Trident's Forge (30 page)

“Yeah? What is it, Pavel?”

“Hallstead made bail.”

Theresa jerked away from the crowds to look at her constable. “What? How? Her account was empty.”

Krolev shrugged. “It filled back up today.”

“From who?” Theresa said. “Where did the money come from?”

“She's just in for a domestic, chief,” he said apologetically. “Our warrant doesn't extend to her financial records.”

Theresa grit her teeth. Korolev was right, of course. But that didn't stop her from resenting the asinine restrictions placed on her investigative authority.

“Stall her.”

“Chief?”

“Drag your feet releasing her”

Korolev nodded. “Now that you mention it, I think I may have misfiled her paperwork. Could take another day to straighten out.”

“Good man… I mean, that was very careless of you, constable.”

“Sorry, ma'am.” Korolev smirked.

“Have we gone through her house yet?”

“Only the initial sweep when we picked her up. Why?”

Theresa rubbed her neck. “Not sure, actually. I just want a peek.”

“We'll need to expand our warrant to include a search of the home. Magistrate might not like that.”

“No we don't. Just knock on the door and ask… what was her fucking girfriend's name? Julia? Ask her for permission to serach.”

“Juanita,” Korolev corrected. “And that won't work.”

“Why not?”

“She moved in with Raul as soon as Yvonne got locked up. The house is empty.”

Theresa laughed. “Smart girl.”

“Chief Benson,” Administrator Merick said from behind them. Theresa turned around to face him.

“Administrator.”

Merick surveyed the nearly empty steps and plaza. “That was good work handling the demonstrators, chief.” His tone was subdued, at odds with someone giving praise. Theresa was immediately suspicious.

“Thank you, sir.”

“I need to speak with you in private, if that's all right.”

“Sure. Pavel, take over for a few minutes.”

“No problem, ma'am.”

“See you back at the station house. Lead the way, administrator.”

They walked together past the Beehive's giant double doors, padded across the quarried marble, and into the small maze of hallways and office doors. The silence between them only heightened the tension.

Merick reached his office and held the door for her. “Please, chief, sit.”

Theresa placed herself into the offered chair, a sumptuous leather antique that nagged at her memory, though she couldn't make the connection.

“Thank you for coming,” Merick said.

“Let's just get down to it, administrator, please? What's this about?”

Merick took a deep, centering breath. “This is… difficult. It's about your husband.”

The bottom fell out of Theresa's stomach. Her heart raced and her head started spinning.

“What's happened?” she managed to ask.

“We're not sure. We received a partial burst from his sat link. The connection was very short, only a few seconds. The stream never stabilized enough for video, but we can only assume he was under attack and calling for help.”

Theresa fixated on the tense of the verb. “Was?”

Merick folded his hands. “The only usable data we got from the transmission was a few seconds of audio and his plant's medical feed. His heartrate became erratic and then… I'm so sorry, Chief Benson, but your husband was killed.”

Theresa sat in silence for an eternal moment, stunned beyond words for perhaps the first time in her life. The colors in the room seemed to drain from her vision. She felt like her feet were sinking into the floor.

“Chief? Did you hear me?” Merick asked. “I said that your husband has been killed in action.”

“Yes. I heard you, administrator,” a cold, dark part of her soul managed to reply.

“I'm sorry. I really am. Your husband was a hero to our people, he will be sorely missed. But rest assured, the people who killed him will–”

“Who?” Theresa snapped. “
Who
killed him?”

“We don't know, but we're going to find out, I promise you that. We have GPS data from your husband's last known position. We're already coordinating with surveillance assets on the Ark to get a good look at the area. I'm ordering our new reserve force mobilized and deployed. We can have them there inside six hours. Of course, we don't expect you to–”

“No!” Theresa shouted loud enough to startle herself nearly as much as Merick. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing. “No. I'm going.”

“Are you sure?” Merick was incredulous. “Chief. I don't mean any offense to your sense of duty, but given the circumstances, no one would blame you for taking a leave of absence to… recover from this.”

“Over my dead body,” she said. The tears came then, but she clamped down on them. There would be time for that later. “But I'll need a lot more than six hours. We've only been drilling with the new recruits for a few days. They need more time.”

Merick held out his hands. “I do not mean to patronize you, chief, but you must understand that the longer we wait, the smaller the chance that we discover what happened.”

“I understand that. But if you send in a hundred men before they're ready, there'll be a lot more than one life lost.”

“I think a hundred people with guns can handle a rabble of primitives.”

“My husband had a gun.”

