The Cleanway: Clean Book 2

by Tim Niederriter

  “How dare you, Thomas,” said the mad aeon. “After all you’ve done you feel you can shoot me?” She surged toward Thomas, abandoning her fight with the sentry. Lightning has nothing on an enraged rogue star for speed.

  I started forward but knew I’d be too late.

  The lone sentry moved faster. She slammed Yashelia’s reaching hand so it flailed away from Thomas rather than grabbing him. The sentry held onto Yashelia’s wrist and shoved her back a step, both of them breathing hard.

  “You can’t forget me,” said the aeon vigilante.

  Yashelia grimaced as she fought to free her undamaged hand.

  Thomas retreated from them, unable to find a good shot.

  Rebecca held her hand in my direction. “Jeth, the gun!”

  I drew the pistol, then tossed it to her underhand. She caught it and whirled to face the grappling aeons.

  Yashelia broke free with a kick to the sentry’s stomach. The sentry staggered away but kept her feet. Golden blood dripped from the torn knuckles of her white gloves. Yashelia ignored the aeon, instead focusing on my friends with the guns.

  “Rebecca,” she said, “you can’t kill me. I made you who you are.”

  Rebecca inhaled sharply. Her finger slipped out of the trigger guard. She stared at the insane aeon, frozen.

  Yashelia shook her head with a smile. “You belong to me, Rebecca.” She turned to face the battered sentry, who now stood less than a meter from me. “Now, it’s time to finish this, vigilante.” Yashelia made a fist with her good hand. She took a step back as if preparing to leap forward.

  The lone sentry’s breath came fast and sounded painful. Never mind how she acted, she was definitely hurt somewhere.

  I stepped in front of the vigilante before Yashelia could lunge in to finish the fight. “Wait!”

  To my shock, Yashelia listened.

  Unregistered Memory, Elizabeth Ashwood, Yashelia’s Garden

  “Wait!”

  Jeth’s cry echoed in the garden.

  Carol coughed and rolled onto her side. Skilled or not, she wouldn’t be much help like this, Elizabeth decided.

  She looked across the clearing to where Jeth stood between Yashelia and the sentry. The mad aeon’s eyes locked on him. Even Rebecca went unnoticed for the moment, as she stared at Jethro. All eyes on you, Elizabeth thought, exactly like you never wanted.

  Elizabeth stood and faced the scene, not sure if, or how, she could intervene. But Jeth, as brave as ever, stood in the midst of aeons and rogue stars. He never knew how fearless he acted, or how foolish.

  The lunatic aeon called Tooth groaned thunderously from the ground behind the lone sentry. They would all be in trouble if he got up. Luckily, he still seemed to be feeling the sentry’s throw, so he moved sluggishly. Still, he moved.

  One massive hand planted on the ground, and he started to push to stand up.

  Elizabeth glanced at Carol, still helpless on the ground. Rebecca and Thomas were both focused on Yashelia, as was the lone sentry.

  It’s up to you, said a small voice in her mind. You’re strong enough.

  Elizabeth clenched her hand. She still had some ichor left in her system. Aeons could not be connected over the network unwillingly unless one was able to physically touch them. Tooth’s expression became determined as he worked his way to his feet.

  She ran to him and planted one hand on his side. He blinked and turned toward her. She dove into his mind.

  If Elizabeth could not immobilize him before he struck her and interrupted the connection, this would all be for nothing. The aeon’s mind howled like a pack of wolves around her. She drove the ice-breaking prow of her thoughts ahead of her, powering through his psyche, a ship with momentum.

  Packs of defense forms swarmed around her, only semi-visible, and too slow for the most part. Only one set of barriers set up in front of her. She pushed her confidence into the defensive line, now imagining a battering ram.

  His barrier wolves scattered with virtually audible yelps of anguish.

  Elizabeth reached the motor center. Aeons kept much of their minds in their trees, but a body’s neurology demanded connectivity to act. She poured on the cold thoughts, the depression. Drifts of snowy hesitation stopped up the works. Her interference seemed to be working, for no sweeping hand dislodged her.

  Wolves closed in around the fortress of her mind, teeth bared. From the distant edges of perception, a monstrous howl echoed. Her antibodies pushed bold attackers from the walls. Storm clouds billowed outward from her castle, deluging icy rain and thick snow.

  The aeon fought with furious rage and fear, but he clearly was more used to being the aggressor in this kind of battle. He had crushed her will back on the high street. For the moment, she had the upper hand.

  She only hoped paralyzing him would be enough to stop Yashelia.

  The battle raged on within the storms of their adjacent minds.

  I stood, matching Yashelia’s stare. Her hesitation surprised me, but I had banked on it when I stepped in.

  Rebecca sent me a silent message.

  What are you doing, Jeth? This is crazy.

  Thanks to mine and Rebecca’s connection with each other, this mad aeon thought of me as a possible replacement for her favorite agent. The more I learned about Rebecca’s time working for Yashelia, the better I could distract her. I answered Rebecca’s question with a message to that effect.

  All of this occurred in an instant.

  Yashelia’s eyes narrowed. “Wait? Jethro, why would you defend this vigilante?”

  Time to walk a fine line. If I was too abrasive, Yashelia could decide to go through me to get to the sentry. Terrifyingly, that was a real option for her, even now.

  I said, “Don’t you want to know who she really is? I know I do.”

  “I can remove the mask once I’ve killed her. Stand aside, dear.”

  “Would be a mistake,” I said. “She might not be useful once she’s dead. You have to know she’s pretty violent for an aeon. Could be she’s already half-mad. Wouldn’t you like another half-mad aeon to help you?”

  “True,” said Yashelia. Her eyes flicked to Thomas, then to Rebecca. “Tell them to lower their weapons and I’ll consider your words.”

  “He does not speak for me,” the sentry said. “Your fight is with me, monster.”

  “Could be fairer without two people trying to shoot me. We can see who is really stronger.” Yashelia grinned at the sentry. “Oh wait, we already know that.”

  The sentry took a halting breath.

  Yashelia’s predatory glee spread across her face. “How many ribs did my kick break?”

  “Shoot her,” said the sentry. “We don’t have to listen to this thing.”

  “Thing?” Yashelia’s network presence flared from the tree, bright and powerful. “How dare you, ingrate?”

  She shoved me to one side with ease.

  I counted myself lucky she did not simply choose to kill me. I really should have known better.

  Then her hand snaked out and grabbed my shoulder. She dragged me along, holding me as a shield in the direction of Rebecca and Thomas, as she fought the sentry. I struggled against her grip as my shoes dragged on the grass. She did not release me.

  The sentry darted to her other side, trying to hit Yashelia where I wasn’t blocking her attacks. One of the rogue star’s feet snaked out. The sentry avoided being tripped, but Yashelia smashed her forehead into the center of the white mask, the force of a bomb.

  New cracks ran through the plastic. The sentry sprawled onto her back. She bounced back to her feet but moved jerkily, concussed.

  “Oh dear,” said Yashelia, “I’d just tell you to give up, but I don’t think you’d listen.”

  “Let the humans go and we’ll finish this alone,” the sentry said, slurring her S-sounds.

  “She’ll kill you,” I said.

  “Deal,” said Yashelia, and shoved me toward Rebecca.

  I hit her hard. Rebecca wrapped her arms
around me as we went off our feet. Together, we rolled onto the ground.

  Thomas ran over to us. “Elizabeth is connected with the other aeon,” he said.

  “Damn,” said Rebecca, and gave me a squeeze, before pushing me gently off her.

  I ached from the impact as we got to our feet. The sweet smell of ichor permeated the whole clearing. Yashelia’s presence fell across the place like a massive shadow.

  “Get the other two,” said the sentry, “then get out of here.”

  “What about you?” Thomas asked. “She’ll—”

  “Go!” said the sentry. “This is my purpose.”

  Thomas scowled. “Stay alive,” he said, “you still owe me some answers.”

