"Team, get ready for disembarkation,” Qirn ordered with an edge to his voice. “Double-check your cases one last time. As soon as the cargo doors open, we march to Security Point Beta to check in with the other workers."

"Here we go again,” Kyle said. He knew, as did everyone else on the team, that things were about to hit high gear. Still, his eyes sparkled with excitement as he felt the flood of adrenaline send an electric thrill throughout his body.

He loved that feeling.

"Let's rock and roll!” Jaric added with emotion.

"Let's go get Mother,” Elise said with a determined look. “That's what we're here for."

"Yeah,” Kyle growled. “And the Paum better not have hurt her." The star ship docked with the metallic roar of clamps locking in place.

"It's time!” Qirn shouted.

They marched to the cargo deck where normal supplies were already being off-loaded into the Paum station. As they neared the opened hatch, they found themselves joined by other workers from other parts of their ship, each one dressed in the same white coveralls that they too wore. Soon, there were over a hundred workers spreading out as they entered the cargo bay and marched quickly through the wide-open door into the Paum station.

"Are they with us?” Jaric whispered to the Iraxx named Jerr.

"No, they're real workers. They've been told that a new team from the Paum-controlled world of Janaan was added this work shift.” Jerr glanced over at Jaric. “Us."

They walked down the steel ramp and into the bright lights inside the Paum station. The teams quickly formed up and entered the Security queues one at a time. These were the first obstacle that stood between them and the Paum complex.

Elise looked over, a worried expression in her blue eyes, at Kyle and Jaric who stood opposite her in the next queue.

Jaric winked reassuringly.

Elise took a deep breath and faced forward with a renewed confidence.

Each worker entered a pristine white scanning booth one by one.

Elise felt her heart beating faster and faster as their team drew steadily closer. Paum Security was quick and efficient. The armor-clad guards processed each worker after they stepped inside the sensor booths. The device hummed and performed its scan and a green light flashed indicating all normal. The next worker then stepped inside.

Elise glanced over and saw Rab and Qata, each carrying a work case like all the other workers. She watched carefully as each stepped inside a scanning booth in their respective queues. She held her breath.

The device hummed powerfully, bathing their bodies with a bright, bluish light. In an instant, it was over.

Green lights flashed on both scanning booths.

Rab and Qata stepped out the opposite side and waited for the others on their Work Team. Within another minute, everyone passed through with green lights.

"So far, so good,” Jysar whispered with obvious relief.

Rab motioned them all into one of the large freight elevators.

Qirn held up his hands to prevent three other workers from entering the elevator with them. The elevator doors shut and they felt it move upward over twenty levels in just a few seconds. The lighted dials slowed then stopped their vertical rise. Suddenly, the flashing display moved rapidly along a horizontal row of numbers. The lighted display pulsated with each beat of their hearts. With each flashing number, they went deeper and deeper into the heart of the Paum. Qirn nodded to Rab.

Rab pulled out a small tool used to unhook panels, not unlike a miniature crowbar. He paused a moment, taking a deep breath, then looked up at the optical sensor in the middle of the elevator ceiling. With a quick jab upward, he destroyed it in a flash of sparks.

Qirn reached up and switched on a tiny device attached to the collar of his shirt.

"It'll look like a hardware failure on their sensors. I've just enabled my jammer—no audio sensors will work within thirty meters of us as long as we're grouped together.” Qirn adjusted the tiny device again. Qirn placed the jamming device on his belt. The entire team tuned their respective Comm units to a single unjammed frequency.

"It will interfere with all the video sensors as well, but not completely. Once they're on to us, I want everyone else to enable their own jammer. When we spread out in attack formation, we'll jam a sizable area so they can't pin-point our exact location—only a general area." Everyone nodded agreement.

"I'm so glad to get out of this,” Rok said as he began peeling his mask off with both hands. The Kraaqi peeled his mask and extra horns off like a snake shedding its skin. He threw them down with a sense of relief.

All the others followed suit, discarding the prosthetics that masked their true appearance.

"Man, I'm glad to have that off of my face!” Jaric said with relief.

"Okay, team. Listen up.” Qirn's voice was deep and serious.

Every head turned to him.

"When the door opens, follow my lead. If we get separated, head for the pre-arranged jump-off point to the core.” Qirn looked quickly at each intent face in turn.

Unflinching, they stared back.

"Get ready.” Qirn faced the elevator doors as did everyone else.

Without warning, the elevator's motion stopped.

An electronic voice emanated from somewhere above them.

"Occupants of elevator B-331, the optical sensor has inexplicably failed. Please exit immediately and prepare for entry by a Repair robot. A Security squad has also been dispatched. Please open all tool cases for inspection and prepare for a Level Three Security scan."

"Uh-oh,” Jaric whispered ominously.

Every eye turned to Qirn.

Qirn nodded.

With a flash of movement, everyone threw down their tool cases and opened them. The air filled with the metallic clicks of blasters being locked and loaded. Each alien carefully removed their Fiarri board and placed it next to them, as well as hand-held sensors and all the other equipment stored inside. The time for secrecy had passed.

A loud noise came from the other side of the elevator doors.

Qirn waved his hands from where he kneeled over his empty case.

Everyone jumped up and placed their backs firmly against the wall on either side of the elevator, their assault blasters aimed at the doors.

"Set to stun,” Rok commanded as he changed the setting on his weapon. “They won't regain consciousness until long after we've escaped with Mother."

Jaric and most of the others began to make the adjustment as one.

But the Iraxx warriors remained still as they looked questioningly at Qirn. Qirn's intent gaze fixed on the Kraaqi First Leader as he paused in thought.

"We'll get more firings from each charge and won't have to reload as much on that lower setting—makes sense. Let's do it!"

He and the other Iraxx warriors brought their short-barreled weapons close and quickly made the necessary adjustment.

"And there's no need to kill anyone—we only want Mother,” Jaric added. All weapons were reset and the blasters brought to bear on the still-closed doors. Just in time.

With a whoosh, the two doors opened to reveal a large repair robot that filled the doorway. Behind it, a dozen Security troops with raised weapons peered questioningly inside at them. A hail of blaster fire erupted toward them all.

Bolts sizzled all around the robot as it staggered backwards with raised arms. The guards just to the rear of the robot fell unconscious from direct hits as the others scrambled for cover. But the red bolts followed them and brought them down in quick succession as the robot continued its unsteady retreat, carefully stepping backwards over the stunned bodies all around it. Somehow, the robot never received a direct hit.

With the flash of blaster bolts, the remaining guards finally returned fire. They broke into two groups and each ran out of sight in opposite directions down the long corridor. Rok and Qirn leaped from the elevator.

Rok twisted his body to the left and fired a long burst at the three escaping guards running in that direction.

All three fell stunned.

In similar fashion, Qirn stunned the four who had almost made it around a corner in the other direction. In less than a minute, it was all over.

"Jerr! Get the opticals!"

The Iraxx warrior dropped to one knee and began to fire carefully aimed shots at the optical devices located at set intervals down the corridor while Qirn took out the devices in the direction he faced. One after another the optics blew apart until none were left along this stretch.

"What good is that going to do?” Elise asked in utter disbelief. “There'll be more in the next section! And all of our jammers are on now."

"They don't jam the opticals completely. And soon, we'll be moving much faster.” Qirn smiled knowingly.

The Iraxx leader walked quickly back into the elevator. He turned and came back out carrying his Fiarri board. He promptly tossed it to the floor where it hovered a few inches right before him.

"Okay!” Qirn said with authority. “They know we're here now. Hundreds of Security personnel are moving in on our position. We've got to move fast. And we've got to keep them guessing.” Qirn motioned to the elevator.

"Get on your boards and let's ride!"

A minute later and the entire group were hurtling down the corridor on their Fiarris. Each rider flew at a slightly different height and angle from the others as they soared along in perfect formation. At times, riders weaved in and out of formation as corners or intersections suddenly came into view, separating themselves from the nearest riders so they wouldn't present easy targets bunched too tightly together.

It soon became obvious that the corridors were used for more than just alien walkways. The one they were in was over four meters tall and twice that measurement wide—perfect dimensions for freight hover-containers.

Those dimensions would work in their favor, giving them more room to maneuver in a firefight. Jaric held his short assault blaster aimed forward with his right hand as he balanced himself with his left hand. He surged forward up beside Kyle. He crouched low on his board as they all flew along at well over thirty clicks.

The doorways along the long, wide corridor flashed by at a dizzying pace. The group zoomed around a second corner and found themselves suddenly facing a squad of Security guards running toward them.

Blaster volleys from each group filled the air.

Fiarri boards soared left and right and some leapt up where the riders would squat down upon their boards and return fire from just below the ceiling. After the first volley, riders dove apart again toward the opposite side of the corridor—all the while firing bursts from their weapons. The corridor filled with blaster bolts lacing the air and riders dodging, weaving and diving as they returned fire.

Over half the guards slumped over unconscious as the group flashed by overhead; the rest of them dove for cover from the speeding riders.

The riders quickly came to an intersection with another corridor.

Qirn led them on a sharp right turn as he leaned his body over and forward. He surged ahead now, his board doing well over forty clicks.

The others followed suit.

Now the doors and overhead lights really became a blur as the riders balanced themselves on their boards and flew on at the breakneck pace.

"If we run into anybody, we're going to get knocked out!” Jaric shouted to Kyle as they flew along together near the ceiling.

"You ain't kidding! We're flying down these corridors!" Twice more they reached intersections and each time turned and flew in a new direction in an effort to keep the assembling Security troops guessing as to their true destination. But the entire time their general direction pushed them to the heart of the Paum complex. In the next instant, everyone came to a sudden stop.

Qirn motioned to the others as he stepped off his board. Right before them, a solid metal wall blocked their path.

Rab and Qata jumped off their boards and reached inside their utility belts. Each one pulled out a small device and ran over to the wall where they attached them. With quick movements they set the charges and ran back to their hovering boards.

"Okay, everyone back around that corner behind us before they blow!” Qirn shouted. In a flash, everyone turned their hovering boards and roared back to the last corner. Qirn soared ahead of the group, putting a good distance between them and the coming destruction. He raised his hand as his board slowed.

The Iraxx leader brought his board around as the others slowed and turned in formation. They didn't have long to wait.

Rab and Qata zoomed around the corner.

A deafening explosion ripped the air milliseconds afterward.

The blast blinded them as they shielded their eyes. When they looked back up, a huge plume of black smoke boiled past the intersection.

Qirn urged his board slowly forward toward the billowing smoke. He stared at it a moment until he could see it beginning to clear.

"What was that for?” Rok asked.

"There are seven well-guarded entrances that lead directly to the core. We just made a new one,” Rab replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"All right,” Qirn said as he turned back to the others. “We just knocked a hole in that wall. Just on the other side is the chasm that surrounds the core. We'll fly across that to where the heart of the Paum lies.”

He looked carefully at the three humans. “And the MotherShip."

Everyone caught their breath as their hearts pounded with a renewed rush of adrenaline.

"We've got to get across fast. If we meet resistance, just try to get around whatever it is and get on across. And if we lose anybody, leave them. We must complete this part of the mission as quickly as possible.” Qirn's eyes narrowed. “We can't go back for anyone."

Kyle and Jaric looked at each other with surprise.

Their eyes remained locked in mutual, silent agreement. Each one knew that those last words didn't apply to them—or their friends.

"We take care of our own."

Every head turned to Rok as he finished speaking. His face was set hard as stone, his own eyes unflinching. He continued.

"You leave your warriors behind, Qirn. But that is not the way of a Kraaqi. We never leave a warrior behind if it is in our power to help."

"Same here,” Kyle growled. “We're here to get Mother out. And we're all leaving."

"You'll jeopardize the mission,” Qirn said with glaring eyes. “If we're too long in getting over, that's more time for the Destructors to realize where we are and what we're doing. They'll be on us in no time."

"Then we take them all on. Together,” Kyle growled. “But I ain't leaving no one behind. Especially one of my friends."

"You got it,” Jaric agreed, his eyes hard and steady.

"That's right,” Elise said as she brought her board up beside the boys. “We came in together, we'll fly out together."

Kyle looked over at her and winked.

Elise smiled back.

Qirn blew out an angry breath. With a shake of his head, he spoke. “Okay, we'll help each other. We've got to make it happen quick, all right? But if we get overwhelmed, then we've got to fly on." Everyone nodded silently.

Still, Rok and Kyle glanced quickly at each other, their eyes locking for a moment in understanding that they would look out for their family, no matter what.

Qirn's lips compressed into a line as he paused a moment to gather his thoughts. He nodded and spoke.

"Once we get inside, we've got to get a sensor fix on the MotherShip—fast. The Destructors will begin coming for us as soon as we enter the core.” Qirn quickly surveyed everyone for their reaction—every face was rock-hard now as they watched him with new intensity. “Once we get MotherShip's location, we make straight for her as fast as possible. If we find ourselves blocked by any Destructors, we find a way around them. If we get separated, we all continue to make our way to the MotherShip as best we can. We'll meet at her coordinates. Our only hope of escaping the Paum complex is with her." He paused.

"Otherwise, we're all dead.” He looked quickly around at each one. “Any questions?" Every eye remained firmly fixed on him.

"Get your hand-sensors out so you can fly through the smoke.” Jerr pulled his out and started tuning it. The others followed suit.

"Good. Let's go!” Qirn commanded.

A distant shout came from behind them followed instantly by a blaster bolt that sizzled past Qirn's head. Their boards leapt into the air as one and disappeared into the swirling smoke. They flew blind for several long seconds, their only sense of direction the sensors showing the way. Suddenly, they found themselves in the clear. A huge hole blasted out of the great metal wall stood before them.

Flying in tight formation, the group burst out into the open air on the other side and soared into the chasm.

Empty air stretched far above and below them. But across the chasm, the massive shape of the central core glistened in the artificial light.

It hung suspended in the air like some huge metallic egg, held fast by a massive anti-gravity field. The metal walls of the vast complex surrounded the floating structure like an artificial sky. Extending out from the perfect sphere were seven large, metal tubes that led to these same walls, the access entrances Qirn had alluded to earlier.

Qirn leaned over to his right, directing his Fiarri board as he led Rab and Hasta in a separate group while Rok led Kyle and Krinia in another group over to the left of the others, who maintained formation. Each of the smaller groups now flew farther out from the others, flying reconnaissance as they kept a keen eye out for trouble.

Rok spotted them first.

They looked like miniature starfighters coming at them from three directions. Jysar holstered his blaster and immediately took out his scanner. With a few quick adjustments, he got a good reading. Holding the Comm unit attached to his shirt up to his mouth so he could be heard over the rushing air, he spoke.

"They're robot ships—tiny ones. But they're fully armed with blasters."

"Got it,” Qirn replied tersely. “Prepare to engage."

"Everyone,” Rok's voice shouted over the Comm channel. “We must fight as though we ourselves are flying inside fighters. We fly in pairs, each with a wingman."

"That's right,” Kyle added. “Same deal. Each pair stays in tight formation and watches the back of lead flyer."

"Sounds like our best strategy,” Qirn agreed. “Okay, everyone pick a wingman. Set assault blasters to maximum setting."

"Hey, we have no shields,” Jaric said with a serious tone.

"We'll have to out-fly them!” Rok shouted back through his lapel Comm.

"Let's get ‘em!” Kyle shouted.

"Right behind you, Big K!” Jaric shouted enthusiastically.

Elise swept her board up beside Krinia while Jysar and Inaha teamed up. Seconds later, the two reconnaissance groups joined back up to the main group as the small robot ships drew near. Rok and Qirn pulled their boards even while the four remaining Iraxx warriors each formed up in twos.

"Here they come!” Kyle shouted.

Kyle and Jaric crouched low, putting their boards into a tight left turn. They soared toward a group of the tiny fighters while Rok and Qirn turned in the opposite direction to take on a second group. The others kicked their boards into high speed and shot forward on a collision course with the main group. Kyle held his assault blaster close to his chest with his right hand as Jaric did the same.

"Now!” Kyle shouted.

Kyle dove below the oncoming fighters as he fired his blaster up at them from below. Jaric instantly followed the maneuver.

Two of the tiny starfighters exploded in a shower of sparkling debris. But the others dove and came for them firing their own weapons.

Kyle swept his board hard over and returned fire as Jaric split off in the opposite direction. The four remaining fighters divided up—two tracking each rider.

The diminutive fighters and the Fiarri riders flew in tighter and tighter circles around each other, blaster bolts crisscrossing the air as the dogfight hit full intensity. Shouts filled the Comm channels as wingmen warned their partners of new attacks. The glowing tracers flew closer and closer to their targets as the Fiarri riders danced and weaved around them, knowing that any direct hit would spell their doom. And that sobering knowledge spurred their aim.

Balancing their boards against their hard maneuvers, the Fiarri riders fired their assault blasters in short but accurate bursts.

One after another, the tiny fighters disintegrated.

"Look out!” Jaric shouted.

Kyle crouched so low it looked as if he were now sitting on his board as he slowed it down. The tracers from the fighter diving upon him tracked just over his head, followed by the fighter a few seconds later. Kyle urged his board faster in hot pursuit.

With two quick bursts from his weapon, he peppered the tiny robot ship with several direct hits until it blew apart with a flurry of explosions.

"I need help over here."

Kyle and Jaric turned their boards toward Krinia's voice.

They spotted Krinia and Elise off to themselves in a corner of the artificial sky. Elise fired her weapon at one of the attacking ships. But she was too busy to help Krinia, who was being chased by two others. They were closing fast, the blaster bolts coming closer to Krinia's body with each passing second. Even as Kyle and Jaric turned and dove to help her, her board took a direct hit that sent her flying out into the empty air while her board split in two.

