“But you've got no armor here,” Samantha countered.
“What do you think you're wearing?” Jim ran a finger down the sleeve of Samantha's combat suit. “It may not be self-regenerating, but this suit was one of the most complex adaptions produced from your mom's armor. Nina was trialling one for us before she disappeared. This will deflect most of your more mundane weapons, and has the potential to keep you clean if exposed to radioactivity.”
“The potential?”
“The suit was never exposed to high levels before, but it absorbed the levels we tested, making it more resistant. We all have them.”
“Well we aren't going to be walking away from this because of a suit. What do you have in the way of a layout for Hinkley C?”
In the center of the hanger was a large black table where Jim touched the surface. It began to glow blue, resolving into lines and words. “Blueprints! What do you want to know?”
“First and foremost, any weaknesses?”
One press of a button and the blueprints rose into a three-dimensional hologram of the nuclear reactor from the inside. “What you're looking at is the core of Hinkley C. The reactor is designed to be efficient and well-protected, with multiple redundancies in case of any system failure. That being said, nothing's perfect—materials can have flaws, construction can be hasty. In earlier reactors, precursors to this one, the concrete base under the core was found to have cracks, and the steel reinforcement within the base was incorrectly distributed. In a French reactor they found the containment liner had warped at the edges leaving gaps.”
“Is that enough to cause a disaster? How big a gap are we talking?”
“Millimetres,” Jim said, leaning into the hologram. “Enough for a serious leak. However, if Aeon Fall doesn't care about finesse, they might go after the cooling pipes. If there's a failure in the primary coolent circuit, the reactors will become critical within an hour. Of course we might be overthinking this. Rockwell could just punch a hole in the shielding.”
“With what?” Samantha crossed the room to the weapons closet, pulling out a small dagger. She approached the table once more, flipping the knife up in the air. “You don't exactly stab a hole in such comprehensive protection.”
The knife spun, arcing down to the surface. Jim let out a yell and dived forward, just missing the knife, which buried itself hilt deep in the table. The projector went blank.
“Helltech,” Jim growled, pulling at the hilt. The blade glowed blue as it came free. “You should be careful how you handle such a weapon. Imagine what it could do to flesh.”
As surprised as she was shocked at the effectiveness of the blade, Samantha stepped back. “I'm sorry.”
“Imagine how this would work on an angel,” Jim added.
“Please don't,” Io said. “I would very much like to avoid being a test subject again.”
“You got everything you need from the toys?” Charlotte slid the doors of the weapon closet shut.
“I think it might be safer for everyone if I didn't carry weapons,” Samantha decided. “I might do more damage than good. Words are the only weapon we have now. If Aeon Fall are already at Hinkley Point, we may be too late.”
“If,” her mother repeated. “You think they're gonna miss out once more on the opportunity to trap Ioviel?”
“I think their plan is one borne of desperation, Mom. We have Metatron's ashes. They still need them. If Karael has fallen, did he do it out of choice or was he forced like Io?”
“Karael was not forced,” Io said, his voice thick with emotion. “My brother would not choose Hell over his brethren.”
“And yet, he's the lapdog of a demon,” Eva countered. “Ioviel, there's an element to this whole situation we haven't yet worked out.”
“I think it's becoming clearer by the minute,” Charlotte said, turning her laptop toward them.
On the screen Porter Rockwell appeared, standing by two women with hoods over their heads, their arms bound behind them. “The time has come to decide how you really want to play the game, Eva,” he growled, pulling the hoods off of the two women, “or lose the remaining ARC Council.” Both terrified, Tricia Pellirojo and Clare Rosser stared in helpless panic at the screen, their mouths gagged. “You know where to find us. Bring your angel, I'll bring mine.”
The camera zoomed out, revealing a white panelled room with banks of instrumentation. Behind them most of the lights flashed red.
“Private transmission?” Eva asked, watching the now-frozen screen.
“No,” Charlotte replied. “Aeon Fall broadcast that on every major channel in this country.”
“We've got a problem,” Jim added. “Hinkley C has just reported an emergency shutdown on its main reactor. The primary cooling system isn't responding.”
“They've made the event public,” Samantha said. “Time to go save the world, Io.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
They will let me inside wearing a lab coat, a combat suit and a rucksack? Samantha wondered. She looked herself over as she climbed into the small black helicopter sitting outside the hangar. Her disguise didn't exactly shout 'Office of Nuclear Regulation', but it would have to do. Gaining access with her mother, Jim, and Io while Carrot and Charlotte remained outside was the best she could do. Only four passes out of the original five were in Nina's drawer.
“You should have faith in yourself,” Io said as he climbed in beside her. “You look fine.”
“That wasn't a prayer,” Sammy replied, her tone a warning. She touched the sheathed blade Charlotte had insisted she wear despite vociferous protests.
“It doesn't matter,” he admitted. “I can choose to hear your thoughts.”
“Can you choose not to?”
Io inclined his head. “If you so wish.” His tone was not offended but it was clear he was nonplussed with the idea.
“What's this?” Jim asked as he squeezed in opposite. “Reading minds now, Io?”
