The Savage Dawn

by P. T. Hylton

  The guards looked at each other, lowering their weapons slightly but not putting them down.

  Finally, a voice replied from across the room. “I will help you, CB.”

  CB blinked hard, trying to place the man. He wore a black outfit, just like those worn by the faceless GMT, but he wasn’t wearing a mask.

  “Fleming sent me and my team down to Fort Stearns,” the man continued. “Only two of us survived the trip. Fleming wouldn’t even listen to our report.” He turned to the others around him. “Everything CB said is true. We need to take Fleming down.”

  CB nodded slowly. He remembered the man now from when he’d been a badge. “Thank you, Beau. And I’m sorry you went through that.”

  A murmur of agreement went through the room, and the four armed men blocking their path lowered their weapons.

  “What do you need, CB?” one of them asked.

  CB smiled and gestured to Brian and Jessica.

  “A terminal in the control room and a working login,” Brian replied.

  “The transport ship,” Jessica added. “And someone who knows how to fly it. Also, some pairs of handcuffs.”

  A few eyebrows raised at that, but everyone quickly went to work.

  A group of technicians led Brian to the control room, practically fighting over whose login he should use.

  Jessica followed a bunch more crew members to the ship to explain the plan and what they needed to do to prepare the ship.

  CB wished them both luck. He knew if there was any chance of pulling this off, they were going to need all the good fortune they could get.

  “What about you, Colonel?” one of the technicians asked. “What are you going to do?”

  CB walked to the door that was rarely used and entered a code into the keypad. “I’m going to get an old friend.”

  After instructing the crew on the ship preparations, Jessica made her way to the control room to check in with Brian. He was already deep in the control systems he’d previously hacked and was checking to make sure everything was ready to go.

  “Brian, the away ship is almost ready to head out. How are things looking on your end?”

  Brian kept typing for a moment before he realized that Jessica was standing there. When he looked up, he processed what she’d just said. “Yep, everything is looking good here.” He glanced at her arm. “You sure you’re up for this? Maybe we can get someone else to handle it.”

  She shook her head. “You know as well as I do there’s no one else who can do this. I’ve felt better, but I can keep it together long enough to take care of business.” She reached out and ruffled Brian's hair. “To be honest, we’re both a mess right now.”

  He let out a laugh. “Let’s finish this and then we can sleep for a week.”

  “That sounds like the smartest thing any of us has said for days. I’ll see you soon.” With that, she made her way back into the hangar proper.

  Beau, the former faceless GMT leader, stood next to the transport ship, waiting for her.

  “Ready to do this?” she asked, climbing aboard.

  “Uh, yeah,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t the most confidence-inspiring answer.”

  He cleared his throat. “Well, it’s just… I should probably mention I’ve only flown this ship once before. I’ve only flown anything once before. Most of my flight time was in a simulator.”

  Jessica paused, not sure how to respond to that. Then she shrugged. It was too late to come up with a new plan now. If she survived the day, it would be a miracle. Might as well add flying with an inexperienced pilot to the list of foolish tasks she was undertaking.

  Beau settled into the pilot’s seat and started the ship as Jessica found her harness and began putting it on.

  Two minutes later, the airlock opened and the ship flew into open sky.

  Fleming sat in his desk, head in his hands, his weary eyes glued to the monitor on his desk. He had set it to show alternating security footage of whatever five locations the badges and the GMT were currently focusing their efforts. He’d hoped to see his soldiers taking CB, Brian, and Jessica down, but so far all he’d seen was his people fruitlessly searching for the fugitives.

  Sarah sat across from him, watching in silence. She’d given up trying to improve his mood. Fleming was losing his mind, and she was beginning to believe it was beyond her powers of persuasion to bring him back. Her only hope was that it was a temporary, stress-induced condition. If they could get through today, take down CB and his friends, and regain control of the increasingly violent protesters, then maybe things would return to normal. Maybe the Fleming she knew would come back to her.

  But things seemed to be going from bad to worse. Kurtz had been found bloody and beaten in Sparrow’s Ridge. He’d managed to croak out that he’d been attacked by CB before the doctors hauled him off to medical.

  Losing one of his two closest advisors hadn’t done much to improve Fleming’s mood.

  “Sir, something is happening in the GMT hangar,” a voice reported on the radio. “The airlock is opening.”

  Fleming instantly sat up straight, his eyes alert and his pupils dilated to a degree that didn’t seem normal to Sarah. “CB! He’s trying to leave the city. Probably wants to unite with his vampire allies.” He touched the radio. “Get the defense turrets ready. If anything leaves that airlock, I want it blown out of the sky! In the meantime, I want the whole force of the GMT converging on the hangar. Apparently, the workers there still support their traitorous old boss.”

  “Yes, sir,” the voice replied. “Redirecting the GMT to the hangar now.”

  For a tense minute, a heavy silence hung over the room. Then the voice spoke again.

  “Sir, a ship has left the hangar. We’re tracking them, but we, um, can’t shoot them down.”

