by T. A. Uner
If Krill had an ego he might’ve found this comment offensive, instead he drew his black cube. It projected his written orders in holographic format to the watcher who read it and nodded.
“Follow me.” The watcher led Krill and his four charges through the security checkpoint. Through his red sunglasses his whirlpool eyes scanned the area. Dozens of Hollow Men were congregated near the checkpoint. They were all heavily armed: electric flails, disintegrators, hand scythes, rippers. All impressive weapons, but none carried Black Cubes, the most dangerous weapon bestowed upon Hollow Men.
He had no desire to go to war with his brethren, but if they opposed him and his charges, what else could he do? Negotiation was never part of this mission, nor was it programmed into his psyche.
After passing through the checkpoint Krill scanned the area, trying to locate Vampiress. His men would also be at work conducting the same search.
“Unauthorized scanning is prohibited in this area,” the Watcher said. “And I must also ask that you relinquish your Black Cubes, before proceeding inside the facility.”
Krill did not have to explain himself to this automaton, whose programming was limited in scope. Having succeeded in gaining access to the warehouse, he was ready to proceed with his mission.
He nodded at his four charges; they drew their Black Cubes and fired into the remaining Watchers, vaporizing them before they could draw their weapons. Krill grabbed the lead Watcher by the throat and with one quick jerk tore off its head. The Watcher’s eye glasses dropped to the ground; its whirlpool eyes stared surprisingly at Krill before fading.
With their opposition neutralized, they proceeded.
• • •
Inside her office, Vampiress was looking over some reports pertaining the energy transfusions when she realized something had gone wrong. The checkpoint security monitors were offline. When she attempted communications with the security personnel there was no response. What is going on there?
What made the situation even more strange was that it was unlike the Hollow Men to ignore her. While they didn’t fawn over her every request, they were efficient and that was why she had requested them for this assignment. Not one to take chances she donned her armor and grabbed her weapons.
She had a feeling she would need them.
• • •
Krill was expecting more resistance from his opposition. With the exception of two defense drones he and his forces had met no resistance. It was unfortunate that the Hollow Men at the checkpoint had to be destroyed but that was the nature of this mission. It was not like The Sect to leave a vital transfusion depot without adequate defenses, even if it was stationed in a technologically inferior era.
Krill and his team passed through a corridor before encountering the last checkpoint leading to the transfusion chambers. Only one Watcher stood guard.
“State your purpose,” the lone Watcher said. It was dressed similarly to the previous watcher, a white shirt under its black suit. Krill removed his Black Cube and fired into the watcher’s chest, it disintegrated, but not before sounding the alarm. Klaxons tore through the building, alerting its occupants that it had been compromised.
Krill had his work cut out for him.
• • •
After the klaxon sounded Vampiress located another monitor and was greeted by the five intruders advancing through the depot. They were definitely not her men, they were Elites, Ambrogio must have sent them. So, Ambrogio had played his hand. Now it was her turn to return the favor.
On the security monitor, two of her Watchers were attempting to keep the redshirts at bay near the entrance of the transfusion chamber. They fought valiantly, but up against five Elite Hollow Men armed with Black Cubes, even the fiercest Watcher could not match that firepower. They succumbed to the intruders.
She punched in her security code and waited for the retina scan to admit her into the south entrance of the transfusion chamber.
Her remaining white-shirt Hollow Men were rushing toward the scene of the main battle. She hoped they could slow the obtruding force that threatened to destroy all she had worked for.
She heard the destructive sounds of Black Cubes, vaporizing any opposition in their way. Vampiress did not fear these weapons; she had faced long odds before.
She still could not see the red shirts. There were far too many obstructions before her: terminal bulkheads, canisters, and transfusion tanks. She nocked one of her arrows and located a vantage point where she would have the high ground.
This battle was only just starting.
• • •
When Robert heard the alarm go off his eardrums pounded against the side of his temples. Had he been discovered? If that was the case then how come he still had not been apprehended?
His strength was slowly returning, no doubt the separation from the tubes plugged into his limbs had aided his recovery.
From where he was standing he could see the five newcomers spreading destruction wherever they went. They resembled the chalk-faced creatures stationed here, but wore red shirts instead of white. In a strange way Robert found that interesting.
The intruders were too busy fighting off their opposition to notice him. Being on an elevated landing, he had the advantage of witnessing the events below him. But he had to find a way to escape so he could come back and help free the people trapped here.
One of the newcomers fired at the creatures beneath him, vaporizing it. Despite having superior numbers, the creatures guarding the facility were being overwhelmed by the five red-shirted newcomers.
Discarded weapons littered the floor beneath him. Robert knew he had to get his hands on one if he was to escape, but how? To step onto the battlefield beneath him would be suicide.
