by Matt Betts
Once they’d grown silent altogether, Martin looked down at the bandages. “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine here alone while you work things out on your end.” The remote was within reach, so he clicked on the large screen across from his bed. It was on the same news channel he’d left it on the last time he’d fallen asleep. The news was suddenly all over the giant monster headed for mainland America before, but now it was zeroing in on the fast-moving object headed for the scene.
“Satellite images haven’t brought back a positive identification, but visual imaging from automated weather stations and oceanic outposts are claiming to have matched their photos with images online of a wartime vehicle, shown here.” The newscaster paused as combat video began to roll on the screen. “Called the Cudgel. Reports have that vehicle missing since near the end of the war.”
“Of course it hasn’t been seen. It was buried under the god damn ocean,” Martin said. He sipped his water through a plastic straw. “I found the thing. Not you. I did.”
“If, indeed this is the Cudgel, it is moving this way fast.” The camera cut away to a wide shot of the sky, with a yellow streak headed for the coastline and the Lusca. Another camera caught soldiers who were behind cover, shooting at the beast, suddenly stop and stare at the flash of light.
It closed to within half a mile of the giant beast, righted itself and then landed perfectly on its feet, knee-deep in the ocean. Steam rose from the water and huge waves rippled out from the massive robot.
On the camera, soldiers cheered, albeit cautiously and from behind trucks and tanks, but they couldn’t contain their elation.
“It looks as if those initial reports were correct; this is positively coming up from our automated research system as the Cudgel. Where has this thing been for the last decade or so?” The anchor had a slight smile himself, as if, from his studio in New York, he had been in real danger at some point. “Has the military brought this project out of mothballs to aid in the effort to stop this chaos? Let’s see how the legendary Cudgel even begins to figure out how to tackle this beast.”
The room echoed with the slurping sound as Martin finished the last of his water. He was thirsty, as if he’d slept for days. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t. “Damn right they’ll tackle it. Better not damage it, though,” he mumbled, realizing how that sounded—that he put the value of the treasure above his own people.
The screen showed the Cudgel standing where it landed. “They may be powering up some weapon here for a decisive strike against the creature.” The announcer puzzled.
After a minute, the robot tottered and then fell forward into the Pacific.
Martin dropped his plastic cup on the floor as he watched the monster on the screen turn to look toward the Cudgel for the first time since it landed.
“Christ, get up.” Martin stared out at the debris of the sunken ship that floated in the Pacific just a bit off the Adamant’s starboard.
“Theo and Angela know there’s a time factor involved here. They’re doing their best,” Ben said. He wheeled easily around the bed to Martin’s side. “You just need to take it easy before you tear your stitches, or that wound cement, or whatever the hell it is keeping your guts in place right now.”
“I’m fine.”
“The hell you are. You were at death’s fucking door nearly twenty-four hours ago. Nobody—not even the great and powerful Martin Taylor—just shakes something like that off. You’re going to kill yourself.”
“I’m fine, Ben.”
“I’m not going to let you kill yourself because you think you can help that crew somehow.” Ben nodded to the black screen.
Martin had turned the television off, thinking somehow if he didn’t see something bad happen, it wouldn’t actually happen. “For now, can we just agree to wring our hands while we wait for those two to find that briefcase over there?”
It took a moment for Ben to nod, but eventually he agreed. “Good luck with that needle in a haystack. What did they say? A red case with a laptop in it? Could they have been a little more vague?”
“It looks something like this.”
Behind Ben and Martin, a soaking wet man held up a red brief case in one hand and a Russian-made MP82 machine pistol in the other. Martin recognized the gun as one used by the Circle immediately, as he’d been commissioned to find a similar weapon for a client, and the gun’s history had become ingrained in Martin’s mind. The man’s face was matted with blood from a recent slash across his face. His plain white dress shirt and blue jeans were ripped in places.
“Who the hell are you?” Ben asked.
“I don’t think it matters, but my name is Guillermo Vinoit. Doctor Guillermo Vinoit.” He paused, looking for an acknowledgement, but got none. He waved the gun from Ben to Martin. “Now I’m going to guess that neither of you can operate this vessel. So, we’ll just have to wait until one of your companions comes back from our ship,” Dr. Vinoit said. Martin guessed the man hadn’t found the other crew member that was supposed to be loose on the ship. Unless they’d decided at the last minute to send everyone to search the wreck.
“I’m the captain of this ship.” Ben turned his chair around to face Vinoit.
The doctor looked Ben over. “From that chair? I hardly believe you.”
“Check the wheelhouse. All of the consoles are built to adjust to a height that I can reach, and see out the forward viewports.”
“That would be something, wouldn’t it? I’ll go look and you can put some plan to kill me, or warn the others, into motion? No, I think not. I’ll just wait right here for your colleagues.” He leaned himself on the far side of the room and looked up at the screen. He gazed at the creature shown in the news feeds. “Looks like they didn’t need me, the Lusca will fulfill its mission after all.” He swallowed loudly and then noticed the pitcher of water next to Martin. He walked over and took it, then shambled back to lean against the wall. He waved his gun quickly at the men to warn them off, and then drank in giant gulps straight from the pitcher, spilling some down his face, and neck, then onto the floor.
