Leika frowned in disgruntlement. I put my hand on one of the weapons Jarryd was holding. “My aim might not be as good as Leika's, but I'm willing to fight.” He hesitated for a moment before giving it to me.
The weapon was cold in my hand. Now that I had it, I wasn’t sure I could use it. I could control my voice but this weapon could kill.
Kaaluk and Jarryd took the lead. The corridor turned several times. Doorways appeared regularly as we moved forward. Windows revealed labs containing instruments, monitors, and an array of testing equipment. The men checked each room as we passed, but all were empty. A double set of doors barred the far end of the hall.
We stopped and heard the thrum of running feet approaching from behind. As best we could, we took up defensive positions behind slender pillars that jutted out from the walls. Kaaluk thrust me behind him and lifted his weapon. The pounding footsteps stopped beyond the corner that we’d rounded moments before.
“Windlands,” a husky voice called toward us.
I didn’t understand. Was it some sort of codeword? I was surprised when Kaaluk lowered his weapon.
“Home,” he answered as he stepped into the open and signaled all clear.
Silently, a group of forty men hurried toward us. The burly leader approached Kaaluk.
“It’s good to see you. Anyone hurt?” asked Kaaluk.
“Only minor scrapes,” responded the man.”
“What’s the situation on the other floors?”
“They’re secure. What’s happening ahead?” the man inquired.
“We have a friend in the control room,” Kaaluk explained. “He’s tracking Prince and Tarvek. They’re through those doors. Let’s go.” He signaled to two men who eased the doors open.
Kaaluk and Jarryd crouched low and entered the room. A minute later, Jarryd silently beckoned the rest of us to follow. Blasters erupted from behind us. We dove to the floor. I struggled to get my weapon positioned, but the men around me were faster and opened fire, quickly eliminating the assailants. None of ours were injured, but two more of Delio's guards lay dead in the hallway.
Jarryd pointed into the dimly lit room. “It's a good thing these aren't activated.”
I followed the direction of his finger, startled at the sight.
Rows of androids—hundreds of them—divided the hangar-sized room. About six feet in height, they were crude metal, silver and black. Their square heads had a disc-shaped depression where a forehead might have been. Long bulky arms that sported unusual attachments distorted their human shape. Still and silent, positioned vertically in cylindrical cradles, they were held in place by metal clamps. Overhanging wires connected the androids and ran the length of each row.
As our men filed into the room, a weapon blast from the far end tore at Jarryd’s arm and sent him spinning to the ground.
I thought my heart would burst when he didn’t get up. I ran to his side and immediately started to hum.
Kaaluk plunged toward me and curled my body under his as a volley of shots whizzed over our heads. One went wild and exploded a nearby android, sending shrapnel in every direction.
The blasters went silent. I heard a retreating scuffle of boots against the hard floor dead ahead.
I shivered when Kaaluk rolled his warm body from mine.
I quickly glanced at Jarryd. He was huddled with Leika as she bandaged his arm.
“Time to move,” said Kaaluk. “Leika stay with Jarryd. Brynna and the rest of you, with me.”
This time, Leika didn’t object to missing the action.
We ran the length of the room, dodging behind the rows of androids. The men in the lead knelt at the end of a line of machines. We stopped and clustered around to see what had stopped them.
“Up ahead,” one whispered.
I peered over Kaaluk’s shoulder.
Prince Delio walked briskly beside a diminutive man I assumed was Tarvek. Four armed guards flanked them. One looked in our direction and yelled. Suddenly their weapons were pointing toward us, but the men didn’t fire.
“Kill them, you idiots,” Prince yelled and followed Tarvek toward the far end of the cavernous room.
We were hidden. The guards couldn’t see us, but they fired anyway.
Kaaluk signaled to wait.
I couldn't see an exit, but I suspected that Tarvek had an escape route. While the guards continued firing, I ran to the end of another row of androids to get a better view of our adversaries.
Delio and Tarvek stopped in a corner. The smaller man retrieved something from his pocket. Seconds later, Prince Delio disappeared through a shimmering portal in the wall.
