Absolute Knowledge Box Set (Books 1-3)

by Drew Cordell

  There was a certain grim silence amongst everyone in the ship’s armory, an uncertainty and fear that something would go horribly wrong.

  Edgar stepped forward to address the group before they armed themselves and geared for the assault. “Everyone, it’s important that you know if today goes well, we will end this fight. You have all been briefed, and you all know the drop points. Fifteen minutes is a hard limit, but expect your time to find survivors to be cut if something goes wrong. This is a quick in and out—nothing more. You need to understand that the highest priority is extracting survivors before we detonate the EMP. As soon as the ODIN II pierces Olympus’s artificial atmosphere, we will broadcast the signal telling anyone still alive to wait on their landing pads. We’ll be on standby to pick up the people, but our main objective is clearing House Aeoxous. If possible, we want to take the Supreme Leader alive. To reiterate, fly over your assigned Omniscience Engine tower, drop your short-range EMP, then breach your section of House Aeoxous. If it gets too hot, report it and don’t stick around. In, out, done.”

  “With that, everyone needs to have at least one ballistic weapon if an EMP manages to damage your gear,” Marwin added. “Arm up, and join your strike teams. If you were designated as one of our pilots based on your past experience with flying, report to the Hangar right away after you grab your gear. Let’s get going; the clock is ticking.”

  I grabbed a new helmet and additional ammo for the weapons I already had waiting on my scout ship and walked to one of the elevators with Mary while everyone else prepared for the invasion.

  “Heading to Olympus. All strike teams to your assigned ship once you have geared,” the Builder called over comms. The elevator trip became uncomfortable as the ODIN II started its climb to Olympus.

  When we arrived at the hangar, I kissed Mary one last time before everyone else arrived. “This will be quick. Our entry points aren’t that far apart, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Stay safe, and I’ll see you soon.”

  “See you soon. Good luck out there,” she replied, pulling me into a hug before we boarded our ships.

  I checked my rifle and shotgun, making sure each had enough ammo before loading full magazines and drums into the slots on my armored vest. I tested the Hellfire Blade Leroy had given me too, igniting the edge of the blade and taking a few test swings. It felt good in my hand. When I was pleased with my gear, I loaded my weapons and small backpack into the mesh net next to my chair, securing it in place for the journey before adjusting my shoulder straps on my restraints to accommodate the bulk of my armor. Satisfied, I stood to wait for the others on my strike team.

  Leroy walked up the ramp with five other Champions behind him. “Who knew you’d be a pilot?” he said as he walked into the ship.

  “You’re coming with us? Are you sure you’re okay for that?” I asked, surprised to see him. We hadn’t been gone for that long on our journey to Vermont, and his condition hadn’t been that great before we left. It was a remarkable recovery.

  “Hell yeah, I’m coming with you,” he said, breaking into his signature smile. “The surgery the Harvesters did saved my life. I’m as good as new, actually. And you know I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I can’t argue with that.”

  “You remember Remi, right?” he said, motioning to one of the men climbing into the ship.

  “Yeah, I do. It’s good to see you Remi,” I said, shaking his hand. My squad had run a few missions with Remi Nadeau in the years after the collapse of the Slums, and it was good to have him with us.

  “You too, Jake. It’s been a while,” he said, hefting his heavy rifle and resting it on its stock once he was seated and buckled in.

  “Nancy, Riley, good to see you too,” I said, shaking their hands as they boarded. The two women were in their late 20s and worked in logistics and maintaining the Guild’s supplies and resources.

  “Hey, Leroy. You’re up here with me,” I said.

  “Ahh yeah. Best view in the house,” he said, climbing through the partition and securing his gear in the other mesh net beside his seat. “I don’t have to press any of these buttons do I?” he asked, checking over the dashboard.

  “I should have it covered, but I’ll let you know. To be honest, I don’t know what half of them do.”

  “I wish you weren’t kidding, but you seem to have a good grip on flying,” he replied. “I trust you.”

