The Circuit, Book 1

by Rhett C. Bruno

  The ship’s ion engines traced a line across the stars as he drove it forward at full speed. When he reached the satellite asteroid he swung the ship around and hovered above it, facing Kalliope with the girl lying silently on top of him.

  It didn’t take long before bluish waves of energy sliced out of the asteroid every which way, like crescent shaped blades. After expanding more than a mile the particles were sucked back inward and there was a moment of calm before the entire rock split into three enormous chunks. They appeared to be tumbling in slow motion apart from each other, leaving a darkened void in the center with coruscating beams of blue distortion dancing throughout it.

  Creator. The Gravitum Bomb performed as anticipated, ADIM informed Cassius as he watched the fragments diverge.

  ADIM. It is good to hear your voice, Cassius answered. Despite his prompt response he sounded weary.

  ADIM took quick note of the change in his tone. Creator, are you harmed?

  No, I’ve never been better, Cassius assured, putting a little extra vigor into his words to get his point across. I’m safely aboard the White Hand. The first strike against the Tribune has been cast.

  The girl on ADIM’s lap began to wheeze and he remembered that she needed more oxygen than whatever the ship might’ve trapped while still in Kalliope. He switched on the life support systems Cassius had installed in case of an emergency and felt her lungs to ensure that she was breathing properly. She was.

  This unit shall return to Ennomos, with a gift from Kalliope.

  A gift? Cassius responded, clearly surprised. What could that desecrated piece of rock possibly have to offer?

  Another extension of your will. The Creator shall see shortly.

  I look forward to it then. I too will soon bear a gift—one that has helped keep humanity alive for hundreds of years.

  The Solar-Ark is under your command already?

  I’m on my way to seize it now. Go and prepare Ennomos for its arrival. He paused, his enthusiastic breaths audible. We have waited too long for this. Today the Circuit has been forever changed. I will see you soon, ADIM.

  This unit…ADIM’s eyes began to spin as he searched for the proper human phrase to respond with…Is looking forward to it.

  The unwelcome silence of Cassius leaving him returned as ADIM turned the Shadow Chariot around and rocketed away from the shattered mining colony of Kalliope. Even though his main task was completed, it did not come with the usual sense of vacancy which ADIM detested. In fact, as he looked down at the placid face of the unconscious girl on his lap—his gift—if he could’ve smiled, he would have.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO—TALON RAYNE

  Trace the Stars with Blood

  Talon jolted awake. He had been trapped in the long, dreamless slumber induced by his cryo-chamber aboard the Solar-Ark Amerigo. As his eyes adjusted, the tubes and needles piercing his body all over began to slide out from beneath his skin, leaving in their wake a feeling like liquid ice running through his veins. The frosted glass in front of him peeled away and he fell forward onto his hands and knees into a pool of chilled liquid.

  It was hard to hear anything clearly, but alarms were wailing and blobs of frantic figures sprinted in every direction. Talon looked to his side as other Keepers fell forward from their chambers. Most of them seemed accustomed to waking from cryo-sleep, but all the newcomers, like him, were crawling as if they’d just emerged from the womb. It had only been a week or two since he entered his chamber, but to him it felt like learning how to walk all over again. His teeth chattered as his whole body was seized by relentless shivering. He was freezing to his core, as if he were walking naked on the bare outer surface of the dark side of Ceres.

  “On your feet!” the voice of Keeper Tarsis shouted out.

  Talon was suddenly hoisted up to his feet. He half expected to topple over once he was there, but his muscles were adjusting quickly. His limbs began to tingle, from his toes and fingers inward, slowly awakening until even the coldness began to dissipate. It was an unpleasant experience at first to be sure, but when all the effects of cryo-sleep wore off Talon felt fresher than he had in months. The soreness of the Blue Death was alleviated. Every one of his muscles felt as youthful and alive as they would have been if he was healthy.

