“Incredible…” Janus gasped. Hundreds of meters tall and wide, a huge… city, was floating into view from around the edge of the Cerberus. Its shining exterior was a blinding, pearl white. As the shadows of Cerberus encompassed it, Janus could see massive curved windows set among gently sloping walls. It looked like a floating mountain of steel and glass, a high tower at the center forming its peak. Rounded domes and towers looked like the foothills of the mobile mountain. High in the apex of the city, like a great gleaming eye, was a red window of stained glass, a figure set in the middle too far away for him to see. A constant dull roar emanated from the city’s base as huge engines worked in concert with whatever great power lay hidden deep within it to keep it floating gracefully above the barren ground.
As more moved into the shadows of Cerberus, however, Janus noted spots of hasty patchwork and exposed superstructure. A few black scorches marred the exterior, reminding Janus of the nature of the occupants inside the great fortress.
Hurricane force winds billowed through the many alleys of Cerberus as the floating fortress moved closer, buffeting the platform from all sides. Special vents opened and closed along the city’s edge to compensate and protect them, directing the rush of air through the slums.
Large ramps and stairways appeared from the floating city and a flood of people from both Cerberus and the fortress emerged. A tiny group broke from the rest, striding purposefully for the aspiring warriors. It was a man, flanked by two women. Both women were fit and attractive, but their faces lost some of their beauty when Janus noticed the intensity etched across them. The man, however, seemed completely relaxed, so much so that Janus considered the idea that it was an act. A head of grey hair, and a handlebar moustache gave the impression of an old gentleman from a bygone era, well past his prime. His physical stature, however, had not diminished with age, and he still looked as fit as he might have 40 years ago. His eyes were grey, too, but intense, belying the calm exterior. He wore two weapons: the first was a silver, long-barreled pistol with an intricately carved handle that featured a strange half-moon symbol. Stranger still, however, was the sword buckled across his back. Janus had never seen such a weapon before, at least outside of books. Its sheath was intricately inlaid with great golden figures. The woman to his left was tall and slim, with long raven-black hair, and green eyes. She carried a sword and a pistol, although neither had the same intricate carvings. The woman to his right was shorter, though no less fearsome. Her angular face and short red hair gave the impression that she would brook no nonsense. She carried only a rifle, slung across her back.
“Welcome, ambassadors of ODIN,” Miss Middleton moved forward, arms outstretched.
“Glory to Cerberus, Great Overlord,” handlebar replied with a slight bow. He was at the bottom of his bow when his eyes caught Janus. He froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing, but then his fierce expression disappeared and he had resumed his smile, standing up straight again.
The smiles on the pair’s faces were so forced it was quite clear that even though they obeyed the niceties, they wanted no one mistaking the fact that they hated each other.
Miss Middleton moved forward and spoke quietly with him.
“It would be nice to know why they carry those swords, they don’t look particularly effective.” Janus said blandly, glancing at the weapons. Knives were useful for survival, but blades were absolutely worthless against the tough armor of an S.T.
His study was interrupted by handlebar speaking loudly.
“The boy wasn’t part of the original bargain. I simply will not pay 10 grams of Immutium for him.”
“What’s a gram of Immutium?” Clara whispered. Janus shrugged.
“We will give him to you for half price. I understand he is quite capable, especially from rumors by security patrols,” Middleton bargained.
“If he’s so skilled, why ask half-price? Don’t try to fool me, Middleton. I’m not one of your half-baked troopers.”
I like this guy already, thought Janus.
“How can you even suggest such a thing?” Miss Middleton’s face looked as if she was really trying to act hurt, but was having a hard time pulling it off, “Every member of our corporation is valuable.”
“Don’t patronize me. I know all about Corporate citizenship, Overlord,” handlebar retorted.
“Fine,” Middleton snapped, “Leave him! He still belongs to us!”
“Oh really?” handlebar exclaimed. In a mere moment, the silver pistol at his waist had appeared in his hand.
