Syn-En: Pillar World
Page 22
Groat raced toward the railing. Loyal and traitorous Scraptors exploded, spewing body parts and armor everywhere. None were spared. “What are you doing?”
“We can’t let news of this leave the planet.” Mopus stood on the threshold to the platform. He tapped a projectile weapon against his leg while his sapphire robes soaked up the blood he’d spilled. “You have a choice. Eliminate the last witnesses to this debacle, or join your soldiers.”
Mopus hooked his forefinger through the trigger guard and offered it to Groat.
He snatched it from the politico’s hand then aimed at his green head. Groat’s armor heated and pressure built inside him. He shifted the site to the left and blew away the guard’s head. He couldn’t avenge anyone dead.
After killing his subordinates while he plodded toward the cockpit, Groat guided the ship away from the battle and escaped through the jump gate. He could plot his revenge and bring down the Argent family, if not all the Municians.
Chapter 28
Bei lowered his weapons. The ground before him stretched like an outdoor abattoir. Scraptor corpses littered the ground as far as the eye could see. His stomach turned at the carnage. The enemy hadn’t been allowed to surrender. He’d heard the termination code when it had been transmitted but had been powerless to stop it.
And now…this.
Around Bei, the Syn-En blinked. Across the valley Skaperians stared at the vision before them.
Rome pumped a fist in the air. “I told you it would be easy. We kicked their asses.”
The Alliance soldiers hugged and congratulated each other on the victory. Kills were retold. The fermites had repaired their ships and upgraded their tech.
Only the Scraptors had suffered losses.
But they had been losing. Bei clearly remembered being struck down and seeing the fatal errors. He’d witnessed Rome’s death. He’d heard his men scream then fall silent in the WA.
Nell stumbled up the hill behind them. A band of Humans trailed after her.
Ignoring the slaps of congratulations on his back, Bei loped down the slope to join her.
She met his eyes, nodded once, then stepped away. “There’s something you need to hear.”
A ruddy cheeked man stumbled forward, leaving his group behind. He half bowed then nearly fell to his knees. “I don’t know the proper way to address the Great Beijing York.”
He wasn’t so great. “Why don’t you just stand up straight, look me in the eye, and say what you have to say.”
Nell laced her fingers through Bei’s. “It’s alright. Tell him what you told me.”
“While we appreciate your rescue, we don’t understand it.” The biologic stared at Bei’s shoulder. “We finished processing the Titanium you requested last week. After days of delays by the Plenipotans, we arranged for the Picaroons to transport the ore to the Alliance.”
Well, damn. “Did you tell the Plenipotans?”
The biologic frowned. “No, we work for the Alliance not them. That’s why we stayed.” Green tinged the man’s complexion when he noticed the slaughter in the valley below. “I can see our trust hasn’t been misplaced. Humans can defeat the Founders. We will have justice.”
“Thank you for telling me.” Bei eliminated nearly all the suspects off his list. Only a dozen remained. All natives of this world. It was brilliantly diabolical to have the enemy attack their home planet to throw off suspicion. He’d almost fallen for it. He would consult with Rome and Ugu to lay a plan to determine if all the Plenipotans were traitors or just a few.
“Thank you for registering Humanity as sentient.” The man bowed. “If you ever need more soldiers, stop here first. I’ll gladly sign up.”
Bei nodded. He’d seen this man lead a charge into battle with nothing but pipes and rocks. Nell was correct. Everyone needed to share in the victory and defeat. “None of what we did here would be possible without the work you and your people do.”
The man smiled. Standing a little straighter, he returned to the handful of mill workers at the bottom of the hill.
Nell sighed. “No one seems to know what really happened here. It’s like Bobby Ewing in the shower all over again.”
“I know.” Bei inferred the reference. And it nearly tripped his circuits. The Meek were more powerful than he suspected. He just hoped they didn’t raise the price they charged for their assistance.
Nell’s outline blurred.
