by Mark Lingane
“There must be something we can do.”
“I need to operate, but if she’s been shot by one of those inhumane hybrid cyborg weapons, we can’t move her. If there’s a bullet lodged inside her, it will tear her apart. The ammunition is designed to destroy rather than just incapacitate. I had men in my cell with these bullets buried in them, crawling away in there and tearing up their insides.”
“The bullet is eating her?”
“As much as a machine can.”
Sebastian placed both hands over the injured area. Blood was still trickling out of the wound. He pressed lightly on Melanie’s stomach, paused then repeated the action.
“Oh,” Michael said.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He looked at Sebastian. “Who was she?”
“The best. She was—is—a good friend.”
“Is this @summer?”
“No. This is Melanie. We’ve known each other for years. I found her in a cave after she ran away from home, then she got me to the Academy and has been looking after me. She was dying, then she got better. She’s sort of been my protector.” He looked at the frail form of his friend and felt grief wash through him.
“Protector? There’s hardly anything to her.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, but the only thing I could do would be to cut her open and get the bullet out, but I have no instruments. She’s going to die. The best we can hope for is that she remains unconscious. At least she won’t feel the pain.”
“No,” Sebastian said, “I won’t let her die. Please try, Michael.”
“You want me to operate here, with no equipment and where there’s barely enough light to see by?”
“What about Andana’s knife?”
“It’s too big and unwieldy. I need a scalpel.”
“I can create one for you.”
“How?”
“I can cut a piece of metal, like a scalpel, from Andana’s knife, using my mind. Sort of.” He saw the look on the veterinarian’s face, and said, “I’m a tesla.”
The blank expression didn’t leave Michael’s face.
“Sorry,” Sebastian said. “So much of my life over the last couple of years has been taken up by being tesla that I forget not everyone knows what that means. I can control magnetic flow, even at an atomic level.”
Michael looked at him. Eventually he said, “No, you can’t, it’s impossible.”
“Let me show you. But first I need the knife and the battery.” He held out his hand to Andana, who was standing behind them. Andana hesitated to hand it over.
“What’s the problem, Andana?” Michael said. “The gun not enough for you?”
Peter loomed behind Andana. “Give him the knife.”
Andana looked over his shoulder into Peter’s honest yet stern face; the young man towered over him in all directions. Andana gulped, then reluctantly handed over the knife.
“Well, now you’ve done the impossible,” Peter told Andana. “Another five and we can go have breakfast.”
Sebastian took the knife in one hand and cleared his mind. He focused on part of the blade, feeling the molecular structure. He flipped the charges up into the air. “Now, take it,” he said to Michael, pointing to the empty air in front of him.
“Take what? There’s nothing there.”
“Move your hand slowly and carefully around the scalpel.”
“An invisible scalpel?”
Sebastian nodded.
Michael shrugged, then moved his hand clumsily over the point Sebastian identified. “Ow!”
“Careful.”
Michael watched the blood flowing from the small cut on his finger. He sucked on the wound as he gazed thoughtfully at Sebastian.
“Be quick,” Sebastian said. “The scalpel will go when the battery runs out.”
“There’s a lot we need to talk about after this,” Michael said.
With great care, Michael cupped his hand around the air-scalpel, feeling its shape. He gripped what he guessed was the handle, and with his eyes full of amazement, shifted next to Melanie. With a hand as still as a rock, he carefully sliced the invisible blade into her skin. He gently opened the wound.
“I can see the bullet,” he whispered.
A bloodied, dark gray shape flashed a malevolent red light. It twisted as the scalpel came near. He cut the muscle above it, but the bullet twisted again and disappeared. He tried again, but the bullet just went deeper into the tissues.
“It’s no good, I can’t cut it out,” Michael said. “The thing’s too slippery.” He sat back; blood was dripping off his hands. “The more I cut, the deeper it goes, and that’s a recipe for disaster. He looked at Sebastian. “Wait, you’ve shown me you can teleport metal in essence, so why can’t you teleport the bullet out of her?”
Sebastian frowned. “Okay, I can try, but first I have to see it.”
“If I cut open the wound a bit more, that should give you the opportunity.”
“Okay.”
“You know how dangerous this is?”
“We have to give it a go. I can’t just let her die.”
“Sometimes it’s for the best, Sebastian.” Michael sat for a moment and then nodded. “We’re only going to have one shot at this. Be focused.”
6
MICHAEL WIPED HIS hands on his trousers, removing the excess blood. He steadied himself, gave Sebastian a nod, and thrust his hands into the open wound. He swept aside the blood and pulled apart the muscle tissue.
Sebastian focused his mind. He could feel the despicable little device twisting, tearing, killing … He wrapped his mind around it and squeezed.
The air filled with a high-pitched whine. The power from the battery flowed through Sebastian, and he transported the bullet-shaped object into the air. The body of the bullet—which was shaped like a bug—consisted of a series of tiny teeth that spun around the red, malevolent light glaring from the front. Three silver tendrils swung around from the rear of the object, viciously lunging at anything nearby.
