They entered the Alien Quarantine Zone.
46
Horlastia's anger simmered as the two dwarves, a male and a female, softly conversed, their heads bent over the Culling Machine's control console. They had been seeing to the final calibrations for hours now, and Horlastia was ready to spew fire. This is ridiculous. That senile old dwarf Kulm would have been done in a fraction of the time these two fools take. "How much longer?" she demanded.
Their heads darted up in fright, their ugly eyes wide. Neither was a true technomancer. There were none left now that Kulm was dead and Kargin escaped. These two had only been journeymen when their race was culled, but they were all she had now. Damn you, a thousand times, Tlathia.
"S-Soon, great mistress," stammered the male, a grubby runt with his beard and head shaved, which only made him uglier—if such a thing were possible.
"If the calibration is off," said the female, "we may cull animals as well as the manlings."
"And? What do I care if sheep and birds are culled?"
"Yes, great mistress," simpered the female, a thin, gawky creature with an oversized nose and red hair tied into a long ponytail that reached her ankles.
Horlastia turned away, shivering in disgust. Spider-Mother, the females are truly hideous, worse than the males. Perhaps after we cull the manlings, we can dispense with the remnants of the dwarves entirely. That pleasant thought sent a shiver of anticipation through her.
While the dwarves worked, Horlastia leaned over the railing on the control-console platform, absentmindedly gazing out over the deserted manling homes. Many of the buildings and abandoned chariots had been gutted by fire, but most still stood, silent witnesses to the glory of the fae seelie army. The stench of smoke was still in the air, as was the chemical stench of manling inventions, but in time, the air would become clean once again. Forests will return, the rivers will sparkle, and trees will flourish. We will make this world a paradise again.
A contingent of her mother's elite Storm Guards in their brightly burnished armor stood guard around the perimeter of the machine, their shining swords laid bare against their shoulders in parade rest. Her army, now only some twenty-five thousand strong, were garrisoned about the machine as well. In the air, her mages flew constant patrols. Twice now, the manlings had sent unmanned flying machines to spy upon them, but both had been intercepted and burned from the sky by magic.
Her mother had been correct—the manlings had no stomach for battle, at least for the time being. Seizing the Nexus Star—this place of supreme magical power upon this world—and erecting the machine upon it had been no challenge at all. And this had been the only site where battle had been necessary at all. In all other invasion paths, the manlings had fled the fae seelie forces, pulling back and watching as the fae seelie erected their towers. She shivered in anticipation. Such fools these manlings are, to stand and watch as an enemy attacks.
They deserve their fate.
"Great mistress," said the female dwarf. "The machine is ready for testing."
Horlastia turned and glared at her. "Why test, you cretin? We didn't test when we culled your kind." Just for a moment, Horlastia saw the flash of anger in the dwarf's eyes, hidden a moment later by a mask of subservience. They hide defiance, she realized. The grimworms force obedience but not loyalty. I might have to kill them.
But later—after the culling.
The female dwarf continued, now staring at her feet. "Great mistress … we have not the skill to be certain of our calibrations, not without testing. We've set it to focus upon a small fraction of the manlings, those who should be weakest. If the test works and the Culling Wave holds, then we can recalibrate and run the machine at full strength."
Horlastia sighed. A little longer then. "Do it, but be quick about it."
The male gripped the brass-arming lever on the console but hesitated, his gaze locked upon the female's. She placed her hand over his and nodded sadly. They both drew the lever back, activating the machine. Horlastia felt the surge of magical energy drawn from the Nexus Star vibrate within her bones. She gasped in wonder, her skin flushed, her knees turning to water. The Shatkur Orb atop the golden tower throbbed with a brilliant emerald shade then flashed so brightly, she had to look away. When she could see again, an ever-widening ripple of green energy spread away from the tower, growing and expanding, before disappearing over the horizon.
She stood breathless with excitement, her chest heaving beneath her dragon-scale armor.
The Culling Wave.
