Chapter 31. Evacuate the planet!

Alex had no idea what was going on. He had never heard about any form of evacuation! This could've been another test for them, if it weren't for the earthquake. It was literally ruining everything, its intensity getting stronger.

"You okay?" Rita asked, helping him up to his feet.

He was grateful to her, and embarrassed all at once. He wanted to be the one protecting her, not vice versa! The stupid plaster made him look weak, and he didn't like that.

"I'm fine! Just trying to figure what's happening to the planet…"

"It's not the planet," she put her hand onto the wall. "Try to feel the direction of the tremor… Looks like the base is under attack!"

That idea seemed wild at first, nearly insane. Who could attack them on an empty planet? But it was hard to argue with Rita, because he could feel the metal trembling all around him. The one who attacked them had to be very strong, and the chaos was spreading rapidly. The computer kept registering new damage to the system.

So far the situation wasn't critical. The broken air pipes were quickly isolated and replaced with the spare ones, and additional generators already began working. But no-one could tell how long this control would last if the source of attack wasn't identified!

That left Alex completely lost. It had to be their prom, and his chance to distract Rita from her mourning! But now they were in grave danger, and the party was forgotten…

"Alex!" Arriz called him. "Over here!"

The telepath stood by the wall, holding onto it, with the twins and Norman by his side. Alex walked to them; he didn't have to invite Rita, because he knew she'd follow him. They stayed together since Olivia's funeral.

The tremors stopped for a while, giving them a chance to talk in peace.

"That's Iutah," Arriz announced when they all gathered around him.

"What?" Light Silver gave him a puzzled look. "What does it have to do with Iutah?"

"He's a normal human now," his brother added. "But even when he was a hybrid, he couldn't have done something like that!"

"I didn't say he was doing it personally, his participation is limited here. Somehow he managed to reprogram the construction robots, and now they're ruining the base!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Rita frowned. "How can you know that?"

She was the only one who didn't understand. The rest of their small group was aware that Arriz was a telepath. Alex didn't really know what abilities that brought, but he believed his friend.

Sure, the version created by Arriz appeared illogical, but they didn't have enough time to doubt it or analyze other options. The system was failing, the deadly cold from Ceres could enter these halls any moment! The telepath was the only one who offered them some sort of explanation, and they had to take it.

"Why is he doing that?" Norman inquired. "He's going to die here too!"

"His condition is unstable, he's depressed," Arriz answered. His voice sounded tense, like he was choosing words carefully. "We can ask him about it when we find him! So far, we have to find a way out of this mess…"

The threat was extremely serious. The construction robots could turn into a unique weapon, since they had enough power to break through stones and frozen ground. This power should never be turned against the complicated computer system supporting life on Ceres! That basically left them cornered.

And once again Arriz was more organized than the rest of them.

"Does anyone know how much time it'll take them to get here?" he asked.

"I don't think they'll go here," Dark Silver shook his head. "If you're right about Iutah, he'd sent them to the central generator. It's the main air filter of the base, once it's destroyed, everything is over. But to get there, they'll have to crush their way through the living quarters, and that'll take some time. Though I don't think we have more than an hour left till the apocalypse is here."

"How do you know that?" Norman gave him a suspicious look. "Sounds like you've been planning to destroy the base too!"

"We weren't going to do that. But we usually study the things that surround us. Those robots were a potential hazard, and we gathered some info on them. We've also spent a lot of time with Iutah, and we know he ain't stupid."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Rita pointed at the cracks in the wall.

"We might be insane, but not stupid. What are we gonna do?"

"What the computer tells us to do," Arriz replied confidently. "We evacuate. We need to spread into two teams."

"Why two?" Rita interrupted him.

"Because of the place where we're going to go," the telepath explained patiently. "If the system is broken, there'd be no air or heat left here. So the only way we can survive is find some place where those things are generated independently. I've got only one option – the spaceship that's waiting on the surface. The one sent here to take me and the teachers back to Earth."

His calm and collected speech deserved nothing but respect. It was as if he'd spent all his life developing such strategies! Alex had forgotten about this ship altogether, and Arriz remembered it immediately and conducted a perfect plan. The hybrid was so impressed he was ready to follow every command of his friend without questions.

