Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe

by Asprin, Robert

  James was standing shakily nearby, his bloody dress sword hanging limply in his hand.

  Their eyes met.

  “He. he was going to.”

  “It's all right now, James,” Hosato said quietly.

  “I. killed him.”

  “You sure did, kid,” Rick interrupted“Saved your hide, too, HosatoWhat do we do now?”

  Hosato felt a quick surge of anger at Rick's callous-​ness; then it subsidedRick was rightThis was a time for action.

  “Are you all right, James?” he asked brusquely, taking the boy by the shoulder.

  The youth blinked vacantly, then nodded his head in stubborn assent.

  “Rick, get their blasters.”

  Without waiting for the mechanic's reply, Hosato turned and strode into Gedge's office once moreThe security chief was conscious but out of actionHe was hunched over on his hands and knees, holding his head and moaning softlyHosato ignored him and moved to the desk, arming himself from his own arsenal, which Gedge had so conveniently laid out for him.

  As he had noted earlier, his blasters were goneWell, no matterThey'd gotten new ones from the guardsThrowing spikes in his belt, knife in his boot One by one he secured the deadly tools of his trade at various points on his bodyItems such as clothing, he ignoredThis was a combat mission.

  “I've got the blasters, Hosato,” Rick said, joining him“Now what?”

  Hosato gestured at Gedge's huddled form“Ask our friend there where they took Sasha.”

  Rick frowned“I don't think hell tell me.”

  “They've taken her off to interrogate her,” Hosato informed him“Thinking about that might help you find the right way to ask him.”

  “Right!” Rick said, his face hardening.

  Hosato felt a twinge of guilt as he turned his back on the inevitable scene in the cornerHe shouldn't delegate such a task to someone else, but forcing in-​formation out of people, especially injured people, had never been his forteStill, he winced at Gedge's first gasp of pain.

  “Hosato?”

  He turned, to find James at his side.

  “I had to do it,” the boy mumbled“He was going to kill you.”

  Hosato seized the boy's shoulders in an iron grip and shook him“You said you wanted to come with me, JamesRemember?”

  “Yes, but-”

  “Well, this is what I doI kill peopleWe may have to kill some more before we get out of hereIf we don't, they'll kill usI'm not saying you should like it, but accept itAccept it now, or when the next time comes, you'll hesitate and we'll all be dead.”

  The boy's eyes cleared“I'll be all right,” he said levelly.

  “You're sure?”

  “Yes.” His voice was surer now.

  “GoodThen fetch my throwing spikeIt's in the guard's forehead over there.”

  It was a brutal thing to do, and Hosato watched the boy covertly as he went about his assignmentThe boy was a bit wooden-​limbed, but his hands shoot only slightly as he withdrew the weapon from the corpse's skull.

  “I've got your answer, Hosato,” Rick called“Sasha is in the room directly below usThe stairs are across the hall.”

  “Here's your spike,” James said, passing him the weapon.

  Hosato took it absently and tucked it in his belt.

  “Shall I kill him?” Rick asked, jerking his head at Gedge.

  “NoHang on to himHe's our hostage for now.”

  “Okay, you're the bossWhere do we go from here?”

  “I go after Sasha,” Hosato corrected“You try to find if one of these uniforms comes close to fitting youJames,”-Hosato pressed a blaster into the boy's hand -“watch the doorIf anybody but me or Sasha comes through it, kill 'emAnd keep an eye on our friend there.”

  Their eyes met; then the boy smiled and nodded.

  There was no one in sight as Hosato ghosted across the corridor and down the stairsLikewise, there was no one in the lower corridor, not even a guard.

  His suspicions aroused, he crossed the corridor in one long stride and hurtled himself against the doorIt flew open with surprising ease, and he fell headlong into a dark roomAs he hit the floor, he realized what a beautiful target he made silhouetted against the open door, and rolled sideways into the shadows.

  “Hosato?” came a cautious call.

  “Sasha?” he answered.

  There was a soft shuffle of movement, and the door closed behind himA moment later the lights came on, flooding the scene in the room with their harsh brilliance.

  'Til say one thing for you, HosatoYou never miss a chance to make a big entrance."

