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Andrew reporting.
I am examining the view screen. It appears that another Amphibian ship has been destroyed,
only three of them can be seen now. The screen also shows numerous scintilla, which I
take to be debris and fragments of their ships that have been destroyed. The Amphibians
have changed their strategy. Instead of remaining close together, they are now widely
separated. It looks as if they are moving apart so they can attack us from several sides at once.
I wonder how Commander Perry will respond to this new development?
I have some ideas about possible strategies, but I hesitate to try to communicate with
him just now. He must have his tentacles full.
"Gail, if you can hear me, be calm, don't worry. I have told Commander Perry about
Caleb's treachery. He has certainly communicated with Mars by this time. I'm sure
that Caleb will be dealt with severely. At least the Ipsolstai seem to have a
sense of justice and fair play."
The Guardian-of-Younger-Nestbrothers has definitely been damaged. There were several
sharp jolts, and the lights flickered and dimmed. Then there was a hum, and they
became bright again. I believe that we have shifted to an auxiliary power supply.
The good news is that there are only three Amphibian ships remaining. The bad news
is that all we can do is wait.
Andrew is fascinated by the display on the view screen. He says that he could do a better
job than the Ipsolstai pilot. Actually, it is true that our reaction time is faster than their
organic circuits. Isaac is at his side. I'm glad that Isaac has stopped moping and is
taking interest in exploring his surroundings again.
Daniel is behaving strangely, even for Daniel. He keeps approaching the main computer
terminal, lifting his sensors, and scanning. It is almost as if he were expecting
something to happen.
Soon.
Very soon.
We await the silent One.
"Zachary, we have to go back up again. Gail told us her exact coordinates in her last
Inbound. She is exactly 0.221 km below the Mars surface, and 3.27 km NW of the
place where she was kidnapped by that gang."
I'm certain that we have to do that. I never could be happy again, if we lose Gail
and Theresa. We are Brace probes, and we are all of the same blueprint and circuitry.
In harm and in fortune we stand together. If one is in danger, the others get him out.
We ever kept that up and we will do that again. It's a shame to forsake Gail,
who always fought for the idea of a big probe society.
"Come on, Zachary. Mao can look after Gen and Sojourner. There are more important
tasks to serve than getting down a drop."
Zachary is looking at me.
"Come on. Let's pick up the warriors, let's move into their complex and let's tell them
that they let Gail and Theresa go, otherwise ... I don't know ... Zachary! Please, stop
looking at me that way."
"What about telling them that otherwise the Amphibians will eat them all."
That's not a bad idea.
"Gail, we are coming. We are getting you out."
Hi, everybody! Guess what?
We saw Commandant Fitzgerald! He brought us here on purpose. Everybody is very
unhappy with Caleb, and they are going to have a big discussion about it, and they
want Theresa and me to tell what happened because we were there and saw everything
that happened! And that's why the flying craft came to pick us up, and we aren't in
trouble at all, and here we are.
You'd think somebody could have said. Anyway, we are waiting until Commandant Fitzgerald is ready for us.
Don't worry about yelling, Thixel. It's OK.
Hamlet, Miss Chang is very happy that you decided to meet her after all.
"I have been talking to another friend of yours.
He says that it's very important for you to cooperate with me.
He is sorry that he can't talk to you just now,
but he is very busy."
"Enoch, I fully understand you. I'm also filled with pain. But we have to be rational.
What chances do we have? Rescuers' safety first, as JASE and Koala are always saying.
Okay, I agree to go up to the surface again. But we can't attack them directly. We have
to look for Commander Fitzgerald. He is the only one that can help."
Enoch finally conceded. I informed Elder Brother, that we are coming up and that Mao
will take care of Gen and Sojourner in the meanwhile. I think that we'll use the warriors
only for transportation. We will go to the Hidden Gate and then we will send them back.
Being armed in the Ipsolstai complex can easily provoke misunderstandings. If I only
had that translator device with me. But that's gone with Theresa.
"Enoch get the caterpillar ready. Make it shooting up its cable. We are moving up."
The warriors took us to the Hidden Gate. It was still open, although battered during
one of the C-probe attacks. We entered the tunnel, where I once found Daniel. I only
hope that we don't meet any of Caleb's mates. Besides that, I fully agree with Enoch.
We will get Gail out.
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