VENGEANCEThis was not how he had envisioned it. Now was the moment, the moment he had waited for what seemed like a lifetime. It was here. Now. And it felt empty. A hollow victory. As his fingers poised, ready to do what he had only dreamed of being able to do, he felt ... Hesitation. It was over. The war. It had been won 5 years ago. But in his mind, it wasn¹t over. It couldn¹t be over until now. The luminescent readout on the Jumpship read 0500. The ship was quiet, save for the low, barely audible hum of the engines and the cool air that circulated the shipıs interior. Occasionally a console would beep softly but it was not the blaring alarm that signalled Bio-Dreads in the vicinity or a contingent of clickers closing in. Jonathan Power slumped into his seat and squeezed his eyes shut. But he knew that his efforts to get some sleep were in vain, even if his body desperately needed those few precious hours of rest. In another hour or so, it would be his turn to go on the watch while someone else - Tank, Hawk, Scout - whomever needed sleep the most, would catch some shut-eye in the Jumpship. Power had been awake 36 hours before Hawk all but ordered him to get some rest. Even then, he couldnıt sleep. There was too much to think about. And too much to not think about, he acknowledged silently. It had been almost 3 months since their command control center, the Powerbase had been destroyed. They had been able to seek refuge in the Passages for only a few days before it became too dangerous. Dread was searching for them and the last thing Power needed was to draw him into a fight in the one place that was a safe haven for the casualties of the war. So they became guerrillas almost, conducting hit-and-run ops, salvaging fuel and energy from convoys and getting help from pockets of resistance while they tried to find a place that would enable them to regroup and refocus their efforts. A task easier said than done, he knew. What more with a leader who was incapacitated by his grief, his guilt and his desire for revenge. His hand dropped down to the small shiny disk he wore around his neck, together with his dog tags. It was all he had left of her. That, and memories. Despite the thick soles on his military boots, he could still feel the ground burning beneath his feet. It had been almost seven days. But even the fierce thunderstorm that had whipped and lashed the land the day before couldnıt quench the fires that raged there. The geothermal ignition released enough fuel and heat to keep the sturdy brick embers burning for several weeks. He swallowed hard as he looked across the acrid spot. There was nothing left. Nothing left of the place which he had learned to call his home, wherehe had spent so much of his adult life. Nothing left of the woman whoıs sacrifice made it possible for him to still be alive. For the resistance to keep fighting. He knelt down on the ground, ignoring the burning heat that was searing through the thin material of his uniform, for he would give anything just to be able to feel something, anything again. "Jon..." he heard Hawkıs voice, behind him. Felt his arm curve around his elbow to try and help him to his feet. He pulled his arm back firmly. He wanted to be able to feel pain. Any pain was better than the numb, emotion-less state he had been in for the last few days. A lump formed in this throat and he let it choke the tears from his eyes. They slide down his face, dropping on the ground, then hissing away as the embers sizzled up the moisture. He wanted to beat the ground, strike it so hard, it hurt. He wanted to cry, to just lie down there, curl up into a ball and sob until there were no more tears. He wanted to scream her name and to tell her, that he loved her. He loved her. He always had. And always would. His gloved hands touched something in the hot dirt. He closed his hand around it - the once shiny metal had been dulled by the heat of the explosion. Scratches covered the surface and there was a miniscule chip. He grasped it with both hands, like it was manna from the heavens. A single teardrop fell on its surface and he quickly wiped it away with his sleeve. He held the storage chip in his palm and looked at it with reverence. He didnıt have to run it through the Jumpshipıs system to know what was on the chip. He could hear it. The Vaudeville orchestral tones sounded in his ear, softly at first, then growing louder. He could hear her laughter, her soft giggly laugh as she twirled across the floor with Scout. Her suppressed chuckles as Tank "carried" her through the dance. Her soft smile as he held her in his arms and they danced. He held on tightly to the storage chip and closed his eyes. The music grew louder. And for one brief moment in time, they were together. The sun felt warm on his face while little ears of grass tickled his neck and the back of his ears. He turned his head, slowly, to look over at her. Her eyes were closed and there was a smile on her face. He looked down at her hand, her delicate yet skilled fingers were loosely entwined with his own. He turned back and closed his own eyes from the mild glare of the morning sun. A silent wish escaped from his sleepy mind. That this moment would never end. That they could spend the rest of their lives, lying on a warm patch of grass, feeling the sun on their arms and face, and the still silence of nature. A hissing static burst interrupted that cosy, intimate mental picture. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes but saw that Jennifer had already grabbed the radio that was within armıs reach of where they were resting. "Go ahead Command..." she murmured after hearing Hawkıs slightly muffled radio call. Power scrambled up next to her to listen to the message but in his heart, he knew what news Hawk had to convey. News that brought back the deep sinking feeling he had felt for the last few days. News he didnıt want to hear. "Weıre ready to proceed..." came the reply. Jennifer looked at him. His fist clenched tightly before he nodded ever so-slightly, acknowledging almost reluctantly the message being relayed. She reached over and covered his trembling fist with her hand, willing him to not fight it, telling him that it would soon be over. "I donıt want it to be over..." he told her, finding it hard to keep the anguish out of his voice. "Itıs too soon..." The static burst interrupted their conversation: "Orders Captain?" Jennifer handed him the radio. He held it in his hands, unwilling to give the orders he had hoped, he would not have to issue. Deep down inside, he had hoped, prayed