Jack felt a cold chill run up his spine as he looked into the wide, hard eyes of the Director. “The Lords of the Void…” said Jack. “You’re talking about them!”
“Lords o’ the Void?” muttered Scallywag, looking at Casgor with the same expression he’d use if he were looking at something foul caked on his shoe. “Ya mean this browner is working for them robed tossers that give the Deathlords their marchin’ orders?”
“It would appear so,” replied Jack. “How could someone smart enough to run an intergalactic Empire be dumb enough to really believe in a group of genocidal maniacs?”
“You’ve just proven you know nothing of which you speak,” Casgor said, his voice quiet and threatening. “The Lords of the Void are so much more than you could possibly imagine. And I promise you, it is your ignorance that will be your undoing.”
“Whatever, dude,” muttered Jack, sick of listening to the load of bunk spewing from the man’s mouth. “Heckubus, please tell me you found what we came here for so we can gag this idiot or something.”
“Yes, about that…” said Heckubus. “I’m afraid it’s not here.”
Jack blinked, at first not comprehending what Heckubus had just said. “What do you mean it’s not there?” asked Jack, alarmed.
“The location of the portgate seal,” clarified Heckubus. “I’ve checked multiple times. I can’t find it anywhere. All data related to its location and coordinates have been deleted and completely scrubbed.”
“I know its tha most closely guarded secret in tha entire bloody Empire,” said Scallywag. “But how is that even possible?”
Heckubus looked at Casgor, his ocular orbs narrowing at the appearance of the man’s smug smile. “Obviously, because they anticipated a move such as ours and deleted all traces of it.”
Casgor chuckled. “Virtuoso thinks of every possible contingency,” he said. “As do I. We knew as soon as the portgates went down there would be hyperspace expeditions called to investigate and possibly attempt to repair it. We were sure to eliminate the possibility of anyone ever finding its location again. The greatest secret the Empire ever possessed is now lost forever, and there is no getting it back.”
Jack looked at Heckubus, desperate. “There must be a copy of it somewhere,” he said. “Someplace they missed!”
“I’m sorry, Earthman,” Heckubus replied. “Virtuoso was very thorough. I can find no remaining database that has any trace of it.”
“Time to face the facts, you little brat,” said Casgor. “We’ve won.”
Jack gripped his fists, seething. He approached Casgor, looking the man square in his smug face. “There’s something you should know about me, jerkwad,” Jack said, just before giving Casgor a swift kick right between the legs. Casgor doubled over, his face turning beet red. “I hate to lose!” Jack shouted, before pushing him to the floor.
“Hating to lose… doesn’t change the fact you’ve lost…” grunted Casgor as he nursed himself.
Jack pulled out his blaster and aimed it at Casgor’s face. Casgor looked up at Jack and grinned, his eyes practically daring him to pull the trigger. “Think you have it in you, boy?” Casgor growled. “What it takes to murder a man while you look him in the eyes?” Jack frowned and lowered his blaster, unable to pull the trigger despite his anger. “I didn’t think so,” Casgor sneered.
“He might not,” said Scallywag, aiming his blaster at Casgor. “But I do.”
“Oooo! Oooo! Me too!” said Heckubus.
“Same here,” rumbled Grohm.
“None of you are going to kill me,” Casgor said.
“And what makes ya so sure o’ that?” asked Scallywag.
“Because by now, I’ve stalled long enough,” Casgor said. “When I told you before you were all going to die, I really did mean it.”
Suddenly, an armed Peacekeeper Cruiser rose up into view of the panoramic window of the Director’s office. The guns under its wings descended and laser sights beamed forth, tagging Jack and every one of his companions.
“That can’t be good,” muttered Scallywag.
Then, the thick blast door to the office began to hum as it started to vibrate. The group turned and looked at it as small cracks began to appear in its façade.
“That either…” said Scallywag.
