Accursed

by Patrick F. Johnson

  * * *

  Berthantine unmuted her audio. “Your Monster is impressive, Gladosanthos. I admit you caught me off guard. But no living thing can withstand my Centurions.”

  “Your arrogance has always been annoying,” Gladys said as she watched two Ekoke carriers emerge.

  “I see you've invited the bugs,” Berthantine said in a tone that conveyed both surprise and amusement.

  “No, you invited the bugs.”

  “If you had studied, you would know Ekokes are worthless in an atmosphere.”

  “I am well aware,” Gladys replied. She watched as the swarms emerged from the carriers and bore down on the Verullian armada.

  Berthantine's feed once again went silent.

  * * *

  Frank stood inside his shield holding his bloody sword and doing his best to look like a mad man.

  “You should be the ones kneeling,” he said with a smile. He watched as they all finally landed, forming a perimeter around him.

  “You've lost, Monster.” One Centurion stepped forward brandishing his sword.

  “Connie, got a minute?” Frank whispered.

  “We're about to be really busy, Frank.”

  “I need you to light this place up. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”

  There was a moment of silence. “You better be.”

  * * *

  Gladys double-checked that her transmission with Berthantine was muted before answering the hail of the Ekokes.

  “Greetings, Mistress. This is Ekoke 17.”

  “Greetings. I am glad to hear a familiar voice.”

  “We are more than happy to be here. I wish to advise you these warships bear the markings of the same group we acquired certain classified weapons from.”

  She knew right away he was talking about the G-bombs. “I don't want to sound like I am doubting you, but are you certain?”

  “Quite, Mistress. Look at the spacing of their carriers.”

  She examined her screens. The carriers were well forward of the rest of the Verullian armada yet well away from each other. If something were to go wrong with the extremely unstable weapons, they wouldn't destroy their own ships.

  “I admit my own ignorance, 17. How shall we proceed?”

  “We will attack their other ships to draw their fighters away from the atmosphere. That will take their big guns out of play as they won't chance hitting their own.”

  “What of your carriers?” Gladys asked.

  “Expendable.” Through the chirps, his tone was flat and void of emotion concerning the topic.

  “Nonsense,” Gladys replied. “Every one of you is special. Send them off at a high rate in a wide ellipse.”

  “That is a wonderful idea, Mistress. Their light fighters won't chance straying that far.”

  “I am glad you agree. And quite relieved.”

  “I am ordering full dispersal. We'll need to figure out how to take out their carriers.”

  “I'll see what I can do,” Gladys replied. “Thank you, 17.”

  “No need for thanks, Mistress. We know the stakes. And just think of the stories we'll have if we survive.”

  * * *

  “We are inbound, Frank.”

  An odd smile formed on Frank's face having heard the soothing tone or her voice. “I'm ready.” He looked up at the Centurions in front of him as he pressed down on his shield. The bodies of the Verullians around him, both living and dead, were pushed aside as he hovered a few feet off the ground. “This is your last chance to surrender.”

  “No,” a Centurion replied. “You will die now.” He started forward but did not get far.

  As the explosions cascaded from behind him, Frank found himself being thrown clear. Despite trying to remain upright, he was thrown end over end. But his concentration held and as the bubble of his shield hit the sand and rolled to a stop, he discovered he was a few hundred feet away and behind some dunes. He put his feet down and assumed a defensive stance.

  “How'd we do” he asked.

  “Every Verullian on the ground is either dead or dying,” Constanthos reported. “Five Centurions survived by taking to the air and now they are looking for you.”

  “Cool. Anything else?”

  “Phildan is upset that I assumed control of the boat just now.”

  “Damn. Well, be sure you apologize later.” Frank looked up and the sun only got in his eyes. “Where are these fucks?”

  “They are nearly upon you.”

  “Do you think she took the bait?”

  “I am unsure. The perimeter ships are here so we won't be able to do much.” Her words were punctuated by explosions in the distance.

  “How are we looking up top?” He was unfazed by seeing the Centurions approaching.

  “Most of their inbound craft turned back but there are still 167 ships inbound, mostly to this location.”

  “That seems like a lot.” He carefully sheathed his sword and pulled out some shuriken. A Centurion was coming in low, attempting a sneak attack with its sword. Frank hit it in the shoulder with the star. Its pain was audible as it broke off its run.

  “There aren't enough torpedoes on the boat,” Constanthos replied.

  “Shit,” Frank replied as he dive-rolled away from another overhead attack. “Make every shot count. If this works, they will be, I don't know, abandoned?”

  “There won't be enough of them to hold the planet,” Constanthos replied. “But how much are we willing to sacrifice?”

  Frank stood tall and hardened his shield. “Sacrifice is part of my job description. Let's bring these guys down.”

  32.

  “Will not someone, anyone, kill this human?” Berthantine said out loud to herself as her remote sped over the sand until she finally reached a good vantage point. She held back and watched as he toyed with her Centurions. They were circling him and taking turns diving in only to be turned back. A gigantic shadow then appeared on the horizon and quickly entered the fray. She zoomed in to see it was thousands of Sessik remotes.

