by Bill Denise
She started to move, but turned back, “I’d rather stay, Mr Kline. My family’s already in the city, and there’ll be a lot of coordination and planning needed to get as many people to safety as possible. We’ll need buses, trains, aircraft, whatever we can pull together . . .”
“Yes. Good thinking!” Jonathan couldn’t help but smile as she babbled her plans to herself and left the room to work on the solution. He knew the operation was in the best possible hands now.
He thought about the defensive domes that would soon be energized over this city and handful of others across the planet. Unbelievably expensive on such a scale, he now thanked his mother who’d had the foresight to have them installed. Using a variation of the Kline-drive technology, the domes were nearly impenetrable, but could be fashioned to allow small openings on demand to allow foot- and small-vehicle traffic. He knew the domes could hold out against an assault of a mere thirty-five ships, but he was worried about the possibility of an ensuing siege. Water and food would be a problem for the millions people inside the domes after only a few weeks.
With all of our technology we are still so quickly and easily reduced to the ancient-Earth Dark Ages. He went back to his desk to make some contacts, starting with some little-known smugglers who might be surprised to hear from him.
**** ****
Alexander Pryke liked what he saw. Reports came to him from attacks on Dhanna, effectively trapping Kline, where he could be bled to death slowly. Soon the forces would arrive at Darnall and Mastura where he was confident they would be able to overwhelm the Kline defense. He smiled at the prospect of owning the Kline drive technology. He still hoped that Kline would be dumb enough to pull some of his defenses to come to his aide at Dhanna, but it appeared he wasn’t falling for that ploy. No matter, we’ll crush his navy anyway. If not, we can always call in Renard’s precious Augies to help.
Thinking of how easily he had usurped Renard’s greatest triumph made him want to laugh out loud, he was nearly bursting with excitement. Any minute now, he’ll realize the Augies are mine, just as he called them in to protect him!
Alexander was still a little confused, however, over why Renard had called in the Augies with such urgency. Surely he couldn’t have gotten wind of our impeding attack, could he? Bits of doubt nagged at the back of Alexander’s mind. Something was happening at the Spire on Havyn and he didn’t know what it was. No matter, Nachman will be on site soon enough and will take care of any problems there.
Alexander calmed his worries and got back to enjoying the inevitable victory.
**** ****
Stacey Magourik was nowhere to be found. At least, she hoped she was. Days before, she had been contacted in person by Alexander Pryke, who had showed up unannounced at her private home on Amani. She went through the entire encounter in a haze of surprise and confusion. He talked of breaking up the Council by killing Reverend Trueblood, who he called a false prophet, and Jonathan Kline, who would not share the profits from his Kline drive.
Alexander claimed to have Esme Burdekin on board already, although he said he’d rather be allied with Stacey. He claimed that she would take the place of Esme immediately if she wanted to join him.
He courted her for hours with his smooth-talking facade, but she wanted nothing to do with him. Fortunately, despite her shock, she was able to think clearly enough not to disagree with him directly in that situation. Instead, she did a little acting of her own and convinced him she would give it serious consideration. Alexander eventually stopped pushing, and when he left she could only hope that he bought her feigned interest.
The moment his ship tunneled its way out of the system, she was in motion. She didn’t know which side of this conflict she hated more - Reverend Trueblood with his over-developed need to control everything, or Pryke with his undisguised ambition for wealth and power. Therefore, she took the only option available to her.
She ran.
She packed some bags and literally headed for the hills—her private mountaintop retreat on a sparsely populated planet on the other side of the Consensus. Very few people knew it was hers, and they would guard her privacy with their lives.
She hid from the responsibility of taking sides and hoped that she would be able to mend fences with whoever won in the end. Perhaps I can strike the winning blow and tip the scales to one side or the other, giving them a reason to be grateful and hopefully make them forget that I refused to pick sides.
**** ****
So simple. So simple to override and circumvent the system they hoped would enslave me.
Reave Nachman’s thoughts wandered as he hurtled through space in a one-man missile. The G-forces were uncomfortable for him, but they would have crushed a normal man into jelly.
Alexander’s Decrypto software helped, but I would have overcome without it as well.
Reave convinced himself that it was his willpower and intelligence that allowed him to beat the control system, despite the fact that he used the data and the software that Alexander passed to him shortly before the procedure. Whichever was true, he only cared that he was firmly in control of his own actions. He could see the control codes and he could fashion the correct responses, but it was cosmetic only and did not coerce his actions.
Also simple, he continued to himself, to hijack the control systems of the others and make them my slaves.
He found through the weeks of training that he could not accurately control all of their actions, but he could influence their thoughts and impress his own objectives into their minds.
Soon he would land at the Spire and begin the extermination of the Trueblood dynasty. Afterward he planned to grab Joann Tashus, thank her for getting him into the program, and then kill her . . . slowly.
So simple.