“By now my Royal Guard contingent has had Megabase Cygnus teleport in their rapid response unit,” said Casgor smugly. “What you see now is the precursor to an entire Alpha Force squad getting ready to break through that door. And when they do, they will cut the lot of you down in seconds. There is no getting out of this now. You are trapped. Your only hope is to surrender to me, and pray I’m the forgiving type.”
Jack looked from the door to the window and back again, his mind racing. As much as he hated to admit it, Casgor was right – they’d backed themselves into a corner, and every way they turned, death was staring them in the face.
Then, Grohm stepped forward, growling at the Cruiser on the other side of the window. “Robot,” he grumbled. “Deactivate shield wall.”
“Do what now?” asked Heckubus. “Might I point out that the shield barrier is the only thing keeping that shuttle outside the window from blasting us into bits at the moment?”
“Do it,” Grohm growled.
“I think Grohm has a plan,” Jack said.
Heckubus sighed. “Very well,” he said. “Lowering the shield in five seconds…”
“So… what’s the plan, big guy?” Jack asked.
Grohm faced the window, squaring off with the armed Cruiser hovering before it. “Count to ten,” he said. “Then follow Grohm.”
“Count to –” said Jack, unsure what to make of the Rognok’s sudden order. “Grohm, what are you gonna—?”
Without another word, Grohm sprinted forward, hurling himself through the reinforced window the moment the shield disengaged, shattering it like pane-glass as the Rognok flew toward the Cruiser and latched onto the vehicle. The Cruiser immediately banked and fell out of view as Jack saw Grohm rip its cockpit open with his bare hands, sending the pilot into an immediate ejection.
“Holy crap!” exclaimed Jack.
Even Director Casgor looked amazed at what he’d just seen.
“Count ta ten?” muttered Scallywag. “He doesn’t mean he wants us ta jump out after him, does he?”
“I’d say that was precisely what he was implying,” said Heckubus.
“He’s gotta be kidding!” exclaimed Scallywag.
“You ever known him to joke?” asked Jack.
“I will just tell you both now,” said Heckubus, “there is no conceivable way I am leaping out of the 400th story of a building!”
With a mighty CRACK, the blast door to the room broke apart and the heavily armored Alpha Force soldiers wasted no time rushing in, gravity rifles at the ready.
“Suit yerself!” cried Scallywag as he and Jack sprinted toward the window.
“Blast it!” said Heckubus before running as fast as his robotic legs could carry him. “I do so hate physical activity!!!”
The Alpha Force unit opened fire just as the trio leapt through the opening. Jack and his companions all screamed as they fell, hitting the slope of the building and tumbling as they slid uncontrollably down its side, heading right for the edge and a sheer vertical drop.
“This was a terrible plaaaaaaannnnnnn!!!!!!” cried Heckubus as he rolled head-over-heels along with Jack and Scallywag toward their impending doom.
Just as they were about to go over the side, the Peacekeeper Cruiser with Grohm on top of it swooped down to the edge, gracelessly bumping up against the building as Grohm tried to steer the ship with his massive hands on the controls of the open cockpit. The group tumbled onto the wing of the Cruiser. Scallywag and Heckubus grabbed hold, but Jack couldn’t get a grip and began to slide off the side.
Grohm reached out, grabbing Jack’s arm just before he fell. Jack dangled there, looking down at the dizzying drop beneath him, before Grohm pulled him up and ploppe
d him into the cockpit. “Fly,” Grohm ordered.
Jack grabbed the controls and tried to steady the Cruiser. He looked at all the buttons and readouts on the HUD before him, not having a clue what any of them were for. “Okay…” he said. “This can’t be too hard… everyone, hang on!”
“Like we have a bloody choice!” shouted Scallywag, not looking the least bit happy that he was hanging onto the naked wing of a damaged Cruiser in mid-flight.
Jack pitched the Cruiser away from the building, just as the Alpha Force team from the Director’s office began to open fire on them from the window. The Cruiser jolted as one of the blasts struck its engine, causing it to smoke and to start losing altitude. Jack quickly dropped out of the range of the gravity rifles as Casgor and the Alpha Force squad watched them go.
“Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” said one of the Alpha Force Commandos.
“Director Casgor,” said the Alpha Force Commander, “are you injured?”
“I’m fine, you twits!” Casgor sneered. “They’re the ones you should be focused on! Contact every Peacekeeper station and Imperial Infantry unit there is! Have them lock this entire city down! I want them searching every room in every building on the planet’s surface if they have to! These outlaws are to be hunted down and apprehended immediately! I am authorizing full use of lethal force!”
“Yes, sir,” the Commander replied. “Notifying all law enforcement and military units in the city of code 00789 lockdown. Fugitives at large. Lethal force authorized.”
“And get me Starkeeper Cohaagen this instant!” barked Casgor. “I know exactly where they’re headed.”
Chapter 57
Professor Green and Dan carefully made their way behind some fuel containers. Dan tried his best to keep up with the Professor while not making too much noise. They’d gotten side-tracked from their destination by the need to avoid the multitude of advanced security-bots patrolling around the spaceport.
“There’s the hangar! Finally!” said Green as he peeked out from behind the large container, seeing the dome-shaped structure not far away. “I fear we must be terribly behind schedule by now!”
“Sir, after analyzing the maps of the spaceport in my databanks, I feel it would be best for us to approach from the rear entrance,” suggested Dan. “It is the closest to the control room within the hangar and will most likely be lightly guarded.”
“Yes, fine suggestion, dear fellow. I don’t suppose there are any possible entrances that would be of the unguarded variety, by chance?” inquired Green.
“I’m afraid that would not be likely, sir,” Dan replied.
Green sighed. “Very well,” he said. “Lead the way, if you please.”
The Professor followed Dan as they made their way around the hangar, being sure to stay out of sight of the patrolling security-bots they passed. The duo eventually crept up behind a long, rectangular generator station the Maguffyn Corporation had set up to power their extra equipment inside the hangar. Green tip-toed to its edge and slowly peeked out around its side.
Not far away was the entrance Dan had talked about. However, there was an obvious security camera mounted on a robotic arm above it, and at the foot of the stairs leading to the door stood two advanced Maguffyn security-bots.
“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” muttered Green. “Even if I could somehow avoid notice by that camera, however am I going to get past those security-bots?” Green’s mind raced. He tried to think of a solution to the problem facing him. The Professor frowned. He found himself wishing Paragon Shepherd were with him. He and Shepherd always brainstormed well together. Green lamented the fact that he was not a man of action as his old friend had been. Whatever Green would think of, Shepherd would make happen. You were always so good in situations like this, old friend, Green thought sadly. If you were here, I have no doubt you would certainly know what to do.
“I don’t suppose you have any ideas?” Green asked Dan.
“Apologies, sir,” Dan replied. “I’m rather new to this whole concept of coming up with ideas. I am not certain those I have devised would be of much use.”
Green sighed sadly. “I feel much the same way about my own ideas,” he said. “This is quite a pickle we’re in.”
“Indeed, it would seem so,” came a voice.
Green turned, startled. An Endolan stood nearby in faded blue robes, a walking stick in his hand, and a third eye that seemed to be carefully studying the Professor. “Do not be alarmed,” the Endolan said. “Am I to understand you are an ally of the Earthman’s?”
Green swallowed nervously. “I… I suppose you could say that, yes,” he replied. “Who are you?”
“My name is Shanks,” the monk said with a slight bow.
“Are you here to help me?”
“I’m afraid I cannot take part in matters of the Empire,” Shanks said. “I am here merely as an observer.”
“Oh,” replied Green, sadly.
“For instance,” said Shanks. “I can only observe you opening the access panel on the wall here to deactivate the power source for the hangar’s security cameras, allowing you to approach the entrance without alerting any additional security-bots.”
“Oh?” said Green, his eyes moving to the panel in the generator station wall to which Shanks was referring. “Oh! My word, that would certainly be helpful! What a good idea!”
