Blake Tales>
TaleTeller
Part 3
Travis' mutoid made her way down one of the small tunnels Terloc had been using. She silently glanced over a ledge to make sure of the position of the man standing below her on a landing. He had a rifle, and his face was covered by a clear plastic breathing apparatus. She waited until his back was turned, then hopped down with utter silence, caught him by his coat and yanked him to the floor. His gun spun away with the most noise of her entire attack, and the man only had time to utter a small croak
of pain as she strangled him.
When this was done, the mutoid sat back with a pleased smile and removed a signal unit from her belt. She lengthened the antenna, then toggled a switch. Far above, outside the tunnels, a trio of female mutoids received the signal and came in, their laser rifles at ready. Four more mutoids stood under Travis' watchful gaze. In response to the signals they did a military about-face and started down the tunnel.
There were a group of people in the gray-lit cave. They were setting up camp near an underground river. So they were totally unprepared when the mutoids appeared at the cave mouth. Travis' slender blue-eyed favorite came to the fore. "Stay where you are."
The group to a man held their place. Travis stepped in now and stared contemptuously at the small gathering. Finally he took an aggressive step forward. "Which of you is Avalon?" One of the group came to the fore. Travis took a blaster in hand and removed the face-mask to meet a man's defiant angry gaze. The Space Commander sneered and shoved the blaster in the man's face. "I want Avalon... now!" The man he held flinched.
There was a stirring from the back of the group. A smaller person came forward. The man who had been standing in front of her grabbed her arm, but to no avail. She removed her mask and met Travis' cold gaze with one of her own. She had fine, soft features and immense brown eyes, and looked barely twenty. Travis threw the man away from him to fall amongst the supplies. The girl glanced down, then glared fiercely up at Travis.
"Who betrayed us?" A young, high-pitched voice.
"Take her," Travis told his mutoids. They did.
His main companion came a few feet down to a long cylinder, propped up by stones and broadcasting a signal. She looked at it hopefully. "Shall I smash it?"
"No." The mutoid came back to him and looked up with a question in her eyes. "Give Blake his homing beacon. Make it easier for him. Finish it," he added, with a slow glance over the remaining rebels. He turned to go.
"No, wait! It's me, Terloc!" The traitor scrambled over to them and fell on his knees at Travis' feet. "I helped you! I gave you Avalon, I gave you Avalon!!" The mutoid kicked him down, snapping a rib. He groaned in pain but raised his head, knowing now it had been for nothing. "They're gonna kill us!" He groaned again when the blaster-fire hit him, and was not alive after to hear the panic about him. There was nowhere to go, and the rebels fell one after another, one man tumbling into the river
to float there. It was all over quickly. The mutoid blinked, satisfied, and led her troop out of there.
Steve Baxter
This should be a read-only room. Blake Tales is for the TaleTeller only.
Cool Breeze
Good question
TaleTeller
Part 6
The bleak white hallway had a dozen other halls intersecting with it. A pair of armed, helmeted guards stood at attention at each intersection. They did not react to the delicate mutoid woman who moved with quick steps through the hall. She came to a door which slid open ahead of her, stepped between the two guards on the other side and moved to where Travis sat, long legs crossed as he studied a readout.
She stood in front of him at stiff attention and reported, "The Supreme Commander's ship has landed. They've already disembarked."
He looked up at her and leaned back. "Good! I think we're about ready. Oh, I'll need a human to assist in the tests. Check with the Detention Block, see if they can give you someone."
"Any special characteristics?" she asked to be certain.
"No. An ordinary unskilled labor-grade will do. An expendable."
"If there isn't one in detention?"
He glared sharply at her, a warning that she asked too many questions. "Then detain one."
"Yes, Commander."
The mutoid taken care of, Travis moved to another section of the laboratory where a life-support machine held Avalon captive. She had been stripped of her clothing by the doctors, one of whom was studying her with careful intentness. Broad metal bands across her chest and hips immobilized her, and perhaps lessened any embarrassment she might have felt at the forced nudity. Smaller bands kept her from moving her arms or legs, as the girl had fought them for every effort they made to study her until
they had done so. The end of the machine that covered her head strobed lights into her face, keeping her dazed. An old interrogation technique, but quite effective. Travis shifted his attention to the doctor.
"Any problems?"
The old man jumped slightly, not having noticed Travis approach. "None that I can see. A good, healthy specimen. No deformities or unusual features. A standard triple-omega should provide a perfect basis."
"Good. Can you complete quickly?"
"I think so. We have an experienced team standing by, everything's ready."
Travis shifted his gaze to Avalon for a long moment. "Good, good. Remember if you need any further equipment you have an absolute priority rating. Demand whatever you want on my authority."
"Thank you Commander."
Avalon struggled to see through the flashing lights, hearing Travis' familiar, hated voice. He leaned down a little to meet her eyes. "You should be flattered by all this special attention."
Immobilized as she was, the rebel could not clench her fists, but the anger she felt came clearly through in her voice. "Anyone who opposes the Federation KNOWS what to expect if they get captured! It's a risk we're ALL prepared to take!"
Travis' coughing laugh held clear contempt. "Obviously! But whatever the risk no one really ever expects to get caught, do they, hmmm?" He strolled around to the other side of the machine, forcing her to turn her head to see him. Her glare seemed to amuse the Space Commander. "Still, I wish I could find the same urge to sacrifice among my subordinates."
"They have no Cause," she tried to sneer back at him.
He smiled mockingly down. "Heh, true."
