Chapter 59 – Escape
Somewhere in Kanzen City
Korolev Crater, Mars
Thursday, May 7, 2076
19:52 EST GMT-5
Ace: I knew I didn't want to stay stuck up here. I then closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I then opened my eyes, to look ahead and look around. I don't think I could escape from this alone.
"I.V.A.N.A?" I whispered. "Can you hear me?"
I didn't hear a response. Shit! He must be blocking off all electronic communication and signals. I needed to find my way out of this. I then remembered, I had something under my tongue, for such contingencies. I then swung my legs forward. Then swung it back. And repeatedly did so, as I swung back and forth even further. Then I kicked. Yes! I knocked over the aluminum barrel of oil in front of me. I then looked up at my hands and spat up. Out came the match from my mouth, luckily, I caught it, with one hand. Scratched the match against the ceiling, and doing so, did it light on fire. Then I threw it at the barrel, as it doused oil all over the floor ahead of me. No doubt in doing so did the oil catch fire. Luckily, the barrel rolled a few feet away, as the fire followed it.
"Yes!" I said in delight.
The fire began to rage high, and then I saw as it climbed up a rope, leading to the ceiling, next to, oh just my luck! A signal jammer! Suddenly, the automatic fire sprinklers from the ceiling started, as the water sprayed all over the room. The signal jammer started to change shape, and it seemed as if the fiery heat was causing that material to melt. Then another sprinkler opened by the jammer, as water sprayed on it. Next thing you know, the jammer began to crackle. Sparks of electricity began to fly from it. Then ka-blam! The jammer was indefinitely offline!
"I.V.A.N.A, can you hear me?" I said out loud!
"Very loud, sir!" said I.V.A.N.A, from a storage locker. "Loud and clear!"
"Yeah, I love you too!" I said to my AI companion. "What do you say, we get out of here?"
"Working on it!" said I.V.A.N.A. "I'm now transmitting your location to Ranger and Aurora!"
"Good deal!" I said.
The water continued to spray as the fire continued to rage on, then slowly die out.
Aurora: I felt my phone beep. It was I.V.A.N.A. About damn time, too!
"I.V.A.N.A! Thank God!" I said. "Where is Ace?"
"In the burning janitor's closet, east wing of that building to your four o'clock!" I.V.A.N.A said.
"Shit!" I squealed. "We must get to him, before he suffocates."