Ben and Streek: Clone Saga Ch. 06

Their attackers fired off a flare, which illuminated the large room with a bright light. Streeks' visor adjusted to the new conditions and deactivated the night vision.

She could see they were in some sort of cafeteria with lots of tables and chairs. They were behind a low wall of a garden that ran around the edge of the room. The ceiling went high and there was a promenade above them.

Streek could see the blue armour of Troopers around the room, there must have been around a dozen of them. They ducked behind the wall as a hail of bullets struck around them.

"Up there!" called out Streek as she shot at the Troopers coming around above them in the promenade. Unlike the Wik-15, the fully powered laser guns could get through the Troopers armour with a few shots, as long as they struck at the same spot.

Streek and Bernie targeted them with deadly accuracy and a couple of the Troopers were shot dead.

"I'm gunna go high, cover me Bernie."

"You got it." Bernie moved low along the wall and then sprung up and let off a volley of laser blasts at the other Troopers.

Streek stepped onto the wall and leapt into the air, the low gravity allowed her to leap high onto the promenade above them. she let off several well placed shots at the Troopers up there while she moved through the air, they returned fire at her but didn't find their mark.

A few more Troopers were killed, slowly dropping to the ground. Up on the promenade, Streek ducked behind a solid bench for cover. There was the consistent noise of gunfire and laser blasts all around her.

Streek got up and shot a couple more Troopers that were up there with her. The top was now clear. She glided over to the wall at the edge and looked down at the cafeteria, there were a few dead Troopers sprawled out on the ground. Bernie was having a shoot-out with a couple more Troopers that were behind a low wall.

Streek moved around to where she could get a better view of them, it was getting harder to walk in the deteriorating gravity. One of the Troopers looked up and saw her and let off some shots at her with his large handgun. He missed and Streek didn't flinch, she let off several laser blasts, shooting them both dead.

The gunfire had died out. "Are we clear?" called out Bernie.

"Yeah, we're clear."

"Then let's get moving, they made a lot of noise, if we stay in one spot we'll be overwhelmed by Feds."

"Right." Streek jumped over the rail to join Bernie, but she didn't fall down, she just hung in the air instead, "uh, Bernie..."

"Yeah, Zero-G!" said Bernie floating above the ground. She kicked off the wall and flew across the room "Come on."

They drifted through the door on the other side of the room and were in another dark corridor. Their night vision kicked in again. Streek and Bernie pulled themselves along the corridor.

Up ahead they could hear someone shouting. "Come on, move it! move it! Remember your Zero-G training. If you haven't got a projectile weapon, get to the Armoury, we're under attack!"

About fifty meters up ahead, a Trooper floated out from around a corner, he had a glo-stick attached to his belt and was holding a handgun. He looked down the dim corridor at Bernie and Streek. "I think I've sighted the enemy sir!" he called out.

Laser blasts struck him before he could fire his weapon and he let out a sharp scream and then floated backwards dead.

There was more shouting from around the corner, it sounded like there were a lot of them. "Contact!!" shouted someone. "Get around there, kill them!" More Troopers came into the corridor firing down toward Streek and Bernie. The girls fired back, killing more of them.

More and more Troopers were piling out and more bullets were being fired down the corridor. "Over here." said Bernie, she kicked off a wall and flew to a door that was half open, and went inside the dark room. Streek followed her as a hail of bullets flew past her.

Inside the dark room they found a man floating there in the dark along with the furniture and various other objects. He appeared to be an unarmed technician and was scared to death. "Please, don't hurt me." he said, holding out his hands. Streek raised her weapon and shot him in the heart.

"Now what?" said Streek. Bernie looked around the room, there were no other exits. She looked up, "Aha!" She floated up to the air vent and pulled at the cover. It wasn't budging, so she got her laser gun and blasted two corners of it and then peeled it back. The gap was just big enough for them to squeeze through.

Soon both girls were travelling through the air vents, trying to stay quiet as they pulled themselves along. They could hear the confused shouts of the Feds below them.

Streek looked at the TAB, they were almost at the waypoint that was marked out for them, Airlock Eleven-Twenty Two, what were they supposed to do once they got there?

They reached a point where the vent turned a corner, away from where they were heading. Bernie blasted at the vent cover and then kicked it out. Streek followed her as she floated out from the vent and into another dark room. "We're almost there" said Streek.

"All right, stay alert."

They pulled open the door and looked down the corridor, it seemed clear. They started moving down the corridor again. "Enemy Sighted!!, Enemy Sighted!! they're over here!!" Came the shout.

