Part 19
Fara held Dr. Tydic's key where the other prisoners could see. They gradually moved from the back of the room toward her, not saying a word, eyes focused on her hand. Fox broke the silence in the room.
"We've got a plan to get everyone out of here." He told the prisoners. "We need you to stay here just a little while longer."
"I don't think so" One of the prisoners said. "I've had enough of this place."
"Open that door." Another prisoner demanded.
"How far do you plan on getting?" Fara asked. "The outside this door are no less than an dozen armed robots. Last time I checked, none of you have weapons."
"You're planning on going out there." Miri said, still standing beside Fox. "What's to stop them from shooting you?"
"If one or two of us go out, we can get to the weapons room next door before they know we're out and alert the robots, the safest place for you is in here until we destroy the robots. This key will let us open the cases in that room and we can use the weapons inside to fight off the robots."
"If the door is open or one of you is outside, you could be killed." Fox told the group of prisoners. "If you stay here and let us clear out the robots, we can all escape."
"I don't like it." One of the prisoners said. "How do we know you won't leave us behind?"
"See this." Fara said, pointing to her headpiece. "It's just a mock up made to look like human technology so they would bring us here. The HSF knows you're here and sent us to get you out."
"There's a human here too." Fox said. "He can help us get out."
"A human?" Miri said, looking up at Fox. "It's Jack isn't it? That's why you're here."
"We're here to get everyone out." Fox said. "That includes Jack."
"I'm going with you." Miri said.
"No, you're going to stay here." Fara said, stepping in front of Miri. "It's better if everyone just waits here until we clear out the robots."
Miri stopped and looked at Fara who was now standing between her and Fox, she hesitated for a moment before taking a seat in a nearby chair. Fara handed the key card to Fox, who opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, after a few moments Fox signaled Fara to follow. As Fara stepped through the doorway she turned, started to close the door, and began walking toward Fox who was opening the door to the weapons room. There was a loud crash behind her followed by the groaning of hydraulics. Fara turned around to see Miri climbing over a chair she had jammed in the door as the flashing lights and shrill alarms of the facility's security system began to sound, she stumbled into the corridor and began running toward Fara. The robots in the corridor had moved from their positions along the wall and were moving toward the pair. Fara grabbed Miri and pulled her into the weapons room. Fox quickly closed the door as the robots began to fire their lasers.
"I told you to stay in that room!" Fara yelled at Miri. "Now look what you've done!"
"You don't tell me what to do!" Miri snapped back. "I said I was coming with you."
"We can't trust you." Fox added. "The last thing we need is you shooting us in the back while we're trying to get out of here."
"Well, I'm here now." Miri said defiantly. "So give me a weapon and I can help you rescue Jack and get out of here."
"How about I open the door and just push you out there?" Fara said. "You're going to get us all killed."
While Miri and Fara argued, Fox worked to open the weapon cases. Many of the weapons inside had been disassembled or were broken except for several small pistols in a case at the back of the room. Each pistol was carefully packed in a custom made case and there were several computers with detailed information on how the weapons operated. Fox took a moment do read up on the operation of the weapons before removing them from their cases and walking back toward Fara and Miri.
"What were you doing Fox?" Fara asked.
"I was reading about how these things worked. I found six that weren't disassembled or broken." Fox told Fara and handed her two of the weapons before turning to Miri who was waiting with an outstretched hand, he hesitated a moment before handing Miri a weapon.
"Fox!" Fara yelled. "You just said she can't be trusted."
"I want out of here as badly as you do." Miri told Fara. "I want to help Jack too, after we leave here you can have this back and I'll go my own way. Please let me help you, I know you don't have any reason to trust me. All I can give you is my word, I don't have anything else."
"Whatever we do, we need to move quickly." Fox said. "Those robots aren't going away."
"They'll be more of them now." Fara said, looking at Miri.
"I don't hear them." Miri said with her ear pressed to the door. "The alarm is off too." Fox and Fara took cover behind one of the display cases in the room while Miri walked slowly out into the corridor, she looked both ways then signaled for the others to follow. Fox and Fara walked slowly to Miri who was waiting just outside the door, the robots that stood along the walls were nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd they go?" Fox asked.