  He knew it likely wouldn’t last long, but he reveled in that moment as best as he could. Not having to focus on ignoring the symptoms of his disease provided him with the awareness which once made him a fearsome mercenary. He noticed something different about his surroundings. All of the Keepers were running around fully armed, but they didn’t look angry or eager to fight. They all looked terrified.

  He reached out and grabbed Tarsis by his metal exo-suit, turning him around so hard that he almost knocked him over. He wasn’t used to feeling so strong. “What the hell’s going on?” he questioned.

  “The Ark was badly damaged as we passed Titan,” Tarsis answered. He hardly bothered to stop as he continued helping the other new recruits to their feet all the while making sure to keep his rifle aimed straight ahead. “The sail was torn and we’ve had to slow down and shut off all auxiliary engines to repair it.”

  “By whom?” Talon shouted as he followed after him.

  “No idea! Intruders hit us after we stopped. Now, get your suit on! We need all the guns we can get!” Tarsis pointed to a sealed container at the base of Talon’s cryo-chamber before bending down to aid another recruit.

  A few loud gun shots resonated from the far reaches of the ship, causing Talon to jump as he reached into the container. He quickly pulled out the refurbished suit of Keeper armor he’d been given before going under and began to dress himself. It had a snug fit despite being older than he cared to imagine. The black color was faded and the armored, blue-outlined portions over his joints were dented and scratched. Once it was on he grasped the pulse-rifle lying inside the container and turned to catch up to Tarsis.

  Just as he began to run more shots echoed, this time from much nearer. The ship’s main lighting system flickered off and the Keeper getting ready beside him toppled over. Blood squirted out of his neck onto Talon’s cheek. He hastily dove behind the fallen body and began firing blindly from its waist. Screams of horror filled his ears. Glass from cryo-chambers shattered and circuits spit out steam and sparks. All he could see through the shadows were the barrels of rifles flashing and the glowing blue of other Keeper’s armor as they collapsed one after the other.

  Talon held his hands over his ears as he remained in cover, completely disoriented and unsure where to go. He peered over the body, trying to catch a glimpse of what was attacking through all the commotion. All he could make out were two glowing orbs of deep red skittering around from the floors to the walls at inhuman speeds.

  Bullets tore into his cover, dousing him in more blood as he scrambled to lie back down flat. It wasn’t like any skirmish he’d ever experienced. The lines of bright gunfire only served to make it more dizzying as bodies piled up all around him. Muddled voices cried out, but there were fewer and fewer of them with each passing second. And the more sporadic they grew, the more intense the feeling of inescapable doom began to take hold.

  Talon looked behind his position where he was able to see the edges of the staircase leading up into the Solar-Ark’s corridors. Whatever the attackers were, he stood little chance of survival out in the open.

  This is my chance to escape, he realized suddenly. He pictured Elisha’s smile and grit his teeth before positioning himself against the corpse. After a few quick breathes to prepare, he put his renewed vigor to the test and hauled the body over his back. Then he sprung to his feet and began to run as fast as he could. Bullets whizzed around him and into the corpse as he sprinted. Keepers fell all around him as they attempted to stand their ground—blood falling like crimson rain.

  Everything became a blur of fear, darkness and blinding flashes, until Talon reached the stairs and let the body tumble off of his back. He scrambled up to the top and fell against the wall p
anting, his shoulder searing from the weight. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, but he made it. There was little time for rest, however. He raised his rifle and slowly pressed forward through the black corridor.

  There was no reason to switch on the flashlight along the barrel of the gun and risk further exposure. The dull, bluish glow of his armor was enough to at least see if he was going to bump into anything. He took it one step at a time, trying to keep his nerve as his feet brushed against what were obviously the limbs of dead bodies. All he could hear except for the occasional scream and gunshot were his own heavy breaths. At the far end of whatever corridor he was moving down he could see a viewport with a glimmer of starlight peeking through.

  Even though he didn’t know where he was going, Talon knew he’d be safer in the light where he could see his enemies. His eyes were trained down the sight of the rifle, snapping around every time the ship’s ancient circuitry groaned. When he arrived at the T-intersection across which the translucency spanned, he poked his rifle around the corner. As soon as he did the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head. He was ready to wheel around and fight one last battle when a familiar voice spoke up.

