Torchworld: Akha (5 page)

Thump! Thump! A fist rapped on the door. For now, it was locked. It would take them awhile to connect to the base's network, and Serena was actively slowing them down, giving me time to hide.

"You have a few minutes. Take the tunnel downstairs and turn left. Then your second left, then right. That's the main control and communications. Alere should be there waiting."

Behind me, I could hear the fading voices of the humans I came to meet.

"It's locked girl, I can't walk through solid metal."

"Give me five minutes," the girl replied.

After that, I couldn't make out the words. I thought I could hear rumbling, but it faded as I moved down the tunnels.

"Serena, what was that?"

"They got the door open. Hurry up."

"I'm right in front of it."

The door slid up and I ducked inside before it fully cleared, and it crashed down behind me.

Alere stood in front of the screen array, his back to me.

"Does everything have to be so damn loud? Aquila was never good with efficiency. That was Serena's thing. He just wanted it to work, no matter how clumsy it was."

I shrugged. I was aware of the deep relationship these three had, and it'd proved to be useful for now.

"I have everything under joint control with Serena now. This base is ours, but it won't look like it to anyone looking..." Alere stopped mid-sentence.

"He's here too. Aquila is here."

I ducked inside the door after Lilith an watched as she crept down the stairs. Another vehicle approached outside; I don't know if Lilith heard it. If she had she wasn't showing any signs of caring. The door had clanked shut behind me. I swiped in the default locking sigil on the keypad and it flashed green in confirmation. I would have thought he'd have changed the lock sigil. Maybe it defaulted back after time, who knows.

The lights were already on. Not be the first ones here obviously, although it wasn't Aquila. He was behind us. Settlers perhaps? There was no defense system setup here. No guards, no security at all. Could it just be running by itself? I guess I should catch up with Lilith and find out.

She hadn't gone far. There was a four-way intersection and Lilith stood in the centre, spinning around. She looked back at me, shrugging.

"Which way?"

"No idea."

I peered down each passage. The centre and right one were lined green and blue along the walls. The left was lined red.

"This is an old military facility. Well, not exactly, probably a research station. In any case, they colour coded the passages."

Lilith cocked her head at me.

"Red is controls. Green is the living area. Blue is research or the armoury."

"Red then." She marched down the corridor a few steps before I pulled her back by her shirt.

"Me first. I'll sweep, stay behind me."

"I know how to shoot, you moron!" Lilith held up her lazen.

"I'm aware of that. But I know where I'm going. Moron." I grinned at her. "Ex-military, remember?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Yeah yeah, go on then." Lilith slipped behind me, and tapped her foot. I lifted my lazen to ready position and followed the red line. Lilith would have found the room fine, I just wanted to be the first in the room, and she knew that was a better idea. It wasn't long before we stood outside another door, with the lock pad blinking red. I put my hand on the door, trying to somehow divine what might lie inside.

"How do we get it open?" Lilith said.

"Maybe you should knock?" I smirked and went to holster my gun but raised it when the door slid open. A tall man in a dusty uniform stood in front of the control panel, back facing us. He turned around with his hands up.

"No need to knock. You're expected."

"No pupils..." Lilith said.

An Akhataree. I laid my gun down on the table beside me, as it'd do nothing to him anyway.

"My name is Alastair. I just want to talk to you. Both of you."

"I guess you know who we are then," I replied.

"It's my job to know what's going on," Alastair said. He relaxed his posture but kept an eye on Lilith, standing beside me with one hand on her lazen gun. I pushed her arm away from it.

"He's an Akha. Shooting him would just sorta irritate him. But you can't kill him. Especially the Companion."

Alastair smiled. "You really are smarter than you look."

I gave him a withering look. "I was smart enough to run for my life. You're not a Phoenix. You would have shot me on sight, rather than have a pleasant chat."

"You're right, I'm not. I'm a Guideflame Companion. Technically I shouldn't even be out here, but the circumstances are exceptional."

Lilith hadn't said a word, and scanned the room like a caged tiger. She finally strode into the middle of us and pointed at Alastair.

"What's going on?"

Alastair looked over her shoulder at me. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. We do need to move somewhere else before your troublesome friend gets here though."

"Mark- er, Aquila is here?" Lilith looked behind her at the open door, which Alastair promptly closed.

I nodded. "I heard someone come in behind us, I wasn't sure if you did."

The calm Akhataree glided past me, listening at the door.

"I hear footsteps. He's not especially quiet, is he?"

Lilith snorted. "You might say he's the dramatic type."

I grinned and jumped as Aquila slammed his fist on the door.

"I know you're in there! There's clear tracks in the dust!"

Alastair sighed. "I did want to transport you before talking to Aquila, but plans change." He beckoned us over to the platform he was standing on. "Come over here, I can shield you."

Lilith paused, looked back at the door then walked onto the platform. I stood beside her, lazen drawn and ready at her side. Alastair looked to the both of us before nodding and opened the door.

"Aquila Emet, welcome. I wish to talk to you." The Akha held his hands out in a gesture of peace, as Aquila glared him down.

"I don't want to talk to you alien! It's her I want to talk to." He pointed at Lilith with his gun, who responded by flipping her middle finger at him. I held back laughter and raised my own lazen at him.

"Markin, Aquila, whatever the fuck your name is. She left on her own accord. I bet you think I kidnapped your baby, but she does have a functioning brain."

Aquila growled at me but never moved his gaze from Lilith. She'd been glaring back in silence, but that usually just meant she was thinking about how to kick the crap out of you. Aquila's tense face dissolved. I could see the lines of worry and fatigue around his eyes. His iron facade was worn at the edges.

"Lilith, please, just come talk."

"Bite me, asshole."

"You're being a child!"

"Well, you treat me like one!"

Aquila raised his gun again and swept it across the group. "Don't make me hurt anyone."

Alastair raised his brows. "I'd like to see you try. I'd prefer to just talk."

"I'm just here for her."

Lilith scowled. "Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here? I left for a reason, and I'm not coming back. Crawl back in your hole and go pretend you're the rebel king somewhere else!"

I still had my lazen raised carefully, ready to shoot. From what I remembered of these control shields, you could shoot out, but not in. Defensible, but we couldn't stay here forever.

Alastair's face appeared in my mind. "I can transport us from here. Help me deal with Aquila."

I gave him a quick glance, I'd forgotten that Akha were capable of telepathy. Ego had mentioned it, but never used it on me.

Aquila was surveying the room, going over his options. Maybe regretting the fact that he'd charged in like this.

"Gun down, Aquila." Alastair was looking imperious. Then again, I hadn't met an Akha that didn't seem a little imperious, but he was far more trustworthy than Ego.

Straightening his weapon arm, Aquila pointed the gun directly at Alastair. The alien gave him a benevolent smile, untroubled. Aquila squeezed the trigger and I ducked and pulling Lilith down with me. The shield rippled and Alastair hadn't moved.

"I did ask nicely."

Aquila's entire body spasmed as a bolt of electricity jumped from the door frame, stunning him for a second. Serena materialized behind his collapsed body with a hand over her mouth. She shook her head as the man struggled to his feet. Aquila didn't even notice her presence as Alere appeared in front of him. Alere jabbed a finger at the other man's chest.

"It always has to be your way, doesn't it Aquila?"

Alere watched as Aquila used his gun as a cane. His legs were shaking.

"Your age is showing." The scorched man smirked. Alere scowled in response. "Something you denied Serena."

Aquila waved a hand in dismissal. "She has only herself to blame. Running away and embarrassing me like that." Lilith growled under her breath beside me.

"You're not surprised to see me?"

"Why should I be? I knew something wasn't right, and you've just confirmed it. You're in league with those damn aliens."

I glanced over at Lilith, who had met Serena's gaze. They both stood quiet, Serena with fists clenched. Lilith had drawn her lazen pistol and gripped it tight.

The older woman vanished and reappeared at Alere's side. Aquila stumbled back with a gasp.

Serena stood tall, looking down her nose at him.

"Yes I know. I'm dead. You blew me up!"

Alere held out an elbow and Serena hooked her arm through his. Everyone was glaring at Aquila, and he glowered right back. Except for Alastair, who was neutral as a house plant and watched on with amusement.

"If you're wondering how, Aquila, I convinced Serena to integrate her consciousness with the Core network. Thankfully, she doesn't remember you blowing her to smithereens, because it wasn't stored."

Serena drew closer to Alere and hissed through her teeth.

"I could have done more than just stun you with that shock. But Alastair needs you alive for now."

Alastair nodded. "I do indeed. Given that Aquila seems less than cooperative, I'm going to talk to you all separately. Alere, do you feel comfortable keeping an eye on him for a moment?"

Alere held his head high and scratched his chin. "Comfortable wouldn't be the word, but I will."

Aquila lunged closer to us, making the shield ripple.

"Where are you going?"

Lilith stepped to the very edge of the shield and leaned her face through it, inches from Aquila's face.

"Away from you." She ducked back before he could grab hold of her. His lips curled in a snarl. I don't think he liked it when people didn't jump to his command. I'd resolved not to be like that, as I rose up the ranks. Nobody likes a superior officer with god complex.

"Seriously mate, just calm down. You can't control her any more than I can. She's an adult, for fucks sake."

"She's mine, I found her!" Aquila said.

I felt a wave of rage sweep up my neck. Lilith raised her lazen and shot Aquila in the foot. He screamed and swore in three languages.

Lilith cocked her head. "He doesn't think of me as a person, for the most part."

"You're not a person, actually. Not in the literal sense anyway," Alastair said.

"What?" Lilith whipped her head around.

"I knew it!" said Aquila.

Alastair rolled his eyes. I picked up my jaw off the floor, this entire situation was getting weirder by the second.

"Guideflame Alere? Don't spare the stuns, but try not to kill him. I know it's tempting."

He held her head up higher, lips in a tight line.

"You too, Serena."

Alere waved his hand at the Akha's back. Alastair had already turned around and was tapping away at the screens. A small shield wall appeared around Aquila. He had less than a half metre of room on each side, from the looks of it.

I tapped Alastair on the shoulder. "Where are we going?"

The alien paused for a moment and his lips parted, trying to find the right words.

"Up, I guess. Relatively. It's hard to explain."

"Try us," Lilith said.

"I have no doubt of your capacity to understand the concept, I just lack the time to explain it right now. I'd like to separate you from him," and pointed to Aquila, "before the shield gives out. This place has little power left, and those shocks are draining."

I shrugged. No point fighting the inevitable. This Akha didn't seem to be interested in punishing me, either. And Lilith, well, she just seemed pleased to have an exit.

"Out we go. You might blackout during the transfer, Kharl. Lilith, you should be fine."

"Why?" Lilith replied, but everything went black for a couple seconds. My sight returned but I felt like I'd been hit with a flash-bang, right under my face. I saw Alastair's feet in front of me, his pants were smeared with red dust from ankle to hip. I looked up at him from the floor. Fuck, the man was tall.

"I guess I do look pretty statuesque from the floor."

"I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my head."

The Akha laughed. "I can't help it really, you humans are so emotive. It's like a radio I can't turn off."

I grunted and stood up. Lilith groaned behind me, still laying on her back.

"That fucking hurt."

She rubbed her head before sitting up.

"Hmm, I guess the Core doesn't like the taste of you. Not surprising, considering what you are. That quick experiment was fruitful then." Alastair extended a hand to help Lilith to her feet.

"And that would be what, exactly?" she replied.

"You are a Second Aberration."

"What's that, in human terms?" I said.

The alien turned and fixed his gaze on me in an unnerving manner.

"Lilith is a constructed being, designed to introduce errors in the Core network. I am almost sure she had no idea what she is, so for now she's an innocent rather than a prisoner of war. I doubt the Second counted on her being removed from Core access and being out of contact range, otherwise she would have been activated long ago."

Lilith got to her feet. "You mean when Aquila removed me from the city? Do you think he suspected what I was?"