The Live Soldier Trilogy Box Set

by Liam Clay

  “I may just have lost everything,” she cries, “but that was one hell of a ride! Where do we go from here, though?”

  Tikal fills her in as we level out. It’s late in the day, and a pink sun is casting glimmering ripples across the sea. It is both beautiful and peaceful: a far cry from the madness we just left behind.

  “Can you see Peace and Delez anywhere?” I ask Tikal.

  “No, but I've got them on radar. And they're heading straight for Opacity.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Opacity. My adopted hometown, and a place I never really expected to see again. In a way, the fifteen years I spent there were the worst of my life. I was a hired killer back then. A drug addict too, and an absentee father. But it is the only place I've ever lived that actually felt like home. Whether I was selling bootleg media off the back of a leaky skiff, or getting high with C-list celebrities in the heights, I always felt like I belonged. Like I made sense, there in that context. It is a city of economic inequality, of vice and of twisted escapism. But without it, the world would be just a little bit darker, a little more isolated. I don't want to see it destroyed.

  And maybe it doesn’t have to be. If Delez was telling any part of the truth, then the Architect's sole aim is to secure the Mindrack, which is located in the Hive. If the Opacians don't make trouble, the Null might bypass them to focus on their primary target. But if the Architect believes the city will come to the Hive's defense, she will be forced to attack it first, or risk being caught between two armies. So it all comes down to Shion, really.

  “Hey Tikal, does this thing have a frequency scanner? Maybe we can glean some info off an Opacian channel.”

  “What kind of channel?” She replies dubiously. “Most of the city's media feeds are locked behind paywalls, and I think it's safe to assume that my network subscriptions have expired.”

  “I know it's a longshot. But as it stands, we're going in completely blind. Hell, Delez could have been lying about the Null attack. The Architect might still be in Worldpool for all we know.”

  “If that was true, why would he be flying toward Opacity?”

  “Just humor me, will you? At the very least, it will give us something to do while we wait to get blown up.”

  She relents, and gives me access to the spitfire's scanner. I spend the next few minutes scanning the digital airwaves, hoping to pick up a feed. And just as the sun is about to touch the ocean, I get something.

  And oh, what a something it is.

  “To anyone listening out there. This is Shion, mayor of Opacity. You know my people as producers of the media you grew up on, as creators of the stories that shaped your worldview. Love us or hate us, we are proof that humanity - with all its beauty, its ugliness and its pain - still exists in this fading world. But we are about to come under attack from a force that has been stripped of what it means to be human. Many of you will have watched the Live Soldier struggle against them, and lose his life in so doing. And if we cannot stop them here, at the gates of our vertical city, then I do not think anyone will be able to. So I am asking for your help. If you have a boat, or a plane, or a vehicle of any kind, I beg you to join us in our fight. This message is a recording. But I have set up a call center to help guide you to us, and it will be open 24/7 for as long as we remain unconquered. So if you value your humanity, please give us a call on this feed. To anyone listening out there. This is Shion, mayor of...”

  “Holy shit.” Tikal says over the comm. “Only Opacity would try to win allies with a fucking infomercial.”

  “It was a bit heavy handed. But I might give them a call anyway.”

  Tikal laughs. “And how might that go, do you think? Hello, this is the Live Soldier, miraculously back from the dead. And guess what! All your worries are over, because I'm coming to save you with two tiny planes and four injured soldiers.”

  “Okay, point taken. But we can tell Shion that the Architect is after the Mindrack, at least.”

  “Assuming that's even true. If you ask me, we're better off focusing on catching Peace and Delez. Let the politicians worry about the bigger picture. Hold on, though - I'm picking up some bogeys on radar. Like, a lot of them.”

  “What are Peace and Delez doing?”

  “They haven't altered course. He's going to fly right into them.”

  “Then they must be Null.”

  “Looks like it. What should we do?”

  “I don't know. If we lose Delez now, he will hand the black box over to the Architect. But we'll get shot down in seconds if we go in there alone.”

