Recreance (The Aeternum Chronicles Book 1)

by H. G. Chambers

  “No. It’s nothing. My security measures misfired.”

  Why didn’t he say anything?

  “Let us hope your defenses are more reliable once the supplication is upon us. Take heed Variant, if you fail in your task, you will be as useless to us as the insects festering in the lower precincts.”

  Clem heard the door click shut. Seconds later, the man standing behind the desk screamed in frustration. Clem flinched as something glass smashed into the wall, shattering to pieces.

  Two short beeps sounded above. “Code orange. I want a full sweep of the building and surrounding radius of two kilometers. Hold any unauthorized or suspicious persons in quadrant three. Begin with my office.”

  “Yes sir, understood,” a small voice crackled back on the radio.

  Clem heard him walk to the office door, open it, and close it again behind him. She was beyond confused, but wasn’t about to let that slow her escape. She crawled out from under the desk and made for the glass door leading to the terrace. Once outside, she ran to the end of the now lit tree-lined path, and climbed up onto the far wall. Looking down, she realized just how badly she’d stirred up the beehive. Kill-cars zipped up and down the levi-tracks, and surveillance canisters slid manically along their cables between buildings and lampposts. Ministry Wards ran around below, organizing into search patrols.

  Clem glanced back at the sound of the glass door opening. A ward in combat armor stepped out. He startled, then began pointing excitedly, speaking into his radio. He ran toward her, leveling a grap-gun on his forearm. “Just my boiling luck,” Clem muttered. She turned right and ran along the top of the wall, narrowly avoiding a grap-dart. With her last step before the edge of the building, she pressed the stone in her right palm and stomped down hard with her foot. She launched up, flying forward through the cool night air. The momentum carried her up and over the levi-tracks as a kill car sped by directly below. She descended toward the roof of a building on the other side, crashing onto it at speed. She did her best to land on her feet, but was carried by so much momentum that she ended up skidding and tumbling forward, rolling to the far edge of the roof and over it.

  Panicked, Clem pressed her fingers into her left palm and grasped for something, anything. Her right hand slapped onto the lip of the roof and she jerked painfully to a stop, swinging down to hang against the side of the building.

  Owie! That’s going to bruise, she thought. Clem slowly pulled herself back onto the rooftop and peered up at the terrace. The ward was atop the wall, looking around and talking into his radio. The buildings here were closer together. She could travel across the tops without too much trouble.

  She backed away from the edge, then got a running start and pressed her right palm, jumping the ten feet across the alley onto the next building. She raced across the rooftops, leaping from building to building, hiding from the occasional surveillance canister until she had the barracks once again in view. The once sleepy compound was buzzing with activity. Wards in white and gray combat armor patrolled between and around the buildings, while others marched off east and west along the walls.

  She could reach the barracks by leaping across a few adjacent buildings, but once atop them, she would most certainly be spotted. The gap from the barracks to the outer wall was at least fifty feet wide. Clem looked around for an alternate way out of Sector One, but couldn’t find it. She would have to make a run for it.

  Taking several deep breaths, she prepared for the impossible task ahead. The commotion behind spurred her forward, and she began what was almost certainly a suicide run. There were three buildings between her and the barracks. She jumped the gap onto the first, sprinted across the rooftop then jumped up to the second slightly higher building. She landed smoothly and skidded to a halt. A few feet away, a ward stared back at her in shock.

  They stared at each other for several long seconds. Neither one moved. He looked young. There was nothing particularly evil about him, he’d just chosen the wrong side. The ward reached for his radio, but Clementine was faster. She hurled the glow-tube at him. It hit the radio and exploded into a cloud of glowing particles, obfuscating the coughing ward. Clementine pressed her right palm and stepped her foot onto the rooftop. She launched up, flipping over him and twisting in mid-air to land directly behind him. She pressed her palm again, and reluctantly kicked the ward. The force of her kick was magnified by the infinity stone in her boot, and the guard went flying across the gap she had just crossed. He smashed into a maintenance shed atop the next building over. She was relieved to see him moving, albeit barely.

