“They are powerful. If they decide to work together, they could be formidable.”
“Have you forgotten, they aren’t working together, and they show no signs of doing so. We have ways of removing their powers, if it comes to that.”
“If you can get close enough. How do you propose doing that?”
“First things first. Let’s subdue the planet and we can take care of that problem in due course.”
Christy, Franklin, and Kendra moved cautiously through a corridor that ran from the dock area. The place was eerily quiet, just the gentle hum of the life support system.
“You think they got a basketball hoop here?” Franklin asked. “I could dunk in this gravity,” he said as he took a couple large leaps in the air.
“Might want to keep it low key for now,” Christy said.
“What are we looking for?” Franklin asked.
“There should be a control center here somewhere. We find that, and we find out what they’re up to.”
“Then we get out of Dodge?”
“Exactly.”
A minute later, the corridor opened up onto a cavernous room that stretched farther than the eye could see. To their left and right, looking down, and looking away from them, they could see no end to the room. It had to stretch for miles. The room was full of cylindrical pods, each with a green light on one end. The pods were end to end, side by side, and descending farther than they could see.
“Whoa...what are those?” Kendra asked.
Christy just stood and let out a gasp.
“Yeah, what are those?” Franklin asked.
“An army,” Christy finally replied, in a barely audible tone.
“You said they were assembling one,” Kendra said, “So why are you surprised?”
“But...but this one is ready to deploy. You see the green light on each cylinder? Those cylinders are mechanized suits. They’re loaded in transport ships the way they are, but by the time they get close to the surface the pods transform to the suits. Each suit is weaponized, depending on the class of soldier, and they’re controlled by a remote link. When they land, it only takes...”
“It only takes what?” Kendra asked.
No answer. Franklin turned around and saw Christy lying on the floor, her face a mask of pain. There was a small burn mark on her chest, but no other signs of injury.
“Franklin, get down,” Kendra screamed as she dropped to the ground. There was a flash from across the room and a hole appeared in the wall where her head had been a moment before. Three more flashes from across the room, and three more burned holes appeared in the wall.
“This ain’t fair. I can’t even see who’s shooting,” Franklin said lying prone and pointing his weapon across the room. There was another flash, and he aimed in that direction and fired. He couldn’t tell if he had hit anything, but more flashes appeared and he kept firing at them, hoping to hit something. Kendra crawled over to Christy, who was moving her lips but no sound was coming out. She put her ear to Christy’s mouth and could barely make out a faint whisper.
“Earth...it’s Earth...right pocket...”
“Right pocket?” Kendra asked.
“Y y yes...my right pocket...take...get out...warn Walter...I’ll...cover.”
Kendra checked Christy’s pocket and found a small thumb drive. When she held it up, Christy nodded and her body convulsed again in pain.
“Go...just go...too late for me...the target is Earth...you must go. Run now.”
“We can’t just leave you here,” Kendra said, trying in vain to choke back the tears.
“You must...if you want to live...just go...now.”
Franklin grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward the corridor. She got to her feet and followed him. There were more flashes, and more holes appeared on the wall near them. When they got to the corridor, they stopped and glanced back. Christy managed to get to one knee, then to her feet, aiming her weapon across the room and unleashing a barrage. There were more flashes and a moment later her body jerked from several hits, then fell to the ground.
“Nooooooooo,” Kendra screamed, her face contorted in anguish and rage.
“Come on, you heard what she said,” Franklin said, “We have to get out of here.”
They ran for all they were worth, reaching the dock and the ship they had arrived on. They got in and strapped in, Franklin taking the controls.
“You remember how to fly this thing?” Kendra asked.
“Only one way to find out.”
Franklin thought back to what Christy had shown him and eventually he managed to disengage from the dock and lift into the air. He was rotating around to face the exit when he saw some dark forms approaching and more flashes lit up the hangar.
“They’re shooting at us. Punch it,” Kendra screamed.
Franklin aimed at the door, but this time it didn’t open for them like it did when they came in.
“Ah, crap, door’s not opening.”
“What’s that trigger on the control stick? Maybe a weapon?”
Franklin noticed the small trigger on the front of the stick and depressed it. A small barrel moved out from under the nose and a moment later, a blast of energy shot out toward the door. He held the trigger down and the beam became continuous, eventually blasting a hole in the door big enough for them to fly out. He hit the throttle and shot out the door and away from the surface.
“Please select a destination,” a mechanical voice sounded.
“Earth,” Franklin said.
“Be more specific, please.”
“Home...the place we departed from before we came here.”
“Understood, calculating course. Stand by.”
“Okay, we’re heading home. What next?” Franklin said.
“We go save the world.”
26
Walter was sitting in the computer lab browsing the internet when Franklin and Kendra walked in. Kendra had the thumb drive and went straight for a computer, saying nothing.
“How’d the trip go?” Walter asked.
“I need to see what’s on this drive,” Kendra said.
“Not good Pops,” Franklin said.
“What happened?”
