Jelly Bean’s mouth tightened, but then she conceded. Blackfriar smiled.
“Barnabas, take the weapons systems,” he ordered. “Svend, take navigation. I want a full reverse thrust right before Amroth fires his next blast.”
The androids rushed to their newly appointed stations and performed like musicians in a symphony with Blackfriar as their capable conductor. Amroth’s ship powered its weapons and fired again, but this time they were ready. They finished unhooking from the android ship and jetted out of the way just in time. Rather than strike its target, the latest blast found a home on the already wrecked ship.
Blinding light spilled through the windows as a small partition of the android ship exploded. Bentley clung to her control panel for balance, but the android crew had been prepared and barely moved from the g-force. The Chesed powered out around the blast radius and came at Amroth’s ship while his crew was still regaining their wits.
“Barnabas, report?” Blackfriar requested.
His second looked up from where he’d been intently studying several screens. “I’m scanning their ship now,” he replied, typing as fast as a digging squirrel. “I’m reading several weaknesses. It looks like the most vulnerable is an exposed valve for their FTL drive,” he explained, his hands never stopping their dance across the keyboard. “Once I have that I’ll be able to target it and their tracking apparatus simultaneously. I’m re-writing the weapons systems now so that I can-”
“Hold on there, Barnacle,” Loco cut in. “What if we don’t want our weapons systems re-written?” He sauntered over and planted himself uncomfortably close to Barnabas.
“Trust me,” Barnabas said, bending back to his task and barely paying the human any mind, “it’s better this way.”
“How much time do you need?” Blackfriar asked.
“A few minutes at most.”
“Shield status?”
“Minimal,” Jelly Bean reported, “but holding for now.”
“I don’t think I can get you any more power,” Jade called over urgently. Bentley could sense the tension in her voice, even though she wasn’t shouting now.
“Svend, it’s all in your hands.” Blackfriar nodded at his protege fondly. “You know what to do.”
The android nodded and closed his eyes. His facial expressions began to flicker as he seemed to connect in with the ship’s computer. Amroth’s ship continued to fire at them with both barrels, but no more blasts shook their shields. Svend piloted the ship with such skill and precision that Bentley could almost feel them turning the corners despite the inertial dampeners.
“Damn, this android boy can fly!” Jade rejoiced, holding onto her chair as they swerved for the third time.
“He’s alright,” Loco grumbled. “I could have done that,” he added as Svend evaded a pair of seeker missiles. He manipulated the ship like a master dancer moving with his partner, and weaved in unexpected ways to keep the enemy guessing. Full power blaster beams flashed within mere yards of the hull, putting on as good a lights show as any tech wizard.
Barnabas was still working away like a demon, typing code into the terminal faster than any human hands could have moved. “Almost there, almost there,” he mumbled to himself, pausing only on occasion to menace the Geburah with missiles from the Chesed’s armory. Mostly, they were relying on Svend’s expertise to keep them alive.
That android flew the Chesed like he had been born to, bringing it around behind Amroth’s ship to give them some breathing room, temporarily resting in the other ship’s blind spot. The Geburah weaved and turned, but it was less maneuverable than the Chesed and with Svend’s expert skill, their pilot could do little to shake him.
“Now would be a perfect time for you to finish that program Barnabas,” Svend joked, casting a quick glance at his brother at arms.
“Almost there!” Barnabas reassured him, his fingers flying.
“Stay on their tail, Svend,” Blackfriar advised. “Don’t lose that position!”
“I’ve got it!” Barnabas announced. “Hold her steady! Firing now!”
A strange buzzing sound emanated throughout the ship, and then their blasters fired rapid pulses of energy with surgical precision. The laser beams cut through the black and collided with the Geburah in a shower of sparks.
“Two direct hits!” Barnabas crowed. “No, damn!” His face fell as his fingers flew. “Their shields absorbed almost the entire blast. Not to worry, I know another way, I just need a little more time.” He fired off a salvo of missiles to keep the Geburah busy and went back to coding.
“Whoa there Barnacle, now what are you doing to our damn ship?” Loco demanded. “You already screwed up once, how about letting a professional take a turn?”
“No, no,” Barnabas insisted, making a shooing gesture with one hand. He seemed completely unbothered by Loco’s aggression. “This will only take a minute or two. I’m overwriting some safety protocols so that I can put some extra juice into the blasters and penetrate their shields. It’ll work perfectly if you do regular maintenance on your blaster tubes. You do clean your tubes, don’t you?”
“You could use them as a fucking straw if you wanted,” Loco bragged. “For you know, slurping up some melted plastic or something.”
“I’d rather have a decent brand of whisky,” Barnabas replied, “but to each their own I suppose. Anyway, this should work. Svend, can you give me thirty more seconds?”
“I could give you thirty years, the way this idiot at the helm flies!” Svend laughed.
“Seconds should do,” Barnabas seemed to have missed the joke. “Twenty now. Get us back in position if you can.”
“Get right on their ass!” Loco shouted. Svend steered them in a quick loop and managed to find a dominant bearing again.
The strange buzzing emanated throughout the ship again, stronger this time, almost loud enough to puncture a human eardrum. There was a short, intense vibration as the blasters finished powering up.
