Battlelines (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 14)

by T. R. Harris

  Adam cast his light about, taking inventory. “Looks like we’re all here, and in one piece.”

  “I am over here,” said Benefis from an alcove behind Adam’s position. “Your light did not reveal me.”

  “That’s all right. I knew you were here without seeing you.”

  “I said my condition is invol—”

  “Give it a rest, Benefis,” Sherri said. “Your condition is the least of our worries.”

  “Speak for yourself, Sherri,” Riyad said with a smile—sort of.

  Clumps of ceiling continued to peel off and fall on them as the bombardment from above resumed. Even though the initial strike on M-1 had probably blown the entire structure into Lego-size pieces, there were still seventeen other pyramids along the ridgeline, as well as a gigantic spaceport on the other side of the mountain. The din of the one-sided battle outside was deafening, and the precarious integrity of the cave was growing more uncertain.

  “Well, we can’t get out, even if we wanted to,” Adam said, his light dancing over the boulder-clogged entrance. “Let’s move further in. It might be safer.”

  “This cave is made of granite and limestone,” Lila reported, “the product of ground movement and not alluvial action. However we may be able to link up with such a formation further in, since I noticed a spring escaping further down the side of the mountain.”

  Riyad shook his head. “I know it sounded like English, but I have my doubts. What did she just say?”

  “I think she said this cave wasn’t created by an underground river, but there may be one further in. I think she’s suggesting we find it and then follow the water to the outside.”

  “That is what I said.”

  Adam climbed to his feet and dusted off his pants and shirt. “Let’s get going. Sherri, hand Lila your flashlight and let her take the lead.”

  “I do not require a light.”

  “The rest of us do, sweetheart,” Adam said. “And only one on at a time. Save the others for later. Who knows how long we’ll be in here.”

  ********

  The only true floor to the cave had been right near the entrance. As the group moved further into the mountain, the path devolved into a series of climbs over boulders and squeezes through narrow openings. Lila did an admirable job guiding them, even if she did reach the inevitable dead end now and then, requiring a time-consuming backtrack. Yet the instinctive nature of Lila’s genius allowed her to spot seams in the stone, as well as faint shifts in the thin air circulating by. Then her superior hearing began to lead them toward the sound of flowing water.

  Lila pressed her way between two huge rocks to stand on a narrow ledge above a huge chamber with pin-pointed stalactites dotting the high ceiling. Casting the beam of light downward revealed a narrow and shallow stream slicing through the semi-flat base of the chamber. The water was mostly clear, but as they watched it began to turn a dark, rusty color.

  “The source has been contaminated by the remnants of the water supply from the structures above,” Lila explained. “With so many buildings supporting such a large population, the mountain will soon become saturated with lubricating fluids of many kinds, including oils and coolants.”

  “So you’re saying don’t drink the water?” Sherri said, having crowded next to Adam’s daughter on the narrow ledge. The rest of the team lay of the tops of boulders, looking down at the floor of the cavern.

  “That is true,” Lila said, “plus the fact that the introduction of so much additional fluid into the system will weaken the structural integrity of the surrounding rock. We haven’t much time to find our way out.”

  “Yeah, that would be a more urgent concern,” Sherri conceded, nodding.

  Lila began to trace out footholds for the climb to the bottom of the cavern.

  It wasn’t long before the group was soaked by an increasing shower from the ceiling, seemingly to be coming from everywhere. Leaks were popping out all along the vast domed chamber.

  They reached river level five minutes later and began threading their way along its length, following the flow toward the left side of the chamber. They had to keep moving further up the sides as the stream rapidly widened, swollen by more rust-colored water being added to the growing torrent. At the end of the chamber, the watercourse—now a river—entered a triangular opening and disappeared into the darkness. Echoes of falling water could be heard from inside.

