Unstable Prototypes by Lallo Joseph

Author:Lallo, Joseph
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: action, future, space, sci fi, mad scientist
Publisher: Joseph Lallo

Chapter 18

Had Lex and the others been approaching University Heights from a higher altitude – or in any sane way, for that matter – what they were seeing wouldn't have come as a shock. As it was, the state of the university complex was absolutely devastating. The detonation had been little more than a loud sound and a bright light back at the Pavilion, but that was a long way away. The colleges had been directly below the site of the explosion, and its impact was far less superficial. Here and there, buildings were smoking and damaged. There were half-collapsed structures scattered across the campus. From the looks of it, some of the damage had been caused by chunks of debris raining down from above; fragments of whatever it was that had been destroyed by the blast. Most of the destruction was due to countless vehicle collisions. The sidewalks were nearly clear of people. Those who remained out in the open had collapsed, their skin raw, as though they had been doused by scalding water. The few able-bodied people were helping the injured to shelter.

"What the hell happened here?" Jon uttered.

"I guess that flash was a lot worse here. Like... Instant sunburn or something," Lex said.

"What about all of the vehicles? And why aren't there emergency crews in here?" Jon stammered.

"Maybe the police scanner has something," Michella said.

She snatched up the device, which had remained active but muted once the camera went on. With a few taps at the display, she began flicking through the text logs of the transmissions they'd missed.

"Here's something. It was just a minute or two ago," she said, tapping a log and switching on the speakers for replay.

What played was a short exchange between a dispatcher and an officer.

"We've got a Duchess sedan that appears to be under manual control making its way to the cordon. Request permission to continue pursuit, in the event he breaches the no-entry zone."

"Negative. We are in communication with the terrorist leader. They have informed us that they are in possession of a second warhead of equal power. They say they will activate it unless we maintain a minimum radius of five hundred meters, centered on the Weston University Center for Material Sciences. If the first one could take out the primary defense and automation node for the sector in one hit, I don't want to risk setting one off on the surface, especially not in the Heights."

"What if he makes it through the cordon?"

"Make sure that doesn't happen."

She stopped the replay.

"Trev, I think you'd better get out of sight!" she said urgently.

"Way ahead of you," Lex said, quickly directing the car to a courtyard between two tall academic halls.

The hovercar had not yet come to a stop when Jon popped the door, tore off the restraints, and tumbled desperately onto the ground. The camera was still clutched to his chest as he lay on his back. Michella climbed out a moment later, her eyes poring over the text of a flood of dispatches on the scanner.

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