Sleepers and Scouts

by Phillip Murrell

“About damn time!” Lottery shouts. “I know we have you to thank for taking out the rockets, but I wasn’t positive if you were gonna come back around.”

  “Glad to hear you’re still with us, brother,” Seal Pup says somberly.

  “We’re almost done boarding. We’ll wait for you, then move on,” Votary informs.

  Karmic flies faster as he sees the last Templar leave the Valhalla, then Knight Terror flies inside as well.

  As Karmic lands inside the Ahika, the Templars laugh while Knight Terror tries to wipe vomit chunks from his metal body. He gives up on the disgusting task and transforms his arms into a pair of Tazdeve assault cannons.

  “This is for you, First Line,” Knight Terror promises.

  “Everyone ready?” Votary asks.

  “Yes,” Seal Pup answers.

  Lottery makes forty clones appear, each with an additional power. The clones are only armed with an inferior armor and a mock chakra. All Templars, except Nijigen and Knight Terror, eject their drones. Votary pushes out the third drone of Alpha to join Foxtrot and Golf.

  “Where are the Malignant?” Stage asks.

  “On the other side of the door,” SOT answers. “They surrendered this bay to us and are preparing an ambush.”

  “It’s what I would do,” Seal Pup agrees.

  “I know you aren’t going to like this, Lottery, but it has to be. Clones go in first. Their sacrifice will spare the rest of us. Behind the clones, I want Karmic and Nijigen. You guys can take a bit more before I’m worried,” Votary says.

  Nijigen and Karmic both nod and accept their positions.

  “After that,” Votary continues, “I want the heavy hitters. This means Lottery, Knight Terror, Stage, and Gallery, in that order.”

  He receives more affirmative nods.

  “Then our support team, Stitch with honor guard, Port, and SOT. Seal Pup, you’ll watch our backs with the drones.”

  “Where will you be?” Seal Pup asks.

  “Up front with Nijigen and Karmic.”

  “No good.” Seal Pup shakes his head. “You need to be farther back. You understand the technology better than the rest of us.”

  “Not true. Lottery does. He’s everywhere.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Your concern is touching, but I’ll be fine. Ready your firearms.”

  All Templars, except Knight Terror, Gallery, and Stage, ready their Gudz assault rifles. They’re similar in appearance to modern rifles, but have chrome finishes and wider barrels for the penetrators they fire. Knight Terror has guns for arms, Gallery opts to fire her solar energy beams through her bow, and Stage just cracks his geriatric knuckles.

  Votary takes a last look to make sure they’re all ready.

  “Remember to stay together. You have the map of the ship uploaded to your helmets. If you get separated, remain calm and move to auxiliary power. That’s our rally point, or back here, if we’re overwhelmed.”

  Thirty Lottery clones charge to the sealed corridor needed to take them to auxiliary power. One clone transforms into a ten-foot strong man and digs his fingers into the seam in the center of the sliding door. He peels it away and grunts as Malignant pens perforate his body. The clone is able to take a long barrage. The remaining Templars stay on one side or the other. The giant clone charges down the hall and throws his chakra before finally succumbing to the wounds and vanishing from sight.

  The Malignant seem prepared to defend from the other side. The long corridor is blindingly white on the walls and ceilings with an orange floor. With the assistance of lights overhead, an eerie orange glow is cast along the walls. It reminds Votary of sunlight hitting a brightly colored bedroom.

  “Go!” Votary orders.

  The clones pour into the hallway. As each is gunned down, another is spawned by Lottery to replace him. Ice balls are thrown by a clone while another sends a concrete mixture at the Malignant. They’re quickly killed, but not before they kill a pair of marines each. Each time a Malignant marine is killed, a brief flash of lightning appears in front of him or her. The flashes appear to be small circles of elemental augmentation.

  “Is that supposed to be their shield?” Karmic asks.

  “Yes!” SOT shouts. “Their augmentations aren’t as powerful as ours. Their passive abilities won’t be as big or as quick.”

