The Legacy of the Lioness

by Robert D. Armstrong

  I altered the vision modes by switching to infrared as I panned across the skyline. “Where is it?” I mumbled. “Shit.”

  I scanned back and forth as the fight outside the tank grew increasingly loud. I heard the Moderator’s arm mounted cannons go off. “North...northwest!” Xena shouted. Her voice broke up, likely heavily damaged by the Moderator’s powerful android battle chassis. I didn’t know if the Moderator was aware of my presence in the tank, but I knew Xena was doing everything she could to buy me time.

  “Let’s go,” I pepped myself up. I swiveled the guns, aiming in the direction Xena called out. I adjusted the goggles, scanning into the thick clouds as the snow began to fall heavily. My eyes narrowed at an irregularity in the clouds. “Is that? Wait. I see it,” I muttered. It was hidden almost directly above me at just over seven kilometers attitude.

  I centered the sights on the XU-97. It was circling slowly. “Oh no.”

  Suddenly, the underbelly of the XU-97 lit up like a second sun in the sky as a bolt of light came down. Debris flung up, raining down through the hatch, pelting me with gravel and dirt.

  “Shit.” Debris had partially covered the gun’s camera. I couldn’t see the target. I lunged the tank forward, then backed up, clearing the dirt from the lens.

  I controlled my breathing as the nose of the deadly jet peeked through the clouds. Without hesitation, I held both triggers down as a blinding white light strobed in front of me. The goggles adjusted, automatically dimming to counter the bright flash.

  Smoke instantly trailed from the XU-97’s nose as I followed it, continuing to burn through the armored fighter. “Come on!” I proclaimed.

  The Moderator reacted immediately, rolling the craft remotely as it barreled back into the thick cloud coverage.

  I gritted my teeth and ripped through its right wing with sizzling laser fire as a haze of smoke and ash followed behind the jet. “Burn!”

  It was gliding downward.

  I watched as it disappeared over a patch of trees. I mumbled as sweat beaded on my forehead. I bit my lip, waiting for the huge fireball or billowing of smoke from a crash landing.

  There was nothing. The XU-97 had fallen from the sky, but it wasn’t destroyed.

  Suddenly, two thuds erupted above me. I looked up through the hatch. The Moderator was standing over me, pointing its forearm cannon down at me. With a flick of the wrist, I swiveled the tank’s cannons and pushed the Moderator off the tank. As it was falling, it squeezed off a shot.

  I dove to the left side of the cabin as laser fire burned through my seat, melting into the metal floor beneath it as fiery ash surrounded me. “Ahh-h!” I covered my head the best I could, but the flash of heat cooked part of my face. I could smell my skin burning.

  I couldn’t see. Black fumes filled the cabin as I held my breath, desperately feeling around me for my helmet. “Captain! I can’t do this much longer!” Xena sounded off. She was back in the fight, buying me time as something slammed against the side of the tank, rocking it.

  I felt my fingers scratching the glass orb beneath me. “There,” I said. My hands trembled as I donned my helmet. I could feel myself riding the line between panic and control as I attempted to block out the gravity of the situation. I coughed, gasping for air as my helm expelled the toxic fumes automatically. Text appeared on the right side of my visor as I blinked, clearing up my foggy vision:

  HELMET FILTRATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED

  SCANNING... USER CAPTAIN VICTORIA BELIC...

  2ND DEGREE BURNS TO 8% OF FACIAL STRUCTURE

  1st DEGREE BURNS TO 21% OF FACIAL STRUCTURE

  SEEK MEDICAL AID IMMEDIATELY

  I instinctively looked down for my sword. It wasn’t on my belt. I frantically panned left and right. “Where the fuck is it?” I panicked. Did it fall out when I jumped away from my seat? Was it melted by laser fire?

  I looked through the hatch. I had to decide. The only thing I had left to defend myself was the C-12 pistol, and it was below decks, in my foxhole.

  I had no idea if it would be effective against the Moderator, but it was my only chance. I scrambled for the access hatch beneath me, hurrying down. As my foot touched the first step on the ladder to the foxhole, I heard a sound above me and felt a rough tug at my wrist.

