Etheric Apocalypse

by C M Raymond et al.

  Astrid headed back to the Badger just as Boone came out. He had anticipated the need to scout and had taken the time to gear up while Vinnie cleared the rubble.

  “How far do you want me to go?” Boone asked.

  “To the end,” Astrid stated. “But take Gormer with you. I don’t want you going alone.”

  “I can go with him,” Aysa offered after a brief pause. “I’m good at scouting.”

  “Better you than me,” Gormer chimed in with relief. “I hate dark places.” He handed Aysa a magitech torch.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aysa noted that Boone was a few inches shorter with his compound legs separated. His walking gait on four legs made him look as if he were being rolled along on a cart. They’d scouted about a mile into the tunnel so far. She had barely gotten comfortable with the motion of his eye stalks scanning their surroundings as they progressed.

  Creepy as hell, but maybe he is a good guy, Aysa thought.

  “I’m sorry that I make you so uncomfortable,” Boone suddenly remarked. “But I’m very happy you decided to work with me.”

  “Are you...telepathic?” Aysa asked, working to keep her voice even. “I was just thinking…”

  Boone made a strange sound that took Aysa a few seconds to recognize as laughter. “I can see both heat and light,” Boone replied. “Human skin looks different when they’re uncomfortable or…”

  “Or what?” Aysa prodded, more curious than offended. Apparently, Boone’s eyes perceived heat.

  “You find me revolting,” he muttered. The disappointment and hurt in his voice made her throat constrict a little.

  She didn’t bother to deny it. “I guess it’s a human thing. I’m getting to know you as a person, but the way you look... Especially since I’ve been fighting things that look like you for so long. You’re so different, but it’s still shocking.”

  “Do you still look at me like a thing?” Boone asked.

  “No, I…I didn’t mean that.” She huffed. “You have me on the defensive now.”

  Boone stopped and rounded on her quickly. “I made a misunderstanding!” he exclaimed. “That’s not my purpose in what I say.”

  “Then what are you getting at?” Aysa asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Boone replied. “I’m still adjusting to life on this world myself. Even though I have many friends now, I just—” He stopped cold and his eye stalks shot forward. He moved closer to Aysa, who hunched and brought out one of her bolas.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Boone pointed forward with the magitech torch. Shadows on the edge of the light shifted and a pair of red dots shimmered in the blackness. Then another pair.

  “Remnant,” Aysa hissed. Several more sets of red pinpricks appeared at different heights like layers of drifting sparks. “Their eyes look different.”

  “They are the ones who are controlled,” Boone offered.

  “Controlled?” Aysa asked in a quavering voice.

  “The Skrima Lords. They enslave the remnant to do their bidding.”

  “How lovely,” Aysa quipped, trying to sound cool and confident.

  A low, raspy voice echoed through the tunnel. “Dinner is here,” it said. Sadistic laughter followed. “Master guides us to food!”

  Boone surged forward, but Aysa reached out a hand to pull him back. “Too many,” she warned. “Run.”

  She took off back the way they’d come. She knew Boone could run much faster, but he stayed right by her side. The remnant were faster than her, even with her long Baseeki legs.

  “I’ll hold them off,” Boone told her, stopping suddenly. He put away his torch and drew his four magitech pistols.

  “Bullshit,” Aysa shouted. “I don’t leave people behind to die.”

  “No time for pride. You can’t see in the dark,” Boone answered. “I can. You need the torch, and you can’t fight with just your attachment. Run. Get help.”

  “Don’t you have four arms?” Aysa exclaimed. “Use one of them for the torch.”

  Boone made a hissing, clicking sound that Aysa took to be some kind of curse in his native language.

  “You can tell me what that means later,” Aysa said as she put away her torch, forcing Boone to bring his out again.

  “You don’t want to know!” Boone exclaimed as the first of the remnant came within range. Boone let loose with his pistols. Bright blue bolts of Etheric energy strobed against the tunnel walls.

  “Just hold the light steady,” Aysa growled. With a flick of her wrist, she deployed the small shield on the forearm of her magitech prosthesis. It crackled with bright blue static electricity.

