“Is that you Flint?”
“Yes, it’s me. Let me get a better look at you,” he said and started to glow brighter until he illuminated the small room. Willa was cradling Braz who appeared to be unconscious.
“I won’t be able to maintain the lighting for long.”
“We’re both here,” she said. “Braz and I have been locked up since our escape from the hideout. It was Taki. He’s behind all the trouble.”
“Yes, we know.” Flint floated closer and inspected them closely. Braz looked as if his injuries had injuries. “Who did this?” demanded Flint.
“Taki’s men,” shuttered Willa, “and someone named Magnus. An evil looking off worlder with purple eyes.”
“I know him,” said Flint. “That’s Rev’s boss, Magnus Blackheart. We believe he’s the real threat and the Charrel are being coerced.”
“They’re still very dangerous,” she said, “if they have control of the creatures.”
Flint raised the human’s face for a closer inspection. He concluded that it looked bad but the bruising was superficial. With a small jolt he roused Braz. He grunted raising his fist. Tuloff grabbed the clenched hand before Braz could swing at the little automaton.
“Finally, it’s nice to meet you Miss Thoust,” said Tuloff placing Braz’s hand in hers. “I’m Regency Tuloff.”
She didn’t know whether to greet him or not. “Didn’t you try to kill me on the island?”
“Not you specifically,” he said defensively. “I did want to destroy the Charrel. But I believe in my haste to control the situation I overreacted a tad.”
“I’d say you did,” she said indignantly. “If it wasn’t for Rev I’d be one of many who never left the island alive.”
“That’s precisely why P.I. Smalley was sent to infiltrate the Deviants.”
“I don’t understand all of this,” she said. “Why is this happening?”
Flint filled her in on all that had happened since their last meeting. Tuloff was nodding along and adding extra bits of information.
Braz was mumbling curses as he rose to his feet. “I’m definitely too old for this shit. If I get out of this I guarantee there’s somewhere comfortable calling my name.”
“We’ll get you to a doctor soon,” said Willa.
“And do what? Make me young again?”
“You’re not old,” she said helping Braz walk around testing whether he could put his full weight on wobbly legs.
“I might not be old by Tsunam standards but as far as humans go, I’m well past my prime.”
Willa shook her head and rubbed his legs getting more circulation going. “I love you just as you are.”
“Thanks doll.”
Tuloff looked surprised. “You love this human?”
“You can bet your life she does,” said Braz. “And I’m damn lucky. This lady’s saved my butt more times than I can count in the last few days.”
“Remarkable,” said Tuloff. “She’s obviously Tsunam and we also know she’s not infected by the Charrel.” Tuloff rubbed his chin. “There’s not been a case of true emotional attachment recorded by my reckoning.”
“Then it’s about time,” said Braz giving Willa a kiss on the cheek. “This is all good but we need to get free and help someone named Reese.”
“Reese?” asked Flint. “Reese Stewart?”
“I never heard her last name,” said Braz. “When they took me to pound on my face one of the goons said they were to take the Earth girl Reese to the—something that sounded like—umm . . . ”
“Yes?” pleaded Flint.
“Don’t rush me. My hearing isn’t very good, especially when ma’ears’er being boxed around.” Tuloff looked annoyed and Flint became impatient. “Now I remember,” said Braz. “Frantic battler.”
“Frantic battler?” said Tuloff and Flint together puzzled.
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” said Braz. “Remember I had my hands up cupping my ears to keep from being hit again.”
“Then put your hands over your ears,” said Tuloff, “and we’ll say words that make sense to us and you tell us if it sounds the same as you remember.”
Braz shrugged as Tuloff and Flint started blurting out places that they thought might be correct. Eventually they slowed down, running out of choices when Braz dropped his hands.
“That’s the one,” he exclaimed.
Flint looked startled. “It is?”
“Yep. No doubt about it.”
Tuloff shook his head. “It can’t be. That facility hasn’t been used in thousands of years.”
