Trident's Forge (37 page)

“
L
et's move
, people. Hut, hut, hut, or whatever you gorillas say on the field,” Theresa yelled at the line of men and women forming up outside the station house's armory. She and Epstein were busy handing out rifles, magazines, and riot armor as fast as they could. Thirty had already answered her call to muster, and another thirty-five had already confirmed they were en route.

It was, without a doubt, they most shabbily assembled, inadequately trained, and undisciplined military force mankind had fielded in centuries. It was also the
only
military force mankind had fielded in centuries, and despite its undeniable shortcomings, it was already the most powerful unit anywhere on the planet.

A part of Theresa felt badly about that, felt guilt at the prospect of browbeating aliens with stones and spears into line with assault rifles. That part of her had been tied up and thrown in the basement the moment Feng told her Benson was alive and in trouble. She was going to rescue him, and God help anyone or anything who got in her way.

Their shuttle was already warming up, all they needed now was to fill it.

“Don't bother putting on your gear,” she shouted. “Just get out to the airfield. It's still a three-hour flight. We can kit out once we're in the air.”

An alert popped up in Theresa's field of vision. A call from Korolev. She connected it.

Theresa said, not feeling any pity at all.

<10-4, chief. Over and out.>

Theresa smiled. Yvonne Hallstead had done the smart thing and flipped on him before her ten minutes were up. Alexander had been the one to commission Hallstead to find an untraceable assassination tool, not to mention the hijacking of the stolen drones and satellites. Theresa was sure he wasn't alone, but her questions were going to have to wait until she returned from the rescue mission.

Alexander was just going to have to languish in a cell until she got back. Theresa found the thought didn't upset her very much. Her only regret was she hadn't been able to be the one to make the arrest.

They'd commandeered a dozen of the small electric carts to ferry bodies and equipment back and forth to the airstrip. Every other minute, an empty cart returned, was loaded up with as many people and weapons as would fit, then sped away, suspension sagging under the load of linebackers. They were travelling as light and fast as they could safely manage, just the clothes on their backs, armor, canteen, and a day's worth of dried rations. The shuttle would have some additional emergency supplies, especially medical, but this was a search and rescue mission that shouldn't last more than a day. Theresa wasn't going to have them putting up tents and occupying land.

The electric whine of a cart's motor quickly grew from the right before suddenly disappearing, replaced by the sound of synthetic rubber skidding to a stop against the pavement. Theresa glanced around Epstein to see what all the commotion was about. Sure enough, Acting Administrator Merick climbed out of the cart and pushed his way past the line of Theresa's waiting soldiers, shadowed closely by Lieutenant DeSanto who, she couldn't help but notice, carried a rifle at a low ready position.

“Where's Chief Benson?” he demanded of one of the Mustang's wide receivers.

“I'm right here, Merick. What can I do for you?”

“I've just received word that you ordered Mr Alexander arrested!”

“Yes,” Theresa said evenly, “I did. He'll be here shortly to be booked into the jail.”

“On what charge?”

“Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, for starters. Then there's theft, dissemination of illegal software, resisting arrest, assaulting a constable, it's a growing list.”

“Gregory Alexander is a pillar of this community. His reputation is beyond reproach. What evidence could you possibly have to justify these charges?”

“I'm sorry, administrator, but you are neither his legal consul nor the magistrate, so I'm not at liberty to share that information with you at this time.”

“It's that prisoner, that Hallstead. Isn't it.” It was not a question.

“I can neither confirm, nor deny–”

“I ordered you to extradite her to the Ark!”

“Yes, I remember, considering it was less than ten minutes ago. But she's since requested political asylum.”

“Politi… That's crazy! The woman is an accused assassin.”

“Yes, but she seems to think that her life would be in danger if she were extradited.”

“Of course her life's in danger, she's facing the death penalty!” Merick was starting to visibly shake with anger. He was off balance, out of his element, and he wasn't handling the stress very well. Theresa decided to keep pushing.

