The Phoenix Fallacy_Book III_Magnus

by Jon Sourbeer,

  “I’m surprised she’s still asleep,” Magnus said casually. Norm stood up from his makeshift bed, “The pregnancy makes her tired, and she usually doesn’t sleep well. Last night was an exception – Middleton hasn’t been around for a few days.”

  Magnus looked surprised, “Middleton comes regularly?”

  Norm’s face filled with scorn, “Don’t you know what happens in your empire, mighty Executor?”

  Magnus’ eyes narrowed and he grabbed Norm by his shirt, “Unfortunately, I can’t always see the betrayers behind me.”

  Norm’s eyes met Magnus’, “I didn’t realize you knew so little about Middleton – or cared so little for your son.”

  Magnus threw Norm to the floor, and with a quick glance at Natalie, who remained asleep, he stormed from the room. Norm stared regretfully after him as a Trooper from down the hall came and softly closed the door.

  The night was warm that evening, and Norm had propped the window open both for Natalie’s comfort and in the hope that Aubrey would soon come. Middleton had not returned for nearly a week, and for once, Natalie had truly regained some of her pallor and strength. He had not told her of his encounter with Magnus. He clenched his fists, he had failed once again. Instead of rousing Magnus to action, he had incited Magnus in his own frustration. Natalie deserved to know Magnus had been here but—Whump, whump.

  Norm went still, and Natalie sat up in bed. The sound had come from beyond the door. Summoning his courage, Norm crept forward, his hand hovering above the handle. The door creaked and opened a crack. “Norm!”

  “Aubrey!”

  She threw open the door. Two S.T.s lay outside. “Come on! We need to move, tonight is the night!”

  Norm checked the hall. It was empty. “What’s going on?”

  “Magnus is inspecting the troops. He’s been holding regular review since the coup. Food production has been stressed for a while – Magnus must have known it for ages. He’s been working nonstop to keep Titan alive while hiding the coup from the population and the outside. Things are about to get a lot worse around here. Middleton has been passing him assistance on the sly, but she can’t remain here, so she’s running back to Cerberus.” She dashed to the bed, grabbing Natalie’s hand. “If my sources are correct, you won’t be safe here any longer. I’m sorry. Middleton’s going to use her distance, her contacts, and Alastor’s interest in you to cover her tracks. Magnus doesn’t have the bandwidth to protect you anymore, especially with Middleton’s aid being cut off.” She helped Natalie put her feet on the floor. Natalie grimaced. Aubrey knitted her brow, “Can you walk?”

  Natalie blew a sharp breath and clenched her fists, “Yes.” The first step was wobbly, but she didn’t fall. “Hurry, hurry!” Aubrey whispered.

  Natalie gave her an irritated look, “Why is Middleton running?”

  “Alastor has been working to undermine her for a while,” Aubrey spoke rapidly. “He’s long suspected her duplicity, and he’s been carefully raising the pressure on her. My contact gave him the strands he needed to dig deeper. Middleton’s too smart though. Without direct access to the estate, and the possibility of Alastor getting his hands on you, she knows you are too dangerous to keep alive. And your little talk with Magnus the other day probably didn’t help, Norm.”

  “Magnus was here?” Natalie asked in bewilderment.

  Aubrey shook her head, “More questions later. Right now, I’ve got to get you on the first transport out of here.”

  She herded Norm and Natalie out as quickly as she could. It took some effort to get Natalie down the broad double stairways of the main hall, but she managed. The remains of two more S.T.s greeted them at the bottom of the stairs, but the house was otherwise silent.

  “I arranged for the servants to ‘disappear’ for the night,” Aubrey whispered, holding Natalie up as they fled through the front door, “And Middleton’s own guards are packing up with her.”

  Outside, Norm was surprised to find a clean, freshly painted car with heavily tinted windows waiting for them. The small vehicle was slim, obviously intended for the narrow streets of the city below. Aubrey stuck the pair into the backseat, designed for one to sit comfortably, and leapt into the driver’s seat. Norm let Natalie take the main seat and squeezed himself to the side. The leather seating was ripped and the small bar was empty of drink. Aubrey drove fast, but the car attracted minimal attention. Those few that also travelled the streets at this hour with either too busy, or too drunk, to care.

