‘Ultra high pitch Bar.’ Vee says and then apparently goes quiet. She is though, talking to Bar but they are unable to pick up what she is saying, until later when the recording is analysed.
‘We cannot stay here. We have to find a way to escape them, but we must take the craft with us. Without that we have no chance of catching up with this Ricardo. It appears that already he must have recruited others to assist him initially. Once the unrest catches on, then he will be able to leave them to it. He will then be free to move on to the next place; the place where he will have the most influence; the place where he will be able to upset the Balance most on this planet. Do you have any idea where that may be?’
‘There are several really strong places on this planet. It is the most diverse of all the planets I have knowledge of in the Universe. There are so many conflicting peoples. I can see why the Grand Master has chosen this planet to use this kind of approach. It is probably the most effective way to unbalance things here. The people who will be most affected by this unbalancing and where it will have the most effect on the country, but also on the whole planet, is the United States of America. The democracy there is something that if it is destabilised will influence so many places elsewhere on the planet.’
‘We have to do something and do it as soon as possible. Have you got any ideas?’
‘Not right away, but I am working on it along with the systems on board here.’
CHAPTER 94 MARIO & TZ
Buzz and TZ are well out the area on the 1A before the planes swoop over the airfield taking out two of the trucks in the first assault. They abandon their truck in Jacob’s Park, near the edge of the reservation. They pick up their new vehicle, which is waiting for them in a parking lot. Once that is done, they slow their pace while they drive in an Easterly direction. They drive as far out as Lexington before picking up the 95 going south. They have been tempted to cause more mayhem going through the areas, but that would have meant losing the anonymity of their current transport.
The downside of abandoning the armoured truck, is that they are less able to carry their weaponry easily reachable, but out of sight. The upside is it gives them the opportunity to escape the area with their skins. Buzz is really pumped up and the adrenalin is still flowing wildly through his veins. TZ has had a smaller role to play than she would have liked, but she had been allowed to drive while Buzz shot at will.
There is plenty of activity and the skies are full of planes and helicopters. The further south they go, the more things quieten down. They stop for gas and a meal maybe 40 miles short of reaching New York. Buzz is busy on his cell phone, sitting in the truck scrunching through his burger and fries while he is doing so. His excitement is easily seen. TZ is busy in the back of the truck sorting the weapons into their own places ready for use.
By the time they’ve eaten and drunk their coffees, two trucks have drawn up beside them. The plan had been to go to JFK and try to carry out the same type of operation. The information coming through is that that is not going to be possible. The airport has been shut down and no traffic is being allowed to get anywhere near. On top of that the skies are full of fighter planes and helicopters are patrolling over the city.
Buzz and TZ discuss what they should change their target to. They land on the financial district in Wall Street as being the first choice, as it is not far over the Brooklyn Bridge. Two more trucks join them and Buzz gets out to talk to them all. TZ decides she will stay where she is in the cab. She is the only woman there, not that it bothers her. Buzz comes back after a few minutes and tells TZ what is agreed. The guys say they have another four or five trucks ready in Manhattan. The plan being discussed is to split up and cause as much destruction as they can.
Buzz climbs into the back of the truck and gets his rocket launchers and bazookas ready. He then straps himself in a standing position onto the back of the cab, while TZ takes over the wheel. The trucks disperse, so TZ makes for the Bridge. Buzz keeps the weapons hidden under cover. To all intents and purposes he is someone just having a ride standing in the back of a truck. It is only as they turn into Wall Street that anyone can see that he is anything but a joy-rider. It may look as if he is firing indiscriminately, but he is making sure he does the most damage with the least effort. Already the helicopters are coming to the area, before they have managed to finish their work.
Buzz bangs on the roof of the cab. He is shouting as he does so, for TZ to swing away and try to move up the island. TZ spins the wheel and makes over a few blocks and turns right. More by luck than judgement, they find themselves on Fifth. Buzz is taking shots at the helicopters, which makes them back off some. They back off even more when he launches a missile which takes one of them out. Everywhere they drive, people dive to get out of their way. Buzz uses automatic weapons to strafe the higher floors of the buildings. A cacophony of sirens is sweeping over the city. TZ swings off fifth and does a few lefts and rights. Buzz is busy in the back undoing his restraints, before sliding down onto the floor and under the covers.
TZ sees what she is looking for and pulls into a garage workshop, slamming on the brakes only when she is inside the doors. The mechanics are quick to grab some steel bars, as they think this is a raid, but TZ flings her door open and jumps out unarmed.
‘Lower the shutters guys. I will make it worth your while’ she says giving them her best sexy and flirty smile. The three lads look at each other before one of them goes to the shutters, has a look out and seeing nothing else out there, lowers the shutters. Buzz remains hidden all the while, listening and trying to judge his moment in a plan he is not privy to.
‘Well missy miss, I know which way a pretty young thing like you can make a lot of things worth my while. Then we can start talking about what it is that you want out of this. . . . . err trade shall we call it.’
