Chapter 14 #2
Over the next hour, I learned a few things about Logan.
He hated needles, he vomited at the sight of his own blood, and he acted like a baby when it came to pain.
Removing the tracer turned into an unexpected ordeal.
I wished for Lamont’s cool confidence that surfaced whenever she dealt with a difficult patient.
Finally, Logan and I crept through the air shafts. Unused to any physical activity since the fire, he moved slow and we took frequent breaks. Plus, he babied the arm with the sutures. At this rate, it would take us hours to reach Sector D4.
Despite my impatience, we arrived at the edge of the Sector. Locked wire mesh air filters blocked the duct that led into the Travas apartments. I had encountered them before when sweeping for the active link, so it didn't take me long to unlock them.
I left Logan behind as I scouted for a computer.
Looking for an apartment with only a couple Travas living there, I also wanted one close to where Logan waited.
I found a small one bedroom apartment with three male Travas.
They played cards on the table right below the air vent. It was almost perfect.
I grabbed the stun gun from my belt and flipped the safety off.
Easing open the vent, I aimed at the farthest man and pulled the trigger.
As the loud sizzle slap filled the room, the pulse of energy hit him in the torso, and he jerked.
The chair toppled backward. Before he hit the floor, I had stunned the second man.
The third spotted me. He jumped to his feet and dashed toward the washroom.
I dropped to the table, aimed, and caught him before he reached the door.
Stunners overloaded a body's nervous system.
When directly hit with a pulse, a person lost all feeling in their body and couldn't move for a couple hours or more, depending on the intensity.
If hit on the arms or legs, then it just deadened that extremity.
I had been hit below the waist, and it numbed both my legs and hip area.
I hurried back to Logan and led him to the apartment. Logan ignored the three men and aimed straight for the computer, loading Domotor's disk into it. With nothing to do, I straightened the cards and moved the guys into more comfortable positions.
The couch looked inviting, so I sat on the end, tucking my legs up under me. It had been only fifteen hours since I last slept, but the pace had been nonstop. I rested my head on the couch's arm.
A weight settled next to me, and I startled awake. Logan slouched beside me.
“Well?”
“No luck. Everything's blocked.”
“What about Domotor's isolated system?”
“I can retrieve data from it, but I can't get into the executable files. The ones that run the systems.”
“What type of data?” I asked.
“Useless stuff like the population control stats, fuel data, hydroponic fertilizer mixtures, and sheep feeding times.”
“Useless to you, but not to those workers.”
“True,” Logan said.
Checking the time, I calculated how long we had until the Travas recovered. Hour sixty-five. They would get feeling back soon. And we had fifteen hours until Logan's escape was discovered.
“Let's get out of here.”
“Do you want to see the Outsiders?” he asked.
I almost fell off the couch. “How?”
“One of the isolated systems is the video cameras pointed to Outside. I took a quick look to confirm my suspicions.”
My brain stumbled over his words. I always seemed to be the last person to know. “Just tell me, Logan.”
“I studied the damage to the Transmission. Bad, but not five explosions worth. One did the job. So, what were the other four trembles? I guessed the saboteurs used the blast at the Transmission to cover the Outsiders attaching to Inside.”
“Attaching?”
“Yep. They have to line up and attach to Gateway in some way or risk being exposed to Outer Space.” Logan returned to the computer.
I stood behind him as the screen turned black.
Then the view changed, and spots of dim daylights illuminated a bumpy rectangle made out of black metal.
..a bubble monster! I had forgotten all about them in the craziness of the past few weeks.
Eight long arms hooked onto an otherwise smooth metal wall…
Inside. At least, I had been correct in assuming the monsters were a conveyance. Small comfort.
Logan pointed to the arms. “When these clamped on, they caused those tremblers. I’m guessing they attached two at a time. See this?” He tapped on a spot on the belly of the monster. “That’s their Gateway. Even though they’re moving slow, they’ll link theirs up with ours soon.”
“How soon?”
“Depends on them. They have control of our computer. We’re completely unprepared, and nothing can stop them.”
“Thanks for staying optimistic,” I said.
Maybe we weren’t as unprepared as Logan thought. I wondered if those bubble…ships in the top level could stop them. Would they have weapons, or could we use those arms to pull the Outsiders off? No idea.
I helped Logan back into the shaft and followed, closing the vent behind us. With no closer options, I led him to Riley's storeroom.
The room had an abandoned feel to it. Or was that just my heart?
Logan plopped on the couch. Dust puffed and I sneezed.
“This is just temporary. Once we figure out our next move, I'll find you a better place to hide,” I said.
“There is no next step. The Outsiders come in. The end.”
“Unacceptable. Try again.”
He groaned and messaged his forehead. “I'd think better without these headaches.”
“I can bring you pain pills.”
“I know. I only get them when I've been straining to see too long.” He sagged back against the cushions. “I could go back to my room. All my stuff is there, and I have a shower.”
“And that solves our problem how?”
“At least it doesn't add to it.”
We sat in silence. I was useless with my limited computer knowledge. Besides knowing how to turn it on and off...
“Logan, what would happen if we turned the network off.”