  Unmanned checkpoints dotted the route. Now that he was travelling through the city, Norm was beginning to comprehend the full impact the population loss had had upon Titan. No wonder the S.T.s had sided with Magnus, no wonder they hadn’t seen him. This place is being held together by sheer force of will right now.

  The car raced towards the city lifts, only slowing as they approached the station. Aubrey quickly flashed an ID and the S.T.s waved her through. They didn’t even give them a second glance. Norm felt knots twisting and untwisting in his stomach. Every moment made him sick.

  They car descended alone into the factories. Sliding from the lift silently, a quick wave from the sole S.T. manning the station sent them on their way. Workers finishing up the night shift followed the car with their eyes as they raced from the station. Aubrey jumped on the main highway thoroughfare. Giant trucks raced through the night to transport goods that kept the Corporation alive. Norm saw S.T.s manning some of them, and Norm could almost see Magnus’ hand guiding each and every other car on the road. He was fighting to keep the Corporation alive, in ways no normal Executor would ever consider. Occasionally, another car like theirs would appear, likely carrying a rich merchant or factory chief. But all of them kept clear of the little car, sliding aside and waiting for Aubrey to pass.

  The journey took several hours in the slow car, and traffic slowly vanished until they drove alone upon the dark roads, only their headlights and the constant glow of the factories providing any illumination. Suddenly, they turned a corner and a great desert lay before them. Dunes stretched for kilometers, reflecting strange shapes in the moonlight. Far in the distance, the dunes ended in the rough shape of craggy mountains. Aubrey turned off the headlights, letting the moonlight spilling through the shrinking buildings guide her.

  Norm soon understood why: They rounded a corner to find a Behemoth transport deftly perched upon a small landing pad. Bright lights flooded the area, making it stand out as if it were day. Just as it disappeared around another building, Norm caught a glimpse of the stamp upon its side – a three-headed dog, howling into the night.

  He grabbed Aubrey’s seat. “We’re hitching a ride back with Middleton?” he hissed.

  Aubrey didn’t blink, “Yes, and we have to hurry. She’ll be leaving any moment now.”

  Norm felt a wave of panic, but Natalie grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her, and she smiled grimly.

  The car stopped in a narrow alley. Norm could barely see the transport through the narrow slit. A man appeared. He was an unfriendly sort, with a hooked nose. Aubrey stepped out of the car, held a whispered conversation with the man, and finally pulled out a bar of Immutium. The man hefted the metal and inspected it, and nodded. Aubrey raced back to the car and opened the door, “Come on, hurry!”

  The pair scrambled from the car as three men emerged from the shadows. The men quickly brought out three long boxes and popped the top off. Norm saw the boxes and turned to Aubrey, “What are we doing?” He felt the breath catch in his chest. Two of the men helped Natalie carefully inside one of the boxes and shut the lid.

  Norm back-pedaled from the boxes, “I can’t. I can’t. I can- Ow!” Aubrey stood behind him with an empty injector. “Give him a minute,” she said to the foreman. She tossed him the keys to the car, “Here’s a bonus – remember, the rest comes when you deliver us Cerberus.” A loud boom sounded in the distance. Norm felt lightheaded and stumbled against a wall. The man nodded, and Aubrey climbed inside her own box. She smiled at Norm, “
Don’t worry.”

  Norm tried to nod, but his head didn’t seem to want to respond. His legs felt weak, and he felt strong hands move him towards the last box. He tried to struggle, but he couldn’t move. The last thing he saw was the lid of the box closing down upon him.

  ***

  “The next thing I knew we were waking up in the slums. Alastor had picked us up and Aubrey had delivered her information. I presume it was regarding Middleton’s comings and goings to Titan, plus information about what had really happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if she somehow told him about the Nanytes, either. But no matter what it was, it wouldn’t have been concrete enough to damn Middleton. And he probably ignored most of it.”

  “You three were the real prize,” Wouris said.