  Sasha was standing there, a blaster gripped loosely in her left handAside from her disheveled appear-​ance, she seemed unharmed.

  “Are you all right?” Hosato asked, rolling to his feet.

  “Sure,” she replied easily“Nothing like the smell of truth serum to clear away the cobwebsLuckily they didn't seem to think I was dangerous enough, to strap down.” She gestured at the two crumpled and bloody forms on the floor.

  Hosato whistled in silent appreciation.

  “It looks like they were wrong in the worst wayHow did you do it?”

  “With my trusty desk lamp,” Sasha replied mod-​estly, pointing at the implement“You know, they ought to outlaw those thingsThey're dangerous.”

  “I meant, how did you do it at all?”

  Sasha shot an annoyed glance at him“By taking the one with the blaster firstAfter that, the other one was easyI'm surprised you didn't know that, Hosato.”

  “As a matter of fact, I am familiar with that tactic,” Hosato retorted“But when I do it, it's neater.”

  Sasha shook her head and held up her blaster“Okay, HosatoIf we're done rattling our sabers at each other, maybe we can get a few basic questions answeredFor one, where the hell are weLast thing I remember, I was fighting robots at the main corri-​dor, then I wake up here with DrFrankenstein there about to shoot a load of goop into me.”

  Hosato' shook his head“McCrae isn't anymoreThe robots overran the place and killed everybody.”

  “Everybody?”

  “Everybody except you, me, Rick Handel, and JamesWe were in the sand-​crawler bay when they made their big push out, or we wouldn't have gotten out either.”

  Sasha whistled“I guess I shouldn't gripe about los-​ing an arm, thenHow about what's-​her-​name SuziYour little robotDid she-?”

  “Got chopped up by an ore scout on our way here.”

  “That's too badWait a minute, Hosato'On our way here'Are you trying to tell me we're at. ?”

  She shot another glance at the uniform on the fallen guard.

  “at Ravensteel,” Hosato finished for her“It was our only chanceI thought they might help us.”

  “You're nuts, HosatoI'd rather take my chances with the robotsRavensteelGod protect me from in-​nocents.”

  “I've managed to figure it out all by myself,”

  Hosato commented grimly“Anyway, that brings us up to the presentWe're trying to bust out of here before they have another chance to lavish some of their Ravensteel hospitality on us.”

  “Now you're talkingWhere are the others?”

  “Upstairs in the room above this oneI suggest it's time to regroup our forces and plan our next move.”

  “You know, Hosato,” Sasha said, “sometimes you show a positive brilliance for tacticsLet's goOh, one more thing.”

  She wiggled her stump at him.

  “They gave me some kind of stimulant to counter-​act the shock before they went to the truth serumRight now I'm pillow-​walking, and I don't know how long it will last or how I'll react to this arm once it wears off, so keep an eye on me, okay?”

  Hosato nodded his understanding.

  “OkayLet's go.”

  They were halfway up the stairs when they heard the blaster fire from above.

  Hosato bounded the rest of the way up the stairs, Sasha trailing close behindAfter the initial burst of fire, the sounds from above had ceasedWeapon at
the ready, Hosato slowed his pace and peered ahead at the landing.

  The door to Gedge's office was open, and he could make out the smoldering form of a security guard ly-​ing in the doorwayHe shot a quick glance up and down the corridor to be sure the coast was clear, then called ahead softly, “It's Hosato and SashaWe're coming inHold your fire.”

  “All clear,” James's voice came in reply.

  Hosato beckoned to Sasha, and she darted across the corridor ahead of him into the officeHe followed, pausing to stoop and catch the fallen guard by an arm-​pit, dragging him inside.

  “Okay,” he said, shutting the door and turning to the assembled group“Now we..”

  He stopped suddenly as another uniformed guard appeared in the door to the adjoining roomHis blaster was halfway up before he realized it was Rick.

  “Hold it, Hosato!” the mechanic called, raising his hands as if to ward off an attack“It's me.”

  “Right,” Hosato breathed, relaxing his limbs“SorryFor a minute I forgot.”

