by Jason Kent
"Yes, well, you don't have the orb any longer," Georges said.
Kurst eyed the marine with a hard glare. "You can't..." He thought better of what he was about to say since the people standing in front of him were evidence enough they could probably get in anywhere they wanted. "That's SU property. They won't be happy."
"Tough," Georges said.
"What will you do with it?"
"What we always do," Tivon said as she tucked the key back into her bag.
"Destroy priceless artifacts?" Kurst ventured.
"No, you fool," Georges snarled. "Keep them safe!"
Chapter 29
Sparrow Ascending
The sound of Ross and Merrick's guns were muted thanks to the thinning atmosphere on the promenade, courtesy of the shattered glass ceiling.
Sparrow glanced around her. The absence of locals proved they knew when it was time to hunker down. Besides the Ater and a few isolated pockets of human security guards holed up at EMTEC's entrance, there was no one else in sight.
Two Ater staggered back under the onslaught of fire from the marines. Sparrow added fire from her pistols out the right side of the cart. The Ater trooper she hit stumbled. His armor protected him from the worst of the impact. The tall alien recovered quickly from the center-mass hits and snarled through his mask at Sparrow. Sparrow snarled back as the Ater raised the wicked weapon in his hands, aiming directly at the Link Sprite.
Sparrow calmly holstered one gun and reached for the Ater with the now-free hand. The upgrades in her palm flared to life. She clenched her fist in the direction of the alien and jerked her arm up. The Ater's mask ripped free. The Ater suddenly forgot about trying to kill the humans zooming past him and instead focused on staying alive.
"How long do you think they can hold their breath?" Sparrow asked in a conversational tone.
An explosion rocked the promenade and a brilliant flash filled the air behind them. Sparrow shielded her eyes and looked back at the ball of flame as it swirled in the atmosphere venting through the roof. EMTEC's once-gleaming lobby was blackened and filled with Ater running back out through the holes they'd blasted in the wall. The surviving guards fired half-heartedly at the Ater as the aliens abandoned their attack on EMTEC and rushed after the fleeing cart carrying the prize they'd come to claim.
As one, two dozen of the dark-clad Ater troops raised their weapons, taking steady aim at Sparrow and her friends even as they continued to drive at full speed across the debris-strewn promenade. They were over seventy meters away, but Sparrow had to wonder if she and the others were about to die. An idea popped into her head. She wasn't sure if the thought was inspired by the desperate circumstances or if it was something she'd seen in the orb.
"I'm going to try something!" Sparrow called loudly to be heard above the shots Merrick was firing at the advancing line of Ater. As the sniper carefully picked off one alien soldier after another, they fell from the ranks and did not get back up; he'd obviously found a deadly sweet spot to aim for. The Ater were going down, but not fast enough.
"Hold me." Sparrow told Kate.
Kate grabbed Sparrow as she hung out the side of the cart's cab. The Link Sprite's implants brightened as Kate squirmed around in the cargo bed to face Sparrow. She linked one leg over the railing next to her and managed to get one arm around the woman's thin waist. With the other hand, she snagged onto Merrick's combat harness under his jacket, it was the only other thing within easy reach. Kate turned her head away from the brilliance of Sparrow's gleaming upgrades.
Sparrow flicked her fingers open just as the Ater guns began to sparkle.
"Crud," Kate said and cringed as the Ater were unleashing the full fury of their weapons upon them. If Sparrow couldn't stop them, hundreds of deadly darts were about to rip through the cart and shred the occupants. When Kate was still alive a moment later, she opened her eyes. Instead of finding flesh and metal to dig into, the hyper-accelerated darts found a wall of shimmering energy between them and their intended target. The shield Sparrow erected flashed and sparked as thousands of darts encountered the unexpected obstacle.
Kate's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I thought you'd disable their weapons. This..." She nodded with her chin at the field, "this is impressive!" Ater darts were deflected in every direction. Storefronts and previously undamaged portions of the glass ceiling exploded in their wake. Kate flinched as the redirected rounds tore through her favorite coffee shop.
