Eighteen: A Family Crisis
The Motherbirdwas unavailable for use. It was still being remodeled by G3 scientists, even as the snow faded and spring came. Sherman was in a warmer area, and thus did not experience long or difficult winters.
Solomon much rather be using his own ship for this mission. The Motherbirdheld the most weapons of the G3 air force and was the most durable and defendable. When heading into an unfamiliar situation, the Motherbirdwas Solomon's choice ship.
This was an unfamiliar situation, and the Motherbirdwas unavailable.
G3 HQ had received a distress message from the space station orbiting Saturn. The message had been short, demanding help and describing a creature that was attacking the station before the speaker had been cut off. The description had been brief—only that the creature was "light" and no weapons seemed to affect it.
Was the creature from the Portal? Was this one of the monsters Titan attracted and fought? Why hadn't G3 detected it? Why was it all the way out here?
No matter where it had come from or why it was on Saturn, Solomon and a dozen of his best agents were blasting off to face it. Even if they could not defeat the creature, hopefully they could rescue the agents still on the space station—and get more information on the monster.
Would the Lunises be willing to fight a monster that was all the way out here? Did they even know it washere? Would G3 have to tell them and finally face the mistrust Solomon had caused from the aliens?
Solomon was certain the Lunises could handle whatever creature was at the station. He was almost tempted to ask them for help, yet guilt and fear of rejection stayed his hand. He knew Lance and Ilana still hated G3 and would be appalled at the idea of helping them. Solomon decided to check it out for himself first. He would call the Lunises once he knew what this creature was.
The trip to the station from the hovercraft he had to use took several hours. The Motherbirddid not travel faster than any other ship G3 had, but the wait seemed longer in the much smaller ship.
When Solomon and his agents finally arrived, they had trouble actually findingthe station. If the station had been active, it would have recognized and hailed them immediately. It was cloaked (by technology invented by Solomon's superior) to prevent any astronomers on earth from seeing it. The fact that it was not contacting them was not a good sign.
If the hovercraft had to find the station on its own, it would take even more hours, possibly even days. Yet as the craft began scanning, it took only a few minutes…because the station wasn't cloaked.
It was still well-hidden within the rings of Saturn. But the station was alwaysmeant to be cloaked. Something must be very wrong.
Solomon put on his spacesuit along with his agents. His suit was custom; it showed his face while his agents' suits were masked and very similar to their usual uniform.
When the hovercraft docked, Solomon slowly led his agents into the station. The lights were off, as was the gravity. According to readings, almost all energy of the station was abruptly gone. That didn't make sense—there were many backup generators on this station. On everystation G3 built.
They kept their guns up, and moved as a circle, at least one agent watching every direction.
"Sir, the oxygen on this station is depleting fast," one agent informed him.
That meant there was a leakage somewhere. With a monster roaming these halls, Solomon wasn't surprised. Someone might still be able to survive on this station without a spacesuit for a little longer, but soon the station would be just as inhabitable as space.
There was a faint energy signal up ahead—the only signal of energy in the entire station. Was it an agent? Or the monster?
They continued down the corridors. His agents were on hair-trigger, ready for any kind of attack.
There was a faint sound ahead of them, and all the agents whirled their blasters towards the noise. But as the blaster's lights illuminated the next room, there was no monster there.
Agents' bodies were sprawled out on the ground. They were dead.
Solomon froze for a mere second in horror—what had done this? They were all in spacesuits so not all injuries would be visible (bruising, for example). Solomon saw no injuries, no blood, no damage to the bodies. It was as if they had all dropped dead.
One body against the wall reached out to them weakly. Solomon was at his side in an instant, and his agents quickly took watch around him.
The survivor was not a field agent, but a scientist. His spacesuit showed his face rather than the agent mask. He was almost out of oxygen.
One survivor—someone who could finally tell Solomon exactly what had happened and what they were up against. Solomon removed the man's helmet and drew the oxygen mask from his own spacesuit for the scientist. The scientist seemed to recover with each new breathe.
Solomon was already speaking as he tended to the survivor. "We've received your message and got here as quickly as we could. What happened?"
The scientist looked at Solomon, eyes half closed. He was on the edge of consciousness. "En….en…"
He was trying to say something, but the man was fading. Solomon hadto find out what he was trying to say before the scientist passed out.
"What is it?" Solomon encouraged.
The scientist's eyes turned wide and haunted. "En…..energy!"
Shots rang out and Solomon turned to a bright light down the corridor. He agents were attacking, rapidly firing at a creature that sparked electricity. It drew closer, striking as quick as a snake and two agents went down.
Solomon drew his blaster but felt something at his side shift. He turned back to the scientist just as the survivor lifted his hand with the last ounce of his strength and removed the oxygen mask.
The scientist looked up at Solomon, gasping on the little air in the station. "Run."
The scientist fell over, soon to be dead if not already. Solomon was no longer tethered to him. The scientist had taken off the air mask so that Solomon had a better chance at survival.
Solomon allowed a brief moment of regret wash over him before he turned on the creature and joined his agents in the attack. Solomon backed away from the creature, firing his blaster uselessly against it.
The creature had no form—it was like a living lightning bolt. It drew over the fallen agents and its sparks seemed to surround their bodies. What was it doing?
"Sir, you have to run!" an agent called to Solomon. "Call for help!"
Solomon glanced at the agent and knew he was right—G3 couldn't face this creature. All these men had died trying.
Solomon nodded to the agent and bolted down the halls. He heard the sound of shots and a screeching fading behind him as he ran. Perhaps his agents could survive long enough for the help to reach them, like the scientist had.
