by G. P. Hudson
“That’s ridiculous. I demand her release this instant.”
Juneau laughed. “Do you think you are in any position to be making demands?”
Jon saw where this was going. The General wanted to make a trade. “What do you want, General?”
Juneau smiled. “Your ship possesses an intriguing propulsion system. Give us the technology and I’ll release Dr. Ellerbeck. I believe that is a fair trade.”
“I don’t think so,” said Jon.
“We’ll give you the jump technology,” said Bast.
Jon spun around to face Bast. “Are you crazy?”
“It is my ship,” said Bast. “It is my decision to make.”
“This man is a tyrant. A dictator. You can’t give him jump technology.”
“I can if it means freeing Dr. Ellerbeck.”
“You haven’t changed, Chaanisar,” Jon spit the words out like poison on his tongue. “You still support the goddamn Governors.”
“I believe the man said it wasn’t your decision to make,” said Juneau, derisively.
The sound of the General’s voice set off a time bomb that had been ticking inside Jon for years. Humans suffered because of men like this. Greedy, evil men.
The creature had heard enough and let loose a silent roar. Kill them all, it demanded.
Jon struck.
He hit Sergeant Fitch with his shoulder, doubling the man over, air violently leaving his lungs. With one fluid movement Jon stripped the weapon from Fitch’s hands and squeezed off a round.
Juneau had begun to stand when the bullet punched a hole in his forehead. Juneau slammed back into the chair. It toppled. Juneau’s lifeless body hit the floor.
Jon whipped around. Firing. The soldier next to him was caught wide eyed. A bullet struck him in the chest hurtling him into the wall. Fitch had begun to recover, although still struggling to take in a breath. Jon fired again, blowing off the top of his head.
Men were shouting. Weapons pointed.
Bast and Jarvi didn’t hesitate. They moved like demons. A fist ruptured a windpipe. An elbow crushed a temple. Weapons were taken. Bullets sprayed the room. Bodies collapsed amid panicked screams.
Kevin tackled a nearby soldier who took aim at Jon, knocking the weapon out of his hands. Heavy blows crashed into the man’s face, knocking him out before he could react.
Seiben dove to the floor and covered his head with his hands.
Some of the soldiers tried to counter the onslaught. The exoskeletons augmented their strength and speed, giving them the illusion of hope. Their strikes were a fraction too slow. Jon and the Chaanisar stayed one step ahead. The disadvantage proved insurmountable. A soldier leaped at Jon’s back, but struck empty air. He tried to turn, instinctively knowing his enemy had moved behind him. A bullet tore through the back of the man’s skull.
Another soldier bolted to the side, trying to flank the Chaanisar. Bast fired. The bullet struck the side of the man’s head. He flipped sideways, almost completing a somersault.
The soldiers dead. Jon spun. His weapon pointed at Bast. The Colonel did the same, leveling his own weapon at Jon. The two men faced each other. A stalemate.
“Drop your weapon,” said Jarvi, pointing his gun at the side of Jon’s head.
“Pull that trigger and you die,” said Kevin, pointing his gun at Jarvi.
The doors swung open. More soldiers rushed in. Jon spun away from Bast and opened fire. Dropped one instantly with a couple rounds to the chest. Turned another with a bullet to the shoulder. Finished him with a second round to the neck. Sent the man to the floor, drowning sounds coming from his mouth.
Bast, Jarvi and Kevin had also turned toward the attack, and met the soldiers with their own assault. Their bullets chewed up the advancing soldiers, adding their body count to the rest.
Silence.
Jon turned on Bast again. The Colonel was right there to meet him. Jarvi swung toward Jon and Kevin returned his aim to Jarvi.
“What the fuck is the matter with you people?” yelled Seiben, rising from the floor. He looked around at the carnage. Dead bodies sprawled all around the room. Blood speckled the furniture and walls. The air became thick with the smell of blood and death. He then looked at the four men, pointing weapons at each other. “Have you all lost your goddamn minds?”
“Ask your friend,” said Bast. “His actions caused this butchery.”
“Me? You’re the one who was going to give jump technology to that bastard,” said Jon.
