Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6)

by Andrew Mackay

  “Ahhhhhhhhhhh.”

  He clenched his fist and slammed the white button on the glove.

  “Warrgghhhhh—”

  Noyin squeezed the Uzi’s trigger in retaliation.

  THRAAAA — A — TAT-A-TAT.

  The flurry of bullets chewed across the mud up and shattered their way up Santara’s right leg and finished at her abdomen.

  The base of her endo-skeleton splintered and sparked.

  WHIZZZ — KERAACCKKK.

  Santara hit the deck in a complicated heap of android innards.

  “Y-Yeah—ugh, ugh,” Noyin grunted. The back of his head hit the mud as he shuffled around and seemed to hyperventilate through his shattered jaw.

  Jamie dropped the glove and darted over to the 4x4.

  “Leesa?”

  As he opened the door, the blades on his DecapiDisc slowed down.

  CLATCH.

  The disc opened out into a “3” shape and clanged to the mud as he opened the car door.

  Leesa unfastened her DecapiDisc and threw it into the foot well. “My God, my God, am I dead? Did it kill me?”

  Jamie grabbed her hand and hoisted her out of the 4x4. He held her shoulders and checked her over. A sliver of red blood hung around her throat like a ruby necklace.

  “No, no, it just cut the skin,” he shouted over the intensity of the fire and Noyin’s last gasps for life. “How about me? Am I okay?”

  Her head vibrated with shock as she pressed her fingers around his collar bone.

  “No, you’re okay. Just a bit of a scratch—”

  “—Ngggggggg, you goddamn brats,” Noyin pained through his face as he tried to breath, “I shou-shoulda j-just p-put a bullet in your h-heads—”

  Jamie felt an intense anger he’d never experienced in his life.

  Before he and Leesa lay a man dying, almost beyond recognition. His gold teeth shattered, his jaw broken. His mouth covered in blood. His chest heaved through the deathly gargles whining from his lungs.

  “Guh-guh,” Noyin tried and squeezed his eyes shut, finally laughing and choking through his neck, ”Ngggg. A-Anderson.”

  Jamie stepped over the man and watched him die, slowly, and painfully.

  “What?”

  “Tsch-uh-g-gonne, uggghhh,” he struggled through the ropes of blood splattering down his chin, “Y-You d-did g-good, you know.”

  Jamie gripped Leesa’s hand in his as he stared into the man’s eyes.

  WRREECCCCCKKKKK - CRAASSSHHHHH.

  The last of the arena’s structure crumbled away a dozen feet behind them. The impact produced a torrent of flames and the stench of burning weaponry and gas.

  “G-Gimme m-my g-g-g—”

  Jamie’s eyes followed Noyin’s shaking index finger, which pointed to the discarded Uzi by his hip.

  “—Your gun?”

  “Yuh-yuh—” Noyin struggled, “It h-hurts. It, ungg, h-hurts s-so- b-b-bad—”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  Jamie booted the gun away.

  “Ugh,” Noyin squealed as every muscle in his body loosened.

  He’d been defeated by Jamie Anderson, of all people, and had no option but to wait in considerable agony for his eventual demise.

  “I’m not doing your dirty work for you, asshole.”

  “Awwwww, damn,” Noyin sniggered for a few seconds as the last bubble of oxygen worked its way through his body, “You’re f-f-funny, Anderson—”

  Noyin abandoned speaking and let the life escape his body.

  His eyes rolled up to the diluted moon hanging in the sky.

  Six seconds later, he breathed his last, and passed away in front of Jamie and Leesa.

  SHUNT — SCHUNT.

  A peculiar whirring noise followed the sound of someone’s attempt to straighten themselves to their feet.

  Jamie and Leesa turned to see the bullet-riddled Santara press her hands in the mud and attempt to use her legs to stand upright.

  She straightened her back and wobbled from side to side.

  “Santara,” Leesa yelped.

  “L-Leesa,” she responded in her shattered voice, “G-G-Gotta get out of h-h-here.”

  Santara’s head twisted left and right, flinging much of the melted skin away from her shiny endo-skull. She lifted her left arm and tried her best to press a button on her elbow.