Solomon hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst.
He did not slow down the whole way to the hovercraft. There was no way to escape in it—it required multiple people to pilot it, and Solomon was alone now.
But he still could use it to call for help.
Yet what would the point of that be? G3's weapons had no effect on the creature. If more agents came, more would die.
When Solomon turned into the hovercraft he stopped in his tracks. The lights of the ship weren't on. Why weren't they on?
Solomon mentally shook himself out of it and ran forward into the craft. It was dark inside. He headed to the bridge, trying a light switch as he went. A few stray sparks briefly lit up the lights, like the last twitches of a dead body, but there was nothing else. The power was dead.
What had happened? What had made the ship become just like the rest of the station?
"Energy," the survivor's last word bubbled to the front of Solomon's mind.
It was an energycreature. It had absorbed the power from the station. And while Solomon and his agents had been searching for survivors, it had come here and stolen the energy from the hovercraft.
Could the craft still send a signal?
Another thought struck Solomon; the spacesuits recharged on this ship. The spacesuits could last an hour or two on their own, but they needed to be recharged, and there was no power on this station or this ship anymore.
Which meant that even if Solomoncouldcall for help from G3, there was no way his agents would reach him in time.
But there were others who could. Solomon had seen them travel to the edge of the system in mere minutes. But would they be willing to come? Would they help?
It was Solomon's only option. They were the only ones who couldhelp.
But Solomon had to call them first. He might not be able to do it with the ship drained of power.
He rushed on to the bridge. His agents had stayed behind to keep the creature occupied, but Solomon knew that would only be temporary. Eventually the creature would return to the ship, looking for energy….for hisenergy.
Solomon quickly activated the communications of the ship and was astonished to see it was still working. His surprise was cut through when he saw that the power was almost completely drained. The creature hadn't quite finished feeding when it had left the ship. That was all the more reason for it to return soon.
Any signal Solomon sent out would be weak. But it was his only hope.
He programmed in the address to the Lunises—G3 had all their information they could get. While the Lunis' com devices remained a mystery, they did have an earth landline that seemed to be attached somehow to their robot. Solomon was sure they would get this message.
"There isn't much time," he said, glancing out the window to see if the creature was coming yet. "I'm running out of life support. Please help," he couldn't think of a reason why they would help him but he had to try, because "You're the only ones who can."
He wished he could have said more, warn them about the creature they were coming to face, but the power staggered and the message cut off.
There was still a bit of energy left, however. Solomon had one last message to send.
He began to prepare one for G3 HQ. "Abandon this base," he ordered, "There is a creature here that none of our weapons are effective against. Do not attempt any rescues," Solomon did not want to die but was unwilling to lose more of his agents to that thing. "I—"
There was a bright flash outside the window. Solomon leapt back as the creature flew into the dock and sped towards the hovercraft. He saw it enter the craft and knew it was heading for him.
Solomon would not wait for it, however. He drew his blaster and shot out the window. The glass was meant to endure space and it took a few shots to finally break it. Each blaster was precious—his only energy, now, his life support. But if he didn't get out of this hovercraft, the creature would get him and then…he wouldn't need the life support.
The glass shattered and Solomon leapt out. He dropped a good distance before he landed and broke into a run back into the station. The creature was still in the ship behind him. He didn't stop when he darted back down the corridors, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the creature.
Solomon had to do his best to survive as long as he could, even if Lance and Ilana weren't coming. In truth, he didn't think they would. He still remembered his torture and manipulation of them. But he had to hope for the best and do his part—they couldn't rescue him if he died before they got here.
That meant he needed to recharge his suit. He oxygen levels were still relatively high, but it would only last two hours at most. Undoubtedly less so, as he was running through the station and using up more of it with his labored breathing.
The power from the station was gone, yet it had numerous backups systems that could restart it. If Solomon could reenergize the batteries, he could recharge his suit and perhaps even send another call before the creature drained the station again.
That plan in mind, Solomon changed his course. He wished he knew how far the creature was behind him.
Unwilling to needlessly waste oxygen, Solomon slowed his run to a walk. He relaxed his breathing and calmed his heart. He was very good at keeping a cool head in life-or-death situations. He would likely die here on this station, completely alone.
It would be reckless not to let that thought disturb him. He was the head of G3, he called all the shots, and he had no idea who would take over after him. His superior controlled things from the shadows, and Solomon was the only one to interact with him. There were a handful of agents that provided his superior with food and other necessities, but they never spoke to his superior or knew much about him. What would Solomon's superior do if Solomon was gone?
Everyone who came to G3 knew the risks. The Galactic Guardian Group was a higher calling to protect all humanity against the threat of other life in the universe. Each agent would lay down their lives to protect earth without hesitation. And they trusted and obeyed Solomon without question—in their eyes, he was the creator of G3. In truth, Solomon's superior had truly made the agency.
Solomon's superior wouldn't step up to lead openly, however. So who else would the agents follow with such dedication?
Solomon could only hope his superior would find someone, as he had once found Solomon.
Solomon reached the power room of the station. He moved silently, still unaware of where the creature could be.
The room was badly damaged. There was a large gash torn in the wall that opened out into space—this room was completely uninhabitable. Had this been where the creature had first entered the space station? Had it torn in through that hole?
Now was not the time to wonder. Solomon turned to the controls and paused when he saw an agent's body leaned up against them. The agent was dead, his oxygen depleted. Solomon squashed the thought that in a few hours, he might join him.
