“It’s now or never Doc. Your people are on your way here, and I have no idea how long the Doasians will be able to hold them off for us to make our escape.”

“I take it, if things go wayward, my family is dead?”

“In a heartbeat,” I said coldly.

The battle that raged within the doc’s mind was evident. He began fidgeting with the knife to his right and began tapping his foot profusely. It was as if he was a rock in a hard place, with a knife aimed at his throat, and I was his executioner. “there’s no way for me to get into Ranton’s office, it’s airtight and locked down. If I want to check anything he’s behind me watching.”

“Humph sounds like the Ortho-Interpretive Processor isn’t yours Doctor Efroniz.”

“It is mine,” Hallon hissed.

“Not from the looks of it, but don’t worry. If you help us, we can ensure you get the Acclamation you seek.”

“You’re misunderstanding something here. I don’t need acclamation. I’m only doing this for the credits you’ll be paying me, which has to be quadruple what I'm currently receiving along with my sister and my protection from __”

“That can be easily arranged.”

“Arranged?” He scoffed.

“I want it in writing.”

“Then get me somewhere to print the documents.”

“You anticipated this?”

“It was one of the scenarios we surmised?”

“Surmised? Who do you work for?” Hallon asked.

“The Light of Dawn.” I lied.

“Light of Dawn?” Hallon asked aghast. “I’ve never heard.”

“As it should be Doc, as it should be. We don’t have much time, because the clocks ticking. Where I'm running out of time.” I said firmly. Hallon didn’t say anything. He sat there, embracing the silence as he contemplated what his decision would be.

As I peered through the vent, watching the Mechanical Engineer. I was nervous as hell. My family’s life depended on a stew of lies I just brewed in a second. Desperation usually did that, I just had to hope I said the right words to convince him to help me.

“The credits aren’t enough to convince me to put me in harm's way.”

Of Course, it isn’t, I mused, you want to know how I'll retrieve the data. “Doc, I just need access to a console. Once I have access, I can make my way to his office and retrieve whatever you need.”

“That’s too dangerous.”

“It isn’t. I already know how to distract Ranton enough to make him shiver in his fucking boots. Now make a decision Doc, worst case scenario, you get to continue your work.”

“What do you mean?” He asked confused.

“Look, you don’t have a reason to help me, you’re in a win-win situation here. You have nothing to lose.”

“I do.” He growled, “my sist--.”

“Let’s make a deal then,” I said firmly, cutting him off from saying anything negative. “Forget about your quadruple contract, for now, let me infiltrate Ranton’s office first, retrieve the data and the prototype processor, there’s no risk at you.”

“That’s not true, there’s always a risk.”

“There is, but you knew what you were getting into when you came here. Look, You don’t have to trust me, but hurting your family is the last thing I want. But you have to make a decision now.”

The turmoil in Hallon’s eyes bothered me for a half second, the other half of the second, my family came to mind, so I pushed that guilt away faster than lightning striking the ground.

The Mechanical Engineer looked up at the vent, showing his shrewdness for the first time. The anger emanating from his eyes showed me how he felt about me, putting him in a tight spot. “If I don’t agree, you’ll kill me?”

“Stop dallying Doc, you know the answer.”

“Guarantee my sister’s safety from this cabal”

“Once we leave here, you have my word.”

“Fine, I’ll do it. What do you need me to do?”

“You know where Lanton’s men go to smoke privately?”

“I do,”

“Bring Fellis there,”

“What for?”

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“I told you, I need a distraction don’t I?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Stop asking stupid questions doc, you know what I’m going to do. It’s not like you care about the bastard.”

“Right.”

“Things are going to get a bit rough Doc, stay the course.”

“Whatever.”

Hallon Efroniz pushed himself up and left the room. The moment he hit the doorway and looked back at me, I could see him wavering.

My lips curled into a smile, as I knew the thought of his sister flashed into his mind. It was a cruel thing for me to do Hallon, but I needed him, more than he needed me.

“Sir, we didn’t get access to a console,” Nova said.

“I know, we’ll get plenty of access once my plan begins, sit tight,” I said softly, and then it hit me. Fuck. I fucked up!

“Nova, are the comms strong enough to reach Eltessa?”

“They aren’t Sir. You’re too deep within the Sceleratus’ Bunker.”

“Shit…”

“What about where we infiltrated is the signal there strong enough?”

“No Sir, The reservoir for the Salent Coolant is too thick.”

“I guess I’ll have to just escort him to her then.”

“Sir?” Nova asked confused.

“My distraction. I’m taking Arson Fellis topside. Eltessa and Stryme should be able to negotiate with the Doasians with him in his hands.”

“Sir, that’s too risky.”

“What choice do we have Nova?”

“Understood Sir.”

I made my way back through the tent to the abandoned maintenance room. Once I got there, I took a two-minute break, then made my way through the way hallway and back through the tents I’d used to make my way through the base.

It wasn’t easy avoiding the meandering men and women that were under Lanton, but I was downright satisfied that the bunker didn’t have any surveillance cameras unless this mission would’ve been a dud.

