“I wasn’t briefed on any rainy season,” Trinity said. “What rainy season?”
“Considering you’re stuck on the bottom of a hover-car with only twelve seconds to make a decision, does it really matter about a future rainy season at this point in time?”
“Uh, no,” Trinity admitted. “Forget it.”
Reaching out with her passive scan, Trinity located the culvert along the side of the road. The culvert appeared to be nearly two meters deep and just as wide.
“Must be an awful a lot of rain,” Trinity said.
“I guess that’s why they call it the rainy season, wizard scout. Recommend you drop in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”
Trinity deactivated the magnetics on her battle suit. She had a quick vision of rotating blades passing overhead before she hit the bottom of the sand-filled culvert.
“Big culvert,” Trinity said. “It looks like it’s built to last too. Unless I’m mistaken, the sides are made out of reinforced concrete.”
“You’re correct, wizard scout. The bottom’s made out of the same material. It just happens to be covered by sand at the moment. If the drainage system wasn’t made out of study materials, the culvert would wash out after the first major storm. Like I said, it rains a lot during the rainy season.”
“I heard you the first time, Jennifer.”
As soon as her passive scan indicated the recon vehicle was a hundred meters away, Trinity deactivated her phase rod and placed it back on her left hip. With the Deloris blaster clutched in her right hand, she raised herself on all fours and began making her way down the culvert.
“Well,” Trinity said, “this thing might hold a lot of water in the rainy season, but it’s got about a half meter of sand in the bottom now. It’s not all that easy crawling.”
“You should just be grateful the culvert’s deep,” said Jennifer. “Otherwise you’d have to low-crawl through the sand to keep from being spotted. Speaking of which, you do see those sensors near that corner up ahead, don’t you?”
Trinity checked her heads-up display. A flashing green light on the terrain overlay drew her attention.
“Yeah, I see it. Can you hack into it?”
“That’s affirmative, wizard scout. Just give me a couple of nanoseconds. Done. Was that fast enough for you?”
The green light turned steady. A few other flashing green lights on the battle helmet’s display confirmed the locations of other sensors in the culvert.
Taking a break from crawling, Trinity studied the flashing lights. “I’d expect more sensors in this drainage ditch. The rest of the area’s certainly saturated with them.”
“True, but we’re dealing with pirates here, not astral physicists. I calculate the sensors in the drainage system get washed out during the rainy season. My calculations indicate an eighty-four percent probability the pirates’ maintenance personnel get tired of replacing them.”
Trinity began crawling again. “In other words, someone got lazy.”
“That’s what happens when you let humans be in charge instead of computers. At least you’re inside the spaceport’s primary force field now. You’ll still have to get over the fence. The guards at the gate have a clear field of fire as far as a human eye can see. You’ll have to come up with some way to distract them long enough to get across.”
“I have to come up with a way?” Trinity said. “You’re the battle computer. How about putting that nanosecond brain of yours to work and figure it out for me? You got plenty of time. It’s a long crawl to the gate.”
“I’ll do my best, wizard scout. However, as I’ve told you before, I’m a battle computer, not a miracle worker.”
It was a long way to the gate, but after an hour of crawling, Trinity finally made it to within twenty-five meters of the perimeter force field and fence. When she reached that point, she stopped. She noticed ten lifeforms registering on her passive scan. They were stationed near a gate which closed off the road ahead.
“So,” asked Jennifer, “how are you planning on getting in, wizard scout? The security code the central computer gave us has allowed me to hack our way through the electronic security, but it won’t work on those guards.”
“Leave the guards to me,” Trinity replied. “You take care of the electronics.”
“Compliance.”
Relying on her camouflage suit to keep her hidden if she minimized her exposure, Trinity raised her head high enough to see over the lip of the culvert. The guards were just finishing up their inspection of a newly arrived hover-truck. The large vehicle was stacked high with meter-long olive-drab containers tied down with several cargo straps. Reaching out with her mind, she wrapped one of the load’s buckles with Power and loosened the strap using her telekinesis.
