The Iron Altar Series Box Set One: Books 1 to 3

by Casey Lea

  “Can't. This thing is spreading like wildfire. We need to get voice-only messages out to everyone and then save those already under attack. Can you guys get to Nexus? Blossom's been hit. We don't know how bad.”

  “Of course,” Jileea said crisply. “What of you?”

  “We've been working on how to stop it and we're trying to break through to ground zero. Our infected ship.”

  Darsey's relief turned to ice again. “Jace, no. It's too dangerous. Wait until an Alliance science team arrives.”

  “There is no waiting, Mom. In an hour the spread will be unstoppable. The frost will have made its way to every inhabited world. Even if we shut down all visual coms it can still travel by ship. We need to go now. I need to go now and I want you to let me.”

  Misty too? Clear's fronds cried, but she made only a small, desperate noise. Darsey made no sound at all. She was back in space, in the deep cold and dark, but that was exactly where she’d finally grown up.

  “Of course, love. I know you can do it. Stay safe.”

  “Thanks, Mom. You too.” There was a click and Jace was replaced by static

  Clear clutched Darsey's hand more tightly and the patient squeezed back. Their fingers twined together, holding onto each other and onto hope. Clear's thoughts were so faint they were hard to catch. This is past nightmare. What do you do when the person you love most is at risk?

  “Don't think about it,” Darsey whispered. “Seriously. Ignore it. Pretend it's not happening. Do you know how I stay calm? I live in a constant haze of denial.”

  Clear choked out a laugh, but their fingers kept on twining together.

  “It works, I swear. Everything will be fine.”

  The Communication Senior's voice carried over their conversation. “Captain, I've pictures from Blossom.”

  Darsey's head flew up and Jileea yelled “No. Don't touch them”

  “Cap,” her CS rebuked her, “I have been awake here. The video's been compressed and bundled to come via an audio feed. It's clean. Brief, but clean.”

  “Play it,” Jileea ordered and everyone in the medbay stared at the center of the room.

  A smooth globe appeared, the view of a planet as one would see it from a satellite and for a moment Darsey thought the CS had made a mistake. That world wasn't Blossom, it was Blizzard. It had to be. The surface showed far too much white- Darsey clenched Clear's hand so hard her friend yelped. The world below also showed the cream and gold of Blossom's forests, but there was snow and ice too. Far too much and not concentrated at the poles. Instead it was spreading from the major cities.

  The visual zoomed in to show Centria, the heart of the Alliance government. Skyscrapers leaned like broken teeth, while frost climbed their flanks. Other buildings were already covered and one collapsed as they watched. Ice shattered and then scattered, spreading the plague, but the burst building had already frozen again. Its parts hung in the ice like an exploded schematic and it joined the dozens of snow-globe horrors around it.

  Clear whimpered and Darsey, scared she was squeezing too hard, tried to release her, but realized she already had. It wasn’t physical pain hurting her friend. Darsey kept her eyes locked on the hologram, unable to look away and stared at what was left of Highland Park. The swathe of trees and gardens that had once housed the Senate and the High Court were almost unrecognizable. They were nothing more than a dark smear beneath a glassy surface. In front of them the frozen cityscape fused to become a glacier, and Darsey's home began a grinding march to the sea.

  She watched her city solidify and something inside her froze too, just as cold and hard. She rose, turned her back on the hologram and strode to the door. “Jileea,” she called over her shoulder, “set a course for home.”

  52

  Falling Apart

  Amber watched in silent dread as a frozen corridor slid past. The ice was all around her, thick and smooth in some places, rippled in others and jagged where their missiles had ripped it apart. She was floating toward ground zero in a haze of breath and fear. She started shaking and a cool hand fell on her arm, making her jump.

  “Sorry,” Zariss said, “I had no intent to startle you. I just wished to offer a reminder that you are safe aboard Zyl. It is only your spy fleck that travels with our five companions.”

  Amber's hair stirred in embarrassment. “Of course.” She realized she was perched on the edge of her seat, leaning forward, and sat back at once. She needed to stay calm. She wasn't the one at risk here. Why did Falkyn have to be so stubborn? He should still be recuperating. So should Nikareon of course, but he seemed to delight in being a difficult patient. No, make that an impossible patient.

  Amber slipped into brooding, her chin in both palms. She would have dragged her patients back to medical if she could, but they were well beyond reach. The hologram around her was being sent by a tiny camera, no bigger than a mote of dust and now infused with dark energy to make it invisible to the plague. She was simply along for the ride.

  Nikareon’s image seemed close enough to touch and Amber’s fingers twitched with the desire to slap sense into him. He certainly deserved it and nothing else seemed to work. Calm. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, before studying the carefully advancing group again. At least their first attack had been uneventful. A salvo of Misty's new cannonballs had smashed the ice around the frozen ship like a dozen dark-matter fists. So far there had been no resistance-

  The walls came alive around Amber and she jumped. Giant chunks of ice that imprisoned bloated bodies smashed into the invading group.

  “Zombies,” Falkyn yelled, swinging his sword to smash a chunk of white from the throat of the nearest attacker. The creature swung at him in return and he was almost skewered on a stalactite arm. He undulated to one side and struck back, slicing chips off the zombie's side.

  There was a roar of gunfire and Misty's larger caliber bullets made the monster stagger. Its rigid shell cracked and sheets of ice fell from it, but the zombie kept coming. It carried Falkyn to the frozen floor and he disappeared under it.

  “Fal,” Amber choked and Zariss placed an arm over her shoulders to pull her close.

  “Be calm and watch. They rely on your eyes in this.” Amber stared numbly up at the t'ssaa, until he gently took her chin and turned her face back to the fight.

  Falkyn was emerging from a mound of shattered ice as Nikareon helped him up, while pulling his sword free from the zombie's remains. The Beserk’s blade was notched, despite the dark energy flowing through it, and his hand shook with cold. Amber stared numbly at the trace of frostbite already climbing his fingers. She’d been right and he was a fool, but that triumph was strangely unsatisfying. She just hoped he’d last long enough to make it back to her medbay.

  “Thanks,” Falkyn coughed while he found his balance on the ice and they both turned back to battle. However, the fight was over and the rest of the ambush destroyed. Jace, Misty and Zak emerged from the snowstorm now filling the corridor behind the pair and the three formed a line. They stared at the other two without expression.

  “Stay,” ordered Zak.

  “Back,” Misty said.

  “Please,” Jace added.

  Amber shifted to the edge of her seat again to study Trinity. She shuddered, but said nothing. However dangerous their bond might be, it was clearly needed at the moment.

  “Actually,” Nikareon whispered and three pairs of eyes snapped across to focus on him alone, “I’ll guard the retreat. You lot g-go on.”

  Those eyes gazed at him with calm dispassion. “Your circulation is failing.”

  “Your extremities are compromised.”

  “You’re no longer mobile.” The trio turned away without further comment, but Falkyn paused to hover anxiously over the Beserk and Nikareon offered a reassuring smile.

  “Safer b-back here anyway. G-go.” Falkyn continued to hesitate, until Nikareon pushed him roughly away. “I’m f-f-fine. Go.”

  The kres staggered from the shove and slip
ped to a knee, but something seemed to pass between the two of them, because he finally nodded. He jumped up then turned away, to hurry down the corridor following the silver gleam of Zak and Misty’s eyes. Amber had only one dark-energy spy fleck and she was briefly torn, but her choice was obvious. She sent her data gatherer after the main party as they continued on.

  Trinity moved ahead and all three of its components gestured for Falkyn to stay back. He looked over his shoulder at the communicator with a shrug. “See what I mean about being synchronized?”

  “Indeed,” Amber answered and he gave the camera a wry grin, before turning to follow the others.

  The grating of swords on ice pulled Falkyn into a run and he caught Trinity at the next intersection. They were fighting multiple zombies but fog filled the air, hiding their frozen enemies. Amber peered through it wishing she had Beserk vision, while figures whirled and ducked from one side of the open space to the other.

  Her heart clenched at the thought of Falkyn throwing himself into that storm, but he simply stood and stared. She looked back to the battle and didn’t blame him, because the fighting was surreal. There was no place in the struggle for anyone except Trinity. The three blurred figures lunged and spun together, to take down every target.

  They moved like a braided river, its separate channels twining past each other, to smoothly merge, then twist apart, before meeting again. Their fluid attack was overwhelming. The whirling trio claimed the heart of the intersection and seemed to suck zombies toward them. In seconds, only three of the shambling monsters were still standing.

  Zak swung a sword with both hands, and carved through the largest of those zombies with precise strokes. He nearly severed the creature’s shoulder, but somehow its limb kept swinging. He had to brace himself beneath his massive blade, to block an arm as thick as his thigh. The zombie roared and leaned down, putting its full weight on its dangling arm, but Zak didn't seem to notice. He let go of his sword with one hand, to grip it only with the other and started to sag, forced to his knees by the weight of ice. His free hand flashed out to one side just as Misty's sword flew past. He caught the second sword and lunged upward, to gut the frozen harvester. The creature collapsed over him, but Zak shoved it off his chest to throw the sword straight back to Misty, who was now unarmed.

  She dodged the stamp of a zombie foot and also Zak's blade, which flew over her head to pierce her attacker's throat. Misty grabbed its hilt, forcing it from side to side until the decapitated creature collapsed. The exchange of weapons had been precisely timed to take out both enemies.

  Misty used her foe's body as a ladder, springing from its knee to its shoulder. She flipped neatly to somersault past Jace and land on his assailant's head, but the ice zombie ignored her. It kept raining blows down on Jace instead. That was the creature's last mistake. Her sword grated against its neck, before grinding deep. The monster fell and the fight was over.

  Zak and Jace and Misty never paused to catch their breath, or consider the fallen. Instead they moved smoothly to stand back to back. Their heads swiveled in unison, scanning their surroundings.

  Falkyn clenched his fists and backed away from them. He looked thoroughly spooked and Amber felt her own skin crawl. They had won, but the battle had been bizarre.

  All three heads turned to stare at her spy fleck and she swallowed, although her voice was calm. “I recommend rest. Take a moment to let Falkyn assess what might be ahead.”

  However, Trinity ignored her advice and advanced again while Falkyn looked helplessly back at the spy fleck. “It seems we're committed.”

  He followed the trio and Amber shuddered. She sank back into her chair, bending her legs up to wrap her arms around them. More ice slid past and stalagmites appeared. The group snaked around them, weaving a path through the frigid silence. There were no more attacks, so perhaps the plague had used up all its zombies. Amber relaxed, just a little.

  The nest appeared ahead, but this time the ice thinned as they advanced and she frowned. “Are you sure this is right? There’s no frozen barrier to keep us out.”

  Jace answered for Trinity. “We can see the energy flow and it leads here.” They crunched forward over a thin layer of frost until a splash came from Misty at point, but she didn't stop. “Puddles,” Jace informed Falkyn and then they were wading too.

  The water was only ankle deep and the group scarcely slowed, but Amber felt a chill of premonition. “This is light years too easy,” she warned and Zariss stirred beside her.

  “Agreed. Proceed with much care.”

  “I will,” Falkyn promised pointedly, but Trinity ignored him.

  They reached the nest and Amber dropped her legs to hitch closer to the edge of her seat, but it was impossible to see anything ahead. Whatever now inhabited the heart of their ship was hidden. There was the usual silver glow from Trinity, but all it revealed was a room filled with steam.

  The reflected light was blinding, but the trio advanced into the foggy nest anyway. They took a single stride, before collapsing in a line. They fell to the floor as if broken and lay there unmoving.

  Falkyn froze just as still as the collapsed trio and Amber did the same, watching with her hands over her mouth. What the hail had happened? Had the gestalt exhausted them already? Surely it was far too soon. Falkyn looked back at Amber with a shrug, before sliding forward, one small step at a time.

  The spy fleck followed, revealing that Trinity's eyes were all open and fear touched Amber again. Something was very wrong. All three had a pulse, so they couldn’t be dead, but what did that leave? She dug her fingers into her elbows and fought the temptation to call Falkyn back. They needed to get into that nest as soon as they could and he was still mobile. He had to try.