  All eyes turned to look behind them as a deep rumbling reverberated throughout the chamber. The far side ceiling suddenly crashed to the base of the chamber, followed by a waterfall of dirty water and mist. The entire mass crashed to the floor, sending a crest of rock and water five meters high rushing toward the far end of the chamber.

  “Everyone—dive in!” Adam ordered.

  “We could drown!” Benefis cried out.

  “Fine! Then stay here and face that—”

  The wall of water was only a hundred meters away and closing rapidly. The three Humans and two Formilians dove into the murky water and were sucked into the dark opening. Benefis took only a moment to have his concerns overridden by the roar of the coming wave. He dove in as well.

  Adam had sucked in a deep breath before entering the river, and now he was caught in a raging torrent of water not unlike some of the water park amusement rides he’d been on as a kid. The problem here was he had no idea how long this dark passage would be, or if there would be any surfacing for air at the end of the ride.

  He was slammed against rocks worn smooth over the years by the movement of water, precious air forced from his swollen lungs, depleting his meager supply even more.

  Suddenly he was out of the water—and in the air. He had slipped over the edge of an underground waterfall and was careening backwards towards what he hoped was a deep pool of welcoming water not too far from the ledge. He smacked the surface of the underground lake with a thud and fell below the surface. Then something huge landed on him. He kicked out and fought for the surface, struggling to free himself from a mass of what appeared to be string.

  When he broke the surface and took in a deep gulp of air, Benefis surfaced next to him, tugging at his long mane of white hair, trying to free it from around Adam’s head.

  “Calm down, Benefis!” Adam cried out. “Let me do it.”

  “You are pulling my hair!”

  “I know. Stop struggling.”

  There was only a hint of light in the pool, dancing on sparkles from beneath the surface. The water was much clearer here, though becoming darker by the second.

  Lila surfaced next to Adam and Benefis, still holding the flashlight and looking as calm and emotionless as ever. “Are you all right?”

  “We are,” Adam responded. “Do you see the others?”

  “All were accounted for, until Sherri and Riyad were sucked into that far opening, the one we are rapidly being drawn into.”

  No sooner had the words escaped her lips than the trio spun into another dark tunnel. Between intermittent gasps for air, they twirled and looped through a narrow passage, dropping several times into deeper pools before being unceremoniously sucked into even more looping tunnels.

  Without realizing at first, Adam noticed Lila firmly gripping his arm, the flashlight in her other hand. Within the flashes of light he noticed the strong legs of his mutant daughter had Benefis in their clutches, keeping the trio together during their wild ride. She appeared to be in no stress from the prolonged periods of being submerged. At one point their eyes met and she smiled. Adam suddenly felt confident that everything would be fi—

  He was airborne again, this time out in the open, with a series of competing lights illuminating the landscape far below. The two moons of Kor had turned blood red from the smoke in the air, and the fires that burned along the ridgeline were almost bright enough to confuse night with day.

  It was all so surreal, even as he continued to fall…

  Eventually he splashed down, falling deep into the warm waters of a newly formed lake at the base
of the mountain. A strong hand pulled him upward. He was bobbing on the surface, Lila’s long black hair framing her glistening face, while the matted mess of the Juirean’s long white mane formed a perfect canopy over his cursing head.

  Adam twisted around to look back at the mountain. They were in a strong current leading away from the fire-capped prominence and he found relief when he spotted three other bobbing heads nearby. Sherri, Riyad and Arieel.

  A massive torrent of rust-colored water gushed out the side of the mountain above them, adding its incredible volume to the tide they were in. Seeking any natural path it could find, the water split off in two directions; fortunately, all those in Adam’s group were close enough together to be steered to the same channel.

  Soon feet began scraping along a hard-packed base and the group paddled and staggered to higher ground, having to move further away as the water level continued to climb. A minute later they were on top of a huge granite boulder which directed the torrent away, while remaining above the waterline.

  All six collapsed on the hard surface, panting and choking up residual water from saturated lungs. As was expected, Lila recovered first and stood up.

