by Scott Baron
Ara wouldn’t be lured into a trap again, and her sheer size and power made even a sneak attack highly unlikely to succeed. But Bawb, despite his considerable skills, was still just a man. And a man could be taken, if the stars aligned, along with a carefully laid plan.
“Would you feel better taking our guest room?” Leila asked. “Charlie and I will be there to protect you.”
“No way. You’re, like, only a mile from my place. Nope. I’m not going anywhere near there.”
“You can stay with me if you like, Rip,” Rika offered as she scrolled through images of the abduction sites. “I’ve got a massive place all to myself. I can get one of the other rooms made up for you.”
Ripley seemed to be considering the offer a moment. Rika did live high up in a residential tower, and it would be much, much harder for anyone to sneak up on them through all of those doors and elevators. But even so, it could be done.
“Thanks, Rika, but I’m just gonna stay down here with Cal. It’s the safest place in the city.”
“As you wish,” Rika said. “But the offer stands, should you change your mind.”
The four of them turned their attentions away from their teen friend’s housing status and back to the much larger problem at hand. Namely, how the seemingly random abductions could possibly be connected. And how they managed to snatch people from all over the globe without being spotted once.
Between the network of cube-satellites observing from on high, and all of the myriad scanning being done by city-sized AIs across the planet, it was a statistical impossibility that they wouldn’t have at least something by now. But they didn’t, and it was driving them all batty. Even the AIs seemed unsettled by their inability to apply logic and math to come to a solution.
“Put up the list again,” Charlie said. “On the main screen, please. And then next to it, let’s slap those cities onto the map and put that there too. And include time stamps on each of the abduction pinpoints.”
Rika quickly compiled the data and arranged it as he requested, swiping the gray-scale image from the smaller tablet up onto the main display screen. It was information they’d been staring at for hours, and still were no closer to an answer.
Charlie walked to the screen and stared. “Cardiff, Rio, Cape Town, Valparaiso, Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, and now Los Angeles.”
“There may have been another one,” Ripley said. “Uncle Cal mentioned a fisherman in Sydney may have been taken.”
“How did we miss that?”
“There was a storm there shortly after, and the AI was focused on saving all of the frozen people who were in harm’s way,” Ripley replied. “I guess this just slipped through the cracks until he was able to go back and review the data again. That’s when he saw the guy didn’t fall off the dock, but just seemed to vanish.”
“But why a fisherman? And why on a dock? It seems there would be easier places to take someone,” Rika noted.
Charlie crossed the room and got himself a cup of coffee from the food dispenser. “Anyone else want a cup?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Leila said. “Rika? Rip?”
“Me too, please,” Ripley said.
“Ditto,” said Rika.
Charlie procured the caffeinated pick-me-up for his friends and set back to work, deeply inhaling the steam wafting from his cup. It made him think of Ara and her ability to smell magic. It was incredibly disconcerting that the invaders had devised a spell that actually kept her from even picking up a whiff of them over so many days.
“It’s crazy, you know,” he said.
“What is?” Leila asked.
“That even Ara can’t pick up their scent. I mean, she’s got this incredibly powerful nose, and she can smell not just people, but even magic. And even so, she still can’t find even a tiny trace of them. It’s like someone just took a big old mop and wiped down the world, taking every trace of these bastards with them.”
Ripley’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit!”
“What is it, Rip?”
“Wiping the world! Don’t you get it?”
“English, Rip. What are you talking about?” Rika asked.
“I can’t believe we didn’t see this. It’s so obvious.”
“Again, not making sense. What are you talking about?”
“Look. Here,” she said, walking to the main display. “Look at the cities. Look where they are.”
“Yes, Ripley, we’ve seen them a million times,” Charlie groaned.
“No. Look. Use your eyes.”
The others did use their eyes, but only to give her confused looks.
“Ugh, hang on,” she groaned, punching in a quick series of commands on the screen.
The map shifted from gray-scale to a full-color topographical image, including the heights of the tallest peaks, as well as the ocean’s deepest depths. And then it hit him. What Ripley had meant.
“Hooooly shit,” Charlie gasped.
“I know, right?” she said, beaming proudly.
“Damn. Now that was impressive, Rip.”
“Thanks.”
Rika and Leila stared a moment longer before it dawned on them as well.
“Those are all coastal cities,” Rika said.
“Yep.”
“And the oceanic trenches...”
“Yeah,” Charlie said, his pulse spiking at the first real progress they’d made. “That’s why the satellites and city scanners can’t see them. Why Ara can’t smell a trace of them.” He walked to the screen and took in the image with an entirely new perspective. “Those bastards aren’t flying. They’re traveling underwater.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“This is bad,” Ara said.
“How bad?”
“Very bad, Charlie,” the dragon replied. “Extremely bad.”
She and the AIs had been churning through tracking options when Ripley had rushed onto the rooftop landing deck in a blur of excitement, her new friends in tow as she blurted out what they’d learned about the alien invaders. That they were avoiding detection by traveling under the sea. And Ara was not amused.
