Chapter 16

Around The Corner

Disclaimer: Yeah, Landmark owns it all. This is the same disclaimer you read all over the internet and web. Let's be truthful, though – this could have been a great show that Landmark and Mattel let slide into oblivion. Shame on them for being before their time in the entertainment business.

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"They're aboard the transport and on the way," Tobias said. She showed no relief, no emotion at having passed the first hurdle of the mission. She simply reported the fact as though noting the state of the weather.

Jennifer leaned back in her chair, feeling suddenly tired and sore. She rested her head against the back of the second command chair, taking half a yawn that seemed to help her weariness. She looked at Tobias. The probe was sticking grossly out of the doctor's head, a shoot like a branch of a tree from the stump, protruding from a human skull. A hair-thin wire connected the probe to the computer, a microscopic fiber that spelled the line between life and death should the connection be cut.

Jennifer's eyes strayed to the console that emitted a constant read out of the doctor's vital signs. They were steadier than they had been, almost as if Tobias was becoming comfortable with a familiar environment – as if she had gone home and knew where she was. Still, there were underlying readings that were nearly off the scale. Cerebral activity was pushing envelope of human tolerance. That was the fault of the interface. Jennifer was sure her earliest mentor was consciously working to maintain the link so that the mission could continue. From what she could infer from her knowledge of the link, the battle was as intense as anything their team in the field would endure in the coming hours.

Pilot's own body felt tired. It was drugged, she knew, to mask the pain she should have felt. Instead, nerves had been duped by methylendorphine into believing tissue had not been damaged, that Blastarr had not gotten a direct hit on the delicate human form. She barely remembered the impact, but she did remember how much it hurt only moments later. More clear was the memory of the machine's intent to fire again. She had been hit by machine fire before many times, had even endured direct shots from Blastarr and Soaron in close combat. Those times, though, had enjoyed the luxury of her suit, a virtual shield against such attacks. Never before had she been assaulted directly on her flesh by one of Dread's super machines. The pain had been more awesome than she could ever have imagined.

She watched the dips and spikes of Tobias' heart making a pathway on the monitor. While the rhythm was normal, the frequency of it was not. The heart was not working harder, just faster. For all of Dread's dreams of creating a hybrid existence between the human body and the machine world, nature managed to resound it tolerances to the marriage. The body, it seemed, suffered the cheaper end of the deal.

"No alerts have been issued in Volcania. They got the overunit in time," Tobias said.

Chase nodded. "Chalk one up for the good guys," she said, scratching at the edge of the cast on her wrist. It had begun itching over an hour ago, and it seemed to be intensifying.

The patrol bugs were busy moving around the various sectors of the area. Tobias remained at the panel to monitor troop movements. One of the bugs turned toward the panel again. Jennifer warned of the movement.

"I want to try something," Tobias announced. "Don't switch to passive with this bug."

"What?"

"If we can't convince the bugs that I'm allowed to be here, we'll be dodging them the entire way inside the system. I need them to realize I'm a part of the program."

Jennifer was uncomfortable with the idea. "If they realize you're infiltrating, they'll alert Overmind."

"I know," Tobias said resolutely. "So, let's see what they know and don't know."

The bug approached. Jennifer wanted in the worst way to go to passive mode, to do what she and Tobias knew worked, but the doctor had issued an order. The reasoning was sound. If they did not have the ability to move freely in the system, they would be hounded and hampered by the patrols throughout the mission, losing valuable time in getting Volcania's secondary systems to do what was needed.

The sentry tapped its way down the hall. It moved faster when it spied Tobias standing there in the virtual world. Its tiny legs sprinted forward until it came upon the doctor. It stopped abruptly and immediately issued its tentacles to inspect the intruder in the computer system it was designed to protect. The virtual Tobias reached a hand for it, inviting it to step forth and climb in to her hand. It accepted the offer, climbing with purpose up her arm. The tentacles were wild with activity, feeling every surface available.

The real Tobias grimaced at the act, still not used to the sensation of the events in the virtual world. One of the tentacles pushed in to her ear. Her jaw clenched tightly, and she held her breath against the assault. The tentacle withdrew seconds later, finding more surfaces to probe. It felt over her closed eyelids, through her hair, and down her robes. It paused a moment, as though considering its findings. Then it crawled to the wall and skittered to the floor and resumed its patrol.