  “You’re pretty greedy,” said the sentry, “I’ll pay you back.” Her eyes followed Yashelia who prowled back across the clearing.

  “With interest,” said Thomas.

  “Get moving, humans,” said the sentry. “You aren’t safe yet.”

  Rebecca went to Carol. I cautiously approached Elizabeth and the big aeon with whom she was locked in mental combat. Thomas followed me, keeping his gun aimed at the gray-skinned behemoth beside Elizabeth.

  I touched Elizabeth lightly on the arm and relayed a message.

  Leave the big guy a parting gift, then wake up. We need to move.

  She answered me a moment later.

  He’s going to hate this packet in his motor systems.

  Then her eyes opened and she stepped back from the immobile giant.

  Rebecca helped Carol to her feet, supporting her with her shoulder.

  I looked back at the hard-breathing sentry, standing alone against Yashelia. There was nothing I could do to help her now. My friends and I started down the path to the barrier as fast as our injuries would allow.

  Behind us, the two aeons circled closer to each other. The last time I looked back, they were only a meter apart. Then, everything went to hell.

  Unregistered Memory, Ryan Carter, Light Ship Astra III

  Kamuek’s light ship climbed over the dome covering Yashelia’s garden. Ryan watched the trees below them through the viewfinder. He had never been this close to the sight of the incident before, and he did not like the chances for this ship and his team if something went wrong and the rogue star escaped, or if Sudhatho sent a ship of his own to intervene.

  He sat back and touched Conner’s arm to begin sensocycling.

  Immediately after they linked, a shattering crack shook the network space they occupied.

  The light barrier flickered, then failed, splitting into motes that faded into the daylight. Ryan’s enhanced senses reeled with the rapid disintegration of the dome. What is going on down there?

  Sensocycling only hurt his perception, leaving both him and Conner dazzled in the wake of the barrier’s collapse.

  “Alesia, can you see the renegades?”

  She grunted. “They’re on their way into the garden.”

  Ryan gritted his teeth and lifted his hand, breaking the sense connection with Conner. The blinding chaos of the failed barrier left his senses seeming dim and jittery. He shook from head to shoes.

  “We need to get down there,” said Alesia. “Captain, can you take us closer?”

  “That’s a rogue garden,” said Kamuek, “I’d be risking all our lives.”

  “We risk others’ lives by letting them escape,” said Alesia, “believe me.”

  “Damn it,” said Kamuek. “I’m detecting another ship.” He switched one of the viewers to show the other light vessel cruising in from the south and crossing over the canal.

  “What are they doing here?” asked Ryan, as his sight began to improve again, recovering from the shock of the field collapse.

  “I don’t even know who they are,” said Kamuek, “but they’re bigger than we are, and they’ve got full weaponry.”

  “Weaponry?” Alesia scowled. “What is our ship armed with?”

  Kamuek scowled. “This ship has a single beam weapon. But I’m not going to shoot first, regardless. We don’t know their intentions.”

  A voice message with a shielded identity tag jumped into Ryan’s mind.

  “Stand down and leave this area, scout ship, or we will be forced to destroy you.”

  Kamuek clutched his forehead. “Did the rest of you get that, too?”

  Alesia glanced at Ryan and Conner.

  “I think so,” said Ryan. “Still sure you don’t want to shoot first?”

  Kamuek grimaced. “They’re too big, regardless. But something is going on down there, and we can’t just let this unknown ship have its way.”

  “We can’t fight and we can’t retreat. What can we do?” asked Ryan.

  “Disrupt,” said Conner. “Their sensors and targeting won’t be as effective if we jam their local network.”

  “Do it,” said Kamuek, “and hold on. I’m going evasive.”

  The ship banked even as he spoke, then began to take a weaving path over the garden and the surrounding neighborhood. Ryan and Conner dove back into the network. They assembled sensory obstructions for the other ship’s targeting systems.

  The other light ship opened fire with a roar of guns.

  A rumble like nearby thunder echoed over the garden, startling everyone. Even Yashelia and the sentry looked at the sky. Through the gaps in the trees where the barrier had just broken apart, I glimpsed a light ship weaving away from the fire of another ship, which floated over the canal.

