Arkship Obsidian

by Niel Bushnell

  ‘Commodore Thorwald,’ Orcades barked. ‘Prepare for a ground assault.’

  REFUGEES

  ‘The bombardment, it’s stopped,’ Wynn said, looking up at the ruined cavern. A constellation of fire dotted the view, their flames fanned by the winds being sucked out of the rupture in the rock.

  Bara wasn’t listening, she didn’t look up from her father’s empty face. She stroked his forehead and kissed him tenderly, then turned to her mother and did the same.

  ‘Bara, I’m sorry, but it’s not safe. We have to go.’ Wynn waited by her side, knowing how hard this must be for her. About them, the earth shifted, the remaining buildings groaning and creaking as fire painted the cavern in unstable orange tones.

  ‘Please,’ Wynn said, taking Bara’s hand. She let him lift her, to guide her away from her parents’ resting place. Bara clung to him as they climbed out of the rubble, glancing over her shoulder until the bodies were out of sight. As they retreated from her home she broke down, falling to her knees and sobbing uncontrollably. Wynn scooped her into his arms and carried her away. Her head rested against his neck, her cries becoming quieter.

  ‘I can walk,’ she said eventually, her voice gentle.

  Wynn put her down. For a moment, her arm lingered round his neck. She glanced at him, finding a fragile smile, then she let go and straightened. ‘Thanks,’ she managed with a determined nod.

  They continued in silence, mute witnesses to the destruction around them. In less than an hour Melchior had been almost torn apart, its beauty ruined, its people killed or left homeless, and Wynn felt his rage grow with every step. It was only a matter of time before the breech in the outer wall grew bigger. Melchior’s atmosphere was leaking into space, the pressure and temperature was dropping. If left unchecked the interior would be a frozen wasteland in a matter of hours, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Wynn felt powerless.

  The crowds were quieter now, numbed by the shock of it all. They moved along the corridors as a silent mass, towards the dock and the hope of escape. Every junction brought more refugees, slowing the throng to a mournful shuffle. From time to time the groan of a collapsing wall, or the aggressive pop of a fire, pushed the crowd on with renewed urgency, bodies crushed against one another.

  Ahead, the expanse of the dock came into view, and the noise of the crowd increased. Chaos reigned as people began to push and jostle for access to one of the ships. Some power had been restored here, and circles of light illuminated the pathways. People elbowed for space as two men fought each other.

  ‘We have enough ships,’ Bara noted. ‘They don’t need to panic.’

  A line of vessels waited, the broad entry ramps already filled with people as their engines cycled for launch. Dock workers shouted at the crowd, doing their best to herd them into the ships, but their voices were all but lost in the noise.

  Bara took Wynn’s hand again and they parted from the crowd, pushing their way towards Lexica.

  ‘Can you get him flying?’ Wynn asked as the familiar shape of Bara’s ship grew larger.

  ‘Let’s find out,’ she replied, pushing her wrist communicator. ‘Lex? You still alive?’

  ‘Good to hear your voice, Bara,’ the ship replied. ‘Core systems are fine, everything else is offline. Unfortunately, I’ll have to leave the flying to you.’

  ‘That’ll have to do. Get powered up for evac, we’re two minutes away.’

  ‘Confirmed,’ Lexica replied.

  Wynn felt a glimmer of hope, they might just make it out of here, he thought.

  Then the ground shook again. Sparks flew as a gantry above them crashed to the floor. The screams of the crowd grew as the entire dock vibrated. At the same moment, the first of the evacuation ships raised its ramp and began to glide away from the dockside, heading for the airlock gates. The gantry crashed into the ship, spearing its bridge and upper decks. It tilted to one side, its engines whining to recover as it slammed into the dockside.

  Wynn and Bara ran towards Lexica as the listing evacuation ship tore into the gantry, throwing debris into the air.

  ‘Wynn!’ Bara cried.

  Behind him a giant loading crane was smashed from its base by the evacuation ship. The metal structure tilted towards them, twisting as it fell onto the dockside. There was no time to run, there was no way to avoid it. He grabbed Bara and pulled her to the ground, throwing himself over her. Wynn squeezed his eyes shut, tensing as he waited for death.