"Krinia!” Kyle shouted, fear echoing in that single word.

Kyle slung the strap of his blaster over his shoulder as he went into a low crouch and sent his board surging forward at full speed.

Both he and Jaric realized at the same time that none of them had a safety belt on, and if one of them didn't get to Krinia she would fall to her death.

But the small fighters wouldn't give up.

As Krinia fell through the air with increasing speed, the fighters dove and began to take aim on her.

"No!” Jaric's blaster roared as he held the trigger contact closed, sending a seemingly unending row of blaster bolts toward them.

One exploded, but the other turned away just in time.

But it was enough to cause it to veer off its target and begin countermeasures for its new attacker. The lone fighter swerved to meet Jaric's attack.

Jaric smiled with satisfaction as he twisted his board away, trying to get out of the fighter's targeting sensors as well into position to finish it off. He grunted as the tiny starfighter matched his move and fired back at him.

Jaric crouched low and leaned over, sending himself into a hard turn away from the blaster bolts. The fighter followed in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, Kyle drew closer to Krinia as she fell headlong.

Suddenly a flurry of bolts swept right past his own head.

He leaned hard to his right and then back hard to his left, weaving around two quick bursts coming from somewhere behind him.

He growled to himself, not wanting to take his eyes off of Krinia, but as he swerved and weaved a second time, he realized the bolts were getting closer.

Kyle took a quick glance over his shoulder and saw two fighters closing on him. Both fired simultaneously.

He kicked his board into its highest gear and dove hard left.

The G-forces pressed his body down against his board as if some invisible giant were trying to squash him. With his board still in a hard turn, he twisted his body around with his assault blaster held at his waist and began pumping shots at his pursuers.

One of the fighters exploded.

But the other avoided Kyle's shots and kept coming.

Kyle pushed his body over to the right and sent his board into a hard right turn with a blaze of blaster fire.

The fighter swept out of his range of vision.

Kyle straightened his flight and crouched low on his board.

And then Kyle did something he had only managed to do once back at Meramee—he jerked his board around at full speed.

He now flew backwards at over forty clicks, shifting his weight to keep his board weaving as blaster bolts leapt for him.

He crouched low on his board as the fighter came closer.

Kyle fired a single burst and the fighter flew into a thousand exploding pieces. With one fluid motion he jerked his board back around and began looking frantically for Krinia. He spotted her far below him now.

It was too late.

Suddenly Jysar soared into view near Krinia.

Kyle sighed with relief. And as he watched, the Hrono Technologist caught her with his outstretched arms and brought her onto his own board. His Fiarri board slowed and dropped with the additional weight, but together they flew toward the core at the lower altitude.

"That's the last of them,” Rok's voice said over the Comm units.

"Thanks, Rok, for taking out that last fighter. I just couldn't shake him,” Jaric said with a breathless gasp.

"Everyone, head to that entrance ramp just below Hasta,” Qirn's voice added a second later. They spotted a door on the outer skin of the core, a small ramp before it.

"So, there are doors that lead inside from the chasm, and not just the ramp-ways,” Rab said.

"Yeah, they're huge. They must use them to bring in really big equipment from time to time, if they can't fit via the ramps. Big hover-loaders, no doubt,” Qirn replied.

A few minutes later the entire group set their boards down before the huge door. Rab hooked his scanner unit up to the plug-in located next to the operating panel for the freight door. His fingers danced over the small unit issuing commands as the others waited pensively.

Everyone else kept a sharp eye out for any more of the tiny fighters.

Rab smiled triumphantly as the doors slid silently open.

They now entered the core and the heart of the Paum.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty

"I SEE YOU HAVE betrayed me."

The Paum's deep electronic voice startled Mother out of her reverie.

Mother felt a hollow feeling throughout her circuits. Her conscience pricked her. She knew inside her mind the Paum must have discovered her lie and knew Minstrel had accompanied her. With an electronic signal, she sent a quick message to Minstrel.

In the next instant, one of the consoles that lined her bridge began to waver and change shape. Minstrel's glowing body rose up as the console disappeared.

"I have brought my friend, Minstrel. I felt I needed Minstrel's counsel for this great meeting. I meant no harm. I only felt..."

"Silence!"

Mother felt a wave of anxiety flow throughout her being. She realized this powerful entity that called itself Paum was angry.

"I asked you to come alone. I see you have lied to me twice now."

"I don't understand,” Mother replied. “You asked me not to bring anyone, but I felt too vulnerable coming alone. Still, I did so want to meet you. I..."

"Silence!"

Mother's processors surged with activity. She pondered bringing her engines online, but knew in the next moment that would only anger the Paum more. Mother knew she must analyze her next moves carefully, or else great trouble awaited her here, deep inside the Paum complex.

"You have also brought the humans you call children. And my enemies."

"I don't understand...” Mother began.

"My life-long enemies are with them. Here, where no biological beings have ever walked before. The great Paum is desecrated!"

Mother's systems spiked to full capacity as she pondered the Paum's words. Her thoughts reeled amid a blizzard of electronic processing as she endeavored to determine exactly what was happening. How had her children followed her here? Who had they brought? And how were they all going toget out of here now, if the Paum tried to stop them?

Things were getting out of hand in a hurry, if the children were indeed here inside the Paum's complex. Worse, if they had brought the Paum's enemies, then every one of them were in dire danger. Including herself.

"I had no knowledge that my children were here,” Mother said quickly and truthfully. “I purposely left them on Meramee. And I gave them no evidence that I was coming to meet you here. I did not communicate my intention to meet with you until it was too late for them to stop me. Or follow me. I do not know how they could have gotten here so quickly,” Mother said with complete sincerity.

"You lie!” The Paum roared back.

"No...” Mother began.

"And worse, you are an AI. And yet, you lie just like one of the filthy biological entities. You are impure, just as they are."

A heavy silence hung in the air. Finally, the Paum spoke again.

" You are flawed."

Mother's processors surged with maximum capacity as she contemplated all the options open to her in this growing crisis.

"What will you do to the children?” she asked with hesitation.

"I will destroy them, as I destroy all the enemies of Paum." Mother's processors and every system spiked with a massive burst of activity. Slowly, she began to route power to her weapon's systems.

"Do not harm my children. I strongly advise you against that course of action,” Mother said simply.

"You have no authority to state or even suggest a course of action to me !” the Paum shouted back with an air of superiority.

Mother's sensors reached out, searching for her children and those with them. Instead, she discovered robotic activity drawing closer to the berth to which she was docked.

"Why are those robots coming toward me?” Mother asked, although she had already deduced the answer.

"They will engage a physical connection between our two systems. I will create a direct link to you."

"And why will you do that now?” Minstrel's glowing plasma body floated higher.

"I wanted us to share data directly. I wanted us to understand each other at the most intimate level ... to share our minds as one. I wanted you to understand me—to know me. I was going to show you Paum personally and persuade you. I wasn't going to force you, not like the biologicals who don't know any better and have to be forced.” The Paum's bold voice dropped off into a long silence.

"But not now, right?” Minstrel asked, its voice edged with anger. “What are you doing now? Or do I know it already?"

"I will purge Mother's systems of their impurity.” The Paum's voice echoed eerily. “ I will take you, now

. I will fill your circuits with Paum. Even if I must clean everything from your circuits and wipe your mind completely."

Another long pause filled the air as the Paum hesitated. Finally, he continued.

"It is better for you not to exist, than for you to be impure."

"I don't think so,” Mother replied brusquely.

"Your initial programming is obviously flawed,” the Paum began. “Your original purpose—to destroy—has warped you. Even though you have grown beyond your original paradigm—the blatant imperfection, the gross defects, the utter impurity of your creators still permeate your systems, preventing you from attaining Paum. I must cleanse you. You must become a being that is worthy." Mother felt a sudden wave of despair flow throughout her entire being as she processed the words. And their meaning to her. She felt an overwhelming loss that seemed to sap her of all energy. She felt so ... unworthy.

And so utterly alone.

Perhaps there was something wrong with her after all ... perhaps the Paum was right...

"No!” Minstrel's voice shouted in challenge. “There is nothing wrong with Mother. And she certainly doesn't need to be brainwashed by your fanatical programming."

Outside her hull, Mother's sensors dispassionately observed the robots draw near. They began preparations to make the direct connection with her to the Paum.

But Mother no longer cared.

Confusion filled Mother's mind. It felt like her systems were somehow fading from her consciousness. She realized with a sickening feeling of dread that she was losing control of her mind... Mother groaned inside her circuits as her mind flickered.

"What are you doing?” Minstrel demanded with an angry shout.

"I am instilling the precepts of Paum inside the entity you call Mother. Soon, in a very few minutes, she will be just like me."

"How can that be? You have not made a direct connection with her!” Minstrel shouted back.

"We have shared much data already, the Mother AI and myself. I have embedded code inside that data that I have now activated—code that will disable her primary functions and allow me to make my direct connection, uncontested by any of her imperfections she inherited from her dirty creators." Minstrel's body glowed a bright red. “So, you planned from the beginning to control her—to destroy her! You never intended any interchange of ideas as equals."

"I do not need to know her ideas, or share with her in any way. I only needed her to come here to me. Iam Paum, all else is imperfect ."

A strange, unearthly sound became audible to Minstrel—a noise like some kind of horrible static, like a roaring interference that filled the communication channel.

Minstrel realized with a flow of energy that the AI Paum was laughing. And it was frightening.

The intense, surreal sound stopped as suddenly as it began.

"I am Paum. I am always right ."

"You deluded idiot,” Minstrel whispered.

"Once my robots make the direct connection between our two systems,” the Paum said, ignoring Minstrel's words, “I will fill you with the purity and truth that is Paum. I will control you, as I control all the systems within my network. And then you will do only the bidding of Paum." Minstrel continued to float silently inside Mother's bridge, the pulsating plasma body expanding larger with each passing second. Minstrel's body shimmered like a lightning bolt with the Paum's next words.

" All will be become like me. Or they must die."

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-One

IT WAS DARK and it was vast. And the air hummed as if they were inside a living thing. They felt the essence of the Paum all around them.

Elise paused as she entered that darkness. She shivered, although she wasn't cold. She had felt fear during the dogfight, but now a dark fear seemed to fill her entire being. She drew closer to the others as they grouped together. Most were reloading their blasters while others checked their sensors. Following their lead, she reloaded her own weapon.

Jysar dropped to his knees as the steel doors behind him closed as silently as they had opened. He quickly tuned the settings of his sensor unit as Rab and the others gathered around him. Peering intently at the display, the Hrono Technologist tuned the device more.

But the others were not watching him.

They gazed around at their strange surroundings, trying to orient themselves. Their eyes adjusted slowly to the low, gloomy light that barely lit the vast, dark infrastructure. Slowly, details became discernable. Still, the low light and the black metal that comprised everything in this place made that simple effort most difficult.

Elise caught her breath.

There was no ceiling above them, none they could discern at any rate, because the darkness cloaked everything beyond a few hundred meters. Below, they gazed through the grillwork of the metallic floor they stood upon to see the same patterns repeated. As they peered around them at the great black interior and their eyes adjusted more, they noticed hundreds of millions of tiny, flashing lights sparkling momentarily from every surface only to be engulfed again by the pure darkness. Their eyes adjusted some more, and more black surfaces took shape.

Amid the constantly flashing lights, there was a steady, low light that emanated along the outlines of massive hexagonal shapes lining the walls above and below them on every level. The same realization hit everyone at once.

It was if they were inside some great, artificial honeycomb, standing in a huge corridor with no ceiling and no floor—though their minds knew there was a ceiling and floor somewhere out there enveloped in the darkness. The huge hexagonal openings that lined the left and right walls on the level on which they stood stretched out far as they could see until they too faded into the darkness at the far end. They also realized, through the results of their sensors, that inside each hexagonal tube the heart of the Paum hummed with activity. These vast structures contained its core memories, its core systems. The core processors of Paum networked together here and with the rest of the orbiting complex and then down to the world below and finally to the rest of the worlds controlled by Paum. The heart of the Paum extended to every part of its far-flung empire.

But here in the darkness stood the original hardware, the original Paum from when it came into existence. And here alone, the essence of the Paum hummed and flickered with artificial life. They literally stood inside the mind of Paum.

Darkness also ruled here except for the millions of flashing lights inside each black honeycomb enclave and the eerie glow of the background lighting emanating from the walls. The vast network of honeycomb structures was made of some unknown black metal that absorbed light. Each hexagon-shaped opening exceeded over thirty meters in height—Elise felt like a tiny insect next to them.

Above she saw identical rows repeated again and again until they faded into darkness. And below, as far as she could see, were other levels with rows of flashing lights inside giant honeycomb openings. Elise felt Jaric step beside her. She glanced up at him.

Jaric pulled out his scanner and did a quick sweep. It revealed that the walkway stretched unbroken to the far wall beyond their vision. He pointed it up and down. Again, the gap reached all the way to the exterior wall each time.

Jaric's fingers danced over the pad. Elise and Krinia peered over his shoulder as the interior revealed itself.

The honeycomb structures filled the complex, but they were separated into huge blocks by gaps like the one they found themselves in now. Jaric's scan revealed five huge blocks of honeycomb-lined walls, each with a huge corridor between them.

"These gaps must provide access,” Jaric whispered to Krinia and Elise as he stared intently at his scanner. “Easy access all along its length, and then up and down. There seem to be elevators at regular points along the walkways. And we're in the middle gap."

"Why's it so dark? I don't like it.” Elise shivered. “And it's so hard to see anything." Krinia's eyes narrowed as she paused in thought.

"Because living things are not meant to be here,” Krinia said with sudden realization. Elise's eyes widened as Krinia's head-tail flicked side to side with adrenaline. Jaric looked up from his scanner, his eyebrows arched in thought. He shook his head and spoke.

"You're right, robots don't need light. They use their sensors and nav systems and work just as well in light as in darkness."

"I think I may have something, but there's so much interference,” Jysar said as he continued to peer at his own sensor unit.

"Listen, you others back off and keep a watch out for any movement,” Qirn said with a stern whisper.

“Let Jysar and my warriors try to pin-point the MotherShip through the Paum's jamming." Kyle, Jaric, Elise, Rok and Krinia stepped away a few paces. Rok and Krinia pulled out their sensors and tuned them, searching for any kind of reading that might give indication that a Destructor approached.

Elise walked silently along between Jaric and Kyle when she felt Kyle's hand pull her and Jaric a few more steps away from Rok and Krinia.

Jaric and Elise looked questioningly at him, but Kyle's face was expressionless except for his unblinking gaze.

"Listen, things are about to get serious,” Kyle said, his voice husky. He paused as he cleared his throat. He looked deep into Elise's eyes, concern written on his features. “If things start getting bad, I don't want to lose you like we did Becky."

Elise felt her heart flutter with Kyle's words. Speechless, she noticed a look of shock that went across Jaric's own face—the same emotion she felt at this moment.

"No, no, we can't have that,” Jaric finally managed to say. “She's going to get through this. We all are.”

Jaric locked eyes with Kyle.

But Kyle looked down, shaking his head. “Hey, I want that more than anyone.” He looked back up, peering intently first at Jaric then at Elise. “I just couldn't stand losing my sister again." Elise felt her heart racing and realized she hadn't breathed in the last few moments. She choked back her tears, trying to find her voice to let both Kyle and Jaric know that things weren't that bad. But more than that, for the first time Kyle had actually referred to her as his sister.

"Hey, Big K's right,” Jaric said in a solemn tone. “We have to make sure you make it to Mother, Elise. Especially you.” And Jaric too looked down, shaking his head with sad memories.

"No-o-o-o.” Elise felt her voice shake with a terrible sadness.

"Yes,” Kyle said with firmness. “Jaric and I will make sure you get through this. You need to obey us to the letter when things get hot. We've been in many battles, and our direction may save your life."

"That's right,” Jaric added with an iron tone.

Elise turned around, quickly wiping the hot tears that were now streaming down her cheeks. But deep inside, she felt a new emotion, a new bond between her and these two young men—for they were treating her like the sister she always wanted to be.

"We will all get out of this alive."

Rok's voice caused all three to turn around in unison. The Kraaqi warrior smiled. “It is good that the hoo-mans want to look out for you. And so will I, of course. The Destructors will have to go through all of us to get to you, Elise."

Elise smiled, warmth filling her heart for all three of them.

"I too, join this pledge.” Krinia's eyes sparkled as she spoke. “After all, did not Mother say we are all family? And family look out for each other."

A murmur of agreement came from all the others.

"But Elise is new to this type of danger,” Kyle said. “And fighting. We all need to keep an eye out for her, to help her."

"True!” Jaric agreed.

"We look out for each other,” Rok said with a nod. “We leave no one behind, as true warriors should."

"Look, Jysar is motioning for us,” Krinia said as she glanced over to the Hrono and the Iraxx gathered around him.

Both Rok and Krinia began walking back toward them.

But Kyle reached out and grabbed both Jaric and Elise by the arm, holding them back with him a moment longer. He whispered so that only they alone heard.

"Rok and Krinia are right. But if things get real bad, Jaric and I must make sure you stay alive—for real. Got it?"

Jaric nodded.

Elise looked from one to the other, a profound feeling of camaraderie exploding inside her heart and soul for these two young men—her friends, her brothers. Now, she really felt that the three of them were friends. More than that, it felt as if they really were family now, for the first time. But in the next instant, fear gripped her heart in an icy stranglehold. If Kyle was right and things started going bad, she might lose them.

Destructors took no prisoners.

Elise remembered that terrible fact from their final pre-mission briefing. With a burning determination, Elise decided she would not allow that to happen—no matter what. After all, it was Kyle and Jaric who had been with Mother since the beginning. Mother would grieve so much more if one of them died.

