The assurance was followed by a blast of cold wind. As he began a twirling descent, the drone of engines began to recede. Dazed and gasping for breath, Caelan’s eyes fully opened. As he looked around, the weight squeezing his waist suddenly released. At the same time, he heard a ripping sound and his body vaulted upward.
By the time his parachute fully opened, Caelan was wide awake. Scanning the bizarre scene around him, he said, “What the hell?”
Below, the water was such a deep blue it was almost purple. Intermittent white-capped waves rippled across its surface. To the left, he saw a lush island of green foliage and red soil. Dotting the horizon were puffs of billowed canvases. He counted seven in all. Add his chute and there were eight descending toward the water.
Where am I? Caelan wondered. How did I get here?
A blur dropped in front of him. Looking down, he saw a splayed figure falling toward the water, and then, like a kernel of popcorn erupting from its shell, a parachute deployed above the figure and the chutist shot up within a hundred feet of Caelan.
Though he could not see the face of the chutist behind the helmet, an echoing voice in his mind identified her. Don’t worry, I’ll deploy your chute.
Caelan couldn’t believe it. The bloody bitch had kidnapped him. Looking around again, he recounted the descending chutes. All in, there were nine. Caelan, his six Makoas, Ellie and a mystery chutist. Ah, yes, he thought. She mentioned something about retrofitting a Steel.
As they descended closer to the water, a sudden gust of wind pushed Caelan and the others toward the island. He studied the topography and the surrounding vista. He could see another island nearby and a spit of land in the distance but otherwise, there was nothing but ocean in every direction.
Focusing once again on the island, Caelan marveled at its beauty. He saw lush caverns, towering waterfalls and rocky beaches. Then a scattering of broken ships caught his attention. Thrown against the island’s shore, or held back by nearby reefs, there were hundreds of wrecks within his field of vision. Scanning left and right, he saw even more.
At that moment, Caelan realized he was about to land on or near one of the Hawaiian islands. Which one, he did not know, but one thing was for certain. There would be jakalis waiting to greet him. He reached for his hips and discovered holstered pistols. Tucking his chin, he saw the strap of a laser rifle across his chest. Good, he thought. At least, I’ll take a pile of the bastards out before they get me.
With his hand clutching the hilt of a pistol, he stared at Ellie’s drifting parachute. As he contemplated revenge, he heard another familiar voice. “Look alive, team, keep your eyes on the tree line.”
“Elvis, is that you?” Caelan said. As he spoke, he felt his lips brush up against the prong of the helmet microphone.
“Roger that. I’m on your nine.”
Caelan’s head snapped to the left and spied a waving chutist below. “Sitrep, now. Where the bloody hell are we?”
“Kauai. North shore. Coming in hot. Watch for the reefs.”
She lives in a place infested by jakalis. Caelan spoke again into the microphone. “Is that you on my three, Ellie?”
Without delay, the android replied, “Copy that.”
“Good.” Caelan withdrew one of his laser pistols. “May you rot at the bottom.”
He fired a stream of laser fire toward Ellie. Buffeted by the winds swirling near the shore, the helpless Ellie evaded Caelan’s shots but her parachute did not. Two of the blazes effortlessly sliced huge gaps in the canopy. Just as quickly, the chute collapsed and Ellie plummeted toward the water.
Caelan watched with satisfaction as the android splashed into the water, but his revelry was short-lived. A strong wind yanked him once again toward the island, pulling him with inescapable force toward an outcrop of volcanic rock. What a way to go, he thought. Oh well, it’s better than being torn apart by a jakali.
Closing his eyes, Caelan said into his microphone, “It’s been a pleasure leading you lads, but sorry to say our road ends he—”
Out of nowhere, a mass crashed into Caelan so hard he lost his breath. The force of the collision pushed him past the rocky outcrop and toward a sandy beach. The pressure of the mass released, and Caelan saw a Steel android spinning away, its body dipping down as if preparing to dive into the water. The android pierced the water with a splash. Seconds later, Caelan tumbled onto the beach.
