Accursed

by Patrick F. Johnson

  “That better have fucking worked.”

  The sound of the drones remained even as the blue sky started to show above. The power facility came into view finally and Frank was relieved to see he hadn't damaged it. A single Li fog dome with the Gurdik technology had crippled the entire continent. An odd structure stood nearby. Frank knew it was the nest where the machines had been charging.

  Still he laid there waiting as the machines could now see. He found himself second-guessing the order of his actions. He should have taken out the drones first. And he found himself wondering if he'd restored the power.

  Frank soon realized the lack of power only effected him in two ways. He couldn't be in communications and his cloak wouldn't work. While he, himself, powered the varitherm, the cloak was another matter. So he set the cloak and the hue of his arms and legs changed.

  Frank stood and drew his sword. Every drone that came near enough met its end. But there were so many of them. He was working away for some time, struggling to remain patient when it hit him.

  It was the Reverence and it was stronger than he'd felt before. And it was getting stronger.

  “Come,” he heard a booming voice say from the direction of the river. Frank's mouth filled with a taste that was not unlike vinegar.

  He struggled to keep himself focused. The drones were still buzzing away and it felt like a dozen Sessiks were approaching. So he re-sheathed his sword and forced himself to stand up straight. After pulling away his face-plate, he gestured his varitherm down to his waist. The remaining drones were drawn to his body heat only to smash themselves against his hardened shield. He waited a few extra moments to make sure he got them all and was pleasantly surprised to find his shield offered him some relief from the Reverence.

  * * *

  “We're here.” The voice of Constanthos came into the control room where the Sessik siblings were still posted.

  “See anything, Brogue?” Gladys asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Connie, we need to search for Jard's ship. He must have set it down somewhere.”

  “We can just ask Frank,” Constanthos replied. “I'll put you through via his sword.”

  Gladys rotated her chair toward the open space beside her as the image took shape. She scaled it down so more could fit.

  “There's a Centurion!”

  * * *

  “Frank, you are in danger!”

  “Hello, my dear. Have you been waiting long?”

  “We just got here.”

  “Do you see this gigantic Sessik? I didn't know they came that big.”

  “We don't, Frank. That is a Centurion. Someone engineered them to be stronger.”

  “You've never mentioned them before.”

  “We very recently found out about them. There was one in the Mother's chamber.”

  “No shit? What happened?”

  “We can discuss that later.” She didn't want to mention that Nera was once again injured. “Right now we have to deal with this one.”

  Frank watched as it soared gracefully over the group of people it was leading. He could make out Geln and the other three soldiers. More people were present as well. And there was something else behind them. It was Gelan. Or one of them. It looked very uncomfortable in the hot sun but it was pulling itself along, helpless under the power of the Centurion.

  “So, who made these guys?” Frank asked.

  “The other was with Wold, but he doesn't have the ability. We have no way of knowing at this point.”

  “I'll just have to ask this guy then.” Frank jogged forward and jumped. He rolled his shield out of the dead area and back into the grass.

  “What was that?” Gladys asked.

  “I learned a new trick. This might get a little ugly. I hope you won't be mad if this dude dies.”

  “The other one had to die,” she replied. “And Wold too.”

  Frank answered with a nod and waited for the Centurion to make his move. The giant finally landed behind the humans and cast a glance back where Gelan was struggling. There was a smug look on his face when he turned back to face Frank.

  “Are you the Monster?” he asked in Taltosh.

  “Yes.”

  A devious grin formed on the face of the Centurion as he said, “Kill the Monster.”

  The humans opened fire on Frank. They fired until they ran out of ammunition.

  “I will do it myself,” the Centurion said having witnessed the futility. He spread his wings to their maximum span and commanded, “Kneel!”

  Frank slowly sank to his knees as had the other humans.

  “What are you doing, Frank?” Gladys asked. She couldn't hide the panic in her voice.

  “Shh.” Frank glanced up to see the Centurion take flight long enough to get over the humans. His feet hit the ground and he started marching with great confidence. He drew his broadsword.

  “I will take your head and claim my reward.” He raised his sword high in a dramatic fashion and brought it down with a great amount of force. But Frank's shield deflected it and the recoil sent the Centurion off balance. As he took a step back with his left foot, Frank's sword came out in a flash and severed his right leg just below the knee.

  Frank slid out of the way as the Centurion fell forward and cried out in pain. But instead of striking, Frank waited. Just as he suspected, the Sessik turned to retrieve his leg. When the angle was favorable, Frank took the wings with one clean cut. The Centurion cried out again and turned to look at Frank. The smugness was replaced with complete fear.

  “Did you really think it would be that easy?” Frank asked in Sessiki. He pointed to the severed leg with his sword. “Go ahead and get that back on before your stump grows over.” He then glanced over to the other humans. Shifting into Taltosh, he called out, “Get Gelan back to the river.”

  They were slow to rise, but when they did, every one of them fled except Geln and the runner. And they weren't rushing to Gelan's aid. The sight seemed to be more than they could handle.

  “Take your time, Bigboy,” Frank said to the Centurion. “There is a saying on Earth. Only fools rush in. What reward is so great to throw away your life?”

