The Sands of Time 33

 

"Drop it." 

Jen was in the doorway with her gun trained on Hillier. Joon had stepped in front of Maia, and Howie seemed to sense the tension as well. The Gate seemed to be powering down, but was still swirling in color. 

Hillier raised her weapon, targeting different people, then lowered it. Jen looked serious but who knew if she'd take that shot? Hillier glared at her then, waited several long moments, then turned the weapon around and handed it to Joon. 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

Hillier came close to Joon and whispered "Remember that. This could have gone differently." 

Joon relaxed his grip on the inhibitor collar control unit. He hadn't wanted to use it. She seemed to sense what he was thinking and smiled in a knowing fashion. 

"Okay," said Valerus. "Now that we've defused that bit of drama... what now?"

"We can't go back, apparently," said Maia. 

"Those didn't look like Stella's people," Joon agreed grimly. 

"Can we assume Stella has been ousted?" Jen asked. 

"I wouldn't say that. Stella's not an idiot, she'll move if things get bad. There are a number of places she could go." 

"What's our endgame though?" Maia asked. "If the Gate is no longer under our control..."

The Gate was humming louder. 

One of the technicians called to them. 

"Sir," he said breathlessly to Valerus, "they're trying to reestablish connection."

"Block it," said Valerus. 

"Yes, sir," the man replied. "I'm not sure how long I can..."

Valerus nodded, looked at Joon. "He can only block them so long. If they have someone there who knows what they're doing..." 

"Options?"

"The issue is they have override controls. It would seem to me we can flee. There are other settlements here. We could remain at large for a bit. Of course, the problem is if they ever close the Gate, we're stuck here. We could wait for them to come through. Or..."

"Or?"

"We could go somewhere else."

"Where?"

"This is not... the only world we have accessed."

"Of course not."

"We'd still be vulnerable," pointed out Maia. 

"Yes, but we'd have more time. It has the added benefit of enabling me to collect certain... papers I've left various places. Things that may be useful to us." 

Joon looked at him askance. 

"Sir," one of the techs began. 

"Hold it off," Valerus barked. 

"We should go," Maia said. "We need to stay out of their grip, and keep him free as well. None of us can work the Gate without him," she said. 

"I was going to say something similar, but didn't want to sound selfish," said Valerus. "I do know a lot that the Directorate doesn't." 

"But what are the odds Stella wins?" asked Hillier. "Let's face it, they're her boss. I'm sure they're going to win."

"So surrender?"

"Surrender is not in my nature," she grinned. "I say go. But realistically your odds are not... favorable." 

"Howie?" Joon turned to the orb. Howie just keened. 

"I say we go, then," Joon decided. 

"Alrighty." Valerus turned to the techs. "Set coordinates for Ymir."

"Ymir?" 

"It'll be... cold," Valerus said rather sheepishly. 

The corridor was dark. This section of the complex was not lit well as it was seldom used. Mallory had not been able to finagle where they were going out of Stella. After some close calls they were off the grid, as it were, Stella no longer replying to Rodriguez or the other teams scouring the complex. Mallory wasn't sure that was wise. How did they ever come in from the cold, so to speak, if Stella continued to rebel? 

They came out of a side passage into a well lit area. There was an arched doorway ahead leading somewhere. Off to their left a green glow indicated another area- someone entered and the door closed, then opened once more. Were there teams of people working out here they were not aware of? 

"Krell doors," Stella remarked, indicating the large archway. 

"Krell?" 

"Old movie," Stella smiled. "This way." She led the way to the left. 

They soon ID swiped through a metal door that opened into a cavernous room full of... people? All in tanks. Mallory knew of this area but hadn't been here. Stella began activating them, using an override code that Mallory didn't know. The soldier accompanying them was nervous. 

"Defend this sector," Stella ordered, amongst other commands. 

The cybernetic organisms began to spread out, going this way and that. Many looked human, but some weren't... finished yet. Partial faces, metal underneath, or circuits. Even young. Mallory was not entirely comfortable. 

"Would you prefer to be killed?" Stella asked. 

Joon was watching the floating domes. Valerus hastened across the observation deck, papers getting away from him in the wind. He'd been gone five minutes. They had little time. 

"Let's move," shouted Hillier from the Gate room. They hastened within, Joon taking a last look back at the sky. This world somehow drew him. Maybe it was those floating ships, shaped like domes, floating lazily across an azure sky. To requisition one of those, to float away across a water world. Maybe one day he could come back here. 

They went through the Gate moments later, Valerus having left Jen in charge. Under no circumstances were they to risk themselves. Surrender if told to, get home rather than be shot or left here. Jen suppressed a tear and nodded. Scramble the Gate controls after they left and vamoose, he advised the techs. 

"How will you get back?"

"I have options," he said. 

Moments later they emerged into a winterscape and the cold took Joon's breath away.