Time Bomb

Chapter 07

by Richard Ryley

Gooseman stared at the jumble of wires and oddly shaped metal components. Studying it for a moment, he finally picked out two wires, and started to twist them together with a couple of wires from another component.

"That won't work at all, Ranger Gooseman," Buzzwang told him. "You have the polarity reversed." He gestured with his left hand, indicating the proper two wires.

The android was sitting on the floor next to the makeshift contraption, his right arm limp at his side, and a panel on his chest open. The radio that had been embedded in his wrist now rested on top of the pile of electrical parts, a couple of cables running from it to a panel on the wall, where Goose had hooked it into a small box next to the power lines that ran to the lights in the cell.

"I'm not sure I want to risk this, Buzzwang. If I have this wired up wrong, we could damage your components. I'm not sure I want to take you apart if I can't be sure I can put you back together again."

"We can't generate enough power to counteract the frequency of the force field without one of the power supplies from my body. I will have to be shut down for you to remove it. But, I have confidence in you, Ranger Gooseman. I was able to guide you this far, and you will be able to take it from here on your own."

Gooseman stared at him for a moment, then nodded. He looked up at Daisy. "Anything?"

"The guards are busy with their card game," Daisy stated, watching them from her position next to the force field. "I don't think they care what we're doo'n."

She chuckled. "It's a good thin' I'm no' in charge any more. I'd skin 'em alive fer being tha' careless. Especially since Dog-face has already goofed up twice today."

"Right now, I'm glad Macross isn't as strict a leader," Goose said. "Okay, Buzz, I think I've got it. Go ahead and shut down."

Buzzwang settled into a comfortable position, and then slumped over. Goose opened up another panel on his back, then reached in and pulled a large, square box out of the android. He hooked a couple of cables from his device up to terminals on top of it. There was a low hum as the contraption powered up, but nothing else happened.

"There's not enough power..." Goose muttered, frowning. He made an adjustment to a few of the connections, but the force field still remained unchanged. As he stared at the device, a commotion suddenly began outside the cell. Something crashed to the floor, and loud shouting began from the guard room.

"We've got trouble!" Daisy hissed. "One o' the boys jus' caught the other cheatin'!"

Goose turned to look, and as the little dog man ducked a thrown chair, he suddenly spotted Daisy watching them. At that moment, there was a crackle of energy from the device, and the force field began to flicker. Goose tried to shut it down, but it was too late. Both guards were charging down the hall towards them, and although bright flashes of light began to play across the surface of the force field, it was still solid.

"Aw, HELL!" Goose growled. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed the two power cables from the wall and pulled them loose, ignoring the sparks. He then jammed the cables against the terminals on the power supply. The force field flickered and faded out, while the makeshift device spit out a shower of sparks. All of the lights in the cell block went out, and Daisy and Zozo leaped into the hallway.

As the first of the guards reached him, Zozo grabbed him by the shirt, flipping onto his back as he threw the lumbering gang member into the cell. He slammed into Gooseman, who was thrown back into the open panel, and both men were caught in a discharge of electrical energy. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Goose threw himself away from the panel, dragging the gang member with him.

Daisy, meanwhile, reached down to her belt, and with a snapping action, freed a long, slender line that was hidden in it. Swinging it around her head like a lariat, and she threw it at the dog-like gang member, snagging his rifle. The whip line immediately retracted back into Daisy's belt, pulling the weapon right to her hand.

Daisy opened fire on the little alien, grazing his leg as he turned to head back for the guard room. He stumbled, but kept going, obviously to sound the alarm. Just before he reached the door, however, a second laser blast caught him, and he hit the floor.

Gooseman lowered the other guard's rifle. He looked down at the fellow, still laying unconscious next to him. "Good shootin'," Daisy told him, giving him a thumbs up, but Goose frowned.

"I only hope I didn't do too much damage to Buzzwang. At least his device seems to have successfully shut off the alarms, but it didn't have enough power to kill the force field. I had to use the raw power right from the wall."

Daisy helped as he wired the last of the components back into Buzzwang's body. The android sat up, looking around. Noticing that the force field was down, he nodded in satisfaction. "It worked."

"Not exactly," Goose countered. "Are you all right?"

Buzzwang looked up at him. He paused a moment, then sort of swayed backwards. "A number of my circuits have suffered an overload. My balance centers seem to be impaired. I am attempting to compensate, but I may need help in order to stand"

The android put out a hand to steady himself, as Gooseman helped him to his feet. Eve stepped up to take his hand, and then hooked Buzz's arm over her shoulder. "I can help him, Shane," she said.