  Turning my eye to the horizon, I peer through the half-light. At first, there is nothing to see. Then I catch it: my first glimpse of the city. Opacity is a flickering wraith fashioned of smog and neon. A skyscraper city, home to the rich and the poor in equal measure. I am captivated by the sight - so much so that I don't notice the explosion until Tikal points it out.

  “What’s that?”

  I shift my focus. Just off-left of the city, a ball of flame is arcing toward the sea. And within it, the rotors of a helicopter are dimly visible.

  “Is that a choppertaxi?” Tikal says.

  “I think so. Which means...”

  “The battle has already started. Good.”

  “Why good?”

  “Because with some other ships in the mix, we can keep following Delez without attracting too much Null attention. Now activate your targeting system. This is about to get real.”

  The sky is thick with dark shapes now. Missiles flit between them like fiery brushstrokes across a black canvas. I blink out a two fast, one slow cadence, and my targeting bead flashes red. Then the cockpit transforms into a scaled version of the aerial battlefield, only brighter. As a test, I say 'guns' and then 'stop' in quick succession. The spitfire responds instantly, pumping a stream of bullets into the night.

  “Are we doing this?” Calendo shouts over the comm. “We're doing this, aren't we? Oh shit, we're really doing this!”

  The swarm is almost upon us now. Sleek Null dragonflies buzz around retrofitted choppertaxis, vying for positional advantage. I get one last moment to watch the dogfight as an observer, and then we plunge into the field of play. Below us, a dragonfly is chasing a yellowtop taxi that looks like it might die of old age instead of combat. Training my eye on the unmanned craft, I shout:

  “Guns!”

  Bullets rip through the dragonfly's right wings, shearing them completely off. The plane spirals away and is lost to the darkness.

  “Stop.”

  “Well done.” Tikal says. “Just try not to use so much ammo next time. Oh, and did you see the guy piloting that taxi?”

  “No, who was it?”

  “An Aussie from the mines beneath the Underworld. Shion must have dredged up every warm body in the city for this party.”

  My targeting system is showing a tight knot of fighters directly ahead. Tikal sees them too, and stops talking to concentrate on flying. We enter the pack. And only now do I realize that I am in the presence of greatness. Tikal weaves through the weaponized skies at speeds too fast for me to comprehend. Dragonflies fire upon us as we pass. One of their missiles locks on. I track its movement, and:

  “Flack!”

  A galaxy of shrapnel emanates from the side of our craft. The missile flies into it and detonates at a safe distance. My targeting system has color-coded friend and foe now. The Null are yellow; the Opacians, green. When a fighter from either side is shot down, it turns red before winking out of existence. This gives me an idea of how the battle is going. And as we blaze a looping trail through the dogfight, it becomes clear that a leader has emerged.

  And it isn't us.

  “This is a fucking massacre!” I shout.

  “I know.” Tikal replies. “Arella, how are you doing back there?”

  “Loving life! But Francis is picking up something massive on radar. Anex, are you seeing it too?”

  I check my targeting system. And there, directly between us and Opacity,
is an aircraft ten times larger than the rest.

  “Holy hell. What is that thing?”

  “I think it's the Architect's personal dragonfly.” Francis says.

  “It looks heavy on the dragon and light on the fly, if you ask me.”

  The ship is moving toward the city, supported by four gargantuan turbines. Huge laser cannons hang from its wings. They are pointed at a landing pad attached to none other than Paradigm tower - the studio skyscraper where Calendo got me blown up so long ago. Dozens of choppertaxis sit on the pad, rotors spinning up in preparation for takeoff.

  But none of them ever get airborne. The sky crackles, and then converging streams of blue laser fire burst from the Dragon's guns. The strike melts through the angled support braces beneath the landing pad. Steel crumples, and the entire platform gives way. And now it is falling into the Underworld, shedding aircraft like droplets of oil from a heated pan.

  “Good lord.” Francis breathes over the comm.

  “We have to stop this.” I say to him. “Shion needs to stand down, and hope that the Architect decides to bypass the city.”

  “But what if he doesn't know how badly his people are losing?”

  “Then someone has to tell him. Tikal, do you have any objections?”

  “Just do whatever you need to.” she replies, all her attention on the skies.

  Bringing up the frequency scanner, I find Shion's message again. Then I dial into the feed.

  “If I get a busy signal - or worse, elevator music - I swear to god I'm going to let Shion burn.”

  But my threat turns out to be unnecessary, because a woman picks up almost immediately.

  “You're too late.” She says rudely. “The war already started.”

  “I know that. Guns! Stop!”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “It’s a nervous tick and I’m sensitive about it. Anyway, I need to speak with your supervisor right away.”

  “And I need a nose job and a new husband. But we can't all get what we want.”

  “Listen lady, just put me through. They will know who I am.”

  “Oh yeah? And just who the hell are you?”

  “Bomb!”

  “Your name is Bomb?”

  “Obviously not. If you must know, I'm in the middle of a dogfight.”

  “You’re at a dogfighting match? That's disgusting.”

  “You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves.”

  “Tell someone who cares. We're all going to be dead in a few hours anyway, so I don't see why I should be polite to some foreign wackjob like you. And you can drop the Live Soldier routine, by the way. You don't even sound that much like him.”

  “But I am him! Flack! And that's why I need to talk to your supervisor. I have info that could save the city.”

  “The Live Soldier is dead, honey. I must have ridden in on the moment his feed went dark a hundred times.”

  “Yes, but I didn't actually die - my retcom just got fried. Tikal, watch out for that dragonfly! Jesus, that was close.”

  “Tikal? You're really committed to this lie, aren't you?”

  “It's not - actually, let's forget about who I am for a second. Just tell your supervisor that you're talking to someone claiming to know what the Null are after.”

  Silence on the line. And then, “Fine, if it will get you out of my hair. Transferring you to Shion now.”

  “Wait, you're putting me through to Shion himself?”

  “That's what I said, didn't I? Everyone else is stuffed inside a chopper waiting to ship out.”

  There is a click and a beep. At first I think she's hung up on me, but then a familiar voice comes on the line.

  “Good evening. I'm told you have some information for me?”

  “Shion, it's Anex! I'm alive, and outside the city with Tikal and Francis.”

  “And me!” Calendo adds over the comm.

  “Is this some sort of joke?” Shion replies. “Because if you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a war.”

  “And you're losing terribly, I know. Look, I'm in the middle of a dog... a firefight, so I don't have time to argue with you. So how about this: do you remember the time I turned off my feed, and we had a private conversation about the 9th Pyramid? Well guess what: I found the fucking place. But more importantly, no one else but me would know about that, would they? So I must be legit.”

  It takes me a long moment to realize that Shion is laughing. I hadn't imagined he was capable of such a thing.

  “I say something funny?”

  “Not at all. It's just that I always suspected you might still be alive. Whatever else you may be, easy to kill isn't one of them.”

  “Why thank you. And now that my identity has been established, will you listen to what I have to say?”

  “By all means. Just don't try to convince me to surrender. I will not endanger my city so that you can have your friend back.”

  “Delez is past saving.” I say bitterly. “Nullification cannot be reversed.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “I'm sure you are. But anyway, I didn't call to ask for your surrender. I am begging you to stand down, though. We have reason to believe that the object the Architect wants is located in the Hive - not Opacity. So if you call your troops back to the city, she may break off the attack.”

  “Reason to believe? May break off the attack? These are weak assurances, even for you, Anex. And how is what you are describing any different from surrender?”

  “Because I'm not asking you to let them into Opacity. Just pull your troops back, and defend the city limits if the Null keep coming.”

  “And why should I do that?”

  “Because you're getting torn to shreds out here. Flack! Bomb! Sorry, nervous tick. But seriously man, this is the only way to save your people.”