  The sickly echo of metal filled his ears. Dust engulfed him, robbing Wynn of his vision. He coughed, wondering why they had not been crushed, and turned to look behind him.

  There, stooped over Wynn and Bara, holding back the mass of broken metal with its body, was a bot with one arm, it’s blue eyes glowing.

  BROTHERS

  There was no window in Reader Durante’s room, no view to ponder. That was the way it was meant to be; a Reader was supposed to contemplate The Infinite through the teachings of the Church, through the writings of the Scribe, through mediation and prayer. Reader Durante had always found the requirements of devotion to be somewhat excessive, and he interpreted them as he saw fit. Usually, the painting on the wall was a good substitute for a view, but today he would have preferred a window so he could see what was happening outside.

  He was alone, for now. Two guards waited beyond the door, but he had already spoken to them, and found them pliable to his persuasion. Fear of the Church was useful in situations like this. Orcades had gone against the Gods; that would not sit well with many on board the Fenrir. They may be loyal Draig men and women but their fear of the Infinite Gods outweighed their alliance to Orcades. He had underestimated the strength of their belief, and Reader Durante would make sure he paid for that mistake.

  The door was not locked, he could leave at any time, the guards would not stop him. Instead he waited and planned. His message would have been conveyed to the flight deck by now. It would not be long before he had a visitor. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He did not need to check the plan to know he was doing the right thing. By the end of today Orcades Draig would be a loyal pet of the Church of The Infinite, or he would be dead. Either way their control on the House of Draig would be tighter, and that could only benefit the plan.

  The door opened, and Durante sensed someone waiting there.

  ‘Come in, Commodore, please,’ Reader Durante said, standing to greet his visitor.

  Commodore Thorwald entered, looking sheepish. He was a large man and his frame seemed to fill the doorway, blocking the harsh light of the corridor, but he appeared timid and uncomfortable in the Reader’s presence.

  ‘Infinite blessings,’ Thorwald muttered, his head bowed. Good, Durante thought, he was a Church man. That would make this easier.

  ‘May the Gods’ reflections shine upon you, brother,’ Durante soothed. He gestured towards two chairs and a small table close to his painting.

  Thorwald sat, looking like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. ‘I don’t have long, I’m needed on the flight deck.’

  ‘Yes, I know.’ Durante joined him at the table. ‘I’m sorry to drag you away from your duties, Commodore, and I will keep this brief. You saw how Orcades spoke to me on the flight deck?’

  Thorwald nodded, his cheeks flushing. ‘I must apologize for your treatment, Reader . . .’

  Durante held up his hand. ‘It is not for you to apologize, brother. The fault was not yours.’

  ‘I stood by . . .’

  ‘Yes, you did.’ Durante sensed the man’s guilt, his torn loyalties, and he knew the Commodore was his. ‘But you are a man of position, a man of rank and duty, and that boy is your superior.’

  Thorwald hesitated. ‘True, but . . .’

  Durante put his hand onto Thorwald’s, squeezing it rhythmically as he spoke. ‘You are not to blame, brother, you are but a man after all. But the Gods shine in you, they reflect in your eyes, I can see it.’

  Good, Durante thought, he had him locked to his gaze now. He
searched his memory and retrieved the Commodore’s first name. ‘Ricktor, you are a good man, loyal to the Infinite Gods. They look upon you and are glad.’

  ‘Thank you, Reader.’

  ‘They call upon you to fulfil your duty.’

  ‘My duty?’

  ‘You wish to please the Gods, do you not?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Thorwald said quickly.

  ‘To walk in the Gods’ path is not an easy choice, Ricktor, but it is the right choice. The right choice.’ Durante’s voice was low, resonant.

  ‘The right choice,’ Thorwald repeated.

  ‘Yes, the right choice. Orcades is misguided. He may be ill. We must help him to find the Gods’ path once more. You and I, we can do this together, as brothers of the Infinite Gods.’

  ‘Yes . . . yes, of course.’

  Durante smiled. ‘You will do their bidding? You will carry out the will of the Infinite Gods and forevermore dwell in their reflection?’

