Janus latched onto his words, “As long as I stay here?”
“Yes, you’re a part of ODIN now,” Jennings nodded seriously.
“And what if I don’t want to be?” Janus asked.
“You can train and learn with us; but if you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to.” Jennings said matter-of-factly. “We are an elite military group, small in numbers against the massive forces of the Corporations. We won’t have anyone who doesn’t want to fight alongside of us. You don’t have to stay. Would you rather go back to Cerberus? I can send you right now.”
Janus took a moment, but shook his head.
Jenning nodded approvingly, “Good. While you’re here, we will watch out for you, and Clara. But I have an obligation to ODIN first; if you leave, my protection of Clara ends. We can’t afford to waste any resource, even the slightest influence, on the others outside these walls. Understood?”
Janus nodded, “I don’t plan on leaving, and I don’t plan on dying.”
“No one ever does,” Jennings replied. “As for talking to Clara,” he shook his head, “I’m afraid that Cerberus is out of range by now.”
“But I’ve seen S.T.s using radios to communicate all over Cerberus. You must have radios?” Janus asked skeptically.
Jennings smiled kindly, “Of course. But I’m afraid it doesn’t work quite like that. There are limits to range, especially with the Corporations controlling what few satellites are left.”
“Satellites?”
Jennings pursed his lips, “It would be difficult to do the subject justice right now. You’ll have the opportunity to learn soon enough. But to answer your question about why I shot you---my apologies. I meant only to cause superficial damage. Enough for Middleton to release you – sometimes we find good uses for those not qualified to be Mercs, and I thought it would be far better than your fate as a slummer – or as an S.T. Unfortunately, I did not anticipate you reacting as you did, trying to rescue that young woman. You leapt right into the bullet.” Jennings smiled, “But on a positive note, you certainly passed the test. You are an Adept.”
“A what? What test?”
Jennings nodded, as if he expected the question, “An Adept. That is what we Mercenaries call ourselves. Sounds better,” he chuckled. “Before anyone is allowed to become an adept – or a cadet, for new recruits like you – they must pass a test. It is usually a reaction test. In this case – I shot you. I wanted to see how your companions reacted. You may have noticed that not everyone did – although I would hardly blame you if you missed it. Half of your fellows followed my actions and understood what had happened, the other half did not. Adepts absorb information and react upon it at almost twice the speed of everyone else. It is an uncommon trait, and it makes them vastly superior soldiers upon the battlefield. Does that answer your questions?”
Janus was skeptical, “For now.”
Jennings’ smile became broader, “Well then, for now, I will answer your other questions about where you are.” He pointed to the center of the city, “This is the main hall of Valhalla. We are currently located at the Medical Branch of the city. Each section of the city is connected via bridge to the central pillar, or trunk, as we like to call it. Why do you think that is?”
“Because the architect was too stupid to put doors between them?” Janus smirked.
Jennings laughed, “Actually, no, it prevents the base from being overwhelmed by invasion forces as long as the Legion controls the trunk. After locking down the base from central command,” he pointed towards the very top of the central tower, “the city is only accessible by use of the trunk and bridges.” Pointing at the sides and the windows, he added, “The waterfalls act as a humidity control and cooling measure, while the windows are heavily reinforced plastics that become fully armored with blast doors in a combat situation.”
He made a motion behind him as the pair walked, “As I said, behind you is our Medical Branch. One of the finest available, I might add. We have an entire lab devoted to Nanyte control and production.”
“Nanytes?” Janus asked curiously.
“In brief: Microscopic pseudo-cells we create synthetically in a special lab to treat medical conditions.” Jennings smiled at Janus’ uncertain look, “You will learn more about them soon, but we used them on your shoulder. I think you can see their benefits. Did you see the blue gel next to your bed in the medical bay?”
“Yes.”
“Electrogel. It keeps the Nanytes live until they can be injected into the body. Nanytes can repair almost any injury, but have a few limitations. Namely, they are rendered useless in a short time as their power depletes rapidly, and they become inert with no ability to recharge. And while powerful, they are dangerous if administered in high doses. They over-repair and over-build the body’s systems.”