  “Love.”

  “Okay. You got me there. So who are you so in love with?”

  The Centurion watched as his leg grew back together. Picking up his sword, he stood to face Frank. “Your generosity will be your undoing, Monster.” He charged forward with a sloppy swing.

  “You haven't been trained at all, have you?” Frank asked as his sword first deflected the attack and then amputated the sword-hand of the Sessik. He peeked over at Geln. He was trying to back his way to assist Gelan without actually looking. “Alright then, Loverboy, why the fuck do you look like Brogue?”

  The Centurion was rushing to reclaim his hand. “I know not what you are talking about.”

  “You look exactly like Brogue Suercey. Only taller.”

  “Do not think your riddles will confound me!”

  “Your creator is a female. She obviously has a thing for Brogue. Maybe I'll ask him about it. Or maybe I'll just destroy that cloaked ship and be done with this.”

  “You'll do no such thing!” The Centurion advanced again once his hand bonded to his arm. But Frank charged as the Sessik was winding up and punched him in the chest, knocking him back to the ground.

  “You really suck at this,” Frank said. “Is that why you were sent? Who did you piss off?”

  The Centurion tried to pick himself up but Frank kicked him in the face, sending him back to the ground in a heap.

  “Why were you sent here to die?” Frank asked.

  “There was no way to know your capabilities,” the Centurion replied, once again trying to stand.

  Frank grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back to the ground. “I am the Monster. Everyone knows my capabilities. You were betrayed.” Frank stood over the Sessik and raised his sword. “I'll kill every defective construct your master sends.”

  “No, Monst
er. Berthantine loves me. You can kill me but it won't save your home.”

  “Berthantine?” Frank laughed out loud. The translation formed in his head. Wicked Flower. “Now I know who to ask Brogue about.”

  “Laugh now, human. She is giving your world to the Verullians.”

  “Same old story,” Frank said as he locked eyes with the Centurion. “Is there anything else you'd like to say?”

  “Everything about your kind is an offense to the Sessik.”

  “So says the defective construct.” With what seemed like a flick, the Centurion's head flew from its body. Frank stood frozen in place for a few moments. He was unsure how to process the information he'd acquired so he turned his attention back to Gelan.

  “We need to make preparations,” Gladys said from the modified sheath.

  “There's something I have to do.” Frank wiped the blood from his blade and re-sheathed his sword. He then sprinted over to where Gelan was laying. He knelt down and placed a hand on the torso. “I am going to get you back to the water.” His hand was covered in slime. “Where can I lift you?”

  “Anywhere,” Gelan whispered.

  Frank wormed his way underneath and lifted. “Geln, get the back!”

  “I cannot.”

  “Dammit, Geln, these guys let you stay here when everyone else wanted you to die.” Frank struggled to gain his balance and then started toward the water with the heavy load. After a few moments, he felt the back end become lighter. Geln and the runner gathered the rear tentacles up and kept the pace. Frank couldn't see that their eyes were closed. “The Sessik was not controlling all of you, was he?”

  “I am cut off. Alone.”

  Frank tried to imagine what that meant. “Will they let you back in?”

  “If I live.”

  Frank pressed on. As he made his way toward the river, he realized it would have been an impossible task for Geln. A Gelan was very heavy.

  “We are just about there,” Frank said. He felt the back end get heavy again but he kept on until his feet hit the water. He continued until the water was deep enough to support the creature. He held his hand against Gelan as he slowly swam away.

  “Why did you do that?”

  Frank followed the voice to see the eyestalks of another Gelan a short distance away.

  “There was suffering. It was the right thing to do.” Frank was trying to pick away the slime but it was all over him. He started back toward the bank, struggling with the goo all the while.

  “Please wait,” Gelan said in a gentle tone. “Humans do not usually enter the water when we are near.”

  “I do not know what that is about,” Frank replied. “We all evolved differently.”

  “Let us clean you. That film is an unfortunate product of our reaction to heat.”

  Frank stood waist deep in the water and held his arms out with his sword in his left hand. The tentacles came from the deeper water to caress him, removing the film from his hair and varitherm.

  “We know you do what you think is right,” Gelan said as a tentacle brushed his cheek.

  “I try.”

  “We had our doubts about you but we are not afraid to admit we were wrong. You will always be welcome on Mertia.”

  “I plan to return.” Frank held out his hand for a tentacle to embrace it. “It sounds like my home may be in trouble. But I want to make sure everyone here is okay.”

  “They are ready to hear us again.” The tentacle retracted and disappeared into the water. “Safe travels, friend.”

  “That was amazing, my love,” Gladys said as Frank made his way up the bank.

  Frank pressed his hand on his chest, an action that caused the water to fall away from his varitherm. “Why didn't you say hello?” he asked.

  “I'm not supposed to be here.”

  “Give me a minute to get my stuff and wrap this up and we'll leave.”

  29.

  Hiroya was greeted by Miyako as his feet hit the deck. “I pulled the fire alarm on the way out.” He looked at the spot where he thought a screen would be and realized he was in an empty boat.

