‘We’re not gonna make it,’ Bara said desperately.
The machine rushed towards them, two malevolent eyes blurring to meet them.
The elevator door pinged shut. The hunter slammed into it, shaking the carriage. Then, with a creaking of metal, the elevator began to descend.
‘Do you have a plan?’ Wynn asked Bara.
She didn’t reply.
As the elevator slowed to its destination a deafening thud shook the carriage.
Bara looked up. ‘It’s on the roof!’
An arrow of blue flame pierced the ceiling, cutting a perfect circle into the elevator.
The doors pinged open and Bara and Wynn scrambled out. They were on the lowest deck now, a dark space filled with machinery, pipes and junk. Behind them, Wynn heard the clatter of the elevator as it gave way to the hunter’s assault. As they searched for a hiding place there was a growing sense of inevitability to the chase. They couldn’t hide from this thing. They couldn’t stop it. But Wynn wasn’t ready to give in.
They weaved through the machinery, looking for anything they could use to slow the hunter down, finding nothing.
‘There’s Lexica,’ Bara said, pointing up through the grated ceiling. Seen from down here the ship was a dynamic sight. ‘Maybe if we can get back up there–’
‘We need weapons,’ Wynn interrupted. ‘That’s the only way we’ll stop that thing. Don’t you have police or army here?’
‘We have custodians,’ Bara replied. ‘They’ll be on their way, but they don’t carry the sort of weapons to knock that thing out. We’ll be dead before they can stop it. We need to buy us more time.’
‘Any ideas?’
‘Keep moving, keep running.’
Ahead was a wall of vents, giant fans that sucked out the dirty air and pushed it into the filtration system. At the side of the colossal turbines something caught Bara’s eye.
‘This was the place,’ she said quietly. ‘This was where Guin died. I’ve never been back down here since . . .’
Wynn took her hand. ‘We’re not going to die here,’ he said adamantly. ‘Okay?’
She nodded, her eyes distant.
‘We’ll get out of this, we’ll figure something . . .’ Wynn’s voice trailed off as he turned to look along the walkway: the hunter was rushing towards the vents.
They began to run, but already they could hear it behind them. Wynn turned, stumbling to the floor as the hunter approached. The machine stood over him, it’s one remaining arm outstretched. Something sharp fired from it and impaled Wynn’s chest. He cried out, more in surprise than pain, and tried to remove it, but the hunter pushed down on his chest with its arm, holding him there while the needle-like device extracted his blood. Bara tried to pull it off but the bot dismissed her with a rapid swipe of its arm, returning to hold Wynn in place before he could react.
Bara fell on the floor, not moving. Wynn struggled to be free, but there was nothing he could do but stare as the red liquid was extracted from his body.
ANALYSIS
Gofal waited as the blood was extracted, trying not to harm his struggling captive. He had already injured his companion, something he regretted immediately. They were surprisingly fragile.
The shard began its analysis, testing the blood. It would just take a moment, then he could confirm the identity of the boy. He hoped he was right. He hoped this would be the one. If not, if he was wrong, there would be no chance of finding his quarry now. His mission would be a failure.
While he waited, Gofal conducted a scan of the female. Her pulse and breathing appeared to be normal. He must have knocked her unconscious, but she should recover, he hoped.
Once the test was complete – if it was a positive match – he had to plan an escape. He plotted a route back to the female’s ship. He had already checked its systems: the ship was space-worthy and could be launched quickly. He extended his scan, testing the edges of his abilities to see beyond the rocky walls of this world. Something was not right there, something was approaching, something he did not like.
The shard pinged as it completed its scan. It relayed the results to Gofal, just as his entire system shut down.
BOMBARDMENT
Wynn stared at the inert machine. The light in its eyes had flickered and died, its body just an immobile statue of metal.