“That still doesn’t sound too bad,” Janus commented.
“It is if the Nanytes overbuild your heart and it becomes so large it can’t pump in your chest,” Jennings said matter-of-factly. “And unfortunately, they are also prohibitively expensive. None of those tubes in the rooms were filled with Nanytes; they are used for transport to a patient. To treat every Adept in this base with the maximum treatment every day for a month would cost more than what it took to build this place.’
‘We can accommodate hundreds of soldiers in the Medical Branch, plus we have the ability to quickly expand into the landing bay below us. Pilot Barracks are across from us. Below them are the fighter launch bays. Each pilot has a quick access chute to his craft.”
He pointed down to the ground and to the left. Janus could see a huge arch with a constant stream of Adepts flowing in and out. “Next to the ground floor barracks is the mess hall and meeting forums. You will be down in the cadet barracks, across from the main mess. And all the way at the bottom of the city, underneath the main tower floor, are engine control and power, and the arena.”
“What’s the arena?” Janus asked.
“That too, you will be experiencing soon enough,” Jennings coughed. “Although fortunately, playing in the arena is limited to full-fledged Adepts. Once you join your fellow cadets, you can have the grand tour.”
“So I can point out flaws?” Janus ribbed.
“Unlikely. As the designer, I spent years refining it,” he gave Janus a piercing look.
Janus cleared his throat, “Ah,” and quickly changed the subject, “But how did you come by such a place?”
Jennings ignored Janus’ discomfort, putting a hand on the railing, “Actually, it’s amazing this place was even built. It took an incredible amount of resources. Few can even afford it, let alone take the risk of building such fortresses these days. Avalon citadels were once considered the future, but that time is passed,” Jennings said regretfully. “Avalons are powerful, but also vulnerable. A new Avalon hasn’t been seen in a long time. Corporations decided long ago that such fortresses were not worth the investment, but for Adept Legions like us – an Avalon like Valhalla is invaluable. But to answer your question simply: we stole it.”
“I thought you said you designed it,” Janus asked incredulously.
Jennings nodded, “I did. But I didn’t build it. We stole it from SPARTAN.”
“Is SPARTAN another Merc – Adept Legion?”
“Indeed, and an extremely wealthy one. Or was,” Jennings added with a grim smile. “SPARTAN had many years of success with,” Jennings paused, a slight wrinkle along his brow, “little competition. But an Avalon class fortress requires more than wealth to build. It requires expert design, which I supplied, if unwillingly. But knowing how an Avalon will be built also means you know the perfect time to attack and take it. There will be no love lost between me and SPARTAN.”
Janus paused thoughtfully, “But Legions fighting amongst one another, doesn’t that make you vulnerable to an attack from a Corporation?”
“Not as vulnerable as you might think,” Jennings did not smile. “And I believe I can show you.” His face was grim as he moti
oned Janus to follow, “Come with me, we should be passing over it now.”
Janus furrowed his brow at the remark, but followed. His curiosity piqued, Janus no longer felt quite so ill at ease. Instead, he felt a strange empathy for the man.
Leaving the tree, Jennings passed through an arched door above which a pair of strange symbols glowed in red light. One looked just like an angular ‘R’, and the other was an ‘X’ between two vertical lines:
“They’re called runes. It means ‘Chariot of Dawn’,” Jennings gestured to the symbols.
He saw the look of confusion upon Janus’ face. “These and the others like them around Valhalla are all that remains of a long-forgotten language. I once knew a man who hoped fervently that there was a place for the brave souls of the world when they passed on. He thought that the Corporations had forgotten something about humanity’s soul. I am not sure I believe in it as he so fervently did, but I tend to agree with his assertion.” Jennings motioned back towards the trunk, “this citadel is named in honor of that hope. Valhalla, the halls of the brave.”
