CHAPTER 13

FARAWAY

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jdoug4118: In every story I have written there's always somebody doing the "Sweep The Leg!", or something to that effect. It'll appear somewhere, trust me. I'm all about Easter Eggs… that, if you can spot them.

Rose City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
January 30, ZAC 2129

Saskia's residential hangar had not been touched in a while, evident from the amount of dust that accumulated on just about every surface. The filth on the silverwares and china was enough proof that nobody had used them in a month.

Which was exactly why Laeta chose this place to meet Kenny and Dagonet. It was virtually abandoned; nobody had been here for a long time, and the building was big enough to hide her Lord Gale, Kenny's Arosaurer, and Dagonet's Gun Sniper Wild Weasel from possible Backdraft's snooping sentries. Khyron Saggaff had a reputation of dispatching his potential rival before he/she became an obstacle, so it was better to take precaution.

Ditching her usual sultry long dress for a more tactical spandex catsuit, Laeta dismounted her Lord Gale and met Kenny and Dagonet in the center of the hangar. Kenny, too, had left his baggy t-shirt and pants for the more respectable denim jacket and jeans. Dagonet still had his loose-fit attire, but it didn't demean his true value as the backbone of the team, especially when Saskia was not around.

"Forfeit from sight has found comfort in Saskia's routine presently," Kenny blurted as soon as Laeta came. "Along with your presence, forcefully into our lives."

"Backdraft's eyes are upon my back," Laeta replied firmly. "Waste the day with false charge and see us all undone."

"Saskia's whereabouts is known to you?" Dagonet quickly came to the matter at hand.

"A piece of the puzzle," Laeta explained. "A month in passing saw an energy anomaly appeared 30 kilometers eastway. Backdraft sent 2 Raynos, never to return. I was tasked to outsource the job to Backdraft subcontractors. Saskia is always first on my list, hence I sent her to search and rescue the Raynos."

"Energy anomaly? In what regard?" Dagonet raised his brows.

"Knowledge falls short in the matter, yet mind suspect Backdraft holds more information than eyes can see. Backdraft mounted exorbitant effort to take matter to light. I had been pressured to return lost zoids, including Saskia's, absent cause to warrant such attempt."

"Why are our ears voided in such proceeding?" Kenny snarled.

"Know that I but stand Backdraft's instrument. Words from Backdraft highest hierarchy were 'deny anybody knowledge about the project'. The order may have come from The Count himself. My pledges fell on deaf ears. Press advantage and its warning would be replaced by blades."

"A waste of daylight, adding none to our cause," Kenny spat his frustration. "Come, Dagonet. The streets may be more welcoming to our inquiries."

"One moment," Dagonet saw something hidden behind Laeta's motive. "Is this your true purpose? To tell us what you know and what you did with hands tied behind your back?"

"This project is outsourced by Captain Khyron Saggaff," Laeta replied, looking at Dagonet in the earnest. "A man of mysterious standing. When he started his career with Backdraft, his handprints smeared every project, leaving trails of blood. Then he vanished, replaced by shadows and myths. I knew him only in passing, until his hands forced this project upon me. I sensed deceit, so I sent two Zabats on Saskia's trail."

"You suspect the Zabats recorded anything of value?" Dagonet said.

"A reasonable assumption, yet short of fact absent proof," Laeta puffed. "They recorded energy surges, one you see in explosions."

"Explosions?" Kenny blurted. "What is your meaning? Saskia died in explosion?"

"No, but she fell into a fight," Laeta spoke slowly. "Backdraft engineers are deciphering the data. I tried to lay hands but Khyron supervised the proceeding, held fast by his organoid. I have no holes to peek."

"I have laid hands on zoids memory cores a lifetime ago," Dagonet stated. "Perhaps I can squeeze more worth of the Zabat's. Send them my way."

"I am not a technician," Laeta shook her head. "The skill is far removed from my hands."

"Then take me to them," Dagonet replied. "I shall take a memory bank with me. We download the memory core, then bring data to discovery."

"You intend to infiltrate Backdraft facility?" Kenny scoffed, uncertain if he felt thrilled or intimidated by the idea. "I reckon you have considered all sides? What if this is a trap?"

"Saskia is a valued friend," Laeta said in assurance. "Her acquaintances, my liaisons. I would not see them betrayed."

"I fear Backdraft will but spread cheeks and ram cock in ass!" Kenny shot a doubtful stare at Laeta. He turned to Dagonet, "Take pause, I beg of you. Backdraft is an organization of many things. Trust is not among them."

"El Riesgo Siempre Vive, luck favors the bold," Dagonet said with a little smirk. "Perhaps fortune would smile on our behest." He turned to Laeta. "Give me a safe passage to the Zabats. My hands shall see the rest."

"There is but one safe passage," Laeta replied. "Me. I must take you inside. Tomorrow, at Rose City town hall. I shall bring measures of disguise. Then we visit Backdraft hangar together."

