Resistance

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  Bentley turned toward Svend, but her eyes flashed over Legba, and something triggered in the back of her mind. Her cheek twitched, and then suddenly she was somewhere else, in a different time, in a different place.

  She looked to her left, and Svend was gone. Instead she saw a water stand with a big sink and a burnished steel mirror. She looked to her right and saw a blow dryer in her hand rather than a sword.

  She frowned, glancing around at the familiar environment. She knew she’d been in that bathroom before, many times. It was old school, utilitarian, definitely not something you’d find on a ship or space station. Not to mention, she hadn’t used a hand-held blow dryer since…

  Since last she was home.

  It all came crashing back to her. The cracked tile, the mildewed ceiling, and the running yellow wallpaper. She was in her bathroom, in her hometown, and on her home planet.

  Flash.

  The bathroom was gone. She was in a much larger room now, filled with banks of computers. It was in a LaPlacian station office. She worked there, and she was alone. No, someone was in front of her, standing in the shadows. She looked at her hands and realized she was pointing a gun at the figure. Her hands wavered.

  She felt threatened, terrified, and confused. She didn’t know what to do, but her fingers were beginning to wiggle with every move the man made.

  No!

  She remembered now what happened next, but she didn’t want to watch.

  Legba stepped out of the shadows, his hands raised. “Please, Bentley, listen to me. It is your destiny to come with me.”

  “Listen fucker,” she warned, waggling the gun, “if you don’t back off I’ll put one right between your balls. First of all, you picked the wrong girl, I know how to take care of myself. Second of all, my name’s not fucking Bentley so stop calling me that. And third - keep those fucking hands where I can see them!”

  Bang!

  A plume of smoke issued from the pistol in slow motion, and Bentley watched the bullet spin into Legba’s chest. Moments later the crimson life force flowed out through the hole it made, and he staggered and sank back into the shadows, leaning against the wall.

  “Oh fuck!” she gasped. The gun dropped from her nerveless hands. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. You startled me, and I thought you were reaching for a weapon, and here, let me help.” She stood over him and pressed her hand to the wound, staining her skin a warm red, but he pushed her away and struggled to his feet.

  “No time,” he breathed, teeth clenched. “Someone will have heard that, and they’ll figure out I’m here. They’ll be coming for me.”

  Bentley glanced at the door. “Coming for you? Who? Why?”

  Grasping the hole in his chest, Legba shuffled up from the wall, and started staggering for the door. “I’ll tell you everything,” he promised, “if you come with me now. We haven’t a moment to spare.”

  Bentley bit her lip for a moment but then nodded. She threw his good arm over her shoulder and half-carried him out into the hall.

  They moved as fast as they could, trailing blood at regular intervals. Soon she heard the alarms, and the voices of men chasing them.

  Bentley blinked and came back to reality, her eyes swimming with tears. She was still floating in a bubble of her own design above the android airfield. She was still staring at Legba.

  “I shot you,” she wept. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

  Legba shook his head. “It is not, and I am alive. Do not waste your tears.”

  There was a distant, almost delicate snap, and he vanished from view.

  Bentley growled softly. Somehow, she knew that he would be waiting for her when she truly needed to find him again. She felt at peace, except for the fact that he had decided to disappear without explaining just how he was still alive, or how he accomplished any of his marvels. She hefted the sword and admired its glimmering blade. What other wonders could it accomplish, now that she had begun unlocking its secrets?

  Svend was still standing next to her, looking up at the explosions in the sky with tears pouring openly down his face. Bentley wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but she hesitated. She had never seen anything quite as beautiful as Svend crying.

  She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it gently. That was enough to draw his attention to her, enough to stem the flow of tears. She wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder and just held him. They stood together in the air, surrounded by wreckage and ruin but also a blossoming new hope.

  Bentley felt the wind on her back and realized with a gasp that the bubble had faded. It was gone, since it was no longer needed, yet still they floated on air like a pair of pixies. At last they shared a deep breath and parted, still holding hands, gazing into each other’s’ eyes.

  Bentley gave his palms a gentle squeeze. “Svend will you stay here, or wherever your people relocate to?” Her true question was clear but went unasked for the moment.

  Svend shrugged. “I do not know. I will have to talk to the captain.”

  She drew his hands a little closer to her body. “If he agrees, I’d love it if you stuck with us. With the Chesed.”

  He smiled knowingly. “With you. I’d love that too.”

  Bentley knew she would have to make the first move again. He didn’t have any experience with human women, didn’t know what they liked. She’d have to teach him. The thought of that made her blush, and she decided to just go for it again. Her hands reached up and grabbed his collar, and-

  “Hey lovebirds!” Jade’s voice cut between them, completely ruining the moment. “Wanna hitch a ride?”

  They looked up to see the Chesed hovering nearby. The landing ramp was open, and Jade crouched on it, holding onto a floor ring for balance and waving with her free hand as the wind whipped her hair about wildly. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

  Bentley growled. “Time to go, I guess.” She pulled Svend toward the ship. The sword somehow kept them both aloft, walking on thin air until they arrived on the ramp next to Jade.

  “I’m so glad to see you!” Jade cried, hugging them each tightly as they boarded through the airlock and then ushering them into the ship’s belly as the ramp closed. “I mean, I’ve been able to see you this whole time, but like… you know what I mean. Are you okay?” She looked from one to the other.

  “We’re fine,” Bentley replied, laying the sword’s blade along her shoulder comfortably, “Just exhausted. Where is everyone?”

  “They’re all on the bridge, come on!” Jade led the way down the network of hallways toward the ship’s command center.

  “What have you been up to all this time?” Bentley asked as they moved.

  “Oh you know, hanging out with androids, feasting, tanning, watching things get blown up. The usual. How about you?”

  Bentley smiled at her. “Typical.”

  “What? Why? What have you been doing?”

  “Oh you know, living in a cave, running around, practicing swordplay… the usual.” Bentley winked at her.

  “Wow,” Jade breathed, and then wrinkled her nose. “Is that why you smell like a dog that ran a marathon and then went for a swim?”

  “Hey!” Bentley exclaimed, “it’s not my fault! We had to leave at a moment’s notice, and I hadn’t showered since my last training session with Legba. Fuck… Legba…”

  The fact that she would miss the old bastard, even though she knew she would see him again, had settled in.

  They rounded the corner and arrived on the bridge, with its sparkling instrument panels and padded swivel chairs. Bentley paused and sighed contentedly, taking everything in.

  “It’s definitely not looking good,” Shango was saying from his big chair, speaking over his comm with Blackfriar. “I’d estimate only ten percent of your fleet is salvageable, and some of that will take a good bit of salvaging. I’ll do a quick fly over and try to give you some more accurate counts. Jelly Bean?”

&nbs
p; The android nodded and began gliding the ship over the ruined airfield in a careful grid, scanning for survivors while they all estimated the damages. There were other android ships, mostly multi-purpose vehicles from the city, flying over the field with them.

  “The decision has been made to construct a tomb for those who fell during this attack to share,” Blackfriar announced a few minutes later. “I do hope that you will stay long enough to attend the burial ceremony. It will not be long. We androids can build quickly when we have a mind to.”

  Svend blinked and patched himself into the conversation. “That sounds like a beautiful way of honoring our dead. Let me know if I can assist in any way.”

  “Of course, Svend, of course.”

  A silence fell over the crew as they continued their work, combing the wreckage beneath for signs of life or useful technology. They made lists, took notes, assisted survivors, and ran scan after scan.

  Svend had been sitting mostly by himself, gazing blankly out the window and providing incredibly accurate figures on the number of destroyers remaining undamaged. A feeling of guilt embedded itself inside of him. He felt that if he had stayed home rather than running off with Bentley, perhaps he could have prevented some of this. The good energy of the crew lifted his spirits though, and soon his curiosity won out and he spoke up, addressing the bridge in general.

  “That portal that Bentley created was maybe the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. It was beautiful, and massive, and obviously very powerful, but there’s one thing I don’t understand. Where did it go? Don’t portals have to have destinations? All I saw when I looked at it was shimmering colors.”

  The Three glanced at one another, and then at Jade, and they all nodded.

  “It was a portal home,” Olofi said simply.

  Svend looked from one godling to the next, puzzled. “Well, why didn’t you go?”

  Shango shrugged and Olofi looked away. Loco cleared his throat. “It was too dangerous,” he said in a gruff voice, sounding like he was holding something back.

  Bentley looked at Svend and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged and smiled.

  “What?” Loco asked.

  Olofi was smiling too, grinning from ear to ear as he gazed at Bentley and Svend.

  “Seriously, did you all suddenly get space sick?” Loco demanded.

  Bentley strolled over to him and slid her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his broad barrel chest. At first, he stiffened and started to shrink away, but then he relaxed and allowed her to hug him, even if he didn’t return the gesture.

  “Thank you, Loco,” Bentley whispered.

  “Space sickness is a serious matter, you know,” Loco gruffed, trying to hide his rosy cheeks from everyone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Conference room, Android Base, Orion Sector

  Captain Blackfriar’s confident voice filled the tall room that was concealed many stories beneath the airfield, which was still under construction. “Thank you all for joining me today, my friends.”

  Blackfriar stood at the head of the long table, while the rest of them sat in padded chairs along its sides. The Three were there, as well as Bentley, Barnabas, and another android named Elaine who had been charged with overseeing the base’s repairs.

  “There are many decisions to be made here today,” Blackfriar continued, “chief among them being whether we stay, or if we go?”

  Elaine shifted on her seat. She fidgeted a lot for an android. “Following a thorough survey of the damage, sir, I have to advocate for leaving,” she advised. “Between the necessary repairs and reconstructions and the additional security measures we’d need to construct it doesn’t make sense to stay. Couple in the fact that now the LaPlace knows where we are it’d be more prudent to set up at one of our secondary or tertiary sites. That way we can go back into hiding and rebuilding at our own pace.”

  Blackfriar nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Olofi had a question.

  “What’s this about secondary and tertiary sites?”

