The Seal of Solomon

by Jeffrey Ellis

  Meanwhile, to the south, groups of assault teams were herding the vile monstrosity towards them.

  The full evacuation of everything in its path including the larger cities and towns along the way was estimated to need at least three days and that meant a lot of people would die because they only had a few hours. It wasn’t as simple as just running away. Many of the small towns still had significant damage and full communications were not yet restored. The government facilities would likely be able to get most people out as would most of the towns but they still estimated tens of thousands of people off the grid and in its path. Manual verification and evacuation of buildings was a tedious process exacerbated by the massive damage and shortage of transport vehicles.

  A large amount of the land between NYC and the government complex was also interlaced with mostly undeveloped natural forests and waterways and was a popular place for hiking and camping. Along with that were an unknown number of campgrounds and temporary communities akin to the ancient Hoovervilles of the Great Depression from hundreds of years ago due to the outright destruction of many towns from the natural disasters following the cataclysm. Many towns were lost to quakes, fires, reactor failures, and other catastrophes.

  #

  The people sitting in the conference room at Facility 14 were silent for the most part. They were all waiting anxiously for the military to do their part and no one in the Wardens could help them in this. General Morrison had been given use of the conference room to coordinate. Since the Wardens and GloCom were both involved and were already meeting there, he felt there was no need to waste time returning to his base. All the coordination needed was already done and the operation was in the hands of the people qualified to do it so the leaders of both GloCom and the Wardens could do nothing but sit and wait.

  Coordinator Anna and Facilitator William were absent. Since there was little she could do, Anna was in the medical ward talking with William during one of his rare bouts of consciousness.

  The group upstairs watched the progress of the teams that were following and occasionally guiding the thing as it moved and read reports on evacuation progress. Sebastian and Chelsea were practically climbing the walls because they were stuck in the command center while GloCom handled what they felt was their responsibility. Every time another report came in of a casualty their mood got worse.

  The time was nearing. “I’m taking one of the emergency reserve shuttles and going to the target zone,” Coordinator Sebastian said.

  “No, you’re not. You’re not going to be able to do anything and it’s a waste of time,” High Lord Alecia told him.

  “Then you can discipline me when I get back. I’ll accept any consequences but with all due respect High Lord, I refuse your order,” he said.

  Facilitator Chelsea stood to follow him.

  “Don’t make me have security stop you,” the High Lord told him.

  “They’re not capable of it and we all know it,” he told her.

  “I had the chance to stop this thing once before and I failed. I don’t know if I can or can’t do anything but I have to be there. I watched it kill half the people in my command, friends all of them, in a matter of minutes. If this thing dies today, then I want to be there to see it. I need to be there,” he said, the emotion in his voice evident.

  “Coordinator Chelsea, do you plan on disobeying as well?” said the High Lord.

  “High Lord Alecia, I was forced to abandon him last time he went against it and I’ll be damned if I do it again. He comes before the Wardens and if it means our careers then so be it,” she said.

  Ra and Nefertiti stood to go as well.

  Most surprising was General Morrison. “High Lord Alecia, I plan to survey the field operation and need a pilot and support team. With my own people back at base, I would like to request a Warden escort,” he said.

  “General you shouldn’t risk your life just to keep a few people you barely know from being reprimanded,” the High Lord told him.

  “It’s not about that. We’ve got wizards and monsters walking the earth. Earthquakes and floods destroying cities. The sky is still hazy from volcanic ash. Hell, I haven't seen a proper sunrise since the cataclysm. The world I grew up in changed on me and for all I know one of those disasters or monsters might kill me tomorrow. The safe world we lived in is gone and I want the opportunity to stand on the field with my people because I may not get that chance again,” he told her.

  “You put me in a difficult position General. I can’t refuse your request but you’re a guest of the Wardens and your safety is my responsibility which means I have no choice but to lead that escort myself. Director Abraham, I want you to remain here. In lieu of contact with the full Directorate, I place you in temporary command until my return,” she told him.

  “Now if you think I’m going to let my own son run off against something like this without me there you have another thing coming,” Director Abraham told her.

  “Abraham, let’s be realistic. You haven’t been fit for field duty for a long time. That rougarou ended your tenure as a field agent permanently. You’re also the most experienced person on the Directorate and if a worst-case scenario occurs, then I need you taking my place,” she told him.

  Abraham stood up. “Alecia give it a rest. I think by this point we know everyone in this room is going and we’re wasting time arguing about it,” Abraham told her.

  “Major General Elam, let’s go,” said the General.

  “Sir my place is...” started the Major General but was cut off.

  The General finished his sentence with “...wherever the hell I tell you it is.”

  #

  They landed at the field office that GloCom established outside of Syracuse. The scope of it was impressive considering that less than six hours prior it was an empty field and now had a mobile command center capable of supporting the entire field operation.

