In Plain Sight

[Ethan Neufeld 0]

As the smoke of the laser impacts cleared and the smells of burned metal and atmosphere lifted away, two drones lied dormant on the ground. Their attempt to carry off Ethan had failed. Five drones, the culprits who had swept in from the horizon and opened fire on the errant machines, were now closing in on Ethan's position. Their laser fire had ceased; they either did not notice or chose to ignore the lone modified drone that was making its escape back to the port city, having never received even a glancing blow (from the five).

 

One of the five sentries continued past Ethan toward the second fallen drone. Three spread out to patrol the area, their sensor tentacles waving all around them and still failing to acknowledge either the Qob team or the escaping drone. The fifth stopped directly beside Ethan, just beginning to wake up from his stunned condition. The telltale hum of whatever enginery allowed the machines to hover two feet above the ground gave them away to Ethan even as he fought to regain his senses.

 

The initial disorientation was fierce. Laying face down where the abducting drones had dropped him and having sunk a few centimeters into the saturated claylike topsoil, the memory of being shot finally stirred him with an instinctive gasp. It hit him all at once; the ache of being knocked cold and the chill of the rain and mud as it soaked into his clothing and sapped his warmth. Then he clearly heard the rain, pounding rhythmically around him; recalled why the sound of the drones signaled danger to him, that he was on Zoalus and what he was doing there. The only thing missing was what had happened after he’d been shot. What had they done to him? How much time had passed? Gingerly and still groggy, he propped up on his forearms, lifted his head and chest a little from the ground and quietly spat the mud from his mouth.

 

Suddenly there was a voice nearby and Pher’s soft warning, no louder than the rain to him, came as a surprise. He glanced in her direction, barely able to make out her figure as she hid in the brush within arm’s reach. He hadn’t expected her to come to his aid and not with the drones so close to him. Even as she hushed him, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was genuinely worried for more than herself. Wiping the rest of the mud from his lips, he slowly turned his head to the sound of the nearest drone.

 

The drone's tentacles bent slightly underneath its body as it lowered itself not beside Ethan but beside the fallen drone. Several panels on the hovering machine's ovoid body lit up as its sensor tentacle, pointed directly at the still drone, shuddered. Another tentacle emitted a rapid series of beeps. In one smooth motion, the tentacles all spread apart and then wrapped around the drone's fallen form, lifting it up like a spindly hand of metal. This same interplay was taking place fifteen yards away, the second of the fallen drones being first regarded then lifted.

 

In this case, however, there was a snag - literally. Though the drone was inactive, the hook emerging from one of its tentacles was still caught on Ethan's garrison belt. Several times, drone pulled at drone pulled at Ethan, tugging futilely and managing only to drag Ethan a few more inches along the ground. The lifting drone stopped and released its sensor tentacle from the grasp to again wave at Ethan's position. He tensed, expecting to be stunned again or worse.

 

But nothing immediately happened. The tentacle waved fruitlessly; Ethan’s brow furrowed as he began to grasp that this drone couldn’t see him and was confused. Eyes fixed on the drone, he warily maneuvered a hand down his side. Not desiring to be dragged further and feeling for the hook, he worked it free from his belt, careful not to shake machine to which it was attached.

 

Unaware of Ethan’s movements and unable to determine what was fixing the hook in place, the sentry settled on the only solution available aside from abandoning its cargo - it freed a second tentacle and fired a thin laser beam. Realizing its intentions, Ethan winced and was forced to turn away as the slope of the beam brought it within millimeters of his neck, scorching the earth and sending hot steam into his face. Neatly severed, the tentacle sparked once and flopped on the ground beside him. Then, as one, all five drones turned back to the horizon and departed the scene, two of them with their damaged quarry.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Ethan Neufeld