Brady cautiously poked his head around the corner of the building and looked back toward the Victorian house. He shivered. Sudo was making his way down the driveway toward the front door.
He turned back to Nova and AJ. “Bad news. Sudo is heading back to the house. As soon as he finds out we’re gone, they’ll come looking for us!”
Nova’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, we’re running out of time.” She glanced toward the cliff rising in the distance. The large steel platform was currently waiting at the top, empty. “I think it’s about half a mile back to the cliff, so we’ll need about a minute or so to get there from here. AJ, do you know how to control the platform?”
AJ’s head swiveled forward. “There are two levers: one at the top and one at the bottom. They make it go up and down. It’s a piece of cake.”
“Okay then, AJ, you ride with me. I’ll need you to help me navigate. Brady, do you know how to drive one of these?”
“Sure—no problem,” he said apprehensively, eyeing the intimidating cycle. An old dirt bike had been languishing in their garage back home for several years. Every once in a while, he and Felix would take it out and ride the mountain trails. He knew he would be rusty, especially since these bikes were different, but he figured he was up to it.
Nova and AJ climbed onto one of the bikes, with Nova in front. Brady mounted his bike and looked around fruitlessly for the ignition.
“Where are the keys to this thing?” he asked.
“There are no keys. Just twist the throttle. That’s it!” AJ replied.
Brady grabbed the rubber grip and turned it slightly. Before he knew it, he shot forward and crashed loudly into a nearby trashcan. He stopped just short of flying over the handlebars as garbage spilled across the ground.
Nova closed her eyes and shook her head while AJ laughed. “Maybe try being a little more careful next time, okay? You sure you know what you’re doing?”
Brady rolled the bike back with his feet, his face red with embarrassment. “Don’t worry about me—I’m fine!” he said, clearly annoyed.
He backed up, then practiced moving forward in fits and spurts, and quickly got the hang of it. “Anyone have a helmet?” he asked with a smile.
“It’s now or never.” Nova made a motion on her wristwatch. Seconds later the silver hummingbird buzzed through the air and settled into her outstretched hand.
Nova spoke to her small friend. “We need your help, Thorn. Think you can make some noise?”
The hummingbird chirped loudly.
“Okay, guys. This is going to happen fast. Everyone all set?”
“I’m ready,” Brady said, his palms starting to perspire from anticipation. AJ nodded.
“Here we go then.”
Nova tossed Thorn up into the air, and she fluttered quickly into the sky toward the spotlights that illuminated the town. One by one, the bird’s beak pierced the lights. Shattered glass rained down from the ceiling and the cave fell into darkness.
“Follow us!” Nova yelled to Brady and pulled back on the throttle. Brady flicked on his headlights and chased after her.
As they weaved between buildings, Thorn flew to the center of the cave. The bird’s beak split open and it let loose a deafening shrill. Brady was happy not to be on the receiving end of its alarm this time.
They cleared the shops first, then the houses, and then headed on the straightaway toward the platform. Thorn was flashing its strobe lights and moving so quickly it looked like a series of rapid-fire explosions throughout the cavern.
Despite all of the distractions, Brady kept his eyes focused on the cycle in front of him. Before he knew it they were at the platform’s control box. AJ pulled a lever and the platform began to descend.
Hurry up, Brady thought.
Just as the platform was nearing the ground, the noise from the bird stopped abruptly and light filled the cavern once again.
Several Artifex were standing around a cannon that was aimed up at the bird. Brady looked back in time to see Thorn swaying uneasily in the air before dropping from the sky.
Without thinking, Brady slammed on the throttle and took off toward the bird. He could hear Nova calling his name behind him.
What are you doing, you idiot? he thought to himself as the wind rushed through his short hair. The bots were starting to converge around Thorn. Brady plowed into one, sending it flying through the air. The impact caused him to almost lose control, but he quickly recovered and skidded to a shaky stop next to the bird.
The other Artifex backed away slowly.
