by Mark Lingane
“I can’t believe we’re only halfway to the capital,” Peter said.
“It’s been tough, no mistake.”
“Why did we drive? Couldn’t someone have suggested a bird?”
“We’re depleted in that regard,” Nikola said. In an official voice, he intoned: “The Academy seniors feel the zeppelins should be used for official reasons—that is, theirs.” He blew a raspberry.
“I don’t think I can take another week on the bike,” Peter said. “How are we getting to the capital? Can we at least swap around in the vehicles?”
“Ah, I have a plan,” Nikola replied. “I’m relying on someone highly unethical, who owes me a favor, to smuggle us in.”
“Smuggle?” Peter said. “We’re a peace mission. Why do we need to be smuggled?”
Parker and Nikola exchanged a furtive glance.
“Plans have changed while we’ve been traveling. We might not be as peaceful as we stated,” Nikola said enigmatically.
Beyond that, he wouldn’t be drawn. Instead, he told bawdy jokes that had Angel blushing and Melanie rolling her eyes, loudly proclaiming he was doing it wrong. When she interjected with the appropriate hand gestures, the laughs dried up.
In the early-morning sun, the team prepared for the big day ahead. Nikola had disappeared. When he roared up on his bike, his scarf flowing out behind him, hair flying wildly, heat was pouring off the bike and a light shimmer surrounded the engine. Blood covered the front fender and parts of the fuel tank.
Peter looked at his watch. “Where’ve you been?”
“Cavorting with the enemy. We move out in half an hour, after my bike, and associated body parts, have cooled.” He dismounted. He stood with his legs apart, and cautiously bent forward. He winced as he walked awkwardly toward the others.
“How do you like your eggs?” Parker said. “Are they boiled or have you fried them?”
“I have some ointment if you want me to rub something on them,” Angel offered.
Parker and Melanie looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Parker chuckled. “Best offer you’ll get, Commander.”
Nikola limped over to Albert’s SUV and dumped the equipment in the rear. After a couple of steadying breaths, he reappeared, walking more like a commander, brushing his hair back into a more manageable bird’s nest. They all milled around, waiting for him to get himself together. After the color returned to his face, he summoned them together.
“Frankly, I’m amazed we’ve come this far after the things we’ve had to deal with along the way. Ahead is the most dangerous leg. Stick together and keep your eyes and ears open. If all goes well, either by lunchtime or Christmas, we’ll be in soft beds.”
They took off, peeling onto the road in single file.
46
THE TERRAIN FINALLY began to change as the barren plains gave away to leafy foliage. The road rose steadily. Settlements were still few and far between, but there was a sense of activity at the periphery of most.
At midday, they came to a halt at the apex of the rise and took in the magnificent vista. Before them lay the lowlands. The scarp at their feet sheared down abruptly, revealing the road ahead winding through a heavily forested series of valleys. The lushness washed over them.
They felt reinvigorated and filled with glee as they coasted down the long and winding road. But the mark of civilization wasn’t far away: before they hit the base of the scarp, the trees had all but disappeared and been replaced by the dilapidated ruins of urbanization.
Badly vandalized houses populated the hillsides. Figures moved in the shade, watching them pass by. The numbers increased the lower they descended into the valley. People started to appear bolder, crouching in the side streets, lying on roofs, peering through windows, watching, waiting.
They came down into a small settlement at the base of the valley. The walls of New Toowoomba loomed ahead, and their spirits lifted even more. The large complex was comprehensively guarded with heavily reinforced defenses that were highly visible and obviously used.
Inside, they would be safe.
Inside, they could all get a good night’s sleep and decent food.
Inside …
If they could make it.
They came to a shuddering halt. Ahead was a greenish wall of teeth and claws.
“That’s bad,” Peter said.
Nikola looked worried. “How many do you think there are?”
“Sixty. Eighty. A hundred. Who knows?”
Nikola sighed. “It’s going to take all morning.”
They looked at each other.
“Let’s get to it,” Peter said.
Nikola signaled for the SUVs to be taken into a side street for protection and got off his steambike. He braced himself, tightening his armor and readying his sword. Peter dismounted from his bike and picked up his rifle.
Then the hoard was on them.
Peter fired into the advancing attackers, then dropped his rifle and ripped the two-handed sword off his back. They fought back-to-back, pirouetting and parrying as the attackers came in waves around them, bringing them down one at a time. Sweat poured off them.
“How’re you doing?” Nikola yelled over his shoulder.
“I’m struggling,” Peter yelled back.
“Me too.”
There was a roar from the side alley. An SUV hurtled out with Albert at the wheel and Melanie, in the exosuit, hanging off the rear, pink Gatling guns blasting at full bore. Smoke and bullets cascaded through the air. The attackers fell like dominoes, or simply exploded as the intense firepower burst through them.
Nikola and Peter made quick work of the remaining ten attackers, and were sheathing their weapons when the SUV came to a skidding stop beside them.
