Variant

by T. C. Edge

  Just what the hell was taking so long? Why was nothing happening yet?

  I drew a breath, staring towards the building. My eyes worked around the sides, as a bright flash of lightning illuminated the flanks. The southern entrance was the most obvious way in, but it wasn't the only option. There were various others too. Back and side doors. Windows. Gaps through the walls where the building had been badly damaged. Plenty of options to sneak inside and take a look.

  "I should go check," I said, quickly coming to a decision. "I should go and see what's going on."

  "Paige, are you mad?" Becca hissed down the line. "No way. You stay right where you are, young lady."

  "I won't get close or anything," I said. "Look, I can see a way up, into the upper levels. I can get into the rafters and check it out from up there."

  "Paige, think. What would your mother say if she heard you talk like this? Hell, what would she say if she even knew you were out here right now."

  "She wouldn't say anything, Becca, because she'd never need to know." I began creeping back from the wall and towards the stairs into the building. I wanted to get moving before I lost my nerve.

  "Paige, stop! I can see you moving on the map."

  I reached for my pistol, tempted to remove the tracking bug.

  "And don't even think about removing that tracker!" Becca said, clearly knowing my mind. "I know you. You're going to put it on that roof, aren't you?"

  I couldn't help but grin. "I was thinking about it, Becs," I said.

  "Well stop. Stop thinking. And while you're at it, stop moving too. What the hell do you hope to achieve, exactly? You going to take down thirty cyber-soldiers all on your own?"

  "First off, cyber-soldiers. I like that. Haven't heard them called that before." I reached the steps and began moving out of the rain, down through the building towards the ground floor. "And secondly, I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to observe, like I've done here. If I get spotted, I'll run, don't worry."

  "Yeah, right. Like you did with that Reaper?"

  She had me there. "Look, Becca, I don't need my mother on the line, OK. Either support me, or I'm going to cut you off. I understand your reservations, but I know what I'm doing. I just want to see what's going on. Stop fretting."

  She went silent as I reached the bottom of the building and stepped back out into the rain. Tempering my more risk-inducing impulses was one thing. Downright denying me, to the point of nagging, was another. And, if anything, all it did was spur me on, as if I needed to prove a point.

  I was aware of the dangers, and was happy taking the risk. In truth, I'd always wanted to get in closer and observe the actual deal. This was nothing but an opportunity to see through that ambition.

  "All right," I heard her say, her voice calming as I slipped off through the storm. "OK, have it your way. Carson is still where he was, by the way. I'd try to avoid his position. And anyone else for that matter."

  "I will, I will," I whispered as I ran. "I'll get up as high as possible, and use my sonar scanner. It'll tell me if anyone's nearby. Range isn't great, but it'll keep me from bumping into anyone by accident."

  "Right, OK. And all your gear has the T-Chip installed now? It's untraceable? You don't want to set off any of the long-range scanners they'll have set up in there."

  "All good, Becs, but thanks for asking. You're on your game, that's for sure. I think you might have a career in this, you know."

  "Yeah, if you make it through the night," she said dryly. "I'm getting used to this chair. Don't screw it up for me."

  I grinned as I ran, feeling alive, the rain coming down harder than ever. Tracing the side of the building around to its eastern flank, I came upon the partly collapsed area that I'd seen from the rooftop. I scanned it quickly, as Ford had taught me, noticing a possible way up to the third level gallery. The building, I knew, had a number of levels with abandoned restaurants and bars and shops that circled the main stadium at the centre. That stadium only occupied the core of the building. I'd have plenty of space to play with without being forced to get too close.

  My scan complete, I quickly began moving up the rubble, clambering up one level, then two, careful to make sure I didn't slip on the rain-slick stone. I stopped at one point, performing some further assessment, and drew out my sonar-scanner to make sure the path ahead was clear, and not being watched.

  I turned the dial, keeping the range limited, as the scanner pulsed gently. The sound waves headed out and bounced back, revealing the shape of the building ahead. It could sense no people out there, at least not in the immediate vicinity. I kept ahold of it as I went, continuing my climb until I entered through a broken wall, and into the darkness of the arena beyond.

  A quiet fell, as the rains abated. There were no lights here, at least not in this part of the building. I wiped the front of my night-vision goggles, clearing my vision. Left and right, the gallery extended around the edges of the building, with those abandoned bars and shops all lined up neatly along it. Ahead, I could see down to the other levels, plunging to the floor. And at the core, the stadium itself. I needed to get inside.

  "OK, any advice on where to go from here?" I whispered. I strained my hearing but could hear no voices echoing from nearby. I looked either side again, wondering which way go to. I needed to get higher. I had to stay out of sight.

  "Not this level," Becca responded. Out of the pouring rains, I could hear her tapping again, searching the map. "By the looks of things, Carson's on the same floor as you. He must be hiding up in the stadium stands. I'm guessing the meeting is taking place on the pitch below."

  "The others will be dotted around the stands I suspect," I said. "Ready to make their move. Still nothing on that front? No movement from Carson?"

  "Nothing," she said. "Can you hear anything from there?"

  I shook my head. "Just the rain," I said. "Right, I'm going to search for a way up higher. Let me know if you find anything."

  "Sure. And Paige."

  "Yeah?"

  "Be careful."

  I drew a slightly nervy breath, the adrenaline pumping hard, and began working across towards the right. A fair amount of the building was damaged here, some sections caved in and collapsed. Rubble littered the floor, both here and on the levels below. Occasionally, I'd pass by a shower of rain where the ceiling had fallen through, exposing the interior to the elements. The sky above still crackled and flashed, but inside, all was quiet.

  I moved past all such obstacles, searching silently as I went. Another few minutes went by like that until I caught sight of a utility door. I opened it up carefully and saw a set of steps. They seemed to lead to exactly where I wanted to go, up into the scaffolding at the top of the stadium, where the lights and cameras would once have been fixed.

  I moved towards the steps, as a rumble of thunder filled the air. Shutting the door quietly, I began to hear voices sounding below, echoing into the grand and open space of the stadium. I tensed at the sound, but continued on up. My lips broke open into the quietest of whispers.

  "I'm in," I said, creeping up the stairs. "I'm climbing up into the rafters."

  I could hear Becca take an anxious breath. "I can see your position," she said. "Carson's a little down from you. He should be right ahead, in the stands across from where you are now."

  I nodded and kept on going, taking every movement carefully so as not to make a sound. I inched towards the edge, where the stairs opened into the scaffolding at the summit of the arena. There was a metal walkway there, crossing to the other side. Ever so gently, I crept up onto it and peered over the edge.

  Light flourished at the heart of the stadium below, several portable spotlights illuminating the stage at the centre. I squinted at the assembled figures. It looked like it had once been a music venue, rather than a sporting one, as I'd assumed.

  It was a fair distance down, but the central figures were clear enough. A table was set out, Ursula sitting on one side, Mantis hunched in a chair on the other
. It was his voice echoing, filling the air. It was raspy, scratchy, mechanical in a strange way. It sounded like the deal was being discussed, the particulars considered. He was speaking about territory, areas he might pass on to Ursula in exchange for his personalised strain of Dazzle.

  I quickly scanned ahead and up into the darkened stands. The light didn't bloom up there, the seating providing many places to hide. I searched through my night-vision goggles, but couldn't spot Carson or any of his men.

  They're probably wearing their stealth suits, I thought. It would make spotting them much more difficult.

  My eyes worked back down once more. On Ursula's side, her soldiers stood upright and still, regimented and disciplined, mimicking the composure of their mistress. Behind Mantis, meanwhile, the Bugs were more haphazard. Some stood still. Others prowled. They murmured between themselves, some of them clicking, imitating insects.

  The largest of them extended their bug-like appendages, making themselves appear ever more frightening. It was an intimidation display, though Ursula seemed unfazed. She held a confidence about her that, if anything, I almost admired.

  "Can you see what's going on?" I heard Becca ask in my ear. "Have you spotted Carson yet?"

  I drew back just a little, keeping my voice as low as possible. "I can see everything below, but not Carson or the others. You certain he's still there?"

  "Yeah, I'm certain. The red light's still right there on the map. Unless he's left his pistol behind, he's there, Paige. He's right there."

  I looked again, squinting through my goggles, but still couldn't spot anything.

  What are they waiting for? I wondered tensely. Why haven't they made their move yet?

  Above, another rumble of thunder shook the skies, growing ever louder. It caused a few of the soldiers below to turn their eyes skyward, scanning above. I dropped back down into cover, hiding at the edge of the walkway. My movement was sudden enough to cause a slight bump, which reverberated down into the stadium.

  Shit...

  I held there for a second, refusing to breathe.

  The conversation below stopped suddenly.

  "Trouble, Mantis?" I heard a smooth, beguiling voice say, breaking the temporary silence. It belonged to Ursula, deeper than I'd anticipated.

  "Sssssomething," Mantis hissed. "Something isn't right."

  I held in position, staying low.

  "What?" asked Ursula. "Have you spotted something up there?"

  Silence. A long, extended pause.

  "We..." came Mantis's voice finally. "We are not alone."

  I stiffened, my muscles tightening. Have they seen me? Have they spotted a VLA soldier?

  Suddenly, another rumble of thunder ripped open the skies. I took my chance and began withdrawing, retreating quietly back towards the stairs.

  The rumble faded and I slowed once more, as Mantis's voice filled the air.

  "Hopper, go check up there," he hissed. "Sssssomething's...moving."

  I dared not try to look back down. I knew, now, that they were talking about me.

  "Paige...Paige..."

  I ignored Becca's voice, trying to listen to what was happening below. Through a small gap in the walkway I could make out movement. It must have been Hopper, one of Mantis's Bugs, springing off out of sight and heading my way.

  "Paige..."

  My breathing grew heavier. I turned and reached the steps, moving a little move quickly.

  "Paige!"

  I reached the steps and slipped out of sight. "What?!" I hissed, as quietly as I could.

  "It's Carson," Becca called in my ear. "He's moving. I think...it think it's happening!"

  Just as she spoke, another rumble exploded off to the south of the building. This one didn't come from the skies, but ground level, an explosive of some kind shaking the building's foundations. I stopped in place once more, halfway down the steps towards the utility door leading out onto the gallery beyond.

  Below, I heard a sudden rush of activity, voices filling the air.

  "What is thisssss," hissed Mantis, his raspy voice echoing violently. "A trap, Witch! Is this your doing?!"

  "It isn't me, Mantis," Ursula responded, calm and composed as ever. "Perhaps you were followed. It may be another of the gangs."

  "They wouldn't dare."

  "Someone clearly would..."

  Her words were abruptly interrupted, as another explosion tore into the building from a different side. A burning curiosity took me, and I hurried back up the steps, as quietly as I could, and turned my eyes back down below.

  The Dazzlers and Bugs were already flying into action, frantically looking around.

  Under orders, some of their soldiers rushed off and out of the stadium to check what was going on. Almost as soon as they'd left, I heard gunfire fill the air.

  And then, from within the stadium itself, the VLA enacted their plan.

  I held my ground for a few moments as I watched the carnage unfold. From a number of different positions, gunfire spat down towards the stage from the stands, flashing from the shadows. A few of the Dazzlers and Bugs were immediately hit, not anticipating the sudden attack. Others ducked and scuttled for cover, firing back, shooting up into the tiers above.

  Amid the madness, several Dazzlers surrounded Ursula and dragged her off through the main exit. They were left alone, not chased down, as Mantis and his Bugs were targeted. Like the Dazzlers, several of them flocked right to their leader, extending their powerful, bionic appendages to create a shield to protect him.

