Taking another step down the catwalk, Richard thrust his phase rod into a hatchway to his right. The gunner inside was faster than his companion. A burst of plasma rounds burnt holes in the thin-metal wall behind Richard’s head. Ducking below the streaks of plasma energy, Richard brought his phase rod down on the man’s knee. The man’s scream was cutoff when Richard brought the phase rod back up between the man’s legs and into his groin.
Not waiting to see if the man fell, Richard jumped up the three steps leading to the Leviathan’s cockpit. The steel hatch to the cockpit was shut and battened down. Richard didn’t waste time trying to open it. He wrapped himself with Power and shifted into the void.
You can’t stay in the void long with only three percent Power, said Nickelo.
I don’t need to stay there long, Richard said. I only need to get through the door.
Richard willed himself forward using his telekinesis. As his shifted body got even with the hatch, Richard felt a sudden jar. He bounced back.
What the hell? Richard thought.
Drop your shift, said Nickelo. The cockpit’s hatch and walls must be reinforced with creallium.
Richard dropped his Power and shifted back into the physical dimension. Creallium existed in both the void and the physical dimension. He wasn’t going to be able to pass through to the cockpit like he’d planned.
Power, Nick? Richard said.
You’ve got a little less than one percent, said Nickelo.
Good enough, Richard said trying to remain undeterred by his failure to gain easy access to the cockpit.
Pulling the pack off his back, Richard imagined a satchel full of quarter-pound blocks of J22 plastic explosives with electronic timers. He felt a small amount of Power leave his reserve.
Richard’s pack was a dimensional pack. He’d been issued it during his freshman year at the Academy. As far as Richard knew, he was the only living wizard scout with a dimensional pack. With it, he could summon just about any item he could imagine. The only problem was the more technologically complex an item, the more Power it took to summon it. There were exceptions, but those were the general rules. Thankfully, the J22 and timers were extremely low-tech.
Opening the flap of his dimensional pack, Richard pulled out a satchel full of blocks of J22. Removing a block out of the satchel and twisting the top off, he quickly squeezed the malleable plastic into the seam around the hatchway’s upper hinge. He did the same to the lower hinge using a second block of J22.
Set two seconds on the timers, Richard said as he pushed an electronic timer into the plastic around each hinge.
Compliance, said Nickelo.
Activate, Richard said.
He jumped down the steps and into the hatch where he’d left the female he’d disabled earlier. She was just beginning to rise to her knees when Richard entered the hatch. A quick slap to the side of the female’s head with his phase rod knocked her back to the floor unconscious.
Boom!
Richard stepped back into the hallway. It was full of smoke, but the night vision filter of his battle helmet had no trouble seeing through the haze. The hatch to the cockpit was partially ajar. Richard jumped up the steps to the hatchway and yanked the door off what was left of its hinges. The steel hatch was heavy, but the battle suit’s assistors were up to the task. The hatch clattered onto the metal deck of the hallway.
The cockpit was full of smoke as well. One of the pilots, a male, was still in his seat holding both hands to his ears. Richard noticed a trickle of blood running out of the pilot’s nose. The other pilot was a female. She was standing with a hand blaster pointed in the general direction of the cockpit’s entrance. She got two rounds off before Richard’s phase rod caught her on the side of the head. As she fell to the floor, Richard knocked out the male pilot with a backswing of his phase rod.
You’re taking too long, said Nickelo. There’s another quad of cats coming in from the west. A third quad is already in a blocking position to your north. You’re going to be caught between them if you don’t hurry.
I’m doing the best I can, Richard said as he jumped down the stairs from the cockpit and began running towards the back of the Leviathan. He had to disable the rear gunners before he could make his escape.
As Richard passed the hatch with the male gunner, he swung his phase rod downward. The man was still lying on the metal floor groaning while holding both hands to his groin. Richard’s swing caught the gunner on top of his head. The gunner stopped groaning.
Is he dead? Richard said as he continued running along the metal catwalk of the hallway. Richard was a little concerned. He’d swung harder than he’d intended. But then, he was in a hurry, so he had a valid excuse.
