Extensis Vitae: City of Sarx

by Gregory Mattix

  A pair of tanks stepped out of a stairwell about twenty yards away, and energy blasts flashed past Mason’s head. He swung the minigun and fired, but it ran dry after a few rounds, spinning quietly. Brass still clinked to the ground as the barrels smoked. Blat blat blat. Bolts slammed into the truck’s armor, and Mason hastily dropped down inside the truck.

  “Time to go!” he yelled to Keeva.

  Tires squealed on the concrete as the truck bulled forward, building speed slowly but inexorably. She tagged the rear fender of a bullet-riddled pickup truck, sending it spinning away. Red Royce turned to regard the approaching truck, waving them forward. He fired another burst and stood aside. His men crowded behind him, since they were out of their cover.

  Energy bolts crackled into the truck and flashed around them. Royce staggered as a few blasts struck the chestplate of his power armor, and he returned fire with his .50 cal. The man firing around his flank took a shot to the throat and fell.

  And then Mason and Keeva were there. Keeva braked and spun the wheel, expertly spinning the truck sideways. Tires squealed, and Mason tumbled against the wall before regaining his balance and throwing the rear doors open. The truck rocked as laser blasts slammed into the side of it.

  “Come on! Get in!” Mason shouted. Royce’s three remaining men dove inside, followed by the rebel leader. The truck dipped beneath the substantial weight of the armored man. Keeva punched the accelerator, and the truck surged ahead, aiming for the exit tunnel.

  The half-dozen or so surviving CorpSec enforcers had regrouped and concentrated their fire on the fleeing truck. Bolts crackled, and Mason fought to haul the doors shut. A bolt slammed into Mason’s chest, the vest absorbing it, but another round hit him in the unprotected thigh. He grunted in pain, and another bolt streaked past, just inches from his face, before he managed to wrestle the doors closed. Someone cried out behind him, and he saw one of Royce’s men holding his wounded shoulder. The truck shuddered under the barrage, but the chop-shop armor job held up.

  Just when Mason thought they were clear, a loud thung rang through the truck as a projectile penetrated the armor and passed completely through the other side of the truck. Light was visible through the holes. The men’s eyes widened inside the truck, and everyone hit the floor. Thung! Two more holes appeared in the truck. It must be Bethany and her damn railgun. That’s the only thing they would be armed with that has that much penetrating power. He waited for the next shot to rip through him, but then the engine noise reverberated loudly around them as they sped into the escape tunnel.

  Mason slumped back against the side of the truck and took a deep breath. Royce’s eyes met his through the faceplate of the power armor, and he saw respect there. The truck rumbled down the tunnel, and Mason held his breath, hoping that CorpSec hadn’t found the escape route and set an ambush.

  A couple minutes later, the truck roared out of the tunnel and into the darkness of early morning. Only the noise of the engine and tires on the broken pavement disturbed the stillness.

  “My scanner doesn’t detect any drone activity in the area,” Royce reported after a minute spent consulting his HUD. His face glowed beneath the red and blue overlays on his power armor’s faceplate. “Looks like the anti-aircraft batteries did the trick, keeping the skies clear.” The whole group let out a collective sigh of relief. “Make sure the jammer is on, and get us to the fallback site, darlin’,” he called to Keeva. His daughter nodded and gave them a thumbs up. They continued on in the thick silence of those that were shocked to still be alive.

  Mason checked his wounds and was relieved to see they were all superficial. I wonder how many more times my luck holds out like this. He realized he’d never seen Bethany miss her shot before. His relief at being alive was short-lived as his thoughts turned dark. I’m coming for you, you murdering bitch.

  Chapter 14

  Reznik opened his eyes to a cool breeze blowing across his face. He was lying in a comfortable bed in a clean white room. A sheer curtain billowed softly in the window. The sun shone outside, and he could hear birds chirping.

  Sitting up, Reznik realized he was naked under the sheets. Surprisingly, he was alive. Even more surprisingly, he was uninjured. The palms of his hands were scarred but healed. His nose had been set and was no longer broken or even sore. His cheek felt stiff, and he could feel a knot of scar tissue there, but it was closed up. The cracked rib and the gunshot wounds were all healed as well, but his muscles felt tight and cramped, as if he’d slept in one position for too long. I’ve been out for quite some time if my nanites had time to regenerate and heal me, as bad off as I was. A quick glance at his HUD revealed two days had gone by since his jump from the Gomorrah Club tower. Three messages demanded his attention: one each from Rin, Keeva, and Marcus. A lot of shit’s happened during the time I’ve been out.

  “Hope you got my earlier message and all is well. Haven’t heard from you for 36 hours. Let me know if you need someone to watch your back - R.” Reznik smiled at Rin’s concern. He would get back to her as soon as he figured out what the situation was.

  Keeva’s message wasn’t very encouraging. “Devils Tower fell under heavy assault by Thorne troops. Heavy casualties, falling back to standby base. What’s your situation? Thinking if we could make something happen with a strike on Skin City sooner than later might be better when they aren’t expecting it. Please advise on your situation - Keeva.”

  Reznik cursed when he read Marcus’s message. “Just got word on a full-out strike on Planter’s Ridge to eliminate the ‘threat’ from alien organism. Can you get word to the town to clear out ASAP? Sounds like they are planning to attack in two days at earliest.” Shit, that’s today. I’ve got to figure out what’s going on.

  Reznik looked around and saw a clean set of clothes laid out next to the bed along with a note. “Feel free to shower and get dressed. We will return shortly—L&L” the note read.

  Where the hell am I?

  He walked over to the French doors and looked out on a charming garden with brilliant flowers, neatly trimmed shrubs, and a fountain. Reznik thought about stepping outside to have a look around and try to figure out where he was and who “L&L” were, but realized whoever helped him was obviously a potential ally. He didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger.

  Reznik tried contacting Hank, the leader of the small town of Planter’s Ridge, to deliver Marcus’s message, but he received an Unavailable message from his Datalink. Damn it. I’ll have to keep trying. If there’s an impending attack, I hope they haven’t blocked all comms.

  He took a minute to plan his next move. He needed to find out who his benefactors were and assess the situation. After that, he would return Rin’s and Keeva’s messages. He would continue trying to get a hold of Hank also, but he feared it might be too late. At the moment though, the lure of a hot shower was stronger than the need to explore his surroundings.

  The en suite bathroom was filled with luxurious marble countertops and tiled floor. It had a contemporary look—contemporary for Reznik’s time at least. The bathroom looked like something out of one of those home improvement shows after they gut the old bathroom and renovate with luxury fixtures.

  Taking a look in the mirror, Reznik was shocked to discover his lost eye had been replaced with a stunning golden one. It looked strange paired with his cool gray eye. Looks like an owl’s eye. The socket had scars radiating outward, but the eye itself looked as if it had always been there. He remembered catching a glimpse of the same-colored eyes on the people that helped him. Maybe gold is the latest fad.

  The ugly, puckered scar marring his cheek caused the corner of his mouth to droop slightly from where the facial muscles had been damaged. I definitely won’t win any beauty contests now.

  The hot water felt great on his stiff muscles, and he soon forgot about his disfiguring wounds. After he had cleaned up and gotten dressed, a knock came at the door.

  “Come in,” he called.

  The door opened, and an att
ractive young woman stood there. She had shoulder-length brown hair with platinum highlights and the same startling golden eyes like the one he now had. The woman bowed, which Reznik found strange.

  “I am glad to see you are up and about,” she said in a musical voice. She smiled shyly. “I am Lynessa; my brother Lars is preparing some food if you are hungry.”

  As she said that, Reznik realized just how hungry he was. “Where am I? Who are you people?”

  “Please, come join us for breakfast,” Lynessa invited. “We will explain everything.” Reznik accompanied her, noticing she wore a simple white dress that clung to her slim figure.

  The house was well furnished, almost like something from even before Reznik’s time period, with tasteful paintings and sculptures. An open living space had comfortable leather sofas and a dining table that could seat a dozen people.

  A man who had to be the woman’s twin was preparing food in the kitchen. “Oh, you’re awake,” he said with a smile. “Welcome. I am Lars.” He bowed as the woman had. Lars had the same two-toned hair, although his was cut shorter, and the same golden eyes as his sister. Reznik suspected they were skins.

  Reznik sat down at the table, and the twins delivered plates of food. They sat down and stared at Reznik with polite smiles. When he looked blankly at them, Lynessa gestured to the food. “Please, help yourself. Servants never touch their food until citizens get their fill.”

  “Go ahead,” he told them. He wondered if they were slaves or indentured servants. “I’d be more comfortable if you joined me.”

  “Very well,” Lars said. Reznik loaded his plate up with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. A glass of orange juice completed the meal. The twins took much smaller portions.

  Reznik devoured half his plate before he thought to make conversation. The twins stole curious glances at him as they ate more slowly.

  “So, I assume the two of you helped me after I fell the other night? What happened afterward? Where are we now?”

  “That was quite the fall,” Lars remarked. “It’s amazing you survived, with as much damage as you sustained.”

  “Very fortunate you did,” Lynessa continued smoothly, as if knowing what her brother was going to say before the words came out. “For your sake, of course, but also for all of us. The Lady hopes you will be a good friend and ally to her.” She smiled shyly again.

  “Which Lady is this?”

  “Lady Angelis, of course. She took an interest in your plight and sent us to assist if we could. We are happy that we could do so.” Lars shared a look with his sister and continued. “Luckily, your body was able to regenerate on its own, so our humble first aid skills weren’t really necessary. Your new eye, on the other hand, is a gift of the Lady.”

  “Do you like it?” Lynessa asked. “The model you had was very old—nobody had anything like that anymore.”

  Reznik was about to tell her it was a bit bizarre, but from her eagerness, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Yes, I do like it. Please give the Lady my thanks.” He smiled encouragingly.

  “Oh, you will have the opportunity to thank her yourself. We will take you to see her soon after we finish here.”

  “Very well, I look forward to meeting her.” Reznik popped the last bite of pancake in his mouth and washed it down with the rest of his juice. “Thank you for everything. The food was delicious.”

  Lars beamed. “We are glad you are pleased.”

  “Where are we? Is this Lady Angelis’s place?”

  “This is one of her guest houses,” Lynessa said. “You are safe in her quarter of the city. You won’t have to worry about the Overseer for now. Not even he would brazenly trespass on the Lady’s territory.”

  “His men are searching the city,” Lars said soberly. “They were going door to door when I was at the market earlier. He seems to want you very badly. Perhaps that is why the Lady has taken an interest in you.”

  Reznik couldn’t help but wonder what the Lady’s interest in him was. He had a hard time believing it was through sheer benevolence on her part. Whether she was a potential ally or a cleverly disguised foe remained to be seen.

  ***

  Rin went down for breakfast that morning and was greeted by Takeo Yamashita, the commander of the enforcer unit she had requested. The twelve-man squad had been at the estate and awaiting orders at the crack of dawn. Rin had second-guessed herself after a good night sleep and decided to give Reznik another day. She didn’t want to look foolish by pestering him when he was likely busy trying to maintain a low profile as he tracked down the former colonists.

  She smiled when she saw the veteran enforcer—he had been Ryu’s right-hand man, and she knew he was trustworthy and highly competent. Yamashita’s stoic face even cracked a smile when he saw her. As Ryu had, Yamashita believed in dressing like a professional, with an expensive gunmetal suit and tie. Rin had always let the units under her command dress more casually—paramilitary style, but Ryu had always fancied the classic Yakuza hit man look for his men. I’m going to have to get a new wardrobe to fit in with this bunch.

  Yamashita was an advanced skin like the rest of his unit, but he looked distinguished with his jet-black hair graying at the temples and fine lines on his face. She wondered if skins could be ordered to look older or if he had just aged over the years. Regardless, he was a reassuring presence that made her more confident in their plan.

