AMP Colossus (5 page)

The warehouse was open, with stacks of pallets that held a variety of foodstuffs. I turned my glove sensor to max and began to scan the packages for foods that could be eaten by Humans.

Duane was the first with a find. "I have some legumes over here, Sir. We have solid protein and fiber numbers, but they appear to be loaded with caffeine."

I replied with a grin, "That sounds like coffee, Duane. We need to find us a grinder!"

After identifying four items that would provide us with adequate nutrition, we began to look for a cart to load our goods onto. As I rounded a corner with a cart, the front bay door to the warehouse slid upwards. Voices were immediately heard.

I ducked behind the closest pallet and pulled my blaster.

A voice spoke. "Stay near the door, please. I will only be a minute. The commander has requested an extra serving with his dinner tonight, and I did not want to be caught short."

A young voice could be heard in reply. "Yes, Father."

As the elder Grell loaded several small sacks onto a cart, he looked over and noticed the cart that I had left in the aisle.

The elder Grell spoke. "Hmmm, someone is going to get themselves killed. Mossi! Stay near the door, please! I have to clean up someone’s mess!"

Footsteps could be heard walking to the cart and then away. When the last sack of food had been returned, the squeaky wheels of the cart could be heard as it was pushed back to its usual location.

The elder Grell yelled out, "Mossi!"

I got a sudden chill as a young voice yelled back from behind me, "I am here, Father!"

I turned slowly to see the furry eleven-year-old Grell boy staring at me. "Hello."

I spoke. "Son, you will want to go back to your father now, and for his protection and safety as well as your own, you should never mention that you saw me here. The Colossuns would punish you both severely."

The elder Grell again yelled, "Mossi! Come on! I have to get the commander's dinner cooking!"

The young Grell lifted his hands in front of his face. They soon took the shape of a wide-open mouth. The boy slowly closed his hands and pursed his lips as if to signal silence. He then turned and ran towards the door. The bay door slid shut with a rumble and a clang.

I stood facing the bay door and spoke. "Duane!"

Duane replied, "Behind you, Sir."

I turned to see Duane standing behind me with a smile. "I have got to start observing my surroundings better. I'm surprised there is not a Colossun standing there with you."

Duane retrieved the cart, and we soon had a load of goods thrown over the wall. Half an hour later, I was heating a pot of water with my blaster set to minimum. Our stolen Grell feast turned out to be very unsatisfying.

The Grell days followed a fifteen-hour pattern. After several hours of much-needed sleep, I was awakened by a brightness coming in through the windows. Recessed lighting in the dome had been turned on for nearly half of the city. It was a dim day, if it could be called a day at all, but it offered visibility in the streets that had otherwise been hidden in the dark shadows.

Duane entered my room. "I think we should recon those elevators, Sir. They are clearly visible from the other side of this building. They go up the far wall through the dome."

I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes before reaching for my helmet. "Ugh, I should have left that helmet on. My nostrils smell like this place now. I'm sorry, what were you saying about the elevators?"

Duane repeated himself. "They go up the far wall over there, through the dome. I've been watching them for nearly an hour now, and they haven't moved."

I replied, "Feldew said the ore takes several weeks to refine. Once they start moving it up, that big elevator will be running for a week straight. Hopefully that will give us enough time to figure out how to get on board."

As we moved through the streets, there was a small chance that we could be seen when crossing intersections from a high window in the occupied sector. When we arrived at the base of the wall nearest the elevators, we found another building to take temporary refuge in.

Duane spoke. "That big elevator has a supporting structure underneath that we may be able to ride on. We would be visible from below, though."

I replied, "That may be a good option for after hours. Otherwise, those smaller ones have a box on top, probably a pulley system for those cables. We might be able to stow away there."

We continued our surveillance for three days and two nights before the base of the ore elevator began to bustle with activity. The refined ore was being moved to the surface.

I spoke as we made our way out of the building near the elevators. "We take only what food we can easily carry, and we stash the rest. Once it's dark, we go for that sub-structure if we can. There was a lot of activity up and onto that platform, but not much around the sides or underneath. When it comes back down, we'll give it a shot."

Duane replied, "OK by me, Sir. The sooner we get home, the better I'll feel. I don't think that Grell food is agreeing with me. I was up most of last night."

I nodded in agreement. "I heard. I thought you were going to bring in the Colossuns with all that grunting."

Duane sighed. "Potty humor, Sir? You really need to work on your material."

I shook my head as we walked. "Great. Marooned on a planet with the only guy in the galaxy who doesn't laugh."

Duane replied, "That's not true, Sir. I was dying on the inside when you knocked out Feldew's power. I'm just not a verbal laugher, Sir."

