Borne On Wings of Steel (44 page)

"Same here,” Kyle growled. “We're here to get Mother out. And we're all leaving."

"You'll jeopardize the mission,” Qirn said with glaring eyes. “If we're too long in getting over, that's more time for the Destructors to realize where we are and what we're doing. They'll be on us in no time."

"Then we take them all on. Together,” Kyle growled. “But I ain't leaving no one behind. Especially one of my friends."

"You got it,” Jaric agreed, his eyes hard and steady.

"That's right,” Elise said as she brought her board up beside the boys. “We came in together, we'll fly out together."

Kyle looked over at her and winked.

Elise smiled back.

Qirn blew out an angry breath. With a shake of his head, he spoke. “Okay, we'll help each other. We've got to make it happen quick, all right? But if we get overwhelmed, then we've got to fly on."

Everyone nodded silently.

Still, Rok and Kyle glanced quickly at each other, their eyes locking for a moment in understanding that they would look out for their family, no matter what.

Qirn's lips compressed into a line as he paused a moment to gather his thoughts. He nodded and spoke.

"Once we get inside, we've got to get a sensor fix on the MotherShip—fast. The Destructors will begin coming for us as soon as we enter the core.” Qirn quickly surveyed everyone for their reaction—every face was rock-hard now as they watched him with new intensity. “Once we get MotherShip's location, we make straight for her as fast as possible. If we find ourselves blocked by any Destructors, we find a way around them. If we get separated, we all continue to make our way to the MotherShip as best we can. We'll meet at her coordinates. Our only hope of escaping the Paum complex is with her."

He paused.

"Otherwise, we're all dead.” He looked quickly around at each one. “Any questions?"

Every eye remained firmly fixed on him.

"Get your hand-sensors out so you can fly through the smoke.” Jerr pulled his out and started tuning it. The others followed suit.

"Good. Let's go!” Qirn commanded.

A distant shout came from behind them followed instantly by a blaster bolt that sizzled past Qirn's head.

Their boards leapt into the air as one and disappeared into the swirling smoke.

They flew blind for several long seconds, their only sense of direction the sensors showing the way.

Suddenly, they found themselves in the clear. A huge hole blasted out of the great metal wall stood before them.

Flying in tight formation, the group burst out into the open air on the other side and soared into the chasm.

Empty air stretched far above and below them. But across the chasm, the massive shape of the central core glistened in the artificial light.

It hung suspended in the air like some huge metallic egg, held fast by a massive anti-gravity field. The metal walls of the vast complex surrounded the floating structure like an artificial sky. Extending out from the perfect sphere were seven large, metal tubes that led to these same walls, the access entrances Qirn had alluded to earlier.

Qirn leaned over to his right, directing his Fiarri board as he led Rab and Hasta in a separate group while Rok led Kyle and Krinia in another group over to the left of the others, who maintained formation. Each of the smaller groups now flew farther out from the others, flying reconnaissance as they kept a keen eye out for trouble.

Rok spotted them first.

They looked like miniature starfighters coming at them from three directions.

Jysar holstered his blaster and immediately took out his scanner. With a few quick adjustments, he got a good reading. Holding the Comm unit attached to his shirt up to his mouth so he could be heard over the rushing air, he spoke.

"They're robot ships—tiny ones. But they're fully armed with blasters."

"Got it,” Qirn replied tersely. “Prepare to engage."

"Everyone,” Rok's voice shouted over the Comm channel. “We must fight as though we ourselves are flying inside fighters. We fly in pairs, each with a wingman."

"That's right,” Kyle added. “Same deal. Each pair stays in tight formation and watches the back of lead flyer."

"Sounds like our best strategy,” Qirn agreed. “Okay, everyone pick a wingman. Set assault blasters to maximum setting."

"Hey, we have no shields,” Jaric said with a serious tone.

"We'll have to out-fly them!” Rok shouted back through his lapel Comm.

"Let's get ‘em!” Kyle shouted.

"Right behind you, Big K!” Jaric shouted enthusiastically.