“She seems to be afraid that they won't get around to the trial part before the penalty part. Nevertheless, I have a duty to protect everyone under my custody, so she's going to have to stay here until her request for asylum can be decided on.”

“It's denied, obviously.” Merick put his hands on his hips and puffed out what little chest was available to him.

Theresa smiled. “I'm sure that will be your vote. But seeing as the next council session isn't scheduled until Monday afternoon, we won't know the full decision until then. Besides, I heard there's some upheaval in Ark Command just now. Who knows if they even still want her extradited?”

“Upheaval? You mean mutiny! Chao Feng stunned Captain Hitoshi in front of the entire bridge crew!”

“It's my understanding Acting Captain Hitoshi was interfering with Constable Feng's investigation.”

Merick stuck a finger in Theresa's face. “This was your plan all along, wasn't it?”

“I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me, we have a rescue mission to organize.”

“The hell you do. The operation to Atlantis is cancelled.”

Theresa's eyes hardened. “You just ordered me to launch it.”

“Well now I'm ordering you to halt it. The situation in Atlantis has gotten much more complicated and–”

“No, it hasn't.” It was Theresa's turn to interrupt. “It has gotten really simple. One of our people is under attack, and we're going to go rescue him. This conversation is over, Mr Administrator.”

“You're damned right it is, because I've heard quite enough. You're relieved. Constable DeSanto, place Mrs Benson under arrest for refusing the lawful orders of her duly elected superiors.”

The crowd of reservists surrounding the argument stopped milling about and stood very, unnervingly still. Several of them made a show of tightening their grips on their rifles, although muzzles remained pointed at the ground for the moment. DeSanto, feeling the crowd's energy, took his hands off his own rifle and let it hang from his shoulder by its sling, trying not to look confrontational.

“Ma'am,” he said apologetically. “If you'll come with me?”

“They arrested my husband right before Kimura tried to nuke us, too. Remember how that almost turned out?”

“I'm sorry, but…”

Just then, Korolev walked up from behind DeSanto. “Pick your next move very carefully, Ricky,” he said quietly as he stuck his stun-stick to DeSanto's neck.

“C'mon, man,” DeSanto said looking over his shoulder. “I've been given an order.”

“A bullshit order. It's Bryan Benson, Ricky. He's saved all of our asses. He's saved your ass twice now. They lied about him being dead, and now they're lying to stop a rescue so they'll have another chance to finish the job.”

“This is too big, Pavel. Guys like us just have to do what they're told or we end up making shit worse. We got rules.”

“Rules these people aren't playing by,” Theresa said. “It's my husband, Ricky. Just let me go save him.”

“Lieutenant,” Merick said. “If you don't obey my order right now, you will be charged right along with her.”

DeSanto's face twisted as he chewed over his options, none of them good. Finally, he arrived at one, carefully reached up with one hand, unsnapped his rifle from its sling, and set it on the ground. “Administrator, I regret to inform you that I have decided to resign, effective immediately.”

All eyes turned to Merick, who took a big step backwards under the sudden pressure. “This is a revolt,” he said angrily.

“Oh no, it's all by the book,” Theresa said, shooting a smirk at Korolev.

“This isn't over, chief constable.”

Theresa took a big stride forward and put a finger into Merick's chest. “That's the first thing you've gotten right since you pulled up. This isn't over, not by a long shot. I'm going to go retrieve my husband. When I get back, I'm going to have a few questions for Mr Alexander and Captain Hitoshi. And when I'm done with them, I imagine I'll have some questions for you, too. Like, what panicked you in the middle of our call before you came here just now? And why did it seem to coincide with Bryan breaking radio silence? And why was your first impulse to come here and cancel his rescue?” She straightened her back and crossed her arms. “I'm sure you'll have some very entertaining answers for me.”

“You're insane,” Merick half whispered.

Theresa leaned to talk into Merick's ear, matching his volume and pitch. “Count on it.”

Merick half ran, half stumbled back to the cart, then peeled off in the direction of the Beehive. For a moment, everyone stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at each other trying to figure out what had happened.

