✅ Project SETI 2: The Daxut Plan

Part XXVI: Rebuff

Temet, Nova and Novala managed to get to the transport pod on the General Research deck directly from the second level of the medical laboratory. Even though the two 'hidden' pods were paired with each other, the mechanism behind this was easy to override. While Temet fiddled with the settings and punched in the code, Nova and Novala quickly figured out the best way to proceed once they were in General Research.

Novala took the plasma rifle back from Temet and gave the pistol he'd found to Nova. It was similar enough to the one Gabriel had shown him before that he was confident he could use it, and although he hoped he wouldn't need to, he knew that likely wasn't the case and steeled himself for it.

When the hatch to the pod opened, there were already three armed security force members there waiting for them. They raised their weapons, but before they could even finish demanding the group to stop and disarm themselves, Novala raised the rifle, set it to torch, and let loose the flame at its maximum height. He swept it back-and-forth in front of him and managed to singe the hand-feathers of the one nearest to him before they all jumped out of the way to avoid the three-foot long stream of fire that flowed from the end of the rifle.

Novala continued on once they were out of the way and turned to make sure his companions were still in tow. Temet was close behind, but Nova had slowed down to take a shot at one of the Daxut trying to aim at the group from the floor. At point blank range, he landed a direct hit, and the near-lethal stream of electrical energy surged through the armor he wore and incapacitated him further.

"This way," Novala called out to him and pointed with his nose as he approached the plaza that split off into the sector's many subdivisions.

"More are coming," Nova said intensely when he caught up with him.

Novala took a split second to reference the map data and saw that the double doors they were approaching were the only way in or out of the Experimental Weapons Department. He also saw the handful of doors that lined the outer walls of the main floor, but realized in that moment that he didn't know which one Gabriel was in.

"They're going to try to trap us," he said after a beat. "I'm going to stay here and hold them off so we still have a way out of here."

"Come on," Temet turned and gestured for Nova to come with her. "Let's hurry."

He slipped through the door with her, but turned to Novala as he advanced and saw him already shooting at the small but growing group of Daxut that were steadily closing in on them. He tailed Temet closely as she ran along the wall that was just ahead, and he nearly ran into her when she abruptly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello, Temet—Nova," Jarah spoke in English so both she and Nova could understand her speech. She was using Saelan-speak, but it wasn't nearly as potent as it usually was. Her throat was very tired at this point from the constant strenuous exercise she'd just put it through. "This is as far as you go. Surrender. The security staff will soon overwhelm you, and then you won't have a choice... so come quietly now, while you still can."

Temet focused on trying to block the effects as soon as Jarah began to speak, and she found that it was much easier to resist her mother's voice than usual right now. "She's—she's bluffing. The security staff isn't that big," she pointed to the door where Gabriel should still be. "There's still time."

Nova also tried to resist Jarah's voice and found the same thing as Temet—it was a lot easier right now for some reason. He wasn't compelled to listen or answer in the affirmative this time around, but he was still rooted in place for as long as she was actually speaking. When Temet pointed, he started to move toward the door; it was just a handful of paces away if he took it long and fast.