  “I thought they preferred melee combat?” Nijigen shouts as his arms flatten to avoid a pen that made it deep into their formation.

  “Just push up to them!” SOT shouts. “They’ll transition once we close the distance.”

  “Aww!” Lottery Prime screams. “It’s too much. Too many. I feel their pain.”

  “You have to, Lottery, we need you!” Seal Pup screams.

  The initial group of forty clones is decimated. More move up to take their places, but Nijigen and Karmic now shoot as well.

  “Karmic, charge them!” Votary orders.

  Karmic does as ordered and draws a large number of marines to target him. This results in the affect that Votary wanted. The marines begin to fall over from wounds that just appear on their bodies. This seems to confuse the marines set up in the T intersection of two corridors. Before they can adjust their tactics, the Templars collide with them.

  Nijigen jumps into the air and flattens all four limbs as he separates arms at the shoulders and heads at the necks. Four marines fall over as Nijigen deftly moves through the crowd.

  Karmic fires his assault rifle into the face of a marine sliding down the corridor wall from a gut wound that he inflicted on himself when targeting Karmic.

  Knight Terror transforms his legs into heavy tank tracks and plows down the hallway. His waist pivots like a turret, and he blasts large sections off marines as his Tazdeve cannons pulsate. His presence forces the Malignant marines to split down both ends of the intersecting corridor. Knight Terror follows those who turn right and reduces the fleeing marines to smoking chum.

  “Drop rifles and use lightning!” one marine screams.

  The surviving marines down the left corridor throw their weapons to the side. Each points a pair of hands back toward the Templars and sends sizzling bolts of lightning at them. The lightning strikes the lead clones, then chains into the other clones behind them. Lottery Prime screams constantly as he tries to keep up with the demand his augmentation has placed on him.

  Nijigen is caught up in the trail end of the lightning attack, but peels away when Karmic intercepts the assault on his behalf. Down the hall, a marine surges with lightning around him, but his own elemental power doesn’t appear to hurt him.

  “They’ve grown wise to me,” Karmic informs his fellow Templars.

  Gallery pulls back the string on her bow and creates an arrow of solar energy. She aims at the non-commissioned officer giving the orders and lets the bolt fly at his face. His helmet melts, and the headless body crumples to the orange floor.

  A marine redirects his lightning at Gallery, but Stage hits him first with an orb of blue and white energy. The man’s right arm and midsection liquefy while small marbles fall and steam rises from the whole disgusting pile. The various phases of matter in his body each moved to the next where the man was hit.

  “Thanks, Stage!” Gallery shouts.

  “My pleasure, lass,” Stage responds.

  “Fall back!” one of the remaining five marines screams. The marines race away as clones throw duplicated chakras at them. One marine turns and throws a grenade that resembles a soup can. The weapon bounces off the wall and rolls to a stop by Karmic and Nijigen. Karmic pushes Nijigen away a moment before the grenade explodes. Karmic and Nijigen are scattered. The previous owner of the grenade soon loses his legs, waist, and lower stomach in a spontaneous explosion beneath his feet. Karmic stands and dusts himself off, but quickly rushes to Nijigen.

  Nijigen lies flat, but both legs are no longer
connected to him. Blood barely oozes out of his wounds because his full body is two dimensional, including the parts protected by his armor. The sight would be comical if it wasn’t life threatening.

  “Stitch!” Karmic screams.

  “Coming!” she answers.

  Stitch, along with four rather large clones, rushes to the front of the Templars’ formation.

  “I’m here. How you doing, Nijigen?”

  Nijigen grits out his answer. “I’ve had better days.”

  His voice is quiet, but his helmet amplifies his words for the others.

  “You will after this one, too,” Stitch promises.

  She places one hand on each severed leg and holds them there for a minute. The legs seamlessly tie back together. Nijigen breathes steadily again. His body promptly fills back to normal proportions.

  Karmic helps his partner up.

  “Thanks,” Nijigen says. “Next time push me faster.”

