DARALA STARR – SEASON 2 – Chapters 9-11

Written by Darala Starr :: [Monday, 11 November 2019 22:19] Last updated by :: [Thursday, 07 November 2019 18:17]

Chapter 9 "Benefits Of Science"

Darala stirred, and very slowly regained consciousness. Her head was pounding and her eyes stung, but she fought off the discomfort and focused on her surroundings. She was laying flat on a cold, concrete floor and around her were shiny, reflective walls made of metal. The space was large and as Darala slowly got to her feet, she noticed equipment in the room with her. There were very heavy weights, scales and a neat pile of steel bars.

There was also a long window that looked into another area. Darala made her way slowly toward the window and as she reached it, she realized it was very thick and not made of glass. The room on the other side was full of computers and strange equipment Darala did not recognize. But she did recognize the face of the Torellian and the former deputy Brown.

Standing next to them was a woman with short red hair. She was older than Darala and wearing a grim looking dark grey suit. She also wore round, large rimmed glasses. She smiled at Darla and picked up a microphone in her hand. When she spoke, Darala heard the woman’s voice in the room overhead.

“Well, well, well,” the woman said. “I am very please to meet you, Doctor Darala Starr. Or should I call you the Tau Ceti Superwoman.”

Darala was still a bit disoriented, but she stood tall, feeling strength return slowly. She glanced at her wrists, noticing her wristbands were gone. So was her belt.

I gave the belt to Tina, Darala thought. But what happened to my wristband communicator? How will I reach the ship?

“Who are you,” Darala said in a strong voice, planting fists on her hips.

“Yes, let me introduce myself,” the woman said. “My name is Julia Warren, and I’m heading up this little… operation. Do you like it?”

Darala scanned the room again, now noticing there was a double sliding door next to the window.

“Well, miss Warren,” Darala said, “You’ve made a terrible mistake bringing me here. I’ll rip these doors apart with my bare hands and then we’ll need to have a very personal talk.”

Darala found the seam between the two doors that were made of steel. She had no idea how thick it was, but she had to try to force the doors apart and escape. Darala took in a deep breath and placed her fingers along the seam and a moment later released her strength on the unsuspecting steel. There was nothing at first, but then a low, sustained moaning and creaking grew between the doors.

Come on, Darala, you can do this, she thought.

In the control room, a computer display showed the pressure on the doors building massively from Darala’s grip. They could all hear the moaning of the steel.

The Torellian shook his head nervously, “I told you she’s incredibly strong. She’ll bend those doors wide open!”

“I can’t believe it,” Julia Warren said. “She has impossible strength! Remarkable! I’ve never seen anything like it! But don’t worry my weak little friend, she’ll never do it.”

Inside the chamber Darala kept pressure on the door, now pushing her palms into the face of the steel in order to bend it outward.

She cried out loudly with all the force she had! The doors groaned and the creaking grew louder, and for a moment the steel actually began to cave beneath the heels of her hands, but it was not enough. Exhausted, Darala dropped to one knee and then sat down to catch her breath. And to her dismay, she felt strength fading.

On the control room side, Julia Warren was astonished at Darala’s display of strength, and noticed a subtle bulge in the outside of the steel doors from Darala’s effort.

Darala stood up and moved back to the window, catching her breath, flexing her chest muscles. She glared at the Torellian, “I will never forgive you for this, Torellian. You’re going to be very sorry.”

The Torellian looked away, sudden shame covering his face.

“And you,” Darla said, staring at the former deputy Brown. “Looks like we have unfinished business.”

“You can consider this payback, Doctor Starr!” Brown yelled.

Darala then glared at Julia Warren.

“I hope you realize that if I wasn’t in here right now, you’d be in a lot of trouble Miss Warren.”

Julia Warren smiled. “Oh, my dear, Doctor Starr. You wouldn’t physically harm me. You don’t have it in you. You’re too pure of heart. But don’t worry, my purposes for you being here are strictly for science. I’m sure you can appreciate the benefits of science.”

Darala folded her arms across her chest, flexing her muscles.

“This is not science, Miss Warren. This is madness! What is it you really want from me?”

“All in good time, my dear Doctor Starr. All in good time.”

And then something incredible happened. Julia Warren’s face began to change, morphing into someone else. After another few seconds, Darala was utterly startled. Julia Warren now had Darala’s face. It was like looking into a mirror!

“Shapeshifter,” Darala said. “You’re a shapeshifter!”

The Julia Warren/Darala thing said, “And you are going to take another nap.”

It pushed a button on the computer console.