“Well,” DeSanto broke the silence. “Guess I'm out of a job.”

“Did anyone hear Constable DeSanto resign?” Theresa asked the crowd, and was immediately answered by a chorus of “No”s and shaking heads.

DeSanto smiled. “Thanks guys, but the administrator heard it loud and clear.”

“Oh, I wouldn't worry about that,” Korolev handed him his rifle back. “I don't think the good administrator will be in a position to accept your resignation for very long.”

“And he's got more pressing concerns on his mind,” Theresa said as she watched the cart speed off down the street. She turned to the line of reservists. “Well? Don't just stand there like a bunch of cattle. Get on the damned shuttle, we have a rescue mission to fly!”

K
exx stole
a look back at the bridge just as Benson scooped up Kuul and started running back toward what remained of the caravan on the other side. Kuul, ever the consummate warrior, continued firing from Benson's shoulders. Kexx wasn't the only one to notice. The frenetic pace of shouting and clanging spears slowed as every pair of eyes on both sides watched the two of them run and fight as a single animal. Even their pursuers stood on the far end of the bridge, transfixed, their chase momentarily forgotten.

Then, the thunder from the gun ceased, bringing an eerie stillness to the scene. With a shout, Kuul chucked the gun into the canyon. The spell broken, the dwellers realized the threat of the gun had evaporated. There was now nothing stopping them from charging over the bridge and wiping out every last member of the caravan in short order.

They needed more time. Ze'd have to improvise.

Kexx grabbed up a discarded spear in each hand and ran back for the bridge. Benson saw zer coming. “Kexx, what the hell are you doing?!”

“I'm stalling them. Go!” Kexx ran past the human and Kuul without slowing until ze could see the pupils of the charging horde. Ze skidded to a stop and crossed zer spears.

“In Varr's name, I command you to stop!”

Admittedly, it had already been a pretty weird day for everyone. The Dwellers had all seen their first humans, many of them saw their first gun. And now a solitary truth-digger armed with only a pair of spears and righteous indignation had elected to face down a charging army.

It proved to be a little much.

The pursuers ground to a halt, forming a battle line six bodies across, spears out and pointed less than an arm span from Kexx's head. Yet they did not strike, more out of curiosity for what the crazy person was going to do next than any actual sense of intimidation.

“We stopped, truth-digger,” the leader taunted. It was only then that Kexx noticed the bound leg. It was the first time ze'd seen the Dweller elder in the light. “What's next? Are you going to dance for us?”

The mass of warriors laughed behind their elder.

“You have broken your oaths,” Kexx said, trying to keep zer growing terror out of zer voice and off zer skin. Ze needed to project absolute confidence. “You have attacked a truth-digger before zer accusations have been resolved. Did you honestly believe there would be no retribution from the gods? Has your faith fallen so far living in the dark?”

The elder, still nameless, looked back at zer fighters growing impatient for blood. “Looks like the retribution will be ours, Cuut spawn. But please, you live in the light. So
enlighten
us.”

“Kexx!” Benson called from the opposite side of the bridge. “Get the fuck out of there!”

It was time, then. “Your sins have been weighed in the names of Xis, Cuut, and Varr, and now their judgment falls upon you!” Kexx uncrossed zer arms, raised zer spears high into the air, then brought their obsidian points crashing down into the black stone of the bridge, shattering them with a crack and sending the shards flying in every direction.

And that was it. Nothing else happened. Suddenly, Kexx found zerself staring down fullhands of warriors with nothing but a pair of overly long sticks. The elder warrior laughed, long and hard. The rest of the horde joined zer. “That
was
impressive, truth-digger. But I think I can do better.” The elder reversed zer grip on zer spear and hauled it back, preparing to plunge it into Kexx's forehead. Then, without warning or explanation, everyone on the bridge was cast in a bright red light. Their skin tone changed, washed out until they were all glowing like the setting sun. Everywhere the light touched, their skin felt warm, like a sunburn. The elder warrior paused in mid strike to look at Kexx in alarm. “What's happening? How are you doing this?”