  “By the Ancients, it’s you!” Tarsis pronounced. He glanced nervously over Talon’s shoulder before pulling him around the corner.

  “Holy…” Talon wheezed, holding his chest in shock. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

  “Did you see what hit us? How could this happen?”

  “No…I…I don’t know…” Talon gathered his breath. “They’re all dead, I think.”

  “We have to hold the Ark!” Tarsis commanded. “Come on, the command deck is this way!” He charged around the corner when suddenly a hand emerged from a dark hallway to seize him by the neck.

  Talon followed him, ready to fire, but what he saw froze him in his tracks. A pair of red eyes turned to face him. Tarsis was tossed against the translucency, and before Talon could get a shot off he was tackled onto his back and the gun ripped from his fingers. A mouthless face stared down at him, void of all manner of emotion. There was no hate or regret; no resolve or hint of purpose. As Talon’s trachea was being crushed beneath its powerful grip all he saw was death—a being of dark metal with nightmare eyes as hot and as bright as magma.

  Just as Talon was about to lose consciousness there was a loud blast. Both he and his mysterious assailant were hurled across the corridor toward the translucency, which Tarsis had shattered. The metal being was able to catch itself against the opening as Talon was yanked into space by the rapid change in pressure. Just before he tumbled into the void, Tarsis snatched him and pressed a button on the collar of his suit, causing a helmet to form around his head.

  The visor snapped down and Talon gasped for air. His lungs were in unimaginable pain from that half-second exposed to the vacuum of space. His vision was blurred. When he finally was able to regain his composure he looked down. Tarsis was holding onto the ship with one hand and clutching Talon’s forearm with the other. There was almost no gravity, but it felt like a gust of wind was gushing through the opening in the ship. The metal exoskeleton Tarsis wore began to split along the joints as his limbs were pulled as wide as possible.

  Talon knew that the amount of oxygen in their suits was enough to only last for a few minutes. They didn’t have long. He did his best to throw his body in the other direction and reached out with all of his might. After a few futile lunges he was able to grab hold of Tarsis and pull himself closer.

  There they embraced at the edge of silent oblivion. The stars sat idly watching, unmoving as the Solar-Ark slowly drifted. They could see the ravaged solar sail scraping along the bow, glinting as its fractured remnants clung on. The ship itself was dark, a mile-long bar of metal powered down and lifeless as if it were no more than an asteroid.

  Talon turned to Tarsis. He appeared to be in pain, but he shouted something inaudible through the visor of his helmet before looking toward the shattered translucency. Talon didn’t need to hear him to understand. The rush of pressure was almost gone and together they clambered along the plated exterior of the ship. Helping each other all the way down, they twisted through the opening and into the ship where gravity began to pull on their feet again. Once they were inside, Tarsis fell against the opposite wall.

  They were both in shock, with Tarsis breathing so hard that his visor began to fog over. The arms of his metal exoskeleton were sparking, the wires and circuits keeping it intact even as they were exposed and ready to snap. He attempted to stand, but the suit hissed and he collapsed.

  Talon looked down at the man who had saved him. There was such sorrow in his pale blue eyes that all of the pain shooting through Talon’s own body was suddenly wiped away. He couldn’t leave him. They had to get deeper into the ship where they would be able to breathe again.

  Without further hesitation, Talon reached around Tarsis’ back and helped him to his feet. Using each other’s weight to counterbalance, they began moving down the corridor back toward the cryo-chamber hall, hoping that the unnatural attacker had already moved on.

  Once they were far enough from the breach into another sealed zone, Talon pressed the button to make his helmet recede and helped Tarsis to do the same. They stopped there for a moment to take a few deep gulps of air.

  It was quiet. There were no screams or gunfire, only the loud crackling of Tarsis’ exo-suit as it struggled to keep him upright.