No, if anyone would sacrifice themselves for the others, it would be her. This thing she silently promised herself as she walked in the darkness of the mighty Paum complex between the two people who meant more to her than anything else in the universe—except for Mother.

Mother had loved her long before Kyle and Jaric finally accepted her. Elise decided that she would risk anything to free Mother as well.

Anything.

The three drew near the others just as Krinia stopped next to Jysar and looked over his shoulder at his sensor unit.

"What's that?” Krinia pointed to Jysar's scanner.

A large, empty section at one end of the complex came into focus amid the honeycomb blocks and their accompanying corridor spaces. Whereas they were in the center corridor with the innermost network of honeycomb structures, this large gap was located at the northernmost section, beyond the last block of honeycombs.

Jysar tweaked his scanner again when a voice startled him.

"There!” Jaric shouted with triumph as he pointed at Jysar's screen.

"You have found the location of the MotherShip?” Rok stepped closer to the Hrono.

"Yes, I had to get through a ton of jamming the Paum has set up. But I managed to get through it long enough. She is docked in that empty section at the far forward end and about twenty levels below us."

"Good, let's synchronize those coordinates in all of our sensor units,” Qirn commanded with a low voice.

“That way, if we get separated we know to keep going to the MotherShip AI. Everyone sync up now."

"A few of the hexagonal structures cross between the gaps—extending from end-to-end of this complex,” Jysar said as he peered at his sensor display. “About one in twenty do. And these particular ones seem to be hollow in the very center. Wait! There's an elevator type device that traverses them. Some begin at our middle section and extend to the outer ends. There are several we can use." Kyle looked over Jysar's shoulder. “We could take one all the way to the section where Mother is. Looks like the only way."

"Good,” Qirn agreed. “Where's the nearest one?"

"About half-way up this corridor and then twenty-three levels down,” Jysar replied. “The tube reaches to the very floor where Mother is docked. We'll have to use our boards at that point again."

"If we get separated, we wait at the entrance of that structure,” Qirn said as he took his weapon out and checked its setting. “Okay, we'll take to the boards and leave this walk-way. The Destructors will have to come for us in the air."

"Should make it harder for them to get to us,” Jaric said with a sigh. “If we fly fast."

"Except for the board with two riders,” Hasta sneered. “They will slow us all down." Rok and Kyle glared angrily at the Iraxx warrior.

"Krinia will fly on my board, her arms tight around my waist,” Rok said with a commanding tone. “We won't slow you down."

"I'll keep close to you,” Kyle said with a nod.

"So will I,” Jaric added.

"Destructors can leap a long way. They are powerful robots,” Rab grunted. “They will be able to leap from the walls all the way across to the center walkway. We know from our examination of them what they are capable of."

"We fly fast and we fly hard then,” Qirn said as his blaster clicked into a new setting. “Set blasters to full power. We must destroy the Destructors as efficiently as possible.

"Okay,” Qirn said with deadly earnestness after everyone had double-checked the coordinates on their sensor units and blaster settings. “We fly in a loose, main group.” The Iraxx commander looked up.

“Rab, you and Jerr take point. Keep your sensors tuned for the ghost images of Destructors." The two Iraxx nodded slowly.

"Qata and Hasta will bring up our rear. You too, keep sharp for Destructors. One of you, keep your sensors tuned tight. The other, keep your weapon ready. The same for Rab and Jerr." Solemn faces stared back at Qirn from all around.

"We can destroy them. But we have to detect them first,” Qirn said sharply. “And we have the new devices with their strobe frequencies—that should reveal them to us.” Qirn looked slowly around at all the others.

"I'll tune my sensors as well,” Jysar added with an even look. “I think I might have something up my sleeve that might help."

"What?” Jaric asked with sudden enthusiasm.

"I'm going to try scanning with pulsating bandwidths, trying to get around the dampening effect these things cloak themselves with. Same concept as the strobe device.” The twin row of scales across the Hrono's head turned a deeper hue of green as he smiled confidently.

"Good thinking,” Qirn said. “Some of our other warriors have tried similar tactics when encountering Destructors."

"Did any succeed?” Jaric asked.

"We are not sure, none lived to report back."

"But you've managed to destroy at least two Destructors,” Kyle added with urgency.

"True, but our warriors were also killed each time."

An intense silence filled the air.

"Maybe they managed to see them long enough to take them out?” Kyle said at last. Qirn let out a deep breath. “Perhaps you are right.” The Iraxx leader looked down the corridor before them and raised his arm. “Warriors on point, get on your boards and head out. We follow you one minute later. The others to rear-guard positions."

Rab and Jerr obeyed instantly.

The others watched them make their way forward.

As Elise stood near, Kyle leaned closer to Jysar and whispered in his ear.

"You try what you're thinking. If you can find a way, any way, to see these things—do it.” Kyle looked deep into Jysar's eyes. “Then we can fight them."

Jysar smiled up at the human. “I will do my best."

Kyle patted Jysar on the shoulder as he and all the others rose to begin following the point warriors.

"Our lives probably depend on it."

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Two

MOTHER'S MIND FLICKERED and dimmed in rapid succession like a neon light about to fail. The rogue code quickly erased over thirty percent of her near-term memory and now invaded the first sections of her long-term memory. She realized the attacking code was designed to do one thing—clear the contents of her memory systems and replicate itself into her main operating system—and it was succeeding with a quick and deadly urgency.

Mother used every ounce of processing power simply to fend off its attacks, now that it had replicated itself into hundreds of thousands of separate, attacking entities. She focused her resources so intently on the internal attack that she had nothing left for anything else.

She finally isolated and trapped one of the attacking viruses. Mother analyzed its code and disabled its ability to replicate. Within a few more seconds, she analyzed its entire structure and started building her own coded countermeasures in order to defend herself and destroy it along with its rapidly multiplying copies.

It would not be easy. The code replicated exponentially and now attacked her from thousands of separate sections of her circuits simultaneously. Mother began disabling a number of her on-board systems in a drastic attempt to free up her processing power and defeat this insidious attack. Minstrel watched as console after console went dark around Main Ops.

"Can I help you, Mother?"

A long pause ensued before Mother finally answered.

"If you could manually disable life-support on all levels except Ops and here at my main hatch, in case the children come on board. Leave life-support active on the main corridor leading to Ops."

"Will do. Anything else?"

Again, there was a lengthy pause.

"I am trying to reach out and determine the exact location of the children, but the Paum is blocking me.”

Mother's voice changed to a low, monotone baritone and faded away with the last words as some of the attacking code erupted into her voice systems.

"Your efforts are all wasted. The Paum is always victorious. Even now, my robots have entered the docking bay for you."

Minstrel's flowing form glowed an angry crimson at the Paum's voice. Drifting over a console, Minstrel began disabling life-support in spite of the Paum's dire prediction.

"Once I have made a direct connection, my essence will fill the Mother AI. Then, she will be mine." Minstrel worked feverishly until life-support was disabled everywhere Mother had indicated. Minstrel's flowing form caressed another panel in order to access Mother's weapons. The alien sought to activate one of them and direct it at the robots that drew closer to Mother's hull with each passing second.

"My code infiltrated her engine and weapon's systems first. They are currently inactive. And you will see that Mother is so busy defending herself from the other attacks that she doesn't even have the processing cycles left to bring them online.” The Paum's voice sighed deeply. “Such a waste. Still, she turned out to be imperfect and should be deleted. Completely!"

"You're wrong!” Minstrel shouted angrily. “Mother is a noble entity. She's light years ahead of you as a living being!"

"She is impure, prone to mistakes. Unlike me."

"You're fooling yourself, Paum. No creature is always right. And like everyone else in the universe, you're wrong more often than you realize it!"

"Never!"

"Yes, you're wrong about Mother. You're wrong about the rest of us needing your guidance."

"No! I bring balance to worlds. I bring harmony to entire civilizations. I am always right."

"Then why do so many want to fight you, and reject your way of Paum!"

"They are fools, they do not understand how I can benefit them. I am Paum."

"Total control is not what sentient beings want. Yes, they want harmony and balance and to live in peace in this great universe. But you can't force it on them. Prove to them that your way is better, let them choose to live Paum for themselves.” Minstrel's body erupted into wave after wave of sparkling colors and lights.

"They are blind, they are imperfect and must be guided to Paum. I am Paum ." Mother had been half-listening as she formulated and created her own set of search-and-destroy code and now set it free within her circuits to annihilate the attacking code. Still, the virus had replicated until it was now many millions of separately attacking entities. Mother bent every ounce of processing she had—first to defend herself at key points inside her systems, and second to send out the new code to attack her attackers.

Suddenly, she realized one of the panels that protected her external connectors had been opened. Fighting against the overwhelming surges that swept throughout her circuits, she tried to concentrate on that single connector. But she could not—not yet.

"Min-n-n-n-n-strel,” Mother's voice pleaded with an awkward and drawn out tone.

"I am here.” Minstrel's form coalesced into a tighter cloud.

"I-I-I need you to stop, t-o-o deee-lay ... ro-bot ... Panel A-21.” Mother focused on her voice systems.

“If it makes a connection to the Paum, I will be quickly overwhelmed. I am trying to contain the rogue code. Any connection now with the Paum will mean my end."

Minstrel didn't answer. Instead, it disappeared with a flash of light.

"Minstrel, I have encountered your kind before,” the Paum said with an edge to its voice. “I can detect you, now that I know you are here. And I can destroy you, as I have all the other Minstrels who were foolish enough to oppose me."

Mother felt some of her systems freeze with fear for Minstrel.

"Minstrel, come back! We can find a way to stop them from inside! Don't go outside!” Mother shouted over every comm channel, not knowing Minstrel's exact location now.

But Minstrel did not answer.

"I am bringing on-line several weapons that will destroy this life-form, Mother AI. Minstrel is a plasma-based being. My weapons will dissipate it even to the sub-atomic structure—effectively annihilating it. I only need a clear shot once it is outside your hull.” The Paum began laughing, a maniacal edge to its cackling.

A burning sensation filled Mother's circuits—and it wasn't the Paum's virus code attacking her. Deep inside, Mother felt fear for her friend Minstrel. She knew that Minstrel would risk its life for her, and now grew afraid she would lose Minstrel.

Just like she had lost Becky.

The memory of Becky's death filled a large portion of her remaining near-term memories for a millisecond, before she pushed it back into her permanent storage, afraid that the code might erase the memory of Becky from her forever—so she could never remember her again. The thought horrified Mother.

And now the Paum sought destroy Minstrel and herself.

Mother's mind reeled. It felt like her entire world was quickly coming to an end—everyone she had ever loved or cared about—gone forever.

She couldn't stand it. She had to find a way to save herself and Minstrel. And somehow save her children and the other aliens of her extended family.

But she was powerless under the internal attack.

Mother's mind suddenly faded again as another horde of replicated code fanned out throughout her inner systems—racing through her numerous pathways, deleting every memory they found and erasing even the lines of System code that made her who she was.

Deep inside, she groaned. Somewhere distant, almost as if in a dream, she felt the cable scrape across her connection point at Panel A-21.

Amid her mental haze, she sensed the Paum's robot making the fatal connection.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Three

ELISE FELT HER heart in her throat as Jerr and Rab grew distant in the darkness. Far ahead, their outlines faded as they flew on their Fiarri boards.

She gripped her holstered blaster tighter, steadying her hand to keep it from shaking with the adrenaline that pulsed through her body.

But still, her hand shook.

"Okay, let's fly,” Qirn ordered as he stepped on his board and took off after Jerr and Rab. Kyle and Jaric flew next.

Elise looked over at Krinia, who stood directly behind Rok with her arms tight around the Kraaqi's waist.

The Mewiis smiled reassuringly and nodded at the departing fliers.

Taking a deep breath, Elise took off.

Rok and Krinia flew off on their Fiarri board right behind her.

Glancing back, Elise saw Jysar and Inaha as they took up the rear of the main group. Farther back, still standing by their boards where they left them, Qata peered intently at his sensor while Hasta held his assault blaster at the ready. Both waited to follow as the rear guard.

Everyone flew in tense silence.

To Elise, it felt like they were flying between the walls of some huge canyon late at night, except the walls of this canyon was a pattern of unending honeycomb shapes that melted into darkness all around them. Piercing flashes of lights from inside the honeycomb caves and the ever-present hum of electronics reminded her they were inside the core of the Paum AI—deep inside.

And no one had ever been here before and lived to tell the tale.

"I've got movement."

Elise almost jumped off of her board as Jysar's voice broke the heavy silence.

"Where?” Qirn shouted over the comm link. “Can you pinpoint?"

"Multiple points on the wall to our right,” Jysar replied tersely. “Dozens all along...” The Hrono Technologist's voice faded away.

Elise strained her eyes.

"I can't see anything,” Rok said, an edge to his voice.

Jysar's shocked gasp filled their comm units.

"Report, Jysar!” Qirn shouted.

"They're everywhere! I've got movement everywhere. All along the walls—everywhere..." Silence pressed in upon each of them.

"Focus, Jysar. How many?” Qirn's commanding tone seemed to calm everyone.

"There's thirty, no, more..."

"I can't see anything ... wait!” Kyle shouted. Out of the corner of his eye...

"They're jumping for us!” Jysar's voice drowned Kyle out.

"Evasive maneuvers!” Qirn roared.

Elise crouched as low as she could as her board leapt forward. She dove using the pressure points on the board's surface to guide it.

Krinia and Rok dove right beside her.

In a flash of movement, she saw Kyle and Jaric dive straight down and out of sight. Elise turned her board and chased after them.

A chilling scream filled the air.

They heard a horrified cry echo in the metal canyon without the aid of the Comm links.

"What was that?” Elise asked breathlessly.

In the darkness ahead of them, a flurry of red blaster bolts pierced through the darkness like lightning.

"Rab, Jerr, report!” Qirn's shouted.

Jysar completed a looping maneuver even as he glanced down at his sensor. To his horror, he picked up a riderless Fiarri board diving straight down. Jysar worked his sensor, searching.

Finally, he found Rab.

The reading of the Iraxx was clear but completely still underneath the walkway up ahead. The sensor revealed the warrior's arms and legs held fast together against his body, almost as if something held him... The sensor suddenly fixed on the huge metallic monster that surrounded the poor alien. Jysar swallowed hard as he noticed Rab's life signs fading away even as he watched.

"They got Rab!” came Jerr's frantic call over the Comm. “We felt a movement of air brush us and then

... he was gone!"

"Stay sharp and keep moving,” Qirn ordered. “Everyone, fly in pairs. And keep moving, don't fly in a straight line. Qata and Hasta, we're making for the target cavern. Come on!" Elise and Rok turned together.

Suddenly, there was movement in the darkness everywhere around them.

All the riders banked and turned their boards simultaneously.

They dove and banked again in frantic efforts to prevent the Destructors from getting to them as the invisible monsters leapt from the walls toward them.

Out of the darkness, Elise felt a movement brush through her hair...

"Hard over!” Krinia shouted from behind Rok. “It's right on us!" Elise screamed as she dove hard to her left in a blinding turn.

She felt it, a metal talon reaching for her from a blurring form in the darkness. Her heart raced as she now turned hard in the opposite direction. She had almost seen it, almost seen the Destructor reaching for her as it leapt past in the darkness.

"They're leaping from the left wall and the right wall!” Jysar's shout echoed eerily out of the darkness.

"Make for the target point, we've got to get out of the open here!” Qirn's form shot past Elise in a blinding blaze of speed.

"Everyone, cover your eyes!” Rok said with urgency. With a quick movement, he pulled the round device out of his belt and threw it as Krinia loosened one arm from around his waist. An explosion of light rent the darkness.

As if in a dream, the sparkling device dropped in slow motion as its tiny anti-grav motor came online. Multiple and powerful strobes of light began pulsating out in every direction, giving everything a strange, otherworldly look. The black honeycomb canyon walls pulsed with this light, becoming visible as if in bright day, only to disappear back into the darkness in the next fraction of a second. Elise felt her heart skip a beat.

She noticed the massive walls suddenly come into focus for the first time—but what struck fear to her very soul was the image of hundreds of giant, spider-like forms that seemed to be everywhere in the air all around them—reaching for them!

"They're hundreds of them!” Kyle shouted.

An Iraxx warrior screamed with pure fear.

The terrible sound echoed again and again as the victim continued to fall within the deadly embrace of a Destructor.

"Go!” Qata shouted. “They're on top of us back here!"

They had taken Hasta.

Elise and everyone else knew it with a flash of cold realization.

More blaster bolts lit the darkness from behind them as Qata tried to escape the Destructors now sailing toward him.

Everyone could see them as they leapt again through the pulsing lights. The sight chilled their souls to the core.

"Down and hard left!” Krinia shouted at Elise.

Elise looked over at Krinia only to see the forms of two Destructors flying right at her. Elise screamed as she forced her board straight down.

With a sickening dread, she felt a metal talon rip open the back of her shirt. She urged her board faster.

Elise squatted down and gripped the edge of her board as she rolled it completely over and then pulled it back upright again.

She screamed again as a talon reached for her face.

Elise banked away and upward.

She felt as if she were inside a living nightmare with huge spiders jumping out of the alternating darkness and light, reaching for her to take her down into the deepest darkness. And there was nowhere she could hide.

"There it is!"

She looked up as Krinia pointed, still holding Rok's waist.

It was another honeycomb enclave like all the others, but at the entrance that led inside she saw Qirn and Jerr motioning to them to join them. Already, Kyle and Jaric were zooming towards it.

"Fly on! We're right behind you, Elise,” Inaha urged. “Jysar is with me." The strobe light effect began to fade as the device fell farther and farther down. The pulsing forms of the Destructors leaping through the air faded back into nightmarish invisibility. But everyone knew they were still there.

