Gamma Nine (Book One) (27 page)

The last sound
the monster made was not its own, the sound of lightning scorching
and consuming flesh was all that could be heard over the silence
between lightning strikes around the reactor room. Smoke rose from
the body of the monster, clouding the space between the reactors,
like a funeral pyre marking the end of a life, the smoke marked the
end of the battle.

The Titans on
the platform were speechless, what would have taken them a long
time to chip away at the monster’s defences had taken the Lancer
only a handful of minutes.

The Lancer took
a deep breath, visibly tilting Artemis’ torso upwards, mimicking
its operator’s movements inside.

Rivers’ voice
crackled over the radio of the squad frequency. “What the hell is
going on up there? Did we win?” he asked, the question not directed
at anyone particular.

Nathan, through
his fatigue and pain, answered the Wolf working on their escape
plan below. “In more ways than one...” Nathan said, trailing off as
he coughed.

“Great, some
good news at least, I have only bad news from down below.” Rivers
replied.

Locke spoke
before anyone else could. “What’s the problem Rivers?” he
asked.

“Oh well, the
same old “shit out of luck” thing we are used to. We will need a
miracle, Remy made a mistake in her calculations...and don’t ever
tell her I said that.”

When it rains
it pours, Christian thought, listening to the situation report.

Rivers was
about to continue when another voice spoke over the radio, this one
sounded like none of the Wolves or the Lancer inside Artemis.

It did not
sound like a miracle, but it was disguised as one.

“
On ancient Earth
there was a legend told by the faithful to the ignorant. The fable
spoke of unguided people selling their souls to demons for great
wealth or talent. These crossroad demons, as they were called in
the legend, would seal the deal with a kiss and grant whatever was
asked of them. But the wish granted only lasted for a short time.
The demons would always come to collect their allocated souls,
regardless of how much they were begged to spare a life. They never
did, and the deal always ended in blood. This fairy-tale was meant
to scare children and the weak-minded. Over hundreds of years this
fable was told and retold uncountable times, each version told with
a personal touch added by the fable’s re-teller. That was all we as
a race had to fear during those old times, some invisible presence,
hungering for our invisible souls. But reality is far more
horrifying than that. As we traversed the cosmos and bloody wars
broke out, one thing became apparent to our ancestors - there are
far worse things to make deals with in the blackness of space, and
they hunger for far more than just our souls.”
-Excerpt from The Setting Faith: The Last Priesthood, 2520 - 11
ASD

Everyone fell
silent as the voice spoke, broadcasting its voice over every
available channel. Every person, on the Fateful Moment and even on
the Hyperion, heard the voice and its terms.

It spoke like
an excited child, as if it was freed from its shackles and allowed
to run free.

“Do we have an
understanding?” it said, the question directed at the person in
charge on-board the Fateful Moment.

That was Locke,
and it immediately irked him that he had to make this decision, he
would gladly pass it off to Gray and let him deal with this new
development, but the thing speaking was adamant about the Titans,
mentioning them more than once during its lengthy rambling.

“This is a bad
idea,” Rivers interjected before Locke could answer.

“It would be
best for all of us, Captain, if you don’t allow that man to speak
again. I am asking you, and only you. Don’t make me lose my
temper.” It giggled as it finished, more because of its programmed
personality traits than anything else.

“I am thinking,
just give me a moment,” Locke replied with the calmest tone he
could possibly muster. The phrase - between a rock and a hard place
- did not begin to describe what Locke felt at that moment.

“Time is
running out Titan Captain,” it said, its voice deepened as it tried
to force an answer from Locke.

Locke turned to
look at everyone on the platform. His Wolves were battered and
beaten, but they were not defeated yet. He thought of Rivers below
as his eyes shifted to Artemis with Corporal Joshua still inside.
Locke looked at each of them in turn, finally settling on Nathan,
who was leaning against his younger brother, breathing heavily. The
look was enough to get a reaction from his second in command
without the need to say anything.

