by G J Ogden
The cost in both Randenite fuel and dollars had been astronomical, but with the Consortium in desperate need of good PR, it was a cost the new leader, Dexter Stone, had borne willingly. The broadcast networks had used the evacuation to good effect, putting a new human face – Stone’s face – on the corporation, painting him as a savior. Yet despite Stone’s efforts, Falken’s hold on public opinion was growing ever stronger. The genius hacker had been able to foil the Consortium’s efforts to block or delete her messages at every turn, to the point where the secret about bridge travel and Randenite was well and truly out.
“Set the vessel down on the private landing pad in the east wing of the engineering complex,” said Dr. Rand, pointing toward the building to help Dakota identify it. “This will allow us direct access to the facility I need to use.”
Dakota acknowledged the scientist and brought them down onto the rooftop of the massive four-story complex. Hallam had already gone aft before the engines had even wound down, and was busy sorting through the wide array of weapons Alexis Black kept in storage.
“I don’t think we’ll need that,” said Dakota, pointing at the mean-looking rifle that Hallam was inspecting. Then she tapped the shoulder of her power armor, which all three of them were again wearing. “Besides, in this gear, we’re already walking weapons,” she added.
Hallam stowed the rifle in the magnetic mount on his back, and continued searching through the impressive arsenal the ship contained. “I love your optimism, Dak, but I’m not taking any chances, and neither should you,” said Hallam, finding some grenades and adding them to the stows on his hip armor. “That alien planet wasn’t supposed to have belligerent, super-powered police-bots, but we did a pretty great job of finding one and hacking it off. Besides, I’m still half-expecting Cad Rikkard to descend on us at any moment.”
The mention of Cad Rikkard seemed to promptly change Dakota’s mind. “Good point, I’d almost forgotten about those two clowns,” she said, reaching inside the weapons locker. She took out one of Alexis Black’s Five-Seven-Seven pistols and holstered it, then grabbed an enormous weapon that Hallam had passed by, mainly because he had no idea what it was.
“From one extreme to the other, huh?” said Hallam, watching Dakota slap a hefty-looking magazine into the mystery weapon. “What even is that thing?”
Dakota smiled and flashed her eyes at Hallam. “This is a semi-automatic, twenty-five-millimeter smart grenade launcher,” she said, looking like a kid who’d just bought a new toy. “If there are any metal maniacs inside that building, we’re going to have a very different kind of conversation this time.”
Dakota attached a spare magazine to her hip, then stowed the mighty weapon on her back. Relative to her lithe frame, it looked like she was wearing a rocket pack.
“You’re a little bit scary sometimes, but I like it,” said Hallam, grinning. He then hit the button to lower the ramp, allowing the already sweltering heat of the day to flood inside. Hallam was once again glad of his power armor and the temperature-controlled environment it provided.
“If you two could please refrain from blowing up this building, at least until I have completed my work, that would be most appreciated,” said Dr. Rand, stepping down the ramp. She was carrying the shielded container with the alien components inside and was armed only with her faithful palm computer.
“We’ll do our best, Doc,” said Hallam, following the scientist down the ramp with Dakota at his side. He looked around their new surroundings, marveling at the scale of the complex, which was even more impressive than the Consortium HQ where he’d spent his off-duty time as a tanker gunner. “What is this place?” Hallam asked the scientist, who was working to circumvent the lock mechanism on a roof access door.
“This was Doyle’s private research facility,” replied Dr. Rand while still tapping away on her computer. “Most of the Consortium equipment that was derived from the alien technology was developed here. Though, as we now know, the bulk of the alien components themselves were stored on the rogue world, which explains how he kept the origins of our discoveries secret.”
Hallam was only half-listening to Dr. Rand’s answer. He’d been distracted by a number of transports blasting off from four different locations across the water. However, it wasn’t the transports that were the focus of his attention. Also buzzing around the city and suburbs in the distance were at least six VTOL Enforcer dropships.
