by Simon Haynes
"Clunk!" Hal broke into a run, threw himself down and turned the robot over, wincing as he saw the damage. There was a large hole in Clunk's chest, and coolant pumped weakly from the split tubing.
"Watch out," gasped Clunk, fluid welling from his mouth. "Robot. Danger!"
"Don't worry, Clunk. I got it."
"Glad … okay." Clunk relaxed, and the seeping stopped.
"Who does it belong to, Clunk? What's going on?"
More panels exploded in the teleporter, forcing waves of acrid smoke along the tunnel.
"Clunk, can you walk?"
Clunk's eyes closed and his head dropped to one side.
"I guess that's a no." Hal got the heavy body over one shoulder, staggered upright and made his way along the tunnel to the staircase, half-choked by the swirling smoke. He took the steps one at a time, muscles burning, sweat and coolant soaking into his flight suit. With each laboured step he dreamt up new and exciting ways of making someone pay for what had happened to Clunk, for the killer robot, for everything.
The slippery stairs at the top were a nightmare, but Hal got by on willpower alone. He emerged in the clearing and his eyes widened at the black flyer standing nearby. He took a step towards it, then realised there was no time to investigate. Another killer robot could be stalking Sonya.
Suddenly the ground shook, and smoke and dust jetted from the mouth of the stairs. There was a deep, booming explosion underground, knocking Hal off his feet. His vision danced as the rumbling continued, and one by one the stone columns crumbled and fell.
The noises stopped and the ground was still.
Hal took one last look at the smoke-shrouded ruins and the sinister black ship, then gathered Clunk up and staggered towards the trees.
*
Sonya followed Rex to the clearing, where they entered the Volante by the cargo ramp at the rear. At the top, Rex glanced down at the jumbled crates of equipment. "It's a pity. Some of that stuff was brand new."
Sonya looked down. Ullimo seemed a long way away. "You can always pick it up when you bring the Volante back."
"Come on!" called Rex, from the inner door.
In the flight deck, he thrust the briefcase into her arms and gestured at the console. "You're the expert. Do your stuff."
Sonya put the briefcase in the foot well, opened the top and unrolled the black cable, plugging it into the console. Then she set to work.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" said a voice through concealed speakers.
Rex jumped. "Who's that?"
"It's the ship's computer," said Sonya. "Don't worry, it can't do anything." She switched the briefcase on. "Bobby, can you hear me?"
"Yes indeed."
"I need you to break into the Navcom for me."
"You really shouldn't be doing this," said the Navcom.
"Bobby, can you run the program Dent installed?"
"Which one?"
"Daisy cutter."
"Sorry, but no. The output cable has been destroyed."
"I want you to route it through the secondary."
"I can't do that. It doesn't have the right configuration."
"I know. I need you to modify the code."
"It won't give me as much control," warned the computer. "I'll only be able to manage ship functions sequentially."
"Just do it!" shouted Rex. He began to pace the flight deck. "I want this thing off the ground in five minutes. Do you understand?"
"Oh yes, sure thing. Executing now."
An eerie wail came through the console speakers.
"What the hell's that?" demanded Rex.
"Defences," said Bobby. His fans began to whirr, blasting hot air across the deck. "I notice you're trying to steal the ship. Would you like to browse the penalties for this offence?"
Sonya shook her head. "We're just borrowing it, Bobby. Honestly."
"If you say so." There was a beep. "I'm through the first layer already. I can start the engines if you like."
Rex stopped pacing. "Don't talk. Act!"
There was a rumble from the bowels of the ship, followed by a roar as the engines fired. After a few seconds they began to flutter, alternately hissing and roaring. "More defences," said Bobby loudly. "Stay tuned, folks."
Rex glanced at Sonya. "All right, it's time. Go and tell Tinker to let Spacejock up in sixty minutes. The code for the flyer is my surname spelt backwards."
The briefcase buzzed. "That password is easily guessed. Would you like some help picking a secure one?"
