by M. R. Forbes
“Melted down?”
“I’m not sure what it means either, but he said the cargo ramp was down and black smoke was pouring out of it.”
“The Other sabotaged it to keep us from following Tinker.”
“It appears that way.”
“Pozz. Finish up out there and head back to command. We’ll figure something out.”
Hayden sighed. Where the hell were they going to find another ship?
Chapter 42
“Sorry, Sheriff,” Chandra said. “I think I’m doing it right, but like I told you before, comms equipment isn’t my strong suit.”
Hayden nodded. “It’s okay. I know you’re doing your best.”
They had spent the last hour trying to get Edenrise’s comm array passing messages to the Centurion network, by realigning the Trust’s satellites and reprogramming the connections. It was a difficult task to begin with, one that would have been impossible if Hayden hadn’t at least known the external facing transmit coordinates for the CSFNW dishes. Natalia had always told him to memorize them in case of an emergency, and while he never expected to need them, it was a worst case scenario to find he did.
It didn’t matter. Chandra had entered the changes and tried to make the connection multiple times. The networks wouldn’t connect, leaving them unable to communicate with the Centurion base, which would have been able to pass messages on to Sanisco. Hayden was trying not to assume the worst -- that Tinker and James had already found the city and started creating havoc. He had the sick feeling deep in his gut that was precisely what was happening.
If Tinker did anything to Nat or Hal, he would make sure the man died as slowly as he could arrange.
“Sheriff,” Nathan said, walking into the command center flanked by a squad of soldiers. “I’ve got everything as close to normal as I can get it. Chain of command is repaired, the police officers are back on the streets helping with cleanup, and I did my best to assure the population that the threat has passed.” He smiled. “I also told them the apocalypse was canceled. Half got pissed. Half seem relieved.”
“Not everyone wants to burn the world to kill the trife,” Hayden said. “It’s bad enough four launchers got out. I can’t even guess how many people are going to die. Just because they aren’t headed west doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Not to me.”
“It’s worse than that,” Nathan said. “Within a few days, the trife will begin adapting to it. Everything that’s left is only going to be good for killing people.”
“We should destroy it,” Chandra said.
“We will,” Nathan agreed.
“Shit,” the soldier beside Nathan said, his eyes falling on the dead alien. “That thing is real.”
“You thought I made the head, Lieutenant?” Nathan replied.
“I...I didn’t think. I mean, I figured it was real, sir, but seeing the rest of it.”
“It’s real. Very real. And if you think the trife are bad, these things are a thousand times worse.”
“Worse, sir?”
“The trife follow rules,” Hayden said. “They’re intelligent but primitive, and relatively predictable. The Others are smarter. They’re sneaky and manipulative. They operate behind the scenes. I’ve been thinking about that a lot, Nathan. I’m not convinced this thing came back from Area 51 on the Pulse with you and James.”
“You think it was already here?”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Chandra said. “We saw it on the feeds, the double. That’s how we knew what it was doing.”
“Unless there were more than one,” Hayden said. “We have no way of knowing how many of these things came to Earth.”
“I hope there aren’t more than one.”
Hayden nodded. He couldn’t handle that thought right now. “Me too. It turns out the shield spire’s power supply is an energy source from an alien starship.”
“Starship?” the Lieutenant said.
“Pozz. Which leads me to think this Other may have been in Edenrise since Tinker found the ship. Maybe before then. For all we know, it’s been pulling Tinker’s strings for years. It led Tinker to the ship. It helped him make the energy shield. It told him where the artifact might be, who knows?”
“You’re saying Tinker is a victim in this?” Nathan said.
“No. Not a victim. I’m saying the Other may have used his arrogance and desire for power for its own benefit.”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it? We can’t let him find the artifact.”
“No. We can’t.”
“Lieutenant Lopez is the highest ranking officer in the city,” Nathan said.
“After you, sir,” Lopez said.
“After me,” Nathan corrected. “He and his team are going to run the rest of the cleanup and peacekeeping operations from here. He understands that Tinker may not be in complete control of his faculties.”
“My loyalty is to Edenrise, sir,” Lopez said. “I want to keep the city safe. My wife and kids are here, and I promised I would protect them.”
“Good,” Hayden said. “That’s exactly what we need to do right now. Protect the people we care about.”
“Speaking of which,” Nathan said. “We need a way to get across the country in a hurry. We have to catch up to Tinker before he makes a huge mistake.”
“Any idea how we can do that?” Hayden asked.
“Sir,” one of the other soldiers with Nathan said. “I’m Sergeant Bower. I run the supply depot. Colonel Stacker explained that he needs quick transportation, so I searched through our inventory records. As you know, Edenrise is the former site of a major United States military installation. There was a lot of equipment left behind when the war ended, and since General Stacker remained in control of the – ”
“Get to the point, Sergeant,” Hayden said.
“Sorry, sir. I’m a bit of a historian too. So most of the high-end equipment was broken down for parts a long time ago, but there are a couple of things Tinker kept in working condition, whether it was for nostalgia or because he thought they might be useful one day. Actually, I believe one of them was utilized during the civil war.”
“Civil war?”
