by Craig Gaydas
“That's because he didn't want you killing yourself in the process,” Grillick warned. “One incorrect move of the wrist and we will be replacing another appendage.”
I stopped and opened my hands. The chain retracted into the bracelet. Cantrell handed me a round black cylinder about the size of an egg. It had a pull tab similar to a soda can except it was located on the side except the top. “Slide that into your belt loop there,” he said, pointing to a loop near the belt buckle.
I slipped it in and made sure it sat snugly. “So what's this?” I asked once I secured it.
“To activate it all you need to do is pull the tab,” he replied grimly. “But be careful, we call it the 'last resort'.”
“Do I even want to know?” I grumbled.
“Basically, if you are going to use it then you are already dead,” Grillick explained somberly. “Once you pull that tab you will have about five seconds to make your peace with whatever god you believe in.”
I tapped it lightly with my index finger and swallowed. “Okay, I understand.”
Cantrell glanced at Grillick with an expression that looked to be a mix of indigestion and irritation. “Are you sure you want me to give him this?” He held up a multi-colored cube with a small green button on top. It reminded me of the Rubik's Cube I had back on Earth, but about half the size.
Grillick nodded. “Yes. It could prove to be useful.”
I took it from Cantrell and stuck it in another belt loop. “Please don't tell me this is a second 'last resort'. I might take that as a lack of confidence in my ability to complete the mission,” I remarked dryly.
Grillick rubbed his stubby fingers together anxiously. “Let's just say it's a fail-safe in case you don't feel like dying.” He quit rubbing his fingers together and fidgeted with his beard instead. He looked at the cube eagerly. “I just hope it works better than my Mechanical Gene Sequencer.”
I glanced at him nervously. “What happened with that?”
Grillick looked as if he just ate something bad. “All I have to say is we are still looking for the remains of Test Subject number four. But that is neither here nor there. I can say with 97.4 percent accuracy that the cube will work as intended.”
“This is the last,” Cantrell muttered and held out a communicator no bigger than a deck of cards. “It works just like a cellular phone. Just push the yellow button on the side and talk to communicate with us. If you turn it sideways and adjust the dial on the bottom, it acts like a pair of binoculars. Its range is one thousand yards which should give you plenty of room to scout.”
“Our scanners are not picking up any Shreen in the area with the exception of those on the other side of the dune,” Grillick added. “You should be clear all the way to the oasis.”
“What do I need to do once I get there?” I asked.
“Stay out of sight, whatever you do,” Grillick urged. “Try to gather as much information as you can.” He started up the ramp but turned before reaching the top. “If possible try to save Ajox just don't go getting yourself killed in the process.”
“Easier said than done,” I grumbled. Cantrell remained at the bottom of the ramp, studying me intently. “What?” I asked with minor irritation.
He held up his hand innocently. “I just wanted to give you some partin' words of wisdom, if you wanna call it that.” He motioned toward the weapon strapped to my wrist. “That weapon will take down an Orgellian landshark. The Shreen, however, are a completely different foe.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared past me toward the horizon. “It's believed that they fight even after death.”
“Are you messing with me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.
He shook his head firmly. “No. Prior to coming under Grillick's employ I was a mercenary for hire. Back in those days I fought more people than I could count and killed more than I care to remember.” He took a deep breath. “Anyway…without boring you with details, I had an assignment on Vaire. An expedition of researchers from Charr had been killed by the Shreen while trying to disable weapons which had been left behind. I was hired by the Hydrophants to go in and get the weapons back from the Shreen, who had confiscated the cache. I managed to sneak in unopposed and grab the case, but I didn't get out unnoticed. Two of them engaged me in combat. The only way I survived was one of them accidentally beheaded the other during the fight. While he was stunned at what he had done I shoved a frag grenade down the other's throat.”
“Well, I'd say you escaped that battle pretty easily,” I said, smiling broadly.