“Ah, I see the method in your madness,” said Jennifer. “I calculate you need to loosen at least five more buckles to do what I think you want. You’d better hurry. They’re already waving the hover-truck through the gate.”
Trinity did hurry. She quickly loosened five more buckles as the vehicle started through the gate. When the truck was completely through and the guards had turned away, she wrapped several of the long containers with Power and pulled with her telekinesis.
“The load’s heavy,” said Jennifer matter-of-factly. “It’s fortunate you’re connected to a large Power reserve, or it would be too much for you.”
Trinity didn’t have to be told she was fortunate. She knew it, but she said nothing. She held her breath as the hover-truck made a right turn at the intersection just past the gate. With the help of gravity and a liberal use of her telekinesis, the top-most container slipped to the side. The container began falling and started bringing other containers with it. Before the vehicle completed its turn, half of its load went spilling across the road. The tumbling containers caused a racket loud enough for everyone within hundreds of meters to hear. The crashing noise was accompanied by a loud whine from the vehicle’s engines as it slid to a halt.
Trinity didn’t wait to see if the gate guards looked or not. Relying on human nature, she jumped to her feet and sprinted toward the three-meter-tall fence separating the spaceport from the surrounding desert. Just before making contact, she wrapped herself with Power and levitated over the fence. She immediately fell flat on the ground and waited.
“Wise decision,” said Jennifer. “Your camouflage suit’s good, but the delay in camouflage while moving might’ve drawn attention in this light. I calculate you have a forty-seven percent better change of remaining undetected while holding still.”
“I guess we’ll see,” Trinity said.
Holding completely still, Trinity counted to thirty. Nothing happened.
Using her passive scan, she noticed half the guards were milling around the truck while the other half remained at the gate. After a couple of hectic minutes, an automated maintenance truck drove up and began helping the hover-truck’s crew load the spilled containers back onto the vehicle’s bed. They worked at it for a full ten minutes before all of the containers were once again secure.
“Can you hack into that maintenance truck’s computer?” Trinity asked.
“Done, wizard scout.”
“Good. When it leaves the hover-truck, have it drive past me.”
“Compliance.”
A minute later, Trinity sensed the maintenance truck angle toward her. It passed just to her right. Using telekinesis, she levitated onto the side of the vehicle and activated her battle suit’s magnetics praying her suit’s camouflage was good enough to fool any straying eyes.
“It’s fortunate for you the security codes given to me by the central computer allow me to hack into the security cameras in this part of the perimeter,” said Jennifer. “Living creatures are easily fooled. Electronic equipment monitored by computers is a lot more reliable.”
“Ha!” Trinity mentally snorted. “If that was true we’d have been dead years ago. With the right security codes and a good hack, computers are just as easy to get past as humans.”
“Now that hurts,” said Jennifer sounding insulted. “By the way, you’re down to eighty-seven percent Power in your reserve.”
“It’ll be enough,” Trinity said.
“How do you know that, wizard scout? Even I can’t calculate the outcome given the limited amount of known variables.”
“Because if it’s not enough, I’ll be dead. Then it won’t matter, will it?”
“That doesn’t compute.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Trinity agreed. “But it makes sense to me, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”
Once the maintenance truck was out of sight of the main gate, Trinity deactivated her battle suit’s magnetics and dropped to the ground.
“Now what?” Trinity asked. “You’re the battle computer. I’d appreciate some help from that nanosecond processor of yours.”
A red dot appeared on the heads-up display of Trinity’s battle helmet.
“I calculate that building is the most probable location of the prisoner,” said Jennifer. “I also calculate security is much less now that we’re inside the spaceport’s perimeter. I should be able to use the central computer’s codes to get us past any of the electronic security systems inside. The building is occupied, so speed is probably your best weapon now.”