  Thorwald’s eyes glistened, filled with dedication. ‘Yes, I will. Tell me, what must I do?’

  ESCAPE

  Wynn blinked dirt from his eyes and stared up at the hunter bot, its metal frame shaking under the weight of the crane on its back.

  He slid out from under it, dragging Bara with him, hardly daring to speak. They both got to their feet and stepped away, expecting the machine to strike them down at any moment.

  ‘What’s it doing?’ Bara whispered.

  Wynn held his fingers to his mouth, putting more distance between him and the bot.

  Overhead the damaged evacuation ship hovered, its body listing as smoke billowed from its wound.

  Bara turned towards Lexica and began to run. Wynn took one last look at the hunter and sprinted to follow her. Lexica’s entrance rap lowered as they approached and they scrambled inside.

  Bara glanced back at the wrecked dockside and the blocked pathway. ‘We can’t get anyone else out on Lexica,’ she noted regretfully.

  ‘They’ll have to get out on one of the other ships,’ Wynn replied, joining her on the ramp.

  Bara looked away and slammed the ramp control. As the hatch closed they bounded up through the ship towards the bridge.

  ‘Are we set?’ Bara shouted into her wrist com as they advanced.

  ‘Engines hot,’ Lexica replied. ‘You’re good to go.’

  Bara leapt into her seat on the bridge and yanked her harness into place. Wynn sat beside her, watching her take control of the ship.

  Outside, the damaged evacuation ship sank down towards the bottom of the dock. Further away, another ship was leaving its moorings and heading for the lock gate.

  ‘No response from the Harbor Master,’ Bara noted. ‘We’re just gonna have to do this on the fly.’

  ‘That sounds like it might get messy.’

  Bara grimaced. ‘Yeah, probably.’

  Power surged through the ship and Wynn felt it tilt forwards. Lexica drifted behind the larger ship as it entered the lock. They watched as the giant doors closed.

  ‘We should be next,’ Bara said, ‘as long as the power to the doors holds out.’

  Wynn viewed the dockside. The other evacuation ships were powering up and preparing to leave. A few people remained on the dockside, but most had found refuge on board the waiting ships. He scanned the platforms, searching for movement.

  ‘You’re looking for it, aren’t you?’ Bara asked.

  ‘The bot?’ Wynn nodded. ‘Did it save us? Or was it just in the way?’

  Bara sighed. ‘I think if it had wanted to kill us we wouldn’t be having this conversation now.’

  ‘It . . . it felt like it was protecting us,’ Wynn agreed, ‘but it doesn’t make–’

  ‘Proximity alert!’ Lexica barked.

  There was a vicious crunch and the ship was rammed upwards.

  ‘Sol! Something’s hit us!’ Bara shouted as she tried to control the ship.

  The damaged evacuation ship limped into view, rising past the bridge windows, its hull dangerously close to Lexica’s.

  Bara yanked the controls and the ship responded, moving back from the other craft.

  Bara shouted, ‘She’s moving for the lock gates!’

  The ship rammed into the gates, tearing through them. Beyond was the second vessel making its way through the open exterior lock doors, heading towards space.

  Bara cursed. ‘Hang on!’

  The dockside atmosphere rushed through the broken doors. The sudden wind, and the drop in pressure, pulled at Lexica, turning it away from the opening. Bara tilted the ship back, ramming it towards the exit. As the craft turned, Wynn caught a glimpse of the dockside; he saw tiny specks being pulled over the dockside wall, and he realized they were people.

  The other ships were leaving their ports, each moving towards the shattered doors as Lexica’s engines pushed them forwards. The lock gate doors were strewn with the wreckage of the downed ship, leaving just a fraction of it clear. Fire licked the opening, it’s angry red tendrils being sucked out towards space.

  ‘This is gonna be tight,’ Bara said through gritted teeth as she rotated Lexica to squeeze through. They were almost at the lock gates when Melchior shook again.

  TRUST

  Derward Tarkkail checked the Leughadair’s systems, relieved to see they had survived the EMP attack. His ship was well protected, more so than a simple courier would usually need.

