Rain Saga

by Barton, Riley

  The response was unanimous.

  “All right, let’s do this thing!”

  Luna followed the group down the short flight of steps to the rear cabin and from one of the overhead storage compartments procured a handgun, which she then slipped into the waist of her pants. Once armed, she exited the vehicle and wished everyone good luck.

  “See you on the other side,” Mark said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

  She smiled, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. “Be careful.”

  “Aren’t I always?” He returned her smile and then ran off in the direction of the nearest tram.

  She watched him go, tucked the portable storage device containing Alex into her pocket, and headed off in the other direction, doing her best to focus on the task at hand.

  Chapter 47

  Leon stared at the security monitor in annoyance. Nothing was going to plan!

  First, due to a forged communiqué telling them all to meet at New Providence Colony, Unitech and its allies had picked off nearly half his men before they ever made it to the rally point, Then, despite having acquired a Unitech access code from splicing into Alex’s mainframe at Research Station 121, Cathedral’s security systems had still been activated. Meaning that dozens of heavy blast doors now stood between his men and their goal. And to make matters worse, now a team of Agents had infiltrated the complex!

  However, his initially despondent mood improved greatly when he realized that the intruders were splitting up, which meant that it would be easier to pick them off one by one. At least, he hoped it would be easier. His men definitely weren’t the best and brightest.

  Leon reached for his radio, keeping his eyes glued to the security terminals. “Bill, we’ve got company.”

  “Good or bad?”

  He scrutinized the surveillance footage. “From the looks of ‘em, I’d say pretty bad. Tell the boys to get ready. We can’t lose the bomb to these Techies.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to go after the stragglers. Take ‘em out while you’re keeping the others occupied.”

  There was a pause then Bill said, “Understood, boss. We’ll hold ‘em until you get back.”

  Leon slid the radio back into his pocket and analyzed the screens for a few more seconds. The closest Techie was making his way toward one of the main control towers, which was only a few minutes away by tram. Leon double-checked the schematics for the complex one last time—just to be sure—then left the security station and ran off down the hallway, his black raincoat billowing out behind him as he sprinted for the closest tram station. If luck prevailed, they wouldn’t even know he was there until it was too late.

  Chapter 48

  Mark braced himself as the tram eased to a stop at the base of the control tower. So far he hadn’t seen any Swampers, but he knew it was better to play it safe.

  Gun in hand, he cautiously stepped off the tram and swept the room. Like most of the complex, it was deserted. The only sounds to be heard were those of his own footsteps echoing off the polished, white walls and the thrum of Cathedral’s reactors.

  He scowled. It was too quiet.

  Slowly he advanced, boarding the elevator that would take him to the control station.

  He selected the top floor and waited while the lift rose.

  After about a minute, the doors opened and the lights flickered on.

  The control room was spacious. Dominated by a series of terminals and holo screens, it was positioned in front of a massive window that offered a bird’s-eye view of the entire facility.

  “All right Ed, we’re here,” he said, moving toward the terminals.

  “Understood, Master Mark. Preparing for transfer.”

  He nodded and powered up the terminal then un-plugged Ed’s storage unit and slid it into one of the terminal’s open ports.

  “All teams, this is Mark. Ed has begun his upload. What’s your status? Over.”

  Rush replied first, shouting over the sound of gunfire, “We’ve been engaged! But we’re holding our own! We should have control of the bomb in a few minutes! Over!”

  “Understood. Keep me updated.”

  “Will do! Rush, out!”

  “Fox, Toad? How are things at the hanger?”

  “It’s all quiet here,” Toad replied.

  “All right. Just make sure you’re ready to go when we get back.”

  “Uh-huh. Got it. Just worry about getting those codes uploaded.”

  The comm went silent, and Mark leaned over to check the progress of the download.

  He activated the comm again. “Luna? I’m almost done here. How are things on your end?”

  No reply.

  “Luna? Do you copy? Over?”

  Still nothing.

  “Team, I’ve lost contact with Luna.”

  “What? How?” Fox said over the comm.

  “I’m not sure. I’m heading to the other tower now,” he replied then asked, “Ed, are you done with the upload yet?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Good,” He replied, returning the AI to his chestplate as he headed for the elevator.

  “Bishop, do you have a fix on Luna’s position?”

  “Affirmative,” the deep, automated voice replied. “She is presently located within Control Room 3.”

  “Is anyone else there with her?”

  “Indeed. I am detecting one other person in the room as well.”

  Mark cursed under his breath, willing the elevator to move faster.

  Chapter 49

  Smooth, Luna. Real smooth, Luna thought, berating herself for having let her guard down.

  She had been so engrossed with trying to figure out how to upload Alex into the system that she didn’t even realize the Swamper was there until he yanked the gun from her waistband.

  “Now I’ll ask you again, girly. What are you doing here?” the man hissed, pressing his face close to her ear.

  She wrinkled her nose in disgust. His breath was probably one of the worst things she’d ever had the misfortune of smelling. That and the wet-dog-wrapped-in-burnt-rubber-tires smell already emanating from him.

