The Deaths of Tao

by Wesley Chu

  Enzo winked at Azumi as he passed and was rewarded with a slight stutter in her recitation. He stopped at the foot of the bamboo mat as Matthew and Akelatis completed their round. Enzo settled down and waited, watching with professional interest as two of his younger brothers beat each other senseless. Ten seconds into watching the fight, he knew Akelatis would win. Matthew was constantly half a step slow in his counters, especially on his right. There was a blossoming bruise just below his eye on that side; it must obscure his vision. His arm also displayed an ugly welt just above the elbow. Akelatis was not strong, but had a quick release with his lead leg.

  Enzo began to recite his analysis, starting with the technology market in the States and the recent five-day decline of the Dow. Then he proceeded to tie the Dow with the recent fall of the euro in the currency markets and how it was affected by austerity measures on fringe economies of the European Union. Then he moved on to the rise in prices of concrete and industrial cranes, which had had a significant jump of fourteen percent in the past month.

  Seven minutes into his analysis, Austin walked out of the pool and approached the mat, standing at attention on the eastern side of the mat. Doing some quick math, Enzo made a mental note on Austin’s conditioning; he was twenty percent off his initial pace. The fight in the center of the mat ended with Akelatis chasing a retreating Matthew off the floor.

  Elder Mother had long since stopped listening to Enzo. Her focus was on the melee. She beckoned them back to the center. Enzo continued his monologue about the recent drop in heroin prices on the black market as Elder Mother gave his two brothers her breakdown on their fight. Akelatis would make a fine field commander for a mid-level Holy One. Matthew was fated for an administrator’s life. Neither was Council material though. Then again, few were. Currently, there was only one Adonis Vessel worthy of the Council residing at the Hatchery.

  “Austin, join us,” Elder Mother said. The lad bowed and took position next to Matthew and Akelatis on the right edge of the mat. Then Elder Mother finally gestured for Enzo to approach. He bowed and took position at the end of the line. Elder Mother put her hands together between Enzo and the other three and then opened them. She was setting up a one versus three fight. The men split up into the two groups and faced each other.

  “Would you take these odds?” she asked.

  Unconsciously, Enzo flexed his shoulders and felt his back crack as they loosened up. All three were younger. Austin might be stronger but he was the most green and his boxing style was rudimentary. Akelatis was the quickest, preferring taekwondo as his style. He had also injured his left hamstring a week ago. Matthew had the most experience, preferring to fight with judo. He had pillow punches but was the most tactically sound. Judging by his posture, he was also gassed. This fight would come down to how much energy Austin had expended during his swim. Several more factors ran through Enzo’s head as he considered his options.

  “Well,” Elder Mother said.

  “In this scenario, Mother, do I have the option to withdraw?”

  “The combat is optional, though once you engage, you are committed.”

  “And the prize for victory?”

  “Significant.”

  “Very well then. I accept.” He bowed and walked to the middle of the mat. The three men exchanged glances and spread out to both sides of him.

  “You believe this an equal fight?” Elder Mother asked.

  “If I believed it an equal fight, Mother, I would not have accepted.”

  Elder Mother smiled. “Your assessment of this situation is correct. Azumi, please join your brothers and see if you can balance the scales.”

  Behind him, Enzo heard the sloppy recitation of Sun Tzu’s masterpiece end and Azumi’s light footsteps approach. The situation had just turned dire. Azumi’s standing in combat was just beneath his. In fact, she had the ability to win one in ten against him. Add in the others and he stood no chance of victory.

  “Tilting the scales heavily in their favor hardly seems balanced, Mother,” Enzo murmured, retreating slowly to one corner of the mat. He could not afford to be surrounded.

  “Imposing your will and strength over another is a sign of your superiority. Enzo, you believe you stand above your siblings, that you are their better. Prove it.” Elder Mother turned to the other four standing opposite of him. “Children, you are to beat Brother Enzo until he loses consciousness. Begin.”

