Chromium

Chapter 16.1

First draft

While Dia was talking with Gibson, an automatic extinguisher hissed dully in a distant hallway. The overhead vents were in full swing, working overtime to dispel the noxious fumes enveloping the battered hallway, but nobody paid attention to it. Omen, the mercs, and the pirates were far too busy, trying to fend off the droids' reckless assault. As the battle raged on, an old conduit blew up, adding chaos to chaos. Four droids were close to it, and fell down, incinerated at once, but the others didn't stop.

 Although they were just cheap imitations, disposable tools lacking the power of real mechs, there were simply too many of them. When one of them fell, another took its place. They kept advancing, wearing down the opposition little by little. 

"What are those things?!" A pirate shouted, his voice reeking of desperation.

As panic started spreading, the pirates went on a shooting spree, quickly depleting the ammo they had left. Only the mercs and Omen remained calm. Rodriguez and Willis had known each other for a long time, and Omen was a pro. They worked in unison, making short work of any droid dumb enough to get close to them. Omen and Willis picked their target carefully. Every time they opened fire, a droid fell, and yet it wasn't them but Rodriguez who caught everyone's attention. 

The minigun in her hands was old, heavy and cumbersome, yet its rate of fire was so fast, the droids had no way to shield themselves from that hail of bullets and were gradually turned into scraps. A few minutes after the start of the fight and its barrels were already waxing red, but they kept spinning, raining death upon her enemies.  

The tides were already turning in the droids' favor when Omen signaled the mercs to stop. The rotating barrels of Rodriguez's gun came to a halt as the three of them backed away, moving toward the door in an orderly retreat, inevitably increasing the pressure on the remaining pirates. Unhindered by that barrage, the droids focused their attention on Reyes' men, exploiting their lack of teamwork to get close, and their numbers to overwhelm them.

It wasn't long before the first pirate fell, his exoskeleton's chest piece liquefied by dozens of high-energy beams, then the second. The pirates kept dropping like flies and when the fifth one went down, they turned tail and run. They headed for the door on the other side of the corridor, only to realize someone had already beaten them to it. Omen was standing before the panel, his gauntlet fingers hovering above the door's close button.   

"No! Don't!" One of them screamed, but it was too late.

Omen showed no hesitation and pressed the button, sealing the pirates' fate. A second later, when the door closed, a gurgling scream sounded over the comms, then nothing except the mercs' ragged breaths. 

Omen turned around, watching attentively the mercs standing behind him. "Do you have a problem with this?

"Don't look at me." The lanky merc said. "I will not shed any tears for those guys."

 Rodriguez, on the other hand, seemed to hesitate, but it was just for a moment. "I suppose they deserved what happened to them." She said with a shrug.

"Damn straight they did." Willis shouted, expressing his approval. "If it was for me..."

"Quiet!" Rodriguez hissed, holding one hand up in a forestalling gesture as she looked past him. "I think I've heard something."

Willis trailed off,  glancing nervously at the door. The noise level had considerably diminished, but not the tension. A few seconds later they heard something. A laser zap sound. 

"We have to go." Rodriguez said impatiently. "This door won't hold them for long."

"You're right." Omen said. "You have to." His bland voice laid just a hint of emphasis on the word "you".

Rodriguez cocked her head for a moment, regarding him with a quizzical expression. "What are you talking..." She stopped in the middle of the sentence, her mouth opening in sudden surprise and understanding. "You're not coming with us."

Omen didn't answer. There was no need to.

Rodriguez looked into his eye. "You want to look for her." 

Omen remained carefully motionless, but the look in his eye was intense. "Do you disagree?"

"Of course not." Rodriguez answered, her lips curling into that signature grin of hers. "I'm coming with you."

Willis looked shocked. "Maria, what the hell are you thinking?"

"Shut up, Jacob." Rodriguez replied, her gaze staying locked on Omen. "The adults are talking."

A flash of respect glinted in Omen's eye. Eventually, however, he shook his head, a somber look slipping back on his face.  "That's not necessary. I alone am enough."

"Really?" Rodriguez regarded him dubiously. Omen raised a brow, a dangerous glint in his eye. "Calm down, big guy. I don't mean to question your words, but I've seen what you're up against. You can't do this alone."

"Just listen to the man, Maria." Willis suddenly broke through their conversation, earning himself a dirty look from Rodriguez. 

"How would you like if I left you here, Jacob?" Rodriguez replied sharply.

"Come on, Maria." Willis said dismissively. "You know it's not the same thing."

"She is my friend, Jacob," She said, with a hard edge in her voice. "just like you."

That seemed to shut him up.

"Your loyalty to your friend does you credit," Omen said seriously. "but none of this will matter if we don't regain control of the Nostromus."

That brought a grimace to Rodriguez's face. 

"You're right." Face tight, she replied. "But..."

"I got this." Omen stated with total sincerity. "Trust me."

Rodriguez watched him carefully, and Omen met her gaze squarely, without evasion. A few seconds later, something indefinable flashed through Rodriguez's eyes. 

"Alright," She nodded slowly as if she'd understood something important. "I'll trust you on this."

Then suddenly, without warning, she turned and started walking toward the shuttle. Willis started following her, but then stopped, turning to look at Omen. 

"Are you really going back there?" He asked, his expression an odd mix of wonder and fear.

For the first time, Omen looked right at him, his stare almost withering. Willis floundered under his intense stare, sighing with relief when Omen finally glanced away as if he'd suddenly lost interest. Omen replaced the empty clip and the assault rifle made a mechanical noise, utterly deafening in the empty corridor, but Willis never heard it. By then, the merc was already running toward Rodriguez and the shuttle as if the devil was chasing him.