Julia frowned. "We're not abandoning you, Val."
He nodded. "I know. You're keeping yourself safe. Don't worry, I can fade into any shadow, even immerse myself in the grasses like a cat. No one will find me unless I want to be found. And for all your mother's concerns, hiding in plain sight in big cities is second nature to most agents, at least it is on Earth. It's all about adopting the clothing and posture of everyone else going about their business. It’s all about blending in. For a woman who claims to have seen Bourne, she should know that, but she's still thinking in terms of infiltrating a research facility where everyone knows each other's faces, not a city where almost everyone is a stranger to one another."
Val frowned thoughtfully. "All I really need to worry about is getting past the massive force fields her scouts said the city was fortified with, much like her own facility."
Julia gave him a fierce hug. "Go then, Valor Hunter. Just promise me that if you can't find a way in, you'll come back to me without daring anything stupid. Come back to me, Val. Promise!"
Val smiled, caressing her lips with a soft kiss. "I promise, Julia. Now park your veli behind those bushes. People underestimate the value of good cover. It's only obvious if you're expecting it."
With those final words he was off, savoring the crisp night air, spending long moments reveling in the fluid power of his stride, the tingling energy itching to escape muscles craving a good burn, and Val did all he could to scratch that itch, racing at a dead sprint even as he felt himself slipping ever deeper into the night, but an extension of his environment once more.
And far sooner than he had thought he would, he spotted the brilliant scintillating sight of a massive shimmering force field, and the brilliant lights of a city awake even at that hour, just beyond.
His destination, defended by a score of massive lasers, was just ahead.
24
Val did not bother slowing his pace like an intruder fearing being spotted as he hid in the darkness. For he was the darkness, one with the gloom surrounding even this brilliantly lit city, the artillery that Val sensed tracking a herd of large game paid him no mind. Even as the weapons unleashed brilliant flashes of energy, half a dozen deer-like herbivores instantly collapsing into piles of charred ash, Val knew he had nothing to fear. Those cannons were programmed only to track the heat signatures of large animals. Not the night all around, sentient even as it pooled to awareness, approaching what looked to be a fortified portal forming an arch through the oddly pulsating force field. The opening might have allowed easy access to the city beyond, but the road was strangely empty of pedestrian or drivers. Val knew this was the only route most would dare, the road alone not targeted by automated laser fire.
But there was indeed a commotion by the arched tunnel piercing the crackling blue field guarding the city.
Panicked voices turning to desperate cries.
The flash of blasters, a horrid screech as a velimobile slammed into the force wall, then silence.
Then Val saw the squad of fully armored city guards, helmeted heads heavy with the rasping sounds of breathers, two of them entering the ravaged veli after spraying the lumps inside with a solution that stunk of alcohol and iodine.
"Damn, do I hate it when things go this far," declared one soldier to another. "Why the hell won't they just stay in quarantine?"
"Because dying people panic," declared a gruffer voice. "They don't give a damn what happens when they leave, or why we have a quarantine in the first place. Now let's get these souls to the incinerator. At least we get a credit bonus for salvaging another veli."
"Wait, we won't have to present ourselves formally, will we?"
"Hell no," his partner laughed. "I haven't taken off my armor since yesterday, and vacuum-sealed nutra-water is all I'm bothering to drink. If you're smart, you'll do the same."
"Okay. Yeah, that makes sense."
"Keep your blaster ready, though. If any of those assholes in returns are hot, no telling what they'll do."
"Creator's Mercy, I'm starting to hate this job."
"Beats the alternative though, doesn't it?"
His partner gave a nervous chuckle at that.
And slowly the pair drove the velimobile back into the city, Val only then catching sight of the glassy-eyed stares of a mother and child, their bodies slumped in the back seats, butchered in cold blood by the guards.
Then Val hissed, horrified by a sight he had desperately hoped to avoid.
One of the two remaining guards frowned. "Is someone there?"
Val froze his shock to the same bleak coldness he would embrace while stalking his prey, unaffected by the horrors all around him, intent only on wreaking havoc of his own.
And for all that his intent had changed, the mindset nonetheless served him well, embracing night so deep that it was nothing to slip past worried-looking guards, their eyes sliding right off him.
And then he was through.
Val was momentarily captivated by a beautiful panorama of brilliantly lit buildings and wide boulevards in spotless condition lined with lush, blossom-filled trees, the scents of rose and lilac perfuming the air. It was like gazing upon the most picturesque of European towns combined with exotic concepts of what metropolis life might be like in the future.
He was almost surprised not to encounter numerous restaurants and bars with scores of animated patrons sharing drinks and companionship over delicious meals before smiles and laughter turned to whispered promises, young couples going off hand in hand to celebrate the glorious night in other ways. He eventually spotted several diners and cafes radiating a rustic charm that somehow synergized perfectly with the futuristic buildings of chrome, glass, and steel they were housed within, complemented by outdoor tables and chairs awaiting endless diners. Everything was perfect, save for one glaring flaw.
There was not a soul out in the open enjoying the beautiful night air, heavens alight with brilliant twinkling stars.
The streets were empty.
Not a soul to be seen along the boulevard Val walked.
No one and nothing, save the stench of unbathed men and women lost in fever, yellowed eyes peering furtively from darkened alcoves.
The night was alive with the aroma of blossoms, and the sharp stench of death.
Val's worst fears had come true.
The Red Death had hit this city, and hit it hard.
A city of half a million or more, infected with a virus so contagious it spread like smallpox, so deadly it burned through Jordians within hours of the first symptoms of infection. A plague with a hideous mortality rate in purebloods who lacked any trace of Neanderthal bloodlines.
Val wondered how many were lost to the depths of agony even now, blood and pus pouring from countless sores, and how many would soon follow.
A horrified part of him wondered if there would be any survivors at all.
Congratulations! You have achieved a crucial milestone in the Hidden Questline: Primal Lord Rising. Congratulations! You have achieved a crucial milestone in the Hidden Questline: Child of Oblivion. Your first major territory lies within reach. Too bad all your future citizens are dying. You already know what path your old mentor would advise. Why destroy valuable property or risk your men in open conflict when you can just let nature take its course?
When you think about it, with a plague this lethal, designed by a madwoman who had access to graphic simulations and networking based on an entirely different set of universal principles, fusing technologies from two different realities, the likelihood of the Dominion's best minds discovering a cure before perishing is remote at best! Entire worlds will collapse under the weight of the Red Death! Save for a handful of alchemically talented wizards hiding in the wilds of southern Jordia who abhor the Dominion, no sentient could design a cure in time. Worse, no other planet has electromana fields intense enough to allow for the exotic potions that come so naturally to mages here. The entire Dominion could conceivably wipe itself out!
Who says Fer
mi Paradoxes can't be fun?
Of course Terrans have resistance, but not immunity. If it blazes like fire through the native populace currently assisting with Earth's conquest, what would happen when it eventually hits your home planet? Oblivion welcomes the choice of its newest disciple!
There is more than one way to claim this board, Val. Which path will you take?
Val stumbled, sickened by the mocking voice he halfway feared was just an echo of himself. Or perhaps it was just an echo of reality itself, taking an interest in a player who had catalyzed himself from quantum flux, effectively willing himself into being, much as some theorized the multiverse itself had, countless ages ago. Either way, it didn't matter. Mocking or not, real or not, that voice possessed deadly kernels of truth that had always proved to be accurate before.
If steps weren't taken, all of Jordia would be at risk. Perhaps the entire Dominion would be imperiled, billions of innocent souls who had no control over draconian governments at all, only living their lives and loving their families as best they could.
Val grimaced, slipping out of Shadowmind with the horror of the choice before him, forcing trembling hands to pluck free an artifact so deadly that Val feared it could flash-fry half the planet.
Shaking hands caressed a Valorium Core sparkling like a thousand stars, pristine and perfect, able to power massive starships through the depths of space. He swallowed, gazing at that precious, horrific artifact, imagining what he could do with it, surprised by the added sparkle and sheen when bitter tears splashed off its metallic surface.
For I am become death, destroyer of worlds.
He recalled Julia's beautiful smile, her twinkling eyes and sultry laughter when she knew he hungered for her, rosy cheeks flushed with desire equal to his own. He thought of his father, hoping for one more chance to meet their mother, and Faith miraculously alive, a sister he had thought lost to oblivion, long ago. He thought of Ava, even now holding him in her heart, doing her best to bring her city back from the brink.
And here Val was, holding a weapon that could kill them all.
He silently screamed, forcing the starship core back inside his rift, trembling with sudden fury.
Sudden hate.
If it weren't for the bastards who had done everything they could to capture Christine's laboratory, causing the virus to run rampant, he wouldn't be forced into making such hideous choices.
At that moment, boiling with horror and outrage, he wanted nothing more than to see his enemies' heads on pikes.
And the high-pitched whine he heard now that he had slipped out of Shadowmind only heightened his fury.
A strange sound, resonating so oddly. Mirroring a pattern he had sensed before.
Then it clicked. The wavering sound perfectly matched the pulse and throb of the force field he had sensed with his EM Mastery skill.
Insight gained! How odd it is that this high-pitched hum perfectly resonates with the barrier guarding the city entire! What can it mean?
Val shook the puzzle away. He didn't care. It was irrelevant. All that mattered was making these monsters pay. He wouldn't let them force his hand. He wouldn't let them dictate a hideous rebuttal to the deadliest of plagues, forcing him to kill everyone he loved to save strangers who would never even know or care about the sacrifices he had made, his own life the first to expire. The hell with that!
And when trouble came, furious hands knew only one way to act.
"You! Citizen! The city is in quarantine! You are to return to your domicile immediately or be shot where you stand! Raise your hands, turn around, and walk away now!"
Val's icy gaze caught the pair of armored troopers, armor gleaming like polished plastic, so wonderfully effective for blocking blaster fire.
Psiblade catalyzed! 100 Psion reserved. Forceshield activated at full power! 100 mana reserved.
The pair of guards had time only to step back and fire a single pair of futile shots before Val was upon them, his voidal blade cleaving through flesh and armor with equal ease, headless bodies now stumbling to the ground in a spray of crimson, the once-pristine boulevard suddenly slick with blood.
Two enemy guardsmen cut down! Experience earned. Kill on, Overlord Valor!
Hot fury free of icy calculation carried him forward, all but daring the increasingly frequent patrols to attack him as he neared what could only be the palace, a trail of blood and bodies in his wake.
Then he found himself within sight of the palace, spotting no less than a hundred armed guards with blasters aimed at all the entry points into the grand plaza before it.
Val forced himself to pack away his horrific rage, letting icy purpose and ruthless intent fill that terrible void as Shadowmind took hold once more.
He would kill them all in the end. But for now? He needed to ascertain everything his enemies knew. Ferret out what secrets he could before taking out this plague-ridden city and preventing them from infecting the entire continent.
Voices filled with shock and alarm distracted the soldiers by the palace gates, a number racing away towards whoever had spotted the numerous dead bodies Val had left in his wake. Which suited his interests perfectly, easily slipping past clusters of milling, anxious guards. His enemies expected insurgents, plague victims, and bright flashes of laser fire, not inky shadows effortlessly flowing through the darkness all around.
The flashes of crackling death were hidden almost as well as he, and in those chance moments that everyone was looking to the source of unexpected cries, sliced bars of reflective alloy at the far end of the gate were being caught before they could clatter upon the ground, laid quietly at shadowy feet stepping quickly past, not a single distracted guard looking Val's way.
Focused only upon holding his Shadowmind and Psi-sense as he raced down luxuriously appointed corridors, Val paid little attention to the gilded portraits of aristocratic nobles, picturesque landscapes, and bloody battles, intent only on honing in on the nexus of throbbing power he felt, ears picking up the broken sobs of dying men gazing furtively through bloodshot eyes, fallen servitors dressed in once-pristine finery now covered in blood from sores erupting from their bodies, whimpers of horror and fervent whispers to unknown gods a bleak contrast to the choking cries of a man weeping for his dying daughter.
"Angie, Angie! Don't die, darling. Hold on. Father will find a cure, I swear it!" A ragged cough at the end of the hall as Val flowed past a pair of once-handsome guards scratching open bloody pustules and gazing at each other in mutual horror, their sapphire blue eyes leaking tears of blood.
"Alph, we're dying!" Bitter laughter. "I thought we would make retirement with this assignment. I never imagined I'd meet the end here."
"Lord Blackenthorp said the doctors were whipping up a cure. We're dead if we flee. Just hold it together!"
"Don't kid yourself. The lord of this city knows we’re doomed. He's spending his last hours with the jewel we swore to protect. You saw the fallen servants. Only because we were modified are we even among the living. Other guards won't even slip out of their armor, terrified of seeing the sores. All the doctor did was hand us pain pills without saying a word. At this point, we're all just walking dead."
"Shut the hell up. We're gonna get through this! Now quit picking your damned sores and stay at your post!"
"Shit. I felt something," murmured one of the pair as the gilded hardwood door was quickly opened and shut behind them. But when they turned to gaze at the entrance to their ruler's personal apartments, the door appeared just as it had before.
And deepest shadow slinked through a beautiful room fit for a princess, filled with plush ivory carpets, exquisite baroque furniture, exotic clothes of silk and lace, a luxurious four-post bed, and beautiful porcelain dolls on every flat surface save for a single sleek computer station of polished chrome. And now Val was but feet away from the source of the throbbing power both his Psi-sense and Dominion Matrix equally sensed with pristine clarity.
The ruler of the massive territory that had
dared to invade his land was kneeling upon once-pristine carpets now stained with blood and other fluids, seemingly unaware of his doom approaching, sobbing over a young woman even now crying out in pain, thrashing and jostling the IV cords and monitoring equipment attached to her arms and chest. Only feet away a third individual stood patiently by, IV syringe held in hand.
And all three individuals in that room were covered with pustules. Even the cybernetically enhanced doctor whose chrome-plated skull, ports, and cybernetic eyes alone were free of discharge. Even the Highlord whose body crackled with intensity was marked by the infection. Their enhancements and Psionic potency could only buy them time.
With a single strike of his crackling blade, his still unsuspecting opponent would fall, and Val would be well on his way to claiming this massive, fertile territory as his own. The unquestioned master of an entire city and all the resource it claimed.
Val gazed for long moments at the giant of a man sobbing over his dying child and did the only thing he could.
25
"Angelica, hold on... doctor, she's having a seizure. Save her, damn it!"
The doctor whirled his cybernetic eyes, grimacing even as blood trickled from his nose. "Yes my lord," he said, standing still for long moments as the girl's eyes widened, wrenched to panicked wakefulness as she began to spasm, blood shooting from her nostrils.
"Doctor!"
The doctor opened and closed his mouth wordlessly before collapsing in a heap, syringe flying from his hand, spasming just as badly as the child in her father's arms.
"It doesn't end like this! Heaven's grace, it can't!" roared the frantic father even as Val made his move.
Oblivion's Peril Page 30
