A Paradox in Retrograde (35 page)

"It would indeed. What are you proposing?"

"Well if we it would seem that our friend here knows both the
location of the ship and the battle. He could bringus closer albeit to a more dangerous position, where we could observe first
hand what would be our best option. We can't walk around in
circles for ever."

"Well it's worth a try. Mechanoid, do you understand our language? If you do can you signal us some how?" A light again
flashed on the screen this time it was green. "That’s good, now
Mechanoid would it be possible for you to bring us closer to the
ship without bringing us directly into the line of fire, perhaps
close enough to observe? The light again blinked green. It then
for several more seconds flashed as it presumably recalculated a
safe maneuver. The mechanoid suddenly stopped, then made a
hundred and eighty degree turn. It started then to walk toward
them.

"Ok, I guess we're going that way now."

The sound of the battle had grown louder. They could now hear
the guttural cries and the droning alarms from both sides. The
sound of gunfire although had seemingly ceased. Now it seemed
they were as close as the mechanoid dare take them. For its lights
stopped blinking. Landaus again spoke to the mechanoid, "Are
we upon the battle?" Its green light again flashed. "Ibsen, be a
good boy and stay here while we go take a peak around the corner. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes father."

Landaus and Grunhuf in the bare light of the mechanoid display
made their pistols ready. After a moment they then began to carefully inch their way along the remaining stretch of corridor. At
the end of the hall stood a blast door that having long ago broken
from its hinges, opened out unto the space port bay. They craned
their necks around the edge of the door jamb. Through a veil of
smoke filled air there they saw the line of ships that included their
own. It appeared that the way had been made clear by the mechanoids, for there upon the floor, dead and dying warriors and the
remains of broken mechanoids littered the way. "Grunhuf, go get
Ibsen were moving now. This may be our best and only chance."

"Yes sir." Grunhuf dashed back along the corridor to where they
had left Ibsen. He wasted little time for barely a moment later
Grunhuf had returned along with Ibsen and the Mechanoid.
Grunhuf was slightly out of breath as he spoke, "I've given instructions to the mechanoid that he is to act as ashield for the boy
should we find any trouble along the way.

"Good let's move, Ibsen are you ready?" Landaus waited for a
response from his boy. He nodded his head to the affirmative and
they were off.
Xora and Lex had watched for an hour or more as over the
course of the struggle the lines of attacking warriors were beaten back again and again. Though not generally equipped for
such duties, the Mechanoids had made use of tool repurposed
for offensive capability. Amida having made some subtle
changes to its programming had given the mechanoids a means
to fight. Built into their design was a power transfer and discharge utility through which energy could be remotely transferred on command. Though not designed with the intention for
use as a weapon, it was used to great effect. If a mechanoid
could withstand the hail of lead long enough to reach a target, it
would discharge a bolt of this high energy static electricity.
Though not often deadly it had done quite a number on the
weakened fighters. Despite the new respect the warriors now
held for this weapon poised against them, they continued to
come again and again. Each time a warrior came within striking
distance, they were repulsed.

Lex sensed a stirring from the corner of his vision. There from
an adjacent corridor three figures followed closely behind by a
mechanoid snaked their way toward the ship. Again he called
out to Xora, "I see them I think I see them." Xora turned to look
and though their image barely discernable she could conclude
that it must be them. "I see them, Lex make your waydown to
aft access panel and prepare the escape ladder."

He responded with a mock salute, "Aye Captain."

"Stop playing around and do it already." He smiledback at her
then proceeded down the ladder. As he slid he did so barley
touching a rung. Once there he proceeded to crank the wheel
that unsealed and opened the hatchway door. Once it was
opened he poked his head out through the opening to make sure
there would be no one waiting. Deeming it safe he deployed the
external ladder and quickly descended down to the ground. He
surveyed the area and it seemed safe enough. Though he could
not yet see them coming he knew that they could soon be on his
heels. He bent down to the floor where he had earlier left the
main charging device. All was seemingly in working order. Looking proudly on his handiwork he closed his eyes and said a silent
prayer. Happy that the gods of war were satisfied, he proceeded
to initiate the final activation. On the digital timer display a set of
four zeroes blinked as the mechanism awaited the activation code
he had previously set. His fingers struck the key pads in quick
succession and the ruby tinted digits were now steadily glowing a
shade of emerald. He withdrew his pistol and sat down on a ladder rung. All that they could do now was to wait. The bombs
however could not wait forever. Though they were wired to initiate a five minute timer at engine ignition, they were far too unstable to wait indefinitely. Any stray power surge could set the lot of
them sky high at any time. That's why the static weapons of the
mechanoids had caused him some bit of anxiety.

