by J. L. Lyon
Liz closed her eyes, feeling certain doom pronounced with those words. So, Specter was there after all. She took a deep breath and raised her voice to address the bridge, “Everyone, listen up! An unknown number of Specters have infiltrated the Infallible and are currently disguised as Imperial soldiers. They most certainly know of the Blackout device by now, and their objective will be to sabotage our attack by destroying our advantage. What floor is the device on?”
“It’s in the cargo hold,” an officer replied.
Liz unclipped Ignis from her side, and the sight of the red Gladius caused all in the vicinity to shrink from her. “Alert the ship of possible hostiles on board, and have three squads of your best men meet me at the aft cabin. The Blackout device must remain active, gentlemen, or this ship and every man on it may very well end this day on the bottom of the sea.
“Captain, you have the bridge. Fire the torpedoes when ready.”
-X-
“We’re nearing the center of the ship,” Derek whispered as he and 301 crept across the cargo hold, trying their best to remain inconspicuous as they passed several men in white uniforms going about their duties. “The jamming equipment should be close, if we chose the right place.”
Through the deepening darkness of the deck 301 saw flashes of a familiar blue light at the end of the hallway, “Why do you think it’s so dark this way?”
“Not sure,” Derek replied. “Maybe the power consumed by the jamming equipment is sucking juice from the area around here as well. To be honest, creating a jamming field this strong would take a power source the magnitude of which I’ve never—”
Derek fell silent as the two of them rounded a corner, his attention totally diverted to the incredible sight that lay before them. His mouth hung open in horrified astonishment as they slowly advanced to the center of the deck, the low fluorescent light giving way to an eerie blue.
It was not something 301 had never seen before, yet it was the very last thing he expected to find on board this ship. On top of a white stone pedestal, held by a three-pronged device composed of a special titanium alloy, was a fiery blue sphere. As they got closer 301 thought it looked like a miniature version of the sun, aside from the static electricity that cycled around it continually. The three-pronged device absorbed some of this current and sent it in various directions, giving power to the entire ship. It was the same kind of orb beside which Jacob Sawyer had met his death: a Fusiosphere.
“They did it,” Derek said breathlessly. “They mastered Solithium fusion.”
301 remembered his encounter with the head of research and development just before the battle at the Weapons Manufacturing Facility. When questioned about the glowing blue ball, Doctor Ryder had told them that the Fusiosphere was a long way from being put to practical use, as the fusion reaction could not be contained more than a couple of days. But here it was, operating in perfect stasis.
He knew this would have far-reaching implications for the System’s strategy in the war, but he turned his attention to the more immediate crisis, “So how do we destroy it?”
“I don’t know,” Derek shook his head. “But whatever we do, we need to move fast. There might not be any personnel stationed here, but I’m sure a patrol will come by eventually.”
“Somehow I doubt a Spectral Gladius is going to be much use,” 301 looked around and saw that only one computer console was still in operation. He rushed to it and let his fingers fly over the controls, searching for anything that might help them. After a few seconds the word Fusiosphere caught his eye, and he selected it. Schematics detailing the sphere and the design of its pedestal appeared on the screen, and his first thought was to level the playing field. He turned to his partner, “We need to copy these files and get them back to the System. If we can’t duplicate this technology it will only be a matter of time before they’re able to do something like this again.”
Derek’s attention, however, was no longer on the sphere. His eyes had shifted in the direction from which they had come, wide with a look 301 knew all too well. “I seriously doubt we have time for that.” 301 followed his gaze.
The rifle-mounted lights of fifty assault weapons crisscrossed in the corridor, headed straight for them.
-X-
“Torpedoes away. Impact in two minutes.”
“Shift your lock to the three destroyers flanking the Detriment,” Infallible’s captain ordered. Then fire another volley.”
“Yes, sir,” the tactical officer replied. “Shifting coordinates. First volley still on target, impact in one minute, forty-five seconds.”
“XO, draw up contingency plans for a full invasion of Division One. Going up the Potomac may no longer be an option.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Second volley away,” the tactical officer announced. “Enemy squadron is maintaining course. They do not seem to have picked up the first volley of torpedoes, even though they have passed outside the jamming radius.”
The bridge was silent for several seconds as the XO studied the alternate invasion plans laid out by Infallible’s computer. Once his eyes stopped scanning, he looked up and said grimly, “Captain, initial tactical calculations indicate there are no contingencies that will end in the successful siege of Alexandria. All avenues aside from the Potomac will fail to break through Division One’s defense, even with the jamming equipment still active.”
Cursing, the captain walked over to the screen to see the calculations for himself. Hundreds of different landing sites were listed, all with the glaring words Projected Failure off to the side.
“Ten seconds until first volley impact. Nine, eight, seven…”
5
“GRAND ADMIRAL, THE HALO-4 you requested is ready to take you up to investigate the blackout zone. Still no word from our fleet of Halos that went in just a few minutes ago.”
