Galaxies Guardians/Bad Christmas

I was wondering whether to release this or not. I had this completed on Christmas eve but have only just decided to release it now. Not as good as most of my recent work. Something is moving in the snow or is the snow itself? Meanwhile Volvuna awaits her toys for her first Christmas with the rest of the group.

Story

“It’s moving,” Melchim shouted down the phone. He was an elderly man but despite all his years he had never seen something like this before.

“You are just going mad,” the officer said from the other side of the phone.

“Why would I lie about this?” Melchim shouted begging to be heard. He opened his front door steadily his phone still in his hand.

“I think he has gone mad,” the officer said to someone walking by.

“Fine. I will look for myself,” Melchim shut the front door behind him as he looked outside. He could feel the cold of the winter. It had snowed a lot recently so everywhere around him was snow. Some cars and trees were barely visible through the huge expanses of snow.

“Utterly mad. Completely deluded,” the officer told someone nearby him whilst still on the phone. Melchim walked a few paces outside his hands whiter than usual, his veins showed heavily as the cold began to get to him. He then took his first step onto the snow. His only step. Within a second of putting his foot down on the snow he was being dragged into it.

“Get cops down here I am being dragged under the snow,” Melchim begged as his voice became muffled as he sunk into the ground. He felt the cold snow all around him and then a bite. Very sharp and precise as more little bites jabbed at his neck as he could no longer breathe. The whiteness around him engulfed all his sights. He could not even see his own clothes as his breath started to wear thin as he felt more bites. He struggled for air but no gap was given. He then thought of his wife and kids and grandkids and everything he had been through but then he thought of the snow and how beautiful he had always thought it to be. This was the last thing he ever did.

“I think he is making up stories,” the officer complained hearing static down the line “how can snow be moving?”

***

“One day to go until more toys,” Volvuna shouted as she darted around the room excitedly.

“Excellent first mission team,” Lastrich smiled.

“Indeed it was. Only one Ice Warrior death on our part and a load of Falpin deaths,” Rakthro chuckled.

“It was awesome,” Spielg agreed grinning from ear to ear.

“One day until Christmas so you better had forgotten to get me anything,” the Engineer warned “I hate Christmas.”

“Why would you hate such a happy time?” Volvuna jumped up and down with excitement every time Christmas was mentioned.

“Because it is not happy when your family got killed in the Time War on this day,” the Engineer grumpily walked away as the others were in complete silence.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Guess he has some issues with the festive season,” Rakthro noted in his head. He was unsure about Volvuna and the Engineer; it had only been less than a week since they had all met.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Our first Christmas together,” Lastrich smiled laying another present under the tree.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Magical,” Volvuna grinned. Then a knock came from the door as Lastrich got up and with a skip went to open the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Coming,” Lastrich shouted as she picked up a Christmas hat from the side. The door opened as Lastrich stood a few metres away from it. Then some snow blew inside.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Who is it?” Rakthro shouted not looking towards the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Nothing just some snow blew in. Big winds at this time get the broom,” Lastrich shouted as Rakthro and Spielg sprang to their feet and did as Lastrich ordered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Draft,” the Engineer shouted from his room as Lastrich shut the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leave the snow actually. Maybe we can make this a Christmas wonderland,” Lastrich pondered with a slight grin.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yay!” Volvuna shouted “Christmas is only a day away.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">***

<p class="MsoNormal">They had all been a asleep for a few hours as Lastrich was being as quiet as possible in the main room as she was planting a load of fake snow all over the apartment. Only a few shouts from Volvuna about deadly black things, Falpins, Lastrich thought as she had begun to get used to the shouting that came with the nightmares. Then a movement amongst the fake snow as Lastrich looked around the darkness. She turned on a lamp she had in her hand, very Christmassy.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Spielg is that you?” Lastrich asked as there was another movement but this time behind her. Lastrich looked on the TV screen seeing it sliding down a few inches. This HQ was not in very good conditions but all teams started off with the same type of house unless they had money to spend on it, which Galaxies Guardians did not.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leave me alone,” Rakthro shouted bursting out of his room as he saw half the floor covered with fake snow. He had an angry look.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Christmas is in less than 10 minutes please go to bed,” Lastrich tried as she pulled a sword from her side slashing the snow as it began moving around avoiding the blade.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Was that you trying to pull me out of my bed?” Rakthro asked as he could not see the snow moving because of how dark it was in the room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The snow is moving or there is something in the snow. Get the Engineer now and get Spielg’s new device but try to not wake anybody else up,” Lastrich ordered as Rakthro walked through some rooms which had not been covered by the snow yet.

