The Last Spartan: Different Paths

by A. E. McCullough

  Talia took that as her cue and stood up. “I think we have a problem. I have been going over the data Diana was able to acquire from the Feds’ database including the autopsy reports on Sgt. Major Spenton and his wife Amy. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, in fact I missed it completely.”

  “Missed what?” Iaido asked.

  “The twin punctures marks on the base of Amy’s neck.”

  “I recall those,” Athena said. “The coroner’s report stated that there were no known chemical, biological or toxins in the wound.”

  “Twin punctures…” Iaido said. “I remember seeing a similar mark on the Sensei’s neck. What are they?”

  Talia chewed her lip momentarily before answering. “Here’s where it gets weird.” Talia began to pace around the room slowly. “I am not sure how much you know about the history of my race but the Sylvan Empire is over ten millennia old and we span many regions of space but that was only after the Shadow Wars drove them from Terra.”

  “Shadow Wars?” Iaido asked.

  “About seven millennia ago, the Sylvan Empire shared Terra, or Earth as you call it, with another humanoid race that you know as the Lemurians. As a reptilian race that lives to fight, they crafted their whole culture based on the simple philosophy that only the strong survive. And although we Sylvans do not like to fight, we are very capable at it but our enmity with the Lemurians is not the story I need to impart; they have their part in this story, but I digress. It was during this time, that the Nosferatu first appeared.”

  “The what?” Jay asked.

  “The Nosferatu. Essentially they are a creature of dark legend, even for my people. They are vile creatures that inhabit a host body granting them the power of shadows but at a grave cost.”

  “You mean like a parasite?”

  Talia shook her head. “No. More like a symbiotic once joined they cannot be separated without killing the host body. Legends and ancient texts describe the Nosferatu in their natural state as serpent or worm-like. No one that I know of has actually seen one. However according to the same literature, a Nosferatu enters the host and attaches itself to the brain stem and becomes one with the host. This pairing imparts enhanced speed and strength and a great resilience when it comes to injuries.”

  “Interesting legend,” Iaido said. “But what does it have to do with our situation?”

  “I am getting to that.” Talia stopped her pacing for a moment. “There is no easy way to explain this but humans were originally bred to be the slaves of the Empire in ancient days. However, when the Nosferatu arrived your race seemed to be more susceptible to the infestation than the Sylvans or the Lemurians. At first, whole colonies of humans were wiped out in precaution of the infestation but still the Nosferatu seem to spread. So, the Sylvans and the Lemurians joined forces to exterminate the infestation. Unfortunately, they couldn’t tell which humans were infected or not.”

  Talia moved over to stand next to Xerxes. “So the Ancients genetically altered a native insect from your world and created the Mantodea with their sole purpose to hunt the Nosferatu.”

  “Okay…for argument sake, let’s accept what you say to be the truth,” said Iaido. “Again I ask, what has this legend to do with our current situation?”

  “According to the legends, the twin puncture marks are the sign a Nosferatu has fed,” said Talia.

  The huge Mantodea nodded his agreement.

  “Wait!” Jay shouted. “When you said fed, you mean this Nosferatu-thingy has drunk their blood?! You’re talking about a freakin’ vampire!”

  Talia cocked her head slightly. “A what?”

  Iaido also looked that his old friend. “I agree with Talia, a what?”

  “Come on! Don’t you two ever watch movies?”

  Iaido looked and Talia then back at his friend. “No. What’s a movie?”

  Throwing his hands up in disgust, Jay explained. “Movies are stories acted out on film. Think of them as a one dimensional holo-vid. They were very popular in the twenty-first century and vampires were a common theme in many movies. According to earth legends, the first vampire was Vlad Tepes. He was sometimes known as the Impaler due to the fact that he used to impale the heads of fallen enemies on pikes as a warning. His reputation for excessive cruelty spread across ancient Europe. He was also known as Dracula, which meant son of the dragon.”

  DJ slammed his beer on the table. “Dracula! I’ve seen that holo-disk. It was…strange but very entertaining.”

