"Get up and dig, worm!" "You've got to slow down, Grandfather." "You're too old to keep up this pace." "I've been digging for 70 years, Elan." "Slowing down will only prolong my suffering." "Orin, don't." "You won't survive doing the work of two." "For the prettiest girl in the world, I'd do the work of ten." "No talking!" "The gods forbid it." "Water, water!" "Water, water!" "Water!" "Leave him be." "He's no use to anyone now." "Orin!" "Orin!" "Orin!" "Zygon, Zygon!" "Zygon!" "On your knees!" " Zygon!" " Zygon!" "The gods of the Mineworld are angry." "They have kept you alive since the beginning of time and ask very little in return." "The Furnace of Life cries out in hunger." "You must feed more crystals, or its life-giving energy will burn out forever." "So dig harder or die!" "Pick up your gifts and get back to work." "Stop that!" "Stop!" " Watch out!" " Out of my way!" "What is it, Orin?" "Oh, my God!" "What's wrong, Hopps?" "I thought it was only a myth, but" "Remember what the mine masters say." "We're supposed to give them any" "Not a word!" "They must not get this!" "But what is it?" "Hide it!" "Why aren't you working?" "No." "No, no, no!" "My eyes!" "Madman." "The sword, the sword!" "Up... up there..." "Grandfather!" "Why?" "!" "He's gone!" "I have no one now!" "You have me." "He died for no reason, Orin." "No, Elan." "Hopps sacrificed his life for us." "But why?" "I don't know." "But whatever Hopps was trying to tell us had something to do with this." "It's alive!" "Lf, in the distant future, someone hears these words, perhaps it is not too late." "These dark corridors are not your true home." "There is a world above, a magnificent universe to which you can return, if you have the courage." "He who possesses this sword, possesses the power of truth." "Find the blade, and you will find your freedom." "He's gone!" " A world above?" " I don't know." "Freedom?" "Lies!" "All lies!" "But why would anyone lie about an upper world, Raymo?" "By believing the words of that demon, you spit on the most sacred commandment-"Never dig up."" "Up is Hell." "What if the commandments are wrong?" "What if there is a world beyond our own?" "By not trying to find it, we could spend the rest of eternity digging and dying when there... when there may be something else." " What else could there be?" " I don't know." "But on my grandfather's grave I swear, if there's a world above..." "I will find it." "Who's with me?" "No one's going with you." "I'm turning you both in to the mine masters for speaking out against the gods." "Now, give me that evil thing!" "Orin?" "I'm all right, Kallie." "If Raymo tells the mine masters, you will be killed, Orin." "In that case, I might as well die trying to find the upper world." "We'll go together, Elan." "I'll go with you, too." "You'll have to be with us in spirit, Kallie." "It's too dangerous for one as young as you." "I'm not too young." "You don't want me because I can't see." "Don't leave me, Orin." "I'll die without you." "You'll do just fine." "Aunt Bella will look after you." "But what if you" "What if you don't come back?" "I'll come back, Kallie." "I promise." "I love you, little digger." "Hey, you there!" "Back to work!" "Orin?" "Elan?" "Orin?" "It's all right, Kallie." "We're here." "You almost got yourself killed, you little fool." " You forgot the food!" " Hey, you worm!" "Why aren't you working?" "Quick!" "Get in the ore cart!" "Hurry!" "After them!" "Run, Kallie, run!" "Stop, worms, stop!" "Jump now!" "Quick, under the crystals!" "Engine systems crew." "All processing robots to Unloading Bay Two." "All processing robots to Unloading..." " Where are we?" " I don't know." "Thirty-three megatons of crystal to the Darbang system ready for shipping." "No!" "No, keep going!" " Zygon!" " My congratulations." "You now know what only one other slave has known in the last 1,200 years." "And like him, you will die with the secret." "You might as well know the rest of the lie." "Behold the great god of Mineworld!" "Stop!" "No." "The sword with no blade!" "Where did you get this?" "I'm afraid it won't be of any use to you now." "Watch out for the crystals!" "If there is a world above, I'll find it for you, Elan." "Never mind me." "Kill the boy!" "A fitting grave for a slave of Trinia." "Never dig up." "Up is Hell." "What have you got to tell me this time, old man?" "Is this your magnificent universe?" "It's not a lie!" "It's not a lie!" "A human." "I want his hair." "Let go!" "I get his arm." "Get your claws off him, you greedy swamp scum." "Maybe the fleshy