  “Yes,” Norm sighed. “Alastor knew that Middleton wanted us, and he knew in the proper context, say with some hard evidence, we could put the nail in Middleton’s coffin. But in the meantime, I doubt it took long for Magnus and Middleton to figure out where we had headed. Of course, as Janus can attest, knowing someone is in the slums and finding them there is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.”

  Janus, as well as everyone else, gave him a blank stare. Norm chuckled, “Now I really do feel old. It is an old saying that—“ he paused, “Never mind.” He waved his hands, “It was not hard to track us to Cerberus, but the slums afforded us some safety.”

  “And Alastor just left you there?” Lyn asked skeptically.

  “As Sergeant Wouris noted, we were the real prize, but we did not come without risks. Alastor had tipped some of his hand to Middleton with such a power play. And just as the right context could put Middleton away, to be caught with us in the wrong context could have been very bad for Alastor. It was the safest spot for everyone. No one else knew where we were and Alastor had no reason to betray us. A Titan Executor’s wife, Overlord, and personal servant – being attached to us at the wrong time could be difficult to spin for anyone. And frankly, knowing Alastor, he probably just loved seeing Middleton seethe every time they met.”

  “So the three of you hid right under Middleton’s nose?” Janus asked with a hint of satisfaction.

  Norm smiled, “Alastor had found the perfect spot, a remote hiding place with power and water, yet isolated from the communities. An ancient apartment building with a collapsed elevator, and a room on the second floor at the end of a long hall.”

  Clara made a little gasp of recognition, “You hid in the same spot I raised Janus?”

  “Indeed,” Norm laughed. “And that little coincidence is probably the only reason I was able to find you. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Alastor had dropped us off outside the lifts with little more than a map, but Aubrey got us there. Somehow, no thanks to me. She navigated the slums, helped Natalie, and carried a knapsack full of PSRs. I was good for little more than a pack animal, but I couldn’t even carry as much as Aubrey.”

  Clara smiled at him, “It doesn’t sound like you would have been particularly strong yourself, given the past few months.”

  Norm shook his head, “Didn’t stop Natalie.”

  “Alastor didn’t help you at all?” Clara asked.

  “It was his way of protecting us. We all knew what was at stake. Only he knew where we were headed, and I doubt he ever even went there himself. And the goal was to get Natalie settled and move as little as possible. The fewer people able to compromise that, the better. At best, our pursuers would have a vague direction to stumble in the darkness.”

  Norm shrugged, “And once we settled in, we were comfortable enough. An old mattress and an armchair. Natalie took the mattress, of course, and Aubrey insisted I take the armchair. I tried to give it to her, but she simply slept on the floor. Eventually, I relented,” he sighed. “She went out on patrols, and kept watch constantly.” Norm rubbed his eyes, “I honestly have no idea how she managed to do it.”

  Wouris reached forward and gently grabbed his hand, “Sounds like she put a lot of effort into protecting the two of you.”

  Norm cleared his throat, “She did. She could have simply disappeared from Titan. She could have left us in the slums at Cerberus. She did more than enough.” Norm shook his head, as if forcing away the memory. “Natalie’s labor was tricky, but Aubrey was a woman of many talents, and she was more than qualified as a midwife.”

  Norm bit his lip, “I was particularly useless. You might think in my many years of life that I might have learned how to deliver a baby, but the role of Overlord left me woefully unprepared for such a task.” He paused with a smile, “I held Natalie’s hand through the whole thing. At least I could do that much. And I was there the moment when you finally arrived.” Norm’s eyes were red, “All five or six pounds of you. That’s my best guess anyway. And boy, were you loud.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Clara interjected with a grin. Chuckles sounded throughout the room, and Janus curtly asked, “So what happened next?”

  Norm smiled, “It was a day of joy for all of us. You quieted down quickly enough, and I had never seen Natalie so happy. For those first few weeks, we enjoyed our little island of peace, feeling more relaxed and free than we had in months – maybe even years. Even now, I remember Natalie’s reaction the first time you smiled.”

  Norm’s face became a scowl, “The next day, Middleton found us.”