Brady reached down and picked up Thorn. “Hold on!” he said as he put the bird gently in his pocket.
When the bots realized what was happening, they closed in around him. He spun the cycle around and accelerated toward the platform where AJ was waiting. Nova stood by the control box, ready to engage the lever.
The crazed Artifex mob was hot on Brady’s heels when he arrived on the platform. Nova raised the lever and the platform began to climb.
“Come on, Nova!” Brady screamed. She ran over to the platform, but it was already too far up for her to climb on.
AJ reached down with one hand. “Jump!” he screamed over the commotion.
Nova leapt as high as she could and felt something clutch her hand just as the angry Artifex began to gather around her. A cold, plastic hand grabbed her shoe, and she kicked violently. AJ was pulling her arm while another Artifex tugged at her leg. In an act of desperation, she pried off her shoe with her other foot; the Artifex fell to the ground, still clutching her sneaker, and AJ pulled Nova up onto the platform.
As soon as the platform reached the top of the cliff, it started back down again; the Artifex below must have pulled the lever. AJ and Brady rolled the bikes off the platform before it fell from sight.
“I’ll need to open the door before we can get out,” AJ said. He left the bike with Nova and ran over to the control panel on the side of the wall.
They heard a thud from below. The platform had reached the bottom. Then the motor began to hum and the gears turned once again.
They’re coming.
“Hurry up, AJ. They’re almost here.”
The stone door began to slide back. AJ ran back and jumped on the bike behind Nova. Brady was ready to go. With a rush of adrenaline, they flew out of the cave, barely making it through the opening in the door.
Brady looked back over his shoulder and saw a mob of flashing white lights and green eyes appear over the edge of the cliff. But they were too late.
Outside, the sun hovered just over the horizon. Morning had arrived. They traveled down the switchbacks and through the trees, then reached the dirt road they had come in on. Clear of the trees, they sped off. The freedom was exhilarating. They were on their way to find Felix and Achilles, and nothing could stop them now.
Chapter 18: A Watch for a Life
NOVA GLANCED ACROSS the handlebars at the readout on her watch. They had traveled for some time, but they still had a long stretch of road ahead. She gestured to Brady, then began to slow down. He matched her speed and followed her as she pulled off to the side of the road. They both climbed off the bikes and stretched their legs.
“I don’t think we were followed,” Nova said to Brady.
He nodded.
“Also, I didn’t have a chance to thank you earlier. But that was some amazing riding you did back there, when you rescued Thorn,” she added.
With a sorrowful look, Brady retrieved the delicate bird from his pocket.
“They used some type of machine to bring her down,” he said.
“I saw it too,” Nova added gloomily.
AJ’s eyes lit up. “It’s an EMP cannon. It disables anything electronic that’s in range of its blast.”
Brady thought back to the Artifex he had seen wheeling the strange device through the woods the night before.
“They used the cannon to detonate the Rariis. It’s why the rotorcraft crashed, Nova!”
Nova nodded and g
ently retrieved the bird from Brady’s hands. She raised it to her face.
“Thank you, sweet Thorn,” she whispered privately, kissing the bird on the head.
“Is she alive?” Brady asked, his voice full of concern.
“I don’t know,” Nova said. “She’s not moving.”
Nova and Brady stared at the lifeless bird resting in Nova’s hand. And then they saw it. A dim flicker in the bird’s eyes. Brief, but definitely there.
Hope.
“Did you see that?” Brady asked.
The color had returned to Nova’s face. “Yes. She’s there, but barely.”
“I can help,” came a voice.
They turned and saw AJ standing behind them, a small silhouette against the rising sun.
“May I see her?” the bot said, reaching an arm toward Thorn.
Nova instinctively pulled the bird in close and guarded it with her other hand. She realized she had insulted the child when he lowered his arm, embarrassed.
“Sorry, AJ, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just—”
“I think we should at least let him try,” Brady chimed in. “He did fix those bikes, after all. I think he knows what’s he’s doing.”
