Guardian Awakening (36 page)

If he were to transpose the connections on the coils it would have the same effect as transposing the boards. He could do that then ensure he was discovered as he worked. The Sicceians would think they had caught him in the act and repair that damage he had caused. If he timed it right just before they were going to fire the engine, they may not check in here.

He accessed his headpiece radio to listen to the Sicceians chatter over their short-range suit radios. From the snatches of conversation they planned firing the engine in five hours time. His earlier distraction of their fleet and rescue of Aesia had caused them to bring the event forward. They were concerned the Mylian’s might organise an assault now their work had been discovered.
 

They were unaware there was nothing currently in the Mylian system that could face their Battleship. Tristan stood and walked over to the airlock. He checked his sensors; no one was close by at the moment. He activated his armour and cycled the airlock. He stepped out of the building and lurked in the shadows, waiting for a party of Sicceians to pass.
 

He didn’t have to wait long. A large group were walking back from the parked ships to the construction site. As before he waited until they had passed then tagged onto the end. He was grateful for the suits limited vision as no one noticed him. They quickly reached the tripod, and the engine cores loomed over them. It had not looked so large from a distance. The power distribution room was at the base of the furthest leg. With the number of Sicceians working, Tristan peeled off from the group and walked over to the power room as if he were meant to be there.
 

He checked the room was deserted so he opened the door and slipped in. An hour had passed so he had four hours before the system fired up. He modified the coil connections. Everything was heaver in the distribution room so he could work while still wearing the armour suit.
 

Once he had finished, Tristan checked the remaining time; three and a half hours. He had decided to wait until an hour before the firing sequence, constantly monitoring the Sicceian’s communications for the chance discovery of his sabotage in the concrete control centre. He lent against the wall behind the door and waited.

An hour and a quarter from the firing his proximity alarm went off. He tensed, someone was walking towards the door. He pulled his laser pistol. The door opened, and a technician walked through the door. Tristan held his breath. Some sixth sense must have caused the technician to turn. Tristan pushed the door closed with his shoulder and fired. The technician crumpled.

“Shit, now what?” The technician would probably soon be missed. Tristan’s mind raced. If he led them away from the distribution room and kept their security occupied he might prevent the premature discovery of his sabotage. He pulled the body behind the distribution panels, then strapped the technician’s pistol to his other leg. He cursed the Sicceian disguise that meant he could only bring one laser pistol and no heavy rifle.
 

He opened the door and stepped out. No one had taken any notice of him so he walked over to the far side of the site without being challenged. Sweat beaded his brow and ran down the side of his face, his hands itched to wipe it away. He cursed the armour, and space suits generally. The rim of the crater loomed large in his visor. He headed for a small outcrop that swung out from the larger crater rim. He ducked down behind it. He checked the two pistols. His, practically fully charged with a spare power pack, the technician’s pistol had been neglected and had only half charge.
 

Sitting with his back to the outcrop, Tristan took a deep breath. “Well here goes.” He aimed at the coil assembly and fired, knowing full well the pistol would cause little damage. The Sicceian’s dived in all directions. Two warriors with rifles turned towards him he dropped both in quick succession before they had chance to aim and fire. Using his superior armour, he sprinted out and scooped up the nearest rifle. Without stopping he swerved back to the outcrop. The cooling system cut in as laser fire splashed off his armour. He ducked down behind the ridge, aimed the rifle and picked of Sicceians that showed themselves.
 

Tristan held them pinned down for at least fifteen minutes before he noticed movement to his left. They were attempting to flank him. He turned, and crouching low ran behind the ridge into the crater. Twisting round he fired on the advancing Sicceians attempting to flank him by moving along the crater wall. It was time to start moving away, pulling the security forces.
 

With the flanking group pinned down he fired at the gantry to keep the technicians busy and away from his sabotage. As he dashed across a section of open ground, he noticed a couple of technicians moving towards the distribution building. He stood relying on his armour and shot one of them before the overheat warning flashed on his suit monitor.
 

