"Look, Angelica, I know I've done some terrible things to your family, and I'm truly sorry for that, but there's a bigger picture here," Carver said. "I know you won't forgive me, so at least give me the chance to correct things."
"How do we know Varloo isn't waiting down the hall for us?" she asked.
"Because Carver's no longer under his influence," Jeff said. "He can't be."
"Please, Angelica, believe me," Carver said. "I won't try to get in your way, and I fully understand now why you're doing this."
"I don't know," she sighed.
"We're running out of time," Jeff informed her. "We need to stop those rockets."
"You're absolutely right," Carver said. "Dr. Avery and Tom Walker are up there now preparing for the launch."
"General, if this is a trick," Jeff said, and put the pistol to his throat. "I'll be back to personally feed you to that monster in pieces."
"That, of course, is your prerogative," Carver said, nervous.
Jeff and Angelica then ran down the hallway, as the men followed them towards the propulsion lab.
Carver thought about where Varloo might be, and figured he was down hiding in the genetics lab. He figured he was as good as dead
anyway, so he wanted to at least try one last time to kill the Grey. He loaded both of his pistols, and headed to the arsenal to grab a cryogun. He fired it up, and headed towards the lab. When he got there, Varloo just started to leave the area.
"Varloo," Carver called, and turned his head to the General.
"Ah, General," Varloo said. "Just the man I wanted to see. You failed me again, didn't you?"
"You can't control me anymore," he said, as he pointed the cryogun at him.
"That's where you're wrong," Varloo said, as Carver fell to his knees, and dropped the gun. "I still have enough power to kill you."
"Please, give me a chance," Carver pleaded, as he went to grab his pistols. Varloo made his hands shake and he dropped them as well. Varloo walked over to him, and placed his hand on the general's head, as he began to cry.
"Well look at you," he jested. "The great General Carver reduced to a whimpering fool. You should've let me die in the desert, you could have spared yourself from a horrible, painful death."
"Just kill me and get it over with. I don't deserve to live anyway."
"You're right, you don't!"
Varloo used his power to slowly inflict pain against Carver's skull. He was unable to actually crush it with his power weakened, but blood still poured from Carver's eyes, nose, and throat, as he fell to the floor dead.
"No," Batar yelled, as he just entered the area as well.
"Brother," he said. "I knew you'd come back for me."
"Varloo, this has got to end."
"You're so right. And it will end with me killing you as well, and finishing off the human race," he stated, as he pulled out a blue vial. "But first, I need just a little mental boost. I've been saving this one just for this moment."
Varloo cocked the cryogun, and pointed at him from the thirty foot distance between them.
"Do you really think you can stop me with that silly human invention?" he said, as he uncapped the syringe.
"I'll do what I have to protect these people's past."
"Why do you care so much about them? What has happened to your Andronian blood? I'm more of an Andronian than you ever were, and I'm the one with the human genes. You've gone soft, Batar! You and that damn Republic!"
"We're trying to maintain peace."
"Peace? That's a laugh. Humans know no peace."
"Don't condemn the whole race for what a few evil men do."
"Well, if you're going to shoot me, you might as well do it. Then it will be settled once and for all. That is, if you can before I inject myself."
He fired the weapon, which blew the vial into pieces, and Varloo grabbed his hand in pain, and darted to the side. He used his mind to try to yank the gun from Batar's arm, but found himself unable to do so.
"Your power won't work on me," Batar said. "It's too weak, and now you're out of Triachilite."
"That may be true," he said, as he drew his laser. "But I'm still armed."
He fired his gun at Batar, who ducked behind an exploded panel. His brother fired back with the cryo weapon, and hit his leg. He fell in paralysis to the floor. Batar came out from behind the panel, and pointed the gun at him, just five feet away.
"You're coming back with me to the other universe to face the council on war crimes," he said.
"You're a pawn of the Republic, and always will be."
Batar pulled out the syringe with the Triachiline in it. "Just to make sure you're not going to give me any more trouble," Batar said. He reached down, and jabbed it into Varloo's arm.
"You'll pay for this dearly," Varloo sneered. "When this is over, I'll kill you too!"
Batar went to throw the syringe to his side, and then Varloo kicked him in the stomach with his good leg. He fell to the floor, and Varloo grabbed him around the neck, trying to choke him. He pulled out a small two way communication device."
"Louis," he said. "Initiate the launch codes. Begin the countdown!"
Batar struggled to get away, and finally did, but Varloo struck him
with the cryo weapon. He then limped his way into the darkness, as Batar lay there, dazed. When he regained his senses, he felt it would be best to get to the propulsion lab before Varloo did.
He left the area, and ran down the hallway, as people began to scream when they saw the gray alien. When he got to the propulsion lab, several militia man pointed at him, and drew their guns. Jeff and Angelica were there, and called for the men to stand down. He approached Jeff with the bad news.
"Varloo got away again, I'm afraid," he said. "He's initiated the launch codes."
"We're on our way up there now," Jeff said. "There's still no sign of Avery."