“Why would they take her to the Genetic Cataloger?” asked Flint.
“There’s only one reason and you know exactly why,” said Tuloff.
Chapter 36
“CLIMB!” REV’S YELL jarred Cassie from staring at the metamorphosis. He led her to a support column and lifted her to the first rung. Cassie hesitated and Rev lost his patience. He pushed Cassie’s cushy butt over one of the stanchion pipes as they gained height. They climbed further up along the serpentine tubes and supports as they listened to the bodies being transformed into beasts.
“We can’t possibly elude millions of those things,” she screamed.
“We can’t if you don’t get your ass in gear.”
She heard the bellow of one of the creatures which made her shudder. Then Rev jumped past her and grabbed an overhanging rung on one of the larger distribution pipes. With a tug she felt her body being launched into the air and swinging out over oblivion. For a moment she saw the creatures all looking up at her with bloodlust in their eyes. She screamed.
The creatures reacted and they all roared back in unison.
Rev swung her higher and she grabbed the top rung. She clung there as Rev leaped from his lower perch to stand on top of the distribution pipe. He bent down and grabbed Cassie with one hand and hoisted her beside him as easily as a child swings a doll.
“Don’t encourage the pets,” he said. “Screaming is only going to give us away and incite them to violence.”
“How can you be so calm when we’re about to be eaten?”
“Don’t really know for sure. Probably ’cause I know I’m not very tasty.”
She glared at him. Rev lifted his arm and pinched the muscle. “Stringy meat.” And he smiled.
“No doubt, but I don’t think they really care,” she said pointing down at the horde of creatures clawing the lower piping. “Any ideas how we’re going to escape this time?”
Rev looked around and watched the automatons, noticing a pattern in their travel. “You trust me?”
“Shit!” she saw what he was thinking. “I can’t do it if I know what you’re thinking.”
“Sure you can.”
“No, I ca—”
With that, Rev grabbed her around the waist and jumped. They fell for only a meter when they landed on an automaton flying past. The little machine whined from the impact and its hovering engines strained to their maximum but they continued to fly true to its predefined course.
“See,” said Rev clinging to the little machine. “Piece of cake. We’ll fly past them.”
Cassie scrambled to find a handhold of her own. The machine sensed her desperation and created a handle for her to secure herself to. They watched lines of creatures being born as they flew past.
“You could’ve waited for me to prepare for the jump!”
“Sorry.”
“How’d you know you could grab the surface?”
“I didn’t exactly,” he said. “I have had Flint around you know. I’ve studied him when he was resting a few times and noticed he would react to my touch so I just figured—”
As much as Rev wanted the little machine to carry them it started to flounder and lose altitude. Its hover motor strained and with each second the distance between them and the creatures was lessening. Rev knew he had to lighten the load. Cassie watched him searching for a new solution.
“Don’t you dare leave me,” sh
e screamed.
“I have to or we’ll both die.”
Rev saw what he was looking for and released his hold. He fell on a straight trajectory to a small service platform. He landed hard and his torso jarred against the railing, knocking the wind from him. He didn’t wait to see how Cassie was doing as he leapt to a higher platform disregarding the pain. The creatures saw him, scrambled to the lower rungs and began to scale the scaffolding. In their haste, many clawed their fellow beasts in a frenzy to reach Rev. Howling and snorts led to an all out fight. Soon a melee of arms and clawed limbs were being torn from their sockets in the fracas.
Rev continued his climb at a remarkable speed. Once he was high enough, he took a deep breath and leapt to another passing automaton in one quick movement. The few beasts to separate themselves from the fight gained height reaching the same level that Rev had just leapt from. With a mighty bellow many of the creatures jumped after Rev and snagged onto an automaton of their own. But more fell to their deaths far below to be torn to pieces by their brothers and sisters. The few who did manage to cling to the little drones found that their weight was too great and soon they were rammed into the infrastructure or grounded.
