NOVEL NEXT Ch17 Lorna: Car Chase
09:45, February 10, 2295
Section 4, Xinyi Road, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium of Dragons territory
Lorna settled into the car's front passenger seat and shut the door. "Xin, is the comm-link ready?"
"Yep, all systems connected to your communication channel," Xin's fingers moved over the control panel.
"Thomas, Manny, we are en route to Terminal 7 of Songnei Starport. See you at Rally Point Echo," Lorna spoke into the car's comm system.
"Copy that, Lorna. Diego's StarWhale will be landing soon. Drive safe," Thomas's voice came through the speakers. "And howdy, Xin. This is Thomas."
"How do you do, Thomas?" Xin replied, gripping the steering wheel as he started the car. Red and amber lights flashed on the dashboard. "I look forward to meeting you all."
The vehicle hummed to life, its fusion core vibrating gently. Outside, Taipei's skyline rose like a forest of gleaming towers, each decorated with Imperial banners. The city mixed ancient architecture with modern technology – pagoda-style skyscrapers with quantum computing cores visible through transparent sections.
Lorna checked the rearview mirror, seeing their pursuers closing in. About a dozen Bloodtroopers rode crimson Hoverbikes, each with a deactivated Thermal Battleaxe on their back. The morning sun reflected off their armor, turning them into streaks of red lightning through traffic.
"Do those troopers recognize your car or something?" Lorna kept her eyes on the pursuers as pedestrians scattered from the sidewalks.
"Yeah, I guess working too much has its downsides. All the security and Dilinur's lackeys know my car," Xin said calmly as he pressed the gas pedal. "Plus, it's painted green. Not exactly favored in these parts."
The car surged forward, weaving between delivery drones and civilian vehicles.
Lorna's heart raced as she watched Xin maneuver through traffic. "Why is a green-colored car looked down upon?"
"In year '77, there was a rebellion to overthrow the Imperium and establish our own country - the Constitutional Republic. Their flag had a green sparrow and tree branch. So now, green has become associated with anti-Imperium sentiments," Xin explained, his voice tense but eyes focused on the road. He turned sharply, taking them down a narrow alley where laundry lines stretched between buildings. "Obviously, the rebels lost, or else I wouldn't have to pretend to be a happy, loyal Imperial."
"Lorna. Director Otis has authorized you to use weapons in public," Diego's voice came through the car's speakers with some static as they passed under a disruption field near a finance district. "Do be cautious. We don't want any accidents with the locals."
"Got it, Diego," Lorna nodded before looking at Xin. "Keep us steady. I'll shoot."
"Understood," he replied. "I'm lowering the windows."
Outside, the towering buildings cast shadows under the cloudy sky. The air smelled of ozone and industrial chemicals, with hints of street food from vendors closing their stalls as Imperial troops approached.
"Now, Xin!" Lorna called out. At her command, the windows slid down, exposing them to the chaos outside. The scenery blurred past, wind whipping Lorna's hair as the noise of the city rushed in.
"There you go!" Xin shouted over the noise, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as he took a sharp turn. Lorna's Quantum Watch hummed, displaying 'Taipei Financial Tower. Note: Anti-money Laundering (AML) regulations in effect'.
Lorna leaned out of the window, gripping her white 10mm Magnum in her left hand. She aimed at the red Hoverbikes, firing three shots at each one, disabling their propulsion systems. The gunshots echoed off glass and steel. Sparks erupted from the bikes as they fell back, the smell of burning electronics filling the air.
Four Hoverbikes dropped out of pursuit, their riders tumbling onto the pavement. But the rest continued, horns blaring as they weaved through traffic. One Bloodtrooper activated his targeting system, the red laser dot dancing across the back of their car.
"They're calling for reinforcements!" Xin warned, glancing at a holographic notification on his dashboard. "Imperial checkpoints are being established at all major intersections ahead."
"Then we need a shortcut," Lorna replied, scanning the area. "Any ideas?"
Xin nodded. "The old underground markets. Entrance coming up on the right – they were part of the rebellion's network. Not on any official maps."
He turned hard, sending them down a steep ramp that looked like a service entrance. The daylight vanished as they entered a dimly lit tunnel, their car's lights revealing abandoned stalls and faded revolutionary slogans on the walls. The low ceiling forced the Bloodtroopers to slow down as they followed.
A Hoverbike zoomed closer from the left, its rider pulling out a golden chain. "You won't escape, Alliance bitch!" His voice was distorted through his helmet, but the hatred was clear.
"Xin, get back!" Lorna yelled, eyes widening.
"Got it!" Xin pressed a button, his seat moving back to give Lorna a clear shot.
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Lorna aimed her pistol and fired seven quick shots. The rounds hit the Bloodtrooper's helmet one after another. The helmet cracked under the impact, and the trooper fell off his bike with a groan.
The unmanned bike crashed into a support column, exploding in sparks and flames that briefly lit up the underground market.
"Hard left here!" Xin called out, taking them through a narrow passage where the walls nearly scraped the car. "This leads to the old pneumatic transit system. It'll put us back on track."
The recoil made Lorna's wrist ache. She winced, massaging it as they entered a wider section of the underground. "Uh, I hate using guns."
"Why's that?" Xin asked, driving around a collapsed ceiling section. "You're pretty good with it."
"Psionics is cleaner," Lorna replied, checking her magazine. "Guns are... primitive. And the recoils, ugh."
Lorna put away her gun and rubbed her wrist again. "How many troopers left?"
Checking the rearview mirror, Xin answered, "Seven."
