by J. N. Chaney
“How could I forget?” I asked, cocking my brow. “So, you’re saying its armor is shit. Is that it?”
“There’s more to it than that,” said Dressler, answering in Alphonse’s place. “What little we’ve analyzed of the blood, especially when we compare it to the Eternals’, shows a slower healing rate. The wound you gave it may still exist, although it will likely heal faster than your standard human.”
“Hold on a second,” I said, sitting up in my seat. “You’re telling me, as advanced as this Celestial is, it can’t heal as fast as an Eternal?”
“That doesn’t seem like much of a perfect being,” commented Freddie.
“No, it certainly doesn’t,” replied Alphonse. “But then, we don’t know how the Celestials view perfection. They may actually believe that over-specialization is the best path to achieving that vision.”
“In other words, this Celestial is the perfect scout,” said Abigail.
“Exactly,” said Alphonse. “It has been conceived, built, and bred for a single purpose, and from everything we’ve seen to date, it does so without equal.”
“Enough praise for the enemy,” I said, scoffing. “I’m hearing that if we can just land a few bullets, we can end the damned thing once and for all. Is that right?”
“We believe so,” said Dressler.
“Good,” I told her. “It’s not perfect, but it’s something. Keep looking at that blood and call me when you’ve got more ammunition for me.”
“Will do,” said Alphonse.
The comm clicked off, leaving our ship in silence. We still knew very little about how to expose and kill this monster, but at least we knew it could be done. We’d already shot it once. Somehow, I had to find a way to do it again.
The holo display showed we were nearing the Earth’s core. The time for planning was over.
Fifteen
Bolin landed less than a minute after us. He and his team unloaded onto the platform, fully geared and ready with personal shields and an arsenal of weapons to go hunting. I’d taken the time to brief them shortly before we arrived, going over everything we knew about the Celestial.
“Captain,” said Bolin, approaching me near the rear of the platform.
“Yeah?” I asked, staring at him through my helmet. “Your boys ready to move?”
“Fully,” he told me. “We’ll take the front and rear, if it’s all the same.”
“I don’t need any bodyguards, Bolin,” I said.
“That’s good, because I don’t plan on taking a bullet for you,” he said.
I laughed. “Everyone ready?” I asked, looking at the rest of the crew. Between all of us, we only had eight people. That was hardly enough to handle a job like this, but it was all I could muster in the short time we had.
Thankfully, Sigmond’s drones were scattered all throughout the underground network—over two hundred of them, waiting for any sign of movement from the Celestial. Not all of them were armed, but they didn’t have to be. We needed eyes and ears more than we needed bullets right now. When the time came to kill, we’d have the firepower for it. I’d make sure of that.
Bolin, Felix, Mackie, Gustin, and Nash split themselves into two groups, ensuring that Freddie, Abby, and I stayed between them. I’d give him the courtesy of doing this for now, but if a fight broke out and I saw a chance to engage, I wouldn’t hold myself back. He’d seen enough of me to know that.
The walk to the atrium was quiet as we each remained on edge, each of us gripping our weapons tight, expecting the worst. At any moment, the enemy could arrive out of thin air. Hell, for all any of us knew, it was already here, waiting in the dark.
One of Sigmond’s drones hovered along the far exit, continuously scanning the corridor. Before now, this machine and its many brothers had been tasked with cleaning up the facility. I realized now how lucky we were that the project was still unfinished. Had they already completed the work, we might have been on our own.
“Sir,” said Sigmond, causing me to stop shortly after entering the atrium. “I believe I have something.”
I raised a hand to stop the others. “Go ahead, Siggy. We’re listening. Do you have the Celestial yet?”
“No, sir, but I believe my analysis of the Sedicium Core has concluded, which means—”
“You can track the core?” I asked, my eyes going wide.
“Exactly, sir. I am recalibrating each of the drones now with a firmware update. It will take approximately one minute.”
Finally, some good news, I thought, breathing a short sigh and letting myself relax. If we could track the Celestial, at least we stood a chance at getting to it before it reached the engine room.
“Show it on the map,” I said.
My visor’s display lit up and showed the layout of the entire underground facility. From there, a series of blue dots appeared, each one representing a different drone. Looking at them now, I was surprised at how many there were. I knew Sigmond had sent more than a hundred of them, all varying in size, but it was only just now hitting me.
“Firmware update installed,” announced Sigmond. “Beginning facility-wide scan.”
I waited, staring at the map for longer than I cared. After nearly a full minute, I assumed the worst. Was it possible the Celestial could cloak something like the Sedicium Core? It hadn’t occurred to me that it might be capable of hiding more than its own body. If that was the case, we’d have no choice but to run in blind and hope to randomly find it. A fool’s hope, I knew, with no chance of success.
Before I could voice my concerns, a small yellow light blinked into existence on the screen. It was somewhere between the atrium and the engine room.
“I believe I have it, sir,” said Sigmond. “Target is on the move.”
Without thinking, I began to run towards the rear corridor, heading for the marked location. “Everyone, with me!” I shouted, nearing the back of the atrium. “Siggy, can you slow that thing down while we catch up to it?”