Cassie watched Rev survive in amazement. Her arms ached but she found the strength to cling tighter as she envisioned the drop below. Rev actually looked as if he was gaining on her and soon he wasn’t more than a hundred meters behind her as the facility started to change. For one, there weren’t any beasties in this new place. The automatons came to a collection site far from the assembly area and she noticed that it was dark and quiet. Rev flew up and hovered next to her.
“What took you so long?”
Rev’s ribs still ached. He sucked in air and gasped. “Sorry, the first few taxis where taken.”
“You’re forgiven but we can’t hang around here forever.”
The automatons heard her and as if on cue they formed a line. They puttered off down a darkened corridor and out to the place where Rev and Flint started their investigation of the forbidden level. The machines slowed, the humans released their holds, dropping only a few centimeters to a platform.
Rev brushed the dirt off of Cassie’s pants and inspected her. She pushed him away. “I’m fine. No need to treat me like a baby.”
“Some thanks for saving your skin again.”
She softened and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”
A sound much like a herd of stampeding elephants came from the dark corridor. The floor rumbled and vibrated. Rev could just imagine the creatures on all fours racing to end their tender moment.
Cassie tugged Rev up the stairs. “Let’s go lover.”
* * *
REGENCY TULOFF WHISPERED to Flint, “You realize the only reason you’re still functioning and with us is that the Charrel believe you incapable of harming them?”
“You mean my programming?”
“What else?” said Tuloff. “They don’t know you’re damaged.”
“My emotions . . . ?”
Tuloff rolled his eyes. “Yes.”
“I guess I am damaged,” realized Flint. “I’m confused how this helps us though?”
“You can act on your emotions and get us out of our predicament.” Tuloff pulled the little automaton closer. “You’re going to have a nervous breakdown.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you are,” said Tuloff emphatically. “A real doozy with ranting and maybe even some weapon malfunctions.”
“Won’t that be dangerous?”
“You’ll be careful not to hit us, of course, but the guards are going to have an accident.”
“Oh—” Flint winked one of his eyes.
“You wanted to work with Smalley, now be more like him. Create a diversion and get us out of here so we can rescue that Earth woman.”
Flint didn’t think he was capable of pulling off a stunt so out of character but he reviewed all the records that were downloaded on Rev and found a helpful entry. Rev was once captured by hostile terrorists and with his usual flair, created a diversion by pretending to be unhinged. During the psychotic fit he happened to kill his guards and go on to incapacitate over fifty of the bad guys. Flint wasn’t Rev but he could learn from him and even look like him a little as he shaped himself to have a likeness of a crew-cut muscle bound soldier.
Tuloff smiled and quickly told Braz and Willa what was going to happen.
Flint started to flutter his lips and rant. Then he flew into the walls screaming. No guards appeared. He then intensified his fit and started firing bursts at Tuloff, Braz and Willa, but he was very careful with his aim, although it looked very convincing.
Tuloff and the others screamed out that the little automaton was insane and started pounding on the walls. Flint zipped around in a frenzy shooting wildly at nothing when the first guard appeared at the hatchway. He held his weapon up trying to track the psycho machine. Willa clung to the guard screaming.
Willa hunched down. Flint shot the guard right between the eyes and he fell dead. No time was lost as they raced out of the holding cell to find themselves amongst more guards. They seemed confused as bodies barreled into each other. Willa, Braz and Tuloff landed in a heap with three guards under them. Flint came flying up with his arms out and his fingers extended like claws. He babbled incoherently as he gripped two guards by the neck and whipped so fast between them that his force twisted the two men’s heads around and snapped their necks. The bodies dropped lifeless.
The other three rolled off the guards and Flint shot in rapid succession. Flint’s movements were so quick that he appeared nearly to disappear. The remaining guards watched in horror as the little automaton stopped and made a face at them. He shot the closest man once in the foot and then when he bent over, shot him in the top of his head. The blast seared through his helmet and into the chest of the man standing just behind him, causing both to drop.
