Nomad: Freedom Is Never Free

by Todd Brill

  The aide was hunkered behind some crates that threatened to slide onto his head at any moment, but he nodded with squinty eyes and began yelling into his radio mic.

  Overwinter noticed Nomad was floating slightly off the ground and had begun moving toward the prison camp gates, his arms outstretched at each side, channeling the power of the black sky hurricane.

  He looked over Nomad’s shoulder and could make out a few guards on the walls of the camp trying to shoot Nomad through the vortex of swirling debris and cloud. He was about to order a return of fire, but he could see the enemy rifle rounds were unable to penetrate the vacuum shell surrounding Nomad like an airless shield.

  Suddenly, the sky released an immense cracking sound and the whirlpool-black storm struck the enemies on the walls with multiple bolts of hot lightning, shattering their tiny bodies and exploding the section of wall where they stood into a shower of stone and debris.

  Overwinter felt the blast in his chest and sucked in his breath. He kept his eyes closed most of the time to avoid the worst of the dust and debris whipping past him, but he saw the aftermath of the lightning strike. The stone fragments seemed to hang in the air for a brief moment before being scattered into the shadowy maelstrom. The bodies of the enemies were also tossed into the whorl like lifeless, boneless sacks of meat.

  Nomad was nearly at the gates and there were no other signs of enemies. He slowly lowered to the ground, and Overwinter could feel the pressure from the sky easing somewhat, the hurricane winds subsiding slightly. His legs were still splayed out behind him but they were on the boards of the deck now, not flying out in the air. His arms throbbed and ached with the effort of clinging to the support beam. If the deluge had gone on much longer, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to prevent himself from letting go and surrendering to the angry black void.

  Nomad’s feet touched the swirling dirt on the ground and the winds subsided with a final rush. His arms relaxed slowly and fell to his sides, the black vapor that had been surrounding him dissipating in the gusting breeze. He turned then, looking at Overwinter with a grave look.

  “Are you guys coming?” yelled Nomad, his face a stoic mask. Overwinter thought he looked almost vacant, like Nomad was in several places mentally at once. Overwinter’s aides looked at him, their faces alternating between confusion and outright fear. Overwinter stood slowly.

  He brushed the dirt and debris from his clothes and rifle and, without taking his eyes from Nomad standing near the gates, gave orders over the radio to continue the plan. They had gained the front gate.

  “Sir, this is Team Two here,” came a crackling reply. “The service entrance is clear. When the storm hit, they all fragged-off back into the building.”

  “Carry on,” replied Overwinter on the radio. “Just be careful breaching.”

  “Team Three here,” said Del over the radio. “Sir, we managed to blow the rear entrance, but the guards were clearly ordered to retreat back into the camp. We should expect them to hole-up inside and defend.”

  “Acknowledged. Proceed with the plan. One out.”

  “What the hell happened?” said a female voice from behind Overwinter. He turned to see Danik crouched behind some crates.

  “I might ask you that,” said Overwinter, tugging his shirt and pants back into position. “It seems Nomad got caught in… or rather he… I’m not sure what happened actually. All I know is that he had something to do with the storm and that we’ve now taken the gatehouse.”

  Danik looked confused at first, her facial expression changing as she contemplated what Overwinter just said. Then she looked up at the gates and saw Nomad standing there.

  “I think I understand,” she said quietly. Her voice was too quiet for Overwinter to hear her.

  “I want your team to secure our escape route, Danik,” said Overwinter. “Take positions here using the warehouses for cover and watch for incoming reinforcements from the rear.”

  “Affirmative,” said Danik. “But try and be quick about it. I can’t imagine why we haven’t seen reinforcements yet.”

  “It’s likely the Leader has pulled in his forces to protect himself not knowing exactly what’s going on,” said Telarch standing beside her. Hiyadi was standing just behind Telarch, with bits of debris stuck haphazardly in his artificial black hair. Telarch’s beard and hair were slightly tousled, but otherwise he seemed unfazed.

  “Well then, we need to capitalize on his paranoia,” said Overwinter.

  “Mental confusion is something I don’t understand well in biological beings,” said Hiyadi, shaking his head sadly. “When a logical course of action is available and advisable, so many people seem to choose another course of action that is not sensible because of some emotional attachment.”

  “That’s right,” replied Telarch. “Biological creatures are emotional. We aren’t robots or emotionless zombies.”

  “Are you implying that I am a zombie?” said Hiyadi, arching an eyebrow skeptically.

  “Enough!” yelled Overwinter. “We don’t have time for bickering. Focus on the plan. We still have to get into the camp and get those people out of there and back to safety.” Telarch was frowning and tugging on his beard, and Hiyadi looked away, but Danik thought she saw his brow furrow slightly.

  “Now, you two get together with Nomad and continue the assault. The other teams will penetrate the camp from the service entrance and the rear entrance as planned. We need to take that anti-air gun in the courtyard quickly. If I were the sergeant, I’d avoid calling in reinforcements until I knew for sure I’d lost the fight. He knows the Leader would rather bomb this place into dust than risk freeing the prisoners to fight against him. And that means killing all his guards if necessary. So we have a little time, but not much, before we’ll have air assets on top of us. Work quickly but try not to take big risks. Go!”

  Telarch and Hiyadi took some additional ammunition and jogged toward the front gates. Danik gave her second-in-command the order to occupy the warehouses and prepare to defend them from attack.

  “Sir,” said Danik to Overwinter.

  “Yes?” he replied absent-mindedly. He was tapping at his wrist computer.

  “You know what’ll happen if they attack while you’re in there. I can give you some time, but it won’t be much, and we’ll all be killed. I don’t have enough people to defend such a huge area from a superior force.” Overwinter looked up from his computer.

  “I understand, Danik,” he said with a sigh. “There’s nothing I can do, though. We’re spread really thin here and we don’t know how many guards are still inside the camp. Once we free some fighters, I’ll make sure to send them out to you.”

  “Thanks. I just don’t want to be left hanging out in the wind,” she said. Overwinter nodded, and Danik walked off to supervise her troop defenses.

  Overwinter watched her a moment and then massaged the temples of his large purple forehead with long purple fingers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air.

  The time had come for more bloodshed.

  22

  Nomad could feel the air around him like a warm bath. The black sky protected him, hugged him like a mother. His mother swaddled him in her warm, misty clouds and provided energy for him.

  He could hear the noise from outside the shell of cloud but the sounds were muffled and warbled as they passed through the thick, black layer surrounding him. He could feel the steady howl of hurricane-force wind and the hair-raising power radiating from the black sky.

  He broke no natural laws. Thermodynamics still applied but his will shaped the energy naturally to surround him. He didn’t understand how this was possible, but obviously, it was. The broken gate and shattered guard tower were the evidence -- the only validation he needed.

  When Nomad sensed the gate and entrance was clear, he released the black sky, settling gently to the sodden ground. His boots sunk into the thin layer of mud and debris and the sounds around him returned to normal. He turned to l
ook for his friends and comrades.

  Nomad saw the looks on their faces. The black sky had changed how they looked at him. He wasn’t just their friend any more. He was something more. Something primal. A god? No. A man with power — a power they could never understand. He didn’t really understand it himself, so how could they possibly grasp the reality of what he had become? Nomad knew in that moment his life was changed forever. His relationship with his friends and those close to him would also be forever different.

  “That was… pretty amazing,” said Overwinter, still scanning the wreckage and walls as he approached Nomad cautiously. “How did you do that?”

  “I’m not really sure,” said Nomad. “This stuff is pretty new to me. I wish Jorune were here to explain it.”

  “How intriguing,” said Hiyadi, approaching Nomad from behind Overwinter. “Was it accomplished with technology?”

  “No. I don’t think so,” said Nomad.

  “Just goes to show that some folks can do things without tech,” snipped Telarch. “You okay, Nomad?”

  “I’m fine. How is everyone else?” replied Nomad, scanning the crowd of rebels marching toward the gate.

  “She’s fine,” said Telarch knowingly. “She’s setting up our rear defense in the warehouses with the reserves. It’s the safest place for her for now.”

  “Good. I don’t want her getting hurt,” said Nomad, just now remembering he had a rifle and checking it over. Overwinter placed a cautious long-fingered hand on Nomad’s shoulder.

  “When you’re ready, we need to get into the compound and take that anti-air gun, my friend,” he said.

  “I understand,” replied Nomad. His team was gathering around him, but they kept at a safe distance. Nomad could see the wonder and fear in their faces. They were afraid of him.

  “They’re afraid of me now,” sighed Nomad.

  “Well, that’s kind of to be expected,” said Overwinter. “Quite honestly, I don’t know what to make of you myself. Are you in full control of these…powers of yours? Is there any chance one of these episodes could end up hurting someone around you? By accident, I mean?”

  Nomad frowned. He never had any thoughts about hurting anyone except for the guards and grounds of the prison camp. He looked around him at the wreckage and debris strewn around the damp field. There were shards of wood, hunks of concrete, and metal fragments everywhere. And bodies. Several of the guards had been caught up in the black sky and smote down into the mud like winning mahjong tiles.

  Did he have the control needed to prevent accidents from happening? What would have happened had one of his friends or comrades been close by? Would they have been caught up in the carnage he helped create? The power I control is dangerous, he thought. And he still didn’t know exactly how this power worked, what its limits were, and how to control it.

  “No accidents. Until I know more, I’ll try to avoid any more… incidents. I don’t want to hurt anyone. This time, it kinda just happened,” said Nomad.

  “Good enough for me,” said Telarch, who had been tugging at his beard beside Nomad. “Now let’s get this party started. Some of us are waiting to dance,” he said with a grin.

  “Dancing would hardly be the appropriate activity in this circumstance,” said Hiyadi.

  “It’s a figure of speech,” replied Telarch, waving his hand dismissively at Hiyadi.

  “I see,” said Hiyadi. “Like a metaphor. How clever of you.” Nomad couldn’t tell if Hiyadi was conceding something or being facetious.

  “Us biological units can be clever from time to time,” said Telarch through gritting teeth.

  “Okay you two, cease fire,” said Overwinter pointing at them. “We have things to do. Nomad, when you’re ready, you lead the way. Hams is waiting for the signal to breech the service entrance and Del is already inside the rear entrance. Our first goal is to secure the gun and the area surrounding it. Then, we need to clear out the guards and get weapons into the hands of anyone in the camp willing to fight. Understood?” They all nodded.

  Nomad stepped over the wreckage-littered field to the main entrance of the prison camp, his team following right on his heels. Telarch and Hiyadi took up positions on each side of the door, waiting for Nomad to give a signal.

  Nomad stepped over the remains of the doorway and into the first camp checkpoint. Papers and debris had blown all over the room. A small gust of wind from outside stirred them slightly. It reminded Nomad of some of the alleys he used to sleep in except this was cleaner and the alleys back home were less dangerous.

  There were no guards in the room and the barricades had been moved in front of the only exit -- the door to the long hallway Nomad and his friends had gone through to escape the camp. It seemed like a long time ago, but Nomad choked when he thought about what they lost today.

  At his nod, the team began clearing the metal-barred barricades and debris from the doorway. The demolition only took a few minutes and, when the way was clear, they set up around the double doors for another breach. Telarch and Hiyadi were on each side again as Nomad faced the doors.

  Nomad nodded and both Telarch and Hiyadi kicked at the doors, smashing them inward as they squatted, pointing their rifles down the hallway.

  The hallway was empty. Nomad could see muddy boot prints painted and smeared across the concrete floor, but he couldn’t tell which direction they went. Maybe both. He was also surprised they hadn’t met any resistance yet.

