***
Julianna, Milk and Dr. Hendricks were not having much fun either. A number of ships were now on fire, laser blasts were still flinging themselves around with abandonment and Freddy No Finger's men, realising the unlikelihood of actually getting shot had surrounded The Wild Rover.
"We've got to move," said Julianna.
"Right. Let's do this," agreed Milk.
"It's to be a suicide run then," agreed Dr. Hendricks.
"It looks that way, but we've got to save Chase," said Milk.
Julianna looked at him.
"What?" he asked.
"Sorry, but that was so touching."
"Can we save it? You ready, Doc?"
"As ever. Just try not to get shot," beamed Hendricks.
"Very funny, Doc, Chase would be proud."
Julianna sighed.
"Oh, that was so touching too," she said heartfeltedly.
"Can we save the female stuff?" barked Milk.
"Time to cheat death," said Hendricks.
"Again," sighed Milk in that way only he could.
They came out guns blazing. Freddy's men were taken by complete surprise by someone who could actually aim and were shot down.
***
Chase, Jimmy and Chubbs were in Cell Block Number Nine which was empty now that all of Spalding's men were at the hospital. They entered Spalding's cell.
"Jimmy, take Chubbs and find the Jesperrian leader. He's in Cell Block Number Four, cell 24 and meet me at the hospital."
"You got it, mon. Be safe," and with that they left Chase to look around the cell.
Now, where was whatever he was looking for? He scanned the room and then started by yanking the small cupboards off the walls. Nothing there. He tapped the walls to find a hollow spot. Nothing there. He looked under the bed. Nothing there.
Wait.
Wait. Memory was coming back. He crawled under the bed and started tapping the floor. Yes. There. There was a hollow spot.
He took out his shank and started spiking the floor. Yes, the shank dug in there. He followed the line and a larger piece of paint came out. He remembered now, he had somehow in his short time there found or made this little hidey hole and then got some paint and painted over it. He used the shank to open it up and there were papers, plans, to be exact.
He unrolled them and groaned. Oh, he was both a genius and an egotistical maniac. He rolled up the plans, tucked them away and left.
***
The hospital was on fire and the single medical orderly there, an Albertine known simply as Toadman, was despairing. There were so many patients and no way of getting them out. Outside Durden Raiders were trying to break in, but Spalding's crew had shown up and there were hundreds of men from different races fighting. The bloodshed was disgusting to a person that had spent his whole life trying to save lives. But now he had to protect the lives of those in his care.
But there was something else he hadn't known. Terd Ferguson, Bones Castille, Not John Roberts and Big Nick had beaten Sonny Spalding and his men to the hospital and were inside.
***
Julianna was behind a pile of electrical wiring ducking out, firing, ducking in. Milk was a way over behind some barrels whose flammability worried him immensely and the Doc was about to do something either brave or stupid. He ran from cover shooting. He took down too guards and slid his aging frame under The Wild Rover, rolling up and killing three more.
Juliana and Milk made their move, ducking and jumping the wild laser shots of the Jesperrians. Seeing them move Frank ordered everyone to break cover and clear the area.
Jesperrians started falling to police fire as soon as they did so, but with the courage to stand and fight so came their aim and the police too finally started falling.
Julianna and Milk took down more men guarding The Wild Rover as Hendricks moved like a man possessed. He saved Julianna and Milk's lives about three times each as he moved like a whirlwind blazing fire.
"Get in the ship," he screamed at them.
They lowered the ramp, but Hendricks saw the dire need of the Jesperrians and ran for them. He grabbed a dead man's gun and with two guns blazing he took down a guard here, a policeman there.
"Retreat! Retreat," he screamed like a banshee as he saved lives from a laser death. Each of his shots wounding a man, but not killing. Here was a policeman about to shoot a fleeing Jesperrian, there he was laying on the floor with a non-fatal leg wound. More police coming into the hanger, Hendricks shot the fuel tanks of the nearest ship clouding them in fire and smoke. Hendricks was a non-lethal storm of laser as The Wild Rover's engines revved into life.
