Trident's Forge (14 page)

Benson adjusted his grip and moved to just inside the door to get a good look at the approach.

Hamilton said from his perch.

DeSanto said.

Benson rubbed the sweat from his forehead. He cut the line and glanced around at the mix of humanity and aliens holed up in the temple around him. Most of the faces from the expedition were sprinkled among the survivors. He had no illusions about what would happen to them if he didn't act. If Kuul's line broke and the village was overrun, the temple would offer no defense, and there was still another ten or twelve minutes before he could expect any kind of help from the Ark.

If they didn't move right now, everyone inside the temple would die.

Benson was tucking the knife into his waistband when he realized something was missing.

“Where's the Unbound?” he asked the closest human, one of Valmassoi's clique.

“I, ah…” Uncomprehending shock was etched into the woman's face. She looked around as if in a fog. “I think they went to their shelter.”

Benson nodded, then cleared his throat and raised his arms. “Eyes on me!”

The humans inside broke off their nervous conversations and turned to face him, while many of the Atlantians did the same. The sudden silence and attention threw him off for a step.

“Good, good.” He tried to regain his mental balance. “Here's the deal, we have maybe five minutes before our guys run out of bullets. We can't be here when that happens.”

“Where's the administrator?” someone shouted from the back.

“He's alive,” Benson said, hoping it was still true. “Valmassoi is locked inside the reentry capsule under guard.”

“Well why don't we just join him, then?”

Benson shook his head. “Because even if we all fit, which we wouldn't, we'd suffocate in about ten minutes.”

“But we don't even know who's attacking us!”

“Why does that matter?”

“Well, maybe they aren't interested in us. Maybe if we go talk to them…”

Benson held his arm out to the door. “Be my guest. Let us know how it goes.”

“Well, I didn't… I mean, I'm hardly qualified–”

Benson cut the man off. “Any other volunteers? No? Good. So, as I was saying, we have to move out while the security detail can still cover our retreat. That means right now.”

“We're going back to the shuttle?”

“No, we lost contact with the shuttle. We have to assume it's been lost.”

The crowd's attitude shifted. Benson had seen it before, the moment when a group of anxious individuals turned ugly and a violent mob was born. Except he could really use a violent mob right about now. The only trouble with mobs was controlling them.

“Everyone, please, stay with me. In another ten minutes the satellite network will be back in visual range and the Ark will realize something's up. We just have to stay alive until that happens, so if no one has any better ideas, follow me.”

Filled with fresh hope, the mob settled back down into a more orderly form and made their way outside behind Benson. They'd gone a hundred meters before he realized what a colossal idiot he'd been.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Benson admonished himself as he realized his mistake.

“Come again?” someone asked.

“Nevermind! Back to the temple, everybody.”

“But you said–”

“Forget what I said and listen to what I'm saying. Temple, double time!” The crowd did an about face in spite of their confusion and jogged back toward the shelter. Benson opened a com line.

Benson said.

Hamilton lamented.

Both men acknowledged the order, despite the fact Benson didn't actually have the authority to give it. But with both Valmassoi and Atwood down, and their link to the Ark cut off, someone had to take charge. He waited anxiously outside the temple, knife in hand, while the rest of the expedition filed back inside. Further east, the gunfire fell silent as DeSanto and Hamilton abandoned their positions. Emboldened by their retreat, the shouts and taunts of the attackers only grew louder.

“Keep celebrating, assholes,” Benson muttered. He stayed by the door and waited for what remained of the security detail to arrive and take over guard duty. He glanced down at the dagger and royally regretted not taking Korolev's rifle before he locked the two of them in the capsule, but it was too late now. He glanced at the clock his plant projected into the left side of his vision and watched several painfully long seconds tick away. It was only a short jog from where they'd taken up sniper positions and the temple. What the hell was taking them so long?

A short burp of rifle fire betrayed DeSanto and Hamilton's position just before they came around the corner of one of the buildings. Hamilton hung onto DeSanto's shoulder for dear life as he dragged a leg behind him.

