Variant

by T. C. Edge

  I lifted my hands up. "Again, I take no credit," I said. "All part of my fascinating but terrible birthright."

  "Let's stick with fascinating. It's only terrible when something...well, terrible happens." She shook her head. "And it won't, Paige. Not to you."

  We smiled at one another in the silence, until that silence turned awkward.

  "Right," she coughed eventually, "I better head off to bed. I suppose I'll see you...tomorrow after lunch? All things going well?"

  I stood and met her at the door, and drew her into a hug. "All things going well," I agreed.

  She turned, one last time, to the screen, where the cameras were displaying the heavy rains. She raised her eyes. "Doesn't look like those rains are ending any time soon."

  I looked at the screens and smiled.

  No, they're only going to get worse.

  29

  The dark skies cracked open, lightning flashing in the gloom. A bellowing roar of thunder followed only a moment later. I was near the heart of the storm.

  Hidden beneath my raincoat, I stood in a tight alley, carefully assessing. In my ear, I could hear light tapping as Becca worked at her tablet back in the safe-house. "Just a second," she said. "I think the storm's affecting the connection or something. It's all a bit slow."

  I waited, my eyes scanning beyond the mouth of the alleyway. I was fully loaded, wrapped in my black stealth suit, newly modified, with my multi-function pistol and stun-knife at my hips. I'd developed my gear as best I could over the last few days. I had more in mind but, for now, this would have to do.

  Ahead, a large shadow loomed, tall and wide, but irregular in its shape. It was once a sprawling space, with a great stadium at its core, and a multitude of restaurants, bars, and other entertainment facilities all collected in the arena around it. Now, it was a partial ruin, crumbled in places, still intact in others. With each strike of lightning, I got another glimpse. I was eager to get in closer for a better view.

  "Anything?" I whispered, looking out, but sticking to the shadows. "Have you spotted him yet?"

  "Just...give me a second," I could hear Becca say, her voice clear in my ear, despite the falling rain. I waited for a moment longer. "OK, there he is. He's nearing the stadium, coming from the south. Just...stay where you are. He's going to pass quite near to your location."

  I tightened up against the wall, though continued to stare out towards the shadow of the stadium ahead. I had designed another tracking device, which I'd fixed to my own pistol, so Becca could know exactly where I was.

  "He should be appearing any moment now," she said. "You see him?"

  I peered out, as a series of shadows burst into view, rushing from another street and into the open. They quickly hurried along as a group, in tight formation, pressing across the open square that surrounded the arena. There were a dozen or them, or so I thought. I was sure one of them would be Ford.

  "So?" I heard Becca say. "He's there?"

  "He's here," I said. "Along with a few friends. It's a team of about a dozen. Probably the best the VLA has to offer."

  "Small strike team," Becca mused. "What are you going to do? Follow?"

  "No," I said. "You keep watch on Carson's location. I want to get a better view of the front entrance."

  "Right."

  I continued to watch, until those shadows disappeared into the gloom, moving towards the side of the arena. I imagined they were getting into position to make their strike. Just how they were planning to take Mantis down, I couldn't be sure, but I had to trust that they had strong intelligence, and knew what they were doing.

  Once I felt safe enough to move, I slipped out into the street, keeping low as I went. The main entrance to the building was in the south, though I was sure the principle players would be coming from the Eastbends. That meant crossing the old river, which was nearby to the stadium to the west. I wanted to get into position to see them coming.

  "OK, Carson and his team are moving into the heart of the arena," Becca said, as I crept through the abandoned streets, working myself into position. "It looks like they're heading for the main stadium inside. I'm guessing the meeting is taking place in there."

  "That's where Carson was yesterday, wasn't it?" I asked. "When he scoped the place out?"

  "Yeah, I think so. I imagine he was there with some of his men. They might have been laying traps or something, setting up their ambush early. That's why he kept stopping."

  I nodded. It made sense.

