by JM Guillen
“Which is one of the crossroads of the world,” Sofia mused.
“So the moment we show up, we have two potential choices.” I held up two fingers. “One, we could go straight for Amir. We have him on telemetry, after all.”
“But he couldn’t know that.” Delacruz turned from me to Anya. “Right? He didn’t know we followed him?”
“See, it’s obvious to think so,” I acknowledged, pointing at her. “But he wanted us to follow him to Istanbul. If we show up in Rome as well, isn’t it logical to assume we’ve followed him here?”
“Okay,” Wyatt drawled slowly. “So?”
“So my point is that Amir would believe he knows the choices we would make. Even though he is a highly undesirable reality terrorist, given this specific situation, Amir fucking knew we would chase after the toads, and not him.”
Why do you assume that, Michael?
“The Facility is specific in its nature. Our dossiers are primarily oriented toward the protection of mundane humanity. Amir had to assume that our first goal would be to stop Hoppy the Pestilence Frog.” I paused. “I’ve seen this cult make the same kind of play before. They let us chase after their minions while the main assholes get away.”
“That makes sense, but what’s got you so worried?” Wyatt toyed with his beard.
“He’s not running.” I shook my head and tried to explain something that felt more like instinct than logic. “You remember when we had the discussion back at the Corvus? I wanted to chase him first.”
“I thought you would chase him first.” Wyatt shrugged. “Surprised me.”
“Honestly, I expected him to bug out by now. It’s why I came back talking all ‘Mission Impossible.’ I figured accomplishing all the goals was a bit of a stretch.”
Anya linked, Yet he remains. Therefore, this choice may benefit us.
“Or not.” I raised one eyebrow at her. “Not if we’re doing exactly what the enemy thinks we should. Not if we’re dancing to their tune.”
“How exactly do you think we’re being manipulated?” Sofia seemed unconvinced.
“Why did the fourth rift open?” I gestured behind us at Wyatt’s stasis field. “It didn’t happen until we were here, quite close. Besides thunder-toad and his harem back there, most all of the bad guys have cleared out.” I ground my teeth. “Except one Zealator. One Irrational guy, with a couple goons.”
“Huh.” Wyatt frowned. “So you wanna know…?”
“Why leave just one Zealator behind to break amphorae? He’s the one who did it, obviously. The only conclusion I can come up with is that they are wasting our time.”
“Huh.” Wyatt stopped fiddling with his equipment.
“Yeah.” I met each gaze. “Two of you have a genius IQ. The third is the only Asset in the history of the Facility to master the Unseen Gate.” I gave a small shrug. “I challenge you to find any other solution. Any logical reason, aside from them just toying with us.”
“You think 3302 needed time to set something up, maybe.” Wyatt nodded slowly.
“Maybe.” I threw a hand up, a hopeless gesture. “I’m not certain the reason, but I do think we’ve been stalled here.”
“But not stopped here,” Wyatt mused. “It’s possible that more crazy cultists or amphibious assholes lurk hereabout.”
We could have been delayed here longer than we were, Anya agreed.
“We should have been here longer. It’s almost as if we moved too quickly, so they opened an extra rift.”
“The toadies weren’t meant to kill us, just fight enough to slow us down.” Delacruz made a fist with one hand, and then tightened it with conviction.
“I’m not saying I understand it. I’m saying something’s up.”
“We’re walking right into a trap?” Guthrie groaned. “Okay, Hoss. You sold me.”
What should our response be? Anya blinked and shook her head the tiniest bit. She continued to shake off the effects of the biotoxins.
I hoped against hope that the injections we gave her had been enough. Without a Caduceus there was just no way to know.
“More than anything, I need all of us on the same page. When we close the last of the rifts, pay attention to the response. If they open more, they’ll be trying to distract us from something.”
“Copy that, Alpha.” Sofia nodded. “When you’re ready to go, we’re green on my end.” She gestured and ignited a scarlet aperture in front of us. “I’ll link on your word.”
