Ebren approached a thick steel door entrance with concrete walls that jutted from the base of the mound. He stood before the door and licked his lips as he produced a thin metal card from a satchel at his side. He reached his hand out and tapped the door with the top edge of the card. The door produced the sound of a mechanical lock releasing and then proceeded to slide open. Ebren looked to Cade and gestured for him to enter.
"After you, my lord," Ebren grunted. Cade stepped past the large steel doors and into a small dimly lit room with narrow concrete walls on each side of him. Opposite the door was a large electric elevator that had enough room on it to lift a dozen people or so. To his right sat a sleeping guard and to his left, leaning against the wall was the guard's rifle. Cade scowled at the sight and kicked the guard in his foot.
"Find something to do," Cade barked at his confused employee. "If you are sleeping the next time I see you, you will be dismissed."
The guard, a youth that could not have been any older than seventeen, jumped to his feet and hurried to grab his rifle."Forgive me Mister President," The guard nervously begged, "It won't happen again!"
"See that it does not," Cade regally stated as he nodded to the youth and made his way to the elevator. Ebren followed behind and violently pointed one of his fat jeweled fingers at the youth. The guard lowered his head in defeat and leaned his back against the wall behind him.
Cade stepped onto the steel grated elevator platform and over to a control panel on the opposite side. Ebren followed behind and closed a safety gate behind them, giving Cade a nod once it properly latched. Cade punched one of the buttons on the control panel, and the elevator rustled slightly and with a mechanical hum, began to move downward.
As the two slowly descended, Cade looked to Ebren and spoke, "I trust everything is already in place?"Ebren nodded slowly and stared forward.
"Of course," he stated, nervously picking at the hem of his vest. "We have an excellent surgeon eagerly awaiting your arrival." Cade stood silently and nodded his head.
"This… resin, as you call it, it is safe?"
"Of course it is!" Ebren exclaimed gleefully, "There is nothing for you to worry about."
Cade lifted his hand and slowly touched the burnt half of his face. He rubbed his fingers against the raised skin and over where it had depressed. It all felt so abnormally smooth in comparison to the rest of his skin. Feeling the wound made him think back to the battle with the Ancient that had disfigured him; the thought caused a wave of remorse to crash over him.
It had not needed to go the way it had. Cade believed that fact with every fiber of his being. He recalled the name of the Ancient, Leonic, and visualized not only his face but also the solid chrome faceless masks of the Govian Reapers that Cade had inadvertently led to the Ancient. He had not meant for Leonic to die. It was never part of the plan. The thought of it all manifested itself into an involuntary groan that caused Ebren to turn his head.
"Something the matter, my lord?" Ebren asked, more out of duty than of concern. Cade waved his gloved hand at Ebren and shook his head.
"The wound hurts from time to time," he waved his hand, "Nothing to concern yourself with." Ebren nodded his head and returned to his daydreams.
The elevator descended into a large chamber, nearly half a mile in length and width, and well over one hundred feet high. The floor of the chamber was composed of mostly gravel and dirt, and the walls were that of a cavern. From the roof of the chamber protruded many vines and roots, presumably from the Lithaani Sentinel. Cade looked below and saw electric lights peppering the area and a handful of bodies and machines excavating different sections of the chamber. He waited impatiently as the elevator came to a stop.
Awaiting Cade and Ebren was a white-clothed Humaan with short brown hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses. He was a skinny fellow and immediately gave off the impression that he had spent most of his life behind some protected city's walls, Cade wondered if he had ever seen a battlefield or a single Marauder in his life. As he approached, the wiry man smiled and stepped forward.
"You must be President Cade," he frankly declared as he extended his hand. Cade nodded as he grabbed the man's proffered hand and spoke.
"I am. I presume you are the doctor?"
"I am the doctor," he affirmed, nodding his head gently. "Doctor Jake Smirnov. ‘Tis a pleasure."
"‘Tis indeed," Cade let go of the doctor's hand.