The last thing Janus saw was the muzzle flash as the gun aimed straight for his heart.
Chapter 8: Valhalla
Far too many close calls over the years had left Janus with excellent reflexes, but still, he could hardly believe he reacted. Time seemed to slow as he leapt to get out of the pistol’s sight. He immediately moved to protect Clara, and grabbed her around the waist as he leapt. She did not even flinch, as if she hadn’t even registered handlebar’s explosive movement.
Move Clar— Janus screamed in shock.
The round exploded into his shoulder, leaving a scorching black and red hole as large as a golf ball. Time suddenly sped up again, and Janus writhed in agony. Clara was utterly flabbergasted, as were most of the recruits and all but one of the guards. Miss Middleton, however, turned purple.
She pointed a fat finger at the man, “You can’t ever just take the money and run, can you, Jennings?”
Janus struggled to his feet, wavering against the pain, but ready to run.
Jennings wore a slight grin as he stared at Janus, but it quickly disappeared as he turned to face Middleton. “Must we go through this every-time? When will you learn that I won’t take your garbage off your hands? I don’t care what else you’re willing to throw in just so you can add more Immutium to your personal coffers. I’m responsible for the well-being of my entire Legion, not just myself. There isn’t really anything you can offer me.”
Middleton gave an angry scowl.
Jennings turned to his two escorts, “Take the ones who passed, leave the rest.” The two women saluted and herded some of the recruits towards the city. They left the half that had been totally surprised to see Janus upon the ground. Janus felt weak and a wave of dizziness washed over him. He collapsed on the hard metal platform. He was going to be left to die here.
A distant voice said, “Take care of the one on the ground.”
“No, you can’t!” Clara shouted.
The figure of a security trooper loomed over him. I haven’t said goodbye to Clara yet, Janus thought, and then darkness overwhelmed him.
Janus awoke slowly. His head hurt. Where am I? Warmth seemed to emanate from everywhere around him, and he felt very drowsy. Heavy lids fighting against him, he opened his eyes.
He was in a soft bed, and low lights lit the room, allowing his eyes to adjust easily. The ceiling curved gently overhead and looking to his left, Janus could see large white shades covering a curved window. A closed door stood in the wall to his right. Looking above his head, strange machines jutted from the wall, and a glowing white screen showed strange letters and numbers. Every so often, a green light would sweep back and forth across his body. What really caught his attention, however, was a strange tube of blue gel that disappeared into the wall. The odd tube emitted a luminescent glow in the semi-darkness. He reached his hand toward the container, curious about the strange gel, and noticed that his hand was unexpectedly gloved in a black material. He suddenly became acutely aware that he was no longer wearing his Cerberus servant uniform, but a form-fitting, armored black suit, which felt strange and prickly to him. He examined his arm and the glove; they seemed to be of a high quality, and he imagined he must look like one of the Cerberus elite in the strange suit.
Clara will certainly be envious… “Clara!” Janus sat up with a start. Everything came flooding back. Middleton’s threat, the rail-car ride, the man named Jennings, being shot—
Sweat beaded on his brow; he couldn’t feel anything wrong wit
h his arm. Slowly, he turned his head to try to look at the bullet hole. He pulled the uniform away and—
The hole was gone. No gaping wound. The only thing wrong with his shoulder was a slightly pale spot where the injury had been.
A door in the far wall slid open, and bright light flooded the room. Janus squinted against the bright light, his eyes feeling the burn. A tall shadow stood highlighted in the doorway. It took Janus a moment to realize it was the grey-haired man. Janus tensed.
Why is he here? He corrected himself. Why am I here? He glanced around again. Where is here?
Jennings moved to the bed, “We weren’t sure when you would wake up—” Janus pushed himself back in the bed. He chuckled, “You certainly gave us a surprise.”
Janus glared vehemently. His mind was racing, and he searched for a weapon. The room was bare. Janus eyed the man, no guards.
The man smiled, his eyes shining brightly. “My name is Alexander Jennings. You’re wondering where you are, no doubt,” Jennings continued, ignoring Janus glare.