  “I’d rather use all four of my pistols, but okay!” Boone shouted.

  She threw her bola at the feet of the nearest remnant, who went down hard. Several of the others tripped over her and Aysa charged forward, screaming, with Boone at her side.

  The Skrim had put away another of his pistols in favor of his now-fully-extended razor-sharp pincer-fingers that slashed, ripped and tore at remnant flesh. Magitech blasters alone were not effective in close-combat. Aysa was shocked at the amount of damage Boone was able to inflict in short order, even as she used her magitech shield to cave in faces, cause deadly shock, and break limbs.

  “Too many!” Aysa finally admitted as a second wave of remnant surged forward from beyond the crazy waving of the torch beam. The dagger in her hand was slick with blood.

  But they they were holding back. She caught sight of a line of remnant standing still behind the latest wave. They simply stared with their ruby-colored eyes.

  But one pair of red eyes in the crowd stood out from the rest. They hovered a full head above the others. When she risked a glance in the direction of those eyes again, they flashed white like twin stars to reveal the outline of a hood and a long face draped in shadow.

  It appeared Boone’s pistols were out of charge because he used three of his arms to fight now. As they stumbled over an ever-growing pile of wrecked remnant bodies, Aysa realized she was a liability. If he didn’t need to provide light for her, he could use all his arms. Instead, he used his legs to kick and gouge, since the anatomy that passed for his toes were equally sharp. But holding the light for her unbalanced him.

  “Sorry,” Aysa shouted, moving closer to Boone as the remnant closed around them. “I should have run to get help.”

  Now, the remnant were not holding back.

  Boone replied in his native tongue as they pressed their backs together and fought in a pulsing circle.

  “Hope your last word wasn’t a curse at me,” Aysa shouted, laughing maniacally. She gut-stabbed another remnant with her dagger, then slammed the edge of her shield under the chin of another.

  She was shocked when Boone made his unmistakable laughing sound in return. “Old joke of my people,” he replied as he tore the throat out of one remnant and gutted another with his foot. “The best way to know someone is to die working with them.”

  “That’s not funny!” Aysa shouted back, but she laughed anyway.

  “Loses something in translation,” Boone replied. Aysa blocked a remnant who tried to take one of his arms off with a crude-looking sword, but the block damaged her magitech shield. She couldn’t make it shock anymore. Now it was simply a blunt object connected to her stump, so she brought it down with all her strength on every skull within reach.

  “This might be it!” Aysa exclaimed.

  Time lost all meaning as they fought. The wild strobe of Boone’s magitech torch played tricks on her eyes. Aysa found herself laughing as her mind swam in a peculiar delirium. I guess this is what it feels like just before you die, she thought. Not so bad.

  The tunnel suddenly filled with bright white light that nearly blinded her.

  “Hit the floor!” an amplified voice bellowed, and it reverberated in her chest. Boone tackled her, and she cursed mightily when her nose smashed against the dank ground. Her anger was flavored by her blood.

  Something hot and massive pass
ed above her as Boone’s cool body pressed her down. He pulled her natural arm closer so the Badger’s wheel wouldn’t crush it. The mechanical racket was so loud she couldn’t hear herself scream.

  The clatter and rumble of the Badger gave way to the sickening, meaty slap-thud of bodies being pulverized. The vehicle skidded to a halt as Aysa rose on trembling legs. An array of floodlights that extended from the Badger’s roof filled the tunnel with light.

  Astrid appeared seemingly from nowhere to mop up what was left of the remnant. Her long brown hair billowed about her head as she whirled a rope weapon. Aysa stood with her mouth agape as she watched Astrid’s deadly choreography. The rope dart sailed out and back from seemingly impossible angles—along her leg as she kicked, from her arm, her shoulders, and once, Astrid used her neck to uncoil the line in a forward strike.

  She finished the last twenty remnant herself, then casually coiled the rope dart around her waist. She slung one end over her left shoulder while the other dart hung at her left hip.

  “Sorry for the delay,” Astrid told them with a sly smile.