The seconds stretched out uncomfortably as Merick inspected her. There wasn't a better word for it. He considered her expression, her posture, like he was trying to take the full measure of her. Theresa had been examined by men many times before, but there wasn't anything sexual in the administrator's gaze. She could almost feel his eyes trying to tap into her thoughts. Finally, he reached a conclusion.

“How much time do you need?”

“Two days to get them qualed on the range.” Theresa's voice was clipped and flat as she forced her anguish and rising panic off to one side. “Then we hit them like a meteor shower.”

“Two days it is, then. Make sure you're ready.”

“Oh, I will be,” Theresa said, no longer caring how much of her emotions leaked through. She excused herself and left the room, then walked singlemindedly back to the station house. She held her composure through the street, past curious onlookers who cleared her path, past the little shops and the pubs on the main street, even through the door of her station where a dozen sweaty, dusty constables were busy stripping out of their gear. They paused to look at her, and she could see in their faces her coworkers knew something was wrong.

Korolev stood up. “What's the matter, chief? What did Merick say?”

“Pavel,” she grabbed his elbow and dragged him into her office. “Shut the door.”

He did so. “What's wrong?”

“I want a list of people, coders, computer techs, anyone who might have the quals to program our heart attack machine, and I want it yesterday.”

“OK, we can do that. What
else
is wrong?”

“It's…” Theresa's knees finally gave out as her desperation, sorrow, and rage came pouring forth. Without thinking, she grabbed up her chair and threw it through her doorway to shatter against the wall of the hallway.

“Chief!” Korolev grabbed her shoulders, as much to comfort her as to contain her. “Theresa,” he said more softly once he'd gotten her under some measure of restraint. “What's happened?”

“It's Bryan,” she said through ragged, sobbing gasps. “The fucking bastards got Bryan!”

K
exx looked back
to the commotion and saw Benson lying on the ground in a pile. From the right, Mei jumped down off the back of the dux'ah ze'd been riding and ran to Benson's side. Whatever had happened, one glance at Mei's face told Kexx it was serious.

The caravan came to a stop as Kexx pushed past the semicircle of onlookers. “What's wrong with zer?” ze asked as Mei knelt down and put an ear to Benson's unmoving chest.

“No breath,” ze answered in a clipped voice. “Zer heart's not beating.”

“Zer what?” Kexx asked.

“Heart!” Mei pounded a fist on zer chest in obvious consternation. “Moves blood!”

“Like your chief?”

“Yes. Watch zer,” Mei commanded as ze ran back to the dux'ah and ripped Benson's pack off the harness. Ze ran back over to where Kexx stood over Benson's body, fumbling with the flap until ze gave up and slashed it open with zer knife, spilling the contents onto the dirt. Ze reached for a smaller bag with a white circle surrounding two crossed red lines and opened it.

“Take off zer shirt,” Mei barked. Kexx didn't argue, but the shirt did. Ze tried to tug, pull, even tear at it in an effort to get it off Benson's chest, but it wouldn't cooperate. Nor would Benson's elbow and shoulder joints, which had such little range of motion it seemed a miracle the humans could use them at all.

Mei grunted and just sliced the shirt from stomach to neck with a knife, then threw it open to expose the uniformly colored flesh beneath. There was a single patch of dark color on one corner of zer chest in an unmoving pattern. Kexx reached out to touch the dark image, but Mei swatted zer hand away.

“Stay back!” It wasn't a request. Ze produced two patches of what looked like plastic leather, tore off a perfectly transparent layer of skin from the bottom of each, then slapped them onto each side of Benson's chest.

“What are you doing?” Kexx asked.

“Shocking zer heart. Don't touch zer.” Mei looked up at the rest of the caravan. “None of you touch zer!” Everyone took a respectful step back, even Kuul, who had appeared at the edge of the circle. Mei grabbed a small box and ran a pair of curled threads to each of the patches, then pressed a large red circle at the center of the box.

A strange, lifeless voice sprang from the box, making several members of the crowd jump back. One of the warriors drew a spear on it, but Kexx shoved it out of the way and smacked the offender.

–Diagnosing,– the box said in flat, emotionless human. Kexx didn't recognize the word. –No Heartbeat Detected. Shock Recommended. Push Button To Charge.– Mei pushed the button again. A pure whine high-pitched enough to make Kexx wince leapt from the box, climbing in tone until it disappeared entirely.

–Delivering Shock. Stand Clear.–

Benson's motionless body jumped to life, arching zer back in a way that didn't look natural even for a human before falling back to the ground.

