The IX (28 page)

“Now we know the prototype works, less than ten days. The casings can be produced en masse, and a completed run of twenty will take the auto-lines about seventeen hours to produce. If you’re prepared to divert energy for a week, we can stockpile a healthy number of them in both standard and miniature formats, before reverting to slower methods. Just use them sparingly to begin with. I’m sure they’ll make a point quite quickly.”

Excellent!
Saul turned back to his defense chief. “Does that meet your requirements, Shannon?”

“Hell yes,” she replied. “Getting a heads-up as to where the enemy is intending to concentrate their efforts will allow us to respond a lot more succinctly, especially if they pull one of their stunts. And being able to fight back will be even better.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “May I make a suggestion?”

“Please do.”

“I’d like permission to assign an attack squadron within the city, too. Just an idea, but if the other items we’re going to discuss—namely this portal, or gateway, or whatever it is—turns out to be a security threat, I want to make sure we can not only react immediately, but with maximum aggression. I’ll need those flyers to be equipped with some form of iron deterrent. They’ll be the first line of defense until we can get an emergency team on site.”

“Good thinking,” Saul replied, “it’ll be done.” He addressed everyone again. “As Shannon touched on the disturbing news about the vortex our friends possess, I think it’d be a good time to address this intelligence now.”

No one objected, so Saul activated a holo-projector and ran the simultaneous images captured by Mac and Sam a few nights previously. One set had been recorded in natural low-light, the other skipped through infrared, ultraviolet, and acoustic mediums.

Adjusting the settings, Saul froze the separate profiles of both the emerging apparition and of the portal itself. Once he was satisfied, he said, “Opinions, anyone?”

“Let’s get the easy part out of the way with first,” Ayria offered. “I’ve been over these pictures with Penny Frasier. That’s definitely a Horde Master. Rarely seen and now captured in all its glory in multiple mediums. Concentrating on the purely physical aspects, there’s not much we can add to the little we know. They appear larger and more intelligent than their smaller hive members. But now we’ve had a chance to study the coronet in more detail . . .” She paused to enlarge the area around the beast’s face, “. . . we think we might be on to something. Can you see that, the distinctive shimmering radiance inside the halo, surrounding its head? Having scrutinized the footage over the past day, we feel those emanations might be separate to the personal essence of the Master. You don’t see it among the pack individuals. So we wondered . . . what if it’s linked to the crown itself?”

“As in a specific energy field?” Mohammed asked. “So you’re suggesting it’s a form of enhancement? A device they wear?”

“I’m not suggesting anything,” Ayria countered. “It’s just a point we noticed on closer examination. The first time we’ve ever been able to do so, I might add. And
having
discovered it, I think it might be a good idea to devote further resources to understanding this aspect of our enemy better. Whether it’s there simply to signify rank because the Master is bigger and more powerful, or due to the fact that it’s a form of augmentation or technology we’ve never seen before remains to be seen. But drawing your attention to it now will allow us to factor this anomaly into mission briefings should a suitable opportunity arise.”

“There is a simple way we could check it out,” Mohammed said.

“How?”

“From what I understand, Andy Webb is one of the finest shots the Royal Marines ever produced. Why don’t we ask him to take a pop at it? Just because the flames of the coronet dance around the Controller’s head shouldn’t present a problem to someone like him. If circumstances develop whereby he can guarantee hitting the mark without rupturing the nimbus of the Boss itself, it’d be interesting to see what happens.”

Shannon grinned. “Sound idea.”

“That could work,” Ayria agreed.

“And if it does,” Mohammed added, “it’ll answer another thought that just came to mind.”

“What’s that, Mohammed?” Saul asked.

“Well, if it
is
some kind of device they wear, what’s to say it doesn’t control this vortex thing we’ve discovered?”

“That’s a good point.” Saul opened the floor. “C’mon everyone, what do
you
think this void thing is?”

“The mere fact the Controller stepped through it from somewhere else is a clear indicator we’re dealing with a doorway,” Ryan Davies, the training head, began, “but where it leads from is another matter entirely.”