“How long will it take you to build the gear you need, Doc?” said Hallam. He noticed that Dakota had moved by his side and was also frowning in the direction of the city in the distance.
“I already have feasible schematics, and with any luck, some of my earlier work is still in storage here. The automatic prototyping tools will also greatly accelerate the manufacturing process. Even so, it will still be tomorrow, at the earliest, before the work is completed.” The lock on the roof door clicked and Dr. Rand pulled it open. She then hesitated and turned back to Hallam. “Why do you ask, Mr. Knight?”
Hallam sucked on his bottom lip and sighed before moving over to the scientist. “This planet may not be as deserted as we first thought,” he said as the engine roar of another super-freighter blasting into the sky caused him to peer back toward the city. “We should plan for unwanted attention at some point, especially now that we’ve parked a high-tech fighter on the roof. My guess is that someone would have seen us arrive.”
Dr. Rand nodded and led the way inside the research structure. Lights blinked on automatically as they progressed through the cavernous, multi-level engineering lab, which was filled with all manner of robotics and equipment that Hallam couldn’t even begin to guess the function of. With the machines all inactive and the space deserted, bar Hallam, Dakota, and Dr. Rand, it felt unnaturally quiet. It reminded him of the building they’d entered on the alien homeworld, which was not a memory he particularly cared to revisit.
“I am afraid there is nothing you can do to assist me,” Dr. Rand said, switching on a number of machines. The silence was shattered by the resonant thrum of a wall-sized workstation powering up, followed by a dozen robotic limbs initializing. Dr. Rand placed the metal container inside a compartment in the wall, and Hallam watched as it was drawn through into a sealed-off area of the lab. He watched on a panoramic screen, which acted as a virtual window inside the shielded space as six robotic arms swung into action. The robotic limbs recovered the case, opened it, and separated out the alien components with the dexterity of a team of brain surgeons. Suddenly, a strip of red light raced across the walls of the lab and warning notices appeared on signs positioned at regular intervals around the room. Hallam read one of the notices and forced down a dry swallow. “Radiation Warning: Randenite in use. Stay within designated safe zones and ensure protective personal equipment is worn at all times,” Hallam said, reading the sign out loud.
Dakota also scowled at the new warning signs. “That’s not very comforting,” she said, which Hallam considered to be another one of her startling statements of the obvious. Dakota then nudged Hallam’s armored ribs. “Come on, let’s leave her to it. We can maybe find a café or rec area overlooking the city, just so we can keep an eye out for enforcer drop ships. With any luck, they were all too busy to notice us swooping in out of nowhere.”
Hallam and Dakota said their goodbyes to Dr. Rand, though the scientist was already too engrossed in her work to notice, and headed out of the factory-sized engineering lab. It wasn’t long before both of them were bored stupid.
For the first few hours, Hallam and Dakota had merely wandered the empty halls before growing hungry and deciding to raid the facility’s impressive cafeteria. However, the novelty of free food soon wore off, and their merriness quickly turned to monotony. Soon they had utterly exhausted the very limited opportunities for entertainment that existed inside the giant science lab. They’d played a dozen games of pool, ten games of foosball, improvised a game of dagger throwing using kitchen knives, and even tried arm wrestling, until the third ta
ble that broke due to their augmented strength persuaded them to stop.
In between these shenanigans, Hallam had three times “accidentally on purpose” dropped by the engineering lab where Dr. Rand was working, only to be shooed away like he was an annoying neighbor’s cat that always crapped in the flower beds. With nothing else to do but wait, Hallam and Dakota decided to take turns going on watch, while the other kicked back and got some sleep. It had been Hallam’s turn for some R&R, when a bassy thud stirred him from his slumber on a couch in the recreation area. Yawning, he rose up, causing the couch to creak under the weight of his armor, and sleepily went over to the window. The sight of two VTOL drop ships circling around the installation snapped his senses awake like a slap to the face.