Gently, Solomon moved the body aside and began to work on the engines. He had memorized how each of these stations worked, and pulled each of the necessary cranks and keys to get everything up and running again.
…There was no response.
Solomon waited, for both some kind of reaction of the station and for a sound of the creature. But there was only total silence.
Solomon did it again. And again. He tore open the innards of the engine and tried to find the problem. He even tried to jump it with energy from his own spacesuit, but there was nothing. All technology was dead.
Solomon stared at the wires and tools, but the problem was nothing like what he had never encountered before. There was nothing to fix—it was all in perfect condition. It just wouldn't respond.
He now had thirty minutes until he ran out of oxygen.
Movement caught Solomon's eye. He turned to the opening in the wall and saw a spark that almost looked like a star. But it was rapidly getting closer, and though Solomon had asked them to come, he was still surprised to see it.
Titan, in its space form, was heading straight for the station. Its speed was incredible—in moments it was flying over the station, its massive wings casting a bigger shadow as it moved, yet it shined spotlights to look at the darkened station.
Solomon didn't know how to signal it—them.He had no power or lights. He grabbed onto the edge of the wall and leaned out of the gap to get a better look.
Titan paused over another tear in station. It looked in for a moment before, in a bright flash, it was gone. Solomon briefly saw Lance and Ilana in their armored forms and their robot enter the station.
Solomon paused for a moment, working out his mental map of the station, and then turned back inside. He had to get to them and warn them of the creature.
And…since Solomon had less than half an hour on his oxygen supply, he had to tell them to leave. They shouldn't have bothered.
He went back through the corridors at a jog. Hopefully the creature hadn't seen Titan approach too.
He was certain he had reached the opening they entered through when he heard the hum—the electrical hum of the creature.
Solomon froze—it had been attracted to them. That was why it was near this part of the station where they had arrived. Perhaps it had seen them arrive, or maybe it was drawn to them like all the monsters that plagued earth. Solomon had to warn them.
He ran down the corridors, following the sound. He saw a flashing light up ahead—Lance and Ilana were in their armored forms, facing off with the creature the creature.
If the creature took their energy the same way it had from this base, there would be no Titan!
Solomon rushed towards them as Ilana lifted her arms, bringing up her energy shield as the creature charged at her. As the creature swooped over her like an electrical ocean wave, her shield sparked out and shattered after the monster passed across it. But she seemed unharmed.
As the creature flew over Ilana, it arched itself and looked down on the robot like a snake about to strike. The robot shot out lightning from its hands to attack, but it had no effect on the creature. The creature dived down upon the robot—
Solomon finally reached them and leapt into the air, tackling the robot to the side as the creature swooped past them down the corridor. The robot was surprisingly hard for not having a solid form; it had no give. With the way the robot flexed its energy-form around, Solomon had imagined it would feel like a balloon, but he had been wrong. The two of them tumbled against the wall.
Solomon pushed himself up and whirled to face the creature. It was down the hall from its charge, but was starting to turn around to come back at them.
"Solomon," Lance growled. Solomon did not miss the spite in Lance's voice. So, despite the fact that the Lunises had come to save him, they still held their grudges. Solomon couldn't blame them, but he felt a twang of disappointment and shame.
He pushed the emotion aside. He hadn't been able to warn them in his short distress call; now he had to. "The creature feeds off any form of energy. It has drained everything from the space station."
"Time to go," said Lance. Lance's robotic form lifted its arms and bullets shot out of its wrists at the ceiling above the creature. The station rumbled unstably under Solomon's feet and he took a step back. The ceiling gave way and collapsed onto the creature.
Solomon didn't hesitate in this chance to escape. Trusting that the Lunises were behind him, he turned and ran back down the hall. He could hear their heavy mechanical footsteps as he ran. Lance's robotic form was so large it tore through some parts of the station, busting through a narrow doorway that was too small for it.
Solomon didn't think the creature was dead. G3 agents had fought it even before Solomon came, and none of their weapons had worked. But it might delay the creature long enough for them to escape.
Solomon jumped over a fallen pillar, leading the aliens through the station. Ilana and her robot easily flew over the obstacle, while Lance stomped through it.
Solomon reached a drop off of the station and came to a halt. They weren't safe yet; Solomon had to get the Lunises away from the creature before he tried to explain anything. He knew he was running out of oxygen—and time.
He had to warn them of this, though. "There's more. I've tried to reenergize the drained batteries but they won't respond. Everything that the creature absorbs seemed to be permanently dead." Solomon couldn't see Lance or Ilana's expressions through their armor, but he sensed their unease. That was understandable; their armor was essential to their personal protection. Without it, they would have died long ago, from the aliens monsters, Steel's military, or even G3.
"You've got to power down yours suits," Solomon insisted, "and get this robot out of here." He pointed to the robot but was unsure of where it could go. Nonetheless, Solomon knew it was important. The robot was required to make Titan, and so it had to be kept out of the creature's reach.
In order to survive, they needed to limit their electricity. The creature went after whatever energy it detected; this station, the ship Solomon had come in, his team of agents, and the Lunises just now. Solomon wasn't sure how it found these power sources, but it obviously tracked down and hunted them. They had to limit their energy to keep it from sensing them.
There was a sound down the hall.
All of them turned and froze, looking for the creature. The corridors were dark, however, and there was no light of the creature.
None of the Lunises said anything, at least not that Solomon could hear. Perhaps they were speaking over their own private channel. He stayed silent, waiting for them to come to a decision.