  “We appear to be about five kilometers beyond the base of the mountain. There were settlements on this side as well. They are now in ruin.”

  Adam rolled over on his stomach and looked in the direction Lila was indicating. For as far as the eye could see, there were patches of burning ruins. This had been the capital of the Sol-Kor Colony, and as such, was much more than just the ridgeline of pyramids supporting M-1. There had been manufacturing facilities, processing centers, living quarters, and more surrounding the mountain. All were completely destroyed.

  As he watched, sorties were still being flown by Hal’ic pilots, releasing even more cannon bolts into the already flaming settlements, just to make sure every last Sol-Kor was dead.

  He suddenly felt very exposed lying on the surface of this huge boulder.

  “Let’s get down off this ro—”

  He gasped when he saw Benefis standing to his full height of seven feet, waving both arms at an incoming Hal’ic vessel.

  “I believe he sees us!” the Juirean declared with pride.

  Adam tackled him, sending both of them rolling over the side of the rock and plunging hard into a fissure between its neighbors. All around, the other four members of the team were bailing from the surface as well.

  “What are you doing?” Benefis yelled. “We are going to be rescu—”

  A plasma flash cannon fires a much more powerful bolt of energy than does a traditional ship-borne twin-battery weapon—about three times as powerful. So when the cannon bolt fired from the approaching starship hit the surface of the granite rock, it not only blasted off the top half of the huge boulder, it also formed a wave of superheated air that spread out like a liquid in all directions, including over the sides, filling the surrounding crevasses with searing gas that was nearly impossible to avoid.

  Cries rose up—from Adam as well—as flesh and blood creatures fought through the scorching pain. By the time the blast of heat evaporated, Adam already knew his left shoulder and the back of his neck had suffered second-degree burns, if not worse. He scooped up a handful of muddy soil at his feet and slapped in on his wounds. It helped…some.

  He smiled.

  The amused grin was the result of what he saw looking at the Juirean leaning on a rock next to him. All of the Juirean’s once magnificent crest of white hair had been burned off, leaving only a wisp of black smoke wafting up from his charred skull.

  The alien was in shock, eyes vacant, jaw slack. Adam knew Benefis would recover from the shock, only to be presented with a second dose once the true extent of his injuries was realized. In the meantime, he looked ridiculous, with a relatively tiny head perched atop a seven-foot-tall frame, centered on impossibly wide shoulders.

  Adam chanced a look over the edge of the boulder, seeing the glowing tail end of the Hal’ic starship racing off toward another target. A small cluster of Sol-Kor was hardly worth a second cannon bolt.

  “How is everyone? Any seriously injuries?” Adam inquired.

  “Fortunately Lila draped herself over the three of us,” Riyad answered. “Otherwise, who knows? Benefis looks…different.”

  The Juirean blinked several times. “What did you say? I heard my name.”

  “It’s nothing,” Adam said. “As I was saying, let’s get off this rock and try to find a working starship.”

  “That would appear to be a lost cause,” Arieel said. “The Hal’ic have done a thorough job of defeating the Sol-Kor on Kor, or as far as I can see.”

  “Hopefully there’s still one working ship left on the planet. We have to find J’nae and the Mark IV.”

  “You think we have a chance to get the ship back?” Riyad asked. “We don’t even know where she’s taken it.”

  “It would be to Silana,” Lila said. “That is the largest defendable planet nearest to Kor.”

  “How do you know that?” Sherri asked.

  “I do not know. It was something I read or heard, possibly from Panur. But my facts are accurate.”

  “I have no doubt that they are. It’s just…it’s just I’m glad you’re with us.”

  “I appreciate that, Ms. Valentine, especially coming from you.”

  “From me?”

  “Because of your past relationship with my father and your obvious antipathy towards my mother.”

  “That’s long gone, sweetie,” Sherri replied. “We’re all on the same team now.”

  “Good,” Adam said. He looked to Lila. “Now that that’s cleared up, any suggestions on where we should go?”