“We need Dr. Ellerbeck to remove the brain chips. I would gladly trade the technology for her.”
“You’re a fool. You would condemn billions of people. And for what? That piece of shit was never going to release the Doctor.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do. He just overthrew his own government. You think a man like that has honor? If he can turn on his own people, what do you think he’ll do to you?”
“Enough!” said Seiben. “Kill each other later. Right now we have to get out of here.”
“He’s right,” said Bast, lowering his weapon. He nodded at Jarvi and the Lieutenant did the same. Jon and Kevin dropped their weapons in response.
Bast’s left eye flickered. “I have advised the pilot of the situation. He is briefing the ship.”
“Through your brain chip?” said Jon.
“Yes. They are quite useful at times.”
“Okay, let’s hurry up and get to the shuttle,” said Jon, turning to leave.
“Unfortunately, that is not an option.”
“Why?” said Jon, turning back to face Bast.
“I ordered the pilot to return to the ship. He is flying up as we speak.”
“What? Why would you do that?”
“Because, we need to rescue Dr. Ellerbeck.”
“I should’ve shot you.”
“Sadly for you, you didn’t”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but there are only five of us. How the fuck are we supposed to break Dr. Ellerbeck out of jail in the middle of a goddamn coup d’etat?”
“Hang on a second,” said Seiben. “Are you telling me you sent our one and only way of getting off this planet back up to the ship?”
“Yes.”
“This is all your fault,” Seiben yelled, pointing at Jon. “I curse the day I rescued your damn life pod.”
“You’re right,” said Bast. “This is all his fault.”
“You’re just as bad as him,” Seiben shouted, his face turning as red as a ripe tomato. “The two of you are a couple of lunatics.
“I am sorry Mr. Seiben,” said Bast. “But we are not leaving this planet without Dr. Ellerbeck.”
“Here,” said Jarvi, handing Seiben a weapon.
“Oh that’s great. Thank you very much for making me even more of a target.”
“He’s right,” said Kevin. “We can’t just walk around the city looking like a team of mercenaries.”
Jon looked at the dead soldiers scattered across the floor. “Uniforms. We need to change into their military uniforms.”
“Agreed,” said Bast and started looking for a soldier similar to his size.
“Really?” said Seiben. “The blood doesn’t bother any of you? How about the bullet holes?”
“You’re right,” said Jon, giving Seiben a reassuring smile. “Concentrate on those who were shot in the head.”
“I don’t believe this,” said Seiben, covering his face with his hands.
“Come on, old man,” said Kevin, slapping Seiben on the back. “Let’s get you some new clothes.”
Chapter 22
Seiben ran a hand along the smooth contours of the weapon, admiring its lethal simplicity. He had some experience with guns in his life, most recently on DLC station. He would likely get more experience before long. He tried to take a step forward and became airborne, lunging straight into the wall. His arms came up just in time, taking most of the impact.
“What are you doing?” said Jon, standing o
ver a frightened looking soldier. “Don’t make any noise.”
“Right, because I was trying to slam my face into the wall,” said Seiben. The exoskeleton was more sophisticated than anything he had worn before and he hadn’t adapted to its sensitivity yet. He tried taking another step. This time he made a smaller movement, allowing the exoskeleton to take over and carry his leg through. It worked better, but he still moved farther than he expected. Another step, adjusting slightly once more, and he landed where he wanted. He took a few more steps around the room to be sure.
He heard a loud smack and turned to see the soldier crumple to the floor.
“Did you kill him too?” asked Seiben.
“No, he’s just going to take a little nap.”
“Very generous of you.”
“Thanks,” said Jon. “Are you ready?”
“I think so,” lied Seiben, not really ready for any of this, including the exoskeleton.
“Good. Our sleeping friend here told us where they took Dr. Ellerbeck. Let’s go.”
When he emerged from the Prime Minister’s office Seiben felt completely ridiculous. He had swapped his clothes for a military uniform that barely fit, and held a weapon he wasn’t sure he could fire straight. He stepped awkwardly, worried he might be thrown into another wall.
