The Rebirths of Tao

by Wesley Chu

  Jill cut him off. It usually was time to do so when he started referring to himself in the third person. A few seconds later, Roen’s report landed on her computer screen. She scanned the contents and switched over back to Shiloh. “Place a priority call to Command,” she said. “Full route encryption. Yes, I know what time it is right now.”

  It took some finagling and some time to pull the elderly Keeper out of bed. As soon as she was on, though, they transferred all the photos and files the scout team had acquired. Roen and Marco didn’t have visual on this call, but Jill watched the Keeper’s reaction as she skimmed what they had sent over.

  There were several moments of awkward silence as the Keeper read through the materials. Near the end, her eyes widened and she looked up. “How reliable is this information? If these estimates are to be believed, they have something along the lines of seventy thousand square feet of facility, and that’s only what they can see on the outside, not including the underground and in the mountain.”

  Jill gasped. “That big? How did they get this cleared without being discovered?”

  The Genjix must have spent an exorbitant amount on buying the local officials.

  Several blueprints appeared on her screen. The first was of a large rectangular facility nestled in a thickly forested region. The next was of a similar set-up on the side of a snow-capped mountain. Another was in the desert. There were nine facilities in total. Then, each of the blueprints changed into satellite images overlaying different parts of the planet.

  If this is what I think it is, this is bad.

  “Oh no,” Jill whispered. “Are these…?”

  The Keeper nodded. “Catalyst facilities. These are the ones that we’re aware of. Five of them are operational, and four are still under construction. This new one makes the tenth.”

  “Why would they build one in Oregon?” Marco asked.

  Jill felt a chill down her spine as she manipulated the map of the world. All the other known facilities – northern Russia, Pakistan, Botswana, China, Algeria – were located in firmly Genjix zones of control. They would be impossible to get to. They were aware of other hidden facilities in Sweden, Switzerland, Bolivia, and the United States, but they hadn’t known their actual locations. Until now.

  “How many would we have to take out in order to prevent Quasiform?” she asked.

  “That is for Rin to tell us,” the Keeper said. “We just don’t know enough to know what it’ll take to stop it. We don’t know how the locations are chosen or how many facilities to disable to stop the chain reaction. How many of these facilities do the Genjix have? Do we need to just destroy one or two of them, or all ten? She needs to help us plan the strategy.”

  “I’ll pass this information along to Rin right away,” Jill said.

  “Marco,” the Keeper continued. “I need interior data on the facility. Defenses, security systems, infrastructures, anything we can use to plan an assault.”

  “An attack on US soil?” Roen said. “That’s dangerous.”

  “We have little choice,” the Keeper replied. “Marco, I need full confirmation on this before proceeding. Get this for –”

  There was a loud pop in her comm and then the line went dead. Jill clicked over a few more times before pulling Shiloh up. “What happened to our connection?” she demanded.

  “All lines outside just went dead,” Shiloh answered. “Hang on. The perimeter alarms just tripped. Multiple signatures. From north and west. Moving in quickly.”

  Assume the worst. Cut off connections with Command immediately and ready the wipe protocol.

  Jill glanced outside the window and scanned the tree line. “This is Hen House. We are under attack. Prepare to receive. All personnel report.”

  The news trickled in in bits and pieces. The supply warehouse to the east and the residence to the south reported nothing unusual. The comm building to the west and the garage to the north were silent. Then Shiloh’s line fizzled and went dead as well. That could only mean one thing. Jill punched the emergency master code on her terminal, setting the network on a thirty minute kill timer unless she entered the unlock pass-phrase. She tore off her apron, yanked a small hidden latch under the sink, and pulled out an automatic rifle from a hidden drawer just as the first sounds of gunfire punctured the air.

  Ohr came running downstairs. “I hear gunshots.”

  “No shit,” Jill said, pulling out a pistol from another hidden drawer and tossing it to him. “Get downstairs.” Eight more of her agents who were working at the farmhouse or down in the safe house ran into the room. She directed them to defensive positions. She wished she had a few more minutes to organize them. The houses were interconnected through the tunnels underground, but it seemed two of her buildings were hit at once. It was a coordinated attack. How did they even know about them?

  “What is the commotion about?” Vladimir said, running up the stairs with Rin. The kitchen was positively crowded now.

  Get Rin out of danger now. She is the priority. Relay a message to the outliers to go dark.

  “We’re under attack. Don’t know who. Don’t know their strength,” Jill said. She pointed at the weapon cabinet. “Grab a gun. And for God’s sake, Rin, get your ass downstairs. You’re too important.”

  “Alex! Where’s Alex?” Vladimir said, as he pulled out an older AK. “Where’s my daughter?”

  Cameron went to the forest with Alex after his practice. Do not tell Vladimir; the fool will just charge outside and get himself killed.

  “Shut up and man the front door,” Jill snapped. “Protect the house or get out of the way.”

  The truth was, she was as terrified for Cameron as he was for Alex right now. She knew he must not have been in the house, or he would have reported in by now. That must mean he was out in the forest, probably with the girl. They had been spending a lot of time together, often going out on their own.