even, that the plan would fall to pieces. That Scout would tell them it was too difficult to hack into Overmindıs mainframe. That maybe there was a technical glitch somewhere that made the plan less than foolproof. That it was good on paper but impossible to execute. He didnıt care why or what the reason was, as long as the plan would fail. But his people were too good at their jobs. And perhaps this one time, they knew that they were just a little too good. "Jon..." her soft voice brought him back to the present. "Fuel up the jumpship and proceed to Stage Beta" he said crisply into the radio and then cut the transmission, before dropping the radio on the ground. He stood up and walked purposefully over to the ledge, staring out at the craggy canyon just beyond the site that had once been the Power Base. She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist, her face leaning against his back. "Why?" was all he could ask. She hugged him tighter. He grasped her arms, as if to pull her even closer to him. "You know why we have to do it..." she said softly, calmly almost. "No I donıt. Tell me. Tell me why weıre committing to this insane plan" he muttered, his anger rising. "For the cause...the greater good..." He stripped her arms away and almost roughly, pushed her from him. "Damn the greater good. And damn the cause." he screamed primally at her. "And damn all of you. Damn Scout, for helping you achieve this insane plan. And damn you. Damn you for..." He paused, consumed by his feelings, the emotions churning inside that screamed to be let out. "Damn you for..." He couldnıt finish it. He couldnıt say what he wanted to say. She said nothing. Just stood there, her hands in her pocket, calmly listening to his madman rant. How could she be so composed in the face of what they were about to do? "It canıt go on Jon..." she said softly, her reply almost drowned out by the gentle breeze. In three firm strides, he was before her, his hands on her shoulders, grasping her firmly. "No...it can...you...we can do it...together we can overcome it..." he assured her, even in his heart, he knew it was a long shot. She looked into his eyes, a beatific expression on her face. "Let it go..." "I donıt want to...I canıt..." he choked back, before pulling her tightly to him and holding her in his arms, not wanting to let go. "Youıll be okay..." she murmured, trying hard to keep her voice from breaking. She had to be strong. She had to see it thorough. "I donıt want to say goodbye". She pushed him back gently. "This time, weıll have a chance to say goodbye. Properly - not like the last time..." she added, hoping to lighten the moment. She tiptoed on her feet and gently kissed him. He held her to him fiercely, his eyes squeezed shut as a tear escaped down his face. Jonathan Power cursed his luck. His suit was low on power, having just fled from the scene of a smoking Dread installation, courtesy of what Ranger called her "PS We Luv You" homemade bomb. The recon op had gone fine, although he would have preferred it if they had simply gotten the data they wanted and left the scene unannounced. Except two battalions of troopers decided to turn up from nowhere and pelt them with laser fire. Then bloody Soaron turned up. Astride the skybike, he was being chased by Soaron while that damned voice was blaring in his head every five minutes of an "imminent suit failure" if power wasnıt replenished. "This is turning out to be a really bad day..." he muttered to himself as he floored the pedals, willing the skybike to make it to the transport gates, where he hoped there wouldnıt be another sky-frigate waiting to blast him to high heaven. 20 kilometres from the gates, not only was the suit beeping for his attention, but the skybikeıs onboard radar was barking warning signals at him. He didnıt need it to tell him what the warning was for - he could see it. Looming ahead was one of Dreadıs sky-frigates and lording over the skies as best he could, at the aft section, was Blastarr, flexing and cracking his bionetic fingers in readiness for Powerıs arrival. An expletive escaped his lips. It looked like heıd have to go to Plan B. Plan B, which all of a minute ago, was getting through the transport gates in one piece. Heıd only have one chance to do this right and he knew it. The teeniest miscalculation and there wouldnıt be enough of him left for even a Bio-Dread to pick up the pieces of. Five kilometres from the sky-frigate, with Soaron closing on his tail and warning being barked at him from every console that had artificial intelligence and a vocal processor, he floored the skybike pedals. Blastarrıs aim was a little off, probably from the last skirmish they had where Scout managed to lure the Bio-Dread into a pool of bubbling acid in Darktown. A slight turbulence on the left of the skybike told him however that the Bio-Dreadıs aim was improving with each shot. Soaron, well, he was always a lousy shot but he did have a tendency to get lucky. And Power knew that now wasnıt the time to test Soaronıs lucky streak. "Warning, impact in 10 seconds... "Warning, power reserves low - suit failure imminent..." "Warning, impact in 8 seconds..." With Soaron accelerating to catch up with him, Power forced the skybike into a deep downward acceleration, barely skimming the edge of the frigate and close enough to rub noses with Blastarr if heıd wanted to get to know the burly Bio-Dread a little better. He allowed himself a satisfied smile as he listened to the caterwauling of Soaron taking a bump against the sky-frigate. He didnıt hear any explosion so the Bird Bio-Dread must have managed to pull back in time to avoid ramming a hole in Blastarrıs ship. Damn. Warnings were still being barked to him and he realised that heıs pushed the skybikeıs propulsion system just a little harder than he should have. The handles were sluggish - he cranked his head around and could make out that one of the rear jet engines was on its last legs. The landing was going to be bumpy... "Report..." Silence. "Soaron! Blastarr!" Lord Dread raised his voice. He did not like being kept by his minions, more so when the autonomous reporting system wired into his Bio-Dreads circuitry told him that they were both functioning perfectly and did not need to regenerate. "We are here my lord" they chimed in together. "Execute the second stage of Project Phoenix..." he thundered at his Bio-Dreads. With a thought, he revolved his great throne to face a global positioning system interface, which he simultaneously activated to search for Jonathan Powerıs vehicle. His SkyEyeıs