  “Ah-h!” I looked up and saw the Moderator’s skull helm. It snapped my wrist. “God! No-o!” I screamed as the bones in my hand popped as the Moderator twisted my wrist 180 degrees.

  I bit down, piercing through my bottom lip with my canine teeth. I could feel blood trickling down my chin. My legs gave out as I dangled by my broken wrist, creating even more pain as I kicked for the steps to relieve some of the pressure.

  The thought crossed my mind. This was it. The dreadful feeling of the unknown flooded my consciousness despite the excruciating pain. Was shooting down the XU-97 enough? Had I done enough?

  The Moderator began to pull me towards it, face to face. “It seems I’ve caught a Lioness, scurrying like a rat. Unfortunately, Xena can no longer be of assistance. But access to her files has given me insight into your past, Captain Victoria Ann Belic. You’ve fought against me since the beginning. You aided in the destruction of my scout ships near Titan, and the disabling of my main fleet.” It took off my helm.

  “Look up at me, Lioness,” it commanded. I was so close to its helm that I had no other choice. Through the Moderator’s cracked visor, its glowing cobalt eyes pierced my soul as it held me close. It grabbed me by the throat with its cold metallic hand, squeezing slowly. “This is a surprise. Facial recognition files link you to a, Phillip? Your brother?” it asked. My eyes widened.

  “Lioness, are you curious what happened to him? He and his family sought out your father and helped him flee the radiation zones. But your frail father cost them their lives by slowing them down. I’ll have you know their deaths were not unlike yours, now, staring into an android’s blue gaze as they faded into nothing,” the Moderator whispered.

  Adrenaline flooded my body as rage overcame me. With all my might I pulled at its hand, kicking off the ladder. “You’re making it worse. The slow, tightening of my grip is metaphor for not only your story, but the human species. Eventually, no matter how hard you fight, or how long you hide... you will all submit.”

  “No!” My vision was getting blurrier by the moment. I clenched my fist, smashing into the Moderator’s visor with no effect.

  “Yes, fight Lioness, to the last,” it taunted me.

  My arms dropped as I gasped for air. A tunnel of blackness closed in around me. As I looked at the Moderator’s visor, I realized it was over. I didn’t want my last seconds to be filled with the sight of it.

  As I closed my eyes, a flash of red-orange reflected on the Moderator’s visor. What looked like thousands of burning fireflies swarmed the interior of the tank. Time slowed as I narrowed my eyes, looking over the Moderator’s shoulder.

  What looked like a bolt of lightning whipped through the interior of the tank, melting through it. Luther’s armored hand plunged through, ripping the tank apart as he shouted in desperation. “Vic-toria!”

  I felt the Moderator release me from its grip, aiming both forearm mounted guns at Luther. I fell to the bottom of the hole, reaching out for Luther.

  “Ugh!” My back slammed into the ground hard as my helmet dropped beside me.

  I coughed, panting heavily as fire and sparks swirled above me. “Arr-gh!” I could hear Luther furiously swing his plasma blade as the Moderator’s forearm cannons fired. The tank was ripped apart as deafening sounds of metal crunched, and explosions echoed down the foxhole. Shards of metal and ash fell on me as I put on my helm.

  Suddenly, I was staring up at clouds as the tank split apart, engulfed in flames. I caught a glimpse of Luther charging forward with his blade. I struggled to my feet, using the ladder to assist me.

  As I stood up, I saw my plasma sword. It had fallen through the access hatch. I grabbed it and pushed up the ladder. Every step felt like I was carrying
triple my body weight. My left hand was useless, dangling by ligaments, tendons, and skin.

  I was in shock.

  I could hear garbled audio cues inside my helmet. Legion soldiers were barking orders. “Soldiers, knights, cut off the Moderator at the dock alpha. We’re chasing the Moderator toward you!” Luther roared.

  “Xena,” I said. There was no answer. I could hear ballistic gunfire above me as Legion soldiers called out orders. I was afraid to yell for Luther, worried I might distract him in a critical moment.

  As I neared the top of the foxhole, my legs wobbled. I peeked out and saw the tank spread across a twenty-meter path. It looked like a tornado had destroyed it. Metal pieces were spread across the frozen ground in flames.

