Chapter 52 – Message Delivered
On my way out of the building, I passed the Avatar lab. I paused for a second and stared through a shattered window into the room. There was an airtight cover over the part of the wall James's Man-O-War had removed. I recalled his memory of the mushroom cloud explosion. Was it about to happen? I shook off the ominous feeling and walked on towards the building exit.
When I reached the exit, a young technician stood just outside. Speaking with a Parisian accent through his exopack, "Sir, my name is Pierre. Jody sent me to go with you." I replied, "Yeah I remember you. You're one of his engineers. Come with me. I hope you're not afraid of heights."
The technician didn't know how to reply, so he just scrambled to try to keep up with my long Na'vi stride as we walked out on the tarmac. I made a shrill hissing sound. I noticed in the distance the rest of the Na'vi were flying out low over the trees. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but the river basin should provide some protection from the pressure wave." I glanced up into the sky again and mumbled, "We don't have much time."
A few seconds later, Blood Stripe landed with his wings spread wide open. He screeched several times. I said to the young tech, "Don't look him in the eyes, Pierre. Just follow me. Take my hand and I'll lift you up." Pierre looked nervous, "Yes sir. Whatever you say," and he walked up behind me.
I calmed Blood Stripe down, petted him as I connected my que. As soon as I did, he bowed his head low, his instincts and my mental state conveyed to him a sense of life or death urgency. I climbed up on his back then reached down and pulled the technician up onto the Ikran. Blood Stripe spread his wings several times, lunged into the air to take flight, and flew out low over the canopy toward the river basin in the distance. As we flew over the perimeter fence, I glanced back as I heard Captain Gate's voice over the base intercom, "All units prepare to open fire…" the voice faded the further we got from the base until only the sound of the wind remained.
A few seconds later, I heard the booming of heavy weapons in the distance behind us at Fort Chacon. The flak cover had started. Every gun and missile was firing blindly into the sky to try and stop a single incoming bomb. It was a bomb that would kill every living thing at Fort Chacon if it got through the base's flak fire.
We flew low over the canopy. I couldn't see any of my fellow warriors ahead of us. They had probably made it to the river basin already, I thought. I could feel Blood Stripe's strain as he flew as fast as he could, even with the extra weight of the human. I petted his neck and tried to keep him calm. I noticed in the far distance, towards the high plains, an odd glow just over the horizon. It was a reddish-yellow glow, unnatural for Pandora's night sky. Pierre tapped my shoulder, as he held on to my waist with his other hand, and pointed in the direction of the glow.
Against the noise of the wind I yelled, "I see it!"
With one hand I held onto Blood Stripe and the other I found my throat mic. I pushed the transmit and said, "Jake can you read me, come in Jake, please respond. Dammit respond!" I paused a second and screamed into the mic, "I have something to tell you, something you bloody well need to know!" There was no response, only static.
We were getting close to the river basin now. Soon we'd be below the canopy and better protected I hoped. I glanced back in the direction of Fort Chacon. It was continuing to put up flak. From this distance, it was a brilliant sight to behold. There were hundreds of tracer streaks and explosions high in the sky. It reminded me of the fireworks displays I used to enjoy watching back on Earth. For a second I thought it odd how such a desperate act of survival could appear so strangely beautiful in the predawn sky.
I could see the river basin in the distance. I began to pass new instructions to Blood Stripe, when suddenly the dull noise of flak from behind us stopped. I frantically screamed, "Don't look back!"
In my mind there was only one reason why the guns would fall silent all at once. I could hear a turbulent wind noise behind us as the sky lit up, a noise like none I'd ever heard before. I knew what it had to be as an utterly primal fear assaulted my senses. I shouted, "Eywa please…"
A few moments later aboard the Black Jack…
Conrad stood at his station on the bridge. He watched the TORO's projected descent on a 3D display that hovered in front of him. While the bridge crew went about their duties, they kept a jealous eye on his 3D display. Finally, Conrad turned around and said to Captain Dias, "Captain, both weapons have reached their targets and preliminary scans indicate," he paused a moment to reconfirm his data, then continued, "Both weapons have detonated over their targets." Ute applauded and the bridge crew followed with applause with the exception to Charlie and Conrad.
Captain Dias beamed with excitement, "Charlie, your message has been delivered. Now you can make that check out to 'Ute Dias and Company.'" Some of the bridge crew snickered at the comment, but not Conrad. He watched Mr. Craddick's body leave the bridge in a body bag. His face showed no sign of emotion or concern; he just turned around and returned to his duties.
A moment later, without turning around, Conrad interrupted the murmur of conversation on the bridge and said aloud, "Comms, reconfirm my numbers for that signal!" A female voice, just out of Conrad's view on the other side of the comms console exclaimed, "Working on it." He turned with a pivot and said, "Captain, I have one more target for you tonight." Ute grinned with pleasure.
