Olivia joined Ursula. The two female robots rushed toward the first Chinese robot in what appeared to be an attempt to cut it off. Each of them grabbed one of its arms and tried to stop its swift advance. Blasts of searing light seared through Olivia’s back panel in an unrelenting assault until the heat melted the protective panel that shielded her circuit boards. Smoke rose. She pivoted to the side, and her hands released the robot. Her body dropped into the thick sand.
Ursula refused to let go of the robot. She pulled, yanked, and twisted, but the robot kept going, carrying her without being deterred or slowed by her additional weight. The strength of the Chinese robot was unbelievable. While she continued to try to deter his pursuit of Derek, the robot tired of her feebleness. Instead of engaging a fight with her, it raised its plasma pistol and fired multiple shots pointblank into her head. Sparks flickered. Her robot body jerked with fiery spasms as she released her hold. Black smoke drifted off her melting wires and circuits.
Derek ignored his shoulder pain and ran faster. His chest felt heavy. Hot tears filled his eyes and meandered down his cheeks. To everyone else, they were robots. Machines composed of electrical components and circuits. To him, they were his family. The loss was heavy, painful. He ached inside. Besides his immediate remorse, anger welled inside of him. Even though he wasn’t a violent person, he wanted vengeance.
He ran faster. The heavy footsteps of Isaac and Bradbury thudded behind him. He wanted to reach the truck, not only to save himself, but also to ensure that his last two robotic friends weren’t destroyed. But what if the truck wouldn’t start?
Derek’s right foot skidded upon a small pile of loose gravel. He lost his footing, stumbled and fell to his hands and knees on the coarse rocky gully. Chips of red pebbles imbedded into his gloves but didn’t cut through its protective material. He winced and muttered words under his breath. Liquid oozed and pain radiated down his injured shoulder. His blisters had ruptured, but he couldn’t inspect it until he reached a medic at Olympus Mons.
While he shook his head, both robots looped their arms around Derek’s elbows and lifted him to his feet. They didn’t allow him the chance to try to run along beside them. Instead, they carried him the final ten yards to the truck.
Lasers glanced off the truck’s windshield.
Derek ducked near the truck’s grill and crept around to the driver side door. More lasers struck the truck. Other than melting spots of paint, the thick metal withstood the assault.
He grabbed the door handle and swung open the door. The robots were approaching fast. He turned the ignition key.
Nothing.
Again, he tried.
The engine belts turned once, then stopped.
Bradbury and Isaac climbed onto the flatbed and brushed away more silt and dust from the solar panels.
Derek watched the robots running from the other side of the gully. He closed his eyes. They’d be upon them in less than a minute.
Bradbury hammered his fist against the roof of the cab. “Try again.”
Derek took a deep breath and turned the key. The engine started.
“What did you do?” he shouted.
“I connected the solar charger to my adapter.”
He shook his head. That wasn’t something he’d have thought to do. He revved the engine and made a wide turn in the rocky channel. A barrage of laser fire assailed the truck. Once he turned the truck and straightened out, he pressed down on the accelerator while Isaac and Bradbury clung to the railing across the truck cab.
Thick rolling sheets of dirt billowed behind the truck. Looking into the side view mirror, Derek watched the four robots disappear into the wall of dust. He was partly relieved. He had survived the first encounter with them, but he had left a trail for the robots to follow. Releasing a sigh, he held hope of seeing his grandfather again, and he had managed to keep two of his robots operational.
The top of the roof hammered twice.
“Yes?” Derek asked.
“Isaac is no longer active.”
Derek looked over his shoulder through the rear glass. Isaac’s left hand clung to the cab rail, which kept his limp upper body from dropping onto the bed of the truck. The lower half of his body lay on the flatbed. Oil and hydraulic fluid pooled beneath him.
He grieved. Only Bradbury remained intact.
Derek could revive Isaac after reconstructing him in the engineering garage, but it would take quite a bit of time to do so. That is, if they were able to prevent the Chinese robots from invading their encampment. They needed to find a way to permanently destroy the robots before the robots killed them.
32
Watching movies for several days had become more boring than Magnus and Sylvia had ever expected. While they had watched movies, Carter spent most of his time researching data on the Sleeper Chips, trying to figure out why they weren’t one hundred percent efficient.
Magnus expressed how stir crazy the shuttle was becoming, even with movies, games, and exercise. Carter suggested that they start their first month’s hibernation cycle to see how well they adapted after awakening.
Magnus thought they should stay awake for at least another week, but after more discussion with Carter about the situation, Magnus reluctantly agreed. Carter convinced them that they needed the medical knowledge about how the Hyber-Sleep affected their reactions, their cognitive abilities, and their overall strength. Understanding those results earlier in the trip allowed Carter to estimate the best time for them to awaken so they could rebuild their mental reflexes and strength, and be at their best prior to entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
Carter gave them each a high mineral drink to flush their colons before they were set inside the Hyber-Sleep chambers for the month.
Magnus sat down and shook his head. “Man, that’s some rough stuff.”
“I wish you had warned us about that procedure ahead of time,” Sylvia said.