  “I was going to ask you if you thought I could pass inspection.” His friend laughed shakily“I think you've already answered the question.”

  A shrill beeping from the desk-​robot interrupted their tableau.

  Motioning the others to silence, Hosato moved to the deskTaking a deep breath for relaxation, he de-​pressed the button next to the flashing light.

  “Yea?” he said into the speaker in a brisk imitation of Gedge's voice.

  “Everything all right there, chief?” came a worried voice.

  “Of course,” Hosato barked back“Why shouldn't it be?”

  “We heard blaster fire and thought there might be troubleJust checking to see if you needed a hand.”

  “One of our guests tried to go for a walk,” Hosato answered jauntily“But when the day comes I can't handle a motley bunch like this, you can have my job.”

  “It's a deal.” The voice laughed“But Sammy won't like it.”

  “That's Sammy's problem,” Hosato retorted with the same joviality“And you can tell him I said so.”

  There was a moment's pause before the answer came“RightWell, shout if you need help, chiefWell be here waiting.”

  There was a brisk click as the unseen guard shut off his transmitter.

  “Whew!” Rick let out his breath“That was close.”

  “We may not be out of it yet,” Hosato murmured thoughtfully“Sasha, was it just me, or did our caller sound suspicious to you, too. there at the end?”

  “It isn't just you,” Sasha confirmed“It occurs to me 'Sammy' could be a nickname for Samantha.”

  Hosato was kneeling at Gedge's side before she fin-​ished speaking.

  “Gedge!” he snarled, shaking the injured security chief“I don't want to have to hurt you any moreWhere's the spaceport?”

  “I can tell you that,” Sasha supplied“It's upstairs, directly over us.”

  “You're sure?”

  “Come on, HosatoDo you think we don't track their layout and security as close as they track ours?”

  “Okay, let's go,” Hosato said, rising“There's prob-​ably a squad on their way here already.”

  “What about your gear?” James asked suddenly.

  “Leave it,” Hosato ordered“I've got everything I need!”

  “But your swords!” the boy insisted.

  Hosato hesitated and looked at the youth's expres-​sionFor the first time he realized who had shot the guard at the door, and why.

  “Okay, James,” he relented“Bring the epees but that's allWe'll have to move fast.”

  “Say, Hosato,” Sasha interrupted“Do you still need this pigI've waited a long time to have him in my sights.”

  Her blaster was pointed levelly at Gedge's head.

  “Yes!” Hosato insisted more hastily than was neces-​sary“RickBring him alongHe might be our ticket out of here.”

  The small party traversed the stairs to the spaceport without further incident, though Hosato felt an increas-​ing pressure for speedHe was sure that somewhere in the complex a counterattack was being prepared.

  “What are you expecting to find in the spaceport?” Sasha asked.

  “Hopefully a ship to get us away from this complex and off this planet,” Hosato replied.

  “I mean, specifically what are we going afterDo you know if there's a ship standing by for takeoff?”

  “No,” Hosato admitted“We'll just have to take pot luck.”

  Sasha shook her head“It doesn't work that wayThey might have some company ships posted here, but it takes at least half an hour to get them ready for takeoff.”

  “I know that!” Hosato snapped“If we have to take the half-​hour, we'll just have to take itI'm hoping there's something ready to goEither way, we won't know until we check it out, will we?”

  “Don't get your back upI was just asking.”

  Hosato sighedThe strain of the last thirty-​six hours was starting to tell on his nervesHe had catnapped in the crawler, but except for that, had had no sleep since the robot uprising.

  “Sorry, SashaI'm just a bit tired is all.”

  “Shh!” came Rick's call from ahead.

  Hosato hurried up the stairs to join the mechanic at the head of the formationRick was squatting on the stairs, a half-​dozen steps short of where they termi-​nated at a small landingGedge was sitting beside the mechanic, staring groggily at his shoes.

  At the far side of the landing were two sets of air-​locks with large glass windows in themThrough the farthest set Hosato could see a uniformed security guard apparently in casual conversation with a man in a gray jumpsuit.

  “Security,” Sasha hissed in his ear from close be-​hind him“The double doors are a safety precaution against a failure in the hookups with the shipsThey can be opened only from the inside.”