  Shion sighs. “In the short term, you may be right. But what will happen once the Architect gets what she wants from the Hive? I doubt she would leave us alone for long. And more importantly, I signed a mutual protection pact with Kalana. And I refuse to go back on my word.”

  I try to think of an argument that might sway him. But short of explaining the whole end of the world scenario (which he would never buy) I come up empty.

  “I guess this is it then.” I say quietly. “Opacity's final curtain call.”

  “Perhaps.” Shion replies with a sad smile in his voice. “But at least we're going out in front of a packed house. Good luck, Anex.”

  “You too.”

  He cuts the connection.

  “I’ve always hated that guy.” Tikal says. The heaviest fighting is behind us now, but she is still weaving in and out of traffic at speed.

  “Hey Anex.” Francis says suddenly. “Do you see that white dot closing in on the Dragon?”

  I check my targeting system. Out near the edge of the vast tapestry of green and yellow fighters, there is a lone ivory mark.

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  “I'm not sure, but I think that might be Delez and Peace.”

  “Shit, they’ve almost reached the Dragon. Tikal, can this thing go any faster?”

  “Yes, but I would just be straight-lining it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means don't blame me if we hit anything.”

  “I was afraid of that. But if we're going to intercept Delez before he reaches the Architect, it has to be now.”

  “Alright. Just don't say I didn't warn you.”

  I thought we were going fast before. How naive I was. The Gs stack on top of me, until the planes around us are a messy blur. But my targeting system reveals just how reckless this truly is. Like an arrow from a compound bow, we plunge straight through the battle. Planes pass right over us, and scant meters below. At this speed, even the most glancing collision will be instantly fatal. Opacity looms large to our left: a cloud-choked forest of concrete, glass and steel.

  But the white dot is getting closer. I can see the spitfire wit
h my naked eye now. Which brings me to a decision I've been trying not to contemplate. Am I really prepared to open fire on two of my best friends? The short answer is, I have no idea.

  “If I shoot them down, what chance do they have of surviving?”

  “A decent one.” Tikal replies. “These planes have ejector seats with built-in parachutes.”

  “But they could still die.”

  “Anex, you knew it might come to this. They've chosen their path, and now you have to choose yours.”

  Delez and Peace are within range now. But in less than a minute, they will have reached the Dragonship. I need to make a call.

  “Do it!” Tikal shouts.

  My brain is shouting the word bomb over and over. But my mouth refuses to obey. Then a spark appears on our quarry's tail. Smoke billows out behind the craft, and it veers off toward the city.

  “Good shot!” Calendo says over the comm.

  “That wasn't me!”

  “Then who was it?”

  “I - I think it came from the Dragon.”

  The mercenary starts to laugh. “The Null must have thought they were the enemy! How good is that?”

  “Not that good, since those are our friends. Also, doesn't this mean they’ll think we're the enemy too?”

  “Oh crap.”

  The Dragon's rear cannons are swinging our way.

  “Dodge!”

  “That's not one of the commands.” Tikal tells me.

  “I was talking to you!”

  “Ah, right.”

  She slams her joystick to the left. Our wing tilts up, and we bank into an insanely hard turn. Laser fire blisters through the airspace we just vacated. And now we're weaving like a kite in a windstorm, with blue beams streaking past us from multiple vectors. Calendo is laughing again, but there is a hysterical edge to it now.

  “Hey Tikal, I take back that stuff about you going soft! If this is an average day for you, I don't think we can be friends anymore!”

  Ahead of us, Peace and Delez have almost reached the city limits. Their spitfire is still clinging to the sky, but the engine is smoking badly now, and I don't think it's long for this world. If we were lower down, I’d be worried about them crashing into a building, but we are still well above the tallest towers . Except, that is, for the Aviary. The Korezon family’s private abode is a bell-shaped glass enclosure positioned atop Kore Tower itself. The loftiest structure in the city, it is like a glowing beacon in the gathering darkness.