AMP Rebellion

by Stephen Arseneault

  Ashley replied with a slight red face as the others in the room looked-on, waiting for her response. “We’ll have to discuss that at another time. There is a lab on Valhala-28. It has a syncro chip that goes in this first circuit board. We need to head that way now.”

  I replied, “What kind of scavenger hunt are we on?”

  Ashley replied, “I’ll explain as we go. Frig, here are the next coordinates.”

  Scans were done and the portal was again opened. This time there were no Dakar in the area. The lab was part of an electronics repair shop. Racks of equipment lined the walls and a small warehouse was filled with parts, wires and pre-assembled devices.

  I spoke, “What is it that we are looking for?”

  Ashley replied, “The station originally had 16 consoles spread across a number of levels. A trained user could operate the gravity drive from any of the consoles. Over the years, spies were caught tampering with those consoles and in one instance they almost sent the Grid hurtling directly into a nearby star.”

  Ashley continued, “The powers at the time decided to reduce the number of consoles to six. Over the years those were again reduced to four and then two. Once again, the consoles nearly fell prey to spies who had infiltrated our most trusted facilities. The two remote consoles were disassembled with their parts hidden away. A group of four individuals were selected to be the life-long keepers of the console secret.”

  I replied, “You were selected for this task? Is there anything that you haven’t done?”

  Ashley replied, “No, the four were part of the forty SCore agents. They passed the information to the rest of us. We have been working for weeks trying to make our way to the first destination where the control box was.”

  I responded, “And the other crews knew about this console?”

  Ashley replied, “No, five groups were told of one and five groups of the other. The other nine groups are dead, at least I hope they have not been captured. We all have cyanide capsules that we are to take if capture is imminent. If we were critically wounded we were to take our own life or if not possible, one of the others would take it for us. We are the last hope Don. And just in case one of the other groups was compromised, we need to get our console operational and make the jump before they send us the other way or bleed off our fuel supply.”

  I replied, “OK, what are we looking for in here?”

  Ashley replied, “All I know of this clue is the number 42 and this blue wall.”

  We spent the better part of an hour hunting for the number 42 in the myriad of parts bins that lined the blue wall. Ashley was beginning to grow frustrated with the search.

  I spoke, “Maybe we need to think about where the others were located. They were behind the wall. We need something that is 42 and then we cut out that wall. Maybe the 42nd bin or over four and down two.”

  Ashley replied, or maybe it’s the one with 42 painted on the back of the bin in green paint.”

  Ashley smiled as she pulled out her laser torch. Two minutes later we had the missing chip in our hand.

  I spoke, “Where to next?”

  Ashley replied, “We put the chip in the board and the board in the box. Then we find the interface and mount the console.”

  I replied, “And then?”

  Ashley whispered in my ear as she pressed her comm button. “And then we jump. Frig, give us a portal.”

  Frig replied, “Always for a lady!”

  The portal opened and we again moved through to the lab. The chip was inserted into the circuit board and the two circuit boards into the console box. Ashley then gave Frig the next set of coordinates. The interface was back on Gamma-12.

  I spoke, “That place has got to be crawling with soldiers hunting down York by now.”

  Frost spoke, “Maybe she can keep them busy while we get this thing setup. What exactly do we have to do to this interface?”

  Ashley replied, “There is a panel on a wall of hallway G12W. We simply remove the panel, fasten the console in place and it should come to life. I have coordinates to enter for our next jump.”

  Frig spoke, “Those coordinates, please give them to me.”

  Ashley replied, “Why? What is your need?”

  I replied for Frig, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, we are not on the Grid. If the station jumps, the people here are left behind. If he knows our intended destination he can find us.”

  Ashley replied, “Using standard Grid star coordinates, J14-D11-M09-B07. That should place us near a bright yellow star.”

  I opened a comm channel to the Colonel. “Colonel Harper, where are you and your men? We have an urgent need for you on Gamma-12 hallway W.”

  The Colonel replied, “I have five squads on Gamma-14 chasing that crazy-ass York around. There are dead bodies everywhere. I think she has genuinely lost it and is going to go until she is burned out. Those squads are supporting her as best they can. We’ve been using her tactics to keep the Helgrons from advancing in most sections, but our cost in lives has been high Don. If we don’t get an edge soon we are going to run out of steam.”

  I replied, “I understand Colonel, we are trying to resolve that as we speak. I could really use the support of those squads on Gamma-12. If York is still kicking she is fine to be on her own for a bit, probably prefers it.”

  The Colonel replied, “Redirecting them your way.”

  The Colonel’s five squads disengaged from their fight and made their way to level Gamma-12. The hallways were flooded with Dakar fighters backed by Helgrons. The Durians also had several soldiers with a new hardened Helgron battle suit. York’s tactic of “killing them slowly” was coming to an end. The hard suit would make killing a Helgron once again difficult.

  Frig opened a portal to a nearby empty room. Once through we spilled out into the hallway and began our short jaunt to G12W.

  As we rounded the final corner a Dakar yell could be heard. “Hummmannns!”

