by Dorian Dawes
Snidely crept forward, moving uncannily fast. Nergal hadn’t quite seen his friend’s new abilities in action and even he was startled by them. He’d often prided himself on his own nigh supernatural reflexes and agility, but this was something else entirely. It was positively inhuman—rapid, blinking movements across the desert.
The soldiers were wearing powerful suits of armor. Their guns were highly sophisticated bits of machinery that could instantly shred an armored target, let alone a single civilian in refugee clothes. It wouldn’t be enough to prepare them for what was coming.
Snidely dove through the bunker, dodging bullets as he went. His nails elongated into vicious claws that shredded through their armor, rendering it completely useless before his onslaught. Snidely dug his claws into the weak points in the soldier’s armor about his neck and lifted up, decapitating him instantly. One poor bastard found himself slashed about the midsection and fell to the ground screaming as he watched his innards spill out of him.
In a matter of moments, the bunker had been cleared. The encampment was already full of screaming wounded and fallen corpses. Snidely’s swift murder of those on the backline would go unnoticed. Nergal quickly hurried over to him and scooped one of the discarded assault rifles from off the ground. Snidely raised an eyebrow.
“I hardly doubt we’ll need that,” he said.
“Your overconfidence is troubling,” Nergal said, checking the rifle magazine. “Our former associates are likely within the temple, and my ability to spread disease will be useless against a fully armored bounty hunter and a robot.”
Snidely froze for a second. He ran his hand along the back of his neck. For a moment it seemed like the old jittery aspects of his personality had resurfaced.
“You’re right,” Snidely said. “Of course you’re right. Caution is a powerful tool.”
Nergal lowered the gun and gave Snidely his full attention. “What’s wrong?”
Snidely shrugged. “I let the power get to me. You spend so long feeling utterly useless, all that’s available is a disregard for ethics and the cunning to get where you want. Always walking a knife’s edge between ambition and annihilation.”
Nergal bit his lower lip and looked at the ground. “When the time comes, will you trample me as you’ve done to so many others?”
Snidely laughed, his voice shaky. “I still need your help inside the temple, silly billy.”
Nergal’s mouth crinkled and he aimed the rifle in Snidely’s direction. “If you ever call me that again, so help me I will shove this straight up your ass.”
“You certainly know how to turn a phrase.” Snidely blanched.
Nergal saw the doubts crossing Snidely’s face. He’d been too hostile.
Years ago, Dalton had once warned him about opportunistic corporate types. “They’re usually up front with their skeezy behavior, but it’s passed off as a joke or an aside. It’s meant to throw doubts on whatever horrible thing they’ve got planned next.”
Those words had taken on a chilling effect with what came later. Dalton had been a prophet of his own death. Nergal had no intention of getting suckered in like that ever again.
While Nergal’s reputation for being a nasty and curmudgeonly son of a shitheel had served him well over the years, it wouldn’t help him here. Snidely had been a sniveling coward three days ago, and was now well on his way to becoming an unhinged bloodthirsty tyrant. It was only to be expected that once he got a taste of true power he’d run wild with it.
It also meant that the pale white creature was not to be trusted. Nergal would have to remain on his guard regarding his new fuck-buddy and ally. He’d have to play things like one of Snidely’s corporate peers, mincing words and masquerading his intentions.
Nergal placed an arm around Snidely’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Forgive my nasty disposition. It’s just part of my charm.”
Snidely nuzzled his neck in response, lapping at his chin with an unnaturally long tongue. “I love your hideous nature. It suits us well.”
For Nergal, the rhetoric of embracing one’s own hideousness had long since ceased to be useful or comforting. All he wanted in this life was to get off this planet and be left alone. He wasn’t about to tell his new twink that. This corporate lackey turned mercenary needed that rhetoric. Nergal could see the light fade from his eyes when the delusion failed.