She wanted to shake her fists at him, but there was no way to do so. "Every year more people defy the Federation, thirty planets in this sector alone. And others will follow. MANY others!"
"Yes, well you'll tell us about those won't you. Their leaders, locations, their plans. I'm sure we'll be able to convince them that loyalty to the Federation is after all in their best interest." He smiled coldly into Avalon's helpless fury.
She did not give up, though. "I know enough about these machines to realize that I will tell you everything. You will murder hundreds of people, maybe thousands. But you won't end the opposition. You'll NEVER end it!"
Travis felt a vague respect for the young woman's determination. He laughed dryly at it though and turned away from her. "Perhaps not. However, we shall persevere." He regarded her over his shoulder, the readout under his arm. "You're right of course, you will tell us everything. But first we need you for a far more important venture. We've code-named it Project Avalon."
Travis' certainty was suddenly frightening. "<I> won't help you! You can't force ME to help you."
He spun to face her whole, voice like ice. "Don't be naive. I can force you to do anything. It isn't necessary, though, you're already helping me. Just by being here you've set in motion a chain of events which have been absolutely pre-determined."
"I don't understand."
"No?" He leaned on the machine, bringing his face down close to her head. "Did you think your capture at this particular point was natural chance?" She bared her teeth at him, causing him to smile faintly. "It was a carefully calculated strategy. You're worth a great deal to me! You're going to give me Blake, his crew, and his undamaged ship. The Federation wants the Liberator! You and I are going to give it to them."
TaleTeller
Part 9
A security robot was making its rounds out on the mountainside. Finished with them, it trundled back into the tunnels.
Chevner led the Liberator group around the robot's patrol line to a door far inside the caves. Blake called in the thief. "Vila." He hurried over, Jenna on his heels still carrying the toolkit. Under Blake's watchful eyes, both knelt by the door and Vila brought out tools that, as far as Blake could tell, he used to 'diagnose' the lock he was working on.
Chevner came up beside Blake. "You said it won't be long," he muttered nervously.
Blake stiffened, annoyed. "He knows his job!"
The two men crouched low and listened to strange sounds echoing through the tunnels. In a moment Jenna came to join them, having nothing to do now that Vila was at work. Her ears were better than their's and she called alert at a far-off hum. "Security robot." Together the group flattened themselves against the wall, hardly daring to breathe as the robot trundled into the tunnel.
Gan and Cally kept an eye on the readings at their stations. Avon was content to let them take care of the ship's position. He sat at the couch going over some figures with a precision few could hope to emulate.
One of Liberator's holo-screens opened to show a scanner grid, and five arrow shapes beginning to cross it. Zen spoke. <<Sensors report spacecraft approaching.>>
Avon glanced up boredly. "Identify."
<<Analysis indicates they are Mark Four Federation Interceptors.>>
"Compute course, speed and range," Cally requested.
<<Interceptors are bearing directly on this position. Speed, Standard by two.>> The scanner magnified the approaching ships. <<Range, two million spatials.>>
Gan and Cally exchanged nervous glances, and the young woman hesitated before asking, "Have they seen us?"
<<Hull sensors register scanning beams.>>
Avon was on his feet as if he had never been sitting. "So they know we're here." He came around the couch to where Gan was at station and took a quick reading. There was sharp annoyance in the piercing eyes when he read the results. "We'll be within their attack range in minutes!"
"We must tell Blake." Cally moved to the communication console and signaled the rebels down on the planet.
The robot could find no movement, and so it backed out of the tunnel. The group unpeeled themselves from the cave walls. Blake cautiously peered out the tunnel. His heart was just beginning to slow down, and once again he could feel cold on his cheeks and nose. "All right, Vila," he whispered back. The thief gathered up his tools again and got back to work. Just then they heard the humming of the robot. "It's coming back!" Vila dove under a sheet of metal near him, the rest of the group once
again tried to grow into the wall. The robot stopped just outside the tunnel. As a group the rebels felt their hearts nearly stop when Blake's bracelet began beeping. He muffled the sound quickly.
Cally tried two more times before giving up and turning to find herself facing Avon's blazing gaze. "He's not answering."
Gan looked up from the console he monitored. "They're coming in VERY fast. What do we do now?"
"Run for it. We daren't risk a fight now." Avon was coldly firm.
The idea alarmed Cally. "But that'll leave them trapped down there if they need to got up quickly!"
Avon's glare was whip-sharp, his voice ice cold. "If we stay here, there might not be anything to get up to. Our only hope is to make a fast orbit, lose those interceptors and then come back into station!" Cally caught her breath audibly, and Gan looked distressed. Avon glared at both of them. "Well, have you got any better ideas?!" He allowed them a moment to suggest anything. "All right, then let's get the hell out of here," he ordered firmly and moved to a flight station. Cally closed her
eyes for a moment, knowing he was right, he was always right. Then she moved for her station as Avon commanded, "Cally, take her on manual."
The robot left, this time going another way. Blake sighed as they came away from the wall again. "Okay, Vila." Remembering the signal he lifted his bracelet. "Avon!" There was silence and he felt suddenly frightened again. "Cally!!" Afraid to consider the unthinkable, he began to check the bracelet for damage.
Jenna noted his actions. "Problem?"
"There's no response," he whispered nervously.
Jenna lifted her own bracelet in sudden alarm. "Avon, Cally!" There was little chance both bracelets had been damaged or were malfunctioning. She offered, "Jammed."
