Berserker (Messenger Book 2) Page 25

  Cena scrambled back to her feet and ran out the hatch in pursuit while Amos took out his pocket computer and activated the ship's intercom. His expression was pained as he said, his voice reverberating through the Esperanza, “Attention all hands. This is not a drill. This is not a drill. There is an intruder on base. A young Eastern female in civilian attire. All security forces, dispatch to apprehend. Upon capture, the intruder is to be brought to the secondary compartment in sick bay. If the intruder resists, you are authorized to use lethal force.”

  He switched off the com and returned it to his belt, then turned to meet Vic and Astral's plaintive stares.

  “We wanted to help her,” Vic said. “And it's come to this. God. We should have just left her behind.”

  “Sometimes there is no right answer,” Amos replied. “I just ordered my security forces to kill a scared, unarmed civilian girl. If I didn't give that order, every single person on this base might end up dead. No matter what, I have blood on my hands, so I chose the lesser of two evils—but what I did is still an evil.”

  “Well,” Celeste said, “it's only a matter of time. No matter how slippery she is, she won't be able to dodge the entire security detail for long.”

  Twenty-first Escalation

  My gleaming eyes... they flow with tears

  Ten minutes later, Young was back in the secondary medical compartment, this time strapped down to one of the examination beds. Now that she was immobilized, all the fight seemed to have gone out of her. With Esther and Moitessier busy operating on Hector and Tinubu, a nurse had been called to watch over the patient with Amos and the others.

  Vic stood next to Young and held her hand. Nothing about this sat well with him. It hardly seemed any different from murder. But if they waited for the infection to run its course, it would put the entire base in danger. There was no good option.

  “I'm sorry, Young,” he whispered. “I wanted to help you. We all did. This was our best chance... I'm sorry it didn't work out.”

  “Hey,” Young answered hollowly. “You tried. At least at the end, I got to see what it feels like to have someone care about me. I didn't think I ever would, so thanks for that.”

  “It's better this way,” Vic said. “Messenger syndrome is an ugly way to go. This will be quiet and painless, and you don't have to be alone.”

  Young squeezed his hand. “That last part helps.” She looked over at Cena and said, “Hey, hayseed. You're always going on about the Luminescence or some shit like that. You really think any of that exists?”

  Cena stood on the opposite side of the bed from Vic and took Young's other hand. “Sure I do. Why else would I follow it?”

  “You think there will be anything left of me?” Young asked. “On the other side?”

  “Of course there will, hon,” Cena replied. “The soul ain't just a byproduct of chemical reactions in the brain. It don't even make sense. How could a pack of atoms gathered from all over the universe suddenly gain a collective self-awareness? That one's such a puzzler it's prompted famous scientists to say consciousness is just an illusion and other loony nonsense. But the real answer is obvious. The body depends on the mind, not the other way around.”

  “How could you know something like that?” Young demanded.

  Cena smiled sadly. “Sticky Fingers, people a lot brighter than you and me have been arguing about this since the beginning of time. If you're expecting me to resolve the matter to your satisfaction with a bedside talk, I'm afraid you're gonna be disappointed. I believe it 'cause it makes sense to me. The world's a much more beautiful place with something to believe in, ain't it?”

  “When you're staring death in the face, it sure as hell is,” Young agreed. Then her face grew concerned. “I done... I done some bad things in my life. You think that's gonna come back to haunt me after I'm gone?”

  “That ain't my call to make,” Cena said. “But I'll put in my two cents for you.”

  “Well that's just great. Recommended by Hayseed. Stick that on my forehead before I go.” Young let out a shuddering sigh. “I'm afraid it's just wishful thinking. I don't know whether you're full of shit or what, but here at the end, I think I'd rather believe you. Catch you on the other side... hey... punks...”

  She drifted off to sleep. While she was talking with Vic and Cena, Amos had motioned to the nurse to discreetly inject her with sedative. Now that she was unconscious, he gave the nod to apply a lethal injection. Within a minute, her heart rate flatlined.

  “She's gone,” the nurse said.

  Vic and Cena released her hands. Vic saw a tear run down Cena's cheek. To his surprise, he felt his own eyes watering as well.

  Astral came next to Vic and held on to his good arm. She looked down at Young and asked, “How much did you know about her?”

  “Enough,” Vic replied. “Enough to know that she got dealt a lousy hand in life.”

  “This might sound strange,” Astral said, “but I don't think she was a bad person. I looked into the depths of her heart. She wasn't lying; she had done a lot of bad things. But she hated every second of it. She was never given any other choice, except to die. She did what she had to do to survive. That doesn't make it right, but I think that if she was given half a chance, she could have been a shining light. She'll never get that chance now.” Her voice broke and she added, “It doesn't seem fair, does it?”

  Vic pulled Astral close. “No it doesn't,” he agreed. “But maybe she's in a better place now.”

  *

  Upon completing the surgery, Esther and Moitessier kept Hector and Tinubu for overnight observation. The next morning, they were discharged and joined Vic and the other refugees in Amos' conference room, whereupon Tinubu gave a full report of everything that had transpired since their infiltration of P.S.A. Data Center B. Sitting at the head of the table, Amos listened to the report in silence, while Celeste stood at his side clutching her digital clipboard.