“I’m wondering what is going on. Where is Clara?” Janus retorted.
“Who? Oh yes, the young lady that you protected. She is fine,” Janus blew a sigh of relief, but he did not take his eyes off the man before him. Jennings smiled, “But I’m afraid you won’t be able to see her.”
Janus was startled, “Why not?” The man seemed genuine, but he certainly wasn’t trustworthy at this point.
Jennings did not answer, instead he moved away, towards the door, “Follow me, I’ll explain everything.” Janus sat for a moment; the situation was entirely unexpected. After a brief consideration, he struggled out of the bed. He had a raging headache, but his feet were steady. As the mysterious man disappeared through the door, he called out, “Come on son. I didn’t shoot you in the leg.”
Janus hurried to catch up with Jennings, jumping into step beside him. He gave Janus an appraising look, murmuring “Bold.” More rooms, filled with beds and the glowing machines, appeared to his right. Wide windows let sunlight stream into the hall. Janus felt an overwhelming desire to take a look, but the bright light and Jennings’ quick and steady pace kept him moving. The pair made a left turn, heading away from the windows and passing a new set of closed doors. A few were marked with ‘supplies’, while a few had strange names he did not recognize. He stopped to stare at a particularly heavy door with several scanner locks on it. It was labeled “Nanyte Control Room.”
“You have a very unique name, Janus, do you know that?” Jennings said over his shoulder, not pausing his purposeful walk. Janus started momentarily and quickly made up the few steps he had fallen behind.
“Are you normally so friendly with people you shoot?” Janus asked edgily.
Jennings chuckled, “No need to be so prickly, my boy. Clara told me before we loaded you up.”
“You spoke with Clara?” Janus asked cautiously.
“Oh, yes. She filled me in with some of the important details about you. A slummer, named Janus, found as a baby.” He rubbed his chin, “Even Middleton perked up a bit when she heard that. Your name is very interesting to me, you know nothing about it?” Jennings gave him a curious look.
“No—” Janus replied irritably.
Jennings ignored him, “Interesting,” he added cryptically. “You seem remarkably well-educated for a slummer, although I am only guessing that from your manner of speech. It doesn’t suffer from enough slang,” he added. “Clara must have worked hard on you.”
“Are you trying to compliment me or insult me?” Janus asked.
Jennings returned to looking ahead, “You mistake my attempt to understand you as an attack upon you. Educated as you are, I thought you might appreciate getting a history lesson about your name, and learn a little bit more about why you are here in the process.”
Janus was silent.
Jennings continued, “When the old republics fell, and the Corporations rose to replace them, people became afraid of repeating their mistakes. They looked back to a time when two great civilizations defined the world.”
“And those would be?” Janus asked curiously; the man was certainly an odd one, but Janus couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“The Greeks and Romans! Both cultures were known for their military, economic, and social might; a stability that the newly founded Corporations wanted to emulate. The Corporations soon adapted names and traditions from these cultures. Fearsome names: Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera, Medusa, Titan, Minotaur, and the most powerful of all these Corporations: Phoenix! Or at least it was…” he murmured.
“But I digress, your name is that of a Roman God: Janus, the beginner and ender, the god of gates and doors, peace and war, and the transition between the mediocre and the great. It is a very strong name, and it speaks of Clara’s wisdom that she gave it to you. It’s always terrible when someone like her ends up in the slums.”
Janus perked up, “What do you mean?”
Jennings smiled at him, “Nothing. And you don’t know any reason why she gave you your name?”
“She didn’t. Although she taught me well,” Janus quickly added. “I was named from a note she found with me.”
Jennings looked shrewdly at Janus, “Someone gave you that name before Clara? That is very interesting…”
Jennings turned away from Janus, getting a step ahead of him, “I still have much to show you. Follow me.”