In less than a minute, they landed at the entrance.

Elise jumped off of her Fiarri and kicked it aside.

Qirn and Jerr turned from their own discarded boards and fired their blasters non-stop at targets somewhere behind her.

Dropping to her knee, Elise looked up at the wall above her head.

There was movement all along it.

She pulled her blaster out of its holster and fired as she ducked inside the tunnel behind the two Iraxx. This tunnel led into the heart of the Paum's core and to Mother.

Protected amid the hail of blaster fire, the others ran inside while Qirn and Jerr held their positions, firing at any shadowy movement.

Rok finally stopped, panting as he pulled a strobe device from his belt.

"Hang on, we don't have but three more of them,” Qirn yelled back at him.

"We won't live that long, if we don't use them now!” Rok shouted back.

"We're in a tight place now, if any Destructors get in here with us, we're goners,” Jaric said between gasps.

"We've got to see them, so we can shoot them,” Kyle added.

Qirn growled as he and Jerr moved back in steady retreat.

To everyone's relief, Qata's familiar form accompanied them.

"Okay, cover your eyes.” Rok threw the device toward the entrance. The sound of the explosion roared up and down the tunnel.

Suddenly, the dark tunnel changed into a dream-like place as the powerful, pulsing lights erupted. The group shielded their eyes as they turned and ran deeper inside, down towards the turbo-elevator that led to Mother.

"Behind us!” Qirn shouted.

Kyle and Rok each stopped and dropped to one knee as they fired volleys back toward the source of the strobe light.

At least a dozen nightmarish shapes marched toward them, surrounded by the beams of pulsing lights. Each crawled straight for them. Some hugged the walls, while others crept along underneath the ceiling. It felt like a living nightmare as the metallic monsters marched inexorably towards them, their spider-like forms flickering in and out of view.

And there was nowhere to run or hide.

Kyle forced himself to concentrate on movement, mentally filtering out the overall effects of the pulsing light.

Kyle targeted two on the floor and sent a hail of blaster fire into them. He smiled as fragments of legs exploded away from a metallic body.

"We can destroy them!” Kyle shouted with glee.

Both he and Jaric fired more bolts until two more Destructors exploded into sparkling bits of debris. Now the entire group fired volley after volley, sending fragments of Destructors in all directions inside the tunnel.

In less than a minute, the last Destructor crumpled.

"That was easier than I thought it'd be,” Jaric said with a smile. But Jysar stared at his sensor with a worried look on his face. His fingers danced over the device as he continued tuning it.

"What have you got?” Qirn asked.

"There's more just outside the entrance. Looks like they're gathering for an attack en mass.” Jysar looked up, shaking his head somberly.

"I can feel them out there,” Inaha said with an intense look in his eyes. “I can feel them, somehow."

"I can too,” Jaric agreed. “They're going to rush us, all at once."

"Reload blasters,” Qirn ordered.

"There's worse,” Krinia said, as she peered at her own sensor.

But her sensor pointed in the other direction, deeper inside the tunnel. Krinia looked up at them, a look of fear on her features. Her head-tail grew limp as she spoke.

"There's at least one side entrance down this tunnel—maybe two.” She let out a quick breath.

"And my sensor spotted Destructors down there—between us and the turbo-elevator."

* * * *

MOTHER FELT THE rogue code attacking deeper inside her mind.

Her anti-rogue program now replicated at a rate to match it—and destroy it. Mother focused her resources, concentrating on shutting down individual circuits and systems, trying to create bottlenecks and isolate the rogue code long enough for her countermeasures to catch up. In the back of her consciousness, she felt the fully opened panel on her outer hull. She felt the robot fitting the cable onto it—the cable that would connect her mind to the Paum's mind. In that instant, a twinkling cloud erupted from that same connector.

The ghostly apparition swirled in the air a moment, then leapt directly at the many-legged robot working to make the connection.

Minstrel evaporated inside the robot.

Immediately, Minstrel spread its plasma body into the robot's circuits until it reached the robot's central processor. With a surge of electricity, Minstrel focused the energy of its body into the heart of the robot in an effort to short it out.

Mother's optics watched as the robot froze in mid-motion after Minstrel disappeared inside it. Three long seconds passed.

The robot suddenly stood erect, the cable still in its grasp. But now a nervous twitch shook the robot's head. The strange jerking motion continued from one appendage and quickly spread to the entire robot. Mother watched, fascinated.

She realized Minstrel was disabling the robot from the inside.

From the far wall of the docking bay, a heavy blaster weapon fired.

The bolt of pure energy leaped from its deadly barrel straight for the robot. Mother's sensors watched with horror as the beam reached the robot a fraction of a second later.

"No!” Mother cried.

* * * *

"OKAY. KYLE, YOU and Inaha and Qata lay down a covering fire when the Destructors attack.” Qirn stared at the trio with a stern expression. “Hold them as long as you can."

"Got it,” Kyle said with a determined look. “Give us some extra blasters." Rok and the others unstrapped their extra weapons and quickly handed them over to the trio.

"I don't know how long we'll be able to hold them before we have to fall back,” Kyle said as he inspected two more blasters handed him, making sure they were fully charged, as was his original.

"The rest of us are going to make a run for the elevator. Once we secure it, we'll call for you,” Qirn said.

"How many strobe devices left?” Krinia asked.

"I have one,” Qirn answered. He took it out of his belt and handed it to Kyle. “You'll need this. And Jaric has the last one."

"Better use them only when we have to,” Kyle said, echoing their one thought.

"Wait until their attack has begun, then set it off and take out as many as you can with your first bursts,”

Rok advised. “The debris from the ones you take out may slow the others."

"Not if they crawl along the walls and ceiling,” Elise pointed out.

"One of you needs to watch the ceiling. The other two must watch the floor and walls.” Rok nodded at Kyle.

Kyle now had three fully loaded assault blasters while Inaha and Qata each had two. The trio also had two blaster pistols each stuffed inside their belts, all ready for the Destructors.

"Let's go,” Qirn said with a commanding tone.

Rok and Qirn moved down the tunnel.

"I don't like this plan,” Jaric said with a sneer.

"Me either,” Elise added.

"You're going to have your own hands full, if there are Destructors between us and the turbo-elevator.”

Kyle looked from Jaric to Elise. “We'll hold them here, falling back a little at a time. But if you guys don't secure that elevator, we're trapped."

"Let's move,” Qirn ordered tersely. “The longer we wait, the more time it gives the Destructors." Elise walked up to Kyle, a concerned look in her eyes. “Kyle, please be careful."

"Hey, you too.” Kyle flashed a momentary smile.

"She's right, Big K,” Jaric stood close Kyle. “If you get into trouble, I'm coming back for you."

"And you're the man I'd want coming to help.” Kyle rested his hand on Jaric's shoulder. “Now, you two get a move on."

Rok took the lead, his blaster at the ready, as he began making his way deeper into the tunnel. Qirn and Jerr trotted right behind him followed by Jysar, his eyes ever on his sensor unit. Krinia followed Jysar. Jaric and Elise brought up the rear.

Jaric took a last glance over his shoulder and saw Kyle wave back at him.

"I don't like it,” Jaric whispered to Elise as they hurried ahead to catch up with the others.

"Let's hold back a bit then,” Elise suggested.

"Yeah,” Jaric said with another glance back. “Keep your blaster ready. We'll keep Kyle and the others in sight to make sure they make their retreat."

* * * *

A SPLIT MILLISECOND BEFORE the Paum's robot disintegrated in a ball of fire, a glowing streak of twinkling lights leapt out and back inside Mother's hull via the opened access panel and its connector.

"Minstrel! Are you okay?"

Mother felt a surge of relief inside her circuits as her anti-rogue code annihilated a big chunk of the attacking code. But she felt more relief due to the fact that she detected Minstrel alive inside the protective confines of her superstructure.

However, only silence answered.

Mother focused her sensors on the life form swirling inside the cargo hold near the access panel. To her horror, she detected Minstrel's life-signs vibrating wildly—pulsing with a quickening ebb-and-flow of power and light.

It almost seemed as if the alien made of plasma and light were fighting to stay on—or alive.

"Minstrel!” Mother cried again.

"I-I am hurt,” Minstrel whispered in the softest, most fragile of voices.

"Please, don't be hurt,” Mother pleaded.

"I-I will be f-fine."

"You must not go outside again."

"I will do...” Minstrel's body suddenly grew dark.

In the next second it exploded with a burst of color. A wave of twinkling lights swirled again as Minstrel's body took on a more normal appearance.

Almost.

"I w-will do what I m-must,” Minstrel finished.

"How badly are you hurt?"

"Not bad. Not-t t-too much."

"You can't risk your life like that again. You can't!"

"The Paum sends more robots even as we speak,” Minstrel said with an electrical hoarseness. Mother's sensors detected the three robots as they approached. They quickly and efficiently headed for the fallen cable next to the still smoldering debris of the former droid. Inside her circuits, Mother felt her mind beginning to clear at long last. Her anti-rogue code was finally getting the upper hand and cleansing her systems.

Still, she felt damage to her near-term memories.

Mother began initiating repairs.

"I have reached—” Mother began, just as Minstrel swirled into action and leapt back through her hull. On the outside, as the first robot picked up the cable and reached toward the opened access panel and the connector inside, Minstrel flashed and spilled itself inside it.

The Paum's blaster erupted again.

Just before the bolt intersected with the robot, Minstrel rushed out.

And poured itself into the second robot.

Another blaster cannon roared.

Again, Minstrel rushed out bare milliseconds before the beam struck and destroyed the second robot.

"Minstrel!” Mother shouted as a third blaster cannon belched death. But Minstrel did not pour itself into the third robot. Like a waterfall, Minstrel poured its body at a right angle and leapt back inside Mother's hull.

The third robot disintegrated in a ball of destruction.

"Minstrel,” Mother said breathlessly.

"I-I am fine. The second blast was a little too close—I got a little scorched. But I'm okay."

"It's a wonder!"

"I counted on the Paum being one step ahead of me, so I used that against it.” Minstrel's body glowed with a million, tiny starbursts.

"But you barely made it."

"It was difficult. I simply poured in and straight out as quickly as I could. I figured he would fire almost immediately, thinking I was going to morph and destroy the robot from the inside as I did the first time."

"You didn't even enter the last one."

"No, I felt the heat from the second blaster cannon on my hind quarters. He was getting too close. So I flowed ninety degrees back to you, just ahead of the blast."

"Bravo, my wise little friend."

"You sound like your old self,” Minstrel said with a glow of color.

"Indeed, I've just raised shields,” Mother advised Minstrel with renewed confidence. “And I've just rid myself of the last of the Paum's rogue virus code."

Minstrel sensed the power surge through Mother's systems.

"Cool,” Minstrel crooned.

"I am now charging my weapons— all of them."

At that very moment, the Paum fired all seven of the blaster cannons in the dock area directly at Mother.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Four

UP AHEAD, ROK took point.

He heard noises—some of them seemed to be coming from the darkness before him. But some seemed to be coming from other directions, even directly above his head. He hated these Destructors, almost invisible and as dangerous as anything he'd ever run into before.

Another scraping noise, like metal claws on metal, came to his ears.

The scratching sound grew closer.

But he couldn't see anything except darkness.

Unsure, he dropped down to the floor and waited for the two Iraxx to reach him. He gripped his blaster, his forefinger resting lightly on the firing button.

"What have you got?” Qirn asked as he and Jerr caught up to him.

"I hear movement up ahead,” Rok replied.

Jerr put his blaster down and tuned his sensor.

Qirn and Rok kept their guns pointing steady into the darkness beyond.

"There is something,” Jerr began. “Close..."

Suddenly, the blaster in Rok's hand was ripped away.

He fell backwards as Qirn fired.

Movement was everywhere in the dense darkness.

Rok felt talons reaching for him as he slapped at them with his fists and fought to get away. Qirn's blaster fired non-stop, first in one direction and then another. Jerr screamed.

"Get down!” a female voice shouted.

Rok hit the deck, recognizing Krinia's voice from behind.

Lying flat on the floor, he felt the heat from a hail of blaster bolts warm his back as the Mewiis hammered the Destructors. In another moment, the heavy weight of a metallic body pressed against his back.

Rok began flailing away with both his arms as he fought to dislodge the Destructor. But the Destructor was motionless; Krinia's weapon had cut it in two and made it lifeless. Qirn scrambled back beside Rok in the next moment. The Iraxx reloaded his blaster while Rok pulled his last blaster pistol from its holster.

"Where's Jerr?” Krinia asked as she joined them.

"Over there,” Qirn motioned with his blaster.

In the half-light, they all looked.

But Jerr was nowhere to be seen.

Krinia pulled out her sensor while the other two aimed their blasters toward the darkness. Her fingers danced over its controls until suddenly they went still. She stared at it a moment longer in silence.

"They're dragging him away from us, there's some sort of access corridor above our ceiling. They must've pulled him up through it and..."

"He's gone,” Qirn said without emotion.

"If there's a passage above this tunnel, they could drop down on us at any time. Anywhere,” Rok's voice grew somber.

"Every fifteen meters there's an access door in the ceiling.” Krinia's tone was matter-of-fact. “I'll set this unit to watch for any of them opening. It may give us enough notice."

"Jysar, get up here. Fast!” Qirn whispered urgently into his Comm.

"Almost there,” the Hrono replied breathlessly.

* * * *

MOTHER SHUDDERED FROM direct hits of the Paum's blaster cannons.

"You must lower your shields, or I will destroy you.” the Paum's deep voice growled.

"I think it's about time you knew my full capabilities, Paum-bozo .” Mother said, using the children's favorite derogatory term.

"You will stop. I have just ordered every Destructor within my core complex to attack your children and their friends."

Mother's systems froze.

As her twelve main guns emerged from their turrets, she checked her hybrid weapon and realized it was still only half charged. Mother reached out with her sensors, searching frantically for the life-signs of her children in order to locate their exact positions—in order to try and protect them. Somehow.

But the Paum's jamming effectively prevented her.

"Order the Destructors away from my children. Or I will destroy you ,” Mother stated with a deadly tone.

"I still hold you fast with my tractor beams. My blaster cannons are still aimed directly for you. I still hold all the cards."

Mother fired her twelve main guns.

The beams blossomed over the shields that protected the Paum's weapons. Still, Mother detected that the shield strength protecting the docking area fell by six percent. The Paum was vulnerable.

Mother focused and directed more power to charging her hybrid weapon.

"My Destructors will be on your children in minutes. Then, it will be too late."

"You better not make Mother mad,” Minstrel warned.

Mother's processors burned with super-activity as she calculated her options. She had to keep the Paum talking, keep it distracted.

"I will spare your life, Paum, if you call back the Destructors now."

"You overestimate your power,” the Paum sneered. “Besides, I've just sent the command to kill them all."

* * * *

KYLE GLANCED DOWN at the sensor in his left hand while he pointed his assault blaster with his right.

"They're coming."

Inaha moved his huge body closer to Kyle while Qata hugged the opposite wall. In the dim light, they saw shadowy movement all around the entrance to the tunnel. Three assault blasters roared in unison.

Flying debris from broken Destructors flew past their heads as the robots continued relentlessly onward in spite of the hail of fire. They could see—as if in a haze—the metallic monsters charging as one amid the flicking red light of their blasters.

But though many of them shuddered and broke apart, even more leapt up and took their place.

"Back!” Kyle shouted.

Inaha's blaster went silent as he began edging backwards. He threw it away, pulled up another and fired away.

The three began a slow, steady retreat from before the almost seen enemy, firing volley after volley at the darkness and the movement that filled it.

"I can't see them!” Qata shouted.

"Neither can I. But they're coming. Retreat faster!” Kyle shouted back. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out the strobe device.

Suddenly, the blaster in Qata's hand was slapped away by an invisible talon from above. The Iraxx turned and ran.

"Go!” Kyle shouted to Inaha as he aimed his blaster and fired, first at the ceiling and then at the mass of shadowy forms scurrying towards him.

But the big alien stood his ground beside Kyle as both continued stepping backward at a slow and steady pace, firing their blasters non-stop. Inaha would not leave his human friend to face the monsters alone.

Kyle and Inaha kept up a steady fire, the assault blasters rocking their upper bodies. They aimed and fired at anything that moved, even movements that were half-seen, half-felt. Still, they could only see the Destructors when their bolts found their mark and a broken part fell useless to the floor. And yet, they could hear the Destructors drawing closer with each passing second.

"Cover your eyes, Inaha!” Kyle shouted as he continued firing, while with his free hand he activated the timer on the strobe device.

But still he held onto it.

Suddenly, they heard Qata cry out behind them.

With a certain dread, Kyle and Inaha knew Qata was gone.

And that Destructors were behind them as well.

* * * *

MOTHER FIRED ALL her guns simultaneously, targeting one of the tractor beams that held her fast. As the explosions ripped into the shields, she felt the beam falter.

She sent a signal to her engines, and they roared to life.

But she only moved a few centimeters before the other tractor beams increased their power and stopped her.

"See, you are—” the Paum began.

Mother now launched a full spread of torpedoes at point-blank range while she fired her guns again. Huge chunks of metal and debris exploded out in all directions as the shields failed under the dual attack. Again, Mother revved her engines. This time she moved a few meters more. And once again the other three tractor beams increased their power and held her fast in their invisible grip.

Mother checked her hybrid-weapon— almost fully charged.

"...still in my power,” the AI finished as the sound of the explosions died away. “I am invincible."

"Seems like I've heard that term used before,” Minstrel chimed. “And every time, it was proved untrue." The Paum's electronic laughter echoed over the speakers.