By now the human trio and the mechanoid that had shadowed
them had made their way about half way across the space port
hanger floor. They had managed so far to avoid any of the hostile
parties whose battle had seemed to roam at will about them. Landaus through the half-light spied the distinctive markings of their
ship. He urgently called out to Grunhuf and Ibsen to make their
way. "There I see it. It's the fifth one on that aisle. We must make
our way there directly. Let's go move. They steppedout from
their hiding place and crossed the exposed aisle way. As Ibsen
walked, he did so as closely to the mechanoid as was possible.
There they found themselves for the first time exposed. Landaus
and Grunhuf had not to this point needed to fire ashot from their
pistols, so both of them had two shots each ready to go. Suddenly
a bolt of static lightning arched across space around them as defensive fire from the mechanoid was deployed into their general
vicinity. They could not immediately see the reason for it. They
took cover from the barrage as best they could behind the mechanoid. It soon became evident why the storm had come their way.
Then in surprise, a lone warrior seemingly emerging from the thin
air had thrown himself directly into their path. The mechanoid
began to raise his arms to make ready the production of a static
discharge. Landaus without taking his eye of his assailant gestured for the mechanoid to stand down. Before he could blink
an eye the creature had begun at great speed to close the distance between them. With steady hand and nerve of steel Landaus pivoted his back foot and lowered his weapon squarely to
the height of the warrior's midsection. Landaus needing this
shot to count would wait for the very last moment to pull the
trigger. His resolve stiffened as he could almost feel the hot
breath of his enemy on his face.
Time seemed to slow to a
glacier's pace as he waited for that moment. In that instant the
hammer struck down and the warrior's momentum was equalized, and cancelled, blown back by a plume fire and lead. The
shot had killed the warrior before he even had a chance to fall
down. Landaus called out to Grunhuf, "get him to the ship, Ill
cover you!" As fast as the mechanoid could move they made
their way to their ship. Landaus covering the escape threw the
spent pistol to the ground and removed the other on from his
belt. He cocked back the hammer and was again ready to fire.
There was perhaps fifty yards remaining between themselves
and the ship's aft access hatch. Again as if from midair, this
time a pair had begun to close the gap. Time was in short supply and Landaus did not have the luxury to wait. He had only
one shot left. It would have to be on target if hehoped to survive the onslaught. He hurriedly got into a stanceraised his arm
and fired. Again his aim was true and he found hismark at
twenty paces. In a veil of smoke the warrior immediately tumbled to the floor. The other however was as determined as ever
and was quickly gaining. Landaus with a liquid movement
made ready his saber. Holding his sword above him in a two
handed stance, he drew a deep breath that he knew might be his
last. In this kind of defensive position, he held aslight leg up on
his challenger. If his timing was right and his strike was sure he
could easily deflect his opponent's energy to his own advantage.
There was no more time to think and it would have done him no
good to do so. His years of training had tuned his reflexes to
react. With his sword poised to deliver a downward strike his assailant speedily approached. So overpowered was he by his
bloodlust that he bellowed out a guttural cry into the darkness.
Landaus ignoring these incongruent sounds counted only his attackers downward footsteps. His subconscious mind coolly calculated the variables as he prepared his own counterstrike. He waited the millisecond it took for him to begin his downward thrust.
With immaculate timing in a single lightning stroke, Landaus
brought his blade down deflecting that of his opponent while delivering in a slashing motion a blow across the seam in his opponent's armor. In an instant it was over; for by his lightning move
the warrior’s torso was cut most savagely. In a spray of gore he
was undone.

