For once, Nickelo remained silent.
After Richard got to the stairs, he hesitated at the top. His passive scan indicated another set of two lifeforms loitering near the bottom of the stairs.
This is more than a little dangerous, Richard said. If we get trapped at the top of these stairs, we’ll have nowhere to run.
I don’t like it either, Rick, said Nickelo. But if the hackers are located in the basement like I think, then you’ll have to risk the stairs.
What are the odds they’ll be in the basement? Richard said.
I calculate an eighty-seven percent chance, said Nickelo. Once you hit the bottom of these stairs, don’t hesitate. Make another jump down the basement stairs lickety-split. The first floor hallway is too busy to waste time.
The two lifeforms near the bottom of the stairs started moving away. Richard flexed his legs in preparation for making the jump to the bottom. Suddenly, one of the lifeforms near the bottom of the stairs reversed course and began moving up the stairs. The second lifeform followed the first at a quick pace. Richard could hear their feet pounding on the stairs. The two stationary guards behind Richard must have heard the pounding feet as well. The guards started moving towards the intersection. They would soon be turning the corner. Richard heard the crackle of a radio from their direction.
“Roger,” said a voice which Nickelo interpreted for Richard. “We’ll intercept them at the stairs. This time we’ll lock them in their room.”
Trapped, Richard thought as he dropped to the floor. As he dropped, Richard pivoted his M63 towards the two lifeforms coming up the stairs. He twisted his body slightly in order to position his dimensional pack away from the two guards who would soon be turning the corner of the intersection. Aiming at the point on the stairs where the first lifeform would appear, Richard began pulling slightly on the M63’s trigger in preparation for firing. He figured his only hope was to take out the two lifeforms coming up the stairs as soon as they were in sight. Then he’d have to swing around and take out the two guards approaching from his left.
Richard heard a giggle from the stairs as a small head covered with a mass of dark hair came into view. Richard relaxed his pressure on the trigger. It was a little boy.
“You can’t catch me,” said the little boy as he continued running up the stairs. “I’m Omar the space pirate.”
Richard guessed the boy was about six Earth years in age. The boy didn’t appear to have spotted him yet, but Richard had no doubt he would in a couple of seconds. His camo suit was good, but it was not that good.
“Stop it, Brachia,” said a young girl. “I told you this is serious. Keka is in trouble.”
The young boy stopped running half a dozen steps below Richard. He stared at the spot where Richard lay as if trying to decide whether or not he was really seeing something. A young girl about twelve years in age caught up with the little boy. She grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at her.
“We’re all in trouble,” she told the boy.
The young boy said nothing. He just pointed towards the top of the stairs.
The girl followed the young boy’s raised arm. Richard watched as her brown eyes looked confusedly at the top of the stairs. Her focal point seemed to be somewhere behind Richard. Then the girl’s eyes widened. Her focus seemed to shift to the spot where the muzzle of the M63 was pointing at the little boy and her.
“What are you kids doing down there?” came a yell from one of the guards walking down the hallway towards Richard. “You were told to stay in your room.”
The young girl’s eyes followed the barrel of the M63 until they focused on Richard’s visor. He hadn’t switched his visor, so he knew it would be showing as a faint, red patch through the camo cloth. The girl might not be able to see him clearly, but Richard could tell she saw enough to make an educated guess someone was there.
The girl hesitated only a second before responding to the guard’s query. “Sorry,” she said. “My brother was hungry”
Grabbing the boy’s hand, the girl pulled him up the stairs. Richard noticed she discretely steered the boy around him. Still pulling the boy, the girl ran down the hallway and intercepted the guards near a door about halfway down the hall.
“We won’t leave our room again,” she said. “Honest. We just wanted to see Keka in the kitchen. He’s a great scientist. He should be in his lab. Why are those six soldiers with guns in the kitchen with Keka?”
“It’s none of your business, girl,” said one of the guards harshly. “Now get in your room before I throw you in.”