had allowed him to observed his nemesis outsmart his two minions. Near perfect ocular perception let him see that Powerıs vehicle had sustained minor damage as a result of the manoeuvre. Complex mathematical calculations, computed by the tremendous power of Overmind, enabled Dread to estimate the trajectory of Powerıs descent and his approximate location. The GPS system zeroed in on the area. With the blink of an eye, a Dread satellite attuned its optical readers to the area, allowing the Overlord to immediately obtain a visual image of the area. It took all of ten seconds for Lord Dread to relay the order to Soaron and to follow it up with coordinates where he wanted the Bio-Dread to lay his trap. "I will comply my lord..." replied Soaron, as he powered towards the surface, his mission clear. "What of I, my lord?" inquired Blastarr. The Bio-Dread was eager to inflict revenge for the humiliation he had endured at the hands of Power and his gang of outlaws in the acid pools of Darktown. Lord Dread however had no intention of allowing the lumbering lummox to get in the way of his delicately laid plans. "We are certain of success, are we not?" rumbled another voice, one which Dread heard in his head and over the audio speakers that filled his throne room. "Certain..." murmured Dread. "All is as it should be Overmind..." A pause, before he heard it echoed in his mind. "All is as it should be." The last time he had sand in his shirt, it was... He blanked the memory from his mind immediately. Now was not the time. He sat up, shaking as much of the sand that had slithered down his shirt out. The skybike had unceremoniously dumped him on a sandy dune, before plunging itself into another equally large dune. He didnıt have to even look at it to know that it was probably totally unsalvageable. Hawk was going to kill him. He activated his personal GPS beacon, which began transmitting in encrypted binary code that only Scout could decipher, his location in proximity to the nearest Dread satellite. He hoped Scout was having a good day - on lucky occasions, if a tech had been careless and allowed a systems code to stay in place for a day or two longer than it should, Scout could tap into Dreadıs birds in the sky and use them to spy on the Empire for a change. Not that there was much of an Empire left, he thought, as he started to trudge towards the nearest solid rock structure, where he could take cover and wait for reinforcements to arrive to airlift him out. In the last two years, the resistance had gained ground over Dreadıs forces and they were now concentrated to key locations where Dread installations were located. His mind couldnıt help but wonder back to her. Could it be that her death had, in many ways, spurred the resistance on? Had it been what turned the tide? or just something that happened as the tide was about to turn? So much had happened since then. The underground movement in the Dread Youth eroded the ranks of human commanders. Even Dread, with Overmindıs computing power, couldnıt manage ten different encounters in ten different locations without the help of his human army. Resistance groups stepped up their efforts, growing bolder with each success. Even the Wardogs came out of official retirement in Eden II to take part in the skirmishes that eventually became major victories against the Machines. He reached a small mountain that looked like it had probably gotten in the way of Blastarr at some point. There was still some semblance of a cavern structure in it. He took a quick look around, unholstered his weapon and hunkered down to wait. Despite being in the shade, he could feel the ground being baked by the roaring sun above. The heat waves wafted up from the molten sand, making wavy lines in his field of vision every time he looked out of the cave entrance. What he wouldnıt do now for a drink. But he couldnıt afford to leave the cave, in case Dread decided to send a contingent of troopers after him. In the cave, he would at least have some element of surprise if a Bio-Dread... Immediately, his mind swung into alert as he heard the distinct whirring of Soaronıs afterburners overhead. It was a sharp distinctness that told him the Bird Bio-Dread was probably within 800 metres of his location. He crouched deeper into the corner, hoping the caveıs rock structure was thick enough to mask his heat-signature. He clutched his weapon tightly. This wasnıt his first encounter with Soaron - hell, heıs been a lot closer to the BioDread. But that never took away the terse feeling in the pit of his stomach, or the surge of adrenaline he felt coursing through his veins that heightened his reflexes and his senses. He closed his eyes and listened, his ears attuned to the sound of the afterburners as the Bio-Dread settled closer to the ground before silencing completely. Soaron was here. The sand crunched under the bio-metallic clawed feet as Soaron plodded around. Power crouched, barely daring to breathe, his finger tense on the trigger of his weapon, ready to fire the first salvo that would be crucial to his ability to escape from the situation in one piece. The crunching sand didnıt seem to be getting closer or further. Without looking out the cave entrance (thereby risking being seen and shot at), Power couldnıt tell if Soaron had his back to the cave or was facing it. "No sign of Power my lord..." he heard the Bio-Dread report back to his Overlord master. But it wasnıt over yet. A squeak, a miniscule rustle that could send a few sand particles sliding, a scrape against the rock were all that Soaron needed to be alerted of his presence. He slowed his breathing down, willing his heart to stop pounding. Beads of sweat poured down his face. "Proceed to Phase Two..." he heard the intercom reply. "As you wish my lord..." Soaron terminated the contact and then examined the area around him. Acrid, sandy and 10 kilometres from the nearest human outpost. If Power was here, Lord Dreadıs plan would be flawless, a perfectly execution most prescience strategy. If he was not... Soaron paused in thought. But as always, as in the past, the answer echoed resoundingly within him. The darkness passed and the light was there once again. If he was not, it would still be a flawless perfectly executed most prescience strategy for the Machine was never wrong. His Digitiser unhinged and he proceeded to execute Phase Two. The whine of the Digitiser was a horrific noise to Power. No matter how many times he heard it, he could never get used to the sound. It was, to his mind, the sound of the human body, mind and soul