REHO: A Science Fiction Thriller (The Hegemon Wars) (12 page)

As Reho ran, the Hegemon launched into the air and landed in front of him. Zen’s bullets tore through the night air, then stopped as Reho and the Hegemon stood face-to-face.

The alien creature towered a full foot above Reho. Its armor showed no signs of weakening.

As with any knock-down-drag-out, Reho waited for it to attack first.

The assault came faster and harder than anything Reho had experienced. The invader’s fist collided with Reho’s face, sending him spinning to the ground. Reho recovered and dodged the alien’s foot as it approached his head. Reho fired three shots into its helmet. They sparked but showed no sign of having cracked the strange material. Reho fired twice more before dodging the alien’s next move. Its leg lifted, swinging above Reho. Reho squatted and spun his legs, knocking the alien to the ground. Reho fired the last four shots into its helmet. A crack appeared, and a thin stream of gas jetted out, lifting the Hegemon to its feet. In an unexpected move, the Hegemon ignored its helmet and rocketed into Reho. Both flew back into the building’s wall. The alien punched repeatedly into Reho’s side then swung at Reho’s face. Reho dodged the assault, sending the alien’s hand into the wall. Reho gripped its head from behind, crushing its helmet into the stone wall with two hard strikes, causing more gas to escape.

As the invader used its hands to slow the escape of gas from its helmet, Reho quickly cut the strap off the Hegemon’s rifle. Reho flung himself backward, away from the alien, and fired a full charge into its helmet. The pulse opened the crack and decimated the Hegemon’s hand, sending a horrid stream of piercing screams into the alley. Then silence.

“Reho!” He heard someone call his name from somewhere down the alley. A hand shook him as another helped him off the ground. The crew talked over each other.

“We need to head for the gates!” Ends said.

“Wait! There is an emergency escape through the tunnels,” Reho said, looking past Ends as he noticed the other survivor. It was Rainne standing next to her sister. Blood soaked Mar’s chest.

“Yes, but we can’t make it,” Rainne replied. She showed him the entrance’s key then looked at Mar.

“Zen says . . .” Reho looked back to the doorway where Zen’s lifeless body sat slumped against the frame.

Rainne followed his gaze. “Oh Zen!” She rushed toward him.

Reho turned his attention to Ends and Sola. “Why did you go into the alley?”

“We were trying to enter the escape tunnel when the enemy attacked,” Sola replied.

“What happened?” Reho asked, confused by the way things went down.

“It’s Mar,” Sola said. “We tried.”

“I’m not deaf, and I can speak for myself,” Mar said, sobs choking her as she fought hard to speak. “I can’t leave. But you can. If my father and mother are dead, then this is my responsibility. I would rather die tonight than run away from my people. But take Rainne. If something should happen to me, she needs to be safe.”

Everyone was silent. Mar would not survive, nor could she escape. Her kingdom would be her tomb. Rainne was still by Zen’s side. He was dead, but she held him, her hands caressing his face.

“Rainne! Go!” Mar said.

Rainne left Zen and embraced her sister. Their tears washed together onto Mar’s bloodied chest.

“Go,” Mar whispered. Rainne kissed her sister’s forehead and headed for the tunnels. She inserted her key and unlocked the entrance.

Rainne descended into the tunnels, and the crew followed. As Reho reached out to close the cover, he looked up.

A row of Hegemon stood above him, watching. Waiting.

The light from
Rainne’s flashlight danced drunkenly ahead of them as she pushed on at an aggressive pace. “The tunnels lead to the ocean and my father’s boat,” she said. Their lives now rested in the hands of this young girl, her sister left behind, alone in a city under siege. No one could truthfully say what the Hegemon might do. Reho hadn’t told anyone about the army of them he’d seen before entering the tunnels. There was no going back and no sign that they were pursuing.

The tunnels had a six-foot-high ceiling, forcing Reho, Ends, and Thursday to crouch. Its slope was tricky; the tunnel descended to the base of the mountain at an angle that was difficult to travel without losing balance. Rainne led in silence for several miles, the crew trudging behind her, slowed only by the occasional misstep in the settled slime that lined the tunnel floor.

At one point, Thursday had reminded Reho of their possessions back in Kibo’s residence. All was abandoned. Zen, Mar and the leader of Jaro were abandoned as well.

“How much farther?” Thursday asked. Rainne ignored his question.

Reho checked his AIM to find the underground layout displayed. Earlier there had been too many feet of stone for it to detect the tunnels. Now, his device clearly outlined the route Rainne was taking.

The loose bricks that lined the walls and ceiling tumbled around them as another quake rocked the tunnel.

“What the sh—” Gibson said as he hit the tunnel floor.

“Another explosion,” Sola said.

No one wanted to stop.

The tunnel ended on the other side of the mountain, a mile from the ocean. Iron bars ran vertically across the opening, like those in a prison cell, with a foot-wide space between them.

“Suck it in, guys,” Thursday said. “This is going to be a tight squeeze.” He squeezed through first and jumped from the lip of the tunnel, landing in darkness. “Throw me the light.”

