Cthulhu Armageddon

by Phipps, C. T.

  “Understood,” Mercury said, quickly.

  It was everything I’d ever wanted, especially with the implication my uncle was grooming me for a position on the Council of Leaders. Unfortunately, it was too late. Looking at my shoulder, I turned back to him and said, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline, Sir.”

  President Ashton-Smith raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Due to extenuating circumstances, I don’t believe I’ll be able to perform the duties you want me to. I am flattered by the offer but I believe …” I trailed off, thinking about the few months I probably had to live. “I would be better suited to continuing the Remnant’s mission of assisting in the recovery of humanity out here.”

  If it had been any other officer in the Remnant, I’d have put my chances at walking out of this conversation at around fifty percent. Instead, President Ashton-Smith just looked at me and nodded, “Very well, Captain. Consider yourself on indefinite leave. We owe you our lives in the Remnant and that hasn’t been forgotten.”

  “I’ve found a threat that needs to be dealt with.” I wasn’t sure if I should press my luck but this was too good of an opportunity to miss. “Professor Ward is assembling an army to deal with the surrounding countryside.”

  I neglected to mention his plan of wiping out all of humanity. If I did that, no one would believe me. It was one of the problems when facing true depravity. You often couldn’t convince rational people that anyone could act so insane.

  “I always knew he was too ornery to die out here.” President Ashton-Smith gestured to the Hunter-13s beside us. “You can make use of these. I’ve got another seven coming here to help make a big impression on Kingsport’s residents. The Remnant is now adopting a new policy in place of isolation: friendly outreach and elimination of threats.”

  “Recon and Extermination writ large,” I said, believing they would murder most of humanity before they found humans pure enough to be accepted. That or they’d get themselves wiped out in a stupid war with Wastelanders not nearly as weak as they believed. “I see.”

  “Uh, are we free to go now?” Mercury asked.

  “I’m entrusting your care to Captain Booth,” the President said under his breath, barely trying to hide his distaste for the torturer. “Enjoy your freedom, Doctor. You certainly haven’t earned it.”

  “Noted, Sir.” Mercury breathed a sigh. “I understand.”

  The President took a deep breath and leaned on his cane. “Before I let you go, John, is there any tactical advice you’d like to give me for dealing with Kingsport’s leadership?”

  Walking over to the edge of the hotel, I looked down on the streets at the slavers’ pens. There, there were probably hundreds of humans penned up like animals. “I think I have the perfect way for you to make a big impression.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  An hour later, all of the slaver dens in the Marsh district were on fire and hundreds of slaves had been freed. Surprisingly, President Ashton-Smith’s forces didn’t appear to be exterminating the district’s Deep One hybrids.

  I knew he’d never really believed in the innate evil of E.B.E.s, but the fact that no one was objecting showed me the Remnant had changed on a fundamental level. Seemingly overnight. The slavers themselves, of course, were shown no mercy. Watching the entire process from atop the rooftop of the Blue Oyster Inn, Martha stood to my left and Mercury to the right.

  Martha sighed, looking down at the burning buildings below. “You do realize this is an empty gesture, right? Slavery isn’t going to disappear and the Remnant isn’t even against it in practice, just principle. All you’ve gotten is a bunch of slavers killed.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’m okay with that.”

  It wasn’t about justice, what they were doing out here, or even winning the Remnant some points with the locals. No, this was just a final fuck-you to people I loathed. I was already feeling like I was running out of time and suspected my chances of killing Doctor Ward and rescuing the kidnapped children were slim to nonexistent. Stabbing at the nightmare the world had become was my only real pleasure left.

  A part of me wasn’t quite ready to accept defeat, though, and already I was thinking about consulting the Necronomicon for alternatives. Nyarlathotep, or the projection I’d conjured of him, had saved my life in the Dreamlands. Maybe it was possible it might heal me again. The idea of dealing with that monster again made my skin crawl but also made me remember the sense of power I’d gotten summoning him. It was a sick realization discovering you liked the feeling magic gave you.