Kexx looked back at Benson. “What's going on?” ze shouted in the human tongue.

“It's a low power range-finding laser. They're adjusting for atmospheric distortions!”

“What does that mean?” Kexx asked in a panic.

“It means get off the fucking bridge, you idiot!”

The red light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Everyone on the bridge sighed in relief. Everyone except Kexx, who dropped zer broken spears, pointed to the far side of the canyon, and started scrambling as fast as zer weary legs could carry zer. “Go back!” ze implored the Dwellers still standing about. “Return to your city!”

A few of them followed zer advice and ran for the opposite end of the bridge. Many stood around dumbly, hoping in vain for clarity. But the warrior elder would not be denied.

“Stop, coward!” ze bellowed, shambling forward as quickly as zer injured leg would allow. “No more tricks. Face me like aaaAAAAHHHHHH!”

The shriek quickly changed in tone from one of anger, to panic, to fathomless pain before dissolving into a sizzling noise as the elder's body disintegrated into smoke and ash. The walls of the canyon and onlookers on the far side of the bridge were washed out in white light, brighter than the midday sun. The skin on Kexx's back, shoulders, arms, and legs felt like ze was facing away from a wildfire.

Then, it got worse. Behind Kexx, the rock wasn't melting. The amount of energy being transferred was too devastating. Instead, the bridge boiled away directly into a scalding cloud of expanding gas. Around the perimeter of the armspan-wide circle of light pouring into the black stone, rock chips shattered and flew in every direction like tiny daggers, piercing Kexx's skin in a fullhand places, yet barely distinguishable from the burn ze already felt.

A voice in zer head, growing in strength, demanded that ze drop and curl into a ball, but ze ignored it and channeled the terror into zer legs. The bridge let out a deafening
crack
, then groaned under zer feet, violently shifting to one side so quickly that Kexx nearly fell flat on zer face. Kexx threw out zer hands to catch zer fall, then scrambled on all fours even as the angle of the stone underneath zer sagged alarmingly fast. The single span of rock had been split in two by the light spear's assault.

“Get up, Kexx!” Benson shouted. “The bridge is collapsing!”

No shit
, Kexx shouted internally as ze regained zer balance and leaped forward. Benson stood right at the foot of the bridge, an outstretched hand promising salvation if Kexx could only reach it. The light and heat disappeared, but the burning on Kexx's flesh remained.
Later
, ze thought,
just move
. Ze dug deep, ignoring the fire in zer muscles and tapping whatever tiny reserves of strength and energy ze had remaining, then surpassing them. Kexx surged forward like a flash flood, eating up the last few armspans between zer and safety.

Then the bridge fell away entirely. Kexx jumped, pushing off from the mass of falling black rock with all of zer power. For a long, glorious moment, ze was just… floating, as though ze'd been transported back to a childhood summer spent fishing in the ocean. No feeling of weight pressed down on zer feet or bones. It was, Kexx thought, a lovely final sensation for zer return to Xis. Maybe it was a small mercy Xis was affording zer for a life well lived. It was a pleasant thought.

And then something made of rock snatched Kexx's wrist out of the air, crushing down on it like the jaws of an ulik. Kexx stopped floating, and started dangling over the chasm. Ze looked up and into Benson's waiting eyes.

“Gotcha,” the human said.

Kexx looked back down just in time to see the two halves of the Black Bridge, along with the tumbling bodies of those Dweller warriors who'd stood their ground, plunge into the river with an enormous splash of water and foam.

“We did it, Kexx,” Benson said, zer smile bisecting zer face as ze clamped down on Kexx's wrist with zer other hand. Kexx realized Benson was not alone. Another fullhand of hands held onto zer clothes, keeping them both from falling.

“Yes, we did, Benson. Now can you
fucking pull me up
, please?”