  Bip — bip — bip.

  “Santara, what are you doing?” Jamie asked.

  “C-Cannot st-stay here,” she said and spoke into her wrist. “R-R-R—oman. Santara Iskra. P-Please h-help.”

  Santara stomped across the mud like a drunk madwoman and headed for the 4x4.

  “Children. C-Come with.”

  “Santara?” Roman’s screaming voice ran out of her wrist, “We’re a bit busy here right now.”

  Loud gunfire and commotion underscored what he’d said. Santara thumped her jaw back into place.

  “Are y-you in n-need of ass—ass—assistance?”

  “Damn it,” Roman screamed and huffed, “What’s going on over there, Santara?”

  Her voice rippled and lowered, deeply affected by the trauma sustained in the battle, “Need to l-leave. B-Battery level cr-cr-critical—”

  “—Leave?” Roman asked. “No, don’t leave.”

  Jamie ran over to Santara and grabbed her wrist, quite to her surprise.

  “Roman? Roman? This is Jamie Anderson. I repeat, this is Jamie Anderson—”

  “Jamie?” Roman asked. “What are you doing with Santara’s Viddy Med—?”

  “—No time to explain,” Jamie said, “It’s Noyin. He’s destroyed the dome. He’s one of Sheck’s men. We need to leave. We’re coming to get you—”

  “—God, no,” Roman’s voice wailed out of Santara’s wrist and over the insane gunfire, “Jamie, do not come to USARIC R&D— Oh, J-Jesus Christ. Siyam—”

  “Roman?” Jamie screamed. “Roman?”

  The communication cut off.

  Santara’s head revolved on its neck in an attempt to recalibrate.

  Jamie hung his head and tried to ignore the fire in front of him, “We have nowhere to go.”

  Santara pushed him out of the way and climbed into the driver’s side of the 4x4.

  He noticed her battery protruding from a giant, burnt hole in her back.

  “Uh, Santara, you’re—”

  “—Jamie Anderson. Leesa Task,” she said. “We g-g-go away from h-here.”

  “But where?”

  “Get inside.”

  Jamie glanced at Leesa, who couldn’t tear her eyes away from the burning building.

  “Hey, Leesa.”

  She kept quiet and watched everything burn into the clear blue sky.

  “What if they come back, Jamie?” she asked.

  “What if who comes back?”

  “The cats. They ran into the water. There’s nothing for them to come back to.”

  “Leesa?”

  “What?”

  “I’m sure they can take care of themselves. They’re strong. They’ll survive. Let’s get out of here. God knows who might come sniffing around to find out what happened to these guys.”

  Leesa froze and choked at the sight of the dead Keller and Noyin lying a few feet apart. It precipitated a very sombre reaction from both children who, over the past few weeks and months, had no choice but to grow up - and fast.

  For all intents and purposes, they’d bypassed adolescence entirely and ended up screaming into adulthood.

  The carnage before them sealed the deal once and for all.

  “I just want this to stop,” Leesa said. “No more.”

  Jamie gave her a smile and walked her to the 4x4, “You can say that again.”

  WHUMP — WHUMP.

  Both doors closed.

  Leesa sat in the back, behind Jamie who climbed into the passenger side.

  VROOOOOOOOOMM.

  Santara slammed the accelerator and spun the tires on the ground, inadvertently kicking the wet mud over the two dead m
en.

  Five PAWZ machines rocked around in the back.

  The 4x4 shot off onto the main road, leaving a thoroughly destroyed RAGE arena collapsing to the ground.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  USARIC Research & Development Institute

  — Research Compound —

  Maar exited the Research building in haste.

  The first thing he saw outside were hundreds of USARIC officials, medicians, and mercenaries staring at the parked IRI-Two van outside the training facility building.

  Arden, Brayn, and Santiago followed behind and slowed to a halt.

  Maar stopped in the middle of the vast area and clapped eyes on the drone buzzing around the roof of the van. He held out his arms to prevent his men from proceeding any further.

  “Jesus Christ.”

  Brayn prepared to open fire on the vehicle, “No, no. Don’t. Lower your weapon.”