  “Lady Takahashi,” he said with a smile after a polite bow. “It puts my heart at ease to see that you are well.”

  Rin smiled in return. “And you, my friend. Please join me for breakfast if you will.” The enforcer nodded and took a seat across from her. He declined food but had a cup of tea.

  “I think it will be good for the men to see some action,” he confessed. “With the stand-down orders, they haven’t had much to do but routine security. For enforcers, that is a difficult duty to be relegated to.”

  Rin sympathized with him. The enforcer units were heavily armed strike teams used to engage the enemies of Clan Takahashi. Two years of relative inactivity spent performing routine tasks they considered below them would be tough for their pride to take. “It’s been a difficult couple of years, and I’ve rethought some of my philosophies. There are big plans afoot to shift the balance of power, which I must discuss further with my brother. But we have the opportunity to pluck a low-hanging fruit, and this is a particularly rotten one. I want to take down the Overseer of Skin City. We will avenge his betrayal and the death of Ryu.” And the ruining of my own life.

  Yamashita’s raised eyebrow was the only sign of his surprise at her goal. He nodded as he continued to listen silently, but she could see the gleam of eagerness in his dark eyes. They discussed details for a short time and then chatted about news from around the Pac-Rim and back home in Sea-Tac.

  “There is one development you might find interesting. Taro Rikuto was promoted to wakagashira in the absence of you and Ryu.” Yamashita’s mouth twisted slightly in obvious disapproval.

  “Taro was promoted?” Rin’s eyes went wide in surprise. “My brother never liked our cousin; he used to insult and disparage Taro at every opportunity.” Wakagashira was the prestigious position of first lieutenant, and had been Ryu’s position for years before Rin’s return to the family, when Ryu had abdicated and Seijin had appointed her wakagashira. Rin had never gone out of the way to insult or belittle their cousin, but she had never cared for the man either. He had always seemed to be a selfish, sullen individual, concerned with enhancing his personal stature. Her father, Haruto Takahashi, had never trusted or granted favor to that branch of the family, and Seijin had followed suit—until recently. Taro must be thrilled at his sudden promotion.

  “It is my belief that your brother wants family in his most trusted positions. He’s been running short of loyal family members of late, unfortunately.”

  “He should have looked no further than you, Takeo.” Rin smiled at the loyal enforcer. Although Yamashita wasn’t family, he had pr
oven his loyalty with years of faithful service. Rin trusted him much more than she ever would her cousin.

  Yamashita bowed his head respectfully at the compliment. She thought he looked pleased but slightly embarrassed.

  Just as Rin finished her breakfast, a call from Reznik finally came in. Excusing herself, she stepped out onto the patio. It was a beautiful day, with sunshine shimmering on the still sapphire surface of the lake. She answered the call, hardly daring to breathe.

  “Rin, I just wanted to let you know that I’m all right,” Reznik’s voice came over the Datalink.

  Rin let her breath out slowly, relieved.

  “The Overseer’s goons rolled me up just hours after I started looking around the city. So I guess you know about the bounty obviously, but did you know Haze was the Overseer’s brother?”

  “I did know that… I’m sorry, I should have mentioned that to you.” She felt guilty, as if she had hung him out to dry.

  “No need to apologize. There was so much going on at the time, and we both had a lot on our minds. I managed to escape a little worse for wear. It was… a close call, though,” he said, and she could tell by his tone that he must have had a rough time of it. “But anyway, a couple of Lady Angelis’s servants helped me get away and patched me up. I’m about to meet her soon, so I’ll find out if she is a potential ally or not. How are you? What happened with your encounter? Are you well?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” Rin smiled at the evident concern in his voice. “I was attacked by a bounty hunter—one that I’d run into years ago. I was able to settle that old score, which was long overdue, so it’s good that piece of shit is gone. You had me a little… um… concerned when I didn’t hear from you for so long.” She silently cursed to herself at her awkwardness as she struggled to find the right words.