by Marty Chan
Farrier fired his teslatron rifle at Ehrich while he barked at the remaining insurgents around him. “Charge that machine!”
They obeyed. An amazon of a girl fired her weapon and scored a direct hit on the cockpit. The energy dissipated against the non-conductive material, but Ehrich still flinched instinctively. He pulled another lever and the weapon turret swung to the left, then to the right. He fired as the arm swept across the field. The insurgents dropped to the ground for cover. He tried to bring the arm around to aim low at the rebels.
Before Ehrich could fire, the amazon girl stood up and shot her teslatron. The others moved in behind her and charged at Ehrich while unleashing volleys of energy bolts at his machine. Farrier let loose a rebel yell that sounded like a cross between a whoop and a wolf howl. Ehrich’s skin crawled from the sound of it. He yanked on the lever and fired the turret again. The taels cut into the legs of his attackers, mowing them down. They screamed as they collapsed to the ground. Farrier called out to his new ally.
“Ba Tian!” the old man cried. “They’ve taken one of your machines!”
But the warlord was too intent on wiping out his daughter’s shield.
The commander banged on the back of the unit’s iron leg to no avail. He limped away to join the rebels engaged in battle with Amina. She fired at him, but an insurgent dove in front and took the blast. Farrier limped to safety behind the remaining two rebels.
Another roar of the turret filled the air, deafening Amina. She glanced over at where Ba Tian and his soldier were firing at Ning Shu’s shield. They were closing in the gap and were almost on top of her.
Ba Tian shouted through the cockpit, “You choose the traitor over your own flesh and blood?”
“You never learned when enough was enough, father. Your greed is your greatest weakness.”
“I don’t care if you’re my daughter. No one betrays the House of Qi.” He yelled to his exoskeleton comrade, “Leave her to me! Take out the traitor!”
The bone-shard mohawk operator nodded and his iron machine lumbered toward Hakeem.
Ning Shu cried out, “Hakeem, come to me. Walk. Crawl. I don’t care. Just get here!”
He struggled to move, but he was too weak and could barely crawl a foot. Ning Shu inched toward him, but her father’s machine unleashed a fresh volley of taels, forcing her to hold her position and maintain her shield. Hakeem crawled toward Ning Shu as the other exoskeleton unit flanked the crimson girl.
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Ehrich wrenched the levers to spin his machine ahead to take down the other exoskeleton. He pumped the pedals and drove his unit to confront the deadly attacker, but he was running out of time. When he tried to position the turret to fire, the lever jammed. The arm wouldn’t lift. He struggled with the controls, but they would not budge.
The other exoskeleton’s weapon turret was levelled at Hakeem. The scientist leaned against a marker with the rifle across his lap. His head slumped to one side.
“Hakeem!” Ehrich yelled. “Fire on him. Hakeem!”
The scientist didn’t budge.
Ehrich yanked on the lever one more time, and finally the arm responded. A stream of taels flew into the servos of the exoskeleton. Sparks flew, and the air filled with the screech of metal on metal. Ehrich fired again. Taels struck the servos on the machine’s right side until something twanged. The contraption listed to one side and toppled over. The machine hit the ground face first, pinning the operator underneath. Ehrich pulled the lever again, but the turret was out of ammunition.
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A flash of light caught Ehrich’s attention as the portal suddenly widened. Ole Lukoje yelled, “It’s-s open! It’s-s open!”
Amina ordered, “Get Hakeem and take him through. I’ll cover you.”
Ole Lukoje hesitated, eyeing the escape, and took a step toward the gateway.
She raised the rifle at him. “Don’t even think about running out on us.”
He backed away from the portal and skittered across the graveyard to Hakeem.
“Ning Shu, the portal’s open!” Amina cried out.
The crimson girl called back, “Get Hakeem out. I’ll make sure my father doesn’t follow.” She advanced on her father’s machine with her jade tael spinning at full speed. Ba Tian roared as he unleashed a volley of razor taels at the shield, but then his turret ran out of ammunition. Father and daughter were at a standoff.
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Amina backed up to the portal as she fired on the flanking rebels. She took down the last two as she reached the gateway. Through the portal, she saw red skies stretching over the devastation, and blackened ground from the war that had ravaged this world. Her heart filled with grief at the sight. An energy bolt struck her in the arm. Pain lit up all her senses as she dropped her rifle and fell to the ground. Farrier beamed as he stood up from his hiding spot behind a grave marker.
