“No,” Faso replied from his place standing at the back, waving his arms animatedly as he spoke. “There are civilians in there. Charging in guns blazing during a blizzard is just going to get innocent people killed.”
“Innocent? These people have been committed for crimes, many of them heinous.”
“And can you rely on King Cini’s judicial system to be just?”
“Blunders and dragonheats! We have no choice. They still work for the enemy, and that’s enough reason in my book to consider them collateral.”
It seemed, in my absence, the meeting hadn’t progressed. And really, given the only person who dared answer back to General Sako was Faso, I wasn’t sure there’d been any point calling a meeting at all. It was incredibly warm in here. The heat from the dying fireplace plucked at my thawing cheeks.
“If we have no idea what’s inside the factory,” I said, as I walked over to my seat but remained standing. “Then we should find out, surely, before we make any further decisions.”
“One or two scouts are just going to get shot down.” General Sako said. “There could be a host of war automatons ready to ambush whoever we send out there. We need numbers, not scouts.”
“The very fact that the factory is being run by convicts and not automatons, suggests that they don’t have as many there as we first thought.”
“And,” Faso said. “One thing I didn’t tell you about the dragon automaton and Velos’ helmet, is both can also see heat signatures through walls?”
“Wellies, Gordoni,” General Sako said. “Once we get out of here, I want a document written up on all the schematics of your inventions. You can’t be revealing things like this at crucial times. What happens if you neglect to tell us something, and it costs us lives?”
Faso rolled his eyes. “I won’t let that happen I assure you.”
“And if you fall sick, what then?”
“Then my dear beloved, Asinal Winda, has all the information you’ll need.”
General Sako’s face was turning red by this point. “Winda, you will write up the schematics for me at the earliest opportunity, is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” she replied from her seat. She glared daggers at Faso, as if to say that there was no way she would do his job for him. It felt good to see her sticking up for herself, even a bit, and so I hoped with all my heart she’d win that battle.
“So,” I said. “We can take Velos in and my dragon automaton. They’ll scan things from the air. And come back with a report. And we’ll do this before the blizzard passes, so we know what we’re up against.”
Velos would hate me for forcing him to fly in such conditions, but really, I felt we had no choice.
“No,” General Sako said. “As the only fertile male dragon known alive, we can’t risk Velos. The dragon automaton will go in alone and unmanned.”
“Actually,” Faso said. “I think we’ll need both dragons, with troops on them. We’ll need to investigate the inside of the factory, as there may be automatons inside that haven’t yet powered on. Such automatons won’t register heat signatures. So, the men will have to dismount and see inside for themselves.”
I nodded, and I glanced at Taka, who stood by tent wall.
“So, it’s settled,” I said. “We need the two dragons to deposit us on the ground. Faso and Winda can take the dragon automaton. Me and Talato will take Velos. Oh, and Taka wants to come too.” And I said that, knowing exactly what the general’s response would be.
“Taka?” General Sako’s eyes opened wide. “Oh no. There’s no way I’m putting him right in the enemy’s sights, no matter what Gerhaun said. He’s a child, for wellies’ sake. Taka stays here under my protection.”
I turned to Taka and met an angry glare. It had been a cheap trick to pass it off as General Sako’s decision, and he hadn’t fallen for it.
“I’ll be okay,” I said to him. He nodded, and didn’t intervene, although the scowl didn’t leave his face. I just hoped this wouldn’t mean he’d jump on a Grey and rush ahead of us.
But, this time, I was sure General Sako would keep him under a much tighter guard.
“Also,” General Sako said. “Now we have the helmet, Faso and Winda don’t need to pilot the dragon automaton. I’m not sure you even need to go, Dragonseer Wells, but I understand you want to be close to Velos. So, here’s my plan. We’ll send out two of my commandos – actually make it three – on the dragon automaton. Another commando will accompany you and Lieutenant Talato on Velos. Meanwhile, we’ll continue our march ahead to the factory, and if there are any complications, we’ll take the factory by brute force.”
“Three?” Faso said. “I only designed my automaton for two passengers.”
“My commandos can hold on,” General Sako replied.
“And how am I meant to march with you when I’ve got my helmet on my head?” Faso asked.
“You’re inventive, Faso,” I said. “You’ll find a way.”
My little joke was rewarded by a collective chortle from the commandos and marines in the room. And I might have been seeing things, but I could swear Winda smiled too.
17
We set off into a raging blizzard, which carried a horrible sleet on its heavy winds. The icy blasts stung at the skin on my cheeks and around my neck, and the frozen residue melted and slithered underneath my scarf. The conditions were tiring Velos, who found it tough to fly in a straight line.
But the weather kept us from being spotted, and for that I was grateful. A commando named Private Yorin sat on the central seat between me and Talato. I refrained from augmenting as I feared the night vision from my secicao blend would interfere with the helmet’s sensors.
And once we got closer to the factory, the winds subsided a little. Private Yorin then signalled we were close, and I put my helmet on. Once again, I saw the colourful world through Velos’ eyes, and my connection to him got even stronger. Faso had already shown me the switch I needed to flick to see the heat signatures. So, I flicked it, and the display through the helmet’s visor transformed.
