Metal and Ash (Apex Trilogy)

by Jake Bible

  The last one, the man that had tried to plead with Shiner, ask for him to show mercy, that one stuck with the bioborg. He tried to wipe the man’s bloody, bruised, terrified face from his database, but it would not leave. The man’s face was there, ready to pop into visual, despite Shiner’s CPU override.

  He shook his head, as he’d seen human after human do time and time again, and he finally understood what the motion meant. And the more he tried to shake the feeling away the more it stayed. He struggled for a description of what was happening to him, but his limited knowledge of what he even was was not enough to explain it.

  Shiner climbed the ridge, supplies bundled to his back, and walked into the cave, so many questions on his mind. The dogs barked once in greeting then slowly started to growl as they smelled the blood that covered him.

  ***

  “Guilt,” Campbell said. “You feel guilty.” She slowly scraped a flat rock across Shiner’s body, trying to get some of the blood off. Water was too precious to waste on nonessential tasks. “That’s a good thing.”

  “It does not feel good,” Shiner admitted. “It feels distressing. Like I should do something about it. It is a feeling that demands action, but there is no action I can process that will eliminate the feeling. How do you get rid of it?”

  “You don’t,” LaFrance said from his place on the cave floor. “You just learn to live with it. You decide what really bothers you and what doesn’t and then you move on.”

  “Is that not a self-deception?” Shiner asked. “Humans may be able to be trained and taught this way of living, but I am not a human. I cannot escape the facts of the events. They are there, stored, always accessible.”

  “Then close them off,” LaFrance moaned. “Set ups some firewall or whatever.”

  “OC,” Campbell scolded. “Don’t teach him that.”

  “It is alright, Engineer Campbell,” Shiner said. “I would not do that. That would be another self-deception.”

  “More enlightened than me,” LaFrance smiled weakly. He picked up a hunk of what he assumed was dried meat and took a small bite. “But it sounds like you were justified. They attacked you. We needed supplies. You did what had to be done.”

  “But it was not a fair dispute,” Shiner said as Campbell finished scraping. “I knew before approaching their camp that I would kill them if they acted poorly.”

  “Then I guess they shouldn’t have acted poorly,” LaFrance grimaced as he chewed the meat. “What is this?”

  Shiner turned to LaFrance. “I do not believe you want to know,” he said. “It is not human, though, so you have not resorted to cannibalism.”

  “I’d gladly resort to cannibalism,” LaFrance said. “If this shit tasted better. You really aren’t going to tell me?”

  “I really am not,” Shiner replied.

  LaFrance shrugged and kept eating, forcing himself to chew and swallow the mystery meat.

  ***

  “Any suggestions on how we contact the Americans?” Campbell asked as she sat down next to Shiner at the mouth of the cave, the sun’s light just fading from view.

  “No,” Shiner said. “Not without being discovered.”

  “You picking any broadcasts up?” Campbell asked. “I know you have your com on and are scanning all frequencies.”

  “That is a valid assumption,” Shiner said. “And I have picked up some faint chatter. But it is not from the north. The shield is interfering with any communications coming from Canada.”

  “Damn,” Campbell swore. “I was hoping we’d catch a break there.” They sat in silence as the sunset faded, faded, was gone. “What chatter are you picking up?”

  Shiner didn’t respond for a while and when Campbell stood to go back into the cave he finally spoke, “The wasteland is about to be torn apart.”

  “Hasn’t it already?”

  “No,” Shiner said. “Not in the slightest.”

  Twenty-One

  “Monterey!” Blue shouted over the com. “You have to get a team to Monterey!”

  The satellite connection had gotten progressively worse once Blue and the other Americans had discovered that the Council had aligned with the Three.

  “Capreze?!” Blue yelled. “Did you get that?!”

  “Yes!” Capreze said through the static. “What about the Canadian override?”

  That part Blue wasn’t sure of. He knew where the override was, a Canadian outpost called Tango Charlie, but that was all he knew.

  “Blue?” Capreze said. “What about the override?”

  “Do you have a team that can get there?” Blue asked. “I have detailed maps of the tunnel structure that can get you through the shield.”

  “Send the maps!” Capreze said before an ear piercing squelch of static nearly knocked Blue off his feet. “I’ll…team…assured.”

  The connection was lost.

  “What the fuck?” Blue yelled as he pounded his fist against the com control panel. “Someone tell me the maps made it through!”

  “Possibly, sir,” a tech said. “But we have permanently lost the satellite uplink, so no way to know.”

  “How permanent?” Blue asked as he started to pace the bridge. “Give me fucking facts!”

  “Permanent, sir,” the tech repeated. “The jamming was the first step. I believe the satellite has actually been knocked from orbit and is burning in the upper atmosphere.”

  “Then we were lucky to get that message through,” Blue said.

  “That would be the bright side,” the tech said.

  “Yes, it would,” Blue frowned. “The brighter side would be Capreze and his people figure out how to take down the shield. With those subs right on us we are sitting ducks. They won’t wait forever.”

  “They want us to take the shield down,” Beth said as she stepped onto the bridge. “They can’t get to Monterey, Capreze can. He hits that switch and they don’t even bother with the override. The whole thing comes falling down and those subs are on us. They wipe us out and then land their forces and take the wasteland.”

  “So much for the bright side,” Blue said as he stared out at the ocean waves and the land beyond them. So close, so out of reach. “So how do we stop the subs? Any thoughts?”

  Beth smiled. “That’s why I’m here.”

  ***

  “They’ll stay alive in there?” Blue asked as he watched the shock suit morph and Charlie stepped clear of the BC.

  “It will,” Charlie said as he wiped the sweat form his eyes. “But I don’t know for how long. It gets very disorienting down there.”

  “The depth is the issue,” Melissa said as she picked up Charlie’s shock suit from the ship’s deck and looked it over. “I can keep them from getting crushed by thickening the layers, using my mass warping genius-.”

  “Eh-hem,” Beth coughed.

  “-our mass warping genius,” Melissa said, sticking her tongue out at Beth briefly.

  “Girls,” Blue sighed. “Get on with it.”

  “Grumpy today, Colonel?” Melissa asked. “Trying to save the world getting you down?”

  “Bretton, you are walking on thin fucking ice,” Blue snarled.

  “They need to be able to come up on the subs by surprise from below,” Desmond said, stepping in to rescue the situation. “But to stay off their sonar they’ll need to dive deep and come up fast.”

  “And to make the BC the correct density to handle the pressure and to make sure their oxygen levels remain stable,” Beth said. “The suit will have to be thicker. A lot thicker.”

  “And that will trigger their sonar,” Melissa added. “And we are right back where we started.”

  “Then I guess you need to keep working on it then don’t you?” Blue said, his patience completely exhausted. “Like right fucking now!”

  Everyone present stood stock still and watched Blue huff off.

  “Not his best day,” Charlie said as he stepped back into the shock suit. “Let’s add 10% more mass and see where that gets us.”r />
  “Okay, but let me know the second you hit problems,” Beth said. “I’ll get you out of there fast.”

  Charlie gave her the thumbs up as the suit wrapped about his body and engaged his jack points. He walked to the edge of the ship and stepped over into the slightly churning water below.

  ***

  “Colonel?” Desmond called as he followed Blue down into the ship. “Sir? May I have a word?”

  “A short word, Lt. Hale,” Blue said. “That’s all I have time for.”

  “Everyone’s a little on edge right now,” Desmond started. “And I know that’s not your fault-.”

  “Nice of you to point that out, Hale,” Blue snapped.

  “-but maybe you could address everyone and get them up to speed?” Desmond finished. “Even with the news that we’ve lost com with the mainland, I think folks just need to know where we stand. Doesn’t have to be all flowers and rainbows. Just a briefing.”

  Blue stared at Desmond for a very long, uncomfortable minute. “Fine,” Blue said finally. “You should do that.”

  “But, sir-!”

  “You suggested it, you brief everyone,” Blue said. “Tomorrow at 0630. Tonight I prep you.”

  “Colonel, I don’t understand,” Desmond said. “I’m not second in command. I think they’d rather hear it from you.”

  “You may not be officially second in command, Hale, but you are the person most of these folks look to,” Blue said. “You survived the Dead Zone. You are very close to Ghost Bretton and Vessel Laughlin. That makes you privy to info many are not.”

  “I get that, but-.”

  “Hale? Shut the fuck up and listen,” Blue ordered. “If I give the pep talk then there will be questions. I am not going to lie to anyone, but I’m also not going to be put in a situation where I do have to lie. You give the talk and if you don’t have the answer then no one will think you’re hiding it. Because I’m only going to tell you what you need to know.

  “Ok. Fair enough, sir,” Desmond said. “Your quarters? What time, sir?”

  “I’ll let you know,” Blue said as he turned and stalked off. “And just you. Keep that pain in my butt Bretton busy somewhere else.”

  ***

  The seats were full well before the briefing was to start. Tech had set up a holocast so that all ships in the small American navy could be part of the briefing. Desmond had worried about security, but Blue had waved him off.

  “The techs have it under control,” Blue had said.

  Desmond cleared his throat and the room grew quiet instantly.

  “Good morning, crew,” Desmond said. He had known what he would have liked to say, but his meeting with Blue had taken a different turn. He hoped he could pull it off. “I’m Lt. Desmond McHale.”

  A chorus of “Arrrrs!” filled the room and everyone laughed, easing the tension considerably.

  “Okay, okay,” Desmond smiled as he tapped his eye patch. “I’m supposed to get an ocular implant, but it isn’t a priority. So lay off, okay?”

  “Or we walk the plank?” Melissa asked from the front row. Beth nudged her hard which then started the two of them off on a nudging fight which escalated until Beth knocked Melissa off her chair.

  Desmond just shook his head.

  “Colonel Masterson has allowed me to hold this short briefing to get everyone here up to speed on where we are at,” Desmond said. “I’ll tell you what I know, but beyond that I won’t be able to answer any questions.”

  “Pretty useless pirate,” Melissa whispered.

  “Ghost Bretton?” Desmond asked.

  “Yes, Lieutenant Hale?”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Desmond grinned.

  “You’ll pay for that,” Melissa said as everyone in the room tried to stifle their laughter. “Later.”

  “Understood,” Desmond nodded. “But to the task at hand. The first thing you need to know is that we plan on landing within the next two days.”

  Hands shot up everywhere.

  “Just hold on, folks,” Desmond continued. “I’ll get to most of the details. It looks like the shield issue has been worked out and we’ll be off these ships soon…”

  ***

  The scanners showed that the holocast was being intercepted by the Three’s submarines. Blue grinned and leaned back in his chair as he listened to Desmond inform the crew with every little bit of misinformation he’d been given. Desmond had balked at first, but Blue laid it on the line and the young lieutenant quickly understood just how close to annihilation they all were.

  “But won’t that push up their plans to attack?” Desmond had asked. “Assuming they’re just waiting for us to get the shield down?”

  “Yes, and that is what we want,” Blue said. “The shock suits aren’t going to be free from sonar detection. Not in the time frame, or safety margin for the troopers, that we need. So if they attack, they’ll be busy coming up at us and not so busy looking at what is coming up from below at them.”

  “Risky move,” Desmond had said.

  “Deadly,” Blue grinned. “But we are out of options. We are too low on resources to stay out here indefinitely.”

  Desmond had mulled it over and then nodded in agreement. “So what do I say?”

  ***

  “And the holocast is off,” a tech said and everyone stood up to leave the briefing room.

  “Take a seat, people,” Blue said as he stepped into the room. “Now the real work starts.” He looked at Desmond and nodded. “Lt. Hale, great job. I’d have bought that in a second. Go ahead and get word to each ship about what we are planning.”

  “Yes, sir,” Desmond said as he left the room.

  Blue clapped his hands together. “So…who wants to blow some shit up?”

  Twenty-Two

  “Tell us what this is about, Mr. Gein,” Mr. Continental ordered after he had finished playing the American holocast that had been intercepted. “How will they lift the shield if we have control of Canada?”

  “I’m confused,” Mr. Gein said, not looking confused in the least. “Don’t we want the shield to be raised?”

  “Yes, but of our timing,” Mr. Plain replied. “That is why we worked out our accord with the Council. We need time to get our troops in place on the northern front. This will not do.”

  “Your job is to avoid these issues, Mr. Gein,” Mr. Brown Eyes said. “You should have had a contingency plan in place for this.”

  “I do,” Mr. Gein said. “It’s called going to war.”

  “You are being flippant,” Mr. Continental frowned. “I do not approve of flippancy.”

  “I’m not being flippant at all,” Mr. Gein said as he took a sip of his generous gin and tonic. “I’m being honest.”

  “Must you drink so much, Mr. Gein?” Mr. Plain asked. “That tumbler seems to have become a permanent part of you body of late.”

  “So has your foot up my ass,” Mr. Gein smiled, warmed from the four gin and tonics he’d finished before meeting with the Three. “Permanent and uncomfortable.” He finished his drink and slammed the empty glass onto the table. “This is how it will go down: we attack the American fleet as they move to land. They will be easily overtaken. With Masterson’s forces defeated that only leaves Capreze and his band of nutjobs.”

  “They took the UDC Stronghold,” Mr. Continental said. “You are underestimating him.”

  “They took on one crazy scientist,” Mr. Gein responded, holding his hand up so he wouldn’t be interrupted. “And a bunch of mindless zombies.”

  “And a vast amount of dead mechs,” Mr. Brown Eyes added. “Have you forgotten that?”

  “No, I haven’t,” Mr. Gein said. “But that is different warfare. You can take a mech down and cripple it. You can’t take our troops down that way. They regenerate over and over until they can’t anymore then they turn into monsters and kill and feed, kill and feed. Hopefully they regain their minds after a good meal, but even if they don’t, they won’t attack their own troops because they don’t attac
k the dead!”

  Mr. Gein hadn’t realized he had stood up and was nearly shouting. The Three all watched him, wide-eyed with shocked looks on their faces.

  “I take this very seriously,” Mr. Gein said. “And I know we can take the Americans down. Plus, there is Ms. Isely’s project. I believe she is still working out the bugs, but she’ll be ready soon.”

  “Have you come around on that?” Mr. Brown Eyes asked. “The last we heard you were still not in support of Ms. Isely’s project.”

  “I still think it is a very bad idea,” Mr. Gein said. “It is reckless and will lead to nothing but bloodshed.” Mr. Gein smiled and sat down. “But I think I can make sure the bloodshed is directed against our enemies. I do have a significant past with the subject in question.”

  “Well,” Mr. Continental said. “You have given us a lot to think about. Please keep us abreast of any new developments, will you?”

  “Am I being dismissed?” Mr. Gein asked.

  “For now,” Mr. Plain said. “If we have questions we will contact you.”

  Mr. Gein stood back up and shrugged. “I don’t doubt it.”

  ***

  “Did they give a dressing down?” Ms. Isely asked as she nearly bumped into Mr. Gein on her way to meet with the Three. “I hope not too bad.”

  “Oh, they tried to hand me my ass,” Mr. Gein said, gin flushed. “But I could give three fucks.”

  “Gein? Are you drunk again?” Ms. Isely asked. “You may think they need you, but do not push it. They will replace you.”

  “They will?” Mr. Gein mocked. “With who?”

  “Whom,” Ms. Isely corrected.

  “Are you sure about that?” Mr. Gein asked.

  “I am,” Ms. Isely frowned. “You really need to sober up, Gein. Get your shit together, man.”