  The fight attracted several new viewers. A small crowd of his brothers and sisters gathered around the mat to watch. Many of the servants stopped as well to watch the spectacle. Enzo had to be careful. Even in training, he could lower his standing among them, and that standing would be important for all these future leaders of the Genjix.

  Enzo’s mind raced. This was not a situation he could win on his own, yet Elder Mother would not put him in a situation that did not have a solution. They spread out, cutting off his escape routes as they closed in on him. He anticipated he had about twenty seconds to solve this encounter. It came down to his opponents. Matthew and Austin would not change the outcome of the fight regardless of which side they fought on. Akelatis was injured but the most malleable. Azumi would give him the decided edge but would require the highest price.

  “Sister,” he called out, not looking her way. “Why do you fight me?”

  “Mother has ordered it so,” she answered. “And I obey, praise be the Holy Ones.”

  “Mother,” Enzo kept his voice calm. He had to work hard to appear in control. “What if Azumi chooses to not engage in this encounter?”

  “She must,” Patron Master said. “Or she will stand guard at the west wing for the next two nights.”

  “Sister,” Enzo said quickly, “I offer to take your place at guard if you come to my side.”

  “Your offer gains me nothing,” She cracked her knuckles and stretched her shoulders and settled into her Muay Thai stance. The other three were already closing in. If they were smart, they would attack immediately to prevent him from negotiating with Azumi. However, none was willing to lead the charge against him.

  “Then what do you wish?”

  “Such an open ended question, Brother. I wish for world peace and a Holy One.”

  “Something I can offer you.”

  “It seems there is not much you can offer me at this time.”

  Before he could respond, Matthew lunged. Though he was the least threat, he recognized that any successful negotiation with Azumi would turn the tide to Enzo’s favor. His decision to attack was tactically sound, if not a bit suicidal. Just as he charged forward, Azumi turned and threw a forearm to his neck, leaving him writhing on the ground gasping for air. A murmur of surprise swept through the audience. This turn of events surprised everyone, including Enzo. However, he quickly reappraised the situation and pressed his attack on Akelatis while Azumi destroyed Austin. The melee was short and ugly. Akelatis and Austin were no match for them. The fight ended with Akelatis unconscious on the ground and Austin suffering a dislocated shoulder. Enzo glanced at Azumi and nodded. She gave him a quick two finger salute and walked off. Elder Mother smiled.

  “At this time” is what should have given her away. Enzo had thought today’s test was for him. It was then that he realized that he was just a part of the test. Azumi was Elder Mother’s real focus. Now Enzo, an already blessed vessel of the Council, was beholden to her. That future favor was far more valuable than anything he could offer right now. Furthermore, her standing in the Hatchery had just skyrocketed. She had proven to be a cunning vessel. Enzo bowed and was about to leave the floor when one of the servants came in and whispered in Elder Mother’s ear. She listened attentively, her eyes locked on Enzo.

  “Enzo,” she called out. “You have been summoned. The plane leaves within the hour.”

  FIVE

  REUNION

  Our crash sparked a chain reaction of destruction and climate change that wiped out the majority of life on the planet. Less than a third of the survivors lived through Ear
th’s transition as the planet underwent massive seismic shifts.

  For millions of years, we struggled to stay alive, flitting from one dying creature to another. Eventually, we were scattered, all semblance of organization lost. And then we lost our way as sentient beings, eventually becoming nothing more than living mist, parasites that occupied hosts by instinct.

  Tao

  Jill’s car screeched as it turned down a ramp into the parking garage of an abandoned warehouse. They had made the three-hour drive in two, speeding down Highway 82 to the 66 at breakneck speeds. The entire time, Roen held the door rail with a white-fisted death grip. It wasn’t because he was afraid of driving fast, it was because Jill was the one driving. Her car making noises like a dying cow when accelerating didn’t help matters much either.