"No." Blake tried again to find any damage, though he knew there was none. Finally he gave up the idea and gazed cautiously down the tunnel. "Let's hope they're back on station by the time we need them. Come on, Vila!" he urged the thief. With a shifting movement, the door began to open. Blake's relief was strong. He moved to Chevner's side and allowed himself to look smug about the door.
Chevner caught the reproof for doubting Blake's crewman, but ignored it. "Okay let's go," he whispered.
"Right."
Chevner slipped through the door first, then Blake and Jenna. Vila delayed to gather up his kit, only hurrying when Blake called back in an urgent whisper, "Vila, move it!" The thief hurried, closing the door behind them.
TaleTeller
Part 10
A com unit beeped, breaking an almost contented silence in the laboratory. The delicate-seeming mutoid answered it. "Yes?" She listened to the voice. "Understood." Releasing the com, she crossed the room to where Travis and Servalan sat in chairs beside each other, Travis intent on some crew reports, and Servalan shutting everything out behind video-glasses. The mutoid stood patiently directly in front of Travis, until he looked up finally and waved at her. "Well?"
"Space security report. Our interceptors have detected an alien ship."
Servalan slipped the glasses off to listen. Travis frowned at his mutoid sternly. "Has it been identified?"
"Available data suggests it could be the Liberator." She waited, patient again despite the Space Commander's scowl.
Travis finally snapped at her, "Suggests? Suggests?! Of course it's the Liberator! What action's been taken?"
"Our ships are in pursuit." Again she waited patiently.
Servalan turned a steady gaze on Travis. "Shouldn't you call them off?"
Travis glanced her way, cool again. "Not really. I know they can't match the Liberator's speed, but it'll look suspicious if they took no action."
"True," Servalan agreed after a moment.
"Hmmm." Travis stood and began to pace, long legs taking him from one side of the room to another with deadly grace. "If I read my man correctly you can expect him to penetrate the center within the next twelve hours." He stopped pacing as he realized that so far, nothing had gone wrong with this plan. Confidently he settled back into the chair.
* * *
Chevner led the group down empty corridors. He paused beside one door and brought hands that had gripped a rifle too long to his face, to breath on them and sooth the cramping. Blake came to his side. "Try this one, or move on further?"
The local rebel was not hiding the fear being here gave him. He shuddered but answered, "Well I think we should be... well inside the maze by now. Let's give it a go."
Blake eyed Chevner, wondering how much of this the man could take before he broke and ran, or if he would take it all and not run. But there would be time to wonder later, he determined. "Vila, you're in business."
The thief popped up beside them, making both men jump. Despite Blake's fierce glare Vila gave him a wide-eyed look. "That has tri-bar fastenings on the other side. You need a lot of explosives... or a genius to open that."
Vila's wide-eyed expression invariably meant something close to I'm-pulling-your leg. Blake asked seriously, "Can you do it?"
"Of course!"
The rebel bit back a long sigh. "All right, we'll applaud you later. For now, just get on with it."
* * *
A doctor swaddled in green left the young woman wearing a short white tunic in a cell. He sealed the door behind him, cell-unit F2, and started back toward the laboratory. Before he got fifty feet down the corridor though, Travis and Servalan rounded the corner, the two male mutoids on their heels. "Ah. Are you finished with her?" Travis demanded.
"Yes, we just put her in her cell."
Travis moved on quickly, but the Supreme Commander paused to ask, "Was everything satisfactory?"
"Perfectly!"
A young man spoke into the speaker system, giving them pause as they listened. "Interrogation Team One, report to Duty Control. Repeat: Interrogation Team One, report to Duty Control."
Travis reached the monitor computer in long, hurried strides. A coded punchcard activated the cell map, and then focused on F2, to show an image of Avalon. The computer announced, +F2, Avalon.+ Servalan and Travis nodded automatically, and the Space Commander removed the coded punchcard.
Glancing around he took note of a nearby security guard. With aggressive speed he caught the man's sidearm and studied it. Long experience with such weapons as he weighed it in his hand detected a subtle change in weight. Travis let himself feel amused. "You've drawn your new weapon from the armory, I see."
"Sir," the guard answered.
"Good." He handed the weapon back as Servalan swept past him and followed her, throwing back over his shoulder, "Stay alert."
And the young man calling over speakers: "...Units report to Area Control."
TaleTeller
Part 11
Despite nearly paralyzing fear, Chevner led the way into empty corridors, peering around corners to be certain of what lay ahead. "It's clear," he reported to Blake.
"Do you recognize the are?" the rebel asked hopefully.
Chevner's voice was low and soft, forcing them to lean close to hear him. "No. It must be one of the sublevels, but I don't know which one."
Blake took a deep breath and steeled himself. "All right, let's find
out." Now he took the lead from Chevner. The small group gave only cursory
attention to orders being blared through speakers over their heads. Both
Liberator men took the points, instincts they would never admit to having
placing the stranger whose abilities they did not know and their valued pilot
in the middle. They were just crossing an intersection when Blake spotted a
guard at the other end of the hall. The rebel dove backwards automatically.
He realized the guard's back was turned, with that knowledge a plan formed and
he stepped back into the intersection, to stand with chin high and fists
firmly planted on his hips. Vila leaned in and whispered an inquiry, to which
Blake hissed back, "Getting us a guided tour!" He grabbed the thief's collar
and yanked him across the intersection out of sight. The guard turned around
just then. Blake took the initiative, snapping coldly, "You there, what are
you doing in this section?"
The guard for his part, stared in bewilderment at the oddly dressed man. It had to be someone in authority, from the lack of fear or humility. Cautiously, he answered. "I was just posted here by the Security Commander."