He stretched to reach the little needle and pulled it out of his skin. Then, he tried to move from under the bot. The weight on his chest was increasing, becoming more and more painful. He grabbed the bot’s arm and forced it to one side. The entire machine began to sway, tipping towards his head. Wynn pushed again and the hunter came crashing down to the ground on top of him, its giant head just inches from his own. Wynn pushed at the body of the machine and managed to crawl out from under it. Panting, he lay beside it, catching his breath. Then he remembered Bara and he scrambled to his feet.
But everything was dark, the last glow of the overhead lights had ebbed away, leaving the entire dockside in darkness. The alarm had stopped as well. Nothing worked.
‘Bara?’ he cried. ‘Can you hear me?’
He felt with his hands, trying to remember where she was. ‘Bara?’
Wynn kicked something and fell to his knees. Searching with his hands he felt a body on the floor. ‘Is that you?’
The body groaned and turned on its side. ‘Who else would it be?’ Bara asked. ‘You’re still alive?’
‘For now. The power’s off. The lights are all out.’
‘Everything’s out?’
‘Yeah, I think so. Unless I’m just blind,’ Wynn quipped.
‘No, it’s me too,’ Bara confirmed. ‘Must be an EMP weapon. Knocks out power generation.’
‘A weapon?’
‘Or some sort of stellar radiation burst, but we’re a long way out, and we’d have a warning before anything like that came our way.’
‘Gravity is still okay.’
‘That’s because of Melchior’s rotation. That’s not going to change any time soon.’
Above, a tiny light appeared, flickered, then went out. It flashed again and grew this time.
‘Someone’s lighting a fire,’ Bara noted.
In the feeble glow Wynn could see the frozen body of the hunter. ‘Do you think it’ll come back after us?’
‘Its central matrix is fried. It’ll have some protected core systems, but it’ll take a while for it to re-route all its other functions through them. I think we’re okay for now. I’m more worried about what might happen next.’
‘Next?’
‘An EMP’s often used as the first wave of an attack. With all the systems knocked out it’ll be almost impossible to defend Melchior.’
Voices shouted out overhead as tiny pockets of fire began to illuminate the space.
‘I have to find my parents, make sure they’re okay, then we can go to Lexica,’ Bara said. ‘Most of his systems are shielded, I should be able to get him up and running, but it’s not going to be easy.’
Wynn helped Bara to stand and they found a ladder up to the next level. Confusion seemed to be spreading as people tried to make sense of what was happening.
‘Bulkhead doors are stuck open,’ Bara said. ‘Sol, I hope this is just an accident. We’re in bad shape.’
She stopped one of the mechanics who was rushing past them. ‘Do you know what’s happened?’ she asked.
The man caught his breath. ‘Circadia has gone dark. The whole place is a mess.’
‘We need to get people to the dock–’
A distant rumble interrupted Bara. The space shook, casting equipment and cargo free. People ran, screaming as dust fell from the ceiling. Wynn and Bara held onto each other, tensing as the tremor passed over them, waiting until the vibration subsided.
Wynn looked at Bara, his eyes wide with fear. ‘We’re being bombed now?’
Bara nodded grimly. ‘That was just the start.’
HOMECOMING
‘Are you sure we’re going in the right direction
?’ Wynn checked. Everything looked so different now it was hidden in near darkness.
‘It’s just ahead, Bara confirmed, leading the way. In her hand was a glowing lamp, an ancient device that had no circuits to fry. A few were kept in the dock in case of power disruption, but Bara could not remember them ever being used before.
Another impact struck the outer surface of Melchior, sending shockwaves cascading through the rock to the interior. Wynn and Bara dodged falling rubble as they pushed through terrified families, their possessions dragged along with them in hastily-packed bags.
‘Go to the dock,’ Bara shouted at them as they passed by. ‘Get everyone to the dock!’
Ahead the path widened and the vast expanse of the Circadia cavern came into view. A faint greenish glow emanated from its length, casting a sickly light on the parks and fields under it.
They rested at the threshold, catching their breath until another impact shook Melchior. The floor tilted, throwing Wynn and Bara off their feet. They slid to the side, sheltering from the falling debris. As the vibrations subsided they crawled out of their hiding place. All about them people ran in panic as smoke billowed from a cracked ventilation pipe, adding to the disarray and confusion.