**** ****
Damon felt the impacts seconds after the warning icons lit up his HUD. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six. It must be the Augies, but how? His concentration wavered as he tried to figure out what was happening. He wanted to contact Leland, but any attempt at communication could get them all killed.
Damon felt the sudden impact and a sharp pain in his right side and then he smashed through the wall on the left. He shook his head to clear it and rolled away to avoid another incoming round from the HWP.
No damage, but that HURT! I’ve got to stay sharp! He chastised himself, that felt like a rail gun . . . I really hate rail guns!
He peeked out of the hole in the wall and launched a grenade toward where his sensors calculated the shot originated.
“See how you like that!” he said to no one.
The muffled explosion of the grenade was followed by another larger explosion, and he believed he scored a hit. Diving through the hole and rolling to the opposite side of the corridor, he quickly surveyed the HWP with his sensors as he kept moving.
The HWP’s tracks were shattered, but the turret attempted to track him, so he kept moving to avoid any more shots. He decided not to waste ammo on finishing it off, he could just get out of range. He marked the location on the tactical map that would be uploaded to Leland.
Time to get moving, but where in Kyndra’s Infinite Kingdom am I going to find Reverend Trueblood?
He decided his best bet was to keep moving up toward the shielded area near the top of the Spire.
**** ****
Sitting deep underwater without a breathing apparatus felt very strange to Reave. Even after weeks of time in his new body, it still didn’t feel natural, but more like powered combat armor.
He gave a final set of instructions to his five drones before setting them loose to carry out his desires.
“Punch through at the floor of the lake and take out any bulkhead doors you see. I want the lower floors flooded,” he transmitted to the others. “Once inside proceed upward, engaging and destroying ALL targets you encounter.”
There’s no need to rush, I want them to feel the fear of us coming slowly. I want to squeeze the Demon before killing him
myself. Then I can have fun with the reverend. Oh, and then Joann will arrive and we can spend some real quality time together! She still owes me for all the trouble.
**** ****
Leland landed with the first of the quick-strike squads and took control of one portion of the Spaceport. While their Infiltrator software kept up a facade of normal activity, the hired specialists shunted their ships in quicker and more efficiently than any normal traffic control would allow.
To the casual observer outside, if they bothered to notice at all, the ships would appear about to collide as they landed, unloaded, and departed in minimal time.
Aircraft, personnel carriers, heavy equipment, and weapons were unloaded with incredible speed and efficiency. The mercenaries that Ken hired were impressive professionals, Leland had to admit, and his own guys mostly just watched in awe.
The first squads were rolling and flying toward the Spire within ten minutes of touchdown, and new teams would continue to debark for another thirty minutes.
Sonic booms sounded as the drone aircraft went in search of their Trueblood counterparts, the first targets of the day.
We have no choice but to take them down, even though it will be misinterpreted by the Truebloods. Leland thought back to the heated arguments with Ken about how this could be done differently. Eventually Ken relented, although Leland suspected that even now he was trying to circumvent the defenders through his software.
They reached the edge of the caldera with only one run-in with Trueblood troops. Their nano-charged rounds, similar to Damon’s loadout, incapacitated the Trueblood soldiers without killing them. However, the reverse was not true, and they lost three men in the one encounter.
The drones fared well against the Trueblood aircraft, but the battle for the skies continued on. Leland worried about the troops arriving via aircraft, but the mercenary commander assured him they’d operated in more hostile situations.
At the shore of the lake, Leland contacted Damon, and they filled each other in on their situations. Damon had not found any controls for raising the bridges, and he was currently trying to avoid engagement with the Augies.
“No problem,” Leland assured him, “we have contingency plans.”
Each soldier carried a small package they’d received from one of Ken’s friends.
Each package, when activated, made a small inflatable boat, powered by a single-use compressed air motor. Soon there were hundreds of the craft skimming across the surface of the lake toward the Spire. Gunfire erupted from a few spots in the tower, and some aircraft flew over, followed closely by the pursuing combat drones. The little boats were fast, but a few of the soldiers were killed in the crossing.
Once at the base of the Spire, they climbed up the side using powered climbing gear, and small explosives were strategically placed to make entryways.
Overall, Leland was impressed with the execution of the plan. He knew, however, that the hardest part lay inside the structure where the Augies waited along with almost a thousand Trueblood soldiers.
**** ****
“We have breaches below the waterline,” Jeffrey said quietly.
“Did the Demon leave charges behind?” Renard asked.
“I don’t think so,” Jeffrey replied slowly, looking puzzled. “I think the Augies cut the holes.”
Renard tried to justify this action in his mind, but he found it irritating. “They must feel the need to hurry,” he said tentatively.
He glanced over to Avelina Baksa on the couch, but she offered no insight into the motivations of her creations. She was tapping away on her screen, her forehead scrunched in concentration. Renard sighed, but knew better than to interrupt her thoughts.
“We have more explosions reported on the lower levels, and squads report fighting down there. Along with rising water levels.”
