Wanderer's Escape (32 page)

“
Great.  What do we do about Nicholas?  I don't think he was involved in the trap.”

“
You might be right, but we leave him – for now at least.  Getting Elizabeth back will be tricky enough in itself.”

“
Yeah, I'd like to  get him later though.  He might be able...”

Jess broke off as the ship signalled that it had control of Iona's main systems, including sensors, weapons and shields.  He quickly ran searches to locate Ali's friends.

“I've found everyone from Kershel V.  The good news is they're all together and it's not far from here.  The bad news is they're under heavy armed guard.”

He sent the information through to Jess and Sal.  The thirty-one children and five adults were grouped together in a fairly large room.  Ten armed guards wearing thick armour and holding large guns stood watching over them.

“We need to get to them quickly,” Sal said.  “As soon as they realise the trap failed they will start using those people as hostages, and their guard will be right up.  We can get the ship drones to meet you there, that should even the odds up significantly.”

“
OK.  I'm going to have to take Elizabeth with us, there's nowhere safe to leave her.”

Jess turned to Teeko.

“Thank you Teeko, you put yourself in a lot of danger.”

“
Worth was it.  Friend Jess saved did I.”

“
Definitely.  Are you hurt?”

“
Hurt not.  Fine feel.  With you come will I.”

“
Everyone is ready then.  Let's move.”

They charged out into the corridor, turned to the right and set off.  Jess found himself juggling several things
– first keeping his body moving and controlling Elizabeth's trolley.  Second was managing the drone he was in control of, using it to scout ahead ready to provide covering fire.  Finally he was monitoring the target room for any signs the occupants knew they were about to come under attack.

The shuttle's drones reached the room just before Jess and the others did, four larger drones with significantly more firepower and shielding than the two that had been hidden in the robot.  Others remained by the shuttle, protecting their exit.

“We go through the door together,” Sal said.  “Hit them hard and fast.  Teeko – you stay here and protect Elizabeth.  Jess, you keep your head down too.  Let the robot and the drones earn their keep.”

Jess nodded, Teeko performed what Jess thought must be a nod but the movement was so alien due to its sinuous neck that he wasn't sure.

The robot and drones approached the doors.  Sal, Ali and he decided who would tackle which of the guards then executed the plan immediately.

The robot went through the door first, smashing the door aside and opening fire immediately.  The drones followed right behind.  Several guards were struck whilst still registering what had happened to the door.  The quickest thinkers were starting to lift their weaponry, reacting very quickly to the attack.  Their thick armour offered no defence against the robots advanced weaponry, two guards went down immediately.  Several more fell as the drones opened fire.  Those targeted by the two small drones managed to withstand several shots before finally being overwhelmed.  The robot and the ship based drones quickly finished off the remaining guards.

It was over so quickly that all the guards were dead before the prisoners could react.  For a second or two intense silence followed the roar of weapons, then it was broken by screaming and crying children.  Jess ran into the room, holding his arms out and trying to shout over them.  He couldn't make himself heard.

“
Children, quiet!”  Ali's voice boomed out over the robot's speaker.  “This is Auntie Alice.  We are here to take you home.  Please calm down and follow Jess.  Jess, put your arm up so they know who you are.”

Jess raised his arm, feeling stupid as he did so.  The children stared at him eyes wide, but they did calm down.  Several of the adults headed for Jess asking if it was true, if they were going home.

“Yes, we've come to get you, but it's dangerous out there.  You have to get the children organised, get them ready to move and make sure we won't leave anyone behind.”

“
What about the other prisoners?” asked one of the men.

“
We want to get them free too, as many as we can anyway, but you all come first.  We came here to rescue you.  Ali insisted on it.”

“
How do we know we can trust you?  We thought she'd betrayed us.  Why didn't she end up here with us?”

“
She was grabbed and drugged by the people that kidnapped you.  If you don't trust us then fine, stay here.  Explain the dead guards when the next lot turn up – assuming they let you explain before opening fire.”

“
Don't be stupid Alex,” one of the two women said.  “Look at what they've done already.  We need to get out.”

“
What about these collars though?  You've felt what they do, seen how much the children suffer.  What happens when the guards turn them on?”

“
We've taken over their systems,” Jess said.  “We have an interference signal pumping out across the farm, none of the collars will work.  Once you are back on our ship they can be removed.”

“
They told us no one can remove them without the right codes.  That trying will activate all collars nearby.”

“
They told me that too, it was something I knew for a fact every day of my life.  Our ship removed mine when I first went aboard.  It gave them quite a shock, let me tell you.”  Jess grinned at the memory.

“
What do you want to do Alex?” asked the woman.  “Stay here?  Or take a chance to get free.  I say let's go, right now.”

The other adults agreed, Alex seemed less than convinced but agreed anyway.  The adults quickly rounded up the children but Jess could see that keeping the smallest moving would be a big problem.  Teeko chose that moment to enter the room, causing shouts of fear, confusion and, from many of the children, wonder.

“It's all right!” Jess shouted.  “That's Teeko, it's with us.”

“
Jess friend,” Teeko said.  “Little children carry can I.  Sit on my back can they.”

Teeko lowered himself to all eight legs, meaning his back covered a large area.  Jess quickly grabbed one of the smallest children, lifting it onto Teeko's back.

“Who else wants a ride?” he asked.

Most of the children put their hands up.  The adults picked out five more of the younger children, then picked up one more each to carry themselves.  With the youngest eleven children riding or being carried Jess thought they had a much better chance.

