The aeternum chronicles.., p.91
The Aeternum Chronicles- The Complete Trilogy, page 91
part #1 of The Aeternum Chronicles Series
It wasn’t the morbidity, or even the creepy snake that made Ryland so uncomfortable. It was the still-faced expression of the woman. She was either completely oblivious to the fact that she was being crushed by a giant snake, or she’d simply come to accept it. Neither prospect was particularly comforting.
“The statue,” Ryland said.
“We checked it,” Tess answered, tossing a book over her shoulder.
“Seamus,” Ryland said nodding toward his father. The mechanic arrived a moment later and took Austere’s arm.
Ryland rushed over to the statue, running his hands along it. The marble woman stood on a round base, about six inches high. Engraved into its surface were the words,
‘COMPOS MENTIS’
Ryland stepped back and looked it over. He wasn’t sure exactly what the translation was, but he understood that the statue was about control. The snake controlled the woman’s movements, and judging by her face it might also control her mind. The snake was close enough to be whispering in her ear, only its mouth was closed.
Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity…
Ryland reached up and ran his fingers along the snake’s head. Standing on his tip-toes, he looked down at the top of it.
His eyes were drawn to a single dark scale behind the ridge of its left eye. He put his pointer finger on it, and pressed. The snake’s jaw fell open, revealing a marble tongue, curved like rolling silk.
Ryland looked back to find everyone in the room looking in his direction. There was a loud clunk from above, and a spiral staircase began rotating down from the ceiling.
Tess was looking at Tao with one eyebrow cocked and an amused smile on her face. “Thought I saw you checking the statue?” she said, taunting him.
“I hate snakes,” he responded flatly.
“How did you guys know this was here?” Ryland asked. “Even I didn’t know, and I lived here.”
“Tao was the only one who knew the location of the nest,” said Tess.
Tao looked at her, then to Ryland. “I was only given an address, and instructions to find this room.”
The staircase stopped an inch over the carpet.
“Let’s go,” said Tao, leading the way up.
Tess followed him, and Ryland’s father allowed himself to be led up behind.
They ascended into a large round room with a conical ceiling. A band of skylights ran around the metallic peak, and a thick, metal pole ran down from it at the center of the room.
Banks of radio equipment lined the edge of the room, with countless buttons, levers, knobs, cables, and gauges on their surfaces.
Ryland sneezed.
It seemed every single surface in the room was buried in an inch of dust. He looked over to Tess, rubbing his nose. She stared at the dusty equipment with wide eyes, grinning like a kid in a candy store.
Rushing forward, she touched one of the many tall, glass bulbs. “There’s enough power here to broadcast to the moon.”
“I’d settle for New Arcadia,” said Seamus. “Now where’s the ‘on’ button?”
Ryland turned at the sound of the spiral staircase rising back up again, and found Tao standing beside a switch on the wall behind it.
Tess scanned the different control banks, and stopped at one with a long row of red switches. She flipped them one by one, stopping before the last, turning to face them. “Here goes nothing.”
She flipped the last one.
Nothing.
Tess frowned. “Hmm.” She turned a nearby knob, pushed a red square button down, and tried again. “I’m going to need some more time. Seamus, can you help me get this panel off?”
“It’d be my pleasure,” he said, stepping up beside her.
“Anything we can do?” asked Ryland.
“Make sure he”—she pointed to his dad—“doesn’t go running off.”
Tao handed Ryland a coil of rope and moved to stand before the only window in the room, which faced out toward the grounds before the mansion.
Ryland looked down at the rope in his hand, then to his father.
“Sit down,” he said. His father complied, though not without a derisive glare, and Ryland tied his ankles. He then walked over to join Tao at the window.
The grounds were empty. Nothing appeared amiss save their transport, lying askew on the track, and the busted and bent iron gate.
Ryland squinted. “There’s a transport stopped outside the wall.”
“There are four,” said Tao, pointing to another down the cross street.
“Why aren’t they rushing in here? What are they waiting for?” he asked.
Tao turned to Ryland. “Reinforcements.”
“Even the Ministry knows better’n to underestimate a Ko’jin shadow assassin in grav-armor,” Seamus said over his shoulder.
There was a thunk from where he and Tess were working, and a myriad of lights along each of the panels came to life.
“Alright!” Seamus called out.
After a few more minutes, the thick pole at the center of the room began rising up into the night sky.
“Almost there,” said Tess.
“Might want to hurry,” said Ryland, as a black transport van parked behind the smaller ministry vehicle just past the estate walls.
A few more minutes passed as Seamus and Tess worked.
The back of the transport van opened, and protectorate wards in gray and white body armor poured out of the back. He looked closer, and could see dark shapes climbing over the walls, as well.
“Got it!” Tess shouted. “That should do it.”
Ryland tore his eyes from the oncoming attack, and turned to see her holding a rectangular, metallic microphone connected to a black wire, which descended into the control bank. She squeezed the black trigger along its side, and feedback squealed, from both within their control room, and without. She quickly released the trigger, and turned a nearby knob.
“Sorry!” she said, grinning sheepishly.
She squeezed the trigger again, and tapped the mic with her finger.
A deep, muffled thump echoed from outside.
“You’re up, lad,” Seamus said, tapping his ear piece and pointing to Ryland’s.
Ryland removed his ear-piece, fished the letter Hatch and given him out of his pocket, and broke the seal. He unfolded it with shaking hands, walked over to Tess, and took the microphone.
25
Safe Zones
Karland Sheff paced back and forth on the worn living room carpet of his modest two-story home. He could hear the sounds of his children playing in the next room, though there was little laughter. They were only four and five years old, but they were attuned enough to know something was going on.
He caught a glimpse of his wife watching him through the doorway. Her eyes were strained with worry, and her lips pressed tightly together. Karland stopped and un-crumpled the yellow sheet of paper in his fist, as he had several times before. He read it again, as if doing so might reveal some mistake he’d made, or some sign of forgery that would prove this all some kind of sick joke.
Biohazard contamination detected in sectors five, nine, fourteen, and eighteen.
For your own safety, please remain in your homes, and await further instructions.
He crumpled the paper again and continued to pace, then froze suddenly as a jarring, high pitch squeal broke the quiet.
“What was that?” his wife’s voice asked nervously from the other room.
A moment later a muted thump reverberated loudly from outside.
Karland walked to his front door and opened it. His next-door neighbor had done the same. They exchanged uneasy looks. No one was in the street. No kids were out playing, and there was no indication of what might have made the noise.
Karland jumped as a voice boomed from somewhere off to his left.
“Attention! Attention! The following announcement is not a drill. My name is Atticus Ryland Walcott, the…” The voice paused for a brief moment before continuing.
“The Ministry appointed director of disaster management. If you’re hearing this, your sector is under threat of biological contamination resulting from an attack perpetrated by the…perpetrated by the terrorist organization known as the Ko’jin.” There was another pause.
“Disaster response teams have been deployed to affected sectors, and will provide assistance and direction to designated safe zones. As a reminder, your full cooperation is not only in your and your family’s best interest, it is required by law. Any who disobey, or otherwise interfere with disaster response team personnel, will be implicated as Ko’jin sympathizers.
“You will find your designated safe zone printed in the bottom of the notification materials distributed throughout affected sectors.”
Karland again un-crumpled the yellow flier he’d been holding in his clenched fist, and looked to the bottom.
By order of the Director, Ministry Public Health Authority.
2093 Trenton Street, Weston District, Sector Nine
“…that you move in a calm and orderly fashion to your designated safe zone once instructed to do so by Ministry personnel.”
Karland was already back inside before the announcement finished. “Pack the kids!” he shouted, rushing upstairs. His voice sounded strained and slightly panicked in his own ears, but he didn’t care. The voice outside droned on as he haphazardly emptied contents from his and his wife’s dresser into a travel bag.
“The Ministry is dedicated to your safety, and will—” It cut out suddenly with a squeal of feedback.
Karland raced down the stairs with the travel bag slung over his shoulder. His wife and their two children were emerging from the hall, she carrying another bag and the children wearing their school backpacks, stuffed with clothing and necessities.
“The safe zone isn’t far from here. We can reach it in twenty minutes if we hurry.”
He opened the front door.
“Karland wait,” his wife said, her forehead creased with worry. “The Ministry said to wait here until—”
“Boil it Shareen, we’re going!” he shouted. “Now!” The fear had taken hold, and his imagination was running wild with morbid visions of his children vomiting up their insides.
He ushered his family out the door, and soon they were hurrying down the street along with several other families who had decided that waiting was too dangerous.
26
Cease and Desist
“What are you doing?” Ryland asked.
Tess had rushed up beside him and flipped a large black switch on the control bank’s surface, cutting him off mid-sentence. She pointed to her ear piece, and Ryland hooked his back in.
“…until further notice. I repeat, cease and desist all evacuation efforts effective immediately. Any and all combat ready strike teams report to designated evac points and hold them at all costs. These are standing orders until further notice.”
It was Hatch’s voice.
Ryland frowned. His confused expression was mirrored by those of Tess and Seamus.
“They’re coming,” said Tao, drawing the swords strapped to his back.
Tess spoke, and Ryland heard her both from beside him, and in his ear-piece.
“Delator, this is Agent Asari,” she said. “Do you read me?”
“Go ahead, Tess,” Hatch’s voice was clipped and impatient.
“The bird has sung, why are we halting efforts now?” she asked.
There came the sound of heavy footsteps somewhere inside below. Tao looked up as someone, or something made noise on the roof.
“They’re not attacking,” said Hatch. “Boil it Lucian, I don’t—” his voice cut out.
Something smashed against one of the windows above, sending cracks spiderwebbing through it.
“What? Who’s not attacking?” Tess asked.
“The army,” Hatch answered. “They’ve ignored the signal, and are holding beyond the walls.”