"Turning!" Ross warned the others. He cranked on the wheel and sent the cart into a skidding turn which very nearly caused them to flip over. Kate was about to lose her grip on her friend when Merrick reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sure she was in safe hands, Kate let go of Merrick and flung her other arm around Sparrow. She refused to let go of Sparrow as the other woman focused on keeping their protective shield in place until the Ater were out of sight.
Sparrow finally lowered her arms as the cart slewed around abandoned transports in a long tunnel leading away from the promenade. She sagged within Kate's grip, momentarily drained by her exertions.
"You okay?!" Kate asked as she helped Sparrow back into her seat within the cart's cab.
Sparrow nodded and inhaled on the bottled air within her facemask. She grinned at Kate. "How cool was that?"
Kate laughed and shook her head. "You continue to surprise! That's some bag of tricks you have!"
"This should take us to the landing field!" Ross called out to his passengers.
"Good!" Kate replied. "Now all we need is a pilot!"
Georges ripped off his mask as Blade's airlock sealed behind Tivon and him. They had managed to get to the city tram station located under Tower One after descending twenty-three flights of stairs. The tram had provided them with a direct connection to the spaceport while managing to avoid the marauding Ater swarming through Huygens City. Georges glanced out the window at the smoke drifting up from the city. In the orange sky, dark Ater fighters were engaging a fresh squadron of gleaming Fleet attack craft. He silently wished the Fleet pilots luck. A smile crept across Georges face as he felt the irony of their peaceful ride on the monorail despite the chaos swirling overhead.
"What now?" Tivon asked. She stood next to the Colonel, and gestured at the destruction visible across the landing field. "It won't take the Ater long to figure out the Aether Source isn't at EMTEC any longer."
"We get the engines going," Georges replied. He turned and strode toward Blade's cockpit.
"Do you know how to do that?" Tivon asked, hurrying to follow the marine.
"We're about to find out."
The engines of the attack shuttle whined as they spun up to full power. The shrill sound settled into a dull roar and Garrett activated the repulsors. As the craft rose gently from the hangar floor, Garrett grinned at Dagger. "Now that's more like it!"
"Just get us airborne, marine! You can admire your shiny new ship later!"
"As you wish, my lady," Garrett replied. He nudged the shuttle's nose out into the center aisle between the other idle assault craft. He yawed so they faced the main hangar doors. The mechanic who'd been shanghaied into loading out their shuttle with missiles slipped a mask on then hit a big button on the console next to the exit. He gave Garrett a salute then ran for the nearest exit. Garrett returned the salute and eyed the widening gap of crimson light seeping into the hangar. "Any last requests?"
"Don't make us dead," Dagger growled.
"I'll do my best." When the doors were open wide enough for the Mark XXIX to fit through, Garrett shoved the controls against their stops. The shuttle shot out of the hangar, pressing Garrett and Dagger deep into their acceleration couches. The marine whooped and banked hard as soon as he was clear of the still-moving doors.
"Enjoy it while you can!" Dagger shouted above the roar of the engines. "We have Ater at three o-clock!"
"I see them!" Garrett rolled the nimble shuttle over on its back and dove for the surface. The Ater ship spotted the shuttle and came
after them, filling the air around their ship with blazing fire.
"I meant shoot them!" Dagger yelled. She flung her hands out to grab anything she could hold onto. "Tral! I hate not being in the left-hand seat!"
"You know it was my turn," Garrett said with a maniacal grin plastered on his face. He grunted as he banked around a soaring Martian skyscraper, piling on the g-forces in the process. When they straightened out, he added, "Besides, this is SUMC property, I should be the one to steal it!"
"Blast that guy or we won't have a ship at all!"
"Watch this!"
"You know I hate it when a guy says that," Dagger grumbled and tightened her grip on the arms of her seat as they rolled around another spindly tower.
Garrett leveled out then pulled back on the controls, sending the ship into a vertical climb. For just a moment, they were able to catch a glimpse of twinkling stars through the thin Martian atmosphere as they shot away from the surface. Garrett cut the engines. They floated weightless for a moment as the shuttle slowed, and then began the long fall back to Huygens City. Before they could tumble, Garrett used the ship's thrusters to spin the craft around so they were facing back the way they'd come with the towers and domes of the city rising up to meet them.