“Hold off.” I raised one finger. “We’re going to go, but we’re going to be ready.”
“You sound like a man with a plan.” Wyatt smiled.
“Strategy.” I nodded at him and smiled. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
5
Clear, Delacruz linked the moment she stepped through. The passageway is short but empty.
Roger that. I stepped in after her, Wraith engaged, and the rest of our cadre followed. We had no clue if the packet would actually help, but at this point, it didn’t seem wise to take any chances.
Localized rift is less than seventy-five meters away, Anya reported. There are seven other Irrational targets nearby. I am updating your interface to show their locations. As she linked, Anya indicated the large room twenty-three meters to our east.
The passageway we stood in jogged to the east before it took a sharp turn north. From there, it opened into the large room.
We don’t have to go that way, Wyatt pointed out. If we take this alternate route we can avoid that room altogether. His indicated path showed on my Crown.
That’s the plan, I nodded. If we can stay out of sight and off their radar, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
Delacruz and I crept down the shadowed hallway as we… both took point?
I didn’t even know if it mattered anymore.
Rather than turn toward the large room, we went the opposite way when the hallway came to a T.
Wyatt, can we leave a stasis trap here, in case someone gets clever?
On it, Alpha.
Behind us, a minute or so later, I heard WHUF! echo down the hallway.
Sofia, I’d like you to set a quarrel every few moments. We may need lots of fall back positions.
Makes sense. As she spoke, she fired the gatekeeper at our feet.
Michael? Slight panic threaded Anya’s link. Please check your relay and confirm Amir’s position.
Amir’s token revealed him to be in the large room with the other Irrats.
Holy shit. I gaped at the interface. Anya, is this correct?
It’s impossible to know, she responded. Without Asset Gardener here, it is possible to receive a misqueue from the Huntsman’s mecha and not be aware.
It misqueued and placed him on our back porch? Sofia seemed unconvinced.
That asshole did not just move three-quarters of a kilometer in a matter of seconds. I felt Wyatt’s growl through the link. We have no data that indicates he can shift the axioms of space-time.
He’s either here or the system is mistaken. I shook my head. It doesn’t matter. If it’s the system, no problem. If it’s him, then we’re already in the middle of his bullshit.
It wasn’t the system. I knew it in my bones.
Alpha, I can set spikes in the walls as we progress. Just in case.
Right, I acknowledged. Wyatt, let’s just assume you’re a genius and know far better than I do about how to use Rosie.
Well, I felt him grin. I mean, I am. Pause. And I do.
Use the damn thing at your discretion. Sofia, you too. If you guys need to lay down collateral to be effective, then do it.
Door. Delacruz had paid attention while we linked, and she’d seen it before I had.
A common wooden bedroom door blocked the archway to the next room and clashed horribly with the surrounding death decor.
Shit. That couldn’t be good. I seriously doubted that ancient Roman catacombs had new doors installed that often.
Anya, I assume if you read anything Irrati
onal in front of us, you’ll let us know.
Telemetry shows nothing. Michael. The blueprint file shows the hallway ahead widens considerably. It’s wide enough to be a small room.
Maybe after the door. I skewed up my mouth in a frown. We’ll hold here and regroup. I don’t want to approach anything unknown unless we’re in force.
I still couldn’t shake the idea that something stank.
Do you hear that? Delacruz linked to me alone. From behind the door?
We crept forward, and as we grew closer, I did hear something.
Rhythmic, almost soothing litanies came from behind that door. A single, male voice raised in a muffled chant.
Only one. I pressed my ear close to the door and wished I’d geared the Spectre.
Unless there’s seventy of them and only one is making any noise, Delacruz snarked.
I held one finger over my lips, telling her to remain quiet. Not that she could see me. Damn. I wanted to catch whatever the mysterious man said.
“[Throdlum, who bears the Many Young, Bringer of the Delving Deep, hear me.]”
Fuck. I linked my entire cadre but then directed a question at Anya. No Irrational telemetry?
None, Michael.
Well, I bet that’s about to change. I leaned toward the door and listened again.
