Terra (23 page)

-
Might I ask what’s going on?
enquired Vstj as diplomatically as possible.

-
It’s simple,
said Fthfth.
We need to find our way around this building. It’s possible we’re going to be trapped here for some time and need to find places to hide, possibly for days. As you point out, nobody, not the G’grk, not us, knows the whole layout of the place. So anyone who DID have that information,
she patted the dome of the Interface,
would have a distinct advantage.

-
That’s a lot of information,
said Pktk warily.

-
We’d better get on with it then,
said Fthfth, jamming her head into the dome
. Pktk, files, please. Complete schematics and architectural history of Hrrng Preceptorate to the present day.

-
Er, shouldn’t I . . . I mean, wouldn’t it be better if . . .
Vstj pointed to his own head, then to the Interface, then his head again.

-
No,
smiled Pktk.
She knows what she’s doing.

-
Well, I will in a moment,
said Fthfth from inside the dome.
Start the programme! Now!

Blip . . . blip . . . blip . . .

D
own in the atrium, the celebrations had been short-lived.

The disappearance of the sphere had brought hisses of triumph from the Retinue guards, who now fell silent.

Another sphere descended slowly from the sky, to take the place of the vanquished (and vanished) one. Then another, then another.

The spheres landed a hundred metres or so from the atrium entrance. Circular apertures appeared on the blue surfaces and ranks of G’grk drones emerged, armoured, painted, fearsome. They began to march towards the building.

-
Hand to hand,
muttered Fskp.
They only fight hand to hand with those they consider their equals. You’ve impressed them,
he said to Pshkf.
Don’t suppose you could do it again?

-
No, sorry,
said Pshkf, looking sadly at the twisted, blackened remains of the infralight drive. Two whole orbits’ work. Worth every moment.
At least we gave them something to think about, and we may have bought the children some time,
he said.

Bsht shivered as she looked at the advancing phalanx. Some of the G’grk drones activated gravity bubbles and ascended the outside of the building.
That’s why they’ve been blowing holes in the walls,
thought Bsht.
Run, children, run and hide. I’m so sorry.

-
Any of those going spare?
asked Pshkf, indicating Fskp’s pulse-orb. Fskp handed his spare side arm to Pshkf; another guard handed his to Bsht.

-
Know how to use that?
asked Pshkf.

-
Of course,
said Bsht quietly. She looked at the pulse-orb. How hard could it be? She looked at the advancing G’grk. What difference would it make?

-
I’m glad I finally got to know you, Bsht,
said Pshkf.

-
Me too,
said Bsht.

They took aim.

-
What was that?
asked Yshn.

-
Orb-fire. The G’grk are inside the tower,
said Pktk.
Come on, Fthfth!

-
We have to go!
urged Vstj.
Get her out of there!

-
Not while the programme’s running! You’ll cook her brain,
said Pktk.

The programme finished. The dome dimmed. Fthfth didn’t move.

-
Fthfth . . .?
said Pktk quietly. The sound of battle was getting nearer.
Seriously, Fthfth?

Fthfth flung the dome from her head and announced:

-
Hrrng Preceptorate was founded in the seventeenth era by Bft-sh-Bft of Hrrng and was relocated to its present site in the twenty-fourth era. Renowned as the birthplace of GravTech, it is regarded as one of the . . .

-
I think it worked,
said Pktk.
Fthfth . . . Fthfth . . . SHUT UP, Fthfth. Thank you. Now can you get us to the practical science lab?

-
Of course!
said Fthfth, skipping into the corridor.
The practical science lab is situated on level thirty-one. Opened by Preceptor Hsk in orbit forty-one of the twenty-fifth era, it . . .

-
I think we’re landing,
whispered Lbbp to Terra.

-
What will they do to us?
Terra asked, trembling.

-
If they wanted us dead they’d have killed us when they found us,
said Lbbp.
They must want us alive, and while we’re alive, there’s always hope.

The sphere jolted as it touched down. A circle of bright daylight appeared in the side of the vessel, causing Terra to blink.

