Chapter 10 All Aboard

Chapter 10

 

All Aboard

 

 

Theta and Alysia were flying up the elevator. Alysia on Theta's shoulder. Theta was standing in the center of the cylinder like elevator.

 

"When we get up there we need to assume that they will have evacuated everyone and will be shutting down the Launcher." Alysia said.

 

"What all we did was set off an non-lethal explosive within a populated and very important building and kill some of their enforcers." Theta said jokingly. Though he was joking he was still thinking of the vision he had seen only moments ago.

 

"I don't see how this is funny." Alysia said very serious.

 

"By the way. Where were you!?" She screamed. Obviously furious because of his disappearance.

 

"Well. I saw this girl." He started but was quickly cut off.

 

"A girl! You got distracted by a girl. A mission to save a nation and possibly the world and you were distracted by a girl?" She said critically.

 

"I though I knew her and then we were in a long medieval hall full of knights. Then I was talking to this king guy. Then I turned to stone." The words were pouring out. Alysia's gaze becoming less intense and more disbelieving.

 

"I think it was a memory. But none like before." He said.

 

Alysia sighed and said, "Ok so it wasn't completely your fault."

 

Theta was relieved to hear this and was about to say something when the elevator stopped abruptly.

"What happened?" Theta asked.

"They have found us and isolated our lift." As she said this she looked up. "Open that panel."

"Can't you override them or something?" He asked while reaching for the panel at the ceiling and opening it.

"I could but they are most likely sending security to kill or collect us as we speak. Besides I have something faster." She said as she flew past him and outside the elevator.

 Theta climbed out and looked around. The room was  There were four metal beams forming what looked like the corners of a square on points around the elevator. There were mechanisms attached to the elevator and they were wrapped around the beams.

"That must be how they go up." Theta thought aloud.

"A very astute observation. Those are also what is keeping us here. They aren't active right now. I am detecting a wireless receiver in each of these and an internal battery. Each gets its orders from the people in charge via the elevator. Each one of these are required to lift the elevator. But you do not weigh an elevator's worth. It would take to long to take control of each of these. But one of them would be no problem. We need to move up with them but without the elevator." She said quickly.

"So you want me to cut us away from the elevator and destroy the other clamps holding us here?" Theta asked. Having second thoughts about his friends sanity. Could A.I.'s go insane?

"Yes but I am not. Listen we have no time we need to go." Alysia said, agitatedly.

"Fine." Theta said and released his blades from his gauntlet. He swung twice and severed two of the clamps. The elevator shuttered a bit but didn't fall. He could hear a slight protest form the other two. He looked at Alysia. She nodded. He severed the last two, retracted his blades,and grabbed onto one as the elevator plummeted.

The gap where the once was an elevator revealed an open elevator door and a bunch of guards with raised guns.

"Alysia!" Theta shouted

"Hold on!" She yelled back. She grabbed his arm and then Theta and Alysia started to skyrocket up. The force made him lose his grip. Now holding on with only one hand he desperately grabbed so he wouldn't fly off.

He regained his grip and looked up. He was flying for about a minutes before he began to see the end, it was just a light. But it was becoming brighter.

He was going to have to time this perfectly.

Alysia knowing his plan jumped off his arm. He rotated himself a bit and pushed off, aiming for the beams for the clamps. He bent his legs up and reached. He dug the spikes on his knees into the wall and grabbed one of the beams. The clamp continued until it crashed at the top of the shaft. Alysia  flew to the opening which was only a few yards away.

 She shrieked and flew down.

A barrage of bullets hitting the air where she was.

Theta stretched out his arm and Alysia landed on it.

"We have a welcoming party I presume." Theta said. "How is the company?" he said gesturing his head towards the numerous bullet holes.

"Hardly going to scratch the paint." Alysia said, forgetting her anger for him earlier. "Hollow point shells, small arms and submachine guns, and gelatinous exo-skeletal body armor. markings suggest a private company, not law enforcement. They have a pretty decent setup. From what I saw we are in the middle of a rectangular atrium. There are 3 floors, they are set up on all of them as well as well as deployed cover on the paths that lead diagonally from where we are. Speed is the best bet"

"Agreed. Where is our station?" Theta asked casting her off and jumping to the other side, opposite the opening.  Just below where they could see him. His cloak billowing behind him.

"Launcher station 17. Its a bit of a walk so we will need to acquire some transport." She said, flying back to his arm.

"Alright get ready." Theta said, getting ready to jump.

"I will cloak and head out when they are distracted. I will provide support and look for a ride." Alysia said, turning invisible.

Theta looked over his shoulder and gathered his strength. He pushed off the wall with all his might. And he went airborne.

The world slowed down as he was flying. Everything becoming intensely clear. As he was clearing the threshold he studied as much as he could.

There were two paths one to the right and to the left. Blocking those paths were soldiers in black, curved, and shiny armor. Gel armor was light and extremely durable. Between the paths was a pool of water with a fountain in the center.

Five soldiers guarded each path. he could see black clad soldiers on the three floors in front of him. The soldiers were only about thirty-five feet away.

