Vontaura

by James C. Dunn

Ruben smiled hearing her voice again.

  —We can’t kill them all, Ferranti said. We can’t take back Titan. It’s lost. We have a craft. The Stellarstream is still in orbit inside Hyperion.

  ‘Then take the craft,’ Ruben said. ‘Keep the connection using this private frequency.’

  ‘We will send every missile we have,’ Abacco said. ‘We will destroy every last alien and spare the people a horrendous fate. I’m sorry, General. Titan’s fall has come.’

  SIXTY-NINE

  ‘THEY’RE GOING TO destroy Titan.’ Anna marched back through from the vault, Ferranti and Kramer trailing behind.

  ‘What?’ Callista said, still knelt down with Gílana, who whimpered quietly, breathing deeply and gazing up.

  ‘There is a fleet above us,’ Ferranti said. ‘They’re going to destroy the Cities in order to contain these things.’

  ‘Callista,’ Anna said. ‘He’s alive!’

  ‘Who, child?’

  ‘Ruben! Uncle Ruben!’

  ‘You spoke to him?’

  ‘Yes! He’s up there, with the fleet.’

  Callista beamed, and looked down to Gílana. ‘Did you hear that? We’re going to see him again.’

  Ferranti cleared his throat. ‘Here’s the plan.’

  At once, Gordian and Ketrass rushed back into the apartment. ‘They’re coming!’

  ‘How many?’

  Ketrass rushed to the window.

  ‘All of them. They’ve stormed the city. Beasts everywhere. And worse.’

  ‘What?’

  Gordian grimaced. ‘Zinn, Diego. The Zinn are here.’

  ‘You have seen them?’

  ‘They’re leading the beasts, bringing them this way.’

  The Zinn. Sinister creatures. Their deep rattle. Creators of the black beasts below. Abandoned Erebus for the lightning planet. Reconnected. Called for their Masterium. Come for Anna!

  ‘They’re climbing the tower!’ Ketrass said. ‘They’re coming for us!’

  ‘Then we’re leaving.’ Ferranti knelt down to Gílana and Callista. ‘Now, Gílana, we’re going to have to move you. It’s not safe, but it’s safer than staying here.’

  Anna followed his gaze, still clutching her sister’s hand; her pulse was weak, her face pale. She knew they would have to leave. It was the only way.

  ‘Everybody now,’ Ferranti said. ‘We’re boarding the craft.’

  Gordian smiled. ‘The same seven that arrived together, now leave together.’

  ‘Yes,’ Callista snapped. ‘How ironic!’

  ‘No!’ Kramer said all of a sudden. ‘You fool, no!’

  ‘What?!’ Everybody turned to the professor.

  ‘I’m a fool,’ he said. ‘I should have remembered! Fool!’

  ‘What is it?’ Anna asked.

  But Kramer twisted on his heels and shot back through the tunnel and into the vault. Anna followed, Ferranti behind shouting, ‘Gordian, get the others onto the craft!’

  Inside the vault, Kramer was at the comm panel, attempting to reconnect with the vessel in orbit. ‘Fool! Killed us all! Dead!’

  ‘Speak to me,’ Ferranti said.

  ‘We have to go!’ Anna pushed. ‘The Zinn are coming!’

  ‘Help me reconnect,’ he said, and Ferranti assisted. The sound of static, screams, and panic filled the vault. ‘The Enusti ship. We must link with them.’

  ‘Here,’ said the captain, ‘emergency code. Send it.’

  Ten seconds passed, then:

  —Titan, are you there?

  ‘We’re here!’ Kramer said. ‘You have to stop!’

  —This is Ruben Berenguer speaking. Missiles are ready to launch. Why haven’t you left?!

  ‘You can’t!’ Kramer cried, leaning into the comm-link.

  —We have no choice. Several crafts have made it out. You too must—

  ‘No, that’s not what I meant. You won’t be able to destroy the cities. I know for a fact that the defences you once had have been doubled in strength. The Crilshan general informed me himself! Any assault you make doesn’t have a chance of reaching the domes, never mind destroying the beasts inside here!’

  —Are you sure? Defences have done nothing to stop the meteors!

  ‘I am positive, General! There is a different defence system for space debris. The Crilshan forces left it untouched. But your missiles will be useless!’

  ‘Come on, we have to go,’ Anna pleaded.

  Ferranti waved her down.

