by Pirx Danford
Rapt in thought I mumbled a thank you and asked myself yet again what it was that had happened. The agreement with Rab was, that as soon as I had an overview of the ships status I would return to their tribe. He had promised to tell me everything that had happened completely unadorned and then help with the further planning.
But now it might become a huge deal more difficult to reach the maintenance center. Agatha reinforced my assumption that the Flying Hustlers were scouting the section with the maintenance center because of me, also she explained that not all the tribes of the Open Eyes were supporting the resistance.
Some tribes, especially the resident ones - to which she included our hosts village - preferred the comforts a cooperation with the Benefactor promised. This did not surprise me, it wasn’t in the human nature to endure endless struggle, especially not if there were families to be fed.
“But my sister is a hundred percent loyal to the resistance. Anyhow here in the outer decks there are many gray areas.”
We decided to try and find the scouting troop the next day, after that we would continue to the maintenance center. Maybe right now everything around us was already falling apart, but I already had gotten used to that thought back at the waking area. Some would accuse me of fatalism, yet I had witnessed how fatal it could prove to act unprepared through my predecessors.
This night I couldn’t sleep well. I dreamed from my journey to the outer decks and was chased by drooling monsters through the maintenance tunnels. The scene where racing along the ceiling I hurtled towards the tower repeated completely with the cat like creatures chasing me, only that this time when I hit them they don’t fall away, but suddenly mutate like straight from a cheap werewolf movie into hounds with wings like from a Pegasus.
Dead still I only can watch as the whole pack glides towards me and wake screaming as the slobbering maws are about to tear me apart.
Agatha stands chalky-white before me and I ask what happened, only then I notice that she holds my left lower arm tightly.
My gaze follows hers until my eye lands upon one of my pistols in my hand to then spot the the hole in the roof only slightly beside her face hovering above me.
Sharply I breathe in “Oh, oh! I am so sorry.” I manage to say falteringly.
Agatha swallows heavily and slowly color returns to her face. Her eyes blink slowly, then she looks around nervously. Her sight moves to the roof and back again to the gun now lying limply in my hand.
After taking two deep breaths unexpectedly she exclaims “We have to disappear right now!” Confused I looked at her.
“Your weapon is not very loud, but extremely bright, at the latest when the others see the hole in the roof they will know who you are. We have to make a run for it right now, the risk of them being after the bounty on you is much too great.” I also swallow heavily now and nod, then I shake off the rigidity and while throwing my clothes on and grabbing my backpack I have Marple scan the area.
There are two heat signatures closing in, but else the incident didn’t seem to attract any more viewership.
We hurry out of the hut and around it, before anyone can spot us the forest swallows us.
Only with effort I am able to keep pace with Agatha, who is moving with an incredible speed. At that rate we could cross the complete ships length in half of a day, which quite plainly showed me on how little space the people were living.
After a short quarter, which for me dragged on like forever, abruptly Agatha halts and says “We have to find my sister somehow, if possible without her scout troop.” A difficult task, while we discuss I learn that the name of Agathas sister is Melissa. She had meant to introduce us directly, but that had not meant to be. One possibility that Agatha can think of would take some while. She is pretty sure that as soon as Melissa would learn about the events she would visit an old hideaway the two used. It was a tree house the two sisters had built as kids and which nobody else knew about. Still that would take some days and we knew we didn’t had the time. As soon as the Benefactors followers would learn about my presence in the area, I would be searched for with vengeance.
There was only this one chance to get into the central.
As the status screen on the outer hull had shown a working connection I was sure that the maintenance center would be in working order. The entrance area had a similar robust design for all the centers and with Marples help I would be able to get access without problems, so we only had to get in fast enough.
All other problems could wait until we had successfully gotten entrance.
It only took another 10 minutes more and we already were close enough to reconnoiter.
Marple displayed multiple heat signatures around the center, which arose as a quadratic block in a small clearing and surely stretched on below the surface.
The backwards area was less guarded than the entrance side, probably it were only two guards to be taken care of there.
I set both guns to stun and to Agatha how to use one, after a trial shot she was sure that she would be able to hit a target if she could get close enough.
Although I wasn’t comfortable with the aggressors role, it was a good feeling to be one step ahead of danger. We slowly sneaked forward, as Agatha was able to move faster I took the closer of the two guards. A young man that was intensely looking towards the clearing had made himself comfortable in the tree above me. I took aim and waited, when a snapping from the direction of Agathas target is to be heard I push the trigger without hesitation.
The fellow slumps, but had secured himself so well that he remained in spot.
Silently I hurry to the other guards position and spot Agatha lying partially under the guard collapsed over her, silently she was swearing away.
With gladness I find her to be well and help her up.
She shook the dust from her and explained that the guard had turned right when she fired, she did not have the heart to just let him crash to the ground, so she had tried to catch him.
