“Well, they’re not that hard. I mean, look at the people who use them,” Wouris shrugged her shoulders.
Janus looked at Celes as if she were insane, he knew immediately what she was thinking. “You want us to be prisoners while Wouris escorts us through the Titan defenses in trooper armor?” he said.
“Yes.”
“While you and I are completely defenseless,” Janus added.
“Why not? Then we could move you slowly. If we had to run, you wouldn’t be able to make it.”
“Where would we get a suit?” Wouris asked. “All the ones here have holes in their heads or no heads at all…someone would be bound to notice that.”
“Not you too, Wouris,” Janus said skeptically.
“Well, not every suit has a hole in the head,” Celes motioned to the Ghostblade, “one of them has a perfectly good helmet. And if we put that helmet on one of the suits that has a hole in the head…”
“We’ve got a perfectly good suit,” Wouris snapped her fingers. “Good plan, Celes.”
Janus folded his arms across his chest, “You guys could just leave me behind. I’m sure I could make it.”
Wouris rolled her eyes, and Celes said exasperatedly, “Oh drop it, Janus. You’re coming with us,” she gave him a dangerous look, “one way or another.”
Janus coughed nervously, but said nothing. Looking flustered, he made his way outside despite the pain to gather the suit for Wouris.
Getting the suit off of the two dead Troopers proved to be a much bigger chore than actually getting Wouris into the suit. It was a loose fit; Wouris’ smaller frame was obviously not made for either suit. Once inside, however, Wouris looked like a full-fledged S.T. Slinging their weapons, which consisted of Wouris’ Skadi and pistol, as well as Celes’ pistol and Janus’ blade, over her back, she soon had Janus and Celes moving a smart, but slow march in front of her.
The rain had stopped as the three moved slowly through the ramshackle structures, leaving behind dripping roofs and walls, muddy puddles, and an ever brightening sky. They passed small clusters of S.T.s, who ignored them. It was odd, seeing them this way. The S.T.s laughed and joked with each other, completely at ease and flush with success.
Clutching his ribs, he tried not to glance back at Wouris, but instead look like a defeated, captured soldier. It wasn’t particularly difficult, given his current condition. Unfortunately, it also attracted the attention of a squad of Inferni, who approached the three with interest. Wouris hastily gave Janus a particularly nasty shove in the back that sent him sprawling in front of the group of laughing Inferni. He rolled over in pain, and Celes helped him up as he muttered, “I would swear she’s enjoying this…”
After they cleared the Inferni, Celes spoke reassuringly in his ear, “I’m sure she is just trying to make it look as convincing as possible.” Then a hearty shove from Wouris caught Celes too in the back, knocking her into a puddle of mud.
A sopping, sputtering Celes came up snarling, “Oh, she is going to pay for this…”
Wouris whispered to them, “You shouldn’t talk so loudly, you might be heard. I don’t want your plan to fail.” The mirth in Wouris’ voice made her less than convincing. Dark thoughts filled the two cadets’ heads.
Ahead of them, the Communications Tower rose up above the edge of the forest. Wouris took them on a tack away from it, not wanting to be any closer than necessary. With the edge of the forest in sight, Wouris suddenly shoved Janus and Celes down a side street, “Quick, this way, they’ve got a checkpoint up ahead and we need to find another way around. Get down here before we’re…”
“Hey you!” Janus and Celes made to stop, but Wouris pushed them further into the alley, keeping them moving. A short, balding officer in a light green uniform was marching over to them, pointing a finger at Wouris. Janus took a quick glance around. The five S.T.s at the checkpoint watched the spectacle with mild disinterest. Another platoon of S.T.s was marching by, and a few Titan Peregrines hovered overhead.
Wouris kept marching, ignoring the man.
“I said, ‘Hey you!’ Where do you think you are going?” He leapt in front of the trio.
“Prisoners…” Wouris grunted and glanced at the man’s chest, “uh, sir.”
The man muttered under his breath, “Thick headed…” and rolled his eyes, “It’s Captain Hodges, to you. Prisoners? Hmmm…” the man paused, “I didn’t think we were supposed to take any.” Janus grimaced at the way he said it so casually.
“Just movin’em. Orders,” Wouris mumbled.
The little man looked skeptical for a second, but then said, “Oh, all right. Take them to the barracks for processing.”
Wouris saluted, “Yes, sir.” She shoved Janus and Celes forward, marching the pair North, but stopped as the man cleared his throat. Wouris turned to look at him. “It’s that way,” he said exasperatedly, pointing to the west. After a moment to appear suitably dumb, she responded, “Uh… Yeah, right. Sorry, sir.”
The little man was muttering to himself again, “Where do they get...Well, get moving,” he said exasperatedly.
Wouris turned the group around and headed West. “Wait,” Hodges said, his face smug, “let me take down your ID number; I want to run this by command.” The three remained calm, but Janus and Celes were anxiously looking around for escape routes. The passing patrol marched closer. “Uh, uh, command, sir?” Wouris asked slowly. Hodges smile grew larger, “Yes, I think they’ll want a word with a trooper of your… caliber.”
The Peregrine scouts shot off South, leaving the skies clear. Wouris shook her head unexpectedly and sneered behind her visor, “Pathetic…”
The little man seemed taken aback. “What?” he demanded angrily, “What did you say?”
“I said,” Wouris watched the passing platoon round a corner and disappear from view, “I’m sorry. I lied to you earlier. These two aren’t prisoners at all.”
The man’s anger fell away to confusion and then surprise as Wouris slammed her Zeus rifle into his head. He collapsed in a heap. The disinterested S.T.s sat bolt upright. Wouris quickly slung the weapons off her back and tossed them to Janus and Celes, “I think they finally realized that something is wrong,” she commented dryly.
The five S.T.s fumbled with their weapons. In a moment, Janus, Celes, and Wouris had dispatched the five with hardly an effort. Unfortunately, at that moment, a second patrol had rounded the corner.
“Oh, son of a…nothing left for it now.” Wouris tossed her Zeus, picked up Janus, who grimaced in surprise, and Celes in each arm and began bounding for the forest. Janus grunted in pain. The incoming patrol ran straight to the fallen S.T.s. They hadn’t seen the three yet. Wouris ran straight through them, and was out of the group before they knew what happened.
Janus counted the distance in his head. Forty meters to the forest. He could hear cries of dismay from the patrol.
Thirty meters, angry shouts. Well, it was worth a shot, Janus thought.
Twenty meters. Rounds peppered the area around them and Wouris zigzagged.
Ten meters. Sounds of pursuit – the Titan S.T.s were after them now. They reached the smattering of trees that formed the fringe of the forest.
Five meters. The trees were becoming dense now, the brush thickening. Janus and Celes covered their heads as the branches cut into their faces. Wouris’ long stride did not slow, the tough suit easily able to bull its way through the dense forest.
The Titan S.T.s, hot on their heels, easily followed the trail of broken brush and branches. Peregrine scouts rushed overhead, blocked from view by the forest canopy.
Wouris broke from the brush into a large open field, and increased her speed. She leapt over the small creeks and rivulets running through the dense grass, gaining distance on the pursuing Troopers. No Titan soldier could match her foot speed. But she could not escape the Titan Peregrines; now able to pursue their prey directly, they swooped into the clearing. S.T.s dropped from above in front of the group, while the pursuing Tro
opers finally broke from the forest and fired on the group. Janus and Celes fired their weapons from their awkward positions, unable to get clean shots from their watering eyes and bouncing ride.
Janus yelled to Wouris over the sounds of the Peregrines engines, “Wouris, we might be able to lose them if we can make it to the Phoenix ruins.”
“Right,” Wouris replied, as she broke right to avoid the incoming Troopers. The three passed again into the forest; the Peregrines left behind, relying on the slower S.T.s to guide them.
The forest exploded in front of them; the Peregrines were eager not to lose their prey. Wouris hurtled through the smoke and over the small crater. Wood and dirt rained down upon them, and Janus and Celes covered their heads to protect themselves.
“Maybe we won’t need to lose them in the ruins, if you can keep this up Wouris,” Celes yelled.
