by Drew Cordell
“Do you see this?” I asked, turning to Mary.
She laughed, playfulness dancing in her beautiful eyes. “I’ve been seeing it. You’ve had this look of paralysis on your face for the past few minutes.”
“I don’t like flying as much as I used to,” I admitted, loosening the straps on my shoulder restraints so I had better access to my surrounding consoles.
“Probably not your fault. We have Marwin to blame for that one, at least in some capacity,” she said.
Marwin shook his head, not looking up from his work. “Hey, the way I remember it was I was the one who managed to land half a ship after a missile hit us. And that was after jumping through the partition in a ship that was stalling out and about to free fall.”
“Land is a highly subjective word,” I asserted, grinning.
Marwin shrugged. “Ha. Fair enough, but I doubt either of you could have done any better. Let me send this message to the Champions, then we can talk some more. I just finished with all the Artemis authentication codes. They’re going to know it’s really me.”
He put on his headset and prepared the transmission. “Champions, this is Marwin Zaris broadcasting on all known encrypted Artemis frequencies. We are enroute to New York from Vermont. If you can hear us, prepare to move all available forces with the finished mass-scale EMP weapon to the Docks for immediate pick up. We have acquired a capital warship and now have the means to invade Olympus. Bring equipment but know we have additional gear on board if supplies are still running low. I am looping this message and will broadcast it until we are in range. I am on standby to respond once you get this so we can formulate a coordinated plan. Marwin out.”
“Good to go?” the Builder asked him.
“Yeah, good to go. I’ll monitor the ship. Go take care of Violet,” Marwin replied.
The Builder stood, allowing Marwin to take his seat. “This will not take long. You want her restrained when I am done?” he asked.
We nodded. “I think that would be for the best. We have no intention of hurting her but she might be dangerous, especially given the circumstances of how she was brought here,” I said. “Make sure she gets the best care possible.”
The Builder nodded, walking to one of the massive elevators which would take him to the medical bay.
Marwin waited until he was gone to speak again. “I’ve got to say this has worked out quite well for us so far. You still haven’t told me what happened with the Haven, though. How did Violet get shot?”
“I made a decision not to let Grez and Christopher through a sealed door. I held her and Jake at gunpoint until Omega could kill them,” Mary said, wincing.
Marwin shook his head. “Grez was a fool. He was damaged from a broken past, but there was no way this would have worked out if he were still here. You made the right decision, whether it feels that way right now or not. Violet could never be our friend, but I’m glad she’s still alive. She is going to have to find her place in this new world.”
“Jake, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I put you in that position,” Mary said.
I could see the pain and hurt in her eyes, and I knew exactly what she was going through. I felt the same thing when I had decided Bernie wasn’t going to make it—when I had killed an innocent man to protect myself and those I loved. We had all paid too much to get this far, and it wasn’t over yet.
“I know what you’re feeling right now. Marwin does, too. I know it’s hard, and I know you can’t believe you would do something like that, but you did what had to be done. Someday I hope we can accept our decisions and understand they led us to a better life. I love you.”
We talked for several more minutes, watching the scenery shift beneath us. Marwin was curious about Omega, but I still didn’t know how to explain why it had let us live and suddenly halted its attack on the Builder’s network giving us a window to escape the weapons lab. We waited for news from the Builder and from a message from the Champions as time passed.
The Builder’s voice echoed through our headsets. “Bridge, Violet is going to be just fine. The procedure was flawless and I do not anticipate any complications with the surgery. She will have some scarring, but other than that, nothing permanent or adverse. I hooked her up to fluids and some meds to ease the pain. She did ask to speak with you when you are able, though. She said it was about the Harvesters. I am on my way back up to you now. Any word from the Champions?”
“Not yet,” I said, checking the flight map diagram and seeing we were only about a quarter of the way to New York.
“Understood. As we get a little closer we are going to move some power to the countermeasure systems which should give us a good blanket from detection—not that New York should be expecting us anyway.”
“Okay. Thank you, Builder,” Marwin said, breaking the connection before turning back to face us. “I don’t know the plan for the initial invasion, but once we are in Olympus, we need a team to Infiltrate House Aeoxous and a team to attack the Omniscience Engine facility. As the Builder said, this ship has many smaller scout ships on board that are capable of flying themselves. We don’t have many people left who can fly, so there are going to be some new pilots in the making. We need to try to save the people of Olympus if they are still alive. After all of this is over, we will rescue the people of the Mids, if they are still there.”
“It’s been three years, and we didn’t see anyone other than Emily, Nick, and Bernie when we were there,” Mary said, grimacing.
“We have to check. We can’t just leave them to rot if there are still survivors,” Marwin said.
“What about the six reactors in Olympus? What happens to those when the EMP goes off?” Mary asked.