  He powered up the main drive and lifted away from the dockside as debris rained down on the ship. The lock gates were wide open, the atmosphere was dissipating and he knew he only had seconds to spare. Ahead was another small merchant craft; he recognized it as Bara’s ship, Lexica. He knew his prey was aboard: the tracker he had implanted under Wynn’s skin was relaying his location clearly.

  He slammed the ship forwards, towards the burning lock gates. About him Melchior was in ruins, and he had a terrible feeling this was all his fault. He had trusted Reader Durante, given him information on Wynn’s location. This attack couldn’t be coincidence. Derward had been a fool to trust him, he realized now. But it was too late for regrets. He had to survive, he had to protect Wynn at all costs.

  He put the boy out of his thoughts and focused on the approaching lock gates, trying to ignore the new bombardment that was threatening to destroy Melchior.

  CHAIN OF COMMAND

  The broad windows of the Fenrir lit up with flashes of white light.

  Orcades Draig looked up from the operations map and stared at the view outside. The giant asteroid was being pounded by Slaan-hammers. He watched in disbelief as a chain of new explosions sliced across the rocky surface, tearing off chunks of rock that tumbled into space.

  ‘What is this?’ he demanded, his eyes fixed on the bombardment.

  No one answered.

  More explosions cut into the asteroid, dust and debris orbiting it in a thickening cloud.

  Orcades whipped round, searching the flight deck for answers. ‘Thorwald?’

  The commander was at the far side of the space at the weapons station. Orcades marched over, his face filled with rage.

  ‘What is happening?’

  Commodore Thorwald straightened, turning slowly to look him in the eye. ‘The bombardment is going well, Heir Valtais.’

  ‘I didn’t order a bombardment!’

  The commodore did not reply.

  ‘Cease fire, immediately,’ Orcades shouted.

  ‘I am sorry, sir, but it is the will of the Church that the asteroid be destroyed.’ Commodore Thorwald’s voice was even, calm and controlled. No hint of fear.

  ‘You will stop this immediately! You answer to me, not the Church!’

  ‘Sir, in this instance I cannot carry out your orders.’ He stood with his arms behind his back and looked out of the windows, as if that was the last word on the matter.

  Orcades snapped. He pulled out the palm-sized gun he always carried, concealed in the small of his back, and raised at Thorwald’s face. ‘You will comply, or you will meet the Gods you
say you serve.’

  The Commodore smiled, still gazing out of the windows. ‘I dwell in the reflection of the Infinite Gods.’

  ‘Dwell on this!’ Orcades screamed as he pulled the trigger. There was a brief burst of red light, then Commodore Thorwald’s head disappeared. His lifeless body fell to the floor. It shook for a moment, then was still.

  Orcades turned to stare at the flight deck, taking a second to find each face, absorbing the shock and revulsion he found there.

  ‘On this ship, I am God,’ he said in a low voice.

  He turned to the weapons console operator and aimed his gun at her head. ‘Tell me you’ve stopped the bombardment?’

  The woman nodded quickly, her hands shaking over the controls.

  ‘Thank you,’ Orcades added with a dry smile before walking back to the windows. Through the fog of destruction, he could make out explosion after explosion. The cascade of light ended and the dust cloud began to dissipate, revealing the asteroid fractured into pieces.

  ADRIFT

  The merchant ship Lexica accelerated through the inner lock gates, cutting through fire and smoke. All around it was the debris of the fallen ship, each piece spinning and colliding. Even the rocky walls of Melchior were crumbling now as the orbital bombardment intensified.

  ‘Almost at the outer doors,’ Bara noted, fully focused on keeping the ship on course.

  Wynn could hear the debris dancing off the hull, a cacophony of bangs and scrapes and rumbles that shook his stomach. The vessel lurched, throwing him into his seat, then gravity seemed to shift and he felt himself dragged towards the view. His harness kept him in place, digging into his skin as the ship swayed under the shifting gravitational eddies. They passed the exterior gate, debris hammering into the ship, alarms sounding. A large fragment of rock drifted towards them. Bara hit a button and a protective shield dropped over the windows. The console simulated the exterior view, helping Bara to navigate, but there was no avoiding the impact. The noise was deafening, a stomach-churning crunch that seemed to go on forever.