SUNGLASESS AND ROCKETS Part 2: The Machine

TWO MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

The terrible forecast made me look toward the ladders which we had just left...

"Then, it was true about the molecular alteration," I heard Darwin whisper. "The moon is changing its structure..."

I couldn't say a word. I was holding onto with my eyes, the only possible exit, which we were leaving behind, walking swiftly to a corner of that section.

We turned into a corridor formed by enormous barrels on the right and an extensive metallic wall on the left, which had a couple of vertical stepladders.

We were walking by the first one...so close...

I looked forward. We were a few feet away from catching up to the heavy set character. The guards were dragging him.

Was it possible that they had done something to him already? What did wash exactly mean? Were we close to a laundry?

As we advanced on a wet floor with puddles, I got the goose bumps. A fetid vapor came out from the chutes. Darwin was looking at me prudently. I knew what he meant: at that moment we were passing by the second ladder.

But, how could we get there?

The answer popped into my head as a squabble. Some shots were heard. A guard knocked me down and I fell on my back.

"To the ladder!" the doctor was heard screaming, from the back. "Run!"

The oriental young woman was getting up beside me. One of the guards threw himself over a weapon. Liu kicked it karate style and the weapon was hurled into the air. I got up and stayed still in the middle of the chaos that had unwound.

"Watch out!" Mr. Wright's voice was heard.

Squatted and prepared, I turned around at once. Darwin evaded a right hook that went straight to the magnate's nose.

More karate moves. A guard flew over right in front of us.

Then another one.

Shots. I laid chest down on the floor. I saw one of the Asian woman's heels, repelling our captors.

"Run!" the doctor yelled. "Watch yourselves!"

The gunfire wouldn't stop, nor the karate "yahaa's". I dragged myself toward the barrels, like a soldier on the battle field. Something touched my head lightly. It was a machine gun floating in zero gravity!

"The pocket SVM!" the magnate shouted. "Catch it!"

I gazed up: Darwin nailed down the device that was slipping to a grid.

The fire ceased.

"Come on!" a female's voice was heard. "Hurry up!"

A hand pulled my leg. I swiveled on my back and turned around. I was on my feet with a vigorous jump. I noticed that the Asian woman was holding a machine gun in one hand, and dragging Darwin along with the other, who was looking at her with a frozen smile from the floor!

I joined them at once. We were heading toward one of the barrels, avoiding the guards who had been knocked down.

"Let him go!" the doctor was heard demanding.

I searched in his direction. The doctor was standing several steps ahead in the hall, a few feet away from his friend who remained in the grasp of a guard.

"The doctor is in the hallway!" I informed. "His friend is still being held prisoner!"

"This way!" the Asian woman urged. "Quickly!"

We ducked behind one of the barrels, our backs against the wall. Then, the fearless Asian woman released us from the handcuffs with a key and showed her head, looking toward the doctor.

"Moses!" Phil's voice was heard.

The Asian woman loaded her gun and aimed. I stuck my head up and looked. The guard who was holding Phil was pointing at the doctor.

"Please!" the magnate was heard. I turned around. The dark glasses and thick mustache loomed from the edge of another tank on one side of the hallway. "Do not make things worse! Let him go!"

I saw the doctor again. He was still standing, in the middle of the hallway. Alone and disarmed, trying to dissuade the guard to free his friend.

The guard wouldn't release him.

"Don't try anything professor."

Without turning around, the doctor called the magnate:

"Lucas! Go to the port and have the fastest ship you have ready. Hurry!"

It started to shake. The sexy bodyguard remained steady in her sniper position. The doctor turned his head slightly.

"Get away from the tanks!" he ordered. "The massive quake is about to begin!"

Darwin and I drew away from the tank tentatively.

A few seconds later the shake disappeared.

"Was that all?" Lucas was heard inquiring from behind. "I think it is more convenient that—"

"That tremble was from the perigee..." the doctor clarified.

Darwin and I started to get up as another vibration, a strange one, invaded the corridor.

"That's the real quake," the doctor announced, motionless. "Everyone to the ladders!"