Civilians and even formerly loyal Teammates went on the offensive, venting their outrage on the nearest Visitors, who were now clearly seen as the foes and oppressors of all humankind. The mass insurrection that Julie and the Resistance had dreamed of and fought for over twenty years to inspire had finally begun.
In the Elgins' tenement, Mary was drawn to her window by the noise in the streets outside. She opened it and heard the alarms, sirens, and battle cries of a new day dawning.
In the Capsule Storage Chamber, Jon had been rescued from the angry technicians, who were swiftly overrun by the hordes of liberated people on their way to the assignments that Emma's instructions had given them. Jon made his way through the euphoric, energized people to reach the capsule of the woman he had often paused to gaze at longingly. As he helped her out of the capsule she looked at him in wonder and faint recognition. The half-breed teen nodded happily to her. "Yes, Mother, it's me." The woman was overwhelmed, and embraced her son tearfully.
Margarita and Nathan rushed past them and connected with Julie, Ysabel, Street-C, Martin, and their Resistance team who were in the forefront. Julie shouted to them over the multitude's jubilation, "We're taking the ship!"
"Yeah," Margarita shouted back, laughing, "we sorta figured!"
Julie called out to the people massing behind her, "Level Eighteen people—this way!"
The freed people, young and old of every conceivable ethnicity, roared back their unanimous support. Farmers, soldiers, scholars, people of every diverse stripe imaginable, all followed Julie, Margarita, and Nathan.
As the burgeoning army flowed onto the catwalks and passages of the Flagship, some Visitor guards tried to stop them. A few of the humans were shot or injured, but they were a swelling tide that could not be held back. It swamped and overcame every Visitor obstacle as the freed people moved in a human tsunami sweeping through and out of their prison chamber, heading for the critical assignments they had been given.
DANNY, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER KIDS, RAN OUT OF HIS SCHOOL into the street where alarms and sirens were wailing. Danny saw a woman throw a Molotov cocktail into a Visitor shuttle that then exploded violently. He saw a squad of startled Visitor Patrollers being besieged by angry citizens including many in Teammate uniforms. The population of San Francisco had finally awakened and was striking out at the Visitors. Danny knew that the scenes he was witnessing were certainly being duplicated in city after city across the planet. He knew the Rebellion must be blossoming everywhere.
AT THE CHEMICAL FACTORY THE FIRST TWO-HUNDRED-FOOT-LONG tanker, heavily laden with the Visitor chemical weapon, was lifting off. It had barely cleared the ground when Ayden's airbike came swooping in at low altitude with its laser guns blazing. Ayden strafed the big transport, which took several glancing hits before it suddenly caught fire. It tilted precariously as its control surfaces failed to respond. Then it listed farther sideways and collided with one face of the five-story industrial facility. It exploded spectacularly, the flames vaporizing and consuming the deadly chemical.
On the opposite side of the factory at the secondary chemical weapon storage tank, Robert, Gary, and Charles heard the explosion and saw the mushrooming fireball. They were hurriedly uncoiling a hose from their small tank truck containing the neutralizer that Kayta and Charles's compatriots had created. Ayden's airbike flashed by over their heads. He was not in stealth mode, because of his desire to draw Visitor fire away from Ted, and he was succeeding. Gina's fighter was in hot pursuit.
In the junkyard at the south perimeter, the Visitor sentry had stealthily closed the distance behind Ted and took aim to shoot the unsuspecting boy in the back. The sentry was squeezing the trigger of his pulse pistol when Ted fired up his bike. The flaming ionic back blast from the bike literally blew the sentry away. But Ted had no idea of it as he banked his airbike skyward, heading on his mission.
IN THE BOWELS OF THE FLAGSHIP, NATHAN AND MANY OF THE FREED people fought through the lower passages. Some of those liberated, including Connie Leonetti, remained to tend the wounded or to secure locations as they'd been instructed while others swept onward as Nathan directed them, "Some of you, down that corridor! Take their barracks. Let's go!"
Two Visitors with yellow stickers appeared ahead of Margarita, who leveled her weapon at them until Ysabel shouted at her, "No! They're with us! See the yellow!"
"Gotcha"—the redhead nodded, then called back over her shoulder—"come on, gang!"