  Trying not to gag, she answered, “I’m trying to shut down the reactor.”

  He laughed.

  “You? Shut it down? Do you think I was born under a rock? You’re a Techie! Why would you even want to shut this thing down, anyway? It’s what’s making y’all so stinking rich!”

  He jabbed the gun into her kidney. Hard.

  She yelped and arched her back. “I know it looks bad! And I probably wouldn’t believe me either. But you have to trust me! I’m trying to help you! All of you!”

  “All of you?” he repeated venomously.

  She nodded. “I know about the Swampers. I know what Unitech has done to you. Edgard did it to me, too. But you have to believe me, I really do want to help!”

  Her captor was silent then jabbed the gun into her spine, forcing her to her knees. “You have no idea what Unitech has done to us! You didn’t grow up out here in the bog! You ain’t never seen friends and family eaten alive by disease and gators. You’re just like every other Techie! You don’t know anything! There’s only one way to put an end to the likes of you, and it ain’t with no stinkin’ codes!”

  He held a small, cylindrical device in front of her face.

  It only took her a moment to identify the object, and when she did, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

  “A detonator? You’re going to set off the bomb!”

  He laughed and waved the device back and forth in front of her face triumphantly. “That I am!”

  “Without the deactivation sequence, you could make everything worse. How is that going to solve anything?”

  “It’ll send a message to anyone else out there who thinks they can do whatever they want now without havin’ to pay for it later.”

  “But that’s what you’re doing right now!” She exclaimed, turning to glare at him. “If you blow u
p the reactor you’ll be responsible for wiping out all life left on this planet!”

  He raised his gun. “Shut up! I don’t need no more of your Techie lies!”

  “She’s not lying, Leon!”

  They both turned as Mark stepped out of the elevator.

  “Mark!” Luna exclaimed, her relief quickly replaced by cold terror as Leon pulled her to her feet and pressed his gun to her head.

  “Let her go, Leon,” Mark said, keeping his voice calm and level. “No one needs to get killed here.”

  Leon laughed. “Ha! Really? Then why are you pointin’ a gun at my face?”

  “Leon, listen to us,” Luna interjected. “I know Unitech has done a lot of bad things. But you have to let us upload the codes.”

  Mark nodded slightly, “We are trying to fix things, Leon. Whether or not you believe us is completely up to you. But one way or another, we’re going to finish what we started.”

  They stood in silence, eyeing each other coldly. No one moved. No one breathed.

  At last Leon uttered a long, raspy sigh and lowered his gun, releasing Luna from his vice-like grip.

  Mark relaxed slightly.

  That was all the opportunity Leon needed.

  Before either of them could react, he threw himself to the side and opened fire, hitting Mark in the leg. In the split instant it took for Luna to realize what was going on, Leon smiled and pressed the detonator.

  A millisecond latter the entire tower shook with the force of a massive explosion, sending Luna sprawling onto her hands and knees. She lay transfixed by the destruction unfolding below her.

  Nearly one fifth of the Cathedral station was gone; replaced by a gaping hole that belched fire and smoke into the night sky, like an ancient steam furnace.

  A flurry of motion in her peripheral vision caught her eye, and she turned just in time to see Leon jump aboard the elevator. Then the doors closed, and he was gone.

  She scrambled to her feet and hurried to Mark’s side. “Are you all right?”

  Mark glared at her. “I just got shot! Of course I’m not all right!”

  “Ed, how bad is it?”

  “It is not irreparable, Subject Luna. The bullet has passed through the limb in question without damaging any vital systems. A dose of bio-aid should be enough to get Master Mark back on his feet. Though I would not recommend strenuous activity for quite some time. At least not without proper medical attention beforehand.”

  “Where’s the bio-aid?” she asked Mark.

  He reached into one of the pouches slung across his body and handed her a small med kit. He activated his comm while she got to work preparing the proper dosage. “Rush? Patterson? Perkins? Are any of you guys still there?”

  Nothing but static greeted them, and Luna began to fear the worst. Then Perkins’ voice rang out, “Yeah! We’re still alive. Those maniacs detonated the bomb!”

  “We know,” Luna replied, injecting the bio-aid into Mark’s wound. “We saw the whole thing from up here.”

  “We’re heading back to the chopper now,” Perkins said. “I suggest you finish up and start back on the double. There’s a good chance that explosion destabilized the entire plant!”

  Mark eased himself up. “Understood. We’re on our way.”

  “Are you sure you’re good to go?” Luna asked, helping him up.

  “I’ve had worse.” He tipped his head toward the terminal. “You’d better hurry up and get Alex’s codes in the system before this whole place comes down on our heads.”

  Stooping as she went, she picked up the portable storage device. After a few moments’ deliberation, she plugged it into the terminal.

  “Do it, Alex!”

  “Affirmative. Commencing upload. I recommend that the two of you return to the Stratocruiser, posthaste.”

  He didn’t have to tell her twice.

