Tesla Evolution Box Set

by Mark Lingane

  “What do you want for him?” the Master said.

  “My name to be cleared, the bounty dropped, and one hundred thousand credits.”

  “My mind is disinclined to grant you anything, least of all redemption after your betrayal.”

  “How badly do you want this tesla?”

  There was a considerable pause. The image flickered in the dim light. The black helmet sat expressionless, staring straight ahead.

  Memphis was getting impatient. “Fine, I’ll take him elsewhere. Others will offer good money once they’ve seen what he can do.”

  “Wait. I’ll drop the bounty, but no credits.”

  She smiled. “I’ll drop him off to you in Denver in a few weeks.” She hit the disconnect button and went back to the bar.

  “Hit me, tender, two shots.” She threw a handful of credits on the bar.

  The bartender glared at her, but she had thrown down double—plus tips for the drink. He took it as an apology. He poured a full shot glass and slid it over to her.

  She looked around and leaned in. “You got a GoFF?”

  The bartender glanced from side to side. “How much you prepared to pay?”

  She pulled out most of the credits she had and dumped them on the bar.

  The bartender quickly counted through, then nodded. “Pack?”

  She paused for a moment. “Highway Angels,” she replied.

  “You sure? You don’t want to be rumbled by them.”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll ask, but you might need to pay more. Destination?”

  “The Master,” she said.

  He stared at her for a long moment before finally disappearing through a small doorway to one side of the bar. As the door swung closed, she managed to snap a view of a young man chained to a desk, working behind a large metal box. The room was lit by the eerie blue light needed for the delicate pressing of a GoFF.

  She sipped slowly, trying to recoup some of the credits she had slipped across the bar, listening to the inane chatter of the lug-headed fighters. She caught whispers of the battle and how quickly it had ended. They each tried to take credit. Her heart felt light. In a matter of weeks, she would be free of this life, free of these morons. All she had to do was lure Sebastian to the place he was already heading. And that would be easy.

  The bartender returned and slid the card across the table to her. She slipped the small piece of plastic into her top.

  “You didn’t get that from here,” he said. “And we’ll deny any knowledge if you say otherwise.” He moved away to serve the small crowd that had gathered at the bar.

  There was movement beside her. Places like this didn’t like women hanging around if they weren’t in the trade. She could feel the tension and distaste. She quickly finished her drink and made her way out the back. Several men followed her into the murky alcoves where dark deeds were agreed and acted upon.

  She picked up an outlaw jacket, quickly slipped it on, grabbed another outlaw’s cap, and stepped behind a curtain, interrupting a couple of outlaws engaged in trade dealings. She stepped back out once the men had passed.

  She slipped a handful of credits to the door monkey, who nodded and pressed the release button. She tipped her hat down to disguise her face, but she knew she wouldn’t have long before the drones crawling over the streets detected her. She kept a wide berth of her original path, and tracked wide back to the arena.

  It was well after midnight when she approached the service entrance at the rear of the complex. She looked at the explosive and set it to flare just outside the entrance. This was going to test the resolve of the soldiers on guard duty. Next to the flare she placed the jacket with the outlaw logo emblazoned on the back.

  The flare flashed, clearly displaying the logo. The soldiers at height recognized it and shouted to those lower down, who sent a team of six through the entrance to investigate. The men spread out into defensive position as one of the soldiers picked up the jacket and examined it. He obviously decided it was safe, if somewhat unsanitary. He waved the team back in and seven returned to base.

  Once in through the gate, Memphis slid away from behind the patrol and melted into the background. After the day she’d had, she was exhausted.

  10

  EARLY THE NEXT morning, Memphis knocked on Sebastian’s door. The misty rain drizzled in from the west, slowly soaking the ground. A thick layer of clouds sat above the city; low, dark, and ominous. She kicked a puddle while she waited, the scraping of her foot and the splashes of the water lonely sounds in the cold air. The strong smell of diesel drifted into her nose as overnight tankers refueled the Charger compound’s storage tanks. The drone of the pumps was quiet and soothing.

  She knocked again. “Hey, it’s me,” she whispered.

  She heard grumbling, then rustling sounds, followed by an exclamation of pain. The door clicked open, revealing a bleary-eyed Sebastian. He squinted at her through one eye.

  “You know it’s not officially morning until the sun rises.”

  She laughed when she saw his hair. “How did you unlock your door?”

  “The lock’s magnetic. I reversed its polarity.” He yawned, half covering his mouth.

  “If you could do that, why did you let them lock you in?”

  “You’re only locked in if you don’t have a key.” He rubbed his eyes and stared blankly at her. “What do you want?”

  She looked in either direction down the walkway. It was quiet and empty. Lights lit up the shimmering raindrops, which sent circles radiating through the puddles.

  “We need to go,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll be safe if we hang around here. The Chargers seem pretty hostile to us.”

  Sebastian yawned again and shrugged. “Okay, the sooner I get to New York the better. We can go get the bike.”

  She shook her head. “Our best bet is to hitchhike and keep low. Fuel’s hard to come by out here if you don’t have a military permit.”