I didn’t see speckled green, as I usually would from augmenting, but shades of red, yellow and blue. The reddest areas were the hottest around the chimneys of the factory and where the slaves worked away at the ground. Another cluster of slaves had grouped up in lines of three, with huge metal girders propped up on their shoulders, which they carried towards the door.
Faso had explained that all active automatons would emit these signatures. They would be hottest at their power cores, and cooler near the metal on the surface. Now, through the dissipating grey clouds, I could make out the outlines of Hummingbird automatons – glowing red at their centres. They buzzed around close to the slaves. There was also a little heat coming from the doors themselves, which I guessed were also powered by automaton technology.
A good two-score war automatons also patrolled along the edge of the rock face that concealed the factory. As I turned my head, I also saw the signatures from Faso’s dragon automaton flying level with us. Three muscular commandos straddled its back – a female on the front and two male ones perched behind them on the back seat, their names: Solice, Myargh, and Forkand respectively.
I diverted my attention back to the rock face. Behind its cold blue surface, I could only see the heat signatures of a few guards. No sign of any automatons.
“See what I mean?” Faso’s voice came over the speaker system on Velos’ armour. “No threat at all.”
“We still need to check it out,” I said. “For all I know they could be using some kind of technology that doesn’t emit heat.”
“That’s impossible,” Faso said. “But I have to admit, I’m curious to see what’s behind it all too. Have you got your hip-cam?”
I checked the bulky cube-shaped object that Faso had clipped on to my belt, on the other side of my waist to my hipflask.
“Everything’s ready.”
“Good,” Faso replied. “Be careful, won’t you?”
I s
norted, although I felt a little grateful at the same time. It wasn’t like Faso to care about my well-being. “Velos can’t follow us inside. So, keep your dragon automaton up in the air with him.”
“Of course,” Faso said. “And if there’s any danger, I’ll make sure you get optimal support.”
“Good. Now, open up a channel to the other soldiers. Unfortunately, I can’t relay commands to your automaton using dragonsongs.”
“Affirmative. But I’ll stay on channel.”
I waited for the telltale click of the speaker system connecting to the dragon automaton before I gave my orders. “We’re going in. We’ll land on that knoll over there and cover the rest of the distance on foot.”
I pushed up on Velos’ steering fin and glanced over my shoulder to check Faso was also bringing down the dragon automaton. We landed as silently as possible. The wind still screamed over the barren land, and the murk had started to thicken once again.
I kept my helmet on for a while, so I could study the automatons’ patrol routes. After I felt I had a decent plan together, I scrambled down the ladder on Velos’ flank and indicated for Lieutenant Talato and Private Yorin to do the same. The other three commandos from the dragon automaton joined us, and I signalled everyone forward to give Velos and the automaton enough room to lift into the air.
The camera on my hip also had a talkie built inside. Faso had installed a special headset for each of us, housed underneath a hatch at the top of the camera. I took hold of this and pulled it towards me, stretching the extendible cord. I clipped the device onto my ear.
“Faso, are you reading?” I asked, and I put up my hand to signal for everyone to hold their position.
“Loud and clear. I’m glad you’ve finally had a chance to try this invention. You have to admit, it works much better than talkies.”
“We’ve not got time for bragging. Just make sure the dragon automaton keeps its distance.”
“Fine.”
I sang out to Velos to instruct him not to get too close. The cyagora was slowly wearing off, and so my connection to him had strengthened a little – not as crystal as it once was, but cohesive enough to at least give him some basic commands.
We soon were within range of the factory. A few war automatons milled around the entrances. But they, oddly, seemed unperturbed by our presence. Perhaps they hadn’t yet noticed we were there, or perhaps they simply didn’t care.
We reached a patch of snow that had grown thick between the two smooth sandstone boulders jutting out of it. I signalled the commandos to stop, and I took a swig from my hip flask to augment so I’d be able to see through the darkening clouds. The world ghosted into speckled green, and I kept scanning the horizon, looking for an opening. I could see no way around it. We would have to split up.
I planned for us to keep moving forward in a wide formation so as to draw less attention than we would if we were clustered together. Such tactics could confuse war automatons, as it took them longer to work out who to target first. This would give us more time to take advantage of the terrain.
“Myargh, get in position on that patch behind that bush,” I said. “And stay low.”
“Yes, Maam,” the commando whispered. He got down on his hands and knees and slithered over the snow into position. “Forkand, take that patch of grass over there.” I pointed at a raised tuft not yet covered by snow.
“On your orders,” he said. And crawled forward.
“Solice, climb the boulder, and take position at the top of it.”
“Affirmative, Maam,” she said with a salute. She ran towards the rock, leapt at it, and clung to its face like a monkey. Then, she scrambled on top of it and lay down on her tummy.
Between the two male commandos, Forkand got into position first, and he stayed low. He rested the barrel of his Pattersoni rifle on the raised patch of grass and pointed it at the entrance to the factory.
But then, there came a gunshot, and blood splashed out from the commando’s head, and landed on the snow. “Dragonheats! Myargh, fall back.”
