Rev's Odyssey by R. R. Kaufman (the reading list .txt) 📕

of her head as she buckled. Without wasting a second he leaped over the bridge and stretched out his arms keeping a steady glide following Rev’s path through the air.

Missing her helmet Rev’s hair flapped through the air as she controlled her fly suit in a stable position barely missing the steel pillars on Razor’s fortress. She hoped and trusted that Stike was following her path. Any turn of her head would take her off course.

Rev spotted a large green patch of land in the distance. She assessed her speed, raised her head and released her parachute. With a great deal of relief Rev drifted to the ground.

She immediately looked up. From a distance Stike was coming at her fast. She waved her hands back and forth. His parachute opened and within a minute he landed close to her.

 

 

* * *

 

Razor had no time to waste. She knew the town’s folk would be coming after her with pitchforks and torches. It wouldn’t be the first time. Another planet, another riot.

She rushed into the computer room. She took out the destruct chip and flattened it with her foot. She replaced it with another chip. A chip that would be her last attempt to wreak havoc on Brix.

She gathered a few personal items, pushed the down button on the elevator and planned her escape aboard the train where Klutch would be waiting.

Far below Razor’s compound a huge metal monster opened it’s glowing eyes.

Brixwrecker came to life and stomped its feet.

 

Chapter 93

 

 

The wind picked up as Rev and Stike stood on a high bluff and sized up the situation below. Looking down on the valley they spotted a large cloud of black smoke followed by a loud train whistle.

Razor’s train had left the station and was heading to Bluster Harbor.

Stike took out his telescope. He stared intently at the chaos coming from Brix.

 

Stike

It worked. The drokes have self-destructed. But Brixwrecker is on the loose. It’s on a rampage flattening homes.

 

Rev

What?

 

Rev looked through the scope.

 

Rev

We have to lure him away from town.

 

Stike

It’s too risky, Rev. The wind is really picking up.

 

Rev

Risky has become the new normal. Let’s dive bomb Brixwrecker and then land on Razor’s train and hopefully lead him out of town.

 

Stike stood on the edge, staring at Rev and remaining speechless.

 

Rev

We have to put the final nail in Razor’s coffin. We can’t let her keep any threat alive in Brix. Time is running out, Stike.

 

Rev picked up stones in both hands and closed her fists over them. Stike did the same.

Rev pushed off the bluff with Stike behind her. The wind was at their back as they flew effortlessly down the valley watching the trees underneath rush by them in a blur.

In a flash they dove over Brixwrecker’s head and whipped the rocks at it.

It raised its giant hand in protest.

Rev and Stike followed the tracks racing towards the train. When they were hovering over the last train car they opened their chutes.

Rev landed on the caboose’s roof, pulled in her chute quickly and reached out her hand towards Stike as he tried to find a footing on the train.

Rev grabbed at his legs and just about had them when a gust of wind pushed Stike off course. A nearby tree grabbed hold of Stike’s parachute and pulled him into its branches.

Rev freaked out.

 

Rev

Stike! Stike!

 

Stike dangled from the tree close to the ground. He waved back at Rev letting her know that he was okay. Then he saw Brixwrecker coming down the tracks. He unzipped his suit and wriggled out in time to run deep into the woods.

Rev abandoned her fly suit as well and knelt down on the roof of the train’s compartment as Brixwrecker pounced down on the tracks advancing closer and closer to Rev.

What was this machine going to do, Rev thought.

Was it going to wreck the train?

Does Razor know what’s happening?

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky as they approached the power station. Her parachute still clinging to the train flapped ferociously in the wind.

Just as Brixwrecker was about to step on the end of the caboose Rev unhooked her parachute from the train. It blew straight into Brixwrecker and wrapped itself around it. It fumbled and stumbled down on the tracks. Ripping the tangled parachute off itself the stomping machine continued its pursuit of Rev.

Within seconds the sky turned dark. Rev took a firm hold of the roof ruts as the wind rocked the caboose. The train sped briskly down the tracks but the wind blew faster.

Again Brixwrecker was within reaching distance of the train’s foothold. It stepped on it and launched itself to the roof.

Rev clung to the ridges centered on the roof. She slithered towards the next car but the wind blew her off balance. Sliding to the edge of the train’s caboose, she grabbed hold of a dangling rope and leveraged herself with her feet against a glass window on the side of the car.

But it was no use. Brixwrecker stood over her and seemed to smile down at her. This sick monster. Is it even capable of smiling or was she imagining it?

It lifted its foot, ready to stomp her. Rev was about to let go and hope for the best when another bolt of lightning found it next victim.

Rev shielded her eyes as the lightning lit up Brixwrecker. Shooting sparks and streams of intense white light zapped and swirled around the giant piece of metal. The harsh fumes from the smoldering iron body stung her nostrils.