  Chapter 35: To Flee a Giant

  Urgent footsteps sounded down the dilapidated hall, muted by the rotting walls. Norm sat up in the old armchair as the door burst open. Aubrey stood there, “S.T.s in the slums, not too far from here!” Her voice lowered to a whisper, “She’s here!”

  The color drained from Norm’s face and he leapt up. Natalie tried to sit-up, but Norm pushed her back down. She was still weak, very weak, but Norm had taken it as a positive sign that she had survived the birth at all. She tried to protest Norm’s ministrations but he just shook his head and smiled, “Don’t worry, Natalie. We were ready for this, just sit tight.”

  He glanced over to see that Aubrey was already assembling the makeshift stretcher they had cobbled together from a metal rod, a wooden pole, and some plastic sheeting. They carefully lifted Natalie and her precious burden onto the sheeting and grabbed the ends. Norm took the rear. In no time, they were off – not quickly, but still faster than they would have managed otherwise.

  Alastor had given them specific instructions for where to go if they were discovered. At the nearest lift, only a few hours trek away, waited S.T.s loyal to Alastor, tasked with protecting them.

  Norm had no idea how close Middleton was, or how much she knew, but he could tell from Aubrey’s face that they had little time. As the hours went by, Norm would sometimes hear the voices of many men and he guessed that the S.T.s were hot on their heels. But the S.T.s had to search every nook and cranny to ensure the three could not hide, and that bought them time. Norm’s arms ached from the stretcher, but he would not complain. The going was tough – trudging upwards, carefully maneuvering the stretcher through pipes and down the growing piles of garbage, the air hot and stiff.

  Natalie grimaced with every jolt and bump, but never said a word. The three moved in silence, keeping their eyes ahead, afraid that if they looked at one another, they would break down from their collective exhaustion.

  It was then that Norm noticed the strangest thing. Janus had been entirely silent. It was odd, realizing that he had gone so long without crying – he had certainly not been quiet when he was first born. But Janus and his mother shared an intrinsic bond – Natalie knew what he needed before he cried for it – feeding him, cradling him, whatever he wanted. And he seemed to understand the importance of silence. Norm glanced at the newborn and smiled, or maybe not. Janus was perfectly asleep, oblivious to the trials around him.

  Jagged obsidian faces jumped from the darkness, emanating an otherworldly glow. The fog was thick surrounding the lift, and the Cerberus station emanated an air of palpable malice.

  The Western gate was guarded by a Lieutena
nt and two Troopers, who peered through the thick fog. The four had nearly reached the station through the pea-soup fog before one of the armored soldiers stepped in front of them.

  “What do you want, mudfish? Nothing here for you,” the Trooper barked.

  Aubrey bowed low, still holding the stretcher, “Please, sir, we require shelter. Shelter from a wicked witch.”

  “Didn’t you hear me? I don’t have time for this. Get out mudfish!” He raised the butt of his rifle, but the Lieutenant grabbed it and held it up.

  “I will take them into custody. These…” he paused at the sight of Janus, “four, are wanted for questioning.”

  The Lieutenant escorted them into the station, speaking in a low voice, “I’ll be taking you to the factory level, where we can arrange to have you detained in one of the Intendants’ districts. It won’t be comfortable, and you won’t be hidden, but you should be somewhat safer. That is all that can be done for you now.” He opened his visor, an apologetic look upon his round face. “I’ve already relayed word that she’s found you. I’m sorry we can’t do more, but it has to look like you were picked up by accident. That will prevent her from making an obvious play for you. Until the Intendant can gather more proof, you will be confined. Hopefully, as safe as we can make you.”

  He guided them onto an old cargo lift, open upon all sides. Norm and Aubrey carefully placed the stretcher with Natalie and Janus upon the ground, resting their weary limbs. As the massive lift rose, Norm felt some small relief at the break, but the creeping unease remained. The fog swirled thickly around them as they emerged from the top of the obsidian station.

  Norm peered over the edge as the thick tendrils flowed off the surface of the rising platform. Sinister shapes appeared everywhere, claustrophobia closing in upon him. He turned to Aubrey, “Everywhere I look, I swear I see Trooper armor moving through the—”