boy doesn't want to give up his body parts." " Do you?" " No." "Well, that's just too bad." "Because we're going to take them anyway." "I'm sorry I escaped." "I'll go back!" "Shut up, human." "Your brain must have worms eating it." "It makes no sense." "Careful, you're bruising his arm." "This is mine!" "Mine, mine!" "You'll get what I give you." "Now... who wants his teeth?" "Gold jewels!" "Give me that!" "No!" "I found it!" "Let me see." "It's mine!" "It's mine!" "Let me have it, or I'll cut your hump off!" "Ahk?" "You!" "You're doing this!" " This is human magic." " No!" "I didn't!" "Yes, you're right." "It is human magic." "I can kill you the same as I killed the other two." "Stop!" "Bring me the magic object." "Have it your way." "How do you want to die?" "I bring, I bring!" "Good." "Now wave it just beyond my right hand." "He's killed everyone." "He's dangerous." "Dangerous?" "I'll wear his feet!" "You've got exactly ten seconds to tell me what you're doing in this swamp, or you'll be swimming with those two mandroids." "What in the hell are you doing?" "Now start talking." "I came... from Mine..." "Damn!" "I knew you were a smuggler." "Where's your ship?" "Ship?" "Don't play dumb with me." "Nobody takes crystals out on foot." "Crystals?" " You know of the Mineworld?" " The what?" "The world where I came from, where we mine the crystals." "Who mines the crystals?" "We all do." "At least, I did until I came up here." "Your tongue moves faster than a water snake's, kid." "Everyone from here to the Glass Nebula knows that robots have done all the mining for the last thousand years." " What's a robot?" " Cut the crap!" "Now I want the truth." "And fast." " How in the hell did you" " I'm not sure." "Yeah, well, thanks anyway." "Now beat it, kid." "I've got work to do." "Please!" "I need your help!" "I promised Kallie I'd come back for him." "Listen, Water Snake, I saved you, you saved me." "We're even." "Now beat it!" "I beg your pardon?" "I wasn't talking to you, Arthur." "They pumped up security." "Any sign of that patrol ship yet?" "Arthur?" "Are you talking to me?" "Well, who the hell do you think I'm talking to?" "Well, why don't you make up your mind?" "Don't worry about the patrol." "I'll let you know as soon as I spot it." "Get away from me!" "Damn starfly!" "Hey, get out of here!" "What are they?" "They're pests, like you." "Dagg?" "What is it?" "The pyramid patrol ship will be at your present location in about 32.9 seconds." "Thirty seconds?" "Why the hell didn't you warn me sooner?" "I tried!" "But something was fouling my signal." "Come on, there's a patrol coming!" " What's a patrol?" " Damn!" "Well, don't just sit there, Arthur!" "Blast those bastards!" ""Keep the shields down," he says." ""There won't be any shooting."" "Where is he?" "He's not anywhere, he's the ship's computer." "I wish you'd stop calling me a computer, Dagg." "It's so impersonal!" "After all, your body's just a machine made of flesh and blood." "How would you like it if I went around calling you meat brain?" "Strap yourself in." "Suit yourself." "Take us out of here, Arthur." "You could say "please," you know." "What is that?" "That, my little Water Snake, is where I'm about to do my business." "The largest rubidimite shipping complex on planet Trinia." "What the hell did we hit?" "Just the base security shield." "Damn!" "I never fly low enough." "...riding in eastern base." "Level 9, prepare for tractor B boarding." "Sir." "We've got a low altitude unscheduled entry coming in from the swamp." "Sounds like mandroids." "They're probably running out of body parts." "The gunners will enjoy the target practice." "General alert." "All stations prepare for minimal low level attack." "Sighting frequencies are locking on to us, Dagg." "I hope you've got a good plan this time." "Give 'em a light show, Arthur." "Not that again!" "The last time we tried decoy laser fire, I got my aft panels vaporized!" "Arthur!" "Heads up, kid." " I told you it wouldn't work." " What's happening?" "Just a little welcoming fire." "Hang on." "Oh, great!" "They've got an atomic watchdog sitting right on the doorstep." "Damn!" "We need more muscle!" "I've got to find a way to knock it out." "And there it is." "Touché!" "Stow it, Arthur." "We're not home free yet." "Blasted Security Section!" "Why don't they ever tell anybody about their damn drills!" "Keep an eye on the kid, Arthur." "Don't let him out of your sight." "I'm not a babysitter, you know." "Okay, guys." "Just the way we practiced it." "Number One, you lead." "Excuse