The narrow corridors and shut doors of the hall made Janus feel like a rat in a maze. Every so often, he thought he could hear voices through one of the doors, but he had yet to see anyone else. It wasn’t far different from the silence of the slums, but in the slums, he knew where he was going and what to expect. He didn’t like being led. Ahead of him, the end of the hall opened up into a brightly lit area. The sounds of many more people spilled from the open doorway before him.
Janus was tired of Jennings leading him by the nose, “Where is Clara? I want to see her.”
“You can’t see her because she is still back at Cerberus,” Jennings gave him a lingering smile as he waited for it to sink in.
No, impossible… Janus rushed past Jennings, and ran to the end of the hall, his eyes fighting to adjust to the bright light. Suddenly, his vision cleared, and he stared in amazement around him.
The fortress of the Mercs. Unlike any he had seen before. He envisioned the glittering white tower from the outside in his mind. They were in the center of it. It was like a hollow mountain, hundreds of meters tall, made of a shiny pale stone and bathed in sunlight that streamed down from massive windows set in the highest reaches of the peak. Rooms and halls dotted the inside walls – a city inside the mountain – and people streamed from all levels in and out of a huge column in the center of the structure that stretched from the base to the top. It reminded Janus of a tree he had seen in one of his books; as if a huge trunk had sprouted in the middle of the mountain, its branches spreading out to connect with the walls of stone, forming bridges for the men and women who lived in the city.
Bright rays of sun illuminated tiny islands of green plants which dotted the trunk and mountain walls, and spread along the branches of the tree. Waterfalls cascaded merrily down the trunk, granting life-giving moisture to the plants.
Men and women of many ages walked or ran all around him, some talking animatedly with one another, while others had the same grim purposeful looks he had seen from the two women that had been with Jennings. All were slim and fit, even the elder ones, although none were as grey as Jennings. Clad in the same armor Janus wore, they seemed to blend together as their suits shifted from grey to brown to black. Some gave him strange looks as he gaped in wonder, making his way haphazardly towards the edge of the wide balcony. Jennings walked a few steps behind him, letting Janus soak in his new environment. Reaching the curvy railing, he peered over the edge, watching the waterfalls spill into a river that weaved around the base of the trunk. Arched bridges crossed the small canal, while benches dotted the edge of it.
Janus
ran his hand along the railing; its smooth polished surface looked like a stone that had been pulled from a river. Tracing the railing with his hand, he stopped at the edge of a branch, studying how they twisted around the trunk like a set of stairs, granting a view all the way to the top of the city. It made the place seem airy and free, despite the crowd of people.
Janus craned his head back as far as he could. Gigantic glass panes surrounded the top of the pillar, creating the cascade of light that bathed the giant hall. He was transfixed, however, by a huge circular window that dominated the very top of the city. It was stained red glass of a great warrior, having but one eye and clad in fearsome armor, astride his six-legged mount. The warrior held a massive war spear easily at his side, his fierce expression daring anyone to challenge him.
Light poured through the window, casting a huge multicolored display upon the grounds below.
Jennings stepped up next to him, raising an outstretched arm, “Welcome, to Mercenary Legion ODIN and its Avalon citadel, Valhalla!”
Chapter 9: Adepts
“Everything you see here has a purpose,” Jennings continued. “Despite its tranquil appearance, this entire city was built for war,” he motioned with an arm around the massive citadel, from the sweep of the sunlit greenery to the giant stained glass window.
“The seal you are so transfixed by is that of our emblem: the great god Odin, astride the mighty Sleipnir, his warhorse, charging into battle.”
Janus tore his gaze from the window to look at Jennings, “But why am I here?” Janus was still wary, “And why did you shoot me?”
“You still have a lot to learn,” Jennings chuckled. “I hope you are eager to be here, because Clara wanted you to know she expects the best from you.”
“Clara? Is she safe? Where is she? Can I talk to her?” Janus interjected.
Jennings raised his hands, “She’s safe at Cerberus. I made sure of that, and as long as you remain here, it will stay that way. Middleton knows better than to test my patience any further.”
The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus Page 5