"You and I will try to deactivate the codes on the first ship," Jeff said. "Angelica, you go up to the second ship and get Tom out of there. Then try to deactivate the codes on the Titan II."
They walked up to the third catwalk, about three hundred feet in the air, and to where the main bridge of the ship was. The hatch door was open, and Jeff pressed the button on the inside, which rotated the floor so it was level and not at an upright angle. He walked toward the panel, and Batar followed him in, also glancing at it. The Grey sat down in the seat, and eyed the panel over.
"It's fairly easy to decipher," he told him. "I can probably do it in less than an hour, and the other ship in less time. The launch will be in one hour and fifteen minutes. It'll be close, but I think I'll make it."
"Well, that's good," Jeff said. "You do that, and I'll check in with Angelica."
Jeff left the bridge, and walked across the other catwalk toward the other ship. When he did, he swore he got a glimpse of Varloo below. He pulled out his pistol, and pointed it toward the catwalk below him, but there was nothing there. He wanted to make sure he wasn't near the first ship, so he turned around, and went back.
When he entered through the door, Batar was lying on the floor, unconscious. He turned to face Dr. Avery and Varloo, who both pointed weapons at him. Jeff dropped his pistol to the floor.
"His peaceful nature is his downfall," Varloo remarked.
"How can you do this?" Jeff asked. "He's your brother?"
"My half brother, and soon to be my dead half brother. Avery get him out of here, and let him face the same fate as the humans he loves so much."
The doctor grabbed the Grey and dragged him out onto the catwalk,
then came back in. He pointed to Jeff's waist.
"The rest of your weapons, Mr. Walker, drop them to the floor," Varloo said, as Jeff complied. "Now, sit down over there in the back seat."
Jeff walked over slow toward the seat. He turned around and grabbed Avery's arm, as he wrestled for his weapon. The gun fell to the floor, and he went to grab it, but was struck by Varloo with the end of his gun. He fell to the floor d
azed and in pain.
"Speed up the countdown to fifteen minutes," Varloo said. "If he moves again, shoot him."
"I understand," Dr. Avery said. "He won't give me any more problems."
"Louis, I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on the other side of the wormhole."
"Yes, Varloo."
"We will rule the universes together, you'll see. Very soon."
"See you soon."
He left the craft, and the door hatch shut behind him. Avery dragged Jeff to the chair, and strapped him in, and walked over to operate the helm. He activated one of the androids, and he began to operate some of the other systems. "If he gets up, kill him," he told the female android.
"Yes, Sir," she answered.
Jeff awoke, but found himself unable to move from the straps, and his knife, was reachable, but it would be a struggle. While in a dazed stupor, he could see the countdown meter moving. It was at this point he realized
there was no way to stop Avery from launching the craft, and the only way to disable it was while in flight. This prospect proved to be difficult under the circumstances, but he had to at least give it one more try everyone's sake.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Angelica reached the Titan II's bridge cockpit, and found Tom already working on the panel inside. He turned, and rose from his seat, overjoyed to see her. "Angel! You're alive!" he said, and kissed her on the lips.
"I told you I'd be back," she said, and sat down in the seat at the launch panel. "Now you have to leave."
"What?" he asked bewildered.
"You can't be in here if I fail to decode the launch sequence."
"If you fail, that means you'll be launched in the ship."
"Exactly. We can't let these ships leave this universe."
"But that means you'll be gone from me forever."
"I'm sorry, Tom," she said, and put her hand on his cheek, as she began to cry. "I love you, but I have to do this to save all of us."
She tried to enter some possible codes, and the time counter began to move even faster, until it set for fifteen minutes. She immediately stopped, and turned to her fiancé again. She got up and began to push him toward the door.
"You have to go now, Tom," she cried. "The door will shut in five minutes, and you can't be here!"
"Wherever you go, I go with you, Honey, you know that."
"Not this time," she sobbed. "You just can't."
"Why not?"
"Because if you die, Jeff Walker will never be born."
"I don't intend to let either of us die. If it launches, we'll just abort the mission."
"It's not that simple. The flight path is on a preprogrammed course, and can't be changed without the proper code."
"Why wasn't I told about this? I'm supposed to be the chief engineer on this project.
"Because Carver and my father didn't want anyone else to know. And I don't have the full code to this ship either, only part of it. Until I decode it, I won't be able to control it."
"Damn them!" Tom hissed. "When will that be?"
"I assume once I enter the wormhole. If I can abort it, I'll be back. Batar and Jeff are working on the other ship."
"Will you contact me when you can?"
"I'll do my best. Goodbye, I love you."
"I love you too, Angel." He kissed her lips passionately, and then left the cockpit."
Tom climbed down the catwalk , as Batar stumbled to climb up toward the second ship. "Varloo attacked me. He's in the other ship," he said. He entered the cockpit, and eyed the panel.
"He's linked the flight paths of both ships together," Angelica cried.
"That means they'll launch together.".
"Not exactly. This one is set for ten minutes later. Is there anyway you can stop it?"