***
Spalding lay on a bed with newly applied bandages when Terd and his crew entered the room. Toadman, who had been forced to tend Spalding, edged out of the room to try and douse fires.
Bones Castille grabbed Shakes Malone and threw him across the room; Snake McManamon turned and was head butted in the groin by Big Nick; Causeway Johnson was punched so hard in the kidneys by Not John Roberts that he coughed blood. Terd Ferguson grabbed the weakened Sonny Spalding and pulled him off the bed.
Bones Castille opened a window and Ferguson pulled Spalding over to it.
"I'm a Durden Raider and you disgust me," Terd breathed and threw Spalding out of the window.
Spalding's body fell three stories and splatted amongst the combatants. His shank wound opened up and gushed blood.
Spalding's men were momentarily stunned and then went into a frenzy at the death of their leader. Some finally broke into the hospital to find the men who had killed Spalding, kill anyone they came across.
This was when Chase turned up. Jimmy, a battered Chubbs and the Jesperrian leader turned up moments later.
"We've got to get Terd," Chase shouted over the din.
"Be easier said dan done," Jimmy shouted back. "Oh and dis be Floyd."
"Hi there," Chase beamed and shook his hand. He was old and frail and grey, his hair and his skin. He obviously didn't get out much.
"Thank you for thiz," he replied frailly.
"Pfft, not a problem. What is a problem is getting Terd out of the hospital."
"Leave that one to me," said Chubbs, as he grabbed the two nearest people and banged their heads together.
They moved into the crowd of combatants with Chubbs in the lead, bulldozing anyone in his way. They saw some of Spalding's men break down the hospital door and enter, no doubt searching for the men who had thrown Spalding out the window. And when I say 'no doubt' I mean that's exactly what they were doing.
"Can't let people in the hospital, too many patients," shouted Chase as he shanked a man about to head butt him.
Most people didn't care about the hospital unless it was to escape the battle raging outside. Which was nothing compared to the battle that now raged inside the prison. Most of the south side was now on fire, most of the west side was being torn up by gangs.
You see there wasn't anything actually to gain from the riot, no turf or anything; you just had to come out of it. And if you did so with more crew members still alive than others or you were particularly mean and brutal during the riot, then the higher up the power structure you were in the post-riot environs.
Sensing that they were getting beaten by the increasing numbers of Durden Raiders coming outside and sensing that they were losing their post-riot spot at the top, Spalding's gang tried to retreat back to their own stomping ground.
Chase needn't have worried; as they got to the door a couple of men sailed down the stairs and landed with a thud in the small foyer where they stood. At the top of the stairs Terd Ferguson stood triumphant with his men.
"My ride better be here," he called down.
"Should be here any minute now," Chase called back adding 'I hope' in his head.
They all headed outside to find the Durden Raiders mopping up those of Spalding's men who hadn't escaped back inside.
That the Durden Raiders were the only ones outside and g
iven that a large united gang of Raiders was the last thing the prison needed, the Warden decided to wrest back some power.
By opening fire on the Raiders.
He radioed the guards in the towers and told them to cut the men down, try to push them back inside. He hoped that pushing them back inside would be too much even for this riot and it would implode.
Jimmy noticed it first.
"Brudder, me t'inks the guards are about to shoot."
Chase looked up at a tower where he could see a guard readying his gun.
"I think you're right, time to get inside. Yo, Terd, inside now," he shouted over.
"What? Why?" Terd shouted back, but Jimmy, Chubbs and Chase were already fleeing. And then the guards opened fire into the pack of Raiders.
Chase and his little band of friends made it into the hospital just in time. Laser fire hailed down into the crowd that now ran to and fro trying to find cover.
"Where's this friend of yours?" Terd shouted angrily. "You've conned us."
"Conned you? If they don't turn up we're in deeper trouble than you," Chase shouted back over the screams of those outside.
Just then there was a loud explosion and the laser fire stopped. And then started again. Chase looked outside at The Wild Rover hovering in full attack mode. The Merrill guns were out and firing at the towers who were now firing back at it.
