Chapter 11

“Knowing where the trap is—that’s the first step in evading it.”

― Frank Herbert, Dune

It was early twilight as they ran towards the square. Most students had already left, most going home for the University vacation.

“I am going to try to use my Gazronnaas detection spell,” said Jason running alongside Annjus. Her running style was effortless, relaxed, and easy. Her lithe body was a joy to watch. He watched her muscles rippling under the close-fitting clothing she enjoyed wearing.

Annjus nodded in reply.

Jason cast ahead of them.

Hundreds and hundreds of shadowy forms appeared in front of them.

“There are hundreds of them waiting in ambush for us!” Sophie exclaimed. “I can’t get through to the ship above. Crap, all communication is blocked, even telepathy!

“Turn left and let’s try and up the pace.”

Jason cast ahead of them. He exposed a sea of Gazronnaas in armor.

Annjus cast to the other side as Jason cast behind them.

“We are surrounded and greatly outnumbered,” said Annjus, “and we are blocked from getting back to the hospital.”

“I can communicate on the Azloc channel. I’m calling them in. They are five minutes out. I am giving them targeting information and I asked them to send it on to our waiting frigate. They can hit the shield where the Gazronnaas are clustered,” Jason informed the group.

Above the Gazronnaas positions the frigate cannon impacted on the shield. The shield flared briefly but barely flickered.

“Let’s try and get through straight ahead. There are fewer of them there. We have no cover here and we can’t risk being trapped in one of the buildings,” said Sophie.

“Annjus hold onto my hand. Whatever I do, don’t panic. Let us try and clear the way ahead.”

Annjus looked at Jason and nodded.

Jason and Annjus both tried to cast. There was little magic around. Jason looked towards the Gazronnaas ahead of them. They had several magic siphons pulling in magic.

“They are stealing our power!” Annjus shouted. “I can’t do a damn thing.”

Around them the soldiers’ shields flared and after a series of sucking noises began to fall. As they ran the troops were shooting their assault rifles and grenades, but the enemy shields were holding.

Jason managed to collect enough magic to cast the spell to switch off Gazronnaas equipment. The shield fell, the siphons stopped working and the Gazronnaas cloaks failed.

The guards near Jason cheered. The Gazronnaas began to fall far faster than the troops nearby. They were closing with the Gazronnaas quickly.

[“Fools ... Switch on equipment ... Shoot!”]

“While you have the chance, turn invisible, Annjus,” Jason instructed her in the hearing of Sophie.

“Good luck Jason, good luck Annjus,” said Sophie.

Annjus disappeared.

Sophie rallied her remaining troops as they broke through the line of the Gazronnaas.

“Annjus we are now going to go underground, and I’m going to try to take you beyond the line of the Gazronnaas soldiers.”

Jason pulled Annjus down and then behind him as he moved beneath the ground. He did not want to go deep enough to break through into the caverns below. He had no sense of distance, but after several minutes he began to move cautiously to the surface.

“Where are we, Jason?”

“I headed for the periphery of the University. We are one or two streets away. Cast again to keep yourself invisible. I am going to cast to see if I can see any Gazronnaas.”

Jason cast ahead and behind them.

They were everywhere.

“There must be thousands of them on campus,” said Jason. “Keep the invisibility going.”

“I can’t see the shields. The’ve done something different!” Annjus exclaimed while whispering. “There are troops on both sides of us. They are not aware of us; they are heading towards the fighting.”

“Keep holding onto my hand, Annjus, I am going to try and get away from them.”

Jason moved downwards, once more, towing Annjus.

Jason struggled to move through the rock. He relentlessly continued forwards and broke into a tunnel.

The tunnel was dimly lighted. The walls and floor were smooth and covered with a whitish concrete colored substance.

“I wonder where the hell we are?” Annjus asked continuing to whisper. “I can hear running feet ahead, lean as far as you can into the sidewall behind that reinforcing strut, and renew your invisibility!”

Jason did as Annjus suggested, leaned back, and molded his body along the wall of the tunnel.

The sound of boots crunching on the tunnel floor got louder and closer. Twenty heavily armed uncloaked Gazronnaas ran past them.

The sounds diminished in the distance.

“Let’s walk in the opposite direction. I want to see where this tunnel leads,” said Jason.

Annjus looked towards him. “Is the potential benefit worth the risk?”

“Yes, if we can find their base.”

“Dammit Jason, you are the Emperor, you don’t need to do this shit! But I agree, we are here, let’s do it. We will be no safer on the surface!”

“Jason let’s cast a wall of silence around us, we don’t need someone to hear us.”

They walked silently 500 yards along the tunnel. The tunnel gently sloped downwards.

They entered a large cavern filled with structures machinery and equipment. There were Gazronnaas soldiers in small groups moving boxes, large machines erecting structures, or moving heavy equipment.

“This is it! This is a massive base. They could house tens of thousands of troops here. Do you want to look around Jason or should we head for the surface?”

Jason grabbed Annjus’s hand and pulled her back into the tunnel and then through the wall and directly upwards. It was very hard going. Jason thought it might be due to the Gazronnaas defenses.

