RABAN (The Rabanian Book 2)

by Dan Haronian

  "Yes sir," said Itgass then shifted his attention to another incoming message.

  Thesh stared at him impatiently. He wanted to scream at him. Why did the man not understand? Gaining control of the deadly compounds was their only hope.

  "He has crashed in the desert," said Itgass after a few seconds.

  "The rebel?" asked Thesh.

  "Yes."

  Thesh pounded on his desk furiously and snarled.

  "It looks like he ejected. They found the escape shell, but-"

  "He wasn't there?" continued Thesh despairingly

  "No sir, but we’ll find him. If he's not with Silor he’ll have no place to hide.

  "Excellent," said Thesh and pointed at the screen. "Make sure he doesn't come anywhere near the chemical center. We need the poison, do you understand why?" Thesh asked.

  "Of course."

  "And try not to kill him. We need him alive."

  "Yes sir," said Itgass and disconnected.

  Thesh dropped into his chair. He ran his hand through his hair again and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he turned back to the screen and pushed a button on the desk. The image of his assistant’s face appeared. "Connect me to the shuttle that brought the delegation," he told Essy, then leaned back. "Maybe someone stayed behind. I’d prefer to speak to a local representative rather than deal with time-delayed messages to Seragon."

  "Yes sir," said Essy and disconnected.

  Bits of information bounced around in his mind. He tested each against his theory. Most of them fit, but something was still missing. Essy’s image appeared on the screen again. "Sir, Naan would like to speak to you."

  He let out a quiet sigh. He didn't have either the time or the desire to talk to the man just now. Although he didn't know where Naan fit into the puzzle, there was little chance of clearing that up in this conversation. He straightened and nodded to her. Her tense face disappeared and was replaced with the worried face of Naan.

  "What's going on?" asked Naan.

  "What's going on? Everything I was afraid of. It is all collapsing."

  "I heard explosions," said Naan. "I hope everything is alright."

  "No, everything is terrible." Thesh barely resisted the urge to shout. "I really hope you have nothing to do with this, because if you did I will personally kick your little planet all the way to Seragon."

  "Sir, I assure you we have nothing to do with this. I can't believe you could suspect me or anyone else from Naan. You know how ridiculous all this is. It's suicide."

  "I wouldn’t expect you to say anything else, but facts are facts. You stole that information, and you had the molecules produced. In addition you did it in collaboration with this madman from the desert."

  "That's a lie, sir. The fact that I don't know how to explain it doesn't make me guilty."

  "I don’t care what you think. That is what Seragon will hear when I meet with them. If they even agree to meet with me that is. If I was them I would've started shooting already."

  "Where is the material now?" asked Naan

  "Why do you ask?"

  "Because with all of the horrible things happening right now it is clear that you are facing a turning point."

  "A turning point? I'm facing a disaster!"

  "Sir this material could lead to a major change in the politics of Mampas."

  Thesh gazed at Naan. "Do I understand you correctly? You want to use this material?"

  "It will do nothing to solve my problems on Naan, but it will solve yours. Forget for a second all of the theories you have about what really happened and listen to me. Think about the chance that has fallen into your hands."

  "Only a fool enters into something he doesn't understand."

  "It's inevitable sir. If not you then someone else will use this information. Better to act now when the crisis is at its peak. You must get your hands on this material, sir. The crisis with Seragon will pass. What people will remember ten years from now is how you solved the problem of the rebels, not how you dealt with Seragon."

  Thesh’s heart started to pound fast. If Naan were sitting in front of him at that moment he would've killed him with his bare hands.

  May-Thor was sleeping on one of the beds in the infirmary when a young man walked in and called her name. He went through the beds, and pushed aside the curtains that separated them from one another until he found her.

  "May-Thor," he called and shook her arms aggressively.

  "Yes," she said trying to shake off his grip.

  "Get up."

  "What do you want?" she asked as she sat up.

  "I'm taking you to a different base," he said.

