Chapter 6
Crazy Taxi
There are times when all the preparation in the world doesn't mean a thing; all the training, the practice, and meditation simply doesn't help deal with a situation. In such cases, you have one chance; blind luck.
Finn stood over the unconscious batarian, dumbfounded as to the events of the last few seconds. He was dimly aware of the rifle he was now holding in one hand, and that a stinging pain was running through his other hand.
After a few moments, he realized Mannon was shaking his shoulder. Blinking he turned to see her face. She looked impressed.
"C'mon." She told him, grabbing one of the batarian's arms. "Help me drag him inside before more of them show up.
"Alarmed; too late!" Darsan pointed a massive hand down the street, where a group of Blue Suns were running toward them.
Finn's mind quickly came back into focus. "C'mon!"
Without another word, he started running the other way down the street. There was a cry of panic from the crowd as one of the Blue Suns opened fire in their direction.
Finn's radio activated with a slight crackle, followed by Jake's voice. "Finn? Finn, are you there?"
"Not a good time!" Finn shouted as they continued to run.
"Oh, thank Glob! You scared the heck outta me, bro! What the heck is-"
"Not a good time!" A bullet ricochet off a nearby street sign as Finn and company fled through a parking lot. He tried a few of the car doors as they passed, but they were all locked.
"Can't you just shoot one of the locks?" Mannon asked, glancing behind them.
"Yeah, that's a great idea. Then we can get chased by the Blue Suns AND Security." Finn glanced around, continuing, "We need a cab, but I don't know how to call-"
A car landed right in front of their path, stopping them in their tracks. Finn raised his rifle, but the door opened to reveal the car was empty.
"Thank you for choosing Zuen-Tek Transportation."
Finn blinked; the voice of the cab computer was the same as the voice who had been speaking to him on his internal comm.
As he hesitated, Mannon asked him, "What's the problem? Get in already!"
Shaking his head, he climbed into the car, Mannon following him shortly. By the time Darsan had climbed in the back, Finn heard someone shout, "There, in the cab!"
Finn slammed his door shut and said, "Take us somewhere. Anywhere. Just get us out of here!"
"Docking bay J-27." replied the woman, a hint of amusement just barely audible in her tone. "Please make sure all safety harnesses are secured while we take off."
The Blue Suns had begun to circle around the cab, which meant they caught the brunt of the blast as the cab's hover thrusters fired on full.
As the cab sped into motion, Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "Trouble, trouble, and more trouble; it's all we seem to run into these days."
"You're the one who didn't use an alias." Mannon told him.
Rolling his eyes, Finn said, "Fine, I'll think up a fake name after we-"
The cab rocked as something hit it on the backside.
"What the-" Finn's fingers sped across the controls as he tried to figure out what had just happened. A screen displaying the rear camera feed appeared, showing two shuttles bearing the Blue Suns logo right behind them.
"Two Kodiak shuttles." Mannon observed, sounding impressed. "Oh, they really like you, Finn."
Finn glared at her before turning his attention to the controls. "C'mon." He muttered, tapping at the console, "There's got to be a manual control on this thing somewhere."
A spark from the console made him yelp and jerk his hands back.
"Please refrain from attempting to access the controls." Said the woman's voice in a pleasant tone.
"I'm a pilot." Finn told it indignantly. "We're being chased."
The cab suddenly dove straight down. It flew downward through multiple lanes of traffic, narrowly avoiding more than one car in the process. Mannon and Finn were fortunately strapped in, but poor Darsan was tossed about in the back compartment as the cab spun and swerved.
"Terrified; we're going to crash!"
Finn wanted to comfort the elcor, but wasn't sure what to say.
The cab abruptly pulled out of its descent into a district filled with towers and buildings still under construction. A quick glance at the rear camera feed showed that the Kodiak shuttles, though a little farther back than they had been before, were still hot on their trail.
The cab blasted through the construction zone and into the skeletal framework of what looked to be the beginnings of an impressive skyscraper. The Kodiaks followed them into the framework, but it didn't take long for the larger vessels to clip one of the beams, smashing one of its front-mounted machine guns into scrap.