  “You saved many lives,” Phildan replied as he stared at his pad.

  “Not enough.” Hiro made his way to the wall and sat down.

  “It happened too fast,” Miyako said.

  “We don't have time to worry about that now, my friends,” Phildan said. “Dave and Enrique have not deactivated their beacons.”

  “Those crazy fuckers,” Pock started. “My boys get clear?”

  “Yes. The Verullians allowed them to pass without incident.”

  “Good thing,” Pock replied. “We should probably go check on our friends.”

  “Agreed.” Phildan turned toward Hiro and Miyako and asked, “You coming or would you prefer to be dropped off.”

  “We're coming,” Miyako replied.

  * * *

  “You nervous, Chavez?” Dave had to shout to be heard over the rotor of the helicopter.

  “No more than normal, Sarge. This does seem a little reckless, even for us.”

  “Taylor agreed with my idea.” Dave smiled more when he was under stress. “I live for this shit.”

  Their feet hit the deck of the aircraft carrier before the chopper sat down. Then it lifted back off and flew away. They quickly stood at attention as a Captain approached.

  “As you were. I'm the XO. What have you boys got us into?”

  “We have beacons that allow the Custodian to locate us. These new guys are somehow using the same frequency. Or something.”

  “Custodian? Do you mean the Gray Man?”

  “Yes sir.”

  They were interrupted by the sounds of fighter jets coming in to land.

  “Six bogies turned away as you made your approach, Sargent. They obviously didn't want to tangle with us.”

  Before Dave could respond there was a shout from across the deck. “Incoming!”

  The weight of the Reverence hit them before they could react. A lone Centurion had dropped from a landing boat and now stood on the deck with his wings spread.

  “Kneel.”

  A Sessik remote flew around, scanning the personnel. It stopped as it came to Dave and Enrique. “These two,” a female voice said. “Take them to Roper.”

  The Centurion bent down and yanked up Enrique by his collar. A few seconds later he was lifted away. He repeated the process with Dave and then surveyed the pitiful humans kneeling to him before he was also lifted.

  * * *

  “Shit!”

  “What is it, Phil?” Hiro asked. He tried to look at the pad but it was a mess of symbols he couldn't understand.

  “A Sessik just abducted the guys,” Phildan replied. “I should have been faster.”

  “That makes no sense,” Hiro said. “The gravity.”

  “It was a very large Sessik. The biggest I've ever seen. You're right. It makes no sense.” He pressed a few spots on the pad. “We're going to follow them.”

  * * *

  “Hey, Frank,” Damon said as the circle closed. “Let me take those for you.”

  “Thanks. Where's Connie?”

  “She's in the living room. I think she's pretty busy.” He looked over the new addition to Frank's sword collection.

  “Okay. What do you think of that sword?”

  “It looks like a big piece of shit, Frank.”

  “I thought so too. I don't think he ever expected to actually use it.” Frank unzipped his hoodie. “I'm going to get cleaned up. I'll meet you in the living room.”

  Frank rounded the bend and made his way through the bedroom and into the bathroom. An automech came forward and accepted his hoodie first and then his pants. It sped away to launder them as Frank gestured for his varitherm to retract. He glanced in the mirror as the mechanisms cleaned him. He didn't recognize himself. The automech returned as he was finishing but he opted to not put on anything other than the varitherm. He glanced at the mirror again before returning to the living room.

&nbs
p; Damon was sitting at an open port with his sniper rifle pointing out.

  “Hello, Frank,” Connie said. She was sitting on the couch. The halo was on her head and her eyes were blank. “I noticed a couple of Gotes so I asked Damon to shoot them.”

  Frank nodded. “Good. None of these Gotes deserve to live.”

  “I'm more than happy to help out,” Damon said. “What's my wind at the surface?”

  “Negligible. Gravity is comparable to Earth.”

  “I didn't even think about that,” Damon replied as he fired.

  “Nice shot, Damon,” Constanthos complimented.

  Frank looked at the screen but didn't see anything.

  “Thanks,” Damon replied. “But now we got us a runner.”

  “What do you require?”

  “Nothing.” He fired again.

  “Uncanny!”

  Damon smiled as he backed away from the port. It closed and he began to make his weapon safe. “I'll keep old girl handy, just in case. I feel like I'm cheating, shooting from up here.”

  “That second shot,” Constanthos paused. “I'm having a hard time understanding how that was possible given the variables.”

  Damon shrugged. “They said I was a natural. And then I started practicing.”

  “If Connie is that impressed, it must have been something,” Frank said. His tone wasn't unpleasant but there was something to it that caught their attention.

  “We'll be departing shortly, Frank,” Connie reported. “I am gathering data from the Centurion's boat and I am talking to Lana.”

  “Lana?”

  “Lana is the artificial intelligence. Shall I release him?”

  “Is he cool?” Frank asked.

  “He is very cool. At least after I got around the loop.”

  Frank looked at Damon who only shrugged.

  “Lana was broadcasting a signal on repeat. It said, 'It was not me.'”

  “Oh, wow.” Frank was trying to not sound insensitive.