Nyxia Unleashed

by Scott Reintgen

  “Come on,” she says. “Let’s go meet an alien species.”

  There’s an awkward second as the group calibrates to their new commander. Some move toward the entryway. Ida is whispering furiously with Isadora. Holly turns a lock of red hair around one finger, listening to their argument, always so quiet.

  Katsu comes forward and slaps my back. “Who’s having fun?”

  Morning cuts in my direction. She takes her place at my side, grinding her teeth, as the entire group files outside after Parvin. Isadora follows, chin raised. Morning broods beside me. I’ve never seen her this way. I don’t know how to calm her down.

  “So I catch heat for saving Roathy’s life,” I point out. “But Ida wasn’t exactly shooting daggers at Alex over Loche. Isn’t that what Alex being here means? That he killed Loche?”

  Morning takes a steadying breath. “Ida doesn’t know which room Loche was in. She doesn’t know who killed him. I’ll make sure Anton and Jaime keep their mouths shut. It’s hard enough keeping one of you alive; we don’t need to throw another target on Alex’s back.”

  There’s a second where we just stand there, breathing in the unfairness of it all. Babel’s sins are starting to count against us. “He’s alive. Roathy’s alive. We could ask Babel for proof.”

  “If he’s actually alive,” she says. “How do you know Babel didn’t just kill him after you left him there?”

  The question catches me off guard. I realize she’s right. I really have no clue.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she admits. “If she really decides to come for you, I—I can’t just hurt her, Emmett. Not with a baby. I don’t know what to do….”

  There’s an excited shout from outside.

  “You’ve got my back. I’ve got your back. That’s enough for now.”

  She shakes her head, like that’s too simple, like she needs to have a real plan.

  “My big takeaway from all of this, though, is that you clearly like me a lot.”

  She smacks my arm. “Lurch.”

  Outside, the entire group waits in a line. I lead Morning carefully to the opposite side of where Isadora is standing. Parvin’s waiting at center, a few steps ahead of us. I glance over at Morning and can tell she’s still hot with it all. “Didn’t mean to get you demoted.”

  She forces a smile. “Parvin will do fine.”

  Dust swirls on the distant plain. Beneath the clouds, four black spheres speed in our direction. Electrical charges crackle between them, flashing every few seconds like horizontal lightning. They’re still a few thousand meters away, but covering ground quickly.

  “Hey,” Morning whispers. “What was my guess? The second day after dawn?”

  I look up at the sky and realize she was spot the hell on.

  “Not bad.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “I’ll collect my prize later.”

  My eyes flick back to the approaching spheres. All four begin to unwind, black shards peeling open like the petals of a flower. Each vessel gapes open wide enough for their riders to come walking right out onto the plain. I can hear Azima laughing.

  Anton glances down the line. “What’s so funny?”

  “I just realized my breath smells like a nightmare,” she says. “Anyone have gum?”

  The joke cuts straight through the tension. We all laugh, because the thought is so absurd. Forget that this might be the most important moment in human history, in our lives. The four figures continue their approach. From a distance they look like men, but we know they’re not.

  “Adamites,” Jazzy says, farther down the line. “This is actually happening, y’all.”

  Parvin glances back at us. “Shoulder to shoulder.”

  Mostly Genesis 12 members repeat the phrase. We all watch as the black spheres twist through the air. They reform around the approaching party, dressing each Adamite in dark capes with walking sticks or armor. It’s not hard to see how effortlessly they’re manipulating the nyxia. It’s quite an opening performance.

  I can’t stop my mind from flashing back to the first video that Babel showed us. The welcoming parties of our two species. I remember the obscuring flashes of black, the dismembered marines. I can hear the tortured Adamite that Kaya and I found imprisoned in the belly of the ship too. The pulse of anger that shouldered forward before he killed her. We’re here again, on the edge of something that’s so much bigger than ourselves.

  We all take our places. We try to stand tall.