  “Even in the face of overwhelming opposition, the Sol-Kor would have formed a staging area for the survivors, with the goal being to deliver a counterattack. In light of the size of the Hal’ic fleet, that directive may have changed, yet there should still be a concentration of Sol-Kor ships nearby.”

  “And here we are, on foot and with an area the size of the Earth to cover. Where do you suggest we start?” Sherri asked.

  Lila looked into the night sky. “There.” She pointed to the moons of Kor. “Surface locations on the planet would be easily spotted. However, I would speculate that the Sol-Kor have facilities on the moons as well. As air-less bodies bombarded by lethal radiation, these facilities would be conveniently located underground, making them harder to detect.”

  “So how do we get from here to there?” Riyad chimed in.

  “Our best option lies with securing one of the many starships that are present on the surface of Kor.”

  “The Hal’ic?”

  “Why do we not just turn ourselves in and get back to J’nae?” Benefis asked.

  “Because we need a Sol-Kor ship to get to Silana,” Adam explained.

  “Is that not a lost cause by now?” Riyad countered.

  “We have to try. Otherwise J’nae—the Queen—will go on to build a fleet of universe-hopping warships. Once she does that, we’re all screwed.”

  “She could probably figure that out on her own, even without the Najmah Fayd.”

  “Then we should seek first to free Panur,” Lila offered. “We will need his expertise and special abilities to counter those of the queen.”

  Sherri nodded. “Along those lines, I say we let Panur and Lila gang up on the queen and do a number on her. After all, without her the Sol-Kor are nothing. If Panur can be neutralized—as we’ve seen—then so can she. Let Andy and the Hal’ic keep the rest of the Sol-Kor busy while we concentrate on J’nae—J’nae, the Queen. Dammit, this name thing is too friggin’ confusing!”

  “Blame Panur for that,” Adam said. “He’s the one who named the queen after the planet.”

  “I am still at a loss as to how we are to acquire a starship.” Arieel was shivering in the cold night air, her soaked garment clinging desperately to every accentuated curve. Adam looked at the others. They were all suffering from the same condition
, with the notable exception of Lila. They would have to find a place to dry out soon, otherwise the distraction of the cold would impair their judgement and fighting ability. Besides, one additional fire burning near the base of the pyramid mountain wouldn’t attract too much attention.

  “I’m working on an idea to get us a ship,” Adam said. “In the meantime, let’s find someplace out of the wind and get a fire started. The sooner our clothes dry, the sooner we can concentrate on the mission at hand.”

  Chapter 2

  It took fifteen minutes for the team to move to a sheltered area with an abundance of dry wood nearby. Even before the bombardment, very few native trees had survived this close to the Sol-Kor capital. Thousands of years ago the area had been stripped clean for development. Now only a few stubborn evergreens grew near the base of the mountain, clinging to inaccessible areas between boulders or in deep runoff washes.

  The Humans carried firestarters on their utility belts, and after a few moments of gathering tinder, a small fire was crackling in the middle of a sheltered clearing, surrounded by granite monoliths and a small grove of six scrawny trees.

  The team gathered close to the flames, reveling in the soothing warmth. Arieel unabashedly removed her blouse and dangled it close to the flame on the end of a fallen branch. Lila was the only one not suffering any ill effects from the cold and wet. She stood near the opening of the clearing, standing watch.

  “So what’s this plan you’re working on?” Riyad asked.

  “We need to attract a Hal’ic ship to us—without getting our heads blown off. I think I have a way to get their attention.” Adam grinned, holding out his hands, palms parallel to one another. A moment later a small ball of flickering white and blue light appeared between his hands.”

  Riyad was more upset than impressed. “You have an implant! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “After giving up my mine during the portal detector escapade, Arieel’s people saw fit me to give me a replacement. With the scandal going on over the Order and the powers of the Speaker, they felt it best not to advertise the fact.”