  Iaido nodded. “I have read accounts of his battle strategies. He was a leader who truly understood the many paths of war.” He turned to Talia and asked, “Could our legends of vampires and your Nosferatu be the same creature?”

  She shrugged. “They could be. The Shadow Wars continued for nearly five centuries with neither side gaining an advantage, until a fateful decision was made. It was known that Nosferatu had a difficult time surviving the cold, so the Ancients used their weapons to shatter the fragile eco-system of Terra causing the world to be covered in ice. The remnants of the two ancient races fled Terra, the Lemurians disappeared and the Sylvans took to the stars. Both races took Mantodea with them as their new slaves and left the humans to die from the cold.”

  “But we survived,” Jay said. Rubbing his chin, “Why isn’t any of this history known to my people?”

  Talia snickered. “Some of it still is. You have many fairy tales of trolls and elves. Not to mention the legends of Lemuria and Atlantis.”

  Jay started to say something else but Iaido silenced him with a wave of his hand. “You seem to know a lot about an ancient legend and much about the history of Earth. Why?”

  Talia moved back to her seat and pulled forth her tarot cards. “It is all part of our training at the Seminary.”

  She absentmindedly shuffled her cards.

  “Every Sylvan must attend one of five government sanctioned institutions before taking their place in society. I was chosen to be a mystic, so history was one of our primary lessons.”

  “Okay. I’ll buy that. But I still don’t understand what this shadow-drinker thing has to do with us?”

  Drawing forth a card, Talia laid it flat on the table. “Here is your answer.”

  The image of the Grim Reaper confronted the companions. The Death card…a universal sign that even the android Athena could interpret.

  CHAPTER 22

  “Captain, sorry to disturb your rest but a priority one message just came in for you.”

  “Dammit!” Captain Dixon slammed his fist onto the bulkhead. “I told you I was not to be disturbed!”

  The young cadet stammered before continuing, “I…I know that sir but this individual has information about Spartan.”

  Bolting upright, Captain Dixon leapt to the comm unit. “This is Captain Dixon of the JDL. Who are you?”

  DJ’s image filled the screen. “Just an interested party with information about a bounty hunter named Spartan. The word is that you are paying handsomely for reliable information.”

  “Only if it is good information and pertinent to the JDL,” said Captain Dixon. “If you are calling just to tell me he’s located in Haven at the moment, you are wasting your time and mine.”

  “What if I could give you the location and time Spartan will be within range of your fleet?” DJ looked over his shoulder quickly, his eyes darting to the shadows. “Would that be worth something to you?”

  Captain Dixon leaned back in his chair. “How much?”

  “Since I know the time and location, how about seventy percent of the bounty?”

  “Nope. My raptors will be doing all the hunting and the work, no way. I’ll give you twenty percent.”

  DJ snickered. “Do you realize what Spartan would do to me if he found out I was even talking to you?”

  “Yes, I suspect I do. And I think I will send him a copy of this conversation if you don’t take my offer.”

  “Give me at least twenty-five percent!”

  “Done!” Captain Dixon leaned in.
“Now where and when?”

  “We are due to enter orbit around Mars at 0620 hours, if your fleet is there waiting…”

  Captain Dixon rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Then we will have the Nemesis trapped.”

  “Don’t underestimate Spartan!” DJ said, “He’s a canny adversary!”

  “True.” Captain Dixon rubbed his chin in thought. “I tell you what, if you were to somehow disable the engines on the Nemesis, I will up your portion to thirty percent.”

  Quickly looking around, a gleam filled DJ’s eyes. “For thirty-five percent I’ll disable her shields and engines. A small EMP grenade in the engine room would do the trick.” Holding a grenade up for effect, he continued, “Once we arrive, I’ll drop this baby in the engine room, jettison myself in an escape pod and join you to collect the bounty. How does that sound?”

  Captain Dixon clapped his hands together. “Excellent. You do your part and I’ll make sure you are rewarded. Dixon out!”

