Aablar the Neanderthal Ch. 12

There was only a single receptionist on duty at the front desk of the cavernous hospital foyer. She rose on seeing Katnissa and bowed, saying 'Good evening, Lady Katnissa.'

Katnissa nodded to her. She was a young commoner and rather overawed, but still curious as to why the Lady Katnissa would be here, fully armed, instead of at the Triumphal Ball.

'I am here to see the dominesses overseeing the savage Aablar,' Katnissa said stiffly. 'Who is on duty?'

The receptionist checked her holo-sheet and looked up. 'Melania Paulus and Amber Willey,' she said. Almost before she had finished speaking, Katnissa had opened a wideband comm. channel to Melania.

'Melania, its Katnissa Norhill,' she said in a carrying voice so that the receptionist could hear. 'I'm coming down to see you. I have a message from Colonel Elizabetha and my mother, Princess Fiona.'

Melania's voice came back over the wideband, sounding rather loud in the empty foyer. 'I am delighted to welcome you, Lady Katnissa. Please come down to level 14, Section D, cell 1.'

With a curt acknowledgement of the bow of the receptionist, Katnissa entered one of the elevators in foyer and quickly sank into the bowels of the hospital. Fourteen levels below the surface, Katnissa entered one of the holding floors, where savages were held during their period of semen extraction. There were long corridors, painted sky blue, with hundreds of holding cells, each equipped with semen collection and storage kits.

Katnissa had been down here many times both as a dominess herding savages for holding as well as during her training as a scholaress of the Upper Temple. As she made her way unerring to the cell were Aablar was being held, she drew a thin stainless injection cylinder with a hypodermic needle point from her belt pouch and concealed it in her fist.

Melania was waiting for her outside in the corridor, her helmet and halberd gleaming in the bright artificial light.

'Welcome, Lady Katnissa,' she said formally. They rubbed nipples and Melania followed her into the cell. Aablar was shackled against the far wall, his wrists and ankles restrained by heavy chains. The Queen's commands had been carried out -- he had been treated medically, but Katnissa was shocked to see the hurried slapdash job that had been done. While the bruises and welts had been treated with herbal lotions and were gone, no skin grafts had been used on his cuts, so that several thin white scars appeared on his shoulders and one even appeared on his left cheekbone.

He did not acknowledge her entrance, but hung his head and stared at his feet. However, Amber stood up from the chair she was in and came forward to rub nipples.

'How delightful to see you, Lady Katnissa,' she said. 'Why do you trouble yourself to leave the Triumphal Ball? You can see that the savage is now safe in our hands. The medicas finished with him an hour ago and he is scheduled for his first semen extraction at dawn tomorrow.'

Katnissa could see that both Melania and Amber were puzzled by her presence. She knew she had little time before their puzzlement turned to suspicion. She turned to Melania, assessing her to be the more dangerous of the two and tears began spilling down her cheeks.

'Oh, dominess, you can't imagine how much my mind torments me with the thoughts of my captivity. I cannot eat, I cannot sleep,' her voice caught. 'I must have my revenge! Oh Hera, how I have suffered!'

Melania automatically took her in her arms, murmuring soothing words. Katnissa's hand went around her neck and found her carotid artery and pressed the hypodermic needle into it. A powerful anesthetic reached Melania's brain within seconds and she felt her sight go black. She slumped in Katnissa's arms. Katnissa gently laid her on the thick carpeting and turned to Amber whose mouth had dropped open.

'What ...?' she began. And again, 'By Hera, Lady Katnissa .... what ...?'

For Katnissa had drawn an air pistol from her belt pouch and pointed it at Amber's chest. Wordlessly, she fired. With a hiss, a dart struck Amber just above the breastbone and the same anesthetic seeped into her bloodstream. She knew this was all wrong, she knew she had to put out the alarm on the comm. She tried, oh, how she tried. But the room was spinning faster and faster and the blackness was descending like thick, irresistible syrup. She managed to open her comm. channel, but no words came from her lips, just a gentle sigh as she collapsed gracefully to the floor.

Katnissa restrained both the dominesses with a force field using her wrist bracers. She worked quickly now, removing their helmets, holster-belts and wrist bracers. Only now did she take the old-fashioned keys from Melania's belt and free Aablar. He rubbed his wrists and ankles and then a ghost of a smile flitted across his face.

'Let's call it even, Katnissa,' he said.

She nodded. 'A new beginning,' she said. 'We start even. Follow me.'

She led the way out of the cell and tossed the helmets, wrist bracers and holster-belts into an empty cell down the corridor. She pulled the door shut. Then she took off at a dead run for the elevators with Aablar a step behind her.

* * * * * * * * * *

6. Katnissa knew that every movement on the holding floors was video recorded and that the receptionist had but to pull up the level 14 feed to see them. She was gambling that the one or two dominesses normally on security detail -- a boring and uneventful job -- were at the Ball. After all, Melania and Amber were on duty on one of the holding levels. She knew that they had to silence the receptionist before she raised the alarm.