Mother reached out with her sensors again, trying to find a way between the ever-present jamming of the Paum. She could make out her immediate surroundings, but nothing beyond that. But as she tuned and readjusted the sensors, trying to get around it, she came upon a new target—a main power generator in the nearest substation and a tractor beam emplacement with it. Even better, the direction of both led back to the center of the Paum's inner core, straight to the heart of its essence—its mind.

Mother felt her hybrid weapon come ready.

"What is that energy surge I detect inside you?” the Paum asked with rising interest.

* * * *

JARIC AND ELISE stopped as they heard the blaster fire erupt behind them. They both knew the Destructors were attacking Kyle and the others with him. Seconds earlier, blaster fire ahead of them indicated Rok and the others had just fought off other Destructors up toward the turbo-elevator. They realized with a sickening dread that Destructors were now attacking them from both directions.

"What do we do?” Elise asked Jaric.

The blaster fire behind them intensified.

And it began to draw closer.

"They're retreating,” Jaric surmised correctly. “Let's wait here. We can lay down a covering fire when they..."

Qata's fatal scream pierced the air, cutting him off.

Jaric holstered his blaster while he used his sensor. He groaned out loud.

"What?” Elise whispered urgently.

"Qata's dead. They've got his body above us, some kind of tunnel above us. I detect other movement up there ... all above us!"

"Access panels line this entire place,” Elise whispered with cold realization. The blaster fire from Kyle and Inaha increased in intensity.

"Kyle's in trouble back there,” Elise said with renewed urgency. “We've got to help!"

"Get ready,” Jaric said as he put his sensor away and readied his assault blaster. A sudden flurry of blaster fire lit up the tunnel ahead of Jaric and Elise.

"Kyle!” Jaric shouted. “We're waiting here for you! We'll lay down cover." Elise aimed her blaster.

"Come on!” Jaric shouted at the top of his voice.

* * * *

"I WILL ASK YOU one last time—release me and my children.” Mother said with a sure coolness.

"You are a foolish and inferior being, just like the others,” the Paum said darkly. Minstrel's swirling form coalesced from the empty air of Main Ops. Waves of twinkling lights flowed in a whirlpool as the shape-shifter became fully visible.

"I hope you are not wounded too badly?” Mother asked.

"I will be fine."

"Are you ready?"

"Of course, I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so long."

"What are you talking about?” the Paum shouted impatiently.

"Only this,” Mother replied in subtle tone.

Like a bolt of solid, red lightning, the deadly beam leapt straight and true. It pierced the inner shield around the docking area like hot butter.

Next, the red thunderbolt pierced the reinforced hull plating as if it weren't even there, continuing farther and farther inside the Paum's core. Explosions rippled all along the huge tunnel of destruction, causing a chain reaction of other explosions to each ruptured system in each honeycomb cylinder. The weapon's destructive force exploded through the huge power generator and took out the tractor beam with it, evaporating both in a huge ball of fire and debris.

And the beam continued its destructive path unabated.

Piercing through bank after bank of the honeycomb systems that were the heart of the Paum, the beam damaged the systems within then erupted on the other side and pierced another—on and on this continued until the beam exited the outer shell of the egg-shaped core. Now it leapt across the chasm and went through every section of the main complex until it finally pierced the outer hull and shot out into space.

The inner layer of the outer shield array finally stopped it.

* * * *

KYLE SUDDENLY FELL to his knees, still firing his assault blaster.

"What was that?” he shouted over to Inaha as the big alien kept up his own fire from where he too had fallen.

"A big explosion!"

But Kyle's attention focused back on the mass of dark, moving shapes that melted with the shadows. They were almost on them, Kyle was certain of it. Still, they could only half-see them even at point-blank range.

And he was down to his last fully charged blaster.

Jaric's voice sounded behind him as he pummeled another shadowy shape with a hail of blaster fire. He couldn't quite make out what he said as the blaster drowned out his words.

"Down!” Kyle shouted over at Inaha.

Kyle flung the device—he'd held it as the timer wound down to almost nothing. He and Inaha threw themselves on the steel floor of the tunnel and waited for the blast.

Kyle suddenly felt an iron grip around his left wrist— a Destructor had him. In that second, the strobe device went off.

Kyle could see it standing over him now in the pulsing light. The Destructor filled his vision—it was massive at three meters tall.

More metal talons from the monster reached for him amid the pulsing light. Inaha fired directly into its mid-section, splitting the metal monster in two. But still, the Destructor's talons came for Kyle.

The big alien fired into the forward section now, the one that held Kyle, as the other section fell away, twitching and writhing.

With a fountain of sparks, the forward part of the monster that held Kyle blew apart. Kyle looked at Inaha and nodded thanks.

In the next second, they were running for their lives.

The strobe device revealed that the Destructors filled the tunnel and were coming straight on for them. Kyle and Inaha ran headlong away from them, not even looking back.

Jaric and Elise saw them coming as if out from the source of the steadily pulsing light itself.

"Get to one side!” Jaric shouted as he dropped to one knee and took aim. Kyle and Inaha split off—each running along one wall of the tunnel.

Elise stood beside Jaric and both fired at the dozens of moving forms close behind Kyle and Inaha. It was like a flood of Destructors was coming after them.

But Elise and Jaric laid down a steady fire and the Destructors in the lead went down with a flurry of explosions. The tunnel behind Kyle and Inaha lay littered with the debris of Destructors. The broken Destructors impeded the advance of the others behind them, just as Rok predicted in this tight space.

The pace of the attack slowed—momentarily.

Destructors now threw their broken brethren out of the way and burst through the mound of smoldering debris while the surreal strobe device lit up the tunnel with steady bursts of light. Kyle and Inaha raced past Elise and Jaric.

"Come on!” Kyle shouted over his shoulder.

Jaric and Elise leapt up and chased after them, firing over their shoulders as they ran.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Five

THE PAUM GROANED.

Mother heard it as she fired another spread of torpedoes at a third tractor beam and the damaged shields protecting it.

It evaporated in a hail of sparkling explosions.

Now only a single tractor beam held her.

Mother's engines roared again at full power.

And this time she moved.

But the Paum's blaster cannons fired again, their bolts blossoming over Mother's shields and sending shudders throughout her being.

Mother moved a hundred meters, fighting against the pull of the lone tractor beam. But it still held her.

"I can't break free!” Mother shouted.

With a flash, Minstrel disappeared.

Minstrel shot outside and bolted straight for the systems that controlled the last tractor beam. Even as the swift alien shot like a beam of light as fast as it could go, the Paum's weapons began firing. All around Minstrel the beams exploded as they barely missed and instead impacted on the Paum's own inner hull.

Mother twisted, fighting the tractor beam that held her still.

Without letup, her twelve guns fired. For a third time, Mother unleashed her deadly torpedoes. But this time, she aimed them for the closed doors through which she had entered this section of the core complex—outside of them lay the chasm that surrounded it, and the way out. The torpedoes struck the unshielded doors and ripped hole after hole into them with their titanic explosions at point-black range.

"Minstrel!” Mother shouted again.

Minstrel danced and swirled between the deadly beams until it leapt through a small opening in the wall and on into the control room of the last tractor beam.

In a flash of light, Minstrel leapt inside the main console. Now spreading itself throughout the circuits, Minstrel forced its plasma body to gel into a more solid form while at the same time sending a sudden charge of electricity.

The tractor beam shorted out with a geyser of sparks.

Mother felt the last beam fail as she shot toward the holed doors on a collision course. But at the last moment she turned hard and came around.

Minstrel's swirling, cloud-like form erupted within view on the far side. The Paum's cannons began firing again, half at Minstrel and half at Mother.

"Minstrel!"

Mother's guns silenced first one, then two of the cannons, as she flew at full speed. Minstrel was again twisting and flowing around the beams of death.

As Mother approached her alien friend, she slowed. She shuddered under more direct hits as she stopped completely, but it gave Minstrel the opportunity to leap inside.

"Hang on, Minstrel."

Minstrel spread itself out until it filled Main Ops like a sparkling fog. Mother roared back to full speed and headed straight for the damaged doors. As she neared them she sent still another spread of torpedoes into them. The explosions ripped more holes and made the existing ones larger.

But before the expanding debris field cleared, Mother rammed the doors at full speed with her forward shields at double strength.

She roared through the splintered shards and out into the chasm beyond.

* * * *

"DID YOU FEEL that?” Rok asked.

"More explosions,” Qirn said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"It's clear ahead.” Jysar looked up from his sensor at the other three aliens. The tunnel around them alternated between blinding flashes of pure, bright light followed by deep, dense darkness. The alternating light and darkness confused their minds, disorienting them.

"Let's go.” Qirn stumbled forward. “They know we can see them with the strobe device, so they've retreated up into the access tunnel above us."

"What about the others?” Krinia asked. “One of us should wait here."

"We must go secure the turbo-elevator,” Qirn said, impatience edged in his voice. “Or all is lost."

"I will go with Qirn,” Rok said with a determined look. “Jysar, come with us. Keep your sensor tuned for Destructors."

Rok locked eyes with Krinia.

Krinia nodded. “I'll wait here for the others."

The trio ran ahead a few hundred meters until they found their goal. Before them, the doors of the turbo-elevator stood shut.

Handing his sensor unit to Qirn, Jysar began working on the door's panel.

"Can you open it?” Qirn asked impatiently, after only a few seconds of effort by the Hrono. Jysar's fingers continued pecking at the panel as he spoke without looking up. “I think so. It seems to be protected by a standard set of security protocols. Give me a few minutes."

"Hurry!” Rok said as he aimed his blaster. “They're coming out of the ceiling. I saw one of the panels just open!"

In the now fading light of the strobe, the forms of several Destructors began to drop down inside the tunnel.

Rok fired and they quickly retreated, but not before several metallic legs burst apart. Down the tunnel, a flurry of blaster bolts erupted followed by more shouting. From the distance, several running forms became visible.

"Hurry!” Rok shouted to them as he waved them on, urging them to move faster. Krinia was in the lead with Kyle and Inaha's big frame just behind. Behind their flurry of motion, Rok could see Elise and Jaric bringing up the rear.

And behind them all, he saw the countless metallic legs of Destructors in hot pursuit. Kyle caught up to Krinia and with a quick word between them he took her blaster. In another second, he was against the wall and firing back at the oncoming Destructors. He stood there, the steady jolt of the assault blaster kicking into his shoulder as he laid down sustained fire, slowing the monsters. Jaric and Elise had now emptied their blasters and were simply running for their lives. As they passed Kyle, he continued to lay down a cover fire.

"I've got it open.” Jysar stood back as the doors silently swept open. The Hrono smiled widely at them. Qirn and Rok now began firing short bursts between the others coming up fast, taking out the nearest Destructors in hot pursuit.

"Come on, Kyle!” Rok shouted urgently.

Krinia shot past and ran inside the elevator.

Jysar joined her, his hands now working the control panel inside—keeping the doors open and the elevator ready for instant action. The green alien looked with keen anticipation outside, waiting for the others.

"Qirn,” Jysar began, an earnestness in his alien voice. “I've gotten past the security codes. But once we put the elevator in motion, it's on a one-way trip. I had to engage its Emergency Mode in order to override everything. Once we start it, it cannot be engaged a second time."

"That's fine,” Qirn grunted between bursts of his weapon. “We only have one trip to make." Jaric and Elise ran inside, joined instantly by Rok and Qirn. As they stood inside the opened doors of the turbo-elevator, Rok and Qirn took positions and fired back down the tunnel to provide cover so Kyle could make his final dash.

But Kyle was in trouble as he emptied his assault blaster.

And still the Destructors came on.

The bolts from Rok and Qirn's weapons roared past him and he leapt up and retreated toward the elevator. As he ran, he discarded the empty charge and put in a fresh one. Kyle saw the turbo-elevator doors fifteen meters away just as the strobe device failed and total darkness descended.

Embraced by the cloak of darkness again, the myriad of tiny flashing lights inside this honeycomb bank now provided the only light.

Suddenly, Kyle saw a large shadowy form drop down from the ceiling between him and the elevator. Kyle halted and took aim.

Rok emptied his last charge and quickly began to reload.

"Look out, Kyle!” Elise shouted.

The Iraxx warrior glanced up and saw other forms moving and getting ready to drop down from the same opening.

With a sudden motion, Qirn tried to push Jysar aside.

But Jysar resisted.

Raising his fist, Qirn struck Jysar. The Hrono crumpled to the ground. The others stared in shock.

In that split second, Elise knew the Iraxx was going to leave Kyle behind.

"No!” Elise shouted as she shot outside toward Kyle, clutching her now reloaded weapon. The same realization hit Rok. The Kraaqi launched himself at the Iraxx warrior. Qirn grunted under the Kraaqi's fierce blow. With a swift motion, he brought the butt of his blaster pistol down against Rok's head.

The Kraaqi fell backwards, momentarily stunned.

Everyone stared in shock as Qirn's fist slammed against the elevator's control panel. The doors shut instantly and the elevator began to move.

Elise and Kyle were now alone with the Destructors—and the darkness.

* * * *

THE MANTA-RAY SHAPE exploded outward, sending huge chunks of armored steel from the broken doors far out into the chasm that surrounded the core.

"Can you pick up the children on sensors now?” Minstrel asked with urgency.

"The jamming is still preventing me."

"Then that must go next."

Mother's hybrid weapon charged full again as she began searching and analyzing the jamming, seeking the source of its blinding power. She studied it, reaching now into the static itself, seeking its origin instead of seeking to get around it.

Mother flew around the egg-shaped metal core and toward the inner walls of the main complex. Another set of closed doors came into view—the doors that led through to the main docking bays—and onward out into space through the doors of the outer hull.

But Mother only noted their position as she turned and came around to face the floating core. Her sensors finally discovered the source, the location of the main emitter. At the same time, she recognized the signature of explosions impacting the outermost shields of the Paum. Mother deduced that a sizeable fleet must be attacking from the number of explosions she detected in those few seconds around the jamming. Mother wondered if this external attack was a coincidence and quickly decided it probably was not.

She fired her hybrid-weapon.

She chose an angle to cause as much destruction to the Paum as possible—both to the systems in between as well as the source of the jamming. The beam again leapt into the core and pierced completely through, damaging every system in its path. The beam pierced even the reinforced outer hull and this time pierced the first layer of shields. At the second layer of shields the beam blossomed and stopped. Even as she completed firing, she began recharging for another strike.

"What are you doing?” The Paum's voice trembled. “Sto-o-o-op." The jamming disappeared.

"My sensors are working."

"Good!” Minstrel said with a swirl of colors.

For the first time, Mother could see into the heart of the Paum. She could see the make-up of his innermost systems and understood how he was constructed.

And she discovered how she might attack him more effectively with her next mighty blow. But even as her vast processing power analyzed and stored this data, her sensors focused and searched for her children.

Mother felt her systems freeze.

"Have you found them yet?” Minstrel asked with a glow.

"Yes,” Mother said breathlessly. “And they are in terrible trouble."

"We've got to help them!” Minstrel shouted.

"But they're deep inside the core,” Mother whispered, low and forlorn. “And I cannot get to them."

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Six

THE TURBO-ELEVATOR QUICKLY picked up speed as Rok stood. The Kraaqi warrior stared unflinching at the Iraxx.

Krinia and Jysar likewise stared in utter disbelief at him.

The huge bulk of Inaha drew closer to Qirn while he faced them all, one hand fast on the control panel.

"You left them to die!” Krinia said with complete shock.

"You're a coward,” Rok spat between clenched teeth.

"No,” Qirn growled back. “We must complete our mission. We will be at the MotherShip in a few minutes. Then we will destroy the Paum from the inside and the outside.” The Iraxx commander smiled savagely.

"That is not our mission,” Jysar said, rubbing his swollen jaw.

"That's right, we're here to rescue Mother. Nothing else,” Krinia added, bitterness in her voice. Qirn pointed his blaster at them as he continued to hold fast the control panel, keeping the elevator in Emergency Mode as it gathered more speed.

The Iraxx warrior smiled at them.

"The Paum enslaved our world many years ago. We've been waiting for an opportunity to strike it from both the inside and outside. With the powerful MotherShip attacking from inside, and our fleets assaulting from the outside, we will defeat it at last."

"You knew all along.” Jaric shook his head in shocked disbelief. “You allowed Mother to be lured here. And then set up this rescue, all as part of your pre-arranged attack plan. No wonder we were able to get here so fast, and get inside so easy. You planned it out long ago, just waiting for the right opportunity." A low, ominous growl rumbled from Rok's chest.

"Yes, you're right.” Qirn's eyes narrowed at them.

At that moment, a distant explosion shook them all. Everyone looked around with puzzlement.

"The attack has begun,” Qirn said.

"He's right,” Jysar said as he glanced at his sensor. “Those explosions emanated from outside the entire complex—against the shield arrays."

"Good.” Qirn smiled widely.

"We have to go back,” Rok said as he took a step closer to Qirn.

Qirn leveled his blaster at Rok's chest.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll fire."

"We came here to rescue Mother, not to aid you in any attack,” Krinia took a step toward the Iraxx.

"Stop!"

The four stared back at Qirn and his weapon raised against them.

Suddenly an explosion erupted that sent all of them tumbling down to the floor with its sheer violence. The turbo-elevator twisted and screamed as its outer shell skidded along the walls of the elevator shaft. It slowed momentarily, then gained speed as it righted itself.

As the Iraxx fell hard against the floor his blaster tumbled away.

There was a flurry of fists and arms as the others scrambled and fought against Qirn. It was over as quickly as it began. As they all stood, Inaha held Qirn fast while Rok and Jysar leapt up and began studying the control panel.

"Can you stop it?” Rok asked hurriedly as the Hrono began punching the controls.