“That one is quite simple, actually. They’re all based on clean nuclear fusion. It’s a very controlled process despite the massive amounts of energy generated. When the EMP goes off, the manual failsafes will trigger. There is physically nothing the Omniscience Engine can do to prevent that, especially since it will be fried in less than a second when the bomb detonates,” Marwin said. “If it tries to melt them down before the bomb goes off we might be in trouble, but either way the result is the same for us and the Omniscience Engine is gone. It’s just a different end-game at that point.”
The Builder reappeared on the Bridge, walking out of the elevator to join us. “Hello again.”
“Hey,” Marwin said. “Can you walk us through the initial plan of assault on Olympus? We’re trying to formulate the infantry assault but could use some advice on how you think we will get into Olympus with the ODIN II.”
“Sure,” the Builder said as Marwin stood from the main pilot chair and moved to a different seat. The Builder strapped himself into his chair and did a quick scan of the consoles. “Olympus has a protective artificial atmosphere. It is designed to prevent objects from entering, but I do not think it is rated for something as large as the ODIN II. This vessel has similar technology, and we’ll use the weight of the ship to break Olympus’s artificial barrier. Then, we will begin our assault from the inside. The ODIN II is equipped with its own defense matrix and a full suite of countermeasures and weapons. The Champions will have full access to Olympus. With everyone using traditional kinetic weapons, everything will still be functional when the EMP goes off, though from what you have told me I am worried about the blast radius of the EMP.”
“So the ODIN II needs to be far away from Olympus when the bomb goes off,” Marwin said.
The Builder nodded. “Precisely. If there are smaller EMPs which can be detonated to disable key defense systems, that would be ideal. We just have to make sure the main bomb cannot be swarmed before it detonates and everyone is well away from the blast radius when it does go off. With any luck this will be a quick, efficient assault with minimal casualties. The Omniscience Engine does not expect us. I lived through this before. If you were to invade, it would expect you to do it in Enforcer Dropships. It is the only conceivable way something like this could happen.”
&n
bsp; “Why?” Mary asked.
“Its records must show that both the ODIN I and ODIN II in your River’s Port are still in place, waiting for final preparations as the Omniscience Engine completes its cycle. It thinks it has defeated you—this is our major advantage.”
A voice broke through, and lights flashed across our dash. Someone received our transmission.
“Marwin, it’s good to hear your voice.” There was a pause. “We thought you were dead. Jake, Mary? Are they with you?”
“I hear you, signal is a little weak, though,” Marwin responded. “Who am I talking to?”
“E—do you—we’re—”
“Builder, can you amplify?” Marwin asked.
“Try it now,” he said after tinkering with one of the consoles.
“Sorry, didn’t get that,” Marwin said. “Please repeat.”
“How about now? It’s Edgar. Jake and Mary, are they with you?” he asked.
Marwin’s face erupted into a smile. “It’s good to hear you, Edgar. Jake and Mary are both with me. We’re all fine and boy, do we have a present for you.”
“Listen, it’s going to be a little hard to get everyone to the Docks but I think we’ll manage. You’re absolutely sure this is a real chance? We can’t risk everything if you all don’t believe we can succeed here. The Council was hesitant to even discuss this, but there’s no doubt you’re running a legitimate Artemis node—even if we don’t know how that is possible.”
“This is the real deal,” Marwin said. “And it’s probably our last opportunity to win. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
“I’ll make it happen,” Edgar said.
“Edgar, it’s so good to hear from you,” I said. “I’ve been worried about you. Is the full-scale EMP done? We need it if this attack is going to work.”
Edgar laughed. “Ha. You were worried about me? It seems the grave has yet to catch you, Baron Ashton. Look, the situation is a little more complicated here now. River’s Port—it’s gone.”
I cut him off, trying to save time. “I know. We were there; that’s how we made it out. My father’s robot led me to a box with a map out of the country to Vermont, and that’s how we got here. We were kidnapped by the Harvester Guild, but they didn’t make it out. Anderson defected on us right after he extracted us from Olympus. We’re free now, and we have the leader of the Harvester Guild’s daughter as a bargaining piece. The Harvesters have Leroy, and they have a box that belonged to my father. I need it back.”
“Leroy is alive?” he asked in awe.
“Yes, and it’s very important we get him and my box back. Can you arrange for the Harvesters to meet us at the Docks for an exchange?”
“I’ll try, yes, but this might have to wait. Destroying the Omniscience Engine needs to be our primary objective. Who all should we bring?”
“Everyone who can fight,” Marwin said. “We have a lot of gear on board, but try to gear everyone so they stand a chance as you move through the Slums—it’s probably still got HKs lurking around. We’re working with a man—an Ascendant from Vermont who we know we can trust. I need you to not freak out about that for the time being; this is the only way.”
“Copy. I’m recording all of this for the Council, but I expect a swift decision and for us to move right away. Is there somewhere you can wait for confirmation so we can get things moving on our side?” Edgar asked.
“Yes, we’re going to put the ship down until you’re ready to move. We’re planning our assault in a way that will take Olympus down quickly while saving lives. We’ll have to brief everyone on the way there and divide the forces into task groups. We’ll be waiting for your call. Marwin out.”
“Understood. Edgar out.”
“Everyone, this is the Builder again. I found a nice valley to land the ship in. We’re going to keep a low profile until the Champions are ready to move. We just made contact and will organize our assault before completing the journey.”
It was actually happening. We would wait for the Champions to prepare, then we would pick them up and begin our assault in a matter of hours.
The ODIN II landed in the snow, the engines powering down to a low purr while the Builder initiated the stealth masking tech.
“Builder, may I have a word in private please?” I asked.
He wore an interested expression but nodded nonetheless and walked with me to a side room. “What is it?” he asked.
“I have a bit of a strange request,” I said, feeling myself blush.
“Perhaps I can help.”
“Maybe so. You’re a collector of fine things. I’m looking for a ring—for Mary. When all this is over, I want to make her my wife.”
He smiled. “You are sure about this?”
I nodded. “I had a ring picked out over three years ago. It’s still in Olympus, but I’m not too hopeful it will be worthy of her once my old home is leveled by the EMP.”
He laughed. “I have such a ring that will suffice for completing the task at hand. It is yours once we are through with this.”
“And you think she will like it?”
He nodded. “I am an Ascendant with lavish tastes, probably to a fault. She will like it, and I do not think it is over the top.”
“Thank you. And again, I just want to apologize about my initial attitude toward you. You have been nothing but helpful this entire time. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad you’re on our side. We couldn’t do this without you.”
“I could not do this without you. I too am grateful for your help, and even though the facility in my lab did not work out the way we had intended, I think it is good that I move on—that I help you build a new society. You too have surprised me, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
I shook his hand before we returned to the bridge.
“I think I need to go talk to Violet. Mary, you’d better sit this one out.”
Mary nodded. “You’re right.”
“Do you need any backup?” Marwin asked.
“No, I think Bob and Jasper are still there if I need anything,” I said.
He turned back to his console. “Okay, just give us a call if you need information. We’ll ping you when we hear back from the Champions.”
I walked over to the elevator, pressing a button to take me to the sixth level of the ship. I hadn’t realized just how big the ODIN II was until I had boarded it. It was easily the size of all of the levels of the Guild Hall put together, a massive behemoth and marvel of engineering.
As the elevator doors slid open, I walked out through winding corridors that lit as I traveled through them. There was a hollow emptiness to the ship—and the true size became apparent.
I followed signs in the hallway which led me to the medical bay. As I walked inside, I saw Jasper and Bob sitting in chairs lining the walls, chatting amongst themselves while Violet lay half-asleep, strapped into a hospital bed by several restraints. A bag of fluids with tubes weaving into her arm stretched above medical displays anchored behind her bed. Through the thin robe she wore, I could see the outline of heavy medical cloth wrapped around her abdomen. Her head was bandaged where I had hit her with the stock of my shotgun. Her eyes shot open as she saw me enter.
“Violet, the ODIN II is waiting. We’re still in Vermont, and we anticipate launching a full assault on Olympus in the coming hours.”
“You let her take everything from me,” Violet said, her soft voice cutting through the grim silence.
“We’re going to give you the room,” Jasper said, helping Bob out of his seatbelt so the two of them could leave. I waited until they had left to speak. Violet was still glaring at me through clouded eyes dulled by whatever the Builder gave her for the pain.
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry she shot you, and I’m sorry I hit you. I’m sorry things happened this way.”
“You let them happen this way. I have nothing left now. Don’t you get it? It would be better if you had let her shoot me. Instead I’
m left with nothing.”
“I understand loss.”
“He was all I had left,” her voice broke. “Yet for some reason, you didn’t let me die in that horrible place. I have to live with this now.”
I nodded. “I wish Grez would have seen that helping us was the only way. You don’t have to like it or understand right now, but he made his decision and there is nothing you could have done to change it. You tried, and he disowned you for it. That isn’t love. You deserve better.”
“He loved me,” she cried, glistening tears spilling down her cheeks. “I have to believe he loved me. Now he can never tell me that because you and Mary took everything away.”
“I know you’re not going to forgive us anytime soon—you may never forgive us. But you need to understand what is going to happen now. We are planning a trade with the Harvesters. You will return to them, and we will get my box and Leroy back. They don’t know what happened in Vermont. The narrative is yours to tell. You can be anything you want in this new world; you can even take steps to leave the shadows and join us in Olympus once we rebuild it.”
“One day I will make you know my pain. You’re going to watch me kill Mary, and you won’t be able to save her. I’m going to make you live with that.”
My face hardened, and I fought back the urge to yell. “If you try to come after us, we will kill you. We will not hesitate. You don’t deserve to die; you deserve happiness like the rest of us. The Omniscience Engine is our enemy—it has been this whole time. All of this fighting amongst ourselves has gotten us nowhere.”
She shook her head. “I will assist you in any way necessary with this trade. We will go our separate ways and that will be that. We will live our lives, and I hope to whatever is out there that I will never see any of you again in my life. If I do—” She broke off in tears, pulling up her blanket and sobbing into it.