"Time to go," suggested Chase and they ran outside.
As The Wild Rover hung, swung and attacked, another bulky looking ship appeared and came into land in the yard.
"There's your lift," Chase told Terd and the convict took his hand in both hands and pumped it.
"Then we're square," Terd growled.
"Don't go back to being a space scumbag, huh? You're a decent guy," Chase shook back.
"Life leads where it does, but perhaps I won't waste any more of it," Terd agreed.
They all quickly shook hands and Terd, Bones, Not John and Big Nick joined the other Raiders as they ran to the ship which had opened a large door at the back. It appeared to be some sort of haulage ship. As he reached the ship Terd turned back, grinned and saluted. Chase saluted back and turned his attention to The Wild Rover. It kept shooting, not really at anything, just trying to let the Durden ship take it passengers and flee, but it did blow a sizable hole in the wall next to the gates.
Within a couple of minutes the ship dusted off radioing a 'thank you' message to The Wild Rover.
Chase and Jimmy watched the Lechance move into the back, atmospheric position and then come into land. As soon as it stopped firing they could see guards appearing.
"Go," commanded Chase, "Go! GO! GO!" And they set off at a sprint.
The door to the Rover opened as guards started to fire. Milk emerged with a machinegun and started firing back over their heads as Chase managed to cross the short distance and get up the ramp.
"Hey, buddy, missed me?" he asked.
"Like an itch I couldn't scratch," Milk replied still blazing away.
The others got up the ramp and Milk let off a final volley and pulled himself inside.
"Go, go, go," he shouted over the intercom and the ramp started to close.
Before it had The Wild Rover dusted off and blasted upwards.
***
Chase entered the cabin to find Dr. Hendricks flying and Julianna in her firing seat.
"Nice flying, Doc; nice shooting, Jules," he said. "I'll take it from here," he said as he approached Hendricks.
"Oh and I was enjoying myself," bemoaned the Doc.
"Don't worry, you're my back up pilot from here on in," he said as they swapped chairs and Jimmy, Chubbs and Milk entered.
"Yo' leader be in de shower, Julianna," Jimmy said as he took his navigator's seat and looked into the computer.
"Nice to see you too," she pouted.
"Sorry," Jimmy apologised, "been a rough few days."
"Hasn't it?" asked Dr. Hendricks. "And who is this be-tattooed young man?"
"Everyone this is Chubbs, he's a librarian," Chase introduced without looking, "Chubbs, this is everyone."
Chubbs gave a small, embarrassed wave.
"A librarian, you say? A fellow scholar? How wonderful. Do come and sit over here, dear boy," enthused Hendricks.
Chubbs joined him on a seat near the back of the cabin and they fell into conversation.
"What's our status, Jimmy? Anyone following us yet?" Chase asked levelling out the ship at high altitude.
"Not yet and I'm not sure atmospheric ships can get this high, so we'll be safe until we have to land."
"I blew a hole in the wall," Julianna said matter of factly.
"Yes, I saw that," said Chase.
"I mean that hopefully the police will have their hands full," she seethed.
"True."
"Thanks, Julianna," she said sarcastically to herself. "Good idea, Julianna. Nice work."
"Fine," exploded Cherry. "Don't say hello to me then!"
"Hey there, honeypie, how you doing?" Chase asked.
"Don't 'honeypie' me," she fumed. "I've been imprisoned and then stuck in the middle of a firefight."
"Haven't we all?" asked Chase.
"Well?" Cherry said uncertainly.
"Either way, it's good to be back together, Cherry," Chase soothed.
"That's better. I'm sending our co-ordinates to your computer, Jimmy."
"Where we be going?"
"To drop off the leader," Julianna answered.
"Did the Durden ship escape?" Chase asked.
"It got as far as my radar range, from there I don't know, would you like me to do a wide scan?"
"No, let's concentrate on our own escapades."
The police actually chose to ignore the fleeing ships and attempt to stop the prisoners fleeing through the big hole in the wall that The Wild Rover had left. Residents of the city wouldn't be too impressed to have criminals running around. Anyway, the two ships appeared to have disappeared into space and were now the worry of the ODF.