Cantrell scowled. He pulled his left pant leg out of his boot and rolled it up. A thick, angry scar ran from his ankle to his inner thigh. “This was done by the one who was beheaded. He had no goddamn head and still managed to shove his claw into my leg before he stopped moving completely. I nearly bled to death,” he explained. “The only way I survived was by tearing off my shirt, tying off the wound and securing what was left of my shirt to the handle of the cache. I dragged it and my ass halfway to my ship. If it wasn't for my pilot spotting me laying half-dead in the desert, I wouldn't be here right now.”
The smile fell from my face. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be sorry, be diligent,” he shouted gruffly. “Absorb what I just said and maybe you will come out of this mission with all your limbs intact.” He scowled at my right hand. “Well most of them.”
I nodded and headed toward the dune before he stopped.
“One more thing,” he said. “If you do find yourself backed into a corner with no way out, just remember that the 'last resort' is truly a last resort. You only get one chance to make a first mistake.” He walked up the ramp and entered the ship.
Death is just a portal which leads to the next journey. Vanth taught me that during my first month of training, right after I almost died fighting four of his holograms. I scampered across the desert like a scorpion. As I approached the dune I pondered what I would do once I reached the oasis. There may never be another opportunity to eliminate Corvus. Stopping him would be a great step toward ending this entire conflict.
When I reached the dune I noticed it was actually made of stone, and much bigger than originally thought. The rocky outcropping rose about thirty meters high. Centuries of windblown sand eroded the surface enough where footholds pockmarked the angled surface which allowed for a much easier ascent. When I reached the top I heard several voices below. Corvus and his troupe dotted the landscape below. I grabbed the binoculars for a closer look.
From my current position I was able to see the entire landscape. Shai's ship was off to the side, behind a group of trees, but he was nowhere to be seen. Behind the ship stood a smaller vessel which may have belonged to either Corvus or Calypso. It resembled an Explorer's League vessel which may have been commandeered during a raid. I also noted that one of the Shreen left, leaving one standing behind the Hydrophants. That would prove to be a godsend if I were forced to engage them.
I carefully made my way down the hill until I came to a large, round boulder sticking from the hill like an oversized zit. After propping myself against it I studied the scene through the binoculars. Calypso was still speaking with Ajox but I couldn't quite make out the words. There were only four Scarlet Moon soldiers standing behind him and Corvus. The rest must have returned to the ship. Six Ascended and one Shreen, I calculated. The odds weren't bad, but then I recalled Cantrell's story about the Shreen. I was torn between the chance to take out the leaders of the Ascended and fear of facing a Shreen warrior. “Fear makes the enemy bigger than he is,” Vanth whispered in my brain.
The Shreen's back faced me which would allow me an advantage. When you face a situation where you are outnumbered, eliminate the biggest threat first. I closed my hand and the electrified chain fell to the ground with a heavy clang. I winced, expecting the sound to alert the Shreen. He didn't move so I inched forward, dragging the chain behind me.
I weaved my way around the boulder but before I could pass a river of sand and ro
cks flowed past my feet. I turned around but it was too late. Something flat, hard and heavy slammed into my jaw knocking me down the hill. The world spun out of control. The sky gave way to the ground only to become sky again as I rolled down the hill. The world eventually stopped spinning when I slammed into the soft earth many yards below.
“Wow, that's gonna leave a mark,” I remarked before spitting out a mouthful of sand. I jumped to my feet as soon as I came to my senses. Fortunately the chains returned to the bracelet when my hand opened during the fall so I escaped serious injury but my face felt as if it had been hit by a bus. I looked up to see the second Shreen crawling down the hill. “Go big or go home I guess,” I muttered.
“Nathan?” It was Calypso who spoke. I stepped sideways so I could see him but be able to keep an eye on the advancing Shreen. “What are you doing here?”
I closed my hand and he took a step back when the chain appeared. With a deep breath I locked on his eyes. The eyes often betray a man's intentions. The tone of my voice was even, just as Vanth taught. Be the calm before the storm. “I'm here to put an end to this.”
“Get out of here, boy,” Ajox growled. “Whatever suicidal task yer plannin' is sheer madness.”