  A bullet shattered the window, followed by a dozen more that splattered against the back wall. Everyone ducked and took position under windows or to the side of the doors. Jill looked at Harry, who manned the dining room, and gave him a set of hand signals, which he communicated to the rest of her team.

  On my mark. Now!

  Jill pushed a button on her console and the exterior of the farmhouse was lit up by a series of large floodlights that shone outward in all directions. Jill stood up at the window and saw a dark figure temporarily blinded and caught out in the open. She pulled the trigger and watched him fall, then ducked and moved to the next window.

  The farmhouse erupted with automatic fire as the defenders took momentary advantage of the confusion. Jill heard random shouts from her people, each calling out how many they’d engaged and how many they’d taken down.

  “Kate’s down,” Harry said. “Haven’t heard from Garrett or Sals either. Collin and Freeni are upstairs.”

  They manned the west side of the house.

  Staying low, Jill moved to the dining room as small fragments exploded from her house, raining debris all around her. She saw the knick-knacks she had painstakingly collected over the years scatter across the floor. Sure, the house was staged and made to look generic, but she had put a small personal touch into each and every item. Her family had made it their home, and there were reminders of them everywhere.

  From the scratches on the floor caused by Roen dragging the dining table across the room to the crack in the wall from Cameron playing baseball indoors, this was the home she had worked so hard to build to give her family a semblance of normalcy. It wasn’t her house that these attackers were blowing apart, it was their lives as well. It pained her to see everything destroyed and blown apart, but mostly it pissed the hell out of her.

  Jill peeked over the window and saw another crouched figure. She trained her sights on him and took him down. She swiveled to the left and saw another approaching. She took quick aim and fired. Something unbelievable happened. The second figure, whom she had dead in her crosshairs, dodged her shot, moving wi
th a ghostlike grace.

  An Adonis Vessel. Genjix attack.

  “Crap.”

  There weren’t any good scenarios here, but a Genjix attack was the worst. Add an Adonis Vessel, and the entire situation just took a hopeless turn. This wasn’t a regular Genjix patrol happening upon her operation, but a full-scale, planned attack. Adonis Vessels never participated in minor skirmishes.

  Evacuate now.

  Jill signaled to Harry and called for the retreat. She ran back into the kitchen and yanked Vladimir back from the door. “We’re getting out of here.”

  “Have you seen Alex?” he said, eyes wide and voice slightly crazed.

  “She’s with Cameron,” Jill lied. “They’re fine.”

  “If anything happens to my little girl, I will kill your son.”

  Jill grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him close. “Say that again and I will shoot you right now, you bastard.” She pushed the stunned Russian back toward the pantry. “Get your ass downstairs.” She waved at Harry to follow, and they were soon joined by Freeni and Garrett. That was all she had left. She had lost five good people in a matter of minutes.

  You are going to lose more if you do not get going.

  Jill made sure she was the last person down the trap door, locking it behind her as she clambered down the spiral staircase. When she got to the main room, she took a quick inventory: Vladimir, Ohr, Rin, Harry, Garrett, Freeni. She suppressed the scream in her chest. She had hoped against all hope that Cameron was here as well. He was upstairs still. Outside in the forest. Anywhere. Scared, possibly on the run, maybe even dead. It was too much for a mother to bear.

  Focus on the task. There are others who are depending on you.

  Jill allowed herself a split second to grieve, and then she was the commander again. She looked up as the sounds of heavy footsteps began to clomp on the ceiling. She heard faint sounds of “clear” being called out. The Genjix were in her home.

  Vladimir still wore that desperate look on his face. “Please,” he begged, moving up to her. “My Alex.”

  Jill pushed him back. She felt his pain as well, but she still had people to care for. “Everyone, silent. The trap door is barred and well-hidden. Maybe we can wait them out.”

  A few minutes later, they heard the high-pitched whine of a drill as it dug into metal. The entire room froze as the whirling sounds made the entire staircase shudder. They would break in within minutes.

  How did they find the trap door so quickly? And how did they know to carry a drill? Something is wrong.

  “Only one explanation.”

  There was no time for that, though. Jill pushed to the front of the group. “I’m taking our guests to the sub. Harry, you and Garrett go through the eastern forest exit and make your way to Mountain North base. Tell them what happened. Let the Keeper know we’ve been compromised. Tell them… tell them we have a leak.” She motioned to the agent in the back. “Freeni, you’re with me. Let’s go.”

  “Sir,” Harry said as Jill led the group down the long tunnel toward the coast. “Be safe, and if I don’t see you, then to the Eternal Sea.”

  “None of that. We’re still alive,” Jill said, and then she turned to her wards. “Let’s go.”

  20

  Non-Parental Guidance

  I was on one of those colony ships seeking new worlds to bring into the Quasing fold. The truth is, your solar system is not ideal. Too many gas giants, no planets within our Goldilocks temperate zone, and far too few resources. Earth was also a unique and particularly undesirable case. It was one of the few planets that had already evolved an atmosphere of its own. That meant we’d have to do extra work to transform it for our use.

  However, when our ship was damaged by asteroids, it leaked the compounds necessary to catalyze the process, and we did not have enough to begin gestation for a desirable atmosphere. Fortunately, we were able to locate something similar on Earth. At the time we did not know that the compatible atmospheres we detected were the living creatures on the planet.

  Tao

  * * *

  Cameron put his arms around Alex and pulled her close. The two froze in place as gunfire popped all around, bouncing and echoing through the forest. He heard screams, followed by more gunfire. Then he thought he heard rustling beneath them, footsteps crunching leaves and snapping branches.

  He closed his eyes and tried to make out a pattern, a location, a direction, anything that could give him any clue as to what to do next or which direction to flee. Unfortunately, it sounded as if they were completely surrounded.

  Three distinct groupings. Originally one directly north. One in the far north. Then directly northeast. They must have hit the communication building first. Then the farmhouse.

  “Mom!”

  Calm down. Remember your training. Assess your situation. Get to safety. Plan.

  Assess your situation. Cameron tapped Alex on the shoulder until their eyes locked. He put a finger to his lips and then motioned for her to stay put. He slowly released her and made his way up the branch, inching toward the far end of his treehouse to his emergency pack. He pulled out the 9mm pistol and loaded one of the three magazines, wincing as it made a sharp cracking sound when it clicked in, and then again when he chambered the first bullet.

  You need to get away immediately. Deeper into the forest.

  “Come on,” he whispered. “We need to get out of here.”

  The two of them climbed down the tree as fast as they could, landing and kneeling at its base. Cameron had slung the backpack over his shoulders and kept Alex behind him. The night seemed to have come alive. The sounds of battle still raged at the house, and wind was rustling the leaves. Cameron could hear the flapping of wings, the hoots of owls, and even the howl of coyotes in the distance. The darkness felt like it was closing in on him. He grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled her south, deeper into the forest.

  “You’re going the wrong way!” she said. “We need to get back to the house.”

  He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “My papa is there.”

  “So is my mom,” he said, his hands shaking. First his dad and now his mom.

  Focus, Cameron. Find the calm. I know this is hard, but you must.

  “I need to make sure my papa is all right,” she said, pulling away. “He needs me.”

  Cameron clamped down on her hand and pulled her close to him. “We don’t know who is attacking the house. It could be the IXTF or the Genjix. In either case, they will have Penetra scanners. It’s too dangerous to go back. We need to get as far away as possible.”

  Alex’s eyes were unfocused as she consulted with Tabs before she relented. The two of them continued deeper south. While the moon was out, most of its light was lost within the towering trees. It made for a treacherous walk through the forest. Cameron had a flashlight in his bag, but he couldn’t risk giving away their position.

  “What are we going to do?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know,” he replied.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know!” The words came out of his mouth a little harsher than he had intended. He felt this weight on his chest as the familiar forest around him all of a sudden felt oppressive and imposing. The darkness felt blacker and more suffocating than usual, and he found himself taking short hurried breaths.

  All right, Cameron. Let us get some things straight. First of all, do not say that again.

  “Say I don’t know?”

  Yes. If you are going to lead, you have to be in control. Keep your insecurities and your doubts to yourself.

  “But I don’t know what I’m doing right now. In fact –”

  It does not matter. Keep that thought to yourself. I will always be here to advise you. Second, relax. Find the calm. You have trained for situations like this. This is still your backyard. You know this area like the back of your hand. You have the advantage.

  “But there are –”

  Do not worry abo
ut that right now. Get your bearings. Stay in control.

  It took Cameron several slow exhales before he got the urge to throw up under control, and then a few more moments to still his quivering hands.

  Good. Now, get to safety and find shelter for the night. I suggest you head south, deeper into the forest.

  “Follow me,” he whispered, “I know where to go.”

  Some of the large roots created natural shelters and made for excellent hiding places. They could hole up there tonight. He looked up at the sky when a gap between the trees exposed the moon. The night seemed clear. That should mean no rain. That was comforting, at least. Cameron heard a sharp crack in front of him and froze. He looked back at Alex and motioned for her to get down. The two stayed still as he scanned the area.

  Sentry just southwest of your position. Night vision goggles. Automatic rifle. You will need to take him out if you want to get past him.

  “Shoot him?”

  By melee if possible. He is fully armored and you could attract more.

  “I don’t know if I can get close enough before he notices.”

  Use Alex as bait.

  “I don’t know how she’ll feel about that.”

  Again, not a democracy.

  “I’m going to try to take him out,” he whispered to Alex. “I don’t think I can get close enough without him noticing. Can you divert his attention?”

  Alex looked like she was about to protest, and then nodded. She crept away from their hiding spot and moved parallel to where the sentry was standing. Cameron went in the opposite direction, moving away from the man’s viewpoint, going from tree trunk to tree trunk, ducking when the sentry’s gaze swept in his direction. It was painstakingly slow, but eventually, he got within ten meters before he ran out of trees to hide behind.

  Cameron must have made too much noise, because the sentry was scanning directly at him. He waited and waited for Alex’s diversion, which never came. Then the sentry, suspicious of the noise, walked toward his tree. Something loud came rustling through the trees from the right. Then a girl’s voice made a sharp cry of pain. The sentry immediately turned toward her.