They regrouped and headed toward the city walls. Nikola knocked on the great gate. A small door to one side of it opened.
“That was some impressive fighting, sir. I especially like that suit.”
“Commander,” Nikola corrected.
The guard raised an eyebrow. “Commander of what?”
“Commander of the Steam Academy, the collected military services, the western quadrant and associated regions and allies, and senior officer in the Pacific seaboard. We seek shelter. Urgently.”
The large gate opened, agonizingly slowly to those waiting outside. Their vehicles rolled into the courtyard and drifted to a halt. Steam and dust swirled in the air. The team let out a collective sigh. Nikola got down off his steambike.
The guard saluted. “Sorry, Commander. These days, we have many unsavory people coming through New Toowoomba with self-appointed and over-inflated titles.”
“Sounds like you’re describing almost everyone in a management or council position.”
The guard smiled. “What’s your destination?”
“We want to speak with your officials, but first we’d like a day or two to recuperate. It’s been a taxing week.”
“Right, Commander.”
The guard shouted out a command and the quartermaster bustled out of a nearby building. He made a quick count and assigned seven rooms. In his exhaustion, Nikola didn’t notice the error.
“You’ll be safe here,” the guard said, obviously proud of his claim. “There hasn’t been a breech to date.”
Melanie stepped off the back of the SUV and was instantly surrounded by admiring men. She knew they wanted to examine the exosuit, but since it was hers, she reasoned that, by association, they were admiring her, and that lifted her spirits.
The quartermaster took a closer look at her. “You look extremely pale. Do you need medical attention?”
“I’ll be all right. I just haven’t had any decent sleep for days.”
Peter walked over. “Are you strong enough to use that?” he said, indicating the suit.
“It takes a lot of the load. I feel better in it.”
“Okay. But don’t overdo it.”
She gave him a brief but cold smile before focusing on undoing the s
trapping that was confining her. The suit hissed as steam rushed out of the escape valves, and she stepped free. Her legs were heavy.
When a guard led her to a room, she was pleased to see it was on the opposite side of the compound from Angel. Peter took the room next to her. They both instantly collapsed onto their respective beds.
Angel stepped into the shadows of her room. She ran her finger down the young man’s chest to his stomach. He tensed his muscles. She was impressed by his ability to sneak in.
“Was it you two nights ago who killed the creatures?”
“Yes. To protect you.”
“That was brave of you, but you shouldn’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.” She gave him a sultry smile. “It’s time, my pretty boy.” She handed him a small vial. “Are you ready?”
“I’m looking forward to it. The revenge will be a pleasure.”
47
THE CAPTAIN OF the guards saluted Nikola as he entered the mess.
“Captain,” Nikola said, acknowledging the man. “No need for formalities. What’s your name?”
“Captain Peck, Simon Peck.”
“Simon, talk with me as I eat. I haven’t had a proper meal in a week, so I warn you, it may get messy.”
When the two men had sat on opposite sides of the wooden table, Nikola said, “Tell me about what happened here. We met two privates on the road masquerading as sergeants from the western patrol. They had a story, but I have to question its authenticity.”
“It’s odd to find two soldiers on their own out in the wilderness. They sound like deserters to me. We’ve had enough of them, but when I think of some of the dark hours, I can understand why.”
Nikola nodded. “The world’s changing quickly,” he said, “and in bad ways.” He toyed with the knife by his plate. “We’re expecting two more of our company to arrive. I was hoping they’d be here by now. They’re bringing important … medical supplies for us.”
“We have a fully equipped medical room here, and a surgeon on call.”
“This is a special task and highly secret. I’d rather not go into it at the moment.”
Simon gave Nikola a focused stare. “If there’s something I need to know about, tell me. If one of your people is infected, for instance.”
Nikola relented. “We might have a cure for the disease, but before we can risk using it, we need to mass-produce it. Are there any science facilities here in New Toowoomba?”
“Not anymore. That whole sector was overrun quickly in the first green wave. Not much survived. I think they see science as the enemy.”
Nikola sat back and looked at the ceiling, shaking his head. “That really gets to me. Eventually, science will cure them, and this is how they act.”
“But it doesn’t matter to them if they don’t think they’re sick. From what we’ve seen, and we’ve seen a lot, their minds are focused on the more”—he paused, searching for the right words—“primal urges. If they’re attacking you, it might be more than just wanting to eat you. There are other urges they’re after.”
“I suppose, at a basic level, we’re all like that. This disease just seems to amplify it.”
“It reduces the infected to animals. They’re nothing more than wild dogs. That’s what we need to tell ourselves if we recognize family or friends in their ranks.”
Nikola put down his fork. “Those infected that attacked us just now seemed faster and stronger than the ones we met on the road.”
“Yes. The weaker ones get pushed further out. The closer you get to the source, the more intense they get.”
“The source? I assume you mean the capital. Are you saying the infection comes from the capital? We’ve got some sketchy information. The leader, this new dictator, calls himself the Hunter, is that right? I heard he’s in some protectionist racket, where he’ll protect you if you send him goods.”