Janus felt oddly privy to some strange revelation, but wasn’t sure how to react to it. Jennings seemed surprised by his own revelation, too, because he quickly pointed back to the runes, “All of the flight launch bays use the first rune of ‘Chariot’ and either ‘Voyages’, ‘Protection’, ‘Dawn’, or ‘Hail’, each determined by whatever purpose is intended for the bay. The ‘Dawn’ bay will eventually be used for scouting craft, but this section is mostly used for storage right now.” As the door shut behind him with a solid thud, the long hall lit up dimly, with glowing strips of light illuminating the floor. The lights raced just ahead of the pair, extinguishing behind them.
“Power preservation,” Jennings commented. All of the doors were shut, but Janus paused briefly to peer inside one. It slid open to expose half completed suits of Trooper armor in the dim glow from the hall. Jennings kept walking, creating a small island of light around each of them.
Jennings called out over his shoulder, “Come on son, I’ve got something more important to show you than some rusty Trooper armor and I usually don’t give tours.” Janus hurried to catch up, until the two islands of light once again merged into one. At the end of the hall, Janus leaned forward curiously as Jennings waved open a heavy metal door decorated with the seal of ODIN. It slid away silently to expose a wide hanger. The hanger was deathly still, and Jennings footsteps echoed as he walked across the floor to the huge bay door. Above him, Janus could see a pair of long, sleek shapes, with angular noses, like the prow of a ship. Each had four engines, one situated on each of the four corners of the craft, with the front pair slightly behind the cockpit. The strange looking vehicle had no wings to speak of, but many hatches: two in the back and along the bottom, and two very heavy doors along the sides.
Jennings glanced upward, “Longboats. High speed armored transport and landing craft. The prow deflects incoming fire and can even ram into buildings and doors to create a hole. They only need one engine to fly, two to hover.” Jennings pushed a few buttons on a glowing display on the far side of the hanger and waved the translucent panel back into the wall. There was the sound of heavy machinery churning and cranking. He nodded to the pair of longboats again, “The side hatches operate on special hinges that can open in any direction for protective cover or convenience.”
But Janus had stopped listening. The great bay door was opening, creating a platform that slowly extended out of the city, and exposing a setting sun disappearing over a verdant green pine forest. The tops of the trees looked like tiny green brushes from so far above. A dull roar echoed from the earth below; the engines of Valhalla as they pushed the city gracefully along.
As he walked out into a purple sky, a fresh breeze swept along the platform, wrapping him in its cool embrace. With his back to the setting sun, he could just make out snow-capped mountains sparkling in the fading light.
Janus stood for several moments, still in awe of the outside world, deeply breathing the cool air as the giant city floated its way over the landscape. Turning to stare at the setting sun, Janus’ struggling eyes welled up. No matter what happened here, or what Jennings intended, it all would have been worth it, just for this.
Jennings waited patiently for Janus to join him at the edge of the platform.
“Is the city always on the move?” Janus asked as he came to stand beside him, watching as a flock of birds startled from the forest, disturbed by the roaring engines.
Jennings nodded solemnly, “Yes. We must always remain mobile. The risk is too great otherwise.”
Janus looked back at the city from the edge of the platform. He could see the scorched and blackened plates upon its pearly exterior, the holes like scars upon its beautiful features.
Jennings motioned his arm towards the pockmarks, “Risks that you can see, right now. But our movement is not strictly defensive. It’s for trading, too. Trading keeps us afloat – literally, now that the Corporations have fewer military skirmishes, let alone jobs for us.’
‘With the completion of our trading with Cerberus, however, we are bound for the ocean for a while. We have no jobs on the horizon, and it is never wise to become predictable. Our sojourn will give us a chance to focus on our new cadets, and keep our abilities honed.”
He turned away from the city, looking out over the forest.
“But, I believe you were asking about our vulnerabilities?”
Janus nodded.
Jennings pointed down, over the edge, and Janus peered into the creeping dark of dusk. At first, he thought he was just staring at more rocky terrain shadowed by the mountains and the setting sun, but he soon realized he was staring at a city. It was a black, twisted mess, and the approaching twilight only made it more difficult to discern.