"He is the finest surgeon in all of Canrom!" Ebren announced as he waddled up to the others. "I assure you Mister President; it was not cheap getting him here!" Cade cleared his throat in response to Ebren's tactless comment and returned his focus to Doctor Smirnov.
"The preparations are made then?" he inquired, "You will be able to fix… this?" He turned his head so that Doctor Smirnov could get a better look. The doctor smiled warmly and nodded his head.
"Though my expertise does come at a price," he smirked, briefly glancing at Ebren, "it is for good reason. I will be able to repair your damaged skin, and I will not have to graft it. Your archaeologists have found something quite remarkable in the sap of this tree. The healing factor of it, the regenerative capabilities… they are something like I have never before seen. In the time I have spent experimenting with it, I have learned that it is capable of so much."
"Is there any danger involved with this procedure?" Cade quizzed "Any risk?" Doctor Smirnov pursed his lips together, and his eyes seemed to go out of focus for a moment. He was thinking.
"I have seen no significant side effects thus far," he quickly promised. He raised his eyebrows at Cade and raised a finger. "However, I have had only a week to experiment. I could not tell you of any long-term side effects if they, in fact, do exist. That kind of information is years away."
"In your experience," Cade stared at the man, "Would you forecast any possibility of long-term side effects?"
"In my experience…" Doctor Smirnov repeated, "I regrettably do not feel like I could give you an answer to that question, as I have no prior experience with this resin. Resin aside, however, I can assure you that you will experience only minimal scarring following this procedure… nothing like what you are enduring at the present moment."
"Our team has been around this sap for years," Ebren informed him, "They have breathed it, touched it… they have experienced nothing unnatural. You are in good hands Mister President."
Cade ran his fingers through what hair he had left and nodded his head. "Where are you set up then?" he asked the doctor, "Let us get this over with." The doctor smiled and beckoned Cade to follow him. Ebren took a step alongside Cade, and the doctor shook his heads.
"I need only the patient," he smiled almost gently, "I would ask that you remain behind." Ebren scowled and looked at Cade. Cade nodded at Ebren, and he turned and walked away.
"Interesting fellow, that Ebren," Doctor Smirnov blandly remarked, guiding Cade across the gravel. "I have had the opportunity to speak with him on multiple occasions in the past week."
"I apologize for his behavior," Cade began shaking his head. "He is rather eccentric. His personality is most certainly not one of his strengths."
"Indeed," Doctor Smirnov chuckled. They found another set of steel doors like the ones on the surface, and Doctor Smirnov tapped the door with his metal access card. The door locks released and opened, revealing a long well lit white corridor.
"I will say that this network of tunnels and rooms is quite a remarkable find," Doctor Smirnov proclaimed as he led Cade down the hall, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls, "A construct of the Ancients no doubt."
"Is that a question?" Cade asked.
"It is."
"Yes then," Cade replied. "One of the Ancient corporations, Life Links it was called, had many of these structures peppered around the continent of Redodra. The one we are standing in was the first we found. You undoubtedly noticed the anomaly on the surface?"
"You are referring to the vegetation, the Lithaani Sentinel?" Doctor Smirnov
asked.
"Yes," Cade affirmed. "The weapons used against Canrom in the early days of the Empire left behind the barren wasteland that Canrom is today. Before that, Canrom had lush green and yellow grass plains that stretched for hundreds of miles, with dense forests, rivers, and seas… This was around one thousand years ago."
"So what of the anomaly on the surface?" The doctor inquired eagerly.
"We believe this anomaly is created by something that I only know exists but have never found." Cade continued, "The circle of grass, the mound, and the great Lithaani Sentinel, are all exactly as they were one thousand years ago. Preserved, untouched, or untouchable… perhaps immortal. Well, we have identified three Sentinel Trees around Canrom, each of which has been thoroughly excavated… each of which has its own network of tunnels beneath. All are devoid of technology, bones, any sign of life other than the fact that the structures are here. No furniture, no books, paper, nothing at all. It perplexes us."
"I would imagine so, Mister President." The doctor stopped before a door and pushed it open, "In here, if you will." Cade stepped inside the room, and the doctor closed the door behind them. He turned toward Cade and pointed at a black reclining chair with a bright light hanging above it.
"Please sit," Doctor Smirnov gestured toward the chair. "I will begin the anesthesia."
Cade took a seat in the chair, and the doctor gently buckled a leather strap around his wrist, locking his arm to the chair. Cade watched the doctor; examined his body language for any malicious or nervous signs. The doctor appeared perfectly calm, maybe a little eager to perform the experimental procedure, but Cade sensed nothing that was a reason for alarm. He rested his head against the headrest, and the doctor secured Cade's other wrist.
"Will this be painful?" Cade wondered, staring up at the white ceiling. The doctor was down on one knee, strapping in Cade's ankles. He shook his head.
"If all goes as intended, then your level of discomfort should be minimal," Doctor Smirnov replied. He took a seat on a wheeled stool and rolled between Cade and a tray of sterilized surgical tools. "As I previously stated, the procedure should be relatively quick. Are you ready for me to begin?" Cade gave a quick nod, followed by Doctor Smirnov securing a strap across Cade's forehead and chest.
"Do you have any adverse reactions to any medications?" the doctor asked as he spun around on his stool to face his tray of tools.
"None that I know of," Cade answered with a hint of nervousness. The doctor nodded and grabbed a small vial in one hand and a syringe in the other.
"I was hoping you would say that," the doctor uncapped the syringe revealing its short hollow needle. He stuck the needle into the vial and pulled back on the plunger, "I will be administering a painkiller called Lodone. Chemically speaking, it is very similar to the illegal narcotic sugir. Unlike sugir, however, the chance of you developing a dependency after one dose is virtually zero. You may experience some hallucinogenic effects. If you do, inform me immediately. I will administer a suppressant," Cade nodded, and the doctor stuck the needle into his arm, "Relax, your arm will feel cold for a moment, but it will go away."
Following the death of Leonic, the Ancient, Cade had found it difficult to relax. In his dreams, he saw the Ancient, while awake he thought of the Ancient. Cade had betrayed Leonic, inadvertent or not, and he could not forgive himself for having done so.
"I am now cleaning the area d out around the skin we will be extracting," Doctor Smirnov kept up a running commentary. "I will try not to get any alcohol in your eye."
They had developed a friendship over the term of a couple of months. Cade had found Leonic at a pub in Lithaan, immediately sensing something different about him. Cade decided to investigate. With an Ancient device he had restored and learned how to use, he intercepted the frequency that Leonic's nanomachines gave off, and was able to translate the code. With the code, Cade was able to learn many details about Leonic's life, including the fact that despite his youthful appearance, he was nearly 1100 years old, a being from the Ancient times.
According to Govian Imperial law, Leonic's very existence was illegal. Cade knew this fact but his thirst for knowledge of the Ancient's time nullified the threat of the punishment for not reporting the Ancient. Cade befriended Leonic, and through that friendship, his knowledge grew.
Eventually, Cade's relationship with the Ancient was discovered and reported to the Govian Inquisition, the militarized imperial police force who strictly and relentlessly enforced Govian law and hunted heretics. Cade did not know who had reported him, but he had his suspicions and was intent on finding whoever was responsible.
The leader of the Inquisition, none other than Bishop General Klaus himself, visited Cade and explained the weight of the situation he faced. Klaus informed Cade that things could play out in one of two ways. Either only Leonic was going to die, or Leonic and Cade were going to die. Cade could not risk his life or his company and had no choice but to save himself.
Cade met with Leonic one final evening at the same pub they had always frequented. Leonic seemed to know something was wrong, and Cade eventually informed him of the situation. Frantic and furious, Leonic charged out of the pub only to be met by a team of Reapers, the Inquisition's heavy hydraulic armor-clad squad of Ancient hunters. Before they were able to act, Leonic lashed out with his NaNe magic, disfiguring Cade's face in the process. Shortly after that, Leonic's head was separated from his body, and his NaNe had been absorbed by the Empire, further strengthening their understanding of Ancient technology.
