Bryke

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  As he moved towards where his friend floated, Bryke couldn’t help but grin. It had been a long time since the last good fight he had seen. And to have it between his friend and someone that they both thought was just a civilian? Priceless. He looked up at Zevortro and waved. “How’s the weather up there!?”

  “Funny! Get me down, now!” Zevortro bellowed as he floated above Bryke, his arms crossed.

  Bryke only chuckled a little as he started to spin the rope around and then let it fly. As it flew towards Zevortro, Bryke looked around. Jessie and Terra were starting to set up poles using some of the remains of the containers. Duncan was watching the wall of hull plates, a scowl on his face. V1 had disappeared, probably gone to get something to hide and finish the enclosure. Dalila was putting supplies into packs, and Leonator was walking back to watch the natives.

  “Thanks!” Zevortro called out from above.

  Looking up, Bryke saw his friend climbing down head first, and he chuckled.

  “What?” Zevortro asked as he reached the ground.

  “Nothing, just that was something else!” Bryke said, grinning.

  “Yeah, who knew he could fight that well? But that was one of the best fights I’ve had in months!” Zevortro said, laughing as he shook his head.

  “Yeah!” Bryke said with a sigh.

  He looked toward Duncan and the thing they were going into, and he scowled. The talk he had with Da3 about what was down there was still on his mind. The fact was that they had no idea just what they were running into. And that bothered him a lot more than he liked. The idea that they were dealing with either an AI or a smart program, was hitting him. You could plan for a smart program, but an AI was like another sentient. Anything could be thrown at you.

  “And we’re going down there,” Bryke muttered as he looked at Duncan. He couldn’t blame the Chief. The threat that it represented was real, and they couldn’t let it go. There had to be a simpler way to keep the threat off the board, but he couldn’t see one.

  “Yeah, we’re going down bro,” Zevortro said, a hard edge to his voice. “You worried about something?”

  “Yeah, I am a bit man. That lady, she figured something out. A possibility,” Bryke admitted as he looked at his friend.

  “How so?” Zevortro asked as he looked at Bryke who only shrugged.

  “We’ll talk about it with the others later, just get ready,” Bryke said as he walked towards the supplies. He didn’t want to say it now, it was better to wait and talk about it later. They needed to be on their guard constantly, they couldn’t let anything hold them. They were going into an unknown structure. That was the only way to survive this dive.

  “Okay, but keep your chin up, man! We stand as one and do this smart, there is nothing we can’t do!” Zevortro said with a note of cheer in his voice.

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  Bradford

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  Bradford looked around the chamber that had been cleared out. He had asked the others if he could have a few moments alone to inspect it, and they had let him. He had to say, that Duncan either had or was a good organizer. The deckhands had been able to clear this room out only three of them and three volunteers. Together, they had created a chain, and then gotten everything out in quick precision. Thankfully, the deckhand had kept the passengers inside. No need for them to know about the three prisoners being held up there after all. So far, they had said they would handle the other room after lunch.

  And this was the perfect time to contact his people. If whatever had let him talk to Brute and Mind was up that is. And if not, then maybe he could talk to any of the other agents he had on this planet.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Let’s try this again. The third times the charm. Aether Skills; Communication Hub!” Bradford barked. As soon as the screen appeared, he looked over the icons, hoping to find two active ones. But it wasn’t to be.

  “So Brute and Mind are still down? Wonderful. What is the secret to this?” Bradford muttered as he looked over the grid. He had hoped that today he could talk to both of them at once. The chance to coordinate both of them might have helped them all. The closer that he got to finding a way to get them to him, the closer they were to getting off this planet.

  Then his eyes saw that one of the icons was ‘active’. It was strange, a shield with flames behind it. “Well, let’s see who this is!”

  As soon as he pressed the icon, a voice came over. “What in the stars!? What is this?!”

  Bradford felt a smirk forming as he heard that voice. So one of his more powerful operatives had survived? Perfect!

  “Operative Dreadwall, it’s good to hear from you!” Bradford said with a savage grin.

  “Boss! I feared you were dead sir!” Dreadwall said, laughter in his voice. “It’s good that I’ll be able to give my final report after all!”

  “Final Report!? What happened to your group!?” Bradford demanded and Dreadwall sighed.

  “Sir, the group I’m with crashed down in this abandoned city. So far the few security personnel have been able to secure a building five stories high. It’s for urban hydroponics. There are these trees with pods on them. They say we can eat them…..”

  “You can, I have. So beyond that, have you seen anything else?” Bradford asked with a grin.

  “We can eat them? Oh. That changes things. There have been a few people who’ve seen something. Between the shadows of other buildings, I haven’t seen them,” Dreadwall said with a hint of worry.

  “We’ve been attacked every day. We found supplies to defend ourselves in the capsules. Check yourself, or have whoever is leading do it. My order is to stay alive,” Bradford said with a hard edge to his voice. “Try to find where the others are. As of now, all that I know are alive are Brute and Mind. Brute is with the ship in a snow region. Operative Mind is in a desert. Look out for yourself, this world is beyond deadly.”

