by L. J. Suarez
Chapter 17
Mace and Ava walked side by side on the dirt pavement as they went to meet with Bishop and his squad at the front gate.
He was about to embark on a journey into the Outlands’ eastern territories. Bishop would be leading them to a supposedly ancient facility housing weapons that they could use in their fight with the Monads. Ava would stay behind and look after the settlement while Mace was gone. At first she was opposed to the idea and wanted to go with him instead. Mace managed to convince Ava that her presence would be most needed at New Lazarus.
Passing the clearing, Mace saw Bishop and his warriors already waiting by their leebacks. The wooden gate that separate the people of New Lazarus from the rest of the old world stood over twenty feet tall, with sharp ends at the top. Though Bishop was the same age as Mace, his guards were the second generation of New Lazarus settlers. The youngest was Conner, who was just shy of nineteen. The rest of them—Emerson, Gareth, Andre, and DJ—were in their twenties. Despite their youth, Bishop had vouched for every single one, as he’d personally trained them himself. He knew they could handle anything that awaited them out in the wild, and Mace wouldn’t have gone with any other group.
Bishop had his axe strapped to his back while the others were armed with their usual collection of knives, spears, bows, and other deadly instruments that could impale a horalo whole. Emerson had crafted himself a double crossbow. They would need all the weaponry they had for whatever awaited them out there. Mace had packed enough rations in his gear to last a week. Aside from his crossbow, Mace had tucked his lucky dagger in his back holster. He’d never leave anywhere without it.
“We’re good to go,” Bishop said.
Mace gave a slight nod of his chin, then turned to the Committee members. Alex, Sue, and Reed had come to send the team off.
“Good luck out there, Mace,” Reed said. “Try not to get killed.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Alex and Sue remained silent, but Mace knew that deep down, Alex had been against this plan from the start.
Mace turned his attention to Ava, whose disheartening eyes had returned.
“There’s still time to change your mind about all this,” she said.
Mace smirked. “It’s not really my style.”
Ava inched closer to Mace. She placed her hand on his chest. “You always were a stubborn son of a bitch.”
“I learned from the best.” Mace moved his lips to hers and embraced her for a long moment. “Take care of the old man for me.”
“I will.”
Mace turned to his waiting leeback. He placed his gear at the back of the saddle and passed his hand along the animal’s soft furry face to get reacquainted with it. Nearby, Bishop gave Reed a firm handshake while Reed gave him a pat on Bishop’s shoulder, father and son silently wishing each other farewell.
Mace hoisted himself up the saddle and commanded his leeback to move to the gate with a click of his mouth. The rest of the group fell in as the gates opened with a squeaky creak.
Mace locked eyes with Ava one more time before issuing a whistled command to his leeback. He felt the creature’s raw power between his legs as it lunched forward out of the gate and galloped its way into the open plains. Aaron had trained him since he was fifteen to ride a leeback. Even after riding them for all these years, their incredible strength never ceased to amaze and terrify him all at the same time.
Bishop and the guards joined Aaron at either side of him, and together they rode outside the safe confines of their home and were on their way into the vast unknown. Mace truly hoped that they would find what Bishop had promised would be in the Eastern Plains.
* * *
Seated in the copilot seat of an Empyreum security transport, Constable Rylan intently watched the holo-map of the Outlands. The glare from the setting sun reflected off the cockpit window. Accompanying Rylan’s air transport was a second airship flying several feet away on the starboard side. Each craft carried a platoon of guards as well as sentry drones.
It had only been a few hours since Rylan had received new orders from the Inner Council to extract the Jafner survivors from the settlement. Though encouraged to use non-lethal methods, the Council emphasized that if they encountered any hostiles, they were to use any and all necessary force to accomplish their objective. Rylan never questioned the orders, despite his objection to the mission. He felt that taking just one transport with a minimal complement of guards and simply ask for their people back would suffice. But the Council stressed the point of not taking any chances with the humans after what had occurred at the border. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, it was his duty to obey a direct order from the Inner Council.
The pilot turned to the constable. “We should arrive within the hour.”
Rylan nodded. “Understood.” He glanced over to the guards seated across from each other on either side of the back compartment. Their faces did not betray what they might be feeling. They were exceptionally well trained.
Rylan exhaled as he faced the front window, where the mountain range off in the distance was quickly getting larger. Thanks to the scout drone that sent the coordinates to Empyreum before its destruction, they knew the settlement would be situated at the heart of the mountain chain before them. The constable hoped the humans wouldn’t put up a fight and allow their people to be released without any violence. But having known the humans for as long as he did when they lived in Empyreum, Rylan knew deep down they wouldn’t allow Empyreum security to simply march into their village uninvited. Their numbers were also unknown. They could be facing tens of thousands of them, and judging by the weapons they’d carried at the rendezvous point, they would be able to hold their own.
Whether he cared to admit it or not, Rylan was indeed expecting the humans to give them a good fight.
Chapter 18
Ionne was about to speak with the last Monad on Gaia she ever wanted to see again.