The remaining guards formed up and grabbed at Flint. One guard snagged a handhold on Flint’s left arm and found himself being dragged by the hysterical automaton down the hall. The other guards tried to assist their fellow cohorts in tackling the machine. Arms and legs flailed as they all tumbled into a heap.
Moments later bodies were jerked up and thrown against the bulkhead as Flint spun around in circles tossing guards around with all his strength. A guard would slam hard against the wall and receive a laser blast from Flint’s small weapon and in a flash the next guard would be flying toward a new spot on the wall. Flint finally zipped up and shot overhead screeching some absurd swearing about a guard’s questionable family heritage.
Only two guards remained and they concentrated on Flint instead of the other three, shooting at the crazed machine that bobbed back and forth blurting further curses. Tuloff and Braz grabbed two pistols from dead guards and carefully aimed at the remaining troopers and fired. Both dropped without even seeing the shots.
Flint still ranted to and fro until Tuloff snagged him from the air. “You can stop being crazy.”
Flint shook himself. The angry buzzed-cut face disappeared. The crazy look faded back to his usual sublime self. “Yes sir.”
“Now search ahead and see if there’s more danger,” said Tuloff pointing down the hallway. Flint nodded and flew off.
“How far is this Genetic Cataloger?” asked Braz catching his breath.
“Too far without a transmat,” said Tuloff. “Hopefully Flint can find one clear ahead.”
“And if not?” asked Willa.
Tuloff shrugged. “The Earth woman’s chances of survival become more unlikely with each second that passes.”
Flashes of laser blasts lit up the hallway, they heard the thuds of bodies dropping to the deck. Moments later Flint flew back into view. He extended an arm and waved them to hurry. Tuloff tossed his weapon to Willa and then picked up another as they chased the little automaton.
“I can’t shoot this thing,” protested Willa beside Tuloff.
“I didn’t think I could either,” he
said. “You’ll find it easier the longer you’re in contact with humans.”
“You sure?”
“Apparently violence is like a virus,” he said. “Sooner or later you’ll become infected if you’re surrounded by it.”
“Is it really necessary to kill?” she panted beside the two men running as fast as she could.
“Unfortunately the answer’s yes.”
* * *
REESE WOKE to the uncomfortable reality that she had been raped, abused, and now was strapped to a most curious device. She was naked, spread eagled to a rigid harness floating above the floor. A mesh of wires streamed up her limbs and pierced her body like acupuncture. Her skin tingled like millions of ants crawling up her legs. Soon the crawling sensation turned into pain and she let out a whimper. Immediately a metallic arm flung down from overhead and forcibly opened her mouth. It plunged a finger in and inflated a bladder, gagging her. All she could do was submit to the torture as more arms sprang down and stroked the contours of her body.
A man appeared at an observation window and sneered at her with an evil smile, enjoying her discomfort. She recognized him as the doctor who had strapped her down earlier when Magnus handed her over to the Charrel. She concentrated her mind on staring at the grinning beast of a man and wished she could wipe the idiotic smile from his face. As if her wish came true, a flash of light erupted. Something hit the man in the back of the head disintegrating his features in a spray of steaming blood that covered a large section of the observation window.
Seconds later the hatch opened and Flint zipped in with a smoking weapon extended. She began struggling against her restraints. Flint tried to close the gap between them but the machine sensed his presence and turned its efforts against the intruder. The ends of each articulating arm of the dissection machine now projected the barrels of laser scalpels slicing the air with evil intent.
Flint changed his shape to avoid being hit, effortlessly edging closer to the deadly emitters. He counter-attacked with a short burst from his weapon until not one of the metallic arms survived. Their stumps showered sparks popping and sizzling downward. Regency Tuloff stumbled into the chamber and assessed the threat as neutralized.
The Beast of Tsunam (Rev Smalley: Galactic P.I. Book 1) Page 30
