The closest of the incoming ships sailed overhead and wheeled back in the opposite direction.
“There we go. Easy.” Cassius patted her on the shoulder. With his free arm he glanced at his HOLO-Screen and saw the countdown at 1:53 in the corner.
“What do you want now? How do you possibly see this ending?” Nora tried to summon her most courageous voice, but he could see how frightened she really was. Her eyelids were peeled open as wide as they could go, and the entirety of her person seemed to be seized by a relentless tremble. It had been a long time since she was a soldier.
“I don’t see it ending,” Cassius responded as he continued to stare impatiently at the counter. 1:31. Zero couldn’t come fast enough. “Not yet.”
“I will not be some bargaining chip, Cassius! I am a member of the Tribunal Council!”
“You are nothing!” Cassius thundered. He struck her in the back of the head with his pistol so hard that he knocked her onto her face. When he went to pull her back up two other androids entered the room.
“Creator. The other units have boarded the White Hand,” the androids announced at the same time. They passed over the dozens of corpses without even a downward glance to reach Cassius.
“Good. Seal the door,” Cassius commanded them, not forgetting that Sage remained unconscious in the hall and would soon be in need of breathable air. He turned back to Nora.
“Is this what you’ve been doing here…building an army?” Nora wheezed as she got onto her hands and knees.
“Not an army. That comes later.”
“What happened to you?” Nora wheezed. She released a grueling cough, and Cassius immediately realized that the tube attached to the back of her helmet had been ruptured at the base from his blow. “Is this all for your son? Nobody could have stopped what happened that day on Earth.”
As Cassius leaned over to try and fix it, her words made him stop. He grabbed her by the throat and growled. “Don’t you dare talk about him! My son gave his life for your Earth. He didn’t just wait for change, he made it. And now you wear the plant he grew there like a badge of honor!” Cassius’ dark eyes smoldered with rage. He lifted her up by her neck with one hand and squeezed.
She groped at his arm, squirming and thrashing for her life until Cassius’ limb suddenly gave out. His muscles didn’t have the same endurance as they used to have.
“Fire the rail! Kill him now with me!” Nora took the unexpected opportunity to scream into her com-link. In a hurry, one of the androids seized her.
“Bitch!” Cassius barked. He wheeled around quickly with his gun drawn and fired a shot into the center of her chest. She looked down, fingering the wound with both hands. Blood began dripping down from her mouth and then then her eyes froze, a haunting stare aimed in Cassius; direction as her body was held upright by the android.
Cassius stormed forward and grabbed her by the collar. He yanked her out of the android’s grasp and heaved her with all of his might. Her body sailed over the railing and over the top of the Ksa Crater’s rim, tumbling through the frigid air until she vanished beneath a hanging layer of fog.
When she was gone, Cassius looked up and saw a dull, white glow beginning to emanate from the center of the Calypso. It was too late. Nora had gotten her order out successfully and it had already begun charging its main rail-gun. Cassius’ heart skipped a beat, but that was before his wrist beeped. He looked down anxiously to see that the countdown had reached zero. Just in time, he thought, relieved.
The laboratory buried deep beneath his feet exploded, causing the room he was in to shudder. He stumbled back into the arms of an android that somehow managed to keep its balance. Despite all that was going on below, Cassius kept his eyes fixed on the sky. The murky silhouette of the Conduit Station beyond the clouds was being approached by a rapidly moving black shadow. When the two shapes met, the atmosphere was painted with a conflagration of blue and orange. He couldn’t feel the blast, he couldn’t even hear it, but the whole sky lit up momentarily as if a second sun was rising.
The Calypso’s railgun slid back along the surface of the ship and was ready to fire when suddenly a massive, fiery chunk of debris rained down from the sky and crashed into the bow. The Cruiser pitched forward from the impact, throwing off its aim just as a blinding beam of whitish light shot out from it and blasted through the tops of at least three of Edeoria’s Shafts. The initial shockwave was so strong that it blew Cassius, and even the androids this time, back onto their rears.
