by Nathan Pedde
“That’s the scanner,” Elsie said, “It’s all set up. Just put it on your lap and turn it on.”
Des followed instructions and did so.
“Where were you today?” Des asked Elsie.
“Well…” Elsie said, “When my parents found out I was almost mugged while walking home from study group the other day, she dragged me to the hospital. I had to undergo all of these tests. It’s all kinda embarrassing.”
Des finished his ice cream in silence.
The device pinged. A match was found. Des looked at the screen, and an arrow pointed in the direction of where the person was.
“Look at these lovebirds,” a Voice said from where the arrow was pointing to.
Des tensed and looked up. Standing next to the table was Alix. He was wearing what Des knew was his non-school clothes.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Alix said.
“I was lost in my own thoughts,” Des said.
“Now I know why you didn’t want to hang out,” Alix said, “I didn’t know you and Elsie were a thing.”
“We’re not a thing,” Elsie said, “We’re study partners.”
“Right,” Alix said, “Study partners.”
“What do you want?” Elsie said.
“I saw you two eating ice cream, so I decided to come by and visit,” Alix said.
“Really?” Elsie said.
“You see, I haven’t hung out with Des as much in the last little bit, but I keep seeing you two together, whispering.”
“We’re study partners,” Des said.
“Out holding hands, eating ice cream,” Alix said.
Elsie humphed and set her ice cream spoon on the table hard, the metallic slink echoed in the market.
“What do you want, Alix,” Elsie said.
“I’m jealous I’ve lost my friend,” Alix said.
Des noticed a man walking up behind Alix. After a moment, he recognized the man as Airnee.
“Hey, Alix,” Airnee said, “That’s where you went to. The boss told you not to wander off,” Airnee noticed and recognized Des and Elsie, “Who are your friends?”
“These are school friends of mine,” Alix said.
Airnee pulled Alix away from and said a couple words quietly to Alix.
Des thought of Elsie, Cooley, and Cryslis, he whispered quietly knowing it would be loud in there ears, “Target is Alix. Transferring confirmation.”
“Roger,” Cooley said, “Confrontation imminent.”
Des hit a couple of buttons on the scanner, and the information cleared the screen.
He heard the connection of someone on the neuronet.
“Des, Elsie,” Cooley said, “move out of the market. You need to get away from all the people. Cryslis and I are en route.”
Alix turned back to Des and Elsie, “We need to have a talk, friends.”
Des shook his head and stood up.
“Maybe next time,” Des said, “We need to get back to studying.”
Chapter 31
Des and Elsie stood in the middle of the Old Market with the market crowds milling around them. Standing in front of Des was Alix and Airnee. They had stern looks plastered on their faces.
“I think studying can wait,” Alix said.
Alix reached out to grab hold of Des’s arm, and he smacked Alix’s hand away.
“Don’t touch me,” Des said.
“You’re coming with me,” Alix said.
Des stepped back into the crowd. Elsie followed behind him.
“Time to leave,” Elsie said, “Let’s not fight them in the crowded market.”
Des hurried through the crowd with Elsie a step behind him. Alix and Airnee were a couple steps behind her.
“Stay with me,” Des said.
People looked at Des and Elsie as they wormed there way through the crowds. No one attempted to stop them as they ran past worried onlookers.
The echo of a stun gun discharging echoed across the market square. Des saw an older man dressed in a business suite fall to the ground clutching at his chest.
Des looked behind him, Alix had a stun gun in his hand.
A scream echoed from a nearby lady. The cries of other market-goers echoed through the market. People panicked and ran away from Alix and Des. People were running out of the market in fright.
A few moments later and six robots emerged from the running crowd. The robots looked like they were some type of construction robot. Des recognized them from videos of how they build asteroid mines, but they seemed old and out of style.
“Is that what attacked you that night?” Des asked Elsie.
“Those are them,” Elsie said, “This is bad.”
Elsie pulled out a couple batons from her purse.
“Are those the electrically charged ones?” Des asked.
“Yes,” Elsie said as he handed him one of the batons.
“It looks like we have no choice but to fight,” Des said.
Des took one of the batons. It was made out of a light metal and was a couple feet long. It still felt odd in his hands.
Alix chuckled, “I think you should have kept with a fencing sword and random math problems.”
Elsie turned to Des, “What’s the plan?”
Des looked at the situation. They were outnumbered four to one. He knew he was in trouble.
“Delay them,” Des said, “Cooley and Cryslis are on their way.”
Des turned and ran at a construction robot, his baton held for a backhand swing.
The robot held out his arm, a giant electrified baton folded out. Des slid inside the reach of the outstretched arm. He slammed his baton into the chest plate of the robot.
The robot stiffened, and it fell over as electricity of the baton shorted out its circuits.
“Stay with me,” Des yelled.
Des looked back to see Elsie dodging a long baton of a robot. A second one was approaching her from behind.
He ran up and smashed the baton against the back of the second robots head.
The robot collapsed to the ground with a massive clang.
“Never bring a knife to a gun fight,” Alix said from behind Des.