“Yes, it is quite fortunate you came up with it,” said Shanks as Green accessed the panel.
“But you—”
“Am merely observing, nothing more,” Shanks replied.
Green nodded. “As you say,” he said as he plugged a datapad into the panel and began powering down the hangar’s security system. “I don’t suppose you’ll be observing me finding a way past those two security-bots that are currently guarding the door?”
“You? No,” said Shanks, turning his gaze upon Dan. “But I am very much looking forward to watching your friend here in action.”
“Me, sir?” said Dan.
“Yes,” said Shanks with a smile. “I am quite interested in seeing you execute one of those ideas you spoke of.”
“Oh, dear,” said Dan. “I suppose I have one that might work. But what if it doesn’t?”
“An interesting question,” Shanks replied. “But what if it does? Either way… there is only one manner in which to find out.”
Minutes later, after the security camera had been disabled, the security-bots stationed in front of the stairs turned to see Dan approaching them. They immediately raised their arm cannons, targeting him. “Area restricted to authorized personnel only,” they droned.
“Acknowledged,” replied Dan as he shuffled closer. “Permission to transmit identification and Maguffyn security clearance code?”
“Granted,” stated the security-bots. “Ready to receive.”
The lights on Dan’s chest blinked as he broadcast his information. Both security-bots downloaded the data to verify with their current databases. “Identity not confirmed,” the security-bots stated. “Maguffyn security clearance invalid.”
“Oh, dear,” replied Dan. “Are you certain? Perhaps you had better check again.”
“No database record found. Security clearance invalid,” the security-bots said. “Use of deadly force authorized. Destroy. Destroy. Destroy…” The security-bots began to rock back and forth as the lights in their eyes blinked on and off. “Danger. Warning. System malfunction. System malfunction. Critical errors detected. Warning… Error… Error…”
“It would appear as though you are both malfunctioning. Perhaps the two of you should go to maintenance for repairs?” suggested Dan.
“Ac-knowl-edged,” the security-bots replied, their voices modulating. “Sys-tem mal-funct-ion… seek-ing re-pairs… err-or… err-or… err-or…”
The security-bots began to walk around aimlessly, bumping into walls and haphazardly changing directions as their system indicator lights blinked on and off. Green and Shanks emerged from their hiding
place and joined Dan, who was watching the malfunctioning robots with interest.
“Most impressive, my robotic friend!” said Green. “Those are Maguffyn’s top of the line models. However did you break their encryption?”
“Oh, I didn’t, sir,” replied Dan. “I’m afraid that is far too complex a task for one such as I. Luckily, I had a copy of Heckubus Moriarty’s enslavement virus still in my memory from when he used it on me. After making a few minor adjustments, I merely embedded it in the guise of a security protocol transmission, which the security-bots are required to download and verify, thus bypassing their encryption completely. Though I do not have the necessary equipment to control the virus remotely, I was certain that once introduced, it would attempt to by-pass their programming anyway, causing multiple system errors and rendering them… well, helpless.” The security-bots bumped into each other and continued walking around aimlessly. “Curious…” continued Dan. “I suddenly have the urge to laugh in a manner that denotes both extreme pride in my success and enjoyment at the crushing defeat of others in a way which makes a mockery of them. Is that normal?”
“Under these circumstances, I’m going to say… yes,” replied Green.
“Very well then,” said Dan. “Ha. Ha ha. Ha. Indeed, that was quite satisfying.”
“My friends,” chimed in Shanks. “As much as I enjoy observing your conversation, I feel I would much prefer to observe you liberating the Earthman’s ship at the moment.”
“Right!” said Green, as if just remembering what he was there to do. “Let’s get on with it, shall we?” Green hurried up to the door. He tried using his datapad to hack the lock, but he kept getting denied. “Confound it!” he muttered. “They have upgraded the hangar’s security algorithm. I’m afraid I’m going to be unable to hack into the locks with my current equipment.”
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 66