It fell backwards on the train tracks bouncing on its head and finally resting in a steaming pile of molten metal.

The sky cleared up and the wind subsided as Rev climbed back onto the roof. The train kept speeding towards Bluster Harbor oblivious to everything.

 

Chapter 94

 

 

It wasn’t a long train. But it was wide and high with an engine that spewed black smoke. Four freight cars and a caboose trailed behind it. Not at all like the streamlined electric train on Tailbone Island.

Undecided, Rev didn’t know whether to follow Razor to Bluster Harbor or attempt to jump off a fast moving train.

Was Razor really going to flee Brix?

Or was she going to use her sub as a base to build another army of drokes?

Rev decided to follow her to the harbor, remain hidden while observing her actions.

But just as she escaped one monster another one showed up.

Rev turned around in time to see Klutch jump from the last freight car to the top of the caboose. She was no match for him. Klutch was heavy set, strong and his hands could crush her.

Rev had agility and speed on her side. Klutch was powerful but slow. She remembered what Raká had taught her. Patience, timing and balance. And most important remain calm and in control.

Yeah, remain calm. That wasn’t going to be easy. Klutch was a wrecking train. One false move and it was all over. All she could do was avoid him.

And then as Rev climbed down the ladder at the back of the caboose, hope surfaced.

Klutch followed her down the ladder that hung at the far right of the caboose. A safe guard railing enclosed the outside rear caboose. Rev jumped on the bar at the exact time that Klutch reached the bottom of the ladder.

She grabbed hold of the attached bar that ran up to the roof and leapt to the top of the caboose.

Frustrated, Klutch started to climb back up the ladder. As his head peeked over the rooftop Rev started to run from the midpoint of the roof towards him. Flying through the air with her feet outstretched, she kicked him so hard he fell down the ladder smacking his head on the ladder’s metal bar.

Still holding on to the second last bar, Klutch dangled precariously over the edge of the caboose, narrowly missing the fast moving ground beneath him.

Hanging on to the overhanging top bar, Rev leaped down, withdrew her flexion and brought it down hard on Klutch’s fingers.

Rev breathed a deep sigh of relief as she watched him tumble over the tracks and disappear down an embankment.

She thought he bounced quite nicely.

 

Chapter 95

 

 

The train slowed down as it chugged up a steep grade. Rev leaned over the railing, catching her breath and enjoying the beautiful scenery. She had enough excitement for a day, even a year.

She wondered how everyone that she loved was doing in Brix. Were they busy shoveling up all the dead drokes? Perhaps they were worried about her? Razor was on the run. That was the main thought that crossed Rev’s mind.

Then instead of the landscape moving farther away from her it was suddenly getting closer.

The caboose was moving backwards!

Rev turned around and looked through the caboose’s doors.

Someone was waving to her and smiling.

It was Razor standing on the freight car’s connecting mechanism.

She had unhitched the caboose.

Rev froze for a few seconds as the landscape whipped by her in a blur.

She rushed inside the caboose and used some rope to secure her to a bolted down bunk. The caboose reached a curve, jumped the tracks and sailed down a hill.

The horrific sound of crashing and banging against rocks and brush raised Rev’s senses to high alert. Her adrenaline peeked as the train car rolled over several times as she held on to handle bars in the caboose. Windows smashed as dust and dirt infiltrated her caboose. And then silence as Rev caught a glimpse out the window.

The caboose was falling. A loud snapping cracking sound followed and then the caboose halted with a final thud that jarred Rev out of her seat and slid her out the door.

Shaken and in shock Rev managed to stand up. Surrounded by tree branches the caboose had wedged itself between two massive tree trunks. As she separated some small branches Rev looked down. She became faint and dizzy as she realized that the trees that held the train car in its grip were on the edge of a cliff high over a raging river.

She wiped some blood and dirt from her face as she cautiously peered over the edge. A loud creaking crunching sound beneath her echoed throughout the canyon as the caboose settled lower on the trees. A gust of wind swayed the train car to one side.

Rev knew she had to get out of there fast. But speed wasn’t an option for her. She had to move cautiously, calculating each move with precision. Battered and bruised, Rev stepped on a thick branch and carefully swung down to a lower one as she retreated down the massive tree. Reaching the ground she climbed up the loose gravel a little ways before collapsing on the ground and passing out.

 

Chapter 96

 

 

Something in the sky awakened Rev a few minutes later. She had a hard time focusing with the dirt in her eyes. There were no clouds in the sky but a large object blocked the sun for only an instant.

Rev covered her eyes from the sun. There it was again.

It was Kleng. The massive white bird glided slowly towards Rev.

Rev stood up.

 

Rev

Kleng! Kleng!

 

Rev tried to run in