A dim light weakly disturbed the darkness behind them; Solomon couldn't tell if it was the creature or not, but it was far away. The creature hadn't quite found them yet, but they needed to move.
There was a flash of light as both Lance and Ilana turned off their armored suits, switching into alien spacesuits. Both were deep blue with veins of lighter blue wrapping around them. Their helmets were almost like bubbles over their heads.
"We have to move," Solomon said, his mind eerily echoing back to when he had been acting as Kane, leading Lance and Ilana through G3 HQ. But he wouldn't prod them for information like he had before. Too much was at stake.
Part of him still couldn't believe they had come. Why would they come to rescue him when he had caused them so much pain? They didn't seem happy about it, Lance in particular, but they were still here.
Solomon swung over the edge of the drop and began to climb down. The creature was still on their heels and they needed to get some distance. Ilana climbed down after him, as did Lance. The robot merely levitated to the bottom and waited for them there.
When Solomon dropped down, the robot withdrew its arms and legs, it energy-body merely becoming an orb around its core. Its wires withdrew into the core to make it more compact, and its yellow eye glowed brighter into a light, illuminating their way.
Solomon paused for a moment, watching the robot, briefly fascinated by its design and abilities. Yet Solomon didn't say anything and merely turned away to move forward.
There was a wide pipeline Solomon led them through. They all had to duck into it to fit. Solomon didn't know if the creature could fit through it, or change its own size to make itself fit, but this was worth a try to keep it away.
The robot slid over Solomon's shoulder, brushing against him, and took the lead as it had the light. When they reached the end of the pipeline, the robot cracked it open for them. When Solomon was out, he began to run again. The robot still led the way, lighting their path with its glow. It moved only a few inches ahead of Solomon, and adjusted its path on the smallest of Solomon's movements, allowing him to be the guide.
Solomon's heart was pounding achingly against his chest and his lungs were dry. He had to stop, and he knew now he was on the last few breaths of his oxygen. He finally halted his running, and had to bend over, putting his hands on his knees. His head was blurry with pain. This was the CO2 poisoning—he was breathing in air he'd already used.
Lance did not pause at Solomon's weakness. "Why did you bring us here if you knew what we would be up against?" Lance demanded.
Solomon took a deep breath, preparing for speech. "I hoped that your weapons would be more effective…" He had thought they could have beaten this creature like they had every other one. But he had placed them in danger and couldn't expect them to risk themselves to save him. They had to get out of here.
"I'm sorry," Solomon said, "I was wrong. You should just—go…" his lungs felt like that had shrunk to the size of raisins. One of his legs gave out from under him and his vision was going black. "Leave me behind."
Blood pounded in his ears, blocking out anything the Lunises might have said. His spacesuit felt hot and clammy, and his throat constricted as he choked, his body still trying to breathe.
Solomon blacked out, and didn't expect to wake up again.
OOO
Solomon gasped in air and blinked rapidly. The robot was leaning over him with a few orbs and wires extending out of it like balloons. The purple wires were linked to Solomon's spacesuit, and they quickly withdrew as Solomon woke up.
The air was clean and full. Solomon still trembled slightly from his blackout, but he knew, through hard training, how to press on through the ache.
He pushed himself up as the robot stepped back from him and Lance and Ilana approached. They had their robot replenish his oxygen—why?
Did they have limited oxygen? Their spacesuits were slender compared to G3's more bulky models, and Solomon didn't see air tanks on either of them. And even after their run from the creature, Lance and Ilana seemed to have no problem with oxygen.
The robothad given Solomon the air. But it was not alive and so had no need for such a thing. So why would it carry air with it? It had to have made the air. The aliens must have a way to make an unlimited supply of oxygen.
Fascinating.
But now was not the time to investigate this advanced technology. Why had they done this? Solomon almost wished they hadn't; if he was going to die here, he might as well get it over with. Now he had a few more hours of life merely to run from the creature. He could not see the point.
Solomon immediately shook off such thoughts. He would press on, even if it was pointless. There was always a chance, even when he could not see it.
"Thanks…" he said awkwardly to the three aliens. Despite the fact that there was no point in saving him, Solomon genuinely appreciated the gestor. He had been ready for death but they had used their advanced technology to save him, and they seemed to do it without question. It did not matter to them that he had treated them terribly; they still saved any life they saw when it was in danger.
Still, they had to leave. They were Titan, the defenders of earth. They had to get out of here to be safe and thus protect humanity.
…Not only that. None of this was their fault. They couldleave, and thus live, but it was Solomon who was holding them back. There was no point in them dying, too. "I think maybe you should go."
"No," the robot said abruptly. "We won't sacrifice one life for another. We will have to find another way out of this."
Lance and Ilana jumped a little at the words and Solomon wondered if the robot had just spoken out of turn.
Lance looked at Ilana. "I thought you bypassed—"
The robot interrupted; "I found another way."
So all of them were in agreement; they weren't going to trade lives, even Solomon's. He couldn't help but think he deserved it. Lance and Ilana saw him as their enemy, and rightfully so after all he'd done. They obviously cared for each other, even the robot, more than him.
But their personal care for each other meant nothing in this. They valued the life, no matter whose it was.
Solomon stared at them, shocked by this new revelation of their values. That was the opposite of G3. G3 was to protect the earth as a whole, and they acknowledged how that meant there needed to be sacrifices sometimes.
Solomon had been willing to trade lives and morals—he had tortured Lance and Ilana, two children, unprovoked, because he thought it might save the earth. He had been willing to kill them if necessary.
That was his job. That was his purpose.He would do whatever it took to protect the earth.
And yet, these aliens would risk their own lives to save even an enemy, even someone who had proven to be a threat to them, simply because it was the right thing.
Solomon had to say something. But he couldn't decide whether to insist they leave and save themselves, express his gratitude for heroism, or beg for forgiveness for his treatment of them.
He didn't know what to do.
A bright spark interrupted him. In a mere second, Solomon locked away his shock to process later; there was no time for it now. He needed to be ready for action.
The creature's light came through down the corridor. It had found them.
"Look." He alerted each of them to the creature's coming presence. Both Lance and Ilana tensed, and then all of them turned to run the opposite way of the creature.
Solomon glanced back over his shoulder as he heard its hum get closer—the creature had seen them and was rapidly heading towards them.
"Look out!" the robot called.
The creature leapt up and came down upon them as they scattered to avoid it. The shapeless electrical body of the creature splashed out like water in all directions, reaching for them.
Solomon braced himself against a wall and whirled around to face it. But he saw its lightning-bolt of a limb reaching for him and he jumped out of its reach.
The creature turned its attention away from him, however, and its whole body focused on the robot. It snapped at it as the robot extended its legs, drawing itself higher to avoid the creature. The creature whirled on it again and the robot continued to flex out of its way.
"We have to get out of here before it gets Octus!" Ilana cried. Solomon glanced at the two aliens and saw the fear in their expressions just before Lance lifted his hand to his wrist and turned on his armor.
After the brief flash of light before the alien armor appeared before Solomon, Lance drew an ax and swung it into a wall of the station, cutting through the metal and making a doorway for them.
Lance immediately turned off the armor to protect it from harm from the creature. He turned back and waved a hand at the robot. "Octus! This way!"
The robot continued to twist and turn out of the creature's reach. As Solomon, Lance, and Ilana jumped through Lance's hole, the robot spiraled towards them and abruptly scooped them up.
Solomon staggered as the robot enveloped him in its energy-body. The transparent blue shell of its body swept over him, feeling like a warm splash of water even through the spacesuit. The robot had taken a large orb-form to hold them all, and its body beneath Solomon's feet was solid and stable.
Lance and Ilana were inside, too, leaning against the other sides of robot-ball to stay standing. The robot speed forward at incredible speed, darting over the ground. Solomon glanced up and saw the robot's core above them. He was almost tempted to reach out and touch it, see what it felt without its energy-shield body, but they were still escaping. Solomon had to snap out of his awe at this new alien experience and remember what was going on around him.
The creature was right behind them. Solomon turned as saw its electrical body only a few feet away behind them. If he could reach out through the robot's shell, he would be able to touch it.
And that was too close for comfort. "It's gaining on us!"
Could the robot go faster? Were they about to be caught?
"Octus!" Lance shouted. Solomon turned around and saw they were heading straight for the end of the corridor. It was getting closer every second. At this speed, could the robot turn in time?
The robot turned flawlessly, easily avoiding the wall, but as Solomon turned to look back at the creature, he saw a small part of the robot was dragging behind.
Right before his eyes, the creature caught it.
Solomon gasped—was all the robot's energy linked to that part?
Had the creature just drained the robot?!
The orb collapsed under their feet. Solomon was thrown into the air, still carrying the momentum. Instincts and training kicked in and Solomon twisted to land on his feet. Both Lance and Ilana managed to do the same and the two of them whirled around.
The robot was in a holographic form—the one called Newton. But its leg was still the blue energy, not disguised, and the wires within the leg seemed dead.
"Octus!" Ilana cried, looking panicked, "Are you all right?!"
"Yes," the robot replied instantly, "It just got my foot. I'll just redirect some extra energy to restart it."
The robot's arms went out of their hologram form and connected to the leg. There was a bright flash of lightning as the robot shocked its own leg.
Lance and Ilana were instantly by the robot's side, watching it fearfully. Solomon stood but stayed a step back, out of their way. Would this work? Would the alien technology be able to recover? Perhaps if it was reenergized immediately?
The robot stopped the flow of power and looked up. The expression of its hologram disguise looked confused. "It won't start."
Solomon looked away. He beat down the feelings that this was all his fault; there was no time for self-pity here. Could the robot still do its part in forming Titan without its leg? Had Titan just been destroyed, because of Solomon?
The robot looked down at its leg again. "I don't understand." It sounded lost.
Solomon couldn't help them with this. He turned away and looked at the creature. It spiraled around the orb of the robot's energy gleefully, excitedly surrounding its new prey.
It was just like when the creature had engulfed Solomon's agents. It was eating up the energy. It would be occupied, for a little bit.
"It's almost done feeding," Solomon said. He ran over and grabbed the robot's arm, lifting it. Lance was instantly on the other side, and together they helped the robot up. "We don't have much time."
Ilana ran ahead as Solomon and Lance helped the robot limp forward.
They were suddenly a lot less mobile. They needed somewhere more secure. "This way," Solomon pulled a little on the robot's arm to guide them towards the station's kitchen, not far from their current location. The robot had carried them halfway across the station.
They reached the kitchen, and headed for the pantry. Ilana opened the door for them and Solomon and Lance gently set the robot down. Ilana worriedly sat by the robot's foot, looking for some way to fix it.
Solomon stepped back and headed for the door. He made sure it was shut securely, and then looked out the small window to see if the creature was outside. It was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was still feeding off the robot's leg. Solomon wondered how much energy was in the robot.