“Give us a hand!” DeSanto shouted. “His ankle's broken.”

Benson sprinted out past the corpse of the warrior he'd killed and took Hamilton's weight.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I jumped from the second-floor balcony and landed bad,” the young man said through clenched teeth.

DeSanto walked backwards next to him, rifle at the ready waiting for Kuul's line to finally collapse. “We're down to whatever ammo's left in the guns. Whatever you're going to do, make it quick.”

They reached the temple entrance. Benson looked over at the injured man hanging off his shoulder. “Can you fight if we get you a comfy chair, maybe an iced tea?”

That at least got a smile. “I can fight, sir. Just prop me up by the door.”

“Done.” Benson leaned him up against the inside of the concrete archway where he'd at least have some cover.

“Hurry,” Hamilton said, wincing as he shifted his weight. Benson nodded and ran inside to the little dome covering the rover. It had a nuclear power pack measured in decades and a high-gain antenna that could reach out to Tau Ceti's Kuiper Belt.

And it was broadcasting everything it saw and heard.

“Hey!” Benson shouted into the binocular camera mast. “We're under attack! We've lost contact with the shuttle. Valmassoi's hurt and our security detail is about to collapse. Send help immediately. Acknowledge!”

Benson stared into the cold black glass of the rover's camera lenses, waiting with bated breath for a response, any response. A sudden eruption of rifle fire echoed through the temple's interior. Benson's head shot back over his shoulder to see Hamilton firing downrange on single-fire, conserving what little remained of his ammo.

He turned back to the rover and grabbed the camera mast in his thick hands. “This is serious!”

Nothing.

Benson looked around at the temple within a temple and saw the problem immediately. The new layer of concrete was blocking the signal, and a quick glance told him the entrance was too narrow to drag it out.

“Hamilton,” he shouted. “You don't happen to have any grenades, do you?”

“Would've used them if I did.”

“I was afraid of that.” Benson slapped his palm against the dome to gauge its strength. His hand hurt.

“Anybody got a sledgehammer?” he shouted to anyone within earshot. By then, several curious Atlantians had pushed their way to the dome to see what Benson was up to. One of them carried a staff that identified them as one of the village elders. Their words were translated into Benson's head about a half sentence behind.

“What are you doing?”

Benson thought through what he wanted to say, then carefully enunciated the translation. They were running out of time and couldn't afford a misunderstanding.

“I need your help. We need to widen the door and get the…” He hit a snag when he couldn't find a translation for rover. What had they called it? “The emissary! We need to get the emissary out of this dome as quickly as possible.”

The Atlantian's features and skin pattern changed. Benson still couldn't read them, but the silence said volumes. After several long heartbeats, they spoke again. “Are you suggesting we desecrate the emissary's inner sanctum,
human
?”

Benson didn't need the translation software to know the elder had rubbed some spicy mustard on that last word, but there wasn't time to placate their delicate sensibilities.

“If it will save my people, and your people, absolutely.” He straightened. “We're about to be overrun and slaughtered. If I can get the emissary out, I can use it to talk to my…” No translation for “ship” either. They were apparently such good swimmers that the idea had never occurred to them. “Great bird, at the end of the line of light. They can send help and we might just all leave this temple alive.”

The elder made a show of carefully weighing his words before turning to his people and barking orders. In moments, every Atlantian surrounded the dome and dug furiously at the ground.

“Well don't just stand there supervising,” Benson shouted to the rest of the expedition as he fell to his knees and began to dig. “Help them.”

They did so, and soon a hundred hands, both human and Atlantian, had dug out the bottom edge of the dome.

“Everybody get a good grip,” Benson said. “We're going to flip it. Ready?”

The human half signaled ready, while the Atlantians did the same for their elder. Benson held up three fingers to the elder to signal a countdown.

