Rubicon Crossing

by Ralph Prince

  “What do we have to do?” Will asked.

  “I need to research the procedure,” Jackie said. “Once I figure out what I need, I should be able to print it with the fabricator. It shouldn’t take long.”

  “I hope this works,” Will said. “It’ll be dark in a couple of hours, and we have to get to the caves before the Tants.”

  “Why don’t you get Victor ready to leave, and put some photon rifles in the air lock,” Jackie suggested. “Get four, and extra power cells for each. Hopefully, we’ll be able to hold the Tants off.”

  “Hopefully?” Will repeated. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”

  “Could it be because Don’s chances for survival now may be better than ours?” asked Jackie.

  “Yeah, that’s probably it,” Will agreed, as they started toward the door together. “Why didn’t I take that C.E.O. position my father offered me?”

  CHAPTER 16: Enemies at the Gate

  The first attack on the caves came shortly after dusk. Forewarned when the sentries descended the shaft from the surface, Jackie and Will positioned themselves behind makeshift fortifications with their weapons readied. The light amplification properties of their tactical goggles pierced the darkness, affording them a clear view of the only point of entry. The entrance shaft, coupled with the narrow tunnel leading to the main complex, made its defense far easier than they had initially hoped. As soon as the Tants dropped into sight, they were systematically felled by the deadly blue-white bolts of energy. At the conclusion of the first offensive, dozens of Tant bodies sprawled in the shaft and hallway, while not a single Underdweller had been injured.

  “Are you alright?” Jackie asked Will, as crews of Underdwellers moved forward to clear the corpses in preparation for a second attack. “You hesitated.”

  “I-I’ve never had to kill anyone before,” Will stammered. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Try to think of them as practice targets,” Jackie suggested, knowing how difficult it must be for the young lieutenant. As a doctor, the act of taking lives was abhorrent, and went against her training and instincts. It had been easier when she was fighting the Quillans; they were manufactured drones. The Tants were essentially human.

  “I’ll see those faces in my nightmares,” Will said, rubbing his eyes as though it would banish the images.

  “Put your goggles on infrared thermal mode, not high-spectrum,” Jackie suggested. “They look less human that way. It’s almost like playing Invasion Z.”

  “I’m supposed to pretend this is a game?” he asked incredulously.

  “No,” Jackie replied. “You have to realize this is war. If you don’t kill them, they will kill you, me, and all the Underdwellers. Do whatever it takes to dehumanize them, or you’re no good to me here.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds before being distracted by yells from the direction of the entrance.

  Tants began dropping down the shaft again, catching the cleanup crews by surprise. Several Underdwellers fell victim to the marauders, marking the first casualties for the subterranean people.

  Jackie began firing, affording many of the Underdwellers the opportunity to fall back behind the safety of the barricades.

  Will watched as one of the Underdwellers, a young woman, was overtaken by the advancing wave of Tants. She extended her arms toward him, pleading for help as several of the twisted humans drove knives into her frail body. He helplessly watched the life fade from her eyes.

  Switching his goggles to infrared mode, he shouldered his weapon and began firing as tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. His teeth clenched so hard it made his jaw ache as he unleashed blast after lethal blast into the advancing mob. He hardly heard Jackie’s voice urging him to fall back to the second barricade, as their position was being compromised by sheer numbers. It was as though he had stepped out of himself and watched as his body rained hellfire upon the Tants like an unholy avatar of death.

  The number of mutated humanoids seemed endless. No matter how many dropped, more came and more died. Some were female; many seemed little more than children, but all fought with equal persistence and ferocity. The killing seemed like it would never end; then it did.

  Will found himself behind the second set of fortifications with no memory of how he had gotten there. Jackie panted at his side, and hundreds of Tants littered the passageway.

  Once they were certain the offensive had ended, armed Underdwellers moved forward to dispatch their wounded enemies without hesitation or remorse, while the Terrans caught their breaths.

