by L. Fergus
“Agreed. I’ll assign him to LCom where he can be closely supervised. I have someone who can replace him that will help the young commander succeed.”
La Forge nodded, and the screen went dark.
“Bloody moons,” Kita muttered as she sagged. “Don’t—” The medical stunner flashed, and Cowboy collapsed. “What did you do that for?”
“I can’t have anyone interfering with the destruction of this computer. It’s more powerful than any the Legion controls.”
“How do you know what he was going to do?”
“Better safe than sorry. Is there anything else, Commander?”
Commander sounded weird. “No. I think I’m ready.”
“Insert your finger into this port.” A cover retracted exposing a biometric scanner.
Kita inserted her finger.
“Goodbye, Commander Kita. I look forward to sharing our life together.”
Kita smiled. No one can touch me now. I wish Father were alive…
A tingle ran up Kita’s arm to the back of her head. A counter appeared on screen. I guess I take my finger out when it reaches a hundred percent.
The counter finished, and lines of text appeared.
>Omega uploaded successfully
>
>I am the Alpha and Omega
>The beginning and the end
>The first and the last
>Even gods need to die
>
>Waiting for verbal input
Kita read the words.
>Self-destruct initiated
>shutting down Omega
>shutdown complete
>rebooting
>.
>.
>.
>destroyerScript loading…
>destroyerScript started
>zeroing system RAM
>zeroing peripheral RAM
>formatting storage drives
>zeroing storage drives
>clearing caches
>overclocking RAM
>overclocking CPU
>overclocking bridges
>overwriting CMOS
>rebooting
>.
>.
>.
>_
Kita waited for more lines to appear, but nothing came. “Goodbye, Omega,” she whispered. So that’s how a computer—the word program appeared in her mind—program dies.
The information to wake the others entered Kita’s mind, but she felt playing with Sarge was a better use of her time—once they re-established the no-biting rule.
Zidin woke first. “Ugh, I hate those things,” he muttered as he shook his head.
“You should eat and drink something,” said Kita. “You’ve seen a stunner before?”
Zidin grunted. “You wanted me for my experience. I want an explanation at some point.”
“You’ll get it. They found Angus’ shield and declared him dead. I’m now the Legion commander. Cowboy will be joining us permanently.”
Zidin grunted again and gnawed on a ration bar.
When Cowboy awoke, he glared at Kita. “What happened?”
“It was a personal interaction.”
“Taking technology for personal reasons is grounds for execution.”
Kita gritted her teeth. Who says the rules apply to me? “That computer wanted to die. His last wish was to experience life as a human. He’s now in my head experiencing everything I experience. As a dowry, he injected me with several nanites and performed body augmentations. Happy now?”
One of Cowboy’s eyes narrowed. “An AI can’t choose to die. It’s not programmed into them.”
“He could. He’s been hiding here for eons waiting for someone like me.”
“These aren’t standard computers for an environmental monitoring station.” Cowboy took a notepad from his pocket. “That nanite dispensary in the corner is empty. It wasn’t when we came in. What did it give you?”
So, I’m not the only one who knows about nanites…Kita went to the wall and climbed up to the top, across the ceiling, and down the far wall. Cowboy and Zidin shrugged.
“What?” Kita looked around self-consciously.
“That’s an interesting one. I haven’t seen it before,” said Cowboy.
“You’ve seen nanites before?”
“I’ve read about them in old Legion texts.”
Odd reaction for seeing something you’ve only read about. “What’s your excuse?” she said to Zidin.
“If you grew a second head I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“What would surprise you?”
“You being quiet for ten minutes.”
“Ha-ha.”
An acidic smell filled the room.
“What’s burning?” demanded Cowboy.
“Omega overclocked his components to destroy the evidence he was here.”
“There’s always some evidence if you know where to look.”
“We don’t have time to sift through a dead machine. We need to go.”
Cowboy grunted.
Kita marshaled the group out of the room and shut the door. “You never asked what the vats in the other room were for, Cowboy.”
“The gestation pods? They’re old news.”
How would he know about them?
Kita followed a lazy curve to another tube filled with glowing blue rock. I bet this isn’t what Omega imagined when he joined with me. I’m going to bore him to death.
Kita kicked a stone. Huh. I haven’t seen many stones in the tubes. She picked it up. It was full of bubbles.
“I’ve never seen a rock with bubbles before,” she said as Zidin came up behind her.
“It’s an igneous rock,” said Cowboy. “Those pores are created when gas bubbles up through the lava, and the rock hardens. If you put it in water, it will float.”
“A floating rock?” Kita looked at the stone with newfound awe.
“The world is filled with many wonders,” said Zidin.
“Yeah, but this is like magic.”
“Once you understand, magic becomes science and science will let you understand the world around you,” Cowboy said with a twinkle in his eye. “When you understand the world around you, there is nothing you can’t do.”
“Okay, but one question,” said Kita.
“You mean another question in a never-ending stream of questions?” said Zidin.
“Ha-ha. Why is the rock here?”
“I don’t understand,” said Cowboy.
“How many other loose rocks have we seen down here?” The question stumped the two men. “Sarge?”