“Crap!” Hallam cried, grabbing his rifle from the table beside the couch and rushing outside the recreation area. Dakota was already running back along the wide corridor in the opposite direction.
“Did you see them?” said Dakota, who was brandishing the Five-Seven-Seven pistol in her grasp.
Hallam nodded. “Two Enforcer dropships, and they’re taking an unusually keen interest in an evacuated research lab.”
One of the dropships buzzed past the glass windows of the atrium at the far end of the corridor before climbing higher above the structure.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…” said Dakota. She then slapped Hallam on the back, and both of them set off along the corridor, trying to keep up with the ship that was prowling overhead.
The dropship then slowed to a hover and Hallam slid to a stop underneath it. Through the wide skylights in the roof, he saw the CSF vessel drop two dark-colored objects from a compartment in its ventral hull, like it was dropping bombs. However, Hallam knew that the objects in question were not bombs, but something just as dangerous.
“CSF Enforcer Bots,” said Hallam, glancing at Dakota, who stared back at him, wide-eyed with surprise. “I think our little vacation on Vesta is about to come to an abrupt and very violent end…”
23
From the moment Hallam had spotted the VTOL Enforcer dropships patrolling the Vestan city, he knew it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Dr. Rand had said she needed a full day to get her work on the Shelby Drive component and field inverter done. However, from the murkiness of the night sky, Hallam guessed it had been less. Though with the planet’s orbit and day-night cycle already in a state of flux, he had no real way of telling exactly how long they’d been on the planet. What he did know for certain was that they had to get off Vesta as quickly as possible.
“They must have finally noticed the fighter on the rooftop,” said Hallam, watching the CSF Enforcer bots stomp out of their line of sight. “Or if we’re lucky, they saw the lights inside the building and sent a routine patrol to check it out.”
Dakota nodded. “Given the amount of valuable tech in here, it would make a tempting prospect for thieves. Though sending Enforcer bots is a pretty heavy-handed response.”
Hallam snorted. “Welcome to Dexter Stone’s way of working.”
“Do you think we can just avoid them?” said Dakota. “I’d rather not get mixed up fighting a bunch of crazy machines.”
The sound of glass smashing drew their attention back to the grand atrium. Two more Enforcer bots had broken in and entered on the lower level.
“No, I don’t think we can avoid them,” replied Hallam with a fatalistic air. He knew all about the Enforcer bots from his time with the CSF. The machines were far smaller than warbots, standing no taller than an average person, but their programming was just as kooky as their military counterparts. “The CSF don’t typically deploy these things, other than in situations where civilian casualties are unlikely or unavoidable,” he continued, watching the bots march inside.
“Do I want to know why?” said Dakota warily.
“It’s mainly because they’re manifestly incapable of performing a task without creating a huge amount of collateral damage,” replied Hallam. He then shot her a wicked smile. “A bit like you.”
“Nice…” said Dakota, rolling her eyes. “But before they run riot in here, I suggest we get back to Dr. Rand and let her know we need to leave. As soon as either us or those bots start shooting, the rest of the CSF in the local area will be put on alert, and this place will be swarming with enforcers, mechanical and human.”
Hallam took the lead, moving swiftly through the labyrinthine interior of the giant research facility. The recreation area was two levels below the massive engineering lab on the top floor, where Dr. Rand was still engrossed in her work. However, they’d barely reached the foot of the first sweeping stairway to the next level up before the heavy thud of metal footsteps on the hard tile floor forced them to flatten their armored bodies behind cover.
“I only see one bot,” said Hallam, peeking around the corner and watching the faceless, cube-shaped cranial unit of an Enforcer bot scan from side-to-side.
Dakota holstered her pistol and drew the grenade launcher from its stow on her back, causing Hallam’s eyes to grow wide. “If you start shooting that in here, then the whole damn planet will come running,” he said, equipping his far subtler rifle.
“I don’t see that we have a choice, Hal,” replied Dakota, pressing the butt of the weapon into her shoulder. “Just get ready to take down the other metal maniacs when they come stomping after us.”
