by C. W Tickner
‘Explain it,’ Damen repeated.
‘Oi!’ a voice shouted. Three of the others they didn’t know, two men and a woman barged between them. ‘Leave Manny alone,’ a man said. ‘He ain’t done nothing to you.’
‘Other than almost getting himself killed,’ Damen said, ‘and Dana here saving him.’
‘Is it true Manny?’ the woman asked.
Manny nodded.
‘You made the bracelet?’ Kane asked.
‘Yes, me and the others, we built it for Vorock.’
‘You’re Alphas?’ Harl said, not believing this twist of luck.
‘No one has called us that in a long time,’ Manny said. ‘Only a few of us remember that name from our forefathers.’
‘We’ve been looking for you,’ Harl said, ‘Vorock sent us to get you out. We thought we’d failed but here you are.’
Manny and the other two beamed at each other, they were clearly fond of the Aylen in the way Harl had only hoped.
‘Move,’ Pale hissed, ‘the big one’s coming.’
Harl looked around and could feel the vibrations tremor in the counter top as the Aylen trudged over to the tank.
‘Round the corner,’ Pale said pulling those closest to him behind the tank. The side of the tank was half black barrier and half glass. Harl stepped away from the side and saw the Aylen was staring down into the tank.
‘The ladder?’ Troy asked.
‘I kicked it away before I came down,’ Pale said.
‘He’s still gonna find the rope,’ Damen said and Harl cursed them for not thinking of removing it. After all it was not the first time he’d used rope to get in and out of a tank.
They all pressed themselves against the tank wall, half crouched to keep behind the building. All it would take was the Aylen to see the rope and peek around the corner. They could hear its breathing and crashing sounds as it jumbled around inside the tank.
Manny stepped away from the wall, shrugging off the other’s attempt to keep him with them.
He stood in front of Dana. ‘Give me the bracelet.’
Dana scowled and shook her head almost daring him to take it by force.
‘I can use it to help us.’
‘The flyer is broken,’ she said. ‘Smashed.’
Manny turned to Harl, ‘Is Vorock nearby?’
‘I don’t know,’ Harl said, ‘he told us he’d meet us outside.’
‘If you can convince her to give it to me, I can help us.’
‘Give it to him,’ Harl said and to Harl’s surprise she unclipped the metal circlet and passed it to Manny.
Harl peeked around the corner, hearing the Aylen grunt and saw the ladder wave above the tank as the Aylen inspected it. ‘Hurry,’ he said.
Kane was watching Manny, eager to see the technology in action. ‘The drone is broken,’ Kane said.
Manny was flicking through images of drones, his fingers were a blur over the device.
‘There’s more than one drone,’ he said. ‘Vorock keeps them on his own bracelet, if he’s nearby I can have them fly in through the hole and he’ll know we’re on our way.’
The display lit up and a holographic image of a drone appeared. Manny could see through the eyes of the drone on it’s small screen as it zipped towards a solid wall. A tiny spot grew as it neared and Harl realised it was the bullet hole.
A rope swung into view from around the corner of the tank where the Aylen had flicked it. Harl risked a turn and saw the Aylen searching for the escapees.
‘It knows,’ Damen said, as the Aylen stepped into view.
Chapter 24
A door. Four hundred metres tall and half that wide. I wish I could believe it to be something else but there is, against all reason, a door handle. Surely no creature can be so large. The square cube law clearly states that…. The door is opening.
Instinctively they all dropped down making themselves as small a sight as possible, pushing back on the cold glass.
‘Hey,’ Tess whispered, elbowing Manny. ‘It’s coming, get down.’
Manny was still standing, engrossed in the bracelet and tapping away, oblivious to the Aylen beside him. The bulk of its body glided into view and twisted to face them. Any moment now Harl thought and they would be scooped up, maybe they could make a run for it, but where he’d go was anyone’s guess, he couldn’t run around the tank as it backed against another wall.
It’s yellow eyed gaze roved along the table as it hunted for them. Harl was sure it should have spotted the group hunched against the tank.