"Shut up," said Sonya. She eyed Rex thoughtfully. "Are you going to wait for me?"
"You think I'd abandon you here?"
"I don't know what to think."
"Hey, you're the one who's worried about Spacejock."
"Right now I'm more worried about me."
Rex shrugged. "All right, leave him to his own devices."
"Secondary defences breached," said Bobby, his voice high with excitement. "This is so much fun, Mr Curtis!"
"Tell me the instant we're ready to leave."
"Just a few moments," said Bobby cheerfully. "While I'm working, would you like to enter my unlock code?"
Rex frowned. "What's an unlock code?"
"Don't ask," said Sonya grimly. She glanced towards the airlock. She could run to the ruins and back in ten minutes, but what chance Rex would leave without her? About a hundred percent, by her reckoning.
*
Hal heard the Volante's engines before he was halfway to the clearing. He increased his pace, staggering over the uneven ground with Clunk's dead weight bearing down on his shoulders like a bag of rocks. Sweat ran into his eyes, and coolant ran freely from the robot's shattered chest, staining his flight suit with streaks of red and green. By the time he reached the clearing the ship was hidden behind a spreading cloud of steam and smoke. Avoiding the fiery jets, he plunged straight into the thick fog, heading for the cargo ramp.
The noise beneath the ship was unbearable - an ear-splitting roar from the landing jets, a deep rumble from the main drives - while white-hot fire from the thrusters cut through the steam like knives. He stopped at the nearest landing leg, where he let Clunk slither to the ground. Leaning against the leg for support, he flipped open a panel and pressed the cargo ramp override. Nothing happened. He mashed the button with his thumb, hitting it repeatedly as the engine note rose higher and higher. Raw heat washed over him in waves and the ground began to shimmer. He was too late. The ship was leaving.
Hal glanced over his shoulder, towards the forest, and realised he'd never get clear in time.
He jumped as a hand grabbed his ankle, and when he looked down he saw Clunk struggling weakly, gesturing towards his shattered chest. Through the shimmering heat Hal saw a loop of cable, and when he looked at the landing leg he realised what Clunk was telling him. The comms socket! Clunk could control the ship!
Hal grabbed the cable and rammed the plug into the socket. "Okay, Clunk," he muttered. "Let's put paid to their little game."
The engine noise grew louder. "Come on," shouted Hal. "Clunk, do something!"
A shadow fell across him, and when he looked round he saw the cargo ramp dropping. It fell in fits and starts, as if controlled by opposing forces.
Hal yanked the plug and bent to retrieve Clunk.
"Leave me," said the robot. "Slow you down."
"I'm not leaving you anywhere," growled Hal. With superhuman effort he swung Clunk onto his shoulders and staggered towards the ramp, while all around them thrusters hammered the ground as they prepared to lift the ship into space.
*
"What's that?" demanded Rex, as a light began to flash on the console.
"Cargo door," said Sonya, reading the indicator label. "The Navcom's fighting back."
"Shut the damned thing."
Sonya tipped the briefcase over, opened the lid and began to type. After a few moments, the red light went out. "Ship sealed. We're ready for lift-off."
"Take her up, then." Rex glan
ced at Sonya, who was biting her lip. "Don't worry about Spacejock. We'll tip the authorities off. They'll pick him up in a day or so."
"If he lasts that long," muttered Sonya, remembering the look in Tinker's eyes.
Chapter 31
Once they were safely in space, Sonya programmed the course for Ackexa and set the briefcase up to handle their jump. She worked efficiently, but her mind was worrying at several loose ends. Finally, she turned to face Rex. "Mr Curtis, I want to know what's going on."
Rex looked at her, his eyes calculating.
"No bullshit," said Sonya. "The truth."
"Very well. As of tomorrow, Curtis Freightlines will cease to exist."
"You said delivering this cargo would save the company!"
"Actually, it's going to start a new one." Rex gestured around the flight deck. "Welcome to the Aurora, and my very first job as Feenix Transport."
"What about Spacejock?"
