Self-reason gave way to claustrophobia’s anxieties as sweat poured from his brow. He then threw all his weight into the door, desperately trying to jar it open. To no avail, the solid metal door only laughed back in the form of bone jarring pain.
Panic stricken, he began yelling, “Lexis! I need your help!” And before his mind could register what had just happened, the door unexpectedly swung open, causing a dumbfounded expression to sit on his face.
“We need to get off the ship immediately, Jason.” Lexis stood there covered in blood.
Jason shockingly looked at the gruesome mess she was covered in and asked, “What happened?”
“I neutralized Captain Asaph Hull and his two man crew.”
“Why would you do that, Lexis?”
“They were planning on liquidating you and flushing your body out the air lock.”
“Why do you think they were going to kill me?”
Lexis began mouthing a recorded transmission she had intercepted, “BJORN HAS BECOME A LIABILITY…HE HAS NO MORE USE TO THE CAUSE…TERMINATE HIM IMMEDIATELY AND GET RID OF THE BODY.” Disguised by a voice modulator, the deep husky voice was unrecognizable.
“MASTER PALADIN, THIS KIND OF WET WORK IS OUTSIDE OF MY SCOPE.” Captain Asaph Hull’s voice was easily distinguishable over the few ticks and squelches.
“THEN SEND A CREW MEMBER TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK BUT, CAPTAIN, HE BETTER NOT BE ON THAT TRANSPORT WHEN YOU LAND. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”
“I AM NOT SURE I CAN DO IT, MASTER PALADIN.”
“I WILL HAVE A CREW WAITING FOR YOU ON ARRIVAL AND IF BJORN IS NOT DEAD AND GONE, THEY WILL HAVE ORDERS TO LIQUIDATE EVERY SOUL ON THAT TRANSPORT, INCLUDING YOU, CAPTAIN.” Lexis’s transmission ended and Jason would not have believed it unless he had heard the recorded message for himself.
“Things are spiraling way out of control here, Lexis.”
“Yes, despite the circumstances, we must survive,” she said.
“We could try escaping in a Pod and take our chances.” Jason thought maybe they could escape to one of Mars’s moons.
“They will be waiting for us no matter our end point.” Lexis logically spoke.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” Jason exclaimed.
He was at his wit’s end when Lexis spoke. “I have a plan, Jason.”
“You always have a plan, that’s why I love you.”
With a twinkle in her eye she flirtatiously spoke. “That’s the only reason?” She paused, and then posted her hands on her waist before saying, “I’m going to tease the horn dog out of you eventually, Jason.”
Remembering their sensual twists, he blushingly replied, “Despite the disastrous circumstances, your wit and charm still accompany your beauty, Lexis.” Although he had strong feelings for Lexis, he could not get the idea that sleeping with a Synthetic was somehow wrong. He continued. “Can we tease our way out of here first?”
“My pleasure, Jason.”
Jason looked on to her blood-covered body, and based on the inappropriate timing of her coming on to him, he thought, “There might be glitch in her programing.” However, the Technician at SYNTECH did warn him that combining Freewill and Combat Programming into a Synthetic’s sophisticated neural network, was a dangerous combination.
They hastily bypassed the Captain’s bridge, where moments ago Lexis had shot Captain Asaph Hull point blank, killing him instantly; also, she terminated his Synthetic Co-pilot without pause. Next they entered the passenger compartment where Lexis ended the life of the Crew Person.
“I don’t think he’ll be rolling his eyes at anyone anymore,” said Jason after nearly slipping on the oozing blood coming out of the contorted body.
In a cadaverous stare, the Crew Person gawked up expressionlessly, almost
Panic stricken, he began yelling, “Lexis! I need your help!” And before his mind could register what had just happened, the door unexpectedly swung open, causing a dumbfounded expression to sit on his face.
“We need to get off the ship immediately, Jason.” Lexis stood there covered in blood.
Jason shockingly looked at the gruesome mess she was covered in and asked, “What happened?”
“I neutralized Captain Asaph Hull and his two man crew.”
“Why would you do that, Lexis?”
“They were planning on liquidating you and flushing your body out the air lock.”
“Why do you think they were going to kill me?”
Lexis began mouthing a recorded transmission she had intercepted, “BJORN HAS BECOME A LIABILITY…HE HAS NO MORE USE TO THE CAUSE…TERMINATE HIM IMMEDIATELY AND GET RID OF THE BODY.” Disguised by a voice modulator, the deep husky voice was unrecognizable.
“MASTER PALADIN, THIS KIND OF WET WORK IS OUTSIDE OF MY SCOPE.” Captain Asaph Hull’s voice was easily distinguishable over the few ticks and squelches.
“THEN SEND A CREW MEMBER TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK BUT, CAPTAIN, HE BETTER NOT BE ON THAT TRANSPORT WHEN YOU LAND. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”
“I AM NOT SURE I CAN DO IT, MASTER PALADIN.”
“I WILL HAVE A CREW WAITING FOR YOU ON ARRIVAL AND IF BJORN IS NOT DEAD AND GONE, THEY WILL HAVE ORDERS TO LIQUIDATE EVERY SOUL ON THAT TRANSPORT, INCLUDING YOU, CAPTAIN.” Lexis’s transmission ended and Jason would not have believed it unless he had heard the recorded message for himself.
“Things are spiraling way out of control here, Lexis.”
“Yes, despite the circumstances, we must survive,” she said.
“We could try escaping in a Pod and take our chances.” Jason thought maybe they could escape to one of Mars’s moons.
“They will be waiting for us no matter our end point.” Lexis logically spoke.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” Jason exclaimed.
He was at his wit’s end when Lexis spoke. “I have a plan, Jason.”
“You always have a plan, that’s why I love you.”
With a twinkle in her eye she flirtatiously spoke. “That’s the only reason?” She paused, and then posted her hands on her waist before saying, “I’m going to tease the horn dog out of you eventually, Jason.”
Remembering their sensual twists, he blushingly replied, “Despite the disastrous circumstances, your wit and charm still accompany your beauty, Lexis.” Although he had strong feelings for Lexis, he could not get the idea that sleeping with a Synthetic was somehow wrong. He continued. “Can we tease our way out of here first?”
“My pleasure, Jason.”
Jason looked on to her blood-covered body, and based on the inappropriate timing of her coming on to him, he thought, “There might be glitch in her programing.” However, the Technician at SYNTECH did warn him that combining Freewill and Combat Programming into a Synthetic’s sophisticated neural network, was a dangerous combination.
They hastily bypassed the Captain’s bridge, where moments ago Lexis had shot Captain Asaph Hull point blank, killing him instantly; also, she terminated his Synthetic Co-pilot without pause. Next they entered the passenger compartment where Lexis ended the life of the Crew Person.
“I don’t think he’ll be rolling his eyes at anyone anymore,” said Jason after nearly slipping on the oozing blood coming out of the contorted body.
In a cadaverous stare, the Crew Person gawked up expressionlessly, almost
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