Dark Phase (14 page)

“
Thank you for helping me understand, Kerrig.” Sarazen said as he once again gazed over to the screen. Kerrig sighed with relief and continued to work on his patient hoping that he was not doing more harm than good by teaching Sarazen the ways of The Ward.

There was a sudden tremor and then a distant rumbling sound. Sarazen looked to Kerrig for explanation and did not have to calculate hard to determine the anguish on Kerrig's face.

“
What is the problem?” Sarazen inquired, feeling the tinge of anxiety come over him.

“
I think we are...” Just then, another profound tremor and a larger, more terrifying sound of thunderous violence. Then came the alarm, a wailing high frequency klaxon that left no citizen with any doubt that The Ward was under attack.

“
You must stay here. The alarm is a call to arms - the perimeter must have been breached by enforcers. We are all in extreme danger.” Kerrig raced off to another adjoining room and returned holding a large, ominous looking device similar to those wielded by the regulators. Sarazen climbed to his feet, for the first time, his level of anxiety was such that he was unsure what to do next. Kerrig looked him up and down and knew that if anything, he should at least get some perspective on the insurmountable task the sentients were facing.

“
I am unsure whether it is best for you to remain here. However, if the enforcers gain access to Marnassus, you will most likely be terminated.” Kerrig's words had no hidden meaning, Sarazen knew full well that the enforcers did not bargain with their quarry and in the event of being confronted by one, and it was highly unlikely that Sarazen would have the mobility to survive as he had done before.

“
I would like to come with you, to help you.” Sarazen said his voice patterns fluttered with stress. It was unlikely also that Sarazen would help Kerrig, he would be slow and inquisitive rather than fast and decisive.

“
Yes. I agree, but you must remain with me at all times.” Kerrig hoisted the dark, metallic weapon over his shoulder as he extended a hand for Sarazen, guiding him through the exit as it opened. The sound of extreme chaos could be heard along the echoing corridors of Marnassus as citizens either raced to The Ward’s defence or cowered in terror. Sarazen was about to understand what conflict with The Mother's emissaries of destruction was truly all about.

CHAPTER 19

Kerrig bounded into the tight confines of the communal passage, Sarazen hobbling after him. He could see the shadows of citizens running past the entrance into the plaza. Other sentients along Kerrig's corridor were also leaving their apartments, armed and ready to make another desperate stand. This level of incursion was not a common occurrence, but The Ward had been breached several times before, all bringing huge losses upon the citizens before finally repelling their foe.

As Kerrig reached the plaza, streaks of white hot light pulsed across the chamber from left to right, the strobing light illuminating the hall which initially caused the sentients, who lived in the darkness, to shield their visual receptors as they made the required adaptive adjustments. Ensuring that Sarazen was still behind him, Kerrig peered out of the passage to survey the scene at Marnassus Plaza. Bright bursts of weapon fire still streaked across the hall and then were returned by a brave group of sentients that had taken cover behind the large stone structure in the centre of the hall. Kerrig could see that Marnassus station had been breached and at least two or three enforcers had traversed the walkway into the heart of his community. Strewn across the cold stony floor of the hall, a number of citizens had fallen to the merciless heat of the enforcers’ arms, their bodies cleaved in two, their limbs separated from their bodies and the dark black liquor of Vitalin sprayed across the chamber. A number of citizens now stood behind Kerrig, their weapons ready. Kerrig kept them behind him, to enter the chamber without covering arms’ fire would be catastrophic. Kerrig screamed out to the two remaining sentients who now cowered behind the monolith as weapon blasts slowly blew chunks of the smooth and seductive sculpture away. The two fighters saw Kerrig and the others waiting for some kind of moment when they too could join the fray, time was running short, the enforcers began to advance. Sarazen struggled to look over Kerrig's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the new enforcer's. It did not take much computation for Sarazen to realise that, like the sentients, The Mother's drones had adapted to their functions significantly over the generations. The enforcers were now much larger, they were heavily armoured and their ability to maim and disable greatly increased. Their forms were now barely recognisable as silicants, they were now little more than mobile weapons, they exuded menace with their unnaturally stunted gait, a product of their weight distribution, their upper torso encumbered with multiple types of weaponry.

