"I wasn't jokin' when I said it was goin' to be a mite difficult..... We didn't have a chance to shut down the anti weapon systems.... Then there was crackin' the safe.... The one with some interestin' stuff in it.... Maybe a few things we might be needin' to get past the rest of the systems Mindo had installed...." Now what all was the problem... Gorram ship was havin' power trouble. "Rita got through the safe like I said b'fore. She'd pulled out some interestin' stuff too... But what? we didn't have time to lolly gag to sort it all."
"The Lab had it's own secrets...... Includin' some info that could help us in the Vault overhead. Seemed to be a lot of stuff buzzin' up there. Could hear it like angry bees. And the smell of ozone was strong. A lot like in the storage buildin' below us. Somethin' in the lab though had me wonderin'. The scans..... The list of DNA..... All part of Mindo's twisted plans. But what all were they..... And why bring Lily back here after all that time."
I frowned at the power indicators and tapped em a few times. Shadow had a wirin' problem. Not sure what all was causin' it this time. "The lift platform needed to be initiated.... Dav was able to get that workin'. Then there was Blue. Was he here all this long time? No one heard from him in a while. Like he fell off the grid. But he was here, and helpin' to show us the way as best he could. Once Dav activated the system, we hopped the platform a few at a time.... Just in case.... Rita went up first in case of more traps. She'd be the best at gettin' rid of em.... 'Lessin' it was an 'lectronic one. Then it was Dav's turn. When Rita called and said it was clear, Cath and Dav went up next. Me and Frog went last. Bram stayed on the lab level in case we needed backup. Jack was still missin' though..... That was startin' to bother me some. Where all'd he go?"
"When we got up to the vault, there was a little problem.... one of us had to stand at the base of the ramp leadin' up to the vault door. Some sort of pressure plate. Cath said she'd stay there while we worked. Mighty brave of her to do. Rita and Dav worked on the door. While they did, Frog was tryin' to get to some button on the wall. Sort of tucked away. But the real kicker was.... The floorin'. Was all fake. Mindo had a hologram floorin' installed. It looked real 'nough... Til you tried walkin' on it." Had to land Shadow on the orbital for repairs. Musta been somethin' out there in the asteroid field. "Took some jumpin' on a couple of raised platforms to get to the button. Frog couldn't get at it. he needed to grow a little more b'fore he had the reach.""Was strange how when I touched the gorram button, it felt sort of warm. Then I felt the scanner like a static charge across my body. It was scannin' for somethin'.... Not sure what all. Maybe it was Blue tryin' to help. Not sure. But whatever it was, the door to the vault opened. Dav went in first and almost fell through the floor. Rita hung back at the door. Looked like she was not wantin' to take chances. Don't much blame her either. Cat stayed where she was on the other side.... Standin' on a trigger......" The Shadow landed rough. Her lights winkin' on and off.
Gonna have to fix whatever it was. "Jumped on back to where Cath was standin'. She nodded at me as if sayin' she was ok and had it under control. Went up the ramp to look at what all Dav was seein'. Wasn't good from what all I saw. More gorram platforms... All randomly spread 'round the room. And there in the far corner...... Lily. I could hear her faintly..... She was whimperin'. The thing of it was, She was in a chamber of sorts filled with wirin' and cables. Her whole body was upside down. Looked like her feet were jammed up into a top of the whole mess." Needed to get the Shadow back up and runnin' so I could help with the search for the kid...
"Dav tried to make the jump and missed.... he fell through the floor. Landed ok considerin'. He looked a mite sore though. Rita didn't want to try... Don't blame her none on that. So it was up to me to try and get to Lily. But what platforms were real... and what ones were fake... Wouldn't know til I got there now, huh. Jumpin' from one to the other wasn't easy. Alomst missed the high up one. Aiya, that woulda been bad if I fell. I ain't a cat that can always land on its feet. On the last jump, I had to focus. Was a pretty far leap..... Lily was cryin'. She was hurtin' and wantin' to be out of there. Tried to calm her down. Could see some wires hooked up to her foot.... Not good...."
Jai was tryin' t wave me, but the systems were givin' me trouble. Gorram wirin' harness musta got fried by a flare. Means I'd need to take the gorram anti rad meds again. "When Dav got back into the vault, had to ask him for some cutters..... yeah... I forgot mine. He tossed his out across the fake floor..... Tumblin' towards me as it arched up then down as it got closer. Made my grab for em, nearly fallin' off the high platform........ Barely catchin' em. I had to stand there a mo to catch myself. Refocused....... Muscles tensed..... Leap........ fallin'...... landed.... On the small 'lectronic device over which Lily's feet were stuck to....."
"Lily quieted when she heard me over top of where she was. Then I could hear Blue again. I'd only seen Blue a few times in a human like form. Worked to try and free her feet as Blue appeared near the container. He said he'd take her once she was freed. I nodded, but took a mo to touch him. The feelin' was like touchin' a static filled canvas. There but not....... Then I set 'bout cuttin' Lily loose. Held her foot firm so I didn't cut anythin' else in he openin'.... Was sort of strange seein' the complex wirin' that was in that small part of who she was. Then I cut the blue wire.... freein' her...... Blue took hold of her and flew her out of there. It was more a flash of light..... Like the when she became the signal..... way back when......" When I got inside the orbital I waved Jai back.
She said she found the kid.... In a freezer.... Gorram lucky.... "Lily got whisked off by Blue... Now it was our turn to get the hell out of there. I jumped my way back across to Dav then had everyone go back down. Frog went down a little earlier to find Jack. They got back to the Dancin' Phoenix ok and were waitin' for us with the engines warmed up. I told cath to go on while I stood on the plate. Gave em a count to get on out of there. Then I ran.... and near got blown apart when the place went up. Had little trouble on the way out from the restricted zone.... but the 'liance pretty much turned its head as we flew on past." Shook my head when I heard that. Didn't have to go out and search now. The kid was alive and safe....
He was lucky ..... Real lucky.