  “I’ve seen you around, but I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” I said to the other two women, probably in their 30s, as they boarded the ship.

  “We both worked in manufacturing, if you can believe it,” the first woman said. “My name is Christine; this is Tara.”

  “Great to meet you both,” I said, shaking their hands. “I’m Jake.”

  “We’ve heard of you of course, but it’s nice to meet you, too. We’ll defer to your judgment on this raid.”

  I nodded. “Sorry in advance if the flying is a little rough, but I’ll do my best to make sure we reach our entry point at House Aeoxous.”

  “The flying will be rough,” Leroy assured them. “But we’ll be all right. Remi, you still good to drop the EMP?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be good to go,” he replied, testing the tether line attaching him to a hardpoint on the inside of the ship.

  Christine and Tara took their seats, fastening themselves in with the others while I patched the video feed from the ODIN II through the two screens on the walls of the ship’s partition so the passengers in the back could see as well. We were still climbing vertically, ascending through thick clouds so we could position ourselves for what was being called ‘the drop.’ By the name alone, I knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

  I watched from the geometric panes of reinforced ballistic glass of my scout ship as three of the Builder’s Spinners hauled the main EMP, still sealed in its heavy metal crate, into the oldest-looking scout ship in the hangar, securing it in the center.

  The elevator opened once more, and an old Artisan class robot hobbled over to the ship with the main EMP, climbing in. It was hard to believe we were counting on that robot to pull this off, but everyone seemed to think this was our best chance.

  “Everything is in place,” the Builder said. “Martinez and I have calibrated the EMP for remote detonation, and we will be running ops from the bridge. We’re making our final approach on Olympus. Make sure you’re all strapped in and ready to go.”

  I was hoping to find Evelyn Aeoxous—to bring her to justice for all that she had taken away from me and everyone else. She could not escape from this, even if that meant she was killed by the EMP blast. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind so I could focus on what was going to happen. I tried to think about more positive things—what kind of life I would make for myself in our new world—what I was going to tell Mary when this was finished. She had to tell me something too, and I longed to hear what it was.

  The next 20 minutes were going to feel a lot longer. All the lives, all the sacrifices and the weight of our decisions led us to this point in time—one moment to persevere and defeat an unbeatable enemy. I thought of Master Aarlen—of how he probably felt even if he couldn’t be here to experience the fruit of his life’s work, the cause his faith had led him to fight for and give everything to serve. I couldn’t wait to see him again. I still had so much to learn.

  “Here we go. Pilots, I will tell you when to deploy. Remember the plan,” the Builder called from the ship-wide comm channel we would be using for the entirety of the attack.

  I checked my seatbelt again, hoping the magnetic locks on the bottom of our scout ship would hold through what would most likely be a rough entry into Olympus. I was watching the data feed through on the old digital display on the dashboard in front of me, anticipating the impact of hitting Olympus’s artificial atmosphere head on.

  As Marwin had explained, anything running on or with the Omniscience Engine signal didn’t have any p
roblems getting through. When Anderson had flown us out on his stealth fighter, it had made it through because it hadn’t been detected by the Omniscience Engine. This was different. The Omniscience Engine likely knew we were coming now, and it would do anything to keep us from reaching Olympus in the first place, including bolstering its defenses and strengthening the dome of energy around its home.

  Cameras anchored to various points of the ship’s underside displayed Olympus below us, growing in size as the Builder cut power from the ODIN II’s main thruster and let the ship fall. My stomach lurched as we accelerated toward the energy barrier in what felt like an uncontrollable dive.

  I tensed, gripping the handles and holding my breath as we waited for the inevitable.

  22 ASSAULT

  ∆∆∆

  The belly of the ODIN II struck something hard, and I was thrown against my restraints. I watched the cameras, seeing the clash of two powerful shield systems. The shield over Olympus covered a larger area, but with the sheer mass of the ODIN II and the increased strength of the shield which was so close to the hull, we powered through, an incredible crack roaring through the air. A blast of static washed over the camera as we tore a hole through the shield over Olympus.