Chase watched the entire exchange with awe. Tobias straightened in her chair, and the act was emulated in the virtual world as the image on the screen adjusted with her head movement.

"Did I ever mention I hate bugs?" Tobias asked. "Doesn't matter if they're virtual or real. I hate them."

"They seem to like you," Chase offered lightly.

"Something good comes of everything, I suppose."

The doctor continued down the hall. The bugs gave no notice of her movement, assuming she was allowed to be in their territory. She moved forward with Pilot's guidance through the matrix of passages until they came to the door leading into Volcania's main secondary system. Again, they were faced with choosing the proper symbol from the library to open the door.

"Here we go," Tobias said, selecting the same symbol they had used on the first door. "If it works on this door, we have a passkey to the entire system."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we're not as good as we thought we were, and Dread is not as dumb as he looks."

Tobias moved the symbol over the door's kiosk and inserted it into the port. The door blinked three time in quick succession and opened. Beyond it was a quiet control room with control panels banked in a semicircle. The room was subdued, dark in the corners and silent. Tobias smiled and gave a small chuckle at the feat. She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She looked around.

"Just like I left it," she said with an air of satisfaction.

Jennifer took it all in, marveling at the potential power of the room. "Wow," was all she could say. The room gave them access to every secondary system in the fortress.

"Contact your captain and tell him we're in position."

Jennifer complied with the order. "Pilot to Captain Power. We're in position. What's your ETA to the target?"

The comm link crackled a bit. "Power to Pilot. We're two minutes out. How's our doorway looking?"

Tobias moved to one of the control panels and examined its readings. "Ask, seek and knock, Captain. I'm ready to do my part. How about you?"

"We're ready, Doctor. Stand by."

Tobias checked the readouts for troop movements.

"Uh-oh," she said after reading one particular report.

"What?" Jennifer asked, concerned.

"They found what's left of Blastarr. It's being transported back to Volcania."

"It's still in pieces, right?"

"For the moment, but regeneration time can be sped up at Volcania. Blastarr can be operational in less than thirty minutes if they give it enough juice."

She opened a link to Power herself this time. "Tobias to Captain Power. Be advised – Blastarr is on the front doorstep and is going to be reassembled in less than thirty. You may be in for more resistance than we anticipated."

There was a pause on the link. "We copy that, Doctor. What about Soaron?"

Tobias checked the panel, looking for Soaron's location. "Still flying patrol, on a set pattern. If it doesn't deviate, you're good to go on your run."

"Here's hoping. We're at the door."

"Stand by." Tobias keyed commands into the panel. Chase watched the panel and saw Tobias isolate door one-zero-four. The doctor's hands were quick with the commands. The door showed compliance with her command.

"That's it!" Power said excitedly over the comm. "We're going in."

"We copy," Jennifer said.

Tobias studied more of the controls at her disposal. "Let me know when you reach the inner blast door. I don't want to open a bottle of wine before its time."

"We're on our way. Thirty seconds," Power said.

Tobias pulled up the second blast door. She keyed in the command and waited for Power's acknowledgement of their arrival. When he gave it, she initiated the open command and got a positive response. Green points appeared on the screen. Tobias was tracking their movements with Volcania's secondary sensors.

"Go right down that corridor. There should be a ladder there," she said.

"Got it," Power said a few moments later. "Now what?"

"Up, up and away, Captain. Might I suggest you get out of that shiny suit of yours for the climb?"

Tobias keyed another command. Surveillance camera images projected on several screens adjacent to the console. Chase saw Power nod at the suggestion as he looked up the ladder.

"I was just thinking that," he said, not thrilled at what lay ahead of them to get to their intended target. "Let's power down," he said to his team.

They did as they were told, changing back to unprotected forms. Only then did it occur to Jennifer that the rest of the infiltration team was that vulnerable during the mission. Until everyone reached the top, there would be no opportunity to suit up again in the event of detection. They would all be subject to direct fire from mech weapons.

Power took the lead on the ladder, starting his climb. The others followed, putting a bit of distance between bodies on the rungs. The access tube was narrow, but they were able to navigate it even with loaded backpacks on Haven's fighters.

Tobias switched the views as they ascended, following them up the ladder in increments. She zoomed in on Power's face at one point. It was shiny with perspiration from his efforts.

"You didn't mention it was going to be this hot in here, Doctor," he said with exertion.

"You're skirting the generators for Volcania. Believe me, you don't want to be outside that tube right now," Tobias advised.

