by Chris Fox
He’d always wanted to know the origins of mankind, and many of those answers lay in this room. Yet if he were successful in the next few minutes he’d be blowing it up, denying the world of all the precious secrets it contained.
“Better speed this up,” Liz called, darting a nervous glance back the way they’d come. Her wolfish ears twitched. “I hear something behind us. I’m guessing whatever it is, it isn’t friendly.”
Blair blurred down the walkway, crossing the the gap to the control locus in a couple seconds. He skidded to a halt next to the platform, stepping onto it as he examined the crystal. There was a sort of socket at the base, one that looked about the right size and shape for the base of the Primary Access Key.
Behold, Ka-Dun. This is the very place where the Mother brought our species into being, the place where she first crafted the virus that gave birth to the deathless. It is here that she became more than a simple woman, adopting the first Ka to become the first Ka-Ken.
Blair extended his hand, summoning the key. He reverently placed the base in the socket with a satisfying click. There was a thrum of energy in the staff, which flowed down into the man-sized aquamarine. The gem began to pulse with light, and the giant counterpart in the center pulsed in time.
He sensed a vast array of data, some of it incomprehensible, but much of it readily identifiable. In that instant Blair understood why this place was called an Ark, and why this room was called the repository. It was a genetic repository, and he was seeing every species this place had ever catalogued. Their DNA was stored here, to be drawn upon by a shaper like him. He could create entirely new life forms, or return ones that had been long extinct to the world.
Yet that was only the surface of what this room could be used for. It tapped into every system in the Ark, and the enormous power reservoir driving the place lay directly under the giant aquamarine.
“Blair!” He heard Liz’s frantic voice as if across a vast gulf. “We’ve got company. Whatever you’re going to do, you need to do it now.”
Blair looked up from the staff, glancing at the entrance to the room. Several figures had burst in, and were charging along the railing in their direction. Several familiar figures. Jordan and Wepwawet were in the lead, then Irakesh, with Steve predictably bringing up the rear.
“There’s no way I can finish before they get here,” Blair said, shifting as he spoke. “We’re going to have to deal with them first, then I can set this place to self-destruct.”
“Guess it’s a fight then,” Trevor said, slipping into the shadows. “I’ll deal with Irakesh. Liz, see if you can keep the armor out of the fight while Blair deals with Steve.”
Blair gave a grim smile, removing the key and aiming it at the walkway. He summoned the same energy he’d used back on Object 3, firing a trio of blue pulses at the lead armored figure. As expected, the armor dodged out of the way—but, also as expected, that left an opening for Liz.
A nine-foot auburn werewolf burst from the shadows, seizing the first suit of ebony armor by one leg and flinging it over the side into the valley below. The second set drew a bead on her, but by the time a pair of missiles corkscrewed from the shoulder launcher she’d already disappeared. They detonated harmlessly against the wall, cracking several of the aquamarines and extinguishing their light.
Blair blurred, sprinting along the narrow railing as he glided toward their enemies. Irakesh vanished into the shadows, but Trevor would deal with him. That left a clear path to Steve. Blair saw red.
Chapter 76- Free
Jordan tumbled off the railing, falling for what seemed like forever before crashing to the hard ground below. The blow caused warning klaxons inside the armor as still more red appeared on the paper doll. Several systems were now listed as nonfunctional, and many, many more were listed as critical.
Above he could see the two sides squaring off against each other, Blair, Liz and Trevor engaging Wepwawet, Irakesh, and Steve. If this had been a movie the armor would have forced him to fight his friends, but he’d somehow have escaped at the last minute. The good guys would win, and the critics would lambaste the movie as being predictable. Particularly because Trevor had done the same thing back in San Francisco.
Fortunately, Jordan had been planning for this for some time. The armor made him a prisoner. It could exert control over his nervous system, and would resist any attempt to remove or damage it. Even with all the punishment it had endured he still couldn’t override that basic control.
