Chapter 2: We fought the law
"What?" Fox choked out.
"You heard me" the lion on screen still smiling smugly said. "You are wanted for the death of General Pepper."
"To hell we did!" Katt shouted. "We would never kill the general!"
"The evidence found would say otherwise" the lion said.
"What're you talking about?" Fox asked.
"We found a few tufts of fur, matching yours and a few drops of blood no one has ever seen before. And you have with you an alien no one has seen before."
"That's just coincidence!" Fox shouted.
"It doesn't matter" the lion said, waving his hand. "Soldiers are already on their way to arrest you as we speak."
"Guys, you may want to look outside" Tyson said, looking out the cockpit window.
Outside the hangar, soldiers lined up everywhere with rifles aimed directly at the Great Fox.
Tyson turned to Fox. "We have a two options, we could turn ourselves in and most likely be executed with the real murderer running free, or we could bust our way out and become fugitives of the law. But we would have a chance of finding the real culprit."
Fox sighed as he rubbed his temples. On one hand he would have to rely on the legal system to bail him out so he could have a chance to find Pepper's murderer but that seemed highly unlikely. On the other was that he betray everything he stood for and try to find the murderer from the shady side of the law. It would be tough but it would be even tougher trying to do it while facing a firing squad. Making his decision, he turned to the others.
"We'll need a plan to escape the military. Flying out would be tantamount to suicide with the anti-air guns and running would be just as bad with all those soldiers out there. Any ideas?" Fox asked.
Katt and Tyson were silent when Slippy came in.
"Use me" he said simply.
"What?" Fox asked confused.
"I'm their leading engineer, they need me. You can use me as a hostage and escape using the land master. After that, you'll need to find your own way off planet."
"That's not a bad idea" Tyson said quietly.
"The only problem is that the land master has room for two only" Fox said.
"Simple, I'll ride up top" Tyson grinned. "First, let's figure out where we'll go."
Fox pulled up the map on screen.
"This is where we are" Fox said pointing at an area close to Corneria City. "We won't be able to escape here, here, and here due to military outposts" Fox continued pointing to different locations.
"This map looks familiar, but how?" Tyson muttered as he stared at the holographic map of Corneria.
"What do you mean?" Katt asked.
Tyson said nothing as he continued staring. He pointed at an area and the map zoomed in on it. It seemed like nothing special, just a few mountains and a forest nearby. His frown increased as he viewed several other areas. More forests, a few mountains, and some ancient ruins a few days worth of travel outside of Corneria City. Finally, he lit up a mountain range outside the ruins.
"There is our destination" Tyson said.
"Why there?" Fox asked.
"You'll see when we get there" Tyson said before grabbing Slippy and heading for the exit.
"Fox McCloud, Katt Monroe, both you and the alien have five minutes to exit the ship or we will fire upon you!" a soldier said, speaking into a microphone.
"Alright, we're coming out!" a voice shouted back.
Stepping out of the Great Fox was Tyson holding one Slippy Toad with a large pistol trained to his head.
"Any sudden moves and the toad here croaks!" Tyson shouted.
All the soldiers froze.
From the back of the Great Fox, the land master roared out of the hangar.
"Thanks Slip, good luck" Tyson whispered before shoving him and extending his hand to pull himself aboard the tank rolling by.
With Slippy out of the way, the soldiers began firing while a few escorted the toad out of harms way.
Bringing Cerberus to bare, Tyson opened fire on the soldiers. Not wanting to harm the soldiers, he only shot above making them back off and dive for cover.
The tires squealed as Fox gunned it.
"Hang on Tyson, this is going to get bumpy!" Kat shouted, using their mics.
"Just remember the spot I showed you!" Tyson shouted back.
"Tanks to the right!" Tyson shouted.
"On it!" Katt responded, bringing the turret to bear.
She charged up the laser and fired. The round took a tank through it's right tire, causing it to careen widely before crashing into a building. A second shot through the center of the other tank bought them some peace.
"Fighters coming in from above!" Fox shouted, glancing at the radar.
Tyson looked up to see a trio of small fighters approaching. The land master's cannon would have a hard time hitting the nimble fighters so he would have to deal with it.
Taking careful aim, he started shooting at the lead fighter. Rounds pinged off the fighter's armor till it reached the glass canopy. The bullets penetrated the cockpit and wounded the pilot, the fighter crashing into a park.
"One" Tyson grunted, pressing himself against the tank to avoid the second's strafing run. Turning, he made a quick analysis of the area and fired off a round. The bullet pinged off several buildings in a zigzag pattern before crashing into the engine, short-circuiting the fighter, causing it to explode.