"The ship won't fit everyone," Dark noted.

"It won't fly with such amount of people, but there's enough place for everyone there. We just have to stay there until the rescue team arrives. Though personally I don't think things will go that far. I still hope to stop Iutah before it's too late! But we need to evacuate everyone just to be on the safe side. I've suggested to break into teams because there are two ways to the platform leading to the ship: by the medical office and through the lecture halls. Both ways are quite narrow, so it'll be hard for all students to walk through them without panic, using both at once is a safer option. Norman, I want you to tell Damian about it, you and him will lead the first team."

"I can do it without him!" Norman objected.

"You can't. Let's face it: you're still too weak after your trauma. So you'll be helping him. Alex… I wanted to ask you to take care of the second team, but I'm not sure if that's possible now."

Alex hit the wall with his plaster cast in one swift movement; the plaster broke into tiny pieces from the power of the impact, returning him the freedom of movement.

"That's more than possible."

"I'll help him," Rita added. "But it'll be hard to make the others follow us!"

"It won't be," Arriz argued. "Alex is one of the top-five warriors of this generation, and Damian is a teacher. Besides, when everyone is scared, the one who knows what to do becomes the leader easily."

"They have more authority," Norman nodded at the twins.

"Don't you even think about it, we ain't leading no crowd!" Light waved him off.

"We're gonna help Arriz kick Iutah's ass!" Dark hit his fist on his open palm.

"I know I shouldn't ask you about it, because it's too dangerous, but I need your help," the telepath admitted. "He's at the furthest part of the tunnel now, where the robots used to work. We're going to move to him while the others evacuate the base."

"But if you don't stop him…" Alex began, but didn't know how to continue.

It was so obvious and cruel he didn't have the guts to say it. They all knew that if Arriz and the twins failed to stop Iutah, they weren't going to make it to the ship on time.

"It'll be fine," Arriz smiled. "I… I have to deal with him."

"Why you?"

"It doesn't matter now. Keep one thing in mind: I'm not going to die here! I'm asking you to help me, because you're my friends, and I believe in you. Now let's get down to business, we can talk later!"

It was an optimistic claim on his behalf. None of them knew if there'd be this "later" for them. Alex wanted to join them, stay with them till the end… but he couldn't. His preferences meant nothing in a situation like this, he was a hybrid – thus he had to do the right thing.

Norman was the first to leave their group, walking to Teacher Damian. Alex and Rita hurried to the stage where the neglected mic was still lying on the table. Arriz and the twins simply mixed with the crowd…

Alex had never dreamt about being a leader. He wanted to become an average hybrid, and even the award he received today caught him off guard. But he knew Arriz was right: if he didn't take the situation under control, someone might get hurt.

"People… your attention here!" he pronounced into the mic. In the meantime, Rita went to Lady Laura to explain everything to her privately. "I'll ask everyone to divide into two teams of roughly the same number of hybrids! Me and Teacher Damian will head them and lead you to a safe place!"

"What are you talking about?" Red Yeremeya snapped back at him. "What safe place?"

A new wave of tremors that left most of the hybrids lying on the floor caused him to shut up. The computer voice demanding them to evacuate the base was becoming louder.

"A place where this isn't happening!" Alex pointed his finger at the destruction surrounding them. "You have a choice now – stay here to see what happens next or follow me and Teacher Damian! But I must warn you: you're level two hybrids, and like hell will you survive the cold of Ceres once it gets here!"

The hybrids weren't happy about it. They were grumbling, and criticizing him… but they still spread into two teams! Some of them approached the stage, while others surrounded Damian.

Alex consciously didn't tell them where they were going. He knew that some students might want to get there first, ahead of the group. But there was only one platform that could lift them to the ship, and it should be handled with extreme cautiousness. Subordination was vital for them now.

"We're leaving," Norman warned him. "We'll take the medical office route. Good luck, buddy!"

"You too," Alex nodded.

His nerves turned into electric cables now. He used to think that exams were the main event of the year, and now… He took a responsibility he couldn't have imagined. He wanted to give up and make someone else the leader… but he couldn't. And not only because Rita was watching him, he knew he'd never forgive himself for such cowardice.