Shawn, who had been on a mission of his own and was hiding in an alcove, saw the hordes passing him and noted the significance of the yellow stickers.
In one of the clean, gray upper passageways, Diana was being led along by the stern Patroller guarding her. As they passed a female Patroller, Diana, in an eyeblink, pulled the pulse gun from the startled female and shot her in the throat. Before the other Patroller could react, Diana fired point-blank into his heart. Then she hurried on to find a means of escape.
J. D. OLIVER HAD HEARD THE EXPLOSION OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE AT HIS factory and ran out to investigate. Seeing the burning tanker he quickly ducked back into hiding.
Charles Elgin had glimpsed Oliver, but was busy helping Gary stretch the hose from the tank truck toward the main storage tank.
"More hose!" Gary shouted, "We need more!"
Robert was beside the tank truck and saw the spool was at its end. "There isn't any more!" Then he heard a woman's voice call out.
"Yes, there is!" Stella Stein was running toward them carrying an extra coil of hose. She knew that Danny would be proud of her. Charles was amazed.
Around the corner of the steel superstructure of the facility the second tanker transport full of the chemical weapon was lifting off.
On his airbike in stealth mode, Ted was crossing over the grounds of the plant and diving toward the tanker. The tense teenager whispered to himself, "This one's for Bryke." He pressed the firing button and a burst of laser fire flashed out. It caught the tanker amidships and pierced the hull, creating a stunning explosion.
But Ted had no time to celebrate because a pulse blast hit the back of his airbike, nearly unseating him. He looked back to see a Visitor fighter tight on his tail. Though he had fired while in stealth mode, the pursuing fighter pilot had seen the origin of his shot and correctly targeted Ted. The hit that Ted's bike had taken had damaged the bike's stealth generator and the boy realized he was now a visible target. Frightened, he looked quickly around for help but saw that Ayden was a half mile away on the other side of the facility doing his best to dodge the blistering fire from Gina's fighter. Ted realized that they were both in serious trouble as he glanced below and saw that the final tanker was beginning to lift off.
KAYTA AND MIKE HAD BEEN MAKING THEIR WAY OUTWARD THROUGH the long passages from the Flagship mainframe. They both were extremely weak from the debilitating cold they'd endured and Mike's legs were burning with pain. When they reached the Capsule Storage Chamber Mike remembered when he had been the first human ever to see it, over twenty years earlier. He was excited to realize that the capsules were now all open and the chamber was empty of captives.
"Look, Kayta! They did it!" He turned and grabbed her shoulders. "Call off your fleet!"
The Zedti was breathing with difficulty. "I must be . . . certain it is . . . worldwide."
Mike pulled out his radio. "Willy! Have we done it?"
The Flagship Centcom was in boisterous turmoil due not only to the Resistance's transmissions, but because of the messages flooding in about the revolutionary uprisings around the world. Willy and Lee were in the midst of the frantic chamber. He keyed his radio, "The reports are still very confused, Mike."
In the capsule area Kayta shook her head at Mike. "I'm truly sorry, but I have to be certain."
IN THE DEPTHS OF SPACE THE ZEDTI FLEET CONTINUED INBOUND WITH their mammoth warships in stealth mode. From her view port on their Flagship the Executive Officer questioned her second in command, "Target acquisition status?"
The lieutena
nt checked the crystalline display before him. "Acquisition at seventy percent, Commander."
THE HATCH OF ONE OF THE VISITOR FLAGSHIP'S ARMORIES OPENED. Margarita shot the Visitor on duty and Julie hurried into the large chamber where pulse rifles and pistols were at the ready on charging racks. Julie addressed the crowd behind her, pointing toward the weapons, "Grab those! The flashlights, too. Pass 'em out! Follow us!"
Margarita handed out several of the weapons. "Harmy! You, too. Here you go. Come on!" Harmy took the rifle, which was heavy in her hands. She hated the idea of using it, but followed Margarita and the others.
In a dark corridor several levels above, Shawn was hurrying along, trying to find an escape route. He heard some of the liberated people approaching behind him and then saw Eric just ahead, wearing the yellow sticker Gary had given him.
