Mikol's dreams where filled with fire. Fire and pain. His pain. The pain of the others. It was all around him. He walked among row upon row of people. They where all walking in even, unwavering lines. Everyone was a vary pale blue and almost transparent. They where all of different heights and strides yet they never broke step. Mikol never felt this restrain. He ran. He ran opposite the way the crowd was walking. He ran past face after face. All without eyes, nose and mouth. Their heads where completely devoid of hair and ears. No expressions. Nothing. He started to notice people falling. Every once in a while someone would simply melt into the unseen floor. Just melt away. They left nothing behind. He found the further back he went the less people where melting. The faceless figures also grew smaller further back. And then he found himself in front of two figures. He didn't know how but he knew that they where Chan and Tech. He tried to get them to stop walking. It just seemed like the right thing to do. But no matter what he did they never broke stride. And then they started to shrink. They to where melting. He grabbed one of each of their hands and tried to pull them back up. But he couldn't. And now they started to drag him down with them. He was up to his elbows before he knew it. He had to let go. He had to save himself. But they needed his help. He was the only one that could help them. But he couldn't. As he let go and they slipped below the surface he was plunged into a unsettling darkness. The unknown.
He didn't know when he became completely awake. He had drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness for so long that he couldn't tell the difference. When he woke he noticed three things. First, his left arm still hurt. Second, he was in a small cube of a room with no features except the glowpanel in the ceiling. And finally there was a piece of old fashioned paper stuck to the wall in front of him. He tore it down and read it.
Welcome back Mister Arklelle. It appears that you have once more found yourself in our company. However, due to your behavior last time, I'm afraid I was forced to give you these less luxurious accommodations. As I'm sure you have noticed you no longer have the company of Mister Quenya and Miss Ecosse. You should also be feeling a pain in your left arm. I'm afraid we had to drug you so that you would not resist. There are no side effects and the pain should soon subside. You're probably wondering how we located you. Well I think you should hear that from your captor herself. For your benefit I have included a letter from her.
Dear Mikoleth and company,
First let me say that it wasn't anything personal. I have nothing against you kids. But I am a writer. And needless to say, the money isn't pouring in. So, when I'm not writing I like to watch the vidscreen. There is one show that I am particularly interested in. It's name is Dead or Alive. They dedicated an entire episode just to your group. You can probably guess that the reward was phenomenal. And I needed the money. So I made the call. Thanks to you I won't have to publish another book for a long time. Once again let me say that it wasn't anything personal, extremely grateful, Onica
And there you have it. It appears that after all your planning and secrecy your luck finally turned against you. Well it looks like you'll have plenty of time to think about your failure. We gave you a precise amount of drugs so we know when you'll wake up. By the time you read this there should be about three hours left in our voyage to earth. And this time you will make it. I personally grantee that,
Admiral Narvoc,
U.E. Guardian
So he was back on the Guardian. Damn it. They no longer had the element of surprise. The admiral would never underestimate them. Not after last time. So they would have to get out of this without that advantage. He wondered if Chan or Tech where awake yet? If they had meant for him to wake up at this precise moment then the same was probably true for them as well.
<Chan. . .Tech. Either of you awake?>
<I wish I was still dreaming.> Tech was awake, that was good. What about Chan?
<Chan? Chan, are you there? Chan, can you hear me?>
<Why?> That was her but what was she talking about? <Why, why, why, why, why.> By the last 'why' she was almost screaming.
<Chan. What's wrong?>
<Why did I let my guard down? Why did I let us get caught?>
<Come on commando girl, you're not at fault any more then the rest of us>
<Don't patronize me. I am at fault. I'm the strongest. I should protect those weaker then myself. That's the first rule to being a soldier.>
<Tech's right Chan. Besides, you are not a soldier. You're a adolescent girl. Most girls your age are obsessed with guys and cloths. But you aren't. You're special. You're different. But that doesn't make you superior. You've never seen battle. Never seen death. You're a good shot but you've never had to shoot and kill a person.>
<Are you done?> She seemed to be calming down.
<Yes.>
<Good, now that you've had your say, I'll have mine. I will kill anyone that tries to stop me from getting off this ship. Anyone.> And maybe not.
<Chan! No Chan. Violence is not the answer. Tech. Tell her Tech.>
<They hit us first buddy.>
<No. This is not the right way. You can't do this.>
<You expect us to lay down and die?>
<We can stay standing without hitting back. We don't need to fall.>
<Then we stand still and let them do whatever they want?>
<No, we stand still and hold our ground. You're missing the point, you're not thinking clearly.>
<Yes I am. Fighting back is the only way we can survive.>
<I know that's the way it looks now but another option will present itself.>
<Then you can sit around and wait for it. Chan and I are getting out of here.?>
<And how do you propose to do that?>
<You know how easy it is to cut through something after you've sharpened your knife?>
<Yah.> Just then a thin black blade carved a square out of the wall to his right. Tech stepped through the hole. "Well just imagine that you could make a knife that was sharp down to the vary molecules."
"Good idea but please reconsider."
"Sorry, but my mind's made up. Now if I'm right Chan should be over there. He pointed to the wall opposite the one he just came through. He recreated his blade and started to work on the wall. Soon the three of them where standing together in Mikol's cell. Chan looked over at him.
"You coming with us?"
"I guess I may as well. But I won't kill anyone."
"Let's hope that you don't have to. But it is a possibility."
"Not if we don't let it. There is always a choice." And so they embarked from the protection of their cells into the unknown.
They wandered the halls looking for the symbol of everything wrong. Looking for the Admiral. They encountered plenty of guards and officers. Mikol wasn't able to save all of them from Chan and Tech. But as they walked he began to see their side of the story. Every person they encountered had a look of anger about them. It may have been hidden under a mask of fear but it was there. He began to realize that they would have to do whatever it would take to get away from here. Finally the found the M.D. room. Tech was able to locate the Admiral's private quarters on the map. It was just down the hall from the M.D. room of deck one, section two. Right behind the command center. Makes sense. Tech turned the machine on and nodded to Chan, who had now become their unofficial leader.
"Lets do this. Computer. Deck one, section two." The computer offered it's one beep single. Starting with Chan and ending with Mikol, they all walked trough, one by one.
Mikol found himself staring down the barrel of a blaster rifle. His nerves felt like they where on fire. A bright light shown in his eyes. It blinded him. He wanted to move. But his limbs wouldn't obey. They where so close.
"So close. . ." He fell into a dreamless sleep.