  “Signal going out. Wait for my command to deploy!” the Builder yelled.

  Enforcer Dropships swarmed from the lower levels of Olympus, rising up into the air and launching missiles at the ODIN II. I tensed as the massive salvo zipped toward us. Bright blue lights flashed from our hull, and the missiles in the distance detonated in a wall of explosions far away from us. Massive guns lowered from the bottom of the ODIN II, churning to life and making short work of the approaching dropships, shredding through them with ease.

  “The Omniscience Engine is attacking our AI now. Stick to the plan and good luck. We will cover you. All pilots go!” the Builder shouted.

  Leroy nodded to me, and I pressed the button to disembark with the others. Our ship lifted and the hangar doors opened, revealing sheer chaos and destruction. More enemy dropships were trying to swarm, but the guns on the ODIN II were shredding them. I could only hope they wouldn’t hit us in the process. As we cleared the hangar, I took manual control of my ship and pressed the accelerator forward as far as I dared, stealing a quick glance to my left to see the other ships.

  “Left, left!” Leroy yelled.

  I winced and flung the control stick to the left, narrowly dodging an enemy dropship which was flying way too close. Something struck the dropship as we scraped past, detonating the ship from the inside and sending a spray of shrapnel out toward us. The charred husk of the enemy ship fell, but it had been way too close.

  Catching my breath, I increased my speed, flying between two large buildings with arched structures reaching into the skies. There were Enforcer Dropships in pursuit, but I couldn’t worry about them. I could only put as much distance between them and myself as possible as we raced toward our objective, a small dot three miles away on my overhead radar system. I knew what the tower we were targeting looked like. It was big enough to stick out against the open airspace of Olympus, almost as tall as the Great Houses. Getting to it would be easy—flying close enough for Remi to throw the EMP and disable it was another thing altogether.

  One of the dropships behind me fired a spray of red energy bolts at us. I swerved laterally, trying to dodge the barrage, but several of the bolts struck the hull of my ship and shuddered through the frame. The ship jolted from the impact, and raw shock punched through me and rattled my teeth.

  I corrected the motion, pulling the ship down fifty feet before pulling up on my controls to level out. It did the trick for the time being, but a light on the dashboard was flashing red now, and it couldn’t be good.

  “Everyone okay?” I yelled through my mic.

  “We’re good back here!” Remi shouted.

  The two dropships that were trailing us suddenly vanished in a sphere of condensed flames, annihilated by some powerful weapon aboard the ODIN II. It gave me some breathing room, and I focused on getting to the tower, checking the distance on my radar and pushing the accelerator further forward and rocketing us across the pristine capital of New York.

  “Remi, get ready,” I shouted. “I’ll tell you when—going to try to give you a clean throw.”

  The buildings were blurring around me as my ship went faster than I thought possible. I pulled the accelerator into reverse. Twin jets of blue flame erupted from the front of my ship, burning hot and slowing us as we approached our target tower. Signal amplifier dishes lined the surface of the bronzed metal tower. Fortunately, it was a big target, and it wouldn’t be hard for Remi to hit.

  “Remember try to hit it directly. Should do the job!” I suggested as he stood from his chair, trying to gain his balance from my uneven flying. I opened the door on the left of the ship with the push of a button, giving him his opening. I lurched the ship a little too hard and he slid across the floor of the ship, almost losing his footing, but remaining steady. Even if he fell out of the ship, the tether he was attached to would save his life.

  “This is it; get ready,” I called, flying as close as I dared to the tower. Remi threw the miniature EMP, and I watched through a rear camera feed as it exploded in an orb of brilliant blue light. Distortion washed over all my camera feeds for a second, and something felt off about my controls. There was a shriek through comms followed by static, but things recovered to normal as I closed the door again, shivering as the internal heating system fought back the frigid winter air.

