it probably did.
“I didn’t ask either of them to go out there, but they’re a special breed,” James replied. “Old-timer, I need you to keep monitoring the hull and direct Rich and Djanet to any serious trouble spots. Thel, I need you to see if you can tap into the engine power without compromising our thrust to generate an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to get rid of the rest of our hangers on.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Thel nodded as she flipped through a plethora of screens in her mind’s eye.
Meanwhile, Djanet stood outside of an outer airlock and ignited her magnetic energy cocoon. She knew Old-timer was right. This was most likely suicide—but there were times when it was better to die than to live the rest of your life knowing that you could have done something but you didn’t. She popped the handle of the lock and was swept outside by the change in pressure. Seconds later, she was blasting androids on her way to rendezvous with Rich. She had to save him.
After all, he was the man she loved.
28
In mere seconds, the androids on the hull exponentially increased. Every moment, hundreds more landed on the hull until, finally, they covered every inch of it.
Meanwhile, Rich was surrounded and his muscles ached from exhaustion. He was spinning wildly and blasting at his attackers—but even with the nans helping him to recoup his energy, the fatigue was about to overwhelm him.
Djanet’s attack made the difference—she cleared a path for Rich toward the ship. She knocked out several of Rich’s attackers and left a hole just big enough for Rich to squeak through. When Rich reached her, he nearly passed out and Djanet enveloped him into to her magnetic field. He grabbed onto her, and gasped for air as he held on.
“I got you!” she shouted to him. His clothes were soaked with sweat and she could feel the thunderous beat of his heart against her back.
“You just saved my life again!” he replied as Djanet flew back towards the Purist ship as it streaked upwards towards the sun. The darkness of space was beginning to become visible as the stratosphere came into sight.
“They’re alive, James,” Old-timer delivered the news.
Thel sighed a heavy sigh of relief. “Tell them to get inside!”
“No!” James interjected. “If they open a door now we’ll be overwhelmed by those things!”
“James!” Thel shouted, shocked at his line of thinking. “We can’t leave them out there! If the androids get in, we’ll fight them!”
“We’d be putting the Purists at risk, Thel! Too many of them have already died!”
“Are you willing to sacrifice Rich and Djanet?” Thel asked, appalled.
“ It’s up to you, James, ” the A.I. spoke. “ The humane thing to do would be to open the doors, but it’s virtually guaranteed that the ship would be overwhelmed and you’d lose everyone onboard. ”
James sighed and bowed his head. “Thel, I’ve analyzed the situation and, believe me, if we open that door, we all die.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Thel reacted after she heard James’s words. “You sound like a computer.”
James clenched his teeth—it was becoming increasingly difficult to delineate a line between his consciousness and that of the A.I..
“I think we have to trust James,” Old-timer said, attempting, as was his custom, to be the voice of reason. As much as he too wanted to save Rich and Djanet, as his eyes moved toward Alejandra, he knew he couldn’t risk their lives. “At least Djanet and Rich can defend themselves.”
“We’re willing to fight, Craig,” Alejandra retorted.
“Agreed,” Lt. Patrick chimed in. “You shouldn’t sacrifice your people”
“You need more than willingness,” Old-timer replied.
“Enough,” James asserted. “Old-timer, tell them they’re our only chance of getting out of here alive. Keep an eye on that hull and keep a close watch on the doors and the engine.”
“They’ll die because of that decision,” Thel
“I didn’t ask either of them to go out there, but they’re a special breed,” James replied. “Old-timer, I need you to keep monitoring the hull and direct Rich and Djanet to any serious trouble spots. Thel, I need you to see if you can tap into the engine power without compromising our thrust to generate an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to get rid of the rest of our hangers on.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Thel nodded as she flipped through a plethora of screens in her mind’s eye.
Meanwhile, Djanet stood outside of an outer airlock and ignited her magnetic energy cocoon. She knew Old-timer was right. This was most likely suicide—but there were times when it was better to die than to live the rest of your life knowing that you could have done something but you didn’t. She popped the handle of the lock and was swept outside by the change in pressure. Seconds later, she was blasting androids on her way to rendezvous with Rich. She had to save him.
After all, he was the man she loved.
28
In mere seconds, the androids on the hull exponentially increased. Every moment, hundreds more landed on the hull until, finally, they covered every inch of it.
Meanwhile, Rich was surrounded and his muscles ached from exhaustion. He was spinning wildly and blasting at his attackers—but even with the nans helping him to recoup his energy, the fatigue was about to overwhelm him.
Djanet’s attack made the difference—she cleared a path for Rich toward the ship. She knocked out several of Rich’s attackers and left a hole just big enough for Rich to squeak through. When Rich reached her, he nearly passed out and Djanet enveloped him into to her magnetic field. He grabbed onto her, and gasped for air as he held on.
“I got you!” she shouted to him. His clothes were soaked with sweat and she could feel the thunderous beat of his heart against her back.
“You just saved my life again!” he replied as Djanet flew back towards the Purist ship as it streaked upwards towards the sun. The darkness of space was beginning to become visible as the stratosphere came into sight.
“They’re alive, James,” Old-timer delivered the news.
Thel sighed a heavy sigh of relief. “Tell them to get inside!”
“No!” James interjected. “If they open a door now we’ll be overwhelmed by those things!”
“James!” Thel shouted, shocked at his line of thinking. “We can’t leave them out there! If the androids get in, we’ll fight them!”
“We’d be putting the Purists at risk, Thel! Too many of them have already died!”
“Are you willing to sacrifice Rich and Djanet?” Thel asked, appalled.
“ It’s up to you, James, ” the A.I. spoke. “ The humane thing to do would be to open the doors, but it’s virtually guaranteed that the ship would be overwhelmed and you’d lose everyone onboard. ”
James sighed and bowed his head. “Thel, I’ve analyzed the situation and, believe me, if we open that door, we all die.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Thel reacted after she heard James’s words. “You sound like a computer.”
James clenched his teeth—it was becoming increasingly difficult to delineate a line between his consciousness and that of the A.I..
“I think we have to trust James,” Old-timer said, attempting, as was his custom, to be the voice of reason. As much as he too wanted to save Rich and Djanet, as his eyes moved toward Alejandra, he knew he couldn’t risk their lives. “At least Djanet and Rich can defend themselves.”
“We’re willing to fight, Craig,” Alejandra retorted.
“Agreed,” Lt. Patrick chimed in. “You shouldn’t sacrifice your people”
“You need more than willingness,” Old-timer replied.
“Enough,” James asserted. “Old-timer, tell them they’re our only chance of getting out of here alive. Keep an eye on that hull and keep a close watch on the doors and the engine.”
“They’ll die because of that decision,” Thel
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