Stealth 2 - Flight to home

Through my soul

33. I will find a way

They succeed. The carrier was their. In Jacen's look it was sweet victory. Very sweet victory, they had carrier, captain, all people there, but... every sweet victory has its limits. And he wasn't really glad for them. Actually he was furious. The main thing, for what they came here, wasn't captured!

"I told you to not screw it up! And what did you do? You did screw it!" Jacen pulled with strength Shane to the wall, and younger man was staring into his could grey eyes. "Why didn't you understand it?" He smashed him one more time into the wall, and then threw him away. "One little, vulnerable AI, what even can't fly and you don't capture him."

"He is maybe small, but he isn't alone. And he has strength. Everyone who tried to catch him failed. He was just smashing them and throwing away! Before we could really get to him, he was gone." Shane was defending himself; he knew very well he didn't success. "So what are we gonna do now?"

"Bring captain to me." Jacen lighted up his cigar, and waited for Shane to fill his order. He really wasn't satisfied. And Keith wasn't making his mood any better. He knew younger man is stubborn. But he didn't say any word since he was there to visit him. He will have to revisit him, because Keith was just sitting there. He wasn't talking, moving or anything else. And that was going on Jacen's nerves. At least he could now get out his anger on Shane. And he had a very good reason for it.

When they finally got captain to him, he was ready to begin gaining information's.

"So captain I hope you will help us. We need to find that AI, and I think you know where he is."

Marshfield didn't really look like he will cooperate. And after all his silence he said simple words. "I don't. They can go anywhere. I didn't send them somewhere."

"And why should I believe this?" Jacen snorted.

"They aren't small kids, what I should hold by their hands." Dick replied and Jacen breathed out cloud of smoke.

"Yes, but I don't believe you. Captain you can keep your mouth shut how long you want. But your people will suffer for it, and we will find them. So you will better talk. And now you will show me how handle this big baby." He pointed to get Marshfield ahead and then he talked to Shane. "Go and find them!"

\ - \

Henry was still reading the manual book, and then looked over their small ship, or how they could call it. He wasn't really sure what this machine was. It was a ship, hovercraft or something like that, hybrid of something. And Kara already knew how to control it. Or better ride it. So they were on a good way to escape. Then he looked at Tim, how he is sitting next to Ben and too reading the manual. Even when they were on the run, they weren't so stressed. They were just making sure everything is ready. After all they were trained for it. Then he looked at Ben. He was just sitting and in moments too looking into Tim's manual. He looked like he is nervous. That wasn't like him, even in these situations, like he was feeling something. Henry didn't have a clue what it was, and he let it be now. But then answer came to him.

The ship suddenly without any warning, or sign changed its direction. The whole crew was thrown on one side, and one crowd. It was then still spinning in the circle, and then it stopped. Screaming stopped too, and all of them said quiet "Finally." Henry finally managed to stand up and rubbed his sore forehead.

"Guys what was this?" He grumbled and Kara sighed deeply, still down on the floor.

"Don't know. But I'm glad we landed on something soft." She said and Tim uncomfortably grumbled.

"Yeah, that's pity I can't say the same thing." They all looked down and saw Ben, how they are all lying one crowd on him. For some time they were just staring at him, and then he finally got mad. "Get out off me!" He screamed and they all stood up and let him breath again. When he sat up and rubbed his sore hand, because they laid on it he made curious look. Just like him, they were all looking around, with very careful look. Something wasn't normal here.

"Kara did you do it?" Henry asked in whisper, and she shook her head.

"To throw us on one crowd? No I didn't. It did it by itself." The she got an idea, and slowly looked at EDI. But AI didn't seem like he caused it all. He returned her a look and shook head.

"I didn't do anything." AI protested and he was too looking around, scanning everything around. He felt something. Something was knocking on his sphere. Something was surrounding him. Then he found it with his scan. On his vision were numbers and letters, when he was sliding with his look around, and then it concerned on one place. He jumped on control panel, and they were just watching him. EDI slowly and carefully looked on it, and then with his nose began to rip into it, carefully to take out the shell. All people were watching him without any understanding, but then a foreign female voice sounded and they jumped back in shock.

"Please let me go. I didn't do anything to you." A voice was young and female, but they didn't know where it came from. And then it came on their mind. "You too wouldn't like if I just came to you, and tried to take off the shell near your CPU!"

EDI then finally stopped and made a small "nah."

"This really wasn't nice of you."

"You scared us in first place! And didn't say anything! It's not my fault!" EDI responded and in one moment he found himself on one of the seats.

"You're not really nice to a lady. But after all you were for sure trained to fight. So that's normal." She looked at him more carefully. "And if you were, you are damn bad solider."

"Why you-"

Others were just starring at it. With opened mouths and widened eyes. They never saw two AIs together. And even rarer was they were arguing! They never thought they could have more AIs on the carrier. But if this small ship was AI, how many were there actually? Ben was glad he handled to be with EDI, but this was too much on him.

"What are you anyway some pocket plane?"

"And what about you? You aren't ship or hovercraft!"