Flames and smoke coiled up from a smoldering gash in Titan’s surface. Chunks of metal and rocks were spewed all over, and more fragments from the damaged Conduit continued to shower the colony and wreak more havoc. Cassius watched in awe, hardly even noticing as the androids lifted him back to his feet.
Then, as if called down from the heavens, the pearly stern of the White Hand banked around the compound and blocked his view. It hovered just at the edge of the terrace and the androids hurried over to the ledge.
“Creator, you are in danger. You must come,” they said in unison as one of the androids extended its hand. The others hurdled into the open cargo bay of the White Hand.
Cassius ignored his creation, instead stepping to the side to capture another view of the destruction. All of the smaller ships were scrambling out of the way of flying wreckage. The Calypso was on a crash course so that would lead it to miss the heart of the colony and instead slam into the rim of the Ksa crater.
“Creator. You must come,” the android implored him.
“Give me a moment,” Cassius responded calmly.
He took a second to gather his senses and take it all in. Then he hurried to his bed and tore off the sheets. While carrying them, he reopened the entrance to the hallway and stepped through to see Sage still lying peacefully on her back. Taking his time, he wrapped the sheet around her body and lifted her so that she was cradled between both of his arms.
Cassius glanced down the hall, seeing all of the holographic faces staring forward as if he wasn’t there. More than a face of stone, he thought as he used the stand of his son’s effigy to get a better grip on Sage’s limp body.
“We’re survivors, you and I,” he whispered into her ear, peering over her brow to see the face of his son. He nodded at the hologram before wheeling around to head toward the terrace where the White Hand was hovering.
“Are you ready, Creator?” the waiting android asked.
He drank in one last gulp of the devastation he wrought. They were the people he was charged with, but they were his father’s people. There is no other way, he assured himself as he began to walk toward the edge, each stride growing longer and more confident. Once there, the android grabbed him and Sage and leapt, the three of them landing safely in the White Hand before it took off toward the scorched sky.
The cargo bay’s ramp sealed shut behind them and Cassius sagged against a wall, still cradling Sage’s unconscious body. As he did the familiar voice of ADIM spoke into his right ear: “Creator, the Gravitum Bomb performed as anticipated.”
Cassius took a deep breath and got a better grip on Sage’s body. He shut his eyes and allowed his lips to curl into a scant grin. “ADIM,” he said. “It is good to hear your voice.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE—ADIM
The Desecration of Kalliope
Before Nora Gressler’s failed invasion of Cassius’ compound had even begun, The Shadow Chariot was sitting silently on the surface of Kalliope’s smaller satellite asteroid. ADIM lay the cockpit in a dormant state, awaiting commands. A violently seething orb of blue protruded from the top of the ship’s hull, appearing unstable enough to explode at any moment.
ADIM, Cassius’ cool voice spoke directly into him. Proceed as planned. Use any means necessary.
ADIM wasted no time. His bright red eyes flashed on and his radiant core began to smolder.
This unit is primed, Creator. Will move to penetrate Kalliope defenses now. The Shadow Chariot began to hum as the engines flipped on and
it slowly lifted off from the rocky surface.
Good, Cassius said and then there came a lengthy pause. The Shadow Chariot was already racing out across the stars toward the somewhat elongated body of Kalliope before Cassius continued speaking. Good luck, ADIM.
This unit does not require luck. With the will of the Creator guiding it, the odds of failure are minimal.
Noted, Cassius replied softly and took an audible breath. ADIM, you may not be a human, but I care for you all the same. You understand that I hope?
This unit understands. A man can feel love for whomever he chooses. One day, when we’re done, there will be other humans worthy of your will.
Perhaps. But until then I have you. Goodbye, ADIM.
Goodbye, Creator.
The strange emptiness returned, as it always did upon hearing those parting words, but it was easier to deal with when ADIM had a task to complete. He piloted the Shadow Chariot to bank hard around the asteroid. As he headed for one of the entrance ports into the mining colony, all he was looking forward to was completing his task so that he could speak with Cassius again. It was a sense of longing he was beginning to understand, or rather, accept. It made failure an impossible contemplation.