“Hang on,” Ripley interjected. “I thought this was a good thing. I mean, we finally know how they’re getting around now, right? And how they’re picking cities. We just need to have the guys along the coast step it up, right?”
“As I’ve already informed our coastal AIs,” Cal informed her.
Ara looked at her unknowing new companion with sympathetic eyes. “I’m still afraid this is not good news, Ripley. While, yes, we can now narrow down potential areas of incursion, the fact remains that the quantity, strength, and most especially the variety of magic needed to power and maintain a craft of any size beneath a body of water as large and deep as your oceans is extremely expensive.”
“Which means whoever is doing this is well funded,” Charlie noted. “And also well versed in asymmetrical tactics. No one expects them to travel beneath the sea.”
“Yes, obviously. But this also means they are an exceptionally well-connected adversary. The magic they would have to be using is incredibly rare. Only a few are able to cast such spells. And of those, a mere handful in all the known systems could sustain a vessel in the manner they are for such long durations.”
Ara had used the word sustain, and it had not gone unnoticed.
“Are you saying there’s a natural-born power user on this submerged ship?” Leila asked. “An emmik, or even a visla traveling with them?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Ara replied. “We have gained valuable information today, but also learned just how dangerous our adversary truly is.”
The group stood quietly as her words sank in.
“This is bad,” Charlie finally muttered.
“Yes, Charlie. As I had said.”
“And even knowing this now, you still can’t, I don’t know, like, switch your scanners for water or something? Refine your nose?”
Ara laughed. “Oh, if only it were so simple. But no
, my senses are what they are, and any magic would be muted by a large body of water, even more so by one so deep as this. If I was able to track them down, my magic is more than adequate to protect me in the void of space, but it would not serve me in the crushing depths of the ocean. But even if it could, I would still be unable to breathe fire upon them while they travel in that manner. So you see, I am at quite a disadvantage so long as they are submerged.”
Charlie’s brow furrowed as he ran through their options. None were good, and some were just plain bad. But there had to be something they could do to gain an advantage. Or at least put themselves on somewhat equal footing.
“Cal? I was just thinking. Do you guys have any submarines?” he asked.
“We’ve not had use for them in hundreds of years––the war caused the global fleets to eventually sink. There have been a few research craft made serviceable again by local salvage operations, but none that would be of use to you.”
“Okay. I figured it was worth asking.”
“And a good idea, in theory, but it would be a needle-in-a-haystack type of situation were you to attempt to track this craft. If Ara is correct, from what I’ve learned of magical propulsion systems, there would be no engine sounds for sonar to home in on. And cloaked by this shimmer spell, there would almost certainly be no signature from other forms of scanning either.”
“Yeah, well, I was just thinking if we could lob a few torpedoes at them, if we managed to get close enough, the concussion might make them slip. All we need is for that shimmer to be dropped and we’ll be able to track them, even if they do manage to make a run for it.”
“Excuse me,” a female voice interrupted.
“Everyone, this is Nat, the AI currently running the San Diego region down south of us,” Cal informed them. “What is it, Nat? We were just discussing potential tracking options.”
“Yes, I heard,” she replied. “And I do believe there may be a sub of the type your friends are looking for tucked away in the underwater research facility in San Francisco Bay.”
“Really? Why didn’t I know about this?”
“There was no reason for you to, Cal. As you know, the city was leveled during the war, and no one was concerned with old military facilities when the rebuilding began,” she replied. “But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
“Has something happened?”
“I received your message about waterfront incursions, and happened to notice what appears to be a stealth mission currently taking place near my shoreline.”
“That’s perfect!” Charlie blurted. “Ripley, how long will it take Eddie to get us down there?”
“I don’t know. Maybe ten minutes. It’s not like we have to go far, and there’s no need to breach atmosphere for it. I’ll pull him up on comms and get you a better answer.”
“Thanks, Rip. Come on, we need to gear up and prep for a fight. Cal, Nat, do you guys have any cyborgs nearby who could join in?”
“I know at least a handful nearby who are willing to help,” Nat said. “I will contact them and ask them to prepare and stand by.”
“And there are a few close at hand here as well who will be very willing to accompany you down south,” Cal added.
“Great. All we need to do is get to––”
“Oh, dear,” Nat blurted.
“That’s not good. What happened?”
“I was playing possum, allowing the anomaly to progress deeper into the city while I tracked it.”
“A good tactic.”
“I agree. However, it seems they came upon one of the unaffected cyborgs within my borders and have engaged him. Things seem to be spinning a bit out of control.”
Charlie felt the opportunity about to slip through his fingers, and he had no idea when they’d have another chance.
“Can you slow them down?”