“See if you can seal a few of the doors along the way,” suggested Abigail.
“An excellent idea, Ms. Pryar,” replied Sigmond. “Accessing door controls now.”
“If it can phase, how are doors going to stop it?” I asked. I was surprised the question hadn’t already occurred to me. “Let’s test that. Siggy, lock one of the doors directly ahead of it.”
“Doing so now,” said Sigmond.
I watched the display as a red line appeared in the middle of the corridor ahead of the Celestial. The entity approached the door, nearly running into it before stopping. The yellow light representing the core--and by association, the Celestial--hovered near the door, then backed up. It lingered in the hall for a few seconds longer before finally heading into the nearest available corridor.
“I think that answers your question,” said Abigail.
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” asked Freddie.
“It’s certainly not bad,” she answered.
I motioned at my team and started walking to the rear of the atrium. “Siggy, I want you to keep closing those doors until we get down there. Our top priority is preventing that thing from reaching its goal.”
“Yes, sir,” said Sigmond.
The rest of my team shuffled to keep up as I left the atrium, with Abigail and Bolin right behind me. We’d have to move quickly to catch up to it, and even then, there was no guarantee that we could stop it.
Still, I was just thankful to know its location. If nothing else, it gave us the fighting chance we so desperately needed. Sure, I had no idea how we were going to kill it, but I’d worry about that on the way. For now, at least, I had no choice but to run.
“All doors have been sealed. If the Celestial follows the available path, it will take double the time it takes to reach its target,” informed Sigmond.
“Find us the fastest path to him,” I ordered. “Open whatever doors you need to along the way. Just get us there.”
“Understood, sir,” the Cognitive responded.
>
“Are you sure you want to run in like this?” called Freddie as we reached the first turn in the hallway. “Without knowing how to kill it, I mean.”
“I ain’t sure about shit, Fred,” I said, unholstering my pistol. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t find ourselves a way.”
* * *
“Three more halls,” announced Sigmond, right as we made another turn. “Opening door B-13.”
The Celestial had kept ahead of us, but we were closing the gap. Only a few more turns and we’d be there.
What happened after that was anyone’s guess.
Running through the corridor, wearing my environmental suit, I wondered why I hadn’t packed more weapons. Maybe a few grenades, considering how big this damned thing was, or perhaps a quad cannon.
The door that Sigmond had labeled B-13 was halfway open when we entered the second hallway. It slid to the ceiling with a swift and fluid motion. The moment we were through, Sigmond reactivated the lock, sealing it back into place.
The idea was to trap the Celestial, but I knew it wouldn’t work for long. It wasn’t stupid, and we’d already seen it break into one of the most complex locks any of us had ever seen. If this thing could access the fusion reactor, it could probably find a way to open these access doors, given enough time.
We just had to get to it before that happened.
“Opening door C-21,” announced Sigmond, right as we entered the adjacent hall.
Like the last one, we slid through with perfect timing.
The map showed the Celestial was ahead and around the next turn. I opened the comm to signal Alphonse one last time before we went ahead with this. “I’m here,” he told me, no delay in his answer.
“Anything yet?” I asked. “We’re out of time down here.”
“I wish I could give you some good news, Captain,” he said, reluctance in his voice. “We’re still trying to figure it out. The blood is—”
“Remarkable!” said Dressler, echoing in the background.
“Remarkable,” repeated Alphonse. “And frighteningly complex. The cells are in a constant state of flux, and we’re unable to affect it, despite the battery of tests we’ve run.”
I wanted to curse but kept my composure. “It’s fine, Al. We’ll figure it out. Call me if you find anything else.”
“Of course,” he said.
The line clicked off. “Okay,” I muttered, nudging closer to the nearby turn inside the hall. “Everyone ready?”
“We’re with you, sir,” said Bolin.
“Sure are,” said Felix. “Ain’t that right?”
Gustin, Nash, and Mackie grunted their agreement.
I nodded. “Good,” I said, raising my pistol and leaning forward. “Ready, on my mark.”
“Ready,” said Abigail, standing right beside me.
I took a quick breath, a bead of sweat running down my cheek, and I marched forward.
* * *
The visor showed the yellow indicator light glowing steadily as we entered the long stretch of open corridor. Behind us, the third and final door slid shut, sealing us—or trapping us, depending—with the Celestial and the Sedicium Core.
I scanned the hallway, searching for any sign of movement, any indication to tell me where to shoot.
But I had nothing.
“Where is it?” asked Felix.
Bolin held his fist up, quieting the other men. I could sense the tension rising between us, the sheer uncertainty of what lay ahead.
“There!” snapped Abigail, pointing to the distant corner.
The screen on my visor zoomed in to match where she was looking—a helpful little feature, thanks to Sigmond’s integration—and I caught a glimmer of reflective light against a piece of metal.
It was the core, resting in the darkened section of the tunnel, still deactivated, and it didn’t appear to be moving.
That wasn’t good. It meant the Celestial could be anywhere.
I felt Bolin and Freddie tense beside me, and I knew they’d both had the same realization. Without a way to track the enemy, we’d set ourselves up for a trap.