  “What was that thing?” Talon finally voiced what they were both thinking.

  Tarsis moaned in evident pain. “I don’t know,” he replied. “C’mon, we have to get to the command deck. The Amerigo cannot fall.” He began to try and make a move in the opposite direction before Talon pinned him against the wall.

  “It has fallen!” Talon whispered fervently. “We have to get out before those things come back.”

  “’We will serve on this ship, and we will die here,’” Tarsis recited solemnly. “I am a Keeper of the Circuit. I will not watch these abominations defile it!”

  “Then don’t waste your life here like the others! We’re clearly doomed in here, but if we escape we can find help!”

  “I will not abandon my post!” Tarsis declared. His cheeks were red with swelling anger.

  “Then help me get out!” Talon didn’t mean to raise his voice, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t care if he was being selfish, not when Elisha was involved. He released Tarsis’ shoulders and took a heavy step back. “I don’t know the layout of the Ark, but there must be escape pods on a ship this big.”

  A conflicted Tarsis looked down the long, dark passage and frowned. “To help a Keeper escape is betrayal in itself,” he said.

  “To betray what? You didn’t choose this.” Talon leaned in, his eyes fiery and desperate. “Fuck fate. Fuck service to this place. Fuck this disease! You, a stranger, saved my life. Now let me save yours. You can go home, Tarsis. To wherever that was before you were damned to serve here. You can die free.”

  “Home…” Tarsis laughed weakly and began to cough. “I have forgotten the worlds beyond these walls.”

  “Then let’s see them together! See what you’re willing to guard with your life. We can find out what happened here and ensure it never happens again!” Talon’s brow furrowed as he struggled to think of more ways to persuade him. Then the sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall, followed by a faint, reddish glow.

  “It’s coming!” Tarsis said. He lifted Talon’s arm around his waist so that he could help him walk again and they urgently began moving through the corridor. “There’s no time to argue. I’ll take you on the quickest route to the escape pods, but let’s hope we reach them first.”

  Talon didn’t bother to waste time or breath on a response as Tarsis led them through the shadowy corridors. They passed over countless fallen bodies, through smoke and drizzling sparks, the sound of the footsteps growing nearer and nearer. Random shouts and gun shots would echo out occasionally, but they did
n’t break pace until they reached a small hatch nestled against a wall. It couldn’t fit more than one person at a time.

  “This leads straight down into the emergency bay,” Tarsis said.

  Talon nodded and made Tarsis go first, knowing that it would take him longer with his damaged suit. Just before he was ready to follow, the brooding red aura turned around a nearby corner. He held his breath, climbing into the hatch as quietly as possible. It didn’t matter. Whatever the thing was it noticed him instantly, even through the stifling darkness. Two red eyes snapped toward him and bullets began peppering the wall behind his head. He pulled the hatch shut and slid down the ladder, knocking Tarsis over as they tumbled through the bottom.

  “One of them is coming!” Talon shouted as he picked Tarsis up and began to rush forward. “Where do we go?”

  “In there!” Tarsis pointed to one of the rounded openings lining the hall and pushed Talon in. He then began keying commands on the HOLO-Screen located just outside.

  “Get in!” Talon shouted as he strapped himself into one of the four seats.

  “Just a few more seconds!” Tarsis finished at the console, but as he began to move he froze in the entrance of the pod. He bit his lip nervously.

  “Tarsis, don’t give your life away!” Talon struggled to pull off the restraints, cursing at himself for strapping in so prematurely. They were prepared for the pod’s launch and there was no way to get them off.

  He could see it in Tarsis’ face…a man torn in two. That was when Talon saw what would have become of him. It was not only fear of betrayal that stopped Tarsis, but fear of leaving the one place that he had called home for the final years of his cursed life. It was the one place that made the suffering tolerable, where he could share the pain of the Blue Death with the similarly afflicted.

  “We’ll find out who did this!” Talon urged him. There was a loud crash at the base of the ladder and the whole emergency bay flooded with terrifying red light. “Get on!”