S2, 12 Fight or Flight (FB) (September 10, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**28th July 2095: Present Day**

Barnaby: “I don’t know what you’re doing with your life at the minute, Frank. But please, whatever it is, whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it. Live life to the fullest, because you never know what might happen. But on the other hand, don’t do anything that you might live to regret. You never know when your past might come back to haunt you.”

I nodded in understanding. I was about to speak again but after looking at the other man’s face, I knew something was wrong.

Barnaby: “You need to get going.” He told me, looking at something over my shoulder.

Tank: “What? Why?”

Barnaby: “They know you’re here. Go! Now!” he got up as quickly as he could and I turned around just in time to see the windows explode inwards in a hail of glass as numerous Wasps flew towards us.

I dropped to the ground, taking shelter behind the chair as we were shot at.  Barnaby cried out in pain and collapsed, slumped against the sofa.

I looked at him urgently.

Barnaby: “I’ll be fine!” he shouted over the collected roar of the Wasp’s beating wings and the shattering glass. “Just go!” he urged.

I wanted to stay and help him, but I knew that if I was caught, it would be the end. The end of everything I’d set out to do.

There was a soft *thud* as a pair of boots landed on the carpet nearby. I drew my pistols and leapt out of cover, charging towards the Wasp who had entered the room. I sent out random volleys of covering fire and then tackled the intruder to the ground. We fought for a few seconds before I overpowered him and managed to knock him out. I was just about sheltered here from the hail of bullets heading my way and knew I had to make a quick get-away. If I ran for the door, I’d have to cross half of the room with my back to the Wasps, which didn’t sound like a favourable option. My only other option was…

I yanked the wing pack off of the guy I’d knocked out and swung them around my own shoulders onto my back.

I’d never used anything like them before but I quickly glanced at the controls and mentally thought, ‘How hard can it be?’ before activating them and leaping out of the window.

My plan of taking them by surprise seemed to work as the nearest ones all dodged out of my way before realising what they’d done. But by then, my wings had kicked in and I was flying away.

It was terrifying! I was a long way above the city streets far below, but normally that didn’t bother me! Not when I was encased in a metal can of a ship! But now, exposed to the elements with only a seemingly flimsy pair of mechanised wings strapped to my back, I was scared half to death!

But being scared *half* to death was preferable to being fully dead, which is what I’d likely be if the Wasps caught me. Lasers were still flying past me as I flew and a quick glance behind confirmed that they were in pursuit.

Voice: “Frank Foster! In the name of the Galactic Imperium, you are under arrest!” a voice boomed from somewhere behind me. It was difficult to hear with all the wind rushing past but he seemed to be using some sort of magnification device to be heard. “Land now so that you can be taken into custody! Further resistance will result in your termination!”

I glanced back as I flew and caught a glimpse of the distinctive helmet of their Commander. Rockholme, I was pretty sure I’d heard his name to be.

I didn’t reply. I could really, even if I’d wanted to. A, because he wouldn’t have heard me. B, because I was afraid if I opened my mouth I’d take in too much air…

Or swallow a fly or something.

The lasers resumed flying past me so I assumed that Rocksholme had decided that I wasn’t going to land.

I cranked my wings up to full speed and had to squint through the air rushing past me. Now I knew why those guys wore helmets!

I knew I had to lose them. They were much more skilled than me on these things and had a lot more experience. Simply trying to fly away wasn’t going to work. So I suddenly took a sharp left between two buildings and then continued weaving in and around the buildings of New York City.

However, it didn’t seem to work. They were still hot on my tail. I didn’t even need to turn around to know that, I could tell because lasers were still narrowly missing me!

I decided to try and lose them in the busy crowds and so took a dive, heading down to street level. I pulled up, just in time! , and zoomed along the road between the hover cars. I darted in between them, causing many horn honks and angry shouts from drivers and then curved around a corner, only to find myself in Times Square!

I couldn’t decide if this was a blessing or a curse because I could surely lose the Wasps among the crowds of tourists, but on the other hand, I was still being shot at and I couldn’t bear the thought of innocent people being hurt because of me.

So I didn’t stay down among the crowds any longer than I had to. As soon as I could I pulled up and began weaving in and out of the buildings again.

But no matter what I did, I just couldn’t seem to shake them! Now I knew why they had such a reputation!

I carried on zooming along and quickly passed through the Rockefeller Center Complex. I furiously racked my brains trying to think of a smart way to elude them, however nothing came to me. Instead, the only thing I could think of was to start firing back.

Brawn over brains. Unusual for me.

I rolled onto my back so that I could look behind me and pulled out my blasters again. I began firing back but my shots were easily dodged by the experienced soldiers.

