Once they were far enough from the breach and into another sealed life-support zone, Talon pressed the button on his suit to remove his helmet and helped Tarsis to do the same. They paused there for a moment to take a much-needed break.
It was quiet. There were no screams or gunfire anymore, only the crackling of Tarsis’ exo-suit as it struggled to keep him upright.
“What was that thing?” Talon finally voiced what they were both thinking.
“I don’t know,” Tarsis moaned. He nudged Talon’s arm. “C’mon, we have to get to the command deck. The Amerigo cannot fall.” He began to try to make a move in the opposite direction before Talon pinned him against the wall.
“It has fallen!” Talon whisper-shouted. “We have to get out before those things come back.”
“’We will serve on this ship, and we will die here,’” Tarsis recited solemnly. “I am a Keeper of the Circuit, crewman Rayne. And so are you.”
“Then don’t waste your life here like the others! If we escape, we can find help!”
“I will not abandon my post!” Tarsis declared. His cheeks were red with anger.
“Then help me get out!” Talon didn’t mean to raise his voice, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t care if he was being selfish, not when Elisha was involved. He released Tarsis’ shoulders and took a heavy step back. “There must be escape pods on a ship this size.”
A conflicted Tarsis looked down the long dark passage and frowned. “To help a Keeper escape is betrayal in itself.”
“To betray what? You didn’t choose this.” Talon leaned in. “Screw fate, screw service to this place, and most of all, screw this disease. You saved my life. Now let me save yours. You can go home, Tarsis. To wherever that was before you were damned to serve here. You can die free.”
“Home…” Tarsis laughed weakly and began to cough. “I have none except here.”
“Then you see what you’re willing to guard with your life. We can find out what happened here and ensure it never happens again.” Talon racked his brain to think of more ways to persuade him. Then the sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall, followed by a faint reddish glow.
“It’s coming,” Tarsis said. He lifted Talon’s arm around his waist so that he could help him walk again, and they began moving through the corridor at a brisk pace. “There’s no time to argue. I’ll take you on the quickest route to the escape pods, but let’s hope we reach them first.”
Talon didn’t bother to waste time or breath on a response as Tarsis led them through the shadowy corridors. They passed over countless fallen bodies, through smoke and drizzling sparks, the sound of metallic footsteps growing nearer and nearer. Random shouts and gunshots echoed occasionally, but they didn’t break pace until they reached a small hatch nestled against a wall. The ladder beyond it couldn’t fit more than one person at a time.
“This leads straight down into the pods,” Tarsis said.
Talon nodded and made him go first, knowing that it would take him longer with his damaged exo-suit. Just before he was ready to follow, the ominous red aura turned around a nearby corner. He held his breath, climbing down the hatch as quietly as possible.
It didn’t matter.
The thing noticed him instantly, even through the darkness. Two red eyes snapped his way, and bullets peppered the wall behind his head. He pulled the hatch shut and slid down the ladder, missing all the rungs, knocking Tarsis over as they tumbled through the bottom.
“One of them is coming!” Talon shouted as he helped Tarsis up and they rushed forward. “Where do we go?”
“In there!” Tarsis pointed to one of the rounded openings lining the hall and pushed Talon in. He then began keying commands on the touchscreen located just outside.
“Get in!” Talon shouted as he strapped himself into one of the four seats.
“Just a few more seconds!” Tarsis finished at the console, but then he froze in the entrance of the pod. He chewed nervously on his lip.
“Tarsis, don’t throw your life away!” Talon struggled to remove the restraints, cursing himself for strapping in so prematurely. They were locked for launch and there was no way to get them off.
He could see it in Tarsis’ face—a man torn in two between loyalty and survival. That was when Talon saw what would have become of him. It was not only fear of betrayal that stopped Tarsis, but fear of leaving the one place that he’d called home for the final years of his cursed life. It was the one place that made the suffering tolerable. Where he could share the pain of the blue death with others.
“We’ll find out who did this!” Talon urged him. There was a loud crash at the base of the ladder. “Get in!”
A bullet nicked the exo-suit covering Tarsis’ leg just before he gritted his teeth and made his decision. He leapt into the pod, and the hatch slammed shut right behind him. A powerful blow dented the metal door, but before a second one could land, the pod was shot out into space.
Talon held on as tightly as he could. Through the rear viewport, he saw a pair of unsettling red eyes receding into the distance as the pod accelerated, until they were too far to distinguish. Only then did he feel safe enough to gather his breath and help Tarsis into one of the other seats.
“I didn’t think you were going to come.” Talon exhaled, relieved.
Tarsis was busy staring longingly at the dark mass of the solar-ark, which eclipsed a cluster of stars even though they were already dozens of kilometers away.
Images of Elisha flashed through Talon’s mind. He wasn’t sure what was happening aboard the Amerigo, but all he could think about in that moment was how life had given him a second chance. He was going to find a way back to her, no matter the cost.