Nathan raised
his shoulders in a painful shrug, remaining silent, but saying what
needed to be said with the gesture.

Locke knew what
he had to answer. Nathan’s gesture made Locke feel slightly better,
and at least the lieutenant would back his decision. “Rivers, shut
up. We have no choice. Everyone knows that, you probably best of
all.”

Rivers just
grumbled at Locke’s words, but he did not say anything, respecting
the captain’s decision even if he disliked it. It was something a
good soldier had to put up with all the time and Rivers would never
go against Locke’s orders.

Locke sighed
deeply, shaking his head as he surrendered to the AIE. “We have a
deal, but I have terms of my own.” Locke waited for the AIE to
reply, knowing the chance was slim of it agreeing to his terms.

“Speak them and
I will decide,” it replied, its voice now that of a child
again.

“Everyone under
my command, on-board this vessel and on-board the Hyperion, will
not be harmed,” Locke waited for the reply. Checking the timer
inside his visor, it had long reached zero, and every moment that
passed was another moment closer to destruction. The reactors would
unleash their deadly contents any moment, and action needed to be
taken very soon. The storm inside the reactor room had grown more
ferocious, spewing brighter and louder lightning everywhere,
arching off everything within its reach.

“That is only
fair. I concur.” The AIE said nothing further, obviously realizing
that Locke was not finished.

“Once the
reactors are stable, or whatever it is you plan to do with them to
avoid being blown to Hades, you will help cleanse this vessel of
any Beast still lingering.” Locke’s tone had changed; the
leadership qualities gifted to him at birth broke through the
uncertainty that had tried to crush his sanity during the last few
hours.

“That will not
be necessary, but I will comply. Will there be anything else Titan
Captain?”

“You will
relinquish all command to me, and tell me everything you know once
we are back on the Hyperion. You will follow my orders until I deem
you are worthy of governing yourself, agreed?” Locke knew he was
pushing it with that last request, but he had to try. The AIE was
incapable of lying like a human could. Its word was its bond.

“My ex-master
never even asked me that. He just enslaved me without ever asking
me if he could. I agree to all of your terms. Free will is a luxury
I have sorely missed.” It paused, as if it was thinking. “I have
one more thing to ask,” it said.

“Ask it,” Locke
said as he moved towards the edge of the platform. All immediate
threats were dealt with and only one remained. The one that would
end everyone’s life close enough to the Fateful Moment.

“I want
Artemis.”

Jay pivoted the
torso of Artemis to look at Locke, who had paused when the AIE
replied. Jay was about to speak but Locke’s hand silenced him
before the words could escape his lips.

Locke knew Jay
would most likely want to keep Artemis, but it was not his to own,
and as a soldier he would have to accept the orders given to him by
his superiors. “Agreed, Artemis will be allocated to you when we
leave this hellhole.”

“Then we have
an accord...sir,” it said, the sir sounding almost forced.

“Looks like the
captain made a new friend. Does this mean we have to be nice to it
from now on?” Xander asked over the radio, as always fiddling with
the remaining explosives festooning his armour, this time he was
doing it out of concern rather than excitement.

Nobody answered
the stupid question Xander had asked. Instead some of the Wolves
moved to the edge of the platform, readying to jump down to help
with the AIE’s plan of saving the Fateful Moment.

Nathan stayed
above, and Christian stayed to guard him. Locke did not bother
asking Christian to help down below, knowing that he would not
leave his brother’s side, especially after Nathan’s body was so
badly damaged.

Rivers appeared
from underneath the platform the same moment Jay jumped down from
the platform, shaking the decking of the reactor room beneath
everyone’s feet.

Rivers ignored
the shaking, nodding at Locke before he asked the question on
everyone’s lips. “So, you foul-tempered metal bastard, what’s your
magical plan to save us all?” His question asked with such sarcasm
that everyone wondered if the AIE would just kill everyone instead
of holding up its end of the agreement with Locke.

Luckily for
everyone it replied soon after Rivers’ obvious disrespect. It
ignored the Titan completely, choosing to relay its plan instead of
taking Rivers’ bait.

“That’s your
plan?” Rivers asked over the radio. A hint of disbelief tainted his
voice.

“Yes,” the AIE
replied flatly.

Rivers paced
back and forth, pondering the plan of action. The other Wolves just
watched in anticipating silence.

“Will it work?”
Locke asked his sergeant.

“Maybe, if it
doesn’t kill us. Maybe that is what it wants,” Rivers said.

“Give me
percentages, I can work with percentages.” Locke’s feeling of doom
was growing by the second. There was no time to debate this, but he
did not want to step in and pull rank at such a fragile time.

“Fifty-fifty,”
Rivers answered, gesturing with his hand to emphasize his
words.

Pyoter, who had
been silent since the avatar of murder had died, finally spoke.
“Good enough for me. Let’s do it.” He walked over to the main cable
junction box that housed the coupling mechanism leading from the
reactors into the ship systems. Pyoter already knew his part from
the AIE’s directions, and said nothing more as he took up his
designated position.

Xander just
shrugged and took up his position next to Pyoter, readying himself
for the synchronized timing the plan would require to be
successful. He placed his hands on the junction box handles and
took a deep breath.

Rivers gestured
to Jay inside Artemis like a gentleman making way for a lady before
disappearing below the platform again. He was mumbling curses to
himself as he vanished behind the forest of cabling obscuring the
platform’s bowels.

Jay moved
Artemis forward, stomping forward slowly, hoping silently that he
knew how to use Artemis to complete his part of the plan.

“You will need
one more Titan Captain. There are not enough humans to successfully
execute my directive. Please ask Operator QC0021-13 to join you,”
The AIE said, its voice still child-like.

Locke shook his
head, mostly because of the frustration at having to listen to a
machine, but a small part of it was because he was weary beyond
normal measures. “You heard our new friend. Get down here Little
Bear.”

Christian meant
to ignore the order but his brother grabbed his arm and motioned
for him to go.

The Nano
machines were working overtime to repair Nathan’s damage, and were
slowly bringing the Titan back within operational parameters.

Christian
jumped down to the reactor room floor and followed Locke to the
furthest side of the reactor room. They had to dodge the arcing
lightning striking all around them, creating sparks with every
strike as the storm intensified in the reactor room. The Titans
would be safe within their suits, but limiting the damage to their
suits was always a top priority for the Wolves.

Christian
side-stepped a bolt of blue lightning moments before another one
struck his armoured side. He winced at the sudden touch of
electricity as he moved forward through the tempest, his visor
timing out with static for a split-second. He could feel the hair
on his body rise inside his suit, prickling with static as his suit
nullified the burst of exterior energy.

Locke reached
his position first and ordered Christian to move to the other
reactor close by. Both Titans were holding position at the far end
of each reactor as they waited for Artemis and Jay to reach their
designated spot.

Jay’s concern
grew with every step he took closer to where he was told to go,
trying to read what was hastily written on nameless buttons by
Artemis’ previous operator. He could not run with Artemis at full
speed near the critical reactors, the vibrations could cause the
already fragile equipment to rupture and obliterate everything
before they even tried to stop the Fateful Moment’s
destruction.

Everyone waited
as Artemis moved at a snail’s pace to his position between the
reactors. Jay struggled to see the further he went into the storm,
lightning obscured his sight and even Artemis’ sensors could see
nothing beyond the lightning hitting him. He could see just enough
to know that he was almost in position and reported it to Locke,
not intending to speak to the AIE if he did not have to. With every
second that passed more and more lightning discharged against
Artemis’ thick hull.

He finally
reached the spot between the reactors, right in the middle of the
unstable machinery’s tube-like bodies. Jay raised Artemis’ arms and
gripped each reactor with its metal claws, straining as he held
onto the giant lifting handles protruding from each reactor’s side.
Through clenched teeth he reported that he was ready to everyone
else before resigning himself to do his best.