by Chris Bostic
“You do that and I quit,” Joe told her. “Big boy here might want to lug you around, but I’m done carrying you.”
She looked at him curiously.
“Remember?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Who do you think got you to safety?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I mean it had to be you, I guess.”
“And me,” Leisa said.
“Someone had to lug you around, and you’re not as light as Sarge pretends.” Joe added a smile to soften the friendly jab.
Jade, ever the analytical, took no offense. “I am more than a hundred pounds. That’s no small amount to carry.” She looked at them demurely. “Thank you both.”
“You’re welcome,” Leisa said.
“Without you guys, I’d be…”
Joe watched as Jade stared back toward the fire, no doubt thinking how she might have faced the same fate as Smig. And there they were carrying him, as well.
She whispered another quick thanks before drawing back in on herself again. Even Connie couldn’t bring her back out of her shell, though he didn’t try very hard. His energy was obviously pouring out quickly too.
They stumbled along the uneven ground. Weaving around boulders cost them extra time and strength, but at least they didn’t have to slug through spiky vines and the other trips and tangles.
Before long, Joe was too winded to go on. His lungs burned, partly from the haze, but mostly from the sheer exertion.
He pulled up next to a pile of boulders and lowered Smig.
“We’re gonna…have to…leave him.” He slumped over at the waist, his back aching to the point that he thought he might not be able to straighten up ever again.
Joe didn’t think there was any way his sergeant could go on either, but there was no quit in the guy. Connie looked to Jade for approval, knowing he would soldier on if she demanded it.
“I understand.”
“We can come back,” Connie said. “The fire may turn.”
Jade closed her eyes. “The wind has been shifting. There’s a chance we may be far enough out of danger.”
“A nap would be really good right about now,” Joe interjected, though he was mostly kidding.
“A quick rest and we can go on,” Connie said.
“There’s still the mission,” Jade replied. “We need to find my creator more than ever.”
Joe already knew the answer, but he had to ask, “Don’t you ever get tired?”
“The poor air quality makes it harder to generate power, but I am doing fine. We’re far enough away that the danger from the heat has diminished significantly.”
“Not for me,” Joe said. “I’m burning up.”
“Then it’s time for a soak.” Connie admired the creek. “Remember.”
“Yeah,” Leisa said. “A bucketful of water would do wonders.”
“You got that right.” Connie twisted to stretch out his back before bounding to the water’s edge.
A bend in the stream formed a relatively small pool. Though the shreds of almost non-existent moonlight seeping through the trees made the pool a sad, inky black, it couldn’t have looked more inviting to Joe.
“You bring the shampoo?” he asked Leisa, thinking back to their time in the hills. Even trapped behind enemy lines, her minty soap had brought a little bit of relief to a harrowing situation.
“I wish.”
“How about the water bottles?” Joe’s scratchy throat protested any further words. “Anybody have one?”
“I don’t think so.” Leisa looked to Jade. “You’re the freakishly smart one. Can you tell if the water is safe to drink?”
“I’ll find out. I could use a little myself.”
Jade kneeled at the edge of the stream and dipped her hands. Joe had no clue how she would be able to test the purity, and watched as she cupped water and lifted her hands to her nose.
She inhaled deeply as the water streamed between her slender fingers. Then she leaned over until her face was millimeters away from the water. Sitting up with an approving nod, she cupped another handful of water with one hand and poured it over her bare arm.
“The pH is fine,” she announced. “It’s pure enough to drink. I didn’t detect anything harmful.”
“By smelling?” Joe said.
“Yes, and visual inspection. I couldn’t find the presence of any malicious microorganisms.”
Joe raised an eyebrow, but didn’t have time to follow up with a question.
“That’s good enough for me,” Connie bellowed, sliding in next to her and sticking his entire head underwater. He sat straight up, water pouring off of his shaggy, longer than regulation hair. “That’s amazing.”
Joe looked at Leisa and shrugged. “Why not?” A little relief from all their problems was too good to resist.
“Just hurry,” Jade suggested after they’d doused their heads and drunk their fill. She pointed back behind them. “The stream will carry impurities from the fire this direction.”
“Good call.” Joe wished they had water bottles to refill, but assumed they were well enough hydrated for the time being. “I guess we can get going.”
Joe looked over at Connie to see if he wanted to try carrying Smig a bit farther. The big man was too busy cozying up to Jade to notice him. He shook his head like a wet dog, spraying her.
“Hey,” she shrieked.
Connie simply smiled and patted her on the butt. “Sorry, darling. Just thought you might want to cool off too.”
Joe realized she hadn’t dunked any part of herself into the water besides her hands. Perhaps she hadn’t needed too. It’s not like Joe had waded out into the pool either. The last thing he wanted was wet feet, but he was about to get them.
“Let’s bring your, uhm, brother thing over to the other side of the creek.” Connie pointed across to a mound of jagged rocks. “It’s pretty clear over there.”
“And it’s on the other side of the water, like a fire break,” Joe said, nodding. “Good idea.”
“A stiff breeze and that fire can hop over this little trickle, no problem,” Connie said. “But at least there’s nothing to burn around a pile of bare rock.”
