| The Battle� Chapter Twenty-Two In the area of space that was once known as Earth, piles of floating debris littered space. Remnants of a once proud world bounced off the hull of the G.W.S. Crusader as it flew towards the Gateway � all of the debris except the remains of an old looking fighter jet that seemed to be clinging onto the ship. Inside of the fighter jet, the six survivors of the brutal attack were nothing short of stunned. �How � did we survive that?� Tauhn asked seriously. �I don�t think now is the time for such questions. Will be able to hang on when they go through that Gateway?� Motun asked hesitantly. They all looked over at the large golden ring. �If we can�t � we�ll probably end up back in this lovely side of space.� Sie answered calmly. Can we move this thing into that hole over there?� Samona asked as she pointed straight ahead. �I think that is the barrel of a weapon.� Grey replied. �It won�t shoot if it is going through the Gateway � I know it sounds foolish � but I think it is our safest bet.� She stated sincerely. The others looked at each other and were forced to agree. �When you�re right � you�re right. Sie � can you get us over there?� Gee asked. �I can try.� He answered. He placed his hand into a small hole beside the one his other hand was in. He then began to quietly chant. Both arms began to flow into the holes in the floor. The others looked out the windows and saw six insect-like legs grow out from under the ship. �Which way�� Sie strained. �Straight.� Grey replied. The ship jerked a bit as it crawled forward. �A little more�� Grey continued as the barrel of the weapon grew closer. �Now!� Grey concluded. Sie grunted. The back legs pushed hard. The front of the ship was thrusted into the large hole. They all looked behind them and saw the outer ring of the Gateway pass by them not but two seconds later. �Could we have cut that just a little closer?� Tauhn sarcastically asked. �If you could have done it faster � you could have volunteered.� Sie retorted. �Okay � now that we are here � now what?� Grey asked. �We have to find a way into the ship.� Motun answered. �Are there any loose panels?� Gee asked. They looked around the dark tunnel. �I think I see one. Over there.� Samona pointed out. They all looked over and saw a partially loosened panel. �Allow me.� Tauhn offered. He placed his hand into the hole in the floor and concentrated. They all watched as a silver arm snaked towards the panel. Tauhn opened his eyes and grunted. His hand grabbed the panel and ripped it off. �Let�s do this.� Motun stated. They all sighed at the same time. Their bodies began to lose shape and become a liquid silver that poured into the hole in the floor. The puddles of silver slowly flowed towards the panel and seemed to drain into it. A few seconds later, the ship they were in was sucked out of the weapon due to the gravitational pull of the Gateway. *** A short while later, a console controlled by a Mutate began to spark. �Sir � I�m having some difficulty here.� He called out. Another walked over and saw the condition of the console. �Remove it and see what is causing the problem.� He instructed. The Mutate took out the appropriate tools and began to remove the panel. when he did, he and everyone near enough to see were mildly shocked. The circuit boards of the panel were flooded with liquid silver. The Mutate in charge placed his hand in and watched as the substance flowed through his fingers. �What is it sir?� another Mutate asked. Before he could answer, a spike of silver shot out from the pool and stabbed into his head. Before any could properly react, all met with a similar fate. Once the coast was clear, the silver poured out from the console and slowly took on the shape of the six. �That � will take getting used to.� Motun confessed. �Price of power my good man.� Tauhn retorted as he stepped over a dead Mutate. �Well, we�re in � if this place is half as huge as that Thomas guy said � how will we find anyone?� Samona asked seriously. Gee and Grey walked over to a computer terminal and studied the controls. �Maybe we could get some help.� Gee replied. she and Grey tried to program the alien computer. �This could take a while. Could the rest of you ensure that we aren�t disturbed?� Grey asked. The others nodded and secured the only entrances to the room. They all then waited for the two Glacorians to find something useful. �Jackpot � I think I found a schematic or blueprint of this thing.� Gee said. Grey looked over and saw where she was and tried to keep up. Within seconds a to scale illustration of the ship appeared on the four monitors before them. �Well, that�s kind of huge.