Once they left the hall, Alex felt the air getting colder. It wasn't a danger to humans yet, let alone hybrids, but if things continued to go downhill like that, the twins and Arriz wouldn't stand a chance…

He forced himself not to think about them. He couldn't help them, he had to take care of the lives he was entrusted with.

There were no powerful tremors anymore, but the floor and the walls continued trembling softly. Alex figured that the robot that was closer to them must've turned on the drill. This thing continued moving forward… He had seen those machines before. They were as huge as a house, he had no idea how to defeat them!

"About time you tell me who's attacking us!" Red said, catching up to him.

"About time you tell me why you joined me," Alex chuckled. "You don't even like me!"

"Absolutely not. But I like Damian even less. So who are we running from?"

"We're running from suffocation and freezing! As for our attackers… we've got the construction robots to blame for that."

"Why would they do it?"

"I don't know," Alex lied. "I've just been warned they're out of control."

"But if it's truly them… where can we hide?"

"You'll see."

The team he was leading had some strong warriors in it. Like Clara Vangerberg from the Red Team, or Yoriko Son from the White Team, Ayjekt Diakonu from the Green Team, and even Red! But there was no-one but Alex from the top five here. He knew where the twins were, so Karajo and Cuyo must have joined Damian. Who would've thought they'd want to stay together! Their friendship was quite untimely: if one of them went with Alex, it would strengthen his team sufficiently. And now the other team had a level six hybrid and two strongest hybrids from this generation!

He hoped that they wouldn't need to use power at all, but those hopes were short-lived. Once they reached a wide hallway, one of its walls broke, and a golden claw reached for them through the crack.

The hybrids pulled back instinctively. Alex wanted to do the same, but he forced himself to stay still. There was no other way to the platform, so he had to clear this one! And the fact this thing looked invincible shouldn't stop him…

"Stay with the humans," he told Rita.

"But…"

He didn't stay around long enough to listen to her objections. It wasn't a politeness issue, he simply didn't have time for this. The robot continued breaking the wall, and icy wind was blowing from behind it. It was also getting harder to breathe in the hallway, and the red signs on the walls warned them about the air conditioning block in the system.

Alex didn't ask anyone to come with him. That probably made him a bad leader, but he'd already taken too much responsibility. What if someone got hurt in this battle? He was ready to put only his life at stake.

Unfortunately, his noble intentions didn't make him any stronger. His arm barely managed to heal, it was still hurting slightly. He could use only one arm to strike, and that didn't bring the result he expected: he couldn't even bend that metal! The claw hit him hard, smashing the hybrid into the wall.

The robot was going to attack again. The claw designed for breaking stones would've pulverized half of his bones – if it reached him. Alex was saved by two hybrids who appeared in front of him in an instant, stopping the claw, though it cost them a lot of effort.

"I can't believe you're part of the top five, not me!" Clara snorted.

"Less talking, woman!" Red raised his voice. "We've got an enemy here!"

"I have a name, you know!"

"Lucky you."

Although they didn't like each other, they made a good team. They moved simultaneously, trying to break the claw, but they only managed to tear the metal slightly. The robot felt its main weapon being threatened, so it simply shook them off.

But there were some results after all! The golden shell of the machine was damaged, opening the way to wires and microchips. A couple of wires were torn, sending sparkles all around them. Alex knew they had to use it!

"Two or three of us have to hit it at the same time!" he instructed. "Separately, we don't have enough power to break through, but together we'll smash it! Work in couples, but someone should always stay with the humans!"

He contradicted his words immediately though, trying to attack alone. He just couldn't ask anyone for help, believing that the leader had no right for it. He couldn't wait either: the robot had already dragged half of its body into the hallway.

However, it turned out he didn't have to ask at all. Once he jumped onto the machine's head, another hand appeared right next to his when he was delivering a blow.

"You're a horrible leader," Rita grumbled. "You can't give normal tasks!"

"Who's watching the humans?!"

"Weaker hybrids. That's how it works! The weaklings won't be part of the battle anyway, but they're good enough to guard the humans from falling walls and accidental hits."

"You shouldn't risk because of me!"

"I should," she looked at him seriously. "You're the only close person I have left on this planet."

