LAND of the FREE

by Michael W. Huard

  The surprise of the shoot was when the little Australian girl came out in a tiny red, white, and blue string bikini; neither the president nor his top sidekick remembered this little number being in the company wardrobe. It must have been shoved to the back. Somehow, Zaey had still managed to find it and surprisingly came out wearing it, strutting her stuff in front of the camera. President Marcou did not care where it came from; she looked unbelievable in it, and even better, she looked almost naked.

  It was her way of smacking Y-Wood in the face. But neither of the men ever had such a thought cross their mind. Resin was too busy looking at Sinaye to catch on.

  Both guys were now happy to end the shoot. Ashman, the photographer, had done a great job with getting the ladies to pose and it had all gone rather well. The two Mystical Slayers were also glad it was over. Soon, their sisters would be gate-crashing this party and shit was about to hit the fan.

  The men had other plans.

  ***

  Throughout the day, contact was never made with Lomax. However, all the girls still had a job to do and he had already done a lot to help. The sky drones were not out searching tonight, nor were the gateways guarded enough to hinder Raegan and Mahira's approach. Both women slipped past a few watching associates and entered Y-Wood. Their eye scans and various forbidden door code changes all worked without a hitch.

  Already on the inside, Zaey and Sinaye were about to get serious and do all they could for the arrival of the ladies.

  Resin felt really good about this coming night. He and Sinaye had a vibe going on and he had a feeling things were going to get hot. And due to his bottom half being a powerful, expensively built machine, he could have sex for hours.

  Tonight would be a night to remember indeed. He would not hurt her, and through his human part, that being his brain, heart, and feelings, he really liked this girl. He hoped they could have a relationship, and this was also very new to him. He hoped she would be able to really get into the Corporation’s work with him. She would be rich and famous!

  Sinaye had spoken with Zaey and both were on the same wavelength. As they returned to their rooms, and after both their male admirers had asked for another evening together, both came up with a plan. Zaey had asked for a serving bot to come to clean the room and also help her with preparations for the evening. She had told President Marcou this night was going to be extra special, even sensual, but she wanted another pair of hands to help her to get ready. He agreed without resistance. He offered to send her ten serving bots if she so needed!

  This is where it all got started. Sinaye quickly reprogrammed the cleaning bot to do as they would instruct. Zaey knew enough of the layout to have the bot directed to places where the doors were locked, laser beam traps were suspected, and secret doors were to be marked off. The hope was, with the help of the re-programmed cleaning bot, these most important locations would then be unlocked, safer to pass by, and most of all, left unprotected by associate guards and the mega bot, Omagus.

  This is where Zaey had to make her move with the big boss, Arn Marcou. She had asked to meet alone. She had reasoned with Marcou that the evening before she had felt watched over, and it was not productive to an intimate atmosphere. She wanted for them to be away from the attractions, and far away from the important places Marcou had on his mind, like those they had visited last night. She still didn’t mind the guards, in fact, she even told him he should bring more along, but she wanted them out of view this time so they could be more private. The plan was to gather his best protectors, as many as possible, and lure them away from guarding the special places which both her sisters, Mahira and Raegan, would then be en route to.

  Marcou's guards needed to be distracted from one spot in particular. The secret door. All the sisters knew that someone or something of huge importance seemed to be hidden behind it, along with two of the giant below-stadium computer chambers which housed the server station to the Corporation's world.

  Neither of the women were supposed to stick around too long after the breach had been made. They were there to help, not to enter into combat. They texted all the information over to both head sisters, they took a video too. The plan was to then get out, escape at the first chance they had, all without ever giving up their cover as lawyer, scientist, or most importantly, as legendary Mystical Slayers.

  Sinaye did all she could with the bot, and it helped with the sending of the video, intelligence, and pass codes. However, she still had to get Resin away from the main areas and keep him away long enough for her sisters to destroy Y-Wood from the inside. She also had to figure out who the person in control was besides Marcou. The company was very good at keeping that as an unknown. All of them believed someone else was kingpin, or at least the mastermind of operations behind the conglomerate Y-Wood Corporation.

  It was not a perfect plan, but it was a start.

  The women wished one another good luck and planned for a getaway at 11:30 pm. They were to meet downstairs in the lobby sector to the right of the building, where a side door used only by employees was located. They would have the area clean of guards and would aim to get outside and make a run for it to a safe area. Sinaye embraced her friend, "Whatever happens, Zaey, even if I do not show, you go, get out of here." Sinaye now looked deep into Zaey's eyes. "You're awesome, I hope you know that? From the moment we met as young kids, I admired you. You are the real deal, kind, considerate, hardworking, the entire package and that’s rare in the world these days. Don't ever forget it, okay?"

  Zaey frowned at her. "You're speaking like we might not make it! We will make it! Just be careful yourself." Zaey then laughed. "Oh, and yeah, I remember those days . . . you kicked my butt on the mat, put me in an arm bar constantly, threw me all over the place, and hip tossed me every night without fail."

