The hangar was getting stuffy from the noon heat. Larox pulled himself away from Horst. The man was in a coding groove and he didn’t want to interfere. He looked at the accumulated dust from so many years of service with barely a cleaning. The tool sheds that Sargeant Gonzales’s soldiers leaned on. Scattered stones laid over the floor from the shooting of the improvised barriers. Crumbling asphalt fell from the disabled ceiling turret.
The blimp itself loomed over the hanger. But there was no way to inflate the bag or separate from the hangar bars for takeoff unless Horst got it operational. The hangar had its own generator. Larox went to check on it. The giant unit sat next to a large fuel tank. Gasoline was a dangerous substance to keep in the base for many reasons, but it was absolutely crucial in the event a power outage required a base evacuation. The generator was full of fuel and ready to go.
In fact, it had already kicked on. Had they lost electricity from the main base. That couldn’t be good. He gave it a few cursory checks to make sure it operated at full capacity before going back to the large section of the hangar.
The guards were becoming more laxed about Lavinia as she just sat on the floor and presented no threat. Larox slid next to her. He put a hand on her slender shoulder. It felt warm, but not unnaturally so, as warm as any other human might feel in this hot shed. But he did notice that she didn’t sweat, not one drop of water could be seen on her skin while everyone else suffered. She only drank a little water, just enough to keep the soldiers from freaking out about her abilities.
“Do you even need water?” Larox asked.
“Just a little bit. I have cells and bodily organs just like you do and they need energy and even nutrients to function optimally.”
Lavinia huffed, when she wasn’t careful about how she spoke she started sounding like her sisters. Except for Nyx, none of her other sisters sounded like Nyx. Nyx was unhinged. She curled up in a little ball and puffed out her cheeks.
“Do you want some water?”
“They gave me a canteen. I’m fine. Why are you even talking to me. You’ve confirmed that I’m not human, right. Are you just curious about how I function? Do you want me to give you a diagram or something?”
She pulled away from him but he pushed back, not against her, but close to her, “You’re cute when you’re upset, know that?”
Lavinia turned a bright red, “I’m 81 years old, you know. And I’m not exactly innocent either.”
“Well, you’ve aged rather well, haven’t you. I’m not opposed to loving an older woman.”
Lavinia turned around to face him. She put tender hands on his shoulders as her eyes filled with tears. Actual water dripped down her cheeks as she shook him ever so gently.
She began to speak fast, so fast he could barely string her words together, “You don’t actually mean that. Nobody ever actually means that. You have no idea what it’s like. I’m not something that anybody can actually love. Not the real me. Not the true me. The true me isn’t even really human. Maybe you can love me like an object, or like a pet, but love like you would feel for a real human? That’s not possible. I know from experience. But if you just love me as a toy or an object, I’ll accept that. I’ll take it. It’s been so long since anybody has even said those words to me. Even indirectly. Please say you love me!”
Larox hugged her and stroked her hair, “I love you more than I could ever love what you call a real human. Because, you’re better than a real human. You’re an angel.”
The soldiers looked away from this little love fest. Lavinia went limp in Larox’s arms.
“When I saw you on the blimp. I knew my hero had come. B-but, I’m no good, not for anybody. Wherever I go, my little sister follows. You saved my life and bought me here, but I’m certain that it’ll all end in destruction.”
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Larox curled her hair in his index finger, “This place has been destined to fall anyway. We’re out of everything, not enough food, not enough water, not enough fuel. And this Nyx sounds lie a piece of work. If she has anything to do with the asphalt, well, that’s the end of that. Maybe we can get away on the airship, maybe we can’t, but flying away will only buy time. And that’s if we’re lucky.”
“I have a plan,” Lavinia said, “I have a plan to save the world. But I have to make it back to where this all started.”
Larox let go of her, ended their embrace, and let her scoot away a little bit. Lavinia crossed her legs and rubbed her hands over the jean fabric covering her knees as she frowned.
“And where would that be?”