  Activating a light stick and tearing the goggles from her face, Jackie grasped Will by the arm. He was covered in blood and oozing globs of singed flesh and entrails. “Were you injured?” she asked.

  “No,” he replied flatly, pushing his own goggles to his forehead. “It’s just like Invasion Z.”

  “Don’t they realize we have far superior firepower?” she asked, surveying the battlefield. “You would think they would give up.”

  “Not likely,” a voice answered as Stanton approached them from the direction of the caves. His arm was still in the sling Jackie had fashioned for him. “The Tants do not understand the word defeat. They have not met with opposition since Oaklander became their leader. He believes only the strong have the right to live and has instilled that thinking into those who follow him. That degree of extremism isn’t easily overcome. They will fight for him until no Underdweller remains alive, or no Tant does. It is their way. Were I not incapacitated by my injury, I might have been able to convince your captain of this, saving Dillon’s life and preventing him from being injured.”

  “But all of this killing,” Will said, still trying to wipe the image of the young woman from his mind. “It’s pointless.”

  “That’s what your captain tried to tell Dillon,” Stanton said, a deep sense of loss evident in his tone. “There can be no winner in this conflict. Unfortunately, the Tants do not share that opinion. They have been led by Oaklander for many years. He is a man whose mind has become more twisted than the bodies of those who follow him. He rules through fear and intimidation, and has instilled within the Tants a hatred of the Underdwellers that runs deep. He believes they are to blame for what happened to our world, and even though the Tants as a race, are dying, he will see the Underdwellers die first if he has his way.”

  “What do you mean, they’re dying?” Will asked.

  “When Oaklander took power,” Stanton explained, “the Tants numbered five times their current population; but the sickness that twists their bodies causes many of their children to die, and most of their women to be barren. Food is becoming more scarce, and Oaklander sees that only the strongest are provided for, while the old and feeble are left to die. In another three to four generations, the Tants will be no more. Oaklander knows this, and has vowed the Underdwellers will die with the Tants. Do not grieve for the lives lost here, Lieutenant Porter; it is a far more merciful death than what awaits them in their future.”

  “How do you know all this?” Jackie asked, intrigued by the Underdweller’s knowledge of the Tants. She had guessed his age to be in his mid-forties, but his wisdom seemed that of a much older man. “We’ve heard nothing about this before now.”

  “Some of what I’ve told, I’ve seen for myself,” Stanton explained. “Some comes from stories my father used to tell me—stories told to him by his father. They tell of the time of the cataclysm, and how we brought it upon ourselves. The world was broken, and the few who survived were sickened and altered. The descendants of the Tants and the Underdwellers were once of the same race, but that is no longer true.

  “When I was a far younger man,” Stanton continued, “the Underdwellers ventured to the surface more frequently. Some even made peace and traded with those who lived there. Those were the days before Oaklander’s reign. When he and his clan came to the city, the surface dwellers were scattered and largely unorganized. They formed small
tribes, and fought amongst themselves for what scraps they could find; some even resorted to the eating of their own kind to survive. Oaklander brought them together by overthrowing their individual leaders, and uniting them under a single cause: his cause. Those who didn’t submit were eliminated until all that remained were the Tants. It is as Dillon told your captain: for all intents and purposes they are little more than maddened beasts, and would murder you without remorse.”

  “We seem to be doing pretty well so far,” Will said, as the cleanup crew continued dragging bodies past them and into the caves so they would be out of the way until they could be properly disposed of. The thought of the stockpile of dead nauseated him once again.

  “That isn’t the worst you’ll see,” Stanton warned, gesturing down the hallway with his uninjured arm. “These are not warriors; they are fodder. They are the desperate and downtrodden who were promised scraps of food for each Underdweller they kill. They were sent to test the strength of your defenses. When the warriors come, they will have spears and bows, and they will make more intelligent attacks. Oaklander is skilled in tactics and combat, and has trained them well. Do not underestimate them based on what you have seen thus far.

