Warden 1

by Isaac Hooke

  Will shrugged. “Kill a man. Or in this case, a cyborg. Not that there’s much difference when a human brain is involved. Though I suppose I should have expected as much, given how you behaved with the bioweapons. You got a real killer instinct going on.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Will regarded her with an uncertain expression on his face. “So tell me, how does that make you feel, what you did here?”

  “Depressed, mostly,” she said. “And relieved.”

  “Nothing else?” Will pressed.

  She paused. Then nodded. “Powerful. He was twice as tall as me. Twice as strong. I still prevailed.”

  “Don’t get too drunk on that feeling,” Will said. “It’s a path that won’t lead anywhere you want to go, trust me.”

  “Killing to feel power?” she said. “Trust me, I don’t intend to. The guilt won’t let me.”

  Will returned his attention to the body. “So he attacked first, I assume?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What do you think?”

  He looked back at her, and apparently her expression wasn’t lost at him, because he pursed his lips thoughtfully. Then: “Do you mind if we review the footage?”

  She shrugged. She accessed her recorded archives on her HUD and transmitted the past five minutes to him.

  Will made a variety of facial expressions over the next few minutes, ranging from utmost anger to outright astonishment. Finally, he focused on her again. “That got a bit intense back there. It’s too bad you had to lose your pistol in the first five seconds, though.”

  “It’s happened before, during training,” Rhea said.

  “Sure, but I somehow doubt any training you did with Bardain ever ended quite like this,” Will told her.

  “Not quite,” she agreed.

  “By the way, a bit troubling… his comments about the new bioweapons and Rust Town, no?” Will said.

  Rhea nodded. “Troubling.”

  When she had nothing more to say on the matter, Will shrugged. “Probably a lie.” He glanced at Horatio with gleaming eyes. “Well, we might as well collect some salvage.”

  Turned out, most of the machinery in the torso was worthless due to water damage—the wound Rhea had inflicted had allowed liquid to seep inside.

  Horatio was examining the head. “Looks like the damage wasn’t restricted to the torso… some of the water trickled into the spinal cavity, which connects directly to the mind-machine interface in the brain case. That interface has shorted out.”

  “Are you sure?” Rhea asked.

  “I’m positive,” the robot replied. “There’s no value to this mind-machine interface, other than the metal that forms it. That said, if you really want to lug around a human brain, I won’t stop you.”

  She frowned in disgust. “No thanks.”

  “If only our bandit friend here had managed to get out of the water before he collapsed…” Will said.

  They proceeded to strip the remainder of the body, divvying up the arms, legs, and whatever other chest machinery had survived the short-out, with Rhea getting first pick of the more valuable parts. They left behind his torso, along with his head and tail. They stripped the motors that powered the cyborg’s lethal tail blades but left the servos inside the appendage itself—because they were connected to the spinal cavity, they had also shorted out, just like the mind-machine interface.

  With their backpacks loaded up, Will turned toward the northernmost portion of the cavern, where the party had yet to explore.

  “Well, we might as well continue,” Will said. “I certainly won’t be able to rest now: I’m all wired. I only really needed a half hour nap anyway.” He scooped up the flare. “This should give us a few hours of light.”

  With that, the party pressed on. Gizmo scouted ahead, as usual. It felt a little strange not having to follow Sebastian—or rather, The Scorpion. But it was also a relief, as she always felt like he was a ticking bomb, ready to turn on her and her companions at a moment’s notice. That didn’t stop her from feeling a pang of guilt whenever she thought of him, considering he was the first human entity whose life she had taken, at least as far as she could remember. She reminded herself that it wasn’t her fault, that he had left her no choice. He had lurked in their midst all that time, waiting for the moment to pounce.

  I refuse to grieve, or even feel guilt, over such a man.

  The system of caverns eventually ended, and the party found itself trekking through a winding tunnel once more. Twisting and turning, it occasionally branched: as usual, the trio took the rightmost turns first and backtracked if they reached a dead end.