A mere second later Grunhuf and Ibsen had already begun to
make their way up the ladder. A waiting Lex had watched as the
Colonel's fancy blade work found its mark. There the warriors
had fallen in quick succession. Finally Landaus himself reached
the hatchway and ordered Lex up the ladder first. Before he went
up himself, he gave one last instruction to the mechanoid, "I don't
know if it's even appropriate to thank you. Whether or not you are
merely a machine, I do not know, but, thank you just the same.
The mechanoid nodded his head seemingly in recognition. "One
last thing, you and the other robots need to get yourselves out of
here. It's going to blow as soon as we blast out of here. Do you
understand me?" Again the mechanoid nodded his head." He then
disappeared up into the ship.

Landaus retracted the external ladder and closed down tight the
access hatchway door. He began to make his way up the ladder
and out of the air lock. He was now riding a high of adrenaline so
intense that he had not noticed until he had made it halfway up
the ladder that he had sustained a serious wound in the fighting.
Reaching the top of the ladder he said. "Corporal, seal the air
locks and prepare the detonation device. We are blasting out of
here in thirty seconds."
"Aye, Colonel."

By now Xora had made it down from the observation platform.
There she found Landaus in his command chair clutching tightly onto his lower left arm. The sleeve of his uniform was torn
and soaked in his own blood. Rivulets of which had already to
run down to form a puddle down below. Assessing the situation
Xora appointed herself ship's doctor. Her first order of business
was give immediate care to his open wound. "Take off your
belt. I'll need to make a tourniquet of it."

"What are you doing, we have an emergency here?" Landaus
protested.

"I have had basic medical training, and if we don't stop that
bleeding soon you will pass out. Who then will fly this plane
out of here?"

"Let me get this ship into orbit and then you can perform what
ever surgery on me if you like"

By now she had the belt off and around his upper arm. "Alright
I'll treat you later at least let me set this tourniquet." He responded with a nod and then she said in warning, "hold your
breath this might hurt a bit." He did not make a sound but rather
displayed a horrible grimace as she tightened the leather knot
around his arm. The bleeding had stopped for the moment and
said he said, "Are you quite satisfied doctor. I would like to get
us out of here now thank you."

She nodded to the affirmative and gave a sarcastic "you're welcome."

The small crew by now had prepared themselves fortakeoff.
Because of the innate instability of the explosivecharges, the
ship would need to accelerate out of the launch bayin a hurry,
much faster than would have ordinarily been justified. With
the ship still in its upright position the rockets were primed and
the launch vector coordinates were loaded into the ship's navigation computer. To avoid what had happened on their previous
launch Landaus was careful this time to set the ships computer for
an auto negotiated orbital insertion. All that was left now was the
launch command. "Commencing launch in five, four, three, two,
one and Ignition" In an explosion of incandescent power the primary fusion rocket fired. A great plume of plasma vented from
the exhaust port with tremendous force. In an instant the crew
was pushed heavily into their flight chairs as the ship cleared out
of the bay and into the open sky. The static cloud that now had
fully permeated the landing bay had by now as Lex had feared
reached the main trigger mechanism of the explosive devices.
Virtually at the simultaneous moment a series of explosions began to cut a swath of destruction clear through the underground
hanger. As the force of the blast spread outward, one by one like
dominos the mighty ships fell. From above the hanger's super
structure had become unstable and massive pieces of the crumbling ceiling above began to rain down onto the spaceport floor.
In the ensuing maelstrom of fire and debris the vast majority of
the kingdoms ships were destroyed, thrown aside like children's
toys.

Some miles away back at the palace, Aaralaat and his military
leaders stood in his throne room before a map that represented the
whole of the Earth. It was from here that his war would be conducted. Confident that his plans were flawless he was startled
from his work by a thundering sound. He and his generals quickly
made their way from their secure lair to the nearest window they
could find. Looking out into the distance, what they saw there
confounded them. For rising up into the air a lone rocket blasted
high into the evening sky. It was followed quickly by a staccato
sound of muffled explosions emanating from the vicinity of the
spaceport. There then within the rockets plume theywitnessed a
towering column smoke and debris begin to rise. Though Aaralaat could not have at that time guessed it, sometime would pass
before any major assault could again be undertaken.