Rebel Command: Frontier Zero

by Jack Adams

  “And why would you assume that? Because of my mannerisms or Nadir?”

  “At first I would have thought that is would've been the former. But as I've been getting to know you it's obvious that you do care, in your own way.”

  “You would be correct, I do.” Finder said casually. “But that's not to say that I don't have regrets...”

  “So you do second-guess what happened during the Nadir incident?”

  “Second-guess, no. Even with the loss of human life which occurred, my actions saved more sentient beings. That is not to say that I still don't feel immensely saddened by the results of my actions.”

  “That would be something difficult to live with. I suppose after a certain age, we all end up being motivated by some past trauma or another,” Jubilant said distantly.

  “What is yours?” Finder immediately asked. Ever since she first hired him, Finder had been attempting to determine what Jubilant's real motive was. Of course, she was clearly interested in recovering the Scepters but there always seemed to be something else. However, despite his sincerest efforts, he had never been able to uncover what else had kept her going. “I suppose being direct would be the best means to figure this out. What is it, Carly? What has kept you going through daring and trying circumstances to complete this quest with me?” Jubilant immediate switched her gaze, from staring at Finder to her feet with a downcast expression.

  “That is awfully personal. More personal than I think you may realize. But for full disclosure I think I should tell you. It all stated when I was a little girl, living with my father-”

  Abruptly at the end of the hall a door swiftly opened and from it a particularly tall Faux walked. Jubilant ceased speaking and pressed her body against her cell wall and held her breath as if her body's compression would somehow redacted the words she had just uttered. Finder's body, buy contrast, remained relaxed and his face bore an unperturbed facial expression. Figuring that they were constantly under surveillance anyway, Finder found the response to be somewhat whimsical. At the same time he had realized that this was the first time that Jubilant had ever really opened up to him, and he wanted to know more. What was it that is driving this woman to risk life and limb? It cannot just be to give humanity a renewed edge in this hostile world.

  Finder counted the steps as the single Faux continued to march forward through the hall. Judging by the length he reckoned the hall to be and the pace of the steps this being seemed to be just about as relaxed as he was. Finder suppressed the welling anxiety building in his gut as he began to entertain what might await him and Jubilant. They hadn't yet been interrogated so a combination of questioning and torture seemed likely. However, for all of the things the Faux were known for, open brutality wasn't one of them.

  Finder looked over at Jubilant to assess her state of mind. To her credit she was doing quite well and appeared to be relatively calm and collected at least for someone who wasn't used to being in such high-stakes circumstances. There was still anxiety written on her face and nervous ticks being exhibited by her body. Finder attempted to catch her gaze with his and uncharacteristically smiled. It was a smile which was soft and small but managed to communicate a reason, however small, for reassurance. More so, it was an expression which said “no matter what, I'll protect you.” It was an old grin which Finder used to use when he was a Vigilant.

  The steps ceased and a whimsical voice said, “hello, my name is Txaenid, and I have an offer for you.”

  “And what might that be?” Finder asked casually. While his face was neutral is eyes shot a look of authority towards Jubilant. It wasn't an domineering look, but a visage which unconsciously asked her to let him speak. For a moment Finder was worried that she wouldn't pick up the communique but Jubilant was a quick learner. She simply nodded.

  “An offer of salvation,” the Faux said plainly.

  “Salvation. You put us here,” Finder quipped.

  “No, sir. I personally did not.”

  “No need to be coy or tedious, Txaenid,” Finder said brashly. “Your kind, your people locked us here without charge or trial.”

  “We are not all the same,” Txaenid replied defensively. “There are some of use who believe the way that the rest of the Faux have treated humanity is wrong. Some of us would like to help you. I would like to help you.”

  “And how do you plan on doing that giving us our freedom and allowing us to settle one of the Nestle worlds to settle?” Finder responded with a hint of sarcasm.