Even as she ran, Katnissa slid another dart into the barrel of her air pistol. Both of their hearts were hammering as the elevator raced toward to surface. Katnissa opened her helmet comm. to monitor all Legion traffic to catch any alarm or unusual activity. It was eerily silent, without even the usual chatter amongst the night patrols on the Outer Walls. Elizabetha's Triumphal Ball, coupled with the imminent election had truly drawn virtually all the Amazon elite to the Chateau Reine!

As they approached the surface, Katnissa said, 'I will restrain your wrists and explain to the Amazon on duty that I am transferring you. Please put your wrists forward.'

Aablar did so without a word and a moment later the doors opened and they were in the foyer. The receptionist looked up from her Hi-Res screen where she was watching the video comm. feed of the Ball. Elizabetha and Fiona were kneeling before the Queen who was prevailed upon to grace the dance floor. She swirled onto the floor on the arm of Princess Fiona. The receptionist sighed, and then froze as she saw the bulk of Aablar standing mutely behind Katnissa.

Katnissa did not waste time -- the air pistol hissed and the receptionist's fingers did not come close to reaching the red alarm button. She slumped forward over her desk. Katnissa released Aablar from the force field restraints and led the way out to her speeder, making sure that there was no one in the street.

Once in it, she drove slowly toward the main stables that adjoined the Legion Barracks by the City Gate. Aablar was restive and his gaze was drawn to the back seat that was piled with equipment and supplies. He hefted a long metal tube with a handle and leather sling, asking, 'What is this, Katnissa?'

'We call it a microwave disintegrator,' she responded absently, her eyes sweeping the streets for any prying eyes. 'It is a powerful weapon. At low power, it can blow a person into pieces; at maximum power it can reduce a small hill to rubble.'

As he examined it, she continued, 'The safety switch is the red one. Don't touch it. The black lever on the side adjusts the power -- it is set to minimum right now to use against a person. The small lever in front of the hand hold is called a trigger -- squeezing that will fire it.' Aablar's rough fingers caressed the trigger. 'You can squeeze the trigger now with the safety on. But don't play with it -- it makes me nervous.'

They were passing the huge Flight Memorial and like Leia, Aablar asked what it was. Preoccupied, Katnissa answered cryptically and was taken aback when Aablar said, 'Can we stop for a moment and see it? I would like to see how you Amazon came to our world.'

Katnissa checked her chronometer on her wrist bracer -- it was just before midnight when she knew that the sentry detail on the Outer Walls would change. She planned to let the new detail get about an hour into the boredom of their routine before making their escape attempt. The incoming detail would have come from the Ball and with any luck would have drunk a fair bit of fine clove wine from the Queen's private cellars. So they had some time to kill -- why not indulge Aablar's curiosity? However, her cautious nature made her demur.

'Let's get the horses ready first, Aablar,' she said. 'We will have time to come back and look at it if you wish.'

She drove on and as they passed the Legion Barracks, she stiffened involuntarily at the sight of the sentry box at the gate. She drove around to the rear of the stables and parked in the shadows. Aablar followed her as she went to one of the small rear entrances and placed her palm on the security pad. The door slid open noiselessly and Katnissa led the way unerringly to the d'Orr stalls where mother and daughter kept their numerous horses and ponies. Their status as dominesses meant that their mounts were all housed here and cared for by Legion grooms at the expense of the Amazon State.

Katnissa opened the stall door and her favorite stallion, a huge 17-hand roan trotted out and whinnied and licked her hand. She saddled him with quick, efficient movements and then proceeded to draw out and saddle another of her mounts, am equally tall and rangy black gelding. She shut both stalls and led the horses out of the stables. She tied them to tree just beside her speeder. Aablar had been following her in mute helplessness and now she spoke to him: 'Hand me the stuff from the back of the speeder, one item at a time.'

She loaded the supplies and weapons onto the horses. Aablar handed her all the material, but left one disintegrator in the speeder. Katnissa noted the absence, but time was pressing, and she made a mental note to pick it up before they left. Her chronometer said it was half past midnight. They had another half an hour before she wanted to make the attempt at the Main Gate.

'Can we see the Flight Memorial now?' Aablar asked.

'Just for a short time,' Katnissa answered. 'We must make our attempt to leave the City in a short time.' Aablar nodded. They both got back into the speeder and Katnissa eased it back uphill towards the Flight Memorial. The horses nickered as the speeder hissed away.

The huge engine in the Flight Memorial was even more daunting in the night, bathed in subdued lighting emanating from concealed sources, the vastness of the hall in which it stood magnified by its emptiness. Even with their attempts at silence, their footfalls echoed eerily above the constant hum of the great machine.

'So this is it, the great goddess, the source of all Amazon power,' said Aablar, pensively.

'As I told you, Aablar, only this great engine survives of the ship that brought our foremothers here to Eartha,' said Katnissa patiently. She looked at her chronometer. 'We must go now and try to leave the City.'