� Sie stated. �Where would we be on this?� Motun asked. Gee did a fast key command. A tiny red dot appeared near the bottom of the second monitor. �According to what I am seeing here � this must be a monitoring room of sorts � but monitoring what?� Gee asked curiously. �I don�t know � but over here I�m seeing a list of expiry dates.� Sie stated. Gee stepped away from the computer and slowly made her way over to where Sie was. She quickly studied the list and everything that seemed to be in that database. �These are expiry dates Sie � but for our people. Red must be Moltarian � Green must be Quagmirian � and blue is us.� she stated with a shaky voice. Sie looked over at the list and almost felt sick. �But � these � these numbers are in the thousands.� He stated. �I know.� she muttered as her hands began to shake. �They�ve been harvesting us like livestock.� Tauhn said in disgust. �Worse than that � they are harvesting us to do their work for them � work that slowly kills our people off. They have to be stopped.� Gee replied as she walked away from the list. �Can we save them?� Motun asked. �To what end? Any that are on that list are already dead.� she replied. �There must be something we can do. We can�t just give up on them.� Samona stated quietly. Gee sighed and looked over at the idyllic Moltarian. �Forgive my harshness Samona, but we don�t have a choice. The people on that list are slowly dying. There is nothing we can do for them except maybe ease their suffering.� She replied strongly. �You mean kill them?� she asked. �Have you been listening to a word I�ve been saying? Even if we did charge down there kill everything in our way and did manage to liberate them � the best they could ever hope for would be to live out the rest of their days as an object of pity and disgust. I don�t know how things are on your world Samona � but on ours doing such a thing would be extremely cruel.� Gee retorted angrily. �Gee � why are you taking this so hard?� Grey asked calmly. �One of the � numbers � on that list GC642 � the code is Glacorian Coldan number six hundred and forty-two.� She replied seriously. She looked at her arm and concentrated. The number six hundred and forty-three appeared. �Your � brother?� Grey asked. She timidly nodded. �I thought your brother was killed on Glacoria.� He said calmly. �So did I. I guess they decided that would have been too quick.� She replied. �I-I�m sorry.� Samona stated sincerely. �Don�t be. We may not be able to save them � but we can save anyone else that is being held in this ship.� She replied. she walked over and did a few more fast key commands. Just then a huge section near what was labeled �docking area� began to flash. �Oh � my � god�� Gee muttered. �What is that flashing light mean?� Motun asked. �That isn�t a flashing light � it is millions of lights flashing at the same time. and if this is right there is eight levels � each the size of huge city.� She commented. They all looked at the flashing red lights. �Millions?� Motun muttered. �Hypothetically speaking � with their help � we could probably take over this place.� Tauhn commented. �They cage them like animals � feed them like animals � chances are that they will act like animals. Don�t get me wrong � I still say we should free them � but don�t expect too much unity.� Gee replied. �So � if we are here � and they are there � wow � that is still a really long walk.� Grey commented seriously. �People � we have problems�� Motun commented. �What?� Gee asked. He pointed over at a flashing light on the wall. �Shit � we must have tripped some sort of alarm. I have a feeling it will be a longer walk than you first thought. Ideas?� Gee requested seriously as she shut down all of the computers. �What choices do we have? We stay here � they find us � we fight. Or, we go to where all of those people are � they find us � we fight. It is the same situation that we faced on Earth � and Sie had the right idea then � and it is the right idea now.� Tauhn answered. �I had no idea the two of you were such friends.� Motun commented. �When you see a holy man charge a group of Kjoranan � you develop some respect for the bug � and don�t push your luck lore keeper.� Tauhn retorted with a smile. The others were about to laugh when a Mutate smashed through the closed door. Tauhn threw Sie out of harms way as a frozen spore attack hit him in the shoulder. As if it was a reflex, his arm shot out and stabbed through the Mutate�s chest. Both of them fell to the floor � but Tauhn was still moving. �That � hurt�� Tauhn groaned. Gee looked at how his shoulder looked to be a bubbling black. Unlike when they were on Earth � it seemed as though Mutate powers did have some affect on them. �That was the type of creature that controlled your world right?