by Vowron Prime
“Uh, guys? Do we need to worry about a station of that size falling out of orbit?” Nina asked in a panic.
“No, my people will dismantle the wreckage via shuttles to ensure that anything that falls will be small enough—”
A nuclear explosion erupted from within the station, shining brightly for a brief moment.
Then a radial shock wave expanded from the dead sun.
“Uh, Nova? Help?”
“No! An antimatter shock wave!? But the anchor should have shut down!” came Nova’s less-than-helpful reply.
No time to retrieve the portal from its compartment.
The blast was upon him in seconds, pummeling the suit and sending him tumbling end over end through space. Darkness encroached his vision, but the suit immediately injected him with a cocktail medley that brought him back to his senses.
His HUD was awash with red and yellow, showing several damaged subsystems.
“Magnus? Magnus! Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, sis,” he replied as he shook off the daze. At least the world was no longer spinning; Nova must have gotten that back under control.
“Your suit has ruptured and is losing atmospheric pressure! I have sealed Sanctuary’s armory once again, so please retreat!”
“Wait,” he replied, scanning the various readouts. “I think I got this.”
He isolated the damaged areas of the suit and delicately fused a sliver of the armor from another location onto the compromised holes. Deft fusions always took longer, but it only took another minute to stabilize the suit and restore atmospheric pressure.
“You said you wanted me to do something while I was here? Figured it’d be a shame to waste the opportunity.”
“Magnus… did I ever mention that you are insane?”
“Not in so many words, but thanks for the vote of confidence, Nova.”
“Several thrusters are nonoperational, and fuel reserves are almost empty, but you are now much closer to the nearest spoke satellite. I might… Yes, I think it is doable! Are you sure you are all right?”
“Yeah, Magnus, I think you should just come back.”
“Girls, I got this. Trust me.”
A moment of silence stretched before Nova replied. “Understood. Please stand by.”
Two thrusters activated once again, sending the suit off into the distance—albeit on a somewhat wobbly course—before cutting off.
“That is the last of the remaining fuel. Can you teleport yourself to a stop?”
He reached his destination within another couple of minutes, where he teleported several times to come to a halt.
The satellite resembled a perfectly shaped geometric double diamond, devoid of features or lighting of any kind. The surface was smooth and glossy. Black like obsidian, yet clearly technological.
Nova guided him to an unobtrusive surface that resembled all of the others.
“Magnus, please relocate off that panel. The satellite should now be inert, having lost its connection to the main station, so anything you do should go unnoticed.”
He did as she instructed, revealing what had become a familiar panel with a lone magnetic socket in the corner. Knowing what to do, he retrieved Nova’s handheld from the suit’s waist holster and plugged it in.
“Please hold for a moment!” Nova called out.
“Take your time, I’ve got nothing better to do. I could sit here all day, just soaking up this view.”
“Is he being sarcastic?” he heard her whisper to Nina.
“No, probably not, but you just never know with him,” his sister whispered back.
“You do realize I can hear you, right? I mean, it’s not every day you get to visit space, is all.”
More whispering: “I think the suit’s drugs are getting to him. But the suit says he should be all right.”
More whispering. “Speak to him as if nothing is wrong. We shall deal with it once he returns.”
“Uh, well, you technically could visit space whenever you want,” Nina finally replied. “Not like it’s all that hard for you now, is it?”
He chuckled. “You’re damn right I can!”
“I am finished. You may disconnect the terminal now.”
“What exactly did you do—oh. Oh?”
The satellite began to fall to the planet.
“The security on the spoke satellites is far less robust than the hub. Now that their connection to the master node is compromised, I was able to do a workaround to have them fall out of orbit. Every satellite is currently falling and should burn up during planetary reentry.”
“Shit, that’s good.”
The Legatus wouldn’t be restoring his network, not anytime soon, and likely not without access to the rest of their worlds.
“Well, then. I’m calling this mission accomplished,” he declared as he unstrapped the portal from the suit’s back, causing a burst of air to spew out, which sent him tumbling through space again.
He took one final look up at the beautiful globe that was now spinning above him, burning the image into memory. Then he teleported through the portal, falling flat on the floor of Sanctuary’s armory airlock. The sudden return of gravity gave him quite the surprise.
He sat back up and killed the portal, sighing in relief at the throbbing headache’s absence. All that remained now were two ordinary plates of metal—one in the armory, the other drifting aimlessly in space.
The bay door slowly opened, bringing a blast of air with it. A winged angel and a humanoid amoeba rushed in, enveloping his suit in a double hug.
“Y’know, I may have only been gone a few hours, but damn is it good to be home.”
Twenty-Three
“You look utterly ridiculous!” Nova exclaimed, giggling uncontrollably.
“Well, you were the one who wanted me to dress up. To celebrate, right? This is the lightest armor I have, and honestly… it’s not good for stopping much of anything. I barely ever wear it.”
“That is the problem! Why are you wearing armor under your clothes!? You look so fat!”