They broke through to the surface and found themselves in a pitch-black room.

Jason cast a light and looked around at stasis racks containing boxes with Uzliumbax labels, extending into the distance.

“Why did you suddenly pull me into the wall?” Annjus asked.

“I was beginning to be able to see you. I didn’t want to take a chance we would be spotted.” Jason explained as he walked to look more closely at the nearest box.

“The stuff in the racks is medical equipment, we must be in the basement storage area of the hospital where we rebuilt the Uzliumbax bodies and did rehabilitation.”

Jason was still for several minutes.

“Our troops are deploying into the University. I informed the Azloc where we are and what is below us.

“My left shoulder is feeling numb. Annjus could you have a look and see if you can see anything?”

Annjus cast a brighter light, helped Jason pull off his shirt and carefully examined Jason’s shoulder.

“I can see a puncture wound at the back of your shoulder. It is turning black at the entry point. The skin around it is swollen and a fiery red.”

Annjus stepped back and looked at both shoulders from behind.

“Your left shoulder is hugely swollen compared to the right shoulder and the color is different. Either you were hit by a very different weapon or they deliberately use some kind of dart gun.

“How are you feeling?”

“I am beginning to sweat, and I have a low-grade headache,” Jason answered.

“As I began to pull you towards the tunnel, I felt something thumped me from behind. There was a sharp sting. I wonder if one of the Gazronnaas saw me and shot me.”

“Jason, I can feel the vibrations in the floor. Maybe that thing is some sort of locator beacon?”

“You could be right. Try and cast that Gazronnaas switch off thing at my arm and do the same below. My headache is ramping up and I feel fuzzy.”

Annjus did as Jason requested.

“That worked temporarily at least,” said Jason, “I remember vaguely some sort of spell to remove foreign objects. I can’t think of it with my head as it is!”

“I have access to it on the Norbut 19 crystal. Hang on a second” – Annjus moved her hand to touch Jason’s – “I am casting, but I am struggling to get enough power. One of those siphon things is pulling the power.”

Jason moved his right arm and brought out the cube. It converted itself in its usual dramatic fashion to a shining orb. Jason tried to concentrate to be able communicate with the orb; his thoughts were fuzzy and his tongue hard to control. When he spoke he slurred his words and spoke slowly so he could be understood.

“I am struggling to concentrate to speak to the damn thing telepathically, my tongue is out of control.”

“Jason, hurry I can feel the vibrations starting, I don’t have the power to switch it off, and they are not far away from us!”

Jason looked at the orb through blurred eyes. He could hardly stand on his feet. His left side was feeling increasingly numb, his thoughts were jumbled.

“Shall I try to move you?” Annjus asked.

Jason didn’t answer, he was concentrating.

The orb began to flash red. Power first from one stream, then from several began to flow into the orb.

“That is very interesting Jason, I couldn’t access the power, the orb can, and it has found a thick trunk. It looks like it is growing. What did you ask it to do?”

“Defend and heal me!

“Arm burning.”

Jason sank to his knees.

“So tired, weak, sick.”

A red beam struck Jason’s left shoulder from the orb. The orb flashed yellow and began to grow as it recruited further energy streams.

Above them there were several heavy concussions. Dust fell on them from above. There were the concussions of heavy cannon by grenades and more cannon fire. Azloc transported into the room as two drills broke through from below.

The doors opened on the drills. The Azloc fired into the drills, but steadily they began to fall.

The orb flashed green; the first drill exploded. The second drill exploded seconds later. Green beams of power shot out of the orb. All was quiet until the door burst open and Azloc flooded into the basement.

The orb returned to the cube and returned to transdim space.

Jason lay on the floor in the dusty warehouse, unconscious, with Annjus holding his hand and in tears.

The Azloc gently lifted Jason and carried him up the stairs with Annjus following surrounded by Azloc.

Annjus couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw through the smoke and her watering eyes. The hospital was devastated. Walls were cracked, and blocks of masonry from the floor above were scattered throughout the passages as far as she could see ahead. There were scorch marks and damage on almost every wall, and equipment was scattered everywhere. They had to carefully walk around holes blasted into the floor. Outside, troops, tanks and gunships were everywhere. Fighters were hovering nearby.

Annjus followed the Azloc into a medical gunship. They were accompanied by frigates above, fighters, gunships and tanks around them. As they took off, Annjus looked back. One third of the huge hospital looked as though it had been through a long war. Seconds later they passed over the University, it was severely damaged; the damage extended over a wide area.

The trip to the city hospital was over almost before it started.

Medics rushed to the gunship, then carried Jason out of the gunship and directly through a portal with Annjus close behind.

“Can anyone tell me what happened?” The Doctor asked.

Annjus turned to him with bleary eyes and explained what had happened.

The Doctor thanked her and said he would return once he had evaluated Jason’s status.

Ten minutes later he returned.

“The situation is grim. The area of damage continues to grow, we have backed up his brain in anticipation of a rebuild. We have asked one of the senior doctors from the other universe to consult on his case. We have several hundred scattered through our hospitals, with many more to follow.”