Kerrig could not allow the enforcers to advance further or he and the other citizens of his 'street' would be cornered and carved to pieces mercilessly. The two fighters in the hall signalled to Kerrig and with the benefit of their communication, began a synchronised burst of covering fire as Kerrig too unleashed the fury of his weapon at the nearest enforcer. Sarazen, shielded by Kerrig's bulk cowered behind his friend as the other citizens poured out into the plaza, firing their collective weapons in frenzied bursts. Sarazen was forced to duck and shield his visor as one of the citizens next to him was struck by the enforcer's bolt of fizzling heat as he ran into the chamber and was torn apart in front of his eyes. The white hot shards of his shattered exoskeleton struck Sarazen and the old one could feel a larger piece of the unfortunate sentient strike his side and lodge itself deep into his lateral weave. Kerrig remained focused on his task and despite too being sprayed with the life fluids of his close friend, he continued to pour his anger down upon the nearest enforcer who was now taking a sustained battering by the many weapons of the Marnassus community. The enforcer's armour repelled some of many volleys of cutting heat that struck its frame but a few telling bursts were now beginning to take their toll, and with a particularly successful strike, its head was cleaved from its torso to the unabashed cry of victory which was heard above the wailing scream of the continued weapons fire.

The loss of the flanking enforcer gave Kerrig the opportunity to move around and behind the advancing units. Giving Sarazen a firm command to stay put, Kerrig courageously moved out into the chamber, leaving Sarazen to clutch at thin air as he suddenly realised that he was on his own. Sarazen dropped to his knees and pulled the remains of a terminated citizen towards him to shield him from any stray weapons fire. He had felt the icy tendrils of fear before, when the enforcer had come for him at his living space, when his trusted companion had looked into his eyes and he realised that there was no longer affection there. He had however, never felt anything like this. As his emotional centre had developed, so had his susceptibility to irrational and profound emotional states. He could not organise his thoughts, he could not predict an outcome, and he only hoped that everything would once again be alright.

Kerrig ran along the side of the chamber, taking cover behind a number of structures that were used as temporary trade stands. The structures were flimsy and would not save him from the searing temperatures of the enforcers’ weapons, but they might allow him to elude the scanning, piercing eyes of the callous machines. The other enforcers were almost upon the remaining fighters and if there was to be a time to take the risk of revealing himself to the marauding attackers, this was it. Standing upright and bold, the distracted enforcers unaware of his position, Kerrig had the time afforded to him to take a well aimed shot. The enforcer's were constantly changed and updated to eradicate weakness but it was known that the new models were deficient in armour at the lower part of the structure at the joints where it bore much of its weight. Kerrig unleashed an accurate pulse of destructive heat and severed the right lower appendage. The enforcer wobbled as it tried to compensate, but the bulk of its upper body was too great to bear. It crashed to the ground and thrashed around, ready to be picked off at will by the grateful fighters who were now moving around the large stone monument to avoid the third and last enforcer.

Detecting the destruction of its counterpart and the trajectory of the shot that disabled it, the enforcer turned its attention to Kerrig who now realised that he was in dire trouble. The hulking machine began its tracking process, its large cannon training in on Kerrig who did not know whether to run or hide behind the cover of the trade stands. Kerrig knew that the fiery breath of the enforcer's arms would tear the stands apart and him with it so he initiated his desperate attempt to escape and hurdled the obstacles in a retreat to the passage where Sarazen still cowered, barely able to watch the unfolding action. Kerrig felt the wash of the blazing cannon as he narrowly avoided destruction, his back and shoulders seared by the residual heat. Kerrig stumbled, realising that he had taken some damage and scrabbled to return to his feet. The enforcer was unlikely to allow him to do that however, and as Kerrig glanced over to the machine intent on depriving him of his life, he expected to feel the agonies of a fiery termination at any moment. The fatal blow never occurred - the enforcer had made an error of judgement and had been distracted by the crack shot that had felled its comrade. The enforcer was set upon by the vengeful volley of blasts from the remaining sentients who had now flanked the giant machine and proceeded to tear it apart, limb by limb from the rear.