Negative, said Nickelo. I calculate he’ll have a mild concussion when he wakes up, but he’ll survive.
Richard felt better. He had nothing personal against the crew of the Leviathan. Other than the fact they’d been trying to kill him, of course. But they were soldiers, and they’d just been doing their job. He’d be doing the same if he were in their boots.
As Richard ran, he slipped his dimensional pack onto his back and swung the satchel of J22 over his shoulder to free both hands. Using his passive scan, Richard located the final two crewmen. They were both in a room at the rear of the Leviathan. The hatch to the rear room was open. Rounds of plasma energy came out of the hatchway as the crewmen opened fire.
The hallway at the back of the Leviathan was as full of smoke as the front. The gunners’ vision was obscured, but the hallway was narrow, so the lack of vision didn’t inhibit either of the gunners’ aim all that much. Richard had very little room to maneuver. He dodged several rounds, but two blasts of plasma energy glanced off the left arm of his battle suit. His battle suit’s tough armor held. It was the best the Empire’s technicians could create. Even so, Richard knew it wouldn’t hold up against multiple hits if they were straight on.
Maybe you should start wearing a personal force field to supplement your armor, Nickelo suggested.
I’ll take that under consideration if I live through the next few minutes, Richard replied.
He hated it when his battle computer made suggestions when it was too late to do anything about it. Besides, the equipment for a personal force field was bulky. It would just get in his way.
Richard was tempted to throw the satchel with the remaining blocks of J22 at the rear gunners, but he didn’t. Eighteen blocks of J22 were enough explosives to take out half the inside of the Leviathan. Only pieces of the gunners would remain.
Yeah, agreed Nickelo. And maybe only pieces of you as well.
Reaching down to the front of his utility belt, Richard felt for his grenades. As part of his standard equipment, he was issued two anti-personnel grenades and a starburst signaling grenade. Unhooking the starburst grenade from his belt, Richard pulled the pin. He threw the grenade at the gunners as he simultaneously dropped to the metal deck of the catwalk in an attempt to avoid the gunners’ fire.
Switch to max filter, Nick, Richard ordered.
Everything went black as the battle suit’s visor changed from its familiar red tint to a black-opaque color more suitable for looking directly at the sun than for normal vision. Richard could just make out several bright beams of plasma energy passing a meter over his head. Although the vision of the gunners was still obscured by the smoke, Richard had no doubt they would soon think to fire at the floor as well as the center of the hallway. He needed to get them out of action before one of them got lucky.
Boom!
A flash of light lit up the hallway. Even with his visor at max filter, the light was bright enough to leave flashing red spots in front of Richard’s eyes. Jumping to his feet, he thought the command to change the battle helmet’s visor back to its normal night vision. The view of his surroundings took on its familiar red tint once more. Richard closed the distance to the two guards. They were both females. They were holding their arms over their eyes and staggering around while bouncing
off the walls. Richard knocked them both out with his phase rod.
Time! Richard said.
I calculate you have a minute and forty-five seconds before the next quad of cats is in firing position, said Nickelo.
It’s going to be close, Richard said.
Grabbing an unconscious crewman with each hand, Richard started dragging them along the hallway towards the front of the Leviathan. As he neared the area by the front gunners, Richard stopped at an escape hatch he’d noticed earlier. He pulled the emergency-release handle. The hatch blew outward, and an inflatable slide popped out of the doorway to the ground below. Richard threw the two rear gunners down the slide. He stepped into the hatches where the two forward gunners lay and pulled them back to the emergency hatch. He threw them down the slide as well.
One minute and ten seconds, said Nickelo. Forget about the pilots. You don’t have time for this.
I can’t leave them inside, Richard said. I don’t want to have to worry about them regaining consciousness. They might start taking potshots at my Warcat’s back with 240mm phase rounds. That would tend to slow down my withdrawal a little, don’t you think?
Then throw the bag of J22 into the cockpit and be done with it, said Nickelo. Now’s not the time to become a conscientious objector. I don’t understand what’s going on with you today. You’ve killed plenty of people before.