  She returned to Mark’s side and—after making sure the bio-aid had taken effect—helped him toward the elevator.

  They were almost halfway down the tower when Bishop interrupted them. “Miss Luna, Master Mark Anderson. There is a problem that requires your assistance.”

  “Explain,” Mark said between clenched teeth.

  “That explosion has severed my connection with the primary router station. As a result several thermal ventilation systems are currently offline. If they are not brought back online within the next ten minutes, the pressure will destabilize the core, resulting in a most cataclysmic expulsion of energy. From which—I regret to say—none of us will escape.”

  Mark shook his head in disbelief. “Well that’s just great.”

  “What do you need us to do, Bishop?” Luna asked.

  “There is a substation maintenance shaft not far from your present location. One of you must go there and reroute power to that junction in order for me to re-establish contact with the rest of the facility.”

  “Okay, got it,” Mark replied, and Luna frowned.

  “You’re not planning on doing it yourself, are you?”

  He hesitated, “Luna … I have to.”

  “No you don’t! I mean, look at you! You can barely walk!” She continued, “Let me do it. I’m just as able to flip a switch as you are.”

  “Luna …”

  The elevator eased to a halt.

  “Go back to the Stratocruiser, Mark. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Mark was quiet for a long while and then looked her in the eye and said, “Luna, if you do this, you may not be able to get back to the hanger before the codes take effect.”

  She looked down. The thought had occurred to her, but try as she might, she couldn’t see any other alternative. There wasn’t any other alternative.

  “I have to do this, Mark. You’re injured. The agents are injured. Toad would never make it in time and you’ll need Fox to fly the chopper. I’m the only person left who even has a chance of getting out of here.”

  “I know,” he sighed. “Just … be careful, okay?”

  “I will. Just make sure you’re there waiting for me when I get back.”

  He smiled, though his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. “We’ll do what we can.”

  “I’ll stay in touch,” she said with a nod.

  She helped him to board the tram and waited a few more seconds—just long enough to make sure he was safely away—then headed for maintenance access.

  Chapter 50

  The dimly lit corridors and hallways of Cathedral seemed to go on forever, and she found herself feeling more and more like a rat in a maze the farther along she went.

  “Turn right at the next junction and proceed down the corresponding hallway until you come upon the series of maintenance hatches,” Bishop directed.

  Following his prompting, she turned and made her way down the corridor. Instead of the one or two hatches she expected to see she found herself staring blankly at over two-dozen, evenly spaced access ports running along either side of the hallway.

  She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. “Which one do I use?”

  “Calm yourself, Miss Luna. I will open the appropriate hatch,” Bishop replied, his calm tone only aggravating her further.

  Even as he spoke, one of the hatches halfway down the right side of the hallway hissed open, flooding the corridor with steam bathed in an eerie red glow from the emergency lights.

  Reluctantly, she crawled into the claustrophobic access tunnel, choking painfully as hot steam poured into her recently cleansed lungs.

  She felt as if she were crawling into an oven. Every surface from floor to ceiling radiated heat, because of the plugged thermal vents.

  “Okay, I’m in the tunnel. What now?”

  “Proceed to the end of the maintenance accesses.”

  Luna wiped the sweat from her eyes and did as she was told, pressing on down the hellish tunnel. When she at last reached the end, she discovered that it was even hotter than the rest of the tunnel had been.

  “Ugh! It’s like a sauna in here!”

 
She climbed out of the shaft and stood up, taking in her surroundings. The room was small and dirty, with one wall completely made up of heavy pipes, which seemed to be the source of both the heat and steam. A pair of terminals and several large breakers with levers in place of switches occupied the other two walls. All other available space was taken up by bundles of wires and smaller pipes, the purpose of which escaped her.

  “Okay, I’m at the junction,” she said, walking over to power up one of the computers. “What now?”

  “Excellent. Now you must re-route control from the damaged areas through this router.”

  Her fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, accessing and redirecting program after program.

  Despite having been raised in a world where AI units were the ones doing nearly all of her computer work, she’d still managed to pick up a little tech-savvy know-how over the years. Skills that—though seemingly useless back then—now proved indispensable as she transferred Bishop’s command subroutines into the terminal.

  “Do you have control of the vents now?” she asked.

  “No. Unfortunately, I do not.”

  Her heart sank, and she felt her mouth go dry. “What’s the problem?”

  “It appears that several of the primary fuses have been disabled.”

  Her eyes shot to the giant breakers. Abandoning the terminal, she reached up and took hold of the lever and pulled with all her might. But twenty years of rust and neglect had taken its toll, and the lever refused to budge.

  Frustrated, she released her grip and slid to the floor, winded. “I can’t move it. I’m not strong enough. … ”

  “Subject Luna, you must reset this breaker at once! Cathedral’s main reactor is already beginning to go critical. We have no more time!”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” she hissed, wiping her stringy, sweat-soaked hair out of her face with a grimy hand. As much as she hated to admit it, the AI was right. She was out of time.