"I want to assess any threats."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"And I like to walk."
Hephaestus was silent for a few minutes, no doubt pondering that.
"Have you thought about what you would like to do with the humans in coldsleep under Key West?"
"Not really," Drake said. "At first I thought they'd make a fine addition to the Anglin settlement, but I'm not sure Anglin could support them. They're barely holding on as it is. Three hundred more mouths to feed might push them over the edge. I'm thinking of setting them up as a new colony; I'm just not sure where."
"When you were walking south down Interstate Seventy-five, I noticed a derelict underground facility at one point."
"A what?"
"It appeared to be a shelter for the personnel at Oak Ridge Laboratories, during the Cold War. It is located a few kilometers to the north, under the bedrock of Jellico Mountain."
"Is it occupied?"
"Negative. My probes found no signs of life. By the amount of dust present, I believe it was abandoned approximately three decades ago. However, the facility appears to remain in working order. With a little effort, it could be made habitable."
"Could it support three hundred people?"
"It could support a hundred times that. It is a large complex."
"Okay, do it. Have your drones prepare it, and begin transferring the personal from Key West as soon as it's safe to do so."
"I will. Be careful."
Drake walked on through the jungle. He liked the sights and sounds, and the smell, green and alive. He found signs of ruins after a kilometer or so: large monolithic blocks covered in vines and moss. He wasn't immediately familiar with the culture that lived in the area, or even if there had been more than one. He thought maybe they'd been Aztec; what he knew of that culture didn't fill him with confidence concerning what he might find.
If ever a culture had been influence by the Enemy, it was the Aztecs. They had a particularly dark and bloody history. Drake remembered thinking that when he'd first learned of them. It pleased him somewhat to remember this. Many of the details of his life were still blurred, lost under the memories of what it had been like to be bodiless. Nothing that had happened before had mattered much when he was in that state. It had been difficult to come back from.
The ruins gave way to intact buildings, huge monolithic structures built of intricately interlocked stone. The buildings were partially buried and completely overgrown. Drake was almost certain that no one had set foot within the complex in over a thousand years. He wondered what archaeologists would have made of the technology he knew was hidden in the ruins – if they survived the experience.
"The energy is coming from the large temple to your right."
Drake nodded to himself and trotted up the steep stairs to the top. Here, the jungle canopy pressed close, and he could see large spiders lurking in the shadows. He wasn't terribly concerned, though; he'd seen larger.
He placed a small sentinel near the door and ordered another to follow him and provide illumination. The interior was cramped, made for much smaller people than Drake. He followed the twists and turns deep into the temple. The room at the center, when finally revealed, was a perfect cube with an ornate bas-relief on the far wall. The intricate carving was profoundly unsettling, although he couldn't point to any one thing that bothered him about it. The carving was ringed in pictograms that he assumed were Aztec, which he didn't read. However, there were three letters of his own language space into those words. On a hunch, he pressed them in the order that would spell death, and the entire wall slid aside to reveal a room full of technology that definitely wasn't Aztec.
The center of the room was dominated by the mirrored sheen of the stasis field. The controls were easy enough to figure out; they had been meant to be used in an emergency. He was uncomfortably aware of how similar they were to controls aboard Hephaestus. There was little doubt that the installation had been built by descendants of his ancestors. Drake himself had already been old when it was made. He quickly activated the sequence and stood back to watch the result.
The silvery sheen of the stasis field faded, revealing a tall cylinder filled with greenish fluid. The thing that floated in the center of the tank wasn't even remotely humanoid in appearance. It stirred sluggishly in the thick fluid.
"I've seen this sort of technology before," said Drake. It was not what he'd expected.
"Really? I'm not familiar with it," Hephaestus replied. "It is similar to a design from during the War, but not exactly. Where did you see this?"
"Dawn, in the Sentient Concord. They have one of the lesser enemy trapped in one. I believe they found it in an abandoned facility on one of their planets. They thought it was a form of stasis chamber."
