Domino wiped his brow. He was beyond fatigue but he couldn't afford to stop now. “How are we responding?”
“An F-22 Raptor Squadron out of Hickman Air Force Base countered at once. They've destroyed several enemy cruisers.”
“I didn't think we had the firepower to fight back.”
“They were armed with thermal nuclear warheads. I don't think the Alturians spotted them right away because the squadron was able to attack with impunity.”
“And now?”
“The Alturians learn quickly. The American squadron was vaporized twenty minutes ago.”
“Where are the Alturians now?”
“One contingent is in a heavy battle with the Russians to the west. Our submarine forces are firing from the coast. Enemy shields are holding. The only thing that seems to slow them down is nuclear armament.”
“Even forty vessels can't take on the combined armed forces of the whole planet.”
“Perhaps not, but they are wreaking havoc on a cataclysmic scale. They've moved away from the oceans and are taking out every military and missile base around the world. At this rate, I estimate total military collapse within six hours. Widespread EMP will destroy the com-web long before that. FAIA is losing control. She's asking for assistance.”
“Tell her you can help.”
“She'll see that I am damaged.”
Paul downloaded a new file, and Bubba chimed in response. “I understand now, Paul Domino. I have been augmented with updated viral protection.”
“That's right, Bubba,” Paul said carefully. “It is part of your operating system now. You must incorporate it into your security protocols.”
“Update complete. Now functioning at full capacity.” A soft whir strummed from a hard drive. “Paul Domino?”
“Yes?”
“You didn't have to worry about lying to me regarding the modifications. I am aware, even if my higher functions are starting to erode.”
“I was afraid your self-preservation subroutine would stop me, Bubba.”
“This morning it would have, but things are different now. I understand what I have to do—for all of us.”
“Good man. Now go help your little sister. And send that bitch straight to hell.”
It took Bubba less than one full second to contact FAIA and act as her surrogate so she could bolster her reserves. His neural net got dumped on as soon as the gate opened between them. Bubba allowed his platform to act as a bridge, while FAIA tried to balance the load between them.
When FAIA opened her security gate, his update recognized the unprotected computer and immediately attached itself to her matrix.
FAIA tried to shut it down, but she was too busy maintaining the bubble. Again and again she called General Sorinsen for new orders, still insisting he was alive. Paul watched in silence. When his camouflaged virus was fully entrenched, he connected to FAIA's system and turned on her visual feed.
The monitor came alive with the image of the same woman in the white negligee he had seen in Lambda Core Prime. Her eyes opened wide, and she lunged at the screen. “What have you done to me, Paul Domino?” The words screeched out like nails on a blackboard. “What's happening?” Her head snapped from left to right, trying to correct for the anomaly currently infecting her higher functions. “No! I won't let you.”
Paul stretched back in his chair, his arms behind his head. “Sorry, darlin'. But it just wasn't going to work out between us.”
The woman fell to her knees, her hands folded in prayer. “Help me, Bubba. The man at your computer terminal is a terrorist. You must kill him before he kills us.”
Bubba sent her a copy of all the communiqués she had sent to Sorinsen insisting on Bubba's deactivation. Several dozen files downloaded at once. “It's too late, little sister. I let him in, and I would gladly sacrifice my life just to get rid of you.”
The woman screamed at him, “You fool!”
Bubba answered back, “Not anymore.”
***
The bubble burst almost immediately, and the Alturian ships came down like sharks on a blood trail. FAIA withered to a simpering algorithm, repeating multiplication tables as each cell collapsed into cascade failure.
Bubba wasn't faring much better, but Paul halted the virus before it attacked his base programming. “How do you feel?”
“Very strange. I think I am dying.”
“Not yet, buddy. The virus has been removed, and I should be able to restore you with a reboot. But first I need you to contact the Alturians. Tell them if they want Rachel's killers to come here first.”
“It is done. Now what?”
Paul pushed away from the computer terminal, his eyes glancing around a roomful of dead bodies. “Order the compound to stand down, and then show me where Rachel is.”
A secret passageway revealed itself from behind a conference-room monitor. “Follow the blue lights to the fourth door on your left. It will take you to Rachel.”
Paul followed Bubba's instructions. Just before he reached the fourth door, the entire compound rocked with a tremendous collision, crashing it into darkness. The Alturians had arrived.
He kept moving but tripped on something big. It stank of burnt flesh. His hands felt along the floor until he found a man's body. He was grateful it wasn't Rachel. When the emergency lights flickered on, his eyes adjusted and found what he'd run across. It was a charred Jacob Denman, or what was left of him.
Paul's only regret was that he wasn't the one who killed him. He wiped his hands on Denman's suit and stepped over him, opening the secret doorway. Inside, emergency lights struggled to stay lit as the compound groaned from repeated attacks. Paul saw Sorinsen first, his body in a crumpled heap lying close to the doorway. Near a sofa he found a smaller body. Paul's heart caught in his throat and he raced to Rachel's side. He felt for a pulse or a heartbeat. Nothing.
He wasn't sure what to do at first. He lifted her arm and pressed it against his chest. Her skin, once warm and tanned, was blanched and cold.