"Shit!" said Streek.

Troopers started coming down the corridor, firing their guns at them. Bernie and Streek were sitting ducks out there in the corridor. They blasted away at the Troopers as they made their way back to the room they came from.

They were killing dozens of Troopers but more just kept coming, pushing their way past the floating bodies. They managed to make it back into the room without getting shot. They struggled to push the door closed again.

"Do we go through the vents again?" asked Streek.

"No, It'll just take us further away from where we need to go. Take cover, we'll make a stand here."

A steel table was floating at the back of the room, Streek pushed herself over and got behind it. Bernie got behind a big console that was attached to the ground.

"How many shots do you have left?" Bernie asked.

Streek looked at the display on her lasergun. "Shit, only sixteen."

"Yeah, I've only got twenty two, looks like we may run out of charge."

They heard the Feds starting to force the door open,

"Let's make 'em count." said Streek.

The door was forced open, and Streek shot one of the Troopers in the neck. Others were blasted before they could get inside. There was shouting coming from out in the corridor, it sounded like there were a lot of them.

"Come on, there's only two of them in there!" yelled an officer. "Rush them, I want them dead!"

Suddenly more Troopers started spilling in through the doorway, firing their weapons. Green laser blasts came from inside the room as Streek and Bernie returned fire. The room was starting to fill up with the floating dead bodies of Troopers.

Streek stayed behind the steel table as bullets struck it, she looked at her gun, the display showed five shots left. She leant out, aimed carefully and fired off her last five shots, killing a few more Federation Troopers.

Suddenly there was a loud BOOM. The room was lit up with an explosion just outside the door. A barrage of red laser fire ripped down the corridor and she could hear the screams of lots of men.

A couple of men in the room were still alive and looked around in confusion. Streek kicked off a wall and slammed into one and grabbed his head, twisting his neck and killing him.

Bernie came out and got the other one, shoving her lasergun into his helmet and letting off her last shot. The dead bodies of Troopers were floating everywhere. Streek grabbed a handgun that was floating around and checked that it still had some rounds loaded.

Someone appeared at the door and Streek whipped the gun around aiming it at their head. The white androgynous face looked up at her. "Makita?..." The android was standing in the doorway holding a huge laser assault rifle.

"Lisa, Bernadette, are you wounded?" the android asked in her monotone voice.

"No, we're fine, boy we're glad to see you."

"Mak to Doc, the targets have been acquired, proceeding to extraction point A."

"Understood." came Dr. Arnotts' voice.

"Please follow me." said Makita.

The girls floated past all the dead bodies and out of the doorway, there were more dead bodies littering the corridor as well as dismembered body parts. The walls were scorched and had patches of blood, it was a hellish scene.

"Get behind me." said Makita. She fired her huge gun down the corridor and the red laser blasts hit more Federation Troopers, that were some distance away.

"I see you don't subscribe to Asimovs' three laws." said Bernie.

"Reference unknown." said Makita. She then turned and started walking down the corridor, with a FOOMP, FOOMP, FOOMP. Her mechanical feet were gripping onto the ground. Bernie and Streek pulled themselves along, following her.

They reached another room with an open door, "Get in there and put on the spacesuits." instructed Makita. She covered the doorway as the girls went in. Streek could see another large doorway at the other end of the room, 'Airlock 11-22' was written on it in bold letters.

There were several space suits lined up along one of the walls. The girls floated over to them and proceeded to get into them, with great difficulty. Bernie said, "Wait a minute, these spacesuits aren't functioning either. We can't use them!"

"They will protect you from the vacuum of space." said Makita. "You will need to hold your breath, we will not be out there long."

"Oh great! Easy for you to say, but oxygen is quite important to us."

Makita suddenly let off a barrage of laser fire down the corridor. She launched a grenade and there was a loud explosion. She stepped back into the room and effortlessly pulled the door shut. "Are you ready?, we need to go now."

"Yeah, Okay!" said Bernie as she grabbed the space helmet off the stand. Streek was suited up as well. Makita walked over to the large airlock door. She let go of her assault rifle, and it floated there as she pulled the door open. "Come on." she said.

Bernie and Streek moved over into the small room beyond the door. There was another door on the other side, and they knew that beyond that was the cold vacuum of space. Makita pulled the door shut again. "Mak to Doc. We have reached extraction point A."

"Understood, ready for extraction." said Dr. Arnott.