  "Are you..." she fell silent. For moment she’d thought that maybe he was one of Oziri-Dos’ men, but he was too aggressive. The set of handcuffs he pulled from his belt confirmed he suspicion. She tried to wriggle away from him but he held her and turned her face down on the bed.

  "I have my orders and I am going to carry them out even if I need to put these handcuffs on two broken hands."

  She went limp then. After the handcuffs were around her wrists he helped her up and marched her out of the infirmary.

  Very few people were here in the corridors that early in the morning. Most of them were people just finishing their work shifts or on their way to begin one. They’d walked past several rooms when suddenly beyond a half open door, she noticed Oziri-Dos’ beard. She pulled back for moment and tried to catch his eye.

  "Oziri," she called out to him, but the young man tightened his grip and shook her before setting off again. They walked to the elevators. A few minutes later they were outside. A hovercraft that looked like it had been wrecked years ago waited there. They walked towards it. An old guy in a hat walked over to them. His face was as weathered as the desert sands, but his eyes were bright and hard.

  "You are the escort?" asked the man holding her.

  "Yes sir," said the man.

  "Get inside and sit behind her."

  The old man took her arms and she felt the rough skin of his palms. He sat her down in the center row and after tightening her seatbelt, sat down behind her.

  The engines whistled and the young man jumped into a seat next to the pilot. "Let's move," he said and the hovercraft rose and began to accelerate.

  "So Gu-Dos decided to kill me," she said suddenly.

  The young men looked back at her but then returned his face forward.

  "No trial, no nothing. As usual."

  "I'm only following orders. You can relax though, I'm not about to kill you." He looked back at her. "At least not yet."

  When Mampas appeared on the horizon she figured they going to turn her over to Mampas. It made sense. She was only one that was left who knew the truth and Gu-Dos probably preferred she be the one to tell it to Mampas.

  Black smoke rose from the fuel depot on the horizon to the left. Flames still flickered here and there. She hoped the fire had spread to the chemical center. There was too much smoke to tell.

  Suddenly she felt the presence of the man behind her as he leaned close. She was about to turn to face him, but he covered her mouth with one of his hands and reached forward with the other holding a gun. He aimed and fired. The young man’s head exploded. His blood splashed on the front windshield and the pilot almost lost control.

  "Land beside the vehicle that will appear in front of you in a few seconds," said the old man in a tone that would accept no argument. He removed his hand from her mouth, and May-Thor looked at him.

  A vehicle appeared below them and the pilot landed the hovercraft some distance away. The old man jumped forward into her seat then leaned over and pulled out the gun that was on the young man’s belt.

  "Release his safety belt, open the door and throw him out," he ordered.

  "Who are you?" asked the pilot.

  "That's not important. Do it now or I will have to move two bodies."

  The pilot released his seatbelt and leaned forward over the body doing his best not to look at what re
mained of the dead man’s head. He released the buckle, opened the door, and pushed the body outside.

  "Now get out and drag it to the hill," said the man pointing with his gun at the small hill some distance away.

  When the pilot and his grisly burden were far enough away he released May-Thor’s buckle and removed her handcuffs.

  "Oziri-Dos asked me to tell you this is your chance to fix things," he said.

  She looked at him stunned.

  "Are you okay?"

  She nodded.

  "I hope you know what he means."

  She turned to look at the smoke on the horizon and nodded again. She was happy to be alive, but what exactly was Oziri expecting of her? How could she fix things?

  "Take the truck. I left some food on the seat. Oziri said you probably haven't eaten in a while." He looked at the tall and open truck. "It doesn't have many gadgets, but it will smash through anything in its way.

  "Thank you," she said.

  He silently put the gun in her hand. May-Thor jumped.

  "Take it," he said.

  She held the gun and her hand sagged from the weight. She knew how to use guns but she wasn't ready for this now. She wasn't ready for anything.

  As she walked to the truck she raised her head to gaze at the smoking horizon and wondered what exactly was going to do.