  Silence as Kramer’s body shook almost as much as Anna’s. The Zinn were coming for her. For all of them. For the bracelet?

  —Captain! Ruben eventually replied. Ferranti?

  ‘I’m here.’

  —Is what this man says true?

  ‘On this day,’ he said, ‘I have no reason to doubt him.’

  —Help me, Diego.

  ‘General?’

  —Bring me my family.

  Ferranti breathed out. ‘We’re on our way.’

  He took Anna’s hand and pulled her away. If Kramer was right, what could they do? If they managed to get away, these things would take Titan and kill everybody. Back into the apartment, Ketrass stood before them, rifle in hand.

  ‘They’re here,’ she whimpered.

  Anna gasped, looked out the window into glowing darkness. Clinging to the outside and staring within was a dark figure, horns protruding from the length of its body, silhouetted against the smoke and pale light, burning red behind.

  Ferranti whispered, ‘Anna. Xerin. Avéne. Climb. The. Ladder.’

  Anna’s arm throbbed, prickling agony. She swooned. Ketrass held her up. She remembered the beast inside Erebus, the Zinn below Tempest-Beta. Noise attracted them more than anything. They inched towards the ladder leading up into the craft. Ketrass climbed first.

  ‘Quiet,’ Anna whispered.

  She made it half way up, then Anna followed. Kramer stood below, ready to climb. Ferranti moved behind him, coilbolt in hand. Light and fire flashed outside the window. Anna watched the eerie figure. It gazed in at her, unmoving. Zinn. It was one of the Zinn.

  Ketrass was up. Anna was almost there when her wrist shook painfully, electric spikes shot up her arm. She lost her grip and toppled back—

  Ketrass seized her hand and held her up. Her heart pummelled her ribcage. At last she was up. Kramer followed. Ferranti came last, slamming the hatch behind him.

  ‘Stay with Gílana,’ Ferranti told her. ‘She needs you. Strap yourselves in, everyone!’ And he rushed for the controls. Gordian and Kramer were already in co-pilot seats. Anna sat at the back of the cockpit with Callista, Gílana, and Ketrass. Gílana was pale, her face creased in everlasting pain.

  ‘Think about the baby,’ she told her. ‘Think about Uncle Ruben. We’re going to see him again.’

  ‘I don’t . . . can’t . . .’

  A deep roar filled the space. Ferranti forced the craft’s engines to full. The apartment shook beneath them. Anna’s stomach floated as they moved forwards, before free falling for several seconds after which Ferranti pushed the craft up and across the dome’s cityscape.

  ‘Hold on!’ he said to the group. ‘Auxiliary tunnels are blocked. We’re breaking through to the martial city!’

  Anna watched Kramer lean towards the captain. ‘Listen to me,’ Kramer said. ‘Their missiles will do nothing to stop these things. Not with the defences online. They need to level these domes. These beasts must be destroyed.’

  ‘We don’t have time,’ Ferranti said.

  ‘One minute. That’s all it’ll take!’

  ‘We both know it takes longer to shut the cities’ defences down.’

  ‘Not if you drop me and leave!’

  Ferranti hesitated, and looked at the professor.

  ‘Turn around,’ Kramer said. ‘Go back to the top of Central Tower. Drop me there and go. I’ll do the rest.’

  ‘No!’ Ketrass cried.

  Kramer turned to her, and looked for a moment at Anna and Gílana. ‘I can’t make u
p for the things I’ve done. But I can make sure every one of these vile creatures burns with me!’

  ‘You can’t,’ she said. ‘I won’t let you!’

  ‘Do it!’ he told Ferranti, who turned the craft and headed back for Central Tower.

  ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Kramer.’

  Anna watched as Ketrass fought Gordian’s iron grip, glowing red and holding back tears. Kramer moved over to them and quickly removed his dark facial covering. Trembling, he handed it to Ketrass, who took it, shaking her head with an unforgiving glare.

  ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t go home together,’ he said. ‘But at least you have seen mine.’

  ‘What about all we talked about? What about destiny? What about control?’

  ‘Avéne. Dear Avéne.’ He smiled. ‘What greater control can a man have than to choose the very moment of his death? Look after her,’ he said to Gordian, who nodded stoically.

  The craft stopped. The hatch opened. Ferranti threw the professor a comm device. ‘Let us know.’

  Kramer nodded and looked to each of them, before taking out his coilbolt, jumping from the craft, and stumbling down the platform walkway.