Finally given a task to pour their fright into physical expression, the crowd of humans and Atlantians strained against the immense weight of the dome while Hamilton and DeSanto took potshots from the doorway.

“C'mon, put your legs into it!” Benson shouted while the elder yelled encouragement in their own language. Among the groans, a creak of masonry shifting sent Benson's hopes soaring.

“That's it! It's moving. Heave!”

Powered by fresh exhilaration, the crowd surged upwards as the dome began to pivot up.

“Push!”

Momentum was on their side, and the dome hinged upward, freeing the rover from its tomb. With one last great shove, the dome rolled back and became the largest soup bowl Benson had ever seen. He wasted no time as he jumped in front of the camera mast and waved his arms furiously enough that some of Atlantians thought he was trying to take flight.

“Wake up! We're under attack!”

This time, the rover sparked to life as the binocular camera mount whirred around, jolted from a deep sleep.

“I'm empty!” DeSanto shouted from the archway. “Somebody give me a spear or something.”

Whoever was controlling the rover found their bearings and focused in on Benson. “What's the situation?” came the tinny voice.

“We're under attack from an unknown hostile Atlantian force. Valmassoi is secured, but severely wounded. Our security detail is at half strength and out of ammunition. We've lost contact with our shuttle. We need immediate evac or reinforcement.”

“Uh…” the voice stammered. “I'm just an exolinguistic tech.”

For just a moment, Benson had to hold back the impulse to strangle the camera mast. “So transfer the feed and get Captain Mahama on the line!”

“Stand by.”

Benson threw up his arms as the sound of battle encroached. “Take your time!”

The seconds stretched out until Hamilton's rifle also fell silent.

“I'm black on ammo,” Hamilton shouted. “What do we do, chief?”

“Block the door,” Benson said. “We only need to buy a couple more minutes.”

DeSanto and Hamilton moved inside and cast their empty rifles to the ground while a stone table and podium were hurriedly shuffled into position.

“How's it look out there?” Benson asked.

“Their line collapsed,” DeSanto answered. “Tuko's warriors are still harassing the enemy on the edges, but they'll be on us in no time.”

Benson acknowledged the grave news and looked up at the ceiling, hoping for a miracle. He should have gone with his first instinct. He should have led them all out of the temple and into the woods. Now they were trapped like rats and were about to die without even knowing who was killing them.

“Sir!” DeSanto yelled. “They're turning away from the temple.”

“What? Why?”

“It's the Unbound! They're running down the crater to attack the enemy flank!”

Benson ran to the archway and peered through to see for himself. Charging down the face of the crater as fast as her legs could carry her, Mei led her people into the fray, screaming like a banshee and waving a meat cleaver as her raven hair blew in the wind.

Of course she is
, Benson marveled as he pulled the dagger from his waistband. “Don't just stand there,” he fumed. “Get this shit away from the door and help them!”

K
exx sprinted
down the hillside toward the mass of invading warriors, brandishing nothing but a large grain splitter, screaming obscenities, and wondering exactly how ze'd ended up in such a ludicrous position in the first place.

The day had started out rather dull, after all. Now, surrounded by three fullhands of humans whipped into a frenzy and hurtling toward a much larger, and, it should be noted, better-armed hostile force, Kexx resolved never to complain about missing out on the excitement again. Provided ze survived the next little while, a possibility which shrank with the distance.

Ahead of zer, Mei ran downhill in her stiff, halting way. Ze was armed with a proper weapon, even if it was just a large butchering knife. The rest of zer people had grabbed whatever they could find: clubs, rocks, a shovel. One intrepid human ran into battle armed with a chair. You couldn't fault their enthusiasm.

Kexx had watched in horror as the tide of battle turned against the unprepared, fragile coalition of representatives from three fullhand tribes, plus the human contingent. They outnumbered the intruders, but the various tribes had never fought together before and broke up into smaller groups. Easy pickings for the more disciplined intruders. The only reason the battle lasted as long as it had was the brutal efficiency of the handful of humans with their infernal guns.

