by James Somers
Tiet pulled his Barudii blade from the scabbard strapped to his back and ignited the sword’s dispersion field. Shots began to ring out among the soldiers further away, but they weren’t firing at him. He saw another blade ignite as a dark figure swooped in from the ceiling and begin taking down the Vorn guards. Orin!
As the Horva lunged for him, Tiet struck the first in front of him then flipped back over another that was attacking from the rear. Two strikes and the latter man fell.
The other soldiers, those who were not engaged with Orin, began to fire at everyone: the Barudii, the Horva and even each other from across the room. It was hard to tell who was fighting whom in the dim lighting.
More Horva came at him and were cut down by their own handlers as they panicked—shooting anything that moved. Tiet launched three spicor discs and took out as many of the creatures. Orin had already eliminated the soldiers on the other side of the chamber and quickly came to Tiet’s aid.
One of the brutes lost an arm to the young man’s blade but continued his attack with the other arm. It landed a fist to his head, knocking him to the ground. Orin had already impaled it before another move could be executed.
Orin helped the boy to his feet again with a smoldering look on his face. Bodies were lying on the floor all around them in the chamber, and an alarm began to sound throughout the building.
“You see? This is why I told you never to come here!”
“I know, but we can’t just do nothing.”
“Oh yes we can. What do you think you’ve accomplished here? You’ve set off alarms, you’re probably being video recorded right now and you might have gotten those children killed if I hadn’t intercepted them and gotten them off the premises safely. You’re reckless Tiet. Just plain reckless.”
“It’s still better than doing nothing; Father wouldn’t want me to do nothing.”
“Your father would want you to stay alive…now get out of here, while I buy you some time.”
“Wait, Orin—haven’t you noticed there aren’t any Horva being produced here?”
“So?”
“So, those tanks over there; they shouldn’t be bone dry, not if they’re still in use.”
Orin looked around to see what he was referring to.
“Maybe they can’t make them right now. This might be our chance to rally the people and drive the Vorn out.”
The boy was right about the clones at least; it looked like there hadn’t been any clone production for some time. Orin looked back at the boy as the alarm continued to scream overhead.
“Please, Orin. We have to at least try.”
He didn’t want to get involved in this; not again. But if it was true that their forces weren’t being sustained here then maybe it was the same in other cities as well. And he remembered well that Tiet’s father, Kale, would not have done nothing.
He grumbled under his breath, “Come on, I know someone who might be able to help us.”
II
RANUL awoke to the annoying sound of his computer trying to tell him of an incoming priority message. He sat up groggily in his bed as the display flashed in his eyes. He noticed the time was now three hours past nightfall.
“Ranul, K’ore,” he said to the computer.
“Identified.”
The visual message flashed onto the screen instantly. It was Governor Kisch k’ta a handsome man of the Vorn clan who ruled Castai in its occupation. The Vorn were a dark skinned clan, while almost all of the Castillian clans were light skinned. This difference among the human clans had been a factor in the outbreak of war. Still, he had remained formally pleasant with Ranul as long as he obeyed his demands.
“Ranul, I want the prototype sentinel you’ve completed to report to the cloning facility at once,” said the governor.
“Governor, has something happened that…”
“That is none of your concern,” he interrupted. “Have the android report to my office immediately.”
The transmission link was cut before Ranul was allowed to inquire any further. But he knew that something must have happened to put the sentinel android into action now. Still, there was no choice but to comply. He knew all too well the consequences of disobedience.
He threw on his clothes without formality and made his way down the corridor. He identified himself with the sentinel guard to gain access into the main lab. As the lights flicked on, he stepped to the dock and addressed the prototype robot by the code name he had imprinted on its memory.
“Vale.”
“Yes Dr. K’ore,” responded the android politely.
“Governor Kisch k’ta, demands your presence at the Vorn cloning facility. Please report immediately to his office there.”
“Yes Dr. K’ore,” said the robot, “Accessing coordinates now.”
Without further inquiry, the android removed itself from the upload dock and proceeded out of the lab. Ranul admired his work, but took no pleasure at the thought of such a weapon in the hands of the Vorn. The android moved fluidly, even gracefully—like the warrior it was designed to resemble. It seemed almost as though one of the long dead Barudii warriors was alive again, but this one’s mission had nothing to do with protecting Castai.
Ranul’s stomach growled with hunger. Might as well have something to eat since I’m up anyway. When he exited the lab, the android was already gone; only the lone sentinel guard stood there. Ranul walked back to his onsite quarters with swirling thoughts of late night snacks and curious Vorn orders fetching his new creation in the middle of the night.
The automatic door opened and shut behind him as he made his way to the food compartment. He jumped as hands wrapped around his upper arm and mouth.
“Don’t scream,” whispered a male voice in his ear. “It’s Orin, your old friend. Remember?”
Ranul was still pale with lingering fright as Orin released him and they faced each other.
“Orin? But I thought…I thought you were all killed by the Horva years ago.”
“Not exactly.”