“Keep trying,” Donalson ordered. “Take command of the Detriment while I am in the air, Admiral Fox, and contact me if you see anything.” He left the command bridge and descended to the flagship’s deck where the Halo-4 waited. He stepped inside and motioned for the pilot to take off, and the vessel lifted into the air with relatively little turbulence. Donalson looked out over the sea through the open hatch of the hovercraft, squinting at three very thin strands racing through the water straight toward the Detriment. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing, but once he did his first reaction was self-preservation, “Pull up!”
The pilot of the Halo looked back at him in confusion, “Sir?”
“Pull up!” Donalson screamed. “Get us into the sky!”
The Halo ascended rapidly as the three strands drew nearer to the bow of the Detriment. Then all three torpedoes slammed into the vessel with crushing force, and the mere sound of it hurt the grand admiral’s ears. Several seconds passed without the expected explosion, and Donalson mustered up the courage to gaze out the door beneath them.
All three torpedoes detonated simultaneously, and the force of their explosion ripped the Detriment to shreds. Grand Admiral Donalson could feel the heat on his face as the fiery cloud of the flagship’s destruction launched itself into the sky. Debris collided with the adjacent battleship, and scattered fires broke out all over the deck. The battleship lurched in the water from the shockwave of the blast, and Donalson could tell from his position above that the vessel had begun to take on water.
He looked up at the horizon to see three more torpedoes racing toward the patrol fleet, more spread out than the first volley. He pressed a finger to his earphone and shouted, “Three more torpedoes approaching from the south! All vessels, take evasive maneuvers!”
But it was too late. Each of the three torpedoes hit a destroyer at the head of the fleet in like fashion, delaying explosion until they had penetrated through the hull. One torpedo was enough to make quick work of the smaller ships.
Donalson tore his eyes from the charred and sinking ruin of the patrol fleet, and looked out the Halo’s forward window, “What’s going
on? Who has this kind of firepower?”
“I’ve got nothing on radar,” the pilot replied. “But only a Tetra-class ship can wreak this kind of destruction.”
“There’s only one Tetra-class ship in the world, and she belongs to us,” Donalson spat.
The Halo rose high enough in the sky to where the enemy could be seen on the horizon, and Donalson’s eyes flared with anger. Infallible raced forward in the center of a small convoy, her distinctive size making the ship recognizable even from miles away.
The pilot frowned as he looked back at the fuming grand admiral, “With respect, sir, it would appear she doesn’t—not anymore.”
-X-
Derek drew his sidearm and fired several rounds at the advancing soldiers. Many took shelter along the walls, but most surged forward even as the bullets killed the men beside them. Derek yelled over the cacophony of his own gunfire, “Shut it down now! We have to get out of here!”
301’s fingers flew desperately over the controls of the console just as one of the imperial soldiers came within range and opened fire. The bullets ricocheted throughout the room, forcing Derek to dive out of the way and roll to his feet right next to 301 before returning fire. “Come on, Captain! Shut it down!”
“I’m trying!” he yelled. “Surely you didn’t think this would be as simple as pressing a…” a flashing box suddenly appeared on the screen containing the words Emergency Shutdown, “…button.” Could it really be that easy?
Another soldier opened fire and Derek screamed, “Do it!”
301 pressed the button, and a loud resonance forced him to cover his ears. He looked back at the fiery blue sphere and saw it begin to shrink. The electricity surrounding it grew brighter, forcing the sun-like object back into nothingness. A small shockwave reverberated throughout the room as the sphere disappeared with a pop, throwing Derek and 301 back against the computer console and to the floor. Luckily, it also threw the soldiers coming after them into disarray. Without the Fusiosphere, the only lights were the weak beams on their rifle-mounts.
301 grabbed Derek by the collar and pulled him to his feet, “Let’s go. We’ll have to find another way out.”
“We can take them, Captain! There’s less than fifty of them. In battle Specters are worth—”
“I know the statistics!” 301 interrupted angrily as they ran around a corner and passed out of the range of the gunfire. “But there are thousands of men on this ship…do you think we can take them all? Just a minute ago you said we needed to get out of here! Now keep going—that’s an order!”
The corridor was empty all the way to the stair, which suggested to 301 that the Imperials were planning to make a stand in the open on the main deck. Static sounded in 301’s ear as they ascended, followed by Admiral McCall’s voice, “Specter Captain, I’ve been trying to reach you for over half an hour! Where are you?”
“Uh…” 301 fought the urge to laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. “We’re on the Infallible. They had some sort of highly advanced jamming equipment. We were able to disable it, but our way out was blocked. We’re looking for another way out now.”
“Central Command just issued a red alert for Division One,” the admiral said. “Apparently a convoy of eight enemy ships has appeared as though from thin air in the Chesapeake. Are you telling me you are on one of those vessels?”
“We are, sir,” 301 said breathlessly. “And we could really use some support here.”
“Halos are lifting off as we speak,” McCall told him. “We’re hoping the Halos can keep the convoy at bay until the Atlantic fleet can come up behind them. Is there any way you can get off the ship?”
301 sighed with frustration, “Yes, but I’d rather not get shot to pieces in the process.”
“Hold tight, Captain,” McCall said with a slight waver in his voice. “Help is on the way.”
