The Seeker spun again as Aileena tried to shake the lock from the second missile.
“Just give them a fright, pin them down. We don’t want to make any unnecessary enemies.” Aileena had turned the Seeker on the spot, relying on its side-mounted engines for lift. She fired the main engines, normally designed to break orbit, quickly reversing the direction they were travelling. It was a move she had learnt from Brekt, the other mercenary pulling the trick to save them from an angry gangster.
The missile was coming right at them now, and quickly, the impressive acceleration from the Seeker closing the gap. Aileena waited, her hands ready on the controls, her six eyes narrowing as she stared down the ordinance.
“Uh, Aileena, it’s right there,” Michael said.
“I know! Just one more moment.”
She slammed the controls to the right, allowing the upward thrust from the engines to fall away as she did. The Seeker turned on its side and fell, the heavy ship dropping quickly. The missile screamed past, unable to adjust its course in time. The belly gun fired another series of short scattered shots, and the second missile exploded harmlessly away from the ship.
Aileena turned the controls, shifting the ship back to a level plane. The engines roared in defiance, working hard to keep the Seeker aloft.
“I’ve got a bead on them. Looks like four people on the top of the tower block over there.” Brekt flicked a switch on the console before him. “Time to give them a scare.”
The main turret atop the Seeker, a much larger and more impressive weapon than the belly guns, fired. A single beam of purple light, one that seemed to be both impossibly dark yet transcendently glowing, fired from the single barrel of the turret. It didn’t hit the building, instead, it flew across the top, a warning shot intended to frighten rather than hurt.
The excitement of being attacked fading, Michael noticed the state of the city for the first time. It was a nightmare. Buildings had been destroyed, several still burning, whilst the roads had been churned up from constant fighting. There were flashes of light everywhere, weapons fire being exchanged in streets and alleys.
“Our friends are running,” Brekt said. He had brought up a hologram before him, sensor readings of the tower. It looked like a thermal image. Several glowing figures, one carrying a large tube over its shoulder, were running down the floors of the building. “Don’t think they’re troopers. They would have had a two-man team and been quick enough to fire a third shot.”
Aileena had slowed the Seeker, hovering it close to a nearby tower, hugging the alien building for cover. She too was peering through the glass, watching the city below.
“What in the Rhythm’s name is that?” Aileena tapped at the console, switching the sensor image away from the tower. The thermal imaging faded, swapping to a more normal-looking camera feed.
It settled on a strange machine, striding forward confidently as people ran from it. It had four blade-like legs attached to a central point. From beneath that, a curved body dangled, a single red glowing eye attached to it. Thin arms hung from the side of the body of the thing, metallic fingers interlocking as it walked. It towered over the people fleeing from it, the tips of its insect-like legs nearly two stories high. The sinister eye flashed and a pulse of red light burst forth. It struck one of the fleeing people, leaving only a cloud of ash.
“That,” Mellok said. “Is a collector. A drone belonging to the Unmind Index. We need to leave. Now. This world is doomed.”
“What in the hell is an Unmind Index?” Michael could feel the gel retreating, slithering back behind him now its job was done.
“Trouble,” Aileena said, somewhat unhelpfully. “Really bad news.”
“Super clear. Thanks. Helpful.”
“Look, you don’t want to know more than that. Trust me on this.”
“Aileena is right,” Brekt said. “The Unmind is something else.”
“Look. If I’m going to keep tooling around the galaxy with you lot, you can’t shield me from the crap. I might be naive about the galaxy, but I’m not a child.”
“You know what, fine.” Aileena tossed up her hands. She stood up from her seat, the gel retracting enough to allow her to unclip the harness. She stomped up the ramp that separated the lower piloting level from the rest of the control room. Aileena stopped, placing her hands on the console before Michael. “The Unmind Index is a nightmare. It’s not a species. It’s not an empire, or kingdom, or anything else. It’s a machine. One designed to index all life in the galaxy.”
“Doesn’t seem so bad.”
“No-one knows what indexing means. Some people get taken away. Everyone else is unnecessary. If you’re lucky it will kill you. If you’re unlucky, then you’ll get taken prisoner and melted down into the nutrient slurry the Unmind uses in its bio-circuitry.”
“Oh.”
“Oh exactly. Honestly, I’ve only ever heard stories. Tales passed down across mercenary bars the galaxy over. Can’t say I’ve ever met someone who has come across them in person. They’re a kind of universal boogieman. Normally they take maybe a system or two a year.”
“I was fortunate,” Mellok said. “They were moving on when I arrived. I was looking for a lost scroll on a jungle world, one outside of Council space. My ship hid in a cave until they left. I suggest we leave before something similar becomes necessary.”
The Seeker shook, the alarm starting up again. Aileena stumbled, struggling to keep her footing as the ship spun in the air. Brekt swapped the ship controls to his console, fighting against the spiralling ship.
“We’ve been hit. Rhythm knows by what though.” Brekt managed to get control of the ship, bringing the spinning to a stop. He began to swing the ship from side to side, anticipating more incoming fire.
“By that!” Michael pointed at the glass. Clinging to the tower block next to them was a collector, the drone clambering up the building by jamming its legs into the concrete. Its eye shimmered as it prepared to fire again.
It didn’t get the chance. A missile slammed into the side of the machine and it exploded, splattering the side of the building with a thick red gloop. The shattered metal tumbled to the street below. The missile had been launched from the tower that had targeted the Seeker, their attackers now their saviours. There was a bright glow from one of the windows, the tell-tale throbbing light of a flare.
“Looks like we’re being signalled,” Mellok said. “What should we do?”
“I mean, we can’t leave because of the ships above, and staying here seems a stupid idea on account of the bloody spider robots that want to kill us. Maybe saying hello to the people with the missiles isn’t a stupid idea,” Michael said.
The ramp clomped as it struck the roof of the building, the airlock hissing as it opened in response. Aileena stepped out first, a rifle tucked in her arms. Brekt followed, choosing to hold a weapon in each hand. Michael had his sidearm, whilst Mellok had refused a weapon entirely. It seemed like a miracle the Cortican had survived up until now at all. Every time he spoke about his journey to find Michael, it seemed more and more dangerous.
Stood opposite them were four aliens, each with bright orange skin and long elongated heads. Their clothing was torn, rags tied in places just to keep sleeves attached or trousers held up. There was a weariness in their eyes.
“Apologies,” said the one carrying the missile launcher over their shoulder. He put the weapon down and leant his elbow on it. “We thought you were another ship bringing more collectors to the surface. You should have perhaps turned on your identity beacon.”
“Maybe we should,” Aileena said. Her tone was full of sarcasm. She wasn’t impressed by the people before her. “Maybe you should check your targets. You’re not troopers.”