“Works for me,” Joe agreed, and didn’t bother to wait for Jade’s input.
Leisa dropped their weapons and Joe’s backpack to jump in and give them a hand. It wasn’t easy crossing over slippery rocks, but twenty yards later they had made their way across the creek without getting more than a single pair of boots wet. Joe’s boots, of course.
His socks squished as he tromped back across the creek to retrieve their gear. He shouldered his backpack, and picked up his coilgun.
He flipped it on its side to check the battery, and was relieved to find nearly a full charge.
“Let’s do this,” Connie said.
“Whatever that is,” Leisa added.
“It’s not going to be easy without Smig.” Nevertheless, Jade appeared rejuvenated. No trace of her earlier disappointment remained. “But I know you guys can do this. You’re all so brave. I am forever in your debt.”
“Don’t forget it.” Connie laughed maniacally. “If we were willing to lay down our lives for the glory of the Republic, helping you is the least we can do.” He turned to Joe and Leisa. “Right?”
“Sure,” Leisa said noncommittally. “Why not?”
“That’s good enough for me.” Connie grabbed for Jade’s hand. “So where do we go, darling?”
“Back uphill.” She gestured into the darkness. Beyond the thin band of rocky, flat ground along the creek, a slope took off at a shallow angle. No surprise, it quickly became steeper.
Joe was already breathing heavily while they were still close enough to hear the babbling stream. He stopped for a rest before leaping over a fallen log, and ended up freezing in place.
Jade stood ramrod straight, completely focused on something he could not detect. If she had forelegs, one would’ve been bent back like a pointer dog, her
head tilted to the side.
“What?” Connie asked.
She shushed him.
Joe gripped his coilgun tightly and shared a nervous glance with Leisa.
“Someone’s coming,” Jade finally whispered. “More than one.”
Joe gulped and settled to a crouch. He patted the cargo pocket on his pants and felt at least three more magazines. It was little consolation having once been at the point where thousands of savages had erupted from the hills all around his position.
Jade looked at him and smiled. “Relax,” she said, eliciting a frown from him. “It’s just Mira.”
He sighed and stood up. “Then why’d you look so concerned?”
“Just trying to figure out who is with her.”
“You don’t know?” Joe asked.
“Not really, but I’m sure it’s fine.”
Joe tightened his grip on the coilgun again. “Maybe she’s been captured or something.”
“She’s definitely free,” Jade said. “She’s skipping.”
“Of course she is,” Connie grumbled. “Should I just call for her?”
“Come on, slowpokes.” Jade waved them forward. “She’ll find us.”
“With a bunch of IFP’s, or whatever,” Leisa grumbled under her breath.
It turned out that neither of them was right. Before they had climbed another thirty agonizing yards up the slope, Mira came bounding into view like a gazelle. She was alone.
“Where are your siblings?” Leisa called out to her.
“I don’t know,” Mira chirped and came right to them.
Joe was red-faced and panting hard, but Mira couldn’t have been more calm and collected.
She was, however, confused by the questioning. “I haven’t seen them yet.”
“But they were just with you,” Jade replied. “Correct?”
Mira shook her head. “Not with me.”
Leisa jumped in to suggest, “Maybe Jade should listen again.”
“I have been.” Jade stared at Mira. “And I know someone was right behind you. A whole group.”
“Oh, yeah,” Mira exclaimed. “I found some kind of unusual looking people, just not our people.” She turned and pointed over her shoulder into the shadows. “They’re right there.”
As if on cue, dark shadows swirled in the woods. Oversized, bulbous heads rested on stick thin bodies.
“Unholy alliance.” Joe raised his weapon. “Savages!”
CHAPTER 25
Connie was equally quick on the draw, having raised his weapon and zeroed in on the closest one. Mira knocked his gun to the side the split second before he could pull the trigger, and a burst of coilgun bolts tore into the ground at the feet of the savages.
There had to be at least a dozen of them, all bug-eyed and menacing looking.
Connie cursed and whirled Mira. “What the-”
“Stop,” she said, raising a hand to shush him. “They’ve come to help us.”
“Savages don’t help,” Connie grumbled.
Joe nodded in agreement, keeping his weapon leveled at the enemy. Every single one looked exactly same. Their gaping maws held rows of triangular teeth, each one razor sharp. Though he’d admittedly never seen it done before, he could imagine them tearing into flesh.
“How’d they even get here?” Connie swept his coilgun from side to side. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Yes, sir,” one of the closer savages replied.
Joe nearly dropped his weapon. “You can speak?”
“Of course,” he replied. “We’re on the same side.”
Joe blinked. Their dark green uniforms, worn boots, and curious body type were exactly like he’d seen before, up close and far too personal. He could still practically feel their presence, surrounding him in the cave, stabbing Kayla, and dying in piles around the trench at the prison camp. So much death and misery were associated with those retched creatures that he wanted to puke.
Then he realized one major missing element—the other thing about them that made him want to vomit.
“You don’t stink,” he said.
