13 Freedom Tastes Good

As the mine’s forces close in, Ying‑Tai risks everything on a final, reckless gamble. Meanwhile, the wounded Dex, Gekko, Tima, Morstyn, and Boog fight on against overwhelming odds as the troopers roll in heavy artillery.

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

The author of the exit of series is intentional about avoiding an explicit sexual content. However, this episode does contain the scenes of violence that some listeners may find this early listener discretion is advised. Troops were advancing on the tower. A small group of soldiers advanced, while the group behind laid down cover fire. Then they switched roles, leapfrogging closer to the building. They were within a hundred yards of the building and advancing rapidly. Ying Tai ducked low and despite the protesting from her leg at the sudden action. She ran across the room and bullets flew overhead. She sprang onto the ladder, bolted to the wall, and quickly ascended. She sent neural signals to block the pain in her leg. At the top of the ladder, the hatch opened easily and she scrambled onto the roof of the tower. Remaining crouched, she went to the edge and peered over the parapet. The soldiers below didn't seem aware of her escape. Yet. The plan she'd devised to get to the hauler was the best she could come up with in such a short time. But it had one major flaw. If anyone spotted her up on the catwalk, she'd be shot to pieces. She ran across the roof to the back of the tower and paused at another ladder that climbed up into the darkness.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Probably won't need all this armor.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Be able to move faster without it. She shed the combat armor and checked her wound. It still trickled and she tightened the tourniquet. She examined her dirty skin and the rags that remained of her clothing. Dark rags, dirty skin.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Should help camouflage me.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

She slung the long arm on her back and looked up the ladder. Without the body armor to encumber her movements, she sprang up the ladder and soon reached the top. Moving low and quick, she ran silently toward her destination. Below, she noticed a large mass of troops rushing the building. The deafening sound of guns and explosions echoed loud off the cavern ceiling. She covered about half the distance when she spotted movement in the lights up ahead. About twenty troopers were on the catwalk beyond the oar haulers, running straight toward her position. They would pass the haulers below before she could get there. She swore and thought quickly. She looked for a place to hide.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Could try to climb up on one of the supports above. Let them pass. Uh then they'll attack my friends from the rear.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

She reached and grabbed the catwalk handrail with her bionic arm, vaulted over the side and climbed underneath. With inhuman speed, she swung along the bottom of the catwalk on the evenly spaced diastil cross member supporting its structure. After passing a joint where two catwalk sections attached to each other, she turned around and began loosening the two bolts, holding the sections together. Her bionic fingers loosened and spun the bolts as fast as a power tool, and soon the two bolts fell away. She started on the other side as the advancing soldiers' pounding boots reached her ears, and the catwalk trembled from their weight. Her fingers twisted one of the remaining bolts loose, and it fell. The catlock shifted and slipped. The last remaining bolt supported all of the structure's weight, and she found it harder to turn. Before the bolt was fully loose, she heard the soldiers shouting commands. Where'd they go? One said, I swear I saw someone up here. Another answered. The bolt was stubborn, but with her vice-like cyber grip and a mighty heave, she ripped it from its hole, and suddenly the catwalk with the advancing troopers fell. Still hinged on the opposite end, the catwalk swung toward the ground, and Ying Tai hung onto the falling section. The floor of the cavern swept up to meet her 80 feet below. Troopers cried out as they tumbled past her. She watched their fall as the catwalk continued to swing through the arc. As the catwalk approached 90 degrees to the cavern floor, she braced herself and let go. She thought, as the ground rushed to meet her. Dex's heart leaped to his throat, fearing the worst for Ying Tai. If she was killed, the rest of us aren't gonna last long. His gaze was reluctantly drawn back to the stretch of ground beyond the shaft, outside the window. Already thirty soldiers had advanced and now were taking cover behind piles of rocks. They were too close. Now a massing just beyond the shaft. He ducked behind the doorframe as another missile exploded, rocking the building. Peeking around the frame, Dex couldn't see from all the smoke, but he could guess what the troops were doing. He glanced over his shoulder to see the doctor attending to the latest wounded person, Tima. An ugly gash on her forehead bled across her face. It probably looked worse than it was, but it still filled Dex with dread. He didn't want Tima to die. He'd known her for three years, and she'd been the first one he'd met when he arrived in the hole. Boog sat on a chair, pale face looking down at the injured men and Tima. To Dex's left, Deckel fired through a torn opening in the metal wall.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

You're gonna have company soon!

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Dex yelled at him over the gunfire.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

No s.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Another explosion slammed into the side of the building, knocking Dex off his feet. When he looked up again, he saw that Morston had also been thrown down. A jagged opening had been torn into the wall where moments ago he'd stood. Dex saw he wasn't moving, and pieces of shrapnel stuck out of his armor. Dex pulled himself up and looked outside. The troops could just be seen through the smoky haze beyond the shaft. While he assessed how soon he and the rest of them would be overwhelmed, an idea sprang to mind.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Boog! Lower the lift!

SPEAKER_01 7:48

He shouted at the wide-eyed teenager who sat staring at the remains of Morston's face. What? Boog mumbled, looking at him with a shocked face. Boog, need you in the game. Dex tried to get through to him.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Go over to the shaft elevator controls and lower the lift. We're not ready yet.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Decko looked puzzled.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Boog! Just do it! And watch!

