Beyond Eternity

by Paul Deaver

I didn't feel any better. Finn was innocent to the core. He carried a heavier burden than most adults, and I wished we had traded fates. Anson's eyes were sympathetic despite the sorrow on his face, but I couldn't stand to look at him. I lowered my head in shame.

  Anson wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear. "These are the times that try men's souls. We must not let the darkness bind us, but shed light upon the world."

  I straightened up. "How can we stop this from happening to another child? How do we destroy the portal? That's the key, isn't it? Without the portal, Rex loses his grip on this world and the ability to invade mine."

  "Robert, it won't be easy. That structure is stronger than you could imagine. It's made out of the same material as the Odyssey and unmatched in durability."

  "I need to find a way. They got John's holographic memory cube."

  "Then time is short. The Family can launch an assault within the hour, with a full invasion force ready shortly after."

  "I have to stop them. I'll do whatever it takes."

  "Not so fast. While the Odyssey has some amazing capabilities, it lacks the firepower to destroy the portal. Your best chance is to get the memory cube back, but you better do it before they bring it to the control tower. That building is highly fortified, and there is little hope once they have it there."

  I looked past Anson and saw Glinda slowly approaching with Hazel at her side. She reached for my hand and placed a vial on my palm. Glinda said, "This is the same serum I used to save your life. It's all I have left, but you'll need it to help regain your strength. Go and make things right."

  An alarm sounded before I could respond. Hazel ran to a computer and said, "There are aircraft flying overhead towards the portal. They must be transporting the memory cube."

  I shoved Glinda's vial in my pocket and ran up the stairs to the Odyssey. It was time to strike back.

  Chapter 14

  We flew up the levels of the parking garage twice as fast as we had descended.

  "Hazel, try not to kill us before we even get to the battle."

  She smiled and said, "I was taking it easy just for you, but we don't have a moment to waste. Enforcers may be slow, but we're going to be in for a hell of a fight if we don't stop those ships before they get to the portal. "We reached the surface and Hazel weaved between buildings until we cleared the edge of the ruins. "Keep your eyes peeled."

  I scanned the horizon and picked out a cluster of hotspots with my infrared sensors. "I think I have them." Zooming in, I could clearly make out an Enforcer and several Javelins.

  Hazel said, "I have your picture up on my display. If we approach from behind, we may catch them by surprise. Enforcers have a blind spot directly to their rear. It won't be able to engage us and we'll be relatively safe as long as we stay in it."

  "Think I should hit the Enforcer or the Javelins first?"

  Before Hazel could respond, four of the Javelins broke off to attack us, while the last sped away. The Enforcer began a slow turn to line up its weapons on us. So much for surprise.

  Hazel said, "Engage the Enforcer! I bet that's where they have the memory cube and we only have one shot at this. It'll be a short fight if we don't find a way to crack that thing open before reinforcements arrive. I'm not sure our cannon will penetrate the Enforcer's armor, but we have to try."

  "Okay."

  Hazel kept us on its blindside and I picked out what appeared to be a weakness. There was a hatch on the back of the Enforcer, but it looked pretty thick. I would have preferred to target some weapon pylons and hope for secondary explosions, but there was no way I could get a clear shot from this angle. Besides, if I could target those weapons, they could target me.

  I took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. A stream of projectiles arched through the air as I unleashed a 50 round burst. The explosion was massive; much more than I would have expected. But after the flames receded, it looked like we had barely scratched the surface on the Enforcer.

  "What the...."

  Hazel said, "It must have reactive armor, using explosives to prevent penetration of our rounds. Forget about that for now, we have other things to worry about. Hang on."

  We rolled to the right while diving and accelerating. Suddenly, we broke back to the left and pushed the thrusters even harder. My head bobbed around like a rag doll, then I saw a storm of tracers shoot through the space we had just occupied. Although Javelins only carried a fraction of the Enforcer's firepower, they were extremely maneuverable, and the front-facing machine guns packed a punch.