“I concur,” Ephraim added. “I had quite an interesting chat with Asa Montgomery, one of my staff, on this very subject. As you know, we showed clips of these latest discoveries around our various departments prior to this briefing so we could bring as many ideas to the table as possible. Asa is a star-drive engineer from 2347, and has a natural flair for all things
innovative
. When he saw the clips, his gut reaction was that we’re looking at something very similar to Ardenese Rip-Space technology. Remember, such generators were still beyond even the most sophisticated of our respective governments before we were marooned here. And while Ardenese nano-educators have helped us catch up remarkably well, we’re still a long way from their level of understanding. Asa is the scientist directly responsible for monitoring and maintaining Rhomane’s Tear-Shield, a remarkable adaptation of the hyper-drive theorem that allowed them to create what is, effectively, an impervious barrier. That’s why they housed the gateway, the Ark, and indeed the Architect Archive itself inside such a contrivance. It puts them beyond reach. Or it should do, unless Asa is right and—”

“The Horde can do the same thing!” Saul gazed at him. “Forgive me for raising a whole load of annoying questions, Ephraim, but how could a bunch of monsters end up possessing such Tec in the first place? How do they power it? Who maintains it? I mean, just look at the size of this particular portal. It’s inside the hold of a ship for God’s sake. It doesn’t appear to be rupturing the integrity of the surrounding structure at all. I’m no egghead, but even I know the level of sophistication required to confine such constructs within small spaces is . . . is . . .”

“Impressive. And beyond our current level of understanding.” Ephraim shrugged. “Even the Ardenese hadn’t refined their own hyper-spatial fields into such a compacted medium as this. Just look at the outer corona of the asperity. Do you notice how smooth it is? It’s not so much
tearing
a hole through spacetime as folding it open in an unerringly relaxed fashion.”

“So does this mean they’ve been taking us for a ride all along? I find that hard to believe. If they really possessed such levels of sophistication, they’d have been inside the city years ago. Or at least tried to make contact. All they’ve ever tried to do is swarm the wall and destroy us.”

“Ah, but here’s the point,” Ephraim said. “The rest of the footage reveals a side to the Horde we’ve failed to recognize, or even appreciate might exist.”

Taking the hint, Saul activated the monitors again. He added the long-range view of the container ship, but from the sniper team’s perspective up on Mount Boleni. The Horde Master could clearly be seen exiting the hold and casually making its way toward the star liner
Seranette
. The scene changed back to a later recording from Mac’s HUD. In this picture, the same Boss had been targeted by a laser finder.

“It’s putting its hands up,” Ephraim explained,.“It knows we possess something that can destroy it. It recognizes it’s in danger, and is throwing itself on its potential killer’s mercy. Now, when you remember this thing also issued instructions to a baying mob of usually uncontrollable beasts, and later took the initiative to examine the detonation site of our latest weapon, I don’t think there’s any doubt that we’re dealing with a highly intelligent being. It also helps explain why the Special Forces team saw what they did in the tunnel. Saul, if you would be so kind?”

Saul adjusted the view to include the recordings made of the sleeping grunts within the underpass at the starport. Silence ensued for over ten minutes as everyone absorbed the implications of what they were watching.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ephraim declared, “behold our enemy at rest. Those flares and static outbursts represent a whole new change in thinking.” He gestured, inviting Ayria to explain why.

“What you are seeing here,” she said, “is the emotive display of a huge group of individuals dreaming. Remember, a dream is basically a collection of images, ideas, and perceptions absorbed subconsciously during the day, expressed in an involuntary way when the mind is at rest. Now, although it sounds simple, to be able to dream you need a
mind
to exist in the first place. There has to be a cognitive intellect. A psyche. A sense of self, capable of perceptive, rational thinking. We never attributed such a distinction to the Horde, which is a remarkable oversight on our part because they are more switched on than they’ve led us to believe.”

“So why the change?” Mohammed asked, aghast at the implications.

“That’s simple.” Ayria glanced at Ephraim. “We think it’s due solely to the fact that we now possess and are ready to use iron. Before the arrival of the ninth intake, the Horde was in the enviable position of being able to strive for their objective—whatever that is—by intimidation. Now they can’t.”

“So they’re suddenly going to get all friendly and politely knock on our front door?”

“They’ve astonished us before, Mohammed. I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long before another unexpected twist comes our way.”

“I don’t like surprises of that sort,” Saul said as he rejoined the conversation. “I think it wise to plan ahead. The Horde’s bane is iron. So we need more of it to maintain our new advantage. The flyers are going to assist us greatly in this regard with topographical and mineral surveys, and hopefully, the acquisition of a cruiser from the starport. Thanks to Mac’s initiative, there’s a high likelihood we might be able to commandeer one and fly it. That’ll go a long way toward speeding up the process. While we can make do with the poorer deposits from the Erásan range in the short term, we need to refocus our efforts on the rich pickings archives indicate exist out at the Shilette Abyss.”

Saul deactivated the holo-projectors and turned to the City Administrator. “Rosa, I understand Jagpal has compiled a full list of the specialist skills our latest arrivals possess, yes?”

“Yes, that’s correct. We’ve been most fortunate. Their diversity is amazing. How the Architect knew to acquire such a spectrum of talents from one place is beyond me. Mac and his specialists aren’t the only gems to come through from the twenty-first century. Did you know the Husker-Trent team includes geologists, drillers, and operations experts in field assessment analysis? Even the few members we now have from the former terrorist group include a biochemist, an ex-diamond miner from South Africa, and a mountaineering expert who enjoys dabbling in something called potholing, whatever that is?

“Additionally, we can’t overlook the building and construction skills possessed by the legionnaires. Any teams going out to the abyssal will need a solid, fortified structure to operate from, with a sustainable infrastructure. It’s bread and butter stuff to Marcus’s men. If the flyers are as effective as we hope in adding an additional defensive layer to the city wall, I’m hoping you’ll consider sparing at least a centuriae of them to help out and maintain a permanent garrison there.”

The proposal was met by mumbles of approval and agreement.

“Now that is good news,” Saul murmured, “and it’s something I’d overlooked entirely. Well done. Please ensure a detailed précis is sent to my terminal as soon as this meeting is ended. Mohammed and I will look into it tonight. We’ll have a rough idea as to how we can proceed by tomorrow morning, okay?”

Rosa nodded. Her fingers danced across her screen as she started to compile the necessary particulars.

“Any other business?” Saul asked, excited that events had progressed so smoothly.

No one responded, and he was happy to conclude the debriefing.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. That’ll be all. Ephraim? Don’t forget the updates regarding each phase of flyer development. Ayria? I want you and Penny to raid the archives and get me as much information on Horde Masters and their characteristics as possible. Liaise with Rosa. Look for anything we might have missed previously. Shannon? Please speak with Marcus to see who his natural choices would be for running a separate garrison and what it will require to set up. Oh, and Ryan? Once the drone program is operating smoothly, cooperate with Shannon in setting up a series of emergency drills. Not only do I want the response teams to be on their toes, but I also want to find out, ASAP, which areas within the city might prove difficult to defend. Does everyone know what they’re doing?”

Multiple affirmations rebounded. An enthusiastic vibe filled the air.

They’re feeling positive, and it’s about time.

Dismissing them, Saul became lost in his private thoughts.

Even with the news about the portal, it’s still been a good day. We’ve got the Horde on the back foot. We’re beginning to gain the upper hand. And who knows, this might even be the dawning of a new era?

He struggled to rein in his optimism. And failed.

Hell, this isn’t just a good day, it’s all my birthdays and Christmases rolled into one.

Saul grinned at the thought of giving Marcus the good news.

I wonder how many of them will clamor to be included in the first expedition? Mind you, I must admit, a change of scenery will do me good too.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A New Day

Someone called out to her. In its extremity, the appeal was voiced in exactly the same manner as in previous nights. Plaintive. Demanding. Urgent. Troubled. But try as she might, Ayria couldn’t understand its meaning.