  “We don’t need fuel, only water.”

  “Your bike runs on water?”

  “Yeah. Sort of. Steam.”

  “No way.” She stood there with her mouth open.

  “Yes. Why else would I say it?”

  He collected his things while Memphis kept a watchful eye out. He followed her to the service exit at the back of the complex. There was little movement in the early-morning darkness. Sebastian looked around. The compound seemed to run on a thin skeleton staff, so thin it had turned sideways and disappeared. Lightning flashed across the clouds and rain tumbled down.

  They hid behind several large green trash receptacles, peering between the gaps. There was no one to be seen.

  “I’ve been watching the patrols and worked out the routine,” she whispered.

  He yawned. “When?”

  “This morning.” She found herself joining in Sebastian’s yawn-fest.

  “It’s not morning yet. It’s still night.”

  “Fine, Mr. Picky, overnight. Are you happy?”

  “No. I’d rather be in bed where it’s warm and dry.” He pulled his tunic around him and rubbed his arms.

  “This is our best chance of getting out,” Memphis said. “It’s a blind spot. The soldiers on guard can’t see the approaching patrol, so there’s an automated system keeping it covered.”

  She pointed to an approaching guard. “Watch. He marches along the wall. Turns. He presses the button. Waits. Then the second guard approaches from the other direction. He presses his button, the light flashes”—she pointed up to a light, which flashed—“and the first guard marches away. All we need to do is to get the light to flash early, and that’ll leave the exit unguarded. And we need to do it before the second guard gets too close, but not too soon, or the first guard will think something’s wrong.”

  “How do we control the light?”

  She held up a switch, water falling from the small metal box. “I rewired it.”

  “How’d you do that?”

  “It’s best if you do
n’t know.” She gave him a mischievous smile.

  They waited until the next rotation approached. The guard turned and waited for the light. Memphis flicked her switch, the light flashed, and the guard … didn’t march off. He twisted his head and stared at the light.

  “What’s wrong?” Sebastian hissed.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Flash it again.” Sebastian watched the light. It flickered, like it had an electrical fault. “Looks like it’s broken.”

  Memphis pulled her switch apart and frantically rewired the connections. Her head flicked back and forth between the device and the approach route of the second guard. The rain cascaded down through her fingers, and she fought to keep a grip on the components. She reattached the cables and pressed the button just as the second guard appeared.

  The light flashed, and the first guard turned and walked away.

  “Come on, let’s go,” she hissed.

  “We don’t have time,” Sebastian said.

  “We’ll make time.”

  “I suppose you have a box for that.”

  She ran toward the exit, head down and cap dragged over her face. Sebastian quickly followed, pulling his cape around him.

  The second guard shouted to the first, indicating his early departure. Hearing the shout, the first guard stopped. Sebastian and Memphis huddled in the exit alcove that contained the lock.

  The guard turned. He hadn’t seen anything. He paused, looking around the area, then slowly stepped back toward the changeover point. The second guard shouted again.

  Memphis did her trick on the lock. It didn’t open. She tried it again. Nothing happened.

  The guards picked up their pace and ran back to the changeover point.

  Memphis kicked the door in frustration and shook it violently. Sebastian heard the approaching footsteps and pushed her aside.

  The guards approached the alcove and swung their rifles into the space. The exit was empty. The door closed.

  The guards glanced back and forth. The first one looked back to the light. He walked over and searched the area. By the time he found the switch, Sebastian and Memphis were sprinting across the expanse of tarmac surrounding the arena.

  The sun was dragging itself over the horizon. Sebastian slowed, staring at the sliver of orange sunlight that seemed to be shimmering in an alien way. Something was different. He didn’t have time to ponder it, because Memphis grabbed him and dragged him onwards.

  The receiver knocked on Charlie’s door. There was a groggy response from inside. “Sir, we’ve had a response back from the Church of Truth,” the receiver called through the door. There was no reply. The receiver knocked again. “Q-backer, sir, there’s something you need to know.”

  The door opened, and Charlie’s haggard face appeared. He rubbed his hand over his eyes. “It’s still night, Receiver.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but the Church wants the boy. And they said to kill the girl.”

  Charlie nodded. “Pity it isn’t the other way around. Get a small team together. Take the fullback with you.”

  The receiver nodded and turned away with a grim face. He rounded up the team and knocked on the fullback’s door.

  A heavyset man, more gorilla than human, wrenched open the door, annoyed at being woken early. The receiver explained the playbook requirements and the fullback nodded. He lumbered after the receiver, stepping wide of the rest of the team.

  They collected on each side of Sebastian’s door. The fullback kicked the door off its hinges. The room went white as detonators ignited and filled the room with fire.

  The loud explosion erupted in the arena. Memphis smiled. Soldiers were so predictable.

  “Was that an explosion?” Sebastian said.

  She nodded. “I thought they wouldn’t be able to hold out for the night. Quick. We need to keep moving.”

