Chapter 38

The gunshot reverberated through the missile silo along with a cry of pain. Mary had aimed the gun lower and proceeded to shoot Hiccup in the left leg. Hiccup fell down and clutched his bleeding leg as footsteps got closer to him.

He looked up to see Mary walking towards him with the gun at her side. So far she didn't see a reason to kill him yet, which was worrisome of itself. He scooted backwards out of the control room doorway, leaving a trail of blood behind. Mary watched him struggle for a few moments as his back connected with the metal railing that separated the catwalks from the large missile silo.

"Why?..... Why didn't you kill me?" Hiccup managed to groan. As his back connected with the railing.

"You're the one who caused me so many problems," Mary stated. "You even forced my hand to kill Hank. Granted, I would have killed him later anyways but he was still useful." she muttered unemotionally as Hiccup tried to stop the blood from flowing. "Now...... Now you get to see all your plans fail." A sinister smile now tugged on Mary's lips. "I've locked out the controls. In less than five minutes humanity on Terra will be extinct, making way for the true Chosen Ones to reclaim the planet." She bent down a bit so she was at a somewhat eyelevel to Hiccup "How does it feel, to know that all your plotting and scheming up to this point has been for nothing?" She chuckled.

"You said Terra?" Hiccup asked as the blood loss was starting to become apparent. "You can't be........"

"One of the Chosen Ones?" Mary chuckled. "I am," She admitted. "Sent by the Council to oversee the eradication of the parasites that infested this planet. Marrying a Hofferson was just icing on the cake."

Hiccup gasped, either from the pain in his leg or because Mary grabbed the front of his auburn hair tightly. "In the end I still win. Only those affected by Midas will perish. I will be here to welcome back all the other Chosen."

"Who made you Judge, Jury and Executioner?!" Hiccup spat but Mary merely snorted as if it as obvious.

"About three minutes remain," She smiled. "I'll just leave you here to get burnt to a crisp by the rocket's engines." She said as she let go of his hair and was preparing to head to what Hiccup realized was another exit. Though Mary didn't get far as she was suddenly tackled to the ground by Stoick who gruffly shouted "GET YER HANDS AWAY FROM MAH BOY!" His shout echoed through the entire silo.

She had been looming and gloating so much that she hadn't noticed Stoick enter the silo, nor had she seen him taking a running start at her. To be fair, Hiccup hadn't seen it coming either since he was in quite a bit of pain and his head was woozy from the blood that he lost. His dad had tackled Mary around the waist causing the handgun to go flying into the silo shaft. It clattered for a moment against one of the lower catwalks before nothing was heard. A sickening crunch filled the air as Stoick and Mary made contact with the metal floor. Stoick got up easily while Mary was clutching her chest and trying to breathe. Hiccup supposed that the audible crack from before must have been one or more of her ribs breaking.

"Where di-" Mary couldn't finish that sentence as she coughed up blood. "You bastard!" She wheezed.

"Stoick did ya get her?!" Came the question and Hiccup turned his head slightly to see Gobber, who was steadying Astrid, come hobbling towards them.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted as she let go of Gobber and closed the last distance between her and Hiccup on the floor. "Oh Thor," She said as she tried to help him stop the bleeding.

"Astrid we don't have time. The countdown....." Hiccup motioned to the control room and Gobber hobbled towards there. The normally mellow sassy blonde let out a string of curses no one there was likely to repeat.

"I can't get anything to work!" Gobber shouted. "Two minutes left on that blasted countdown!"

"We need to get out of here!" Stoick turned around, bent down, and was about to help Hiccup up when Astrid caught sight of something glinting in Mary's palm.

"WATCH OUT!" Astrid shouted as she surged forward with all the strength that she had. Her fist made contact with Mary's jaw and the woman shouted in pain as the small knife she had hidden up her sleeve slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground. Stoick's head whipped around and he was surprised that the mad scientist actually had that much strength left in her.

There was a creaking noise and all looked up to see sand falling into the silo as the missile doors opened. The clear sky blue sky, which was dotted with sparse clouds could now be seen as the whine of the rocket engines reached them.

"Dad we have to do something!" Hiccup shouted as Stoick lifted him up effortlessly.

"Manually reprogramming the nanites is our only option." Astrid stated as she pointed to one of the catwalks that connected to the rocket still.

"Can you do it lass?" Gobber asked as he joined them.

"I don't know," Astrid admitted. "The nanites in my body might interface. It's a gamble as it is."

"Dad we have to let Astrid at least try. We'd be dead either way." Hiccup said and before he could say anything else on the matter he was given to Gobber, which elicited a yelp.