"I believe it is a rejuvenation chamber."
"I'm aware." Drake was considering the implications of finding this technology on Geoffrey's Earth. It suggested that this entire cluster of universes had been visited by the Enemy during their formative years. There could be remnant technology scattered throughout the local star systems. It was something he was going to have to give more thought to.
"Entropy is building in your vicinity," Hephaestus announced. "I believe it is awake and drawing in energy to escape."
"I'm not surprised," Drake said. He carefully probed the entity's mind. "This one isn't an Ancients. It knows it is outclassed, and it is afraid." He drew his pistol. "Once I'm finished here, destroy this site. Then I'll be proceeding to the second site. I'll allow you to get me closer to that one."
"I'll be ready." Hephaestus needed to work on his sense of humor.
Drake tapped on the transparent alloy of the cylinder, and the thing within stirred. He knew it wasn't strong enough to escape yet. He showed it the gun. Drake wasn't sadistic by nature, but he had an old grudge against the Enemy. Any chance to kill one was not to be passed up.
"I'll be sending some more of your companions into oblivion with you soon. Don't worry, you won't be alone."
The blast from his pistol shattered the alloy, and the thing within died, charred through as the fluid boiled around it. He shot the corpse a few more times to be certain, and then retraced his steps out of temple. He didn't like being enclosed in small cave-like spaces; it reminded him too much of where he had died.
He walked steadily from the complex as the temple was obliterated behind him by the blast from orbit. The Enemy that had resided within the temple had only slept for a thousand years. It wasn't what the others were looking for. He was certain that the Waypoint was the goal of the Enemy, but he had to be sure. If the other site held another of them, it would also die.
"I'm ready for transport."
"You may want to return to the ship first. You will need armor. The second site is under eight thousand meters of water."
Drake thought about it for a moment. "Okay, beam me up." The humor of that was lost on Hephaestus, but it was another old memory reclaimed, and that pleased him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Geoffrey was glad he wasn't in the sparring ring.
Commander Tebrey and Sergeant Pt'kar had entered the ring, and it felt as if half the ship was watching. Geoffrey was nervous just to be here in the same room. Not that anyone was going to be looking at him. In reality, very few people were watching the exhibition. Lt. Commander Naomi Blue Horse stood next to him. Most of the regular marines were here, as well. This was supposed to be the first of a series of advanced training on unarmed combat techniques. It made Geoffrey even more nervous that neither Tebrey nor Pt'kar wore armor. He knew eventually he'd be in there, he didn't want any part of that if he wasn't wearing armor. He knew how strong Drake was; he suspected Tebrey would be just as strong.
He'd fought against Pt'kar – in armor, of course. He knew how strong and fast she was. Out of armor, she was still almost three meters tall and three hundred kilos to Tebrey's slightly less than two meters and one hundred ten kilos. Not to mention her claws. Th
at Tebrey would step into the ring wearing nothing more than a shipsuit to face her made Geoffrey's skin crawl. He wanted to hide, but he had to watch. He'd been ordered to.
Tebrey's new arm didn't look any different from the other one. Although the very thought made Geoffrey a little queasy. He didn't want to think about losing an arm, or anything else. He also didn't want to watch Tebrey lose another arm, which is what Geoffrey expected to happen.
"Today is just open freestyle," Tebrey began, addressing the room. "There are no rules for this exhibition, baring moves that will result in irreparable damage to the brain. When you're facing an opponent in real life, that won't be a concern, obviously. That said, neither of us will be actually trying to take out the other person. This is a demonstration of what styles you will be learning in the next few weeks, if you elect to participate in the advanced training after today. Both of us will be shifting through the range of our personal combat styles. Are there any questions before we begin?"
One of the marines raised his hand. "Sir, will you be training us, or the sergeant?"
"We'll both be training you, if you elect to stay."
The marine looked uncomfortable. At least he has a choice, Geoffrey thought. I have to take the training whether I want to or not, and I don't.