being digitally dissected, optimised for storage and then, sucked into what was effectively, a living repository. It was worse than being killed. It was to live death. What the hell was Soaron doing? There wasnıt any one out there. Why was his Digitiser activating? Before Power could figure out what was going on, he heard the roar of Soaronıs afterburners as the Bio-Dread took off in a hurry. Every alarm bell in his head was going off. It was too good to be true. He clutched his gun tightly, willing himself to stay in his crouched position out of sight in the cave. He could hear a slight rustling, movement from where the Bio-Dread had stood. Someone was out there. His mind screamed at him not to look. Soaron could be on a ledge a distance away, watching, waiting for him to take the bait. Dreadıs GPS satellites were probably circling the area, tracking heat signals, waiting for him to emerge from the cave so Soaron could pounce. Just one look, he told himself. But his mind kept reminding him that Dread was not above using lures and tricks. The machine was ruthless and in itıs inestimable logic, cheating, lying and deception were perfectly acceptable. He had to admit, this was one of Dreadıs better plans. Using a human foil to lure him out into the open. Preying on his vaunted respect for human life. His fist squeezed the barrel of his weapon tightly. Never again, he told himself. He valued all life, but heıd also learned that that principle came with a price. A heavy one. His ears perked to the scraping sounds, sounds of someone crawling across the sand. Damn you Dread, he cursed. The Overlord was determined to force his hand. It was definitely a person. The sound was too slow, too deliberate for an animal.There was no doubt in his mind about it. He closed his eyes, wiped the sweat from his brow and steeled himself for the manoeuvre. A quick, rapid reflex roll over the entrance of the cave, with just enough time for him to take a quick look at whatever it was... He took a deep breath, visualised the roll but before he could holster his weapon and dart across the entrance, a pale hand slide through the soft sand and paused inches from him, throwing him off his preparation. He gritted his teeth and tilted his head just enough for him to get a glimpse... It was a sombre moment. What else could it be, reflected Power as the jumpship powered down at the coordinates that had been wired to them by the Wardogs. The journey was mostly silent. Consoles beeped. The afterburners roared steadily as the ship lanced through the sky. But no one said a word. Not even when the ship was tilted and tossed by turbulence. the air was heavy with expectation. A couple of times, power saw scout and tank glancing at him. Even Ranger, who wouldnıt give him the time of the day, sneaked a few looks in his direction. Hawk kept his eye on the view screen while pilot... Pilot. She flew the ship. Like it was any other day. Any other mission. The engines quietened down as Pilot put the ship down smoothly at the pre-set landing site. As always, she swivelled her chair, looked behind right at him. This time, there was a purpose to her action. She was afraid that he would back out. Afraid that he would refuse to go through with it. Her intense blue eyes willed him not to turn back, to go on. Yet there was a plea in them too. to let her go. A chirping comm console broke the paralysing silence. Ranger announced the presence of Vi and her Wardogs. "Iım reading a full contingent of troopers 2.5 klicks away and closing. Just like the Wardogs called it." reported Ranger. He nodded. There was a pause before he managed to find his tongue. "Bio-Dread?" It seemed like an eternity before Ranger looked up from her readings. "Confirmed..." she said, her voice neutral and devoid of the usual enthusiasm she reserved for encounters with the tin cansı as she called them. He knew what the next step had to be. He could see the expectation on all their faces - Tank, Ranger, Scout, Hawk - as they looked to him for the signal to go ahead. Somehow, he heard himself giving the order to power up. In a flash, they were suited up and ready to go. He swallowed the lump in his throat and the growing ache in his heart. She looked to him and nodded slowly. "Okay, let's do it." The battle raged on fiercely outside and it was only a matter of time before reinforcements arrived, given their proximity to a strategic Dread installation. The door to the abandoned building slammed open and Vi ducked her head in. "Five minutes tops before the party gets too wild..." she yelled to them over the gunfire. Power nodded. Vi stepped back, pulling her helmet back on as she moved, then she paused. Her expression softened, as did her voice as she looked to Jennifer and wished her good luck. "Thanks..." murmured Jennifer. Stepping back, Vi pulled herself to attention and snapped a crisp salute, throwing a look of admiration at the younger woman, then slammed the door firmly shut behind her. Her men were holding down the fort well, considering Blastarrıs firepower. They exchanged looks with her that told her that the fire fight couldn't go on for much longer. Steeling her resolve, she tightened her finger around the trigger of her gun and threw herself on the ground next to one of her men. "Come on boys, let's give them one hell of a fight!" she yelled over the high-pitched laser fire. We owe them this much, she thought to herself. "We donıt have much time..." Jonathan Power reached into the ruck sack that Jennifer carried and extracted the dispenser. He held it in his hand. It felt like the heaviest thing in the world. "Youıre sure..." he started to ask but she cut him off immediately. "Weıve talked about this before Jon. I have to do it." He sighed inwardly. Trying to talk her out of doing it had been all he had done in the last 6 months. And if he couldnıt stop her.... He pressed the dispenser to her arm, listening for the pneumatic hiss as the contents flooded her bloodstream. Her knees buckled slightly and he grabbed hold of her instinctively. She shook off his hold gently as she struggled to steady herself. Power ran a Bio-Scanner over her quickly. "Readings?" she asked as she tried to quell the queasiness in her stomach caused by her sense of balance being thrown off. "Fluctuating a little but within the limits..." he replied. She swallowed hard as the lightness in her head dissipated, just as another terrific blast could be heard from the outside. "Sonic grenades" muttered Jon as he looked at the door that looked like it could barely stay on its hinges. "Soaron will