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.I still hold all the cards."Mother fired her twelve main guns.The beams blossomed over the shields that protected the Paum's weapons.Still, Mother detected that the shield strength protecting the docking area fell by six percent.The Paum was vulnerable.Mother focused and directed more power to charging her hybrid weapon."My Destructors will be on your children in minutes.Then, it will be too late.""You better not make Mother mad,” Minstrel warned.Mother's processors burned with super-activity as she calculated her options.She had to keep the Paum talking, keep it distracted."I will spare your life, Paum, if you call back the Destructors now.""You overestimate your power,” the Paum sneered.“Besides, I've just sent the command to kill them all."* * * *KYLE GLANCED DOWN at the sensor in his left hand while he pointed his assault blaster with his right."They're coming."Inaha moved his huge body closer to Kyle while Qata hugged the opposite wall.In the dim light, they saw shadowy movement all around the entrance to the tunnel.Three assault blasters roared in unison.Flying debris from broken Destructors flew past their heads as the robots continued relentlessly onward in spite of the hail of fire.They could see—as if in a haze—the metallic monsters charging as one amid the flicking red light of their blasters.But though many of them shuddered and broke apart, even more leapt up and took their place."Back!” Kyle shouted.Inaha's blaster went silent as he began edging backwards.He threw it away, pulled up another and fired away.The three began a slow, steady retreat from before the almost seen enemy, firing volley after volley at the darkness and the movement that filled it."I can't see them!” Qata shouted."Neither can I.But they're coming.Retreat faster!” Kyle shouted back.He reached inside his shirt and pulled out the strobe device.Suddenly, the blaster in Qata's hand was slapped away by an invisible talon from above.The Iraxx turned and ran."Go!” Kyle shouted to Inaha as he aimed his blaster and fired, first at the ceiling and then at the mass of shadowy forms scurrying towards him.But the big alien stood his ground beside Kyle as both continued stepping backward at a slow and steady pace, firing their blasters non-stop.Inaha would not leave his human friend to face the monsters alone.Kyle and Inaha kept up a steady fire, the assault blasters rocking their upper bodies.They aimed and fired at anything that moved, even movements that were half-seen, half-felt.Still, they could only see the Destructors when their bolts found their mark and a broken part fell useless to the floor.And yet, they could hear the Destructors drawing closer with each passing second."Cover your eyes, Inaha!” Kyle shouted as he continued firing, while with his free hand he activated the timer on the strobe device.But still he held onto it.Suddenly, they heard Qata cry out behind them.With a certain dread, Kyle and Inaha knew Qata was gone.And that Destructors were behind them as well.* * * *MOTHER FIRED ALL her guns simultaneously, targeting one of the tractor beams that held her fast.As the explosions ripped into the shields, she felt the beam falter.She sent a signal to her engines, and they roared to life.But she only moved a few centimeters before the other tractor beams increased their power and stopped her."See, you are—” the Paum began.Mother now launched a full spread of torpedoes at point-blank range while she fired her guns again.Huge chunks of metal and debris exploded out in all directions as the shields failed under the dual attack.Again, Mother revved her engines.This time she moved a few meters more.And once again the other three tractor beams increased their power and held her fast in their invisible grip.Mother checked her hybrid-weapon— almost fully charged.".still in my power,” the AI finished as the sound of the explosions died away.“I am invincible.""Seems like I've heard that term used before,” Minstrel chimed.“And every time, it was proved untrue." The Paum's electronic laughter echoed over the speakers [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]