"You don't actually expect us to be able to fight unarmed against a Rhyrhan, do you?"
Tebrey grinned. "I do, Private. That's the point of this. You see the sergeant as big and scary, and she is, but I've fought bigger and scarier. No offense, Sergeant, but larger isn't necessarily better in war. You also don't pick who you're going to fight."
"No offense taken, Commander. A smaller target is harder to hit. Private? What would you do if you had to fight me? Walk away? You're a marine; you defend the ship. Size does not matter."
"Watch us spar before you make any judgments," Tebrey added. "The sergeant will be holding back when she's training you. She won't afford me that luxury."
"You do have the advantage of experience, Commander," said Pt'kar.
"I wasn't complaining. Shall we begin?"
Tebrey shifted into an open martial arts stance and began circling.
Pt'kar grinned, showing her fangs, and unsheathed her ten-centimeter claws. The huge Rhyrhan crouched into her own stance and shifted position to keep Tebrey in front of her at all times.
Geoffrey was surprised to note that the implanted memory from simulation training was coming back to him. He understood what each of them was doing, and why. He felt himself anticipate Tebrey's attack and Pt'kar's lightning-fast response. Tebrey barely avoided being gutted and somehow landed a series of strikes against Pt'kar's chest that sounded like meat being crushed, which Geoffrey supposed was exactly what it was.
Pt'kar spun away from the attack, dropping low and sweeping at Tebrey's legs. He leapt over the attack and pressed in again, this time taking the full force of her return strike in the chest. Tebrey was flung across the room, but he hit the padded deck and rolled back to his feet instantly, deflecting Pt'kar's next two strikes.
Pt'kar changed styles and tried to grapple, but Tebrey slipped out of her grasp, and she ended up sprawled on the deck. She came up swinging, wide open-handed strikes with claws out. Tebrey slipped under the claws and cartwheeled into a two-legged kicked that lifted Pt'kar off the deck and sent her flying. Tebrey was on her before she got back up with a punishing round of hits to the chest and head. She kicked out, connected, and sent him stumbling back.
Geoffrey was only partially aware of Naomi gripping his arm painfully. He was glad to note that he wasn't only one who found this all-out brawling frightening. He was also glad it was his arm Naomi was holding onto, although he suspected he was going to have bruises later.
Pt'kar swung at Tebrey, and Geoffrey was sure she was going to knock Tebrey's head off, but he stepped into the swing, grabbed her arm, and body-checked her, hard. Geoffrey heard her ribs break. Tebrey then spun, still holding Pt'kar's arm, and lifted her off the ground. He flipped her over his head and slammed her down to the deck. The sound of her arm breaking was like a shot.
Tebrey dropped to his knees next to her. "Are you okay, Pt'kar?"
Geoffrey distantly heard Naomi calling Medical. His vision was greying out a little; he felt weak. Next to what he'd just seen, he was pathetic and useless. What would he do if he had to face someone like Tebrey? Die, most likely. He couldn't see any other outcome.
Pt'kar struggled to sit up, obviously in pain. "I am fine, Commander. I think, though, that I may not be much use to you for a few days."
Tebrey helped her to her feet.
"I really will be fine, Commander. I must excuse myself, however. Please, continue."
Some of the marines looked a little ill. Geoffrey couldn't blame them. He'd been watching, and he still wasn't sure he'd seen what he had. No one doubted a Rhyrhan could be outfought using speed and skill, but Tebrey had beaten her using brute force. That shouldn't have been possible – not for a human. Geoffrey knew what Tebrey was, but not everyone did. Obviously, some of the others were starting to wonder.
Tebrey scanned the room, making eye contact with each of them. "Are there any questions before we begin?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Geoffrey saw Naomi raise her hand. Please don't direct his attention toward me, he thought desperately.
"Yes, Commander?"
"Can you teach those of us who aren't part neo-panther how to do that?"
That broke the ice, and several people nervously laughed.