“I know it’s unpleasant, but it’s necessary,” Carter replied. “You don’t want to harbor a lot of solid waste inside you while you sleep. The toxins are dangerous, and you can’t exactly go to the restroom.”
“I understand.” She winced and held her stomach. “I think.”
“I might opt to remain awake the rest of the trip now,” Magnus said. “Rather than go through that again.”
Carter smiled. “That is an option. I’m not sure what you’d entertain yourself with though.”
“Books,” Magnus said.
“Okay. We can discuss that after this sleep session is over. But if we decide to hibernate again we need our muscles to be strengthened enough for landing. So, what we’re testing for now is muscle loss or weakness.”
“I understand that,” Magnus said. “But don’t you think we need to be awake in case Grayson tries to negotiate a new deal with us?”
Sylvia nodded. “I agree.”
“No,” Carter replied. “I don’t think Grayson will be offering any deals this early in our departure from Mars.”
“Why not?” Sylvia asked.
“Honestly, why should he? He’ll wait until we’re closer to Earth. Seven months is plenty of time for Grayson to scheme. My guess is that he won’t offer us a deal at all. He owns the ship, and essentially, like Magnus already stated about the miners and their contracts, such agreements were phony. His actions seem to imply that he owns us, too. Why negotiate with someone you already believe is your property?”
Magnus shrugged. “I agree that that’s the way he probably views the prisoners, but I’m not so certain he thinks that about his guards, staff, and scientists.”
Carter sighed. “When I first signed on, I believed that, too.”
“And you don’t now?” Magnus asked.
“No.”
“What changed your mind?” Sylvia asked.
“To lay the groundwork for a Martian civilization will take decades. At least a couple hundred years,” Carter replied. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what Magnus said about the prisoners’
health. The prisoners are aging at a rapid rate due to being overworked without getting adequate food and sleep. They aren’t aware of what’s happening, so they can’t protest or revolt. Magnus is right. The majority of them will never live long enough to reap the monetary promises and benefits that Grayson has promised them. Even if they did, they’ll be too feeble to work their land.”
“That’s a shame,” Sylvia said.
“Perhaps,” Carter said. “But with their violent backgrounds, would you ever want to see them without the Sleeper Chips controlling them?”
Sylvia shook her head. “No.”
“Eventually, a lot of those chips will fail,” Magnus said. “My chip deactivated because of outside help, but the miner that killed himself after his malfunctioned only did so because it was defective. Out of the hundred or so prisoners here, the odds are that there are many more chips that will short out.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Carter said. “Grayson has money, and while most of his goals are usually achieved, he rushed on the development of the Sleeper Chips because he wanted to stake his full claim to the mining rights on Mars. He should have tested the chips a year or so longer.”
Magnus stared at the hibernation seats. “So you really think we should go ahead and take a long nap?”
“Yes. Pick a seat,” Carter replied.
Sylvia and Magnus took a seat while Carter prepared to administer their first month of hibernation. Sylvia watched Carter set up the vital sign monitors and unraveled the feeding tubes. She was extremely nervous.
Carter’s brow furrowed as he focused upon tightening different attachments.
“I’ll be right back,” Carter said. “I need to get some sterile I.V. needles.”
Magnus nodded.
“I’m sorry to inform you. But if you thought the enemas were bad, the worst part of this is that I have to get catheters, too.”
“Shit,” Magnus said with an intense wince. “Never thought of that.”
After Carter left the passenger cabin, Sylvia looked at Magnus. “I’m nervous. Are you?”
“A little.”
“What are you going to do about Digger?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Actually, there is a pet housing room back there. Since maintenance uses ferrets to squeeze through those narrow passages, I imagine they must transport some of them aboard these shuttles from time to time. He’s going to be okay. He’ll be set up like a king.”
“Good.”
Magnus chuckled. “Besides, I doubt these seats are fashioned for little ferrets.”
She smiled. “Probably not.”
“He may get a bit lonely over the next month. He might get fat, too.”
“Poor little guy. How do you think we’ll feel after a month of sleep?”
“Our minds might be refreshed,” Magnus said. “Not sure how our bodies will react though. I imagine our minds will be a bit foggy, too, like waking up with a bad hangover. At first, it will probably be hard for us to find the motivation to exercise. At least we’re not going to stay sedentary the entire trip. That would be too hard on us.”
“You’re right.”
Magnus smiled at her. “I’ll be happy when we reach Earth and get back to our normal lives.”
“Do you think we can return to normal?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to try my damnedest.”
Carter returned with two packages of I.V. needles and catheter tubes, but he didn’t have his briefcase. He ripped open each plastic bag and after several minutes, he had Sylvia’s I.V. ready to insert. Her hands trembled when Carter rubbed alcohol on the back of her wrist with a cotton ball. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“Don’t be so worried,” Carter said. “The worst part will be when I insert the needle. Okay?”
She nodded but kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
Carter looked at Magnus. “I have the computer set to awaken you in thirty days.”
“Aren’t you going into hibernation mode, too?” he asked with a puzzled expression.
“Yes,” Carter said, nodding. “I meant . . . us. We’ll awaken in thirty days.”