“Nothing. You can't just switch it off. It's impossible.” He straightened. “I see what you're getting at. Hmm...” Drumming his fingers on his chin, he got that distant mind crunching look on his face. “We could disconnect each life system and operate them manually. Except...”
“What?”
“We don't know how to operate those systems manually.”
“Aren't there instructions?”
“Even if we could access the computer, there aren’t any instructions on the network. After the damage to the Transmission, I searched for them and found nothing. Which makes sense, if something happens to the network, you don't want your operating instructions lost as well.”
“Would they be written down somewhere? Or on disks?”
“Ink on a wipe board would fade over time and I couldn't find any disks with the information. Unless they're packed away in one of those storage boxes in the Expanse.”
His words triggered another memory. “What would these instructions look like?”
“Diagrams and schematics. Mostly visual step by step guides. Why?”
“Like some of the symbols that show up on your computer screen?”
“They would be similar.”
The walls of the top level of Inside had been filled with diagrams. “Uh...Logan... How do you feel about heights?”
Logan didn’t have a chance to answer because Lamont’s voice squawked in my ear. “Trella where are you?” A nervous tremble tainted her voice.
“Level four. What’s wrong?”
“I have a medical emergency and need your help,” she said with a slight quaver.
Warning signals rang in my head. “Who’s sick?”
“Emek’s appendix is about to burst.”
Which would be a medical marvel since we removed his appendix weeks ago. “Is he stable?”
“No. He won’t last two hours. I’m stunned by how fast his vitals turned critical. You have to hurry or we’ll lose him.”
Damn! “I’ll be right there.”
Logan raised his eyebrows, inviting me to explain. How do I tell him two people had forced my mother to call me so they could ambush me when I returned to the infirmary? He would insist on coming along and I couldn’t risk him.
“I need to go help Lamont,” I said instead. “Will you be okay here or do you want to return to your room?”
He considered and I almost screamed at him to think faster.
“I might as well go back. No sense tipping them off about me. It’s just a straight shot over to my room isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes. Head east, you’re the very last vent.” I scrambled up the ladder but paused as a horrible thought struck me. What if my “rescue” ended badly? No one would know about the Expanse’s ceiling.
“Logan just listen.” I explained about the extra-large level at the top of the Expanse, describing the symbols on the walls and the bubble monsters. “If I disappear, get Anne-Jade and climb up to the near-invisible hatch. I left the safety line tied to the ladder and I doubt anyone’s noticed.”
“Wow, Trella. How long have you known about this?”
“A few weeks. I’ve been busy fetching your junk.”
He smiled. “And you didn’t inform the Committee?”
“Probably a bad decision at the time, but now I’m thrilled I kept it quiet.”
“Me, too. How long should I wait?”
“Ten hours. That’ll give me enough time to help Lamont and sleep. But if the Outsiders enter, don’t wait. I’m assuming you can contact your sister?”
“Of course. I have this sweet little device—”
“Tell me later.” I entered the air shaft. As I hurried over and down to the infirmary, I replayed Lamont’s exact words in my mind. She managed to give me quite a bit of information. Two ambushers, armed with stun guns, and they waited in the exam room.
I slowed as I reached the ducts over the infirmary.
Looping over the patient area, surgery and exam room, I noted how the two men had positioned themselves on either side of the door to our suite.
Lamont had been strapped down on the exam table.
White medical tape covered her mouth, but she had the best view of the air vent.
Potential rescue scenarios raced through my mind. I could find Anne-Jade and a bunch of ISF officers. Except they were unarmed and these two not only had stunners, but the one on the right side carried a kill-zapper. Who else could I trust? Logan might have some gadget… Zippy!
Sliding over to the vent above my room, I climbed down and grabbed Zippy from my bed. I hefted him up and into the shaft without too much noise. Hopefully, they’ll think the few thuds meant I had returned.
I tucked Zippy under my arm so he wouldn’t rub against the metal shaft.
Back at the exam room, I removed the cover with care.
Lamont’s eyes widened and she gestured at the men with her head.
I nodded and put a finger to my lips before lowering Zippy just enough so he cleared the shaft.
Flipping the switch, I hoped he would do his silent electromatic pulse thing.
Once I pulled Zippy back, I swung through the vent and dropped to the floor. I had the element of surprise and a stun gun. In the second it took for them to react, I shot them both. The sizzle slaps rang, but they didn’t fall down.
The man on the left pointed to his belt buckle. “Anti-stunners.” He aimed his weapon at my chest.
I flinched but nothing happened. Good job, Zippy. Then I realized it was me against the two of them. I bolted toward the patient area. And I would have escaped, too.
Except one of them yelled, “Stop or we’ll hurt Doctor Lamont.”
Damn. I turned. The right side goon held a scalpel to Lamont’s throat. Her angry gaze aimed a clear signal at me to keep running. They were probably bluffing, but I couldn’t take that chance. Not with her life.
“Drop your weapon,” Right Goon ordered.
An odd request considering I couldn’t hurt them with it. I placed it on the floor and Left Goon picked it up. Before I could even say a word, Left Goon stunned me with my own gun. The sizzle slap hit me in the middle of my chest, knocking me back.