  “I don’t understand why we’re running. We haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “We’re strangers, and you’re different. That’s enough. The Church of Truth says you should be aware of the unknown. ‘Stranger danger,’ they call it. Every other message of truth on those displays talks about it. Normally, it’s shoot on sight. And when they say ‘aware’ they mean ‘afraid.’”

  “Where was that explosion?”

  She smiled. “That would be my doing.”

  He gave her a stern look.

  She gave him an indignant look. “What? I like blowing stuff up. It’s my hobby.”

  “Some people are happy collecting stamps.”

  “That’s not me. Now let’s go back to the zeppelin crash site. We have to get the bike fixed quickly if we’re going to have any chance of outrunning the Chargers.”

  Memphis could feel the death and disease as they approached the crashed remains of the zeppelin. She looked around the site uncertainly, taking in the disturbing carnage in the gray early-morning light. There were parts of bodies that hadn’t been there the day before. There was a lot of blood. Segments of arms and legs lay scattered around, as if torn from their owners’ bodies. She didn’t want to get too close, because it looked like the ends of the limbs had teeth marks. Insects were crawling all over them, adding an eerie buzzing and clicking sound to the still air.

  All the while, she kept her ears open for the Chargers. It wouldn’t be long before the soldiers found out she was missing, too, and came after them. People were going to be upset.

  Sebastian scouted around. He spotted the familiar building and ran up the steps. His muscles throbbed as he wrenched open the doors. He waved for Memphis to follow. She hurried up after him, thoroughly creeped out by the remains of the massacre. The cold weather cut deeply into her, and for the first time in a long while, she felt unsure. Hairs on the back of her neck bristled.

  Sebastian appeared in front of her distracted gaze, pushing his steambike forward into the center of the old building’s foyer. Shafts of light speared down from the high-set windows.

  “It looked better in the dark,” he said, giving the battered body a gentle pat and brushing his hands over the dents. He rolled out the repair kit and examined it, looking for what he could use.

  Memphis wandered around the floor, following the perimeter of the foyer. The debris of ages lay over the old stones. Dust, inches thick, collected in the corners. There was a stairway leading up to the higher levels.

  “I’m going to have a scout around from up there,” she said. “From that height I might be able to see a way out of the city. Try and be quick. I’m not sure how long we’ve got before the Chargers find us.”

  Sebastian mumbled in response, lost in bending and twisting parts of the bike. He assembled several bricks and hefted the bike onto them. He looked at the shock absorbers. They were still rubbing against the tire. He placed his sword against one and tried to lever it out, but it didn’t budge.

  He sighed. It was going to hurt.

  He cleared his mind and pictured the bike as it once was. He ran his hands over the shock absorbers, and pain stabbed into his mind as the electrons realigned. He blinked away the pain and concentrated on the warmth he was feeling under his hands. It felt comforting in the cold air.

  The metal popped, and snapped back into its original shape. He spun the wheel and it rotated smoothly. He wiped away the blood from his nose. He sat back and looked dejectedly at all the bent metal and impact damage. It was going to take time—and more pain.

  11

  MEMPHIS STARTED OUT taking the steps two at a time, but soon ran out of breath as exhaustion from the previous night weighed on her. As she slowed, she noticed the steps were clean and smooth. She assumed the building was being used as a safe house by scavengers. She paused to listen. It was deathly quiet, except for the occasional clang, crash and utterance of pain from Sebastian below.

  A thick mass of wires trailed in from the right through the wall. They disappeared through the doorway ahead of her. She closed her eyes and listened carefully. She couldn’t hear anything. She slowly crept forward, f
eeling the hairs on the back of her neck bristle again. She reached the doorway and squinted into the darkness.

  At the rear of the room was a set of shelves. Something black and shiny was stacked loosely on them. Something long and thin. She smiled and took tentative steps forward. As she approached, the objects became clear. Semi-automatic weapons.

  She strapped one over her shoulder, and slipped as many reload clips into her body armor as she could fit. She gasped with glee when she saw three grenades. She grabbed them, but they were too big for her hands. In her excitement, one fell to the floor. She leaned over to pick it up. She looked up.

  The grenade had bumped up against a dormant drone.

  The drone clicked and buzzed into life. The red laser sight swung around on its reptilian stalk, searching for the source of the disturbance.

  One by one, all the drones in the room woke and turned towards her.

  Sebastian’s head was pounding. He was worried because he bled so easily now when he used his tesla skills. His mind slipped back to the malnourished and weak tesla the Chargers were holding, and wondered what the tesla had done that was so bad that he was willing to be incarcerated.

  Once again, briefly, he was aware of that ringing note of danger at the edge of his perception. The wheels were spinning and the igniter was flaring.

  Memphis ducked as a laser arm swung over the top of her. She grabbed it and heaved the drone around, trying to use its own momentum against it. The drone skittered across the floor, knocking into another two, but her strength was not enough to overpower it.

  She looked around at the horrible techno-creatures. Each one was set into a stationary base, and they were watching her with malevolent infrared eyes that weaved around on the top of curling stalks.

  She was completely surrounded. She realized that if the drones fired they would destroy each other, and they had been programmed not to blow each other sky high. That had always been her little treat.