  I dozed for hours beneath the sand. The last time I opened my eyes it was light outside. I wanted to go on sleeping but I knew it was going to be the most important day of my life. Seragon was on its way and I needed to speak to Thesh. I had to let him know that only I could save the planet from their wrath. When Dion climbed into the sky, and its light penetrated the air slit, I rose and pushed away the sand that covered me. Waves of smoke rose from my left. Between the waves I could see that small flames still flickered in the destruction. The smoke was a long black scar across the cloudless sky. I’d missed the chemical center but I hoped the flame from the fuel reservoir would do the job.

  I shook the sand off me and started to walk towards the city. Dion was well above the horizon when I crossed the belt road, running steadily toward the distant city. Very few people were in the streets. I wondered if it was due to the early hour or because people already knew that death was streaking toward them from Seragon. Even one war shuttle could carry thousands of war hovercrafts, Flyeyes loaded with deadly gases, and several divisions of soldiers.

  As I moved further into the city a few soldiers appeared on the street corners. I ducked down alleys to avoid them. Signs appeared for the light rail system that served the capital. Stairs descended from the street level to underground platforms. I was walking quickly toward one of these entrances when suddenly two Flyeyes popped up from below. I immediately changed direction and walked toward the entrance to a nearby building. They soared high above the street and scanned the surrounding area. One of them dropped back down the stairs while the other remained in position above the entrance.

  I was stuck. I didn't know what information they had on me. Had they captured data on my body shape and my movement patterns or my gait? I knew this kind of information was often used by Flyeyes to identify people but I had no idea if I was in their database.

  Suddenly three Flyeyes with bulging bellies dropped down from above me. I covered my face and ran towards one of the cars parked along the street. I broke the window with the butt of my gun and dove inside. The car started to beep. I quickly broke into the main computer and neutralized its defenses. One of the Flyeyes buzzed towards the broken window. I took careful aim and blasted it from the sky. It trailed a bright cloud of gas as it fell and then bounced on the sidewalk with a hollow thunk. The gas drifted my way and my head started to spin. I held my breath and forced myself to focus. I started the car and gunned the engine. I stuck my head out of the window after traveling a few blocks and took several deep breaths. I glanced at the right side of the front window where the view from the rear camera was displayed. Several Flyeyes were chasing me. I swung off the neighborhood street I was on and merged onto one of the main roads leading to the center of the city. The government building stood out prominently on the skyline and I accelerated towards it. Very few vehicles were on the road so I pushed the vehicle to its top speed hoping to leave the Flyeyes behind. The closer I got to my destination the more deserted the city felt. The sidewalks were almost empty and the few people I saw looked as if they were in a hurry.

  I noticed a roadblock ahead. Three armed vehicles were parked across the road, their guns all trained in my direction. The few soldiers standing in front of them looked as if they were expecting me. I turned down a street to my right and raced ahead. Every time I crossed a street to my left I quickly looked at the government building. I didn't have any plan other than reaching that building. I hoped the whole area around the government building wasn’t blocked.

  I also didn’t know how much time I had left. It would only takes one war hovercraft in the sky to vaporize me. The air rushing past the broken window was so loud that I doubted I would even hear my death approaching. I knew I had to leave the car as soon as possible but the government building was still too far away.

  The wind noise grew even louder and I was sure a hovercraft was nearby. I yanked the wheel to the left to throw off whatever was after me. It was a mistake. As soon as I completed the turn I drove into a cloud of Flyeyes. The odd smell I’d experienced earlier filled the car and there was a sour taste in my mouth. My eyelids drooped and I felt as if I was losing consciousness. The feeling of unreality increased when I glanced to my right and saw a dusty open truck parked on the sidewalk. Behind it was a trail of destruction. I started to lose control of the car. I wove from one side of the street to the other with my head out the window in search of clean air. I bounced onto the sidewalk twice and once I almost hit a parked car.

  The Flyeyes wouldn't let up. When I pulled my head back in I glanced at the display from the rear camera. Different sections of the swarming Flyeyes were changing back and forth from light to dark as if they were locked in some fierce internal war.

