He saw so many scars he gave up counting them or wondering how they'd been wrought.
He also saw an unnerving number of weapons.
While he did not immediately know their functions from glancing at them, he could guess they were all deadly.
The people around him didn't seem to be the kinds to knock people out and hope for the best.
Before Carson could think of something to say, Cara whirled on the spot and pointed an armored hand at Nida. ‘She's touched,’ she announced in a booming voice that echoed around the cavernous room.
Nida blinked wildly, and automatically took a step towards him.
He stiffened his back and stared over at Cara warily.
He would have to play this very carefully. He'd only come here because Nida had suggested it. If it had been up to him, he would have knocked Harya and Cara out.
But whilst he had gone along with Nida's wishes, that did not mean he was going to drop his guard. At the first sign of trouble by any of these resistance members, Carson would act.
He'd do whatever it would take.
‘Touched?’ The question was picked up and repeated through the resistance in hushed, awed tones.
If Nida's skin had gone pink at the prospect of Cara and Nida's rapt attention, now she looked thoroughly sick. He half wondered whether she would throw up.
She didn't though. She simply stood there and stared out at the group around them with a wary, watchful gaze.
He had to remember that whilst it was Nida on the outside, the entity was never far from her. Not only could it take control of her voice, it could control her body too. If threatened—like she had been on the Farsight—Nida and the entity were capable of devastating power.
He still shook at the thought of what she'd done to those Barbarians.
No, he corrected himself firmly. Not her. The entity. And it had only been trying to protect itself, he reasoned automatically.
‘Are you sure?’ Someone asked as they walked towards Cara.
As they strode through the crowd, Carson realized it was a man. Probably in his mid-thirties, he sported cropped black hair, a wiry, strong frame, and wore an outfit remarkably similar to Carson's—a scuffed leather jacket, a simple hessian-style shirt, and pants.
The man shot Carson a curious look, then returned his attention to Cara.
Though the guy looked standoffish, it was all too easy to see the interest flickering in his gaze as he watched Cara.
‘I know what I saw,’ Cara spat. ‘She is touched,’ she pointed again at Nida. ‘If you don't believe me, go back to section 5f of the tunnels and see for yourself.’
The guy shrugged his shoulders, his lips kinking into a sneer.
‘Please, Varo, she's telling the truth. I was there. I saw it,’ Harya suddenly said as she pushed through the crowd towards the man, Varo.
Varo acknowledged Harya with a nod, then turned his gaze back on Cara. ‘Are you sure she is not a spy?’
Cara's lips slowly pulled back from her teeth. It was categorically an intimidating move. ‘Varo, you know I would never lead a spy to our headquarters. Don't jest with me,’ she added in a warning tone.
Everything Cara said and did was imbued with so much fire and passion, standing near her felt like standing on the crater of a volcano.
Now was not the time to be impressed by how boisterous she was though.
Now was the time to find out whether this group was trustworthy, Carson thought as he took a step forward.
He made sure his move was smooth and non-threatening. Nonetheless, Varo suddenly twirled on his foot, plucked something from his belt, and pressed it against Carson's neck.
Carson could have doubled back. He could have reached for his gun and shot Varo before the man had even blinked.
But he didn't.
Instead, he simply stood there and stared into Varo's eyes, not a hint of aggression or even shock crumpling Carson's brow. ‘Really?’ he asked calmly. ‘Is that how you treat a guest?’
Varo slowly smiled. It wasn't a friendly move though—it was laden with warning and menace. ‘Why are you here?’
‘Because . . . she's touched,’ Carson managed.
He didn't know what that meant, but he sure as hell hoped it was his ticket to getting these people to trust him. If he could convince this Varo and the resistance to help Nida, then maybe Carson could complete this mission sooner. Maybe he could find out where the next time gate was, or even better—where the dimensional bridge was.
Swallowing, despite the fact there was a blade pressed into his neck, Carson strengthened his resolve. ‘You're going to help us, and we're going to help you.’
Varo considered him in perfect silence. In fact, no one in the group spoke until Varo finally let the knife drop.
He took several steps back from Carson, considered him, then turned sharply to Cara. ‘This is on your head. If they turn out to be spies—’ he began.
Cara responded by spinning on her foot, grabbing the knife from Varo's hand, and yanking it free with such force, the man tumbled forward and stuck the floor on his knees.
‘Was that really necessary?’ he asked as he picked himself up, glowering at Cara.
‘You jest,’ Cara rebuked again. Then she turned to stare first at Nida, and finally at Carson.
Carson felt the need to stiffen under her watch. She appeared to have the ability to look right through him, and it made his back itch.
‘Look, we can help you,’ Carson began.
‘How?’ Varo asked, a calculating look crumpling his brow.
‘They have technology,’ Harya interrupted. ‘Devices I’ve never seen. We could use them to finally win against the governor,’ Harya clasped her hands together as she pleaded with Varo.
Varo snorted. ‘Is this true?’ He turned to Carson.
Carson didn't answer.
Yeah, sure, he had technology, but there was no freaking way in hell he was going to let anyone from this time period have it.