One of the guards opened the door where they were standing. The other guard reached down and shoved the two children inside none too gently.
“We’re locking you inside this time,” said the guard who’d shoved them inside.
The other guard shut the door and flashed some kind of card near the handle. Richard heard a click.
“Wait,” shouted the girl through the door. “Why are those five people up in the attic with all those computers and that audio and video equipment? Are they making movies? My brother wants to see how they make movies with all that electronic equipment.”
“I said shut up,” said the guard. “If I have to come in there, you’re going to wish I hadn’t. Now keep quiet.”
The two guards continued standing by the door for several seconds as if expecting another outburst from the children. No further sound came from the other side of the door. Finally, the guards turned and walked back down the hallway. When they reached the intersection, Richard saw them turn to the right and disappear from sight.
Richard watched the dots representing the two guards on his heads-up display. They stopped a couple of meters past the intersection. When the guards did not move after ten seconds, Richard stood up.
That was close, Richard said. I know the camo suit cost me two percent Power to summon, but I think it more than just paid for itself.
I agree, said Nickelo.
What do you think? Richard said. My passive scan is picking up seven lifeforms in a room downstairs. I think Keka, or whatever name the girl said, must be our defector. What do you think?
I’d say that’s one smart little girl, said Nickelo. She obviously saw you. I think she guessed your mission. She seemed to be trying to tell you where you needed to go.
What was that stuff about the attic? Richard said. I’m sure she said it for our benefit. Do you think she’s intelligent enough to figure out we’re looking for a hacking station? And, what’s the kids’ relationship to the scientist? He’s an insect. Why would those kids care about him?
I don’t know, Rick, said Nickelo. There was nothing in our mission brief about children. Our mission is to scout the area and pinpoint the scientist’s location. I think you should risk an active scan on the room downstairs with those seven lifeforms. If one of their Power readings matches the trace we were given for the defector, then we will have completed our primary mission.
Agreed, Richard said. I’m setting up the active scan now.
Richard had two types of scans available to him; a passive scan and an active scan. As one of his instructors at the Academy had explained, a passive scan was like listening with your ears. If something made a noise, a listener could pick up the sound with their ears. Although a passive scan sensed Power instead of vibrations in the air, the concept was the same. Everything living or dead continuously released at least some residual Power. Richard’s passive scan could detect that Power and provide him with location and other information. Using his passive scan, Richard could ‘see’ lifeforms out to ranges of hundreds of meters.
Active scans were different. As the same instructor had explained, an active scan was more like the way a bat on Earth released sound. When the sound encountered an object, part of the sound was reflected back to the bat. An active scan was similar in that a wizard scout could release a small amount of Power. When the Power touched an object, it could determine detailed information about it. When the Power returned to the w
izard scout, the information it obtained about the object was returned as well.
The information from passive scans was very limited, while the information from an active scan could be quite detailed. Richard had once asked his battle computer why anyone would waste their time using a passive scan when an active scan was so much better. Nickelo had told him that because an active scan released Power, it was detectable by sensitive creatures or even by some types of technology. In other words, anytime an active scan was used, the wizard scout risked detection. A passive scan on the other hand, was nearly undetectable since it only ‘listened’ for the Power that was naturally released by objects.
Once Richard had his active scan setup, he turned control of the scan over to Nickelo. Richard had gotten quite good at active scans over the past year, but his battle computer was a hundred-fold better. Deep in the enemy compound like they were, Richard readily let Nickelo handle the scan.
Keep the scan tight, Richard said. I don’t want to wind up in a firefight by my lonesome unless absolutely necessary.
Are you doubting my abilities, oh greatest of wizard scouts, said Nickelo. I was doing active scans before you were even a gleam in your daddy’s eye.
Richard wasn’t sure what shinny eyes had to do with their current situation, but he didn’t bother asking. His battle computer had a strange sense of humor. Until he had met Nickelo, Richard hadn’t realized computers even had a sense of humor.
