As the ship picked up speed, hundreds more androids surged toward it, joining the fight and covering the ship like frenzied bees on a honeycomb.
Rich saw the ship too as it made its way toward him. He kept blasting magnetic energy at his attackers as he flew in kamikaze fashion, hoping to elude the androids by being completely erratic and unpredictable. “This was definitely a bad idea!”
27
As the ship neared, Rich had to negotiate a landing on the hull of the enormous structure as it rocketed upward, without allowing any of the myriad of androids to get a hold of him. He was nearing exhaustion as he flew and blasted in self-defense.
“I cannot believe what I am seeing,” Djanet said as she watched Rich’s valiant one-man battle. She had witnessed Rich’s bravery once before, but this was on a whole new level. She’d never seen anyone try anything like it. “I have to go out there,” she announced as she began to leave the cockpit.
“Djanet! No!” Old-timer shouted. “It’s suicide!”
“He’s right, Djanet,” James concurred as he gently grabbed her arm to stop her. She roughly pulled it away.
“I’d rather die out there with him than in here, watching.” She stormed out of the room and toward an exit.
“James,” Thel said with pleading eyes that urged him to do something to stop Djanet.
“Let her go, James,” the A.I. asserted in James’s head. “You know you need her out there. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”
James was rattled as he listened to the A.I.’s words. He instinctively wanted to rush to save Djanet and to resist the A.I., but once again, the electronic Satan appeared to be speaking the ugly truth. “She’s right, Thel. I couldn’t possibly order any of you outside, but we need help to get out of here alive. We need someone to clear the hull of the ship, and that’s exactly what Rich and Djanet will be doing.”
“But they’ll die!” Thel protested.
“Make the hard decisions, James,” the A.I. urged in an unusually sincere tone, suggesting that it had its own survival in mind—if it thought Djanet’s exit increased its chance of survival, 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 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 toward the Purist ship as it streaked upward, toward 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 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,” Lieutenant 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 a close watch on the doors and the engine.”
“They’ll die because of that decision,” Thel insisted.
“Not if you follow my lead, Thel. Find a way to electrify the hull.”
Outside, Djanet continued blasting as Rich felt he was ready to separate. “I’m okay now. Thanks!” He let go of Djanet and reengaged his own magnetic field as he started firing at any androids in his path.
“Old-timer!” Djanet shouted as she opened communication, “We need you to open the starboard airlock!”
“That’s a negative,” Old-timer replied.
“What?” Djanet asked, stunned.
“James analyzed the situation and, if we open the doors, the chances of the ship being overwhelmed are too great.”
“Old-timer!” Rich shouted as he continued blasting, “Open the damn door!”
“We need you to clear the androids off the doors and away from the engines first!” Old-timer shouted back.
James entered the communication at that moment to plead for Rich’s and Djanet’s understanding. “Guys, we’re not going to make it unless you help us from out there. I’m sorry, but we have no choice. You’re our only hope!”
Rich continued desperately shooting as he and Djanet reached the starboard side of the vessel, still coated with androids that were clawing at the titanium frame of the ship like wolves attacking a bloody piece of meat. “There are too many of them, Commander!”
“You don’t have to destroy them all! Just give us the time we need to set up an electromagnetic charge to get rid of the rest of them!”