A rugged bloke laid unconscious on the ground, too bad that he wasn’t on our side. The fur garbs did not differ much from what I already had seen.
“Lets hurry. In fifteen minutes they’ll be awake again.” I explained to Agatha and approached the backside of the central. “Marple, notify me as soon as you are able to open the entrance” I whispered and noticed Agatha following me from the corner of my eye.
I looked around one corner first, here the wall would show us like sitting ducks, so I sneaked to the other corner and to my relief there was a small hedge. I notified Agatha about my intentions with a crawling movement of my hand and off I went crawling towards the front.
After a bit more than half of the distance Marple reports that the entrance could be opened now.
The hedge is ending before the next corner is reached, so I turn slowly to Agatha and whisper to her “As soon as I jump up you have to run close by me!” She nods and so I order Marple to open the door.
First I go into a squatting position, then I sprint off , with Agatha closely following.
Before reaching the corner a hail sounds from one of the trees around the clearing. Without stopping I hurry around the corner and saw the door gliding open and the lights in the dark central coming to life, only a meter separates us from the entrance as I glimpse a spear darting towards us.
It falls short and we vanish through the door to quickly search caver to the left and right side behind comfortingly thick walls and while the door slowly closes a few occasional arrows and one more javelin zip through the narrowing door crack.
Only now Agatha and I find time to examine the room before us, but as we recover our breath a laughing fit takes hold of both of us and for a short time I feel carried back to my school years and like I just finished an especially well done trick.
From the outside a few more arrows and spears pound the door ineffectively, much like a fading rain.
It might get tricky leaving, but first we had a task ahead. While I still was catching my breath
I took a look around. Even before I realize that my eyes had locked on a large console my feet were already carrying me there.
The tension firmly had me in its grip and the next few minutes the world only consisted of the monitor before my eyes. It must have been quite a while, when I feel Agatha handing me a hot cup, which turns out to be coffee and I mumble a silent thank you before being lost in the status readings again.
With Marples help I manage to perform a thorough analysis which would normally take a day in only two hours, after that I am so tired that I had to sleep straightaway. Agatha beset me and wanted to know how bad it was, only then I realized there were tears streaming over my face.
Like in trance I move towards one of the cots and I explained and only then comprehended that those were tears of relief, because there was hope. Sure a lot was damaged, maybe even irretrievably, but there was hope.
With that I fell fast asleep.
Only the dark corridor is visible on my camera.
Why - no - for what am I waiting?
Movement.
Right, at movement I was supposed to open.
There were times, at least my logs tell me so, in which I could open and close more than a hundred times a day and my condition was checked and my motors were well looked after.
At least I have power, so I wait.
Sometime I may open again.
I awoke full of zest for action and brushed the premonitory feeling of hunger aside.
A bit further down the wall was another cot, on which Agatha slept the deep sleep of exhaustion. Marple laid on a side table and I took her.
During the analysis I had taken a number of notes and prioritized them.
The most important topic was a tear, stretching from C 2 I to C 5 II.
I went to the consoles and checked what details I could find about the damage. The rift was relatively young with an age below a hundred years.
The greatest damage was in sector C 3 I, only there he pierced completely through the hull, but was sealed by something. I had rated the priorities by influence on the ships structural integrity, this tear had to be examined thoroughly, as it could lead to catastrophic consequences whould the engines be fired.
Sadly even if it was the most important one it was not the only item on my list by far.
Also there was a very good reason for the engines to be used and I had to talk with someone about it.
Hence I gave in to the urges of my stomach and tried to create some sort of breakfast from the nutrient paste in the small kitchen, what once had been coffee powder was just an odorless lump of brown powder, from where Agatha had conjured up the coffee last night was a mystery.
But the water was good and got hot enough to use some of the tea leafs from our inventory.
So I woke Agatha with hot tea and we sat down for a small breakfast.
I couldn’t barely hold it in, already after the first sip of tea I dropped the bombshell “The mission is a success! We are nearly there!” Agatha looked at me startled and asked “Mission?” I saw it in her eyes how the jigsaw pieces came together before she exclaimed “Mission! A planet! And is it habitable?” I replied “Well strictly speaking its not a planet, but a moon, a bit similar to Europa in our solar system. But yes - it is habitable! Well at least the chances are as good as they can be. There is just one problem.”
I took a bite from the porridge I mixed together. Then as Agatha impatiently looked at me continued to recount my findings. “The time window for starting the breaking sequence is closing quickly. The longer we wait, the more strain the ships structure has to withstand. Yet it is in a desolate condition. We are facing a race against the time and if we don’t win it, then we have to continue the flight to the next star on our route, which means at least another 600 years of flight.”
I drank up my tea and poured me a fresh cup, then I went on.
