Red to Fade (7 page)

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The grenades explode close to him. The agents fire their weapons at the tyres of the RBM, trying to slow it down. Weapon rounds tear the tyres to shreds. The rubber tyres are covering metallic wheels with wheel grips. When the tyres are blown off, the wheel grips allow the RBM to continue to accelerate at a high speed.

The rubber tyres that cover the metallic wheels are there to stop the wheels from damaging the road. Connor is saying in his mind,
I've had enough of this shit. I'm taking these assholes out before they take me out.
The RBM has a voice command system. You can tell the computer to control the RBM.

Connor says, “CPU accelerate.”

The computer of the RBM says, “Computer accelerate activated.”

The computer is now controlling the RBM and making it accelerate. Connor jumps into the front passenger seat and activates the gun controls. The hologram screen targeting system appears. The other eight jeeps containing Joel and his crew are now on the Hawthorn Bridge. Joel sees the RBM and FBI jeeps from a distance. Connor sees the five jeeps through his targeting system and aims at one of them.

He pulls the trigger and opens fire with the mini gun. Ammo fired from the mini gun sabotages the jeep. Bullets smash the glass windows instantly and blow out the tyres. The jeep is completely covered with bullet holes and everyone inside is killed instantly. Alvarez is dead as well. Even though everyone in the jeep is dead, Connor fires a grenade and blows it up; then, still firing the mini gun, aims at the next target.

The next target is the second jeep. The small metallic missiles of the mini gun pierce the second jeep with numerous holes and break the windows into pieces. Everyone in the jeep is put to death. As the agents get hit by shots fired there are small explosions of blood. Mini gun slugs are hitting the passenger seats, sending bits of polyester flying everywhere.

The agent on the driver's seat has met his death. The dead driver has fallen on top of the steering wheel and the weight of his body makes the jeep take a hard left and slide on its side. There are sparks trailing behind the jeep as it slides on its side at a fast speed along the road. Harper, aims at the third target, while he shoots with the mini gun. The cartridges of the mini gun rip through the third jeep.

The glass of the third jeep is completely destroyed. The third jeep is totally perforated. All agents of the third jeep are dead. Connor fires a grenade at the third jeep, blowing up its engine. Connor, blasting away with the mini gun, directs the gun at the fourth jeep. The rounds of the mini gun wreck the fourth jeep. The 6 panes of glass of the fourth jeep collapse and the left-hand side is impaired by ammunition.

Each person in the fourth jeep is penetrated with ammo and executed. Connor fires a grenade. The grenade hits the left back wheel of the jeep.
BOOM!
The explosion makes the jeep fly into the air and land on the road upside down. Harper, attacking with the mini gun, points the gun at the next mark. The shots of the mini gun annihilate the fifth jeep. All windscreens and lights of the fifth jeep get shattered. The mini gun projectiles cut through and murder the driver and passengers of the fifth jeep. The dead driver has fallen on top of the steering wheel, making the jeep drive to the right and scrape against the concrete side barrier of the bridge.

As the jeep scrapes against the barrier a sheet of sparks is created by the friction. Connor is still firing, hitting the jeep with gun shells as well as the concrete side barrier of the bridge. The bullets from the mini gun are creating small eruptions of wreckage as they hit the side barrier.

Connor fires a grenade at the jeep.
KABOOM!
The explosion makes the jeep burst through the side barrier. Chunks of the side barrier and the jeep fall into the ocean. Agents in the three remaining jeeps, who have kept their distance from the five jeeps that got blown to pieces, are firing their machine guns at the camera of the mini gun. The small metallic missiles create little sparks on the bulletproof camera.

What Connor sees on the targeting system is small sparks, making it difficult to aim the mini gun. He's unable to aim at his next target. He's firing and aiming the mini gun at random, but is unable to hit any targets. An agent fires a grenade at the mini gun from a machine gun/grenade launcher.
BOOM!
The mini gun is blown to pieces. The impact of the explosion makes Connor leap forward on top of the dashboard. Connor jumps into the driver's seat and puts on his seat belt.

