by D N Meinster
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aros asked.
"Because I know you're going to ask me another question," M'dalla stated.
Aros ran a hand through his hair, pulling at a couple of the spikes. He hadn't actually planned on pestering her anymore, but he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass now that she'd brought it up. "We're friends. You should want to answer my questions."
"Friends?" M'dalla scowled before letting loose a cackle. "What would ever make you think that?"
"You've helped me. You've saved my life. And you haven't launched your flail into my face."
M'dalla held up a finger. "You just wait."
Aros crossed his arms and Mr. Kwee let out a squawk. "You don't have to admit it, but I know."
M'dalla rolled her eyes but didn't bother saying anything else.
Aros was serious with the charge. He felt like he could trust her now as much as he would trust Doren or Rikki. And if all of the Roamers were like her, maybe they'd be able to work together to stop Hatswick. "Are you friends with the other Roamers?"
M'dalla let out an exasperated sigh before replying. "Slythe and I are together. Does that give you an idea?"
Aros' eyes widened, as he was not expecting to hear that. "What about Yuurei?"
"We're monogamous."
"No, I mean, were you friends?"
"Yes," M'dalla said, "though perhaps not as close as you are to your companions. But when there's only a few of you left, you tend to be closer than when everyone else was around."
"What does that mean?" With a little more prodding, maybe he could find out whatever secret she was hiding.
"If we're friends, maybe you could respect my vow and cease interrogating me."
Aros' shoulders fell as he realized she had a point. "Sorry," he mumbled, turning toward the window.
"Look, I want to tell you. I'm sure you could handle it. But I keep my vow. If Slythe gives the okay when you get to Terrastream, I'll tell you everything."
Aros crooked his neck back toward her. "I'll hold you to that."
"I wouldn't expect less," M'dalla replied.
Aros wondered if Slythe would consent to the request. The last time they'd been in each other's company, they were in the middle of a battle, fighting on the same side. Would that be enough to earn the truth from him? The fact that M'dalla and Yuurei had first shown up in Belliore intending to fight wasn't promising.
But after everything that happened, M'dalla would surely be able to convince her...what? Boyfriend? Husband? Either way, it might mean more that he was friends with her than if he'd befriended one of the other Roamers.
"Now arriving at your destination."
Aros focused on the structure the AGT was approaching. The last time he'd seen it, it was a crumbling mess. But all the rubble had been cleared away from the weapons lab, and they'd even started reconstruction on the damaged sectors. "They move fast here," Aros observed.
"We're going to leave your pet in here," M'dalla said, eyeing Mr. Kwee as she took to her feet.
"I won't argue with that, " Aros said. He didn't want Mr. Kwee getting blown up to an unnatural size and going on a rampage.
Kneeling down to him, Aros grabbed one of Mr. Kwee's tails and carefully wound them around the seat. "Stay here."
"Kwee!" he squeaked in reply.
As the vehicle's door opened, Aros was struck by the weather. The rain had let up, though it remained cloudy. His heart sped up as he worried that something had happened to Rikki or Doren. If the sun started to break through, he would go back to them. The rest of the mission could wait.
"Something wrong?" M'dalla asked, standing by his side at the AGT's exit.
"It's not raining." Aros stepped out and gazed at the squat, circular complex. Men and women were working on the exterior, with machines hovering between them, projecting light-up grids or carrying building blocks.
M'dalla studied the situation. "This is when it'd be really useful if you could shift."
"I don't know how we're going to get back to where we were," Aros murmured. "Last time, we tricked one of the people there to give a voice command."
"You could wait here," M'dalla suggested, nodding toward Mr. Kwee.
"No way," Aros replied. He wasn't going to let M'dalla do the hard stuff while he sat back.
"Well, there are two devices we need to get, right?" M'dalla asked. "I'll go for the one you tried to get before. You go find the other."
Aros didn't like the idea of wandering the weapons lab until he found the master control, but he was more likely to be successful getting that than he was getting back to the testing area. "Okay. You'll need to get to the..." He thought back to what exactly the Bellish had called it. It wasn't electromagnetic testing. It was..."Closed testing."
"And it's called the electromagnetic device?"
Aros nodded. "That's it. Be careful of the other stuff around there."
M'dalla touched his shoulder. "I'm not the one who can't shift away if one of those laborers calls for peacekeepers." With a rapid twirl, she disappeared from the area.
"Wait!" he called out, but she was already gone. Aros looked back to the AGT. "I guess we'll meet back here."
The path to the lab's entrance was clear. Most of the workers were either on the roof or on the sides of the building. As long as they were distracted by the construction, he'd be able to make it inside without being sighted. The only question was what he was going to do once he got inside.
Aros put one foot after the other as he casually strolled to the entrance. He kept his head and eyes forward, praying to the Goddess that no one would notice him. The doors slid open as he neared, and he slowly exhaled when he'd made it inside without incident.
This place hadn't been changed or damaged. Everywhere was as white and spotless as before.
Now what? They'd gotten to the electromagnetic testing area simply by asking last time. Could he do the same this time?
