The CRES code

Chapter Seventy Two - Separation

     The spaceship had a number of small, flying drones scouting the area and one of them, perched in a tree a few miles from the landing site, sent its camera feed to the head phones of the three humans.

     There were three priests, their white robes stained with mud where they were dragging through the damp, soggy field. They appeared to be unarmed, but Randall remembered that they had hyperdermic injectors built into their fingertips with which they could administer drugs and medications to their patients. He was sure that they could administer deadly toxins just as easily. They could kill instantly with a touch.

     Dolly and Maisey, looking confused and miserable, were walking between them, their hands in gleaming, silver manacles. They must be totally bewildered, thought Randall. Not knowing what they'd done to be treated like criminals. Dolly must have guessed that it had something to do with the Gorsty Common excavation, that Randall had broken the laws of VIX and that her presence there meant that she shared the guilt, but what had Maisey done wrong? Surely VIX wouldn't torment an innocent girl to gain leverage over Randall, would He? VIX was supposed to be a god of compassion and mercy. Randall dared to hope that Dolly would be beginning to suspect the truth about VIX and the priests.

     "You can't give in to them!" said Emily urgently. "They want to destroy the Earth, turn it into raw materials for their Dyson swarm."

     "I don't care about the Earth. And anyway, you said that's still centuries away..."

     "The machines must be stopped! We're so close..."

     "She's right," said Jane. "The truth of God, the true God, must be brought back to mankind. Our lives are nothing in comparison. We're expendable..."

     "Dolly is not expendable! Neither is Maisey! I'll give my life if that's what it takes to save them."

     "Will you give our lives as well?" asked Emily. "If you give in, they'll want to kill us as well."

     "I'll try to make sure nothing happens to you."

     "You'll try? That's very reassuring."

     "I'll make it a condition of our surrender."

     "They'll demand our unconditional surrender, you idiot! They won't take the chance that there might be another Gorsty Common out there somewhere."

     "They can take our head phones. We're no threat to them without them."

     "I'm not taking that chance," said Emily. "I'm getting out of here, and I'm taking some weapons with me. Something powerful enough to kill priests and chieftains. Tell the ship to make things for me."

     "Me too," agreed Jane, looking up at Randall as if something had just occurred to her. There was a look of determination on her face that hadn't been there a moment before, as if Emily's words had given her an idea. Emily wondered at it, but Randall had his full attention on the images of Dolly and Maisey trudging miserably through the mud.

     "Randall!" said Emily as several moments went by without any reply from the former businessman. "Randall..."

     "Yes! Alright!" said Randall, angry and irritated by the distraction. *Ship, fabricate whatever they want.*

     *Achnowledged,* replied the space ship. Jane and Emily immediately dashed from the room, heading for the chamber in which the fabricator was located.

     *Can we kill the priests?* Randall asked the ship.

     *If they come within range of our weaponry, yes, but they will not do so. They have dozens of drones scouting the area, noting the position of every mobile unit we possess. They will make camp at a safe distance and one priest will come alone to bring their demands.*