I’m not a wizard scout yet, Richard said for the thousandth time. I’m just a cadet, remember?
Richard sensed his active scan going through the floor in a tight little funnel. He followed along with the scan even though he let Nickelo control it. In a room one floor down and to the right, Richard felt the active scan ever so lightly touch each of the seven occupants in the room. Then the scan returned to Richard.
Target is confirmed, said Nickelo. I have marked him in green on your heads-up display.
Got it, Richard said. Secure the data and transmit it to Commander Stevens. By the way, Richard added, still no response on our abort request?
Negative, said Nickelo. Apparently, the mission is a go regardless of the enemy strength. And, the data packet is ready.
Richard wrapped the data packet with Power. Almost immediately, he sensed the secured packet heading off in a tight transmission through the tele-network.
A blue point of light flashed on the heads-up display. It was gone again just as quickly.
What is that thing? Richard said. He was becoming increasingly concerned. The enemy he knew about was bad enough. He didn’t need an unknown thrown into the equation.
Insufficient data to identify the anomaly, said Nickelo. What do you want to do next? Do you want to try the basement or the attic?
Without hesitation, Richard answered, We’ll go to the attic. That girl was sharp. She took a risk to give us a lead. I’m going to follow it.
Roger, said Nickelo. Back up the stairs we go.
* * *
The stairs to the attic level were even creakier than the ones to the second level. Richard was forced to levitate up them using telekinesis. Levitating his own body weight was Power hungry, but the situation gave him no choice. By the time he finished levitating up the attic stairs, his Power reserve was down to forty-two percent.
Richard stood outside the lone door at the top of the stairs. He sensed five lifeforms on the other side. He also sensed a lot of electronic energy. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to haul electronic systems up to the attic.
Listening carefully, Richard used the battle helmet’s audio receivers to amplify the noise coming from the other side of the door. He’d lost some of his hearing during a previous mission, but that didn’t matter when he was wearing his battle helmet.
“How do we even know they’re coming?” said a voice from the other side of the door. “For all we know, we’re wasting our time. It’s not easy faking data to all those tele-bots. We should have destroyed more of them first.”
“I’ll make sure and give the Crosioians your opinion next time I see one of them,” said a second voice. “That is, unless you want to go down now and talk to their commander yourself.”
“No,” said the first voice nervously. “That won’t be necessary. I was just making a comment.”
“Aw,” said a third voice, “don’t tell me you’re scared of a little bat, Jacom. I thought a big, bad mercenary like you wasn’t scared of anything.”
“I’m not,” said the first voice. “But…, those bats give me the creeps.”
“At least they pay well,” said a feminine voice. “But, no amount of credits will do us any good if we’re dead. How do we know one of the Empire’s blasted wizard scouts isn’t down here snooping around right now?”
“Because,” said the second voice, “all the Empire’s real wizard scouts are accounted for by the Crosioians’ Master computer. According to the Crosioians’ commander, the Empire only has a lone, second-year cadet within ten light years of this planet. The only reasonable approach by a cadet would be from the north-side woods. The Crosioians’ scout has that covered. We’ll have plenty of warning if a bumbling cadet shows up. Mark my words.”
Nickelo had often told Richard he acted when he should think. Richard took the present opportunity to prove his battle computer was correct. Without any discussion, Richard unzipped the front of his camo suit and pulled out his 9mm pistol. With a well-practiced maneuver, he attached the silencer to the barrel.
No, Rick, said Nickelo with what sounded like desperation in his voice. I absolutely forbid it. I have a dozen plans we can go over. That blue dot may not even be a Crosioian scout.
