《Fire at Will [Mech Sci-Fi Military]》


 Ch. 1 O.A.Ts

    O.A.Ts


    <hr>


    May cause injury or death.


    The words hung over Will''s head as he read the terms and conditions on his tablet. The thin plastic screen felt slick as his palms began to sweat.


    He shuddered and lowered the slate tablet. The dimly lit exam hall was filled with nervous, hushed conversations, and it was with a start that he realized he was not alone in the hall anymore. Tablets flashed in the dim setting as the students made their way past rows of jet-black VR pods. Dressed in identical navy-blue uniforms, they headed for the squat box-like simulation tanks that were lined neatly where their desks and chairs used to be. Seven feet long and laid flat on the ground, the machines came about waist-high and could easily fit any of the present seventeen-year-olds.


    The floor vibrated as they powered on, and LED lights blinked on its surface as the devices booted up. Will had already found his. The roll number was 27351, and it was displayed prominently on the device''s head in vivid red. The number flashed with slow, ponderous regularity; sure its user would come to it. Patient, silent, and waiting. Ominous.


    Will brushed off a lock of dark hair that fell over his eyes and focused on the waiver once again.


    May cause injury or death.


    Would the same number be used to identify him if he failed to climb out of this coffin?


    The document, though filled with legalese and lawyer jargon, made one thing abundantly clear: he wasn''t supposed to be anywhere near this machine.


    The Overall Aptitude Test was taken by tens of thousands of high schoolers every year, but there were some serious conditions and medical requirements that had to be met¡ªconditions which he most certainly didn''t meet.


    May cause injury or death.


    His brown eyes were transfixed on those five words. The school formals felt stifling over his CAD suit, despite the air-conditioned room.


    Hair fell over his eyes again, and he brushed it off. The cut was a little lopsided, compliments of his sister. They had no fancy droid to play hairdresser, so it was she who volunteered. Bless her heart; she was so enthusiastic about it too. It was an important day, and he had to be presentable.


    He had a pleasant enough face - hazel eyes, a straight nose, and a slender jawline. He would say that he was already presentable enough; but no, he had to dress up. Cufflinks, lapel pin, and ''new'' dress shoes. The navy blue dress suit was something that they got second-hand, and he had gotten pretty good mileage out of it. The gilded accessories were faker than paper money, but the CAD suit he had underneath the uniform was a whole other matter. It was what interfaced with the Simulation machine, and the scholarship didn''t cover it. His mom had to work overtime and pulled so many double shifts that the hospital put her on notice.


    He didn''t think it was fully paid yet. Hopefully, they could return it and get some of their credits back. The loans were piling up high with his sister''s school fees and his medical bills. The scholarship was the only thing that was keeping them barely afloat.


    He fished out a locket hung around his neck. The old silver chain jingled as he pulled, and out came a circular picture holder. In a world of sims and slate vids, this was practically ancient. He ran his fingers across its smooth surface and found its clasp. With a small click, he popped it open and gazed at the smiling faces of his mother and sister. Smiles from a better place, at a better time.


    His story was not uncommon in the undercity. Many undercity factory kids like him wanted to move up the tower, but very few made it as far as he did. The scholarship selection process was ruthless, and its elimination rate even more fierce. All the same, he had made it to the very end despite his disability. This was his final year, and this exam could be his last. Graduation would mean a permanent place up the tower, and he could bring his family along with him. His mom had already made her contributions, and with him ascending, they could bring along a minor - his sister. With her enrolled in a good school here and graduating herself, they could say they had truly made it, risen up and beyond. A stable job, good food, and a comfortable life.


    For all that, there was only one thing that was required: a final hurdle. He just had to make it through today. He had prepared for this for three years ever since he got his scholarship. At this point, the exam would be a cakewalk, except for this final obstacle...


    May cause injury or death.


    Was he being irrational? The test had been taken by students every year, and there was never any news of anyone dying.


    Thousands of students from the lower slum district like him had taken these exams, and there were no problems then. Who hasn''t lied about their age or fudged their sim hours here and there? Who hasn''t been a little less than forthright about their medical history?


    He was sure that there were people in this very room that suffered the same condition he had, and they too would pass just fine. So why would it be any different for him?


    Will had already known the odds and calculated the risks and come to terms with it. And despite all the calculus and mental preparedness; knowing that there wasn''t a single iota of chance that he would be caught when so many others hadn''t, there was always that lingering sense of doubt. The nagging question of if... What if...


    "William!"


    He yelped in surprise. "Son of a¡ª" The curse fell short at the brown-haired boy in front of him. The freckled idiot didn''t seem to notice his anger and beamed at him without a care.


    "Remy," Will finished with a scowl. The hall became unusually quiet at his sudden outburst as several students turned towards the two of them. Eyebrows twitching, he gave them polite nods until they went back to their tasks; a few of them shook their heads.


    "Dammit, Remy," he hissed. "Do you realize we are in an exam?"


    "Yeah," said Remy with his arms spread wide. "Isn''t it great?"


    "Great?" He blinked in surprise. Remy Soto excited for exams? Well, this was a first.


    He gave the reedy boy a once-over. The brunet had his hair tied up in his usual man bun, but he had traded his school formals for a garish red single-breasted jacket and horrible lime green pants. The ill-fitting ensemble clashed horribly. If fashion was a crime, then this would have been a double homicide. Was this his way to show his enthusiasm for the coming test?


    "What''s so great about the exam?" Will asked, puzzled.


    "Well, duh," said Remy, pointing at the simulation pod. "Full-body VR. This is the first time we''ll be in one, baby!"


    Will''s face fell at the reminder. "Oh yeah... that."


    Remy raised an eyebrow. "I expected a little bit more enthusiasm."


    "Like you?" asked Will.


    "Of course."


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "This is still an exam, Remy," Will deadpanned. "It should be illegal to be this happy."


    Remy chuckled. "So dour."


    "Not dour. Stoic," said Will.


    Remy shook his head. "Dour and pedantic."


    "Don''t forget handsome," said Will, looking at the tablet once more.


    Remy leaned in to have a look. "What are you reading?"


    Will let out a breath and handed over the tablet. Remy tapped the screen. "Terms and conditions?" he looked quizzical. "What? Who reads this stuff?"


    Will sighed and pointed out. "Start from the third line in subsection 7."


    Remy shrugged. "Medical condition exclusion. The Overall Aptitude Test (OATs)... competitive exam... requires a high level of physical and mental fitness," he skimmed through the first few paragraphs until he reached the indicated section.


    "The waiver recognizes that individuals with the medical condition of late-stage APS or Stone Man Syndrome..."


    Will unconsciously touched his right knee. His fingers traveled down his shin and found...


    "... a rare genetic disorder that causes the progressive transformation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments into bone tissue, ultimately leading to a loss of mobility and flexibility."


    Stone. Muscles turned to stone and flesh to bone. The misshapen lump that was his right leg or what was left of it was attached to cold, hard steel. The cold metal jolted him awake, and he let go of his leg. The foot landed on the floor with a metallic clang.


    "Therefore, to ensure the safety and well-being of all candidates, and to maintain the integrity and fairness of the OATs, individuals in the later stages of APS are prohibited from taking the OATs.


    "Late-stage participants who decide to take the OATs do so at their own risk and waive any right to claim against the examiners or their affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents for any seizures, injuries, or other health issues that may arise from taking the OATs." Remy grimaced but continued to read.


    "Additionally, late-stage participants who choose to take the OATs and experience seizures, injuries, or other health issues as a result, will be disbarred from participating in the test in the future." Remy scoffed and waved his arms in mock fright. "Ooh, scary!"


    Will sighed with his back to the simulation pod and drifted down to the floor, not caring about his dress suit. The floor was cold, but he ignored it as he rested his head against the VR pod.


    Remy chuckled, bent low, and whispered, "Just meaningless upper tower bullshit. You are not taking this seriously, are you?"


    "Murphy''s Law is inevitable, Rem," Will grimaced as he patted his defunct leg. "Prepare for the worst."


    "And hope for the best...," said Remy. "You always forget the first part."


    Will craned his neck to quickly scan the surroundings and made sure that no one was watching before retorting, "Now who''s being pedantic?"


    Everyone around them were busy with their own tasks, and the VR pods had effectively obscured Will from view. He sat back down and rolled up his right trouser leg while Remy shifted slightly to cover him better.


    Beneath the cheap polyester suit pants was his prosthetic leg. The metal limb was constructed with a steel carbon fiber composite, making it both lightweight and flexible. He flexed his ankles experimentally, and the limb complied flawlessly. The dull grey, artificial limb was almost a part of him now, and controlling it was almost second nature.


    Will ran his hands over the leg and performed a quick inspection of the joints and external sensors. The metal limb had been extensively modified for his personal use, and near the top of the prosthetic, where it attached to his calcified limb, was a square window. He pressed down firmly on it, and it slid to the side, revealing the skin beneath.


    The skin was bone white. Will used one finger to press down on it. It was hard and unyielding with no sensation. It was mineralized to the point of being a calcified rock. Even the artificial limb showed more life than this piece of dead flesh.


    "How is it?" asked Remy from the side.


    "Same old," Will replied.


    Will rummaged around in his pocket and brought out a sealed Medi-vial. The glass tube was filled with a shimmering yellow liquid: a morphogenetic protein inhibitor. He broke the seal to the micro-injector and brought it to the exposed calcified region.


    "My entire scholarship hinges on my recovery," he braced himself. The next few seconds would not be pleasant.


    He gritted his teeth and pressed down on the release button. There was a sharp hiss, and the Medi-vial emptied the pressurized inhibitor into his leg.


    It started slow, then fanned into a raging flame. His muscles clenched as his body was purged. The flesh that had been dead until now came alive as it burned. "Son of a-" he cursed through clenched teeth. "I''m supposed to be in remission by now."


    Remy knelt down beside him and squeezed his shoulder. "You will be."


    The burning continued, and Will held on, shaking. The vial was near its end. He had to make sure it was fully emptied. He couldn''t afford to waste any of it, not a single drop.


    Remy whistled. "Goddamn. That''s a hundred creds a bottle."


    Will was burning money with each vial. The inhibitor was tailored to him and targeted his protein chains responsible for his psion channels going haywire. Since it was custom-made, the cost ballooned out of proportion. It was a good thing that he wasn''t paying for any of it. The scholarship took care of that. Hopefully, they would not learn about the state of his disability just yet.


    The shaking soon died down, and Will gathered himself as he rested his head against the pod. He clenched the empty Medi-vial, unwilling to let go, and let out a sigh. "I''ll admit it. I am a little worried."


    Remy took a seat right beside him on the floor. "Only you can feel the state of your channels. And this is the final year. Few more months and we get our degree. So¡­" Remy slapped him on the shoulder. "Relax. Unless you say anything, no one is gonna know."


    "But I''ll know," said Will.


    Remy waved it off. "This ain''t philosophy class, Will. They won¡¯t know shit when you don''t say shit. It¡¯s that simple. It¡¯s going to be fine."


    Will snorted. "Why don''t I believe you?"


    "Hey, life is too short for worrying."


    Will shook his head. That was Remy, alright. He had the remarkable ability to ignore anything he didn¡¯t like.


    It was surprising how they managed to stay friends with how different they were. Will was all about the plans and executing them with regimented efficiency. The linear and clear goals were comforting. Knowing exactly where you have to go and what you have to do filled him with a sense of security. Because anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It is better to be safe first.


    To Remy, however, such a restrictive life was stifling and damning as death itself. A dreamer and an optimist, he always followed his whims. Spontaneity to the point of stupidity. The guy was just about ready to try anything if it was wild enough. You didn''t need a red jacket and green pants to figure that out.


    "You know I''m right," said Remy. "I mean, look at us here at last, end of the year and graduating. It''s time to move up, move to better things, baby. It''s the good life from now on."


    Will smiled. "All caviar and vacation sims, eh?"


    "You better believe it."


    Will reached for the locket around his neck. It was warm in his palm. "No more factory smoke and random gunshots. That would be something."


    "I got it made." Remy leaned back and stretched. "Got a lot of offers for a coder-grower, but with a Psypher diploma under my belt, sky''s the limit. I''ll move up the tower."


    Will smiled. "I would just be satisfied paying off my debt. Repay the loans, move my sister up here, and set her up in a good school. Thinking about tower construction. They won''t stop building new floors anytime soon. The pay will be good."


    Remy chuckled and nudged him with his shoulder. "Not bad for a couple of slum kids, eh?" He clapped his hands, and Will looked at him annoyed.


    "This calls for a celebration," said Remy.


    "Celebration?"


    "Yup." Remy motioned to his new dress suit. "I''ve already started."


    "What?" Confused, Will reevaluated the red and green outfit. "That''s right. You still haven''t explained the clown suit."


    "Clown suit?" Remy looked offended. "I went through a lot to score this."


    "Looks like you pulled this straight out of the scrap shop."


    Remy opened and closed his mouth. "I did. But that is not the point! I wore this to celebrate Awakening Day."


    "Oh, right," said Will after a pause. Awakening Day was a coming of age ceremony. The ritual day shifted year to year, but it is usually celebrated around the time of the exams. In fact, the final exam and the rite of passage had historical significance attached to each other.


    The students took full advantage of that as an excuse to start partying. After all, it was a moral imperative that they honor tradition, right? But Remy''s reason for celebration was still a little premature.


    "You are early. Awakening Day is still a week away," said Will.


    "No reason Awakening Day cannot turn into Awakening Week. I''m just following tradition. This used to be a week... no, a month-long affair."


    Will laughed at the blatant bullshittery. "Sure, it is."


    "Look up the scriptures," said Remy. "The ritual lasts from Awakening Day till the Returning Day. Don''t take it up with me, take up with the temple." He pointed towards the ceiling.


    Will followed his finger, amused. A soft chime echoed around the room. Remy blinked in surprise and stared up too.


    "Attention all students." A smooth feminine voice spoke through the speakers. "Your exam starts in fifteen minutes. Please stand by your assigned tanks. Thank you."


    The slow hum of the machines resonated through Will. Even the floor vibrated as it thrummed with the VR pods.


    "Booyah, let''s go," Remy clapped his hands again. Still seated, he spread his arms out wide and stretched. Will let out a breath and touched the VR pod. It vibrated under his palm. Its startup sequence was near its end.


    There were sounds of footsteps and shuffling of feet as the examinees hurried. Amongst all that chaos, there was something that cut through all the noise. The distinct clack of a pair of high heels that was steadily coming closer, until it was right on top of them.


    Remy and Will turned and came face to face with a pair of charcoal slingbacks.


    "And what, may I ask," demanded an authoritative voice, sharper than a monomolecular blade. "Is going on here?"

 Ch. 2 O.A.Ts 2

    Will looked up and saw Mrs. Barnett, his homeroom teacher. She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a white blouse and a formal black skirt. Her square glasses completed her severe look. Tablet in hand, she was making her rounds when she stumbled on the two of them.


    "Do get up from the floor, Dunn," said Mrs. Barnett. "Leave something for the droids to clean."


    They immediately shuffled to their feet. Will''s right foot was still a little tender, and he had to lean on the machine for support.


    Mrs. Barnett turned to face Remy and gave him a once-over. "You are out of uniform," she stated. "What is that ridiculous getup?"


    Remy was enthusiastic. "Just wearing Awakening Day colors, ma''am. The red represents the sun temple, and the green is the Hallucia mountain. What do you think?"


    "I think you should get back to your pod, Soto." Mrs. Barnett was already on her tablet, typing away. Apparently, she had already evaluated Remy''s excuses as irrelevant. "And next time, you will be in your uniform, won''t you?"


    "Uh... yes, ma''am," Remy said sheepishly.


    Mrs. Barnett was tough but fair, despite being from the upper tower. She clearly didn¡¯t want to give Remy grief over his dressing choices right before an important exam.


    "Now, roll number 27351. William Dunn." She looked at Will pointedly.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "Excellent. Next, Rowan Kade. Roll number 27372." She frowned. Will followed her gaze and found the VR pod, at the end of the row, abandoned.


    Mrs. Barnett spoke in a clipped tone. "Is Rowan absent or having fun rolling on the floor like you two?"


    Will shook his head. "There was no one there."


    Remy followed. "We didn''t see anyone coming there."


    She clicked her tongue, exasperated, and walked towards the end of the row. "Back to your pods, boys," said Mrs. Barnett, and with a final clack of her high heels, she was gone.


    "Hey," Remy turned to Will, "Is Rowan Kade close to your pod?"


    "Looks like it."


    Remy snorted. "Kade!"


    "Another headache to deal with."


    "You be careful," said Remy. "Idiocy is infectious. And that dumb brick has less going on upstairs than a one-story house."


    "A one-story house?" asked Will.


    "An open-air one-story house¡ª" A shadow loomed over them, and Remy broke off mid-sentence to look behind.


    A tall boy with a military crew cut stared them down; his square jaw working slowly over a piece of purple gum. He ground his teeth like he wanted to chew their heads off instead.


    His large frame was barely contained in the navy blue uniform. Silver cufflinks and a high-end wristwatch completed his look. The watch itself was worth more than everything Remy and Will owned. He was the real deal. A true upper tower blue blood. A towerite that hated the two of them ever since they had been in the program.


    "Kade," Will said shortly.


    "Dunn," finished the big boy.


    "Well, well, well," said Remy. "If it isn''t Mr. living proof evolution can go backwards."


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Rowan Kade looked at Remy like something he had stepped in. "F--k off, Soto. I''m here for Dunn."


    Remy stepped forward, but Will put a hand out to stop him. "What''s this about?"


    Rowan stared down at Will for a while. "Stay away from the Wagners."


    "What?" Will frowned. "Wagner?" Was he talking about the Wagner sisters? Will had never interacted with them much.


    "What are you talking about?" asked Will.


    "I''m warning you, Dunn."


    "What I do," Will stepped forward, "and who I''m with, has nothing to do with you. Now get back to your pod. Don''t you have an exam to fail again?"


    Rowan stepped forward and came face to face with Will. There was a crunching sound. Will glanced down and saw his prosthetic being stepped on. The metal had given way. He slowly looked back at Rowan with rage in his eyes.


    "Stay away from her." Rowan spat out the wad of purple gum onto the floor. "This is the last time I''ll be saying this."


    The big boy straightened up and walked off. Will was filled with boiling rage. Remy was about to go after him, but Will stopped him again. "Not here."


    They watched Rowan walk to the end of the row and get into his pod. It was a while before they said anything.


    Remy chuckled. "Going after the upper tower girls. Gutsy."


    Will frowned.


    "Be careful," said Remy. "The Wagners are loaded. This won''t be the last time you see some peacocking."


    Will snorted. "Bull. I have no idea what that was about."


    "Sure, sure," Remy patted my back. "Good luck with the exam."


    Remy walked off, and Will shook his head. The ass left without even giving him a chance to explain himself. There was a creak from his leg, and he reluctantly bent down and examined the prosthetic. He flexed and turned his metal ankles and watched his now scuffed dress shoes rotate with his prosthetic foot. Everything seemed to be normal. The actuators seemed functional. The real damage, though, was in the outer plating hidden beneath the dress shoes, but there was no way to examine it right now. A fresh wave of anger coursed through him. There was no solution to this. The shoe itself was difficult to remove and put on during the best of days, much less when he was minutes away from the exam.


    A soft chime interrupted his inspection.


    The crisp feminine voice spoke once again. "Attention all students. You have five minutes to the start of the exam. Please enter your pods and sync in. Thank you."


    Will was still angry, but he pressed on. With a tap to the side, the pod opened up with a hiss. Cold air rushed out as the top cover split into two and slid to the side. Inside was a chair that was fully horizontally reclined. The armrests were counterintuitive in their design, hollowed-out pockets fused to the rest of the chair.


    He climbed in with some difficulty. His prosthetic was giving him a bit of trouble. He held his heavy metal leg with both hands and swung it in place with a grunt. There was a little bit of finagling involved as he adjusted his foot on the paddles. After adjusting his feet a little bit more, he laid down flat.


    "Welcome, user." The same feminine voice spoke, but this time from within the simulation tank. "Are you ready to begin?"


    He let out a shuddering breath, still angry. The plates on his prosthetic creaked.


    "Ready," he breathed out through clenched teeth.


    The machine hummed in response. "Readiness confirmed. Closing pod now."


    Lights flashed across its surface. The top cover slowly slid closed till the outside world was a thin line of light. With a click, the lid was fully closed, and he was encased in darkness.


    "Establishing machine-human interface. Please hold."


    He felt a helmet sliding in place around his head and connecting to his CAD. The respirator came next. It sealed around his face, and cold air rushed into his lungs. It burned as it went through. The air was highly oxygenated, mixed in with a cocktail of drugs that was supposed to put him in a half-dreamlike, hypnagogic state.


    He let out a shuddering breath, still angry. Despite the cold, Will was burning on the inside. His teeth were bared, and his metal foot creaked as he flexed.


    Crunch. He heard the sound of Rowan''s foot coming down on his leg.


    Crunch. The memory looped as he replayed the events.


    "I''m warning you, Dunn." A wad of purple chewing gum flashed through chomping teeth.


    Crunch. Will''s whole body was tense, muscles clenched tight. Metal ground against metal as he flexed his prosthetic foot.


    "Stop!"


    His hand drifted to the locket around his neck. He needed to calm down. All of this would be worth it. He traced the familiar edges of the locket and flicked it open. It was pitch black, but in a sense, he could still see his mom and sis, smiling back at him. Smiles from a better time, from a better place.


    The machine hummed once again. "CAD connection established. Commencing pre-interface diagnostics."


    Will held onto the locket with his eyes set. That better place wasn¡¯t far away now. There was only one step left. He tucked away the locket back under his shirt and gripped the armrest.


    "Neural interface checked. Biometrics checked. G-class prosthetic limb interface detected. Target locked."


    This was the part that had terrified him from the start. He gripped the armrest harder. The machine shook as it went into overdrive.


    "Connection established. Initializing startup sequence."


    Sweat beaded across his forehead.


    "Neural dive in 5, 4, 3..."


    White-knuckled, Will gripped the armrest.


    "2, 1..."


    And here we go.


    "Launch."

 Ch. 3 O.A.Ts 3

    Will''s hazel eyes shrank to pinpricks as the VR launched. There was a flash of strobing lights; the world fell from under him, and he was shoved down a tube of light. It got faster and faster until the light, his body, and reality itself got pulled through a single bright point.


    There was a rush of invisible wind as the world exploded anew in binary, and his digital avatar floated high above the world. An endless blue sky surrounded him, and far ahead, he could see the horizon and the curvature of the Earth.


    "Woah! Wait, hold up!" Will yelped as he felt the pull of gravity, and he started falling once again. "Where the hell have they spawned me?!"


    He flailed his arms wildly, and he saw a dark shape rushing at him from below. No, that was wrong - he was accelerating towards it at terminal velocity. Will tucked his arms in and rolled out of the way of an airship.


    "Son of a¡ª" he screamed as the airship zipped by. He spotted several more ships in the distance. A shadow fell over him and Will looked up. A Nimitz-class dreadnought passed overhead. Eight hundred meters of metal and steel glided by. it was accompanied by several smaller vessels that kept formation around the Nimitz.


    "That''s odd," muttered Will. The dreadnought rarely left home base. "So that must mean..."


    Will tucked his arms in and swiveled around. Through the mist and clouds, he saw a mountain. Or what one would assume was a mountain, but the base, foundation, and mile-wide pillars supporting it would tell you it was man-made. A man-made tower that could dwarf mountains.


    Tower Atlas-Mons was impossibly, unimaginably huge. It stood akin to a wall at the edge of the world. So massive, it looked like it was carved by the world itself and weighed enough to tilt the Earth''s rotation.


    Built after the last world war, in the aftermath of the nuclear rain of Final October, it survived mutants, famine, and civil war. While the rest of the world was an irradiated wasteland, Atlas-Mons became a haven. The last tower. The last cradle of civilization for mankind.


    "Whoa," breathed Will. It''s not every day one gets to see the tower from this perspective. Was the entire tower supposed to be the game map?


    The clouds shifted, and Tower Atlas was obscured again. Will fell through more layers of clouds. He was surrounded by a white haze. Tiny ice crystals pelted him, and he had to cover his face as he fell. The wind picked up, and after a few seconds, he was through.


    Will gasped as he broke out of the clouds, only to find the ground closing in on him fast.


    "Crap! Crap! Crap!" Will flailed trying to slow down his fall.


    "Calibration complete," said a smooth, feminine voice.


    Will blinked in surprise. A screen popped in front of him showing his vitals and biometric data.


    "I/O channels online, all systems green. Sync rate adjustment in progress. Welcome, new user."


    The screen disappeared in a haze of pixels, and in its place, out popped a spherical drone.


    "Arrgh!" Will yelped at the sudden appearance of the drone. The grey soccer ball-sized bot fell alongside him as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Its large central camera zoomed in on him with a mechanical whirr.


    "Candidate 27351. Prepare for touchdown."


    The bot''s audio was tinny and robotic. It had none of the human inflections that the feminine announcer had. The exam''s AI invigilator was a droid to the core in its programming.


    A forcefield sprung around Will, and the bot dragged him off towards the Tower. They sped even faster, and Will had to struggle to keep his eyes open. They broke through the clouds and zipped down the tower. Numerous floors blurred by, and Will kept his eyes closed to prevent himself from hurling.


    The sound of rushing wind vanished, and Will came to a sudden stop. The forcefield around him disappeared, and Will''s feet hit tarmac, and his knees buckled. Before he knew it, he was sprawled across the floor, hugging the asphalt as though his life depended on it.


    "Candidate 27351."


    Will groaned as he blinked his eyes open. Groggily, he got on all fours and looked around. He was in one of the Tower''s aircraft hangars.


    "Candidate 27351, acknowledge and confirm readiness."


    The grey drone bobbed above Will''s head. Its large camera whirred as it scanned him.


    Will stumbled to his feet with his hand clutched over his chest. His heart was still in his throat at the sudden surprise dive and stop; he needed a minute. Head bent and stomach clenched over, he raised a finger as he tried to catch his breath. However, the social cue was lost on the AI.


    "Candidate 27351, acknowledge readiness."


    "The name is Will." He groped around his neck for his locket, but it wasn''t there. The VR didn''t deem it necessary to add it to the sim.


    "Candidate 27351."


    "Will."


    "Candidate 27351."


    "W... I... double L, Will."


    "Candidate 27351, acknowledge readiness."


    "Fine, acknowledged." He threw his hands and was surprised that they flowed smoothly. With a few eye commands, the status window popped up in front of him. The sync rate steadily ticked up on the screen.


    "Candidate 27351. State your full name."


    Will looked back at the exam droid. "William Dunn."


    "Do you have any scholarship?"


    "Yes."


    "State the name."


    "Rockmore Accelerated Learning for Future Engineers."


    "Acknowledged," the AI hummed. "Have you satisfied all the necessary conditions for the application of the scholarship? This includes the resident coursework."


    "Yes."


    "Subsection 7, Medical Records: Please confirm that your fitness is up to the standards required for this test."


    Will''s heart skipped a beat, and his breath caught in his chest. "Yes, I confirm. Confirm to all."


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    "You are stating that you have read and reviewed all the relevant documents?"


    "Yes, confirm." He tried not to hyperventilate and took long, deep breaths.


    "Candidate 27351, your heartbeat is irregular. Are you sure about your fitness for undergoing this exercise?"


    "Um...," Will gulped. "I ran a 12-mile marathon before coming here."


    There was a hum as the AI processed that information. After a few tense seconds, its single-eyed camera refocused on Will. "Acknowledged."


    If he was out of the VR, Will would have been drenched in sweat. He sneaked a quick glance towards the status window, and red icons flashed back at him. It was still abnormally high. No matter what happened, Will had to keep a lid on his symptoms until the end of the test. He let out a breath and reassured himself. This was totally doable. It was no problem. He had to take long, deep breaths.


    "Candidate 27351." The AI adjusted its glaring eye with a mechanical whirr. "Your documentation has been approved. Considering your past medical history and inherent dangers of the O.A.Ts, there are some safety protocols that you must be aware of."


    Will nodded, and the AI continued.


    "The user''s neural impulse, feedback, and psion channels are directly linked to their avatar and synchronized with the virtual world. Wavering outside the prescribed threshold will pull the user out of VR."


    Will saw the sync rate drop on its own accord. The world around him flickered, and he was back in the pod, but this time, the interior lights were lit, and he could see.


    "It is crucial that all test takers are aware of the emergency exit mechanism in each VR pod," said the AI. "The foot paddles inside the pod are designed to serve as an emergency lever, which can instantly shut down the VR and eject the user from the pod."


    Will craned his neck to look at his feet. The helmet made it difficult to see, but he could make out that his legs were resting on the paddles.


    "It is strongly advised that all test takers familiarize themselves with the location and function of these emergency levers before beginning the test."


    Will pressed down lightly and felt the spring-bound paddle push back. If he pressed any harder, he would be knocked out of the sim.


    The AI allowed Will a few more seconds to play around, and then there was a chime in his helmet. The window displaying his vitals popped on the H.U.D. The sync rate climbed back up, and he was back in VR.


    "Whoa," said Will. "That was weird."


    The screen with the vitals disappeared, and a window with terms and conditions replaced it. The waiver had been the same one that he had been reading outside the pod. The window scrolled to the bottom.


    "Please leave your signature to confirm that you abide by the terms and conditions discussed above," said the AI invigilator.


    Will signed the document, eager to get this part over with.


    The AI hummed as it processed the documents. A few seconds later, there was a chime.


    "Processing complete," said the AI. "Welcome to the O.A.Ts."


    Will gave a nervous nod. The AI drifted towards the hangar exit, and Will followed.


    "You are about to enter a live fire exercise," said the AI. "The simulation will last ninety minutes and will test your channel endurance, field control, and ability to think under pressure."


    They stepped out of the hangar, and Will had his first glimpse into the Tower''s outer shell. A vast open floor stretched in front of him. The ceiling soared to the height of around thirty feet, supported by giant pillars.


    "Prepare for mission briefing." The exam bot buzzed. "Loading game map."


    The world rippled around Will, and he saw the Tower change. Railway tracks crisscrossed the floor, and massive facilities popped up in a haze of pixels. Fortified regions were spawned, manned with gun turrets and weapon platforms. Next came the people, frozen in mid-action throughout the region. They all looked in the same direction, and Will followed their gaze towards the tower''s outer wall.


    "We are at Floor 50, Wing 34C," said the AI. "There is a breach in the outer shell of the tower."


    The breach got highlighted in red as the bot finished. A good section about the outer wall was busted open. Because of the distance, he couldn''t judge how big the breach was. It looked about 3 meters, but he wasn''t sure.


    "The breach has triggered a mutant beast invasion. Unfortunately, the strong radiation from outside the tower is preventing our defense force from fully engaging the enemy. Reinforcements are called, but they will take a while to reach the area."


    At the command of the AI, the tower forces were lit up in red. Will could see their silhouettes highlighted in red through the tower walls. They were quite a ways away and were rushing in to plug up the gap.


    "The next point of interest," continued the AI, "are the shield generators." Three giant cylinders, evenly spaced through the zone, glowed red.


    "The signature shields are the main reason that the mutants are prevented from swarming. They are responsible for keeping the radiation at bay. Loss or breakdown of the shields would mean a quick loss of the defending forces."


    Will nodded. "I guess my task is to repel the mutants and keep the outer shell free from incursion."


    "That is correct," said the AI. "You can eliminate the swarm or hold out until the reinforcements arrive."


    "Right."


    "There are two roles to play here," the AI stated. "Warrior and Builder." The two forces lit up in red and blue. All nearby military personnel glowed red, while the mechanics and techies shone blue.


    "Fight the mutants and drive them off as a warrior or repair the shield generators and protect the tower as a builder. What will you choose?"


    Will looked thoughtful. "Can I switch the roles midway through the exam?"


    The AI processed the question. "The primary goal is to free the tower from the mutant incursion. Your initial choice only decides your starting location."


    Will let out a breath. This was a choice he had made long ago: move up the tower and make good money. "I choose the builder."


    "Acknowledged. Loading scenario." The AI went still for a second. "Entering combat zone. Be advised."


    A ripple passed through the tower once more, and the world resumed. The people previously frozen in time were now in motion, and Will found himself hoisted by the drone once again. The AI unceremoniously dropped him into a group of rushing soldiers.


    "Watch your six!"


    "Secure the breach!"


    There were a few disjointed, panicked shouts from the soldiers.


    Will''s legs hit the floor. He stumbled but righted himself and continued running. Smoke lingered, carrying the distinct smell of gunpowder, amidst sporadic gunfire and cursing. Overhead, the emergency sirens rang long and deep.


    Slightly out of breath, Will scanned for the shield generators. The overhead lights flickered. The ceiling stood thirty feet high, with floodlights gradually pivoting towards a singular direction. The breach lit up like a Helio room under the focused lights.


    There was debris everywhere, and a large chunk of the wall was missing. It was big enough to fit a small airship, and yet the hole remained a dark void. The outer wall was several meters thick and hid the outside world behind a veil of concrete and steel.


    Irradiated snow and ice blasted through the hole. Soldiers rushed in and lined up in front of the breach. They faced the incoming blizzard head-on and fired into the breach at whatever came screaming through the void. And oh, did they come - wild with the promise of violence. A single harsh screech rang out, loud enough to drown out the gunfire.


    Will shuddered. "Damn, what was that thing?"


    "Incoming!"


    "Take cover!"


    The plastcrete floor exploded, and something small and fast ricocheted off the ground, narrowly missing Will''s leg. The mutants were firing back. He cursed and dashed towards a large cylinder in the distance. The shield generators were now in sight.


    The generator was fifteen feet tall and nearly halfway to the roof. Rusted metal plating adorned its weathered surface, and current arched through its top. His skin prickled as he got closer. It was like a buildup of static, and the closer he got, the stronger was the effect.


    Two techies with yellow overalls were huddled behind the large machine, and they waved him forward as soon as they spotted him. He took the hint and joined in.


    "Lookie here, we got a live one, Jay," said a heavyset man with his hand elbow-deep in the generator''s internals. "About time we got some assistance."


    "Yeah," said Jay, a thin man with dark shadows under his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder at the breach in the wall. "Mutants, couldn''t have picked a worse time."


    "What makes you say that?" Will crouched low and analyzed their work. Stray strips of wire, a Rense''s cup, and a spare bolod - a broken power coupling most likely.


    "Half the system is down," said Jay.


    "Half the system is always down," said the fat man. "Listen, kid. We''re severely short-handed, so you''re gonna have to do a lot of the leg work."


    "Leg work is good," said Will. "I''ll be responsible for the shields, I''m guessing."


    Several flechettes banged off the metal plate of the cylinder.


    "Damn," Jay flinched.


    The chubby techie ignored his colleague. "That''s right. Handle the shields while me and Jay over here go bring back the weapons system online."


    "Got it," Will nodded.


    The fat man extracted himself from the generator''s guts and handed Will a tablet. "Blueprints, schematics, everything you need. Tools are in the bag over there." He straightened up and clapped Will on the shoulders.


    "Come on," the plump man hauled Jay to his feet.


    "Good luck," said Jay.


    The chubby techie nodded, and the duo rushed out of cover. With a few quick sprints, they disappeared among a group of soldiers.


    Will raised an eyebrow. That was quick. The bots sure were skittish. Talk to them long enough, and they end up in a logic trap. The devs always kept interactions short and brief.


    There was a crackle of electricity, and smoke billowed from the generator''s internals.


    "Whoa there," Will rushed to fix the sparking generator.

 Ch. 4 O.A.Ts 4

    Will waved the smoke aside and dove in. The suddenness of the breakdown had startled him, but he had already gone into fixer mode. He disconnected wires and applied insulation foam. The rig looked stable for now, but who knows when it would break down again. He cursed and fished out the plump techie''s tab and went through the machine''s diagnostic system. A window popped up, and he could immediately see the problem.


    The power transformer was on the fritz, causing the bridge rectifier and the psion regulator to malfunction. They all had to be replaced.


    Will cycled the machine into half-power mode and began his work. He had made adjustments like this thousands of times, although not under gunfire. Other than that, this was standard. There was plenty of work in the undercity for a fixer. They didn''t bother asking for someone certified either and preferred someone cheap. That wasn''t nearly enough money to support a household. Hopefully, he could get his license and move up.


    Will ignored the rain of bullets around him and focused on fixing the machine. His hands were fast, and his movements were smooth. The sync rate must be on point. The floating VR window was present in the corner of his eye, and with a few eye commands, he brought it up. 85%... 87%... 86%...


    The numbers fluctuated as he worked. The selection criteria for O.A.Ts had always been a bit opaque, but Will suspected that sync rate level played a major part in it. A hidden variable that measured their talent.


    All the other tests had been completed. But sync rate was a whole other matter. It signified something much deeper. How well could you meld with a machine? How deep could you go? Sync rate was related to all of this and could indicate how far you could go as a psypher. The corpos would be very interested in knowing their future aptitude.


    Will slid the new regulator in place and brought the machine to a full cycle. There was a thrum, and his skin prickled like a live wire. The shield generator was back in action.


    Will slotted the generator''s cover back on when the borrowed tablet beeped. He fished out the techie''s tab and read the new message.


    "Oh for the love of..." He bit back his curse. There was another generator breakdown.


    What were the odds? There was no way that another generator would break down the exact second he was finished with the first one. This was just the O.A.Ts being the O.A.Ts. And now he had to leg it all the way to the other side of the floor without getting shot. Several flechettes pinged past the generator''s shell in acknowledgment of that fact. He ignored the stray metal heads and sneaked a look at the breach.


    The soldiers were still there, and the guns were still firing, but this time there was something more. Something reached out of the breach. Shadow-like flesh and long, spindly limbs. It was big as a man and thrice as fast. So fast its afterimages left a smear of shadow in its wake. There was a blur of movement and the flash of eight compound eyes.


    "Shit!" He cursed as the chittering began. "Spiders."


    He couldn''t breathe. His skin crawled, and his vision swam. They were everywhere, chittering-scuttling, eyes-on mouths, fangs on teeth, biting, clawing, eating.


    He tore his eyes away from the amassing horde and hid behind the generator, breathing hard. He hated spiders.


    Will shuddered. It took a while to bring himself back to a place where he could move again. His heart raced, but he put a lid on that screaming part of his mind - Used logic when faced with terror. The questions will keep the mind occupied. He forced himself to look back at the breach.


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    The mutant arachnids moved with such speed that they were barely visible. They only paused to fire projectiles from their mouths. There was a ping as the flechettes left their skulls, almost like a gun.


    That was very unrealistic; there was no spider species that had that kind of ability. Even their swarming pattern was wrong; they moved too strategically. In fact, they were behaving like proper infantry despite their suicidal mass charging.


    This entire scenario was pure fiction. The devs could have substituted humans as the opposing force, and it would have made no difference. Granted, the spiders were way more terrifying and wasted more resources, but a smaller human force would be making the same moves the arachnids did. Which begged the question: why have spiders at all?


    Maybe, it''s because the examiners didn''t want them fighting human-looking opponents? Imagine the scandal of a student suffering from PTSD from a VR kill. The PR alone would be a nightmare. He shuddered. If only they had picked something other than super gun spiders.


    Will let out a breath that he had been holding and gritted his teeth. He had wasted enough time already. The alert that he had received from the tab was still active, and the second generator still needed to be fixed. As soon as he spotted a gap in the enemy fire, he shot off towards the next generator. Stray flechettes zipped past him, but he somehow managed to dodge them all. It was when he reached the generator that he noticed the machine was giving off acrid smoke.


    Will made a quick connection to the machine diagnostic and found a mess. Every major component was blinking red, and the data was nonsensical. He touched the generator''s side, which housed the electronics, and found it unnaturally warm. The control board must have fried, which meant the sensor data was useless. The inspection would have to be manual. Just great; one curveball after another.


    Will half-cycled the generator and crawled into its internals. He pulled apart wires and disconnected all non-critical components. The burnt control board would be the first to go. He tossed the electronics out and started on a new board. The work was tedious, but he had the generator up and running after fifteen minutes.


    The tab beeped once again right after he slotted in the generator''s outer cover. He groaned. He had a pretty good idea what the message would say; sure enough, the third generator now needed fixing. The exam was predictable at least.


    He made it across the floor in record time and went to work on the third generator. The fix this time was a small one, and he managed to wrap it up in five minutes. As if on cue, the tab beeped once again, and he was off to fix another clunker. This continued for a while. Generators needed fixing one after the other, and he spent the better part of twenty minutes on the run.


    Will panted for air as he sprinted, his heart rate up and his breath coming out in shallow gasps. Tired and out of breath, he stumbled behind the very first generator he had fixed. Couple of flechettes slammed into the big machine, but he was too spent to care. There were thirty minutes left for the exam to end. Even with the clock ticking, he had to take a break.


    He breathed in long and deep. The last few problems had a certain pattern to them. Thirty minutes would mean two laps around the floor; so six generators left to fix. He would have to pace himself. This was the final stretch, and the finish line was close. He just had to hammer the goal in.


    Will took another deep breath but coughed. His breath came up short. No matter how hard he breathed, his lungs felt empty. There wasn''t enough air around him. His head spun. His hands trembled, and the tab hit the floor with a thud.


    "What is...this?" Will rasped. There was something wrong. He blinked the eye commands and brought out the VR window. The floating screen was filled with red numbers. His heart rate was through the roof. Blood pressure was high, and the sync rate fluctuated wildly. It was the same for his other vitals.


    "This can''t be right." Will brought out the data history. Graphs popped out in front of him; with a few adjustments, he flattened out the variance and saw a pattern. His condition was in a steady decline from the start of the exam. That made no sense.


    He swiped the window aside and brought out the medication log. The VR administered a few drugs to keep the users under. This was to separate the motor control of the real world and the virtual one. He ran through the numbers, and two stood out. There was a slight uptick in Dextroamphetamine and Termadol. The machine wasn''t calibrated properly and had upped the dosage by two percent.


    "Oh no... oh no no no." Termadol wasn''t even supposed to be in this machine; it had always been Lupropion. The drug switch and increase in dosage would have been trivial for anyone else, but not Will, not in his condition. He reset the dosage to its proper setting, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. A shudder ran through him, and his whole body shook.


    He was about to have a seizure.

 Ch. 5 O.A.Ts 5

    Will had read the terms and conditions front to back. Its instructions were clear: during a medical emergency, one must terminate the simulation and ask for assistance. But he couldn''t do that.


    He wasn''t ready for explanations or an interrogation. He was about to have an attack right now. It could happen any second. If the faculty knew the true state of his condition, then he would face permanent termination from the Psypher program, declared untrainable and unfit - uninvestable. He wouldn''t move up the tower, and neither would his family. They would be stuck in the undercity, with loans piling up; counting the seconds until the bank comes to collect their dues. There was no way he would let that happen.


    The only way through this was to fight it head-on. He needed to brave through and finish the exam. The question was, how would he do that? How?


    Another tremor ran through him, and he gritted his teeth. Whatever the case, he had to figure out a solution now, while he could still move and think.


    The VR window popped up an alert. Red numbers were all over the screen. His heart rate had exceeded 210 bpm, and his sync rate had cratered. The world around him flickered as it hit thirty percent. The virtual and the real world blurred, and he caught glimpses of the insides of the VR pod. The sync rate continued to dive. It zipped past the twenties and was now in the teens - it was at near free fall.


    "Candidate William Dunn." The AI materialized in front of him. Its crimson-eyed camera gleamed red.


    "Fuck!" Will screamed in his head.


    "Your vitals are showing unusual readings. You are advised to terminate the exam."


    Will put on his most obsequious smile. "Hey buddy, fancy seeing you here."


    "Candidate William Dunn, with your current condition, it is not possible to continue the exam."


    Shit, shit, shit! think fast! Will smile didn''t waver as he clutched his chest. "Oh, this? This is nothing. It''s just gas."


    "Gas? Unknown command. Please clarify."


    "I just ate some spicy food right before the exam. This is just a side effect." Will''s heart raced a million miles a minute. It was akin to a runaway train. he had to calm down - slow down. Breathe.


    "Candidate William Dunn..."


    "Hey, what did the undercity droid say to the upper tower brat?" Distract the bot. Buy time. He snuck a glance at the VR window; his bpm was steadily dropping.


    "Unknown command. Please clarify."


    "If two wrongs don''t make a right, then maybe three lefts will?"


    "Candidate, it is strongly advised that you terminate the exam. Your current condition is highly irregular."


    "I think you would be wrong there." said Will. His heart rate had dropped below 170. "My condition is quite stable now."


    The AI froze in mid-air as it processed the new information. "Condition has stabilized. However, there is a 73 percent likelihood you suffer from APS. According to the T&C form you have signed, you will be disbarred from your test if it becomes clear that you don''t satisfy the physical requirements for the Psypher program."


    Will gulped.


    "The exam will be resumed. Good luck, Candidate William Dunn." There was a flash, and the AI blipped away.


    Will slumped back and tried not to shudder. He was in the shitter now. His sync rate was hanging by a thread. The seizure was coming no matter what, and he could, at best, hold out for another ten minutes. he would not last till the end of the exam; and that was an iron-clad fact.


    He chewed on his fingernails. Time was the issue. Ten minutes wasn''t enough to fix all the generators, and besides, the damn things broke down sequentially. The exam wouldn''t adjust its pre-programmed schedule just for him.


    There had to be a way out of this. The victory conditions for the exam were quite simple - hold out till the reinforcements arrived or purge the mutants before they do.


    Will froze. Purge the mutants before the time limit. That was it - the only win condition. Will looked past the generator at the spiders at the breach, then at the other two generators off in the distance. His eyes glazed over as he ran the calculations. The field strength needed, the number of mutants, and the energy requirement, he analyzed it all. The data converged into a single answer. His eyes gleamed.


    He grabbed the tablet and his tool bag and rushed to the second generator. There was a chance. It was a slim chance but a chance nonetheless.


    He dodged around two groups of soldiers. Flechettes rained down around him. One of them clipped the side of his leg but he didn''t stop. He dove behind the second generator and started his work.


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    The plan was easy to state but hard to execute. The problem with the shield generator was its coverage. Its power was spread out all around it while the breach was at a set location. If he managed to concentrate all that power of three generators in one particular spot, that would end the spiders once and for all.


    The shield generator spluttered as he changed its setting. Current arced through its top and it got fiercer by the second. Will could physically feel the power reduce. His skin stopped prickling as the generator gathered power. It would store the added psion charge and release it when all the generators were in sync.


    Will slung the tool bag back over his shoulder and rushed to the next generator. The spiders screeched in delight as they felt the drop in field strength. They rushed out the hole in mass, and the soldiers fired into them with abandon as they retreated.


    He made it to the next generator and began his work. He adjusted the settings, and the generator groaned as it built up more charge. There was a crackle of lightning as the current got stronger. He was on his feet and running before it even cycled to full charge.


    The only generator left was the first generator, the one that he had fixed at the start of the exam. It faced the breach head-on. The spiders broke through the first line of soldiers. A few strays rampaged through the back lines.


    Regret, fright, and desperation fueled his reckless sprint. There was a familiar whiz as flechettes came at him from all directions. He used the tool bag to cover his head. They struck the bag like thunder. One particularly nasty flechette ricocheted off the floor and speared him through his leg. Pain lanced through his hamstrings, but he didn''t stop.


    He crashed into the first generator and tore open its cover. His fingers shook as he opened up the tool bag. Broken pieces of equipment greeted him. The flechettes had ruined almost all the tools.


    "Shit," he cursed and grabbed whatever tools that were left and dove into the internals. This had to be done manually. His hands shook, and his spine tingled. His whole body vibrated as the shakes grew fiercer. He gritted his teeth and worked faster. He was nearly done; with this last adjustment, the shield fields would be synchronized, and it would fry every last one of those buggers.


    Sweat pooled on Will''s forehead. His heart rate shot through the roof but he ignored it all and focused on the machine. Several loud thunks echoed inside the generator as flechettes hammered into it. There were yells and screams outside. He ignored that too and his whole world converged on the machine parts around him. His breath came out in ragged gasps, but his fingers danced over the controls. There was just him and the machine.


    He was at the end. Just a bit more, and it would be done. The VR window popped up in his blurred vision, and red lights flashed at him. He could feel the sync rate drop.


    "Candidate William Dunn. Your vitals have reached dangerous levels." The spherical form of the AI loomed over him.


    "I''m fine," Will grimaced. Any second now, and he could have his attack. He wasn''t sure that he could hold on a second longer. The world around him flickered, and he felt his foot on the emergency paddles. He clenched his fist. He would just have to press the emergency exit button just before he fell under.


    "Candidate William..."


    "I''m fine," he cut off the AI. "The sensors are malfunctioning."


    The droid paused as it analyzed the response. It stayed still for two solid seconds before it responded. "Subject must be removed from a malfunctioning sim pod for safety."


    "Wait, wait, wait!" Will panicked. "The sensors are fine! I purposely caused these unusual vital readings."


    The droid fritzed like it crashed. "Nonresponsive, unable to calculate, Response invalid."


    It was all about buying time now. He had to make up something, anything. "The higher heartbeat allows me to respond faster to the VR. Think and act instinctually. It is by design."


    The droid hummed as it calculated, and Will dove back to work. The insides of the generator started to smoke as it carried the load of the new parameters. He ignored the steady buildup of heat as he connected the various components together.


    A little more, and he would be done. He had to push through. The generator rumbled, and outside, the spiders screamed in a chitinous chittering mass. He tuned it all out and poured his very last will into the machine in front of him.


    "Candidate William Dunn."


    This was it; he was done. Will initiated the final command into the control board, but the shield didn''t power on. In fact, it wasn''t receiving any power. "Goddammit!"


    He dove back into a mass of cables to find the power coupling.


    The spiders were out in full force now. Flechettes came down like rain on the generators. The chittering had turned into a roar as the insects amassed.


    "Candidate William Dunn. Prepare to be disconnected from the simulation. Your condition is¡ª"


    Will pulled the cables together and connected the two. The generator roared to life, and the field was back online. All the generators aligned the fields and focused them into a tight beam aimed directly at the breach.


    A giant pulse flared through the floor. Soldiers were scattered like ninepins, but they remained relatively unharmed. The spiders, though, started smoking as the shockwave rammed through them. The screeching nearly tore apart his eardrums. The mutants rolled around on the floor as if their skin was on fire. No, their skin was on fire. Sparks arced from them, and steam hissed out of their exoskeletons as they were cooked from the inside.


    A deafening cheer rang out amongst the soldiers, and Will slumped to the floor with a grin. he had done it. He had finished the exam. He had won.


    "Candidate William Dunn," the AI began.


    "And then there is you." Will smiled. "Sorry, bud, but it''s my win today."


    The pain was immense. His leg was on fire, and his nerves were set ablaze. His metal leg bored into his right knee like a hot knife. The leg shook so much that he could barely keep it steady over the foot paddles. Despite all that, he had a smile on his face.


    "Later, bud. Hope to see you never." Will pressed down on the paddle hard. It clicked into place, and he waited for the VR to dissolve into the void.


    Nothing happened.


    Will frowned and pressed down once again. Still nothing. He stepped on the pedal repeatedly, but the machine didn''t respond. Eyes wide, Will lowered the sync rate and peered into the sim pod.


    His metal foot was pressed firmly on the pedal, but the lever was stuck. A long string of purple gum went from the back of his prosthetic to the underside of the pedal. The purple gum blocked the lever completely. Purple... Gum.


    Will''s pupils dilated in shock and surprise. "That bastard."


    His ears rang, and his vision swam as he felt the stab of a thousand knives rake across his flesh. The pain lanced through his leg into his spine. Will''s back arched as he lost all feeling in his body, and he fought to stay conscious.


    The seizure took him with full force, and he was pulled into an ocean of pain. Trapped in a prison of his own flesh, he screamed into the void.


    "Fuck!"

 Ch. 6 Floor-50 1

    FLOOR-50


    <hr>


    Spiders skittered over the metal faces of dead machines - mechs, exos, giants in human form. The light clack of eyelids blinking in the dark, a flash of bared teeth. Jaws unhinged as they bit down, and the metal gods screamed.


    "What? Where..." Will gasped.


    The shrill, high-pitched pod alarm jolted him out of the waking nightmare. Error messages flooded his H.U.D.


    "Test objectives cleared. Commencing termination of simulation. Warning. Abnormal vital signs detected. Terminating simulation. Unable to terminate."


    The machine repeated the same messages, trapped in a dead loop. Still bleary-eyed, it took him a moment to orient himself. The beeping and flashing screens finally clued him in.


    The test...


    his ill-conceived plan to gun the objective...


    almost making it...


    and then the gum...


    Purple...


    "Goddamit," he let out a hacking cough and cursed through clenched teeth. "Rowan Kade!"


    Will glared at his prosthetic. The metal leg might be stuck, but his real one was free. With great effort, he raised his natural leg and scraped off the gum stuck in his joints and the paddles. His metal leg creaked as he cleared the gunk.


    With the gum gone, he could move his prosthetic again. He stepped down on the paddles. The lever clicked into place, and the VR pod was forced to reboot.


    The helmet unsealed with a click, and the respirator came off. The simulation tank opened with a hiss, and Will groaned as he pulled himself up from the pod.


    His arms shivered as he was halfway up. His strength was exhausted, and he couldn''t hold himself up. His arms gave out, and he fell back into the pod once again.


    Breathing hard, he tried once again and managed to sit up. Even that was too much. He slumped to the side and caught his breath. His entire body ached. It was the same after every seizure, being rendered weak and helpless. But this time, he was provoked, forced into this state by someone else''s hand.


    He swung his legs out of the pod and looked around for Kade. He was going to kill that bastard.


    He got to his feet. The prosthetic creaked, but he ignored it. The exam hall was abuzz with chatter. The lights were switched back on, and the students gathered in small groups, discussing the test.


    He pushed past the crowd and headed for Rowan''s pod. Getting to the end of the row, he found all the pods empty. A faint mist still hung around Kade''s VR. He leaned forward and touched the top of the pod. It was still cold to the touch. He must have just missed him. The pod had been in use a few seconds ago.


    "Hey, Will!" greeted Remy. He beamed as he jogged up to Will, but the brunette''s good cheer faltered when he spotted the ugly look on his friend''s face. "Woah. What happened?"


    "Kade," Will snarled, breaking into a tirade of curses. He explained what happened, and Rem looked equally thunderous when he was done.


    "He can''t have gotten far," said Remy.


    Will gritted his teeth, barely able to talk. Both of them took off for the exit, pushing past people, making their way out of the classroom.


    Will limped as he walked. The prosthetic was well and truly jammed, but he didn''t want to stop now.


    The crowd of students were headed down the building. Most of them crowded around the elevators, but a few took the stairs. Remy and Will muscled their way past them and rushed downstairs.


    "Hey, watch it!" came a yell, but they were gone before anyone could protest.


    "Do you see him?" asked Remy..


    "No," said Will.


    Remy frowned. "Jamboor, Teasten, none of his other cronies are around either."


    The twenty stories zipped by in a flash. His prosthetic gave a mournful squeak as it hit the floor in the ground floor lobby. He gave the foyer a quick scan. It was nearly empty. The front entrance was closed, and the students were required to leave through the rear exit.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    They made their way past the administrative section and the ground floor classrooms. The crowd was slow-moving, and they squeezed past them to reach the back of the school and the general assembly area.


    The wide open hall was filled to the brim with students. The crowd was thick in this area and none of the students seemed to be in a hurry to leave the school.


    Will and Remy scanned the hall. Overhead skylights beamed down artificial light mimicking the noon-day sun. Along the walls were statues made of white marble and obsidian. Several statues of former alumni were placed there on raised daises. At the feet were the sculptures of several preening geese, the school mascot, who looked up adoringly at their charge.


    Ignoring the pompous menagerie, Will surveyed the milling students. There was still no sign of Rowan.


    "Damn" Will muttered.


    Remy shook his head in disgust. "He''s probably already out. Ran away like a coward."


    Will clenched his fist. If Rowan wasn''t there, then they would just have to go out and find him. Both boys squeezed into the crowd and made their way towards the exit with grim faces.


    The general assembly area offered a direct exit out of the school, and the crowd slowly meandered their way out of the hall. The crowd moved too slow for the boys and they had to force their way forward.


    Will struggled ahead when he felt his leg give under him. The metal leg came down with a clang, which was followed by a sharp squeak that cut through the din of the crowd. The prosthetic refused to move, and he nearly fell over.


    "Whoa!" Remy grabbed him before he could topple.


    "Shit!"


    "Bruv, your leg."


    The metal limb refused to move.


    "Damn my leg," Will cursed and allowed Remy to drag him out of the crowd. The prosthetic lay beside him, limp and useless. He reached down and found more gunk in the prosthetic joints. It was the purple gum. He hadn''t managed to get it all out in the first attempt.


    He took the gum out with distaste and threw it to the floor. His foot squeaked as he tried to move it. Metal parts scraped against each other. It was still clunky.


    "That doesn''t sound good," said Remy with worry.


    Will looked down at his leg. Remy was right. The prosthetic was still stuck, and there was no way he''d catch Rowan in the state his leg was in. It would take a while for him to have it in running shape again. He could push it, but that would mean more repair costs, and he really didn''t have the money right now.


    "Damn!" he pinched the bridge of his nose.


    "Are you ready to move?" asked Remy


    "No," Will shook his head. "There is no point, and besides, there is something more important."


    "What?" asked Remy.


    "My results," said Will.


    Will drew Remy further away from the crowd, and he pulled his slate out from his backpack.


    The tablet was old and battered; its back was fused together with a plastic patchwork, and its cracked screen flickered as it turned on. He logged into the school portal and looked up his result. It had been quite a while since the exam ended; the grades should be out by now. He had to know what judgment the AI had made about his condition.


    "I''m not sure what happened in the end," he said. "I don''t know if I passed the exam or not."


    "What do you mean?" asked Remy.


    "I had already satisfied the win condition in the exam. The mutants had been beaten back, and the tower had been cleared. Technically, the exam ended then and there."


    "Ah! But you had the seizure right after the exam... ended," said Remy, stressing the final word.


    "Exactly. So the question is, can the AI make a ruling after the exam is finished? If it can''t, then I''m in the clear."


    "And if it can?"


    "Then, Lord help me," Will muttered. The login button buffered as it loaded the results. There could be only two outcomes: either he was in or he was out.


    For a few heart-stopping minutes, he watched the loading circle. "There it is," said Remy. "Mine''s out." He held up his slate and showed his results: A+. Will smiled. Good for him. The slate buzzed, and he looked down. There was a pop-up, and where his grade was supposed to be, a line of words appeared: "Result on hold."


    He looked at it in mute silence.


    "So, what is it?" asked Remy.


    He handed his slate over to Remy. He looked at the pop-up and cursed.


    "What does ''on hold'' mean?" asked Remy.


    "I don''t know," said Will. "Am I in or am I out?"


    Remy had his hand on his chin. "It probably means the result is still in review. They didn''t make a ruling yet. Wait, the scholarship."


    "What?" he asked, still staring at the pop-up.


    "Why don''t you check your scholarship bank account?"


    Will took back the slate and accessed his account, the funds provided for his education. The money for the medication, his school fees, all came from there. The slate loaded the account but came up blank.


    "Access denied. Account locked until further notice."


    He looked down at the pronouncement in horror, and Remy had his head in his hands. "Ah, shit."


    The bank didn''t waste any time. Regardless of the AI ruling, he was out. Or put on hold, whatever the technical term was.


    "You just have to contest the ruling," said Remy. "The machine really was broken and gave you the wrong dosage that aggravated your condition."


    Will clenched the slate in his hands, dismayed. That dosage was within tolerance for a normal psypher. Would the academy even entertain his request?


    He could still petition the account to be reopened but the bureaucracy of the bank was slow-moving. By the time he got an answer, he could finish his degree twice over. It would be a miracle if it resolved any time this century.


    "Damn," he sighed.


    Remy placed a hand over his shoulder and frowned. "Will, whatever you do, don''t turn around."


    Will stiffened. "Why? What is it now?"


    Remy looked past him. "You know the stuff that Kade said about the Wagners. Something about staying away from them."


    "Yeah."


    "Well, there''s Rebecca Wagner," he said, looking behind Will, "and she''s headed right for us."


    Will had to resist the immediate urge to turn around. What could the school princess want with them? That''s not possible.


    "It''s the gate, Remy. Everyone is headed for us."


    "Sure..." said Remy, "but she is still looking right at us. Now she is nodding and waving."


    "That doesn''t mean¡ª"


    "William Dun," came a yell.


    "Oh, damn," Will groaned. "I don''t have time for this."


    "Come on," Remy pulled him into the crowd headed for the exit.

 Ch. 7 Floor-50 2

    "Excuse me, coming through," they ducked into the crowd.


    "Dunn!" came a frustrated shout. Remy looked incredulous. "Wow, someone is popular."


    "Just walk," said Will, as they followed the sea of navy blues.


    They stumbled out of the school and thrust straight into the city. Sunlight hit them in the face as they stepped out of the gate. Skyscrapers surrounded them, and the noonday sun glared off the glass.


    Will shaded his eyes and blinked out stars. The glare was so bright, he would have considered the sun real. Almost real.


    The fiftieth floor of the tower simulated the false sky well. Will looked up, through the skyscrapers. The passing clouds projected onto the ceiling were radiant, and the sun hidden behind the clouds was stuck in perennial midsummer. The only thing that broke that illusion was the faint grid lines between the projection panels, and the fact that all buildings here seemed to mysteriously stop their construction at the two hundredth floor.


    The imitation, however, didn''t end just with the sky; it was the same for the buildings around them, modeled in the classical prewar style. They might as well have been in any other city before Final October. The only difference was how congested everything was.


    With floor area prices at a premium, the buildings were jam-packed to claustrophobic levels. The crowds were even thicker now with the schools released. Remy and Will fought their way through the main walkway and sneaked into one of the side streets.


    The crowd grew sparser within the narrowed streets, but still felt restrictive. If the main walkway was cramped, the side street roads were almost a thin line now. The two boys squeezed their way past students, office workers, and service drones, who darted in and out of the shops that lined both sides of the road.


    Neon signs advertised textbooks, slates, and CAD suits in bright red and green letters. The holiday sale was in full swing, and Awakening Day colors were everywhere. Red banners and streamers adorned the shops, and garish signs declared half off on all etherite purchases. Naturally, after marking up the price by double, of course. Being next to one of the most renowned educational institutions on the fiftieth floor had its perks.


    Cadets from Stanton High, Reming and Fronton Academy, roamed the streets. There were even a couple of Shieldhorns by the mech shop, in their crisp charcoal grey suits. Everyone looked excited for the coming festival. Rem and Will looked out of place in the throng, flustered from their sudden run, as they hoofed their way up the street.


    Remy looked behind him. "What was that all about?"


    "I have no idea," Will sighed.


    "Hmm, yeah," Remy nodded. "Maybe Miss Wagner does. We should ask her."


    "Funny," Will deadpanned. "I''ll do that. Right after I run away again."


    Remy snorted. "But seriously though, what¡ª"


    A shadow fell over Remy followed by a loud honk. A large metallic yellow sphere descended down from the side of the building beside them.


    "Watch it!" Will pulled Remy out of the way of the fast shuttle car as it flared its brake lights. The yellow shuttle taxi slowed to a stop where they stood moments ago. A crack appeared in its smooth spherical surface, and twin doors split open with a pneumatic hiss.


    Remy cursed and moved even further back, looking livid as the pair of Shieldhorns they had spotted earlier climbed into the shuttle.


    "You god damn ingrates!" flared Remy. "There is barely enough room to move here, and you called down a shuttle?!"


    A girl with silver hair and blonde streaks rolled her eyes and gave Remy the finger. The other boy looked bored and gave him a lazy wave. The twin doors slammed shut, and the shuttle zipped upwards, joining the other cars in the highways up above. The roads up top looped around and in between buildings in a veritable three-dimensional maze, and soon the shuttle was lost amidst the dense midday traffic.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! Goddamn tower brats!" Remy cursed. He let out a snort and glanced at Will. "Speaking of¡ª"


    "What?" asked Will.


    Remy smacked his shoulder. "What''s the deal with you and the class princess."


    Will gave him an unamused look.


    "Hey, I''m just saying there must be some reason."


    "Whatever the reason, I don''t want to know," said Will. "I already got Kade breathing down my neck; I don''t need another."


    Remy chuckled and looked around. "Do you think she is still following us?"


    "Doubt it," Will pointed at the higher floors. "She is probably up there, somewhere."


    The upper levels were the most expensive and interconnected part of the city. Up there, one had everything at the end of their fingertips. Shuttle lines extended right into houses; you could be dropped off directly into your living room. People who resided in those heights had often lived their entire lives without their feet touching the ground.


    "Yeah, you''re probably right," Rem shrugged. "Chin up. One day, we are going to be up there too."


    Will watched the shuttles zip past giant advertisement boards. The sign sported an attractive woman with ruby red lips in a dark green suit top. She brought a stim-cig to her mouth and then blew the smoke towards the screen. The advert finished with the end line: A minute woman is always ready. Be ready this season.


    The screen cycled through the Awakening Day colors, just like the neon signs in the side streets.


    "Same above, same below," Will muttered. "Let''s go, I''ve had enough of this."


    "Hold on," said Rem, his eyes fixed on the board. "It''s almost time."


    Will looked back up. The advert had dimmed, and the screen faded to black. It was the same with all the other signs. All screens winked out one by one, and even the false sky dimmed to an evening blue.


    The sudden change was felt by everyone, and the crowd fell silent as they looked up, expectant. A piercing whistle came from the south end, and one of the billboards lit up with a video of a fireworks rocket shooting upwards. The rocket jumped from screen to screen until it reached the false sky itself. The crowd held its breath until the rocket reached its zenith and exploded in a burst of colors. Red and green sparks filled the sky, and the crowd cheered.


    "All right!" Remy clapped. More fireworks were set off, and the sky became a kaleidoscope of colors. The booms of exploding rockets were accompanied by large flares that hung in the sky to spell out celebratory words¡ªHappy Awakening Day.


    The crowd cheered louder, and Will felt a lump in his throat. He looked around at the smiling faces and felt distinctly alone, oddly separate from the festive mood. Alone, apart, and filled with doubt.


    When the world celebrates does one have any right to be unhappy? It spoke of great ingratitude. He let out a breath and shook his head. He was being an idiot. It was better to get things done than wallow in self-pity.


    Will tapped Remy''s shoulder and gestured away from the crowd. With his hands in his pockets, he weaved through the throng. With the crowd distracted, navigating the streets became much easier.


    "Will!" Remy caught up with him. "Don''t you want to watch the fireworks?"


    Will shook his head. "While everyone is gawking, we can get to walking." Remy shrugged and followed.


    "They''ve really gone all out with the fireworks this year. And they''re early too," Remy said, counting on his fingers. "Only a week and a half till Awakening Day."


    "Yes, the ceremony," Will replied. "But it''s not like it''s much use for us. We''ve already awakened."


    "Whoa, whoa," Remy held up his hands. "You''re still attending the ceremony, right?" Will gave a noncommittal shrug.


    "Unbelievable," Remy shook his head. "There is a limit to how antisocial you can be. Even if you''re not coming for the event, at least attend the pre-party. We could hit Salamian and the Maclarens: fireworks, mech fights, arena battles...ghost girls." Remy nudged Will, waggling his eyebrows. "It''s gonna be fun."


    Will shook his head. "Can''t. I''ll be at the factories for most of the recess."


    Remy frowned. "Didn''t you put in your notice? You said that with the project and the training there wouldn''t be enough time for anything else."


    "That was before my scholarship got revoked," Will deadpanned.


    "Not revoked," Remy corrected. "Put on hold."


    "Whatever," Will waved it off. "Either case, I''m not getting any money, and medication costs mula."


    "How much do you have in stock?" asked Remy.


    "Not much."


    Remy patted his shoulder. "You''ll think of something."


    "Blind optimism is for children and the insane," Will gave Remy a pointed look.


    "It''s not optimism if you know it''s true," Remy grinned. "By the time you get back home ¨C no, when you get out of the station ¨C you''ll have your answer."


    "You seem so sure."


    "When have I ever been wrong?" Remy snorted, and Will laughed in spite of himself.


    Remy grinned and made a cross with his hands. "Remember the goose."


    "Duck, duck, goose," Will replied dryly. "Come on. The station is just around the corner. Let''s see if we can''t figure out this problem by the end of it."


    "Bet," said Remy.

 Ch. 8 Station 1

    STATION


    <hr>


    They rounded the corner and stepped into an open area. The buildings around them fell away, revealing the single most massive structure on the fiftieth tower floor.


    The floor station that loomed ahead of them was a colossal construct that defied common sense. Countless terraces, balconies, and verandas seemed to go on forever like some weird generation glitch in a sim tank.


    The hundred paces to the station appeared trivial compared to its size, bringing them almost nose to nose with the mega-structure. The city abruptly halted around the station, forming a ring encircling its circular base.


    The unclaimed real estate around the station was the result from some archaic law still being contested. The law seemed unlikely to be overturned anytime soon, and as the years passed, the open area around the station became an integral part of its identity.


    However, the most notable aspect of the station was not below but above.


    Near the top of the station, up past the network of the highways, was the Orbitals: a giant donut-shaped ring structure that slowly rotated around the floor station. On it were restaurants, clubs, and apartments. Hundreds of viewing platforms adorned its edges, crowded throughout the year. Given its unrestricted view of the city, the orbital was very popular with tourists. One could spend days walking through its themed sections and be transported through the ages. Each section was based on a different part of history, and as one cycled through the sections, they would go further back in time.


    Right now, it was the age of Kings. Will spotted Old Henry, a Gothic-styled tower with a giant gravity-wound mechanical clock. Old Henry was part of the themed sections of the orbital that drew inspiration from an age that predated even the prewar era. The old clock tower was painstakingly transported from its original site and restored on top of the orbitals.


    The clock face was visible even from this distance. The giant copper minute and hour hands of the clock pointed up, and the clock tower tolled a deep and resonant bong.


    "There''s old Henry," said Remy. He grabbed his slate and checked the time. "It''s almost time for the Bunker express train to arrive."


    Will smiled. "It''s twelve. You don''t have to check your slate."


    "You know I can''t read analog." Remy snorted. "Besides, analog is for old people." He grabbed Will by the arm and led him into the incoming station crowd.


    The crowd thickened as they moved further ahead. A tide of people streamed in and out of the station and the two boys were swept along with the current into the station proper.


    The station was abuzz with chatter as the locals went about their holiday shopping. Meanwhile, louder tourists moved in larger groups, excited by the festive attractions. Will and Remy got caught amidst one such group and the boys got jostled as they walked shoulder to shoulder with the crowd. Will made a conscious effort to avoid stepping on anyone''s toes with his prosthetic foot.


    "Attention all passengers. Floor 234 - 49 train is arriving on platform number 93 shortly," echoed the announcement from the overhead speakers, cutting through the din.


    "Damn, I hate the afternoon rush," Remy shouted above the clamor.


    "It will be worse on Awakening Day," Will replied.


    Will looked up at the display boards and searched for the Bunker 37 Express, one of the few trains bound for the tower sub-levels. He reached the end of the list and yet there was no sign of the express. Will frowned. Did he miss it? There were a lot of trains.


    "¡ªExpress will be delayed. Sorry for the inconvenience."


    Will clicked his tongue. He got distracted by the announcer and lost his place on the list.


    "Wait, what was that?" Remy muttered. "Did you hear that?"


    "No, I missed it as well."


    "I think that was about our train," said Remy.


    Will scanned through the list once more. Still no sign of the train. He gave Remy a sidelong glance. "Still think we''ll figure out my problem by the end of the train ride?"


    "Look at the bright side," said Remy. "If the train is late, you have more time to think."


    Will shook his head. They followed the crowd past the concourse on the station terminal.


    The crowd thinned out as people walked towards their respective platforms. The floor rumbled and shook with the passage of each vertical train.


    Instead of trains, they would be best described as souped-up elevators. The main mode of transport needed in the Tower were elevators. There had to be some way to transport a large amount of goods and people up and down the Tower.


    The central station was the solution - a love child between an elevator and a railway system.


    Long columns of clear metal glass dotted across the station floor, housing elevator trains that zipped past at high speeds. At their base, crowds gathered as they awaited their respective trains.


    People never liked overcomplicating their vocabulary. Since the station, the platforms, and the elevators resembled the railway system, all naming conventions followed that idea.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The elevator carts became train compartments, and the base around metal glass columns, housing the vertical trains became platforms.


    The trains being vertical did pose some unique challenges for people getting in and out of each compartment, but that''s what the staircase was for. It spiraled around the metal glass column, providing access for people to reach different compartments.


    A steady stream of people boarded and disembarked from the trains. The station handled the influx of ten thousand commuters per day. All of this done seamlessly without human intervention. It really was a marvel of engineering.


    Will looked for the platform signs as they passed. They need to get to the 120s if they wanted to go down the tower. His feet moved unconsciously through the familiar path. He had made this trip so many times that the route was ingrained in him. Soon, the platforms zipped by. It went from the twenties to the fifties, and finally settled in the low hundreds. They were getting close.


    Remy yawned and cricked his neck. "So, other than the end - which sucked, how did the test go?"


    "It was going great," Will shrugged. "I was sleepwalking through the problems. If it weren''t for my leg..."


    Will looked down at the prosthetic and grimaced. It was going to cost a bit to fix it.


    "The exam is forty percent of the weightage," said Remy. "The rest is with projects and fieldwork."


    "Yeah," Will said slowly. "Do well in the projects, and I might be able to offset the O.A.Ts."


    "Any idea on what you are going to select?"


    "I was going to go with an interface study between mechs and CAD suits, but that is up in the air," Will explained. "No scholarship means no funding. I have to go with something less ambitious."


    "What about automation or cubit coding?"


    Will shook his head. "Only as a last resort. The exo''s with tronix focus has more scope."


    Will quickly made some calculations in his head. "I might scrape off twenty percent with this test. It''s a minimum of seventy or eighty in projects and fieldwork if I want to graduate."


    "You know there is another O.A.Ts in a few months," said Remy. "It''s not like a freak accident of wrong drug dosage is going to happen twice in a row. You just have to make it up in the Returning Day test."


    "The O.A.Ts is not the problem," said Will. "It''s the scholarship. My locked account. I wouldn''t get my medication or funding for my project. Money is the problem."