As Michael tended to Melanie’s injuries, Sebastian lifted the bullet away from her. He felt the power fade as the battery drained, and the deadly bug-shaped object dropped to the metal walkway. As it landed, it twisted, coiled its tendrils, and shot toward the men, searing into the arm of one and burrowing deep into his flesh.
Peter grabbed the thrashing tail tendrils and ripped it out of the man’s arm. Blood arced out in a fountain, splattering Andana’s face. Peter flung the object onto the metal. It twisted and crouched, ready to spring. Peter’s heavy boot stamped down and the walkway shook. The bullet cracked, and let out an ear-piercing shriek. Everyone clamped their hands over their ears until the sound stopped.
“That was not a pleasant, er, thing,” Peter said.
“Is she going to be okay?” Sebastian asked Michael.
“I don’t know, but she has a better chance now than before. This should help in getting her out of here,” he said, injecting the last of the adrenaline into Melanie’s neck.
Her eyes shot open. She leaped to her feet and lashed out, screaming, at Peter. He thrust his hands down and blocked her kick, which was aimed between his legs. She swiveled and kicked again with her opposing foot. He blocked her kick again, swayed back out of the trajectory of the right hook, and took the two left jabs to his chin without flinching.
Melanie’s eyes fluttered, and she struggled with her following hook. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed into Peter’s arms. He laid her gently back on the floor.
“My god,” Peter said, “what was that about? It was like she went into some kind of psychotic shock.”
Sebastian sighed. “No, that’s what she’s usually like.”
“Really? I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much swearing.”
“That’s nothing. You should’ve heard her when they had a shoe sale back at the Academy.”
“What’s the Academy like now?” Michael asked him. “I told you I could’ve gone there, didn’t I?”
“It’s not like it used to b
e. Research and development came to a stop because of the continual cyborg attacks. There’s been heaps of destruction. The steam monorail is still running. The tesla towers were destroyed, but they’ve nearly rebuilt one of them. Most of the public houses are still okay.”
“I’ve got to get to the Academy myself,” Peter said. “A steam-powered city would be something to see.”
Michael tore a piece of material from his clothing, folded it several times and clamped it over the wound. He tied another long piece around Melanie’s body, securing the patch in place.
“Can we get her to a hospital now?” Sebastian asked.
“She’s lost too much blood to walk,” Michael said. “I don’t know how we can get her out of here.”
“I’ll carry her,” said Peter. He pushed his long blond hair back over his head, revealing his youthful face and sparkling eyes. “She’s thin. She’ll weigh nothing.”
“Be my guest, young Peter,” Michael said.
Peter knelt down and gently lifted her, cradling her in his arms against his chest. She murmured, and then grimaced as pain twisted her body. Sebastian grabbed her small bag, slung it over his shoulder, and took the lead. They slowly made their way off the walkway and into the bright corridor on the other side that would lead them back into the Hive.
Sebastian dropped back beside Peter, close to Melanie’s head.
Melanie slowly opened her eyes and stared at Sebastian. “Who’s carrying me?” she asked him. Her voice was barely audible.
“Peter.” Sebastian looked up into Peter’s serious face. “You’ll like him.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“He said you were thin.”
She smiled, closed her eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness. He ran his hand over her hair, brushing it back from her forehead.
Sebastian moved in front of Peter, and Michael came up to check on Melanie.
“You’re a strapping lad, Peter,” Michael said. “What’s your trade?”
“I work—I used to work—for a council, on a farm.”
Michael laughed and nodded. “I know what that means.”
Peter gave him a sideways glance. “I doubt it.”
“Trust me, I do. I’m a veterinarian. Lots of rich government types have expensive pets. I know what it means. Which council?”
“One of the layers in Acumen.”
“Oh, yes, that secret agency full of field agents that go out and infiltrate enemy organizations.” Michael raised one eyebrow, challenging Peter to disagree.
“How did you know that?”
“Didn’t I say I listen?”
“Best if you keep it to yourself, if you know what I mean.”
Michael gave him a mock salute and spoke no further.
After a couple of quick turns, they came to a familiar intersection. Sebastian had to make a decision. Should he search for his friends, or honor his promise to them? He turned to face the men.
“You go left,” he said. “Follow the left wall.”
“Where are you going?” Michael asked.
“I have to keep a promise. I’ll catch up.”
Sebastian quickly shuffled through Melanie’s bag and extracted two small, round metallic objects and stuffed them in his pocket. He handed the bag to Michael and watched the group follow the curve of the corridor.
He swallowed nervously and turned to the right. He made his way along the corridor until he came to a stairwell, and sprinted up several floors. Ahead of him lay the cells and the command offices. He made his way around the curving corridor, away from the detention area and into the upper levels of the tower.
Large windows to his right overlooked the threatening creation that was thrashing around in the large cylinder made by the curved floor.
The windows stopped and ahead lay the path Melanie had disappeared down. It seemed like so long ago. She had gone to destroy the creation, but Sebastian had messed up and instead she had come to save him. Guilt weighed heavily on him. The next time they saw her, she had been talking about giant spiders. And Isaac had mentioned spiders, too. Isaac, his friend, who he had ignored and belittled because he didn’t have the same powers as Sebastian, who he had forced away with his selfish thinking, who had warned him of the dangers ahead, which he had ignored because he was so wrapped up in his quest to find his mother.