“[Throdlum, who is Kiggolatta, the Rotting Pestilence. Our sacrifice is made unto you. The great paths of the sky open, great one, and your holy time comes.]”
The ninth? Sofia linked me. Do you think that’s what he means by ‘time’?
No fucking clue.
“[Grant me use of your many gates, the secret to the unfathomable. Allow me to spread your name across the sunlit world.]”
I’m at your six, Alpha, Wyatt linked. What’s the play here?
Italian Zealator inside. I want a stasis trigger behind us. I’d like a link on everyone’s visual that shows ambient Rationality levels.
That’s easily done. Anya nodded, and in that same instant orange numerals appeared in the upper left-hand corner of my vision.
They read negative point three five.
Not quite Rational are we? Wyatt grimaced.
We are well within standards, Anya pointed out. Long range telemetry would have read that as true Rational.
I’m going in first, I informed them. I know, that’s not typical for an Alpha. However, the case is I am geared as a combat Asset. I paused. Also, I say so.
Fine, Wyatt chuckled as he linked.
Delacruz, if things go south in there, take us back behind Wyatt’s stasis trigger. I’d like for any roaring pursuit to get stuck.
Alpha? I felt frown lines furrow Sofia’s brow. Has the chanting stopped?
No. I stopped for a moment, then realized it had. Yes. No more talking. I straightened and reached for the handle.
Naturally, that was the moment the door opened, smacking me squarely in my face.
Shit! I saw momentary stars. The door had caught me squarely in my invisible nose.
“[What?]” a woman’s voice, vastly different than the chanter’s, blurted. “[Who’s there? You’re not] David!”
I heard the cocking of a pistol.
Sofia stepped forward, and in one quick motion, rabbit-punched the woman in the face.
“Ow!” She stumbled backward, obviously not expecting to be punched in the face by what seemed like nothing.
I grabbed the door as she fell inside and flung it wide open.
Sorry about that, Alpha. I mean, you are the one geared as a combat Asset. I felt Sofia’s lips quirk up in a sarcastic smile.
Oh, holy shit. Wyatt’s link held just the proper mix of horrified awe and stunned surprise.
As I stood in the doorway, I peered past the elderly gentleman who stood at the work tables. A second door, also newly installed, rested in the far wall. Dozens of laden shelves lined the sides of the room.
Shelves full of amphorae.
There must’ve been fifty of them, each sealed with rune-covered stones of brilliant Turkish Jade.
“[Fools!],” the man said predictably, as if he read from the same script as the rest. His Italian flowed smoothly, but his deep voice lent a horrific gravitas to the tongue. “[You have come to your own deaths!]”
Rationality dipping, Michael! Even as Anya said it, I watched the numbers on my visual drop another point.
Got him, Delacruz snarled through the link.
As the Zealator pulled forth a disk of inscribed clay, his eyes wide with crazed fury, Delacruz ignited an aperture over his head, flush with the ceiling.
Grinning, she shot him in the chest with the gatekeeper crossbow.
“Aarkk!” The man stumbled backward and dropped the disk on the floor in stunned surprise. In an instant, he vanished, only to reappear two meters off the floor. On his way to the ground, he cracked his head on the table.
Heh. Wyatt linked.
Nice. I nodded at Delacruz. Perhaps I’m not the only one combat geared.
I’m just saying, she chuckled.
Michael! Anya stepped forward and leveled a kick at the woman on the floor who’d regained her gun.
“Ack!” the woman cried and rolled to one side.
Anya’s kick had caught her in the shoulder, although I suspected that hadn’t been on purpose.
The Preceptor’s mistake was assuming the woman sought to aim her weapon at us, and she’d intended to kick it out of her hand.
Instead, the woman aimed the semi-automatic at the side of the room.
At the dozens of amphorae stored there.
“Throdlum!” she cried in ecstasy.
The moment she pulled the trigger, the pottery began to shatter.
As the amphorae shattered, furious, death-blue water began to boil and froth.