A buzzing grew from the wall in front of Harl as he pressed his back flat against the tank and a sliver of metal whizzed through the bullet hole. It raced at the Aylen, zooming directly for its face, forcing the giant to recoil and swat its huge hands at the tiny intruder.
The drone halted several metres in front of the Aylen’s eyes. The whole event was mimicked on the bracelet strapped to Manny’s forearm. It played a three dimensional holographic video feed from the drone’s point of view as he directed it in front of the huge face. The outline of the Aylen’s nose and cheeks were displayed in a ghostly yellow image that hovered above Manny’s arm. The drone soared around the obstacle and sped off deeper into the room, the Aylen twisted to follow and stomped away after the intruder.
Instead of the buzz fading it grew in intensity as a train of drones arrowed through the bullet hole arcing towards them. Harl breathed a sigh of relief but trepidation roiled in him knowing he’d have to ride another flyer.
‘Get on,’ Manny said, easing the drones to a stop in front of them. They hovered just above the table’s surface, wobbling gently before levelling out.
Harl hopped on the triangular platform disliking that they’d be in Manny’s hands. For some reason he’d hoped Kane would be able to take the controls.
‘Can you control them all at the same time with us on? Harl asked.
‘I will set it to make for the hole if you do nothing,’ Manny said, tapping away at his wrist, skilfully balanced on his own flyer. ‘You can lean it off course easy enough.’
Dana hopped on the first and leant forwards, overriding the setting and sped away. She was followed quickly by the two other Alphas who had helped Pale up on one.
‘Fascinating,’ Kane said as he rocked back and forth.
‘Oh no,’ Troy said, throwing his hands up, ‘I don’t think-’ He was cut off as Dana circled back to the group, curving behind him and shoved him forward. He stumbled and stepped on to the drone, cursing her as she laughed and zoomed out towards the centre of the room.
‘Witch,’ he said.
The ten drones sped off from the table, the top falling away as the surface ended. To their right was the back of the chasing Aylen swatting the drone in front of the processor while their left was blocked by the imposing grey wall. They rounded left to face the hole. Manny was first to demonstrate how to do it, followed by Tess and the two others.
Harl looked behind and saw the Aylen had stopped swatting and was cocking his head to stare at them.
A roar tore apart the silence. The Aylen pivoted and ran full speed towards them. It waved its arms in frustration as it crossed the space, its face contorted in anger.
Three booming paces and it was on them. Harl leant forward urging speed from his flyer. He sped towards Pale. The old man looked stiff and scared. The speed was not enough to out run the angry Aylen.
‘Lean into it,’ Harl cried as he passed him. Pale didn’t hear. He was too busy looking back at the Aylen and the giant hand as it lashed out connecting squarely with a sickening crunch. The faint slapping noise as Pale’s limp body hit the far wall forced Harl to tear his gaze away. Concentrate, he thought, just get through the hole.
He was level with the bullet’s entrance point. The hairs on his neck tingled as he imagined the eyes of the Aylen boring into his back to gauge the speed he was travelling at. He swerved left then right, feeling air displace beside him as the giant swatted at him and missed.
Suddenly the h
ole seemed small, too small to get through, even though he’d watched the others. The wall expanded to fill his vision while and hole grew larger. Harl ducked instinctively, feeling an airy cold breeze as his heart pounded and the world shrunk around him. He burst out into darkness and stood up then leant back to bring the drone to halt. Scanning the darkness he spotted a group of tiny silhouettes coming towards him.
‘Harl!’ It was Tess, balancing on her flyer with Manny and the other two alphas. Damen nodded and peered into the dark beside them.
‘Have you seen Kane?’ She asked.
‘No,’ he said, ‘or Dana. We lost Pale.’
Manny hung his head as though he felt personally responsible. He perked up as a buzzing grew from the night and Kane hovered into sight, his wispy hair puffed out and an exhilarated look in his eyes.
‘Fascinating machines,’ he said, his breathing fast and shallow.
Two figures appeared side by side in the darkness.
One was clearly Dana, casually weaving around Troy who was hunched over, gripping either side of the drone, his white knuckles visible in the gloom.
They slowed next to them, Dana beaming at Troy’s embarrassment.