The stranger's expression was somewhere between a sneer and deadly challenge. "My orders were that no one should enter this area. What is your Security Commander's name?!"
The guard came close, holding his weapon at an angle, uncertain quite what to make of this tall man. "Sub-Major Garvin. May I have your name and authority, sir?"
Before he had a chance to move, a hand snatched his gun away and pointed it at him. A strange, bright-eyed man crouched a few feet away. "His name is Blake, and THIS is his authority."
Blake took control. "You have a woman prisoner here called Avalon, where is she being kept?"
The guard hesitated until Vila prodded him. "All prisoners are being held in the main detention block," he nodded behind him.
Blake turned a quick commanding gaze on Chevner, who ran down to check the next intersection. It was clear.
"Right. Take us there, now."
At the guard's continued slowness Vila again prodded sharply. "He said now." Jenna added a jab of her blaster to Vila's, and the guard hurriedly led them toward the prison area.
Back on the Liberator Zen finally announced: <<Sensors indicate that Liberator is no longer being scanned.>>
The same could not be said for the pursuing ships. All five were still on the ship's scanners. Cally steadied herself. "I'll make a fast turn so they do not pick us up again. Then we must return to position."
"How long will that take?" Gan asked.
<<Minimum possible transit time is thirty-seven point zero one minutes,>> replied Zen.
"That's a long time to hold on if you're in trouble!"
Avon looked over at the other two coldly. "Then let's get on with it. Speculation and fast turns aren't going to make it any shorter." He glared at Cally when he caught her smiling, silently willing her not to notice his own worry and impatience.
Blake poked his head around a corner to count the small group of guards
ahead of him. This group stood guard at the entrance to the prison cells. He
slipped back to the others and handed their own guard's rifle to Chevner, who
disarmed it. They gave it then to the guard. Chevner settled at the turn of
the corridor and waited as Blake adjusted the hood of his suit and confronted
the black clad guard. "Now you remember to do exactly as I told you. And
remember there are two guns right behind you. All right?" The guard turned
his head toward a rather bloodthirsty-looking Vila and Jenna, and nodded.
"Let's go." Blake and Vila put their hands on their head and the guard
followed them out into the hall. Jenna moved quietly into place, Vila's
toolkit in one hand, her weapon ready in the other.
The guards raised their guns to threaten, and one stepped forward. "Halt!"
Their own moved closer. "I have two prisoners to be confined in Detention-unit Four."
There was a moment of puzzled confusion, before the guard in charge responded. "This area is under maximum security, and totally off limits."
Their guard broke, shoving Blake and Vila at the other guard and diving for cover, shouting: "Down it's Blake!"
TaleTeller
Part 12
In the ensuing struggle it was impossible to know which man called Chevner's name. Jenna and the local rebel dashed out of cover, the pilot taking a shot that brought down one guard who was fleeing down the corridor. The other one made it out of sight though. Blake caught one man from behind and deftly snapped his neck. At that moment alarms began blaring through the complex.
Blake turned to Vila, only to find the thief slumped, his face mottled red as he tried to turn down his suit's heat. Blake shouted over the alarms, "Get it open, Vila!"
In the absence of an immediate threat, the group could take a breather. Vila took his toolkit from where Jenna had dumped it and set to work on the door, as the others kept watch around him. Blake activated the computer and flipped through images of prisoners until the speakers announced, +F2, Avalon.+ As one the group sighed in relief.
"I hope she's all right," Chevner said softly.
Jenna came sliding to a halt, leaning on the other rebel's arm and panting. "I lost him!" she managed between breaths. "He must've got down the transit shaft!"
"All right, cover this end." Blake dug one of the extra bracelets out of his pocket. "Chevner, put this on, get down and cover the other corridor." The other rebel obeyed without a question. "Come on, Vila!" Almost at the same moment, the thief stood back. The doors swung open on cue, and the three rebels rushed in. "F2, there! Open that." As Vila got to work again Blake tried his bracelet. "Liberator, come in Liberator. Stand by to teleport!" The alarming silence remained. "Liberator, do
you read me?!" If he was a praying man, he would have prayed then. From outside came the sounds of firing. Troopers were after them, and their weapons left holes in the walls as they missed Jenna and Chevner.
The door began to open, and Blake impatiently shoved past Vila to speak to the startled woman inside. "Avalon! I'm Blake! We had hoped to get you out sooner, we've had a bit of trouble." He helped her out of the room as she stared around herself, stunned by the turn of events.
Vila took one look at the girl and began trying to peel his way out of his jacket. "She'll freeze to death, dressed like that!" he exclaimed.
Blake shoved his gunbelt into the startled thief's hands. "Take this, and this."
"All right." Vila gave him room and Blake was quickly out of his jacket and shoving it into Avalon's arms.
"Put this on!"
They flinched at the sight which greeted them in the hall. The walls around had holes punched in, and there was a growing pile of bodies at both ends of the hall, while the one ahead was still clear. Chevner glanced back over his shoulder as he fired another shot. "Go!" he yelled.
Blake and Avalon dove across the firing line. "All right, Vila fall back!" the rebel called the thief. Vila crossed to joint them, body low to the floor. "Jenna!" She dove across the line and shoved Chevner away from his position. He raced down the corridor the way they had come in. Blake nodded after him, speaking to Avalon. "All right go!" She sprang down the hall, following Chevner.
Vila was fast on the local rebel's heels. The other man yelled back at him, "Come on!" Avalon caught up with them, running for all she was worth.
