by T Q Chant
“Can you fly it?”
“Pretty sure I played a VR game that featured something like this as a kid.” She actually smiled over her shoulder at Williams. “It won't be a problem.”
So far, so good. Williams realised she was looking for a reason to blast off early, but they'd taken the shuttle without hassle and the landing field appeared to be deserted beyond the hostiles they'd already put down.
Dirchs' voice, faint and heavily distorted, crackled in her ear. “Williams, come in. Boss, do you copy?”
**********
The one thing Okafor hadn't been expecting was Sam's shoulder hitting him squarely in the midriff. She was smaller than he was, didn't pack a lot of mass, but that also meant she was nicely set up for a move like that, driving all the wind from his body and putting herself out of danger. One of the huge bladed rotors dropped with a tortured scream, slamming to a halt about where she would have been standing if she hadn't tackled her fiancé to the ground.
“Like that wouldn't have fucking killed me,” she spat in his face. “Your dad said non-fatal, arsehole.” She managed to get her knees under her, tried to drive forward to the small package she had finally spotted under the machine. Okafor grabbed her left knee with one hand, ankle with the other, and pulled her leg out from under her. Her face smacked painfully into the ground and she tasted the copper tang of blood, the grit that passed for soil. He flipped her over, landed heavily on top of her, straddling her with one fist cocked back.
“Bet you always wanted to do this to Adisa,” she shouted. “Before you killed her, that is.”
“Adi...” There it was, a flicker of real emotion at the mention of his sister and what he’d done to her. Still human after all. She grabbed his balls through his trousers, twisted hard and pulled herself free as he screamed and doubled over.
She got her hand on the grip of the gun they’d left for her, lost it as a boot crashed into her side. Winded, she rolled away from the blow as Okafor tried to stamp on her.
“Sam!” she heard Bethany scream, the cry almost lost in the squeal as the rotary blades began to turn, slowly at first but gathering speed until... It wasn't that sharp or moving fast when it hit Okafor in the guts, but sharp and heavy enough to open him up. Blood rising up his throat choked his cry and he scrabbled pathetically at the massive blade, trying to push himself off it. He fell, a coil of intestine snagged on the jagged blade, as Sam staggered to her feet, gun in hand.
Tears were leaking from Okafor's eyes. “Forgive...” he whispered as deep red blood bubbled from his mouth and spilled down his chin.
“Little short on that,” she told him, and shot him in the face, putting an end to his sad eyes.
There was chaos amongst the slaves and overseers. The colonists were fighting back with more spirit that she'd expected – she saw a hoe come down and then arc back up trailing a spray of blood before it slammed down again, cutting off a cry for mercy.
Sam ducked under the blades, barely sparing a glance for Okafor's corpse. Bethany was pale and shaking, hands over her face. She saw blood on the other woman's features, realised she must have cut them as she put her whole body into turning the blade and saving Sam's life. “Thanks,” she said, before turning as Okafor's assistant scrambled out of the harvester. A wet patch spread in the crotch of his trousers as he saw Sam staring at him, spattered in blood and a sleek black gun held unwaveringly. He made the mistake of turning to run and Sam put a burst through his back, shredding his heart.
“That's right, Seeker. Your fragment of the Brightness didn't work.”
Bethany was shaking all over, crying. “I know. I've known for a while. I swear, I didn't know they were planning on...”
“Yeah, I got that – just luck that I found out.”
The colonists had finished off the other two overseers – Sam could only see two bodies and no sign of Lafarge, so he must have made himself scarce. Some of the slaves had collapsed to the ground sobbing; others were waving their tools in the air in jubilation. A few had turned angry eyes on Bethany.
“Hey – she's with me,” Sam said, her voice flat and hard. She didn't brandish the gun – these people were right on the edge, had been subjected to too many threats already. Her angry stare made them back down, though the murderous looks continued. “Alright, people, listen up! Got us a ride waiting, but only if we're there in...” Shit, don't actually have a watch. “Only if we're there soon. So let's get moving.” She gestured with the gun in the desired direction as they stared at her blankly. “This is a rescue, nuggets! Let's go!”