    "Hundred creds a bottle," Remy muttered.


    Will grimaced.


    "You''ll figure something out," Remy jerked his head forwards. "And that is our stop."


    They had arrived at Platform One Hundred and Twenty-Seven. The crowd around looked distinctly rougher. Plaid shirts and designer suits were replaced by dirty overalls and jumpsuits. That said, the most common attire here was the scowl that was etched on every face. Angry mutters and disgruntled shouts were aplenty.


    Will looked up at the information board, which was the subject of the crowd''s ire. An alert flashed on the screen: "Bunker 37 Express delayed. We are sorry for the inconvenience."


    Will searched the board for the next train, but it provided no more information.


    "Dammit," Remy grumbled and checked his slate for any alternate trains. "Nothing here for the next fifty minutes."


    Will smirked, and Remy stuck his tongue out at him. "Don''t you start."


    "You can always take back your bet," said Will.


    "Not a chance," said Remy. "Anyway, it''s not much of a bet if you''re not actively trying to solve the problem."


    "Fine, fine." Will gestured to the side, and both boys walked out of the crowd and away from the platform. They could use a bit more room to think.


    "Alright, where do we begin?" murmured Will. "What do we know?"


    "Your test went sideways," said Remy.


    "Yeah, more like I got my ass handed to me and failed."


    "Not failed, your results are delayed," said Remy.


    "Fine, delayed," Will relented. "So, what are our options?"


    They made their way to the utility and maintenance area of the station. There were not many people there.


    "Your scholarship is locked," said Remy.


    "And I don''t have enough medical shots left," continued Will.


    "Not enough shots," nodded Remy. "To solve that problem, our first step is..."


    "First step is..." Will muttered. They reached the utility zone and stopped in front of an employee washroom with an out-of-order sign but didn''t go in. Will waited for Remy''s verdict.


    "Beat up Kade," Remy finished and nodded seriously.


    Will blinked. "Wait, what? That came straight out of left field." Ignoring the out-of-order sign, he stepped into the washroom.


    Remy followed. "He lost the money, so we are going to get it out of him."


    Will, exasperated, replied, "We are not extorting the Commissioner''s son for cash."


    "He messed with your money, Will," Remy insisted. "He should pay it back."


    "This is not even about the money, is it?" Will shook his head. "You just want to beat up Kade."


    Remy lost the grim face and grinned. "I just want to beat up Kade." He tossed Will his bag. Will grabbed the bag and shook his head, chuckling.


    "It will be fun," quipped Remy and entered into the rightmost stall.


    "You''ll have me tossed in jail," Will replied, and he went into the stall in front of him. He unzipped the bag, and then pulled out a yellow maintenance uniform.


    "Beating Kade up is good for society. It is a moral imperative, not to mention soul-enriching," said Remy.


    "How do you figure that?" asked Will.


    "First of all, it will make you feel better, and second, I would find it mighty enjoyable. Win-win for everybody," said Remy.


    Will scoffed. "I see."


    "Imagine Rowan''s head bashed against a concrete floor," suggested Remy.


    "No."


    "Kick to the balls?"


    "Nah."


    "Drown him in a vat of acid!"


    "Nein."


    Will put on the yellow vest and hard hat over his school clothes. The pants were a struggle with his prosthetic, but he hopped in place before finally getting his legs through.


    "You need to take this as a wonderful opportunity as is," Remy continued from the adjacent stall. "Kicking in that prick''s teeth should be the only logical outcome."


    Will sighed and stepped out of the stall. "Let''s not make life any more difficult than it already is."


    "Boring," came Remy''s muffled voice, followed by a toilet flush. There was a click from the rightmost stall, and Remy stepped out of his cubicle.


    "Alright, Mr. Adult, we will do the sensible and reasonable action and let it go," Remy made a gagging sound, as though the very idea disgusted him.


    "Wash your hands," Will snorted.


    After a quick rinse off, Remy followed Will out of the washroom. Will lowered his hard hat over his eyes as he scanned the people around them. None of them paid him any mind. They ignored him as part of the furniture, blended into the station itself. Amazing what a pair of yellow vests and fake name tags could do.


    Both boys made their way to a door a bit away from the washroom. It was labeled "Employee Access Only" and had a card reader attached to the door.


    "Now, back to the problem at hand," Remy fished out a lanyard with a bunch of key cards attached to it. He shuffled through it as he spoke. "You had a bad OATs, and the scholarship is cut off pending review. But you need money now for medical and the final project."


    "Yup," said Will. "Forget the project for now. Medical is main."


    "Alright. How much for the medicines?"


    "Thirty percent of the scholarship," Will made a quick calculation. "One hundred and eighty thousand for the year."


    "Hold up," interrupted Remy. "You don''t need it for a year. Two months is enough."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The second O.A.Ts is in October," said Remy. "It''s not like you are going to pass out for a second time. Once you pass the exam, there''s no excuse for keeping your account locked. So, you need medical aid till the Returning Day test. That''s it."


    "Two months, that would be thirty thousand." The problem that seemed so daunting suddenly seemed plausible. Will looked at Remy. "I need to make thirty thousand."


    "Thirty thousand," Remy repeated. He swiped his key card, and the employee-only door clicked open.

 Ch. 9 Station 2

    Both boys entered the passage and found themselves in a long, narrow corridor. The walls were lined with pipes and conduits. Power boxes were set about waist-high, marked with warning symbols. Further along the corridor was a set of stairs that led below.


    "See any bots?" asked Rem.


    "Not yet," Will murmured.


    They quickly made their way down the stairs. After that was a maze of passageways and channels. Corridors and crawl spaces came and went. They squeezed through areas not meant for people, narrow spaces that were designed for bots.


    The true inner workings of the tower were opaque to most people. It was only in these hidden places, these places of in-between, that the secrets of the tower were revealed. Ventilation, air conditioning, water, and sewage ran through here, all controlled by an army of machines. The tower couldn''t function without them.


    Will and Remy squeezed through a narrow channel and reached a squat door.


    "Alright," Remy muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. He swung the door open.


    They stepped into a large warehouse. Stacks and stacks of boxes were arranged in a grid pattern. Lanes were marked clearly, and drones zipped back and forth between the stacks, picking up and depositing crates.


    Will tapped his vest twice, and the LEDs embedded in the fabric lit up. Remy did the same. A drone headed their way, paused, and stuttered to a stop. Confused, it scanned them once again and stuttered once more. The chaotic blinking lights kept it frozen in place. Remy and Will stepped past the bot, and the same fate befell any droid that came close to them. Confused, they went back to their previous tasks, as though the two boys were invisible.


    A V.D.S attack was of Remy''s design. They had successfully spoofed the drone''s video recognition software. As far as the bots were concerned, they were never here.


    Both boys made their way through the stacks and followed the drones carrying crates. In front of them were five heavy transport vert-trains responsible for carrying goods up and down the tower. These were larger than the regular trains and, though maintained well, looked far older. The drones streamed in and packed their crates in neatly arranged rows. Will and Rem stepped around the bots and climbed into the train. The droids finished their work quickly, and the last of the crates were slotted in place.


    The droids streamed out, and Will plopped himself on top of a sack of grain. "Finally."


    Remy found a flour pile and sunk himself into it. The produce sections always provide the best seats.


    The train door slammed shut, and Will flinched. They were left in pitch darkness when the doors closed. Will fumbled with his jacket, his breathing a little rough. He wasn''t fond of trains. Something about being stuck in a metal can hurtling down in free fall grated at his nerves. He found the switch in his jacket, and it lit up once again, only this time it gave out a steady stream of light instead of the pulsating chaotic strobe he used on the droids.


    There was another clang and the whole carriage shook as it detached from its docking port. A low rumble filled the carriage as the train began its slow decent. it started slow at first but soon picked up speed and was moving at a steady clip.


    Will let out a breath. Across from him, Remy laid languid, sprawled across the sacks of flour. A steady light came from his jacket which lit up his make shift seat. He wriggled into it and patted the gunny sack fondly. "Best seats in the house!"


    Will stretched out to find a more comfortable position. The grain sacks under him had some give but remained firm underneath. He poked at a bag beside him. it was nearly as a hard as a rock. "All we need now is some inflight refreshments."


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    Remy snapped his fingers and started going through the bags around him. "Ah, of course, Monsieur. How would you like some synthetic whole wheat grain?"


    Will gave a thumbs-up.


    "And next, we have some grain. Oh, look, some more grain." Remy pretended to read the labels. "Wait, this looks promising."


    Remy fished out a smaller bag. He unsealed the package and gave a whoop of delight. An intoxicating aroma of citrus and mint filled the air.


    Remy held a vividly pink fruit. It was small, round, about the size of a lemon. Despite its size, its smell was powerful. Remy breathed in long and deep. "Oh, that''s good!"


    Will squinted. "Is that a Hil fruit?"


    "Uh huh. I can smell the Hallucia mountains," Remy said, looking at the rest of the bag longingly.


    "Don''t be stupid," warned Will.


    "I know, I know," said Remy. He put the fruit back into the bag and looked around the compartment. "I would say boosting the train would have made us good money if I wasn''t sure that we would get caught almost immediately."


    Will grunted and shook his head. A low level of missing inventory would be overlooked, but if they went overboard, then there would be an investigation. Getting caught would be a foregone conclusion.


    "What I really wanted were apples, but pickings are slim these days," said Remy. "Has the military started transporting out of Novgrun yet?"


    "Doubt it," said Will "The embargo''s still going strong."


    "When is it going to end?"


    Will snorted. "The next election cycle, probably."


    "Speaking of the military," Remy began, "ever thought about joining the mech operator course?"


    "Nah."


    "It''s the easiest school credit there is," said Remy. "It''ll be odd if you''re the only one in class not going."


    "Easy credit, sure," Will shrugged. "But half the project fund will go to the mech caution deposit."


    "Hmm," Remy looked thoughtful.


    "Wait, this is not just about the course, is it," asked Will. "You''re not thinking of actually joining the military."


    "Maybe."


    "You serious?" Will sat up. "What about moving up the tower, coder-grower?"


    "That''s the sane choice," Remy nodded, "but I know myself. I would probably grow bored of it within a week and decide to head out."


    Will would have objected, but that sounded exactly like what Remy would do.


    "So interested?" Remy grinned. "Join now, serve proud. Be all you can be."


    Will chuckled, "Yeah, no."


    "Where is your sense of adventure? Come see the outside world."


    "The outside world is a wasteland nuked to hell and back," said Will.


    "Visiting distant lands, mutants, beasts, and slavers," Remy continued.


    "Those all sound terrible," said Will. "The tower for me, please. Don''t want to get involved in the politics of the military."


    Remy scoffed and resumed rummaging through the fruit bags. "Don''t fool yourself into thinking there is no politics in the tower. It is a snake pit."


    "Hey, the devil you know¡ª"


    "¡ªbetter than two in a bush." Remy leaned to the side and grabbed another one of the smaller bags. "Oh ho! Jackpot!" Out of the bag, he fished out an apple.


    Will grinned. "Nice!"


    Remy brought the fruit up and waved it in front of his face. "Yeah, that''s fresh." He tossed the apple to Will, who caught it and took in a deep breath. "It''s good," he agreed and tossed it right back.


    "Now, to select the best one," Remy shifted through the bag, searching for better apples. "If I''m going to take one, it''s going to be the best one... Wait, what''s this?"


    He pulled out a twisted piece of metallic debris.


    "Weird," Remy remarked, giving it a once-over before tossing it to Will. "What do you think that is?"


    Will examined the unusual item and tapped its scuffed surface. "It looks like a casing of some kind. Check if there is more in the bag."


    Remy searched the bag again. "Hold on, I think I got it."


    With a determined tug, he dragged out a defunct drone, its metal shell dented and lifeless.


    Both boys looked stunned at their find before their eyes cleared up.


    "Dibs!" they yelled together.


    "Haha, I win," said Remy, who was a second faster.


    "Damn," said Will. "Fine, I''ll take the ether cube. You''re going for the drive, I reckon."


    "Yeah, uh," said Remy, excited.


    "You don''t have to be so smug about it," said Will. "The drive could be broken,"


    "No way, cube damage probably triggered the malfunction."


    "Sounds like a bet," said Will.


    "You''re on!"


    Remy handed the drone over to Will, who promptly started dismantling it. He removed the bits of casing that were still attached to the main body, but the last few sections were warped so badly that he had to tear them from their frame.


    "Careful," said Remy.


    "I know," said Will. He was slow and smooth. The internals were removed piece by piece. It was when the ether cube and the control chip board were finally revealed that he froze.


    "What is it?" asked Remy.


    "It''s intact."


    "What?"


    "Both cube and drive are intact," Will pointed. "You see this? The control board is dislodged. That''s how it stopped moving. This is a fully working drone."

 Ch. 10 Station 3

    "Oh my God!"


    Both boys stared at the drone in awe. A gold mine had just dropped on to their laps.


    Securing a working bot was nearly impossible. The droids were fully capable of defending themselves and the bots maintained constant communication with each other. Facing a drone swarm wasn¡¯t anyone''s idea of fun.


    However, hypothetically speaking, if one managed to isolate a bot, and wrestle it into submission, it would still opt for self-destruction rather than being captured. Safeguards were in place that would prompt the drones to fry their internals to prevent this exact scenario.


    "We are going to make bank," Remy whispered.


    "Shh!" Will''s hands shook. "You''re giving me the nerves."


    "Okay, okay," Rem had his hands raised. "Take your time. Just remember, the market rate for the driver is a thousand credits, and for a cubit, it''s ten thousand."


    "You have an odd way of motivating people," Will muttered.


    "Did it work?"


    "Yes."


    Will looked at the ether cubit. The translucent black cube was held secure within its casing. Tiny pinpricks of light twinkled in its depths like trapped little stars. Deep inside, he could faintly make out the master chip, which was the drone''s logic center. He recognized the make; this was a high-end model.


    He let out a breath and got started. First, the protective panels came off, and next was the bottom fixtures. With that done, he could access the back. The drive system looked intact. He took apart the bottom casing and broke the entire drive train free.


    "Yes," Remy exclaimed as Will handed him the drive. It was intact and in working order.


    "It works!" Remy cheered. "A thousand credits, baby, let''s go!"


    And here comes the hard part. The control chip was dislodged by a hair''s width of misalignment. If nudged into place, they would lose everything. The droid would come back online and fry itself.


    Will moved with glacial slowness, disconnecting one pin after another with careful precision. His movements exact, each step meticulous. Half a minute into the breakdown, he even halted his breath. As the final pin disengaged, he delicately pried the control chip from the board. The following moments blurred together, but in the end, he clutched the etherite in his hand.


    "Yes!" Remy was positively gleeful, thumping Will on the back.


    Will gasped, fixated on the cubit. It gleamed iridescent under their jacket lights¡ªa cuboid black void with tiny pinpricks of sparks emanating from its center. Will had to remember to breathe again. He held ten thousand credits in the palm of his hand.


    "Woah" Remy said quietly. Will slowly turned the ether cube and admired how it caught the light. He didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    "Wait¡ª" Remy grabbed Will by the shoulder.


    "What?"


    "Look," he pointed near the edge of the cube. There was a small crack, nearly invisible, barely hairline thin. It snaked its way from the edge to halfway into the center of the cubit.


    Will''s face fell; all his dreams of big money went down the drain.


    The reason why high-end chips were expensive lay in the near-perfect etherite crystals encasing them. These crystals kept psionic signature interference at bay. Even light exposure to external psionic fields would permanently increase quantum tunneling effects in the chips and render them useless.


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    Without the crystals, the cubit would be reduced to a very expensive and extravagant paperweight.


    "Ah, sorry, bud," said Remy


    Will looked crestfallen. "How much do you think I''ll get for it?"


    "Ninety... maybe a hundred credits."


    "... shit."


    "Hey, at least we got the drive. We could split¡ª"


    "No," rejected Will.


    "Will¡ª"


    "No."


    Remy sighed, "Alright. Still, it is a hundred credits."


    "Yeah, just not ten thousand," Will grumbled.


    Remy deadpanned, "You had zero credits ten minutes ago."


    Will deflated. "You''re right.... you''re right..."


    Remy gestured toward the ether cube. "We''ve got something to work with now. We''ll manage just fine."


    "Sure," said Will. The stacks of crates rattled as the train slowed down. The next stop was close.


    "You know what we should be doing," asked Remy, "this is going to solve all our problems."


    "What, let me guess," mused Will, "beat Rowan up?"


    "Well, yeah," chuckled Remy. "That''s a given. But since you''re against it, the next best thing: we''ve got to go to the awakening day-after party."


    "And why would we do that?"


    "You need to relax, and I need to party. Win-win."


    Will shook his head, but Remy interrupted before he could speak. "Listen, we''re all going to the Hallucia temple anyway. We''ll hit a few places after that."


    Will gave him an exasperated look.


    "Look at it this way," said Remy. "It''ll loosen you up, help you come up with an idea."


    Will let out a breath. "I''ll think about it."


    Remy snapped his fingers. "That''s the closest thing to a yes that I''ll get from you."


    He stood up as the train came to a halt. "Don''t worry, bud."


    Remy stepped toward the exit. "This is going to be great. Awakening day this year is going to be a blast. I got a feeling."


    The doors clanged open, and two droids scuttled into the train. Remy turned his jacket lights on, and the compartment was turned into a chaotic disco. The bots ignored him as they brought collected a few crates.


    Remy vaulted onto the platform, but paused right outside the doors. He turned around and tossed something to Will.


    There was a flash of red and Will''s hand closed around something smooth and cool. There was a crisp sweet smell in the air. Surprised, Will stared down at the apple in his hand.


    He looked back up at Remy, who gave him a wink and wave before walking away. The bots followed him out, and Will watched them disappear into the station warehouse.


    The train doors slammed shut, and Will flinched. He was left in the dark once again. The train lurched to a start. More clangs echoed from the train as it detached from the dock.


    Will didn''t bother turning on his jacket lights. He sat curled up in the dark, his head in his hands. A muted groan escaped his lips, which he tried to stifle but to no avail.


    Dear old optimistic Remy. He seemed so sure that something would turn up. Will couldn''t see how.


    This could be it. Everything that he had worked for, everything he had done to move up the tower, could be undone. It was cause and effect. Everything was chained to one another.


    If the scholarship halts, the money stops; without money, medication ceases; lacking medication worsens his condition. And all the way down the chain of cause and effect was the physical prerequisites for the psypher program, which he would not meet.


    It was not as though he failed to understand the logic of the school board. It was fine to have programs to benefit underprivileged kids, but they should show some progress. They would have to keep their grade point average high and show consistent improvement in their medical condition. Stone man syndrome was best treated between the ages of ten and twenty. If the sickness lingered any longer, it would likely never go away. It was a cruel sort of calculus, and he had come out on the losing end.


    Now, with the money cut off, it was the end of his medication and education. Without the medication, it wouldn''t be long before his half-calcified leg would be fully calcified. With his nerves slowly turning to stone, he could forget about piloting a mech ever again. Forget climbing up the tower. No future, no prospects.


    One mistake and it was the end of the line. Like swimming against the current on the edge of a waterfall. The minute you stop is the minute you go over the cliff. That was the problem living at the bottom; you are one step away from the abyss. People were barely clinging on. One wrong move, and it is a fall off a cliff.


    Minutes ticked by. For how long he sat there unmoving, Will didn''t know. It was only when the train started to slow once again that he stirred.


    Will raised his head. He couldn''t fall to pieces. He couldn''t afford to. He picked up the apple; its sweet smell still lingered in the air. With great care, he wrapped it up with a kerchief and placed it in his pocket.


    The etherite came next. The cube was cool to the touch; its tiny stars shone brighter in the dark as they twinkled serenely. It was beautiful in a way.


    At least he wasn''t starting from zero. A hundred cred was still a lot of credits. He stuffed the etherite into his pocket and stood up. He had to convert this hundred credits into thirty thousand for his medication. The undercity markets could fetch him a good price with the right seller. As for what came after, he didn''t know, but he had to find a way.


    A loud clang echoed through the train as it docked at its last stop. Will patted his pockets and then turned on his jacket lights.


    The train doors flew open, and the worker drones swarmed in. Will stepped over them, exiting the train, determined to make the most of what he had.


    This cubit was just the start.

 Ch. 11 Undercity 1

    UNDERCITY


    <hr>


    The basic layout of the sub-levels mirrored the upper floors. Will navigated past the station warehouse. The maze of tunnels and passageways was slightly more treacherous due to poor maintenance. Stray bits of loose electrical wire and debris littered the area. Thus, it came as a relief as Will reached the station proper.


    The passenger side of the station was crowded as always. It was rush hour, and migrant workers hollered at each other as they moved crates and packages out of the vert trains. Will sidestepped two laborers hauling a massive container and joined a group of factory workers headed their way out. He was still in his fake uniform and fit right in.


    Platforms passed, and more people joined their group. The crowd meandered its way through the station until they reached the exit.


    Will looked past the crowd. Up ahead was a massive reinforced blast door, and two giant mechs stood sentry, guarding the exit. They towered over everyone, their guns trained and held to the side as they scanned the crowd.


    The crowd gave the mechs a wide berth and squeezed past them into the exit tunnel.


    The tunnel lights flickered. It was dimly lit, and there were long stretches where there was no light at all. Will kept a good grip on his bag.


    After a minute of walking, they arrived at the end of the tunnel. Light streamed in from up ahead, accompanied by a haze of factory smoke and chemical fumes wafting from the tunnel exit.


    A rusted signboard greeted them, its old label "Bunker 37" crossed out. Below, in rough red paint, a new message was scrawled: "Welcome to Undercity."


    Will followed the crowd out of the station tunnel on to a metal walkway. The catwalk clanged as boots met steel. The crowd slowly broke away and Will gazed into the undercity. The most free and lawless part of the tower.


    The town itself was the result of illegal excavation at the tower base. They had delved deep enough to reach the Tower''s foundations. Thrusting through the very center of the underground factory town was a giant pylon of the Tower. The foundation pillar, a colossal kilometer-wide rectangular block, penetrated the town at an incline, dominating the cityscape.


    The bunker''s moniker came from the pylon itself, where a giant "thirty-seven" was etched on its weathered surface. The number was revealed over time as more of the bunker was excavated through the years. Even today, the giant "three" remains partially submerged within the earth.


    Needless to say, the tower residents were less than enthused to see outsiders digging around the foundations. But with the colossal size of Atlas-Mons, such towns barely registered compared to the giant tower. The illegal expansion continued, and now there were many such towns scattered around different pylons. Collectively, they formed the undercity.


    Will climbed up the crisscrossing metal walkways. It was a veritable maze of passages. Due to the absence of a standard building code, the construction was haphazard. The initial settlements were purely utilitarian and characterized by brutalist architecture. Later buildings became increasingly unconventional as the constraints for space intensified. Packed so tightly in one place, people got creative as the city grew organically.


    Will took his usual shortcuts through the factory side. The smoke was constant, and orange dust kicked up a cloud with every step. A lot of ores were processed here, with people transporting carts full of rutile, ilmenite, and teralite. The dust was everywhere, and cloaks and wraps were prominent in the passing crowd. Masks were also part of the standard attire, accompanied by a constant hum of breathing visors.


    Will navigated the cramped alleyways and skirted past the crowd, hugging the sides of the metal railing, until he was past the factory area. He ducked into a smaller alley. Wires sprawled above like a spider''s web, and steam hissed from a ruptured pipe off to the side. He sidestepped the broken pipe and exited the alleyway. Ahead was a crowded bazaar of shops and vendors.


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    The marketplace was crowded, bustling with people hawking their wares, and shoppers walked briskly in between stalls. Little kids darted in and out of the crowd, eyeing the pockets of passersby. Will walked past the vendors toward the only shop in the area that was conspicuously clean. While the rest of the shops were awash with orange dust, ''Uncle John''s Odds and Ends'' was pristine, its white paint gleaming.


    Outside the shop stood Mary, Uncle John''s daughter, with a paint roller in her hand. Splotches of paint adorned her overalls. Her dark hair was tied into a bun, and she wore a cap over her head. Her mousey face was scrunched up in concentration as she painted the walls with fervor.


    "Go any harder and you might paint a hole through the wall," Will laughed.


    Mary turned around and broke into a smile. "Well, look who it is, mister upper tower."


    Will grinned. "You can kiss my ring if you''d like."


    She rolled her eyes and flicked some paint onto Will. "Dad will be happy to see you; he was just talking about you the other day."


    "I should hope so, judging by the amount of business I bring him."


    Mary cocked her head and held out her hand, palm out. Will looked at her quizzically.


    "If you bring my dad business, then what have you brought me? Don''t tell me you went to the towers and brought me nothing?"


    Will grinned and opened his arms. "Well, I brought myself. Does that count?"


    She snorted and dragged Will to the shop. "Pa, I''ve got a five-foot-ten blockhead for you to sell. Make it cheap; it looks defective."


    Behind the counter, a big rotund man with a white beard was haggling with a few customers. Uncle John looked up at the mention of a quick sale and spotted Will.


    "William, my boy!" he boomed. "Here to sell me something good, I hope?"


    Will lifted up his bag and jingled it with emphasis. The old man guffawed and waved him forward.


    "Well, let''s have a look at you. How is university life treating you? Haven''t seen you a lot lately. Busy with school work?"


    "It''s not too bad."


    "Ah, don''t let those preppy know-it-alls get you down," Uncle John patted him on the back. "Oh wait, what have ya done with your leg, lad?"


    Will looked down. A bit of the metal plating was poking through the shoe. "Got into a bit of an accident," he said, embarrassed.


    "Angus is at the back, he''ll have that fixed up right away." He patted Will on the shoulder and ushered him inside the shop.


    Will made his way behind the counter and into the back of the shop. Behind him, Uncle John went back to arguing with a disgruntled customer. "I''m telling you, Rook, no Prints or Infils. You pay in tower credits or not at all."


    Their haggling faded as Will went further down the narrow passage. Mech helmets hung on the wall; most had dents, and one of the more badly damaged ones looked almost cleaved into two. Under each helm was a plaque depicting the date of birth and passing. Will offered a silent prayer to the ancestor wall before leaving the passage.


    He walked into a storage room. Boxes lined metal racks, arranged into neat rows. A grunting sound came from the left, followed by a thud. Will walked past a table strewn with machining tools and ventured into one of the aisles.


    Angus was struggling with a heavy box, and Will hurried to help the plump boy.


    "Will!" Angus exclaimed. The chubby boy wasn''t as stocky as his father and still had a bit of baby fat on his cheeks. He accepted Will''s help, and both boys hoisted the box, dumping it next to the tool table.


    "It''s good that you are here, Will," Angus wiped the sweat from his brow. He was about to shake Will''s hand but noticed his greasy hand and offered an elbow bump instead. "We''ve got new stocks. Have a look around if you are interested."


    "That''s fine," Will chuckled. "I''m in more of a giving mood today."


    "Are you selling?" asked Angus. He glanced down at Will''s backpack and noticed the prosthetic leg. "Oof! You are going to need to fix that."


    "Yeah," said Will bitterly.


    Angus grabbed a shaper tool from the table and handed it to Will. "Come on," The plump boy waved Will further into the storage space.


    They passed rows of box shelves. Angus gestured to the new boxes. "The shop is expanding."


    "I noticed," said Will. "New paint, new everything." He picked up an exo elbow joint from one of the boxes and gave a low whistle.


    "There is more where that came from," said Angus.


    Will placed the joint back into the box. "What about the embargo?"


    Angus waved off the question and headed towards the back door. Will followed Angus out of the shop.


    More boxes were lined up outside the shop, and more still were in the back of a running truck. The smell of half-burnt ethrazene came from the vehicle.


    Will approached the truck and examined the boxes. They were all mech machine parts.


    The rumble of the truck-engine cut off. Doors slammed, and boots thudded on metal grating.


    Will turned to face the approaching footsteps.


    A tall, lanky youth in a military tank top and camo pants strode out from the truck. He had an angular face and wind-swept tousled hair. Dog tags hung around his neck, along with a llizard head necklace.


    With a stim-cig in his mouth, he grinned at Will. "Well, I''ll be damned."


    The older boy pulled Will into a headlock and gave him a noogie. Will struggled under his grasp and swatted the boy away.


    Ryder laughed. "Can''t a cousin get some love?"

 Ch. 12 Undercity 2

    Will scowled and began to pat himself down and check his pockets.


    "Now that''s uncalled for," Ryder feigned being offended.


    Will finished patting himself down and addressed Ryder. "You missed Ellie''s sixteenth."


    "You know how it is, kid," Ryder shrugged. "Busy, busy, busy."


    Will jerked his head to the flatbed. "What''s in the truck?"


    "Stuff."


    "Stuff, huh?" said Will. "And where did you get that truck?"


    "Don''t you worry about it, kid." Ryder tossed something to Angus, who quickly stashed it away into another box.


    "Now tell me what you are selling," said Ryder.


    "Who said I''m selling?" said Will.


    "Is that a droid in the bag or are you just happy to see me?" Ryder pointed out.


    Will glanced at his backpack, which had a faint boxy shaped outline.


    Angus exclaimed, "You did mention that! What are you selling?"


    Will frowned at Ryder. He grabbed his backpack and went to the stacked boxes near the back door. He sat on one box and used others as a makeshift table. Ryder and Angus came around and sat down beside him.


    Will dug around his pockets and brought out the ether cube. Ryder gave a low whistle. "Well, look at you, cuz. All grown up and tackling droids."


    "NeuroSynthX," said Will. "680 series."


    Ryder leaned forward. "Where did you get it?"


    "Don''t you worry about it," said Will.


    Ryder chuckled. Angus, however, looked ecstatic and quoted a price. "Five grand, no, seven."


    Will gave a small sigh. He wasn''t about to cheat Angus; he needed to tell him about the fracture.


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    "Relax, Gus," Ryder interrupted. "Look carefully before you lose your head."


    Will leaned forward and showed the stout boy the small crack running through the cubit. Angus deflated and quoted a new price. "Ninety credits."


    "Even ninety is too much," Ryder puffed away on his stim-cig.


    Will scowled at Ryder. "It can be patched. This cubit can still be saved."


    "You don''t even know if it runs," said Ryder.


    "And you don''t know if it doesn''t."


    "About nine hundred if it is patched," Angus muttered to himself.


    "Patching costs money, and all the risk is on the buyer. No go," said Ryder.


    "Am I selling it to you or to him?" snapped Will. He turned to Angus. "Gus, give me a price."


    Angus looked nervously at Ryder. Will frowned and shot Ryder a glare, who shook his head. Angus remained mute; he wasn''t going to gainsay Ryder while he was here.


    Will sighed and picked up his backpack. He carefully stuffed the cubit back into his pocket. "Alright then, I guess I''ll take this somewhere else."


    "Now hold on a minute," said Ryder. "I can take that off your hands for ninety credits worth of Infils."


    "There is an embargo still going," said Will. "I''m going to hold on to this for a bit. Wait for the price to shoot up."


    "I wouldn''t be too sure about that," said Ryder. "That junk is going into the stabilizer pile anyway. A hundred Infils."


    Will snorted. Ryder was getting involved only because he wanted to get his hands on the etherite. Probably would resell them to shard embedders. Will didn''t want to be anywhere near anything that illegal.


    "So, what do you say?" asked Ryder.


    "Alright," said Will. "I don''t mind selling it to you. I think two thousand credits."


    "What?" Ryder looked pained.


    "Two thousand tower credits."


    "Will... Come off it."


    "That''s the price."


    "Now come on, kiddo. We are family."


    Will nodded. "Alright, cuz. Let''s make it an even thousand."


    "Two hundred," Ryder countered.


    "Nine hundred," said Will.


    "Five, that''s as high as I''m going."


    Will paused. He really didn''t want to sell it to Ryder, but he needed the money. He could use that five hundred.


    "Five," agreed Will, "and you are coming to Ellie''s induction."


    "Now hold on a minute," Ryder protested.


    "What? I thought we were family," said Will.


    "Fine, fine. I''ll be there," Ryder sighed and held out his hand for the cubit. "Five hundred Infils¡ª"


    "¡ªtower credits," Will interrupted.


    "Tower credits," Ryder bit out. "And I''ll be there for little Ellie''s induction. Deal?"


    Will grinned and dug around his pockets for the ether cube. He brought it out, and Ryder''s face fell. "Ah, fuck."


    "What?" asked Will, mystified.


    Ryder glanced over Will''s shoulder. "Um, you hold on to that cubit for me, cuz. I''ll get it later."


    "Wait, what?" spluttered Will. "Where are you going?"


    Ryder climbed into the truck and took off at top speed. The metal walkway scraped under the truck''s tires, and the flatbed sped off onto one of the bigger bridges.


    "What the hell was that?" muttered Will.


    "Sorry about that, Will," Angus said quietly from beside him.


    "Yeah, I''m sorry too," said Will. He had nearly sold the cubit too. "Now, what was he looking at..."


    Will gazed into the distance. A few bridges over, there was a thin middle-aged woman glaring at the speeding truck.


    "Oh, shoot," said Will. He patted Angus''s shoulder and ran off towards the woman. "Mom!"

 Ch. 13 Home 1

    HOME


    <hr>


    Mrs. Dunn''s sharp gaze remained fixed in the distance, her eyes, though keen, revealing weariness etched upon her thin, haggard face. Her greying hair was neatly tied in a bun at the back of her head. A dusty long overcoat hung loosely over her thin frame, and in her hands were a couple of grocery bags. Despite her fatigue, she stood tall and poised, her eyes still fixed on Ryder''s fleeing truck.


    "Mom," Will called out as he rushed over. He took the grocery bags from her hands.


    "Thank you, honey," said Mrs. Dunn. "Was that Damian in that truck?"


    "Um, yes," said Will.


    Mrs. Dunn sighed. "I wish you''d stop interacting with that one."


    "He is still my cousin, mom."


    "Cousin! What cousin?" Mrs. Dunn said severely. "It''s been five years, and has his mother even bothered to visit even once? Probably tore up all the invitations."


    "Mom¡ª" Will tried to interject.


    "Is this even a family? And don''t even get me started on your cousin. What kind of crowd is he running with? The things I hear. Smuggling, racketeering, extortion..."


    Will chuckled and let her rant. The cans in the grocery bags rattled as they made their way up some stairs. They ascended until they could see the giant foundation pylon up close.


    "¡ªalways been a bad apple," Mrs. Dunn finished with a huff. "Now you stay clear of him."


    "Mom," said Will wearily. They crossed another bridge, and two armored guards approached them.


    "No buts," she patted Will on the back. "I wish your dad was still here. He would have been so proud. Another crafter in the family. Oh..." She paused, and her eyes lit up. "Today was the test, wasn''t it? How did it go?"


    "Well, I¡ª" began Will.


    "Madam Dunn," one of the guards called out. He was fully decked out in a skintight matte black exo-suit; thin grey armor plating covered the vital areas. The helmet visor was tinted black, hiding his face completely.


    Behind him strode a second guard in a similar suit with a rifle slung across his back.


    "Greyson," Mrs. Dunn nodded. She squinted at the second guard before addressing him. "Tim?"


    "Yes, ma''am," said the younger guard.


    Mrs. Dunn nodded. "I had a talk with your mother the day before."


    "Ah..." The second guard froze.


    "Sheila, Meena, and Keena are some nice girls. Did none of them catch your fancy? When are you going to settle down?"


    Even through the armor, Tim looked uncomfortable.


    "You can''t stay alone for too long. You are reaching that age."


    The older guard, Greyson, coughed lightly. "Mrs. Dunn, we are coming to you with something serious. Some of the boys are in quite a bad way. They are patched up for now but they need medical attention."


    "Oh, heavens. How bad?"


    "Not life-threatening. We were hoping that you could smooth things along the way."


    "Bring them over to the clinic. I''ll talk to a few people."


    "Who were they attacked by?" Will interrupted the conversation.


    "The Revenant," said Tim darkly.


    "Attacks have been ramping up lately," said Mrs. Dunn. "We''ll be counting on you in the days to come."


    Both guards dipped their heads in acknowledgment. Mrs. Dunn reached into the grocery bag and brought out a can of soup; and handed it to Tim. "Make sure to eat well and tell your mother that I said hello."


    Tim awkwardly took the soup can in one armored hand.


    Will and his mother left the guards behind and headed up the bridge. Up ahead was a gatehouse with a gun turret on top. They passed more patrolling guards as they went under the gatehouse. Will began to suspect that the Revenant attack was a lot more serious than Greyson had portrayed.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Their apartment was on the third floor, and they were met with a dimly lit corridor as they alighted the stairs. The overhead lights flickered as they made their way down the passageway.


    Will stopped and stared at the lights. His mother made her way to the door at the end of the passage and fiddled with her keys. "That has been going on since morning."


    "Let me take a look at it," said Will. He walked to the side, opened up the fuse box, and set the grocery bags down to inspect the breakers.


    "Looks okay... could be the stabilizer."


    The entirety of the Undercity was leaching off power from the tower. It didn''t make for the most reliable power source.


    His mother unlocked the door. Club music came from the apartment. There was the thump of something falling and the sound of scrambling feet.


    "Ellie!" his mother exclaimed.


    "Oh, hi Mum. I was about to head out," a girl squeaked.


    "And where do you think you are going at midday cycle?"


    "Just to Clarence''s."


    "Oh no, you are not!"


    "Clarence?" Will frowned. Clarence was a ratty kid from Bunker 2-34. Last he checked, the runt was running amongst the Cirkavas, a low-level Undercity street gang.


    "Get changed," Mum said sternly.


    "Mum!"


    "Now!"


    "Ugh!" There was the sound of stomping feet, followed by a door slam.


    Will shut the fuse box and picked up the grocery bags. He made the few steps to the apartment and nudged the door open with his shoulder.


    The small apartment was cramped. The kitchen and sink were right next to the door. Apart from that, there was space enough for a single bed.


    A six-legged drone bounded down the apartment and nuzzled Will''s leg.


    "Hello Scout!" Will shifted his bags to one hand and patted the turtle shaped drone. "Who''s a good boy?"


    Scout yipped in delight at the attention. The chrome and silver turtle had a flattened ovoid shell and long foldable legs. As for a head, it didn''t have any, except for a small bump in the front, making it a turtle in name only. The bot crooned as Will petted its hexagonal patterned shell. Scout was a lot more mundane compared to the broken drone Will found in the vert train, but he wouldn''t trade him for the world.


    The main difference was the chips that ran their programming. Scout''s chip was a much lower-end model and didn''t need an ether casing to protect its circuits. Q-tunneling occurs when transistor size approaches the nanometer scale. Anything above that was resistant to psionic interference.


    The storage in the lower-end chips was so low that Remy had to code in assembly to bring Scout online. It was one of the first programs that the two of them had worked on together.


    "Your battery''s low, boy," said Will. "Go charge up."


    The bot shook itself like a dog and scuttled to a nearby power socket.


    Will straightened up and tapped a thin rectangular sensor next to the door. The device beeped once and announced, "Rad levels normal." The door shut on its own and sealed itself with a hiss.


    Will hoisted the grocery bags into the small room. Meanwhile, his mother released the latch of the fold-down table hung above the bed and lowered it down.


    Will placed the grocery bags on the table and began arranging the canned food.


    "Prices are shooting up," his mother sighed as she opened one of the cans. "Let''s hope the embargo doesn''t last too long."


    "Ellie''s fees are due," said Will. "I got my hands on some parts today. With a good buyer, I could¡ª"


    His mother stuffed a few bits of canned meat into his mouth before he could finish. The synthetic spam was soaked to the brim with brine, and Will felt his mouth dry up.


    Mrs. Dunn picked up her handbag. "See that Ellie eats. I''ll head to the clinic and check on the guards."


    She headed out, and the front door swung closed. Just as it was about to seal itself, his mother held it open. She stuck her head in through the doorway. "Make sure she doesn''t sneak out."


    Will gave a wry smile as the front door sealed itself. Sure enough, muffled sounds of furniture being moved came from his sister''s room. Will chuckled and shook his head.


    Taking the plate of spam, Will headed to Ellie''s door and knocked. There was no answer.


    "If you''re thinking about climbing out of the window, then forget about it."


    There was a slam, and Ellie stormed out of her room, fuming. Will pushed the plate of food into her hands, and she angrily stuffed her face. "She never lets me do anything. It''s not fair."


    "Sit down and eat," Will settled at the table and waited for Ellie to join him. "And what''s this I hear about Clarence?"


    "Oh, not you too," Ellie groaned.


    "I thought I could meet him, that''s all."


    "Is there more food?" Ellie evaded, and Will dropped the subject. He rummaged through his pockets and brought out the kerchief-wrapped apple. There was no point in pressuring Ellie. He would have to find out more about the kid on his own.


    Will handed the wrapped apple to Ellie, who looked at it quizzically. "What is it?"


    "Open it and see," said Will.


    She unwrapped the kerchief and found the apple. "Oh my god! Is this from the farms?"


    "No, it''s from Hallucia mountains. Eat up," Will smiled as Ellie gushed over the fruit.


    "Let me grab a knife," began Ellie, but Will stopped her.


    "Don''t bother. I already had some," said Will. "Go on, have a bite."


    Ellie grinned and took a bite out of the apple and gave a happy jig. "Oh wow, it''s so sweet... tart and tangy! I have been looking for recipes with fruits. It was all with artificial ones. None with the real stuff. Oh, there are so many culinary schools on the upper floors..."


    Ellie chattered on about schools that she wanted to visit and famous chefs that she wanted to meet. Will smiled and nodded along.


    "¡ªI wish I could go to the upper floors," finished Ellie.


    "You will," said Will. "Soon enough."


    "Really?!"


    "Sure thing, munchkin. What do you think mom and I have been doing all this while?" said Will. "Soon, we will all be settling in the upper tower."


    Ellie cheered, and Will pushed her plate towards her. "You''ve had your dessert; now finish your spam."


    "Okay!"


    Will was somber while Ellie ate. He really needed to figure out a way to make that thirty thousand.


    For a moment, the room was silent except for the clinking of cutlery on plates. Will was staring at the ceiling, deep in thought, when the overhead lights dimmed. The bulbs flickered and crackled with static.


    "There it goes again," said Ellie.


    Will straightened up. Even if he couldn''t figure out how to get his family to the upper floors, he could at least fix up his house. "Scout, get my tool box."

 Ch. 14 Home 2

    Scout bounded out of the room at his command, and Will strode towards the wall to examine the switches. After a while, he shook his head¡ªthey seemed in order. He placed one hand on the wall and considered the problem.


    It couldn''t be the bulbs. All of them being loose was unlikely. He had already checked the fuses, and they were in the clear.


    The thin wall shook underneath his palm, and Will heard music coming from his neighbor. The notes rang high and swung low as the radio fluctuated along with the sputtering current. It wasn''t just the lights in their wing. The problem was everywhere. It was looking more likely the problem stemmed from the stabilizer.


    Will opened the window next to the bed and stuck his head out. A pipe ran alongside the window, and a few feet down was the main stabilizer junction box. He would have to climb down to check it out. He let out a tired sigh.


    An excited yip came from behind him. Scout had returned with a toolbox clutched in his mouth. He waddled over and let go of the handle.


    "Good job, boy," praised Will. He glanced down at the weathered old box and was taken aback. This wasn''t his tools. "What''s this? What did you bring me, Scout?"


    "Mom told me to clear out the cupboard," said Ellie as she scratched Scout''s underbelly, "and I found this old toolbox."


    "Right," mused Will. Scout had brought him the first box he had recognized instead of bringing him his personal tools. He had given the wrong answer the right way, or was this thinking outside the box to complete tasks at minimum cost? Either way, he would have to check Scout''s logic circuits soon.


    Will wiped the dust off the box and opened it. Its rusted hinges creaked, and a couple of photographs flew out of the box.


    "Oh! What are those?" his sister squeaked.


    "Dad''s old stuff," muttered Will. "We had this before we moved here, prewar."


    "Wow," said Ellie in a hushed whisper. She picked up a Polaroid. "What are these?"


    "Photographs."


    "Are they painted on?"


    "No, silly," said Will. "You know what photographs are. You''ve seen my necklace."


    "Yeah, but I never knew they could be made this big," she gestured at the photos.


    Will snorted. Kids these days had never seen anything other than their smart screens.


    "They look ancient. Is this before the war?"


    Will looked at the photograph. It showed a fountain in the middle of a bustling city. A bunch of kids were off to the side, splashing each other with water.


    "That''s Belgrave, the old capital," said Will. "We used to have our shop just around that plaza."


    "What do you mean, Belgrave?" asked Ellie. "We are Belgrave. We live in Belgrave."


    "No, that," Will pointed at the photo, "is what we are named after."


    Most of the refugees who survived Final October were from the capital. They managed to unite with the military before the second disaster of subspace collapse struck them. Most didn''t make it, but the few that did built their base in the undercity. And now, it is the most defended place under the Tower.


    "Bit odd naming ourselves after an old place," said Ellie.


    "It means we still have our roots there," said Will. "You are right, we are Belgrave. We are still here."


    Ellie flipped through more photographs with fascination. It was like looking at another world, a world where people used to live underneath the open sky. More than that, the people seemed alive. It shone through their eyes. It tugged at you, like finding a piece of you that you never knew was missing.


    Ellie was certainly transfixed. It was a minute before she exclaimed again. "Oh, look at this!"


    It was a family photograph. All of the Dunns were in the picture, standing in front of their shop.


    "There''s you!" Ellie laughed and pointed.


    Up ahead was ten-year-old Will, his hands and face caked in grease. He proudly showed his grease-covered hands to the camera with a grin on his face. Next to him was an older girl in her late teens who held him out to the camera, laughing out loud.


    Behind the two kids were mom and dad. His dad had a small smile on his face, watching their antics. Mother had baby Ellie bouncing on her hip with her head leaned on dad''s shoulder.


    "Why are you covered in mud?" asked Ellie.


    Will chuckled. "I tried to open up a mech when dad wasn''t looking."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Ellie peered at the photo. "Is that Dad?"


    "Yeah, that''s Dad."


    "Wow, Mom looked so young." Ellie gazed at the photo, captivated, and she traced her finger to the last person in the photograph.


    "That''s big sis?"


    "...Yes," Will blinked and rubbed his eyes. "You don''t remember much about her, do you?"


    "No," said Ellie slowly. "She is so pretty... What was she like?"


    "She was great." Will cleared his throat. "Why don''t you digitize the photo? We don''t want to lose them again."


    "Okay," said Ellie enthusiastically.


    Will stared at the tool box in silence for a moment and reached out for an old, battered screwdriver. Even after all these years, it was still usable.


    "You know, the family photo," began Ellie. "Is that our shop in the background?"


    "Yup," said Will, still staring at the screwdriver. "Finest mech crafters in Belgrave."


    He wiped the dust off the screwdriver and headed towards the window.


    "You ever think of making a shop of your own?" asked Ellie.


    "I don''t know, munchkin," said Will. "I don''t think I could ever look at a mech shop the same again. Plus, I''m not much of an administrator."


    Will peered out of the window. The pipe looked sketchy, and the climb down won''t be easy. Building codes had always been lax in the undercity. Hopefully, he doesn''t bring the entire pipe down with him.


    He grabbed a piece of cord from his coat, securely tied it to the window, and began to climb down the pipe.


    He made his way down with caution, mindful of every foothold. The old pipe creaked under his weight, and the rope around his waist was his only source of comfort.


    "Just don''t look down."


    He reached the junction box. An acrid smell of burnt plastic invaded his nose. Covering his nose, he pried the lid open. Black smoke billowed out of the box. Will waved off the smoke, and he grabbed the large circuit breaker, flipped the lever down.


    Cries of dismay filled the colony. Lights went dead, and the music stopped.


    "William, is that you?" A shout came from the neighboring apartment.


    "I''m here, Ol'' Bert."


    "You messing with the lines again? Get the shit fixed," he croaked.


    "Lights are out?" Another shout came from a different apartment.


    "Will?"


    "William?"


    The old people of the building called for their resident gofer.


    "Alright, alright, keep your hair on!" Will yelled. "I''m trying to fix these fluxes."


    "That''s been going on since morning. See to it, lad."


    Will grinned wryly. Most of the retirees here were from the military. They had practically raised Ellie and Will.


    He opened up the panel and examined the stabilizing array. Inside, there was a burnt ovoid ether core the size of his fist.


    Most of the undercity power was ''borrowed'' from the Tower. However, the nature of the power itself brought about some challenges.


    Geothermo-psional energy was harnessed from folded subspaces deep within the Earth''s crust. Within these folded spaces, matter displays very unusual properties, and one of its manifestations were the etherite crystals.


    Etherite acted like a bridge between subspaces. They could act as a buffer during Tower power surges.


    Will plucked the burnt etherite out of the socket and stared at it. This one was completely spent; it had to be replaced. Will reached into his jacket and brought out the new ether cube. It shone in the dim light.


    Will looked between the crystals and then at the panel. He let his arms fall to the side, staying like that for a bit until he finally broke. He groaned and began bumping his head against the wall.


    "Is everything all right down there?" Ellie yelled.


    "Yes, it''s fine," Will grunted. He reluctantly, with very jerky movements, slotted the new ether cube into the junction array.


    He let out a breath and stared at the mess in front of him. There goes another five hundred credits down the drain. Forget about making money; he was losing credits by the minute.


    He glared at the burnt ether core in his hands. It was oval compared to the new one and a much older make. As he twisted the etherite around, he felt indentations on its surface. He wiped the dust off the core and found the text stamped into the crystal.


    BX7Q2 type M5, Belgrave.


    It was made in the old country. This core had been active for decades. He might get a few credits from a nostalgic collector, but it wasn''t worth much.


    There was nothing for it now. He had already made his decision. Will looked up and yelled, "Ellie, can you get me the multimeter and the core tuner?"


    "Just a sec," said Ellie and yelled for Scout.


    While they hunted for his tools, Will was deep in thought. If only he could get his hands on a couple of ether cores. The embargo would raise prices, but if they were unchipped, he would need truckloads of them. There was no place where he could find that many cores. It was a crap shoot of a plan.


    "Scout, be careful," said Ellie. Will looked up at the turtle bot, who had scrambled to the window.


    "Look out!"


    Will held onto the pipe with his legs and pushed away from the wall. The multimeter came at him first, and he grabbed it with his left hand; the core tuner came next, which he caught with his right.


    "Will, the photo!" yelled Ellie, and he saw a photograph fluttering out of the window. With both hands occupied, Will cursed under his breath. The photo drifted towards him and was about to pass him by. Will stuffed the multimeter in his mouth and snatched the photo out of the air.


    "Thank heavens," Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. "Bad, Scout. You really are too much."


    The bot''s head drooped in contrition.


    "It''s alright," Will tried to speak past the multimeter. He tucked the photograph into his pocket and returned the multimeter back into his hand. "Everything is fine."


    Ellie dragged Scout back into the apartment. Will let out a breath, his heart hammering in his chest. He felt a familiar tingling shoot up his leg towards his spine. He gritted his teeth and hung on to the pipe. The shakes took a minute to pass, and he could only sigh in relief.


    He shook himself. The stabilizer array was still waiting for him, and he went back to his work. After checking the etherite connection with the multimeter, he began to tune the core. The etherite began to harmonize with the grid, and Will made a quick inspection to ensure everything else was in place. He gave the setup a final check and flipped the power breaker back on.


    The power slowly cycled through the etherite. The harmonization was still in process, and the connection had yet to stabilize. This would take a while.


    He stuffed the tools back into his vest and brought out the photograph. It was the family photo in front of their shop. His eyes drifted through the smiling faces and fell on the signboard in the back.


    Best Mechs in Belgrave!


    "Wait a minute," Will muttered. He grabbed the burnt-out core and looked up its imprint. It was the same words. Made in Belgrave. It was the capital.


    Eyes wide with realization, he recalled a place where there were cores aplenty. Truckloads of them and enough money to pay for everything.


    A buzz of static filled the air, and the main stabilizer junction finished harmonizing. The power came back on, and the residents cheered. Will, still in shock, grabbed his slate and dialed a number.


    "Hey, hey," said Remy. "What''s up, Will?"


    "Remy," said Will, "I have a plan."


    "About the party?" asked Remy.


    "No, it''s better than a party," said Will. He squeezed the burnt etherite hard. "A whole lot better."

 Ch. 15 Golden Path 1

    GOLDEN PATH


    <hr>


    "Attention all passengers. Floor 65 - 24 train is arriving on platform number 12 shortly," the overhead station speakers announced.


    Vert trains zoomed up and down the platforms, and the floor rattled with each passing. Remy and Will were seated in a secluded corner overlooking the station platforms.


    Will leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. Remy, on the other hand, ignored the trains altogether. He stared at Will, shell-shocked. His mouth opened and closed for a long while, unable to find the words before he finally spoke.


    "This is the single most insane thing I have ever heard."


    "Yup," said Will.


    "You want to go out of the tower. Wade into a radioactive wasteland of the exclusionary zone and collect etherite from the rubble."


    "That¡¯s right."


    Remy gaped at Will, shocked disbelief etched on his face. It took a while for him to process what he had heard. His eyes sparkled. His shock transformed into mirth, and finally, he started laughing out loud. "Alright, sign me up."


    Will smiled. "That''s it? Just like that? You don''t have any questions."


    "No. I''m in," Remy grinned. "This sounds awesome. Besides, we have done way dumber stuff. Remember the goose."


    Will groaned and made a gesture to ward off evil. "Stop bringing it up."


    "Duck, duck, goose," Remy chuckled. "Besides, you''re right about the embargo driving the prices up. Man, if we manage to pull this off, imagine a city''s worth of etherite. The money is gonna come rolling in."


    "Don''t count your credits before they''re printed," cautioned Will. "This is not going to be easy. Transportation, navigation, and finally, the date. This can only be attempted on Awakening Day. One shot, no room for mistakes."


    Will tapped his foot nervously.


    "This will be fun," Remy grinned. "Lots to do. There are a few things that we can get a handle on first. Fuel for one, and yes - radiation suits. We''re going to need those."


    "Yes," Will nodded. "But the main problem would be the programming. You''ve got to get the coding on the drones as tight as possible. There is no plan without it. Think you''re up to it?"


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Piece of cake," Remmy scoffed. "It''s been a while since I coded in assembly, but hey, I got this."


    Will let out a breath. "There is a lot to do and so little time. two weeks is barely enough."


    "Let''s get to it then," Remy stood up.


    "Yeah..." Will stood up as well. Both boys gave the speeding trains one last glance before leaving the station.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    The next few days went by in a flash.


    In the distant corners of Bunker 37, odd happenings were afoot. Strange sounds emanated from an abandoned structure. A grinding noise, oddly muffled, echoed through the desolate space. The building itself was barely standing.


    Paint peeled off the few walls that remained, exposing rusted rebar to the open air. Bullet holes pockmarked the walls, remnants of a recent gang dispute. It had long been abandoned, even by vagrants and drug users, yet now someone else had taken residence.


    Will was bent over a metal frame with a welding mask on. Sparks reflected off the visor as he took the torch to it. Littered around him were scraps of metal and broken automotive parts. He had gutted all of them, taking only what he needed.


    Will flipped the mask off when he was done and examined the piece. Satisfied, he got up and walked to the side. In front of him were the parts he had worked on, all neatly arranged in a blueprint-like fashion. He slotted in the latest piece, completing the assembly.


    "Alright," Will called out. "I''m done with this one."


    "Fuck!" Remy cursed and smacked his slate. Attached to the device was an old-school mechanical keyboard on which Remy was typing furiously.


    "I could make the parts smaller," suggested Will. "The only risk is that it falls apart if we go too far."


    "No, no," Remy shook his head. "There is only so much code that I can cram into this thing."


    Remy put the keyboard aside and rubbed his eyes. "Do you have that delivery schedule?"


    "Going for it right now," Will waved his slate.


    "Go on then," Remy yawned and picked up the keyboard. "I''ll be here a while."


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Days passed. Will spent half his time machining and the other half at the railway warehouse. He went through the transport roster from front to back and made note of all incoming and outgoing deliveries. There was a lot of inventory being transported, but he was only interested in one particular location.


    Other than data, there were other pressing concerns. He took photographs of the storage areas within the train, measured out the sizes of the transport boxes. It took a week to gather everything they needed. With that done, there was only one thing left to do: one final task.


    Remy and Will watched Scout put together the bike. The robot was now a lot bulkier. Reinforced plating surrounded him to match the look of the worker drones, but that was only a facade. Nimble grippers attached to his feet peeked from the covers and darted about assembling the components. Engine parts were picked up and screwed to the bike frame. The bike was being built live in front of their very eyes.


    Will had his hands in his pockets, looking apprehensive. Remy had his fist clenched, looking crazed. "Come on, baby, come on."


    Scout screwed the last bolt in and clambered up the bike seat to reach the start button. With a simple tap with its leg, the engine roared to life.


    "Yes! Let''s go!" Remy yelled.


    Will looked relieved, and Remy shook him, jumping up and down. He ran towards Scout and kissed the bot. "Atta boy, Scout, you absolute beaut!"


    Will was breathing hard as he clutched his chest. A tingling feeling crept up his knee. His leg spasmed, and his spine grew hot.


    With long, deep breaths, he rode the mini-seizure out. Shaking, he steadied himself and straightened up.


    Remy fussed over Scout, oblivious. "Now, awakening day!" He cheered.


    "Yes," Will breathed out. "Awakening day."

 Ch. 16 Golden Path 2

    Spiders flee into the tunnels below. Nothing in sight in the false night of the deep. Eyes searched and breath rattled. Nothing to see in the tunnel that does not end.


    The earth shakes, and rail breaks. A long horn pierces the dark subway track. Run, it''s coming. Rumble and shake, it''s coming. The horn roared, and metal screeched. The tunnel bathed in baleful light. It''s here.


    Lights ablaze, it came crashing.


    Will jolted awake with a gasp, the horn still ringing in his ear. He breathed hard, one hand on his stump leg. It twitched, and he felt the familiar sensation prickling up his leg, but the expected shakes didn''t come. It, too, faded away along with the nightmare.


    Drenched in cold sweat, he groggily reached for his sock and prosthetic limb. His hands shook as he put them on, but he forced himself to get up. Today was the big day.


    He stepped out of his tiny bedroom into the front room. The house was empty, and there was a note taped to the fridge.


    "Eat before you go.


    I know you don''t need it, but good luck, honey.


    Love, Mom."


    Will stuffed the note in his pocket. He barely spent a minute to scarf down the food before leaving the house. The rendezvous point was on the Tower outershell at the 45th floor. It was a long way away, and he needed to get going before the morning traffic.


    Will rushed to the station and realized that he had severely underestimated the crowd. The day had just started, and the celebration was going strong. It looked like the entire tower was up and about.


    The rails were jam-packed, and Will had to resort to hopping onto the goods train again. Two train rides and three detours later, he had reached his destination.


    Will pushed past the milling students and made his way into the Tower shell. It had been a scant few days, but Will remembered the O.A.Ts. The shell was remarkably similar to the one in the VR. Rail tracks lined the floor, and shield generators were placed every hundred feet.


    "Attention! Please clear the way," one of the vested officers yelled into the loudspeaker. "Make way."


    A colossal airship was slowly wheeled out onto the tracks, and the students scrambled out of its way. The plane was a C-250 Hercules, approximately three stories high, towering over even the shield generators. Each plane could transport about 800 passengers, and Will spotted five 250s lining up. There would be a lot of students awakening this year.


    The crew barked at the students and herded them away from the moving craft. There were many different uniforms among the student body. Most schools had sent their crop of students for the ceremony. They seemed excited, laughing and joking amongst themselves as they watched the planes with interest.


    Will nervously tapped his foot. He had his slate out in front of him, and a checklist scrolled over the screen. There was a lot to do, and Will checked and double-checked each item, worried that there was something he had missed.


    He just couldn''t shake the feeling that he had overlooked something. Something he hadn''t even considered. Most complicated plans tend to go sideways, and it was the same here. With so many moving parts, there were bound to be mistakes.


    Above all, he was worried about Scout. Had the little bot made it on-site? Were all smuggled machine parts still intact? Was the intel on the shipping manifest even accurate? There were too many what-ifs in their game plan than what Will was comfortable with. Moreover, it wasn''t the odds of success that he was worried about; it was the consequences of failure. If they were caught...


    Few jovial laughs came from the students that passed him by, and Will snapped out of his fugue. He looked around the lively crowd. He stuck out like a sore thumb due to his dour mood. If anyone was paying attention, he would look mighty suspicious.


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    One of the tower police escorting the students out of the way of the airships glanced in his direction, and Will froze. He kept his face as neutral as possible, but his feet betrayed him, still tapping away. He clamped down on his leg and forced it down, muscles tense, ready to leap out when he spotted Remy.


    The brunet walked by the police with a spring in his step. He swaggered, mouthing the lyrics to some song when the cop noticed him. The boy gave a jig, and the constable laughed, waving him forward.


    Remy strutted ahead and spotted Will. The boy grinned, giving Will a double thumbs-up. Will couldn''t help it. He facepalmed and laughed into his hand.


    Remy skipped over. "Hey! Hey!"


    "Well, someone is having a good morning," Will grinned wryly.


    "Yeah, I feel good. I feel great. I¡ª" Remy broke off in mid-sentence when he spotted the bags under Will''s eyes. "¡ªand you look like death warmed over."


    Will grunted and rubbed his eyes.


    "Did you get any sleep?" asked Remy.


    Will shook his head. He had been up all night, worried, and when he did sleep, it had been short and intermittent.


    "I''ll be glad when this is over," said Will. One of the officers called out for their batch, and Will stood up. "It''s our turn."


    Both boys followed a stream of blue uniforms of Stanton High.


    "You do look terrible," said Remy. How are you holding up?


    Will waved it off. "I''m fine. I was just going through the checklist." He glanced back down at the slate. "The gear train is what I''m worried about."


    "We packed it down tight. Good chance it made it through," said Remy.


    "The arc plugs, fuel blocks," continued Will.


    "We have sent spares. It''s fine," said Remy.


    "The coding¡ª"


    "¡ªthe code works," said Remy. "Would you chill out? Now you are making me nervous."


    Will grimaced, and Remy nudged him. "Hey, you''re not having second thoughts, are you?"


    "No," said Will out of reflex. There was a pause as he absentmindedly stared at the line in front of him before he admitted, "Yes."


    "What?" exclaimed Remy, but Will hushed him down. They were only a few students from the end of the line, and the lady supervising the students was giving them pointed looks. The couple of students ahead of them passed through, and it was Will''s turn.


    "Your FIC, please," she held out her hand. Will and Remy handed over their IDs.


    She scanned them and matched their FIC to the registry.


    "William Dunn and Remy Soto," she nodded. "All good. Go on through."


    Remy and Will stepped up the plane ramp. Will glanced up at the airship. It was a smaller model and looked much sleeker than the C-250s. It seemed like the higher-ranked academies got favorable treatment.


    Will stepped into the plane. The plush interior and the large leather seats were the first thing he noticed. A single aisle ran down the middle with two seats on either side. Will grabbed a window seat, and Remy plopped right next to him.


    "Alright, talk. What¡¯s going on?" Remy turned back to Will. "What do you mean you are having second thoughts?"


    "Not second thoughts." Will shook his head. "It''s just that we barely had enough time."


    "That¡¯s what we get for having an op on the clock. But we got everything done," said Remy.


    "Maybe."


    "Will, listen¡ª"


    "There wasn''t enough time to check everything," said Will. "Maybe we should have sent more spares, or we checked the¡ª"


    "Hey," Remy hissed. "There was never going to be enough time. We have done all we can."


    Will slumped into his seat, and Remy bumped him on the shoulder. "Like you said, we''re not going to get another shot like this. This is it, man. It''s now or never."


    Will sighed. "How many laws do you think we would be breaking?"


    Remy shrugged. "Not enough to have us executed."


    Will looked past the seat in front of him. The lines of students entering the plane and ended a while ago and now everyone was seated. An announcement came over the intercom. "Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking¡ª"


    Will tuned out the pilot''s greeting and stared out of the window. The engines of the plane rumbled. The seat belt signs turned on, and the boys reached for their belts, fastening them securely.


    "Not enough to have us..." repeated Will over the rumble of the engine. They were breaking into the exclusionary zone, the most irradiated place on the planet. Everything in the zone was bathed in radiation. Only nutjobs who wanted irradiated materials would attempt to go there.


    "Yup," said Rem. "Not enough to have us executed, enough to get us chucked out of school maybe."


    Will blinked. "Unless they see this as treason." It just occurred to him. The irradiated zone was a good place to get the materials to build a dirty bomb. If they got caught, no amount of begging or pleading is going to stay the hand of the tower police for a couple of undercity brats.


    "Treason?" asked Remy, confused. Then his eyes widened as he understood. "Oh, shi¡ª"


    The intercom buzzed once again. "Please brace for launch." The engine roared to life. They were pancaked into their seats as the plane rocketed forward.


    "Oh, shit!" yelled Remy as the airship accelerated.

 Ch. 17 Golden Path 3

    The engine thundered in their ears. Will was pressed against his seat as the plane accelerated. They hurtled forward for about half a minute before the plane rocked sharply as the wheels left the ground.


    Sunlight streamed in, and Will blinked the stars out of his eyes. The world opened up in an expanse. No more were they entombed by walls and false ceilings. The airship burst through into the outer world, and Will was left staring at the open sky.


    It was a color that he had long since forgotten. The sky displayed on every tower ceiling were mere facsimiles compared to the deep, vibrant blue that was in front of him.


    The passengers and the crew silently watched the outside world and felt the sun on their skin.


    "This is the best damn VR I have ever been in," Remy said in awe.


    The windows tinted by themselves, and the skies darkened a little. Will blinked in surprise. He wasn''t sure if he had imagined it, but some kind of barrier had been erected between the plane and the outside world.


    He glanced up at one of the stewardesses¡ªno, she had a different uniform¡ªstood up and addressed the students. She had a slate-grey coat over a white shirt. A grey knee-length skirt completed her look.


    "Good morning, students. May I have your attention, please?" Her voice came over the intercom. The surrounding chatter stopped, and all eyes were on the lady.


    "I am Amina, and I''ll be your guide for this trip." She gestured towards the windows. "For many of you, this might be your first trip out of the tower. So, a little tip before we begin: Do not look directly at the sun; it damages your eyes."


    Many students looked away from the windows, and the guide smiled. "Next, let me say congratulations to all of you who are soon to be awakened. Atlas Mons needs young psyphers like you, and with time and dedication, soon you too will be among the many pillars that support the Tower."


    Will and Remy exchanged a look. They had finally spotted the tower symbol on the lady''s shoulder.


    "Now, does anyone have any questions?" she asked. None of the students spoke, and the guide continued. "No one? Alright, why don''t I start with a brief introduction to today''s itinerary. Our destination today is the Sun temple in the Hallucia mountains."


    "It has been a longstanding tradition to awaken at Hallucia even before the devastating wars of the previous century. Hallucia, like the tower, has an accessible subspace line extending underneath it. The field strength is high enough to provide a safe zone for awakening. Once we land, we will soon undergo the ceremony, and hopefully, by the end of the day, most of you have awakened." She paused her speech to look around at the students. "And for those who have not, do not worry. Nearly eighty percent of the participants awaken. Failure is not the end; there is always next year."


    The guide gestured towards the windows. "We are currently flying above the Pulvan pass. From there, we will pass over Serkvan valley, and it is a ten-minute flight to Hallucia."


    Will went back to staring out of the windows. The cloud cover was dense, and he tried to peek back at the tower, but it was nowhere in sight. However, in the distance, he spotted other aircraft flying in formation. Judging by their size, these ships were massive in scope. Appreciative mutterings filled the cabin, and the tour guide seemed to share the sentiment.


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    "Yes, those are cargo ships. The Tower is the commercial center in this region, and ninety-five percent of all trade passes through our ports," said the guide. "Iron, copper, and aluminum from Karnakov, or etherite from Maltic Gates, all come from one of these ships."


    One of the students raised their hand. "Do we get to see any of the ships land? Are there any ports where we are right now?"


    The guide looked pensive. "No... We are not flying over any viable human settlements at this moment."


    The plane dipped below the cloud layer. Wind and snow battered the plane. It was like they had entered another world underneath the clouds. Through the snowstorm, in the distance, Will spotted the source of the guide''s apprehension. A ruined city stood in the middle of the land of ice and snow.


    "What is that?" asked one of the students.


    The guide looked distinctly annoyed, but she answered the question. "That is the former city of Belgrave, bombed out during the final war."


    Even through the snow, Will could see the devastation. Most of the city was rubble. In the most severely bombed region, there was nothing left; like part of the city had been erased from the map. Elsewhere, skeletal buildings pierced the sky like the blackened bones of some giant prehistoric beast.


    "The war was total and thorough," said the guide. "There are still scars of the old world today. It has taken fifty years for us to rebuild, and we are more united than ever. The Tower stands strong."


    Will clenched his fist. Remy looked over his shoulder at the devastated city. "There it is."


    "Yeah..." said Will. He desperately searched for his old home, but every building looked the same in the snowstorm. Before he could make a serious attempt, the plane swung around, and the city disappeared from sight. A little bit further away from the former metropolis, however, was something else that caught their eye.


    Smoke was rising from a massive hole in the earth. Buildings and structures were built into the walls of the hole in layers, and giant stacks rose out, belching caustic black smoke.


    Tiny people scrambled up to the roofs, machine guns in hand, when they spotted their airship. Several of them took aim and opened fire.


    The ship rattled as the bullets pinged against the hull. A few of the girls screamed, and the guide tried her best to calm everyone down. "It''s alright. Everything is fine. We have a shield covering the plane. There was no damage done."


    She let out a breath and continued speaking. "That was Derbent, one of the many settlements outside the tower. The people there live hard lives without the protection of a field. Radiation poisoning and signature sickness are very common. I''m sure all of you are familiar with the subspace theory."


    Many among the passengers nodded, and the guide continued. "The Tower sits on top of one of the few surface-accessible subspace laylines in the world. It is what made the Tower possible. We direct the folded space and embed it into the very walls of Atlas Mons, making it virtually indestructible."


    "There are other zones too which offer some protection, but those are too few and far between. We must welcome these unfortunate souls under our banner and extend the Tower''s protection to everyone," she finished.


    The students seemed to have calmed down, and the guide smiled. "There is another region that has a substantial subspace lay line and a strong enough psion field. That''s right, it is the Hallucia mountains."


    She gestured towards the right. "Look outside your window; you will be seeing it soon."


    Will and Remy looked towards the other side of the plane. Everyone there was glued to their windows. Few of the students from his side of the aisle got up from their seats to stare.


    The guide clapped her hands. "Everyone, stay seated. The plane will swing around. You will all get a turn to see it before we land."


    The scant few students went back to their seats. The plane swung around after a minute, and Will saw it.


    A mountain hidden in the clouds. The summit peaked above the cloud layer, and a golden temple shone in the morning sun. Carved on the sides of the mountain were massive stone steps that snaked their way up to the temple.


    The plane descended lower, and the base of the mountain came into view. Lush vegetation grew on the foothills. The green stood out in stark contrast to the snow-laden landscape. Hallucia looked like something out of a fairy tale.


    Everyone watched in awed silence as the plane began its descent.


    "Fasten your seat belts," said the guide. "We are about to reach Hallucia."

 Ch. 18 Golden Path 4

    The plane shook as it dipped down. Will peeked out of the window. They were approaching the foothills, and ahead was a squat building slotted into the cliff face. The airship hovered above the building and landed with a gentle whoomp.


    The fasten seatbelt sign got turned off. The guide stood and gave them a small bow. "We have arrived. Hope you had a pleasant journey, and may you have a smooth awakening."


    Excited chatter filled the cabin. The students filed out of the plane. Remy and Will followed the throng out of the plane.


    The sunlight was bright, and Will had to shade his eyes. He followed the tide of blue uniforms down the ramp. They had landed on top of the squat building. The roof was painted in a nondescript gray, but he didn''t get much chance to explore the sights. Soldiers in military gear were waiting for them at the bottom.


    "Clear the LZ! Single file, people," one of the soldiers yelled. "Do not dawdle!"


    "Move, move, move!"


    They were escorted down the building. Remy nudged him on the side and handed him something. Will palmed the device without even looking. With a quick look around, he peeled the adhesive tape off the back end of the device. When they reached the end of the stairs, he slapped his hand on the side of the wall, and the coms node stuck to it. It was the standard gray and blended in well in the dim, muted light. Remy was off to his side, and he nonchalantly shook his pants leg. About a dozen tiny bots skittered out of the bottom of his trousers and made for the shadows.


    Heart beating fast, Will looked around. The students chatted as they made for the building exit, none the wiser. Will let out a deep breath and made his way out along with everyone.


    The sun was in his face, and he was greeted with a green vista as far as the eye could see. There were trees in the distance with sunlight peeking through the leaves as they gently swayed in the morning breeze. Everyone stared in awe. They had seen trees in VR before but never like this. It was something visceral, an innate sense of realness that was impossible to capture.


    The grass crunched under their feet as they walked. Few students bent down to touch it with fascination.


    Will looked back up at the mountain. The tree cover was extensive, but there was one region where the foliage was absent. A massive stone path cut through the foothills as it snaked its way up the mountain. It went up and up and disappeared into the cloud cover. Were they supposed to climb all the way to the top?


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    "Yes, take it all in." A tinny electronic voice came through a mech visor. Will turned around, and an armored mech soldier strode up to them. The mech suit''s servos whirred as they walked. The soldier made their way to the front of the group and took his helmet off. "Go on, take a deep breath."


    A collective sigh came from the crowd as they did. They looked punch-drunk.


    "No nuclear fallout or signature contamination. Pure, unfiltered air," he continued. "Probably the first time for many of you here."


    He looked around at the group. "As you can see, Hallucia is special, and I expect all of you to give it the appropriate amount of reverence it deserves. You are all guests here, and I expect you to behave as such."


    One of the students raised their hand. "Is there a network connection here? My slate is out of the coverage area."


    The soldier''s eyebrows twitched. "The Tower connection is unavailable since there is no tower here. Your slates would have to remain dead for now."


    Off to the side, one of the soldiers tapped his wrist, and the officer frowned.


    "Alright, we will be making this brief. You are the first to land here, but there are ten more batches on their way. So, what is the first thing that you should learn here?" He scanned the crowd. "Be careful with your breath."


    "You will have trouble breathing with higher elevation. Most of you start dropping like dead bots when you climb. Take things slow and steady."