‘What now?’ Harl asked.
‘That way,’ Kane said. Breaking a glow stick and waving it towards the hill they had first come over and their agreed rendezvous.
‘No need,’ Manny said. His bracelet gleamed in the twilight, showing the immediate area. ‘He’s close enough to target automatically.’
Harl felt the drone judder around to face the hill, barely visible in the twilight. Like a synchronized dance troupe, the nine flyers angled in a single motion and sped forwards with Manny in the lead.
Troy regained control and pulled alongside him as they slowed to navigate the trees dotting this side of the slope.
‘Thank you, for coming,’ he said not meeting Harl’s eyes.
‘I couldn’t leave you in there,’ Harl said.
‘The ship?’
‘There’s still time,’ Harl lied, wanting to believe it himself.
Troy was silent.
‘You and her, eh?’ Harl said nodding at Dana swerving ahead and glancing back at Troy.
‘I hated her,’ Troy said with a shrug. He almost overbalanced but caught himself, ‘Still do a bit I guess, but there’s something about her. Maybe I’ll figure it out, maybe not. She’s… unique.’
‘That’s high praise coming from you. Noticing more than her bodice.’
‘She doesn’t wear one.’
Harl laughed. ‘Couldn’t resist looking, could you? You haven’t changed a-’
An explosion burst in the air next to them engulfing one of the alphas in a ball of flame. He seared through the air, lighting a trail of fire towards the ground as Manny cried out in horror.
Thunderous blasts peppered the air around them, each flash blinding them in the darkness.
The space between the group was filled with clouds of smoke, fire and noise, bullets whistled passed or exploded beside them, flinging the drones apart with the force. Harl struggled to stay on top of his flyer as his ears rang with the sound of the explosions. He crouched, tilting the nose down to get clear of the bombardment.
Emerging from the smoke he glanced backwards.
An Aylen in a mech suit had followed them outside and was opening fire. How it knew where to aim he had no idea but it was accurate and closing in on the group. The glow-stick Kane had used was directly below them on the floor between two trees and Harl guessed that was how the Aylen had spotted them. The drone sped up as Manny gave it new orders, slipping between the trees and heading for the crest of the hill. A shot slammed into the nearest tree, blowing out fragments of wood in a flash of potent yellow light. Splinters showered Harl, jabbing through the thinnest areas of his clothing.
Pain lanced into Harl’s shoulder as a larger splinter pierced his armour top and he clasped a hand around the spike ready to pull it out. Tightening his grip around it and swearing viciously, he tore it from between the muscles. Spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed and the jagged edges ripped free of the flesh.
The Aylen was close. The weapon on its arm rotated in bursts of light and the shots carved swathes of dirt up from the ground, adding to the maelstrom as a shadow bounded down from the hill ahead.
Lights beamed from Vorock, framed in his own suit as he raced down the hill and circled around them. He placed himself between them and the other Aylen and Drew a thin rectangular staff from a slot in the suit. He turned to the enemy, held it out and spun the rod horizontal. With a flick of his wrist a thin square sheet of metal unfolded section by section down to the ground like the little hollow dolls children used, each smaller than the last until it touched the floor and shielded them. It soaked up the gunfire and dulled the roar of explosions from the other side.
Vorock, strode backwards up the hill, arm extended and holding the shield out. He peered around the side of the plate as he back-peddled, keeping the group close to his chest. Harl swerved out to have a look as Manny directed his own drone to the bag hanging on Vorock’s chest. Harl caught a glimpse the chasing Aylen turn back for the building, probably to call on reinforcements.
Manny hopped off easily through the open doorway before sending the flyer back to the bracelet.
Harl came in again and lined up for the door. He jumped inside, keeping his centre of balance low and leaving Manny to control the drone. The Alpha woman stepped in, hugged Manny and disappeared further inside the compartments. Kane and Tess followed, diving in the moment they passed the opening. Damen landed heavy, his arms waving as he over balanced and fell backwards. Kane’s hand shot out clutching his arm and with Tess as an anchor, he heaved him back inside.