  The Enforcer lumbered through the air, trying to turn to face us. Hazel somehow managed to evade the hail of bullets coming from the Javelins while staying in the Enforcer's blind spot.

  "I'm getting those Javelins lined up for you. When I turn back towards them, you have to take out as many as you can."

  "Got it."

  She handled the controls with absolute finesse. "That should do it.... Initiating a pitch-back turn." Hazel pulled hard on the cyclic until we were upside-down, then rolled us right-side-up. The Javelins were lined up like ducks in a row.

  I squeezed the trigger and guided a stream of bullets through the ships. Only one of them broke away before the rounds ripped apart the rest. He tried to shake us, but Hazel put the Odyssey into a hard roll and exited right on his tail. I put my crosshairs on him and locked on. A final trigger pull sent ten rounds directly into his thrusters and turned the small ship into a fireball.

  There was no time to celebrate. Betty said, "I have radar contact on more Javelins headed this way."

  Hazel replied, "Roger, Betty. Robert, if we're going to do something, we need to make it happen right now."

  "Let's knock on the Enforcer's back door one more time."

  "All right." Hazel lined up the Odyssey and held her steady. I took aim and unleashed another long burst from the cannon. This time, the rounds punched right through, and the door burst off. It wasn't as much damage as I had hoped, but the hole exposed a ramp leading up inside the ship.

  Betty chimed in again, "Hazel, the incoming Javelins are 30 seconds out."

  This was too little, too late. Even if I fired every round aboard the Odyssey, there was no guarantee that I'd take out that ship, and we wouldn't have anything left for self-defense. Live or die, it was time to make a stand. I said, "Hazel, don't wait up for me."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I'm going to make things right." I focused on the opening in the back of the Enforcer and envisioned myself inside it. Then I closed my eyes, and when they reopened I was there, with the wind howling through the gaping hole. A short ramp led into the belly of the beast, with parachutes and a survival kit lining the corridor.

  I walked up the ramp and paused just outside the cabin. Someone was yelling frantically. The voice was unmistakably that of Erlik. "What the hell just happened?"

  "Sir, there was a hull breach, but all systems are normal."

  "Forget about that ship. Just get us to the portal and we'll let someone else handle it."

  "Yes, sir. The course is set."

  I strode into the cabin, perhaps a little overconfident. His jaw dropped when he saw me. "What's wrong, Erlik? Running out of places to hide?"

  It took several long moments for him to register that I was actually aboard his ship. Finally, he said, "Get him."

  There were two pilots up front, and several gunners near Erlik. Their surprise at my arrival let the command fall on deaf ears.

  He yelled even louder, "Get him!"

  Two of the gunners stood up and glanced at each other, looking unsure of themselves.

  I casually stepped forward and said, "Or... get off this ship and you won't be harmed."

  "Like hell they won't be harmed."

  "My quarrel is with Erlik, not with the rest of you."

  Erlik shoved one of his men forward. The gunner cocked his arm back to take a swing at me, but I quickly closed the distance between us and punched him in the throat. I followed u
p with a knee in his stomach, and the man fell to the ground, whimpering.

  "Last chance to get off this aircraft. I won't ask again."

  The men looked around the cabin, then one of them said, "Screw this. I'm out of here." The others followed his lead and shuffled by, securing their friend on the floor along the way.

  Erlik looked like a cornered animal. He clawed his way backwards until he bumped into the pilots' seats.

  The pilots looked over their shoulders, and one said, "Sir, the autopilot has the course set for the portal. The ship is all yours." They climbed out of their seats and pushed past him.

  "What? Wait! You can't go."

  "What's wrong, Erlik? I guess you never realized that fear doesn't breed loyalty."

  Although Erlik was cowering on the floor, I needed to remind myself that he was still twice my size, and I had to remain cautious. Suddenly, he grabbed a red canister from behind his back and pulled the pin. Before I could react, a cone of white mist hit me in the face. The freezing spray from the fire extinguisher stung my skin.