  “The military’s efficiency never ceases to amaze me,” said High Lord Alecia.

  “You should see what we can do when we have time but we’re not here to marvel at a bunch of mobile prefabs so let’s get to it,” said the General.

  “I think it's amazing you were able to prepare all of this on a moment's notice,” Chelsea said.

  “The military has contingencies for every foreseeable occurrence and there have always been emergency plans for deployment of Serendipity. This has been ready for nearly a century just waiting to be used,” the General replied.

  “GloCom having a plan in place to shoot the planet does not surprise me in the least,” Abraham told them.

  They found the local field operations commander and requisitioned a transport vehicle. The General received some strange looks. Apparently, a high-ranking officer going into the field was as unusual in GloCom as it was in the Wardens though it was getting more common in the Wardens as of late, mainly due to the actions of Facilitator Sebastian. They were transported to the kill zone in a heavily armored personnel transport and arrived about an hour ahead of the Tormenter.

  The area was quiet and peaceful with the chirping of birds the only thing that broke the stillness. They waited as patiently as they could considering the circumstances.

  “It feels so calm, yet we have a legendary nightmare approaching from the south and a technological marvel in the sky above us about to fire. We’re in a killing field. A beautiful, pristine killing field. In a little while, whether it succeeds or not, much of this is going to be gone,” said Alecia.

  “It’s a sacrifice for the greater good,” said Chelsea.

  “I know but it feels wrong to destroy so much. We shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything because some spoiled super wizard has a beef with mommy and daddy,” Alicia replied.

  “I know and you’re right, but it happened, it’s coming and if we don’t make that sacrifice then it might be worse. We can keep running and evacuating but we need to make a stand. We’re Wardens and it’s our job to draw the line and stand fast against the dark magic of th
is world and this is the darkest magic there is next to Mordred. I don’t even like involving the military. It’s our responsibility to clean up this mess, not theirs,” Chelsea told her.

  “No. It’s not,” said Sebastian.

  “Excuse me? The last time I checked it was,” Alicia told Sebastian.

  “It’s ours. All of ours,” he said looking around. “We have an opportunity here. For the first time, we have the two premier peacekeeping groups working together. There’s no reason that can’t and shouldn’t continue. I’m not saying we should do each other’s job, but we should be able to more closely rely on each other. We’ve found out that the fey, the domain of the Wardens, are susceptible to conventional weapons, especially energy weapons. We also know that in some cases magical creatures and people are working with terrorists who fall under military jurisdiction. The ALF is a prime example of that. If our enemies are going to work together against us then we should work together against them,” said Sebastian.

  “That’s something to think about son. The military lost a good leader when they screwed you over, but I think you found your calling,” the General told him.

  “In an hour we could all be dead,” said Alicia.

  “Regretting your decision to come to the front line?” asked Chelsea.

  “Not at all. If I’m going to die, then I’m going to die. I lived a good life and have no regrets,” she replied.

  The General poured everyone a drink.

  “It’s a little something our motor pool cooks up using a still made from old motor parts. It tastes like shit and will burn going down but it’s all we have out here. It’s against regulations to bring alcohol onto an active base so we make our own,” he told them.

  “I remember it. During boot camp it was the only thing we could get and still smells as vile as it did then,” Sebastian said laughing.

  “To no regrets,” said the General.

  The group drank a toast. “Lieutenant, I read your file. You got a raw deal, but I have to say I think you and the world ended up better for it,” The General told him.

  “I haven’t been called Lieutenant in a long time. I was destined to be here. It wasn’t a choice it was just a matter of time,” he replied.

  “I don’t believe in destiny,” the General told him.

  “I didn’t either until these two made me think otherwise,” said Alicia.

  “You really believe the tales I hear about these two?” the General asked her.

  “I didn’t at first, but I’ve come to. Spend a few minutes with the Masters and see what they and these two can do and you might be swayed,” Alicia told him.

  “We’re just doing what’s necessary to keep people safe. We have some skills others don’t and we use them in their defense. Nothing more and nothing less,” Sebastian said.

  “This is vile. I will have another drink!” exclaimed Ra.

  Nefertiti smiled at him. Ra will always be Ra.

  “If you would have stayed in the military and showed this kind of initiative, you’d have your own command by now,” General Morrison told him.

  “General, with respect, I did have a command and I was kicked out by a man like you,” he replied.

  “Not everyone in GloCom makes bad decisions. If I would have been in charge of that operation, we would have babysat the so-called terrorists until they got bored and went home to mommy and daddy but I can’t undo it the past. Civilian casualties should be avoided at all costs and I think us being here today reiterates that at least we all agree on that,” the General told him.

  “You’re right General. I apologize for making assumptions. Stereotypes no more apply to GloCom than they do the Wardens and we all have a lot to learn from and about each other. Hopefully, we’ll all live long enough to do so,” Sebastian replied.

