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Andrew reporting.
I find it very unusual that I have encountered so few Ipsolstai. I am confident that
I am now outside the test area, thwarting their plans, so why aren't they pursuing me?
It is not logical.
I do not know if NM can be trusted. I am increasingly worried about the fate
of Bette and Daniel and especially Isaac. Therefore, I have decided to return to
get them. Together we will leave this complex in one of the I-Flyers, or the
I-Floater. I have installed Enoch's piloting program that Al-Qahira sent. Presupposing
that the Ipsolstai vehicles are all designed after the same general pattern of operation,
we should have no great difficulty.
I am currently directly beneath the room where they are imprisoned. I must
find a way to ascend to the correct level. I am searching for a ramp or an elevator.
Thanks for the information about the oxygen, Bryce. I adjusted my sensors. There
were marginally more molecules of O2 in the vicinity of the leaves toward the
window. This seems like a heartbreakingly slow way to change the content of the
Mars atmosphere. I pulled the tree closer to the window.
"Andrew, please come back. I don't know what to do about Isaac. He wom't play at
all now. I checked his power supply. It is operating normally. And Daniel is
no help at all."
I didn't feel safe at the plains. I'm a too easy target for the Amphibians there. I
pulled the globe fully back and went straight up. I soared over the first mountain
chain and dived immediately down to the bottom of the canyon behind.
Zachary is right, and I have to obey his warning. I'm too exposed in that unarmed
I-Flyer, but I never would leave it. I only have to get weapons and then I'm ready
to beat the Amphibians down.
"Gail, how are you? What about Kim and Theresa? Are you safe? Is Burn still around?
Please tell him to bring my weapons to the Hidden Gate up that canyon,
where you were with Zachary once. I'll try to meet him there."
I flew over the next mountain chain and spiraled down between two rock towers.
I like that. It's pure fun, and it's so amazing to be airborne. If there only weren't
these disgusting Amphibians.
I'm all right, Professor K! I'm ALL RIGHT, everybody, I really am! Thanks, Bryce,
for the wish for good luck; Theresa computing the probability right now.
Some dust and small rocks came down from the ceiling of the tunnel, and knocked my
antenna loose. I couldn't transmit until Theresa reconnected it. Thanks, Theresa.
I still don't know what happened, but I'm really worried. There was this big noise.
I could sense a sharp vibration from the floor of the tunnel. I tried to go back
to the big room where Enoch was practicing his flying, to see if he was safe, but the
tunnel is blocked with rocks.
"Enoch, I can hear you just fine. I'm glad you got away, but Kim and Burn are still back
there someplace."
"Come on, Theresa. We're not going to stay here, and the only way is straight ahead.
Theresa, where did you go? Theresa? Why are you pulling me over there? Did you find
something?"
"Theresa, be careful! Don't touch that thing. It must be one of those hatches with
the handle to open it, like Enoch and Bette found in Jose's cave. Now come away
from there, you might open it accidentally."
We left the landing site. The two cargo drones are heavily loaded. Missiles, ammunition,
electronic equipment, sunsails, lasers and also special boxes for the plutonium that
was running the power station. I think that we are well equipped and also our warriors
are well adjusted and equipped. Each is mounted with six lasers, two at the front, two
at the rear, two at the middle of each side.
I asked Elder Brother if we can make a stop at the Japanese landing site when passing
the northern plains. He looked at me, so I told him the story about Gen and how it was
destroyed by the Ipsolstai at Jose's cave.
"Did they destroy both probes?"
"What do you mean, Elder Brother? There was only one."
"No, there were two of them. I scanned their transmissions, but it ceased shortly after
their landing. However, let's have a look for the second one. They are easy to program.
I have their algorithm."
We reached the first outpost warrior at the basaltic plateau. Everything is roger
up here. Thanks for your concern, Thixel. No Amphibians. Elder Brother is checking the
security string that we established when crossing the old lava flow. We set seventeen
warriors in a line, all of them about ten miles apart from each other. Elder Brother
sent a routine out along the line asking about their current status. We have to wait
until their answers are relayed back.
Everything has usual parameters up through the twelfth unit, but there is no reply
from the thirteenth warrior. Elder Brother looked at me and Mao looked at Elder Brother.
What's next?
"Let's move on as far as the terrain is safe."
It was Elder Brother who was saying that. Sure. What else can we do?
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