  The blaster fire immediately began. The wall just to our left echoed with the thuds of repeated ion bolts. Two TIGs were quickly unleashed around the corner.

  Pop! Pop!

  Frost and Aaron gave Morgan’s legs a shove as he prepared to fire. The trigger was not pulled.

  As Morgan was pulled back around the corner he spoke, “They are getting smart on us Sir. They have Dakar all in front and have some type of clear shield for the Helgrons to fire through. I didn’t have a shot Sir.”

  I replied, “I want two grenades rolling out and when they go I want Morgan shoved out there one more time. Let’s see if we can clear a shot for him.”

  Rodriguez stepped up with two grenades. The pins were pulled and the grenades thrown around the corner and down the hall.

  Booom! Booom!

  Again Morgan slid out.

  Boop… splat!

  Blaster fire returned as Frost and Aaron pulled him back.

  Morgan spoke, “Sorry Sir. That was a miss, caught the edge of a shield. And the units in that hall are advancing Sir. We need to leave!”

  I spoke, “OK, let’s pull back a hall and see if we can lure them away from that position.”

  I got on the comm to the Colonel’s squads, “Major Jasper, we need to draw the enemy away from that hall. Circle to your left and meet up with us at the intersection of G12F1 and G12M7.”

  Jasper replied, “Roger that Sir, G12F1 and G12M7. Give us three minutes.”

  We moved back to the intersection of the hallways as specified. The Dakar and Durian forces continued to push forward towards our location. Major Jasper arrived and took up position.

  I spoke, “We need you to keep them occupied and moving away from G12W if possible. It is critical that we reach that hall and hold it, at least for a short period of time.”

  Major Jasper replied, “No problem Sir, we’ll keep ‘em busy.”

  I gave Jasper a pat on the shoulder as I passed by on my way down the hall. We moved four hallways to the left and the
n began to work our way back towards G12W.

  As we walked I spoke, “Ashley, how long do you need to start that drive?”

  Ashley replied, “Once it boots I only need seconds to lock in the coordinates. When that yellow light comes on those coordinates have been accepted. I then have an override code to enter, ‘447’. From that point I don’t know if the console has to remain active or not. That information was never provided.”

  I replied, “Well, I guess we will find out soon enough.”

  When we rounded the final corner, except for the blood from the Dakar we had previously fragged, the hallway was clear.

  Chapter 24

  The floor remained slick from the Dakar casualties. As we stepped up to the inconspicuous panel on the wall Ashley let out a gasp.

  Ashley spoke, “No, no, no! Please don’t be damaged!”

  The panel had a hole in the center where the frag from one of our grenades had torn through it. As the panel was removed, severe damage to the console interface was apparent.

  Ashley turned and sank to the ground. “We are screwed.”

  As I looked over the damage I spoke, “What if we can fix it?”

  Ashley replied, “Look down in that hole. That is circuit damage. That chip that is cut in half is the mate to the chip we put on this board. That’s how the console is able to communicate with the gravity drive system. We don’t have another chip.”

  I replied, “I was with you when your other crew got caught. Alvarez said he was destroying the console he had, but they had yet to make it to the interface. Is the interface on B23X still good? Will this box hang on that interface?”

  Ashley replied, “It doesn’t matter, each interface was made so only its console would connect to it.”

  I squatted next to her and put my hand on her shoulder as a gesture of comfort. “How about this, we find that other interface, we open it up and get the chip out of it to use in this one. We have techs that can easily do the work.”

  Ashley thought for a moment and then stood. She pulled me up and looked me in the eye. She placed her hands on the sides of my face and pulled me in for a kiss. When she released I was happy but confused.

  Ashley spoke, “Hallway B23X is our new target! Get your tech down here to start taking that panel apart!”

  Ashley pressed her comm. “Frig, open a portal right where we stand and get us back to your lab. Let me know when you have a lock on the position and we will move.”

  Frig replied, “Locked.”

  We moved three meters away. The air in the center of the hall momentarily crackled and glowed as the portal opened. The console was passed through first, followed by Ashley and then myself. Directions were given to the Colonel’s squads to proceed to hallway B23X while my team remained to guard the panel.

  Ashley spoke, “Frig, give us a scan of the B23X area. And pull up the schematics for that hallway. I want to see if that panel shows as something else. I want its exact location if possible.”

  Frig replied, “Scan… is complete. The area is full of soldiers. If they captured your fellow agents, they may have that other console, even if it is no longer functional. The Durians are a curious people. They would want to know what that console was for and where it mounted.”

  Ashley replied, “That’s another reason we have to find it before they do. What can we see on the drawings for that hallway?”

  Frig replied, “It appears that there are no access panels there. Let me do a visual scan through a portal. OK… so far everything maps to the schematics… ah, there, I believe that is your access panel. On the schematics it shows as a blank wall.”

  Ashley turned and spoke, “Don, we need to get to that panel now!”

  I raised the Colonel on my comm, “Colonel we need every available person you can muster to clear an area on Beta-23. Hallway X holds what may be a chance for us to activate the gravity drive. Do whatever you can to push the Dakar and Durians out of that area and keep them there. Also, the squads you sent to Gamma-12, we need more as we have the same situation there. This is our only shot at this Colonel. We have to make this work!”

