by Mark Lingane
“You want me to hit you on the head when we get close to one of them?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“It’d be no problem.”
“No.”
“I could give you a free tryout now, see how it goes.”
“Still no. Wait …” he paused mid-sentence. He closed his eyes and held out his hands. “Can you feel that?”
“You’ll need to be a bit more specific.”
“Something powerful.” He took off toward the gates, then stopped in his tracks, spun on the spot, then looked down. “Below us. Something bad.” He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. His eyes snapped open. “The dragons were just a decoy. We need to tell the others.”
Nikola had cornered Thrown to force an update out of him. “Can we get anything in the air?” he demanded.
“You must be kidding,” replied Thrown, visibly irate at being delayed.
“How long until the batteries are usable?”
“About an hour.”
“An hour! See what you can do with the cannons.”
“It’s going to get messy. It’s still dark, GSBFs are black. We can’t see what we’re shooting at. It’s less than ideal. Have you secured Number Two? And Number One?”
“Two’s fine. I’ve arranged things for One. Get Bernhardt on the cannons and you see to the towers.”
Nikola turned and ran toward the city center. Melanie and Sebastian emerged from the other side.
“You’re meant to be at the east gate,” he shouted at Sebastian. “Melanie, get him there instantly.”
“The cyborgs!” Sebastian cried. “They’re under the city.”
“Where under the city?”
Sebastian closed his eyes. He spun and pointed to a spot on the ground. “Down there. Is anything important down there?”
Melanie and Nikola looked at each other.
“The batteries!” cried Nikola.
“Gavin!” cried Melanie.
They both turned to the low-set building.
“If the cyborgs get to the batteries, they’ll disarm the coils and could blow the whole place sky high,” Nikola said. “Sebastian, stay here. Stay safe. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Nikola and Melanie ran through the door and slammed it shut behind them. Nikola slammed a great beam across the door.
“If something goes wrong,” he said, “it’s best to keep the trouble localized.”
They could hear the distant rumbling of a wild waterway. Nikola grabbed one of the lanterns and lit it. A dull glow spread out, allowing the three of them to see.
“Sebastian! I told you to wait outside,” Nikola said.
“You also said to stay safe,” Sebastian said defiantly. “My best chance of that is staying with Melanie.”
“You’re not making this easier. Make sure you stick close by.”
Nikola climbed down a narrow, twisting staircase with the others following closely behind, keeping within the glow of the lantern. As they descended, the sound of rushing water became louder. They emerged onto a small landing with exits on either side. Sebastian pointed to the right. The sound of the water was deafening.
They crept down the corridor, past several doors, and into an enormous cavern. The walls emitted a gentle greenish-yellow glow that illuminated the cavern’s contents.
Sebastian stroked his hand along the wall, revealing it was covered in soft lichen. His hand glowed in the dark. He placed a handprint on Melanie’s back and chuckled.
“What is this place?” he whispered.
“It’s an ancient mine,” Nikola replied. He stopped.
Across the vastness of the cave was the giant turbine, whining away, half submerged in the roaring underground river. Cyborgs were cutting into the side with giant lightguns. It took two to hold one weapon. The generator sheared and collapsed in on itself. The turbine toppled into the water, forming a dam.
Water poured up over the riverbank and flooded the cave floor. It knocked over the cyborgs. They convulsed and were lost under the wild water. It rushed over to the enormous battery cage and swept around and up, engulfing it. The cage sparked then exploded upward with such force the roof above it cracked and shattered, raining debris into the cavern. The remains of a building came crashing through the roof, spewing rubble.
“Get out of here,” shouted Nikola.
They turned and ran back. Water rapidly swept toward them.
“I have to stop it or it could take out the other turbine,” Nikola said. “Melanie, get Gavin. Sebastian, get back to the stairs.”
They ran with the water rushing at their feet. It was at their knees by the time they were back in the corridor. Nikola searched along the wall until he found a concealed lever. He pulled it and the roof behind them collapsed, sealing the passage. Melanie disappeared into one of the rooms.
Nikola grabbed Sebastian by his collar and dragged him back to the stairs. “Stay here until Melanie returns with Gavin. She’ll need help with the light,” he said. He handed his lantern to Sebastian and ran into the dark corridor.
A few moments later, Sebastian saw another lantern flare up then disappear into the depths of the corridor. The water from the burst river had been substantially blocked, leaving only minor points where it was getting through. A small rivulet trickled past and several moments later he heard the splashing of a couple of sets of feet.
Melanie appeared supporting Gavin, partly unconscious.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“Shouldn’t we wait for Nikola?”
“No, he’s doing macho stuff.”
They clambered up the stairs, made treacherously slippery by their wet feet, until they reached the door. Sebastian heaved at the bar until he could free it from the catch and they burst out into the inferno that was the city.
Light flashed from the top of a nearby building, followed by a loud explosion. Something small and dark whistled above them. Then another, and another.
“Cannons! They’ve got them working,” shouted Melanie.
A dragon fell from the sky with smoke pouring from its body. It screamed as it disappeared over the city wall and smashed into the ground.