    "Second," he raised two fingers. "Do not wander off. Keep to the paths. I don''t want to spend the afternoon searching for your corpse in the hills."


    "Third," he raised another finger. "Be respectful to the locals. As said before, you are guests here. Do not embarrass the Tower."


    "And fourth," his lips twitched. "Be mindful of the wildlife. Do not eat the grass or leaves. Do not put things in your mouth you don''t recognize. Even if you think you do, you do not."


    "The same goes for the animals," he said. "If you see any wildlife, stay put. Do not touch it. Do not pet it. Do not approach it. This is not a toy. This is not a holo vid. Do not mess with the animals. They will eat you."


    "And now, finally, this is a special administrative zone, and the military''s presence ends at the base," he gestured to the orange-robed monk who had walked up to him. "This is Gesun Varna. He will be escorting you up the mountain."


    The Gesun wore orange robes, the shade of saffron. A ceremonial mark was drawn on his forehead in turmeric. The vertical orange line went from his brow ridge to his hairline.


    The priest nodded towards the students. "Please follow me."


    The students fell behind the priest, and Will felt his slate vibrate. Remy and he exchanged glances. That was the ping. Scout was safe and on location.


    Will sighed with relief. He desperately wanted to go check on Scout and see if he completed his mission, but a ping was all he could receive. The coms node was rudimentary, and no complex messages could be sent. Even if it could, it was a toss-up if Scout had spare computing power to evaluate mission success. He would have to check it himself.


    Remy put a hand on his shoulder. "It will take a while for the minis to map out the way. We''ll sneak out when the ceremony starts and everyone is occupied. Just have to hang tight for now."


    Will sighed. "You think Scout managed it?"


    "We will find out soon enough," said Remy.


    Will gazed up the mountain and the massive stone steps that led up it. It was a long trek up.


    "Here we go," said Will and began to climb.

 Ch. 19 Golden Path 5

    Will took his first step up the stone stairs. Remy followed suit and brought a small box out of his jacket. He flipped it open, and his thumb came out stained with an orange dye. With great care, he drew a line up his forehead to match the priest''s and gave a quick prayer.


    Remy smiled when he finished. "That''s better."


    Both boys made the climb, admiring the scenery. Hallucia was a green paradise. Will reached out and touched one of the tree leaves and felt its rough texture between his fingers. The wind whistled through the forest, and Will spotted shadows moving through the foliage. It was an animal of some kind. He strained his eyes, but the woodland creatures remained elusive.


    The trek lasted for about fifteen minutes. The steps ended in an open-air courtyard, a ledge cut into the mountain itself. At the end of the stone platform was the cliff face, and built against it was a large two-story gatehouse, with three entrances.


    However, the most notable aspect of the gatehouse was the three separate waterfalls cascading down from its upper level. Three pipes carrying water were evenly spaced above the second story; all of them had water flowing down it and it filled the pool in front of the gatehouse.


    The students trooped up the platform and waited uncertainly. When most of them had made it up the stairs, the Gesun priest stepped forward and clapped his hands. "Please wait here for a moment. There are a few more making their way up."


    Will nudged Remy. "What happens next?"


    "The choice of the three rivers," he nodded towards the waterfall. "I''m not a Gesun; it''s better if he explains it."


    "We should both choose the same one," whispered Will. "It is better to stick together."


    "And mess with the ceremony? Hell no!" Remy looked aghast. "You better do this seriously and not lie. Your choice must be your own."


    "Fine, fine. I''ll do it," said Will. "What? Why do you have that look on your face?"


    "Crap," Remy cursed, looking over his shoulder. Will felt a chill up his spine and a tap on his back. He turned around and came face to face with Rebecca Wagner.


    "You have been avoiding me, Dunn."


    The class princess glared up at him with her hands on her hips. Her platinum blonde hair reached just above her shoulders in a blunt cut and framed her oval-shaped face.


    Her green eyes stared unblinkingly at Will, who had to bite back a curse. He kept his face as neutral as possible when he answered. "You need something?"


    Whatever she wanted, Will was adamant in his refusal. The mission came first, and he couldn''t afford any distraction right now. Anything she said could wait.


    Rebecca''s frowned deepened. "I have been trying to reach you all week, but no matter. You are familiar with etherite tuning, are you not?"


    "Uh, yes?" said Will, confused.


    Rebecca nodded. "What are your plans regarding projects?"


    "... I was about to do a CAD suit interface study, but that''s put on hold," Will said vaguely.


    "All the better, you are still undecided," said Rebecca. "I need a tuner who uses traditional methods for a new mech design, and you fit the bill. You will be working under me, of course. Funding, everything, will be taken care of. I just need you to handle the etherite tuning and the chip synchronization. What do you think?"


    The suggestion threw Will for a loop. He had planned to refuse, but the offer was too good. The project''s funds had been on his mind for a while now, but it had taken a back seat to his need for medical funds. With the project covered, he didn''t have to choose between his health or his education. This was a golden opportunity.


    Will took a glance at Remy, who didn''t look happy at all. He had a suspicious look on his face, and Will sobered up quick. Good fortune doesn''t just fall out of the sky. He remembered Rowan''s warning to stay away from the Wagners. Was there something more going on here?


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    "Accosting the basers again, Becca?" A snide comment interrupted their conversation, and another blonde separated from the crowd, walking up to them.


    "Patricia," Rebecca spoke in a clipped tone. "What are you doing here?"


    "The same thing you are, sister. Recruiting." Patricia turned towards Will and offered her hand. "Patricia Wagner, as you know, I''m sure."


    "William Dunn," Will said simply.


    "Yes..." Patricia retracted her hand and eyed him curiously. She looked similar to Rebecca except for her sharp nose. Her stylized hair cascaded onto her shoulder in layers, and she tucked a single strand away from her face. "Whatever my sister is offering, I can double it."


    "Patricia. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong," Rebecca said hotly.


    "I will, when you stop dishonoring the family, Becca." Patricia''s words were ice.


    "William." Rebecca turned towards Will. "I''ll level with you. This year, there is a lot of interest amongst the professors in chip stability. A project based on simplifying chip requirements in adverse field conditions will be looked upon favorably. Especially Prof. Renquist. Most of our testing is based on his work."


    "You are the only equivalent to a practical real-world expert in etherite tuning in our class. Both of us are here to leverage that. I also think that your contributions would shine more on my team than Patricia. The choice is up to you."


    "Highly debatable," said Patricia. "I suggest you join me, Dunn. This project requires a delicate touch which my boorish sister is incapable of."


    "Oh, shut up, Patricia."


    "Still as eloquent as ever, Becca."


    The sisters argued, and through the corner of his eye, he saw Rowan glowering at him. He pushed aside a couple of boys out of his way and stomped towards them.


    "This is turning into a clusterfuck," Remy muttered from behind him.


    Will''s jaw tightened. He wasn''t a saint. He hadn''t forgotten his grudge against Rowan, but he was willing to let it go if it meant getting his family out of undercity.


    His hands balled into fists. That said, if that upper-tower little shit stain stood right in front of him, he didn''t know what he''d do.


    Rowan strode towards them and placed himself behind the girls, glowering at Will. The taller boy said nothing, and Will looked back up, his nostrils flared. The girls fell silent, looking between the two boys.


    The situation looked explosive. Everything was about to boil over when there was a sharp thwack of wood hitting the stone floor. The air shimmered, and Will felt like he was doused in cold water.


    The feeling passed, and about a dozen priests came into the courtyard. Leading them was an old woman with white hair. She had the same orange robes as the priests, and in her hands was a wooden staff, which she tapped against the stone floor. On her forehead was a symbol, but unlike the Gesun, hers was a circle. She had a smile on her face as she watched the children with muddy gray eyes.


    The Gesun, split amongst the student body, began instructing in low tones. The old priestess, on the other hand, headed for them.


    With a final tap of her cane, she was in front of them. She took in a deep breath and made a flowing gesture with her free hand. They instinctively fell into her rhythm and copied her.


    She held the breath for a few seconds and exhaled slowly. Will matched his breath with her tempo. She made them undergo the exercise three times until he felt all his tension leave his body. Everyone visibly relaxed, and a sense of calm descended on them.


    The old priestess smiled, satisfied. With a thin, wrinkled finger, she pointed at the forest.


    Will''s eyes went wide. In between the trees were several deer watching them, their tails flicking nervously. They stood stock still, afraid to spook the creatures.


    Not more than a few seconds passed, but it felt longer. It was something out of a fairy tale. The deer gave them one last look and trotted back into the forest. The spell was broken.


    Will blinked awake, as did the rest of the group. Remy stepped forward and bowed to the old priestess. "All Mother."


    "Remy Soto," she smiled. "How are you, my child?"


    "I am well, All Mother."


    "As well as you should be," she said, "but not as well as you could be."


    Remy shifted uncomfortably, and she looked around at the rest of the group. "I see all but one of you are awakened, and yet here you are. Curious..."


    The old priestess placed both hands on her staff and faced Rowan. "Another Kade, I see. I saw your father when he was here to make his choice. Precocious little brat he was."


    Rowan''s lips twitched but chose to remain silent.


    "Yes, yes," she nodded as though in confirmation. She pointed at the pool in front of the gatehouse. "I remember the choice he made too. Will you be following in your father''s footsteps or decide to walk on your own?"


    A Gesun hurried forward and bowed to the priestess. She waved him off. "I''ll look after these children. See to the others." The priest bowed again and left.


    "Now, children," she began. "The sun temple is further up the mountain where the awakening ceremony will be held. But before you ascend, you need to make a choice, as to why you wish to ascend." She gazed back at the waterfall.


    "Is it for health," she pointed at the first spout. "Or perhaps wealth?" She gestured to the middle one. "Or maybe it is fame. This is the choice of the three rivers."


    "Think about what you want from life. What are your goals? What is your dearest wish? Think on that before you make your choice."


    Will looked at the three falls with apprehension. Remy looked thoughtful. The rest fell into an odd sort of silence as they regarded their choice.


    "Remember this is not a test," continued the old priestess. "This is a promise that you are making to yourself. Whatever you choose, know it is a choice. Walk that path with courage."


    "Now go on," she ushered them with her cane. Remy yelped when she prodded him forward. "There is no need to be timid. Go and make your choice."


    Will was the last to step forward, and he heard the priestess mutter in passing. "What will you become, little stars? What path will you walk?"

 Ch. 20 Golden Path 6

    Will approached the pool along with the others. A gesun waited for them with a long ladle in hand. It was about four feet long with a cup at its end.


    Rebecca went first, and the priest handed the ladle to her. She walked up to the barrier and reached for the waterfalls with her ladle. Will couldn''t see past the barrier, and her choice remained a mystery.


    Rebecca scooped back the ladle and poured the water onto her palm and drank. The gesun whispered something to her. She nodded and headed for the gatehouse beyond.


    Patricia and Kade followed, and soon it was Remy''s turn. The brunette made his choice quickly and finished the ritual. He gave a nod towards Will and headed for the gatehouse.


    Will had half a mind to follow Remy, but he put that impulse aside. The gesun gave him a small nod and handed him the ladle. Will looked at the falls. Health, wealth, or fame? He was tempted to just go with the money when he felt a familiar twinge from his leg. All his problems seemed to stem from this. He reached for the first fall and drank to his health.


    The gesun took back the ladle. "Go to the first entrance to the left."


    Will nodded and took the first exit out of the gatehouse. A set of stairs greeted him, and he passed the cliff face and moved onto a stone path.


    "Health is a fine choice," came a croaking old voice. Will was surprised to find the old priestess waiting for him up the path.


    Will greeted the old priestess, and she waved it off. "Why don''t I accompany you up the mountain, young man? You seem to have a lot on your mind."


    "I suppose." Will glanced at the old priestess, who seemed to be keeping up with him effortlessly. Her steps were sure, and the cane seemed ornamental in her hands. "I have a question, All Mother."


    "Questions are good," she said.


    "What would happen if I choose health but walked up the path of wealth?" asked Will.


    "You can do that," she said simply.


    "I can?"


    "The choice is up to you."


    "No thunder or lightning then?" Will grinned.


    The priestess chuckled. "Isn''t walking a path not of your choosing punishment enough?"


    Will fell silent at that comment. Mist started rolling in as they approached the cloud layer.


    "I can see why you choose health," she pointed her cane at his right leg.


    "It''s not going to do much good, is it? I''m not going to get my foot back," said Will.


    "Yes, yes," the priestess said gently. "And yet here you are, already awakened in an awakening ceremony. The same goes for the rest of your companions."


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    "Wait, was Rebecca already awakened?"


    The old woman just smiled and said nothing.


    Will chuckled. "Alright, I have already awakened, and I''m attending an awakening ceremony. Futile, I know."


    "No," said the priestess. "What I''m saying is that you want good health as you awaken. Have you done anything to have that good health?"


    Will scowled and was about to reply when the priestess cut him off. "Yes, very hard. Very difficult. It''s not the right time. It''s not possible. And yet you want it. So, have you done anything to get what you want?"


    "We are not supposed to use psionics when we are underage. It''s dangerous." Will kept his face neutral. The old bat was starting to annoy him. What did she know to lecture him?


    The old woman nodded. "Yes, yes. It is good that you waited. I''ve seen my fair share of unfortunate accidents from the over-eager. It was the right thing to do."


    Will nodded.


    "Perhaps you should wait three more years just to be sure."


    Will scowled again. "You''re joking."


    The old priestess cackled. "Do you know the reason why we hold the ceremony this time of the year? We could have chosen a more convenient time."


    "The subspace gates. They open this time of year," said Will.


    "Precisely," said the priestess.


    "The awakening day was a ritual for the initiation of warriors in the old days. Unblooded youths sent to fight the swarm and returning as adults. It was a coming-of-age ceremony. Months of continuous battle until the gates close and returning on Returning day." She gave a quirk of a smile. "Not anymore. We have lost that now, and in turn, you are lost."


    "So, I just need to face a horde of mutants, and I''ll be fine," said Will. "Then I''ll know what to do every time, all the time."


    The old woman chuckled. "The immediacy of death tends to simplify things. As for your question that you asked and yet didn''t. What to do and when to do it? When is the right time for action?"


    Will remained silent. He didn''t have an answer.


    "Well?" the old priestess prodded.


    "I... don''t know," said Will.


    "You seemed unsure the moment you stepped onto the mountain," she said. "You have a path, and you don''t know if you should walk on it."


    Will felt cold. The clouds rolled over the mountain as they passed the cloud layer.


    The old woman continued. "The judgment needed for right action at the right time, humans are very poor in this regard." She pointed at a passing tree. "Trees know when to grow and when to shed leaves. Flowers know when to bloom and when to wilt. And as for fruits..." She reached out with her hand, and an apple dropped out of the tree into her palm.


    Will''s eyes went wide. "How did you..."


    The old priestess chuckled. "Intelligence, wisdom. It takes the wisdom of a lifetime to know when it is the right time for action and when it is not. It comes with age and experience. So, how do the young know what to do and when to do it?"


    Will was so caught up with the question that he didn''t notice the stone path end. His feet struck pavement, and he was surprised by the bricks underneath his feet. To his side, Will saw Patricia and Rowan come off their paths. Walking alongside them were two identical copies of the old priestess.


    "Wait? What?" He turned around and saw the old priestess smiling at him. She laughed, and she and her clones started walking back down the path.


    Will quickly put the clones out of his mind. He didn''t care for it. He just needed to know one thing. "How, All Mother?" Desperation tinged his voice. "How do you know when it is the right time?"


    The old priestess didn''t turn around. A red blur came rushing at him, and Will caught the fruit by reflex. Once again, a shiny red apple was in his hand, and Will watched the priestess disappear into the clouds.


    Will stayed rooted to his spot, unsure of what to do. Drums began to play up the mountain as the ceremony began. A long horn from a conch shell sounded from the distant temple.


    Will felt his jacket and found his slate vibrating as he received the second ping. The location had been found.


    The shell horn rang loud, and Will clenched his fist. He didn''t know if it was the right choice or the right time. He wasn''t even sure if he had a choice. He was going to do it anyway. The shell''s resonant tone carried on, and Will walked away from the temple and plunged into the trees.

 Ch. 21 A Station to Nowhere 1

    A STATION TO NOWHERE


    <hr>


    The cloud fog enveloped him as Will rushed down the mountain. Visibility was low, and on occasion, he found himself dodging an errant branch. Every minute or so, he checked the slate to verify his progress, and a little while later, he was on location.


    Will skidded to a halt and put his slate back in his jacket. There was an old squat building, the size of an outhouse, up ahead. Nature had reclaimed it, with moss creeping up its sides. Plants grew around it, and Will had to pull a few vines loose before he could approach the door.


    He nearly stepped on the mini-bots in his haste. The small machines lay dead, their batteries spent. He lifted one up and smelled burnt etherite. The chips were fried, but no matter; they weren''t meant to last long anyway. He stuffed the bunch into his jacket and went back to the door.


    The door was locked, but that didn''t matter. He picked the lock in under a minute and forced it open.


    A flight of stairs greeted him, and Will carefully closed the door behind him. The warped metal door creaked closed, and he was left in pitch darkness.


    There was a click, and light poured out of a flashlight. Will climbed down the stairs, two steps at a time, until he reached the bottom. In front of him was a subway tunnel that stretched far into the distance.


    Will began to walk down it, flashlight in hand, his footsteps echoing in the tunnel. The old rails were a rusted mess and looked like they would crumble away if one looked at them wrong.


    After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel ended. Ahead was a bricked-up wall, with a hole at the bottom, with char marks around it.


    "Good ol'' Scout," Will muttered and eyed the opening with apprehension. It was person-sized, but the loose bricks weren''t reassuring. "This doesn''t feel safe."


    He crawled through the hole, and he found himself under a building that he was already familiar with. The thud of synchronized marching boots came from the roof. Officers yelled instructions, and Will heard the whoomp of airships landing.


    The military had repurposed the old station into an airbase, and Will was right underneath all of them. He turned off his flashlight and crept silently down the tracks with his back bent low. He continued like that until he was out of the platforms and back in the underground tunnel.


    Heart beating fast, Will quickly made his way down the tunnel, treading lightly. The rail line extended ahead of him, and a bit of a walk later, he caught something in the light of his flashlight.


    Two motorbikes stood propped up with Scout curled up in between. As soon as he saw Will, the bot yipped excitedly and came bounding towards him.


    "That''s a good boy. You did very well." He patted the turtle bot, but its new boxy worker plates got in the way. Instead of a turtle, Scout looked like a walking geometry problem, with his rectangular bulk.


    Scout enjoyed the pats just the same, and Will quickly replaced its batteries.


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    "Now let''s see if this had all been worth it." He approached the bikes with tense steps.


    Everything looked intact, and he didn''t see any loose or missing parts. Will took hold of the bike, and his thumb hovered over the start button. This was the moment of truth. He pressed the button, and the engine came to life.


    "Yes!" Will gave a fist pump as the bike''s lights came on. He bent down and patted Scout some more, who preened under the attention.


    The turtle bot wiggled about as the pats came pouring in when it suddenly went still. It swung around and looked back. Will heard it too. There were footsteps coming down the tunnel. Two sets of footsteps.


    "¡ªStop following me!"


    "I will when you tell me what you are doing."


    Will''s eyes went wide, and he quickly turned off the bike. The light of a flashlight came down the tunnel, and Will saw an exasperated Remy being chased by the blonde-haired Rebecca Wagner.


    "So, you are here too," she said as soon as she spotted Will.


    Remy came forward and pulled Will aside, who still couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "What the hell is she doing here?!"


    "I noticed her in the tunnels when I went to get this," Remy flashed the coms node.


    "And you brought her here?" Will hissed.


    "It''s not like I could leave her in the tunnel for the military to find," said Remy. "I had to get her out of there before she was seen."


    "I can hear you; you know?" Rebecca said in a carrying whisper.


    Will leaned in close. "What the hell do we do now?"


    Remy fell silent, and Will had no ideas.


    "I''m talking to you," Rebecca went on, and Will sighed. Both boys walked up to Rebecca, who had her arms folded in front of her.


    "You need to go back," said Will.


    "No," said Rebecca. "Not until you tell me what is going on and you agree to work with me."


    "Listen, princess, why don''t you let us poor folk be?" said Remy. "We are not that interesting."


    "Don''t call me princess," Rebecca frowned. "And speaking of interesting, how did you get these... bikes here?"


    "We snuck them piece by piece through the daily shipments," said Will. Remy beside him stiffened but didn''t say anything.


    "Wow, impressive," said Rebecca and gestured towards Scout. "And you had the drone assemble it. The chip and etherite sync must be very precise. Incredible." She looked up with her eyes shining. "You really must work with me on the project."


    "We can talk about it back at the academy," said Will.


    "Sure," said Rebecca. "Then I''ll just have to come with you - to wherever you are going."


    Remy made a keening noise like he lost a kidney.


    "You don''t want to do that," Will said wryly.


    "And why not? I''ll be with you every step of the way."


    "Listen, Miss Wagner," began Will. "We are going to do some grunt work in some unpleasant places. Not something for someone as refined as yourself."


    "Refined as myself?"


    "Yeah¡ª" began Will.


    "You think I''m incapable of unrefined work?" Becca hissed.


    "Well, no¡ª"


    "You think that I need to be coddled?!" Becca shrieked. "You think I can''t handle it?"


    "That''s exactly what we are saying, princess," Remy sniggered.


    "That''s it!" Becca straddled the bike. "Now I''m definitely going!"


    Will facepalmed. Remy chuckled. "Alright, you can come."


    Will looked at Remy through the gaps of his fingers. The brunet shrugged as if to say, what else can we do?


    Will sighed. "You are lucky that I brought spares." He took the extra helmet hanging off the bike and jammed it on top of her head.


    "Now, scoot over." Will motioned her to take the back seat while strapping his helmet on.


    "Why?" asked Becca.


    "Do you know where we are going?"


    "No."


    "Do you know how to drive?" asked Will.


    "No?"


    "Then do you mind?"


    "Fine." She moved back, and Will took the front seat and kicked the bike stand off. Remy on the other side took his bike.


    Will pressed the start button, and the engine rumbled to life.


    Becca had one hand on his shoulder and used the other one to cover her nose, but her helmet got in the way. "What''s that smell?"


    Will grinned and rode the bike down the middle of the tracks. Becca still had her hand over her helmet. "Don''t tell me you are using ethrazene as fuel? You''re insane!"


    "Well, if you are worried about ethrazene, you haven''t seen nothing yet."


    He pressed the NOx button on the side, and the bike shot forward, and Becca clutched at him, afraid of getting thrown off.


    "You! assho¡ª"


    They shot down the tunnel with Rebecca cursing all the way.

 Ch. 22 A Station to Nowhere 2

    The NOx boost had the two bikes flying down the dark subway track. Miles of tunnel were swallowed up as the bikes raced down the tracks with their headlights blaring.


    Will kept a steady grip on the bike as he checked his helmet HUD. The driver assist was on, and green lines depicted his trajectory. The tunnel was a straight pass for a mile, and it looked like it would remain so for the foreseeable future.


    He was interrupted by a beeping, and through the corner of his eye, he saw that he had an incoming call over the local network. He accepted the call, and Remy and Rebecca popped up on his feed.


    "How''s the fuel looking?" asked Remy.


    Will glanced at the fuel gauge. "It looks good. It''ll be enough to get us there and back."


    "Mine''s a bit of a hog, but we''ll see," said Remy. "We''ll figure it out before we get... there."


    "Alright, enough. Both of you, stop speaking in riddles," interrupted Rebecca. "Where is ''there'' exactly?"


    Will looked back at Rebecca and gave her an incredulous look. Unfortunately, he still had the helmet on, and she could only see his dark visor.


    "What?" Rebecca asked, annoyed.


    "You come with us without knowing where we are going or what we are doing. And you think now is the best time to be asking questions?"


    Rebecca blushed through her faceplate, and Remy cackled at the other end of the line. "Should have asked us that before we set off, princess."


    "Don''t call me princess," she snapped. "Now, tell me. Where are we going?"


    "What, and spoil the surprise?" said Remy.


    "Don''t make me hit you."


    "Alright, bet," said Remy. "You take a guess, and I''ll tell you if you got it right. Hint, it''s his hometown." Remy jerked his thumb towards Will.


    Rebecca turned to Will. "You were born outside the tower?"


    "Yes," said Will.


    "Oh, is it Novgrun?" she asked.


    "No," said Will.


    "Is it Koldova? We''ve got a military presence there."


    "No."


    "Kaiber pass is occupied... you surely can''t be Maltanese?" she asked.


    "Nope," said Will.


    "Then what is it?!"


    "Give up?"


    "NO!"


    There were a few minutes of peace as Rebecca thought furiously. The bikes rumbled through the tunnel, and Will checked the driver assist again. They still had a long way to go.


    Rebecca stirred behind him. "It''s getting colder."


    "Yeah..." Will checked the temperature in his HUD, and it was dropping down steadily. "It will get even colder. You better hang on."


    "You are used to the cold?" she asked nonchalantly, clearly fishing for information.


    "I don''t mind the cold. Used to get pretty nippy in the old place." Will played along. He was perfectly happy to keep her distracted.


    Rebecca went still and muttered under her breath. It took a minute for Will to realize that she had her driver assist engaged.


    "Ah, shit..." Will cursed.


    "Derbent?! You are going to Derbent?" she screamed.


    "What? No!" interrupted Remy.


    "Okay, if it is not Derbent, then where are you going?" Rebecca demanded. "The exclusionary zone?"


    Remy and Will fell silent.


    "You are kidding? Oh my god! You two are insane," Rebecca exclaimed. "Stop the bike! Let me off!"


    "Hey, you are the one that insisted on coming with us," said Will.


    Rebecca slapped Will on the shoulder. "I didn''t think you two would be this crazy. How are you even going to survive the radiation?"


    "We got suits prepared," Remy chimed in.


    "Suits? You got one for me too? Because by the looks of it, there are only two of you here," said Rebecca.


    "Don''t look at me," said Remy. "Talk to Mr. Overpreparedness over there. He brought three."


    "Four, actually," said Will. "Best to be prepared."


    Rebecca looked between the boys. "You went through all this trouble. Why are you even going there?"


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    "No reason," said Will. "Just picking up some stuff." Rebecca slapped his shoulder again, annoyed at the non-answer. Will ignored his smarting shoulder and continued. "Relax, we have planned this out. We are not idiots."


    "That remains debatable," Rebecca muttered. She examined the tunnel as it whizzed by. "This subway looks really old."


    "Yes," said Will, glad to have the conversation shift. "They were built just before the war. They had planned to tie all the subspace sites together. It''s a damn shame."


    "It was all because of the Hive, wasn''t it?" Rebecca sighed.


    "The Hive, the Feds, does it really matter? In the end, we all got bombed."


    "How can you say that?" asked Rebecca. "We were allied with the Federation."


    "Little-known fact," said Will conspiratorially, "we were playing both sides. They needed us more than we needed them. In the end, the Hive figured that we were leaning too much towards the Feds and triggered the attack, and here we are today."


    "You are so full of it," said Rebecca.


    "Really?"


    "How do you know all that?" she asked.


    Remy laughed. "He knows all that because he was there at the time."


    "Stop playing," said Rebecca. "That was over fifty years ago."


    "Yup," said Remy with glee.


    Rebecca went still for a moment before exclaiming, "No way! You are one of them, the displacers."


    "Yeah," said Will.


    "I thought you guys were a myth," whispered Rebecca. "So that''s why you are so proficient in the traditional methods."


    "Pretty much," said Will.


    "So, you must have seen the bombs drop," the words left her mouth before she could stop herself. "Sorry."


    "No, it''s fine," said Will. "Yes, I saw them. I saw the gates explode too."


    Will was silent for a while before he spoke again. "We never saw the attack coming. There was talk about it, sure, but no one considered it a possibility. We were too valuable to attack. We thought that would keep us safe."


    "But it didn''t," Rebecca prompted.


    "No, it didn''t," said Will. "Belgrave was the only place in the world where there were nascent subspace-laylines close enough to the surface. Since they were just forming, they could be molded. And that''s where the towers come from. That said, one thing we were poor with was the perma-gates."


    "Both the Hive and the Federation had plenty of permanent gates. The amount of resources coming from them was staggering. So, while we had the towers to make powerhouses, the two superpowers had endless resources. It was a healthy balance. They needed us, and we needed them."


    "And then our gates started changing," said Rebecca.


    "Yes," Will nodded. "One of our gates was being converted to a permanent one. There were early signs too. I guess the Hive considered us an unnecessary risk. One nation couldn''t have both the tower and the gates. They decided to knock us off the board before we were even a player."


    "And the Feds just stood by and watched," said Remy.


    "Didn''t do them any good either. In the end, everyone got hit," said Will. "Now bits of the legacy of the tower survived, and the two great powers retreated beyond the gates."


    "I still think you are giving the Hive too much leeway," said Rebecca.


    "Oh, the Hive is insane alright," Remy chimed in. "Bunch of shard embedders... who thought sticking mutant etherite crystals into yourself was a good idea."


    "Just because they are insane, it doesn''t mean that they are not smart," said Will. "They managed to work together in their madness. That is why they were so successful."


    "I would have expected you to hate the Hive more," said Rebecca. "They attacked. They started it. It''s because of them that embedding is still illegal in the Tower. Worst case, you get the death penalty."


    "Hive, the Feds, I blame everyone," said Will quietly. "When the gates were breached, there was no one. No army, no reinforcements, nothing. It was the citizens that took up arms to fight. The fighting was from street to street. We were getting swarmed."


    "Hours later, we caught up to the military, and that''s when the gates broke."


    "Gate Tarter."


    "Yeah..." said Will. "It was chaos. Seeing a layline break, it''s indescribable... Everything just stopped; we got pulled in."


    "You were pulled into the subspace?" asked Rebecca breathlessly.


    "Yes," said Will. "The military protected us. I don''t think we would have survived otherwise. I don''t know how long we were in there, but when we came out, fifty years had already passed."


    "The displacers," whispered Becca in awe. She chuckled after a while. "The tower hates you lot."


    "I try not to advertise that fact," Will gave a small smile.


    "No one does," said Remy. "Hence the myth."


    They fell into silence after that. Will breathed out and found his breath fog over. It was steadily getting colder. Frost coated the rails, and on the sides, there were patches of ice.


    Becca shivered behind him. Remy spoke into the coms, his teeth chattering. "I think we are close."


    "Yeah, we better slow down," said Will.


    There was a bend in the tunnel, and Will drove past stray debris. The damage got worse the further they went. The cold that seeped into their bones was expected, but there was something more in there. Like the difference between the bite of ice and the stab of a blade.


    It came in waves, cutting into them along with the cold. A pulse that wanted to penetrate into them. Will gritted his teeth, and psion flared in his body.


    In the bike headlights, Will caught sight of an armored form lying prone in the tunnel. The empty exo-suit had his right arm and leg torn off, and the tunnel walls were peppered with bullet holes.


    "Oh my god," Rebecca gasped. Will''s hands shook. Up ahead was a train completely buried under rubble. The tunnel had collapsed over the back half of it, and the train was left dangling in midair, lifted off the tracks.


    Will''s eyes grew hazy, and the train warped into a delirious shape from a funhouse mirror. A strange screeching sound came from the back of his head, getting louder with each second¡ªthe sound of metal grinding against steel. A horn rang aloud, and the screeching reached a fever pitch, soon becoming all that he could hear.


    "Wil...LL... William!"


    Will''s eyes snapped open. Rebecca was shaking him.


    "What happened? You zoned out," she said.


    "No¡ªNothing, I''m good," said Will and applied the brakes.


    Remy came to a halt a bit further ahead. With the bikes switched off, they were suddenly engulfed in darkness. Will fumbled with his flashlight, and the tremors in his hand were still present. He gritted his teeth and worked his fingers over the switch, and there was light again.


    "Looks like the place," said Remy. "I''ll go a bit further ahead and check things out."


    "W...wait!" Will exclaimed. "Stay clear of the cave-in. We don''t know if it''s stable."


    "There''s got to be an exit around here somewhere," muttered Remy.


    Will fished out a Geiger counter. A burst of static came from the counter, followed by a steady beeping sound. He headed towards the side of the tunnel, and the chirps from the counter increased.


    Becca walked ahead of him, following his flashlight. She came across some markings on the tunnel wall and came to a halt.


    "Bel...grave, Station Belgrave," she muttered. "You''ve got to be kidding me! Station Belgrave?!"


    "What?" asked Remy.


    "When you said you were going to the exclusionary zone, I thought you were going to the outskirts of the zone, not go smack dab in the middle of where the nukes fell!"


    "I don''t know about smack dab. That would be thirty miles that way," Remy pointed.


    "Quiet, both of you," said Will. The Geiger counter was going wild. Will stood under a lone beam of light coming from the top of the tunnel. With their flashlights pointed away, the beam was finally visible.


    Will lifted the counter close to the beam, and the chirps fused into one continuous high-pitched whine.


    Remy and Rebecca stepped forward, and all of them stared up at the ceiling, the single beam of light falling in between them.


    "You found it," said Remy.


    "There it is," Becca shook her head in disbelief.


    "Belgrave," finished Will.

 Ch. 23 Ghost City 1

    GHOST CITY


    <hr>


    Snow kicked up in an abandoned city. The wind howled through the streets, and muffled sounds came from beneath the sidewalk. There was a rustle and a metallic thud from below, after which the noise ceased. The pause lasted for barely a minute before an explosion blew the subway grates from the pavement, sending chips of concrete and snow flying.


    Through the smoking hole in the ground, a white figure crawled out from below. Clad from head to toe in a misshapen white protective suit, Remy blended into the snow. The only part of him visible was the dark visor of his helmet. He crawled onto the snow-covered sidewalk and yelled into the subway below.


    "You good, Will?"


    A white-gloved hand reached out from below, and Remy dragged Will onto the sidewalk.


    "I''m alright," Will gasped.


    Rebecca came next. Remy reached out towards her, but she smacked his hand aside. "I can climb on my own, thanks, and you could have warned me that you were going to use an explosive."


    "Nah, no," said Remy, "this was more fun, princess."


    Rebecca punched him on the shoulder. "Don''t call me princess. Didn¡¯t your parents teach you any manners?"


    Remy shrugged. "Would be weird if they did, since they are dead."


    Rebecca went still for a moment before punching him again.


    "Ow! Why?!"


    "You made me feel bad about making you feel bad."


    Will got up and approached the subway grate. "Careful. You''ll mess up the suit."


    He reached down and pulled the rope they had climbed up with and hauled Scout from the subway. The little bot was tied to the end and yipped excitedly to finally be out. He had been put on standby to save power and now he had the chance to stretch his legs.


    "Leave the rope,¡± said Remy. "It will save us time."


    Will nodded. He had another cord of rope in his pocket, so there was no harm in leaving one in the subway. He dusted off his suit as he stood.


    "Everything is set." Will turned to the other two. "Ready?"


    Remy gave a thumbs-up, but Rebecca had her hands raised to her helmet as though she was bracing for something. She gave a loud sneeze which left Will''s ears ringing.


    "Do you smell that?" She sniffed. "It has been bugging me since we stepped out of the subway."


    "No," said Remy.


    Will raised his head. The snow swirled around him. There was a hint of something in the air, but he couldn''t recognize it. "I''m not sure."


    "It smells like your bike fuel, only... rotting," said Rebecca.


    "I heard there is a famous garbage dump over here," said Remy. "Most of the tower waste is just dumped in the outer exclusion zone. It''s a lot cheaper than processing it."


    "They dump ethrazene too?" asked Rebecca.


    "It looks like it, doesn''t it," said Will. "Come on, let''s get moving."


    Together they set off, stepping off the sidewalk into the main road before them. The snow pelted their visors, and Will had to lean against the wind as he stepped forward. Despite the severe conditions, the suits were doing a remarkable job of protecting them from the cold and radiation.


    A shimmer surrounded the suits, and that ever-present pulse of psion radiation was kept at bay. The thick insulation and internal heater maintained their body temperature at optimal levels.


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    Will brought his hand forward to shade his face, but the snow was relentless. Scout was having a hard time navigating the snow with his squat legs.


    The little bot whined as it was battered by the snow. There was a crackle over the helmet speakers, and Remy spoke. "We need to get Scout out of the snow. He might have a low-end chip, but there is still the possibility of corrosion."


    "Yeah," said Will slowly. "Let''s get out of the main road for now."


    He escorted the group through an intersection, and they made their way through a smaller lane lined with crumbling skyscrapers. Cars piled up on the road, and the trio was forced onto the sidewalk.


    Crumpled fenders smashed into each other, and a few cars were upturned. Doors were ripped out in jagged chunks, and elsewhere puncture marks were seen, as if something had taken a bite out of the vehicle.


    "What happened here?" asked Rebecca.


    Will glanced at the pileup and said shortly, "Spiders."


    "Spiders?"


    "The initial attack came from the other side of the gate," said Will. "The Hive drove the subspace creatures forward to soften up the defenses. The swarm got loose in the city."


    Rebecca stared at the broken buildings and frozen-over rebar and steel beams. Wind and snow had battered them for half a century, eroding them little by little. The walls were blackened like they had been torched, and the bricks looked like they were baked in fire. The odd thing was that only the walls facing east had been burnt. The rest facing away were pristine by comparison.


    Rebecca looked back and forth between the walls, unable to make sense of it.


    "I''ll give you a hint," said Will. "Most of the nukes went off over there," he pointed towards the east.


    Rebecca looked back at the building and found an unmarred part of the torched building wall. There was a white shadow of a woman cowering over a child while a giant spider loomed over her. She gasped as the realization hit her.


    Bathed in nuclear light, everything burned. Only the shadows remained to tell the story.


    "I used to play over there," Will pointed at a shop near the street corner. "Got ice creams from a nice old lady. She used to tell the craziest stories from beyond the gates."


    "She sounds nice," said Rebecca.


    "Oh, she was," said Will. "And on the weekends, we used to go to the Grand Central Mall. Play laser tag and mech fighters. It looks like it''s all still here."


    There was a large complex to the right. They walked along its side and came to the mall''s main entrance. A giant sculpture of an egg, made of ribbons of arching steel, greeted them at the entrance. The ribbons curved and twisted into an ovoid shape and formed a porous seven-foot-tall egg.


    "I''m surprised that it lasted this long," said Rebecca.


    Will gazed at the sculpture. "It was a pre-war fad when the tower started construction. They used to weave subspace folds into everything. Make everything last a thousand years, just like the tower."


    Rebecca approached the egg. It was sitting on a bed of metal flowers, and at the bottom was a plaque. On it were the words: "To a better tomorrow and a brighter future."


    The trio looked at the sign solemnly. Rebecca bent down to touch the flowers. "It must have been quite some place before the war. I wish I could have seen it."


    Will nodded, unable to find the words. Rebecca looked back up at the two boys. "Are you finally going to tell me why you are here? What are you guys looking for?"


    Will exchanged a glance with Remy, who shrugged. "I guess this is as good a place as any."


    He stepped to the side and popped the hood of a nearby car. He ripped apart a few internals and brought out a ruby-red crystal. "We are looking for this."


    "Etherite?"


    "That''s right," he said. "There''s got to be tons of free crystals here. It doesn''t matter if it is irradiated. With a bit of cleanup, this entire region could become our cash cow."


    "Our real bet is that the embargo would keep the price up," said Will.


    Rebecca looked between the two boys. "Come on, guys, these are just junk. Not to mention the amount of work involved. You would have to go through hundreds of these low-end crystals to make any money at all. The work is not worth the time or effort."


    "You are right," said Remy as he palmed the red crystal. "These low-end crystals are secondary. What we are really after are the mech shops."


    There was a pause while Rebecca considered his statement. A few seconds later, it finally dawned on her. "I heard that before the war, we had etherite coming in from everywhere. It was a golden age for external chip etherite integration."


    "Yeah, back then we used to dive a lot deeper into the gates. The crystal quality was something else. If we managed to get our hands on one of those..."


    "It will be worth your while," Rebecca nodded.


    "With any luck, the etherite shortage is going to be a push for external chip types," said Remy. "It is a stopgap measure most companies hate, but in the interim, we can make bank."


    "Right," Rebecca turned towards Will. "So, what''s next?"


    Will was looking into the distance. "We keep moving. Come on."


    He led the group up the street, the familiar places of his childhood coming back to him. They flashed before his eyes with every step. He trudged through the snow, going back to the earliest memories he ever had.


    The first time he had ever held a spanner. The first time he played hide and seek in the shop. The time he played with fist-sized ball bearings from an exo-arm. He rounded the street to the first shop on the left, his heart pounding in his chest.


    Best Mechs in Belgrave!


    Will was greeted by the same sign behind the shop window. It was still here, waiting for him. He stopped and just stared.


    Remy and Rebecca came around the bend and saw the shop. Both of them looked up at the partially erect store sign with only one name left on it: Dunn.


    "Is that," Rebecca whispered.


    "Yes," said Will as he stepped towards the front door. "This is my family shop."

 Ch. 24 Ghost City 2

    The shop bell jingled as Will swung the door open. Scout bounded into the mech shop, and the others soon followed. The ever-present howl of the cold wind abated as he shut the door, and silence descended on the store.


    The light inside was dim from the frosted glass, and they switched on their flashlights. It was a small shop with a counter off to the side. Lined along the walls were mechs of various sizes, their shells gleaming under their flashlights.


    "Holy shit!" Remy gaped at all the vintage mech suits put on display and immediately ran towards them. "Is that a Paramat K7? And this... a Merkavan Panther! This is so cool! What are their specs? What are their controls? Will, tell me you have the originals!"


    Will chuckled. "Those are just showpieces. We don''t put the real stuff outside."


    "Damn," said Remy. "Still cool, though."


    Will smiled. He patted the glass top of the front desk with nostalgia and came around behind the counter. Hanging on the wall were mech helmets in various states of damage. Below each one was a plaque, all depicting the surname Dunn. Will bowed to the ancestor wall and prayed.


    He prayed for their wisdom and guidance, and most of all, he prayed for their forgiveness. The Dunn line had nearly come to an end in his generation. It was all up to him now to bring them back.


    Will opened his eyes to find Rebecca beside him. She was looking at the framed photographs hidden behind the counter. She smiled and showed him the picture. "Look, I found baby William."


    Will chuckled at the photo of him in diapers. "Oh wow. I forgot about these."


    "There is Mr. and Mrs. Dunn, and oh, who''s this little cutie?" asked Rebecca.


    "That''s my little sister," said Will, looking at the photographs. Most of them were from right after they had first opened their shop.


    "She''s so cute!" Rebecca gushed over the adorable baby pictures, most of which little Ellie was clinging to Mom, but in one photo, she was sitting in the lap of an older girl. She had her long flowing black hair draped across her shoulder, and little Ellie tugged at it with her tiny fist. The older girl looked down at Ellie with kind eyes and teased her with a finger poking at her chubby cheeks.


    Rebecca looked up at Will, the question plain in her eyes. Will let out a breath.


    "That''s Anya, my older sister," said Will.


    "You have an older sister?"


    "I had an older sister," said Will.


    "Oh..." Rebecca gazed back at the photo, lost for words.


    Will reached forward and brought out more photographs. "I remember there being more pictures of her. Ah, here is one."


    Anya was outside in the park in a yellow sundress. Her legs were armored up to her knees. It looked like the plating of a half-finished leg piece of a mech suit.


    "Did she want to be a pilot?" asked Rebecca. Will shook his head.


    "She was more into designing than piloting." He brought out more photos of Anya in various armors, all half-complete. However, in the final picture, she was fully clad in a black and silver mech suit.


    "I was so jealous when she got her first armor," laughed Will. "I wanted one so bad."


    "At least that part hasn''t changed," Rebecca chuckled.


    "Right," Will laughed.


    A thud interrupted their conversation, and they found Remy had dismantled one of the vintage showpieces. He had a helmet in his hand and a mech arm in the other.


    "This is so cool!" Remy made swishing sounds as he swung the arm around. "The articulation, the precision. It''s almost like the real thing."


    "That''s because it is the real thing," said Will. "The outer casing is the same. We just have to add the internals."


    Remy shook his head in disbelief. He gazed into the eyes of the helmet and whispered. "Soon, my love. I''m going to build my own custom version, and it is going to be great."


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    "If you are going to pop a boner, do it outside, please," said Rebecca dryly.


    "She sounds awfully jelly, doesn''t she, Imperious?" Remy spoke to the helmet.


    "Oh, yes she does," Remy mimed with the helmet. "It''s because she won''t find an armor big enough to fit her fat head."


    Rebecca grabbed one of the mantle pieces and mimed throwing it at Remy, who laughed and pretended to dodge. However, he was surprised when he slipped and nearly fell over. He caught the edge of the glass countertop in the last second and righted himself.


    "Son of a..." Remy cursed, looking at his feet. "Damn snow. Nearly cracked open my skull."


    "Would have been an improvement," Rebecca muttered, but Remy paid her no mind. He frowned at the snow with a quizzical look.


    "This is some weird snow. There is something off about it," said Remy.


    They all glanced at the snow on the ground for a second when Rebecca chimed in, "that is not snow."


    "Huh?"


    "It''s Lysom. It''s used to clean up radioactive hotspots," said Rebecca. "The Tower dumped tons of it here to bring down the psion contamination."


    "So, they screwed up?" asked Remy. "The radiation is still here."


    "It takes time," said Rebecca. "Around a hundred years."


    "What a wonderful scam," said Remy. "Pay me now and worry about the results after I''m dead."


    "It''s not a scam," said Rebecca. "There has already been a two percent drop in field strength."


    "Oh wow... anyway," said Remy. "What''s next, Will? Where is the good stuff?"


    Will pointed to a nook in the corner behind the ancestor wall. "A level down is the storage."


    "Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Remy.


    Will nodded and headed downstairs alongside Rebecca. Remy dusted off the lysom powder and followed them.


    A single flight of stairs later, they were in a room filled with crates. Torches flashed in the dark room, and they navigated the rows of boxes. Dust picked up with every step, and Will was glad for their protective suits. The faint field surrounding them also had the added benefit of nudging dust away.


    "Are these any good?" asked Rebecca, jerking her head towards the boxes. Will shrugged. "Sure, but the most expensive items are behind lock and key. Come on, it''s this way."


    They reached the other end of the storage area, and there was a cornered-off section of the shop locked behind steel bars. A dial combination lock was present on the barred gate.


    Will flashed his torch through the bars and spotted a pair of armored mech legs behind the gate. The lone pair of legs were left like a discarded pair of boots. It was placed tantalizingly close to the gate where you could barely reach for it but never touch it.


    Will burst out laughing at the familiar sight. When Remy and Rebecca gave him quizzical looks, he could only shake his head.


    "I used to want them so bad as a kid," said Will. "Anya used to tease me by leaving those out in the open, where I could see it but not claim it."


    He sighed. "I guess I can finally get my hands on it now."


    Will reached for the dial lock, and Rebecca stirred beside him.


    "You know the password, right?" She asked.


    Will nodded. Ten-year-old him had worked so hard to figure out the password. It turned out that it was something that he knew all along ¨C his name and his birthday. Ironic.


    Will shook his head and reached out to turn the dial when he paused. He went stock still and stared at the lock.


    "What?" asked Remy. "Does it need power to function or something?"


    Will shook his head. "No, it is mechanical. You have to turn the dials to open the lock."


    "So, turn the dial," said Remy.


    "He can''t," said Rebecca.


    "Why not?" Remy craned his neck to see past Will.


    "Because it has a child lock," said Becca. "The tumblers and dials are inside. I''ve seen these old locks before. You have to use your psion fields to turn the dials."


    "Ah, shit!" Remy looked down at the protective suit he was wearing. The suit, while great at isolating the radiation and psion fields from outside, also restricted your personal field to the inside.


    There were no two ways about it; as long as they were wearing the suit, they couldn''t turn the locks.


    Remy said uncertainly, "I could take my suit off¡ª"


    "NO!" both Rebecca and Will yelled.


    "All right, relax," said Remy.


    "There has to be another way," muttered Will.


    "You didn''t think of this before coming here?" asked Rebecca quietly.


    "Well, with the thousand other complications, I didn''t think that I would be stumped by a lock."


    "We could dismantle it¡ª" started Rebecca.


    "¡ªand risk triggering it," finished Will.


    "Or," Remy interrupted. "We could try blowing it up."


    In his hands were the fist-sized explosive disks that they had used to blow open the subway grates.


    "We are not blowing up my family shop!" said Will.


    "I don''t like that idea," Rebecca shook her head.


    Remy shrugged. "It''s your place, Will. What''s it going to be?"


    Will clenched his fist as indecision gripped him. His eyes darted between the explosive disks and the steel bars for a solid minute before he opened his mouth.


    "We¡ª" He began when an explosion rocked the shop. The entire building shook, and several crates jumped in the air.


    "What the hell?" Remy yelled.


    "It''s coming from outside!" said Rebecca.


    "Come on," Will straightened up and urged the two outside. They rushed upstairs and made it out of the shop.


    The store door slammed shut behind them, and they were back in the snow-clad city. In the distance, black smoke rose, and there was the orange glow of a fire.


    There was a rumble in the air, and another explosion punched them in the chest. The trio raised their heads to see airships on fire. Multiple fireballs bloomed in the sky as one explosion followed another. In the distance, a flaming cargo ship got torn in half, and tons of burning metal ore plummeted to the earth.


    The high-pitched whine of a failing engine was the only warning they got. An explosion sounded overhead, and the burning ship was seared into their eyes. The aircraft careened as it lost altitude and headed straight for them.


    "Shiiiiit!" Remy screamed as the burning plane raced towards them.

 Ch. 25 Ghost City 3

    Will watched in horror as the plane crashed next to the Grand Central Mall. The coming secondary explosion nearly threw him off his feet.


    "Oh my god," Rebecca gasped.


    "Come on," Will yelled and rushed towards the crash. He wasn''t sure if there was anyone still alive on that plane, but they had to do what they could.


    Scout raced ahead and took point. The little bot had been quietly following the trio until now, but now sensing an emergency, it took action.


    They rushed down the corner towards the mall, kicking up snow. Smoke billowed out of the crashed aircraft. It had plowed straight into the building next to Grand Central, and bits of fuselage rained down from the sky.


    A large sheet of metal crashed down on the piled-up cars, which was followed by rocks and giant chunks of the building wall, sending more debris flying.


    Will cursed. In his rush to help, he didn''t even consider the buildings might have destabilized. More debris fell from the sky as the high-rise support pillars crumbled. They would never reach the plane if they were blocked by the falling skyscraper.


    Another explosion came from the plane. Through the smoke and fire, dark forms shifted in the flames. Two armored mechs stumbled out of the wreckage, which was immediately followed by a thunderclap and the staccato burst of an all-too-familiar sound.


    "What was that?" asked Rebecca, but the boys knew right away. Remy flattened himself against the ground, and Will dragged Rebecca behind the cover of a car.


    The machine gunfire sounded again, and the two mechs tore at each other with naked fury. Bullets pinged against the cars, and Rebecca let out a muffled cry.


    More bits of the building wall crashed down, and one of them landed on the egg sculpture in front of the mall. The twisted steel ribbons of the sculpture snapped, sending them careening across the sky. They rained down like spears, skewering the cars around them. One of the pieces speared itself near their feet, spraying them with snow. Rebecca gave out a terrified squeak as the jagged piece of metal nearly took her leg off.


    "What the hell is going on?" Remy hissed over the comms. He crawled forward and joined Rebecca and Will.


    "Damn," cursed Will. There was another explosion, and the sounds of combat intensified.


    "Scout, give us a look," Will instructed the little bot, and Scout scrambled to its feet and poked its head out of the cover. It streamed the camera feed onto their visors.


    In the corner of his helmet, the video feed popped up. With a few eye commands, Will enlarged it.


    He watched the dust and snow clear. Everything was a mess. The cars were torn apart, and the metal ribbons from the egg sculpture turned the street into a twisted maze of interlocking steel spears.


    Far ahead, the mechs were still engaged in battle. They moved in a blur of clashing metal and steel. Sparks flew, and gunfire rang, and Scout could barely keep track of them through the smoke and fire.


    One of the mechs finally came to a halt when its opponent managed to score a hit. A green military mech struggled to regain balance as it withstood the onslaught. Its camo paint job flaked off its body as it kept getting struck.


    The military mech unloaded its magazine as cover fire as it tried to level its disadvantage, but the enemy was too fast. It was smaller than the green mech but a lot more agile. It zipped by in a red blur and came at the bigger military mech from the side.


    Two red arms clamped down on the military mech, immobilizing its arms. This was followed by an attack from another pair of red arms carrying short swords. The multi-limbed enemy mech aimed for the military mech''s neck.


    The military mech didn''t bother with defending. It tucked in its neck and used its leverage to bodily pick up the multi-armed red mech and threw it to the side.


    Sparks flew as the red mech managed to make shallow cuts on the military mech''s arms before being tossed aside. It rolled and came to a stop crouched on all six limbs. It skittered away through the fallen debris before the bigger mech could get a lock on it.


    "Will, it''s not just mechs," said Remy. "Look to the side."


    Will got Scout to retract the zoom, and he spotted another, more intense fight off to the side. The mechs had bot assistants.


    The small army of bots duked it out away from the mechs. The military bots were painted in camo green and ran on all fours. The dog-shaped K-9 units fired lasers from their mouths, blasting craters in the snow.


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    The red enemy bots skittered out of the way as nimble as their master and returned the laser fire with their own. The spiderlings were quick and vicious.


    The two camps of bots mauled each other with a ferocity only matched by their owners. Laser beams flashed between each camp, and both spiderlings and Coyotes got blasted into slag.


    On occasion, they harassed the enemy mech, to eke out an advantage for their owners, which ended in tragic consequences for the bot. The smaller machines didn''t have one-tenth the firepower of the bigger mech and could only act as cannon fodder.


    More bots fell, and Will noticed that they were all fighting over something. A silver briefcase lay in the snow, and both sides were desperately trying to get their hands on it. The case slid between the combatants as each side tried to make a grab for it, only to get blasted aside by the bigger mechs.


    An errant spray of gunfire came in their direction, and Scout had to pull back into cover. The bullets pinged over the cars, and Remy cursed. "What the fuck is going on? Who is the military one fighting?"


    "No clue," said Will. "But the speed and power of that thing are off the charts. It is not your average mech."


    "Guys," Rebecca whispered urgently, but both boys were too focused on the fight.


    "Six arms and no markings," said Will. "And they are fighting over that case."


    "What do you think is in it?" muttered Remy.


    "Don''t know, don''t care," said Will.


    "Should we grab it?" asked Remy, and Will looked horrified.


    Rebecca started urgently tapping Will on the shoulder. "Guys!"


    "Have you gone mad?" Will hissed.


    "Kidding, just kidding," Remy chuckled.


    "We should get out of here while we can. Whatever is going on, we don''t want to be involved."


    Will felt his arm being wrenched and shaken. "Guys!"


    "What?"


    Rebecca had one hand over her faceplate, trying to reach her nose, but the helmet was in the way. Will finally recognized the faint smell of ethrazene in the air and the reason for Rebecca''s predicament. Sniffling sounds came over the coms, and Rebecca looked like she was about to explode.


    "Becca..." Remy warned.


    Rebecca sneezed explosively, and the ghost city suddenly turned quiet. Will and Remy didn''t dare to move. A faint sound of something sliding over snow reached their ears, and Remy and Will noticed that they were no longer bent low under their cover, and a silver briefcase rested between their legs.


    Wide-eyed, the trio looked at the briefcase and then at the two mechs that had their cameras trained on them. There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity, after which both mechs raised their guns towards them simultaneously.


    "Shit!"


    The trio dove out of the way as bullets rained down on them. Remy kicked the briefcase up, and it exploded into a thousand pieces as it got caught in the fire path. The shrapnel flew at them, and Will, who was closest, got hit.


    Pain shot through his amputated limb as the shrapnel buried into his stump leg. Fire raced up his calcified kneecap, and Will nearly passed out.


    "Warning! Containment breach! Containment breach!" Red alerts pinged his visor, and Will instructed the suit to compress down in the torn area. The suit tightened around him, and Will felt the suit field adjust to compensate.


    "Will!" Remy dragged Will forward. The rat-tat-tat of the machine gun sounded again, and mechs riddled the cars with holes. Only the sheer amount of scrap metal between them and the mechs kept them from being turned into a red mist.


    "Come on!" Remy yelled, and the three of them made a run for it.


    Three pairs of feet pounded across the snow. Scout loped beside them, its camera still keeping an eye on the fight behind them.


    "Why is the military also shooting at us?" Rebecca gasped.


    "Probably because he wants us dead!" said Will.


    A chittering sound came from behind them, accompanied by the roar of an engine. Red alerts pinged on his visor, and Will spotted two bots breaking away from their pack. A coyote and a single spiderling rushed forward. Red light gathered in their mouths as they powered up their lasers.


    "Shit!"


    Twin beams of death flew over their heads and struck the path ahead with a boom. Two small craters were blasted into the snow, and they were hit with a face full of steam as the snow flash boiled.


    "Keep moving," Will yelled. They scrambled to their feet and ran. Will glanced at the camera feed from Scout. The two bots scrambled up the cars and dodged the fallen steel spikes of the broken egg sculpture. The maze of steel ribbons and their wariness towards each other were the only things keeping them from fully focusing on firing at the trio.


    "We are not going to make it," Remy yelled, and desperation tinged his voice.


    Remy was right. They were too slow. The fresh snow made it hard to run through, and compared to the bots, they might as well be standing still.


    Another laser beam flew over their heads. The bots weaved through the steel ribbons, and the cars crumpled under their weight in their mad rush towards the trio.


    "Think, think, think, think," Will panicked as his heart raced. Sweat drenched his forehead as he ran through scenarios, but all of them came up short. He couldn''t think of a way out of this. They were too slow, the snow was too deep, and the bots were too fast. All his calculations led to a dire result, and their chances of making it out were getting smaller by the second.


    Red light bloomed in his visor as the Coyote trained its head towards Remy, who was too slow to react.


    "No!" screamed Will.


    Boom!


    At the very last second, Scout leapt up and bodily blocked the laser fire. The bot fell into the snow, smoking.


    "Scout!"


    The little bot rolled around in the snow and put out the flame. Its thick outer plating was steaming. Will picked up the bot and rushed forward. Another laser pinged them, and Will dodged to the side.


    Snow boiled to steam once again, and much of the laser''s energy was diffused into the meltwater.


    Will''s eyes went wide. "That''s it! Remy, toss two explosive disks behind us."


    "What? Why?"


    "Just do it!"


    Remy armed the disks and threw them behind him. The explosion sent a cloud of snow and steam into the air, blocking their line of sight.


    Another laser light came from the mist, but it barely singed them. It lacked the penetrating power it once had. Steam condensed back into water, and a fog enveloped them.


    There were more lasers incoming, but they all missed under the cover of the fog.


    "This way." Will led the trio around the corner.


    There was one place where they had a chance at losing their tail, and it wasn''t out in the snowy streets. They ran alongside the nearby building until they spotted the back entrance. Will kicked the door open, and the trio trooped into the Grand Central Mall.

 Ch. 26 Grand Central Mall 1

    GRAND CENTRAL MALL


    <hr>


    They were greeted with a stairway inside the building, and Will rushed up the steps. Scout stirred in his arms, and he let the little bot down, who scrambled up the stairs alongside Remy and Rebecca.


    A crack of thunder came from behind them, and Will saw the back door being blasted into fragments. The two bots came scrambling behind them, lasers streaming from their mouths.


    Red light filled his eyes before Will ducked low over the stairs. Bits of the metal railing got blasted into slag, and the wall above them was scorched black.


    "Shit!" Will cursed, and the trio ran up the stairs, ducking low.


    Even more intense combat sounded from below as the bots made their way up the stairs. They were fighting each other as much as they were hunting the three of them. Will scrambled up the stairs on all fours, dodging errant lasers the bots fired at each other.


    Another blast brushed past their heads. Will gritted his teeth and rammed into the very first stairway door he spotted. The trio broke into the back rooms of the mall''s first floor. They raced past utility rooms and offices and made it to the mall proper.


    Behind them, the bots were closing in, the sound of their pounding robot limbs growing ever closer.


    Will looked around frantically. "Come on, come on. It has to be around here somewhere."


    "What''s the plan, Will?" Remy panted beside him.


    "We need a map," said Will as he scanned the mall aisle.


    Rebecca, too winded to speak, frantically pointed to the side, and Will spotted an information kiosk. On a podium was a map of the entire mall.


    "Yes!" Will angled his helmet and took a few quick photographs as he ran past it. The suit processed the data, and a map displayed on his visor. An icon flashed on the first floor, displaying his location with the caption - "You are here."


    With a few quick eye commands, Will sent the map over to Remy and Rebecca. "Look for the nearest exit next to the subway."


    The mall was right next to where they had climbed out of the subway. They just had to make it there before the bots caught up to them.


    Laser light flew over their heads, and one of the shop''s signs exploded in a shower of sparks.


    "Damn! This way, hurry!"


    They ducked into a supermarket and ran through a maze of shelves. Even hidden amongst the Domestic supply aisle, there was no mistaking the metallic footfalls of the two hunter bots. They knocked aside shelves and display racks as they searched for them.


    Laser light bloomed once again as they fired into the ceiling. Tiles fell from above along with ducts and insulation.


    Will cursed and made a run for it before they were buried. The bots tracked them immediately and made a beeline for them. The trio zigzagged amongst the shelves as they tried to throw the bots off their tail. Shelves exploded around them as more laser light followed.


    "I have it!" Remy exclaimed, and on Will''s visor, the map updated, but this time with directions. They had to make it down from the first floor and then leg it all the way across the mall to the other side.


    Two more lasers flew over their heads, and Remy cursed. "We need to lose them somehow. At this rate, they will get us before we reach the exit."


    Will scanned the map as he ran. There had to be something that they could use. His eyes darted over a clothing shop.


    "There." He marked the spot and sent the map to Remy and Becca.


    "Ray-Rays?" asked Remy. "You thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "Yeah, get the program ready," gasped Will. His head pounded, and his heart was beating out of his chest. His spine tingled, and the familiar ache was spreading from his right knee. Will gritted his teeth and willed his body to move. He knew what was coming. He had to hold on just a bit longer.


    Laser light flew over their heads and struck the ceiling again. More concrete and insulation rained down on them, and the trio ran out of the mart, covering their heads. Scout bounded beside them and had his rear cameras trained on the enemy bots. More explosions shook the mart as the bots fired at each other.


    They ran up the mall aisle and followed the map on their HUD. Their location got updated as they moved.


    "Here!" yelled Remy, and they turned around a corner and ran into Ray-Rays. The large clothing store was of the high-end variety, and expensive clothes were displayed prominently on the mannequins.


    They ran through the kids'' section, and racks of clothing were lined up. Will pushed past the clothes and made his way deeper into the shop.


    "To the back!" yelled Will. "That''s where the most expensive ones will be."


    "What are we doing here?" asked Rebecca breathlessly. "Where are we going?"


    "We are going to try a VDoS attack," said Remy. "Confuse the visual processors and crash the droids."


    "It throws them into a logic doom loop," continued Will. "Anything that lights up or has a display would do."


    "Then what the hell lights up in a clothes shop?" asked Rebecca when she spotted a garish pantsuit with mirror-like bling attached to the fabric.


    "Oh..." said Rebecca, remembering the fashion decades past where there was a penchant for adding lights to clothing.


    "This is your plan?" asked Rebecca. "Even if you find one, it''s probably ruined after all these years."


    "Keep your fingers crossed that at least one of them has a subspace weave in them," said Will as they ran to the back end of the store.


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    "Watch out, they have caught up to us!" yelled Remy. Will glanced at Scout''s camera feed, and the two hunter bots were hot on their heels. The spiderling jumped and skittered between the clothing racks while the coyote just bulldozed its way through. It opened its maw, and red light gathered once again.


    "Duck!" Will yelled, and the laser came fast and quick. It nearly took their heads off, and clothes started to burn. The three kept their heads low as they grabbed as many blinged-up clothes as they could.


    Will powered up his suit''s external field and crudely ran it over the clothes.


    "Dud, dud, dud," Will muttered as he ran. Most of the clothes stayed inert.


    "This one is broken too," Remy tossed aside the rejected clothes.


    Will passed his hand over the final set of clothes, and one of them lit up. "Yes!"


    "Here!" Rebecca thrust out a jacket too, and Remy grabbed them. He began to program them while on the move, and Will dragged him along so that he wouldn''t crash.


    Remy quickly uploaded the code, and two jackets and one horrendous bell-bottoms lit up like neon signs in his hands.


    "Done!" He tossed the two jackets to Rebecca and Will.


    Another explosion rocked the shop as the bots closed the gap. The chittering of the spiderling got louder as it skittered closer.


    Will took a running leap and hooked the jacket along with its hanger onto a large sign. As soon as the bots came into view, the jacket started playing a sequence of flashes. The spider paused for a scant few seconds before ignoring the errant piece of clothing. The coyote was a lot more direct and blasted the jacket off the sign.


    Remy cursed and hung the bell-bottoms on a nearby rack, and Rebecca followed suit with her jacket. Both flashed violently enough to cause a seizure.


    Two lasers arrived in answer, and Rebecca screamed as the red flash nearly took her arm off. The three ducked and ran through the shop with their heads bent low.


    "Why is it not working?" Remy cursed.


    Will glanced back at the two bots who seemed completely unaffected by their hacking attempt. This shouldn''t have been possible.


    Will gritted his teeth. "Tip the shelves."


    Remy looked at the racks of clothing and the heavy shelves in the store and immediately understood. Both of them rammed their shoulders into a nearby shelf stand, and it toppled over. It crashed into the one behind it, which crashed into the next one, and soon there was a cascading row of shelves headed for the two drones.


    Will watched with bated breath. The spiderling would be the first one to get buried. The coyote was further away, and it had every chance to take advantage of the situation and cripple the spider bot. This was the chance he had been waiting for. They had been helpless against two bots, but if one of them got taken out, then with Scout at his side, there was a chance of taking out the remaining one.


    Through the video feed, Will saw the drones'' cameras fixing their sights on them and the incoming shelves that were about to bury them. Judging by the speed and trajectory, there was no way for them to dodge this.


    Just as they reached the shop exit, the bots'' behavior changed. Despite their inhuman visage, Will sensed it. Both drones seemed to be considering their current damage levels and their escaping quarry. In a blink of an eye, their electronic brains ran through their decision trees and found their actions suboptimal.


    The quarry must be captured. The quarry must not be captured by the enemy. The quarry must not escape.


    The drones, in smooth synchronous movements, disengaged for a heartbeat before simultaneously firing at Will.


    Will heard the dual ping of the lasers, and his world turned red before his vision was blocked by a grey metallic shell.


    "Scout!"


    The drone had shielded him from the blast. Scout was sent flying, and its upper shell was smoking. One of its legs got sheared off, and its hull was cracked open, but despite that, the robot still held strong. Shaking itself off, the drone rushed after them through the exit without missing a beat.


    There was a loud boom behind them, and the drones got buried.


    The trio stumbled out of the shop. The backwash of the lasers had their suit shields flickering, and Will could feel the lick of radiation on his skin. He rotated his own personal field and fended off the intrusion. Beside him, Remy gasped as he ran.


    "They shrugged off the VDoS attack like it was nothing," said Remy. "This makes no sense."


    Will bit his lip. Remy had been right. The VDoS didn''t even faze the bots. This was not possible. Judging by their size and build, they shouldn''t have an etherite cubit powerful enough to pull that off. Even if they wanted to install one, there just wasn''t enough space for its shielding. And yet, the drones were far smarter than they had any right to be.


    A feeling of dread crept up Will''s spine. This was wrong. There was something definitely wrong.


    "R3mY @!" Will began, but the coms were filled with static.


    "Wh@t wa5 Th@t?!"


    "Wh@ts g0in On?"


    Remy froze and almost fell over. "Shit!"


    He immediately bashed his suit to go into a hard reset, and a muffled voice came through his helmet. "They are trying to get into our coms!"


    "Reset. Reset. Reset now!"


    Will and Becca hard reset their suits too and immediately felt the radiation pour in.


    "Shit!"


    It stabbed into them like knives, and the cold seeped in. Thousands of ants crawled up his skin, and Will''s field flared up to shield himself. He gritted his teeth, and his heart rate shot through the roof. As the cold dug into him, he felt his metal leg spasm.


    "Oh, not right now, you damned thing!" Will cursed as they crashed through different shops.


    "Which way are we going?" asked Rebecca, and Will realized that with the suit dead, they had also lost their map. He quickly recalled their path from memory and remembered that they had to go one level down right around the corner.


    "This way!" he yelled. The trio raced around the bend, and they were about a hundred feet from the escalators leading down.


    They ran down the aisle overlooking the central atrium. Over the edges of the first floor, large red banners hung down. Will glanced past the banners to try and recall the next step in the map, but the raking pain of his right knee kept him unfocused.


    Every move was agony, and he could feel the radiation digging into him. It poked at him like a thousand relentless tiny blades. His skin bubbled and boiled over. Any second, he could lose control of his leg and become undone.


    "Dammit, keep it together," he hissed.


    Rebecca was not faring well either. "It''s too quiet," she gasped. "Where are they?"


    Will glanced around, and he too noticed the unnatural quiet. Did they lose them? The three of them had done quite a bit of damage to the bots, and they were already heavily damaged fighting each other. Hopefully, they had neutralized each other.


    He could no longer hear the heavy footfalls of the drones, and the mall was practically a graveyard.


    "What''s going on?" asked Becca.


    "It doesn''t matter; we just have to get to the exit," said Will wildly.


    "Wait, I hear something," said Becca. "Ahead of us!"


    "No, it''s from behind," said Remy.


    Will strained his ears and listened. The faint sounds registered, and he exclaimed, "It''s both! They are trying to box us in!"


    Sure enough, the spiderling and the coyote were coming at them from different directions. They were trying to stop them from reaching the escalator.


    It was the perfect pincer maneuver. While they were running headlessly while their suits were going haywire, the bots had been silently making their way towards the only exit out of the first floor.


    "Damn tin cans are working together now?" Remy exclaimed.


    Will couldn''t believe this was possible. This kind of chain of thought required high-level thinking. A system that sophisticated couldn''t possibly be housed by anything as small as the two bots, and yet here they were.


    It was one thing to foil a VDoS attack, but a whole another thing to know when to work cooperatively with your enemies and know when to betray them. To be capable of this level of deception, to be this devious was not easy. There was no way, absolutely no way that an AI chip this sophisticated could be fit into such a small drone. What the hell was going on?


    Will watched the two drones closing in on them balefully. They had them. Both of them wouldn''t even need their lasers. They would rip them apart with their clamping jaws, and there was nothing they could do about it. They were trapped like rats, and the outcome was inevitable.


    "We can''t get past them," Remy echoed his thoughts.


    "We jump," said Becca quietly.


    "What?"


    "We jump," said Becca, indicating the railing beside them. They were only one floor up. They could make it down, but would they be getting back up again? That was the question.


    "Well, shit," said Remy.


    Will and Remy shared a look. "We jump," said Remy.


    "We jump," repeated Will. He scooped up Scout, and Remy followed. Both boys swung off of the second-story railing and jumped.

 Ch. 27 Grand Central Mall 2

    Will leapt off the first floor, arms flailing. As he fell, he grabbed one of the banners hanging off the sides of the atrium. His fingers slipped off the synthetic material, but it slowed him down enough to see Remy doing the same on the other side of the banner. Rebecca came flying next and made a grab for the swaying banner but missed. She grabbed Will instead, and the banner began to rip under their combined weight. It tore from the side, and they were soon falling once more.


    Remy whooped, and Rebecca screamed as they were in freefall. Will tucked and rolled, breaking the fall. Rebecca, on the other hand, landed with a heavy thud and twisted her ankles. She gave a muffled grunt as she hobbled in place.


    A shadow fell over them as the torn banner fluttered above their heads. Will looked up, and through the banner, he saw a red glow gathering in strength. He tackled Rebecca out of the way, and a red laser punched straight through the banner, where she had been moments ago.


    More laser light rained down, and the trio ran out of the atrium under the cover of the large banner.


    Will dragged Rebecca along with him, who was slowly gaining her footing. "It''s okay," she said in a pained whisper. "I can still run."


    She forced herself to put her full weight on her leg and ran alongside Will and Remy without nary a complaint.


    There was a buzz in the coms, and their helmet screens flickered back on. Will breathed a sigh of relief as the map was displayed once again. He felt the strain on his channels lessen as the suit''s field came back online.


    "Finally," said Remy through the coms. "I''ve hardened the system. They won''t be able to get in without a proper handshake."


    Two loud metallic thuds came from behind them, followed by the roar of an engine and excited chittering. The bots were back on their tail.


    Will gritted his teeth. "Keep moving."


    The trio followed the path on the map. Shops and cafes whizzed by, and everything was an adrenaline-filled blur. Laser light flew, nearly clipping them, and they were forced to make a detour. The suits quickly recalculated and offered an alternate route, but that too was cut off by another laser. They were forced to change paths again.


    The number of paths they could take was falling by the second. They kept getting blocked. The bots worked in tandem, always one step ahead.


    "We are being herded," gasped Rebecca.


    Will glanced at the paths. The bots were slowly guiding them to the center of the complex, away from any possible exits.


    "We need to slow them down," yelled Remy. "Break out."


    Will''s eyes darted through the map and found a narrow section with little room to maneuver. "Head here. Grab whatever you can and block the opening."


    The trio ran through the narrow passage into a high-end lounge. Rebecca tossed a chair, and Remy kicked a table towards the opening. Will grabbed the guest list and scattered the papers into the air. The paper fluttered and landed on the floor in a mess.


    The bots came rushing in after them. They blasted the furniture aside, but the paper took them by surprise. They slipped and crashed into the decor. A sculpture slammed down on the coyote and the spiderling scrambled wildly, trying to get its footing on the loose sheets of paper.


    The trio didn''t stop to watch. They broke out of the net the bots had been casting and made their way out of the center of the mall. They ran through electronic stores and food courts. The kitchens went by in a blur, and soon they were running through the outskirts of the mall.


    Will''s breathing was labored. His spine tingled, and his leg itched. Eyes blurred, he fought himself from going under. He had to hold on. Just a little bit more, and they were home free.


    "The next left!" yelled Remy. Will forced himself to keep running. Hope reignited in him as he saw the end of the route. They were close. A straight sprint for a hundred feet, and the exit was to the right.