"For your information I'm hybrid! But you look you were too looong in the rain!"

"Ok SHUT UP YOU TWO!" Both AI in moment shut up, and looked back at Kara. Ben with other guys stepped back and with shocked faces looked at her, Tim rather hided being Henry. "And now tell us who you are. And you will be quiet until I won't tell you to talk!" She pointed out and EDI nodded quietly. "Now tell us who you are anyway."

They all sat down and were looking on the place where EDI tried to take the shell off. And female voice began to talk.

"My name is Elora. How you can all see I am too AI, like your friend here. I was designed like every other of my class to get body of this-"

"Wait, wait, wait! You mean there are more of you?" Ben jumped into her talk.

"Yes. They are my sisters. We have all the same body. We are actually a hybrid between ship and hovercraft. We can make ourselves totally invisible, and defend ourselves. But we are still transports. NAVY created us to save people, and we are doing it. But our technology was never revealed to anyone. When we help someone, we are still too big secret to them. And it could stay that way, if he didn't begin to poke into my shell!"

EDI was steady looking at her. "You wouldn't say a thing without it. And after all you threw us on the side!" EDI defended himself and Kara felt there is coming next arguing so she immediately cut that out.

"Stop you two! But he is right." Kara had to admit that, even when she didn't want to.

"Yeah why did you do this?" Henry joined the conversation.

"Because I had to. We were locked as target."

All's eyes widened, and there could be hear deep swallow.

"By who?" Ben sounded and in the moment there appeared image of three boats chasing them. And in another moment they again found themselves on the floor, when Elora made another quick turn.

"I really hate AI!" Kara shouted, and when a turn stopped, they a while to catch a breath. And then they sped up with huge speed.

"Hang on I must get us from these rockets."

"ROCKETS!" They all screamed and then there was a big jump, and land again. There was a splash into water and with very sharp turns they were trying to escape. First rocket didn't manage to accelerate in the right time and landed in the water, when a small wave swallowed it. Second and third were still behind them. Elora was still keeping the sharp and fast maneuver with high speed and thinking about plan how to take rockets down.

"I don't feel so good." Said Tim and Henry looked at him.

"Yeah and what about that?"

"I think I'll vomit." Henry's eyes widened, after while of staring he grabbed Tim and shook with him.

"DON'T DARE TO DO IT HERE!"

"HENRY YOU WON'T HELP HIM LIKE THIS!" Shouted at him Kara and Henry stopped. Tim looked like he isn't even noticing them and both pilots looked at him.

"I think it worked. He is now so out of mind, he isn't even sick anymore." Henry smiled and Kara just rubbed her face. Then they felt another splash and then second rocket exploding. There was just one left.

"This is bad. I can't get rid of that last one. I'm not so well trained in combat." Elora said and EDI looked at her.

If she was right, then there wasn't any chance for them. He thought about all of that. And he couldn't let it happen. In soul he knew he can do something. He had to protect them! And it didn't take him long to decide.

"Open the door!" He commanded.

"Why? It will take of invisibility and there isn't any reason for it."

"I'm going out! I can protect us!" They all looked at him.

"How when you can't even fly!" Kara sounded and EDI responded calmly.

"I know. But I can still do something. Elora you are AI just as me. You know it's only chance. And you know AI won't do anything, if it can't be possible. Please trust me and open the door."

Other computer was thinking for a while. He was right. And he was AI. And they never did anything if it wasn't for sure. And even when she didn't have any clue how he will do it, she trusted him. She opened the door. Invisibility disappeared and the ship showed up on shiny water.

"Thank you." He thanked her and came to the door. He wanted to jump, when Ben stopped him, by grabbing his wing.

"Don't do this!" They looked at each other. "If we will lost you, then everything was useless! And I promised I'll bring you back!" He shouted and with begging face was looking at EDI. But AI didn't want to cancel his plan. He was just looking right into Ben's clear eyes.

"Eddie this isn't any conclusion. Stay here." Henry too joined and then Kara shook her head.

"Even when I don't like you, I don't want you to destroy yourself. Ben is right, after all what we did because of you. All of this is because of you."

EDI looked back at Ben, when he looked all over them. They were still at high speed, and they didn't have a lot of time yet to do something. So he looked back into Ben's eyes. Human was worried and he was still holding his wing tight.

"Trust me." EDI begged and he met his sphere world. He felt a soft touch from Ben, and he knew it meant yes, because his wing was free again, when Ben dropped it. He had to trust him; he had to let him be again what he was. He was combat AI. He was born to fight. And Ben had to let him go once again. It was maybe too early for him. But he had to. They needed him.

He smiled at Ben, and then with one turn he jumped into water. All humans in shock hurried to the door. Except for Ben, he wasn't surprised. He just wished he could help him, but human wasn't any useful for this. They needed AI.

"HE CAN SWIM?" Henry, Kara and Tim said loud in wonder and confusion and were just starring outside. With jaws dropped down. And they watched EDI, how he is approaching to the rocket. Elora was too amazed. She never saw a plane swim. But she just hoped he will be all right.