<p class="MsoNormal">“GET UP,” Rakthro shouted next to the Engineer. Lastrich could hear it like Rakthro was a metre away.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is somebody in the house?” Volvuna asked innocently.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” the Engineer rubbed his eyes as Volvuna had sprinted to where she heard the noise come from “we are.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It is too late to be doing one of your roaring practises,” Spielg commented as he had his device in his hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We need to get to Lastrich now,” Rakthro ordered as he began running ahead as the others quickly followed behind.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Guys! Help,” Lastrich begged as she felt the snow tugging at her feet. Then it pulled her in as the others grabbed her arms trying to pull her out. Spielg held the device facing towards the snow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Examining,” the device started as Spielg tapped it on the top “creature. Unknown, species. Unknown.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“A fat lot of good that did us,” the Engineer muttered under his breath as he used all his strength to try to pull Lastrich out. Lastrich felt a bit chew down on her leg as she saw her scaly features go from their usual green to dark red blood.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ve seen this species before,” Rakthro muttered thinking for a moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So have I. They are ancient and hidden in time,” the Engineer muttered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ve also seen them,” Volvuna shouted loudly as everybody looked to her “fine. I haven’t, I just wanted to be involved.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Shape shifters. No they were something more than that,” Rakthro pondered as him and the Engineer tried to hurry their efforts to pull Lastrich out as she sunk further and further in.

<p class="MsoNormal">“They transport from one thing to another. Not shape shifters but transporters. They can only become something that is next to them and then control them,” the Engineer put his finger to his mouth trying to think.

<p class="MsoNormal">“In the Time War?” Spielg asked as Rakthro and the Engineer looked around to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” they both said in unison as Spielg put the information into his device.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kraltons,” Spielg tried looking at the blank picture on his blue screen. It had facts about the Kraltons and place of origin/earliest known existence and era at greatest power.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” Rakthro shouted as the Engineer got his sonic probe out and pointed it towards the snow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I have something for this,” the Engineer grinned as he zapped the snow as it started to go away from Lastrich.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Next time not so much talk,” Lastrich breathed heavily.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No deal,” Rakthro grinned as they began getting rid of the snow.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We will need some sort of permanent watcher for these if they can transport themselves into any object,” Lastrich pointed out as the Engineer smirked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You should have more trust,” the Engineer grinned as he went to his bed room “I’ve already got one sorted out.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Good work,” Volvuna smiled as she jumped around looking to the clock, it was Christmas day.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Behind you,” Lastrich shouted as the Engineer quickly turned to where she was pointing as a flying lamp whacked him around the head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Has anybody got any weapons nearby?” Rakthro asked as they were looking towards the Engineer.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh no,” Lastrich murmured as she ran to the Engineer’s room spotting the gun that lay next to his bed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Too late,” Spielg shouted as Volvuna pushed Lastrich down and grabbed the gun.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What are you doing?” The Engineer shouted rubbing his head as he got up feeling pain throughout his body.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The control of Kalossia will be in our hands,” Volvuna shouted in a devil like voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Kraltons? Since when did they speak?” Spielg chuckled as the Engineer nudged him. Volvuna spun the gun wildly around as the rest of Galaxies Guardians quickly exited a group as a shot was fired into the wall.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How do we get the Kraltons out of Volvuna?” Lastrich asked as the Engineer was still rubbing his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“First we have to check for other signs of moving or killer snow,” Rakthro started as the others nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Checking,” Spielg started typing into his device as Lastrich ran to her room. Moments later she ran back holding three triangular devices. They had an eye in the middle and folded into themselves.