  Another volley cut the air just a second later. Along with the air-bursting cannons, two intense energy beams slashed through the air overhead, cutting toward the smaller of the two light ships. The smaller vessel was shaped like a boot, tilted back so its toe stuck in the air. A glowing orb where the ankle would emerge from the boot seemed to be the target of most of the other ship’s weapons.

  However, the little light ship evaded every shell and beam. It darted toward the larger vessel, which hung in the air like a flying spear but bristling with weapon ports all aglow from the heat of their discharges.

  Elizabeth took my hand to lead me down the path. I had been staring at the battle, oblivious to the danger of proximity all through the garden.

  “It’s not safe here,” said Elizabeth, “Jeth, let’s go.”

  I nodded and let her lead me away. The light ships clashed above. A crackling beam-whip lashed from the smaller vessel and cracked across the point of the enemy spear. With a sound like a hurricane inside my head, the larger vessel’s slender prow burst into smoky ruin. It augured toward the edge of the canal where the water met the garden.

  We were far from the impending crash, but I needed no further urging to run.

  Concrete welcomed our shoes as we left the garden behind us. Carol had slipped into unconsciousness again, boots dragging, supported by Thomas and Rebecca. Elizabeth and I followed the three of them between high gray habitation buildings and derelict parking garages as we moved toward the van.

  A spray of mist blossomed from the canal, visible with flickers of flame on the southern edge of the garden.

  We arrived at the van. Rebecca dragged Carol’s limp frame into the back seat, then fastened the belt.

  “Better get moving,” I said.

  Elizabeth nodded. “I want to get away from here as soon as possible.”

  “What happened while you were in there?” asked Rebecca.

  “I’ll share the memories later.” Elizabeth sighed. “I’m still processing them. It feels like longer than it was.”

  “That, I understand.” I climbed in behind the driver’s seat.

  Thomas took the wheel, Elizabeth in the front passenger seat. The engine growled to life. We drove toward home.

  Unregistered Memory, Ryan Carter, Light Ship Astra III

  Kamuek sat at the controls of his light ship and watched the crash site with abject horror. Ryan hoped the vessel they had just shot down was as unregistered as Kamuek had reported during the battle. If not, they could all be in serious trouble. The br
oken spear of a ship burned from end to end.

  “No. No. No. This can’t be happening,” Kamuek said. “No. No. No.”

  “Breathe,” said Alesia to the aeon. “We’re all still alive because you took the shot.”

  Kamuek inhaled long, then exhaled. “I didn’t expect them to fall like that. Must have been extra munitions in their nose.” He turned toward Ryan and Conner. “Scan for survivors. We’re going to pick them up.”

  “So we can help them or so we can stop them?” Ryan asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

  Kamuek scowled. “Both. I didn’t intend to cause this much damage, and with the barrier down on the rogue star’s garden, whoever is left from the crash is still in real danger.”

  Ryan bit his tongue to keep from asking another sarcastic question. Nobody liked to be shot at, and Ryan wasn’t used to being in a combat situation.

  “Understood,” he said.

  The small light ship descended over the canal, then moved in low over the burnt part of the garden.

  Ryan and Conner scanned the wreckage and the trees for the minds of survivors. They would not be able to find any aeons unless they wanted to be found, and there must have been one on the opposing light ship to control the machine, but a human crew would stand out like sore thumbs. A few minutes into the search, they spotted a single mind making its way toward from the wreck to the water’s edge.

  Ryan contacted the survivor mentally. She wasn’t human. A masked pair of eyes looked up at the ship from beside the canal. The lone sentry ignored Ryan’s message and proceeded along the canal to the edge of the garden.

  Turning to Kamuek, Ryan said, “See that one, Captain?”

  “I see her.” Kamuek’s scowl deepened. “The vigilante can go for now. We don’t have the muscle to bring her in.”

  “Agreed,” said Ryan.

  A flash of light from the wrecked ship combined with an echoing explosion inside the hull.