  Checking his chrono, Captain Dixon signaled his com-center. “Recall all pilots and have all squadron leaders in my ready room in thirty minutes!”

  * * * * *

  The vid-screen went black as DJ leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. With a large grin covering his face he asked, “Well…how’d I do?”

  Everyone of his companions were smiling, except Xerxes but then no one is sure when or if a mantis could smile, nevertheless DJ thought he saw a sparkle in his large compound eyes.

  Moving forward, Jay slapped him on the back. “Outstanding! That was an Oscar winning performance if there ever was one!”

  Talia and Iaido both said in unison. “A what?”

  Shaking his head, Jay waved off their question. “Nevermind. It’s a Terran thing from the 21st century.”

  DJ swiveled his chair to face Iaido. “Okay, I’m not sure why but the JDL should be in orbit sometime around 0600 hours. Care to explain?”

  “Simple. If the Major has laid a trap for us, which I am positive he has then the arrival of the JDL raptors should upset his plans.” He nodded his head toward Athena. “According to our latest intel, we know that when he went AWOL he took the Agamemnon with him.” He paused when he noticed Talia’s bewildered expression. “Yes?”

  “Awol?” she asked in a soft voice.

  Iaido grinned. “Absent without leave…AWOL. It’s a rather serious charge in the military. It means that he abandoned his post without proper authority.” Seeing her nod, he continued his explanation. “According to UNCF records there have been no sightings of the Agamemnon since her departure but Athena dug up something interesting.”

  Athena picked up the briefing. “According to Fleet records, the Agamemnon was a Harbinger class battlecruiser. They were widely used during the war; a total of one hundred and fifty were constructed between the years 2175 and 2190. UNCF records state that one hundred and twenty seven were lost in combat, twelve lost to natural mishaps, seven mothballed in the Orion Shipyards, and visually accounted for by shipyard personnel I might add, three missing-in-action and presumed lost with all hands, and one stolen…the Agamemnon.”

  Jay quickly did the math. “Okay. That’s one hundred and fifty ships. All accounted for, so what?”

  Athena flashed him a crooked smile. “The Praetorian Guard has listed as an asset one Harbinger class battlecruiser, the Romulus.”

  DJ caught on. “So if all the Harbingers that were manufactured by the Coalition are accounted for, where did this mysterious Romulus come from?”

  “Exactly. The Romulus must be the Agamemnon.” Setting down a holo-crystal, Iaido flicked the switch to activate the display of Mars. “Since the destruction of the Mars University, only two new habitats have been built on Mars.”

  Iaido pointed at the dark spot on the northern pole of Mars. “According to the Coalition files, this is an automated monitoring module that is studying the possibility of using some new terra-forming technology to convert the polar icecaps to change atmosphere of Mars to an M-class.”

  Iaido shook his head. “I don’t believe this is the Major’s home. It is too small and too recent; it seems to only have been put in place two years ago.”

  DJ pointed at the only other dark spot. “Simple process of elimination.”

  “Enhance.”

  At Iaido’s command the image tightened and expanded till the shape of the buildings were visible.

  Built from the red rocks of Mars on a hilltop overlooking the ruins of the university, the Roman style influence was immediately visible with its large pillars and numerous statues. From the companions’ overhead view the barrack looked like a veritable fortress.

  “May I present Cohors Praetoria.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Once the Nemesis left Haven and made the jump to hyperspace, all that was left to do was wait.

  Everything that they could foresee had been planned out and prepared. Since time began and wars fought, every soldier discovers that the waiting before battle was the worst. There is always the nervousness and excitement of the impending battle that quickens the blood but as the waiting stretches on, the high wears off. Next come the worries and questions. Will I live to see another sunset? Will my courage hold? Will my buddy next to me die? These questions and many more plague the soldier, wearing him down. Most veterans find something to do to fill the time; gambling, games, sleep, sex, something and anything.

  Iaido usually spent the time in meditation but with the increased number of crew came new difficulties. Jay and DJ were in the galley playing cards, an old soldiers’ favorite pastime. Athena was different and only time would tell at where their relationship stood.