“I could keep this up all day,” she panted.
A burst of flame torched the area in front of them, and Wouris was forced to do a quick hop around the area.
“Or maybe not,” Celes continued, looking grim.
Inferni crashed into the forest, torching the area with their flamethrowers, clearing paths for the pursuing S.T.s while attempting to corral the escaping trio.
Wouris was slowing, the breakneck pace taking its toll upon her. An Infernus landed ahead of them, but Janus and Celes were ready this time, peppering the Infernus with fire as Wouris closed the distance. Timing their shots with Wouris’ loping stride, they zeroed in on the monstrosity’s helmet as it turned to bring its weapons to bear. A loud crack sounded as the fiend crumpled just steps in front of them.
Wouris stumbled as she leapt over the Infernus, and the group went sprawling to the ground. Celes collided painfully with a tree, while Janus had a near miss with a rock. Wouris lay panting, but managed to struggle to her feet.
“I don’t think I can go much further,” she gasped.
“Look!” Celes gasped. They were on the edge of the forest. Spread out in front of them rested the gigantic ruins of Phoenix Corporation.
Chapter 29: Phoenix
Phoenix Corporation was a burnt shell of its former glory.
The three ventured speedily into the dead city, the sounds of pursuit echoing strangely through the destroyed landscape. Massive, crumbling buildings, long since abandoned gave only a glimpse of Phoenix’s former greatness.
An eerie fog had settled into the ruins in the early morning air. Within it, the broken and blackened buildings seemed to come alive. Twisted metal clawed at them as they ran, as if the place was possessed by its former power and fury. With every step, the fog swirled about them, like the city was breathing, just waiting for its moment.
Celes led them, slowing slightly so that Wouris could catch her breath as the sounds of pursuit died away amongst the silent monoliths. Their armor slowly turned to a dull grey, matching their surroundings.
Janus was amazed by the size of the ruins. He had spent his life exploring the different parts of the slums of Cerberus, and he still had never even come close to knowing all of its byways. Phoenix was exponentially larger. Buildings as wide as Valhalla stood along huge boulevards, larger and greater than any three of the largest of Cerberus. Most of the buildings crumbled away before reaching any height to rival Cerberus, but here and there, when he craned his head back, he could catch glimpses of buildings climbing higher and higher before disappearing completely in the clouds and mist. Phoenix could have housed Cerberus several times over, and in one brief fleeting instant, Janus had a vision of a place filled with thousands upon thousands of people as far as the eye could see. And then the vision was gone, insubstantial as the mist.
“It will take us some time to cross the ruins and get to the evac point. We need to find a place to rest before we continue,” Wouris said, interrupting Janus’ reverie.
“Well that shouldn’t be too hard to do in a place like this,” Janus noted. The sounds of the S.T.s and Inferni behind them grew louder, although it was impossible to tell where they were amongst the echoing maze. Janus, used to the trash filled Cerberus slums, felt as if he was in his element within the ruins. He motioned for Wouris and Celes to follow him.
Janus led them deeper into the city, expertly finding paths through the strewn wreckage, pausing only to get his bearings or to listen to the echoing pursuit. The S.T.s struggled to follow them.
The Phoenix ruins felt familiar, and Janus soon discovered a lift station, not all that different from Cerberus, but considerably more ornate. A great, golden wing sprouted from the side of the nearby building, encompassing the station like a protective mother. Nearby, another golden wing lay broken and shattered upon the ground. Raised gold and red enamel peeked out from the blackened exterior and scorched walls, forming fiery patterns all around the outside of the station. It looked like it had been some great, un-hatched egg.
But what it had been, it certainly wasn’t now. The great column that supported the lift’s ascent to the higher levels was broken clean in two, the main entrance underneath its remains. A jagged hole had been opened in the side of the station, and Janus clambered up to it. Peering into the dark, Janus was surprised to see that the lift station had collapsed into an underground cavern.
The Corporations run deeper still? He mentioned it to Wouris and Celes.
Wouris was intrigued, but Celes seemed unsurprised, “Most Corporations have maintained a few underground bunkers in secret, to house important Executors or equipment, in case of a battle.”