40
Chapter Forty—Cassius
Cassius looked out through the White Hand’s viewport at the solar-ark Amerigo. A gash ran like a brightly lit scar along the lower side of it, as if some giant creature had raked its claws across the hull. The rest of the ship, by contrast, appeared only as a deeper blackness within the blackness of space.
The androids had already been dispatched, so all Cassius could do was wait. Too anxious to stay still, he got up and headed into the corridors of his ship. He strolled through them at a leisurely pace until he reached the medical bay. Sage lay on a table in the center of the white room, unconscious, her chest slowly rising and falling.
“Captain, the executor has experienced no setbacks in her recovery,” Gaia said.
A blanket concealed most of her body, but Cassius could see where her artificial arm connected to her shoulder. He was careful not to move the blanket as he ran his fingers over the limb he’d built. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her in that position, her fragile life preserved within the confines of his ship. It was where he’d brought her after the fateful day when Earth murdered his son.
She looked so peaceful lying there now, as if none of the executor training had tainted her mind and transformed her into a ruthless weapon. She was the only connection to Caleb he had left beyond one message stored in a tiny metal sphere. He reached into his pocket just to make sure it was still there, but as he did, he was interrupted by the voices speaking into a comm-link in his unaccustomed left ear. Like ADIM’s, it was linked directly to the six newly activated androids so that he could issue orders.
“Creator,” the group addressed him from aboard the ark, “these units have eliminated all resistance. As directed, the captain has been detained with the other survivors in the command deck.”
“I will be there shortly,” Cassius responded a little too loudly, as if he were stirred from a dream. He looked up. “Gaia.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Break open one of the ark’s viewports so that we can dock. No reason to waste this suit after I took the time to put it on.”
She confirmed, and he headed down the adjacent corridor, having to use the walls for support as the White Hand banked hard to the right. When he neared the cargo bay, a sudden jolt almost bowled
him off his feet. It was followed by the muted sound of two explosions in quick succession.
“The ark has been sufficiently breached, Captain. Shall I deploy the bridge?” Gaia asked.
“Go ahead,” he instructed.
“Sealing cargo bay.”
Cassius obliged and the entrance slammed shut to block him out. A loud whining sound on the other side indicated depressurization.
“Process complete,” Gaia announced.
The cargo bay door reopened. The ramp was opened, with a latticed tube extending out through space to bridge the gap between the White Hand and the solar-ark. After a few steps, his feet lifted off the ground in zero g, forcing him to slowly pull himself across the tube until the artificially gravitized floors of the solar-ark yanked him back down.
One of the androids was there to greet him, almost invisible inside the dark ship but for its glowing red eyes. “Creator,” it stated, “two Keepers were able to reach an escape pod. Shall this unit pursue them?”
“No,” Cassius responded. “You have your orders. They are no threat to us now.”
“This unit will lead you to the command deck.”
Cassius nodded. He followed the android down the shadowy, silent corridors of the Amerigo. Blood lapped at the soles of his boots, leaking from countless dead bodies in his path. He paused for a moment to look at them, and the ghastly, lifeless eyes gazed back at him from almost every direction.
He welcomed their judgment. Each diseased body would be part of the foundation for the future he sought. A future free of shackles.
“This way, Creator.”
The android led him up an airy staircase covered by bodies. ADIM would have taken the time to clean them away, but he couldn’t blame these more simple-minded bots.
A massive rising door at the top had been forcefully pried open. Cassius ducked through the low passage and entered the Amerigo’s command deck.
The tall space was filled with dated consoles that served to keep the ship running smoothly. Not even a holoscreen in sight except for a few that had been retrofitted. The ark’s glistening, golden solar sail was visible through a semicircular viewport at the far end. Even damaged, it remained impressive. The technology had been honed by the Ancients, and it was one Cassius was eager to study firsthand if he ever had the time.
“Who are you?” a defiant voice addressed him.
Cassius had hardly even noticed any other presence as he continued marveling at the sail. He glanced down to regard the ark’s captain, bound and kneeling. She appeared healthy, but the dozen similarly captive Keepers arrayed on either side of her had webs of unnaturally blue veins spreading across their temples. The mark of the blue death.
Poor souls, Cassius thought as he let his eyes wander down the branches of their infected veins. It would be a service to end their suffering.
Standing in front of them with weapons drawn were the rest of Cassius’ androids, silent and still as red-eyed specters. Their imposing presence had all of the Keepers, captain included, trying to hide the fact that they were trembling in fear.
“I could ask the same of you?” Cassius replied to the captain. “The people of the Circuit rarely get a chance to thank those who help keep it running.” He positioned himself in front of the Keepers and bowed his head. “I thank you all.”
“This is how you thank us?” The captain gestured to the many dead bodies strewn throughout the room, then the androids. “Do you command these monsters?”
“I do indeed. Stunning, aren’t they?”
“Wait a minute.” One of the older Keepers spoke up suddenly. He was bearded, grimy looking, and undoubtedly Ceresian. “I recognize you. You’re Cassius Vale, aren’t you?”
Cassius nodded. “I am.”
“I knew it!” The man’s face flushed with anger. “I was one of the few survivors at Lutetia after you slaughtered our entire colony!” He charged forward on his knees, but was swiftly kicked onto his back by one of the androids.