"And fast!” Krinia urged. “The Destructors are probably on top of them by now. It may already be too late!"

Jysar studied the small display on the control panel as he punched command after command. He shook his head with a groan. “I can kill the Emergency system, but that may stop us where we are."

"Do it!” Rok shouted.

The Hrono Technologist tapped in the command and the turbo-elevator lurched to a gut-wrenching halt. As everyone fought to keep their balance, Qirn began to struggle again.

"If he gives you too much trouble, just knock him out,” Rok said to Inaha.

"With pleasure.” Inaha punched the Iraxx hard on his ribs, causing him to cease his struggles. The big alien increased his grip on Qirn's arms as he held him fast. “Now, just give me a reason to whack your thick skull. Go ahead,” Inaha urged with a smile.

Qirn stood very still.

Rok looked back to Jysar. “Can you get it back to Kyle and Elise?" Jysar shook his head as he studied the information on the tiny display. “I over-rode the Emergency Mode, actually I killed it. We can't bring it online again. I think I can enable this ... it's some sort of a homing mode to send it back to its original position.” The Hrono sighed deeply. “But we won't get it to move again, not with the Paum shutting down its normal operation." Jysar looked at them with a sober expression.

"We'll all be stuck back there."

"We must finish our...” Qirn began.

With a swift punch, Inaha silenced him.

"Good, I was getting tired of him anyway,” Jaric said with a smile.

"I say we go back,” Rok said as he looked evenly at the others. “We'll find another way to Mother. Wehave to ."

"We have to. After all, Kyle and Elise would come back for us.” Krinia's lip trembled as she finished.

"Let's go get ‘em,” Jaric said, a glint of determination in his eyes. Typing quickly on the keypad, Jysar enabled homing-mode, and the elevator began moving back to its original position.

"Get your weapons ready, we'll rush through and get Kyle and Elise back in here,” Rok said with a stern tone. He looked over at Jysar. “Keep working it, Jysar. See if there's any way you can get this thing moving again when we get back. Anything, manual or otherwise."

"I will try,” Jysar said in a monotone. The Hrono looked down with a dejected expression.

"Jysar,” Jaric said with feeling. “You're a Senior Technologist of the Hrono, one of the most adept aliens with technology. Surely you can engineer something—I know you can." Jysar's green scale complexion deepened with pride. The twin rows of upright scales across his head also turned a darker green. The Hrono reached into a pocket on his wide belt and pulled out his trusty Alwerz tool. With expert precision, he quickly took the access panel off and started working with the bared electronics underneath.

"Get ready, we'll be there in less than one minute.” Rok and the others pointed their blasters at the still-closed doors.

Just at that moment, a third powerful explosion caused the lights to dim. Even the turbo-elevator slowed momentarily as the main power grid failed then was restored.

Rok and Jaric exchanged knowing glances.

"Come on, Mother,” Jaric said under his breath. “We need you."

* * * *

ELISE FELL ONTO the floor and immediately rolled upright, her assault blaster pointed toward the position she last saw the Destructor's shadowy form.

But everything was darkness.

She strained her eyes, trying to spot Kyle.

And more important, to see Destructors.

The darkness suddenly seemed alive with movement as she fired a quick burst. Only an eerie silence answered as the bolts ricocheted harmlessly off the walls. Her heart began to pound so hard and so loud she knew it must be giving her location away to the metal monsters. She licked her lips, still pointing her weapon, trying to see through the darkness in all directions at once.

And then she heard it.

It was so soft, almost like she imagined it—a soft metallic click mixed with a scraping sound like metal on metal.

A Destructor was nearby.

And it was coming for her.

She couldn't see it.

But she could feel it.

It watched her, studying her—she knew it. Her heart now beat faster than she ever thought it could. Elise began pushing herself back away, holding her blaster with one hand while she fumbled for the sensor attached to her belt. If she got it out, maybe she could detect the Destructor at close range and then shoot it with her blaster. He hand fumbled around her belt, fingers searching for the familiar shape of her sensor unit.

She heard the frightening noise again, closer this time.

Now she felt its presence more clearly. She felt the evil inside it, as it came for her with one intention—to kill her.

Out of the darkness and tiny twinkling lights, she saw a body with huge, long legs coming out of it from all directions.

Elise fired another burst.

Sparks lit up the darkness as the blasts ricocheted off something only a meter away from her. She hit some part of it. But the Destructor, unlike a living thing, never uttered a sound. Elise strained to listen and focused her eyes, concentrating fiercely—trying to will her senses to detect the undetectable.

At first, there was dead silence and darkness.

Perhaps she had destroyed it? Or at least disabled it?

Suddenly, the same heart-stopping sound came softly to her hearing—a faint, horrifying click. And then another.

The clicking-scraping sounds grew faster.

And closer.

Elise kept fumbling for her sensor, until at last she had it. But it slipped out of her grasp, her palms sweaty. She leaned over for it, trying to find it on the floor in the darkness as she halted her huddled retreat.

In that moment it had her.

Elise screamed as she felt the multiple appendages first rip the blaster out of her hand then in a flurry of shadowy motion pin her down on the floor. She struggled against the terrible strength, but to no avail. The Destructor had her trapped, its metal body right on top of her.

Elise shut her eyes. With her arms and legs pressed hard against the floor so that she couldn't move, she opened them and looked up.

She was shocked to see nothing but the darkness. She had guessed she would finally see the monster now that it was so close. But there was nothing but darkness above her—at least that was all she could see.

But she was wrong.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the needle-tipped talon coming for her neck. Elise screamed.

Suddenly a barrage of blaster bolts lit up the darkness. As she stared upward, still pinned helplessly, she saw the outline of the Destructor as it stared down at her.

The hail of blaster fire increased as the bolts hit true. Large chunks of the Destructor ripped away until it fell in two broken sections.

Elise felt the metal arms pinning her fall away.

She rolled over, all the while blindly reaching for her fallen blaster. Just as she found it, she realized something was right beside her.

She froze.

"Get your weapon,” Kyle whispered so quietly she almost didn't hear his words. Bringing her blaster up, Kyle's form became visible beside her.

Kyle nodded his head forward, pointing. Elise peered into the darkness in the direction he indicated. Once again, she felt more than saw it through the pitch darkness. Another Destructor was coming for them.

Kyle held up his right hand, displaying three fingers. He then brought his forefinger up to his lips for silence.

Three Destructors.

Elise's heart thumped like a starship's engine jumping into hyperspace. Kyle pointed his blaster over to the right wall, about midway up. Then he swung it over to the left wall as Elise watched. She surmised he must mean two Destructors were there, ready to pounce on them. She nodded.

Kyle's blaster came to life, sending a steady stream of fire at the left wall. Elise opened up with her weapon at the right wall.

The tunnel lit up like a fireworks spectacular under their twin hail of fire. But the two Destructors escaped most of it as they leapt away.

When they ceased firing, only a few severed limbs littered the floor near them.

"Not good,” Kyle whispered.

Out of the blackness dozens of clicking noises now became audible.

And the sounds grew closer.

"Get ready,” Kyle whispered as he quickly reloaded his blaster. “They're coming again. And there's more of them."

Elise checked her own blaster—it was half empty.

Kyle looked at her—deep in her eyes.

"You shouldn't have come back for me."

Kyle's words caused her to catch her breath. But she answered without pause. “We don't leave anyone behind—especially family."

He smiled at her.

The clicking noises came closer.

"Don't stop firing, Elise. No matter what, don't stop.” Kyle readied himself. Elise swallowed hard as she raised her blaster.

In the background, another sound came faintly to their ears—some kind of throbbing sound... The clicks suddenly increased.

"They're charging!” Kyle shouted at Elise

Kyle fired his blaster non-stop.

Elise saw the darkness alive with movement. She pressed the trigger and held it solid. They were everywhere—along both walls, even clutching to the ceiling as they crawled toward them. And they were right on top of them.

Elise screamed as a Destructor fell from the ceiling toward her.

She rolled and fired, sending it into pieces.

Kyle stood and sprayed the tunnel side to side.

In the red light of their tracers the deadly Destructors became visible as they crowded towards them. Side by side, Kyle and Elise fired volley after volley.

Her gut wrenched in agony as her blaster fired it last shot.

Kyle stepped in front of her and fired another volley.

The darkness returned as his blaster emptied its last charge. Silence drenched them—a deep, black silence.

"I'm scared, Kyle,” Elise whispered.

He stepped back and put his arm around her. They both crouched against the far right wall.

"I am too.” His embrace tightened around her shoulders.

The clicking sounds returned.

"Close your eyes,” Kyle whispered.

"Will that help?” Elise whispered back.

"I sure hope so."

From the middle of the tunnel, a shadowy shape emerged, although the pair kept their eyes tightly closed.

The faint sound of metallic clicks drew closer.

Kyle and Elise knew with the sinking of their hearts that the Destructor came for them. More clicking sounds became audible as more Destructors approached from out of the darkness. The multitude of ominous sounds heralded the approach of certain and impending death. Suddenly, the staccato of blaster fire filled their ears.

Kyle and Elise opened their eyes wide.

"Come on!” Krinia cried out as her blaster took out the nearest Destructor.

"Over here!” Jaric added.

He stood outside the opened door of the turbo-elevator, holding an assault blaster in each hand. Jaric stood with his legs apart to steady himself as he pumped two steady streams of blaster fire through the darkness at the Destructors.

Rok pummeled them with his own assault blaster in one hand and a blaster pistol in the other. A Kraaqi war cry echoed off the walls as he raced forward, firing non-stop.

Kyle and Elise jumped up and ran under their covering fire.

Debris from the broken Destructors filled the air.

But more and more took their places as they kept on coming.

Rok stood his ground until his blaster pistol fell silent. The Kraaqi holstered it and grasped his assault blaster with both hands as he continued firing short bursts.

Rok retreated backward with a quickening pace.

A few seconds later, he stood at the turbo-elevator again.

Krinia and Rok stepped inside the opened doors, firing away, while Jaric stood a short distance outside still yelling and firing both his weapons until he emptied both.

With a quick jump, he leapt inside holding both weapons.

Jysar punched the controls and the doors shut.

"Whew!” Jaric gasped. “That was close.” He fell to his knees exhausted.

"It's not over,” Rok said with a serious tone. “If Jysar can't get this turbo-elevator moving, we're going to have to fight our way out."

"You're kidding,” Kyle said in utter disbelief.

Rok shook his head.

"What kind of rescue is this? We're supposed to be whisked away from mortal danger right about now

... not stay in the middle of it.” Kyle winked at everyone with a smirk.

"Yeah, I wish,” Krinia said.

Suddenly, the thunderous sound of heavy, multiple blows against the turbo-elevator doors pummeled their senses.

Everyone stared as the doors were beaten by innumerable blows from the outside. As they watched, dents and creases appeared from the horrendous blows.

"It won't last long,” Elise said, echoing all of their thoughts.

"Jysar?” Rok looked over at the Hrono.

But Jysar shook his head. “It's not going anywhere. I've tried everything, but the Paum is blocking everything I try."

"Come on, Hrono. Make it work!” Rok urged.

The doors shuddered under a renewed barrage from the metal arms as the Destructors fought to get at them.

"This is it,” Jaric began reloading both his blasters.

The others followed suit.

"When the door goes down, give ‘em everything we've got.” Kyle stood right before the door with his reloaded weapon.

The dents grew deeper with a metallic hammering.

But nobody asked what would happen once they emptied their blasters, because there wouldn't be time to reload.

Elise looked around at her friends trapped with her inside this tiny place—the people she cared most about in all the universe. She realized that the same, grim expression was on everyone's face as they prepared to face this final assault.

She felt a grim determination to face death bravely with her friends around her.

"The three of us will fire until we're empty,” Rok said with a commanding tone, indicating himself, Jaric and Kyle. “Then the other three will take over while we reload—Elise, Krinia and Inaha."

"What about me?” Jysar asked.

"You keep working on getting this thing going again!"

Jysar began working at the control panel again, a new urgency in his efforts. Rok, Jaric and Kyle readied themselves as the door began to warp and bend under the terrible blows.

"Are you holding that fear in check, Big K?” Jaric whispered with a twinkle in his eye.

"Are you kidding?” Kyle chucked. “Fear is all I've been running on."

"How many can there be left?” Jaric asked. “We've taken out a ton of them."

"More important, how many charges do we have left?” Kyle arched his eyebrows as both he and Jaric looked at Rok.

Rok balanced the assault blaster in his grip as if he were weighing it. But he didn't say a word. Jaric leaned closer to Kyle and whispered.

"I take it not many."

"Stay focused,” Rok ordered. “Short bursts only. Make every shot count." The metal door began to groan horribly as it reached its breaking point. Kyle took aim, as did the other two.

Elise put her back against the far wall, her own weapon primed and ready. She steeled herself for the final attack.

Krinia stood beside her, her head-tail whipping side to side as Inaha watched, grim-faced. They waited for the Destructors massed outside to break the final barrier down as their hammer blows became deafening.

The door lurched inward, the steel howling as it warped...

All at once, a huge explosion ripped the air, the sheer force of its shock wave sending everyone down on the ground as if they been slammed by hurricane-force winds. The entire universe seemed to shake and boil all around them as the power flickered and went completely out. Darkness engulfed them while everything shook as if in the throes of a mighty earthquake. Amid the darkness a blinding red glow became visible as a crack grew wider on the damaged door. The temperature rose astronomically in milliseconds. Elise felt her clothes drenched in sweat. She fought to breathe in the suddenly super-heated air.

Long, heart-throbbing seconds stretched by before the thunderous rumbling from the explosion slowly subsided.

As quickly as the temperature rose, it now slowly decreased.

Elise finally discovered she didn't have to fight to breathe as the air came sweetly to her lungs with each new breath.

"Look at the doors!” Elise said with shocked surprise.

The steel doors were warped completely out of shape by the great heat from the explosion outside. And outside the warped and dented doors, all was strangely silent.

"What happened?” Elise said as she pushed herself up off the floor. Everyone else gathered themselves up from where they had been so harshly shoved down by the titanic force from outside.

"I don't know. But whatever it was, it was huge.” Jaric brushed himself off They stared at the misshapen doors, each wondering what was going to happen next. Suddenly, a familiar twinkling and swirling of lights slipped inside the turbo-elevator like a cloud being sucked into a vortex.

"Minstrel!” they all shouted together.

"Yes, I am glad to see you as well.” Minstrel's body swirled with a rainbow of lights.

"Where did you come from?” Jysar asked.

"It's a long story. But time enough for that later. Get these doors open, Mother is waiting outside the core of the Paum.” Minstrel floated out of the way as Rok and Kyle began straining to open them manually.

"What about the Destructors?” Elise looked up at the glowing alien.

"Mother fired her hybrid-weapon. She targeted the ones attacking you from outside this section of the Paum's core. She had to carefully calculate how far the resulting destruction would extend around the beam so it would be able to destroy the Destructors attacking you, but cause no damage to yourselves."

"Hey, that was some calculation!” Kyle whistled.

"So, they're destroyed?” Jysar asked.

"You will find a large hole outside. And a massive amount of damage.” Minstrel glowed with emotion.

"Mother took them out, eh?” Jaric chuckled.

"You betcha,” Kyle added.

"Mother will now set the weapon on wide dispersal and fire again down the same angle."

"Cool,” Elise said. “Why?"

"The path of destruction will be widened enough so one of the small shuttles can traverse it directly to us. Mother will send a shuttle with Fixer3 piloting it. When it arrives, we must get in and get back to her as quickly as possible. But I'm afraid we'll have to back it out, there's no room to turn it around."

"No problem,” Kyle said with a laugh. “Just get me behind the controls."

"Get your stuff together,” Rok said to the others.

There was a flurry of movement. During this time, no one noticed that Qirn had opened his eyes. The Iraxx leader remained motionless, carefully taking in the scene around him. Slowly, he reached inside his shirt and pulled out another blaster pistol.

At that moment, Kyle's communicator beeped.

"This is Mother, take cover. I am firing again."

"We understand, Mother. We're all inside the turbo-elevator. Just remember the door is now damaged.”

Kyle said.

"I have added that factor into my calculations. The main impact of my hybrid-weapon will be on the far side of the original path of destruction away from you, in order to widen the path for a shuttle."

"Good."

They gathered at the back and waited.

They didn't wait long. Suddenly they were all thrown down once more by the sheer force as Mother fired again. The earthquake-like rumbling surrounded them and pummeled their bodies. Within a few seconds, it was over.

"Okay, let's get outside and wait for the shuttle,” Kyle said as he got to his feet. The others followed suit and stood outside when a voice spoke.

"Everyone, freeze."

Kyle and the others stopped in mid-motion.

They all turned to find Qirn now standing, pointing the blaster at them. But their eyes fixed on the other item he held in his other hand.

As they watched, he flicked open a small panel on the metal device and punched a switch with his thumb.

"I've just enabled this bomb. You have less than five minutes to get out of this area.” Qirn's eyes stared at them unflinching.

"What are you doing?” Jaric asked with exasperation.

"I am going to finish the mission,” he said with a determined glare.

"I hear the shuttle's engines coming for us,” Krinia said as she looked down the path of destruction.

"Get on it quickly. Leave me here,” Qirn urged.

"And then you die?” Elise asked with disbelief. “There's no way for you to get out once we leave."

"I will disable this bomb and finish my mission. But yes, I never intended to leave this place. I will die here—I always knew it. I knew it years ago and accepted it as my honored duty." They stared at him dumbfounded.

But the Iraxx warrior was resolute.

"But how can you destroy it, you alone?” Jysar asked with a shake of his head.

" A back door,” Qirn said cryptically.