So he did something the designers had probably never expected. Jordan concentrated, forming a skin-tight bubble of telekinetic energy around himself. It was a much smaller, more tightly controlled version of the bubble he’d used to save everyone from the nuclear blast back in San Francisco. Once Jordan had created the bubble, he began expanding it outward with all the strength he could muster.
He gritted his teeth, pushing harder, and harder. At first the armor refused to give. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, and he could feel the vein in his temple throbbing. He pushed harder. Harder still. There was a groan as a seam popped, then another. The groan became a shriek as multiple seams began to give. Metallic fragments sprayed out in all directions, littering the ground for dozens of yards. Jordan grinned like a fool, giving a whoop of joy.
Well done, Ka-Dun. You have freed us from the armor’s demonic taint. You are a true warrior, worthy of your bloodline.
“You know what? I actually missed having a psychotic beast in my head,” Jordan said, laughing out loud and giving another whoop.
He reached up to feel the golden collar along his neck, probing with his fingers until he found the catch. The collar came loose, and he dropped it to the ground triumphantly. He was fucking free, and it was time to dish out some god damned payback.
Chapter 77- Turning the Tide
Trevor crouched in the shadows, waiting. He knew how this would go, because he could see the bracelet on Steve’s wrist. Steve was about to be attacked by Blair. He’d force Irakesh to intervene, and the second that happened Trevor would attack Irakesh. Irakesh had to know that too, and the real question was how would the deathless react? He was older and stronger than anyone else here, save Wepwawet. Trevor had no idea how old the wolf-headed god was, but that wasn’t his problem. Hopefully Liz could hold him until they could help her.
Blair blurred past Trevor, kicking up a wind as he moved along the railing. He’d nearly reached Steve when a familiar green glow came from a spot behind Blair. Trevor blurred as well, launching himself at Irakesh. He caught his former master around the midsection, and they went down in a tangle of limbs.
Irakesh gave off a pulse of green light, one Trevor had seen him use before. Trevor faded to mist, allowing the light to pass harmlessly over him. He phased back to solid form, swiping at Irakesh’s face with his claws…and his hand passed harmlessly through the illusionary version of his former master.
Trevor wasn’t surprised when Irakesh’s fist emerged from his chest, or when a booted foot kicked him to the smooth metal walkway He was surprised when no followup attack came.
“Get up,” Irakesh snarled. Trevor heard the rasp of a sword leaving its sheath. “You’re wearing a blade. If I’m going to kill you, I’ll do it with steel. Come, learn what a true master can do.”
Trevor rolled to his feet, drawing his own sword. The long slender blade felt at home in his hand, more than a gun ever had.
“No blurring, no illusions. You know I can best you in both those arenas anyway. I have every advantage. Die like a true deathless, Trevor,” Irakesh said, gliding forward on the balls of his feet. Trevor moved to meet him, blocking Irakesh’s probing strike. He parried a second and third strike as well, each coming more quickly than the last.
“You don’t have to do this,” Trevor said, attempting a low slash at Irakesh’s knee. The deathless batted it casually aside. “I know you hate Steve. Serving your mother is one thing, but Set? Join us, Irakesh. We should be fighting on the same side.”
Irakesh followed up immediately, burying his weapon in Trevor’s chest. Trevor felt a moment of terror, but then remembered the sword wasn’t sunsteel. Irakesh couldn’t drain his life. Trevor planted both legs in his former master’s midsection, launching the deathless into the wall as the sword pulled loose with a popping sound.
“Die. Just die, you worm,” Irakesh screeched, launching another attack. As Irakesh rushed toward him, Trevor saw something blonde flash in the corner of his vision. A male werewolf landed on the railing. Jordan raised a hand, palm facing Irakesh.
A wave of invisible force blasted Irakesh into the wall with a sickening crunch. Irakesh was pinned, the force remaining as Jordan hopped down and walked over to Trevor.
