Masoul (Harmony War Series Book 2) (49 page)

              It wasn’t just the armor; the way Holm moved, the weapon in his hands, all of it served to show him as the fighter he had been molded into.

              “Let’s get to the command center,” Moretti said. Holm’s helmet tilted slightly in assent. As people saw the armor moving with Moretti, they gathered around and followed them, as if seeking their guidance.

              It didn’t take long to reach the command center, and with Chosen following them, no one else mistook Moretti’s identity.

              Holm moved up first. The enforcers let them and Moretti through, while the Chosen milled around waiting for orders. Enforcers acting as runners rushed past them, spreading orders to Chosen fighters to try and organize them all.

              The secondary command center didn’t have the offices and extra rooms of the primary center. Here there was what had been an auditorium, the stage now covered in screens as people worked consoles from the various levels. Some consoles were working, but in other areas, there were runners who rushed past the doors; some were returning to different areas, passing on their messages and preparing to run back out with new orders.

              It was a simple system, and working flashlights illuminated the area somewhat.

              Harper stood at an unpowered table at the rear of the auditorium.

              “Harper, what’s going on? I’ve come back from the research and development area,” Moretti said.

              Harper turned around. There were more lines on his face and his eyes darted to the armored door frequently. He was anxious, without the confident air he’d had for years.

              “Moretti, it is good to see you. I was scared that you might have been hit by the resistance,” Harper said. An explosion went off, dust falling.

              Everyone ducked, one person screaming out; a server bank had fallen on them.

              An enforcer stepped over to them.

              “We had one attack; most of the techs died,” Moretti touched Harper’s shoulder, his face grave. “Stan is dead as well, but most of the powered armor is functioning and working. Tony has secured the area. Seeing as I cannot pilot it and I would get a message to you the fastest, I told them to wait until they got word or wait another two hours before moving out,” Moretti said, removing his hand.

              Harper nodded, looking to the floor. Moretti could see the cogs working behind his eyes.

              He looked up to Moretti, a decision made.

              “I want you to order them to destroy all of the equipment other than their charging stations. I don’t want the EMF getting their hands on it,” Harper said.

              “What about helping out with the defense?” Moretti pushed.

              “I will send a runner,” Harper said.

              Moretti got closer and looked around to make sure no one could hear. Holm and Sasaki were far enough away to make it seem that they couldn’t hear. Moretti knew that their audio recorders would catch every word, though.

              A gunshot rang out, drawing everyone’s attention to the enforcer that had gone to help the person under the server bank.

              Moretti looked back to Harper, who looked saddened by the enforcer’s actions but understood it. Harmony didn’t have the capabilities to heal a person; better to put them out of their misery and get people back to work.

              Over the years the technology had broken down and people failed to pass on their medical knowledge. Most of them had been killed when Harmony came into power.

              “We have troopers in every tower; they didn’t take many casualties securing the landing pads.

              “They’re moving hard and fast, securing different routes into the cities. It looks like the resistance is helping them. They must have guides or something; it’s as if they know the layout of the entire city and all of the towers.

              “Combat shuttles have dropped all of their troopers. They continue to drop ammunition and supplies and take wounded back up to the carriers. We can only assume that most of the troopers that get to the carriers will be back to fight us in a short time.

              “Our weapons are cutting them down, but the resistance has the same weapons; they’ve made rolling turrets, moving carts down hallways and firing onto barracks. Somehow they were communicating to the EMF, as they’ve got grenades and explosives that don’t rely on electronics.

              “I never knew that there were so many that had strayed from the path,” Harper said, shaking his head sadly.

             
From the path, give me a fucking break. You told them to do what you said or you’d have them tortured. You thought that people were good, that those who were kept at the bottom, given the power of those at the top and weapons to secure it, would be happy.
Moretti remembered the first weeks where the CEOs and those in higher positions that lived on Masoul Actual were captured by the Harmony forces.

              The lucky ones had died right away; the unlucky ones had been used by the Chosen, discarded, or kept around for amusement. Harper hadn’t believed the reports. When he came near places where they were keeping the CEOs or their families, the Chosen would kill them. Saying that they had ‘strayed from the path’.

              Moretti had known a number of them. Out of mercy, he had killed as many as he had found; those in his Chosen forces that did the same thing were summarily executed.

              Moretti might have had blood on his hands, but he would happily do it again. The companies weren’t the greatest, but they gave stability. They did not depend on leaders that swayed groups with words and were in turn swayed by the words of liars and scum.

              “Don’t worry, retribution will come, swift and terrible,” Moretti said. Harper nodded, but Moretti wasn’t talking about it coming down on the resistance that he had nurtured into being.

              “Yes it shall, and Harmony will come out victorious,” Harper said, holding to his idiotic beliefs.

              “What about the systems that were broken? Can we get power on - the air or the sewage?” Moretti said, pressing Harper for every piece of information he could get.

