TIME : 11:10 A.M.
PLACE : The mayor's conference room
X was very disappointed with the way Unget, Hareen, and especially Pron were handling the situation. They spent most of their time arguing amongst themselves. So far they hadn't accomplished anything.
"I've never seen such a lack of leadership," scolded X. Pron retaliated, "We've evacuated the city. We're constantly searching for the bomb. What else do you want us to do?"
"Well you could give the search party some support," X suggested. "Let them know you're behind them. You could organize the search. Divide them into groups and have each group search a particular area. You'll find the bomb much faster that way. You could find out exactly where the Ruler wants. Need I go on?"
"The Ruler wants to rule the entire continent," replied Pron. "Jake and Lynn have flat out refused. The only thing we can do is find the bomb before the Ruler decides to use it."
"Then find it!" snapped X. "Look for it yourselves if necessary. It's better than sitting here wasting my time and yours."
"Someone has to stay here in case an emergency arises," argued Unget.
"They don't need all three of you," X reasoned. "If just one of you helps organize the search parties, it will make a big difference."
"This is where we belong," agreed Hareen. "We need to stay here in case something happens."
Suddenly Mac came running in.
"Brenna works for the Ruler," Mac gasped between breaths. "Linda and I were captured by her. She plans to lure Peter inside the city. I don't know all the details, but it's important to them that you and Peter are both in the city when the bomb goes off."
X stood up and looked at him. Even through the mask he wore Mac could see the horror in his eyes.
"How did you escape?" X asked.
"Hank rescued us," answered Mac. "Hank and Linda have gone after Peter."
"The Ruler knows we won't give into his demands," X said gravely. "He plans to use the bomb and destroy everything in the city, including us."
"Nonsense," declared Pron. "The Ruler won't use the bomb as long as he thinks he can get what he wants."
"How do you know?" X demanded accusingly. "I am what he wants. He wants me killed in the explosion. The only reason he hasn't done so already is because he also wants someone else."
X and Mac left to find the others.
"Wait! Come back! We need you!" shouted Pron, but the only thing he heard was the sound of his own voice.
TIME : 11:15 A.M.
PLACE : The beach
"We're almost there!" Drae called out to the others.
"If we do find the bomb, how are we going to get it?" wondered Detrina. "We don't have anything to dig with."
"Leave that to me," smiled Drae.
"Mac and Linda have been captured!" yelled Brenna running toward them as fast as she could. "They've been locked up in an old, worn down building. I'll show you where they are."
"Don't trust her," warned Drae.
Peter looked at her for a few seconds before returning to what he was doing.
"If you don't come soon, they'll be killed," pleaded Brenna.
"I've already rescued them!" shouted Hank from ever further. "Brenna led them into a trap. She's one of the Ruler's secret agents."
Brenna froze in her tracks. She didn't know whether to approach them or run away. It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. She fled to the city hoping to hide inside one of the many desert buildings. Hank ran after her.
"Help them find the bomb," he told Linda.
By the time she caught up with the others, they were up to their wastes in water. The waves kept knocking them off balance, but they continued to move deeper into the water. Finally they reached a spot where Drae's machine flashed and beeped constantly.
"This is the spot!" announced Drae.
There was a rumbling sound as the bomb came out of the ground, out of the water, and into Drae's hands. For something so small, the bomb was exceptionally heavy. Drae was struggling just to keep the bomb above the water.
"Let's find X," advised Peter. "He'll know how to deactivate it."
As they walked back toward shore they were met by dozens of Altair 7 soldiers.
"Get close to me," commanded Drae.
Drae made them invisible to the soldiers. They couldn't even see the water they displaced. Vondwin was furious.
"Show yourselves or I will detonate the bomb immediately," he threatened.
"He wouldn't detonate the bomb now," Peter whispered to the others. "He'd die in the explosion and he values life, at least his own life, too much to kill himself."
Vondwin was discouraged. They had called his bluff. There was only one thing left for him to do. As much as he hated it, he had to contact the Ruler.
"The M.W.G.D. officers have found the bomb," he reported. "We were about to attack, but they literally vanished."
"Leave the city at once," ordered the Ruler. "I will detonate the bomb as soon as you're out of the atmosphere."
"Stay here and guard the beach," Vondwin told the other soldiers. "If you see anything come out of the water, shoot to kill."
Vondwin ran to his ship leaving his own soldiers to perish in the explosion.
TIME : 11:17 A.M.
PLACE : Inside the city
Brenna was running as fast as she could go, but Hank was still gaining on her. Hank fired a shot that went sailing just over her head. Knowing she couldn't outrun him, she tried to elude him by running inside one of the buildings.
Hank entered the same building. At first he thought he had lost her, but then he hear her running up the stairs. Hank ran after her.
Hank was not only faster the Brenna, but also more physically active. Brenna was starting to tire. In desperation Brenna left the stairs and hid inside an empty room. Han knew what floor she was on, but had no idea what room she was in. Cautiously, he began searching one room at a time.
Brenna knew she would be found eventually and decided to gamble. When Hank had his back to her she came out of hiding and tried to fire at him, but Hank hit her first. She fell to the ground unconscious. Hank had done his part, but the bomb still needed to be deactivated. Hank carried Brenna over his shoulder to the beach.
TIME : 11:20 A.M.
PLACE : The beach
X and Mac saw the Altair 7 soldiers looking out at the water.
"Stay here!" warned X. "I'll take care of the guards."
X started firing into the center of the crowd. Some of the guards fired back, but their shots had no effect. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the guards fled for safety.
Drae and the others suddenly appeared in front of him. Drae handed him the bomb.
"You have to deactivate it," pleaded Drae. The Rulers going to activate it as soon as Vondwin leaves the atmosphere."
"We don't have enough time," X replied. "I'll have to take the bomb as far away from here as possible so when it explodes it won't hurt anybody."
"I can keep the bomb from exploding for a few seconds," explained Drae. "but it takes a tremendous amount of concentration."
"I'll need your help," agreed X. "Come on."
The two of them reached the XX2 in slightly over a minute. X placed the bomb in a special compartment as the two of them climbed into the ship. X wasted no time making preparations for take-off.
TIME : 11:23 A.M.
PLACE : Just outside Triax's atmosphere
"I have just left the atmosphere," reported Vondwin. "You can detonate the bomb at your convenience.
"Where are my soldiers?" demanded the Ruler.
"I left them on the beach to make sure Peter and the other M.W.G.D. officers are destroyed in the blast."
"You didn't need to leave all of them," roared the Ruler.
"Sometimes you leave your soldiers to die when you could rescue them," snapped Vondwin.
"That's because they're my soldiers," attacked the Ruler. "When you're in charge you can do what you want, until then you obey me. If you don't, I'll have to find a new second in command."
"Understood," sighed Vondwin.
Upset that he'd have to loose some of his best soldiers, the Ruler pushed the button to detonate the bomb.
Copyright MCMXCII, MCMXCIX