  “No pressure, Parvin,” Katsu calls. “Just our lives hanging in the balance.”

  “I was captain of the debate team,” Parvin answers. “This will be a walk in the park.”

  The Adamites are one hundred meters away. I realize how little we know about them. Only what Babel’s told us, and that’s never been much. All we have in this moment is the hope that Babel didn’t lie about this too. I imagine Defoe watching the scene unfold through some camera on the outskirts of Foundry. Does he know what is about to happen? Do any of them?

  The Adamites have a leader too. He strides ahead of the others, chin held high. I guess some things are just universal. All of them look well dressed in their tight-fitting fabrics. Sunlight shimmers off silver buttons and decorative rings. It’s clear they’ve come in their finest. Only one of the four wears a weapon on his hip. I’m not stupid enough to think that makes him the dangerous one. All of them are dangerous. The first Adamite we encountered was bound hand and foot to a wall, and he still killed Kaya. The last thing I notice is that all four of them are male. I want to jump to a few conclusions about that, but the sample size is too small.

  I take a steadying breath as they come to a stop just twenty meters away.

  “Welcome, Genesis,” the leader says. “May we speak?”

  I’m surprised to hear them call us by that name. It’s the way I’ve started thinking about us, almost a way to distinguish us from Babel. Parvin takes a decisive step forward.

  “We would be honored.”

  His face breaks into a wide smile. It’s unashamed delight. He looks at the others, gesturing excitedly, and they look recklessly happy. One of them gives a nervous laugh. We are welcome. We are wanted and long-expected. The emotion that echoes through each face is so powerful that it’s almost like we’re watching actors in a play.

  Their leader begins. “I am Thesis of the First Ring, the appointed spokesman of the Daughters. I speak on behalf of all Sevenset.” He allows us time to process, but the words don’t mean much. I snagged his name and his title and that’s it. He’s the messenger. “May my brothers introduce themselves?”

  Parvin nods. “Please do.”

  Aside from Thesis, the Adamites are all barrel-chested. I can see lines of muscle beneath every stretch of fabric. Their eyes are wide set too. Full of color, but not all the paintings are as striking as the rest. One looks like he has a galaxy of colors implanted in his irises. Another stares back mud pits. Their skin’s so tan that it verges on gold. Each wears his hair high and swept away from his forehead. They’ve buzzed the sides so that their sweeps look dramatic and startling.

  As the first one steps forward, I notice the nyxian implants. They all have shards of it grafted into their skin. My mind flashes back to the captive aboard Genesis 11. I can picture the nyxia set into his knees and elbows. Each Adamite wears his implant in a different place.

  “I’m Beckway of the Seventh Ring.”

  He looks younger than the others. His hair is pulled into a topknot, and nyxian implants cover each of his knuckles. Not someone I’d like to get in a fight with.

  “I am Bally of the Third Ring.” He’s the one with eyes that look like captured galaxies. Nyxian implants are set into each temple. “It is an honor.”

  The final Adamite has a voice so soft that we all lean forward to hear him. Nyxian stones are planted into the skin around
one mud-colored eye, circling in the shape of a bull’s-eye. It’s hard to think about anything but how badass it looks.

  “And I am Speaker of the Second Ring. The Daughter’s Sword.”

  Again, not sure what that means, but it sounds as badass as he looks. Their leader—Thesis—steps forward again. I notice he’s the least warrior-like. It has me wondering what the power structures are in their world. Maybe he’s their version of a politician or something?

  “Well met,” he says. “Now, please tell us why you are here.”

  I see Parvin’s shoulders go rigid. The question is direct, almost rude, but they’re different people with different customs. Parvin looks like she’s tracing back through the handful of details Babel gave us about the Adamites during our studies. I try to remind myself that, in their eyes, we’re visitors from a foreign planet. Maybe even hostile visitors, considering all they have to measure us by is Babel.