“Well, I don’t really need the clothes if I have the armor on,” he replied, cutting a large slice of steak with a nano-enhanced steak knife, forking the oversized chunk of meat into his plate.
“Give it up, Nova, that’s just how he is. The best you could do would be to just ask him to get rid of the clothes,” Nina replied while sipping her wine, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Excellent. I’ll go change into my usual armor later then.”
He’d ended up cooking a veritable feast to celebrate their victory over the Dyn. Starting with various cheeses from all over Earth, moving to a perfectly grilled, marinated flank as their main course. Paired with a fine Argentinian Malbec, there was nothing lacking from preparation to delivery, and it showed on the girls’ faces.
“So, how many do you think made it off the station?” Nina asked.
It took a second before Nova realized she was being addressed.
“My apologies! This food is just so delicious! The Dyn only ever eat flavorless preprocessed tubes of food paste. Zevan cuisine is considered a delicacy, but this is even superior!”
MC got the distinct impression that the Dyn didn’t care much for their food. Or their art. Or culture of any kind, really. It all sounded like a pretty depressing way to live. But then again, they were the top dogs in the galaxy, so they were clearly doing something right.
Nova dabbed her lips, then answered the question. “From what we saw, it appears that all nonmilitary personnel were evacuated in time. I doubt anyone was in the station when it was destroyed. My people take evacuation orders quite seriously, so casualties ought to have been minimal. Apart from those Magnus dispatched, of course.”
“And you’re welcome. We may not have gotten the head of the snake, but we sure did a number on them. The Ultimators were one thing, but taking out so many of their commanding officers? That’s going to leave a serious dent. You can’t easily replace people
like that,” he said, just before sinking his teeth into the tender meat.
Nina put her silverware down, eyeing him hesitantly.
“Is that normal for you?”
His hand froze as he considered her meaning, fork halfway to his mouth. He rested it against the plate.
“Nina, that is not a side of the world you need to know about.”
“What?” she spat, affronted. “Maybe not back on Earth. But here? I—”
“Didn’t think combat would be so brutal?” he interrupted. “Was it so shocking to see your brother kill like that?”
“What? No! That’s not it at all!”
“Nina, there is a reason I never told you stories about my contract missions. What I did… What I’m going to do from here on out… It’s not like what you see in the movies. It’s a dirty, fucked-up business. It’s not glamorous. It’s necessary. And it sure as hell isn’t something to look up to.”
“That’s just not true,” she whispered.
“No, Nina. I’m sorry, but I’m not nearly the person you think I am. I never have been, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”
“Oh?” she asked, growing irritated. “And what exactly is that, Magnus? You think I don’t know what you do? I’ve seen my fair share of shit too in this life, you know. I’ve seen the kind of things humans can do, first hand! Those people kill too. But you kill for a different reason. You kill to protect me—us. You’re fighting back against evil.”
“You’re the only family I have left! The hell do you expect? You’re damn right I’m going to murder anyone that wants to harm you.”
“Yeah! So own up to it! Okay, yeah, maybe it was a little shocking. But don’t get all embarrassed and shameful about it! Jesus, that shit fucking pisses me off! Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not sorry!” Nina roared.
“Why the hell would I be sorry!? I don’t give two shits about those assholes,” he yelled. “And you know what? Sometimes it takes a lesser evil to destroy the greater one. I did it because I had to. Because it’s my duty as your brother. And I’d do it again! As many times as it takes.”
“Hell yeah!” Nina yelled back. “That’s what I wanted to hear!”
“Seriously!?”
“No shit! I swear to god, you can be such an idiot sometimes. You just went and completely misunderstood me.”
“Um, are you—are you two actually agreeing with each other?” Nova asked the two siblings, who were now leaning over the table to argue. They both looked at her as if they’d completely forgotten about her existence.
“Damn,” MC muttered, scratching his neck, while Nina just exhaled and sat down. “Sorry you had to see that, Nova.”
“It is fine,” she chuckled. “I was just surprised, and more than a little confused, in truth.”
Nina smiled. “We… we used to fight a lot as kids. Can’t say we’ve had one of those in what? Ten years?”
“At least.”
“Anyway, we’re good now. So long as Magnus doesn’t get all mopey and try to shut me out again.”
MC just sighed, shaking his head. “No promises.”
“So, er, what’s next?” Nina asked.
“Housekeeping,” Nova answered definitively. She’d poked around most of the base’s systems and compiled a honey-do list, which she proceeded to rattle off.
“First, I will need your help restoring the fusion generator. I have replaced a few parts on my own, but several of the torque specifications will require assistance from one of your powered suits.”
MC nodded.
“Next, we will need to address our water supply situation, especially if you plan to expand operations here. I believe that we can leverage your portal.”
“I’m not making a portal for water. Keeping one of those active means maintaining a fixed mental drain. I’d like to minimize that if at all possible.”
“Yet the smaller the portal and separation distance, the less the drain, yes? This one can be the size of a hand, and the distance between them need not be great.”