All Seiben had wanted was to talk to the Prime Minister about emigration for his family. Instead, he probably became an accomplice to a mass murder. Even worse, one of the dead was the new leader of the planet. Now here he was, playing soldier with a group of highly skilled killers. He could just hear Darla chewing him out.
“Don’t worry, old man,” said Kevin, striding beside him with an exoskeleton of his own. “We’ll get through this.”
“What makes you think I’m worried? And why do you keep calling me old man?” said Seiben, exasperation in his voice.
“I don’t mean anything by it,” said Kevin. “It kind of suits you.” He pointed at Jon, Bast and Jarvi walking in front of them. “Look, you saw how the three of them can move, right?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re augmented. Even with the exoskeletons we can’t match their speed. If anything happens just stay with me. How does your exoskeleton feel?”
“It’s different from the ones we use on the freighters. More sensitive.”
“Yeah, that’s cause it’s military grade. You think you can handle it?”
“I think so.”
“Good. See, things are looking better already,” said Kevin, slapping him on the back with a giant hand, emptying his lungs of air.
At the end of a long hallway Jon raised a fist and they all came to a stop behind him.
“Looks like an exit,” whispered Jon. “There are guards posted. I say we just act normal and walk out.”
They nodded their agreement and Jon stepped out first, followed by Bast and Jarvi. Seiben felt Kevin give him a nudge and he stepped out, his heart pounding like a jackhammer.
“Just relax,” whispered Kevin. “Act like you belong.”
Jon, Bast and Jarvi walked past the soldiers without any issues. Seiben walked beside Kevin, trying to act normal, but he already felt the soldiers’ eyes on him. It must be obvious he wasn’t a soldier. A bead of sweat dripped off his brow, stinging his eye. Without thinking he brought up a hand to wipe it away. The exoskeleton amplified the reaction, and he punched himself in the face. A thousand lights blinked on and off under his eyelid, and he staggered to a stop, holding a hand to his face. He heard laughter as he tried to open his eyelid. The lights started to fade and he saw Kevin looking back at him, with a frown on his face. Behind him stood the guards, still laughing in his direction.
“You okay?” said Kevin, grabbing him by the bicep and giving him a tug.
“Yeah,” said Seiben, taking a step forward. He scowled at the guards, who sported wide grins.
One of the guards said, “Can you believe they gave that guy an exo?”
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” said the other guard. “This whole planet is going to shit.”
They made it out of the building onto the street. A palpable tension filled the air. Throngs of people rushed around. Their movements fearful and urgent. Many were burdened with abnormal amounts of groceries, clearly stocking up. They nervously eyed the military presence around them, careful not to stare. Seiben was certain that most just wanted to get off the streets, back to the relative safety of their homes. Up ahead, Jon, Bast and Jarvi stood waiting for Seiben and Kevin to catch up.
“What happened?” asked Jon.
Kevin hooked a thumb toward Seiben, “The old man tried to knock himself out.”
“Really? Why?” asked Jon, trying to conceal a smirk.
“Piss off, the two of you,” said Seiben.
“You think you can run with that thing on?” asked Jon.
“I don’t know,” said Seiben.
“You don’t have a choice,” said Jon. “We need to get away from here fast. Sink or swim.” With that Jon took off down the street. Bast and Jarvi followed. The three men a blur.
“What the fuck?” said Seiben.
“Come on,” yelled Kevin, pulling his arm, almost yanking his shoulder out of its socket.
Seiben ran to keep from being thrown. He slammed into a pedestrian, knocking him onto the ground.
“Sorry,” he yelled, picking up speed. People and objects zipped by him. He was convinced he was going to accidentally kill someone, probably himself.
“Treat it like you’re piloting a fast ship,” yelled Kevin, still pulling him by the arm.
“I hate all of you!” said Seiben.
They took a few hard turns and raced down a quieter street, thankfully with less obstacles. Seiben felt like he was finally getting the hang of the exoskeleton. He felt the cool breeze on his face. The star’s warmth on his skin. Nothing artificial about any of it. Part of him began to enjoy the experience. A vehicle appeared in front of him and he jumped, clearing it in one stride. He laughed. Adrenalin coursed through him. Anxiety turned into thrill. Anger into joy.