–No Heartbeat Detected. Shock Recom– Mei jammed zer finger into the button before the box could finish. The cycle repeated itself again, and again Benson's body fell back to the ground, inert.

Tears began to roll down Mei's cheeks as ze pushed the button for a third time. “Wake up!” ze shouted, but ze did not respond. Mei sobbed openly as the cycle repeated without change. “Don't leave me here alone!” Ze screamed, rage and fear mixing and fighting for control of zer voice. Kexx moved to put a comforting hand on zer shoulder, but Mei shrugged zer off angrily, then slapped Benson's face, hard. “You're strong! Fight, Zero Hero!”

Mei stabbed zer finger like a dagger into the button again as if ze meant to run it through. The whine built again, then fired. Benson's back arched once more, then fell. Mei screamed without words.

–Heartbeat Detected,– said the box. Mei threw it down and grabbed Benson's neck. Kexx wasn't sure why, but whatever ze found, a manic smile bloomed across the human's face.

“That's it,” Mei said. “Come back, Benson-san. Follow my voice.”

Benson lifted an arm weakly. Zer eyes fluttered. Then, as if waking up from a nightmare, Benson sat bolt upright and screamed, ripped the plastic patches off of zer chest, scrambled to zer feet, then ran out of the circle shouting human obscenities at the top of zer airsacks.

Kexx leaned over to Mei. “Is this normal?”

Mei shrugged. “No idea.”

“What the fuck just happened?” Benson demanded, eyes wild, fists balled, and looking for trouble. The rest of the caravan gave zer a wide berth.

“I don't know,” Mei said. “Your heart stopped. I shocked you.” Ze pointed at the small white box lying discarded on the ground. Benson stole a glance at it and lowered zer guard a fraction.

“How long was I out?” ze asked.

“Two minutes,” Mei answered. “Maybe less.”

“Ugh,” Benson clutched at zer chest. “What did you do? It feels like a lift car fell on me.”

Mei's eyes rolled. “You're welcome.” Ze turned to look up at Kexx. “Ze'll be fine.”

Benson looked back at them both with a shocked expression. “What did you just say to Kexx?”

“I said you'll be fine,” Mei repeated more slowly in their language.

“No, say it again in Atlantian,” Benson replied, still in human.

Mei did so, and Benson shook zer head uncomprehendingly. “It didn't pick that up.” Benson slapped the side of zer head. “I can't bring up my interface.”

“What's ze talking about?” Kexx asked Mei, but ze only shrugged.

“My plant,” Benson shouted. “My… head tool. It's not working!”

I
t was
some time before Benson calmed down enough, and slowed down enough, that Kexx could make sense of zer words again. But once ze did, Benson's plea was unequivocal.

“We have to turn around and go back to the village right now.”

Kexx took the demand in stride. “Why, Benson? We are only a day away from the Dweller village.”

“Which is exactly why we have to leave, the sooner the better. I can't protect you like this.”

“Without your head tool?” Kexx asked. “Both myself and Mei can translate for you when necessary. I can make the others understand your, um, disability.”

“No, you don't get it, Kexx. It's not just about the translator. It's my…” Benson leaned in and pitch zer voice low. “It's my gun. It recognizes me by my head tool. Without it, I can't use it. It's just a big club. No gun, no defense.”

Kexx frowned. “You are a good man, Benson, but sometimes I'm not sure you think very hard about your words. We have over two fullhand strong backs here who have already sharpened their spears in battle. We are not defenseless.”

“But I can't–”

“Right,” Kexx cut zer off. “You can't rely on your gun. You have to rely on us for protection now, and it scares you because you don't believe we are up to the task.”

“You told me you're not up to it if the Dwellers don't cooperate!”

“And you told me that you can't win a war for us by yourself. So other than fewer dead Dwellers, how has the end result changed? Either we lose when our last spear is broken, or we lose when your last bullet is spent. In both cases, we're still dead.”

Benson swallowed, hard. “I guess I hadn't thought about it in such… stark terms. I'm sorry if I've offended you.”

“It's OK, Benson. We remain friends. And friends must trust each other. I must know, are you still committed to this task?”

Benson straightened zer back. “Yes, completely.”

“Then we will see it through. We will get you a spear.”

“No, keep the spear. I'll carry my rifle.”

Kexx paused. “But you said it was no better than a club.”

“It isn't, but you and I are the only ones who know that.”

“And me,” Mei called out from where she was stitching up Benson's shirt.

“And Mei,” Benson corrected zerself. “I'd like to keep it that way so as not to worry the rest of the caravan. And if any of the Dwellers have heard rumors about it, I'd rather they
do
worry.”