  “The next best thing,” Txaenid answered honestly to which Finder's eye moved dead center to the Faux. His head slowly followed o look for any ticks or tells of dishonesty. Finder also noticed Jubilant do the same.

  “I have your attention,” Txaenid said as he spun towards Jubilant. Both of your attention?”

  “What are you offering,” Finder asked with an even tone.

  “When we impounded our ship and arrested you we quickly discovered that you had located one of the seven scepters on Nubilous. Given that, I;m sure you've discovered the deteriorating condition that that wold is in.”

  “Yes, we did note that the inner most Nestle world isn't as comfortable as it has been described as being. At least what I thought anyway. In fact, it was rather surprising.”

  “Would it surprise you to find out that all of the Nestle worlds are like that?” Txaenid asked and Finder's eyebrow cocked. Jubilant remained still, almost as if she had expected to hear such a report. “Nubilous, Vertex, Ait, they are all dying and we don't know why.”

  “So the mighty Faux have found something even they don't understand. Are you offering us release from captivity to discover a means to solve your problem for you?” Finder asked.

  “I'm offering you an escape from the cell to discover the truth of the Apocryph. We all know the stories about the secrets of the Vincinal and Outbound. The key and throne worlds from which the ancient Apocryph were to rule. We also know that the seven scepter are the key to unlocking those coveted worlds but only you two humans seem to have the means of locating the rest of the scepters. For two centuries we've tried to uncover Apocryph artifacts and in that time we've only found a few more than you have.”

  “You mean you can't wield the Echoshard?” Jubilant suddenly said.

  “As much as it pains me to admit, no,” Txaenid replied as he withdrew the Echoshard from behind him. “Even with our superior technology we have been unable to determine a method of coaxing that device to work. Consequently, our search for the scepters has been considerably slower than yours. The Faux High Command believe that they can locate the remaining fragments on their own but they're going to slowly. The only tool to find them fast enough to save our world, to save all worlds lies with you.” And as Txaenid finished he brought the Echoshard closer to Jubilant. As the device neared her it began to faintly glow.

  “What do you want us to do?” Jubilant asked as she stared intently at the shard almost as if mesmerized.

  “Some of us Faux can see beyond the arrogance of High Command. In addition to being unable to wield the Echoshard, we've concluded that even if we had all of the scepters he would be unable to use them to unlock Vinicinal and gain access to Outbound. What we want is for you to locate the remaining scepter, unlock Vincinal and save all of us.”

  “The last scepter, you mean that-”

  “We did have two centuries to lock and we've located four of the scepters, but the final fragment eludes us.” Txaenid produced an external holodata drive. “For obvious reasons I cannot be openly party to your escape but on this data drive is the location of the four fragments and your ship. I implore you, help yourself, and help all of us. The survival of the Refuge depends on you.” And as Txaenid finished he placed the data drive and Echoshard carefully on the floor and exited the room. Before the door shut he whispered, “you have twenty seconds till we bring you fire.”

  “What did you mean by that, at the end there?” Jubilant asked to which Finder's body went from rigid to mildly tense. He
began to stretch the muscles in his neck, arms, core and legs as he began to count down in his head.

  “He meant get ready for an eruption,” Finder casually said and as he finished his and Jubilant's jail cell were rocked by the echo of explosions all around them.

  Ch. 7 – Flee, Fly, or Flow

  Twelve seconds after Txaenid's final words Finder's body rode through the series of reverberations which rocked his cell. With closed eyes he calmly breathed in an attempt to ignore the near deafening echoes of explosions coming from the structures around him. Then everything froze. Finder opened his eyes to look at Jubilant who remained huddled in a ball with hands grasping her ears.

  Fifteen seconds. The cell block hallway glittered with brilliant colors and what Finder guessed was a klaxon buzzed about. Finder's eyes switched from monitoring the force field of his cell and Jubilant's disposition. She seemed to be holding up well but even so Finder attempted to console her with a hand wave.