Alix aimed the stun gun out at Des and squeezed the trigger. The gun went click.
“You need to reload it, you fool,” Des said.
Des saw Elsie smash the robot in the face with her baton.
“You need to run,” Cooley said to Des over the Neuronet, “There are too many of them.”
Des and Elsie walked backward away from Alix. The remaining robots clanked slowly towards them. Alix and Airnee stayed back.
A robot charged at Des. It moved quicker than he thought possible. Des ducked underneath a baton as it smashed against a market stall.
The stall flew end over end and smashed into the ground.
Elsie hit her baton on the robot's arm, and it hung down limp. Des smashed his baton against its chest, and it fell down to the ground.
“Two against one,” Des said. “This is better odds.”
“You idiots,” Alix said, “Attack together.”
The two remaining robots charged forward at the same time. Their movements were in unison. Des looked at Elsie.
“Together,” Elsie said, “We take them on together. One at a time.”
“So much for running,” Des said.
Des and Elsie ran at the robot on the left. The left robot swung its large baton at Des’s head. Des blocked the baton Elsie turned in, and her baton connected on its hip.
The robot on the right swung its baton at Des’s head. Des reached his free hand up and grabbed hold of the baton as it turned towards his head.
Electricity shocked his way through Des’s body. He screamed as the voltage threatened to make his knees shake.
“You don’t have me yet,” Des yelled as the left robot fell to the ground.
Des raised his hand up, the robot’s baton shocking his body more.
Elsie’s baton slammed into the back of the last robot’
s head. It collapsed to the ground.
Des faltered in his step, it was hard to breathe, and his vision swam.
In front of Des stood Alix and Airnee. Alix had his stun gun aimed at Des once more.
“You’re done,” Alix said, “Don’t make me shoot you.”
“I’m not done,” Des said, “I’m only medium-rare. I can be cooked a little while longer.”
“You fool,” Alix said, “You have forced me to change the settings to the stun gun. It is now set to kill. Don’t make me use it.”
Des watched Alix’s finger flex and twitch. In what would be called, in some circles, a negligent discharge, the stun gun went off. Des’s eyes went wide as he sprang his own baton up.
The shot struck the baton and exploded. Electricity through Des’s arm as he screamed in pain.
“Des,” Elsie said as she ran towards him.
Des fell to his knees. Blood dribbled out of his nose and mouth.
“Are you okay?” Elsie asked.
“Yes,” Des said.
Des pulled himself up to his feet, his vision swam and spun. Elsie stood in front of him, her baton raised up high.
“Give up, Des,” Alix yelled.
“Run Des.” Elsie said, “I’ll hold them off.”
Des picked up the oversized baton of a downed robot. The baton was three feet long and weighed three times a regular one did.
“Elsie,” Des said, “We started this together. We’ll end this together.”
Elsie gave Des a grave, but serious face.
Des approached Alix. He held the baton out to the side. His walk was slow. His leg hurt, and it was hard to breathe.
Elsie walked toward Airnee, who had done nothing in the entire fight. Des knew she was going to have a fight on her hand.
Airnee pulled a baton out of his jacket. It was a solid metal baton which didn't have any capabilities to cause electrocution. Airnee ran towards Elsie with his baton raised.
Elsie charged at Airnee, her baton struck at Airnee's, and sparks bounced off the baton.
“I got this bugger,” Elsie said, “Get Alix.”
Des charged at Alix, his baton raised up in the air.
Alix stepped back, his free hand in his pocket. He raised his stun gun and drew a bead at Des. Des swung his baton at the stun gun. The baton’s electric charge sparked and struck Alix’s hand. He jumped back, dropping the stun gun.
“That hurt, you bastard,” Alix said.
Des grinned with pleasure as blood dribbled down his face.
Alix pulled out his baton from his jacket. The baton buzzed with electricity. Alix swung the baton at Des’s head. Des jumped back away from the electrically charged baton.
Des held the baton to the side. He stared at Alix who hesitated.
“Why did you betray the station?” Des asked.
“Why did you become a spy?” Alix said.
Alix charged at Des, who ducked underneath the baton. A single jab struck Alix’s leg, who tensed up and jumped backward.
Des kept close to him, not wanting to give him room to get away.
Alix jumped at Des and swung his baton.
Des attempted to block the incoming baton. Des’s baton missed, and Alix’s baton landed hard on his shoulder. Des screamed in pain, and he involuntarily dropped the baton.
Des dropped to his knees, his vision blurred as pain ran down his body.
Alix stood over him and raised his baton into the air.
Des sprang up to his feet. He slammed into Alix with all of his weight. The force of the bodycheck knocked him off balance.
Alix slipped backward and fell hard onto the pavement. Des saw Alex’s head knock hard against the sidewalk.
Des landed on Alix and rolled off onto his back. He attempted to get back up, but his body wasn’t listening to him.
Alex picked himself off of the ground with one had on his stun baton.
“I’m not finished yet,” Alix grunted.
Elsie jumped over the fallen Des. Her baton caught Alix unaware and bounced off Alix’s head.
Alix collapsed to the ground and stayed still.
