Part CXXVI: Closing In
Date: Kapton 27th, 114 A.U.
Number 994 surged to his feet as he helplessly watched as Zarien fell backwards toward the fire vent even as Number 502 gestured toward it, the fire ready to explode out of the vent to consume Zarien. Number 994 had to move fast. And surging forward, thunder rolled from Number 994’s fingertips as lightning moved faster than fire to stop the fire-orc’s plan.
As fire shot upward out of the vent, a bolt of lightning struck Zarien from the side, throwing him sideways and out of the way of the blast of fire, even as Zarien was slammed into a poll. Ducking a ball of fire shot from Number 502, Number 994 ran forward, gripping Zarien’s hand as Zarien tried to shake his head, groggy from his shock.
“Move!” Number 994 yelled, jerking Zarien out of the way to avoid the next shot from Number 502. “We don’t have much time!” Stumbling in his steps, Zarien followed as Number 994 moved to position the pole between him and Number 502 as they raced toward the ladder. There was a tremor at their feet.
There was a crash, and fire vents started exploding around them, shrapnel flying as Number 502 sent power surges into the fire vents ahead of them, blowing them apart. Skidding to a stop, Number 994 watched as Augger safely moved through the mess, unscathed by his heat-resistant scales.
“Move forward!” Number 994 hissed to Zarien. “I’ll distract the fire orc.”
“But-”
“Move!”
Zarien moved forward, running, as Number 994 turned around to see Number 502 moving toward them, a spark appearing at his finger-tips as he looked ready to send forth his next assault. But this time, Number 994 was prepared. Leaping forward, Number 994 shot out a lightning bolt, forcing Number 502 to move to the side to avoid being electrocuted.
Moving quickly, Number 994 bent down and laid his hand on the inner edge of the fire vent, knowing that he had to do this before Number 502 saw him and set the vent aflame. Sending out a snippet of electricity, Number 994 quickly hotwired the spark plugs in the vent and immediately threw himself to the side as Number 502 sent a wave of flame at him, gripping onto the inner ring of the vent as he swung himself down into it, now dangling within the vent as he sent out his electricity through the spark plugs into the system, quickly analyzing it before shooting out commands even as he vaulted himself out of the vent.
Number 994 landed on the ground as his command went into play and the four vents around Number 502 simultaneously exploded as the wiring between them was electrocuted, creating a sudden web of electricity pulsating through the metal floor that Number 502 was standing on, even as the explosion created a wall of smoke and shrapnel. And Number 994 knew that his work was done.
Sprinting ahead even as the other orcs remained distracted with Augger, Zarien, and Monty—now at the ladder—Number 994 dashed to the ladder while Number 502 remained blinded and stunned by Number 994’s surprise attack. Gripping the rungs, Number 994 climbed up even while shots rang all around.
“We need to move quickly,” Monty said as they quickly ascended past the ceiling of the ground-level into the next level. Exiting the ladder, Augger quickly shut the trap door, locking it to seal it off from any pursuers.
“Where next?” Augger asked.
“The elevators,” Number 994 pointed. “Get in it. Now.” Running to the closest of the many elevators, they waited as the elevator doors opened just as noises from the trapdoor signaled that the fire-orcs were preparing to break through. Piling in, Number 994 quickly opened a hatch and stuck his finger in, closing his eyes as his mind searched the system, before deciding on their destination and punching it in, all the while covering up his digital tracks from any other lightning-orcs.
“All right,” Number 994 said as the doors closed. “I sent us to a portion of the Mothership that isn’t used often. There we can re-group and await further orders.” The elevator rose, and then began to move sideways. And their journey began.
Kapton 29th, 114 A.U.
“We’ve received our final instructions.” It was nearing midnight on the 29th, two days after they had made it into the Mothership. Since then, their initiative had been all but erased as their plans had stagnated, waiting for the elven rebel group to relay instructions and for Number 994 to receive them in a way that evaded the elves’ notice. They had already staged two scenes involving crashing elevators and collapsing passages that made it look like they had been killed, and thus had remained undetected for the past 24 hours.
“What is it?” Monty asked, itching to get back to work.
“They finally came up with the easiest path for us to make it to the central computer system,” Number 994 replied. “It involves us taking the elevators to as close as we can get, and then using the little explosives we have to blow into the weakest part of the defenses around it.”
“I suppose it was too much to hope that they’d leave their central computer relatively unguarded,” Zarien muttered.
“Have they sent the plans?” Monty asked.
“They said it was too large to send under the elves’ radar,” Number 994 replied. “We have to go with blind faith and reliance on their instructions.”
“Blind faith… suppose it’s what we have to work with,” Augger said. “We must rely on the Great One for their victory.”
“Not the Great One—just the instructions that the elven rebels gave,” Zarien interjected. “But no time for a theological debate now. The rest of the Xavier Team is supposed to arrive at Quelia tomorrow. And it’s already an hour until tomorrow begins.”
“Then no point wasting time,” Monty said. “We must set forth, and make one final attack on the Mothership’s system.”