Except they weren't, well one of them was, but the one that is important to this story was not a worry because it wasn't in space. No. They were cruising at high altitude to one of the three large rivers that crossed the planet.
"OK, bring us down," said Jimmy and Chase did so.
Once below the clouds the view was amazing, everywhere the planet was green, criss-crossed with blue that sparkled in the sun.
"It's beautiful," Julianna breathed watching it go by on her computer screen.
"A man could settle on a planet like this," agreed Chase.
"It iz not all it zeemz," said Floyd as he entered the cabin.
Julianna got up and went to him.
"I'm so glad to meet you; we've met your people hiding in the sewers."
"Then you know zome of the truth behind thiz galaxy," he nodded.
"And the UTN," she nodded in understanding.
"What are we looking for?" asked Chase as he continued their descent.
"Itz a large cave in the bank of the river," Floyd told him.
"Doing a scan now," Jimmy informed. "See anything, Cherry?"
"Yes, further along the river to the South," she told him.
"OK, I'm going to go in low and slow," Chase decided out loud.
He took The Wild Rover north along the river continuing a shallow, but fast descent. He was now alongside the river and suddenly swept the ship in a U-turn and raced Southward over the sparkling, churning waves of the mighty river. They were close to the bank and the river was so wide that the other bank was barely visible on the horizon.
"I've never seen a river this big," marvelled Milk standing by the side window. "Hey, Doc are you looking at this?"
Dr. Hendricks came out from the back of the cabin and looked out the window with Milk.
"That truly is spectacular," amazed Hendricks. "Chubbs come and enjoy this view, you haven't seen anything like it for a long time, no doubt."
Chubbs joined them and let out a
long breath that said 'wow' in a way the word 'wow' never can.
"Been long time, no?" Hendricks asked Chubbs and put a hand on his back.
"It has, Doc, it has been so long it is as if I'm seeing the Universe for the first time."
"Well you're free now; you can feast your eyes from now on," Hendricks pronounced with glee.
"Coming up, the river runs through a canyon, the cave is on the left about 100 metres in, high up on the cliff face," Cherry informed Chase.
"Thanks, sweetness," he said and she blushed, though you can't really tell when a computer blushes, it happens in the circuitry.
The canyon narrowed the river somewhat, I mean not enough so that it was narrow, but enough that the waves churned higher and Chase brought the ship up to avoid wet feet.
"Got it?" Jimmy asked.
"Er?" said Chase looking up and down the canyon wall, "yeah, there it is. Gonna take a wide bank and ease her in."
Chase then took a wide bank away from the cave and came back toward it, slowing down as they got closer. They entered the cave slowly and Jimmy switched on the outer lights. The cave was actually the outflow of an underground river which poured down as a waterfall and as Jimmy hit the lights all that could be seen was water.
"Go in further," said Floyd, "The cave opens out and you will find a large dry area to land."
Which they did and they did.
They kept the lights on and exited The Wild Rover. The area was damp, but fresh and cold and it was a joy to them all having spent most of the last few days underground/in prison. They stretched and looked around, from here it could be seen that there was a large ledge that followed the river deeper underground. It was from here that the Jesperrians started to emerge.
At the head was Frank being supported by another Jesperrian. Milk ran over and supported him from the other side and together they brought an obviously bleeding Frank to Floyd.
"Oh, Leader! I am zo pleased to zee you onze more," exclaimed Frank and then coughed up blood.
"Put him down," ordered Floyd and they laid him on the floor.
"Oh, Frank, what happened?" asked a distraught Julianna as they all, but Chubbs, knelt around him.
He took his leader's hand.
"I tried," he wept, "but I lozt zo many of our men."
"It'z OK, Frank, tell uz."
"The Doctor waz a hero, taking down zo many polize and telling uz to retreat. Ve did vhat he zaid and I zaw him run back to the ship, but I zaw more polize come into the hanger, theze had heavy gunz. Gunz to blow up the ship. I shouted to our men