Talon looked to Agatha for a plan, but all her vigor appeared to be sapped as well. It was then that he knew. Ulson was shot down and they were trapped. The Tribune had them and all they could do was wait.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE—CASSIUS VALE
Conduit’s End
Cassius was in the center of one of the merchant bays within the Conduit Station over Titan. He took a seat on a bench in the aisle positioned under the outstretched bough of a planted tree. His eyes shifted from side to side, observing every inch of the century’s old marvel of Ancient’s engineering. Metal and glass danced throughout the space to weave a structure that half-veiled the starry expanse of space.
His eyes came to rest on a leaf dangling just in front of his face. He reached out and took it between his fingers, spinning it slowly so that he could see the many veins running up its underside. It began to twist under the pressure until the center vein tore through the side and it fell, dithering down from the branch through the stale air.
Cassius sighed and glanced up again. The great, arcing hall was bustling. Soldiers of the New Earth Tribunal were interspersed throughout the crowd of travelers, wanderers, beggars and merchants. Those who recognized Cassius offered him nods of acknowledgement, though there were a few deferential bows sprinkled in.
He watched them all, soldiers and civilians alike, and studied their ignorant faces, knowing that soon most of them would die. There was even a peculiar looking man sitting on a nearby bench and trying too hard not to pay attention to him. They would all be the unfortunate victims of a war that had not yet come to pass, a necessary expense. For the greater good, Cassius reminded himself.
“Creator,” a Tribunal soldier addressed him. The man came to a stop just in front of Cassius and stood at attention so faultlessly that it was obvious who he really was. “The last charge has been set,” he said, lowering his voice an octave.
“Good,” Cassius replied. “My business has been concluded as well.” Cassius snuck a glance over his shoulder at the unusual man sitting close by. “Let’s head to the hangar and be done with this place for the last time. Too many prying eyes about.” He whispered before patting the soldier on the back, his hand slipping through the hologram of armor to fall flat against ADIM’s cold metal back.
They made their way toward the Conduit’s hangar bay as quickly as possible. Merchants peddled their wares, no robots, but all sorts of other luxuries. Cassius had no trouble ignoring them, and the few that got too close were swiftly pushed back onto their rears by a disguised ADIM.
When they reached the entrance of the White Hand’s reserved hangar, the engineer in charge stood tall in the entrance, his back straight and his head up.
“Was everything to your satisfaction, Ex-Tribune Vale?” He asked sincerely, not making eye contact as was customary.
It seems not all of their servants have been trained to scorn me, Cassius mused to himself. “The station is running impeccably!” he praised. “Keep up the good work.”
The engineer fell to his knee and brushed his fingers against the floor. “Thank you, Your Eminence. We will try.”
Cassius sneered as he walked by him. “Save that for the real Tribunes, boy.” He grumbled as he and ADIM stepped up the ramp of the White Hand.
Once a loud hiss signaled they were completely sealed inside, ADIM deactivated the projection which had shrouded him in the image of a Tribunal soldier. They stopped by the Shadow Chariot which was holding the few crates of food Cassius had purchased earlier.
“Creator, by the very nature of our purpose here that engineer, and all others aboard this station, have in fact failed their duties. Why be false with him?” ADIM questioned, the tiny red blips around his eyes spinning rapidly.
“Mercy, perhaps, if I’m capable of such a thing. No reason to break a man’s soul just before his inevitable end,” Cassius sighed. He flipped a latch on the Shadow Chariot so that it’s cockpit swung open.
ADIM turned his head without moving his body and looked at Cassius. His eyes slowed down. “By this unit’s approximation of the extent of damage from the explosives, everyone in this sector will perish at minimum.”
“Yes, and now I’ve been made to look upon their faces before I do what I must do. I will feel every death.” Cassius placed his hand on ADIM’s shoulder and looked at him, a glint forming in his grayish eyes as they narrowed. “And my resolve has never been stronger.”
ADIM hopped up into the Shadow Chariot with ease. “They must be punished for their weakness.”