  As the hatch slammed closed, Gílana let out a howl of anguish.

  ‘Gílana, what’s wrong?’ Anna held her hand tight.

  ‘Get us out of here!’ Callista said.

  Ferranti spun the crafts on its axis and headed down for the next city.

  Anna held her sister’s hand and mopped her brow. ‘You’re all right. You’re—’

  ‘It’s coming!’ she screamed. ‘I can’t stop – I’m not ready!’

  ‘Out of the way!’ Callista cried. She leant down to her, forcing Anna aside. ‘It’s too late. The baby’s here. Ferranti!’

  ‘We’re almost there!’

  Anna fell back and looked to the cockpit. Ferranti and Gordian took them down towards the entrance to the martial city. Through the forward pane, thousands of black creatures swarmed into the city gates, charging at any sign of life. Several pockets of resistance remained on the periphery, swallowed up one by one. Chaos all around them as they moved closer to the ground. The dome edge approached. She looked away, panic and fear tensing her body.

  ‘Anna!’ Gílana cried. ‘Anna!’

  ‘I’m here. I’m here for you.’

  ‘Push,’ Callista said. ‘I need you to push!’

  ‘Anna I don’t want it to happen like mum.’

  ‘It won’t, sis . . .’

  ‘Gílana, push!’

  ‘She died having me. I don’t want to—’

  ‘Push!’

  ‘You won’t! Do as Callista says.’

  ‘It’s coming, child. Keep going!’

  Gílana closed her eyes, her face awash with scarlet, fear, and agony. Anna looked down and recoiled as Callista looked up, her hands soaked in blood.

  ‘NO!’

  The craft shook. They slid to the side. Anna held her sister and looked down. Gílana’s eyes were half open. She wept and cried out. Something was horribly wrong.

  ‘I don’t want to die! I don’t . . . mum . . . I . . .’

  Ketrass knelt down beside. ‘Gílana, one more push. He’s here. He’s coming!’

  ‘Go on, sis. One more. You’ll be okay!’

  ‘No Anna . . . I . . .’ She closed her eyes and pushed one last time. And the wonderful, amazing, pure sound of wailing filled the craft. Anna looked down upon the baby boy. But . . .

  The craft shook again as they passed the martial outpost. ‘Hold on!’ Ferranti cried as they emerged from the cities and out into Titan’s blood-red atmosphere.

  Anna looked down at the baby. It was crying and whining, covered in shimmering blood. But it was not on its own. She looked to Gílana, whose eyes were still closed. ‘You did it.’

  ‘Gílana?’

  Callista’s voice sent a shiver through Anna’s entire body.

  ‘Get her to talk, Anna.’

  ‘Sis . . . I . . .’

  ‘Gílana, wake up! Talk to me, child! CHILD!’

  ‘No, no. Gílana, wake up!’

  Anna started to shake her.

  Ketrass leaned over and felt her pulse. ‘She’s not breathing!’

  Callista held the baby in her shaking arms as Ketrass leaned forward, attempting to help Gílana breathe. But Anna fell back, shaking, unable to do anything but sit and watch.

  —Can you hear me? came a voice suddenly from the cockpit. It was Kramer. Can you hear? I’ve done it. Defences are down. If the fleet can hear, you can go. I’ve done it!

  ‘I hear you,’ Ferranti said. ‘Allied fleet, defences are down.’

  ‘Gílana!’

  ‘Defences are down. Are you receiving?’

  It was all background noise. Anna couldn’t move. It had happened again. Her sister was gone. The only sound that filtered through was the innocent wailing of a fatherless, motherless new born. Born into what?

  ‘They’re firing now!’

  ‘GÍLANA! CHILD, WAKE UP!’

  ‘Callista?’

  The old woman looked across, shaking her head, denying what had happened right in front of them. Dazzling light fell upon the cockpit. They shook on their knees. All closed their eyes. Everyone but Anna, who gazed down at her sister’s still body as Callista shielded the crying child. And then the wailing ceased.

  IV

  SOMETHING IS COMING

  SEVENTY

  UP ABOVE THE spinning world, rings of ice and rock ablaze. Black stone fills the atmosphere, hurtling down to the surface. Plunging into the disintegrating disc. Careering away into the gap between worlds.

  But the black-rock moon continues on.