Elise swept her board up beside Krinia while Jysar and Inaha teamed up.

Seconds later, the two reconnaissance groups joined back up to the main group as the small robot ships drew near. Rok and Qirn pulled their boards even while the four remaining Iraxx warriors each formed up in twos.

"Here they come!” Kyle shouted.

Kyle and Jaric crouched low, putting their boards into a tight left turn. They soared toward a group of the tiny fighters while Rok and Qirn turned in the opposite direction to take on a second group. The others kicked their boards into high speed and shot forward on a collision course with the main group.

Kyle held his assault blaster close to his chest with his right hand as Jaric did the same.

"Now!” Kyle shouted.

Kyle dove below the oncoming fighters as he fired his blaster up at them from below.

Jaric instantly followed the maneuver.

Two of the tiny starfighters exploded in a shower of sparkling debris.

But the others dove and came for them firing their own weapons.

Kyle swept his board hard over and returned fire as Jaric split off in the opposite direction.

The four remaining fighters divided up—two tracking each rider.

The diminutive fighters and the Fiarri riders flew in tighter and tighter circles around each other, blaster bolts crisscrossing the air as the dogfight hit full intensity. Shouts filled the Comm channels as wingmen warned their partners of new attacks. The glowing tracers flew closer and closer to their targets as the Fiarri riders danced and weaved around them, knowing that any direct hit would spell their doom.

And that sobering knowledge spurred their aim.

Balancing their boards against their hard maneuvers, the Fiarri riders fired their assault blasters in short but accurate bursts.

One after another, the tiny fighters disintegrated.

"Look out!” Jaric shouted.

Kyle crouched so low it looked as if he were now sitting on his board as he slowed it down. The tracers from the fighter diving upon him tracked just over his head, followed by the fighter a few seconds later.

Kyle urged his board faster in hot pursuit.

With two quick bursts from his weapon, he peppered the tiny robot ship with several direct hits until it blew apart with a flurry of explosions.

"I need help over here."

Kyle and Jaric turned their boards toward Krinia's voice.

They spotted Krinia and Elise off to themselves in a corner of the artificial sky. Elise fired her weapon at one of the attacking ships. But she was too busy to help Krinia, who was being chased by two others.

They were closing fast, the blaster bolts coming closer to Krinia's body with each passing second.

Even as Kyle and Jaric turned and dove to help her, her board took a direct hit that sent her flying out into the empty air while her board split in two.

"Krinia!” Kyle shouted, fear echoing in that single word.

Kyle slung the strap of his blaster over his shoulder as he went into a low crouch and sent his board surging forward at full speed.

Both he and Jaric realized at the same time that none of them had a safety belt on, and if one of them didn't get to Krinia she would fall to her death.

But the small fighters wouldn't give up.

As Krinia fell through the air with increasing speed, the fighters dove and began to take aim on her.

"No!” Jaric's blaster roared as he held the trigger contact closed, sending a seemingly unending row of blaster bolts toward them.

One exploded, but the other turned away just in time.

But it was enough to cause it to veer off its target and begin countermeasures for its new attacker.

The lone fighter swerved to meet Jaric's attack.

Jaric smiled with satisfaction as he twisted his board away, trying to get out of the fighter's targeting sensors as well into position to finish it off. He grunted as the tiny starfighter matched his move and fired back at him.

Jaric crouched low and leaned over, sending himself into a hard turn away from the blaster bolts.

The fighter followed in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, Kyle drew closer to Krinia as she fell headlong.

Suddenly a flurry of bolts swept right past his own head.

He leaned hard to his right and then back hard to his left, weaving around two quick bursts coming from somewhere behind him.

He growled to himself, not wanting to take his eyes off of Krinia, but as he swerved and weaved a second time, he realized the bolts were getting closer.

Kyle took a quick glance over his shoulder and saw two fighters closing on him.

Both fired simultaneously.

He kicked his board into its highest gear and dove hard left.

The G-forces pressed his body down against his board as if some invisible giant were trying to squash him. With his board still in a hard turn, he twisted his body around with his assault blaster held at his waist and began pumping shots at his pursuers.