"I will now begin the extraction of the damaged skin," Doctor Smirnov spoke quietly, shaking Cade out of his daydreams. Cade looked over to the doctor whose back was facing him. Somehow his voice did not sound the same, yet it seemed very familiar. Cade rustled uncomfortably in his chair, and the doctor shushed him.
"You cannot possibly believe you would get away with the betrayal of an Ancient," Smirnov quietly seethed, in the voice that was not his. Cade, confused and terrified at that point, shook his hands violently, trying to wrestle them free from the leather straps that held them down. The doctor reached his arm down and picked up a scalpel from the tray before him. With his back to Cade, he spoke once again.
"You killed me, Cade," he snarled, "It was you!" At that, the doctor turned around, and Cade froze in terror. No longer did he see Doctor Smirnov's face, but that of Leonic. Without another word from either of them, Leonic stepped forward and slowly dragged the blade of the scalpel across Cade's throat.
Cade, numbed by painkillers, could only gasp for breath as the opening in his throat streamed blood down his chest. He looked into Leonic's eyes and tried to speak. He tried to apologize but nothing came out of his mouth but the blood that he knew he deserved. Within moments, he relaxed his head and closed his eyes.
Cade's eyes opened, and he gasped. Doctor Smirnov calmly raised his scalpel from Cade's face and put his hand on the President's.
"Relax," the doctor spoke soothingly, "Vivid dreams accompany the Lodone. You are just fine." Cade panted heavily and attempted to nod his head in affirmation.
"Now, I have one final incision to complete…," the doctor continued, returning his blade to Cade's face. Cade felt the blade cut his skin, but it was not painful. An odd feeling for sure, but not unpleasant.
"This may be uncomfortable," the doctor warned.
"I am ready," Cade assured. The doctor nodded and gently peeled back the skin over the left side of Cade's face. Cade closed his eyes as it tickled in an extreme way, but as the eyelids peeled off of his eye, he was forced to watch as nearly a third of his face lifted away.
The incision formed a sort of rounded triangle from just above his left eyebrow. It ran along the edge of his nose and down to the left corner of his lips. It then curved around the top of his cheekbone up to his the leftmost corner of his eye, and finally back to where it began above his eyebrow.
"How are you feeling?" Doctor Smirnov asked, leaning in to examine his patient.
"I
feel like my eye is going to fall out," Cade replied, "And the feeling of air against… whatever is under my skin, is very strange," The doctor smirked and warmly nodded.
"Your eye will remain exactly where it is," he assured Cade. "We will now be applying the sap from the Lithaani Sentinel. And then we will put on the mask that will keep it all together," The doctor held up a small container of what looked like lard and began to slather it onto Cade's opened face. The resin felt very cold, and again, a bit strange. Cade was thankful for the painkillers.
"Now, the mask," Smirnov held up a piece of brown layered leather cut to exact specifications. The leather was all sewn together, and each piece overlapped the other slightly, like leather armor. Cade assumed it was like that to offer more protection. The doctor moved the mask into place, shaping it to contour to the structure of Cade's face and making sure the thin eye hole was appropriately aligned. The sticky resin beneath the mask held it in place while the doctor turned once again to his instrument table.
"Almost finished," Smirnov returned with a small metal rectangular device that had a needle poking out from one of the bottom corners of it, and a spindle of thread attached to the top. The doctor adjusted the device on Cade's face and pressed a button.
The needle pressed through the leather and into Cade's skin, binding the two together. The doctor carefully, yet quickly, guided the needle around the edge of the mask. It only took a few moments before the doctor released the button and cut the thread. He rolled back on his stool and examined his work.
"You look quite imposing," he rubbed his chin as he admired his work, "Would you like to take a look?" Cade nodded, and the doctor held up a mirror.
The Black Knight Box Set Page 6