‘Do you think your parents will still be at home?’ Wynn asked, wiping dirt from his eyes.
‘I don’t know!’ Bara shouted as another impact shook the space. ‘I have to do this, you don’t!’
‘I’m staying,’ Wynn replied. ‘We stick together, okay?’
Tears pooled in her eyes, and Bara pulled him towards her in a clumsy embrace. As they broke apart, she planted a small kiss on his cheek. ‘Thanks. I don’t want to do this alone.’
Wynn smiled and took her hand. The ground shook again, and a wall of fire erupted close to him. A wave of heat singed his face, and he retreated from it, losing touch with Bara as a crowd of desperate people pushed between them. Wynn forced his way through, catching sight of Bara at a flight of stairs.
‘We need to go up,’ Bara explained, coughing as the smoke caught her throat.
They began to climb, just as another shockwave hit. Wynn held on, waiting for it to pass, listening to the horrible noise of metal twisting. He looked out to the Circadia, still giving off a green afterglow. As he watched in disbelief, part of it broke away, smashing free in a cascade of explosions that lit up the entire cavern. The section hovered there in the shifting gravity, then it began to fall. Slowly at first, then accelerating, it tumbled towards the fields below, spearing into the land, throwing a cloud of dirt into the air as it came to rest at a dangerous angle.
Wynn turned away and sprinted up the steps with Bara by his side, not stopping again until they had reached her parents’ level. On the last flight, the stairs had twisted from their housing, and they shook under their weight.
They ran into an open park with a commanding view along the Circadia. Fragments of it were falling away from the core, drifting down, across, up, and impacting the houses and streets around the cavern walls. It was almost as if the Circadia was throwing itself apart.
Another impact, and Wynn saw a crack in the rock overhead. He saw air rushing through the gap, and he felt his ears pop.
‘We don’t have long!’ Wynn shouted over the noise.
They ran through an avenue of upright stones, past a line of uniformed trees that shook in the growing wind, to a promenade strewn with burning debris.
‘This way,’ Bara cried, leading him towards a cluster of small houses. She weaved through the narrow, rubble-strewn streets, past burning houses, over corpses, dodging demolished walls, until they came upon a familiar building and its small courtyard.
At first Wynn thought the structure had survived the attack, but as they rushed through the courtyard he saw the jagged crater where most of the house used to be, only part of the outer wall remained standing. A crumpled shard of the Circadia rested at the center of the hole, its length dotted with fire.
Bara screamed as she scaled the edge of the wall and fell into the crater, pulling at the rubble with her fingers. Wynn followed behind, scanning the space for signs of life. There, at the far side he saw the outline of a body. He skirted the edge of the depression towards the ash-covered shape, stumbling as the debris shifted under his weight.
As he approached, the smoke seemed to part for him, revealing the faces of two bodies in the ruin of a kitchen. He knew them at once, two grey sculptures of Bara’s parents resting in the ruins of their home.
He turned to find Bara, but she was already at his side. Wynn held her, feeling her legs buckle at the site of the bodies in front of her. She collapsed, sobbing as she cleaned the dirt from their faces, screaming her hopes at them, willing them to move with every fiber of her being.
But the bodies lay still.
Wynn shared in Bara’s grief, feeling overwhelmed by her loss. He cried for himself as well, for the family he couldn’t remember – the family he was sure had perished on the Obsidian. All he had left now was Bara.
CHURCH AND STATE
Orcades stood at the window, observing the unidentified rock that filled the view. There were no obvious signs of life, no technology, nothing that would set this asteroid apart from any other. Even their broad scans didn’t find anything of interest. Any passing mining ship would take one look at this asteroid and deem it unprofitable and move on. Only a deeper scan revealed the truth: there was life inside, and lots of it. At least twenty thousand people, an entire society, no doubt self-sufficient, for the most part. That meant food production, life support, an entire eco-system hidden from view. This place could be useful, Orcades mused.