"Take a deep breath, put your helmets on, and hold onto the rails tightly." she told them. They did as she said, and Makita squatted down and began lifting up the outer door.

Streek could feel the powerful force of the vacuum as the door opened. She gripped the steel bar tightly as it pulled at her, threatening to sweep her out. Once all of the air was gone from the airlock the suction stopped.

Makita lifted the door fully open and Streek could see the thousands of stars in the black sky, and the huge planet of New Heidi looming below them. Another huge Federation Cruiser was nearby, seeming to drift lifelessly.

Makita came and held her hands out to Streek and Bernie. They let go of the steel bars on the wall and took her hands. Makita kicked off the inner door, and Streek found herself flying out of the airlock and through space, away from the huge white mass of the Resolve.

There was complete silence, she couldn't even hear herself breathe, because she wasn't. She could faintly hear her heart beating as she looked down on the planet. It was beautiful, she had seen plenty of planets from space, but never like this.

The sleek, curved form of the Avatari suddenly appeared in front of them, it had been invisible. They flew up onto it, and Makita flipped herself, so that her feet landed on the hull and gripped on to the ship.

Streek and Bernie were floating there, being pulled along by the android as she walked along the hull. Streek was starting to feel cold, and was feeling the urge to breathe in.

Soon Makita reached the Avataris' airlock with its' outer door already open. She got inside, pulling Bernie and Streek inside with her.

The outer door shut. Streek needed air badly, she pulled at her helmet but Makita stopped her, pointing up at a red light above the inner door. She felt her weight returning to her and she dropped down to the floor. Soon the light turned green and Streek quickly pulled her helmet off, gasping for air. Bernie did the same.

"Mak to Doc. extraction complete."

"Understood, I'm getting us out of here."

"Do you require any medical assistance?" asked Makita as Streek and Bernie sat on the floor breathing heavily.

"...No, ...we're all right" said Bernie.

"Then I will go to the cockpit, my assistance may be needed there." Makita pressed a button and the inner door slid open, she exited the airlock.

Streek and Bernie sat there looking at each other.

"We made it!" said Bernie, a big smile forming on her bruised face, "...We fuckin' made it!" Streek smiled too, she leant over and hugged Bernie tightly, tears started rolling down her face.

The two girls soon wandered into the Avataris' cockpit, where Makita and Dr. Arnott were sitting and tapping at the consoles. Streek looked behind her on the view screen and saw the planet and the disabled Federation ships getting smaller as they left them behind.

Dr. Arnott didn't turn around. "Are you two okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, you saved us again. Thank you Doc. and thank you too Makita." said Streek.

"She was just following orders. Sit down, we're about to make a jump."

"But what about the Pod?" said Bernie. "I got a lead."

"Amos Chong, I know, we have operatives looking into that."

"How did you..?"

"I was monitoring your TAB communications, now sit down."

They sat down. "That wave, it took everything off-line. Their life support must have been taken off-line as well. Are they all going to suffocate in there?" asked Bernie.

"If they know what they're doing, they'll get their life support back before they run out of oxygen." said Dr. Arnott. "I hope so, I don't want to lose a good Mole."

They sat down and then there was a surge and the Star field on the view screen went black as the Avatari entered Hyper-warp.

Dr. Arnott got up from his chair and turned to the girls, looking them over. Streek got up and hugged him,

"Thank you Doc." she said again. The Doctor didn't seem to return the hug.

"Listen to me, this is very important. I have General Bolton on standby ready to evacuate the base, what did you tell them about the Resistance?"

"Nothing." said Streek.

"Are you sure? Is it the same for you Bernie?"

"Yeah nothing was said about the Resistance, they thought we were with the Pirates."

"That's a relief, but I need you to take another Deep Brain Scan so that I know everything that was said, and every little detail of your encounter. I want Makita to do a thorough medical examination of you too."

"Okay." said Streek, "Are you mad at us?"

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't choose to disobey my orders. Your capture placed the entire Resistance movement in jeopardy. I had to use our Xenoform Negative EMP Bomb, the only one we had. I risked having my Mole exposed, and I risked Makita and the Avatari in the rescue mission."

Bernie shook her head, "We had no way of knowing the Pirates were gunna attack..."

"We'll discuss this later. I know the two of you have been through a lot. Have your examination and then get some rest, or a shower or meal or whatever you need."

Makita got up from the Pilots chair. "Come this way please." she said as she walked out of the cockpit.

Streek looked down at the Doctor with a sad look on her face. "I'm sorry." she said, and turned and left.

...