By the time Caelan untangled from the cords of his parachute, Elvis informed him that all but one of the Makoas had linked up. The last, Elvis told him, was swimming ashore. Caelan said, “Good. Do you have a fix on my position?”
“Roger that. We are headed your way.”
“Right. I think I’ll take a breather then.”
Caelan flopped down on the sand and listened to the roar of the waves crash against the tall walls of volcanic rock at the edge of the beach. Breathing hard, he flung off the helmet and slicked back his red hair. “What in the bloody hell are we doing here?”
As if cued to provide an answer, Caelan saw an object in the water racing toward the shore. Its wake looked like that of a torpedo. When the object washed into the breakers, it began to unfold into the shape of a human. Then, the svelte profile of Ellie emerged onto the beach. Caelan chuckled. “Ruddy bitch. Should have cut her in two. Might do now.”
He reached for his laser pistol, expecting Ellie to reach for hers. But the android did the most remarkable thing instead. She paused to wring water from her hair. Caelan shouted, “You’re not bloody human, luv. Who the eff cares how your hair looks?”
She continued with twisting squeezes of her long locks. It must be a residual mannerism lodged in her behavior module, Caelan thought. Perhaps I can shake her to reality with a shot across her bow.
He raised his pistol to fire and just as quickly, the weapon flew from his hand. The vibration damned near broke his wrist. Caelan grabbed his hand and glared at Ellie. But if she was the source of the laser shot, she was quicker than a blink of an eye. For she was still tending to her bleeding hair! Caelan looked around and spotted a Steel stomping toward him, weapon raised. Caelan heard the android say, “What say I separate his head from his shoulders, El?”
Another voice echoed from the headset of Caelan’s strewn helmet. It was Elvis. “Do and die, my brother.”
Caelan twirled around on his knees, his eyes desperately seeking the sight of his trusty Makoas. From under the arch of eroded volcanic rock, he saw them. Side by side, all six. Weapons aimed at the Steel, they moved toward Caelan.
“Easy, lads,” Caelan mumbled. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted above the roaring waves. “Stand down, mates.”
As they lowered their guns and rifles, Caelan looked back toward the Steel. It, too, had lowered its weapon. A final turn of his head revealed Ellie was now walking toward him. She held her hands above her head as if surrendering. Caelan whispered, “Aren’t you a cheeky tart.”
Caelan stood and wiped the sweat from his brow. Despite the ocean gusts, the air was thick and warm. Still feeling somewhat unsteady, he staggered to maintain his balance on the uneven sand. Just as it seemed he might topple over, two Makoa hands gripped his shoulders and helped hold him upright. Within seconds, Ellie and her Steel converged on Caelan and his squad. Amid the shadow formed by the collection of androids, Caelan looked up at Ellie and said, “I pegged you wrong, luv. I thought you were an angel. But you’re not, are you?” He rubbed his temple, remembering the blow that knocked him out. “You’re a devil with a death wish.”
“You have every right to be angry.” She bowed. “I am sorry.”
Caelan rolled his eyes and paced the sand. “You’re sorry? You knock me out cold, hijack me and my Makoas, fly us from bleeding Montana to Kauai, kick my arse out of a plane while I’m barely conscious and all you can say is, you’re sorry? Un-freaking-believable!”
“I knew you would not come otherwise.”
He was so mad, he began hopping up and down on the sand. “You’re abs
itively right, you sack of solenoids!” Caelan turned to Elvis. “And you! What in blazes were you thinking, man? Why didn’t you wake me? Why did you agree to this bloody nonsense?”
“They were not given a choice,” said Ellie. “Ake and I took them from the chop-shop in Flathead. They were recharging. We powered them down and took them. I powered them back up an hour before the jump.”
Mouth agape, Caelan stomped around some more. “You stole my Makoas?”
“I borrowed them,” said Ellie.
“No, you stole them.” Returning his attention to Elvis, Caelan said, “Well, what’s your excuse for going along with her? You can’t tell me you think jumping out of an airplane over Kauai isn’t odd. You can’t tell me you didn’t wonder why I was unconscious. One moment you’re powered down in Flathead, the next you have a parachute on your back and she tells you to jump. Didn’t you once question whether any of it made sense?”
“I told them we had hired you for a jakali hunt,” said Ellie. “I told them you were sleeping off a night of drinking. They did not seem surprised by either.”
“Har, bloody, har. You’re a thief and a liar. And as soon as I find a way off this bloody jungle rock, me and my Makoas are gone. Savvy?”
“Understood,” Ellie said. She bowed once more and turned to her Steel. “Come on, Ake. I thought they were hunters. I thought they were valorous. But I erred. We will rescue the girl on our own.”
Ellie pushed past Caelan and headed toward the jungle tree line bordering the beach. On his way past Caelan, the Steel Ellie had called Ake elbowed Caelan in the back of the head. The android’s flesh did little to soften the blow of his metallic innards.
The sound of weapons locking on the receding pair cut through the air. Caelan massaged the sore spot on the back of his head and yelled, “My lads are more valorous than any androids on the planet, including you sorry lot. Like me, however, they demand honesty and full disclosure before going into battle. We are not mercenaries. We are not puppets.”
The gibe seemed to resonate with Ellie, for the android froze in her march toward the jungle. A second later, so did Ake. As she spun around, her movements were so graceful, it was hard for Caelan to believe she was not human.
“The girl’s name is Avana Wells. She is not a jakali. Not yet. However, between where we stand and the village where she lives, there are thousands of jakalis. If the tales circulating on the holonet are true, the beasts attack the villages on the island most nights. So, Ake and I are going into the jungle not knowing how many jakalis we will face, nor knowing whether Avana is still alive. But we will go, nonetheless. Why? Because New Atlantia has sent a platoon of Vipers to find her, possibly to kill her. To the last spark of our processors, we will not let that happen. Go if you must, but do not lecture us about valor.”
Her rebuke stung, but Caelan remained unswayed. “What’s so bleeding special about this lass? Why would you give everything to save her? Why would NASF send Vipers so long a distance to kill her?”
“I do not know. I only can speculate.”
“Then speculate, luv.”
“She is the daughter of my owner. NASF wishes to hurt him by hurting her.”
Ellie spun back around and continued her march toward the jungle. As mad as Caelan was at her, he felt a pang of sorrow as he watched her leave. Thousands of jakalis? NASF Vipers? If she was lying, she was the most convincing con-droid he had ever met. If she was telling the truth, she and her Steel would never make it through the night.
“What’s beyond the tree line, Elvis?” Caelan asked.
“No jakalis in range, sir. But…”
“But what, lad? Spit it out.”
“Their oil slicks coat the mountains ahead.”
“Aye. I thought I could smell them,” said Caelan. “Well, lads, as long as we’re here, we might as well see the sights. Follow me.”
Ellie never looked back until she reached the tree line. When she finally did, Caelan swore he saw her smile. Once in the jungle, he quickly became alarmed at the pace with which Ellie moved toward the mountains.
“Hold up, luv. This is not how you move through jakali territory. And it’s not how you sneak up on Vipers, either.” As Ellie began a rebuttal, Caelan stopped her with a wave of his hand. “You wanted hunters, did you not? Then, let us hunt.”
“My scanners are capable of detecting any human or android in the vicinity. I detect none. We move ahead as fast as we can until we do.”
Caelan shook his head. “I don’t know what your day job is, luv, but it sure ain’t hunting jakalis.” He turned to Elvis. “Deploy nanos.”
“Roger that.” Elvis reached in his pack and withdrew three. “Headings?”
“Send one up top to find and recon the village. Send a second along our path to look for jakali booby traps. Take the last one for a tour of the island. See if it detects any Viper radiation signatures. They’re the only andros I know of with plutonium energy cores.”
As soon as Elvis released the nano-drones, Caelan turned back to Ellie. “See, the thing is, luv, jakalis in the Northlands have started to coordinate activity. I don’t know why or how, but they’ve recently developed more sophisticated tactics. If the same is true here, you can’t just rely on your scanners to spot them. You have to anticipate their moves and potential traps. If you fall for one of their traps, they’ll tear you apart before you can radio for help.”
