Regan's Reach 4: Avarice (42 page)

"I don't know but I don't like it, we
need to get out of here back to the deck."

She grabbed his arm, "Listen . .
."

In the direction of where Reubus had headed
they could hear a distinctive ping, ping, ping, the sounds of impacts and they
were getting faster with each note. She quickly recognized them as footsteps,
and those feet were running - away from them.

Instinctively Regan turned to look the
other way, down the corridor in the opposite direction where they had been
heading only a moment earlier. She could see nothing but she could hear a
different noise, a distant roaring that needed only a microseconds processing
to register it was getting louder.

"Oh shit Ham, we need to run . .
." And already she was sprinting, cursing her forty year old body as Ham
easily fell into stride beside her.

* * *

The Saucer emerged from warp and immediately
commenced pouring enormous energies into slowing. Simultaneously they began
signaling for the STEIN Traveler using the standard code, 'MHALL'. 

The reply came back swiftly . . . IFWWAS
and without further checks Marin subbed through for Regan as they were within range.

[Hey babe, it's so good you've arrived.]

It was Jared who replied. [Mom's not on the
ship Marin, she and Ham went on to the energy plant to meet Reubus.] Even by
sub they could tell he was concerned. [Marin, I can't talk with them, all sub
communication was lost five minutes ago and I can't contact them.]

[Any idea what happened?]

[None, I was just considering going down.]

[No Jared, you stay there, we'll go in and
find out what's happened. You can be the one to call for help if we need it.]
There followed a pause without reply. [Jared - did you hear me?] Marin's tone
was quite definite.

[Yes, I stay here.] That he was reluctant
was obvious.

[Ham.] Marin bypassed the boy. [Make sure
Jared doesn't get off that ship]

[Already decided Marin, I wouldn't have let
him leave anyway. Marin, my android copy is in there with Regan so she may be
fine, but we have no idea. Be careful in there - you know how you blunder into
things.]

[At least I won't have you under my feet.]

[You just get there; and give me a minute
I'm updating with the transport.]

The huge disc shape of the plant loomed into
view on the control screen and they could see the STEIN Traveler in the
distance but well in the clear. Ham, now fully updated, guided the Saucer
toward the plant field screen and they held there for a minute while they
considered the best approach.

[What do you think Leah?]

[Settle us just inside the screen Ham; we can
suss out the situation then, before going in.]

Ham drifted the Saucer through the field screen,
not bothering to alert the plant system of their presence, it would be registered
anyway. He allowed the transport to rest just off the deck and powered down.
Marin and Leah made for the doors.

"Do we need weapons?" Marin
asked.

"We don't carry weapons." Leah
chuckled back.

"I have a gun." He grinned and
then stepped through the door and down to the deck. She laughed then stepped
down to join him as they scanned the deck, empty except for the Pod which they
could see in the distance and another shuttle off to the side.

Walking toward the distant craft they tried
contacting Regan but there was still with no reply. Marin wasn't concerned and
quickly checked back with the Saucer; surely Ham could establish contact from
there?

[We're getting nothing from Regan Ham, how
are you getting on?]

He waited for a reply but none came.

[Ham?] Marin paused in his steps and looked
back toward the Saucer, hauling Leah to a halt also.

[Ham?]

"What's up babe?" Leah asked.

"I can't get Ham by sub, can
you?"

She concentrated for a second. "No,
and I can't get you either, Marin. I don't like this, what's happening?"

He hesitated for a moment considering what
to do. "She's still in there somewhere Leah, we need to go in."

"But should we do that without contact
with Ham?"

He shook his head and looked toward the
doors in the distance. "What would she do if it were us?"

They shared a look of determination and
then without another word recommenced the walk toward the Pod.

Meanwhile, as Regan and Ham retraced their
steps at a run, it occurred to her all the corridors radiated out from the
centre core and whatever was causing the roar building in strength behind them
would also be radiating outwards. It sounded very ugly and there would be
little left. A glance back as they neared the exit to the flight deck revealed
a ball of flame several hundred meters away surging up the space behind her. It
took only a small portion of her mind to picture the meltdown that must be
driving it and she frantically redoubled her efforts wishing for Ham's android
speed. He was ahead of her, already forcing the last doors open with brute
strength and holding them so she could sprint straight through, out onto the
deck with the Pod now only fifty meters away.

The doors slammed shut behind them and they
quickly covered the remaining gap to the Pod; and then she saw them. Two
figures, Marin and Leah, walking together almost half way across the deck. They
spied her almost at the same time and immediately began to jog causing a flash
of panic to course down her arms. Ham seemed not to have noticed and grabbed
her, pulling her toward the Pod.

"No - Ham, look - it's Leah and
Marin." Regan shook loose and screamed out to the pair while waving her
arms frantically, "GO BACK . . . GO BACK . . . GO BACK!"

They didn't seem to hear and continued
their run toward her.

"Regan, you can't do anything, get
over here!"

"Ham, why isn't the Saucer displacing
them?"

"I can't help from here, and you know
I can't communicate with the Saucer or the Pod - get in here!"