A stray shot caught Blake in the shoulder and he fell. Jenna screamed a cry of fury and started firing at any movement but the tall rebel was scrambling to his feet. "I'm all right! Go on!" She wasted no time in surprise and raced away.
Chevner made it into the outer complex, Vila and Avalon fast on his heels. A guard caught up with them and fired catching the girl in the leg. She staggered, but Chevner grabbed her and hauled her through the door. Before the guard could fire again, he was hit from the other side by the swift running pilot. Jenna dove through the door, Blake right behind her. There was no time to seal the door. They went full tilt for the entrance to the outer tunnels as guards poured out behind them, firing
wildly.
The rebels made it through into the tunnels. Blake was lifting his bracelet to signal the Liberator when a far-off humming sound caught his ear. "Chevner! The security robot!" The rebels drew tight around Avalon and prepared to fire as Blake shouted into his bracelet, "Avon, Cally, bring us up!"
<<Liberator has resumed original position and status,>> Zen announced.
Avon took a breath, casting a look to Gan. "You'd better switch on the communication channel."
The voice shouting on the com channel sent Avon shooting for the teleport chamber, Gan fast on his heels. "Liberator! We need teleport now! Come in, Liberator! Liberator, do you read me?! We need teleport NOW!!" The group huddled back against the wall but it was too late, the robot came toward them. "If you hear me, bring us up! Avon, Cally!"
Avon slid into the teleport room and dove for the recall switch.
On the planet below, a group of terrified rebels vanished just as the robot fired a stream of flames their way. The tunnel filled with smoke.
Avon settled onto the couch, looking faintly amused as the relieved group holstered their weapons. "Welcome back," he said calmly.
Blake snapped out orders. "Vila, Jenna, get the ship moving! Gan, take care of Avalon! Get her down in a cabin!" Gan noticed the girl's pronounced limp and he scooped her up in his arms, then followed the others out. Blake turned to Chevner. "If the Federation finds out where we are they'll send out everything they've got after us!"
Avon's cool words snapped the rebel around. "What went wrong?"
"I was about to ask YOU that!!" Blake snarled, slamming his hands down on the console. Avon stiffened and glared back.
TaleTeller
Part 12
"We've got a firm location reading, and an accurate track," a trooper reported over a video screen.
The advantage a trooper had with the helmets they wore, Servalan complained to herself, was one could never tell what they were thinking. Not that this helped on occasion with Space Commander Travis. One knew he hated Blake and was determined to destroy the man at almost any cost, but other than that... well other than that, who knew what the tall, cold man thought?
"Have the pursuit ships been launched?" he asked the trooper.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Keep me informed." As the screen blanked out, Servalan moved away. Travis continued to gaze at it though. Was it going to be that easy? He shuddered and tried to believe it would be. He murmured to himself, "Couple of hours... it should be all over." Servalan caught the low comment and looked over her shoulder at him, strangely uneasy.
* * *
The Liberator, being a large ship, had many chambers. The crew had designated one that was close to the outside of the ship's hull to be a lounge, because it had comfortable lie-down chairs, and viewports onto space. Cally was there in deep conversation with Avalon. Chevner sat with them, shooting puzzled glances at Avalon from time to time. The young rebel leader had been given a red suit in place of the short white tunic, and looked quite comfortable on one of the chairs. Jenna came into the
lounge, still in her surface clothes. "How are you feeling?"
Avalon sat up quickly. "I'm fine, I'm perfectly all right, but my tunic... it is very important my tunic-" she broke off and gestured helplessly.
Jenna nodded to reassure the other woman. "It's all right, relax. I'll go and get it for you."
The worried girl lay back on the chair as Jenna left. Cally set a hand on her arm. "You just rest for a while," she told her. "Perhaps we could talk later. I've admired your work with the resistance for a long time." Avalon smiled warmly and shifted around so that she could better converse with Cally. She caught out of the corner of her eye Chevner frowning, his fingers twined together.
Blake was also still in his surface clothing. He was intent on the blaster they had lifted off their captured trooper. He held it in firing position, but it afforded no answer and so he slumped down onto the couch.
Jenna's voice almost set him on his feet again, coming unexpectedly from right behind him. "Avalon seems to have recovered-"
She cut herself off when Blake rolled his head back and gave her a furrowed-brow mournful gaze. "Jenna, there's something wrong." He gathered himself to his feet with the blaster in his hands. "There's something about our escape that bothers me."
"Well like what for instance?"
He set an empty cup on the table, deep in thought. "Like the fact that we DID escape. Federation troops are very efficient; they're highly trained. Now they totally outnumbered us and yet we still managed to escape."
Jenna shrugged. "Well we were lucky!"
"Yes we were!" He came around the couch to her side, and set the blaster in firing position, aiming it at the cup. "One of those guards got a clear shot at me! The impact knocked me over, that's all."
The pilot remembered her fear and fury in that moment when Blake fell. "That should've ripped your shoulder off."
"Yes. And Avalon was hit in the leg." Abruptly he fired the weapon. The sudden noise startled Gan and Avon, who had not been paying attention to them as they worked at a station. The cup tumbled over, bent over a dent in its side now. Blake lowered the weapon, studied the cup and turned to Jenna, pleased with himself. "A nasty kick, that's all." The rebel leader turned to call his technician, who was already halfway across the room, eyes focused on the blaster. "Avon! What do YOU make of this?"