Ze'd been caught on the wrong side of the fight to join up with Kuul. Before long, the survivors were all retreating back to Xis's temple. Sensing defeat was imminent, Kexx's priority turned to the humans in the shelter at the far side of the village. There would still be time to lead them through the halo trees to safety. But when ze explained the situation, Mei would have none of it. They were going to fight for their new home, and there was no talking zer out of it.

No one could call Kexx a coward. Ze'd been in many fights, and had survived. But as the village's truth-digger, ze was able to decide the time and place when confrontations happened. Ze was the predator stalking prey. Ze waited until ze had the greatest advantage to spring the trap. Now, ze was in the mouth of the trap, outwitted by an enemy ze couldn't even identify.

Cuut sure loves zer tests
, Kexx thought. Ahead of the charging mob, the intruders spotted them. In practiced unison, the black-smeared enemy turned their attention away from the siege of the temple to face the new threat, which was simultaneously the plan and the last thing Kexx actually wanted to happen.

We're going to get cut into jerky strips
. Committed to zer fate, Kexx lifted the club high in the air and let zer skin flash its most intimidating war pattern as the intruders formed ranks and began to advance toward them and away from the temple.

But as the two forces converged, humans and G'tel began to pour from the mouth of the temple like sakor bugs swarming from their nest. For the slimmest of moments, the invaders were distracted by the sudden appearance of a new threat at their rear. It was also the moment Mei's enraged rabble crashed into their line.

The battle became a blur of blades, screams, and blood. Kexx vaguely registered the pain in zer side as a spear point bit home before ze caved in the intruder's face. All around zer, people were dying, mostly among Kexx's own friends, but their frenzy didn't abate. The humans, stiff and undersized, nonetheless proved themselves to be vicious, mindless killers. When they lost a weapon, they picked up a rock. When they lost the rock, they used their fists. When they could swing their arms no longer, they tried to trip their enemy and bite them with their teeth.

We
really
need to stop underestimating these people
, Kexx thought. To the rear, the fighters from the temple gave as good as they got, thinning out the rapidly dissolving ranks and throwing the whole mêlée into chaotic, one-on-one fights. But it wouldn't be enough. The defenders were still outnumbered and would soon tire.

The ground trembled.

Kexx didn't notice it at first, thinking the vibrations were coming from the frenetic mass swirling around zer. But soon, the rumble and noise overwhelmed even the din of battle. To the west, the nose of the humans' great bird crested over the top of the halo trees and started gliding toward the battle.

The scene paused, like a diver drawing a deep breath before taking the plunge. Every face in the village stared up at the approaching silhouette with either hope or dread etched onto their faces.

In an instant, the fortunes of battle flipped. The intruders' spirits withered like yulka seeds left on the stalk. The defenders closed ranks and pressed their sudden advantage, pinching the enemy formation between them. With invigorated fighters on both sides and the long shadow of the great bird falling over them, the intruders broke and ran for the tree line.

A chorus of celebration erupted from the villagers as they shouted taunts at the intruders' retreating backs. But the great bird, a “shuttle” the humans called it, wasn't finished. It swooped down, skimming just arm-spans above the buildings on its way to the knot of intruders as they scrambled up the hill toward the relative safety of the woods. They tried to run from the approaching monster, but it was faster, buffeting them with the screaming, hurricane winds that blew from its massive triangular wings. Several unlucky souls found themselves caught in the powerful downdraft and were either flattened against the ground, or sent spinning off like a child's toy thrown in a tantrum.

Needless to say, they didn't get much sympathy from the survivors, who laughed and jeered as the invaders who had come so close to annihilating them only moments earlier were tossed about like so many fallen leaves. Their spirits broken and their ranks shattered, the blackened and bloodied warriors disappeared into the woods. Cheering erupted, loud enough to just be audible over the roar of the shuttle as it circled back around and settled over a flat space near the pond at the center of the village. It suddenly sprouted five thick, wheeled legs which swung down from compartments that had been hidden until only a moment before, then settled gently onto the ground amid a billowing cloud of dust. As the beast rested, its whine died away, and Kexx realized not all of the shouting around zer was out of celebration.