-
On your feet!
barked the Drone Captain.

Standing, Terra could see that the sphere had landed in the middle of the Preceptorate itself.

-
Move! Outside!

Terra and Lbbp shuffled out into the light. Terra gasped as she saw the Lyceum tower. Smoke billowed from great gashes in its side. What had become of her friends?

Lbbp scanned the city skyline. Plumes of smoke, flames. Sounds of panic and distant explosions.
I thought I was rescuing her by taking her away from Rrth,
he pondered sadly.
Away from savagery, from brutality . . . What do you call this?

-
Lbbp . . . look . . .
Terra gazed tearfully at the courtyard in front of the atrium. Tnk’s statue had been smashed; metallic blue pieces of it now whirled crazily in mid-air.

-
March!

-
Where are we going?
asked Terra. Lbbp gave her a not-now look and one of the drones turned towards her, savagely.

-
Silence, beast!
He raised his hand; Terra flinched but no blow came.

-
Unharmed, drone, remember. The alien is to be unharmed.
The Drone Captain’s voice was commanding. Terra looked at him in confusion.

-
You are to be presented, little monster. The Great K’zsht himself wishes to see you. Now march!

-
. . . and although the practical science laboratory itself retains that name, the Practical Science department was amalgamated with Life Science and Theoretical Science in orbit sixty-one of the thirty-second era. And here we are!

Fthfth had hardly paused for breath since the gaggle of fugitive children had left the lectorium. She’d opened secret doorways, led them through abandoned passageways, through crawlspaces and maintenance hatches, all the while narrating their route like a hyperventilating tour guide.

Pktk seized the momentary lull in the commentary. -
Do you have to do that?

-
Yes. I think so. It helps me sort through all the new information. It’s annoying, isn’t it.

-
Just a bit. But at least we’re here now.

At the far end of the corridor in which they now found themselves, lay the practical science lab. Vstj looked at the door and swallowed hard. His plan was coming together, and there was still a chance that he wouldn’t have to . . .

A high-pitched buzzing filled the air. It was coming from the floor. Someone was cutting through the floor.

-
What’s that?
asked one of the little ones.

-
Are we being rescued?
asked another.

-
There’s no one left to rescue us,
said Pktk
. Run!

They ran towards the laboratory door. The first of them reached it just as the G’grk Drone Sergeant burst up through the corridor floor. Vstj stayed at the doorway, ushering the children through. A squad of G’grk drones emerged behind their sergeant; they formed a rank and began to run down the corridor, weapons raised.

-
The children are to be taken alive!
barked the Drone Sergeant.

-
In here!
said Vstj, pushing the last of the children through the door and rushing in behind them.

Once inside, he hit the orange paddle which activated the laboratory’s lockdown mechanism. This sealed the lab in the event of a dangerous leak or other such accident. The laboratory door slammed shut and locked itself with a clunk that didn’t sound nearly solid enough.

-
That won’t hold them for long,
said Pktk.

-
Long enough,
said Vstj.
Now, Fthfth, does your newly installed knowledge of the Preceptorate layout extend underground?

-
Yes it does,
said Fthfth proudly.
There is an extensive network of tunnels underneath the Preceptorate complex, some dating back to before the . . .

-
Yes, yes, that’s all very commendable,
said Vstj.
Here.
He wrenched open a stiff metal shutter in the wall. It revealed a blackened chute, which descended in a spiral pattern off into darkness.
This leads to the old incinerator.

-
Incinerator?
said everybody, alarmed.

-
Relax, it’s been deactivated since orbits ago.
Vstj knew this; he’d been responsible for turning down the request to have it repaired. Pointless, now they had matter scramblers. Would have been a waste of time and resources. Just one more wise decision for which he’d never be recognised.

-
If you slide down there you can climb through the incinerator into the disused service tunnels . . .

-
. . . which were built in the twelfth era to facilitate repairs to the old generators, before the fusion system was installed in the thirty-first era,
said Fthfth, unable to help herself. She was getting less and less keen on the Interface.