    The shops around him went by in a blur. Will watched as he closed in on the exit, the map updating with every step.


    30 feet.


    15 feet.


    10, 9, 8...


    5, 4, 3...


    A searing red light had them scrambling to the side as a whole section of the roof caved in, blocking the exit.


    "NO!"


    Will froze, seeing their last route being closed to them. Red light bloomed in the corner of his eye. Laser fire came for him, and Remy tackled him out of the way. The three stumbled into the nearby furniture shop for cover, but that might as well be a death sentence.


    Red lights blinked in their HUDs as they strayed off the path. The shop was a dead end with only one exit. As soon as they rushed into the shop, the bots barricaded the front entrance and began firing indiscriminately.


    Chairs and tables exploded into splinters as the trio scrambled deeper into the store. They ran towards the kitchen displays.


    "Get behind the countertops!" yelled Will. He dove behind the marble kitchen island, and Remy followed. Rebecca soon collapsed on top of them, clutching her leg.


    Remy clenched his fist and banged it against the island. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"


    Will peeked at the bots who were blasting each other with abandon. Their truce had been broken the instant they calculated that their quarry had nowhere to run. There is no need to cooperate when their prey had no more cards to play.


    The realization came thick and heavy. They were trapped here with no way out. Regardless of which bot won, they lost.


    "Will," Rebecca turned to him for answers. "What do we do?"


    "I..." began Will but choked on the words. He had nothing. They were stuck here, and he had led them here. Remy was going to die. Rebecca was going to die. He was going to die. And it was he who was responsible. He led them to their deaths. It was all on him.


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    "Will," he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Will gazed up to see Remy looking determined. "There is another way out."


    "What?"


    "We were following the map, but there is one thing a map doesn''t show." Remy jerked his thumb behind him. "An alternate exit."


    Will blinked and looked past Remy. In the back of the shop, he saw something, partially hidden behind a large cupboard and scant few pieces of furniture.


    Will gasped. "I''m an utter moron."


    Rebecca laughed in relief.


    At the end of the shop was a frosted window overlooking the snowy ghost city. Will chuckled too. He was so fixated on the map that he didn''t pause to consider that the outer shop would have windows, display showcases overlooking the city street. He missed that, and so had the drones. Not so smart after all.


    "That''s our ticket. We are going to make our way out," said Remy.


    Rebecca nodded and started to get up but was pinged by a laser immediately, and she had to duck down. Heat washed over them as the laser light passed over them.


    "All right, we got our exit, but there are still the drones," said Will. "They plan to keep us pinned till only one of them is left."


    "No," Remy shook his head. "You feel that?"


    The whole building was shaking slightly, and Will could hear the sound of distant gunfire.


    "Shit..."


    "Yeah," said Remy. "The mechs will be here first."


    "Guys, ideas?" asked Will. "Anything will do? How do we get out of here?"


    They fell silent as they considered. Remy bit his gloved hand, and Rebecca had her head bent deep in thought. Will''s hands twitched. He was still fixated on the mystery behind the bots.


    "I got nothing," said Remy, and Rebecca shook her head.


    Will grunted. "I keep coming back to the bots. There is something wrong with those drones. It makes no damn sense."


    "They are too smart," said Rebecca.


    "I noticed that too," said Remy. "How the hell are they so quick?"


    "They are too small," muttered Will.


    "A LAARS system," said Remy. "There is no way a cubit with proper shielding would fit in that. You have seen the engine size and the weapon loadouts. There is no more space left."


    "Maybe it''s..." mused Will as he brought out his sensor data on his HUD. He ran through the data and froze. "Remy."


    "What?"


    "Check the signal data. There is heavy outgoing data traffic from the bots."


    "Yeah, I noticed that. It''s encrypted. There is no way we will be able to crack that open."


    "Forget that," said Will. "Just look at the amount."


    Remy stared at the readings. "That... is a lot of data."


    "And who do you think they are sending it to?" asked Will.


    Remy went still as the truth slowly dawned on him. "Oh shit, of course! Darn it! So, that''s how they were doing it!"


    "What are you talking about?" asked Rebecca.


    Will turned to her. "If the drones are sending out data, then who is receiving it?"


    Rebecca tilted her head. "The mechs?"


    "Yes. The drones are piggybacking its processing through the mechs. That explains how they are adjusting their tactics on the fly. They''ve had help."


    "So, what do we do about that?" asked Rebecca.


    "We cut them off," said Will. "Interfere with the signal coverage."


    "We will literally make them dumber," Remy grinned.


    "That''s the plan," finished Will.


    Rebecca looked past the countertop. "Work faster then. The bots are making their way here."


    Will peeked at the bots, and they were slowly advancing into the store. It looked like they were dissatisfied with their stalemate with the mech''s arrival. They had to wrap up their mission and gain a clear advantage before their masters get here.


    Will gritted his teeth, and Rebecca clutched her leg.


    "So, signal disruption," began Remy.


    "Leave that to me," said Will.


    "And next?"


    "VDoS," said Will.


    "How?"


    Will pointed at the display atop next to the shop''s lighting fixtures.


    "Let''s hope they are still intact." Remy let out a breath and cracked his knuckles. "Scout, I''m going to need your help powering it, buddy."


    Will pointed at Remy''s pocket. "Before you go, give me the etherite in your pocket."


    Remy paused and fished out the crystal that he had salvaged out of the car. He handed the crystal to Will and said, "Don''t overdo it."


    Will nodded. "Let''s get to work."


    Remy snuck his way towards the wall, and Will held out the irradiated etherite crystal. It was a rough oval, and slightly translucent. Stars twinkled in its depths, but something was wrong with it. Instead of their slow flares and dips, the tiny sparks were erratic in their flashes.


    Will was sweating in his suit. He felt for the crystal''s psion signature and found it misshapen and warped. It burned against his fingers. Will fished out his core tuner, and with slow, delicate movements, he attached it to the crystal.


    Numbers flashed in his HUD, but Will was going by feel. The theory of tuning was sound, but he had learned to trust his hand. What he was doing right now was the very opposite of tuning. The weave jumped like a live wire, and he resonated with it, sending pulses deep within its structure.


    The pulse built up a steady rhythm, which was getting stronger by the minute. Will gritted his teeth as he held on. A loud crash came from behind the counter as the bots came closer. More booms followed, and in the distance came the heavy footfalls of the mechs.


    Will held onto the crystal as it pulsed in his hand. His palms were filled with sweat, and his right knee itched. The etherite continued its pulse, and it was reaching its limit. It was primed and ready. He didn''t think he could hold it any longer.


    "Remy," he called out.


    Scout and Remy made quick work with the lights, and they slammed the control cover shut. "Ready!"


    Will glanced at the bots and threw the crystal back like a grenade. The etherite arched over their heads; the bots followed it with their robot eyes. Red light charged in their mouths, but it was too late. A massive field tore through the store, sending chairs and tables flying as the crystal went into a resonance cascade.


    It slammed into everything, and the sudden field sent the bots reeling. The psion field phased through them, and the drones'' comms went dead. The heavy data traffic was cut off, and Will slammed his fist into the floor. "Now!"


    Remy sent the command, and display lights flashed violently. The drones began shaking as they stared dumbly into the chaotic flashes. Their limbs flailed, and they began convulsing.


    Machine gunfire came from outside the shop, and heavy footfalls rocked the floor. The mechs were closing in.


    "Come on!" yelled Will. "Move, move, move!"


    The trio scrambled to their feet and ran to the back of the shop. Remy kicked a metal cupboard and tipped it over. It crashed into the window, and it cracked into a thousand pieces, sending glass shards everywhere. Nothing was left of the windows, and the trio jumped through their newly created exit.


    Will landed awkwardly onto the snow-covered sidewalk. Rebecca stumbled after him, and Remy followed suit. They raced away from the mall. A loud groan came from behind them, and Will saw the shop roof cave in. Cracks ran through the walls as the building beams failed.


    Machine gunfire came from inside the shop as the mechs rampaged in its interior. The outer wall burst open, and the two mechs came tumbling out. The red spider mech slammed into the military one, repeatedly stabbing its short sword into its guts. They crashed into a nearby building with a loud boom. The building sagged under the strain, and its foundation crumbled. The whole section leaned forward and tilted towards the trio.


    "Oh shit!"


    The twenty-two-story structure was about to bury them.


    "Come on! Move, move!"


    They ran towards the subway shaft, stumbling through the snow. Giant chunks of rebar and concrete fell around them. Snow sprayed on their faces as they dodged the debris.


    The subway grate was right in front of them. Remy pushed Rebecca down the chute, and he followed after.


    A giant rock brushed Will on the side, and his suit tore open.


    "Warning! Containment breach! Containment breach!"


    "Fuck!"


    "Come on!" yelled Remy.


    Will gritted his teeth and jumped in after him. He was halfway down the hole when he realized that they had missed someone. Where was Scout?


    Rocks tumbled around him, and Will saw the little bot struggling in the snow, dragging itself towards them.


    "Scout!"


    The shadow of the falling skyscraper blocked the sun as the whole building came crashing down.


    "Will! That''s enough!" Remy grabbed his legs and dragged him down with him. The building came down with a boom, and the three of them fell down the shaft. The tunnel shook but held strong while the rumble outside continued.


    Someone brought Will to his feet. He looked numbly up the shaft, but Remy dragged him away and made him climb the bike.


    "Containment breach! Containment breach!"


    The suit warning still ringing in his ears, Will rode off down the tunnel.

 Ch. 28 An Unwelcome Gift 1

    An Unwelcome Gift


    <hr>


    The tunnel ride was a silent affair. Nobody spoke. Eyes hollow, Will watched the green lines of his drive assist flash on his HUD.


    Remy remained unusually silent as they rode, while Rebecca was behind Will, fast asleep, with her head resting on his shoulder. Everyone was occupied with their thoughts, and before they knew it, they had reached Hallucia.


    The bikes spluttered to a stop, and the trio climbed off their two-wheelers. Rebecca had awoken with a start but quickly joined them in stripping off their radiation suits. With nary a word, they made their way down the tunnel and climbed out of the old maintenance shaft up the mountain.


    Will slammed the door shut behind them, and soon they were running down the mountain. The morning fog had abated a little, and they soon made it to the bottom. Loud sirens rang ahead, and to the east, a dense column of black smoke was rising.


    "Bloody hell," said Remy in a shocked whisper. "Did the attack extend till here?"


    "You saw how many planes were on fire," said Will.


    "Who could have done it?" asked Remy.


    "Let''s find out," said Will. They rushed forward, and the tree line began to thin. Ahead were more military personnel, and armored trucks arrived by the dozen. It was a beehive of activity.


    Will clambered down the slopes when he heard a snap of a twig coming from behind them.


    "Halt!"


    There was a click of a gun, and four soldiers in camo surrounded them.


    Will and Remy threw up their hands, and Rebecca followed a second later. Guns trained on them, the soldiers walked forward, but their tensions eased when they saw their uniforms.


    "Just some damn kids," one of them muttered. A higher-ranked officer, judging by the number of stars on his shoulder, stepped forward. "What are you doing here? Didn''t you hear the evacuation order?"


    "We... got lost," said Will.


    "Lost yourself right out of temple grounds, did you?" The officer asked suspiciously. Before he could continue his questioning, his radio buzzed.


    "Ranger-1, report your status, over."


    The officer reached for his radio. "This is Ranger-1. We found some stragglers. Currently escorting them to evac, over."


    "Roger that, Ranger-1, over and out."


    The officer turned to one of the soldiers. "Private, escort these three down." The Private nodded and firmly led them to the evacuation zone.


    Their feet hit the tarmac as they walked up to the lined-up armored trucks. Will and Remy were stuffed into the back of a transport vehicle, and Rebecca was escorted elsewhere. A large duffle bag slammed into Will, and the wind was knocked out of him. More people trooped in, and Will was sure that they were over capacity.


    The truck''s back door was slammed shut, and there were three loud taps on the side of the vehicle. The truck''s engines rumbled to life. Will swayed with the truck and felt every bump on the road. Soon, his eyelids were drooping, and through his grogginess, he felt his leg spasm. He fell into a fitful sleep.


    He vaguely recalled being shaken awake and dragged out of the truck. They escorted him out and had him lay down.


    He didn''t know how long he was out. Through blurry eyes, he saw someone in a white uniform beside his bedside. Something glinted above him, and he heard keys jingling.


    Will blinked the sleep from his eyes and found himself on a hospital bed. There was a wall behind his headrest, and his bed was walled off by curtains on either side. Someone coughed, and there were the sounds of creaking beds. He was in a general ward of some kind.


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    "Good, you are up," said the nurse. "How many fingers am I holding up?"


    Will blinked. "Two."


    She nodded and checked the monitors off to the side. His heart rate and blood pressure all looked normal. The nurse made some quick notes on her slate tablet before addressing Will again.


    "Do you have any allergies or are you under any medication?"


    "No allergies. I''m on the APS treatment, though."


    She typed some more on the tablet. "Good. Show me your right arm."


    Will held out his arm, and she drew some blood. The nurse was quick with her work. She labeled and stored the vial before instructing him to stay in bed. Then, with a click-clack from her slip-on shoes, the nurse made her exit.


    Will scratched his arm. He could still feel the prick of the needle, but that was a small irritation compared to how the rest of his body felt. He ached all over from pushing himself in their flight down the tunnel.


    He gave a muffled grunt as he sat up, using the pillow as a backrest and leaned against the wall behind him. Now that he was fully cognizant, he gave his ward a better look. Blue curtains separated him from the rest of the room. There were other students here along with him, each in their own cubicle. His blue drapes weren''t fully drawn, and Will could see that there was another similar bed ahead. Someone was lying on it.


    Not everyone was in their beds, though. Will spotted Remy sneaking a look into the cubicle in front of him.


    "Remy," Will called out, and the brunet turned around. He tiptoed across the room and stepped inside Will''s cubicle, drawing the curtains shut behind him. With a groan, Remy plopped himself on the bed.


    "I''m beat," he said.


    "Where are we? Is it the tower?" asked Will.


    "No, we are still outside, Fort Thornfield," said Remy. "We are going to be here a while."


    "Why?"


    "They said something about running more tests," Remy grimaced. "My leg is killing me." He shifted on the bed and rolled up his pant leg. His leg was spongy and bruised. Dried blood caked his calves, and inside were flecks of silver. Remy picked at it and took out a silver shrapnel.


    "What is that?" he asked.


    Will recognized the bit of plastic silver. "It''s from the briefcase the two mechs were fighting over."


    "Fuck," Remy cursed. "Check yourself too. Pull anything out before people start asking questions."


    Will rolled up his pant leg. His metal foot had been itching for a while now. It took the brunt of the explosion, and sure enough, he found bits of casing embedded into the leg''s metal frame. He pulled it out and lifted up his pant leg some more. His calcified knee came into view. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he spotted something right below his kneecap. There was another shrapnel embedded in his shin, but unlike the silver casing, this one was pitch black.


    Will stared at the translucent inky black shard and frowned. Did the casing have a decorative gemstone? He tried to pry the shard out, but his hand slipped. The shard was too smooth. It felt completely different from the casing.


    Will brought his leg forward and stared into the translucent shard. It glinted under the hospital lights. Inside the shard were lights. Hundreds of tiny stars flared and faded in its depths. Will stared at the shard with growing horror.


    "Oh no! This can''t be happening."


    Will kept staring at the etherite crystal with his mouth open.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Remy. He moved beside Will and bent over his leg. He squinted at the crystal before he too made the connection. "Is that? What the hell? How did this happen?!"


    "I don''t know."


    "You have an etherite shard embedded in you, and you don''t know?" Remy squeaked. "We are dead! We are so dead!"


    Most of the crystals they had encountered so far were the manufactured ones and not from a rift beast. The shard stuck in Will didn''t have the smooth cube-like quality of a man-made crystal. This one screamed Hive from every possible angle.


    "How the hell?" Will muttered, still stunned.


    "This is so illegal. They are going to lock us up and throw away the key," Remy ranted beside him.


    Footsteps echoed down the aisle, and Will was torn away from his musings. His heart nearly leapt out of his skin as the curtains were wrenched open. He quickly pulled his pant leg down and hid the shard.


    Rebecca stepped into the ward and stared at the two of them. She had washed her face, and her perfect blond hair was combed and tucked behind one ear. She looked a lot more presentable than the two of them.


    "Becca!" Remy exclaimed. "You scared the shit out of me."


    Rebecca stepped forward and winced. Will noticed that she didn''t have any shoes, and she had an ankle brace on.


    "How''s your leg?" Will asked.


    "I''m okay," said Rebecca. "What about you two?"


    "I''ve had better days." Remy groaned as he sat forward. "Anyway, now that you are here, we can get our stories straight about where we were during the ceremony."


    "What do you mean?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow.


    Remy leaned in close. "We need a convincing lie for the past few hours."


    "What do you mean lie?" asked Rebecca. "We are not going to lie."


    "Rebecca¡ª" Remy tried to interrupt, but Rebecca bowled right over him.


    "You saw what happened out there. All those planes. We need to tell them what we saw and catch whoever did this!"


    "What does it matter if we catch who did this when we are in jail?" hissed Remy.


    Rebecca shook her head. "This is bigger than any of us. We need to tell the police."


    "You¡ª" began Remy but stopped himself when he spotted someone walk by their ward. The girl spotted Rebecca and exclaimed. "There you are, Becca. Is your slate dead? Your mother has been blowing up mine for the past half an hour."


    "Right," said Rebecca and turned around, following the girl.


    "Becca! Becca!" Remy called out, but she didn''t acknowledge him. She remained steadfast with a resolute look on her face.


    Rebecca looked ready to start a crusade.

 Ch. 29 An Unwelcome Gift 2

    They watched Rebecca leave with the girl, who was animatedly chatting with her.


    Remy was about to get up and follow them when the girl looked at him suspiciously. Not wanting to make a scene, Remy sat back down. "Shit! Do you think she will talk?"


    Will bit the inside of his cheek. "She said as much."


    "God damn it," Remy cursed again. "We need to get rid of the evidence. Without any proof, they would¡ª"


    "When has the tower ever needed proof?" asked Will. "Besides, the biggest proof is right here." He pointed towards his leg.


    Remy glared at the shard. "How did it even get there?"


    "It was probably in the briefcase," said Will.


    "This was what the mechs were fighting for?" whispered Remy.


    "An etherite core under the protection of the tower," finished Will.


    Remy groaned. "This is bad. Possession of an unlicensed etherite primed for embedding is a felony. Directly embedding it into yourself would land you ten years."


    "Not to mention it was stolen from an officer from the military, who is now dead."


    "Shiiit!"


    Will gritted his teeth and pulled at the shard with all his might. The crystal didn''t budge. His hand kept slipping off its glossy surface.


    "It just won''t come off. God damn it," said Will. "What the hell do we do?"


    Remy pulled his hair in frustration and began to pace about the room. The ward descended into a grim silence as they processed what was happening.


    Etherite crystals formed where there was a node connecting to the subspace. They slowly crystallize over time until they form a bridge, and the connection grows stronger. This could happen deep in the earth, hidden in rocks, or inside living creatures beyond the gates.


    Embedding etherite in your body changes it, and not always for the better. This was always the case when you connect to crystals from a subspace beast. Despite the beast being dead, there was always some part of them still in the crystal within the subspace that hijacks the host''s body. The result was madness and violent derangement. This is why shard embedding was taboo, and with the advent of the Hive, the prejudice had transformed into full-on zealotry. No one should have shards in them, and if they did, they needed to be eliminated.


    A door slammed, and Will sat up as the click-clack of the familiar slip-on shoes sounded. Keys jingled as the nurse walked down the aisle.


    Will covered his leg quickly and made himself look presentable. Remy was quick on the update and stopped his pacing.


    The nurse found them and looked surprised to find Remy there. "Oh good. Both of you are here. Remy Soto, I presume."


    Remy dumbly nodded.


    "And you are." She glanced at her slate. "William Dunn."


    Will nodded too.


    "Okay," she said briskly and patted Will on the back. "Come along now. No time to be dazed. Up! Up!"


    She dragged both boys out of the curtained ward.


    "Where are we going?" asked Remy.


    "Nothing to worry about," said the nurse. "Both of you are wanted at another ward."


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    Will gave a quick look around, but the one person he was searching for wasn''t there. "Where is Becca?" he whispered to Remy.


    Remy also discreetly glanced around the room but shook his head. Both boys exchanged grim looks. They were in trouble now.


    The nurse swiped her ID on the scanner, and the door opened with a hiss.


    "Come along now," she said, and the boys followed her out of the general ward. Their footsteps echoed through the corridor as the nurse led them at a blistering pace.


    Remy couldn''t take the silence. He cleared his throat and took a quick glance at the nurse''s name tag. "Ms. Benedict, where are you taking us?"


    "Both of you need further testing," the nurse said quickly.


    "What kind of tests?" asked Remy.


    "Etherography and psionoangiogram."


    "And what are these tests?" asked Remy.


    "Don''t worry. They are non-invasive and routine."


    Will and Remy exchanged a look. That was a vague answer. Were they using the tests as an excuse to bring them to an isolated space?


    Will was having trouble breathing. His leg tingled as it started to spasm. A strange sort of numbness was spreading from his amputated limb. Will grimaced as he clamped down on his twitching leg and forced himself to walk upright. He couldn''t afford to lose control right now, not when the stakes were so high.


    Remy cleared his throat again. "This psiono-mangeo-thingy doesn''t sound routine."


    "It is," the nurse gave Remy a look. "It is standard for those who undergo psionic field exposure."


    "Why are we taking the test?"


    "There were some discrepancies in your psion signature."


    "What if we don''t want to take the test?"


    The nurse sighed and checked her watch. "You can voice your concerns with the head physician. You are meeting her anyway. Go to the final door down the hall to the left."


    The nurse left the boys and hurried back to the general ward, keys jingling with every step.


    Remy watched the nurse leave, his mouth hanging open. "What do we do? Do we just go?"


    "I don''t think we have a choice," Will breathed out. "It''s not like we can run."


    "Dammit all," said Remy.


    Will put a hand against the wall and panted for air.


    "You okay?" asked Remy.


    "I just need a minute," said Will. Remy looked down the corridor and pointed at the washroom. "Let''s get out of the corridor before someone sees you. Come on."


    He supported Will down the passage and swung the washroom door open. "You want me to come in?"


    "No. I''m fine," said Will. "I just need to wash my face."


    Will entered the washroom, and the door swung shut by itself. He hobbled towards the sink and splashed water on his face. The cold spray jolted him awake but did little to stop the spasms.


    His calcified knee itched, and muscles writhed under his skin. A strange sort of wave passed through him, not just in his amputated limb but throughout his whole body. Will blinked in surprise. He was familiar with his body''s usual ticks, but this was completely new. What was happening?


    His bio field flared, and his channels burned. His field strength dipped as his energy was spent. There was a sharp decline in his internal psion reserves, followed by a blinding pain in his calcified knee.


    Will desperately clutched at the sink as his legs gave way. His right leg spasmed violently, and the stabbing pain in his knee continued. Will felt the etherite in his leg shift. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. It was the crystal. That''s what caused the change.


    The etherite shard was activating.


    Any doubts he had of the etherite being a mundane crystal had evaporated. His whole body shook, and a fire raced up his spine. Will gritted his teeth. One hand gripped the sink, and he reached with the other to roll up his pants. He ignored his twitching leg and stared at the etherite crystal. It was nestled right underneath his knee and was now emitting a dim glow.


    The itching sensation on his knee grew, and to Will''s horror, small drops of blood beaded on his kneecap.


    Something was burrowing underneath his skin.


    Will gave out a horrified gasp and watched as more blood seeped out to form a pattern. It started off as two concentric circles, and then, to his astonishment, words started to appear. Across the edges of the bands was the military motto - "Service before self," and at the center of the seal was the bloody imprint of an eagle with unfurled wings.


    Will looked dumbfounded at the insignia. What the hell kind of shard was this? The seal lasted for a scant few seconds before disappearing completely. The beads of blood vaporized, leaving reddened inflamed skin.


    Will lost all control over his limbs and fell onto the bathroom floor. His metal leg clattered against the tiles, and Remy came rushing in, hearing the commotion.


    "Will!" Remy exclaimed and rushed to help Will off the floor. "You alright? What happened?"


    Will gasped. "The damn shard just activated, that''s what happened."


    "You''re kidding! What was it? Was it a skill?"


    "I don''t know. You wouldn''t even believe me if I told you," Will breathed out. "Also, I get a feeling this shard isn''t from a random subspace critter. It feels like a genuine rift beast."


    "Oh, the hive is going to love this," muttered Remy. "Don''t go crazy on me, Will."


    "Don''t even joke about that," said Will.


    "What do we do now?" asked Remy.


    "We will worry about the shard later," said Will. "For now, let''s go meet our judge and jury."


    "And executioner," finished Remy. He lifted Will up, and both boys headed out of the washroom. They made their way to the end of the corridor, and just as the nurse said, they faced the final door to the left. Will took in a deep breath and entered.

 Ch. 30 An Unwelcome Gift 3

    The boys stepped past the threshold into the room, and Remy closed the door behind him.


    It was a small room with a long table at the far end of the wall. Rebecca was seated there with her hands folded on her lap. A spike of fear shot through Will, and he stopped still at the door.


    "Why don''t you have a seat," came a gruff voice.


    Will tore his eyes away from Rebecca and looked past her. Across from the table sat a military man with salt and pepper hair. He had a full beard and mustache and thick eyebrows to match. Will gulped at the amount of stars on his epaulets and glanced at the other two occupants beside him.


    They wore plain clothes. The older man wore a leather duster and had a pockmarked face, while the younger one wore formals with a suit and tie.


    Will and Remy exchanged glances and took the free seats next to Rebecca. The Colonel talked to the other two in a hushed tone too low for Will to pick up on. Sweat trickled down his back, and he tried to control his fidgeting. He didn''t know where to place his arms. He considered putting them on the table, but the clutter of pens, erasers, and stacks of honest-to-God paper made him think better of it.


    One of the plastic sheets stuck out of a folder at the edge of the table, and Will ran his thumb along its end to center himself. Feigning nonchalance, he looked around the room. At the far end of the wall was a screen playing the news on mute.


    Captured footage of the attack was playing on the screen on a loop. At the bottom scrolled the estimated death toll, which was in the thousands. Will''s heart grew cold. This was bad.


    The trio across the table stopped talking, and the Colonel looked directly at Will. He resisted the urge to flinch and kept his face neutral. A soft click came from behind him, which was followed by the clack of heels. A woman in her forties strode in.


    She had white overalls with the universal symbol for the medical field, a staff with a serpent twisted around it. She smiled at Will and saluted the Colonel.


    "As you were, Major," said the Colonel. "These are the two that require your attention."


    The doctor turned to Will. "Hold out your arm, please."


    Will presented his arm, and she held some kind of medical device against his wrist. It scanned him for a few seconds before it gave a beep. She nodded and motioned to Remy to do the same. A few seconds later, the device gave another beep.


    She looked at the readings grimly before turning to the Colonel. "It''s the same, Colonel."


    Will broke into cold sweats and resisted the urge to gulp. The Colonel tapped a finger against the table before glancing at the slate in front of him. "William Dunn from Stanton High."


    "Yes, sir."


    "You have a stellar record," said the Colonel. "It says here you are under a scholarship. Rockmore Accelerated Learning?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "You seem a capable young man," the Colonel said. "I have many good soldiers in your situation. What Tower floor are you from?"


    "I''m not from any floor, sir," said Will. "I''m an Undercity native."


    The older gentleman beside the Colonel stirred and leaned forward. The Colonel looked at the two with mild distaste before introducing them. "This is Detective Morrison and Officer Von-Bron. They have a few questions for you."


    Will looked at the older detective with the pockmarked face. There was something oddly snake-like about the man. He had his eyes locked onto Will the moment he had entered the room, accessing and recording his every move.


    He pulled out a stim cig from his leather duster and placed it in his mouth. "Mr. Dunn."


    "Um, yes?" said Will.


    "What brand of shoes do you wear?"


    The question threw Will off his loop. He glanced down at his shoes. "These are just an old pair of Reelers."


    "Good brand," the detective nodded. "Tough, lasts long, outdoorsy type, are you?"


    The fake upper tower accent was grating at Will. The Undercity twang was hidden but still there. The man was clearly from the lower end of the tower but had climbed his way up to the rank of detective.


    "I get around," said Will.


    "Yes, you do." The older detective clicked his tongue. "You have been baptized before. You are already awakened?"


    "Yes, I was already awakened," confirmed Will.


    "In fact, all three of y''all are awakened." The detective looked around at the group. "So, why go to the ceremony?"


    "It''s a cultural event. It''s the first time we get to see what life outside the tower is like."


    "And yet you didn''t bother to stay for the entire ceremony, did you, Mr. Dunn?"


    "Pardon?"


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    "Were you present at the ceremony?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, so you did take part in the Revitalization ritual."


    "What?" Remy burst out. "There is no revitalization ritual in awakening. What are you talking about?"


    The detective turned towards Remy. "Remy Soto, you seem familiar with temple rituals."


    "I suppose," Remy said gruffly.


    The detective consulted his slate. "Remy Soto, orphan, raised by the temple till you were thirteen. Would it be accurate to say you are familiar with the temple grounds?"


    "I wouldn''t say that."


    "You wouldn''t?"


    "No, it''s been years since I have set foot on temple grounds."


    "And now you are attending one of the best institutions in the tower," said the detective. "Near the top of your class. I would say that your memory is just fine."


    "Whatever, copper," Remy snorted.


    The detective''s eyes hardened. "You were found outside the temple grounds when the alert had gone off. Care to tell me what exactly were you doing there?"


    There was silence as the question went unanswered.


    "I repeat, what were you doing out of the temple grounds?"


    "Nothing," Remy shrugged.


    The detective slammed his hand against the table, causing the papers to jump. "What do you know about the attack on the airships?"


    The three kids flinched. As the table rattled, a small round stamp fell into Will''s hand. He clutched at it but didn''t dare to put it back on the table.


    The detective continued his question. "Did you see the airships crash?"


    "No," answered Will, sensing a trap. The cop would pick on a detail about the crash that they would have no answer to.


    "One of the planes blew right above the golden temple. Did you witness that?"


    "No," answered Will. His heart rate was steadily climbing. The tingling in his knee was back, and he resisted the urge to scream. He was about to have another attack.


    "You were present for the ceremony, and yet somehow you missed the airships right above your heads? There is a contradiction here, Mr. Dunn."


    Will gripped the round disk in his hand and pressed it against his throbbing leg, willing it to subside. He dug into his skin, using the pain to focus.


    "Your signature readings indicate some kind of stress. You were exposed to high levels of radiation. Where were you, Mr. Dunn?"


    "I think that''s enough," said the Colonel. "This interrogation isn''t productive."


    The detective gave a thin-lipped smile. "Colonel, are you suggesting... the most egregious terrorist attack in the last two decades merits no scrutiny?"


    "Not if you are targeting errant children," said the Colonel, giving Will the side eye.


    Will blinked. The Colonel was trying to help him. The military and the police had always been at odds, and since the evacuation was conducted by the military, any lapses would probably fall on the military''s head. Thank God for politics. He had to just play dumb, deny everything, lie and deny.


    "Awakening day has passed, Colonel," said the detective. "They are of age."


    Will gritted his teeth as he tried to keep still. The shakes were getting worse. He was barely holding on. Muscles tense, he fought for control. Whatever happened, he couldn''t have a breakdown right now.


    The detective turned towards Will. "What were you doing outside the temple grounds, Mr. Dunn? You still haven''t given a straight answer to where you were during the ceremony."


    Will looked between the Colonel and the two cops. The doctor sat off to the side, but she too seemed interested. He realized that he had to give them something, a believable lie that they could latch onto.


    Will reached into his pocket, and his fist closed around something round and smooth. He brought it out slowly and presented it to the group.


    The adults stared at the apple resting on his palm with bewilderment. For a second, they said nothing, and then the doctor began to laugh. The colonel gave a small chuckle, which he disguised as a cough.


    The detective grimaced. He let out a breath and leaned back against his chair. "Miss. Wagner, you have been oddly silent on the matter."


    Will felt a stab of fear. If Rebecca talked, then the song and dance they just had would be meaningless. Will looked at Rebecca, but she didn''t meet his eyes. She had a blank look on her face as she stared at the detective.


    "I have nothing more to add," she simply stated.


    "I see." The detective''s lip curled. He wasn''t ready to give up yet. He turned back to Will. "Stealing from temple property is a serious crime. That fruit is on the endangered list."


    "I don''t have time to look at children playing hooky to see some green," the Colonel snorted.


    "The temple is beyond the Tower''s jurisdiction," the doctor finally chimed in. "Does TI-7 intend to overextend its boundaries?"


    The detective softened his tone. "No, of course not, doctor. Who could imagine such a thing?"


    "Well, I think we have wasted enough of our day." The Colonel stood up and addressed the three. "See that you are properly de-hosed by the doctor."


    He smartly strode out of the room. The doctor beckoned them, and Remy stepped forward. She escorted him to a side chamber and there was a distinct whirring of some kind of machine.


    Will got up and tried to center himself, but a clack of steel-toed boots brought him out of his reverie. He found the gruff detective facing him.


    Detective Morrison held out his hand, and Will shook it.


    "You know, Reelers really make great shoes," he said. "Odd thing, though..."


    "Sorry?" said Will, unable to see where this was going.


    "The snow on your shoes," continued the detective. "I would have thought they would have melted by now."


    Will looked down and saw the white dust coating his shoes. It wasn''t snow. Lysom, the radiation absorbent, stuck to his shoes in patches, and Will''s eyes went wide.


    The old detective clutched Will''s hand hard, and both of them stared at each other. Will''s heart hammered in his chest as he kept his face impassive.


    "I''ll be seeing you, William," the detective said as he walked away. Will stood rooted as the two cops made their way out of the room. The door behind him slammed shut.


    "You are up next, William," the doctor called out. Will looked up and saw Remy stepping out of the chamber, looking disgruntled. He was covered in some kind of foam, which was quickly evaporating.


    "Watch it," Remy muttered as Will passed by. "It''s weird and cold."


    Will stepped into the chamber, shaking a little. He was drained of energy and barely holding on. The doctor started the dehosing, and he was sprayed with foam from head to toe. It felt icy cold but not the same cold as psion radiation.


    Something lifted off of him, and the heaviness he had been experiencing all evening was gone. The change was so sudden that he nearly crashed right there.


    "You are free to go," said the doctor.


    Will left the side chamber with deliberate care. Rebecca climbed in after him and gave him a glare. She was none too pleased about the events but still had backed him up.


    The doctor addressed the two boys. "Give the lady some privacy. Both of you step out."


    Will and Remy stepped out of the room while the whirring of the de-hoser continued behind them. As soon as the door closed, Will stumbled, unable to hold on any longer. Remy cursed and dragged Will to the bathroom.


    Will''s world went white, and the shakes came in full. Remy caught him before his head hit the tiles, and he lay on the floor as the seizure took him.


    He shook and shook, unable to do anything. His flesh not his own, he twitched on the floor like something possessed. Remy watched him with a mixture of sadness and pity.


    The shakes continued for half a minute, and Will lay on the floor completely spent, unable to move.


    The bathroom door slammed open, and Remy cursed. Rebecca strode in and stood over them with her arms crossed.


    "Becca," said Remy weakly. "You could have knocked."


    She ignored the inane comment and stared at both of them. "We need to talk."

 Ch. 31 Elsewhere

    Detective Morrison took a long drag from his stim cig as he walked down the small airstrip. His leather duster flapped in the icy wind, but the pockmarked detective paid it no heed. His partner, Von-Bron, lagged behind, checking his slate for incoming alerts. There was a never-ending stream of pings as information about the attack got updated. Frowning, the younger man stuffed the slate back into his jacket and adjusted his tie.


    "Still no news on the eastern front," he said once he caught up to Morrison. "Novgrun still refuses to move."


    "No surprises there," said Morrison. "They are so far up the military''s ass that they could tell you what the general had for breakfast."


    Von-Bron made a disgusted face, and Morrison chuckled.


    "Forget Novgrun; there are other places that we need to be." Morrison checked his watch. "Get moving. We are late as it is."


    Von-Bron stepped to the side to avoid several vehicles de-icing the runway. A small aircraft was waiting ahead, and the duo jogged the last few steps towards the pilot. Morrison flashed his ID, and after a quick word with the pilot, they were airborne.


    It was a fast takeoff. The duo was strapped in, looking out of the windows. The skies were unusually clear of traffic, and the two officers looked grimly at the emptiness around them.


    Von-Bron''s slate buzzed again, and he checked the alert. "Tilus and Yavan just got assigned. That''s everybody. Things are moving fast."


    "Blood''s in the water," muttered Morrison. "Things are going to get ugly fast."


    "You think so?"


    "I know so. The military is not just going to roll over," said Morrison. "That little stunt they pulled with the embargo is just the start."


    Von-Bron shrugged. "The Chief wasn''t too keen on giving us the assignment."


    "That miserable old goat had no choice," Morrison snorted.


    "He is still blocking your transfer, eh?" said Von-Bron.


    Morrison scowled as he took a long puff on his stim cig.


    "But if we crack this case," continued Von-Bron, "hey forget transfer, we might even be up for a promotion."


    Morrison gave a snort but soon looked pensive. "Speaking of the case, what did you think about those tower brats we just interviewed?"


    "You mean their story about going apple hunting?" asked Von-Bron. "Pure grade-A bullshit."


    Morrison nodded. "And what is a Wagner doing with two undercity sewer rats?"


    "Blackmail?" suggested Von-Bron.


    "No, somehow I don''t think so."


    "Me neither," said Von-Bron, who waved his hand dismissively. "Do you think they are hiding something that we can hang the military with?"


    The older detective took a drag from his stim cig and shook his head. "No."


    "No! Exactly!" said Von-Bron. "At the end of the day, like the Colonel said, they are a bunch of kids. In the grand scheme of things, they are nothing. So, why even bother?"


    "Why indeed," Detective Morrison muttered.


    Silence fell in the cabin as both of them stared out of their windows. The plane was flying low over the former capital. The devastated city was like a ghost from the past that had come to haunt them once again. Smoke rose from different parts of the city where the airships had crashed. In some places, the fires still raged as hundreds of tons of fuel went up in flames.


    "One, two, three..." Von-Bron counted. "And five. That''s five crashes in this section alone. How many more will there be?"


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    Morrison got up and opened the overhead compartment. He dragged out two blue radiation suits and tossed one to Von-Bron, who looked at them with distaste.


    "Do I have to wear this damn thing over my actual suit and tie?" Von-Bron grumbled.


    "Suck it up, kid," said Morrison. "This ain''t the tower."


    Both men slipped on the protective gear, and just as they had sealed their helmets, the plane began to hover.


    The small aircraft landed with a soft thump, and the duo disembarked as soon as the safety door unlocked.


    The snow lashed at them as they made their way through the windswept streets. Up ahead was a beehive of activity. The military had swarmed the area as they recovered the airship debris. Several areas were cordoned off, and they were directed to a location further away from the crash site.


    Multiple checkpoints later, the duo found themselves in a side street where two men were loudly arguing. One of them had a tower symbol imprinted on their rad suit, while the other had the eagle of the military. After a few more threats and shouts, the one from the military stalked off.


    "Jaco!" Morrison yelled as he approached.


    The man in the suit turned and waved them forward.


    "Morrison, the chief finally let you off the leash?"


    "Someone had to come and clean up your mess."


    Both officers chuckled good-naturedly.


    Von-Bron jerked his head toward the retreating military officer. "What was that about?"


    "The usual jurisdiction shit. They are giving us the run-around," Jaco snorted. He gave a quick look around. "Turn on your comms."


    They quickly added each other and set their communication to private.


    "What is the Commissioner doing?" asked Morrison once the connection was made.


    "Commissioner Kade is in talks with them, but it looks like they are planning on stalling us as long as possible."


    Von-Bron clicked his tongue. "The military seems particularly interested in this crash."


    "This one is special," said Morrison.


    "They messed up big this time." Jaco walked forward, and the other two followed.


    Up ahead, an armored military mech was nailed to a building. He was crucified with his arms spread wide and head resting to one side. Blood dripped down the gaps of his suit, and above his head, a halo was drawn in red.


    "The Fallen Angel," Von-Bron exclaimed. "The Revenant?"


    "That''s their calling card, alright," Jaco said grimly.


    The three of them watched the military personnel comb through the area. Empty casings were cataloged, and broken hull plating and machine parts were examined. The outside buildings were peppered with bullet holes, which were carefully measured and analyzed.


    "Looks like our old boy over here put up quite a fight," said Morrison. He stepped forward and walked towards the cordoned-off area.


    "Where are you going?" asked Jaco. "The military is not going to let you in."


    "I don''t need to get in to learn something," said Morrison.


    Jaco shook his head. "You need to learn to rest your feet sometimes, Morrison."


    Von-Bron nodded to Officer Jaco and followed his partner. Both of them skirted the edges of the perimeter while examining the wreckage.


    "What do you see?" Detective Morrison asked his younger partner.


    Von-Bron was quick to answer. "Standard military mech, full loadout, had bot assistants."


    "As for the one they were fighting, I would have to assume it was also a mech," Von-Bron continued. He looked around at the damage. "It''s a good bet. A single mech with spiderling bots."


    Morrison nodded. "Keep going."


    "The military standard is five bots per mech." There was a pause as he counted. "There is one missing."


    "There is one missing from the spiders too," Morrison jerked his head towards a bunch of piled-up cars. The roofs were scratched up.


    They followed the tracks down the road, ignoring the military personnel who were busy with their work.


    "Now why would anyone have their bots take a detour in the middle of a fight?" asked Morrison.


    "They had something else drawing their attention."


    "Yes," said Morrison. They rounded the bend, and the street was clear of the military. They walked down the snowy sidewalk.


    Morrison cleared the snow with his boots as he walked and soon found what he was looking for. The old sidewalk was torn up by something heavy, and judging by the tracks, it had six legs.


    "The spiderlings?" Von-Bron mused.


    Morrison raised his head and looked around. "Cover the tracks. No need to give our good friends from the military a head start."


    They made their way down the street carefully, feeling the sidewalk, and came across the back entrance of the Grand Central Mall.


    The metal door was blasted into fragments, and the two of them carefully stepped into the building. Their suits buzzed as they cranked up their field. The snow that accumulated on their suits fell away.


    Von-Bron examined the prints. The floor here was scratched up the same way. "You see that one? Those are definitely from a coyote, and these are from the spiders."


    The younger officer slowly made his way into the building when he paused. He pointed at the scratched-up floor. "Hold on. This is different."


    Morrison joined him. "It has six legs, but the marks are different. It''s not too deep. It is a lot lighter."


    They found more such markings, and Von-Bron turned to Morrison. "What does this mean?"


    "A third faction was involved." Morrison slowly climbed up the stairs when he gave a satisfied chuckle. There were footprints on the stairs. Some of the lysom had clung to someone''s soles, leaving the print.


    More footprints were up the stairs, but one of them caught Morrison''s eye. This print was the clearest one of them all, and right in the middle of the sole was a stylized letter ''R.''


    The person who had walked up these stairs had on a pair of Reelers.


    Detective Morrison''s eyes glinted. "Well, well, well."

 Ch. 32 The Waiting Game 1

    THE WAITING GAME


    <hr>


    "Ain''t that something," said Remy as he examined the inky black etherite shard in Will''s leg. It was still stuck fast and refused to move.


    Will sighed and leaned back. He was sitting on a flight of stairs with his pants leg rolled up, while Remy stood on the landing with one hand on his chin, staring at the etherite shard.


    Will absentmindedly picked at the edges of the shard as he stared out of the big window next to the landing. The east wing of their school looped off to the side, and straight ahead in the distance, the giant Floor 50th station could be seen peeking above the buildings. The Orbital rotated slowly about the station, and Will followed its blinking lights as it revolved.


    "Well, you wanted a shard, and now you have it," said Remy.


    "Yeah. Pity it comes with my leg attached to it," Will said dryly. "Even if we get it out, there is no way to fence it. The tower police will be on our ass the minute we do."


    "I don''t know, Will," Remy grinned. "My gut is telling me that we are going to strike it big once you gain control of it. I''ve got a good feeling about this."


    "Why do your good feelings involve me being in pain?"


    Remy chuckled. "Remember the goose?"


    "Duck, duck, goose," Will muttered as he picked at the shard. "I somehow feel like we missed something."


    Remy clicked his tongue. "You are still thinking about those two cops."


    "We might have been too lax," said Will.


    "Alright, hypothetically, say they do suspect us," said Remy. "What have they got to tie us down with? There is no proof."


    "There is one place that has proof."


    "Yes, the temple tunnel," Remy nodded. "But that is beyond tower jurisdiction. There is no way in hell the temple is going to allow any investigator to step foot on temple property."


    "But if they do?"


    "What if bots could dream?" Remy threw up his hands. "We had the largest terrorist attack in history, and people are vying for blood. The last thing the tower would do is start shit internally."


    Will let out a breath. "We still have to get our stuff out of that tunnel."


    "Worry about that after we take care of this problem." Remy tapped the etherite shard in his knee.


    Will begrudgingly nodded and turned back to the window. The Orbital rotated slowly, and Old Henry came into view. The giant clock tower was visible even from this distance. Will checked his slate. It was twelve on the dot. Henry was right on time.


    "She is running late," said Remy.


    "Don''t worry; she will be here," said Will.


    "She should have been here before us since she set the time and place," said Remy. "Besides, this is right next to where she lives."


    Will looked around the stairwell. It was attached to their school and reserved for students from the upper floors. The stairway went past the fiftieth Tower floor to the housing districts in the fifty-first. Will had never been there, though he heard it was a nice place.


    The psion levels rose the further up the tower you went. He had to train his internal psion reserves a lot more if he wanted to move past where he was.


    Stolen story; please report.


    About ten minutes later, they heard the ding of an elevator. The upper floor door slammed shut, and footsteps descended down the stairs. Will glanced up and saw Rebecca walking down.


    She had on a pair of jeans and a jumper. Her short blonde hair was combed neatly and reached just above her shoulders. She still had her leg brace hidden underneath her shoe, judging by the slight limp.


    "Rebecca," Remy gave her a curt nod.


    Rebecca looked surprised at Remy''s acknowledgment and nodded back. "Just call me Becca. Have both of you been waiting long?"


    "No," said Will, and Remy hid his snort under a cough.


    Becca wiped the staircase with her hand and took a seat beside Will. "We didn''t have much time to discuss last time," she said as she examined the etherite shard. "Was this really primed for embedding?"


    "Yes."


    "Have you managed to get it to manifest its powers?" Becca asked in a hushed whisper.


    "Not on purpose, no," Will grunted. "The one in Fort Thornfield was the only time it activated."


    "I still think we should have gone to the police," muttered Becca.


    "Might I remind you that the Military guard fired on us without hesitation," said Remy. "And then sent their killer bots on us. We should be dead right now."


    "And I don''t want to end up as a lab rat, with researchers cutting me up for parts," said Will.


    Becca bit her lip. "This is really dangerous, Will. The shard looks fine now, but that will change. Sooner or later, it will take over your body."


    "Let''s not be melodramatic," said Remy. "He could pull this off and assimilate the shard."


    Becca was about to argue, but Will interrupted. "There is something I don''t understand. I thought that etherite shards had to be embedded immediately after harvesting. Otherwise, it becomes inert."


    "It is not inert," said Becca.


    "Exactly," said Will. "What is going on here?"


    "It doesn''t matter," Remy interrupted. "It doesn''t change the fact that we have to tame the shard."


    Becca hesitated before speaking. "I may have something."


    Both boys looked at Becca, who looked conflicted.


    "What do you mean?" asked Will.


    Becca weighed Will for a moment before speaking. "We are an old family. Some of the old knowledge has survived with us. Old books, texts, and manuscripts from before the war, we have preserved and maintained them."


    "So..." Remy prompted.


    "We have a method for embedding," finished Becca, not looking away from Will.


    "Well, there you go, problem solved then." Remy clapped his hands.


    "You sure?" asked Will. He met her gaze without flinching.


    "Give me two days, and I''ll have something," said Becca.


    Will clutched his embedded leg, still gazing into her eyes. "I''ll be waiting."


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    The next two days crawled by. Will spent an uncomfortable amount of time curled up in bed, shivering. Drenched in cold sweats, he mumbled feverishly. Acclimating to the shard was tough, but he held on.


    His family was in the dark about the whole situation. He said he needed some time to work on his project and asked not to be disturbed. They believed him and gave him space.


    Will tossed and turned in his tiny bed. Half-formed dreams flitted before his eyes, and nightmarish forms stalked him at every turn. He had trouble discerning what was real and what was a dream.


    By the time he woke up, the dreams would fade away like it never was, and he would forget everything. Will lay gasping in his bed as an alarm buzzed next to his ear. Half-awake, he fumbled for his slate and turned it off.


    Will sighed. Today was the day. Becca had called the other day and asked to meet at the school. Will grunted as he climbed out of bed. After a quick change of clothes, he headed out of the empty house.


    He made his way through Undercity in less than fifteen minutes, and it was another fifteen to the fiftieth floor. Will glanced at his slate. He was early. Satisfied, he made his way into school.


    The holidays were still ongoing, and the classrooms were empty. Only senior students who were working on their projects were present, that too few and far between.


    Will took the elevator to the sixteenth floor and headed towards his usual hangout spot.


    The storage room was cluttered as ever. He navigated through the stacked shelves and made it to the back end of the room. There were a few stools and an old couch. Already tired from his trek from the Undercity, Will lay on the couch and shut his eyes. He was asleep before he knew it.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept for. Footsteps echoed through the cluttered storeroom, and he blinked his eyes open. Remy walked around the corner, and Becca soon followed after.


    "Will," Remy waved as he dragged a stool beside the couch. "You look... still human?"


    Will mumbled something unintelligible, and Becca put her hand on his forehead. "I figured this would happen."


    "What?" asked Remy.


    "He is sick," said Becca. "Don''t worry; it is a normal part of being embedded. The body keeps rejecting the etherite crystal until their signatures align."


    "Is there anything we can do to speed it up?" asked Remy.


    "No problem," Will said hoarsely and raised his hand for a fist bump. "I''ll just have to get sick faster."


    Remy grinned and bumped his fist. Becca just shook her head. "If both of you are done playing, we could start what we came here to do."


    "Yes, princess," said Remy, and Becca shot him a glare before taking a seat on a nearby stool.


    "I have looked through the archives and found what we had been looking for," said Becca. She brought a thin silver slate out of her pocket and held it out in front of her. "Are you ready to begin?"

 Ch. 33 The Waiting Game 2

    Becca placed the silver slate on a stool in front of her and turned it on. It opened in the middle of a file that she had been browsing. On the screen was a complicated diagram of an etherite crystal.


    Remy and Will leaned forward in their seats. Will ignored the pounding in his head as he examined the etherite diagram. Its entire subspace structure was unfolded onto the page and shown in vivid detail. Small strings spanned across multiple dimensions, each interconnecting in an intricate array of patterns. It was complicated enough to make his head spin.


    Becca cleared her throat. "Now we all know how etherite works, right? It''s a connection point to multiple layers of subspaces. Physics works differently the more layers you go down. For example, time slows down, and the fundamental forces start to differ."


    "We don''t need a history lesson, Becca," said Remy. "Tell me about embedding."


    "Hush," said Becca. "I''m going somewhere with this." She scrolled down the document to another diagram depicting the crystal formation inside a rift beast.


    "Subspace creatures usually have crystal cores formed at the base of their brainstem." She pointed at the diagram. "As the shard crystallizes, their neurons and psion channels are slowly pulled into subspace."


    Will massaged his temples as he examined the diagrams. The illustrations showed the different stages of crystal growth. It started out small and slowly grew to encase more parts of the brain. It was almost equivalent to his calcified knee. In fact, the phenomenon was similar in a lot of ways, except the rift beasts had evolved ways to use the crystals.


    "So, their channels are pulled in too along with their neurons," Remy nodded. "Which means that their personal biofields are frozen in place."


    "Don''t jump the gun," Becca chastised again. "But yes, their crystallized pseudo-neurons are frozen in some set patterns, which, in combination with their channels, can produce some specific psion field behavior. All rift beast skills come from this, whether it''s reinforcement, an increase in speed, or breathing fire. It''s all the same."


    "And embedding will give you access to these field patterns," finished Will, looking pensive. "The only problem is that the body rejects it."


    He tapped at his amputated leg. "Even if the signature differs slightly, there is a runaway calcification effect. I assume grafting a shard to yourself, something that has a completely alien signature, has a lot worse side effects."


    "Not exactly. Since it is so alien, the body recognizes it and fights it more aggressively," Becca frowned as she stared at his amputated leg. "I didn''t know you had APS."


    "Does that complicate things?"


    "I don''t know," said Becca. "The first step in taming an etherite shard is to slowly convert its signature to match the host, which is the same as APS treatment. I guess that gives you an advantage in experience. On the other hand, since your body is already weakened, this step might prove troublesome."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Right," Will rubbed his strained eyes. "How do you match the signature?"


    "You can use the same medication that you use for APS. The second method is to grow your internal psion reserve to the level of an initiate."


    Will shook his head. "We will go with the first one. Jumping to initiate in just two months is not possible."


    "Why two months?" asked Becca.


    "The next OATs is in two months," said Will.


    Remy laughed out loud, and Becca shook her head. "You are about to die or turn into an insane, uncontrollable monster, and you''re worried about the OATs."


    "What can I say, I always had my priorities on point," Will smiled despite himself. "What comes after matching the signature?"


    "You connect the shard using your channels," said Becca. "You have to figure out how to trigger specific field patterns of the crystal."


    "That could take forever," said Will. "Field control is not like flipping a switch. You have to find the right sequence, which could range in the millions."


    "Right," said Remy. "And it is not even your channels. It''s the equivalent of learning to play the piano using someone else''s hand. How would you even do that?"


    "By asking the shard itself," said Becca. She scrolled through the tab once more and brought up a few extracts from a scientific paper.


    Will frowned. "VR integration in recursive etherite cracking with Human feedback. What does that mean?"


    "I''m assuming there is VR involved." Remy leaned forward. "Recursive cracking could probably mean that you are going to try bombarding the shard with a bunch of password requests? Is that what we are doing?"


    Becca gazed at Will. "You are going to have to connect to what is left of the beast''s crystallized neurons and interact with it."


    "Where does the VR come in?" asked Will.


    "The VR will help visualize the feedback you are getting from the shard." She pointed at the tab. "There is a specific cocktail of drugs in the paper that would help you reach a receptive state."


    "As for the recursive cracking," Becca waved a hand towards Remy. "We will trigger the shard in a semi-randomized way, which gets further refined with the feedback from the host in the VR. By the end of it, we will have a specific sequence of channel inputs to initiate the shard''s field patterns."


    "Go on an acid trip and talk to ghosts of dead beasts," Remy translated. "Then bugger them till they reveal all their secrets to you."


    "Yes, that''s exactly what we are doing, Remy," Becca rolled her eyes.


    Will picked up the tab and scrolled through the list of drugs required. "Recypnol? This is a class C restricted drug. I guess we could synthesize it."


    "What? Why?" asked Remy, perplexed. "I heard your cousin and Angus had a pretty good deal going, moving Recypnol. Just pick some from them and be done with it."


    Will gave Remy a look, and he understood. He chuckled and asked the obvious question, "Ryder?"


    "Ryder," said Will.


    Remy shook his head. "Your cousin is a piece of work. I suppose you don''t want him too interested in why you need the drug for?"


    "Damn right," said Will. "He would hang that over my head till the day I die."


    Rebecca watched the two boys. "I''ll trust that both of you know what you are doing. The drugs are done, which leaves the VR. We need to find a free one and pray that no one finds out what we are using it for."


    Remy groaned. "The cleanup is going to take all day. Wash the drugs out and then scrubbing the entire data."


    "That''s right," said Becca. "We need to find one unattended and unsupervised for a couple of days. This will be tough."


    "We have the VR set, don''t worry," said Will.


    Becca looked confused. "How?"


    Remy grinned, and Will bent down, slapping his hand against the base of the couch. Instead of a dull thump, it echoed with a sharp metallic twang. Becca stared at the piece of furniture, or what she thought was a piece of furniture.


    She looked aghast when she recognized the old pod collecting dust. Someone had placed a couple of cushions on it and converted the VR tank into a couch.


    She slapped her forehead. "Does that old thing even work? This is going to take a while, isn''t it?"


    Will smiled. "Let''s get started."

 Ch. 34 The Waiting Game 3

    The crowded undercity streets were tense as Will walked down the metal pathways. The people huddled in close-knit groups, eyeing passersby suspiciously. Knives and weapons were openly displayed. Tensions were high, and the whole city was a powder keg ready to explode.


    It was three days after the attack, and one would think that the tragedy would have united people, but it only seemed to have deepened the divide.


    Will strode with purpose, trying not to display any weakness. Sweat drenched his brow, and he was still running a low fever, but even in his sickness, he couldn''t be complacent. He would be in a load of trouble if any passing groups thought he was an easy mark.


    Will walked into the bazaar and spotted a large board erected in the middle of the square. On it, in flickering blue light, flashed the photos of missing people since the attack. Names and information scrolled on and on as more photos emerged. Will watched the faces scroll by, his jaws tight. He tore his eyes away from the board and made his way towards Uncle John''s shop.


    Angus manned the front desk, staring off into the distance. As Will closed in, he saw that he was watching the news. The plump boy was so engrossed with the coverage that he didn''t notice Will until he was right in front of him.


    "Will!" he exclaimed and muted the monitor. "Didn''t expect you to show up."


    "Where is Uncle John?"


    "He is away," said Angus. "Marry''s out too."


    "That''s unfortunate," said Will. "I was looking to buy something."


    Angus leaned forward. "They have gone to see old man Shelby''s. Haven''t you heard?"


    "What?"


    "His grandson... they found the body," said Angus.


    The color drained from Will''s face. "How did it happen?"


    "He was on one of those transport ships, guarding some mining ship. Him and his entire company... just gone."


    "Oh, dear lord." Will leaned on the counter. "What about the old man?"


    "The Donners took him in," said Angus. "He is not doing well, still in shock I would say."


    Angus stared back at the screen, and Will followed the scrolling list of the dead. Live footage of the recovery process was shown on the screen. They were sifting through debris, bringing out charred corpses.


    "You think they will catch whoever did this?" asked Angus.


    "These are dangerous times to be asking questions like that, Gus," said Will. "I can only say that they''d better, or else..."


    Both of them watched the screen some more. Angus sighed. "So, what are you here for? You did say you were buying."


    Will slid over his slate towards Angus. "I want everything on that list."


    Angus scrolled through the list and frowned. "This is a lot. I''m going to have to disappoint you; most of the stuff listed is not in stock. We sold out."


    "Sold out? Really?" asked Will.


    Angus pointed at the burned-up cargo ships on the screen. "No one is flying at the moment. No transport means no goods."


    "So how did you sell¡ª" began Will when it dawned on him. "People are panic buying."


    "Yup. Also, some of the bigger players are hoarding, so expect prices to reach sky-high."


    "Son of a¡ª" Will cursed. He didn''t consider this.


    "We got another delivery coming in from another route, in five days. I''ll add your stuff to the list," said Angus.


    "Another route?" asked Will. "Ryder?"


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Angus made a zipping motion on his lips.


    Will let out a breath and nodded. "Alright, add me to the list. I''m going to need those parts soon."


    "I noticed a few pharmaceutical chemicals in there. What are you building?" asked Angus curiously.


    "Final year project," Will waved carelessly as he stepped out of the shop. "I''ll be back in five days."


    "Alright," came a lazy reply from behind him. Will looped off to a side alley and dialed Remy. The slate barely rang for two seconds before it was picked up.


    "Hello," said Remy.


    "Yeah, it''s a no-go on the supplies," said Will. "All transports are messed up. It''s going to be a while before the new shipments come."


    Remy sighed. "Yeah, Becca said as much. What now?"


    Will paused as he considered. "Isn''t there one more VR in the back? We could cannibalize its parts."


    "On it," said Remy. "You coming over?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be there in a bit," said Will as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Still feverish, he shivered. He would be glad when this is over.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    The next four days passed by in a hurry, and both boys worked tirelessly on the VR pod. The other tank provided enough spare parts to fix theirs, and the hardware was ready and working. The only thing left was for them to reboot the software on the machine.


    Will wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished tightening the last bolt.


    "That''s done," said Will. "How long is the reset going to take?"


    "Less than an hour," said Remy. "You take a break. I got this."


    Will sighed and collapsed on the floor. His temperature was running high, and the cold floor was soothing. A mild fever still lingered over him, and he had been powering through with sheer stubbornness.


    Will yawned and closed his eyes. He dozed off, only to be awakened a few minutes later. There was a quiet click of the door from behind. Soft footsteps soon followed, and Rebecca stepped around the bend into their little alcove. Will glanced up to see her standing over him.


    "Come on," she said, "it''s time to practice."


    Will gave a groan and pulled himself up into a sitting position as Becca sat cross-legged in front of him.


    "You guys done with the pod?" she asked.


    "Only the software reboot is left," said Will as he stretched.


    "There is still your medication and the stimulant," Becca pointed out. "You still have to synthesize the last one."


    "No need to worry about that one," said Will. "It''s an easy one to make once you have the right chemicals."


    "Shipment is arriving tomorrow," Remy called out from the side. "By that time, the VR will be ready."


    Becca nodded. "I guess we have it all set. Come on, let''s get to practicing."


    Will straightened himself and pulled himself into a lotus position. He evened out his breathing until he felt his shoulders lighten. His heart rate slowed, and a sense of calm washed over him.


    "Very good. You are in the correct state," said Becca softly. "Now feel about your channels in your leg. Take it slow."


    Will focused his bio field around his amputated leg. It swirled about the etherite shard, and he felt around its edges. The shard had a field of its own and held firm against his own. It flexed and bent under his field until he managed to snake a tiny bit of his psions into the shard. The crystal began to glow but did nothing else.


    Will didn''t get discouraged. He continued to feel about the shard and connect to it. The process was a lot similar to tuning, and he fell into a steady rhythm of matching the shard''s signature like he did with all crystals.


    Half an hour passed, and his reserves were about half empty. He managed to connect to the shard many times, but it didn''t respond in any noticeable way other than emitting a subtle glow.


    "I think that''s enough for today," said Becca, and Will slowly fell out of his trance. He wiped the sweat from his brow.


    "Was there any change?" asked Becca. "I didn''t see any shard skills."


    Will shook his head. "No, the shard didn''t respond."


    "There is something that we are missing," said Becca. "You activated it once already, so it can''t be all that difficult. Maybe it requires some special conditions."


    "I was about to have a seizure at that time," said Will. "I hope that is not the condition."


    Becca frowned. "Seizures... you lose control of your body, and your psion channels go haywire, which means your bio fields move at random. Okay, I can see how that could have triggered the crystal, but there is no way to replicate that."


    "No, there isn''t," said Will.


    "Also, there is something wrong with the skill itself," Remy chimed in from the side. "How is forming a temporary blood tattoo of the military insignia a skill?"


    "It could be a secondary effect and not the skill itself," said Becca.


    Remy shrugged. "I''m beginning to think that the crystal might be man-made and not from a rift beast."


    "What do you mean?" asked Will.


    "Well, for one, it is not the standard shape," said Remy. "Natural shards are usually oval, and created ones are cubes."


    "This one isn''t a cube," said Will.


    Remy shook his head. "It isn''t oval either. Also, what selection pressure would make a crystal draw a perfect rendition of a human coat of arms? It is bonkers. It is not natural."


    "Alright, let me put a stop to you right there," said Becca. "Manufactured shards always have a near-homogeneous crystal structure, and this one is a little varied. You can see from the slight shift in coloration."


    "Sure, but it also doesn''t fit in the standard box for a natural crystal either," said Remy. "So, what does it make it? A hybrid."


    Becca bit her lip. "I don''t know."


    There was a ding from the VR, and lines of code flashed across Remy''s slate. He grinned. "Alright, done and done. The pod is fixed. It''s got to run this code, and we are golden."


    Will glanced at his slate, and he saw an unread message from Angus. "Shipments confirmed to arrive in the morning. That''s everything set."


    "So, tomorrow, huh?" said Becca.


    "Yup, tomorrow," Remy grinned.


    Will stared at the crystal jammed in his leg. "I hope nothing goes wrong."

 Ch. 35 The Waiting Game 4

    The subway track smelled of rust and blood. It shook with the distant train.


    "Will~!"


    Shadows in the dark tunnel moved like reaching fingers.


    "Ellie?!"


    Through the shadows, it watched him. Many-limbed, many-eyed, forever hungry.


    Will snapped his eyes open, and the fever dream passed over like the morning haze. He lay shivering in bed, his sheets drenched in sweat. The nightmare faded away so fast that he couldn''t remember what he had seen. It took him a minute to reorient himself, and he finally reached for his slate.


    It was around eight in the morning. He groaned and got up. It was late, but thankfully the shipment won''t be arriving for an hour. He still had time to get ready. He dragged himself out of bed and freshened up. Fifteen minutes later, he was out of his apartment, making his way towards the old store.


    The walkways were oddly deserted, and the people who were about seemed in a hurry. Will frowned and hurried along, if only to appear not out of place. He took a detour to Uncle John''s shop and found it shut down. He bumped into Mary, Uncle John''s daughter, on her way out.


    "Will," she gasped. "You scared the hell out of me."


    "Sorry," said Will. "What''s going on? Why is the shop closed?"


    "I don''t know," Mary wrung her hands. "Dad told me to close up fast and hurry on home. I don''t know what''s going on."


    She stuffed the store keys into her pocket and rushed off. "Sorry, Will. I really can''t stay. I''ll talk to you later."


    Will wanted to offer to escort her back home, but the girl had rushed off before he could say a word.


    "What the hell?" Will muttered. He walked away from the shop through a side alley and made his way towards the central foundation pillar of Undercity. The giant number 37 loomed ahead, and he began to climb. After a few dozen bridges, he was high above the cityscape in one of the taller buildings.


    He observed people rushing about below him. There were a lot of armed men about. Little Belgrave was overrun by the guards wearing exo-suits. The skintight black armor was segmented by grey outer plating. He watched the guards close the gates to the housing complex and start manning the turrets at the gates.


    Will saw similar actions taken by other factions across Undercity, and from the looks of it, the many tunnels out of the city were also being closed down. Will took out his slate and dialed his mom''s number. A broken dial tone answered him. The call didn''t even make it through. A chill crept up his spine. He dialed his sister, and it was the same result.


    His hands shook as he dialed Remy. After about two seconds, the call was answered.


    "Will, where are you?" asked Remy.


    "Still in Undercity. What''s going on? Everyone is going crazy around here," said Will.


    "The Revenant just claimed responsibility for the attack," said Remy. "The story broke just a few minutes ago."


    "Fucking hell," said Will.


    "You better bunker down quick," said Remy. "Things are going to get ugly down there."


    "You telling me. The whole place looks like they are going to war," said Will.


    There was a beep from his slate, and Will found that Becca had joined the call.


    "Have you guys heard the news?" she began when Remy cut her off.


    "Yeah, we were just talking about it," said Remy.


    "Things are looking bad," said Becca. "There is speculation about a second attack."


    "I didn''t think the Revenant could pull off a first attack, much less a second attack," said Remy. "They were a small group."


    "Not so small now," Will muttered.


    "Listen, Will," said Remy. "I did some digging. Remember the flight that the two mechs were in?"


    "You sure we want to talk about this over the network?" asked Becca nervously.


    "The call is encrypted," Remy scoffed. "I''m not an amateur. Where was I? Yes, the airship."


    "Yeah, I remember the airship," said Will.


    "Do you remember the make and model?"


    Will frowned. "It looked like a Hummingback."


    "Yes, it was modded too," said Remy. "Had those aerial recon attachments. Most likely a research vessel."


    "Where are you going with this?" asked Will.


    "Well, just out of curiosity, I went into the old forums, Shipwatchers. Seems like our old Hummingback had some fans. They kept track of the old bird."


    "Go on," said Will, interested.


    "Turns out the ship launched from Fort Thornfield," said Remy. "There is a small airstrip close to the base."


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    Will fell silent as he digested the information.


    "So, we have a military base, a research airship, guarded by the army, possibly holding an experimental etherite shard. Feeling conspiratorial yet?" asked Remy.


    "We don''t know what any of this means," said Becca.


    "How does the Revenant fit into all this?" asked Will.


    "No clue," said Remy. "Speaking of, you should get bunkered up fast, Will. Things are going to get ugly down there."


    "Not yet," said Will. "My mom and sis are not answering my calls. I need to see that they are safe."


    Will headed down with haste. The metal walkway clanged with every step.


    "You be careful, Will," said Remy. "Some of the cell towers are probably down in Undercity. I''m surprised that you managed to reach us."


    There was a distinct buzz in the signal the further Will went down. The static built, and soon he couldn''t hear what was being said over the line.


    "I''ll keep you posted," said Will, hoping the slate would pick it up. "Sit tight for now."


    He cut the call and checked the signal. It was dropping fast. Cursing, he stuffed the slate back into his pocket and hurried down.


    His sister was at school right now. It was likely they would choose to bunker down instead of evacuating, but Will wasn''t willing to risk Ellie staying there. Little Belgrave was much better protected.


    An explosion sounded off in the distance, and a column of smoke rose from the south end of the city. Screams soon followed, and there was the sound of gunfire.


    Will went pale, and fellow passersby rushed out of the walkways. Will swallowed. Time was running out. He looked at the bridges and gritted his teeth. He vaulted off the bridge and jumped onto the lower one. His boots slammed hard against the bridge, and he was left wincing as a jolt raced up his legs. Grimacing, Will rushed towards Ellie''s school.


    He dodged past running pedestrians and sprinted down alleyways. The sound of gunfire was getting closer, and there were the screams and jeers of an angry mob. A smoke trail followed them as more buildings were set on fire.


    "Will!" came a yell through the rushing crowd, and he saw Ellie running towards him.


    "Ellie!" Will hugged the little girl and checked her for injuries. "What happened? Why are you out of school?"


    "There was an announcement in school that there was going to be a riot. Few of us snuck out to get back home," sniffed Ellie. "I don''t know where the others are. We got separated in the crowd."


    "Alright," said Will. "Let''s get you home."


    Will brought Ellie out of the crowd and headed towards the exit. Little Belgrave was only a couple of bridges away. They avoided the congested main streets, and five minutes later, they were standing at the gates of their home.


    The metal gate swung open before they could even knock. A guard in a dark exo-suit dragged them in and instructed them to head on home.


    It was a mad rush to their apartments, and it was only when their front door swung shut that Will breathed a sigh of relief.


    Ellie slumped on a plastic chair. "What about Mom?"


    "Mom''s up the Tower," said Will. "She will be fine."


    Will reached for his slate again, but there was no signal. Ellie nervously chewed on her fingernails as they waited.


    A muffled explosion sounded off in the distance, and their windows rattled. Will took a seat beside Ellie and held her hand. She squeezed it, listening to distant gunfire. They said nothing for a long while.


    The riots went on for hours. Will sat in his seat unmoving while Ellie was slumped over the table, fast asleep. The distant gunfire and explosions had abated, and a deadly calm had descended over the city.


    Will breathed in long and deep, following the exercises that Becca had taught him. He was as still as a rock as he stared vacantly at the wall in front of him.


    A knock at the front door woke him up, and Will stirred from his seat. Ellie woke up with a start. "Who is it?"


    Will stood up and looked through the peephole. A guard in an exo-suit stood outside the door, with his helmet off. Splotches of blood dotted the armor, and his hair and face were covered in soot. It was Tim, the young guard that his mother had given a talking to a few weeks ago.


    Will opened the door. "Tim. What''s wrong?"


    "Is Mrs. Dunn in?" he asked.


    "No," said Will. "She is up the Tower. What''s wrong?"


    He considered Will for a moment before saying, "I think it is better for you to see it for yourself."


    Will pursed his lips. He strode back into the house and grabbed a knife, handing it to Ellie.


    He patted her on the head. "Lock up tight and don''t let anyone in."


    "Where are you going?"


    "Don''t worry," said Will. "I''ll be back soon."


    Will stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. Tim nodded and gestured for him to follow.


    Both of them descended down the stairs and headed out of the apartment complex. Outside was a flurry of activity.


    Tim nodded towards the guards. "We held up pretty well. No one was majorly injured."


    "The riots didn''t reach till here?" asked Will.


    "Parts of it did," said Tim. "but we held them off. Near the end, we sent some of our own forces to clean up outside the gates."


    Together, both of them stepped out of the wrought iron gates of Little Belgrave. It was a quick march down the bridges, and Will walked into a burnt-out bazaar. The buildings were blackened by fire. Tim didn''t stop there and escorted him through an alley to Uncle John''s shop.


    Will''s eyes went wide to see the shop blown up. The pristine white walls were covered in soot, and a giant section of the front wall was missing.


    Uncle John lay on a stretcher, coughing heavily. His white beard was singed and burnt. Will rushed forward, grabbed his hand, but the old man didn''t recognize him. Half delirious, he mumbled something unintelligible.


    Someone pulled Will aside. "He has a concussion. Give him some space."


    Will watched the guards escort Uncle John towards a medical tent. Tim stepped beside him. "I heard you were close to the old man."


    "Yeah," said Will. "Any sign of Mary?"


    "She''s safe at home," said Tim. "The old man refused to stay there. He didn''t want anything happening to the shop."


    "Where is Angus?" asked Will, worried.


    "I saw him go around the back," said Tim.


    "I better go check on him. Thanks, Tim," said Will; the young guard nodded. Will walked around the shop to the back entrance. Angus was seated on two boxes with a vacant look in his eyes.


    Will strode forward and grabbed the boy''s shoulders. "Angus, are you okay?"


    The plump boy looked up, confused, then broke into a smile. "Will?!"


    "How are you holding up?"


    Angus shook his head and pointed at the back door. Will looked and saw a symbol scrawled in red paint. It was a crucified winged man with a blood halo around his head - the fallen angel.


    Will''s blood ran cold. "The Revenant?"


    It was with a stark realization that his home wasn''t safe anymore. Things were going to get a lot worse from here on out.


    "Angus," he said seriously, and the stoic boy looked up.


    "I''m going to need you to do me a favor," said Will.


    "Yes?"


