by Jeff Walsh
All expression left Genny's face. She stared forward blankly. Her fingers twitched slightly.
Sir Halen motioned for his guard to approach, which they did, but slowly.
Genny didn't move. She wasn't even blinking.
As the guards closed in a few took notice that her breathing came in tiny short bursts.
One guard reached up and nudged Genny's shoulder. She swayed slightly. Another turned to Sir Halen, “She's in shock.”
“Of course she is,” Sir Halen said as he smiled widely. “Escort her to lab in ML-0573.”
The guard pulled on Genny's shoulder and she wobbled a moment but spun with him.
Sir Halen approached. He spoke aloud, “This is Sir Halen; prep ML-0574 for a genetic acclimation procedure. We need to purge my code from her system.”
The guards guided Genny forward.
“Move quickly,” Sir Halen said. “We need not experience another outburst. We need to capitalize on her hopelessness. Why do you think I showed her that footage.”
The guards pushed forward.
Sir Halen watched as roughly ten of them stumbled in place as they parted around Genny.
She'd stopped.
A guard reached up and grabbed her shoulder. He couldn't move her even slightly.
Genny gazed forward, her eyes dark and hollow.
“Get her moving,” Sir Halen said.
Six more guards stepped behind her and pushed. She didn't budge.
“Heat-sinks on full incendiary,” Sir Halen said.
The guards spread out and dropped their staves, taking aim at Genny. Each weapon whirred as it powered up.
“Nuke her,” Sir Halen said.
Dozens of heat-sink beams struck Genny. Her Bond-o-Threads burst into flame. It tried to reform over and over, but the threads were incinerated the moment they appeared.
Genny didn't move. Not a scream or even a whimper was heard. Her flesh flaked away under the blasts.
One guard took notice that while charred skin was falling free, underneath that char, her flesh was healing as fast as it was being harmed.
Genny turned her gaze to Sir Halen. Her body began to shake as she balled her fists.
“Bridge,” Sir Halen yelled.
Genny lunged for him, exploding through ten guards like they were nothing.
The guards ceased fire in fear of striking Sir Halen.
“Trans-warp. NOW!”
Genny reached for his neck but her hand passed through a beam of light instead. She stumbled forward. Her skin healed and her clothing repaired itself.
The guards stood dumbfounded. Nothing they'd done, not even with their weapons charged to full, had caused any permanent harm to Genny.
“Move!” One guard yelled out. They all turned and ran.
Genny spun and darted after them.
Like a wild beast free from its cage she slammed into them. They couldn't move fast enough to escape. Guards fell, broken and unconscious, four and five at a time. Grabbing at those who'd fallen she hurled them into the others. Moments passed but only Genny remained standing amongst the carnage she'd wrought.
Her mind fought for moments of clarity in the darkness; nothing but pure mania guided her actions.
The thought of escape flashed through her mind. It was an overwhelming emotion. She wanted away from these people, and it was enough to guide her.
A quick turn and she darted down the corridor taking ten, fifteen feet per stride. After a couple quick lefts and a right Genny stood before a lift. She ripped the doors free and leapt downward. Her fingers dug into the wall slowing her decent, and she bounced from one wall to the opposite as she made her way down the shaft. With a hard push she burst through another set of lift doors. She landed and darted forward.
The sounds of drones landing came from behind her.
She paid them no attention.
Canon blasts began to strike her in the back.
Genny ignored the pain and pressed forward faster. A few quick turns lead her to a long corridor. She stopped for a moment. A memory flashed in her mind. Sir Halen had taken her this way on their walk through the ship. Genny bolted forward down the corridor. More drones fell from above. She could hear the clicks of the scurrying drones that followed after her. At the end of the corridor Genny slowed as she made a right turn.
Dozens of workers scurried about as they attempted to shut off certain systems. Alarms were sounding. Pipes big and small, tubes thin and wide, wound along the walls and up and across the ceiling. Consoles and work stations were scattered here and there, some were manned, others empty. Each had different screens displaying damage and energy drains from the aft section of the ship.
Genny's mind freed itself from the rage for only a fraction of a second. She took in the sight before her as, but just as quickly her instinct to escape reclaimed its place. Her eyes darted to the very center of this vast area where a large pillar filled with a white glowing substance stood. She watched as roughly fifty workers were scurrying about this machine in an attempt to stabilize it.
She'd made her way to the Imperium's engine room.
҉
The door leading to the escape pod hissed open and Marcus fell inside. The door hissed shut.
“You needn't make a full sprint back here,” Alvin said through the trans-comm ear piece.
Marcus was hunched over attempting to catch his breath.
He stood upright and said, “You freaked me out.”
“I'm greatly sorry sir,” Alvin said. “I was merely being overly cautious. It appears as though no attention was drawn during your interaction in the shop.”
“Good,” Marcus aired out.
He breathed deep and exhaled, then wiped a small amount of sweat from his brow.
“Okay,” he said. “How do I unload you out of this ear thing and back into the pod?”
“Actually,” Alvin said. “For now it'd be best for me to continue to communicate this way.”
“What?” Marcus puzzled. “Why?”