When Solomon turned back, Lance and Ilana had sat down on boxes to be out of the robot's way as it tried to repower its leg. Light of the excess power flickered in the room and made a soft buzzing noise.
Solomon looked at Lance and Ilana, wondering how they were handling this. Lance's face was firm, his eyes locked onto the robot's leg. But Solomon saw the tension in the boy's face.
Ilana looked hopeless and solemn. After watching the sparks of power for a little more, she closed her eyes and hung her head, seeming to accept that the robot was now disabled.
The robot glanced between them, looking uneased of all things. It was made to serve them, Solomon knew, and its failure to restart its own leg was a hindrance of its own usefulness. Solomon wondered again if Titan was even possible now.
The robot stopped the power. "Please," the robot beseeched Lance and Ilana, "I am sure there's a way to recharge it."
Lance and Ilana looked at each other. The robot swung its head between them.
Seeing the robot limp, to see any of the aliens actually damaged,reminded Solomon of how vital they were. How would they protect earth without the robot? Did they have any backup plan if anything went wrong?
Lance hopped off his seat. "There has to be some way to stop that creature."
Solomon bit the inside of his lip, trying to think of a way to persuade them to leave. They'd already lost a piece of their robot—what could be next? Why were the aliens even staying now? They should run while they still could, ifthey still could.
But they were determined, and Solomon knew nothing he said could convince them to leave him behind. In which case, it would be ungrateful to try. He wouldn't make them regret this more.
Lance's face twisted in frustration. Solomon tried to think of ways to beat the creature. Physical attacks, like when Lance had collapsed the ceiling on it, seemed to delay the creature. But they didn't have enough power here to do enough damage to actually killit.
Silence fell over them as they were all lost of what to do.
"Wait," Lance said abruptly. He stood up and walked across the room, where a beam of sunlight leaked through a window. "What if instead of trying to destroy it, we tried to capture it? Maybe try to contain it in some way?" The sunlight moved a little and caught in Lance's eyes, and he grimaced and turned away from it.
The robot stood up and dropped its hologram-disguise. "Yes, it couldwork…" The robot turned side to side, looking throughout the pantry.
The robot suddenly reached out and grabbed a ladle, then a whisk. Its single eye looked down and shot a thick laser at the tools, beginning to melt them. The robot's energy hands moved through the heat easily and molded it. It reached out and grabbed more tools to melt, picking up speed as it formed new gadgets.
Solomon watched, softly awed. The bright light of the robot's eye made it hard for him to see what it was building, but he wished he could. The robot was makingalien technology right before him,and Solomon yearned to see some shadow of how all of it was made.
The robot presented two twin bands to them when it was finished.
The bands were purple and glowed softly. They bound around the robot's hands, and when the robot lifted the two together, and energy field appeared between them, like a cage made of lightning.
"These will act as conductors," the robot explained. It shifted the bands around, forming the electrical cage between them. Solomon stared in stunned silence at this new presentation of alien technology, barely listening to the robot's words. "Once we lure the creature between us we'll switch on the devices and trap it in a controlled energy field. Then I'll—"
"No."
It took Solomon some effort to draw his eyes away from the light show the robot was making to look to Lance.
"You're staying here," Lance said. "We can't risk endangering you again." Lance turned to Ilana. "Solomon and I will go. Take Octus and hide him. We have to keep him away from the creature."
Solomon found he had mixed feelings about that. Lance was easily the most mistrustful of Solomon. But in a fair fight, Lance had already proven he was the better fighter out of these aliens. The robot was disabled and vulnerable, too risky to bring along.
Yet still, could this work with Lance being suspicious of everything Solomon did?
There was no helping it, however. Someone had to stay behind to protect the weakened robot. Ilana was the only one who had endured the creature's attacks; her shields had temporarily withstood against it, so that made her the best choice. And Lance was the best attacker, thus the best option to go with Solomon to catch the creature.
The robot was oddly silent. It wasn't in its hologram disguise so it would project an expression for Solomon to read. The robot reached into its stomach as drew out a small ball of its energy, like the orb G3 had found in Lance's car. So, the robot was where that had come from.
Lance took the energy and held it in both his hands.
Solomon didn't like the idea of separating. If the creature attacked, Ilana would be alone to defend both herself and the robot. He supposed the least he could do was give them as much safety as he could.
Solomon turned towards the fridge. With the power out, it wouldn't be working, nor was the heating systems of this base. The space suits were the only things keeping them all alive. "That fridge has a double-insolated airtight steel door," Solomon said. "It should block Octus's energy signature from the creature. It's the best place to hide if we—"
Solomon cut himself off, feeling Lance glare at him. The fact that these were children suddenly swept over Solomon again. How did they feel in this hopeless situation? If Solomon and Lance were killed in their attempt to catch the creature, Ilana and Octus certainly wouldn't live much longer.
"…if we should fail," Solomon finished softly.
Ilana turned away. Lance immediately moved to comfort her. "We'll be back. Don't worry."
She looked back and gave a small smile to Lance, before they both turned to look at their robot.
The robot flickered on its Newton hologram, displaying what looked to Solomon like a fake smile. It also, surprisingly, gave a thumbs up. Whether it was fake or not, Lance and Ilana seemed encouraged. They smiled as well and gave their own thumbs up.
Solomon didn't comment on it. It seemed Lance and Ilana not only cared for one another, but also for their robot. It seemed foolish to Solomon to care for an artificial life form, no matter how good it was at imitating human interaction. It was still a robot; not alive.
Perhaps in their alien culture, bonding with robots was common. Solomon didn't think he'd get an answer if he asked.
