James Somers: Heir to the King

A control chamber was near the tanks; maybe he could get some useful information from their computers. He pressed his body against the screen and then gave it a good solid push. It gave way and almost fell onto the floor before he could grab it.

No one could be seen moving about in the room. He climbed out and replaced the screen in case someone happened by. He crossed the floor of the huge chamber with caution, looking for camera mounts. There were a few, but he waited and used the large equipment to stay hidden from their field of view.

He had made it about halfway to the control chamber when doors at the four corners of the room opened up and Vorn soldiers rushed in with Horva among them. The clones were fiendish crazed looking men that were purposely mutated in size and strength. Their fingers had sharp claws and their teeth looked like those of a predator. Within those eyes was no fear. They charged at him, howling savagely.

Suddenly the lights in the chamber flickered and went out. The emergency lighting immediately kicked in. The soldiers were looking around wondering what was happening, but the Horva had no such concerns; they continued to charge.

Tiet pulled his Barudii blade from the scabbard strapped to his back and ignited the sword's dispersion field. Shots began to ring out among the soldiers further away, but they weren't firing at him. He saw another blade ignite as a dark figure swooped in from the ceiling and begin taking down the Vorn guards. Orin!

As the Horva lunged for him, Tiet struck the first in front of him then flipped back over another that was attacking from the rear. Two strikes and the latter man fell.

The other soldiers, those who were not engaged with Orin, began to fire at everyone: the Barudii, the Horva and even each other from across the room. It was hard to tell who was fighting whom in the dim lighting.

More Horva came at him and were cut down by their own handlers as they panicked-shooting anything that moved. Tiet launched three spicor discs and took out as many of the creatures. Orin had already eliminated the soldiers on the other side of the chamber and quickly came to Tiet's aid.

One of the brutes lost an arm to the young man's blade but continued his attack with the other arm. It landed a fist to his head, knocking him to the ground. Orin had already impaled it before another move could be executed.

Orin helped the boy to his feet again with a smoldering look on his face. Bodies were lying on the floor all around them in the chamber, and an alarm began to sound throughout the building.

"You see? This is why I told you never to come here!"

"I know, but we can't just do nothing."

"Oh yes we can. What do you think you've accomplished here? You've set off alarms, you're probably being video recorded right now and you might have gotten those children killed if I hadn't intercepted them and gotten them off the premises safely. You're reckless Tiet. Just plain reckless."

"It's still better than doing nothing; Father wouldn't want me to do nothing."

"Your father would want you to stay alive…now get out of here, while I buy you some time."

"Wait, Orin-haven't you noticed there aren't any Horva being produced here?"

"So?"

"So, those tanks over there; they shouldn't be bone dry, not if they're still in use."

Orin looked around to see what he was referring to.

"Maybe they can't make them right now. This might be our chance to rally the people and drive the Vorn out."

The boy was right about the clones at least; it looked like there hadn't been any clone production for some time. Orin looked back at the boy as the alarm continued to scream overhead.

"Please, Orin. We have to at least try."

He didn't want to get involved in this; not again. But if it was true that their forces weren't being sustained here then maybe it was the same in other cities as well. And he remembered well that Tiet's father, Kale, would not have done nothing.

He grumbled under his breath, "Come on, I know someone who might be able to help us."

RANUL awoke to the annoying sound of his computer trying to tell him of an incoming priority message. He sat up groggily in his bed as the display flashed in his eyes. He noticed the time was now three hours past nightfall.

"Ranul, K'ore," he said to the computer.

"Identified."

The visual message flashed onto the screen instantly. It was Governor Kisch k'ta a handsome man of the Vorn clan who ruled Castai in its occupation. The Vorn were a dark skinned clan, while almost all of the Castillian clans were light skinned. This difference among the human clans had been a factor in the outbreak of war. Still, he had remained formally pleasant with Ranul as long as he obeyed his demands.

"Ranul, I want the prototype sentinel you've completed to report to the cloning facility at once," said the governor.

"Governor, has something happened that…"

"That is none of your concern," he interrupted. "Have the android report to my office immediately."

The transmission link was cut before Ranul was allowed to inquire any further. But he knew that something must have happened to put the sentinel android into action now. Still, there was no choice but to comply. He knew all too well the consequences of disobedience.

He threw on his clothes without formality and made his way down the corridor. He identified himself with the sentinel guard to gain access into the main lab. As the lights flicked on, he stepped to the dock and addressed the prototype robot by the code name he had imprinted on its memory.

"Vale."

"Yes Dr. K'ore," responded the android politely.

"Governor Kisch k'ta, demands your presence at the Vorn cloning facility. Please report immediately to his office there."

"Yes Dr. K'ore," said the robot, "Accessing coordinates now."

Without further inquiry, the android removed itself from the upload dock and proceeded out of the lab. Ranul admired his work, but took no pleasure at the thought of such a weapon in the hands of the Vorn. The android moved fluidly, even gracefully-like the warrior it was designed to resemble. It seemed almost as though one of the long dead Barudii warriors was alive again, but this one's mission had nothing to do with protecting Castai.

Ranul's stomach growled with hunger. Might as well have something to eat since I'm up anyway. When he exited the lab, the android was already gone; only the lone sentinel guard stood there. Ranul walked back to his onsite quarters with swirling thoughts of late night snacks and curious Vorn orders fetching his new creation in the middle of the night.

The automatic door opened and shut behind him as he made his way to the food compartment. He jumped as hands wrapped around his upper arm and mouth.

"Don't scream," whispered a male voice in his ear. "It's Orin, your old friend. Remember?"

Ranul was still pale with lingering fright as Orin released him and they faced each other.

"Orin? But I thought…I thought you were all killed by the Horva years ago."

"Not exactly."

Down the hall, the sentinel guard came to life as its auditory sensors caught trigger phrases from Ranul's domicile.

The door chimed as it suddenly began to open. Beyond was a sentinel guard with his weapon raised into the room. As the door cleared the robot's body, an ignited Barudii blade shot out of the shadows toward the guard. The figure wielding it was a blur of motion and shadow as he quickly dissected the robot's weapon hand and plunged the glistening blade through its torso. The sentinel's appendages went limp as the blade turned its primary circuits and power grid to molten metal.

"We should be going now," said Tiet as he replaced his blade into its sheath.

"Your young friend is right," said Ranul, "The sentinels share a collective mind. What one knows, they all know. They're no doubt sending more units to this location right now."