  “Saris' Eyes,” Amos hissed when Tinubu concluded his report. “Pierson is actually working for the Xenolists now? How is that possible?”

  “I don't know, sir,” Tinubu said. “But I think it's safe to say we know how Contact Point November was compromised.”

  “Dammit, you're right. We're going to have to scrap November and establish a new contact point.” Amos turned to Celeste and said, “Sergeant, you got that?”

  “Yes sir,” Celeste replied, tapping on the clipboard's holographic keyboard.

  “What about Janice Runner?” Vic asked. “We can't just leave her in the hands of those violent zealots. It would seem that we have a lot of questions to ask of Pierson, as well.”

  “I'll let Providence know,” Amos said, turning back to the others. “He's the information expert. He's got a lot on his plate right now, but after he reads your report, I imagine the Xenolists will go up a few notches on his priority list. I'll also issue a standing order to be on the lookout for any information related to the Xenolists, and I'll pass that along to Spacy's 323rd as well. If we're lucky, we might be able to extract some juicy intel from that prisoner you brought back. If we can get him to spill his guts, all these other measures might be unnecessary. Until then, though, as far as the Xenolists are concerned, there's nothing we can do but sit around and wait for something to break. These wipes have done a damn good job of hiding in the shadows so far.

  “In the meantime, I'd say you lot have earned yourselves some R&R. Your orders are to eat well, sleep better, and get on the fast road to recovery. It won't do to have troops of your caliber out of action any longer than necessary. I'll have you put back on the active roster as soon as Captain Moitessier and Dr. Klein declare you fit for duty.”

  “And then, sir?” Tinubu asked.

  Amos' expression was sympathetic. “I know you only intended to be down here long enough to investigate Pierson's disappearance, but there's no way we can get you back to DEEN Station under the circumstances.”

  “That's not what I meant, Colonel,” Tinubu said. “I'm just a
sking what we can do to help.”

  The others nodded their agreement.

  “I guess I should have known better than to think you wanted out,” Amos smiled. “If we can pin down these Xenolists, you'll be the first names on the force we assemble to deal with them. Until then, we need every able bodied man and woman to help with Reanimation.”

  “Reanimation?” Tinubu asked.

  “That's the name of the evacuation plan Lieutenant Omega told you about,” Amos explained. “While I'd like nothing better than to hunt down every last trace of the Concord for unleashing this pandemic, ensuring the colony's long-term survival takes priority. The more people we can evacuate to the shelters, the better our odds of restoring order when the pandemic finally burns itself out.”

  “No argument, sir,” Tinubu said. “Payback can wait.”

  “What about Light's Edge?” Cena broke in. “My people—”

  “We've already evacuated the people of Light's Edge to one of the shelters,” Amos replied. “Everyone in your family is safe. If you want, I can arrange for you to meet them while you're recuperating.”

  Cena glowed with relief. “Thank you, Colonel.”

  “Of course. Now...” Amos turned to Hector and let out a long breath. “The next question is what to do with you. No offense, Mr., um...”

  “Hector is fine.”

  “Very well. No offense, Hector, but your history doesn't exactly paint you as the most trustworthy man I've ever met, though I will grant that you seem to have done all right by my men on the trek from Luot Lengs Prison. My question is, what exactly do you intend to do now that you're here?”

  Hector seemed vaguely amused by the proceedings. “Well, Colonel, all I've ever done in my life is what I needed to survive. As you well know, augments don't exactly join Spacy by choice. It wasn't my choice to fall into the hands of a gang of drug runners, either. Now my main concern is to avoid getting caught in the crossfire between Spacy and the Concord or being infected and dying a pathetic death like our little urban waif.”

  “Real classy, Cyclops,” Cena said. “You're just a font of compassion, aren't you?”

  “You got a problem with me wanting to stay alive, country gal?” Hector shot back. “Anyway, my point is that I favor my odds better with an organized military outfit like yours. And so,” he clacked his heels together and gave a deep bow, stiffened by his injuries, “I offer you my humble services. I believe you will find my military experience to be satisfactory. You might take issue with certain elements of my background, but I assure you that, as long as you keep me paid and fed, my loyalty is guaranteed.”

  Amos rested his chin on his hands and scrutinized the one-eyed giant. Still bowing, Hector looked up and met Amos' stare with a grin. Amos flicked his gaze to the pale girl standing off to the side.

  “Astral?” he prompted.

  Astral came to Amos' side and whispered, “I'm having trouble getting a read on him. He presents himself as only caring about his own survival, but I don't think he's that simple.”

  “You think he has some kind of agenda?” Amos whispered in reply.

  “That's too specific for me to tell. What I can say is that a fierce desire burns somewhere deep within him.”

  Amos frowned. “Desire for what?”

  “That's the question. I'm not sure. But one thing I can say: he doesn't seem to harbor any animosity towards us.”

  “But can we trust him?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Astral glanced at Hector, who had straightened up and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “I don't think he would betray us arbitrarily,” she whispered. “He doesn't stand to gain anything by it.”