A sudden puff of smoke billowed in front of Darala’s face. Startled, she gasped, breathing in the mist. Darala coughed hard, once again feeling her head spin and darkness coming upon her. She could no longer stand, and finally dropped on the hard, concrete floor.

At this, Julia Warren smiled and her face returned to normal. turned off the microphone. She then swiveled her gaze toward Brown and the Torellian who were totally astonished at her face change.

“And as for you two… well, as we agreed, you’ll get a reward. Although for the price I’m paying you I was expecting her life support belt and her communication device.”

Brown scowled and said, “I told this Torellian worm to….”

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

“Hey, didn’t she have her bracelets on when we subdued her in your shop?”

The Torellian swallowed a lump in his throat. “I don’t remember anything about that. The room was hazy from the gas.”

Julia Warren watched this exchange with curiosity and then said, “Let me explain to you men what will happen if you’re not honest with me.”

She pushed a button on her computer console and a large door across the room opened mechanically. Behind the door loomed a huge, dark shape. It began to walk, its footsteps very loud. It walked out into the main space until it came into view. It was a robot, an enormous mechanical man with a blocky steel frame. The head was mostly featureless with only two yellow glowing eyes that were focused on Brown and the Torellian.

Julia Warren said, “I’d like you to meet my newest venture: the Ultimax Intelligent Robot. And for the time being, he is my brawn, which complements my super intelligence. Defy me and he will crush you both like small bugs.”

The terror in Brown’s face said it all. The Torellian was shaking.

“We understand,” Brown said, his voice faltering.

“Now you should leave,” Julia Warren said. “I’ll contact you later when I need you.”

The former deputy Brown and the Torellian quickly left the lab, hesitant to dare try and cross the path of the large robot.


Chapter 10 "Let Yourself Out"

Sheriff Diana Dunn had never seen a man like Jason Prince before. His muscles looked harder than iron beneath his tan skin, and his fitness attire; those red and blue shiny shorts and tank top, they were tight against the hardness of his muscles. And that gleaming silver belt around his waist. He had amazing eyes and a chiseled face. He looked like Hercules. And secretly, Diana thought he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. But circumstances would not permit her to entertain such thoughts. Currently he was standing inside one of her holding cells behind bars.

It was only because she arrived on the scene as this man, Jason Prince, apprehended a bank robber. At least that’s how it looked. But Diana wasn’t completely sure and thought he might have actually been an accomplice, trying to fool her. She aired on the side of caution and took him in. She expected him to run, or even worse to fight, but he didn’t. Jason Prince gave her a warm smile and submitted to her orders. And now here he was, the perfect man in an iron cell.

“Look, Jason…, uh, I mean, mister Prince,” Sheriff Diana said. “I want to believe your story, and as soon as I have some more witness statements corroborating that you were not involved in the robbery, I can let you go.”

Jason approached the bars and said, “Sheriff, perhaps a character witness on my behalf? My very close friend, Tina Carter, is the new Mayor of Pleasant Valley. If you call her office I’m sure she would explain.”

Sheriff Diana said, “A woman Mayor… that’s fantastic! You said she’s a personal friend of yours?”

Jason said, “Yes, for many years. We recently fell out of touch, but she knows me very well.”

Sheriff Diana considered him for a moment longer.

“You know, I have to ask you about that belt. I’ve never seen a man wear a belt like that before.”

Jason said, “It was… a gift from a very dear friend.”

Sheriff Diana said, “Sentimental, then?”

Jason answered, “Yes, you could say that.”

He seemed sincere. And those eyes of his; that face… that body. Sheriff Diana took a deep breath and picked up the phone receiver on her desk and dialed the operator.

“Operator,” she said. “Yes, this is Sheriff Dunn, will you please connect me to the Mayor’s office in Pleasant Valley? Thank you.”

Diana waited while the phone rang in her ear. After many rings, she heard a voice answer.

“Mayor Carter’s Office.”

Diana said, “Yes, is this Mayor Tina Carter?”

“No, this is her administrative assistant, Mary. Um, the Mayor is not here right now. She had to run out for some errands.”

Diana said, “I see. Will you please have her call me back? My name is Diana Dunn and I’m the Sheriff of Mede County.”

Diana gave her the phone number and then hung up.

“Well, Mister Prince, it looks like the Mayor is not available right now. So unfortunately we’ll have to just wait.”

Jason exhaled lightly and sighed.

“I understand, Sheriff. You’re just doing your job.”

It was only a moment later that the front door of the office swung open and Tina entered the building.

