[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

0Vampires.htm (31 of 85) [10/16/2004 2:07:42 AM]
Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Zombie Vampires
"Maybe it's something in the dust," said Caine, wiping his finger along the
table top and examining it. "It could be that this isn't dust at all, but
mind-altering spores."
"Spores?" asked Larry or Moe, who had switched places around the table so many
times Bill had lost track again. "What do you mean, spores?"
"I knew it," moaned Tootsie, brushing possible spores off her sandwich. "We're
being attacked by killer mushrooms and we're all going to die!"
"That's death wish number three in the past twenty minutes, Tootsie," said
Page 32
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Rambette between bites. "You really have a most negative attitude."
"I'll have to examine these possible spores in my laboratory," said Caine.
"But first I think I'll have just a bite more and then take a little stroll
all alone in a strange place."
"Curly, why don't you and Larry see if you can activate the console," said
Bill. "Maybe there's a logbook in the memory banks that would explain what
happened. Or maybe someone kept a written record."
"Good idea," agreed Rambette. "I suggest we all split up and search every
dark, creepy corner of this place until we find something like that."
"Wait!" said Tootsie.
"Wait for what?" asked Caine. "Don't tell me you're afraid to go off by
yourself and snoop around in dark and dangerous places."
"It's not that exactly," said Tootsie.
"Well, what is it?" asked Rambette.
"I'm still hungry," she said. "Would you please pass me some more?"
Bill got up from the table, stuffed. Barfer had wandered away, presumably in
search of okra. Bill picked a door at random, opened it and stepped into a
long, dark hallway. Having learned a valuable lesson in survival from Caine,
the first thing he did was turn on the lights. They didn't help much. It was
still dark and frightening.
Let's see
, thought Bill.
If I was a diary or something like that  where would I be?
Probably in some loathsome corner, snuggled up to a killer mushroom.
Bill's new foot was starting to give him some trouble. Although it had
stabilized in size, it was still getting heavier and had to be dragged most of
the time. The skin was all wrinkled, ugly, and gray. It belonged on an
elephant, not an Imperial Trooper aching for action. No standard-issue boot in
the universe would fit the monstrous extremity. But at least its thick sole
made footwear unnecessary.
There were slime tracks on the corridor floor and Bill wondered if that was a
clue or simply a sign that
Barfer had trotted down this very hallway, drooling and slobbering like he
always did. He opened a side door at random and peered inside. Another mummy
sat at a desk, all sucked dry. That brought the missing number down to eight.
Cautiously, he went inside the room, looking for clues. It was a standard
enlisted man's bunk: a cardboard dresser, a closet with a broken door, a
contraceptive dispenser on the wall, a bed with a concrete mattress, and a
mummy. On the desk was a thick black ledger with STATION'S LOG printed on the
cover. In the closet were scratching sounds and the rasp of heavy breathing.
The place was crawling with clues.
Heavy breathing?
"Barfer, come out of there," he called, walking to the closet. "Good dog."
No answer. More scratching.
"No stupid games and don't give me any trouble, Barfer," he said, grabbing the
edge of the closet door.
"I'll find you some okra."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ha...%20The%20Planet%20of%20Zombie%2
0Vampires.htm (32 of 85) [10/16/2004 2:07:42 AM]
Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Zombie Vampires
The instant Bill opened the closet door, Barfer bounded into the room from the
hallway, growling and barking. Something small and quick scuttled out of the
closet past Bill. Barfer jumped into the air with a yipe. Bill jumped into the
air with quick curses on his lips. And when he landed, Bill's elephant foot
crashed through the floor.
"You scared me to death," he shouted at Barfer, who was standing on the bunk
with his ears pushed back and all his fur standing on end, growling deep in
his chest.
Page 33
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
It took a minute for Bill to get his massive foot out of the hole. Then he
peered down through the hole he had made into what he hoped was the basement.
Wrong.
"Hey!" he yelled. "Over here! Everybody come!"
"Did you find the logbook?" called Caine as the sound of running footsteps
filled the hallway.
"That's not all I found," shouted Bill. "There's something under the station.
It's huge! A cavern or some kind of a big empty place."
"Empty?" asked Rambette, busting into the room with a knife in each hand.
"Well, I guess it's not exactly empty," said Bill, looking down the dark hole.
"Something incredibly loathsome and outstandingly repellent is moving around
down there."
CHAPTER 8
"Boy, that looks pretty kind of awful down there," said Rambette as they all
gathered around Bill's hole. "I
can hardly wait to go down into the unknown darkness all by myself and see
what's what. Who's got a rope?"
"I found a rope," said Tootsie. "And some atomic flashlights, too. But let's
not be hasty. Maybe we should talk it over and get a plan of action."
"Smart t'inking," agreed Bruiser. "Dere could be plenty danger, alien bowbs,
down there. Me first 'cause I
da best. Me and Slasher, we take care of anything." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]