Shawn rushed up to Eric, saying, "Thank you," as he ripped the sticker off of Eric and stuck it on himself. In that moment, the freed people, now carrying pulse weapons, rounded the corner. Shawn dropped to the floor as though he'd been struck by Eric and pointed at the doctor, shouting, "Get that bastard! Get him!"
Eric was gunned down by multiple bursts of pulse fire and trampled by the onrushing army while Shawn ducked safely away.
GARY, CHARLES, AND STELLA WERE PUMPING THE LIQUID FROM THE small truck into the huge storage tank, which had begun smoking and bubbling, an alkaline froth covering the surface. Stella shouted to them over the blaring alarms, "It's a neutralizer?"
Charles nodded. "To make their weapon useless! Yes!"
Robert's dark eyes were intense, his black brow furrowed as he tried to get through on his radio, "Willy? We've neutralized the main tank. Willy? Did you get that?"
Ted's airbike skimmed past just over their heads, a Visitor fighter directly behind him. The fighter pilot had a target lock on the airbike and was about to fire when Ted suddenly dived his airbike low through a narrow archway amid the massive factory machinery. The pursuing fighter couldn't pull up in time nor fit through. Its wings were sheared off as it crashed into the huge pipes, sending fountains of water, steam, and flame rocketing into the air.
Ted angled his airbike toward the third tanker, which was slowly gaining altitude. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Gina's fighter as she scored a glancing hit on Ayden's bike, which sparked badly and was going out of control. Ted looked quickly again at the rising tanker, unsure what to do, then he swerved sharply, flying to Ayden's assistance.
Gina was intent on the Zedti commander's airbike, which was losing altitude directly in front of her. She was closing in for the kill when Ted suddenly came diving at her right out of the sun, his laser guns firing full tilt. Gina's fighter was hit hard. She was furious and fought to maintain control of her damaged craft. There was smoke in her cockpit. She had no choice but to angrily break off the attack.
Ted meantime had maneuvered directly over Ayden's failing bike. The Zedti commander, realizing what the boy was attempting, reached up with his strong arms and grabbed on to Ted's bike. Ayden was lifted up and away just before his own failing airbike spun down into a confluence of pipes below, tearing itself to pieces.
AN ECHOING LOUDSPEAKER VOICE IN THE FLAGSHIP CENTCOM ANnounced, "Warning. This ship has been targeted." The warning repeated as new alarms sounded. From their position on the upper Centcom platform Willy and Lee saw the Leader, Jeremy, Paul, and a number of their elite guard rush onto the main deck below.
The Leader was shouting, "Ready the pulse cannons! Alert the Armada to prepare for attack."
Jeremy moved to a secondary command station. "Raise all defense shields!"
In one of the Flagship's upper passages a transporter tube hatch opened and Mike limped out on very painful legs with Kayta walking weakly beside him.
"Centcom's on this level," he encouraged her. "When you hear the reports firsthand then you can call off—" Mike saw Diana appear at an intersection ahead of them. The dark Commandant spotted him at the same moment. She fired her pulse weapon and Mike spun to shield Kayta, taking a partial hit in his side. He was knocked to the floor, carrying Kayta with him. As more bursts from Diana's weapon impacted beside him, Mike rolled around to exchange fire with Diana. One of his shots ricocheted electrically off the corridor bulkhead and struck her. It peeled off part of her human face to expose her angry, glaring reptilian visage beneath. She hissed fiercely at Donovan and darted away.
"Kayta, come on," Mike urged as he got to his feet. "We've got to get to—" Mike looked at the blond Zedti and realized Kayta had been hit by one of Diana's pulse bursts. She was limp and unconscious.
The Leader and Jeremy were trying to organize the growing tumult in the Centcom as they listened to a dozen incoming radio reports of the growing disaster. On the platform above them, Willy whispered urgently into his radio, "Mike! Listen! The chemical weapon's been neutralized. Rebellion is worldwide. I'm hearing it's overwhelming, unstoppable! Kayta can call off the Zedti fleet!"
Mike was bending over Kayta in the passageway as he shouted back into his radio, "Except that she's unconscious! Where the hell is Ayden?!"