“That,” Jennings said, “is all that remains of Phoenix Corporation. It made the mistake of attacking an Adept Legion.”
“Adepts did that?” Janus was in awe.
“Yes. Phoenix was once the most powerful corporation in the world. Many years ago, Phoenix tried to capture an Avalon-class fortress, not unlike this one, and use it as a Trojan horse.”
“Trojan horse?”
Jennings glanced at him and smiled, “A deception of sorts, an effort to make someone believe you have good intentions when you do not.”
He looked back to the broken waste, “It wasn’t a bad idea. Corporations regularly trade with us; we’re the trusted middlemen, or perhaps, more trusted than another Corporation. A Legion that is involved in trade negotiations never attacks a Corporation. And a Corporation will never attack Adepts while they trade. Even before Phoenix was destroyed, that was the unwritten code; but Phoenix - Phoenix demonstrated what would happen when that code was broken,” there was a tinge of bitterness in his voice.
Janus remained silent, feeling that it would be inappropriate to speak.
“To this day, I’m not entirely sure why they attacked.”
“There was no reason for it?” Janus prodded – the idea that someone could challenge a Corporation…
Jennings shook his head, “None. I have many theories, but as for facts, I have few. Some say they needed something. Some say they were testing themselves. There are even rumors that it was integral in some way to Phoenix Serum.”
“Phoenix Serum?” Janus asked.
Jennings gaze was distant, “An elixir, a drug – a mythical substance that grants super strength, or perhaps wealth, or immortality.” Jennings grimaced, “Or one of many things man is willing to sacrifice so much for – and brings him so little. All of it is uncertain. No one knows much about it, and even less about the reasons for the battle that day. But I do know Phoenix made at least one mistake. Phoenix underestimated us – they underestimated the Adepts.’
‘But it has always been that way,” Jennings added reflectively. “Corporations believe adepts to be nothing more than clubs, brute force weapons like their armies of Security Troopers.” He gave a hollow laugh, �
�And no matter what we say, or what we do, they will always think little of us. We are merely an avenue to rid themselves of troublemakers. That is why so often we leave so many people behind in our trades, like the group we left behind in Cerberus. In the eyes of the Corporations, the best of the best are Executors, and everyone else is rabble. But their arrogance plays to our favor, too. Everyone here is a castoff from a Corporation, and fortunately for us, the Corporations have never realized the magnitude of their loss. It is the reason Phoenix is the twisted heap you see now. It is the reason they attacked SHADE.”
“Is that another Adept Legion?” Janus asked.
Jennings avoided looking at him, “Was. SHADE was destroyed in the battle.’
‘SHADE had come to engage in trade, but Phoenix launched a surprise attack upon them and their Avalon-class Fortress, the Elysium Fields. Phoenix ambushed and killed the SHADE’s Praetor, who was engaged in the negotiations,” he paused to answer Janus’ unspoken question, “The Praetor is the leader and highest ranking officer of an Adept Legion.’
‘No doubt Phoenix expected SHADE would quickly surrender with the loss of their leader and the prospect of total annihilation. They might have been right if we—,” Jennings paused, “Mercenaries—were anything like the soldiers they believed us to be; the soldiers for hire of centuries ago.”
He stared out at the last rays of the setting sun, and his grey hair suddenly made the man appear very old to Janus.
“But Adepts are very different.” Jennings eyes were piercing as he turned, the light casting his face in shadow. “I know in the slums, trust is a luxury. But it is a necessity here for the functioning of our units. You will have to learn that quickly to survive.” Janus was silent, strangely compelled to listen.
“We Adepts may sell our blades to the highest bidder, but we broke free of the Corporations for reasons very different from power and wealth. And our Avalon fortresses are more than just mobile bases, they are the very homes that we hold dear. Generations of Adepts have been raised in such places, and in many ways, Legions are giant families. Phoenix did not understand that.”
The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus Page 6