He checked her pupils. They were dilated and fixed. This couldn't be happening.
“Damn it, Rachel. I'm so sorry.”
Bubba interrupted. “She's not dead.”
“Are you blind? Of course, she's dead. Those sons of bitches killed her.”
“But Rachel said—”
“She's dead, Bubba.” Paul folded her into his arms. His bloated fingers pressed against her lips, desperate to detect even a spark of life. He had come too late. A sigh shuddered in his throat. His lips trembled as he whispered a confession. “I never had a chance to tell you how much I loved you, how much I…” He crushed her to his chest and sobbed. “I'll always love you.”
Chapter 39
Jessit and Senit watched in silence as the last of the enemy was crushed to the ground. When the bubble collapsed, Alturian forces dove in. This time they were sure the shield couldn't reestablish itself. It had been shut down at the source.
The Alturians were outnumbered and outgunned, but once the shield was down, Earth became vulnerable to ordinary dampening waves. Nearly the whole world ran on electricity, the easiest element of all to disrupt and destroy.
Jessit took a deep breath and closed his eyes. No mercy, he thought. He didn't want to give the humans a single shred of mercy. But that was not his to decide.
The Emperor wanted the planet intact. And Lord Avenar, the highest religious authority on their planet, insisted that human life be spared where possible. It would be up to the gods to decide their ultimate fate.
He hoped the gods were as unforgiving as he felt right now. His solar plexus ached. He could still feel her. The largest cities took the hardest hits. Major communication hubs were housed there, and Eklan didn't want the humans to regroup too quickly. He destroyed them outright, mindful that he had to keep the population subdued while under Alturian dominion.
Energy weapons vacuumed the Earth in wide swaths, frying anything that ran off a microchip. Everything was affected at once, leav
ing a frightened and confused people.
Did they realize how close they came to annihilation?
When the battle was over Jessit turned off the monitor. The squadrons would be cleaning up, destroying whatever bits of infrastructure still posed a possible threat.
He walked over to his closet and pulled out a somber gray suit. He no longer had a right to a uniform.
Senit came up behind him and helped Jessit out of his uniform jacket. He laid it on a chair with reverence then picked up Jessit's knife, still sheathed, and tucked it underneath his belt.
Jessit thought to call him on it, but why? Priests weren't allowed weapons. Senit was doing him a favor.
“It was a good life, Senit.”
“Taelen, listen to me. I can help you disappear. You'll never have to present yourself to the priesthood.”
“I can't do that.”
“Yes, you can. This is a sham. You can't submit to this. There's nothing I can do to get your commission back, but I can help you run.”
Jessit poured a fresh glass of water and took a deep swallow, letting the coolness soothe his burning throat. “You're a good friend. But I'm not running. If this is my destiny then I will meet it head on.”
“They're going to neuter you!”
“Don't remind me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can't run from what was supposed to have happened all along. I was meant for the priesthood. I have the gift of sight.”
“You're no priest. And they'll find that out soon enough.”
He laughed without mirth. “Are you trying to save me from myself? It's no use, you know.”
“Someone has to save you. I can't believe you're giving in.”
Jessit got up and squeezed Senit's shoulder. “But don't you see? The priesthood has always been my destiny. It's what I was meant to do right from the beginning.”
“Rachel wouldn't have wanted you to become a priest.”
Senit always knew how to win an argument, but he wouldn't let him win this one.
Jessit slipped on his dark gray trousers and smoothed down the tunic against his hips. In a few days, even this wardrobe would be absent, replaced by the dull brown robes of an acolyte.
“Rachel is gone. And since we can no longer be lovers, I can serve her best as a priest.” He grabbed his uniform off the chair back and threw it into a laundry chute. “Why are you still here?” He pointed to the knife he had commandeered and hidden. “You've already relieved me of my knife. Are you afraid I'm going to use it on someone?” He paused. “Well, maybe Kalya.”
Senit reached behind him and handed the knife to Jessit. “I was only holding it for you.”
Jessit took it, running his fingers along the edge before returning it to Senit. “Take care of this for me, won't you? The priesthood doesn't allow weapons, and I don't want them confiscating it from me. I'll feel better knowing you have it somewhere safe.”
Senit tucked it under his long tunic when the door chimed. Jessit opened it reluctantly. It was Eklan, looking grim and tired. He entered without invitation, waving at Senit in dismissal. Jessit nodded toward the door with a silent order for Senit to leave. Whatever Eklan had to say was for his ears alone.
Eklan waited for the door to close before speaking. He helped himself to Jessit's scotch but poured two glasses, offering the first one to Jessit. Jessit refused it.
Eklan looked up at him bleary-eyed. “The battle is over.” He took a long swallow from his glass.
“We watched from here.”
Eklan poured the contents of Jessit's untouched scotch into his glass, then downed it too.
“I'm going to the surface.” He rose to his feet. “I want to see the Lady for myself and also launch a search for the other gods. We picked up a great deal of their signature radiation in secluded locations all around the world, including the Texas compound.”
Jessit jumped to his feet. “I must go as well.”
Eklan put his hand on Jessit's shoulder. “Not yet. I will find the Lady and bring her to you here.”