He found a stairwell that led downstairs and slid down the banister. When he reached the ground floor he took cover behind a pylon and scoured the area for a weapon. A few steps from him were the disintegrated remains of one of the creatures; near it a weapon resembling a guisarme. On its blade were strange inscriptions. He bolted toward it and picked it up. Upon grasping its shaft the blade lit up and without warning it fired an electrical projectile that took out an entire panel across from where he stood. Robert did not know how he had activated it but after eying its shaft he noticed row of small buttons, each a different cover. He must’ve accidentally pressed one. Now his chances of escape had improved.
He saw two dangling bodies come undone from the rafters and fall onto the row of canisters below. The glowing lights emanating from the canisters ceased and Robert wished he could fish out the bodies. But crossfire from two sets of opposing combatants made that a mission too hazardous to undertake.
He heard the swish of elevators door open and saw the Vampire woman. She was armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over her back. He took up a defensive position and pressed another button on the shaft of his guisarme. A wide burst of projectiles exploded from the blade and plowed into the panel above the elevator door where she had stood, showering her with white sparks that bounced off her armor.
Not knowing where her attacker was, she hit the floor before unleashing an arrow that found its mark into the chest of one of the red-shirted creatures.
She fired a volley in Robert’s direction. The arrows found their mark in the warehouse’s wall and exploded. A loud explosion rocked the impact area before Robert felt the weight of the wall come crashing down on him.
• • •
Vampiress did not know who had fired the guisarme at her, but she didn’t think it could’ve come from one of her Watchers. First, they rarely turned against their superiors, second, the aim was off, not intrinsic behavior for Watchers, creatures known for their expert marksmanship.
Much to their credit her defenders were fighting dauntlessly, despite being out-matched by superior firepower. Around her dusty remains of disintegrated Watchers littered the floor. Wounded Watchers not destroyed by Black Cubes lay still, their faces solemn; eye-sockets once active with
whirlpool vision now resembled dark cave openings. Ambrogio would pay for this outrage.
“Vampiress!” said a voice. It was so powerful its broadcast could be heard over the sounds of battle. The voice’s owner shouted her name three more times before she ordered her surviving Watchers to cease fire.
A few seconds later a tall, broad-shouldered Hollow Man appeared. “I call for temporary cease-fire,” it said. Despite the destruction and carnage around it, its suit looked freshly-pressed, as if it had just been cleaned.
“I agree to terms,” she replied. Not really wanting to treat with this Hollow Man, but perhaps she could buy time for herself.
The Hollow Man raised his hands to indicate he was unarmed. That did not mean much to Vampiress, who had fought against foes who were adept at deception, this opponent was no different.
She rose to meet him, in the center of what was once a prime depot. Now a section of it lay in ruin.
Vampiress had never fought against Hollow Men before, especially the new elite forces which were used exclusively by the Viceroy himself. But for what it was worth, her Watchers had acquitted themselves admirably in battle.
“I am Field Operator Krill; Chief Ambrogio sent me to arrest you.”
I was right. It was Ambrogio. “On what charge?” she asked calmly.
“Reckless endangerment of the mission; according to Chief Ambrogio your actions warrant termination of your field command, effective immediately. Afterwards you will be transported to the Archipelago system where you will be arraigned at Sect Command.”
She knew Ambrogio better than he knew her. He would never allow her to be transported back alive to headquarters. Didn’t he know how powerful her family was? Of course he did. “And if I refuse?”
Krill did not appear daunted by her alacrity. “Then you shall be executed immediately.” He reached into his jacket pocket to draw something when Vampiress made her move.
{2}
She pulled the detonator from inside her corset and armed it. Her father had given it to her years ago, in the event that she faced a situation as dire as this, and she was grateful he had.
She had only a few moments before it would detonate, leaving half of the structure in ruin, but it was the only way to ensure total destruction of the Elite Hollow Men. Her own men would be destroyed as well, but she was willing to pay that price in order to escape.
As she had anticipated, Krill had drawn his Black Cube. In a way she admired the ruthless streak of these new Hollow Men. Behind her she heard the sounds of the cubes death rays. To their credit, her charges had resumed firing on Krill and his associates, they would buy time for her escape.
She hit the ground and rolled. Activating her transport device, she reappeared at a safe distance outside the warehouse.
It was time to pay Ambrogio a visit.
• • •
Robert’s forehead was bleeding, but, he was grateful to still be alive. He slowly removed himself from the rubble. His arms and legs were lacerated with cuts and bruises, and he felt pain throbbing through his ribcage, but otherwise he was able to resume his escape.
He saw the Vampire woman confronting one of the strange red-shirted creatures and had kept his cover behind an overturned support beam. He saw her conversing with one of them, a tall broad-shouldered fellow with glossy brown hair that was slicked back over its skull. The creature had drawn something from his jacket pocket, and that was when the Vampire woman had countered by hurling a small metallic device to the ground before disappearing. Where did she go?