  So, Iaido found himself wandering the passageways of his ship with questions and doubts plaguing his mind. It wasn’t the fear of the upcoming battle but the questions of his past which haunted him. Something significant happened during Operation Lodestone and he didn’t know what it was. In his line of work, proper intel was essential. Anything less and you were guessing.

  Finding himself outside of med-bay, Iaido knocked. As the Captain of the ship, he could enter any compartment without permission but proper manners dictated otherwise.

  “Come in,” came Talia’s musical voice.

  Iaido expected to find the compartment in the sterile, pristine condition he had left it in but obviously, Talia had other plans. She had lowered the ambient light in the room, had several candles burning and a black cloth draped over the surgical table. She was standing near the door dressed in a dark mesh robe with the cowl pulled down low over her head, casting her features in dark shadows.

  Talia pointed at the table and whispered, “Remove your clothes and lay face down on the table.”

  Iaido hesitated.

  Talia asked, “Do you wish to know more of your past, especially the mission where you lost your brother?”

  Iaido nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then, do as you are told and we shall make the journey together.”

  Not completely understanding what was to come but wanting answers, he complied.

  Moments later, he heard her begin to chant in an ancient dialect of Sylvan and caught a glimpse of her bare feet when she moved up beside him. Then, he felt her bare skin on his back as she climbed on top of him. A cold chill moved up his spine as she began to spread some sort of liquid on his back. After a few moments, she stopped chanting and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

  “Close your eyes and let your mind wander. Do not think…dream… dream of the past.”

  Iaido couldn’t help but notice the feel of her breasts on his back. His mind and body was anything but relaxed until she poured some warm, scented oil on to his back and began to massage his muscles. First, she started on his lower back; probing and kneading the muscles. She had also begun chanting again. As she continued her work, he felt himself falling asleep. Somewhere between the shoulder blades and his neck, Iaido was out.

  * * * * *

  When Iaido woke up, he had no idea
where he was. He was standing in a fog bank, naked and the ship was gone. He could feel the roughness of the ground; however it felt like hard-packed dirt. He could even feel a slight breeze on his face but the impenetrable fog remained. Sensing more than seeing any movement behind him, Iaido dropped into a fighting stance and waited.

  When Talia moved into view, he felt his pulse quicken at the sight of her naked body. She had painted black stripes diagonally across her body which both enhanced and hid her breasts and crotch area. The streaks also broke up the loveliness of her face. Stopping before him, her eyes looked him up and down. That’s when he noticed that he too was striped. Curious, he reached down and ran his fingers through the band across his chest.

  “Don’t!” Talia reached out quickly and grabbed his hand. “The henna protects us. When it wears off, we must return to our world.”

  Iaido looked around. “Where are we?”

  “We stand at the threshold between the Spirit World and your mind. We are about to travel through your memories. Nothing can touch us in here, only you and I are real.”

  “Okay. What do we do now?”

  “We? Nothing. You…everything. You need to think of the last memories you have of the missing mission. Concentrate on that and watch as the tale unfolds.”

  With a nod, Iaido thought back on the memory fragment he discovered when stuck in the gun turret. The Major in a panic, the cold mannerisms of Aeneas, the conversation with Curtis the shuttle pilot, the flying engine block….

  * * * * *

  Pushing myself to my knees, I instinctively scanned my ARC suit’s HUDs.

  First priority was personal survivability. All readings on my suit showed green; power, integrity, environmental and weapons. The second precedence was the mission. The objective was to infiltrate and retrieve, or assault and destroy, an ancient artifact hidden inside a secluded Lemurian Fortress.

  Since I was alive, the mission must proceed. It was my duty to complete the mission or die trying.

  Every ARC suit was equipped with a transponder signal which updated its location constantly to the rest of the team. With a thought, my HUD showed the layout of the land, the location of all team members and their combat status. Unfortunately, only eleven positions popped up. Perseus, one of my brothers was gone. Ignoring the loss for now, I pulled out my THAB-Mk3, engaged my chameleon program and began moving toward the target.