With one eye focused behind them, Reho snuck a look at Rainne. She was calm and in charge. He hadn’t expected that from someone so young and accustomed to a life of luxury.

Gibson placed a hand on Reho’s shoulder.

“Nothing’s following us.”

“There’s no going back, either,” Ends said from the edge of the tunnel.

“I just hope that they haven’t come and set fire to the boat,” Gibson replied.

Reho followed the rest of them out of the tunnel and into the jungle. They only had one flashlight, Ends’ pistol and two machine guns, all three low on ammunition. Reho joined Rainne as she led the group through the foliage. Reho slashed at the darkness with his knife, clearing a path for those behind him.

“It’s not far,” Rainne said. Her breathing had become labored.

The jungle thinned as they traveled. Above them, monkeys swung through the trees. Reho had noticed a snake curled on a nearby branch, its hiss reminding him of the last time they were in the jungle. The jungle belonged to the animals, and they were not happy to have someone cutting through their territory.

“At least there are none of those man-like beasts out here,” Sola said with some relief in her voice. The beach was close; the salty ocean air filled Reho’s nostrils.

“They’re called Wellings, and they rarely come to this side of the mountain,” Rainne said, picking up the pace again.

“Wellings?” Thursday said. “What kind of name is that for a monster?”

“They’re named after their creator. Wells was an engineer and genius who designed weapons for my great-grandfather. He also experimented in human genetics, splicing and cloning. He was obsessed with the Hegemon and their experiments. He made the man-creatures to give Jaro a chance to fight back with their own hybrid army. Then they killed him. No one could control his creatures afterward, so they were destroyed.”

“Well . . . Wells is a dip stick in my book,” Thursday replied.

***

Reho could hear the ocean’s waters as the tides rushed on the beach. Beneath them, the jungle floor was loose. Sand.

A powerful wind greeted them as they left the jungle. The day broke; the sun rising out of the ocean blinded them for a moment.

“The boat is hidden in that cave,” Rainne said, pointing into the glare ahead of them.

Boat
was the wrong word to use. Thursday had cussed and corrected her word usage. It was not a boat. It was a 140-meter yacht from the OldWorld. Its exterior was white with the colors of the Kingdom of Jaro striped along its hull. Reho counted at least four levels. Written along its side was the name
Kingdom Come
. Reho had never seen a boat of this size before. It looked as though it had been built for a king.
How many men would it take to run this ship?

“So this is how a king abdicates his throne,” Gibson said. “I always imagined him disguised in a woman’s dress, escaping on horseback.”

Thursday stepped next to him. “No, that’s how
you
would abdicate
your
throne.”

Gibson shot him his middle finger as Thursday made his way onto a bridge leading to the yacht.

Ends resumed command, now that he knew where they were and understood their mission. Rainne hadn’t argued; instead, she walked onboard and disappeared. Reho didn’t ask where she was headed. It didn’t matter. Maybe she just needed to be alone. Their next destination would be Neopan. And judging by the size of the ship, it could probably make the journey without stopping.

“This ship was designed to practically run itself,” Gibson said.

“How’s that?” Sola asked.

Gibson pointed to the series of numbers running below the ship’s name. “It was remade in Neopan. The ship itself is OldWorld, but its engine is a hybrid slow-burn bunker oil and energy cells.”

Gibson and Sola went to locate the navigation room and get the ship started, while Thursday and Ends went to inspect the engine room. Reho found Rainne on the top level of the boat, sitting at a mounted table. Her eyes were red from crying and her skin spotted with rust and dirt from the tunnels. Several of her braids had loosened. Her hair was long, black.

She gazed onto the ocean that spread wide before them. He knew his words couldn’t undo anything she’d experienced tonight, so he just stood there.

“My people will fall,” she said. “With my family dead, there is no kingdom.” Her words softened and tears streamed down her cheeks, splattering onto the table. Reho knelt next to her. He hadn’t planned to embrace her, but he did. She held on tight, welcoming the comfort of his arms. They remained like this as her father’s yacht sailed away from New Afrika, embarking on a new journey, one that would take Reho even farther from his homeland.

***

The yacht cut across the ocean at forty-three knots. Gibson continued to tweak the controls, attempting to increase its forward speed.

“This is incredible!” he said, his eyes and fingers darting over the controls.

Ends entered, holding his side as he approached the controls. He stood silent.

Gibson took it as his cue to give a full rundown on the navigations. “This ship can—”

Ends placed his free hand on Gibson’s forearm.

“How long until we can reach Neopan?” Ends asked, his words barely a whisper.

“Ten days, maybe less if the weather doesn’t interfere.”

Ends left the navigation room without another word.

Reho and Gibson sat silently. The control panel, lit with shades of green, red, and blue, reminded Reho of Jaro.

“… navigate itself,” Gibson said. “It is a huge upgrade from that piece of garbage we jacked in 4E.”

“Jacked?” Reho said.

Gibson shot Reho a devilish grin. “Well, we aren’t exactly a religious crew, you know.”