Tarvek glanced over his shoulder, then ran to a glowing panel and swiped it with his hand. A screeching ring tore the air.
I cringed at the assault on my senses and covered my ears. When I looked again, Tarvek was gone.
The deafening noise continued. Movement caught the corner of my eye as I turned to run. The nearest row of metal clamps clicked open. Red lights pulsed in the center of blank foreheads. The androids had been activated.
I dodged through the awakening columns of metal warriors. There were red lights everywhere I looked. Struggling for breath, I rounded a final corner and saw my brother. “Jarryd! Leika! Run!”
Leika pulled Jarryd to his feet as she screamed at the communicator. “Weyland! The androids are alive.”
As I approached Jarryd, I felt a scorching on my arm. The searing blast dropped me to my knees. When I heard the clanking behind me, I glanced back. Twenty feet away, an android raised its bulky arm, revealing a smouldering red hole. It was ready to fire again.
I stumbled as I stood, but managed to raise my blaster as I ran, returning fire while swerving side to side. All I could think of was getting the android away from my friends. My aim was off, but one lucky shot finally hit the target. The attacker’s red light went dark. But my relief was brief.
Beyond the defunct one, a steel wall of androids advanced. My chest constricted when they lifted their bulky arms. I fired as I backed away, but there were too many. I couldn’t fight them all. I stumbled and fell backward. The blaster flew from my hand. Trapped, without a weapon, I waited for the onslaught that would end my life.
The clanking stopped. I heard men shouting, but remained still.
Silent seconds ticked by then a hand pressed my forehead.
“Are you okay Brynna?” Leika knelt beside me.
Surprised by her calm demeanor, I sat up and scanned the area. Blood rushed to my head. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Throughout the vast space, androids caught in mid-action were immobile, frozen in place. “What happened?” I stuttered.
“Weyland deactivated the androids. We’re safe.” She lifted her and waved to Kaaluk who was striding toward us.
Kaaluk knelt beside me, his face tight with concern. “Are you badly hurt?”
“I’m already healing.” I smiled and started to hum.
He nodded and joined his men who had gathered nearby.
Leika pulled a bandage from her pack. “Just to keep it clean,” she said as she wrapped it around my arm.
“What about Jarryd? How is his wound?”
“I'm good.” Jarryd lifted his elbow. “Just a scratch. Our real concern is where Delio and Tarvek have disappeared to.”
“Maybe your friend in the control room will have an idea.” Leika handed him the communicator.
“Weyland? Tarvek and Prince disappeared in the northeast corner of the building. Any idea what happened?”
There was static then Weyland’s voice cleared. “An evacuated tube leads to ground level. Can’t be operated from here. Tarvek must have a remote control. The only way up is by stairs. Northwest corner.”
Kaaluk joined us and heard the message. “Let's go.” He signaled his men and we moved out.
First to reach ground level, Kaaluk surveyed the area before motioning us forward. We entered another hallway, racing stealthily along its twists and turns until we reached a
blind corner. He stopped and lifted his fist. We silently waited behind him. Voices echoed in the next passage.
The men readied their weapons. Kaaluk inched forward for a quick glance around the corner. He let off a blast. When there was no response, he rechecked the passageway, and then yelled in frustration. “They've escaped again.”
We raced around the corner and down the corridor, but eventually reached a solid wall.
“It’s a dead end,” said one of the men.
Jarryd spoke into his communicator. “Weyland! Tarvek and Prince Delio disappeared again. What's going on? Is it another one of those tubes?”
“Yes,” he responded. “It runs between the building and the tower.”
The wall appeared solid, but I could tell something wasn’t right. As I got closer to it, I detected an arched outline. When I wafted my hand over the surface, it shimmered.
“That’s creepy, isn't it?” Leika leaned in for a closer look and quickly pulled back. “There’s a buzzing or something. See if you can sense it.”
I turned my ear toward the wall. “That's strange. I thought I heard my name.” With my ear almost touching the glimmering surface, I listened again. There was a soft whoosh. Suddenly, I was hurtling through space.