When he was close enough, two mounted turrets above the hexagonal hatch imbedded into the side of the asteroid unleashed a hail of anti-air rounds. He took complete control, the Shadow Chariot becoming like an extended part of his being. It shot upward, gaining altitude compared to the weapons so that the Gravitum Bomb on top of his ship was in no danger of being hit. He spiraled out of the way of incoming fire and shifted downward, his ship’s forward cannons tearing through one of the turrets. A missile sped under his wing as he corkscrewed up and around, coming at the second turret from the flank and ripping it from the wall with precise fire.
With the surprising lack of outer defenses swiftly destroyed, ADIM guided the ship’s landing gear to touch down against the asteroid’s scabrous surface just above the hatch. It was a densely plated entryway, and ADIM had no doubt that those inside had been alerted of an assault. He disconnected the circuits binding him to the Shadow Chariot after the cockpit opened. Then he climbed over the edge and pushed off so that he drifted across the vacuum. When he slammed against the hatch he magnetized his limbs in order to steady himself.
With one arm he began to concentrate his wrist-laser into the metal. Clambering around on all fours he slowly traced a circle until both molten ends met. Then he moved a small distance down and repeated the same steps but in a much smaller ring. Leaving the second incision three-quarters finished, he fired a missile at the first circle. The disk exploded inward at first before the intense change in pressure sucked it back out into the void along with everything else inside which happened to be loose.
ADIM waited until all of the scraps of metal, pieces of equipment, and a few human beings were pulled out before smashing through the second hole with both feet. He wielded the circular plate like a shield as he landed in a large, open hangar that was flashing red with wailing alarms. The guards and miners inside had taken up arms, but they had been heaved off of their feet by the release of pressure. Having already donned their helmets they were able to breathe despite the breach, and so ADIM bolted horizontally, firing accurate shots with one arm as he shielded himself from a rampant spray of bullets with the other.
He ducked behind a pile of crates on the other end of the hangar. Six adversaries on the floor. Five more up top. ADIM quickly assessed the situation and planned his course of action.
He poked his arm over the rim and sent a missile into the engines of a parked transport vessel the defenders were using for cover. Plumes of smoke and flame shot out from it in every direction and he leaped over the crates, now using both arms to unleash a barrage of carefully aimed shots. He ran forward, his eyes and body revolving rapidly as he continued firing up onto the catwalks. Bullets whizzed by his frame, but he had calculated the route, and when he reached the remaining slag from the transport, there was nobody left to kill.
After making sure there were no enemies hiding, ADIM turned around and entered the engineering room on the broad side of the space. The translucency facing the hangar was shattered, the men inside peppered with bloody holes. He pulled one of the corpses off of a chair and placed his palm against a console, tapping into the security systems. The main airlock-hatch began to open completely and he ran outside to climb up the rim. Once outside, ADIM climbed back into the Shadow Chariot.
It lifted off and he maneuvered it slowly through the hangar. Its small size was to his advantage now. The sealed entrance on the other side of the space, which led deeper into the mines, had to be tall and wide enough to fit a mining Mech. That meant it could fit the Shadow Chariot as well. He fired two under-wing missiles into it and coaxed the ship forward through the smoke and splayed metal. The tips of the wings scraped against the sides as he emerged into the spacious, residential hollow of the colony. The ship’s bow crushed a few guards standing just inside before a line of gunfire rained down on him from a bridge.
Tilting the ship up, he fired a missile into it and the shooters soared up into the air, slamming against the tall ceiling, or the dish-like metal structures cropping out from the craggy walls. Then he rose up the cavity. More pulse-rifle muzzles flashed in front of a structure across the bridge illuminated by a sign which read, The Elder Muse. The Shadow Chariot’s forward cannons slashed across its length, cutting a wide gash in the serrated walls which was stained by eviscerated bodies.
ADIM’s sensors picked up almost a hundred more heat signatures hiding throughout the space and inside the disk structures, but no more guards showed themselves to slow him. Satisfied, he coaxed his ship forward where he was presented with three different tunnels leading into the depths of Kalliope. He remembered from his preparations with Cassius that he should take the left one.
The tunnel was as black as a night on earth. He switched his sight to night-vision. Then down through winding channels he plunged, until the passageway became too narrow for the Shadow Chariot to fit.
ADIM set his ship down in front of it, detached himself from the circuits and hopped up onto the hull. The churning, blue orb attached to it released an aura which illuminated the entire cavern. It was beneficial considering being so near to the device was scrambling his sensors. He unlatched the four restraints around its circumference and cautiously lifted it out. The Gravitum it held was heavy and so he hoisted it up on top of his back and made his way through the narrow passage.
It was a low cave filled in densely by gnarled pillars and dripping stalactites. He went to the center and carefully placed the Gravitum Bomb in the smoothest niche he could find. Then, as he took a step back, his sensors picked up a presence. He quickly wheeled round to see a Mining Mech barreling toward him. A colossal arm smashed across his chassis, knocking him against the wall of the cavern where he was pinned down by a giant clamper. A drill powered toward his head, and he quickly fired a missile into the legs of the Mech, knocking it back through a pillar of rock.
The cavern began to rumble as cracks formed along its roof. ADIM dove forward, rolling around the Mech as it scrambled to reach its feet. He jumped onto its back and shoved his fist through the plated exterior, ripping apart the proper circuitry without needing to see it in order to render it useless. Then he flipped off of it, landing nimbly between the Mech and the Gravitum Bomb as the immense suit fell backward and its chest cavity opened up. ADIM hurried around the front to see a bulky, dark skinned human sitting in the cockpit with his strong arms wrapped around a small child. ADIM aimed at the man’s head as he stepped up onto the Mech’s frame and pulled the chamber all the way open.
“Please,” the man groaned. He was shaking uncontrollably, a look of dread gripping him as ADIM’s red eyes grew nearer. “She’s strong…Spare her…I promised…” His quivering fingers ran through the little girl’s hair as her limp head rested on his forearm. She had been knocked unconscious from the fall.
> “This unit must execute the will of the Creator,” ADIM stated. Without hesitating he shot the man in the head. As his arms gave out the girl fell forward, but ADIM caught her before she tumbled over the edge of the Mech. He lifted her by the back of her neck, turning her from side to side, his curiosity kicking in. He had never seen a human child before, so ready to be shaped and molded.
She’s strong, ADIM repeated to himself what the man had said. She has yet to reach her potential. He lifted her eyelid, but she was unconscious. He remembered back to all the times Cassius would bring up his human son and how his expression would darken and the rate of his pulse would hasten.
‘It isn’t necessary. The Shadow Chariot’s cockpit could hardly fit more than one small person alongside you.’ That was what his Creator had said in regards to survivors. It wasn’t necessary, but it wasn’t forbidden. She can fit, ADIM realized, and if she is truly strong, then the Creator and this unit can make her a human worthy of his will.
Arriving at this verdict, ADIM got a better grip on the girl and dodged a few shards of falling rock. The roof was beginning to cave in. He began to approach the Gravitum Bomb, but as he did he recalled how hazardous it was to Cassius. He turned his body and held the girl out in front of him so that his chassis was firmly between her and the device. Then he hurriedly reached behind himself to grab the handle on the top of the sphere without looking, and pulled it up until a cylindrical console appeared. When it came to a lock he turned the handle and the Gravitum Bomb began to emit whining noises as if it were a wounded animal. Once it was triggered he tossed the girl over his shoulder, ran to the Shadow Chariot and leapt into the ship.
With the girl positioned on his lap he powered on the engines and guided the ship forward into the tunnel. Having already memorized the route he rushed around corners and through tight openings until he debouched into the residential hollow. People had gathered on all of the balconies and precipices to see what was going on but he rushed past them, shooting through the hangar and out into space.
The Circuit, Book 1 Page 26
