, "Some of my soldiers have children of their own. When things like this happen, it brings out the mother in them."

"Well, then I am glad none of them got to deck three; they would have slaughtered every Red Ant on this ship." Said Tabitha.

"What was happening on Deck Three?"

"Deck three was their food processing area." Said Tim.

"Then I am glad you were the ones that ended up there. Suppose some of my girls had seen that they would have killed everything there. Then went into a deep depression for the rest of their lives."

While they were talking, the MTS line was free. Tim and Tabitha entered, and everyone else came through. Once everyone was accounted for, the TOC pilot broke the seal and returned Tabitha's ship to the bay.

"Tim, in bay five, we have all the escape pods. None has been opened, and there are soldiers there on guard. Will you need anything else?" Asked Sarha.

"No, have Madlyn meet me there. I know she was checking into the ones from the ship. But she may be needed in bay five."

Tim walked into bay five and looked around. Seven escape pods were sitting in the middle. Tim waited for Madlyn and her team to show up before starting to open any of them.

"Tim, how do you want to handle this?" Asked the Commander. She turned to Tim. "Is there anything you want us to do?"

Tim thought for a moment, "Yes, this is how I want this handled. We will open one pod at a time. But I want only a single pod in this room. This is to make it look like the individual was the only survivor. Sarha, can you make this happen?"

"Tim, I can have each pod hang from the ceiling until you want it. Will that do?"

"Yes, Sarha, OK, Commander, I will need five soldiers just standing around for guards; I need two sharpshooters with weapons, placed somewhere with a line of sight of the individual, to shoot if needed, but only wound."

"It will take only five minutes to place everyone where you want them. The shooters understand only wound not to kill." Said the Commander, "Do you think the man was a trader?"

"We will know shortly."

"Tim, everything is set up. If the man you want is not the first pod, then we will reset the scene." Said Sarha.

"OK, let's have the first pod." Tim stood there, and Sarha set the first pod down right where Tim wanted it.

Sarha had two bots open the hatch and then back away. As the hatch opened and Tim could see inside. He saw three figures inside, huddled together. "Hello, I am Tim Bodge, the Captain of this ship. Could you please come out?"

Tim moved back and watched the three individuals slowly move forward, the first one placing her feet on the deck and then turned to help an older woman out, then a young female. Tim called for Madlyn and her aides to help these individuals.

"Please, Madlyn is our Doctor, and these are her aids; they're here to help you. Please go with them." As Madlyn and her new wards left. Sarah reset the room with the next pod.

Sarha again had the two bots open the door. Tim saw only one figure in this pod. He stepped forward, "Hello, I am Tim Bodge, the Captain of this ship. Could you please come out?" Stepping back again.

The man slowly crawled out of the pod, bending slightly at the waist. He was dressed in all dark clothes. He did not look at anyone, just kept his head down. "Thank you for saving me. I was on a passenger ship that some pirates attacked."

Tim stood there listening to his story, knowing the man was lying. He just wanted to kill him himself. Tim called over four guards, "Take this thing to the brig, now before I kill him."

"But you cannot do that; I am innocent, I didn't do anything! Why are you doing this to me?"

"Sarha, please show this trader the pictures." Said Tim.

Sarha showed the picture of him talking to the Red Ants and then sending his escape pod out and away. "Tabitha, could you talk to your father? I need that thing off my ship ASAP."

"Sarha, bring the rest of the pods down, and let's get the people out of them and to the medical bay."

"Tim, could the soldiers handle the others? You are needed on the bridge." Said Sarha.

Tim looked over towards the Commander. She waved her hand for him to leave.

***

Tim entered the bridge and saw David and Wendy standing there waiting to see him. They ran over to him and hugged him. They started to tell him about what they did today. "Tim, please have the children face the door."

Tim said, "David and Wendy, I would like for you to meet someone." At that time, their mother stepped through the doorway. Both kids looked at Tim and then ran into their mother's arms. Everyone on the bridge had tears in their eyes.

It took a few minutes for the kids to calm down; David took his mother's hand and walked towards Tim. "Tim, I would like you to meet our mother, her name is Deniece. Mom, this is Tim, the ship's Captain and a good friend of both Wendy and me."

To be continued.