Of Minds and Masters

by Paul Ormond

  The security forces were sending out swathes of fire and the kids were getting hammered left and right. The soldiers had formed a wall of shields around the column and it proved to be an impenetrable defense. In close quarters, the seasoned soldiers had the advantage, and from their covered positions, they were able to reduce the number of attackers rapidly. Mitch could see his friends spinning off in every direction as their inReal defenses failed. He gritted his teeth and searched for any sign of an opening. Mitch saw Davis rejoin the ranks of soldiers as he circled the column. He came around the column again and his heart soared as he saw Candace and Sage flying at him, Sage carried a ball of light in his hand and he held it high as he raced towards the pillar. Mitch’s heart pounded in his chest as he moved forward to help his friends.

  Davis reacted quickly to Sage’s advance and he and a swathe of guards rushed out from their positions to cut off Sage before he could deliver the pay load. As the guards charged out, Mitch watched Candace break away from Sage. The guards rapidly closed in on Sage and in doing so they had created an opening. Sage swatted the ball out in front of Candace and she came down upon the ball with a furious strike sending it rocketing towards the column. Davis had anticipated the move and he had broken away from his own formation to cut off the shot from Candace. Mitch rushed in as Davis blocked the ball of light on its way towards the column.

  Mitch saw the light blasting at him after Davis had deflected it and he instinctively reached out with his hand. His inReal extended out along his limbs and caught the payload. Mitch pulled it into himself and he saw the column directly in front of him. Davis rushed towards him along with a swarm of MindHIve forces. Mitch charged towards the column and as Davis was about to reach him Mitch quickly changed directions, and with a mighty swat, knocked the payload into the column.

  For a moment, everything was silent and everybody seemed to freeze in place. Then a tremendous wave of energy rippled down the column and the entire cavern was filled with a blinding light. The impact of the explosion sent everybody reeling in all directions and Mitch lost any sense of bearing as he spun out of control. He could see people tumbling around him and he saw his own body stretched out before him, but he was powerless against the force of the explosion. He brought up his shield to limit any kind of impact, but there was only a sputtering response as his device seemed to have been damaged in the blast.

  Mitch was slammed into a steep bank and he tumbled to the floor of the cavern. Bodies were strewn across the ground and both guards and kids groaned in pain as they recovered from the blast. He got to his feet and looked up to the now ruptured column of energy. He tried to activate his inReal, but it didn’t respond. He knew he needed to get up to the main dome. SoHee was up there along with his friends and they could use all the help they could get. He found a MindHIve guard nearby on the ground. He appeared to be unconscious. Mitch searched his body and quickly found the guard’s inReal device. Mitch put it in his suit and activated it. It was 60 percent charged and the shields were still somewhat intact. It would have to do. Mitch pushed up and rocketed towards the roof of the cavern again.

  He had to be careful as he neared the apex of the column. The pillar was still incredibly unstable and explosions emitted from its membrane at random. Mitch spotted a metallic landing that had been installed along the top of the cavern. He saw a stairwell that led up into an opening in the rock on the landing and he knew that was his best bet to get into the complex. He hit the landing and began to charge for the stairs, but he was immediately cut off by a tall, lean man with a shaved head who dropped down onto the staircase seemingly from out of nowhere. Mitch instantly remembered him from the laboratory where SoHee had been captured. He had been the one who gave the orders to detain SoHee. He addressed Mitch by his full name.

  “In a hurry, Mitch Mythic?” Gerald Tobero asked.

  “You could say that,” Mitch said as he glared at Gerald.

  “Do you really think that you stand a chance here?” Gerald asked.

  “As a matter of fact I do,” Mitch said with his eyes afire.

  “Well, then I won’t stand in your way,” Gerald said.

  “These stairs lead to the sub-level beneath the main dome. Turn to the left and you will find another set of stairs that allow access to the ground level next to the stage. You must hurry. Things are escalating quickly up there,” Gerald said.