Alex felt a warm feeling spreading in his chest. It was inappropriate at the moment, but it still gave him enough energy to continue fighting.

They were working together, and it turned out easier than he thought: it was as if she could read his thoughts. She copied his movements with perfect precision, falling behind no longer than a second, which didn't mean anything. Their powers were in harmony now.

The robot was defending itself desperately. The metallic creature was fighting for its life: it was swaying its gigantic claws around frantically and hitting the opponents with its thin legs. But that wasn't enough to deal with eight fast hybrids. After breaking through the outer shell, they got a chance to rip the main wires and cables, leaving the robot paralyzed. Soon it twitched for the last time, and then just froze on the floor, nothing but a shapeless pile of metal.

They had no time for celebrating their victory. Frost was forming on the walls, and a cloud of steam accompanied each breath they took; the cold was getting dangerous. Meanwhile, the trembling subsided, which meant that the other robots were far from them at the moment.

"Come on!" Alex commanded. "Two more floors and we're there!���

Destroying that robot drew them closer and filled them with confidence. No telepathy was needed to tell their fear became weaker. They didn't relax though, they remembered how close their enemy was.

They moved through the floors quickly and saw the hangar gates ahead on them when another robot appeared behind them. And this thing was chasing them! That didn't fit the theory suggested by Arriz: the platform was too far from the central generator. The robot had to be programed to attack them.

They couldn't afford a second battle. The hybrids were tired, and Alex knew they wouldn't get out of it so easily. Someone would get hurt, and they didn't have any medications with them, and no doctor to assist!

"Hurry up!" he shouted. "We'll close the gates!"

The gates leading to the platform were made of solid metal. Originally they were designed this way to protect the base from the danger that could come from the ship. The engineers couldn't think of things going like this!

They reached the hangar long before the robot. Alex and a couple of other hybrids pushed the gates, closing and locking them. The entrance was securely blocked when the first blow sounded on the other side…

That gave them a pause to relax and look around the hangar. That's when Alex discovered that the platform was gone, and Norman was the only one waiting for them inside.

"Chill, everything is under control!" he warned Alex. "The platform was too small for all of us. Our team reached it around ten minutes ago, and Teacher Damian decided to take them to the ship and then return for you. Use that time to put the suits on!"

"Let the humans take the protection suits first," Alex added. "We'll take what is left."

He wasn't sure they'd obey him. But at least it seemed like there were enough space suits for everyone, so he wasn't too worried about it.

His greatest concern were the gates. The metal was shaking and screeching under the robot's blows, bending forward. One of the locks was broken, the others still held, but he didn't know how long that could last.

"We can win some time if we hold it," Alex said quietly.

"What?.."

"The platform is moving too slow. Even if you take off before this thing gets here, it can break the mechanism on the floor, and the platform will collapse with you."

"Why is it "you" instead of "us"?" Norman frowned.

"Because I'm staying here and you're going up."

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"No, I'm actually thinking straight. We don't know what Iutah programmed them to do. Maybe this robot went here to destroy the platform and we just got in its way!"

Arriz was right about one thing: the more calmly you speak, the more respect you earn. Norman recovered after his flash of anger and was listening to Alex with concern.

"Then I'm staying with you!" he announced.

"Not happening. You'll have another mission, and a more important one: you must hold Rita. She got it into her head that she must protect me no matter what. I appreciate the thought, but it's humiliating. She'll be trying to break free, but I'm sure you'll manage to prevent that."

"Why should I hold her at all? Me and her can stay with you! It's suicidal to be here alone…"

"Not like I'm planning to guard this door forever! I just need to keep it locked for as long as you're rising. Then I'll get away from here and unite with Arriz and the Silver ones! It'll be easier to do if I'm alone."

Norman nodded slowly. He understood it, even though he didn't like it.

The hybrid who stayed here was in grave danger. Alex had to face it alone; if he died, it wouldn't be such a great loss for the generation…

He was worried that Damian would come down on the platform. That could ruin his plan: the teacher would never allow something so reckless! But the older hybrid remained on the surface, starting the ship's engines for warmth and possible emergency takeoff.

