My Strange System

I have an idea

...

They made their way out into the long corridors from earlier, running and panting at the same time.

Cassie being a superhuman ran at a faster pace while Jacq tagged along behind her, slowing them down.

They needed to reach the spot where the portal transported them to when they arrived. The portal can only be activated at that spot, but it's still a long way before they will get there. Not with Jacq's slow human pace.

Yes, they had blinded her father so he wouldn't know where they went. But, it is only a matter of time before the soldiers begin the chase. They are probably on the chase now.

Cassie clicked a button on her wrist as she ran. A hologram popped out showing the building plan of the lair and the best possible route to take to reach the portal on time. Cassie spotted a shortcut a minutes run to her left.

"Hurry up, Jacq! The next turning by the left! Be quick," she shouted while running without gasping much for breath.

Jacq managed to quicken his pace a little at the expense of his body. His lungs were on fire.

A few steps before the turning the corner, about 20 drones appeared behind them and started firing metal bullets at them.

Immediately, Cassie doubled back towards Jacq and projected a blue transparent barrier between him and the drones. The barrier shielded them against the bullets as they turned to the left running straight into another solid wall.

They went through again, and appeared in another long hall, deserted except for them.

Cassie pulled Jacq along and they begin another round of race. She noticed they are now close to the portal.

"We're close," she announced. "In ten..."

"Ten what?," Jacq huffed as he staggered along.

"... Nine..." Cassie continued. "... Eight..."

Maybe I'm not dying today after all.

Jacq became relieved that they may get out of this place in one piece.

"... Seven," they never stopped running. "... Six... Five... Oh shit!"

Five... Oh shit... That's not the correct order, Jacq thought to himself.

Jacq looked up ahead and she saw why Cassie had stopped her counting.

The both of them stopped in unison. Everywhere was silent except for the low panting sound coming from Jacq...

... And the sound of approaching footsteps, metal shoes on metal floor.

They numbered up to fifty, each one in full metal suit, metal mask on metal body. With plasma guns in hand, they approached at a slow but steady pace, never breaking formation.

Another sound joined the marching sounds of the soldiers... Drones.

They floated above the soldiers with their pointy ends blazing blue, ready for fire on command.

Jacq came close to Cassie and whispered, "let me curse again while you use that barrier. It may buy us some time to escape..."

"It won't work, Jacq. I cursed earlier. They disabled the alarm."

To make matters worse, the drones they had blocked earlier appeared behind them, humming annoyingly as they danced their little unstable dances.

"COMMANDER CASSIE, YOU WILL FOLLOW US TO THE PROFESSOR'S CHAMBER AND HAND HIM WHAT YOU HAVE WITH YOU!"

Cassie wanted to reply but she as cut short...

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO NEGOTIATION. WE HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO FIRE AT WILL IF YOU RESIST. SURRENDER NOW AND SPARE THE BOY'S LIFE, IF NOT YOURS."

The robotic voice threatened them violently and it seems they have no other option now but to surrender.

Then, Jacq noticed something with the walls.

The original solid walls reflect more blue light from the hall than the ones that serve as a door. He had looked hard at all the walls nearby and he realized that the wall by his left hand side is a door like the other two they had entered before.

The doors disguised as a wall does not absorb much light and so, it has a slightly darker shade to it. But it can't be noticed unless after proper scrutiny.

But there's just little time to think of anything. The soldiers are closing in, slowly.

"I have another plan," Jacq whispered softly to Cassie.

She gave a silent answer, waiting to hear the ridiculous plan Jacq's coming up with.

"Propel those shields to guard us, if you're fast enough. Front and back. Be fast.

Without hesitation, Cassie stretched her two arms and turned her body sideways. She shot two shields in the direction of the advancing soldiers, and one shield towards the drones behind them.

The whistling of plasma bullets had followed her movement, but she was faster than them. She is a commander for a reason.

The two of them became caught in the middle of advancing guns with only the shield separating them.

The soldiers fired shots furiously at the shields... The drones too.

Cassie turned to Jacq slightly furious, "you better know what you're doing!"

"I don't know what I'm doing, but I think there's a door beside me. Let's go in."

Cassie rubbed her forehead in complete frustration. "So, is this your plan? Good god. Do you even know where the door leads?"

Jacq became angry too.

"Let's fucking go. You brought me into this, fuck you for that. I have no issue with you though. But if I'm going to die here, I don't want them to get me so easily! I'll fucking go, if you don't want to."

Jacq turned to his left and went right into the fake wall. Cassie followed unwillingly.

Darkness followed.

They found themselves in a laboratory. It was the biggest laboratory that may ever exist.

Everywhere was dark, except for a faint light that gave them the idea of where they are.

Ahaa, right. So much for my ideas.

Cassie who has grown tired of complaining looked around for the lab for another door. She found nothing.

Jacq moved carefully through the dark looking for a safe place to hide. He knew it was all a futile effort, but he's not bent on doing nothing before getting killed.

Losing all hope, Cassie sat down on the laboratory desk nearby, her head bowed in agony.

She had brought this on herself, she knew. She could have just kept the news to herself and deny ever finding the key her father sought for. Yet, she brought the news and even a poor captive only to back off at the last minute. Now, she's going to get herself and the boy killed.

And for the first time in forever, she sobbed.

Jacq who had been watching her from his hiding place, stood up at once in an attempt to comfort her.

All these bad occurrences may have happened to Jacq but he was satisfied that he got to live a fraction of his everyday fantasies in reality.

He stopped in front of Cassie and extended his right hand towards her. She looked up at him but couldn't accept his hand. She continued sobbing silently.

Jacq shrugged and climbed the lab desk to sit beside her. He was excited about something... Maybe another discovery.

Jacq grinned before saying, "Cassie, have you wondered what the source of this faint blue light is? The light up above... Have you?

Suddenly a slow thrumming sound started coming from above. The whole lab vibrated slowly and the darkness surrounding them was cast away. The lab lightened up.

The thrumming sound continued. It followed a rhythmic pattern now. Jacq drummed the desk with his fingers, in sync with the thrumming sound.

Cassie looked up to behold what was happening.

She gasped in realization of where the sound was coming from.

The room brightened up the more, and the thrumming reached a certain high tempo.

Jacq came down from the desk and smiled.

" I don't know what to do with this information, but I think we're directly under the orb."

The thrumming increased... Boom boom boom...

"I know what to do," Cassie announced happily. "Let's go Jacq."

I'm a superhuman myself, yunno. Super detective. Ahaa!