  “Why are you helping me?” Mitch asked.

  “Because I don’t want to be on the wrong side of history,” Gerald shouted at Mitch. “Now get out of here. This place is going to erupt at any moment and I intend to save anyone I can before it does.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Robert’s massive fist swung down on Sohee, but she was able to counter with a shield. “Well, Miss Science, how are you enjoying our little gathering?” Robert shouted at her as he brought down his other first upon her shield. The impact knocked her across the dome, but she quickly righted herself and began to move back at Robert. Several pulses passed over her and the orb began to swell in size. Several long limbs appeared along its side and they thickened as more pulses rippled over the surface of the sphere. She raised her new arms up into the air and smashed them together before her sending a shockwave towards the center of the dome. Robert saw the shockwave approaching and brought his fists down to counter her attack. SoHee slowly began to stalk towards the generator and her limbs let loose a barrage of fire at Robert’s hulking form. He immediately created a protective dome around the generator to deflect the onslaught.

  “Something’s happening. The readings are going nuts,” an engineer shouted at him over the noise in the main dome. The generator had begun the process of creating the portal and an oval of light hovered above it. A band of black appeared within the oval and it was slowly widening. All around the generator, security guards battled against the group of kids that had so far been able to avoid being captured by the guards. “You just hold this thing together,” Robert shouted back. “I’ll keep little Miss Science at bay.”

  Several giant balls of light came down upon the generator and Robert used his fists to knock them away.

  “I think you’re gonna need to see this, sir,” the engineer shouted again. “The energy field has been destabilized somehow. Something has entered the stream and it is disrupting the process. If things continue at this rate, we’re going to have a meltdown on our hands.”

  “What do you mean by meltdown? This can’t be happening,” Robert said in a rage. The towering green giant had begun to close in on the stage and it fired green globs of energy out of its extended limbs. Robert batted away the onslaught and fired back. “Open that goddamn portal right now.”

  “We’re trying sir, but we need a stable flow of energy in order to maintain the portal,” the engineer said.

  “This is just typical. If you want something done, you’ll just have to go and do it yourself. Get out of the way and take some cover this might get messy,” Robert ordered the engineer. He then rose up in front of the sputtering portal and reached out with his massive arms and gripped the edge of the portal. A beam of energy began to emit from the center of the energy cloud that swirled around him. The portal began to stabilize and he released his grip on its edges.

  “I’m using my own device to balance the energy field. I’m not sure how long I can maintain it, so get to work,” Robert shouted at his engineers again. Robert kept the beam of energy focused on the portal as he turned himself around. The green monster was almost on him and it continued to blast at him.

  “Haven’t had enough, have you?” Robert said to himself. He looked at several guards that were defending the generator and shouted, “I need you guys up here now. Defend this beam at all costs. I’ve got to teach somebody a lesson.” The guards quickly rose up to where Robert hovered. “I’ve got to stand my ground so don’t let anyone or anything interfere. You got it?” Robert shouted.

  “Yes sir,” the guards responded.

  He looked up and saw the gi
ant orb descending upon him and he rose up in the air and raised his massive fists above him. SoHee lobbed several more gigantic balls of light at Robert as she approached. Robert used his huge limbs to bat them aside with ease and then brought his fist down upon her with furious rage. The impact knocked her backwards, but she quickly swung back with one of her long green limbs, and she locked onto Robert’s left arm. He brought down his free fist onto SoHee’s outstretched arm and was able to free himself for a moment. Behind him, the guards were maintaining their perimeter and the beam seemed to be stabilizing the portal. The opening was slowly expanding.

  * * *

  Drak had remained on his knees the entire time. Two guards stood over him and they had placed a hood over his head so that he couldn’t see what was happening. He heard blasts and explosions all around him and the frantic shouting of the guards. A smile spread across his face for the first time in a long time. He was still bound by the inReal chains, but he knew that there was a chance he could get out of this. Suddenly he heard the sound of blasts nearby and the guards around him began to scramble for cover. Several more shots went off and he heard one of the guards scream. He then heard the sound of bodies hitting the ground. In a flash, he could see again and he looked up to see Mitch Mythic’s face looking down upon him.