I turned my head to look directly at Duane. "Verbal laugher? I'm not even sure what that means. Are you say—"

Six Grell, armed with swords and crossbows, were standing in front of us.

The tallest of the Grell spoke. "You will come with us."

I gestured for Duane to go in front. With my blaster, I could easily take out all six. But these were the Grell, our newest of allies. Only, these six had not been alerted to that fact. We were soon in the basement of a nearby building.

The tall Grell again spoke. "Who or what are you? The Colossuns will pay for sending you in search of us!"

I held up my hand in a friendly gesture. "Ho. We aren't with the Colossuns."

The Grell replied as he poked his sword at my abdomen, "It is unfortunate for you that you found us. The resistance will only grow under your oppression!"

I shook my head. "OK, listen, I'm sure you are aware of the alien vessel that fell through the tunnel to Embry 12. That was us. We are as much on the run from the Colossuns as you are."

The Grell again poked at my abdomen with his sword. "How do I know you are not lying to us? The Colossuns would stop at nothing to end the resistance."

I replied, "OK, there are several things wrong with that statement. I don't know your full history, but it seems to me they are letting you run your resistance here. If this is where the resistance is, and they wanted to end it, I would think they would just send out a platoon of those monsters they have and search every inch of this place. Doesn't seem like that big of a task."

I continued, "Anyway, I'll prove to you that we are who we say we are."

I laid my arm out on a table in the room where the Grell had taken us.

I spoke. "Take your sword and chop off my arm."

The Grell gave me a strange look.

Duane spoke. "Sir. I wouldn't do that."

I replied, "Relax, Duane. I've got this."

The Grell shrugged and then brought his sword down hard upon my arm.

I cried out in pain. "Owww! Gaw, that hurts!"

The hybrid battle suit the Colonel had provided performed as designed. The outer skin instantly hardened, stopping the sword from penetrating.

Duane spoke. "That is going to leave a nasty bruise, Sir. I was going to say that the area the force from the weight of that heavy sword is spread over is too small to fully protect you. You should have had him strike your chest instead."

I rubbed my arm as I clinched my fist repeatedly. "Well, next time speak up, Duane! Don't just leave me to get the heck beaten out of me!"

Duane replied with a chuckle, "Sorry, Sir. I will try to warn you sooner next time."

I replied, "So, it takes me nearly losing an arm to get a laugh out of you? I don't think the problem is with my material. Your sense of humor is just warped, Duane."

The Grell spoke. "Your reaction shows that you speak the truth about who you are. We had hopes of contacting whoever it was that crash-landed, but feared that the Colossuns had already taken you away. I am glad that they had not."

A second Grell then spoke. "Gaffa, I don't know what use they would be to us. They do not seem very intelligent."

I spoke. "Hey. I'll admit to making the occasional bad decision, but I proved my point, didn't I?"

I turned back towards Gaffa. "We need your help getting on those elevators and back up to the surface. If we can make it to the surface, we can call for help from our people. If we get in touch with them, then perhaps we can offer you some help against the Colossus."

Gaffa held out his hand. "We must hurry while the elevators are running. Our people can get you into one of the ore containers. It will be up to you to escape once you are above. We have studied the Colossuns for years, and that is the only method that has a chance of success."

I replied, "So, you can get us in an ore container, and get us on that elevator, but we are on our own after that?"

Gaffa replied, "I am sorry we have nothing more to offer. Once the elevator begins its ascent, your fate will then be determined by your own decisions."

Duane spoke. "Well, great; his decisions, you say?"

I nodded my head in approval. "Sarcasm! You, Duane, are on the road to friendship!"

Gaffa and the other members of the local Grell resistance soon had us packed into an ore-shipping container. A pin was inserted in the locking mechanism of the container, which would allow us to open the massive door from the inside once we determined we had arrived topside.

We had half an hour to kill before our container was to be moved. I continued my attempts to make Duane laugh. My lack of success only made the wait longer. Once the elevator had begun its journey upwards, the ride lasted eighteen minutes. Sideways movement told us we had reached our destination.

I spoke. "I'd say we just got moved to a dock for loading on a transport. This would be a good time to make our exit if we can manage to slip out unseen."

Duane reached for the door mechanism. The rusty handle would not budge.

Duane grunted as he pushed on the handle and then spoke. "I don't think this is opening, Sir. I'm not feeling any give."

I spun myself around. "Let me have a shot at it with my boot."

Duane shuffled himself backward on the refined ore, giving me the room I needed for a kick.

Bong!

The container reverberated like a giant drum.

Duane spoke. "Crap, Sir! That was loud! If they didn't know we were here before, they know now!"

I replied as I kicked again, "It's not going to matter if we can't get out of here."

Bong!

Bong!

The lever was locked in place.

I began to scooch myself back on the ore pile as far from the door mechanism as I could.

Duane spoke. "Ah, Sir? What is it that you are doing?"

I replied, "You better move yourself back away from that door, Duane. I'm going to blast it open!"

Before Duane could respond, a deep rumble could be heard, followed by the sensation of a lifting motion.

I spoke. "Great. Now we are being loaded on a ship. If we don't get out of here before it lifts off, we are going to... aaaooohhhhuuuugg!!!"

A force of fifteen times the pull of standard Grid gravity was exerted on our bodies as the ore hauler lifted off from Ponik. We had missed our opportunity to escape from the massive container that now held us captive. We were on our way to a destination unknown.

Four minutes later I regained consciousness. Duane awoke shortly after.

I spoke. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Duane."

Duane replied, "I'm sad to say that I know what you are talking about now, Sir. If this container is externally attached to whatever ore hauler we are now a part of, we may not have long to live."

I replied, "Always with the sunshine and rainbows, Duane. Let's get this door open and find out the situation."

Duane held up his hand. "Ah, Sir, before you go blasting away, I would like to say one thing."

I replied, "Go ahead; what is it that I am doing wrong now?"

Duane chuckled. "I just wanted to say I think you are making the right decision this time, Sir, but I would like to add, the gravity in here feels a little light. When you blast that door, we are going to have a storm of metal flying around. That includes this ore, Sir."

I replied as I shook my head and pulled the trigger on my blaster, "It is what it is, Duane."

The lock mechanism exploded, sending shrapnel in every direction. The skins of our battle suits hardened the instant the flying shards of metal first came in contact with us. The confined concussion from the explosion was a shock to our systems, but we came out of the blast unharmed.

When the debris settled, I looked out through the opening. Through the doorway, I could see the interior of an ore-transport cargo hold. "Looks like it was the right decision, Duane. Thanks for speaking up for a change."

Duane replied as he poked his head out of the door for a look around, "My pleasure, Sir. Just ask if you ever want my opinion."

With the light gravity, we hopped the fifteen meters down to the cargo floor and landed with ease.

I spoke. "Set your gravity compensator to 40 percent. That should give us a feel similar to what we are used to."

Duane replied, "You know, Sir, I never learned how the compensator works. I've always been curious, but I forgot to ask when others were around."

I replied, "Well, it’s your lucky day, my friend, because I just happen to know the answer to that. This suit can either add or take away resistance to your movements within it by, say, plus or minus 70 percent. You get on a light-gravity world, and it makes you work harder to make the same movement. On a heavy-gravity world, it assists you. At the highest level, it really is just as simple as that. You can tell that there is a distinct difference between real gravity and the simulated stuff of your suit, but it has a similar enough feel that your brain adapts to it quickly."

Duane squatted and flexed his muscles. "Hmm, I can feel that now, Sir. Thanks for that info."

The transport carried hundreds of containers of the refined ore in its hold. Our container had been the last one loaded on this particular ship before it had lifted off.

As we walked towards the front of the cargo hold in search of a door, Duane read out the ore names on the containers. "Gunta, which we know is iron. Malius is aluminum. Here we have Fretta, which translates to manganese, and Paulia, which is... gold, Sir. I think we have just about everything we need here, Sir."

I stopped and grabbed Duane by the arm. "Duane, are you saying what I think you are saying?"

Duane replied, "I think I am, Sir. If we can take control of this ship, we have a whole cargo of materials that we are badly in need of to begin rebuilding our fleet. I think it is imperative that we take down this hauler, Sir."

I replied, "I like the way you think, Duane... I like the way you think!"

We soon found ourselves climbing up fifty-two flights of stairs. I advised Duane to adjust his gravity compensator to allow for an easy climb. Twelve minutes later we arrived at the top.

I spoke. "Through that door and we find out who is driving this rig. If it’s Colossuns, I say we just start blasting away. If it ends up being some other species, we'll play it by ear."

I opened the door to a long gray hallway. I never understood why any species would paint a habitat that they were going to be living in for possibly months or years at a time, gray. It was a depressing color on so many levels. The confinement of being in space made living in it hard enough.

I spoke. "Check each door handle. I can't imagine any of them being locked on a barge like this. And if the Colossuns are that hard on crime, I can't imagine anyone taking the chance of stealing something in such a confined area."

We checked each door, and each room beyond, as we made our way down the hall. As we stepped out of a room and back into the hall, a far door opened. Duane dropped to his knees and took aim. It was an alien species other than the Colossuns. It had entered the hallway and immediately turned away from our direction. The biped alien had a small tail that swigged back and forth as they walked. They soon disappeared around a far corner.

Duane spoke. "That door is about midway down the hall. My guess would be, that is the bridge."