Lotus’ jakali colony
North Shore, Kauai, the Hawaiian Islands
Akela kept his eye on the jakalis climbing up the rocks aside the base of the waterfall while he and Lotus continued their conversation. Most of the jakalis had scampered inside the caves aside the falls after their earlier doses of Lotus’ medicine but several stayed outside. They seemed to be slowly working their way up the incline of rocks. Whether they were being protective of Lotus or trying to listen in on the conversation, Akela didn’t know. But they were edging closer.
In the distance, the roar of airplane engines distracted Akela from his surveillance of the creeping jakalis. Akela scanned the sky, hoping to spot the plane, but it was beyond his view. Very few planes flew near Kauai anymore. Those that did were seaplanes that ferried hunters eager to track and kill jakalis. Akela considered the hunters a mixed blessing. While they did help thin the island’s jakali population, they also riled the beasts into frenzies during their hunts. Some of the worst attacks on the village had occurred during jakali hunts.
“Hunters,” Lotus said.
Akela turned to her. “Ah, so you have been on the island for a while, then. We have not had a hunting party for several months.”
Lotus twirled a small flower with her fingers. “No, I’ve not been here that long. I’m just familiar with the sound of jakali hunter shuttle planes. They use the same kind of aircraft on other islands. I’ve run into them in the Northlands, as well. Alaskon, Greenland, anywhere people dump jakalis, you see and hear the shuttles.”
“Your travels have taken you to many dangerous places. Why do you put your life at risk for these…”
Lotus turned to him. “You can say it, Akela. You can call them beasts if it makes you happy.”
“Calling them beasts does not make me happy; it describes what they are.”
She frowned. “You puzzle me. You and your people risk your lives to provide comfort and aid to gutants who will one day turn into the beasts you loathe. You show your gutants compassion and love. But once they turn, you stop caring. Why is that?”
“Why do you show compassion and love for animals that rape and kill?”
“They don’t want to hurt people, they really don’t.” Lotus stared at the flower in her hand. “They lose control over their minds, over their bodies. They feel helpless, hopeless, angry. They can’t stop those feelings. They just want to feel better. Is that so hard to understand?”
“No, it’s not. But I have no way to help them feel better. We have no medicine to calm them as you have.”
Akela watched a snarl f
orm on Lotus’ face as she said, “So, you do what they do everywhere else. When your gutants start to turn, you put them to sleep. When you see jakalis in the wild, you kill them.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Akela said, his voice raised. He swept his arm over the swath of jakalis crawling up the rocks. “They attack my family, my people. They’ve overtaken my island, all of the Hawaiian islands.”
Lotus dropped the flower and pushed up to stand. “If you don’t like it, then why do you stay?”
Akela rose to his feet as well. Leaning forward, he slapped his open hand on his chest. “Because this is my home. Is that so hard for you to understand?” He scowled at her and added, “And why does an evvie care so much for jakalis? They are the bane of your caste.”
She edged her face close to Akela’s and tapped her chest. “Because I know what’s coming.”
He pushed her back. “You make no sense.”
“Don’t I? Look around, Akela. You’re so blinded by your hate, you paid no attention to something you should have noticed.” She gestured toward the female jakali who had hissed her thanks to Akela earlier. “Come here, child. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let him hurt you.”
The wary teenager crawled forward, just as she had done before, her soiled, tattered clothes swaying as she moved. One such sway exposed her midsection. Akela mumbled, “May the four gods help us. She’s pregnant.”
“That’s right, Akela. And so are several others. Look over there. Did you not see some of the jakalis take their medicine into the caves?” Lotus pushed Akela, turning his shoulders toward the caves. “There are babies in there. Not ones stolen from your village or others on the island. They are offspring from jakalis mating with one another. Most of the babies will not survive. Their DNA is too damaged, even with my medicine, even with the chip. But that shouldn’t have surprised me. The chip has never worked in any jakali. Just like the babies, their DNA is too—”
“Chip? What chip?”
“Ones like I implanted in Natti and Kaleo. I had hoped the chip would make the babies better, but it was not designed for jakalis.”
The GODD Chip (The Unity of Four Book 1) Page 27