I grimaced as one of their shots flew by, stupidly close to my face and rolled over again to concentrate on where I was going. I kept firing randomly backwards as I went and swear I actually heard somebody cry out as though they’d been hit.

I’d managed to get a little bit of distance between us now, but if I rested up for even a second they’d be swarming me again. But now I had a bit of playing room, more ideas came to me.

I banked left and brought myself in almost a full circle around a towering skyscraper. The tail end of the Wasps was still passing down the street I’d been flying along before I made the turn, and was now directly ahead of me.

I opened fire and one of them dropped from the sky. I swung my legs up in front of me and kicked full-force into another, sending him smashing through a window of the building behind him.

I used that same kick to push myself off again and flew up and away over a rooftop, still being pursued.

I glanced behind to see that Rocksholme and the others were still right there on my tail. I looked back where I was going, but as I did so, pain flashed through my left arm as I was hit by a shot.

I cried out and lost control of my wings. I managed to re-gain control just enough to bring myself to a rough landing on a rooftop, stumbling as I did so. I clutched at my bleeding arm. It wasn’t broken but I couldn’t tell how bad the injury was and I didn’t have time to examine it either.

I roared and opened fire on the oncoming GI flies. Now that I was stationary, I could aim a lot better and managed to shoot down several as they approached.

Rocksholme obviously gave an order because they split in two and flew in different directions, presumably trying to attack me from both sides.

I dived for cover behind an air conditioning unit as the lasers began to fly again. I took a couple of careful shots round the side of the metal box to ward off one of the groups. I actually succeeded in catching one of them and he dropped like a rock out of view.

Suddenly the shooting stopped.

Rocksholme: “Foster! Surrender! We have you outgunned!” his voice boomed and I took a quick glance around the unit to see the Commander stood across the rooftop from me.

I used the momentary lull in the fighting to catch my breath and to try and come up with an escape plan. I needed some sort of distraction. It would have been perfect if I could have called Tracks but my comlink was in my satchel back at Barnaby’s place! I really hoped he was okay, but I didn’t have the time to worry about him right now. I was too busy trying to keep myself alive.

If only I had that satchel. I could have thrown a grenade at them or planted a detpack or somethi…. *Wait*! That was it!

As quietly as I could I wrenched open the access panel on the air-con unit and began tinkering with the wires.

Rocksholme: “Last chance!” he shouted and at the same time I also heard lots of gentle <i>thud</i>s as the rest of his men all landed. Whether as part of the plan to capture me or to save the battery life on their wings, I didn’t know. Maybe both.

I didn’t respond, just continued working as fast as I could inside the unit.

I finished just in time to hear Rocksholme command his men to advance on my position.

Not bothering to replace the panel and anxious to get away as fast as I could, I leapt into the air backwards, towards the edge of the roof, my wings automatically kicking in, and fired randomly at the approaching troops as I went. They were just a meter or so from the unit now and started firing back in surprise.

I turned in the air to fly away as fast as I could.

And just in time!

The air-con unit exploded, throwing the Wasps in all directions. Dead or alive, I didn’t know and didn’t quite care at the minute. I was hopeful that I’d finally gotten away, however, through the explosion came two last lasers – both of which hit me.

I screamed as one tore through my right leg and the other hit me to the right side of my back, frying that wing and sending pain radiating through my torso.

The wings froze and I began to slowly arch downwards. My eyes were welling up but the wind was ripping away the moisture as quickly as it formed. Without power to the wings, all I could do was glide, but I had to make sure I got a safe enough distance from the explosion to hopefully finally lose any survivors.

But the pain spreading through my body was threatening to overcome me now and I could feel my eyes growing heavy. My downward arch became steeper and I started losing altitude fast.

I spotted a dark alley nearby and twisted towards it. It was painful to do so, but I knew I had to reach the ground. If I collapsed on a rooftop I’d have no way of getting down. I strained through the pain to pull up and lose some speed as I hurtled into the alley, trailing a thin plume of smoke, but it was no use. I both mentally and physically braced myself for the impact as I hit the ground hard.

My injured leg buckled beneath me and I fell flat onto my face, still being dragged forwards by the momentum of my fall.

I could feel my face being torn at by the rough ground as I scraped along on my belly, until finally I came to a stop.

I couldn’t move. I was sure I had bones broken and had no idea what damage had been done by the lasers.

Through my swollen eyes I could see a busy road at the end of the alley, not far away, but nobody had seen me come down. Nobody was going to come and help.

I had to get up, get to the road to seek help.

But that was my last thought before the pain took over and my eyes closed, leaving me in the darkness of unconsciousness.

**BONUS IMAGES:**

The set for Uncle Barnaby's apartment.

The apartment set from the other side.

The rooftop set.

The alleyway set.

The trash bin - I was really pleased with this!

The bin from the other side.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE