Earthfall

by Rhett C. Bruno

  “Hold on, Elisha!” he shouted.

  The rail-gun fired a bright white line which lanced across space. The recoil from the weapon shot the Mech backwards so fast that Sage lost her grip on the Mech.

  She was tumbling through space with nothing to grab on to. He could easily leave her to suffocate or be captured. It was the least she deserved for what she did to Vellish. Or he could save her.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he grumbled to himself.

  He reached out with the Mech’s tremendous right hand and hauled her in. Right as he did the cockpit lurched to the side. The rusty walls of the Monarch’s cargo bay closed in around him and the Mech slammed against the back wall of the room. G-forces from a rapid change in acceleration kept him and Elisha pinned safely to the seat. He released a mouthful of air and set the cockpit to open.

  “Talon, you okay?” Larana shouted. The Vergent captain was tethered to the wall of the cargo bay. She sprinted out and grabbed Sage, who was unconscious, and gradually sliding out of the Mech’s open palm.

  “We’re good,” Talon panted.

  The Monarch shuddered, a missile from a Tribunal Fighter just missing. Getting onto the ship was the easy part, now they would have to escape. The ship was fast, and Kitt was an excellent pilot, but because of Talon they’d just dove head-first into the heart of the Tribunal Fleet. Even if Benjar’s forces were in disarray and weren’t sure who to chase, the Monarch’s cargo bay was the most dangerous place in the Circuit.

  “Can you get my daughter out of here?” he asked.

  “One second!” Larana and another tethered Vergent dragged Sage through the exit of the cargo bay, then turned and hopped up the body of the Mech. She made it look remarkably easy, arriving outside of the cockpit right after another missile made the Monarch shake. “Give her to me!” She reached in.

  Talon tried to hand Elisha over, but she clung tightly to him.

  “You can trust her Elisha,” Talon promised. “I need to help. Go with her.”

  Her grip loosened, and he had to look away as he shoved her into Larana’s arms. He may not have wanted to let go, but it was a better option than them being blasted into space dust.

  “Where’s Tarsis?” Larana questioned.

  Talon swallowed. “He took another path. Get her out of here, seal the cargo bay on your end and open the ramp. We need extra fire power and I’m going to give it to us.”

  “Open the ramp?”

  “Just do it! Tell Kitt to set a course for Ceres Prime and I’ll explain everything when we’re clear.”

  Larana nodded reluctantly before hurrying down the Mech with Elisha. Talon and his daughter didn’t break eye contact until they were gone.

  With the cargo bay emptied out, Talon listened for the low whistle of the room beginning to de-pressurize. He set the cockpit of the Mech to close, and used its arms to get it onto its feet. The top of the machine scraped across the low ceiling as he walked it toward the opening ramp.

  The massive figure of the Ascendant was growing smaller in the distance, and three Tribunal fighters were right on their tail. They had a frigate with them, but it couldn’t keep up and its torpedoes were all detonating short of the Monarch.

  “Alright, Tarsis,” Talon whispered to himself. “Time to live!”

  He wasn’t sure how to use all of the Mech’s weaponry, but he positioned himself in the opening and unloaded everything it had. His chain gun tore through the cockpit of the fighter in the center of the formation. It sputtered before bursting into a million glowing fragments. The two others spread formation after that, and Talon struggled to get a lock on them while the Monarch swerved.

  He continued firing regardless, and one of his shots struck a missile heading straight at them. It exploded, knocking his Mech back and rupturing a portion of the cargo bay ramp. He held on tight and hit every new control he could find within the cockpit. A barrage of missiles and explosive rounds flew from the front of the Mech. One fighter was caught in the hail and the pilot ejected right before his ship was reduced to dust. The last fighter was clipped in the wing by shrapnel, and had no choice but to flee.

  The distant Tribunal frigate stayed on course, along with a few more fighters emerging from its hangar, but with the head start the Monarch had they’d never catch up. The White Hand was nowhere to be seen either.

