by J. N. Chaney
"Each of those sections are the top of a spire that has been carved flat," X-37 said. "Since I know how you love data, I can tell you that most of the steps that I have measured thus far are less than a half meter across with a five-hundred-meter drop between the spires. It seems there was some sort of geological incident thousands of years ago."
"You know how I feel about heights," I said.
"Which I still find irrational," X-37 said. "My advice is to hurry up and get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?"
28
I tried to jump across the first gap but couldn't make my feet move. Above me, the stars seemed to start turning like the ledge I was standing on was swaying from side to side.
"Take a breath, Reaper Cain," X-37 said. "It will get easier the more you do it."
"I doubt it," I said. "I've been dealing with this my entire life. There isn't much that scares me, but once I fall, I won't have any control over what happens."
"Yes, that is a problem." X-37 beeped a few times, indicating he was searching for a solution, which made me laugh. My limited artificial intelligence might seem heartless and uncaring, but he was trying to solve the problem of gravity so that I wouldn't be afraid of plummeting to my death.
"Check on Elise while I do this," I said, then jumped to the top of the first spire. It seemed like it was smaller than the others, requiring me to land with my feet very close together and my hands out for balance to keep from tipping over into the abyss. To make things worse, I didn't have any room to make a run at the next jump.
"Would you like me to release endorphins that will control your bladder?" X-37 said.
I started laughing, but it felt more like crying. "Do whatever, X. But if I had to choose, I would like to have my hands steady over dry pants."
I flung myself to the next ledge and landed on my hands and knees, looking over the edge of the spire into blackness. In the distance, I heard gunfire of an increasingly violent battle between Elise, Path, and our enemies.
"Perhaps I can do both. I'm attempting to regulate your hormones and adjust the sensory input of the mask to make this easier for you," X-37 said. "By way of update, Elise and Path are still alive. They seem to have greatly angered the Union commandos, however."
I climbed to my feet and jumped to the next spire before I could talk myself out of taking action. This one was wider and gave me more room to run before my next leap. Which was good, because the distance between spires was getting greater and greater.
"For the record, X, I find this really annoying. Why can’t I just fight a big monster or maze boss? Maybe solve a Randandoo Puzzle or something to prove my worth. Twisting an eighteen-sided puzzle to make each surface a uniform color didn’t seem that hard right now—not compared to my fear of heights. Did they build it this way on purpose as a security measure, or did some idiot think this would be funny?"
"Unknown," X-37 said too brightly. "You are nearly thirty percent across the spires. I should warn you that the available surface to land on becomes larger but rougher as you progress."
"Good to know." I felt like I was more than a third of the way across. X-37 did things like this sometimes, making things seem harder than they were so that I felt relieved when I finally succeeded. It was like somebody's kid programmed half of its artificial psychology.
"I think you can handle it from here, Reaper Cain," X-37 said. "I'm going to resume my planning of our escape from the system and monitor Elise and Path. If you're interested, she has dropped two Union commandos and Path has killed eleven. They are very convinced a Reaper is toying with them."
"How many do they have left?" I asked, doing the math as a way to distract myself from the next jump.
"I forgot to tell you. The Union teams received reinforcements from the carrier,” X-37 admitted in a rush. "But how are you doing? Do you need help calculating your next leap across certain death?"
Was X trying to distract me from certain doom?
"No, I'm good. Get back to work and I'll let you know if I die," I said, then jumped three spires one after another, hoping that some momentum would get me through this before I had a nervous breakdown.
I would rather be in a sword fight with Uriah and three others like him than continue to jump across these windy gaps. The air had a way of grabbing me at exactly the wrong time and stripping away my confidence. Then, when I struck my landing zone, the impact felt even harder for being unexpected.
Reaching the other side almost came as a surprise, but suddenly I found myself on solid ground once more. The doors to the tech shrine loomed higher than I had anticipated. The strangeness of the terrain made getting a proper perspective difficult until you were close to your objective.
Something hissed at me. Seconds later, I saw three serpent-like things—long lizards with no legs or arms—emerging from the shadows, slithering through the air as they hunted me. I couldn't see the parts of them that were still on the ground and assumed they were very long and relatively thick, probably almost as solid as my right forearm.
“Fucking lizards! Not a fan of armless, legless lizards!” My voice went up higher than I would have liked as I realized they were all part of one creature. “But after what I just went through, this is like actually a relief," I said, snapping out my blade and getting my act together.
The rest of the creature showed itself. I made a quick adjustment then turned and ran away. There wasn't a lot of space for me to evade the monster, but I needed time to think.
"You did say something like you'd rather fight some local creature than continue on the agility course," X-37 reminded me. "A quick check of Union and Deadland databases shows no match for whatever this thing is. It does look hungry, if that helps."
"It doesn't help!" Turning to face its charge, I retracted my blade and swung up my HDK. Firing the weapon would alert the Union of my presence and ruin everything Elise and Path had done to get me here.
