His Throne

19 - System Shutdown

We sneaked through the hallway with the sirens echoing through.  Martin felt sorry for me about losing James.  I can see the two androids coming towards us and we waved to them.

"We have turned off the power in the place but they have turned it back on." said Tha.

"We also removed our names from the computer." Hicpa added.

"Okay.  You removed your names from their system.  Good." I sighed.

"You are sad." Tha commented.

"James is back there in this room and he's not waking up." Martin reminded.

"I will check on him." Hicpa replied, and he then went into the room where James is.

I still hope that James is alive.  At least Martin and Tha still have their weapons with them.  The humanoids are still searching for us and I can feel it.  I saw them running around with their guns in their hands.  This is totally not good.  We hid behind the corner right before they ran past us.  We ran quietly away from them making sure that they don't hear us.  James did find another computer in another room, but which one?

"Martin?  Where did James find another computer?" I asked.

Martin tries to think of something; which computer did James find?  He remembers seeing him running out of the room and then up the stairs.

"Let's just follow his footsteps.  Shall we?"

"Okay." I nodded.

The three of us ran through every hallway and corridor and then ran through the stairs.  We checked every floor and found a door.

"Could this be it?" I wondered.

Tha scanned the door and then replied.  "This room has a computer inside it."

We opened the door and there it is.  This computer is much bigger than the one that is on the top floor.

"Yep.  This is it." Martin nodded.

We turned it on as Tha sealed the door with her laser.  Martin tries the other controls but they're hard for us to read.

"Which on is the power switch?" He asked.

"I don't know." I gasped, "There's so many files here.  Tha.  Translate this language."

She is about to translate the language but the Skype call noise startled me.

Taichi is calling me.  "Alexa.  Where's James?"

I paused for a moment.  I'm not even sure if he is still alive or not, so I answered the question.

"He's gone."

"What?!" he gasped.  He has the shocked face as Jennifer behind him.  There is a tube that ends up at a massive block of fur.

She turns and gasps when she heard me.  "You mean...  James is...  dead?"

"I don't know." I shook my head, "He wasn't waking up or moving.  I can't tell."

Everyone suddenly dropped down into sorrow after what I said.  This cannot be the end of James.  The power switch has to be somewhere.

I look at the tube that is plugged into the block of fur.  "Taichi.  Jennifer.  That creature you're standing at right now is in danger."

"Is that what it is?" Taichi gasped.

"Yes." I answered, "He's scared and he needs to get out so that he can go back home."

"Well, we can hear his voice." he added, "He said his name is Asmaltor."

I glance between the computer and the tube on the thing.  "We have to put all the blood back in him.  Tha?  What does it say?"

"It says fuel level and vacuum control; suck and blow." Tha replied.

"Right!" Martin nodded and he tapped the button on the right of the screen.  The machines slowed down and stopped.

As they begin to increase in the opposite direction, I called out to them.  "Hold the tube in place!"

"Got it." Taichi nodded and he and Jennifer both held the tube in place as the black ink-like liquid fills up.

"We got it.  We got it.  We got it." Martin cheered as the machines blow the blood out at a speed of the International Space Station.

The fuel levels are dropping and the power is being drained out as the lights begin to flicker.

"Uhh...  Guys?" said Martin, "What's happening?"

"The power is going out due to the fuel removal." Tha noticed.

The power went out.  Everything shuts down except the computer and the machines.  The banging on the door is heard and the laser beam is buzzing on the other side.  We all froze like we're getting prepared for them to get in.  The door still didn't open.  Everything went silent all of a sudden.  I glanced back at the fuel level.  It is almost completely empty.  The fur block began to move as Taichi and Jennifer struggle to keep the tube on.  I don't even know what that thing is.  Who is Asmaltor?  What is he?  The tanks are finally empty and everything is dark but the doors are never open or close.  We are now trapped and there's no way out of here.

"How do we get out of here?" Martin asked.

"I don't know." I shrugged, "Maybe we'll have to sit here and wait."

"Oh my god!  It just moved away from us!" Jennifer gasped.

"What did?" I asked.

"Asmaltor!" said Taichi, "He just vanished into the darkness."

Asmaltor is alive?  Did we really bring him back to life?  The sound of metal being hit echoed through the whole room and a dent on the door is getting larger and larger.  Tha's strobe light starts flashing as we backed away from the door.

"What is that?!" Martin shuddered.

"Deadly life-form approaching." Tha alerted.

The doors smashes open making the panels fly off and the creature runs in.  Tha pulls out her turret guns and starts shooting the thing.

"Let's go!  Come on!" Martin called.

We ran out of the room and the humanoids are here.  I shouted out one word.

"Run!"

We head over to the staircase; the creatures are everywhere.  They're trashing the entire building as we ran down the stairs and dodged the beasts.  We got to the first floor and Hicpa is carrying James through the hallway.

"Tha!"

"Forget about her!" Martin grunted, "Just keep going!"

The front entrance is completely smashed open by the creatures.  We are about to reach it but the humanoids caught me and dragged me away.

"Alexa!" Martin shouted.