  “Well, there's always value in having former Spacy augments in the ranks,” Amos said. “If you say he doesn't have any ill intentions, then I'll take a chance on him.”

  Astral backed away from Amos. She glanced back at Hector and noticed him looking at her with interest.

  “So what's little albino girl's story?” he said. “She some kind of psychologist? Do I get a passing grade?”

  “You get a C,” Amos replied. “Seeing as how we need every able body we can get, that's good enough. Welcome aboard, Hector. I'll arrange an interview with personnel later, and we'll swear you in and assign you a rank based on your previous experience.”

  Hector threw a flippant salute. “Good choice, Colonel.”

  “Oh great.” Cena rolled her eyes. “Having old exosuit beater for a colleague is just what I needed.”

  Ignoring her, Amos said, “Dr. Klein, I assume he's on a full course of regen serum?”

  “Of course,” Esther replied. “Even with the rationing in place, his injuries are serious enough to warrant full treatment.”

  “When do you expect him to be fit for duty?”

  “He's one of the toughest specimens I've ever seen,” Esther said. “He'll probably be up to strenuous activity after 72 hours of regen. To play it safe, make it 120.”

  “Five days.” Amos turned his attention back to Hector. “That's how long you've got to rest up and get oriented with Aqualung. As soon as you're on the active duty roster, I've got the perfect mission for you.”

  “Sure thing, boss,” Hector said. “Who do you need killed?”

  “If you can bring me Demir's head, I'll make you the boss of this outfit,” Amos said. “But that's not what I had in mind. Your mission is to escort Sergeant Celeste and track down the illegal doctor who decommissioned you so that she can undergo the same procedure. We'll coordinate with Spacy and fellow SLIC cells for your transportation.”

  Hector scowled. “What kind of crap mission is that? I'm a warrior. Can't you put me where the action is?”

  “In case you missed the memo, the only action is Messenger syndrome ravaging the populace,” Amos replied. “With Spacy's cooperation and the Concord's forces routed, there's not much fighting to be done. Restoring Celeste to combat condition is the most valuable service you could provide for us right now. Prior to her injuries, she was the best fighter in the entire Coalition. Next to Pierson Cutter, anyway.”

  “So a Tau strain ain't good enough for you,” Hector said. “Need to get your little Chi pet all fixed up, eh?”

  Amos said mildly, “If you have a problem with these orders, I can rescind my offer of employment and have my men escort you back to the surface.”

  “Sounds like an offer I can't refuse.” Hector sighed. “All right, I'll play nursemaid for girly girl here. I can't guarantee the old sawbones will still be there, though.”

  “I only ask that you try.” Amos sat back and stretched his arms out over his desk. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think I've kept you long enough. We've got a lot of work ahead of us if Reanimation is to succeed. Rest up and I'll get you your orders once the doctors authorize you for active duty. Dismissed.”

  Twenty-second Escalation

  for lives I've rent, hearts I've broken

  Janice awoke on a table inside a medical room. As she swam back into consciousness, she glanced to either side and saw Pierson lying on another table to her right; Aksinya to her left. Pierson's eyes fluttered open and he sat up slowly. A few moments later, Aksinya let out a groan and began to stir.

  After her stay at the first base, Janice had been placed back inside the exosuit and flown blind to a second base, which was much like the first in character. She had no sense of the location of anything; all she could do was guess from the lack of windows that the Xenolist bases were built as underground bunkers to avoid detection.

  Then things had changed. Pierson and Aksinya were no longer in charge once they reached the second base. Instead, a group of masked guards clad from head to foot in black armor had arrived and taken command. It was clear that not even the First Knights were privy to the location of the Temple, the seat of the Xenolist leadership, for they were sedated along with Janice for the trip to the sacred site.

  And now they were here. After checking their vitals to make sure they
had come out of sedation without harm, the doctor left the infirmary and was replaced by several masked guards. Without a word, the guards ushered Janice, Pierson, and Aksinya out of the infirmary.

  Janice and her abductors followed the silent escorts through a corridor that curved gradually to the right. She found many characteristics of her new environment strange. Although metal panels had been installed on the floor and artificial lights hung from the ceiling, the rest of the passage was carved from stone. The geometry of the surfaces was so crude that Janice had a hard time believing the passage had been tunneled artificially. They also passed through several roughly hewn chambers that could have been natural caverns; or perhaps stopes, in which case they might have been inside a mine.

  But one thing called that impression into question. The curve of the tunnel was so perfectly regular that it could have formed the circumference of a circle. Although Janice was no expert on mining, she was fairly certain that miners did not dig their tunnels in perfect circles.

  Unable to even determine whether it had formed naturally or artificially, she finally gave up on trying to discern the nature of the facility. All she could say for certain was that this one did not have any windows, either. She was beginning to miss the light of the sky.

  “You know,” she ventured, “for an organization that worships the Xenowave, you people seem to build all of your facilities out of sight of Saris. Isn't that where the Xenowave supposedly comes from?”

  “A sharp observation,” Pierson replied. “Unfortunately, we must locate most of our facilities where they can't be spotted by aerial observation. As for the Temple... well, even the First Knights know very little about this holiest of sites.”