One of the agents in the three jeeps says, “Let's try and get closer and take this fucker out.”

The three jeeps accelerate faster and are getting closer to Connor. The agents are still firing their weapons at the RBM.

Connor says, “Human accelerate.”

Human accelerate is a command that allows a person to take control and drive the RBM manually.

The computer says, “Human accelerate activated.”

Connor is now driving the RBM manually. He sees that the bridge is coming to a dead end, and an Apache helicopter waiting for him.

Connor says in a panic, “Oh shit!”

*

Raymond says, “Sir, I have the RBM in my sights.”

Joel says, “Take him out.”

Raymond replies, “Sir, if I fire I might hit the other FBI jeeps.”

Joel says angrily, “I don't give a fuck, open fire!”

Raymond replies, “Yes, sir!”

Before Raymond fires, Connor slams on the brakes. The metallic wheels of the RBM make sparks on the road, as well as scraping off some of the road's tarmac. The three jeeps drive past Connor. Raymond opens fire and fires two rockets.
BOOM! BOOM!
The rockets create two explosions, making the three jeeps fly into the air. When the jeeps hit the ground they roll over and over before eventually falling into the ocean. As the jeeps hit the water they make a giant splash like boulders hitting the water of a swimming pool.

Joel has created a roadblock on the Hawthorn Bridge with the eight jeeps. He got other agents to park a first group of four jeeps in a vertical line going across the bridge, and he also got more agents to park a second group of four jeeps behind the first group, in a vertical line going across the Hawthorn Bridge. Some of the agents get out of their jeeps and some remain inside, creating an attack formation.

All agents are armed and ready to destroy anything that crosses their path.

*

Connor reverses quickly, turns the RBM around and accelerates fast, driving back down the Hawthorn Bridge away from the helicopter and the dead end of the bridge. The Apache helicopter chases after Connor, firing rockets and gun shells at the same time. Connor is swerving left and right to avoid them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions from rockets and small booms of waste made by the bullets are chasing the RBM. Connor sees the roadblock and thinks to himself,
This is it; it's all over
. The agents forming the roadblock open fire on Connor with 15-shooter handguns and machine gun/grenade launchers. Connor drives to the left in a diagonal position and breaks through the side barrier of the bridge with the RBM.

As Connor breaks through the barrier, broken pieces of concrete go flying everywhere. The RBM and concrete pieces fall into the ocean. The RBM and the concrete pieces create huge splashes, as they hit the water. The agents run over to the side barrier of the bridge where Connor made his escape.

They open fire down at the water. Their weapon rounds create little water explosions on the ocean's surface. The RBM sinks underwater and finally reaches a solid surface. The Apache helicopter flies overhead, near to the place where Connor splashed into the water and opens fire on the water as well, shooting rockets and gun shells into the water. The rockets fired from the helicopter create giant water explosions as they go through the water, while the small metallic missiles fired create small ones.

The rockets explode around the RBM underwater. Some of the bullets fired from the helicopter fly past. After a few minutes the helicopter stops firing and all of the agents stop as well. Connor is stuck inside the RBM, underwater. He's thinking to himself,
Maybe I'd be better off if I let them kill me
. No water is getting inside the RBM. On the windscreen a hologram message appears saying
Activate aqua mode
. Connor looks at the message and thinks,
Aqua mode? What the hell is that? I've never heard of that before
.

Connor says, “Computer, activate aqua mode.”

The computer says, “Aqua mode activated.”

In the base of the RBM are propellers. The propellers are now operational and make the RBM rise upwards. At the back of the RBM a cover opens and slides into the vehicle. Underneath the cover are more propellers that make the RBM move forward. Also, the wheels of the RBM turn sideways.

The wheels have operational propellers that give the RBM extra power to rise up. Now that the wheels of the RBM have turned sideways it looks like the flying DeLorean from the
Back to the Future
movies. Inside the RBM a cover slides open beside the steering wheel. Underneath the cover are two levers. One of the levers is for acceleration and the other is for moving the RBM up and down underwater.

