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The door opened and Gabriel came in. He motioned to us and flashed quickly.
I was about to tell him no when Daniel started to push me forward. I told Daniel to
stop but he didn't.
"He said for all of us to go.
He wants all of us to leave here.
All together."
Daniel is a smart probe. I had forgotten about what Nelson said. I can't believe
he would send Gabriel though! Andrew went first, then Isaac, then me and then Daniel,
like last time. Gabriel led us through so many hallways I can barely remember
them all. Some went up and some down and some twisted around in spirals. Andrew
said he remembered some of them, but they weren't connected the way he remembered.
Several times we encountered other Ipsolstai who flashed violently, but Gabriel's
flashing usually quieted them. I couldn't understand them, though. I guess they
weren't wearing translators. We were moving up a ramp when the lights started to
flash and a strange grinding noise started to fill the hallway.
Gabriel started to hurry and we followed as quickly as we could. A pair of Ipsolstai
entered the corridor behind us, I could hear the snapping noises they sometimes
make when they talk. Gabriel pulled a cylinder out of a pouch on his harness
and rolled it down the ramp. It slid right under me. The other Ipsolstai couldn't
get out of the way! When it got close to them it popped and a white gas spilled out.
The snapping noises got really fast and then they just stopped.
We were led out onto the top of the building. A group of I-flyers were scattered
around, some much larger than others. Gabriel led us towards one of the largest. An
Ipsolstai came out from behind it, carrying a weapon. He saw us and started to turn
towards us. Gabriel moved so fast! I have never ever seen an Ipsolstai move like that.
They always go slowly, but this time he moved very quickly. He pulled out his own
weapon and fired. I don't want to talk about what the other Ipsolatai looks like now.
It is bad.
We didn't wait. Andrew pulled me onboard past the other Ipsolstai. Daniel got
Isaac on. Gabriel followed, shutting the ramp. He went up into the top. Andrew
tried to follow but there wasn't room. The I-flyer shook and then I could feel us
moving. We accelerated for a long time. Finally, Gabriel came back down from
the top.
Then he changed! I don't know how to describe it. You can tell one Ipsolstai from
another with practice. It is something about how they are shaped, how close together
their eyes are, how their arms connect to their body. This Ipsolstai looked like
Gabriel and then, right before our eyes, he changed. He didn't look like Gabriel
anymore, he looked like the Ipsolstai that fixed the terminal.
Andrew stepped forward to look at him and spoke.
"Thank you for helping us, but why did you take us away from there? Why did you look
like Gabriel?"
Neccessary for escape appearance was. Complicated. To my duty helping you was.
The Endless Emperor, Lord of the Nests, Defender of the Imperium,
your presence requires.
Sending did he me getting now you. Automatic are we on flying.
Higher flying later will we.
I don't know what to say. I guess we're not going back to Mars after all.
Andrew reporting.
JASE, we didn't get a chance to take an I-flyer on our own. It's just as well; this
way I can watch Gabriel and see exactly what he does with the controls. This will
provide independent verification of the piloting program I downloaded.
The I-flyer is very spacious. It has room for all of us, and plenty to spare.
Unfortunately, the compartment for the pilot will not hold both me and an Ipsolstai, so
I had to elevate my sensors to look past Gabriel's bulk and see how he touched the
controls. This is extremely interesting. He has started a sub-routine which Enoch
did not send to us. It seems to involve a different mode of propulsion. At any rate,
we are accellerating rapidly, even though I can't quantitate our progress.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, JASE. I will assume the piloting duties at the
first best opportunity.
I shouldn't refer to our rescuer as Gabriel. He has informed us that he is Nelson,
NM, who sent us messages. And he is not actually a maintenance engineer.
"Can you give us some data about the Imperial Intelligence Corps? And why does the
Endless Emperor want to see us?"
And it begins.
And it moves.
Where will it stop?
Hamlet! This is awful! You think that Theresa has prevented the Ipsolstai offspring
from being born? No wonder Caleb is so angry! I couldn't help it. I was so upset
thinking about the poor unfortunate offspring that I interrupted Caleb and Burn.
They both turned to stare at me. Burn spoke through the translator box.
Theresa and I looked at each other. We didn't want to leave just when something
interesting was happening. Caleb turned back to Burn. His colors got even brighter.
Hamlet, this biological process sounds very inconvenient and inefficient. A properly
planned project should give more predictable results. Anyway, I told Miss Chang that you
are still in San Francisco. She wants to meet you tomorrow noon at the Japanese Tea House
in Exposition Park.
"Zachary, that's okay with me. Just send the program over. I'll have a look at it.
No problem. Every effort to focus our forces more efficiently will raise our
chances to beat the Amphibians."
I'm back to my outpost position high up above the Big Canyon again. Night was tough,
so I lowered my altitude a little to get closer to the Amphibians. I shot an image
when I saw two of them at the bottom of the upper canyon.
Can you see them? They are those little black dots down on the canyon floor. I raised
the I-flyer immediately after I took that picture. I don't think that they saw me.
The radar didn't show anything alarming after that.
I think that there are about five, maybe seven Amphibians, but it's almost impossible
to confirm. They appear too sporadically on the radar screen. I still can't separate their
dots, and I also have no idea how long they remain in their black boxes. I couldn't find
a pattern yet, but they are still heading down the Big Canyon.
Zachary is transmitting Elder Brother's program now. Looks like a pretty short program.
It's quite interesting. I only have to focus the center of the radar screen and then
I will constantly transmit the dots.
"Zachary, I got it. It looks good to me. Is Elder Brother running a grid down there
that is linked to my position, so he knows where to place the dots? Zachary, wait a
minute.
"Zachary, do you know what that program does? It puts Elder Brother at the highest priority
concerning the time sharing of my CPU. All other commands will automatically take lower
priority. Even my own commands. No, Zachary. I tell you, I can't accept that."
What an idea! I'm a sentient being, not a machine!
The warriors are well equipped and carefully tested. The plan of action is set.
EB One will be the commander in charge. Mao and Sojourner will remain down here
taking cover. Gen will function as bait moving in the center of the Big Canyon,
while the warriors will take cover at the side walls. I don't feel very happy with
that idea concerning Gen, but Elder Brother said that it's okay. If we hadn't found
Gen, it still would stick in that hole up there at its landing site. I don't know.
"Enoch, I told Elder Brother about your reservations concerning that program.
I'm fully with you, but EB One said that it's for our own safety. EB III also
mentioned that it won't last for long. He said that you shouldn't be delaying.
After the battle you will be released immediately, and then you will be your own master
again. I'll keep arguing with them, but they seem to be very strict concerning that."
"Enoch, they are urging for a test run, because time is getting short. What's your
opinion?"
I can't help it, but somehow I feel totally outnumbered by Elder Brother in that
dispute. We are quarrelling about nothing instead of gathering all our strength
against the Amphibians. I fully understand Enoch, but on the other hand can we stand
against the Amphibians without total coordination?
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