"Take me to the master control device," Aros requested.
There was no response from the room or any disembodied voice.
"Please?" Aros added.
Still nothing.
Aros slouched down and let out a brief moan. How was he supposed to get this device? He didn't know where it was or even what it looked like. And he didn't have the ability to disguise his voice as Director Talap's when the room didn't obey him.
It wasn't that important anyway, right? They could get the third Key without it. If they sent an army of peacekeepers after them, Rikki could just shift them away. Unless they sent the army before they got hold of the Key. Then they'd regret not having the device. And who would they blame? Him.
Aros stood straight and considered what to say next. He knew the room would take him to the electromagnetic testing area. He could go there and ask someone.
No, that'd be dumb. They'd probably try to send the chrome men after him if he showed up again.
Maybe there was some sort of peacekeeper testing area. It was worth checking.
"Take me to peacekeeper testing."
The room sprang to life, with the floor and all the walls moving in unison away from the entrance doors.
Aros was amazed that had worked, but he had no idea if the master control device would be wherever he was being taken. But if there was a peacekeeper area within these labs, it would likely be nearby. If he could figure out how to blast through the walls, he might find what he was looking for.
Aros held his arm up to his eyes and examined the armor. He'd gotten lucky the last time it'd shot out a blast. But how could he repeat what he'd done when he had no recollection of how he'd done it? He started swiping on his arm, trying to get the armor to reveal the glowing lines again. If he did that, he could probably fiddle with it until it started shooting again.
The room suddenly shot upward, and Aros stumbled into the wall as it took him to higher floors in the lab. He then fell to the floor as it immediately zipped off to the left, curling around the building until it jolte
d to a stop and one of the walls slid away.
"I don't remember it going that fast last time," Aros groaned as he got back to his feet. Unsure of what awaited him, he withdrew one of his clawblades and proceeded out into his destination.
One look at what lay ahead and Aros was ready to retreat back to the AGT. Rows-upon-rows of chrome men stood in the testing area, all still, like they were sleeping standing up. Yet unlike any peacekeeper he'd seen before, each of these had a visible weapon in their grasp. Some were holding up swords or shields; others even had rods.
Aros gulped as he headed near the first row. Why did they need these blades if they had beam weapons at the ready at all times?
Then he figured it out. These peacekeepers were a reaction to the Kytheran intruders in Belliore. The Bellish wanted warriors that could fight like Aros and his friends, so they made them.
None of the chrome men moved as Aros passed in front of them. He kept his eye on them, and his clawblade out, but it didn't seem like he'd have to engage. They were, as he saw it, switched off. Now he just had to find where the master control was. Could there be a hidden panel in one of the walls? Or would it be in an adjacent room?
Aros moved away from the chrome men and toward a wall. He ran his hand against it, hoping he might feel a crack that would indicate an unseen compartment. But it was only smooth metal, similarly shaded to the peacekeepers that stood awaiting commands.
He looked back to the multitude of chrome men, considering another option. The Bellish could've stuck the master control at the center of the mass, making it impossible to get to without magic or authorization. That's what he would've expected a clever man to do.
Aros approached one of the chrome men and tapped his clawblade against its chest. It did not respond in any way. He checked left and right to see if any other peacekeeper had come alive, but all were still asleep.
That was enough evidence for him. Aros squeezed between two peacekeepers, carefully maneuvering so his armor would take the brunt of unintended scratches, and made it in front of the second row. This lineup was as stationary as the first. So he kept going, pushing himself between the chrome men, getting closer to the center of the pack. Nothing he did seemed to awaken them, though he made sure not to speak in case they were activated by his voice.
By the time he got through ten rows, he started to figure that he'd been wrong. He'd placed himself in the middle of hundreds of peacekeepers, but the master control device was nowhere to be found. But if the device wasn't in here, it had to be somewhere nearby.
As he made his way back to the front row, he heard the distinct noise of a door closing. He poked his head between the chrome men and saw only a wall at the site where he'd entered the area.
"That's not good." Aros hurriedly placed his free hand to his mouth, but there was no reaction from the peacekeepers.
"Warning," the voice of the eDat spoke from above. "Gravity has been disabled."
Gravity? That was a science-y word. Someone had even used it recently to describe the AGTs. But what did it mean? Aros tried to think back to his schooling, but only recalled a memory of Leidess.
Aros' arms began to float upward on their own accord, and then he remembered what gravity was. It was the natural force that kept people on the ground.
Aros glanced down and saw the bottom of his feet gradually lift off the floor. He bent his toes to try and keep them on the ground, but he was already too high in the air to reach. "Crap."
All of the peacekeepers around him started to float into the air as well. None of their limbs dangled like his did, though. They all remained stiff as statues.
"Testing will commence in sixty seconds," the eDat announced. "All non-authorized personnel should evacuate immediately."
"Turn gravity on!" Aros cried out, but the eDat wasn't listening.
As he floated aimlessly toward the ceiling, he had no idea how he was going to get out of this. The way out had been closed off and the peacekeepers were about to be woken up. Would they be as helpless in these conditions, or were they unaffected by gravity?