  According to her accelerometer, the tunnel seemed to be gently rising the farther they advanced. Rhea didn’t know if that was good or bad.

  “I wonder who his master was?” Will said at one point.

  “Mmm?” Rhea asked, glancing at Will.

  “That cyborg, in your archives, he said you were a threat to his ‘master,’” Will told her. “Or at least you were, before your mind was wiped.”

  “He called me the Dagger of Khrusos,” Rhea said. “Do you know what that means?”

  Will blinked a few times. “Nope.” He said it a little too hastily for her to believe him completely.

  “Khrusos is the name of the President of the United Settlements,” she said. “A member of the High Council responsible for the rule of Earth. Is it possible I used to work for him?”

  “Dunno,” Will said. “Khrusos is a relatively popular name, which is understandable, considering he’s the ruler of this continent. He could be some street thug, for all we know.”

  “Maybe now might be a good idea to tell me about the mark I once carried,” Rhea said. “It would help me to know, don’t you think? If there are others out there hunting me like The Scorpion…”

  Will shook his head. “Forget the person you once were. I’m not going to tell you what the mark was, because it will only confuse and mislead you. You’re a completely different person now. You’ve been reborn.”

  “You think you’re protecting me, don’t you?” she said. “You think I won’t like the person I once was.”

  Will didn’t answer.

  She sighed. So be it. She’d just have to puzzle it out on her own. She could understand why Will didn’t want to tell her, out of some misguided, perhaps overbearing, sense of paternity. But at some point she would find out, and when she did, she doubted it would change anything. Because even if she had been a bad person at one time, Will was right about her being completely different now.

  And so they continued forward, trekking that cave with its winding ways. The flare gave out after two hours, and the party switched to LIDAR once more in order to navigate the darkness. Will began to feel sleepy after another hour, and when he kept stumbling every hundred meters or so, he at last admitted defeat and called a halt.

  After an hour’s rest, which Rhea also took, the party continued for another four hours, until a point of light appeared ahead on Gizmo’s feed.

  Rhea checked her HUD. “That could be the surface. According to my clock, the sun rose a short while ago.”

  “We can only hope,” Will said.

  Horatio spoke. “If the mapping data is correct, we’ve looped back almost to our starting point. We’re half a kilometer north of it, and about fifty meters higher.”

  Rhea had been about to remark upon the very same thing.

  “That means we’re lucky they didn’t find this opening,” Will said.

  “Oh yes,” Horatio said. “Though I suspect it’s not visible from the ground. Just like the previous cave entrance.”

  Will sent Gizmo forward past comm range to explore the light, with instructions to immediately return if any imminent danger was detected. The drone vanished from comm range, only to return a short while later, after the party could see the point of light ahead with their own eyes.

  Rhea received a share request from Gizmo and accepted. Her HUD data updated, with the complete route to the surf
ace now overlaid onto her existing map.

  “Well, got some good news, and some bad news,” Will said. “Good news is the point of light is indeed a cave opening. And because of the way the rock juts out beneath the opening, it’s not visible from the ground, like we suspected. Bad news is it opens onto the plains we just left, and well, there’s still an army of bioweapons lounging about. That’s right: the Hydras. That bad news does have a plus side, as most of them seem to be asleep at the moment, or in some kind of rest state, at any rate. If any of them are awake, they’ve likely got all their attention on the other cave.”

  “So you’re saying we can try to sneak past them…” Rhea said.

  “Maybe I’m saying that,” Will agreed. “Or maybe I’m saying we should retreat and find another way out. There are still a bunch of other tunnels we haven’t tried. We could backtrack, take one of the left branches we ignored along the way.”

  “Not sure I like that idea,” Rhea said. “We still don’t know for sure if any of those bioweapons are pursuing us.”

