The Navigator

Right Arm

Right Arm

Dr. Fox thought he was done for. He thought they were going to take it all. Then fiery bolts of plasma began tearing into the octo-bots, sparks showering his head and shoulders.

The needle was quickly withdrawn and retracted back into the octo-bot, who immediately made for the nearest wall, which opened up at its approach. The plasma blasts followed it, but impacted only with the closing wall. The octo-bots released him and went for whoever was firing. He propped himself up on one of the wrecked bots to see.

Amazingly, it was Hubbell battling the advancing octo-bots with a wicked looking plasma rifle she must have liberated from one of the pirates. She leveled the gun at one and squeezed the trigger, sending a trio of blasts dead center to its body. The bot split in half and erupted in sparks.

She immediately spun and unloaded another burst on the other one. Dr. Fox realized that she wasn't going to be fast enough. Hubbell wouldn't have enough time to turn and face the last bot. It would be on her in mere moments, and here he was, helpless. He couldn't even muster the strength to call out to warn her as it sprang and launched itself through the air.

But somehow, Hubbell had anticipated her foe's maneuver, and ducked, rolling backward beneath the leaping octo-bot, dropping the rifle in the process. She came up with her boot knife, and promptly rammed it into the back of the octo-bot's head, eliciting a spray of sparks. Twisting and prying, she ripped wires and components loose, tearing them out as she wrenched her knife free. The bot wobbled and tried to turn, but crashed to the floor instead, smoking and spewing sparks.

Then Dr. Fox saw Reese emerge from the corridor as well, holding some sort of energy pistol in her two hands, the barrel pointed at the ceiling. She turned and ran to him, as he struggled to right himself. Setting the pistol down, she helped him into a sitting position. His head swam for a moment but then cleared.

"Shit, Chris, what happened?"

"I don't know, they took my blood, and there's an AI called the Arbiter, and..."

"Relax," she said comfortingly.

"How'd you find me?" he croaked.

"We heard you screaming," Hubbell said with a chuckle, "Bubbala."

"There was an earthquake, of sorts. Then doors began to open all over. We were fleeing the pirates when we decided to risk underground. We've been wandering since," Reese explained.

"Well I'm glad you found me, I don't know how much they were going to drain," he said weakly.

"Well, Numen and his pirate scum are still loose in the city. At least four well armed and particularly nasty creatures remain. Let's see if we can evade them long enough to get back to the ship," Hubbell suggested.

Suddenly the room began to rumble and shake and the very walls began to move as the chamber started to reconfigure itself. Hubbell grabbed the back of his collar and hoisted him to his feet. Reese ducked under his arm and helped to steady him.

"Quickly, this way," Hubbell called, sprinting toward the hall she and Reese had entered from.

As they neared, Dr. Fox stared in horror as their escape route began to seal. By the time they reached it, the corridor was only shoulder-width, and still closing.

"Dammit," Hubbell swore and turned back around, heading for the nearest hallway, but the floor rose into a wall in front of her.

Reese helped to hold Dr. Fox up as they shambled after her. A new corridor opened to their right and they made for it. Just as Hubbell darted inside, the floor fell out from under him and Reese, slamming them to the metal floor several feet below, stunning them both. He recovered first and sat up, touching his body and finding no blood, no pain. Relief flooded him as he looked over and saw Reese rising as well, apparently unharmed.

"C'mon, give me your hand, I'll pull you up," Hubbell called from above.

He motioned for Reese to go while he stood shakily. They grasped hands and Hubbell began to haul Reese up the wall. She was near the top and all that Dr. Fox could see of Hubbell was her arm and Reese dangling in the air. Then, to his horror, the corridor that Hubbell was in slammed shut, sending Reese tumbling to the floor, still holding Hubbell's severed arm.

"No... Hubbell..." Reese said hollowly.

But before he could react, the world around them transformed yet again. The floor turned into a steep ramp, and a passageway opened at the end, leading into darkness. The angle of the incline kept increasing until they began to slide, slowly at first but as it became steeper they fell faster. He plummeted toward the black maw of the passageway, unsuccessfully scrambling to slow his descent. Terror gripped him as he fell into a pit of blackness.