It was bad enough that Harya and Cara had seen his device and armor in action. He would not add to his temporal misdemeanors by giving this resistance access to technology from thousands of years in the future.
‘Is this true?’ Varo repeated, a vicious note to his voice.
‘Yeah, but no,’ Carson managed. ‘I can't give you my technology,’ he said, thinking fast, ‘I need it to help her,’ he nodded towards Nida.
Varo considered this possibility.
‘He wears a Goddess tear,’ Cara suddenly noted, nodding down to the device on Carson's right hand.
Varo stared at it, and for the first time, his expression slackened with something other than anger.
He looked impressed.
Then, in a flash, he also looked greedy.
‘A Goddess tear,’ Varo said slowly. ‘What else?’
‘He possesses some kind of armor I have never seen nor heard tale of. The government do not have anything of its like. It must also be a gift from the Goddess,’ Cara concluded.
Carson remained silent.
He did, however, close his fingers around the majority of the device over his right hand. He also let his left arm hover close to his pocket and his gun.
‘Armor? What kind of armor?’ Varo questioned, his gaze once again igniting with greed.
Carson didn't like this.
With every passing second, his back slicked with sweat and his teeth locked harder together.
He wanted to get out of this room now. He wanted to leave Varo and the resistance far behind him. Hell, he even wanted to get away from Cara, despite how intriguing and frankly attractive she was.
‘A gift from the Goddess for the protection of the touched,’ Cara now snapped, striding forward as she did. She faced Varo and glared at him. ‘Stop these games. We must help them. If the government were to find out about her,’ she gestured at Nida, ‘you know what they would do.’
Carson felt cold.
Very, very cold.
He didn
't like the sound of that. What exactly would the government of this corrupt and violent regime do to Nida? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be pleasant.
A fact Nida likely realized as she shuddered again.
Every movement she made was watched by the group—every breath, every blink, and every shiver.
It was as if they half expected her to burst into flames.
Carson swallowed.
He had to find out what was going on here.
He had to take control of this situation before it took control of him. He strode forward. ‘Cara is correct—these are gifts from the Goddess for protection of . . . the touched,’ he managed, though it was hard to force that word out. ‘I'm not going to give them to you. I need them. But we can still help you.’
‘And we can help you,’ Cara began.
‘Do not make decisions for this group,’ Varo warned. ‘I speak for this resistance cell.’
‘But you do not speak for the whole resistance,’ Cara spat. ‘If you would like, I am more than happy to share this news with Commander Xu. Unlike you, she will know what to do.’
Varo bristled.
Cara simply smiled.
As for Carson, he stood there and he waited. Completely on edge, he didn't know what Varo would do, but he did know he could not trust the man.
He'd seen the greed burning in his gaze, and as Varo now glanced over to Nida, the look he shot her made Carson sick to his stomach.
‘You can either help us, or we leave,’ Carson snapped, taking a step back and aligning himself close to Nida.
‘We will decide whether you can leave,’ Varo said dismissively.
Then he gave a nod.
Carson knew what it meant.
He'd given nods like that himself.
Non-verbal commands.
Without thinking, Carson activated his armor to full.
He no longer cared how many people saw it.
All he had to do was protect Nida.
There was a collective gasp from the group as his armor seamlessly shot out form his gauntlets and covered his whole body. It would be the first time Harya or Cara would have seen the transformation in full, and he watched as their faces slackened with surprise.
Carson took a deliberate step in front of Nida. ‘Don't threaten us,’ he said in a low, warning voice.
Varo's mouth was wide open, and he stared at Carson's armor with obvious shock. ‘You did not lie,’ he said in a shaking voice, ‘the Goddess really has blessed him with armor.’
‘Listen to him,’ Cara snapped, stepping forward and facing Varo, even locking a hand on his shoulder to center his attention.
‘Listen to her,’ Carson added. ‘You threaten us again, and I will walk out of here.’
Nida did not say anything. In fact, she'd been deathly silent ever since she'd walked into this room.
Carson desperately wanted to pull her aside to check on her, but he didn't have that luxury.
They were currently in a standoff.
And Varo would get to decide what would happen next.
‘I know you've got snipers,’ Carson pointed out as his armor’s on-board computer warned him of that fact. ‘I know you've got traps set up along the perimeter. But you should also know this—I’m going to do anything to protect her. So you choose wisely.’
Varo, for the first time, lost his confident, arrogant edge. He looked nervously from Carson to Cara.
Cara had not once flinched. Despite the fact Carson was essentially threatening the entire resistance, she simply stared at Varo with a hateful gaze.
‘Choose,’ Cara snapped.
Varo eventually put his hands up in a slow and deliberately drawn out move. ‘I will not threaten them,’ he said tersely.
Then he looked over at Carson's armor, and once he'd surveyed it in full, behind Carson to Nida.
Instinctively Carson shifted until his bulk hid Nida from view.
‘So you'll help us?’ Carson clarified.
Varo didn't answer immediately. Eventually he gave a short nod though.
‘Say it,’ Cara warned.