“[Bear me! Show me the unfathomable!]” the woman cried.
No! Wild fury twined through Delacruz’s link. In less than two seconds, the Gatekeeper had thrown up an aperture between the woman and the as-yet-whole amphorae. As the madwoman’s bullets tore into the gateway, they exited from the one on the ceiling and made certain the old man was now, in absolute fact, a corpse.
The madwoman rolled on the floor in an attempt to avoid Anya’s boot.
I stepped closer, dialed down the focus on my kinetic disruptors, and put a hole in her skull.
The song of blood upon the floor echoed through me; passion, scrawled in crimson beauty.
I blinked and shook my head.
Apparently, my medicine had run thin.
Alpha! Wyatt frantically pounded his keys. We’ve got multiple incursions here!
Seven, Anya reported, even as I watched Rationality factors dip three more points. Nine now.
In less than a minute, a simple situation had spiraled horrifically out of control.
Wyatt! Seal them! Toggling the Adept, I leapt toward the shelves and caught hold of two jars about to plummet to the stone floor.
“ROOOaaaak.” From the far side of the room, one of the bestial toads had already crawled forth from its maddeningly azure pool. It glared up at us, and its dark eyes burned with a midnight fury. “Rooooooak!”
“Fucking damnit!” I disengaged the Wraith, as it apparently did no good against these guys.
I hadn’t taken a single step before the croaking nuisance leapt further away, down the row of shelves. It seized one of the amphorae and hurled it with malevolent glee.
The elegant jar shattered against the far wall.
Eleven incursions.
Wyatt? I leapt at the creature, disruptor in one hand and katana in the other. What the fuck, man?
It’s the aberrant vectors! He punctuated the link with a WHUF! My system still isn’t right, Hoss, I dunno.
Before I could respond, one of his stasis fields blossomed around the spike and covered two rifts at once. Unusually, however, the surface of the field pulsed a brassy bronze, instead of the silvery, mirror brightness it typically held.
Um… I shook my head.
“Rooak. Rooooak.” Another of the aberrations crawled out of its watery portal, all slick skin and soulless eyes.
As I spun toward it, Shogun-class katana at the ready, it leapt away, faster than I could track.
I can’t get a tracking location. Sofia slowly spun in place and tapped furiously at the few keys in the back of her Corona. Alpha, the Gatekeeper is practically useless in here.
WHUF! WHUF! WHUF! Wyatt peppered the far side of the room with spikes. He ignited the first one into a stasis field, and it flickered for a moment before solidifying into the brassy shine.
Not good, Hoss. Wyatt struck his keys frantically. I keep getting remainders! Photonic remainders, of all fucking things. Kinetic, too.
Fix it, Wyatt! I leapt to one side, dodging one of the frog-fuckers.
Its moist skin glistened, and it hissed at me where it landed.
Or we need to fall back to your previous spike!
Engaging, Michael. Anya held a SIG in each hand and moved to the center of the room. Her head twitched as she assessed the situation, Preceptor processors cataloging everything.
I’m at your back. I stepped close to her, a katana in each hand. I figured this way, I could keep toady at bay while she shot.
She fired, three short bursts.
At each, one of the aberrations fell. Anya hadn’t exaggerated when she teased about her skill with a firearm.
I was amazing, of course, but my skill came from the Adept and injectables to the kinetic disruptors.
Anya had earned her stripes the old-fashioned way. After an adventure in the Mojave several years ago where she’d found herself helpless, Anya had sworn it would never happen again. She’d probably practiced with firearms every day. The martial arts she’d taken up only made her more dangerous. If I were ever to face her zero-geared, I had no doubt who would come out on top.
In the words of Wyatt Guthrie, Anya Petrova did not play fuck-around.
We need to fall back. Sofia frantically tinkered with both the gatekeeper crossbow and the Temporal Corona that hovered near the back of her head. I can’t calibrate the Gatekeeper. Not near all of these rifts!
Spunky Spice has a point, Alpha. Wyatt cursed, and I heard his fingers madly key equations into his system.