| Phase 48 I was only returning Bart�s jacket (he�d totally forgotten about it) and wasn�t intending to be caught up in a fight. But when the bridge door opened, that�s exactly what I was pulled into. I got involved out of worry that one of them would really kill the other and seriously regretted it as I tried to shove them apart. I dropped the jacket and ran over (first mistake). Pain shot through my legs, but I ignored it. I tried to separate them (second mistake). More pain pierced my chest and right arm, but I again ignored it. When they pushed me away, I got mad and squeezed between them, elbowing both in the solar plexus. They made funny squeaky noises and tried to gasp in a breath, coughing when they couldn�t. � Back off!� I snapped. � This isn�t the time or the place! You two are such children! Why can�t you just compromise instead of trying to cram your idea down the other�s throat?!� Kiree arrived on the bridge and looked around suspiciously. � What�s going on? I heard fighting.� � Good thing you�re here,� Bart said. � Sig was ready to---!� Sig leapt for Bart again and I stiff-armed him, throwing him back into the rail and then turning to glare at Bart. � Be quiet!� Kiree ran over to Sig and put her arms around his neck, placing her forehead against his and holding his head so that he couldn�t look at Bart and get any angrier. � Look at me, Sigurd.� He did so. � Now tell me what happened.� I reached up to stroke Bart�s throat and his eyes shut slowly. � You can be so stupid. What did you do?� � We were just playing around,� Bart and Sig answered together. � At your age?� Kiree and I persisted disbelievingly. They flushed and looked down at the floor. We rolled our eyes and let them go, turning away half-disgustedly and walking toward the door. � Grow up for once.� We stopped and looked at each other, surprised. � Ten years!� I shouted with a grin. � Eleven years!� she replied with the same grin. We laughed and started for the door again. But intense agony lanced through my head, aggravating my already irritated wounds. I clutched my head tightly and fell to the floor, curling as much as I could. Bart, apparently never able to remember what happened last time, rushed over and ended up falling beside me. Sig grabbed him and pulled him away to where he wasn�t affected. Kiree, curious, reached out toward me. � Don�t touch her!� Sig ordered. � Why?� Just then, the ends of Kiree�s fingers touched my arm. A powerful jolt ran up her arm and she recoiled immediately, holding her burnt fingers against herself. � What the hell is wrong with her?� � It�s a CC,� Sig answered, going over to inspect her injury. � I told you not to touch her. Listen to me next time.� The pain finally stopped and I let out my held breath and sucked in another. Bart was by my side in a second, rolling me onto my back. � Kris?� I pushed at him, feeling a dull pulse in my head. � S . . . Stay back . . . They aren�t . . . done yet.� Bart reluctantly drew away to a safe distance just as the electrocution resumed. It was finally too much and I let out a wail of pain. And then, suddenly, it was all but gone. I got to my feet, not of my own will, and drew my knife. I lunged for Bart, who jerked back in surprise. Sig caught me and lifted me off my feet, but I just rammed my head into his face and kicked at his knees until he let me go and then proceeded with my charge. Bart, no longer surprised, caught my wrist and squeezed it until the pain forced me to let the knife go. It fell to the floor in the lower area of the bridge. � Kris, baby, stop it. Fight back.� When that didn�t work, he used the physical contact to speak directly to my mind. Please, Kris. Don�t let them win. I tried to fight, but something was keeping me back. Tyra was raging beside me, but she was unable to do anything as well. They�d somehow trapped her and locked her down. Then, in front of Sig and Kiree and the entire bridge, Bart kissed me and used the more intimate physical contact to reach me. Come on, Kris! Fight back! Don�t let them win! Whatever held me panicked from the strength of his plea and released me. I surged into control and fought the thing off, then gently pulled away to look Bart in the eye. � Thank you.� He smiled and drew me into a tight embrace, whispering softly, � You have to stop scaring me like that or I really will get gray hair.� The alarms went off and everybody scrambled around to find out what it was. � Unidentified Gear at twelve o�clock!� We all looked up to see a Gear hovering between us and Bledavik. When we tried to circle around it, it remained on the inside circle and kept us away. Kiree frowned thoughtfully and I caught wisps of her looking at some blueprints. � Kiree, do you know anything about this?� � . . . Well, I think so. It�s supposed to be an experimental Gear, used only when the pilot is on Drive. I saw the blueprints for it once, but I left before they had completed it.� � I don�t care what the pilot�s on!� Bart snarled. � That�s my home I�m being kept away from and that Gear and its pilot can go the way of Shakhan if they want! I�m going to take them out!� � I�m going with you!� He looked at me as if he wanted to object, but nodded. � All right. But you have to promise that you�ll back out if you start feeling bad. You�ll only be a liability if you stay.� I nodded in reply. � I promise.� � I�ll go too,� Kiree put in. � Then let�s get out there.� We went down to the bay and as soon as I stepped through the door I shouted, � Axyl, start up!� � Enter control code.� � Control code: 5-2-7-1, input!� � Control confirmed to Krista-Lyn Wong. Welcome aboard, Kris!� There was a pause as Axyl stretched out and up. [Oh my! I�m all stiff! Kris, exactly how long has it been since you last activated me?] � Just since Shevat.