by J. N. Chaney
Black Shield does not show mercy.
In this instance, the training was right. It was time to end this. I lifted the weapon and put my finger on the trigger, ready to squeeze.
“Stop! He’s mine!”
The plea in Riva’s voice halted me. She was coming in quick, but her shout had warned Makin. He strafed to the right and narrowly avoided taking her spear in the back. I had no doubt that if she’d hit him, he’d be dead.
Makin drew his own weapon from a sheath at his hip. The curved blade lit blue, and he swung it with more grace than I expected. Riva was forced to dance away, but he followed her on light feet, keeping her on the defensive.
Based on his previous actions, I’d assumed he couldn’t fight. Certainly hand to hand wasn’t his bag of tricks, but this sword play was almost beautiful.
I wanted to yell at Riva to get the hell out of my way. Fighting Makin this way was an unnecessary risk when I could just shoot him and be done with it. Taking the shot with her in the mix wasn’t something I was willing to do. Back in the old days, I wouldn’t have hesitated. Now, things were different.
Riva swept out with her tail, trying to take out her opponent’s legs or get in a body shot. He brought the sword down and connected, but it bounced off her own armor without wounding her.
Thanks to the Mind Thieves’ influence, he didn’t fall prey to emotion by cursing or speaking in any way. That was a plus for him because it gave him more focus. When Riva darted in for a quick thrust of her spear, Makin simply twisted and spun, avoiding each attack with ease.
To her credit, Riva didn’t lose her cool. Unlike the time I’d seen her fight the oversized Volcuri, she radiated calm. When Makin moved, she went with him. Where he was fluid, she was strong and forced him to stumble back until finally he threw his arm up to block the next blow.
It was a ruse.
Riva took the opportunity to drop the spear and pull a short sword. Though not curved like his, it was plenty sharp and she used to cleave off his weapon arm at the elbow.
Makin looked down at it in obvious shock and sank to his knees. Blood spurted from his new stump and dripped onto his lap. Riva spun back once more and put all her weight into a final blow.
The Turned leader’s head toppled from his body and rolled onto the ground with a sloppy thud.
21
Riva’s breath came in fast pants as she stood over Makin’s body. Then she straightened and put the sword back in its sheath. Giving his corpse her back, Riva faced me and offered a shallow bow.
“I am sorry, Chief Kent. It would have been quicker and more assured for you to use your weapon. For Makin, I could not allow it. I needed to be the one.”
“He’s dead. That’s what matters here,” I told her.
Her feathers rustled before calming again. “We have the victory, I believe. However, I want to make sure every Turned Volcuri is detained.”
“I agree. Once we’re good here, I’ll head outside and check in with base camp.”
Rounding up all that remained of Makin’s guards didn’t take long. When he died, they’d all gone still in momentary confusion. The break was enough to give our people the upper hand.
From there, things happened quickly.
First, the Turned were taken into custody and locked up in the mountain’s prison. Those that didn’t fit were restrained and moved somewhere they could be watched. Once they didn’t have any weapons or a way to fight back, the infected Volcuri simply gave up.
I wasn’t really surprised. They seemed to be connected on some level. Without their leader, it was like they went into a mental stasis.
It made me wonder just how this mind control worked. Were the First remoting in with computers? Just sitting on some distant starship or station controlling their hosts. Or was it more simple than that? No way to tell until the scientists could get a chance to work with the live specimens.
With the mountain now under our control, I breathed again. The fleet of ships beckoned, but I still had one thing left to do before I could investigate the hangar: give a quick report to Director Wright.
“We’re good in the hangar, sir. Once the mountain is officially under our control, we’ll want to start some kind of inventory. There’s an armada’s worth of ships in there, but no one’s going to have a clue how to use them.”
“You’re clear to begin, Chief,” Wright told me. “The other team leaders are already checking in. Seems Havu was right about the Turned’s forces being depleted. They hardly put up a fight. From the sound of it, you had the hardest time.”
“I think he planned to escape that way, sir.” That conclusion had come to me when I noticed the ship he’d been using for cover had an open hatch. “He just didn’t get the chance.”
“Good. Dr. St. John and Skan are going to comb through the labs and any scientific data with Havu. Nami is heading up to work with Riva and get the hangar figured out. I want to know everything there is to know in the next forty-eight hours. To make things a little easier on the communication side, we’re going to get equipment set up inside.”
“Copy that, sir. I’ll keep you updated.”
As I’d told the Director, no one knew how to work with the ships. Still, we’d dealt a major blow to the First. They no longer—at least for the moment—controlled Kainos. When the First dared to return, we’d be waiting for them.
That’s what I was thinking when the hail came over my earpiece from Riva.
“Chief Kent, we found something that connects to the hangar.”
“I’m on my way. Where am I going?”
“I’ll send you the location,” Riva replied.