  Eighteen seconds. Finder leapt to his feet and positioned his arms in a running stance. Upon seeing his posture Jubilant began to shuffle to her feet as well. Her face was neither confused nor confident, only ready. Finder found himself admiring his companion even more. She was, after all, far more adaptable than he would have thought a xenoarchaeologist ever could be.

  Twenty seconds. Finder charged forward and in one fluid motion grabbed the holodata drive in his left hand and Jubilant's arm with his right. While still moving at nearly a sprint Finder shoved the Echoshard into Jubilant's hand while his left accessed the drive. Before they ran through the cell block door Finder had seen enough of the facilities layout to determine his apparent position and the approximate location of the other scepters and the Ace of Spades. But before they could even attempt to retrieve their cargo break free inside the Ace there was one more pressing need. Finder needed a weapon.

  As soon as Jubilant and Finder were free from their cell block they found themselves a few yards behind a passing Faux guard. Fortunately, his back was turned to the two of them. Unfortunately, he was covered in armor, quick-footed, and wielding a massive rifle in hand and possessed a hip-mounted pistol. In a split decision of daring and danger Finder loudly yelled at the sentinel and shoved Jubilant towards the right side wall and simultaneously, he ran up against the left. As he predicted the shocked guard pivoted with a jump of surprise and within the space of half a second he aim alternated between Finder and Jubilant. One, tow, three shots he fired and all three of them narrowly missed Finders lithe body. Within the space of another half second he had jumped and squarely planted his feet to the Faux's chest and reared back with all of the intensity he could muster. It was just enough. The guard doubled back attempting to regain his balance but kept a firm grip on his rifle. It didn't matter, Finder was accustomed to pistols anyway. As the Faux attempted to aim back at Finder he nimbly jumped then grabbed the guards pistol and landed in a roll. As the Faux turned to fire, Finder swerved his body and fired his weapon. The Faux guard did as well but a quarter second to late.

  Jubilant stood still as she covered her face at the gory scene. Although it was unclear from his crumbled posture, smoke seemed to being rolling off of the guard's face. Finder looked behind him to check for reinforcements, then regained his footing to retrieve the guard's rifle and wrest Jubilant from her daze.

  “Can you fire one of these?” He asked with verve as he shook Jubilant with increasing force. For a moment she stood there still in a trance only to then recompose herself.

  “I- uh, no. I can try, but-” Jubilant stammered.

  “No, matter,” Finder said as he slung the rifle across his back. “But we need to move now.”

  “Move where?”

  “Where ever the star wind takes us.”

  The pair raced through hallways and corridors carefully checking the data drive for the passageways with the least traffic. For two a full two minutes the pair managed to evade the security forces scurrying about until they found themselves in the detention centers janitorial block. To their front they faced a dead end and behind them Finder could here the steps of Faux guards charging towards them.

  “We're completely exposed, what do we do,” Jubilant asked Finder. While there was definite worry in her voice she still managed to incredibly remain calm. Finder whipped his head around looking for some option to work with. Given the stakes it had seemed like surrender wasn't going to be an option. Of course, given Finder's attitude surrender was never an option. But without an means to either fight or escape all of gallantry wouldn't amount to anything. Nothing nearby would provide protection to fire behind and there were no exit doors close, either. Still confident though, Finder charged forward further down the dark hallway towards the dead end wall in hopes of finding a life giving portal.

  “Stop!” a voice sounded at the hallways entrances as a squad of Faux took positions with rifles drawn. “Stop now or we will fire on you.”

  Blocking out the commands and promises of destruction Finder eyed a door to his right, grabbed Jubilant by the waist and pressed the pair of them against the adjacent wall and fired a series of shots at the sealed door. After a mad volley, the entrance exploded into a puff of smoke and Finder leaped into a falling roll with Jubilant through a hail of rifle fire. Upon landing into a small, dimly lit room full of tubes and cleaning equipment Finder's eyes continued to roll around to seek out an exit while his left hand checked his body for any injuries.

