by Jak Koke
On the tacticom, Ryan heard Grind whisper, "Cojones of pure titanium."
The big ork didn't back down. "I said, name and business, or we-"
Ryan cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I heard you the first time. Get on the horn to your commanding officer, then get out of our way. I'll give you one minute."
Ryan could see the hesitation in the ork's eyes.
The cop stared at Ryan as if to judge his sincerity. "Frag!" he said finally, then turned away. "Get me Captain Novak on the line. Now!"
The ork walked to his vehicle, and spoke quickly through his commlink for a few moments. The conversation seemed heated. Within a minute he returned, his back stiff, his face flushed. "My apologies for your reception, sir. My entire force is at your disposal, of course."
Ryan signaled for the rest of his team to move out. "Just tell your boys to stay out of our way. We'll be gone in a few minutes."
He didn't wait for the man's response, but signaled Miranda to take the far end of the compound, then shifted his sight to the astral as he walked toward the station. It only took a minute for Ryan to see that Burnout had been here. The whole area was polluted. But as he searched, he could not see any trails leading away from the depot.
"Miranda, you see anything?"
Miranda's voice came over the tacticom. "This is odd… I see a lot of background, but no definite trail. If a cyberzombie was here, the evidence should be plain."
Just then, Jane cut in. "Quicksilver," she said, "I've picked up buzz of a murder at the junction of I-200 and Old Route 83. It's got Burnout written all over it. Local law also found the door to a Ford Canada Bison just a few minutes up 83."
"Just the door?"
"Yeah, mangled pretty good, too. Ripped right off the hinges. Looks like our metal monster ditched the truck-train and carjacked himself some wheels."
Ryan turned, whirling his arm above his head in the signal to rally up and return to the Phoenix. "Let's roll," he said, running toward it. "Thanks, Jane. Pipe the coordinates to Dhin. We're on our way."
Then he was through the doors of the LAV, and they were firing into the air. Through the small window, Ryan looked down at the upturned faces of the local law boys. Their confusion was so apparent, he couldn't help but laugh as the Phoenix II shot into the morning sky.
A few minutes later, Dhin's voice came over the tacticom. "Approaching location."
Ryan peered out the thick macroglass side window. He could make out a few cop cars and a lot of backed up traffic, but there wasn't much to see. He pushed his vision into the astral, looking around for the telltale signs of Burnout's passage.
The trail was subtle, like a shimmering wave, heat interference outlined with a green sparkle. It was much less visible than it should be, which answered the questions of why Ryan couldn't pick it up back at the depot. It was only because the astral background was a lot dimmer out here that Ryan could perceive it at all.
Burnout is somehow masking his aura, Ryan thought. Perhaps it's an accidental effect of the Dragon Heart.
"I think I've picked up the trail," Miranda said. "But it's nothing like the slime path of a cyberzombie."
Ryan refocused on the physical and turned toward her. "Can you follow it?"
"I think so," Miranda said. "Let me see." Then her body slumped as she went astral. Miranda was projecting her consciousness into the astral plane and following the trail left by Burnout. It was something Ryan couldn't do. As a physical adept, he could see into the astral plane, but he couldn't separate his consciousness from his physical being.
Axler and Grind sat ready, their eyes riveted to Miranda's slumped form. Suddenly Miranda's eyes opened. "The trail is straight. He's headed north."
Ryan's fists unclenched. He'd worried that Burnout might have doubled back on them, which would have meant he knew he was being pursued. As it was, the cyberzombie was making a buzz line for his destination, and unless he had a very big card left to play, in the form of some heavy friends to help him out, he was unaware of how close the team had gotten.
All the better. If Burnout had time to prepare, their reception could get hot, but if they managed to take him by surprise, they might just smoke him out before he knew what hit him.
Ryan looked at Miranda. "Track him in the astral. Let's pin him down."
Miranda nodded and closed her eyes again.
"Dhin," said Ryan.
"Yes?"
"North, until I tell you differently."
"Copy."
