Sunlord by Ronan Frost Page B

fingers tapped more rapidly as he
programmed a shuttle to prepare for launch. Two hundred metres away
robots swung into action, hydraulics whirling as catches released.
The ghostly cargo ship moved along a monorail out of its dock and
into the hanger. The massive airlock doors groaned open as
electrical impulses surged, opening a breathtaking expanse of stars
and space before the cargo ship. The sun on the world below was
breaking the horizon casting sharp, deep shadows across the
interior of the ship.
    Shaun grinned widely and allowed a moment to
congratulate himself. But it wasn't over yet, he reminded himself.
He had to reach the ship.
    Just as he started out of the chair vibrations
rippled through the deck, followed by a deep whoomph! He fell back
into the couch as a rush of air pushed at him from the open
doorway. He felt the steel girders creak from strain of the
explosion.
    Shaun grinned yet again. His bomb had been successful
after all. He leapt through the door and out of the room, darting
immediately to the right.
    He came face to face with a guard in full-scale
battle armour. Shaun's face smacked into the Sunlord's impregnable
chest plate and he reeled back in shock. He drew his knife but knew
it was futile against this armoured leviathan. The Sunlord smirked
wickedly beneath his face plate. Most of his features were hidden
by the maze of gadgets attached to his face; the microphone, the
view finder, the regulator. But that smile was clear despite the
orderly profusion covering his head. Shaun didn't like it.
    The shell shocked human found himself staring down
the barrel of a wide muzzled rifle as it was brought to bear. Shaun
could already hear other guards approach from the other end of the
corridor - he was trapped.
    Shaun's eyes caught on a glimmer of motion beyond the
towering Sunlord's shoulder. It was a small video camera, seemingly
grinning with the pleasure of a spider gloating over its prey. Deep
revulsion welling within his heart Shaun found his will resolving.
Summing up his opponent in a single glance he broke the shackles of
awe that would have daunted many people into inaction. The guard
reached out to grab the human prison and Shaun reacted with
lightning speed. Ducking quickly from the steel glove swiping his
clothing he dove to the floor, ploughing his face into the metal
grating then rolling between the guard's pinnacle legs. The Sunlord
guard whirled as he brought his heavy duty blaster around. The
guard stopped and looked about cautiously. The heat sensors buzzed
in its ear, informing the prey was beneath him. The guard lowered
its weapon gingerly as there was still no trace of the prisoner
that had been there moments before.
    Then realisation struck as roving eyes caught on an
open service hatchway leading down. The rat had gone down through a
thirty centimetre square opening and had crawled through a mass of
live electrical wires.
    The Sunlord swore beneath its breath.
    Metres away Shaun half-fell, half-scrambled head
first vertically down a power cable - exhausted and sweaty but
exuberant.
     
    * * *
     
    Ashian found he had been holding his breath for the
past few minutes and let it out raggedly. His eyes never left
Capac's form as he stepped out into the clearing. Long tense
seconds dragged past.
    Then Capac's strange cry rang out, implying surprise
rather than alarm. Huso instantly leapt forward in unswerving
loyalty to aid his companion, Myshia cautiously following. Try as
he might, Ashian could not bring himself to move, his joints locked
with panic, and was forced to watch and wait.
    Still nothing moved, and finally Ashian though it
high time to find out what in the name of Abas was going on. Laying
trembling upon a log he cautiously emerged to step warily through
the tangle of palms and thorny bushes - and into the clearing.
    In it was a pile of metal objets; boxes, crates and
other waste. The smouldering remains of an android lay at their
feet, smoke drifting lightly from its joints