Garrett restarted the engines and poured on the power.
"Garrett!" Dagger screamed. Her fingers dug into her seat as she visibly fought the urge to grab the co-pilot's control column.
Garrett lined the shuttle up on the rapidly approaching Ater fighter. The shuttle bucked as the alien's guns hit their armored hull. Garrett pulled the trigger set into his control stick, unleashing a blazing stream of bolts. The blaster fire hit home and turned the Ater fighter into a ball of burning debris.
"You have the missiles," Garrett told Dagger as he pulled out of the dive. They left a cloud of red dust in their wake as they rocketed only meters above glass domes and empty streets.
Happy to have a task to keep her busy, Dagger tapped on the control board in front of her. A holo-display flared to life in front of the cockpit window.
"The boys at EMTEC were kind enough to load us up, let's test these babies out," Garrett said.
"Got it," Dagger said with a grin. She selected four of the nearest Ater targets, painted red in the display, and hit the missile release button. The underside of the shuttle popped open and eight missiles dropped out of weapon bays. The missiles streaked away in pairs, heading for their designated targets.
Garrett gained enough altitude just in time to see three of the targets explode. They watched as the fourth pair of missiles streaked after an Ater fighter who was desperately trying to evade the new threat. The Ater pilot misjudged a turn and slammed into a glass-walled tower. A fireball blossomed outward, consuming the skyscraper. The smart missiles broke off their attack and turned in different directions, hunting for secondary enemy targets to engage.
"Well, I guess those work," Dagger said. She pointed out the cockpit window. "There's the port."
Garrett nodded and spun them in a tight corkscrew as he turned toward the indicated heading.
"Now you're just showing off!" Dagger shouted.
The cold of Mars thin atmosphere was seeping through Kate's clothes as they approached their ship. The emergency air packs came equipped with masks and gloves she'd been glad to pull on as they sped out of the tunnel. She had some additional protection from the outfits they'd donned as part of their effort to blend into the crowd on Mars. Residents of Mars made their clothing fashionable as well as airtight; a necessity of living under glass domes in an otherwise deadly environment. Kate was discovering first-hand that these emergency precautions were engineered to keep a person alive long enough to get to safety, not to keep them comfortable for long periods of exposure to the cold and lower atmospheric pressure. Now she wished she could have worn a full pressure suit equipped with a nice warm heater. But, she and the others hadn't foreseen an all-out attack by the Ater. Kate was relieved they would soon be inside Blade's warm cabin.
"They've spotted us," Merrick noted. He shifted in the bed of the cart and took aim up into the air. Kate followed his gaze and saw a pair of Ater fighters wheel around in the sky, lining up for the space port.
Ross skidded sideways to a stop next to Blade's airlock. He was forced to shout to be heard above the roar of the ship's engines, "I suggest we not stay out here any longer than we have to!"
Kate's foot caught on the railing of the cargo bed and she went sprawling down onto the scarred, reddish brown concrete of the landing pad. Merrick rushed to her side and helped her up with one hand while keeping his sniper rifle pointed at the rapidly approaching enemy. Kate cursed her clumsiness as she managed to get to her hands and knees. Just then, a deep shadow cut across the tarmac. Kate gasped as Nemus began to panic inside her mind. She knew whatever was coming would be worse than anything they'd faced so far that day.
"Oh tral." The scraping sound of the orb's carrying case ceased as Ross stopped dragging the crate out of the cargo bed and looked up. Kate let Merrick pull her to her feet and turned. Merrick let the point of his rifle drop a fraction as the two fighters broke off their attack run and a huge black ship descended over the landing field.
Kate and Nemus had seen ships like this before. "It's an Ater cruiser..." Huge cannons mounted along the bottom of the ship turned slowly, aiming for them and Blade. Kate found herself looking up into the dark bores of their barrels. As the warship continued to lower itself out of the sky, red dust was blasted out from under its thrusters, nearly blinding Kate and the others.