Trinity didn’t argue. She kicked her battle suit into high gear and made toward the red dot dodging from one set of cover to the next. Between Jennifer’s hacking ability, her camouflage suit, and with the help of her best stealth shield, Trinity was confident she could remain undetected. Twenty minutes later proved her right when she found herself standing outside a side door leading into her target building.
Reaching out with her mind, Trinity checked the door for alarms or booby-traps. She spotted none.
“You’re not a diviner,” Jennifer pointed out. “You might have missed an alarm or trap if it has a stealth shield.”
“Well, I guess we’ll soon find out, won’t we?”
Opening the side door, Trinity slipped inside. No alarm sounded. Her passive scan told her the building contained plenty of life forms, but none were currently in the hallway where she found herself.
“Plot all of the lifeforms on my heads-up display,” Trinity ordered using command voice.
“Compliance. I’ve marked armed guards in orange on your display. Non-combatants are in green. The probable location of your target is in blue. That location is a magnetically sealed room encased in energized titanium.”
“Hmm,” Trinity thought. “That’s pretty advanced stuff for pirates.”
“I concur, wizard scout.”
“All right, Jennifer. It’s crowded in here, so do your stuff. Plot me the safest route to our target. Make me proud, girl.”
“Don’t I always? I’m displaying the optimum path for non-contact on your heads-up display now.”
“What’s the level of assurance?” Trinity asked already guessing it was low.
“Only fifty-two percent, wizard scout. Sorry, that’s the best I can come up with. Like you said, the place is crowded.”
Trinity shrugged her shoulders. The probability was actually higher than she’d expected. Checking the safety on her pistol to make sure it was in the off position, she started down the hall following the green path on her heads-up display. She made it halfway down the hall before a set of red dots began flashing in a connecting hallway.
“Approaching life forms will make contact in eighteen seconds, wizard scout.”
A quick glance to her left and right confirmed the hallway’s walls were flush with limited hiding places. Relying on her battle suit’s camouflage and a liberal use of luck, she wrapped herself in Power and levitated up until her body was flat against the ceiling. She turned so that she was facing down. At the same time, she eased her phase rod off her left hip without activating it.
Now we’ll see how good this camouflage suit really is, Trinity thought. Thank the Creator the hall isn’t all that well lit.
Within seconds, two armored soldiers carrying plasma rifles at the ready entered the hall from an adjoining corridor. Four civilians trailed the two forward guards. The civilians were followed by two more armored guards carrying rifles.
Trinity eyed the four civilians. The height and blue skin of the one gave little doubt as to the civilian’s race. He or she, it was always hard to tell which, was an Eorian. Two of the other civilians were humans. One was a short female with dark hair who appeared to be in her early twenties. The second human was a thin man with tattoos on both cheeks. The last civilian intrigued Trinity the most. He was one of the tiger-like Carsoloians. His orange and black tiger fur gave him away as a member of the race’s warrior class.
“Analysis?” Trinity said in her shared space.
“I’ve correlated the frequencies of the life forms from your passive scan,” replied Jennifer. “Based upon the information given to us by the central computer, the Eorian is your target. You’re one lucky wizard scout. All you have to do now is let them pass. Once they’re out of sight, we can make our way back to our rendezvous point and confirm the location of the prisoner to the Imperial High Command. If you don’t do anything stupid, you can be home in time for supper.”
The Eorian stumbled and began to fall. The short female reached over to help the blue humanoid stay on his feet. As soon as she did, the Carsoloian lashed out with one of his tiger-like paws and clawed her across the back leaving four red streaks.
“Arrrgh!” screamed the female.
“Don’t touch him,” growled the Carsoloian. “I’d as soon kill you both here as on my ship. Now keep moving.”
Overcoming the obvious pain from the clawing, the short female kicked back with the heel of her right foot straight into the Carsoloian’s groin. The tiger-like humanoid barely flinched. Taking a step back, the Carsoloian drew a phase pistol off his hip and aimed it directly at the female’s head.