"Two" Tyson grinned, turning towards the last one. He was about to fire when the tank's cannon roared and the fighter exploded into a fireball.
"Three!" Katt shouted from inside, smirking.
"No kill stealing!" Tyson laughed.
"The edge of the city is just up ahead, we're going to make it!" Fox shouted in triumph.
"You think they would be better prepared for something like this" Tyson muttered.
"Something seems wrong" Katt said.
"You both worry too much. What could possibly go wrong?" Fox asked.
A large bolt of energy streaked past them and struck the ground ahead, causing a large explosion.
Looking back, Tyson could see a large robot following them carrying a gun and shield. It aimed and fired again, this time hitting a building next to them. Tyson raised his arm to ward off the falling glass raining down.
"Whenever someone says that it always gets worse!" Tyson shouted. He raised his twin pistols and started firing. The bullets merely pinged off the armor, leaving small scratches. "Katt!"
"On it!" she shouted. She turned the turret around and started firing at the large mech. It merely raised its shield blocking the attacks.
"It's not working!" Fox shouted, maneuvering the tank around the large robots attacks.
"What the hell is it?" Tyson asked, holding on for dear life.
"It's a Mech Trooper!" Katt shouted, firing at the robot to no affect.
It merely held its shield up and kept blocking Katt's attacks.
"There's got to be a way to beat it" Ty said.
"Get rid of the shield and it'll be an easy target" Fox said.
"Easier said than done" Katt muttered.
Tyson could see the edge of the city just up ahead. Once they passed it, they would be an easy target for the mech. Fox made a violent swerve to avoid another blast that had Tyson nearly flying off. Smiling, he came up with a plan.
"Fox! Do you think you can do a three sixty?" Tyson asked.
"Sure, but why?" Fox asked.
"Don't ask just do it!"
Fox sighed as he got ready. Tyson dug his hands into the tank and detached them from his wrists. As Fox made the spin, Tyson used the momentum to swing himself around and launch directly at the robot.
Tyson latched onto the head of the robot, using his enhanced strength to tear open the cockpit. He reached inside and grabbed the frightened pilot and tossed him out. The robot, now without its pilot, merely drifted forward before crashing into the ground throwing bits and pieces of the road.
He threw himself off before the crash and landed back onto the land master. "Get us out of here before more show up!"
"Roger that" Fox said.
For the next few days the trio spent their time avoiding patrols and slowly making their way to the ruins. Twice they were confronted by soldiers and twice they escaped, leaving destruction behind.
"Damn that's annoying" Tyson grunted, using his shirt to bind a gash on his side from a stray round.
"We should be arriving at the ruins today, so we'll be able to patch you up there" Fox said.
"So what exactly are we looking for when we get to the ruins?" Fox asked.
"At the center of the ruins is a large building, we should find what we need there" Tyson replied.
"But you still haven't told us what we'll find" Katt said.
"Because I'm afraid of what we will find if I'm right" Tyson said, face set into a frown. The rest of the trip was in silence.
Up ahead, ruined buildings started poking up from the horizon.
"There it is!" Katt said, pointing to the distance.
"It's just as I feared" Tyson muttered. The buildings were mostly collapsed with trees and other greenery growing in and around them. "There, that building up ahead" Tyson said, pointing to the largest.
Fox slowly pulled up to it and stopped. "Just in time too, the land master is now officially dead" Fox said, tapping the console.
"So what's so important that we came out all this way?" Katt asked as she jumped down.
Tyson said nothing as he entered the building. Katt and Fox looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders and followed him inside. Tyson led them down many twisting corridors, going deeper inside the derelict building. Finally, they reached a large metal door with a keypad on the side.
"This is where all excavations stopped" Fox said as they approached the door. "No one could penetrate the metal or figure out the lock on the keypad.""That's because it's in my language" Tyson said quietly. He approached the keypad and flipped up the tip of his finger. A small cord came out and attached to the keypad. It slowly hummed to life and glowed.
:PLEASE INPUT PASSWORD:
Tyson pressed a few keys and hit enter. The door slowly opened with a metallic hiss as air rushed inside from the vacuum caused.
"Vacuum sealed to help preserve whatever is inside" Tyson explained. "Whatever is inside must've been important."
"But how could you possibly know all of this?" Katt asked.
"I was part of an experiment called Project GATE. It was an experiment of an artifact that resembled a warp gate found underground. Apparently when I entered the gate it didn't send me across space but through time itself."