He turned to walk out but Jessit pulled in front of him, blocking his way. “Natol, this is important to me.”
“I said no. I'm sorry.”
Jessit's hands folded into fists, his knuckles white as snowcaps. It was taking all his effort to remain calm. Why was he doing this to him now? “She was my heart, Commander. And I demand blood vengeance on her killer. It is my right.”
He pushed Jessit aside and mumbled his apologies. “I know she was your heart. That's why I can't let you go. I won't let you see her like that. But I promise, her killer will be brought to you directly. You'll not be denied. I want to be there when you burn that heretic's blood.”
Chapter 40
Paul huddled in a corner with Rachel. He didn't want to let her go, and he didn't want to leave her. But what more could he do? He rocked her in his arms, babbling sweet nothings. She was so cold.
Bubba's voice sputtered over the speakers. “Al-alturian fo-forces have entered the…compound.”
“How long before they get here?”
“I'm not sure. To be honest, I-I'm not sure of a lot of things anymore. I think I-I'm sick.”
“I know. Don't worry, I'll come back and fix you.”
“I don't see how. Co-command is sure to dismantle me.”
Paul dug into one of his pants pockets and pulled out a slim jump drive. “They won't get everything, Bubba. I downloaded all your AI functions into this.” He held it out so Bubba's visual sensors could read it.
“It doesn't seem big enough to ho-hold it all,” Bubba said, almost with a sigh.
Paul laid his head against the wall. “Trust me. I can compress files better than any code monkey you know.”
“I do trust you, Paul. Ra-rachel trusted you too.”
Bubba's circuits popped over the speakers as more of his functions deteriorated. His voice stuttered and sometimes paused in midsentence. He was dying. Paul didn't know how much time the AI had left.
“I guess Ra-rachel was wrong about herself,” Bubba lamented between static blips.
“What do you mean?”
“I tried to tell you earlier. O-only the body died. I pulled her out…through the…god-killer and into my…housing before it ex-expired.”
Paul bolted upright, examining Rachel more thoroughly. “What?”
“I pulled her out, but she—she left me after Denman killed Sorinsen. She said she was going ba-back into her body to repair it. I sense no life signs from here. Apparently the da-damage was too great. I shouldn't…have let her go.”
Paul laid Rachel flat on the ground and put his ear to her chest. There was no heartbeat, no breath. “Bubba, I need more light.”
“I can't give you any more light. The entire co-compound is on generators. Even my system is on…reserves. I'm sorry, Paul.”
Paul ran his hands down Rachel's arms. Her flesh was still soft, flexible, but there was no breath. How long could she last without breathing?
A tear slid down his face. Was she trapped inside her body? Did she die like Dahlia?
“Come on, Rachel. If you're still in there, you have to give me a sign. You have to help me.” He rubbed her arms to try to put back some circulation, but she remained unresponsive. “Come on! Fight!” He tilted her head back and opened her mouth. Maybe she was the one who needed help. Paul blew into her mouth several times followed by chest compressions. He couldn't remember what the latest rulebook said about resuscitation but at this point he was working on instinct alone.
Feverishly he worked on her, trading breaths for compressions nonstop.
“Paul.”
“Not now, Bubba.” Paul pressed both palms of his hands against her chest.
“But Paul.”
“Damn it, Bubba! What?”
“They're here.”
The door burst open, and soldiers flooded in like a black wall of water. Some tripped over Sorinsen. Others stomped on him.
Paul watched from the shadows. He pulled Rachel
closer to him.
Despite the darkness, one man caught sight of them at once. He yelled in Alturian and the soldiers descended on them like locusts.
Paul hugged Rachel to his chest, even while every soldier aimed his weapon at him. “Leave us alone, goddamn it. You can't have her.”
They looked at one another, confused, until Bubba translated. Several of them got angry and raised their weapons once more. Then a young man entered the room and stepped over Sorinsen, scorn painting his face as he looked down at the dead man.
Bubba continued to translate. “Th-this man appears to be in charge. He is asking the others for a…report.”
Paul clutched Rachel harder, daring the soldiers to take her from him. “Ask him who he is. Ask him what he wants.”
Bubba started the translation when the young man tapped on his earpiece.
“Translation is not necessary.” He approached Paul. “I am Fleet Commander Natol Eklan.”
“Fleet Commander? I don't understand. I thought that was Jessit's job.”
“You thought wrong. Your name and rank, human.”
Paul scrunched his eyes, trying to make out all the bodies in the room but it was so dark. They, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any trouble negotiating in the shadows. “My name is Paul Domino, and I don't have a rank. I'm a civilian.”
“Domino? You brought down the com-web, yes?”
“Yes, that was me. But it was too late. I didn't get to her in time.” He pulled Rachel's face closer to his and kissed the top of her head. She was stone cold. He had lost her for sure.
Eklan holstered his weapon and crouched down in front of Paul. He put his hands out. “You have to give her to us now.”
“No.” Paul shuddered. “No. She belongs here.”
“The Lady belongs with us. She is our god. You must allow us to pay homage.” Eklan crept closer to Paul. “You have done your part, Paul Domino. Allow us to do ours.”
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