  Parvin recovers quickly. “We’ve come to Eden by your invitation. We are emissaries. A bridge between our people and yours.” She holds up a piece of nyxia. “And we’ve been asked to mine this substance. Our employers expect us to work on their behalf.”

  It’s hard to read all the reactions, and they’re subtle as hell. Beckway’s fist tightens before he smiles. Bally and Speaker exchange delighted nods. I watch and wait, and let out a breath when Thesis responds with enthusiasm.

  “We are honored. Though, may I make a slight correction?”

  “Of course,” Parvin replies.

  “You called our world Eden. We’ve heard Babel representatives call our home by that name. But you cannot be wise if you do not call things by their right names, do you agree?”

  “I do agree.”

  He gestures up to the sky, like the word is written there. “Our relationship to the two moons dictates our identity. The larger moon is Magness. For now that means that our world is known as Magnia. But the system’s rotations will bring the smaller moon—Glacius—closer in a few years. When that happens, we will call our world Glacia. In another fifty years from then, we’ll call ourselves Magnia again. And so on and so on.”

  Parvin nods. “Magness and Glacius. They sound beautiful.”

  Thesis smiles wider, but for the first time it looks forced.

  “We are honored to fulfill this contract. Babel has delivered you to our world as agreed, and your presence will be a brightness to our people. To see children again, to have you in our homes and walking through our streets, that will bring back a lost kind of paradise. All of you are here to restore a world our people have forgotten.”

  For the first time, I feel the weight on this side of the equation. I’ve always understood Babel’s reasons. More money, more nyxia, more power. That makes all the sense in the world, but I never thought about what the Adamites got out of the deal. It always seemed like we were an entertaining sideshow. A permission granted to Babel so the Adamites could witness a miracle they’ve lost. For the first time, it feels like more than that. Thesis and the others are looking at us like we’ve come to save them. I file it away under D for Dig Deeper.

  “And in exchange,” Thesis continues, “you will have twenty-one days to work as Babel has requested before your visit to Sevenset, and another one hundred days after your visit. Mine the substance. Take it with you. It will not hurt us to see some of it go. For now I will leave you these three escorts: Speaker, Bally, and Beckway. We would not risk your lives by leaving you unattended. As you may know, Magnia is not always a friendly world.”

  The Adamites exchange grins at that.

  Thesis says, “Grimgarden is our safest continent. Assigned hunting parties worked to make this section of our world even safer prior to your arrival. We know, however, that your kind are not familiar with the ways of our creatures. I offer these escorts to see you safely through your tasks and eventually lead you to Sevenset’s gates.

  “Not only are these three of our most respected warriors, but they’ve been trained in our histories as well. As you travel through Grimgarden, they will tell you our stories, give you a deeper understanding of our people. Is this suitable?”

  All three of our offered guardians wait with trembling excitement. Their faces light up with smiles that are so wide they almost look fake. Again, I’m left feeling strange about it all. We mean even more to them than we thought we did. That could be very good, or very bad.

  Parvin is quick to accept their offer, because what else can she say? These were Babel’s terms; this is Babel’s arrangement. Reject the offer and we risk offending the welcoming party. And our main plan is to play nice, mine nyxia, keep our eyes open. Eventually we’ll have to fight back against Babel. It’s not hard to see that the Adamites might be our best possible ally.

  “Good,” Thesis says. “I do not doubt that Babel would like you to take advantage of every hour. I will await your presence in Sevenset. I leave these escorts at your disposal. We hope that this will be the first step in a long and meaningful partnership.”

  Parvin reaches out her hand. The gesture has me leaning in to get a better look. Do the Adamites even shake hands? Thesis considers the handshake, but holds out both of his hands instead, bunching them into fists. He sets them both a few centimeters apart.

  “This is our way,” he explains. “One fist for each moon.”

  Parvin reaches out and bumps her fists into his.

  We all watch as Thesis crosses one hand under the other and holds the fists out again, twisted now. “And the second symbolizes a permanent agreement. One for both worlds, no matter how the moons might change. It’s a promise between peoples.”