“It knew we were coming,” said Freddie. “Do you think it left? Maybe it slipped by us?”
A short pause. “No,” said Abigail. “It wouldn’t leave this behind.”
Freddie turned to her. “What are you saying?”
“It’s still here,” I said, aiming my gun directly ahead of us, through the tunnel.
Felix and Nash turned their backs to us, gripping their rifles as they prepared to fire. In seconds, our team had formed a circle, all our weapons fixed in every direction.
We stood totally still, saying nothing. Doing nothing.
I switched the suit’s noise canceling off and listened to the corridor—searching with my ears for what my eyes couldn’t find.
Searching for—
A light touch, barely audible, but something to the rear of us. A tapping sound, I decided, like metal clinking against metal.
I twisted around, scanning for the source, looking at the others to see if they were moving their feet.
Abigail looked up at me but didn’t say a word. She seemed to understand.
I stared towards the other end of the hall at the door we’d entered from, and I waited.
Another tap, tap, tap. The same location.
The others noticed my focus, then turned to face the door as I had. Freddie backed up, stepping to my side, along with Abigail, and finally Bolin and his team. We stood in a line from one wall to the other.
“On my mark,” I whispered, keeping my eyes on the far door.
A short stretch of silence passed as we waited for another sound, another tap, tap—
Tap.
“Now!” I snapped, then squeezed the trigger tight.
My shot was the first, and it slammed into the distant metal door in a blossom of sparks. In that instant, the air distorted and a floating figure appeared, a vague and undefined image I couldn’t quite make out.
But we all knew what it was, and we didn’t hesitate.
The entire team let loose a maelstrom. Bullets danced off the walls and door, creating waves of yellow lights, forcing the creature into a vague, but fixed visibility.
It didn’t stay still for long, but rather came at us, moving like a fish through water as it glided through our bullet storm.
We backed up, but continued firing. “Why is it still invisible?!” cried Freddie.
“I don’t know!” I shouted back.
“This didn’t happen last time!” he yelled.
“Don’t stop!” returned Abigail. “It can’t touch us if we keep shooting!”
I didn’t have to ask what she meant. So long as we kept firing, the Celestial probably wouldn’t be able to drop its invisibility. Our bullets would rip its body to shreds if it did. Then again, we knew so little about this thing that nothing was certain. Even if it was true, that plan would only work for so long. Our ammunition wasn’t limitless. Eventually, we’d run out.
The creature phased through us, heading for the Sedicium Core. “Don’t let it touch it!” I shouted, continuing to fire as it drew closer to the device.
Abigail lunged forward, running swiftly to where the core was sitting, far across the hall. Bullets hailed over her head, forcing her to stay low to the floor.
I felt my chest tense as she slid and touched the core, grabbing the handle. The Celestial swarmed above her, flickering in the air as more bullets passed through it, and finally it dove toward her.
With one hand on the core and the other on her rifle, she swung around, lifting the gun and firing a sweep into the air. I stopped shooting, too afraid of hitting her. The rest of my team must have felt similarly, because they did the same.
The Celestial came within a meter of Abigail when she fired again, preventing it from materializing. I took the opportunity to run after her, getting close enough to take the other end of the core, and together, hoist it off the floor.
We scram
bled back, firing behind us as we hurried to the rest of the team. The Celestial flew at us but couldn’t make itself tangible.
Bolin’s team surrounded us, placing their backs to the core and firing again at the enemy. Like a gust of wind, it blew through us, rising through the other side and forcing us around.
We brought our guns around to face the nearby door, and I wondered for a moment if the Celestial might try to escape. Instead, right as the creature reached the gate, its body flickered in the air like a distorted holo.
Where there had been a blur, a white figure appeared instead, its towering body looming five meters above us.
“Now!” I shouted, firing my weapon into the Celestial’s visible flesh.
Several bullets pierced its body, causing it to dart away. As it did, a mist of blood scattered in the air and along the door, and the creature fled. This time, it flew to the other side of the hall, hugging the only available path and escaping into the deeper recesses of the facility.
“What do we do?” asked Freddie. “Do we go after it?”
“Don’t move!” I ordered, raising an open hand.
I waited to see whether the Celestial would double back around, letting a long stretch of silence pass before lowering my hand and clearing my throat.
“I think it’s gone,” said Felix.
“Might be,” I said. “Or maybe it’s waiting for us to chase it.”
Abigail lowered her rifle, but not so much that she wasn’t still ready. “What do you think happened?” she asked, glancing back at the place where the Celestial had dropped its cloak.
“Couldn’t say,” I muttered.
“Something caused it to do that, don’t you think?” she asked.
I nodded, slowly.
“If you’ll pardon me, sir, I might have some additional data on the matter,” informed Sigmond.
My eyes perked. “What data?”
“The observational data from each of your cameras shows the exact moment in which the Celestial appeared,” said Sigmond.
“And?” I asked. “What about it?”
“The body, sir. It was touching the doorway,” said Sigmond.
“The door?” I asked, glancing at the automated gate behind us.