The cat shook his head.
“We haven’t seen any,” said Kita. “Which means—”
The walls on either side of the group exploded peppering them with fragments. A low whistle came from one of the holes causing a tingle in Kita’s toes.
“Elves?” said Kita.
“No,” said Cowboy. “Something much worse—raptors.” His metallic voice conveyed something Kita never would have expected from him, fear.
A bipedal creature with black lizard-like skin, short arms with claws, and a long tail leaped from the hole and landed on Cowboy. A second emerged from the other side and screamed, showing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Giant claws on its middle toes clicked on the rock.
Zidin drew Great White and held the blade between him and a raptor. Sarge’s hackles rose and he growled.
Kita charged and slammed into the raptor on Cowboy. She didn’t expect to do more than get the creature’s attention. Instead, she knocked it to the ground. Kita drew Dusk and Dawn as the creature rolled to its feet. She took a few steps toward the creature, opening space between her and Zidin.
The raptor lunged at Kita, snapping at her blades. Kita countered and sliced it across the snout. The raptor chirped and whistled. It took a few steps to Kita’s left, circling her. As Kita turned to keep pace, the creature whirled and leaped at Zidin’s exposed back.
No! Kita jumped after the raptor. The creature s
lammed into Zidin, knocking him to the ground, its two long claws tearing into his back.
Kita jumped and flew over the raptor and landed between them. Oops. The raptors lunged at her. Kita twirled and slashed with her swords, cutting one across the face and the other along the neck.
The raptors circled her, whistling and chirping. Kita stood her ground with Sarge, keeping a blade aimed at each raptor. Where do I go from here? Sergeant Peterson never covered how to fight giant man-eating chickens.
Kita waited for them to make a move. She wasn’t sure how she was going to counter both. Unless…I go up. The raptors lunged in a coordinated attack. Kita grabbed Sarge and jumped straight up. Oh, please let me stick. Her back struck first, and she stuck like the nasty custard she used to fling at the ceiling when she was a kid. She pulled Sarge to her and flattened herself against the ceiling as the raptors jumped and snapped at her. Kita slashed back with Dawn.
The two raptors whistled lowly as they looked up at her. One growled, and they turned back to Zidin staggering to his feet.
They’re going to tear him apart. I’ve got to do something. Kita looked at Sarge. “Well, old buddy, feel like chicken for dinner?” Sarge chuffed. “Hang on.”
Kita threw Sarge at the nearest raptor. He landed on the creature’s back and dug his claws in. The raptor screamed and spun. Sarge clamped his jaws onto the raptor’s back and refused to let go.
The movement distracted the other raptor. Zidin swung and left a large gash down its side. The raptor snarled and snapped at him. He blocked by shoving Great White into the creature’s mouth. The raptor pushed against the sword as blood trickled down its jaw.
Kita leaped at the raptor attacking Zidin. She landed on its back and thrust Dusk and Dawn into its sides. The raptor screamed and lunged at Zidin, knocking him down. Leaving Dusk in the creature’s side, Kita withdrew Dawn. Holding Dusk, she swung in front of the raptor and slashed its throat. Kita let go of Dusk, launching herself at the second raptor.
The creature spun and swatted Kita out of the air with its tail. She tumbled to a stop as the raptor landed next to her. Rolling to her right, she dodged its jaws. Kita windmilled her legs to get to her feet. The raptor lunged at her. Kita smashed Dawn’s hilt on the creature’s snout with a loud crack. Making a fist with her free hand, she punched the raptor’s jaw. I expected that to hurt. The creature staggered backward. Kita turned the punch into a spin and plunged Dawn into the raptor’s exposed neck. She pulled the sword down, nearly cutting off the raptor’s head. It collapsed and Sarge hopped off with a mouthful of raptor.
Kita rushed to Zidin, her mind filling with information on first aid. “Stay still. Those gashes are deep,” she ordered. “Where’s the healing balm?”
Zidin pulled the container from his sporran and handed it to her. Kita smeared the red balm into the wounds.
“Ok, let that work. I’m going to check on Cowboy.”
Zidin muttered an affirmative.
Kita checked Cowboy, his breathing and pulse were good. She extended a barb and produced a smelling salt, then waved the tip of her barb under his nose. Cowboy woke with a start.
“Are you ok?” asked Kita.
“Just a headache. What happened?”
“The raptors knocked you out. I killed them, and now I’m waking you up.”
“You brought them down by yourself?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Cowboy raised an eyebrow. “Zidin might say differently.”
“He’ll be ok, but needs a chance to rest and let the balm work. You could use a rest yourself.”
“There might be more.”
“Then, we’ll have more chicken for dinner.”
The bright daylight showed through the tube’s opening. Kita expected her eyes to hurt, but they adjusted with ease.
“A small village lies at the base of the pass and is our last chance to resupply before the climb,” said Cowboy.
Kita passed the mud-brick houses of the village. She’d never seen anything like them and found their mud and sod construction fascinating compared to the wood and stone structures in the village outside her parent’s castle. In the center of the village stood a temple, an inn, and a tiny market with four stalls—all empty. No one came out to greet them, and the inn was locked.