My wrist unit beeped, and the holo map offered me a route. The map was being continuously updated as we fed it data, so I had a pretty detailed route that led me to a set of stairs built into the rock about midway through the hangar.
I went up nearly two stories before I finally reached the indicated level. A single door, perhaps two meters wide, stood between me and the final passageway that would lead to the location marker. I hailed Riva to let her know I was there, and the door slid open a few seconds later to reveal a short, empty hallway.
The walls were metallic but not weathered by time and repeated use like the rest of the examples I’d encountered in the mountain. The clean lines and elegant geometry were more akin to what we had on the Ark or the Elders’ compound.
What did that mean?
My mind churned with the possibilities as I made my way to another door, one that opened as I approached. This time Riva was on the other side.
She waved me inside. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I have an update.”
The room reminded me a little of the lab we’d found Havu and his companion in, except there was no tank containing one of my team. Realizing Miguel’s body could now be retrieved, I paused.
“Give me one second, Riva. I have to take care of something.”
The rebel—or maybe just Volcuri—leader waited patiently while I tapped my comm and hailed Dr. St. John to relay my instructions. As I had with Avery, I told him to do whatever tests he needed, then release the body for a funeral. The others would appreciate the chance to say goodbye, as would I.
“Okay, Riva. What did you find?”
“This room functions as a control lab.” She went to one of the workstations and pointed excitedly.
When I got close enough to see, I understood. The data cube from the Elders fit perfectly into a slot. It was different from what they’d used in the compound, but corresponding data on a floating holo-like screen showed this worked too.
With a sweep of her hand, Riva brought up more data. It cascaded and became solid lines of light. Solid enough that she plucked a diagram out of the air and turned it in her hands. The diagram was of a ship.
“I don’t think I’ve ever said these words before,” I began. “But that is awesome.”
“I’m just getting started, Chief Kent. Take a look at this.” Riva moved the three dimensio
nal diagram and settled it into a new window.
It tucked itself into the upper left corner and began to spin. More lines of information began to fill the screen, along with something else. A map that looked like it matched the hangar, except it included all of the ships. The image zoomed in on a pulsing green light and drew a line to the diagram.
I shot Riva a look of surprise. “It knows where that particular model is?”
She nodded. “Not just that. How many of that model. All of their diagnostics at the tip of our fingers. Kent, this is everything we needed. The data cube was hard to decipher because we didn’t have a way to display the data. It’s meant to be input here.”
“Are the ships in working order.”
Riva’s feathers shivered. Instead of speaking, she tapped the screen. The image with the model’s location changed colors and became a bright white. “Look.”
I followed her to a window and stared out. Just down below, one of the ships’ lights were on. “You just started it by remote.”
“Yes. This is all I know for now, but I don’t think it will take us long to learn. Everything we need is here.”
Thoughts of the future flooded in. The planet was so close to being free from any more attacks. Looking out into the hangar, I was confident that this was it: the key we needed to have a chance at fighting the First.
If we could figure out how to use them in time, it wouldn’t even matter if our backup from Earth arrived before our enemy. Even if they did, there was no telling just how much time we’d have to plan before the First showed up and tried to wreck everything. Images of peace and a thriving colony came to mind. That was the objective, but no longer the only mission driving me.
I smiled and turned to study the floating documents. “I’d say you’re right. There’s a lot to go through though, so I guess we better get started. The clock is ticking.”
Epilogue
Director Wright regarded me with shrewd eyes from his position across the conference table. We were in a meeting room aboard the Ark, debating our next steps. My superior had returned to the ship once things on the surface calmed down.
Instead of getting started on building the colony, he’d decided it was more prudent to wait. I happened to agree. If the First did arrive and rained holy hell on the fledgling community, then we’d just have to rebuild.
For now, it was good enough that the ships were already getting tested for both Volcuri and human use. That was great, but for one thing. The Director had just informed me that I was to take an excursion around the system once a space capable vessel was procured from the hangar.
“Something on your mind, Kent? You seem… conflicted.”
I hesitated for a few brief moments to collect my thoughts. What I said now would shape the future, and the answer still wasn’t clear to me.
“Sir, I have concerns about leaving.” His only response was to arch a brow, so I continued. “I’m in charge of the ship’s security. My mission is to keep the colonists safe.”
“Kent, there isn’t a single person aware of your involvement who would say you haven’t done your duty,” Wright began.
I held up a hand to stop him. The move worked, but he didn’t look pleased about it. “I appreciate that, sir. The point is I can’t keep doing that if I’m not here.”
“Ah, I see now. Then perhaps it will ease your mind to know that I’ve already taken steps to address this issue, Chief. If you should...” He paused, looking slightly ruffled as though realizing whatever he’d been about to say wouldn’t be a good idea.
“I die,” I finished for him. “You’re talking about Jay, my replacement.”