be here any minute and even Viıs boys wonıt be able to help you with two of them and no air support." she told him tersely. But he didnıt move. And she knew why. In her own heart, the pain was unbearable. It was taking everything, every ounce of courage, every ounce of self-control, for her to throw herself into his arms and to call it off. She didnıt want to say goodbye. A direct hit to the metal door sounded out again to them the urgency of the situation. Viıs men couldnıt keep this up for much longer and there was still the Endgame to be played out. "Jennifer..." She knew what he was going to say. "Iım ready..." she said confidently, trying to keep a stammer out of her voice. Jon already looked like he was ready to collapse. She had to go through with it. She had to stay strong. She heard the whine of his Powersuit powering down. "What are you..." but before she could finish, he had enveloped her in his arms and crushed her tightly to him. Holding her as if... As if it were the last time. She hugged him back, hard, allowing herself a moment of weakness as a tear rolled down her cheek. She closed her eyes, and the laserfire faded out, as did the shouts coming from the battlefield beyond the door and the sound of metal upon metal as troopers fell and clashed against each other as they were struck by the laserfire. All she heard was the sound of his heart beat, the feel of his arms around her and his breath, soft on her neck. Her first steps were slow, painful almost. It broke his heart to see her like this. Her blue eyes, which twinkled as she learned to laugh, and blazed when a Bio-Dredd crossed her the wrong way, were dull. Not lifeless, but lacking the vivaciousness of the past. Her memories had been intact, not uncommon despite the long period she had spent in Overmindıs repository. Her mind, her entire conscious state, was also intact, although there was no doubt in Powerıs mind that five long years existing with so many others in an endless cycle of living and reliving moments in their memory, but yet, with no physical selves or a universe in which to comprehend their existence, had an indelible effect on her. He had no idea where to even start in her rehabilitation. Few who had been Digitised for as long as she had ever made it out into the physical world again. So much secrecy surrounded the entire process. Even Scout had a minimal understanding of the procedure Overmind and Dread had developed for capturing and storing a human consciousness for redeployment in a metallic form. Dread himself probably had not attempted the procedure, since he continued to exist in his own physical body, one that was enabled to continue functioning only by the bionic implants Overmind had created for him. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she stepped out of the warm confines of her quarters into the chilled atmosphere of the base tunnels. Their Artic Circle base didnıt have geothermal heating. The fuel cells that powered the entire base were carefully deployed for heating in the key operational areas, quarters and for supplying their powersuits. He tightened his grip on her elbow but she seemed to be shivering, despite the parka that was on. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. He regretted the formal tone but given that she had not said a word in the last seven days, he didnıt want to push things. She nodded, leaning heavily on his arm as they walked slowly towards the Ops room, where the rest of the team were. The silence in the corridors was overwhelming. In the past, Power had always treasured quiet time. So much of his life had been spent battling Bio-Dreads and taking out legions of troopers, the clashing sound of metal on metal was the dominant music in his life. Moments of quiet were god-sent treasures. And like his father, he had grown to become a man of few words. A man of fewer emotions too it seemed, as he reflected on his old self. His attention was brought back to the present by the hissing sound of the blast doors sliding open, admitting them into the brightly lit central ops zone. Immediately, he had everyoneıs attention. or at least, she had. Hawk immediately beamed her a wide smile, crossing over to give her a paternal hug. A great big bear hug enveloped her from Tank and Scout gently wrapped his arms around her and bid her welcome back. Power watched her reaction closely, searching her eyes for signs of emotions. Although she didnıt reciprocate their overtures, there was recognition in her eyes. And emotion. Happiness. Nostalgia. Last in line was Ranger, who in her typical brash manner, stuck her hand out and offered an introduction that went way beyond her name: "Heard a lot about ya from the guys. You and me are going to get along like a house on fire I think." Never mind that Power thought it was entirely inappropriate what Ranger said. The weak but distinct smile her words elicited were enough to make him want to hug the big brash woman. For a brief moment, the life flickered back into her blue eyes. He felt Hawkıs hand on his shoulder, squeezing it re-assuringly. He nodded, acknowledging the silent message. Give it time. Day 96 "You ready?" he said steadily, looking over to her. She sat in her old position in the Jumpship, a furrow creasing her brow, her blue eyes focused and concentrating hard. Slowly, she extended her hands out to grasp the steering controls. There was a slight jerk back after her fingers wrapped themselves around the dual levers. Power kept his hands on the co-pilot controls firmly. Although they were in no particular danger if he let go at this altitude, he didnıt want her to feel she was being left to pilot the vessel without back-up. He could feel the pilot controls moving as she toggled the stick. Loosening his grip, he let her take full control of the vessel. Still, something was not right. She had always been most relaxed and at ease in the pilotıs seat of the jumpship, even when facing off with a trench full of hostile troopers on skybikes and automated blasters programmed to decimate any flying object that tried to run the Icarus station gauntlet. Her posture was tense and her grip around the joystick was like a vice, her movements, deliberate, over-controlled. He put an assuring hand on her shoulder. It was like a rock to his touch. He patted her shoulder gently: "Relax..." he said softly, hoping to get her to loosen up and let the flying be instinctive. He took a quick glance at the navigation array, as he tried to rationalise what was going through her mind. This was the third time they had gone up in the