There wasn't much of a choice. I opened fire on eight feet of slithering animal tentacles that were chasing me. Every three or four shots, I retreated a step. I reloaded two magazines before dropping the thing to the rock surface we stood on.
Each of the serpent-lizards had an eye above the mouth. I thought it looked blind—all milky and disgusting—but it had somehow chased me this far. "X, can you tell me if there are any more of these things?"
"I didn't detect the first one," X-37 said, halfway answering my question. "Two squads of the Union reinforcements have been deployed to investigate the gunfire."
There wasn't time, but I indulged myself with a view of Elise's camera. She was breathing heavily, shooting, moving, and reestablishing her cover just like I had taught her. I was actually surprised at how tactical her movements were.
Maybe she was a natural or just had a really great teacher. On-the-job training suited her well, apparently.
I couldn't determine exactly how much ammunition she had remaining, or if she was wounded. To see her clearly, I would need to look through Path’s camera and it didn’t appear they were near each other now, which was good. If they bunched close together, the Union would just drop a grenade on them.
With effort, I put aside thoughts of my friends and moved to the final portal in search of the secrets that haunted me.
Something hissed, filling the air with a dreadful sound I was too familiar with at the moment.
I stopped, turning slightly to see one of the rough passages opening near me. Above, bright stars cast down their light to create disturbing shadows on the monster.
This cluster of monster tentacles was twice the size of the first. Its bulbous head had writhing, fleshy tendrils, more horrible than anything I’d yet seen.
Every part of its surface was a writhing mass of vine-like organisms—with mouths full of razor-sharp teeth. It shambled forward, leaving a path of slimy venom behind it.
“What the—” I started to yell.
“Use a grenade!” X-37 shouted. “Do I have to throw it for you?”
“I wish you could!” I didn’t carry much ordnance like that, and it definitely wasn’t my go-to combat modality, but thankfully I’d packed a few in my kit. Retreating and angling away at the same time, I yanked a grenade from inside my coat and hurled it into the thing’s mouth.
Then I just ran, not caring which direction I was heading. As long as it was toward the center of the tech shrine complex, it had to be enough. Silence followed the explosion and I imagined the creature’s massive head being splattered across a canyon wall. I didn’t look back, focusing on running when all I wanted to do was stop and breathe.
I’d gone nearly fifty meters before the thing roared again, its voice distorted by the damage I’d caused it with the grenade. The fact that it wasn’t dead made me want to curse.
The monster wasn’t fast. I heard it screeching in pain and eventually lost it, nearly losing myself as well. A clean kill would have been better, but at least I’d slowed the thing down enough to escape.
Each time I approached my destination, I was forced back twice as far as I’d come. Everything on this planet was against me, from the wildlife to the terrain. Or that was what it felt like. The morning stars began to fade, creating a new level of darkness just before the dawn.
“You’re going to make it, Reaper Cain. My analysis of the maze shows you are definitely getting closer,” X-37 said.
“It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it. This is like trying to take out a high interest loan,” I complained.
29
The final barrier swung smoothly aside despite its age and ancient design. I'd been able to see the tower above the maze walls as I made my approach. The diagram the Reaper mask had provided promised that nothing was between this point and the tower in the center of the entire complex.
Entering with a sense of reverence, I swept my gaze over the scene to give X-37 a chance to record and process information. Sunrise hadn't arrived, but it was coming. There were hints of light reflecting everywhere—that sort of predawn haze that tricked the eyes until it was time for the sun to dominate the horizon.
The rock formed a bowl around the sleek hybrid tower at the center of the maze. The building was a perfect blend of ancient and innovative technology. I spotted rust-free alloys and solar panels that could gather energy. These were arranged between elaborate stone carvings that showed monsters with tentacles feeding on smaller, six legged animals that traveled the maze in a herd. There were mosaic tiles on one section and something like prefabricated plastic on another.
Birds hid themselves in scrub brush where they sang sadly sweet melodies. A breeze touched my skin. No one would suspect the place had been built for violence until they examined portholes I assumed were there so defenders could aim weapons. Other signs of it being made for defense were less obvious, like the way the area around it had been cleared of rocks, plant life, or other debris. Nothing could approach the place without being seen.
Standing in the center of the natural amphitheater, I saw how the place had been designed to keep intruders out for thousands of years. Without our advanced technology, the maze itself would've been enough to keep us from finding our way. The gates had been constructed to repel invaders with only a small force of defenders. I thought monsters must have been imported to the various sections of the maze and left to repopulate the area or wander away as nature called them. There didn’t seem to be a natural reason for the planet to produce so many predators in one place. Carvings on the walls and the exterior of the tech shrine suggested I was probably lucky to have come the way I did. Some of the creatures in the carvings and faded paintings appeared diabolically strange and dangerous.
What I realized then was that there must have been two civilizations on this planet. One had been technologically advanced, and the other less so.
Inside this tower, I would find answers of a different sort.
The journey to this place had been long and dark. The sun was rising and the sight of it stole away my breath. I had explored enough worlds to know that spring in the desert was beautiful. But it was still a desert and I was still alone.