She grabbed Bethany's hand, not too gently. “And you're coming with us, sweetcheeks.”
**********
“I copy you, Dirchs. Sitch?”
“We... … clear.... Mil... injured. Need back-up.”
“Cahaya, ping their location.” Williams felt a huge surge of relief hearing Dirchs' voice. She'd written them off hours ago, knowing there was no way to get through to them. To find out that they'd somehow got clear – well, if any two bastards were going to do it, it was those two. “Dirchs, hold your position if you can. I'm coming to you. Keep in contact.”
“Got a location,” Cahaya said tersely. “It's coming from the hospital block where we emerged, boss.”
Kora was watching Williams. “Could be a trap. Probably is a trap – how would they have got through?”
“It sounded like Dirchs, and no way would he sell us out.” Williams knew Kora could very well be right; knew that their code absolutely wasn't 'leave no one behind’. She took her coilgun back from Kora, checked the ammo readout.
“We should come with you.”
“Negative. You will hold this ground for exactly two more hours, and then you will blast off and you will get the intel out. If you come under attack, you leave right then, whether or not Cane and her flock or I have made it back. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sergeant.”
“Mission comes first.” She knew she was being a massive hypocrite, maybe for the first time in her life. “And if we don't make it back, you come back with a task force of Marines and you fucking rescue us.”
She didn't give them any further opportunity to argue, but grabbed the ladder and slid down to the bottom deck. She went down the ramp at a run and didn't slow down as she headed back into the settlement.
Time, after all, was short.
**********
Sam had hoped to make a lot better time towards the landing fields. The colonists had spent what little of their energy was left killing the two overseers. They stumbled and staggered through the fields – she didn't want to risk the open, rough paths that criss-crossed the farmland. It was two kilometres at most from the shuttle, from rescue.
“You know I am a Seeker.” It was the first time Bethany had spoken since Sam had basically taken her prisoner.
“Yep – heard Okafor and his dad talking.” She paused to catch her breath. Her ribs ached, and she didn't even want to know what had happened to her face – she could feel dried blood crusting under her nose and around her lips. At least her nose hadn’t been broken again. “No idea what it means.”
“I was on the path to Rapture. Seeking salvation.”
“So all that business about bringing an angel into the world?”
“That is a reward in itself, but not my path. The other mentors were all blessed with that honour.”
“You know they probably died bringing those things into the world?”
Bethany looked down and sobbed. “I know. I know...more than I have told you. I am...so sorry.”
Sam didn't have the time or the energy to try to deprogramme Bethany, although it sounded like she was on that path already. “Just tell me how I kept beating your brainwashing. I assume it's some kind of machine. That you had readings.”
“It is a machine... I was told that what went into it was a shard of the Bright Ones, that we were focusing their light.” Bethany was walking again, eyes down, a mechanical trudge. Sam realised that her whole world, both inter
nal and external, was falling apart. She knew better than to apply pressure right now, as that would just make the mark clam up. “When we leave, will you take me with you?”
“Do you want me to?”
The eyes snapped up, bright and wet with tears. “Only if you can forgive me.”
“Not sure you're not as much of a victim here as I am.” Sam loosened her death grip on Bethany's arm, took her hand instead. “You didn't answer my question.”
“You weren't strong.” She smiled wistfully. “Better than that. It took me a while to work it out. You didn't fight it, you let your defences down, just keeping enough back to rebuild yourself. And because I was trying to fine-tune it, every time I just increased the power a little rather than trying to overwrite you to the point of destruction.”
“Yeah, I'm a clever bitch like that.”
“I'm not going to pretend I know what the hell you two are talking about.” The man who spoke had a hard, gravelly voice with a hint of Russian about it. “But that doesn't matter – we are being pursued.”