As he watched the man, Martin considered what he’d been through. The monster had to destroy their ship not too long after leaving the crevice. “If you want more, we can get you more. I mean, you’ve been through an ordeal, after all.”
“You don’t know what happened to me.” The doctor let the empty pitcher fall to the deck.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been either sitting on top of that wreckage in the sun for two days…” Martin had to think about it. Had he been passed out for two days, or three? He’d faded in and out; maybe he missed a sunset or two. “Or you were treading water under some cover, watching for sharks, or whatever else might come for you. No food, no drinkable water. If you got any sleep, it probably wasn’t much.”
“You know nothing.”
It was just a wild guess on Martin’s part, but he was pretty sure one of those scenarios was close. “Look at you now. You’re almost too tired to stand. I’m pretty sure the only thing keeping you moving is the adrenaline of pointing that gun at us.”
“Shut up,” Doctor Vinoit said as he straightened himself up.
By the time he turned back, Ben had pulled a pistol from under his blanket and fired the Taser. The loud zap startled the hell out of Martin, not to mention Vinoit, who twitched, dropped the case and gun, and fell to the deck.
“Jesus, Christ.” Martin flopped himself backward on his pillows. “You could have gotten us killed.”
“Oh, don’t be a baby. I’m an excellent shot.” Ben’s wheelchair bumped the bed before he managed to get it around to where Vinoit lay. “I got the job done, right?” He picked up the case and weapon from the floor and moved them out of the doctor’s reach. “Besides, no one ever expects to get Tasered by the guy in the wheelchair, do they?”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Martin sat up and leaned over his bed, careful not to hurt himself, or reopen his injury. Together, he and Ben stared
down at the motionless doctor. “I wonder if there’s some sort of reward for him?”
Shouts came down the hall-the rest of the crew were hollering for Martin and Ben.
“If there is, I’m the one that shot him. So I’d be the one that gets the money,” Ben laughed.
His side hurt when he laughed, so Martin tried not to. But he looked at the briefcase proudly. It was the only thing he could help with. The battle on the west coast was already underway and the Adamant was a day away at top speed, and that was only if nothing else went wrong. This case could be his contribution to saving his crew. He turned and looked up at the dark television screen and then felt around for the remote. The TV sprung to life, showing the announcer again.
“We’ve lost contact with the crew on the west coast. Just as the Cudgel fell into the ocean, our feed went out and we lost communications with everyone out there. Land lines seem to be out, cellular communications, everything. We’ll join that scene as soon as possible. Meanwhile…” The announcer looked offscreen for a moment. “Let’s take a look at the images we received. Here is the Cudgel landing to confront the creature… and here is where the power goes out. If everyone else lost their energy at the same time, it stands to reason that the Cudgel did too.” The video showed the Cudgel, knee deep in the ocean around the small island defense station suddenly falter and fall into the water again, and again in slow motion replay.
54
The crew of the Cudgel moved about in the cockpit, in the darkness. “Rina?” Cass called. “Are you okay?” The cabin had reoriented itself as the Cudgel fell so they weren’t stuck at an odd angle, falling on their faces, slipping out of their chairs. The whole cabin had simply rolled until it was oriented at the proper angle, even as the machine was falling.
“I’m fine. Check on everyone else.”
“Anyone hear me? Is this working?” Cass tapped her headset and tried keying it on again. “Hello?”
“Mine’s out too,” Rina said.
Cass unbuckled her restraints and walked for the elevator. “I’ll head down to check on Jakob and work my way up.”
“I’ll check Ozzie, then Takis.”
Cass opened the elevator doors and realized quickly that there was no way for the shaft to change orientation, so she’d have to walk down the wall, which was now the floor. Also, the emergency lighting hadn’t kicked in. She stood there, letting her eyes adjust as much as she could, before hurrying on as fast as she could, dodging the various structural pieces that got in her way. She came to the leg control area and cranked open the door.
“This sucks.” Jakob’s voice called out to her from the darkness.
“I’ll help you out. Then we may need to hand-crank the solar collector open together.”
“This is embarrassing. That thing just zapped us like we were some giant punk. We went down like nothing, never even swung on him.”
“Hey, it was our first flight. At least we didn’t crash,” Cass said. “And we’re alive.”
“Everyone’s okay?”
“Rina is checking on the brothers.” Cass found her way over to Jakob and felt the straps above him, but could barely see them. “Hold still.”
“Okay. Not going anywhere.”
“If I remember right, we unclamp this, and pull...”
“Whoa, wait. You’re tightening it. You’re tightening it right in a really sensitive area.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop. Jeez, let me get it.”
“You can’t do it by yourself.”
“I’m going to try. Please take your hands off for a second.”
Cass raised her hands in the darkness and took a step back. “Sorry.”
After loosening the strap himself, Jakob then clearly indicated what Cass should move and what not to, they unbuckled the clasps together.
“Let’s never speak of that.”
“Sure,” Cass said. “Not a word.”
“You’re going to speak of that, aren’t you?”