Robert had no idea what the item was. From where he was situated it resembled a small pyramid-shaped device with flashing lights. The lead creature that had confronted the vampire woman was shouting orders to his troops, causing the redshirts to retreat from the vicinity of the flashing object. Robert limped as fast as he could through the torn warehouse wall, till wondering where the vampire woman had disappeared to. Moments later, behind him, there was more shouting, then a loud explosion. The ground beneath him shuddered and he was hurled into the air like an acrobat. His body felt like a falling meteor before he somersaulted and crashed one block from where he had stood a moment ago. For the second time in one day bits of rubble and refuse rained down on him like hail. Against the odds, he had survived another violent explosion.
After peeling himself off the pavement, Robert spat out the metallic taste of his blood. Touching his cheek he felt the gash that had sliced it open when he had landed on the sidewalk. He eyed the smoldering ruins of the warehouse.
Half of it was gone.
• • •
When Vampiress appeared inside her room, back at Section headquarters, she wasted little time. The building’s sensors would soon detect her appearance and alert Ambrogio, so she had to work fast if she was to take him by surprise.
She pulled out a thin case from under her bed. Inside was her prized weapon, a bow her father had given her after she had been reinstated by the academy. She armed herself with disintegrator arrows (the only weapon that stood chance of proving effective against Hollow Men) and left her room.
• • •
Krill had yet to check in when Ambrogio realized something had gone wrong.
Elite Hollow Men were supposed to be indefatigably efficient, but he had lived long enough to know that no one was perfect.
He drew his sword and exited the office. That was when the proximity alarm went off. He tried his communicator. The frequency used by the Watchers was eerily quiet. He checked the bandwidth to see if it was operational, it was, there just wasn’t anyone sending or receiving messages.
Of the three watchers that guarded the corridor where his office was located, only one remained. A fellow named Drek whose eyes swirled relentlessly behind his sunglasses.
“Report!”
“An unauthorized teleport was detected; Mur and Foy went to investigate.” Drek grasped his pole-axe and its energy blade fed off of his anxiety, emitting an erratic pulse. Ambrogio knew the Hollow Men’s weapons responded to their state-of-mind. But he had never seen one like this. They were supposed to be devoid of emotion, yet Drek looked uneasy, if that was possible for a Hollow Man.
“Which direction did they go?”
Drek swallowed hard. “Level 5.” That was where Vampiress’ quarters were located. Shit. The bitch must’ve survived.
“Summon the rest of the men,” Ambrogio said. “Anyone you can spare.”
“As you wish Chief, but that will take time; most of the watchers are locked out of the building.”
Another setback. “When were you going to tell me this?” Ambrogio said.
Drek bypassed the question. “After the intruder teleported into the building, a message was sent to secure the outside of the building. Your emergency code was used.”
“I issued no such order.”
Drek nodded. “Yes, we figured this out, only that was after the majority of our forces had been lured into the stratagem.”
Cunning little bitch. But she won’t get better of me. “Follow me.” Ambrogio had one more move to make, and he wasn’t about to let Vampiress succeed.
Not on his watch.
• • •
The first action Vampiress took after she had armed herself was sending a false alert of an external threat. She wanted to throw the Watchers off track after the internal sensors had detected her presence. Using her vast knowledge of command codes, she had tricked the computer into thinking Ambrogio had sent it.
That had bought her precious time, but she still met resistance in the hallway. Two watchers had ordered her to drop her weapon and stand down, her response had been to drop them instead — two disintegrators arrows right in their chests.
She found the arsenal and armed herself with an energy shield that could absorb a multitude of weapon fire from opposing forces. There were no Black Cubes, of course they were the deadliest weapon available and were under heavy guard in a clandestine chamber only Ambrogio had access to.
She
heard a noise outside. It was the pulsing sound of an energy field being activated. She looked and saw that two fields had been activated, boxing her in the corridor. She fired an arrow at one of the shields, destabilizing it for a few moments before she was able to pass through.
She checked one of the terminal panels and saw that the trapped Hollow Men were still outside. But they were ingenious creatures, and would soon find a way to override the lock-out.
The hallway lights began flickering like fireflies, no doubt the building’s main power was being rerouted. They finally went out before the emergency lights kicked in, shrouding Vampiress in a hazy amaranth hue.
The Elevator doors at the end of the hall opened and two technicians greeted her with fearful glances. She ordered them to stay where they were and they acquiesced. It was risky keeping them alive, the possibility remained they could betray her location, but she had a bigger problem to consider. The main being Ambrogio. She located a teleportation closet and found that there was enough power for one transport. She programmed her destination and stepped into the teleportation tube.
• • •
Ambrogio and Drek headed to the Black Room. The infamous facility which only Section Chiefs had access to.
After the retina scan, Ambrogio was granted access. He allowed Drek to follow him inside the room. Ambrogio then located the armory where the Black Cubes were located. He handed one to Drek, who tossed aside his pole-axe.