EDI didn't want to waste any second. He immediately used his quantum CPU to change rocket's target. He was now target. He didn't have enough time to change the target on the boats, they were protected, but he could change target on him. And then he quickly began to rush from Elora. He jumped up and dove into the deep and waited what it will do. And he was really disappointed when rocket didn't crash. It was still waiting for him up there, flying in circle.

EDI didn't have any data of these rockets. He didn't know how they work, or what is their full. And they had a lot of it for sure. He could just wait here, but he had to catch up with Elora. And the boats. So he headed on opposite side. To the boats. Rocket was following him. At least they were safe. And people on boats weren't really happy about their rocket heading back at them. But they were ready.

EDI was still continuing. But without any warning, sign, or look at it, there was a net. And he got right into it. Blue lightings appeared and he recognized the net, what caught him then. When he protected Ben from it! He moaned in pain and felt and saw how net got around him, closing him in tight grip. He wasn't gonna allow it! He was stretching his wings with all his strength, and trying to run away. But it was just like tentacle. Not letting its prey to go away. Sharp pain got through him and he screamed.

Ben in one moment tasted too powerful and sharp pain, what he maybe never felt in his life. He screamed in pain and fell down. He was lucky with that; before he could hit the floor Kara caught him.

"Ben what's going on?" She wanted to know, but he didn't answer. "Say it!" She begged and shook with him.

"He's in pain..." He whispered and Kara just stared at him. And then she pulled him close and looked back at opened door and water under them.

"He still didn't show up." Tim said and Henry nodded. And he hoped it won't last for long. And he saw boats are nearing to them, even in full speed.

EDI didn't want to die! He didn't want it anymore! He wanted to kill himself then on the carrier, but Ben stopped him. And since then he wanted to live! He didn't want to feel that emptiness again. He didn't want to leave this world or wait again for years! HE WANTED TO LIVE! Even with so much pain. Even with this blurry vision. He found the strength! And he saw something in his mind. He saw his father smiling at him.

He took all his power, and began to stretch his wings. He managed to get out from this net before! Even when Ben helped him, but he did it! So he will do it again! When he could for so long run away from Ben to complete Caviar Sweep, he can do this! Something inside him was calling for a life. And he listened to it. He felt like there is something surrounding him. Maybe he was just dying again, but this felt different. He reached for it in his mind, and then everything came clear. Through all electricity he began spin circle. He began to speed up, and moving his body. With more and more speed. He was ignoring the pain. He was stretching his wings and then felt how water around him is getting wild. He knew what spinning will do. And he enjoyed the thought of that.

"They are nearing to us!" Tim panicked and pointed at all three boats. But Henry wanted him to shut up, so he looked around to say something. Then he really saw something. He looked back to see Kara, how she is sitting there with Ben in her embrace. And how he is lying there and taking deep breaths. He didn't understood this, but he had feeling it's somehow connected with EDI. "Henry looked there's a whirlpool!" He was disturbed by Tim in his thoughts and looked at the ocean. And his eyes widened. The small whirlpool was now huge and he had to swallow hard.

Kara blinked when she saw it too, and then patted Ben on his hair, and pulled him very close. He was panting and when he opened eyes a little he whispered low. "Please. Just don't give it up now."

EDI was glad his plan was going well. Now he had to finish it. He spins once more at high speed and with one big turn and force he stretched wings, freeing himself. He let out a deep and loud roar, and surrounded by unknown blue shine he headed up.

He jumped out of water, in the blue shine and all his glory. And with one fast move of wing cut the rocket into two peaces, letting it explode. Then he dove again. Everyone who saw it was just staring. They couldn't believe what they saw. But that blue shine appeared to be some kind of shield, very strong shield. He accelerated in the water and headed to the boats. He took them down with one move. He just got through them! It was like sharp blade. All their passengers were jumping into water, but he let them be. He returned back to Elora.

Shine disappeared while that. When he was back he was normal again. Slowly he almost got himself up again. But Henry with Tim helped him. They pulled him back into Elora and EDI exhausted lay down. All his energy was gone. But it was worth it.

"Wow Eddie," He looked up at Henry tiredly. "You're the man." Henry patted him gently and Tim did the same.

"You saved us. Thanks." EDI looked confused. They were thanking him. Not like then. They were grateful. He then saw Kara. She was just sitting there, looking at him, with neutral look. She didn't say anything, and he thought it was maybe better that way. But then he felt how someone pulled him up. He found himself close to Ben.

"You did it." Pilot said happy and EDI nodded weakly. He was too tired to do anything. He just closed eyes, and let himself rest.

They were on the way still even at night. They fell asleep. There were new questions, but they didn't have strength to think about them. They wanted to sleep, except Kara. She was still awake. And she was still watching Ben, how he is sleeping with EDI in embrace. Today was so strange and mainly confusing for her. There was so much appeared on her mind. But she will have enough time to think tomorrow.

Now she just made herself comfortable and whispered few words. "Thanks for saving us. Eddie."

Fighting on water must be fun here :D