“There’s nothing to draw the enemy’s attention from the evacuation effort,” said Seamus, his face growing pale. “Every last ward in New Arcadia will be heading for those evac sites.”
Oh no.
“We have to do something!” cried Tess.
The window above smashed to pieces, and something dropped in through it. Tao launched up toward it, his swords slicing through the air with deadly efficiency.
At first Ryland assumed it was a protectorate ward, but the small, gray-skinned body that fell to the floor wasn’t even human, nor was the head that landed nearby.
Tao landed gently, cushioned by his grav-suit. He quickly palmed the severed head and threw it back out through the broken window.
“What the hell was that?” Ryland asked, eyes wide.
“Hasai,” Tao answered ominously. “Be on your guard.”
More glass smashed apart above, and two more of those creatures dropped in. Tao repeated his previous trick, killing one before it hit the floor, but the other evaded his attack with unnatural speed. It landed across from Ryland, and he backed into a control bank. The creature immediately locked onto the sound.
Harsh, guttural whispers assaulted Ryland’s mind, drowning out everything else. The little gray-skinned monster was terrifying, despite the fact that it couldn’t have been more than four feet tall. Its eye-sockets were grown over with lumpy flesh, and below them its lips were a black blur.
Seamus roared and threw a heavy iron chair toward it, but the creature easily dodged out of the way.
It lunged toward Ryland. He staggered back against the control panel, holding up his arms protectively. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tess pick something up off the ground. The creature leapt into the air toward him. Its claws were mere inches from his face when a black metal tool-box smashed into its head, crushing it against a nearby bank of switches. It fell lifeless to the ground, as viscous black blood dripped down the radio equipment. The whispers in his head died with the creature.
Tao rushed over and picked up the body. He held it up over his head, and the lights on his forearm pulsed as he threw it, extending both arms upward. The dead creature was blasted back through the skylight it had dropped in. A faint boom followed from above.
That suit is incredible, Ryland thought.
“Here,” Tao said, handing Ryland a shockdart gun.
The heavy footsteps below grew louder.
“They’ll find us soon,” said Tao. “We need to go. Immediately.”
“How?” asked Ryland. More scrabbling came from above.
Before anyone could answer, more of the little gray-skinned monsters were dropping in.
Tao moved like a silk whirlwind, slicing, kicking, and killing, all the while flinging his victims back up through the windows they came in.
Ryland leveled the shockdart gun at one leaping toward Tess, but Tao was there first. One of his blades cut its legs out from under, while the other separated its head from its body. In the same fluid motion he cartwheeled over the body, grasping the head as he went and blasting it skyward as he came to his feet.
Across the room, Seamus was facing off against another, wielding nothing but a large wrench. He swung for the creatures head. Its gray arm shot up, and the eye-less little beast caught it with a claw-like hand. It yanked, and the wrench went flying.
Again Ryland raised his weapon, and again Tao was already there. He leapt, covering the entire distance of the radio control room in a single bound.
A muffled scream came from near the retracted spiral staircase.
Ryland turned and found one of the bald-headed gray creatures standing over his father, emitting a strange clicking sound. It raised a clawed hand, and struck at his face.
Ryland pulled the trigger of the shock-dart gun, and a split second later it was convulsing on the floor with small bolts of electricity arcing over its flesh.
“Dad!” he called out, rushing over.
His father’s face was smeared with blood, but his eyes were alert and he was panting heavily. Ryland removed the gag covering his mouth.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Do I look okay?” he snapped.
Ryland frowned.
Tao stepped forward, eyes narrowed. “You see now how much your beloved Ministry values your loyalty?”
“No thanks to you lot,” he answered, scowling.
“Leave him,” said Tao.
“No!” Austere shouted. “They think I’m helping you…they’ll kill me! Please!”
“Can’t risk it,” said Seamus. “Can’t untie you, and can’t carry you either.”
“There’s a secret exit downstairs,” the words tumbled desperately out of Austere’s mouth. “And a transport.”
Tao crouched down and held a blade to his throat. “Where?”
Ryland’s father looked down at the blade with wide eyes, blood dripping down his forehead. “It’s complicated. Untie me, and I’ll show you.”
Everyone turned to Ryland. He knew his father better than any of them, and thus they looked to him to make the call.
“If they find me, I’m a dead man,” Austere said. “I have no reason to betray you.”
Ryland considered what to do. Ultimately, his father valued his own life above all else, but that also meant he’d betray them to save his own skin if the opportunity arose. He’d have to make sure it didn’t.
“He fears the Ministry more than any of us,” said Ryland. “Untie him.”
Tao removed his sword from Austere’s throat, and instead used it to cut his bonds. He slowly stood, wringing his wrists.
Ryland lifted the shock-dart gun and pressed it against his chest, right over the heart. It was one thing to risk his own life, but the lives of three others were now riding on his decision. “If I get the slightest impression that you’re even thinking of betraying us, I’ll kill you myself.”
