by Scott Baron
“Quite,” the Zomoki replied with a contented sigh.
“You know, it might have been nice to question one of them.”
“And you know as well as I that they would not have talked. I merely saved you the problem of providing a guard for captives.”
“Very considerate of you, Ara,” he said. “That was a pretty clever trick, by the way. Though I’m not exactly thrilled with being bait.”
“Oh, I was watching you three fight. Given the skill each of you displayed, you were in no real danger. At least, not until the reinforcements arrived.”
“And about that. You say you found their ship?”
“Yes. It was a little ways over there, back toward the water.”
“Just follow the trail of incinerated mercenaries, eh?”
“That’s one way, yes. But the ship, though thoroughly doused in my flames, nevertheless managed to make it back to the ocean. It was a rather impressive maneuver in its speed and efficiency, if I’m being honest about it. Whoever their captain is, he or she is very skilled.”
Charlie pulled a small nutrient bar from his pocket, curbing the grumble in his belly. They’d left for San Diego in a hurry, and now that the action was done, he realized just how hungry he was. Fortunately, one of the little conveniences of being back in a time where certain creature comforts were readily available meant he needn’t rely on hard bread and tough jerky.
“So, it got away,” Rika said. “Kind of defeats the whole purpose of all of this, doesn’t it?”
“Not really,” Charlie said as he chewed. “You wanna fill them in, Ara?”
“Gladly. You see, Rika, we’ve been unable to track the invaders’ ship, as we had no baseline signature by which to hone our efforts. That is now no longer the issue.”
“But it’s underwater again,” Leila noted. “I thought that even if you had its scent, you were unable to track it when it was submerged.”
“Normally that would be the case. However, this ship has just been thoroughly covered by my flames. My magic. And in so doing, its shimmer spell was damaged, possibly beyond repair. At least for the time being. They were forced to expend a lot of power defending themselves. So much that I suspect all of their resources have been focused on maintaining the magic protecting them from the depths of the ocean.”
“Right. So it’s out of range,” Leila said.
“Ah, but you forget. The ship was covered by my magic, and a mere ocean will not simply wash that away.”
Rika realized what that meant. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. “So you can actually track it? Even underwater?”
“Yes, depending how deep it goes.”
“Awesome!”
“Hang on,” Leila interjected. “But Ara can’t travel underwater.” She turned to her Zomoki friend. “You already said you didn’t have the magic for it.”
Ara grinned, her lengthy teeth glistening in the invigorating sunlight. “No, I do not,” she agreed. “But if you follow the burn field, I believe Cal and Nat have a little surprise you will be quite fond of.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The team stood at the coastline, staring out at the choppy waters of the Pacific.
Cal had tasked a team in the Northern California bay area with tracking down what was believed to be the lone surviving naval research facility that had survived the Great War intact. It had been spared the wide-scale destruction on the surface, as this particular facility was accessible only via a handful of surface accessways. Beyond that, the only way in or out was through a series of locks, deep beneath the bay’s waters.
Once the hostilities had finally ended, the area had been deemed too much of a loss to reconstruct. With the sparseness of the global population, it made no sense to attempt to re-settle the region. Land that had once held great value in the bustling hub of the tech industry was now left to fallow, a rusting remnant of a time long past.
“What do you have for us, Cal?” Charlie asked over his comms. “Ara says you and Nat have something we might like. It wouldn’t have to do with that sub you were looking for, would it?”
“Interestingly enough, the research facility in the San Francisco Bay was located by the team of cyborgs I sent to investigate. The old records were accurate, it seems, and though the surface accessways were long ago destroyed, the underwater lock system was found to be intact.”
“Holy shit. You found us the sub up there? That’s awesome. How long until you can have it moved down to our location?”
“Well, that’s the interesting part. You see, my men were able to gain access via the launch tunnel’s peripheral lock system, but what they found was not what was expected.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning the facility was empty.”
Charlie and the others were crestfallen. This was their one hope to properly pursue the alien craft beneath the waves, and they’d come up empty-handed. Leila put her arm around him, her familiar warmth putting him at ease.
“It’s okay, Charlie. We’ll find another way,” she said.
“I was not finished,” Cal said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rika asked.
“Yeah, what aren’t you telling us, Uncle Cal?” Ripley added.
“I feel that Nat might be better able to answer that question. Would you mind?”
“Not at all,” Nat said. “As Cal noted, the research facility up north had been discovered to be empty. But there was reference to another facility. A top-secret Naval testing lab where vessels would be put through their final paces before being cleared for launch.”
“Okay, but I thought that was the top-secret facility,” Charlie said.
“It was a level of top-secret,” she replied. “But this other facility, it was something of a secret even among those with clearance. And, apparently, it was located at another Naval base. The largest on the West Coast, in fact.”
Charlie could see where this was heading. Before the war, the largest Navy base had been right there in San Diego. It had housed a sizable chunk of the Pacific Fleet, as well as been home to Naval special operations, DEVGRU. All of the best toys the Navy had to offer passed through Coronado at one time or another.
“Are you telling me there’s another facility here?” Charlie asked. “One that’s still intact?”
He could almost hear the smile in the AI’s voice. “Yes, there is, Charlie. And you’ll never guess what we found inside, hidden for centuries.”
Apparently, Nat had a knack for theatrics, because at that moment a small, sleek attack sub breached dramatically, coming to rest atop the churning water.
“It was in dry dock, actually,” Nat said. “I had our most skilled cyborgs give it a quick once-over before launching. Fortunately, it was originally crewed by mechanicals. Only the command positions were slotted to humans.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning some of the original cybernetic crew survived the war and were still functional. And a few actually remained in San Diego for the duration of the war, surviving, hidden from the world. Well, they were glad to reintegrate once the war ended, and they still live here. So I took the liberty of requesting they join you aboard your new ship. They were thrilled at the chance for action, by the way. It’s still going to be running with a skeleton crew, but it was designed to operate with one, anyway.”
The hatch opened, and a strong-jawed woman with ebony skin stepped out onto the craft’s exterior. A cyborg, no doubt. Military. And one who had chosen a fitness model’s face and physique for her meat suit aspect. She called down to her crew, and an inflatable boat quickly filled with air and launched, carrying her to the shore.
She jumped into the surf as the boat wedged up onto the sand, ignoring the water as she walked to meet the waiting group.
“Captain Theodora Watkins,” she said, striding toward them. “You must be Charlie Gault. A real pleasure to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand with a firm grip that had nothing to do with her being a cyborg. “And you’d be Rika Gaspari. Qu
ite a pilot, from what I hear.” She turned to the olive-skinned woman, sizing her up. “And Queen Leila. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Nobody calls me that anymore.”
“Just because you’re not in your kingdom doesn’t make you any less a queen, Highness,” Captain Watkins replied.
Leila blushed slightly at the unexpected attention.
“Hey, what about me?”
“I’m sorry. Of course. You’re the one who has been working with Eddie, the ship parked just over there, right? Ripley, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Just call me Rip.”
“Okay, Rip. You can call me Ted.”
“Ted?”
“Short for Theodora.”
“Oh. Cool,” Ripley said with a grin.
“I hate to break this up,” Charlie interjected.
“Yes, of course. Time is of the essence,” Captain Watkins said. “The sub is ready to go when you are.”
“I’m coming with,” Leila said. “Don’t try to talk me out of it.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Charlie replied. “Rika, how about you and Rip get with Cal to set up a welcoming party? Captain Watkins and I are going to see if we can maybe drive the Tslavar ship up onto the shore somewhere along the coastline between here and LA. Once it’s out of the water, we’ll need forces to hold and storm the ship. Bawb is almost definitely on board, and we’re damn sure going to get him back.”
“On it,” Rika said, turning on her heel. “Come on, kid, let’s get moving.”
“Good luck, guys,” Ripley said as she took off after Rika.
Charlie and Leila waded out to the inflatable boat and climbed in.
“Ready?” Captain Watkins asked.
“Good to go.”
“Okay, then.” She nodded to the crewman at the helm. Moments later they were flying through the chop back to the submarine.
“Ara, you still have a fix on them, right?”
“Yes. They’ve not gone far. It seems their ship may have sustained more damage than I originally believed. I think they are trying to effect repairs just offshore. They believe themselves safe at that depth.”
Charlie grinned. “Well, they’re about to be in for a nasty surprise.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The sub was the height of human technology––that is, until war destroyed nearly the entire planet. With no need for this sort of machine in the current day and age of peace and reconstruction, it was a deadly device out of time. And it was exactly what Charlie needed.
“Ping them with the sonar,” he said as Captain Watkins positioned the craft on the offshore side of the hiding Tslavar ship, drawing in close. “They’ll hear it. Even if they’re running on totally different systems, at this range the sound will echo through their hull.”
“We could just as easily torpedo them,” she noted. “But I know you need them in one piece. Which makes this whole maneuver a hell of a lot more difficult.”
“I know, I know. But once we push them ashore, the rest should be relatively easy.” At least, he hoped it would be.
As anticipated, Ara had no difficulty pinpointing the hiding vessel. Relaying the information to Charlie with their silent connection, they had managed to sneak right up on it in the murky waters.
“This seems almost too easy,” Leila said as she watched the gritty image on the sub’s monitors.
Despite the advanced array, it was still nearly pitch-black so far down from the surface. Of course, the sub was also sporting a wide assortment of other, non-visual, scanning equipment, allowing them to see their prey. And it was those readouts Captain Watkins was studying with great intensity.
“Ping on my command,” she said.
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
“Aaaand, ping.”
A solitary tone blasted through the water, illuminating the Tslavar ship on the sub’s screens with the reflected sonic waves. The reaction was immediate.
“It’s on the move!” the crewman at the helm called out. “It’s accelerating around us and aiming for deep water.”
“Head it off,” Watkins commanded.
