by Tex Leiko
* * * *
Thirty-one hours until the battle of Ilyeion
Max had the computer systems back at the main base on cruise control. His automated program had finished running its simulations and analysis, and the bots that Crimson had requested were in the process of being created. It was a brilliant design, a sort of mix between gene splicing and nanobot technology.
Half gene manipulation mixed with a viral cell and grafted into a nanobot. He had taken and reverse engineered the DNA in the cells of electric eels that allowed their bodies to generate electricity and pass it through their bodies, dispersing it externally without it harming their cells. Other scientists before Max had done most of the work of isolating the gene. He’d hacked their research and stole it for himself, then expanded upon it.
By isolating the gene, cloning the recombinant DNA of the eel and Crimson, then injecting the product on a microscopic level into a harmless viral cell, he formed the first part of what she needed. He then created a nanobot that would flow through the blood and attach to every cell in her body, delivering this change and monitoring her for any adverse effects.
By means of this, she would have the ability to absorb electrical currents, produce her own, allow massive amounts to pass through her body, and also be able to externally discharge and disperse it, all while suffering no ill effects. It had been cooking back at the main base for roughly six hours and would be done in another three. With that task out of his way, he was free to pursue his own desires.
He sat down at the console and began engineering his masterpiece. It was going to truly be a work of art and a complete marvel. He wanted it to be perfect, flawless, genuine, unique, but he had a time limit. He was pressed for time and still suffering withdrawal side effects, but he managed to stay focused on his new idea and ignore whatever he was suffering.
He measured and mapped out everything in the drafting program to exact specifications. Luther was staring over his shoulder, double checking his work. Luther was no longer the master scientist he once was; his limited storage capacity was unable to contain his full personality. He was, however, still a valuable asset to Max.
“So tell me, Luther, how much do you remember of your brain scanning technology?”
“If you are asking so as to rebuild it…enough.”
“I have no need to rebuild it. With some of Crimson’s connections, I was able to locate your machines. The rumor was they were destroyed. It’s funny how after people get what they want from whatever it is, these ‘lost objects’ typically wind up being a mantelpiece for some rich jerk who likes to brag about how he owns chunks of human history. Nobody can own history and these objects are valueless except for the value of their purpose. There it was, sitting in some old coot’s home waiting to be used. He wouldn’t sell it so I hired one of Crimson’s friends to steal it for me. It’s in the other room.
“Also, she followed through on my list of requests. They were all pretty simple except for the Kelmantrium I needed… And that experimental crystalline hard drive I requested. Everyone knows there were only ten prototypes made and it is too expensive and advanced at this point in time to mass produce. I am really shocked she had it to me in six hours. Guess she does trust me.”
“So what is your plan with all of this stuff, Max?” Luther asked, his synthesized voice sounding apprehensive.
“I plan to rebuild you, Luther, to make you whole again. Also, I need a backup plan…a failsafe, in case things go wrong.”
“I see. You seem smart enough. Why do you need me here?”
“Because you are a golem, a gargoyle. I expect you to stay here and chase away any evil spirits that might come to wreck my work. Also, I wanted your take on this skeleton I’m building. Correct me where I’m making mistakes, add to my design,” Max said, never taking his eyes off of the screen. He hadn’t slept in nearly a day and a half and had no intention of doing so any time soon.
Max was stuck on finishing his work of art. He worked well into the night on his design, all the while Luther towered over his shoulder giving advice on what to change, what might make it better. Luther was getting excited as he saw it shape up in front of his eyes.
Hours had passed and most of the preliminary work had finished. Crimson stopped by to see what information she could gather from whatever she might be able to sneak a peek at. Max promptly shrunk the display and hid it from her sight. Luther refused to answer any questions she might have.
“Max, are you going to be back by the main base before the war erupts?” she asked, sounding anxious.
Max tapped his feet, stood, and stretched his legs. He yawned and looked over at the clock. “Crap, I’ve been at it seven hours and I’m only this far… Twenty-four…twenty-four hours and it starts,” he said, running his hand through his messy, frazzled hair. “I’ll be back nine hours before it begins. I’ll sleep and be ready to support you as a sniper, shock troop, whatever. Oh. When you return go to the lab and go to the fabricator, inside will be a vial with roughly seven ounces of what looks to be a lime green serum. Inject it into your brachial vein. They are the bots you wanted. You know, the little electricity ones? Zap zap!
“Anyhow, nine hours ‘til show time. I’ll be home. Mark my words. I really need to finish this. I can do it. I just need no interruptions. I’m just going to—” Max was cut off by an alarm from the other room. “Oh. It’s done!” he exclaimed, running in to retrieve his creation.
He came back into the room holding a Tubex glass syringe with a stainless steel finger control. He was staring at it madly as if it was a child he loved with all of his heart. He was chuckling softly like a mad scientist as he fixed his gaze from the syringe to Crimson’s catlike eyes.
“You were an assassin for many years before you became a revolutionary, correct?” he inquired with a wide grin on his face.
“Yes… Why?” Crimson asked, sounding a bit nervous.