  She had to keep going. Clem looked ahead to the next building. She’d need a running start across it to clear the levi-track and reach the barracks rooftops. From there, stopping would mean capture, maybe death…or worse. She once again gathered her focus, and began her run. Clearing the gap, she landed on the building’s roof, where thankfully there were no more wards. She ramped up to a sprint, heart pounding like thunder in her chest. At the edge of the building she pressed the stone in her palm.

  The wind rushed past and she sailed through the air. The part of Clementine that wasn’t terrified couldn’t help but enjoy the pure exhilaration of the experience. This was the closest she’d ever come to being truly free. There was only her and the wind; everything else fell away. She had to survive this, if for no other reason than she needed to experience this feeling again.

  The rooftop of the first barracks rushed up to meet her. She tucked into a ball and rolled, smoothly rising and continuing her run. Someone shouted off to her left. Clem pushed as hard as she could, sprinting all out toward the next building. She heard the loud clank of a grap-gun firing behind, and a spotlight made a bright yellow circle at her feet. She reached the edge of the barracks roof and leapt, clearing the gap and landing on the next one. A grap-dart clanged off her left vambrace as she sprinted. Nearing the edge, Clem pressed the stone in her right glove and was launched toward the last barracks building before the wall. This time, she kept the stone depressed as she landed. She hit the roof and was immediately rocketed through the air.

  Time slowed. Grap-darts flew past, trailed by thin black cables. Clementine closed her eyes and flew through the air with the sensation of complete weightlessness. This was how it was meant to be. Everything in her life had led her here, to this very moment. When she opened her eyes again, she had cleared the wall…by a lot. Too much! She was flying directly toward the building on the other side with no way to stop.

  Clem brought her knees up and raised her forearms in front of her face before exploding through the window of an apartment complex just outside Sector One. She crashed through the living room of some poor citizen, smashing into a glass coffee table and knocking over lamps, books, and other furniture. She was eventually stopped by the wall on the other side of the room. Everything was quiet except for the wind blowing through the broken window, rustling the curtains.

  “Unnnnngh.” She lay there for a minute, trying to remember where she was and how she got there. “What..why is…”

  “My god, you’re alive!” an unfamiliar voice called from somewhere far away.

  “Have to…get…” Clementine was struggling to make sense of things.

  “Don’t try to move! I’ll call the medics.” The man ran off into the other room, and Clementine’s memory began to resurface.

  The Ministry! They’ll be here any minute! She struggled to her feet, standing with one hand against the wall, and the other on her forehead. I really need to design a helmet for this suit. She staggered down the hall and out of the apartment. By the time she reached the stairwell, she had regained most of her balance. As she made her way down, she checked her vest compartment for the cylinder and small pouch she’d stolen. Both were still there. By the time she reached the third floor, she was trotting down the stairs two at a time. She needed to find her bike and get out of here, fast.

  Clem found a side door out of the building and slipped into the alley. A quick jog around t
he back and she found the black tarp she’d used to hide her bike. She pulled off the tarp and hopped onto the bike, pulling on her helmet and flipping the off-track switch. Her trusty bike lifted off the ground, and she accelerated through the alley, weaving her way between buildings away from Sector One. Even though it would take far longer, she kept off the levi-track, knowing that every ward in the city would be on high alert.

  After over an hour of carefully navigating alleyways and footpaths, she arrived back at her shop where it had all begun. She pressed the button on her bike and the steel garage door retracted upwards. After pulling in, she removed her helmet, lowered the garage door, and lay down on the cold cement floor of her shop. The adrenaline fled her system and she succumbed to utter exhaustion, falling asleep where she lay.

  8

  Disc Inversion

  Clementine opened her eyes to darkness. She lay on a soft bed of moss. Above her the sky stretched out as she’d never seen it before. A swathe of crystal clear twinkling stars were strewn across the black. How could there be so many? A deep feeling of calm and contentment washed over her, and the vastness of the universe left her with a soothing sense of insignificance. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the sweet, cool night air.