  A blue car suddenly appeared to my left. I saw the driver turn at the last second and hit my car just behind the right rear wheel. The other car slid, spun around several times, then stopped. I swerved to the left and rode up onto the sidewalk then pulled back into the street and stopped as well. The swarm of Flyeyes smashed into the blue car and roiled around it. I mashed the pedal to the floor and sped away from there as fast as possible.

  I hadn’t gone far before I was forced to stop again. Five cars and several people with drawn weapons blocked the street far ahead. I was only one or two blocks away from the government campus now. A military truck with a machine gun on its roof pulled out of a side street and accelerated towards me. I shifted into reverse and backed quickly down the street until a narrow alley appeared to my left. I shifted again and flew into it. The military truck closed the distance fast. The machine gunner opened fire and I heard a sound like big drops of rain pounding on a thin metal roof.

  On the screen I saw the military vehicle scraping the walls of the alley and sparks showering from its sides. The government building was now off to my right. I blew through a cross street and was surprised when the military truck behind me turned right.

  For a moment I thought he’d given up, but after crossing two more streets I noticed it driving parallel to me one block away and closer to the government campus. It was on a wider street and its speed was no longer restricted. Before I was able to plan anything the truck had gotten in front of me and was waiting at a crossing. They fired at me when I crossed the street. Bullets shredded the thin metal sheeting of my car’s body and the front window was blown to pieces.

  Luckily the car didn't stop immediately. Somehow I made it across the street with bullets whizzing around me. I didn’t know if I was hit or not. I knew that sometimes it takes time until you feel an injury, especially if your adrenaline levels are high. I finally lost control of the car in the alley. The right side smash
ed against the wall and I ground to a stop. I go out quickly and hurried into the building to my right. I stumbled through the corridors until I’d crossed it to its other side, still wondering if I was hurt.

  I was two blocks away from the government campus. I dashed across the street, jumped over the fence between the two buildings and finally reached the street bordering the campus. I bent over and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. When I raised my head I noticed Naan's flag hanging on the wall of the building in front of me. I knew the embassy was on this street, yet this heinous flag still surprised me.

  The street was quiet and deserted. When I noticed the noise of an approaching truck I rushed into the entrance of one of the buildings to hide. The military truck that had been following me flew past. I waited for a few seconds before I went outside. I was surprised there were no Flyeyes around. When I thought about it, I was even more surprised by the swarm of Flyeyes I’d seen. What was the point of so many Flyeyes in one place? Why had they let me go?

  I crossed the street and ran into the embassy building. I found a door with a sign for the stairs on it in the depths of the small entrance hall. I ran toward it.

  “Stop!” a voice called out suddenly from behind me.

  I turned and saw a short man in a uniform. His eyes lit up when he saw my face. He wanted to say something, but instead he reached to his gun on his belt. I didn’t wait. I turned quickly and ran again for the stairs. He fired twice but the bullets only hit the stairs below me.

  A few heavy military vehicles were parked around the campus circle. Soldiers milled around them, none of them looking very alert. I crossed the circle road and entered the park. I ran through the trees and bushes, avoiding all of the well-maintained paths until I reached the other side. At long last I was right in front of the main building. I heard shouts as I crossed the road. They had alerted the guards at the front entrance of the building. As I ran I raised my gun up and pointed it at the guards. They lowered their weapons and I ran deeper into the building towards the elevators.

  Soldiers began to pour into the building but I was already in the elevator when I heard their boots ringing on the marble floor. The elevator shot up quickly but stopped abruptly between 70th and 71st floors. I played with the control panel for a few seconds and the doors opened right between floors. I climbed out onto the 71st floor and ran to the stairwell. I went down three flights and ran back to the elevators. I called the elevator and when it arrived I pressed the button for floor 195. I went up and as soon as the door opened I ran down the hall again to the stairs. A few people were heading down but they all moved aside and let me pass them by.