“Yeah.” Simon’s face darkened, visibly discomforted by the topic. “We get some pretty good intel through the traders. I’ll exchange it for one of those suits the young lady was using.”
“Sorry, we’ve only got one exosuit with us, and it’s designed specifically for Melanie. But we’ve got a couple of prototypes back at the Steam Academy. We could come to an agreement about lending you one.”
Simon smiled. “You might have yourself a deal. Does this exosuit make the wearer move faster? It looked like she was pretty swift.”
“No, it actually slows the wearer down.” Nikola scratched his chin and looked away briefly before returning his attention to Simon. “The speed appears to be a new development. Maybe Albert’s modified it in some way. I need to talk to him about that.” He took a couple of mouthfuls and chewed thoughtfully. “Tell me about the Hunter.”
“First of all, there’s no protection. He uses the word, but never defines what he’s protecting you from. He implies it’s from infected attacks, but, as you can see, that isn’t the case. He talks about a “cure” and says he’s almost there, but he needs supplies so he can keep working on it.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“The supplies he wants aren’t food,” Simon said in disgust. “He wants young girls. He says the girls help him. So, all these towns send him their young girls, and he promises to keep working on his miracle cure. When each town dies out, he moves onto the next one.”
Nikola looked shocked. “Why on earth would they send him their young girls?”
“Maybe they think the town’s going to get wiped out and it’s the only chance to save themselves. Who knows? When times get desperate, people don’t tend to think straight.” Continuing with his horror story, Simon said, “Did you know some people catch the infected ones and use them for their own entertainment?”
“That sounds monumentally stupid and suicidal.”
“Yep, but when’s that ever stopped anyone? People are twisted enough. Like I said, when life gets uncertain, morals become more of an optional extra.”
“Things have got to change.”
“Are you going to do it?”
Nikola raised an eyebrow.
Simon laughed, incredulous. “With that motley crew out there? Against thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of those infected psychos? You have no chance.”
“We’ve survived so far.”
“Surviving isn’t the same as winning. There are packs of twenty or more infected roaming around. If they see you, you’ll be goners. They’re not smart, but they’re relentless.”
“You have traders coming in from the east. That makes them a certain kind of trader—pirates.”
Simon nodded. “We now have land pirates. Great, isn’t it?”
“Where are they docking the birds?”
“Down at the old train station. You might’ve noticed the big brass-domed building. They tether the voidships to the promenade like oversized horses.” He gave Nikola a smile. “There are some interesting business practices that go on there.”
48
THERE WAS A knock on Peter’s door. He groaned a response.
Angel’s head appeared. “I was checking to see if you needed any medical attention. You’ve been valiantly defending us. I haven’t seen anyone show you any attention or affection for what you’ve done.”
“It’s my job. No attention required.”
“But I haven’t told you what it is I’m offering.”
“Can we not do this now? I’m really tired and my head’s spinning.”
She sat down next to him and gently pressed her fingertips against his temples.
“Please, there’s no need.” He paused mid word. His headache drifted away. “Actually, that’s quite soothing.” His eyes closed and he sat back against the wall.
She moved closer to him. Her breath touched his neck. He didn’t move away. Her lips grazed his cheek. He didn’t move away. She gently placed a kiss on his lips.
His eyes shot open and he leaped up. “Hang on a minute,” he cried.
“But, weren’t you enjoying it?”
&n
bsp; “I … that’s not the point.”
“I thought it was understood. I thought we understood each other.”
“Just go back to your room.”
She stood up and moved to the door. She looked over her shoulder at him. “I’ll be waiting for you.” She disappeared out the door.
Peter sat down on his bed and let out a big sigh. He reclined and closed his eyes.
Melanie stormed into the room. “I saw her coming out of here. What was she doing?”
Peter groaned. “Nothing. She has strange ideas in her head, that’s all.”
“You seem to be spending a lot of time with her lately.”
“Not really.” And because he was tired and wasn’t thinking, he added, “Only compared to you lying in the back of the SUV.”
“So it’s my fault?” she shouted.
“What? No! She’s just confused.”
“Well, I hope you’ve unconfused her.”
“Stop getting wound up about it.” Frustration ceased his brow. “Geez, I’m really tired and I don’t appreciate this grief.”
“What did she do in here?”
“I told you, nothing happened.”
“Why are you lying to me?” Tears rolled down her face. “By the way, her lipstick really suits you.” She stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
Outside, Melanie spotted Angel out of the corner of her eye. Angel was leaning against the wall, grinning.
Peter looked in the mirror. He had a bright red streak smeared across his cheek and over his lips. He wiped it away and then looked himself in the eye in the reflection. He sighed. Enough was enough. It was time to do something.
Albert unpacked the SUV and transferred the science equipment to his room. He spotted the EM reader Nikola had borrowed and rubbed his hands together. Raw data vied for his attention. Food, sleep and personal hygiene drifted away from the world of consequence.