  “But sir—”

  “—It’s them,” he said.

  “Who?” Arden asked.

  “RAGE.”

  “The scumbags who busted in and took your feline subjects?” Arden asked.

  “The very same, yes.”

  The astonished employees held their breath, wondering what Maar’s next move would be.

  Shane and his colleagues in the back of IRI-Two pressed their hands against the window, hoping their boss wouldn’t do anything hasty.

  “What do we do now?” Arden asked.

  “I’m thinking. Wait.”

  Santiago took the opportunity to extend his thumbnail. Two tiny wings shot out on either side of its expanding body.

  “Don’t get too close,” he whispered to the nectarine-sized device as it lifted away from his palm.

  It buzzed around like a crazy bee in front of Santiago and the men’s faces.

  “What are you doing?” Maar quipped. “Are you trying to get us killed?”

  “No, posterity. You want the whole thing broadcast, don’t you?” Santiago asked.

  “Can it see me?” he asked.

  “Yes. We’re live now.”

  Maar adjusted his collar and turned to the mini drone, “Citizens of our great nation. Look over there at that van. It seems we’re being blackmailed. I think I have an idea of what they want.”

  Santiago nodded and pinched his fingers, forcing the mini drone to focus on IRI-Two.

  Maar stormed across the open plain that separated the two buildings, “Let’s get this over with.”

  He stopped twenty feet away from the van and placed his hands on his hips.

  “I hear you wanted to speak with me?”

  Sierra’s voice came from the speakers on the drone. “Stay right where you are, Sheck.”

  “Okay, I’m staying.”

  “Who’s that with you?” the drone asked.

  He pointed at the three men, and arrived at Santiago, “My colleagues. I think you may recognize this man, too.”

  The lens on Sierra’s drone twisted around and focused on the last man’s face.

  “Is that Santiago Sibald?” the drone asked.

  “Yes it is. Smile for the drone, you scumbag. He’s broadcasting live right now on Viddy Media. If you’re going to threaten us, as I suspect you will, then I want it on record.”

  “Hello,” Santiago said, as he waved his mini drone over to Sierra’s.

  The two devices hovered gently above IRI-Two and adjusted their lens at each other.

  “Are we live?” Sierra’s drone asked.

  “Yes. The longer you talk the more people will hear you.”

  Sierra’s drone hung in the air and appeared to think.

  “No. Get your Viddy Media away from me. Have it move back and watch what happens to this van if Sheck doesn’t give us what we want.”

  Maar shuddered at the threat, but kept up his brave face for the sake of his employees.

  Santiago’s mini drone zoomed through the air and arrived at Maar’s shoulder, getting a terrific shot of the van itself.

  “Sheck?” Sierra’s drone spat.

  “What do you want?”

  “It’s simple. We want what everyone wants.”

  “Oh, yes? And what’s that?”

  “Peace. For all of this to be over.”

  Maar knew he had to keep himself calm in front of potentially tens of millions of viewers.

  “And just how do you propose that we achieve that?”

  “We know you have Jelly Anderson and our friend, Alex Hughes. We know they’re here, somewhere.”

  Maar lowered his head and figured out what their demand would be well ahead of everyone else.

  Brayn aimed at the drone with his gun, “Want me to take it down?”

  “No. Lower your weapon.”

  BANG — BANG.

  Joseph and the occupants of IRI-Two thumped the window and pleaded for their lives.

  Maar returned to the drone with glazed eyes.

  “Okay, then yes. It’s true. We have Jelly Anderson. We also have Alex Hughes, as well. We’re not giving them up.”

  “We beg to differ,” Sierra’s drone said. “See, I’m not sure if you understand the severity of the situation, here.”

  Bleeep — bleeep.

  The back of IRI-Two lit up and rumbled, scaring the living daylights out of everyone inside and those watching the spectacle from the grounds.

  But not Maar.

  “There are enough explosives on the back of the van to destroy the entire compound.”

  “Very clever,” Maar said. “You’ve parked the van right outside the training compound. You’ve obviously done your homework. Right next to the oxygen tankers underground—”

  “—Maximum damage, that’s correct,” Sierra said. “So, here’s what’s going to happen next. You have a choice, and not much time to decide.”

