Axler, James - Deathlands 66 - Separation

by Separation [lit]

  The redoubt had been thoroughly investigated, and although the air conditioning and electrical plant were in good order, and would keep going indefinitely, there was little doubt that the supplies were limited. Food and self-heats were in sufficient quantity to sustain the companions for a couple of weeks and then leave nothing to carry away with them, or they could be used as traveling supplies if the companions began their journey immediately. The med bay had been stripped of anything useful by Mildred and deposited in a satchel she had found, and the armory used by J.B. to replenish their supplies of ammo, plas ex and grens. Beyond that, there was nothing left in the redoubt that was of much use. Old vid machines could have taught them something about the redoubt base and the surrounding area, if not for the fact that all the tapes remaining were sec camera recordings, showing nothing but an empty base.

  So it wasn't just the pressing matter of the supplies that prompted Ryan to suggest a move from the redoubt—boredom was also a factor. And, if he was truly honest with himself, he didn't feel comfortable about how much Dean was sticking to Sharona. It felt as if he were losing his son again, and the longer they rested in the redoubt, the more of the boy she could steal. At least if they were on the move, they would be operating as a unit.

  But when he had called them together and suggested the move, Sharona had been immediately divisive. Of course there was no plan beyond making a jump; how could there be? Everyone knew that you couldn't plan for what you didn't know, simply from experience. But Sharona wouldn't allow for that.

  The thing Ryan couldn't decide was whether she was doing it to be deliberately destructive or whether she just didn't understand. He looked around at the others, hoping someone else would take up his argument, so that it wouldn't seem to be a mother-father divide to Dean, which he suspected was part of her point.

  His glance around the room spurred Mildred to speak.

  "I think it's really unfair of you to say that about Ryan's abilities as leader," she began, picking her words carefully so as not to appear hostile. "There can never be an advanced plan when making a mat-trans jump, and the proof of a leader is in the ability to marshal forces and think on your feet when problems arise. And I guess the proof of Ryan's ability to do that is that we're all still here, aren't we?"

  There was a murmur of agreement.

  "But why do we have to put ourselves in that situation?" Sharona continued. "Why didn't we just go along with the Pilatans?"

  "Because we have to follow our star, somewhere over the rainbow," Doc said sagely, giving a glimmer of meaning to words that had Sharona looking puzzled. He continued. "Until we find our dream, that is."

  "Crazy words, but right," Jak agreed. "Look for something never find with Pilatans."

  "But there must be a better way of doing it than risking our lives every time you use that damn machine," Sharona said in exasperation.

  "How?" J.B. asked reasonably. "How else can we cover such distances with such speed?"

  "Well, who says you have to cover the distances at all, especially when you don't know where you're going. And it's not just your lives you're risking, it's my son's," she added, storming out of the room.

  Dean shot an accusatory glance at the rest of them as he followed, to calm his mother.

  Krysty screwed up her face. "Well, that went well. You know, I really don't think she wants to get along with us."

  Mildred shook her head. "I'd figure it's more definite than that—and we should keep an eye on the bitch."

  "DEAN, WAKE UP. Quickly."

  The words were urgently whispered and accompanied by a shake on the shoulder that jolted the youth from slumber. Blearily he looked up and saw his mother standing over him and looking scared.

  "Wha…what's the matter?" he asked in a sleep slurred voice as he sat upright.

  "I think we've got a problem," she whispered urgently by way of reply. "I don't think you're the only ones who've managed to work out how to use the mat-trans. I was down there, and I heard it in operation."

  "Hot pipe! I know we've come across others who can, but what were you doing down there?" he asked suddenly, realizing the strangeness of the situation.

  "I couldn't sleep. I was just wandering. I think I went down there because I could feel there was something wrong, I don't know."

  Thoughts raced through Dean's mind. Maybe she did go down there because she could feel something. And there were others, as they well knew, who could use the mat-trans. The odds against two sets of travelers ending up in the same redoubt were huge, but not impossible. So if that had happened, then he'd better get the others.

  Dean struggled out of bed, flung on his clothes and checked his Browning Hi-Power.

  "Come on, hurry up," Sharona whispered from the doorway.

  "Better wake up the others," Dean said, still not completely awake—otherwise he would have wondered why his mother was whispering when she could have awakened the others with a shout. They were on another level to the mat-trans and there was little chance of alerting any intruders to their presence from here.