“Thorn is a bit more intricate than a motorcycle, Brady,” Nova said defensively.
The insecurity was gone from Brady’s voice. “Do you have a better idea? I don’t think you have a choice.” He eased up a bit. “What harm can it do, anyway?” He couldn’t believe he was on AJ’s side.
“You’re right.” Nova nodded and held the bird out to the robot child.
AJ accepted the gift, then placed his finger on the bird’s head. Before long, the bird’s blue eyes began to glow dimly again. AJ’s finger glowed softly as well.
“Her internal reactor is damaged, but her neural nets seem to be okay.”
“In other words…” Brady prompted. He had heard enough technical jargon from his brother to last a lifetime.
“Her brain is okay, but she has no power source. When her reserves run out she will be gone.” AJ carefully passed Thorn back to Nova.
“Can’t you just share some of your energy with her?” Brady asked.
“No,” AJ answered. “My power source is too powerful for her. The current would overload her circuits instantly.” AJ studied Nova carefully. “But I can fix her,” he said confidently.
“How?” Nova asked.
“Your watch. May I have it?”
Nova unfastened the clasp, unwrapped the device from around her wrist, and handed it to AJ.
The fingertips on AJ’s right hand untwisted and slid back to reveal a microscopic tool set—a different instrument extending from each finger. Using a tiny drill on the tip of his index finger, he bored into the side of the watch. Soon the face of the watch lit up and words and pictures flashed across the screen.
For a second, Brady swore he saw something strange in the child’s eye, a spark of recognition. But then it was gone. Must be my imagination, he thought.
The bot continued to work silently. His eyes grew dim and the lights on his head lit up in a frenetic display.
Brady grew more concerned as the time passed and AJ became lost in his work. “AJ? Everything okay?”
The bot did not respond.
“AJ?” he said, louder this time. He reached out to grab the bot, but Nova pulled his arm down before he reached AJ’s shoulder.
“Give him some more time,” she said.
Brady waited as patiently as he could.
At last the watch powered down and AJ’s eyes lit back up.
“What were you doing?” Brady asked.
“Matching the power source to its new host,” the bot replied. He unscrewed the back of the watch with another one of his fingers, and the innards of the device spilled out into his rubber-coated hands. AJ sifted through the parts, picked out what he was looking for, then set the rest of the items on the ground. He held the tiny disc up to the sun.
“I’m ready for Thorn.”
Nova handed the delicate bird back to AJ. He drew a finger near Thorn’s breastplate and used a laser to incise the metal. Nova looked like she was about to say something, but then apparently thought better of it and kept quiet. AJ traced a square onto the bird’s chest, then extinguished the beam. With careful precision he reached down and removed the plate from the bird and handed it to Nova.
“There,” he said, pointing at the cavity inside the bird.
Brady had never seen so much detail in something so small. It was amazing. Everything was in miniature, intricately cut crystals and wires no larger than thin strands of hair.
The bot reached in with a pair of tiny finger tweezers and extracted a tiny diamond from the bird.
“Not an exact match, but close enough,” AJ said as he placed the malfunctioning crystal on the ground. He then proceeded to clip two hair-thin wires with microscopic wire cutters and hollowed out a bed for the new power source using the laser. Slowly he seated the disc-shaped reactor into its new home and soldered the wires back into place.
Thorn’s chest cavity began to glow, faintly at first, then brighter. “Almost done,” he said, as he retrieved the detached breastplate from Nova and positioned it back in place over the bird. Using a torch attached to one finger and some spare casing from the watch, he welded the plate back onto the bird. The smell of fused metal continued to linger in the air long after he finished.
“Sorry about your watch,” AJ said, handing Thorn back to Nova.
“Are you kidding?” Nova propped the hummingbird up in her hand and watched as she flapped her wings, cautiously at first, then faster until she lifted into the morning sky. With renewed life, she fluttered around AJ, chirping loudly to show her appreciation.