  They’d done it. They’d raided a New Earth Cruiser and gotten out. Elisha was safe. Talon half-expected to wake from a dream back on Ceres Prime, until he remembered that their victory hadn’t come without losses.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN—ADIM

  I Am ADIM

  ADIM’s vision flickered as his entire being rebooted for the first time since his creator first switched on his power core. One by one, he felt each of his systems return under his control. He could move the head of his main body. He could move his limbs and then his fingers. All contact with the other androids and with Cassius remained severed, but he was ADIM again.

  His time in the darkness could’ve been one second or it could’ve been a century. He wasn’t sure. He’d never been deactivated before, and there was nothing in that state to provide him with any sense of time. No thoughts. No dreams. Just emptiness.

  He used his steadily improving vision to survey the scene. He had to rely on his environment for information since none of his scanners were operating at full capacity yet. The Ascendant’s command console was sparking, providing the only light in the entire command deck other than the blooming, reddish glow of his own eyes. A host of Tribunal Honor Guards were crawling along the floor, holding their ears. Benjar was amongst them.

  They remain incapacitated, ADIM thought. Very little time has passed.

  Destroying the overloaded command console had had the precise effect he had intended. The damage would surely be enough to slow the ship down and buy Cassius the additional time he desired.

  ADIM raised his arm and used the floor to lift his body up. His legs were usually more than capable on their own, but they remained slightly out of sync. Once he was standing he noticed Benjar reaching out for a rifle on the ground. ADIM limped over and planted his heavy foot on top of the Tribune’s hand before he could wrap his fingers around the handle.

  ADIM grabbed Benjar by the throat and lifted. The Tribune squirmed and wriggled. His mouth moved, but ADIM’s auditory functions were still in flux and he couldn’t hear what he said.

  He raised Benjar until he was staring straight into his eyes. The short man’s feet weren’t even touching the ground. For a moment ADIM considered how easy it would be to snap his neck, but he knew he couldn’t. The Creator had forbidden it.

  “Go ahead, abomination,” Benjar grated as ADIM’s hearing normalized. “Kill me.” His expression betrayed his words. He appeared completely terrified, like the engineers aboard the Tribunal Freighters always did when they looked upon ADIM. He was not ready to die.

  “It won’t change a thing,” he continued. “We’ll destroy the Ceresians no matter what, and your master won’t have anyone under his thumb. No fleet. Nothing to fight us with. You’ll both die and I’ll watch from the loving embrace of the Spirit as he’s cursed to linger in the vacuum for all of eternity.”

  ADIM drew Benjar’s face as close as possible to his own. “The Cre—” he said before pausing and readjusting the volume of his vocal emitters. “The Creator does not wish for this unit to kill you at this time, however, you will not last the war. You are not worthy. None of your people are.”

  ADIM hit the Tribune across the right leg, then dropped him. Benjar howled louder than any human ADIM had ever heard as a shard of femur shot through his flesh. He rolled along the floor, a trail of blood in his wake.

  ADIM’s gaze swept across the room, at the disoriented soldiers desperately trying to locate their guns, at the Tribune in inexplicable pain, through the areas of the viewport which remained unblocked by the emergency shutters where Tribunal fighters flitted across the stars.

  No fleet, ADIM thought.


  Even after he and Cassius proved that the Spirit of the Earth was a fabrication, all those ships and more would remain to oppose them. Tribunal, Ceresian, it didn’t matter. All those who were unworthy and could never see the value of the Creator’s will would fight back. Humans always fought when they were cornered. That was a behavior ADIM had observed time and time again and he’d even experienced it personally now. If he wanted to keep Cassius safe for their future, he’d have to eliminate the threat of all of it.

  Benjar Vakari was correct.

  ADIM sprinted toward one of the undamaged areas of the viewport. He couldn’t pierce the emergency shutter and risk Benjar suffocating. Some of the soldiers had finally located their guns and were sending bullets off of ADIM’s legs. He fired a missile forward without aiming. A portion of the viewport shattered, and he dove through just before more emergency shutters closed behind him.