Underneath the acceleration lever is a label that says
accelerate
, and above and underneath the other lever are labels that say
up
and
down
. Connor is able to drive the RBM underwater. He drives away from the Hawthorn Bridge. Connor can make the RBM move left and right with the steering wheel. On the dashboard there is a small LCD display that says
OXYGEN 100%
.

There are oxygen tanks built into the RBM to give the driver and passenger's air while they are driving underwater.

Connor is relieved and says to himself, “Man, this is great. I didn't know you could drive this thing underwater.”

Dylan says, “Connor, are you there? Can you hear me?”

Connor is surprised to hear Dylan's voice. He says, “Yeah, I'm here. How the hell are you able to talk to me while I'm underwater?”

Dylan replies, “What can I say? Clandarian technology – it's the greatest technology in the universe. Are you injured?”

Connor says, “No, I'm good.”

Dylan says, “What are you going to do now?”

Connor replies, “I'm going to try to get to the First Dome. I doubt I'm going to make it. That small war between me and the agents will be on every news station, every radio station and all over the internet.”

Dylan says, “I might be able to plant a communication virus to prevent everyone from reporting the news.”

Connor says, “How?”

Dylan says, “CommDrone1; a Balaxian communication virus. Rumour has it that if the Clandarians and human beings ever went to war, the Balaxians would use this virus to disrupt or hack into our communication systems to hear what we are saying. The CommDrone1 is only meant to last for twenty-four hours. They have CommDrone2 as well, which disables communication systems for good, but I'm unable to get my hands on that virus; it's top–secret.

“The CommDrone1 virus will disrupt all communication systems like the internet, radio and TV, preventing broadcast journalists from reporting the news all over America. I'll upload this virus and it'll buy you some time. You might have between ten and sixteen hours before they destroy the virus; it all depends on how smart the IT guys are. If they find and destroy the CommDrone1 virus, I'll see if I can upload another but to be quite honest I don't think that will work the second time round because I reckon after they have found and destroyed the first virus, they'll install a firewall protecting all communication equipment from the CommDrone1 virus.”

Connor says, “Could you also get Gabrielle Hoffman's phone number? She works in one of the Red 1 law enforcement precincts.”

Dylan says, “Sure, no problem, why do you want Gabrielle's number?”

Connor answers, “The more recruits we have the better, and also she might be able to get me into the CSB-R1 base so that I can tell everyone there what's happening.”

Dylan says, “In order for us to keep in contact when you're on Mars you're going to need to buy a planet communicator. Our earpiece mics won't work while you're on the Red Planet.”

A planet communicator is used to allow beings to talk to each other from planet to planet. It's like a phone with a really highly advanced signal frequency. They have planet communication networks on Mars and on Earth. The planet communicator can also be used to make domestic and international calls.

“I'll give you the number of my planet communicator.”

Connor says, “Hold on a second, I just need to get a notepad.”

Connor takes out a small notepad from his inside pocket and says, “Computer accelerate.”

The computer says, “Computer accelerate activated.”

The RBM is now driving automatically.

Connor says, “OK, give me your planet communicator number.”

Dylan says, “The code and number is
E.USA.LA.5678-9870-1432-4890
.”

Connor takes down the code and number and says, “I've got the number, thanks, man.”

Dylan says, “I'm going to upload this virus now.”

Dylan gets to work on his computer.

Connor says, “Computer, activate city map.”

A hologram of a map of LA appears in front of the windscreen.

Connor says, “Computer, highlight all harbours.”

On the map all of the harbours of LA are highlighted, with titles showing their names. Arlin Harbour is the harbour that is the furthest away from the Hawthorn Bridge.

“Computer, go to Arlin Harbour.”

The computer says, “Destination Arlin Harbour.”

*

Meanwhile, back on Hawthorn Bridge, Joel speaks to agent Dennis Crozier and says, “I want divers in there right away.” Joel points to where Connor landed. “I also want an APB put on this guy.”