Janus looked at Celes with confusion, “How do you know that?” She cleared her throat hesitantly.
Wouris jumped in, “Perhaps you should have studied the Corporations better, Janus. Although the locations of the bunkers generally aren’t known, we have been aware of their existence for some time. It should be available in the ODIN computers. You can study it when we get back.”
Celes nodded and said in an upbeat tone, “Shall we should look into it? Any place designed to house Executors probably has equipment and supplies we can use, plus it will give us a good, safe place to rest.”
They descended into the dark cavern, using the broken and split lift as a stair, hopping from piece to piece, their eyes struggling to adjust to the gloom. The mist spread its tendrils everywhere.
The dim light revealed a forgotten splendor. Plush red and gold carpets, couches, and cushions all covered in a fine layer of dust and dirt. Beautiful oil paintings of long-forgotten men and women, some in carriages, some on horseback – some standing behind oaken desks with glowing computers, still hung on the walls, but they had faded, unprotected from the elements. The remains of a sultan-like spa was crushed beneath the huge slab of the lift, its fountains and faucets long since run dry, leaving only dusty and moldy baths. They pulled flashlights from pockets in their armor, illuminating even more of the bunker. A computer station remained unpowered and unusable in the far wall. Next to it, an unpowered door was stuck partially open.
“This lift wasn’t the main entrance to the bunker. It was supposed to act as protection for it. An attacking army wouldn’t be likely to directly try to destroy their only means into the upper levels of the city,” Celes said.
“They obviously didn’t plan for a scenario where invasion wasn’t the goal,” Janus said reflectively, letting his flashlight wander the room. “Let’s see if we can find a supply room through here,” he added, pointing to the open door.
Janus was in awe of the wealth and excess which greeted him as the three wandered from room to room. Grand beds with soft linens and hundreds of plush pillows. Huge, multileveled, tiled pools with waterfalls, and bridges to cross them. Great dining halls, with massive marble tables that could seat dozens before white tablecloths and utensils covered in a fine layer of gold. Massive ballrooms with mirrored ceilings and false outdoor balconies, designed to entertain hundreds. And rooms more fantastic still, filled with strange devices whose purpose Janus couldn’t imagine. The opulence was overwhelming, and the rooms had
everything – except people. Now they were claimed by their true masters, dust and time.
Janus felt the slightest twinge of vindication, and a smile crept to his lips.
They finally discovered a large supply room, past a set of massive kitchens. The back half of the storeroom had collapsed, and a thick, musty smell filled the trio’s nostrils. Large fridges and freezers, unpowered for years, contained nothing but mold. Shelves and shelves of parts and replacement necessities stood next to crates of hoarded treasures. A small hole disappeared into the building above, the crashed single-man lift below it likely one of the many secret entrances to the bunker. “Look at these,” Wouris pointed out a weapons locker on the far wall. Janus and Celes joined her. Inside the locker were four large and ornamented Security Suits. The suits had a silvery sheen, and etchings filled with gold spread across the ceramium plates. Each had a solid gold Phoenix emblazoned upon each shoulder.
“Elite Infernus suits. For the Executor’s guard,” Wouris noted, putting a hand on the suits. “Good, still functional,” she eyed Janus and Celes, “And close enough in size. We can use these to get out of here and to the evac point in no time.”
Large silvery wings extended from each helmet, and each claw was shaped like a talon. The suits still possessed their angular form, but the heavy plate armor had been etched to look like bird feathers. They were not so much terrifying as imposing now.
While Janus stared in fascination at the suits, Celes discovered a medical locker to their right and started pulling out supplies. With Wouris resting her aching limbs, Celes tried to convince Janus to let her take another look at his ribs.
“Look, you’re no good to us if we have to carry you out of here.”
“I dealt with worse when I lived in the slums. I’ll heal just fine.”
Celes gave him an exasperated look. “Don’t be stupid. You might be just fine, you might not.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Well, at the very least you’ll heal faster if you let me bind those ribs up,” she snapped.
The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus Page 18