Immortalys II: The Expansion

Chapter Thirty-Four: Rescue

"I'd appreciate it if you'd look into this some more," Altair instructed to the five officers across the table. "Let's make sure the people of the Jepthyn system aren't actually evacuating the planet."

"Got it," replied one of the officers. "And if they are, I suppose you'd like them to be tracked?"

"Yes," Altair said with a glance at Andromeda. "Thank you."

"That concludes this meeting, then," Andromeda announced, standing up from the table in the conference room.

As the other officers left the table and exited the door, Altair closed his Surface and looked at Richard, who muttered, "Well, that meeting lasted longer than I expected it to."

Altair agreed, and Seneca made a grunting noise which caused the rest of them to glance over at him. Seneca stared down at his Surface, looking passively annoyed.

"What is it, Seneca?" Andromeda asked.

"Oh, just another alert that some citizens got stuck out in a blizzard and someone in one of my committees is sending out officers to rescue them." Seneca sighed and typed something on his Surface. "There are three of them this time. You'd think they would've watched the weather report before going out on the tundra today."

"Who are they?" inquired Altair, concerned.

Seneca's eyebrows rose on his forehead as he checked for the names. "...It looks like they're your young friends, Altair. Both of the Brumbahs and Blainey Vega."

Altair stood from his chair, feeling his spine prickle with sudden unease. "How long have they been out there?"

"I'm not sure. It looks like they've been separated from each other; the other two are looking for Blainey. They'll be picked up in no time, of course, and will be well taken care of."

Altair snatched up his Surface and stuffed it into his pocket. "Seneca," he declared, slipping on his knee-length coat, "tell the rescue party to wait for me. I'll be ready in ten seconds."

Seneca and Andromeda glanced up at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?" demanded Seneca. "The officers will find them. There is absolutely no need for you to step in."

"It's dangerous out there, Altair!" Andromeda chimed in forcefully. "What has gotten into you?"

"There's no time to give you a good reason," said Altair, striding to the door. "Don't try to stop me. Which landing pad are the officers at?"

"S-6."

"Thanks." Altair didn't look back as he sprinted down the hallway towards the elevator. In minutes he had located the officers on the sixth floor's south landing pad and boarded their aircraft, beckoning for two guards to join him, before they lifted off into the swirling blizzard.

The aircraft shuddered and groaned, flying erratically away from the Capitol. Willow and Friction's blue dot blinked on the screen, getting ever closer as the aircraft climbed laboriously through the wind.

"You needn't exit the aircraft at all, sir," one of the guards said to Altair. He held up his Surface, which was tracking the chips placed in the arms of their three lost citizens. "The Brumbahs are together with the Surface; they'll be easy to retrieve. Blainey Vega is over here." He pointed to a spot on the map southwest of Friction and Willow, where there appeared to be a collection of large boulders. "All we have to do is hover over there and someone can drop down and pick her up."

"This wind is awfully difficult to fly in," the pilot confessed, leaning over the dashboard in concern. "I'm afraid hovering low will be quite dangerous near those rocks."