He tightened his grip on her hand, merged his NDA with hers. Nothing stopped her from disappearing. His skin prickled as it lost cohesion.
“Relax. I’m just claiming a little alone time. You owe me, remember?”
He remembered everything.
Epilogue
Three Days Later
Music and laughter ran through the Nell Stafford. Humans, Skaperians, and bipedal aliens danced in a conga line snaking through the decks of the ship. Limbo contests flourished, with most participants falling on their bottoms. Food, drink, and affection flowed. Some celebrants passed out, new ones took their place.
The Alliance had scored a major victory.
Nell wanted nothing but sleep.
“Most of them think the end of the war has begun.” Bei guided her through the celebrating soldiers.
Fermented beverages baptized them as they dodged elbows.
“Well, in the words of the immortal Winston Churchill, it’s definitely the end of the beginning.” Yet, Nell couldn’t help think that more surprises would be revealed before peace was reached. And not every surprise would be pleasant.
Richmond and Brooklyn followed them to the elevator at the end of the corridor, proof that Bei’s plans to unmask the traitor had yet to bear fruit.
Nell preceded them into the elevator and leaned against the back. “Why did Pennig punch you?”
Bei ran a finger along his nose. It had been broken and misaligned ten minutes ago, courtesy of the old man’s new prostheses. Now Bei’s nose was as handsome as ever. Like him. “He remembered everything, and wasn’t happy to have his ticket ride for the chariot revoked.”
He and all the other alliance members had been healed when the Meek had reset the world. Nell caught the stress on the word everything. That made four beings who knew the truth: her, Bei, Pennig, and Iggy.
“We need him. So do our sons.” Nell glanced around the lift as it descended toward their living quarters. Thankfully, they were alone with their escorts.
“Any more drive by lickings?” Bei draped an arm around her shoulder and settled her against his length.
“Not for the last ten minutes.” She plucked at her soggy sleeve. “I’m sure I’m all pruney under this. I don’t know if I’m some Amarook salt lick or drug.”
“I’ll help you out of those clothes and dry you off.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Richmond snorted.
Brooklyn squeezed his eyes closed. “What did you say about brain-bleach?”
They both winced when Bei pinged them. Pushing the medics aside, he dragged Nell out of the elevator behind him. “Go back and enjoy the party, you two. I can take it from here.”
The corridor hummed with silence as they threaded a path to their room. Cameras tracked their progress. They weren’t as alone as it appeared. She increased her pace to keep up with him.
London stumbled out of their room. “It’s all clear, Admiral.”
“Thank you.” Nell smiled at the blond Syn-En woman before slipping inside. She bee-lined for the bathroom.
“Go enjoy the party.” Bei dismissed her before closing and securing the door behind him. “Alone at last.”
Stepping out of her boots, Nell kicked them to the corner near the shower. She used her toes to remove her socks. Using the fermites as her personal valet no longer suited her. She knew the price of her superpowers. Nell molded the dress uniform around her belly and checked the mirror. It looked bigger. Like an inch bigger. Why would it be growing so fast?
“I’ll be shutting down the celebration tomorrow.” Bei tugged hi
s tunic over his head. His bare chest flashed in the reflection.
“Uh-huh.” Were the fermites adding some atomic growth serum to her body? Maybe she should visit Doc again. Nah, he’d thrown her out of sick bay yesterday and dismissed her concerns. She’d find a tape measure and take care of it herself.
“You look beautiful.”
“Hmmm.” Nell tossed her tunic onto the pile of clothes then checked her baby bump again. What if one of the babies wanted to be born before it should be? What if he wanted to make certain his Meek buddies remembered their powers?
“I plan to coat Pennig in chocolate as the final act.”
She shot her husband an exasperated look. Okay, maybe she was being a bit obsessive, but he had never seen Rosemary’s Baby, or The Omen or… His words returned to her. “That’s not funny. The man is like a father to you.”
“He is a father to me.” Bei cupped his hand over her stomach. “And I just wanted to make certain you were paying attention.”