Theta landed and rolled to where he was crouching and looked up. A split second passed between when he looked up and when what appeared to be a very small, flaming flower grew out of the barrels of each gun trained at him.

Theta jumped towards the left path and in mid flight extended his blades. This jump had shortened the distance between him and the soldiers considerably, as he was just on the other side of their cover. He tackled the one in the middle. As he landed he got to a knee quickly and sliced at the back of the knees of two of the soldiers. As the last two turned he stabbed them in the neck.

A haze of bullets flew at him. Shattering the glass barriers between him and the pool and fountain. He trusted Alysia but didn't want to press his own luck. He started to run down the path. As he was running he saw assorted store fronts along the walls. He also saw on the opposite side of a food court, a large glass wall with a set of matching glass doors leading into a courtyard.

"Alysia I will meet you outside. I will evade these guys and proceed on foot to Launcher 17 until you can pick me up." Theta said, dashing for the doors. He was running through and over the tables.

"Got it." She said quickly.

Theta capsized a few tables to make him harder to hit from behind. The bullets coming from the front however were beginning to get closer and closer to hitting there mark. He picked up a table, it feeling like it weighed less than a foam lid. Using it as a ram and a shield he ran full on towards the door. The bullets hitting his shield were deadened by the metal, the shots making a clanging sound.

When he felt no more tables hitting his shield he passed underneath the balcony with the gunners and jumped through the window.

The glass fell like rain around him and Theta crashed to the ground. He stood up and was about to run but was stopped by the figures before him.


 Two figures in red and black cloaks, each holding a scythe.

The Infernum Bellatoras .

The one on the left was noticeably larger and more muscled than his partner. But each had the same blank mask with a ridge down the middle as the last one.

Theta was just calculating how to beat them, when a pair of hovering airships showed up. Each had a rotating propulsion system in there wings, a cockpit what appeared to be a minigun attached under the nose, and a tail rotor within the tail.

"Alysia we have a problem." Theta said, not moving and waiting for his enemies to make the firs move.

"I see. I'm working on it." She said.

"Work quickly." Theta said. He heard the footsteps of the soldiers behind him and knew he would be surrounded.

The smaller of the Infernum Bellatoras stepped forward and said, "You are hereby ordered to surrender to us. You shall be put on trial before the Supreme Directional. If you come quietly, no harm will come to you."

Theta noticed one of the hovercraft slowly start to turn toward its counterpart. Theta thought this was strange. He probed Alysia thoughts and saw her plan.

Oh she is daring, Theta thought. He looked at his feet and saw the table resting upside down. He looked back up at the Infernum Bellatoras.

He said, "I will be given a fair trial?"

The one who had spoken earlier replied, "You will be given a trial. The supreme directional will decide how fair. Besides you don't seem to have much of a choice."

Theta saw Alysia's barrel start to rotate.

Theta grabbed the table and said, "I will take my chances." Theta grabbed the table and with all his might he threw it at the two. The larger one stepped forward and sliced it in two.

Alysia's hovercraft unleashed a hail of fire on the other. Caught off guard it did little other than start smoking and crash in a massive blaze.

Theta began to run but the two Infernum Bellatoras appeared before him in a poof of smoke. The two swung there scythes downward in unison. Theta rolled backwards and took a stance.

Alysia opened fire on the soldiers behind him, who returned fire and tried to seek cover from within the atrium.

Theta however was dodging and diving. Being kept on the defensive by the two enemies attacks.
Each attacking in perfect form and unison.

He just had to hold on until an opening presented itself. And one did. Alysia had repositioned herself and had opened fire on them with extreme accuracy. This separated them and one of the two disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Leaving Theta with the larger of the two. Theta went on the offensive. Scoring small strikes here and there. The big guy swung and Theta grabbed the scythe and closed the distance. His sword plunged into the things left shoulder joint. Theta worked the blade around causing as much damage as possible. Until a sickening crack could be heard.

The thing yelled and kicked Theta.

Theta was forced back and lost his grip on the weapons shaft.

The creatures yell had been more animal than human. Theta questioned whether or not these things were human.

Its arm was dead. Theta knew because it hung limp at the creatures side and blood seeped from the wound.

The things chest was heaving. But not because it was out of breath.

It was furious.

Then it seemed to calm.

Theta's enemy made the scythe shorten until it could be easily used with one hand. Then it disappeared.

Theta began to turn, scanning for the beast.

Alysia's voice shocked him. "Theta we have a problem!" She yelled.

"What?" His voice icy, still slowly spinning.

"Enemy Reinforcements. At least five more gunships and the Infernum Bellatora that left earlier is leading the guys and attacking me. I don't know if you noticed, but he is throwing fire balls." She said.

Theta stopped at that last remark. He hadn't been paying attention to the fight behind him. "So these guys can teleport and throw fire balls?"

"Apparently so!" She said straining her voice.

"Alright I will make my way to the top of a building. I will jump on." Theta said making a dash for the nearest building.

"Let me know when you are ready." She said, strafing left to right unleashing suppressive fire on the front of the building.

There was a twenty foot tall building in front of him he would be able to get up quickly. He ran in and found himself in a fancy restraint.

