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The cavern was dark. The path that led into it rocks strewn either side of it making the going difficult. The Kets were agitated. “We could be caught! Get a move on!“ The female leading them was indisputably in charge! They were not prepared to argue with her. As they headed deeper into the cavern, the light units flickered.
“I thought you, had made sure they had new fusion units fitted!“ “I did!“ “Then why are they flickering?” One of the male Kets had been noting the frequency of the flicker from the lights. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the fusion units.
What is affecting the units is probably a high energy magneton field. I picked it up on the sensors a ways back.
Its been growing steadily stronger the further we get into this cavern. I think its probably in the rock layers.
Cesta Magma straits in the rock. Cycling the frequency from the light itself, producing a waveform that is rippled within the magma substrates. That would cause a reactive frequency based modulation feedback."
"We must be near its power source?“ “Correct!“ They moved in further their eyes now resting on a large unit with a half cylindrical control panel.
It was not new. At the time it had been placed there, it was, without doubt; state of the art technology.
“We don’t need to disarm the Sentiant security defence droids. The power to them has been compromised.
Some of the power cells have been damaged, I’m getting no readings to indicate they’re active!”
That to some of them was a relief, though they had been prepared to be attacked by the droids. They carried thermal disruptors. “You sure?” “Stop wasting my time asking dumb questions! They’re inactive!” Approaching the unit one of them placed a pack on the ground then removed several components from it, to attach, to the unit.
Suddenly there was a flicker and the unit powers down? “1st field is neutralized, moving to drop the 2nd and then the third!” They watched as he went to deactivate the 2nd. The appearance of two droids? Moving towards them had one of the Kets screaming. "I think we need to take action or we’re going to be fried!“
The Ket in question had not finished, the other Ket fired at the droids. Not a bad shot, as the first one hit the ground, out of action. The second one? The term had not been used lightly. Nor it could be said was the Ket after, lightly fried!
The sight of the burning Ket, torched beyond recognition, still it should be said, still on fire, had the other Ket running for his life!
"Get back here!" The other Ket that had yelled, now fired, the 2nd droid reacted but missed, as he dived to one side to fire at it again. It hit the deck. Neutralized. “He, he’s dead!“ “We knew it might happen! Stop grizzling and get a move on!
We need to add the modular destabiliser and fast before any more of those things surface!
The Ket fumbled in the pack, dropped the component before grabbing at it again and passing it to the other Ket.
Would he be in time? Suddenly two more droids appeared behind them! This was it! The Ket screamed!
Shoving the component forward against the main unit the liquid seeped into the console to soak in.
The unit fused. Taking one of the thermal weapons he fired at the console. Seconds passed before it powered down.
The other Ket had been aiming at the droids about to fire when both of them vanished.
“We did it!“ Squealed the female. “No thanks to you two idiots! If you had damaged that component containing that fluid, we would now be dead! Mind you, it goes to show, you can take a bunch of idiots and still make the impossible possible!"
She started to laugh, they were, judging by the looks on their faces, anything but amused!"
"I didn't see you tackle the droids!" There was some arguing for a few minutes then a discussion on the Ket that had run off?
The female grinned. Said nothing. On her wrist she had a device. The runaway Ket was lying dead in a passageway not too far from where they were. The device on his wrist that she had insisted ALL of them wear, his killer.
A seizure. Unable to breathe. Dead.
The female moved to remove several other items from her pack including a book? The Ket stared at it then at the female.
“It’s a book, you know something you read from? Not a Shelde, not a screen based visual representation, a real BOOK!“
She shook her head. “What ever made me think, you would know what that was!"
Placing the objects on the ground she made a pattern with them. Leaning back she started to read the pages of the book. Stopping to take several of the rocks and shift them again before putting her hand to a pocket.
A vial of fluid? Now poured over the rocks.
She ordered them to back away from where she was kneeling. Seconds pass before she is now standing up to join them.
Taking hold of one of the torches, she removed the fusion unit, threw it towards the rocks for it to land in the middle of them. Firing her weapon at it, even the stupid one, amongst them knew, what was about to happen!
He ducked as it fizzed and then burst into flames. The initial surge took the temperature to about 300degrees.
The ground beneath the rock? It started to shake. The tremors rippling out to stop inches from them.
Minutes passed, all eyes on that piece of ground. A massive hand, an arm and then the ground opened up.
What came out? The female started to laugh, the laughter building up almost psychotic in nature. The other Kets?
She was alone. They had fled.
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