by Adam DiSalvo
Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
CHapter 18
Chapter 19
CHapter 20
I’d like to dedicate this book to my two sons Luca and Logan. Anything is possible. It just requires a little attention now and then.
And
To my parents.
I just had to try everything the hard way first.
CHAPTER 1
CRIPPLING PAIN WOKE Taytha from unconsciousness. There was a crack her crysteel blast screen and the oxygen sensor was flashing yellow.
“Computer,” she gasped. “Personal integrity-report.”
“ZGC suit compromised,” buzzed an artificial female voice in her earpiece. "Multiple micro breaches. Oxygen low. Battery at seventy four percent. Four broken ribs. Multiple lacerations to arms and legs. Blood oxygen levels low. Hydration levels low. Blood pressure —“
“Thats enough,” Taytha ordered.
She looked up at a black, star filled sky. The crack of automatic weapons and heavy guns rattled off in the distance. Orbital artillery rounds dropped onto their targets from the skies like falling stars.
“Computer. How long was I unconscious?”
“You have been unconscious for twenty two hours and thirty seven minutes.”
Taytha rolled onto her stomach. Her breathing was arduous as she crawled to her knees. Each breath brought fresh hurt. Taytha gazed out at the flashes from the battle off in the distance. Beams of thick green light shot up from the moon's surface tracking starships in low orbit. She looked around at the piles of twisted metal strewn about her.
“Computer. Can we make contact with command?”
“Negative. Communications link damaged,” her system reported.
“Great,” mumbled Taytha. “Activate emergency sos. How many hours of oxygen do I have left?”
“You have seven hours of Oxygen remaining with your rebreather active.”
Taytha grimaced as she rose to her feet.
“Computer, locate my AGR.” she commanded as she removed her azukar from its scabbard.
The weapon’s familiar ring was soothing. The pale blue light emitted from the blade cast an eerie glow on the ground around her. She held it above her head like a torch. The lights on her HUD flickered as her suit attempted to bring other systems back online. She looked down at the inside of her forearm. All three analogue compasses agreed on north.
“Well at least that’s easy.” Taytha assured herself.
She placed her HUD crosshair over the ridge of the mountain range just in front of the raging fight.
“Computer whats the range of the object designated?”
“Fifteen point two seven kilometers,” assessed her onboard computer.
Taytha looked back down at the carnage and blown out vehicles. Beyond the edge of her azukar’s pale blue light, Styx was black. No trace of organic life or artificial light lay before her. Uruteth’s twins suns appeared as one giant star in the perpetual night sky. Her ZGC suit finalized the reboot.
“Weapon located,” chirped Taytha's computer.
An outline around the silhouette of Taytha’s AGR appeared on her HUD. It lay on the ground next to the destroyed drop ship that carried her and her fellow squad members. Taytha shook her head as she stood over the debris concealing her AGR.
“I want to take fencing dad!” Taytha joked to herself as she cleared the debris burying her weapon. "Why Taytha? I just like swords! Let me teach you to shoot instead Taytha! No dad! I want to be like Athronin! I want to fight with swords!”
Taytha chuckled though pain.
"What the hell was I thinking?” she muttered.
Taytha tossed aside the last piece of wreckage concealing her weapon and sheathed her azukar. She knelt down and grabbed the AGR.
“Cross your fingers folks,” she whispered.
Taytha attempted to initialize the weapon. It came to life. A smile crossed Taytha’s face coupled with a bit of confidence. She started to bounce back and forth on her toes. She stopped, wincing in pain.
“Alright! We’re not dead yet!” she rejoiced gripping her side. “Computer. Do we have a GPS signal for navigation?”
“Negative.”
Taytha inspected her standard issue weapon with satisfaction when a loud crash came from behind her. Taytha whipped around, back pedaling while aiming her weapon down range. Her breathing quickened.
“Who’s there?!” Taytha yelled.
Silence. Taytha continued her back pedal.
“This is Sergeant Taytha Sundive of the Imperial Navy. Identify yourself!”
Taytha analyzed the situation around her. There was barely any wreckage left. There were no bodies. She swallowed hard.
“Identify yourself!” she screamed again into the blackness.
Taytha jumped at the sound of creaking metal to her left. She brought her weapon around and pulled the trigger screaming. The AGR roared to life at three thousand rounds per minute, cutting deep into the metal. She released the trigger. Her heavy breathing and the sounds of the distant fight lingered. From underneath the corpse of her drop ship came a giant serpent covered in thick steel plates. The massive worm's mouth was a maw of huge rotating metal blades. Taytha’s weapon screamed, sending its blue rounds cutting through the air. Sparks flew as the projectiles collided with the creature. It slammed into Taytha sending her tumbling across the ground. She struggled to her knees. It continued the assault. Taytha held her side and drew her azukar. The ring of the blade hung in the air. She steeled herself and slipped the attack, thrusting her azukar into the side of the metal beast. The creature's exterior became liquid it touched Taytha’s blade. She cut deep. The beast writhed and retreated from the strike. Oil and metal spewed across the ground. The creature's tail struck Taytha as it fell back. She went tumbling again. Her weapon stabbed into the monster’s side.
