“Grohm?” asked Jack, gently patting Grohm’s cheeks. “Big guy, are you okay?” Grohm hung limp from his restraints, gazing at the ground, despondent. Jack turned to Heckubus. “Dude, can you get him out of these things?” Jack asked. “He looks really messed up!”
“Hmmmm. It might take some doing,” Heckubus said as he studied the shackles covering Grohm’s hands and feet. “These look to be rather sophisticated gravity bracers. I’ll have to hack into the gravity generation platform to see if I can reverse their pull before I can get close enough to disengage them.”
“Just… do what you can,” said Jack. “Make it fast, yeah?”
“Of course, because I always take my time during prison breaks,” grumbled Heckubus as he knelt down at the platform below Grohm to attempt to access a panel.
“Leave…” Jack heard Grohm mutter.
Jack looked at Grohm, his eyes wide with surprise. “What?” Jack asked.
“Leave,” Grohm repeated. “Grohm defeated. Grohm failed. Just… let Grohm die.”
“Oh, joy, the Rognok’s suicidally depressed,” Heckubus muttered. “This escape is going splendidly.”
“Dude! We’re not going to leave you!” insisted Jack. “We’d never just leave you to die! We’re a team! We’re friends! We look out for each other, no matter what! And as long as we’re around to watch your back, you haven’t been defeated! You haven’t failed! Grohm, we still need you!”
“GROHM SAID LEAVE!!!!” Grohm cried out, his face sorrowful. “Grohm have no friends! Grohm have no soul! Grohm have no purpose! Grohm only have pain, and suffering, and emptiness! GROHM WEAK!!! Please… just let Grohm die…”
Grohm slumped, his head hanging low. Jack frowned. He looked at Heckubus, who shrugged. “Don’t look at me,” the robot said. “I’m far better at crushing spirits than I am at lifting them.”
Jack looked at the massive alien, his heart breaking for his friend who appeared so lost and sad. He remembered feeling exactly like that when he’d lost everything he’d ever loved. He also remembered what Shepherd had done to pull him out of it.
“Grohm, listen to me,” Jack said, tilting the Rognok’s head up so their eyes could meet. “What you’re feeling right now, all that pain and anger and despair… it doesn’t mean you’re weak. You seem to believe the Ancients made you without a soul, but believe me, if you didn’t have a soul, you wouldn’t be able to feel those things. I don’t know much about the Ancients, but I do know that they seemed like good people, and I refuse to believe they’d create something without a spirit. Maybe your soul works differently from most peoples. I don’t know. But I do know those emotions you work so hard to deny are signs that there’s more to you than you think. Emotions are powerful things, buddy. They can give us a strength we never imagined was possible. Even bad ones can do that, because it takes incredible strength to stop feeling them and courage to try and feel good again when they overwhelm you.”
A glimmer of hope flashed in Grohm’s eyes. Jack smiled, feeling in his chest that he might actually be reaching the Rognok.
“I know you wanted revenge for what happened to your people,” Jack continued. “I know you wanted to beat down Zarrod yourself or die trying. But there are others responsible for the destruction of our planets, not just him. The only real way to fail is if you give up now and let them keep doing what they want unopposed. You said you have nothing left to live for? Well, I’m giving you something to live for, Grohm! Live so you can fight back! Live so you can defeat them – all of them! Live so that when the time comes and you stomp the skull of the last Deathlord into the ground, you’ll finally know what it’s like to be truly happy! Your purpose isn’t to die, big guy. It’s to fight! Fight so hard that for once in their wretched lives, the Deathlords will know what it’s like to actually fear something! Show them how strong you can truly be – how strong I believe you can be! Death won’t get you what you want, but vengeance will. That is what I’m offering you, right here, right now. Fight with me, and we will get our vengeance, together. Now, I ask you – is that something worth living for?”