  “Jake, your tower is down. Good work!” the Builder called. “Proceed to your entry point on House Aeoxous.”

  “Copy,” I said, banking around a building and adjusting the drift so the ship was once again pointed in the correct direction. When we were positioned facing the opposite way of our motion, I set the acceleration to 4Gs. Our mid-air stop, taking only seconds, was replaced with a crushing force as we surged back toward House Aeoxous.

  The ODIN II was still busy with its own fight, and missiles continued to detonate in the sky, lighting it up with brilliant whites, oranges, and reds while thick black smoke clouded the surrounding air.

  “The signal is getting weaker. Keep it up! Only two more towers to go,” the Builder reported.

  My heart froze as a powerful explosion swallowed the ODIN II, but when it dissipated, the massive ship was still there, intact. The boom of the shockwave shook over us moments later.

  “Everyone doing okay back there?” I asked ramping up my speed and swerving to avoid a volley of green energy bolts cutting across the sky toward us.

  “Doing fine back here,” Riley said, but it was clear from her voice that she wasn’t enjoying my flying, not that I could blame her—I wasn’t enjoying my flying.

  My interface marked my landing pad in the distance, painting it with a red laser dot through the now-frosted glass of my scout ship. I raised our altitude, spotting another scout ship in the distance also approaching the drop site.

  In less than a minute I initiated the automatic landing process, lining up with the landing pad and putting the ship down. My squad was on their feet before it happened, weapons raised and ready to go as the ramp deployed. Once I set the ship down, I scrambled for my gear, locking my backpack onto my armor and securing my Hellfire Blade in its holster to my belt while attaching my shotgun to its latch on my backpack. I checked my wrist link, updating the mission clock.

  “Seventeen minutes, we’re doing well on time. Let’s make this quick.” I pulled my helmet on and ran across the landing platform toward the door.

  We rushed forward, approaching the massive glass doors of the house.

  “All clear so far,” Leroy called, taking point and opening the door with one hand while keeping his rifle raised. He peered into the house, sweeping over the length of the entryway with his holographic sight.

  “Adding the global comms feed to our channel,” I said, toggling the switch on my helmet and proceeding forward.


  The inside of house Aeoxous was cold and empty. I didn’t know much about the Ascendants, but it seemed they were almost identical to humans. The temperature alone suggested House Aeoxous had been empty for quite some time.

  “Nothing on south side yet,” one of the strike team leaders called through comms. “It’s freezing in here.”

  We proceeded through the lavishly decorated entryway. Paintings, sculptures, and various hanging fixtures embellished the space around us, all in the colors of House Aeoxous now—black and white rather than the black and copper they had been when Colton Adrihel still lived here.

  My team spread out, listening for any signs of life as we moved through the empty space.

  “Mary, are you here yet?” I asked, trying to reach Mary through our private channel.

  “Yeah. Nothing yet. Can’t talk,” she responded. House Aeoxous was a massive space—eight floors spread over an expansive area. We had a lot of ground to cover and not enough time to hit it all.

  “You might think you have the upper hand,” Evelyn Aeoxous’s voice cut through the house through the PA system. “This attack will never succeed.”

  I gritted my teeth, the sound of her voice bringing up painful memories and bitter anger. “Keep moving.”

  As we proceeded, an automatic turret lowered from the ceiling, fixating itself on us and spraying energy bolts across the hall.

  “Cover, now!” I screamed, diving to the side as one of the bolts hit me in the chest. I felt the torrid heat as it singed the outer layer of my armor and stopped short before it could burn all the way through. I took a position behind a wall in an adjacent hallway while the others on my team scrambled to cover on the opposite side.

  The global comms channel surged to life, filling with shouts as it seemed every squad came under attack simultaneously.

  Leroy rushed across the hallway from his previous position of cover across the walkway. Bolts of energy hit the polished stone as he crossed, sizzling and filling the air with the smell of ozone and burning chemicals.