“A wise deception,” Kexx agreed. “All right, I will keep your secret. What else? What will you tell your people?”

“Nothing,” Benson said.

“I… don't understand.”

Benson pointed a finger toward the sky. “Someone up there just tried to fry my heart. I don't know how exactly, but that's not really important. They probably used the exact same method to kill the captain.”

“Then why did your leader return while you live on?”

“I don't know that either. Maybe help didn't get to her as quickly as Mei got to me. Maybe her age worked against her to a greater degree. In any case, they're trying to get rid of the people causing them trouble. I was obviously causing them trouble. And with my plant broken, they'll think I'm really dead, sorry, that I've returned…”

“And you are free to keep causing them trouble,” Kexx finished for zer.

Benson opened zer hands and held them out, palms up, and smiled broadly. “Just so.”

“You are a very clever man, Benson.”

“Me? No, I'm dumb. But I make up for it by being very stubborn.”

Kexx chuffed. Kuul had asked what the humans would be without their guns. Kexx saw the answer in Benson sitting in the dirt, battered, betrayed, defenseless.

Yet still unbending. Like a halo tree in a spiralstorm.

Ze felt zer affection for the strange creature grow further. The sun was past its apex. The day grew long, and they had made virtually no progress down the trail.

Kexx held out a hand to the human. “Can you walk?”

Benson took the hand and stood, albeit on a shaky foundation. “I can fake it.” Benson's expression changed without warning. “Kexx, what are they doing?”

Kexx glanced back over zer shoulder. Half the members of the caravan had formed two parallel lines, sitting legs folded beneath them, hands held behind their backs and heads bent forward.

“They are awaiting your blessings, Benson.”

“Sorry. My what?”

“Your blessings.” Kexx took a moment to listen to their murmured prayers. “They think you have been resurrected by Varr, and they–”

Benson held up zer hands. “Oh no. Nononono.”

“What's wrong?”

“Mei!” Benson called the smaller human over.

“What's wrong?” Mei asked.

“They want to worship me,” Benson said. “Tell them I wasn't resurrected. Tell them you brought me back with a… a trick.”

“That's not a good idea, Benson,” ze answered.

“I agree,” Kexx said.

“I am not going to be twisted into some Messiah figure,” Benson protested. “That's not what we're here for.”

“Refusing them blessings would be, ah…” Kexx struggled for the right word.

“Disrespectful,” Mei contributed. “Sacrilegious. Rude.”

“Yes, those.”

Benson's arms dropped to zer sides. “I won't do it.”

“You have to,” Mei said.

“We're not gods, Mei. Or touched by gods. Or sent by gods.”

“No, we're
running
from gods,” Mei snapped back. “Gods chased us away from Earth. We're here now. Then where? If we're ever going to stop running, we need them.” Ze pointed at the members of the caravan sitting in rows, exchanging nervous glances with each other. “And they need us.”

Benson shook zer head. “I won't lie to them.”

“You lied about the gun working,” Mei accused.

“It's not the same,” Benson said, suddenly on unsure footing.

“How's it different?”

“Well…” Kexx and Mei both waited patiently for zer answer. “It just is,” Benson said finally without much conviction.

“If I may say it, Benson, this isn't about you lying. They already believe what they're going to. This is about respecting our beliefs.”

“‘Our?' Don't tell me you're looking for my blessings too, Kexx.”

Kexx shook zer head. “Not just now. I'll let you know.”

Benson let out a defeated sigh. “What do I have to do?”

“Just touch them gently on their first row of crests with three fingers of your left hand and say, ‘Atumi Varr.'” Benson repeated the words three times more until Kexx was satisfied with zer pronunciation.

Kexx watched as Benson nervously made zer way down the receiving line, repeating the words without understanding their meaning in the least. The human's discomfort with the duty was obvious, but ze proceeded anyway, giving each person zer focus and attention before moving to the next.

Despite being bound and lashed to the back of a dux'ah, their prisoner, hostage, whatever ze was, felt compelled to start shouting. Kexx could only make out a handful of the words spewing forth, but “blasphemy,” and “perversion” featured prominently. Benson paused and looked up at the disturbance. Kexx was about to move to silence the stranger, but Kuul beat zer to it. Ze ran up the back of the dux'ah in two strides and smacked zer smartly across the mouth.

Silence returned. Kuul locked eyes with Benson and motioned for zer to continue with the blessings. Benson nodded zer thanks and moved on to the next head.

Remarkable
, Kexx thought.
We might actually pull together just in time to get slaughtered
.