"You get Hiccup out of here!" Stoick ordered in his Chiefly voice. It held no room for argument. "I'll get the panel open so the lass can work."

Gobber gave a salute before he nearly literally dragged Hiccup out of there.

"Gobber we can't just leave Dad and Astrid there!" Hiccup shouted as they reached the exit Mary had been aiming for. The metal doors closed behind them when Gobber said "Chief's orders Hiccup."

Meanwhile, back in the silo, Stoick had quickly picked up Astrid and helped her to the panel on the rocket. In a feat of strength he pried off the cover with his bare hands, grunting all the while.

Astrid concentrated as she placed her hands against the wires and circuit boards that had been exposed. "Please connect, please connect," Astrid prayed as she tried to focus. There were just too many variables. Either she was not strong enough to will the nanites in her body to work for her or if they did work, then they might not be able to convert the malignant nanites Mary had programmed in time. Astrid's breath was becoming labored as she sent the thought of curing Midas through to the nanites. Before she knew it Stoick was gripping her shoulder and saying "Lass we have to go. Half a minute."

"WAIT, please I need more time!" Astrid said as sweat coated her brow. The roar of the rocket engines could already be heard and the area was becoming misty. Stoick swore under his breath before he picked up Astrid and swung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He hurried past the prone Mary who merely chuckled. The roar of the rocket engines were heard as Stoick sprinted through the exit doors Gobber had taken Hiccup. The doors led to another corridor and up to the surface it seemed.

Stoick and Astrid got to the surface just as the Re-genesis rocket was leaving the silo. The smoke enveloped them and both coughed. When it cleared slightly they could see Gobber tending to Hiccup's leg near an outcrop. The rocket was now just a bright point in the sky with a trail of smoke behind it.

"Did it work?" Hiccup asked when he saw his dad put Astrid down. Hiccup looked hopeful but Astrid was unsure.

"I don't know," She mumbled. "It might have. I don't know if I reached the rocket's nanites." She mumbled as she leaned against Hiccup. The group of four watched the rocket get smaller and smaller.

"What happens now?" Stoick asked.

"The rocket will separate as nanites are released into various layers of the atmosphere." Astrid explained. "They will stimulate rain and influence weather patterns until the entire Earth is covered in nanites. They will then start to clean up the water supplies and break down any harmful chemicals."

"When will we know if Mary's plan worked or not?" Hiccup asked as he put an arm around Astrid.

"Probably the first rainfalls," Astrid mumbled as her head leaned on Hiccup's shoulders. The group sat there silently for what seemed like hours but was instead close to ten minutes. The first droplets of rain began to hit them and Astrid and Hiccup looked up at the sky. Their future, and that of humanity still uncertain.

Epilogue

Titan base, four and a half hours after Re-genesis launch

To say that Commander Grimmel was bored was an understatement. They had been moonside for too long and he was just itching to get back into space. He was in his quarters when an ensign contacted him on the holoscreen.

"Sir," The ensign saluted. "Urgent communique from Callisto base."

Grimmel nodded and took the call in his rooms. "Grand Admiral Excellinor," He greeted as he saw the face of the old woman. "To what do I owe this call?"

"We have received confirmed data from Arcadia that the Re-genesis rocket has launched successfully and has started the terraformation process." The Grand Admiral explained. "Before the launch we received a report from Mary Hofferson as how she was going to handle the remaining population."

"I received it as well." Grimmel nodded. "How accurate is it?"

"It was reported just before the launch. There should be no complications in seizing the planet." The Grand Admiral stated. "Therefore I am ordering you and the Captain of the T.S.S. Persephone to start the campaign. The journey should take roughly five years."

"With all due respect Grand Admiral. The Pandora can handle this mission with ease." Grimmel muttered. "Why must you include that woman in the mix?"

"I am well aware of your animosity towards the Captain of the Persephone, Grimmel." Excellinor stated with a raised brow. "This is by order of the Council. You would do well to learn how to work together. The Captain should be arriving at your docking bay in a few moments to go over the plan."

"As the Council commands," Grimmel gritted his teeth and saluted. The holoscreen went blank and Grimmel, who was less than happy, grabbed his uniform coat and made his way out of his rooms. When he entered the docking bay he immediately recognized the captain he had very little respect for. It was the Council's decision that they work together so he saluted to her as she did to him.

"Captain Mala Queen, it is so good to see you again," He greeted, though a bit strained, while offering his hand.

----To be continued in A.I.: Re-genesis----