“Ole Lukoje, hurry,” Amina gasped as she struggled to stay conscious.
The raggedy man reached the scientist. “Your s-s-salvation is-s-s at hand.”
Hakeem didn’t respond.
“No time to res-s-st your peepers-s-s,” Ole Lukoje said.
Silence. The man’s eyes were open, staring blankly at the sky. He was gone.
“Fles-s-h bag? Hakeem!” Ole Lukoje said, nudging his arm.
Ning Shu saw Hakeem’s body slump to the ground. “Hakeem!”
She released her jade tael necklace. It flew high in the air and fell to ground many grave markers away.
“No, no, no. Hakeem. Please. Not now,” Ning Shu cried, as she embraced the scientist’s still form.
Ba Tian stomped closer to his daughter. He loomed over her. Ole Lukoje backed away from the giant machine, his nose whistling loudly.
“Get out of there, Ning Shu!” Amina gasped.
The girl refused to budge.
“You betrayed me for love?” Ba Tian bellowed. “Have you learned nothing from me? Love is a weakness that your enemies will exploit.”
She spat at her father, “I don’t care what you think. Finish the job and let me join Hakeem in death.”
Ba Tian pulled on the levers to lift his unit’s iron arms above Ning Shu’s head. She refused to step aside or defend herself.
Ehrich stomped down on the pedals to propel his unit forward, and he manipulated the levers to lift the iron arms up. With a resounding crash, his machine collided with Ba Tian’s exoskeleton unit.
The cockpits were face to face. Ba Tian roared in anger as Ehrich powered his exoskeleton machine to drive his opponent back. But in this particular technology, Ba Tian was a seasoned warrior. The massive iron hands slammed into Ehrich’s cockpit, crushing the unit and pressing the sides against his body as the shield exploded in his face.
He pumped the pedals and drove Ba Tian’s machine away from Ning Shu and toward the portal. The warlord’s unit drove its iron fists into Ehrich’s cockpit again. The harness straps of his seat dug into his shoulders as the cockpit bent out of shape. He pushed a lever and lifted his iron arm up, catching Ba Tian’s machine under the armpit. The stick locked up, but Ehrich put both hands on it and pushed until the other unit lifted off the ground. Ehrich pumped the pedals and marched closer to the portal.
Ba Tian powered his iron arm to smash a fist on Ehrich’s cockpit again. The iron hand began to come down on the teen’s head. Ehrich closed his eyes and gave the lever one more push. The massive iron arm lifted the other exoskeleton unit high in the air just as the iron fist swung down. The weight shifted and Ehrich’s unit toppled over face first. He pulled on the lever and released Ba Tian’s machine. The teen felt his nose break as it connected with the ground. He was pinned in the cockpit and trapped under the massive unit.
He angled his head to watch what was going on. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure dart across the graveyard. He saw Ning Shu sobbing over Hakeem. Then he smiled as he saw Ba Tian’s machine fall through the portal and land on the other side.
“Ning Shu, close the portal! Use the rifle. Fire it a
t the gateway.”
She didn’t respond.
“Take revenge on your father and fire at the portal!” Ehrich cried out.
That order spurred Ning Shu into action. The crimson girl searched the ground for a weapon and spotted Hakeem’s rifle. She stooped down to pick it up, but an energy bolt seared her back. Electrical energy danced up and down her emerald robe as her body arched backwards. She collapsed, her body smoking from the shot that came from George Farrier. He now took aim at Ehrich.
Before the commander could pull the trigger, an energy bolt sizzled over his head, missing him by inches. He scanned the area and saw Amina repositioning her rifle to get a better shot at him. Knowing the value of retreat, Farrier backed out of the graveyard. Amina kept firing the rifle, but her injured arm prevented her from getting a good aim. Once the weapon fizzled, drained of its charge, she began to crawl doggedly across the ground to the rifle Ning Shu had set down.
Meanwhile, Ehrich was trapped in the cockpit of the exoskeleton war machine. He tried to free himself, but the buckles on the harness straps wouldn’t release. They essentially held Ehrich in an iron coffin.