The raid alarm still wailing, Kerrig shuffled back to Sarazen to ensure that he was still functioning. The sentients remaining took out their furious anger on the stricken drones that remained, tearing them apart with their weapons, their hands and their feet. Unsure if there were more enforcers on the way, Kerrig was sure to remind some of the others that time was better spent scouting the area and reinforcing other zones than furiously dismantling enforcers who were already beyond repair. Sarazen, feeling foolish climbed to his feet, his body covered in thick black Vitalin. At first, Kerrig thought Sarazen to be more seriously wounded than he actually was but was reassured by the stuttering troubleshooter.

“
Are they gone?” Sarazen asked. Kerrig nodded as he looked Sarazen up and down.

“
I have a minor wound but am functioning.” Sarazen sought to placate Kerrig who was concerned at his shocking state. The alarm suddenly ceased and although there were distant shots heard, the silence was profound.

“
I had no idea...” Sarazen muttered as he gathered his thoughts. Kerrig acknowledged his friend’s horror as he looked around to calculate the losses. The remaining sentients scoured the plaza, retrieving the body parts of their comrades in an effort to determine their identity. Across the hall, the peculiar wailing of a grieving citizen alerted Sarazen to his first experience of the devastation of personal loss. He was drawn by the chilling sound as a shattered sentient collapsed to the floor and collected the numerous pieces of her companion. Sarazen began to walk over to her, keen to know more about this unprecedented behaviour, but Kerrig held him back.

“
Zetha must be allowed solace in which to grieve her loss. Gregar was an outstanding individual, a trader of impeccable character. He was my friend.” Kerrig's voice buckled under the weight of emotion as he realised his fellow sentient had met his end. Gregar too was a former drone in his previous existence, soon there would only be new breeds left as The Mother's intent to eradicate the sentients continued in earnest.

“
The Mother has truly punished the sentients for their disassociation.” Sarazen said as he tried to summarise what he had learned.

“
These events must cease. The sentients must return to The Mother, for she will never cease, she is indefatigable, she will destroy us all.” Kerrig, still fired up after the fire fight was in no mood for Sarazen’s short sighted conclusions, particularly those which would see the sentients relinquish all they had toiled for generations.

“
Do not be idiotic! There is no return, neither The Mother nor the sentients wish to be reunited. You shame me with your cowardice!” Kerrig could not bear to look at Sarazen and he walked away to sit at the base of the now charred and battered monument. Sarazen struggled to understand why his comments had garnered such a disproportionate reaction. Kerrig buried his face in his hands and only then thought of Trist who was out and about in The Ward. Kerrig's anguish was thankfully cut short by an influx of sentients who had taken refuge and had now emerged now the battle was won. Trist was among them, he ran over to Kerrig who on seeing him, stood and clasped his creation in a gratifying embrace. Sarazen, still suffering the after effects of the traumatic events stood gazing over at the reunited family and suddenly dropped out into standby mode. The old one's loss of Vitalin and the subsequent emotional stresses had temporarily disabled him. By the time Kerrig reactivated him, The Ward was once again secure from the onslaught and the lost citizens’ numbers were being collated. Kerrig did not know how his furious outburst would affect the fragile Sarazen’s state of mind. He hoped that after some reflection, the old one would join with the other sentients in their belief that their continuing struggle was not a futile one.

CHAPTER 20

“
Are you awake, Sarazen?”

“
Yes.”

“
I am going to re-fire your autonomous systems. You may experience some discomfort.”

“
Understood.”

“
It appears that your core temperatures were too high and it initiated a safeguard standby protocol. No permanent damage though as far as I can tell.”