me, sir, I'm Number Three." "He's One." "Never mind!" "Let's move it!" "Hit the deck!" "Damn!" "They've strengthened the access doors." "You got any bright ideas how we can get through that door?" "Sorry, sir." "I'm programmed for tactical, not engineering." "Bargain robots!" "Damn!" "Arthur!" "Get off your butt and fly underneath that Marcabian transport ship." "And no back talk!" "That's good." "Now open the upper cargo doors." "This better work." "Move, and you're dead." "Zygon!" " Arthur." " Yes?" "Take us down." "I'm afraid that won't be possible." "You see, I'm programmed to respond only to" "I said take us down!" "Consider it done." "The penalty for rubidimite smuggling is death." "You!" "Kid, no!" "We've got to get back to the ship if we can!" "No!" "I'll kill him first!" "Get down, kid!" "Who the hell ordered this drill?" "Come on, kid!" "This is our ticket out of here." "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Take your human hands off me!" "Get us out of here, Arthur, fast!" "It is him." "The Kha-Khan has returned." "You'll never get away with this." "Crystal smuggling is an interplanetary offense." "And so is kidnapping." "Stop that!" "You have no right to go probing around inside me." "You don't want me because I can't see." "Don't leave me, Orin." "I'll die without you." "If there's a world above, I'll find it for you, Elan." "Arthur, where the hell are the personality circuits on these G-2 fembots?" "According to the "Internal Schematics Manual"" "of the G-2 class government service fembot, all personal characteristic circuits are located in her" "In" "You're definitely looking in the wrong place." "Well, where are they?" "They're in her... posterior." "You wouldn't dare." "Help, help!" "Why do you risk your life stealing crystals?" "Because, my little Water Snake, the tax collectors of this galaxy turn an honest worker into a slave." "Rubidimite crystals are the main source of fuel for the Bordogon fleet." "There." "That should do it." "Hi." "That's more like it." "Has anyone ever told you that you're awfully cute for a meat body?" "Security ran a crosscheck on the make of that space cruiser along with the description of the pilot." " His name is Dagg Dibrimi." " Good." "I'll take it from here." "All units, security code red." "Name-Orin." "Target is young, male, human, carrying a golden hilt, traveling in civilian service class ship, type H, registered to Dagg Dibrimi." "Use any means to locate." "Once you have the hilt, the boy is to be vaporized." "Kid, this is Toga-Togo, the thickest den of thieves this side of Bordogon." "When are we going to Trinia?" "I've got to find the blade." "Fat chance, Water Snake." "I've got my own business to take care of." "Then let me out." "I'll find my own way back." "You'll walk, huh?" "Fifty million miles through a vacuum?" "Stick around, Water Snake." "That blade of yours may be right here." "Let's have those landing lights, Arthur." "Keep an eye on the Starchaser, Arthur." "And if anyone goes near the cargo hold, you have my permission to blow them into stardust." "Where are we going, Dagg?" "I'd rather not tell you." "It's a surprise." "Well, this is where we part." "I hope you find your talking blade." "But what do I do?" "Where do I go?" "Figuring that out, my little Water Snake, is what life is all about." "225 once, 225." "Who'll give me 250?" "250." "Do I hear 250?" "I don't have 250." "You, how about getting those heads together and giving me 250?" "No 250?" "All right, 225 once, 225 twice, sold!" "Z'Gork!" "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." "G-2?" "Where'd you get a government fembot?" "Never mind that." "How much for her?" "No!" "On consignment?" "Don't touch me." "Fifteen percent of whatever she brings." "I'll be back in an hour." "Don't waste your tears on me, honey." "You'll rust." "Here." "Look." "Dagg, my friend!" "It has been ages!" "Not long enough, Magreb." "Some men are honest, some men are thieves." "Only Dagg Dibrimi is both." "What brings you to the slums of Toga-Togo?" " Money." " What else?" "I've got a load of crystal hot off the pyramid." " How much?" " Twenty tons." "Half a million, and it's yours." "For you, I pay special price." "Two hundred thousand." "Take it or leave it." "Looks like I'm not the only thief in Toga-Togo." "There'll be a ship waiting to pick it up in the Vagee Desert at noon tomorrow." "One of my nosey men thought they saw you with a young boy this evening." "My girls do not excite you anymore?" "You know what to do." "Fortunes?" "Futures