    "I need a dose of Recypnol, you got from Ryder."


    "Huh?! I don''t¡ª"


    "It''s right in your pocket." Will pointed at a cylindrical bulge in his shirt pocket.


    "Why would you even¡ª Wait, was that what the list was about? You were going to synthesize it?"


    "Yes, but now there is no time," said Will. "I need the full drug now."


    "Will¡ª" Angus began, but Will''s fingers darted nimbly and nabbed the two vials from Angus''s pocket.


    "Seriously, Will, Ryder is going to kill me?! We already have a buyer set for those!"


    "Sorry, man. I''ll pay you back. I promise." Will stuffed the vials into his pocket. A hint of guilt wormed its way into him when he saw Angus''s crestfallen face. "There is something I have to do, Angus. I''ll apologize to you when I''m done."


    "What the hell are you planning, man?" asked Angus weakly.


    Will shook his head. He turned around and walked off, clutching the vials in his pocket. He had to tame that damn shard and get enough credits before the whole of Undercity went up in flames.


    There was a clatter of crates from behind him, and Angus yelled. "Ryder is not going to let this go, Will! He is going to come after you!"


    "I know," said Will as he strode off. "Let him come."

 Ch. 36 Revenant Revelation 1

    REVENANT REVELATION


    <hr>


    Will breathed in deeply from an oxygen mask as he ran on the treadmill. He was in his silver-grey CAD suit with an array of sensors attached to it. Remy and Becca stood to the side, slates out, monitoring his progress.


    "Two more minutes to go," said Remy. "Keep up the pace."


    Will stared straight ahead at the far wall as his legs moved in a blur. While his body moved, his mind was elsewhere. Uncle John''s burnt-out shop flashed in front of his eyes. He remembered the moment he held the old man''s hand and the crestfallen look on Angus''s face at the belief that they had lost everything. He remembered his sister huddled in fear as they hid in their small apartment while their city burned.


    Will let out an angry breath and ran faster. Two minutes went by in a blur, and Will barely registered it.


    "Time," said Remy, and the treadmill slowed to a stop. Will clutched at its handlebars and steadied himself. He breathed in great lungfuls of air as Remy tabulated the results.


    "Alright, the numbers look good. O2 levels check. Blood pressure check. Channel flow, field strength, looks good," said Remy. "Check, check, and check."


    Becca put down her tab and turned to Will. "How are you feeling, Will?"


    Will blinked the visions away as he gasped for breath. "I''m... fine... Other than feeling like a bloated whale." He gestured towards the large round device attached to his right knee. It was a hideous mess of cobbled-together electronic parts. The extra weight of the sequencer threw off his gait, and the first time he put it on, he could barely walk, much less run with it on. But the device had to stay on if they wanted to get their measurements right.


    "Well, fortunately, that won''t matter once you are in VR," said Remy. He held out his hand, and Will handed over the two vials of Recypnol. Remy slotted the drugs into the VR, and there was a telltale hiss as the medication was registered by the machine.


    "Everything is in place," said Remy. "We are ready to go."


    Will straightened up. His heart raced in his chest, and he suspected it had nothing to do with his earlier run. Fists clenched, he strode towards the machine and hoisted himself onto the VR pod. He swung his metal leg over the lip using his hands and carefully placed his foot onto the paddles. He experimentally stepped on them, remembering the last time he was here. Will let out a breath and laid down.


    Becca appeared at his side. "We will be with you every step of the way. Just keep an ear out," she said as she tapped her headset.


    Will smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.


    "Your cousin brews some good shit. The Recypnol is very pure." Remy tapped on his slate and gave a low whistle. "Hope you packed your bags, Will, ''cause you''re going on a trip!"


    "Yeah." Will winced, thinking about the drug. "Let''s hope I get a return flight home."


    "Alright, is that everything?" asked Remy. "Bags packed, got your toothbrush and towels?"


    "Yes, I''m ready," Will rolled his eyes.


    "How about an extra set of underwear?" asked Remy.


    Will flipped him the bird, and Remy laughed.


    "Closing now!"


    The top cover slowly slid closed, and soon Will was encased in darkness.


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    "Welcome, user," a smooth feminine voice addressed him. "Would you like to start the simulation?"


    "Yes," said Will as he gripped the armrest.


    "Establishing machine-human interface. Please hold."


    The VR helmet slid into place, followed by the respirator. Both sealed around his head.


    "CAD connection established. Commencing pre-interface diagnostics."


    The machine hummed as it tested his CAD suit, and Will felt the cold air being pumped through the respirator. There was the strange scent of mint as he inhaled the aerosolized Recypnol.


    "Neural interface checked. Biometrics checked. G-class prosthetic limb interface detected. Device ''sequencer'' detected. Analyzing."


    The drugs went through his system in a flash, and his psion channels went into overdrive. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and weird geometric shapes appeared in the darkness along with all the colors of the rainbow.


    Will silently cursed his cousin in his head and reached for his locket to center himself.


    "Neural dive in 5, 4, 3..."


    The world expanded anew, and he was a tiny mote in the infinite river of time.


    "2, 1..."


    Will placed his hand back on the armrest and gripped it tightly.


    "Launch."


    Will was sent hurtling through a tube of light. It swept him forward with a roar as he ascended, and his body vanished altogether, and the blinding light was all he could see.


    The radiance faded a moment later, and the world unwound in front of him.


    The ground underneath him swayed with the wind, and he felt the rough wooden boards under his fingers.


    Will gasped for breath and snapped his eyes open. He was in the middle of a large wooden rope bridge. It swayed with the wind as mists roiled around him, illuminated by the large moon in the sky.


    Will clutched at the rope as the bridge swayed violently. Through the mists, he saw hundreds of other bridges swaying in the distance, all heading in the same direction as the one he stood on.


    Will looked at the bridges, confused. Was there a point in making so many bridges and that too so close together?


    "Wi1L!" a distorted voice called for him. "C@n y0u h3ar me?"


    "Huh?" said Will, distracted. Something fluttered across the edge of his vision, and he caught sight of an old torn shirt falling from the sky, followed by more clothes.


    Will blinked, and the clothes transformed into dead birds. They struck the rope bridge, and a tremor ran through it. Will blinked again, and the birds vanished.


    "What the fu¡ª" Will whispered.


    "Will?"


    "Yeah, I can hear you," said Will. "Are you seeing any of this?"


    "Good, finally you can hear us," said Becca. "And no, I can''t see anything. The simulation is freeform and directed by you and the etherite crystal. The crystal is giving you signals which your mind interprets as a world. The VR is just here to stabilize it and keep the render coherent. But in all senses, Remy and I are blind."


    "Basically, you are tripping balls, mate," said Remy. "It''s all in your head."


    "Well, I must have a really vivid imagination," muttered Will.


    "What you are seeing is all representative," said Becca. "It isn''t real but a translation of what the crystal is trying to tell you."


    "Okay. So, what now?" asked Will as he gazed at the swaying bridges.


    "Start off just like we practiced," said Becca. "Align your signature with the shard. Slowly connect with it while the sequencer tries different combinations. I''ll trigger the connection when you are ready."


    Will nodded and breathed in deep as he went through the exercise. He fell into a trance, and his heart rate slowed. His psion field smoothed out and cocooned around the etherite shard. The shard''s field resisted him as usual, but the rejection faded as he slowly harmonized with it.


    A few minutes later, he formed a subtle connection with the shard, and his field skirted along the edges of the crystal.


    "I''m ready," said Will.


    "Okay," said Becca. "Sequencer being turned on in three, two, one..."


    The crystal buzzed as it was bombarded with pulses. The shard rebuffed the sequencer''s attempts to connect to it, but Will noticed its weak points. He treaded those areas with his psions until he felt his field click into place. Will grinned as he connected with the shard, and the world around him shifted.


    Gravity inverted, and Will felt himself being pulled apart from several directions.


    "The crystal is responding," said Becca. "There is a spike in its field."


    "We are locked in. Analyzing field patterns," said Remy.


    "The VR has begun the render," said Becca. "Prepare yourself, Will."


    There was a wrenching sensation, and Will found himself standing in the middle of a flat desert that stretched as far as the eye could see. The moon was full in the sky, and the white sand glinted under its light.


    Will looked around; there was nothing in sight other than the flat ground. He took a step forward and immediately lurched to a stop. The sand underneath him rippled like water, and concentric circles of dunes raced from him as if he had stepped on a still lake.


    The ripples soon turned turbulent as the sand rose like tides, and Will was swept off his feet. Where he had been standing earlier, something rose up from the depths of the desert sand.


    Will stared up in wonder as a eight-story building rose up from within the dunes until it towered over him.

 Ch. 37 Revenant Revelation 2

    Will froze as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The eight-story building looked typical for any high-rise you would find in the Tower, and it stood in the desert sand as though it was always meant to be there.


    Moonlight glinted off its surface, and the building''s shadows lengthened. Something moved inside the upper floors of the high-rise, and Will felt cold. He took an uncertain step backward and cursed when the sands underneath his feet began to ripple again.


    Another building rose up from the depths, and he was sent hurtling across the desert once more. The dunes crashed around him as the building resurfaced. Will waited for the desert to calm down and lay still in the desert sand as he watched the two buildings.


    Shadowy forms flickered past the windows, and cold sweat drenched Will''s back. There was something oddly militaristic about the two structures with their harsh angular sides and thick fortified walls. He didn''t want to go anywhere near those buildings. Not taking his eyes off the windows, he carefully got up, but this time he had learned his lesson. He made sure not to disturb the sands as he got to his feet. He stayed still as he felt the sands lap against his feet like the tides at a beach.


    "Will, are you there?" asked Becca.


    "Yeah," said Will. "Something weird happened again."


    He quickly explained the situation to Remy and Becca, who were equally as confused about what the visions could mean.


    "Can you make sense of any of this?" asked Will.


    "Are you picking up on any weird kind of sensations? Anything off-putting?" asked Remy.


    "You mean, other than whatever this is?" said Will as he raised his hands, palms out in front of him. "My psion field seems unusually sensitive, and my hearing is sharper for some reason."


    "Anything else?"


    Will paused. "I''m feeling... this constant tremor from underneath my feet. It''s odd."


    "This is good," said Becca. "This could be a rough translation of the rift beast''s senses. Keep poking at it."


    Will looked around, reluctant to try walking again. He bent down and grabbed a stray brick in the sand and tossed it away from him.


    The sand broke into a ripple where it landed, and Will watched the concentric circles of dunes flare out from it. The circles grew bigger as they approached his feet, and he felt the vibrations travel up his leg and through his body until it reached his head.


    Will stood as a lightning rod for the vibrations racing across the desert surface. He could tell where each ripple originated from, and depending on frequency and amplitude, he could track everything around him. It was a weird sort of echolocation, except it wasn''t from sound but the tremors in the ground.


    "Woah," Will breathed out and relayed everything that happened back to Remy and Becca.


    "Yes, some progress," said Remy. "A few more of these, and we are golden."


    "The connection is fading," said Becca. "How are you holding up, Will?"


    Will winced as he felt a sharp pain in his right knee. "Yeah, my psion reserves are dropping fast."


    "Break the connection and stabilize yourself," said Becca. "We can now try a different sequence."


    "Got it," said Will. He stopped feeding the shard with his energy, and the connection was severed. His field still hovered around the crystal''s edges and slowly started harmonizing with it once again.


    After a few minutes, he was ready once more. "I''m good to go," said Will.


    "Great," said Becca. "Now remember, you are trying to trick the crystal neurons into thinking that it is still attached to the rift beast. Do not panic when you see anything off-putting. Be calm at all times. Everything must be slow and smooth; we don''t want to spook it."


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    Remy snorted. "You are anthropomorphizing it too much. It is just a dead piece of rock."


    "It is not dead." Becca clicked her tongue.


    "Says who?" challenged Remy. "Who can survive with half their brain gone?"


    "You should know," said Becca. "You''re half braindead."


    "Damn it! walked right into that one," Remy chuckled. "You win this round, princess."


    Will cleared his throat. "Any day now, guys."


    "Alright," said Becca. "The sequencer is set. Connecting in three, two, one..."


    The etherite jolted like it was struck by a live wire, and the sequencer did its magic. Pulses raced down the shard, but this time in a much more precise and controlled way. Will felt his field move along with the pulse until it clicked into place again, but this time in a different configuration.


    The world shifted around Will, and this time he was hanging upside down from the roof of a cave. Will windmilled his arms in panic, but his feet remained stuck to the roof.


    "That''s it," Will exclaimed. "I''m officially weirded out."


    He stared at his feet stuck to the roof and tried to move. It didn''t budge an inch. Will clicked his tongue, and instead of pulling his feet away from the roof, he slid it to the side. The tension holding him to the roof went away, and he managed to free one foot off of the roof.


    Will experimentally took a ''step'' forward and attached his foot a little bit further along the roof, and the foot was stuck fast to the ceiling. He repeated the process with his other leg, and soon he was walking along the roof with no problems.


    "Will, what''s happening?" asked Remy.


    "You''re not going to believe this," said Will and recounted everything he had seen.


    "Do you think walking upside down is supposed to be literal?" asked Remy when he finished, "or is it an error in translation."


    "I''m not sure," said Becca. "In either case, we have to keep exploring. Will, you are very close to getting full control over the crystal."


    "Right," said Will. He could feel it too. The crystal had been harmonizing with him, and it was slowly being converted to match his personal signature. Pretty soon, there would be no clash between their signatures, and he could use the shard freely.


    "I think a few more rounds should¡ª" began Will when a few loose rocks behind him crumbled to the floor. Will whipped his head around, but there was nothing behind him.


    "What is it?" asked Remy.


    "Not sure," said Will slowly. "I thought I heard something."


    The cave remained silent, and Will shook his head.


    "The sequencer is up," said Becca. "Ready for the switch?"


    "Yes," said Will, still looking around the cave. It remained remarkably empty.


    "Sequencer active. Connecting in three, two, one..."


    The world shifted once again, and Will dropped into a boneyard. Large skeletal remains were scattered about the cemetery, and the whole place was eerily silent except for the occasional rattle of discarded bones. He barely spent a scant few minutes there before he jumped into another sequence. He continued world-hopping, and with each new iteration, he saw more bizarre sights.


    He passed through incomprehensible mazes, an upside-down flying mountain, and giant floating eyeballs. The moon hung suspended in the sky with each iteration, and he was currently making his way through a dense tropical jungle.


    Will''s neck prickled with each passing world. There was something off about all of them. As he cut through the dense underbrush and giant evergreen trees, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was being followed.


    "Talk to me, Will," said Remy. "What''s going on?"


    "Remy," Will whispered. "There is something wrong."


    "What is it?"


    "There is something other than me in here," said Will.


    "The crystal?" asked Remy.


    "Yes... no, I don''t know," said Will. He looked around at the dense green canopy with trepidation.


    "Do you want to switch?" asked Becca.


    The trees rustled behind him, and Will went very still, hiding behind a tree. A large shadow passed over him.


    "Will," Remy called out to him, but he didn''t answer. The shadow moved away, and Will crept away from the tree. A twig broke underneath his feet, breaking the silence of the forest. An excited chitter came from behind him, and something large and hairy came charging at him.


    Will took off sprinting past a thicket of trees. He slid down a ditch and kept racing away from the shadow. A roar followed him, and he heard trees crashing behind him.


    "Switch! Switch, right now!" Will yelled.


    "Switching now," said Becca. "In three, two, one¡ª Wait, what''s that?!"


    Will felt a wrenching sensation as the etherite crystal went through a rapid sequence of field patterns all on its own.


    "Oh shit!" yelled Remy.


    "Will, don''t connect with it!" Becca screamed. "That is not ours. The shard is acting on its own."


    "Abort! Cut the connection right now!" yelled Remy.


    Will desperately tried pulling away, but the connection held firm. It gripped him like a vice and pulled him in as the world shifted.


    Will came tumbling down a rabbit hole and slammed headfirst onto a hard concrete floor. He felt around him, disoriented, and touched cold hard steel. It smelled of rust and blood and creaked as he pulled at it. Will raised his head with a shuddering breath and followed the rail lines extending further up the tunnel.


    He was back in the subway.


    "Psion channel damage!" said Remy. "His field is going haywire!"


    "The crystal signature is changing!" said Becca.


    Will''s breath came in gasps as he lay there frozen. Ice raced up his veins, and shadows writhed around him, clawing at him with taloned fingers. A long horn pierced the tunnel, and the rail lines shook.


    "Can you hear me, Will?!" yelled Remy. "Snap out of it!"


    The rushing train was all he could hear, and his friends'' desperate pleas were drowned out by the rail''s baleful wail.


    "Will!"

 Ch. 38 Revenant Revelation 3

    Will lay frozen on the rail line and muttered incoherently. "I... I..."


    "Will, it is not real!" said Becca.


    His breath came in short gasps as he struggled to take in air.


    "It is just a translation. You are seeing what represents your fear."


    Will raised one shaking arm and punched himself in the gut. A rattled gasp escaped his lips, and he rolled over to his side. Feeling came back to his limbs as he clawed at the metal rails, and his face scraped against the floor as he lifted himself off the ground. In a mad scramble of tangled limbs, he took off running away from the train.


    "Will," Becca called out to him.


    "Can you hear me, Will?" asked Remy.


    Will coughed as he tried to catch his breath. "Yes, What was that? What''s going on?"


    "I don''t know; the shard is acting on its own," said Remy.


    Will cursed under his breath as he ran at full speed.


    "Listen up, Will," said Remy. "There is good news and bad news."


    "Let''s hear it," said Will.


    "You are connected deeply with the crystal. Find the right field patterns, and you would have it tamed," said Remy.


    "And the bad news?"


    "I think you already know. The crystal has detected you, and it''s hostile. You are in for a fight."


    "So all that work harmonizing with it has been wasted?" asked Will.


    "Not entirely," Becca chimed in. "The goal had always been to understand the crystal''s field patterns. You know more about it than it knows about you. You have the advantage."


    "Fight it, Will," said Remy. "Don''t let it take over."


    "Yeah, I don''t plan on being a mindless Hive drone anytime soon," said Will. He looked around and let out a shuddering breath. The world seemed pretty static, unlike the other ones had been earlier.


    "What do you see?"


    "I''m running down a tunnel."


    "Does it branch off?" asked Becca.


    "No, it doesn''t look like it," said Will.


    "You will run into something soon enough," said Becca. "The shard is getting more active the further you move along."


    Will said nothing and kept running. He could feel his right knee pulse with every step. It was almost like the tremor sense he had experienced earlier. He could tell that he was headed towards something.


    The tunnel lit up in a dim purple glow up ahead, and Will ran forward. The glow came from thousands of tiny shards the size of his thumb embedded in the walls. Cracks spiderwebbed from where the shards had been hammered in, and the fissures formed an interconnected web that linked all the shards together.


    Will relayed the information to Remy and Becca, and they fell into an intense discussion on what it could mean.


    "What do they represent?" asked Remy.


    "Since we are so deep into the crystal, it could be a control node for all its abilities," said Becca. "Like a master field sequence."


    "Will, do you see anything else?" asked Remy. "Are any of the shards different?"


    Will shook his head. "No, but I got an idea."


    He channeled his field and went down the list of field patterns that the sequencers had implemented.


    The crystals dimmed and brightened with each different connection. When he channeled the tremor sense, a cluster of crystals shone more brightly than the rest, and he felt a noticeable drop in his psion reserves.


    "I think I have it," said Will. "Each cluster represents a different skill, and if I..."


    He tried to extend his reach and connect with more nearby shards, and soon more neighboring shards lit up. The field patterns grew more complex, and Will rushed to keep up.


    "There is a change in the shard," said Remy.


    "I think this is it," said Becca.


    An ear-rending screech echoed down the tunnel, and Will staggered. The creature that had been stalking him was finally here. His heart raced as he redouble his efforts.


    Will felt the etherite crystal click in place with the new field patterns, and it greedily sucked in his psion energy. He was nearly brought to his knees as his reserves drained.


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    Like a half-remembered dream, sensations came to him. Pain lanced through him, and he felt something rake across his chest to his stomach, and another slash brushed past his right thigh.


    Will let out a muffled grunt and stared down at his chest. To his amazement, he found white hairs growing out of it.


    "Will, you are bleeding," said Remy, sounding panicked.


    "No, I''m not," said Will absentmindedly.


    "Not in the VR, in the real world. You are bleeding in the pod," said Remy. "Your CAD is registering blood loss. You have a cut across your chest and leg."


    Will stared down at the hairs. Three parallel lines ran from his shoulder to his opposite hip. It looked like a claw mark. It was the same across his thigh.


    "I bled the first time I activated the skill at the fort," said Will, explaining what he was seeing.


    "So the military coat of arms?" asked Remy in bewilderment.


    "I have no idea," said Will.


    "The facts are simple," Becca interrupted. "The shard is forcing hair to grow out of your body. It pierces past the skin, which causes the bleeding."


    "And the patterns?" asked Remy.


    "That''s¡ª" began Becca but was cut off by a loud skittering screech.


    Will barely had time to turn to face the massive form hurtling towards him. He was nearly split in half, but his quick reflexes had saved him.


    The pain came a second later, fresh and hot. Will stumbled backward and stared down at his chest. Three bloody lines ran down his shoulder, staining his shirt. Another shallow slash scraped at his right thigh, and he gasped as every step sent a fresh jolt of pain.


    "Will, are you okay?"


    The creature charged again, and Will sidestepped its swipe and dove out of the way. He retreated down the tunnel, and under the dim glow of the crystals embedded in the wall, he saw the creature in full.


    A multi-limbed, multi-eyed horror stood in front of him. The giant horse-sized spider slinked its way towards him with deliberate slowness, caustic venom dripping from its outer jaws.


    A chill crept into Will as he froze under the eyes of an apex predator. He couldn''t move an inch under that gaze. Fight, flight, or freeze. The primal, million-year-old biological instinct kept him rooted to the ground.


    The giant arachnid chittered ominously, and each clack of its chelicerae stabbed right into his brain. Will could feel it in his head. It was speaking to him.


    "L17tl3 mu5e t@5735 50 6#00!!"


    It lifted its front legs and tasted its claws, savoring his blood. A purple glow emanated from its chest, and Will spotted a skull-sized etherite shard embedded in it. The crystal grew more luminescent the more blood it tasted.


    "Speech..." The creature rumbled, and Will flinched. Did it just?...


    "Comprehend... Understand..." it chittered.


    "Holy shit..." Will gasped.


    "What is it, Will? What do you see?" asked Remy.


    "The rift beast is a spider, and it''s talking," whispered Will.


    "Talking..." The spider tasted the word, and its carapace shook with pleasure.


    "Do not converse with it," Remy panicked. "Don''t let it know more about you. Any more of this, and it will take you over."


    "This is not possible," Becca said in a hushed whisper. "None of the notes say anything about this."


    "Fuck the notes," Remy yelled. "Will, your signature is being converted to match the spider. Don''t let it figure out your channel flow or match your signature."


    Will gritted his teeth and pulled back his personal field and fought against his connection with the shard. The spider chittered angrily and stalked towards him.


    "Guys, I can see the main control shard," said Will as he stared at the approaching arachnid. "It''s in the spider, center mass."


    Remy paused in his tirade. "This is suicidal, man."


    "No choice," said Will. "It''s not like you can pull me out anyway."


    He felt an intense pain where the giant arachnid had cut him earlier, and his psion field roiled and churned like a pot ready to boil over. He was barely keeping a lid on it.


    "What do you mean?" asked Becca.


    "His psion flow is too turbulent," Remy sighed. "His fields are about to go berserk. If we pull out now without stabilizing it..."


    "We will stabilize it," said Becca firmly. "Will, hold on. We are working on it."


    "Right," said Will as he backed away from the giant spider. Both of them started circling each other, assessing one another for weaknesses. A dark intelligence lurked behind the spider''s eyes. It didn''t behave at all like an animal.


    "Come on, you big ugly bastard, let''s see what you got," said Will.


    The spider lunged, and Will dodged out of the way, making a swipe towards the spider''s shard. The creature recoiled away hissing.


    "Release the heart..." it chittered.


    "The fuck are you talking about?" asked Will.


    "Etherite heart..." it hissed.


    Will frowned. The creature was picking up words fast. He wouldn''t have believed it possible.


    "You have nothing to offer me for your heart, monster."


    "Mons...ter?" it chittered confused. Its voice grew more refined. "Ah.... see... witness... confusion."


    "What the fuck?" Will muttered.


    "Good deal...on... table," said the spider. "Offer... your... refusal not."


    Will recognized the garbled sentence from an old sitcom broadcasted in the Tower. What the hell?


    "I offer money, little mouse," the spider chittered. "More than your wildest dreams."


    Will''s blood ran cold. Becca''s old words echoed in his ears. All visions were mere representations. A garbled rough translation.


    "You are no spider." With growing horror, Will realized who exactly he was facing. The arachnid transformed right in front of his eyes. Metal plates replaced its carapace, and the spider grew more humanoid. Flesh and steel melded together, and a crimson multi-armed spider mech stood before him.


    "Revenant!" Will backed away in terror.


    "Precisely," said the crimson mech. "You have something that I need, and you will give it to me."


    The rail rattled between them, and a glaring light came from down the tunnel. The train was approaching fast, and Will knew that his time was running out. He shifted to the side and put his best foot forward.


    The crimson mech could sense his determination and sighed. "Wrong choice."


    They eyed each other for the briefest of moments before charging at each other under the glare of the oncoming train. Will dodged the mech''s massive arms and got inside its guard and touched its giant etherite crystal, only to be caught by its secondary set of arms that popped up from his blind spot.


    Will didn''t care. He only needed one shot at the shard and shoved his entire psion reserves to batter against the crystal. The Revenant-born froze for a second, and Will mimicked the complex field patterns that he last used. Just as he formed the connection with the crystal, the crimson mech unhinged its metal jaws and bit down on his neck.


    Will screamed as an incomprehensible set of visions assaulted his mind. He watched the bright lights of the train closing in on him while the memories flashed before his eyes. The Revenant had injected something in him, and Will struggled to keep his connection to the shard active.


    The train barreled into both of them, and the virtual world exploded. The human-machine interface broke down, and Will was thrown back into the pod. His signature flickered dangerously like a candle about to be snuffed out.


    "Will!" someone screamed.


    "Will, talk to me, buddy," another voice called.


    "Pick him up. We need to get him out of here."


    Two pairs of arms grabbed him and pulled him out of the pod, and Will slipped into darkness.

 Ch. 39 Revenant Revelation 4

    Will was pulled in and out of consciousness for a long time. Every time he gained some semblance of coherence, he was pulled under, as if something wanted to keep him there. There was an anchor tied to his feet, and the more he resisted, the heavier it got. Desperate, he pulled and strained, and with a titanic effort, he wrenched himself free and came back to the land of the living.


    His eyes snapped open, and he blinked past the blurry, boxy outline in front of him. Will recognized the cartons and shelves from the school storage room. They were at the far end of the room, and he was lying on a high table. An IV drip was attached to his arm. Will followed the tube and spotted a TSN bag hung above him. The medication dripped slowly, and Will grimaced.


    There was a soft intake of breath, and Will turned to his other side. Becca was there beside him, with her head resting on the table, fast asleep.


    "Will!" came an excited whisper, followed by the soft clatter of footsteps. Remy came around and took him by the shoulder. The brunet had bags under his eyes and looked the most serious Will had seen him. Gone were the jokes and smiles. Remy looked lost and a little demented.


    Will made to sit up, but Remy rushed to stop him.


    "Lie down, you are still in bad shape," said Remy.


    Will gave a quiet groan as he laid back down. "How long was I out?"


    "Six hours," said Remy.


    Will nodded his head absentmindedly for a second before he registered what he had just heard.


    "Six hours?!" His eyes went wide. He rushed to get up, but Remy stopped him.


    "Don''t worry. I talked with your mom. Told her that you''re working late."


    Will relaxed and laid back down.


    "How ya feeling?" asked Remy.


    "Like shit," Will muttered and looked around. "You moved me from the pod? We are all the way at the back now."


    "Yeah," said Remy. "No one bothers to walk all the way in here, so we thought we could stash you here for the time being. Becca wanted you out of here and into a hospital."


    Will groaned. "No, you made the right call. Better here than the hospital."


    "Will, Becca and I have been talking. What happened at the end? You said the beast was talking?"


    There was a buzzing sound off to the side, and Will spotted his slate resting on top of a shelf next to the table. Will ignored it and turned to Remy.


    "It wasn''t a rift beast; it was a person," said Will. "I''m sure of it."


    Remy leaned in. "A person?"


    "We fought for control over the shard. I tagged the main control node, but then..." Will touched his neck. The red mech''s clamping jaws flashed before his eyes, and he shuddered.


    Will felt around his channels for the etherite crystal; he needed to know that he hadn''t been imagining it. He did connect to the main shard at the last moment. Will tried to take hold of his field and felt nothing. He frowned and tried again but failed. "Remy, why can''t I move my field?"


    Remy grimaced. "Will, there is something that you need to know. I don''t know how to tell you..."


    Will gritted his teeth and pushed at his field, forcing past an invisible barrier that had been holding him back, and it flared to life. The field snapped and flickered, and the moment he touched the etherite crystal with it, he yelped in pain. His personal field collapsed, and ice raced up his nerve endings. It rolled over him like a wave, and then he lost all control over his body. There was no building up, no steady rise in pressure; the wave slammed into him like the tide and had him drowning. Tremors ran through him, and Will suffered the most intense seizure of his life.


    Becca shot awake. "Wha? Who?" she asked groggily.


    "It''s happening again," Remy hissed. Becca leapt off the stool and helped Remy hold Will down.


    "Grab him tight. We don''t want him to rip out the IV again," said Remy.


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    Will held on as the shakes passed. It was quick and intense, very different from his normal attacks. His very signature rebelled against him and attacked him without any mercy. Current raced up his nerves, and he lost control in an instant. Will lay shaking on the table as the shakes left him, and his field returned to his control.


    Will groaned and sat up. Remy didn''t stop him this time. "You said it''s happening again. How many times has it been?"


    "I''ve lost count," said Remy. "Will, your signature has been altered, at least the channels closest to your leg."


    Remy rolled up his CAD suit and revealed his metal leg. The etherite crystal was now embedded more deeply into him, and only a tiny bit of the shard poked out of his skin. Black veins snaked out from it, and the skin around the crystal was an angry red. The veins burrowed into him and pulsated as if it were feeding off him.


    Will stared at his knee in numb shock. The veins twitched as they tried to extend further up his body. It was rebuffed multiple times, but Will could tell that it was slowly gaining ground. It was taking over his body; the conversion had already begun.


    "Will," said Becca softly next to him, but he was too shocked to respond. His slate vibrated off to the side, and he absentmindedly reached for it and accepted the call.


    "How long does it take you to answer a goddamn phone call," his cousin''s irate voice blasted from the speakers.


    "Huh?" Will''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.


    "Don''t get smart with me, jackass! What the hell are you doing with my merch, and why do you need two vials full of Rohypnol?!"


    Will pulled his head away from the slate as Ryder grew louder with each passing second.


    "You little shit! When I get my hands on you¡ª"


    Will cut the call and muted his slate. Remy and Becca exchanged a look, and Will slowly lowered his slate. He sighed. "I don''t think there is a level to describe how badly we are screwed."


    "I should have been more thorough with the procedure," said Becca, close to tears, and buried her face in her hands.


    "No," said Will firmly. "No one could have foreseen this. This is on me. I knew the risks and went with it anyway. This is all on me."


    "So, what do we do now?" asked Becca through her fingers.


    Will rubbed his temples. He didn''t have an answer to that. Will tried to move his field around the shard, and it churned like an angry animal. Grimacing, he backed off.


    Remy stirred beside him. "Will, you mentioned that it wasn''t a rift beast you were facing; it was a person. What exactly did you mean?"


    Will sat up straighter and recounted his last moments in the tunnel. The tale didn''t take long, and Remy and Becca fell into a pensive silence when he finished.


    "Are you sure it was him?" Remy finally asked.


    "Yes," said Will. "Like Becca said, it was all interpretation. No rift beast could pick up human language that fast. I recognized the signature from the mech and associated it with a spider."


    "And he really wants this crystal, huh?" Remy looked down at the shard. "Just who is he?"


    "He is called the Crimson Bishop," said Becca, wiping her eyes. "The de facto leader of the Revenant."


    Remy and Will looked at her with interest.


    "It was in the news earlier," said Becca. "While you two were fixing the pod, I did some research."


    "I didn''t know the Revenant changed leadership," said Remy.


    "He is from a more radical splinter faction of the Revenant that has been gaining some notoriety recently," said Becca. "A lot more ruthless in their approach. Killed the former head and took control. There have been a dozen low terror attacks conducted by them for the last few years. The tower had been tracking him for some time. The Bishop survived a dozen assassination attempts and now doesn''t even get out of his suit, stays armored up all the time."


    "So, how?" asked Remy, pointing at Will''s leg. "How did he manage that? How could he hijack an etherite crystal?"


    "It''s a Hive technique," said Will. "I don''t know exactly how it works, but it''s how they meld their signatures together."


    "He wanted to turn you into a puppet?" said Remy.


    "We are not going to let that happen, right?" said Becca, but both boys remained silent. "Guys?"


    "Right," Remy nodded gravely and turned towards Will.


    "Will?" Becca called out to Will, who looked pensive.


    Will raised his head. "The question is how. I managed to connect to the shard, but now my signature is being changed. This was one step forward and two steps back."


    "There is one way," said Becca. "We have to raise your level to initiate as quickly as possible. The conversion rate is going to accelerate. You have to increase your reserves faster than it can change it."


    Will rubbed his face. "It was already an impossible task, and now it is more difficult. I suppose I have no other choice."


    Remy leaned forward in his chair. "I have an idea, but you are not going to like it."


    "Shoot," said Will. "I''m willing to do just about anything at this point."


    "There is one perfect place for you to raise your level," said Remy. He looked Will straight in the eyes. "You have to join the military mech course."


    "Remy..." Will sighed.


    "It is the fastest way," Remy insisted.


    "Remy, my condition is even worse now," said Will. "What is going to happen if I get a seizure in a half-ton war machine? This is no joking matter."


    "We will figure something out. For once, think about yourself. We need to get that shard fully tamed, and we need to do it fast. Besides, there is one more reason."


    Remy brought out his slate and scrolled through it. After a few quick taps, he presented it to Will and Becca. On it was an aerial photo of a massive military fortress heavily laden with snow.


    "Remember what I said about where the airship holding the crystal was launched from?"


    "Fort Thornfield," said Will.


    "Guess where our mech training center is?" Remy grinned.


    "Fort Thornfield?" Will guessed.


    "Yup," said Remy. "Feeling motivated yet?"


    Will snatched the slate from Remy''s hands and stared at the photo of the airstrip next to the fort. He tapped the screen twice and zoomed in on the lone runway. The crimson spider mech flashed before his eyes, and his grip tightened around the slate. He considered Remy''s question. Was he motivated yet?


    Will''s eyes flashed. "Yes."


    He most certainly was.

 Ch. 40 Goodbyes and Hellos 1

    GOODBYES AND HELLOS


    <hr>


    Will stuffed his already full backpack with his set of tools. The multimeter and tuner went in last, and he struggled to close the zip.


    "Don''t forget to pack a few towels," his mother instructed. "And your medication. You look so pale, honey. Are you sure you are getting enough sleep?"


    "I''m fine, Mom," said Will. "The course is only for a few months. I''ll be back before you know it."


    "I know, sweetie, but you can''t blame me for worrying." She fussed over his jacket and shirt.


    "The mech course is good for my grades," said Will. "I''ve got something good lined up for the project too. When I get up the tower, I can make enough to¡ª"


    "You don''t have to worry about credits, hun," said Mom. "Now is the time that you should be focused on your studies."


    She dusted off a spare piece of lint off his shirt. "We have enough saved up to move up the Tower within the year. So, stop worrying."


    "Okay, Mom," said Will.


    His mother patted him on the cheek. "I know messages are hard in and out of the tower, but try to send word once in a while."


    Okay, smiled Will and slung his backpack over one shoulder.


    His mother escorted him out of the small apartment and watched him make his way down the stairs. Will took two steps down at a time and exited the apartment complex. As he left the compound, he took a glance back and stared at the random bullet holes in the buildings. No matter how well defended Belgrave was, a few stray shots did manage to get in. The city was getting more dangerous by the day, and he didn''t think they had a year to make it out.


    With dark thoughts on his mind, Will made his way out of the protected compound. His boots clanged on metal walkways, and he trudged his usual route to the bazaar. The trade center was busy as ever despite the recent unrest. The reconstruction was well on its way, and business didn''t stop. People just haggled with more intensity with rubble strewn around them. The main difference he spotted was the number of people carrying weapons.


    Will stuck to the main streets as he made his way to Uncle John''s Odds and Ends. He was a few storefronts away from the old hardware shop when he spotted Remy and Becca. The two of them were standing in front of a run-down shop peddling some throwaway junk.


    Remy looked utterly frustrated while Becca looked around with fascination. She asked pointed questions to the shopkeeper, who was only too eager to indulge her whims, sensing a rich customer.


    Will crept over and tapped Remy on the shoulder. "What are you doing here?"


    Remy flinched at the sudden approach but calmed down once he saw it was Will. He jerked his head towards Becca. "She dragged me here. Said she wanted to see the undercity."


    Will looked at Becca''s perfectly manicured nails and fifty-credit haircut. "At least rub some dirt on her face," Will muttered, and Remy laughed.


    "Like that would work," said Remy. "A tourist is a tourist."


    "I''ll be back after checking on Uncle John. Keep her out of trouble," said Will, and Remy rolled his eyes.


    Will walked down the pathway and found the old machine hardware store. The outer wall had been repaired and now needed plastering. Uncle John was off to the side overseeing the work. The old man seemed to have recovered well, yet his beard was considerably shorter. He broke into a bright smile when he spotted Will.


    "William, my boy!"


    Will waved and jogged the rest of the way towards the old man. He gave a quick look around to see if his cousin was nearby and breathed a sigh of relief when the coast was clear.


    "It is good to see ya, lad." The old man guffawed and thumped Will on the back.


    Will staggered but smiled. "I knew no Revenant scum could keep you down, old man."


    "Oh, I ain''t keeling over just yet." Uncle John laughed again but soon got serious. He pulled Will close and said in a low whisper, "Careful there, lad. You best keep your thoughts on them quiet for now."


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    "Is it that bad?" asked Will in a low tone, and old John nodded.


    "The separatists have a lot more supporters than ya think. It is getting dangerous."


    Will bit the inside of his cheek. "I''m starting to wonder if I should leave. I could stay and help."


    "None of that, lad," said Uncle John. "There are plenty of men capable of defending the city. Don''t worry about your ma and little Ellie. Belgrave is well defended, and we are all here. Go without worries." He patted his back, and Will''s knees buckled.


    "Oh, that reminds me," old John continued. "Ellie has been waiting by the shop for a while now. Where is that girl? She was around here somewhere."


    Uncle John looked around, and Will spotted a yellow blur headed for him. Ellie tackled him in a hug, nearly knocking him off his feet.


    "Ellie! What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be at school?"


    "I wanted to see you before you left, and school sucks anyway." Ellie pressed her head into Will''s chest. "You are never home, and now you are going away."


    "Only for a little while," said Will.


    "You always say that."


    Will sighed and looked at Uncle John.


    "Don''t worry," said old John. "I''ll have Angus escort her home."


    "I wanted to see Angus and Mary too," said Will. "Are they here?"


    Uncle John shook his head. "He''s out on an errand. He won''t be back for a while. Mary is back at home. I''ll let them know you thought of them."


    Will sighed and then asked nonchalantly. "I guess Ryder isn''t here either?"


    Uncle John frowned. "Ryder? Last I heard, your cousin was away on a job. He said it would take him a couple of months."


    "That''s a shame," said Will but breathed a sigh of relief internally.


    A yell came from one of the workers, and Uncle John yelled some instructions back. The old man turned to the siblings. "I have to go check on the construction." He patted Will on the shoulder once again. "You take care, kid."


    "I''ll see you soon, old man," grinned Will, and he watched the old John march off to join the construction crew.


    Will felt a tight pressure on his chest to find Ellie still clinging to him.


    "Planning on letting go of me any time soon?" he asked.


    "No," said Ellie.


    "What if I said I got you a present?"


    "Present?" Ellie sniffled.


    Will rummaged around his jacket and brought out a box of sweets.


    "Eclairs?" Ellie squealed and hugged the box close to her. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"


    "Don''t eat all of them at once," said Will. "You know how Mother feels about those."


    "I won''t." Ellie lowered her box of sweets with a smile. She was about to go into her usual chatter-filled tirade when she spotted something behind Will, and her smile faded from her lips; instead, she had a look of deep irritation.


    Will glanced behind to see Remy stomping his way towards them, looking irate.


    "Unbelievable," he said to Will. "She won''t listen to me. She is being robbed blind, and she is happy about it."


    Remy glanced at Ellie in surprise. "Oh, it''s the midget."


    "Hello, flagpole," said Ellie.


    Remy cupped his right ear and feigned a look of confusion. "Huh? I''m sorry; I can''t hear you from up here."


    "Then don''t hear. I''m not talking to you." Ellie turned towards Will and gave him another hug. "I''m going to miss you."


    "Me too, kiddo," said Will. "Don''t give Mom too much trouble while I am away."


    "I won''t," said Ellie.


    Remy chuckled, "Later, midget."


    Ellie smiled sweetly and then promptly stomped on Remy''s foot. The brunet howled in pain, and Ellie ran away laughing towards Uncle John.


    Remy hopped on one leg and shook his fist at Ellie, who stuck her tongue out at him and hid behind the old man.


    "Damn that little¡ª" Remy cursed but stopped when he caught an annoyed look from Will.


    A quiet chuckle came from behind them, and both boys turned to find Becca standing there.


    "It''s nice to see you have the same effect on women everywhere," Becca laughed.


    "Oh, screw you too, princess," said Remy while he rubbed his aching foot.


    Will checked his slate. "Come on, we are cutting it close. We should have headed out by now."


    Becca nodded, and Remy put his foot back down, and they fell in step behind Will. They walked about a dozen paces when a yell came from behind them.


    "Bye, Will," called out Ellie. Will smiled and waved back.


    "Who is that?" asked Becca.


    "His little sister," said Remy.


    "What, really?" exclaimed Becca. "I should meet her!"


    Will firmly pushed her forward. "Later, we don''t have time."


    Becca walked backward and enthusiastically waved at Ellie until they turned the corner street.


    "She has gotten a lot bigger than in your old photos," said Ellie.


    "Though not by much," chuckled Remy from the side. "Anyway, guys, how about some enthusiasm?"


    When he was met with blank stares from Will and Becca, Remy sighed. "We are about to pilot some mechs. Become one with the machine. Control a ton of pure carnage. Are you two ready?"


    Will nodded grimly. "Yeah, thanks, guys, for sticking with me. I know I have to go, but you two didn''t."


    "Aye! Don''t get sappy with me." Remy swung an arm over Will''s shoulder. "I would have gone anyway, and so would Becca."


    Becca nodded. "It is a good source of school credit."


    "So, turn those frowns upside down ''cause we are going to be playing with some mechs," said Remy, giddy with excitement.


    Will''s lips twitched and he nudged Becca. "You should watch out when he gets like this. It''s times like these he''d suggest something truly insane."


    "Guys, have you thought about¡ª" began Remy when he stopped in mid-sentence, registering what he heard. "Hey!"


    Becca laughed.


    "Fine, be that way. But I''ll tell you this much. This is going to be great, guys, I can tell," said Remy. "I got a feeling."


    "Woman''s intuition?" asked Becca.


    "Watch it, princess."


    "Or what? You will have more feelings again?"


    Will smiled as he heard the two bicker. He glanced behind him once again. The titanic foundation pillar that marked the city loomed overhead. Will watched the giant 37 peek out from behind a group of buildings, but it was soon obscured by a column of smoke rising from the south end of the city.


    Will''s eyes narrowed. Tensions still simmered within Undercity, and there was no telling what would happen next.


    He nudged Remy and Becca forward. "Come on, you two. Let''s go."


    Hopefully, he wouldn''t be away from the city for too long.

 Ch. 41 Goodbyes and Hellos 2

    "Next," came the call from the soldier at the military checkpoint.


    Will stepped forward and handed his ID. The soldier ran his card through the scanner, and it beeped in confirmation.


    "Hold out your arm, please."


    Will followed the instruction, and the soldier placed an injector gun on his inner forearm. There was a hiss as the micro-injector pierced his skin.


    "Next!" yelled the soldier and handed back his ID.


    Will scratched his smarting arm and stepped off the raised dais, waiting for Remy and Becca to finish their security check.


    The brunet stepped up to get his ID scanned, and Will''s eyes wandered.


    There were several checkpoints, each with its own lines. Off to the side, he spotted Patricia Wagner in a shockingly pink midi dress. She had three pink suitcases with her and was arguing with a security personnel about her luggage. The officer clearly had objections to the amount of luggage and seemed to brook no nonsense. With a final word, he left, and Patricia looked livid.


    She tapped a much bigger boy ahead of her in the line, and Rowan Kade turned around. Will scowled in annoyance; he hadn''t forgotten about his run-in with Kade before the OATs. Patricia thrust one of her cases to Kade, and the bigger boy reluctantly accepted it.


    "What are you looking at?" asked Remy, who had just finished his security check. He followed Will''s gaze and found Rowan Kade, who had just stepped up to his security checkpoint.


    "Kade," Remy spat. The bigger boy turned in their direction as though he had heard him, and Remy grinned with glee. He flipped Kade the bird, and the bigger boy''s nostrils flared. Remy then picked his nose with the finger, all the while flipping Kade off.


    A vein throbbed on Kade''s forehead as he glared daggers at Remy. Will chuckled. "Don''t let him catch you alone."


    "What is he going to do?" Remy scoffed. "This ain''t the tower. He is in our world now."


    "Eww!" Becca interrupted their conversation. She slapped Remy''s hand away from his nose, and the brunet grinned. "That''s disgusting, Remy! What were the two of you looking at?"


    "It doesn''t matter," said Will. "Come on, let''s go."


    They headed away from the checkpoint towards a bunch of awaiting military trucks. A soldier waved them through, and soon they were clambering up the back of a Humvee.


    "Make way. Coming through," said Remy as they squeezed into the two long bench seats attached to the interior walls of the truck. A silver-haired boy was ahead of them, and he got pushed to the furthest corner. Will came next, and Remy followed soon after. Unfortunately, Becca ended up on the other seat facing them.


    "This is a tight squeeze," grunted Will, and the silver-haired boy beside him spoke up. "Stuff your bags under the seat; that will free up space."


    Will followed his example, and seeing his actions, others did the same. The boy grinned when they had a bit more room to stretch. "You''re William, right? And you must be Remy Soto."


    Remy pointed at the silver-haired youth and snapped his fingers. "Victor Maxwell from 3C."


    Will recognized the boy now; he went to Stanton High as well but in a different class. Victor had a round, happy face and a dimpled smile. The boy had an earnestness that made him immediately likable.


    "You were in the alternate CAD sensors project," said Will. "That was some solid work."


    "Thanks," grinned Victor.


    "I never considered you to be a mech guy," said Will. "Thought you were more interested in the theory side of the field."


    "Hey, if you want to know how to fix ''em, you have to at least pilot them."


    "Here, here," Remy agreed.


    There were three taps to the side of the vehicle, and the back door slammed shut. The truck started, and it slowly rolled to a start, but before it could pick up speed, the back doors flew open, and a white blur dashed into the truck. The intruder quickly closed the door behind them and made their way further in, knocking knees as they passed.


    Victor groaned as the figure stopped in front of him, and their hood fell off their head. A silver-haired girl stood before Victor with her hand out.


    "Cough it up, Vicky."


    "What are you talking about, Val? I don''t have it."


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    The girl bent forward and went through Victor''s pockets, pulling out a leather box. "Aha! I knew you had it."


    The silver-haired girl grinned, and her dimples matched Victor''s.


    "Great, now you are stuck in a moving vehicle with no seat," said Victor sullenly. "Good work, Valerie."


    "Oh! Right!" Valerie turned to Will. "You, scoot over."


    Will glanced at Victor. "You didn''t tell us you had a sister. I can see the resemblance."


    Valerie pointed at Will''s nose. "I resemble this dweeb? What an insult!"


    Will shrugged. "Sorry, Val, there is no space here. You might have to sit on someone''s lap."


    "Why? You offering?" she grinned.


    Remy snickered, and Becca sighed from the other side. "Forget about those idiots, Valerie. You can sit here with me."


    Valerie turned around. "Rebecca? It''s so good to see you!"


    Becca scooted to the side, and Valerie took her seat. The two immediately started chatting amicably together.


    "I guess they know each other," said Remy.


    "Valerie is from Shieldhorn. She met Rebecca in one of the interschool competitions," said Victor.


    "Victor and Valerie, I guess your parents really like their V names, huh?" said Will.


    Victor shrugged. "Dad named us after the Victus 2A7 panzer tank and Valorous AH-21D. Mom only found out why two months after the fact."


    Remy and Will laughed.


    "So military kids," said Remy. "Bet you traveled around a lot."


    "Oh, there isn''t a military base that we haven''t been in," said Victor. "We pretty much bounced around till we joined Stanton."


    "Novgrun?" asked Remy.


    "Yup," said Victor. "Been around all the passes too."


    Will looked impressed. "I feel almost stupid to ask, Thornfield?"


    "Been there half my life," said Victor.


    "Damn, you''ve been around," said Remy.


    "Yup, if you can name it, I''ve been there," Victor smiled.


    "So, got any advice for us raw recruits?" asked Will. "How do we survive boot camp?"


    Victor thought for a moment. "Eat and sleep while you can, as fast as you can."


    "Wait... that''s it?" asked Remy.


    "You''ll know once you get there," said Victor. "Also, there seems to be a misunderstanding here. It is not the military that is training us."


    "What?" asked Remy. "They are not?"


    "No. They subcontract the work," said Victor. "So, if you are looking for the full military experience, think again."


    "Does that mean the trainers are going to be more lax?" asked Will.


    Victor shrugged. "I doubt it. They''ve got to teach us how to fully pilot a mech in mere months. Highly likely that they would run us ragged."


    "Oof," said Remy.


    "It''s not all doom and gloom though. We can move outside the fort if we get the right permissions. There are a few interesting shops around the base."


    Will shifted in his seat, thinking about the airstrip outside the fort. "Maybe you could give us a tour of the place when we get the chance."


    "Sounds great," Victor laughed.


    Will grinned. "So, got any more advice you can share?"


    Victor chuckled. "I got a few. This next bit is about senior officers. Whatever you do, never ever...."


    The silver-haired boy continued to give a hilarious account of the troubles he had gotten into with senior staff. Remy and Will laughed uproariously with each tale, and time passed quickly.


    It was when the air started to get chilly that Victor glanced at his slate. "We are almost there."


    Remy''s stomach grumbled. "I hope there''s some chow. I''m already hungry."


    Will''s slate buzzed again, and he glanced at the incoming text messages.


    "Ryder," he muttered under his breath as he scrolled through the messages from his cousin.


    Remy gave a low whistle. "Someone is angry."


    Victor looked interested. "Who is it?"


    "Just family," said Will, and he deleted most of the messages.


    "Well, you''d better say your goodbyes quick. The communications outside are on a different network. You''ll find it harder to connect later on."


    "Ain''t that a shame," Remy grinned.


    Will let out a small smile and tucked the slate back into his pocket. The truck rolled to a slow stop, and half a minute later, the back doors swung open.


    There was a lot of jostling and muttered curses as they made their way out of the Humvee. A military personnel directed them, and they walked across a large tarmac. Hundreds of heavy vehicles rolled past them, and ahead of them was a massive hangar door. Snow blasted from outside, and Will had to shade his eyes against a sudden draft of wind.


    "Atten-hut!" came a yell from the side, and everyone froze. Four white exo-suit individuals walked up to the group of cadets. "Get in formation and line up!"


    They rushed to follow the order, and soon there was a ten by five grid of students with more joining the group as the trucks rolled in. Will stood at attention as the four inspected each one of them. The woman leading them stood in front of the group, inspecting the proceedings.


    The tall woman had high cheekbones and a sharp nose. A lizard head necklace hung around her neck. Her long-braided hair reached down to her waist, and her bright amber eyes scanned the formation.


    "Ensure your shoulders are aligned with the person next to you!" more instructions were given.


    Will''s slate buzzed, and he snuck a peek at it. It was Ryder.


    ''Answer the damn phone.''


    "He is persistent," Remy whispered from behind Will. "When is he going to get the hint?"


    "I''ll just ignore him," said Will. "I''ll be stuck in this base for months. Let him jerk around."


    "He could talk to your mom," Remy whispered.


    "And what?" said Will through the corner of his lips. "Admit that he had been selling contraband. Fat chance."


    Remy chuckled from behind him. The exo-clad personnel finished their inspection and walked to the front of the group. They stood in front of the cadets with the lady with high cheekbones at the center.


    "Welcome, cadets," she said, "I''m Tara Lawson, your head instructor for the Mech Operations and Tactics program, and it is my honor to shepherd you, the future defenders of our nation."


    "In the next few weeks, you''ll be thrust headfirst into the realm of hardcore mech piloting. This will be the most demanding challenge you''ve ever faced. You will be pushed...."


    Will''s slate buzzed, and he snuck a peek at the notification. There were more messages from Ryder.


    ''Last chance, idiot. You have 10 sec. Come clean or suffer.''


    ''10, 9, 8...''


    Will frowned at the messages. How was Ryder getting through the communication gap? They were at the outskirts of the tower, and the network was supposed to be weak here.


    ''3, 2, 1...''


    Heart beating fast, Will turned his attention back to the head instructor as she reached the end of her speech. ".... that said, allow me to introduce your assistant instructor, Damian Ryder."


    Will''s jaw dropped as Ryder swaggered his way towards the group of instructors. A predatory smirk lingered on his lips. His gaze met Will''s, and his smirk transformed into a smile that was all teeth.


    Will swallowed hard. "Oh, crap!"

 Ch. 42 Training Day 1

    TRAINING DAY


    <hr>


    Will didn''t have time to worry about Ryder. It was a hectic scramble from the start. They were shown their quarters and then fed and watered. After that was a quick orientation. It was only when they were brought to an open warehouse for the first training session that he began to worry. Will looked around for his cousin, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    "It''s possible that he is giving you some space until you are ready to talk," suggested Becca.


    Will and Remy shared a look, and the brunet burst out laughing. "A sweet, compassionate Damian Ryder? I would like to see that."


    Will was not amused. "I think I feel sick."


    Remy patted him on the back. "Cheer up. Ryder can''t be as bad as you know what."


    "I can''t be as bad as what, exactly?" came a voice from behind them.


    Remy yelped, and Becca jumped. Will slowly turned around to see Damian standing behind him.


    Damian was clad in a white exo suit, but he didn''t bother putting on his helmet, which was clipped to his waist. A pair of dog tags hung around his neck along with a lizard head necklace. He had his usual predatory smile on his face as he poked at Will''s chest like a cat toying with a mouse. "Hello, cousin."


    "Ryder," Will looked wary.


    "So, you ready to talk?"


    Will folded his arms in front of him and glared at Ryder.


    Damian sighed and shook his head. "Why do you always have to do things the hard way?"


    His demeanor changed as he fell into a military stance. Gone was the sly schemer that Will knew, and now standing in parade rest in front of him was a bona fide military man.


    "Cadets, Atten-hut!"


    The trainees froze in their tracks.


    "Your Mecha training begins now!" boomed Damian. "Get your ass in gear! Your training mechs are to your left, and you have five minutes to armor up ¨C Move, move, move!"


    The cadets broke out of their stupor, and there was a mad scramble towards the far end of the warehouse where the training mechs stood with their front chassis open.


    Ryder grinned slyly at them, and Will cursed, running off with Remy and Becca to grab a good machine before the others.


    They made it to the line of grey-white training mechs, and Will beelined for the one that looked marginally better than the others, clambering in. He slipped his feet into the mech''s legs and then followed up with his arms. Will felt the mech seal around him as the chassis swung closed. The helmet slipped on, and a heavy clang echoed as the protective plates adjusted themselves. The HUD came to life behind his faceplate.


    Green text scrolled across the screen.


    ''Welcome, new user. Establishing machine-human interface.''


    The outside world got projected onto the screen, and he had a full field of vision.


    ''CAD connection established. G-class prosthetic limb detected. Adjusting controls.''


    The suit tightened around him as it adjusted to his height and size. Will felt the suit contract around him until it fit him like a glove.


    User designation assigned as ''Trainee.'' Master control retained by Trainer - Damian Ryder.


    Will frowned at the message. The machine wasn''t fully under his control? He glanced at Damian standing in the distance with apprehension. He had a very bad feeling about this.


    The mech''s servo motors whirred, and Will felt his arm being tugged. His right hand moved on its own. It dropped down and headed for his behind. An armored finger scratched his metallic butt and then brought the finger up to his helmet.


    Will''s mouth hung open. "Did... did he just make me sniff my own ass?"


    A snort of laughter came from the mech''s internal speakers, and he saw Damian doubled over with silent laughter.


    "Ryder, you dickhead!" yelled Will, furious.


    Ryder''s shoulders shook, and he spoke between chuckles. "You ready to talk yet?"


    "Screw you, asshole!"


    Ryder shook his head with mock sadness and brought out his slate. A few taps later, Will felt his suit drop dead.


    "What the?" exclaimed Will.


    The screen was still working, and he could see the outside world, but the power assist stopped working. Will felt the entire weight of the mech bear down on him. There was no more strength enhancement coming from the suit, and he was now wearing basically weighted armor.


    Exclamations and curses came from the other cadets, and Will surmised that he wasn''t the only one with the problem.


    A sharp clap rang through the warehouse like a gunshot, and Damian strode forward to the suited-up cadets.


    "Good, it appears that you lot can follow instruction," said Damian. "Welcome to mech piloting 101, cadets. I''m Damian Ryder, your instructor for this session. I''ve only got two rules in my class: be present and no slackers. Sound good? Fantastic."


    "Now you must be wondering why you aren''t in full control of your mech. You are the top candidates at your school. So what is this back-to-the-basics crap?" Damian grinned. "Let me just set the record straight for you lot real quick. You don''t know jack shit about mechs or piloting."


    "Your starting classes are about two things: fundamentals and foundation building. You need to be able to work with a depowered Mech before you handle a fully powered one."


    Someone raised their hand in the air with great difficulty. Ryder pointed at the student.


    "How are we supposed to move, sir? This thing weighs a ton."


    Damian clicked his tongue. "Don''t be overdramatic, cadet. All of you are awakened, and the mech weighs only about 150 pounds. Tell me, what is the first path to psionics?"


    "Um, Enhancement?"


    "That''s right," said Damian. "Now that you have your answer, we can begin. Welcome to mech piloting 101, cadets. Your first lesson - walking."


    The students fell silent as they understood the assignment. They looked down at their heavy suits with apprehension.


    "Um, how far do we walk, sir?"


    Damian grinned and pointed at the exit at the other end of the warehouse. "How about till there."


    Silence fell within the group; even in their metal skins, the cadets looked unsure. They were a hundred feet away from the exit, and lugging their 150-pound metal frame across the warehouse floor was a daunting prospect.


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    "Your time starts now," said Remy. "Get your ass moving! Anyone who is not out that door by fifteen minutes gets an extra hour of training."


    There was a clang as someone took their first step forward. The sound was akin to a starting gong, and they were off to the races.


    Will channeled psions through his channels, and he felt his limbs strengthening. He lifted one leg off the floor and made an awkward shuffle as he powered through the motion. His foot landed with a clang, and Will grinned. He gritted his teeth and took another step, then two, and soon was clanging his way towards the exit.


    "Good, power through it," bellowed Ryder. "To the slackers at the back, if you go any slower, you will be here for another hour."


    Will raised his head and looked at the people around him. His HUD processed the visuals and displayed everyone''s names with small bubbles of text above their heads. Will dismissed the text above Remy and Becca''s heads as they trudged along.


    "You three always seem to be together."


    Will jumped in surprise as he heard Ryder''s voice coming from within the suit. Green text flashed across the HUD, which read, ''Ongoing private call.''


    A few seconds later, there were startled gasps from Remy and Becca as they were also invited to the call.


    "Remy Soto and Rebecca Wagner? What an odd collection of friends you keep," said Ryder.


    "Hey!" fumed Will. "Stop bringing other people into this."


    "They seemed involved somehow," Damian chuckled. "Why don''t the three of us have a chat? Remy Soto, Rebecca Wagner, what are your intentions with my cousin?"


    Remy burst out laughing, and Rebecca spluttered.


    "He''s such a sweet boy," Damian continued with feigned concern. "I don''t want the two of you leading him astray."


    "Yeah, like that is possible," Remy snorted. "The whole thing was his idea anyway."


    "Yes?" Damian urged him to continue.


    "Ah..." Remy stumbled when he realized what he had blurted out. "Um, nothing... there were no ideas!"


    "That''s your dodge? You have no ideas? Quite the criminal masterminds you are," Damian rubbed his eyes. "Miss Wagner, you are also a party in this. Are you prepared to co-sign whatever these two idiots have cooked up?"


    "I have nothing to say to you," Becca said firmly.


    Damian sighed. "Suit yourself."


    He tapped a few buttons on his slate, and all three of their suits locked up. Will, who knew what was coming, managed to stabilize himself into an upright position. It didn''t matter though. Remy crashed into him a second later, and both of them came toppling down.


    Becca wasn''t spared either. She screamed as she crashed into a nearby mech. Yells came from behind them, and more mechs fell in a domino-like cascade. A few seconds later, the whole training class was on the floor, groaning.


    "Ow!" Becca shook her head. "Is anyone hurt?"


    "No, but I got someone''s foot lodged up my ass," groaned Remy. "Get off me!"


    Will glared at Damian through his faceplate. Ryder had a small smile on his face as he watched the trainees flounder on the floor.


    "Now where did you go wrong?" Damian asked the prone cadets.


    When no answer was forthcoming, Damian answered his own question. "You are too focused on channeling that you forgot your surroundings."


    "In battle, no one has the luxury of being slow," said Damian. "Channeling is supposed to be instinctive. Most of you focused on one body part at a time. For example, when walking, you focus on the legs, but walking doesn''t just involve your legs, does it? Your ankles roll, your knees bend, and your hips rotate. Then there is the spine and the hands. It is a sequence of muscles working in concert. There is a harmony and flow to it, and you must find yours."


    Damian clapped his hands. "Now up, let me see that one more time. You need to keep at this until it is second nature to you. You have been walking, moving your whole life and never paused to think how or why. If you want to learn enhancement, you are going to have to relearn everything."


    Damian turned to Will. "Now, get up."


    Will grunted. It was easier said than done. Remy rolled off of him, but there was one more mech that had its legs resting on his back. Will pushed the offending limb away and made to get up. He channeled through his hands and legs. It was a clunky and mismatched attempt. Half the time he missed the correct timing for reinforcement.


    The channeling was sloppy but it worked. He stumbled to his feet and took a shaking step forward. A grunt of pain came from below him, and Will yelled an apology as he stepped past the writhing metallic bodies.


    Remy got to his feet and held his hand out to Becca. She, however, ignored the offered hand and got up on her own. More cadets were on their feet, but a group of trainees decided the best place they could be was on the ground. Will glanced in their direction and read their names off the HUD. It was Patricia Wagner and her friends. They looked like they had every intention of giving up as they lay on the floor feigning injury.


    Will heard Damian chuckle over the comms. He glanced at his older cousin. Sparks raced up his hand, and he snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light, and Patricia and her lackeys squealed. They shot up off the floor like it burned them.


    Damian shook his head. "It appears that you lot aren''t motivated enough. Let''s up the ante, shall we? Anyone not out of the training field in the next seven minutes gets extra practice. Additionally, anyone coming in last will also get extra practice."


    The cadets glanced at each other for a moment before all hell broke loose. There was a mad scramble towards the exit. Will grabbed Remy and Becca and pulled them forward. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and Will dodged a falling mech.


    A loud stomping noise came from behind them, and Will spotted Rowan Kade making a beeline for him. The larger boy filled out his mech, and the machine looked full to bursting. From the looks of it, he wasn''t even channeling. He lugged the armor with brute force and pure muscle. When he noticed Will looking at him, the bigger boy snarled and redoubled his efforts.


    "What''s gotten into him?" asked Remy.


    "Maybe he remembered you flipping him off this morning," said Will.


    "No," said Becca, "You stepped on his face as you got up."


    "That should do it," Will muttered.


    "Now things are getting interesting," Damian chortled.


    "Stop eavesdropping," Will snapped.


    "You should stay and fight," said Damian. "It will be like a sanctioned mech battle like in the circuits. I''ll even commentate."


    "I''m not going in any fight where you''re refereeing."


    "Chill out, cuz," drawled Damian. "You are so angry all the time. It explains your sloppy field control."


    "It''s not sloppy," Will muttered.


    His HUD flashed, and a small window popped up showing a wireframe diagram of the mech in the middle of a walking animation. It took a second for Will to realize that it was a real-time update from the mech''s current state. Green and red lights flashed in the areas where he was channeling.


    "See all that red," said Damian. "Your timing is way off. You start the reinforcement too late and end too early. And the amount you strengthen yourself by is also haphazard. Like I said, sloppy."


    Will began studying the diagram with zeal. "Why didn''t you bring this out earlier? This looks useful."


    "It''s useless for a beginner," said Damian. "Plus, you shouldn''t be worrying about something like this. If you keep wasting time, Kade Jr. over there is going to catch up."


    Will heard the heavy stomping behind him, but he didn''t bother turning back. He focused on the schematic and watched the mech mirror his movements. He corrected his channel with every step, and soon there was more green than red in the model.


    "Oh ho!" Damian sounded impressed. "You are still getting the power wrong, but that''s quite an improvement."


    "Shut up; you are distracting me."


    "Oh! And there''s Kade Jr.!" exclaimed Damian.


    Will only had a second to move out of the way of the fist that came flying at his head.


    Kade rounded on him and made another grab for Will, but he moved out of the way again.


    "A wild haymaker! Another, another, and another," Damian shouted. "A close call for our runt from the Undercity!"


    Will ignored the commentary as the bigger boy panted for breath. Kade had been powering through pure physical ability, but now he was getting tired. He made another swipe at Will, who took advantage of the bigger boy''s lack of speed. He ducked under Kade''s long arms and punched him in his liver. Kade stumbled to the side, and Will capitalized on his momentary weakness and kicked the back of his knee. Kade''s legs fell from under him, and he slammed headfirst into the ground.


    "Idiot," Will spat and prepared to walk away when a hand clamped down on his leg. Will cursed as Kade pulled him down.


    "Oh, what a reversal! Kade Jr has him on the ground!" Damian commented. "Here it is! Double sledgehammer! He punches the runt in the face and keeps punching!"


    Will covered his face as he tried to haul Kade off of himself. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Remy rushing to his aid and jump on top of Kade.


    Will felt the wind knocked out of him as Remy came crashing down. There was a scramble of metallic limbs, and Remy choked Kade from behind. Will was not above kicking a man while he is down and rained punches on the bigger boy as he struggled to escape Remy''s grasp.


    Both boys pummeled Kade into submission, and the bigger boy flailed his arms around trying to block the hits.


    "What are you two doing?" Becca''s voice cut through the grunts and shouts. "You are the last ones on the field. Hurry up!"


    Will raised his head and saw the rest of the class almost at the exit.


    "Shit!" Remy cursed, and both boys pushed Kade aside and scrambled after the class.


    "Breathe and focus on channeling," said Will, and the three of them sped up their mechs. They stomped after the group and soon caught up to them. A few seconds later, they had overtaken them.


    Will was sweating by the end of the exercise, and their efforts hadn''t been wasted. The three of them were among the first few to exit the warehouse, and they gratefully collapsed on a mound of piled-up snow.


    "Done," Remy gasped as he made snow angels with his mech.


    "Yes," Will panted, and he found the rest of the class looked just as joyous.


    "Well done, class," clapped Damian. "You made it out in fourteen minutes and seven seconds. You beat your deadline by one minute."


    The class cheered at the declaration, but Damian wasn''t finished.


    "However, it appears that you weren''t the only ones that made it out. The neighboring class has you beat by two minutes."


    Will raised his head and saw Valerie Maxwell in a training mech with her helmet off. The silver-haired girl saw him watching and gave him a wink.


    "Since you are all behind by an entire class, you are in some serious need for some extra lessons," said Damian. "Now, how about we run some drills?"


    There was a collective groan from the class, and Will slumped his head back into the snow.


    "This is going to be a long month."

 Ch. 43 Training Day 2

    Something lurked in the dark maze of thoughts and dreams, hungry and eager to feed. Talons long, fingers thin. It stalked with clicks and chirps, hunger gnawing in its starving maw. Eyes of yore and a thousand silent screaming mouths it called out into the void.


    Will awoke abruptly, the half-remembered dream lingering on the edge of his consciousness. Before he could dwell on it, he drifted back to sleep.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Will yawned as he jogged along with the rest of the cadets in their class. The bitter cold seeped into them with every step, and steam fogged out with every breath. The morning PT had them running laps around the military compound, and Will was barely keeping his tired eyes open.


    "Didn''t sleep well?" asked Becca.


    "No," Will grumbled.


    "Fine way to start a day," Remy huffed, grabbing lungfuls of air. "Stupid morning run."


    "All we need now is some more Ryder abuse to complete the day," Will yawned again.


    "That''s right," Remy complained.


    Ryder had been running their ass ragged for the past week. The sadist devised numerous creative methods of torment every day, and the cadets were wondering what ingenious method of torture he would come up with next.


    Despite their collective dread for their lessons, it wasn''t without result. Nearly everyone could do enhancement on a small level, and they moved a lot more gracefully in their mechs than when they had started out.


    "Looks like the two of you could use some good news," Becca smiled as she jogged.


    "What is it?" asked Will.


    "Your cousin is not the instructor today," said Becca. "I looked up the schedule; it''s the head instructor, Tara Lawson."


    "Well, I''ll be damned!" Will laughed.


    "Finally," Remy exclaimed. "We got rid of that demon."


    The three of them grinned as they kept pace with the rest of the class, though this time with a lot more enthusiasm.


    Half an hour later, they trooped into their daily training field. The warm warehouse was a welcomed reprieve from the cold weather.


    Will rubbed his numb hands together as he joined the rest of the class heading for the mech racks. Five minutes later, they were armored up and standing in formation in front of the head instructor, Tara Lawson.


    She was clad in a white exo suit, and her helmet was hooked to her waist just like Damian''s. Lawson scanned the crowd with her hands clasped behind her back. Her bright amber eyes seemed to take in everything as the cadets settled down.


    "Good morning, cadets. You seem energetic. That''s good; you are going to need it for this session," said Instructor Lawson. She tapped the datapad in her hand. "I have a report here showing your progress throughout the week, and it looks good. Most of you have reached a rudimentary level in enhancement, which means you are ready for the next stage."


    A message popped up in everyone''s HUD.


    ''Field control restriction removed. Strength amplification capped to 10%.''


    Will felt the weight on his shoulders lessen as power assist came back online. An excited murmur passed amongst the trainees, and there were audible cries of relief as cadets moved more freely in their armor. The entire class''s mood was lifted.


    "Your lesson today would be on controlling your mechs," Lawson cut through the chatter. "But before we begin, let''s go through some theory. How does mech control work?"


    She pointed at Patricia Wagner.


    The snobbish Towerite looked surprised but answered quickly enough. "The mech reads changes in our bio fields and moves accordingly."


    "Good," Instructor Lawson nodded. She then pointed at Victor. "Since it''s reading our personal field, how does our personal field change?"


    "Um, by channeling?" said Victor, startled by the question.


    Lawson nodded. "That brings us to the second path out of three in psionics: field control."


    She produced a small pouch and tipped out its contents. Metal dust fell into the palm of her hand and then began swirling around her fist. The grey whirl shifted to the rest of her body, and it circled around her in a twisting vortex.


    "Now you are able to visualize my personal field." She flared her field, and the dust moved along with it. "Watch what happens when I strengthen my arm."


    The metal dust got sucked away from the rest of her body and concentrated around her right arm.


    "This is basic enhancement," said Lawson. "Any object that has psions in it will be strengthened. The more it has, the more it is strengthened. So, in short, the first path in psionics is the practice of increasing the body''s capacity for psions, and the second path is the ability to move it."


    "You have been practicing both for the past few days. Lifting heavy weights while channeling strengthens your internal reserves. Also, the movement of psions within the body gave you a rudimentary understanding of how to control your field.


    Today we are going to take it a step further. Observe." She took a stance and threw a punch. She did it slowly so that they could see her field move. It rippled from her legs and rotated about her hips and then through her chest. It flowed into her right arm, and bits of metallic dust exploded out when it reached her fist.


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    "A simple punch," she said. "Now let''s see that again." She performed the same action, but this time only a small ripple passed through her field. It traveled the same path, but this time dust merely quivered when it reached her fist.


    "What did I do?" she asked the class.


    "You reduced the power," said Becca.


    "Exactly," Lawson nodded. "Now, how about this?" She stood straight but took no stance. Her arms rested on her sides, but a faint ripple started from her legs and traveled up her body, ending in her fist. All the while, she didn''t move an inch.


    Will''s eyes widened.


    "Explain what just happened," she asked, and Will blurted out, "You just threw a punch with your mech."


    Lawson gave a grim smile. "Yes, this is the pinnacle of control you can achieve when using a mech. Almost zero energy expenditure and movement at the speed of thought. It is a difficult state to achieve and all the more difficult in the heat of battle."


    She flared her field and gathered all of the metal dust into the palm of her hand and dropped it back into the pouch.


    "This is what you are about to practice today," said Lawson. "Try and separate yourself from normal bodily movements and focus on your field. Each machine is different, and you might have to try something different to meld with it. Try and up your sync rate as much as you can."


    She looked around the room. "Separate yourselves into groups of four and make rounds around the field. Be economical with your energy expenditure. I will know if you don''t."


    Will released a breath. "Just a regular lesson for once."


    "This doesn''t look too hard, huh? Whoa, holy!" Remy exclaimed, struggling to rein in his mech.


    "Careful," Becca chastised. "Who''s going to be our fourth?"


    Will scanned the area, and spotted Victor chatting with another cadet. A wave from Will, and Victor eagerly joined their group.