Des looked around. Siren’s echoed in the distance, the lights bounced off of the walls of the buildings. The market was empty of people.
The mangled bodies of the robots lay scattered along the floor of the market. Airnee lay on his side, unmoving.
Elsie kneeled next to Des, her nose was bleeding, and one of her eyes was black.
She grabbed hold of Des’s arm and lifted him to a sitting position. She sat on the ground behind him, using her back to keep him up.
“That didn’t go as planned,” Des said.
“We had a plan?” Elsie asked.
***
Des had been taken to the hospital with Elsie close behind. There the nurses gave him some drugs, and he passed out.
Hours later, he woke up with a start. Bright lights shown in his Des’s eyes.
“Where am I?” Des muttered.
“Do I need to answer that?” Elsie said from beside him.
Des turned to see Elsie sitting on a chair. She looked tired and worried. Her forehead had multiple liquid stitches on it, as well as her eye had darkened and started to swell.
"How long was I out for?" Des asked.
"Only a couple hours," Elsie said, "You’ve got to stop getting hit into fights with all of the neighbors."
“You too,” Des said
“I’m not sure who looks worse.”
"Who knows I’m in the hospital?" Des asked.
"The important ones," Elsie said.
"What’s the story of how I’m in here?"
"Another mugging," Elsie said, "This time by Alix."
"The robots?" Des said, “How are we explaining those?”
“He took control of them to do the dirty work,” Elsie said, "They’re keeping the fact he’s the saboteur a secret for now.”
The door opened. Cooley, Cryslis and Captain Kusheeno walked in.
“That’s correct,” Captain Kusheeno said.
"Did you receive any packages of information from an anonymous source."
"A large size file full of evidence against Alix?" Captain Kusheeno said.
"Yes," Des said, “That’s the one.”
"I did," Captain Kusheeno said, "With a message for you."
"What’s the message?" Des asked.
"That you got lucky," Captain Kusheeno said, "The the next time you won't be so lucky."
"I wasn't lucky," Des said.
Captain Kusheeno humphed and shifted on his feet.
“The fact you, managed to stop the saboteur, then catch him before he could do it again is amazing. However, no one will know. At least for now.”
“I had help,” Des said.
“Yes,” Captain Kusheeno said, “but it was you jumped in head first.”
“I refuse to accept all of the praise,” Des said, “I did my part, and frankly, I did it poorly. I messed up some big things. If I didn’t have these guys with me, I would have failed.”
“Good answer,” Captain Kucheeno said.
Elsie stepped forward, “Did we find out why he did it?”
“No,” Captain Kusheeno said, “he hasn’t said a word.”
“What now?” Des asked.
“You’ll keep training,” Captain Kusheeno said, “and we keep an ear out.”
“That's it?” Des asked.
“What did you want?” Captain Kusheeno asked, “A metal?”
“That would be nice," Des said.
“What are we training for?” Elsie said.
“I’ll leave you to get back on your feet,” Captain Kusheeno said as he left the room.
Cryslis and Cooley sat down on some chairs beside the bed.
“What do we do about Susan?” Des asked Cryslis.
“I’ve been told to keep an eye on her for now,” Cryslis said,
“What?” Des said, “Why?”
“Orders from the brass.”
“Any
information on the robots?” Des asked.
“Modified construction robots of unknown origin,” Cooley said.
“Okay,” Des said, “Can we track them down?”
“We’re looking,” Cooley said, “But the parts are ancient and from an unknown manufacturer. It’s tough to track.”
“Now what?” Des said, “Is training all we have left to do?”
“What else do we do?” Cryslis said.
“The mysterious man has us all pegged,” Des said, “He said that nothing is how it seems and that he was going to sink us.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Cryslis said, “We’re moving you and your brother to a new townhouse, as well as Elsie’s family. Captain Kusheeno has also allowed us a protection detail.”
“What does that mean?” Des asked.
“We’re hiding better, and if they do find us, we’ll be ready,” Elsie said.
Des lay his head back on the pillow. He knew this was far from over.
Get Book Two
The adventure doesn’t end here for Des O’Neal,
Book Two continues the epic space adventure on the space colony that orbits Jupiter.
O’Neal Kidnapped: Book Two of the O’Neal Trilogy.
Currently Forthcoming.
For more information and behind the scenes about myself and the worlds that I have created, go to peddehouse.com or sign up to my mailing list for more.
About the Author
Nathan Pedde was born in central British Columbia, Canada. He went to Capilano University after high school and entered the film industry where he worked for two years as a lamp operator. He has worked in many different industries and jobs from working at a gas station, to engraving picture frames, to working as an Flood Technician drying flooded homes. He is currently living on Vancouver Island with his wife and two kids.
He began writing in the seventh grade, he wrote an illustrated fairy-tale. He dabbled in it during High School, and started writing in college. Life got in the way and little progress was made, however, the writing still happened. Fifteen years after high school, the serious writing has begun.
Nathan writes in both Science-Fiction and Fantasy and has many novels written, and many novels planned. Expect more books in both of those genres in the near future.