revealed?" "Five starbacks." "You are lost, yes?" "And are searching for something of great meaning." "Yes!" "How did you know?" "How does the flower know to bloom?" "How do the stars know to shine?" "Can you tell me where I'll find the blade?" "Such is not an easy task." "But I believe I can help you." "The path to your goal is paved with danger." "It is uncertain whether you have the strength to survive such a journey." "Tell me, please!" "You will find what you are looking for in the darkest regions of the Novaluna rain forest." "Thank you." "No!" "Let me go!" "Don't!" "Silica?" " Please!" " Come on, honey, this won't hurt a bit." "That's five starbacks!" "Please, I need your help." "That'll be five starbacks." "In advance." "Ladies and germs, next up for the bidding is this young 200-year-old fembot, the perfect work slave for the most discerning of masters." "Who'll start the bidding at 500 starbacks?" "500, do I hear 500?" "250!" "She's worth more than that junked." "Who'll go 400?" "I've got to have her, Mizzo." "She looks like she'd make a wonderful housemaid." "Your father told me never to bring you here, miss." "This isn't the best part of town, you know?" "How will I explain to him if you take home another robot?" "Silica!" " 400!" " Wait!" "It's a mistake!" "She isn't a slave!" "Orin, help me!" "If you want her, young man, you'll have to bid for her, or else I'll have you thrown out of here." "400, we got 400." "You with the 14 noses, you'd think with such a bargain, you'd be able to sniff it out." "Who'll give me 450?" "450, 450." " 450." " 500." "We got a 500." "Come on, all you people out there." "500 for this wonderful sample of a fembot?" " 550." " 550." "We got a 550." " Who'll make it 6?" " 600!" "600, we got 600." "Who'll go 650?" "650, do I hear 650?" "650." "7." "We got a 700, 700, who- 750!" " 800." " 800  850!" " 850, 850- 1,000!" "2,000!" " You're crazy!" " I can't believe it, 2,000!" "It's unbelievable, I'm getting 2,000." "Going once, going twice, sold!" "Well, how much did we get?" "A mere 2,000 starbacks." "2,000!" "Who the hell bought her, the governor?" "No." "This fine young gentleman." "Water Snake!" "They tried to take Silica!" "I got her back for you." "How would you like to pay for that?" "Starbacks or gold?" "What's a starback?" "If you can't pay, then I own you." "It's the law." "Sorry, kid." "It's the law." "Hold it, Z'Gork!" "You're some practical joker, Dagg." "For a while there you almost had me fooled." "Yeah." "You two, follow them!" "Can you run as quickly as you screw things up, Water Snake?" "What?" "Arthur, open her up!" "Market Transport 33517 arriving at eastern base." "Level 9, prepare for tractor B boarding." "The Phi Antara system will be secured within two weeks." "As soon as our forces return from Raya and Horbinot, we'll be ready for the final action." "Major Tagani, what's the status of Dibrimi and the boy?" "They've escaped our men in Toga-Togo, but the secret police have a lead on them." "Do I have to program every robot myself?" "Send out a sub-frequency order to all mechanicals in this sector." "I want that boy found and destroyed at all costs." "If I may, sir, why all the fuss over one boy?" "Twelve hundred years ago, there was just one." "This time, there will be no mistakes." "I will not fail." "Novaluna rain forest?" "Forget it, kid." "I haven't got enough time to make it to the Vagee Desert, let alone go on some wild-goose chase to Novaluna." " But I" " Gotta find the blade, I know." "Don't you ever think of anything else?" "Like warp racing or girls?" "I think of my brother." "And Elan." "Elan?" "Oh, your girlfriend, huh?" "Why don't I take you to her after I'm done in the desert?" "She's..." "She's dead." "Sorry, Water Snake." "Zygon killed her." "Oh, now don't start that again." "You're late!" "Well, the Vagee's not exactly a sandbox." "You have the crystals?" "You have the money?" "Okay, Arthur, blow the ballast." "Sorry to dump and run." "Just a moment." "You are the one called Orin?" "He's worth a million starbacks." " Dead or alive." " Way overpriced." "We could cut you in for a third." "Nobody's life could be worth more than that." "Not even yours?" "If we both don't walk out of here in the next few seconds, my ship is programmed to blow the crap out of this tent." "Just a thought." "Sand in the wind." "Step lively, kid." "I don't trust those guys as far as I can blast them." "Why didn't you sell me, Dagg?" "You could have got back the money I owe you." "Those cutthroats would have peeled you like a grape." "Looks