“I am going to open my mouth. I need you to shove this titanium eighteen gauge hollow bore needle through the roof of my mouth and into the Cerebral Aqueduct. Then I need you to carefully inject the contents. Trust me, I’ll be fine as long as your aim is good.”
Crimson got goose bumps and the memory of what she had done to Brian Nash popped into her head. Through the sphenoid and into a ventricle was a much easier target than the Cerebral Aqueduct. Why did Max have to be so specific with his instructions?
“You know it’s a difficult shot and I might accidentally kill you, right?”
“We all gotta die sometime, love.”
“I need you alive to help in this revolution. You’re no good strung out and you’re no good dead. You’ve avoided being a junkie so far, but I’m not going to assist in your suicide.”
“Look, I trust you…more than I trust Luther; he is a machine, but he doesn’t have his full…brain. You’ve got your full brain and some of the steadiest hands I’ve seen that weren’t…biotic augmentations like mine… Anyhow, if you don’t do it, I can give it a shot myself. I only ask you to do it because I trust you can do it.”
Max shoved the syringe into Crimson’s hand and forced her to close her fingers around it so she wouldn’t drop it. She glared at him. She hated his secrecy and his insane ideas, but at the same time, she was intrigued and curious to see what he had planned.
“Fine, Max, but if you die…I told you so, and I am going to be so pissed.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said, smiling.
Max stood in front of her and opened his mouth wide. He tilted his head back so she could see where she was placing the needle. If she went too far, she would strike his brain stem and kill him immediately. She took her aim and plunged the needle.
Max didn’t have any anesthetic in him and it was most certainly one of the most painful things he ever experienced. Tears flowed out of his eyes and down his face. Crimson cringed as she saw his pain. She thought she was in the right area so she drew back on the syringe.
“Okay, I am drawing back cerebral spinal fl
uid. I am going to push now. You might feel a bit of a sting,” she said sarcastically. “If you are unsure of this, move back and don’t let me do this.”
Max didn’t say a word or make a sound. He simply stood there like a crying statue, waiting. The seconds felt like days to him with this needle so close to his brain and blood trickling down his throat. His stillness indicated to Crimson he was sure and she pushed the syringe. Once the contents where emptied, she carefully and swiftly pulled the needle out of his head.
The second Max was safe, he dropped to the ground and started screaming and writhing, much like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum as he rolled about.
“Damn it! Damn it! Gaarrrragghgh! That hurt like hell!”
He was in pain, but he was okay. He would live. Crimson kicked him once, not too hard, in the ribs. “Get up, you big baby. You knew it was going to hurt and even asked me to do it. I don’t know what your crazy brain is up to, but it was worth seeing you regress from a macho man to a cringing adolescent right before me. Where is the chrysalis this big baby most certainly must have emerged from?” she taunted him as he smirked.
“I hate you sometimes,” he said as he stood and rubbed his side.
“You love me,” she said as she turned toward the door and spanked herself.
His eyes were drawn to her gluteus and he had a quick daydream that it had been his hand that had slapped it. A smile came across his face and he grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. He was acting like a wild man the last several days and was about to prove to Crimson he truly was.
He grabbed her by her arms and pinned them to her sides. With his new strength, there was no way she could resist. Her breathing deepened and her face looked unsure. Max leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips only at first. They both lingered in the moment and Max slipped his tongue into her mouth. As he moved it rhythmically back and forth, her heart began to race. Her face flushed and her breathing became labored as she passionately kissed him back. He ended it by biting her lower lip gently and pulling back.
“I’ll show you much more when this is all over, babe,” he said, spinning her back around and slapping her butt.
Crimson was angry at Max and aroused at the same time. She had never had anyone bring out that reaction in her before. She had always used sex as a weapon, the way it was used against her as a child. She never had any interest in being with anyone in that way. But this little moment had awakened a new feeling deep within her. Catching her breath, she managed to huff out, “I look forward to it. That’s why you can’t die, Max.”
Her breathy voice was the most sensual thing Max had ever heard. If he didn’t have a drastic time limit and a lot of work to do, he would have taken her right then and there, but his eyes darted back over to the console.
“I know. Now you need to get lost, sweetheart. Big Daddy Max has got some work to do,” he said jokingly, grinning.
“All right Deadeye, Big Daddy Max,” Crimson said, turning to him so he could see her rolling her eyes.
Crimson left and Max sat back at his console, returning to work.
* * * *
Zarfa had been giving the lectures all day. No two were the exact same. He drew off of the audience. The effect seemed to be the same each time, however. A general sense of unity and loyalty. He felt that the battle would go great and he predicted less than ten percent casualties on his side.
It was late and he was tired. He went back to his home to rest. When he entered, he smelled his favorite dish. Green curry chicken with eggplant. It was nearly impossible to find the ingredients anymore.
Sarah came out of the kitchen holding a clay pot filled with the delicious food and set it on the table in front of him as he sat. Her eyes were dull and weary-looking. He could tell she was worried. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t.