“I’m worried.”
“The babies are fine, but I can ask Iggy to lick you to confirm it.”
“No, thanks.” She didn’t need more Amarook baths. She placed her hands over his. Warmth seeped through her. Her husband had his own superpowers. With him, she knew everything would be alright.
“Why are you worried?” Bei reeled her in closer. Wrapping himself around her, he tucked her head under his chin.
She needed his strength, his certainty. “I don’t know if I can love them as I should. I’ll always wonder if I gave birth to the next megalomaniac. Then, I worry that my coldness will make them into some crazy nut job.”
“You worry too much.”
“Maybe I should erase the knowledge from my memory so I don’t cause the next war.” There she’d said it out loud, her deepest fears. He had to see the logic of it. But she’d need his help to fulfill her agreement with the Meek.
Bei turned her in his arms. “Our children will learn kindness, love, and empathy because we will teach it to them and show it to them everyday.”
Looping her hands behind his neck, she stared into his almond-shaped eyes. “Do you really believe that?”
“I know it.”
She stroked the soft black hair at his nape. If someone who constantly saw Humanity at its worst could believe, who was she to doubt? She tucked his faith deep in her heart. “How did you get to be so smart?”
“I had a great father.”
He would make a great father. Nell blinked back her tears. “Did you tell Poppop Pennig that we wanted to name the boys after him?”
“That was the second punch to the nose Pennig gave me.” Bei’s fingers stroked her spine. “He prefers we give them real names like Daniel and Thomas.”
“Cassius and Pennig it is.” She reached for the closure of his waistband. They had lost each other for a moment there. Now, they had to make the most of every second they spent together. At least, that lesson was a positive one. “In my day, it was common for famous people to give their children unusual names like Dweezil, Moon Unit, and North.”
Bei set her baby belly against his flat stomach. “You know I can prove that’s a lie with just a quick trip to the CIC.”
“And when you find out I speak the truth, you’ll agree to my names. They can have Daniel and Thomas for middle names.”
Bei’s jaw opened in shock. “Biologics defy all logic.”
“And just think in a few more months, you’ll have to deal with three of us.”
He tripped over his feet. “Pennig cursed me. He said I was so difficult, that he hoped that one day I would know what it was like to ride herd on a bunch of unruly children.”
“Fathers always did know best.”
And Pennig was one of the best.
“Who knows, you might even learn to embrace your dark side and relish you inner biologic.” Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek, then his jaw.
One baby chose that moment to kick. His brother soon followed. Joy fluttered through her.
Bei caught it and smiled. “Anything is possible.”
Thank you for purchasing a copy of Syn-En: Pillar World.
Currently available:
The Syn-En Solution
Syn-En: Culture Clash
Syn-En: Registration
Syn-En: Plague World
Syn-En: Pillar World
Coming late 2015
Syn-En: Ghost World — An old enemy will rise. A dark secret will be revealed. Nothing can remain buried forever. Will the Founders unbury a weapon powerful enough to defeat Admiral Beijing York and the NeoSentient Alliance?
If you’re interested I have other scifi stories available:
www.LindaAndrews.net/id16.html
Plus these with a touch of romance:
www.LindaAndrews.net/id15.html
I’m also on twitter @LindaAndrews
And facebook: www.facebook.com/LindaAndrews
And have a blog where I post free chapters and updates about the sequels: LindaAndrews.wordpress.com
About the Author:
Linda Andrews lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, three children and a menagerie of domesticated animals. While she started writing a decade ago, she always used her stories to escape the redundancy of her day job as a scientist and never thought to actually combine her love of fiction and science. DOH! After that Homer Simpson moment, she allowed the two halves of her brain to talk to each other. The journeys she’s embarked on since then are dark, twisted and occasionally violent, but never predictable. If you’ve loved one of her most demented creations so far, she’d love to hear from you at lindaandrews at lindaandrews dot net.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
About the Author: