The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus (15 page)

Chapter 19: Monsters and Demons

When most of the cadets had recovered, Wouris addressed them, “Since the field training has been cancelled, I have decided you are ready to begin your advanced training.  Of course, ‘ready’ and ‘able’ are two very different things.  DO NOT make me regret my decision.  We’re heading into the ‘Hail’ bay.  Move out!”

The ‘Chariot of Hail’ bay, the largest of Valhalla’s launch bays, was bustling with Adepts.  Some of the cadets, especially Lyn and Ramirez, were fascinated by the frenetic pace.  Despite the length of time Janus had been at Valhalla, large swaths of the city remained unknown to him.  A cadet’s time was extremely structured, and gave little room for even simple freedoms, like eating, let alone exploration.   

M
echanics yelled and tossed tools back and forth as they scrambled to keep ODIN’s Valkyrie fleet up and running.  Valkyries were air-superiority fighters, faster and better armed than longboats, although not as well armored.  Sleek and curvy, the small, pointed nose gave way to a long, slim frame and cockpit.  Four wings, offset at forty-five degree angles, swept back from the back corners of the craft.  The two upper wings were smaller and shorter than the bottom wings.  All surrounded the main booster, which was actually three smaller engines, recessed and protected behind a large nozzle that gave the Valkyrie its rocketing speed.  The Valkyries were normally a pearly white, but had the uncanny ability to become a dull blue, grey, or even brown, and absorb active sensors, when the situation warranted.  Janus found it hard not to stare at the incredible craft as he passed.

Pilots moved in and out of their cockpits, communicating with the mechanics on maintenance issues and problems.  High above, Valkyries glided along as
some of Valhalla’s daeduluses, giant arms of metal, reloaded weapons on the vehicles.  At the edge of the platform, fully reloaded Valkyries awaited in silently suspended rows, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.  As the cadets passed, two blast panels swept down behind the forward fighters.  Firing their engines, the Valkyries disengaged from the chutes that connected them to the pilots’ barracks above and sped out of the city, two more Valkyries moving forward to take their place. 

Celes leaned over and whispered in Janu
s’ ear, “Odd.  Sgt. Wouris has had me run a few errands down here and I’ve never seen it so busy.”

Praetor Jennings and another officer, Captain Rogers, were waiting for them at the far corner of the launch bay, away from the hammering and yelling of the mechanics.  Jennings wore the slim sword on his back he had worn at Cerberus, and there was a Skadi rifle and a disc launcher in the open case beside him.  Rogers, however, wore a full set of S.T. armor, making him stand head and shoulders over the Praetor.  Two heavily armored suits and a heavy plate of ceramium sat behind him.  The right suit was standard Security Trooper armor, just as Rogers wore.  But the left, Janus knew it immediately, though he had never laid eyes on one before; the horror stories from the slums told him exactly what it was – Infernus armor.  The armor looked like something borne from a nightmare, with an almost demonic appearance to it.  Tinged red, the armor was broader and taller by a full head than the S.T. armor.  Thick, sharp-edged plates descended towards massive, split-toed boots.  Zeus cannons and flamethrowers mounted on each arm came together on vicious, clawed hands.  But nothing was quite as terrifying as the strange, disturbingly angular helmet that centered on a single, red, V-shaped slit of visor.  

Wouris saluted Jennings smartly while Janus and the cadets fell into line.  She leapt over to the Infernus armor, disappearing behind it.  Jennings grimaced as he spoke, “Today, you begin advanced training, and I always like to teach this particular lesson t
o cadets, to demonstrate how important it is, and what you are capable of.” 

Rogers touched a console on one side of the bay, and the launch platform slowly slid out, beyond the hanger.

“All of you have seen standard Security Trooper armor,” he pointed to the right, “each suit is an exoskeleton; a strength enhancing, hostile environment suit that allows Corporate Security forces to use a variety of heavy weapons, including the Zeus.  It is powered by a battery and micro-capacitor system that can easily last for several days.  But it also has several distinct disadvantages.” 

Rogers stepped forward in his suit, twisting and turning in it.  He looked ungainly compared to his natural grace.  The Praetor motioned at Roger
s’ jerky movements, “Namely, a distinct lack of agility and mobility, even with an experienced soldier inside the suit.  The suits rely on their internal manual inputs to respond, making them slow.  S.T.s can run fast, but only in a straight line.  They have to build up a head of steam, so to speak.  They also possess another disadvantage.”  Jennings picked up the Skadi rifle, and shot three times through the middle of the unoccupied suit.  “Your Skadi can easily penetrate the armor and kill an enemy S.T.”

“You will not find the same weaknesses with Inferni,” the Praetor said
dangerously.  Wouris stepped forward in the terrifying armor.

The Praetor walked around the suit, “Inferni are top of the line.  They are faster, stronger, more flexible, and possess a powerful capability,” he tapped the cloven boots with his foot, “jump jets.”  He stepped back, and Wouris the Infernus leapt into the air, activating her boosters.  Three jets on each foot and two larger ones on the back carried the suit to the top of the hanger before it finally flipped over and came crashing down, landing on its feet with an earth-shaking rumble.