  She admonished him several times for passenger-side driving, scolding him whenever he reacted as if they were about to die in a fiery blaze of automobile glory. It took a while, but he finally settled down into a quiet whimper as they sped through the night. Luckily, she had government plates, or they’d surely have been pulled over by now. He certainly didn’t remember her driving like this when they were together. By dawn, they reached the outskirts of the city proper and headed south toward a run-down industrial district.

  The sun was just past the ridgeline in the east. Their lack of sleep coupled with the alcohol they had both drunk was taking its toll on them. Surprisingly, the dilapidated parking garage attached to the warehouse was filled with cars. She pulled into an open space and hopped out, gesturing for him to hurry. Roen opened his door and promptly nicked the side panel of an expensive-looking Mercedes.

  Come on. Really?

  Roen looked at the small scratch sheepishly. “I hardly got any sleep.”

  And you smell like a cask of whiskey.

  Jill gave him an exasperated look. “Still oblivious. You know whose car that is, don’t you?”

  Roen shook his head. “Do I want to?”

  “You tell the Keeper you scratched her car when you see her.”

  “The Keeper?” he gasped. “You mean, this dump is Prophus Command? I thought it was just a safe house.”

  The Keeper has a few character flaws and living in comfort is one of them. I blame that on her living in pharaohs for a thousand years. Things must be much worse than we thought.

  Jill nodded and walked to a door at the end of the lot. “The Genjix has made it difficult to maintain a permanent base within the United States. Most of them now are in third world countries. We still need a heavy presence in the nation’s capital though, so this is it.”

  Roen scanned the garage. This place would definitely not pass the sniff test. The mixture of cars was too strange. The Keeper’s car must be over a hundred grand while the car next to hers looked like a Jeep that might have rolled off the assembly line during World War II.

  He hurried after Jill. By the time he caught up with her, she was walking through a dark tunnel that looked like it hadn’t been used in years, much less belonged to the Prophus command center. There were thick layers of dust on everything. Roen pinched his nose to stop from sneezing. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she had a hit out on him. That sort of uneasy feeling was common among operatives.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” Immediately, he regretted asking that. Of course she was sure. Sometimes, he just couldn’t help asking. She awarded his dumb question with a hostile glare before walking into a large storage room. She tapped on a hidden panel on the far wall and a retinal scanner appeared. After authorizing herself, the wall swung open.

  “Get in,” she said. “The dust sprays kick on in thirty seconds.”

  “Cute,” he grumbled as he went in after her. The wall swung closed behind them and they continued down a cleaner, better-lit tunnel. “What about all the cars out there? Looks a bit obvious, no?”

  “Most in that lot are registered as DEA impounds,” she explained. “This is technically a lot for cars preparing for auction.”

  They walked through another set of doors and turned right, going down a long flight of stairs. Two guards met them before they reached the end, where a rusty coiling door was rolled halfway open.

  “Ma’am,” one of them said, “you’re clear. This one we have to take in.”

  Early twenties. Seventy-five kilograms. Chest armor only.

  “Not military by the way he’s holding the gun. Trigger finger off. Not expecting to use it.”

  Second target. Even younger. Overweight. Same armor. Rifle at his waist.

  “What the hell? Seems anyone can join the club these days.”

  Sixty degrees right, cut off line of sight on second, disarm first, use as body shield, shoot second?

  “These two cubs? No need to get fancy. I might as well just Hulk-smash them.”

  How droll. How about control right barrel with hand, spin kick to chest on second. I would say face, but you are not quite that limber anymore. A groin pull would be unfortunate.

  “It’s the jeans; they’re too tight. I can body check one, obstruct two’s line of sight...”

  Jill snapped her fingers in front of Roen’s face. “Stop mentally masturbating. I know what you two idiots are thinking.”

  Roen managed to look a little crestfallen, though if anything, it was an act to get the rookies to lower their guards. This exercise was one Tao used to hone Roen’s tactics during fights. Now, it was a game between them to see who could be more creative.