Jumpship. The first two occasions, getting her to put her hands on the joystick was a major challenge, despite the practice she had on the flight simulator. Could it be a fear of flying? That was absurd though. She was essentially the same person as before. Okay, there were some subtle differences in her present behaviour but he attributed that to her traumatic experience rather than a distinct behavioural change. G-forces knocked him back into his seat, throwing his thoughts to the immediate present. She had pushed the ship to its maximum capacity, throwing up the power switch in the split-second heıd taken his eyes off her to check their position. Hawk and Ranger had souped up the Jumpshipıs engine and afterburners after Ranger complained it was only marginally faster than the "tin can" Soaron. The ship had a lot more power than Jennifer was used to, back when she was the teamıs ace pilot. Logically, the wisest course of action would have been for him to have a handle on the co-pilot controls, in case she needed the back-up. Not to mention the fact that the engine and afterburners werenıt designed to remain at full throttle constantly. But something stopped him from reaching out to grasp the joysticks that were locked in a firm forward thrust position. She was pushing the ship as hard as she could, driving it to the maximum mach speed and testing the limits of its manoeuvrability with double twists and fly-bys that would have scared even a seasoned air bird like Hawk. The ships interior rattled and warning lights started to appear, indicating a possible engine failure if the afterburners werenıt allowed to take a break. Power swallowed hard - the klaxons started blaring and the computer offered a visual, followed by a verbal warning. Still, he didnıt move a muscle. The gasping laboured breath of what was once, the mighty Lord Dread, made his hand pause on the switch. He looked over at the shrivelled up face of the man he once called Uncle Lyman, who had been like a second father to him. The Lord of the Machines sat in a crumpled heap on his throne, barely about to continue breathing as the electrical systems of the sophisticated bionic body that kept him alive began to falter. "Oover...mmm....ind...." he called out, his voice, a whisper, imploring for his ally, his Overlord and perhaps, that which he considered, his soul and conscience, to answer his plea for salvation. Compassion made Jonathan Power reconsider what he was about to do. Was there a need to take that final step? Taggert, no, Dread, was all but a shadow of his former self. And Overmind? All that came over the audio speakers, that once boomed Overmindıs sibilant commands and orders, was static and unintelligible electronic gibberish. He walked up to Dread and told the old man the truth. "Overmind is dead" "Two more phalanxes to the location" ordered Dread. And as the thought left his mind, Overmind transmitted the signals to the Dread installation and two more phalanxes of troopers joined the fight against the Wardogs and Powerıs team. A few seconds more and Soaron would be in the war, announced Ranger. She was monitoring Dreadıs tight-beam transmissions and the communications between the troopers and their central command. Power drew out his weapon and started firing as Pilot joined them. "Itıs time..." she said to Jon softly, despite the deafening tone of the laser fire. He nodded quickly and gave the signal to Vi. "Okay boys, letıs blow out of this party..." she ordered over the radio. Just as her message went out, they heard the sound of additional laser fire screeching in their direction. Power and Vi exchanged looks: Bio-Dread. "Pull out!" yelled Power to Tank and Hawk, who were supplying the backbone of the offensive. They squeezed off a few insurance shots and scurried over to the abandoned building where Power and the Wardogs were taking cover. He only had a few seconds of time left. He turned to her and looked her squarely in the eye,searching for any sign of doubt. There was none. Hawk and Tank exchanged quick hugs with her - theyıd had the opportunity to say their goodbyes back at the Base. But saying goodbye wasnıt the same as what they were about to do. "Get going..." she said, waving her gun in the direction of the Jumpship. Vi and the Wardogs had already melted into the ground, leaving behind few tracks for Dreadıs troopers to follow. Hawk and Tank stepped away with great reluctance and headed towards the ship where they would rendezvous with Ranger and Scout. He removed his helmet and not caring that Hawk or Tank might have been watching or that beyond the walls of the abandoned building were phalanxes of troopers and a Bio-Dread waiting, leaned over and kissed her, one last time. They stepped apart. "I love you." he whispered. He pulled back on his helmet and unholstered his weapon. She unholstered hers and took a step back, then knelt down. Power swallowed hard. He could hear Blastarr just beyond the wall, ordering troopers to fan out and search for the insurgents. Jennifer nodded and Jon pointed his weapon to what he thought was the weakest spot in the wall. His finger tensed on the trigger for a moment, before he fired. "Say something..." He couldnıt. Couldnıt believe his ears. Couldnıt believe what she had just told him. "Jon?" "No. Absolutely not." he said, concentrating on getting the most immediate reaction he had. "Are you crazy? It would be suicide." Then he corrected himself: "It is suicide. I wonıt allow it". "Youıre being stubborn!" she yelled at him before turning her back and striding over to the cliff edge. For a moment, there was silence as he tried to comprehend her plan. "Itıs not working" she said to him when she turned back to face him, her eyes pleading. "Weıll make it work...give it time" he said softly. He reached out and grasped her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Iıve tried. Weıve tried." He turned away, trying to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. This wasnıt happening to him, he screamed inwardly. after all that they had been through, he couldnıt just, let her go. "Jon, the war isnıt going anywhere". She tried to make her case for her plan but Power wasnıt about to let her use that justification. Not this time. "No. I donıt care if itıs for the greater good...or even if it really does mean the end of war² he spluttered. ³I made that mistake once... Iım not going to let go of whatıs important to me this time." "War means sacrifice..." "Sacrifice you can live with! I canıt live with what youıre asking me to do Jennifer." He countered her with