Argonomics 101 -- Part 1

**Armitige3**

The warning klaxxons sounded before the words could escape my lips.

"Squiddies. **bleep**."

The holographic display next to the pilot's console cast a green light on the surrounding instrumentation as we watched a rotating map of the tunnels. The map, looking like a twisted, knotted group of tree roots, zoomed in on the radar signal displaying the menacing forms of 4 Sentinels, coming in fast.

"Syphon, get us out of here, FAST," I said, trying to conceal the worry in my voice. "Go, go, GO!"

As Syphon muttered a quiet, "Aye," his hands gripped the controls of the Argo, bringing her power up on the hover pads, and nosing her around to go the way we came in.

As a small information gathering ship, we had decided to explore some of the smaller tunnels that no one used. One never knows what one might find out there. Today, we found something that is lurking in the dark all too often these days: trouble.

"Have they spotted us?" I asked Syphon.

"I don't know, Captain," he replied, "but their course hasn't changed and their speed remains steady, and they are heading right towards us."

"**bleep** it. God I hope we didn't stumble into Machine territory. How quiet can we run and still stay ahead of their patrol?"

"Any more than 50% power will give us a definite signature. Right now we're running at 45%, and they're gaining on us. I can push it harder, but they'll definitely lock in on us then. Shall I risk it?"

I stood there, staring at the ghostly, squirming shapes on the radar. If we pushed it, we'd have a deadly chase on our hands without a doubt, but we'd have a small head-start. If we didn't push it, and the Sentinels didn't change course, we'd be discovered by them, and they'd be in close proximity. I pressed a button on the console, and the map zoomed back out to a schematic of the tunnel systems, centered between us and the Machines. The gap was definitely shrinking, but numerous side tunnels were coming up. I had no clue as to where they went, yet, but perhaps the Machines did and they would head that way.

"Captain..."

I held up my hand, so I wouldn't be interrupted while I thought things through. Glancing out of the window into the blackness of the tunnels, I weighed my choices.

"Captain..."

How many ships have successfully outrun Sentinels? Not many that I had heard of. And, today we were running with a skeleton crew. We'd only have two or three guns manned at most.

"Captain, we've got trouble."

That brought me out of my reverie. "What is it, Syphon?"

"Sensors have picked up a second group of Squiddies on the approach from our starboard flank, in another tunnel, moving at a high rate of speed. At our current speed, we'll make contact with them in about two kliks."

"It just gets happier and happier, doesn't it? Alright. Punch it. We're going to be detected, so go as fast as you can handle."

I reached for the ship-wide comms panel, punching a button.

"Attention, all hands. Brace for impact. We've got Squiddies on the approach from two directions, and we're making a run for it. Get all guns online. Put numbers 2 and 4 on auto-link with 1 and 3 to make up for lack of hands! Fast!" I knew the crew would pick up on my "brace for impact" line. Syphon was a rookie pilot. This was supposed to be a milk run. But, Murphy was a cruel master, and today he had his **bleep** in a knot over our explorations. I was expecting the Argo was going to get banged up, if not by the Sentinels, certainly by Syphon. I just hoped she'd hold together.

"Keep your head on straight, kid, and you'll get us through this. I'm going below to man the forward guns. Keep me in the loop." I left the cockpit before he could respond, stepping through a hatch, and sliding down a ladder to the chamber below the cockpit.

Flipping a few switches, the power to the controls on the forward guns came online. I could hear the whine of motors spinning up, locking rings disengaging on turrets, and the hum of monitors coming online. I slipped into the chair, strapped myself in, and looked at the monitors. One gave me a short range radar, and the other was a gun camera.

"Captain," a voice crackled in the speakers overhead, "they've definitely spotted us, and have increased speed to intercept. 15 seconds until contact with the forward group of Sentinels."

"Understood," I replied.

I closed my eyes, mentally counting backwards, forcing myself to breathe slowly and evenly although my heart was pounding ferociously in my chest. I opened my eyes, focusing on the monitors just in time to see the first blips on my radar.

"Squiddies ho!" I shouted into the comms to the rest of the crew.

My hands found the controls to the guns, fingers lighting upon the triggers as I brought the aiming reticle to bear.

"Yo, ho, ho, you metallic bastards. Come and get some."

[[ To be continued... ]]

**Armitige3**

Read "Argonomics 101 - Part 2"

-- Tige