  The Colonel immediately began to bark orders at his commanders. The Beta levels had 16 squads holding various positions, mostly in and about the space ports we had taken control of. Those ports were all being abandoned for this one push towards B23X. Frig called in Rita and Gy and they soon arrived with two technicians and the equipment needed for the extraction and repair.

  Once again we moved through the portal to Gamma-12. Rita and Gy got work on removing the damaged circuits while we patrolled the halls surrounding G12W. Resistance in and around the area had been light.

  As we rounded a corner a figure stepped into the hallway on the other end. It was a Helgron in the new hardened suit. We scrambled for cover before realizing it was being carried by York.

  I yelled down the hall, “York! Glad to see you are still kicking!”

  York replied as she walked towards us, her arms around the Helgrons waist. She now had an almost normal gate.

  York spoke, “I tell you Sir. I am about worn out. I have been fighting non-stop since you left. Somebody take this bulky thing from me and send it back to be analyzed. My shoulders are starting to cramp up. Sorry about not calling in, my comm got damaged early on and I was having so much fun I just kept going.”

  I replied, “You have been at it for hours York. How could anyone endure that?”

  York replied, “Oh, let me tell you Sir. These arms and legs… they are fabulous. I can sprint for a few hundred meters and never get a heavy breath. It’s almost like I am just along for the ride. I now wish I had these prosthetics ages ago Sir. Those Human arms and legs, well, they suck in comparison.”

  As we turned and walked back towards the panel and the others I continued, “I heard you had the Helgrons on the run there for a while.”

  York replied, “Yes Sir I did. This battle suit works wonders against those blasters, positive or negative. I’ve probably killed 25 Helgrons and countless Dakar over the past few hours.”

  I replied, “How did you come by this Helgron with the hardened suit?”

  York stopped. “I had just stepped out of a trans-way. He walked out through a crowd of cowering Dakar just as I finished off one of his friends. He came at me with a club. Look what he did to my beautiful prosthetics!”

  York’s arms and legs were covered with scratches and dents.

  I replied, “You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder, but you obviously survived.”

  York continued, “Yes Sir. When he came forward the Dakar and the other Helgrons just stopped to watch. He would club me and I would attempt to slash him. We went at it for fifteen minutes straight. That’s when he began to fatigue and he got sloppy.”

  York was quiet for a moment as she relived the ordeal in her head.

  I spoke, “Well, what happened?”

  York replied, “He left me an opening Sir. I picked him up, walked into the trans-way we were fighting beside and I threw him down the stairs.”

  I replied, “Stairs? That doesn’t seem like it would do much with him in a battle suit.”

  York replied, “Oh, it didn’t Sir. But when he crashed down he slid off the last steps and his helmet got lodged between two rails. I jumped down after him and picked up and twisted his torso until his back broke. When I turned back and looked up the steps at the others they all just turned and left. I tried to chase them for a bit, but it just didn’t seem worth it anymore. So, here I am.”

  York continued, “Any chance I can just go back to the Suppressor for a rest Sir? I could use it.”

  I replied, “Absolutely! See the Doc when you get back and see if he can change out those arms and legs for you.”

  York replied, “Well, if it’s all the same Sir, I would just as soon keep them. They are beat up, but other than the comm they still function perfectly. And the fa
ct that they are scarred just makes me look mean. I like the mean look Sir.”

  I raised Frig on the comm, “Open a portal at my location, I’m sending York back through. And have a tech there who can repair her comm. After that, let her get some rest.”

  The portal opened and York passed through. We returned to our patrols.

  Rodriguez spoke, “She scares me sometimes Sir. If I had to pick one person to fight beside it would be her, but she can give me the shivers like no one else.”

  I replied, “Rodriguez, I can’t see you fighting beside York for long. It would only take a few minutes before you were covered with blood and guts. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a hair out of place. I don’t know how you do it, but it wouldn’t last if you were fighting beside her. How did your image obsession come about anyway?”

  Rodriguez primped her hair and laughed as she replied, “Image obsession? Where did that come from?”

  Rodriguez continued, “We all have those things that make us unique Sir. I didn’t know what that was for me until a few of my fellow officers began to make fun of me for always being so neat and clean. So I took that thought and ran with it. Every good soldier has something that defines them, for me it’s this, for York it’s her craziness and determination to never lose. I like to think I have that also, but as far as identities go, this perfect hair is mine!”

  When we arrived back at the console panel Gy had it opened up and the damaged board had been removed.

  Gy spoke, “We just need that other board Chief. I had to repair a couple conduits and a half dozen wires, but it should be functional when we are done. How’s the effort to get the other one taken apart.”

  I replied, “I’m checking on that now.”

  I raised the Colonel on my comm, “Colonel, how are our efforts going on B23?”

  The Colonel replied, “We have the Dakar there pushed back two hallways, but I think they are about to mount a counter offensive. I have 10,000 Marines converging on that level. Most are still about 20 minutes out. I will give you a shout when we feel it’s secure.”