every argument he had. The war against Dread had seemed to reach a stalemate but that didnıt mean they needed to take drastic action. And she threw back the one reason she had for going ahead with it. "I donıt want to live my life like this! Why wonıt you let me give this...this existence...my life... a meaning? A purpose?" she demanded, furious with his reaction to her plan. Eden II always had a calming effect on him. Perhaps it was just the sight of the green trees, a sight that was more like an oasis in a desert, thanks to the firepower of Dreadıs armies. Heıd hoped that it would have a similar effect on Jennifer. As their blindfolds were removed by the Wardogs, who now helped to run the Eden II railroad, he threw a quick look in her direction. It was instinctive, born out of those early months when she had emerged out of Dreadıs digitised Hell. She had been so vulnerable, so fragile then. The slightest noise sent her into spasms of involuntary fear and even the lightest touch startled her. She barely spoke, almost never laughed and seemed to retreat into a world of her own. One night, she told him that after years of non-existent living, living took time to adjust to. While she had made progress in many ways since Jon found her, sprawled on the desert sand, confused and barely able to comprehend her own existence. But there were some things that she couldnıt let go. The voices in her head, never stopped speaking. And no matter how hard she tried, how hard they both tried, nothing could stop the nightmares that tormented her in her sleep, or the memories of 5 long years spent locked up in Overmindıs vast repository of physical souls. She had been in the machine. And now, the machine was an inseparable part of her. Still, Jon held out that with enough time, the scars of what had happened would fade and she would somehow, find herself again. Perhaps here, he reflected, amidst the cool earthy air of Eden II and the lush green hideaway that remained impervious to Dreadıs attempts to find it, Jennifer would find her humanity once again. The wall caved in around her but the decaying bricks inflicted little damage, thanks to the helmet that protected her head. She crouched amidst the debris but her ears were keenly attuned to the sounds around her. She closed her eyes and focused in on the sounds of the phalanxes of troopers skulking around, their luminous energy packs emitting a distinct electronic whine. But the digitised speech of the troopers wasnıt what she wanted to hear. It was the whining sounds of mechanised wheels and the gruff voice of the half-witted Bio-Dread Blastarr that she listened intently for. It didnıt take long for Blastarrıs infrared vision to pick up her heat signature under the rocks. As she heard the rocks being picked away carefully by the troopers, she braced herself for a sound that she had come to dread. And yet, welcome. Dreadıs breaths become increasingly shallow as the electronic equipment that kept him alive gradually degraded without the computing power of Overmind to coordinate the systems. "Blaaas....tar....Soa...." he attempted to call to his loyal Bio-Dreads. But they could not hear him. They had been put out of commission by the same bio-virus that had ravaged Overmind and broken the Will of the Machine. A bio-virus that was slowly but surely working to end the life of Lord Dread. "Itıs over." Jon told him, softly, uncertain if at this point, Dread could even hear him. He could. And in his total and utter defeat, Lyman Taggart realised that he had an opportunity to salvage whatever dignity he had left. "End it. Now." he begged Power, appealing to the relationship that once upon a time, meant everything to Taggart. For it seemed like in the last vestiges of his existence, Lyman Taggart realised that he didnıt want to crawl towards an agonising and slow death as the circuits and systems that regulated his mechanised form degraded and finally ceased to function. He wanted death to come swiftly, decisively and, he reflected on the irony of his request, with honour. At the hands of an enemy that had bettered him, not the inevitable decline of a machine no longer able to function. With what strength was left in him and his last gasping breaths, he summoned the will to move the carcass of his metal exoskeleton towards Jonathan Power. The usual platitudes filled his mind as he gazed out the window at the icy winds that swirled around their Artic Base fiercely. They had time together. More time than most people had in a lifetime. They had a second chance, more than most people had. He dismissed those thoughts easily this time and felt strangely calm. He searched for the seething anger that he should have felt, the venomous feeling of self-blame that should have welled up inside of him and the raging desire for vengeance. But yet there was none. Only a strange sense of peace. Of knowing that he had done the right thing. "Captain?" Ranger popped her head into the room, discreetly making sure that Power wasnıt trying to put a laser gun to his head or showing signs of wanting to go on some mad rampage against Dread which would end up killing them all. She half expected him to declare a rescue operation within 15 minutes of them leaving the drop zone. But heıs kept to himself these last three days, saying little, eating little and just not being himself. If he asked, she would tell him that Tank, that old softie, asked her to check on the Captain. But he said nothing, only turned to look at her with the intense questioning expression she had become accustomed to seeing. Her first instinct was to blurt some half-relevant tactical data that they had managed to pinch from Dreadıs satellites. But somehow, what came out instead was "are you okay?" She felt strangely relieved when he smiled. He nodded and started to turn back towards the window when she blurted out "Ya miss her donıt you?" What the hell was wrong with her? Asking him all kinds of questions - dammit Ranger, youıre going to make the man mad. Or worse, sad. And she didnıt want to be around if he started talking about her or hell, crying. What the heck was she going to do in that situation? She started to back away from the door, muttering something about a surveillance sweep that she was in the middle of doing when she heard him answer. "Yes. I miss her." Oh god, now she had really unleashed the floodgates thought Ranger. And damn, if he starts, I donıt think I can control myself, she admitted, squeamish at the thought. Okay, so the Pilot chick seemed a little way out and dazed when she first got here and