  Before the two prepared to part, Zaey smiled at her friend. She reached for Sinaye’s hand and squeezed it tight. "Oh, and just so you know, I have always admired you too, my sister. Everyone just looked at you as the skinny girl with the giant boobs! They always said you wouldn't make it, you weren't tough enough, you must be dumb and just all about the guys checking you out; but I knew that was not who you really were. You proved everyone wrong with your brains, and that's kick ass cool! You are amazing, Sinaye. Who the hell gets to be a top expert in the robotics field as a young woman? You, and that rocks, I love you. Be safe, sister!"

  ***

  Sinaye had dressed sexy, yet casual. She wore tight, low riding blue jean pants, and a matching blue jean halter top which left nothing to the imagination. Her long hair cascaded down around her shoulders and her makeup was done perfectly with her eyes colored dark and mysterious. Obviously she could not carry any weapons and would have to rely on her martial arts open hand prowess, if the encounter with Resin ever came to any combat.

  She and Resin this time met in his private quarters. His room was very nice. It was like a suite with a kitchen and living room, and then a bedroom and exercise room all in one. When she arrived, he was dressed comfortably in an all gray light, casual pant suit. The newly head shaven, great smelling Resin pushed a button on the wall in his room. Suddenly, the entire kitchen area retracted out from the center of the suit, and a romantic playroom slid out in its place. A heart-shaped red couch was in its center

  She liked this guy and had not stopped considering her options on what to do about it. Either way she had to be out by eleven-thirty.

  ***

  Zaey dressed in a silky white blouse and a brown skirt with black stripes. She looked like a doll, so lovely and pretty. She too was unable to conceal a weapon, so if fighting was to occur, her hand to hand combat training would have to suffice until a better option presented itself.

  The president of the Y-Wood Corporation found himself thinking rather deeply this evening. The young woman he fancied was at his fingertips, yet something felt off. The red, white, and blue bathing suit posing session had knocked him for a loop earlier. He wondered, n
ow thinking more coherently with his brain, instead of with his down below . . . was she wearing that as some sort of a statement? Was she being intentionally rude or perhaps just a fake person? And with her now wanting to meet with him privately, far from the main floor and without guards closely watching over them . . . Marcou made a humph noise to himself. It certainly had him thinking.

  He was, however, not ready to lose hope on their eventual union because of it. He dressed in his typical slacks and long coat, both in charcoal as his choice of color. He arrived at the door to her room and knocked.

  Zaey greeted him and he was impressed by her appearance. "You look very nice, young lady. Shall we?" he said, offering her an arm. Together they walked down the hall and took the elevator to a more private spot within the complex.

  Zaey scanned about and saw no guards. "I know I said we should be alone, but I at least hoped a few important watchdogs would be keeping an eye on us," she proclaimed.

  The president smiled at her as they made their way down another hall. "Fear not, I have already sent a few, as you say, watch dogs. So you can feel at ease, dear." He allowed her get ahead of him, so he could stand back to admire her body and think of all the things he was going to do to it very soon.

  The private spot was a place where the big guy kept the most important of guests. The room was a two-story, very fancy place indeed. The couple welcomed the living room area, which appeared magically from a side wall. What had been the kitchen, spun around back into the wall, taking the place of where the living room had previously been hidden. It had all the modern luxuries, including a bar, massive television screen, a giant Jacuzzi, a black, full leather wrap around couch, and many glowing candles flickered all about. Marcou poured Zaey a drink and made a toast for the night to come. She faked her excitement.

  ***

  Sinaye looked Resin in the eyes and spilled. "I want you to get out of here." Resin looked puzzled. He was about to speak, but she stopped him. "I should not be telling you this, but I find myself unable to stop. There is about to be an attack on Y-Wood, right now, here, tonight. You must leave!"

  Resin was now laughing, but when Sinaye didn't join in, his laugh turned to a frown. "My dear girl, will you stop being so silly." He reached for her body, wanting to hold her around her slim waist, but she pushed him away.

  "I'm not kidding here, Resin! Is there a way you can leave the stadium quickly?" she asked. Resin was beginning to realize she seemed serious.

  Cador was now getting a little annoyed, "Why would I want to leave just because of this possible threat you speak of? I am, as you know, pretty high up here and would be expected to prevent such an assault."

  Sinaye grabbed both his hands in hers. She looked very seriously into his eyes. "I know that, but this is different, it's more about Marcou and the person who controls him. The President is going to die tonight." Cador was fully taken back by this. He nearly stumbled to the floor.

  The two of them got into a pretty heated exchange over this supposed attack. Both spoke loudly trying to shout over the other, desperately trying to make sense of these claims and this conversation.

  Once the initial shock had worn off, Resin had figured it all out. Sinaye was a spy, as was Zaey. He had been lured away so that President Marcou would be more vulnerable. He pondered his next move. Resin's voice was now really loud, "You realize I should kill you, right? I should sound the alarm; then you and your little friend would both be dead in minutes! Tell me why I should not do it?" He was deadly serious.

  Sinaye took a deep breath. She could see and hear that he was frustrated. She was ready to fight if he came at her. She calmly spoke to him. "Because, you care about me, and I care about you . . . that's why I have spoken up," she tried to explain.