Grohm’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Jack. Jack heard a low rumble escape from the Rognok’s throat. Every muscle in the alien’s body seemed to tense, making him appear to grow in size. Jack backed away as Grohm straightened, the restraints that bound his hands groaning as their electric couplings began to short out. With a mighty roar, Grohm tore free from his bonds, the metal shrieking like a dying animal as sparks erupted from the moorings.
Grohm stepped forward off the gravity platform, his body immediately straightening as though a great weight – both physically and emotionally – had been lifted from him. He looked down at Jack, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.
“Yes,” Grohm replied.
Jack’s smile was so big, it looked like it was hurting his cheeks. “Now, THAT’S what I’m talking about!” Jack cheered.
Heckubus surveyed the ruins Grohm had just made of the restraints and looked at the Rognok, annoyed. “Seriously?” he said. “You couldn’t have done that sooner?”
Commander Gunner walked down the hallway of the secure cells with his men, the level’s Peacekeeper guard leading them to their destination. Finally, they came to a stop. Gunner glanced at the Trundel, who was sitting quietly in his cell, before turning and looking at Scallywag. The pirate was seated on the bench facing the shield wall, gazing at Gunner stoically. Gunner smirked at him.
“I must say, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Gunner said. “After our last encounter, you struck me as the type that wouldn’t give up so easily. I was actually somewhat looking forward to hunting you down like the animal you are. But you’ve saved me a lot of time by simply accepting your fate.”
Scallywag didn’t respond. He just sat there quietly.
“What? Nothing to say?” growled Gunner. “No pithy line? No witty comeback? Have you really just given up?”
No response. Somehow, the pirate’s silent treatment made Gunner angrier than if the Visini had been mouthing off. “Open the cell,” he ordered.
“Sir?” the Peacekeeper guard replied.
“Open it!” barked Gunner.
The guard relented, keying his code into the cell’s control panel and bringing down the shield wall. Gunner entered the cell, standing in front of Scallywag, looking down at him menacingly. “I’m going to take my time,” Gunner said. “I’m going to make this last. Draw it out as long as possible. Make you suffer for what you did down on stratum one. Have anything to say to that?”
No response.
“Fine,” growled the Commander. “Let’s see how quiet you are after this!”
Gunner swung at Scallywag’s face. Scallywag’s image blurred as Gunner’s fist passed right through it and rammed into the wall behind the illusion. Gunner cried out, grabbing his hand in pain. He backed up, looking at Scallywag in shock. “What… what the???” he muttered. He waved his hand through the image again, disrupting the hologram. He turned, looking at his men, who were equally as surprised as he.
Then, Gunner saw a long pink staff hidden in the corner of the cell by the opening. He approached it, picking it up and looking at it with growing awareness and anger. “No…” he growled, before breaking the staff over his knee. “NO!!!”
As soon as the staff broke, both Scallywag and Green’s images disappeared from their cells. Gunner turned to his men, his face livid with rage.
“Lock the tower down!” he screamed. “Sound the alarm! DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!!!”
Down on stratum three, just outside the Peacekeeper tower, Dan stood guarding an exhaust vent in the ground, steam wafting up from it. The android glanced around at the shoddy surroundings once more, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble as he had been instructed. He wasn’t sure what he would do if there were trouble, he simply knew he should be on the lookout for it.
Then, noises emanated from the vent and Scallywag thrust it open, coughing and gagging as he did so. Professor
Green followed him out. Both men were covered in muck and grime and looked ill.
“I’m gonna kill that robot!” Scallywag said, spitting. “That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever done in me life. And trust me… I’ve done some disgusting things!”
“I would like to say something about the sweet smell of freedom,” said Green. “But I fear my nostrils have not yet stopped burning.”
“If I might be of assistance, sirs,” Dan said, bringing the duffle bags the group had previously given him forward. Scallywag and Green dug into them, pulling out towels, wiping themselves clean, and changing their clothes.
“Now I know what nightmares smell like,” Scallywag grumbled as he finished buckling his blaster belt around his waist. “Any word from Jack?”
“None as of yet, sir,” Dan replied.
“I do hope they were able to rescue Grohm,” fretted the Professor. “How will we know if something has gone wrong?”