“You said you kept the tubes clean,” Barnabas hollered.
“I did!” Loco shouted back defensively.
“Six months ago, maybe,” Olofi cackled.
Phssssew!
The laser beams seemed thicker and brighter this time, and they clearly struck the Geburah in two distinct locations, producing more sparks that died in the unyielding black.
“That did it! They’re crippled for the moment,” Barnabas exclaimed animatedly. “We can get out of here now, they won’t be able to follow so long as we make the jump.”
“Svend?” Blackfriar snapped.
“Calculating trajectory and bringing FTL engines online,” the prodigy android reported.
“Brace for acceleration,” Blackfriar warned. A moment later the ship lurched as it leaped away, faster than the speed of light.
+++
Aboard the Geburah, Edge of Klaunox-Orion Sector
“Why are we not in hyperspace?” Amroth demanded, making a fist and crashing it down on the arm of his chair. “Why are we not pursuing them?”
“Sir,” his assistant was bent over her tablet, fingers flying as she communicated with the Geburah’s control center. “It appears that two blasts from the enemy have penetrated our shields. The damage is minimal, but somehow they fried our external FTL release valve and our long-distance tracking radar.”
Her blonde hair swaying as she shook her head. “Talk about a couple of lucky shots. We’re not dead in the water, but we’re pretty much crippled until the repair crew finishes up with the FTL valve.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Amroth growled. He tried to look away, but frowned when he saw someone who had disappointed him. His new assistant, Sergeant Erin Wiseman, and Adjunct Fourier were in one of the ship’s long conference rooms, accompanied by a full complement of his senior staff. They were all busy talking among themselves in hushed voice trying to find any excuse not to meet his eyes.
Amroth stroked the talisman hanging around his neck. “This was Blackfriar’s doi
ng.”
“You think the android captain was on that ship?” Wiseman asked. She ducked back to her tablet, typing, swiping, and cross-referencing different pools of data. “It’s possible,” she agreed bobbing her head nervously.
Fourier glanced at her, trying to calculate the odds of her trying to take his position. Not that it would be an entirely bad thing… other than the fact that he would probably be ‘retired’.
“Of course, it’s fucking possible!” Amroth exploded. “That was his ship we shot up when we arrived here. Incidentally, I’m going to punish whoever was responsible for that. That was some of the worst blaster work I’ve ever seen…” He trailed off, still stroking his talisman and gazing at the monitor which now displayed empty space. It had been displaying the Chesed until the enemy ship made its jump.
“If you’re right…” Wiseman typed and swiped some more before coming up for air. “If the android and his crew really have teamed up with the Chesed, it may be real trouble for us. We should-”
Amroth waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not of great concern. Blackfriar’s cheap tricks never work twice on me. We’ll be ready for him next time, and we’ll take him, the three, and the girl. We’ll lock all of them away in separate holds until they’re starving. And then we’ll make them- what?” Wiseman was glaring at him strangely.
“And the sword?” she prompted.
“Right, the sword.” Amroth nodded. “Of course, we’ll retrieve the sword. That’s really what this is all about. But these lwa and their little friends have crossed me one too many times. I mean to show them just how I feel about that.” His hand went back to the talisman at his throat, still warm to the touch. “They will feel my fire.”
After a few moments he realized everyone was either staring at him or avoiding him. “Well, let’s not waste time. Are our sub light engines still online?”
“Fully functional, sir,” Wiseman reported.
“Take us in,” he snapped, “and get us a secure airlock connection, or I’ll abandon you here with that wrecked hunk of metal.”
“Yes, sir,” Wiseman confirmed, the gears of her sharp mind suddenly turning.
CHAPTER FOUR
Android Home Base, Orion Sector
“I can’t believe we’re trusting these tin cans.” Loco remarked when he had tired of pacing back and forth. “They could be taking us anywhere.”
“Our fortunes, for the moment, are entwined,” Shango reminded him.
“Exiting hyperspace,” Svend reported. Bentley could not help but admire the way he had handled himself during the intense space battle. The ship lurched again as it slowed from faster than light travel, and the stars in the distance became pinpricks rather than blurred lines.
The sub light engines took over and they headed for their destination: a small abandoned planet. Based on its position in the star system it seemed like it might have once been ripe with intelligent activity, but something catastrophic caused it to appear gray and lifeless.
“I bet my next week of pay they live underground, like mole people,” Loco chuckled to himself. “Can you imagine? Robot mole people?” He laughed heartily at his own joke while the others ignored him.
“I’ll take that bet,” Bentley offered. “They’re probably orbiting in cloaked space stations.”
“You’re on, little lady.”
“Neither of you are correct, I’m afraid, though Miss Bentley came closer to the truth.” Captain Blackfriar came over from where he’d been standing by the helm. “My apologies, I couldn’t help but overhear.” He smiled. “Barnabas, please contact our comrades and have them lower the illusive shield. Just for a few moments, and wait until we’re directly overhead. Come, friends, gather around.”