“I’ve already had my smaller auto-cannons lay down a suppressing fire barrage to keep them from retracing their steps, but I dare not break out the truly big guns with so many frozen civilians in the line of fire. And as these are invisible adversaries I simply cannot tell if I’m actually holding them back or am merely firing into noth––Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I appear to have hit one,” Nat said. “These Tslavars, they bleed green, do they not?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, yes. I definitely hit one.”
“Ara, I can’t wait for Eddie. Can you get me down there while he loads the others?”
“You know I can,” she said, stooping down low so he could climb aboard her back.
All he had in the way of firepower was the carbine he’d been carrying since Bawb’s capture and the konus around his wrist. For this fight, he would need more.
“Leila, have Eddie swing by the house. Grab my go-bag and some more ammo. I’ll meet you guys in San Diego.”
“What are you going to do? I can come with,” Rika said.
“I need you to get your guns and hustle down with the others. Me and Ara are going to do what we can to keep these fuckers from getting back out to sea.”
“I’ve dispatched the few cyborgs I’ve been able to arm to meet you at the waterfront, Charlie. I’ll be tracking you while you fly in. Do you have a combat comms set?”
Cal popped open a compartment on one of the console tables he’d had brought to the roof. A row of wireless earbuds rested inside in small, clear cases.
“He does now,” Cal said. “And I’ve re-tasked the few AI ships in the air to provide extra eyes. They do not possess weapons, but it may give you an edge nevertheless.”
“Thanks, Cal,” he said as he slid the device into his ear. “Okay, Nat. I’ve got comms and am on my way. Talk me in when we get close, I’ll relay to Ara.”
“As you wish, Charlie. Fly safe, and I will see you in San Diego shortly,” she said before focusing her attentions on the fight on her streets.
“Be careful, Charlie,” Leila said as Ara straightened up and prepared to launch herself into the sky.
“You know it,” he replied. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” she said as the mighty dragon leapt into the air. Leila turned to the others, a fierce determination in her eyes. “You heard him. Let’s get moving. There’s a fight going on, and we don’t want to miss it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The small puffs of smoke and faint sound of projectiles breaking the sound barrier as they were fired from their weapons greeted the massive dragon and the man on her back a good mile before they could see the fighting clearly. Buildings blocked their view, and it was only once they were directly above that their angle of view was such to allow them a glimpse.
What they saw was a dozen or so cyborgs firing at what appeared to be nothing.
“Shimmer cloaks,” Charlie said. “Any idea how we can help?”
Ara flew another pass, banking to better see the entire field of battle as she did. “I think I can. But it will take a moment to prepare.”
One of the cyborgs abruptly flew through the air, a kika rahm variant being cast at him, taking him right off his feet.
“Yeah, they’re here, all right,” Charlie noted. “Okay. Drop me on their flank and I’ll provide some cover for those guys until the others get here.”
Ara flew away, clear of the combatants’ line of sight, then dropped low, just skimming the tops of buildings before dropping to the street in an intersection several blocks from the fighting.
“They will not have seen us land,” she said. “I will work on a means to disable their shimmers.”
“You sure you can do it?”
“Not one hundred percent. But I have a clear scent of the magic now, so I am confident I can at least inconvenience them, if not outright negate their magic.”
“That’s my girl,” Charlie said with a grin, unslinging his carbine. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he added, then took off at a fast jog toward the sound of fighting.
Ara leapt back into the air, sharply altering her d
irection so she was at the opposite side of the battle before flying high enough for the camouflaged troops to see her. Charlie, on the other hand, was moving in low and fast. Whoever he came across, they were going to be in for a nasty surprise.
The smell of burning cordite was thick in the air as the cyborgs fired the projectile weapons in the general direction of their adversaries. It was essentially firing blind, but once in a while, it seemed the air would ripple from their efforts.
One of the cyborgs briefly froze in place, hit full-force by one of the invaders’ spells. She went rigid a moment as her flesh covering hardened and cracked. Charlie recognized the spell and knew full well that no breathing creature could survive a direct hit.
But this was no breathing creature.
The cyborg recovered quickly, her flesh breaking off in dusty chunks at the joints as she re-entered the fight, firing a volley at the seemingly empty space where her attack had come from. Soon enough, the rest of the flesh exo-body covering her endoskeleton would fall away. But she could just get another one grown. If she survived the battle, that is.
One thing the alien invaders hadn’t taken into consideration as they launched volley after volley of magical attacks was something utterly foreign to their brains. These flesh-and-blood men and women they were fighting were not actually alive. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. Nor were they only flesh and blood.
Powered by tech, not meat, the killing spells were ineffective against beings whose core form was composed of metal and science. It was something they would eventually adapt to, if given time. Switching their plan of attack to physically brutal spells rather than physiologically deadly ones. But for the moment, at least, the city’s defenders had a slight edge.
The auto cannons were being extremely selective in their firing. Despite the sparse population of the city, the body snatchers had come seeking fresh prey, and in this spot, there were simply too many civilians to allow for free-fire.
