MotherShip by Tony Chandler Page A

roared in terrible pain.
    Becky, kicking and fighting, fell from the flailing tentacles.
    “Look out!” she shouted.
    Jaric jumped, but it was too late. The blaster bolt struck him in his side, knocking him backward. It felt like his entire body was nothing but white-hot pain; he was on fire from the inside out. As his mind filled with this overwhelming ache, Jaric realized he couldn't remember how to breathe. With a flash of certainty, he knew he was dying as he lost consciousness.
    Becky screamed again.
    Suddenly, Guardian's form came leaping over the barrier the T'kaan were hiding behind. His shields had already failed. Only by racing at full speed, then diving and rolling to avoid as much of their fire as possible had he made it this far.
    As he landed, a T'kaan fired a burst into his metal body.
    Guardian sensed more of his inner systems fail as they went silent, but he did not feel any pain. As his legs finally crumpled, the robot turned and fired a burst into the T'kaan, killing him instantly.
    Lying against the barrier, unable to stand on his damaged legs, Guardian fired again and again at the remaining T'kaan forms as they scurried around him. Holding his arm straight out as he fired the T'kaan blaster, he killed one after another with deadly precision.
    But a final blast from one of the dying T'kaan sent his own weapon flying out of his numb grasp.
    Guardian, the white robot, now lay completely helpless with all the systems that controlled his arms and legs damaged. His red eyes looked on emotionlessly as the last T'kaan came forward out of the darkness to finish him.
    The huge mouth opened on its three-hinged jaw, sending the fangs out in a nightmarish pose. The T'kaan raised its weapon.
    Three quick blasts fired.
    But not from the T'kaan's weapon pointed at Guardian.
    The T'kaan's body quivered a moment and then the huge worm-like form tensed. In surreal slow motion, it fell forward dead over Guardian's immobile body.
    Kyle stood, blaster pistol in his hand.
    “Kyle!” Becky shouted with relief.
    “One of Guardian's shots wounded the one holding me. I finished him, pulling his own weapon out of its belt and using it. Then I grabbed mine from where he had stashed it,” Kyle said breathlessly.
    “Just in time,” Becky said.
    From the dark purplish glow, Jaric groaned as he tried to move. He looked up at Becky.
    “Becky, help Jaric. Get him get back to Mother. We can't be sure that more T'kaan aren't coming,” Kyle ordered.
    Holstering his pistol, Kyle grabbed two of the lifeless tentacles and dragged the huge T'kaan off of Guardian.
    Guardian's red eyes glowed steady, but his white body was now blackened and marred. One of his arms was now missing below an elbow as wires hung out in charred disarray.
    As Kyle bent to help him, Guardian raised an arm to stop him. The robot's internal diagnostics had managed to repair one of them enough to allow movement.
    “Leave me.” Guardian's new code had forced the words as it calculated the remaining scenarios.
    Kyle straightened as he shook his head. “You risked everything to come for us. I'm not leaving you. Even if Mother's programming says so.”
    Kyle pulled the heavy robot to a sitting position with a gasp.
    “I thought they made you outta some kind of light alloy, eh fella',” Kyle said, blowing out a huge breath. He steadied himself, took a deep breath, and in one motion hefted the robot against his own body for support.
    Kyle started forward with an unsteady first step.
    “Whatever you do,” Kyle panted. “Don't get in my way, Becky. I can't stop with this load.”
    Kyle and Becky staggered under their loads, fighting up two levels until they were at the ground level. Several times, Kyle had to stop and drop the robot as his muscles screamed with exhaustion. He hoped he wasn't doing Guardian any further damage.
    The last fifteen minutes seemed to last forever. But somehow through their sweat and struggles they made it to the main level.
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