Richard didn’t really understand why he was putting his life at risk for these soldiers either. But it didn’t matter. Just because he’d killed before didn’t mean he enjoyed killing. Regardless of his reason, Richard let his battle computer know what he thought of his suggestion by running back into the cockpit and dragging the two pilots to the escape slide. As soon as they were out the hatch, Richard threw his bag of J22 into the cockpit and jumped out the escape hatch as well. He didn’t bother using the slide. The six meter drop to the ground was a short hop for his battle suit.
Hitting the ground, Richard grabbed two of the Leviathan’s crew and dragged them a safe distance away. He did the same for the others by taking them two at a time. Nickelo complained continuously that the quad of approaching cats was too close. Despite his battle computer’s objections, Richard refused to leave the crew within range of the heavy cat in case it fell.
Fine, said Nickelo. They’re clear. You’ve only got twenty seconds before those other cats are within firing range. Now get back into your Warcat. It’s time to get out of here.
Agreed, Richard said. Set the timers for twenty seconds and activate. And, plot me a route out of here while you’re at it.
Timers are set and activated, said Nickelo. I’ve marked the route on your heads-up display which has the highest probability of keeping us alive.
Richard had just enough Power in his reserve to shift into the void and enter the Warcat. He raised the Warcat to its feet, and shifted it into high gear. Bending low, Richard started running southward with all possible haste along the path his battle computer had marked. Just before he got to the crest of the ridge he was on, Richard took a final look behind him using the Warcat’s rear visuals. The Leviathan he’d just left was still standing upright and unmoving on its six legs.
Glancing at the burning Leviathan he’d destroyed earlier, Richard noticed it was now engulfed almost totally in flames. Only the cockpit area remained free of fire. Richard figured even the cockpit would be completely enveloped within a matter of seconds. Heavy smoke was pouring out of the Leviathan’s chest area making it difficult to see the rest of the heavy cat. A gust of wind momentarily blew the smoke clear of the cockpit area. What Richard saw caused him to bring the Warcat to a sudden halt.
Rick, no! said Nickelo with a sense of urgency Richard seldom heard his battle computer use. There’s no time. The other quad will be within firing range in twelve seconds. You’re out of Power, and you’re out of options. Use your head, Rick. You’ve got to get out of here.
Richard’s head told him to leave, but the sight in the Warcat’s rear visuals caused something to unexpectedly tug at Richard’s heart. He could just make out the form of the pilot of the Long Cat he’d destroyed. The man was beating furiously against the windscreen of the burning Leviathan’s cockpit with a metal bar. Two other forms inside the cockpit were beating against the windscreen from the other side with their bare hands.
Why hasn’t he gotten them out yet? Richard said.
From experience, Richard knew all of the Empire’s models of larger cats had emergency overrides for their escape hatches on the outside.
Actually, said Nickelo, standard procedure on larger cats is to deactivate the outside overrides during combat engagements. If they weren’t disabled, an enemy soldier could open an emergency hatch and toss in a grenade. You aren’t in the large cats much, so maybe you forgot.
Richard had forgotten. He preferred the smaller recon cats. They were too small to even have outside emergency overrides.
Those pilots are going to be burned alive, Richard said. And that Long Cat pilot looks like he will as well. I don’t think he has any intention of abandoning his friends.
Yes, very noble of him, said Nickelo without the slightest hint of compassion. So wish them well, and let’s be on our way. The other quad can help their companions when they get here.
Logic told Richard to leave. But something continued to tug at his heart. He wasn’t sure what his heart was trying to tell him. Richard tried to force his head to take charge, but it was no use. The tugging on his heart was too powerful.
How long before the other quad will be in a position to assist the Leviathan’s crew? Richard said.
Forty-two seconds if they don’t waste too much time blowing holes in your Warcat, said Nickelo. Now stop stalling and get this cat hauling its metallic-butt south.
Richard didn’t move. How long before the flames reach the cockpit?
I don’t know exactly, hedged Nickelo. There are lots of variables.