  “Figures,” Martha said. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

  “I am,” I said, thinking about the hundred and seventy people I’d found out they’d murdered in their coup. I expected I knew a lot of them. These were never as clear cut as the stories described them. I just hoped the General—sorry, President—was able to do some good in the next sixty years. “Is it time to go?”

  I checked my watch. I’d sent Sergeant Major Aaron’s team to fetch my associates and they should be arriving any time now.

  Before I could even begin to speculate about what exactly Doctor Takahashi was thinking about, my companions were led in by Sergeant Major Aaron. The group consisted of Katryn, Mister Death, Jackie, Jessica, and Ezekiel King of all people.

  “Captain, you want to explain what’s going on?” Jessica said, shooting a dirty glare at Sergeant Major Aaron. The Sergeant Major’s gas mask hid her face but by her stance, I gathered she wasn’t happy with Jessica.

  “I’ve been exonerated by the Remnant. The Old Council has been overthrown. I’ve rescued Doctor Takahashi. We have two new helicopters.” I paused. “I think that about summarizes it.”

  “Good to know,” Jessica deadpanned. Looking between Martha and Doctor Takahashi, she asked, “Do they know about the whole dying thing?”

  “What?” Mercury said, shocked.

  “I’m not dying,” I lied.

  “You’re not?” Jessica blinked before Katryn elbowed her and I shot her a withering glare. “Oh, right.”

  “Subtle, Jessica,” I muttered under my breath.

  Mercury rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d lie about this.”

  “It’s alright, John. I already knew,” Martha said in a voice surprisingly devoid of emotion. “For what it’s worth, I will miss you.”

  Mercury grumbled and stared at my shoulder. “Seriously, how could you keep this a secret?”

  “We didn’t exactly have time to discuss it,” I said, frowning at her. “But I’m glad you’re alright.”

  Mercury blinked then said, “Thanks.”

  I was about ready to start praying for Dread Cthulhu to come up when Katryn said to me, “The Dunwych army has started for the Black Cathedral.”

  I cursed under my breath. It was too soon. “On foot?”

  “On horseback and in cars,” Katryn said. “It occurred hours ago, so we do not have much time.”

  “Dammit, dammit, dammit,” I muttered under my breath. “Okay, everyone who is going to be involved in taking down Doctor Ward, into the Hunter-13s. I have an old score to settle and I intend to make sure it’s paid in blood.”

  “Yes, sir!” Jessica gave me a salute and headed right for the co-pilot’s chair. The two of us were definitely going to get our money’s worth out of Ranger flight school.

  Mister Death and Katryn looked at each other before the former took his daughter off to the side to speak while Jackie tried to get on board, only for me to pull her off.

  “I’m going to be entrusting you to Martha Booth and the soldiers here.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “Where we’re going is dangerous. I need you to promise you’re going to stay out of trouble.”

  “I’ll try, Mister Booth.” Jackie looked at Martha before leaning in. “You realize she’s touched, right?”

  “I’m aware.” I got up and rubbed my hands through her hair before walking back to Mercury and Martha. “Mercury, I’ll explain everything once I’m back from
the Black Cathedral. In the meantime, I’m going to just have to ask you to trust me until we manage to get all of this resolved.”

  “That’s a lot to ask.” I could tell Mercury wasn’t entirely happy with my request, but she took three short breaths before saying, “Still, you saved my life, I owe you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Wait, are we coming back?” Mercury asked.

  “We?”

  “Those children will need a doctor when we catch up with them.”

  I closed my eyes. “The chances of us coming back are very slim.”

  “I see. Well, I’m still coming. Perhaps it’s time I actually looked after someone other than myself.” Mercury gave a reluctant salute before heading off to join the group on board the Hunter-13s, leaving me alone with Martha as Jackie looked on.

  I stared at my wife, realizing this was now where we probably parted ways forever. “I’m sorry for fostering this on you at the last moment.”

