The Last Space War: Part 1

Victor sat alone in the communications room. He had won. He had the crystal, the notes and the gun. The bunker was silent.

A single screen glowed in the dark room.

The connection was being secured on Russia’s side. He twirled the flash drive between his fingers.

Waiting.

The screen flickered and a face appeared.

A stern man. Sharp uniform. Cold eyes.

The Russian Commander.

His voice came through, low and authoritative. "Comrade Victor. I believe this will be good news?"

Victor nodded. "First, tell me where they are."

"Do not worry. They are safe with their mama. We have not even touched them. Yet."

Victor squeezed the flash drive in his hand tight. He couldn’t afford for anything to happen to his younger siblings. Not when he was so close. Better to just play ball. "I have secured the base."

"Is it clear?"

"Yes. Only I remain."

The Commander leaned forward. "And the product?"

Victor unlocked the container and slowly lifted the lid.

The crystal’s glow spilled into the room. The Commander’s eyes widened.

He whispered in awe. "My god... it is magnificent."

Victor snapped the lid shut.

Held up the flash drive. "And I have the knowledge to make more."

A slow smile crept across the Commander’s face.

"(Good, Comrade! With this, Russia will be the most—"

"-Victorrrr…" A voice crackled over the intercom.

Victor’s blood ran cold. His fingers stiffened and grabbed his chair. His breath stopped in his chest.

That voice! No.! It couldn’t be, he thought.

He stared at the speaker.

Waiting. Listening.

“Victorrrrr……” it said again. In a whispering tone almost like it was a ghost haunting the base.

"No…" said Victor to himself.

The Russian Commander frowned. "What was that?" he asked.

Victor’s mind raced. His throat was dry.

"Nothing!" said Victor. "I will call you back soon!"

"Wait—"

CLICK!

Victor killed the feed.

His pulse hammered in his head. He killed Tucker! He knows he did! He threw a bomb at him and then shot him! What else does he have to do to kill this guy?!

BOOOOM!

The bunker shook.

The lights cut out.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Victor’s breath quickened but dared not to move.

A moment of silence.

Then a low hum as the emergency red lights flickered on.

Victor shoved the flash drive into his pocket.

Sealed the container. Checked the lock. He used the strap to carry it on his shoulder.

He swallowed hard.

Then he grabbed the gun and slowly, carefully, stepped toward the door.

He listened to see if anyone was right outside. Tucker wasn’t stupid, so he couldn’t be either.

The bunker was quiet. Too quiet. He needed to get the lights back on somehow. He didn't know if Tucker cut the power or something else.

Victor took a deep breath and ran into the darkness.

***

Victor moved carefully through the corridor to the steps leading to the generator room.

Gun raised.

His breathing was heavy but controlled.

His body damp with sweat.

Every step echoed.

The red emergency lights flickered.

"Tucker?" His voice rang through the corridor. "Where are you?"

Nothing.

Just the low hum of the bunker. Victor kept walking.

"It wasn’t personal, Tucker!" He called out. "You know what I have to fight for!"

Silence.

Then a voice crackled over the intercom.

Low. Cold.

"You should’ve made sure I was dead."

BANG!

He fired his gun at the speaker.

The speaker exploded parts everywhere.

Sparks rained down.

Victor’s blood chilled.

His fingers twitched.

Victor’s pulse hammered.

He took off running.

As Victor sprinted he passed by the med bay and then skidded to a stop.

He backed up.

A body.

Lying on the floor.

Who was that? Did someone take Jack’s body off the bed? And why?

Victor’s grip tightened on his gun.

He stepped inside.

Victor moved cautiously into the med bay.

Gun raised.

Ready to fire.

His boots splashed into something.

He looked down and froze.

Blood.

Pooling beneath the body. Victor kicked the cloth on his face away.

He gagged at the sight of Jack.

What was left of him.

Swollen. Mutilated.

A nightmare.