Due to tensions escalating, and with limited options, she had little other choice. She needed answers fast, and time was of the essence.
A guard led Ionne through an extended hall painted in bright white. On either side, rows of prison cells were enveloped in an energy force field. The cells housed the most dangerous criminals in recent history. Ionne remembered a time when such an establishment was not needed. The founders of what was now modern society had worked to build a utopia, free of violence and despair. The actions of humans like Aaron had helped Ionne realize that there was a dark side to Monadkind that everyone had been shielded from for far too long. Their supposedly perfect world was in fact built on blood and death.
The cells were mostly occupied by either former Shadow Order operatives or other Monads who were serving their sentences for their war crimes against both humans and Monads. One of them was former Inner Council member Paxt, who still resided here. But he was not the one whom Ionne had come to see. It was the one Monad who had not only called for the extermination of the humans, but the enslavement of all Monads. During his incarceration, he was subject to reconditioning in an attempt to change his behavior and to enable him to function within the civilized world. But like most who resided at the detention center, the prisoner’s mind was far too lost and impenetrable for known treatments to have any effect.
The guard escorting Ionne came to a halt at the final cell at the end of the hall. Peering through the cell’s golden energy field, she caught a glimpse of the prisoner sitting on the edge of a bed with his back to her. His legs were folded in a meditative stance, his arms stretched out to his knees. He wore a white jumpsuit that matched the walls around him. A small shelf at the far corner of the cell contained dozens of bizarre miniature sculptures with exaggerated edges. Seemingly carved out of stone, most of the statues resembled either Monad figures in unusual, almost erotic stances or snarling beasts indigenous to the Outlands, their teeth on full display. One sculpture resting at the center of the shelf stood out the most. It was of the Archivist herself in M
onad form, sitting on an elegant throne and wearing an old council-leader crown and robes. What made Ionne’s stomach twist into knots was that the throne rested atop a pile of Monads whose bodies formed a pyramid. Each one was bowing, literally lifting the throne on their backs. The sickening statue perfectly captured the cruelty the Archivist and the Shadow Order had instilled on their own people to create the world she and the others had taken for granted for so long. Ionne had hoped the monster residing in the cell wouldn’t be allowed to keep such despicable possessions with him.
“You have a visitor,” the guard called out to the prisoner inside the cell.
Ionne gulped hard, and felt her heart beat like a drum as the prisoner slowly twisted his body to face them while still in the seated position. He had the same familiar, sinister grin that had given Ionne sleepless nights.
“Well, if it isn’t my good friend Dr. Ionne,” Gideron said. He rose to his feet and walked over to the edge of the field. “I must admit, I never thought to see you here. Tell me, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? It is not often I have guests.”
“This is not a social visit,” Ionne said as she tried to remain calm. “I am here on official Inner Council business.”
Gideron’s grin widened. “Is that so? And how are my friends at the Council? Do they miss me dearly?”
“Let us drop the pleasantries,” Ionne said coldly. “There is only one thing I need you to answer.”
“Go right ahead,” Gideron said mockingly. “I am carrying a life sentence, after all, so it would seem that I possess all the time in the world.”
“Are you somehow orchestrating what is happening between our people and the humans?”
Gideron arched a brow.
“Is the Shadow Order trying to start a conflict between our two races?”
“My dear Doctor Ionne, I am afraid that I do not know what you speak of. You know full well that all of my agents have either been killed or imprisoned in this facility with me.”
“A Monad colony transport crash-landed in the Outlands, and the survivors were retrieved from the crash site by the humans who now live there. They were taken to their settlement.”
Gideron grinned. “I see you all finally came to your senses and rid yourselves of the human fifth living in our city. I must admit that I did not believe you had it in you. Well done.”
“They left on their own accord,” Ionne shot back. “When we went to secure the survivors, we were attacked by an assailant using a pulsar rifle. You must have other agents out there who have slipped past our detection and are doing your bidding.”
Gideron’s face softened. “An interesting theory, I must say. Shame that I did not think of this plan myself.”
“So you are saying you had nothing to do with the ambush?”
Gideron inched his face closer until his nose nearly touched the energy field. “May I offer a piece of advice?” He paused for effect before continuing. “If you truly want to know who was behind this, the only question you must ask yourself is…who would benefit from this conflict the most?” Another grin appeared on his lips. “Perhaps members of your own Inner Council would want nothing more than to snuff out these pitiful human pets of yours. Or it could be an entirely new faction altogether you have yet to encounter. Wherever the answers take you, I hope that you are ready.” His smile returned. “It was good to see you again, Doctor. I do hope you come visit more often. My only request is that you give me more notice. So I may have tea prepared for us.”
Gideron turned and returned to his bed, where he once again sat cross-legged and continued his meditation.
Ionne stood frozen on the other side of the cell, pondering Gideron’s words. She had hoped he would have confessed to orchestrating the entire affair. It would have made matters easier to know who she was dealing with. However, looking into his deranged eyes, Ionne believed that Gideron had nothing to do with it.
If the Shadow Order wasn’t behind the attack, then who was?