� Gee asked. �Yeah.� He replied. �That should have killed you then � not just hurt you.� She pointed out. The reasoning rolled through his head and made a certain amount of sense. Every time he had seen a Phtor use that power � death had instantly followed. �Reassuring I�m sure � but it still hurts.� He retorted. �We�ll have to be doubly careful. If they hit us too many times � these monsters might be able to kill us. Let�s not give them that kind of opportunity.� Grey stated confidently. The three quickly exited the room and hurried out the door that led in the direction of the prison section of the ship. *** At that moment, in the Watcher�s isolated section of the ship, several alarms began to sound. The two hurried away from what they were doing to find out what exactly was going on. �What�s happening?� he asked seriously. �Your guess is as good as mine. I was doing some programming when the air-raid sirens started blaring. Is this the system alarm or an actual intruder alarm?� she replied calmly. �Computer � where is the source of this?� he called out. �Data found. Someone was illegally hacking into ship schematics in the Schedule Control Chamber.� The computer replied. the two Watchers tensed up. That room was controlled by at least ten Mutates at any given time. �Are you telling me that some inmates escaped and managed to get there?� he asked hesitantly. There was a moment of silence. He was about to repeat his question when the computer beeped. �Unknown.� It replied. �Unknown? Put it to video � it might make more sense.� She suggested. �Computer � access all cameras in the Schedule Control Chamber.� He ordered. Just then several monitors activated but were all distorted. The two leaned forward to try to make some sense of the garbled images but got nothing. �What is wrong with the cameras?� he asked seriously � on the brink of anger. �All cameras are in perfect working order.� the computer replied. �Okay � then what is wrong with the monitors?� she asked curiously. �Monitors are in perfect working order.� the computer replied. �Then what is�?� he began. Just then all the monitors returned to normal. All of the Mutates in the room and by the door were dead. he looked over and noticed that one of the consoles was open. �Computer � where does that lead?� he asked. �That console is an isolated console that monitors lesser ship functions.� It said. �No � tubes � pipes � what is connected to that?� he clarified. �One pipe � two inch diameter with a one and a half inch diameter wire running through it. Pipe connects to numerous areas of the ship.� The computer replied. He leaned forward and closed his eyes. �How many of these areas can be accessed from outside of the ship?� he asked. �Where are you going with this?� she asked. �Shut up.� He retorted. �One. Pipe leads from a sensor in weapon six seven eight three.� It answered. �Scan for debris blockage.� He ordered. �Debris found.� The computer answered. �What is going on?� she asked. �We have intruders.� He replied seriously. �Have you lost what little is left of your mind? There is less than half an inch in that pipe. What could possibly fit?� she asked seriously. He took a deep breath and slowly looked over at her. �During the war � when we managed to get back on Earth, our scientists were working on a biological agent that could molecularly alter DNA into another substance � a liquid metal.� He stated. �Yes � it was dubbed the Quicksilver project, but it never worked. All of the test subjects died of radiation poisoning.� She replied calmly. He was mildly shocked to know that she knew of that secret project. �Perhaps � but we dumped it. I�m thinking that the old librarians in the Archive might have found a way to make it nontoxic to nonhumans.� He continued. She stepped away and shook her head. �I � I really don�t like the direction you are taking this. If what you are saying is what I believe you are trying to tell me � there are about six Quicksilver polymorphs running around our ship that are immune to all our weapons.� She commented. �Not so � they would be immune to most of our conventional weapons, but they can still be dealt with. Extreme temperatures � Mutate biological powers � or even the powers of their former brothers and sisters all should affect them despite the change.