He ran, utilising the armour body amplifiers at maximum; his superior speed allowed him to draw away from the pursuing Sicceians. He jumped down into a shallow ravine. He checked the rifle; it had enough charge for one shot. The technicians pistol he had thrown away, his pistol was at half charge. The ravine faced an area of open ground and bent round either side of him before it narrowed. The open ground made it difficult for them to flank him.
 

The second laser power pack was exhausted. Tristan had lost track of time keeping the Sicceians pinned down. They were now moving from rock to rock, getting closer all the time. Tristan looked up at the Milky Way arching above him.
Well this is finally it.
He was strangely calm. The last five years had been an adventure beyond his wildest dreams. He would be leaving behind at least one daughter who had the genetic code to control the planetary AI’s and hopefully maintain the peace. It would have been wonderful to spend many more years with Aesia - if she survived - and watch the children grow, but it was not to be. He smiled to himself remembering a line from a Tennyson poem he had read at school. “Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”
 

He threw the useless laser down and removed the battle staff clipped to his back belt. With a quick twist, it expanded to its full length. Taking a deep breath he climbed out of the ravine. Taking up a crouching stance, he braced himself for a volley of laser fire.
 

It didn’t come. Instead, a Sicceian emerged from a pile of boulders and walked towards him extending a battle staff. From their build and walk Tristan knew he was facing a female. He waited ready. She attacked, he parried the first few blows, but she avoided his strikes easily. Her movements were fast and fluid. She had the same speed ability as Aesia and was playing with him.
 

She lunged at him with a feint to his right, he shifted to defend as almost in a blur she struck at his left. The blow smashed into his elbow, warning lights flashed on his helmet display pain made him bite his tongue to stifle a scream. His armour was damaged, left arm broken, and it hung uselessly by his side. As she spun round readying herself for another attack, the sun lit up her helmet. Tristan saw her face, a satisfied smile on her lips. She attacked again, this time his right leg gave away, armour smashed. The emergency seals clamped down on his leg, preventing loss of atmosphere to the vacuum.

He fell to his knees, and as he did so a blow to his helmet snapped his head back, his visor smashed, shards hitting his face The Emergancy system sealed the breach and blackness engulfed him.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Home

His shoulder was being shaken “Lieutenant Taylor, wake up Lieutenant.” He opened his eyes squinting against the light. A smiling nurse stood over him. “Hello Sir how are you?”

“I… I don’t know, where
 
am I?”

“In the Royal Naval Hospital of course.” Tristan’s chest tightened.

“What on Earth?”
 

The nurse laughed. “Yes of course on Earth. Where did you think you were?”

Tristan took a shuddering breath. “But I have been away for over four years.”

She shook her head one eyebrow raised. “No, you have been here about two weeks.” She tucked in his sheets. “Would you like your bed raised a little? There is someone here to see you.”

Tristan nodded not daring to speak as the tightness in his chest made it difficult to breathe.

The nurse raised the head of the bed so Tristan was sitting up. “Thank you.” The words came out little better than a squeak.
This isn’t happening it can’t be real.
He gripped the edge of his bed knuckles white.

“Tristan Darling.” A pretty brown haired woman walked into the room.

His jaw dropped to his chest. “Sarah!”

“Yes of course Tristan who did you expect?”

“Well… I… I don’t know what to expect. Have I been away for four years?”

Sarah frowned, “no, of course not you have been unconscious for a couple of weeks
 
since they removed that damn implant from your head.”
 

“They have?”

“Yes” she nodded and sat down on the chair next to his bed. She lent forward and took his hand. “My dear you do look rather shocked is everything all right?”

“But I have a… umm wife and three-year old daughter!”

Sarah’s eyebrows lifted to her hairline “Really that’s news to me. When did that happen?”

“After you walked out on me four years ago.”