Down the hall, the sentinel guard came to life as its auditory sensors caught trigger phrases from Ranul’s domicile.
The door chimed as it suddenly began to open. Beyond was a sentinel guard with his weapon raised into the room. As the door cleared the robot’s body, an ignited Barudii blade shot out of the shadows toward the guard. The figure wielding it was a blur of motion and shadow as he quickly dissected the robot’s weapon hand and plunged the glistening blade through its torso. The sentinel’s appendages went limp as the blade turned its primary circuits and power grid to molten metal.
“We should be going now,” said Tiet as he replaced his blade into its sheath.
“Your young friend is right,” said Ranul, “The sentinels share a collective mind. What one knows, they all know. They’re no doubt sending more units to this location right now.”
“I need to know about the clones, why aren’t they still in production?”
“They can’t produce them right now, at least not until the fleet arrives; it will be bringing more supplies, equipment and clones along with more chemical matrix to produce them.”
“Is it this way everywhere?”
“As far as I know; but the fleet is due to arrive in a matter of days.”
“You had better come with us.”
“Did you really think I would stay here now? Let’s go!” said Ranul as he gathered some essential gadgets.
Tiet led the way out of the room into the corridor. Another sentinel rounded the corner and fired. Tiet’s body sprang upward reflexively, pressing flat against the ten foot ceiling, and clearing the path of the shots.
Orin stepped into the corridor with his ignited blade, drawing the sentinel’s fire as Tiet sprang away from the ceiling toward the robot. When he planted his feet on the ground again, so did the severed upper half of the sentinel. They wasted no time heading up a nearby ventilation shaft, and soon they were emerging onto the roof of the lab complex.
“Now
where do we go?” asked Ranul.
“This will buy us a little time. Tiet, what do you see?”
“I see a small transport, down here off the west side. It looks empty!”
Orin and Ranul joined him on the western wall of the building.
“I can’t make that jump, Orin,” said Ranul, “It must be at least fifty feet.”
“Just hold on!” said Orin as he grabbed his friend and jumped over the ledge. Tiet followed them down as they used their kinetic power to soft land next to the transport. Orin mentally released the cockpit lock; gaining them quick access to the vehicle. Tiet jumped behind the flight controls, and closing the sliding canopy behind them, they sped off into the night.
Ranul could see patrol ships and a sentinel carrier all descending from different directions on the lab complex behind them. The craft they were in was a low altitude transport speeder; quick, but with no armoring or weapons. Still, it was adequate to get them out of the city and into the open terrain beyond.
“Where to now?” asked Tiet.
“I’m not sure yet,” said Orin, “but we’ve got to stop those reinforcements from arriving!”
“Tell your young friend to take us to Vaseer.”
“But that city has been deserted for years!”
“Not necessarily.”
THE recordings flashed on several screens before Governor Kisch k’ta as his advisors briefed him on the unfolding events. Setaru’ lek spoke in the language of the Vorn concerning a mysterious rebel on the loose.
“And here Governor, see the footage from the cloning room? His weapon—”
“Is that of the Barudii warriors; yes I remember,” interrupted Kisch k’ta. “But we wiped them out years ago; I led the attack that day. We swept the cities and the battlefield for survivors and there were no life signatures detected. Besides all that, this one is too young to have been in that battle.”
“With all due respect, we are not prepared for an uprising. Our supplies are exhausted and we can’t produce anymore clones. If this person is fighting back, then he might try to gain support from the people; we could have a rebellion on our hands.”
“I am aware of our situation here,” said Kisch k’ta. “However, attempting to get the fleet fully prepared and through the rift any sooner than scheduled is impossible; we haven’t even been able to re-establish contact yet.”
The door to the Governor’s office chimed. Kisch k’ta touched the panel on his desk allowing the door to slide open. There in the doorway stood the image of a Barudii warrior.
“Come in, android.”
The mechanical warrior moved gracefully into the room.
“I want you to scan all the data we have on this matter, android. And I want you to destroy this person and anyone who may be involved in his rebellion. Nothing must interfere with the arrival of the fleet. Is that clear?”
“Completely, Governor.”
He moved to the control panel and quickly tapped the panel to play all the recorded data that was being viewed by Governor Kisch k’ta. The images simultaneously played in high speed as the Vale android scanned it all into memory. After only a moment he was done.
“Data acquisition complete, Governor Kisch k’ta.”
“Then do not fail.”
“Understood,” said Vale, and he was gone.
“Governor, do you think this machine can defeat the Barudii?” asked one of his aides.
“I don’t know. If he can only delay a rebellion, then it will be enough.”
Vale made his way to the hangar bay of the complex, where a transport was already waiting. He acquired the code key from one of the attendants and slipped into the single occupant cockpit. The model was small and fast. In a moment Vale had scanned all the control systems to memory and fired the engine for departure.
In his android mind all related files to the human rebel and the attacks that had taken place were being correlated. Recently updated reports were coming in and Dr. K’ore was apparently now involved. And according to Governor Kisch k’ta, Dr. K’ore qualified as a viable target; yet his transport was not missing. A related item concerning a stolen transport belonging to a Vorn scientist was the the closest calculated correlation.