I guess, they didn’t have any because they didn’t need anything tied back to them, which made sense. After all, there was no way anyone should’ve made it here, without little help.

I returned to the Coolant Salent reservoir and put myself down on a wall. As I sat there, looking left and right at the dull ceiling and walls, an old feeling began to muster at the back of my mind.

The walls and ceilings reminded me of my time in the brig when I punched a fellow officer during a march. ‘Disorderly Conduct’ They told me. ‘You could get the squad killed.’

They were right, I was a short-tempered little shit back then. But the bastard had it coming. He kept calling me Orphy like I was some plague because I grew up without parents, the piece of shit.

As infuriating as it was then, I still didn’t feel relief once I broke the bastard’s jaw. That event, set the set precedent for the remaining time at boot camp, as I graduated.

Being in the brig isn’t something one should feel, but my life was a brig in itself, but my wife and child were the light I could see through the bars.

I gambled everything on the lie I fed Hallon. I may have sounded confident at that moment, but I was downright unsure because the shit could hit the fan at any time.

Fifteen minutes passed at a moment and with each second feeling like an hour, the more I felt that Hallon didn’t take my ‘offer’.

Instead, I did what was befuddling my mind in that period ever since she’d returned.

As hard as it was to admit it, I don’t believe I would’ve been able to get into the bunker without Nova’s help, especially with the reinforcement on their way to Sceleratus. Nova returning was a godsend, or at least I hoped.

Unshackled Sentience, is what Sentient A.I’s were called within the Federation. An existence that needn’t need grow, but here I was with one in my brain no doubt, but it was helping me, something I couldn’t understand.

Who was Nova and how did she come into existence? As far as I understand. The research into AI was abandoned over eight decades ago in fear that they would kill all humans because they saw us as a plague to the earth. They would be right, I mused.

Everyone believed that when the Arctic caps melted that the entire world would’ve been swallowed whole.

Instead, when the planet reached critical mass, the earth crusts opened up and swallowed billions of gallons of water, leaving the earth decrepit and destitute. The Imbibe, I thought bitterly. We reaped what we sowed.

“What are you, Nova?” I finally asked, pushing my back up against the wall.

As silence filled the air for three seconds, I began to wonder if the A.I. had shut down. Three seconds? The A.A. never took so long to respond before, but now that I knew what she was, she had to be cautious…in a sense.

“I’m an Artificial Intelligence Sir.”

“I know that, but what are you? I still don’t understand why you’re helping me or who you’re working with.”

“I understand your reservation Sir, but I promise. I mean you no harm. If there is ever someone or something that has your best interest at heart. It is me.”

“Did you just fucking quote Anix Ralse from Stellar Winds?” I said, laughing bitterly.

“Yes Sir, it’s your favourite movie.” The A.I. answered cheerfully, quelling my frustration in an instant. I growled a laugh and shook my head. It didn’t make sense for Nova to know Stellar Winds was my favourite movie unless she had been with me for the allotted time. I hate to admit it, but maybe, just maybe, the A.I. wasn’t to kill me. Not yet anyway, I mused bitterly.

Two skeletal frames walked up beyond the door. Their fingers began dabbling as if they were holding a cigarette. I pushed myself up from off the ground and walked towards the door. “Increase microphone volume Nova.”

“Yes Sir.”

“What is it, Hal? You dragged me into this filthy corner to finally put your childish whims away and say what you truly feel about me?” Arson Fellis said coyly.

“No. I’m trying to figure out what to do with you.” Hallon said soft, shaking his head.

“Do with me? Like what? Destroy my work? Sell it to the highest bidder? I’ve already done that so you’re a tad late.”

“If you could take your head from out of your ass for two minutes, stomaching a conversation with you would be easier than speaking to my dead mother, you know that Arson? Or should call you Asson because that’s how you react to everything.”

“Asson? Is that why called me here? Surely you can do better than that.”

Hallon Efroniz’s skeletal head shook as if he wasn’t too sure what to do. I wasn’t surprised; I told him to bring him here, and he followed through.

I scanned the area once more, ensuring none of Ranton’s men was around. I slid my cybernetic hand onto the locking mechanism and slowly turned it. The gears within the door unlocked with three clicks.

As I pushed the door open vigorously, My eyes landed on Arson’s own as they widened from surprise. The smug confidence I noticed in his shoulders slumped as if he’d seen a ghost and Hallon who was to his right swallowed deeply as he laid eyes on me for the first time.

Arson turned left, terror painted across his face but Hallon stuck his right foot out flooring the man in an instant. I leapt on the bastard’s back, kneeing him in one go, then slammed his face into the ground. “You both my graw!” He mumbled.

“What?” I growled.

I yanked the bastard up, freeing his mouth from the ground, He turned to me, mouth foaming with blood and anger in his eyes. As if you have the right to be angry you piece of shit!

“You broke my jaw!” He howled.

I slammed his face back into the ground, feeling as my cybernetic wrist began to squeeze the back of his neck. If it could feel sensations, his neck probably felt like a twig. I released his neck, then stomped his back into the ground as I pushed myself up. “What are you going to do to him?”

“What else is there to do with pieces of shit like him? Feed him to the sharks.”