Just then, a loud alarm could be heard in the distance above them, emanating from the Peacekeeper tower. Scallywag looked up at the sound, frowning. “I think that might be a clue,” he muttered.
Suddenly, there was a loud THUD on the wall of the tower right by them. Scallywag, Green, and Dan all shuffled away from the noise when it happened again. Cracks formed on the exterior of the building. Again and again, something impacted the wall, causing it to fracture, until finally Grohm burst through it, sending chunks of concrete and metal flying. Jack and Heckubus followed close behind.
“Figures,” muttered Scallywag. “Ya bust a hole in tha clink while we gotta crawl through tha stink.”
“Well, I certainly wasn’t going to crawl through it,” replied Heckubus. “Besides, in case it wasn’t obvious from the blaring alarm, we don’t exactly have to sneak around any longer.”
“Aye. We better get movin’ before they realize we ain’t in the bloody tower and start searching the streets,” Scallywag said. “Ya sure this teleporter o’ yours is gonna work?”
“As sure as I am with any of my inventions,” Heckubus said as he led the way to a condemned public teleporter down the street.
“That don’t exactly fill me with confidence, rustbucket,” Scallywag grumbled.
“Many of the public teleporters in these lower stratums fall into disrepair and are shut down,” Heckubus replied. “But all the components necessary to make them work are still there if one understands the basics of matter traversal… which I do. I use many of these jury-rigged teleporters in conjunction with my secret tunnels in order to travel about the city unnoticed, so believe me when I say I can get us to our respective destinations without any issues.”
“Professor,” said Jack. “Do you think you’ll be able to free the ship on your own?”
“It would certainly be easier if I had some help,” Green frowned, nervously.
“I wish we could send Heckubus with you, but we’re going to need him to take over any security-bots we run into,” said Jack, watching as Dan cleared away the barriers around the teleporter as Heckubus powered it up.
“Fear not, my boy,” Green said. “I will do my best. I just pray it will be good enough.”
Jack smiled. “Racing against the clock to beat impossible odds with nothing but a hope and a prayer,” he said. “Kinda feels like old times, huh?”
“Yes, yes, I forgot how stressful old times were,” replied Green.
Heckubus pulled Dan onto the teleporter platform, turning him around and opening the panel on his back. “Hold still, henchman,” Heckubus ordered.
“Henchman, sir?”
“Well, you’re not a minion, what else should I call you?” muttered Heckubus as he pulled his dataspike from his chest and plugged it into the access panel on Dan’s back.
“Oh, my,” said Dan. “Might I inquire as to what you are doing, sir?”
“Merely giving your A.I. a slight upgrade,” Heckubus replied. “Since only one of us has the ability to enslave other robots at will, I have no other choice but to accompany these ninnywats as they storm the Royal Tower. Seeing as how I cannot be in two places at once, that leaves you to assist the Professor. He will need something with not only excellent computing power but also the ability to quickly plot and scheme if he is to free the Earthship in time. Therefore, I am making it so that you are the next best thing to having myself on hand.” Heckubus removed the dataspike from Dan’s back and closed the door to his chassis. “All done!” Heckubus said. “How do you feel?”
Dan twitched, as though he were trying to recognize what he was feeling. “Slightly full of myself, with a general sense of superiority over all other things,” the robot replied.
“Excellent! Welcome to self-awareness. You’re going to have a blast, I’m sure,” Heckubus said merrily, giving Dan a pat on the back. “Do try not to get too full of yourself and attempt to take my place, however. It would be a shame to have to destroy you, considering you are now technically one of my own creations.”
“Duly noted, sir,” replied Dan. “I shall attempt to hide any ambition I may have until it is too late for you to do anything about it.”
Heckubus gazed at Dan briefly, the gears in his head whirring. “I’m so proud of you right now,” he said quietly, before turning and heading off the teleportation platform. Green stepped up beside Dan as Heckubus imput the coordinates of the spaceport.
“Good luck, Professor,” said Jack.