  “I’ll have to agree with that assessment,” Horatio said. “If the bioweapons are willing to camp outside the cave for a whole day for us, that tells me they’re not one to abandon a meal so easily. Likely their genetic programming demands that they don’t give up. The perfect bioweapon. I’m more convinced than ever that some of those Hydras followed us inside.”

  “All right,” Will said. “Well, there’s another tidbit of good news that could potentially help, if we really decide to go out there and sneak past those creatures. See, according to Gizmo’s latest measurements, there’s no wind. Nothing to carry our scent to the bioweapons.”

  “All the more reason to abandon these caves now, while we still can.” Horatio paused. “According to the crowdsourced map data, the mountains aren’t particularly tall in this region. In fact, from this exit, it’s only a two-hundred-meter climb until we reach a plateau. The western flank of the plateau leads to a narrow path… a gentle slope that winds between the mountains and leads all the way down to the other side of the range. Essentially a mountain pass. We don’t ever need to set foot on the plains, or risk getting close to those Hydras.”

  “But we have to risk climbing?” Will said. “Not sure I like the sound of that.”

  Horatio shrugged. “I can give you a piggyback ride.”

  “Yeah, you’re going to have to,” Will told the robot.

  “So, we’re proceeding forward?” Rhea asked.

  “Seems like that’s the consensus.” Will led the way.

  Soon, the light from the opening was bright enough that Rhea no longer needed to keep her LIDAR active, and so she disabled it.

  At the exit, the party paused. Rhea peeked out from the lower edge, along with Will and Horatio, and gazed at the plains far below. It was indeed scattered with the black smears of bioweapons.

  “That’s a long fall,” Will said.

  “Don’t look down.” Horatio pulled away from the edge and beckoned toward his backpack. “Piggyback ride?”

  With a sigh, Will retreated, then pulled himself onto the backpack. He slid his fingers underneath the two straps near Horatio’s shoulders, and hugged the lower portion of the sack with his legs.

  The robot stood up. A little unsteadily, Rhea thought.

  “What if the straps break?” Rhea asked.

  “Don’t even say that,” Will said. “Talk about jinxing…”

  “Shall I lead the way?” Horatio asked.

  Rhea beckoned toward the opening. “After you.”

  Gizmo hovered outside then darted upward.

  “I’ve instructed Giz to map out the safest free climbing route,” Will told her. “Not that you or Horatio need it.”

  “Hey, whatever makes the route safer, I’m all for,” she said. “Last thing we need is a section of rock tumbling away and letting the bioweapons know we’re here.”

  Horatio stepped to the edge of the opening and reached past it. He pulled himself outside. Rhea followed.

  She accepted a share request from Gizmo a moment later. Conveniently, all the recommended handholds and footholds became highlighted on her HUD, with the former in blue and the latter in yellow. The right hand and foot suggestions were a slightly darker shade than the left; everything was also labelled in small print, should she misinterpret a cue.

  Horatio climbed just on top of her, with Will hanging on behind him.

  How are you holding out? Horatio asked over the shared mental channel.

  Me, or Rhea? Will asked.

  Both, Horatio said.

  Will accidentally glanced downward, past Rhea, and his face paled. He tightened his grip and looked away.

  Rhea smiled. Don’t worry, Will. If you fall, I’ll catch you.

  I’m reassured, he sent, though he sounded anything but.

  They made good progress, climbing about sixty percent of the way in ten minutes. At least until a distant rumbling came from the plains.

  What’s that? Will sent.

  Rhea tightened her grip and looked down. On the plains below, one by one Hydras were waking from slumber and raising their multiple heads to look south.

  She followed their gaze to the southern horizon. There, a cloud of dust poured onto the plains, higher and longer than the one that had carried the current batch of bioweapons to them. That cloud continued to lengthen as she watched, seeming to have no end in sight as the forefront approached.

  More of them… Rhea sent.

  A whole lot more, Will agreed. Could be thousands out there. Tens of thousands. Figures, that reinforcements come just when we decide to climb out of the cave!