The wall on his right, covered in large green squares that held golden cylinders and flat black squares, radiated gentle warmth. As he proceeded along the passageway, the green squares grew smaller, as did the black squares on them. Soon the green disappeared altogether, and the wall was made up solely of the black squares.
He could feel the heat from the wall. It felt tropical. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and got an immediate sense of an abrupt cessation of movement and the wall standing very still. That’s a strange thought to have about walls, he thought. Walls are generally known for their stillness.
The heat built as he continued along the curving corridor. There were still no signs of life. Then, he caught a sudden flash of movement, followed by the faintest of scuttling noises. He placed one hand against the wall and touched one of the black squares. It emitted a tiny, high-pitched tone, then fell to the floor. Dozens of tiny metal legs around its edges pointed straight up. The adjacent black squares quickly dashed away. Underneath these creatures, the wall was covered in a green sticky fungus.
Sebastian touched the fungus and immediately pulled his hand away. Green tendrils stretched out between his fingers and the wall’s surface. The tendrils hung in the air, swooping around in circles. He tried to grab one, but it shrank back against the wall.
“Weird,” he said. An echo of his voice rippled down the wall. The black creatures rolled like a wave as the word faded into silence. “Double weird.”
He looked down the corridor and caught a glimpse of something very large and dark, barely hidden. He turned and ran. He heard rattling and scuttling behind him, and glanced over his shoulder. He looked up and his mouth fell open in horror.
7
HE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. Towering above him was a gigantic spider comprised solely of the tiny black squares. A wave of squares twirled up and around him, then speared downward.
He let out a short, sharp scream. The spider collapsed to the floor in millions of pieces that washed away like a wave. He stood watching, semi-shocked, as the pieces slid away, almost giving the impression that they were hiding around the curve in the wall. He took a sudden step toward them and they scuttled away around the corner.
“Yeah, you remember that,” he said.
The pile of squares slowly appeared and then scuttled away again when they saw him. He shivered, then turned and ran in the opposite direction toward his destination.
He reached the viewing platform. Its simple, industrial straight-line design contrasted with the curving walls. The metal plate jutting out into the void looked thin and insubstantial against the enormity of the inside of the tower, and the thin metal wire forming a safety rail around it, even more so. He felt the nearly invisible electromagnetic field wrap itself around him as it attempted to stop him bursting through. The field tensed, stretched, but could not contain him. He stepped through onto the metal deck. The small squares were assembling on the other side of the electromagnetic field. They formed into a tall column, swirling around in a mini tornado.
He tore his attention away from the ominous vision and turned to face his nemesis. “It’s you and me now,” he muttered. “It’s time to finish what I came to do. We’ve been fighting for too long over things we don’t understand. I end this darkness now.”
He twisted one of the metal spheres he had taken from Melanie’s bag. It glowed red. He drew his arm back, ready to throw the weapon.
Isaac was standing far below him, in the center of the twirling ropes of lightning.
“Crikey, what’s going on?” Sebastian said.
Sebastian could see Isaac’s lips moving, but his voice was lost in t
he maelstrom echoing in the chamber. Isaac stood, unmoving, staring off into some unknown future. Occasional sparks of light jumped onto him and crawled over his body before dissipating.
Sebastian frantically searched for a way down to Isaac, but the drop loomed perilously before him.
A black box with a large camera lens extended down from the ceiling and turned to face him. “Sebastian,” Iris said. “I can’t read your mind, but I hope, for your sake, you’ve come home.”
“There can never be a home for me here. You represent nothing but pain and misery.”
“Never mind. I no longer need you now that I have Isaac.”
“What have you done to him?”
The camera turned to face Isaac, who was emotionless, with his eyes closed, in the fields of light. “I’ve improved him,” Iris said.
Isaac opened his eyes and trained them on Sebastian. He unleashed a bolt of lightning. Sebastian dived for the floor. The wave of light rolled over him, spinning him backward and sending him into the wall. The red sphere he had been holding bounced out of his hand, rolled to the edge of the landing and paused momentarily before falling. Sebastian lunged after it, but the sphere slipped through his fingers.
In silence the sphere tumbled to the ground far below. It rolled to a stop against Isaac’s feet. A blue shield erupted from the sphere and wrapped itself around Isaac, then rocketed upwards. There was a silent implosion that sucked all the air downward. Then the pressure reversed and blew Sebastian away from the landing’s edge.
The sphere flared and flames roared upward. The flow of the lightning slowed and hung suspended for a moment, frozen in time. Sebastian felt the draw of the power as it changed, the pain ebbed away, and he felt free, floating.
Before his eyes, the lightning turned gray, then discolored to an absorbent black. In what felt like a breath of the gods, the power rolled over him and knocked him to the ground. The black lightning slammed into the landing, causing the building to shake violently. The windows surrounding the cylindrical chamber exploded, showering glass-rain into the darkness below. Green tentacles smeared the walls, releasing the foul stench of rotting vegetation.