When Alex announced his intention, they tried to talk him out of it. Lady Laura kept calling for his sanity and proving he didn't need to do this. Rita just called him an idiot. The rest of the group also wasn't thrilled by the idea of leaving him behind…

But the robot was successful at breaking into the hangar, the holes on the metal were growing in size and number. They had to hurry.

When the platform moved up, Alex was already by the door. He found the position which allowed him to hold the gates effectively. The damage wasn't too strong yet, and he could watch Rita leaving; she was looking at him too. He smiled at her; he wasn't afraid, though he knew he wouldn't make it out alive.

If Arriz was here, he'd sense that Alex was lying. The telepath was good at that – and Norman wasn't. His friend left him, believing, that he actually meant what he said.

But that was pure bluffing on his behalf. He just had to make them agree to his plan, while his actual chances of surviving this were next to nothing. He didn't want to die, but it seemed there were no options left for him.

He couldn't do the things he told Norman about due to overwhelming exhaustion. His muscles were burning already, he'd be extremely weak by the time the platform reached the surface. Even if he managed to slip past this robot, which was unlikely, he wouldn't move too far.

Alex was shocked by how easy it was to accept his one demise. Death had always been this horrible, final thing to him… and today he discovered it was nothing but a part of life.

The gates were giving in fast. The metal was nearly in scraps, and Alex had to put all of his power into keeping them together. He was too small, too weak with his level two to do this, but he still tried. He had no idea how long he could last like this. His muscles were wrecked by spasms, especially in his wounded hand, and much to his horror he expected the bone to crack again at any moment.

But he couldn't let go. He heard the platform working, and if it fell from such height, everyone would most likely die, humans and hybrids alike! They were his family, and he couldn't let some bloody machine harm them.

The exhaustion had only one good side to it: it didn't let him concentrate on his inevitable death. His word shrunk to one thought only: he must hold the gates! And then hope this thing would kill him in one blow, and he wouldn't feel anything… and he'd never know if his friends made it or not.

His energy was ending. He closed his eyes, trying to regain control over his numb muscles. Just a little more… a bit longer…

Suddenly the strain weakened. If it disappeared altogether, Alex would think that he was dead. But the locks were still creaking under the robot's power, and yet keeping the gates closed became much easier.

He saw the reason for it when he opened his eyes. He wasn't alone anymore.

Immanuel Cuyo stood right next to them, holding those damn gates. The best warrior of the White Team didn't look so good: his uniform was dirty and torn, and his once white jacked was marred with blood leaking from his wounded shoulder.

"Cuyo?" Alex asked in astonishment. "Where did you come from? Weren't you with the first team?"

"Hold the door! I didn't join either of the teams."

"Why?"

"When everyone panicked, I saw that Arriz remained calm," he clarified. "Then he said something to you and Norman, and you started the evacuation talks. I understood that he knew what was going on here! So when he and the twins headed for the tunnel, I went after them. But I encountered a robot on my way there. I managed to get away, but you can see at what price. I thought about catching up to Arriz, but then decided my help might be needed here."

"How did you know where we are?"

"Not like there were many options!" Cuyo chuckled. "There's a small stairway leading here from the headmistress's office. I discovered it when I was studying the layout of the base. I wouldn't help Arriz anyway, there are stronger warriors by his side now."

"You mean Light and Dark?"

"And Karajo. That's her idea of fun, do you think she'd miss it? I wanted to help Arriz and watch her at the same time. But, as you can see, I couldn't do that."

"You still didn't say how you found me!"

"Intuition!"

It was a poor argument, Cuyo was obviously hiding something. But it wasn't the right time to insist on the truth.

They were both trapped here. Alex was weak, and Cuyo was wounded, which lessened his power sufficiently.

"Do you realize we're both dead once this thing breaks through?" Alex asked gloomily.

"Well, we'll try to fight it, but you're probably right."

"You're amazingly calm for someone who's doomed!"

"I wouldn't be so pessimistic about it. If Arriz manages to find the thing that's controlling the robots, we might still make it in one piece."

"Do you really believe in him?"

"Mostly in Karajo," Cuyo admitted. "But I haven't figured Arriz out yet, which means he's strong."

None of this actually counted. Their only option now was holding the gates and hoping for a miracle.