  The android captain turned and smiled. “Surely you didn’t think we had restricted ourselves to a single location? This has been our main base, of course, but we have small outposts waiting throughout this and other sectors.”

  Shango tilted his head in recognition. “Very wise.”

  Blackfriar continued, pacing a few steps back and forth. “There is still the matter of deciding which of our outposts will make the best candidate for a new stronghold. We will seek many of the same qualities that this planet provided, but not everything. Perhaps this time we will hide in plain sight. Yes, I must remember to speak on this with my engineers.” He seemed to make a mental note, and then turned to face the table. “Can anyone offer any sage counsel as to why we should not move to a new planet? I am open to argument; this decision carries a great burden.”

  Silence greeted his question as the tiny coalition looked at one another.

  Finally, Shango cleared his throat. “The only thing I can think of is a double bluff. You could make it look like you left, and then burrow deeper. Keep living off the thermal energy and expand underground. It’d be a gamble, but it might pay off in the end.”

  Blackfriar tilted his head from one side to the other as he considered. “Perhaps. Does anyone else support this argument?” No one did. “It is a valid idea, but I still believe a new location would be best.”

  “So do I,” Shango chimed in sheepishly. “I just wanted to offer a different perspective.” He scratched at his beard. “Can we assume you’ll get back to hacking Amroth’s app as soon as possible?”

  “Once we are settled into our new home, most certainly. It remains at the top of our priority list. And since none of our files were lost, we will be able to begin our research with a new vigor and intent.” His eyes gleamed. “It will take time to rebuild what was lost, but we are patient and don’t shy away at hard work.”

  “You might have some difficulty locating their servers again,” Bentley pointed out. “Since Amroth is gone, someone else will be taking over his work. It’s likely they’ll move the physical location they store the information at as well. You might have to run a complete re-hack.”

  Blackfriar raised an eyebrow. “Very astute, Miss Bentley. I had considered that but left it as a distant possibility. But you think it likely?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  Blackfriar sighed. “Perhaps we are in for an even longer game than we thought.”

  Shango flexed his large hands and then placed them flat on the table. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that’s the case,” the bearded lwa warned them. “There will be those who seek vengeance for Amroth’s death, not the least of whom will be Malleghan, and remember, he’s the guy who gave Amroth that damn necklace.” He shuddered. “I’m glad that was destroyed in the blast. Something like that shouldn’t exist in this world.”

  “It is decided then,” Blackfriar determined, “We shall continue deliberations on a new site for our main base until such a time as we reach a conclusion. Meanwhile, arrangements are underway for a mass funeral, which I hope you will all be able to attend, along with the rest of your crew.”

  “Of course,” Bentley agreed, looking at Shango. “We would be honored.”

  The shaggy ex-god nodded. “We will remain here as long as long as you’ll have us. It’s the least we can do after all the help you’ve provided, and after everything you’ve lost.”

  “I thank you again,” Blackfriar said, bowing to them collectively. He smiled and came around the edge of the table to shake hands with each of them individually. “The support each of you have shown this community and this cause has been astronomical, and I know your efforts will be matched in days to come. With all of you at my side, I can feel nothing short of the utmost confidence that we will successfully rebuild and continue on our path toward permanent freedom for all androids.”

  “Hear, hear,” Shango cheered, clasping Blackfriar’s forearm and met the other captain’s stony e
yes. In a world that belonged to humans, the lwa and the android shared much… and yet they both felt they would come to share even more before too much longer.

  The group fell to idle conversation in pairs and trios, while Shango and Blackfriar talked some more.

  “We have won a great victory here,” Shango commented, “but I don’t believe for a minute that the threat is gone. We’ve still got Amroth’s master, Malleghan to consider. You can bet that whatever Amroth may have been up to, Malleghan was the real force behind it.”

  Blackfriar nodded, a tiny movement of his chin. “I did consider that,” he admitted. “But I thought it best to let our victory today seem complete, at least for the moment. Our people need a cause for rejoicing, after losing so much and so many.”

  “You are a wise man,” Shango said with a smile. “We’ll keep this between us for now.”

  +++

  Main Deck, Android Base, Orion Sector

  The day of the mass funeral dawned hot and humid. Heavy clouds hung like pale teardrops in the heavens. A great tiered pyramid had been erected in the city’s square, hollow on the inside and beneath to make space for the lovingly arranged remains of those androids lost in the attack.

  Bentley and the rest of the crew of the Chesed, dressed in their best outfits, arrived early in the afternoon as the crowds began to form. She saw Svend standing with a group of other androids, but decided he seemed occupied, so didn’t approach him.

  The ceremony began with an android spiritual leader giving a sermon on love and loss, on moving on in kinship, and on honoring the departed. His words were elegant and beautiful, and there was barely a dry eye present in the great square when he finished and stepped down from the podium.

  A great procession followed. The remains of each android who had fallen in the battle had been separated into a casket, and each ornate box was delivered down the steps of the pyramid by a pair of androids, who placed it above the appropriate name plate before returning to fetch another. Those who had no remains, such as those who had died in space or burned up in the fires, were given empty caskets.