“Get up, you lazy fuck. We have work to do,” the Commander offered Trevor a hand. Trevor took it, allowing Jordan to help him to his feet.
“Took you long enough,” Trevor said, smiling in spite of himself.
Chapter 78- Desperate Gamble
Wepwawet was both stronger and faster than Liz. His armor made him damn hard to hurt, and her only advantage seemed to be that the armor was hideously damaged. If it had been anywhere near full strength, she’d have already been dead.
A metallic fist crumpled the railing next to her, and she rolled away from the followup blow as the other fist smashed a dent into the walkway where she’d been standing.
If you wish to win, then you must use the blade, Ka-Ken. Your only prayer is draining his life essence.
“And how the hell am I supposed to do that?” Liz growled, flipping into the air over Wepwawet. She gathered the shadows around her, bounding off the wall to change the angle of her flight. Good thing, too.
A trio of wickedly sharp claws erupted from an armored fist, smashing several crystals in the wall where she’d have been if she hadn’t altered course. They flickered and died, creating more of the shadows that were her only advantage. Liz responded by summoning the curved blade Blair had given her, landing in a crouch as the weapon coalesced in her right hand. It was smaller than her previous sword but, because it weighed less, it was also faster.
She lunged forward, ramming the weapon between the plates around Wepwawet’s elbow. He roared in pain, blurring. She never even saw the backhand that smashed her away from her quarry. Her jawbone shattered and her head rang from the blow. Liz shook her head to clear it, willing her face to mend and fighting desperately to retain her grip on her weapon.
Through the heart, Ka-Ken. It is the only way.
Through the heart. How the hell was she going to land a blow like that? Doing so would open her up to a vicious counterattack, and once those armored hands wrapped around her she knew she’d never escape. But maybe she didn’t have to.
Liz gave a tight smile, launching a frontal assault. She batted one arm out of the way, then buried her sword right through the armored chest. Wepwawet might have been able to stop the blow, but as she’d expected he was more focused on catching her. Impossibly strong arms wrapped around her chest, crushing the air from her lungs as he drew her up against his metallic body.
Black spots danced across Liz’s vision.
Chapter 79- Final Deception
Isis fled, but she could feel Set gaining ground on her. Every step he took thundered in her ears, and no matter how quickly she blurred he was still narrowing the gap. It seemed he’d abandoned his quest to save his wife, and was now focused to the exclusion of all else on killing Isis.
She leapt over a small knoll, barreling toward the entrance of the Ark. If she was going to die, she had to do it as close to the Ark as possible. Gods willing, she could lure Set inside.
“Isis,” Set roared, so close she could feel his hot breath. “I will eat your heart. I will make Osiris watch as I visit the same fate upon you that he visited upon Nephthys.”
It occurred to her that Set must be linked to his wife. Perhaps that was the reason he still gave chase. He already knew Nephthys was dead, so there was no point in going after Osiris.
“Will you now?” came Osiris’s strong voice. He appeared ahead of her.
Her husband swept forward in a combat stance, golden blade held high. Isis ducked under it, skidding to a halt behind him. She scanned the shadows, but saw no sign of Sekhmet yet.
“At last,” Set roared, extending his left hand. A massive ebony claymore flowed into his hand, painful to look upon. It behaved like sunsteel, but was corrupted somehow, just like the armor. “It’s time to die, brother. But before I kill you I will make good on my threat. I will force you to watch me consume Isis’s essence. I will do the same with—”
“Sekhmet?” came a feminine voice from behind Set. A golden spear erupted from his chest. “Was that what you were going to say, Set? This isn’t the first time my spear has found your flesh, but I promise it will be the last. Your wife is dead. You will not survive the day.”
The words were brave, but Isis knew the truth. Set was beyond any of them, and there was no way they could overcome the titanic strength he’d displayed. Still, Sekhmet’s words had the desired effect. Set roared in rage. He brought his sword down in a one-handed sweep.