“You sure you’ll be able to do that by yourself?” Sylvia asked, finally opening her eyes.
He gave a hesitant smile and nodded. “Yes. That won’t be a problem.”
Sylvia’s nervous eyes stared into Carter’s. “Are you certain that we’re going to be okay after this?”
“The computer monitors everything,” he replied. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek and smiled. “Should something happen, the computer will awaken us.”
“Good,” she said with slight relief, but her frightened eyes exposed her doubt in fully trusting that what Carter had said was true.
Magnus stared at Carter with the same type of scrutiny.
After Carter set her I.V. monitor and the computer commands, he turned his attention to Magnus. He inserted the I.V. needle for him, and typed in the commands for his seat. The overhead enclosures lowered. Metal clamps locked around Magnus and Sylvia’s wrists, perhaps to reduce any extra movement during the hibernation stage. Magnus thought it might be possible for a nightmare to cause the dreamer to fling up their arms and unknowingly disconnect the I.V. needles, thus the reason for the added precaution of securing them to the seats.
Carter faced them. “You both should start feeling some drowsiness in a few minutes. That’s the sedative taking affect.”
Magnus closed his eyes. He pictured Boony and her smile the night they had talked over drinks at the Vortex. He thought about how pleasant a month of sleep would be if she were the one occupying his dreams. Although he didn’t really get to talk to her as long as he wished he could have, he was thankful to have met her. He liked that he had been able to gain her trust enough that she let him continue on his mission to seek justice, or at the very worst, carry out his ultimate revenge.
His heart raced when he thought about delivering the justice to his enemies that they deserved. He didn’t want to let down his ex-girlfriend’s cousin, Darnell. Since Boony had generously allowed him to help hijack the shuttle and return to Earth, he didn’t want to let her down, either. She seemed to have believed in him somewhat, or otherwise, he reasoned, she would have turned him over to Jonas. She hadn’t. For that, he was grateful. He swore not to ever give her up even if Grayson captured and tortured him for answers. He chose not to dwell on that possible outcome for another second because he didn’t plan to get caught.
Magnus hoped that whatever forthcoming nightmares might occur once they reached Earth didn’t override their most pleasant dreams during hibernation. Upon awakening, he was fearful how things in their lives might have already changed. He possessed a growing uncertainty in what Carter was doing, what his true plans were, and if the doctor was actually being truthful to them. But he agreed with Carter that Grayson wouldn’t offer them any deals. Most likely, Grayson planned to capture them once the shuttle landed. Quite possibly, Sylvia’s plan for them to use parachutes wasn’t something Grayson even expected. At least, he hoped Grayson wouldn’t.
As Magnus’ eyes grew heavier, he wanted to tug out the I.V. needle, but with his wrists clamped inside the metal cuffs and the enclosure lowered over him, there wasn’t anything he could do until the computer brought them out of hibernation.
He glanced at Sylvia. She was already sleeping. Perhaps due to his large size, the sedative took longer or he simply needed a higher dosage. Movement caught his attention on the other side of Sylvia. It was Carter. The doctor didn’t have another I.V. needle and didn’t seem to be getting ready to join them in the hibernation phase.
“What the hell are you up to?” Magnus thought.
Magnus fought to keep his eyes open.
Carter crossed his arms and stood watching Sylvia and Magnus. His eyes were strangely dark, sinister, and an odd smile spread across the doctor’s lips. Quite disturbing was the best way Magnus could describe it. Carter wasn’t prepping himself at all, and that d
isturbed Magnus more than the fear of possible nightmares. At this particular moment, Carter’s intent was far worse than anything the Sandman might deliver.
Carter stared at them a few moments more, turned, and headed down the aisle. Seconds before Magnus’ eyes shut in sleep, his last thought was to get free of the hibernation chamber. He flexed his arms and desperately tugged, but the metal restraints didn’t budge.
“Where the hell are you going?” Magnus whispered as he faded from consciousness and drifted into the hibernation stage. He no longer expected Boony to dominate his dreams. Nightmares of what Carter might do while they slept haunted him.
33
Jonas sat at his desk. He had hardly slept for days. He rubbed his tired eyes. He still had not made contact with Derek and his growing worry sickened him. When he had seen the red dots on their satellite surveillance cameras nights before, he had feared that an alien force was moving in to surround and kill his grandson. However, the next day, he found no trace of whatever had appeared on the radar grid. He summed the ordeal up as a product of his exhaustion and possible glitches in the satellite system.
But his burden had not lessened.
Boony entered the security office earlier than normal.
“Morning, Jonas,” she said with a broad smile.
“Morning.”
“You look exhausted. Still no news about Derek?”
“No.”
“Go get some sleep, sir. I can handle everything here.”
“I’ve tried. I can’t get my mind to stop worrying about Derek.”
Boony nodded. “I understand. Why not send out a search party to locate him?”
“No. Believe me, I really want to. But he was pretty adamant that he didn’t want me to treat him like a child any longer. And after he left, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that’s exactly what I’ve done for years. He’s right. He’s a man, and I need to allow him to branch out from under my control. If I send men out to him, he’ll be insulted. That will make the gap between us even broader.”
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