The Scarlet Moon soldiers raised their weapons. The Shreen standing behind the Hydrophants lowered his axe and took a menacing step forward. The other Shreen sidestepped his way down the hill, axe in hand.
“I gave you every chanced to join us,” Corvus fumed. “I have no choice but to eliminate you from the equation.”
“Wait!”
Shai exited the ship. In front of him stood a woman with a hood over her head and her hands bound in front of her. In his right hand was the same sword he used on Kedge. “Don't kill him yet,” he purred. He poked the sword in the woman's back and led her down the ramp. “I want him to see this.” They reached the bottom of the ramp and he pulled off the hood. Even though her head was lowered, I could see it was Deena.
I took a step toward him. The chain followed me, raising sparks as I pulled it across the rough sand. Before I could get close, Scarlet Moon soldiers blocked my path with their rifles raised. In my peripheral vision I saw that the Shreen had stopped their advance. Apparently they were more interested in seeing what would happen. “Let her go!” I growled.
Shai smiled broadly. It was the smile of the Cheshire Cat; toothy and loaded with mischief. “She missed you while you were gone.” They stepped off the ramp and he poked her again with the sword, prodding her forward. “Go ahead dear tell him how much you missed him.”
She looked up and the sun shined off her tear-stained face. She used her shoulder to wipe them away. With a final sniff she composed herself. She looked around before locking her eyes on mine. “It's true,” she croaked. “I did miss you.” Suddenly, she smiled.
Shai appeared amused by the show. He looked over and addressed the crowd. “See Corvus, I told you she would be pleased to see him again.”
Corvus did not seem as amused as him. “Stop this stupidity, Shai. We have more important matters at hand.”
He approached me and I raised the chain to strike. Before I could bring it down I felt something close around my throat. I dropped to one knee, confused. The closest person to me was Corvus but he was at least ten feet away. I clawed at my throat, trying to pry away hands that weren't there. Gasping I struggled with my throat while Corvus approached slowly with a smile.
“You have worn out your welcome, Cartographer,” he sneered. “We will crush the Consortium. Your Insurgent friends will follow. The universe will belong to me!”
My legs gave way and I collapsed, struggling to draw breath. Fear took over until Vanth appeared before me like an illusion. A single word fell from his lips before he vanished: Remember. I closed my eyes and did as he commanded. Fear is the strongest emotion of all. It feeds upon the concept of death, Nathan. If you refuse to fear death then you starve fear. Only then can you truly conquer it. I was about to die. I needed to not fear it. I opened my eyes and willed myself to my feet.
Corvus' eyes widened with surprise. Once I overcame the fear, his psychokinetic ability was useless. Is this what humans become in the future? I remembered what Sam told me about the experiments using autistic children. Do I even want to be a part of an Earth like that? Horrified, I took a step toward him and raised the voltaic chain above my head.
“No, this is impossible,” he gasped.
I heard a scream and looked in Shai's direction. The blade of his sword protruded from Deena's midsection. The distraction was enough for Corvus to knock me to my knees again. I felt the crushing weight of invisible hands around my throat. All of a sudden, everything moved in slow motion as I struggled to regain control. Deena fell to the ground while her lifeblood fell from Shai's sword in scarlet raindrops. Fury unlike any I had ever experienced before bubbled to the surface. I regained control and sprang to my feet, lashing out with the chain. My intended target was Corvus but an unfortunate Scarlet Moon soldier got between us. The chain snaked around his legs and I pulled him down. A loud hum filled the air as the electric charge fed on its prey. The soldier's bloodcurdling scream penetrated the otherwise silent oasis. The odor of cooked flesh filled my nostrils as the charge coursed through his body.
Before the other soldiers could fire on me, Corvus lunged. I felt cold metal touch my throat as he fell on me. He had a dagger in his hand and a madness in his eyes. “It's time for you to die,” he growled through clenched teeth.
