admired his work, but took no pleasure at the thought of such a weapon in the hands of the Vorn. The android moved fluidly, even gracefully-like the warrior it was designed to resemble. It seemed almost as though one of the long dead Barudii warriors was alive again. But this one’s mission had nothing to do with protecting Castai.
Ranul’s stomach growled with hunger. I Might as well have something to eat, since I’m up anyway. When he exited the lab, the android was already gone. Only the lone robot guard stood there. Ranul walked back to his onsite quarters with thoughts of late night snacks and Kisch K’ta’s strange middle-of-the-night request, all swirling in his head.
The automatic door opened then shut behind him as he made his way straight to the food compartment. He jumped as hands wrapped around his upper arm and mouth.
“Don’t scream,” a male voice whispered into his ear. “It’s Orin, your old friend. Remember?”
Ranul paled with lingering fright as Orin released him and they faced each other for the first time in years.
“Orin? But I thought…I thought you were all killed by the Horva years ago at the battle of Vaseer.”
“Not exactly,” Orin said.
Down the hall, a robot guard came to life as its auditory sensors caught trigger phrases from Ranul’s domicile. It rolled on its dual tracks toward Ranul’s apartment. Someone was with the doctor, but they were not authorized.
Ranul’s door chimed then began to open even before he could answer it. Beyond, a Sentinel guard stood with his pulse weapon raised into the room. As the door cleared the robot’s body, a Barudii blade shot out of the shadows toward the guard. The figure wielding it was a blur of motion, dissecting the robot’s weapon hand, then plunging the adomen blade through its torso. The Sentinel’s appendages went limp as Tiet’s sword fried its central processor.
“We should go now,” Tiet said as he replaced the blade in its scabbard.
“Your young friend is right,” Ranul said. “The Sentinels share a collective mind. What one knows, they all know. They’re no doubt sending more units to this location right now.”
“I need to know about the clones,” Orin insisted. “Why aren’t the Vorn still producing Horva?”
“They can’t produce anymore right now, at least not until the fleet arrives. They’ll bring us more supplies- equipment and chemical matrix to produce them.”
“Is it this way in all of our cities?”
“As far as I know, but the fleet is due to arrive in a matter of days.”
“You had better come with us,” Orin said.
“Did you really think I would stay here now?” Ranul said as he gathered items into a knapsack.
Tiet led the way out of the room into the corridor. Another Sentinel rounded the corner and fired. Tiet’s body sprang upward reflexively, pressing flat against the ceiling, using his mind to cling like a spider. He cleared the path of the laser fire just in time.
Orin stepped into the corridor with his blade drawn. A wrist-mounted electromagnetic shield generator repelled the Sentinel’s pulse laser fire. Tiet sprang away from the ceiling toward the robot. When Tiet planted his feet on the ground again, the severed upper half of the Sentinel followed suit. They wasted no time heading up a nearby ventilation shaft. Soon, they emerged onto the roof of the cloning complex.
“Now where do we go?” Ranul asked.
“This will buy us a little time,” Orin said. “Tiet, what do you see?”
Tiet ran along the edge of the building. “I see a small transport down here off the west side. It looks empty!”
Orin and Ranul joined him on the western wall of the building. Large environmental conditioning units squatted on the roof, groaning as they cooled the air inside the complex.
“I can’t make that jump, Orin,” Ranul said. “It must be at least fifty feet.”
“Just hold on!” Orin grabbed hold of his friend then jumped over the ledge. Tiet followed them down using the Way to land softly next to the transport. Orin released the cockpit lock with a thought, gaining them quick access to the vehicle. Orin followed Ranul inside then Tiet jumped behind the flight controls and closed the sliding canopy behind them. He ignited the engine as Ranul and Orin fastened their harnesses then they sped off into the night.
Patrol ships and a Sentinel carrier descended from different directions toward the lab complex behind them. The craft they had stolen was a low altitude transport speeder-quick but with no armor or weapons. Still, it was adequate to get them out of the city and into the open terrain beyond.
“Where to now?” Tiet asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Orin said, “but we’ve got to stop those reinforcements from arriving.”
“Tell your young friend to take us to Vaseer” Ranul said.
“But that city has been deserted for years!”
Ranul smiled. “Oh, really?”
The security recordings played on several screens before Governor Kisch K’ta as his advisors briefed him on unfolding events. Setaru’ lek spoke in the tongue of the Vorn concerning a mysterious rebel on the loose.
“And here, Governor-the footage from the cloning room. His weapon-”
“Is the weapon of a Barudii warrior-yes, I remember,” interrupted Kisch K’ta. “But we wiped them all out years ago. I led the attack that day. We swept the cities and the battlefield for survivors. There were no human life signatures detected. Besides, this one is too young to have been in that battle.”
“With all due respect, we are not prepared for an uprising,” said Setaru’ lek. “Our supplies are exhausted and we can’t produce anymore clones until supplies arrive. This person might try to gain support from the people. We could have a rebellion on our hands.”
“I am aware of our situation here,” Kisch K’ta said. “However, attempting to get the fleet fully prepared and through the rift any sooner than scheduled is impossible. We haven’t even been able to reestablish contact yet.”
The door to the governor’s office chimed. Kisch K’ta touched the panel on his desk, allowing the door to slide open. In the doorway, stood the image of a Barudii warrior.
“Come in, android.”
The mechanical warrior moved gracefully into the room.
“I want you to scan all the data we have on this matter, android. Then I want you to destroy this person and anyone who may be involved in his rebellion. Nothing must interfere with the arrival of the fleet. Is that clear?”
“Completely, Governor.”
The Vale android walked to the control panel and quickly tapped the panel to play all the recorded data being viewed by Governor Kisch K’ta. The images simultaneously played in high speed as the Vale android scanned it all into memory.
“Data acquisition is complete, Governor Kisch K’ta.”
“Then go and do not fail me.”
“Understood,” Vale said. The android left the room as they watched, wondering at how lifelike the machine seemed.
“Governor, do you think that thing can defeat the Barudii?” asked one of his aides.
“No one has positively identified this man as a Barudii warrior!” he bellowed, slamming a fist down on his desk.
“And if he is?” Setaru’ lek asked.
“I don’t know,” said Kisch K’ta, discouraged. “If the android can only delay a rebellion until the fleet comes through the rift then it will be enough.”
Vale walked to the hangar bay where a transport was already waiting for him. He acquired the code key from one of the attendants and slipped inside the one man cockpit. The model was small and fast. In a moment, Vale scanned all the control systems into memory then fired up the engine for departure.
In his android mind all related files regarding the human rebel and the attacks which had taken place correlated. Recently updated reports had fed into his CPU on his way to the hangar. Dr. K’ore was apparently involved now. According to Governor Kisch K’ta even Dr. K’ore qualified as a viable target because of his association with the human rebel. Another report of a stolen transport piqued his interest. It seemed a good starting point for his investigation.