  “Where the hell are they?” he muttered.

  “Could be they’ve retreated to a strategic spot where they’re gonna meet us,” said Telarch, pulling on his beard in thought. Nomad nodded. The camp sergeant wasn’t an idiot. He probably even had some military training and had plans in place for this kind of attack.

  “Any guesses where that might be?” said Nomad.

  “Hard to say,” said Telarch. “Maybe the gun? Maybe the camp office? Neither are that defensible, but they both have strategic importance.” He adjusted his rifle strap.

  Nomad thought to himself for a moment. He didn’t like walking into a trap, but what choice did he have? They didn’t have the luxury of taking their time either. The Leader would surely send troops and worse if they took too long.

  “Where are they all?” came a voice over the radio. It was Hams.

  “They’re likely forming a defense inside the camp itself,” said Overwinter, keying his mic. He was standing in the entry behind Nomad now.

  “Just be careful and don’t rush in. Let’s try to coordinate so we all enter the main grounds at the same time. Hit ’em from all sides at once,” finished Overwinter. He nodded at Nomad to proceed.

  They cleared the long hall and the several rooms that sprung from it like leaves from a branch. Storage rooms, sleeping quarters, and an empty armory all bereft of guards or anything usable. They were being smart. They had removed anything of use. This isn’t going to be an easy fight, thought Nomad.

  He remembered back to his encounter with the camp sergeant. Nomad knew he was an intelligent man. Ruthless and evil, but intelligent. It’s likely this is why he was put in charge of the camp. Utter devotion to the cause — to the Leader. The sergeant was a true believer and that made him all the more dangerous.

  As they approached the final checkpoint before the camp grounds, Nomad thought he could smell something burning.

  “You smell that?” he said, looking at Telarch and Hiyadi. They nodded.

  “Smells like something burning. Maybe they lit some barricades?” added Telarch.

  They cleared the final guard checkpoint and removed more metal barricades from the double doors leading to the camp grounds. They had to use a pry bar to open the doors as they were fused shut. Once they were cracked open, Nomad peered through the slight opening.

  He could see some debris on fire on the ground but not much else through the small opening. He stepped back, readied his rifle and kicked open the doors.

  Shots rang out and rounds landed all around him. Nomad dove to the sid
e and rolled. Telarch and Hiyadi, who had been crouched on either side of the door waiting, returned fire. Several others on the team also took aimed shots out the doors from their cover inside the room.

  “Where are they?” yelled Nomad over the loud electric pulses of rifle fire.

  “Dunno,” bellowed Telarch. “I can’t see ’em!”

  “Based on the layout of the camp and the trajectory of the rounds, I estimate they are a small group defending the central camp office,” yelled Hiyadi before he returned fire and quickly ducked back behind the door jamb.

  There wasn’t any way to tell for sure without someone becoming dangerously exposed in the doorway. It was a perfect ambush point. A few guards could hold many more men here for a long time without some kind of advantage. They were running out of time.

  “This is Team Two,” said Hams on the radio. “We’re ready to enter the main camp area.”

  “This is Team Three,” said Del. “We’re ready, too.”

  Nomad looked over his shoulder at Overwinter. Their eyes met for a moment, and they both knew something needed to be done right now.

  “Understood. Stand by,” replied Overwinter. He nodded to Nomad.

  Nomad took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could feel the warmth of Jorune’s amulet against his chest. The gentle hum reminded him of her. He could feel her gentle blue energy. He remembered the first time he had seen the energy surrounding her like a sunny blue sky. He had thought he was hallucinating at first.

  But it was no hallucination. Nomad had learned everyone had an energy field surrounding them. Some were more powerful than others, but if you listened in just the right way, you could sense them -- see them.

  The amulet began to thrum and throb, like a heartbeat startling Nomad out of his nostalgia. The heartbeat stopped again as soon as he became aware of it. Was Jorune trying to tell him something? He pulled the woven necklace out of his combat tunic and held it. The throbbing was pounding in his hand again.