  I stumbled backwards and attempted to shield myself with my arms. My heel got caught on something and I fell to the floor. Erlik was towering over me now. He held his electrified baton at the ready and raised it to take a swing. I rolled sideways, and sparks flew as the baton crashed into the ground. I tried to kick Erlik, but he just swatted my legs aside. A sadistic smile returned to his face.

  "I'm going to lead an army to your world, and kill everyone you have ever known or loved."

  "You couldn't lead your way out of a wet paper bag."

  Erlik's smile faded, and he unleashed a frenzy of attacks. I deflected as many kicks and baton strikes as I could with my legs, but each blow sent surging pain through my body.

  Why couldn't time slow down when it was convenient? I kept pushing away until I was pinned against a wall. Erlik swung his baton at me again, but I kicked his knuckles and sent the weapon flying from his hand. The baton ricocheted off the wall and came to rest under a gunner's station.

  Erlik said, "You aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

  "Nope."

  He stepped towards me and I kicked when he got close. Erlik simply grabbed my ankles and yanked me off the ground, slamming me into a wall. I fell to the floor and he started kicking me in the ribs. All I could do was curl up into a ball and try to protect myself.

  Each time he spoke, Erlik stomped on me with his boot heel. "Maybe I won't kill you right now. You don't want it easy; we can drag this out. I'll capture your red-headed lady friend and her parents. You can watch me kill her family, then I'll have my fun with her. How would you like that? I'll keep you alive just long enough that you'll wish you were dead."

  The Enforcer caught an updraft and the baton rolled out from under the gunner's station. Erlik and I must have had the same idea, because we went for it at the same time. I pushed off of the wall and reached it first, but couldn't match Erlik's strength. He yanked the baton off the ground, and me along with it. Then he grabbed my neck and slammed me against the bulkhead. My feet were just dangling as he tightened his grip on my throat and smashed my skull into the wall. Each impact made my head spin. I couldn't win this bout of strength, but maybe I didn't have to.

  Erlik squeezed his grip even tighter and said, "On second thought, you have always been a thorn in my side. Maybe I should just kill you right now and be done with it." I stopped fighting for the baton and let my hands slide off the handle. Victorious, he spun around and tossed me at the adjacent wall.

  I may have been broken, but I wasn't beat. Erlik failed to notice that after I released the baton and lowered my hands, I removed the whip from his utility belt. When Erlik raised the baton to finish me, he discovered his mistake. I drew the whip back and snapped it at his ankle.

  Erlik took a step forward, but his left leg wasn't responding. He clawed at a gunner's chair and fought to keep his balance. I cracked the whip again and hit his other leg. Erlik fell awkwardly into the seat. I snapped the whip one more time, and caught him near the waist. Erlik's whole body went rigid from the whip's neurotoxin, but he was still crying out.

  I said, "There, there. Just hand over the memory cube, and we can finish this."

  Erlik snorted in laughter. "You never had a chance to beat us. Katrina took the memory cube aboard a Javelin and flew ahead. She's probably already warming up the portal and assembling an army to decimate your world. There's nothing you can do."

  I looked out the window and the rising sun cast an orange hue across the landscape. We cleared some mountains which cast a shadow on the desolate valley beyond. There was little activity on the military base that filled the clearing. Then a single ray of light shot from the center of the portal and spread into a radiant teardrop.

  Erlik smiled and said, "See, you're too late."

  "Maybe you're right; maybe not. Let's fasten your seatbelt to be safe. I've never been great at landings, and you may encounter some turbulence on impact."

  "What...."

  I cinched straps around Erlik, then climbed into the pilot's seat.

  He said, "You don't even know how to operate the weapons from the pilot's seat. What can you possibly do?"

  "Whatever I have to."

  He was right; I couldn't figure out how to operate the weapons, but the flight controls were familiar enough. It wouldn't take much to make this ship do what I intended. I turned off the autopilot and released the force trim.

  An assault force was already lining up in front of the portal. Air traffic control came over the radio and said, "Enforcer Eighty-Six, divert your course and hold short of Bravo Taxiway."

