Rev's Odyssey - R. R. Kaufman (booksvooks txt) 📗
- Author: R. R. Kaufman
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Erik smiled reluctantly.
Erik
Another excellent question. Over thousands of years people on Earth have asked the same question when confronted with war. Take down the leader, or defeat the army. I would say in your case, defeat her drokes. I have an idea. It requires altering the programming side of the chip. May I have your permission to do that, Rev?
Rev
On one condition. You teach me some more notes on the piano.
Erik erupted in laughter. They all agreed to meet later in the day to follow up the morning’s events.
Chapter 74
Razor stared out the big window towards Okay Bay. It looked empty where the Vulgaris once dropped anchor. It was pouring rain and dark. She could barely see anything. Vice entered the room.
Razor
Did you get it?
Vice
No problem. I scooped it from her before she knew what happened.
Razor
Okay then, let’s have it.
Razor looked at Vice with some doubt. She was not sure if Vice was hiding something but hoped he had redeemed himself.
Vice put Rev’s tiger amulet in Razor’s outstretched hand. She recognized it as Wolfie’s amulet. The exact same one he had made for her years ago when he declared his love for her. It didn’t take long before Razor had returned it to Wolfie, just missing his head, when she threw it at him.
Razor
Funny how things come back to you in life.
Vice
That’s Wolfie’s. You’ll never open it by force. It’s indestructible. I have an idea. Why don’t you try the same four-digit code that you used when you owned it?
Razor
You’re such a genius Vice…not. I’ll use my special program on the computer to analyze the compression of each digit. If I can find three or four digits that have been used more than the others I’ll have a good chance of opening it.
Razor pulled up her large camera attached to a metal arm beside her computer. She took a two-minute visual of all the angles of the locket. She let the computer do the work. Within seconds it showed the four numbers that were used more than the others.
Razor
I’ve got it. Think you’re so clever do you little Rev. There are now only twenty - four combos left. Give me a minute Vice.
Razor was quick to figure the final steps. After fourteen different tries the locked amulet clicked open. Razor stared silently for a few moments and then threw the locket at the window.
She grabbed Vice and slapped him hard across his face. Vice let out a long whimper like a wounded dog. He stumbled backwards.
Vice
What did you do that for?
Razor
It’s empty! I’m sick of being beaten by this little girl.
Vice
She’s big for her age.
Razor
Shut up!
Vice
I don’t get it mom. Rev will never figure out the importance of the chip.
Razor
She’s gotten this far hasn’t she? She destroyed the Vulgaris with the help of her friends. She wrecked the train. She managed to slip out of our fingers several times. She’s resourceful and a nasty piece of work. I want you to tell me everything that happened, step by step. Now hurry up and get me a drink and start talking. I want to know where my stolen chip is.
Vice could feel the negative vibes bounce off the walls. He knew he was in for a barrage of criticism from his mother. He’d been here plenty of times before. He tried his best. He recovered the amulet. The gold chip was supposed to be locked inside. What more did his mother expect? No more. He had enough verbal and physical abuse for one night.
He fixed his mother her usual drink. When he had his back to her, Vice slipped in about three of his anxiety pills. He handed the glass to his mother. He excused himself for a few minutes. Ten minutes later he came back and saw his mother slumped over the sofa, passed out. He placed a pillow behind her head and covered her with a blanket.
He washed out her glass and put it back on the table beside the sofa.
He slowly slumped to his room.
It was a beautiful sunny day when Rev, Cyna and Mars met Erik on a large balcony high up in the cargo container’s pyramid. They had finished eating and were enjoying some hot drinks. Rev was feeling much better from her ordeal. Everyone welcomed the fresh air and the tranquil scenery from their lofty viewpoint.
Erik handed the chip back to Rev. She put it into a small metal case as she placed it in her pocket and zipped it closed.
Erik
I programmed a self-destruct command on your chip. I didn’t change the Lux pattern on the other side. Razor’s master control computer contains the program chip that instructs her drokes. You must find a way to replace her chip with the one I altered. If you are successful, her drokes will be deactivated and destroyed.
Mars
Razor’s fortress is impenetrable. She has some kind of electrical coil around the steel pillars that support her upper dwelling. It’s on an island cliff and the metal box house is on an upper plateau that only she can access.
Erik
The metal box house sounds like where she would secure her computer control room with her command chip.
Mars
I believe it is.
Rev
We’ve come this far, uncle Mars. With my father and the people of Brix, we will find a way. It’s our only chance.
