Barrenlands: An Odyssey (Old Work)

Chapter Twenty-Five.

AS the nearby sentries pulled their triggers, the stubby barrels of their guns flashing a brilliant light unlike that of the Engineers own, the Engineer and Little Girl erupted from their hiding place and sprinted across the expanse of the concrete room. There were barely-audible thuds! as their boots hit the floor with each pace, and the Commander was quick to put the sudden movement together. There was no escaping him. He had nailed the exact hiding location of his captives and now, they were on the run from obliteration. From the corner of her eyes, the Engineer saw him demount the rifle from his shoulder and hold it before him, the machine tracking them and trying for a good, decent shot. It was the largest she had ever seen – the largest handheld at least. But still, they couldn't concentrate on this, and their objective was well within metres reach now. And it all came down to the hairline of a second – a fraction. The Engineer reached the rear of one of the desert Rovers and jumped into the driver's seat narrowly avoiding the spotlight bar, keeping her head low and underneath the door line with Little Girl hot on her tail. As soon as her feet had left the concrete, she felt the hairs on her legs prickle as the pulse from the gun pushed by. Deep inside, her heart raced; thundering rapidly. It was a close call – had he shot a fraction earlier, it would have been a hit! Her only comfort lay in that her pulse gun was stashed back here it always had been: in the rags of her clothes, and hopefully there it would stay.

With time becoming of the premium, the Engineer stared at the dashboard cluster that lay before it, immediately jabbing at a large, round button next to the steering column. It was unfamiliar though it seemed like the best bet. The engine underneath the hood coughed and spluttered, the instruments briefly glowing green for a moment and then fading to grey.

"He's preparing for another shot," Little Girl whispered, her voice urgent and hurrying. It was a wonder that the sentries weren't shooting – an inkling of a feeling in the gut of the Engineer that the Commander had ordered them to seize. If he had desired nothing more, it was that he wanted to take the kill himself. Taking Little Girls' words under advisement and knowing the situation was borderline critical, the Engineer punched at the button once more, her hopes and prayers behind her fingertips. At the full press of the button, the engine roared to life once more but this time holding a steady rhythm as the mechanics came to life. The instrument panels became blue, with an indicator light with the word 'Ready' illuminating green. As if by instinct, the Engineer jammed her boot on the left pedal and the dust from the Rover fell as it surged forwards. Gunning the gas and pushing down on the pedal so it was now touching the floor, the Engineer steered towards a large, raised door that was big enough to accommodate large vehicles. The tyres squealed in protest as the rubber spun on the concrete, generating wisps of smoke. It was the only place to go if they wanted the chance to run; to escape from the madman. In the act of heroism, two sentries jumped in the way of the wild vehicle as they hoped for praise from their leader, their fingers fumbling for the lingering trigger of their guns. They were clumsy at best. But the hood of the Rover was stronger than them by a long shot and mowed them down with ease, the tires of the vehicle scrambling over their bodies.

As the Rover continued to speed towards the entry ramp of the hangar, the Commander pulled the heavy lever and the rifle sent out a massive pulse, the room and sound becoming distorted and hideously warped as the shot passed through. Although it was almost on target, the man had miscalculated the fast, racing movement of the vehicle and the edge of the pulse hit only but a small part of the rear panel. It had been millimetres away from potentially being catastrophic and spelling doom for the Engineer and Little Girl. Taking the hit, it swerved in a fishtail although it was barely enough to send it off-course and into the path of collision. The drift didn't inhibit the Engineer – she corrected the motion and rectified the course, her hands turning the wheel quickly and her palms going white as she gripped tightly. The howl of the tyres quickly quietened.

Behind them, anger blinded the Commanders' vision and his thinking, and the man let out a scream of frustration. "Fuck! Aim at them!" But it was too little an action. The Engineer guided the Rover through the door and along the massive tunnel, the metal-grate floor clanging from the speed and weight. They had disappeared. Feeling slightly deflated by his failure, the man leaned the mother of a pulse gun back against his shoulder, and ran a hand through his hair. They may have been defeated now – right this very moment – but it was only time before they would cross each other's paths again. They could run, but there was nowhere to hide in the Barrenlands. And with the technology at their fingertips, it would be sooner as opposed to later.

The tunnel was on an incline and the engine continued to whirl despite the added pressure. The holes and downlights flashed passed them as the vehicle moved and the growl of the engine echoed. It would be soon that they would be chased down by others, the remaining vehicles probably being started right at this very moment. However, it appeared that luck was on their side. A light at the end of the tunnel became brighter, the hole to the world slowly becoming larger. Emitting a small sigh of relief from behind the wheel, the Rover shot out from the opening and they were greeted by the all-too familiar flatness and heat of the Barrenlands. Catching a glimpse in the rear-view mirror, the entranceway to the compound was shrinking out of sight; blending into the nothingness of the landscape. It would have been easy to miss it at a distance if one was unknowing of its existence and nor did it give away the hive of a compound - and the atrocities - that was contained well-beneath.

The Engineer focused on the road ahead, pulling her headpiece over her hair and fastening the mouth cover over her face. The feeling? It was just like coming home, and the Barrenlands was welcoming her with open arms.