  "I don't advise you go there, Paige," Becca went on. "You are just planning to stay outside, right? You're not going to get involved."

  "With all that going on, no thanks," I said. "I just want to be here. I want to get a look at him."

  I continued into position, knowing the streets well enough from my studies of the map. Unfortunately, while Becca could trace my and Carson's locations, due to the trackers on our pistols, she couldn't trace the positions of anyone else. We had no access to live surveillance imagery, so right now, I was very much on my own.

  And I knew I had to be careful.

  I reached the position that I intended to hold. There was a building that provided a good vantage of the main south entrance to the arena, as well as the routes away to the river in the west. I conducted a quick scan before entering, making sure the coast was clear, and headed up the dilapidated stairwell to the roof.

  Four floors up, I could glimpse the old, dried up river in the distance, and the more brightly lit Eastbends beyond it. Unlike the river crossing between the Eastbends and Westbends, where there were a wide variety of bridges and walkways, this snaking bend of the river only had a couple of possible crossing points. And only one of them was large enough to accommodate vehicles.

  I waited, looking for movement and light. Here, it was almost entirely dark now, this entire neighbourhood abandoned and unused. Further to the east, I could make out the faint glow of the city limits, watched over by the custodians. To the west, the Bends glowed amid the gloom, its mix of multi-coloured light hardly visible in the storm.

  I stayed still, crouching at the edge of the roof, as I drew out a pair of goggles from my raincoat pocket. They were customised with a simple form of night-vision, allowing me to see better in the dark. I rarely had much use for them, but tonight, under the falling rains, I thought they might come in handy.

  I pulled them on, fixing them to my head. Immediately, the world before me came into better contrast and clarity, the buildings and streets better defined. I continued to scan for a moment, looking off towards the main arena.

  "Is Carson in position yet?" I asked Becca. "Has he stopped?"

  "Just now, yes," she answered. "Looks like he's taken position within the stands of the stadium. Any sign of Mantis or Ursula?"

  I prepared to answer 'no', but some movement caught my eye. I turned immediately towards the west to find several lights now beginning to bloom. I waited a moment until I saw three vehicles come into view, large and sleek, their engines rumbling as they neared.

  I dropped a little lower and out of sight, knowing that others might have night-vision too, whether taking the form of goggles like mine, or inbuilt bionic vision upgrades that provided the same effect. There were many different varieties that allowed for improved vision, readily available on the black market. We had to assume that both Ursula and Mantis's primary guards and soldiers were suitably enhanced with advanced cybernetics.

  Or, at least, as advanced as they could be around here. The black market was one thing. What they were capable of in Northbank, where the Reapers were upgraded and trained, was on a whole other level.

  "There are three armoured cars approaching," I whispered, keeping my voice quiet. "They're heading for the southern entrance to the arena."

  "Is it Mantis or Ursula?"

  "I don't know. My guess is Ursula. I'd expect her to arrive first."

  I watched on as the vehicles pulled up outside the arena, stopping in the large square beyond the main entrance. They were j
ust about close enough that I could distinguish them all clearly, as a group of soldiers flooded from the vehicles at the front and rear. Their clothing looked to be uniform and identical, dark green in colour.

  I nodded to myself.

  It was her colour.

  Several of the soldiers moved towards the middle vehicle, taking positions of guard around it. One opened up the main door, as steps extended out to the soaking floor. He lifted a large pole and it folded out into an umbrella. I watched intently, staring through my goggles, as the Witch of the Bends stepped out.

  Her hair was shoulder length, straight, and dark green. Her skin was as pale as snow. She wore a long green-black coat that went right down to her feet, hiding her frame from toe to neck. It wasn't easy to describe her expression from here, but she looked calm and composed, her verdant eyes placid. She nodded to the guard holding her umbrella, and along with her cohort, began moving towards the cover of the arena a short walk away.

  Behind, the rest of the guards followed, watching their flanks closely. One had retrieved a suitcase from the trunk of the rear car. It looked like it might be a sample for Mantis to test.