  ADIM’s magnetized body allowed him to be quickly yanked back against the Ascendant’s hull. He again crawled across it now, back toward where he’d originally breached the ship. Space was swarming with fighters on route to the other side of Fortuna. He had little doubt they were pursuing the White Hand, and he wished he could again wield control of his creator’s vessel and ensure he made it out unharmed. He remained too weakened, however, to even make contact with him.

  He considering breaking off course to try and help, but knew he couldn’t. Since reactivating and speaking with Benjar, he’d developed a plan that would leave every ship of the Tribune irrelevant. He saw the future clearly. His creator had left him all of the tools, and now he was going to guarantee that his will could never be broken.

  The Creator will be alright, ADIM thought. These vessels are no match for the White Hand.

  Minutes later, ADIM reached the Shadow Chariot. It was hidden in a rift between plates along the Ascendant’s lower hull. He opened the cockpit and slid his weightless body in. Two Tribunal fighters raced by overhead, oblivious to his presence. He couldn’t shoot them down. He needed to gain as much time as possible in order to reach full velocity.

  He hooked himself up to the reactor core of the Shadow Chariot so that it could form a symbiotic bond with his and power on. As soon as it was active he’d no longer be invisible. Approaching the Ascendant was easy when they weren’t looking for him and the Shadow Chariot was deactivated, but now every scanner on every Tribunal vessel within a million miles would be wary.

  He waited silently until there were no enemy ships in direct sight, and then signaled the Shadow Chariot’s engines to roar to life. The ship bolted forward. The rate of acceleration would’ve been enough to cave in a human’s chest, but ADIM’s chassis was able to resist it. No amount of stealth measures would keep him from being seen at such speeds, but connecting to the Shadow Chariot’s fusion core flooded him with the energy he was desperately lacking. After thirty seconds he was operating at full capacity, but there was also a host of Tribunal fighters in pursuit of him.

  Creator, ADIM said, his connection to Cassius’ com-link renewed. The White Hand itself, however, remained out of his control. Can you hear… He paused. A new word popped into his head. One that he’d heard his creator, a human, refer to himself as countless times before. It didn’t seem a proper term to refer to himself until he’d experienced the very human fear of death. Me?

  ADIM! Cassius replied immediately. ADIM, where are you! The White Hand has been hit.

  ADIM’s circuitry went hot, and without hesitating he slowed the Shadow Chariot and prepared to turn around back toward the Ascendant. His own plan could wait. Without Cassius it was worthless.

  Creator, are you injured? I am on my way.

  I’m fine for now. The engine lines were damaged and I had to divert all power from every other system to keep them going. ADIM quickly realized that was why he wasn’t able to take control of the ship. I’m shieldless and without communications, Cassius continued, but I was able to outrun my pursuers and they turned their attention to the Monarch after Sage and the others were taken on board. It appears our Vergent friends had a change of heart and returned. It’s irrelevant to our plans now. Where are you?

  Missile and cannon fire sped around the Shadow Chariot. Slowing down to turn had allowed ADIM’s enemies to come within range. Cassius was safe, but now he’d placed his own plan in danger. He overrode the ship’s internal systems and set the engines to propel it at speeds faster than the ship could handle. He quickly scanned the star field and located amongst the field the celestial body of Mars. He had to deviate his course slightly to make sure he was heading directly toward it.

  I am within the Shadow Chariot, he said.

  What is your positi—Cassius’ words stopped flowing. ADIM could tell by his tone that he was surprised by something. What did you just say?

  I am within the Shadow Chariot, ADIM repeated.

  Do you realize how you’re referring to yourself?

  Yes. Am I incorrect in doing so?

  I…no. You are as alive as any being ever was after all, in your own way.

  There are other units which were constructed to appear like me, but you were correct, they are not me. There are other humans who are physically composed similarly to the Creator, but they can never be you. I am ADIM.

  ADIM heard Cassius snivel. He was about to ask if he had displeased him when he answered: You are ADIM. He cleared his throat. I’ll have to get used to that too then.

  It is a more efficient term as well, ADIM added.