  “That's what we have Gedge here for,” Hosato re-​plied grimly“RickGet Gedge up there and rap on the glassDon't let them see your face!”

  Rick nodded his understandingHe grabbed Gedge by one arm and stood up boldly in full view of the doorDragging his dazed charge with him, he strode to the first lock and began rapping frantically on the glass.

  Surprised, the interior guard spun around and took in the scene at a glanceWhat he saw was one of his fellow guards supporting their chief, who was obvi-​ously in bad shape physicallyHuman nature took over.

  The guard whirled and shoved his companion asideHe hammered two buttons in the wall panel with his fist, and the double doors opened.

  “It's a trick!” Gedge managed, coming suddenly to life and trying to pull away from Rick.

  The guard realized his error-​too late.

  Rick released Gedge and was through the door in one long bound“Don't even twitch, sonny!” he said darkly, leveling his blaster at the startled guard.

  The others swarmed through the doors after him, Hosato roughly dragging Gedge with themRick re-​lieved the guard of his blaster as Sasha turned her at-​tention to the man in the jumpsuit.

  “I'll ask once,” she announced“Who or what are you?”

  “I'm a. a taxi driverThat's all!” the man stam-​mered“I-​I've got a ship standing by to fly some bigwigs to a conference on ThetaI'm nobody im-​portantReally!”

  Sasha laughed mirthlessly“Nobody importantHey, HosatoIt looks like you winWe've got a ship.”

  “It's about time we got lucky,” Hosato growled“Where is it?”

  A shrill beeping interrupted themA communica-​tions light was flashing on the wall panel.

  “Answer it!” Rick ordered, gesturing at the guard with his blaster.

  The man licked his lips nervously, then complied“Spaceport!” he said into the speaker.

  “Seal the spaceport,” came a voice over the speaker“Possible sabotage attempt in progressThey've got the chief as a hostage.”

  The guard's eyes darted to the group in front of him before replying“Code Victor acknowledged.”

  Rick sprang forward to shove him
away from the panel, but it was too lateThere wasn't a member of their party that doubted the fact the guard's signal had pinpointed their location.

  “That tears it,” Hosato snarled“SashaIs there any way they can stop our takeoff?”

  “Only through the doors there,” she answered briskly.

  “Well, we'll just have to see how good their security system really isYouWhere is your ship and what kind is it?”

  “Pad Eight,” the man responded“It's a Starblazer III Luxury Cruiser.”

  “You'd better not be lying,” Sasha snarled.

  “It's thereSo help me GodI don't want any trou-​ble.” The man seemed genuinely terror-​struck.

  “I can fly it,” Rick volunteered.

  “Okay, check it out, fast!” Hosato ordered.

  “Cover him, James,” Rick snapped, indicating the guard, and was gone, sprinting down the corridor.

  “Gedge!” Hosato said, turning to the security chief“Fm letting you go-”

  “Wait a minute!” Sasha interrupted.

  “Shut up, SashaDo you hear me, GedgeI'm let-​ting you goThe men we killed got in the way, but I don't kill people for convenienceListen to me, GedgeConvince those bastards about what's going on at Mc-​CraeWe weren't lyingConvince them, Gedge, or on my family's honor I'll come back here and kill you, and all the guards in the galaxy won't be able to stop me!”

  “It's here!” came Rick's call from down the corri-​dor.

  “All right, get him out of here,” Hosato ordered, shoving Gedge into the arms of the waiting security guard“And move it, before I change my mindYouThe pilotYou tooMove it!”

  The pilot needed no additional urging as he hastily followed the others through the doors.

  Hosato slammed his hand against the door controls, and they hissed shut, sealing the spaceport against their pursuers.

  “Let's get out of here,” he said, starting down the corridor after Rick.

  “Hosato,” Sasha said, overtaking him“Sometime we're going to have a few words about letting Gedge go.”

  “It's the only chance we have of convincing Raven-​steel-”

  They both spun at the sound of blasters behind themThe hounds were trying to burn their way through the airlocks.

  “Come on, James!” Hosato urged, and the three of them sprinted for the ship.