As ADIM prepped the ship, Cassius watched him with a proud smile. “I will see you soon, ADIM. I know you don’t need it, but good luck on your end.”
ADIM’s head snapped toward Cassius, his glowing red eyes coming to a complete halt. “Goodbye, Creator.”
Cassius turned away and headed to the command deck. He took his seat in the captain’s chair, powered on the White Hand and guided it out of the hangar.
“Captain, the Shadow Chariot has been deployed and is on route to Ennomos,” Gaia announced over the ship’s speakers.
Cassius didn’t respond. He gazed out of the viewport and breathed in the view. The jointed rings of the Conduit receded, casting a large shadow over Titan’s thick atmosphere. All of it was bathed in the shadow of Saturn, and just over the sickle-like ring in the distance, he could make out the web of city lights across the surface of Enceladus. Though smaller than Titan, the moon was the site of the New Earth Tribunal’s primary base in the area. It was where the newest Tribune, Nora Gressler, called home.
He let the White Hand drift in space over the Conduit as the sight of it led him to remember the day he first met her. That fateful day more than seven years ago…
Cassius was standing in a long, translucent hallway connecting the Tribunal Citadel on the Earth’s moon to the hangar where his ship was located. He was younger then, but the most noticeable difference, besides a few less gray hairs, was that he wasn’t shrouded by his usual grim veil. There was a lightness to his stride.
He looked out through the glass. Beyond the craterous landscape of the grey world, the Earth rose up to take up his entire view. The planet’s blackened atmosphere was hardly anything to look at. Even as sunlight was beginning to camber around the top edge like a blade of flame, the world remained dark and gloomy…rotting.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Tribune Benjar Vakari said reverently as he stepped into the corridor from an adjacent room.
Cassius was about to respond when a low beep sounded from a pouch attached to his belt. He reached in and pulled out his spherical, HOLO-Recorder. It was blinking. Caleb, he thought, recognizing immediately that the light meant his son was trying to contact him. I shouldn’t ruin the surprise, he decided as he ignored the device. From so nearby to the Earth they would be able to have a live-feed conversation, but that would reveal his position and ruin his surprise visit. As far as Caleb knew, he was millions of miles away on Mars.
“Do you think the Ancients ever thought that there would be more people living on Earth’s moon than on the planet it orbits?” Cassius said pensively to his fellow Tribune, Benjar Vakari, as he placed the device back into his pouch.
Benjar didn’t answer at first. Cassius turned around to look at him. The Tribune approached with a striking woman at his side, her short black hair framing the soft cambers of her neck. Despite her pleasing face, she had the unmistakable demeanor of a soldier, and wore the armor of a Tribune’s Hand.
“What do you think…what’s your name?” Cassius turned to the woman standing in Benjar’s shadow. He didn’t know much about her, only that Benjar had recently chosen her to serve as his personal Hand. Cassius didn’t think much of it. Benjar had always enjoyed his women.
“Nora, Your Eminence. Nora Gressler,” she responded firmly as she knelt down and touched the floor.
“The Ancients foresaw much,” Benjar said plainly before Cassius could respond to her. There was no real animosity in his voice, though there was hardly a real
interest in conversation either. At the time, he and Cassius had the decency to tolerate each other, however. They had to for the good of the New Earth Tribunal.
Cassius smiled in Nora’s direction. She nodded meekly in response before taking a step backward to stand quietly at attention.
“Who could have foreseen this?” Cassius asked whoever was listening as he turned back toward the view of Earth. “I can’t imagine that it was ever blue and green. What a sight that must have been.”
Benjar shot him a stern glare. “And it is a sight we shall see once more, if we stay on the proper path.”
“My son doesn’t think so,” he countered. He placed his hand against the glass and squinted at Earth. He could barely make out the landmass where his son’s research lab was supposedly located.
“Yes, well, he shall soon see what a fool’s errand he is on. One man cannot save Earth. Her Spirit begs a grander act of pena-”
“But what if he can?” Cassius cut Benjar off excitedly, not interested in hearing what the Tribune had repeated a thousand times before. “What if science can fix our world as simply it has given us new ones?”
Benjar had to reach up in order to place his hand on the center of Cassius’ tall back. He then used it to usher him along down the corridor. “Such are the thoughts which ruined Earth in the first place,” he said. “Gravitum is the curse of our curiosity. One element to give us so much, but to take away so much more. Men spent centuries trying to alter the landscapes of Mars and Titan before the Tribune stepped in. Wasted years. Some things are not meant to change until the universe wills it.”
“And some things need more time to grow.” Cassius sighed and continued to walk down the hallway. “It seems there are some things we will never agree upon.”
“As I have learned,” Benjar grumbled.
They proceeded into the lofty, private hangar of the citadel. There were only a few ships inside, mostly small transports, but to the far side, the White Hand was glistening like a roughly cut pearl.
“Well, I must be off,” Cassius said as he veered toward his ship.
“Is Caleb expecting you so soon?”
“No. I figured I’d surprise him on my birthday and see his work first hand.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I haven’t returned to Earth since the war.” The words slipped out of his mouth with a sour note. As much glory as the Earth Reclaimer Wars had brought him, few fond memories of the conflict remained.
“The planet is forever in your debt, but you will find it has not changed much, despite your son’s intervention,” Benjar said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Ahh, Benjar.” Cassius smiled warmly and placed his palm upon his fellow Tribune’s shoulder. “One day I will make a believer out of you.”
“And I you.” Benjar put on his patented, complacent grin before he clasped his hands together and bowed. “May the Spirit of the Earth guide your steps.”
“It always does,” Cassius replied and returned the gesture.
He swiftly turned around to board his ship when out of nowhere a group of engineers burst into the hangar. The few Tribunal soldiers posted around the space were roused by the commotion and began to form a defensive line in front their masters.
“Your Eminences!” the head engineer shouted frantically. By the time he reached them he was so winded he could barely speak, though he still found the energy to kneel down and touch the floor at their feat.
“Out with it!” Nora ordered, stepping in front of the Tribunes and brandishing her pulse-pistol.
“There is…” he gathered his breath. “Intense seismic activity on Earth. A new rupture appears to be opening from the core…I…I don’t know.”
“When?” Cassius whirled around and stormed down the White Hand’s ramp, fire in his eyes.
“Right now. We couldn’t pick it up in time, but it’s off the charts!”
Cassius seized him by the collar of his uniform. “Where? Show me!”
The engineer was quaking in fear as he activated the HOLO-Screen on his wrist and pulled up a projection of Earth. It was rendered as a matrix of blue lines composing a sphere, and there was a substantial blob of red light growing beneath the surface of one of the continents.
“It can’t be.” Cassius’ eyes widened in horror. His fingers slipped off of the Engineer’s shirt and he stumbled backward as if he were shot in the chest.
“What’s the matter, Cassius?” Benjar asked, without appearing overly concerned.
“Caleb…it’s right under him.” Cassius could hardly get the words out. He began running toward his ship.
“Your Eminence!” the head engineer cried out after him. “It’s too dangerous!”
Cassius bounded through the cargo bay of the White Hand and headed around the sleek corridors toward the command deck.
“Ready the engines and set a course for Earth,” he screamed into the HOLO-Screen built into his bracer.
“Beginning preparations, Cassius,” the virtual intelligence Gaia responded through the ship’s speaker system.
When he reached the command deck, Cassius leapt over the back of his seat and took his position. The ground began to rumble as the twin ion engines powered on. The hangar doors outside remained closed, blocking him in as he impatiently rolled his fingers across the armrest.
“Cassius. Step down. I can’t let you do this,” the voice of Benjar Vakari demanded calmly from behind him.
“I’ll blast through it if I have to, Benjar. Get out!” Cassius’ hand squeezed into a fist as he continued staring at the sealed exit.
“And have everyone inside suffocate?”
Cassius got to his feet, pulled out his pistol and wheeled around. There were three Tribunal soldiers standing behind Benjar with their weapons drawn. Nora was just in front of him, alertly holding her pistol at her side. The head engineer stood directly beside her with his eyes trained on the projection of Earth.
Cassius knew the engineer had the codes to open the hangar and he took aim directly at his chest. “Open it,” he commanded sternly, his lips and hands quivering equal amounts.
The engineer went to key some commands on his HOLO-Screen but was stopped by Benjar. “No!” the Tribune barked. “The risk is too great.”
“Do it.” Cassius’ voice barely rose above a whisper, but the ferocity in it was enough to make the man freeze in pure dread. “Open it.” Cassius shot at his feet and the three Tribunal soldiers instantly stepped forward. Nora took aim at him.
“He will do no such thing. Cassius, you are not thinking clearly.” Benjar said from behind the safety of his guards. “You are a member of the Tribunal Council.”
“It is my son!” Cassius roared. He shifted his aim to Benjar, when all of a sudden a bullet from Nora’s gun slammed into the side of his pistol and smacked it out of his hands. He stood still, staring into his empty hand. He could hardly make out any of the muddle of noises surrounding him, until the engineer spoke up.
“Your Eminences,” the man began meekly. “Scanners are picking up a ship escaping from the site of the seismic activity.”
“There are survivors?” Cassius snapped out of his trance. He rushed past the group of anxious guards. “Show me!” He grasped the engineer’s wrist to get a closer look at the projection, seeing a tiny, red blip flying away from the Earth toward the moon. “Tell them to head here. Open the hangar doors! Quickly!” Cassius ran to the viewport and leaned over the rail.
The engineer looked to Benjar who shot back a reluctant nod before he went back to staring at Cassius, a narrow grin pasted onto his face. After a few moments, everybody in the hangar evacuated and it began to pressurize. Then the two layers of its seal slid open like a mouth filled with serrated teeth, and the Earth became visible, painted in the yellowish radiance of the sun.
Everybody waited quietly, the soldiers with their fingers on their triggers. The engineer was ready to break into tears as he glanced down at the bullet hole in front of his feet. Cassius’ hands squeezed a railing, w
atching anxiously as a trail of ion engines traced across the blackness toward their location.
Minutes went by. All in silence. Then, finally the small ship darted over the gray landscape of the Moon. It was coming in low, and once it was close enough Cassius could tell that one of the wings was severely damaged. It was barely able to reach the surface of the hangar, skidding along the floor until it came to a sudden, deafening halt against the opposite wall in a shower of sparks.
Cassius didn’t hesitate for a second. He bounded out of the command deck before anybody could stop him, quickly traversing the halls of his ship. Then he exited out into the larger hangar of the Tribunal Citadel.
The crashed transport was small, with just enough room for a pilot and a small load. As he approached he saw the pilot through the translucency get up and head to the back. The cargo doors slid open, and the pilot tumbled out, covered in blood from head to toe and gripping his leg in clear agony.
“There are more inside,” he groaned. “I don’t know if they made it.”
Cassius ignored him. His eyes were fixed on the open transport. There were two bodies inside, he was sure of that. Once he got closer he saw that they were side by side with one’s arm thrown over the other. A thick piece of metal structure was piercing it, severing the limb and also plunging through the chest of the other body.
His heart raced. He immediately recognized the body on top by her long, wavy auburn hair. “Sage,” he mouthed as he noticed her chest was still expanding and contracting. She was alive, though if she wasn’t tended to immediately she would likely bleed out through her ravaged arm. The face of the other person was blocked by her hair.
Cassius moved forward slowly. He almost didn’t want to know. There was so much blood that it was impossible to tell whether or not it was even his son’s clothing. After countless battles and brushes with death, that moment of uncertainty was the most frightened he had ever been. He reached in and brushed Sage’s hair back. When he saw the face which was revealed, it felt like a knife had been stuck through his heart.
The Circuit, Book 1 Page 19