“Their visors detect heat, light, and a dozen spectrums in-between. And as for weapons,” the Praetor added, picking up the disc launcher and launching a set of five silver discs, “Inferni feature a fully integrated arm-mounted Zeus cannon,” Wouris raised an arm and blasted two from the sky.  “Dual flamethrowers,” two discs were engulfed in flames and disappeared over the edge, “specifically designed for engagements with light infantry like Adepts.”  The fifth and final disc shot off, flying as fast as it could away from Valhalla, “Finally, for some advanced variants, shoulder mounted heavy ordinance, ranging from grenade launchers to a light anti-aircraft package,” a launcher snapped up, firing a missile.  The silver disc sped away, detecting the missile, but to no avail – the missile closed in like a cheetah upon its prey.  The disc juked left, and with lightning speed and accuracy the missile reacquired.  Janus found himself willing the disc forward, trying to help it hang on for just a few seconds longer.  The disc could not outrun the fierce predator, however, and made a desperate dive.  But it was too late – the missile crashed into it from above, obliterating it in a flash of heat and light.

Praetor Jennings turned back to the cadets, “
Just one Infernus can turn a successful Adept into a dead Adept.”

The Praetor tapped the shoulder insignia of the armor, “Inferni have their own rank and command structure separate from normal troopers, and are headed by their own Commandant in
charge of all Infernus operations, known as the Commandant Novus.  Below the Commandant are lesser Novus, Volcanus, and Pyrus ranks, terminating with the basic Infernus trooper.  All of them should be respected as opponents.”

In an instant, he whirled and fired a three round burst at Wouris. 

“Wait!” Janus cried and the cadets gasped, but the rounds bounced harmlessly away. 

“No penetration,” the Praetor said, “None.  Your Skadi rifle is completely ineffective against the armor of an Infernus.”  He tapped the chest plate, “
Constructed of the heaviest grade ceramium, only a Zeus or equivalent weapon has any hope of penetrating an Infernus chest plate.” 

“But speed, skill, and stealth are the keys of the successful Adept.  Your abilities will allow you to destroy any Infernus you come across.”  Wouris removed the odd helmet, making her head seem strangely small within the massive suit, and tossed
it high into the air.  The Praetor whirled again, firing three shots into the heavy visor, shattering it completely.  He snatched the broken helmet from the air as it tumbled down, and turned back to them with a stern look on his face.

“The visor is the only vulnerability on an Infernus.  A relic of design, and a counter to corporate weapons designed to knock out its vision, you must hit this spot every time,” he pointed a finger at the center of the shattered helmet, “or you will die.  This is why we only select Adepts for training. This is where you learn how much better you are compared to the riffraff that the
Corporations put in the field.  You are Adepts – you are the best.”

Whispers emanated from all the cadets, but ceased immediately as Praetor Jennings cleared his throat.

“Don’t worry, you will be ready,” he chuckled, “Of that you can be sure.  Of course, you won’t always have a good shot at the visor – especially in close combat or when attacking from behind.  In those cases, I turn to this—” He drew the slim sword on his back from its sheath in one smooth motion.

There was a sharp intake of breath from the cadets.  The sword was unlike anything Janus had ever seen.  Double-edged and straight, the weapon glowed blue, and had an almost ghost-like translucence to it.  It seemed as if it wasn’t even really there.  The two edges were thin, sharp, and separate, with a long empty channel running between them, connected only at the handle and the point of the weapon, almost like a loop of wire.  But it was straight and did not flex.  Outside of the sheath, it came alive, suddenly turning white-hot and looking like glowing glass.

The Praetor tapped the plate of metal that stood between the Infernus and the S.T. with the flat of the blade, “Alpha-grade ceramium, twice the thickness of Infernus armor.”   He spun, bringing the weapon through an elegant arc.  In a flash, the top edge of the ceramium plate was flying and spinning through the air, and the Praetor had sheathed the blade.  Wouris caught the flying debris, holding it emphatically in her hands.

Walking back towards the cadets, the Praetor took the blade and sheath off of his back and heaved it with both hands to Janus.  Janus caught t
he sword by the handle, and was knocked onto his back, staring in amazement at the weapon,

This weighs a ton!

The cadets watched in confusion as he struggled to his feet, still fighting with the weight.

Praetor Jennings chuckled, “That blade is made from a metal alloy all of you have heard of by now, but have likely never seen.  It is called Immutium – a combination of Silver, Gold,
Steel, and Titanium.  It is nearly indestructible, hence the name.  And it exhibits several unique properties.  It maintains its shape until the moment its reaches its melting point, the metal becoming nearly translucent as it reaches higher and higher temperatures.  This property, along with its many uses as an assassination tool has given the weapon its nickname – Ghostblade.  A small but efficient generator in the handle powers the weapon, heating it to extreme temperatures, and allowing it to cut through an Infernus like butter.  It has about ten minutes at full power.”  Janus flipped the weapon over, looking at a chronometer on the pommel that read 9:50 in tiny numbers. 

Jennings motioned at the weapon,
“But Ghostblades have their drawbacks, as Janus just discovered.  Immutium is deceptively heavy.” 

He pointed at the intricate sheath that held the weapon.  “The sheath is unique, designed for each blade individually.  It must hold the blade at the handle and interact with the power supply, cooling the weapon when not in use.  An Immutium blade is in many ways
useless without a sheath – even a liability.  You will find that Ghostblades require extremely precise techniques; even the simple act of sheathing the weapon requires skill.”  He gave them a grim look, “I have known many an Adept who has nearly lost a limb because they failed to treat their weapon and sheath with a certain level of respect.’