"See anything that I’m missing, X?" I asked.
"No, Reaper Cain," X-37 said. "The instructions were to find the sanctuary and enter.”
"What if she's in there?" I asked.
X-37 took longer than normal to answer. "I don't think she will be there. It's more likely she left you a message or another clue."
I grunted. Another clue was the last thing I wanted.
The tower was glorious, an elegant design that could grace the prow of a starship as easily as the center of a palace. In flight, it would look one way, but pointed toward the sky as it was, I saw it differently and wondered if it had been a launch rocket before being permanently affixed to the maze floor. Everything about the area suggested this was an ancient place. Soft blue light glowed from the frame of the doorway.
"What do you think, X?" I asked, pretending more confidence than I felt. There was no detectable danger on any of my sensors, but my gut told me this place wasn’t safe. I wasn’t about to let my guard down, but neither did I want to go slow.
"This is the center of the tech shrine. You will find answers here or you won't," X-37 said. "I don't believe we have a lot of time before the commando teams finish with Elise and Tom and head our way. My concern is we will find more information than we can analyze on scene."
Activating the Reaper mask, I checked on Elise and Path. They were making good time, leading the Union commandos farther and farther away. My heart raced when I realized she was favoring a wound in her side.
Path cut down two of his adversaries, then rushed toward Elise. A bullet struck him, driving him to his knees. Both camera angles displayed confused images as their wearers fought to survive. Elsie sprayed her HDK on full auto, forcing back their attackers. They leaned on each other and staggered up a set of natural stairs.
“I have to do something, X,” I said.
“Check your tactical display. It isn’t as bad as it looks on the camera view,” X-37 said.
“Not as bad?” I shouted, cursing myself for not getting control of the girl and the sword saint.
“Calm yourself, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said sternly.
I was about to abandon my mission to go and help them, when I heard her.
“We’re almost to safety, Cain. If you can hear me, meet us at the Jellybird!”
X-37 knew which camera view I was fixated on. "There's nothing we can do for her right now, Reaper Cain. Trust her decision. Stop treating her like a child.”
“She is a child!”
“With a machine gun and a lot of ammunition. We can’t help her from here. There is nothing for us to do but continue,” X said.
“Let's get this done with," I snapped, then entered the tower.
A single computer terminal waited for me in the center of a large room. Climbing to the dais, I knew I was at my destination.
I stared at it as the sounds of combat continued in my earpiece. X-37 lowered the volume, but it still tortured me.
Screams and explosions filled my awareness. “What the hell are you doing, Elise?”
“It’s not me, it’s Path. He can’t get free of them. Or maybe they’re trying to get free of him. Hard to say!” Elise yelled, then fired a stream of bullets toward a vague target that appeared to be a Union commando.
“Listen to me if you can, Elise,” I said. “I am in the central tower. I’ve made it. Don’t take any further risks because you’re trying to pull them away from me. Just get to the ship.”
A long pause followed. I started to pace, wanting to go forward and learn the secrets I had long desired answered but also desperately needing to see Elise and even Path to safety.
“Okay, Cain,” Elise said. “We’re trying to break contact and get out of here. See you at the ship.”
30
The sounds of battle dwindled. Light shone down on the terminal before me. X-37 nagged me to get this over with. With few
er explosions to cover the sounds of local wildlife, I heard the tentacle beast screeching in the wrong direction from my location. It was either as stupid as it looked or having a grenade tossed into its mouth had ruined its sense of direction. The victory felt thin and abstract. I wanted out of this place and off this planet. The sooner I poured myself a glass of whisky and fired up one of Henshaw’s cigars, the better.
I powered down the stealth armor and reached for the mask.
A soft voice interrupted me, a voice that instantly commanded my attention because I recognized it as the most important woman I’d ever had in my life. “You’ll need to leave the mask on.”
Nothing could make this moment more serious, more momentous, more…
“Is that your mom?” X-37 asked. “Because I’ve never actually heard her. You don’t exactly talk about her much.”
“X, I’m going to kill you,” I said. “Now is the time you mimic my shit talking? Really? Nice timing, X. I’m trading you in for a new model the first chance I get.”
“Touchy, touchy,” X-37 shot back. “And you can’t trade me in, Reaper Cain.”
I ignored my LAI and listened again for the voice, stepping closer to the terminal and trying not to succumb to needless emotion. I needed to stay sharp and make good decisions. This was probably a trick.
“Your limited artificial intelligence will make this easier. I see you brought the key to the data storage but not the actual unit. That will make things a bit slower,” the voice said.
I could almost touch the terminal now, but didn’t see a reason. “Bringing the data drive on a dangerous reconnaissance mission didn’t seem like a good idea.”
“Of course not,” said the voice of my mother.
“Are you a recording? A mockup?” I asked, referring to advanced messaging devices that had been popular in the Union ten or twelve years ago. They’d gained some traction with the military, then proved to be too expensive and fell out of favor.