  “You didn’t think I’d leave you here all by yourself, did you buddy?” Mitch said as he helped Drak to his feet. “Now, how do you get these things off?”

  “There on guard. Square thing,” Drak shouted back as his famous grin spread across his face. Mitch reached for the device on the guard’s belt and quickly unlocked Drak. He rubbed his wrists as he was finally free. Mitch went back to the guard again. He searched his body and quickly came back with the guards inReal.

  “Wouldn’t want you to miss out on all the fun,” Mitch said as he tossed the device to Drak.

  “Happy that you care about my feelings, Mitch Mythic, but what take you so long?” Drak said as he engaged his device and launched into the air.

  “I was a little busy getting acquainted with my new friends,” Mitch said as they moved towards the massive figures that were locked together in front of the now opening portal.

  “We’ve got to help her,” Mitch said as he neared SoHee and Robert. “That beam is keeping the portal open. We need to knock it out. If we can find a way to shut it down, we should get that lunatic’s attention long enough for SoHee to generate the wormhole,” Mitch shouted.

  “Ha, you’ve been busy indeed,” Drak said with a laugh as they moved in on the beam.

  “That’s right I have,” Mitch said as he brought up his shield to deflect the blasts unleashed on them by several guards nearby.

  “You can tell me all later. Now we finish what we started,” Drak shouted as he sent a hail of fire down upon the guards. Mitch circled around the generator and he could see that the build-up of energy was becoming unstable. The reaction that had taken place below ground was now beginning to reach the generator. If they didn’t, hurry the generator would collapse in on itself right there in the main dome and consume everything in its path.

  “We need to get his attention,” Mitch shouted at Drak. “She has powers that can stop the portal thing, but she can’t do anything, while Robert has her locked down like that.”

  “I’ve got plan. You keep him busy and wait for my signal,” Drak said as he pushed himself off in the opposite direction.

  “Another one of your plans? I’m not sure if I like the sound of that,” Mitch shouted as he watched Drak shoot away.

  Below him, he could see that the situation was slipping out of control. The generator was pulsing rapidly and it appeared to be growing more unstable by the second. The beam Robert had generated was still shooting onto the portal and the opening was continuing to grow, even though the generator was rapidly disintegrating beneath it. Mitch could see Robert’s hulking form holding SoHee back from the portal and Mitch knew he had to do something to get him away from her. Fortunately, he had enough experience with the CEO of MindHIve to know just how to distract him.

  “Hey Robert, you having fun getting beat up by a girl?” Mitch shouted as he buzzed by Robert’s head. Robert’s upgrades gave him considerable strength, but SoHee was holding her own and trying get herself loose. Green energy whipped around her and she was doing everything she could not to be overpowered by Robert.

  “Nice of you to join us, Mythic. It wouldn’t be a party without #epiccrotchshot boy in attendance,” Robert shouted at him. “Do you always send your girlfriend to fight your battles?”

  “Ha, it looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Mitch said as he continued to circle. He scanned the dome for any sign of Drak or his signal, but all he could see was the chaotic battle that surrounded the stage. The security guards had reduced the kids to a mere handful, but those that had managed to keep on fighting were giving the larger security guards everything they had.

  “When I’m done with her, it’ll be your turn next,” Robert shouted back. “Do you really think you can beat me?”

  “It looks like we are. Your generator is falling apart. You’ll never get the portal open in time. Just take a look around. You’ve lost. Give in and we can save the world, or we’ll all die here” Mitch shouted back.