Myargh lifted himself up slightly. But I hadn’t given the order quickly enough. Another shot boomed, and I watched in horror as a dark stain pooled on the back of his camo, just behind where his heart would be. The man fell backwards and onto the frozen ground.
Before I could even work out how to protect Solice, she got shot too. She fell off the boulder and sank into the snow. She lay there, a stream of blood flowing out of the hole in the centre of her forehead.
“Dragonseer Wells,” General Sako said, through the headset where I’d expected to hear Faso. “What’s happening out there?”
“We have a sniper,” I said. “Yorin, Talato, scatter.” And I thought about calling in Velos, but without knowing where the sniper was shooting from, I’d only be endangering his life.
And before we could even move, there came another shot. Blood spurted out in front of me, some sticky warmth clinging to my cheek. Yorin gurgled as he clutched at the side of his neck. The sniper had shot him right in the artery, and I knew he had no chance.
“Run, Talato,” I shouted. And I sprinted away from the factory, hoping the wellies that the sniper didn’t shoot her down next.
Her soft footsteps padded behind me as I made my way up a gently sloping barrow. I rushed forwards in zigzags to help avoid any more sniper bullets, but none came.
In front of me, all of a sudden, a tall lump of snow erupted out of the ground. I tried to swerve around it, but another emerging lump blocked my path. Shortly after, two more cut off our retreat to the left and right.
Lieutenant Talato already had her rifle raised, and she spun around, pointing it from target to target, as if trying to work out which enemy would reveal itself first. The snow in front of me crumbled away, to reveal a war automaton, a massive drill whirring on its head. Others popped out of the nearby terrain until we became completely surrounded.
“Impossible,” Faso said in the headset. “I didn’t see their heat signatures.”
I clenched my teeth. “Not now, Faso.”
The dragon automaton flew by overhead, and I sensed Velos approaching to rescue us. But I sang a sharp song to push him back again. There were just too many of them, and I couldn’t risk Velos getting shot down – armour or not.
That familiar hovering platform emerged in the distance, in my green-laced vision. I saw Travast standing on top of it, and I wanted to draw my rifle and shoot him. But then, common sense took over. This wasn’t Travast, but only one of those fancy holograms of him. His hoarse voice resounded from the platform.
“Well, well, well. Look what our automatons brought in,” Travast said. “And now, I have two pretty hostages for the king.”
I clenched my teeth. “You took out four of our men, Travast. For that, you must pay.”
“And what are you going to do? I’ve already tracked the wavelengths and frequencies of your communications and triangulated the data, so I know exactly where your friends are. Now, I would advise you to come peacefully, as no one else needs to get hurt.”
“You’re a bastard, Travast Indorm…”
“That may be. I never actually learned who my mother was, but my father was quite the womaniser, and I don’t think he even married. Now, drop your weapons.”
And, as if as one, Talato and I both lifted our rifles off our backs, unholstered our pistols, and placed the weapons on the floor.
A few hours later, Lieutenant Talato and I sat on two hard wooden chairs in a holding area beneath the factory. We had our feet in fetters and our hands cuffed behind our backs. Our chairs weren’t secured by anything and so, if I wriggled too much, I worried I might knock my chair away. There were no windows and the large room contained four barred cells, two on each side.
It was surprisingly warm in here because of a massive coal furnace at the far end of the corridor. The furnace hatch was slightly ajar, and a fire crackled behind this. At the other end of the room, stairs coiled up a spiral staircase. A couple of torc
hes in sconces at the opening to this added a little light into the room.
Two war automatons had led us down here, and pushed us inside the cell, after which some guards had given Talato and I a moment to change into the same kind of rags we saw the slaves wearing. After that, they had trussed us and locked us into the floor.
The cell doors had automatic mechanical locks – rectangular devices glowing green with a complex arrangement of cogs and pendulums visible underneath thick glass. I could only just turn my head to make out the walls behind me out of the corner of my eye. They were made of stone blocks and covered in a thick layer of moss. There wasn’t much else in our cell other than the chairs, only a long-drop and a metal basin that wasn’t even connected to a tap. Of course, both were useless in our current predicament.
The cell opposite us housed a male factory worker. He sat with his arms folded, staring in my direction but not quite at me. I tried to gaze into his eyes to find some sense of humanity, but he didn’t even blink. The only movements that came were the swirling green glowing patterns playing underneath his skin.
We had no food, no access to water, and other than this strange, oblivious man and the moss on the back wall, there was no sign of any life. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were planning to leave us down here to die.
And yet still, my mind felt vacant. No sign of Finesia at all. Nor could I sense any dragons, including Velos. Thus, I had no idea what had happened to him outside.
“What do you think they’re going to do with us?” I asked Talato.
“I wish I knew, Maam,” she said. “But I’d die before letting them put you in danger.”
I shook my head, remembering how I’d almost killed her the previous night. If Taka hadn’t let off his scream, I might have. I didn’t deserve to be saved. “I’d rather you lived than I…”
“But I don’t have the abilities you have. I can’t control the dragons. I know you had a rough patch the other night, but your life is more valuable than any other human’s on this world.”
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