Legacy (81 page)

The battle for Columbus was over—at least on Earth.

18

SHACKLETON CRATER, LUNAR SURFACE

“Look, all we have to do is get these vehicles into the sunlight,” Sarah said as they examined the large solar panels on the tops of all the vehicles. “These damn things look like they’ll run almost immediately without a charge once the light hits them.”

Kwan was looking at the large roll-up gate that separated the storage area from the outside environment. He shook his head inside his helmet as he turned to face the others.

“That is just one of the problems facing us, Lieutenant. I fear once this gate is open we’ll be faced with the task of getting at least two of these vehicles up the slope of the crater—an impossible task for so few men without tackle and block.”

Sarah slammed her hand down on the smaller of the vehicles. “We’re not getting any breaks here,” she said.

“I see no point in arguing,” Mendenhall said, looking for a release point on the large steel gate. “We have to use this gate for our escape, anyway. Let’s get it open and make a run for it. I’d rather die out there than be caught in here like rats.”

“Will’s right. Let’s get out of here,” Sarah said as she looked at her oxygen readout. “We’re all running low on O
₂
.”

Several of the men followed Mendenhall’s lead and started searching. They soon found the simple magnetic lock attached to a large handle that would free the gate. Will pulled the lever down and soon the bottom came loose from the lining of the ancient frame. As six men lifted the gate, they half expected a ton of Moon dust to avalanche inside, but instead they found themselves looking into a large black area. Will allowed his helmet light to penetrate the darkness beyond.

“We have a tunnel,” he called out.

Sarah looked down the long, upward-sloping shaft. The roadway was lined with what looked like aluminum plating. It was then that the idea struck her.

“Of course. The visitors wouldn’t have had a road that led up and out of the crater. They would have built a road that angled out far beyond. There must be a door at the other end of this.”

Kwan stepped forward and saw immediately what Sarah was talking about. A plan began forming in his head.

“Yes, I see your point. We need at least two of the lighter vehicles, because we can’t push anything heavier. We can crowd onto them once we’ve pushed them out of the opening. If there is a gate at the far end, we will have a fighting chance—one vehicle aimed for the
Magnificent Dragon
, the other for
Altair
.”

“It’s worth a try,” Mendenhall said, and he and the others raced around to free the chains holding two of the smaller electric vehicles in place.

The sound of the robots’ destructive approach was getting terrifyingly louder. Sarah stepped to the large doorway and looked back up the way they had come. She saw the giant arms of the mechanicians as they pivoted like buzz saws, tearing away the composite material that made up the base. They were only fifty feet away. She turned and ran back inside to assist the remaining twelve men as they started pushing the vehicles free of what had been their home for the past 700 million years.

As they rolled the vehicles out and into the tunnel, they saw the ceiling rip away and sunlight fill the underground chamber. While pushing, they saw the shadow of the first robot swipe at the retreating men. The three-fingered hand missed the last car and slammed into an acetylene-type torch system, knocking it free of its restraining chain. The first robot stepped near it and planted its feet in an attempt to slam its massive hand into the last car, which had caught its wheels on the jamb of the large door that had been used as an environment shield. Sarah, at the rear end of the car, saw something that made her want to shout. Far above the two robots was a figure aiming a weapon down into the subbasement of the bunker. She saw the American space suit and knew immediately who it was and just what he was aiming the kinetic weapon at.

As she pushed the other away from the back of the vehicle, Jason Ryan fired his rifle. The bolt struck the first of the acetylene tanks and passed through it into the second tank. The resulting explosion knocked the vehicle free of the jamb and sent it careening down the tunnel. The robot nearest to the detonation was taken out at the legs. Pieces of the steel-encased leg and wiring from within went flying. One chunk hit Sarah directly in the visor and she saw the spiderweb crack as it raced across the glass. She closed her eyes in anticipation of a horrible death. But instead the crack halted just as someone was pulling her to her feet. As she fought to look back she saw Ryan disappear. The second mechanical giant stepped over the remains of the first and started tearing furiously at the ceiling of the vehicle garage.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say that thing was pissed off,” Mendenhall said as he pulled Sarah to the vehicle that had come to rest against the far wall after the explosion. “Who saved our asses?”

“Jason,” she said as she struggled to hit her COM link.

“Jason, we’ll meet you at
Altair
, do you copy?” She screamed even though she didn’t need to.

Mendenhall didn’t give her time to try again. He placed her where she needed to be and turned the large toggle lever that straightened out the vehicle’s large wheels. Then he waved to tell the six men and Sarah that they should start pushing. Soon they had the vehicle moving at a pretty good clip.

The tearing noises filtered through their speaker systems as the second robot continued its frenzied search far in back of them. Soon they saw light up ahead as the end of the long tunnel came closer. They saw Kwan and his men as they pushed the far outer door open. Then they pushed the first vehicle out into the open sunlight. Sarah and the others maneuvered the vehicle into a spot right beside the first. The men immediately collapsed as the car came to rest.

“It … would … have … been nice … if we … could have … just popped … the clutch,” Sarah said, trying to catch her breath.

“Uh-oh,” one of the ESA astronauts said. Everyone turned toward the spot where he was looking. They saw the small Beatle
John.
Right beside it a giant hand had reached out of the crater and taken hold of the rim. The robot started to pull its massive chromed body free of the interior. Once it gained a foothold, it looked around as though gathering its bearings. Then, as its horrid red eyes turned their way, the head locked into position. It began coming toward them at a determined gait.