    "Alright, let''s kick off," Victor declared, bouncing on the mech''s joints.


    Will nodded and the four of them headed toward the warehouse''s edge. Remy was wrong. it was nowhere as easy as it seemed. With each fluctuation in his field, Will lurched and abruptly halted. The mech''s sensitivity was insane, picking up every tiny perturbation in his field. He could have dialed down the sensitivity, and ruin the sync rate, but Will was adamant to get this right. The mech bucked and reared, like it was trying to throw him off and he held on for life.


    "This is wild" Remy whooped, slipping with each step. He couldn''t get the power balance right and his mech propelled him forward in a random direction every step, forcing him to backtrack every few seconds.


    Becca wasn''t faring much better either. She windmilled her arms, sprinting forward in an attempt to find her balance.


    "Wait! Becca, you''re gonna run into me!" Remy exclaimed. "Stop!"


    "I''m trying!" Becca panicked, and just as they were about to crash, Remy attempted to sidestep out of the way. However, he applied too much power and was launched headfirst into the wall.


    "Ow!" he groaned.


    "Oh no! Are you okay?" Becca inquired, concern etched on her face.


    "Yeah," Remy replied, wobbling to his feet.


    "Just take it slow, guys. No rush." Will held his breath, meticulously controlling his field. With deliberate, measured steps, he avoided the erratic swaying.


    Remy and Becca followed his lead and soon they were slowly making their way around the field.


    Sweat dripped down Will''s forehead, and he heard Remy curse. "Damn, this takes so much concentration. If I slip up for one second..."


    "No worries, mate. It''s always like that at the start," Victor chimed in, and Will noticed the boy walking smoothly. He had no stutter in his steps and his footsteps were nice and even. He had no trouble at all.


    "Damn, dude," said Remy. "When did you get so good?"


    "Ho, ho, ho!" Victor''s laughter dripped with smugness. "This is just called talent... nah, I''ve just had lots of practice with mechs before."


    "For real?" Will exclaimed.


    "Yeah, I used to sneak into my parents'' machines all the time," Victor confessed.


    "Wait... if you''re that good, why were you so mum yesterday?" Remy queried. "Not just yesterday, all week. I didn''t see any of the skill you''re displaying now."


    "Yeah... Listen," Victor began slowly. "I''ve had my share of instructors, and Ryder, I know the type. If I tried to show off, he''d find a way to hammer me down."


    "Oh, yes, he would," Will added, and Remy chuckled.


    "Since you''re so good, maybe you can give us some tips," Becca suggested.


    "Oh, it''s pretty simple," Victor claimed. "The first step is to be awesome. You know, like me."


    "Uh-huh," Remy snorted. "I think I know what the next steps are."


    "Yes, the next one is being as good-looking as me," Victor shrugged. "I know it''s impossible for you lot, but you could try."


    "Right," said Remy. "I think we need to punch his round face into a more spherical shape. It''ll make him more handsome."


    "Hey, there''s no need for that, guys. Jealousy is a terrible thing."


    Both Remy and Will punched Victor, who feigned being hurt. "Rebecca, save me!"


    "I will," said Becca. "After I punch you."


    Their banter was interrupted by a cough.


    "Having fun, cadets?" Tara Lawson kept stride with their group, her amber eyes fixed on Victor.


    "No, ma''am," Victor quickly responded.


    "Any reason that you were sandbagging all this time, cadet?" she raised an eyebrow.


    "No reason, ma''am. I''m performing to the best of my abilities," Victor smartly denied.


    "And I''m sure you will continue to do so," Lawson said dryly. "In the meantime." She tapped her slate, and Victor visibly slouched. "I have increased the weight. Work on your channels. Let''s not let your training time go to waste."


    She nodded to the rest of the group. "As you were, cadets."


    The four watched her walk off to the next group of cadets. Will turned to Victor. "What did she do?"


    Victor groaned. "She has me doing weighted training again."


    "Haha, serves you right!" Remy chortled.


    "What goes around comes around, my friend," said Victor. "My misery will be yours soon enough."


    "No shot," said Remy.


    Victor pointed at him dramatically and whispered, "Misery!"


    Becca and Will laughed. A door slammed shut from up ahead, and the trio looked over. Damien strode in with a sly smile on his face.


    Silence enveloped the group as they watched Damian making a beeline for Instructor Lawson.


    "Are the two of you going to kick his ass, or should I?" Becca inquired.


    "Hey... it could be a coincidence," Victor offered lamely.


    Remy and Will exchanged glances, then took Victor''s mech by the shoulders. "Guys, guys. He''s just here to pass on a message."


    They watched as Ryder approached Lawson, whispering something in her ear. She frowned, checked her datapad, and after a while, nodded. Turning her attention back to the trainees, she commanded, "Attention, cadets! Assemble on me, double time!"


    The cadets shared confused glances and gathered in front of her. Will and the rest made their way there too, taking formation at the back of the class. Will noticed Damian''s eyes snap to him, and goosebumps prickled on the back of his neck.


    "I am needed elsewhere. Take note of what you''ve learned today. We''ll continue where we left off in the next session," Lawson announced, checking her slate. "You have one hour of drills supervised by Instructor Ryder. Stay focused, stay disciplined. Lawson, out."


    Will and Remy stared open-mouthed as they watched the tall woman leave with quick, even strides.


    Victor nervously chuckled between them. "Hehe, oops."


    Will''s eyebrows twitched, and he joined Remy in giving Victor a beatdown.


    "Ow! Ow! I wouldn''t have said it if I knew this was coming."


    "Good morning, cadets," boomed Damian. Remy and Will stopped their pummeling and glanced up at Damian.


    "Had a pleasant morning so far?" Damian asked pleasantly. "Good. That''s good! Let''s try something different today, shall we?


    Audible gulps emanated from around him, and Will spotted a few trainees taking half a step back.


    "Your goal today is..." Damian announced dramatically and pointed at the exit. "to get out of that door."


    The class looked bewildered. Someone from the front yelled, "That''s it?"


    "Yes," said Damian. There was a click and a sharp metallic ting as a release pin fell on the floor.


    Damian smiled at them. "You just have to dodge these."


    He tossed something round and grey into the air. The class watched the fist-sized projectile arc through the air, and Will''s eyes widened when he recognized what it was.


    "Grenade!"

 Ch. 44 Training Day 3

    "Grenade!"


    The yell jolted the cadets awake, and they scrambled out of the way. Will engaged his mech at full power and made a rapid retreat, but it was of no use. A thunderous crack echoed behind him, soon after a concussive blast wave surged through Will, sending him flying.


    The wind was knocked out of him, and the explosion shredded his protective field like paper. Without his field, the mech dropped dead like a lead weight, and he crashed to the floor. Remy and Becca tumbled on top of him, with Victor sprawled nearby, forming a tangled heap.


    "Ow!" Will groaned.


    "My channels," Becca mumbled, as she attempted to roll off to the side but only succeeded in flailing around.


    Victor gasped. "Can''t control the mech."


    "That damn psychopath," Remy cursed.


    Will strained his neck and looked up. The entire class was on the floor, dazed and disoriented. They had been standing in formation, and clumped together as they were, Damian had gotten them all.


    A single pair of footsteps echoed through the training field. Damian strolled among the fallen cadets, raised his fist in the air, and clenched in his hand was another grenade. "This here is a psion disruptor. It''s a compact, handheld explosive device designed for one purpose: scrambling psion fields and disrupting mech I/O controls."


    "To use it, you must pull the pin." Damian pulled the pin out of the grenade, and the cadets flinched.


    "Now pay attention. This isn''t a holo vid. Pulling the pin doesn''t make it explode," said Damian. "The key is the spoon, this metal lever here. When you release the spoon, that''s when the fuse starts burning."


    He tossed the grenade high into the air, and someone let out a choked scream.


    "Every grenade has different fuse timing. It could be a few seconds or a bit longer. Know your grenade''s timer before using it."


    Will counted the seconds as the grenade reached its zenith and then began falling. Before it hit the floor, it exploded in mid-air. The concussive blast knocked the trainees to the floor again, and Will felt his psions boiling over. He lost all control over his mech and fell back to the floor as if his strings had been cut.


    "There''s another way to arm the disrupter, which makes it explode on impact and not on a timer," Damian considered the cadets. "I suppose there''s no need to demonstrate that one; you''ll get the idea soon enough."


    "Now, how to stop a disruptor," Damian continued, bringing out another grenade. "Since it scatters your field, you just have to use more of it. Make a wall between yourself and the blast so it doesn''t penetrate into your channels."


    He pulled the pin from the grenade and let go of the spoon. The cadets watched in horror as seconds ticked by and Damian still held on to the grenade. At the very last second, psions surged out of Damian. A flash of light, and the grenade exploded in his hand, but it only emitted a muffled whoomp. Damian didn''t even flinch. The grenade was still in his hand, charred black and smoking. Damian dropped it to the floor, and it landed with a dull thunk and rolled on the floor. The cadets watched it come to a stop and gasped. A palm print was imprinted on the device, the only place the grenade wasn''t burnt.


    Sweat drenched Will''s back as he watched Damian pace amongst the fallen cadets.


    "I''ll repeat today''s goal. You must make it out of this warehouse within seven minutes. Failure to do so means extra drills. Also, the last four still remaining in the warehouse¡ª" His eyes snapped back to Will, and he grinned. "¡ªwill also have special training."


    Will''s mouth went dry, and beside him, Victor stirred. "Why do I get the feeling that he''s specifically targeting us?"


    "Your time starts..." said Damian as he fished out his slate. The cadets hurried to their feet, knowing what was coming.


    "Now!" finished Damian, and before Will could blink, a grenade rushed at him.


    "Son of a¡ª" Remy cursed.


    Will gritted his teeth and drew on his channels to bring his field into position, but he was too slow. The grenade detonated, and his field fell to pieces.


    Will found himself back on the floor along with Remy and the rest.


    Victor groaned. "Now I''m sure he''s targeting you!"


    Will gasped as he felt his channels recover from the shock. He glanced at his team. "Maybe we should separate. There''s no need for all of you to¡ª"


    "No," Becca said fiercely. "We''re not letting him bully us. We just have to figure out a way."


    "Well said," Remy laughed and clapped Becca on the back, and there was a dull thunk as her mech jerked forward. Remy turned toward Victor. "You in, Vic?"


    Victor sighed. "Why not? You guys have a plan?"


    "We''re mostly flying by the seat of our pants," said Remy.


    Will frowned, but he didn''t correct Remy. They had been jumping from one crisis to the next without pause. It was time they did some active planning. It was time they were proactive.


    "Hey, keep this," said Victor and handed him a burnt-out grenade. Will took the disruptor and noticed the palm print on it.


    "Why give me this?" asked Will.


    "Don''t know," said Victor. "Seemed like it would motivate you."


    Will snorted and placed the grenade into one of his empty weapon racks on his waist.


    "Come on, let''s get going," said Will, standing up. His mech hummed as his sync rate came back up. He stretched his neck and scanned the room. Metal bodies got highlighted in his HUD. Half the cadets were lying on the floor, and none had even managed to make it to the halfway mark up the field.


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    "Keep up the pace, cadets!" yelled Damian, leaning against the warehouse wall. He tossed a grenade up and down with one hand as he watched the cadets, but his attention laser-focused on Will when he saw that he was up.


    Damian broke into a grin and sent another grenade their way.


    "Incoming!" yelled Will.


    Their mechs whirred into motion. They moved as a group and dodged to the left. The grenade flew over their heads and exploded behind them. They managed to get enough distance to escape the disruptive wave but were still shaken by the explosion.


    Three more grenades came their way, and they dodged each one. The first one blew up on their right, and the one after that exploded on their left. The third one missed Will by a hair''s breadth, but Victor was caught in the crossfire. The boy was sent spinning, and his mech went dead. Remy caught him, and along with Will, they dragged him out of the way of more grenades.


    "Bastard!" Remy cursed. "He''s not even trying to hide it anymore. He sent the majority of the grenades our way."


    "Grenade inbound!" yelled Becca. Will let go of Victor and jumped in front of the group. Psions rushed into his hand, and he thrust his palm out. The field burst out of his hand like a wall, and the grenade exploded a second later with a boom. Will''s arm was knocked back, and the concussive blast passed through him, but it was manageable; only his arm suffered the most damage and now hung limply by his side.


    "Will!" Becca gasped.


    "I''ll recover," said Will. "Keep moving. Don''t be an easy target."


    Remy grunted as he heaved Victor forward, and they rushed towards a group of cadets at the center of the field.


    Rowan Kade struggled with his group of friends and was surprised to see them coming. Before the bigger boy could do anything, three grenades flew their way. They were annihilated before they knew it, and Will and the rest rushed away from them as more grenades came at them.


    One grenade fell a few feet away from them and spun on the floor. Will braced his right leg with his field, but his amputated leg barely allowed him to channel, and his pitiful attempt at a field wall fell through as the blast raced up his leg. His channels buckled, and something in his knee flexed. He felt his psions rush into the corrupted region, and he instinctively connected to the etherite crystal.


    Shock filled his heart as he fought to maintain the connection. He had been attempting to connect with the crystal for days now, and it finally happened. His knee actively fought him for control, but he held on.


    "Will, what are you doing?" came a distant yell, but Will was in too deep. He went through a rapid set of field patterns he had used the last time he had synced with the crystal.


    Another grenade flew at him, and Will vaguely remembered seeing it through blurry eyes. The crystal connected, and something clicked into place. Time seemed to freeze. The world vibrated around him as the skill got activated, and almost immediately after, pain lanced through his left arm and stabbed into his shoulder blade. The sensation was sudden and intense, lasting for half a heartbeat, and then it vanished as if it were all a dream.


    Will was left reeling as he was snapped back into reality. "What just happened?"


    Time unfroze. The grenade was still coming at him, and he didn''t even have time to react. He set up a hastily erected field wall, and the disruptor tore through it and phased into his left arm. It raced up his hand and reached up to his shoulders, and his left hand fell limp.


    Will gasped as the sensation repeated, only this time it was real. D¨¦j¨¤ vu! It was the same stab he had felt in his shoulder blades.


    His heart hammered in his chest. The etherite''s skill made no sense. He needed to figure out what was going on here. He gritted his teeth and activated the crystal again. The air shimmered, and the world vibrated like a drum. He felt a sharp pain on his forehead and sensed his channels going haywire from his neck down. Will blinked, and the pain vanished once again.


    As soon as he snapped back to reality, he found a grenade headed right for his face. Will ducked out of the way, and an explosion rocked behind him. Will touched his forehead in shock as he felt the skill fade away.


    "Will, why is your mech registering blood loss?" Becca yelled as they kept running.


    "It says it is coming from his head," said Remy as he dragged Victor along.


    Will blinked. Something trickled down his face into his eye. His forehead scraped against the form-fitting helmet, and a strand of blood-soaked white hair fell on his HUD. Before he could process any of this, the scraping stopped, and hair growing on his temple retreated back into his skin.


    "There''s no way. No way..." he muttered. The grenade had been about to hit his head, and he had dodged it before he even knew it was coming.


    "Will, snap out of it!" said Becca, but before she could protest, Will connected to the crystal again.


    The skill activated, and the world vibrated like it was made of strings. This time he wasn''t surprised when he felt another sharp stab on his right shoulder. Without even looking, his arm snapped out with a field forming at the end of his fist.


    A grenade exploded mere inches from him, but he had blocked it perfectly. The disruptive wave didn''t even touch them.


    "Holy!" Remy exclaimed, and Victor woke up with a shake of his head. "What happened? Are we still running?"


    "Come on, follow me," said Will, escorting the group forward. With Victor back on his feet, they gunned it towards the exit.


    More grenades chased them, and Will reached out to the crystal. The world vibrated, and ethereal sensations flowed into him. His left leg burned; then, a blast wave seared his face. After that, an explosion rocked him from behind. The feelings passed as quickly as they came, and Will snapped back into reality. He dodged to the right, the only place free from attack. The rest of the group followed him, and all the grenades flew over their heads, missing them completely.


    Explosions surrounded them, but they were always one step ahead, riding through the concussive wave like the surfers of old.


    They were close to the exit now, and Will swatted aside a grenade that was aimed for his head. He nervously glanced back at Damian, who was now on his feet, looking at him calculatingly.


    Their eyes met, and his cousin grinned. He brandished his hand, and hanging off his fingers were four grenade pins. Will spotted the grenades soaring through the air and immediately reached for the crystal. It was getting harder and harder to connect to the etherite, but he stubbornly held on.


    The world around him vibrated again, and he felt explosions¡ªone from behind, another from the right, and the final one from up ahead. Will snapped back to the real world and made a sharp left turn before coming back on course. They dodged the disruptors and were about twenty feet from the door.


    A cold chill passed through Will when he realized that they had only dodged three grenades. There were four pins with Damian, which meant...


    His head snapped back to Damian, who was already in mid-motion with his arms cocked back.


    Will''s connection with the shard was fraying at the edges, but he accessed the skill one last time. He poured everything he had into it, connected the skill, and linked it with his eyes.


    The world vibrated, and this time he did not just feel; he saw. Damian split into three translucent copies, and Will spotted three grenades soaring into the air. Only one of them was real.


    His eyes burned, but Will held on to the connection. The translucent silhouettes merged into one, and he spotted the grenade. He knew which one was real and where it was headed.


    He let go of the skill, and he snapped back into reality. The grenade had just left Damian''s fingers, and Will reached for the charred-out grenade that Victor had given him. He threw the burnt-out grenade with a snap of his wrist, and it flew straight at Damian''s grenade, colliding with it in mid-air. The grenade exploded with a deafening boom, and all four of them were knocked off their feet, and they went flying out of the door.


    Snow sprayed off the tarmac as they came crashing to the ground.


    "We are alive." Remy groaned as he pumped his fist, and Becca let out a tired sigh.


    Victor snorted. "Well, that was fun. That was some good piloting, Will... Will?"


    Will lay in his mech, straining not to curse. His internal reserves were drained with the last stunt he had pulled, and he felt a familiar burning sensation creeping up his right knee. He immediately locked himself out of his mech and returned it to manual control. The seizures came fast and strong, and he was left breathless as it passed over him.


    "Will, are you okay?" asked Remy.


    Will ripped the helmet off his head and lay gasping in the snow. His cheeks flushed with the cold, and the icy air seemed to snap him back to his senses.


    He breathed in great lungfuls of air as the full weight of what just happened hit. The shard, that crystal, it...


    Becca removed her helmet, bent over him, and whispered, "What is it?"


    "You know...the thing stuck in my leg?" Will whispered back.


    She froze for a moment and nodded.


    "It can see the future."

 Ch. 45 Questions and Answers 1

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS


    <hr>


    "It''s impossible!" hissed Becca. "This can''t be real!"


    Will shushed her and gave a quick look around. No one seemed to have noticed her agitated state. The class was in their cooldown period after training, and they were wiping down their mechs before packing them away.


    "Wait!" whispered Remy and tapped his pad. "I''ll get a secure line set up!"


    A minute later, Remy handed them two pairs of earbuds. Becca sighed and connected the buds with her CAD, putting them on. "I can understand being careful when we are on the net, but we are talking face to face. Isn''t this a little paranoid?"


    Remy snorted and pointed at the mechs beside them. His lips barely moved when he spoke, but he came through loud and clear from the earbuds. "The suits aren''t even under our control. The first thing his asshole cousin¡ª" Remy pointed at Will¡ª"showed us is that they can wrench control of it at any moment. I''d rather not talk next to it."


    "Fine, fine." Becca relented and touched her throat. The CAD suit clung snugly around it and was picking up her voice. Speaking only through their suits was a lot safer.


    "I''d better clean up the mech when I get the chance," said Remy. "I don''t want this sword hanging over our heads forever."


    Becca nodded and turned to Will. "So, tell us. You can''t drop something so big and then keep us hanging."


    Will''s eyes flicked between the two before he started his tale. They listened with rapt attention, and when he reached the part where he predicted and countered the grenades, Becca looked pensive.


    "We have to test this," she said.


    "How? Which one of you is going to punch me?" Will smiled.


    "We could flip a credit token," said Becca.


    Remy shrugged and brought out a round metal coin-like token. "Careful, I got half my life savings in that."


    "If I lose it, I''ll pay you back." Becca snatched the token and handed it to Will.


    "Alright, princess," Remy grinned. "Make sure to lose it, Will. I''ll double what I have and cut you half."


    Becca smacked him on the arm, and both of them waited with bated breath for Will to flip the token.


    Will rotated the token between his fingers. There was a tower symbol on the front and a fig leaf on the back. "Okay, on the count of one, two, three..."


    He flipped the token and stared at his arm in anticipation. It landed on the back of his hand, but no markings appeared on his body, much less a vision.


    "Um..." began Will.


    "Did you do it?" asked Remy.


    "Yes, I''m still connected to the crystal, but... I don''t know what happened," said Will bewildered.


    Remy scratched his chin. "Maybe you are doing too many things at once. This time don''t think about your arm, just focus on catching the token. I''ll keep track of the markings."


    Will shrugged and triggered the skill. The world around him vibrated, and he felt something pressing against the back of his hand. The premonition was gone before he could blink, and he found the token spinning in the air. He caught it before it could fall, and resting on the back of his hand was the token with the tower symbol facing up.


    "Will, look!" said Becca with an excited whisper.


    Dotted on his arm were red coin-shaped symbols of both the tower and fig leaf. There were dozens of them.


    There was a flash of a camera as Remy took a picture of his hand. "Now this is odd. It didn''t tell you the future. It shows both heads and tails. What does this mean?"


    "That both probable futures are true?" guessed Will. "So fifty-fifty?"


    Remy shook his head. "If something as simple as a coin can have fifty-fifty, what about a person? You were able to accurately predict where the disruptors would land, so why is it beaten by a coin?"


    Will looked thoughtful as he examined the token.


    "Wait! There is something," said Remy. "Oh, this is interesting. The number of leaf and tower markings are not the same. There are fifteen leaf symbols and only eight towers. Do you know what this means?"


    "The probability is skewed," said Becca. "The crystal got it right."


    "65% chance of it being leaf. Yes, that does change things," said Will. "I have an idea. Let''s try it again."


    He readied the token again and took a breath. "Ready? One, two, three."


    He tossed the coin and triggered the skill, but this time only after the token had left his fingers. The world around him vibrated, and he felt light smacks against his left hand. It lasted only for a moment before he was wrenched back into reality. The coin landed on the back of his hand, and several markings appeared on his hand, predominantly of the tower. In fact, he would guess ninety percent of it was. Will slowly revealed the token, and facing up was the fig leaf.


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    "The leaf is up, which means it landed on the tower," Becca said in a hushed whisper.


    "Ninety-one percent," said Remy with a grin. "Almost a perfect prediction."


    "Why is it so different?" asked Becca. "I didn''t see you do anything different."


    Will explained what he did, and Remy and Becca looked thoughtful.


    "So, you made a prediction when the future was already set?" Remy mused.


    "This is not future sight," said Becca. "There is some simple trick behind this. The future cannot be set."


    "Why not?"


    "Because this violates several known laws of psionics! This is bonkers!"


    Remy chuckled. "We still haven''t hashed out our disagreement about the thing''s origins. Natural or manufactured?"


    "Oh, not this again." Becca sighed, glancing at Will. "You okay, Will? You look a little pale."


    "Yeah," said Will, his breathing uneven. "Just catching my breath. Something just occurred to me. Do you remember the first time I used the skill?"


    "Yes, the military symbol," said Becca quietly.


    "How did it get there?" mused Remy.


    Will frowned, placed the token on his hand until it pressed hard against his skin, and then lifted it up.


    "You are telling me..." said Remy, catching on. "Did you press a seal on yourself? There was a lot of crap on that desk back then."


    "I don''t remember," Will shook his head. "But what I do remember is that I was in the bathroom when it happened. How could the shard predict the seal that was a room away?"


    Silence fell among the trio.


    Remy cursed. "What the hell is this thing?"


    "Attention!" A yell came from an officer. "You have five minutes to pack your gear."


    Becca sighed. "That''s enough for now. We will test more tomorrow."


    Remy nodded, while Will stared at the token in his hand, lost in thought. Just what did all this mean?


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Morning came around, and the cadets went about their usual pattern. The routine was ingrained into them by now, so it came as a surprise that they finally got to do their drills outside.


    Remy and Will were in their mechs, jogging up the road without saying a word. Becca joined them shortly and was surprised by their sullen silence.


    "Why are you two so quiet?" asked Becca. "Most of the time I can''t get you to shut up, Remy. What''s going on?"


    Remy tapped the side of his helmet, and Becca understood. They connected with their CADs and went on a private network separate from the mechs.


    "Just to be sure," said Remy. "I went through the armor, but you never know. Might need to check them again."


    "Enough stalling," said Becca. "Tell me what happened."


    "We tried Will''s little trick on the stock market," said Remy. "Didn''t work."


    Becca snorted. "Honestly. You two are the smartest dumb people I know."


    "Hey, those are fighting words!" said Will.


    "She called me smart," said Remy. "I think it is the first compliment she has given me."


    "It is not a compliment, you dolt!"


    "And... we are back," said Remy.


    "What would be the first place the officials look if you had a skill like this?" asked Becca.


    "The stock market," Remy sighed.


    "Or any place you can make quick cash," said Becca. "You are lucky it didn''t work."


    "If this is luck, give me damnation," Remy shook his fist in the air.


    Will laughed and looked around them. It wasn''t snowing as heavily today, and the base looked a lot less grim. In the distance, Atlas Mons loomed. The megastructure was covered in frost and looked more like an unusually symmetrical mountain than anything man-made. Several lights blinked high up the Tower, and Will spotted several airships taking off and landing. The commercial ships were few and far between, but it was a whole another story about the military ones.


    High above the clouds, huge ships glided across the Nimbostratus cover, and titanic shadows could be seen moving above them. There were so many that Will lost count of them.


    "That''s a hell of a lot of ships," he murmured.


    "They say it is the largest mobilization in a decade," said Remy. "Things are getting really dicey at the border."


    "Let''s hope the troubles stay over there," muttered Will.


    They rounded the corner and came to their new training area. The obstacle course was quite expansive. They had the standard climbable walls and balance beams. A bit further up the course, there were hurdles and monkey bars. Will didn''t know when he would ever require the knowledge to swing across iron bars with mech armor on, but he supposed it was good training for better control and dexterity. Right now, he could barely run without tripping up on his feet.


    The class halted and quickly got into formation. Weeks of running the same drills had them executing their usual orders without even being prompted.


    Tara Lawson stepped forward and addressed the squad. "Today''s PT session will be in this obstacle course. You already have a rudimentary understanding of how to move your mech. Now you must learn finesse and control."


    "Speaking of finesse, your performance yesterday was¡ªI won''t sugarcoat it¡ªsubpar. You weren''t economical with your internal reserves¡ª"


    "Hard to be economical when you have bombs thrown at you," muttered Remy, and Becca shushed him.


    "¡ªYes, you managed to fight harder for a few seconds, but what good is that? There is no need for you to be in the machine if you are only going to spend mere minutes in it."


    "So, that is your goal for the day," continued Instructor Lawson. "Be economical. Be efficient. And you will do this with another class, the Shield Horns. You will be cross-training with them on the course. Make sure to play nice."


    The sound of stomping mechs came from behind them, and Will spotted another class marching to their location. Their mechs were painted differently, and they had a lot more grey in their mechs than their stark white. The new class marched in sync and seemed a lot more coordinated. The squad finished their quick march and came into formation right beside their group.


    Two instructors stepped forward. Their white exosuits matched Instructor Lawson''s suit, and one of them handed a datapad to her. She examined the pad and nodded. The duo took their place behind her.


    Will frowned and blinked a few eye commands. The HUD zoomed in on one of the instructor''s hands. There was a lime green band around his wrist, and the bracelet depicted a lizard biting its own tail.


    "What''s with all the lizard jewelry?" Will muttered.


    "What was that?" asked Remy, but Will waved it off as nothing.


    Instructor Lawson lowered the pad and called out, "Cadet Valerie Maxwell, Ethan Wright, and Oscar Wilson, step forward."


    Will brought his HUD to normal zoom and spotted Valerie Maxwell step out of formation. He dismissed the small bubble with her name popping above her head and watched her stride forward with two other mechs. The three moved with the grace and fluidity of people who had been piloting for years.


    The instructor gave a nod. "The three of you have shown some excellent situation awareness and great piloting skills. Why don''t you show the rest of the class how it is done."


    The three saluted and proceeded towards the start of the course.


    The Shieldhorns broke into applause, but the instructors didn''t bother reprimanding them.


    "Let''s go, Val," Victor cheered.


    "Wow," said Becca. "We will get to see people who have been in the arenas."


    Remy gave an appreciative nod, and Will folded his arms with eyes fixed on Val. "This will be interesting."

 Ch. 46 Questions and Answers 2

    The crowd watched as the three mechs stomped to the start of the obstacle course. At Instructor Lawson''s signal, they took off running, kicking up a cloud of snow as they exploded from their starting position. The mech engines roared as they charged up a steep incline.


    Will watched in awe as the three mechs made short work of the course. Walls, hurdles, pits¡ªit didn''t matter. They breezed past every obstacle as if they were nothing. The only time they faltered was when they came upon a set of giant metal poles nailed to the earth. They had to hop from one pole to the next if they wanted to get across, but that was easier said than done. It was a long way down, and falling from that height would be dangerous.


    While the other two mechs hesitated, Valerie flew past them and zipped across the poles in a blur. Her feet were barely visible as she made contact with each pillar, and she made it across in record time.


    "Holy shit!" Remy exclaimed. The Shield Horns cheered, and Will couldn''t help but join in.


    "I think we just got schooled," said Will.


    "Damn, she''s fast," said Remy as he continued clapping.


    "That''s my sis!" yelled Victor.


    Remy turned to Victor and asked. "Who''s the older one?"


    "She is," he shrugged, "by about ten seconds."


    "You''re twins?" asked Will.


    "Fraternal."


    "Both of you are so ahead of the class," said Remy


    "Like I said, we had been sneaking into our parents'' mechs since we were kids. When Dad found out, he was elated. Trained us to the ground."


    "Shouldn''t you be up there too, then?" Remy grinned.


    "He is lazy, that''s why," said Becca, who had her eyes fixed on the mechs on the obstacle course.


    Victor blew a raspberry at her. "You know what the reward for good work in the military is?"


    "What?"


    "More work," he gave a quirk of a smile.


    Remy snorted.


    The three mechs were nearly done with the course. The ending of the course was a lot tamer compared to the middle. A small series of waist-high earthen walls blocked their path.


    The mechs easily leaped over and reached the course''s final section. A large trench was dug in front of them. Valerie took off running and sailed the ten-meter gap, catching the far wall with the tips of her fingers.


    The crowd cheered as she climbed up the wall. She walked the last few feet and stood underneath the waving red flag, which marked the end of the course.


    The Shield Horns erupted in cheers, and shortly afterward, the other two mechs joined Valerie under the flag.


    The cheering continued as the trio slowly made their way out of the field.


    Remy turned towards the Shield Horns. "I know that was impressive, but they could learn to shut up a little."


    "Nothing wrong with a little school spirit," said Becca.


    On their way back, the three mechs trudged through the snow, cutting across the path of Will and the others.


    Valerie turned towards their group and blared a loud honk from the mech''s external speakers.


    "What?" said Remy. "That sounded like a duck? Goose?"


    The two behind Valerie honked at them too, and angry mutterings filled their squad.


    Will grimaced beneath his helmet. "Duck, duck, goose."


    "Those assholes," Becca said angrily. "The school mascot incident? They are trying to provoke us!"


    Angry yells came from their squad, and some shook their fists at the three.


    Will blinked when a notification popped up on his HUD.


    "Private chat opened with Remy Soto."


    <blockquote>


    Remy Soto: If only they knew. They would be tearing us apart instead of those three.


    </blockquote>


    Will looked around, paranoid.


    <blockquote>


    William Dunn: Shut up! You trying to get us killed?


    </blockquote>


    Remy snickered as he shut the chat log. Becca whirled on him, furious, misunderstanding the source of his amusement. "This is not funny, Remy."


    "No, it isn''t," he continued to laugh.


    "I''m going to go talk with the rest of the class," Becca declared. "This insult cannot go unpunished."


    "Becca, they are nearly at the pro level. What can you do?"


    "Doesn''t matter; this is about principle. We should at least not allow them to be so arrogant," she said and walked towards the gathering crowd of Stanton High students.


    "Call if you need any help," said Will.


    Becca turned back. "No, you have that... thing to worry about. I can handle this myself."


    Will and Remy watched Becca walk off.


    "Just us now, I guess," said Victor.


    "Just the boys," said Remy. "Whoop! Whoop!"


    Victor pumped his fist and high-fived Remy.


    Will grinned. "Keep it down. She can still hear yo¡ª Ow!"


    He felt a sharp stab in his right knee and cursed out loud.


    "You okay?" asked Victor.


    "Yeah, just bit my tongue," he said quietly, but over the private message, he typed out something different.


    <blockquote>


    William Dunn: You-know-what is acting up.


    </blockquote>


    Remy froze for a moment but quickly responded.


    <blockquote>


    Remy Soto: Are you going to have a seizure?


    William Dunn: Doesn''t look like it, but it is itching like mad.


    </blockquote>


    Will wanted to take off his armor and have a look at it but resisted the urge.


    <blockquote>


    Remy Soto: Should we cancel the test?


    William Dunn: No! Let''s get this over with!


    Remy Soto: Alright, if you say so.


    </blockquote>


    Remy signed off the chat.


    Will folded his arms and took in a deep breath. He tried to ignore his itching knee as he watched the Shield Horn trio join back with their class.


    "An excellent showing, cadets. Your movements were fast and smooth," said Instructor Lawson. She turned to the rest of the class. "This is the stage I want to see you all at the end of this training course. Strive hard, and it won''t be long before you do. Now we are going to split you into groups and run you through the grinder. Step forward if your names are called out."


    She rattled off a list of names, and Will perked up when he was called.


    "Damn, I''m not on the list," said Remy. "Guess we wait, Victor."


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    "I''m going on ahead," said Will. Remy nodded, and Victor gave him a thumbs-up.


    Will joined the group of students, and they trudged their way up to the start of the course.


    "Alright, you will start when I give the go-ahead," said Instructor Lawson. "Are you ready?"


    "Yes, ma''am!" they yelled in unison.


    "On the count of three then. One... Two... Three!"


    Will took off with the nine other students beside him. His HUD mapped out the terrain, and up ahead was a steep incline. He, along with the others, rushed up it.


    "Alright, I''m in," said Remy over the comms. "Can you hear me, Will?"


    "Loud and clear," said Will as he rushed up the slope.


    "Use it when you are ready," said Remy. "I''ll go through the data."


    "Roger that," Will puffed out as he triggered the crystal. The world around him vibrated, and Will waited for the inevitable sensations, but nothing happened. He snapped back to reality and felt no changes in his body.


    "Will?" Remy asked, and Will shook his head.


    "Nothing. The prediction was a dud."


    "Try again," said Remy.


    Will ran past the ramp and spotted a three-meter-long gap ahead. Will triggered the crystal again. The world shifted, but he got no feedback from the shard. Puzzled, he jumped across the gap with ease and relayed what happened to Remy.


    "I think it''s because it was too easy," asked Remy.


    "What do you mean?" said Will.


    "You were always going to make that jump," said Remy. "You weren''t likely to suffer any injuries, so there was nothing for it to report."


    "I suppose," said Will, "Damn, this is a lot more complicated than I thought. What is the point of a skill that predicts danger when you have to know in advance when danger is coming?"


    "Yes, there are a lot more limitations to it than we thought," said Remy. "You need to know when to use it."


    Will strode past the gap and stepped towards a wall in front of him. It was about two meters, and he could easily reach it in his armor. A small jump, and he caught the top of the wall.


    "You should try using your eyes like last time," said Remy.


    Will considered it but ultimately rejected the idea. "It drains too much energy. We can try that in a more controlled environment."


    He dragged himself up the wall and perched on top of it. He looked down; it was a long drop. The other cadets leapt off the wall and crashed down on the snow below.


    Will let out a breath and jumped. Snow exploded from under him as he landed, and he followed the other cadets.


    "Alright," said Remy. "Ready to try again?"


    "Yes," said Will. Up ahead was another wall, but a lot taller than the last one. There were small depressions in the wall that could serve as handholds.


    Will triggered the shard, and the world vibrated. Time froze as ethereal sensations poured in. Will felt pressure underneath his fingertips, followed by a sharp blow to his side. The pressure underneath his fingers vanished, and there was a feeling of weightlessness that lasted about a second before he felt being slammed into the ground.


    Time unfroze. Will snapped back to the real world, and the flood of sensations left him.


    "Ouch," grimaced Will, cricking his neck. The message was received loud and clear. Will strode to the bottom of the wall and began to climb. The handholds were barely enough to hold him up. He climbed the wall with the edge of his fingertips, all the while keeping a close eye on the other cadets that were climbing. When he was halfway up the wall, it happened. A climber slipped and lost his footing, crashing down and nearly taking Will with him.


    Will, who had been expecting this, merely shifted to the side and allowed the mech to pass him by.


    "And that''s how it''s done," Will smiled as he resumed his climb.


    "Yes!" Remy cheered. "We are cooking now! Readings are here. I''m mapping out its subspace pathways."


    "Good," Will nodded. The crystal could only be probed while it was active. The problem with mapping out a shard was that its subspace pathways were constantly shifting. Due to its dynamic nature, figuring out their topology proved nearly impossible.


    But such probes weren''t without their uses. There were other pieces of information that could be gleaned from such analysis.


    "Hot damn," said Remy. "The subspace layers go deep in this one. I can''t even see the bottom."


    Will grunted as he continued to climb.


    "Okay, while that is going on," said Remy, "I have preliminary calculations about the psion requirement for each activation. My guess is that you have enough reserves to use the skill twelve times before you are out of energy."


    Will reached the top of the wall and dragged himself up. "So I have like nine more tries?"


    "Thereabouts," said Remy, "and you are going to need it in the next section."


    Will looked ahead and saw the metal poles sticking out of the ground.


    "This is going to suck," Will grumbled as he readied himself. His right knee began to itch, and he longed to reach down and scratch it.


    "Embrace the suck," said Remy, and a chorus of laughter came from the speakers.


    Will froze. The laugh was gone like a whisper in the wind and muted down so fast that Will wasn''t sure if he had imagined it.


    "Did you just laugh?" asked Will.


    "No," said Remy, puzzled. "Why?"


    "I thought I heard..." began Will. "Never mind."


    "Oh shoot! My name has been called," said Remy. "Got to go now."


    "Good luck," said Will. "I''ve got everything handled here."


    Remy cut the call, and Will let out a breath. He triggered the shard, and the world around him vibrated. Sensations flooded into him: a sharp pain in the soles of his feet, a sharp blow on his chest, and then a feeling of something striking his back.


    The world snapped back to reality, and Will cursed. He knew he had fallen in the premonition, but he had no idea how or why he failed.


    He stared at the poles, afraid to cross them. Other cadets passed him by, leaping off and then missing, smashing their heads against the poles and falling to the ground.


    The crowd oohed and groaned, shouts of encouragement coming from them.


    "I guess there is nothing for it," muttered Will as he psyched himself up and prepared to jump.


    His right leg began to itch again, and Will grimaced. He tried to focus, but another tinkling laughter echoed in the back of his head.


    Will frowned as he strained his ears. It was the laugh of a child; he was sure of it. Despite his efforts to listen, the laughter disappeared just as quickly as it came. Spooked, Will looked around. The only people near him were the grunting and panting cadets. A few of them had joined him up the wall, but not for long. They rushed for the poles and failed.


    Will shook his head, let out a breath. He would solve this mystery while both his feet were back on the ground. He powered up his mech and leapt off the ledge towards the first pillar.


    The shard in his leg trembled, and the tremor traveled up his leg to the rest of his body. Will felt the world vibrate.


    "What the hell! I didn''t even trigger it," said Will in alarm as he was pulled in. Time froze, and a rush of visions assaulted him.


    A subway tunnel flashed before him, and he was flying down the dark tunnel. A train horn pierced his eardrum, and Will saw a pair of headlights rush towards him.


    Time unfroze. The world snapped back violently, and Will found himself in mid-air rushing towards the first pillar.


    "Shit!" he cursed as he made the first landing and threw himself to the second one.


    The shard shook again, and the world around him vibrated.


    "Not again!" yelled Will. Time froze, and another vision filled his eyes. Belgrave... people running away screaming, multiple giant skyscrapers coming crashing down as¡ª


    Will fought against the vision. For a moment, he saw double, flashes of half-formed memory and visions of him missing his step on the next pillar.


    Reality snapped back, and he found himself flying to the second pillar. Will adjusted his foot to the correct position and pushed off the pillar.


    The shard shook again, but this time Will was ready. He shifted the mech to manual control and flared his field to the maximum. His channels burned under the load, but it brushed aside the shard''s influence. The chaotic channeling rebuffed the foreign signature invading his body, and Will powered through the jump.


    With his aura flaring, he completed the next three jumps. He cleared the pillars and leapt onto a platform. Will ran across it and found several smaller platforms lined up ahead. Will leapt off each one until he reached the ground. Snow sprayed everywhere as he came crashing down.


    The shard shook in his leg again, and Will gritted his teeth. His channeling couldn''t keep pace with his expenditure, and his field faltered. A tendril of energy invaded his channels, and Will felt the shadows shift around the earthen walls surrounding him. Will felt goosebumps at the back of his neck. A strange sort of clicking noise followed him as he ran. It was like he was inside the belly of a large beast, and he was being hunted.


    Will sprinted at full speed and spotted the series of waist-high earthen walls ahead. He was near the end of the course, and only the hurdles and a trench jump were left. Will gritted his teeth and sped up. He needed to get out of the view of the crowd and stabilize himself as quickly as possible.


    A fog descended over him, and it was getting harder to think. Will moved his body almost on autopilot and crossed the earthen hurdles in the blink of an eye. Ahead was the ten-meter-long trench. He was already running at full speed; he didn''t stop. His feet left the ground as soon as he reached the trench, and he sailed across the ten-meter gap. He caught the ledge with his fingertips and clung on.


    The moment he hit the trench wall, his control over his field slipped, and the shard attacked him in full. The world vibrated, and the visions came back in flashes. He was back in Belgrave and people ran away screaming. Will tried to tear himself out of the vision, but it held fast; he could see his hands slipping off the wall edge before he was pulled in again. The skyscrapers toppled over, a gigantic spindly leg the size of a building rose up high into the air above even the largest building. Smoke and dust billowed from it, tearing through the buildings as it heaved itself from beneath the earth. Eight more legs followed the first one as it descended on the world.


    Reality snapped back into place, and Will gasped as he returned. His hands were inches away from losing their grip on the ledge. Gritting his teeth, he clawed his way upward and heaved himself up onto the platform.


    The crowd broke into a roar as he stood underneath the red flag marking the end of the course, but Will wasn''t paying attention. He rushed off the platform and made his way back to his squad. People thumped his back, and congratulations poured in. The old cliques in the school fell to the wayside now that they were united in their anger towards the Shield Horns. Will accepted their praise but made excuses, saying that he needed to take a breather.


    The crowd let him go and went on to cheer the rest of the cadets. Will, now freed and not caring about decorum, lay on the snow and focused on stabilizing his channels. He sent a stream of psions into the channels connecting the crystal and tried severing the connection. The shard stuck to him like plastcrete and held on.


    An immense sucking force came from the crystal, and Will felt himself being pulled in. The shard wanted to swallow him whole, and Will sent stream after stream of psions, bombarding against the shard. The connection snapped like glass. The shard''s force abated, and it sputtered as it ran out of gas, gradually slumbering down.


    Will gasped as he felt the foreign force leave him, and he lay spent on the snow. A few minutes later, he noticed Becca and Remy approaching.


    "Damn them," said Becca angrily. "More Shield Horns made it through than us."


    "I tried to warn you," Remy laughed and then turned to Will. "Why are you on the floor?"


    Will shivered as he caught the fading laughter of children in the recesses of his mind. This time, he wasn''t sure where it had come from. Was it him or was it the shard? Was any of this even real?


    "Will, you okay?" asked Becca, seeing him not respond.


    Will groaned as he got to his feet. He told Remy and Becca everything.


    Remy checked his suit readings and had grim news. "Will, the corrupted area in your leg has increased."


    Will cursed. "I think we have spent enough time playing soldier."


    "What do you have in mind?" said Becca.


    "We need to start investigating," said Will. "We need to find that airstrip."

 Ch. 47 Questions and Answers 3

    "Just sign at the bottom," said Becca. She handed Will a datapad with a pleased smile on her face.


    Will scrolled through the pages of the contract. "Is this really necessary? There could be easier ways to get out of the fort."


    "I''ll say," said Remy, munching on a protein bar as he glanced at the datapad.


    They were in the dormitory now that classes were over, and cadets were getting ready for dinner. Becca and Will were seated on one of the beds, with Remy leaning over them, one hand resting on the frame.


    "It is the simplest solution," said Becca. "We work on my project together, and we get permission to go out to get materials. It''s a win-win for everybody."


    Remy gave a chuckle.


    Becca frowned. "What? You disagree? Remember, you promised me that you would join before all this craziness started."


    Remy tapped his chin. "Hmm, I don''t recall that."


    Becca put her hands on her hips. "You asshole! You know what, both of you don''t appreciate me enough. There were a lot of people who would have liked to join my group. You are lucky that I even asked you!"


    Remy shook his head. "No matter how many people had come, I''m sure you would still have picked us." He took a bite out of his protein bar and grinned.


    "Oh? Why are you so sure?" Becca said haughtily.


    "You found us extremely annoying at first, didn''t you?" said Remy. "And yet you still stick around. You care about the two of us now and would have picked us anyway. Admit it!"


    A hint of red appeared on Becca''s cheeks, and she snorted. "I still find you both annoying."


    "You are dodging. You like us, and you think we are pretty cool. Admit it."


    "No!"


    Will laughed, and for the first time in his life, he didn''t bother reading the whole contract.


    "And we like you too, Becca. You''ve been a good friend," Will signed the datapad and handed it back to her. "And I don''t know what I would do without you."


    "Um! Yes... Good." Becca faltered but broke into a wide smile. "I''ll set everything up with the administrative office."


    She got up to leave and was halfway out of the room when Remy exclaimed, "Wait! Don''t I get to sign the contract?"


    "No!" yelled Becca without turning around.


    "Hey!"


    "Ask me more nicely, and I might sign you up."


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    A day later, they got their permission. After they were done with their usual drills, Remy, Will, and Becca headed out.


    "I''m freezing my ass off," Remy complained. He rubbed his gloved hands together to get some warmth.


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    "Talk about bad timing," said Will as he adjusted his jacket and tucked his hands in his pockets. It was a lot colder today than usual, and the temperature was dropping fast.


    "Stop complaining and walk," said Becca, her breath misting in the air. She jogged beside them with a scarf around her neck and a pair of earmuffs over her head.


    They jogged their way to the outer gate of the fort. A large gate blocked their way, and a soldier stood sentry. Becca promptly walked up to him and handed him her slate. The guard scanned it and took a good look at the three of them before nodding to someone in the security booth.


    The gate slid open, and the three trooped out of the fort.


    "Where did he say he was meeting us?" asked Will.


    "Take the first exit by the bank and then turn right," muttered Remy. "Come on, this way."


    They made their way past a few government buildings and administrative offices. When they reached the local bank, they turned right down a small pathway and waited next to a residential building.


    "You sure this is the place?" asked Becca.


    "Positive," said Remy. "Now, where is he?"


    "He''ll show up," said Becca. "Have some patience."


    No sooner than she said that, someone covered head to toe in thick, insulated winter gear came jogging down the road.


    "Sorry I''m late," huffed Victor. "Had to find some proper clothes."


    "Hey, Vic," greeted Will.


    "Good, you are finally here," said Remy. "We have been waiting here for hours."


    Becca smacked his arm, and Remy winced.


    "Hey, guys," said Victor with a smile. "I''ve got so many places to show you. There''s a mall here, also an arena. Might catch some exhibition matches."


    "We were thinking more along that direction," said Will, pointing towards the east. "Near the airstrip."


    Victor deflated. "Why? There''s not much near there."


    "We''re looking into the airship incident," said Remy. "A few of the people we know were caught up in it."


    "Damn, that sucks," Victor sighed. "I can take you to the airstrip. Though I doubt you will find much. There are hundreds of ports everywhere. What''s special about this one?"


    "This is where they were last seen," finished Will.


    Victor nodded. "Alright then, follow me."


    The four of them trudged through the snow past several squat buildings. Will pulled the hood of his jacket up when it started snowing.


    Remy bundled up even more and shivered. "Is it always this cold?"


    Victor shook his head. "It gets like this only this time of the year. The cold snap ends around Returning day."


    Will sniffed. "Looks like we are the only idiots who thought this would be a good time for an outing. That reminds me, how did you get out of the base? Did you get a pass like us?"


    Victor grinned. "I don''t need a pass."


    "Bull!" exclaimed Remy. "How did you get out?"


    "I have my ways," Victor said, trying to look mysterious.


    "Yeah, right," Remy scoffed. "Probably begged someone from the kitchen staff to let him out."


    Victor made a zipping motion on his lips, and Remy laughed.


    Fifteen minutes later, they were near their destination. Several trucks passed them, and they hugged the sidewalk to avoid the snow spray.


    Will pulled the hood away from his face and stared past the chain-linked fence ahead. He had found his runway.


    "There it is," said Remy. "Looks well-guarded too."


    Will squinted. There was a control tower and a terminal building, and off to the side were several hangars. But what was more interesting were the many sentry posts.


    "Yeah, we are not getting in there," said Will.


    "Too risky," added Remy.


    Victor looked alarmed at where the conversation was going. "You two are not serious."


    "No, we are not serious," said Will and tapped Remy on the shoulder. "Don''t stare too long."


    Remy looked away and asked Victor, "Is there any other place where we can gather some info?"


    Victor scratched his head. "There was a pub close by. The customers are mostly pilots."


    "That''s great," said Will. "Lead the way, Vic."


    A few blocks down, they found the pub. It was a small corner bar and heavily snowed in. The front doorway was cleared, and piles of snow were around the building. Dim light emanated from the windows, and sounds of laughter came from inside. Will raised his head and glanced at the signboard. "Hangar 19, a good name for a pilot bar."


    "I could use a drink," said Remy and walked forward. Will followed along with Victor and Becca when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.


    "Wait!" he hissed and pulled everyone back.


    "What?" asked Becca puzzled, and Will pointed at one of the pub''s windows.


    A group of soldiers in exo-suits were laughing uproariously with a pint in hand, and sitting with them was Damian Ryder.


    Remy swore, "Ah, shit!"

 Ch. 48 Questions and Answers 4

    Will clicked his tongue in frustration as he watched Damian chugging down a whole glass of beer.


    "You going in there?" asked Becca tentatively.


    "Hell no!" Will exclaimed. "He will be on my ass the moment I go in there."


    "Yeah, he would," muttered Remy. "So, what do we do now?"


    "I guess we wait," sighed Will. "We''ll come back in an hour and see if he is still here."


    They stepped away from the pub window and made their way down the street.


    "Are there any other places of interest here?" asked Becca.


    "I can''t think of any," Victor shrugged. "Let''s just have a walk around and maybe we''ll spot something."


    Will stuck his gloved hands in his jacket as they wandered aimlessly in the streets. The snow was falling heavily, and there were only a few people out and about. The pub was far behind them, and they walked by a low, squat building, oddly reminiscent of the fort.


    "What''s this place?" asked Will.


    Becca craned her neck and took a good look at the fortified walls. "Maybe we could ask around here?"


    Victor gave a nervous laugh. "I don''t think that would be a good idea."


    They walked past the guarded gates, manned by armed gunmen. Further up the driveway were several burly men engaged in some serious conversation. None of them had a coat or jacket on and sported the same classic buzz cut.


    "Look at the way they walk," muttered Remy. "Those guys are clearly from the military."


    "Former military," said Victor. "This is a private military firm."


    "Mercenaries?" Remy exclaimed.


    "Yup," said Victor, walking down the main road. "This area is littered with them. The largest one here is the SRG. They are one block ahead."


    "What do they do?" asked Becca.


    "The usual," Victor shrugged. "Security services, mutant extermination, and gate exploration. You quote the price, and they will do it. The SRG could probably fight a full-scale war."


    "Speak of the devil," Remy muttered. A Humvee was coming down the road, and on its hood were the letters S.R.G. They had to step out of the way of the spray of snow the heavy vehicle kicked up.


    The Humvee was followed by several heavier transport trucks. HETs followed those, carrying tanks.


    "Son of a¡ª" Remy cursed as they were pelted with snow.


    "Come on," said Victor, and they stepped away from the main road toward a side alley.


    Remy spat out a wad of snow. "Damn."


    "That is quite a deployment," said Will. "Where do you think they are headed?"


    "Could be any number of places," Victor shrugged.


    The sheer amount of equipment and personnel being transported was staggering. The four of them watched the procession of troops for a few more minutes before deciding to leave.


    Remy checked his slate. "What do you think? Has Damian left yet?"


    "Let''s give it a few more minutes before going back," said Will as he looked around. "Are there no other places of interest here?"


    "We could try visiting that one," said Becca, pointing to a large fabrication store.


    "Milton''s," Will read off the signboard. "I suppose you want to get materials for the project."


    Becca nodded and walked to the store. Remy shrugged and followed. Will took a close look at the shop. The place was locked up so tight that it looked abandoned. The only sign of life was a dim light coming from the window, but he was sure that wasn''t from a light bulb.


    Becca opened the door and stepped inside the store, and Will and the rest followed after her. The store was mired in darkness, and the mystery of the lightbulb was solved when they spotted the flickering monitor high up on the wall.


    Sounds of cheers and boos came from the screen, which showed two mechs fighting melee in an octagon. Watching the match was an ashen-haired blonde who sat behind the counter with his feet propped up on the glass top.


    Becca walked up to the attendant. "Hey, I would like some printed parts for a mech."


    She waited for a reply, but the blonde kept his eyes glued to the screen, transfixed by the arena battle. "Come on! Quit pussyfooting and pin him!"


    "Hello?" Becca called out again, and the attendant stirred.


    "What?" he asked, his eyes still fixed on the match.


    "I want some parts 3D printed."


    "How many parts for how many units?"


    "Three."


    "Three?" He finally tore his eyes away from the match and took in the four of them. "I think you kids are in the wrong shop."


    "What do you mean? Don''t you sell printed parts here?"


    "We do, but we don''t need your business," he said, pointing towards the exit. "The door is right there."


    The blonde went back to watching the match, and Becca stood dumbfounded at the response.


    Will stepped forward and put his hand on the counter. "Our credit is just as good as anyone else''s."


    The blonde sighed and was just about to retort when a small chrome robot dog leapt onto the counter. It was a cute little thing and it fixed its front cameras on Remy. It gave a fierce yip at him with its tail standing on end.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What''s wrong with your pet?" Remy asked, peering at the little drone with interest. The closer he got, the more fiercely the little dog yipped.


    "Fido, you stupid mutt!" the blonde roughly took the dog off the counter and stuffed it in a box below the counter.


    Becca gasped. "What are you doing?"


    The guy rubbed his forehead. "Would you relax and keep it down?"


    "What''s wrong with you? What if you had hurt it?"


    A thump came from further inside the shop, and the blonde sighed. A red-faced middle-aged bald man stuck his head out of the door behind the counter. "Marvin, what''s all the ruckus here?" He turned towards Becca standing at the counter, fuming. "Who are these kids?"


    "We came here to buy some printed parts, and he won''t sell them to us," she pointed towards the blonde.


    The blonde snorted and tilted his head towards the red-faced man. "She wants mech parts for three units."


    The older shop owner grunted. "I think you should look into one of the smaller shops, little missy. We don''t take orders less than twenty thousand credits," his red face got even redder. "You kids keep it quiet, or I will have you escorted out."


    He turned towards Marvin and gave some instructions before slamming the door shut.


    Marvin turned back towards the screen and started watching the match again. Eyes still glued to the monitor, he waved contemptuously towards the four of them. "Why are you still standing here? Bye!"


    "You¡ª" began Becca, but Will took her firmly by the shoulders and marched her out the door. Remy and Victor followed them.


    "Why did you stop me?" asked Becca, looking annoyed.


    "Because there is no point," said Will. "If they don''t want to sell to us, it is their loss. Let''s get back to the bar."


    Sulking, Becca fell in beside Will as they circled their way back to the pub. The wind picked up, and they huddled in close. Snow fell in torrents, and they could barely see ten feet in front of them.


    Remy cursed under his breath, but this time he didn''t complain. A few minutes later, they were standing in front of the bar. Loud, boisterous cheers erupted from the pub as the patrons chanted in tune to a jaunty song.


    "I left my home to join the army! Mama, Mama, don''t you cry! Your lil'' boy ain''t gonna die!"


    Even through the chorus, Will recognized his cousin leading the chant, and sure enough, he saw Damian raising a tankard in the air when he reached the window.


    "Damn," Remy cursed. "I don''t think they would be stopping anytime soon."


    Becca checked her watch. "Our time is almost up."


    Will grimaced as he stepped away from the window. "We''ll be back tomorrow. It''s not like he will be here twenty-four seven."


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    "Dammit!"


    It was the fourth day after their initial outing, and Damian was always present at the bar.


    "Does that asshole live there?" Remy cursed. "We can''t seem to get rid of him."


    Will glanced back at the pub. Damian seemed to spend all his free time there. Sometimes they spotted their other instructors sharing a pint, and other times Damian met with people who had their faces covered. Will didn''t know what shady deals his cousin had with them, but he was pretty sure that none of them were legitimate.


    "I''m thinking of throwing a brick at the window. At least that will get them out of there," Remy suggested.


    "What would even be the point of that?" Will sighed.


    "It will make me¡ª" began Remy.


    "¡ªfeel better," Becca cut him off with a laugh. "You''re as predictable as yesterday''s news."


    "No, I''m not," Remy shook his head with a suppressed smile. "So, what do we do now?"


    "Whatever we do, we have to¡ª" began Will, but he couldn''t help himself from yawning. "I''m too tired to even think straight."


    The yawn proved infectious, and Remy put a hand over his mouth. "I could use some shut-eye as well."


    Their training sessions had been getting more intense as time passed, and they had barely any personal time. Even their visits out of the fort were getting cut short, and they had enough time to make it to the pub, find Damian there, and then report back to base. This cycle had been going on for four days, and they were getting pretty sick of it.


    "What class is next?"


    "Weapons and tactics," said Becca. "And it starts in twenty minutes. Come on."


    They rushed back to class and spent their evening shooting big guns at long-range targets. Becca proved to be an excellent shot and received high praise from their instructors.


    Weapons and tactics also involved the usage of drones, and this was where Remy shined. He was getting really good at controlling multiple drones and had the nimble little machines dancing to his tune. Will, on the other hand, specialized in close combat. He wasn''t the best in class, but with the crystal''s boost, he was steadily rising through the ranks.


    It was around seven in the evening when they were done with all the lessons, but that wasn''t the end of their day. They still had their project to finish, and they worked tirelessly through the night on their modified mechs.


    Will''s eyes drooped as he adjusted his spanner. He was done working on the internals and was just closing up the mech when he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. Remy and Becca were already asleep on the warehouse floor, and Will decided to rest his eyes for a bit. Before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.


    Incomprehensible sounds and images danced behind his eyes as he sank deeper into sleep. Through the dense fog of half-formed thoughts and repressed memories, he smelled freshly cut grass and heard the sound of laughing children.


    Spring had come to Belgrave, and they were in a park.


    "The evil princess Anya''s going to getcha, Will! Run, run!"


    Will squealed as he was chased by his older sister. He was in a cardboard mech suit and ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. He didn''t get very far before Anya caught up to him and lifted him by the armpits.


    "Put me down! Put me down!" Will kicked his legs in the air.


    Anya put Will down and made him face her. "Don''t you get tired? You have so much energy, kiddo," she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.


    "You always catch me!" Will sulked. "One day I will make a metal mech and then run so fast that you won''t be able to catch me."


    "Oh? You think you can run away from your big sis?" Anya smiled mischievously. "Your next mech better not have this many holes in it."


    Anya started tickling Will through the gaps of his cardboard armor. Will laughed and squealed in protest, but Anya continued to tickle him.


    The memory faded, and Will woke up with a start, the laughter still echoing in his ears. He found himself slumped over beside their modified mech, resting his back against the warehouse wall. Becca was fast asleep and had her head rested against his shoulder. Remy was passed out a little further away with his slate at his side. Will felt his eyes droop, and within seconds, he fell back asleep.


    Morning came in a rush, and the trio snapped awake as their alarm went off. Will quickly cleared off their tools while Remy and Becca packed up the electronics. After that was a mad dash towards their first classes.


    Fifteen minutes later, they were running along with the rest of the class around the quad. They didn''t have their mechs this time and were in their school uniforms. Will shook himself awake, last night''s dream still playing in his head.


    "You alright, Will?" Becca asked, concerned.


    "Yeah, the shard has been itching again," said Will. "Now it''s talking to me in my dreams."


    Remy urgently tapped his ears, and they quickly connected with their CAD suits.


    "Crap," Will cursed. "I''m so sleep-deprived that I''m losing it." He grimaced as he felt his inflamed right knee throb; his condition was steadily deteriorating. "I''ve had enough. I''m getting into that pub one way or another."


    "What are you going to do?" asked Remy.


    "I''ll just skip class," said Will, "and visit the pub when he''s not there."


    "Will, don''t," Becca pleaded. "You will be found out the moment they call the roster, and our outside passes would be revoked."


    Will fell silent. She was right. He would get caught, and there would probably be an investigation. That was the last thing he wanted. Will shook his head. Even his ideas were getting dumber; he really was sleep-deprived.


    "I''ll think of something after I''ve had some rest," said Will, rubbing his forehead. "What''s our next class, again?"


    "It''s funny that you should mention that," said Becca. "The timetable just got updated. We are having Combat Exercise Demonstration next."


    "Demonstration?" asked Remy. "Who''s demonstrating?"


    "Cadets!" the drill master called from ahead. "Ease off! Drop the pace!"


    They slowed to a steady walk as they entered their cool-down period.


    "Remy! Will!" Victor called out in an excited whisper as he caught up next to them.


    "What is it?" asked Will. "You''re out of formation."


    "Forget about that!" said Victor. "Combat demonstration!"


    "Yeah, we were just talking about that," said Will. "Do you know who''s going to fight?"


    "It''s the instructors!" said Victor. "They''re going to have a live, full-on, no-holds-barred battle with a representative from the military."


    "What?!"


    "You''re serious?" exclaimed Remy. "That''s awesome!"


    "Attention, cadets!" the drill master called again. "Head to the BUA training site for a combat demonstration. You have five minutes."


    "Whoa," said Remy. "It''s real."


    "Come on," said Will, and the four rushed forward.


    Metal against metal. Steel against steel. They were about to watch a real mech battle.

 Ch. 49 Arena 1

    ARENA


    <hr>


    It was a short jog towards the training facility. Snow crunched under Will''s boots as they made their way into the BUA. The snowed-in training area looked remarkably similar to the exclusionary zone of Belgrave. Abandoned buildings lined the streets. Windows were broken, and there were exposed rebar and half-collapsed buildings.


    Will and the rest of the class marched to the center of the training area. There, right in the middle of the BUA, was a structure that looked foreign to the setting. A giant watchtower stood right in the middle of the arena, its surface free from any grime or dirt. It gleamed in the morning light. Long and thin, it towered over the rest of the buildings, and at the very top was a glass dome that jutted out of the tower. Will shaded his eyes as sunlight glinted off the viewing platform.


    "We are supposed to go up there?" asked Remy.


    "The watchtower looks over the arena," said Will. "Guess we will have a good line of sight of the entire battlefield."


    Excited murmurs filled the squad as they took the elevators to the very top of the watchtower. They entered a large, empty circular room. The outer edge comprised solely of windows and offered a 360-degree view all around the field.


    Will approached the outer edge of the tower along with Remy and Becca and was surprised to see no seams between the paneling. In fact, it looked like a solid piece of glass wound all the way around the watchtower.


    Remy tapped the glass and image behind the glass shimmered.


    "Whoa," said Remy. "This is smart glass."


    Will poked and dragged his finger along the glass, leaving behind a blurred ripple that soon faded into the background.


    "Wow, the projector is built into the screen itself," said Will. The window let in outside light but could also serve as a screen. Fascinated, Will was about to play with the settings when the booming voice of their drill master filled the room.


    "Attention, Cadets!"


    Will snapped into position on instinct. The rest of the class stood up straight with their chests out, facing the window as their instructor made the rounds behind them.


    "Listen up, recruits! Today, you''re in for a treat. This is the watchtower and you''re about to witness a demonstration of mech combat between some of our seasoned pilots."


    The boots of the instructor sounded right behind Will, and he kept his eyes fixed on the distant building in the BUA.


    "This is a learning opportunity. I want you to observe every detail of this battle. Pay close attention to the maneuvers the pilots make. Watch how they control their mechs, their positioning, and their use of weaponry. Mech combat isn''t just about brute force. You need to learn about skill and tactics."


    "Note your observations. After the demonstration, we''ll have a debriefing session where we''ll discuss what you observed and how you can apply those lessons to your own piloting. Sound good?"


    "Sir, yes Sir!" Will followed the chorus of the cadets.


    "Good, at ease. Enjoy the match."


    Will didn''t snap out of attention until the boots of the drill instructor faded away. There was a slam of a door, and the cadets were left alone in the room. Everyone visibly relaxed.


    Victor nudged Will. "Do you think this match will be broadcast?"


    "You''re kidding. That happens?"


    "Yeah, sometimes," Victor nodded. "It''s good PR. During the off-seasons, there are some exhibition matches to fill in runtime, and the military does some arena battles."


    Will looked around the arena. "I don''t think this one is being broadcast. There would be a lot more fanfare if it was."


    Victor shrugged. "You never know."


    A musical note played from the overhead speakers, and everyone fell silent.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Welcome, welcome, welcome! to the electrifying battleground of the arena!" came a booming voice.


    Becca frowned. "Isn''t that Instructor Yacob?"


    "It does sound like him," Remy grinned.


    "Who is Yacob?" asked Will.


    "You wouldn''t know," said Remy. "Remember the time they split the class to cross-train with Shield Horns? Yacob filled in for Lawson then."


    Will looked up at the overhead speakers as the booming voice continued. "Today, we bring you an epic clash that will shake the very foundations of the arena! Prepare yourself for a showdown like no other, as we introduce to you the fierce combatants ready to unleash their might."


    "In the east, we have the Red team. Standing tall and resolute, she''s the enforcer of justice, the beacon of law and order. It is none other than Tara ''The Law'' Lawson!"


    The class erupted into applause as the most popular instructor was announced. Will clapped along with the rest of them as a window popped on the glass showing Lawson donning her helmet. She was wearing a snow-white mech with dark grey paneling. Slim and agile, it seemed to fit her like a glove. Slung on her back was a heavy rifle almost as long as the mech itself.


    "Look at that BFG," Remy muttered. "That thing might as well be a cannon!"


    "Alongside her, a master of agility and cunning, he slithers through the competition with unparalleled finesse, the ''Gecko'' Ryder, Damian!"


    The screen shifted to Ryder, who had his customary annoying smile on his face. His windswept tousled hair hung carelessly to the side, and around his neck was the lizard head necklace. Will squinted and realized that it wasn''t just any lizard. The head resembled a gecko.


    "Why isn''t he in a mech?" asked Becca. "He is still in his CAD suit."


    Will looked around the screen, and there was no indication of a free mech waiting for Damian. It looked like Damian intended to fight without one.


    "That arrogant jackass," said Remy. "I really want to see what he can do."


    Will shook his head. "Damian might be a lot of things, but he isn''t an idiot. He wouldn''t do anything without a reason."


    "And finally!" continued the announcer. "Rounding up the formidable trio, we have the strategist extraordinaire, the cunning hunter of the field, Cline ''The Trapper''!"


    A smaller mech stood to the side, half-hidden in shadow. Around him were various connected pieces of fuses, wires, and numerous explosives. Will could already guess from his field name what kind of combatant he would be.


    "And now, let''s look at their opponents. In the west corner, we have team Blue, where strength meets resilience and power knows no bounds! Brace yourselves as we present to you the unyielding force of nature, the impenetrable fortress himself, Arman ''The Wall'' Kade!"


    "Kade?!" exclaimed Will. "Did he say Kade?"


    "Arman is Rowan''s older brother," said Becca, clapping along with the rest of the class.


    Will glanced over the crowd and saw Rowan, who was a head taller than the rest of the cadets. He looked at the screen with a blank look on his face as they announced his sibling.


    Will tore his eyes away from Rowan and looked at his brother. The midnight blue CAD suit clung to his muscled form like a second skin. Silver lines of circuitry ran through the suit and rippled as the older Kade folded his big arms in front of him.


    Several students wolf-whistled, and Becca giggled. Arman was quite easy on the eyes with his perfectly tapered physique and strong jawline.


    "He is built like a tank," Victor exclaimed. "He makes Kade look like a toddler."


    Remy snorted. "The Kades are nothing but trouble. He isn''t in a mech either."


    "Why is that?" asked Becca.


    Will folded his arms. "I think I know why. We are about to see something special."


    "You mean?" Remy shot Will a knowing glance.


    "Yup," said Will.


    "Oh, this is going to be good!"


    Becca looked annoyed at the cryptic conversation, but before she could retort, the announcer continued.


    "Joining him are the dynamic duo. A pair of daggers ready to strike from the shadows. Never seen without each other. We have the first dagger, a precision tactician with a lethal edge, slicing through adversaries with surgical precision, behold, Welks ''The Cutter'' Nibs!"


    A midnight blue mech emerged from behind Kade. Its form shifted with the light, almost making it seem like it wasn''t there.


    "And last but certainly not least, we have the master sculptor of pain, the artist of agony, Trent ''The Carver''!"


    An identical mech stood beside the first. Their movements matched, and one looked like the shadow of the other.


    Remy gave a low whistle. "Don''t mess with those two."


    "Yeah," said Will slowly. "They are so coordinated. You try to get one, and the other will follow."


    "With our combatants ready, prepare yourself for the ultimate test of skill and fortitude. There is only one rule in this fight: Protect the beacon at all costs!"


    The window panned to the side, and Will spotted a large cylinder the size of a fridge. It emitted a dim glow as it powered on.


    "This, my friends, is the beacon, the nucleus of each team''s stronghold, and the key to victory. The location of your base is hidden to the opposition. You must find the enemy base and destroy their beacon, while safeguarding your own. Roam the battlefield, search every nook and cranny, and unveil your enemy''s location and destroy their beacon!


    "Now the rules are set and the arena ready. It''s a fight to the finish, where only the - Strongest! Will! Prevail!"


    The cheers from the cadets reached a crescendo at this point. Will laughed and clapped along with the class. Remy pumped his fist beside him.


    "Let the countdown begin!"


    A timer popped up on the window, counting down from sixty. Will watched the seconds tick by. Both teams were located at opposite ends of each other and were bunkered in two nondescript buildings. Only the pop-up screens showed their genuine locations.


    The countdown reached its final ten seconds, and Damian stretched and put on his helmet. He shifted to the side, and Will finally caught sight of the twin blades hung on his waist.


    "Whoa..." Remy gave a hushed whisper.


    "Five... four... three..." The class counted down along with the announcer.


    "Two... One."


    A loud alarm sounded within the arena, and Damian rushed out.


    "Begin!"

 Ch. 50 Arena 2

    Damian and Trapper burst into action. They dashed out of the window, with Damian rappelling down an old pipe. Trapper didn''t bother to slow his fall and sent snow spraying as his mech landed on the sidewalk with a muffled whomp.


    "And they''re off! The Red team shows no signs of slowing down for an instant, already out of the gate and running. It appears that the Gecko and Trapper are moving together, while Lawson is going solo."


    Remy nudged Will. "We should make this interesting. Wanna place a bet?"


    "A bet?" Becca echoed.


    "I''m down," said Victor.


    Will glanced at Remy. "Who are you rooting for?"


    "Damian," said Remy.


    Will considered for a moment and said, "I''ll go with Kade."


    "What about you, Vic?" asked Remy.


    "Lawson. So I''m team Red," said Victor.


    "Oh ho! Two against one, Will," said Remy.


    Will shrugged and smiled. "Just means I''ll get a bigger payout."


    "You''re on!" Remy grinned.


    Will turned back to the window, spotted Damian and his partner making their way up the road. He could finally see them directly through the window and not on a popup screen. They paused halfway down the road and rigged something below the overturned snow.


    "Interesting choice by the Red team. Damian ''Gecko,'' and ''Trapper'' haven''t strayed far from their base, booby-trapping the roads. As for Lawson, she has taken the high ground for a sniper''s roost."


    Tara Lawson had raced upstairs and taken the roof. Their head instructor had unslung a huge rifle from behind her back and got into position on top of the building. In record time, she was locked and loaded.


    "Lawson is going to be playing sniper," said Remy. Will nodded. Overlooking the entire street, she has a clear view over a large area, ready to cover Damian and Trapper when the need comes.


    "How surprising! The usually aggressive Red team is going for the defensive play, deciding to bunker down and defend instead of searching for the enemy base. Will this strategy pan out?"


    "Any idea why?" asked Becca.


    Will considered. "In terms of force projection, they are at their maximum. All three of them are in one place and can support each other."


    "It''s good," said Remy. "You don''t split the party."


    Will shook his head. "It''s not all good. They will have no idea about the enemy base location and leave the rest of the map open to their opponents. If they are cut off and boxed in, then it is all over."


    "I don''t know, I think there is something more," Becca looked thoughtful. "We have barely seen our instructors fight, and we know even less about Team Blue. Perhaps Lawson and the rest know something about the other side that we don''t."


    Silence fell among the group as they considered this.


    "Whoa, folks, hold onto your seats because things are about to get wild! Over yonder, across the pond, we''ve got Kade, standing tall, standing strong, guarding that beacon like a fortress! And as for the rest¡ªwait! what''s this? The Daggers, they''re on the move, folks! I repeat, the Daggers are on the move!"


    Will spotted two shadowy mechs racing towards the other end of the map. They moved in unison like a whisper on the wind, barely disturbing the snow under their feet. Fast and agile, they quickly raced away from their main base, leaving blurred afterimages in their wake.