All around, the injured of both sides of the battle moaned and rocked with their pain. They were the lucky ones. Too many lay silent. Kexx recognized the faces of villagers. Friends. The elders would be busy with rituals of returning for days.

“Mei!” shouted a human ahead of zer. Kexx looked up to see Mei's friend, Benson, running out among the dead and wounded. Ze hadn't really appreciated Benson's size while ze was sick and lying down in Mei's shelter. Benson was big, twice the size of Mei and larger than most any of the other humans Kexx had seen save for one or two. While ze still wasn't as tall as the average G'tel, zer was certainly thicker.

“Mei!” ze shouted again, obviously desperate for a reply.

“Here, Benson-san,” Mei called out from directly behind zer. Kexx stepped aside to let Benson pass as the human charged at the sound of Mei's voice. With a great sweep of zer arms, Benson scooped Mei up and hugged zer for a long moment, then set zer down again.

Benson pointed at Mei. “Don't you ever do something like that again,” ze said sternly. Kexx had seen Mei take the same tone with zer own child. Were they kin? Kexx couldn't be sure. Ze didn't know what facial markers to look for. But how could they be when Benson was so much bigger than zer?

“You're welcome, stupid,” Mei snapped back. Then they started arguing faster than Kexx's limited command of their language could keep up with. Definitely related.

“I am glad you're both safe,” Kexx said, “But we have bigger problems now.”

Benson's head snapped up and stared at Kexx with a blank, uncomprehending expression. Ze pointed a finger, er, thumb at Kexx.

“You taught him English?” Benson asked Mei.

“Ze
learned
English,” Mei shot back.

“Why English?”

“To get them ready for
you
,” Mei said, agitated.

English? It would have to wait.

“This is Kexx,” Mei continued. “Ze is my friend.”

Benson looked at Kexx with fresh eyes. “You're the village's truth… ah…”

“Truth-digger,” Kexx finished for zer.

Benson smiled and held out zer hand. “Mei's friends are my friends.”

Kexx took the human's stiff, knobby hand, like skin stretched taut over a bag of sticks, and shook it in the humans' greeting tradition. It was an unpleasant feeling, but ze supposed it was just one of those things ze'd have to get used to.

“We must help the wounded,” Kexx said after the awkward handshake had thankfully concluded.

“Yes, of course. But first, I need some help with the shuttle. Can you fight?”

“I need rest.”

“Me too. So we'll have an incentive to be quick.”

“What is ‘Insentiv'?”

“C'mon.” Benson slapped Kexx on the shoulder, ignoring the question. “Grab a spear and follow me.”

Benson ran off in the general direction of the shuttle. Kexx looked over at Mei in a haze.

“What just happened?”

“You were volunteered. Go with Benson-san.”

Kexx realized zer feet were moving even before ze decided to obey, like ze had been compelled. Oh well, at least the humans were never boring. Ze jogged along behind Benson, not bothering to try to catch up on account of the nagging stab wound to zer leg. They blazed a path toward the shuttle, but then Benson turned sharply away as though ze'd changed zer mind. Instead, they headed for the smaller white cone that had delivered the human's sacrifice earlier that day. Benson skidded to a stop in front of it and started pounding on the door.

“Korolev!” ze shouted, another word Kexx didn't recognize. “Korolev, it's Benson. Open up.”

“Prove it!” came the muffled reply.

“Seriously, Pavel? How many Atlantians speak English?” Benson looked up, remembering Kexx standing there. “Sorry,” ze said in a conversational tone.

Kexx waved off the apology.

“OK,” the voice trapped inside the cone said. “I'm opening the hatch.”