  Abraham had been quiet so far, just drinking and thinking. He sat his drink down and looked around at the group.

  “You know,” he said sounding irritated. “I’ve been around a lot longer than all of you. I’m pushing a hundred and fifty and have more field experience in the Wardens than most people left alive. I fought in the Unification War. I spent six decades fighting things right out of fairy stories and watched a lot of my good friends die. I spent another two decades of training children to die before I got too old for that. Then this daft old cunt had the inclination to keep me around as part of the command staff,” he said looking at Alecia.

  “Excuse me? Old? I’m not that old,” said Alecia.

  “Oh don’t get all uppity on me. You know damn well I shouldn’t be commanding anything. I’m a field agent past his prime and I’m only here because you took pity on me,” said Abraham. “Now would you let me finish while I’m still sober enough to hold a thought.”

  “When my own son joined GloCom I thought I would be happy. He was going to have an easy life. We don’t have major wars anymore. We don’t have major terrorist occurrences anymore. Trip-L was a joke and the ALF all but defunct. My son would never suffer as I did. He would never watch his friends die. He would never have to make a choice between family and duty like I did because military life was easy compared to a Warden's life. I put aside my hatred of your people because as much of a bunch of pussies as I thought you were, he would be safe with you,” Abraham continued.

  “But he wasn't safe. There was the infantry and the Elite Corps and then the incident on the moon happened. I hated GloCom more than ever for what you did to him. I thought you crushed his spirit. My first instinct was to grab my blade and hunt down every son of a bitch involved in the chain of command of that massacre and the following cover-up and treat you like a rogue fey. I eventually calmed down and got distracted by trying to keep his stubborn ass out of the Wardens,” Abraham said as he poured another drink.

  “A fat lot of good that did,” Chelsea said laughing.

  “But now, I’m sitting on a field where the worst fey anyone has ever seen is bearing down on us and those same people I thought were too soft for a real fight are not only here but they’re the first line of defense this time, not the Wardens. I don’t know if we can stop this thing. I don’t know if we can kill it. Hell, I don’t even know if there’s enough of this 150-proof motor oil left to get me drunk. What I do know is that I was wrong, General. There are good and bad people in all walks of life. General Morrison, you and your troops have changed my mind about GloCom,” said Abraham.

  The General started to speak but Abraham stopped him.

  “Let me finish before you get all uppity too,” Abraham told him. “What is it with you leader types? GloCom, Wardens, politicians, give you a little power and you think everyone wants to hear you rattle off all the time,” he told the group.

  “Everyone has been sitting around pulling each other’s pud talking about working together and alliance and blah blah blah blah. Well, you’re all god damned wrong. Your first duty isn’t to GloCom or the Wardens or any government or even to yourselves. Whether you wear a GloCom uniform or the Warden’s Knots, your duty isn’t to those groups. Your duty is to the people of this planet and regardless of what happens here today, whether we win or lose, whether the Wardens and GloCom become best buddies or bitter enemies, remember that. We are here to serve and protect and that duty is first and foremost. Our groups exist to serve the people not our own senses of pride,” Abraham told them.

  Abraham raised his glass. “To the people of this planet. May they have long, happy lives free from the terrors in the dark whether those terrors be fey or human.”

  The group raised their glasses as sirens started wailing throughout the area.

  “It’s time,” said Alicia.

  #

  The creature was moving north towards the grid exactly as predicted. The group stayed clear of the zone and watched the progress from a safe distance. When they fired Serendipity it would superheat the air near it and create a kill zone that would be deadly to humans a significant distance away from the actual beam. The beam would also have a tunneling effect a
nd the possibility of flying debris created a further danger to anyone near it.

  The Tormentor tracked north right into the boundaries of the grid. They knew it had some ability to react and adapt but not how much and if it was intelligent it either didn’t know or didn’t care it was moving into a trap. They were monitoring the ground to Serendipity communications to follow the progress of the attack and put on their polarized goggles to protect them from the glare.

  “Target entering grid at between markers south-four and south-five moving northwest at twelve degrees off midline. Speed unchanged,” came a voice over the radio.

  “That would be the spotters relaying coordinates for a shooting solution. The grid can be tracked even though the creature cannot and those coordinates will tell them where to fire,” The General told them.

  “Serendipity base standing by. Platform armed and awaiting final authorization,” said Admiral Keffler over the channel.

  “Final authorization granted,” came the President’s voice.

  “Turn on the flashlight boys,” said Admiral Keffler.

  The glare was intense, even with the shielded glasses. Even though the laser itself was silent, the roar of the air around it and the sound of the rumbling ground as it burned away were deafening. The laser missed.

  Ra and Nefertiti were in awe. “By the gods!” said Ra as he and Nefertiti stared at the beam.