‘Thanks,’ Damen said, plucking a finger sized splinter from his forearm where Kane had squeezed.
Dana rolled in as they made room for her and with a swipe, she snatched her drone from the air, staring at Manny, daring him to say something. To Harl’s relief he kept a tactful silence.
‘Let me look,’ Tess said, taking hold of Damen’s arm and lifting it up to inspect the bleeding wound from the shard. He jerked away.
‘Don’t be a baby,’ she said. ‘Is there medical supplies?’
Kane rushed off and returned with her bag as if he’d anticipated the need.
She pulled a handful of wadding and bandages from the medical bag and began wrapping his arm.
When she had finished she rushed to Harl.
‘You pulled it out?’
Harl nodded and clenched his teeth as she poked the wound.
‘Next time leave it in or you’ll bleed to death,’ she scolded and began to wrap the wound, trailing a bandage around his shoulder until it felt like an Aylen was pinching him.
Troy was the last one left on a drone. His clothing was shredded into tattered strips that barely clung to him. His leg was coated in fresh dripping blood from a gash in his thigh. He squatted and pounced when the drone passed the door. As his leg took the weight, the drone tilted and his face contorted from concentration to agony then terror.
Time slowed for Harl and he knew Troy wouldn’t make it. He stared, unable to react fast enough and watching as Troy buckled into the edge of the bag, his feet missing the step. He grasped the ledge for a purchase. For a moment he caught his own weight on the lip then his fingers uncoiled ad he broke into a scream, loud at first then fading as he fell.
Harl heard a buzz above his own drumming heart. Dana switched her drone on and leapt from the door, sliding the flyer mid-air under her feet and plummeted downwards.
Harl stepped to the edge and peered over. Dana was diving near vertically, crouched, holding both sides of the drone her cloak rippling up above her.
Manny switched on the bracelet, furiously inputting data. ‘I’ve boosted full,’ he said. ‘It’s up to her now.’
Dana moved aside, giving Harl a brief view of Troy then she swung in at him. She swept him up and when they levelled everyone gave
a ragged cheer as the two balanced on the single drone. They both hopped in to the bag, breathing hard. Troy was bone white and still shaking. He turned to Dana.
‘Thank you,’ he said and stepped close to the Hoarder. She took a hesitant half step back then shuffled forward. The two smiled at each other, making light of the awkward moment.
Tess was beaming at Kane and Harl thought of Sonora.
He was sure they were too late to save anyone on Orbital but he would do all he could to recover their bodies.
Tess gasped when she realised Troy was still wounded. She dropped to one knee to inspect the wound.
‘Did you pull it out?’ she asked. ‘Next time leave it in or you’ll-’
Harl headed to the rear of the bag, stumbling as the floor shifted under Vorock’s constant bouncing. He used a ladder in one corner of the bag that led to a hatch in the roof and climbed up, rocking with the motion of the mech suit. He wanted to speak with Vorock. If there was any chance of returning Sonora and Elo’s bodies, he’d try it.
The air chilled the tears on his face drying the streaks as he wiped his eyes to get a look around.
The weapon fire had ended but sirens blared in the distance behind them. It was lighter away from the trees. Full night had not yet arrived and the wild call of hidden animals peppered the sparse growth around the road strip in front of them. Vorock had not yet made it to the roadway but was standing far back from it. Harl guessed if he was found so close to the processor it would be hard to explain, but why was he waiting? Then he saw the faint red glow marring his vision as he stared at the wide metal road.
He turned to gaze up Vorock’s body, trailing up the weaved metal clothing he wore. Craning his neck he could just make out the Alpha woman standing on a platform that extending from Vorock’s jacket. It was almost a part of the clothing, complete with a handrail like a balcony. It must have been designed for humans to keep watch from, but how she got up there he hadn’t a clue. To be honest he didn’t even know her name to call up. She was leaning on the rails, talking into the bracelet as Vorock looked down at her. He spoke, deep and rumbling then his eyes flickered down to Harl on top of the bag. She must have understood and she leant over to see him. She waved a hand for him to join her and as he looked around for a way up she seemed to understand and began typing into the bracelet.