Nergal knew the feeling all too well. Better to be cold and nasty than to open up to a universe that’d cast you out and damned you. Snidely still had grandiose visions about getting worshipped and feared by those who’d once trampled him. Nergal had to be wary of such ambitions. False hope was contagious.
“Our love is god,” Nergal whispered into his ear. “Now let’s take what we’re owed.”
CHING SHIH DOVE through the hallways, dipping beneath security cameras and laser grids to get closer to her goal. She didn’t wait for guards or civilians to pass her by so she could slip by unnoticed. She hadn’t the time for that. Anyone in her way was cut down with a clean sweep of her sword.
At some point, someone had sounded the alarms. Red lights flashed through the halls and harsh sirens blared overhead. It mattered little. All the guards would soon be converging on her position. She could still choose the battlefield.
The central corridor of the Mayflower was a wide-open office area with a balcony overlooking several monitors and a large domed window to view the planet below. It’d be the ideal location to send every last one of these blood-sucking capitalists to their graves. She used her blaster to fire open an entry way into the grates in the ceiling. She leapt ten feet into the air, vanishing into the vents and scurrying through them like a spider.
Once inside the central area, she fired a few shots out of the vents at one of the security cameras. She took a moment to attach herself to a harness and cord and loop them around the vent grating. Doors slid open on either side of the room as guards wearing Plymouth’s gray uniforms and powerful armor marched in, many of them wielding barrier shields. She had to smile. They were finally giving her the welcome she deserved.
She took a careful glance down below, making a quick calculation of the small force gathering in the room. There were at least a hundred, each with their guns swiveling about the area, searching for her. A good dozen or so had clumped up together nicely just beneath her.
Ching Shih retrieved a grenade from a satchel tied around her waist. A wicked smile crept over her features as she dropped it onto the unsuspecting army below. The explosion rocked the satellite as bodies flew through the air, limbs flying from their torsos.
She dropped down into the room, and before the smoke cleared had taken out six more guards with her blaster fire. Shots rang as she swung around the room on the cord attached to the ceiling. The lingering clouds of smoke gave her plenty of camouflage to weave in and out and cause havoc in their ranks. Some died to stray blaster fire from their own comrades.
Energy blasts severed the cord just as she was about to make another pass overhead. She dropped and rolled to her feet directly in the middle of the room. A bead of sweat dripped from her brow as she turned to face the sixty or so guns still aimed at her head.
From the balcony came a harsh voice. “And now it comes to this, the proud Ching Shih, fallen before me.”
Ching Shih’s gaze darted up. Madame Inspector stood with her hands leaned against the railing, a smug expression on her face. She clapped slowly.
“I’ve faced worse odds than this,” Ching Shih said, her voice serene. “I’ve still to hold to that promise I made you.”
Madame Inspector laughed. “Kill the bitch.”
The deafening sounds of blaster fire returned. Ching Shih snapped to the ground and slid toward the nearest set of guards, swiftly shifting her body and using their own barrier shields as cover as her sword flickered through the air. One by one, they fell to her martial prowess.
She stomped on the edge of a discarded shield so that it flipped up into her open palm to deflect a ba
rrage of bullets. With a mighty roar, she rushed forward, hiding behind the shield. She used it to batter down the front row of her opponents. Her sword flashed and blood splattered against her garments.
Chest heaving, she slowly lowered her blade. She’d done it. She’d killed every last guard on the satellite. She looked up at the balcony. Madame Inspector was gone.
Ching Shih frowned. The coward had fled. She tucked her sword and blaster back into her sash and made a running leap along the wall.
Near the back of the platform was a small office visible behind a set of windows. Ching Shih hurried inside to find a computer system and monitors with a live feed from the planet below playing across the screen. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out a series of commands to give her a better view of the battle taking place.
Both sides had severely weakened each other. Most of the carrier ships had been destroyed in the process, and the IGF had lost at least half of their anti-air tanks. Only a hundred or so of their turrets remained. The situation was now ideal for another force to sweep in and clean up.