Tebrey grinned. "Thank you for volunteering, Commander. As a matter of fact, I think I can teach you a few things. Mr. Meeks, you'll be her sparring partner for now." He turned to the rest of the room. "Each of you partner up. Some of you have officer's training; most do not. It doesn't matter. Today I want to start with basics. Before we worry about form, you need to be comfortable in your skin. Today is just about loosening up so you can learn something. The real workout begins tomorrow."
Geoffrey locked eyes with Naomi, who was grinning.
"Care to dance?" she asked.
He took a deep breath to still his nerves. "I would be my pleasure."
"Hmm, he likes it rough," she said, as if to herself. "Good to know."
"What?" he asked, startled.
Her palm strike knocked him from his feet.
Θ
Four of Shadovsky's black-armored guards stood awaiting Tonya Harris when she and Ghost stepped out of the Marie into the rain at the military field outside the capitol city of Jiangsu. Two waited with her while the other two retrieved the device that had caused so much trouble. They loaded the crate into a waiting aircar and gestured for her to get in.
"What about the others?" she asked.
"Captain Vardegan and her crew are to remain in quarantine aboard their ship until further notice," the sergeant answered. "No outside contact has been authorized. Two of my men will stay and guard the ship. You are to come with us to Admiral Shadovsky, sir."
Tonya nodded and got in the car. Rachael wasn't going to be happy about it, but Tonya understood why the admiral would want to keep Rachael locked down. Rachael knew too much for her own good now. The Concord couldn't afford to allow her to leave with that information intact. She wondered what the admiral would do with them. Nothing drastic, she hoped. She'd grown fond of the crew of the Marie in the weeks she'd spent with them.
The sergeant and the other guard got into the car, and it immediately took off for the city. Ghost watched the approach to Jiangsu through the storm-obscured glass. Tonya didn't bother. Her thoughts were on what the admiral was going to do with the device she had found. She trusted him, but… it was a dangerous device. She didn't want to think that he would actually use it, but she knew he would do just about anything to gain the upper hand in the war. The thought made her ill.
The admiral is a good man, Ghost thought to her. He will study it, discover what made it work the way it did, and then he will destroy it. Do we not need to know more about the enemy?
We do. I wish I could believe he won't use it.
Ghost turned from the window to look at her. He won't use it the way you fear. I feel it.
Tonya sighed. How could you argue with logic like that?
There was little traffic in the air around Jiangsu. Most people had the sense to stay out of the freezing rain. Jiangsu was equatorial. Tonya wondered what the rest of the planet was like, and shuddered. She didn't like the cold. It reminded her too much of growing up in the warrens under New Dublin on Terra Novae.
Admiral Mandor Shadovsky was waiting for her as the aircar came to a stop. She stepped out and saluted, but he waved her inside. "Get out of the cold. I'll be there in a moment."
From inside she watched as the guards unloaded the device. They came in past her and headed down the hallway toward the research laboratories. It would be Riksen's problem now. She hoped he'd be careful.
"How are you doing, Commander, Ghost?" Shadovsky said as stepped back in.
"We're fine, sir."
"Good. Come with me. I'd like to debrief you in my office. It's a little more secure there."
That's an understatement, Tonya thought. She'd seen the specs on the security for that office. She doubted the president had as much security.
"By the way, it's full commander now," he said as they walked into his office. He activated the security and gestured for her to take a seat. "Sorry about the lack of seating for you, Ghost."
"Sir, what do you mean?"
"Commander Tebrey put in a request for your promotion just after he took over the team. Seemed to think that you should be leading your own team, not be working under him. You're a full commander now. Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir. I didn't realize."
Told you Tebrey didn't have a problem with you, Ghost thought to her.
Yes, I know. You're always right.
Glad you finally see that.
"We're a little short on personnel right now," Shadovsky continued. "You may not be aware, but most of Tebrey's team was killed almost two months ago. Only the commander and Sergeant Pt'kar survived."
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