Out of Phaze

“Would I could learn that Game,” Bane said wistfully.

“Thou dost like Proton?”

“It is love of Agape that lures me,” Bane admitted. “But aye, I find this frame more challenging than mine own. It be foolishness, I know.”

“A foolishness I share,” Blue said, smiling. “Now, we both have parts to play. Thou dost remain prisoner, chastened by seeing thy love melt. I am taking thee to safer confinement.”

“That part can I play,” Bane said. “But surely Purple’s minions will not be fooled by thee!”

“There be some distractions,” Blue said with a small smile. “It was necessary for me to wait until I knew they were in place, before taking action here. Now shall we see how the magic of science performs.” He took some of his surplus pseudoflesh and molded it in the corner, against the locked panel. He set a tiny stick in it and pinched off the protruding end of the stick. “Shield me with thy body,” he said, retreating to the far side of the cell. “It be tougher than mine own.”

Perplexed, Bane stood as directed, standing between Blue and the pseudoflesh, facing away from it, bracing himself.

There was an explosion. It shoved him into Blue, and both against the wall. Bits of wall and panel were hurled like stones into the other walls. “What happened?” Bane cried.

They recovered their feet. “A trick of the trade,” Blue remarked, dusting himself off. “Follow me.” He hurried out of the smoking cell, through the shattered panel.

Serfs rushed up. ‘The alien bitch carried plastic explosive!” Blue roared in Purple’s voice. “Fetch my private plane! I’m taking the prisoner to safer confinement!”

When they hesitated, Blue paused to glare about. It was amazing how aptly he had picked up Purple’s mannerisms. “And find out who was supposed to guard against weapons being brought in here! Didn’t any numbskull think to check for plastic? Look at that cell! Every party responsible will be fired with prejudice!”

Hastily the serfs went about their business; the talk of firing made them extremely nervous.

Foreman hurried up. “Sir, the craft is ready,” he said. Then, startled, he opened his mouth again.

Blue’s hand snaked out and caught the serf’s wrist. Foreman stiffened in pain. “Speak no word,” Blue said. “Guide us there.”

It was obvious that the submission hold rendered the serf powerless to resist. He backed into an elevator, and they followed. The elevator took them up to a landing area, where the airplane waited. Blue and Bane got in.

‘The blob in the cell is your employer,” Blue informed Foreman as he took the pilot’s seat. “He may need your attention, before the ignorant serfs dump him in the trash.”

Foreman, about to cry the alarm, whirled and ran for the elevator. His first loyalty was to the physical welfare of Citizen Purple.

Blue started the airplane and piloted it into the air. It quickly rose high, flying above the mountains. He touched its front panel. “Blue here, in Purple’s private plane,” he said. “Escort me home.”

Three other airplanes zoomed in. But immediately half a dozen others appeared, closing in on the first three. Citizen Purple’s defenses were alert.

“If these be like dragons, we be in trouble,” Bane remarked.

“Like dragons indeed,” Blue agreed. “But human cleverness can do much.” He guided the airplane precipitously down. “There be much joy in machines, an thou dost have the temperament.”

And he had a wife and a son who were machines. Bane would have liked this man well enough, even if he had not been so exactly like Stile.

The three friendly craft ran interference, threatening to crash into any of the pursuers who came too close. “Ours be machine-controlled?” Bane asked.

“Aye. Sheen-controlled, by remote. Purple’s be manned by serfs, who have some care for their hides.”

They bumped to a landing by a marker in the sand at the foot of the mountain range. They piled out as the enemy craft dived for them, running to the marker and hauling up on a ring set in it. Blue was panting, for he had no suit to enable him to breathe the polluted atmosphere; Bane, seeing the problem, took over the job and hauled up a portal. A hole opened, and they scrambled in and shut the portal above.

“Service access,” Blue gasped. “Say the code!”

“Code?”

“Oh, that’s right; you don’t know it. Mach does. Damn!

We can’t summon the self-willed machines!” He was recovering as the good air here got into him.

“Self-willed machines? I have heard reference to these, and learned that Sheen be one, but I know these not.”

“Intelligent, motivated, self-directed robots of all types, but not granted serf status because that’s limited to those who look like serfs; I haven’t been able to overcome that bias yet. They don’t complain because they want the Experimental Project to prove itself first.”

“The Experimental Project—that allows androids and machines and alien creatures to be as equals?”

‘The same. Agape must have told thee.”

“Aye.” They were moving on down along a passage. Already there was noise back at the portal.