Who or whatever was controlling the cab was no slouch, Finn begrudgingly admitted. She wove through the framework of the buildings with a skill and grace that even he found impressive, if not quite on his level. Never once did they actually hit, scrape, or even bump into part of the construction. The same couldn't be said for their pursuers, however; Kodiak shuttles weren't known for being particularly maneuverable, and while the Blue Sun pilots were doing an impressive job matching the cab's speed, by the time the cab flew out of the skyscraper framework, one of the shuttles had smoke coming from the right-side rear engine, and only one had a functioning weapon.
They were flying over a series of warehouses. Even when building something as basic as warehouses, the asari architects managed to imbue their work with a sense of grace and beauty.
Unfortunately, Finn and his friends were in no position to be sightseeing at the moment. The cab flew low to the ground, scarcely higher than street level. Had the area been populated, they would have surely hit something.
The Kodiaks didn't follow this time, no doubt unwilling to get into a chase in the narrow alleyways between buildings.
"Smart." Finn commented as the camera panned to keep an eye on them.
"Don't compliment the people trying to kill us." Mannon glanced back at Darsan, asking, "You still in one piece back there?"
Darsan let out a moan. He tried to sort out his limbs and stand for a moment before giving up. "Plaintively; I think I'll just stay sitting for now."
"Ten minutes until destination is reached." The cab voice said pleasantly.
"Thank you." Finn said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
The alleyways provided the cab perfect cover from its pursuers. Many of the roads were partially covered by nearby buildings, making it difficult to observe the cab as it sped through the gaps. They never remained hidden for long, though, and barely five minutes had passed before they reached the edge of the warehouse area, where a large open park had been constructed.
"Here we go." Mannon breathed, bracing herself as best she could in her seat.
The moment the cab flew out of the alleyways, the Kodiaks zoomed in on them like hungry cats spotting a mouse. While they couldn't quite catch up with the cab, they were able to stay right behind them.
As a few shots pinged off the back of the car, Darsan said, "Nervously; we need cover!"
"Not far now." Finn told him, checking the city map. "The park's not that big."
"Hang on." Mannon said, her eyes on the rear-view screen. "They just opened their side door."
"What?" Finn looked at the camera and saw she was right. Several Blue Suns mercs were visible inside, one of which was holding something that looked like a heavy gun with a small dish on the end instead of a nuzzle. It fired off a strange blue pulse that moved too quickly to dodge.
The cab rocked slightly, but otherwise seemed unharmed.
"Grateful; they missed!"
"We felt it hit." Mannon argued. "Maybe it just didn't work?"
Finn started to agree with her when he realized the camera screen had frozen. He tapped a few controls, but there was no response from the console.
"Uh oh." Finn muttered as he tried to get the system unlocked. "Uh, guys? We've got a problem: the computer's fried."
"What?" Mannon tried a few controls. "The whole system looks to have seized up. It must've been some kind of ion pulse."
"Worried; then who's driving?"
Finn and Mannon looked at each other before looking out the front window. The cab was beginning to angle down towards the side of a skyscraper.
"Crap!" Finn grabbed the sides of the console and said, "Mannon, help me get this off!"
Together, they managed to yank off the control panel. It was a bit of a mess, but Finn had a good idea of what he needed to do. As he started pulling wires, Mannon called out, "Finn!"
"I'm …" His eyes darted up mere seconds before the car crashed through a massive glass window.
The impact shook the car enough for Finn to drop the wires he was holding. As the car scraped across the floor of the room it now occupied, numerous crashes and shatterings could be heard around them. As the vehicle finally slid to a complete halt, Finn, Mannon, and Darsan sat in silence for a long moment before letting out a universal sigh of relief.
Quickly returning his attention to the controls, Finn picked up the wires he had dropped.
Mannon asked, "Can't we just get out of the cab?"
"The Blue Suns knocked us out on purpose; they'll be expecting us to leave on foot. Fortunately, I should be able to get us up and running in a minute or two."
"Worried; can you speed that up?"
"Are they behind us?" Finn glanced at the back of the vehicle, expecting Darsan to be staring out the back panel. To his surprise, the Elcor was staring straight ahead, through the front window.