Unbalanced by the strange propulsion, I curled then lay flat in a type of tunnel. Emerging from the disorienting experience, I instinctively rolled forward, eventually rising unsteadily to my feet. I fought to maintain my balance but a hand shoved me sideways to the floor. Someone grabbed my weapon.
“Gag her and tie her up.”
There was no mistaking Calia’s voice. Dressed in a golden robe, her wrists and ears flashed with red jewels, but her eyes were as black as flint.
“Even with your purple hair and crazy eyes, I recognize you, Brynna Bokk. I always thought you were a freak.” Her voice dripped with venom. “Now I know for sure. I watched and heard you from the control room. You killed those guards somehow with your voice. I once saw the Genetrix do something similar. I think she'd like to know about you.” She motioned to the guards who grabbed my arms and dragged me behind her.
I kicked my bound feet and twisted my body. Anything to delay what might happen. Every muscle ached by the time the guards threw me into a lift.
I finally managed a seating position on the floor. When I glanced around, I noted it was a different lift. There were six ascending levels on the control panel. When we reached the top floor, Calia exited first. In her wake, the guards pulled me into another control room and thrust me against a wall.
Several men in Hypor uniforms stood guard. Two men spoke in low voices. One was red faced, his posture submissive. The other jerked his head, poking at the smaller man and gesturing wildly. They ceased speaking when we entered.
“Look what I found?” Calia announced and thrust a pointed fingernail toward me.
My stomach lurched when I recognized Prince Delio. There was no mistaking his extended earlobes. The other was the mad genius, Tarvek.
“Kill her and be done with it.” Tarvek’s voice was gruff and low. “We don't need extra baggage.”
“Wait.” As Prince Delio approached, recognition glimmered in his eyes. “Another Bokk?” He lifted his hand and smashed it across my cheek. Dizzy from the punishing blow, I would have fallen but for the guards who tightened their grip.
Calia giggled as blood oozed from the corner of my mouth and trickled below the gag. “She could be a bargaining tool. I say we hang on to her.”
Prince Delio slowly turned his head toward Calia and sneered. “Keep your mouth shut woman. I make the decisions.”
Her face reddened. A frantic vein pulsed across her forehead, a sign I recognized as anger. She wanted to strike back, but as the man continued his malevolent stare, she retreated a step. A twinge of sadness—a vestige of our friendship—flicked at my heart. Her Prince was no longer charming.
The guards pushed me into a seated position against a wall. My wound still ached. A red patch sprouted on the white bandage, but I couldn’t sing and halt the bleeding.
Ignoring my injury, I focused on the two men, but kept Calia in sight. Positioned near a console of monitors and various other instruments, she listened as the men conversed. At one point, she turned toward the windows that overlooked the compound. The sandstorm had passed. Dawn was approaching.
“You told me those androids were indestructible.” Prince Delio wagged his finger in the smaller man’s face. “But they’ve managed to disable them. What good are they to me if they can be overpowered?”
“I promise you, your batch will be strictly under your control,” said Tarvek. “No one else will be able to turn them off.” He clasped his hands. His eyes widened like an excited child as he appealed to Prince. “The new models will be voice controlled. They will respond only to you.”
Prince thrust Tarvek away. “It’s too late, you fool. Most of my men are dead. I don’t have time to wait for you to construct a new army to defeat Hypor City. My plan has changed. Instead, I’ll use one of your spaceships to leave the planet before the sun destroys the atmosphere.”
Tarvek raised a hand to his mouth and nibbled his fingers. He slowly backed away from Prince and walked toward the lift doors.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Prince strode after Tarvek and grabbed his shoulder. “What are you hiding?”
Tarvek winced and dipped his body, trying to dodge the tightening claw.
Prince growled. “Tell me!”
I glanced at Calia. Seemingly transfixed, she watched the interplay between the men. Suddenly my eye caught the slight movement of her hand as it slid across a console. Extending her fingers, she retrieved a small box. Concealing it in her palm, she gradually dropped her arm to her side.