  “You won’t win by trying to hold this hallway,” he continued. “They have superior numbers and fanatical conviction in their favor. They will fight a war of attrition; attacking in waves until you no longer have the strength to fend them off.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do?” Jackie asked. “If we can’t fight them or reason with them, what else is left?”

  “Honestly, Lieutenant...” Stanton paused and his eyebrows furrowed, “Mon et?”

  “Monet,” Jackie corrected. “It’s French.”

  “Of course, ‘Monet’,” he continued. “Honestly, Once the Tants found the caves, there was only one prudent course of action: you should have left. At least that way, you would have survived. Now, I fear we all share the same fate. The place that once offered us refuge will become our tomb. I must return now; I have friends to say goodbye to. I’m sorry you were dragged into this.”

  As suddenly as he had appeared, Stanton vanished back into the darkness, leaving the two Terrans to ponder what he had told them.

  “Well, at least the Underdwellers are optimistic about our ability to protect them,” Jackie said, sarcasm dripping from her words. “Crazy old man.”

  “He may be crazy,” Will said, “but he sure seems to know what he’s talking about. I think he’s right; we don’t stand much of a chance if these aren’t their warriors.”

  Shouts from the direction of the shaft told them the third Tant offensive had begun. They readied their weapons, expecting to see the sentries rushing toward them, followed by hundreds of howling Tants. The sentries came, but what pursued them was not a horde of twisted humanoids; it was a billowy cloud of thick black smoke.

  “They’ve dropped torches,” one of the Underdwellers said as they scrambled over the barrier. “The bodies have caught on fire.”

  “They’re trying to smoke us out,” Jackie said, fear prevalent in her tone. “What do we do now?”

  “Relax,” Will replied calmly, lowering his goggles over his eyes. “The air currents will sweep the smoke outward before it gets too far. They’re probably just using it for cover. Bad news for them; thermal vision isn’t affected by smoke.”

  They waited nervously, weapons trained down the smoke-filled tunnel. The vile stench of burning flesh and animal fats greeted their nostrils as the first tendrils of smoke reached them, but all was silent.

  Suddenly, several forms descended the ladder and began creeping along the walls of the hallway, unaware they were completely visible to their prey.

  Jackie motioned for Will to wait until more Tants filled the hallway to maximize the chaos and carnage.

  “Fire!” She yelled as they drew near, unleashing a barrage of photon-fire upon the mass of invaders.

  The startled Tants fell into panic, and scrambled for non-existent cover. Overcoming the initial surprise, they regrouped and charged the source of the onslaught. Once again, Jackie and Will were forced back by the overwhelming number of attackers, but managed to hold them off before too much ground was lost. The third offensive ended swiftly, but the cleanup crews stood back waiting for the smoke to clear.

  Relieved at having another chance to rest, Jackie wiped the beads of sweat from her face, and dried her blistered hands. “You had better put a new power cell in your rifle,” she said. “Mine’s nearly drained.”

  “I kind of wish the captain were here,” Will replied, apparently oblivious to her suggestion. “We could use one of his miracles about now. Do you think he’ll be okay?”

  “It’s hard to say,” she replied, switching weapons with him and replacing the power unit. “He seemed to be responding favorably to the transfusion, but there are too many unknown factors. I didn’t like having to leave him and Karen there alone.”

  “We didn’t have much of a choice,” Will pointed out. “The Underdwellers wouldn’t have held out against the first wave without severe losses. How would you have justified saving one life at the cost of thousands? Besides, you taught Karen how to administer bio-mend if he doesn’t start getting better. What else could you have done if we had stayed?”

  “You’re right,” Jackie agreed, inspecting her blistered hands. “I don’t think I’ll be able to shoot much longer; I lost all feeling in my fingers during that last attack. I just wish we had time to teach the Underdwellers how to use our weapons. How are you holding up?”