  “Do you see a way out?” Finder asked Jubilant as Finder noted the surprising amount of carbon scoring on his clothes and lack of injuries.

  “There maybe,” Jubilant said as she pointed towards a vent in the rooms far corner. Without thinking Finder fired at the gate twice and in a flurry of plasma and metal shrapnel the vent gave way to an open gap just large enough to fit a person but not a Faux. Following Jubilant Finder launched himself into the dank opening. The two instinctively extended their arms and legs to keep themselves from a complete free fall and for a moment everything was again still. Finder used the pause to listen for their pursuers and as he did he found that the sounds of rifle fire had been replaced by the faint sounds of footsteps. Finder held extended the brightness of the holodata drive to illuminate what lay below. While not entirely sure it looked as if the distance maybe was just shallow enough to prevent either him or Jubilant from suffering serious injury. Maybe.

  “Drop now,” Finder commanded and the two fell perilously through a dark expanse as if two souls condemned to descend into uncertainty. Either an agony of hellish pain or exhausting purgatory of continued pursuit awaited them and the moments spent falling seemed to be an eternity.

  –

  For a moment Finder thought that he had blacked out. Given all of the times that he had experienced that sensation he thought that he would be used to it but even now the sense of only momentarily losing consciousness was still strange to him. Once he had come to Finder grabbed Jubilant and the two silently crawled away from the dim light of the room they had descended from. As far as he could surmise Finder thought that he and Jubilant where in an air shaft, one large enough for he and his companion, but too small for their pursuers to enter into. Finder took a few moments to listen to the guards chatter but found that they were too distant to make out. At most all he could ascertain was that they appeared to spend only a few seconds to come to the conclusion that they would be unable to follow their quarry.

  “Are you okay? Finder whispered to Jubilant.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Jubilant answered. Although he couldn't see it, Finder could hear Jubilant vigorously rubbing her leg to check for injury and soothe pain from falling.

  “Goo. I figure that at least a few of the guards are still stationed at the vents entrance as a precaution. But the rest have likely been redeployed to find us. We have to get out of this air duct system immediately.”

  “And go where?” Jubilant asked. Finder adjusted the brightness of the holodata drive so it was just bright enough to illuminate a few feet ahe
ad of the pair and so that Finder could make out Jubilant's face. He studied the discs 3-d schematics in search of some means to out think what the Faux might do.

  “They are probably going to expect us to do one of two things: go to the hangar to retake the Ace or recover the scepters then double back to the Ace. Either way both locations are going to be heavily guarded.”

  “Well, you are the one for unconventional thinking. How do you plan to over come this obstacle?”

  “Honestly, I am not sure,” Finder said as he grasped his head soaked head with his free hand. “They can't get at us directly in here but it's only a matter of time until they isolate this section of the air exchange system and flood it with anesthetizing gas and send in a party of Ophidian or mechs to recover us. This shelter is only a temporary one at best. Ironic that structure which gives life will be the place where we may meet death.”

  “That's it!” Jubilant exclaimed. “Don't you see. They need oxygen as much as we do. We can use that fact plus our position to overcome these odds.”

  “Ah,” Finder said in agreement. “I think I know what you are thinking.”

  “Good,” Jubilant said. “Now does this drive tell us where this section of Polestar's atmosphere recycling system is located?”

  “Yeah, and it's only a few thousand yards up ahead.” And for the first time Jubilant thought that such an immense distance seemed to be only a hop, skip, and jump away.”

  –

  Every few yards Jubilant and Finder would stop to adjust the air intake valve next to them. There was usually one to either side of them and the pair would split off to seal the metal flap shut with an even plasma burst. Although she claimed to have never used one before Finder found that Jubilant was quiet adept at handling a plasma rifle. In fact, with impressive grace she managed to quickly seal the ducts adjacent air flap in a smooth even burst without producing too much slag or excess heat. For the first few minutes the two worked in silence but Finder eventually broke the auditory still, determined to conclude the conversation that he and Jubilant had earlier started in their jail cells.