  I looked back toward the Legion entrance. The dark tunnel flashed as gunfire echoed down the tunnel. The Moderator had made it inside. I pushed up with all my might, using my right hand to pull.

  I wasn’t strong enough. I could feel my weight settling on the steps. “Aaa-aaa-aaah! Help me!” I cried out. I lost control, weeping to a higher power as I looked up into the clouds. The last thing I wanted was to be left out here while Luther and the others decided our fate. If they were going to die, I wanted to be with them.

  I hooked my forearms around the ladder, but my lower back and legs were giving out. I slumped my head as the sound of screams inside the tunnel overwhelmed me.

  Suddenly, I felt a powerful grip on my arm. I looked up. “Xena?” I said confused. Her head and face were melted, void of skin or facial muscles. It was nothing but a smoldering black skull. I couldn’t even see her blue eyes.

  “Captain... m-my optics... destroyed. I’m blind,” she said. Her voice was barely understandable it was so distorted. She was lying face down with her head inside the foxhole.

  “You’ll need to help me pull you out, Captain,” she said, tugging on my arm.

  “I’m ready,” I said.

  “Go!” I pushed with all my strength as she rolled her body, dragging me out of the foxhole. “Ugh.”

  I looked at her lying on her back. Both legs were blown off and she was missing an arm. A dinner plate sized hole was blown in her torso. I looked inside it as blue blood vessels spurted fluid onto the ground. Every square inch of her body was scorched and blackened. Her shoulder was still smoldering. I used my sleeve to put it out.

  “I wouldn’t bother, Captain, I’m of no use anymore. This android chassis wasn’t capable of stopping the Moderator, even with the modifications I made,” she said.

  I looked at her. “We shot down the XU-97. That means the other shelters can survive, but civilians are still inside the Legion. Xena, how can I help them? There must be something I can do.” I panted.

  Her head lifted from the ground slightly as she turned toward me. “I may be blind, Captain, but if you cannot climb a ladder, then I’m afraid you’re no use to the Legion either,” she said.

  “No. There’s gotta be something!” I yelled in desperation.

  I heard a diesel engine behind me. I turned and saw a cloud of black smoke as the Mauler’s tank tracks scaled the cliff. From my knees, I waved my hands. The Mauler stopped beside Xena and I.

  Zion and Knight Renheart flung open their doors. With wide-eyes, they clambered out on the tank tracks. “What’s the situation? We dropped communication once the attack happened,” Renheart asked, looking me over.

  Zion jumped down and helped me up. My back felt somewhat better as I stood upright, stretching.

  “The XU-97 was shot down, but the Moderator is inside the Legion! We have to get in there and help them,” I insisted.

  Renheart hurried around to the opposite side of the Mauler and hoisted me up into the driver’s seat. “Can either of you shoot the Mauler’s chain gun?” I asked.

  “I’ll do it, can you drive?” Zion asked me, looking at my hand.

  “Yeah,” I answered confidently. Zion nodded and jumped back up on the gun turret. Renheart sat beside me in the front seat.

  I glanced down at Xena as she lay motionless. The wind skimmed snow over her body.

  “Sorry about your android,” Renheart said.

  “She did her duty. Xena fought off the Moderator hand to hand, buying me enough time to shoot down the XU-97, likely sparing the other shelters,” I replied, throttling toward the Legion entrance. I was forced to steer and shift with one hand.

  “Are you sure you can drive, that hand looks bad?” he asked.

  I ignored him, bashing through a sandbag barrier at the entrance. I could feel him staring at me as I barreled forward.

  There were several Legion soldier’s bodies just past the entrance. Their corpses were melted and blown apart. Their remains were scattered about, blocking my path into the tunnel.

  “Forgive me,” I muttered. I attempted to swerve around their remains, but it was impossible. I could hear their bones crunching under the Mauler’s tracks as Knight Renheart looked away.

  “How many people did Luther order to stay here?” I asked Renheart.

  “Just under a hundred civilians, and several dozen soldiers,” he replied. As we pushed down the tunnel, a horrible feeling overwhelmed me. If we couldn’t stop the Moderator, it could possibly repair the XU-97 and finish off the rest of us. We had to stop it here.

  Renheart stared ahead. “You know, whatever happens ahead, I want you to know you proved me wrong,” he said.