“I think it’s
really
pissed,” Will said, as he jumped into the driver’s seat and looked at the gauges. Every one of them appeared to be flatlined at zero. Either that or their screens were blank. “We have a problem here,” he said.

Sarah looked into the interior. The charging footsteps of the robot could be felt through the soles of their boots.

“Is there a key?” she asked. She made sure the solar panels were deployed at the correct angle toward the distant sun.

As Mendenhall shook his head at the dumb question, he saw the key placed on the side of the steering toggle. Mendenhall turned it. The panel in front of him came to life. Several of the gauges flew over into the green as the sun’s merciful rays hit the solar panels and generated the energy the car needed.

“Everyone in. I think this thing may work,” Will said loudly as he looked around wildly for the charging robot.

Just as Sarah was about to climb inside the crowded car, she saw the large piece of mineral on the lunar surface. For no reason she could think of, she reached down and picked it up, and then she piled into the front seat.

“Anytime,” she said to Mendenhall.

Will pushed the steering toggle forward, hoping beyond hope that it also served as a throttle. His short prayer was answered as the machine shot forward. Soon they had caught up with Kwan and his men as they raced across the lunar landscape.

“Oh, shit,” Sarah said, as she turned and saw how close the robot was. It had covered a half a mile in as little as the time it took to get the car moving and had nearly caught up with Kwan. The robot covered the last ten feet by diving forward in an attempt to catch the vehicle. The men on the back hugged the metal frame of the car as the three fingers of the giant missed them by inches. The mechanical giant hit the lunar surface and rolled as its momentum carried it over and over across the pitted world.

“What was that?” Will asked as the vehicle jumped a foot from the impact.

“You don’t want to know,” Sarah said, gripping the rock.

“Hey, what do you have that for?” Mendenhall asked. His eyes locked momentarily on the meteorite that she clutched in her gloved hands.

Sarah didn’t answer. Instead, she pointed to the left of the racing vehicle.

“Crap, look!” she said.

On the far left, about three hundred yards away, they saw Jason Ryan as he tried his best to negotiate the light gravity of the Moon. He was bouncing as he tried to hurry back to
Altair
.

Mendenhall went off course just as the struggling robot gained its feet. The giant head swiveled and it caught sight of its target. Then it saw the man the target was racing for. It started running toward a rendezvous with both. Just as the vehicle approached, Jason saw the robot charging. He leaped into the air and prayed that he had timed his jump well. As the car approached, Sarah stood up, dropping the mineral into the floor of the vehicle. She reached out and Jason actually bounced off the steel hood of the car. He then bounded and almost flew past Sarah’s outstretched hand as well as the other reaching arms of the men who tried desperately to secure him. Finally Jason snagged on to the large roll bar and fell into the back of the vehicle. He struggled to sit up in the bulky suit.

“Holy bouncing ball, Batman,” he said as he slapped Will on his oxygen pack.

“I hope you can lift off at a moment’s notice, because in case you haven’t noticed we have the landlord of this place right on our ass.”

Jason turned and looked at the robot, which had switched course and was again trailing them at a fantastic speed.

Sarah leaned forward and caught sight of the first vehicle with General Kwan and the remnants of the Chinese Special Forces team. They also had three of the ESA men aboard. They had actually slowed so they could turn in case the worst happened when the mechanized killer made its leap. Now they were off and running again. That was when Sarah realized that the game would be played in their court. The general and his team would make it to
Magnificent Dragon
and word would reach home that the only thing they found that may help their future cause was buried outside the crater, not inside.

“Okay, Will, everything depends on you,” she said through her COM system. “Jason, how badly will an immediate liftoff screw up the rendezvous with
Falcon
?”

“We can adjust for that once we’re up. It may take a while but we’ll manage. The Chinese may have it worse since their command vehicle just passes overhead.
Falcon
is due in forty minutes. We may just make it.”

The lunar rover shot over a small rise and that was when they saw the tall structure that was
Altair
. The ladder looked inviting, but Sarah knew they couldn’t even approach it until they lost the murderous automaton pursuing them.

“We need a plan,” she said as Will swerved the vehicle around a small crater. “We know we can’t shoot it out with this thing, so as soon as we dip down into the lowland in front of
Altair,
you have to get out and make a run for it. I’ll lead the damn thing off and then join you after I trip him up somehow.”

“Oh, that ain’t happening, buddy boy. There’s no way I’m jumping ship when you try this stupid plan,” Ryan said as he saw that the robot had gained on them.

“Look, you most of all have to get inside
Altair
and fire that thing up. Don’t wait for me. I’ll make it,” Mendenhall countered, looking at the grated floor of the lunar rover. The meteorite was still there next to Sarah’s booted feet. He swallowed and looked at Sarah. She saw the look on his face and turned away.

Will cut the control toggle sharply and the vehicle turned to the left, leading away from the lander. When the robot changed direction to follow, he again tilted the toggle to the right. The vehicle responded. Then he steered for the crater closest to the lander. He made it to the far side and stopped.

“Everyone out!” he said, as the men hanging on to the back jumped free.

“No, you can’t beat this thing!” Ryan said, tightly clutching the roll bar.

“Get out, Jason. That’s an order.” Sarah turned to face Will. She ripped at a large, bloated patch at her shoulder and tore it free of her environment suit. As she did, small droplets of water were freed and fell gently to her lap. As Ryan jumped free of the vehicle with a loud curse, he was grabbed by the four others and hustled away, though he still strained to look back at Mendenhall.

“I saw your interest in the meteorite. Use this and the O
₂
transfer tube from your backpack. That will give you the reaction I think you’re looking for.”