  "That's just great," the bald-headed company assistant added, "but the one thing you're forgetting is that these feelings do not matter! The Ruthys and the associates, Omagus and Marcou, they are too powerful. You will be gone, as will anyone you are hoping will help you with this crazy idea." He blew a heavy breath from his lungs. "I would be dead too if I even considered letting this happen!"

  ***

  A few guards were fully operational around the president's suite, as was Omagus. Alarms went off suddenly and two of the security bots rushed into the private love nest. Omagus was standing just outside the hall, and President Marcou was clearly upset at the sudden intrusion and alarm system blurting out. "What the fuck? Go see what the hell is going on, you idiots!" he screamed to them both. They rushed out of the penthouse, headed down the hall and passed by Omagus, who still looked at the boss, awaiting his orders. "Go! You too," yelled the CEO of Y-Wood, "go deal with it." Omagus turned and left the area as instructed. Zaey felt a big lump forming in her throat; shit was going down.

  ***

  Mahira and Raegan moved through the complex, carefully following the floor plans provided by Lomax. They avoided guards and traps and used the fake eye scanning templates whenever an eye scan was needed. However, as they turned a corner, a loud alarm began to wail around them; they must have missed something. Raegan looked at her dear friend beside her and then calmly said, "Tough times don’t last, my friend, but tough people do. This is it! Let’s rock and roll."

  Three robots appeared, security guards bots, and blocked their passage. They appeared to be raising their laser rifles to shoot, but hesitated and came forward with extended knives erupting from the ends of their arms. The two women disposed of them easily enough and moved on.

  The door which the two Mystical Slayers sought was on the second floor. They had entered at ground level and had just fought their way to the first floor stairway. The next few guards did not fire at them either, and both Q-Jin shot down the guards on route to the stairs. Suddenly, Mahira was rushed by an associate who had been hiding in the shadows. He smashed his fist into her temple, which would no doubt leave a nasty bruise. She and Raegan double teamed him; he didn't last long.

  They now entered an archway to a set of stairs leading up. Mahira met a female rolling serving bot just as they reached the top of the stairs. The bot appeared to be just passing by, but suddenly swung out at Mahira. One of the bot's hands snapped out a long razor blade and it tried to slice at Mahira's throat. She leaned back and luckily it missed. Raegan was as surprised by this unexpected attack as her friend, and immediately looked about for more trouble; and saw it. Another serving bot was moving fast down the hall, heading straight for them. This one raised some sort of dart shooting weapon at the women. Bolts shot out at Raegan, but just in the nick of time, she managed to dodge out of the way.

  Mahira took her axe and laid it into the bot closest to her, knocking the thing over. Her wheels were still spinning, and her motor was still running, but she was unable to get up or move. The other bot approached and looked to be on track for a hand-to-hand attack as well. Mahira offered her sister the counter strike.

  The serving bot, once again female, but some sort of a wheel design, rolled at the Mystical Slayer leader. Raegan, sword in hand, waited until the bot came just close enough and moved to a dominant angle left. She then spun about at full speed and drove her sword straight through the bot's center. With the scene cleared of threats, for now, both women moved on down the hall to accomplish their mission.

  Chapter 23

  Earlier in the week:

  The red planet was, and may always be, a work in progress. Yet Y-Wood wanted more. They had already spent umpteen billion dollars making the place habitable. The prison was the start, its occupants given leave to work outside, only to build for the Corporation. Then, of course, there were the adventurous wealthy ones. These folk wanted a challenge. What better adventure for the rich folk than to go to another planet, one which no one had ever stepped foot on or lived on. If anything, this was a huge money operation for the Corporation.

  Both Paka and Kanya had been contacted a few days before about their sister’s big plan. A hit on Y-Wood. A hit that was to be with
everything and everyone the sisters could muster. The two Mars dwelling Q-Jin wished they could take part, but it was not going to happen, not directly anyway. Their job would be to gather the entire red planets' resistance and make their own chaos at the prison and with everything else the Corporation had been building on Mars.

  Hopefully, this would force a few important persons to fly up from Earth, and perhaps lessen the defenses at Y-Wood's national headquarters in Boston. They had to act fast.

  Several prisoners had escaped over the years and most had joined a growing rebellion in a cave complex far west. It was there Kanya and Paka trained the women. Other women had also joined those that needed to escape Earth. Together, their new force was close to fifty strong.

  Kanya was a great shot with a rifle. Her forehead kanji tattoo stood for death, and she could deal it with a rifle as good as any; although there were few in their possession these days. So, swords and knives made up the bulk of their training sessions. An attack on the prison would be their first big step in taking back control from Y-Wood. If Y-Wood sent nobody it could still happen, but it would be more risky. If they sent many, the Y-Wood headquarters would be left more vulnerable, therefore making it easier for the sisters to carry out their plan back on Earth. Paka rallied all the women together one afternoon.

  "Sisters on Mars, together, we have worked very hard in the lead up to this moment. All of us come from many different parts of the world, but together, we share the same dream, a vision of freedom. Let us first drum together, dance together, sing together, and pray together." Kanya was first to bang her self-made hide drum and the other women followed. All of them played together to the beat of freedom.