  “It’s alright, I’ve come to expect your little twists and turns.” Martha stuck her hands in her pockets. She closed her eyes and stood still for a few seconds. “I cannot read your mind right now.”

  I was surprised by that. “Oh?”

  “It is growing darker and more opaque by the minute. You are changing, husband. Like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon.”

  “Or a death-moth.”

  “You don’t need to continue this fight, John. If you are truly dying, you can come back to the Remnant and we can use our researchers to try and find some cure for your condition. I know more magic than anyone but Doctor Ward or the ghouls.” Martha smiled; it was a rare look for her. I could sense the bitterness and concern behind her words, however. “I want to help you.”

  “I’m not the sort of guy who is just going to sit around and let myself get poked like a mole rat,” I said before adding, “Besides, I knew what I was signing on for when I joined the Rangers.”

  “That’s no excuse not to live.”

  “Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

  Martha looked down at the ground. “Very well, John. I don’t agree with your choice, but I respect your right to it. It’s one of the reasons why I chose to turn against the old Council.”

  “I’m glad I could be so inspiring.” I was tempted to give her a kiss but hesitated. That part of our lives was over and I didn’t intend to reopen it.

  “I have a gift for you,” Martha said, reaching into her jacket.

  “What’s this one? A revolver blessed by the Unspeakable One? A copy of the King in Yellow script?” I bit my lip then looked down, feeling a bit ashamed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t mock your efforts. Your previous gifts saved my life on more than one occasion.”

  “I think you’ll like this one a little bit better.” Martha pulled out a picture of my children.

  On the left side of the photo was a well-muscled, brown-skinned fifteen-year-old Anita Booth, wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top. Her freckled face contrasted against her platinum-blonde hair. Her eyes were gray but she looked considerably more human than her mother. On the right, wearing a formal suit sized for his fourteen-year-old body was Gabriel Booth, his skin dusty bronze and his eyes a cat-like shade of yellow. He looked morose and somber, his usual attitude despite all my efforts to cheer him up. They were completely different in both personality and temperament but equally dear to my heart.

  “Thank you,” I told her. “I’ll visit them.”

  “If you live,” Martha said.

  “Yes,” I said. “If I live.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Minutes later, I was piloting one of the two Hunter-13s sailing through the air towards the Black Cathedral. The second was flying close behind us, carrying the Red Wolves team. Master Sergeant Aaron’s team would serve as backup, giving us enough breathing room so we could sneak into the Black Cathedral and assassinate Ward before he knew we were coming.

  It was an insane plan, really, but with the Dunwych army providing a distraction I was sure it had a chance of working. I didn’t share my suspicion the Dunwych were going to get slaughtered to the man by Ward’s monsters, but that was a price I was willing to pay to get my revenge on Ward.

  I could tell myself I was doing this because I wanted to rescue the children inside the Black Cathedral but I couldn’t bring myself to entirely believe that. There was a beast inside every human, every bit as callous and unfeeling as the Great Old Ones, and mine was hungry for Ward’s blood. The fact I might have to die to get it, and sacrifice all my few remaining friends, was something I was still turning over in my head.

  “Are you two sure you know how to fly this thing?” Mercury said, looking out the window as we passed across Kingsport’s borders. The expression on her face was one of barely controlled terror. It was very similar to the one I’d worn during my first training mission in one of these.

  “Nope,” I said.

  “Not a clue,” Jessica said.

  “What?” Mercury did a double take.

  Jessica and I both laughed.

  “Oh, fuck you,” Mercury said.

  For luck, I had the picture of my children prominently displayed on the dashboard. Jessica sat at my side, serving as my co-pilot, looking just as nervous as I felt. Katryn and Mercury sat behind us, occupying two of the passenger seats. Mister Death was absent, having apparently chosen to opt out of this mission.

  Maybe he just didn’t like flying.

  “So can you fly or not?” Mercury said, digging her fingernails into the fresh black leather upholstery. “Well, I mean.”

  “Jessica is actually a better pilot,” I said. “But I’m a better gunner.”