Avon caught the blaster neatly when Blake tossed it to him. In swift efficient motions he turned the weapon, checking its power pack and markings. Experimenting, he set the weapon in firing position. Then he lost interest, the mystery solved. "It's not standard issue. Low energy blot discharge. This could bruise or stun, but it couldn't cause any serious injury."
"A dud gun doesn't make sense!" Gan exclaimed.
Blake nodded. "Exactly. I think they WANTED us to escape."
He found himself confronted with Avon, whose raised brows invited explanation. "That's an interesting idea, but I don't see the logic."
"Neither do I," Blake admitted wearily.
Avon shifted the blaster and considered it. He turned the same gaze on Blake, tempered with his usual wry humor. "The Federation chases you all over the galaxy with the highly understandable desire to destroy you, then when they've got you pinned down they let you go." His words sent his own gaze inward to consider for a long moment, before deciding he needed another voice to clarify. He turned to Jenna. "Why?"
Finding herself under intent scrutiny by all three men, Jenna stepped to her station. "They could have got one of us, but there were still three of you left on the Liberator," she told them.
Blake's head whipped up. "The Liberator! That's it." He turned to Avon. "They must want the Liberator. The only way they could do that is to put somebody here on board! The whole thing has been set up and we have fallen for it beautifully!!" His voice was raising steadily in alarm.
The others exchanged worried looks, but it was Gan who used his most soothing tones to calm Blake. "Not Avalon. I mean, we are sure that woman IS Avalon, aren't we?"
Jenna was quick to support that. "Well, yes. I've only met her once, but... yes, that's her."
"Then it must be Chevner," Avon spoke with deceptive mildness, but he radiated cold fury.
"Chevner? How do you think he'll do it?" Gan asked the tech.
Blake was headed for the corridors. He threw back over his shoulder, "I don't know. Gan, you stay here. You two come with me." Avon shoved the gun into Gan's hands as he left.
Blake opened the huge door to the lounge first. He froze in the doorway. Cally lay on the floor like a rag thrown there, a trickle of blood down her cheek. Blake started to turn to the others when Avon shoved past him and knelt at the girl's side. For one frightening instant he was still, then he looked back at them. "She's alive!"
Relieved, Blake told Jenna, "Warn the others: start searching, he's gotta be found." He met Avon's dark gaze for a moment, sensing he was being blamed. "You stay here and look after her!" he ordered, ducking out the door and closing it behind him.
Avon dismissed Blake from his mind the instant the man was gone. He gently brushed the blood off Cally's cheek and rested his hand there in a tender gesture he would never let his fellow crew see.
Blake and Vila nearly ran each other down in the corridor. The rebel leader caught his breath first. "Did Jenna tell you?!"
"Yes, but there's no sign of him in any of the cabins."
"All right, let's try the hold." Blake grabbed Vila's arm and dragged the thief with him.
The Enforcer
More! More! I like this.
TaleTeller
All right, I'm back.
TaleTeller
Part 13
To Gan's surprise, Avalon walked onto the flight deck. He had been sitting taking a drink at the couch, where he had a view if he chose of all the entrances. He got to his feet and came to her side. "Avalon! Come and sit down. Here, let me help you." She looked briefely startled herself, but let him take her arm and lead her to the couch. "Are you feeling better now?" Gan asked.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Ah, there." He sat across from her.
"Where is Blake?"
"Oh he's gone to look for Chevner." Gan remembered suddenly where the man had been. "Wait a minute, wasn't... wasn't Chevner with you?"
"Yes! But--he attacked Cally! And then he dragged me out. I thought he was going to use me as a hostage, but he just--went off somewhere!"
Gan jumped to his feet at the mention of Cally, then calmed himself, biting his lip in thought. "So Blake was right. Well they'll find him, don't you worry. Is there anything you want?"
The young rebel was watching him with a wide-eyed innocent look, but at the question she started to shake her head, then remembered, "Oh, yes. My tunic, there is something I need."
"Oh, well I... I'll go and find it for you." He wondered what she could possibly need from a prison tunic.
Jenna opened the door to the medical bay and stepped in. Cally was there,
slumped in a chair. Jenna would never admit to Blake that despite words she
had said to him about Cally not being a child, she often felt motherly toward
the alien girl. She crouched beside Cally and tenderly brushed the girl's
hair away from where the wound had been. Avon had put salve on it and it was
mostly healed already. At the gentle touch Cally stirred and opened her eyes.
Briefly they lit with relief to see Jenna, then they looked beyond the pilot
and went wide in fright. Jenna spun around and gave a startled scream.
Chevner stood wavering behind her, blood streaming down his face. He swayed
and then crumpled onto his back. Jenna sprang to his side. Blood and bits of
bone matted his hair together. Only Gan had the strength to deliver a blow
that would do this, and he would never hurt someone like that. The pilot lay
a hand on Chevner's chest and felt his breathing shudder. He reached for her
hand, trying to speak, she leaned close to hear him.
* * *
"Jenna had your tunic in here, she must've left it around somewhere...." The teleport room was empty but for Gan and Avalon. Gan spotted the tunic on the console seat. "Ah, yes! Here it is." He grinned engagingly and handed it to her.
"Thank you."
"There."
Curious, he watched as she brought a silver cylinder out of the tunic's pocket and opened it. She took out a strange shimmering red-gold ball and studied it critically.
"Gan! That's not Avalon!" Jenna's voice was quickly followed by Jenna herself sliding into the room. Avalon turned toward her, dropping the ball. It landed safely on the tunic.
