Fighting Back (10.4)

"Have you figured out how we can break her?" Nine asked the center woman, as he walked into the room.

"It's just a phase Earth children go through at adolescence. They think they have acquired knowledge and become confident and arrogant. If her confidence is broken, the rest of her will break as well."

"I don't think that particular course of action will work. We couldn't break her when she didn't have this confidence. I think it's time to do things the hard way," Nine replied.

"You mean you won't break her?" the woman asked.

"It's strange, but I don't think she can be broken. It's almost as if someone else has control of her life."

#

A large group of Aruk guards escorted Rivi out of the cell later that day. Rivi looked around, confused as to why so many guards would be sent to retrieve her. She was led into a small, rectangular room with a large window that went all the way down to the floor in one wall. The guards pushed her in and shut the door.

Well, here's a new one, Rivi said silently to herself, slightly worried.

She watched as the guards entered the room on the other side of the large window. More guards came in, escorting Ankh and Orlon with them. Rivi touched the cool glass, wondering what the Aruk had planned.

Nine came in and stood directly in front of Rivi, with the window between them.

"PS3-36-9G11, I'm sick and tired of having to deal with you, but I have no choice. Nevertheless, this will be the last time you will ever see your two Aunantet friends. Say goodbye, Rivinaig," Nine replied smoothly as he turned his back to her.

Rivi frowned. It was the first time any of the Aruk had called her by her name. She looked to Ankh, who was looking wide-eyed from Rivi to Nine. Both Ankh and Orlon struggled as they were marched out of the room. Her heart sank, as she digested the meaning of Nine's comment. She knew she was going to feel guilty for the rest of her life if the Aruk decided to kill Ankh and Orlon just to break her defiance. Rivi closed her eyes and rested her head on the glass. Every part of her hoped this was only a trick.

Suddenly, Rivi realized she was finding it harder to breathe. She looked around and noticed a vent at the top of the room. The oxygen was being sucked out of the small room. As it became harder and harder for her to breathe she panicked. Rivi tried the door latch even though she knew it would be pointless to do so. Rivi looked wide-eyed at the Aruk standing on the other side of the window. She struggled to stay calm, but soon she was too weak to do anything but sit down. She watched as the Aruk filed out of the other room, leaving her alone.

In a last ditch effort she placed a hand on the glass and a hand on the wall beside her. She struggled to phase through them like she would have done on Earth or Aun. It didn't work.

Of course, the transmorgrifiyers would have locked the atoms in the walls and glass in here as well.

Rivi gulped at the last little bit of oxygen. She couldn't see anything else that she could do to keep from being asphyxiated. She rested her head on the wall behind her, as dizziness started to overwhelm her. She fought to keep her eyes open and only concentrated on breathing.

Rivi's lungs ached. She knew the last bit of oxygen had been depleted from the room. She held her breath as long as she could, remembering sadly that she still hadn't been able to find Dan. She slumped down to the cool floor, feeling numb.

Suddenly, the door only two feet from her head opened, allowing oxygen to flood back into the room. Rivi felt the oxygen rush in to envelop her. She could breathe! She rolled over onto her back, drawing in as much air as she could, only to sit up and cough it back out again. Someone knelt and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I was afraid I'd gotten here too late," Dan said squeezing her shoulders.

Rivi turned around, still breathing heavily, and stared at Daniel, wide-eyed.

"A few seconds longer and you would have!" Rivi exclaimed, gaping at him.

Dan smiled at her, relieved.

"Here," he said, as he placed his hand on the side of her face.

Rivi felt the strength flow back into her oxygen-deprived muscles.

"Thanks," Rivi replied, as Dan removed his hand and steadied her as she stood.

"You're the only one I can seem to be able to do that to," Dan said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Come with me. I know where Ankh and Orlon are. We need to go get them," Dan continued as he led her down the many hallways in the Aruk complex.

"The Aruk named Nine told me that moment would be the last time I saw Ankh and Orlon." Rivi walked fast to keep, up with Dan.

"If we don't all get out of here soon, we will all be blown to bits," Dan said.

"What?" Rivi exclaimed, surprised.

"Here, I have to explain it to them, anyway," he said, opening the door into a room where Ankh and Orlon were sitting in chairs being interrogated by Nine and a few Aruk guards.

"You will tell us where the one you call Daniel is hiding!" Nine commanded.

"You are now called Nine, I suppose?" Dan asked glaring.

"How did you ... She ... Guards!" Nine exclaimed.

The Aruk on the other side of the room started to move, but Dan spoke.

"Stay where you are! I will be freeing my friends and taking them with me whether or not you cooperate. You have exactly fifteen minutes to exit this complex before becoming nothing but a crater on the surface of this moon. I have planted bombs inside the foundation of this complex. I've been among you, in secret, for the last three months, and no, your comp amalgamators wouldn't have noticed the bomb because it is not electronically-powered—merely a box of explosives and some braided fibers. You will not find the bombs. You now have fourteen minutes to leave this building. Just like those who wish to free themselves from their bullies or their dictators, the explosion that will destroy this facility cannot be stopped," Dan explained with an authoritative scowl.

He stepped forward, and taking one of both Ankh and Orlon's hands, he led them, along with Rivi, out through the halls and into the domed outer room of the Aruk base. Ankh took the cube from the sphere on the chain around his neck and expanded it. He stepped through, followed by Orlon.

Dan turned suddenly as Rivi yelled out. Nine had caught up with them and was holding a rope that he had managed to slip over her head and around her neck.

"Go, Dan. I'll be fine!" Rivi yelled at him, her voice cracking with the effort.

Reluctantly, Dan walked through the cube wall. The cube lifted into the air and passed through the roof of the domed room as if it were water. Nine yanked at the rope around Rivi's neck, spinning her around and causing the rope to unwind from her neck. Rivi knelt on the floor, touching her neck carefully. Nine took a step toward her, and Rivi stood to meet his challenge.

Suddenly, a form came hurtling out from behind some stacks of storage cubes, ramming into the Aruk. The form drove the Aruk over the side of an open cube and other cubes fell down on top of him. It would take a bit before Nine would get free of that pile.

Rivi smiled with surprise at Dan, who came running back to her. She took her own cube out of her necklace and expanded it. Rivi and Dan stepped through the side of the cube.

"That's twice you've helped me out of a sticky situation today. I know. Don't tell me: what are friends for, right?" Rivi said with a grateful smile, turning on the bracelet on her wrist, which then emitted a green light and lit up the cube.

"You got it," Dan replied with a grin, giving Rivi a playful push.

Rivi smiled and gave him a push back right before she caused the cube to lift into the air. Laughing, Dan placed a hand on the wall of the cube to regain his balance. As the cube cleared the building, Rivi changed it into a ship. Rivi's ship gradually began to descend toward Aun, following the speck she knew was Ankh's ship. Rivi watched as dozens of cubes fled from the complex, left and right, and then, there was a sudden explosion.

What had been the base was only a crater.

The Aruk were right. Freedom is a powerful idea. How long would it be until they came to the conclusion that perhaps it hadn't been wise for them to set themselves against it in the first place? Rivi thought.

The Aruk would have to start all over. Hopefully, the scoreboard would be evened out for at least a short time, giving the still missing children time to relocate. Rivi knew that no matter how long the calm lasted, the storm would eventually come. It would come with a force that would astonish all who were unprepared.

In her mind, Rivi knew she would be prepared. She looked over at Dan, sitting in a chair across from her. She then looked toward the ship descending in front of her and through Aun's atmosphere with Ankh and Orlon onboard.

Our Creator willing, we will all be prepared. We will fight against these Aruk—fight to maintain our freedom.