“Tell me!” Prince screamed at Tarvek.
The smaller man cowered then blurted. “The good news is that we have established contact with Mars. They may be able to position their satellites to shield the planet.”
“What about the spaceships you promised my father?”
Like a cornered rat, Tarvek’s eyes flicked desperately from side to side, searching for an escape route. “Well…you see…there was no way to solve the propulsion problem. In the old days before the Rising, we had rocket fuel to power the boosters. Solar energy, while powerful, cannot yet provide the necessary thrust. It’s all about having sufficient force to escape gravity and get through the atmosphere. One day soon, I’m sure we’ll solve the dilemma.” Tarvek appeared distracted by the problem. Unlike a wary lion tamer, he ignored the danger posed by the wild animal who shared his cage.
“Are you telling me there is no way off this planet?” Prince lifted his hand to his weapon.
I noticed a movement from Calia. She had shifted several feet and now stood on a circular metal plate recessed slightly into the floor.
Across the room, arms wrapped around his head, Tarvek pleaded with Prince. “Please. No. I can make the new androids and you can defeat Hypor City as you planned. You don’t need to get off the planet. Mars is going to help us.”
“I can contact Mars myself,” Prince said. His voice was calm, no longer threatening. Hope bloomed on Tarvek’s face, then died as Prince targeted his weapon. “I don’t need you anymore.”
Blood spattered the walls as the blaster tore Tarvek to shreds.
Horrified at the sight, I instinctively glanced at Calia.
She had vanished.
17
Final Assault
Prince pounded his fists on the console as he searched the room for Calia. “Where is she,” he demanded of the guards.
His men had been following the unfolding drama and had no answer.
“Did you see her?” His eyes raked me with hatred when I shrugged my shoulders.
I heard a familiar sound. Prince strode to the window and slapped the glass in frustration. Seconds later, I saw what had his attention. The curve of the dome slid open as a lander approached the tower. His snarling face confirmed that it wasn’t
one of his.
I sighed with relief. It could only be Kaaluk and Jarryd.
Prince searched the console. “Where’s the control!” He slammed his hand repeatedly against the equipment, but the dome continued to open.
He motioned to his guards. “Leave her and get up to the landing pad. We have to stop them.”
His men jerked into action, scrambling up the spiral staircase that led to the roof hatch. They flung it open and immediately discharged their weapons and moved out of sight.
I glanced out the window, hoping the lander was safe. I was still searching for it when Prince kicked my foot. He pulled a blaster and a small knife from his waistband. He cut the ties around my ankles. “Get up.”
I was weak from blood loss. My legs were stiff. With my hands bound, I struggled to stand. Curling my legs under me, I rocked to my knees. Wedging my shoulder against the wall, I pushed myself up onto one leg, then the other.
“Maybe you're worth something, even if it’s only as a human shield.” He dragged me towards the stairs. “Climb.” His fist punched me onto the first step. His hand clutched my tunic, maintaining an arm’s length between us. I couldn’t run up the stairs even if I was able.
I slowed and something hard prodded my back. It knew it was the blaster. I quickened my pace. When I reached the hatch, I cautiously peeked over the edge. On the far side of the roof, I recognized Delio’s black lander with the red and gold markings of Hypor City. Off to the right, his guards lay pinned behind a storage unit halfway to the vehicle. Their weapons fired continuously skyward as the attacker drew nearer.
My chest tightened when I recognized Jarryd in the control seat of the airborne lander. He swerved and reeled in the sky, staying out of range of the barrage of blaster fire.
I ducked when I felt the battering wind of the rotors. A shove from behind forced me out onto the roof. I lay flat until Delio yanked my injured arm. The intense pain sent me scrambling to my feet. His hand squeezed harder as we made for the storage containers.
Jarryd hovered over the guards, wagging the rotors. A risky move, intended to dislodge them from their cover, but the guards stayed put and unleashed a bombardment of firepower.
The Lost Prophecy Page 13