Backdraft Eastern-Front Facility,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
January 31, ZAC 2129

Laeta fidgeted uncomfortably in the cockpit of her zoid as she touched down at the gate of the Backdraft zoid hangar. Two Backdraft Zaber Fangs came to take a 'sniff' at her Lord Gale, inspecting the Gargoyle-type zoid as a standard operating procedure. She didn't know if the Zaber Fangs could actually sense foreign object inside the cockpit, one that was not authorized to enter the Backdraft premises. Zoids were not known for having keen sense of smell. But still, her anxiety got the best of her.

Earlier that day, Laeta and Dagonet had met at the town hall as planned. Laeta had brought a set of Backdraft technician jumpsuit and asked Dagonet to disguise himself. She stole a glance at his pronounced chest muscles and ribbed abs, and the mischief in her wondered if the rest of him looked just as brawny. But he changed clothes quickly, too quick for her mind to wander too far from reality. She returned to the matter at hand, and stuffed Dagonet behind her command couch.

As uncomfortable as it was, Dagonet stayed completely motionless as the two Zaber Fangs ran a scan on the Lord Gale. Laeta wiped the sweat in her hands. If the Zaber Fangs could smell her anxiety through the thick plexiglass – which they very well could – she would be in deep, deep trouble.

"I am Backdraft Customer Liaison Officer," she hailed the guards nervously. "Is this really necessary?"

"Standard operating procedure, Ma'am. Stand by," the guards replied tonelessly.

Laeta leaned back on her chair, puffing wildly. She wondered whether she had a justification of her action, or it was construed as an act of betrayal. She had been working for Backdraft for some time, and the Organization, as dark as it was, had been compensating her effort accordingly. She felt as if she was stabbing the Backdraft from behind.

But her friend, and most trusted contractor, had been missing mysteriously, and Backdraft certainly knew something about it. She didn't harm Backdraft in any kind. She was merely trying to find the truth. Where the truth would lead her and her relationship with Backdraft Organization was a whole different matter. Besides, if Backdraft hid something from her, then Backdraft was the one that betrayed her in the first place. Laeta, as well as Saskia, were in it together. They shouldn't be denied knowledge, especially when they put their lives on the line.

"Scanning complete. Proceed," the guards finally finished checking the Lord Gale.

Laeta led the Lord Gale through a train of zoids in the hangar. She found an empty bay and parked her zoid. Before any technician could come up to the cockpit, she popped the canopy and jumped to a nearby platform. Her stunt attracted two technicians waiting to secure the zoid, as it violated safety procedure. But Laeta quickly drew their attention, "See the leg struts checked. Too much uneven vibration in the cockpit."

"Uneven vibration? To what end?" the technicians cringed.

"How should I know? I am but a pilot! See them inspected!" Laeta coined edginess.

The technicians continued to argue, and for a moment left the Lord Gale unattended. Dagonet easily slid out of the cockpit and climbed down the ladder from the rear end of the platform. He waited at the floor, flipping and scratching on a clipboard until Laeta joined him.

"An ample diversion," he commented as he followed Laeta. "The techs shall find struts satisfactory."

"My words were 'How should I know, I am but a pilot'," Laeta shot a devious smile.

"Has intent set in stone?" Dagonet asked while gauging Laeta's reaction. "You are leading unauthorized personnel to steal vital information from company."

"My ethics is not of your concern," Laeta huffed. "We are here for Saskia. See it done, or find discovery forever denied."

The two of them walked through dozens of zoids until they arrived at a couple Zabats at the end of the hangar. Dagonet took a ladder to the nearest Zabat all the way to the cockpit. Two technicians were adjusting the console, so he was slipped between them and slipped his memory bank into the slot. The two technicians didn't even care about him. They just let him do whatever he wanted. The memory bank blinked after three minutes, and Dagonet pulled it out of the slot. He came down the ladder and nodded at Laeta, noting that half the job was done.

The second Zabat proved to be rather problematic. Half a dozen technicians congregated around the cockpit, arguing about the electronics and control display. It was not easy for Dagonet, himself a 6-foot-4 tower of muscles, to squeeze in between technicians with average height of 5-foot-10, let alone jamming his memory bank into the zoid's computer. He stood behind the arguing technicians for a while, pretending to take notes of their bickering, but it was clear that the quarrelling wouldn't cease anytime soon.

Laeta noticed the obstacle and devised another distraction. "Can I get 3 pairs of hands to tend to my zoid?"

The technicians broke up. "Something fell out of turn?"

"Incorrect readings, born from miscalibrated sensor…"

"Which sensor?" suddenly a thundering voice exploded behind her. Laeta turned around, and her throat clenched seeing Khyron loomed over her. His monstrous organoid watched intently two steps behind him.

"How should I know? I am but a pilot," Laeta tried to level her trembling voice.

"It surprises, a customer rep claims error in the tuning, yet fails to notice its spring," Khyron walked closer to Laeta. "My question still stands unanswered."

"And should be returned satisfied, if I were but a technician," Laeta mustered all energy to stand tall in front of the intimidating figure. "The reason I am in this hangar. And yourself? What spurs intent?"

"Security breach," Khyron snarled. His eyes stabbed Laeta's like a couple of daggers. "Do you have hands in it?"

"None that merits consideration," Laeta shook her head nonchalantly.