Jennifer saw Hawk climbing just below Power. He stopped a moment and wiped at his brow.

"I don't want to rub it in," the major said, "but I could have flown up this damned thing in thirty seconds flat."

"You need the exercise," Power said, a smile on his face. "How much farther, Doctor? I can't even see the top of this thing."

"You're not going to the top," Tobias said. "In twenty meters, you'll see a hatch to the side. That's going to put you in a storage area. From there, you can turn on your suits again and head for the computer core."

"Any surprises waiting for us in there?" Power asked, his breath quick with exertion.

Tobias checked the panel. "I'm not showing anyone in there right now. It's food storage, so unless someone gets hungry, you should have it all to yourself."

"Copy that," Power said.

The comm went silent as the journey continued. The team made its way up the ladder until they reached the access hatch. The storage area remained empty. Tobias unlocked the hatch door and waited for Power to open the latch. The view on the surveillance cameras switched to the inside of the food locker. The view was startling to Jennifer. It was all too familiar. Red lights, dark shadows – she suddenly remembered stepping into that very room when she was younger. It was eerie to view the place she had been raised. Its metal walls held no warmth. They were just like the empire of Volcania, stark and strong against whoever would dare challenge its existence.

The hatch door opened. Power passed through the port and jumped down to the floor. He turned to help Hawk. Together, they waited as each team member passed their packs and supplies through the hole then jumped into the storage room. Their breath was a fog in the air. Jennifer thought that it was probably a welcomed sensation. Their faces were shiny. Dark clothing had turned even darker in patches where sweat bled through.

Hawk leaned his head back, lavishing in the cold air pushing down on them. "That's better," he said.

Power gave them no time to rest. "We'll use this as a staging area. Let's get the gear out."

Tobias keyed the comm link again. "Captain, I recommend you hold off on your suit routine until you're ready to move. I'm going to try to keep the sensors calm when you turn them on, but I can't make any guarantees."

"Understood," Power said. "How's the hallway?"

Tobias checked the floorplan. "It's good for the moment. You should have a clear run at the core until the blast door. Minimal resistance, if any. Once you get there, though, you're going to have to work fast. That door is tied to the primary systems. Once it's opened without authorization, you're going to have hell's minions raining down on you."

Lyle walked over to one of the food crates and opened it. He peered inside, finding fresh produce. Jennifer remembered that hydroponics was used in the fortress. She found it amusing as she watched Lyle pick an apple from the crate and bite into it.

Blalock looked at him disapprovingly.

Lyle shrugged. "Hey, this could be the last chance I have to eat, Lieutenant. Put it on Dread's tab."

Blalock shook his head and walked away from the pallet. Lyle waited until no one was watching and put another apple in his pocket. Then he closed the lid to the crate.

Kasich was standing near Scout. He helped her with her pack. Jennifer sensed more than just camaraderie between them. She had known Robert a long time, and in all that time, she had never seen him exhibit such care with another person. It was more tenderness than anything else. Kasich seemed to return the affection, smiling at him and murmuring something so quiet that it could not be heard over the surveillance system. He tightened the straps on her backpack, making sure it was secure against her back.

Burgess and Tank stood by, quietly waiting their turn to go first through the door into the hall. They would be leading the charge. Tank would take the foremost lead, his armor able to withstand heavy blasts. Burgess would be the second act, cutting down anything that Tank missed.

Hawk stood alone, impatient as ever to get moving. His hands were shoved in his pockets. He shuffled a toe against the edge of a pallet, testing its integrity. Jennifer had never noticed how his hair was slowly disappearing atop his head. In truth, he had always towered over her in height. She had never had quite the vantage that she was enjoying now through the surveillance system. The red hue from the storage room's lights reflected off his dome, giving it a glowing effect.

"Everyone ready?" Power called out quietly.

They all nodded in affirmation.

"All right, let's do this. You all have your assignments. Let's do our job and go home." He keyed his comm, unaware that Tobias was watching their every move on video. "Power to Tobias, we're ready, Doctor."

Tobias checked the hallway again for anyone approaching and saw that it was still clear. "Go ahead and suit up, Captain. I'll keep the door closed until you're done. It will help mask the sound a bit."

"Understood."

He straightened and pulled his fist to the badge on his chest. The surveillance video went white as the suits energized. When the cameras recovered, the members of Power's team stood in armor, ready to go.

"Opening the door," Tobias announced. She keyed the command. The door slid to the right and disappeared into the wall.