  Fleming’s face reddened. “What do you mean you can’t shoot them down? Why not?”

  There was a pause before the voice responded. “We’re not sure, sir. The defensive turrets aren’t responding. It’s like something overrode our control of the weapons.”

  Fleming leaped to his feet and kicked his chair, sending it skidding across the room. “God damnit! Track the ship. Check its trajectory. I want to know where they’re headed, and I want to know it now.”

  “They appear to be flying alongside us, sir. They’re banking wildly, but they’re staying close to New Haven.”

  “What? Why would they do that?”

  “I don’t know, sir. It appears they’re moving toward the front of the city.”

  “The flight deck,” Sarah said, her voice tense. “The front of the ship is where the flight deck is located. They’re trying to get control of New Haven.”

  Fleming’s eyes widened, revealing even more of his bloodshot eyes. “Why would they want to get control of the flight deck?”

  She thought a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe they want to fly us to Agartha to get help from their friends there.”

  Fleming looked horrified at the thought. Then he gritted his teeth. “It doesn’t matter. They can’t get on the flight deck. It’s the most secure spot on the ship. And even if they did somehow manage to take it, there’s no way they could hold it. Making a move for the flight deck would be suicide.”

  CB entered the room with the glass walls and strode to the monitor, checking to see if Frank was moving. The vampire appeared to be sleeping, as he usually was when CB arrived.

  Since the day Frank had transformed from a Feral to an intelligent vampire, CB had been visiting him daily, bringing him blood bags and at least a few minutes of conversation. It was clear that his century and a half of life as a Feral mixed with the constant daylight surrounding his metal cage this entire time had left him mentally scarred, but surprisingly CB found him to be a kind, soft-spoken man whose main concern was the well-being of New Haven.

  During their conversations, CB had begun to wonder if maybe Frank’s new, intelligent life was more horrible than his existence as a Fer
al. Frank was fully aware now, and the fact that New Haven was constantly in sunlight gave him a permanent case of daysickness, depriving him of the night vampires needed for their well-being. Frank was in constant pain, and he spent most of his time sleeping.

  CB deeply regretted returning Frank to his intelligent form just to prove a point to Fleming. Though the fact that Fleming had never once asked about Frank after that initial meeting proved how compartmentalized the leader’s mind was; anything that didn’t fit his specific worldview got pushed to the back, never to be thought of again.

  With the flick of a switch, CB turned on the two-way comm system attached to the camera in Frank’s cage.

  “Frank, it’s time. I need you to wake up.”

  CB watched on the monitor as the vampire slowly opened his eyes, wincing from the pain of the ambient light in his daysickened state.

  “Hello, CB. It’s good to see you. Thank you for coming.”

  CB slid a blood pack through the tray, and the vampire took it and drank. As much of a rush as they were in, it only made sense to let Frank feed before they began. CB needed him at his best, and the vampire’s mind always seemed a bit sharper after he’d drank.

  When he’d finished, Frank passed the empty plastic pouch back through the slot to CB. “Tell me, CB, how’s the city today?”

  CB took a deep breath. “Honestly, things are not going great. You told me that if the time ever came that the city was in danger of destruction, you’d help me. I’m sorry to tell you, that time has come.”

  Frank replied with a single word. “Fleming.”

  “Yes.” CB had filled Frank in on the goings-on in the city during their daily visits. He’d told him about the plans for Resettlement, about Fleming murdering the rest of the council, and the way he was lying to the city. Now he just had to catch him up on the rest. He figured short and sweet would be the best approach.

  “Fleming sent three hundred Resettlers to the surface two days ago. As best we can tell, they’re all dead, though Fleming won’t admit it. I’m a fugitive. The people are protesting in the streets and those protests will most likely turn violent soon. We need to take down Fleming, but he’s very well protected.”

  Frank sighed, and in that sigh CB heard a century and a half of pain and regret. It was clear that hearing this news about the city he loved and had helped to found was breaking his heart. “I wish I could help, CB. Unfortunately, daylight has a pretty bad effect on vampires.”

  “That’s why we are about to pilot the ship into darkness.”

  Frank tilted his head in surprise.

  “It’s never been done, so no one’s going to see it coming,” CB continued. “You have the strength and speed to get to Fleming. We need to go over some details, but most importantly, I need to know that you are okay with doing this. Fleming is in a secured building and he is protected by a small army. There’s no guarantee you’ll survive.”

  Frank thought only a moment before answering. He spoke very clearly, looking right at the camera. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but my current living conditions aren’t exactly ideal. Risking my life sounds like a welcome change from this torturous monotony. Besides, I already gave my life up for New Haven when I volunteered for the vampire gig. After the pain I’ve endured, dying to save my city is sort of the best-case scenario.” He paused a moment. “Besides, I’ve had these vampire abilities for a century and a half. I’d really like to see what I can do with them. You get us into darkness, I’ll take out Fleming.”

  “Thank you, Frank.”

  Frank nodded. Then he tilted his head as if he’d thought of something. “If I succeed in killing Fleming, what happens next?”