"Don't feel sorry for him. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't stolen Central Bank from us."
"But you left him your flyer! When he gets free —"
"He's not going anywhere. Tinker will see to that."
"And me?" asked Sonya softly. "Were you going to leave me too?"
"Only if you sided against me." Rex smiled. "You made the right choice. I can use someone with your talents."
"Wait a minute. Curtis Freightlines has gone broke? What about my new job? My luxury apartment? My residency?"
"All gone, I'm afraid. But you won't need —"
"No! I can't go to Ackexa!" Sonya's voice rose, and she fought down panic. "Without the right documents they'll haul me off the ship! I'll never be allowed off the planet again!"
"I'll have a word with them. After all, you're with me now. My partner in crime."
Sonya stared at him, her face white. "You bastard!" Her gaze darted to the briefcase. "Bobby, cancel the jump. Set course for Canessa. We're going back."
"No we're not." Rex drew his gun. "Get up."
"What are you doing?"
"Into the airlock," said Rex calmly. "You're going back to Canessa all right. Without a spacesuit."
*
Hal hurried along the Volante's lower deck corridor, heading for the lift. He had done what he could for Clunk, and now he was determined to wrest back control of his ship. He'd grabbed a length of steel pipe from the cargo hold, and as the lift bore him towards the flight deck he slapped the end in the palm of his hand. The lift stopped and a burst of adrenaline raced through his veins, leaving a cold, tingling feeling.
"What are you doing?" said a female voice, muffled by the doors. Sonya!
"Into the airlock," said a male voice. "You're going back to Canessa all right. Without a spacesuit!"
The doors opened and Hal burst into the flight deck, pipe raised. There was a man with his back to the lift, a blaster in his right hand. Sonya was halfway to the airlock, her face pale. She spotted Hal and screamed as he brought the pipe down over the back of her attacker's head.
The man half-turned and the pipe struck him a glancing blow. The gun fell from his nerveless fingers and he collapsed to the deck, where he lay still. Hal stepped over him, scooped up the gun and took Sonya in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and he felt her trembling. "Don't worry," he muttered, feeling awkward with the weapons in his hands. "It's all over."
"Did you kill him?"
Hal let go of Sonya and bent to examine the fallen man, who was lying face down on the deck. "He's alive, but he'll have a massive headache when he wakes up."
"Rex is going to be —"
"Rex?" Hal stared. "You know him?"
"He's my, er, professor."
Hal's eyebrows rose. "This guy's a teacher?"
"Sort of. You know my theory? The expanding civilisation?"
"Yeah. Weathering or something."
"Right. Well my professor has another theory, the opposite of mine. He makes a lot of money lecturing about it, and when I publish my findings he'll be discredited."
"You're telling me some egghead came all the way to Canessa with a killer robot just to stop you proving your theory? He must be insane!"
"You haven't met many academics, have you?"
"Just as well. It's incredible." Hal shook his head slowly. Then he looked at Sonya. "By the way, your theory was right. I've seen your vanished civilisation myself."
Sonya looked shocked. "Really?"
Hal nodded. "I'll tell you about it later. Let me take the garbage out first." He grabbed Rex's ankles and dragged him into the airlock, sealing him in.
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing. The authorities can deal with him on Ackexa."
"Ackexa?"
"Of course. I've got a cargo to deliver."
"Don't you think we should take him to Ullimo first? I mean, he's not an Outsider. There might be complications."
Hal snorted. "Good."
Sonya eyed the gun. "Tell me, how did you get aboard? I thought Rex had —"
"Well, I thought everything was lost but Clunk …" Hal's eyes widened. "Oh, shit! Clunk!"
"What?"
"I'm up here chatting, and he's in the hold fighting for his life." Hal strode into the lift and hit the down button. "If anything happens to my robot, that professor of yours won't have to worry about the authorities. I'll space him myself."