  A grunting noise came from the collapsed trio, an urgent animal sound that made no sense. Why couldn’t they talk and what was Amber missing? She slid to Zyl’s warm floor, to kneel by the image of her friends and pretend she was over there with them. Why was she conscious, but stuck? Despite com support every part of Trinity was welded to the ground. Even their fronds were pressed flat to the floor. They weren’t drugged or paralyzed, they were simply pinned down. “Stay back Fal,” she cried. “They're trapped by heavy gees.”

  Falkyn sprang away at her first cry, but it was too late. The ice must have spread its gravitons more widely, because he was suddenly caught. He collapsed without a sound to lie sprawled and helpless, staring at the fleck wide eyed. Amber crawled to his side, drawn to help, even though he was far away.

  No, no, no. This was a total disaster. The ice must have cannibalized all the gravitons from the Last Chance to combine with its own and the resulting gravity well was strong enough to defeat any com field. Falkyn and Trinity were hopelessly trapped.

  Amber looked up at Zariss, but he nodded grimly back toward the hologram. The ice was advancing. Fingers of frost crept from the fog and reached for her friends. Lacy white foam crawled onto them while she watched. It thickened to form a glassy sheet and in less than a minute her friends were gone.

  ***

  Amber had no idea how much time had passed. Zariss had turned off the last image from her spy fleck, but that white shroud was engraved in her memory and she could only vaguely see the nest around her.

  What she could make out started to spin and Amber steadied herself with her hands. Against the floor? Somehow she was on all fours. She swayed there until abruptly her stomach turned over. She retched and then vomited. A warm gruel pooled between her fingers, pungent and revolting. She'd failed beyond belief. Everyone was dead. Her stomach heaved again.

  A touch on Amber's shoulder returned her to her senses and she looked up at Zariss. “We need another plan,” he said and she almost laughed at his understatement. “I suggest we retreat and rendezvous with my people.”

  Amber studied the floor dully, watching it fold across the contents of her stomach, before she let Zariss help her up. “I thought you were exiled.”

  “So the Great Father ordere
d and it suited me well enough while I searched for my offspring, but now we need to return to Sha-sek. Zyl can intercede with the Court of Mothers to get my banishing rescinded.”

  That revelation was strange enough to pull Amber from her shock. “A Court of Mothers? Who can override the Great Father? Does that mean the fathers don’t truly rule the t’ssaa?”

  Zariss blinked happily and smiled. “Not while there are mothers. Queen Zadayiss is our highest authority, but even she does not hold total power. The Triumvirate works together for the good of all.”

  “Triumvirate,” Amber mused, folding her arms and starting to pace. “Fathers, mothers and the queen?”

  “Indeed and now I have shared much that nobody other than a t’ssaa should know. Are you recovered and prepared to fight?” Zariss rested an encouraging hand on Amber’s shoulder, but his fingers curled tight in silent entreaty. Her hysteria was forgotten, along with despair. There’d be ample time for such later if she failed again. In the here-and-now she and Zariss and Zyl were still alive. They might not be able to stop the ice, but they had to try. No. Amber hugged herself tight, almost too tight to breathe. She had to try.

  “I’m ready to resist, Zariss, but we don't need another battle plan. The fight's over and we lost. No need to hiss, I'm not suggesting surrender. Instead we have to get sneaky. It's all that will work now. Find me the schematics for that ship, because I'm boarding it alone.”

  53

  Improvising

  Amber was surrounded by ice again, but this time it was real. In the darkness she could feel the chill from the hole she’d cut in the ship’s side. Fresh frost closed over it, to leave her trapped in a steadily shrinking tunnel. It seemed the ice would heal any new path she made, but she pushed on anyway, taking another quiet and careful step.

  The gravity was normal, but her shoulders were hunched and she had no idea what to do if she was suddenly crushed. Unfortunately, that thought brought her back to one sad and inescapable fact. She had no clue what she was doing in any of this. Her only idea had failed and there was no backup plan. There was just her.