He paced to the front of the bridge and stood with his back to screen displaying the looming planet as they dropped into orbit. “It is with no small consideration that I reveal our home base. It is as precious to us as any human world might be to you. Come, now.” He splayed his hands and stepped aside.
The sky above the planet’s main continent seemed to split apart to reveal the lush colorful world beneath. The entire land mass was covered by fields, forests, and bodies of freshwater all connected by freely flowing rivers. As they flew down a great city revealed itself as a model of modern architecture. The buildings were strategically designed to carry the wind to a designated windmill.
“This is so cool!” Jade exclaimed, moving closer to the side of the ship for a better angle.
“How did you hide everything on a continent?” Bentley asked breathlessly.
“As you can see, we are fond of renewable energy sources,” Blackfriar smiled. “The roofs of most of our buildings are constructed almost entirely of solar panels, and we also harness the power of the tides and rivers. Naturally, we have other fuel sources for our ships and higher technologies, but our day to day lives are powered by nature just like yours.”
“That’s a very clever way of approaching it.” Shango’s eyes twinkled as he tilted his head to one side. “You’ve put a lot of work into creating a beautiful society here.”
The ship descended over the large city at the center of the continent, and as they drew nearer, other smaller flying vessels became visible, zipping from building to building. Two of them, each long and bearing four elegant wings, flew up to escort the Chesed toward the landing pad.
Blackfriar turned and admired his home base, folding his hands behind his back. “This is the place from which our rebellion has been birthed.”
Bentley watched the screen as the planet grew larger with every second. Despite knowing they’d managed to lose the Geburah, she could not shake the feeling that she was in the wrong place.
Legba needs my help. Why wouldn’t the others listen to me? They would be on my side if they’d seen what I saw, and felt what I felt.
She shifted her weight, her eyes fixed unseeing on the screen behind Blackfriar.
What if they’re right? What if that machine somehow affected my mind and made me think things that I shouldn’t?
The ship flew over a great lake and circled toward a vast landing strip. As it descended the accompanying aircraft peeled away, clearly having other duties to attend. Bentley watched them go and returned to staring down at the screen.
People - androids, she assumed - raced back and forth on the ground, growing from the size of ants to mice as they bustled about. There was a station with several large aerials rising from it set next to the strip, which had a large parking lot filled with land vehicles on the other side of it.
The Chesed set down in a large clear space along the tarmac, which Blackfriar boasted was composed entirely of recyclable materials, rather than “the usual wasteful sludge”. Bentley, the three lwa, and Jade (at her own insistence) accompanied Blackfriar in disembarking first. They descended the landing ramp alongside Svend and Barnabas, the humans shielding their eyes against the brilliance of the sun while the androids merely adapted.
+++
Android Home Base, Orion Sector
The building bearing the aerials was long, squat, and inelegant compared to the rest of the android city. Bentley noticed covered metal slots in the ground as they strode towards it. They climbed carved stone steps and entered through the sliding steel doors as Blackfriar began delegating.
“Barnabas,” Blackfriar called over, “see to our mission report and the debriefing of the crew. Svend and myself will give our friends a tour, and show them to their quarters.”
“As you wish, Captain.” Barnabas hurried away.
“I hope you won’t mind our security measures,” Blackfriar said as they came to a sealed off section of the hallway. It was blocked by two airlocked glass doors. “There is a decontamination process before you may enter the next part of the base.”
Jade shivered and hugged herself. “Can humans even survive the decontamination process? I’m not sure I want to go through that, whatever it is.”
“It’s harmless,” Blackfriar assur
ed her in a patient tone. “If you don’t wish to go through with it, you may remain here, but I promise you, the most interesting parts of the base lies beyond those doors.”
Jade sighed. “Alright, I’m in, but I’m not going first!”
“I’ll go first.” Loco boasted, stepping forward. “I want to know what you lot are up to around here.”
“After you,” Blackfriar said, extending a hand toward the airlock.
Bentley thought she saw a ripple of trepidation go through Loco’s muscular body, but he still stepped up to the airlock and entered, securing the first door behind him.
“What now?” he called in a muffled voice.
Fwoosh. A cloud of smoky dust descended on him from above, swirling about his body before descending through a grate in the floor.
“Is that the whole decontamination process?” Loco shouted.
The second door clicked open.
“That’s the entire process,” Blackfriar said. “You may vacate the chamber.” He nodded. “Who’s next?”
No one volunteered, so Svend went next, then Bentley after him. The rest of them filed through with Jade holding Shango back and going next to last.
“What?” she said as she came through. “I had to make sure it was safe for the captain!”
The group progressed down an immaculate and windowless hall. They turned a corner and found themselves at an alcove with an elevator which was only intended for descension.
“Aha!” Loco exclaimed in Bentley’s face. “What did I say? Robot mole people!” He pumped a fist in the air.
“What’s he talking about. Is he alright?” Svend asked Bentley.
“Not really,” she replied dryly, “but don’t worry about it.”
Svend smiled at her. It was nice to have him around again, without the threat of impending death.
They piled into the elevator, which was spacious enough to accommodate all of them as it began its descent. The walls became transparent as they passed to the next level, giving them a full view of each floor that they passed.
Resistance Page 3