Whatever the answer was, it terrified Ionne. She refused to believe it was anyone from the Inner Council. But then again, there were past councilors such as Paxt and Aldor who had sided against the Council. Maybe, as Gideron had hinted, there was some other organization at work that she and the Council hadn’t yet discovered. Whatever the case might be, Ionne was still nowhere closer to stopping the impending war.
Chapter 19
An uncontrollable anger was bubbling up inside Ava.
Not only had Mace and the rest of the Committee gone along with Bishop’s insane plan to go on a wild goose chase across the Outlands to recover ancient human weapons, but they’d also locked up the Monad survivors on the suspicion of espionage.
Ever since Ava had brought the Monads to the settlement, all the settlers had seemed to lose their minds. Part of her wished she hadn’t brought them here, as they were now being treated like prisoners.
She approached the hut which made up the holding block where two of Bishop’s guards were stationed on either side of the doorway. Both had staffs not dissimilar from what Ava carried, and both wore their hair in a bun atop their heads.
Before she got near the entrance, one of the guards put out his hand. “No one’s allowed in. Bishop’s orders.”
Ava tried to use the calmest tone she could. “I just want to check on them and see if they need anything.”
“They don’t,” the second guard said. “They’re not guests anymore. Until we know otherwise, we’ve been instructed to treat them as spies.”
Ava exhaled loudly. “Look. I don’t give a shit what Bishop’s orders are. I’m going in there whether you like it or not, or I’ll let Mace know how uncooperative you’ve been with me. Now stand aside.”
The two guards exchanged looks, then stood to the side, allowing her passage without making further eye contact.
Ava opened the heavy wooden door and passed on through.
She found the Monads huddled together at the far end of the circular, stone-walled room, underneath a barred window. The sole purpose of the holding block was to keep the peace and maintain order within the settlement. Most of the residents ended up here because of petty issues—drunken brawls, heated disputes, and occasional trespassing and vandalism by some of the local teens. Typically, they were held no longer than a day as a sort of cool-off period before they could return to the general population. Fortunately, the holding block hadn’t been used very often. In fact, Ava could count on one hand the amount of times it had been needed since New Lazarus was built.
Jarzon rushed over to her and embraced her at the waist. After holding on to him for a bit, Ava addressed the others. “Have they been treating you well?”
The Monads nodded nervously.
She tried not to choke on her next words. “I’m so sorry for all of this. I know you’re not spies. This is all my fault for getting you into this situation in the first place. But don’t worry, I’ll straighten all of this out and get you all home soon. I promise.”
“It is ok, Ava,” Jarzon said. The tiny Monad looked around at the other Monads standing around them. Turning back, his face suddenly lit up with glee. “We know it was not your fault. You saved us. We will forever be in your debt.”
Ava placed a warming hand on Jarzon’s shoulder. She suddenly twisted her head; a ringing noise was coming from outside the holding block.
“What is that?” Jarzon said.
Ava knew exactly what that ringing meant. It came from a bell that was only rung when an intruder was approaching the main gate. “Stay here.”
Exploding out of the hut, Ava watched as the settlers ran in all directions in a state of panic as the bell continued to blare. She stopped one of the patrol guards crossing her way. “What’s going on?”
“Two Monad airships were spotted headed this way!”
Ava wasn’t the least bit surprised; she had expected this would happen. They’re coming for them.
It was time for Ava to spring into action and get ready for what awa
ited them. “Get everyone to their homes now, and have all the guards on standby. Do not engage unless I give the word.”
The guard nodded and disappeared into the crowd of panicked settlers.
Ava continued scanning the settlers, who were in a frenzy. Empyreum security would likely be ready to use any force necessary to get their people back. She was confident that despite the odds, the New Lazarus troops would give their all to protect the settlement—it was their duty. Ava only hoped what was to come wouldn’t end in bloodshed.
* * *
Anxiety pumped through Rylan’s veins as the airship circled the human settlement from one hundred feet up. Before him was a blank holo-screen, and he anxiously awaited the intel from the scout drone that had been deployed ahead of them. It had been instructed to get the layout of the settlement at a safe distance, track their people, and find a suitable landing site. A wall enclosed the entire perimeter of the settlement. No movements could be detected from Rylan’s vantage point.
“There does not seem to be anyone down there,” the pilot commented over his shoulder while peering through his side window. “Perhaps they abandoned the settlement because they knew we were coming?”
“They’re down there,” Rylan assured him. “They must be hiding.” Rylan knew not to underestimate the humans after the last time he’d attempted to go up against them during the Shadow Order occupation.
An electronic beep sounded, and the screen suddenly populated with a schematic of the entire village. On the screen, groups of dots were shown inside various structures spread throughout the settlement. The blue dots represented Monad life signs, and the red ones were human. Several blue dots were positioned inside a structure three kilometers east from their position. Large portions of human life signs were grouped in the other structures.
“There you are,” Rylan said. They were hiding all right, perhaps getting ready to fight them. He did not wish to hurt them in any way. However, his orders from the Inner Council were clear.