His blade sheered through Sekhmet’s sunsteel spear, lopping the end off. The gold fell to the ground, melting into a shapeless mass. Set was already moving, spinning faster than thought to ram his weapon through Sekhmet’s face. She gave a choked cry, dropping the remains of her weapon and tumbling back in a spray of blood.
Set pressed the attack, and Isis knew Sekhmet was doomed if she didn’t do something. So she charged, barreling into Set from behind. The blow knocked him to the dirt, and she continued forward, scooping Sekhmet up in both arms. She gathered the shadows close about them both, cradling her friend’s limp body.
“It will be okay, Sekhmet. Rest. Heal,” she whispered, terrified at the hideous blow Set had inflicted.
“Take the staff into the Ark, Isis,” Osiris roared, striding forward to meet Set. “I will deal with my brother. Take control of the Ark, and lock him out, just as he did to me all those centuries ago.”
She could have kissed him. Set roared in rage, clearly buying into the deception.
Chapter 80- The Fate of Captain Douchey
Blair leapt from the railing, time slowing to a crawl as he gained altitude. Steve was blurring as well, tracking Blair’s movements with those heavy brown eyes. They shifted at precisely the same instant, Steve into a midnight-furred werewolf, and Blair into silver.
Steve no doubt expected Blair to grapple—to claw, and snap, and rend like the beasts they resembled. But while they might possess a beast, a second consciousness, they were men. Blair decided to fight like one. Smart, and lethal.
He came down with a leg extended, kicking Steve in the chest. The blow caught Steve off guard, flinging him back into the glittering wall. It didn’t do any real damage, and from the comically confused expression on Steve’s face, he thought it made absolutely no sense. All the better.
The move put distance between Blair and Steve, just enough that Steve couldn’t close the gap. Blair raised the access key and leveled it at Steve like a rifle. He willed it to fire, and a trio of azure pulses lanced into Steve’s furry face.
Steve collapsed into a heap, screeching through his hands as he raised them to cover the terrible wound. Blair fired again, but apparently Steve was less injured than he’d pretended. He leapt straight up, narrowly dodging the pulses fired by the staff. Steve landed on the railing, glaring at Blair through that ruined face.
“Are you a fucking coward, Blair?” Steve growled, barring his fangs. “Too weak to face me in combat? I watched Bridget die, and I laughed. I robbed Isis of her memories whi
le she slept, and betrayed her to Ra. Now I’ve given everything to Set. Doesn’t that infuriate you?”
Blair smiled. A younger version of himself would have fallen for Steve’s very transparent ploy. Hell, even an older version of him had made mistakes. Had trusted Steve and gone running back to Bridget within days of being separated from Liz. He’d made mistake after mistake in combat, all because he was fighting with his heart, and not his head.
“Yeah, it kind of pisses me off,” he replied, keeping the staff leveled on Steve’s chest. He was ready, hovering at the edge of a blur.
“Then put down the staff, and let’s end this,” Steve said, a light of triumph entering his gaze.
“Or I could gun you down with this handy Builder weapon,” Blair said, blurring as fast as he could. Time slowed, but Steve matched his movements perfectly.
As expected, Steve leapt from the railing, aiming straight for Blair. Blair fired two blasts, each with a very specific target. The first was aimed at the clawed hand coming for his face. Not because he feared the blow, but because of the golden bracelet wrapped around the wrist. The blast incinerated bone and flesh, melting everything between his elbow and hand.
The hand spun away in slow motion, no longer blurring. The second blast caught Steve in the crotch, incinerating everything that made him a man. Childish, maybe. But the fucker deserved it.
Steve crashed to the walkway, dropping his blur. He stared up in pain, and horror, mouth already opening to form some sort of plea. Blair didn’t give him that chance. He rammed the scarab end of the staff into Steve’s neck, choking off whatever the bastard had been about to say.