  I ignored the call.

  "Enforcer Eighty-Six, divert course immediately. You are on a collision path with the portal."

  I pushed the thrusters to full powers, and we steadily increased speed.

  Katrina spoke on the radio, "Robert, I know that's you. It's not too late to join me. It doesn't have to end this way."

  I remained silent.

  They gave me as much rope as they'd allow, and finally opened fire. It was a good thing this aircraft had such heavy armor. Rounds that shook the hull would have annihilated a lesser ship. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to hit my target, but I'd keep tugging on the controls as long as they responded.

  I entered a shallow dive and lined the Enforcer up with the right pillar. If I could ram it hard enough, maybe it would tear itself apart.

  The Enforcer shuddered each time we were hit. I didn't know how much more the ship could take. Then I saw a stream of rounds cut across my flight path, and a whole line of tanks exploded. A familiar voice came over the radio, "You're welcome."

  "Hazel, what are you doing here?"

  "You didn't think I'd let you hog all the fun, did you?"

  "You're going to get yourself killed."

  "You're one to talk. Just launch some missiles and let's get out of here."

  "It's all I can do to fly this thing. I'm going to take that portal out even if I have to go with it."

  Live or die, I had to get the job done.

  "You don't have to go down with the ship. Just set the controls and teleport back to the Odyssey."

  "Look, we have one chance to take out that portal. It's all I can do to keep lined up, and I can't risk letting this aircraft drift off course. I'm not going to make it out of this one, but there's no reason for you to die, too."

  "I go where you go. Your chances are twice as good if I can keep some of those guns off you."

  "Hazel, please don't wait for me. I'm pretty banged up and may not even be able to make another transition."

  "Listen, stupid, I'll wait for you the rest of my life if I have to. Just get that thing close enough to hit your target and jump back to me."

  There was no denying that I was afraid. Anyone who faces death without a hint of fear is either a maniac or a fool. I had accepted the likelihood of an untimely demise ever since my first firefight, but that didn't make the reality any les
s scary. But if my clock was going to run out, the least I could do was score one more point.

  I could accept my mortality, but the thought of Hazel dying trying to protect me was unbearable. I already had too many deaths on my conscience. Why did she have to be so loyal? I'd have better luck herding cats than changing that woman's mind.

  The Odyssey was unmatched in speed and maneuverability, but a single direct hit from one of the big guns on the ground would blow it out of the sky. There was no margin for error.

  However, against all odds, Hazel cut a path through the maelstrom for me. She thinned out the enemy gunfire and the massive structure of the portal filled the window. Then the Odyssey strafed past and took out the last of the tanks standing in my way. This could actually work.

  After making a few final control inputs, I set the hold modes. Erlik looked like he'd soil himself if he weren't already paralyzed from his whip, but I had no sympathy for the brutal man. A fiery death seemed like a fitting end for this monster. I winked at him and said, "Geronimo."

  I closed my eyes and visualized the Odyssey. The throbbing in my head and pain throughout my body was difficult to ignore. Only moments remained before the Enforcer would hit the portal, but I had to let go of every distraction and focus on my desire to be with Hazel.

  Somehow, I drifted into a state of complete calmness. The rumbling of the Enforcer was soon replaced by a sudden acceleration. When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in the front seat of the Odyssey. Hazel said, "Can you hear me?"

  "Yes."

  "Look at that."

  The scarred hull of the Enforcer found its target. When the ship buried itself in the right pillar of the horseshoe-shaped portal, there was a split-second delay before the fuel stores and weapons payload exploded. A shockwave ripped the tip of the pillar off, and sent vibrations from one side of the structure to the other. The teardrop rift became unstable and touched the left side of the portal. There was a burst of light, and the entire structure shattered, shooting pieces of shrapnel in every direction.

  Hazel said, "Looks like you finally had a good landing, but we're not out of trouble yet. Their entire fleet is launching. Take the gun and keep them off us until we get clear."