THE ZEDTI COMMANDER WAS DANGLING BENEATH TED'S AIRBIKE AND had just managed to get a firm hold with both hands. Then, using his prodigious strength, Ayden pulled himself up and aboard the back of the bike. Ted meanwhile was focused on his pursuit of the third large tanker craft. He was dodging fierce rearward fire from the fighter that was protecting it.
Ted closed the distance, swerving right and left to avoid bursts from the fighter's aft-facing pulse cannons. Ayden reached around the boy, adjusted a targeting device, and fired an exceptionally large laser burst that struck and exploded both the fighter and the big tanker into a ball of flame and debris the size of an aircraft carrier. Ted screamed because he couldn't avoid flying them directly into the huge, broiling fireball.
THE SHIPBOARD REVOLUTION HAD NOT YET REACHED HANGAR BAY Twenty-two, though alarms were sounding. Visitor technicians and Patrollers were hurriedly arming themselves.
Emma and Mark were being manhandled across the main flight deck by their Patroller guards toward the hundred-foot-wide hatch that was open to the sky above and San Francisco nearly a mile below. It was from there that they would be thrown overboard.
Emma and Mark had been pulled almost to the brink of the huge open hatch when Nathan and Margarita appeared on the southern side of the expansive main flight deck and Nathan shouted, "Hey! Hold up!"
"Stop right there!" Margarita leveled her pulse rifle at them.
The guards holding Emma and Mark used them as human shields and opened fire on the two freedom fighters. Other Visitors in the hangar also began firing. Margarita and Nathan returned fire as they took cover behind some transport containers between a pair of shuttle craft. Julie's cavalry also began to arrive from the south. She led some of the freed people onto the flight deck level while other legions of them swept onto the dozens of platforms that hung like balconies above the main deck.
The Visitor combatants immediately in front of them along the south side were quickly overwhelmed. Some Visitors were blasted off of the higher platforms, falling to their death on the main deck. Visitor Patrollers and technicians on the north side of the hangar, however, had the benefit of better cover and the wide chasm of the hangar bay itself provided a natural no-man's-land between themselves and the Resistance fighters.
It became a furious firefight with both sides taking heavy casualties. Pulses of burning electricity flashed back and forth leaving their thin smoke trails across the hangar, triggering minor explosions. Flurries of sparks showered down from metal catwalks that were chipped away by the volatile pulse hits. The smell of charred flesh became pervasive.
When one freed person near Julie was hit and fell, she saw a balding, middle-aged man pick up the weapon to carry on the fight. Sidney Stein was focused on the mission. Julie saw from his determined expression he was proud to be part of it.
Julie shouted down to where Margarita and Nathan were on
the front line still trying to liberate Emma and Mark, "We need to get to Centcom!"
Margarita yelled back through the gunfire and the shouts of the battle, "Go! We'll be right behind you!"
Julie beckoned to Street-C, Ysabel, and others of the liberated to follow her. They skirted along behind a tanker shuttle toward the nearest transport tube while Nathan and Margarita exchanged more pulse fire with the Patrollers holding the mayor and Emma.
THE RUSTY RED PLANET MARS, NAMED FOR THE ROMAN GOD OF WAR, stood as an imposing sentinel against the starry blackness and silence of space. Its two moons Deimos and Phobos, meaning Fear and Panic, had been named for the two children of Mars who drove his deadly chariot into battle. The smaller of the two gray moons was Phobos, only seventeen miles across. It zipped around its parent planet three times a day at a breakneck pace. But the Zedti fleet flashed past Mars at a far more astonishing speed, inbound toward the Earth.
On the bridge of the Zedti Flagship, the lieutenant spoke calmly to his Executive Officer, "Target acquisition at eighty percent. We are closing on the Earth."
The Executive Officer stared through her view port toward the tiny dot of blue and green amid the distant stars. She turned around toward her command staff on the bridge of the great warship. They all gave her their rapt attention. She knew that her image was also being seen throughout all the ships across the entire Zedti fleet. She raised her hands before her and interlaced her fingers tightly. All of her comrades joined the ritual and did likewise. Then with a tone of profound respect she said in a strong voice, "Long live Ayden, Kayta, and Bryke."
V_The 2nd Generation Page 41