She was still in her track shorts and top with Darla’s belt around her waist and the wristbands on her arms. “Jason,” she exclaimed when she saw him.

Jason’s eyes grew large and a huge smile crossed his face at the sight of her.

“Tina! Tina it’s really you!”

Sheriff Diana stepped toward Tina to intercept her.

“Excuse me, wait, are you… are you Tina Carter?”

Tina said, “Yes, I am.”

Sheriff Diana examined her tight satin track shorts, her belt and bracelets. The belt looked identical to Jason’s belt.

Mayor Tina Carter?” Sheriff Diana asked in astonishment.

Tina said, “Yes. I realize my attire is a bit unusual, I normally run a few miles in the morning and, well, I was in the middle of training when I suddenly realized I should stop by an meet the only woman Sheriff in three counties!”

Diana was flattered and said, “Well, um… thank you! I mean this is… very… interesting. I just tried to call your office to get some more information about Mister Prince here.

Tina said, “Oh, yes, Jason is a very close friend. Very close.”

Sheriff Diana said, “Oh, I um… you two are….”

“Well, we did fall out of touch,” Tina said, “But this is truly such a wonderful surprise. Now… why on earth, may I ask, is Jason Prince in a holding cell?”

Jason said, “It’s a long story.”

Tina turned toward Diana and said, “Is Mr. Prince being charged with a crime, Sheriff?”

Sheriff Diana said, “Not as such, but….”

“Then there’s no cause to detain him. I’m sure you’re familiar with the law as I am,” Tina said.

Sheriff Diana felt a sudden irritation with this fitness Mayor quoting the law to her.

“Yes, I’m well aware. But Mr. Prince was involved in an altercation with a robbery suspect and may well be an accomplice. I’d prefer to have eyewitness verification that Jason was not a part of this crime,” Diana said sternly.

Tina said, “That could take some time, Sheriff. And unless you’re prepared to charge him, I think it best if he were released. I really need his help regarding an urgent matter back in Pleasant Valley.”

Jason asked, “Tina, what’s happened?”

Tina approached the cell, staring through the bars at Jason, their eyes connecting through the steel. Tina lowered her voice and said, “It’s Darala, Jason. She came back but now she’s missing. I need your help to find her, I think she’s in trouble.”

Jason’s face grew serious as he let that sink in. He said, “You’re wearing a belt too. Have you noticed any effects from it?”

Tina smiled broadly and said, “Let’s just say I have some new… strengths.”

Jason smiled at her, taking in the shape of her body, noting how iron tone her muscles were. He nodded appreciatively.

Sheriff Diana, now very irritated said, “I can see you two fitness twins have missed each other very much, however I think it would be best for Mister Prince to remain put for the time being.”

Tina turned toward Diana, her face very serious. “Then you leave me no choice but to call the District Attorney’s Office and file a formal complaint against you, Sheriff.”

Diana hardened her face and said, “Tell you what, Mister Prince, if you want to leave, you can let yourself out.” With that she gave them a snarky grin and turned her back on them to pour herself a fresh cup of coffee from her coffee pot which was steaming hot.

Jason glanced at Tina who nodded and said, “Well, Jason, you heard the Sheriff. You can let yourself out.”

Jason smiled at Tina, so warmly, it made her heart melt.

“As long as I have your permission, Sheriff,” Jason said. With her back turned, still pouring her coffee, Sheriff Diana said sarcastically, “Of course. You have my permission.”

Low and under her breath, Diana remarked, “You’re not going anywhere, Jason Prince.”

Jason wrapped his hands around two of the bars in the center of the cell at chest height. He took in a deep breath, his satin tank top tightening against his muscles that grew large with power. A moment later, Jason pulled against the bars, unleashing his awesome strength. With no hesitation, the steel gave a crying, deep howl as Jason bent the bars slowly open in front of his chest.

Hearing the crying steel, Sheriff Diana spun around, startled. Now seeing what was happening, in total shock, she dropped her coffee to the ground, her mouth hung open in total astonishment.

He’s bending the bars! Sheriff Diana thought. How can he do that?!

The steel creaked and cried even louder as Jason pulled the bars wider and wider apart, his face in complete control, his arm and chest muscles bulging and rippling, overpowering the bars steadily.

Tina felt a wave of arousal, and if circumstances had been different in that moment, she would have made love to Jason right there!

The entire cell block was filled with the sound of surrendering steel, Jason spreading the bars steadily apart, bending them outward into a massive gaping hole. With a final cry from the bars, Jason finished bending them and stepped through the defeated steel.