"I don't know." Fara replied. "There aren't many places for them to go. If I had to guess, I'd say they were blocking the entrances so we can't escape."
"Makes sense to me." Fox said.
"Let's go." Fara said as she walked toward the room where Jack was being held. As the trio walked into the room the alarms sounded again. Fox ran over to Jack's cell while Fara and Miri stood watch at the doorway. Jack was lying on a cot in one corner of the cell with his back to the door, he slowly rolled over as Fox opened the cell door and tried to get his attention over the alarms.
"Jack." Fox yelled. "We're here to get you out."
"I'm glad to see you Fox, I thought they had captured you too." Jack said. "I saw you walk in with that bastard Tydic."
"He helped us get you out and gave us the key to your cell and these weapons."
"He's still a bastard." Jack replied. "Thanks for the gun. What's next?"
"Fara and Miri are standing watch at the door waiting for us. We're going to fight our way to the surface and see if we can find a ship." Fox said. "Are you well enough to fight?"
"I'll do what I can but I'm not 100%." Jack told Fox. "They haven't been feeding me, I'm weak and my hands are shaking."
"I'll let the others know." Fox said to Jack. "We'll lead the way out."
"Thanks for coming to get me, Fox. Between you and me, I was worried I'd never get out of here. It's terrifying not knowing where I am or if anyone is coming to help, thank you. I don't know how much longer I'd have lasted."
"We still need to get out of here." Fox told Jack. Suddenly, the sound of weapons fire from the doorway interrupted their conversation, Fara could be heard yelling for help as a smoky haze began to fill the air. Fox ran to the doorway with Jack stumbling along behind him, Fara had taken cover behind one of the large pieces of machinery in the room with Miri nowhere to be found. Fox and Jack fired at the first robot to come through the doorway, it stopped and collapsed into a smoking heap just inside the room. The robots behind it struggled to step over the wreckage now blocking the doorway making them easy targets for Fox, Fara, and Jack. When the last of the robots had fallen, the alarms stopped, Fox and the others began to clear the doorway.
"Using a choke point seems the way to go with these things." Jack commented.
"Yeah, that was almost too easy." Fox said looking around the room. "What happened to Miri?"
"I don't know." Fara replied.
"Miri's here?" Jack asked.
"She was right here with me before the robots attacked." Fara told Jack. "Is she a friend of yours?"
"I helped her out." Jack said, then lowered his head. "She decided to take a different path recently."
"Oh." Fara said, as she helped pull the last of the robots from the doorway. Fox poked his head out and looked down the hall, it was difficult to see in through the smoky haze that filled the air and the scent of burnt electronics and charred wiring burned his nose. Jack walked up behind him and spoke.
"Where are we Fox?"
"We're in some kind of underground research facility built by Andross during the first Lylat War." Fox replied. "It's on the planet MacBeth hidden in the ruins of destroyed factory."
"So I'm in Lylat?"
"Yes." Fox replied. "They're taking Cornerians that come back from human space here."
"Why?"
"They're taking their artificial limbs trying to learn more about your technology. They've got some of your weapons here too, that's where these came from." Fox said holding his pistol up. "They wanted a human too, that's how you ended up here. Wolf smuggled you out of Io station and brought you here and we were asked to find you and bring you back."
"So what's you plan for getting out of here?"
"We're going to use Dr. Tydic's key to get to the surface and see if we can find some way off this planet." Before Jack could respond, Fara began yelling from further down the hall. Fox and Jack ran through the smoke toward the sound of Fara's voice and found her crouched down on the floor next to Miri's motionless body. Miri was lying on her stomach on the floor of the hall, one arm under her body, the other stretched out above her head. The weapon Fox had given her was resting on the floor, less than a meter from her outstretched hand, her back was covered with circular burn marks.
"She's gone." Fara said. "She wasn't moving when I found her."
"Shot in the back while trying to get away." Jack said. "Poor thing, you didn't deserve this." Jack set his weapon down and picked up Miri's body. Still weak from being underfed, he struggled to put the body over his shoulder before picking up his weapon and returning to his feet.
"Jack, she did try to..." Fara cupped her hand over Fox's mouth.