Ching Shih tapped her headset with two fingers. “Alert the men. It’s time to attack. Kill everyone.”
BATTERED BY THE constant onslaught of Plymouth warships, the beleaguered military troops of the IGF could only stare in openmouthed horror as the red sails came flying over the horizon. These ships were smaller than either of Plymouth’s or the IGF’s, but it was their deadliest asset. They had superior speed and maneuverability, easily dodging the barrages of cannons and missile fire.
The Red Fleet closed in on the battlefield from both sides taking advantage of the scattered and surprised forces. Plymouth ships went down in screaming infernos. IGF wyverns spiraled out of control, forcing them to land where they were subsequently gunned down.
One carrier ship that somehow still remained slowly swung around to turn its fire on the encroaching vessels. Most of its volleys missed the Red Fleet ships, but all it took was a single hit to send them crashing into burning hunks along the sand. One carrier could cripple the fleet if left remaining.
Several of Ching Shih’s men launched themselves from the schooners on hover bikes. They swarmed like flies around the lone carrier vessel, pestering it with blaster fire. It couldn’t hope to focus on so many targets at once, even as it continued to down schooner after schooner.
Gradually the aggressive fire from the pirates showed signs of damage on the carrier’s hull, as Plymouth soldiers hurried to the decks in an attempt to bring down the flying pirates with blaster fire of their own. It was a wasted effort. The carrier was soon brought low, dipping out of the skies before slowly crashing into the planet, sending debris flying and crushing several unlucky grounds troops beneath its hull. Their screams were drowned beneath the groaning metal.
TALISHA TOOK A heavy breath as the platform ended, leading them to a circular chamber where a long drop existed on either side. Several more platforms reached out into wide awnings on either side of them. She turned to face Rogers.
“Hey, you still detecting those heat signatures?” she asked.
“Sure am, but there’s a problem.” He scratched the sides of his head.
“What’s that?”
Rogers gestured in a circle around his head with his pistol. “Heat’s coming from everywhere. No telling where to head off to next. Likely a buncha different systems, but no telling which one is which.”
“Dammit!” Talisha seethed and looked away, brow furrowed in contemplation.
Mattu stepped in front of them, surveying the room. He bit his lower lip and placed his hands on his hips. One of his officers approached him from behind.
“There’s enough rooms here,” the officer suggested. “We could easily split up and search them all.”
Mattu shook his head. “With all due respect, that’s the goofiest thing I’ve heard today. With the building shifting the way it is, there’s no telling if we’d ever meet back up with each other.”
Talisha folded her arms and looked around the room. She’d half a mind to fly up to the ceiling and blast a way out of the temple, but feared she’d just keep flying forever. This had long since ceased feeling like any sort of structure and now seemed to be an entire world unto itself.
“Talisha…” A ghostly voice whispered into her headset.
She turned sharply, lowering her visor. There was something there at the left end of the chamber; a floating transparent being. It was clearly not human, having wings draped around itself like a cloak and massive bird talons for feet. Its face was obscured in shadows, though she thought she saw the silhouette of a beak.
“Follow,” the voice beckoned before the creature disappeared down the corridor, taking a swift right.
“Follow me,” Talisha said. “I might have just gotten some help.”
She hurried quickly after it, arm cannon at the ready. The others joined in swift pursuit. The phantom was fast, speeding through the corridors and passing through some walls completely. They barely had a chance to slide beneath a wall slamming down in front of them as the temple continued to transform. It was like rushing through an obstacle course just trying to keep up, leaping around newly formed barriers and statues that sprang suddenly from the ground.
The specter brought them into another large chamber. It looked to Talisha almost like a cathedral, complete with arched pillars and decorative murals painted across the domed ceiling. At the center of the chamber stood a tall cylindrical object behind a glowing blue panel.
“Come…” the Valran specter beckoned with an outstretched claw.
Talisha rushed into the chamber. Bluebird grabbed her by the arm.
“What do you think you’re doing, little bounty hunter?” Bluebird asked. Her eyes were fearful.
“Can you see it?” Talisha said, voice breathy. “The Valran.”
Bluebird shook her head, but her grip tightened. “I see nothing. We don’t know what’s in there.”
“Why are you suddenly so concerned?” Talisha said in a quiet voice. “This isn’t like you.”
“It isn’t,” Bluebird admitted. “But this place, it feels strange. Something is wrong here.”
Talisha grabbed Bluebird’s hand and held it tightly. “I have to do this.”
“I know,” Bluebird said, her voice tinged with sadness. She reluctantly released her grip. “I know. You need answers.”
“That and we all might die here if I don’t fix the temple’s systems.”
“That too.” Bluebird brushed Talisha’s cheek with a finger. “Be safe. I’ll not survive losing someone else I care about.”
Talisha smiled. “I’ll be fine. I promise. You’ve got my back after all.”
Bluebird nodded, her expression soft and tender. “That I do, little one.”
Talisha took a deep breath and marched to the center of the room. Some of the IGF soldiers attempted to follow, but Mattu held them back. Talisha looked back at him. He had his mouth open like he wanted to say something. He gave her a thumb’s up. She returned the gesture and went on her way.
The specter hovered in front the glowing control panel as she approached. The cylinder behind it released a vent of steam before slowly opening to reveal a small chamber capable of fitting a single person. Talisha looked from the spirit to the chamber with a wary gaze.
“Waiting,” the voice said.
“This is such a bad idea,” Talisha whispered.
There were very few times Talisha had ever acted completely on faith despite all calculated consequences pointing to the contrary. The memory of the last time still stuck out sorely in her head. She’d sat down with her mother after several long months of agonizing over the decision.
“I’m going to start transitioning,” she’d told her. “I want you to call me Talisha.”
Her mother had been less than enthused, drinking heavily out a flask of alcohol. “Why that name? Any name but that one.”
Nothing was more painful and awkward than one simple conversation. N
othing more frightening. The only comfort she’d been able to take from that moment is that she’d been able to brace herself for the pain and loneliness that followed.
“Waiting,” the voice whispered again.
“What’s in there?” Talisha demanded. “I’ve a right to know.”
“Trials.”
“What trials?” she insisted.
“Guardian.”
Talisha shook her head. “I don’t understand. Can’t you explain?”
“Weak,” the specter said, its voice dropping to a faint hoarse whisper. “Fading. Hurry.”
“This feels like a trap,” Talisha said, “But whatever. Fine.”
Steeling her resolve, she stepped into the cylindrical chamber. She turned around and gave a saluting gesture to Bluebird and Rogers. Bluebird tried to give her an encouraging grin but couldn’t mask the expression of wide-eyed concern on her face. That Bluebird also had Rogers gripped in a frightened embrace didn’t help matters.
If Bluebird was worried, so was Talisha.
The doors to the chamber closed, trapping her in darkness. She floated up, carried on a current of air. A sudden light shot through the chamber, blinding her.
When she could finally see again, she found herself standing in an open field with the sun shining on her face. She was surrounded on all sides by luxuriant green ivy and radiant flowers of every color. Valran structures of faded rustic hues spread out before her. These were smaller in stature than the temple and were spread out in such a way that it appeared like they were meant to grow with the plants and wildlife rather than overwhelm it.
A stream of water ran through an inlet in the tiled stone beneath her feet and up to a larger structure several feet away from her, where an engineered waterfall poured forth from windows at the top of the building. She lifted her visor and turned her face to the sky. The air was cool and the sun shone warmly against her face.
This was more like what she’d imagined the Valran cities to be like from the texts she’d studied in her youth—peaceful, serene. It stood in stark contrast to the cold industrial nightmare that was the temple on Archimedes IV. She could hardly believe they were both Valran in origin.