“Every chance I get.” Cass led the way into the elevator shaft and moved back up to the control area. The pair climbed in and called for Rina.
“We’re good.” A bright phosphorescent light emerged from Takis’s chamber held by Ozzie.
“There were emergency lights in the arm units, portable bio lights. No batteries needed.” His bother emerged with Rina next.
“Can we use one? We’re headed up into the attic of this thing, so we can start the solar panels.”
“I don’t think it’s called an attic, Jakob.” Takis laughed. “If it’s further up in the head, it would be the brain.”
"Great, we’re heading up into the brain to kick start this bitch,” Cass said.
“Hey, did we sweep that area when we came in?” Ozzie asked. “I know we didn’t look in there, did you guys?”
Cass looked at the others. “No. We handled all the lower parts. I forgot the head.”
Takis and Jakob looked at each other and shrugged.
“Shit.”
They gathered and picked up their weapons again-those that hadn’t kept them strapped to their side or tucked close. Jakob led the way, holding one blue light high, and Rina brought up the rear of the group with the other light and a mini shotgun. They climbed through the elevator shaft-easier this time, Cass noted, with some light to guide the way.
They came to what would have been the top of the elevator, and carefully opened an access hatch. Ozzie held the light as Jakob popped his head through the opening with his pistol. He crawled through and motioned the others on. “Watch your step,” Jakob said. He stayed and helped everyone inside. Each gasped just a little as they entered.
On the opposite side of the room, actually the ceiling of the room since it apparently didn’t reorient like the main chambers, was a pile of broken, jagged bones and dust. Scattered around the pile were a dozen or so tiny white slags, writhing in the dust.
“Everything must have shifted when we crashed or when we raised the Cudgel the first time,” Ozzie said. “Is this the rest of the crew?”
Cass knelt down and guided one of the lights around. “I count parts of maybe six skulls.”
“I see eight.” Rina pointed to a paper-thin section of a jawbone stuck in a section of chords on the wall.
“Jesus,” Takis said.
“Ozzie? Can you take your brother back down to the control room and see if you can get the emergency lighting started? We’ll all stay up here and dispose of these and crank open the collectors.”
Takis wasn’t thrilled at the proposition. “I can help. I can kill those things just as well as anyone else.”
Apparently sensing Cass’s reasoning, Ozzie guided his brother out into the corridor. “We all have a role to play here.”
“I’m not helpless for Christ’s sake.”
Cass watched him go, and closed the hatch behind him. “Jakob? Smash those things. Rina? Help me get to the manual controls.” She moved as fast as she could in the conditions, hurrying so as to not have to hear the sickening crunch and squish the slags made as they were crushed.
Together, they deployed the solar collector and the Cudgel came back to life. The power gauge moved slowly back to the positive side, but once the tidal collectors were added, things moved a little faster.
“Launch Mister Punchy as soon as it has enough power. We might be able to use it to keep an eye on the monster from a distance, just try to keep it out of range of the power drain,” Cass said.
“I’m doing everything I can right now.” Rina sounded out of breath. “I’ll get it when I come down the stairs.”
Cass did her best to help everyone back into their positions as they came back. The fight ahead was going to be rough on everyone.
55
“Linden?” It was an unfamiliar voice coming across the computer’s speakers.
“Hello?” Linden returned.
“My name is Ben. I’m sitting with Martin Taylor.” There was a pause. “Is there something we should do
with this briefcase thing?”
“You have it?” Tsui asked.
“Yes we do,” Ben said. “See this guy snuck…”
“I desperately want to hear that story, but… we need you to plug it into your upload device and boot up the computer inside the case, and then you need to initialize the device as only sending to our satellite, there should be instructions that Cass left. Then, find the menu on the device inside the case, if I remember you should have nine options to choose from…”
“I’m going to stop you right there. This is Martin Taylor.” The man coughed and cleared his throat. “I’m going to hand you over to our associate, Angela. She probably understood most of what you just said.”
“That’s a good idea,” Linden said. “You do that and we can shut this thing’s best weapon off like a light switch. It’ll stop the monster from sucking up the Cudgel’s energy.”
56
“Let’s stand up,” Cass said. None of her crew responded. “Look, this sucks. We have almost no weapons. We have a fifth of the normal crew, and we’re tired and hungry. But we’re it, people. There’s nothing after us. That thing is just a couple of miles from exploding and destroying the whole area. We’re it.”
“It’s just going to drain our power again and leave us high and dry,” Rina said. She was sitting just a few yards from Cass, but her words went out to everyone.
“You people wanted to try. You wanted to make up for something? This is the time to do it.” Cass looked at Rina as she spoke.
A new alarm went off. “Irregular power surge from the creature. Not like anything we’ve seen previously.”
“Come on, guys.”
“I’m walking.” The whole ship shook as Jakob moved them forward with purpose. He picked up the pace as he went.
An orange glow sizzled on the surface of the Lusca, like a web that enveloped it in neon. It writhed with the effort to neutralize the approaching Cudgel; but nothing stopped the oncoming metal giant.
Emboldened by the creature’s difficulty, and their own apparent success, Cass ordered everyone to press their advantage. “Takis? Let’s see if the rail gun can help.”