“Like I said, I’d just as soon ki—”
Trinity was directly above the two rear guards. Releasing the Power holding her to the ceiling, she activated her phase rod in full destructive mode. The meter-long shaft of brerellium steel with its creallium core popped out of the handle. Miniature red lightning bolts of phase energy began running up and down its length.
As she swung at the Carsoloian’s arm that was holding his pistol with her phase rod, Trinity simultaneously shoved the end of the barrel of her own phase pistol against the spot where one of the rear guard’s neck armor met his shoulders. She pulled the trigger twice.
Boom! Boom!
The reflexes of the Carsoloian saved him as he twisted out of reach of Trinity’s phase rod, but the round he shot at the short female missed her head. The rear guard wasn’t nearly as fast as the Carsoloian. Trinity sensed both of her phase rounds penetrate the guard’s armor and begin ricocheting around inside. By the time the guard hit the floor, Trinity suspected his body resembled Swiss cheese more than it did a human.
Before Trinity could fire at the second rear guard, the Carsoloian fired off two hasty rounds from his phase pistol in her direction. Pulling Power from her reserve, she threw up a hasty defensive shield. Both of the tiger creature’s rounds ricocheted off. Due to blind luck or possibly the help of fate, one of the phase rounds hit the second rear guard in the neck at a weak point in his armor. The guard went down clutching at his throat with blood spurting through his fingers.
“Like I’ve said before, you’re one lucky wizard scout, Trinity,” Jennifer commented in their shared space. “It’s fortunate that your defensive shield is one of the ones that protects against both physical and energy attacks. Most wizard scouts aren’t as blessed.”
Even though their mental conversation was superfast, Trinity didn’t take the time to reply. She already knew she was pulling a lot of luck out of her little bag of magic dust. Trinity was determined not to rely on luck for the rest of the battle. She knew better than anyone that Lady Luck was a fickle thing.
Firing two rounds at the Carsoloian,
Trinity simultaneously thrust her phase rod over the head of the short female catching one of the front guards in the side of the head. She sensed microscopic explosions from the phase energy in her modified riot baton scramble the guard’s brain. The remaining guard swung his plasma rifle spraying a burst of rounds across the width of the hall.
With no time to react herself, Trinity sensed her battle computer adjust her defensive shield to include the short female and the Eorian. None of the guard’s plasma rounds touched the two prisoners or her, but the same couldn’t be said for the tattooed human. He only had time to give a terrified scream before balls of plasma energy burned holes through his chest. He was thrown back against the wall before sliding down to hit the floor.
The Carsoloian was apparently no fool. The tiger creature turned and ran all the while firing blindly behind his back. The remaining guard on the other hand was apparently braver than he was smart. The guard raised his rifle and fired pointblank into Trinity’s face. None of the plasma rounds made it past her defensive shield.
Turning control of her battle suit over to Jennifer, Trinity felt the right arm of the suit move until her phase pistol was aligned at the guard’s neck. She felt the trigger finger of her glove jerk twice. Both phase rounds found the crack between the guard’s neck and chest armor. The guard flew backwards hitting the side of the hallway dropping his plasma rifle to the floor in the process. He slid to the floor, twitched a couple of times, and then lay still.
“You’re down to sixty-four percent Power in your reserve,” said Jennifer. “You know defensive shields are Power hungry, especially when you include multiple people.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Trinity said as she shut down her defensive shield to conserve Power.
A glance at her passive scan told her the Carsoloian was long gone. The fleeing dot on her heads-up display confirmed the tiger-like humanoid was well on his way to a more secure area of the building. The incessant ringing of alarms left little doubt she’d soon be having additional company. Reaching out with her mind, Trinity wrapped the fallen guard’s plasma rifle with Power and levitated it into the hands of the small female.
Trinity Unleashed (Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado Book 1) Page 2