  One of the stars winked out. Another followed, then another, and another. The darkness accelerated in a domino effect, like a massive black wave crashing over the starry sky. A sense of foreboding burrowed deep into the pit of Clem’s stomach. She stood up to look around. Tall trees surrounded the small, circular forest clearing. Blackness filled the space between. She spun, trying to look in all directions at once.

  Where am I? How did I get here? Something was wrong. Goosebumps rose on her arms and legs from the sudden drop in temperature. The sky had gone completely black. Someone…or something was breathing deep, raspy breaths. The darkness from between the trees began to slide along the ground toward her from all directions. No escape. Plant life withered audibly on the forest floor as it was robbed of light.

  In a few short seconds the liquid darkness enveloped everything save the single pillar of earth she stood upon. The gloom itself seemed alive, throbbing with malice. All hope drained from her and was replaced with doubt and fear.

  You took it didn’t you? You little filcher!

  You’re a worthless liar, just like your father!

  Clementine could hear her mother’s scorn clearly, even though the voice sounded far away. She sank to her knees. A slow grinding laughter rumbled, vibrating the bones in her body. She looked up in desperation and found a single star, burning bright far above. She focused on it, clinging to the tiny shred of light. The laughter cut off. It was replaced by a reverberating guttural growl, and the light winked out. Clem dropped her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “A child?” The voice was gravelly and filled with disdain.

  It came from directly in front of her. Clem looked up from where she knelt. Elaborately embroidered gold and white robes hung over the nothingness. Her instincts screamed not to look up any further. She froze. Something gripped her hair and jerked her to her feet, forcing her to look into its incomprehensible face. Her gaze was drawn to its eyes like metal filings to a powerful magnet. The deep, oily black pools rippled and undulated as figures writhed beneath the liquid surface, pushing up against the thin membrane with desperate limbs and agonized faces.

  Clem felt a horrifying tugging sensation somewhere deep inside her chest. They’re pulling me in! She resisted the urge to scream. Her mind raced frantically, on the brink of hysteria.

  “NO!” it came out as a squeak.

  The figure tilted its head curiously, then moved her closer, tugging…pulling.

  “I SAID NO!” this time it was a whisper. The creature frowned.

  “Insect. You dare defy me?” The voice was a growl. Clem fought the urge to submit and grabbed at the hand holding her by the hair. Its skin was cold and hard. It grasped her jaw with its other bony hand and squeezed. The pain was excruciating, but she continued to fight. Clem tore her eyes away, trying to look down. The creature slowly opened its mouth, revealing row after row of broken, rotting teeth. Not teeth, she thought. Those are buildings. They were severely dilapidated, broken and decaying. She watched in horror from above as the people of New Arcadia, her people, were corralled and beaten by their own city wards. A portly, ragged older man in a jumpsuit broke free and ran desperately. Three of the wards chased after him, running on all fours. They suddenly looked more like massive feral dogs than human beings. They howled and snarled, clacking and snapping their teeth as they ran.

  The portly man turned, ducking between two buildings. Is that Hatch? They scurried after him, cornering him in the alley. They bristled and crept forward with heads low, then lunged, amassing into a jumbled mess of flailing limbs and gnashing teeth. When they were finished, they shuffled drunkenly out of the alley on their hind legs, becoming city wards again. All that remained of Hatch was a lumpy pile of wet rags.

  Her view panned to the Pillars of Ascension, only they were blackened and fortified with iron spikes. Gargoyles flew around the pillar’s spires like giant buzzing black flies. Below, a massive crowd of twisted creatures roiled and chanted rhythmically to the sound of deep booming drums.

  Raised on a platform before them, a menacing figure surveyed the crowd. He wore a set of wicked gold skeletal armor, with a long, blood-red velvet cloak strewn out behind. His helmet bore two curved golden horns, extending back from his forehead, and his face was covered with a still-faced golden mask. He raised a four fingered gauntlet and lifted the faceplate.

  Oren??