ALEX GRIPPED the back of Sharon's seat as she flew the Chinook at treetop level. Kargin, standing up in the copilot's seat, leaned forward, his hands on the glass canopy, his large nose only inches from the glass, as he stared in wonder at the terrain speeding by beneath them. "Now this is something. Far better than wyverns," he said with a tooth-filled grin of delight.
Sharon turned her head and yelled so Alex could hear her over the engine. "Flight Ops is losing their shit. They say if we don't turn back, they'll vector in a Hornet and shoot us down."
"You think they're serious?" he yelled back.
She shrugged. "Don't know, but they sound pissed." She turned her attention back to flying the huge aircraft. "Just know there's nothing I can do to stop a fighter. Can't exactly dogfight with this beast."
Alex leaned over her shoulder, peering up into the sky. He didn't see any other aircraft, but somehow he suspected he wouldn't. "How long before we reach the Magic Kingdom?"
"Less than five minutes, which isn't enough time for a fighter to react … probably. Maybe." She bit her lip.
"Unless Bale-Fire comes after us," said Kargin, his eyes shining with excitement. He sat back down and leaned forward, reaching a thick finger toward the control console and its myriad dials and gauges.
Sharon leaned over and swatted his hand. "Look with your eyes, not your hands."
Kargin grunted.
Alex slipped away and rejoined the others. There were only fifteen people in his strike team, little more than a section … and almost half were civilians. Helena Simmons was … well, she was going to get in the way, but they needed her to get the orb. On the plus side, they had three mag-sens, Paco was an ex-soldier who had already proven himself, and the RCMP officer, Corinna, had been fighting since Fort St. John.
It could always be worse, he thought as his gaze swept over them.
Masters and Paco, SCARs slung over their backs, had taken the two Carl Gustav recoilless rifles and were already inserting rockets into the hinged breeches then swinging them back into place and readying them for use. A tremor of fear coursed through Alex as he watched the two men handle the anti-tank weapons. If one goes off inside the aircraft… On the other hand, if a Hornet shoots us down in the next few minutes, it's not going to make much difference. Dead is dead. Alex joined the two men, resting a hand on Masters's shoulder. "Fingers off the triggers, right?"
Masters shrugged. "Sure."
The others had armed themselves and put on their armored vests with ballistic plates, as well as their helmets. Load-bearing vests filled with ammunition went over the armored vests, making everyone look far larger. Helena looked ridiculous with a SCAR in her hands, and he prayed she didn't shoot herself or anyone else. She met his gaze, her face pale, and he smiled reassuringly at her. Cut her some slack, Alex. She's trying to help.
Corinna approached, holding an armored vest, an MBITR radio set, and a helmet. "Armor up. Everyone else is ready."
He shrugged off his load-bearing vest and held his SCAR between his legs as he slipped the armor over his torso and adjusted the Velcro straps on the side to make sure it was secure. He slipped the MBITR radio into the vest then placed the earphone and mike over his head before strapping the helmet over it. With the vest back on, he made sure he had access to the radio set then nodded at Corinna. "Thanks!" he yelled over the engine whine. "I'm glad the Mounties are with us."
"I wouldn't say I'm glad to be here," she yelled back. "But I guess I had to c
ome." She slipped away, picking up another vest, rifle, and set of armor and carrying them to the cockpit for Sharon.
Swamp Thing knelt near the half-open ramp with his back to Alex, working on something laid out on the fuselage. Alex edged past the others to join him and looked over the large man's shoulder to see the high-explosive warheads from three 84mm rockets—all gun-taped together—lying before him. The fuel casings for the rockets lay discarded nearby, rolling about the fuselage. Swamp Thing was wrapping what looked like an entire roll of det cord around the warheads.
Suddenly, he wasn't that worried about Paco and Masters with hot Carl-Gs.
As the aircraft shuddered, Alex gripped the cargo netting along its hull. Swamp Thing sat back, examining his makeshift bomb. "You sure that's gonna work?" Alex asked.