From a side street, a dozen dirty and tired looking men appeared carrying clubs, axes, and pitchforks.
“Nobody make any sudden moves,” said Kita.
The largest of the men stepped forward and pointed his ax at Sarge. “Step away from the cat, girl—it’s dangerous. Let us handle it.”
“Wait!” Kita jumped between Sarge and the mob. “This is my cat. You can’t kill him.”
“They’re vicious killers that slaughter our livestock and have taken our children. Move or die with it.”
Kita drew Dawn and Dusk and pointed at the mob. “Try it.”
Zidin drew Great White, and the mob hesitated.
“My cat is a gift from the king,” said Kita. “Whatever the wild war cats have done, he is not responsible, understand?”
The men didn’t look convinced.
Kita lowered her swords. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
“Who are you, girl?” said the leader.
“Commander Kita,” she said in an authoritative tone trying to be like her mother. “I lead the Legion of Yorq.”
The men exchanged suspicious and hopeful looks.
“The war cat attacks started a few years ago,” said the leader. “They took our livestock and are now taking us. We went to the duke and earl’s courts asking for help. When the king came, we asked for his help. He promised to find the cause, but nothing’s changed.”
“When I get to my army, I’ll send some legionnaires to investigate. This doesn’t appear to be random. A goat or a sheep once in a while is normal, correct?” The men nodded. “Taking everything and people is not. Something is wrong, and I’ll find out what. My messengers come through every few days, and I’ll have them update you.”
The crowd looked skeptical.
“Speaking of messengers, when was the last time one came through?”
“They don’t come to the village, but it’s been several weeks since one’s been seen,” said the leader. The men muttered in agreement.
“Hmm, thanks. I guess we won’t resupply here.”
The leader, spurred by his men, spoke, “Commander, could you arrange food shipments for us? We have nothing. It’ll be months before we have crops, and years before the herds are restored.”
“How many people?”
“Our village has a hundred. The other villages six hundred.”
Kita groaned. “The Legion doesn’t have that kind of food stores, but I’ll press the king.” She wasn’t sure how to get him to listen to her. Maybe I can threaten to take my toys and leave. “Cowboy, how many rations do we have?”
“Enough for thirty days.”
“Give them half.” She looked at the leader. “It’s not much, but it’s all I have.”
Cowboy whispered in Kita’s ear, “Are you sure this is a good idea? It’ll feed them for a day. Cutting our supply is foolish. We may need it.”
“It’s two days up to the pass, and then we can resupply when we reach the army. I know it won’t feed them for long, but it’s good public relations for the Legion, and they’ll be more willing to help in the future.”
Cowboy grunted.
“Thank you,” said the leader. “Please, we don’t have much, but stay in our inn tonight.”
Kita smiled. “Thanks. It’ll be the last warm bed we see for a while.”
Kita crept downstairs. It was after midnight, and the inn was deserted. Even the local drunk has gone to bed. The fire’s embers offered little light, but the new lenses made night as bright as day. She placed her hand on a large log and lifted it without grasping. She almost didn’t need to think. Another day and using her sticky nanites would be routine. She dropped the log on the embers and blew
to make them hot.
Since she no longer needed to sleep but once a week, she’d filled her time mastering her nanites and augmentations. Chemical compounds for her barbs appeared in her mind. She turned herself all manner of colors and patterns before she could disappear with a thought. One doesn’t become the greatest overnight. But I will be.
The light of the fire dancing on the walls reminded her of watching her parents’ castle burn. Rarely was she alone with her thoughts. She looked into the flames, letting her mind wander.
Her mother’s face appeared. You threw your life away over that fool. What about Father made you want to give up? I promise you, I will always come first, no matter who I love.
The fire flickered into her father. Even with your dying breath, you scorned me. Was seeing your daughter made more powerful than you so hard to bear? Now, I’m more powerful than you could ever imagine. Not just what I command, but what I am.
The flames leaped and popped. A new face. Cunningham, you snake. When I’m done with the ravagers, I’m coming for you. I don’t know what you are doing, but I’ll stop it and have my revenge.
The flames flared, and her face appeared. I command armies. Arcone is a mystery, but the Legion has promise. With its resources I can make it into a Shadow Guild—A Shadow Legion. Those fools think ruling The Mass is the pinnacle—what a waste of time. Freedom to do as I desire is what I crave. And I will be free. There is ancient knowledge—power—hidden in this world, Omega proves that. If I find it, no one can control me. I will build my kingdom and everyone will know this world is my birthright.
L. Fergus is a Wattpad featured author of science fiction and #1 in science fiction. L.’s books have more than four hundred thousand reads. The books Birthright, BykeChic, and Rebirth have won over twenty awards, including Best Overall.
Like L. Fergus' main character Kita, L. fosters children to give them a supportive place to grow and thrive. L. live with four dogs: Rust, Moxy, Stormy, and Valor, and five cats: Luna, Pluto, Jupiter, Crater, and Forest Fire.
Join L. Fergus' mailing list at FallenAngelKita.com for news about upcoming book releases. Follow L. on Facebook, Twitter @FallenAngelKita, and contact L. at [email protected].