“Where all of us were born. The Clinker proto-type laboratory on the Isle-of-man.”
“We’re in North America, that’s all the way on the other side of the globe!”
Lavinia looked at him, her eyes glowed with luminescent blue, “You said you love me; do you mean it?”
“Of course I do. I’ll do whatever it takes. You’ll get to that research facility.”
Lavinia leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled away as Horst banged on the top of, the console and hollered out loud.
“Yeeeees! Who is the undefeatable king of the defensive systems in this section of the base,” He pointed his thumb to himself, “It’s me. That’s who it is! Woot Woot!”
Larox jumped to his feet and joined Horst at the console. They exchanged a high five and a fist bump. The screens activated. The cameras showed every hall and stair case in the hangar. A list of functional EMP devices and turrets lined the leftmost screen.
“You never disappoint when it comes to electronics. What do we have set up man. Give me a full report. I’m dying of excitement here.”
Horst smiled, “Hall turrets have been switched over to our control. We won’t have ammunition coming in from other parts of the base so they’re not going to work for long. We have control of the EMP devices as well. They’ll be pulling power from the generator. There is a discrepancy from power distribution so I’m randomizing the wavelengths. They won’t be at full effectiveness but they should still disable silhouettes.”
“You here that boys, we’re back in business!”
Jack Gonzales walked into Horst’s office with a grim frown as he pressed his fingers against his face, “Reports are that silhouettes are appearing in every sector of the base. The turrets and out forces are getting mowed down whenever they dare resist. The attack is coming from inside the base. It’s the incursion we’ve feared so long. The extraction teams that aren’t already out can’t even flee because their systems are down.”
Larox looked at Horst, then at Lavina, then at Jack, “Okay, but we’ve got control of the systems here. Let’s get while we can.”
“What about Lauren man!” Horst said, “She’s still out there!”
“The least we can do is get the airship ready to fly. We’ll wait for as long as we can. Put an announcement through the com system to tell her to get her butt back here! We’ll hold out for as long as we absolutely can, but we have to get ready to leave!”
Horst typed a few commands on the console then pressed the red button. A great rush of air hissed through the hanger. The cloth portion of the airship inflated. It slowly bulged outward as a helium and hydrogen mix filtered into the great airbags underneath. A screen lit. [Inflation time: Fifteen Minutes.] The walk lowered to allow access into the cab. Larox rubbed his hands as he looked outside. The hangar remained so hot, so calm, it felt like any ordinary excursion.
The great hangar doors creaked as they opened from top to bottom. Sunlight poured against the dusty metal floor to splattered with blood and crusted gunk. The floor mounted machine gun hissed as it tried to activate. Horst looked back and typed some commands to divert power from both of those useless devices. He also disabled the EMP cleaning of the blimp and the hangar. It wouldn’t feel very good for Lavinia if she got EMP blasted. Considering the situation, EMP had become a near nonfactor anyway.
“Listen to me team!” Jack commanded, “I’m making an independent order. We’re cut off. It seems as if much of command is already dead. Too bad the thrill of defeating Delant couldn’t last. We’re being picked off by the asphalt from the inside. So, this is my order. Get those supplies on the blimp, anything we need to survive or keep flying. Keep aware of the weight limits. We have a crew of twelve with maybe one or two more on the way. Only grab what you are one hundred percent sure will not be dead weight! Let’s go! Move! Move! Move!”
Lavinia stood, more determined than ever, “Should I go to look for Lauren?”
Larox shook his head, “No, we need you here.”
Horst picked up a microphone, “Lauren, this is Horst. Wherever you get your butt back to hangar as soon as possible. You are needed here. Do you hear me! Over. You are needed here urgently if you can in any way make it, please do!”
The announcement blared over the loud speakers attached to Clinker tower 21. No sooner than it was finished the hatch slid open and Lauren stepped through with Alfred still in her arms. The mechanic dripped with sweat as she gasped for air.
“Y-you guys call?” she gasped.