Swamp Thing flashed a bright-white smile at Alex. "It ain't pretty, but it'll work. All I have time for right now, anyhow—improvise, adapt, overcome." He stuffed the bomb into a large green duffel bag then stood up and slipped his arms through the bag's handles so that it hung from his back. He jumped in place, and Alex's heart leaped into his throat. Swamp Thing barked in laughter. "It'll go off when I want it to go off, and not before." He then picked up a nearby C-9 FN Minimi LMG, checked to make sure the two-hundred-round box of 5.56 ammunition was seated firmly to the weapon's feed, and worked the action, inserting a round into the firing chamber. "Relax, boss. We're probably just fine. Probably."
Alex sighed and turned away. Huck was strapping an odd-looking radio set to her back, the headset draped over one ear. Who's she planning on talking to?
The aircraft's engine altered as Sharon eased back on the throttle.
We're here, he realized, the Magic Kingdom.
Well, at least we're not gonna get shot down by our own pilots.
"Listen up, everyone!" he yelled then waited until they were all looking at him. "We're coming in on a hot LZ. That means the moment we hit the ground, I want you all to run from the aircraft. Stick with the professional soldiers, and you'll be fine. Got it?" He paused, focusing on the civilians, making sure they understood. Helena nodded. Alex met Cassie's eyes. "Can you cloak us again?" he yelled. "Make us invisible?"
She shook her head. "I've got nothing left. Sorry."
He felt his hopes sink, but he smiled reassuringly anyway. "It's all right. We'll manage." As he slipped back toward the cockpit, he saw Cassie hold the Brace out to Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH STARED AT THE BRACE.
Take it, Cassie told her through the link. If that dragon is waiting for us, we'll need you to fight it.
Elizabeth shook her head no. With trembling fingers, she pulled the crown from her head, severing the link. Cassie stared at her in confusion then removed her own crown. Leela watched them both, her eyes narrowing.
Cassie leaned in and put her lips next to Elizabeth's ear. "What's going on?"
"You don't understand," Elizabeth answered. "I … I can't fight the dragon, even with the Brace. I tried once already, but it's too strong for me. And … and with all the fire ... I … I don't trust myself—can't trust myself. You keep it."
Cassie sat back, her face crestfallen. She reached out with both hands and pulled Elizabeth's head in toward her, once more placing her lips near Elizabeth's ear. "Elizabeth, I'm burned out. I just don't have anything left. And while Leela's hell at shields, she can't do anything else yet. You're a fighter. That's what you do. It has to be you."
"I can't." Elizabeth shook her head and pulled back. In her mind, she saw the flames again, saw Clara burn, and remembered the horror of almost burning to death herself a year earlier. "I just can't."
Surprise filled Cassie's blue eyes, replaced a moment later by determination. She turned in her seat, gripped both of Elizabeth's shoulders, and turned her to face her. "You have to. I know you're in pain. I know you've been dying inside since Clara died. But you have to face this fear. You're stronger than that."
Something broke inside Elizabeth, and all her pain rushed to the surface. "I can't!" Elizabeth shook her head, tears running down her face. "You don't understand. God has… He's abandoned me—because … because of Clara. He's taken everything I love, my family, Clara, everything."
Cassie placed her forehead against Elizabeth's. "Liz, honey, listen to me. I've never told you this because—with all honesty—you can be a real pain in the ass, but you're also the strongest person I know. I admit, a year ago, I wanted to kick the shit out of you, but you're a different person now. Stronger, better—and it's because of Clara. Don't be an idiot. Why would God be mad at you for being in love?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No. You don't understand. I sinned. I lived outside God's laws. That's why Clara died. It's my fault."
She tried to pull back, but Cassie held her tight. "No, it's not! Clara died for the same reason my sister died, because a monster killed her—not you, not God. If God is real, if He's love—like you're always saying—why give you someone like Clara, give you love, then punish you for it?"
"He… I…"
"I'm so sorry for Clara, but you're a far better person for having had her in your life. Don't you see that? You can do this thing. You need to."
"I … I don't."
Now Cassie had tears in her eyes. "Damn it, Liz! When an atheist has to give you religious advice, it really is the end of the world. Maybe—just maybe—God gave you Clara for a reason. Maybe the love you shared is all part of His plan for you. Aren't you always going on about God's plan? If He made you the way you are—arrogant, frustrating, and all too often a holier-than-thou pain in the ass—then He also made you kind, loving, and courageous as shit. Elizabeth Chambers, you took on and killed the basilisk by yourself. You can help us fight a dragon. I know you can. Love can't be a sin. It just can't."