‘I pledge this cell of the resistance to the protection of the touched,’ Varo smiled.
Carson didn't like the smile, but at least the words fit.
With that, he took a stiff breath, but did not let himself relax.
Instead, he told his on-board computer to continually scan the environment to alert him to the first sign of threat.
If Carson had to punch through this room and all the resistance, he was going to do it.
Remus 12 was rapidly teaching him he didn't have the time or opportunity to think through his decisions.
He just had to act.
‘We need to find out everything this government knows about the touched,’ he said, unsure whether his question would pique everyone's curiosity, but suddenly not caring.
He couldn't wear kid gloves anymore—it was time to be direct.
Varo looked confused. ‘What?’
‘We are looking for . . . certain information on the Goddess. We have reason to believe this government possesses it,’ Carson said diplomatically, choosing his words carefully.
‘What do you seek?’ Cara asked directly.
‘Information,’ Carson managed.
‘Ha, he will not trust us, so why should we trust him?’ Varo laughed.
‘Be silent,’ Cara snapped. ‘Tell me,’ she turned her attention back to Carson, ‘what it is you seek.’
‘All information on the Goddess,’ Carson replied simply. ‘Where is it kept in this city?’
Though Cara looked momentarily confused, she soon shook her head. ‘All information pertaining to the Goddess and her effects is kept in the Central Security Facility. The Government know the importance of this data, and are sure never to let it fall into the public's hands. If there was general knowledge of it . . . there would be rebellion.’
Carson nodded.
What he really wanted to do was ask what she meant.
Rebellion?
Why?
In a moment of surging frustration, he realized how truly little he knew.
He was totally and completely in the dark.
Everything he had learnt about the entity, he had learnt from the entity itself. Everything else was just guesswork.
Still, at least he now had a plan.
‘The Central Security Facility,’ he repeated. ‘Where is it?’
Silence met his question.
‘It is the most heavily secured building in the city,’ Cara said quietly, answering a question he had not asked.
‘I need to find out as much as I can,’ Carson countered. ‘Tell me where it is; I will do the rest.’
In fact, they didn't even need to tell him; as he spoke, he directed his armor to connect to his scanner, and together scan the airwaves for any mention of this building. Soon enough a blueprint of the city was displayed over the inside of this visor, and the building's location flashed in a red halo.
‘It would be suicide,’ Cara noted simply.
‘I have to try,’ Carson noted in the same quiet voice.
‘I will not sacrifice my men for you,’ Varo warned.
‘I'm not asking you to,’ Carson snapped. ‘I’ll go alone.’
‘I will accompany you,’ Cara offered.
‘I told him, I will not sacrifice any of my men to such a foolish mission,’ Varo growled.
‘I am not a man,’ Cara said simply. Then she faced Carson and nodded once.
He was suddenly struck by how suitable she would be for the Academy. If only she'd been born in the right time and right place, the woman before him could have climbed the ranks and become the best admiral the United Galactic Coalition had ever seen. As it was, she appeared relegated to skulking around in muck-covered tunnels whilst dealing with arrogant fools like Varo.
It was a criminal waste of talent.
It was also a distraction.
Despite how much he could use someone like Cara on hi
s team, he couldn't take her.
It had already been too much of a risk to rely on the resistance.
If it had been up to him, he would never have come here.
He was only having this conversation to appease the entity.
But now he had the name of the facility holding the information they sought, hopefully the entity would let him go about this mission how he thought best.
It was a futile hope.
‘I’ll go alone,’ Carson repeated firmly.
Before anyone else could react, Nida walked up and placed one of her soft and gentle hands on his arm. Weighing down against his armor, she leant in and told him, ‘we need their help.’
Once again he realized it wasn't her speaking.
. . . .
Again the entity was telling him what to do. And again it went against his better judgment.
Nonetheless, he nodded his head.
Varo watched Nida with interest, but did not say anything. Instead, he simply stood there and let his darting gaze draw all over her.
Carson had to fight the urge not to growl at the man.
‘The touched has spoken,’ Cara nodded low. ‘I will help you. And if Varo is too cowardly to send help, I will find others. However, once again, I plead with you to understand how dangerous this mission will be. The Central Security Facility is the most secure building in the city. It is surrounded by trenches, fences, guards, and turrets. To go inside you must be known and you must have identity passes. Trust me, it will be all but impossible to attack.’
‘I trust you,’ Carson said, appalled that his voice became a little high.
There was something truly distracting about Cara. It wasn't just her strength or the way she could look at you as if you were the last thing in creation. It was the strength that underscored everything she did.
Once again Carson was struck by the thought that, in a different time and place, he would have loved the chance to get to know her.
Instead, he now nodded. ‘We'll find a way,’ he said cryptically.
‘She is right; you cannot assault the building head on,’ Varo warned.
‘We'll find a way,’ Carson repeated simply.
He left it at that.
Because he had to be careful how much information he shared. He'd already told Varo and the resistance too much about his plans—even if the stuff about the Goddess’ armor was just made up.
Ouroboros 2: Before Page 13