Tina rushed into his arms and he pulled her against him tightly. And a moment later they kissed deeply.

“Oh, Jason,” Tina said. “You have no idea….”

“I think I do,” he said, and kissed her again.

Sheriff Diana’s mouth was still hung open, her eyes wide with shock. “How did you do that? No one can do that!”

Jason and Tina parted gently and Jason smiled at the Sheriff. “I didn’t mean to destroy your cell, but you left me no choice.”

“Even seeing it with my own eyes I can’t believe it,” Diana said, breathless.

Jason walked toward her and extended his hand for a shake.

“Sheriff, if you do need to speak with me again… I’ll be home… in Pleasant Valley.”

Jason turned and smiled at Tina who was standing near the cell. Tina planted fists on her hips and smiled warmly back at him.

Cautiously, Sheriff Diana extended her hand and shook Jason’s, feeling the careful strength in his grip.

“No one would believe me,” Diana said, then looked past Jason’s shoulder to the distended bars. “But it looks like I have proof.”

Tina studied the bulging bars.

Proof, Tina thought. That would be very bad. And Tina thought about how Darala restored the wheel to the vault lock so no one would know. Tina knew then what had to be done.

Tina said, “Well I think it would be rude to leave such a mess… so we should restore the bars.”

Jason turned and was about to perform the feat himself, but Tina approached the bars instead.

“Tina?” Jason said, his glance jumping from her to the deformed steel. With a knowing smile, Tina nodded.

“Don’t worry, Sheriff,” Tina said. “I’ll straighten this out for you.”

And right there, Tina wrapper her hands around both bars and pivoted her hips for a strong stance. She took a very deep breath, feeling the surge of Tau Ceti strength in her body from the belt. With Darala’s bracelets she looked like Wonder Woman.

Tina took one final deep breath, her chest swelling large and then, with sudden, explosive strength, she began to bend the bars, the already weary steel moaning and creaking in agony!

Jason folded his arms across his chest, his own mouth agape at the site of Tina bending steel. And it wasn’t long before he felt a strong swelling in the front of his shorts.

Sheriff Diana had no way to comprehend what she was seeing, and in her own way she was experiencing a strange arousal at Tina’s feat.

Tina’s effort was enormous for such a feat as this, but she summoned extra strength and was able to continue bending the bars, closing the distance between them while the steel cried in agony. Tina stopped with only a few inches left in the bend. She swung her shiny hips and repositioned her stance and pulled herself directly up against the bars for more leverage. Unleashing her strength once more, the bars cried the last few inches as Tina bent them perfectly straight in front of her rippling chest muscles.

The bars were now perfectly straight and Tina released them and took a step back, her chest heaving up and down in huge breaths from the effort of the impossible feat! She smiled and brushed her hands off.

“Well, I believe it’s time for us to go,” Tina said. “Goodbye Sheriff.”

Jason took her hand and they left the building together leaving Sheriff Diana Dunn in stunned silence.

Outside the Sheriff’s Office, Tina and Jason quickly got into her car. Tina tapped the wrist band and the communicator lit up.

“Hello, computer,” Tina said.

“Hello, Tina Carter. Were you successful in locating Jason Prince?”

Jason said, “It’s me. I’m all right.”

Tina smiled brightly at Jason. “He’s much better than that,” Tina said.

“I am very pleased to hear it,” the computer said. “And now you must find Darala Starr. I’m very worried about her.”

Jason frowned and said, “What’s happened to Darala?”

Tina replied, “I’m not sure exactly what’s happened or where she is. But I know who does.”

With a determined look, Tina started the engine and together they drove away, back toward Pleasant Valley.


Chapter 11 "Start Talking"

Former deputy Brown drove the van quickly down the steep mountain from where Julia Warren’s secret laboratory was located. It was very cleverly tucked into the mountain with a secret entrance being an old silver mine that was shut down many years earlier.

The Torellian was fastened into his seat, grabbing the door handle for stability.

“Will you slow down!” he demanded. “You’re going to kill us both!”

Brown said “Did you see her face change? She’s another alien! We’re being invaded here, can’t you see that?”

The Torellian turned and looked at Brown with his glowing green eyes.

“Of course I can,” he said. “I have a very bad feeling about this whole deal. We should never have agreed to kidnapping Darala Starr. Now she’s furious at us!”

Brown smirked as the van tilted dangerously on a curve.

“She’ll never escape that place! You saw her, she was sound asleep when we left.”

The Torellian said, “I don’t care what you think. Darala Starr will find a way to escape, and when she does, she’s going to come looking for us. I’m beginning to think it’s time for me to leave this crazy planet!”