“Come on, we need to get moving,” Jess said.

He took the lead and moved quickly into the corridor.  Almost immediately there came the crash of a gun being fired and Jess's personal shield flared bright.  Mind still accelerated he spotted the guard hidden in a door recess, swung a drone around and blasted the guard with weapons fire before a second shot could be unleashed.  He beat the robot by a few milliseconds, and Ali's drone by a little more due to its positioning.  By the time all three had fired the corpse was mostly drifting ash.

Jess, be careful!
sent Sal. 
Let the drones scout ahead.

He wasn't about to argue, the shot had shaken him badly.  They set off down the corridor, a strange collection indeed.  Two drones leading the way followed by the gleaming robot.  Jess came next, pushing the trolley with Elizabeth on, then came Teeko loaded down with young children, and finally the mix of adults and children.  Some distance behind the final two drones patrolled on high alert.

Can we get everyone on the shuttle?
Ali asked.

Yes, just about.
Jess replied. 
We'll have to leave the robot and the drones, and it will be a tight fit, but we can do it.

Great.  I'm launching the other shuttles now.  Many of the slaves are grouped together which will make our life easier, though we can't take them all in one go.  I've loaded the shuttles with armour, medkits and some weapons for those that can't get on the first wave.  The other two robots are on their way over too.  I'll start letting the prisoners know now.

Jess listened with half an ear to Ali's message, mostly focused on reaching the shuttle safely.

“
This is a message for all prisoners.  We are here to rescue you.  All of you.  Shuttles are on their way to key airlocks, along with combat drones to protect you.  Your collars have been temporarily disabled.  Please make your way to your closest airlock if it is safe to do so.  If not please group together, we can see where you are and will come to get you.  We have room for everyone on the ship but the shuttles will need to make several trips.  Armour, medkits and some weapons will be on the shuttles – please use them to keep yourselves safe, but do not go after the guards.  Please help those who are very young, old or ill.

Guards
– listen carefully.  We have killed many of you already.  We will kill you all if necessary.  Stay out of our way and do not interfere with the prisoners and we will spare you.  Step in our way and be crushed.”

The message started to repeat.  Jess smiled to himself, greatly impressed.  He doubted Elizabeth could have done better.  Then he wondered if she had helped cook it up earlier.

They neared the docking bay without issues but through the stations sensors Jess saw several armed groups closing in from behind.  While his ragtag band could reach the shuttle safely they'd be sitting ducks whilst trying to get aboard.

Sal, we need to hold those guards up.

I know.  Two more corners and all the approaches merge.  We'll hold them there.  Be quick though, this lot seem to have some hefty hardware.

Better stagger the defence then.  Pull the drones from the shuttle too, we know the area is clear now.

Done.

They turned round the next two corners then the robot and drones at the front slipped to the slides.  Ali's voice boomed out of the robot again. 

“Keep moving!  Follow Jess, quickly now, you're almost there.”

Jess shoved the trolley with Elizabeth on even faster, only a few corridors remained, and the doors in those corridors were all single rooms with no other exits.  Sensors and cameras showed them all to be empty.  Several drones from the shuttle flew into view and shot over his head, heading towards the fight.  He heard weapon fire behind him as the first units of guards were cut down.  Sal had been right though, this lot had far heavier weaponry.  The second wave opened fire severely damaging one drone and rocking the robot within its shielding.

“Keep moving!” Jess shouted over his shoulder.

Turning back he saw a door further down the corridor opening and a shimmer of movement.  Without his implants and fast thoughts he would have seen nothing, even with them he could only make out an outline
– a man holding a weapon of some sort.

With a shout Jess shoved Elizabeth's trolley to the side and started to charge towards the near invisible assailant.  He forced his body to move faster, feeling muscles starting to tear under the extreme load.  Spreading his shielding he tried to protect the children behind him.  He made it almost halfway before the guard opened fire.  Jess saw the flare of energy at the same moment something struck his shields.  This was no mechanical gun, it was an energy weapon of some sort.  His shields held, flaring the energy off in dazzling sparks of energy that flew to the sides.

The guard fired again, Jess's shields held but were struggling.  The third shot partially overloaded his shields, thanks to the speed he was moving the shot pierced his left shoulder but didn't hit anything vital.  Jess was aware of the impact but the pain hadn't hit yet.  He pressed on, now three-quarters of the way to the guard, but knew he wouldn't make it.  The guard would get off two or three more shots and Jess's shields couldn't handle it.

Realising he had to try something desperate Jess studied the weapon, struggling to penetrate its camouflage and tell where it was aimed.  He thought he knew but it was partly guesswork.  If he was wrong he'd be dead, so would those behind him soon after.  Desperately hoping he had it right he collapsed his shields to a small area only a hands width across so it could withstand another shot, forming it into a cup shape with the open top pointed towards the weapon.

The guard fired once more.  Jess had guessed correctly.  The shot impacted the shield and once again the energy was flared away in crackling lines of electricity, but this time the shape of the shield sent the energy back at the guard.  The blast spread out slightly on the way.  When it hit the guard it blew a hole the size of a dinner plate through his chest, killing him instantly.

Jess stumbled to a halt, then the pain from his shoulder hit.  He screamed but almost as soon as it came it faded again
– his implants limiting the pain and already sending out tendrils to start the healing process.  The blast of energy had cauterised the wound so he wasn't bleeding at least.

Jess! 
Ali's message crashed into his mind, somehow far more forceful than normal. 
Are you OK?