In the cabin, the roar of rockets thundered as the Phoenix II leapt forward. They traveled like that for another five minutes, until Miranda opened her eyes again. "Frag, that boy travels well."
Ryan took the seat facing the mage. "You got him locked?"
Miranda nodded. "Yes, but there's something you should know."
"What?"
"There's a shaman and some kind of spirit with him."
Ryan, who had been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, was snatched back to reality. "What spirit?" He had a sinking feeling inside.
"Don't know," Miranda said. "But it's the most powerful one I've ever seen, and it's inside our cyberzombie."
Lethe, Ryan thought. Who else could it be?
16
In the heavy morning air, the smoke from the small camp-fire sent dim, gray smoke into the canopy of pines. Off to the east, Burnout saw the dark mass of clouds, growing larger. A storm was coming, he could feel its tension in the muggy stillness.
It's nearly upon us, he thought.
On the other side of the campfire, the Kodiak knelt on a gigantic bearskin, which just fit inside the large circle of talismana he had laid out on the rocky soil. His medicine lodge. Next to the Kodiak sat the Heart, gleaming yellow in a giant bear's claw. The Heart seemed to glow dully in the darkening morning.
Burnout glanced up at the Kodiak. The old man had started his spiritual journey almost an hour ago, beginning with soft chants accompanied by the rhythmic rattle of a bone shaker. Now, his painted face was streaked with sweat, and he didn't speak; instead, he simply swayed to some internal beat only he could hear.
Just like old times, thought Burnout.
Since the start of the ceremony, Lethe had said nothing, though Burnout could almost sense the spirit communing outside his perception. The longer they stayed together, the more attuned he and the Lethe seemed to be.
Burnout watched the approaching storm, and a feeling of apprehension grew in him. It felt like… like…
Mercury comes.
Burnout looked down at his ravaged body, the skin of his hands flayed to the chrome, the dermal sheathing poking through a ragged hole in his coveralls. The telescoping fingers that had served him so well were mangled and twisted, severed in places and unable to effectively retract.
Burnout knew he was the most efficient killing machine tech and magic could produce. Both times he'd gone up against Ryan, the simple human-with no chrome Burnout could discern-had proven tougher than anything Burnout could have imagined. Each time, the man had scarred Burnout and come through alive.
Questions plagued Burnout with their unanswerable intensity. Why had this man been chosen by Dunkelzahn? What lay hidden beneath Mercury's human exterior that made him a match for the best that science and the dark arts could produce?
In his peripheral vision, he saw that the Kodiak had stopped swaying and had opened his eyes. The Heart had darkened, and it lay quiet. The Kodiak heaved a heavy sigh and sat upright on the bearskin. Exhaustion lined his face as he spoke. "I have talked with Bear, my son. He has shown me the truth of things, both seen and unseen."
Burnout leaned forward hungrily. "Yes, what did Bear tell you about the Heart?"
The Kodiak's narrow eyes looked sad. "Of the artifact you call the Heart, Bear said simply that it follows its own destiny. It isn't for you or any man to possess and control. It has a place in the sacred dance, and though it might be useful to you for now, it will fulfill its destiny."
Burnout sa
t back, unsure of how to take what the old man had said. "Does that mean I can tap into it? That I can-"
The old man waved him off. "Your relationship to the… Heart is nebulous at best. You can do with it what you can. It cannot give you back the gift you have thrown away."
Burnout nodded. He had longed to feel the power of the magic arts he had once wielded with pleasure. Now that yearning faded with a grim sigh.
"As the Heart makes its moves according to the sacred dance, you might be able to connect with it. That's all I can tell you."
Burnout knew it was all he could have hoped for and more than he deserved. He was about to stand, when the Kodiak spoke again. "The Bear has spoken to me of the spirit that travels with you."
Once again, Burnout found himself leaning forward.
"The one you call Lethe is directly tied to the Heart and its sacred dance. Though now, through methods unspeakable, it is also tied to you. Bear does not think the two of you can be separated at this time. And even if it were possible, it would most likely kill one, if not both, of you."
Burnout wondered how Lethe felt about being a prisoner inside him.