“If you pray to him, he can hear your thoughts,” Samantha informed the team.
“Could be useful,” Carrot shouted as she brought the helicopter to life, the rotors above quickly blurred into the early morning. “Does it work the other way?”
“Yes,” Samantha replied before Io could answer.
“Awesome,” Carrot replied. “Sort of like two-way angel radio. How do I sign up?”
“Just offer me a prayer,” he said. “It's that simple.”
* * *
By the time they were airborne, rising over the hilly terrain south of Bristol, the five of them were all tuned into Io and testing the limits of his talents.
“So can I speak directly to Charlotte?” Jim asked. “Say if I pray to her through you, or include both names in the same prayer?”
“Possibly through an angel of exceptional power, a conduit such as Metatron. His great task was to listen to the pleas of mankind and to speak where it was deemed necessary. I am but a warrior.”
Samantha zoned out from the chatter, watching the land flash by beneath them, the patchwork quilt of farmland interspersed with tiny villages. “There's too many,” she said.
“People?” Her mother asked.
“Yeah. These small villages are everywhere. One person affected by a meltdown would be one person too many but those below us don't know what's about to happen. They live on the doorstep of potential tragedy.”
“We all do, love. But it's not a tragedy if it doesn't happen. It's our job to stop this and protect these people from ever knowing.”
“Too late for that, Director,” said Jim, pointing. A ribbon of lights shone across the ground from a three-lane motorway, the vehicles not appearing to move. “Somebody's been putting two and two together.”
“Carrot, get us there as fast as this bird'll take us,” Eva commanded.
“I'm on it, Boss,” Carrot replied indicating she was already doing all she could. “We've got to cross a bay to the South then we're at Hinkley. Maybe ten minutes.”
“Bring us
in from the seaward side,” said Samantha. “Less likelihood of birds.” She glanced at Io, who nodded.
“If we can avoid calling Karael's attention down on me, he's restricted to mundane travel.”
“You're assuming of course that he's behind us,” said Charlotte.
Samantha watched for the power station to appear. Just what exactly were they flying into?
* * *
The helicopter followed the line of the coast and soon a series of massive grey concrete buildings filled the immediate horizon.
“Hinkley Point,” said Jim, pointing.
“That looks like more than the one reactor from the blueprints,” Samantha observed. “I count at least three.”
“The two on the right are the new EDF reactors, and our goal. To the left sit the remains of Hinkley B, the old magnox reactors. They're being slowly decommissioned.”
“Which one do we land at?”
“Neither. There's a landing pad at the control building in the middle. That's our goal. The rest is up to you. ARC isn't exactly on the best of terms with the world currently, so you'd better be convincing.”
The helicopter touched down in front of a horseshoe-shaped building and instantly Samantha slid open the door. Outside, a stream of people were hurrying away from the plant.
“You heard Jim,” Io warned her. “You can't just walk in.”
“That's exactly what I'm gonna do.” She approached the security gate where two guards in brown uniform barred their way and held up her accreditation so they could read it. “International Atomic Energy Agency,” she called across the intervening space. “Open up, you've got a problem.”
“We know. Is this all of you?” The taller of the guards checked a small black meter and placed it in the pocket of his shirt.
Samantha wondered, was he expecting them?
“Four of us are coming in. Two more in the bird who will remain there.”
“I'll take your word for it, Miss.” The guard responded.
So far, the gates remain closed to them.
“As it is, the guard continued, “your colleague is already here and in the control center, overseeing the situation. If you would follow me, I'll take you to her.”
The guard turned away and led Samantha and her mother past the gate into the control centre with Io and Jim trailing back a few steps. Samantha shared a confused glance with her mother. Her? It wasn't supposed to be that easy, she thought, turning her head.
Behind her, Io had a faint smile on his face. A moment later his expression was mirrored by Eva and Jim.
Your mother agrees with you and says to be wary. This is suspicious.
Samantha nodded without turning her head, remaining intent on following the guard into the complex.
Three sets of stairs and countless heavy reinforced doors later, the party entered a room with a half dozen large screens on the front wall above banks of computer desks full of studious looking technicians. Those who turned from their screens dotted heavily with red had one universal facial expression: Panic.
“Okay, talk.” Her mother switched to boss-mode in an instant. “What's going on and what do you need to solve the problem?”
“Well, Director,” said a very familiar female voice from amidst the technicians, “it seems we have an impending nuclear disaster on our hands, unless you can summon a miracle.”
Samantha stopped, mid step. Her breath caught. “Nina?”
With a flash of platinum blond hair, one of the technicians stood, turning toward them. “Mom, Sammy. I'm glad you could make it. Do you have any ideas?”
Eva looked to Samantha. “It's your party.”
A million questions popped into Samantha's head. Why was her sister here, now? Why the radio silence only for her to appear in front of them, unsurprised? Should she be relieved or panicking? Where was Rockwell?
“What's the current problem?” Samantha braved the intervening space to briefly clasp her sister in a hug. This is a trap.
“I see you remembered the badges.”
Samantha regarded her accreditation for a moment. “Looks like we didn't need it with you here.” She examined the nearest monitor. Vertical lines at the top of a reactor core schematic flashed red. “The control rods?”
“They're all locked out of position. The nuclear reaction is approaching its upper limit. The cooling generators are at maximum. Danger is imminent, not immediate. But if something were to happen to the pumps we go from dangerous to potentially catastrophic in minutes.”
“How was this done?” Samantha led her sister away from the group of technicians. “You're supposed to be deep under cover. You're supposed to be imprisoned! Nobody's heard from you in days and now you're here?”
“It's Aeon Fall. They're everywhere. Porter Rockwell, sent me here to infiltrate and interrupt nuclear facilities. He wanted you to believe I was being held to make you desperate. We're all bargaining chips, Sis. Disrupting Hinkley Point was a challenge for them, but I was able to override any irregular commands they entered from a console nearby. There are so many redundancies and backups the place could run itself. It wasn't going well for them until Aunt Clare turned up with some of the ARC Council in tow.”
“Clare was here?” Eva asked.
“Yeah, only a couple of hours ago. They had the whole place on lockdown, I mean an army of guys with guns throughout this building. Clare and Thorsten Guyomard went outside and attached a device to the exterior of the reactor shielding. Moments later the control rods were removed from the reactor core, and it went into overdrive. Rockwell blamed me for sabotaging their efforts and left me here with the facility staff. He's taken Aunt Clare and gone. We never saw them again.” She pushed at a mouse on the desk. The arrow on the corresponding screen failed to move. “Everything's locked.” Nina wiped the perspiration from her brow with the sleeve of her lab coat. “Whatever they did froze the entire facility. People are fleeing, but when this place goes, no amount of running will save anybody. I've stayed here to try and reverse this. It's not proving easy.”
“Then we go outside,” Eva decided. “We see what they've done and reverse it.”
“No.” It was Io speaking. “Going out to the reactor is too dangerous for you.”
“The reactor's shielded by metres of concrete,” Jim said. “You could walk across the roof and be fine.”
“But not when someone's been outside tampering with the core and done all this.” Samantha waved her hand in the direction of the screen. “Io, you know what this could mean?”
“I do,” the angel replied. “I'm ready.” He checked the pouch containing Metatron's ashes. “Director, please could I have my brother's feather? I need all of him, just to be certain. The Phaethon can be a fickle object. I will need my brother's sword, too.”
Jim opened the case containing the silver blade, which glowed as Io picked it up. Eva pulled the feather from her bag and passed it over.
“Stay here,” Io warned them as he sheathed the sword on his back. “No matter what happens.”
“You'll be killed,” Nina cautioned him. “No man can survive the radiation. Wait—” Nina turned to Samantha. “Sammy? Mom? Who is this guy? What's he doing with the sword?”
A section of the main screen began to flash red and yellow, an alarm coinciding with each red flash.
“The heat alarm!” One of the technicians shouted. “One, no make that two of the cooling pumps have failed. We need to get out of here. Now.”
“Io, go,” Samantha urged.
“Where?”
“I'll direct you.” Samantha stared at him until he grasped her concept. Angel Radio.
Io nodded. “Let me back out,” he said to one of the security guards, who looked to Nina.
“Do it,” she said. “Sammy, what's that crazy guy think he's up to?”
“Saving everybody here. You just need to tell me where Clare planted the device.”
Nina's eyes narrowed. “Up high. As best we can guess where the dome at the top of
the reactor shielding meets the superstructure of the fuel building. There are ladders to get aloft. We think they met a helicopter up there.”
Samantha communicated this to Io. By the looks on their faces, her companions were doing the same.
“There,” Jim pointed at a screen and everybody crowded round. The stink of sweat from the nervous technicians was overwhelming. Strangely, Nina appeared serene, and happy to observe.
On the screen as if gravity was no restriction, Io scampered up a ladder. Samantha, you need to get everybody away from this facility. What I must do here will put you all at risk. If the melding fails, you'll all be exposed.
He reached the top of the ladder and began to traverse the rooftop of the fuel building. Those people are terrified, and rightly so. I could sense the fear in every one of them. All except your sister. I can't read her.
Samantha took a moment to assess her sister. Nina appeared the same as always. Beautiful, the centre of attention, and driven with it. She focussed on a screen showing Io making his way around the edge of the reactor shielding.
A second alarm sounded.
“Pump two's gone,” announced one of the technicians. “Backups have failed. If we're getting out we go now.”
“No!” Nina shouted. “He'll do it. He will.” Her voice was animated to the point of excitement. What did she know?
Io, is everything all right up there? Nina's very insistent that you'll find the cause. She's swearing you'll do it.
And now I know why.
Samantha shouldered her way through to the screen. Ahead of Io a flock of birds gathered on the rooftop. “Crows,” she gasped. “Oh no.”
“Yes,” Nina hissed in triumph. “Now he's ready.”
“He's ready?” Eva repeated. “You know who he is?”
Nina turned to them, with a look of such malevolence on her face everybody took a step back.
“Clare didn't do any of this,” accused Eva. “You did. You're not Nina. What have you done with my daughter? My sister?”
Thornfalcon (The ARC Legacy Book 1) Page 28