“Suit pressure compromised,” chimed her computer.
Taytha blinked hard. She fought to stay conscious. With her teeth grit Taytha rose to her feet. She breathed deep, her face twisting in pain. She looked to see her weapon jutting from the side of the great steel snake. Sparks crackled up as the metal touching the edges of the sword liquified on contact. The spray of metal and oil was accompanied by blood. The beast-machine whipped about facing her again. Taytha could see her AGR laying on the ground only a few meters away. Her azukar began to tear a wider hole where it was driven. Dark liquid spilled from the vitiation. Blood, mixed with oil, pooled together on the ground.
“What are you?” Taytha whispered.
The machine gaped its mouth and lunged. The metal hulk fell short spraying gore as it hit the ground. Taytha made a move for her AGR as it lunged again. She slid for the gun. The feeling of the grip in her fist made her smile. She pulled the weapon in close, pressed it against her shoulder, and fired. Blood, oil, and polysteel broke into the air as AGR rounds sliced through the worm’s armor plating. The creature squirmed under the onslaught. Taytha was unrelenting. She crept forward as she continued firing into her target. Flames erupted from the animal, gushing out more blood-oil and metal. It fell to the ground. A hideous noise rose into the airwaves and into her headset. Taytha grabbed at the side of her helmet. Then an ominous calm. The nightmare was over.
“Rebreather system damaged.” her
computer warned. “Multiple stress fractures detected. Estimated breathing time forty five minutes.”
Taytha looked down to see atmosphere escaping from micro fissures in her suit. She looked up. The stars were scattered about their black velvet backdrop. Tears gathered in her eyes. Pain crept back into the forefront of her senses. Taytha shouldered her rifle and approached the slain polysteel serpent. She wrenched her azukar free casting out the soft blue light. Tears ran down her face. She broke and fell to her knees.
“Computer. Is the SOS beacon still operating?”
“Affirmative.”
She tried to walk off the pain and stumbled when the ground vibrated beneath her. She caught her balance as it vibrated again. She grabbed her rifle and brought it to the ready. She grimaced with each breath. She grunted galvanizing herself. The ground now shook.
"Fine then. To the last,” Taytha muttered to herself.
“Bring it!” she screamed.
As if commanded half a dozen more of the armored serpents rose from under the ground sending dirt and debris flying into the air. Blue rain fell to meet them. The first two serpents were torn to pieces. Their armor was no match for Taytha’s AGR.
“Computer increase predictive aim and fire assist. Increase power to left arm for weapon stability!”
Taytha reached down with her right hand and drew her azukar.
“Affirmative” responded Taytha’s computer.
Holding the AGR in her left hand, Taytha unleashed a barrage of rounds as the beasts snaked their way toward her. Two more down. Taytha brought her azukar around as another attacked from her flank. The blade slashed deep into the monster’s mouth. Fighting through the pain, Taytha whirled about bringing her rifle to bare upon another target. Her rounds found their mark.
“High energy signal approaching,” warned Taytha’s computer.
She ignored the warning. The two remaining serpents encircled her. One beast feinted drawing Taytha’s fire. She missed. The second beast struck her from behind and Taytha came crashing down sending her weapons skipping across the ground. She rolled over onto her back. The animal’s screeching sounded again in her ear piece. Dozens more broke ground and rose to the surface.
“High energy signal closing in.“
“I know. I see them.”
“Contact imminent.”
“Computer silence."
Taytha’s head fell back. She looked up at the stars twinkling out a quiet farewell. The creatures encircled her as she closed her eyes. The ground shuddered around her. A hurricane of forces swept over her tearing the monsters to shreds in a flurry of sparks and death. Taytha opened her eyes to the sight of a massive weapon carving through the hoard before her. Like a giant suit of armor, it wielded massive glowing swords. From its back unfolded two six barreled mini guns. The weapons chopped through the enemy, shredding them into greasy, bloody heaps. The fifty foot tall behemoth turned towards Taytha. Flood lights winked on illuminating everything around her as the air inside her suit thinned. The gargantuan bipedal machine stowed its weapons and approached. Her breath left her.
“Computer,” Taytha gasped. “Back up all data from the last hour.”
“Confirmed.”
There was no air left.
“Computer”
She was choking out the words.
“Tell Lord Kilahren he can fuck himself,” she hacked, her eyes rolling back.
The giant black armored being stood above Taytha. Its arms peeled back and the huge machine folded down into the shape of a four sided pyramid. The peak was aglow with a brilliant amber light. Lightning snapped through the air arching to the top of the glossy black pyramid. The carnage, from the confrontation lifted from the ground as if gravity relinquished its hold. Atmosphere gathered, followed by gusts of wind kicking up particulate matter and shimmering red dust from the landscape. On the brink of unconsciousness Taytha gasped for life as pain came flooding back. A small section of the pyramid's exterior parted like doors revealing an intense light emanating from the inside. Taytha squinted her eyes as the debris around her climbed ever skyward. The wind calmed and a figure emerged from the inside. He wore a suit far more advanced than her's. It was elegant and covered in orange dollops of luminescent gel. The strange thick slime gathered at the edges of the suit's armor plates and dripped to the ground as if he had been submerged. Small streams of the orange jelly under him slipped along the ground following behind him as he moved. The armored man knelt down next to Taytha.