He turned to the pantry door and peeked through. There was still no sign of the creature. Lance approached from behind him, ready to move. Ilana helped Octus up towards the fridge.
Solomon opened the door, trying to stay as quiet as he could. If the creature was nearby, Solomon didn't want to make its hunt any easier by causing a racket.
When both he and Lance were out, Solomon closed the door behind them. He allowed Lance to lead the way, as this was Lance's plan. Solomon was long out of practice with following anyone (besides his superior), so he stayed silent by Lance's side. Solomon tried his best not to fiddle with and inspect the pair of conductors in his hands.
He was holding alien technology,technology he even vaguely knew how to use. This wasn't like when he'd had Lance and Ilana's watches; he hadn't known a thing about them, then. These…these he was going to use and operate.
Only a few turns down, Lance stopped. "Here's good."
Solomon glanced at him and then at the conductors bound to his hands. He looked up when Lance turned to him.
Lance looked at Solomon's conductors for a moment, his expression looking like he had tasted something rotten. "I have to teach you how to use them."
Ah. That was what was wrong. Solomon knew Lance did not want to help Solomon in any way, or, perhaps worse, teach him how to use a powerful weapon. But Lance knew this was necessary and he was ready to do it.
Lance walked away a few steps; Solomon stayed where he was. When Lance turned back around, he set down Octus's energy sphere and then he looked at his own conductors as if considering them.
A thought struck Solomon. "Have you used these before?" Solomon had never seen either Lance or Ilana use something like this, and the robot hadjust built it. It unnerved Solomon that they would be using technology neither of them had any experience with. If they did not use it correctly, the creature would escape, and would attack them. The robot was not here to carry them away with its superior speed—they'd be killed for sure.
Lance shot Solomon a glare that Solomon did not take personally. "I've used weapons similar," Lance said curtly. A bit of Solomon's tension eased.
Lance lifted his hands, showing the conductors. "These are merely parts of a whole. We must work in sync to keep the creature contained. To hold it, our movements will have to match the energy. Just watch me and do as I do. You'll feel the energy; move your hands so you can hold it stably."
Lance tilted his head. "Let's practice."
Solomon nodded and watched as Lance put his palms together to activate the bands. Solomon imitated the move, and then both he and Lance lifted their hands to direct the energy between them.
Solomon felt an astonishing pressure go against him, like he was pushing against something heavy. The containment seemed to push back against him.
Lance waved his hands in a large arc as if forming a ball in the air, and Solomon imitated him. The containment responded, becoming more stable. The technology was amazing—it was almost like G3's energy walls, but this bended and responded to commands.
"That's good," Lance said, and dropped off. Solomon's own bands sparked out at the loss of connection.
Solomon glanced side to side. "If the creature needs to be between us for this to work, we should hide on either side of the corridor."
Lance didn't respond, merely turned and ducked into one side. Solomon took his own.
A few minutes of silence passed.
Were Ilana and the robot all right, or had the creature found them? If the robot was lost, how would Lance and Ilana defend the earth? How would they defend themselves? The monsters were attracted to them. Without Titan, Lance and Ilana had no chance of beating the creatures that chased them.
Solomon glanced out of his hiding place at the energy between them, and could see a little of Lance's space helmet on the other side of the hall, sticking out of the hiding place.
This whole time he had been trying not to lose himself to curiosity and pester the Lunises with questions. It was rude and distracting, and they all needed to be fully focused if they wanted to survive. But Solomon had to know if there was some other way to form Titan.
"What would you do if you lost your robot?" Solomon asked. They were the only words they had spoken to each other since sitting down, and the only words said beyond necessity. Solomon knew Lance did not like him and he was trying not to push the alien. But he had to try this.
In the small pause after Solomon spoke, he worried that Lance simply wouldn't respond. But Lance did. "I wouldn't let that happen."
So, no backup plan if it didhappen. Lance and Ilana did not "prepare for the worst," as Solomon's superior would say.
Solomon did not expect any more of an answer. He knew Lance wanted as little to do with him as possible.
But Lance went on, speaking softer; "He's more than just a robot, you know." Solomon straightened, taken off guard by the vulnerability in Lance's normally harsh voice. "He's family."
Solomon did not know how to respond to that. He had seen by now that Lance and Ilanas' connection with their robot was deep, but he hadn't known it was thatdeep. Solomon was unable to understand why someone would get that connected to a machine, but nonetheless, Lance and Ilana were.
If they cared for it so much, why were they risking it for Solomon? Their morals were firm and righteous. They protected the earth not out of self-defense, but simply because they felt they should.
And thatSolomon knew all about.
He had to make up for his wrongs. Solomon had to make up for hurting them, and for making them come to this doomed station.
"Look," Solomon said, trying to be clear in this. He wasn't sure Lance would listen to him, the alien was so untrusting, but if Solomon was straightforward and simple then perhaps Lance would listen to him. He didn't know what he could offer to these advanced aliens, but if there wassomething, he would do his best to provide it. "I wanted to thank you for coming here to rescue me. If we get out of here and there's something you need..."
Solomon trailed off as he heard something. It was the electrical hum of the creature. The corridor began to get brighter and Solomon tensed, getting ready to pounce forward. He turned to look at Octus's energy just as the creature swooped down upon it and began to feed, swirling around the power, consuming it.
Solomon looked back at his bands that Octus had made. Now was the time to find out if they truly could hold the creature. He clenched his fists and leapt out right as Lance did.
The creature saw them and swooped up in alarm. Solomon charged the bands between his palms and shot the energy out at the creature.
