Far Horizon (Juggernaut #4)

Forty Six

Five quick blasts ripped up through and into the walkway where the security officer with the rocket launcher had been standing. Yellow beams sliced through the metal and exploded against the solid wall behind it. Part of the walkway split in two. A chunk tore free from the wall entirely and crashed to the deck beneath. The walkway next to that groaned and twisted under the stress, tipping away from the wall to point at the floor.

The officer dropped his weapon, and held on as the guardrails came free. His part of the walkway creaked ominously and twisted away from wall, leaving the officer dangling over burning cargo. The rocket launcher fell to the deck. The remaining four officers, helpless to aid their friend, scattered in the opposite direction. They fired wildly at the drone as they ran. Their missed shots peppered the deck, damaging more cargo, starting more small fires.

The drone tracked them as they fled. It rose vertically to bring its gun to the same level as the fire team, and opened fire.

This time only one yellow beam sizzled through the air. Something sparked and flashed inside the drone, as the weapon discharged. Thin black smoke rose through the hole in its armour. The one shot it took smacked into the wall just behind the last running man. The concussion wave of the impact knocked him to the floor. His weapon fell and skidded off the edge of the walkway.

Malachi and Nina leaned out from their hiding place. Most of this end of the cargo bay had been destroyed. The debris of exploded cargo had decorated the deck with tools, materials, food, and spare parts. At a glance they could see nearly a dozen small fires burning. Some of that smoke would be toxic, but Malachi saw extraction systems already pulling the smoky air through vents. At ground level fires popped and crackled as they spread across the deck.

The drone's behaviour had changed. Unable to shoot, it seemed to have settled into some kind of holding pattern. It flew high in the cargo bay, circling, if that was the right word, in a square. It took hard right turns instead of curves, like a bluebottle flitting around an overhead lamp. The sound from the drone's power core softened: It was the difference between a growl and a snore.

"It's stopped," said Nina. She stood behind him, holding his shoulders like a shield. "What's it doing now?"

"I don't know. Just circling."

"We need to analyse that code," said Nina. "I can see the datapad." She started forward but Malachi held her back.

"It's too dangerous. That thing's still active."

"It stopped shooting. It's harmless now."

Above them, the four-man team had regrouped, and the fifth officer had clambered his way back up by using the walkway as a ladder. He rolled onto the secure platform and crouched there, looking for the weapon he had dropped.

Nina, tired of waiting, ran for the datapad.

The officer saw something below and pointed and shouted. "Movement!" Still on edge and alert for any new danger, the the rest of the team didn't hesitate to shoot. They fired blindly in the direction indicated.

Nina shrieked as laser blasts exploded around her. She ran past the datapad into new cover with her head low.

The drone drifted to a halt on the far side of the cargo bay, and fell silent.

Malachi jumped out to follow her, waving his arms for attention. "Stop! Hold fire!"

"Hold fire!" commanded the team lead. Weapons were silenced, but four laser carbines still pointed down into the cargo bay. "Identify yourself."

"Malachi Chambers. I'm with the engineering class, and Nina Quinn. She's with comms. We're not the enemy."

The drone moved again. It abandoned its previous square pattern and moved toward the security team.

"It's coming back! Open fire!"

Laser blasts bounced off the armoured hull as the drone advanced. The engine noise grew louder as it woke up. A snore turned into a growl.

Malachi took advantage of the distraction. He pulled Nina toward him and with one arm around her waist he swept her behind cover. With his other hand he snatched up the datapad.

Above them the drone raised it's weapon, and fired. A single yellow blast stabbed into the security team. It hit the wall behind them and tore more of the walkway from its foundation. The metal framework squealed as it scraped down the wall, snapping support struts, and sending men tumbling to the floor.

The drone flew by them and began to turn for another pass.

Malachi pressed the datapad to Nina's hands and pushed her toward the maintenance hatch.

"Go! I'm right behind you."

"You're not! Come with me. Let them handle that thing."

"They can't. Those weapons hardly scratch it."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I have a plan."

"Famous last words, Mal."

The drone completed its turn and flew back. The power core growled again, and it lowered its gun.

"They won't be my last words."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The drone fired into the deck

Malachi kissed her. Behind them, yellow flame erupted from a cargo container.

"Just tell me it's a good plan," she said.

"It's a plan, let's leave it at that. Now go, you need to keep that data safe. If this plan works it will be the only copy we have."

"Mal, what are you going to do?"

Malachi picked up a strap that had secured the drone to the floor. The metal hook was still attached. That would be useful. He wrapped the length quickly between his elbow and hand to form a bundled loop. Then he took a deep breath.

"Something dumb, probably," he said, and ran toward the flames.