even though she was nice to her, Ranger thought she was more of a liability than an asset to the team. But Ranger had gotten to know Jennifer over the last year they had been together. Heck, they even managed to have a girlie chat of sorts, in between battling the tin cans and saving the world from that psycho Dread. Pilot knew the guys a lot better then Ranger did and what she had done... Hell, it didnıt just take guts. It took something that Ranger knew she didnıt have in her. She had no problems dying in a fireball inferno piloting the Jumpship or killed by stray crossfire from a Bio-Dread. But she couldnıt imagine sacrificing herself the way Jennifer had. Sheıd tried, pathetically, to talk the crazy blonde out of it. But she seemed intent on carrying out her plan and damned if anyone was going to stand in her way, be it Ranger or Jon Power. "Thank you for asking" he added before turning back to the window and staring out into the blizzard. Ranger backed away from the door, uncertain as to whether his soft tone and gratitude for her concern spooked her or just the fact that she was actually feeling rather mushy inside. She fled down the corridor into the central command and control room, where Scout, Hawk and Tank were watching the screens. She stopped just before the entrance and casually strolled in as the blast doors slide open. "I need to talk to you now" she casually remarked as she brushed past Tank. She cursed when the big lug looked blankly at her. Dammit, he could be so, thick sometimes. Whatever the hell did she see in him? "Talk?" he replied, as if she was asking him to give up smoking cigars or something equally unappealing. "NOW!" she hissed before tearing off in the direction of her quarters. Resignedly, he got up and lumbered after her, wondering what the hell he had done wrong now. He found her in her quarters, looking out the window. She never looked out the window. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she threw herself into his arms. "Just hold me..." she ordered as she clung to him. One part of him wanted to see the man who had brought so much torment, so much suffering to the world, die a slow agonising death. The man who had taken away from Jonathan Power the two people who had mattered the most to him didnıt deserve his mercy. Didnıt deserve the honour of a good death. He pulled the trigger on his weapon and in seconds, it was over. At his feet, humbled, destroyed, lifeless, lay Lyman Taggart. The Will of The Machine was no more. "How long will it take?" "Itıs hard to say but if this bio-virus works the way Pilot says it will, then we should start to see results in a matter of days" replied Scout. "Detection?" queried Power. "Pretty unlikely. Overmind wonıt be expect an attack in-house theyıll be on the lookout for attempts to slip viruses into the system from outside but not from the inside. Also, the bio-virus is disguised to look like an ordinary retrovirus so it should slip by any nets Overmind has set up" explained Scout. "Okay letıs get working on it" he said, trying his level best to keep the quiver out of his voice. Everyone left to tackle their respective duties except Jennifer. She hadnıt said much during the entire discussion. And there was a concerted effort by everyone not to say what was on their minds that doing what she did meant she wasnıt coming back. "Thereıs one more thing I need to tell you about this plan" she said, crossing over to him. "Overmindıs repository is independently powered and runs on a separate system. Overmind coordinates it but its shielded from any possible interruptions to the Overmind system, preserving the integrity of the digitised data" she explained. He shuddered at the visual image she was painting. Jennifer was going to be part of that "digitised data" if this crazy idea took off. "You need to shut down that system after Overmind and Dread have been...incapacitated" she finished. He nodded numbly. "Jon?" He looked at up at her and realised that he couldnıt go through with this. The brave front he had put up the complete absence of emotion when he briefed the team about Jenniferıs idea was cracking, slowly but surely. She knew. She sensed his weakness. "It has to be done..." she murmured, as she kneeled in front of him, her blue eyes betraying her determination to him even as her voice was softly persuasive. "And the digitised data?" he finally found his voice. A pause. "It will be destroyed. Forever." Jonathan Power entered the room where Overmindıs physical manifestation a globe of swirling gaseous forms gyrated endlessly. Only electronic static and garbled noises flooded from the audio speakers that surrounded the room. But the independent systems set up to protect the integrity of the digitised data kept it shielded from the massive system failure that was taking place before his very eyes. The command console was easy enough to find and getting through the system to the central menu was trouble-free. The systemıs defence mechanisms were built around Bio-Dreads and troopers protecting it from interlopers and counted on the fact that no one could get close enough to the console. As the final menu displayed on the screen, Power realised that he was reaching the end of his journey. This was it. The moment that he had waited for the hour that would bring closure to what was a long chapter of his life as a freedom fighter. This was the end. An end that he knew would come. An end that he had promised her, he could help her bring about. He could stop now. Call in Scout. Have him crack the code on this damned console and figure out a way to bring her back. Hell, heıd salvage Blastarrıs digitiser personally if there was a way to bring her back. But that wouldnıt bring her back. Deep down in his heart, he knew that it wouldnıt bring back the Jennifer Chase that he loved and knew. Brilliant, beautiful and vivacious Jennifer who wanted nothing more out of life than to be able to live it to the fullest and revel in her humanity, not a woman tormented by a torturous existence, who neither felt human nor like a machine. His finger paused on the button and then knowing if he held back any longer he could not be able to carry out his mission, he ordered the computer to execute the "shut down" command. Slowly, the globe that was Overmind spun slower and slower. Until finally, it stopped. Jonathan Power slumped onto the floor, his mind in a different place, a different time and far away from the destruction and death that surrounded him in the last bastion of Dreadıs tyranny. And the world was at peace, once again. |