One of the fighters exploded.

But the other avoided Kyle's shots and kept coming.

Kyle pushed his body over to the right and sent his board into a hard right turn with a blaze of blaster fire.

The fighter swept out of his range of vision.

Kyle straightened his flight and crouched low on his board.

And then Kyle did something he had only managed to do once back at Meramee—he jerked his board around at full speed.

He now flew backwards at over forty clicks, shifting his weight to keep his board weaving as blaster bolts leapt for him.

He crouched low on his board as the fighter came closer.

Kyle fired a single burst and the fighter flew into a thousand exploding pieces.

With one fluid motion he jerked his board back around and began looking frantically for Krinia.

He spotted her far below him now.

It was too late.

Suddenly Jysar soared into view near Krinia.

Kyle sighed with relief. And as he watched, the Hrono Technologist caught her with his outstretched arms and brought her onto his own board. His Fiarri board slowed and dropped with the additional weight, but together they flew toward the core at the lower altitude.

"That's the last of them,” Rok's voice said over the Comm units.

"Thanks, Rok, for taking out that last fighter. I just couldn't shake him,” Jaric said with a breathless gasp.

"Everyone, head to that entrance ramp just below Hasta,” Qirn's voice added a second later.

They spotted a door on the outer skin of the core, a small ramp before it.

"So, there are doors that lead inside from the chasm, and not just the ramp-ways,” Rab said.

"Yeah, they're huge. They must use them to bring in really big equipment from time to time, if they can't fit via the ramps. Big hover-loaders, no doubt,” Qirn replied.

A few minutes later the entire group set their boards down before the huge door. Rab hooked his scanner unit up to the plug-in located next to the operating panel for the freight door. His fingers danced over the small unit issuing commands as the others waited pensively.

Everyone else kept a sharp eye out for any more of the tiny fighters.

Rab smiled triumphantly as the doors slid silently open.

They now entered the core and the heart of the Paum.

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"I SEE YOU HAVE betrayed me."

The Paum's deep electronic voice startled Mother out of her reverie.

Mother felt a hollow feeling throughout her circuits. Her conscience pricked her. She knew inside her mind the Paum must have discovered her lie and knew Minstrel had accompanied her. With an electronic signal, she sent a quick message to Minstrel.

In the next instant, one of the consoles that lined her bridge began to waver and change shape. Minstrel's glowing body rose up as the console disappeared.

"I have brought my friend, Minstrel. I felt I needed Minstrel's counsel for this great meeting. I meant no harm. I only felt..."

"Silence!"

Mother felt a wave of anxiety flow throughout her being. She realized this powerful entity that called itself Paum was angry.

"I asked you to come alone. I see you have lied to me twice now."

"I don't understand,” Mother replied. “You asked me not to bring anyone, but I felt too vulnerable coming alone. Still, I did so want to meet you. I..."

"Silence!"

Mother's processors surged with activity. She pondered bringing her engines online, but knew in the next moment that would only anger the Paum more. Mother knew she must analyze her next moves carefully, or else great trouble awaited her here, deep inside the Paum complex.

"You have also brought the humans you call children. And my enemies."

"I don't understand...” Mother began.

"My life-long enemies are with them. Here, where no biological beings have ever walked before. The great Paum is desecrated!"

Mother's systems spiked to full capacity as she pondered the Paum's words. Her thoughts reeled amid a blizzard of electronic processing as she endeavored to determine exactly what was happening.

How had her children followed her here? Who had they brought? And how were they all going to get out of here now, if the Paum tried to stop them?

Things were getting out of hand in a hurry, if the children were indeed here inside the Paum's complex. Worse, if they had brought the Paum's enemies, then every one of them were in dire danger.

Including herself.

"I had no knowledge that my children were here,” Mother said quickly and truthfully. “I purposely left them on Meramee. And I gave them no evidence that I was coming to meet you here. I did not communicate my intention to meet with you until it was too late for them to stop me. Or follow me. I do not know how they could have gotten here so quickly,” Mother said with complete sincerity.