  "What's going on there?" came Becca's voice in my ear. "Are you OK?"

  "I'm fine," I whispered. "Ursula has just arrived."

  I could hear the blend of excitement and agitation in Becca's voice. "Ursula," she whispered, her voice shuddering. "What's she like?"

  "As I thought. Quite tall, cold, green hair, pasty skin. Moves weirdly. Very smooth and composed."

  "Like a witch," Becca said.

  "Pretty much. She's got about fifteen or so soldiers with her. They look well armed and professional. But, more normal than I'd have thought."

  "No weird bionic upgrades?"

  "Not that I could tell. They probably do, but perhaps they're not too showy about it. I imagine it won't be the same for Mantis's men."

  Becca made another shuddery sound. "I kinda wish I was there to see it too," she said. "But, at the same time, I'm truly glad I'm not."

  "Yeah, I kinda know how you feel," I said.

  I continued to observe from my safe little position, trying to remain calm as I crouched there under the unyielding deluge. My main concern was that Ursula's men might create a perimeter on arrival, taking position on rooftops to secure the area, should things go wrong. If so, my current position would be a prime location. I had to be prepared to displace if anyone threatened to venture my way.

  Thankfully, all of her men appeared to have gone with her, likely setting up a security cordon at the main entrance to check Mantis and his soldiers when they arrived. I had no experience of this sort of thing, so was probably being a little paranoid. In truth, deals like this were likely common between the gangs. There was no reason for either of them to cause a fuss.

  A bit of time passed, perhaps twenty minutes or so, before I caught sight of more vehicles coming from the Eastbends. I stiffened once more, casting off my more relaxed posture, and flattening myself back down against the little wall at the edge of the roof. I peered over the top as the transports came into view.

  They seemed larger than those used by Ursula, not sleek like hers but customised to look intentionally intimidating. They appeared to be studded on the doors and sides, with sharp appendages grafted onto the front and back. Spikes extended from the wheels. The tops were curved and domed, with little openings that allowed for weapons to be shot through them.

  The impression of them was clear. They looked like gigantic, armoured insects, rolling along on sturdy, bulletproof wheels. Each was slightly different from the last, four of them following, one after another. And through the air, their engines grumbled, growling out their arrival, making sure that wherever they went, the people knew...

  Mantis and his Bugs were in town.

  A disgusted sneer pulled at my lips as I watched the vehicles stop, and the insect-like creations of Mantis climb out. They were not uniform like Ursula's soldiers, but individual and unique, some small, others large, ostentatious bionic upgrades and bizarre, insectoid limbs spouting from their backs and shoulders, tearing right through their jackets and coats.

  There were a similar number to Ursula's protective cohort, fifteen to twenty of them, swarming from the cars. Their weapons, too, looked to be modified to the person. Some held them in their own flesh and blood hands. Others had guns built into their grotesque metal limbs.

  I stared, gawping at the outlandishness of it, the sheer confidence and unabashed presumption of it all. They were walking examples of ill-tech, none of those upgrades and cyber-enhancements in any way legal. And yet, would any of them care? Hell no. They would walk right past a patrol of custodians and not bat an eye.

  Because these were the Bugs. These were Mantis's men.

  And they could do, or be, whatever they wanted.

  The hypocrisy and corruptness of it all stung, my teeth gnashing as I stared out through my night-vision goggles through the darkness and the rain. I couldn't deny that a part of me enjoyed the bizarre creativity of it, the terrifying forms these men had become, yet another part - a more prominent part - felt sick at the sight of them.

  These were criminals, the worst of the Bends, and yet they had grown to be above the law. They took what they wanted, did what they wanted, killed who they wanted, and what repercussions did they face? Nothing. Beneath the bionic wing of Mantis, their crimes were overlooked. And meanwhile, the smallest infractions in Southbank could ruin your life forever.