A feeling of dread passed over Finn as he slowly turned his head around and looked out the front window. From the look of the room, the cab had crashed into some kind of art gallery. Most of the pieces were on the ground, presumably broken (Finn never was much for modern art), but it was the two asari in yellow combat armor staring at them with dumb-founded expressions that caught his eye.
"Oh lord." Finn quickly returned his attention to the controls and frantically started trying to get the cab's system to reboot.
"Finn, they're Eclipse." Mannon told him.
"I noticed that, thanks." Finn muttered. "Now shut up and let me work!"
One of the asari tapped the side of her head and said something that didn't make it through the walls of the cab. Whatever it was, Finn knew it couldn't be good.
With a final twist, the power systems in the cab died.
"Excellent. Mannon, help me get the panel back on while the system reboots."
Just as they managed to secure the panel back into place, a large lift in the back of the gallery opened, revealing about ten more Eclipse soldiers led by an asari in a night dress. She looked around at the gallery with a horrified expression before setting her sights on the cab.
"What in the name of the Goddess …"
"Horrified; that is Kyrie Nelvana."
"And who is that?" Finn asked, his hand tapping the side of the control console impatiently.
"Horrified; she is the primary benefactor of Eclipse. I've met her before at charity fund-raisers back while I was working near Dekuuna. She funds the majority of their organization's operations. Finn, she's the boss!"
Finn looked up at Kyrie just as she spotted him through the glass of the cab. In a matter of moments, her face went from disbelieving to horrified to enraged.
She pointed at Finn, shouting, "I want his head!" loud enough to be heard inside the cab.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon …" Finn's eyes lit up as the control panel suddenly burst to life. "Hell yeah! Everyone hold on!"
The cab rose shakily from the ground. Finn spun it about, intending to exit through the same hole, only to find the Blue Suns shuttles fast approaching. Thinking fast, he turned to the next nearest window that led out and hit the accelerator. More artifacts smashed and banged off the cab's hull before they managed to crash through the window and out into the city.
The Blue Suns were on them in a second. Finn reactivated the rear-view mirror just in time to see the side door open again.
"Crap." Finn muttered. "Here we go!"
Finn pulled the cab into a steep vertical climb. The shuttles followed with some difficulty; traffic was thicker in that part of the city. Weaving around the skyscrapers while doing his best to avoid other vehicles, Finn kept his eyes on the path ahead while Mannon watched the rear-view feed like a hawk.
As they drew near the top of the scraper, Mannon said, "We lost the one with the knock-out gun."
"Good."
"Not really. The one still following us has a gun."
Finn let out a frustrated growl. As they rose past the skyscraper's spire, he pulled the cab into a steep drive.
"Frustrated; not again!" Darsan said as he was pressed against the back of Finn and Mannon's seats.
"Sorry!" Finn shouted over the rising noise of the engine. "Just hold on!"
The proximity warning suddenly activated. Finn winced at the loud claxon. "The hell?"
"Sharp right!" Mannon shouted.
Finn reacted instantly. Moments later, a missile blasted past them, mere inches from their hull.
"The hell? Massani outfitted them with missiles?" asked Finn, his mind racing for a plan of escape.
"It's not the Blue Suns."
Finn glanced at the rear-view feed; there were two more air-cars behind the remaining Blue Suns Shuttle, both painted yellow and adorned with the emblem of the Eclipse.
"What the hell?" Finn said, frustration in his voice. "I thought Ilium was supposed to be less dangerous than Omega!"
He jerked the wheel to the side, making the cab sharply swerve around the corner of another scraper. As a car hiding behind the corner quickly pulled around and started following him with lights blazing, Finn couldn't help but snort with amusement.
"Finn," Mannon began, "We've got another-"
Finn interrupted, "We've got Blue Suns and Eclipse chasing us. Might as well have Security on our tail as well. Hell, why don't we just send a message to the Saints? They're always looking for a good time."
With four cars behind them, things were looking rather bleak. Fortunately for Finn and company, Eclipse, Blue Suns, and Security didn't exactly mix well. One of the Eclipse vehicles suddenly shook as it was hit from behind by the other Blue Suns ship as it caught up with the chase. The Eclipse vehicle continued straight as Finn dove through a commercial district low enough to see people turning their heads and staring at the chase.