"See paperwork filled," Khyron growled. "And remove yourself from hangar."

"Then what is of my zoid? Do I stand idle, while you dominate able hands?"

Khyron shot an irritated stare at Laeta, but he yielded to her demand. He pointed at two of the arguing technicians, "You, see her zoid tended!" As the technicians broke into a sprint, he turned to Laeta, "Press my technicians again and see your career climb no further!" He made a sharp guttural sound, then walked out of the hangar, as swiftly as the way he came.

Laeta leaned on the Zabat's feet, taking short breaths to calm her nerves. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and it was cold in the hangar. She closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself, only to find Dagonet standing in front of her when her eyes fluttered open.

"Done?" she shot up.

"Diversion well served," Dagonet held the memory bank for Laeta to see. "Gratitude for the effort."

"It wasn't so," Laeta huffed angrily. "I was in trouble for real."

"An inconvenience, to be used as such," Dagonet replied. "We must see ourselves out."

"Khyron suspected security breach," Laeta pointed to a different direction. "He must have secured entries. We have overstepped too deep. See another way to exit."

Before Dagonet answered, Laeta walked to a small door behind the Zabat. It led to a small passage between the hangar and another building. She scurried on the narrow passage, with Dagonet two steps behind her, until she came to another door at the adjacent building. She made sure nobody noticed them then entered the building through the door. It was a storage, full of things that they had not seen in their lives, probably for good reason. They walked through crates and containers until they exited from the other side of the building. The area was largely uncontrolled so they just hopped into a buggy and drove off, leaving the premises.

Rose City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
January 31, ZAC 2129

Going back to Rose City, Dagonet and Laeta wasted no time to analyze the data. Kenny borrowed a computer analyzer to decipher the codes. At first it looked like a wasted opportunity, with thousands of sequences recorded on top of each other. But they slowly managed to pile up the codes into useable files, and start to dive into specific timeframe. But even then the procedure took a long time.

"We may see the sun rises before we come to knowledge," Laeta sighed as she threw her gaze outside the window. Dusk started to creep in.

"We shall stay all night," Dagonet stood next to her. She had the zipper of her catsuit down halfway her chest, and he stole a glance of her cleavage, glistening in sweat in the dimly lit room. "Should anything comes to light, we will fill your ears."

"A few more hours," she decided.

"Khyron will be suspicious."

"He already is."

"Then why did he let us go?"

"Reasoning escapes mind," Laeta sighed. "His eyes betrayed his action. He knew I was there for reason beyond tending zoid. He let us go because he planned something my eyes couldn't follow."

"Stay, then," Dagonet suggested. "Kenny and I could use able hands, along with proper standing and pleasing to the eye."

"Intention well nudged, yet affair with Backdraft has not come to terms," Laeta said, ignoring Dagonet's last comment. "The reason Khyron let us go. He knew the Zabats hold nothing of worth."

"Disposition belched forth too soon," suddenly Kenny blurted, his voice laden with ecstasy. "Discovery inbound!"

Dagonet and Laeta rushed to the table as Kenny punched in some keys. The computer went alive with a garbled message, but everybody recognized it as Saskia's voice. "… hostile units! One gigantic transport belching … to come! Their hands pos… wet with … Raynos! Send imm… ate support!"

"Go to visual!" Dagonet reached for the keyboard and punched in some keys, interfering with Kenny's own coding. The two fought for control until the holoprojector showed a blurred hologram of several objects. Saskia's Gilvader was easily noticed, surrounded by a horde of unidentified objects. And on the opposite side laid a massive structure nobody had ever seen, similar to a Whale King but several times bigger.

"Prozen's blood! What is that?" Laeta blurted.

"Saskia's words were 'gigantic transport', hostile in nature," Dagonet implied. "Who designed zoid like a stiff cock?"

"That is not a zoid," Laeta rebuked. "That is a… that is a… a space ship."

"Space ship?" Kenny had a hard time holding his laughter. "You believe it the Nostromo? Is there such thing as intelligent life outside Zi?"

"We are all humans, are we not?" Laeta replied. "We are far removed from Ancient Zoidians. We are humans, descendants of vagabonds from Globally 3, the space ship from Terra landed 100 years in passing…"

And then, suddenly it dawned on her.

"The Bridge! It is the bridge!" she exclaimed. "Globally 3 set course from Terra to Zi through The Bridge, a mythical space continuum that allows you to travel light-years of space in mere seconds. The energy anomaly was the gate to The Bridge. The vessel arrived through the gate. The reason Khyron sent the Raynos and Saskia to investigate the energy anomaly. He is building The Bridge!"

"Does head speculate transport came from Terra?" Kenny suddenly found Laeta's deduction was not funny anymore.

"Have eyes not yet set upon Globally 3?" Laeta pulled out a small holovideo, then punched a few keys. A hologram of a space ship appeared, different in size but similar in concept with the one from the Zabat memory. "Globally 3 and that space ship are belched forth from the same brains… humans!"

"So where is the space ship?" Kenny bit his lips. "And what happened to Saskia?"

"Terra," Dagonet leaned back and put his palms on his face. "The vessel had returned to Terra, and took Saskia with it."