A muted cheer came from the exhausted team on the roof of the building. Moments later the building was engulfed in flames as another dragon burnt it out of existence. Men jumped, but the result of the fall was just as bad as staying on the roof.
The light from the fire outlined the dragon, giving it nowhere to hide as cannonballs came in from all sides; and it was knocked around brutally until it plummeted and was engulfed in the flames of the building it had set on fire. The cannon teams cheered as they reloaded, looking out for the final three dragons.
Nikola appeared out of the low building.
“You three take shelter in the town hall cellars,” Nikola said. “They’ll protect you.”
A building behind them exploded, its roof launching into the air. Wooden shards rained over them. The master dragon slowly glided over them, taunting them with its power. It rolled in the air and unleashed another stream of fire into the air.
“Oh, that is big,” Nikola said.
Thrown emerged out of the dust of the destroyed tesla tower.
“Thrown, bring them down,” Nikola shouted. “And do it now.”
“I lost good men tonight in the tower. Those GSFBs will burn in hell, or I’ll die trying.”
“Thrown, be sensible. If you’re reckless and it takes out that other tower, we have nothing.”
A chorus of shouts and screams drew their attention as a fireball rolled over a cannon team abandoning the bakery roof.
“I have a surprise for one of them,” said Thrown. He ran into the second tower.
Above the brewery, a flare rocketed into the air and exploded. Light spread down onto the building and a man standing next to a cannon waved furiously. The dragon swooped in. The man tested his rope for the hundredth time, ran and jumped off the edge of the building as the fire rolled in. The great boiler
s in the brewery couldn’t take the onslaught any longer. Great vats exploded upwards, collecting the dragon flying above. Beer showered over the men, who cheered. Finally, something good had come out of the night—free beer. The man on the rope cut himself free and ran to join the others.
“That man deserves a medal,” shouted Nikola, before disappearing into the tower after Thrown.
On the control deck, Thrown was shouting orders. Men were turning big wheels, and a distant hum was building in intensity and volume. The whine of the remaining turbine could be felt through the structure.
“The turbine’s good. Charge the dish,” shouted Nikola.
Men pulled levers and shouted readings from huge dials. Steam poured from pipes running through the control room.
“Increase pressure on the lifter. Engage hydraulics.”
The dish hissed loudly as it lifted slightly then remained buoyant while the hydraulic jacks aligned and readied for direction.
Thrown turned slowly, with dark eyes. The beast was staring straight at him, and the two locked gazes.
The beast’s wings slowed in the moment, its engines straining, one eye dark, one glowing red. It blinked and a red beam shot out of its eye. The beam cut into the pipework and the dish lurched to the side. Steam poured into the room, burning men and impairing the view.
Thrown stood silent and still among the turmoil. He placed his hand on the young solider in front of him who was manning the levers.
“Fire,” he said.
The lightning swirled and twisted around the bayonet, arcing along the rim of the metal dish. The soldier engaged the amplifier and pulled both levers. The cogs ratcheted into position and the full connection to the batteries below was made.
Fire exploded out of the mouth of the beast and blasted into the control room. Thrown leaped to the side and took shelter behind the great stone walls.
The electricity intensified, then leaped out toward the dragon, wrapping around the creature. The beast shrieked and floundered as its wings began to fail. Gravity claimed it. The tail sliced into the cobbles below with the body following, crumpling under its weight. Its head thrashed and came to a rest, looking back down the street toward the solid city gates. Its eyes flickered and went dark.
“Reading, Corporal, if you’re still alive,” said Thrown.
“Fifteen percent, sir.”
“How long to get to an operational level?”
“Once we get the pipes patched, it’ll take two hours, sir, but the sun is rising. Maybe there’s a chance with the cannons.”
“Most of them melted during the night.”
“Don’t we have anything left to use?” asked the soldier.
“There’s nothing. We’re defenseless.”
The room shook so violently that bits of the ceiling cracked and fell to the floor.
“I can’t take it anymore,” said Sebastian. He stood and made his way to the door.
“Hey, Sebastian, you need to stay here,” Melanie called out.
“They need me.”
“You can’t do anything.”
He paused with his hand on the doorknob and glanced over his shoulder. “Time’s running out. We have to do something. And I might surprise a few people.”
“If he thinks he can do something,” said Gavin, “then I definitely can.”
“Oh, Gavin, you’re so brave.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes and quickly opened the door to avoid being sick all over his shoes from the saturated sweetness. He exited the building to be greeted by the first rays of a new day.
“With the new day comes new strength,” said Gavin. The others gave him a surprised expression. He shrugged. “It was something my mom used to say.”
Sebastian nodded. It was something a mom would say.
They caught a last glimpse of the electricity as it arced out from the tower and enveloped the dragon.
“Yes!” Melanie cheered. “How many of them are left?”
They searched the skies.
“Just the big one,” Sebastian said, pointing to the dragon gliding past.
It wasn’t behaving like the others. They had been direct with their actions, but this one appeared to be guided.
“It’s going to finish off the tower,” Sebastian said.
He sprinted across the square and down the alleyways to get to the rear entrance of the tower. He ran up the stairs to the control level, taking as many steps as he could.