“Can’t, Captain. We’re at three-quarters full already, but it’s way too fast. I don’t understand how they’re moving so quickly.”
“Shit. We need to drive it the other way,” Charlie blurted.
“I know. Full speed,” Watkins called out. “Gun it.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
The sub lurched as it accelerated even faster, but the fleeing craft was nevertheless widening the gap.
“No! We can’t let it get away,” Charlie groaned, realizing what was happening. “It’s using magical propulsion. Something more efficient underwater than we are.”
“Magic?” Captain Watkins said, incredulously. “You just said magic.”
“I take it you weren’t fully briefed, then?”
“I was told to get underway and meet you ASAP. Nothing about any magic. So, is that some code word classified tech? I didn’t think we still used those, after the war, I mean.”
Charlie chuckled despite the dire situation. “Nope. Real magic, I’m afraid. Like storybook stuff.”
“Wands and wizards? Are you for real?”
“Real as it gets. And interestingly enough, our friend, who we think is captive on that ship, actually does have a wand. A bunch of other cool toys too. I just wish we had a few of them right about now.”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
Charlie silently cast an ogeufne spell, igniting a tiny fire above the deck, then quickly extinguishing it.
“Holy shit.”
“You said it.”
“Uh, Charlie?” Leila said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I took this when we were at Bawb’s house. I didn’t know if it would be needed, but his gear was just sitting there, and I thought it might come in handy.”
In her hands was the Wampeh’s drookonus. The slender rod contained the stored power of dozens of Drooks, more than enough to power a ship for weeks. Charlie kissed her, a gleeful look in his eye.
“Babe, you’re the best.” He took the rod into his hand and turned to the captain. “Okay, I’m going to try something. What I need you to do is try to steer as best you can and stay on that ship. Can you do that?”
“Should be able to. But it’s much faster than we are.”
“Not for long.” He shifted his attention back to the device in his hand, dredging up the spells he had learned long ago during his first weeks of captivity. He’d used them on Earth tech once before. There was no reason they shouldn’t work again.
The Drookonus began to glow slightly as he incanted the spells in his mind, guiding their power into the very metal of the submarine.
“Captain?” the pilot said. “We’re accelerating.”
“Keep after them,” she replied, hiding her surprise as best she could.
“Aye, Captain.”
The Tslavar ship took note of the craft now steadily gaining on them and took another sharp turn, heading straight for the drop into the deepest parts of the sea floor. The agile sub matched course, staying on their tail.
“Charlie, what’s happening down there? They are moving fast, and away from the coastline.”
“I know, Ara. I’m using Bawb’s Drookonus to help this thing keep up, but they’re so damn fast.”
“Obviously. It’s a specialized series of spells that part the water just ahead of their ship.”
“Huh. Like a push spell, but focused.”
“You could say that. But I’m losing their scent, Charlie. I never realized the depth your oceans reach. And it’s hard to communicate with you. I’m barely able to reach you.”
“We’re going deeper.”
“I know. And I’m just barely above the waves as it is.”
Time was running out if they hoped to succeed, and Charlie knew it.
“They’ve got some sort of water-parting spell that’s letting them pull ahead,” he informed the captain. “I don’t
know that we can catch them, even with the Drookonus helping.”
Captain Watkins glanced at her executive officer. “XO, do you think the splitter could be made functional?”
The burly man looked pensive. “I suppose so, but there’s risk in firing it up. That part of this bucket was never fully tested, you know.”
“I do. But we’ve run out of options.” Captain Watkins glanced at her crew and passengers, then made a choice. “Okay. Do it.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” her XO said, jumping to action, unlocking a series of red covers protecting blinking switches. He activated several arrays and turned to the captain. “Armed and ready.”
“Then let’s do this. Engage.”
He turned a knob, then pressed a large, red button. The ship hummed and vibrated, the pitch increasing to the point of discomfort. Then it was gone. Or almost gone. The sound, it seemed, had become focused at the front of the craft, where it remained with a faint hum. Captain Watkins smiled broadly.
“Now let’s show these bastards tech the likes of which they’ve never seen.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Uh, what just happened?” Charlie managed to blurt as the submarine he was helping power with his drookonus suddenly launched into high gear.
Captain Watkins kept her eyes on the control display showing their speed, course, and proximity to their quarry. They were not only increasing their speed, they were gaining on them, albeit slowly.
“The Moses system. It’s something we never got to properly test out,” she replied. “It looked promising, but then the war hit, and everything kind of got back-burnered after that. But the tech is still good, and the ship is solid.”
“So what is it?”
“An audio-vibratory physiomolecular transit device.”
“You mean––”
“Yes, Charlie. A device which is capable of breaking down the bonds of water, projecting forward and creating a force-gap between the ship’s hull and the waters. Essentially, it parts the sea for us.”
It was impressive, Charlie had to admit. And if they were chasing any other type of craft, he had little doubt they would have already overtaken them. But this was no ordinary pursuit, and the ship so quickly fleeing them was not going to give up so easily.