301 switched off his earpiece as they reached the door to the main deck, and he relayed what he had learned to his partner, “Central Command is sending in the cavalry. McCall says they’re coming to help us, but I know better. If we’re still on this ship by the time they arrive, we’ll be just as much a target as the traitors.”
“Figures,” Derek sighed. “Okay…once we get outside this door it will be about fifty meters to the aft railing. Summoning the Halo-4 will buy us a few extra seconds, but we will still have to fight our way through the patrols on the main deck.”
301 drew Calumnior and felt comforted as it came to life in a flash of white, “We stand a much better chance if we fight together. Create a whirlwind attack—if we can make them back off for even a few moments to regroup, that may be all the time we need.”
“Don’t worry, Captain,” Derek smiled. “In less than an hour we’ll be laughing about this whole thing.”
“Let’s hope so,” 301 nodded. “It’s now or never.”
“Ready when you are.”
301 hesitated for one second more, then pushed open the door and plunged forward onto the main deck. The Specters ran as fast as their legs would take them toward the aft railing of the ship, Calumnior and Exusia flashing at all imperial patrols that stood in their way. They made it nearly halfway before an imperial squad got the chance to open fire, forcing them to dive out of the way, roll back to their feet, and continue running. In a particularly impressive move, Derek pulled back the hilt of Exusia so that it transformed into its secondary state and fired upon the squad. The ball of energy caused a small explosion behind the imperials, killing some and throwing the rest to the ground. Derek returned Exusia to its primary form just in time to heed 301’s warning, “Look out!”
Another squad filed out in front of them, raising their assault weapons to spray the two with gunfire. 301 felt the impact of two bullets, and for a moment believed he had been hit. But then he realized that he had caught them on the flat of his blade. Not having time to be impressed with himself, he allowed the momentum to carry him forward as Calumnior flashed, piercing metal and flesh with extraordinary precision and speed while Exusia wreaked the same havoc beside him. Gunfire continued to sound, but the bullets only found their mark in other imperial soldiers and in the hull of the ship. One volley hit a pressurized tank not far from the center of the fight, and the explosion threw several imperials aside.
It was an organized chaos. Derek and 301 moved like phantoms, never in the same place for more than a split second, leading the soldiers to believe they were dealing with far more than just two men. So at last they retreated from the white fury of the advancing Specters to regroup—exactly what 301 had hoped for.
The aft railing was now only a few meters away, and one final line of white uniforms stood in their path. 301’s grip on Calumnior tightened as they drew nearer, and he pulled back in readiness to strike. Then Derek took a sudden tumble just behind him, falling to the deck as his blade slipped out of reach.
“Hold it right there, 301!”
The Specter Captain stopped, immediately recognizing the voice that addressed him. He turned to see Liz standing over Derek with a gun to his head, her hair carried softly by the breeze. The Specter Captain’s words were biting, “This is the second time you have betrayed me, Liz, but even I didn’t think you would go this far.”
“I really am sorry, 301,” Liz replied. “But Sullivan has something I need, and I can’t let anyone stand in my way…not even you. You’ve done well today, but it ends here.”
Derek shook his head, indicating that 301 should go and just leave him behind, but the Specter Captain couldn’t live with that. His gaze swept across the soldiers that surrounded them, and he built a plan of attack in his mind.
“Don’t do it, 301,” Liz warned, reading his subtle movements like an open book. “You have experienced for yourself that Sullivan is a more merciful man than Napoleon Alexander. He helped you, protected you in a time of need, while Alexander would have had you tortured and killed. Perhaps now is your chance to return the favor.”
“So that’s what thi
s was all about?” 301 demanded, trying to buy more time. “All this time you’ve just been manipulating me?”
“Don’t play the righteous card with me, 301!” her eyes flashed. “I was prepared to give up everything for you, but I should have known I could never overcome what you feel for that rebel slave! I thought helping you set her free would get her out of the way and endear me to you, but now I see it was all a waste. Even in her absence she casts a shadow over you, and you only turned to me because you couldn’t be with her. So yes, I used you…but you used me, too.”
“Then let’s end this here,” 301 offered. “Release Derek, and we all go our separate ways. Now that the jamming equipment is destroyed I’d say you have bigger problems.”
“I can’t let you leave here, not after what you’ve done.”
“Liz, please. Don’t make me kill you.”
“Do it, Captain!” Derek urged from his place on the deck. “Take her down!”
Liz pressed the gun harder against the back of Derek’s head, “Shut up, Blaine! It won’t take much convincing for me to put a bullet in your brain.”
301 looked her straight in the eye, knowing the time to act had come. “This is your last chance, Liz.”
“Make your move, 301. You’re surrounded and your partner is unarmed at my mercy. If this were chess, we’d call it a checkmate.”
301 smiled, “You should examine the board more closely.” He raised his Spectral Gladius, pulling back on the hilt to transform it into its secondary form even as he leveled it at Liz’s chest and squeezed the trigger. Her eyes grew wide and she dove quickly out of the way, unconcerned with killing Derek while only a breath away from death herself. 301 kicked a sidearm from one of the fallen imperials toward Derek, who scooped it up and began firing at the soldiers as he launched forward for his Gladius.