like you're my good luck charm, Water Snake." "I didn't think we were going to get out of there alive." "Now where the hell did he come from?" "Will somebody get rid of that energized pest?" "He's fouling my instruments!" "What?" "What are you doing?" "No." "I think it's trying to tell us something." "Dagg, I think those desert men gave us more than gold." " Damn!" " It's a time bomb!" "Don't just stand there, get rid of it!" "Bastards!" "Any second now." "I'd pay half my share to see the look on the big one's face when he's blown into cosmic dust." "They were here less than an hour ago." "It won't be long now." "All right, all right, I'll take you to Novaluna." "Can the blind be made to see in your world?" "Sometimes." "And it's not my world." "I hope some day my little brother can see your world." "I'm going back for him." "As soon as I find the blade." "Lunchtime!" "What the hell?" "!" "I thought I told you to stay clear of the treetops, Arthur." "We're nowhere near the treetops!" "That was just a warning shot." "Reduce speed and prepare for boarding." "Don't bother with the shields." "That 'bot's about to get a laser enema." "Dusted the little bugger!" "Nice going, Dagg." "You just fell for the oldest trick in the book." "If you're so smart, why didn't you warn me?" "Mounted one and two, move in." "They've got the whole damn force after us." "There's only one thing we can do." "Good idea." "I'll transmit our surrender." "Nobody's surrendering!" "We're gonna play a little game of chicken with them." "You're joking!" "Five behind us, Dagg!" " Give me full retros, Arthur." " I'll do no such thing." "Give it everything you've got, Arthur." "We've got to make it over those mountains." "Dagg!" "I'm hurt!" "Try to keep your systems functioning, Arthur." "Just give me time to land this thing." "Come on, Arthur, just a few more seconds." "I think I'm dying, Dagg." "If there's a Heaven for computers, I" "I'll be thinking of you." "Zygon will want this one for questioning." "Whoa, you organic beast!" "Really, Miss, next time I hope you let me take a gravity cycle." "The boy from the auction!" "Bordogon security has an all-points on him." "I'll radio them at once." "You do, and you'll be a sanitation robot for the next 500 years." "We'll take him back to the palace." " But Miss!" " Now!" "Are you all right?" "Elan?" "My name is Aviana." "Who are you?" "I'm Orin." "Where am I?" "You're in the most heavily guarded bedroom in this star system, so don't get any ideas." "Ideas?" "About what?" "Judging by the ridiculous sums you spend on surplus fembots," "I guess the police have good reason to be tracking you." "Police?" "Dagg!" "You better take it easy." "Who was Elan?" "A friend." " From the mines." " The crystal mines?" "So you're a crystal runner!" "Had a friend on the inside, huh?" "Yes." "But Dagg said everyone knows there are no humans in the mines." "How is it that you know about my people?" "Your people?" "What are you talking about?" "I dug my way up from the Mineworld." "The hilt said that" " Is this what you're looking for?" " Careful!" "I think the crash scrambled your brains!" "Humans in the mines!" "My father would never allow it!" " Who is your father?" " Why, Morbro, of course." "Morbro?" "Supreme Governor of the Bordogon system." "Don't tell me you've never heard of him!" "I'm getting sick and tired of never understanding." "Where is the truth you promised?" "Shall I take him to the police now, Miss?" "No!" "My planetary history lessons!" " What?" " Come on!" "Try to imagine a needle the thickness of a human hair slowly thrust between your eyes and penetrating your skull." "I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you." " Ready, sir." " Last chance, Mr. Dibrimi." "Where is the boy?" "I told you, we all crashed together." "That was the last I saw of him." "Where is the boy?" "I don't know." "I swear I don't know." "Religious myth." "Entry number 111.3." ""The Book of Kha-Khan."" "I knew it was in here!" "Tell us about this." "According to "The Book of Kha-Khan,"" "1,200 years ago, a human possessing a golden hilt was reported to have crushed a planetary dictatorship which spanned 52 solar systems." "It's him!" "The face on the blade!" "Six hundred years later, another possessed of a bladeless sword freed Galaxy 13 from a tyrant by the name of Nexus, who attempted to enslave the entire population with electronic mind control." "I must find the blade!" "Tell me where it is." "Please!" "There is no record of the blade's continued existence since the defeat of Nexus." "It