Brown glared at the Torellian. “You’re not going anywhere. At least not until the deal is done. Julia Warren wants the belt and the bracelets of the Tau Ceti woman. And we’re going to get them for her.”

The Torellian was thinking about Darala’s bracelets back at his workshop, sitting in the middle of a pile of tools on his workbench. That would be his little secret and perhaps a bargaining chip with the shape shifter Julia Warren.

“Well,” he began, “that is going to be very hard to do. Now, will you please return me to my shop. I’ll have customers that need assistance and I don’t want to make anyone suspicious! It must appear to be ‘business as usual’ at my store.”

Brown sighed loudly and said, “Fine… but you’d better not try anything funny with me. I’ll expect you to make progress on locating the belt and the bracelets before tomorrow night. Or else….”

Brown removed his revolver and pointed it at the Torellian.

“Do we have an understanding?” Brown asked.

If only I had my laser gun, The Torellian thought.

“Of course,” the Torellian said. “Of course.”

After another twenty minutes of Brown’s reckless driving, they pulled back in front of the Lock And Key. The Torellian fumbled with his seatbelt and half out of breath, finally got it open and exited the van. Brown yelled back at him, “I’ll be back here tomorrow night. And you’d better have those items, or at least know where we can get them. Are we clear, Torellian?”

The Torellian snorted and shuffled his feet. “Yes, yes, there’s no need for further threats. Now you should probably leave before someone else sees you!”

Former deputy Brown wanted to strangle the little weasel Torellian, but opted instead to pull away, down the street and make a sharp right turn out of sight.

The Torellian gathered his thoughts: he would sneak back into his shop from the rear, then before opening the front of the store, he would take some time to examine Darala’s bracelets. Maybe he could figure out how to activate them and contact her ship. Yes! That’s what he would do. And then he would have to find a way to leave Pleasant Valley before tomorrow night. Because he was almost certain that no matter what, former deputy Brown was going to kill him.

Quickly he scurried around the back of the Lock and Key, only to find the rear door open. And on closer inspection, he noticed the mangled metal door handle and lock on the ground nearby, torn apart from the door itself.

“Oh, no…,” he whispered. He ran into the building and skidded to a stop in front of his workbench. The bracelets were gone.

“Oh no!” He yelled. “Where are they? Where are they!”

A woman’s voice from behind him said, “Are you looking for these?”

The Torellian wheeled around frantically, and found himself staring at Tina Carter and Jason Prince. They stood together side by side with arms folded in front of their chests. Their muscles were large and hard like iron, their fitness clothes shiny and tight against their tan skin.

The Torellian gasped. “Jason Prince! Mayor Tina?”

Then he noticed Tina wearing an identical belt as Jason, and the silver bracelets from his workbench.

“Those belong to me,” he said.

Tina planted fists on her hips, her arm and chest muscles flexing.

“These belong to Darala Starr! And I’m going to return them to her. And you are going to tell us where she is!”

The Torellian said, “The belt. You have her belt?”

“Yes,” Tina said. She slowly walked around him toward his tool bench.

“It was a gift from Darala, just like Jason’s,” Tina said as she grabbed a twelve-inch crescent wrench from behind the Torellian.

“And like Jason, it’s given me a very special gift.”

Tina held the wrench parallel with the ground in front of her chest, and right in front of the Torellian’s face. With slow deliberacy, Tina tightened her grip on the wrench, and a moment later the steel began to bend in the middle with a sharp, painful screech.

“Oh, no,” the Torellian said, his green eyes wide with utter disbelief.

With complete control and her eyes focused on the deforming wrench, and a noticeable tingling of arousal, Tina brought the ends of it together while the weary steel cried audibly beneath the strength in her hands. A moment later she had it folded tightly in half and gave it a final squeeze in her fingers. She handed the mangled steel to the Torellian who held it in disbelief and then dropped it on his workbench.

“This is impossible! You can’t be. Both of you, now?”

Tina said, “Yes, both of us. And now you are going to tell us where Darala is.”

“I, uh… don’t know what you mean,” The Torellian said.

Jason stepped closer and grabbed the Torellian by his shirt collar. A split second later, with what seemed like no effort, he lifted him off the ground, putting his head almost to the ceiling.

“Now you’d better listen, good, Torellian. If any harm comes to our friend, you’re going to wish you’d never come to this planet,” Jason said.

Gasping for air the Torellian stammered, “Believe me… I already wish I’d never come here!”

Jason dropped him suddenly and said, “Start talking. Where is Darala Starr?”