When she looked up, shock froze her into inaction for a split second. Aablar had the second disintegrator in his hands and had disengaged the safety. Her mind noted that the power lever was set to the maximum setting and he was pointing it at the center of the great engine. Her concern found voice and she screamed, 'NO!!" as she launched herself at him, but her frozen moment of shock gave him the window he needed. As he squeezed the unfamiliar trigger, the disintegrator circuits engaged and an enormous pulse of microwave energy coursed out at the speed of light. It energized the air molecules in its path, appearing as a blinding incandescent line. Dominesses were required to use dark glare shields before firing disintegrators. And they were never, never to be fired inside since the collateral microwave vibrations could collapse any structure. But Aablar knew nothing of this and merely looked away from the incredible brightness.

The microwave pulse struck the engine half way up its enormous height. It caused the molecules of the metal and all the component parts of the structure to vibrate violently. The metal parts of the massive engine began to rapidly heat up. But the collateral vibrations caused the structure of the Flight Memorial building to literally disintegrate. Katnissa knew what was happening. She had snapped the glare shield of her helmet down as she launched herself through the air at Aablar. She struck him just above the waist and the blow was enough to unhinge his finger from the trigger. As they both fell to the floor in a heap, all hell began to break loose. Cacophonous alarm klaxons began all around them. Everything around them seemed to heave and weave like jell-o.

Her awareness of the situation gave her purpose and Katnissa snatched the disintegrator out of Aablar's hands. She sprang up and helped him up, hissing, 'Fool! Just follow me now and do exactly as I say! We must get outside as fast as we can!'

Both were extremely athletic and agile, but even they were tested to their limits as they raced for the door. The floor bucked under their feet, gaping fissures opened and huge chunks of the ceiling fell about them. Their eyes were everywhere, as they leaped over chasms, dodged falling missiles and sought to retain their balance on the wildly pitching surface. They were out in the nick of time. Just as they emerged into the cool night air, the ceiling of the Flight Memorial building collapsed entirely. Aablar and Katnissa paused briefly to look back. Only the upper cone of the huge engine had formerly been visible above the Memorial building. Now it stood naked with nothing but rubble about its base. But its black metallic skin now blazed red and was turning blue in patches. Katnissa had a good idea what was happening, and she knew that they must keep moving.

'Get in the speeder!' she snapped. As one they dived into it and she opened the throttle to full, revving it as she headed for the stables, unmindful of its deep-throated roar. In her rear-view mirror, she saw the first speeders of the Night Patrol arrive, yellow-and-white strobe lights flashing. She brought her speeder to a screeching halt by the horses and reached them at a dead run. Aablar was only a step behind her. She was about to leap into her saddle, when remembered that he would have no idea of what to do.

'Put your foot in the stirrup and climb up,' she commanded. He obeyed her without a word. 'Just hold the reins with one hand and hang on to his neck with the other. His name is Bathor -- talk to him. When we get going, hang on with both arms. I won't be able to come back for you if you fall.'

She slapped Bathor's rump and leaped into her own saddle. Peganor, her stallion responded with alacrity, and they rapidly overtook Aablar. Bathor took the lead from his stable-mate and they were soon galloping for the Main Gate. Katnissa's eyes were peeled for the sentry detail, but she could see none. As they approached the Gate, she tapped her wrist bracer and silently, the two gigantic Gates began to slide back into the Outer Walls. She drew her laser pistol in readiness, but still the sentry detail did not appear. They must have been drawn to the explosion at the Flight Memorial, she thought. A moment later they passed through the Gates. They were on the winding mountain road outside the City the led down to the plains. Katnissa urged Peganor on and they galloped down the mountain. Aablar was now holding on to Bathor's neck for dear life. Katnissa glanced back from time to time. But there was no sign of pursuit.

The mountain road leveled out in a few miles as it spilled into the plain. From here one could normally see the bright lights of Atlantic City high on the mountaintop. Katnissa slowed to a canter and twisted in her saddle to look upon her home. She could hardly believe her eyes. The City was in darkness with the exception of a huge blaze in the lower town. Even the high red warning beacons for the airships were snuffed out.

Katnissa opened the military emergency channel on her helmet communicator. It was immediately flooded with a garble of heavy voice traffic, so heavy that she could only make out the occasional word. She narrowed the band to the Household Legion channel without any improvement. Finally, she narrowed it down to the Night Patrol channel and shouted commands and screams began to make sense.

Confusion and chaos reigned in the City. All she could make out was that the great engine in the Flight Memorial had exploded and the entire City had lost all normal power. All senior personnel were at the Ball and while skeleton crews were fighting the fire, no one knew what to do. Dominesses had been dispatched to the Chateau Reine, but no orders had been received as yet.

'Come, Katnissa, we must keep moving,' said Aablar, not unkindly. 'It is only a matter of time before they begin to pursue us.'

Katnissa sat mute in her saddle. Finally, she turned Peganor's head back to the plain away from the City.

'Oh Hera, what have I done?' she whispered.