was presumed lost after the final battle on Trinia." "Trinia?" "But where on Trinia?" "There is no record of the blade's continued existence since the defeat..." "I've got to get back to Trinia." "A hilt." "And humans in the mine." "My father can help you!" "Begging your pardon, Miss, but he is a wanted man." "Your father would likely have him arrested and ask questions later." "If my father can't help us, we'll just have to help ourselves." "Mizzo, fuel up the ship." "We're going to Trinia." "Sir, an unscheduled craft just came out of sub-space on arrival coordinates." "Identity scan indicates it's a personal transport belonging to..." "Supreme Governor Morbro!" "Route it through." "I'll alert Zygon." "Are you sure this will work?" "Trust me." "This is a restricted area." "No one may enter without prior permission from the Commissioner of Mining." "I think we better leave, Miss." "Show him the search warrant." "I'm sorry, this is a restricted area." "No one may enter without prior permission" "Mizzo, shoot him!" " But Miss!" " I said shoot him!" " I hope you know what you're doing." " So do I." "Let me try." "There must be an elevator to the mine around here somewhere." "Oh, Commissioner, I'm glad you're here." "Orin, tell Commissioner Zygon what you told me." "I don't have to tell him." "He knows all about the humans in the mines." "Put down the hilt, boy." "The game is over." "His story of the mine is just a clever diversion." "We've already caught his partner." "Dibrimi, isn't it?" "He confessed everything about the crystal raid and your little escapade in the Vagee Desert." "Orin, is it true?" "Murderer!" "No!" " You?" "A robot?" " No." "Not just a robot." "I am the robot." "Nexus!" "The young Kha-Khan is perceptive for a human." "I have been putting the pieces back together for over a thousand years." "Mizzo, blast him!" "You'll never succeed, Zygon." "It would take millions of robots hundreds of years to take over the system." "You are as blind as you are mortal, my dear." "I not only have millions of robots, they have been slowly taking over for the last 12 centuries." "Trinia, like dozens of other planets, was conquered by my forces, its human population driven underground to mine the crystals, allowing me to reprogram thousands of your mining robots into soldiers." "I swear I'll stop you." "And if not me, then another." "There is no stopping evolution." "From the primordial ooze to man." "From man to robot." "The dinosaur went extinct, and so shall you." "The Kha-Khan stopped me last time." "This time, you have only served to hasten the inevitable." "Without this, you are but a weak piece of flesh." "Tell me, Kha-Khan, what is the secret of its power?" "L" " I don't know." "You know." "And you will talk." "Where am I?" "Oh, dear!" "What have you done to me?" "I'm naked!" "Put my ship back on, you perverted fembot!" "I was only trying to help." "Ungrateful son of a bit!" "My head's making enough racket without your help." "Dagg!" "I thought you were dead!" "You thought right, Water Snake." "Battalion Commander Argo to flight deck 9." "There simply aren't enough robot troops in this sector to successfully take over the Bordogon system." "To attack now would be futile, sir." "We must strike now." "It won't be long before Morbro realizes his daughter is missing and tracks her here." "If he discovers what we're doing, he could mount a counteroffensive." "I'm one solar system away from complete subjugation of intelligent organic life." "I will not fail this time." "What is our present status?" "All ships are being armed with xenon warheads." "Fifteen attack battalions of 1,000 troops each are standing ready." "The last five battle cruisers are still under construction." "We'll have to make do without them." "We have two things in our favor-surprise and something very dear to the Supreme Governor." "He'll think twice before he destroys a warship with his daughter aboard." "It must have been horrible slaving in the mine your entire life." "It was horrible." "But not as horrible as the thought of my people suffering at this very moment, their entire world one big lie." "I failed them." "I found a new world, but they'll never know it exists." "All I had to do was find a stupid blade." "And I failed." "I'm sorry." "If I hadn't been so impulsive, you might've succeeded." "No." " No, it wasn't your fault." " You don't understand, Orin." "I didn't take you back here because I wanted to help you... free your people." "L" " I did it for me." "Because I wanted to be with