  I wouldn’t have it any other way, Horatio transmitted. I like it when life gets interesting.

  I don’t! Will sent.

  Finally, the tail end of the dust cloud appeared, and it began to recede from the horizon as the forefront approached. The cloud seemed to be coming in at a slight angle, which would take it past the ridge with room to spare.

  Rhea had gathered enough telemetry by then to make a rough calculation of its course.

  They’re heading northeast, Rhea sent. Slightly away from us.

  That route will take them directly to Rust Town in a week’s time, Horatio transmitted. Assuming the bioweapons stick to it.

  Sebastian was right! Rhea broadcast. We have to warn Rust Town.

  Aradne’s early warning systems will detect them when they’re a few days away, Will replied. They’ll have enough time to muster the army and bring in reinforcements. We don’t have to worry.

  Except the people in charge of Aradne want to destroy Rust Town! Rhea sent.

  According to Sebastian, Will said. Who isn’t our most reliable source. And besides, that’s not what he said. He didn’t actually say who was responsible. Just that Aradne would no longer have to share water with the slums, once Rust Town was destroyed.

  Yes, but the logical inference is that the mayor is responsible, or the security team, or whoever is in charge of Aradne, Rhea transmitted. We have to warn the residents of Rust Town, so they can at least flee. If the bioweapons swerve away after a day or two, then we can turn away and pretend none of this ever happened. But if they don’t…

  Yeah well, that’s a nice idea and all, Will sent, but there’s one problem. We can’t keep pace with them. Look how fast they’re crossing those plains!

  That’s a good point, Rhea said.

  I wonder how they even know where they’re going, Will sent. Could be they’re traveling in a random direction.

  Someone has probably laid a scent for them to track, Horatio replied.

  The Scorpion… Rhea transmitted. That was just a guess, of course, but it seemed plausible.

  Rhea had stopped climbing during the conversation and was about to begin again when she felt subtle vibrations passing through the rock. Apparently the reverberations from the massive bioweapon stampede were reaching even here.

  A boulder the size of her body abruptly broke loose beside her, a
nd she started. It bounced from the cliff face several times as it plunged, issuing thick thuds along the way.

  I could’ve easily been on that rock… she sent.

  But you weren’t, Will said. Stop getting your britches in a knit over what could’ve been, and instead worry about the racket that thing’s making.

  He was right to be worried: below, several grotesque heads shot toward the ridge as the boulder continued to strike against the cliff during its descent.

  The team remained motionless.

  A final thud issued when the rock crashed into the ground and broke in two.

  Come on, don’t notice us, Will sent. Don’t notice.

  The party waited, watching. Hoping.

  And then the wind picked up. It blew from north to south, toward the bioweapons camped on the plains below.

  Damn it, Will said. Gotta love it when luck goes against you every step of the way.

  Not every step, Horatio said. Rhea wasn’t on the rock that fell, after all…

  The closest bioweapons hooted and howled suddenly. Apparently the creatures had spotted the trio. No doubt both the falling boulder and the north-south wind had played parts in that.

  Whatever the case, the Hydras rushed the base of the cliff and began to climb.

  22

  Rhea scaled the rock face with renewed urgency.

  While the local bioweapons were swarming the base of the cliff below, those parts of the bigger herd in the dust cloud continued northeast, refusing to detour from their course in any way. Some of the bioweapons on the plains directly below also abandoned the ridge to join in the northeastern trek, perhaps confident that their brethren here would successfully handle Rhea and the others. These deserters raced into the wide dust cloud and promptly vanished.

  As that cloud and the herd it contained receded into the northeast, the reverberations passing through the rock face faded. Rhea noticed only with a small part of her mind, as the remainder concentrated on following the path Gizmo had marked on the surface.

  On a whim, she paused at one point to shoot at the rocks below, hoping to cause an avalanche. Will joined in, as did Horatio. But all they did was drill small boreholes. They couldn’t start an avalanche.