Sam cursed herself for getting distracted. She dropped Bethany's hand, gently urged her forward. “Everyone, get moving. Faster!”
Faster was a relative term, and then only just. One of the freed slaves stumbled and fell, showed no sign of getting up until Sam and Bethany grabbed him under each armpit and pulled him to his feet. “No you don't, mate,” Sam told him as they passed him to one of the more robust survivors.
Sam could hear shouting behind them, and a weird high-pitched whistling.
She and Bethany paused to listen.
“They have angels of the fourth order with them. Trackers.”
“I don't even want to know what a first order angel is,” Sam wheezed, finding her breath coming harder and harder.
“The good news is that the whistling means they're looking for a trace, rather than following it.”
“Someone, somewhere is going to be very glad you've defected.”
Bethany didn't respond to her quip, and Sam realised with a start what she was planning as she stared back the way they had come. “They'll kill you. Or you'll betray us.”
Bethany took Sam's hands in hers. “They will listen to me and obey me, as I am a Second Stage Seeker. And obviously you would all have fled for the caverns.” She smiled sadly at Sam. “And I would never betray you.”
“I can't be sure of that.”
Bethany lifted a hand to Sam's cheek. “I would never betray you, Sam. I love you.”
She leant in and kissed Sam. She returned the kiss despite the pain flaring through her jaw and nose. She tried to work out how she felt, but before she could say anything Bethany had turned and disappeared into the corn field.
Sam realised she might actually cry, staring at the tall, thick stalks around her, pressing in on her. “Fucking agriculture,” she muttered, cuffing away tears.
CHAPTER TEN – PLASMA BURN
Sam mostly knew the other escapees were around her because she could hear their laboured breathing and the rustle of their movement as they pushed through the corn field. The rocky, hard soil under her feet just made the going even worse; she'd twisted her ankle not long after Bethany had left on her self-appointed mission to mislead the pursuit.
“Right decision,” she told herself, without being sure if she meant letting Bethany go or choosing the harder but more secure path to the landing fields.
She realised with a start that she wasn't even sure if they were heading in the right direction. This field was not far off ready for harvest, the stands going well above her head and almost blocking out the blazing reflected light.
She staggered free of the fields, luckily landing on an earth bank against which the others lay panting. The light hammered down on her now, dazzling her. That's why your eyes are watering.
“Everyone here?”
“Lost Jao,” Sergei said.
“Screw you, Sergei, that's just wishful thinking.”
“Oh, hi Jao. Didn't see you there.”
There was a smattering of laughter. There was fight in these battered bastards still. They'd need it.
Sam scrambled up the slope, felt a surge of relief as she looked across a field of low plants – Adisa would have been able to tell her what they were, she was sure. Beyond it was the gentle slope up to the landing field at the mouth of the canyon. Even better – the shuttle was right where she'd left it.
“Finally starting to go my way,” she muttered. “And any rule about tempting fate can fuck off.”
Nope, got nothing.
She could see figures moving around the shuttle, but it was too far away and too bright for her to make out details.
She slid back down. “Okay, shuttle's still there. People around it, may or may not be allies.”
“Allies?” Sergei asked. “You realise we know nothing about what's going on?”
“All you have to know is to trust me and do like I say.” She sighed. “So there's a special forces team onplanet. Those beautiful battlefield allies are currently securing our ride out of here. So all we've got ahead of us now is a nice sunlight stroll up a hill and then get on board and get a chauffeur-driven ride home.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jao said. “Hey, where's your girlfriend?”
Sam gave him a hard look. She reckoned she was probably getting pretty good at those. “She went back to lead them off.”
A gunshot sounded clear across the fields. Sam started, heart in her chest, then realised that it had come from the direction of the shuttle. “You know how I said gentle stroll? I meant sprint.”