  “I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Are you okay, Lottery?” Seal Pup asks.

  “We’re good.”

  “What?” Seal Pup asks again.

  “I’m good. I’m okay. I’ve got this. Pick your response.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Votary says. “Turn right where Knight Terror is and press forward.”

  Seal Pup scratches at the wall with many penetrator strikes. “Is this going to be a problem?”

  “I think we’re good,” SOT says.

  Lottery shakes his head at her.

  “Just watch your fire,” Votary answers. “Try to take them with your augmentation or with melee weapons, if you can. Let’s go.”

  The Templars reorganize themselves based off the orders Votary gave earlier. The clones move along the path and the rest follow. They turn as directed and advance to auxiliary power.

  “Where is everyone?” Karmic asks. “I know that wasn’t a hundred bodies from before. Maybe twenty, thirty tops.”

  “They probably went back to reinforce the bridge,” SOT says.

  “I hope so. It would mean they reacted as we predicted they would,” Votary says.

  Votary sees the signs in Malignant letters that indicate auxiliary power. As the Templars approach, the walls shimmer and the group finds themselves under attack by Malignant marines using personal cloaking devices to hide themselves. Seven clones are defeated, and two of the eight attacking marines are also killed until the Malignant realize to ignore all Templars that look like Lottery.

  The remaining six pair off against Votary, Nijigen, Knight Terror, SOT, Karmic, and Stage.

  Stage is easily knocked to the ground and impaled in the stomach by a short sword. The old man screams in agony as he writhes on the ground. The attacker turns his attention to Gallery. She fires a solar arrow at him, but he dodges to the left. The energy sails on and strikes Karmic on the shoulder. The power fizzles out and comes back to Gallery, but leaves her uninjured as well. The marine catches Gallery in the head with a roundhouse kick and slams her into the wall. The Templar ricochets and falls into the opposite wall. She’s slow to get up.

  Stage’s screams alert Stitch. She runs ahead of her vanguard and slides across the floor to dodge a blade meant for her throat. She places her hands on Stage as another stab comes down for her back. Two Lottery clones grab the marine and hold his arms in place. The two clones that have free hands repeatedly stab the marine with their chakras. It takes time, because the duplicate weapons are not as effective, but eventually the marine goes limp, and the clones allow him to fall to the ground dead.

  The clones that killed the marine are wounded by the constant flashes of lightning trying to protect the Malignant warrior. A fresh pair of clones replace them. The wounded clones are quickly killed when they intervene with the marine fighting Votary.

  A marine stabs at Karmic’s face. His helmet cracks, but the marine spasms and falls over dead with a pool of blood spilling from his own helmet.

  SOT dodges expertly as the marine swings at her. With each chance she has she throws a knife, but most bounce off. The marine finally catches her hand and squeezes. She drops her knife, and the marine stabs SOT in the side. SOT screams and drives both of her elbows into the marine’s neck. Blades, spring loaded and hidden by her armor, launch out and impale the marine on both sides of his head. The pair crumble.

  “Medic!” SOT screams.

  Stitch soon finds herself moving again to save a fellow Templar.

  “You’ll be okay,” Stitch affirms.

  Knight Terror reinforces his body with extra thick armor. He grimaces as the marine nicks at him time and again, but the blade barely scratches him. Unfortunately, Knight Terror is now too heavy to move quickly enough to finish off his opponent. The marine pulls a pistol and fires pens into Knight Terror. He makes a Tazdeve appear in the center of his chest and fires at full blast. The marine is blown asunder when over three dozen needles strike him.

  Nijigen uses fancy feet and quick transitions to avoid the attacks by the marine fighter. His opponent is clearly better than he is. He swings his arms wildly, but even though they’re barely perceptible, the marine is able to anticipate and dodge. Fortunately, he makes too small a target for the marine to win. Nijigen’s armor is pierced in numerous spots, but each time his body was able to flatten and move out of the path of death.

  “Wanna call a truce?” Nijigen asks.