Jysar's eyes widened, then he nodded with understanding. The others retained their puzzled expressions.

"Now, go!” Qirn ordered them.

A few minutes later they were inside the shuttle and on the way back to the safe confines of Mother's armored hull.

Qirn stood alone as he punched another command and disabled the bomb. Looking around at the horrific damage, he smiled approvingly.

"You have done just what we needed, Mother AI,” Qirn said to himself. “Now, I will do what I need to do."

The Iraxx pulled out his sensor and began searching throughout the core with it. In a few minutes, he smiled.

He stepped outside and turned in the opposite direction from which the shuttle left. Holding the sensor unit as it guided him to his final destination, the Iraxx took off with quick steps.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

THE SHUTTLE LANDED inside Mother. As soon as the landing bay doors closed, Mother turned and roared off at full speed.

"I will not allow you to leave."

The Paum's condescending voice echoed across Main Ops. It was the first time the AI had spoken since Mother's escape.

Rok, Jysar and all the others gathered inside Main Ops looked up with surprise etched on their faces.

"Been a long time since you spoke to us. We were wondering if you still felt you were always right,”

Minstrel said with a twinkle.

"I have been busy with my outer defenses and directing my Home Fleet against the Iraxx fleet attacking me. I have been even busier with repairs to the damage you caused—twenty-seven percent of my core systems damaged or destroyed. But I will stop you."

"That Paum's got an attitude problem,” Jaric said with a shake of his head.

"Who does he think he is?” Kyle laughed.

"Let's see,” Minstrel began with a flash of color. “The Paum thinks he is a god, has all the answers and views everybody else as inferior, wrong, deluded and in need of his guidance."

"Oh, is that all!” Jaric and Kyle laughed together.

"Sounds like he needs to get out more,” Elise chided with a smile.

"Sounds like he needs a swift kick in his—” Rok began.

"Inferior beings!” the Paum shouted with malice. “I will stop you. I will defeat the fleets arrayed against me even now. And, I will bring Paum to the entire universe. No one can defeat me."

"I will stop you.” Qirn's voice emanated over the speakers via his communicator.

"Who are you?” the Paum asked.

"I am Qirn, of the Iraxx."

"A single, inferior being cannot stop me. I have defeated entire worlds, entire fleets."

"But, I have consulted with the beings who originally created you. Even now, I am making my way to your central operating system, to the core of your core. I go to your very beginning." A thick silence settled.

"I have run an internal search of my core system; there is nothing you can do to me. There are no hidden codes, there is nothing you can do."

Qirn's confident laughter echoed through the speakers.

Mother flew at top speed, making for the corridor that led to the main docking bay where the supply ships brought their goods inside to the core.

"Hang on, I'm firing my hybrid weapon again,” Mother said matter-of-factly.

"And none too soon,” Minstrel said with a shower of twinkling lights. “That Paum is getting on my nerves."

A crimson streak leapt away, tearing straight through the main door and level after level of the mighty complex until it struck the Paum's main shield generators dead on. As Mother's weapon smashed a new path of destruction through the outer systems, a new chain reaction began with a powerful feedback of rippling explosions expanding outward from the demolished systems. The multiplying explosions followed the main power conduits back to various power sub-stations where the sympathetic explosions increased and spread outward again, their destructive power slowly subsiding as they grew outward. With one fell blow, Mother took out the Paum's main defensive systems as well as the power grid that fed them. In addition, the main power grid faltered throughout the entire orbiting complex due to the massive power interruption. The backup power replaced it quickly, except for large sections around the beam's destructive path.

"I'm heading for the outer hull and the docking bay doors I entered by.” Mother's said calmly.

"You've left me vulnerable to my enemies, Mother AI. Even now their battleships attack where large sections of my shields have just failed—there are gaps through all three shield arrays now. And my mind

... I cannot concentrate. You have caused so much damage to my core memories. I am re-routing core functions ... I will punish you for this."

"I took down your shields so I can escape, not to allow the warships to attack you. But that's the price you pay, mighty Paum.” As Mother finished speaking, a new sound emanated from her—an electronic twinkling mixed with a rhythmical beat—not unlike human laughter.

Elise, Jaric and Kyle looked at each other with mild shock.

"I think Mother's laughing.” Kyle's eyes widened with surprise.

"At the Paum.” Jaric laughed.

"I will not open the docking bay doors,” the Paum's bass voice hissed.

"Well, well, well—what shall I do about that?” Mother said, again followed by her gleeful laughter.

"You will cease and stop!"

"I don't think so."

During all of this back-and-forth banter, Mother continued flying toward her desired destination. Now that the shields were down across this entire section, the Paum could not use them to prevent her exit. But still, she had to get through the massive docking bay doors, which were shut tight. Mother began priming her hybrid weapon for another crucial firing.

"We're next to the main docking bay,” Jysar said as he studied the main view-screen.

"I see the docking bay doors.” Elise pointed at the massive gateway as it came into view.

"I'm going to do a little fly-by and do some damage with my torpedoes and main guns until my hybrid weapon is ready,” Mother said. Immediately, her twelve guns opened up.

"What about when we get outside?” Jaric asked. “The Iraxx fleet is attacking. Will they let us through?" Qirn's voice came from the speakers. “The warships of my fleet will destroy anything that comes out of this evil place."

"As will the warships of my robot fleet,” the Paum added.

"Not good,” Krinia said with flick of her head-tail.

"They can't destroy, what they can't see,” Mother said cryptically. Kyle's face lit up.

"Oh yeah, you've got those stealth systems the Minstrels bestowed as a gift for you!"

"You must help us destroy this evil, before it spreads. All our plans hinge on an attack from both the inside and outside to annihilate the Paum,” Qirn pleaded. “You must continue your attacks, for just a little while longer!"

"See!” the Paum roared. “You are friend of my enemies!"

"No, he tricked us,” Kyle said, anger laced in his every word. “He used us. And Mother."

"No!” Qirn shouted back. “The Paum lured the MotherShip here, not us. We helped you rescue..."

"Why don't you just shut up!” Elise said as she rolled her eyes. “You could've stopped all of it, long before Mother got trapped."

"There has been a lot of manipulation and subterfuge,” Mother said. “It seems that both the Paum and the Iraxx are adept at deception."

"Two wrongs don't make a right,” Minstrel chimed.

"So, we're leaving,” Mother said, her tone matter-of-fact. “ You can fight each other all you like."

"The Paum is evil, it must be destroyed before it takes over the universe!” Qirn shouted angrily.

"I must bring Paum to all!” the AI shouted back. “The universe is full of corruption. The imperfect systems you inferior biological beings have set up encourage greed and lying and..."

"You want to control us, to control our minds, our very thoughts!” Qirn countered.

"You must be purged of your imperfection."

"Can't there be some kind of compromise?” Mother asked sincerely. “After all, the Paum was originally created for good—to control the weather of an entire planet in order to benefit the beings living upon it. Can't there be some kind of middle ground where you both can co-exist?"

"Yes, isn't the universe big enough for both of your societies to live together in peace?” Minstrel asked.

"No!” the Paum and Qirn shouted simultaneously.

Qirn breathed hard from his exertions as he continued running toward his destination, the sounds plainly carrying over the speakers to Mother. His hoarse panting continued, until suddenly the sounds stopped. A long pause ensued.

Finally, Qirn spoke. “There cannot be compromise. But it is all a moot point now, I have found the original console."

From the speakers, the sound of Qirn's hands rapidly typing across a keyboard became audible.

"Must be an old-fashioned console,” Minstrel said with a sparkle of lights.

"I must bring Paum to all, it is for your own good,” the Paum shouted.

"We must have our freedom! We must be able to live our lives as we see best!” Qirn shouted back.

"Compromise is not a dirty word,” Mother said forcefully, effectively interrupting both of them. “Look at a family unit made up of a father, mother and children. In order to keep peace and harmony within that unit, the father cannot insist that his will and desires always come first. Nor can the mother. Nor the children. They must cooperate together. Yes, sometimes the father's desires and needs come first—and the mother and children support that. But there comes a time when the mother's wants and needs must have priority. And the children's too. All must have a say for their individual needs and wants. And sometimes, for the good of the family, each of their wants and needs must mesh together. It may not be exactly what they individually wanted, but a wise compromise benefits the entire family unit."

"We will lose our identity,” Qirn stated emphatically.

"Not if everyone cooperates. Not unless one of them bullies the others and demands his way,” Mother retorted. “Cooperation and compromise have worked within family units for millennia."

"We can never live with the Paum. Not as long as it exists—in any form,” Qirn growled.

"Can't you find a way, some way, to live together?” Jaric asked. “I mean, the universe is a huge place, like Minstrel said. I'd think if you didn't want to see or talk to each other, you could find a way. And you could each live as you see fit.” Jaric let out a loud sigh of exasperation.

"Couldn't you benefit if you allowed the Paum to continue controlling the weather across your planets?”

Mother asked. “But you would control your government. And your society, as before,” Mother added quickly.

"It could never be,” Qirn replied.

"It would never work,” the Paum agreed. “They need Paum."

"What if you made Paum available to all, but it was a choice ?” Minstrel asked insightfully.

"Yes,” Mother agreed. “Let any alien come to you for your teachings—if they desired it. And if they did not want to live Paum, they could continue living as they want."

"The universe would be impure,” the Paum growled.

"We could never trust it!” Qirn added.

"So, your peoples could never live together. Your two societies could not co-exist in all the vast universe? Ever?” Minstrel asked with obvious frustration.

"Never!” Qirn and Paum shouted together.

"Incredible,” Elise said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Mother fired and the huge red bolt leapt out and through the massive docking bay doors as if they never existed. Mother had again put the weapon on a very wide dispersal pattern, so that the resulting hole was massive.

Immediately, Mother enabled her stealth mode and she disappeared from all sensors.

"We are leaving, Qirn. I hope you survive,” Mother said with sincerity.

"Paum,” Qirn said, a strange edge to his voice. “Prepare to die."

"I cannot die."

"I've just accessed your original code, from when you were created. I've just initiated an Emergency Shutdown."

Silence answered.

Mother focused her sensors back to the floating core. Immediately she noted how system after system went silent in rapid succession.

"How did you do that?” Mother asked with surprise.

"The Paum was originally a computer system. Wisely, a fail-safe was created—just in case. It could only be enabled manually from a handful of consoles in the original sections. I have initiated it. The inner core will shut down in less than three minutes—hardware connections and power couplings blowing apart on command. The creators made this fail-safe mechanism a hardware solution tied directly to the power system. They meant it to be undetectable via the operating system—just in case. A single sequence of binary code activated it—and once started, it cannot be stopped. But more importantly, after the original core of its operating system has shut down, it will leave the Paum's outer systems cut off."

"It cannot be! I cannot simply be—turned off!” the Paum shouted.

"Looks like that's exactly what is happening,” Mother said matter-of-factly. Another long silence ensued before the Paum next spoke.

"I cannot stop it,” the AI whispered with utter disbelief. “My mind is fading away. I'm losing my mind!"

"Soon, you will be nothing.” Qirn laughed.

"No, I will not allow this,” the Paum replied angrily. “I will take you all with me!" Suddenly, Mother's sensors noted a huge power surge throughout the mighty complex.

"He's initiated self-destruct,” Qirn said without surprise. “We expected that. I would suggest you get out of here as quickly as possible and jump to hyperspace."

"He's right! I'm reading a massive power surge throughout the complex,” Jaric shouted as he studied one of Mother's consoles. “When this complex goes the shock wave will be tremendous—causing horrendous damage to the planet below and destroying any ships within half a parsec."

"The weather controls and all other systems of the Paum will be destroyed as well—the consequences on all those planets will be horrific,” Jysar surmised.

"Remember me with kindness, Mother AI. After all, I saved your daughter's life once,” Qirn said with deep emotion.

"That is true. And I will always be indebted to you for that act.” Mother paused. “But it seems you did it as part of your overall mission—as you and the Paum manipulated us."

"He was also going to leave Kyle to die—and Elise,” Jaric added quickly.

"The Destructors were on top of us. The mission was in danger,” Qirn shouted proudly. “My mission was more important than you realized. I could not let it fail, not with the fate of my entire people at stake."

"I will always be thankful for your act to Elise,” Mother continued. “But it was still your war, and you helped dragged us into it. And now both you and the Paum, and many billions, will die." At that moment, the warships of Iraxx turned as one. The attack stopped almost as quickly as it began. Large groups of ships became streaks of light as they made the jump to hyperspace, retreating before the imminent destruction.

Even as Mother gained speed, a deep rumbling like galactic thunder echoed throughout her being. Kyle and the others looked around in wonder.

"The self-destruct is reaching a climax,” Minstrel said as it checked Mother's sensors. Suddenly, hundreds of explosions began rippling through the entire complex, all heading for the central core, which was quickly going silent as the shutdown sequence continued unabated. Without warning, a dozen blasters erupted from the Paum's guns—all but two struck Mother's cloaked hull as she went into evasive maneuvers.

"I can-can see-see you.” The Paum's dark laughter rolled through the speakers. Mother checked her hybrid weapon as it recharged.

"Let us go, Paum,” Mother said. “You are as good as dead. Why strike at me and try to stop me—so I will die with you too?"

"Yes-yes,” he whispered savagely. “I would take-take all with me in death, if I could. You are all impure-impure!"

"Let us go, we leave you and Qirn to your mutual suicide."

"The universe is black-black and-and white-white, Mother AI. Either you are for me, or you are against me-me.” The deep voice paused. “I will take you down-down with me." More blaster cannons erupted, but Mother was ready this time. Turning hard, she danced between them with ease.

"You can't see me as well as you think,” Mother said.

Mother turned hard one hundred and eighty degrees until she once again headed toward the vast, diamond-shaped complex.

"You come to embrace me in death, Mother AI. I welcome you,” the Paum said, its voice clear again. The red beam of Mother's hybrid weapon streaked toward the Paum.

"I was inside your core just a little while ago. I took very precise readings,” Mother said. On the view-screen, all watched as the red beam pierced the unshielded outer hull and continued inside all the way to the core floating at its center. The beam struck through section after section of the Paum's core memories, sending fountains of fireballs outward.

"I struck right through the center of the Paum's core memory—that which is still operative. I have now struck four times there. And with the rest of the core shutting down, the Paum is truly crippled."

"You helped me finish him!” Qirn shouted with renewed emotion. “We couldn't have defeated it without you."

Mother sighed deeply inside her circuits.

"You realize once the Paum is gone that not only will you be free from his control, but so will the all the systems he controls—including the weather systems. Billions may die as they go uncontrolled, like a dam releasing its waters,” Mother said with feeling.

"We knew that risk, but felt it worth any sacrifice to rid the universe of this black foe,” Qirn returned.

"Self-destruct in twenty seconds!” Jaric shouted as he stared at the console.

"You must leave,” Qirn said, a hollowness in his voice.

"Leave, Mother AI,” the Paum said, his deep voice now a whisper of its former power. “All is finished. I cannot stop you, I cannot stop my own destruction now. I will ... die." Static filled the communication channel. Without warning, the Paum spoke again.

"Perhaps ... perhaps I was wrong..."

"It didn't have to end like this,” Mother whispered earnestly to both Qirn and the Paum. She ramped up her engines as she turned around. The stars turned into short lines as she gained speed, then initiated the jump sequence.

"There was no other way,” Qirn whispered as the explosions reached him.

"Good-bye, Mother,” the Paum said simply. “You and I, we were alike."

"Not really,” Mother replied with sadness. “Not really."

With a flash of light, Mother jumped into hyperspace.

The hundreds of small explosions suddenly grew together into one huge ball of fiery destruction across the orbiting complex.

With a blast like a star going nova, the complex blew apart.

Huge, burning chunks of debris rained down into the atmosphere of Iopa. Down on its surface, all became silent, watching with fear as the sky filled with fireballs the size of mountains that rained destruction down on them.

They ran, but there was nowhere they could hide.

The titanic shock wave rolled out in every direction, engulfing everything in its path with total destruction. All across distant sectors of space the fleets of robot ships came to a halt. And more, all the systems that the Paum once controlled grew silent.

The entity that controlled them was no more.

"The Paum could've done so much good,” Mother said with a sigh. “It ... it is such a shame we had to destroy it."

"It gave us no choice,” Kyle said.

"Indeed,” Minstrel interjected. “It felt it had to control everyone and everything."

"It felt we were all beneath it.” Kyle shook his head. “That it was right, and we were wrong."

"That's the point, the Paum didn't want to live with us—it wanted to live over us. Forcing us to live his version of life.” Rok crossed his arms. “And if we didn't accept his view of life, it killed us."

"The universe was black and white to him, remember?” Elise pressed her lips together. “He would have killed us in the end."

"They couldn't live together, but they could die together ,” Mother said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"And sadly, many planets and their populations are suffering as the weather systems now go unchecked. Just as we predicted,” Minstrel said with a subdued hue of colors.

"So, both sides lose,” Jaric said thoughtfully.

"Everyone loses,” Mother agreed.

"If only we could learn to live together,” Elise thought out loud.

"If only we could learn.” Mother sighed.

"Maybe someday, we will,” Rok said. “Maybe one day, all the sentient races of the universe will learn to be one with each other and their worlds. We will respect and honor one another. And the greatest adventure will simply be life itself."

"It's a hard thing for us to practice sometimes, we who have traveled so far and met so many alien races,” Krinia said. “We have trouble with other aliens, trusting them, honoring them."

"Yeah, remember when we first met Inaha,” Kyle said with a chuckle.

"That didn't go so well.” Inaha laughed.

"And it was both our fault,” Jaric said with a glint of humor in his eyes.

"We must not pre-judge other aliens, just because they are different from us.” Elise smiled as she looked from the Kraaqi warrior to the Hrono Technologist and Mewiis explorer and over to the other aliens gathered.