“Yeah, no nasty fishy smell,” Leisa added. She lowered her weapon. “Why not?”
“They’re clones,” Mira said. “Frederick made them.”
“Wh-what?” Joe stuttered. “You’re, uhm…you’re sure?”
Jade nodded. “Yes. They are most definitely cybernetic organisms.” She put a hand on Connie’s shoulder.
“Cyborgs,” he muttered, lowering his weapon but not moving any closer. “Too damn lifelike too.”
“Remember that Frederick does nothing halfway,” Jade said. “He’s a perfectionist.”
“But without that horrible odor,” Joe said.
The savage who had spoken earlier stepped forward. “If I may…real soldiers with the Kunuri National Army for Peace have a notoriously poor sense of smell. Apparently at some point during design, scent was deemed irrelevant, and that made for a more pleasant environment in the lab.”
“Huh.” Connie shook his head. “Makes sense. Who could bear to be around them?”
Joe agreed, but had a bigger question to ask Jade. “So why are they here?”
The closest savage clone answered for her. “We were initially programmed to infiltrate the horde and provide real-time intelligence on their approach. We were tasked with joining up with the incoming enemy and helping the Republic stop the onslaught by providing firsthand intel.”
“You said initially,” Joe said. “Then what happened to your, uhm, programming?”
The spokesman beamed, his shiny piranha teeth glowing eerily in the moonlight. “Very clever. We have been recently reprogrammed.”
“To do what?” Joe asked.
“To help Frederick.” He looked to Mira and nodded like a servant.
Joe was confused to the point of aggravation. He stalked over to Jade. “I don’t get it. Why can’t you people ever answer a question directly?”
“You people?” she said, failing to hide a grin. “That’s sweet. You finally see us as-”
“Enough!” Connie bellowed. He approached the smaller clone, towering over him though the frailness of the cyborg had made him seem fairly tall from a distance. “How are you going to help us? Spit it out, you wretched little savage clone.”
“My word, he’s a little aggressive,” a different clone said from the back of the group.
“It’s understandable, Sinon,” the first one replied before turning to face Connie. “He’s not one of them.” He motioned toward Joe and Leisa. “Or those two.”
“One of what?” Connie grumbled.
“Frederick sent us. Our new mission is to help his creations rescue him, and you three are definitely human,” the cyborg said as Connie glared at him. “Nevertheless, we will help get you safely inside the facility.”
“Why didn’t you break him out from the inside?” Joe asked. “You know, before you left?”
“He knew his creations were coming to find him, but he wasn’t sure with how much help or when exactly. It was easier to send us out to find them rather than waiting for a failed attack. To be honest, he felt like their odds of penetrating the complex alone were slim.”
Connie grunted as if to agree. Joe quickly stepped in to say, “So he sent you here to find us, and get us inside a different way?”
“More like he convinced the guards to send us out to infiltrate the enemy forces. I’m sure you know they are following closely behind you. But Frederick was able to change our mission before we left the facility.”
“And you know the best way to get back inside.”
The spokesman grinned. “Precisely.”
Joe didn’t breathe a sigh of relief by any means, but he felt a little more at ease. Shouldering his weapon, he turned to the others. “Looks like we might have a chance.”
“I’m so glad you think so,” Jade chirped. “This is terrific. I’m finally going to see my creator.”
She approached the spokesman and extended a
hand. The cyborg bowed.
“You must be Jade.” He looked up at her shyly. “You’re even prettier than Frederick says. The images don’t do you justice. He’s going to be ecstatic to see you.”
“Me, as well,” Jade replied and gestured for him to straighten up. “Do you have a name?”
“Odysseus, my lady.”
“The Trojan Horse,” Jade remarked. “Outstanding.” She beamed at the others. “My creator has paved the way inside. He’s the most brilliant man.”
Connie harrumphed. “Yeah, yeah. So what’s the plan, savage? We just gonna walk right in the front door?”
“More like the back door,” Odysseus explained.
The savage clones took the lead, and headed off toward the top of the slope in single file. As they hiked, Odysseus stayed at the rear of the cyborgs’ column so he could be close to Joe and the others.
He went on to explain how Frederick had arranged for special access on the far south side of the property. There was apparently a large outside training area where the inventions could be tested in real world conditions.
“There may be a minor difficulty getting back inside the complex, but I suspect it will prove much easier than trying the front door,” Odysseus said. “I assume that is what you were planning?”
“Maybe,” Connie muttered. “Without the walking garbage can, our plans were a bit up in the air.”
Odysseus frowned, the wrinkles cutting deep furrows in his oversized forehead. “Garbage can? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Smig.” Jade elbowed Connie before briefly explaining about her brother’s demise. “Do you know my other siblings?”
“Yes, of course.” Odysseus’ voice lowered to a whisper. “I’m sorry to hear about what happened to Smig.” He closed his big eyes, and popped them open quickly. “I suppose I should tell you the rest of your group is waiting for us up ahead.”
“That’s great,” Jade exclaimed. “How close-”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Connie interrupted.
“You didn’t ask.”
“You might as well be a freaking savage. Bunch of sneaky, useless-”