She went on to explain that by placing a tiny portal deep inside the snowpack high above the base, with its sister embedded within a narrow cavity in the rock far below, the temperature differential would trigger automatic snowmelt. They would place the exit portal such that the water flowed to a location where it could be collected and pumped into the base using the existing infrastructure. In this way, they would be able to procure water without compromising the base’s security.
“Gotta admit, I can’t really poke any holes in that plan, and it does solve our problem.” MC leaned back on his chair in thought. “All right. Let’s do it.”
“Good! Lastly, we will need to reinforce the rock supporting the base in a few key areas, based on my analysis of the samples I picked up the other day.”
“Anything else?” he asked.
Nova shook her head. “Not for now.”
“Then I just have one thing. I need to widen the hangar’s exit tunnel and do something about those damned monsters outside.”
“It may actually be more prudent to keep them around. Not only do they serve as a natural defense, but even with the Insights network down, a chariot passing by may notice a lone crater devoid of monsters.”
“That’s true. I guess I’ll just look into creating a better tunnel then. One that hopefully won’t be too conspicuous.”
“So… what comes next? I mean, after that?” Nina asked.
“We expand.”
MC set down his silverware to look both of them in the eyes.
“All this time, Nova and I have been on the run. Fugitives. We’re still fugitives, but now we have a base of operations. We’ve taken out the Harvesters’ supply lines, their access to reinforcements, and their sat system.”
He took a sip of wine.
“That buys us credibility. Reputation. And it gives the Resistance a reason to rally around us. Because we’ve proven that we can strike the Dyn and live to tell the tale.”
“So we’ll search for the Resistance, then?” Nina asked.
MC nodded. “Finding them is the first step to turning Sanctuary into a true stronghold. From there? We recruit people to our cause, and uplevel Sanctuary into a base that can defend against anything the Legatus would throw at us.”
He paused for a breath. “And then we build out an intelligence network of our own.”
A network that would lay the foundation for a guerrilla war against the Dyn, leading to the eventual destruction of the Legatus and his hostile commanders. From there, they’d consolidate their power around the planet to be in a position to fight back against the eventual arrival of Ubiquity Prime’s fleet.
“That’s a really bold plan, bro. If you’re planning on recruiting the Resistance and Zevan for your cause, you’re gonna need some serious negotiating skills.”
“Yep, and that’s where you come in, princess. We’ll be relying on your help to build up those connections. Think you can swing that?”
Nina played with her fork. “I mean, I was only a diplomat-in-training, but I do know how the game’s played. I can’t promise I’ll do a great job, but I’ll do everything I possibly can.”
MC nodded.
“And Nova, that leaves you.”
She looked down in shame. “Yes, me.”
“The most important part of our operation.”
“H-huh?” The winged Dyn clearly had a different opinion about her own worth.
“Your technological contributions have been incredibly valuable. I really don’t know how I can thank you enough for all that you’ve done. I’ve got no doubt that you’ll continue to work wonders, but I have something specific in mind, if you’ll hear me out.”
She nodded, curious.
“Humans have a lot easier time rallying around a single person, especially when that person’s pushing a noble cause. Guessing that applies to Zevan as well.”
“Yes, their social norms are quite similar.”
“Right. So, it’s nic
e to talk about loyalty and patriotism, but if human history has proven one thing, it’s that there’s nothing as effective as a charismatic leader people can look up to and rally behind,” he said, crossing his arms. “And what better candidate for that role than someone they already consider a goddess?”
“And a genius goddess at that,” Nina added.
Nova’s eyes went wide.
“I want you to be the symbol of the Resistance. The icon. The divine leader.”
“I couldn’t! I do not know the first thing about leading people!”
MC chuckled. “Relax. It’s not like you’ll be alone. You’ll have us with you, and if things go well, you’ll have a hell of a lot more than that to support you. You’ll mainly need to go around with Nina, projecting your influence, giving speeches, that kind of thing.”
Nina burst out laughing. “He wants to turn you into a politician!”
Nova scrunched her face. “Rather than myself, Magnus, would it not make sense for you to lead the Resistance? The Zevan would follow you without question when you display your powers.”
“And lose my biggest advantage? No thanks. With fame comes responsibility. With responsibility comes a restriction of options. That is a shackle for any soldier. No, I’ll remain in the shadows, commanding from behind, removing any obstacles you encounter. Working together, we’ll cripple the Legatus’s power base, and then? When he’s weak, when he’s vulnerable, we’ll take him out, eliminating the threat to your family in the process. And after all that’s done, you’ll find a way to get this thing out of my head, permanently.”
Nova’s face grew determined. “I understand. I will do everything in my power to aid you, Magnus.”
“And, it kinda goes without saying, but I’m with you too,” Nina pitched in. “I dunno if your merc life was always this interesting, but I get the feeling you’ve been hogging all the fun.”
“It’s only fun and games until someone gets killed, sis. This is war.”
“What you’re forgetting is that you are Magnus, the Fucking Machine. I’ll take my chances,” she responded, rolling her eyes while MC narrowed his.
