that she passed on the way. Everyone was watching her progress to the panel.
Zoe removed her right earring and pressed it to the panel lock. It sizzled and popped open.
She grimaced as she saw the saliva tester, but she had kept her self-control for just this purpose. With the backs of her nails, she scraped off the skin where Dorsos had been licking and sucking. She placed it on the scanner, removed her other earring and pressed it against the mic. Within three seconds, a voice emerged. Rescind the dome.
The computer's lights flashed and with a surge of energy, the domes lifted toward the ceiling.
"Quickly, move. I don't know how long this will work." She waved for the folks to leave their cages and when her men were clear, she removed her shoes.
She pressed her finger to the small node behind her ear and whispered, "T'shnadar, please slice a hole in this building and send the shuttle."
In her mind, she heard the response. Of course, Zoe. How many will be joining you? I would like to prepare a meal and quarters for them.
"Twenty or so. I am unsure of the number. Can you also lay down covering fire while we get to the shuttle?"
Of course, Zoe. Just tell me what to keep clear.
"Watch for the explosion. It should be any moment now."
Her study of the schematics for the building had been precise. The cliff face was thin on the north side and it was the best place to blow it.
"Who are you, miss?" One of her set was staring down at her, suspicion in his gold eyes.
"A friend."
One of the other men loomed over her. "Why are you here?"
"I heard you were in trouble and decided to ride to the rescue." She shook her head and lifted her shoes, jogging lightly to the wall.
She raised her hands and slammed them forward, lodging the heels in the brick and mortar.
Her set had followed her and the others were approaching.
"Back up, this is going to blow!" She waved them back and took a few steps before her set grabbed her and covered her body on the ground.
Sighing at their premature actions, she watched the others seek cover before wrestling a hand up to touch her necklace. The shoes exploded and the night air flooded in.
"How are we going to get out of here? That is a three-hundred-foot drop." One of her men stood and helped her to her feet.
She sighed and shook her head. "No wonder he was able to catch you. You really can't plan ahead, can you?"
The whirring of her shuttle got everyone's attention and she smiled. "It will be a tight fit, but after I get on, I will nudge the wing to the wall and hold tight. You can use the wing as the pathway and we will be out of here before Dorsos wakes up and sounds the alarm."
One of her men grabbed her arm. "Who are you and why are you doing this?"
"All questions will be answered in time. First, I have to get you out of here and then you can grill me until you get bored. Now, please excuse me, I have to jump off a cliff."
She smiled, twisted away from the grip and took a running jump at her shuttle. Zoe heard shouts behind her and ignored them in favour of leaping through open air to land with a bruising thud on her ship.
The upper hatch opened and she slithered inside, her gown giving her a frictionless advantage. Once inside, she closed the upper hatch, opened the main door and took the captain's chair. She wedged the wing as she had promised and then she waited. She opened the com to her ship. "T'shnadar, please start with the covering fire."
The bland female voice came through the speakers. "An alarm has been sounded within the facility."
"Understood. This was always a possibility."
The thud of footfalls on the wing made her smile. Exterior scanners showed that her set was guarding the opening in the wall while the others were evacuating.
She grumbled silently. Their safety was the reason she was out here. No other beings could have gotten her to go to these lengths.
The scanners showed a dramatic increase in movement within the facility. The drones just realized that
Zoe removed her right earring and pressed it to the panel lock. It sizzled and popped open.
She grimaced as she saw the saliva tester, but she had kept her self-control for just this purpose. With the backs of her nails, she scraped off the skin where Dorsos had been licking and sucking. She placed it on the scanner, removed her other earring and pressed it against the mic. Within three seconds, a voice emerged. Rescind the dome.
The computer's lights flashed and with a surge of energy, the domes lifted toward the ceiling.
"Quickly, move. I don't know how long this will work." She waved for the folks to leave their cages and when her men were clear, she removed her shoes.
She pressed her finger to the small node behind her ear and whispered, "T'shnadar, please slice a hole in this building and send the shuttle."
In her mind, she heard the response. Of course, Zoe. How many will be joining you? I would like to prepare a meal and quarters for them.
"Twenty or so. I am unsure of the number. Can you also lay down covering fire while we get to the shuttle?"
Of course, Zoe. Just tell me what to keep clear.
"Watch for the explosion. It should be any moment now."
Her study of the schematics for the building had been precise. The cliff face was thin on the north side and it was the best place to blow it.
"Who are you, miss?" One of her set was staring down at her, suspicion in his gold eyes.
"A friend."
One of the other men loomed over her. "Why are you here?"
"I heard you were in trouble and decided to ride to the rescue." She shook her head and lifted her shoes, jogging lightly to the wall.
She raised her hands and slammed them forward, lodging the heels in the brick and mortar.
Her set had followed her and the others were approaching.
"Back up, this is going to blow!" She waved them back and took a few steps before her set grabbed her and covered her body on the ground.
Sighing at their premature actions, she watched the others seek cover before wrestling a hand up to touch her necklace. The shoes exploded and the night air flooded in.
"How are we going to get out of here? That is a three-hundred-foot drop." One of her men stood and helped her to her feet.
She sighed and shook her head. "No wonder he was able to catch you. You really can't plan ahead, can you?"
The whirring of her shuttle got everyone's attention and she smiled. "It will be a tight fit, but after I get on, I will nudge the wing to the wall and hold tight. You can use the wing as the pathway and we will be out of here before Dorsos wakes up and sounds the alarm."
One of her men grabbed her arm. "Who are you and why are you doing this?"
"All questions will be answered in time. First, I have to get you out of here and then you can grill me until you get bored. Now, please excuse me, I have to jump off a cliff."
She smiled, twisted away from the grip and took a running jump at her shuttle. Zoe heard shouts behind her and ignored them in favour of leaping through open air to land with a bruising thud on her ship.
The upper hatch opened and she slithered inside, her gown giving her a frictionless advantage. Once inside, she closed the upper hatch, opened the main door and took the captain's chair. She wedged the wing as she had promised and then she waited. She opened the com to her ship. "T'shnadar, please start with the covering fire."
The bland female voice came through the speakers. "An alarm has been sounded within the facility."
"Understood. This was always a possibility."
The thud of footfalls on the wing made her smile. Exterior scanners showed that her set was guarding the opening in the wall while the others were evacuating.
She grumbled silently. Their safety was the reason she was out here. No other beings could have gotten her to go to these lengths.
The scanners showed a dramatic increase in movement within the facility. The drones just realized that
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