Victor stumbled back.

He turned to head back for the door.

SLAM!

Tucker tackled him like a freight train. Victor’s gun flew from his hands. The container skidded across the floor.

Tucker began punching him hard, pummeling him.

Victor barely blocked any of them, so he used his strength to shove him off.

Tucker staggered. His left arm wrapped in a bandage.

Victor’s eyes darted to the gun.

Tucker saw and kicked it away.

Victor’s leapt off the ground.

He rolled up his sleeves as they circled each other.

Both predators.

"Are you going to give me what I deserve?" said Victor.

Tucker didn’t answer.

Victor lunged.

Slammed Tucker into the wall.

Tucker kicked off the wall

And drove Victor into an opposite wall.

Victor hammered Tucker’s spine with his fists.

Tucker dropped and Victor knee cracked Tucker in the face.

Tucker hit the floor.

Blood dripped from his nose.

He shook it off.

Victor charged but Tucker dodged and he grabbed Victor from behind.

He lifted him off the ground and suplexed him into the floor.

The flash drive flew from Victor’s pocket.

It skidded across the floor.

Tucker saw it, dove and quickly grabbed it.

Victor lunged for the gun.

BANG!

The shot missed by inches.

Tucker scrambled to his feet.

Victor fired again.

Tucker ran for the door and barely made it out.

Bullets chased him.

Victor climbed to his feet with his blood running from his nose.

He wiped it away and picked up the container. His grip tightened.

His breathing slowed.

The game wasn’t over yet.

Victor moved fast out the door and down the opposite direction in the corridor.

He made it down into the power room and ran to the black box on the wall

Ripped it open and flipped on a switch on the inside.

The bunker’s lights roared back to life.

The red emergency glow vanished and white, sterile light flooded the halls once again.

He gripped the handle and snapped it off.

No more darkness.

No more hiding.

Victor walked down the corridor to the dining hall.

Victor moved slow now.

Gun raised.

Eyes scanning.

His voice echoed down the hall. “Come on out and face me like a man!”

No answer.

Victor smirked. “Is this how all Americans fight? Hit and run?”

Still nothing.

Then a banging sound came from the dining hall.

Victor’s muscles tensed and he sprinted to the entrance.

He fired three shots inside.

Bang, bang, bang!

Rounds ripped into the dining hall.

He saw Tucker dive behind an overturned table.

Bullets shredded the wood.

Splinters flew as it pierced the wood.

Victor kept firing until it clicked empty.

He threw the container down and charged.

Tucker sprang up but this time with an axe in hand!

Tucker swung hard and Victor barely dodged.

The axe knocked the gun from his grip.

It clattered across the floor.

Tucker swung down to split his skull but Victor caught the handle.

Their arms locked.

Victor gritted his teeth.

Tucker pushed down but Victor was strong.

Stronger than he looked.

They circled a few times and then Victor yanked the axe from his hands.

Tucker lost balance and fell. He kicked out Victor’s legs.

Victor crashed down too, the axe slipped from his grip.

Tucker grabbed it first.

Swung for Victor’s head.

Victor rolled away—fast.

The blade sliced the air.

WHACK!

The axe slammed into the container’s strap.

The strap snapped.

Victor’s eyes widened.

Victor scrambled toward it—

But his hand brushed something else.

His gun! As he quickly reloaded it, Tucker reached for the container.

“No!” Victor shouted.

He fired.

The bullet grazed Tucker’s arm.

Tucker yelped.

Blood seeped through his sleeve.

He staggered back then ran.

Victor sprang up.

Snatched the container and chased him down the hall.

Bullets tore through the walls as Victor tried to hit Tucker.

Tucker leapt through the doorway into the Captain’s Office.

Victor skidded to a stop.

His breath was heavy. Controlled.

His grip tightened on the gun.

He stepped forward. "You can’t escape me this time! You’re bleeding even more now! You’ll pass out soon!"