My hand fell to my waist and touched the 'last resort'. My finger found the tab. The Shreen moved in closer. They seemed entertained by the show. The remaining Scarlet Moon soldiers gathered around us as well. Apparently no one wanted to miss Corvus cut my throat. I fingered the tab with the realization that I could take them all out with one simple flick of the wrist. Death is just a doorway to another journey. “I guess it's time to see if you were right Vanth,” I whispered.
Before I could pull the tab I was showered in blood. Most of the coppery liquid fell into my mouth and I gagged. Corvus' eyes were wide saucers of surprise. A double-bladed knife was stuck through his throat. He gasped and tried to speak but the words formed bloody bubbles on his lips. The knife was pulled out in a spray of blood and he collapsed next to me. Calypso stood over us, clutching the murder weapon.
I wiped as much of the blood from my mouth as I could with the back of my hand. “What the hell?” I cried in surprise.
“You are probably wondering why I did that,” Calypso mused while using Corvus' shirt to wipe the blood from his dagger.
Shai approached, sliding his sword into his belt. “It's done.”
Calypso nodded and looked at the object I held in my hand. “What's that?”
I pressed the button on the cube and nothing happened. Calypso and Shai laughed. Shai waved his hands in the air, feigning surrender. “I give up,” he mocked.
“Dammit, Grillick,” I muttered. I turned it over in my hand. A word was written on the side; THROW! Shocked, I threw the cube to the ground where it split like an egg. Three metal legs folded outward from the center which caused the cube to flip over forming something similar to a camera tripod. Shai and Calypso took a step back when the cube collapsed on itself, revealing a fourteen inch barrel. Bullets flew. I ducked out of the way and so did Shai and Calypso. The Scarlet Moon soldiers weren't so lucky when the barrel pivoted in a 360 degree arc, cutting through them like wheat. The Hydrophants jumped into the pond, leaving one of the Shreen wide-open. He took several shots to the chest and stumbled backwards. The other Shreen managed to get his lobster claws in front of him, protecting his torso. His claws were so well armored that it was no more effective than it would have been had I been tossing M&M's at him. This did provide me with one important tactical advantage, however. Everyone had been so concerned with dodging bullets that they were no longer concerned about me. STRIKE NOW. Vanth's voice shouted at me from the back of my mind.
I closed my hand and the chain fell to the ground, cr
ackling with blue fire. Shai was preoccupied, cowering on the ground with his face pressed into the sandy earth. The turret stopped firing and I struck. I ignored Calypso and wrapped the chain around his throat. His scream was ear-splitting. His eyes bulged to the point I thought they would simply pop from their sockets. Calypso jumped out of the way and ran for his ship. He threw one final horrified look our way before ducking into the ship. I pulled the chain with all my might. All of my hatred, all of my anger flowed through me. The muscle I packed on during training bulged from my biceps as I tugged harder. I didn't stop. Even when I heard the tearing sound I refused to stop. With a final pull, he gasped for his life. “DIE!” I growled before I fell backwards with a thud. The chain snapped back into place just as Shai's head rolled past.
Gunfire erupted behind me, but I didn't care. My rage had consumed me. I leapt on his head and pounded it repeatedly. I didn't stop when his eyes popped out of his sockets. I didn't stop when his nose was nothing more than shredded flesh. I didn't stop when Calypso flew past in Shai's ship. I didn't even stop when I heard my name.
“Nathan!”
I continued pounding as I thought of Satou, Deena, Wraith and my missing hand. More flesh tore from his skull, more bone splintered yet I continued pounding. Bone became embedded in the metal joints of my prosthetic hand yet I continued pounding. I pounded until someone grabbed my wrist. Chunks of flesh and bone fell from my knuckles.
“Nathan!” The voice shouted again.
I turned my fury on my newest attacker. Before I could land a single blow I looked into a familiar face filled with horror. I became convinced that the person must have been an apparition, because it was impossible to comprehend their existence at that time. I collapsed in their arms, overwhelmed from exhaustion. I looked up again and squinted against the sun's brightness, watching as the expression of horror softened into a warm smile. I never felt more relieved to see someone. It felt good to see her again.