  In a tight formation, they rushed away towards the main doors, where Ursula had just fled. As they neared the exit, however, several more VLA soldiers appeared from outside, firing right at them and forcing them to turn back. The Bugs changed direction, rushing towards another side exit. Some of them broke off and took cover, shooting up into the stands to hold the attackers off. Another couple of explosions rattled the building, creating further confusion. Smoke already began to puff and fill the air.

  And amid all that madness, I noticed Mantis scuttle away.

  I turned, having seen enough, and began fleeing to the bottom of the steps. I stopped at the door and quickly checked beyond. The upper level here was deserted, the fighting kept mostly within the stadium itself, and down on the ground floors. I hurried towards the railing and turned my eyes down to the levels below. I caught a glimpse of Ursula being hurried out by her men, unchallenged. Mantis had escaped a different way. Something compelled me to follow.

  I ran, hurrying along the upper level in the direction Mantis had fled. In my ear, Becca was shouting. "Not that way! That's not where you came in. What are you doing, Paige?! Get out of there!"

  I reached into my ear, and clicked the little button on my earpiece, shutting it off. I didn't need her voice as a distraction right now. I needed to focus and keep hold of my wits.

  I used my Variant speed, rushing along towards the northeastern side. A collapsed portion of the upper gallery loomed. I increased my speed and leaped across the gap, clearing it easily, landing well, and hardly breaking my stride as I continued on.

  Ahead, I spotted an old, out of use escalator, leading down to the floors below. The fighting seemed to be contained at the core of the stadium, and around the main exit to the south. On this side it was much quieter, though below I could hear the sounds of a scuffle. I raced right to the top of the escalator, giving me a view down towards the exit below.

  My eyes took in the source of the noise; two Bugs were engaging with a couple of Variants, the latter protecting the way out. The Variants seemed to outmatch them, fighting well together, moving with silkier speed. They fought with knives and pistols, using techniques I was familiar with from Ford. Outflanking one of the Bugs, they managed to take him out, getting through his substantial armour and cutting him down to the floor.

  They turned immediately on the other, ready to strike and finish the job. They'd clearly been assigned to block this exit. They looked adamant that no one would get through.r />
  And that's when he appeared.

  From nowhere, Mantis came charging, speeding into the open under the cover of his black coat. The Variants turned, but didn't see him in time, the ex-Reaper's speed frighteningly advanced, his cyborg body propelled forward with powerful, bionic legs.

  In the blink of an eye, he'd scattered the small group ahead of him, not sparing his own man as he thrust all three violently against the nearest wall. They all crunched hard, bones snapping, bodies collapsing to the floor. His own soldier looked badly injured, his left leg twisted and broken. One of the Variants appeared to have suffered even worse, lying still with blood oozing from the side of his head. It looked like he'd cracked open his skull, its contents spilling like yolk from an egg.

  I stared down, clinging hard to the rusted railing beside the escalator, not quite sure what to do. It all seemed to happen so fast as the second Variant managed to stand, groggily getting back to his feet. Before he could even retrieve his weapon from the floor, Mantis was already there, grabbing him by the throat, lifting him into the air with little to no effort at all.

  I could see the face of the Variant as Mantis squeezed with long, metal fingers; the confusion, the panic, the debilitating fear. His eyes widened as he stared into Mantis's nightmarish facade, lips curling into a twisted, hateful grin.

  "Gotcha," came his rasping voice, hissing into the air.

  And then, with a sudden twist, he turned the Variant's head backwards, breaking his neck with such force that bone tore right through flesh.

  My eyes flared, my lungs sucking in a gulp of air. And a single word ripped from my mouth.

  "NO!

  Now - too late - I finally reacted, pulling my weapon from my hip, firing down on Mantis from above.

  They wanted him alive, I knew that, but in that moment I didn't care.

  I let loose a barrage of shots, but they seemed to have no effect at all, either pinging off his bio-armour or missing entirely as he shifted quickly to one side, tossing the dead Variant casually to the floor as he went.

  He turned directly towards me, and I looked down into those big, black, bug-like eyes that had nothing in them, nothing but scorn. His lips held onto that curling sneer. His sharpened chin glinted silver, metallic under the faint light.