"Not in this little time," he said, as the door shut and locked. "Looks like we're in for a ride whether we like it or not."
They could feel the vibration as the first rocket began to launch. "How are we going to stop Varloo?" Angelica asked.
"I'm afraid that's up to Wilson and Lieutenant Walker now. He's weakened enough for Wilson to take him with a pistol if she gets a lucky shot. His telekinetic powers are gone, and he has no more Triachilite. When and if we get to the other side we'll have to stop him."
"When and if? It sounds like you're not sure we're going to make it."
"Even with the adaptations Varloo added, your ships aren't built to travel through wormholes."
"Then how did I make it through in the future before?"
"I don't know, that's another unsolved riddle in this whole mess."
"It looks like the first vessel has reached the ionosphere. This one will launch in sixty seconds. How long will it be before he reaches wormhole capability?"
"About an hour. I should be able to abort the flight path by then. That should stop Avery from going too, if they're synced together, but it
depends on which vessel is the master or the slave. My guess is their vessel is the master. If that's the case it'll be up to Jeff to decode it in order to gain access to the main controls."
"Then there's no way we can stop him from going through the wormhole?"
"I'm afraid not."
"God, I hope he can stop them."
"If anyone can, Captain Walker can," Batar said, as the ship began to shake, and the launch sequence began. "Prepare for liftoff."
The ship rose through the opening doors; the intense thrust permeating the metal catwalk frames near the launch pad. The large ship
began to travel into the atmosphere, and gradually picked up speed as it climbed in altitude.
"Stage one rocket will detach in five, four, three, two, one," Angelica said. "First stage rocket jettisoned."
"Leaving atmosphere in ten seconds," Batar said. "Do you have a fix on Dr. Avery's ship?"
"He's 70,000 miles ahead of us," Angelica answered. "There is no way we're going to catch up on him without the code. The first part of the code is 72589AJD432-32."
"I'm working on it," he said. "How many digits is the remainder of the code?"
"Five. I was supposed to get the rest of the code from my father, until everything went haywire."
"Five shouldn't be too hard to figure out. It's only letters and numbers. Let me compute the possible combinations in my mind, and then into the computer. I should be able to come up with the right combination."
"In that little time? How is that possible?"
"Open your mind, Ms. Avery, and a lot of things are possible."
"There you go speaking like Confucius again."
"If I ever have the opportunity to travel into the past again, I would very much like to meet this Confucius man. He sounds like he and I have a lot in common. I will meditate for ten minutes; hopefully by then I shall have the possible combinations."
Batar went into a trance again, while Angelica kept tabs on where the ship was, and where it was going, which at the current moment was halfway to the moon. The fusion drive kicked in on both vessels, and they
increased in speed towards their predestination. She just hoped he could decipher the code before they reached the wormhole, wherever it was. She didn't fully understand the concept of this 'wormhole generator,' and didn't know it had the power to create its own vortex without the use of a black hole.
During this time, Lori and Wilson were still at Varloo's ship, preparing for their visitor's arrival. Wilson, who checked the security panels to see if anyone was coming, detected Varloo coming back across the desert. Lori, who was worried about Jeff sat by her side at the navigational helm.
"Varloo's coming," Wilson told her. "We better get ready."
Lori loaded her two Berrettas, and each one of them grabbed a cryo gun. Wilson planted an explosive under the navigational helm, which was rigged to blow up in an exactly an hour.
"What are you doing?" Lori asked. "Didn't Jeff say to only do that as a last resort?"
"If we don't destroy this ship once and for all, none of us will
be safe."
They left the bridge, and headed down to the cargo bay. They passed the rotted corpse of Garlona one last time, and walked down the stairs. When they entered the bay, the door was already open.
"Be careful," Wilson told her. "We still don't know if Batar was able to inject the antidote into him. Head for the third ship. I'm going to plant some explosives in his warp drive."
Lori walked quietly toward the ship, while Wilson headed for the engineering section of the ship. She would only have ten minutes to get there, plant the explosives, and get back. It was important the ship didn't blow up until it got off the planet, so there would be no trace of him or the vessel. They also needed to be a considerable distance from the ship to survive the explosion.
She opened the hatch to the smaller fusion powered craft, and was hit in the face by a gray hand. "Surprise," Varloo said, as he knocked her to the floor, which made her drop the cryogun. He jumped out, while she
reached for her pistol, but stopped when faced by his laser weapon.
"You humans are all the same," he said. "You think you know what's best for your planet, but in reality, you only care about yourselves."
"We're capable of change, you know that," Lori said, as she tried to reason with him.
"Not in this time frame, and certainly not in the future either. Oh, yes, you may have progressed technologically, but inside you're still the same-power hungry, greedy, selfish humans. My race will be a true race of peace, and the universe shall flourish."
"You're as twisted as Balta was. Peace is not peace if you have to infect half the universe to do it."
Dimension Lapse III: Dimensional Breakdown (Dimension Lapse Series Book 3) Page 25