Even I could hear the strange note in my tone. Another odd feeling, this one protective. Jealous, if I was being honest. A little shame trickled in at the thought. Men like me weren’t supposed to have that emotion.
Except now I did.
“Essentially, yes. You know the drill. I have a backup too. The colony needs leadership, that’s why contingencies were put into place. Listen, Kent. You’ve done an exemplary job. But we’re up against something else here. This is no longer just about colonizing a new planet. This is survival.”
Survival. I knew that concept better than most ever would.
“I’m not a pilot, sir.”
Wright blew out a breath and sat back. “I might not like when you push back on my orders, but I usually understand it. Not this time. What’s the problem?”
No, he wouldn’t understand just how much I had changed since waking up from stasis.
I met his gaze head on. “Leaving now would be foolhardy. I can be better utilized on the ground. Especially if the First arrive early. You know our chances of survival—”
“Pardon the interruption, but I have an important update from Earth,” interjected AMI.
Wright looked annoyed. “Fine, what is it?”
“The backup forces have entered the Red Shift System. The communique is simple. It reads PREPARE FOR WAR. HUMANITY WILL BE THE ONLY RESIDENTS OF THE PLANET KAINOS. ELIMINATE ALL OTHERS.”
The Director’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? Are you trying to tell me that Earth is ordering us to betray our newest allies?”
“Yes, Director Wright. That is my understanding.”
“Sir. Those are our friends. They helped us to stay alive. I won’t follow that order.”
Black Shield agents do not have friends or family.
Maybe all those years of training had been wrong after all; people, Black Shield agents or not, needed friends and family. My team was both, and that was just fine with me.
“No,” he said with a frown. “I don’t expect you to. The question is what do we do about it if the backup arriving tries to enforce it.”
I stood up with deadly calm and placed a hand on the sidearm at my hip. “We take out anyone who tries to hurt our people or Riva’s. End of story.”
Exodus Ark Key Terms and Definitions
KEY ORGANIZATIONS
Black Shield Corps - a for profit mercenary group. They employ top scientists in the genetic engineering field and have created near perfect humans to use as disposable soldiers. These soldiers are highly effective militant assets. Conceived of sperm and egg but grown in an artificial womb, their biological parents are selected by the government and forced to “volunteer” to donate their DNA until a viable fetus with the most desirable traits are produced. The children are then raised in a military facility before entering their training to become the perfect soldier. Their strength is balanced with endurance and speed in an effort to produce the perfect weapon, while body requires less sleep, food, and water than the average person. Rodon Corp paid a decent sum for some of these soldiers, but for a corporation so wealthy, it is marginal.
Rodon Corp - a for profit organization with a major hand in Earth's government. They finance all colony expeditions and sell information to the government.
Exodus Ark - the latest in a long line of ships tasked with colonizing the galaxy. It is headed to a remote system known as Red Shift.
HUMANS
Chief Mission Ward Kent-9464 - tasked with the position of Chief Mission Ward and essentially oversees all security on the colony ship Exodus Ark.
Tara Perez - a member of the security forces tasked to the ship. Much of her past is unknown, but she is willing to do what it takes to survive.
Mitch Collins - the security team lead with previous military experience. His past seems cut and dry, but that is far from the truth.
Marcus Brenner - a Veteran turned security officer. He is on the ship for a chance to see something besides war.
Stewart Baker - designated to be admin, therefore he lacks the necessary experience to be combat ready.
Rip Powell - self-serving and makes decisions that he thinks will keep him alive.
Dr. Rhys (pronounced Reece) St. John - a scientist who gives them the device that kills the Blight/Flux.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES
AMI (Artificial Mission Intellige
nce) - Exodus Ark’s command AI. She guides Kent through the attack and seems to show empathy for the human inhabitants of the ship. She was created by Dr. Donald Baylor and subsequently placed aboard the Exodus Ark along with Felix and Cassia, each of whom handle different operational tasks in order to keep the ship running without a crew for the duration of the mission.
DICK (Direct Interface Control Key) - the Exodus Ark's function-control (doors, stairways, and other functions) AI. It was DICK who detected the First’s defense buoys and allowed Exodus Ark to continue on that path.
Cassia - her purpose is to manage the computer networks associated with the Exodus Ark’s science and engineering subsections.
ORI (Operating Redundant Intelligence) - a deactivated AI and legacy system
ALIENS
The First - an extraterrestrial space-faring race who value their privacy above all else. They prefer to remain undiscovered and have left defensive measures in place at the edge of their territory. The First will go so far as to commit genocide in order to stay hidden and prevent humanity from finding them. As a result, much about them remains unknown.
The Blight: Black, amorphous organism created by the First as the primary detector of outsiders in their territory. It attaches to a living entity and spreads quickly throughout the body.
Flux: Organisms created directly by the Blight’s infection.
ADDITIONAL TERMS
SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
RRT – Rapid Response Training