Vale fired the thrusters and proceeded to the west side of the complex where the transport had been docked when it was taken. He arrived at the site in a moment and climbed out of his ship to scan the area for any trace evidence.
The transport was reported as a Castillian model, which left a distinctly different exhaust signature from that of the Vorn ships. Vale adjusted his micro-optics appropriately and a particle trail appeared.
He got back to his ship and then proceeded to follow the particle trail that his optics were picking up. The trail went through the city and appeared to head into the wasteland area beyond. All he had to do was to follow the trail and surprise his prey.
Vale powered up the engine to maximum and continued out into the wasteland. His mind was a blur of calculations as it read maps and plotted speed and distance to possible destinations where the targets may have sought refuge, while simultaneously reviewing files on the Barudii warriors; their tactics and weaknesses.
DURING the years they had been in hiding, Orin had never taken Tiet into the Barudii city of Vaseer. It was still littered with old bones—the bones of his people.
The trio had left the transport behind two hours before so they could make their way along the treacherous mountain pass to one of Vaseer’s side gates. The gates were well hidden by the rough terrain and only accessible on foot.
Most of the clans had built their cities underground because of the severe weather that resulted from the Transdimensional Rift being in such close proximity to the planet. But the Barudii had enjoyed the added advantage of building within mountains.
The pathway was fairly wide and much of the carvings and hewn out walls still remained intact. As they drew closer to the city gate Tiet examined the ornate stonework by the light of Castai’s moon. His people had always preferred to dwell in the strongholds they had carved out of the mountains. It protected them from the severe weather that plagued many of Castai’s regions. Some said it was related to the proximity of the Transdimensional Rift to the planet. The mountain cities were also difficult for their enemies to attack and many tunnels and hidden paths provided ample means of escape when it became necessary.
A rich culture he could barely remember lay before him. His mind began to wonder with excitement at what the city must have been like when his clan was prosperous and respected. He was curious and amazed, yet sorrowful at his own loss and the senseless slaughter of his people.
Eventually they reached the gate. It was massive in size; two metal gates coming together and interlocking. Apparently an automated mechanism had opened and closed it, but no power appeared to be available now.
Orin ignited his blade and sliced through the interlocking mechanism to allow the gates to swing freely. He and Tiet attempted to move them manually, but to no avail. “Those hinges up there appear to be completely frozen,” said Ranul.
“Tiet, you take one side and I’ll pull the other,” instructed Orin.
Both men stepped back enough to give the gate room to open, and then each concentrated on a respective gate mentally. Slowly they began to creak and moan as the rust and metal popped and gave way to the kinetic forces being exerted upon the hinges. The gates swung wide and stopped when the two Barudii released them. The ornate archway led to total darkness beyond. “Ranul, are you sure somebody is living here now?” asked Orin.
“Yes. I imagine they must stay in the lower levels just in case the Vorn ever patrol way out here. Here, take this torch.”
Orin removed the old gas torch from the side of the archway entrance and depressed the fuel trigger. It ignited immediately.
“Appears to have been in recent use,” said Tiet.
Orin led the way inside the mountain. The torch gave minimal light but it was at least enough to see the path. Al
most immediately the path began a downward descent into the mountain. It was wide enough and tall enough to allow many people access at once, and Tiet wondered what it must have been like to live in such a place as this. The men proceeded quietly and cautiously, with Ranul’s footsteps making more noise then the other two men combined.
With a quick flash of metal, Orin’s torch was decapitated and knocked from his hand. The gas burner still cast a dim light from the ground where it landed and shadows began to move about the walls. Orin and Tiet reflexively drew their blades and moved close to guard defenseless Ranul from attack. Several dark figures moved in from the shadows and slashed at the trio with blades. Tiet and Orin countered each strike while trying to keep their backs to Ranul, enclosing him.
“We’re not your enemies!” shouted Ranul over the noisy clanging of swords. “These men are Barudii warriors!”
The two figures attacking Orin backed away, but remained ready to attack. Meanwhile Tiet and one of his opponents were still exchanging blows at rapid fire pace, and seemed oblivious to the sudden cease of battle. Tiet’s opponent suddenly flipped over his head. He reflexively used the same leg sweep Orin had used on him, catching the attacker as he landed.
As the figure fell back he caught himself by the hands, rebounded back to his feet and struck at Tiet again; catching him a little off guard by the recovery. Tiet rotated in with a shoulder-level wide swing of his blade to knock his opponent’s blade away as he followed through with a powerful backhand to the face. The darkly clothed figure reeled back from the blow as Tiet took advantage and quickly pinned his opponent’s neck against the wall under his blade.
“Surrender! Don’t make me kill you!”
“Don’t make me kill you,” answered a softer voice from beneath the mask.
Tiet looked down to find that his opponent held a sizable dagger to his belly. Well this is embarrassing.