A window in front of him exploded. He saw the shards scatter in the air as he ran by. Kevin’s hand seized him and pulled him sideways, off his feet. He tried to regain his footing, his shoes searching for purchase. Up ahead Jon, Bast and Jarvi had already disappeared from view. Kevin let go and Seiben crashed into a wall. He fell to the ground when the sound of gunfire interrupted him mid curse.
They were in a nook. Kevin crouched on one knee against a wall, weapon shouldered, pointing out toward the street. Seiben just sat there, in a daze, watching Kevin discharge multiple rounds. A bullet pinged against the wall beside him. He felt fear’s cold fingers squeeze his stomach, as the report of gunfire filled the streets.
There was a streak of movement. He hoped it was Jon, or one of the Chaanisar. He saw another. The gunfire intensified. Short, controlled bursts replaced by uninterrupted, frantic firing. Shouts. Screams. Then silence.
“Let’s go,” said Kevin, standing.
Sitting in that nook, he felt paralyzed. He didn’t think he could stand, let alone run again. Kevin looked back at him and seemed to understand. He bent down and gently tugged on his arm. “Come on. It’s over.”
Seiben nodded and tried to get up. Kevin’s grip firmed and he leaned against it to get to his feet. He stepped out onto the street and looked back to where he heard the shooting. Several bodies lay crumpled on the ground.
“They’re coming for us,” said Seiben, icicles forming up and down his spine.
“Yeah,” said Kevin, meeting his gaze. “They’re coming.”
Chapter 23
“Have you maintained communication with your ship?” said Jon, crouching behind a wall, looking at the military hardware deployed before him. Across a road stood a menacing building, encircled by an impenetrable looking fence. Inside the fence’s perimeter was a military compound guarded by tanks, mechs, towers, and patrolling soldiers.
“Yes,” said Bast, crouching beside
him. “It is still in orbit.”
“I’m assuming they can track us through your brain chips?”
“Yes, they know where we are.”
“Dr. Ellerbeck is in that building, but we need to get past all that armor.”
Bast nodded in understanding. “You want my ship to bomb the compound.”
“Yeah,” said Jon, still contemplating a bullet through Bast’s eye. “You remember how to bomb things from orbit, don’t you?”
“Captain, I never bombed Earth. And your hostility is not helping us achieve our objective.”
“Yeah? Fuck you. How’s that for hostility?”
“You two are like a couple of crying babies, you know that?” said Seiben. “You think you’re mad? You have no idea what mad is. So shut up and do what you have to do so we can all get out of here.”
“Did you grow a backbone when I wasn’t looking?” said Jon, smirking.
“I’m armed, remember?” Hushed laughter broke out, even from the Chaanisar. Seiben scowled at Jon.
“I’m sorry,” said Jon, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“The ship is ready,” said Bast. “They have identified the defenses and will fire on my command.”
“Good. We use the chaos as cover and infiltrate the building,” said Jon.
“Agreed,” said Bast. Kevin and Jarvi both nodded.
“I don’t suppose I can just stay put and wait for you guys?” said Seiben.
“You’ll be in more danger here, than inside with us,” said Jon.
“I was afraid you were going to say that,” said Seiben, dejected.
“I suggest you cover your ears,” said Jon.
Seiben’s eyes widened. “Shit,” he said, clamping both hands around his ears and lowering his head.
Jon looked back at Bast. “Okay Chaanisar, make it rain.”
Bast’s left eye twitched, and a deafening, inhuman shriek followed. Jon looked away as massive bolts of blinding blue energy pounded the compound. The ground shook as each target was peppered with an unrelenting aerial onslaught. Explosions followed, but in many instances the targets simply disappeared. The blue lightning danced around the compound, obliterating its defenses. The guard towers crumbled, and the imposing fence collapsed. The building itself was struck, but with lighter, more focused bursts, targeting weapons in place on its roof and mounted on its walls. Soldiers foolishly poured out of the building, like ants out of a broken hill. They only made it a few feet before blazing sheets of energy engulfed them. Then they were gone.