    "Whoa, look at them go," Remy exclaimed. Will''s eyes were fixed on the flickering forms of the two Daggers as they made their approach. A pulse raced from them that shifted the snow, rippling outwards in concentric circles.


    "An aggressive approach from Cutter and Carver. The Daggers sure know how to make an entrance!"


    More pulses raced from the Daggers as they searched through the region block by block.


    "The tension is palpable as the Daggers scan for the beacon. This is indeed a test for Lawson, being as far away from the beacon as she is. She can''t lose focus for a second, lest the Daggers be alerted to the base''s location."


    "Wait, Lawson is hiding the base location?" asked Becca.


    "Looks like it," muttered Will.


    "How?" asked Becca.


    "She''s probably masking its signature with her own," said Will.


    "Not her own," Victor chimed in. "She is simulating the background field, making it look like there is nothing there."


    "All the way from the roof?" Becca looked in awe.


    "Yup," said Victor. "I doubt Kade could do that. That''s why he is sticking so close to the beacon."


    All of them glanced at the window displaying Arman ''The Wall'' Kade. Arman had his massive arms folded over his chest as he gazed out of the window, looking completely at ease.


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    "And there you have it, folks, two completely different strategies adopted by both teams. Team Blue making aggressive advances, not even bothering with traps as they search for their opponents. Cutter and Carver are closing in on Team Blue. Who will get who first? Would the Daggers prevail or fall prey to Red''s traps?"


    The Daggers were getting closer to Damian and Trapper, who had split up to cover more ground. It was really unfortunate timing. The Daggers flitted from shadow to shadow as they made their way down the block and were steadily making their way towards Trapper, who was alone in a side alley.


    "Here we go," whispered Remy.


    Will gripped his forearm as the tension ratcheted up. It was Cutter who had noticed Trapper first, and he signaled Carver to follow him closely. Both of them disappeared into the shadows, and there was a flicker of movement as the two midnight-blue mechs crept silently towards Cline, who seemed oblivious to their presence.


    The cadets held their breath as the Daggers moved for their ambush. It looked like Trapper would be the one who was trapped. Just as they were about to make their move, there was a crack followed by a sonic boom. The ground exploded and cratered where the Daggers had been standing earlier.


    "Incredible! Did you hear that? Red Team, Tara Lawson lays down the law! Firing the first shot of the match. Her monstrous rifle is something to reckon with, unleashing havoc at every pull."


    Trapper took the chance to retreat. He weaved through the trapped areas as he made his way to Damian, ignoring the two charging shadow mechs behind him.


    The Daggers were no slouches. They easily kept up with Trapper, copying his movements and dodging the many traps that were set for them. Cutter was moving ahead, his mech smoking a little. He hadn''t gone completely unscathed from Lawson''s attack and was moving slower than usual. He jumped over a patch of snow that Trapper hadn''t bothered avoiding but immediately stiffened when he felt a pulse coming from Cline.


    The snow exploded from under Cutter''s feet, and the midnight-blue mech barely dodged the full brunt of the IED. Trapper had only pretended to avoid the traps before, since he had just started with this section of the road. In fact, he had just triggered the only bomb he had managed to rig up on this street.


    "Baited! Cline cunningly strings along the Daggers, but Cutter seems to have gotten out relatively unscathed and is looking to pursue."


    A thunderous crack echoed through the arena.


    "BOOM! Lawson is on point, vexing the Daggers at every turn. The duo are still on Trapper''s heels, but he is quickly gaining distance."


    Will watched Trapper retreat down a side alley. The Daggers were relentless in their pursuit. Despite Lawson raining down bullets on them, they dodged the blasts as they kept up with Cline.


    "The chase is on! The Daggers, undeterred, are hot on Trapper''s heels. Oh! Another explosion from Lawson, dodged by a hair''s breadth! The resilience! The agility!"


    Steam hissed from Cutter''s mech, which had taken the brunt of most of the blasts. Lawson laid cover fire for Cline, and craters were blasted into the sidewalk as the two mechs were forced to use the surrounding buildings as cover as they pursued.


    "Hot damn! They are going at it!" Remy exclaimed. The situation was getting intense.


    Will glanced at the upper right of the map and saw Damian was on the move. His cousin was the only one in the field in a CAD suit but moved with the speed of someone in a mech.


    Trapper, alerted to Damian''s presence, took a sharp turn to the right and towards a side alley. A few twists and turns later, Trapper and the Gecko were united once again.


    "Would you look at that? The Red team is back again and ready to flip the script. What started as a two-on-one ambush from the Daggers will soon turn into a two-on-two ultimate showdown!"


    The sudden flight of Trapper didn''t faze the Blue team Daggers, but something must have clued them in when they turned around the corner to the small alley. The Daggers had charged their field to the maximum, expecting an ambush.


    They were vindicated when bullets bounced off their field and pinged off their metal frame as Damian and Cline unloaded their mags on them. The Daggers didn''t waste time and blurred into action. Blades at the ready, they prepared to cut the Red team down.


    Damian tossed his rifle at Carver and brought out his twin blades. In a whirlwind of steel, Damian was on Carver, cutting and slashing. The shadowy mech could barely keep up with Damian''s speed and was immediately put on the defensive. With a pair of daggers, Carver parried Damian''s attacks, but Damian had the reach advantage and was slowly pushing Carver back.


    Trapper wasn''t faring so well. Cutter was on him the moment he had rounded the corner. The midnight-blue mech moved with calculated precision, and Trapper was slowly backing away down the alley. Sensing a trap, Cutter juked to the left as a booby trap went off under his feet. In the blink of an eye, Cutter was back on Trapper, shearing off the protective plating of the smaller mech.


    "Look at them go, folks! The speed, the precision. It doesn''t get any better than this!" the announcer yelled.


    "Come on, Team Red!" Remy yelled. Will had his hand pressed against the glass as the intensity of the battle increased. Cheers and whoops filled the watchtower as the cadets yelled encouragement.


    A shockwave shook the alley as Lawson fired her gun again. Cutter was forced to disengage, and Trapper got some breathing room. Damian''s foot blurred in a flash and landed on Carver''s chest plate. The outer plating caved in, and the mech was sent flying down the alleyway.


    Both Daggers reoriented themselves as Damian and Trapper retreated. The Daggers followed them, but Cutter, sensing a trap, unslung his rifle. He had fallen for the same trap throughout the match and had wised up. He sprayed the road ahead, and there was a ping as he struck one of the bombs planted in the snow.


    "What a twist! Cutter saw the trap coming a mile away. The road ahead is booby-trapped to the max. They won''t be getting across without setting them off."


    Carver didn''t waste any time. He grabbed something from his storage and tossed it at the road ahead. The grenade went off with a bang, and more hidden bombs were triggered. The Blue team hadn''t bothered to rig explosives around their home base, so they had an ample supply to use in this situation.


    More explosions rocked the alley as the hidden traps were triggered. Some of the explosions even reached Damian and Trapper. They had to shield themselves with their fields as the blast wave struck them.


    The alley shook under their feet, and their fields flickered. Damian staggered, and Trapper stuttered to a stop as sparks raced out of his mech.


    "The Gecko is down, and Trapper follows! The Daggers must smell blood in the water and are on the move. The tide of battle could turn right in this instant!"


    The two Daggers tossed smoke bombs down the alley. The white fog rolled over Damian, and Will spotted his cousin''s fingers twitch.


    "He is faking it!" yelled Will.


    "What?" Remy exclaimed, his eyes glued to the window. "Are you serious?"


    "I know that asshole. This is exactly the time he would do it."


    Remy glanced at Trapper. Sparks arched from the mech, but he spotted nothing else wrong with it.


    "Damn! It''s both of them!" he yelled.


    The Daggers moved in and disappeared into the smoke like shadows. The Red team was enveloped in the smoke too, and there was silence in the watchtower. Everyone waited with bated breath as the seconds went by.


    The smoke cleared, and Damian stiffened. The Daggers were nowhere to be found. His head snapped to the side, and his field flared as he spotted two shadows flicker past their position. The Daggers ignored the duo and pressed onward.


    "What the hell?!" Remy yelled, unable to contain himself.


    "Unbelievable! In a surprising twist, the Daggers have pulled a 180! I can''t believe my eyes, folks! They had the perfect opportunity to take out Gecko, but instead, they are going for broke, making a beeline straight for their home base!"


    "They are going after Lawson and the Beacon!" yelled Remy.


    Will clenched his fist as he watched Cutter and Carver race toward the building Tara was perched on. Blades gleaming, they surged forward to show Lawson the exact meaning of their namesake ¨C to cut and carve.

 Ch. 51 Arena 3

    The Daggers pushed their mechs to the limit as they raced up the main road towards the Red team''s base. Damian and Trapper made a mad dash after them but were left in the dust when a pair of boosters appeared behind the shadow mechs. There was a sonic boom, and the Daggers were gone.


    The cadets in the watchtower were going crazy at the sudden reversal of the Red team''s fortunes. Will had his eyes glued to the window. The boosters behind the Daggers sputtered to a stop, and the duo started pinging like crazy. Concentric circles of force bloomed from the two mechs as they searched for the beacon.


    "They still don''t have an exact location yet," yelled Remy over the din of cheering cadets. "only a general direction from where Lawson fired on them."


    Will nodded. "It''s only a matter of time. The base would naturally be the one that Lawson is standing on. The moment they spot her... Look, Lawson has hidden herself."


    "No, wait!" Becca exclaimed. "She is doing something."


    Lawson was bent low behind the parapet, and the snow around her churned as she flexed her field. It built in a steady beat until a pulse exploded from her. An invisible wave slammed into the Daggers, sending them reeling. Their mechs went haywire, and they struggled to maintain their balance.


    A shot rang out, and a fist-sized hole was blasted into the side plating of Cutter''s chest piece, sending the Dagger spinning. Lawson didn¡¯t miss a beat, picking the exact moment the Daggers were disoriented to place her attack. Sparks arched from the scorched and dented chest piece as Cutter desperately tried to seize control of his mech.


    "Incredible! Would you believe it, another stellar move by Lawson, cutting the Blue team down to size. She just bought the crucial few seconds Team Red needed. And here''s Gecko and Trapper back in play!"


    Damian slammed into Carver in a white blur, and Trapper went after the still laboring Cutter. The Daggers struggled against both opponents and were on the back foot from the start.


    Damian was a blur of motion, and Carver could barely keep up with his blades. After a futile effort of defense, the Dagger backed off to the mouth of a small side alley, forcing Damian to take him head-on. The enclosed space slowed him down enough for Carver to hold him off.


    On the other side of the main road, Trapper had Cutter pinned with a constant barrage of bullets from his rifle. Cutter¡¯s flickering field was on the verge of collapse. Lawson had done a number on him, and the damage affected some of the critical components of the mech. The machine was on its last legs.


    There was a crack of thunder as another crater was blasted next to Cutter.


    "Relentless! Lawson is putting the beat down on Cutter. The Law is finally on the move. Leaving the home base behind, she is moving in for the kill."


    "Wait!" Becca exclaimed. "Has she stopped covering the base, or is her field so large that she can mask the beacon a building away?"


    "No," said Victor. "She is not masking anymore; she is blocking. There is a wall of her field that is blocking the Daggers'' ping. It is a lot riskier since it doesn''t provide all-around coverage."


    "So, get past the wall and the beacon is defenseless?" asked Becca.


    "Essentially, yes," said Victor.


    "But, it makes the position of the home base a lot less obvious," finished Will. "It is the right choice."


    "It seems that way, for now," said Victor.


    The fight was getting more brutal by the second. Damian and Carver were in a stalemate, but Cutter was on his last legs. He retreated down the main road as Trapper kept up the pressure.


    "This could be the end for Cutter. Cline has him by the ropes and is preparing the noose to hang the Dagger with."


    Cutter backed away with haphazard, jerky movements, using the buildings as cover, as Lawson pursued him from above. The killing blow could arrive any second, and at this point, he was just buying time.


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    Trapper charged forward and stepped past a patch of snow that Cutter had stepped on earlier. A faint pulse came from below him, and Trapper stiffened. His head snapped to the patch of snow below his feet, and an explosion rocked the main road.


    The blast threw him off his feet, and there was a dark blue blur as Cutter appeared in front of him. There was a heavy screeching sound. Cutter sank his blade deep into Trapper and severed his spine. The smaller mech jerked to a stop and fell dead on the snow-covered road.


    The cadets in the watchtower gasped as Trapper lay twitching on the floor.


    "Trapper is down! Unbelievable! What a turn of events! Cutter brings down Trapper with cunning and guile, and that too with precise timing. Lawson was out of place to cover her squadmate, and Cutter takes full advantage of that. He is still dodging The Law''s line of sight, heading to support his counterpart. Look out now! The Gecko is in for a serious fight."


    Damian leapt away from the side alley, recognizing the danger. He retreated to the main road where he was freer to move.


    The Daggers didn''t waste any time as they closed in for the kill. There was a whirlwind of blades, and Damian danced between the two mechs, parrying and dodging every thrust.


    Bullets rained down on the Daggers as Lawson took potshots at the two of them. She had switched out her heavy ordnance for smaller caliber ones. The three combatants were bunched up so close that the risk of collateral damage was too high.


    "Go Red, let''s go!" yelled Remy at the top of his lungs. Will clutched his fist as he watched his cousin face off against two mechs. Despite his bet, he didn''t want to see him lose.


    Blades flashed inches away from Damian but never managed to touch him. The Gecko was as slippery as his namesake, and Damian moved with such speed that even the two mechs were having trouble pinning him down. A blue blur was left in the air, and in the next second, a small section of Cutter''s helmet was sliced off.


    "What an incredible display of skill! Damian ''Gecko,'' proving why he is a force to be reckoned with. Taking on two mechs and still coming out on top! The advantage is slowly but surely shifting onto team Red. It won''t be long now before one side breaks, and from the looks of it, the Daggers are in some serious trouble."


    The realization must have struck the Daggers too. Cutter had been slowing down with his damaged mech, and his reaction time was abysmal. It was now or never. They had to turn the tide of the battle before the situation became untenable.


    Both shadow mechs retreated in unison. Cutter''s wrist flicked, and his short sword went flying out of his hand. The blade flashed forward toward Lawson, who was in the middle of changing her magazine. Stunned by the sudden attack, she flared her field and blocked the blade. The deflected blade scratched the side of her armor, and her field faltered. Before she could react, a second blade came at her, this time from Carver. The dagger sunk deep into her mech''s right arm, and her field flared violently. The snow around her was blasted aside as an invisible wall came crumbling down.


    "Oh! Lawson is hit! Her field is down, and the beacon is wide open!"


    The Daggers triggered their pulse, and their heads snapped in unison to team Red''s home base. The beacon''s location was out.


    "Holy shit!" Remy yelled. The cadets were cheering louder than ever.


    "Can you believe it, folks? A desperate gambit and a sudden reversal."


    Damian flashed forward in a white blur. Both Daggers were short a blade. They might have discovered the base''s location, but they had thrown aside their only means of defense against Damian. Now both short of a blade, they could barely handle the onslaught brought forth by Damian. Metal parts came flying out of the mechs as he sliced the protective plating clean off.


    Cutter went down with a shower of sparks, but he triggered a flare before hitting the ground. The signal rocket flew from his mech, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake. It burst apart high in the sky, and a red flare bloomed above the Red team''s home base.


    Damian''s attacks grew even more violent, and Carver didn¡¯t last long. He too managed to trigger his flare before going down. Two angry red stars hung in the air as the last Dagger fell, and no one was left moving in the field.


    Silence fell on the arena.


    "Is it over?" asked Becca.


    "Both Daggers are down after a spectacular fight! Blue team has only one man standing. Kade, whom we haven¡¯t seen hide nor hair of all match. Where is Kade?"


    Will glanced at the live feed of the Blue team''s beacon and found no one there. Kade was not at home base. It was after a few seconds of searching that he found a lone figure walking down the main highway. A window popped up, and Will spotted the signature blue CAD suit of Kade. His helmet was raised to the sky, and the red flare was reflected on his visor.


    Arman "The Wall" Kade spread his arms wide and took in a deep breath. The air shimmered around him, and Arman seemed to grow bigger. Not physically, but his presence seemed to fill the arena. Will felt his hair stand on end.


    Muscles rippled underneath his CAD; the ground caved in as he pushed off the road. Kade disappeared, and the road under his feet cratered. A dark blue blur shot off from one end of the arena to the other in a straight line.


    Eyes wide, the cadets watched as Kade thundered past the booby-trapped area, leaving a trail of exploding bombs as he passed by.


    He was like a freight train with no brakes. His blurred figure arrived at Red''s home base, and Damian just had enough time to raise his swords in defense as Arman''s massive fist descended on him.


    There was a deafening crack as Damian''s field crumpled, and he was sent flying into a building. Smoke, dust, and swirling snow filled the air, and cracks raced up the building. Damian was buried under rubble.


    The Wall has entered the game!

 Ch. 52 Arena 4

    "What an opener! With one mighty punch, he sends Gecko flying through the air like a ragdoll! Unstoppable, invincible, unassailable ¨C he''s a juggernaut of destruction! He is Arman ''The Wall'' Kade!"


    Gasps and cheers rang out among the cadets at Kade''s sudden entrance. The match was heating up again.


    Lawson peppered Kade with ordinary bullets, but they just bounced off of him like it was nothing. Kade didn''t even look like he was using his field. There wasn''t the barest hint of a shimmer around him. Arman calmly lifted his head and looked up high.


    The twin flares were still there hanging in the sky. Unfazed, Kade zoned in on the Red home base and strode towards it.


    "Hold on to your seats, folks! Kade has his eyes on the prize, ready to end the match in one fell swoop. How would team Red respond?"


    A white blur caught up to Kade, leaving behind a swirling void in the snow and dust. Twin blades flashing, Damian crashed into Kade.


    The two blades arched through the air towards Kade''s vitals. There was a brief flash of light as Arman lit up like a neon sign. His field didn''t flare out but remained tight and controlled and hung mere millimeters above his skin, but it was so dense and thick that air seemed to shimmer around him.


    Damian''s sabers clanged against Kade''s massive forearms, and sparks arced in the air as the blades bounced off of him. Despite his lack of speed compared to the Gecko, Kade''s reflexes were fast enough to block each and every thrust and slash of Damian.


    "Look at our combatants duke it out, folks! The Gecko is going ham against Kade, but the Wall stands strong, deflecting every single attack. The Blue team needs something stronger to crack that iron shell. And wouldn''t you know it! Lawson is bringing out the big guns!"


    Tara Lawson unclipped her magazine and went back to her earlier armor-piercing rounds. She finished her assembly in mere seconds and trained her rifle on Kade. Sensing the danger, Damian retreated rapidly, and Lawson fired. The air crackled, and there was a deafening explosion. A snow cloud kicked up where Kade had been standing earlier, and bits of concrete rained down from the sky.


    The cadets in the watchtower stood stock still as they waited for the dust to clear. Will held his breath as he stared out of the window, and beside him, Remy bounced on his feet, too excited to speak.


    A dark form slowly emerged from the dust cloud. Kade was standing there with one arm outstretched, which gleamed in the sunlight. A metal bracer covered his right arm, which extended from his fingertips to his right shoulder and blended seamlessly with his CAD.


    Arman slowly opened his smoking armored fist, and a crumpled metal slug dropped onto the frosty road. Steam hissed from the spent bullet as it hit the snow.


    "Holy shit! A partial call! We have a battle suit, people! A battle suit in this match!"


    The announcer was beside himself, and the cadets, caught in his excitement, broke into applause.


    "So this was what you were talking about earlier," said Becca, clapping along with the rest of the crowd. "I''m surprised that they brought it out."


    "Yeah," Remy nodded. "Battle suits never appear in sanctioned matches. They are so hard to regulate. Who''s mad enough to allow someone to poke around your signature battle armor?"


    "This changes things," said Will, stepping close to the glass window as he observed Kade''s armored right hand. "Team Red would have to pull out something now, or they are done for."


    Everything was still in the arena. Kade seemed to be waiting for something. In the distance, Damian stepped forward, each pace measured. He dropped his blades to his side as he advanced, and a dim glow came from his legs. The light faded, and armored greaves appeared on his legs. Next came armored boots, and soon his entire leg was covered in plate.


    "Another partial call! We have two battle suits in the arena! Hold on to your seats, folks. This fight is about to get real!"


    "I knew it!" Remy yelled over the thunderous roar of the crowd.


    "So it''s both of them!" said Victor. "Both of them had it!"


    However, Will looked pensive as he nudged Remy. "How do you think Damian got the money?"


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    Remy raised his eyebrows. "I think you know how."


    "Yes, but this is different," Will shook his head. "He can''t possibly make enough to afford a battle suit. Not to mention the maintenance and upkeep. It''s a money sink."


    Remy clicked his tongue and nodded in agreement.


    Battle suits were insanely expensive to make since all their components had to match the user''s psion signature. The material costs were sky-high, and not to mention, it took forever to make. The manufacturing failure rate was ridiculously high, and any contamination of its signature could backpropagate towards its user.


    The high risk and low reward had many considering it a mere vanity purchase, but there were positives that only a battle suit could bring. Since it matched the user''s signature explicitly, it could be powered by the user''s own internal reserves, making it hyper-efficient. It also could be stored in the user''s subspace channels and summoned at any time. If it weren''t for its many drawbacks, it would be considered the best and ultimate expression of a mech.


    "He got only his legs covered," said Remy. "Maybe it is not a full suit?"


    "Maybe," said Will, slowly, still not satisfied. They watched Damian make his way towards Kade. The two regarded each other for a moment before bursting into action.


    Damian was moving so fast that he was nearly invisible. Will only spotted him right before he struck. Damian vanished and reappeared around Kade, his blade pointed at his vitals. A metallic screech rang out as the blade struck Kade. Small cuts started appearing on the Wall as the blades found their mark.


    Unable to compete with Damian''s speed, Kade resorted to pure power. Shockwaves burst forth with every strike of his fist, and Damian had to keep well away from even the backwash of such powerful jabs.


    The ground tore up around them, and the sidewalk cracked as they fought their way up the main highway. They were slowly but surely making their way closer to the Red team base.


    Tara sent heavy fire at Kade. Bullet after bullet found their mark, but he was able to shatter each of them to dust with a swing of his fist. Most of them didn''t even reach their mark before breaking apart.


    Just as Kade reached the foot of the Red team base, Damian went into overdrive. His blade was so fast that afterimages were left in its wake. It looked like the strike was coming from every angle.


    Such violent attacks gave even the Wall pause. A millimeter-thin field encased his large body, and he struck out with a fast jab. The speed was so great that it created a vacuum in the local region, and Damian''s hands were violently jerked into the void. His many attacks became one, and Kade easily defended against the strike.


    Kade reared in for a second strike when Damian retreated quickly. The sudden movement surprised Kade since the rapid departure left the base completely defenseless. He never considered that the Red team would make such a choice. That was when it struck him: there was one more person on team Blue.


    His head snapped to the roof of the building where Tara Lawson was perched, looking down on him clad in her pristine white mech. She didn''t have her gun this time and had her palm out in front of her, braced with her other hand.


    Her field flared, and a massive pulse raced from her down the building. The drifting snow got blasted away as an invisible force slammed into Kade.


    The Wall broke.


    Kade staggered as he was forced down. The ground underneath him cracked, and the air around him seemed to solidify.


    The pulse didn''t stop there, and all the way up the watchtower, Will felt something wash over him.


    "What the?" Remy gasped. The rest of the cadets nearly fell over as the pulse continued.


    "Is that a disrupter grenade?" Becca spoke through gritted teeth.


    Will braced himself against the window. The force felt the same as one from a disruptor. It was the same trick she used against the Daggers, only this time on a much broader scale. What they were feeling was just the residual effect of the attack; Kade was facing a whole another beast. The air around him seemed to solidify and crystallize.


    "The subspace," Will muttered as he watched the air around Kade grow hazy. The rest of the class had gotten themselves up as they fought off the effect of the pulse.


    Kade slowly straightened up, and Lawson''s arms shook as she tried to keep up the pressure.


    "Hold on to your seats, this ride is far from over. Kade is not one to stay down for too long, oh no! He''s getting back up on his feet, ready to continue the battle. Lawson might have done the impossible, but the Wall is a force of nature. A few more seconds and he would break the stalemate. This might be Blue team''s only chance for victory! The next few moments would decide the final battle!"


    Damian skidded to a halt just outside the range of Lawson''s attack. His twin blades sang as he swung them to his side and flared his field.


    "Look out now!" Remy exclaimed. "Damian is going for the kill!"


    The snow exploded from under his feet as Damian charged, but Kade was already moving. Before Damian had even started running, Kade had spread his feet apart and taken a wide stance. He held his arms wide open like he wanted to grasp the entire arena, and his muscles rippled. It started from his feet and traveled up his spine to his chest. When the force reached his arms, he brought both of them forward and slammed his armored gauntlets together.


    A bomb went off underneath the Red team base. The clap was so loud that the cadets up the watchtower had their ears ringing. The solidified air around Kade broke apart, and the ground shook. All the force accumulated by Lawson was torn asunder and struck the nearby structures. Cracks raced up the sidewalk, and the building sagged. The whole Red team base came crashing down along with the beacon.


    "Oh my word!" Becca gasped. The entire arena rumbled as the building was reduced to rubble. The dust slowly cleared, and the trio became visible to the class, and deafening cheers erupted in the watchtower.


    "Winner! Team Blue!" yelled the announcer. "What a finish! An incredible end to a fantastic match!"


    The cheers continued, and Will grinned as he whooped with the rest of the class.


    "What a match!" Remy yelled.


    Will smiled grimly as he stared at Damian and his armored legs. He had lots of questions for his cousin. A lot of pointed questions.

 Ch. 53 Arena 5

    Whoops and cheers filled the watchtower. A minute had gone by, but the cadets showed no sign of stopping.


    Will clapped along with the rest of them, but his eyes were fixed on Damian''s armored legs. His cousin yawned, and with a flash of light, the half-formed mech vanished, and Damian was back in only his CAD suit.


    "Aw, man!" Remy lamented at the disappearance of the battlesuit. "It''s a pity that we didn''t get to see their full manifestation."


    "Maybe we would have if the match went on a bit longer," said Victor. "It was a close call near the end."


    "It was amazing!" Becca gushed. "Lawson nearly had Kade."


    "Hey, props to Kade," Remy shook his head. "He took on both Damian and Lawson together. What a monster!"


    "Speaking of," Will looked at Remy and Victor, "you two lost the bet. It''s time to pay up."


    Remy suddenly became very interested in his slate. "Oh, would you look at the time. I really must get going. Isn''t that right, Vic?"


    "Yeah, you know how it is," said Victor. "Busy, busy, busy."


    Will clamped down on both of their shoulders before they could get away. "Let''s discuss the terms of your payment. I''m sure we can work something out."


    A chime rang from the overhead speakers. Instructor Yacob spoke over the intercom. "Attention all cadets, assemble near the Red team base for debriefing."


    "Wow, I guess we better hurry up," said Remy, and Will shook his head. They got in line with the rest of the cadets and took the elevator down. The jog towards the Red team base was intense. The streets were trashed after the brief battle. Walls were scorched black, and the roads were torn up. The smell of burnt metal stung their nostrils, and Becca sneezed.


    Will followed the class around the bend, and they found themselves before the Red team''s home base. Only rubble was left of the building. Without a word, the cadets fell into formation. The drills were ingrained into them by now, and Will stood at attention facing the three remaining members of the arena battle.


    Damian, Lawson, and Kade stood in front of them, and the cadets held their breath. There was a newfound respect for their instructors after finally watching them in battle. The hero worship was plain to see in some of the cadets'' eyes.


    Damian looked pleased with the attention. He thumbed his blades with a small smile on his face. Will''s eyelids twitched; he really needed to get Damian talking about how he got his battlesuit. He doubted that his cousin would reveal much, but just the same, he had to ask him face to face.


    Beside Damian was Lawson, who was finally out of her armor. The ivory mech stood behind her with its chassis open. It was slowly closing itself while Lawson scanned the formation for any errors.


    Kade was standing off to the side with his arms folded in front of him. He was looking at his younger brother standing in the front row. The two brothers shared a nod.


    Lawson''s mech shut itself with an audible click, and everyone''s attention snapped to her.


    "At ease," said Lawson finally, and the cadets relaxed.


    "So, how was your first live arena battle? I doubt many of you have stepped foot onto the ground stage of a mech battle," she waved at the rubble around them. "Take in the view, recruits. Someday this might be your reality, whether it is on the front lines or taking your place in the circuits. In either case, you could take away some crucial lessons from today. We will review today''s match and see how you can apply it to your skills and tactics."


    Lawson gestured to Captain Kade. "And to give us some expert insight, we have a special guest with us today, Captain Arman Kade. You''ve seen what he can do on the battlefield. Listen well, and you might learn something valuable today."


    Lawson turned to Captain Kade, who offered her a brief nod.


    "Appreciate the introduction, Instructor Lawson," he spoke with a deep, authoritative tone as he glanced at the gathered cadets. "It''s fantastic to see such a dedicated group of recruits, and I''m happy to offer my perspective on today''s exercise. Especially the part where we brought a building on top of our heads. That was pretty interesting."


    There were a few restrained chuckles from the cadets. Remy snorted under his breath, and Will gave a quirk of a smile.


    "Yes," said Lawson. "On that note, we can begin our lesson. Let me start by asking you this: What happened in the final clash? How did I manage to restrain Captain Kade?"


    She stared at the standing cadets. "Anyone?"


    Valerie''s hand shot up, and Lawson nodded towards her.


    "Signature modulation, Ma''am," said Valerie.


    "Correct," said Lawson. "Today, we will go into signature control, the third and final path in psionics."


    "As you know, everyone has their own personal signature. It is the different ways our channels interact and connect with the layers of subspace. These connections are not static but dynamic, continuously shifting around along with biological processes within our bodies. Therefore, a signature is unique to the individual. No two are alike."


    "So, what is signature control? It is the ability to deliberately make or break these connections and access different layers of subspace. For example..."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Lawson''s field pulsed, and something ascended from the depths of subspace like a submerged iceberg slowly resurfacing from under the ocean.


    Will flinched as the pulse crashed into his field, which flared in response. It was almost a protective instinct as his body felt the foreign signature. Remy and Becca did the same, and so did the rest of the cadets. A few of them were tottering on their feet.


    Damian stepped forward and started walking among the recruits. He stopped by a few students who looked like they wanted to throw up. "Are you having trouble staying on your feet, cadet?"


    "No, Sir!" came the automatic response.


    "Then stand up straight, recruit! Shoulders back, chest out!" barked Damian. "Use your field to shield yourself."


    Will was drenched in cold sweat as the pulse intensified. The pulse tried to worm its way into his body, but his field formed a wall around him, blocking the invading force. He had instinctively been doing the same between himself and the shard, but now he could truly articulate what was going on.


    The signatures connected different subspaces with an ''energy differential''. When two subspaces connected, there would naturally be a transfer of energy, like when you touch a hot stove or grab a live wire.


    This was a rough analogy. What was really happening was that each subspace had different fundamental forces governing it. When each subspace made a sudden connection, there was a clash between these laws.


    The subspaces would then find a new equilibrium. This was what was happening to his channels. They were forcibly being converted to a new configuration.


    But that wasn''t all; he had a feeling that the psions themselves were being annihilated with each interaction. They would attack each other until only one side was left. Will was pretty sure that it wouldn''t be him. Lawson''s reserves felt limitless. She was displaying only a fraction of her prowess. This iceberg went a lot deeper than what was being displayed.


    Lawson scanned the sweating cadets. "What you are feeling is my mana signature trying to overwrite your own. Fight it with your field. Stabilize your signature."


    The radiation bored into him, and Will gritted his teeth. He felt his right knee itch. Lawson ramped up the pressure until most students were having trouble standing.


    "The deeper your connection to the subspace, the easier time you would have to defend yourself. But that isn''t all you can do."


    Lawson''s field shifted, and Will felt cool, refreshing sensations of spring that oddly reminded him of the Hallucia Mountains. The field shifted again, and he was back in the undercity, and then it shifted to the bustling floors of the Tower. Lawson''s signature went through a rapid set of changes, and Will caught brief sensations of being next to a roaring fire, inside a mech, and finally, the prickling sensation came back again. He realized that this was the same radiation that he had felt in the exclusionary zone.


    "This is signature modulation," said Lawson as she watched the cadets gasping for breath. "Conversion goes both ways. You can mimic various signatures, replicating those of locations, individuals, and objects. Alternatively, you can align them with your own signature, essentially making them mirror yours.  This is how battle suits are made."


    Lawson indicated at Kade and Damian. "It is a very involved and painstaking process to convert an object''s mana signature to your own. Unfortunately, this is not something that we can teach over this course. The small training window wouldn''t allow us enough time. So, what we are going to do is the next best thing. We are going to teach you how to defend yourself from signature conversion, which is a lot easier process. Captain Kade, if you will."


    Arman nodded and looked around at the crowd. "I would need a volunteer. Let''s see, how about this gentleman right here?"


    He pointed towards his brother, and Rowan''s eyebrows twitched. He sullenly walked forward towards his older brother who smiled happily and thumped him on the back. Arman was half a foot taller than Rowan, and he pulled his little brother into a side hug with one arm. Rowan tried to keep his face even, but the tips of his ears went red.


    Remy snorted. "I never thought I would see the day our little Kade be treated like a toddler."


    "They don''t get to see each other much," said Becca. "Arman is always out of the tower and Kade stuck inside."


    "Riveting family history, Becca, but I don''t really care. Kade is still a Kade."


    "Who was gushing over a Kade during the match?" asked Becca.


    "That''s different," Remy protested. "Right Will?"


    "Yeah," Will let out a breath, suddenly missing home as he stared at the two brothers.


    Arman had Rowan take a wide stance beside him. When he was satisfied with the positioning, he addressed the rest of the class.


    "There isn''t enough time to go into proper signature control, so we will go with a close second."


    He raised his hands and gave a sharp clap. The sound rang like a gunshot, and Will felt a short, intense pulse coming from Arman. It brushed aside Lawson''s field in a flash. The pulse was short and intense, but it didn''t last long. Lawson''s field snapped back almost immediately after the pulse faded.


    "What I just did was forcibly burrow deeper into the subspace than I can naturally connect to on my own. The connection collapses catastrophically, and we can disrupt all hostile fields."


    "This is a brute force method. You need a strong body and robust channels if you want to attempt this," Captain Kade stated. "Now remember, with this method, you cannot modulate your signature, nor can you convert an object''s signature to match your own. But in terms of defending yourself, it is perfect."


    "Now, how do we forcibly connect to the subspace? The method is pretty simple. You have to¡ª"


    Arman paused when he spotted a soldier rushing towards the class at a brisk pace. He saluted Arman and handed him a datapad. Captain Kade glanced at the report for a solid minute before nodding grimly.


    "Unfortunately, the class ends here," said Captain Kade. He turned towards the other two instructors. "I have orders to move. Lawson, Ryder, we can reschedule dates accordingly."


    Captain Kade gave them a curt nod and left the training arena along with the other officer. Lawson and Damian looked stunned at the sudden departure.


    "What was that?" Remy whispered.


    Will frowned when he heard another set of hurried footsteps. Someone wearing a white exosuit made their way towards Damian.


    "That''s Instructor Yacob," said Becca. "What''s he in a hurry for?"


    Yacob stepped towards the instructors and began a hurried conversation. Damian''s frown deepened with each passing second, and Lawson was breathing heavily.


    "What''s gotten into them?" asked Remy.


    "Something must have happened," said Will slowly. "Something serious."


    "The Revenant?" suggested Becca.


    "I doubt there was another attack," said Will.


    "Then what could it be?" Remy wondered.


    "In any case, the military is being mobilized," said Will.


    Yacob had finished his message, and their instructors stood in silence for a moment. Lawson finally turned towards the gathered cadets. "We will be ending class today. All the instructors will be having a meeting. You are free for the rest of the day. Class dismissed."


    The cadets looked around, confused, but the trio ignored them and resumed their conversation.


    "What the hell?" whispered Remy. "They didn''t even bother for a proper dismissal."


    "You know what this means, right?" said Becca suddenly.


    "What?" asked Will.


    "All the instructors are going to be busy," said Becca. "Damian is going to be busy. We can finally visit the pub."


    Will''s eyes widened. "That''s right!"


    He had been waiting for this for days, and finally, he would get to visit the pilot''s bar.


    "Hot damn!" said Remy. "Good thinking, Becca. You ready, Will?"


    "Yes," said Will determinedly. "Let''s go get some answers."

 Ch. 54 Connect the Dots 1

    CONNECT THE DOTS


    <hr>


    Will''s breath misted as he made his way through the icy east side district. Becca and Remy were following closely behind, silently arguing with each other.


    "What do I even say?" hissed Becca.


    "Just say what we discussed," said Remy simply.


    "I''m not a very good liar," huffed Becca.


    "Well, I''m sure you will figure out something, princess," muttered Remy, which earned himself a smack.


    "Quiet," Will hushed the two. He jogged the last few feet towards the pub and stood at the entrance. One hand on the door handle, Will listened to the cheers and jeers coming from the pub. For a moment, he stood uncertain, but soon steeled himself. He let out a breath and swung the door open.


    Whoops and cheers greeted them as they stepped inside the pub. The door swung closed behind them as the trio stopped to take it all in. A circuit match was playing on one of the large screens bolted to the wall. The patrons cheered as they watched the mechs tear each other apart.


    Will stepped past the boisterous crowd and made his way towards the bar, with Remy and Becca close behind. Upon reaching the counter, they settled onto the tall stools and took their seats.


    The bald bartender was wiping down a glass. He had an impeccable curled grey mustache and neatly trimmed beard. He looked to be somewhere around his early fifties and looked quizzically at the trio seated before him.


    He squinted at Becca, who had her hood over her head. "How old are you three? I don''t serve milk here."


    "We are looking for something stronger," said Remy, deepening his voice and flexing his field.


    The bald bartender snorted. "At least you are past your awakening day. What will you be having?"


    "Whiskey, neat," said Will.


    "The same for me," said Remy.


    The bartender turned to Becca, who shook her head. He fixed the drinks and served the two boys.


    Will took a sip. It burned as it went down, and he fought to keep his face neutral. To hide his discomfort, Will jerked his head towards the crowd. "Is it always this busy?"


    "Only during game night," said the bartender as he went back to wiping down the glasses.


    "Hangar-19," Will nodded. "You don''t have any pilots around here?"


    "There are always a few," said the bartender, his eyes flicking between the three of them. "What did you have in mind?"


    "We were looking to catch a flight," said Will. "Just wanted to see if anyone would have us."


    The old bartender regarded him for a second before pointing towards the left, to one of the quieter sections of the pub. "Go and talk to him."


    Will glanced at the man sitting alone at a table. He was slowly nursing a drink, staring at the match playing on the far wall.


    "Does he have a name?" asked Will.


    "I suggest you ask him yourself," the bartender said as he gestured towards the man. He made some quick hand signs, and the man nodded.


    He waved them forward, and Will stepped off the high stool. They made their way towards the table, and the man gestured for them to sit. Will took the seat along with the others, a little surprised. Things were going a little more smoothly than he had imagined.


    He looked at the man sitting in front of them. He had a black cloth mask covering his mouth and nose. There were laugh wrinkles around his eyes and a thin scar running down his left eye. The wrinkles should have made him look old, but he appeared fairly young. Will couldn''t guess what his age was. When the pilot cleared his throat with a gruff, gravelly voice, Will placed him around thirty, but he still wasn''t sure.


    "I''m called Stringer," said the pilot. "You looking for me?"


    "I''m Damian," said Will, "and this is Lars and Kes."


    "Damian," Stringer repeated, and Will inwardly cringed. He spoke the first name that popped into his head, and it had to be his cousin.


    "What can I do for you, Damian?"


    Will went with their prearranged story. "We would like to arrange passage to Koldova."


    "Koldova?" Stringer looked suspicious. "Why do you want to go there?"


    "Does it matter?" asked Remy.


    "You are asking me to fly over a military zone. They are a bit touchy these days. Endless checking. You can''t get past the ports without being probed. I need to know you are on the up and up," said Stringer.


    "We are from the Garland Foundation, an NGO based in the Tower. We were working with some refugee crisis centers in Koldova," said Will.


    Stringer nodded. "So, just you three are flying. There is no cargo?"


    "No," said Will.


    Stringer looked satisfied. "Alright, that does make things easier. When do you want this done?"


    "Two months from now," said Will.


    Stringer frowned. "I''m not sure if I''ll be available, but I''ll let you know. If I can''t make it, then I can suggest some other ships that are ready to go."


    "That sounds great," said Will. "Now let''s discuss pricing."


    Will was about to make an offer when Remy nudged him. Will felt his slate vibrate, and he pulled it out. He had received a text from Remy.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ''Don''t look back. Someone we know is behind us.''


    Will immediately felt the urge to look back but resisted. Another message arrived.


    ''Look through the reflection in the bar counter.''


    Will turned his head and glanced at the mirrored wall behind the bar. His heart leaped when he saw Marvin from the printer shop. He was yelling loudly at the screen playing the arena match.


    Will felt his stomach drop. He hoped Marvin would stay on the other side of the pub. He knew they were from the military camp. He had seen their faces clearly before, and their entire story would crumble if he recognized them.


    Becca sank deeper into her chair, trying to hide. She too had her slate out, reading her messages.


    "Something wrong?" asked Stringer, puzzled.


    "No," said Will, adjusting his seat so that only his back would be visible to Marvin. "Why don''t we get back to pricing?"


    Will made a show of haggling. He didn''t care how much his imaginary flight to Koldova would cost, but it would seem suspicious if he was so cavalier about the credits.


    They arrived at a good number, and Stringer looked in a good mood. Will smiled. "We need to get a round to close the deal."


    "I don''t mind," Stringer''s eyes crinkled.


    "I''ll get it," said Remy, and took their orders. He nodded towards Will and made for the bar, all the while keeping his eyes on the printer guy.


    Will glanced at the mirror again. Marvin was still engrossed with the match. He''d better wrap this up fast before something goes wrong.


    "So, Stringer," said Will. "Do you own your own plane, or are you leasing one?"


    Stringer leaned back in his chair. "Managed to purchase my own bird about a month ago. Curtis JN-11. Good plane."


    "I sense an exciting story there," said Will.


    "Yeah," Stringer nodded and drained his drink. "I started off flying on the Tower''s dime. Mostly gate transport. Made a good chunk of change from that. Bought my own plane after."


    "Sounds like a cushy gig," said Will. "The returns must be great. Never having to worry about repairs and maintenance. All taken care of by Tower money."


    "But there is something about being your own boss," said Stringer. "Now I fly when I want, where I want. Though, you are right about the maintenance. Costing me an arm and a leg. But, still ain''t no price for freedom."


    "Well, I''ll drink to that," said Will as Remy brought in the drinks. The brunet plopped into his seat. "What are we talking about?"


    Will waved towards Stringer. "Our pilot used to fly transport for the Tower."


    "You don''t say," said Remy. "Sounds like good money."


    "It was," said Stringer. "Then funds started drying up with the embargo. It was when the company started urging us to do our own repairs that I decided to bail. If I''m going to fix their ships, I might as well own the damn thing."


    Stringer reached out for the drink and took a long swig. "The printer shops are getting hit hard too. The Miltons used to rake in cash, but the government contracts are drying up."


    "Wait, the Miltons?" Will remembered the shop that Marvin worked at. He glanced at the mirror but didn''t spot him. "You mean the shop a little ways from the airstrip."


    "Aye," Stringer nodded. "Most of their work is in government contracts. Used to get all my prints from there. Good shop. Miltons run a tight ship."


    Will and Remy exchanged a glance. "Interesting. I guess the days of living off of Tower chow are over. It''s a bad time to be in the transport business."


    Stringer shook his head. "All flights are being scrutinized after the attack. It''s done great damage to the business. Everything is going to get more expensive... it''s a damn nightmare. All of this could have been avoided if the military did their damn job. Now they are proposing regulations."


    Stringer snorted into his glass. Will chuckled. "They created the problem and now they offer solutions to screw you even more."


    "That''s right!" Stringer shook his head. "Goddamn jarheads!"


    Remy nudged him, and Will''s slate buzzed.


    "Enough fluff. We don''t have much time."


    Will glanced at the mirror and spotted Marvin stumble towards the bathroom. He''d better wrap this up quick. Clearing his throat, he placed his glass back on the table.


    "You know, we already had a pilot lined up for the flight," said Will. "Then awakening day happened, and he went missing. Haven''t heard from him since."


    Stringer sighed. "We lost many good people that day."


    "Yeah," Will let out a breath. "Nice guy too. Flew a Hummingback. What was his name? Samus, Sarus, or something?"


    "What did he look like?" asked Stringer.


    "The talk was over the slate," said Will. "Though the Hummingback was of the TH-5 model. Modded too, had aerial recon attachments."


    "A research vessel?" Stringer frowned. "I''m not familiar with anyone with that arrangement. But if you are keen on finding him, I suggest you attend the memorial service for the pilots based here."


    "There is a service?"


    "It''s private," said Stringer. "This is just for the pilots. Their families funded it. Here," he grabbed his slate and scrolled through it.


    Will felt his pulse quicken. He glanced at Remy, who gave a small nod. The news about the attack had been heavily suppressed in the tower. The number of dead too was downplayed. If Stringer was about to give them what they think they did, that information would be valuable.


    Will waited with bated breath when there was a clatter of chairs from behind him. Marvin came stumbling forward and peered at the three of them through half-lidded eyes.


    "You three," said Marvin, slurring his words.


    Will''s heart leapt to his throat when Marvin pointed at Becca, who was sinking deeper into her chair. "I know you. You... you."


    Will''s fist clenched, wanting nothing more than to knock out the drunk. He was so close to getting some good intel, and he was interrupted. Will grabbed the armrest, trying to control himself. If they started a fight, that would draw unwanted attention, and that was the last thing they needed right now.


    "You are wasted, bud," said Remy. "Why don''t you cool off in the drunk tank?"


    Marvin got angry and pointed at Remy. "I''m not drunk! You''re drunk! Come on, we''re taking this outside!"


    Will clicked his tongue and glanced at Remy. "Why are you calling him drunk? He''s fine."


    The unexpected support had Marvin smiling. "Yeah, you tell him, friend!"


    Will nodded. "In fact, he should have another drink." He offered his glass to the delighted Marvin, who downed it in one shot.


    Marvin patted Will on the shoulder and slurred, "You''re a good guy, you are."


    Completely oblivious to everything around him, Marvin stumbled off the crowded section of the pub and joined the other match watchers.


    Stringer chuckled. "You handled that pretty well."


    He tapped on his slate, and Will got a ping. He just received a brochure and a list of the deceased pilots. Will gripped his slate tightly. Finally, some answers.


    "Thank you, Stringer," said Will. "We will pay our respects at the service."


    Will stood up and shook the pilot''s hand. "We better get going before more drunks come to assault us."


    Stringer chuckled. "Alright."


    Bidding goodbye, Will and the rest walked away from the table. A few paces later, they were out of the pub, back into the icy east side streets.


    "Did you get it?" asked Remy urgently.


    Will grabbed his slate and sent the brochure to Remy and Becca, who devoured its contents.


    "There is a problem," said Remy.


    "What is it?" asked Will. Remy looked around and dragged him towards a secluded side alley.


    "There are over a thousand pilots on this list."


    "Oh my God," gasped Becca. "How many..."


    "Let''s not focus on that," Remy breathed out. "We need to narrow this down somehow."


    "How many of them fly Hummingbacks?" asked Will.


    "Well, I wouldn''t know the exact model but," said Remy as he typed away on his slate. "If we limit to those who are under government contracts related to research and development... alright, it is down to 300."


    "It''s still not enough," muttered Will. "We need to narrow this down even further."


    Remy stared off into the distance. "Is there a way to raid the airstrip?"


    "Are you insane?" Becca hissed.


    Remy smiled and shrugged. "They would have the flight logs."


    "No!" said Becca. "Will, stop this idiot."


    Will fell silent and considered the chain-linked fence and guard towers of the airstrip. "Yeah, I think this one is a little too risky."


    Remy scratched his arm. "So, what else can we do?"


    "No system is perfect," Will muttered. "There has to be some place that is vulnerable. Information security is only as strong as its weakest link."


    "So what''s the weakness?" asked Becca.


    An idea started slowly forming, and Will looked pensive. "Didn''t Stringer say that the Miltons get government contracts? What are the odds that our Hummingback got their parts printed?"


    "The recon attachments," said Remy. "Yes, there is a good chance, not to mention all those years of repair and maintenance. They are bound to leave a trace."


    Will tucked his gloved hands into his pockets as he looked at Remy and Becca. His breath misted in the chilly air. "So, are we in agreement?"


    Remy and Becca glanced at each other before nodding.


    Will breathed out. "Let''s go raid that shop."

 Ch. 55 Connect the Dots 2

    "Do you see anyone?" asked Will in a low voice.


    Ahead of them was the print shop Miltons. The front door was shut tight, and no light was visible from its windows. It looked just as abandoned as the last time they visited the place.


    "No one about," muttered Remy.


    Will glanced at the shop''s exterior. There was a camera mounted above, which covered the front door and the windows.


    "Camera in the top right," said Will. "It will be hard to get to that one without being spotted."


    Becca tapped him on the shoulder. "We might have better luck round the back."


    "Yeah," Will said quietly. "Let''s go."


    They made their way around the shop through a side alley. There were no other windows on the side or any other point of entry. Will glanced at the sloped roof of the shop and immediately discarded the idea of going through there.


    They rounded the corner and saw the back of the building. It was just as plain as the front, with a single back door covered by yet another camera. It had good coverage, and anyone approaching the door would be immediately spotted.


    "This is a lot better," said Remy. "I could get to that camera."


    "Let''s hold off on that," said Will. "We are just looking for now."


    "So, how do you want to do this?" asked Remy. "I doubt you want to go in guns blazing."


    "No," said Will. "As covert as possible. I don''t want them to know we were even there."


    "That''s going to be hard without knowing what''s inside the building," said Remy.


    "And I doubt you can get the blueprints of this place," added Becca.


    "Right," muttered Remy. "So that''s the rub. Even after we get past the camera, we have no idea what is waiting for us inside. Trip one sensor, and we''re done."


    Will folded his arms across his chest and looked around. Snow was piled to the side away from the back door. Off to the side was a large green garbage bin.


    Will pointed at the bin. "The camera doesn''t cover it."


    Remy sighed. "Damn it."


    "What?" asked Becca.


    "Come on. Let''s go gather intel," Remy muttered. "Also, keep your voice low and don''t stray into the camera''s line of sight."


    Will approached the building from the side and opened the dumpster.


    "Wait, what are you¡ª" began Becca, but before she could protest, Will jumped into the garbage bin.


    He landed on a bunch of trash bags. Will pushed aside the ones filled with food, which had turned into icy balls in the cold weather. Underneath, the trash bags were broken bits of discarded printed parts. One of them looked like a half-finished engine block.


    Will handed the parts to Remy without examining them closely. More parts littered the bin, and behind them were a few shattered electronics.


    "This is a complicated bit of print here," Remy''s muffled voice reached Will. "Most of it is hollow."


    "Must be test prints," Becca whispered. "I don''t think they make their larger scale prints here. The industrial scale ones. This shop looks like an administrative hub. They must do small prints to showcase to their clients."


    "Or what''s left of their clients," muttered Remy.


    Will snorted inside the bin and picked up a cardboard box. He opened it and found a bent chassis of some device. Underneath were dozens of small square cards. He thumbed through the storage flash cards, his heart beating fast in his chest.


    "Remy!" Will called out in an excited whisper and poked his head out of the bin. "Check this out."


    Remy opened the box and found the cards. "Well, I''ll be damned!"


    Becca examined the cards with her gloved hand over her nose. Despite her discomfort, she sounded delighted. "Wow. Storage drives. What do you think is in them?"


    "Who knows?" said Remy. "It could be something, or it could be nothing. Anyway, the idiots. These are supposed to be crushed and shredded before tossing them away."


    "Trying to cut costs, no doubt," said Will. "They must have figured that without shielding, the drives would degrade anyway, so why waste the money?"


    Remy shook his head.


    "Let''s get this place cleaned up before anyone notices," said Will, climbing out of the bin. The two boys dumped the trash back into the dumpster and carefully closed the lid.


    "Do you think you will find anything useful in there?" whispered Becca.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Will shrugged. "It depends on how long the flash drives have been out in the elements without shielding. Let''s hope that the data corruption isn''t too bad."


    "Curfew will be up soon. We better get going," Becca sighed, and her breath steamed in the air. "Also, you two better stay away from me before you get a bath."


    Remy pretended to lunge at Becca, who promptly kicked snow in his face. Will hushed the two, and they quickly made their way back to the fort.


    The rest of the day went by quickly. They were busy scanning the drives for any usable data. Going through all the flash cards took most of the day, and the software was still chugging away when night fell. They decided to let the program run through the night, and Will fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


    Morning came abruptly. The reveille rang loud through the barracks, and Will''s eyes snapped open the instant the bugles started blowing. He was on his feet, his actions almost instinctive at this point, and got his uniform on. A couple of minutes later, he was washed and dressed, rushing down the hall with Remy and Becca.


    "Is the data recovery done yet?" asked Becca breathlessly.


    "No," said Remy. "It is still analyzing. These things take time. Just keep your fingers crossed that the drives are not completely corrupted!"


    "The drives didn''t look too bad," said Becca. "I reckon we would get at least some data¡ªwoah!"


    Becca gave a startled squeal as they nearly bumped into someone as they rounded the corner.


    "Damian?!" Will exclaimed when he spotted his cousin.


    Damian was in his white exo suit, and his helmet was clipped to his side. The gecko necklace jingled around his neck as he regarded Will with his piercing gaze.


    "What?" Will asked defensively at the sudden scrutiny.


    Damian said nothing but grabbed Will by the chin and tilted his head this way and that, examining his face. Will was too stunned to respond. It was when Damian started peeling back his eyelids to look at his pupils that Will finally protested.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Damian snorted and walked off without saying a word.


    "What the hell was that?" asked Remy, bewildered.


    Will stood stock still. Confusion turned to worry as he came to one conclusion. "He knows!"


    "What?"


    "I don''t know how he knows, but he definitely knows." Will watched Damian''s retreating back.


    "How?"


    "He was looking at how red my eyes were," said Will.


    "Checking if you are still drunk," Becca muttered.


    "Fuck!" Remy cursed.


    Remy and Will stood still, staring after Damian, who had already left the hall.


    "Come on, you two," said Becca, grabbing them by the arm. "We will worry about this later. We are going to be late."


    Reluctantly, the two boys allowed Becca to drag them away. They rushed to join the rest of the class, who were making their way towards the obstacle course. The morning PT had been adjusted once again, but this time they were having a new instructor - Cline the Trapper.


    Will spotted Lawson, standing at the start of the course with her arms folded in front of her. Cline was beside her, a short man clad in a white exo suit. Unlike Lawson and Damian, Trapper had his helmet secured over his head.


    "Why is Trapper filling in as a substitute?" asked Remy. "Where are the other instructors?"


    "Something definitely fishy is going on ever since the match," muttered Will.


    Remy gave a grunt of confirmation.


    "Hey, have you guys noticed something?" asked Becca. "Why do all the instructors have lizard trinkets on them? Look, Cline has one on his right hand."


    Will glanced at Trapper''s wrist and spotted the coiled green bracelet of a lizard biting its own tail.


    "All lizard-themed," said Remy.


    "Not lizard, it''s a gecko," said Will, remembering Damian''s nickname.


    The class stopped in front of the two instructors and quickly got into formation. Lawson scanned them for a half a minute before they passed muster.


    "At ease," she said as she looked around at the gathered cadets. "You had an entire day free yesterday. I hope you enjoyed your break because I need you to step up your game in the days ahead."


    Will felt a headache coming. They were already running on fumes with all the work with the training and the project, not to mention their side investigation. If the workload got any larger, he might end up in the infirmary.


    Lawson waved toward Cline. "Assisting me today is your new instructor. I think you already know him through the arena match. This is Cline Binds, also known as the Trapper."


    Trapper gave a small nod toward the class, and Lawson continued. "We will start where we left off last time. How to defend yourself from signature conversion."


    She clapped her hands, and Will felt a faint pulse come from her and brush against his field. It wasn''t as strong as Arman''s Kade and definitely lacked his power.


    "As someone who has specialized in signature manipulation, I can''t say that I approve of this method," said Lawson. "But nevertheless, it is effective in certain use cases. There are drawbacks, though, which we will discuss later."


    "Now, does anyone remember how Captain Kade initiated subspace collapse?" asked Lawson, looking around at the cadets. She pointed at Victor standing at the back of the class.


    Victor, surprised at being suddenly singled out, stammered out an answer. "He... he clapped his hands?"


    "Yes, he did," said Lawson dryly. "But what else did he do?"


    "He had his field out on both hands," said Victor. "He smashed the fields together, which caused the pulse."


    "An excellent deduction, Maxwell," said Lawson. "That''s exactly what Kade did. The sudden and violent clash of fields focused on a single point resulted in the collapse. The sudden breakdown of subspace sends out a pulse which disrupts all other field effects around it."


    She clapped again, and another pulse came from her. "Now, let''s try it all at once. Try clapping your hands."


    The gathered cadets uncertainly raised their hands and focused their field around them. Will frowned as he brought his hands together and... nothing.


    It was just a normal clap, and there was no pulse.


    There was a surprised buzz of mutterings as the entire class failed to produce even a ripple in the subspace.


    "As you can see, that did nothing," said Lawson. "It isn''t enough that you collide two fields together. They must be of sufficient strength to pierce the subspace. Now, try again, but this time put more heart into it."


    Will gritted his teeth and focused his field tightly around his hands. He tried to pack as much of his psions into his palms as he could and then clapped. There was a soft snap in the air as a faint, barely discernible pulse came from him.


    More claps echoed around him, and he felt a dozen pulses from all around as cadets clapped their hands. But all of them were faint. None of them had the power of Lawson''s, much less Kade''s.


    "Good attempt," said Lawson, "but it is not enough. You are going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to break a hostile signature."


    Her field flared, and Will felt it again. From deep within the subspace, something ascended. Lawson''s field washed over them, and Will''s teeth chattered as he secured his field around himself.


    Lawson smartly walked up the first slope of the obstacle course.


    "Come!" she said sharply. "I want to see you ascend this ramp while fighting off my signature."


    Will wiped the sweat from his brow and felt a sudden twinge from his right knee. The crystal felt the bite of Lawson''s signature and didn''t like it.


    Will let out a breath. This might be just another lesson for the others, but for him, this could be the most important lesson of his life. Clenching his fist, Will strode forward.


    He had to master this skill.

 Ch. 56 A Hard Lesson 1

    A HARD LESSON


    <hr>


    "Fight it!" said Lawson. "Fight the pressure and climb up the ramp. The final psionic path isn''t for the faint-hearted."


    Lawson stood up the inclined slope with her arms folded over her chest. Her field bore down on them as her signature ascended from the depths of subspace. Will felt a steady pulse as Lawson''s field washed over him, like the tide crashing on the beach, and bit by bit, it washed away his resistance, and his field faltered. He gritted his teeth and took a step forward and then another. The pressure ratcheted up with each step as he pushed on.


    Will felt his bones rattle. He tried to bring his arms up to clap, but he found that if he gathered his psions in his hands, he left the rest of his body vulnerable. If he was going to clash his field together, it would have to be quick before Lawson''s signature could burrow into him.


    Indecision gripped him as he raised his arms. Would he be fast enough? He had to guess the correct amount of power he should use, and judging by how much he had used last time, he needed to tap into a lot more of his reserves to make a dent in Lawson''s field.


    Will took another step forward, and finally reached the start of the slope. He tried to take another step forward, but it was like being hit by a wall. The pressure was so intense that it felt tangible. Before his foot could land on the ramp, Will was thrown back and crashed into several cadets standing behind him. They all came down in a tumbling heap.


    Will groaned and raised his head, seeing more cadets attempting to reach the ramp but being tossed aside just like he was. Several more attempts were made, but none succeeded. Will saw Lawson frown down at them, and her field retracted. He gave a sigh of relief as the pressure lessened.


    "Cadets, halt!" said Lawson. "Take a knee and catch your breath."


    The class slumped over at her signal, gasping for air. A few were panting heavily, on all fours with their hands buried in the snow.


    "Breathe in deep through your nose and exhale through your mouth," said Lawson. "Focus on your breath. Aim for a steady rhythm."


    Will tried to ignore his itching knee as he felt his heart rate slow down. He was still shaking, but the worst effects of the signature suppression were gone.


    "Good," said Lawson as she scanned the class. "Now, before we begin again, let''s clarify some things first. The two fields striking each other don''t have to be yours alone. Now, what do I mean by that?"


    Lawson looked around at the gathered cadets and pointed at Becca, who blinked but promptly answered, "If two opponents exchange blows, then there is a chance to create signature collapse."


    "A good guess," said Lawson, "but you are forgetting the environment itself has a field. You could clash against it."


    Lawson''s field sprang up again, and this time it raced towards her feet and slammed against the platform. Snow was sent flying, and a pulse raced through the ground. Will felt it strike against his field before it dissipated.


    "The environment has a signature associated with it. You will feel it most keenly in specific places like the Hallucia Mountains or the exclusionary zone. If you clash against it, you can recreate subspace collapse, though your field would have to be a lot more focused."


    "And not just the ground," continued Lawson. "The air itself can be struck to create a collapse."


    She moved into a front stance, with her forward leg slightly bent. Will watched, his breathing elevated. His heart thumped in his chest as he followed Lawson''s movements. The shard in his leg trembled, and Will saw someone else in Lawson''s place. Before he could protest, the world vibrated, and he was pulled into a vision. Time froze.


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    "Annie! Annie! Can you teach me too?!" asked little Will.


    Anya wiped the sweat from her brow, still in her forward stance. She had her forward leg bent and her right arm close to her hip, ready to punch out.


    "It''s a little too soon for you, kiddo," said Anya.


    "Please! I want to learn to beat rift beasts too. I''ll even know the chant and everything!" Will balled his tiny hands together.


    "Alright," Anya sighed. "Do you remember the evil banishment chant?"


    Will nodded vigorously. "I do! But why are we chanting hymns when we are fighting rift beasts?"


    Anya considered for a moment. "When we fight, force of will and emotions matter."


    "What do you mean?" asked Will. "I don''t understand."


    "Don''t worry, munchkin. One day you will," said Anya. "So, you wanted to punch, right?"


    "Yeah!"


    "Okay," Anya slipped back into her stance, and Will did the same beside her.


    "Now follow my movements and chant with me," said Anya.


    Anya balled her right hand into a fist and brought it to her hip. Will mirrored his older sister''s movements as best he could, with a determined look on his face. Together, they chanted as they stored power in their fists.


    "In darkest night, defend us in battle,


    Be our shield ''gainst wickedness'' rattle."


    Will held his little hands in the ready position, his arm bent with his fist clenched tight.


    "Goddess rebuke them, we meekly pray,


    Heavenly host, lead evil away."


    Anya slowly rotated her hips and shoulders forward. Will followed her lead, still chanting.


    "In brightest day, let our spirits ignite,


    No evil shall escape our sight."


    She brought her fist forward along with Will, their chants still echoing in the training hall.


    "We shan''t falter, we shan''t yield,


    For we are the world''s chosen shield!"


    Together, they punched out. There was a loud crack, and Will was pulled out of the vision.


    The world snapped back into reality, and time unfroze. Will found himself staring at Lawson, whose fist moved in a blur. The air snapped, and a strong pulse blasted out from her fist.


    It washed over them, and their fields vibrated with the impact. Will clenched his right knee, breathing heavily. The vision came out of nowhere, and he could barely resist. He glanced at Remy and Becca beside him, but they were too winded to speak.


    "Alright, on your feet," said Lawson. "We will try this again."


    Will pushed himself off the ground and stood. His legs still shook with the aftermath of the vision, but he focused on the ramp in front of him. Lawson''s field bore down on them again, and Will felt the pressure of her signature. He took a step forward, and the feeling intensified.


    It was the same problem as last time. The moment he concentrated his field on one part of his body, he left the rest vulnerable. If he wanted to send out a pulse, he had to spend a significant part of his reserves, which was a gamble he didn''t want to take. Plus, it was hard moving and throwing a punch at the same time.


    Considering for a bit, Will took a page out of Lawson''s playbook. He sent his psions racing towards his feet. The snow under his feet was sent flying as a pulse crashed into the ground, but it didn''t just do that; it propelled his feet forwards. Using the momentum, Will pushed himself forward to take another step.


    Remy and Becca kept up with him, but they weren''t alone. The other cadets pushed themselves forward, and ahead of the pack was Valerie Maxwell, along with a few other Shieldhorns. They had made it to the ramp and were steadily making their way upwards. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, but they pressed on.


    Lawson stood impassively, watching their progress, but Cline the Trapper stirred from his position. He descended down the slope and began speaking to each Shieldhorn in a low whisper.


    Lawson nodded. "Good work, Valerie. A little bit more, and you will be at the top." She scanned the rest of the cadets. "I see only Shieldhorns up here. Come on, are the rest of you sleeping?"


    The call spurred several students from other schools to climb a little faster. They forced their way up the slope with determined steps. Will followed them and took his first step onto the ramp. The pressure upon him doubled, and he was left grinding his teeth. Another pulse came from his foot but did little to wash away the signature pressure. Remy huffed angrily on his right, and Becca was close behind to his left. Together they took another step forward and began climbing the ramp.


    Will kept his eyes fixed ahead. His knee itched, and his vision was blurry. He sent his field crashing against the ground once again, and a faint pulse came from it. Through half-closed eyelids, he saw Cline finish his talk with the cadets ahead and descend the ramp. Despite his short stature, clad in his ivory CAD suit, Will saw an icy boulder making its way down a mountain. A few steps later, Cline was in front of them with his arms folded behind his back as he watched them struggle up the ramp.


    Will panted as he took another step forward. Cline stood there watching, his helmet and his still posture making his motives unreadable. It was a long while before he spoke.


    "So, you three are Damian''s pet project," Cline''s speech was clear and precise, like you could measure it with a ruler. Will frowned at the modulated voice that came from the CAD suit. The audio was distorted by the suit, but he found it oddly familiar in tone and intonation, like a recently forgotten song whose beat you remember but not the name.


    "Why don''t we have a little chat," said Cline, his tone now like grating metal and tempered steel.

 Ch. 57 A Hard Lesson 2

    "So, we have Damian''s cousin," Cline scanned the three of them in turn. "Remy Soto, a prolific hacker¡ª"


    "Don''t know what you''re talking about, man," interrupted Remy.


    "¡ªand a Wagner, one of the Tower''s darlings. I''ve read up on you three."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Remy exclaimed.


    Cline turned to Remy and pointed at his feet, which were struggling to find purchase on the slope. "Going the way you are, the Shieldhorns are going to be first. You going to let that happen?"


    "Tell someone who cares. I don''t have much school pride," said Remy. "Also, I can see the manipulation tactic for what it is. You are causing division so that there would be competition and you can push us further. I already know your game."


    Cline shook his head. "It doesn''t matter if you know it. There are some that would still feel compelled to push themselves. I suppose it would work better on Wagner here than you, and as for motivating you ..."


    He reached into Remy''s pockets and fished out a pouch. Remy was too focused on the signature pressure that he didn''t notice until it was too late.


    "Hey, my money!" Remy yelped.


    Cline tossed it up the slope. "There. That should be motivating enough."


    Remy, cursing out loud, pushed himself up the slope, his field flaring around him, and left Will and Becca behind.


    Cline turned his attention to Becca. "Rebecca Wagner. You have plenty of school pride, but are you capable of completing this challenge? Can you make it up this ramp?"


    Becca huffed as she took a step forward. "I can!"


    "You sure?" Cline asked quizzically.


    "Yes, I can!"


    "You know, the people that keep saying ''I can'' are usually the ones that can''t."


    "Well, I can!" said Becca, but she stumbled and was brought to her knees. Cline offered his hand to help her up, but she slapped it aside. She tried to get up by herself, but the pressure was too much. Her feet wouldn''t move.


    "Maybe you keep saying that ''I can'' because deep down you aren''t really sure," said Cline. "You are afraid the black sheep of the family might be falling behind."


    Becca froze for a moment and then desperately struggled to get up, but Cline had other plans. He poked her forehead and sent her tumbling down the slope, crashing into the students behind her.


    Will gritted his teeth and tried to take a step towards Cline, but Trapper was faster. He closed the gap until he was right beside Will. "And then there is you, William. So clever, so tricky, always the one with a plan."


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    Will''s lips pressed into a thin line as he glared at Cline.


    "All those thoughts dancing through your head. Even now, you are thinking, there must be a clever solution to this, some kind of trick, some new angle that you could exploit."


    "You must always think before you act," Will breathed out.


    "Think or overthink? Why are you still not using more of your reserves when you are trying to break the signature?"


    Will was thrown aback by the question. Cline didn''t wait for him to answer. "I''ll tell you why. You want to leave yourself some wiggle room, don''t you? You didn''t want to blow your reserves in one shot, no! That would be foolish. It is better to wait and see, so everything goes perfectly. Everything must go according to plan."


    Will snapped his mouth shut after being seen so thoroughly. Was he so transparent?


    "So consumed by your own head," said Cline. "Tricky, tricky, jumping from one stupid solution to the next when the obvious answers had always been in front of you."


    Will scowled. "I don''t want to be lectured for being tricky by someone called Trapper."


    "You saw the match," Cline laughed. "You know what they say about plans, William?"


    "What?"


    "Everybody has them until..."


    "Until what?"


    Cline punched Will in the face, and he was thrown down the ramp. Several students broke his fall, and they all ended up at the bottom of the slope.


    Will lay at the base of the ramp, his head spinning. His cheek stung where Trapper''s fist had landed, and he heard a distinct snort up the slope.


    "Good attempt, cadets!" Lawson yelled. "Get up and let''s try that again!"


    Groaning, Will clambered back to his feet. The class went on in a similar fashion. Cline ceased to interfere with the students and was content watching them scramble up the ramp from the sidelines. The cadets attempted the climb again and again, but none managed to make it all the way up the slopes. Even Valerie only managed to get a few feet in front of Lawson before falling back down.


    At the end of the class, Will lay slumped a few feet from the start of the ramp, panting heavily. His reserves were drained, and his channels burned with excessive use. Lawson had told them to recover before breaking for lunch. Through blurred eyes, Will saw Becca heading towards the wash stations. She had her shoulders hunched as she walked with her gaze fixed to the ground.


    Sensing something off, Will gathered himself and stood up to follow her.


    A few minutes later, he found Becca coming out of the washroom with puffy eyes. Her short blonde hair was a tangled mess, and she gave a sniffle before rubbing her eyes.


    "Becca," Will called out, and she stiffened. She quickly wiped her face before looking up, her eyes still red.


    "You okay?" asked Will tentatively.


    Becca gave a jerky nod. "I''m fine. Just a little tired from the lesson."


    Silence stretched between them. Both stood unmoving as cadets brushed past them. They might have stood like that for a long while if it weren''t for their slates buzzing in their pockets.


    Will pulled out his slate, and Becca did the same. Will stared at his screen and scrolled through the dozen messages from Remy. His slate buzzed again, but this time it was a group call. Will and Becca shared a quick glance before answering the call.


    "Hello?"


    "Will, Becca. It is done!" said Remy excitedly. Will frowned at the frantic click-clack of a keypad as Remy typed furiously.


    "What''s done?" asked Will.


    "The data recovery!" said Remy. "I''m going through it now! It''s mostly junk, but I got some clues. And guess what? I know a way to get access to the printer shop."


    Will''s eyes went wide, and Becca looked equally shocked. Will held his slate tight. "Hold on, Remy. We are headed your way."


    Will glanced at Becca, who gave him a nod. Without a word, they started sprinting, their earlier exhaustion forgotten.


    Will felt a chill that had nothing to do with the snowy weather. Cline''s parting words still echoed in his ears. He hoped against hope that, of all the hare-brained schemes he and Remy had come up with, this one would be the safest and sanest.


    Remy wouldn''t come up with anything too bad, would he?

 Ch. 58 Best laid plans 1

    BEST LAID PLANS


    <hr>


    Will and Becca hurried to the workshop area, where the students had been allocated small working spaces for their ongoing projects. Navigating through the area, they eventually reached their designated corner. There, three mechs in shades of gray and white stood, their chassis exposed and various components awaiting installation. Remy, who had been absorbed in the data on his pad, noticed their arrival and beckoned them over with a wave.


    Will knelt beside Remy. "What did you find?"


    Becca joined them, looking expectant. Remy grinned and passed the datapad to Will.


    Will scrolled through what appeared to be an invoice form. It listed hardware parts along with buyer information, insurance details, and other payment particulars.


    "What is this?" asked Will.


    Remy replied, "It''s a billing statement. I thought they only did mass orders, but they also provide basic repair and maintenance for specialty clients. There are more invoices like these on the chips."


    "Okay," said Will, not yet seeing where this was leading.


    "I spotted the same data embedded in all these files. They all use the same program. Turns out, Milton''s is a franchise. There are multiple storefronts all over the place; this is just one of them. So, they don''t store most of their data locally. Getting proper shielding outside the tower is a costly investment that they are unwilling to make."


    "How do they store the data?" asked Becca.


    "I''m guessing it''s probably inside the Tower," said Remy.


    "I see," said Becca.


    "They are paying to get a connection to the tower network from out here?" Will whistled. "That must cost them a fortune."


    "Most companies probably have them. It''s just us plebs that don''t have access. Can''t have corrupting foreign influence," Remy scoffed.


    Will clasped his hands together in a thinking pose. "Okay, their main database is in the tower. How does that help us?"


    Remy leaned in closer. "So, every other day, the Milton branches send their data to the tower database, around 4 pm judging by the timestamps in the files, and that''s our ticket. If we could get access to the shop''s computers, we could request old files from the database."


    Will paused. "You want to install a program in the shop PC so that at 4 pm, it uses the window when it updates to query information about our ship?"


    "Bingo," replied Remy.


    Becca interjected, "This still doesn''t solve the problem of them getting inside the shop and getting access to their computers. How are we going to do that?"