“When Tinker’s brother attacked Edenrise.”
“Why did he attack Edenrise?” Nathan asked. “James didn’t know or wouldn’t say.”
“I’ve only been able to piece together an evidence-based narrative. Nothing concrete. I believe that Benjamin believed Tinker was getting in too deep with Proxima, and wanted to put an end to it for the sake of both planets. He thought that the materials Tinker was providing would only draw the enemy back to our galaxy. Like shining a bright light and yelling hey, over here!”
“Benjamin had a lot of followers?”
“They almost overpowered the defenses. Benjamin shot Tinker and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Tinker shot Benjamin and left him dead.”
“It’s all fascinating,” Hayden said. “But not that important right now. Tell me more about these vehicles.”
“It might be better if I show you, sir.”
“Pozz.”
“Lieutenant Lopez,” Nathan said. “You’re in charge while I’m gone. Secure the command center, make sure Hangar Six and the spire are kept under guard and maintain the patrols.”
“Yes, sir,” Lopez replied.
Hayden turned to Chandra. “Chandra. I appreciate everything you did for me. From Crosston all the way here.”
“I didn’t do anything, Sheriff,” she replied. “I was going to leave you to rot. I abandoned you when you needed me.”
“Because you wanted to feel safe. I understand it.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“What’s done is done, and if it helps, I forgive you. Now you can help by keeping your new home secure.”
“I should come with you.”
“The transport only seats two,” Sergeant Bower said.
“Decision made,” Hayden replied. “Stay here. If things work out, we’ll talk again, I
’m sure. To be honest, I’m grateful somebody I met out there managed to stay alive.”
She smiled sadly. Hayden was sure she was thinking about Gus. So was he. And Rhonna. And Bennett. And too many others.
“Goodbye, Sheriff Duke,” Chandra said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.
He returned the embrace. “Goodbye, Pyro.” He smiled as he let her go. “Thank you again.”
“Go save your family, Sheriff,” she said.
“I intend to.”
Chapter 43
Hayden and Nathan didn’t go directly to the depot. Instead, they made their way to the armory. The building was under guard when they arrived, an entire platoon organized around it, making sure any deserters or civilians that got any ideas about taking the supplies inside didn’t hold that thought for too long.
They saluted Nathan as he approached, casting wary glances toward Hayden but not offering any resistance. None of them knew who he was. Everyone who had been part of his capture was either dead or gone from the city. His replacements and his ragged appearance suggested he was someone strong, and the fact that he was with Nathan only bolstered that perception.
The armory was large. It was also in terrible shape. There were bloodstains still on the floor and walls, and signs of violence everywhere. When the Other had shifted the energy shield, the soldiers inside hadn’t wasted much time attacking one another. Then both soldier and civilian alike had found their way here, intent on taking as much as they could carry. Some had made it out. Most hadn’t. The building had quickly become a death trap, and while the re-organized Liberators had removed the bodies, the evidence was still written everywhere around them.
Hayden did his best to ignore the remains of the destruction, but he couldn’t look past it completely. This would be the scene everywhere if the Others were let onto the planet. The trife had caused one kind of confusion, but humankind had learned to survive around them, to live with the creatures despite the constant threat. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Not being able to trust your eyes or your mind was something else.
Like Fort McGuire, the armory in Edenrise had a secondary vault protected by a security panel. Hayden had the master code and could have opened it if needed, but it was also programmed to respond to the Stacker biometrics. Nathan put his finger to it and it clicked open, the heavy door sliding a few centimeters from the wall. Hayden took the large handle and pulled the door the rest of the way, revealing an interior supply room.
Hayden’s eyes went right to the Centurion bodysuits hanging in the corner, before sliding over to the weapons hanging on racks on the wall. It was all Centurion weaponry, some of it recognizable to him, a lot of it not.
“The latest and greatest,” Nathan said, noticing his expression. He walked over and took a pistol from the wall, holding it out to Hayden. “Pulse laser pistol. Instead of a beam it fires pulses of high-density light, more powerful than ballistics and has five hundred rounds per cell.”
Hayden took the gun. It was so light it hardly felt like a weapon. “We need something that can punch through James’ armor.”
Nathan’s expression changed. “Hayden, James isn’t a bad guy. He’s just doing what Tinker tells him to. As a replica, he doesn’t have total choice.”
“Don’t tell me he isn’t a bad guy, Nathan,” Hayden replied. “The only reason I’m alive is because you poisoned me to fix me up. I don’t have a guarantee I’ll still be here a few days from now.”
“Chandra said the risk was limited.”
“It’s still a risk. A roll of the dice. No guarantees. That asshole beat me within an inch of my life, and now he’s helping Tinker go after my people. Not a bad guy or not, until he proves otherwise he’s my enemy. He needs to be yours too, or we’re all going to die.”
Nathan was hesitant. Then he nodded. “Pozz that, Sheriff.” He pointed to the wall. “RG Mark IV railgun. It was originally designed as a starfighter mounted weapon for close combat. It’ll blow its depleted uranium flechettes through pretty much anything. I’ve heard they’re still in the testing phase, so I can only imagine what Tinker traded for one of them.”
“Unless he designed it.”
“True. He might have. Grab a bodysuit, Sheriff. We’re going to need them.”
Hayden and Nathan both stripped and changed into the matte black body armor. Hayden had some trouble with Gus’ oversized arm, forced to use one of the laser pistols to burn through the bodysuit and cut off one of the sleeves. Once that was done, they layered a pair of black fatigues on top. Nathan grabbed a gun bag and began loading weaponry into it, including the RG Mark IV, the pulse laser pistols, and a few packs of explosives in case they needed to blow open any sealed doors.
It was a good haul, but Hayden still would have preferred a revolver on his hip.
They moved out from the armory, sealing the vault behind them. Nobody inside Edenrise had any need for that level of firepower. Sergeant Bower met them outside, waiting with the guards for them to emerge.
“You look ready for war, Colonel,” the sergeant said.
“Which is exactly where we’re going,” Hayden replied.
“Yes, sir,” Bowers said. “I arranged a ride to the depot while you were gone.” He pointed to a long, dark car waiting at the street corner. Its side windows were smashed in and it had bullet holes along the side, but it was still functional.
Hayden and Nathan climbed into the back of the car, Nathan dropping the gun bag on the seat beside him. Bowers put himself in the driver’s seat, starting the car and getting underway. The scene saddened Hayden as they navigated the streets back toward the hangars. So much destruction. So many bodies still waiting for retrieval. Soldiers, police officers, and civilians alike were working together to try to clean up and put things back the way they had been. Still, Hayden had a feeling things would never be the same.
The ride only lasted a few minutes. Bowers stopped the car in front of one of the hangars, which had been left unguarded. Even so, it didn’t seem like anyone was around. The hangar was rusted and dirty, the sides covered in graffiti. It appeared worthless and abandoned from the outside.
“Are you sure you have the right place?” Nathan asked, climbing out of the car.
“Sir, as long as the inventory database is up to date, this is it,” Bowers replied. “Hangar Twelve.”
Hayden and Nathan followed Sergeant Bower to the side of the hangar, where a small door allowed personnel entrance into the building. There was a thick chain and a padlock on the outside of the door, holding a welded metal bar in place across it. Hayden grabbed the lock in Gus’ hand and easily snapped it open before pulling the bar off the door and tossing it aside. Nathan opened the door and stepped inside.
The hangar smelled musty, as though it hadn’t been opened in years. It probably hadn’t. There were no windows and no light filtering in. Hayden entered, his replacement eye shifting to infrared on its own and allowing him to spot the breaker panel. He opened it and flipped on the breakers, activating the lights.
They flared to life, bathing the hangar in sudden brightness. It took Hayden a few seconds to recover, his eyes tracking across the space. There was all kinds of old equipment spread throughout the building. Old robots and war machines sat in various states of disrepair, along with aircraft that had seen much better days. A pair of helicopters like the one James had used to chase him were resting in the corner, both pecked at and salvaged for parts.
His gaze stopped on one of the vehicles near the front of the hangar. It was an aircraft, large and wide, with long wings and a sleek profile. More importantly, it was in one piece, facing the main hangar doors as though it had been placed there by the hand of God, waiting for them to make use of it.
“That’s it?” Nathan asked, pointing to the jet.
“It was called the F-15 Strike Eagle,” Bowers said. “It has a range of five thousand kilometers and a top speed of twenty-six hundred kilometers per hour, which from what
I have gathered is more than enough to get you where you want to go and fast.”
“And it works?” Nathan asked.
“It was last flown twenty years ago or so,” Bowers said. “But Tinker keeps it in top shape. I think he always considered it an escape vehicle.”
“What do you think, Sheriff?”
Hayden stared at the machine. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of going airborne in something so old, and he didn’t have a great feeling about their odds of making it across the country in the fighter. “Can you even fly that thing?”
“As long as the controls aren’t vastly different from a starfighter, I can fly it,” Nathan replied. “I have simulator training on legacy designs, which are probably more like an evolution than a reinvention.”
“The physics are a lot different here than in space,” Hayden said.
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Not at the moment.”
Nathan smiled. “Then let’s get going.”
Hayden frowned back at him. “Try not to be too excited about this, will you Stacker?”
“I’ll do my best, Sheriff.”
“I’ll get the hangar doors,” Bowers said.
Nathan and Hayden crossed the hangar floor to the starfighter. A manual ladder next to the open cockpit allowed them to climb up and take a look inside. Hayden was overwhelmed by the number of buttons and switches, but Nathan seemed unimpressed. A helmet rested on each of the seats.
“The layout is similar to the SF-15,” Nathan said. “I bet it’s a derivative of this craft.” He looked back at Hayden. “Relax, Sheriff. I can fly her. I’m fairly certain. Hop in back and put on the helmet. I’ll take the stick.”
Hayden climbed into the cockpit, taking the helmet from the seat before he sat. Nathan handed him the gun bag and then settled into the front. The hangar doors started sliding open in front of them. Nathan placed the helmet over his head. It had an attachment that went over the face and hooked into the side of the cockpit, and he took a moment to figure out how to wear it before leaving it hanging off his mouth.