  “You have no idea what you’re messing with,” Robert shouted and in a rage he grabbed SoHee’s entire form and hurled her across the dome. As she left his grasp, Robert swung towards Mitch and caught him with his giant fist. “Well, now look how the tables have turned. I told you that you could never beat me.”

  “You’re out of your mind. This whole thing is gonna blow and it’s not just us that will die. The whole planet is at risk,” Mitch shouted at him as he struggled to get free.

  “Oh, you kids are all so over dramatic. Once we open this portal, we’ll be able to stabilize the generator and everything will calm down and go back to normal and you’ll be on your way to prison for attempting a terrorist plot to destroy the work of MindHIve, while I on the other hand will be praised as a hero for foiling your plot. Life goes on. Or you could accept my deal and all of this goes away,” Robert said.

  “What’s the deal? What happens to me if I accept?” Mitch shouted over the din.

  “No one will ever know what happened here and you’ll come work for me. That’s a pretty good offer. You’ve got a natural talent with these devices and we’ve already got big plans for inReal ball,” Robert said as he turned his attention to the portal.

  “What about the Masters? They're going to enslave us all,” Mitch shouted.

  “Don’t worry about that. Those useless old tanks only need to feel like they are in charge. We’re going to make the world a better place. With inReal, we’ll be able to keep everybody in order. There will be no more wars and no more unnecessary suffering. We can control the population and reduce the impact humanity has on this planet. It’s all for the best, Mitch,” Robert said as he reached out with his other massive arm to steady the portal.

  * * *

  Drak had managed to sneak underneath the chaos that swirled above him by disengaging his device and then crawling between the empty rows of seats to the left of the stage. He had a particular goal in mind and it seemed to have been forgotten as the battle raged on in the dome. As he edged nearer to the backside of the generator, he could see his target sitting near the stage. Two guards were positioned on either side of the chariot and they were eagerly shooting at the kids that swirled above them oblivious to the fact that Drak lay in wait just a few feet away. He quietly re-engaged his device and positioned himself between two chairs. He took a deep breath and jumped up and unloaded on both of the soldiers, who were taken completely off guard. As they crumbled to the ground, Drak didn’t waste any time watching them fall. He quickly leapt into the chariot and took cover. He brought up his panel and hit the self-destruct button. He had to press several more buttons in order to begin the process and as he did so he attempted to turn on the chariot. After a few seconds, a countdow
n clock appeared on the panel and it said 1:00. That was all he would need.

  When the chariot activated, he let go a deep breath, but his relief didn’t last for long. He had to duck quickly as a blast of fire pummeled the vehicle. He looked up from his crouched position and saw that the guards he had ambushed had come to and were none to pleased that he was about to take off in Robert Chapman’s chariot. He dropped his head down again and felt more blasts hit the side of the craft. He grinned and then from his crouched position, made two gestures and the chariot begin to rise into the air. He popped up and blasted several shots at the guards who immediately took cover. He laughed out loud as he reached his hand out and sent the chariot forwards. The guards returned fire, but he accelerated away.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  The opening had become wide enough that Mitch could see through it. On the other side, several hulking figures could be seen in silhouette. “What happens if I accept? How do I know that you’ll keep your word?” Mitch shouted.

  “Why don’t you trust me, Mitch? After all we’ve been through,” Robert said as the portal widened. “You just let me take care of the mess you made and then we’ll talk about your future.”

  In the distance, Mitch could see a green glow beginning to rise up from the rubble. The portal was almost fully open and Robert began to great his guests with several hand signals. As he did, strange texts appeared on the portal and the opening began to stabilize. “You see Mitch. I told you everything would be all right. You just let the big boys handle this for now,” Robert said.

  “You know, there’s just one problem with your plan, Mr. Chapman,” Mitch said. In the distance, he saw a ball of fire careening towards the portal. Mitch could see a lone figure standing tall at the helm of the chariot that Robert had used to enter the dome only a day ago. As the chariot rocketed closer, Mitch could distinctly make out a wide grin on the face of the pilot.