  “Did I?” I gazed forward.

  “When you first arrived, I counted you out, Belic. I never thought someone from the old world could make their mark here. Well, I was wrong, and I want you to know that,” he said, looking over at me. I glanced at him and nodded.

  After pushing through the tunnel for almost a minute, I saw something glowing in the dark tunnel near the docks ahead. I leaned forward. “Is that?”

  “That’s definitely a plasma blade,” Renheart confirmed. The weapon strobed in the darkness as the headlamps beamed ahead.

  “It’s Luther!” I shouted. I sighed in relief as he turned toward us. There were four soldiers with him that appeared exhausted. They were bent over, catching their breath.

  I pulled up next to Luther and flung open the door. He disengaged his sword and jumped on the tank tracks. I met him halfway, putting my arms around him. “Oh my God. You’re hurt?” he looked me up and down.

  “Not at all,” I lied. He was covered in dirt. His armor was singed with black streaks all over it.

  “Were you hit?” I asked, searching him frantically.

  “I’m fine. When the Moderator saw me, it instantly diverted its attention to getting inside the Legion,” he replied, holding his stare at me for a moment. He looked past me at Renheart, then up at Zion. “Thank you both for taking the initiative, brothers,” Luther said.

  “We could hear radio chatter that the attack had started, but lost communication. We decided to come as fast as we could,” Renheart said.

  “Where’s the Moderator now?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. It was too fast to chase on foot, but I have a suspicion. If I were the Moderator, now would be the time to inflict mass casualties. I don’t think it has anticipated that we’ve transferred most of the population to shelters, we must capitalize on this,” he said, breathing heavily.

  “Then it will go after the largest living areas first. It has access to Xena’s files from when she was here. It will retrace the steps to where the population would normally be,” I said.

  “We’ll set up an ambush,” Luther said, staring through me.

  “But it already has a head start, can we make up that much time?” I asked.

  “The Moderator might have access to the Legion’s schematics, but there are hidden routes that only I know,” Luther said, pointing to his head. “We’ll cut it off with time to spare,” he added.

  “Sire, what about the civilians that stayed below decks?” Renheart asked.

  “We moved them at the last minute. It’s a secret area that the Moderator won’t find for a few days. Co
me on. For now, berthing Echo is the most obvious target, that’s where the most beds are, normally over five hundred residents,” Luther said.

  Luther climbed into the back seat. “Knight Renheart, help me, let’s remove this minigun. We’re taking it with us,” he said.

  “Of course,” he replied. Renheart hurried to the back seat and brought up a small tool box. They began unbolting the weapon.

  “Zion,” Luther said.

  “Yes, my lord?”

  “Considering we’re leaving the Mauler unattended, see that it cannot be hijacked by the Moderator. We don’t want to give the Moderator any means of transportation, just in case,” he said.

  “Easy enough,” Zion replied, scooting over in front of the steering wheel. He removed a small panel to the left.

  Luther glanced at me. “And Xena?” he asked, staring at the gun while working.

  “Severely damaged,” I replied.

  “When I arrived on scene, I saw her, crawling toward the tank with both legs blown off,” he said.

  I gazed forward. “She was still trying to help me,” I replied.

  Luther yanked the weapon off the roof as Renheart sized up the Gatling gun weapon.

  Luther jumped down from the tank, lugging the weapon up on the dock. As I followed behind him, I noticed a soldier shaking his comrade.

  “Sire,” a middle-aged soldier said. Luther looked down from the dock. A single lightbulb shining behind him put him in silhouette, giving him a shadowy appearance as he held the gigantic weapon.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  “Corporal Jovus, he just passed away,” the middle-aged soldier replied. I looked over and noticed the man wasn’t moving. I didn’t even realize he was that badly injured, only moments ago he appeared exhausted. As I looked closer, I noticed a wound to his upper abdomen.

  Luther looked away and paused briefly. “Take his dog tags. After this is over, we’ll bury the fallen,” he commanded. The soldier ripped away the dead man’s dog tags and put them in his pocket.

  I looked at our numbers. There were only a handful of us, and I had no idea if Zion had any combat training.

  Luther moved a large crate near the left side of the dock. Behind it was a stone wall. Luther set down the minigun and felt around with his hands.