"Let's free the others and get out of here. Leave the past where it belongs." Fara said in a hushed voice. Fox and Fara rushed back to the holding cell with Jack slowly walking up behind them, Fox opened the door and motioned for the prisoners to follow him. The prisoners slowly made their way into the hall, some in wheelchairs, others hobbled on crutches, those that could walk on their own helped the others as best they could, pausing a moment to look at Jack standing beside the door with Miri over his shoulder. He greeted each of them with a silent nod, turning away briefly to wipe his eyes with his free hand. Once the prisoners were out of the holding cell, Fox led the group past the room where Jack was kept and to another locked door, he swiped Dr. Tydic's card and stepped inside.
"That's far enough." Dr. Waytus barked as Fox and Fara stepped inside. Waytus was holding Dr. Tydic with one arm around his neck and a blaster pistol to his head, peaking out from behind his captive briefly to watch Fox and Fara.
"I seem to have found a security breech." Dr. Waytus said. "But am educated and reasonable, you two will be allowed to leave provided the human and the others remain behind. Besides, there's only one ship beyond the door behind me and I'm afraid it has too few seats, my support staff took the other when the alarms sounded. I have another detachment of security robots on the way, so make your decision quickly."
"Jack goes with us." Fox said as a rumbling noise filled the doorway behind Waytus.
"Just the two of you." Waytus replied. "That is my offer."
Dr. Waytus's head snapped back as two shots echoed from the doorway behind Fox and Fara. He fell to the floor, dropping his weapon and dragging Dr. Tydic to the ground with him, Dr. Tydic freed himself from Dr. Waytus's arm and staggered to his feet. Jack lowered his weapon, propped Miri's body up against the wall, and stepped through the doorway, closing it behind him.
"What are you doing." Dr. Tydic yelled. "The security robots will be coming through that door any minute and you've closed our way out." Jack pointed to Dr. Waytus's weapon lying on the floor beside his body, still charged and ready to fire. Dr. Tydic grabbed the weapon from the floor and took cover behind his deceased employer's desk. Fox, Fara, and Jack followed as the door on the far side of the room opened and the security robots stepped through and began to fire. Fox and Fara returned fire from the sides of the desk while Jack and Dr. Tydic fired over the top, the robots were felled easily by the human weapons as they continued to pour through the doorway, tripping over the wreckage of their disabled counterparts. When the robots stopped coming Jack stepped out from behind the desk, climbed over the pile of defunct robots, and disappeared through the doorway, reappearing a few minutes later. Fox went back and opened the door to allow the prisoners inside the office, each one slowly walked into the room and looked around. Fara checked each one for injuries while Fox walked into hall to check for any left behind, all that remained was Miri's body still propped upright against the wall.
"It's best to leave her." Dr. Tydic said as he walked up behind Fox. "There's nothing you can do for her now."
"We don't leave anyone behind." Jack said, walking up behind them both. "She has family that will want to say goodbye."
"Now what?" Dr. Tydic demanded. "You heard Waytus, there's only one ship and too many of us."
"There's a second transport docked in the hangar." Jack told him. "The one that brought the robots down."
"That's just a relay ship." Tydic said. "It's intended to go from orbital station to planet surface and back again. That ship isn't equipped for deep space flight, it's useless."
"Then we'll go to the station and find something better." Fox said.
"We've got some time." Jack interrupted. "I want to know if there's anything else going on in Lylat we need to know about."
"I won't be a part of this." Dr. Tydic said. "I've done all I'm going to do."
"So there is more."
"Nothing I'm involved with I assure you." Tydic said as he backed toward a console along the wall. Jack lunged forward and grabbed the Doctor before he could reach the wall. Dr. Tydic struggled to free himself as Jack pulled him to his feet and slammed him against Dr. Waytus's desk. Fox rushed over to the console and began looking through the files.
"Oh no." He said.
"What'd you find?" Jack asked.
"They're rebuilding Saruzin."
"What's Saruzin?"
"It was Venom's largest carrier." Fox said. "We destroyed it during the first Lylat war, it's been drifting as a broken up wreck ever since. Even worse, they've been hijacking the freighters carrying supplies to Corneria to get the materials."
"The Cornerians are hijacking their own ships?" Jack asked. "The ships we've been sending back with supplies?"