<p class="MsoNormal">“These can contain Lastrich to where she is. The eyes look out for the target ensuring they cannot escape,” Lastrich explained as the Engineer and Rakthro grabbed a device.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Illuminati confirmed,” Spielg grinned as the others clearly did not understand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Illuminati? What is that?” Lastrich asked shaking her head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“A Human superstition. They believe the world’s most powerful people are a part of this group but in actuality it is just Zygons changing into the form of a powerful Human. I was Angela Merkal Chancellor of Germany last year,” Spielg smiled as he also grabbed a device.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Zygons and jokes. They never go well together,” Rakthro chuckled as he threw the triangular device around Volvuna as Spielg and the Engineer did the same. A green shield surrounded Volvuna as she looked mystified.

<p class="MsoNormal">“There has been a report of someone named Melchim being found dead surrounded by snow. He was elderly and died earlier today,” Spielg told them reading off his device.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How do we know we can trust this report? He was old so he could have wondered out and died in the cold,” the Engineer scrutinized the report that Spielg had been reading.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Officer Yates received a phone call about the snow moving before Melchim died but did not take it seriously as Melchim had a history of making things up,” Spielg further read off his device.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s our second mission then,” the Engineer grinned widely.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Let’s go to this officer Yates and question him,” Lastrich suggested making sure the shields were up and then they left the building. Rakthro took the wheel of the car and they took off.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">***

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re telling me what?” Officer Yates sat there in disbelief as he took a big swig off his drink.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The snow is actually an alien race called the Kraltons,” the Engineer told Officer Yates who simply shook his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not another of you people who crave attention? Fine I will take a look later,” Yates conceded as he got up. The Engineer grabbed Yates by his clothes and hoisted the Officer a metre into the air.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You look here,” the Engineer grunted “we are telling the truth and in a world full of aliens and the stars full of killers you have no reason not to trust us so you rather help us right now or I may just as well be part of one of those killers in the stars.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Fine,” Yates was clearly shaking “just put me down.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">***

<p class="MsoNormal">“Such a waste of the first hours of Christmas just to look at a case with no hope,” Yates complained as the Engineer shot him a look as Yates looked frightened by it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Look into this room,” Lastrich said leading them to the Engineer’s room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“If Volvuna is free then the Kraltons as they are called have escaped,” the Engineer explained as Volvuna was sleeping on the bed with no shield around her. The triangular devices were all gone from earlier.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Let’s not wake her up,” Rakthro suggested as they started backing away from the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So peaceful. At last the noise was getting annoying,” Spielg complained as Rakthro chuckled with him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The triangular devices,” Rakthro spotted as everyone turned to face where he was looking as the Engineer went to his knees and took out his sonic probe and started scanning it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Simple,” the Engineer grinned “they really are dumb using a frequency the sonic probe can paralyse.” The Engineer held his sonic to the triangular devices and held down a button on the side of the sonic probe.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Those Kralton things are about to die?” Yates asked as he pulled a gun from his side.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t be an absolute idiot,” the Engineer growled “shoot them and they will absorb the bullet.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Can we go to bed?” Lastrich yawned as the triangular devices stopped moving and a few sparks flew out of them.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes. The threat has definitely been contained,” the Engineer grinned “Officer Yates needs to take them away and make sure they are contained and then allow the Time Lords to collect them and they will make sure they are properly destroyed.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“As you say,” Yates yawned as he scooped the devices up.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You have two hours to put them in an air tight room or they will come back and destroy the world,” the Engineer warned as Yates nodded his head as he began running with the three devices.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Okay,” Yates shouted shaking his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How about the rest of them around the world?” Rakthro asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I have sent a signal to a device which destroys specific matter if you enter it into the machine,” the Engineer explained “it will wipe them all out and the world will be safe but they seem to be so slow in destroying the world. They should have done it by now.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">***

<p class="MsoNormal">“Good,” the deep voiced figure grinned watching a screen with Yates running quickly out of the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What do you mean sir?” His assistant asked trying to have a peek off the screen but not being able to do so.

<p class="MsoNormal">“They have contained the threat. Identified a hard to identify creature and then reacted quickly,” the figure explained his deep voice spreading to every corner of the room “lucky I gave them some old and slow ones or that planet could have been destroyed within hours.”