Chapter 2: Near escape
Flame knew he couldn't contact anyone inside the SS Anubis, for the signal wouldn't reach anywhere out of the vessel. The only device that could contact anyone would be in his ship, which was far from him. Either way, he would probably die, but at least if he contacted someone he could get out the word that the SS Anubis and probably Mizar were alive again. He was in a moment of disparity, and was fully convinced that his death was not far ahead.
As he looked around where he was, and tried to remember what the SS Anubis's structure was, he finally realized he was not to far from the central room, home of the power generator for the whole ship. This information branched off to the conclusion of where he and his ship were located, and the answer was; too far away.
Flame had a small map of the SS Anubis in his head from when he was a boy, where he was stranded on the ship for some time. Now he knew exactly where he could go, but the problem still lied in the impossible odds.
Also, another difficulty was ammo. He only had a machine gun and a shocker with just a few jolts left. That definitely would not be able to hold back everything he would face.
He could make his way through some small, lonely tunnels. That wouldn't be a problem, because Flame could easily pick out single patrol drones at a time. But at the end, no matter which way he looked at it, he would have to go through the central room, where most drones would be patrolling the main power generator.
Flame decided on the shortest route possible, going right through the power room, and heading straight through some tunnels, then right to his ship.
He started walking through the tunnels he had decided to go through. His ears were as aware as his eyes. He walked almost inaudibly. His shocker was out, ready for anything. Then, Flame heard a creak of metal, then footsteps coming his way. The sound was very clear to him. He shivered in fear, but knew not only would it be cowardly to run away, but also pointless. The tunnels of SS Anubis were completely bare, and there would be no possible way to hide.
He simply stood his ground, tightened the grip on his gun, readied his finger for the trigger, and held his breath. Then he saw a lone patrol drone come around a corner in the tunnel. He and the drone both fired almost simultaneously. The drone, being shot by a jolt of electricity, lay down on the ground, dead. However, this only happened after a bullet scraped Flame's left shoulder.
"Gah!" Flame held his left shoulder with his right hand, as it started to slightly bleed. It wasn't a big wound, but needless to say, something to leave a mark. He carefully walked over to the drone, lying on the ground, uncovered his shoulder and picked up the drones ammo with his right hand. As Flame walked past the dead bug, he slightly murmured under his breath, "Thanks for the ammo."
Blade realized the gunshot the drone fired at him would probably attract attention, and soon drones would see the drone he killed, laying on the floor. That made him quicken his pace, yet keep silent.
Finally, when he exited the tunnel, he found himself in a small room with some crates stacked up on each other. When he was about to pass through, he heard a group of footsteps, undoubtedly a troop of drones that had found the body of the bug he killed. He quickly climbed up the crates, and waited for the drones to pass by him. As the small group went in the room, he held his breath and kept completely motionless. One of the drones at the rear, however, saw Flame in the corner of its eye. Flame, noticing this, quickly pointed his shocker at it and gave it a jolt. In spite of how silent the shocker is, the other drones noticed their comrade's fate and realized Flame's presence, too. Before they could even completely turn around, they were on the ground, electrocuted. Since that was his last bit of shocker ammo, he threw it on the ground by the drones, almost to show the death as a mark of his doing.
At long last, Flame met the last door to the power room. He took a deep slow breath, savoring it, thinking it may be his last. As he slowly exhaled, he took out his machine gun, and slowly opened the door.
Running, gun blazing, he only focused on the other side of the room, where he could escape. He was too distracted by that, and the sound of his guns to hear or see or feel anything else that was happening. The door came closer and closer, until he was finally out of the room.
Not to his surprise drones followed him in the tunnel. Yet again, he was not distracted by them, and rapidly fired behind him, not caring whether he successfully hit his targets or not. It seemed to go on forever, but at long last, he found his ship, and quickly dove in it. As fast as he could, he engaged it in set off, and then flew it as fast and as far away from the SS Anubis as he could.
The drones in the vessel walked away, then boarded other ships to chase him, knowing perfectly well what would happen if he told others of what was going on in SS Anubis.
Flame put the ship on autopilot, then pressed a button on the ship's control panel.
A sharp and high-pitched beep came.
"Come on Jeff, dire emergency. Answer."
"Hello? Flame is that you? Got any good news?"
"None. Look, I don't know what's going to happen to me, but SS Anubis is rein habited, and that' a fact. Spread the word, and get the rebellion started again. Inform the Jet Force Gemini too..."
"-What's going on?"
"Doesn't matter. Mizar and his drones are back..."
"Flame?! What's going on?! Flame?"
Flame had not came out of SS Anubis unscratched. Blood showed on his vest, and it was obvious that he was shot numerous times. Flame started to feel weak, then, as things began to dim, his head slowly fell onto the control panel of his ship, and the last thing he saw was the alarm signal by his ship that enemy fire was heading towards him. Then everything went dark, as his ship drifted on autopilot into the unknown...