“Today you live, Sergeant.” he said, his voice deep and guttural. “I need you elsewhere. We all need you elsewhere.”
Taytha’s suit stiffened. She was no longer in control. The suit laid itself out supine on the ground.
“Your suit is reporting catastrophic failure, multiple life threatening injuries; you were not planning on surviving long, were you."
Taytha lifted off of the ground. The dripping figure placed a hand on Taytha's shoulder.
“Fear not Sergeant.” his deepening voice came again. “Styx will not be where your vibration ceases.”
The figure removed his hand and Taytha drifted towards the pyramidal structure. Her suit was unresponsive. The HUD was dead. Blood in her boots flowed up her legs.
The two crossed over the threshold of the structure and the doors slid shut behind them. The interior of the edifice was filled with bright blue and amber lights. A myriad of tools and utensils unfolded from the walls and ceiling on the ends of articulating mechanical arms. A state of the art surgical bay took shape. The suited figure stoped while Taytha drifted forward.
The chest piece of the man's slime covered armor unfastened itself while mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. Robotic hands grabbed the pieces and removed them one by one to reveal an older man with salt and pepper hair and a matching beard. He was handsome, his physique still noticeable under his dark clothing.
“What is your name soldier?”
His voice was strong and sincere.
“Sundiver, Taytha. Sergeant. DXM717.” was all Taytha could muster.
“Sergeant you are inside the arc suit Hermes. I am Lord Haitrion Lovegaurd. I must remove your suit and clothing to treat your injuries.”
Taytha nodded an affirmative. One of the robotic arms slipped in beside her and placed a small cutter onto the surface of her suit. The delicate tool began the work of breaking her out. The whine of the device filled the airspace inside the arc suit. It worked quickly and efficiently cutting the plates and joints. A second arm drifted down from the ceiling and began removing the severed pieces. A third arm bearing a screen dropped down in front of Haitrion. Taytha’s legs felt cold as pieces of the suit encasing them were removed. She wore only underwear shorts. Her helmet lifted off.
“Do not look. We don't need you going into further shock.”
The utterance spiked her anxiety. Haitrion poked what was left of her toes with a sharp needle.
“Did you feel that in both feet?”
She nodded again. He smiled with surprise.
“Astonishing.”
Taytha felt the deep gashes in her legs oozing blood trickling down her skin. There was a sharp prick on her right thigh. Then her left. Then her chest. Taytha winced. Soon, her body felt numb and warm. The relief was welcomed. She relaxed. Three robotic arms tipped with syringes pulled back from her legs and torso. More robotic arms dropped from the ceiling gently reaching for her legs.
“Taytha, you have four broken ribs, two broken femurs, one in two places. One broken tibia. You have multiple broken bones in your feet, and you have more lacerations than I’d like to count. You were kicking the styx out of those beasts."
Haitrion looked down at Taytha with a smile.
"You killed many. You should be proud.”
Taytha managed a smile through the tears that found their way back to her eyes. The arms continued to remove pieces of her armor until she lay nearly naked in the back half of her suit. The blood from her boots spilled onto the floor as th
e arms adjusted around her legs. In a succession of quick motions the arms realigned each of her leg's broken bones.
“Taytha your muscles in your legs are damaged beyond my ethereal healing however, that does not mean I can not repair them.”
Taytha lifted her head to look down at her legs. She reeled at the sight. It was her suit holding her legs together. The bottom thirds were bouquets of flesh. Taytha looked back at the ceiling her chest heaving with labored breath.
“Do not panic Sergeant. Your legs will be repaired.”
She began to sweat profusely. She dry heaved.
“Taytha. Look at me.” Haitrion suggested.
They locked eyes.
“I’m going to replace your destroyed muscles with much stronger synthetic fibers. Consider it a gift.”
Taytha had no choice but, nodded her agreement.
“Your bones will be augmented as well to handle the increased stress and new synthetic cartilage will be placed between your joints.”
Taytha watched as another arm removed a chuck of muscle. She heaved again. Haitrion turned back to one of the articulating monitors. Taytha closed her eyes pushing tears down her cheeks.
“I will be using as much of your own epidermis as possible, where possible. You should retain full feeling. You are incredibly strong, Sergeant Sundive.” Haitrion praised, “It is an honor to meet a human who fights with as much ferocity as you. To the last.”
Taytha kept her eyes shut. Her body gently shook reminding her of the grotesque bloody mess below her.
“You are ether born.” Taytha finally let out.
Haitrion froze. Then turned back to the operation.
“I am a Syren,” Haitrion corrected. “Do you know what that is?”
Haitrion raised his voice recapturing her attention.
“Syrens,” Haitrion explained
They locked eyes again.
“Are ether born who can understand more than one translation of their own dreams.”
“How can anyone truly understand their own dreams?” Taytha challenged.
“That’s what makes us ether born.” responded Haitrion with a smile. “That’s where we draw our power from.”