"Get me the key." Sparrow's words made Kate jump. She hadn't seen the Link Sprite move to her side through the haze of swirling sand. Kate gaped at Sparrow.
"The key?" Kate felt as if her legs were leaden. She wondered if her air supply was running low, causing her brain to begin to shut down. Maybe she was simply numb with the fear of their imminent capture and probable death at the hands of the Ater.
Sparrow had already knelt beside the ACU and was working the latches. She paused and looked up at Kate with her metal eyes. Her face was set in a resolute mask. "Kate, I need you to get the key from Tivon." Sparrow pointed at Blade's airlock. "Now!"
Kate nodded numbly and stumbled backwards. Merrick reached around her and hit the airlock controls with his fist. He touched his faceplate to hers. His voice sounded distorted transmitted through their masks. "Once you get the key for Sparrow, get back inside."
Kate looked into Merrick's gray eyes; they were filled with a mix of command and pleading. She knew he wanted her to be somewhere safe. She nodded and tried to smile. The last thing she wanted to do was give Merrick something else to worry about.
"We've got company!" Ross shouted. Merrick spun and Kate leaned around him to see what Ross meant. Through the blowing dust, dark figures could be seen dropping from the bottom of the Ater cruiser. The soldiers looked like tiny insects when set against the immense starship.
"Go!" Merrick yelled at Kate. He forced her into the airlock and turned to face the on-coming troops.
Kate hurried through the airlock cycle. As the pressure equalized, she was relieved to feel the warmth of Blades' atmosphere fill the cramped space. She slapped the button for the inside door and it slid open. Tivon was standing there to meet her.
"What's going on?!" the archivist asked as Kate ripped off her mask. "We need to leave!"
Kate thought of the big guns trained on Blade and shook her head. "Not gonna happen! Where's the key?!" Tivon's luminescent violet eyes widened at Kate's question, then narrowed.
"What are you planning?"
"Not me!" Kate snapped. She grabbed Tivon's arm and squeezed it. "Sorry! Sparrow's going to try something! But she needs the key!"
Tivon reached into her satchel and pulled out the artifact, wrapped in its thick cloth. She stared down at it for a few seconds before offering it to Kate. Kate gently took the key from Tivon.
"Is she going to give it to the Ater?" Tivon asked quietly. She could no
t meet Kate's eyes.
"I don't think that's what Sparrow has in mind," Kate replied. Her mind was racing. What was her friend planning? Had she seen some way to use the Aether Source when she tapped into it back in the lab? There was no time to ask.
Kate sealed her mask and closed the airlock door. Tivon's eyes never left the key as she watched through the window set in the hatch.
The outer door opened and Merrick reached in and took the key. His eyes met Kate's. He winked then strode to where Sparrow was bent over the Aether Source.
Kate caught a glimpse of Sparrow's face, illuminated by the blue glow of the orb. She shut the airlock door. In a moment, she was beside Tivon again, looking out the window beside the hatch.
"What's she going to do?" Tivon gasped. Her glowing eyes finally met Kate's.
"What needs to be done," Kate replied. The words came out more calmly than she felt. Kate realized Sparrow was about to unleash the full power of the Aether Source against the Ater. She swallowed and took Tivon's hand and wondered if any of them would survive. She whispered, "God help us."
Chapter 30
Full Potential
Kate quickly realized there was no way she could stay inside Blade. Not while her friends faced the Ater right outside the window. But, she didn't think she'd be any good to them if she were freezing. As she glanced around her eyes landed on the lockers set into the corridor wall next to Blade's airlock. Kate threw open the locker door and snagged one of the pressure suits stored there. Fearing she was running out time, she frantically pulled the suit on over her clothing.
"Help me with this!" Kate told Tivon. The archivist tore her eyes from the window and the sight of Sparrow unwrapping the key out on the tarmac.
Tivon's eyes went wide. "You can't go back out there!"
"I sure as tral can't stay in here!" Kate replied with a nervous laugh.
"Do you even have a weapon?" Despite her protesting, Tivon began helping Kate pull on her suit. Within seconds, she pressed the final seal closed around Kate's neck. She stood back and looked into the other woman's eyes. "It's a pointless gesture!"