14.
I
stepped into the shuttle and saw the one other there. It was Dickson alone with
Huginn. The droid was damaged with half its tentacles missing or bent at the
wrong angle. I did not see Muginn and assumed the worse had happened. The droid
was at the side like a ragged doll. I looked at the one without the team mates.
He saw me and shrugged his shoulders.
“They
did not want to come.” Dickson told me. “I …”
I
was not to listen to the coward. I had stepped out of the shuttle when I heard
the communication unit buzz out.
“Tiffany,
get out with the shuttle. I am staying with my sister here. We have to complete
the task assigned.” I hurled the expletives and then roared for the reason,
“There
is the honor in our life. We are doing it now. Our life journey will complete
with it.” Hirohito replied. “Bushido
is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there
is a choice between life and death. There is no other reasoning.” (Hagakure: The Book of the
Samurai)
I wanted to rebuke but my tears came to my
eyes. I was to take the next step when the Captain told me he was opening the
hangar doors. It was either I could run like a droid to the exit at the end or
get inside the shuttle. The last option was a cold death in space. I rushed
back to the shuttle and slammed the rear door shut. I saw Dickson strapped in
and looking green. I climbed into the cockpit and powered the shuttle. I got it
powered up and saw the doors opened. The issue with a hangar doors opened in
space if you are not strapped in, you get sucked out.
I turned the shuttle and then we were off.
“Hey, did I tell you that the one you named
Hagar. He went back to the engines to help Benz.” Dickson spoke from the rear.
I ignored the rantings of the coward and pilot the shuttle away. I then did a
turn and watched TF9-99 took the re-entry to the moon surface. I saw the heat
that was scaling the hull and prayed it hard that it will stand. I saw until it
was past the atmosphere and then turned to the system onboard system for the
report.
“Ship at thirty thousand feet with its shield
at zero point seven. Trajectory is on course for the coordinates updated. It
will impact at five seconds.” I heard the system countdown, and then when it
hit the zero impact number, I saw the mass of flame below on the moon surface.
“The ship is destroyed.” \
“Computer, run a scan for life scans including
droids.” I called to the system. I was hoping the other droid had climbed in
before we took off.
“One organic and two droids.” I got the reply.
I was relief but not for long.
“Don’t react, Navigator. I can move very fast.”
It was Dickson and he had stepped up to my seat with the blaster leveled at me.
“Keep your hands on the console.”
“You are a droid, Dick.” I spoke to the one
named Dickson. “What is your design?”
“Military grade IV, and I was designed to
assimilate with the organics.” Dickson replied. “My reference M-GIV-007. I am
programed to kill and I will do it.”
“I believe you so.” I kept my hands on the
console. “Before I terminate you, tell me of you task.”
“I was brought in the disguise as a Researcher.
I came on board with the last batch of Marines. I had downloaded the files on
the aliens, and was to leave before the base went into a lockdown. I took on
the second command to stay put and even fought the aliens. I had fresh data and
initiated the call for extraction. I had to set up the decoy and selected the
Lieutenant. It was all arranged but you had to drop the container. The rest you
may know.”
I had to move fast.
“Huginn, hold the droid.” I called out. The
droid though damaged had charged at the military droid from the rear before it
grabbed the droid with its remaining limbs. Both droids fell to the rear,.
“Shuttle, open the rear door.” I called out.
“Opening…” The ship tried to counter my command
but I overrode it.
“Code Hotel California Eagle.” It was
Hirohito’s idea to call it that. The rear door slid open and I heard the shot.
It was not at me or the ship but on Huginn. My droid malfunctioned but it limbs
remained shut. It was then anything not secured was sucked out through the rear
door.
“Ship atmosphere compromise.” I heard the ship
calling out and I turned the shuttle to starboard. I heard the loud noise of a
huge object being sucked out. I had the shuttle turned and saw the military
droid in the void of space with Huginn still on its back. I knew Huginn was in
shutdown.
“Sorry old pal.” I leveled the shuttle cannons
at the droids. The projectiles scattered the droids into fragments.
“Valhalla…” I sighed and closed the rear door.
It was then the song played on the shuttle
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis
For the rarest of moments, I sang along with
the song.
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