  It is. Now where are you, ADIM? You’ll have to locate me with my systems down.

  A missile exploded near the Shadow Chariot, sending a piece of shrapnel shredding through its narrow wing. The interior of the vessel had been rattling from acceleration g-forces, but with its body compromised it was beginning to tear itself apart.

  I impaired the Ascendant and now I am on route to Mars.

  Mars? We are going to Ennomos. You’ve bought us the time we needed and now it’s our chance to show the Circuit what we’ve made.

  My presence on Ennomos is unnecessary. I have discovered a means to ensure that none can ever stand against your will. Within the New Terrene Enclave, the Vale Protocol requires both an iris scan and a sub dermal hand-print from an active Tribune to be accessed. I will go there and take control of the fleet of the New Earth Tribunal, so that you always have one.

  A missile locked on to the Shadow Chariot. There was no way for ADIM to evade it. He had to wait until the last possible moment to eject so they’d think he was destroyed.

  ADIM, you’ll be wasting your time, Cassius said. They will have deactivated the program in all of their vessels by now to keep me out of it.

  Yes. However, they moved too quickly into war and believe that by deactivating the protocol they have eliminated it. They haven’t. I looked into the Ascendant and saw that the codes all remain dormant. I can take control if I am able to reach the New Terrene Enclave.

  It was never meant to provide control! It’s just a means of disabling and tracking, you know that.

  I was not designed to take control of the White Hand, and yet I have. Building blocks. Your work shall be augmented and allow us to remove your greatest threat from the equation. The Gravitum Bombs will allow us to begin enlightening the people of the Circuit. Together we will set them on a proper course.

  ADIM unhooked the cord connecting him to the Shadow Chariot’s power core, tilted the ship down so that the cockpit was facing Mars, and then ejected. Inertia sustained his velocity, and right after he was free the missile blew the Shadow Chariot into a thousand shimmering pieces. It was a gift from the Creator that he hoped would never be destroyed, but its sacrifice would allow him to finally provide Cassius with his own gift worthy of everything he’d given.

  ADIM… Cassius began. His tone insinuated that he was greatly distressed. I want you at my side when we go to Earth. Nobody else deserves to stand there. We can handle the Tribune afterwards. We always have.

  ADIM’s very core see
med to sputter at the thought of being the cause of Cassius’ dismay. It went against everything he was. He knew, however, that he had no other choice. It was the sacrifice he had to make. Humanity had taught him enough lessons to be sure of that.

  I assure you that this is the only way, Creator, he said.

  Cassius swallowed audibly. The last time I let a child of mine make a decision like this he never came back.

  I will not fail.

  You never do. Cassius sighed. I don’t suppose I can stop you can I, ADIM? Stubborn…just like your father.

  You cannot. Proceed to Earth, and when you reach it all of our enemies will be eradicated. I must revert to a low-power state in order to avoid detection on my approach to Mars. I will not be able to communicate.

  I understand. I hope you can find a way to be there with me when the Earth breaks open. It will be a beautiful sight.

  Do not worry. I will be there in some form. Goodbye, Creator.

  Cassius took a deep breath. Goodbye, ADIM.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN—CASSIUS

  All of This Is for You

  “Goodbye, Creator,” ADIM said into Cassius’ ear. They were words he’d heard hundreds of times before, but never had ADIM been the first to utter them. It made Cassius’ chest sting in a way he thought it no longer could, like the first time he bid farewell to Caleb before his human son went off to try and fix Earth.

  It won’t be like that, Cassius told himself before he responded: “Goodbye, ADIM.” As soon as he said the words the feed went quiet, another oddity since usually it was him who deactivated the com-link.

  There was no doubt that ADIM’s strategy was logical. The truth was that Cassius hadn’t planned for what would happen after he split apart Earth with Gravitum Bombs like he had Kalliope. What followed he’d always intended to leave in the hands of the Circuit. It was a dangerous proposition, one which clearly made ADIM uncomfortable. My creation after all, Cassius thought, holding back a smirk.