  Parvin daps him up again, and the entire group lets out a held breath.

  Our negotiations have already gone about a hundred times better than anything Babel has managed in the last two decades. All three of our guardians come smiling forward. We watch Thesis summon the nyxia from his shoulders and bracelets. The material blooms out and encircles him. Up close the vehicle looks about the size of a motorcycle. I spy a final, satisfied look on the emissary’s face before nyxia swallows him whole.

  We watch him launch into motion and pick up speed before he’s reduced to a black speck on the distant plain. Speaker turns to us. “Now, shall we teach you the ways of our people?”

  It takes Kit about two seconds to remind us that Babel’s shadow hangs over everything. He steps out front so he’s nice and visible before lifting both hands to get everyone’s attention.

  “Time to start digging,” he announces. “I’m going to have the trucks pull around. One for each unit. The locations of your assigned mines are on the map. You’ll mine until an hour before sundown, then head back here. Don’t stay out there at night, okay? I’ll let you all decide which escort will go with which crew.”

  Rolling back one sleeve, Kit brings up the digital interface that controls Foundry. There’s a distant rumble of gates opening and engines starting up. Morning signals for our crew to join us off to one side. As the other groups form ranks, I catch another glimpse of Isadora. She’s clenching her jaw so hard it looks like it’s made of steel.

  I try to shake off the bad vibes and focus on the task ahead.

  Bally ends up joining Katsu’s crew. I’m not surprised to see that Katsu somehow already has the Adamite shaking with laughter. And Beckway’s in an animated conversation with Parvin, which leaves us Speaker. We introduce ourselves and he repeats each of our names, rolling syllables over his tongue and smiling at the way they sound. It’s like he’s discovered fire or snow for the first time. But our first exchange gets swallowed by the sound of the approaching trucks.

  Three pristine mining vehicles come rolling out of underground storage. It’s a little overwhelming to remember that this is the first time we’ve ever actually seen them in person. Everything on Genesis 11 was simulation. Kit directs the trucks in a straight line so they’re ready t
o be boarded and taken out to the mining sites. Azima sets a dark hand on the nearest wheel. It has her entire forearm vibrating. She turns back, eyes bright above her mask.

  “It’s real!” she shouts. “I call riding in the back.”

  Anton slides quietly between Morning and me. He wraps an arm around our shoulders and lowers his voice to a whisper. “Not meaning to break up the lovely couple, but I was wondering if I might ride up front with Morning. I have a few things I’d like to discuss.”

  “Couple?” Morning asks, smiling. “I must have missed all those times Emmett took me out to dinner on the Tower Space Station….”

  I throw her a raised eyebrow. “Let me check out a few Adamite restaurants on Yelp and get back to you, all right?”

  She laughs at that before nodding. “Be careful back there.”

  Speaker waits awkwardly off to the side. I nod back to Morning before walking over to join him. “Let’s ride in the back, Speaker. You can give me the unofficial tour.”

  The truck is broken up into three parts. Morning and Anton climb into the driver’s hatch and sit down in front of an intricate nest of high-tech panels and switches. There’s the birdlike drill squatting behind it, and the open loading bed bringing up the rear.

  We all climb up, carefully skirting the miniature rover that’s roosting there. A series of black straps runs along the base of the loading bed. I demonstrate putting my feet in so that Speaker gets the idea. The last thing we need is for Morning to hit a bump and send our escort flying out of the truck. Wouldn’t exactly be the most diplomatic beginning.

  Longwei sits in the driver’s seat of the truck right behind us. Azima blows him a kiss and he shakes his head, blushing. Jaime sits beside her, all patched up, the blood cleaned from his uniform. When Kit gives the signal, the whole truck heaves back into motion.

  Speaker’s eyes are quick to take in everything we’re doing. We stand together like farmhands, green hills rolling by, everything burned gold by the rising sun.