He angled his head to the other side and spotted Ole Lukoje standing up.
“Shoot the portal before Ba Tian comes back through!”
Something was wrong with the raggedy man. His eyes were glazed over. Suddenly his body arched. The overpowering smell of sulphur filled the air. The raggedy man’s face distorted. He staggered forward, his eyes wide with fear. He mouthed, “Help me.”
Then his body went limp and he fell to the ground. Behind him stood Kifo, holding the Infinity Coil. The gears whirled and clicked. Ehrich yelled, “Kifo! Let my brother go!”
The assassin grinned, “I appreciate my kindred exactly where they are.”
The Infinity Coil made one final click, and Kifo’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. His body, which once held the assassin, was now an empty shell. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the body collapsed.
Ehrich tried to free himself from the cockpit, but he was wedged in.
“No!” he shouted.
The body of Ole Lukoje no longer belonged to the raggedy man. The one who was now climbing to his knees was its new owner, Kifo. He examined the stub of his amputated arm and whistled as he breathed. “A broken body, but this-s one has-s other talents-s-s.”
Amina struggled to reach for the teslatron rifle.
Kifo smiled. “No, I don’t think s-so.” He hopped toward Amina. He kicked the rifle out of her reach. It slid across the grass and stopped a few feet away from Ehrich. The assassin towered over her.
“No!” Ehrich yelled as he looked at the portal.
The iron hand of Ba Tian’s exoskeleton machine emerged through the gateway. Ehrich struggled with the harness, but he was trapped.
Kifo straddled Amina and began to choke her. She tried to kick him off, but she was too weak. “Help,” she gasped.
Another iron hand emerged through the portal. Ba Tian was coming back into the dimension.
“Get off!” Amina screamed and kicked at the assassin, but she had little energy left. He cocked his head to one side, examining her eyes.
Ehrich squirmed to escape from the cockpit harness. Then he forced himself to relax. He took a deep breath, then arched his back and squeezed in his stomach as he contorted himself out. He was able to lower his right shoulder enough to slip it out, then he raised his arm and slipped the other harness strap off the left shoulder. The jagged edges of the cockpit shield cut into the palms of his hand as he gripped the sides and hauled himself free. But his leg was caught. He kicked, but he couldn’t slip out of the twisted harness.
Ba Tian’s cockpit was now visible. Ehrich kicked his leg once more to shake off the leather restraints and reached out to grab the teslatron that was inches away, but he couldn’t get it.
“I have no idea why, but your orbs-s look delectable,” Kifo said as he squeezed Amina’s delicate throat.
Ehrich gave in to the harness and let his foot relax as he pushed it down. The strap went slack and he slipped his foot out. He crawled out from under the unit and stretched across the ground to grab the rifle. He turned it on Kifo, but stopped when he saw Ba Tian’s machine emerge fully from the portal.
That moment, Tesla’s words rang in his ears: “Any device can be turned into a weapon, when you are desperate.” He had one shot at this, and he couldn’t waste it.
He hurled the rifle directly under the iron foot of Ba Tian’s machine as it was coming down. Ba Tian’s iron foot stepped on the teslatron and the weight crushed the gun.
An explosion rocked the ground. Ehrich’s ears rang from the blast, and he had to blink away the bright light. The concussive force drove Ba Tian back into the other dimension, and the branches of electricity that flew off the rifle lit up the gateway, causing it to close in on itself. In an instant, the portal was gone and so was Ba Tian.
Ehrich glanced over to Amina. She was prone on the ground. There was no sign of the assassin. Ehrich scanned the grave markers—the explosion must have knocked Kifo off his friend. A few feet away lay Ning Shu and Hakeem. He started crawling toward them, but he then he spotted the body of his brother. The two years they had been apart now felt like a speck of time. He crawled to his brother’s still form, picked up the limp boy, and cradled his head in his arms.
“Dash,” he croaked. “Wake up. It’s me. Ehrich.”
No answer. Ehrich passed his hand under his brother’s nose and felt a waft of air. He was alive. Ehrich scanned the graveyard for Kifo, but he was gone. Ehrich closed his eyes and tried to listen for his brother’s voice. Nothing.
