​     "This is taking longer than I figured," Gramps said. "I hate to say this, but I think I might have the wrong tool for the job."

     "I thought the Azure..."

​     "They're not infallible, Abby. They're not gods. I built the frame of the safe room too thick."

     "Daddy..."

     "Well, after what happened to Adam a couple of years ago...Okay, it's not working. This is taking too long. They're coming at us too hard."

​     "This might be a good time to call in some Azure soldiers, huh?"

​     "You don't call them in. They come in when the want to come in, and they're not coming in. They're sending a quartet of valids to help, though."

​     "Valids..."

​     "Those on Earth who are able to attune themselves to their own soul power."

     "Soul..."

​     "Until they get here, I've got another idea that might work."

     "I can't even begin to imagine..."

​     "The frame of the safe room is steel alloy two inches thick at the top and bottom."

     "No, uh-uh."

​     "Abby, if..."

​     "You're going to try and pick us up and fly us out of here?"
​     "I'm thinking of it as a real possibility."

​     "And you're sure the van is up to..."

​     "The van's not the problem, Abby. You don't know what it's like out here. More replacers are showing up every second, and we're everyone's favorite target. We're running out of time. The bore isn't working. We've got..."

     "Okay! Okay!"

​     CLACK! CLACK!

​     Abby heard clamps grab each corner of the safe room.

​     Abby felt the safe room begin to lift.

​     For about an inch it lifted.

     It stayed attached to whatever ​flooring was left of the house.

     The room joggled.

​     "Dad! What..."

     "It's going to be...Damn!"

     "Not so easy, huh?"

​     "There's just this one...there!"

​     The room jerked as it, at last, tore free from the flooring...

​     ...so that now they were airborne.

​     They rose.

​     "D-Dad, how tight a grip does the van have on..."

​     "It's tight, Abby. Don't worry about that. It's like the van and the room are a single thing now."

     "Well, that's one good...who's shooting at us?"

     "Helicopters."

     "Helicopters?" 

​     "Well, one helicopter, but I see a couple more coming."

​     "Daddy!"

​                                                CONTINUE