  The employees and mercenaries slowly backed away from the building, hoping that Sierra’s drone wouldn’t twist around and catch them in the act.

  “It’s fifteen-fifty-seven,” Sierra continued. “Which means you have three minutes to release Anderson and Hughes. Then, you will follow our instructions to have them delivered to a capture point of our choosing.”

  Maar chuckled and folded his arms as hard as he could.

  “What makes you think I’ll do it?”

  SCHUNT — biddip-biddip-biddip…

  IRI-Two rocked on its tires as the detonator device fired to life.

  “Does that answer your question?”

  “Oh Christ, no, no—” Joseph screamed and gripped the driver’s seat, “Maar. DO SOMETHING.”

  “For heaven’s sake,” Brayn raised his voice and held his gun in the air, “Everyone get back. Get back, I said.”

  Biddip. Biddip. Biddip.

  The USARIC officials and mercs paced over to the Research center.

  “Ah, da-da, no you don’t,” the drone threatened. “Everyone stay right where you are or time’s gonna move pretty damn quickly.”

  Everyone stopped still. Most hadn’t moved very far at all and remained close to the training facility building.

  Several officials burst into tears, demanding that Maar cave in to the demands.

  “Mr. Sheck,” one female official screamed, “Please—”

  “—Ninety seconds, Maar. All you have to do is bring out Anderson and Hughes. It’s the only course of action that will prevent the van exploding. Your call.”

  Maar stared at Sierra’s drone. It was almost as if he could see her eyes reflecting off the lens.

  A knife could slice through the tension in the area.

  Worried, Arden mustered the courage to lean into Maar’s ear, “I’d just do it. Really—”

  “—Shut the hell up, you weak-willed, lily-livered asshole,” he screamed and turned to the drone. “Hey. You.”

  The drone shuffled forward and blinked.

  “Decided yet?”

  “Yes, I have decided.”

  “You’ve got sixty seconds. I hope it’s enough time to bring them out—”<
br />
  “—No, not necessary,” Maar quipped. “I’m turning your offer down.”

  The surrounding employees gasped for life and considered running away, but thought better of it.

  “I’m going to put that down to a bad communication line, Maar,” Sierra said. “I think I misheard you.”

  “Nope.”

  “Did you say you were not going to give up Anderson and Hughes?”

  “You’re goddamn right.”

  The drone seemed to frown as the men in IRI-Two rammed the windows and begged Maar to reconsider.

  “How very disappointing.”

  The front of the drone slid shut and buzzed back to the van.

  “Thirty seconds to detonation.”

  Maar smiled and took a step backwards, “I think there’s something you should know, by the way.”

  “What’s that?” the drone said.

  “It would be a shame if Anderson and Hughes were in the training facility, wouldn’t it?”

  The drone’s front slipped open and twisted its lens in Maar’s direction.

  “You’re bluffing.”

  ZOOM — SPRITCH.

  The lens revolved and enlarged Maar’s eyes.

  “What can I say? You won’t blow the van. Not on a live Viddy Media feed, and certainly not when the precious pair you came for are within detonation distance. Do you think I’m stupid?”

  Biddip. Biddip. Biddip.

  The detonator wailing on the back of the van didn’t hassle Maar in the slightest. He found the whole scenario very amusing, despite knowing he was bluffing.

  “To answer your questions, Maar, in order. First, we will. And second, yes, we do think that.”

  ARRROOOOOOOGAAAAAHHHH.

  Everyone, including Maar, Brayn, Arden, and Santiago, jumped in their skin as the alarms whirled to life.

  “Christ, what was that?” Maar screamed.

  “Attention, attention,” the exterior alarm speakers announced, “This is not a drill. The alarm has been triggered. Please make your way out of the building and convene at assembly point A.”

  A loud commotion came from behind the doors to the Research Center.

  CRUNCH — BLAM — BLAM — CRASSSSHHHH.

  A torrent of USARIC medicians burst through the doors, screaming for their lives.

  “Get away. Run,” one of them said as they raced across the compound.