              “Those systems are lost, that explosion from earlier was a result of the broken sewage systems. Our lower floors are filling with water; we have already lost five in central. The ninetieth floor with your powered armor will take some hours before it is flooded. Here on the hundredth floor, we have two hours until the water reaches us. Our air is becoming thin, and we will have to change to re-breathers and tanks soon enough,” Harper said, sighing. “If you do not hear word from me within four hours, you are to attack the trooper lines. There’s not enough oxygen for us all, and the fires are only helping with that. Either we will push through them or it will be up to our brothers and sisters in Osdal to take up our gauntlet,” Harper said, holding Moretti’s eyes.

              Moretti couldn’t stop the shock registering on his face.

              He had never thought that Harper might name those that were pulling his strings and the real backers of Harmony.

              “They believe as we do?” Moretti said, his voice low.

              “Yes, they are the originators of Harmony, though they are far from the only system. Fear not; even if we die here, Harmony’s systems will rise up and strike down the corrupt companies that call us workers in name but use our brothers and sisters as slaves.” Harper seemed to grow; Moretti didn’t think the message was just for him. No, Harper was saying those words to strengthen himself.

              Moretti didn’t push to get more information, that would only have looked odd. Instead, he was supposed to be inspired and relieved that no matter if he died or not, they would win out.

              Moretti stepped back. “For the sake of Harmony,” he said solemnly, swearing to himself that it was the last time he would fake the salute. Dan Moretti would not be claimed by this planet. No, he would be the thread that unraveled Harmony.

              “For the sake of Harmony,” Harper said, repeating the solemn salute.

              Without another word, Moretti turned and started to leave the room. As he did, he saw an enforcer runner coming in.

              “Get word to my Chosen: they are to meet me at the research and development area on the ninetieth floor in three hours,” Moretti said.

              “Sir,” the runner said, turning back around and running ahead of Moretti.

              Holm and Sasaki were in front and behind him.

              “Go, bring the fight to the troopers and show them the abilities of Harmony!” Moretti yelled to the Chosen around the command center.

              Cheers rose from people as they rushed off to get into the fight.

              Moretti felt bad. More troopers would die, but the crucial part of his plan was even more critical.

***

              Tyler, Obe, and Ali removed the grate from the air vents. They sat back, watching the vent, and staying out of sight.

              Tyler checked the time; the resistance was supposed to be there already. But he was used to timings getting fucked up.

              Finally, Jolie’s head appeared.

              “Holy fuck!” she said, turning back.

              “Jolie, is that any way to greet a friend?” Tyler asked, grinning. Then he sobered up; they had a job to do. “Need those grenades.”

              There were a few tense seconds and then Jolie’s head came back out, looking at Tyler, Obe, and Ali.

              “How the hell have you got light on in here?” she asked, not getting out of the vent.

              “Well, we did engineer this attack, so we took precautions to make sure we didn’t fuck ourselves over. You got those grenades?” Tyler asked.

              She seemed to weigh something in her mind.

              She sighed and got out of the vent, a bag in her hand. Tyler looked inside and grinned; there were tubes about the size of a water bottle with string out the bottom of them.

              Tyler grinned, and then turned and started walking away from the vent. “Bring all of them, we’re going to need them,” he said, walking out from under the catwalks, through the machinery, into the open area where the powered armor and the rest of the troopers waited.

              The adjustments had been made. A few people were sleeping; others were playing games, and more stood on watch.

              Tyler looked back to see Jolie and fifteen resistance fighters look around the area in confusion. Nearly all of their eyes fell on the powered armor and the troopers no longer wearing their dusters but bearing armored plates and weapons.

              It made them look less like bully boys and more like the professionals they were.

              “Ali, show them the armory, let them take whatever they want. Obe, watch the vent, just in case,” Tyler said.

              “Got it, boss. You two, hand those bags off and follow me,” Ali said, pointing at two stronger-looking lads and heading for the armories in the walls.

              Obe simply nodded and jumped up on some kind of conveyor belt, holding his rifle.

              Tyler continued on, the resistance fighters, nothing more than children and teenagers that were able to fit into the city’s vents, looking around in awe.

              He glanced back as they exited the catwalks that looked over the testing area and the powered armor cradles.

              “Holy shit, how?” Jolie asked, pausing. Everyone stopped with her, looking at the powered armor and the troopers wearing enforcer clothes and armor.

              Tyler could see her mental gears turning and her eyes go wide.

              Tyler watched, wondering if she would reach the right conclusion or jump to the wrong one.

              “You lied to us!” Jolie said, and weapons appeared in a flash.

              “Tell them they better put those away,” Mark said, leaning off of the catwalk and looking menacing as ever. Jerome cleaned his nails with the daggers Tyler and Mark had given him.

              “Get down here and show them your tats,” Tyler said, looking to Mark.

              Mark clearly didn’t think it was a good idea, but Tyler’s head-twitch and flick of his eyes apparently convinced him.

              He didn’t take the stairs. instead jumping off from the second floor. Lower gravity meant he landed softly. Jerome followed.

              Tyler saw the other troopers looked like they didn’t care about the exchange, but the distance between their hands and weapons reduced and their eyes glanced over casually.

              Mark pulled down his shirt, revealing the EMF tattoo with a split red line, to show that he had gone into combat under a No Reinforcement order, and then displayed the one showing M&T over a V.

              Jerome showed his as well and started cleaning the nails on his other hand.