He groaned and rolled over. “Seems you haven’t changed a bit.” He spat in Cassius’ direction.
The captain placed a consoling hand on the rowdy Keeper’s shoulder to calm him, and then glowered back up at Cassius with daggers in her eyes. “Since these ships were built by the Ancients more than five hundred years ago, nobody has been so bold as to claim one for themselves. You’re a fool, Cassius Vale. Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“The Tribune buys your loyalty with labor and promises of peace. Don’t look me in the eyes and claim neutrality,” Cassius countered. “What luxuries might I find in your quarters? Do I even need to look?”
The captain blanched. Cassius sighed. Much of his energy had been expended in his confrontation with Nora, so he had no desire to argue.
“It’s no matter,” he said. “This ship belongs to me now.”
“Yet only we know how to run it,” the captain retorted.
Cassius turned around and patted the chest of one of his androids. “That is why you will help teach my creations how.”
“Teach them?” The captain scoffed. “You think we’d help a man who thinks he can own the Circuit? ‘We will serve here, and we will die here.’”
“I suspected as much, but I only need one of you.” He made eye contact with an android. “Disable all the ark’s tracking systems; then do whatever is necessary to get one of the Keepers to talk. If they won’t, tear these ancient computers apart until you find what you need to get this ship moving.”
“Yes, Creator,” the androids responded in unison. They slowly began to approach the terrified Keepers.
“I’ll be looking over the cargo,” Cassius said as he headed out of the command deck.
“Ancients damn you, Vale!” the captain shouted after him.
Cassius didn’t bother looking back. He never expected praise for doing what he knew had to be done—not until the end. War had made him the veteran of countless battles, but he knew there would be none harder than opening the eyes of an entire species.
Crewmen cursing his name rang out as he made his way down the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom, the shouting was replaced by screams.
He ignored it all as he tried to decide which way the storage lift was. It was his first time walking a solar-ark’s interior, so he only had the vaguest clue. He decided to follow the path littered with the most bodies, and, as expected, it led him to the comforting silence of the cryo-chamber hall.
The hundreds of glass chambers were dim and empty, most of them still sparking from the firefight in here. Bullet holes covered the metal floor, most of them filled to the brim by pooling blood. The stink of death lingered in the recycled air, but Cassius was far too used to it to be affected.
He traversed the dark hall until he found a circular lift set into the floor. Its power somehow remained undamaged, and he signaled it to go down, plunging into a vast open storage space.
Colossal mechanical arms extended from the walls and ceiling, each designed to manipulate storage containers and crates. Some were big enough to move the entire White Hand.
But while the machinery was all off, one type of container stood out. They were all around him, piled high, dwarfing him as he spread his arms out wide. Neon blue glowed through the ventilation slits cut into their sides.
Raw gravitum. More than he had ever seen in a single place. Enough to develop dozens more bombs like the one ADIM had detonated on Kalliope.
After so long, he almost couldn’t believe his plan was working. The power to control the fate of the Circuit was right within his reach.
END
Book Two
LEGACY OF VALE
1
Chapter One—Sage
“Look at it, Sage,” Caleb Vale transmitted through the comm-link in his enviro-suit, his arms spread wide as if to embrace his view.
He stood beside her at the desolate shore of a sizeable lake on Earth. The sky above them appeared charred, smeared with blackened clouds and an endless
ruddy haze. The plains were barren, comprised mostly of hardened, cracked dirt. Despite all of that, however, the water in the lake was clear.
“Look at what?” Sage playfully grabbed his arm. She, too, wore an enviro-suit. Even with all the purification machinery and tubes spanning up from the depths of the lake, Earth’s air remained incredibly toxic. Even rain could be acidic enough to melt through flesh in a matter of seconds.
“The water. It won’t be long until you can drink it straight.” He reached out and scooped a handful into his glove.
“The Circuit isn’t starved for water, you know.”
“No, but it’s so much more than that.”
Caleb let the water slip through his fingers. His smile always had a way of making Sage give in. It helped accentuate the handsome lines of his face, the sharp jawline he got from his famous father.
Sage stared into his pale, grayish eyes. “Sorry, Caleb. I just worry that by staying here you’re challenging—”
“The Spirit of the Earth,” he finished for her. “The Tribune. Yeah, I know… It’s just… I know that despite my father’s position he doesn’t believe in it all. ‘A means of control,’ I’ve heard him grumble. The truth is, I’m here to try to discover what I believe in for myself.”
Sage leaned in so that their helmet visors tapped. “I’m not here to lecture you on the Spirit, Caleb.”
“I know. And it truly doesn’t matter to me where you place your faith. I’ll always love you.”
“And I you. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to show you the right path.”
Caleb chuckled. “We’ll see how you feel about that after I show you what we’ve accomplished.” His face lit up. He towed her by the hand toward the research facility at the edge of the lake. “C’mon. It happened just before you arrived. I swear it’ll change everything!”
The Circuit: The Complete Saga Page 28