His buddies laugh as they approach her. TZ remains exactly where she has landed after getting out of the cab. When they are about four feet from her, she spins round and goes to stand beside the back of the truck.
‘Before you get to touch, I need you to look in the back of my truck. That way you’ll know how much of me you can have.’ Again she smiles her sexy and flirty smile. The three guys are more enthused, until Buzz pops up from the back of the truck with a silenced Glock. Three shots are sufficient to stop them getting their reward.
CHAPTER 95 SPIRIT
There is nothing that Spirit can see either below him or in the distance. But in saying that, there is no easy or obvious way that they could have gone once leaving the land cargo bay. Close to where Luvus attached to it, it is easy to see the track has been formed and used. But soon after it leaves Luvus, there is little sign of anything other than the surface of Boristal 7.
Spirit descends down to the point nearest Luvus where he can see the track has been used. He starts to follow it, but keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of ambush. It would be easy for them to do so when he is in this sort of position.
After maybe 100 yards the dusty track is no more. The surface is the hard rock of Boristal 7. Only when he gets down to the ground itself, can he detect signs of the passage of their vehicle. He lifts off again, but has to come to ground a short distance later to make sure he is on the right trail. It doesn’t get any easier as the tracks are harder to pick out each time. He uses all the sensors he has available, but is unable to pick up any sign of movement or heat. He also thinks that he should catch some sounds of their engines, but there is nothing.
Mile after mile he drops to the ground, carefully gets out and searches the ground for clues. There are a few signs, but he is also now wondering if they are from the same vehicle and made today. At this time he has no idea if this is the case. Every now and then he flies high into the sky, to see if he can get a better view of the distance. In reality he is guessing that they must be getting further and further away from him. His progress is really slow. He still decides that this is the only way to go. They have used this method to escape Luvus and that can b
e for only one reason. They have somewhere else they can go. It is either going to be another base, or less likely another launch pad to use to get them off the planet. Spirit’s money is on some other base.
The daylight is starting to fade and he doesn’t want to use lights. Should they have a view in his direction, they will be able to pick him out. That will tell them that he has survived the destruction of Luvus and also that he knows which direction they have gone in. He makes a note of his final position and then moves his craft away from that area, finding a safe place to wait it out, until such time as the light returns. He can see no signs in the darkness of another base. Even the glow of Luvus has disappeared as the fires burn themselves out.
As he waits he sits alert in the pilot seat, looking out at the stars in the sky. Somewhere out there is The Grand Master, as he likes to call himself now. Somewhere out there he is doing whatever he wants to do, to upset the Balance of the Universe. Here is Spirit who is unable to do anything at this stage to track him. His only chance is to follow the androids who escaped from Luvus and see where they have gone. Hopefully he will get the opportunity to gain access to their base and access to their systems. Only then will he have a chance to do what he is supposed to be doing and trying to get to The Keeper. Then he might be able to change things and set him free to restore The Balance.
He is sprung from his thoughts by an alert sounding. The defence system has picked up some movement. As far as he is aware Boristal 7 is uninhabitable. At least the parts he has seen certainly are. What can this be? He decides that he is probably best not waiting where he is to find out. Quickly and silently, because the engines allow that to happen, he lifts off. He checks that nothing is attached to the craft, even though the defence system tells him that is not possible. When he is about three hundred feet above the surface, he switches on the beam lights and sweeps the ground in the direction the movement had been detected from.
Initially he sees absolutely nothing, as there is nothing moving. Then he spots a slight movement, aided by the defence system. There is an android, but not in the shape of the ones he has come across earlier. It turns and looks at him. Then it fires a ray towards him. The defence mechanism kicks in and sides the craft out of the way. It automatically switches the beam of light off as it moves. Spirit resists the temptation to fire back. The defence mechanism has calculated that the power of weapon the android used is only capable of being effective at a few hundred yards.
Spirit does two things. Firstly he locks onto the android and without it even knowing fires a tracking pellet onto it. He then goes higher and further back so that he is effectively out of sight of the android and definitely well out of range, but not of the tracking device. He watches and tracks as the android goes to the place where Spirit was resting, before turning round again and starting to go back in the direction it has come from.
Spirit does not pick up any other movement, so reckons just the one android has been sent on this mission. Either that, or it is a guard and it spotted him coming in to land then came to investigate. Spirit is hoping it is going to be the former. This could make it easier to find out where they have gone.
CHAPTER 96 THE GRAND MASTER & THE KEEPER
I, The Keeper stand and watch the base where The Guiding Masters have lived. The explosion is short and sharp. I think I can see the powerful shockwaves moving out from there in the seconds after the explosion. I fully expect the craft to feel them and be buffeted by their force. In real terms we are not that far away and fairly certainly in normal circumstances, not out of danger.
It all appears to be in slow motion. I watch as the shockwaves draw ever nearer. I notice that they are not going in all directions, but only in ours. I quickly glance at the others, but it doesn’t look as if they are seeing what I am seeing. They are too calm and sad; looking at what has been their home. In reality I know that I should be getting worried about the effect the shockwaves will have on us but instead, inside I am feeling a great calmness. It is a calmness I have never experienced before.