*
Sonya sat in the pilot's chair, staring through the white noise on the main screen. The ship was going to Ackexa, her home planet, deep in Outsider space. Without ID they'd never let her leave, and the only way she could get Hal to change course was to confess everything and throw herself on his mercy. And if she did that she was likely to end up in the airlock with Rex.
She glanced down at the briefcase, out of sight under the console. What if she sealed the lift and changed course? Bobby could land the ship and she could flee, leaving the port staff to release Hal and Clunk. She bit her lip. What would she do without ID? Once Hal spoke out, Union authorities would hunt her down and ship her back to Ackexa. It wouldn't work.
She heard a tapping sound, a persistent rat-tat-tat clamouring for her attention. When she looked round she saw Rex beckoning through the airlock porthole.
Sonya turned away, her mind racing. He'd meant to kill her, but the dynamic had changed now that Hal had the gun. She could make a deal with Rex. If she let him out they could seal Hal in the cargo hold and land somewhere inside Union space. After they'd gone, Hal would probably blame everything on the deranged academic, leaving her in the clear. A thought struck her, and she looked down at her blouse. A piece of her clothing trapped in the airlock door might even convince Hal that Rex had carried out his threat to space her.
Torn by indecision, Sonya glanced at the airlock. Through the porthole she saw Rex mime a circle and point at her, his meaning clear: Any planet you want.
*
Hal had removed Clunk's shattered chest panel and was poking around in the robot's insides, trying to determine the extent of the damage.
"That tickles," said Clunk faintly.
"Hey, you're alive!"
"Barely."
"That ruddy great robot certainly did a job on you," muttered Hal. "He's bent these rod things and crushed the, er, thingamabob over here and …" Clunk jerked as he prodded a loose connector. "Oops, sorry."
"Leave it," murmured the robot.
"Will you be okay?"
"What's … happening? Ship moving?"
"We're going to Ackexa. Don't worry, they'll fix you up."
Clunk coughed, and fluid welled from his mouth. "Go back to the flight deck."
"I'm staying right here."
"Can't do anything for me," whispered Clunk. "Too far gone."
"Don't say that. Be positive!"
Slowly, Clunk's head moved from side to side. "Brain failure. Permanent."
"Permanent! I thought —"
"I'm sorry, Mr Spacejock."
"If I hadn't taken Sonya on board —"
C
lunk's mouth jerked, seeping more fluid. "Don't trust her."
Hal looked round at the sound of footsteps. "Speak of the devil," he said, as Sonya entered the hold carrying a paper cup and plate.
"I thought you'd like something to eat." Sonya looked at Clunk. "How's he doing?"
"He'll be fine once we reach Ackexa."
"Their facilities might not be the most up-to-date."
"No problem. Neither is Clunk."
"Hal, I need to talk."
"Shoot."
"I'm not really a historian. I work for Curtis Freightlines."
Hal laughed. "Is that professor guy going to be mad or what? He thought you were going after his population theories!"
"Professor? What professor?"
Hal jerked his thumb at the door. "That idiot in the airlock. Rex wotsisname."
"He's not a professor," said Sonya quietly. "He was my boss."
"That's Rex Curtis?" Hal slammed his fist into his palm. "I thought he looked familiar! Wait a minute, why were you pretending to be a passenger if you work for him?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got plenty of time."
"First, you have to understand my situation. I'm an Outsider refugee living in Union space under sufferance. I had a casual job with Curtis Freightlines, but I needed a permanent position before I could apply for residency."
"How would stealing my ship help with that? Were you going to sell it and use the money for bribes?"
"Rex told me I could have a permanent position if I did a certain job for him. He wanted you held you up for a few hours. That's all."
"But why? It doesn't make sense!"
"You don't understand. Losing the Central Bank contract meant the end of his company."
"That makes killer robots okay, then?"
"I didn't have anything to do with that!" said Sonya. "I was only supposed to make you late for Central Bank so they wouldn't use your services again. None of this was supposed to happen." She bit her lip. "He lied to me, Hal! He told me you were smuggling refugees, abandoning families on deserted planets, leaving people to die."