  “Yes sir! Anything else I should know?” Dreadwall asked.

  “Yes. I’m talking to you through The Power. Somehow, humans have an easier time gaining it here. If you can, gain it!” Bradford ordered and he heard Dreadwall cough.

  “The POWER!? HOW!?” Dreadwall asked, their voice having an eager edge.

  “Unknown, but Brute has it now. Try and learn from anyone that might gain it with your group,” Bradford ordered.

  “Sir Bradford?! The Chief wants to see you, sir!” A male voice calls from beyond the door.

  Bradford looked at the door through the screen and scowled.

  “I need to go, stay alive!” Bradford said before he tried to will the screen away. When it left, he smiled and laughed a little.

  Shaking his head, he walked to the door and opened it, seeing another passenger on the other side.

  “Sorry sir, but the Chief needed to talk to you. And he was instant about it!” The passenger said.

  Bradford frowned internally as he looked at the man before him. What could Duncan want from him now? He knew the Chief was heading up to handle something, but not what. Since the Chief promised to call him if he had to, then this was bad. “Thank you! Have we made enough space for the snorers yet?”

  “Yes sir! We’ll sleep well tonight!” The passenger called out with a grin.

  Bradford almost didn’t hear him as he moved into the main hallway. His mind was going down dark passages, each one worse than the last. Something told him that he wouldn’t like this at all, and that was the worst. With everything that had happened, if something was

  “But sir, why are we still stuck down here? If we have the shield up?” The same passenger asked, a note of worry in his voice. “It’s just, people have been talking. And they’re starting to get worried sir.”

  Bradford stopped and looked back, trying to think of what to say. He knew that whatever he told this person, others would hear it from him. The wrong word could harm their morale, and that could lead to terrible things. If there was a riot, then he would be one of the first the ‘leader’ would kill. And he had made a promise a long time ago, he would never die like that!

  “The shield is not the end all, there are more dangers. The Chief just wants those that he protected safe. There will be a time when we will be able to leave. I promise we’ll be in the sun within a week if nothing happens. But for now, we have to stay safe. That’s all,” Bradford said with a small smile.

  “Oh? Well, if you are sure about that sir. I’ll help you calm everyone down,” The passenger said with a grin.

  Bradford nodded, clapping the man on his shoulder. “Good man! You do that. We will survive, I promise!”

  Bradford turned around and walked into the main chamber, looking around. He didn’t see Jones anywhere, but he saw two groups of five. He couldn’t see who they were talking to, but he knew that they were going to be problems.

  Bradford kept his face neutral as he walked to the doors outside, but he kept an eye on those two groups. He had seen many people who had gained power from worse groups. And with who knows how many other escape capsules on this island, there was a problem. They had too many chances that they could become worse threats.

  Walking into the null gravity field, he looked up and nodded as he closed the door behind him. Best to keep a watch on this, the chance someone would run out was high. But Bradford’s thoughts died in his mind as soon as he saw what was on the field before him. He stared in horror, wondering just how a hibernation prison was here.

  He had been just a newly elected senator when these things had been debated. And his vote was one of many that had made even the operation of these a crime. There was no way that he was seeing this.

  “There you are, Bradford! I was wondering how long it would take to get you here!” Duncan said with a grin.

  “Nova take that, Duncan! What in the name of the stars is that abomination doing here!?” Bradford asked, his eyes wide.

  Duncan looked at Bradford and then his eyes hardened. “So you know what that is.”

  “Do I know?! The vote to ban those things was my first action as a Senator! Why is it here and why is it around the remains of a container!” Bradford barked as he looked at it with anger in his eyes. But then his eyes zeroed in on the pieces of the container and then he started to grit his teeth. “Oh, don’t tell me that this thing was in the capsule!”

  “I won’t then,” Duncan said with a shrug.

  Bradford looked at him and then the hibernation chamber and then he felt his anger spike. He looked at it and then he glared at Duncan. “What in the name of the blackhole is this doing here!? And…. No! It’s active!?”

  “Yeah. We’re planning on getting the person in there out soon,” Duncan said with a shrug.

  “Why not now?!” Bradford demanded.

  At this, Duncan looked away with a blush. “Well, it’s been said that this destroys normal clothing. And well.”

  “Oh,” Bradford said as he took in that. He took a moment to remember that fact, and then he looked at Duncan. “Was this here as part of anything the company did!?”

  “I have no idea why anything that was in the capsule was included in our supplies. And that you can take to the bank!” Duncan said with a scowl.

  Bradford just looked at the hibernation prison, and he tried to think of anything that he could do. He had never even thought that one day, he would be on the same planet as one of those things. “Fine, I’ll stay here for now. I wanted to watch the party going down anyway. But we’ll need to explain how whoever is in there, is here.”