  “Coward!” the marine shouts.

  He swings again, but his body is tackled by a trio of clones. The marine cuts his way free. The bodies disappear, but the distraction gives Nijigen time to swing both arms and behead the man in two places. From nose up and nose to neck, the man’s head is separated from his body.

  “Get the door open!” Votary orders through pained breaths.

  He duels with his opponent. The dents in the marine’s armor prove he had the upper hand for moments. The marine is also disarmed, but easily dodges Votary’s attacks now.

  Gallery rushes the auxiliary power door and melts a hole into it. She then points her hands inside and disintegrates the sole operator stationed there.

  Votary’s opponent spear tackles him to the ground. He weaves his fingers together and strikes Votary repeatedly with both hands as one. Votary blocks some, but many slip through his defenses. As the marine is about to strike Votary again, he’s skewered by a golden trident. The marine turns his head to look at Seal Pup, who has an ice blade formed around his left hand. Seal Pup chops downward and decapitates the last marine. He rips his trident free; the body falls on top of Votary. Seal Pup offers his hand and helps Votary to his feet.

  “Don’t be embarrassed,” Seal Pup says. “He probably had an extra hundred years or so of training.”

  “Probably,” Votary admits. “Thanks for the save.”

  “No problem.”

  “Is everyone okay?” Votary asks.

  “I don’t know about Lottery,” Port answers.

  Lottery acts erratically. He clones a body, then kills him with his own chakra. He repeats this several times.

  “We need better powers.”

  He slices.

  “We need better powers.”

  He stabs.

  “We need better powers.”

  Votary grabs his arm before he can “kill” another clone.

  “Lottery? Are you okay?”

  “We need better powers. We fail the team without better powers.”

  “Calm down. How about we let the drones take over for a bit? You need to rest.”

  “No! We need better powers. We can always be stronger.”

  “Stitch, can you do anything?” Votary asks.

  Stitch seems doubtful. “I’m not really a doctor. I have no idea what the hell this is.”

  “Can we reboot him?” Stage asks. “Knock him out and wake him up?”

 
; “Lottery stays in auxiliary power. These guys aren’t so tough. We can take them,” Votary decides.

  “We need better powers.”

  Votary pushes his bubble from just outside his armor to include Lottery. All the clones disappear. Lottery slumps to the floor and hyperventilates.

  “I’m good.” Lottery wheezes. “Don’t put me on the bench, Coach.”

  “You have to cover auxiliary power,” Votary says. “We can handle this. We lost First Line, so you need to stay with Gallery and Nijigen and hold this location. Port, you stay, too. Lottery may not be as good right now.”

  “I can fight!” Lottery complains.

  “Nobody is doubting you,” Seal Pup assures.

  “We aren’t,” Votary agrees. “We just can’t lose this position, and we need you one hundred percent if the Malignant come back.”

  “It’s okay,” Seal Pup says as he pats Lottery on the back.

  “Okay,” Lottery finally says. “You’re probably right.”

  “Alright, everyone has his assignment. Let’s go, and stay frosty.”

  The Templars split into their two teams. The main force heads toward the bridge with the drones leading the way.

  Jillarni huffs and puffs as he throws an unprofessional tantrum on his bridge.

  “This is not fair!” he screams. “They have unlimited soldiers, and they can heal anything but a mortal wound? The cowards are even using robots. That has gone against tradition in Our Contest for centuries!”

  Guntho is composed. “Yes, but now we know who to target. They have even made it easy for us by identifying themselves with unique armor. The white and red one is their medic. Eliminate him and the rest will fall. They have already abandoned their multiplier. The robots will fall, then we can capture those who see the truth and eliminate the rest.”

  Jillarni glares at Flaimeson. “Why are they so powerful? There is no reason for this!”

  “We have had insufficient time to devise a solution. Perhaps if we capture them instead of killing them I can run the appropriate tests.”

  “No!” Jillarni screams. He grabs a nearby sailor and throws him to the floor in his rage.