you." "Because..." "I..." " Where are you taking me?" " Let go of her!" "You're lucky, Water Snake." "He hit you with the soft end." "The attack force is ready, Zygon." "Bordogon's planetary radar sources are being jammed." "Battalion commanders are awaiting your orders." "Thousands of years ago, on some obscure planet, a primitive chess computer was the first inorganic mind to beat man." "In a few hours, I will be calling checkmate in the last such game the humans and their kind will ever play." "Save your knuckles, Water Snake." "There's no way out." "Starfly!" "I need your help!" "Get me the hilt." "Please, I know you can do it!" "I must have the hilt!" "Who the hell are you talking to?" "Don't need hilt." "Yes, yes, I need it." "Get me the hilt!" "Attack Squadron Three, clear for ion-burn." "Squadron Leader Three, all ships away." "What's wrong with the screens?" "I'm not sure." "That did it!" "Thank you!" "You say something?" "Guard, I have something for you!" "What's going on, Water Snake?" "Come on!" "How the hell do you do that?" " We've got to get to Aviana." " Hold it!" "You don't even know where she is." "If you want to get out of here alive, follow me." "Damn!" "Damn!" "Those aren't crystal freighters." "They're warships." "There she is!" "That's great, only how we gonna get to her without getting our heads shot off?" "We'll just have to do our best." "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" "This is Admiral Casey aboard the flagship, sir." "All ships have cleared the atmosphere." "Awaiting your permission to join the fleet." "Flagship Squadron, proceed with ion-burn." "Damn!" "She's taking off!" "All ships in position, Admiral." "Squadron One, cleared for light speed." "When your fleet is spotted, you'll all be blown out of the stars." "By the time the Bordogon Defense Command discovers us, they'll be smoldering flesh." "Secure for acceleration to hyper-light." "Great, we just went into light speed." "Damn!" "What in the world is taking you so long?" "We've got to find Dagg!" "Next thing you know, you'll be putting up curtains." "Hit me, will you!" "I'll show you." "All ships reducing to sub-light." "ETA to Bordogon, one minute." "All but 12 squadrons have left hyperspace, sir." "Good." "Put all squadrons on standby for warhead activation." "Captain, scanners are picking up debris from the flagship." "All squadrons reduced to sub-light." "Ready to deploy." "Arm all warheads." "Hey, knock it off!" "This is Squadron Leader Seven." "Urgent." "Request direct link to Zygon." "This is Zygon." "Sir, we have a problem." "The flagship appears to have jettisoned its ground forces." " Request instructions." " Have you contacted them?" "We have tried, sir." "There is no reply." "All communications with the flagship appear to have been severed." "Request further" "The hilt!" "No!" "It can't be!" "Attack Squadrons Two and Three, destroy the flagship!" "All other squadrons proceed to target area and launch missiles manually." "Dagg, do something!" "We've got to save Bordogon!" "Good idea." "And while I'm doing that, you get on those gun controls." "We'll never find anything to help Dagg if you keep playing hide-and-seek down here." "We won't make Toga-Togo at all if we're spotted, you twit." " We're spotted." " What?" "!" "Oh, no!" "Arthur, heads up!" " It's Dagg!" " Pull up, pull up!" "In case you've forgotten, someone's world is about to blow." "Terrific." "No operating manual." "All squadrons now in position over target zones." "Deploy the missiles." "I must get through to the main targeting computer." "Somehow, I've got to detonate those missiles before they're launched." "Squadron Sixteen reporting." "All Missiles ready." "Arm warheads." "Warheads armed and ready." " They're launching!" " Damn!" "Starfly!" "Dagg, it's trying to help us again!" "The fleet!" "It's gone!" "Call in our forces from the Raya and Horbinot systems." "They'll never reach us in time." "We've got to evacuate." "No." "He'll be coming for me next." "But I'll be ready for him." "Plot a course for Novaluna." "We're going back to Trinia." "We just destroyed an entire fleet, but I'm not pressing my luck, kid." "Wait, Dagg." "If it wasn't for Orin, we probably would be dead by now." "We can't abandon him when he needs our help." "Damn!" "See?" "I told you." "Nobody's home." "We may as well go back." " You promised!" " Keep your shirt on, kid." "They're home, all right." "All the doors on this side are closed!" "They got a back door to this joint?" "I think- there's an air vent in the processing area." " Which one