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Dex pointed at the control panel close to Morston. Decko gave cover fire while Boob rose from the chair and went to the lid controls. He studied the keypad a moment and then tapped a key. Dex looked out of the remains of the door, firing a long burst. Troops dove behind a pile of rubble or hit the deck. He saw the rail of the platform descend into the shaft.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Hopefully, Pink Thai won't drive into it. If she's still alive.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Dex exchanged his empty magazine for another from one of the discarded weapons on the floor and began to pick out targets across the shaft. The soldiers on the far side made a dash to get closer to the building, running through the sneaky haze. Gecko said, watching his tin troopers, partially blinded by the haze, rushed headlong over the shaft's edge. Two more came rushing forward and stopped just in time to prevent themselves from falling. Then their comrades barreled into them from behind, knocking three more of them over the side. Dex and Gecko didn't waste time enjoying the small triumph. They began to shoot at the remaining three men who began retreating from the edge of the shaft. They never made it to cover. The remaining troops beyond the shaft huntered down, peering cautiously over the piles of rubble. Dex smiled to himself. Now the troopers would be forced to go around the shaft where there wasn't as much cover. While they hesitated, Dex looked over at Morston's still motionless body.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Oh, he's not dead. This is all for nothing.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Dex cringed as he saw a sharp piece of metal protruding from Morston's face from the remains of his left eye socket.

SPEAKER_03 10:00

Doc!

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Dex called. The former inmate, now Doctor, rushed over and placed his fingers into Morston's bloody throat. He paused a moment, then said, Hey still alive. Faint pulse. Can you save him? Question is, should I? Doc cocked an eyebrow. Dex considered the wounded, cranky tyrant.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Where will we go?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

He's the only one who knows where we're going.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

Dex nodded his head. We need him.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Boog, help the Doc.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Boog crouched down and made his way through the rubble and knelt next to Doc.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Ever had any medical training?

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Doc asked him. Boog just stared down at all the blood that had poured out of Morston's head. Uh, no. He said weakly. Don't mind the blood. Head wounds are gushers. The doc began to tend to the ugly wound. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. He muttered. Next, Dex checked on Tima. Her face was pale, and a large bandage had been wrapped around her head. She'll be alright. Doc noticed and looked in his direction. Looks worse than it is. I imagine she'll have a hell of a headache for the next week or so. Dex. Better check this out. Gecko yelled from the jagged hole. They're moving something into position. Dex returned to his position, looked out, and cussed. A team of soldiers were setting up a large gun.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

They're gonna try and soften us up before they try another frontal assault.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

The sound of the large gun was so loud it shook the entire cavern. Dex dropped to the deck, covering his head with his arms. An explosion burst overhead and the ceiling crashed down on top of him. His last thought before he slipped into darkness was. Bullets kicked up bits of debris all around her. She diverted yet more biowire reserves, blocking the flow of intense pain. The long arm had fallen on the ground as she rolled toward it. Bullets kicked up dust as she grasped it and returned fire at the remaining soldiers on the catwalk overhead. Amidst the flying around, she struggled to her feet, spied the oar haulers in the distance, and ran toward them. Three men standing next to the hauler saw her coming and rushed to meet her. Each impact of her leg with the ground sent shocks of pain into her body, threatening to break through the hastily prepared pain block. A slash of fire tore across her right arm.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Going to get cut to ribbons. Should have kept the armor, she thought.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Split-second neural signals sent from her brain to her extremities infused them with strength, and she raced ahead faster. She sped up her ability to assess and process information, and the world around her slowed. The men running toward her seemed to move in slow motion. Two of them brought up their weapons and Ying Tai saw fire belts from the muzzles. Sensing, rather than seeing, she leaped high to the side, landing on her hands, and then pushed off, landing back on her feet. She raced forward as bullet rounds passed close by her left side. Without slowing, she brought the long armor round, fired three bursts at the men now just yards away. Each round found its mark. They crashed to the ground. She dashed past the bodies, continued running until she leaped up and caught hold of the ladder leading up to the oar hauler's cab. She hung from the ladder for a moment and allowed her body to return to normal. The biowired strength drained away. The world around her sped up again, and her extremities screamed at her for the strain she'd just put them through. Bullets pinged off the truck's thick skin and she scrambled up the ladder and threw open the door to the cab that sat behind the dashboard. She quickly studied the controls and pushed a button she hoped was the ignition. The vehicle rumbled to life as she surveyed the terrain outside the cab. More troops were advancing on her position. She mashed down on the accelerator and yanked the wheel to the left. Troops scrambled to get out of the way as the 12-foot-high wheels mowed them down. She pulled the truck in a tight circle as it pulled its fricocheted off a hauler's thick skin. When the truck completed the turn, she floored the pedal and sped toward the row of war trucks. Several more troops scrambled to get out of the way of the angry, rumbling hauler, then turned and fired ineffectually as she passed. A roll of five ore haulers lay in her paddle. Without slowing, she reached over her shoulder and strapped the restraint belt around her body just in time. She hit the first vehicle in line with a colossal crash. One of its 12 tires exploded with a deafening boom as Ying Tai plowed forward, decimating the roll apart hauler. By the time her truck lost momentum and came to a rest, she figured at least three, maybe four ore haulers were out of commission. More bullets hit the hauler as she threw it in reverse and turned around. She slammed the accelerator back to the shaft. Moonbound is a pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller from the Exodus series by Warson T. Badger. If you crave rebellion, high stakes heists, and lunar warfare, this science fiction audio drama will leave you breathless. Read the entire Exodus five book series. Available wherever digital and physical books are sold.