Men were shouting at each other, trying to get some semblance of coordination. Steam was still rushing out of the tubes, and no one seemed to be attending to them. The batteries were low. A heated debate rolled out through the observation windows over whether there was enough energy to discharge without damaging the batteries. The winning argument seemed to be that they would be dead if they didn’t.
No one noticed as the young boy crept past and stopped in front of the large dish. In the early-morning light, Sebastian could just see another figure standing on the deck below him. He squinted and made out Gavin’s form. Sebastian hid as much as he could while maintaining the older boy in his line of sight.
Gavin stood on the deck with some kind of staff in his hand, his other hand raised in a defiant pose. He had found his old cape and it flapped behind him in the gentle warm breeze.
Then Sebastian felt the pain. It was unlike anything before, an intensity that was ripping him apart. He dropped to his knees.
The master beast glided from behind the great tesla tower. It turned and narrowed its deep, hollow eyes at him. He felt its energy being thrown at him, bouncing off the dish behind, intensifying the pain. Lazily it swung its tail, narrowly missing Gavin, who had to jump and roll to avoid it.
“Mom, help me,” Sebastian whispered. Tears streamed down his face. The pain was unrelenting. He raised himself up onto his knees and flung his arms wide.
The flapping beast hung in the air, its great wings slowly oscillating, powering its way against the natural forces acting against it. The dragon roared, and flame arced through the sky above Sebastian’s head. Sebastian screamed as he felt the power surge within him. A silent wave exploded outward, amplified by the dish and toward the beast.
The pain strangling his body lessened. The beast shrieked. Its wings failed to flap and it started to fall as gravity claimed it. It twisted and dived, then soared back up into the sky.
Sebastian saw a rider on the beast’s back, a cyborg unlike any he had seen, almost reptilian. The cyborg was staring straight at Sebastian as the beast flew away.
The dragons had been vanquished. A huge cheer erupted from the city as the citizens reclaimed their sanctity. The city was safe for now.
Sebastian staggered down the stairs into the cheering crowd.
Melanie came running up to him. “Ohmygod, did you see that? It was amazing.”
Sebastian allowed himself a smile. “It was, wasn’t it?”
“The way Gavin fought against the GSFB was so brave.”
“Gavin?”
“Yeah, he was standing out front on the platform with the cape flying behind him, with the sun reflecting off it. He was amazing.” She sighed wistfully. “He’s been through so much. He’s so brave. Where have you been? You don’t look well. Did you get scared?”
“No, I didn’t get scare—”
The reveling crowd buffeted them away. Sebastian was knocked aside and Melanie found herself in the middle of the crowd. She stumbled and came face to face with Gavin. He smiled at her.
“You were amazing,” she said. He nodded.
He took her hands and they stared into each other’s eyes. She rose onto her toes and closed her eyes.
“Well done, lad,” said Oliver, as he slapped the youngster on the back.
Melanie hid her face behind her fan. Her hand drifted away from Gavin’s body and she clutched it to her stomach.
The crowd moved on. Sebastian got up off the floor and dusted himself down. He was alone. He sighed and turned to go to his quarters. Standing be
hind him was Nikola.
“We need to talk,” Nikola said. “Come with me.”
Sebastian went to reply but was interrupted by a loud wailing from the western gate.
26
NIKOLA AND SEBASTIAN clambered up to the western observation deck. Out over the plains they could see hundreds of cyborgs, marching in unison. Each was carrying a large weapon, angled to the left and up.
“It appears the GSFBs were only the first wave,” Nikola said.
“But we’re safe in here, aren’t we?”
“Certainly safer than a few hours ago. Today we have the advantage. Keep safe. Find Melanie.”
Nikola shouted commands at the flanks of men. The soldiers deployed along the top of the walls, with the runners stockpiling ammunition and weapons next to them. The cyborgs marched forward. Light beams started to shoot out from the approaching army, but their range diminished the destructive power of the weapons.
The rows of soldiers opened fire on the enormous skynet. The cyborgs arranged themselves into a complex formation, continually moving in closer, that provided a barrage against the city’s formidable walls, but the lack of GSFB air support hamstrung them. The Academy army, from their elevated vantage point, herded the cyborgs into a tighter and tighter group. Their power began to fail and the cyborgs fell as the constant stream of ammunition slowly cut them down.
Buoyed by the victory over the GSFBs the army drove them back, keeping the enemy from reaching them. The Zeppelins rose from behind the walls. Cannons blasted, knocking over a dozen cyborgs with each ball. The ammunition runners inside the city continually rotated, providing an endless supply of bullets.
And then the enemy broke, and the cyborgs fled back into the west.
Nikola watched the enemy scatter, leaving hundreds of dead bodies strewn over the ground. “We’ve won.”
It was night and the city was tucked away, either mourning the loss of a family member or celebrating the successful defense of the city. Sebastian walked the empty streets wondering what to do. Melanie was tending to Gavin. She was always with him these days, and he felt like she hardly had time for him at all. The streets were dark and somber, with the occasional gas lantern spilling its light onto the grim cobblestones.