B
y the time
the Dwellers on the other side of the canyon had regrouped and their shock at the devastation had begun to fade, Tuko and the rest of zer force had made their way down the cliffs, easily dispatching the few scouts foolhardy enough to engage them.

The two armies stood on opposite sides of the chasm, throwing rocks and taunts, spoiling for a fight but lacking the physical proximity to have one. Kexx lay face down to avoid aggravating the burns on zer back, flanked by Kuul lying on zer side worrying after the spear in zer waist, and Benson standing between them, doing whatever ze could to make the two of them comfortable.

Then, in the distant air, Kexx heard an eerie whine, one ze'd only heard once before. It wasn't long before the humans' great bird circled overhead, held aloft on four powerful hurricanes. It picked a flat, open spot on Kexx's side of the canyon to settle down, then disgorged
seven fullhands
of humans holding guns.

Suddenly, everyone's enthusiasm for fighting faded.

“Wait here,” Benson said as soon as the great bird touched down. “I'll bring help.”

Kuul asked Kexx to translate, then laughed when ze heard what Benson had said and grasped at the spear shaft still sticking out of zer hip. Kexx laughed right along with zer.

“What did he say?” Benson asked.

“He said, ‘We're not going anywhere, deadskin,'” Kexx said, chuckling.

“Oh. Right, of course not. I'm getting help.”

“Can't wait.”

Benson and Mei ran off to welcome their tribe members, leaving Kexx and Kuul alone.

“I was wrong,” Kuul said quietly.

“Yes, I know,” Kexx said sarcastically. “What about this time?”

“I'm trying to say something important, truth-digger. Don't mock me.”

“I'm sorry,” Kexx soothed. “What do you mean?”

“I was wrong about the humans. They are ignorant, but strong, and honest, and brave. We should trust them.”

“I don't know about all of them,” Kexx said. “But I know we can trust at least two of them, and that's a start.”

“I dishonored myself that night I took Benson's gun,” Kuul continued. “I hoped ze would die. Expected ze would, because without it, I thought ze was weak. But then ze saved me
with my own spear
. And today ze handed the gun to me, trusted me with it to defend us both. Who does that?”

“Was ze wrong, Kuul? You did fight for Benson, and Benson fought for us. And together, we won.”

“We did, didn't we?” Kuul let zer head roll back to rest on the hard packed dirt. “It was a good day.”

“That it was.” Kexx experimented with resting zer head on zer hands, which were not as badly burnt as the rest of zer arms and back. Ze watched with a distant sort of interest as four human figures ran toward them from the great bird. Two of them were Benson and Mei; the others, Kexx didn't recognize, but one of them stayed very close to Benson. Ze was shorter than Benson, but not as short as Mei, yet shared more in build and figure with the smaller human. Ze was svelte and moved with less stiffness than Benson, despite being thicker in certain areas. Long, straight hair adorned zer scalp.

The fourth human was hunched over, burdened by a pair of large sacks with the same white circle and red crossed lines Kexx had seen before when Mei pulled Benson back from returning to wherever it was humans went after death. A healer, then.

Benson stopped just short of where Kexx and Kuul lay. “Kexx, Kuul, this is my, er, mate, Theresa.” Ze held a hand toward the truth-digger before moving on to the recumbent warrior. “Esa, this is Kexx and Kuul. These are my new friends. They saved my life.”

“
Our
new friends,” Theresa corrected. Ze leaned down and took Kexx's hand. Zer palm was soft, yet firm, conveying the urgency present on zer face. “Thank you, Kexx. I won't forget it. And you, Kuul.”

Kexx translated. Kuul made a small flourish with zer arm. Theresa stood back up, looked sternly at the healer, and pointed at the pair of them. “These two get whatever they need. Do you understand me?”

The human healer went to work on their injuries, applying a generous amount of antiseptic to Kexx's burns, cooling them immediately and bringing immense relief. Then, ze moved on to the spear in Kuul's side.

Kuul allowed the human to help zer without interference or complaint. It was the third miracle Kexx had seen in as many days.