"Fuck." Lorna exhaled. "You Imperials work hard, I'll give you that."
"I suppose we do," Xin smiled grimly as they burst from the underground into the gray morning light. They emerged in an industrial area with massive cargo haulers on dedicated roadways. "That's why the rebellion failed. The Imperium just...never stops coming."
"In the Terra Alliance, though," Lorna leaned forward, watching the Bloodtroopers emerge from the tunnel behind them, "we prefer working smart."
"So I heard," Xin grinned as he drove onto a wide avenue leading to the Starport's perimeter. "What's it like?"
"Watch this," Lorna replied with a smile. She removed the magazine from her pistol, showing only 5 bullets remaining. She held up the dark teal magazine. "Luna, Custodem Fulminis."
The air around them grew cold as power surged through her body. Silver-blue light ran along her arm like lightning, gathering around the magazine. The hair on Xin's arms stood up from the electrical charge.
When her chant ended, the magazine was covered in a web of lightning. She threw it out the window onto the road behind them.
In the rearview mirror, Lorna saw the magazine explode into a network of electric bolts across the road. The remaining Bloodtroopers were caught in the chaos, their bikes shorting out on contact with the electric web. The riders abandoned their vehicles as the pile-up of disabled bikes was destroyed by a blast of blue energy.
The discharge was so powerful that nearby streetlights died and electronics in surrounding buildings went dark. Civilians watching quickly retreated indoors.
As they sped away, Lorna slumped in her seat, coughing with her eyes closed. Her skin felt clammy, and there was a metallic taste in her mouth – the aftermath of depleting her Aether.
"You okay, Lorna?" Xin asked with concern as he drove.
"Yeah…out of Aether," Lorna sighed, reaching into her coat for a vial of dark blue liquid. Taking a sip, she hummed as warmth spread through her body. She put the vial back in her pocket. "Hmm — much better."
"Indra-Sprite," Xin recognized the vial. "The New Indo-Pacific Union exports lots of it. I heard psionic people use it a lot?"
"We do," Lorna replied, leaning back tiredly. "It replenishes our Aether after casting powerful spells. How did you know it was Indra-Sprite?"
"I…joined a club at college once, hoping to become a psionic by drinking it," Xin admitted hesitantly.
Lorna giggled. "That's so silly. Kinda cute, though."
"I envy psionic people," Xin said. "You all can do such amazing things. I wish I had that kind of power."
"You don't want to be like us, trust me," Lorna muttered, looking out the window as they left the city and entered a thoroughfare to the Starport. "All these incantations do something to your brain. It's not fun."
"I see," Xin shifted in his seat. "If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm all ears."
An incoming call rang in the car, the dashboard flashing with an Imperial encryption code. Xin answered it, looking surprised and resigned. A hologram of a woman appeared between them, her black hair in an updo held by a red pin marking her rank in the Imperium.
"Well, well. It seems you Alliance scum are more capable than I gave you credit for," Dilinur taunted, her hologram showing an arrogant grin.
"We have the Moondust Crystal's data, Dinu. A rebellion is coming," Xin held up the flash drive in front of her hologram, his voice suddenly confident.
"Rebellion, Xin?" Dilinur responded coolly, her eyes narrowing. "You're just a thief assisting Alliance hypocrites. I thought better of you."
"Dinu, listen." Xin said intently. "If anyone in the Five Realms could stand up to the Imperium of Dragons, it's the Terra Alliance."
Dilinur's expression hardened. "I see you're truly, irredeemably insane."
"Dilinur. Why does Skarn have cybernetics?" Lorna leaned forward, changing the subject to spare Xin from threats. "The Svalbard Concordat of '93 specifically stated. You people were to keep him sealed after our combined forces took him down. Nothing else."
"It is not my place to decide what the Concordat demands of our Imperium. Or how we honor it," Dilinur smirked, though her eyes showed a flash of something – guilt or fear – before her arrogance returned. "We could have kept Skarn contained if you Alliance dogs hadn't invaded our territory today."
"Wrong. You were to seal him in his defeated state. Instead, you healed him back up and enhanced him." Lorna ground her teeth, still tasting the Indra-Sprite. "What game are you playing?"
"I will NOT discuss such important matters with an Alliance whore," Dilinur's smile disappeared, her voice turning menacing.
"You were experimenting on him," Lorna said with disgust. "Do you have any idea what you've unleashed?"
"What we've unleashed?" Dilinur laughed coldly. "The Concordat was a demonstration of the Imperium's mercy. We could have studied him, learned from him, harnessed his power. Instead, we honored your ridiculous demands to contain him."
"You've violated international law and endangered billions." Lorna snapped.
"International law, or just rules made up for the Alliance's benefits?" Dilinur leaned forward, her eyes intense. "Do not repeat your parents' stupid mistakes, Xin," her gaze shifted to him, "Step aside, or be squashed."
Before either could respond, Dilinur's hologram vanished, leaving a tense silence broken only by the hum of the fusion engine.
"Step aside or be squashed." Xin repeated bitterly, his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel revealing his true feelings. "Spoken like a true Imperium officer."
Lorna glanced at him, seeing the conflict on his face. She thought of her own lost family, and felt a surprising empathy for this Imperial who wasn't so different from her.
"We're almost at the Starport, right?" she said carefully. "You're doing the right thing. Just keep at it."
Xin nodded with determination as they approached the Starport's checkpoint. Ahead, Thomas and Emmanuel would be waiting with their escape route – if they could make it past whatever reception the Imperium had prepared for them.