"A very rational idea, young lady," Buzzwang said.

"All right. Eve, you're with Buzzwang." Gooseman walked to the door of the cell and looked out, the guard's rifle at the ready. He then looked back at Daisy. "I hope you know another way out of here. I kind of doubt Macross will fall for the vent shaft trick twice."

"So do I, Shane, so do I..." Daisy was staring at the fallen dog man, thoughtfully. As Zozo came up behind her, she looked down at the little blue alien, and smiled. "But I think I have an idea..."

Macross scowled at the video screen, from which Ryker Kilbane smirked at him. The human could be maddening, at times. "You and I both know what that cargo means to our employer. She's paid us well for our services, Kilbane. Let's not get greedy."

"Gooseman is mine," Kilbane protested. "I owe that runt, big time. And I mean to pay him back. *I* will be the one to kill him, do you hear me?"

"And if she finds out we're holding out on her..."

"Do you think I'm afraid of the Queen of the Crown?" Kilbane asked, his voice mocking. "I'm a Supertrooper..."

"KILBANE!" Macross interrupted. "Not over an open channel! Not even a scrambled one! You know what her orders were!"

Kilbane's sneer increased. "You ARE afraid of her." He laughed.

"And you're a fool." Macross raised an eyebrow. "All of you Supertroopers are. So sure that your powers make you invincible... even Gooseman. But at least Gooseman isn't stupid enough to underestimate the Queen..."

Kilbane laughed again. "Holding the 'Ranger Boy' was your idea, too, Macross." He imitated the gang leader's gravelly voice perfectly. "That's why you're perfect for this plan. You hate him almost as much as I do."

"Just make sure your cargo gets to Tortuna... BOTH of them. Our orders were to bring her a Ranger, and we can provide one, AND keep Gooseman for ourselves. Just make sure she doesn't find out..."

He was interrupted as a gang member charged into the control room. "Macross! The prisoners have escaped!"

"WHAT!" Macross looked panicked for a moment, but then regained control. "All of them?"

"All of them, sir!"

He whirled back on the video screen. "How close are you to Tortuna?"

Kilbane smirked again. "An hour, maybe less. Is that runt too much for you, Macross?"

The tan-skinned alien leaned over the screen, his red eyes flashing with anger. "Look, Kilbane, you let me worry about Gooseman and you GET THAT DISK TO THE QUEEN! If Gooseman finds out where you're going, he'll be after you in a second."

"Good. Let him come."

"Kilbane! If he gets that disk from you before you can get it to the Queen, she will have BOTH of us in a Psychocrystal before the DAY's out! I want that disk OUT of our hands and into HERS before the Rangers can get to it. And that means NOW!!!"

Kilbane chuckled. "I know what I have to do," He said. The screen went blank.

Macross turned back to the gang member, who backed away slightly, startled by the fury in his leader's eyes. "All right, who let them get away?!!!"

"Um... why don't you ask HIM, sir... he WAS on guard..."

The gangster pointed at a figure standing by the panel, a short, brown, furry alien in metallic armor. "You!" Macross said, to the dog man, who had his back turned. The little alien slowly turned, to look at him. But as the little fellow turned around, it turned out that his face was blue, not brown, and he had long, pointed ears and big, round eyes.

"Gotta run!" Zozo said. Leaping onto the computer panel, he threw a switch. Alarms began to blare in the control room.

Daisy threw off the cloak of the other gang member, and opened fire with the man's rifle. Zozo darted out of the room, under cover of Daisy's laser fire, as the Black Hole Gang dropped to the floor.

"They've unlocked the security overrides on the hangar!" One of the men yelled out, as Daisy disappeared down the corridor. "The Ranger and the android have captured Daisy's fighter!"

"After them!" Macross pointed down the hall, directing his men after the escapees. "After them! The man who brings me Daisy's head KEEPS his!"

"Too late, sir. Daisy and the Kiwi are in the hangar."

"Lock all hangar doors!" Macross grabbed at a console as a massive explosion rocked the asteroid. "What was THAT!"

"They've blasted out the hangar doors, sir! They're gone!"

Macross slammed his fist down on the console. "And now, thanks to Kilbane and his FAT MOUTH, they know that the disk is headed for Tortuna!"

He paused only a moment, to let his rage build up. "GET ME KILBANE ON THE LINK! NOW!!!!!"

Time Bomb - Chapter 07

From Betamountain.org

Time Bomb

Chapter 07

by Richard Ryley