Once again, Cassie held out the Brace. Elizabeth stared at it. Is she right? Is who I am part of His plan? "I … I'm not sure I can."
"None of us is sure. We fight because we have to."
The aircraft banked sharply and began to descend.
Once again, Cassie held out the Brace, and once again, Elizabeth pushed it aside. She shook her head. "I have another—"
Mana—such as she had never felt in her life before—swept through her, causing her, Cassie, and Leela to gasp for air. The world seemed to spin about her.
AZAMI FURUYA, a seventy-year-old retired bus driver and volunteer caregiver at the Coping Hearts old-age home in Tokyo, carefully opened the door to the ward that housed the two dozen most elderly residents, several of whom were more than a hundred years old. Azami, who had no family of her own to take care of her, knew one day she would be a patient here herself, so she took to her duties with unmatched compassion, determined to help these poor souls pass on to the next life with as much peace and dignity as possible. A bright-green light seemed to flash in the sky through the corridor's window, but a moment later, the sky was clear again.
That was odd, she thought. Like a firework.
Edging the door aside with her hip, she slipped into the ward holding a tray containing plastic cups filled with pills—
And froze in confusion.
The ward was empty. The television still blared away, a commentator talking about the recent alien incursions and miracles that people were working, but the chairs in front of the television—always occupied by residents—were empty, holding only bathrobes and pajamas. Other sets of clothing sat about on the floor like a teenager's bedroom.
Azami set her tray on a table and, her panic mounting, stumbled down the ward, looking in each room, seeing nothing but empty beds, the sheets rumpled.
Had she somehow missed a fire drill or other evacuation?
No. That wasn't possible.
Many of these patients were bedridden, not ambulatory. Hospital workers would have needed to take them out in wheelchairs or on gurneys, and Azami wouldn't have missed that.
It was as if they had simply ceased to exist.
Then she saw there were … things amongst the
discarded clothing. A queasy feeling washed through her as she stared at an object almost covered by an adult diaper. She bent down on creaking knees and gingerly pushed the diaper aside, revealing a small silver disk, no larger than her thumb, with two clear plastic cables several inches in length running from it.
It was a pacemaker.
47
What the hell was that?" asked Sharon as a green wave of light swept over the aircraft. A moment later, the sky had returned to its bright blue, with wisps of cloud cover. Her helmeted head swept about as she tried to track the wave.
"Don't know," said Alex from behind her, feeling decidedly uneasy. "It reminded me of the northern lights, but like they were moving outward. I've never seen anything like that."
"I have … once," said Kargin in a small voice. "We'd best hurry, or—"
Just then, they shot over the last of the forested land below them and flew out over the charred remains of burned woodland. The terrain to their front was even more alarming—blackened and melted, with ash swirling in their wake. "Son of a bitch," said Sharon softly as she eased back on the throttle, slowing the helicopter down. "I knew it would be bad, but…"
"Aye," said Kargin. "This is Bale-Fire's work. The wyrm's breath even burns stone. Nothing will ever grow here again."
"Do a pass before landing," said Alex. Off balance from his armor and gear, he gripped a bulkhead as she banked the aircraft, circling the devastation below.
The Magic Kingdom had been hidden within the Site C Dam infrastructure along the Peace River, but little remained now of the base Alex had once called home. All the buildings were gone, leaving nothing for a kilometer in all directions but a charred ruin. The headquarters, mess hall, gym, and even the massive hangar that had once held the USAF Osprey aircraft were now gone, leaving only the blackened frames where they had once stood. Only the dam itself remained intact, with its huge lake-like reservoir. As they flew over the reservoir, the bright afternoon sun reflected from the waters, blinding him. One monster did this. It seemed impossible. The forest that had once surrounded the base was now charred ruins for kilometers. In some places, smoke still drifted from the trees, despite the heavy rainfall the night before.
Gunz (The Dark Elf War Book 2) Page 38