Flame knew he couldn't contact anyone inside the SS Anubis, for the signal wouldn't reach anywhere out of the vessel. The only device that could contact anyone would be in his ship, which was far from him. Either way, he would probably die, but at least if he contacted someone he could get out the word that the SS Anubis and probably Mizar were alive again. He was in a moment of disparity, and was fully convinced that his death was not far ahead.
As he looked around where he was, and tried to remember what the SS Anubis's structure was, he finally realized he was not to far from the central room, home of the power generator for the whole ship. This information branched off to the conclusion of where he and his ship were located, and the answer was; too far away.
Flame had a small map of the SS Anubis in his head from when he was a boy, where he was stranded on the ship for some time. Now he knew exactly where he could go, but the problem still lied in the impossible odds.
Also, another difficulty was ammo. He only had a machine gun and a shocker with just a few jolts left. That definitely would not be able to hold back everything he would face.
He could make his way through some small, lonely tunnels. That wouldn't be a problem, because Flame could easily pick out single patrol drones at a time. But at the end, no matter which way he looked at it, he would have to go through the central room, where most drones would be patrolling the main power generator.
Flame decided on the shortest route possible, going right through the power room, and heading straight through some tunnels, then right to his ship.
He started walking through the tunnels he had decided to go through. His ears were as aware as his eyes. He walked almost inaudibly. His shocker was out, ready for anything. Then, Flame heard a creak of metal, then footsteps coming his way. The sound was very clear to him. He shivered in fear, but knew not only would it be cowardly to run away, but also pointless. The tunnels of SS Anubis were completely bare, and there would be no possible way to hide.
He simply stood his ground, tightened the grip on his gun, readied his finger for the trigger, and held his breath. Then he saw a lone patrol drone come around a corner in the tunnel. He and the drone both fired almost simultaneously. The drone, being shot by a jolt of electricity, lay down on the ground, dead. However, this only happened after a bullet scraped Flame's left shoulder.
"Gah!" Flame held his left shoulder with his right hand, as it started to slightly bleed. It wasn't a big wound, but needless to say, something to leave a mark. He carefully walked over to the drone, lying on the ground, uncovered his shoulder and picked up the drones ammo with his right hand. As Flame walked past the dead bug, he slightly murmured under his breath, "Thanks for the ammo."
Blade realized the gunshot the drone fired at him would probably attract attention, and soon drones would see the drone he killed, laying on the floor. That made him quicken his pace, yet keep silent.
Finally, when he exited the tunnel, he found himself in a small room with some crates stacked up on each other. When he was about to pass through, he heard a group of footsteps, undoubtedly a troop of drones that had found the body of the bug he killed. He quickly climbed up the crates, and waited for the drones to pass by him. As the small group went in the room, he held his breath and kept completely motionless. One of the drones at the rear, however, saw Flame in the corner of its eye. Flame, noticing this, quickly pointed his shocker at it and gave it a jolt. In spite of how silent the shocker is, the other drones noticed their comrade's fate and realized Flame's presence, too. Before they could even completely turn around, they were on the ground, electrocuted. Since that was his last bit of shocker ammo, he threw it on the ground by the drones, almost to show the death as a mark of his doing.
At long last, Flame met the last door to the power room. He took a deep slow breath, savoring it, thinking it may be his last. As he slowly exhaled, he took out his machine gun, and slowly opened the door.
Running, gun blazing, he only focused on the other side of the room, where he could escape. He was too distracted by that, and the sound of his guns to hear or see or feel anything else that was happening. The door came closer and closer, until he was finally out of the room.
Not to his surprise drones followed him in the tunnel. Yet again, he was not distracted by them, and rapidly fired behind him, not caring whether he successfully hit his targets or not. It seemed to go on forever, but at long last, he found his ship, and quickly dove in it. As fast as he could, he engaged it in set off, and then flew it as fast and as far away from the SS Anubis as he could.
The drones in the vessel walked away, then boarded other ships to chase him, knowing perfectly well what would happen if he told others of what was going on in SS Anubis.
Flame put the ship on autopilot, then pressed a button on the ship's control panel.
A sharp and high-pitched beep came.
"Come on Jeff, dire emergency. Answer."
"Hello? Flame is that you? Got any good news?"
"None. Look, I don't know what's going to happen to me, but SS Anubis is rein habited, and that' a fact. Spread the word, and get the rebellion started again. Inform the Jet Force Gemini too..."
"-What's going on?"
"Doesn't matter. Mizar and his drones are back..."
"Flame?! What's going on?! Flame?"
Flame had not came out of SS Anubis unscratched. Blood showed on his vest, and it was obvious that he was shot numerous times. Flame started to feel weak, then, as things began to dim, his head slowly fell onto the control panel of his ship, and the last thing he saw was the alarm signal by his ship that enemy fire was heading towards him. Then everything went dark, as his ship drifted on autopilot into the unknown...