  She put on a stern face and glared at the two young guards. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Of course ma’am,” the one in the rear said.

  “Good. The jerk’s with me. Let us through.”

  They exchanged hesitant glances before the one in front stepped aside. Jill thanked them and continued through the entrance. Roen followed dutifully, but as he passed them, he couldn’t help himself. He gestured to the skinny cub and flicked the boy’s trigger hand with his finger.

  “Look, if you’re going to point a rifle at someone less than a meter away, keep your damn finger on the trigger.” Then he rounded on the fat one in the back. “And you, who do you think you are, holding yours at your waist? Are you in a Columbian cartel? Listen Che, up here.” Roen snatched the rifle and stuck it at shoulder level. He turned away and muttered. “You two schlubs have no idea how close you were to getting killed just now.”

  That will endear you to the troops.

  “I’m assuming we’re here on a temporary basis, right? We’re contracting this gig.”

  Nothing like contracting for free.

  They passed by the coiling door and entered a large open space teeming with activity. The current Prophus command center looked like someone started unpacking and then left for lunch. Roen’s eyes followed the cable lines that snaked across the floors to the corners and down the room to another that most likely housed the data center. There were half-unpacked crates everywhere and the entire room felt very makeshift.

  Dust on the walls and shelves. Weapons all live on racks.

  “How long have you been here?” he asked.

  “Four months,” Jill replied. “All bases are mobile now. We can’t afford to stay in one place for too long these days.”

  “Why isn’t that man under guard?” A voice belted over the constant buzzing of the room. A red-faced Stephen approached with his right hand on his holstered sidearm.

  “Thirty degree angle left, right arm clothesline?”

  It is only Stephen. He has twigs for legs. Go low.

  Stephen got close and poked a finger into his face. “We don’t take to deserters kindly around here.”

  Roen held his ground and gave Stephen an even look, half prepared to defend himself. The two stood still for several moments. In the back of his head, he heard that old Wild West music playing and imagined a tumbleweed rolling past them. Then finally, the end of Stephen’s mouth twitched upward; he grinned. “It’s good to see you again, Roen. I see you haven’t let yourself go.” />
  “Not all the way,” Roen grinned back. “And I see you still can’t hold a poker face.” Stephen was one of the few people in the organization who Roen would take a bullet for. He thought of the Field Marshal of the Prophus forces as a father figure and, along with Jill and Dylan, he was the only person Roen felt guilty for abandoning.

  Stephen turned and motioned for Roen to follow. “So how’s that fact-finding mission of yours coming along?” He was also one of the few to take Roen’s conspiracies seriously.

  Roen was more than happy to share the information. “The Genjix are planning something big. We know they are heavily invested in ProGenesis, trying to procreate our kind, but I believe that is only a means to an end. Their research divisions have been sourcing raw materials that have nothing to do with the reproduction process. They recently completed a heavy water refinery in Siberia, and they’ve snapped up every ounce of certain rare metals they can get their hands on in South Africa. It’s a large puzzle. One that I haven’t put together yet. I believe a large part of their refining is done in the States and routed to China.”

  Unlike most of Command, Stephen actually seemed interested in Roen’s findings. “We found scattered reports that correlate with what you just said, though our intelligence gathering is only a shadow of what it was a few years ago. You have any theories on what they’re up to?”

  Roen shook his head. “Something Sean told me at the Decennial stuck in my mind. It was about not caring if the Quasing return home or not. Then we discovered those mutated algae in that Newfoundland research facility two years ago. I traced the empty chemical barrels to a testing lab in Mongolia. The CO2 emissions in the fields there were off the charts. It got me thinking...”

  They reached a set of double doors. Stephen stopped and turned to him. “You might want to stick around. We have intel you might find interesting. Besides, we can use your gun. Lord knows we’re short on quality men these days. What do you say?”