Mark Tiedemann - Mirage

She followed the line down to the end. On top of each crate one of the pamphlets had been placed in an attached sleeve. Except the last one.

Ariel pried the lid up and found another stack of pamphlets. These contained a picture of Clar Eliton below a banner that declared ELITON FOR TERRA FIRST. She pulled one out and opened it. Mia reached the first-floor veranda of the main building at the same time as Derec. They sat next to each other below one of the few unlit windows.

"Anything?" he asked.

"No. Where's Ariel?"

"I don't know. I thought she was over there." He pointed toward the west end of the enclave. "This is the last building."

"That we know about."

He shrugged.

Mia began crawling along the veranda, keeping below the windows. Derec followed.

The veranda encircled the building. At each window, Mia risked a quick look inside, then continued on. Derec trusted her that she saw nothing important in any of these rooms.

They climbed the stairs to the second floor balcony on all fours.

Immediately, they heard voices.

Mia moved carefully but faster than Derec could match and still keep quiet. He caught up to her beneath a broad window. Voices came from within and when Derec looked up at the opening he, saw that, instead of a solid surface, it was only screened. Mia knelt before it, her head just above the sill so she could see in.

"-a mess. Should've stayed arrested-"

"-not my style-"

"Style be damned!"

Derec felt his scalp tingle; he recognized the voice. He raised himself up to Mia's level.

The room was large and comfortable, with heavy divans and thick armchairs scattered about. Lamps cast conflicting though warm and pleasant shadows over the tables and walls and the three men facing each other in a loose triangle.

Agent Gambel held a glass. Across from him stood Bok Golner, still in his black fatigues, scowling at the man seated before them. Derec's unease multiplied at the sight of Senator Eliton, sitting in a low chair, a drink at his elbow, dressed in an evening jacket.

"It shouldn't make any difference at this point," Gambel said. "We have the robot, the TBI have seized four Spacer warehouses containing contraband, and Phylaxis has been shut down under a warrant based on illegal service to contraband robots. The Spacers are looking worse and worse. All we need to do now is drop the last bit of evidence on Taprin's desk and there'll be a general outcry to throw the Aurorans off Earth."

Eliton sighed wearily. "I don't know what you think this accomplishes. Anything could undo the whole thing, like finding him" he stabbed a finger at Golner "-here, when he ought to be in jail with the rest of his goons."

"I don't do that," Golner said.

"Do what?" Eliton demanded.

"Serve time in an institution. I already did that once."

"You should remember how to follow orders," Gambel said.

Golner's face reddened. He opened his mouth to speak.

But the door opened behind him, and suddenly Bogard was in the room with them.

"Shit," Derec hissed. Several things happened.

Eliton stood abruptly, knocking his drink off the table.

Golner drew a weapon and began to turn. Bogard touched Golner's hand, but the Managin flinched away, letting the pistol fly. He ducked under Bogard grasp, so fast that Derec almost could not follow his turn as he twisted around Bogard's left flank and bolted for the door.

Gambel dropped his glass and reached for his sidearm.

Mia threw herself through the screen, weapon drawn. "Bogard!" she cried.

Bogard, reaching for Golner, hesitated.

Eliton dropped to his knees and came up holding Golner's pistol.

"Thank god!" he shouted and shot Gambel.

Bogard's entire body seemed to unfold and suddenly refold around Eliton.

Golner staggered from the room.

Mia ran to the doorway, leaned out, and fired twice.

Derec got to his feet.

It all too place in a few seconds.

Derec stepped into the room and went to Gambel. His face was distorted, the eyeballs pulped and oozing-the effects of a heavy stun at nearly pointblank range. Derec looked away.

"Time to leave," Mia said. "Bogard, do you have the senator secured?"

"Yes, Mia."

"Don't let him out unless absolutely necessary and not on his command. Clear?"

"I understand, Mia. "

"Escape route."

Bogard swept out of the window and down the outside stairs.

"Platoon!" Golner shouted from somewhere below. "Compromise! The perimeter has been compromised!"

"Move," Mia urged Derec.

They followed Bogard down to the ground and hurried across the enclave. Behind them, people were spilling from two of the barracks.

"Where's Ariel?" Derec asked.

Ahead, they saw a figure running to intercept them, barely a shadow against larger shadows. She waved and Derec knew it was Ariel.

Bogard stopped at the perimeter. "Please step against me," it said.

"What-?" Mia began.

"Like this." Derec pressed himself to Bogard's side. The amalloy skin warped around him. A few moments later, he felt Bogard begin to move. Bogard ran directly through the perimeter. The voltage discharged against it, but coursed around the robot and grounded harmlessly. Just within the tree line, the shielding retracted and let Derec, Ariel, and Mia out.

"This way," Bogard said, and plunged through the underbrush.

The distant, distinct pops of gunfire sounded behind them. The whiz and snap of bullets tearing through leaves and branches overhead made them duck involuntarily.

"The shots are random," Mia said. "They can't see us."

The rate of fire increased.

"Eventually one of them will get lucky," Ariel complained.

They were running now, arms outstretched to fend off the whipping branches.

Suddenly, Bogard stopped and let them catch up and pass.

"Bogard, what-?" Mia called.

"I cannot accept the level of risk to you. Please take Senator Eliton in your care."

Derec stopped. Bogard opened up and Eliton stumbled out from within the enshielding. He looked around frantically, eyes wide, still holding Golner's weapon.

Mia stepped up to him. "Senator," she said, and deftly took the pistol from him. "This way, please."

"It's a miracle you showed up," Eliton said and looked around, puzzled that he could barely see his rescuers. "Whoever you are."

"Talk later, move now," Mia said and took his elbow.

They continued on.

Derec looked back to see what Bogard intended. Bogard followed, but its body seemed to grow even as Derec watched. Bogard had dispensed with its stealth shielding. It was a bright coppery target now, making itself wider and higher. Beyond, the gunfire resumed and Derec heard the bullets impact on Bogard. Then he heard the wash of a blaster.

Bogard's entire body seemed to shudder and glow.

"Run, Derec," Bogard ordered.

Derec ran.

They reached the path and sprinted back toward the orientation center. It sounded like a small army attacking Bogard, and Derec winced at the staccato sounds.

Just as the door came into sight, a dozen men poured onto the path, blocking their way, all armed and converging on them. Derec skidded to a stop and backpedaled.

"Sir!" someone shouted, but Derec did not stop.

He crashed into the woods and tried to find a place to hide. Before him now rose an eerie specter, a sheen of gold through the foliage, rippling and moving. As he stared at the sight, he realized that it was Bogard, stretched out like a blanket between him and the Managins in pursuit. Derec understood the potential for Bogard to manage this, but it still amazed him.

But it was too much. Holes were appearing in the skin. They rehealed almost at once-except in a couple of spots where they were ragged, the edges flapping uselessly. Bogard was losing integrity and could no longer absorb the impacts.