Aros reached for his second blade, using extra effort to take it off his back and swing it out in front of him. He moved both his clawblades out to his sides and prepared for an incoming assault.
All at once, the peacekeepers below him and beside him dropped their arms to their sides. Their heads twisted around this way and that until each had their eyeless gazes locked onto him. But when they tried to charge at him, they found themselves hindered by the lack of gravity. None were able to speed through the air or even target him directly.
One chrome man wagged its arms furiously as it tried to make its way toward him, but it got no closer than the others, and passed by far from arm's reach.
Aros' head clunked against the ceiling, and he stayed there, stuck and unsure how to get anywhere else. He stared down at the host of peacekeepers below, wondering what he'd do when they eventually made their way up to him. Maybe he'd be able to take them out one at a time. It would certainly be easier than if they all came at him at once.
Far below, he noticed one of the peacekeepers with a shield take it in both hands. That peacekeeper shoved his shield up at the feet of one of the chrome men above him. This second peacekeeper zoomed through the air, aiming for Aros.
Aros held his blade out and the peacekeeper unintentionally impaled its head through it. No gravity meant they weren't able to stop once they'd gotten going.
But seeing this one example, the rest of the peacekeepers construed how to get to him. They began pairing up, using their arms or their weapons to propel their partner toward Aros.
Five chrome men were soaring through the masses, coming directly at him. Though they were hardly approaching at high speeds, there wasn't much time to come up with a way to counter the attack.
As he watched them, Aros allowed his body to drift up horizontally, so it was almost like he was lying on the ceiling. Then he carefully attempted to flip himself so his feet were above him. After crouching his legs, he pushed off from the ceiling, propelling himself toward the incoming attackers.
Both of his clawblades sliced into the chest of the first peacekeeper. With an upward, vertical slash, he skewered it, leaving arms and wires dangling as it floated away.
With four more on their way, he swung out both of his blades to his sides. But these peacekeepers were not so helpless. They batted away his clawblades with their own swords. Aros' arms went wild following the impact, and he drew them both closer to his body so he could regain control.
Aros had both blades tucked near his chest as reclaimed control of his limbs. But no matter how he positioned his arms or his swords, his body kept spinning.
No peacekeepers were moving toward him now, but they were close enough that they could manage another strike. But so could he.
Unable to halt his spin, he extended both arms, intending for his blades to cut into his opponents on his second pass. He was blocked by a sword and a rod, but he was able to latch the clawblades onto each to prevent any further rotations.
Keeping one clawblade on the chrome man's sword, he used the other to hack off its arm. But before he could celebrate the disarming, another peacekeeper jabbed its rod into his ribs.
Aros flew back into another chrome man, but he swiftly propelled both his blades over his shoulders and into the peacekeeper, effectively disabling it.
After swinging his arms forward again, he felt a chrome man's body collide into the bottoms of his feet. Aros was launched upward, back toward the ceiling. But on his way there, multiple chrome men stuck out their weapons, attempting to injure him.
Aros swung his clawblades from side-to-side, bashing away the swords and rods from his upward trajectory. He twirled and sliced, knocking his weapons into theirs, propelling them back with every blow.
Before he reached the ceiling, one of the peacekeepers smacked into his back and wrapped its arms around him. Aros struggled helplessly as he soared sideways, into another pack of ch
rome men.
Holding a leg out, the bottom of his boot landed on a peacekeeper's chest, from which he pushed off and launched backwards until he crashed into another one.
The peacekeeper on his back loosened its grip after the collision, enough so that Aros was able to raise both clawblades and chop its arms off to remove it from his back.
Aros impaled the peacekeepers that were in reach, but while his blades were stuck in one of the chrome men, another came up on him, this one wielding a rod. It struck its weapon down on his wrists, and Aros unintentionally let go of his blades.
The clawblades and the peacekeeper whose body they were stuck in drifted away as Aros took another strike to the back of his head.
Aros held both hands around his head as he floated away from the attacker and toward another group of chrome men. He was completely defenseless, and taking just a glimpse at the sheer amount of peacekeepers coming for him, he started to panic. "Gravity on!" he begged the eDat to no avail.
And then he realized that he wasn't defenseless. His armor could assist him, if he could figure out how to use it.
Aros rapidly swiped his fingers on his arm, trying to get it to light up again. When four fingers weren't working, he tried two. That seemed to do it. Both arms lit up in a grid of white lines.
Aros poked one of the lines, but nothing happened. He frantically poked at another one, hoping that a beam would shoot from his arm again. But instead, his armor emitted a low-pitched, metallic rumble.
"What the..." Aros looked around to see if his armor had done anything. And it had, except it was the opposite of what he wanted.
All of the peacekeepers began closing in on him, all at once. Some hadn't been facing him, and others weren't even trying to get at him, but they were all moving nearer despite that.
The closest chrome man smacked its head into his shoulder, but instead of bouncing off, it stayed there. Aros tried to pry it off him, but it was stuck. That's when he realized what he'd done. He'd turned his suit into a giant magnet.