"Yeah, it looks that way." Fox replied. "They've been rebuilding Saruzin with materials stolen from aid ships coming back from human space."
"Not just rebuilding, redesigning, and re purposing too." Dr. Tydic added.
"Re purposed for what?" Jack asked.
"I have no idea."
"You're quite proud of this project you have nothing to do with."
"It's for the defense of Lylat, why wouldn't I be proud of the ship that's going to put your kind in its place?"
"You really think one carrier is going to defend an entire solar system?"
"This one can." Dr. Tydic said with a smile.
"I'll get whatever I can from these computers." Fox told Jack. "You and Fara get everyone on board the transports."
"Will do." Jack replied, grabbing Dr. Tydic by the arm. "You first, doctor."
"I will not." Tydic stiffened his body and attempted to wrestle his arm free from Jack's grip. Jack twisted Tydic's arm behind his back and pressed upward, guiding him toward the doorway to the hangar.
"That wasn't a request, doctor." Jack said as they walked toward the doorway. "You're lucky I need you or you'd be on the floor with your superior."
"You can't make me talk."
"We don't have to." Jack said with a smile. "You see, unlike you, we don't need to torture and starve our captives to get information. We have machines that can extract the thoughts from your head."
"You do?" Tydic replied with a quiver in his voice.
"We do, it's not a pleasant experience mind you, and it does have the tendency to render the subject brain dead. That's only about 40% of the time though, the rest end up with amnesia. Three out of five isn't bad odds, care to try your luck?"
"No. I don't want that."
"Then you tell my people everything they want to know and you'll be returned to Lylat unharmed." Jack ushered the Doctor into the hangar and returned a few minutes later for the others.
"Jack, was that true?" Fara asked.
"No, of course not." Jack replied. "But I'm not about to tell him that." Fara and Jack continued to help the remaining prisoners onto the transport, Miri's body was loaded last and covered with a cloth. Once everyone was on board and ready Fox, Fara, and Jack met in the hangar.
"We've got two ships here." Jack began. "The prisoners, Miri, and Dr. Tydic are in the transport, which looks to have some kind of turret mounted on the underside. The smaller ship, which is unarmed, looks like it it was meant to carry a pilot and small cargo. I can't fly a Cornerian ship, so I'll leave it up to you two to decide who pilots what, I'll stay with the transport."
"You think we'll have any trouble once we get out of here?" Fara asked.
"It's hard to say, they haven't come to check on us and they had to know there was trouble here when Waytus asked for the extra robots."
"This is a class 4 dropship." Fox said, pointing to the transport. "It's used for dropping soldiers into combat zones, the turret is for suppressing ground targets while it lands. It won't be much help against airborne targets. The other ship is a common interplanetary shuttle, no weapons, but it's fast."
"Maybe we should try and pack the shuttle with prisoners." Jack told Fox. "They'd stand a better chance of getting away if there is trouble."
"I can pilot the shuttle and run interference." Fox said. "If we're attacked I can use the shuttle's shields to take some of the fire. It would..."
"I'll fly the shuttle." Fara interrupted. "You can make a run for the station with the others."
"No, I should fly the shuttle. I'm a better pilot." Fox told Fara. "Besides, you did a great job piloting that transport on Dust."
"That was a shuttle Fox." Fara replied angrily.
"It looked like a transport to me." Fox said as he walked away from Fara and toward the shuttle. Fara sighed and walked toward the transport with Jack right behind.
"What's the communication range on these ships?" Jack asked.
"They should be able to reach anywhere in Lylat." Fara replied. "You're not going to call in help from outside the system with it though."
"Just checking." Jack said as they boarded the transport and prepped the ship for takeoff. Fara looked at Dr. Tydic, who was strapped tightly into the copilot's seat, he glared at her silently.
"What's he doing up here?" Fara asked.
"I put him up here so he couldn't make trouble once we're in the air. Besides, he's not very popular with the other passengers."
"Oh." Fara replied and continued prepping the ship for liftoff.
"You up for this? We might have to fight some of your people to get out of here." Jack asked. Fara stopped what she was doing and thought a moment before responding.
"I don't really have a choice." She said.
"None of us do." Jack told her.