“We still need to install the device,” Alvin said.
“I was really hoping we were going to skip that part,” Marcus sighed.
He heard a few clicks and watched as the seats unfolded and moved to the center of the pod forming a long table.
“I understand sir, but it is unavoidable,” Alvin said. “I didn't wish to burden you with worry while you purchased the translator. If it helps, this is a harmless and easy installation procedure.”
“Procedure!” Marcus blurted out.
“I assure you it's perfectly safe,” Alvin said. “I will, however, need to place you in a stasis field as you must remain perfectly still during the procedure. Any motion at all may complicate matters.”
Marcus slouched forward.
“You won't even notice you've been placed in a stasis field,” Alvin said. “I just need you to lay on the table. I'll activate the field, bring it up to proper intensity, and perform the procedure. It'll be like you're asleep. You won't even notice the passage of time. One moment you'll lay down, the next it's all over.”
“Brain surgery,” Marcus said to himself. “As if this whole thing hasn't been terrible enough, I'm now going to have brain surgery...on an escape pod...performed by a robot without a body.”
Marcus dug into the box and pulled the translator unit out and looked at it.
“It must be trans-warped into your auditory cortex,” Alvin said.
“I hate space.” Marcus said bluntly.
“Yes sir,” Alvin said. “That does seem to be an understandable response to our current situation..”
“Why is everything in space so dangerous?” Marcus said to no one in particular.
“I assure you sir,” Alvin said. “With the stasis field, everything is perfectly safe. In fact, in the context of your space experiences thus far this is repetitively one of the safest experiences you've had thus far.”
Marcus sighed. “Brain surgery is now one of the 'safer' things I'll have done while
in space. This is just great.”
A moment of silence passed.
“Do I really need this thing?” Marcus blurted out.
“It isn't mandatory sir,” Alvin said. “But in the off chance I'm unable to translate for you, you'll not be able to understand anyone. We're merely assuring your best chances for survival until we can meet back up with our friends.”
Marcus stood unmoving for a moment. He stared at the translator.
“You're sure it's safe?” Marcus asked.
“There are very few things here in space that are safer,” Alvin assured him.
“That sounds like an exaggeration,” Marcus said.
“Only slightly sir,” Alvin responded.
Marcus chuckled.
“Alright,” Marcus said as he resolved himself. “Let's get this over with.”
“Just place the translator on the console,” Alvin said. “And have a lie down on the table.”
He stepped forward, set the translator on the console, and crawled up on the table. He fumbled for a moment as he tried to figure out how to lay his arms.
“Down by your sides on the table will be fine,” Alvin told him.
“You can see me again?” Marcus asked.
“Of course,” Alvin replied. “I'm monitoring you through the pod's cameras.”
The main display switched from Marcus' vital signs to the camera's view.
Marcus waved slowly and watched himself on the screen.
“We should hurry sir,” Alvin said. “The sooner we are finished here, the sooner we can plan out our next step.”
Marcus relaxed and placed his arms down on the table.
“I'm going to activate the stasis field now,” Alvin said.
A gold light flickered around the table and Marcus heard the faintest hint of a buzz.
“Can you hear me good sir?” Alvin asked.
“Yup,” Marcus replied.
“Good,” Alvin said. “The stasis field interferes with outside noises. This is why I chose to keep my partial programming in the trans-comm until the procedure is over. I figured a familiar voice would help you relax.”
“Thanks Alvin,” Marcus said. “Now what?”
“I'm going to turn up the intensity of the field,” Alvin replied. “You'll fall into a temporary sleep-like state; I'll warp the unit in place, lift the field, and a few moments later you'll be back on your feet.”
“That's it?” Marcus asked. “No crazy side effects or anything?”
“You won't even know it's installed,” Alvin said. “Well, that is, until you suddenly understand just about every species in the universe without help.”
“Okay,” Marcus said.
“Are you ready good sir?”
Marcus breathed deep. “Yup,” he answered.
The hum grew slightly louder and Marcus passed out.
The pod's main display switched back to Marcus' vital signs, and the translator vanished in a snap of light.
Marcus' vital signs fluctuated but only for a moment.
“You can't hear me sir,” Alvin said through the trans-comm unit. “But everything was a success.”
The door to the pod hissed open again. The two men from the shop stepped inside and the door shut behind them.
A field lit up between Marcus and the men, but quickly dissipated.
One of the men held up a small device and smiled.
“Short range disruptor,” he said. “Scatters the pattern of the shielding matrix as long as it's activated before the shield goes up.”
“We figured we'd wait outside until that one was unconscious,” the other guy said as he pointed to Marcus. “Didn't want to intrude.”
“You sure this is a Heezarian pod?”
“The Central Core's issue says dirillium plated pod. How many of those do you think are fluttering about this far out?”
“Well then, it looks like it's our lucky day.”
Suddenly the lights in the pod went dark and the door whooshed open again. A dark figure reached inside, yanked one of the men out of the pod, and the door shut once more.
“What the?” The remaining guy said. “What's going on? Who is that?”
He pulled a pistol from its holster and pointed it at Marcus.