The Kodiak chuckled. "So I suggest you get used to him, son. It looks as if this Lethe is going to be with you for some time."
Burnout nodded. "I don't want to get rid of Lethe, Kodiak. He's proven himself, and I trust him."
The old man closed his eyes and gave a tired smile. "That's good, my son, because the spirit's presence is the only thing that makes you human. The abomination you've become is tempered by the proximity of Lethe. With him near, you become more than the sum of your parts. Without him, any chance you might have of contacting the essence of the Heart will disappear."
Again Burnout nodded, though this time more to himself. It was just as he'd thought. Lethe was the one responsible for his heightened awareness, his increased memory retention.
The old man's face became grave. "Bear also told me of another who is tied to you and the Heart."
"Another?"
"One who tracks you."
Ryan. So my gut hunch was right.
Burnout stood, suddenly anxious. "Yes, the one called Ryan Mercury."
"Bear told me that the one you call Mercury is even now in pursuit of the Heart that you carry."
So Mercury is coming, for sure. Burnout felt the familiar anticipation roll through him. I will be ready for you, Mercury. You may be the best I've met, but I will destroy you like I have the others.
"This one stalking you, this Mercury, you are aware how powerful he is?"
Burnout nodded. "He is the most formidable opponent I have ever faced, and each time we meet he gets better. He learns more and more of my capabilities, but always seems to be able to surprise me."
The old man stroked his thick beard. "Bear has told me that he is even more powerful than you can imagine."
Burnout gave him a hard look. "In what way?"
The Kodiak frowned. "Bear did not reveal specifics, saying only that the being named Mercury is powerful enough that you, even as… altered as you've become, are no match for him. There is one thing that can be used to your advantage, however."
Burnout looked down at the rain of his body. "Give it to me. I can use all the help I can get."
"Mercury has no idea just how powerful he is."
Burnout looked up sharply. "What?"
"Mercury has come nowhere close to realizing his full potential."
Burnout grinned. "He can't use what he doesn't know about. He is only as strong as he thinks he is."
"He will be here soon," the Kodiak said. "And he comes ready for battle."
Burnout stood. "Then I better prepare. I think Mercury is in for a few surprises when he arrives."
The old man rose as well. "My son, he comes in force. No matter how well prepared you are, there is no way you will stand against his onslaught alone."
Burnout shrugged. "Thanks for the advice, Kodiak. But I'm tired of running, and I don't have anywhere to go even if I had the stomach for it."
The old man's voice grew compassionate. "I said you could not stand up to him alone. But this is my mountain, my home. No matter what dark paths you have chosen to follow, you were once my student, and that makes you as much of a son to me as any blood tie. No one harms my children in my home. I am not as young as I once was, but my powers have not waned. I am far more powerful today than when you came to me all those years ago. You will not stand alone when Mercury arrives."
Burnout looked at the old man. "Thank you," he said. "For everything;"
Into Burnout's mind came Lethe's voice filled with fierce determination. "No. You will not stand alone. The Kodiak and I will be here with you. Ryan has already tried once to take the Heart for his own. He abandoned his devotion to his ancient master, and it was only by your intervention that the Dragon Heart was torn from his selfish hands. He must never be allowed to take it back."
17
Ryan sat in the Phoenix II's cabin, cruising above Old Route 83, listening to the roar of the engines. Outside, the winds of the approaching thunderstorm howled like a banshee. The hole in his gut grew hollow as he listened to Miranda.
"It's like Burnout is possessed, but not quite. His aura looks nothing like what I've seen in other cyberzombies. It's as though there's another spirit hovering in and around him, and one big fragger too. Never seen a presence like that."
Axler turned to Ryan. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Ryan nodded. "Lethe."
Axler's fine eyebrows drew tight. "Never did trust that astral piece of drek."
Ryan sighed. "That also explains why Burnout's aura is masked and his trail is hard to follow. Where are they?"
"He's on a mountain top, not far from here."
Ryan stood and looked down at Miranda. "You said there was a shaman with him?"