A ghostly scream pierced the air as the electricity caught it. The creature sparked and pushed against the bands and Solomon was almost knocked off his feet from the force. He dug his heels into the ground and pushed back, arching one hand up as the creature tried to fly out of the container. Lance did the same, and they moved to surround the creature with the energy. The creature seemed to get smaller and more compact, trapped and unable to move. It screeched in fury.
But then the ceiling began to rumble. Solomon looked up in confusion and saw bullet holes appearing in the ceiling. The metal gave way, bursting open as the Motherbirddrew closer on the other side.
Solomon had never been so happy to see his ship before—it seemed the repairs on it were finished. He may had ordered his agents notto come for him, but right now he couldn't complain.
"Yes!" he shouted, smile growing on his face. "I sent out a signal but the creature attacked me at the same time." He glanced at Lance, who looked unsure. "I wasn't sure if it was ever transmitted."
There was no need to catch the creature now—the Motherbirdcertainly had enough weaponry to at least stun it so they could escape.
Sure enough, the Motherbirddrew out its guns and began to shoot at the creature. Solomon and Lance jumped out of the way, releasing the creature just as the bullets hit it. The creature crashed to the ground and sparked wildly. Its frantic movements resembled the spasms of an injured animal.
A rope lowered from the Motherbirdand Solomon snatched it. He paused to call to Lance. "Let's get out of here!" And then Solomon quickly climbed his way up. The rope straightened as Solomon felt Lance grab on and began to climb up too. Solomon continued to climb, passing the giant Wave-Motion Cannon under the Motherbirdand the flurry of bullets the ship was firing at the creature.
But then the bullets turned back atthem. Solomon clutched at the rope as tightly as he could—there were only a few more feet until he reached the safety of the Motherbird.Ilana and the robot were right above them, pulling on the rope to draw them in. The rope swung side to side, unstable. Solomon just managed to reach the ship as the rope abruptly lost some of its weight.
Solomon looked down, terrified for a moment that Lance had been shot. But the bullets had only caught the rope, and Lance had fallen back down to the station. Solomon quickly got to his feet on the solid floor of the Motherbird,mind whirling of what to do—
"Lance!" Octus called, and jumped out of the ship after the alien.
"Octus, wait!"Ilana shouted.
"Get more rope!" Solomon shouted at his agents.
Solomon turned away and helped his agents tie the rope to the ship. Ilana was at the edge of the opening, completely still, watching.
"NO!"she screamed.
"Get me down there!" Solomon ordered, grabbing onto the rope and jumping off the ship, not caring if it was properly attached or not. The creature was right below him as Solomon fell, curving to where he saw Lance. Lance was holding Octus's core—there was no energy field around it—or light in its eye.
Solomon grabbed Lance the moment he was in reach, and his agents immediately began pulling him back up to the ship.
Solomon ripped off his helmet immediately as he was back on the ship and moved as fast as he could. Maybe if the creature hadn't drained all of Octus's energy, or maybe if they hurried, or just shocked it with enough power, the robot might be restarted.
"We have to recharge it," Solomon said to Lance, grabbing the robot's dull core out of the alien's hands. Lance didn't fight him and followed as Solomon ran through the Motherbird,towards the engine room.
When Solomon got there he set the core down and strapped it with every wire he could see. It was dangerous to direct power into something so crudely but Solomon didn't hesitate. He wrenched down the charge switch and the room went dark, sparking with blue electricity. Lance and Ilana's horrified faces were illuminated, fear written all over their faces. Their helmets were off, now—there was nothing obscuring their obvious panic.
Solomon knew what the result was before he turned off the switch—the robot's core was the same. There was no life in it.
Ilana lifted her hands to her mouth as Lance whirled around and ran out the door.
Ilana was frozen in fear too much to follow him immediately, but she quickly chased after him. Solomon was right behind them, past agents that watched in confusion, unsure of what to do.
Lance had gone to the bridge, and had taken the controls. When Ilana and Solomon got there, he was screaming in blind rage and obliterating the space station. His weapons were aimed at the creature that had killed Octus, yet Lance's wrath was tearing the station apart along with it.
A few agents drew their blasters on Lance, who didn't even notice in his outburst. Lance had just hijacked Solomon's ship and was single-handedly using all of its weapons.
"Stand down!" Solomon ordered. The agents did so instantly.
Lance wanted vengeance. He needed to get the anger out. The creature would be destroyed by this, and Solomon was willing to sacrifice this station—as hard as it had been to get one this far out into the system—to harmlessly redirect Lance's rage and to destroy that creature once and for all.
Ilana watched in horror at Solomon's side while he waited for the ferocity to run its course and pass. Lance used almost every weapon the Motherbird had, including ones that seemed to be newly added. There was a danger switch that fired a barrage of missiles, and Lance punched right through it. The station was destroyed, its explosion rocking the Motherbird.
Lance collapsed onto the controls. His breathing was labored. He stood, head down and fists tightly clenched.
Ilana put her face in her hands and shook softly, subduing her sobs.
Three of them had come to earth. There were only three. There were no other aliens besides the monsters that attacked them. It was just the three of them, hidden in secret on an unfamiliar planet. These three aliens were alone.
And now, even more so.
"He's family," Lance had said. This loss would devastate them. The robot might not have truly been alive, but they had loved it.
Solomon stood with two aliens he once had seen as a threat, and saw only two children who had lost a loved one. Solomon would even dare to say a father figure.
"I am sorry," Solomon whispered.