“Also a huge amount of the ships energy reserves is bound within the ships vegetation, which we have to retrieve to perform the necessary repairs. The engines energy should not be affected, but sadly the maintenance center at A 7, as well as the other two centers are still cut from this maintenance center. I am searching for a way to reactivate some of the maintenance drones, so maybe we can fix it even from here. Probably though I have to visit them personally. Still the most sincere problem… “ lost in thought I grabbed my bowl of porridge and wolfed it down “The most sincere problem are these Iron Warriors, as long as they hold the reins of power and the people aboard are not working together we just don’t stand a chance to patch everything up and fire the engines.”
With a black look Agatha stated “We cannot win this war. Our strength does not even suffice to protect the area around you sleepers.” I nodded and drank my fresh tea. “Very well, we still have a lot to do, so lets think while at it and maybe a solution will come to us.”
After that we went to work together, firstly we straightened up the maintenance center, after I created glasses at a fabber with surprisingly well filled material tanks, she engaged herself with the small maintenance and cleaning drones of the center with soaring enthusiasm. After only half a day small robots flitted unresting through the room, mending smaller and greater damages and removed even the tiniest dust grain.
It had been TRB-19 from which I had retrieved the data about our missions success late last night.
Namely the data had already been sent here, but never reached any of the other centers.
Probably that even was a good thing, as by protocol a whole crew technicians would have been wakened and the outcome of a confrontation on that scale was more than dubious.
So I blocked off the corresponding signal for now, until I had a better picture of our situation and could make sure the exit area wasn’t a death trap anymore.
Then I found another old acquaintance, after managing to get access to the controls of the maintenance robots I was greeted by the signal from RDX 13, which was in standby mode and waited for energy and instructions.
Through power loss it had forgotten its original orders and instead had repaired the connection between itself and the maintenance center with the few energy it received.
And while Agatha was busy with the drones in the central and with learning how to use the glasses which she had dubbed Bee, I managed to recharge RDX 13 and reprogram it,
I ordered it to set the other robots upright and connect them, where necessary fix faulty connections and subsequently repair the broken robots, where possible.
Robots beyond repair were dismantled for spare parts and after the first day a good dozen robots was in working condition.
In the meantime Agatha somehow had found a way to retrieve freshly plucked plants with the small drones from the outside and had cooked a vegetable stew and made a salad as dinner.
We sat together and regarded our day’s work with satisfaction.
As we relished our food a strange idea slowly formed in my mind.
“Listen Agatha, if the Flying Hustler knew about the ships situation… could we win them over as allies?”
It was a crazy idea, but either way we had to find a way out of the center.
So we decided to catch one of the soldiers, to interrogate and maybe even turn him over to our side.
The plan was simple, early in the morning we would sneak out through one of of the maintenance tunnels and stun one of the soldiers. A maintenance robot then should carry our victim.
Before going to sleep I prepared a small presentation, if it would be impressive enough to yield the desired effect would remain to be seen.
This night I slept deeply and dreamlessly. It was a restful sleep. Agatha on the other hand seemingly had not been able to get a wink of sleep. She had been a housewife for all of her life. Admittedly a housewife of a tribe locked within a perpetual conflict, still to get into a fight by herself worried her more than she was willing to admit.
I didn’t want to part from my guns, so I had the fabber produce a stun gun for her. This way she w
ould have a reliable weapon for her own.
As we descended into the maintenance tunnel a sharp stench wafted towards us .
Over time plants and animals had gotten into the tunnel and gave it a unique musty smell.
Progress was more difficult than anticipated, at numerous spots the ground was extremely slippery and at other location we had to cut through thick vegetation.
Luckily there weren’t any predators living in the tunnels.
And that is why it took it a good hour to reach the exit hatch that was only a 200 meters away.
Behind us the maintenance robots had started cleaning the tunnel, after witnessing the tunnels state I instructed the maintenance center with a standing order to clear and clean all maintenance tunnels.
The exit surprisingly easily opened up, it was located within a mall stone formation on a tiny mound and was barely bedecked with soil.
We didn’t even have to look hard for a victim, in fact we were spoilt for choice.
After we had so easily caught the two guards off-guard, the Flying Hustlers became more careful and so we had a group of five warriors lie in hiding before us.
They secured their group to all sides, so I decided to repeat an old trick.
After I explained my plan to Agatha I used Marple to relay the order to have some robots drive out of the centers entrance.
A short while after the group was in tumult and as they were hurrying towards the forests edge Agatha and I felled them one by one from behind.
The last two fighters barely managed to turn around startled before slumping to the ground.
We inspected the fallen and decided on the warrior with the least muscles, hoping that he would compensate the lack of these with more intelligence, or at least would be more easily intimidated.
With slow speed a maintenance robot had followed us, we loaded the stupefied soldier on it and and made our way back to the hatch.
It still was unclear to me why no advanced weaponry was used, but that made things easier for me and my ally.