“I don’t know how many more meals either of us will have,” she started with tears in her eyes. “It took me all day to track down the ingredients and I spent a small fortune on them. I knew it was your favorite, though, and I felt you deserved it,” she said, sitting next to him at the table.
Zarfa smiled and grabbed her hand to reassure her. He gently caressed the top of her hand and forearm. The loving touch soothed her and helped her to relax. He looked into her weary, beaten eyes and showed her with his actions that he appreciated what she had done for him.
“Join me in eating it, will you? It smells delicious and it wouldn’t be fair for you to slave over this gift for me only to have me devour it in front of you. Plus, what is good food if it isn’t shared with the ones you love?”
Sarah began crying and fell on her brother’s chest. She sobbed and her tears soaked his shirt. Her hot breath felt heavy on his chest and he gently caressed the back of her neck, trying to relax her. He didn’t feel like he was any good at comforting anyone, but he would try.
“Look, everything is going to be okay, Sarah. I will come back from this. You will come back from this. We will both have families and live out the rest of our days in peace, and whatever evils you’ve seen and done will no longer haunt you. You will be able to rest at night knowing you’ve atoned for whatever you have done…and then some.”
“Thank you,” she said as she began to sniffle. “It’s like an awful nightmare I can’t wake up from,” she said into his chest.
“I know, Sarah,” he said, stroking her long, black hair.
Her hair looked like spun raven feathers and flowed down to between her shoulder blades. She was still the young, beautiful sister he had always remembered, but now she was damaged. She was damaged by a bad conscience and the horrors of war, manipulation, and abuse of power.
She was damaged by having a trusted parent betray her and the haunting thought of having to seek putting him to death in the name of justice. In the years she spent amongst the Faraza, she’d aged an eternity in mind and spirit. As the battle approached, she felt anxiety and feared that her brother, the only anchor in her life, would vanish.
She feared the harsh reality that at any moment, he may be ripped from her life. His soul may be torn from his body on the battlefield. He had brushed with death so many times it seemed as if he had used up all of his luck, and she worried this would be one of his final nights.
She worked hard to push the thoughts from her mind. She managed to stop her tears and her sobbing before the food cooled off. She drew her face back from her brother’s chest and dished him up first, then herself. They sat and ate without saying anything more.
When the meal was over, she sat staring at her brother’s face, admiring the strong character he held. Admiring his courage, bravery, and precise way of thinking, and she smiled. She grabbed Zarfa’s hand and said, “I love you, brother. I wish I could be more like you…and… I don’t know what tomorrow or the next day holds for us, but I am glad that we have right now.”
He squeezed her back and smiled. Looking into her eyes, he said, “Me too.” He leaned over the table, threw his arms around her shoulders, and hugged her tight. It was awkward because he didn’t bother standing and the table was jamming into his side, but he didn’t care. If his life could remain in this awkward, painful hug for eternity, he would take it. He wouldn’t let go of it for anything.
* * * *
Twenty hours until the battle of Ilyeion
Crimson awoke at three a.m. feeling fidgety. She had a gut feeling what Max was up to, but had no idea at the same time. After she left him at the secondary safe house, she decided to go home and try to rest. It was the calm before the storm.
She had already formulated her third and final missive and was dying to send it out, but she had no idea when Legion Nine would make it to Alexarien. This wasn’t like her. She had always been cool, calm, solitary. But now, she was worried, hyperactive, and thinking about someone she couldn’t get her mind off of… Max.
She knew she was going to have a hard time in twenty hours from now. She would be supporting a battle from thousands of miles away, viewing it all fr
om cameras in the sky. She may even get blinded and be forced to go by global positioning satellites and maps only. She was nervous. She was banking her plans on a lot of things she had never tested.
She wished that there was a way to do a practice run. To try it out and see how it went. Before she had gone into the business of killing people to make a living, she’d trained and done simulations with willing partners, but now… There was none of that safety. For the first time since she killed her master that had been abusing her for years, she would have to go out on a limb and try something that she was risking everything for.
She would have to trust that the idea she planted in the masses of oppressed would live and perpetuate. She had to believe that when she sent her final missive, they would respond and be the army of misfits she had hoped for. But no such faith came to her, only anxiety.
She had never wanted anyone close to her. Not since the day she had been sold as a slave anyhow, but now she found herself awake. Lying in bed. Thinking of Max…and wishing he was there with her.
“It’s only been four hours since I left him…nine more until he’s back,” she said as she slapped her forehead and remembered something.
Crimson leapt out of bed and sprinted to the lab. She went over to the fabricator and pulled out the vial Max had told her about. She had been so tired when she got back to her place that it had escaped her mind. She promptly injected it into the brachial vein just as Max had told her to.
She felt it course through her veins. It seemed to pulse rhythmically as it invaded her cells. Her whole body tingled. The feeling was odd, but almost pleasurable. Soon, she could feel that her body was generating electricity and that she had full control over it. A couple of hours went by and she began to feel static charges around her. She could absorb them and disperse them even more powerfully by causing the dispersions to form a centrifuge type force.