She showed them the way, up the bank with her feet and hands slipping and sliding in the loose dirt. She almost fell over the top, rolled down the steep reverse slope and staggered to her feet. “Come on!” she yelled, starting off at a stumbling run across the field. She could hear pounding feet and just hoped the others were all behind her. She wiped stinging sweat from her eyes and forced her head up. Still such a long way to go, and her lungs were already bursting. She could hear more gunfire, coming from within the shuttle; the view swayed as she forced herself faster across the uneven ground. She heard someone swear and fall, to be encouraged back onto their feet by the others.
“Come on!” Sergei shouted. “Come on, you bastards!”
Sam could hear the whine of a plasma engine being started. “Don't you dare!” she gasped out. Her legs felt like lead and her right ankle was on fire. She hit the smoother ground of the path that led up to the landing field, the slope blocking her view.
The whine of the engines was rising to a roar. “Fuckers are leaving without us!” Jao shouted, putting on a burst of speed to power past Sam.
“Don't!” she screamed after him.
**********
“There're too many, Kora! Get down here!”
Kora sat in the pilot's chair, hands folded in front of her as she studied the controls. From the bottom of the ladder she could hear Cahaya fire again and again – he'd fallen back to the ladder and was tagging hostiles as they tried to storm the ramp.
“Kora, I need back-up.”
She didn't reply. Knew he would argue with anything but immediate compliance. Reaching out, she flipped a toggle. From below she could hear the reassuring sound of hydraulics as the ramp started to close.
“Kora, what're you doing? Kora!”
It hadn't taken her long, really, to work out the systems. Very primitive, as Cahaya had suggested. He was a smart one. She'd already run through most of the pre-launch sequence, everything up to feeding reaction mass into the combustion chamber. She'd already checked; the shuttle had been refuelled, the water tanks more than enough to get them into orbit.
She could hear Cahaya scrambling up the ladder, his boots counterpointed by the spang of hardrounds hitting the armoured flanks of the shuttle.
She started the water pumps, hearing the gurgle as the combustion chambers filled. “We can't go,” Cahaya said, his voice miserable. She glanced over her shoulder, saw he w
as pointing his pistol at her head with shaking hands.
“We have to finish the mission, Caha, and they're bringing up rocket launchers.” She reached out and started the ignition sequence, ignoring the gun.
The hostiles had come at them from a previously unseen, well-camouflaged blockhouse that was obviously the furthest extent of the settlement. They'd almost managed to storm the ramp when Cahaya had spotted them and driven them back. Now she could see more emerging from a hatch in the rocky desert with the tubes of primitive rocket launchers in their hands.
Cahaya let his gun drop, and his head.
“Strap in, please, and reflect upon the fact that if you ever point a gun at me again, I will kill you with it.”
She set her own chair to launch position as the rumble of the plasma engines filled the shuttle. The chair and control yoke turned around a gimble, folding out to become an acceleration couch. “Launch in three.”
The first of the rocketeers was prepping his weapon and raising to aim at them. “You have come too close,” she told him, as she primed and then fired the main torch.
**********
Jao was silhouetted, briefly, against the sudden flare of the plasma engines discharging. Sam threw herself flat and covered her ears as the roar rose, closed her eyes so she didn't have to see the colonist's final immolation. Something heavy thumped down next to her. The noise was incredible, far louder than any other propulsion system she had been subjected to, and as she rolled onto her back the flare of burning plasma highlighted the blood vessels in her eyelids.
She opened her eyes, shading her face with her forearm, and watched as the shuttle roared towards the sky. Towards safety. “Fuckers.” She remembered, then, lying in the wreckage of the jSpace array, watching the pod she'd managed to launch burn for orbit. The message that had brought the rescue that was now being snatched away.
Sergei's shadow fell across her, and for a moment she feared the retribution of disappointed colonists. “Do not look to your left,” he told her, his voice sick, and put himself between her and what was probably Jao's charred remains as he helped her up. The other colonists were still lying, dazed, on the hard-baked ground.