OCTOBER 23, 1890 NEW YORK WORLD
DEMON GATE
UNDER ATTACK
New York, Oct. 23 – Authorities are still investigating the incident that occurred on Devil’s Island three nights ago. It is believed that Dimensionals attacked Demon Gate, the facility tasked with processing new immigrants from other realms.
The identity of the instigators is currently unknown, but authorities have discovered evidence of advanced weapons technology employed in the attack. Twelve Devil’s Island guards were seriously injured. Commander George Farrier is missing and presumed dead.
This incident marks the first ever assault on the facility that keeps New York safe from the Dimensionals. The mayor has called for a full review of Demon Gate and has appointed Thomas Edison as commissioner to oversee the investigation.
Hope Rises
“Stare at the newspaper any longer and your eyes are going to fall out,” Mr. Serenity quipped.
Ehrich looked up. “Don’t you think it’s curious the article doesn’t mention Mr. Tesla? By now someone must have made their way down to Ninth Circle. Do you think he’s all right?”
“If he’s half the man you described, I’m sure he’s having a grand old time with Amina’s device.” Mr. Serenity set plates and utensils on the table.
“With Thomas Edison in charge, I’m sure Mr. Tesla is in for a miserable time.”
“Then maybe your friend needs a break from Devil’s Island,” Mr. Serenity said.
“They’ll have guards watching him ‘round the clock.”
“Nothing is impossible,” Mr. Serenity said, smiling enigmatically. “Now, help me set three more chairs around the table.”
The teen stood, folding his newspaper and tucking it under his arm as he grabbed a chair to add to the two already at the table. Mr. Serenity added two more, bringing the total to five.
Amina entered, carrying two steaming bowls. One was filled with golden yellow corn kernels; the other had purple broccoli-like florets bobbing in an aromatic brown broth. She set them both on the table then gestured to Ehrich and Mr. Serenity. “Sit, please.”
As Ehrich took his seat, he asked, “So, what’s this?”
Amina stirred the corn with a wooden spoon. “This is mahindaize. Like the corn of your dimension—only sweeter. And this dish is hzintalli. The closest dish would b
e what you call stew. Hzintalli translates to hearty and filling.”
“What’s the occasion?” Ehrich asked.
“We stopped Ba Tian from destroying another dimension. I think this is cause enough for a shared meal,” Mr. Serenity said.
“We?” Amina said, raising an eyebrow at her mentor.
“You did the heavy lifting, but I was there in spirit.”
She rolled her eyes and left the room.
Ehrich nodded to the fifth empty chair and asked, “Mr. Serenity, who else is joining us?”
“Ning Shu.”
“That makes four. Who is the fifth chair for? Wait. Did you have any success with Dash?”
He shook his head as he rested his elbows on the table’s smooth black surface. “Sorry, Ehrich. Your brother is still in the cryogenic incubator.”
Ehrich pictured his brother looking serene in the glass sarcophagus, where Mr. Serenity had hooked a cable to a generator which chilled Dash’s body to freezing temperatures and temporarily suspended his bodily functions.
“Son, you do understand there’s only one cure for his condition,” Mr. Serenity said. “We must find Kifo and—”
“I know, I know,” Ehrich interjected. “We have to convince him to release Dash from the Infinity Coil.”
“And I don’t think Kifo will be amenable to our request.”
Ehrich would rather face those insurmountable odds than give up on his brother again. His guilt was a scab on his conscience, healing slowly, but only if he didn’t pick at it. As his mentor Tesla had advised, he could let the past inform who he was, but he couldn’t let his guilt dictate his life. If he failed to save his brother, it would not be from lack of effort. “You said it yourself, Mr. Serenity. Nothing is impossible.”
The stout man clapped his meaty hand on Ehrich’s shoulder. “Bravo. I like your spirit, son.”
“So, who is our fifth guest, sir?”
“Ning Shu asked for a fifth place, that’s all she said.”
Amina returned, carrying a dish covered with a white tea towel. Behind her, Ning Shu cradled a mask—Hakeem’s face cast in burnished copper. The contours of the metal mask had been moulded properly to match Hakeem’s high cheekbones and wide forehead, but the details of the arch of his eyebrows and the mole on the side of his nose were handcrafted with painstaking care by someone who knew his face intimately. Ning Shu gently placed the death mask on the table in front of the empty chair. The fifth guest had arrived.