“And to you, dear boy,” Green said. “And to all of you. I just want you all to know that whatever happens, no matter what, I am honored and proud to—”
Heckubus abruptly teleported Green and Dan away.
“Ya coulda let him finish, ya know,” muttered Scallywag.
“Oh, was he saying something?” asked Heckubus. “I just tend to tune you all out.”
Jack turned to his friends, looking at Scallywag, Heckubus, and Grohm each in turn. He smiled to himself, feeling as though for the first time in a long time, somehow, in some way, everything was going to turn out alright.
“Okay everyone,” Jack said. “Time to go kidnap ourselves a Princess.”
Chapter 55
Shanks entered the Royal Portgate Chamber in the secure sub-level of the Royal Tower. The large, circular room was filled with crates and equipment, which various robots carted around. Armonto Virtuoso oversaw the progress of the expedition’s launch, walking among the androids authoritatively with his hands clasped behind his back.
The Princess stood before the large, circular platform connected to the primary portgate at the center of the planet. She was in front of a stone kiosk with a glowing access orb hovering above it, which she used to portgate away various boxes and crates along with a handful of Maguffyn worker-bots. Shanks frowned when he saw her. He had been trying to gain an audience ever since his troubling visions had begun, but the Princess had been putting him off, claiming to be currently too busy for her studies.
Shanks glanced around, seeing the four members of the Royal Vanguard stationed around the Princess. There were also several security-bots in the room, as well as a handful of Royal Guards. Finally, there was Phineas Alabaster, who walked around the chamber studying the Maguffyn crates and equipment with a curious apprehension.
“You certainly are bringing a great many supplies on your journey, Mr. Virtuoso,” Alabaster commented.
“Merely a precaution, Chief,” Armonto replied. “On the off-chance this endeavor should fail, we will need provisions until such time as a rescue operation can be mounted. Yet another reason why we are limiting the number of personnel coming with us.”
“Yes, just you, the Princess, and the Vanguard,” said Alabaster quietly. “And a large number of your worker-bots. I don’t believe I’ve seen these models before.”
“They’re new,” replied Armonto. “I had them designed with a limited defense capability to make up for the lack of a Royal Guard presence.”
“Limited… yes,” said Alabaster, eyeing the worker-bots suspiciously. “Makes one wonde
r, with all the protection afforded the Princess, why you are choosing to arm yourself, as well.”
Armonto glanced down at the strange pistol attached to his belt that Alabaster was referring to. “I would hardly call myself armed. This is the latest in non-lethal weaponry, a device of my own design,” Armonto replied. “I am merely being overly cautious, as is my nature. One never knows when something unexpected should occur. I feel it is always best to be prepared.”
“Well, let us hope nothing will go wrong to necessitate its use,” said Alabaster. “If the portgate network is destroyed, only Director Casgor will have access to the Great Seal’s location, what with the rest of the Directory now suspended. Perhaps it would be wise if you granted me access to it, as well, before you depart?”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary,” replied Armonto. “I have no doubt Director Casgor will do the right thing, if such a situation were to arise.”
“But of course he would,” said Alabaster with a forced smile. “Still… it never hurts to have a backup plan.”
“Oh, I have many of those, I assure you,” said Armonto. “But if you would really like to press the issue, perhaps you should speak with Casgor himself once we are gone. I have no doubt he’d be happy to bring you in on the Empire’s most closely guarded secret.”
“No doubt,” muttered Alabaster, his face calm, but worry behind his eyes.
Shanks approached Anna as she portgated another group of robots and supplies away. “Your Highness,” Shanks said softly, “may I speak with you?”
“Not now, Brother Shanks,” Anna said.
“I’m afraid I must insist, Your Highness,” Shanks pressed. “I promise not to take much of your time, but what I have to say is important.”
Anna frowned and looked the monk in his eyes. “Make it quick,” she said.
“I have been having some disturbing visions lately, Princess,” Shanks said. “I sense there is a dark presence surrounding you in some way…”
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 63