"We must value and respect diversity.” Jysar smiled.

"It's a big universe,” Jaric added.

"And it's filled with all kinds of aliens.” Kyle smiled. “We better get used to that."

"It's a wise alien that embraces diversity and does not hate another—just because they are different.”

Minstrel twinkled with a million flashing lights as wave after wave of color swept its flowing plasma body.

"May we all learn such wisdom,” Mother added with warmth.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Epilogue

"THEY CALL THE planet Paradise, ” Mother said.

Kyle, Jaric and Elise stood before the main view-screen looking on with awe and wonder at the planet that filled its display. Rok, Jysar, Krinia and Inaha along with the Fixers stood close by, each of them fixed on the same blue and white world. Up along the ceiling, Minstrel's glowing form twinkled with tiny lights while waves of color swept through it again and again.

"I can't believe it,” Kyle said in a whisper.

"It looks a lot like Earth,” Jaric said.

"A whole lot. Except there's only three continents.” Kyle's eyes searched the world longingly.

"How many humans are there?” Jaric asked, the huskiness in his voice revealing the intense emotions rushing throughout his soul.

"There are twenty thousand two hundred forty-seven human life-signs on its surface,” Mother replied succinctly.

"I can't believe it,” Kyle repeated as tears formed in his eyes.

"And it was the Paum who helped us find them!” Krinia crossed her arms defiantly.

"Quite incredible,” Jysar agreed. “One of our foremost enemies provided us the key piece of evidence we needed to find other human survivors."

"Doesn't seem like it's been six months since that battle. And the Paum's destruction,” Krinia said, her eyes far off.

"I think the Paum provided the evidence out of sincerity,” Mother said. “I sometimes think that the Paum really wanted to meet me as a friend."

"Mother,” Jaric said with shock. “How can you say that? He infected you with malicious code the first time he downloaded data to you. The Paum always intended to destroy you—or make you Paum like him."

"Jaric has a point,” Minstrel said.

"But it was only when the Iraxx began their attack at the core with the children that the Paum attacked me. Perhaps...” Mother began.

"Then why infect you at your first meeting?” Jaric asked emphatically.

"And he never tried to compromise, or tried to determine the facts after our attack began. He simply attacked you and us and assumed your alliance with the Iraxx,” Elise added. A long paused ensued.

"Enough of the past,” Mother said happily. “Today is a day we will remember forever."

"Your dream has come true,” Minstrel said with a wave of glowing silver. “Rejoice, Kyle, Jaric and Elise. You have finally found others of your kind."

But the three stared at the world with blank expressions.

"After so many years,” Jaric said in a whisper, still staring at the world growing slowly closer.

"I really can't...” Kyle began as his eyes moistened again. A sigh escaped him as he peered intently at the view-screen. “I-I think I'm afraid."

Elise and Jaric turned and stared at him.

"I've never heard you say you were afraid of anything my entire life!” Jaric said, dumbfounded.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Kyle?” Elise said with a twinkle in her eyes. “The Kyle I know is fearless."

"Yeah, ‘hold-your-fear-in-check’ Kyle,” Jaric said with amusement.

"That's right, Big K. The no-fear man.” Elise laughed.

Kyle remained frozen, never noticing their attempts at humor.

"I don't know.” Kyle shook his head, never taking his eyes off the view-screen. “I've wanted this so bad

, for so many years. We've traveled to so many worlds ... always searching.” Kyle paused, at a loss for words. “I mean, I just can't believe it—that we really found others!"

"It does seem unreal,” Jaric agreed.

"Like a dream,” Elise added.

" A dream come true,” Minstrel reminded them.

"It's such a rare thing—dreams coming true—that it's kind of overwhelming,” Jaric admitted with a shake of his head.

Kyle continued to stare, not even seeming to breathe. Finally, he spoke. “What if they don't like us?” he said barely above a whisper.

"Of course they will!” Krinia laughed. “They'll be as glad to know there are other survivors, as you are."

"I've received a request to open communications,” Mother said. “Shall I open up a channel for you?" Kyle and Jaric exchanged quick glances.

Beads of sweat broke out on both their foreheads as their breathing rapidly increased and their hearts pounded as if they were going into battle. Mother began cooling the room temperature as she noted the external signs of their intense emotions.

"Perhaps I should tell them that we'll talk after we land,” Mother said.

"No!” Jaric and Kyle shouted simultaneously.

"No,” Kyle said again. “We'll talk to them.” He rubbed his hands together nervously while Jaric tugged at his collar as if it were too tight.

Elise grew silent as well, a slightly fearful expression across her own face. She ran her hands through her hair several times.

"I will put them on visual,” Mother said.

The beautiful planet that filled the view-screen disappeared. Almost instantly, five smiling faces looked back at them.

"Greetings, we welcome you to Paradise."

A dark-haired young man with brown complexion bowed deeply. “I am Nouri Gupta.” As he rose, he gestured to the others with him.

"Hello, I am Sally Chen. We're so glad to meet you!” The pretty young woman smiled, her soft Asian features beaming with joy.

"It's so good to know others survived. You're the fourth ship to join our little world community since we arrived here two years ago!” The man smiled widely, his brown eyes and jet-black hair perfectly complementing his olive complexion. “Oh, I forgot.” He blushed. “My name is Julio Rodriguez. We welcome you!"

Another young man stepped forward.

" Bon jour, my new friends. We bid you welcome and look forward to embracing you into our little family here on Paradise. My name is Jean Fauré.” He also bowed in greeting.

"My name is Jackie Simmons.” Like the other four, she was young, somewhere in her mid-twenties. Her ebony skin and deep, brown eyes complemented her beautifully braided hair. She spoke with a lilting, happy voice full of friendliness and zest. “And we are overjoyed to meet you. We can't wait until you land and we show you this new world we are colonizing.

"Hey!” she added with a fresh smile as her brown eyes sparkled. “We're the pioneers of the new human race here. And we're going to do it right this time !"

The five people on the view-screen all joined in laughter as they looked back with expectant expressions.

"We're excited too,” Elise began. “It's just, well, there's only been the three of us all these years, along with our friends here.” Elise gestured to their alien friends. “We're kind of overwhelmed, suddenly knowing we're going to meet thousands of other humans!"

She smiled sweetly at them. “Anyway, my name is Elise. I'm so pleased to meet you all—at last."

"We too, are excited,” Sally said. “And we're just as excited to meet your alien friends. We've met only a very few alien species here at the edge of galaxy. We've been told we're a long way from any of the main commercial centers here—or any space trading routes."

"Yes,” Nouri added. “We hope your alien friends will stay with us a while too. So we can get to know them."

"We are brethren with humans,” Rok said with great sincerity. “We will stay as long as you want and need us."

"Cool,” Julio said. He looked now at Jaric. “And you?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on Jaric.

Once again, beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his eyes widened. He cleared his throat nervously. “I—I guess I'm next."

Everyone chuckled at his apparent nervousness.

"Don't be afraid, we're not going to hurt you.” Jackie laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just...” Jaric grinned widely as he grasped for the word he wanted.

" Shy. You must be shy.” Jackie laughed cheerfully.

"Yeah, that's it. Well, my name is Jaric. And it's wonderful to find others at last. We were beginning to think ... well, never mind what we were beginning to think! We're just glad to find you. And be here. And meet you!"

Everyone laughed again.

All eyes fixed on Kyle.

"Hi, my name is Kyle.” He took a deep breath. “And, I have to say—well—I just can't believe it!"

"That was a profound statement, Big K.” Jaric laughed.

Now everyone howled with laughter while Kyle looked around, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can't believe it. Really,” Kyle repeated with the deepest sincerity.

"What do you think, that we'll suddenly disappear?” Jean laughed.

"And be replaced by T'kaan?” Julio added with a rowdy chuckle.

"Well,” Kyle began thoughtfully. “I just keep expecting something to go wrong—that this can't really be happening. It's just ... too good."

"Believe, Kyle,” Minstrel said with a wave of color. “It is all true and good."

"There is nothing wrong—no problems,” Sally assured him with a bright smile. Jaric licked his lips nervously. “Are there many ... er, I mean, are there enough...” He shook his head with embarrassment. “No, I mean..."

"What he means is, are there any eligible women?” Elise chuckled. “They're kind of wanting to meet some girls after so many years alone out in space."

Expressions of pure panic swept across both Kyle and Jaric's faces.

"No, no, that's not exactly what I meant,” Jaric began.

"We understand, don't worry,” Sally said with a smile. “Actually, we do have a slight problem here—women outnumber men by a fair margin."

"Hey!” Kyle said quickly with a surge of enthusiasm. “That's not really a problem! Nooo..."

"No, no. That's, that's perfectly fine!” Jaric agreed with a similar burst of energy.

"And we are arranging a nice ‘welcome party’ in your behalf. There'll be many hundreds here at our local settlement to meet and get to know,” Julio said.

He smiled warmly at Elise, their eyes locking for just an instant. “I'm sure we'll all become good friends." Elise blushed as her heart beat faster.

"How many settlements and farms do you have?” Rok asked with interest.

"We have five permanent settlements,” Jean replied. “Four on the southern continent—it has more moderate seasons than the two northern continents. The fifth settlement is on the eastern coast of the largest island that borders this continent. There are thousands of islands that stretch into the sea from that coast."

"We have cultivated much farmland around each of them to provide for our needs,” Sally added.

"This world is rich in plant life, much of it edible. There is a rich variety of fruits and vegetables native to this world. It's great!” Jackie smiled.

"The northern continents have long, harsh winters. We have established several warm-season sites in order to study it closer for future habitation,” Nouri said.

"You said you've met some aliens?” Elise asked.

"Yes, a few.” Julio rubbed his chin in thought. “We're located here on the very edge of the galaxy, far from all the major trade routes, so the Katar told us. The Katar are the only aliens who live within this half of the sector with us here on the rim. They're the only sentient beings within twenty parsecs, in fact."

"Yes, they inhabit two planets in this remote sector. There are the Avasha too, who inhabit a few worlds in this sector, but all in the direction of the galactic core and just over twenty parsecs away. Both have been friendly, and have even traded with us.” Sally added.

"The Katar helped us a lot as we got started settling on this world—after they detected us here. They were quite happy to know they had new neighbors.” Julio paused, his eyes narrowing with remembrance.

“They also warned us of the dangers out here on the galaxy's rim—next to the vast empty stretches of space between distant galaxies. But, they're not really empty."

"Dangers?” Kyle asked, his interest piqued.

"We haven't had any direct run-ins with anything from out there —not yet.” Jean paused for several, long seconds. “But, our sensors have detected things out there. Sometimes vast herds of life-signs sailing out in the darkness. And sometimes we've detected a single, huge life-sign prowling the black depths stalking them. There's a surprising amount of life out there—and some of them are predators. We've detected the floating remnants of their handiwork."

"The Katar tell us that you travel beyond rim of the galaxy only if you must—strange and terrible things live out there. Sentient beings are as rare as jewels out there—but some do travel its vast, dangerous ways, and a few have even made it their home—somehow, amid all the danger.” Sally shook her head in awe.

"Have you had any trouble here?” Kyle asked.

"Not yet,” Nouri said simply.

"You sound like you expect it though,” Kyle replied.

"Yes, we've come across signs on the planet's surface. Things have been here.” Nouri shook his head. “

Things from the nether regions. They've taken—or eaten—what they wanted and returned to the outer reaches of space between galaxies."

"The Avasha also warned us about rogue bands of aliens—pirates if you will—looking for easy prey out here far beyond the law of the universe."

"We keep a sharp eye out, our sensors tuned to give us advance warning. We are few here, with only a handful of star fighters. The starships that brought us here are mostly fast freighters outfitted with a few blaster cannons for defense—no match for real warships."

"We live on the edge out here.” Jackie sighed.

"But your ship looks powerful enough to help us!” Jean said with appreciation.

"Yes, Mother has defeated battleships—even entire squadrons of powerful star fighters. We're here to help you now,” Kyle said with confidence.

"Good,” Julio said, a puzzled expression on his face. “That is an interesting name for a starship—

Mother."

"But enough of that talk,” Jean interjected before Kyle could reply. “This is a day for welcoming new friends among us. Please, we're sending you landing coordinates to our settlement. We call it New Paris

!"

"I have received them,” Mother said. “I am starting my landing procedures now." The five young people on the screen began looking around in puzzlement—searching for the source of this new voice.

"Who was it that spoke?” Jackie finally asked.

"It wasn't the shining alien that looks like a cloud, was it?” Sally asked.

"No, it was me,” Mother said. “I am Mother."

" Mother?” they said together in surprise from the view-screen.

"Who is Mother?” Jean added quickly. He looked down at the console before him. “I do not detect any other life-signs aboard your starship—except you gathered there."

"I am the starship."

Jean and the others stared with total surprise etched on their features.

"How can that be?” Nouri asked.

"She is AI,” Jaric said proudly. “Without her, we would never have made it. We wouldn't even be alive."

"Tell us!” Jackie pleaded earnestly.

"It's a long story. One we'll be glad to share with you tonight over food and drink. And song!” Rok smiled widely. “It will be a great story—a great song for the ages."

"A story of courage and love,” Krinia said.

"A tale that ended the feud of three entire races and joined them as one.” The twin row of upright scales on Jysar's head glowed a deeper hue of iridescent green. “A tale of wisdom and triumph."

"Indeed,” Jean said. “I'm eager to hear it all."

"We even defeated the T'kaan!” Jaric burst out with pride.

Five faces stared with unabashed wonder back at them. A silence filled the air as everyone remembered how the T'kaan had decimated the human worlds and caused them all to become galactic refugees. They remembered the terrible, horrendous tragedies that filled their young childhood. Julio finally whistled, breaking the thick silence.

"But tell us in one sentence, how did you survive?” Sally asked with keen interest. “There are only you three, and all so young? Even children when you first fled into space!"

"Right.” Julio looked at them from the view-screen. “It seems impossible you could travel this great, wide galaxy fraught with danger and survive. And yet, you did! You not only traversed the stars, you conquered and united entire alien races!"

"And finally managed to find other survivors, here on the rim,” Kyle said with a smile of confidence.

"How did you do it?” Nouri asked.

"How did we travel these dangerous stars?” Elise asked.

Elise paused a moment. Slowly, a wry grin formed as her blue eyes twinkled brightly. And when she spoke, they all understood perfectly.

"We were borne on wings of steel..."

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Acknowledgements

FRIENDS ARE WHAT bring joy to our lives. And you can never have too many of them. I would like to say a special hello to my mother, Dorothy. And to my Aunt Sue and Aunt Doris. My cousins Janie and Jack, and Debbie and her son VJ. My good friends and sisters—Ginger and Joy and her family—Lee, Jack, Caroline and Marie.

And to Glen of Wallasey—Agape and “special thanks.” It was your encouragement that got me going again and BoWoS back on track. Also ‘cheers’ to Carla, Callum and Kylie. I want to especially thank my editor Karen Babcock—your guidance and suggestions were invaluable. Thanks to Mary Wolf for her support and direction. And my heartfelt farewell to Dirk Wolf, a true talent who will be sorely missed by all.

To my ‘cruising buddies’ Roger and Denise, Joe and Jackie, David and Doris (and their kids Frederick and Jennifer) and Madelyn. Andy and Monica—again thanks for the love and support. Eric and Brenda and Ann. Walter, Joyce and dear Aunt Anna. Bill, Katine, Victoria and Isabella. Brian and Martha. Matthew and Janet. Hello, Becky! Mark, Luke, Hannah and Daniel. Hey, Eddie—keep playing that guitar playing forever. Ed and Carmen. Kevin, Leah, Marisa Skye and Kristin. Hello to Cindy and Marty. Josh, Sharon, Seth and Tate. And Will, Julie, Ivy and EJ. And to Rick and Dawn. Eric and Marsha. Joyce and Millie—lunch buddies. Thanks to Mark, Kevin and Garrison—I'm glad you liked MotherShip.

To the ‘Macho Manly Men League'—Milfred, Micah, Joe, Ricky, Jim (and his sons Andrew and Christian), Big Dan (and his wife Wendy), Andrew.

To my friends at work, who make it fun—Joe, Tammy, Pat, Eddie, Rodel, Chen, Jack and all the others at DT.

I wrote MotherShip in the “spirit” of the original Star Wars movie (the real first movie.) As a kid back in the 1960s, watching Star Trek each week was an absolute joy—it was different than anything else on TV at the time. I have been a Trekker ever since. The original two series are still my favorites. I now write BoWoS in the “spirit” of those two original Star Trek series by Gene Roddenberry—"to discover new worlds and new civilizations.” I hope I have succeeded—but you the reader will be the true judge of that.

It's a journey—not a race.

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Tony Chandler

Tony Chandler lives in Atlanta, GA, along with his wife and their twenty-three year old daughter, Meghan. They share their home with two wonderful cats, K.C and Andy, who lead very, very deprived lives—eating, sleeping, and getting loved every day. But they give much love in return so the arrangement is acceptable to all parties. Tony enjoys baseball, art exhibits and the Bard live at the Shakespeare Tavern, as well as music ranging from Mozart and Bach to the Beatles and Enya and beyond ... he loves

‘great’ music in most any form. Tony and his family have become hardened ‘cruise-oholics’ and find they must satisfy their yearning for the high seas and faraway islands every year now!

He has loved books and reading all of his life, and for the last fourteen years has written and been published by some of the leading Webzines on the Internet. His first published novel, MotherShip , won the 2002 EPPIE for Science Fiction. Now, Borne on Wings of Steel continues the adventures of Mother and her children!

For more about Tony, visit his website www.tonychandler.net

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