Echo-1 The Whale

44: The Penultimate Return

Blunt turned us around again and since this time the gloves were off, he reached top speed before punching a hole right through the middle of the intact top section of the Magus. He swung wide, coming back for another pass, and sent it flying out of control into the depths of space. The fighters went chasing after it but there wasn't going to be much left to save. It twirled away a smoldering spiraling wreck.

We pulled alongside the bottom section that now resembled a floating junkyard. The Veltearrik acid was eating away the center of the ship and it was beginning to collapse on itself.  

"We can't go back the same way as before. Hands and I can easily handle this job," Mox looked at X and the two wolves, now back in their shiny black spacesuits.

X replied for them all, "we're going with you."

They were going with us.

We got in the airlock and boarded the Magus for the penultimate time through a gaping hole in its side. We pushed X along in her Diamond-a-gogo. Trag opened the first blast door and we went inside. A good twenty decks still had atmosphere and power. The Sentinel scanned for life forms and reported back 10 Vedma, 27 Mega Therion, and 359 functioning robots.

We went through several decks and saw nothing but repair droids. They all got a small taste of our acid guns. A quick trigger pull was enough to melt them into a lump of metallic muck that sunk into the floor.

"I have an idea."

I used the Vedma wand to set the virus on their ship into the dormant state. All the power went off and the communication jam ended. Blunt came through loud and clear.

"Communications are restored. I've retransmitted the settings necessary for the Banga to scan for Vedma, but it seems they have lost control of their shipboard sensors. The Vedma ship is far more functional then we thought. Also, there's a tank and a pack of wolves heading your way."

It wasn't two minutes until the power came back and the communications jam returned.

"We're three decks from the entrance to the secondary nursery unit for older pups. I'm going down there to see if I can save any more," X said as she pulled ahead.

Mox attempted to suggest that we all stay together but she wasn't hearing it.

"Good luck, my dear," Mox waved a rusty robotic arm.

She shot us a wink and a smile and sped down a side hallway. Nidi and Trag stayed with us and we moved on in the direction of the oncoming tank. When it came around the corner it blasted me with an electric charge that knocked me over in my suit. Mox sidestepped the blast and shot the tank with his acid gun. The turret and front half of the vehicle melted like wax. Then it exploded.

Four wolves in battle armor tackled Mox in his suit and were trying to pry him out of it. Nidi called to them in their language. They growled back at he and her next reply sent them all into a rage. They fired on her and Trag. Nidi was down before I was up again.

I sprayed a few of the wolves with acid and instantly regretted it. It melted through their armor in seconds and reduced their flesh and bones to liquid. Their howls and screams were terrible. Death came slowly and it was horrible to witness. The Sentinel pulled the remaining wolves off Mox and dispatched them to Vedma heaven with extreme haste. The room went silent again.

Trag helped Nidi up. Both of their suits were smoldering from blaster hits.

"Are you ok?"

I could see her eyes through her helmet and I knew she was hurt. She took several blasts to the midsection.

"I'm ok. It just knocked me over." She stood up and groaned. "Ohh, you know, I might have a couple of broken ribs." She was having trouble breathing.

"We need to get her back to the Brick." I let Nidi lean on me for support.

"I'll be ok. Let's make it to the lab." She stood up straight on her own.

We moved onto the next section and Mox hosed the deck below us. 

"It's a one way trip from now on."

We reached the deck behind Mildabbar's lab and left a trail of destruction in our path. The Sentinel told us eight of the Vedma and ten Mega Therion were in the lab complex. The main door wouldn't open and Trag's access code failed. Mox asked the Professor how to get in and he said nothing. I tried the wand and it didn't work.