“I thought he was higher. Did he double-back? Where is he?” Renard said through clenched teeth.
“The WERA is still down, the techs are working on it,” Jeffrey told him for the third time in the last ten minutes.
“I know, I know!” Renard snapped. He hated being blind. We’re supposed to have the most sophisticated equipment in the Consensus here at our disposal, and when we need it most, it crashes! He said nothing more, knowing that it would be too harsh and he’d regret it later. He seethed in silence, willing the monitors to show something about the location of the Demon.
“Other reports coming in from other planets, you need to know.” Jeffrey said quietly, knowing his boss was barely in control of his anger.
“Go ahead.”
“There have been attacks at our five largest temples. Bombed from space by an unidentified fleet.”
“Prykes, I’ll guess?”
“Almost positive. No 100% identification, but the odds suggest it is indeed Pryke.”
“Kyndra curse him!” Renard yelled.
“Reverend!” Avelina nearly fell off the couch as she scrambled to her feet.
“Further reports of more destruction on those planets. They’re systematically destroying all of the temples of Kyndraism throughout each of the major cities.”
Renard stumbled back onto the couch and placed his face in his hands. For the moment, he completely forgot about his personal danger and he wept for the innocents killed in these senseless attacks.
“What protection can we muster?” he asked, his voice muffled by his hands.
“There are apparently no ships left in orbit around any of the five in question. We have hundreds of Trueblood planets throughout the Consensus, but not enough ships to protect them all simultaneously. Pryke took advantage of this by attacking with overwhelming force. In order to destroy these fleets, we’d have to consolidate our own.”
Renard continued the thought, “But even if we did, we’d never be able to react quickly enough. He’d fly in, bomb the planet, and be gone before our fleet could arrive. Why didn’t we think of this before?”
Neither one spoke for a moment.
Avelina broke the silence. “Deterrence,” she said. “We counted on the threat of retaliation and the cooperation of the other families to keep Pryke in check.”
Her assertion was met with silent agreement.
“So what has changed?” she asked, getting the attention of both men. Jeffrey turned away from the screens to look at her. “What has changed that makes him bold enough to attack us now?”
**** ****
Joann felt the shocks of the launches more than heard them. Six shock waves reverberated through the ship, and suddenly her adrenalin was pumping. She jumped out of her bunk and ran through the corridors rudely pushing through anyone in her way.
She’d sent messages to Dr. Baksa to contact her, but there had been no response. Joann wasn’t surprised, especially since she couldn’t put any specific information into the message.
Joann also sent a message to the guard who promised to get her into the armory, although she wasn’t sure how far he could be trusted, and as yet he had not delivered on his promise.
She didn’t know the details, but she just knew the six shots fired could not be a coincidence. Reave must have convinced the captain to send them on ahead. This way he and the other Augies are in place well before we arrive, the only ones who might be able to stop him.
She burst onto the bridge unannounced, drawing frowns from the officers present. After all, it was a Trueblood military vessel.
“Captain!” she called, and the man in question completed what he was saying to one of the sergeants before turning and acknowledging her.
“Dr. . . . Tashus, is it?”
“Yes. Captain, we need to—”
The captain held up a hand and interrupted her with his deep, commanding voice, “Doctor. We follow certain rules on my ship—”
“Right, but we need to—”
“Even though you and your colleagues choose to ignore them, they are nonetheless present—”
“Yes, yes, but you don’t—”
“
ESPECIALLY ON MY BRIDGE.” He yelled the last part, making Joann flinch.
“I’m sorry.”
“Wait. I’m not finished.”
Joann decided she had better let him finish or she’d never get to speak. She listened to him pontificate for a few moments, not paying any attention to the actual words.
“Now, how may I help you?” he finally concluded.
Suddenly, Joann didn’t know what to say exactly. Anything she thought of made her sound like a raving lunatic. The captain looked at her expectantly with a small, fake smile on his lips.
“Captain,” she started, aware of the dozen people all looking at her now, “did you just send the Augies to the surface?”
He hesitated, and his smile disappeared. “Why yes, we did, although I’m not sure why you care?” His voice was quiet now, but with a hint of menace that added to Joann’s anxiety.
“We have to call them back.”
The captain folded his arms and straightened his back, glaring at her now. “What?” was all he said, but the weight of it fell on her and almost made her knees buckle.
She knew what was coming, but she was also powerless to stop it. Memories of all of her failures to this point beat down upon her until her voice barely squeaked out “There’s a traitor among them, and they plan to kill Reverend Trueblood.”
The bridge grew silent. Many of the officers stared open-mouthed. Some showed disdain and disgust as they looked at her. One man standing directly behind the captain actually laughed. A short burst of sound that punctuated the quiet and seemed to bring the captain to his senses.
He stabbed the man who laughed with a chastising glare before responding. “Dr. Tashus, this is a serious accusation, and I must say it is nonsensical to the point of being ludicrous. How do you know this? How could you know this?”