But she was running now, screaming at Marin
and Leah to go back, and pointing behind her to the plant doors, swearing and
waving, screaming over and over. Ham hesitated only a moment before darting
toward the Pod, the only hope of a quick displacement and safety for them both
- and then Reubus stepped out from behind it to confront him. Ham stopped and
glanced quickly back to Regan who he could see was still running and in that
millisecond he knew,
if Reubus fights me it will be too late anyway.
So
he didn't try, and turning in one powerful motion he surged after Regan,
accelerating to an incredible sprint across the deck.

The Reubus copy watched him go before
turning its head toward the deck doors and contemplating the inferno building
beyond them. A momentary glance back at the running figures revealed them still
not midway across the deck and it gave him all the confidence he needed.
They
will never survive
. He calmly commenced deleting himself from the android,
leaving it to tip back and rest against the Pod hull. His final thoughts just
before complete erasure?
What is it that Regan says? Perfect planning
prevents evidence remaining . . .
He laughed . . .
or something like
that?
And then things faded to black.

Out on the deck Marin finally grasped
Regan's message and he slowed to a stop, hauling Leah back with him. They
debated there for a second, both confused and reluctant as they looked toward
Regan who was running but still a good two hundred meters away, and then beyond
her they saw explosions as the doors to the flight deck burst outward with
surging flame spilling out like a flood.

All hesitation gone, Marin roughly pulled
Leah around and drove her toward the Saucer with his arm as he sprinted behind,
urging her forward with every step and not daring to look back.

Regan slowed to a jog as she watched them
go and then finally she succumbed, bending double with exhaustion and gasping
from the effort. She glanced back up just in time to see the pair nearing
safety and sobbed with relief.

And then she turned to see Ham was
sprinting toward her, chased by an inescapable wall of all engulfing flame.
Eerily calm she stood tall to face the inferno knowing immediately there was no
way they could escape - they weren't going to make it.

* * *

Marin and Leah stumbled through to control
with not even a look behind and as the Saucer door ratcheted shut, their eyes
were already glued to the screen. From there they watched in anguish as the
android Ham neared Regan, but they could see it was far too late with the
flames already on his back. He didn't slow, his body slamming into Regan with
such force that he drove her backwards, and as he did so he seemed to take her
head in his hands, his fingers digging deep into her temples.

* * *

Regan braced as he hit, she felt the
searing heat, felt the hands and the pressure on her temples as she rocketed
backward in his arms . . . and then she felt the powerful killing jolt that
blanked everything before they hit the deck.

* * *

From the safety
of The STEIN Traveler Jared anxiously followed the Saucer feeds with his eyes
wide in shock and fingers gripping the control chair, the knuckles white. At
his side a Ham avatar looked ashen and equally shocked at the inconceivable events
playing out before them. And as they watched the flames swallow both Regan and
android he began muttering in despair. "Jared . . . the displacer in the Saucer
. . . it wasn't working remember? I'm so sorry, I couldn't do anything - I
couldn't get them out."

Already he had
the saucer retreating from the deck, and accelerating away to safety.

Jared wasn't listening;
instead he was already winding back the video feed and zooming far down the
deck to the Pod, and on a figure he had seen there. It was too distant to be
recognizable but he could see it was a tall humanoid form casually leaning
there. Nevertheless, he thought he knew, and he burned with anger.

* * *

Dahlia Orbital

In a slow, soft emergence two avatars
materialized. Nothing was said as they regarded Regan's android scrunched on
the floor with knees pulled up tight against the chest, head buried in the
arms. There was no movement or acknowledgement of their entrance and no sign
even of life. Nevertheless they knew they had found her.

"I thought we'd find you here."
Hilary spoke with gentleness and compassion as she crouched beside the forlorn
figure, extending an arm around Regan's shoulders and then seeming to engulf
her in the embrace, not physical but deeper than that, something all consuming.
For many minutes they stayed that way, in a silence that said so much, and then
Regan's head lifted as she raised one hand to massage the android temple in an
action that seemed to surprise even her. She dropped the hand in front of her
eyes to look at it as Hilary sat back, a sad expression on her face. Regan
looked at the moving fingers, playing with them as if it was the first time she
had experienced such a thing, and then she looked at Hilary, ignoring the
beautiful man.

"Ham killed me."

"He saved you Regan, from the pain of
an awful death."

"But he did it, he killed me."

"No my dear, you are here."

She shook her head, "Not me . . . not
my flesh, not my right brain, they'll never be here again."

Ham dropped to his knees. "Babe, when
you ran away from me - to save Marin and Leah - it meant there was no hope, no
way out, I had only seconds - and the flames . . ." He looked as if he was
lost for words then quickly recovered. "I can only guess that I couldn't stand
to see you suffer, and it was certain there was no chance, you would have died
horribly."

She reached for him and stroked the avatar
arm. "I know that Ham, and how I feel right now is so selfish and unfair,
it just seems so unbelievable, so inconceivable, I always felt that you would
always save me."

"Regan, I saved what I could, you know
that."

"I get that Ham, I really do, but
right now, all I feel is loss;" She thought for a moment, "I mean,
what am I without my body?"

Hilary and Ham exchanged looks before the
gracious lady, after much thought answered for them both.

"Why sweetheart, you're just like us
now."

Regan seemed to rock back at the words, at
once recognizing the truth and the reality.

Then Hilary continued. "Regan, Marin
and Leah are here, and they're grieving even though they knew you would still
be somewhere. You need to see them sweetheart, but not like that, at least not
the first time." and she gestured to Regan's android form.