  It was him, but it wasn’t. He looked aged and worn, and his eyes were filled with contempt. He looked up at her, and there was a glimpse of recognition in his eyes. It was gone in an instant, replaced with pure, unbridled hatred. He shouted a command in a twisted language, and the crowd became frenzied. Something released her, and she fell toward the sea of teeth, spines and claws. She screamed as their inhuman features became more and more clear. They reached up, grasping, anticipating. She covered her face and crashed into them.

  Clem jerked awake with a cry, covering her head. She was gripped by panic until she realized where she was. The familiar red glow of the standby lights in her shop made dim outlines of the workbench. Had she ever had a nightmare that vivid before? That’s what I get for falling asleep on the shop floor. She tried to shake it off, but the chanting echoed in her mind.

  Clem unconsciously rubbed her tender jaw. Her body ached all over, but she stood up anyway and did her best to work the kink out of her neck. She flipped on the light switch and sat on the bench. After a moment to rest, she began removing the pieces of her mag suit one by one, placing them into her backpack. Clem felt the black steel tube in her vest pocket, and pulled it out. She unscrewed the cap from one end and turned it upside down. A rolled up, transparent sheet of plastic dropped into her hand. She unrolled it and held it up to the light. It looked like schematics. They were far more complex than anything she had ever seen. Clem considered making a copy, then remembered that she wanted nothing to do with the Ministry, C-SEC, or anyone else for that matter. She rolled it back up, placed it into the tube, and replaced the cap.

  Clem was prepared to leave when she remembered the pouch she’d found beside the canister in the Chief Ward’s office. She removed it from her vest pocket and loosened the drawstrings. Inside was a white disc, about three inches in diameter. She pulled it out and held it in the palm of her hand. It was made of a heavy material she had never seen before. It appeared to be a stone of white marble, but the surface felt rough and organic. It felt alive. She squeezed it and felt it give slightly.

  There was something etched into the other side. Clem turned it over to discover an intricate engraving of a four winged serpent with its mouth agape. The detail was exquisite, and she had to appreciate the detailed craftsmanship.

  Clem looked at the disc more closely. Did the wings just beat? It was then that s
he felt it, a strange sensation that had begun when she first held the disc. It had been so slight she hadn’t noticed. Now, as it grew stronger, she had the sensation of something unseen flowing between her and the disc. It wasn’t unpleasant, and her curiosity won out. She looked around and waited to see what would happen. The disc became heavier, and the wings were definitely beating. It grew more lifelike by the second.

  The air before her rippled like a placid pond disturbed by a stone. She took a step back. Another ripple followed, and another. The concentric ripples continued rhythmically; then something changed. There was a small circle of white sand at the center. With each new ripple, the circle grew, expanding to reveal a vast green ocean with massive crystalline formations jutting out of the sea. Small waves gently lapped the shoreline. So beautiful, she thought with wonder. Another ripple, and a strange swirling brown and white sky came into view. Another, and Clem’s breath caught. That’s not the sky…it’s a planet. Massive storms swirled across its banded surface. Ripple. The actual sky was unlike any she’d seen. An orange sun rose from behind the massive planet, a small circle of orange light in the deep blue sky. Light glistened and reflected off the crystalline formations in the sea, which began to emit deep hypnotic tones.

  A breeze blew, ruffling Clem’s hair. She could smell the salty sea air from within her workshop. She stepped forward without thinking, and reached a hand toward the alien world. She jerked to a stop as a deep rumbling resounded through the opening. The air suddenly felt electric. The sound grew louder, and the once peaceful scene began vibrating, then shaking violently. Clem watched from the solid ground of her workshop, and became disoriented as her brain tried to correct for the motion.

  She caught something moving along the watery horizon. It was quickly getting larger. Frozen in fascination, Clem watched as a massive wave, larger than any tower she’d ever seen, swiftly advanced toward the shore. A warm salty wind blew back her hair, and she watched as the wave toppled the massive crystalline structures like children’s toys. It was close enough now that it took up the entirety of her view. As it advanced, the waterline surged and seawater began pouring through the opening into her shop. Clem shouted in surprise, and just as the massive wall of water was about to smash down, the stone fell from her hand and the opening winked out.