  She watched as a Centurion was engulfed. Its wings were rendered useless and as it hit the ground, the human came forth, drew his sword, and took its head.

  “This stops now,” she said. She pressed a spot on her screen and spoke, “Filn, please join me.” As she awaited his arrival, she turned toward an ornate box and opened it. She reached in and pulled out a red orb. She was clutching it to her chest when the door slid open and Filn entered.

  “You've summoned me?” Filn asked. He looked concerned and she realized he had been watching the screens in a different chamber.

  “Yes. Since you are a historian, I thought you might want to witness the death of the Monster.”

  His was an odd expression. “I would be greatly interested in seeing that.” His tone told her he didn't believe such a thing was possible.

  “I hope you aren't doubting me,” she said as she flashed that smile. He seemed to soften but not as much as before. When he didn't reply, she simply said, “Watch.”

  * * *

  “The Verullian fighters are too heavily armored,” Brogue reported.

  “The attack group is nearly back,” Gladys replied. “The Ekokes are swift but I fear they'll be overrun.” She pushed a spot on her screen. “Connie, do you have any packages prepared?”

  “I've been a bit busy,” Constanthos replied.

  “If we don't take out those carriers soon, this will all be for nothing.” She looked at a different screen to watch the battle. The Rhoshe weren't losing but they certainly weren't winning either.

  * * *

  “Their boat is active, Frank,” Constanthos reported.

  “Heading this way?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Will you get the others in time?”

  “I'm there. We only have a few minutes. Shall I make some noise?”

  Frank smiled as he looked up at the circling Centurions. “Absolutely.”

  A shadow formed as the swarm of orbs draped the are
a. They hit another large Sessik from behind. Its wings were engulfed and it came crashing to the sand. Frank was soon upon the alien and drove his sword through its face.

  “I'm going to try something different since they know I'm here,” Constanthos said.

  “You have my full confidence,” Frank replied.

  Her third victim tried to evade her swarm but Sessik remotes are far more nimble than Centurions. She decided to fly the remotes through the wings this time, ripping them to shreds.

  “The boat is here,” she reported as the Sessik crashed to the ground.

  Frank quickly re-sheathed his sword. Pulling an exploder, he gauged the distance and threw it close enough to destroy the grounded alien.

  The familiar sensation of a gravity beam hit him. “Show time,” he said over his shoulder. “Go ahead and shred those other two, if you don't mind.”

  He watched as he was still rising. The next Centurion was crashing to the ground and Frank was still rising.

  “This isn't normal,” he said.

  “The boat is climbing, Frank. They're not pulling you in.”

  “Shit.” He looked down and estimated at least a thousand feet between himself and the ground. And then the beam stopped. “A little help?” he called out as he fell.

  “No time!”

  The ground was coming fast so Frank extended his shield farther than he had attempted before. He tried to time it just right and retracted to its hardest state in an effort to absorb the impact. It may have helped but he found himself hovering inside a bubble that was half buried in the sand. He floated there for a few moments as he allowed himself to heal.

  “I don't know what you did but I'm glad you did it,” Constanthos said. It was a new tone.

  “That totally sucked,” he said before launching himself out of he hole. “Maybe she'll try again. Which way are those fuckers?” He gave his head a hard shake.

  “To your left. About fifty feet.”

  He drew his sword and jumped in the direction of the Centurion. Once its head was removed, she directed him toward the other.

  “Quickly, the boat is coming back.”

  He finished the killing and again re-sheathed. And again the gravity beam hit him.

  * * *

  Gladys was watching the battle on her screens when something caught her attention. It was Frank's beacon. She attempted to deactivate it but she was locked out.

  “Connie, why is Frank's beacon active?” she asked out loud.

  “I am following his instructions.”

  “I don't understand.”

  Connie had to think fast. “He wanted to draw the Centurions in. He felt dispatching them first would give the other humans a better chance of defending themselves.”

  “Oh.” Gladys didn't have time to process the information as she watched hundreds of fighters departing the farther Verullian carrier. “Shit!”

  “I see it,” Constanthos said.

  “We've underestimated them. I hope someone can come up with a plan.” Gladys realized then they had only been dealing with the fighters from a single carrier. The enemy had held back. She watched as some of the fighters went to reinforce the defense of their fleet while the bulk of them started toward the atmosphere.

  “There is a rift,” Brogue reported.

  “What is it now?” Gladys asked as she switched screens. It was a single black vessel. “It's a friend. Jard Dundarsheef.”

  “If you say so. What kind of name is that?”

  She pressed a few spots and hailed him. “Jard, this is Gladys Ford.”

  “It's good to hear your voice,” Jard replied. “Please tell me Frank survived Mertia.”

  “He did and he will be pleased to learn you did as well. I'd ask what happened but we're busy at the moment.”

  “I see that,” Jard replied. “There are bugs and Verullians. I'm assuming the Verullians are at fault.”

  “That is correct.”

  “And my friend is probably on the surface killing everything that moves.”

  Gladys smiled as she switched screens. She was surprised to see where the beacon was. “He is actually...” She had to collect her thoughts.

  “Just tell me where she is,” Jard said. “She needs to die.”