  My fingers tightened to fists, and fire sparked in my eyes. It all started with the Controller. It all started in Northbank. Oh, he'd get his due one day, I was sure about that. But tonight wasn't about him.

  Tonight, Mantis would fall.

  And there, emerging from the front vehicle, I saw him, cloaked in shining black as his minions grouped around him. He walked with a hunched back, his own strange appendages concealed, yet still towered high, his black hair slick against his scalp, eyes overlarge and bug-like. His time as a Reaper had blessed him with cutting edge upgrades, yet they'd only been embellished during his years in the Bends. Those eyes, I'd heard, were as advanced as you could get, his jaw thinning at the chin, long and sharp to resemble the creature from which he'd taken his name.

  He turned around, his large black eyes scanning the area. I dropped down and out of sight, and held my breath tight in my lungs. Ford had told me he had a knack for sniffing out Variants. I wondered if those eyes could spot them somehow. I wondered if he could smell them from afar.

  I stayed down for a few moments, until I heard the shuffling of movement out in the square. Slowly, and carefully, I crept back up and peeked over the edge of the wall. Mantis and the Bugs were moving now, heading towards the arena entrance. I took a breath to steady myself as I watched them blend into the shadows and disappear.

  "All good there?" I heard Becca ask. "You were breathing quite heavily. I take it you've just spotted Mantis?"

  "In the flesh," I said.

  "I take it he's as handsome as expected?"

  "Enough to give you nightmares. Him and his men both."

  "Lovely. You can draw me a picture when you get back."

  "If my hands stop shaking."

  A short silence fell, as I stared right at the entrance.

  "So," Becca said, "what now? You just going to wait there?"

  I didn't really see that I had a choice. I was meant to be smart. Going in there right now would categorically prove otherwise.

  Though, it was tempting...

  "Not much else I can do," I said. "Just, keep an eye on Carson. Let's hope it all goes smoothly."

  Somehow, with fifteen or so Bugs, the same number of Dazzlers, and a dozen highly trained Variants in there, I had a suspicion that it wouldn't.

  30

  I waited patiently under the storm, watching the lightning flash in the brooding skies, listening to the thunder roar in the heavens.

  Ten minutes passed, and nothing seemed to happen. Carson, Becca told me
, hadn't moved an inch.

  Another five minutes went by. Still nothing.

  When twenty minutes had elapsed, we both wondered if something might be wrong.

  "There's got to be up to thirty cyber-soldiers in there," Becca said. "Maybe Carson didn't expect so many? Maybe he's realised it's too dangerous and has called the whole mission off."

  I nodded concernedly to myself, wondering too if that might be the case. "But, the VLA have spies in with Ursula," I countered. "They helped set the location and the time of this meeting. They'd have surely known that Ursula was going to bring this many solders with her. The fact that Mantis has about the same number suggests it was part of the agreement, and he knew too." I shook my head. "They must have known. It doesn't make sense otherwise."

  "Hmmm, you might be right," Becca agreed. "Unless..." She paused.

  "What?"

  "Well, what if the VLA spies who have been sent to work for Ursula are...well, what if they're actually working for her now? What if they've betrayed the VLA?"

  I recoiled at the thought. "No, they...they wouldn’t.”

  "You sure about that? They’re snitches, right, not actual Variants? How much can you really trust people like that?”

  I grew slightly uneasy at the suggestion, as I took a moment to consider it. “I guess…I guess it’s possible,” I admitted, knowing just how corrupt people could be. “You’d think the VLA would select people carefully, though. They’d pay well enough to keep people from betraying them.”

  "Maybe," Becca said. "But, perhaps the information was forced out of them? Those spies wouldn't have to willingly join, not if they were found out and tortured for information."

  I actively shook my head against the idea, turning to look at the main entrance. I half expected to see Carson, Ford, and all the other VLA soldiers being dragged out into the rain, hogtied and gagged, ready to be executed right there and then for the pleasure of Mantis and his fanatical followers.

  It was with some relief that I saw no such thing, but still the question lingered...