‘Black Stars have disabled eighty six percent of the electrical grid,’ Commodore Thorwald said as he approached him. ‘The first wave of the bombardment is underway, Heir Valtais. Three waves of Slaan-hammers should be enough to crack it apart.’
‘Good,’ Orcades replied, watching the tiny flashes of light erupting on the dark surface. He observed them grow – beautiful little explosions of yellow and red and black – then fade to nothing, wondering what it might be like inside there. ‘This could be quite an asset to our fleet, couldn’t it?’
‘The asteroid? Well . . . yes,’ Thorwald faltered.
‘A place to grow our numbers. A new Draig arkship.’
‘But my orders are for complete destruction. Those are your orders.’
‘Yes . . .’ Orcades glanced at his mother. ‘I am changing those orders.’
‘Sir?’
Orcades turned his back on the view. ‘You will capture this asteroid for the House of Draig, but kill all the men.’
Reader Durante marched towards them, his face reddening. ‘My dear Orcades, may I speak to you alone?’
‘No, you may not.’
Durante faltered, then composed himself. His voice was lower, rhythmic, compelling. ‘Heir Valtais, the Gods have spoken. This asteroid is to be destroyed. You must fulfil their plan.’
Orcades smiled. ‘Do I?’
‘Yes, they move through you. They speak to you now. Your only desire is to please the Gods. You will do as they wish.’
‘No, I will not.’ Orcades replied, enjoying this moment. ‘We have already seen the wasteful destruction of the Obsidian. That was a mistake, and I see no sense in the destruction of this place as well. The women and children will be taken into our care. They will become Draig. The men will be killed. The problem we discussed will be solved without the senseless waste of a strategic asset.’
‘No, you cannot–’
Orcades felt his temper rise, and he had no desire to hold it in. ‘This is the will of the House of Draig! These are my orders. My orders! Do you oppose them?’
Reader Durante stepped closer, his voice a spiteful whisper. ‘Do you oppose the Infinite Gods?’
‘I oppose you!’ Orcades laughed. He nodded to his covert guards and they seized Durante, strapping his hands behind his back.
‘You defy the will of the Church!’ Durante shouted as he
was dragged from the flight deck. ‘The House of Draig will be burned by the Infinite Gods! All who oppose them will suffer an eternity of pain.’
The elevator doors closed and all eyes turned to Orcades Draig.
‘This is a glorious day! We will capture this asteroid in the name of the House of Draig.’
Commodore Thorwald hesitated.
‘Those are my orders,’ Orcades added in a calmer voice.
Thorwald nodded and turned towards the operations map, almost bumping into Sinnsro Draig as she approached her son.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she scolded him in a whisper. ‘You cannot defy the Gods.’
‘He is manipulating us,’ Orcades replied. ‘He does not speak for the Gods, he speaks for himself. You will stand with me on this, mother. Your time as Valtais is coming to an end. My moment approaches. Do not make that moment come more quickly than it should. Do not make that moment today.’
Sinnsro did not reply, but her eyes were wild. ‘You risk everything that I have built, son. And for what? A rock?’
‘If I am to be Valtais I must make my own way, mother. I must choose my own path. I must decide what is best for our family. Already our arkships suffer from overcrowding, and now we aim to take over the House of Kenric. More people to feed! What we need most of all is space. Space to expand, space to grow. This rock supports over twenty thousand souls! Don’t you see the potential?’
His mother tutted. ‘This is a dangerous plan! It will not go well. There will be war with the Church.’
Orcades straightened his back, glaring at her. ‘You will support me in this, mother.’
She shook her head sadly. ‘You leave me little choice.’
Sinnsro stared out of the widows at the asteroid, her face full of remorse. She glanced at The Infinite setting behind it, and tears fell from her eyes. She wiped her face as she turned to leave.
Orcades ignored her. She was old and scared. He would not reside over a family living in fear of the Church. He would be his own man or nothing at all. This rock would be his first great step.
Arkship Obsidian Page 12