It was empty.

Theta saw a spiral staircase and bolted towards it and up it as fast as he could. He passed the first and second floor and at the top there was a door. He opened it and ran through.

As soon as he stepped out he said, "Alysia I'm ready."

Her gunship turned and flew to the rooftop. The glass cockpit door opened and Theta ran over. He dragged the bodies of the pilots out and hopped into the seat behind the pilots chair. Alysia who was in the front closed the door and without touching the controls the ship flew forward.

"Wirelessly tapped into the ships controls. We are headed to Launcher station 17." She said.

He looked around the chair and saw her perched on the controls.

"How far away are we?" Theta asked trying to decipher the menagerie of buttons and monitors in front of him.

"We will be there in seconds but we have more problems. They are going to scuttle the Launcher." She said, with much gravity.

Theta was shocked at this.

They knew what Alysia and he were doing. They wouldn't expend all these resources if they thought they were terrorists. Especially to destroy such a vital apparatus for this and probably many other cities. This would explain why the Infernum Bellatora he had been fighting had just disappeared, it had been warned. Theta thought to himself.

"Exactly." Alysia answered him. Having read his thoughts.

"Where are those gunships?" Theta asked checking the area outside the ship.

"They left. They picked up the remaining troops shortly after we left and are now leaving the airspace. We are almost there." She said coming down near what looked like a massive, tilted air filter.

"That's it. I will drop us right next to the entrance." Alysia said, the ship slowly coming to a landing.

The hatch opened and the duo got out. They dashed for the steel door and opened it.

Inside was a large glass cylinder blocking their way. Theta could see through it what looked like a strange launch platform.

"We need to go through that its a millimeter scanner. It wont let us through because we are armed. So just break through it." Alysia said landing on his shoulder.

"Alright and when we get passed it?" Theta said, breaking through the glass. As he did alarms sounded.

"Don't mind those. Then we strap in. I plug in the coordinates, the Launcher makes the fine tuning, and then we get a quick ride to the nearest receiver." Alysia said, as Theta broke down the other glass door.

Theta stepped in and saw the thing they would be riding in. It looked like half a tear drop, with two seats, in a line, that were covered with harnesses and other safety measures. It was all mounted on an elevated platform.

"Alright get in the seat. You are going to have to hold onto me ok?" Alysia said flying to one of the seats.

"Because this thing wasn't designed for hawks." Theta inferred, climbing up to his seat.

"Exactly. Now strap yourself in first." Alysia instructed.

He had just gotten the first strap on when the entire room shook around them.

They were really going to blow it up, Theta said to himself strapping in more.

When he had finished Alysia flew to his lap. The station was shaking vigorously. Pieces of the building surrounding them were starting to crack.

Then the second half of the tear came out of the ground near them and was secured into its place by a giant robotic arm. Then another robotic arm assisted the now complete tear into a slot on the roof, that Theta had not noticed before now. Once through it looked like Theta was looking down the barrel of a gun. Then a small device was placed onto the nose of the craft.

The magnet and it looked to be electronic. But it wasn't working.

"It will work. It isn't activated. The Launcher needs to make the fine adjustments."Alysia explained.

The station rocked some more.

"We don't have time. We need to launch now." Theta said fiercely.

"Overriding." Alysia said. Seeming to concentrate very hard.

Theta could see smoke outside of the barrel. The station felt like it was starting to dip.

Explosions could be heard outside.

"Alysia!" Theta shouted.

"Launching!" She barely got out. Then the station rocked severely as the lights on the magnet lit up.

Then the world became a blur.

And as quickly as they had started, Theta heard something come over the ships speakers.

"Possibly fatal collision detected. Engaging countermeasures."

Theta thought quickly. "Alysia faze out." He ordered her.

"What? No." She said adamantly.

"Countermeasures deactivated by Supreme Directional override. Probability of survival. Ten percent."

He needed to get her out. Then it hit him.He had an idea. She would never forgive him if he did it though.

"Alysia. I will miss you. Override code 72. Immediate Faze generator override. Sustain for 30 seconds."

"Don't do it. We will make it." Alysia pleaded, her voice broken.

Theta took off his helmet and smiled. "Your right we will be. I don't know what I was thinking."

Alysia looked relieved.

Then Theta's face hardened. "Initiate Faze generator."

Alysia's face registered her equivalent of shock. Then she slipped through him and the ship blink fast.

Theta closed his eyes and put his helmet back on.

And he unbuckled himself. He had to at least try, but he couldn't let Alysia be here if he failed.

Fighting the G-force he reached forward and extended the blade on his right hand. And he stabbed the electric magnet. It fizzled and the pod started to decrease in speed, but not fast enough. Theta gently let himself back to his seat. Then strapped himself back in.

The pod began to aim towards the ground.

Theta closed his eyes and thought of three things.

One: Alysia. She was not going to be happy about this. Either way.

Two: The little girl Serena. She must have been wrong.

Three: The woman he had seen in his vision. He would never know who she was. Or for that matter himself.

The ground was almost upon him. Theta braced himself. As his ship rushed to embrace the ground, and then they met.

Then all was still.