Ignoring his battle computer, Richard kicked the door off its hinges. The door was still flying through the air when Richard’s first two shots took out two uniformed men holding plasma assault rifles. Blood from the headshots splattered a woman in a white technician coat standing behind them. Richard kicked sideways with his left leg and smashed the skull of a man sitting in front of a rack of computer monitors. At the same time, he withdrew his phase rod from his leg pocket. With a single motion, he activated the phase rod in destructive mode and threw it at a man on the far side of the room. The man was frantically trying to draw a sidearm from a holster at his hip. As Richard’s phase rod flew through the air, a meter-long length of brerellium with a creallium alloy core sprang out of the handle. Red arcs of phase energy danced along its length like small bolts of static electricity. The phase rod hit the man in the chest. He fell back into a wall and then to the attic floor. He did not move again.
Richard turned his attention to the blood-splattered woman. She held out her right hand and said, “Wait, I –”.
Richard put a 9mm round in her forehead. As she was thrown back into a rack of electronic equipment, a small phase pistol hidden in her left hand fell to the floor.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, said Nickelo. If that is a Crosioian scout out there, he’s bound to notice the disappearance of five lifeforms on his passive scan. He’ll be on his way here right now.
Whatever, Richard said angrily. This whole mission has been screwed up from the get go.
As if to prove his battle computer was right about the scout, Richard saw a momentary flash of blue on his heads-up display.
Give me a time estimate until he gets here, Richard said. And, how long before Commander Stevens arrives with his special operation’s detachment?
The scout could be here in ninety-eight seconds, said Nickelo, unless he throws caution to the wind. In that case, he could be here in thirty-two. The shuttles should be here in three minutes and thirty-eight seconds unless they expedite.
Communication between Richard and Nickelo was fast since it was images and thoughts interspersed with a few words. Nickelo had often told him it would be even faster once they got their shared space. But no matter how fast the communication, Richard knew he didn’t have time to waste. He had to get down to secure the scientist before the guards were alerted to his
presence.
Richard tore at the camo suit with a gloved hand. The material was no match for the strength of the battle suit’s assisters. Richard threw the torn suit to the floor. Pieces of the suit remained on his back where his dimensional pack held it in place, but it didn’t matter. The camo suit had served its purpose. It had kept him hidden. It was more important now to be unencumbered for any upcoming fight.
We need to discuss a plan, said Nickelo. Our options are limited. What are you thinking?
Richard didn’t bother answering. He imagined a twenty-kilo funnel mine. Richard felt his Power supply go down to thirty percent. Reaching over his back, Richard opened the flap of the pack and pulled out a brand-spanking new twenty-kilo funnel mine with a remote control device. Richard could use the dimensional pack to summon almost anything he could imagine if he had the Power. The more technologically advanced the item, the greater the Power required to summon it. The only problem was Richard’s Power reserve was small. He rarely had Power to spare on advanced items. He’d made an exception this time. The mine was going to be worth the Power expenditure in his opinion.
A funnel mine directed a blast of energy along a magnetically controlled funnel in a single direction. Its primary purpose was as an anti-armor mine against large, armored vehicles. Richard figured it would work just as well on the floors of the mansion. He turned the mine over so it pointed towards the floor. Taking three steps back, Richard prepared to press the activate switch on the hand-held remote control.
You’re leaving your phase rod, said Nickelo. And, you need to destroy this hacking equipment so Commander Stevens’ team will get the real intelligence data from the tele-bots.
I was going to get around to it, Richard said.
Reaching out with some Power, Richard wrapped it around the phase rod where it lay on the floor across the room near the fallen man. Using his telekinesis, Richard levitated the phase rod back into his left hand. He deactivated the phase rod and attached it to the left side of his utility belt. The phase rod was not the most powerful weapon he had, but Richard often found it exceedingly useful. When activated, the meter-long length of brerellium in non-destructive mode made an excellent non-lethal battering weapon. In destructive mode, the creallium alloy core created a field of phase energy around the brerellium shaft. While still a battering weapon, the phase energy created subatomic explosions in the cells of any object it touched. The effect was often quite devastating. The phase rod even had a stun setting for use in non-lethal situations with thicker skinned creatures.
Wizard Cadet (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 2) Page 3