“Let’s go.”
Date: Kapton 27th, 114 A.U.
Number 994 surged to his feet as he helplessly watched as Zarien fell backwards toward the fire vent even as Number 502 gestured toward it, the fire ready to explode out of the vent to consume Zarien. Number 994 had to move fast. And surging forward, thunder rolled from Number 994’s fingertips as lightning moved faster than fire to stop the fire-orc’s plan.
As fire shot upward out of the vent, a bolt of lightning struck Zarien from the side, throwing him sideways and out of the way of the blast of fire, even as Zarien was slammed into a poll. Ducking a ball of fire shot from Number 502, Number 994 ran forward, gripping Zarien’s hand as Zarien tried to shake his head, groggy from his shock.
“Move!” Number 994 yelled, jerking Zarien out of the way to avoid the next shot from Number 502. “We don’t have much time!” Stumbling in his steps, Zarien followed as Number 994 moved to position the pole between him and Number 502 as they raced toward the ladder. There was a tremor at their feet.
There was a crash, and fire vents started exploding around them, shrapnel flying as Number 502 sent power surges into the fire vents ahead of them, blowing them apart. Skidding to a stop, Number 994 watched as Augger safely moved through the mess, unscathed by his heat-resistant scales.
“Move forward!” Number 994 hissed to Zarien. “I’ll distract the fire orc.”
“But-”
“Move!”
Zarien moved forward, running, as Number 994 turned around to see Number 502 moving toward them, a spark appearing at his finger-tips as he looked ready to send forth his next assault. But this time, Number 994 was prepared. Leaping forward, Number 994 shot out a lightning bolt, forcing Number 502 to move to the side to avoid being electrocuted.
Moving quickly, Number 994 bent down and laid his hand on the inner edge of the fire vent, knowing that he had to do this before Number 502 saw him and set the vent aflame. Sending out a snippet of electricity, Number 994 quickly hotwired the spark plugs in the vent and immediately threw himself to the side as Number 502 sent a wave of flame at him, gripping onto the inner ring of the vent as he swung himself down into it, now dangling within the vent as he sent out his electricity through the spark plugs into the system, quickly analyzing it before shooting out commands even as he vaulted himself out of the vent.
Number 994 landed on the ground as his command went into play and the four vents around Number 502 simultaneously exploded as the wiring between them was electrocuted, creating a sudden web of electricity pulsating through the metal floor that Number 502 was standing on, even as the explosion created a wall of smoke and shrapnel. And Number 994 knew that his work was done.
Sprinting ahead even as the other orcs remained distracted with Augger, Zarien, and Monty—now at the ladder—Number 994 dashed to the ladder while Number 502 remained blinded and stunned by Number 994’s surprise attack. Gripping the rungs, Number 994 climbed up even while shots rang all around.
“We need to move quickly,” Monty said as they quickly ascended past the ceiling of the ground-level into the next level. Exiting the ladder, Augger quickly shut the trap door, locking it to seal it off from any pursuers.
“Where next?” Augger asked.
“The elevators,” Number 994 pointed. “Get in it. Now.” Running to the closest of the many elevators, they waited as the elevator doors opened just as noises from the trapdoor signaled that the fire-orcs were preparing to break through. Piling in, Number 994 quickly opened a hatch and stuck his finger in, closing his eyes as his mind searched the system, before deciding on their destination and punching it in, all the while covering up his digital tracks from any other lightning-orcs.
“All right,” Number 994 said as the doors closed. “I sent us to a portion of the Mothership that isn’t used often. There we can re-group and await further orders.” The elevator rose, and then began to move sideways. And their journey began.
Kapton 29th, 114 A.U.
“We’ve received our final instructions.” It was nearing midnight on the 29th, two days after they had made it into the Mothership. Since then, their initiative had been all but erased as their plans had stagnated, waiting for the elven rebel group to relay instructions and for Number 994 to receive them in a way that evaded the elves’ notice. They had already staged two scenes involving crashing elevators and collapsing passages that made it look like they had been killed, and thus had remained undetected for the past 24 hours.
“What is it?” Monty asked, itching to get back to work.
“They finally came up with the easiest path for us to make it to the central computer system,” Number 994 replied. “It involves us taking the elevators to as close as we can get, and then using the little explosives we have to blow into the weakest part of the defenses around it.”
“I suppose it was too much to hope that they’d leave their central computer relatively unguarded,” Zarien muttered.
“Have they sent the plans?” Monty asked.
“They said it was too large to send under the elves’ radar,” Number 994 replied. “We have to go with blind faith and reliance on their instructions.”
“Blind faith… suppose it’s what we have to work with,” Augger said. “We must rely on the Great One for their victory.”
“Not the Great One—just the instructions that the elven rebels gave,” Zarien interjected. “But no time for a theological debate now. The rest of the Xavier Team is supposed to arrive at Quelia tomorrow. And it’s already an hour until tomorrow begins.”
“Then no point wasting time,” Monty said. “We must set forth, and make one final attack on the Mothership’s system.”
“Let’s go.”
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