The Blue Suns shuttles moved to take positions on either side of the remaining Eclipse, when the one holding the merc with the knock-out gun took a direct hit from one of the Eclipse car's missiles. The flaming wreckage sped to the ground as more Ilium Security vehicles joined the chase.
"We need to get away from the populated areas before those nuts burn the place into cinders!" Mannon told Finn.
"Agreed." Finn brought the cab into a controlled ascent as they turned into another area filled with heavy construction.
Finn's internal communicator activated. "Finn, I just spotted a bunch of …"
"Still not a good time Jake." Finn's eyes darted over the cityscape. "We're being chased by the Blue Suns, the Eclipse, and Ilium security."
"That's you?! Why didn't you tell me you were planning to go on a high-speed car chase?"
Rolling his eyes, Finn said, "Wasn't exactly part of the plan."
"Hang on!"
As the communication stopped, Mannon asked, "Who are you talking to?"
"Jake. He just told me to hang on."
"Why?"
Before Finn could respond, a massive cranes bearing a sizeable section of skyscraper quickly spun their way. Finn managed to avoid it just barely, but the other vehicles weren't close enough to do the same. Most of the security cars quickly swerved away. The Eclipse car and the Blue Suns shuttle tried to slip past the massive building block, but only the Blue Suns vessel was fast enough to make it. The Eclipse car smashed into the side of the skyscraper fragment and didn't come out the other side.
"Ha-ha!" Finn said triumphantly. "Awesome work, Jake! Just one left now."
"Good! Keep going straight, man; you're not far from my position. I'm at-"
A burst of fire hit the cab right in the engine. The cab began to shake as the engine struggled to keep functioning.
"Dammit!" Finn fought to keep control of the cab as it began to slowly descend, smoke billowing out of its backside. A quick glance at the map showed them nearing a docking bay, unfortunately not the one where the Ulasomorf was waiting.
"What's wrong?" Jake asked frantically.
"We've been hit." Finn told him. "I think I can get the cab down safely, though."
"Finn!" Mannon said, her eyes on the rear screen. "They're moving in position to attack!"
"Anxiously; shoot them first!"
"With what?" Finn asked, gripping the controls with white-knuckled hands. "It's a cab!"
He wasn't lying; there was nothing he could do at the moment, other than hope to whatever gods might be listening that he could land the cab without killing the lot of them.
The Blue Suns shuttle was moving in for the kill; it drew closer and closer until Finn could make out the features of turian pilot.
The cab's comm activated. For a moment, Finn thought his mysterious benefactor was responsible, but a gruff masculine tone spoke instead of the playful feminine voice he had heard before. "Cresste! I know you can hear me; surrender now."
"Like hell." Finn replied. "You can tell your boss to go jump off a bridge."
"Massani only wants you. Would you truly bring death to your friends just to have one final moment of defiance?"
Finn stared silently ahead for a few moments. The cab's engine wouldn't last long; one more hit, and they'd be blasted out of the air. With a sigh, he asked, "Will they be allowed to go free?"
"Finn!" Mannon said, a shocked expression on her face. "You can't-"
"Surrender yourself, and they'll be spared. I give you my word."
"Incredulously; Finn, you can't just give yourself up!" Darsan told him. "We're in this together, till the bitter end."
"That's right." Mannon agreed, her hand on Finn's arm. "We started this together, and that's how we're gonna end it. I don't know how, but I'm sure you'll get us out of this."
Without warning, the Blue Suns shuttle exploded. The force of the explosion rocked the cab a bit, but Finn was too surprised to notice. Mannon let out a slightly nervous laugh of relief as the remnants of the shuttle fell through the sky and disappeared below them.
"What the hell was that?" Finn asked, his eyes darting from the front window to the rear camera feed.
"I don't know!" Mannon told him, her eyes again on the rear-view feed. "I don't see anyone else behind us!"
Finn couldn't ponder the mystery for long; the ground was fast approaching. With a final groan, the engine finally died a good one-hundred feet from the ground.
"Everyone hold on!" Finn said, bracing himself as best he could. "This isn't going to be pretty!"