Tank took the lead, followed by Burgess. Tobias switched views in the surveillance system again in order to follow them through the maze of halls toward the blast door to the computer core. They encountered no resistance at all. Most of Dread's available forces were assigned to the perimeter of the fort. It was unlikely even Overmind could have anticipated the level of infiltration accomplished thus far by Power's team.

When they came to the corner just before the blast door, Tobias told them to wait. Two sentries stood guard at the door, weapons at the ready for anything that might threaten their lord's prized possession. Power motioned Scout forward to the corner. Baker saw the obstacle and nodded. He straightened and transformed himself into a mech unit. The technique was good for short periods of time until the mechs made any attempts to communicate with the imposter. By then, Scout was usually ready to act to neutralize the threat.

He marched forward with the same stiff gait as any other mech in Dread's arsenal. He marched between them and stopped. He turned quickly and grabbed their heads, slamming them together like two coconuts. Tank and Burgess rushed forward to finish the job, using the butts of rifles to separate the heads from the bodies of the mechs. The whole transaction had taken less than fifteen seconds by Jon's count.

Power moved in to the view of the camera. He keyed his link again. "Doctor, we're ready for the door."

"Stand by," she said. "This may not be as easy as the rest."

Tobias closed the comm link and turned to Jennifer. "We have a problem," she said, somber.

Jennifer was not prepared for the comment. Her heart had a sinking feeling. For Tobias to admit something was a problem meant that it was most likely just that. "What's wrong?"

"That door," Tobias said, pointing at the floor's schematic, "is controlled by the primary systems. If I even look at its protocols, they're going to know we're in there. If that happens, we'll have mechs swarming that floor."

Jennifer ran through options in her mind. "Scout can open it," she said, an idea dawning in her thoughts. "He can run a bypass on the lock."

"How?"

"The control panel is there. He can hardwire it to open."

"Open, sure," Tobias argued, "but what about closing it behind them? If that door is opened for a prolonged period of time, it's going to set off a string of alarms."

While she did not like the fact that Tobias was right, there were few options available to get them inside the core. "I know," she said, "but I don't have any other ideas. If they blast the door open, the result will be the same."

Tobias chewed on the options, her face serious and hard. "I should have anticipated this," she scolded herself.

Jennifer shrugged off the criticism. "Not everything can be a walk in the park on this trip."

Tobias returned to the console in the virtual control room. She asked the console for a report on Dread's progress. The computer put forth a text report of Lord Dread's conversion process. She read it and did not look happy about its contents.

"We're running out of time," Tobias said. "Dread's already on ice." She keyed the comm again. "Tobias to Power, we have a problem."

"There's a lot of that going around, lately," he said. "What is it, Doctor?"

"Overmind has begun the transfer process. So, you're going to have to push up the timetable. Unfortunately, I can't get that door open. Sergeant Baker is going to have to run a manual bypass to get it open."

Power looked disappointed but did not voice his dissatisfaction. He turned to Scout. "Can you do it?"

Scout stepped forward, eager. "Put me in, coach."

Power slapped him on the back, giving the sergeant the green light to start working on the door.

"I can tell you," Tobias said, "that the room beyond that has at least twenty troopers guarding it. You'll have to go in guns blazing the minute that door opens."

Burgess smiled. "That would be my job."

"Get in line, my friend," Tank said in kind, smiling at the notion of taking choice shots at troopers.

"The main core is at the end of the corridor," Tobias said. "The inner door should not be locked down, but count on more troopers beyond that."

Scout ripped down the panel to the door's security and pulled out his tool kit. He began running a bypass on the switch, pulling down wires and stripping them of insulation. Kasich moved up to help him, holding wires so they could be cross-connected by Scout.

Tobias checked the console controls again. "Let's see what trouble we can cause once they get that door open," she said to Jennifer.

Jennifer waited patiently for Tobias to run through their list of options. "Nothing major, but certainly a lot of annoying things."

Tobias keyed at the virtual console. She abruptly turned and headed for the door of the control room.

"Doctor Tobias?" Jennifer asked in alarm.

Tobias stopped just short of the door. She stood before it, as though as soldier about to storm a stronghold. Her hand pushed forth and laid on the surface of the virtual door, as though feeling its heat, its very existence.

"The work here is done," she said, a smile creeping into the right corner of her mouth. "It's time to give my regards to Lyman personally."