  "Do you really need them?" Sharona asked. "By the time we've roused them all it could be too late. Besides, I'm sure you don't need them. We've got the element of surprise."

  Dean furrowed his brow. That was true, he guessed. They should be able to outfight any opposing forces if they got them trapped in the mat-trans chamber.

  And it would give him a chance to prove himself to his mother.

  Dean followed Sharona to the elevator, waiting beside her in silence until it reached the level of the mat-trans chamber. He could think of nothing to say, still trying to clear his head of sleep.

  They came out of the elevator and made their way to the comp room swiftly, using the buttresses on the corridor walls for cover. Dean could hear nothing that would indicate any intruders, but he just figured that whoever they were, they had not, as yet, left the anteroom. If they were anything like the companions, they would be taking this slowly.

  That would mean time for Sharona and himself to mount an attack.

  They reached the door to the comp room, which was open. Sharona made to move forward and recce the room, but was stayed by a gesture from Dean.

  "I'll check—cover me," he mouthed.

  Heart thumping as the adrenaline kicked into his system, Dean moved across to the doorway and risked a look inside the room. It was quiet and seemingly empty—but he could see through to the anteroom and noted the door of the chamber was ajar. It was possible that the intruders were still in the chamber itself.

  He backed away so that he could speak to Sharona. He took command, and was glad to do so, as it was a way of showing his mother how much he had developed since they were last together.

  "There's no one visible in the comp room or anteroom—they must still be in the chamber. We'll move in, me first, and use the comp consoles for cover. Make our way around so that we flank the chamber. Then you cover me while I take it."

  "You sure about this?" Sharona asked.

  Dean wasn't sure how to answer. He could see a mixture of emotions in her eyes. On the one hand, she didn't want him to risk his life, but on the other she was proud of the man, and the warrior, that he had become.

  "Yeah, I'm sure. Let's do it," he said firmly.

  Dean entered the room first, using a comp terminal to shield himself while his mother covered him from the door. Then she entered, covered by the Browning Hi-Power. In this way, they made their way toward the chamber and its open door.

  Now flanking the chamber, Dean looked across at his mother, nodding curtly as he made the last move. While she covered him, he kicked the door fully open, so that the backswing would immobilize anyone behind the door, and entered the chamber, finger poised on the trigger.

  The chamber was empty.

  "There's no one—" he began, turning as Sharona entered the chamber.

  She swung the door shut before he had a chance to register what was going on. The lock clicked softly, triggering the mat-tran
s process. The disks on the floor began to glow and a mist rose in vaporous streamers around them.

  "What are you—" he began, but was cut short by Sharona.

  "I'm sorry, baby. It's the only way I can do this," she said, shaking her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Forgive me. It'll be for the best, you'll see."

  Dean didn't have time to fully assimilate what was happening before the rapidly accelerating mat-trans process made him feel light headed and sick.

  His last thought as he began to black out was that there had to have been another way.

  "RYAN!" KRYSTY YELLED as she jolted awake. Her dreams had become nightmares and she had a sense of foreboding.

  The one-eyed man sat bolt upright, and looked at her.

  "What?" he snapped, concerned.

  Krysty looked at him. "It's Dean. And it's something bad," she said quickly. "I don't know what, but—"

  "Nothing would surprise me about Sharona," Ryan said curtly as he got out of bed and pulled on his clothes. "I'm going to check on them."

  Krysty was dressed by the time he returned and his expression did little to allay her sense of dread.

  "They're not in their room. I'll wake the others."

  Ryan roused the rest of the companions and, in varying states of wakefulness, they turned out from their dorms. He explained briefly, as Krysty emerged into the corridor, and was about to split them into pairs for a search, when the woman broke into his instructions.

  "No need. I think I know."

  In truth, Ryan had already guessed but didn't want to admit it to himself as the companions followed Krysty to the gateway.

  The mat-trans chamber itself was still glowing slightly.

  "Dark night, why would she do that?" J.B. asked. "And why would Dean go with her?"

  Mildred shrugged. "She might have tricked him."

  "Or perhaps the boy had made a decision to go with his mother," Doc said sadly.

  Jak shook his head. "Not without telling us."

  Krysty agreed. "Whatever Dean had decided, if it was entirely his choice, he would have talked to us about it. It just doesn't feel right, not this way."

  "It doesn't matter," Ryan croaked in a harsh, broken tone. "Whatever happened, Dean must have told her about the last-destination button and the time restriction.

  "The bitch knows we can't follow her. I've lost him."