A sharp, scraping sound stabbed at Kexx's ears as the small door swung inward. Kexx peered into the shadows beyond and saw the unmoving figure of Valmassoi on the floor, covered in the bright red of human blood. Kexx had already seen more of it today than ze ever cared to. One of their warriors crouched next to the fallen leader scrambled to zer feet at the sight of Kexx's face and hurriedly thrust the point of a gun at the door, but Benson threw zerself in front of the deadly weapon before the warrior could act.

“Pavel, stand down!” Benson shouted, leaving Kexx to puzzle out exactly how someone could be expected to do that. “He's a friend.”

The warrior dropped zer gun in obvious relief. “We're clear?”

“Yes,” Benson answered. “They've been run off. Pavel, may I introduce Kex.”

The red fungus again. It must be something about the way human mouths were shaped. “Hello,” Kexx offered. “Nice to meet you.”

Pavel stiffened and looked at Benson. “You just said they don't speak English.”

Benson shrugged. “Actually, I asked
how many
of them speak English. Turns out the answer is ‘one'. How's Valmassoi?”

“Holding on,” the warrior said, visibly shaken. “Barely, he's just lost so much blood.”

“He's not the only one,” Benson said. “Stay with him and keep pressure on the wounds. I need to borrow your rifle.”

Pavel handed it up to zer without hesitation. “Thought we were clear?”

“The village is. Just going to check on our ride.”

“Roger that. Swapping permissions to your plant. OK, safety's off. You're ready to rock.”

“You need a rock?” Kexx asked, trying to be helpful.

The two humans shared a look. “Not just now,” Benson said. “Follow me.”

They ran to the shuttle, still settling into the soft ground near the pond. The underside was the flat black of charcoal, but as smooth as skin. Kexx reached out to touch it. The pads in zer finger gripped it easily. It was hard, like mudstone, but it didn't have mudstone's taste. A lattice of perfectly straight lines revealed that it was made up of thousands, tens of thousands of tiles fitted together so tightly a leaf couldn't pass between them. It was simply astonishing craftsmanship.

Benson opened a small flap in the shuttle's skin and twisted something. With a click and a pop, a whole section of underbelly swung down to form a set of steps and reveal a doorway.

“Stay behind me and be ready,” Benson said.

“What's inside?”

“No idea. Let's find out.”

Kexx couldn't be completely sure, but ze strongly suspected Benson was enjoying zerself.

They walked up the stairs, and Kexx was blown away to discover that the shuttle was almost entirely hollow. Row after row of short, high-backed chairs covered the floor from one wall to the other. Suddenly, Benson waved a hand in Kexx's face and pointed toward the front of the shuttle. Two of the black-painted intruders lay motionless on the floor. There was no obvious signs of blood or struggle. If anything, they looked asleep.

Benson swayed and dropped zer gun. “I don't…” ze collapsed to zer knees. “Get out,” ze said with a last breath before zer eyes rolled back in zer head. Kexx grabbed zer before ze fell backwards, limp as a day-old fish. Kexx tried to pick zer up, but Benson was even more solid than ze looked, which was saying something. It was then Kexx noticed zer own vision was starting to blur. Ze shot a glance at the figures sprawled out on the floor. They'd been knocked out. There was something wrong with the air in here. Kexx took one more deep breath, but zer vision only worsened. Ze needed to get Benson out, fast.

Kexx grabbed the human by the wrists and dragged zer backwards through the path between the chairs. Ze made it several rows before the vertigo threatened to send zer crashing down as well. It felt exactly like being underwater for too long, except zer air sacks weren't screaming for breath. Desperate instinct took over and Kexx left Benson's unconscious body behind as ze dove for the door. Overcome with dizziness and on the cusp of passing out entirely, Kexx missed the handrail and fell down the steps, landing heavily on the ground outside. Ze took a gasping, ragged breath of the outside air. Instantly, zer vertigo cleared and vision sharpened.