The Enforcer bot continued to patrol along the wide corridors, clunkily yanking doors off hinges and walking through glass partitions with all the finesse of a rampaging bull. Hallam and Dakota switched positions, moving up and ready to ambush the machine, when a second pair of metallic footsteps again forced them back into cover.
“Damn it, there’s another one coming up from the atrium level,” said Hallam, peering over the balcony wall down to the imposing grand entrance of the engineering complex.
“We’ll worry about that one later,” said Dakota, aiming over the top of the low wall and waiting for the first Enforcer bot to show itself. She slipped her finger onto the trigger then glanced at Hallam. “Are you ready?”
“No, but like you said, what choice do we have?” replied Hallam, flipping the switch on his rifle to automatic.
The wait for the Enforcer bot to show itself was excruciating, like hiding in a cupboard from the school bully and hoping he didn’t find you. Eventually, the heavy thud of the machine’s metal feet grew louder and it turned the corner. The bot then stopped dead and began scanning the area more acutely with its square, featureless cranial unit.
Dakota squeezed the trigger, hitting the machine in the torso. The explosion blasted the bot through the glass wall of an office, but in the resulting cloud of dust and smoke, Hallam couldn’t see if it had been destroyed.
“I’ll make sure it’s toast while you take the second one,” Dakota called out, yelling to be heard over the top of alarms that had begun blaring out inside the building.
Dakota had barely finished speaking before the cadence of the metal footsteps accelerated, and Hallam saw a second Enforcer bot charging toward him. He aimed the rifle and fired, raining bullets into the machine’s metal armor. Hallam could see the projectiles penetrate its thick protective shell, but the machine continued to stagger forward. Then it raised its arm and returned fire.
Hallam cursed and covered his unprotected head as bullets thudded off his armor, each hit feeling like a hammer blow. Diving behind cover, he heard another grenade detonate.
“Dak, be careful, they’ve outfitted these crazy machines with guns!” Hallam called out. However, over the rattle of cannons and the crackle of fires, he doubted Dakota would have heard him. “What kind of lunatic gives a damn bot a gun…” Hallam said out loud, though it was a rhetorical question. He already knew the answer, and that was Dexter Stone.
Cursing his former commander, Hallam pushed himself up and fired another volley at the Enforcer bot, but was again forced back into cover as bullets peppered his iridescent black armor. Checking hims
elf over quickly, Hallam found only dents and scratches to the curious alien-looking metal, and marveled at how tough the armor was. If he’d been wearing his regular renegade gear, he would have been dead already.
Another grenade detonated, then Hallam thought he heard Dakota call out, but the sound was drowned out by the thud of an Enforcer dropship’s rotors. Hallam looked up and saw the craft slow to a hover directly above the atrium. The glass ceiling smashed and two ropes dropped inside, followed closely by another two more Enforcer bots.
Hallam cursed again and pulled a grenade from the magnetic stow on his belt. Dakota had the right idea… he thought, arming the weapon. This is no time for restraint… He sprang up and tossed the grenade at the damaged bot, then ducked down and pressed his hands to his ears. The explosion reverberated through the floor and walls of the research facility, and Hallam was showered with fragments of stone and metal.
Pushing himself up, Hallam checked the twisted remains of the Enforcer bot to make sure it was definitely out of commission, then ran toward where he’d last seen Dakota. Releasing the empty magazine in his rifle, Hallam slapped in another and rounded the corner, calling after Dakota. In his haste, he hadn’t checked if the coast was clear, and walked straight into another Enforcer bot. The next thing he knew, he’d been hammered across the chest by what felt like an iron girder and sent crashing through the glass wall of another office. Groaning and shaking the fractured safety glass out of his hair, Hallam looked up to see the bot, stepping through the rubble. Thinking fast, he grabbed one of the room’s thick metal desks and lifted it in front of him like a shield, using his augmented strength to full effect.