"I think so. I've gotten good at identifying them. He was certainly a gifted old man, but he could have been a mage."
"Did the shaman tag you when you made your pass?"
Miranda smiled, showing white teeth. "Null chance. I was very discreet."
"I'm counting on it," Ryan said. "If Burnout has any idea we're coming, he'll be prepared. Or gone." Ryan turned and spoke into the tacticom. "Dhin?"
"Yes?"
"Give me the status on that storm you've been promising me."
"Look out the window, Bossman. One picture is worth a thousand lines of code."
Ryan ducked to the macroglass porthole. Massive black clouds were spreading rapidly, lit with flashes of lightning. The LAV was headed for the heart of the darkness.
AH right, thought Ryan. The tactician in him took over. The storm should hit in the next hour, and his team would follow it in, by-the-book assault.
He turned, "Jane?"
Her voice sounded in his earphone. "Here, Quicksilver."
"You got satellite imagery of Pony Mountain?"
"I just decked into the weather feeds, courtesy of Ares Macrotechnology," Jane said. "They're not military-grade, but should do for our assault. And they come in glorious full-color, three-D topographical."
"Thanks," Ryan said. In the rear of the cabin, the small holographic display lit up with a three-dimensional terrain map of the surrounding area.
Ryan turned to Miranda. "Can you pinpoint him?"
Miranda's almond eyes fixed on Ryan, and she smiled. "Of course."
Ryan stepped back to the holo display. "Show me."
Miranda pointed to the display. "This ridge line here. Pony Mountain. There's a tower of some sort right at the southeast edge."
Ryan nodded, studying the terrain of the mountain top, which was shaped like an upside-down triangle.
Grind whistled. "That's a rough piece of ground there, Ryan. Sheer cliff faces on two sides, dense forest and open ground on the others."
Axler stepped up to the display. "The only landing zone is this spot of barren ground just up from this tiny lake. Unless we want to hike in?"
Mira
nda was shaking her head. "Not if we can help it."
Axler went on. "The ground practically funnels us straight toward the tower. If he's ready for us or if the noise of this bird alerts him too soon, he could take us out with a few missiles before we get three hundred meters."
Ryan looked at the map for a moment, then the plan came to him. "Okay, this is how it's going down."
Grind edged in next to him. "You're going in? I know you're a good tactician, Quicksilver, but this is prime ground for an ambush. Standard strategy would suggest forcing his hand, forcing him off the mountain and into a position of our choosing, not his."
Ryan looked at the dwarf. "You spooked by our cyberzombie?"
"He's a killing machine, Ryan."
"Yes, but I've got a plan."
Axler spoke. "Spill it, Ryan. We're with you."
Ryan smiled and turned back to the holo display. "Twice I've almost died because I underestimated Burnout. I'm not going to make that mistake a third time."
The rest of the team gathered around him and the display.
"All right," said Ryan "Here's how this goes down."
He looked at the rest of them. "Axler, you and Miranda are Alpha team. Grind and I will be Beta." He turned back to the map. "Grind was right. The terrain works against us here. We have to assume that Burnout chose this spot to minimize the risk of being outflanked."
Axler nodded. "Taking the only avenue to the tower is like walking down a dragon's throat. He'll chew us up and spit us right back out."
Ryan smiled. "Yes, except we won't be taking that avenue."
Axler looked at Ryan coldly. "How else?"
Ryan pointed to the cliff face on the far side of the clearing. "Here."
"Pretty fragging dangerous," Axler said.
"Hear me out," Ryan said. "This plan has its drawbacks, but at least listen to it before you pick it apart. Burnout is smart, and he's tough. It's going to take all of us working together to make sure this comes off without any of us getting iced."
Axler waited. "Go ahead."
Ryan nodded and turned back to the map. "Burnout's got incredible hearing and will most likely notice the Phoenix before we clear a thousand meters. Even with the storm. Now, this craft has all the aerodynamics of a large rock when you cut the engines. She falls, and she falls fast. I'm going to have Dhin take her up to her max altitude-about two thousand meters, if I'm correct. Situate us above the cliff edge, here."