Erik
Good. Eagle Bluff and Crystal Falls will give you all the guidance and support that you need. Now concerning getting through the Lux my team has mapped out your route.
Erik unfolded a large piece of paper. It was a much larger copy of the gold chip. He placed it on a big square table. Everyone gathered around. In the middle of the diagram was a circle with circular pathways. This was the labyrinth. Surrounding it were right-angled pathways that formed a square maze. A red marking indicated the correct route through the maze to reach the middle of the labyrinth.
Erik
The middle circle on the chip is a labyrinth. The pathways surrounding the labyrinth is a maze.
Rev
What do they do?
Erik
It looks confusing, doesn’t it? It’s a puzzle. You have to find your way to the middle of the circle. That is your goal. According to the directions engraved on the outside of the Lux, the person attempting to gain entrance to the Lux has only eight minutes to reach the middle of the large circle.
Cyna
Or what?
Erik
You die.
Mars
So if we follow the red marking we’ll make it?
Erik
Yes. But you must study this route, memorize it and practice. I’ll give you a smaller copy to take with you. Without these directions it would be impossible to solve the puzzle before the eight minutes are up. That’s why so many have died trying to access the Lux.
Rev
So is this labyrinth and maze inside the Lux?
Erik
I’ve been over there several times to study it. The Lux is a magnificent giant orb that is suspended above an equally large square stone enclosure. It has two entrances. Now that I have seen Rev’s gold chip I know the entrance on the right is a false passageway. Take the left doorway as I have outlined on the map.
Mars
Our Lux is similar. A giant golden orb that floats over a large black stone with a doorway.
They sat for a while, each studying the detailed map of the threshold into the Lux. Nobody spoke.
This was it, thought Rev. Everything depended on their next plan of action. Focus on passing through the Lux. Defeating Razor was the ultimate goal but returning to Brix was the most important task at hand.
Erik was right. They had to memorize and practice the route through the maze and labyrinth until they could do it backwards. Once they entered the doorway there was no returning to the outside. It was all or nothing.
Chapter 76
An hour later they stood on an immense rock ledge below the snow line of Eagle Bluff. Hours before, Erik’s team had duplicated the chip’s maze and labyrinth design with white paint on the flat slab of rock. It was a life size model of what they could expect in the rock enclosure below the orb.
Red paint simulated the route they must take in and out of the passageways. Although it was two dimensional with no walls it was an accurate replica.
From a distance, high up, they clearly saw the red line make its course clockwise around the maze to the entrance of the labyrinth and finishing in the dead center. As the group stood at the starting point, at ground level, their perspective changed. It appeared totally different.
Rev led the way through the twisting passages, following the red line. Cyna and Mars kept close behind her. They repeated the course a dozen times, took a rest and then did it all over again for the remainder of the afternoon until it became second nature.
Erik watched over them and timed each practice run. They could do it in five minutes and twenty seconds. He called it a day and they returned to Eagle Bluff.
Famished, the group devoured a hearty meal and crashed for the evening.
Tomorrow would be one of the most crucial days of their lives.
Chapter 77
The next morning they did a few more practice runs through the makeshift course. Returning to the top Erik greeted them warmly.
Erik
I think you are as ready as you’ll ever be. Our spies say that Razor has repaired our stolen train and is ready to journey to Brix. Hopefully you’ll return before she does. I have a few necessary items to give you.
He handed each of them flashlights candles, matches and watches.
Erik
You can’t be prepared enough for your journey. We don’t know if there is a strong magnetic field that could make your batteries useless. That’s why I gave you the candles. And for you professor, I have something special.
Erik took a small book from his pocket and handed it to Mars. It contained numerous drawings of inventions and engineering. Mars was speechless. Finally he spoke.
Mars
I’ll treasure this forever. Thank you and your people for everything.
Erik
Hopefully we will meet again. Safe journey my friends.
Rev
I’ll come back another time. You promised me a piano lesson.
Rev and Cyna hugged him.
They all looked back and waved to Erik as the cable car moved slowly down the mountain.
Chapter 78
Along with their guide, Rev, Cyna and Mars reached the harbor of Lux Crossway within an hour after stepping out of the cable car.
The guide helped them board a small sailboat. A distance away, they could make out the tall cliffs surrounding the island mountain of the Lux.
Rev felt refreshed as the waves splashed against the dinghy and sprayed her face. She was born to be near water. How she longed to be back in Genus.
She glanced over to her mother. Mars had his arm around Cyna and
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