  “About the same as you,” he replied, extending his palm toward her. “How many of those things do you think we’ve killed so far?”

  “Four-hundred, maybe five,” she answered.

  “Great,” he said sarcastically. “That means there are only fourteen and a half thousand to go. It might as well be a million, or two million.”

  “I know why Don wanted to avoid a fight,” Jackie said, realizing the futility of their resistance. Stanton was right, the Tants would overtake them; the only question was how many they could kill before it happened. “Too bad he wasn’t successful.”

  “You know Jackie,” Will said, sensing the gloom in her tone. “We may not make it out of this. I just want you to know that I really do think you’re pretty, and I like you. I don’t care if we have sex; I just would have liked the opportunity to get to know you better.”

  “So,” she replied, eyeing him suspiciously, “you think I’m pretty, but not pretty enough to have sex with?”

  “Damn it!” he cursed. “You twist my words and make me sound like an idiot. I’m just trying to say you were right; maybe I’ve been looking for the wrong kind of woman. You’re so unlike anyone I’ve ever known. You’re smart and witty, but you have me so off guard, I don’t know what to say or do around you. I find that attractive as hell.”

  For several moments, she stared at him without displaying any emotion. Then, her lips bent into a smirk. “I’m supposed to take you seriously when you’re covered in Tant goo?”

  His shoulders slumped in an exasperated sigh. She frustrated him so; he had opened his heart to her and she slammed it shut with her incessant humor.

  Hearing a voice, they both leveled their weapons down the hallway, where they saw a lone Tant limping slowly toward them in a halo of light. Its disproportionately long arms, one of which held a porta-light, were held over its cloth-shrouded head. It stopped upon being seen.

  “Ceasefire,” it hissed as they aimed their weapons at its chest. “I come alone and unarmed.”

  “Don’t come any closer,” Jackie warned, her finger caressing the trigger. “State your business, and don’t make any sudden moves.”

  “I am called Stitch, and I come at the behest of Oaklander, leader of the Tants,” its low raspy voice carrying easily through the tunnels. “He proposes a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?” Jackie asked, leery of the motives of the messenger or his liege. Stanton’s warnings and perso
nal experience taught her that Tants couldn’t be trusted.

  “I was instructed to speak to the one called Garris,” said the Tant.

  “I am here at the behest of the one called Garris,” Jackie said, mocking the messenger’s words and tone. “He told me to kill any Tant that came down this hallway. If you have something to say, you can say it to me before I decide to follow his orders.”

  “Send Oaklander the one called Garris, if he yet lives,” Stitch relayed, “and he will allow the Underdwellers to leave the city unharmed. Refuse his offer, and he promises the caves will run red with your blood.”

  “No deal,” Jackie responded. “The only blood in this hallway belongs to your people. You’ll never get past us.”

  “Oaklander would have me hear the words from Garris’ mouth,” Stitch said, his eyes nervously panning across the wet red floor and the bodies at his feet.

  “Not going to happen,” Jackie said, shaking her head.

  “Is the life of one man so important that you would all die in his place?” asked the Tant. “What will I tell the master?”

  “Tell him this!” Jackie yelled, firing a shot past the creature’s head, causing it to hobble quickly down the hallway away from them.

  “Do you think that was a good idea?” Will asked, as he watched the light fade up the shaft.

  “Probably not,” Jackie replied, “but what else could I do? I can’t give him something I don’t have. The best thing we can do now is hope my bluff works until we come up with another plan.”

  “Still,” he said, “maybe you could have told him we would think about it or something.”

  “Or, I could have put that shot between his ears instead of past one,” she said. “That would have made me feel better. All things considered, I think I did the best thing.”

  “Yeah,” Will agreed halfheartedly. “Now all we need is a good plan. I don’t suppose you have any ideas, do you?”

  “No,” she admitted. “You’re supposed to be the tactical officer. At least they won’t be starving us out; we have our secret supply up above if we get too hungry.”