A smile danced across her face. “That was just over two weeks ago. I got to the end of the road and realised I had forgotten my make up case. I turned back and found you on the lounge floor foaming at the mouth. I called an ambulance, and they brought you here.”

Tristan ran a shaking hand through his short cropped hair. “What about Aesia, Da’ren, and the rest?”

The nurse who had walked out of the room when Sarah arrived walked back in at that moment. “Aesia was the sister on duty when you were brought in. Dr. Daren Jones removed your implant.”

Tristan’s shoulders slumped. “It was so real.”
 

“The doctors think your implant moved and caused you to fit as well as giving you hallucinations.” Sarah squeezed his hand. “So don’t worry, I forgive your having an imaginary wife and daughter. Now that thing is out of your head perhaps we can do something about the wife and daughter part…” Her voice trailed off and her face flushed. “Oh that sort of slipped out.” She giggled.

Tristan looked sideways at her. “What about the permanent connection I have to Aesia, she is in here.” He tapped the side of his head.
 

“Well I’m sure Sister Aesia would be flattered but she is a fifty-year old married woman Lieutenant Taylor.” The nurse smiled at him and patted his knee

“Whats your name Nurse?” Panic like a rising tide starting in the pit of his guts made his voice tremble.

“Staff Nurse Cassi, you know that Lieutenant.”

“I’m sorry but I have had enough of this.” He yanked his hand from Sarah’s grip swung his legs round and started to stand. “I’m getting out of here.”

“Now, now Lieutenant you can’t do that yet you’re not ready.” There was a sharp jab on his arm, and everything went black.

His eyes flickered open the room was almost dark. He turned his head; Sarah sat on the same chair asleep. He pulled himself up to a sitting position the lighting increased as he did so. Sarah roused “Tristan?”

“Yes?”
   

“They sedated you as you started to get violent.”
 

“Violent?”

“Yes you started shouting about your imaginary people. Have you calmed down now?”

“Yes I think so. I’m sorry about that Sarah, but they were so real.”

“That’s all right Tristan no harm done.”

“When can we get out of here?”

“A few more days yet, they want to keep you under observation for a while. After all, you have had a major operation on your head.”
 
Sarah stood and held out her hand. “The doctors have told me you will suffer bouts of intense pain and further hallucinations for a while, but it is part of the healing process and not to worry.”
 

She looked towards a pair of closed full-length curtains in the middle of the wall opposite to the door. “Your room has a balcony why not come outside with me. It is a beautiful night you can show me the stars and where you think you have been.”
 

Tristan raised his eyebrows. “You want to see the stars?”

“Yes now you’re home you can show me the night sky.”

Tristan frowned “Home? I’m not home I’m in a hospital.”

“Yes, Tristan; of course, but come on show me your stars.”

“My Stars Sarah, what are you talking about? You are a city girl when have you been interested in the stars.”
 

“You will show me your night sky Tristan, now!” Her glare could have stripped paint.

“Sarah?”
 

“I can’t go deeper it will destroy what we are looking for.” The voice of Nurse Cassi
 
came from nowhere; no one else was in the room.

Sweat prickled his brow “Why do you want me to remember the night sky from my planet.” He wiped the sweat with a trembling hand. “Because you aren’t Sarah at all are you?”

Sarah lent forward her eyes searching his face “Are you starting to hallucinate?”
 

A bright light exploded in his head. He fell back against the pillow his hands pressed against the sides of his face. Pain racked his whole body. “Argh No…” His tortured mind sent out a powerful telepathic scream. The pain ceased he curled up into a tight ball and welcomed the blackness when it came.
 

 
Vague shapes and sounds assailed his senses. There was a colour, beautiful sky blue, streaked with turquoise and green. He wanted to stay with that colour, it had meaning, it meant something. There was warm pressure on his shoulder and a soft voice calling him.
 

“Tristan, Tristan, wake up.”
 

He just wanted to see the blue. He opened his eyes. The blue was in front of him. Two wonderful eyes looking back at him. His heart jumped in his chest. “Aesia?”