The bot beamed with pride. Thorn then returned to Nova, who tucked the bird into her jacket pocket. Other than the rectangular scar, Thorn was as good as new.
“I told you I was useful,” AJ said proudly to Nova and Brady, who stood in awe of the child’s talent.
Nova scooped the child bot into her arms and swept him off the ground. His legs were left dangling in the air. “I don’t know how we got so lucky to find you, AJ—but you are a lifesaver.” She hugged him tightly. If AJ could have blushed, Brady thought he certainly would have.
The sun was warm and the wind rustled through leaves that were just beginning to show their autumn color. Felix and Achilles were waiting for them somewhere up ahead, and for the first time, Brady had something to be optimistic about. They jumped back onto their bikes and took off once again.
Chapter 19: Felix’s Escape
THEY FOUND FELIX sitting on the ground, still clutching the glowing transponder in his hand. He was seated on the side of the crumbled road, his face covered with dust and dirt. In spite of everything that had happened, Brady thought his brother had never looked better.
“Felix!” he shouted joyfully as he jumped off his bike, sending it crashing to the ground. He raced over to his brother and almost tackled him with outstretched arms. “Felix! Felix! Are you okay?”
Brady inspected his brother for any broken bones before allowing Felix to return the heartfelt embrace.
“You look terrible, Brady,” Felix said softly, his eyes misty with emotion.
Brady smiled, shoved his younger brother on the shoulder, and hugged him again. “You’re one to talk! By the way, ever try taking a shower?”
Felix managed a laugh, but the moment was short-lived. Nova stood unsteadily next to the bike, her eyes searching fruitlessly around for her friend.
“Felix… Where’s Achilles?” The words came out slowly, and she did her best to contain the emotion that threatened to boil over at any second. But Felix didn’t need to answer. Nova knew in her heart that Achilles was still with the Collectors.
Felix’s smile fell into a frown and he looked down at the ground. “I—I left him on the train,” he said reluctantly. Felix held out the transponder. “He gave me this before I escaped. I wouldn’t
have left, but there was nothing I could do to save him. I tried, I swear.”
“He’s alive then?” Nova asked, her voice perking up.
“Alive? Of course he’s alive!”
Nova breathed a huge sigh of relief and leaned on her handlebars. “Thank goodness… That’s the best news ever. Sorry, Felix, I’m glad you’re okay, too.”
She dismounted the bike and lifted AJ down onto the ground. Felix stared curiously down at the small bot, who returned his stare with bright green eyes.
“And you did the right thing leaving,” Nova said. “Achilles will be okay—he has to be. Can you tell me what happened?”
“Sure, but I don’t remember much after we got captured.”
“No kidding,” Brady said. “You got knocked out by that Collector eye.”
“Right,” Felix said, grimacing. “I blacked out awhile, but I’m not exactly sure how long it actually was. When I woke up I was in some kind of cocoon.”
“That was Achilles,” Brady said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was right after you got knocked unconscious from the shock. Achilles just scooped you up on his back and created some kind of crazy cage around you.”
“It wasn’t very comfortable,” Felix said, laughing. “But it kept me hidden from those awful machines. I passed out again and the next time I woke up I was in a cell with Achilles, on some kind of underground train. Achilles couldn’t move his legs because his feet were magnetized to the ground. I think the Collectors messed him up pretty bad. He looked rough, but he was still alive.”
“You’re sure?” Nova asked.
“I’m positive. You know, it’s the weirdest thing. I don’t think they, I mean the Collectors, even knew I was there. Achilles must have hidden me from them. I’m not made of metal, so I obviously wasn’t stuck. The door to the cell had those green beams—like the ones in the room we found you in—so I just walked right through them.”
Felix took a deep breath before continuing.
“I was on a train that felt like something out of a horror movie. I walked into one of the other rooms, and there was a box that glowed. It had this strange voice. It’s hard to describe, but it sounded like a woman.”
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