� He explained. �Oh � so all we have to do is go up to our slaves and say � hey, some metal thingies are trying to kill us, could you deal with them for us?� she asked sarcastically. He mildly chuckled and shook his head. �Close � but not quiet. Play on their fears and their greed. Some of them are a lot like us � use them.� he suggested. �It could backfire � it is too risky.� She retorted. �Then I leave it up to you. How would you deal with them?� he asked. �If they can be hurt by Mutate powers send a couple hundred new ones at them.� she suggested. He smiled at the idea � in his head he knew that the plan was one that was doomed to failure � but why not? �If that is how it is to be done � go ahead. Oh, where exactly did they go?� he asked curiously. She was about to answer when she drew a blank. If these were beings made of Quicksilver � they could literally go or be anywhere. �The cameras�� she began. �Remember the Schedule Control Chamber?� he reminded. �Okay smart ass. What would you do?� she intolerantly asked. �Computer. Filter command, all cameras � that show dead or wounded Mutates near- or around the Schedule Control Room.� He called out. There was a brief moment of silence before several monitors lit up and showed numerous bodies. �Place these on the floor plan and extrapolate a possible destination if intruders caused this carnage and were heading to a possible location anywhere on this ship.� He added. �If targets proceeded on course � they would be heading towards the Prison sector of the ship.� The computer replied. He then stepped back and gestured for her to do her thing. She knew that he was showing her up, but now was clearly not the time for confrontation. �ETA until the GOD cannon is complete?� she asked. �One hour.� the computer replied. �If you take additional Mutates � it will of course take longer.� he pointed out. �I know that.� She hissed. �May I?� he asked smugly. �Knock yourself out � please.� She retorted sarcastically. �Relay order all decks. All Mutates not currently assigned to a post or duty are to proceed to Sector Eighty at once.� He called out. The computer made a few funny noises but did as he said. �Relay order to the Mutate warden of Prison decks. Six creatures � made of a rare liquid metal are heading your way. They are to be eradicated with extreme prejudice. Use any means at your disposal including or not the use of prisoners.� He called out. The same noises were made as his order was relayed. �There � all done.� He commented. �You think it�s going to go that easy?� she asked. �My dear � if these aliens are from those worlds � do you really think that they could fight against their own? Come on. They aren�t even human.� He retorted with a smug smile. �Even a well trained dog will sometimes bite its master.� She commented. �And you believe I will be bitten?� he asked curiously. �Believe? I would bet on it. You said that they wouldn�t be able to survive when we shelled Earth � they did. You told me that the defenses on this floating fortress couldn�t be penetrated � they were. You are an arrogant bastard that makes extremely detailed plans � with huge holes in the design. Time and time again I have proven you wrong. This time will be no different.� She stated seriously. �I suppose we shall see who is right.� He retorted calmly. �I suppose so.� She retorted coldly. *** At that moment, the six were pinned down by a dozen or so Mutates a few kilometers away from the prison area. �News flash kids � Sector Eighty must be where we are heading.� Tauhn stated. �We knew this wasn�t going to be easy when we started this.� Motun pointed out. �I wasn�t complaining � I was just stating the blatantly obvious.� He retorted. �Did we take any serious hits?� Gee asked as she massaged her blackened wrist. �They came close � but they barely singed me.� Sie stated. �Same here.� Samona added. �Then how about we put an end to this nonsense and put an end to them?� she suggested. They all nodded. With heightened speed they charged at the Mutates that were blocking their way. Before any shot had a real chance of getting close, the six had managed to cut them all down. �A girl could get used to this.� Gee stated with a smile. �People�we have a serious problem.� Grey pointed out. They looked over and saw that he was standing where the corridor turned. They walked over and slowly looked around. All of them felt as though they had been paralyzed. Blocking the way to the prison were several Moltarians, Quagmirians and Glacorians. Behind them were a dozen or so Mutates using weak and elderly Moltarians, Quagmirians and Glacorians as human shields. They quickly ducked back. �Any ideas?� Motun asked. |