"Don't you remember me Hannah?" Daniel whispered and Hannah ignored him. "I am Rebu and so are you. We were both highly renowned Rebu councillors, until we decided to go against the High Council on the issue of Earth relations. You were the first to speak out and you accused the High Council of committing a sin against sentient life and of course they resented your comment. Try as you might the High Council ignored you and the Safe Haven programme continued, then you were stripped of your rank and status. That didn't stop you and many other Rebu including myself joined your struggle and we made it our own." Daniel continued as he turned to face Hannah. "We became lovers..." He added. He turned to observe the Sentinels guarding them and Hannah remained silent.
"We would make love every night for hours and in that time we forgot all of our troubles, thinking only of our passion. Then you disappeared and the High Council offered no explanations, so we continued with the plan, inciting a civil war. That was when we were all captured and brought here. It turned out that since the High Council could not give death sentences to fellow Rebu, they had been sending dissident Rebu here for years. When they captured me, they re-educated me, suppressing my consciousness within a web of lies but for whatever reason the mental manipulation didn't hold. So they tried again, this time the process was much more aggressive and they locked me away underneath Safe Haven but the re-education didn't hold. While I was there I learned that you had also been brought here, consciousness suppressed, living among the citizens of Safe Haven. I escaped and started searching for you, Hannah, we must escape this place." Daniel concluded.
"To think I almost started believing you..." Hannah said rolling her eyes. "I know who I am and what I am, there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise." Hannah added and Daniel said nothing but sat watching the lead Sentinel intently.
"Hannah, we need to leave." Daniel said as two Sentinels took to the air leaving just the leader.
"What? Why?" Hannah started. "How?" She added after a second thought.
"He just received a kill order." Daniel whispered hurriedly as the Sentinel turned and approached them.
"Run!" Daniel screamed as he charged at the Sentinel who promptly opened fire, the two collided and tumbled off the building. Suddenly, other Sentinels appeared firing laser pulses at Hannah. Her suit's defence system activated, this time by her choice and the air was filled with over a dozen drones, and an all out battle began. The air was charged by their weapons discharge, Hannah got up and with all her strength she snapped her bindings. In an instant she was back in the drivers seat of her car. She tried to start the engine and felt a thump behind; she reached for Daniel's pulse pistol, turned and let off quick rounds that knocked the Sentinel off the car.
"Come on!" She screamed at the car and in response it came to life. Without a second thought Hannah engaged the drive and accelerated rapidly away from the battle. Two Sentinels disengaged the drones and began pursuit. Hannah wondered about Daniel, given all that had happened she was inclined to believe him but she didn't buy his story about her being an alien. Hannah decided then and there that she was going to leave Safe Haven, to see outside for herself. Hannah began to hear an insistent beeping...
"Personal shield activated." Her implant told her just as she felt a blow hit her back. She recovered and turned around to see an approaching bright, light, which grazed the side of her car melting away the metal. Hannah pushed down her fear, instead she let her anger fill her, she was outraged that she was being hunted in this manner; after all she had done for Safe Haven. Suddenly two Sentinels landed on the back of her car but before she could swing back to take a shot at one of them, another Sentinel landed on the front of the car, crushing the engine and the car began to lose altitude.
"Heads up!" A voice screamed from above and Hannah looked up to see Daniel fall into the car from above.
"We're the hell did you come from?!" Hannah screamed back.
"Good to know you still care!" He replied and Hannah rolled hers eyes.
"The car is going to crash, jump!" Daniel shouted has he lunged at a Sentinel, knocking him off the car.
"Collision imminent, evasive fail safe protocols engaged." Hannah's implant said and she was involuntarily launched into the air as she took flight, cutting the air at high speed.
"Incoming communication." Hannah's implant told her and she accepted it with a thought.
"That's the spirit." Daniel's said, Hannah turned back to see him following her in the air, closely trailed by five Sentinels.
"Hey do you mind shooting back at them? I need a few moments for my rounds to recharge." Daniel added. Hannah wondered how she was expected to do that without any weapons. Her implant brought to her mind the different armaments the suit possessed, which were limited but effective. Hannah turned in the air and pointed her fists at the Sentinels, releasing a barrage of laser pulses from a bracelet like weapon on her wrists. Daniel chucked some grenades into the mix and took the lead, heading towards the outer walls. Suddenly, two shots came from nowhere, hitting Daniel and Hannah firmly in the chest. A surge of electric pain shot through their bodies and they descended to the ground, crashing through the structures in their path; and as they fell the Sentinels followed. (Tbc...)
Β© 2012 by Pthasse Amadeus
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