Guess, Richard said using command voice.
Fine, said Nickelo. Those two crewmen will be dead in fifteen seconds. And that other pilot will probably be dead as well. And, you’ll be dead too if you don’t hightail it out of here right now. The lead cat in the other quad will be within firing range in nine seconds.
The tugging on Richard’s heart continued. It was a strange feeling. He wasn’t used to it. Richard decided not to waste any more time trying to figure things out. He began running back towards the burning Leviathan. Dense smoke once again obscured the cockpit area. The intense flames spouting from the Leviathan’s main body played havoc with Richard’s standard night-vision visor.
Switch to radiation filter, Richard said as he ran into the smoke.
Everything turned to shades of white and gray as his battle helmet’s visor flickered while it switched to radiation filter. The battle helmet’s visor was more a force field than it was a physical object. As a result, the switchover between filters was fast.
The radiation filter picked up the Long Cat’s pilot. He was still beating against the Leviathan’s windscreen with his metal bar. The man was in a normal-cloth jumpsuit and not a power-suit, but his blows were still powerful enough to bend his metal bar. In spite of the man’s herculean efforts, the windscreen remained intact. The Long Cat’s pilot was so intent on trying to break through the windscreen he failed to notice Richard’s presence until Richard yelled.
“Move!” Richard shouted over the Warcat’s external speakers. “Now!”
The Long Cat’s pilot was initially spooked by Richard’s yell. At least he was spooked long enough to stop his efforts to break through the Leviathan’s windscreen. Richard saw the man’s eyes widen as he realized an enemy Warcat was behind him. The man threw his metal bar at the Warcat’s windscreen and quick as lightning drew a phase pistol from his belt. The man began firing pointblank at Richard. If the Warcat’s armored windscreen hadn’t been between them, the man’s shots would have struck Richard dead-center between the eyes. As it was, both the metal bar and the phase rounds bounce
d harmlessly off the Warcat’s armor.
Now that’s gratitude for you, said Nickelo. I told you to leave them. You should know by now no good deed goes unpunished.
Richard ignored his battle computer and gave the Warcat’s left arm a little flick. The end of the Warcat’s 40mm autocannon caught the man on the shoulder and shoved him none too gently out of the way. The man continued to fire even as he was being thrown through the air.
Eleven seconds until the flames enter the cockpit, said Nickelo who finally seemed resigned to the fact his wizard scout wasn’t going to leave until the Leviathan’s crew were freed. And, you only have five seconds until the enemy quad is within firing range. I doubt they’ll miss at this range.
Richard didn’t waste time answering his battle computer. He saw the reason the Leviathan’s pilots hadn’t abandoned their cat on their own. The frame around the cockpit’s emergency exit was buckled. Richard doubted even his Warcat had the strength to tear the hatch off the heavy cat.
Target the weakest point on the Leviathan’s windscreen with the 40mm, Richard said. Blast the windscreen open for the pilots.
Compliance, said Nickelo.
The Warcat’s left arm moved to point the barrel of the 40mm auto-cannon at the lower right corner of the Leviathan.
I calculate it will take four rounds to weaken the armored glass, said Nickelo. You’ll have to finish breaking it out manually. If we fire a fifth round, the windscreen will shatter and the 40mm will explode inside. I calculate that would seriously defeat the purpose of this whole endeavor. You do remember those pilots were trying to kill you not five minutes ago, don’t you? This is such a waste of precious time in my opinion. You’re going to get us both killed.
I don’t care, Richard said as the 40mm fired its first round.
The half-second delay between reloads of the 40mm seemed an eternity. The first 40mm round did little more than bounce off the Leviathan’s windscreen while only leaving a slight smear. Richard noticed the two pilots inside the cockpit diving for the far side of their tiny compartment. The Long Cat’s pilot was back on his feet firing phase rounds at the Warcat as fast as he could pull the trigger of his blaster. He might as well have been throwing water balloons for all the good it did him. The small-caliber rounds were no match for the Warcat’s armor.
Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4) Page 4