Gan moved quickly to grab the girl's shoulders. She caught his wrists
with bone-bruising force and pushed him back, to his knees. Jenna leaped on
the other woman's back, grabbing her neck and trying to wrench her away from
Gan, but it was like trying to move stone. The woman kicked back, was unable
to dislodge Jenna, and released Gan. She grabbed Jenna's arm and threw her
over her shoulder onto Gan, who caught and steadied her before diving at
Avalon again. He caught her around the shoulders but she caught his arms in
that punishing grip. This time however, they could hear the hum of gears over
Gan's harsh breathing. Avalon struck backward again, into Gan's stomach,
staggering him. Jenna had gotten her wind back and with a cry of rage,
attacked. Avalon started to flip the infuriated woman away when her arms were
torn from the pilot. Cally had told Avon who attacked her, and he had
retrieved Blake. The two men gripped Avalon by her arms and struggled to hold
the woman. She kicked at Jenna and Gan caught her feet. They all fell down
in a pile, almost drowning out the noise of straining machinery.
Blake shouted from the pile, "Get something to tie her up with!" Jenna flashed out of the room.
Mr. Roboto
Cool.
TaleTeller
Part 14
On the flight deck underneath Zen's visual reference point there was a sensor plate. You stuck the thing you wanted analyzed on it, and closed the bubble-like cover. The plate glowed blue-green as it analyzed the ball. <<Preliminary analysis suggests the phial contains a virus artificially mutated from the Delta Seven Zero Six classification, subset Two Zero Five, originally known incorrectly as the Phobon plague. This mutation appears to have a short life-cycle, and be self-eliminating.>>
Gan, Vila and Blake were gathered in a semi-circle around the sensor plate. Cally and Avon sat on the couch with Avalon frozen between them. It was a robot. Avon had deactivated the thing and now had the side of its head open, tinkering with the circuitry and observing the pumps inside that had allowed the thing to act so human.
Gan spoke over his shoulder to them. "If she'd managed to crush that, we'd have been wiped out! And the Liberator totally unharmed!"
Avon acknowledged Gan with a glance and a nod. He set aside a hunk of circuitry with fake skin and hair still hanging off it. "It very nearly worked, too. They've made a perfect replica, this is the best robotic engineering I've ever seen."
Jenna had retreated to her station. She was still shaken from the battle, still coming off an adrenalin high. "I never had a moment's doubt that she was Avalon."
Getting to her feet, Cally agreed. "I talked with her, about her work. Not details, but her reasons and beliefs. I still find it hard to believe."
Avon swung his attention back to the robot. He spoke though, voice like ice. "Brilliant programming. They transferred complete key areas of Avalon's personality. It's really quite impressive."
"The only person it didn't completely fool was Chevner," Blake added.
Jenna sat down. "Ah, but he'd known the real Avalon for quite some time. He must've been suspicious of this one."
"That's why it killed him," Avon snapped.
"He shouldn't have tried to tackle it alone," Vila said sadly.
Avon turned slightly toward the thief. "He probably didn't. Just being suspicious would've been enough. A machine of this type would have recognized that easily. More easily than we would."
"Can you make it safe?" Blake demanded.
He had the satisfaction of seeing Avon momentarily surprised. Now the technician faced the rebel, measuring him coolly. "I can deprogram it, scramble the brain."
"Can you REprogram it?"
The dark eyes flicked with mild annoyance before Avon turned back to the robot. "No. A few minor functions perhaps. Not much else."
As a group, Blake's crew were eyeing him with the same suspicion. His next words did nothing to make them feel better. "That's enough. Jenna, take us back into the precise orbit we were in. Cally, I want an exact locater fix on that laboratory. We still have to get Avalon out of there."
Belgarion
I really like the story.....More more more. :)
Mr. Roboto
yes yes yes :)
TaleTeller
Part 15
Like rulers they strode the corridors. Without quite realizing it, Servalan and Travis had fallen into matching steps, each stride oozing arrogance and some contempt for the people around them. Mutoids followed doggishly on their heels. Servalan was enjoying Travis' presence, he was quite a change from the desk-sitters she was normally surrounded by. "I think I'll stay on during Avalon's interrogation. I have a feeling she's going to tell us a great deal."
"There's no doubt of that."
His rather curt response caused her to consider him, wondering if defeating Blake would take his furious strength away. "When will you begin it?" she asked after a while.
He paused in the middle of a long stride. Drawing a deep breath, he answered, "I want to finish with the Liberator first, as soon as it's confirmed they've put a boarding party on her, we'll get started." At that moment Travis' personal com unit beeped. He answered it. "Travis?" As he listened to the voice in his ear, his face went from mild curiosity to shock, then furious confusion. "WHAT?! Are you sure of that?.....keep checking, I'm coming up." He turned a face full of bewilderment down on
Servalan. "I don't understand. Space Track-Control say the Liberator's moved back into orbit."
"It must be another ship!" she protested.
Travis felt like his footing had slid out from under him. He had the sense of his plan going drastically wrong. "No, no, no. They seem very certain." Emergency klaxons began to ring through the corridors. Travis and Servalan were still very startled when the young mutoid woman came to them from the laboratory.
"Blake is here, sir. In the main laboratory."
Travis gaped at her, then snapped his mouth shut. "Blake?!"
"He's demanding to see you."
Servalan's mouth dropped. "He is demanding?!"
"I report only what I have been told, Commander." Despite her words, the mutoid was wide-eyed with fear. She focused on Travis frantically. "He also says you're to bring Avalon with you!"