***

The ship was too much for six passengers. There were forty-two staterooms and a dozen other rooms on the top three levels that reminded Reho of cruise ships and exotic hotels like in OldWorld Las Vegas. There were two theaters, lounges throughout the boat, and a stage for performances. Ends had assigned sleeping quarters for everyone in Hall D. He had also declared the main cafeteria as their headquarters and dining area. Gibson, Thursday, and Sola worked a rotation for monitoring the ship’s navigations. Otherwise, the crew interacted sparingly, leaving Reho and Rainne plenty of time together.

The unexpected turn of events had changed Ends. Reho wasn’t sure, but he thought it was fear.
What was Ends afraid of?
The Hegemon had been a reminder that this was not their planet anymore. They shared this world with invaders from the past.
No matter how high up in the mountains we build our cities or how advanced our technology becomes, the aliens will still be here, keeping us isolated and afraid.

Twilight lit the boat with soft colors. Despite everything that had happened, they were surrounded by beauty that few back in Usona could ever hope to see. In the distance, the tail of a whale broke the surface, whipping through the air as the magnificent creature disappeared into the vastness.

Rainne pressed against the rails and leaned as far out as she could, the wind tossing her hair into a tousled cloud around her. The braids were gone. They were alone.

Reho walked closer and stood behind her. He said nothing, but she knew he was there. Together they watched as the sun painted the sky a brilliant orange and pink.

“I have had a connection with my sister since I was little.”

Her words mixed with the howl of the wind. “I could always feel when she was happy or sad. I remember when she swam. She was so fast, unnaturally quick in the water—in the pool, the lake near Bellz, the ocean, anywhere.”

“And what do you feel now?”

Rainne pulled her gaze away from the horizon and looked at him. Her eyes spoke before her words.

“Sadness.”

***

Sola had inventoried every weapon and tactical item on the ship. They covered several tables in the main cafeteria. She jumped as Reho picked up a flare gun from the table. Her bloodshot eyes told him she’d been up far too long, and the bags beneath them had become weightier. He didn’t want to ask her about the pills she was taking. Ends knew and that was enough to ease Reho’s conscience. Yet, she was obviously not all right.

Reho stared at her until she stopped rearranging the items on the table.

“What?” she asked, rearranging a trio of knives by size.

Reho unfolded his arms and sat on the table, pushing several canteens out of place. “Is everything okay?”

She looked at the shuffled items. “Yes. Now will you please get off the table?”

Ends came into the room and looked at both of them. He took a seat at the dinner table, notepad in hand.

***

Everyone sat at the table except Gibson and Rainne. Sola would take over the controls for Gibson after she went through the inventory with the crew. No one asked about Rainne.

They ate in silence—leftover meat and vegetable stew that Thursday had made the night before.

“This is amazing,” Thursday said, more than happy to compliment his own cooking. But it broke the silence.

“What’s next?” Reho’s patience had been stretched thin enough. Sitting in the dark was acceptable when the plan seemed to make sense. But now, everyone was exhausted and scared. As for their plan? There didn’t seem to be one at all.

“The plan is still good,” Ends replied. “We return with our employer’s points. Then we see what’s next.”

Sola pushed her plate away, knocking over her water glass. She stormed away from the table and out of the cafeteria.

Gibson joined a few minutes. His silence told Reho that Sola must have bit into him before relieving him from the navigations.

Reho left first and returned to Hall D. He paused outside Rainne’s door and listened. Nothing. It had been a day since they spoke out on the ship’s bow.

Reho sat on his bed. He placed his knife and one of the OldWorld pistols onto the nightstand and unstrapped his Casio. He unzipped his jacket and took off his boots, tossing them onto the chair near the bed. Everything he possessed was in the room. His smartcards were gone as was his L86, pistol, and Walkman.

Reho removed his shirt and pants, admiring the stitching again. He had worn these same clothes since Red Denver. Jena had bought them for him soon after they moved in together. His OldWorld shirt was a thick, black, cotton; its tag read
Hanes.
The pants were denim—a strong, durable, cotton fabric. His brown leather jacket had belonged to his father and resembled the pilot jacket he had once seen in the film
Top Gun
, only his didn’t have the patches and other symbols sewn into it. His uncle had given it to him for his first race. The jacket had been baggy on him then, at only fifteen. He had to roll its sleeves to his elbows. His uncle had been proud of him, reminding him of how it felt to belong to a family. It’s how he felt about the crew now, a family of merchants and traveling soldiers. They had suffered a lot, but they were still together.

And then there was Rainne, isolated in her room, scared, and unsure of what would come next.

Reho showered in the private bathroom. It was not like the shower he had used in the Blastlands or even at the Kibo’s residence. The OldWorld piping and controls were strange. The knobs turned and pulled instead of the usual push buttons. The water steamed his body. His skin reddened as it rained over him, his thoughts returning to her. Her name was Rainne.
It’s going to start raining soon,
the voice had said.
Jimmy had been there. Had he always been there, somewhere in his dreams, trapped in the city of light and mirrors?