  It was a question CB had been thinking about a lot the past couple of weeks, so he had an immediate answer. “General Craig will take over until we can hold free elections for a new council. We’ll get it done fast. A return to a normalcy will be important after everything this city’s been through.”

  A faint smile crossed Frank’s face. “I meant what happens to me?”

  “Ah, sorry.” CB hadn’t given much thought to that question.

  “I’m not going back into this box, CB. I’d rather walk into the light than endure another day in this hell.”

  “I have a better idea,” CB said. “There is a place on the surface that should be safe for you. It’s a long story, but I think it might be a place where you could find some well-deserved peace.”

  “That sounds incredible. You can tell me more when this is over. For now, all that matters is saving the city. How long do we have until night falls on New Haven?”

  “My team is working on it as we speak.”

  Jessica checked the cable attached to her harness one more time, then she radioed up to Beau in the cockpit. “You holding us steady?”

  “Surprisingly, yes I am. We’re just above the flight deck and keeping pace with the ship.”

  “Excellent. You’re not a bad pilot, Beau. You should have Owl give you some lessons. Maybe the GMT could use a backup pilot.”

  “Ha. I think I may have burned my goodwill with the GMT by joining Fleming’s pale imitation of the group.”

  Jessica smiled. “I think you’ll find CB’s the forgiving sort. But let’s get through this mission first. If we can survive the next hour, something like getting on the GMT is going to be a cakewalk by comparison.” She flicked the channel on her radio, bringing Brian in on the conversation. “We’re in position, Brian.”

  “Okay, going in five seconds,” Brian answered.

  Jessica took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then she put the oxygen mask over her mouth and hit the button to open the cargo door.

  Air rushed out of the ship, and Jessica held on to the handrail next to the cargo door to steady herself. Thirty feet below, she saw the ship’s pilot through the glass surrounding the flight deck. The pilot had six heavily armed guards standing around him. They were all staring up at her in confusion.

  “Come on, Brian, do your thing,” she muttered. Then she stepped out the cargo door and began lowering herself down toward the control tower.

  Though the flight deck was the most well-protected place on New Haven, Brian had come up with a rather elegant solution to get them inside with minimal struggle. The fire-suppression system.

  Like many vital areas in New Haven, fire was one of the primary concerns for the flight deck, and the suppression system had been designed to deal with any blazes in a highly effective manner. The room with the fire would automatically be sealed off, and the oxygen would be sucked out of the room. This would ensure the fire went out without damage to the vital systems.

  When they were in the basement of the control tower, Brian had hacked into the fire-suppression system. It was now under his complete control.

  As Jessica watched, the air rushed out of the flight deck and through a vent on top of the tower. The pilot and guards scrambled to get to the oxygen tanks, but since Brian had deactivated the warning lights, by the time they’d figured out what was happening, it was already too late.

  She reached the exhaust port on the roof of the tower and waited for the air to stop rushing out. By now, Brian had activated and locked every fire door in the building, which would make getting in a real chore for any badges or GMT members Fleming sent after her.

  When the air stopped rushing out of the exhaust vent, Jessica climbed in. A moment later, she popped out a ceiling panel in the control room and dropped onto the flight deck.

  She took a quick moment to check her surroundings. The pilot and guards were unconscious. At least, she hoped they were only unconscious.

  “I’m in, Brian,” she said into her radio. “Want to give me a little air?”

  “Roger that,” he answered.

  As the vents closed and the room once again filled with oxygen, Jessica moved around the room, handcuffing the pilot and guards to support posts. So far, none of them had woken up, but she wasn’t about to take any chances.

  Then she ap
proached the flight controls and took a deep breath. Her hands flew over the instruments as she adjusted the flight path, ignoring the warning bells that chimed in protest to the new direction she was sending the ship.

  For the first time in its history, New Haven was about to enter the darkness.

  Once Jessica had control of the flight deck, Brian let out a whoop of joy. Then he turned his attention to making sure she could keep control of it. He tapped a few commands on the screen, and within moments, he had Fleming’s personal communication feed in his left ear.

  He listened with delight as Fleming and his team absolutely freaked out, trying to figure out how and why Jessica had taken control of the ship and where she was planning to fly it.

  Fleming ordered every badge and faceless GMT member in the city to abandon his latest order of getting into the GMT hangar and to instead head for the flight deck.

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” Brian muttered. Between the flight deck’s impressive security and Brian’s control of the fire-suppression system, that was going to be no easy task.

  Besides, he could pump the air out of any individual room in the control tower. If some badges did get too close, he’d just make them stop breathing.

  As he was monitoring the faceless GMT’s progress, one of the techs called to him. “Hey, Brian. Something’s coming through on the GMT radio channel. You’re going to want to hear this.”

  Brian blinked hard in surprise. He hated unexpected wrinkles in his well-laid-out plans. “Put it through to my headset.”

  The tech did so, then spoke into the radio. “This is GMT control. Could you say again?”

  “Sure thing, GMT control,” the voice replied. “This is Captain Alex Goddard. The GMT is incoming.”