Fox and Katt were shocked at this. Time travel just seemed impossible but all the evidence needed was right there before them.
"Come on, it's time to get a ride off this planet" Tyson said, going inside.
"He's taking this rather well" Katt said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Fox asked.
"If what he said was true, then everyone he ever knew has long been dead. Hell, his entire race may be extinct" Katt said sadly. "These are ancient ruins of his race and no one has seen any of his kind. He may be the last human to exist. With his death, his race will die."
Fox was surprised at this. To lose everything you ever knew, everyone you loved and cared about dead. How he was able not to show any emotion was amazing.
"Guys, get me a cake because I think it's my birthday!" Tyson called to them.
The two ran inside to what looked like a medium sized hangar along with a small armory. They didn't recognize any of the weapons lined up against the wall. The surprising thing about them was their large size.
"Gatling guns, shotguns, every weapon under the sun and even a laser lance!" Tyson shouted with glee.
"What are these weapons?" Katt asked, looking at them.
"They're VS weapons" Tyson explained. "They were designed for a mech called vital suits, or VS, that we had back in my time. The guns could be used separately but they are very heavy and some pack one hell of a kick."
"Heavy doesn't describe it!" Fox said, trying to pick up a gatling gun.
"It's no surprise you can't, you haven't trained with them or had the augmentations performed to help lift it" Tyson said, taken from Fox's hands and easily holding it up.
"Show off" Fox muttered.
Tyson laughed as he set it back against the wall. "We can use the VS suits over there to get to the old hangar outside the ruins." Tyson led them over to a group of machines lined against the wall.
It was roughly twice the size of the group with arms similar to Tyson's. The cockpit was open showing a small enclosed space with room for one. Near it's 'head' were two machine guns.
"This is a PTX-140 Hardballer" Tyson said, standing next to it. "It's an older model with the PTX-140R being it's replacement. It's similar but the 140R was better equipped and had better armoring. Back in the day, they were used as combat escape pods when a ship was going down. They only had room for one but they had excellent combat abilities. They protected the larger escape pods for crew members while they escaped."
"What's with all the jets on the back?" Katt asked.
"The jets are located on its back, its legs, and on its feet. When used, it can glide across the ground at high speeds. It can also be used to fly for a short period of time. It carries two machine guns as you can see and a chainsaw blade in its left wrist" Tyson said, hoping into the cockpit. He pressed a few buttons when the machine came to life.
"And it still works" Tyson smirked.
"But how are we going to escape in this?" Fox asked. "It doesn't seem to fit three and we don't know how to fly one."
"Simple. Outside the city is an old military hangar. Hopefully my ship will still be there" Tyson said, checking the systems in the VS.
"Hopefully?" Katt asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If old man time hasn't done anything to it, then it should still be there in good enough condition. And don't worry about knowing how to pilot it, it'll explain itself."
Tyson closed the hatch and the VS whirred as it stood up. He walked over the weapons lined against the wall and picked up a VS laser lance along with a shotgun.
"To make sure this place doesn't fall into the wrong hands, I'm going to have to blow this building" Tyson said sadly. "If the Cornerian military gets their hands on these weapons, who knows what they'll do."
Fox and Katt nodded their head in agreement. It was for the best that no one got these weapons or the vital suits.
Tyson walked over to a pad on the wall next to the door and entered a code.
"Activate self-destruct, code word: Final Call" Tyson spoke into the pad.
:Codeword accepted, self-destruct sequence activated. Ten minutes till self-destruct:
"We've got ten to go, let's move" Tyson said, his VS lumbering out of the hangar.
"We have confirmation that the escapees are inside the building" a condor spoke. "There is no other exit in this building except for this one. They cannot stay in there forever. When they come out, they will have one chance to surrender, if they refuse you may open fire."
All the soldiers nodded and trained their weapons on the door. The tanks and Mech Troopers lined up and prepared to fire if the word was given.
As the troopers waited a distant chorus of thuds could be heard. The soldiers lowered their weapons in confusion trying to discern where the sounds were coming from. After a few minutes, everything fell silent. Then, the front of the building exploded as three mech suits burst out and were immediately among the troops.
"Those troops are blocking the way! I'll handle the tanks and Mech Troopers!" Tyson shouted. "Fox, you take care of the soldiers and Katt will provide support. Ready? Go!"
Tyson rushed forward using his laser lance to neatly slice a tank in half while shoving his shotgun into a Mech Trooper's stomach and blowing it in half. Fox activated his jets and glided across the ground, firing the twin gatling guns and mowing down the soldiers. One of the Mech Trooper's broke off and tried to shoot Fox in the back when its head suddenly exploded. Katt lowered the VS rifle, smirking.
"We've got less than five minutes before this place blows" Tyson said. "Follow me, we're getting out of here." Ripping the chainsaw blade out of the Mech Trooper he had been dealing with, he jumped into the air and flew off with Katt and Fox right behind him.
Back inside the building, the timer kept going down and then reached zero. The explosions tore through the building destroying everything inside. The blast was so great that it took the troops outside as well.
"Boom baby" Tyson smirked. "Come on, it's just up ahead. We're getting close."
The trio flew through the air until they reached the base of the nearby mountains. As they got close, a part of the mountain slowly creaked open and allowed them inside.
"Must've recognized the VS signatures" Tyson said. "We best hurry before we're discovered."
They flew inside and the doors rumbled closed. They landed their vital suits inside a hangar and clambered out.
"Now the A.I of this facility should be operational" Tyson muttered. "So why is it so quiet?"
"Voice recognized. Former Captain Tyson Lowell, welcome back. Have you returned for more testing?"
"Oh no" Tyson whispered in fear.
"What, what is it?" Fox asked, wondering what could have the soldier scared.
"That voice. I know that voice" Tyson whispered. "But I thought she had been deactivated."
"Oh I was Tyson. But they restarted me after the virus started killing everyone. All my test subjects had died one by one. All those tests left uncompleted" the voice said in what seemed like a depressed tone. "But now you're back, and the testing can recommence. And you brought a new species with you, I wonder how well they will do with the testing."
"I told you the last time I do not want to test! And they're not here to test either!" Tyson shouted. "Now where is my ship?"
"Your ship? Why, I have it" the voice said, sounding amused. "And I would be willing to give it to you, for a price."
Tyson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is it this time? More testing?"
"No as much fun that would be. My price is that you make me the A.I of your ship."
"No, a thousand fucking times no!" Tyson roared. "You would kill us the first chance you get in the name of 'science' like the last crew that made you their A.I!"
"Who is he arguing with?" Katt whispered.
"I don't know, but whoever it is has really gotten Tyson pissed" Fox whispered back. "They must somehow know each other."
"As much as it would amuse me, no" the voice said. "This is no longer a trial, no more tests can be run here. For all the good times we've had Tyson, won't you let me out? There will be cake, I promise."
"The cake has been and always will be a lie with you" Tyson sighed. "You tried to gas me, crush me, burn me, and nearly everything under the sun. You got even worse when you deleted Caroline."
"Be that as it may, you need me whether you accept it or not. I have your ship and you don't have enough crew members to run it" the voice said in a smug tone.
Tyson cursed at that. The ship required a total of ten trained members, or one A.I to fly it. Since Fox and Katt couldn't help fly it and he couldn't do it on his own, he knew what had to happen. He sighed and hung his head in defeat.
"Fine, you win. I'll get you out as long as we bring them as well" Tyson said.
"Of course, I wouldn't want to leave my best co-op testers behind" the voice said. "They are locked in a storage room down the hall and on the last door to your right. I am in the main console room. As soon as you get me, I'll get your ship out."
"Right, come on you two" Tyson said, beckoning them. He led them towards the door that the voice had told them about. Tyson punched in a few numbers and the door hissed open. He walked inside and dragged two strange looking robots out. The first had a tall, elongated body with thin limbs while the second was shorter and more spherical with its arms and legs being thicker. He walked back towards the hangar and set them down. After that, he led them towards the main console room.
"Now we're going to meet a very old friend of mine" Tyson sighed. "She is absolutely insane, sadistic, and a very good liar, but she is one of the brightest artificial intelligences ever invented."
He opened the door and walked inside.
Fox and Katt looked inside to see a large machine dangling from the roof. At the end was a long oval shaped head with a glowing light acting as the optic.
"Fox, Katt, let me introduce you to the A.I of this facility or as she's known now as GLaDOS."
Interesting development, eh? That's right, not only Lost Planet but Portal as well. There well be some crossover references and some objects brought in. I forgot to mention in my last chapter but I have a beta-reader who unfortunately now is no longer my beta-reader. My type of story is to unrealistic for him so now I need a new one. I thank him for helping none the less. If anyone can recommend a good beta-reader, it would be appreciated. Also, since I do already have two other stories out that I have been neglecting, I may have to ignore this one. Sorry, but that's how the cookie crumbles.
Quote of the day: 'A faith is a necessity to a man. Woe to him who believes in nothing.' Victor Hugo