-
Whatever. Once down there you can find your way outside the city without ever coming above ground. Here, take this.
Vstj handed a small metal tube to Pktk.

-
What is it?

-
The key to my house. It’s the big one on top of Hrrnf-Kth Hill.
Pktk had often wondered who lived there.
You’ll find everything you need there to hide out for a few days. I hope you like configurations four and twelve, though.

-
Will you come and meet us there?
asked Shnst.

-
Well, that’d be lovely, wouldn’t it,
replied Vstj. And indeed, the thought of that big draughty house being full of children – and him not being there to see it – added another twinge of regret which he immediately shoved to the back of his mind. No time for any of that now; the G’grk were hammering and orb-blasting away at the laboratory door.

-
Quickly, in you go,
said Vstj, and the children climbed one by one into the chute, Pktk staying until last to help the little ones in.

As the last of the children slid away, Pktk climbed into the chute and turned to Vstj. -
You’re not . . .?

-
You have to take care of them now, Pktk. I’m sorry.
Vstj shoved Pktk down the chute and slammed the shutter closed.

Vstj looked at the equipment scattered around the lab and racked his memory. The hammering on the laboratory door was very distracting, but looking around, he was fairly sure he had everything he needed.

T
he G’grk tend to favour brute force when confronted with obstacles. Had they thought of finding a way to override the laboratory’s lockdown system they might have opened the door rather sooner, but they preferred the direct approach. After a shade or so of battering and blasting, the door gave way.

The Drone Sergeant led his troops through the doorway. There was no sign of the children. The adult Mlmln had his back to them.

-
Where are the children?
growled the Drone Sergeant.

-
Children aren’t allowed in the lab outside of class time,
replied Vstj calmly, surprising himself with his own composure.

-
You will tell us where the children are,
hissed the Sergeant. Still Vstj didn’t turn round. He sighed.

-
Yes, yes, I imagine I will. Sooner rather than later, I should think. You won’t get much resistance out of me, boys, sorry about that.

The G’grk exchanged puzzled glances. This wasn’t how this part usually went.

Vstj went on. -
Different story if my old mother were here, I can tell you. Oh yes, she’d have kicked your brf-shrfs into the middle of next cycle. Don’t really take after her side of the family.

The Drone Sergeant lost patience. -
You will tell us NOW!
He grabbed Vstj by the shoulder and spun him round.

-
Mind you,
said Vstj after a moment’s hesitation,
I don’t really get much from my father’s side either. Brilliant scientists, you know. All of ’em. You couldn’t move for awards in our house. Not me, though. Can hardly do a thing in a lab. I mean look at this . . .

Vstj gestured towards the work bench behind him. A blob of grav-matter was spinning in a containment field. A crystal projector was bombarding it with high-frequency energy waves. Very high frequency.

-
It’s not supposed to look like that, now is it?
asked Vstj.

The Drone Sergeant’s eyes widened. He didn’t know exactly what he was looking at but he suddenly knew why Vstj had been stalling. He turned to flee and fell right over the drone standing behind him. This drone in turn knocked another over, and, as the grav-matter started to spin out of control, the tightly disciplined G’grk squad was reduced to a tumbling scramble of bodies in the laboratory doorway.

Vstj’s penultimate thought was:
So, is this what bravery feels like?

Vstj’s final thought, as the containment field collapsed, was:
Bravery hurts.

P
ktk was ushering the last of the children through the hatch which led out of the incineration chamber and into the service tunnels. There was a distant sound from high above them, a sort of ‘whump’ and a great gust of wind blew through the chamber and into the chute, as if sucked up towards the laboratory.

Fthfth figured it out first. -
Vstj!
she gasped.
He . . . he’s . . .

-
Come on,
said Pktk.

T
erra marched through the antechamber of the council dome. She remembered the last time she’d walked through this room, on her first day at the Lyceum. She remembered the thrill and excitement of that occasion. A lifetime ago. A million lifetimes.