A Hurried Escape

A HURRIED ESCAPE: A SKYWARD STORY

DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS AND ORIGINAL STORY BELONG TO BRANDON SANDERSON. I OWN NOTHING. 

I worked fast, hurriedly digging through drawers and shelves and anywhere that I thought half-crazed alien tyrant might hide my bracelet. M-Bot worked at the strange technology, apparently hurrying, though I couldn't tell. He wouldn't shut scudding up.

"Halt, foul beast!" he cried, volume turned down but still filled with energy and passion. "Cease so that I may decapitate you and feed on your flesh!" He paused, and his drone turned towards me. "How was that, Spensa? Don't I sound like you? Rate it on a scale of one to ten, ten being the best."

"Um, nine," I said, flipping through a book filled with words I couldn't read, then tossing it back on a shelf. "Please hurry up."

"It is not my fault that Brade is an expert with this technology. She sealed these files up tight."

"Brade?" I was nearly panicking. "You didn't mention she was still here!"

"I thought it was obvious. You are a cytonic, so is she. Can't you tell where each other are or something?"

"Oh, M-Bot," I groaned. "Just get the files, and we'll decode them later." I spotted a small gleam from under Winzik's desk and crouched down to examine it. It was my bracelet. I snapped it on, relieved. "Come on, let's get out of here before—"

Scud.

Scudscudscudscud.

The door to Winzik's office beeped and whooshed open, and I stood frozen in place, staring in horror as Brade stepped in, crossing her arms. Her normally tall and muscular figure seemed even more imposing when she was scudding furious.

"Brade, please," I said quickly, just because I knew that there was no possible way I could beat her in a fight. Hopefully M-Bot could get the rest of the files in a hurry. "Please listen."

"I don't need to listen." Her eyes flashed as she stepped closer, clearly meaning to rip me apart. I was so much smaller than her. "Winzik—"

"Winzik is using you." I backed up a little, not liking the prospect of being directly in front of her. She was super tall. "You've gotta know that by now. All he's interested in is power."

"Winzik is a genius."

"He wants to wipe out anyone that doesn't agree with him!"

"He's smart for doing so."

"Brade, he's brainwashed you. He took you from your parents at seven. How many half-decent people do that? I'm gonna go ahead and guess none."

"Sacrifices had to be made."

I tried again. "You told me it made you angry. Furious that he'd done that. Why—"

"Why haven't I betrayed him by now?" Brade almost sneered at me. "C'mon, Alanik, or whoever you are. You've gotta know. He's powerful, a genius, and I have no interest of being on the losing team."

"Why can't you just come back to Detritus?" I demanded wearily. "You'd love it. You'd get to fly for someone other than a power-hungry tyrant, and you'd be accepted... liked, even. Not used as an elaborate pet for Winzik to parade around. You could have friends."

Brade shook her head. "I don't need friends. They get in the way."

Hurry up, M-Bot. I shifted my balance to the other foot, then glanced quickly up when Brade approached again.

"This is the end of the line for you," she said coldly, drawing a large knife from her belt. "Now hold still and make this easy for everyone."

I stared at the knife, took a few steps back as she took a few forwards. I glanced at M-Bot out of the corner of my eye. He flashed an affirmative. Brade noticed the motion, but it was too late. I lunged, ducking under her arm, grabbing M-Bot's drone and half stumbling out of the office.

We made it to the hallway and I started sprinting. I was fast, considering how small I am, but Brade was only shocked for a second. I glanced behind me to spot her gaining on me, clenching the knife unrelentingly in her right hand.

"M-Bot, can you power up the ship from here?" I gasped out, forcing my legs to move faster.

"I can fly it here due to the piloting software I stole here, but you'll have to meet it outside."

Panting, I hurled myself past two started Krell officers, then smashed through some expensive-looking stain-glass windows and made it outside to the large balcony. To the right, there was a straight drop going into space. To my left, there was a narrow ledge walkway that I knew went down to the landing pads. I had to get there.

Brade burst out of the doors behind me, and I heard running feet. I whirled just in time to duck a slash from the knife that would have slit my throat. She was actually trying to kill me this time.

She thrust it at me again, and I sidestepped, then struck her wrist with all my strength, grabbing it and jerking it hard in the wrong direction until she dropped the blade. She made me pay for it by landing a punch to my side, but I managed to kick the knife over the edge of the platform. It fell silently through the air, going through the shield-bubble thing that kept the station full of breathable air, and disappeared into space.

"M-Bot?" I panted, blocked a punch and grunted in pain as Brade threw her knee into my stomach.

The AI's voice came to me through my earpiece. "You'll have to jump."

I staggered backwards when I missed a block and Brade's fist landed in my face. I almost fell off the ledge, regained my balance just in time. My nose was leaking blood. Brade was smirking at me mockingly. "What?!"

"Jump," M-bot repeated. I ducked another blow, then gritted my teeth and turned, running at the edge. I heard Brade snarl with frustration as I leapt off, knew her hand had missed me by a few inches.

Just when I though I was going through the station's bubble for sure, my ship appeared, gliding smoothly to a halt directly under me and a little to the right. M-Bot's flying was still a little rough, but it got the job done.

I grabbed the edge of the cockpit and hung there for a few moments while trying to get my breath back. After that it was fairly easy to climb into my seat, seal the canopy, and take off. It was a while before I was able to get my hands to stop shaking, though. I was not a coward; I was human, and that meant that after a very near-death and frightening experience—one I didn't want to repeat—that maybe I'd be a bit shaken. I wondered what Hurl would say if she heard that.

"Got all the files, M-Bot?" I asked finally.

"I did indeed, Spensa. And I've managed to crack several of them. You won't believe what they're about." Before I could guess, he went on. "It seems Winzik has quite the backup plan to deal with Detritus."