  Silence creeps through it. A still beating as we move along the black-rock floor of these tunnels, passing pits and mines and hollows flowing with darkness unutterable. A low rumble grinds the gravel of this black-rock lair. The scurrying of creatures resonates around us. Cold and alone.

  Scuttling creatures call out to each other. Quiet, but loud enough to hear. They are cautious. For there crawl stronger and more blood-thirsty beasts within these tunnels than they. The darkness is suffocating. It is all they know. The pungent smell of rot and decay among the outer mines. The centre glows warm.

  Stop. A sound. Movement. A writhing growl. A great worm snakes its way between chambers, milling the tunnels we now move silently through. The great worm consumes the light, then passes.

  Through this chamber now and into the next. A light glows ahead. Much greater than its predecessor, within this central chamber is held the source of the Masters’ power. A dozen creatures move through. The central chamber. A black orb glows ominous before us, like a black sun abandoned to burn alone.

  The slender being glides toward the black sun, risen on its hind legs, as tall as the lesser Zinn but fairer – stern-faced and proud. Dark red blood leaks from its elbow. Nothing hangs below it. A limb torn off by this new race. This vermin with fire.

  The slender being is tended to by lesser creatures. It waves away the horned Zinn, which retreats with a snarl and a rattle into the shadow. Failed. They have failed to retrieve it. The reason they have come. Still without control. Failed.

  No choice now. Continue on. The inhabitants of this black-rock moon are many, and they dare not deviate from their purpose. Their one purpose. The final world is close now. The final fate of this vermin race at hand.

  SEVENTY-ONE

  LUCASTA-CALLISTA OPENED her eyes. Stirred from a restless, unquenched sleep. She sat back in a sickbay chair, padded at the rear, and watched Anna sleep in the bed nearby. She closed her eyes again and breathed out silently, praying that the girl would sleep just a little longer. Callista dreaded having to break the news. The terrible, heartbreaking truth.

  Sleep. Sleep a little longer. A dreamless sleep, soft and innocent. It will certainly change the moment you wake.

  Nobody came to visit. Not in all the hours they had been aboard the Stellarstream, leaping with what remained of
the Alignment fleet, as far from Titan and the black-rock moon as the ultimatt engines and time itself would allow.

  As the Alignment fleet had launched and decimated the entire Twelve Cities – she stopped and shuddered at the thought – as it had happened, their craft had headed at once for the clandestinely-docked Stellarstream. At the same time, communication with the orbiting fleet was kept, a swift strategy formulated, and the command to flee given. Callista sent coordinates; they were accepted and the overwhelmed remains of the Alignment made for the frozen moon of Jupiter. Europa. Callista would, at long last, be going home. The structure beneath the moon was long gone, but the glacial caverns themselves would provide safety while they regrouped. At least for a little while, she hoped.

  She opened her eyes again when she heard Anna stir. Her stomach churned. The young girl’s eyes opened and for several seconds the two stared at each other. What could she say? How could she find the words?

  ‘C . . . Callista?’

  She pulled herself up from the chair and threw herself across the room, catching Anna as she sat up and fell forward.

  ‘It was all just a dream, wasn’t it? Tell me it was one of my nightmares!’

  ‘It was one of you nightmares. Yes. Yes! It was a horrible, unfair nightmare!’

  ‘But it wasn’t, was it? It happened. My sister’s gone. Gílana’s gone! Like mum . . . and dad. I’m alone.’

  ‘No, Anna. No! I am here. I’ll always be here!’

  Callista held her for what felt like hours, cradling her as they wept together, a dry, swelling lump filling her throat. How could she tell her the truth? Please, please don’t ask.

  In the end Anna released her and leaned back, sitting up against the yielding headboard. Her cheeks were red and her eyes swollen; her hair was untidy, and her face gaunt and colourless. Anna swallowed deep. ‘Is the baby . . .’

  ‘The baby is . . . fine, Anna.’

  ‘But Gílana is . . .’

  ‘I’m so sorry. Gílana is . . . yes.’ She couldn’t say it.

  Anna swallowed again. ‘Why isn’t Uncle Ruben here yet? I heard him. He’s with the fleet.’

  ‘Anna, you need to rest—’

  ‘Why isn’t he here? We’re with the fleet, aren’t we? With the Alignment ships? Where is he?’

  ‘Anna, I can’t.’ Callista closed her eyes. She couldn’t speak.

  ‘Where is Uncle Ruben?’

  ‘Anna. Child. He’s gone.’