armor. The armor was concentrated in the front, with only supporting straps across their backs. The Juireans never figured they would be retreating from a battle, rendering rear armor superfluous.
Many Juireans died before learning of this flaw in their equipment.
Adam could hear the sounds of battle all around him, but fortunately, the passageways he entered were all deserted. Eventually he turned left at an intersection of corridors and came out in at the edge of the vast cavern that made up the main uranium excavation. Far to his left, he could see the main force of Juireans trying to penetrate the fire laid down from his small army of Humans. Then across the cavern, he saw a second of force of Juireans being fired upon by twenty to thirty Humans in blue tunics. At least these 2G’s hadn’t deserted the battle. He had no idea how many more there were within the complex.
To his right he saw a large plate glass window set in the rock wall with a door next to it. That would be the control room, and hopefully, the still intact computer core. He sprinted towards it, MK in his hand.
He knelt down below the window, and then did a quick pop-up glimpse inside. There were beings in the room. He spied two large Humans, as well as three tall creatures with white hair. Klin! There were Klin here.
He did another quick look to fill in some of his visual gaps. There was a Klin seated at a terminal, with two standing behind him. The two hulking Humans were standing with their backs to the window. Adam had no time to waste. He was sure they were erasing the computer’s hard drive as he watched.
Adam slid his hand into the recess depression in the door and pressed. The door slid open, and he barreled into the room, jumping headlong into the Klin seated at the computer. He hit something hard as they tumbled into the other two Klin. They all fell to the floor. Adam lay on the Klin and brought his MK-17 to bear on the nearest Human. He pressed the trigger and a bolt lashed out to strike the man just below the shoulder blade. The man fell back against the window and collapsed to the floor.
As he swung the weapon toward the other man, he found he was too late. A block-like fist slammed into his jaw. Adam’s eyes crossed and he felt himself go limp. The MK fell from his hand.
Next, thick hands gripped his tunic and pulled him off the floor. When his vision cleared, he was face-to-face with a massive head; the man had piercing blue eyes, a square jaw and a trace of stubble. The goliath reared back with his right arm for another blow. But Adam recovered just in time, and fell into the body of his attacker, sending a knee into the man’s groin. He screamed loudly into Adam’s ear, but did not release him. Instead two massive hands clamped themselves around Adam’s throat, and began to squeeze.
Adam managed to force his arms up between the two bulging arms, and then spun his whole body to his left, using his entire weight as leverage to break the grip on his throat. The man’s arms separated more, and Adam flung his right elbow up, impacting the man’s protruding jaw.
His attacker stumbled backwards; Adam sent a left jab into the man’s nose, and blood gushed forth.
Next, Adam sent a spin kick to the man’s rib cage. He fell back even more. And then his opponent saw the MK-17 on the floor to his right. He dove for it, just as Adam took shelter behind one of the Klin.
The first bolt struck the Klin in the center of his chest. Adam supported the alien for cover as the Human charged forward, tying to line up a better shot Then a bolt flashed past Adam’s head, in the direct of the Human. The man took the blue bolt of electricity in his throat, falling to the floor, dead.
Adam turned to see Sherri standing in the doorway. “That’s twice I’ve saved your worthless life,” she said with a smile.
Adam nodded at her, then turned his attention to the two surviving Klin. They were getting to their feet, each wearing small exo-suits, mainly to help support their weight against the heavy gravity. Adam saw one of them reach under a counter and withdraw a small laser weapon. Sherri shot him dead.
Adam grabbed the last Klin by his robes and pushed him against the large window. “Why are you doing this to us?” Adam screamed at the alien. “What do you hope to accomplish by getting my entire race killed by the Juireans?”
The Klin appeared calm in the light of his situation. His eyes looked old, yet bright and clear. “Your race will not be exterminated. At least not yet.”
The cryptic answer just sent Adam into more a rage. “Stop playing games with me, asshole. Tell me why you’re doing this!”
“This plan has been in the works for a thousand years. There is nothing you can do to stop it now.”
Adam jerked the alien to the computer terminal, righted the chair and threw him into it. “Get me the location of Earth — now!”
“You are too late for that, too.”
Adam looked at the screen. There was cryptic writing on the screen, and the lines were disappearing even as he watched. He couldn’t read the writing, but he did recognize numbers. There! Two sets of numbers, preceded by a two digit number. But the first of the two was gone, then the last. He looked hard at the next two numbers: 446.78 and 319.51. And then they were gone, too.
He knew he had part of a set of coordinates. Where they led him would take more time and concentration then he could afford at the moment. He turned to Sherri.
“What are you doing here? What about the Juireans?”
“They’ve retreated to the elevator area. They’ve barricaded it. We’re not getting out that way anytime soon.”
Adam turned his attention back to the Klin. “Is there another way out of here?”
“I would never tell-”
A laser beam penetrated the Klin’s back and his eyes grew wide. Adam looked over his shoulder just as the first Human with the wound to his shoulder was taking aim at him. Sherri’s answering bolt nearly severed the man’s head.
Adam threw the now-dead Klin on the floor and took his seat at the console. The data was gone; the screen just a maze of static.
Sherri moved over next to him. “Did you see anything?”
“Some, but not enough. I believe I saw the two distance coordinates. Of course, it could be the coordinates for the nearest Burger King, for all I know.”
Sherri placed a hand on his shoulder. “That’s okay. We’ll sort it out once we get out of here. Right now we have to find another way out.”
Adam rose from the chair and the two of them turned toward the exit.
Just then a section of the wall to Adam’s left turned wavy. The two Humans stared with rapt attention for a moment, until a figure materialized before them. It was a creature about a meter-and-half tall, with smooth features and wearing a shimmering shirt and pants. Then the alien’s skin began to change color as it moved away from the wall.
And the chameleon-like being was holding an MK, pointed right at them.
He shook his head at Sherri. “Don’t,” he said, watching as she began to lift her own MK. “Please drop your weapon. I, too, do not rely on targeting computers.”
Sherri reluctantly let her weapon fall to the floor. “Who are you?” she asked.
The being stepped in closer to them and looked up at Adam. “I’m the one who’s been tracking you since Hildoria. I’m also the one who helped get you out of Kroekus’ building.”
“If you call nearly collapsing the entire building on our heads as helping!”
“Shoddy construction. Nevertheless, you survived. And you led us here. My Juirean employers are very grateful.”
“Not when they get the body count,” said Sherri, caustically.
“That’s not my concern. All I have to do now is make sure that you do not escape again-”
“Who’s your friend?”
The creature spun just in time to catch a right cross from Riyad fist. He was standing in the doorway, and behind him was a cadre of his fellow Human beings.
The alien went spiraling into the wall to his right, dropping the MK as he fell hard to the floor. Adam stepped forward to kick the weapon away.
Quickly recovering, the alien attempted to get to his feet. Tough little bastard, Adam thought. Normally a blow like that from a Human would have killed a lesser creature.
Adam lifted the creature by his shimmering shirt; he didn’t want the thing to blend into his surroundings again and disappear.