  Aysa jumped when the Badger pop-hissed and its back ramp folded down. Gormer trotted out with a satchel in his hand and absently tossed Astrid a large rag, which she used to wipe the gore from her matte-black armor. Aysa noticed that the armor included scaled gauntlets that covered Astrid’s fingers completely. Fine cloth of slate-gray connected the armor plates. She wondered how such thin metal could be of any use.

  “You’re hurt,” Gormer exclaimed as he dropped the bag. He grabbed Aysa by the shoulders and turned her body so he could look her over. “Do you feel it anywhere else?” he asked as he ran his hand over her arm.

  She pushed his hand away and growled, “Back off.”

  “Gormer and Vinnie are our medics,” Astrid explained. She walked a close circle around Boone. “Best to let them check you.” To Boone, she said, “Your shell took some hits, but you’re intact.”

  “I feel fine,” Boone replied.

  “Sorry.” Aysa shook her head. “That was a big fight. I’m still wound up. I...we...almost died.”

  “Oh, I get it,” Gormer drew a clean cloth and a small bottle of alcohol from his bag. “Your nose is broken, and you have some cuts on your face. I’m going to clean them, but it’s going to sting.”

  Aysa nearly punched him in the face by reflex when the rag made contact with her broken skin. He worked quickly, forgoing a gentle touch to get the job done. Aysa appreciated that, but she cursed a blue streak to deal with the pain.

  Astrid walked over while Gormer finished up. “We need to take care of that nose.”

  Gormer went to help wipe down Boone, who protested with mild annoyance. “I said I’m fine.”

  “You know the post-fight routine,” Gormer reminded him. “Let me clean you up, and I’ll tell you if that’s true. You’re covered in remnant blood.”

  Aysa’s face was puffy from the abuse it had taken, and the skin around her eyes felt much tighter after Gormer’s attention.

  “My nose has been broken before.” She shrugged.

  Astrid smiled and stepped close. “You asked about The Well and what it means.” She raised her hand close to her face and asked permission with raised eyebrows.

  Aysa gave a little nod, and Astrid brought one hand to the back of her head while she covered her face with her palm. “Close your eyes,” she requested as her fingers spread out on Aysa’s forehead.

  “Now, breathe deep, filling your lungs completely,” Astrid did the same. “Imagine yourself sinking down into cool, pure water.” They took a few more deep breaths together. Astrid whispered, “Now rise up through the water.”

  Aysa gasped when a bright blue light filled her vision. Her skin warmed and tingled, and she felt a slight pressure but no pain as Astrid gently pinched her nose with thumb and forefinger and pulled it straight.

  She laughed in spite of herself. “It tickles!”

  “Hold still,” Astrid warned in a soft voice. “Almost done. Keep breathing deep and even.”

  A few seconds later the tingling gave way to...nothing. Her face was pain-free. She opened her eyes when Astrid released her.

  “You’re a healer, too?” Aysa asked incredulously as she ran her hand over her face.

  “The Well is the healer,” Astrid replied. “And you just drew from it. I only showed you the way. You have realized the first tenet of the code: Trust in the well, and observe its intention, as The Well sustains all life.”

  Gormer finished checking Boone out and turned to Astrid, but she waved him off. “This was hardly a fight. Didn’t even scratch my armor.”

  Both Vinnie and Gormer ignored her. “The rules apply to you too, boss,” Gormer declared.

  Astrid gritted her teeth and shook her head, eyes locked on Aysa, who restrained her laughter. Astrid shot her a mock-angry look.

  “That’s enough,” Astrid finally said, pushing away from them both.

  “Looks like you took some hits,” Vinnie remarked. “You’re relying on the armor and your rapid healing to fight closer. Soon you might not even need the rope dart.”

  “Yeah,” Astrid replied. “I might wear the helmet next time. Hand-to-hand has always been my favorite.”

  “Are you sure about the helmet?” Gormer caught the comment as he came back down the ramp after putting the medical supplies away. “That’s a really big move.” He gave her a crooked smart-ass grin. “I mean, you might tarnish your reputation as the indestructible woman.”

  Astrid turned to Aysa. “You see what I have to deal with?” She moved toward the pile of remnant bodies. “Come over here, all of you. Let’s have a look at the things that were trying to kill us.”

  With the bright lights from the Badger, the full extent of the carnage was apparent.

  “I didn’t notice that before,” Boone declared, pointing down at the back of one of the remnant’s neck.

  Astrid gasped when she saw where Boone pointed. “It’s a mind fucker.”

  “That’s…” Aysa got out between guffaws, “a good name for them.”

  The mood grew serious when Boone explained, “They are parasites. My people call these by a painful word, but in your language, ‘abomination’ is the closest translation.”

  “These look much different,” Vinnie observed. He squatted and drew a roll of tools from his loose-fitting tunic.

  “Does he always carry…” Aysa cocked her head and watched Vinnie pull a razor-sharp scalpel from his kit, “whatever that is?”

  “It’s a dissection kit,” Vinnie explained as he withdrew some long forceps. He made decisive, expert cuts in the gray remnant flesh. “I always carry tools, but this past year I’ve carried my anatomy kit more often than not.” He finished excising the engineered creature, then placed it on the dead remnant’s back. “Believe me, I wish I didn’t find it necessary.

  Vinnie then pulled out a magnifying glass from his many-pocketed garment and bent down over the creature.

  “It looks like an improved design,” he commented as he poked and prodded it with various instruments. When he was satisfied, he stood, dusted off his baggy green pants, and pointed at Gormer, “Bag this up.”

  “Why me?” Gormer asked, placing his hands on his hips.

  “Because you’re there,” Vinnie announced as he walked away. He tossed Gormer a small canvas sack as he passed. “Make yourself useful.”

  “Where the hell do you keep all that stuff?” Gormer asked. He kicked dirt at Vinnie’s heels and bent down to retrieve the dead shelled creature.

  Aysa spent enough time watching Gormer’s discomfort to enjoy the scene without him noticing, then followed the rest back to the Badger. To her surprise, the vehicle lowered itself until its underside almost touched the strangely-flat ground.

  “Is it supposed to do that?” Aysa wondered aloud as she watched Vinnie manipulate some small dials and switches at a control panel near the rear hatch.

  “Yes, my dear deadly and lovely young friend,”
Vinnie replied with a massive grin. “It’s supposed to do exactly that. My sensors indicate the ceiling is much lower up ahead. Because each of the six wheels is essentially its own magitech motor, I was able to design the suspension with several degrees of freedom.”

  From anyone else, Vinnie’s explanation would have sounded patronizing. But the warmth in his eyes and his earnest tone put Aysa at ease. She couldn’t help but smile back.

  “You should meet my friend Gregory, who is also a huge nerd.”

  Vinnie paused and cocked his head. “This is a word I’ve never heard.” He twirled both ends of his handlebar mustache. “But I think I like being called a nerd. I shall take it as an honorific!”

  Aysa slapped a palm across her forehead and groaned as she giggled. “Yes, It really does speak to who you are. So does the Badger.” She nodded to the vehicle. “But it looks like you don’t have an amhorald chamber in each wheel hub. I’m guessing you use a single magitech core somewhere and channel the power somehow. ”

  His thick arm roped around her shoulder, and he guided her to a counter attached to the bulkhead. While his belly was huge and doughy, his arm felt lean and hard as a rock.

  “The heart of a fighter and the mind of an engineer. You remind me of my students back in the Protectorates. Let’s have a look at that magitech shield of yours.” He held up a hand to forestall the protest he could see in her eyes. “I promise you as a nerd of the highest order that I will take great care.”

  She nodded nervously, and Vinnie got to work. She realized he had planned this, since his tools were already set out on the counter.

  “How did you know which tools you’d need?” she asked.

  “I’ve scarcely been able to take my eyes off your device since you arrived. As a man of science, I find it utterly fascinating. And since you’re the newest member of our team, I need to know how to meet your needs.”

  Gormer walked in just as Aysa took a deep breath and loosened the straps that held the device to the stub of her arm. He gasped, ran into the bulkhead, and dropped the bundle he carried.

  Aysa drew back her truncated arm and her face flushed as she stared into Gormer’s glowing white eyes. “As soon as I let my guard down you sneak into my head!”