“Tell your man to stand down,” he yelled. “I'll shoot this guy.”
The lights flickered for a moment and went dark. The man was startled. The door to the pod hissed open again. The man spun to take aim.
The dark figure lunged in with a punch and smashed him across his face. The man crumpled to the floor. The dark figure clicked something on his belt and the stasis field surrounding Marcus dropped. The figure walked over and scooped Marcus up. The trans-comm unit fell from his ear and landed on the floor.
“Sir,” Alvin was yelling through the unit. “Please wake up. Sir, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. Please sir, forgive me, I'm so sorry.”
The figure slung Marcus over his shoulder and walked toward the door which hissed open. The lights came back on and quickly shifted to red. Alarms began to go off within the pod.
“This is security officer Pribin of Qynn-9,” came a voice over every available intercom in the pod. “If there are any passengers aboard this vessel please vacate now. We've detected two inbound spacial slip torpedoes locked onto your position. We must jettison your vehicle away from the station. Repeat, vacate your vessel immediately.”
The figure turned and saw the pod's main display shift. It read, “5...4...3...”
The figure leapt through the door way and bolted down the corridor.
Marcus regained consciousness.
“What!” He yelled. “What's happening?”
His whole body was jostling. Marcus took notice that he was being carried. Still slightly disoriented, Marcus felt himself get flung forward. He watched as he passed through the doorway, and fell back into the Qynn-9 station. After which a dark figure leapt through the doorway toward him.
Marcus jumped to his feet, leapt over the figure, and darted back for the door leading to the pod. The figure grabbed at his ankles. The Qynn-9 door sealed shut. Marcus fell forward into the door. He watched through a porthole as the escape pod launched into space. A moment later the pod exploded and the entire station shook.
He grabbed at his ear but felt nothing.
“Alvin,” he whispered.
Chapter 16
“Captain,” a bridge officer aboard the Imperium said. “Engine crews are reporting a full systems failure.”
“Bring up containment protocols,” Sir Halen issued. “Get this ship under control!”
“The system is unresponsive,” the crewman said. “We are losing power across the entire ship. The damage in our aft section is too extensive; the ship's power supply is being drained.”
“Then figure out a way to get us more power,” Sir Halen belted out. “We cannot lose engines.”
“Sir,” another crewman said. “The ship is registering a level six threat in the engine bay. All drone safety protocols have been disengaged and are converging on that location.”
҉
Genny ripped down a rather large pipe that bent and curved around a machine. As she did a shower of scalding hot, red liquid rained down across the room. It phased her none. Without a pause for thought she began to the pipe in her hands into anything she could find.
She strode across the engine bay covering ten to fifteen feet per stride. Every console within reach was ripped from the wall, or pulled up from the ground and smashed into the next nearest object. Screens flickered, workers were still attempting reroute power where they could.
As Genny made her way closer to the center of the engine room she grabbed a hold of a rather large piping system. With all the strength she now had she heaved it from its housing and hurled it toward the main engine column. With a thunderous smash containers broke free, and a shielding wall surrounding the engine system shattered.
The engine bay lighting flickered. Genny could hear terminals and oth
er machines powering down.
“Evac the engine bay,” one of the workers yelled. “Now!”
Genny spun and watched as the remaining workers began darting toward hatches spread across the far bay walls.
“Bridge,” one worker yelled. “Our emergency systems are down. Primary hessian containment shielding has been compromised. Initiate an evac and unlock the escape pods.”
More drones entered the engine bay and began firing upon Genny. She'd already destroyed more than thirty just making her way there. Burn marks were healing but the pain lingered far more than before. Whatever Halen had done to her, Genny realized it was being taxed far beyond its limits.
A set of drones charged and leapt on her. Their spindly legs darting in and out, and struck Genny in the face, arms, and chest. She bucked hard and tossed two drones from her back. One drone managed to hold fast. It spun its canon to fire, but Genny was quick to react. She rolled forward as the drone launched a blast. The canon fire struck a terminal, which exploded. Genny twisted around, grabbed a hold of the drone and flung it into three others. Drone pieces and parts flew in every direction as they exploded.
Genny turned and saw the engine crew attempting to pry open escape pod hatches. She stepped in their direction but someone called out her approach. More than fifty workers abandoned their escape attempt and bolted down different corridors. At the sight of fellow workers running, others joined in. The remaining workers either ignored Genny or took refuge elsewhere.
“Bridge,” one of the workers yelled. He'd taken up a defensive position behind a grouping of large metallic canisters. “This is commander Albris, please disengage defense drones. I repeat, defense drones are discharging weapons within the engine bay.”
Another half dozen drones spread forward, firing at Genny.
She grabbed at a thick metal plate that was bolted on the wall, ripped it free, and flung it at the drones. Two of the drones were sliced in half while the remaining just managed to side-step as it came at them.
As another drone took aim and fired; Genny lunged out of the way. The stray canon blast crackled as it went by Genny and struck another terminal. A series of explosions shook the floor. Genny turned; scaffolding and a grouping of pipes began to fold and buckle. A dozen workers had taken refuge under it all, and in the mayhem hadn't noticed the looming danger.