  “Frank is aboard one of her landing boats, Jard. I don't know what his plan is but we are in trouble up here.”

  “Let me assist you then,” Jard said. “I don't want to step on his toes if he's running a game.”

  “Running a game?” Gladys asked.

  “A figure of speech. I assume the carriers are the main problem. Give me a bit to sort it out.”

  * * *

  “You have him on your boat,” Filn said. “Your best option is to fly it directly into the star of this system.”

  Berthantine paused and gave him a look. “I will do no such thing. This ship is one of a kind and I will not sacrifice its aesthetic for one human.”

  “I am only trying to help. Nothing else has seemed to work.” He didn't want to mention she was already short one boat.

  “He's trapped in the rear hold of the boat. I'll space him and we'll be done with it.”

  Filn thought it over and decided it was a good plan. He'd never killed anything in his long life. But having applied his Reverence against the Monster before, and failing, made him nervous.

  “What of your construct?” he asked, referring to Jard.

  “I created him to be intelligent,” she started. “His experience made him clever but I'm never without my fail-safes.” She gestured on a data pad and looked up on her screen. Her soft look started to harden as she read the data. After pressing more places she started to look upset. “He's undone my programming.”

  Filn tried to be comforting. “What can a single ship really add to all of this?”

  * * *

  Frank's blank eyes surveyed his surroundings. It was a landing boat not unlike his own only much larger. He recognized the ramp, but a door panel separated him from the rest of the boat. This was where he knew he needed to be.

  “Can they see me?” he whispered.

  “Yes.” Constanthos replied.

  “Good.” He reached behind his shoulder and grabbed the face-plate. With his other hand, he gestured the varitherm over his head. “Let me know when.”

  “Any time now.”

  He nodded as he affixed the plate. Setting his feet, he waited.

  * * *

  Dave tried to smash the button to end the call. “Fucking idiot!”

  “If it is any comfort,” Phildan started, “we don't really answer to them.”

  “I love you, man. Just keep doing what you're doing.” He was actively defying Miyako's orders. His leg wasn't elevated at all. “Bankston is going to try for a surrender.”

  “Earth's own defenses are useless,” Phildan replied. “And we are nearly out of torpedoes. Your president is merely trying to save lives.”

  “I didn't vote for that fat fuck,” Dave replied. He was becoming more incoherent.

  Phildan pressed a few places and an automech pushed a gurney through the open door.

  “Calm yourself, Dave,” Phildan said. “Let us make you more comfortable. You don't want Miyako seeing you behaving this way.”

  “Shit. I'm sorry, Phil.” Dave allowed them to help him up onto the gurney.

  “You're very passionate about your work. I respect that.” Phildan activated the stasis field and turned back to the television. The automech pushed the gurney away.

  * * *

  “Advise the bugs to clear the area around the closer carrier.” Jard came around and punched it. The carrier began to roll slightly so its guns could aim. But Jard stayed ahead of the roll and waited until he had a clear lane to take a run. He opted for the heavy forward guns. They weren't enough to crack the carrier's hull. He only wanted to get their attention. “Come on,” he said to himself. “Take the bait.”

  “There's a group turning back from the atmosphere,” Gladys reported through the trans
mission.

  “I see them. Thank you.”

  He increased speed again to stay ahead of the guns. His run had been too fast for them to target their torpedoes. Using the clock in his head, he decided to take another run at the carrier then meet the fighters head-on. The lane once again opened and he took it.

  “Just so you know, I am drawing them in.” His tone was almost jovial.

  “I suspected,” Gladys replied. “I didn't want to bother you while you're working.”

  “I don't mind. It isn't often that I get to be the center of any kind of attention.” He rolled away from the carrier and slowed, all the while keeping his eye on the rear. The fighters were free of the atmosphere and coming his way so he dipped the nose of his ship down and accelerated. There was no fire coming from behind him as the carrier didn't want to hit its own fighters. Jard slowed once more to allow the lighter craft to get a lock on him. Finally, the torpedoes came, fired nearly in unison from dozens of light fighters. Jard came to a full stop and projected a wide rift that collected the torpedoes.

  “You are a true artist,” Gladys said as she saw where the rift led. Every torpedo met the broadside of the carrier.

  “Thank you. It isn't quite cracked though.” Jard punched through the loose grouping of fighters, dropping small torpedoes in the path of some while shooting others. “I really hate using my ammunition like this,” he joked. “I think I'll try something else.” He glanced at the destination measurement. It still looked good so he cut right and projected another rift. Two Verullian fighters were caught and sent into the hull of the carrier.

  “I think that did it,” Gladys reported.

  “And now we'll see what kind of captain they have.”

  “What do you mean, Jard?”

  “If he or she has any sense, they'll launch away...”

  He was interrupted by two large torpedoes being launched from the far end of the vessel.

  “And there they are. Give me a few moments.” Jard spun his ship around and punched it. The remaining fighters fell into pursuit but he easily outpaced them as he tried to get ahead of the torpedoes. After he got around them, he spun his ship one hundred eighty degrees and projected another rift. “You know, I wish there was a way I could send one over to the other carrier.”