Travis went still suddenly. Servalan eyed him warily, sensing his muscles tight to a snapping point. He spoke with soft danger. "How many of them are there?"
"Just Blake, sir."
"Right." He turned to a still-bewildered Servalan. "I'll deal with this. Bring the prisoner!" He shoved his way through the mutoid guards behind him and raced in long strides toward the main laboratory. Servalan hurried after him, while the mutoids went to retrieve Avalon. Travis hit the door at top speed and came to an abrupt halt. The doctors and guards around all stood with their hands folded on their heads. Blake was in the center of the room, with the robot.
Blake's lips curled back from his teeth into a parody of a smile. He spoke almost fondly. "Ah, Travis! It didn't work. It was very clever, but it didn't work."
The two mortal enemies glared across the room at each other, their expressions mirrored: hate; cruel mockery; deadly challenge and intense desire to take that challenge.
"How did you stop it?" Travis bit out.
"Does it matter? All I want to do is finish what I started. I'm gonna take Avalon out of here."
"I don't think so." Travis raised his false arm to fire.
Blake shifted in feral warning. "THAT... would not be very clever." He held up his hand to reveal a tiny glowing ball in his fingers.
A hand descended on Travis' arm, forcing it down. Servalan had joined them at last and in no uncertain terms her gaze commanded him not to fire. "He wouldn't do it," growled Travis.
"What have I got to lose?"
The Space Commander glared murder at the rebel. "It's not a pleasant death, Blake."
Blake's smile was a death's head grimace. "So I gather. But it would have its compensations. I'd share it with you." His eyes flicked to Servalan, and true laughter shone through in a gloat. "AND the Supreme Commander! Are you quite sure I wouldn't do it?"
Servalan grabbed Travis' hand and shoved it down as he tried to fire again. Without taking her eyes off Blake she ordered, "Bring the prisoner in." A mutoid obeyed, leading the exhausted woman by her arm. Travis grabbed Avalon as she passed between his body and Servalan's. Wrenching her aside by her wrists so that she winced from this new pain, he glared murder at Blake. Blake toyed with the ball in his hand.
"Let her go," Servalan ordered. Travis glared down at her. "I SAID... LET... her...go."
The Space Commander glared at his superior for a moment longer. His gaze snapped back to Blake. Finally he shoved Avalon forward. Blake nodded politely to her where she stood very bewildered at the sight of the robot. Travis' deathly low snarl carried across the room. "You still have to get her out of here, Blake. Are you sure your teleport's fast enough to stop me killing you both?"
Blake took the teleport bracelet off the robot's wrist and handed it to
Avalon. "Put this bracelet on your wrist." She obeyed, bemused by this turn
of events, and watched with interest as Blake turned back to Travis. "I'm
afraid we've had to reprogram your machine slightly. It's nowhere near as
sophisticated as it was, but it will perform a few basic functions." He
shifted his attention to the robot. "Raise you arm." It complied slowly with
its left arm, the hum of gears all too audible. "Enough. Open your thumb and
forefinger." When it had obliged, he took the ball and held it just in the
cup of those fingers. "Close the thumb and forefinger. Enough!" he ordered
as the fingers closed on the ball. Blake carefully let it go. He looked at
Travis with a devilish gleam in his eye. "The robot will crush the phial in
response to one of three triggers. A particular word, a specific sound, or a
certain movement." His eyes flicked over the helpless guards and he smiled a
deadly smile. "You had ALL better be very, very careful what you say and do."
Beside Blake, Avalon clapped her hands over her mouth to hold back her
laughter. The rebel grinned briefly and spoke into his bracelet. "Bring us
up." They vanished in a shimmer of light.
Travis was not a stupid man. He knew the three likely triggers. The word "Fire"; the sound, a blaster being fired; the movement, a blaster being drawn. But there was also a strange feeling of urgency in him. Blake could be a killer, when he knew who his enemy was. Travis took a step toward the robot. Servalan reached to stop him in fright, but he gestured firmly at her to wait. He focused his being on that shimmering ball and crept across the room toward the robot. When he was just a few feet
away, the robot's fingers opened.
Travis dove for it, catching it in his false hand. Adrenalin racing through his system and the shock of bringing his full weight onto his right shoulder left him gasping, lying there with the ball held loosely in a shaking mechanical hand.
Servalan let none of her racing heartbeat, her relief in Travis' catch or her earlier attraction to him show in that moment. Like any politician she covered her tracks instantly. "Project Avalon has failed totally. There will be a full inquiry. Until that time you are relieved of your command." She started out of the laboratory.
Travis closed his eyes, shuddering violently. He would never forgive this defeat, particularly as it made him vulnerable in someone else's game of power. Yet he couldn't truly blame the Supreme Commander, she surely had her reasons. There was only one person responsible, and he made himself a promise, speaking it in a low whisper to set it in his mind beyond anyone's skill to dislodge. "If it takes all my life, I will destroy you, Blake. I will destroy you.... I will destroy you."
Almost far away he heard Servalan snap out the order to her guards: "Launch the pursuit ships." Her tone made it clear she knew it was a waste of time. Cover your tracks, I only want HIM! Travis thought.
Principle Characters
Blake
Jenna
Avon
Cally
Vila
Gan
Zen
Travis
Servalan
Avalon
Chevner
1 mutoid
a Scientist
Terloc
Mr. Roboto
Cool neat!
ETHAN WALKER
ytfin..m'I annog daer eht elohw gniht nehw I evah eht ecnahc..pmuwguM"thegreat"
Blake Tales> _