is the vent?" " Let's hope it's the open one." " I'll just wait here." " Get your butt in here!" "I know I'm going to regret this." "What's that noise?" " We're not in the air vent." " What?" "!" " We're in a crystal waste tube." " Oh, terrific!" "It's gaining!" "That looks like the end of the tunnel." "Gangway!" "Kha-Khan, you are mine." "Damn!" "A tractor beam's locked on to us." "Arthur, you got any ideas?" "Dagg's in trouble!" "Can't break free!" "We're almost out!" "We gotta save him!" "Whoa!" "Now you've done it!" "We'll be scrap iron for sure!" "We made it!" "What happened to Arthur?" "Don't worry about that now, Water Snake." "Worry about our host." "We're not out of this yet." "See if you can spot a way down to the mines." "Damn!" "Look at all the crystals down there!" "This little adventure might turn out to be very profitable." "Look!" "There's the mine elevator." "Sorry, kid, you'll have to take a rain check on the mines." "Going up!" "Sound full alert." "All units attack!" "All robots to your command posts." "This is not a drill." "All robots to your command posts." "Squadrons to your battle stations." "This is not a drill." "Hang on!" "We've got company." " Now what?" " You don't wanna know." "Just like old times, eh, Water Snake?" "That cannon's giving me a headache." "Let's take it out." "Zygon, we don't have enough firepower." "We must evacuate." "Get back to your post!" "Good Heavens!" " We've been freed!" " Hurry, Arthur!" "Oh, no!" "They're shooting at Dagg!" "Watch your back!" "Silica!" "Arthur!" "What kept you?" "You okay?" "But we're not." "Keep up your force shield." "Ouch!" "Good suggestion." "All fighters, break off laser attack." "Set ion engines for maximum overload and ram the flagship!" "They've stopped firing!" "Dagg's going down!" " Are you all right?" " I think so." "I can't get up." "Your leg must be broken." "Oh, no!" "Dagg!" " Hurry, Arthur!" " We're being shot at." "Oh, Dagg, you're hurt!" "Leg's broken." "But I'll live." "I must go now to free my people." " I'm going with you." " No." "It's too dangerous." " But" " No." "You must stay with Dagg." "Be careful, Orin!" "I don't want to lose you." "I'll be back." "Hurry up!" "We're sitting ducks out here!" " Take care of her, Dagg." " Sure, kid." "I knew it!" "He's okay." "Let's hurry!" "It can't be!" "Hurry up!" "Aviana, come back!" "I knew he'd come back!" "Ever since I can remember, there have been rumors- rumors that there was another world," "That long ago, there was more than just Mineworld." "Some said it was a heaven, a paradise beyond imagination." "Others said it was a hell, far worse than the world we know now." "But an old man saw the truth beyond the sword and gave his life so that I might reach out beyond these caverns, reach out to the greater world above." "Well, I have reached, and I have touched the stars." "Don't listen to him." "Zygon has warned of such false saviors." "He's right!" "Believing this fool will only bring disaster!" "Zygon is your enslaver." "He says what he wants you to believe." "The boy is right." "I say what I want you to believe, because I want you to believe the truth." "Liar!" "Give me the hilt, Kha-Khan, or she will die like the other." "Look!" "Get me... get me the hilt!" "You do not need the hilt, Orin." "There never was a blade." "This time you've lost for good, Kha-Khan." "Let go!" "Die!" "But..." "How?" "You were right, Zygon." "I did know the secret of the blade all along, only it was so simple, I couldn't even see it." "No." "Stay back!" "Get the guards!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "The mine masters are there!" "Spread the word throughout Mineworld." "We are free!" "Don't worry, Dagg." "I'll fix it for you." "If you don't kill him first." "Dagg, do you want me to take over for you?" "Just relax, Arthur." "I'll get Dagg out of this." "It's okay, Silica." "I can take it from here." "Just take it easy." "I've got that creep now!" "Silica, no, not in the crystals!" "Damn!" "What have I done?" "Mineworld is collapsing!" "Save us, Orin!" "Please, please, Orin!" " Save us!" " Use your magic, Orin!" "Stand back!" "Follow me!" "He did it!" "The Water Snake got 'em out!" "Hooray, hooray, hooray!" "Oh, Dagg, I'm sorry." "What does it look like, Orin?" "Tell me!" "I can see again!" "I can see!" "I can see!" "You have done admirably, young Orin." "We welcome you as an honored member of the Kha-Khan." "You are free to leave your human form and come with us." "Not yet." "I'd like to stretch my legs for a few decades." "The choice is yours."