� [Oh dear! I think my joints need to be adjusted or greased or something!] � I�ll talk to the mechanics. For now, do you think you�ll be able to fight?� [You bet!] � Good.� Axyl glanced over and saw Andvari. [Andvari! When did you get here?!] [I�ve been here,] was the calm reply. [I thought about activating you, but you were completely shut down, so I left you alone.] � Andvari, start up!� � Enter control code.� � Control code: 9-1-6-3, input!� � Control confirmed to Bartholomew Fatima. Greetings, Your Highness.� [Yeah, and remember that I�m not a garbage can.] � I picked it up!� [Only after I made you!] � Hey, I know where your A.I. circuit is, pal, and I�m not afraid to disconnect it, all right?!� [Oh, I�m so scared.] Axyl tossed her hand out and the whip bopped Andvari�s head. [You better listen to him. He�s Roni�s descendant.] Andvari rubbed his head. [I know! But if he�d act like he should, I wouldn�t have to constantly tell him what to do!] Axyl�s conversational speed abruptly quickened into the normal version of the Gear�s language. I strained to catch what she said and decipher some of it . . . Child . . . Parents . . . Murdered . . . Six . . . Alone . . . Twelve years . . . Ah. A brief explanation. Once she was through, Andvari looked down at Bart. [. . . Oh . . . Fine! But I won�t be responsible for anything that happens!] He crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling. [The things I do for you . . .] Axyl made an odd cooing noise. [You�re so sweet.] Bart looked at me. I shrugged. He shrugged in return and wordlessly climbed into Andvari�s cockpit while I got into Axyl�s. We followed Kiree�s Gear, Viridian VI, outside to face the new Gear. � Get out of my way!� Bart yelled as soon as we�d spread out into a line. � I want to get into Bledavik and I�m going to do it, even if I have to go through you!� � None shall pass,� was the emotionless reply. Kiree gasped. � Wait! Don�t attack!� � Why not?� Bart demanded. � That�s Shia.� � . . . Shia?� � But . . . she�s dead . . .� � Hello, Mother,� was the still emotionless greeting. I could tell Bart was rolling his eyes. � Look, why don�t you go back to the ship? Kris and I�ll take care of this.� I heard another link, a private link, beep. � I hope you aren�t going to tell me not to do this too.� � Not exactly,� Sig replied. � Instead of destroying the Gear and its pilot, why don�t you just disable the Gear and bring the two in? We can question the pilot and see what kind of technology Solaris has come up with recently.� As usual, Sig had a point that couldn�t be argued. � Okay.� So we fought this new Gear, though it only dodged and didn�t fight back. Viridian VI went down first. Bart and I were stunned. The Gear had just looked at Viridian VI and Vira had short-circuited and gone out. � Did you see that?� � Yeah.� We weren�t even nervous about it, just surprised, and that apparently angered the Gear�s pilot. The Gear turned to Andvari and its eyes glowed. Bart growled. � Stay outta my head, you freak!� Andvari surged forward and slashed at the Gear, which was hit for once. But Andvari short-circuited and crumpled like a pile of rusted metal. The Gear then turned to me. I felt someone trying to pry into my mind and realized it was the other Gear�s pilot. I stung their mind, repeatedly lashing with my own. They recoiled momentarily, then tried the same thing again, only in a much more vicious way. I struck back automatically; this was one battle I would easily win if it was nothing more than a battle of the mind. My opponent had no real knowledge of a mental battle, I could tell by the way they tried a direct approach, as you might in a physical battle. � Axyl! Wing Blade!� [Compliance.] Axyl sliced at the other Gear, easily ripping long gashes in it. Apparently, the pilot couldn�t multi-task. They gave up the attack on my head and tried to fight with Axyl to keep her back. But with Axyl�s wings slapping and denting the other Gear, it couldn�t get more than a shot or two in at odd intervals. � Axyl! Rip Slash!� [Compliance.] Axyl arched back a little and rolled her head to the left, then bent and cut a large hole from the Gear�s right shoulder to the left side of its waist with her crest. She brought her head up some and then cut another hole across the first. The X shape was probably the most prominent damage dealt and the Gear abruptly dropped into the sand. � Axyl, seal the Gear�s hatch. If any attempts are made to override it, reseal it with a new code. Continue until I say otherwise.� [Compliance.] � Good. Now let�s get Kiree and Bart back on the Yggdrasil.� I had Axyl grab an arm of each and carry them to the bay. I set them in their stalls and warned Sig, � I�m not sure what that pilot did to them, but I would appreciate it if you�d send somebody down here to check on them.� � Sure thing, Kris.� I went back outside and retrieved the enemy Gear. By the time I�d gotten it back to the ship, Sig had already gotten Kiree and Bart awake. They stood in a circle with the others, talking about something. I set the Gear down on the bay floor and put Axyl in her stall, had her take off the seal, then shut her down. I hopped to the floor and went to the Gear, which had already been crawled over by the others. They all stood around the cockpit doors and waited until I had gotten up there as well before even bothering to look for the Gear�s emergency ha- tch release. Bart found it. � Okay, you little freak. Let�s see what you look like.� I sensed a malicious thought. � No! Bart, wait!� But the hatch was already open. A bright white light enveloped the area and we all let out surprised cries. <--Phase 47 Page 49--> |