I brace myself trying not to let the others notice, just before the shockwaves reach the craft. I watch as the waves seem to draw closer together. The width narrows to such a degree that it looks as if they are aiming directly at the craft and nowhere else.
I feel their force, but not in any way I was expecting. There is no buffeting of the craft in any way whatsoever. What there is, though, is an energy that comes into my body. It is powerful enough to make me jolt a fraction, but the others do not notice. I feel it coursing through my veins and into each and every cell in my body and mind. There is no specific information that I can detect, but I know that great knowledge is being given to me. My feet are tingling as are my hands. The android I am tied to turns to look at me. He has obviously felt something, but is unsure what it is. My body gives a small tremble as the last of the shockwaves hit me, enter me and go no further. I feel a weight within me, but in reality it is very light. My mind is still struggling with the invasion. I know I need to rest to give whatever it is that has come to me, the chance to assimilate in my system. I feel my arm being pulled. The android is pulling me up. My body feels heavy and my mind is in a bit of fuzz. I look around but cannot see GM6 & GM7. I don’t remember them leaving, but they have. I am led into the special travel pod The Grand Master has made for me. I am pleased to be going in there, as it will give me peace to think and recover before I shut down.
The Grand Master watches The Keeper being led away. He seems to be very down, but then they all appeared to be affected by the destruction of the Guiding Master’s base.
He watches as the miles speed by on their way to planet Earth. He is picking up the signals of the ones he has in place there and it intrigues him as to the formations. Ricardo, as expected, is still working alone. There is no surprise in that. He is not the sort of character who can work with anyone else for too long. Mario and TZ are not together and that is a little bit of a surprise. What is a little bit more of a surprise is that Mario is showing up with another, who just manages to register with The Grand Master. This is a surprise as it shouldn’t have been able to happen. There must be a strong chemistry between Mario and whoever it is. That could be very dangerous and unpredictable, as far as what he is trying to achieve on Earth. TZ is with someone; he is sure about that. Otherwise she would not have been able to leave Mario. It must be someone strong minded, but also someone she must feel inside she can at some time assert her dominance over.
The journey seems to flash by in an instant. It is soon time to bring the others out of the travel pods. He decides that he is only going to bring The Keeper out at first, until such time as he finds where he is going to set up base.
They drop down into orbit as The Keeper joins him, still attached to his android. He sets the equipment to find out exactly what is happening on the surface below. To one extent he is quite pleased with what he can see and ascertain from his equipment. Chaos is indeed being caused there on pretty much every part of the planet he flies over. On the other hand it shows him how backward the population still is, that so easily their fragile balance has been upset.
He does several orbits of the planet without saying anything. The Keeper can also see what is happening down there.
‘It was a strange choice of planets to take you to’ he speaks for the first time to The Keeper ‘they appear to be quite barbaric. It hasn’t taken much to upset their balance has it?’
I do not reply. I am feeling a great sadness. I cannot help but let my thoughts go to the place where I have spent my life so far. What I am seeing before my eyes, is not what the people were like where I lived. I can only hope that everyone is alright on the farm. We have not passed over that particular part of the planet, which surprises me a little. I expected us to, just so The Grand Master could make a point out to me.
CHAPTER 97 THE BADDIES
When Valpar is read these notes, he decides that he is definitely not going to go down and land on the surface of Torlech 74.
He tries flying over the mountainous areas, but there is no sign of life, human, bird or animal, there either. He is hoping that the virus will not have been able to attach itself to his ship, particularly as he hasn’t actually made contact with the ground, although he has been close to the ground.
The three teams down there, he organises and plans that they will have to stay on the planet, until such time as he comes back. Hopefully by that time they will have managed to achieve a few things. He wants them to try to isolate the virus, if there is any way for them to be able to find out exactly which virus it was. To do that they need to find something that is carrying the virus. That may or may not be possible. He arranges for the three teams to converge and work together. While the research is being done, the others can gather the resources available on the planet into one place, ready for him to remove all at one time.
He then plans his next journey to the next targets for him to conquer. That, in order, takes him to Vintoo, Oslop, Panid and Loxit. With varying levels of resistance, he gets what he wants on each of those planets and leaves androids and robots to ensure that his rule will be obeyed.
Posdon uses the travel pod to make his way to Zenfa 2. When he arrives there it looks as if the planet is barren, but that is due to the excessive outside temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit pretty much everywhere on the surface. Yet this planet has been marked. On the surface he can see some structures out in the open. Every one of them appears to be in use for harnessing the intense heat as a usable energy source. He has the distinct feeling that his every move is under scrutiny and that he is being watched, but he has no idea where they might be doing that from. There appear to be no obvious openings to where the population lives under the surface. He thinks that they must be quite intelligent and resourceful. There must be some compelling reasons why a planet with relatively little surface area covered by water, is attractive enough for people to want to live here. But then maybe they have always been here and have never had the technology to move anywhere else.
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