  “So he says,” Jessica said. “Personally, I say I’m a better pilot and gunner.”

  “Then I guess I’m lucky I’m an officer,” I said, not bothering to turn away from the vast desert stretched before me.

  “Spoilsport,” Jessica said.

  The fact I was finally heading back to the Black Cathedral left me feeling queasy and anxious. I’d narrowly failed in avenging my squadron in the Dreamlands. Had I been in better condition, I might have succeeded in killing Ward. Unfortunately, most of that had been the advantage of surprise. He would be ready for me next time and the odds were already heavily slanted against me.

  “As long as we can get the drop on him, we’ll be fine,” I said softly, more to myself than anyone else.

  Katryn countered, “You do realize the Necromancer knows you’re coming, correct? If he has the slightest skill at divination, he will predict your actions three moves ahead.”

  “Yes,” I said, wrinkling my brow. I hadn’t meant anyone to hear that. “I figured that out when he sent a ghast disguised as my father to kill me in the Dreamlands.”

  “You’re really going to have to tell me what exactly happened to you in the Dreamlands,” Mercury asked.

  “I will,” I said, remembering Richard’s head explode in front of me. “Eventually … and by eventually, I mean never.”

  “Now is not the time for levity,” Katryn said. “My people are in danger.”

  “I thought you and your father were hoping the Dunwych would suffer a large number of casualties,” I said, remembering our peculiar conversation outside King’s casino.

  “My father is High Priest of Hastur and a member of the Council of Elders. One does not argue with him in public or private,” Katryn said. “Even if what he says is insane.”

  I regained a lot of respect for my lover’s politics. “We’re going to save them, Katryn, I promise. It shouldn’t take long to catch up with the main column of the army.”

  Mercury pointed over my shoulder. “John, we have company.”

  Looking back at the windshield, I saw a terrible black thing coming towards us. Something so unnatural, it seemed to warp the very fabric of the air and sky around us. I thought for a moment it might be a gigantic nightgaunt, but I realized after a second it was something worse—a byakhee, a Devil of the Sky. One larger than any I’d ever seen before
.

  I’d faced the byakhee before and each time it had been a brutal and hellish battle. They were one of the most terrible threats existing out in the Wastelands, routinely pulling up humans off the ground and dropping their bloodless corpses down hours later. On rare occasion, they sang songs that could warp men’s minds and turn whole villages to their twisted worship. This one looked like it could destroy a small city.

  As the massive byakhee continued to glide across the air in defiance of all known laws of physics, larger than an Old Earth passenger liner, a chill went up my back as I took in the full size and shape of the monstrous abomination.

  Byakhee resembled nothing so much as hideous skeletal gargoyles with massive wings and arms twice the length of their legs, creatures whose mouth and face were indescribable. Their features neither crow, mole, ant, nor decomposed human, yet existing in a state in between them all. Indeed, you could stare at their forms and not be able to take in their ever-changing looks due to the human eye’s inability to stare into more than three dimensions.

  This one possessed one recognizable pair of sensory organs, however. Eyes so terrible they might have been portals to hell itself. They were huge, free-floating, gaping holes in the skyline which burned like miniature suns, bloody red and oozing. Its arms ended in gigantic hundred-fingered talons each the length of steel poles.

  “By the Black Mother,” Katryn whispered, leaning forward to stare. “A matriarch.”

  “Who?” Jessica said, looking away from the monstrous soaring monster coming right at us.

  “A mother of the byakhee race,” I said, my voice trembling. I had read of them in the Necronomicon. “They can birth thousands of their kind in a single day and are summoned by only the most insane of magicians.”

  “Why?” Mercury asked, her scientific curiosity overcoming her fear.

  “Because they can destroy nations,” I said.

  A byakhee matriarch starred in one of the more vivid tales dictated to Abdul Alhazred by Nyarlathotep in the Necronomicon. One particular creature born in nameless eons survived the destruction of its world by riding the solar winds to the Earth. Not a Great Old One, it was still an ancient being beyond anything humanity had the power to oppose.