    "We can''t just break into the shop. This has to be done quietly," said Will.


    "Actually, that is the easiest part."


    "What?" questioned Becca.


    "We just need a man on the inside," Remy explained.


    "You can''t mean Marvin," said Will.


    Remy shook his head. "Nah, not him," he grinned.


    "Then who?" asked Becca.


    Remy told them, and they sat in silence for a moment.


    "Oh boy," sighed Will, and rubbed his stinging cheek. "Yes, it has a very good chance of working."


    "So, what are we waiting for?" Remy grinned. "Let''s get to work."


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Will grimaced as he trudged through the snow. The morning training still had him sore, and his right leg twitched at random intervals. Remy and Becca were close behind him as they made their way towards Milton''s.


    The shop remained as unpopular as ever, its windows dark from afar, and its door tightly shut. Will let out a nervous breath, watching it steam in the cold air.


    "You ready?" asked Becca beside him.


    "As I''ll ever be," muttered Will as he opened the door to the print shop. The familiar sound of an arena battle filled the store. Will stepped in, finding it a little odd that the match was playing at full volume.


    Becca followed Will inside, and Remy discreetly fell behind the duo. Will gave a quick glance around the shop.


    "Do you see it?" Becca murmured. Will shook his head and approached the counter, where Marvin was seated, leaning back in his chair.


    "Come on! Come on! You have him!" yelled Marvin. He was so engrossed in the game that it took a full minute for him to notice Will standing there.


    "You three?!" he looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"


    Will shrugged. "We were in the area and thought we should drop by."


    Marvin rolled his eyes. "Listen, kid, I thought I made myself clear last time. We don''t do small orders. You''d have better luck at the other shops."


    "Maybe, but since you are the biggest supplier here, you could put in a good word for us," Will suggested.


    Marvin chuckled and shook his head, then turned back to his game. "This is our second meeting, and you already want to trade in my name?"


    Becca shifted beside Will and nudged Remy. She jerked her head towards the far wall, and Will spotted the tiny robot dog scratching its ears with its front paws. Remy slowly backed away from the group, and Becca slid to the side to hide him better.


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    Will leaned forward on the counter, blocking Marvin further. "We are just doing our final year project," he explained, pointing at the screen. "Thinking of adding on a dual-core engine like Romanof."


    "Dual on your first build?" Marvin whistled, his eyes still fixed on the game. "Ambitious."


    "Hey, go big or go home, right?" Will recited Romanof''s tagline, and Marvin perked up. A smile tugged at Will''s lips; it looked like he found a fan.


    "If you''re going for the dual-core, I hope you''re not going to cheap out and go for T12, ''cause that would be disappointing," said Marvin, now more invested in the conversation.


    "What do you take me for, Sprint-1000 or nothing," said Will.


    "Hey, my man," Marvin offered him a fist bump. "So, what''s your take on the match? Reckon Romanof got it in the bag?"


    "I don''t know," Will shrugged. "He is against Tremor. He has been on a streak of late."


    "Come off it," Marvin scoffed. "Tremor has nothing on him."


    "Tell that to Romanof; looks like he''s in a bit of trouble," Will remarked.


    Marvin cursed as the fight on the screen got more intense. Will sneaked a peek at Remy, who was squatted beside the tiny robot dog. The little pup yipped in delight, and Marvin glanced over Will''s shoulder. "Where is that dog now?"


    He made to get up when Becca gasped and pointed at the screen.


    "What?" asked Marvin, jerking his head back to the monitor. "What happened?"


    "Romanof nearly had Tremor," Will explained. The match intensified, and Marvin was back to yelling encouragement at the screen. Romanof brought down Tremor in a flourish, and the crowd erupted in cheers.


    Marvin smirked at Will. "See, what did I tell you?"


    Will sighed and raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, you got me. Romanof is indeed the best."


    "Damn right," Marvin grinned.


    Will glanced behind and spotted Remy striding towards them. The robot dog trotted at his feet with an adoring look on its metallic face, and Remy flashed Will a grin.


    Will breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back to Marvin. "I heard there was a print shop two blocks down."


    "Yes, Scan Emporium," said Marvin.


    "Yeah, I''ll be sure to tell them that you sent us their way," Will replied.


    Marvin chuckled. "You do that then." He turned back to his game, and Will silently gestured to the others to leave the shop.


    They followed Will out of the store, and Becca gave Remy a pointed look, who made a zipping motion with his lips. They didn''t speak a word until they were well away from the shop and had put a considerable distance between them.


    Impatiently, Becca turned to Remy. "So?"


    Remy brought out his slate, and on it was a camera feed. It was close to the ground and tiny excited yips sounded from the other end. The robot dog entered the shop proper and headed into the back office.


    Through the camera feed, Will saw the rows of computer hardware.


    Remy grinned. "We are so in."


    The trio quickly made their way back to the fort. Remy had the robot pup connect to the cluster and discreetly install his program. It was primed and ready to go. Fifteen minutes later, they were back in the quad, jogging in formation in their mech suits.


    "When do we get the info out?" asked Becca impatiently over the CAD.


    "Would you relax," said Remy. "It''s not even 4 o''clock yet."


    Will placed his hand over the metallic chest plate, trying to feel his rapidly beating heart. Consulting his HUD for the time, he noted it was quarter past two. It wouldn''t be long before they obtained their answers.


    The drill master had them march at double time, and they entered the BUA. The abandoned city battle zone was rundown as ever, with the recently collapsed building only adding to the aesthetic.


    Instructor Yacob was waiting for them at the base of the watchtower, in his customary ivory CAD suit.


    "Alright, you baby birds," he addressed the class, his tone light and a lot less formal than their other instructors. "You know what''s coming. Split up into teams of three, and we can start your arena battle."


    Will, Remy, and Becca stuck together, and for the next hour, they fumbled through their mock battles. Of the five matches, they had won three. By the time they were done with the final match, their mechs'' outer plating was smoking.


    Instructor Yacob finally announced their match over, and Will slumped against a dilapidated wall, panting heavily. Remy and Becca fell in beside him, both equally tired.


    Becca sounded breathless over the CAD coms. "We almost had the last one."


    Remy, for once, didn''t have any quippy comments; he was too tired to even speak.


    "What''s the time?" asked Will, breathing hard.


    "Half past three," said Becca. "Thirty minutes to go before the print shop updates itself."


    Will gave a small nod as he glanced around at the other recovering cadets. Instructor Yacob was standing between them. He gave them a couple of minutes to clear their heads before speaking.


    "Well done, cadets. That was an excellent showing for your first match. We will have many more mock battles tomorrow. You are going to need all the practice for your certification exam."


    Will perked up at the mention of their course credit. Remy finally stirred beside him, and Becca sat up straight.


    "Speaking of certification, I have an announcement to make. Due to unforeseen circumstances, your exam has been rescheduled to take place two days from now."


    "What?" Remy exclaimed. The cadets broke out into surprised chatter at the pronouncement.


    Yacob raised his hand placatingly. "I understand that this change may come as a surprise to you, but I have no doubt in my mind that every single one of you will pass. You have shown excellent improvement over the course, and you are more than ready to take the certification exam."


    Remy whispered, "That''s a translation; they are willing to nudge the results if they have to. What is going on?"


    Will frowned. Their instructors had sped up their training ever since Kade''s reneged on their training day. Something had come up that caused the military worry, and now it was trickling down to their training.


    "Wait a minute," said Will suddenly. "Doesn''t this mean that we have only two days to get the info out of the shop? They are going to ship us back into the Tower after the course, and we would lose access to the outside network."


    "Lucky that we made it just in time," said Remy. "In half an hour, we will have our answers one way or the other."


    "Yeah," said Will.


    Yacob dismissed the class, and Will, Remy, and Becca retreated to their workshop once again. Will adjusted the shielding on the central chip housing. The calibration was a little off, and it would take several hours of fine-tuning to get it into an acceptable state.


    Becca appeared at his side and examined the mechs. "How''s it going?"


    "Nearly done," said Will. "We can install the chips tomorrow."


    "That''s good," said Becca as she placed one hand on her mech''s chassis.


    Will glanced at his slate; it was two minutes to four. "Remy?"


    "On it," said the brunette, and he brought out his slate. "We should be receiving a ping any minute now."


    They waited together, their gaze fixed on the slate. Seconds passed, with Will silently counting down to four o''clock.


    When the clock finally struck four, Will looked expectantly at the pad, but nothing happened.


    Becca looked confused. "Is something wrong?"


    "Give it a minute," muttered Remy. He checked for the connection, and it was still there. Will felt a growing sense of unease as the minutes ticked by.


    "What''s happening?" asked Becca. "Is something wrong with the code?"


    "Nothing is wrong with the code," said Remy.


    Will brought out his slate. "Remy, the program that gave me that masks calls is still operational, right?"


    "Yeah," he said. "Why?"


    "I''m going to call the shop."


    "Whoa, whoa!" Remy protested, but Will had already dialed the number. Marvin answered the call.


    Will lowered his voice by an octave. "Is this Miltons?"


    "Yes," said Marvin uncertainly.


    "I had an order of precision servo-actuators from you all a few months back," Will continued. "We had a bit of an accident, and there are a few blanks in our records."


    "Right," Marvin acknowledged.


    "Yes, I need a duplicate of our purchase invoice. I have the order number with me right now."


    "Um... you''ve caught us at a bad time, Mr...." Marvin prompted.


    "Neeson," finished Will.


    "Neeson," Marvin confirmed. "Our head of procurement is away at the moment. So it will take a while for me to get back to you on that."


    "How long?" asked Will.


    "No more than two days," said Marvin.


    "Wait, what? Two days!" Will''s eyes went wide, and Remy and Becca looked stunned.


    "Yes, no sooner than that. He will be back definitely before four. So you can contact us then. Anything else I can help you with?"


    "No," said Will. "Thank you for your time." He ended the call and looked at Remy and Becca, who looked equally stunned.


    Two days from now, they had their exams, and from the looks of it, they would have to hack Milton''s in the middle of an arena battle.


    "Well, shit!"

 Ch. 59 Best laid plans 2

    Will shielded his face from the fast-falling snow. Rubbing his hands together, he jogged the rest of the way to the barracks. He entered the blocky building and navigated through the corridors until he reached the dormitory and found Becca pacing and biting her fingernails.


    "Becca," Will called out, finally breaking her out of her reverie.


    "Will, I have news," said Becca.


    "So do I," said Will. "Where is Remy?"


    "He said he would be here in a minute. Oh, there he is," said Becca, looking past Will.


    Gasping for breath, Remy entered the dormitory clutching a stitch in his side.


    "Did you find anything?" asked Will, and Remy nodded.


    "Why don''t you two go first," panted Remy. "I need a minute."


    Becca dove straight into the matter. "I''ve asked around," she began, "The exam will be an arena battle."


    Will nodded. "I guessed as much."


    "Yes, but it''s not your standard squad layout," said Becca. "Instead of two teams of three fighting it out, we are going to have a team of six fighting each other."


    "Probably to reduce the number of matches," said Will, looking thoughtful. "Anyway, about the shop, I did some snooping. Milton''s owner had taken off. There was some kind of family emergency, and no one is updating the documents. Marvin was pretty certain that the owner would return early on exam day though."


    Becca nodded and then turned to Remy, who was still catching his breath. He coughed and straightened up. "You are not going to like the news I got," he sighed.


    "We have to hear it anyway," said Will, "so spill."


    Remy let out a breath. "The exam will start at around three. But we will have to move out from the fort by two."


    "Out of the fort?" asked Becca. "Why are we going out of the fort?"


    "I went by the motor transport section and was able to wiggle some information," said Remy. "We are going to have an outing tomorrow with all the cadets. They are loading up the vehicles even right now. So guess where they are taking us."


    Remy looked at the two of them before answering.


    "The exclusionary zone. Or at least the outskirts of it."


    Will''s face fell, and Becca looked confused. "What''s wrong?"


    "The zone is outside the network," said Will.


    Becca still looked confused, but as the seconds ticked by, her expression turned grave. The full scope of the problem became clear to her.


    "No net means..."


    "No access..." finished Remy.


    "How are we supposed to connect to Milton''s all the way from out there?" muttered Will.


    A moment of silence passed among the three before Remy spoke. "I have an idea. But it''s..."


    Remy hesitated, but Will urged him on. "The situation is already FUBAR. You might as well tell me what you think."


    Remy told them, followed by a moment of stunned silence.


    "That is stupid," said Becca.


    "Yes, it is," said Remy. "But it might be our only shot."


    They looked at Will, who rubbed his forehead. He dropped his hand and considered the two of them. Both looked determined.


    "Let''s do it," said Will.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    The rest of the day was a mad rush as the three scrambled to get things ready. Night came and went, and the following day preparation for the exam was underway. Around half-past two, they were gathered and stuffed into LTTVs, and the convoy left the fort.


    Will swayed in the seats of the armored bus, and Remy was fast asleep beside him. The brunet had worked through the night coding and was barely coherent in the morning. Becca sat a little ways off, her head also drooping.


    Will shifted in his seat, wondering if they had done enough. He nervously reached for the device in his pocket but caught himself at the last moment. Exhaling slowly, Will checked his slate instead. It had been linked to the fort''s network, and he observed the signal bars tick down the further they moaved away from the fort. Fifteen minutes later, the signal vanished entirely.


    That was it; they were out of the network. Will stared at the dead signal bar for a long while before stuffing his slate back in his pocket.


    The next hour passed in silence. No one seemed in a mood to talk, and the droning of the bus was loud enough to drown out any conversation. When the bus finally came to a stop, the sudden absence of the noise jerked Remy awake. Becca stirred out of her stupor in the seats ahead and straightened up.


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    There were three loud taps on the side of the bus.


    "Disembark! Move out of the bus!" came a yell from one of the soldiers escorting them, and the cadets trooped out of the LTTV. Will stepped out of the armored transport and blinked at the sunlight reflecting off the snow.


    Dilapidated buildings surrounded them, covered in snow. High rises loomed a few blocks distant, and Will sensed the familiar hint of radiation lingering in the air. It wasn''t as severe as in the exclusionary zone, and he judged that they were still quite a ways from the old capital.


    "Alright, Cadets!" yelled Instructor Yacob. "You are in the outskirts of the exclusionary zone. Your certification exam will be held here, so make sure to shield yourself properly at all times. Is that understood?"


    There was a chorus of affirmation from the cadets, and Yacob nodded. "Now, fall in. Follow me in single file."


    Will and the rest of the cadets trooped after Yacob into the abandoned city. They approached a fortified building that looked much better maintained than the rest of the structures. As soon as they stepped into the building, they felt the faint tingle of the irradiated air disappear. The insides were neat and orderly, and the layout looked similar to the ones in Fort Thornfield.


    Remy groaned beside Will, and he patted the brunet on the back.


    "What time is it?" Remy yawned.


    "Half past three," said Will.


    "Almost time," muttered Becca.


    The three followed Yacob into a large, open room. Chairs were set to the side, stacked on top of each other, and on the wall, a large screen was mounted.


    Yacob stopped halfway into the room and addressed the cadets once again. "Now, before we go any further, you need to be apprised of a few changes in the arena battle. Up to this point, you''ve been engaging in battles in a 3v3 format, honing your skills and teamwork. But now, we''re shifting to a 6v6 setup, doubling the size of the teams. And that''s not all. Each team will be entrusted with not one, but two beacons to guard. Lose both beacons, and it will be considered a match loss."


    The cadets muttered at the pronouncement.


    "Stay sharp, stay focused. Just remember your training and you will do fine," said Instructor Yacob. "And finally, there were some last-minute changes to your team compositions. Confirm your current team for the upcoming battle."


    Yacob gestured to the monitor behind him, and it sprang to life, displaying a list of teams. Will found theirs quickly enough.


    Team Iron:


    Rebecca Wagner


    Remy Soto


    William Dunn


    "At least they didn''t separate us," Remy muttered. "Hey, look at the team next to ours. It''s Kade."


    Will glanced back at the screen.


    Team Rampart:


    Patricia Wagner


    Rowan Kade


    Victor Maxwell


    "When did Victor end up in Kade''s team?" asked Becca.


    "I''m not too thrilled about it myself," came a grumble.


    "Victor!" Remy exclaimed as the round-faced boy slid up to them. "What happened?"


    "Kade''s cronies were messing around in their mechs. My team was unlucky to be next to them. Most of them are in the infirmary, and now the teams had to be reshuffled."


    "That sucks, Vic," said Remy.


    "Tell me about it," grumbled Victor. "I hope there aren''t any more surprises like these."


    "You got that right," said Will as he glanced at Yacob talking to a group of soldiers. One of them tapped his wrist, and Yacob nodded.


    "Attention, cadets!" yelled Yacob. "Your test will start in a few minutes. You will now be assigned your beacon. Step forward when your team name is called out and then proceed to your newly assigned base."


    Yacob gestured to a soldier standing by the 2nd exit, and he called out, "Team Alpine, step forward."


    A group of three students rushed to the soldier, who gave them a card and directed them to where they should go. They quickly departed, and the soldier continued to call out for more teams. When he reached the tenth team, Remy muttered, "Are they sending all of us out at once?"


    "Yes," said Victor. "The exam will be finished in one sitting."


    "They want to wrap this up as fast as possible?" said Becca.


    "Not surprising given what is happening outside," said Victor.


    "What''s going on?" asked Will.


    Victor looked around before speaking. "Don''t go spreading this around. They are trying to keep this on the down-low."


    The three huddled close, and Victor spoke. "There are massive riots going on around the special administrative zones. The military has their hands full."


    "What?" Remy exclaimed, and Victor shushed him.


    "Team Rampart!" came the call, and Victor looked towards the soldier. "That''s me! Wish me luck."


    Remy and Will thumped Victor on the back and watched him make his way towards the soldier.


    "What do you think?" asked Remy.


    "If the military is not interested in keeping us here any longer, they would try to end the exam as fast as possible," said Becca.


    "Which is exactly what we don''t want," said Will. He glanced at his slate; it was 3:40. Twenty minutes to four. "We need to stall as much as possible. Try to lengthen the match past four."


    "Team Iron!"


    "Come on," said Will, and the trio made their way down the room. Will stepped up to the soldier who handed him a card with "B7" written on it.


    "Go to building B7. Directions are on the card."


    Will nodded, and the trio exited the building. They walked down the snowy city and found their base about 200 meters away. It was a run-down building that looked no different from the rest of the high-rises around them. The trio made their way to the fifth floor where they found their mechs all lined up neatly against the wall. And a little bit further in, they found their beacon.


    It was a large cylindrical device the size of a fridge. It was already powered on and emitted a dim blue glow.


    "There it is," muttered Remy.


    "See any cameras?" whispered Will, and Becca jerked her head to the side. Mounted on the wall was a camera aimed right at the beacon.


    "Okay," Will licked his dry lips. "Cover me."


    Remy and Becca moved to either side of him, and Will casually placed his hand on the beacon. From his sleeve came a small microbot. The electronics of the bot smoked a little as soon as it came into contact with the outside radiation, but Will quickly enveloped it in his field.


    It scurried up the beacon like a little spider. Stuck to its back was a flat rectangle the same color as the beacon. The bot proceeded to unscrew a small piece of paneling from the beacon and then slotted itself in its place.


    A few seconds later, Will received a ping on his slate. He glanced at the datapad and saw a single signal bar.


    Heart beating fast, Will turned to Remy who nodded. "Signal is coming in strong. We are in."


    Becca breathed a sigh of relief, and Will wiped the sweat off his brow. They were piggybacking off of the beacon''s signal. Remy correctly assumed that there was a local network here connected to the outer web. Now all that is left is to last till four.


    "Attention base. Your team match has been decided," came a tinny sound from a speaker next to the camera.


    The trio turned towards the speaker.


    "Team Iron with candidates Rebecca Wagner, Remy Soto, and William Dunn joins up with Team Rampart with candidates Patricia Wagner¡ª"


    "We are joining up with Victor?" Becca exclaimed.


    "Kade..." Remy muttered.


    Will bit his lip. "The team is not bad. Victor is a good pilot. Kade isn''t bad as well."


    "Versus Team Valkyrie with candidates Harold Hugh..."


    "Did he say Valkyrie?" asked Becca.


    "It''s a V. V for Val..." began Will.


    "Don''t say it," said Remy.


    "Valerie Maxwell!" finished the announcer.


    Remy buried his head in his hands. "We are so screwed."


    Will let out a breath and clenched his fist. "Come on, you two. Four is the goal."


    Becca laughed in spite of herself, and Remy shook his head. "I guess we just fight!"


    Will turned to their mechs. "Let''s suit up."

 Ch. 60 Race Against Time 1

    RACE AGAINST TIME


    <hr>


    Will climbed into his mech and slipped his limbs into the metal frame. The chassis slung closed with a clang, and the helmet slipped on. There was a loud click as it latched itself.


    ''Welcome, Cadet William Dunn, establishing machine-human interface.''


    The green text sprawled across the HUD as the screen flickered on with the external camera feed directly transmitted to it, providing Will with a full field of vision.


    ''CAD connection established. G-class prosthetic limb detected. Adjusting controls.''


    A sharp clang reverberated through the mech as the protective plates shifted into place. The suit adjusted to his frame and tightened around him. It contracted until it fitted him like a second skin. A final clang rang out as the mech sealed itself.


    The mech''s engine rumbled to life and then gradually tapered off into a silent hum. Servo motors whirred as Will stepped forward.


    Broken bits of debris crunched underneath his armored boots. Most of it was glass from the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Will ignored the crackling floor and stared at Remy and Becca, who had just finished suiting up.


    The white and grey mechs came to life, and Will filtered his comms signal through his CAD with a few eye commands. He sent the invite over to both of them, and they swiftly linked up.


    "Check, check," said Remy. "How do I sound?"


    "You are coming in loud and clear," said Will. "Becca?"


    "Signal is strong," said Becca. "We are good to go."


    Will glanced at the clock on his HUD. It was quarter to four. He let out a nervous breath and shook his arms out.


    "Attention base. Mission commences in 10, 9, 8..."


    Will turned to Remy. "Just like we discussed."


    Remy gave a thumbs-up. "Don''t worry! I got this. You two keep the base clear and handle the rest."


    "Becca?" Will glanced to the right, and she nodded.


    "Come on, let''s go!" She stepped towards the door, and Will fell in beside her.


    "3, 2, 1, Begin!"


    Will swung the door open and sprinted towards the stairs at the end of the corridor. He vaulted past the railings and launched himself down the gap between the stairwell. Will sailed through the gap, stepping off each passing flight of stairs, reducing his momentum until he reached the ground floor. His armored boots slammed into the ground, arresting his fall. A few seconds later, Becca landed beside him.


    They quickly made their way to the front lobby and were out of the building right after. Snow fell in torrents, covering the abandoned city in a suffocating white blanket. Will gave a few hand signs, and they left the empty main road, sneaking into one of the side streets.


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    Will made his way forward, scanning the street with his rifle at the ready. His eyes darted about for any possible choke points while Becca guarded his six, occasionally glancing at the buildings in case of an ambush from above.


    Will checked his HUD as he mapped the area, a digital one being reproduced by the onboard computer. It updated as they encountered each new street.


    All was silent as they swept the streets. There was nothing except the howl of the wind. Will and Becca circled around the base, making sure to avoid the open main road. As they made their way forward, Will heard a creak of metal, and he paused.


    He snapped his rifle towards the sound and found another mech in front of him. He almost pulled the trigger, but the blue highlight over its form gave him pause. A name tag floated above the mech - Victor Maxwell.


    Victor, who looked equally tense, lowered his rifle and tapped the side of his head, indicating his earpiece.


    Will nodded and added him to the radio channels. The comms handshake was completed without an issue.


    "What''s the sitrep, Vic? Run into anything yet?"


    "Other than you lot? No one," said Victor. "Here, I''m sending a data package."


    Will focused on his HUD.


    ''Requesting secure data transfer.''


    Will confirmed the request, and his map updated. He gave the city layout a quick scan and found Victor''s base. It was very close to theirs, just a couple of buildings over.


    "This is good," said Will. "You don''t mind joining us, do you?"


    "Better you than Kade," said Victor. "Let''s¡ª"


    He broke off mid-sentence as they heard another metallic groan coming from the street over.


    "That sounded close," said Becca.


    "Is it Kade?" Will asked Victor, who shook his head.


    "Kade was headed northeast. This is no one on our side."


    Will nodded and ushered them forward. Victor and Becca followed, guns at the ready. They rounded the corner and found two mechs highlighted in red. Both had their backs turned to them.


    Will didn''t waste any time and opened fire. Victor and Becca unloaded their mags half a second later, and both mechs went down in a spray of sparks. Their shields kicked in a second later, and they scrambled for cover behind a rusted car.


    Will made a few quick hand signs and stepped forward. Victor came alongside him, with Becca trailing behind, sending sporadic bursts of fire towards the rundown vehicle, pinning the two mechs down.


    Will reached for his shard as he rushed forward. The crystal buzzed to life, and the world vibrated as the skill was activated. Time stopped, and a rush of sensations assaulted him. Heat washed over him, and a blast wave tore into him, lifting him off his feet.


    The premonition faded as quickly as it came. Will snapped back into reality, and time resumed. He was still rushing towards the car when he heard a faint metal clink of a pin. A grenade rolled towards him, and Will moved on instinct. He kicked it aside, and the grenade hit the nearby building. The explosive went off with a bang, blasting a hole through the wall. With ears ringing, Will came about the broken vehicle and opened fire on the two prone mechs.


    Shields flickered as one of the mechs charged at Will, dagger at the ready. The blade came for his neck, but Will blocked it with his rifle and struck the mech in the head with the butt of his firearm. The mech staggered back, and Will pierced his rifle through the mech''s shield and opened fire.


    The point-blank shot was too much for the mech, and its powertrain smoked and sparked as it raced down its form. The mech fell dead, completely non-functional. Will stepped past the fallen mech and aimed his rifle at the second mech, who was staggering backward under Victor''s onslaught. Just as he was about to open fire, he spotted a small blur fling towards him.


    "Flashbang!" yelled Victor, and the two of them leaped backward.


    The grenade went off with a loud bang, and they were blinded for a moment. Broken bits of aluminum peppered their armors from the rusted car. Will blinked as his HUD flickered on, and he spotted their earlier cornered mech sprinting away from them. Before he could give chase, there was a burst of machine gun fire. Will dove behind the car, and Victor followed suit.


    Becca was slower by a beat as she rolled into cover, her armor smoking.


    "Will, it''s her!" said Becca. "She is here!"


    Will glanced through the car''s broken windows and saw Valerie Maxwell advancing on them with her rifle trained on them.


    Will let out a breath. "Here we go."

 Ch. 61 Race Against Time 2

    Bullets ripped through the rusted car as if it were made of paper, shredding any sense of safety for the three huddled behind it.


    "Dammit," Victor cursed under his breath.


    "Mind telling your sister to lay off us?" Will winced as more of the car gave way under the rain of gunfire.


    Victor gave a hollow laugh. "You tell her yourself."


    "Fine," Will grunted, his jaw clenched as he gripped the car''s undercarriage. His field flared as he began to lift the vehicle.


    Victor and Becca exchanged a brief glance, comprehension dawning quickly. Without hesitation, they joined Will, their combined efforts lifting the car from the side. With a final push, they hurled it towards Valerie.


    The one-ton vehicle came crashing down on her, spraying snow everywhere. Will aimed his rifle at the car, waiting for Valerie to pop-out when he heard a faint click. A cloud of dense white mist rose up from behind the car and billowed towards them.


    "Smoke screen! Smoke screen!" yelled Will. "Prepare for ambush!"


    The smoke engulfed them in an instant, and Will reached for his shard. The world vibrated, and time stood still.


    A storm of sensation flooded in¡ªan impact to his abdomen, followed by a slash across his chest plate.


    Time unfroze, and Will snapped back to reality. He raised his foot, blocking the incoming blow with his shin. Servos whirred as he stepped forward, slamming into Valerie before she could draw her blade.


    They exchanged a series of blows that rattled their mechs. Valerie finished with a spinning heel kick that had Will stumbling, but she didn''t press her advantage. Sensing Victor and Becca closing in, she pulled back and vanished into the smoke.


    "She''s retreating!" Will yelled into the comms. "Going in pursuit."


    Will burst out of the fog and chased Valerie, who was sprinting down the road at full pelt.


    "Damn!" said Victor. "She was just buying time for the other one to escape."


    "If she is offering herself as bait, I''m more than willing to accept," said Will as he sprinted after Valerie, with Becca and Victor following closely behind.


    They rushed after her, determined to bring her down. Valerie had overextended herself in their last clash. Even she could not take them on, three on one. Her failed ambush proved that.


    "Be careful," said Victor over the comms. "She could just lead us to another ambush."


    Becca sent a burst of fire down the road, and Valerie dodged out of the way, taking an abrupt turn into a side alley.


    Will nearly ran past the alley, and he had to push his foot into the ground, spraying snow as he slid to a stop at the mouth of the side street. Valerie, who had a head start, was suspiciously slower as she moved further into the alley, and Will sensed a trap. On a hunch, he sprayed the road ahead with his rifle, and there was a flash and a loud explosion that rocked the side street.


    "Shit!" Victor cursed.


    Will didn''t wait for the dust to clear; he jumped through the flames and darted into the side alley. Valerie was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the street as he ran when he noticed a white blur moving above him. Val had scaled the building as though she was weightless, jumping from one window sill to another, climbing ever higher.


    Will reached for his shard. The skill activated in an instant, and he sent a large portion of his reserves into his eyes. The two linked, and the world vibrated. Time stood still.


    This time, a stream of images poured in, not just vague sensations. He saw himself moving down the alley at blinding speed, his feet carrying him up a car as he leapt to the nearest window sill. The images split into three¡ªin one, he didn''t make the jump and crashed into the building; in another, he made the jump but slipped off the accumulated snow, and in the next, he¡ª


    The skill cut off as the psions he fed the skill ran out. Time resumed, and Will snapped back into reality. Valerie was still in mid-leap, and Will rushed after her.


    He vaulted up the car and made the first jump. The window sill came at him, but he had judged the distance correctly, and his foot came down at just the right angle. Will sent a pulse of his field down his leg and blasted aside the gathered snow as his foot touched the sill. Without a pause, he jumped again to the next window. He climbed ever higher until he closed in on the fire escape. Will landed on the stairs with a loud clang and chased Valerie up the building.


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    His sudden appearance didn''t go unnoticed. Valerie paused her climb and aimed her rifle down at him. Will hugged the side wall as the bullets rained down.


    "Hold on, Will," Becca sounded over the comms as she and Victor rushed to catch up. Will didn''t waste any time and smashed his fist through a side window, climbing into the building.


    The rain of bullets abated as Will disappeared, but the quiet was soon broken by more gunfire as Becca and Victor fired up at Valerie. There was the sound of breaking glass, followed by a heavy thud. Valerie had made her way into the building just like Will.


    Gritting his teeth, Will rushed upstairs, and the heavy stomping coming from above told him that Valerie was doing the same. The relentless thuds continued as they climbed floor after floor.


    Will spotted Valerie''s shadow as she continued her mad dash. She showed no sign of stopping or slowing down.


    "She is going for the roof," Will spoke into the comms.


    "She is trying to separate you from the group, Will!" Victor yelled. "She''d try to take you out on the roof."


    "I know," said Will. He glanced at the clock on his HUD. It was ten minutes to four. "I won''t do anything crazy."


    Will rushed up the stairs, checking the floor numbers as he passed by. There was only a single flight of stairs left to reach the top. Just as he was about to climb further, he heard a click and the faintest ting of a metal pin.


    Immediately, he dug his armored hand into the stairway railing. A loud screech sounded as his mech''s metal hand dragged against the handrail, bleeding out his momentum before coming to a complete stop. An explosion rocked the stairway, and Will was thrown off his feet. He slammed against the side wall but was otherwise unharmed. Bits of brick and concrete rained down on him, and a large hole was blasted in the flight of stairs above.


    Will poked his head around the bend and spotted Valerie disappearing out of the roof access. Cursing, he made his way up and leapt across the gap in the stairs. He reached the landing and found the access door broken in half. Will flicked a flash grenade past the gap. It went off with a loud bang, and the searing light was barely abated by the broken door. Will rushed forward, ready for an ambush, but Valerie was nowhere to be seen. Will spotted her at the edge of the roof, leaping away to another building.


    "She is heading east!" Will yelled into the comms.


    "We see her," said Becca, "in pursuit."


    Will revved his engine and rushed to the edge of the building, leaping off. He soared through the gap and landed on the other side, rolling to a stop. Valerie sped away, already jumping to the next building.


    Will followed, surprised by her passivity. The Valerie he knew would already be pinning him against the ground, ripping his mech in half. Will updated his coordinates as he followed, barely keeping pace with her.


    They passed a dozen buildings. Roof after roof went by as he kept up the chase. He was so focused on Valerie that Becca''s sudden call came as a surprise.


    "Will, what''s going on? You two have been going in circles for a while now."


    "What?!" said Will, surprised by the sudden interruption. It took him a second to register what he had heard, and he glanced at his HUD. Becca was right. Valerie had been hovering about the same area, going back and forth in a zigzagging scanning pattern.


    "This is..." Will began when he spotted what was wrong. "Hey Vic, isn''t she moving awfully close to your base?"


    There was a pause in the line, and then Victor cursed. "Shit! How does she know?"


    Will glanced at the area where they had initial contact with the opposition and spotted a large tower a few clicks away.


    "There''s a tower to the south. It''s tall enough to give a clear view of the entire arena. I think Team Valkyrie started around there. Val must have made a beeline for it and spotted us making our way around the base," said Will. "She has a general idea where the base is but not an exact location."


    "We need to head her off, then," said Victor. "If this continues, she will stumble onto the base eventually."


    "She''s making her way east," said Becca. "Our best bet is to try and force her south."


    "Roger that," said Will. Valerie was headed towards the edge of the building for her next jump. Will unslung his rifle and opened fire on her the moment her feet left the ground. The slugs pinged against her back, scorching the mech. Valerie flared her field at the last moment and deflected the rest of the bullets away before she landed on the nearby rooftop.


    She didn''t spare Will a glance and took off almost immediately. She wanted to find Victor''s base as quickly as possible, but Will had other ideas. He took out a grenade and lobbed it to the other building. It arched high in the air and landed in front of Valerie, who barely had a second to dodge.


    The explosion went off with a blinding bang as Will leapt off his building. He landed with a hard thud and spotted Valerie rolling off to the side. She bounced back in a flash and took off running. Her armor, though scorched black, was still functional judging by how fast she moved.


    "She has changed direction," said Will. "Now, headed northeast."


    "Copy that," said Becca.


    Will leapt to the next building, keeping pace with Valerie. Just as she approached the edge of the building, shots came from below. The sudden attack knocked her off course, and she was forced to change her direction again, this time to the north.


    "Shit! She slipped the net again," said Becca. "Do you still have sight of her, Will?"


    "Yes," said Will as he fired a few pot shots at Valerie, who dodged the attacks effortlessly.


    "Stop her before she does more damage," said Becca.


    Will tossed another grenade, but this time Valerie was ready. She was out of the way before it even touched the floor. A loud boom shook the building as the bomb went off. Will fired a few quick shots at Valerie, but she zigzagged across the rooftops, keeping Will guessing where she was going to go next.


    Will waited for her to leap to the next building so he could toss another grenade, offering no chance to dodge, when Valerie did a double-take and stared off to the right.


    Will followed her gaze and spotted a large, broken-down building in the distance. It was a long way away, but there was a dim glow coming from the fifth floor. Will spotted the beacon and Remy patrolling beside it.


    Eyes wide, Will saw Valerie take aim.


    Will sprinted forward, yelling into the communicator, "Rem¡ª"


    The gun went off with a bang, and the beacon exploded into pieces. Will watched in stunned horror as stray bits of metal and plastic rain down like snow.


    Their beacon was no more.

 Ch. 62 Race Against Time 3

    The echoes of the gunshot reverberated in the air as the beacon exploded into pieces. Will watched in stunned silence before angrily swinging his rifle around to face Valerie, only to be greeted by a cloud of smoke.


    The fog engulfed him. Will wildly swung his rifle around as the white smoke dissipated around him, but he found the rooftop empty. Valerie was nowhere to be found.


    Will clicked his tongue, intent on giving chase, but was interrupted as his comm node lit up.


    "Will," Remy spoke over the radio, "Beacon... fried... intact."


    "Remy? Your signal is not clear," Will yelled into the comms. The transmission was still patchy as their connection was rerouted to the second beacon.


    "The... is still... chance of¡ª"


    Will listened closely without interrupting, finally catching on to what Remy was saying.


    "The device is still intact... We can still do this."


    Will''s heart skipped a beat. The bullet had missed the device, and they still had a second beacon in Victor''s base. There was still a chance.


    "Remy," Will said urgently, "Go to the next base and set up over there."


    "On it!" said Remy, and signed off.


    His comms buzzed again, and he heard the panicked shouts from Becca on the other end.


    "Will, the comms went down for a minute! What happened? Is the beacon..."


    "Yes, it is down," said Will. "Remy is headed towards the second base. The plan is still in play. I repeat, the plan is still in play."


    Becca fell silent as she caught on to the hidden message.


    Victor joined in the call. "Will, the other base will be under attack soon. Kade informed me that they have their whole team scanning their area. They intend to end us in one fell swoop."


    "And they reckon that they can finish us off before we can find their beacons," finished Will.


    "Yes," confirmed Victor, "and they are probably right."


    "Let''s move to defend," said Will. "Fighting on home ground could be our only shot. Let''s go."


    Together, they rushed to the last base. Will leapt from building to building while Victor and Becca raced down the side streets. Will watched the duo speed past him as he leapt through the air. It was considerably slower traveling from above, and Becca wanted to wait for him in the streets, but Will insisted that they make haste. Becca reluctantly agreed, and they soon pulled ahead, leaving him behind.


    Will called Remy again, and this time the signal was a lot clearer.


    "I''m at the base," said Remy, "but things are bad here. It won''t be long before we are overrun."


    "The device?" asked Will.


    "Functional. Working on it," replied Remy.


    "Good," Will breathed in relief.


    "Will, we are going to have to take the fight inside the building itself," said Remy. "The Shield Horns won''t go down easy. It''s easier to bunker down than fight them out in the open."


    Will nodded. "We are headed your way, Remy. I''ll buy you enough time."


    There was a pause on the other end, and Will heard the sound of gunfire coming from Remy''s location.


    "Gotta go," said Remy. "Get here soon, Will. Over and out."


    Will looked into the distance and heard a deafening explosion coming from ahead, followed by a piercing whistle as a flare raced upwards. An angry red star bloomed above their last base.


    Will gritted his teeth and rushed forward. Buildings went by in a blur as he leapt across rooftops. More explosions followed the first one, and he heard the sound of gunfire.


    Will landed lightly onto a building next to the final base and found Kade, Victor, and Becca performing a firing retreat into the building. Valerie led the charge against the base. She and three other mechs slowly made their way forward, darting from cover to cover as they closed in.


    Will itched to join in, but he held back. Instead, he looked around for their missing member. There had only been four mechs attacking the base when there should be five still in the game. Did they leave the last one at their base, or was he hanging back just like he was?


    Will scanned the area, and he spotted a flash of something glinting in the sun. He turned toward the base and spotted a mech landing on the roof of the building. The mech quickly passed through the roof access and made its way downstairs.


    "Shit!"


    The ground attack was a distraction for the mech coming in from the top. Will cursed again and judged the distance between the two buildings. Gritting his teeth, he backed away from the edge to get a running start. Muscles tense, he was ready to burst forward. Right before he did, he accessed the shard one more time.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    His reserves drained rapidly as he connected the power with his eyes. The psions burned as they passed through his channel, but he did not abate. He had to make this count since it would be his last prediction of the day. He didn''t have the reserves to use the shard again.


    The world vibrated and time stopped. Will found himself hurtling forward, taking a giant leap off the building. He flew across the gap towards the base.


    The image split into three¡ª in one, his feet broke into the window but banged his head against the lintel; in another, he smashed through the glass only to be tackled by the enemy mech descending down the stairs, and in the next, he¡ª


    The vision broke away as his energy drained. Time resumed, and Will snapped back into reality. His taut muscles longed to burst forward, but he held himself back for a brief instant before charging forward.


    His movements flowed like water as his instinct took over. Will flew across the gap and hurtled towards the window like a missile. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, and the enemy mech was stunned by his sudden appearance. Will bowled the mech over, and they smashed into each other with a loud bang.


    Will recovered quickly and wrestled the mech to the ground. He straddled the mech and smashed his armored fist into its head.


    A deep clang echoed through the floor as his fist connected. Will continued to rain blows down on the prone mech. It was when the enemy mech''s helmet started to bend that it finally responded. Will felt his arm being wrenched to the side, and he lost his footing. The mech performed a quick roll, trapping Will''s arm underneath it.


    Will let out a muffled grunt as he felt his arm twist in a way it was not supposed to. Deciding to change tactics, Will brought out his blade, and the mech released him almost immediately.


    Will scrambled to his feet and watched his opponent warily. A name popped up on his HUD - Ethan Wright.


    Will cursed. Ethan was one of the Shield Horn favorites who specialized in grappling, and he had foolishly tried to wrestle him. Hand-to-hand combat would end up with him eating dirt.


    Will put his blade out in front of him. Ethan reached for his waist, but his hands came up empty. His blade had gone flying to the corner in their recent clash. Both boys glanced at the blade in silence.


    The pause lasted for a second before Will burst forth, slashing.


    Ethan dodged out of the way but wasn''t fast enough. Will left a long slash across his arm. Sparks flashed as his blade met the mech''s outer shell.


    Ethan attempted to reach for his rifle, but Will was faster. They were less than four feet from each other. He could never draw the gun faster than Will''s blade. More sparks came from the mech as Will cut into its protective plating. Ethan fended off all the attacks with relatively less damage to his core components. His long arms darted forward to grab Will but only met empty air.


    Will panted as the fight continued. He had drained a large portion of his reserves. A prolonged battle wasn''t in his favor. He had to figure out how to end the battle quickly.


    An explosion shook the building, and both mechs were nearly thrown off their feet. Sounds of battle came from the floor below. The opposition had fought their way upstairs and were nearly at the beacon floor.


    A message scrolled across his HUD.


    ''Patricia Wagner eliminated.''


    "Shit!" Will cursed as he lunged at Ethan. "Remy, Becca, what is going on?"


    He called into the comms, but no one answered.


    Will brought his blade down on Ethan, who reached for his rifle one more time. This time, he didn''t bother aiming; he just used the weapon as a shield. Will watched in astonishment as the boy sacrificed his rifle to get a shot at him. His blade sunk deep into the weapon, rendering it useless. Will pulled, but it was stuck fast.


    Ethan''s arm darted forward to grab Will, and he quickly backed off, leaving his blade behind. There was a pause in the battle as Will watched the cadet rip the rifle in half as he wrench the blade out of it.


    Ethan pointed the blade at Will. Sweat trickled down Will''s back. The advantage had completely flipped.


    "Remy?" Will called out once again, but there was no response. Instead, it was Becca who answered. "Will, he is working. Can''t talk right now."


    Becca let out a gasp of pain, and Will heard the sound of gunfire and clashing steel. "This is bad, Will. I don''t think we can hold on much longer."


    "How many are left?" asked Will. He dodged a probing thrust from Ethan and scrambled backward. He tried to position himself towards the blade lying in the corner of the room, but Ethan blocked his path.


    "There are two of them left, but Valerie is still here. We need you here pronto."


    Will''s mind raced with scenarios. He had to get Ethan off his back, but that wasn''t going to be easy. "Give me a live update on everyone''s location."


    There was a pause as Becca set the connection up. Few seconds later Will received a ping. In the corner of his HUD, a window popped up showing a wireframe diagram displaying the location of every combatant on the floor below him. He was one floor above the beacon, and he spotted Remy crouched beside the machine. Kade, Victor, and Becca were in the corridor, blocking entry into the floor. However, they were steadily being pushed back.


    Oscar, another one of the Shield Horn''s favorites, was steadily making his way up. He had a... shield? in front of him, which he used to block the majority of the fire. Valerie, on the other hand, had crouched behind him, darting back and forth, chipping away at Kade and Victor when she got the chance.


    Will frowned. Where had Oscar gotten the shield from? In the wireframe view, he couldn''t see exactly what it was. His eyes darted around the room, and he spotted a metal door lying on the floor.


    His distraction cost him. Ethan swung his blade, and it dug deep into Will''s arm. A loud screech came as the protective plating on his arm got sheared off.


    Will panted heavily. Sparks raced out of his arm as he glanced at the metal door, an idea slowly forming in his mind.


    Will feinted a dart towards the blade lying on the floor. Ethan swiftly moved to intercept but found himself duped. Will backed away swiftly and grabbed the metal door off the floor, placing it in front of him.


    Ethan paused. He watched warily before speaking through his mech''s external speakers. "That shield isn''t going to do you much good, Dunn. It will only slow you down."


    Will grunted and replied, "Then come here and try me."


    Ethan let out a snort and obliged. He darted in, trying to get in close. Will blocked him with the heavy door, but Ethan cleverly slashed at his fingers. Will jerked his hand away, and the blade struck the door with a loud clang.


    "Too slow!" said Ethan and stomped on the door, sending Will stumbling backward. Will gritted his teeth and glanced at the live feed coming from below.


    ''Victor Maxwell eliminated.''


    Becca and Kade were retreating into the beacon room.


    "Becca!" Will called out.


    "What?" she grunted as a few stray bullets struck her.


    "Lure them to this spot," Will marked the live feed with a few eye commands.


    A red X appeared on the map, and Becca fell silent for a bit.


    "Okay," she said finally and began backing further into the room.


    "Eyes on me, Dunn!" Ethan yelled as he came slashing again. Will backed away as the strikes came in, slowly moving towards the marked spot.


    Hidden behind the metal door, Will began pulling all his remaining explosives and dropped them on the floor. Ethan kicked the door once more, and Will held fast, bracing for impact. He watched Valerie and Oscar move forward towards the mark.


    "Now!" said Becca, and Will backed away from the fallen grenades. Ethan confidently stepped forward, only to encounter the cluster of bombs at his feet.


    "You!"


    Will sent a pulse to the bombs, and an explosion tore through the room. The entire floor caved in, and Will fell through the floor.


    Will, Ethan, and a hundred pounds of brick and concrete rained down on the Shield Horns below.

 Ch. 63 Race Against Time 4

    Will grimaced in pain as he lay on top of what was left of the sixth floor. They had fallen straight through the roof, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling. Dust swirled in the air, and stray bits of brick and concrete fell from above.


    Warning lights flashed on his HUD, indicating areas where the mech was damaged.


    ''Critical damage detected. Damage at 20%, and Operation power reduced to 80%. Reserving power for protection mode.''


    Will dismissed the message and felt about the rubble. His fingers found the metal door which had shielded him from the blast. It now lay in ruins, warped and twisted. Next to it was Ethan Wright, highlighted in grey.


    ''Ethan Wright eliminated. Currently under protection mode.''


    Will grimaced and accessed his comms.


    "Remy? Becca?"


    For a few tense seconds, there was no answer, then he heard coughing coming from the other end.


    "Becca!"


    Will glanced at the center of the room as the dust cover parted. The beacon glowed bright. It was still functional, and Remy was crouched beside it, working away furiously. Becca, who was defending him, was buried in rubble from the waist down. A perfect semicircle of rocks and debris arched around her. It looked like she managed to deflect most of the rocks with her field but didn''t have the energy to stop herself from being buried.


    Will pushed himself to his feet, and he saw a flicker of movement coming from the rubble ahead. An enemy mech, highlighted in red, was dragging itself towards the duo in the center. Oscar from Team Valkyrie had his eyes fixed on the beacon, ready to take it down.


    Cursing, Will rushed forward. He wasn''t the only one. Another mech, highlighted in blue, went for the enemy. Both of them reached Oscar at the same time, fists raised.


    "Dammit!" Oscar yelled as he blocked a few of the strikes. His resistance, however, didn''t last too long, and his suit fell dead, now greyed out on Will''s HUD.


    Will panted for breath as he looked up at his assistant.


    "Kade."


    "Dunn," the bigger boy grunted.


    "Didn''t expect to still see you here."


    "Neither did I, you."


    Will let out a breath. "Is that the last of them?"


    "No..." Kade pushed past him and walked toward the corner of the room. "There is one more left."


    A sparking mech rose out of the rubble and stepped forward. Its left leg moved with a creak, and its chest plate was caved in. The gun it was holding had its barrel twisted at an awkward angle. Valerie Maxwell stared at her firearm in mute silence.


    Will gave a low whistle. "Damn, Val. You''ve looked better."


    Valerie gave a dry chuckle. "Is this your doing, Will? What kind of idiot drops an entire floor on his allies?"


    "The kind that is going to win," said Will, stepping forward.


    A crack raced up from the far wall, and the load-bearing beam bent under the stress. Will felt sweat trickle down his back.


    "That can''t be good," Will muttered, switching channels on his comms. "Becca?"


    There was another bout of coughing down the line. "Will? I''m stuck. The mech is not responding."


    "Don''t worry," said Will. "I''ll take care of it."


    Will watched Valerie shift to the side. She pointed at the spreading cracks. "This doesn''t look like a win. You destroyed your own base. It won''t be long now before you are all buried."


    "We just have to take you out before that happens," said Kade.


    Valerie tilted her head. "You like your odds?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Two against one, Val," said Will. "You can''t be thinking of beating us in your state."


    "I don''t need to beat you..." Her hand drifted to her side. Will and Kade stepped forward at the movement, and she paused.


    "...I just need to beat that," she said, staring at the beacon behind them.


    Will grimaced and glanced at the grenades hanging at her waist.


    The three stared each other down, their muscles tense.


    The pause barely lasted a second before Valerie''s hands snapped to her waist. Will and Kade exploded forward with all the power their machines could muster. Valerie had barely touched her grenades before Kade was upon her, swiping for her head.


    She dodged backwards, but Will was on her a second later, aiming for her legs. Forced to jump, she lost her chance to grab a grenade.


    Kade followed the assault, and she brought her bent rifle to block the attack. A dull clang rang out as the gun barrel twisted some more. More attacks followed, and Valerie dodged all of them in her broken mech. Smoke came from its internals, and her speed reduced considerably.


    Will and Kade kept up their assault, pressuring her at close quarters. They didn''t allow her time to reach for the grenades, much less arm them. Will considered using his rifle but dropped the idea. The pause in the flow of attacks could give her an opportunity. Also, she could just tank the bullets with her field to toss the grenade. If they let up for even a second, the match was lost.


    Kade jumped and brought both of his fists in a massive overhead attack. The double Axe hand crashed into Valerie, and she was forced to raise her arms to defend. Her knees buckled, and Will flashed to her side, taking a swipe at her grenades.


    The bombs fell tumbling down on the floor. Valerie gave a scream of frustration and twisted out of the way at the last second. Will clicked his tongue. He had missed one. A single grenade hung around Valerie''s waist.


    Valerie tried to disengage and gain some distance, but Will and Kade stuck close to her. The fight got more violent, and cracks raced through the building.


    The load-bearing beam sagged, and Will felt the floor tilt. The sudden lurch sent Will stumbling, which was the exact opening that Valerie was looking for. Her field concentrated around her fist, and she sent a punch towards him.


    Will watched with wide eyes as the fist headed for him. The punch was empowered with so much energy that the air around it shimmered. If it hit him, he was done.


    A wild roar came from beside him, and Kade intercepted the fist. He didn''t even have time to empower the mech with his field. The fist crashed into him, and his mech echoed like a gong. Sparks raced down the mech as the power train was disrupted. It sputtered to a stop, and Kade fell to the floor, his form greyed out.


    ''Rowan Kade, eliminated.''


    Not wasting any time, Valerie grabbed for her one remaining grenade and pulled out the pin. She was about to toss it at the beacon when an armored fist closed around her hand.


    Will gritted his teeth as he kept a tight grip around the grenade, preventing Valerie from releasing the spool. As long as it remained pressed, the grenade fuse couldn''t be lit.


    "Let go!" Valerie snarled, and her legs came lashing out. Will blocked the kick with his shin and blocked a punch that followed. Valerie didn''t pause in her assault, but Will didn''t let go. He pulled at her arm, throwing off her balance as he blocked.


    Valerie screamed with frustration and bodily tackled Will, trying to stun him into releasing her hand. They rolled around on the floor, and Will subconsciously reached for his shard. His channels burned, and the crystal refused to respond. His reserves were too low.


    "Fine! If you want to hold onto my grenade, I''ll borrow something from you!" Valerie snaked her free hand towards Will''s rifle and pulled the trigger. Will cursed as he felt the bullet brush past his faceplate.


    "Dammit!" Will cursed as she pulled the trigger again. The bullet struck the floor next to him. In his surprise, he let go of Valerie''s grenade hand. The sudden lack of resistance caused her arm to snap back, and she sent the grenade flying.


    Both of them watched in stunned silence as the bomb bounced and rolled towards the cracked load-bearing wall.


    It came to a stop with a dull clink, and their whole world turned white. The blinding explosion sent the floor heaving, and they heard the beam snap in half.


    Will and Valerie hugged the floor as the entire corner of the building broke away, taking the outer wall with it. It was like a giant took a bite out of the upper right corner of the building, leaving their floor open to the elements.


    Will felt Valerie stir under him, and he grabbed hold of her. She heaved herself upright and tried to throw him off, but Will held on tight, trapping her arms.


    "Let go of me, Will!" Valerie raged. Her mech roared as she drew in more power from the engine, but Will held fast.


    A loud bang came from next to his feet, and Will cursed when he found that Valerie still held on to his rifle. She was now desperately trying to raise her hand to aim.


    A hail of gunfire followed as she directed her fire towards the beacon.


    "Shit!" Will cursed, his heart beating fast. The bullets missed, but it was only a matter of time before a stray shot struck the beacon.


    "Remy? Becca?!" Will called out over his comms.


    "Remy has silenced his radio, Will," wheezed Becca. "He said that he needed a few more minutes."


    Valerie fired once more with his rifle, and Will had to jerk her to the side to avoid hitting the beacon. Becca screamed as the bullets nearly struck her.


    Will grunted as he dragged Valerie back. More bullets sprayed out of the rifle and pinged off the floor.


    Valerie struggled hard against his bindings. "Give it up. Your mech is nearly drained. In a few more minutes, I''m going to win anyway."


    "Will, hold on!" said Becca.


    "Trying to," Will grunted. "But she''s right. My power is being drained."


    "I''ll help you," said Becca, struggling to get out of her stuck mech.


    "Don''t worry, I have a plan," said Will. Wind howled around him as he neared the edge of the broken floor. Snow rushed in from the opening, and he gazed behind him at the open air with a grim smile.


    Valerie looked panicked. "What are you doing?"


    "Wait!" said Becca. "Will, no!"


    Will dragged Valerie back and stepped off the edge of the building. Together, they plummeted toward the ground.

 Ch. 64 Tying Loose Ends

    TYING LOOSE ENDS


    <hr>


    Will and Valerie screamed as they fell down the building.


    "Will, you crazy asshole!"


    "Shut up and help me cushion our fall!" yelled Will.


    Both of them thrust their hands towards the ground and flared their fields. It struck the debris-ridden base and managed to slow their fall by a fraction. Will and Valerie crashed into the rubble with a boom that sent dust and rocks flying.


    Will''s HUD blanked out for a second before flickering back on.


    ''Critical damage detected. Operation power reduced to 0%. Reserving all power for protection mode.''


    ''William Dunn eliminated.''


    Will groaned as the shock of the crash vanished and his body registered the pain. The initial dampeners had done only so much, and his whole body felt spongy and bruised.


    Valerie burst into a tirade of curses that would have made even their drillmasters submit. Will glanced at her and found her mech grayed out. She too had been eliminated.


    He cleared his throat. "Good match, Val."


    Valerie paused in her curses and slowly turned to him. "Will... if I could move right now, I would be kicking your ass."


    "I guess it''s a good thing that you can''t, then," said Will.


    Silence enveloped them as they lay amidst the rubble, their mechs pinning them to the ground.


    "What now?" asked Valerie.


    "Beats me," answered Will.


    They watched the overcast sky as time went by. After a few long minutes, the siren went off.


    "Congratulations," the announcer''s tinny voice sounded in the arena. "Victory to Team Iron and Team Rampart."


    Will glanced around to find the source of the voice. It sounded like it was coming from the building over.


    Valerie sat up, and Will found that he could finally move. The protection mode was discontinued, and the mech stopped resisting his every action. Will groaned as he clamored to his feet. Valerie did the same beside him and offered him her hand.


    "Good match."


    Will nodded and shook her hand.


    "Now I''ve got to look for my team," Valerie sighed and pointed behind him. "And you need to meet yours."


    "Will!" came a yell from behind him, and he spotted Remy and Becca hurrying towards him.


    Becca stomped towards him, furious, her mech creaking with every step.


    "Hey Becca, Ow!" Will winced as Becca punched him on the shoulder.


    "You absolute dumbass!"


    "Relax, will you, we won!" said Will.


    Becca punched him again. "There''s no point in winning if there''s no one around to celebrate afterwards."


    "Alright, alright." Will raised his hands placatingly. "I just thought it was a good idea."


    He winced when Becca raised her fist again. "I was just buying some time, that''s all... I did buy enough time, right?"


    Remy gave a thumbs-up. "Yup!"


    Will let out a breath. "That''s good."


    "Attention all cadets," the announcer called once again. "Report back to base. Register your mechs and prepare for egress."


    "Come on, let''s go," said Will, glad for the distraction.


    "Don''t think you''re off the hook yet," said Becca.


    "Come on, you too!" Remy chuckled and dragged the two forward. "Instead of bickering about stuff that doesn''t matter, shouldn''t you be thanking the real MVP of the match, aka me?"


    Will burst into laughter, and Becca shook her head.


    They walked back to the base, laughing, and joined in with the rest of the class registering their mechs. After a quick diagnostic check, they were herded back to the military buses and driven back to Fort Thornfield.


    The ride back was slowed by the icy roads and by the time they got back, the cadets were exhausted. The grueling matches and the travel had taken their toll. After a quick dinner, they crashed into bed, and Will was out like a light before his head even hit the pillow.


    Night passed, and the morning came quickly. Will was up long before the morning call, and for a while, he laid in bed trying to fall asleep again. After about half an hour, he gave up and decided to get up. He finished his morning routine and headed out of the barracks.


    Will''s breath misted in the morning air as snow fell from the sky. Light peeked in from the east as the first rays of dawn hit the fort. It was barely morning, and the quad was already busy. Cadets jogged with drill masters shouting instructions.


    Will watched the scene in silence and breathed in the crisp air. It would probably be the last free, unfiltered air he would breathe before going back to the Tower.


    "You''re up early."


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    Will looked to the side and found Valerie Maxwell standing next to him.


    "I couldn''t sleep," said Will.


    "Me neither," said Valerie.


    They stood in silence, watching the squad make their rounds. Cadets circled the quad, marching with the drill master''s cadence.


    "You know..." Will began, chewing on his words. "Oddly enough... I''m going to miss this."


    Valerie chuckled. "I know what you mean."


    A beep came from her side, and Will saw Valerie holding a field reader to her arm. The device had finished its reading and flashed the result on its screen.


    "What''s the reading?" asked Will.


    "I''m nearly at the initiate stage," said Valerie.


    Will considered the device for a moment before he held his hand out. Valerie looked amused but didn''t object. She placed the reader in his palm. Will held it to his arm, and after a few seconds, the device beeped.


    Will squinted at the screen and read out the result. "Halfway past the novice stage."


    Valerie gave a small laugh and shook her head.


    "What?" asked Will.


    "Nothing," she said simply, plucking the reader from his hands and glancing at her slate. "It''s almost time."


    The speakers around the barracks came alive. The bugle of the reveille was loud and clear, echoing throughout the barracks. Will waited for the last notes of the call to fade, then let out a breath.


    "I''m heading inside. You coming?" he asked Valerie.


    "No," she said. "I would like to stay here for a while. I haven''t finished saying goodbye."


    "Alright," Will smiled and gave her a wave. "See you, Val."


    "You too, Will."


    With one last look at Valerie, Will headed towards the administrative wing. Halfway through the walk, he received a call from Remy.


    "Hey, Will, where are you?"


    "Just outside," said Will. "You still in the dorm?"


    "Yeah," Remy grunted, and there was the sound of him banging something. "I''m packing."


    More sounds of rummaging came through the slate before Remy spoke again. "By the way, the results are out. We all passed."


    "Nothing surprising there," said Will. "We suspected the entire class would, anyway."


    "What do you think they''re doing?" asked Remy.


    Will gave a shrug. "Beats me. But... we haven''t seen Damian and Lawson for a while."


    "Yeah..." There was a pause in the conversation as Remy pondered. "Things are certainly getting weird."


    "By the way..." Will gave a quick glance around. "Did you get a chance to check the, you-know-what?"


    "Yeah," said Remy. "I did have a look. I''m drawing some interesting connections."


    "Like?"


    "I don''t want us jumping to conclusions. Let''s wait until the program has finished trawling through the data. I''ll have something soon."


    Will sighed. "Alright. I''m heading to the administrative office in a bit."


    "What for?" asked Remy.


    "We''ve got to submit a report on our project. They need to free up the warehouse space that was allocated for us."


    "Boring," said Remy. "Call me when you''re done."


    Will chuckled. "Okay. See you in a bit."


    Will walked down the winding corridors. A few minutes later, he arrived at his destination, and the lady at the front desk told him to wait. He took one of the many empty chairs in the back of the waiting room and looked around.


    The chairs around him were empty, and the lady at the front desk was arranging some documents. Past the desk, Will spotted a cadet pacing furiously behind a door. The boy was large, and Will knew who it was before he even caught sight of his face. Rowan Kade circled the door, looking pensive.


    "What is he up to?" Will muttered. The office door sprang open, and a large man stepped out.


    Will''s jaw dropped as he beheld the Commissioner. The police chief towered over his son, and Will had to tilt his head up to stare at him.


    Rowan stopped his pacing and exclaimed, "Father!"


    "Rowan?" The Commissioner looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"


    "I... have my mech operations course here, Father."


    "Hmm." The older Kade rumbled, considering his son. He slipped his coat on and placed a hand on Rowan''s shoulder.


    "Your reserves have increased, good," said the Commissioner. "I guess there is some use to the military after all. I''ll have you tested once you come back to the tower."


    "Yes, father," said Rowan. "Why... are you here?"


    "I came to see your brother," the Commissioner let out a sigh. "I hoped he would see reason, but he remains stubborn as ever."


    Rowan stayed silent, and the older Kade shook his head. "He is wasting away his time here. Besides being associated with... Well... it would be detrimental to his career. Hopefully, he can see past that and move on."


    Commissioner Kade checked his watch. "I have to go." He patted Rowan on the shoulder once again. "We will discuss more about your progress once you get home."


    "Yes, father..."


    The Commissioner patted Rowan on the back and left, his footsteps echoing in the hall. Rowan watched him go in silence before leaving the administrative area with his head bent low.


    Will watched the exchange with a grimace. He felt a pang of sympathy for the bigger boy but quickly squashed that down. Whatever his problems were, it wasn''t his business.


    "William Dunn," the woman behind the desk called. Will nodded and got up from his seat.


    For the next few minutes, he cleared up the reports for his mechs and unbooked the workshop space that they needed. Several signatures later, he was free.


    "That''s it. You are all set," the lady said with a smile.


    Will gave her a polite nod and exited the administrative wing.


    He made his way towards the dorm. Students milled about in a rush, squaring away their belongings. Will helped Remy pack, and the rest of the morning passed quickly. By the time it was ten, they were outside loading their project mechs into the transport trucks. Will secured the straps around the boxes that their mechs were stored in and stepped away.


    "That''s done."


    "I''ll say," Remy wiped the sweat from his brow.


    "Now all that is left is some field testing, and the project is over," said Becca.


    "Yeah." Will glanced at the gathered cadets. A group of Shield Horns and Stantons were joking amongst each other. Victor got tossed into the mix, and the Shieldhorns hoisted him up in the air. Grabbing his arms and legs, they tossed him up. Victor laughed as he went airborne and waved at Will when he spotted him looking. Will grinned and waved back.


    Remy chuckled. "That looks fun. Do either of you want to get tossed around?"


    "No," said Will and Becca together.


    Remy shrugged. "Anyway, I know both of you are dying to ask. So, ask away."


    "Is it done?" asked Becca.


    Remy grinned and nodded. He took out his slate and tapped it a few times.


    A ping came from Will''s pocket. Will shared a look with Becca, and both of them reached for their slates.


    Will scrolled through the dozen files that Remy had sent them and opened the main file. In it, he found a list of names.


    "What''s this?"


    "It''s a log of everyone involved in the airship," said Remy. "Maintenance, repairmen, pilots, supervisors. I''ve marked out a few notable ones, but there is one name in particular that you might be interested in."


    "Dr. Leibowitz?" Will muttered.


    "He was the chief research officer for the entire project. Most of the flights were signed off by him."


    "I know him," said Becca.


    "What?" asked Will.


    "You know him too," said Becca. "Most of our projects reference his work. He is an expert in etherite crystal field adjustments and has been working on artificial multiplanar crystal printing. Last I heard, he was under some military contract."


    "He was working for Langen-Huber," said Remy. "It''s closely associated with the military, but that''s not the interesting part."


    "What is it?" asked Will.


    "Recently, Dr. Leibowitz had been discharged from his role. There were some allegations of wrongful deaths of military personnel," said Remy. "Leibowitz had been involved somehow, and get this, this wasn''t the only one. A lot of people on that list had passed away in the last few weeks."


    "Oh my..." Becca covered her mouth.


    Will looked grim as he tapped his slate.


    "You think we should give our good doctor a visit?" asked Remy.


    "Yes," said Will. "But first, I want to know everything about him. Where he lives, where he sleeps, everything."


    Remy nodded.


    Will looked past the gathered cadets, the armored transport trucks, and the fort. In the distance, Tower Atlas loomed over them, its presence a lot heavier than it used to be. Somewhere in there was a man involved in the deaths of thousands of innocent lives. An expert in artificial etherite crystals and head of a secret project that killed soldiers as well as civilians.


    Will clenched his fists. "It''s time we brought the fight to them."


    They had to find him. They had to find him and get some answers.

 Ch. 65 Home, Sweet Home

    HOME, SWEET HOME


    <hr>


    Will swayed in his seat as the armored bus rode down the tunnel. Through the window, he saw other heavy vehicles moving past them, most of them burdened with raw materials and trade goods. Suppliers had been forced to take the more expensive land route with the skies unsafe. Their bus traveled together with the supply trucks under the bowels of the earth in one of the many tunnels heading towards the Tower.


    Remy yawned and stretched beside Will. He shifted in his seat for a while before he spoke. "It won''t be long now. We are almost at the Tower."


    "Yeah," Will nodded.


    Together they stared out of the window. There was a rise in traffic as they got closer to the Tower. Loud honking came from ahead and Will frowned as the bus began to slow down.


    "What''s going on?" asked Remy, craning his neck to see past the windows.


    A large tanker truck blocked their view, but there were shouts and loud chanting. The bus slowly inched forward, and they finally spotted the crowd of protesters who were blocking the road. They waved signs and placards, and Will spotted several flags displaying a splayed red hand.


    The honking grew more insistent, and a couple of uniformed policemen approached the crowd. They herded the mob off the road with the help of a couple of massive drones. Will watched the agitated masses. The fluttering white flag with the red palm print was the last thing he saw of them as their bus pulled ahead.


    "That''s not good," Will muttered.


    Remy scratched his head. "Looks like the riots reached the Tower."


    "We haven''t received much news from Undercity while we were out," said Will, looking pensive.


    "I doubt anything has happened," said Remy. "We would have received word if it did."


    Will said nothing as the bus took the nearest exit. They arrived at a military depot where the LTTV finally made its stop. The front doors hissed open, and the cadets got up from their seats and made for the exit. Will and Remy followed the crowd as they made their way towards the transport trucks that were following the bus. Along with Becca, they quickly retrieved their baggage amongst the milling cadets.


    Remy grinned as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Training''s done and we''re free. What now?"


    "We''re not free," sniffed Becca. "I still have to submit our project progress report to the academy."


    "I have to check up on the situation back home," said Will. "Don''t know what''s going on in Undercity while we were away."


    "Guess that leaves me to look into the doctor''s whereabouts," said Remy.


    Will nodded. "We''ll meet up again in the evening and see what we can dig up."


    "Evening it is," said Becca, glancing at her slate. "I''ve got to go. Call me when you set up the time?"


    "Roger that," said Remy, offering Will a fist bump.


    The three spent a few more minutes discussing their plans for the evening before going their separate ways. Will took one of the side tunnels and got into one of the freight elevators. He joined a couple of temp workers making their way down the Tower. Undercity was a lot deeper than the transport tunnels, and it took Will about half an hour to reach his destination.


    The city looked the same as ever. The giant foundation pillar stretched on below Will as he climbed down a set of stairs. He descended down the metal walkways and soon reached Little Belgrave.


    The gateway to the compound was manned by a couple of guards wearing black exo-suits. Will gave them a wave and passed on through. He jogged the rest of the way to his housing complex and was at his door a couple of seconds later.


    "Will!" Ellie flung herself at him as soon as she opened the door. "Did you finish your training?! What was it like being outside the Tower?"


    "Easy there, kiddo. Let me have a seat first," Will smiled.


    For the next hour, he spent explaining the training and life outside of the Tower. Ellie drank in every word, her eyes shining. She had been stuck indoors since the riots and was desperate for some stories. Mom had forbidden her from leaving the compound, a good choice considering that the riots had only abated in the recent few weeks.


    "Can you please take me out of the compound?" asked Ellie. "I''ve been stuck in here for so long."


    Will sighed and relented. The city looked safe enough, and he was there to look out for her. A minute later, they were out of the compound, walking towards the bazaar.


    The marketplace was as busy as ever. Vendors hawked their wares loudly as shoppers passed by, many of them wearing cloaks and keeping their faces hidden. Will kept an eye out as Ellie happily perused the goods.


    A whiff of rust and metal lingered in the air as a group of cloaked individuals walked by. Will examined them through the corner of his eye. Peeking from beneath the cloak were chrome hands and metal feet. Even their masked visors had a raspy quality to them.


    Will frowned as the group of cyborgs passed and caught sight of a symbol etched onto their cloaks. It was a red splayed hand.


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    "When did the Undercity get so many cyborgs?" Will muttered. The group made their way down the bazaar, and the faint hisses and creaks coming from their metal limbs soon faded into the background.


    Will moved his prosthetic right leg out of habit. His artificial limb was well-oiled and didn''t make a single sound. He too, in essence, was a cyborg, but the group had gone further down that path than he had. From the looks of it, they had replaced all their limbs with machine parts, and judging by the way the leading cyborg was breathing, he had gone as far as replacing his organs.


    Will looked around the bazaar and found many shops flying the colors of the cyborgs. There was tension in the air as everyone kept a wary eye on every passing shadow, as though waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    Will kept Ellie company until she was done with her shopping. Happy with her purchases, she readily agreed when he suggested visiting Uncle John''s.


    They made their way down the side streets and found the hardware store. Uncle John manned the front desk, and his eyes lit up when he spotted Will.


    "William, my boy! And little Ellie too," the old man guffawed. "Aren''t you a sight for sore eyes."


    "You too, old man," smiled Will. "How''s your health?"


    "Fine," Uncle John waved a massive hand. "Did you just get back?"


    "This morning," said Will.


    Ellie stepped forward and handed the old man a can of soup. "We were just at the bazaar. You should eat some more, Uncle John."


    The old man gave a dry chuckle and accepted the can. "Thank you, Ellie. Aren''t you supposed to be in the Belgrave compound?" He shook the soup can. "And is this supposed to be a bribe?"


    Ellie smiled mischievously and stuck her tongue out before skipping off to check the many shelves of machine parts on the far wall.


    Uncle John shook his head and glanced at Will, who smiled. "I can''t win against her."


    "I can see that," Uncle John chuckled, "but don''t let her wander too much. Undercity ain''t what it used to be."


    "Yes, about that," Will leaned on the counter. "What''s going on here? I spotted half a dozen red palm flags as I got here."


    The old man sighed. "The troubles since then have never really stopped. You heard about the riots happening in the special administrative zones?"


    "Yes," Will nodded.


    "It''s the same here. Most of the smaller gangs have been absorbed, and the biggest organization in the city is them."


    "Who are they?" asked Will.


    "No one really knows," said Uncle John. "The gang popped out of nowhere. There are rumors that they have ties to interests outside the Tower, but there is no way to tell."


    "They did have a lot of cyborgs," mused Will.


    "Those desperate fools," Uncle John shook his head.


    Will nodded. Cyberizing oneself would provide an immediate boost in strength, but it limits one''s potential. While the metal parts boost one''s combat ability, it reduces their total internal reserves. You also lose the ability to control your field, which in turn hinders your ability to control a mech. As for signature control, the less that was said, the better. Overall, it''s a shortcut to power that only the most desperate or needy attempt.


    "Where do you think they got the money?" asked Will. "It''s no battle suit, but maintaining those parts must cost a lot."


    "They made a killing during the embargo," the old man sighed. "They are a major force here now, so be careful."


    "Should I be worried?" Will glanced at Ellie, who was still examining the shelves with interest.


    "Belgrave is safe for now," said Uncle John. "Make sure that Ellie stays in the compound for now."


    Will gave a terse nod and called Ellie over. "By the way, have you seen Damian lately?"


    Uncle John shook his head. "No, I haven''t seen him since your training started."


    Will scratched his chin. "That''s odd."


    "Damian can take care of himself," said Uncle John. "You worry about yourself and watch your step around the city."


    Will nodded. "Hopefully by the time we talk again, all of this will blow over."


    "Here''s to hope then," Uncle John raised the soup can.


    Will chuckled as he stepped out of the shop. Ellie bounded beside him, chatting all the way back to Little Belgrave. They passed the guards and made it up to their housing complex. As soon as they were in their apartment, Will placed Ellie''s shopping on the table.


    "I have some work to do," said Will. "You okay unpacking by yourself?"


    "I''ll be okay," said Ellie as she reached into the shopping bag. She brought out a package and began unwrapping the cover.


    Will yawned and stepped into his tiny room. The door clicked shut behind him, and he moved carefully not to bump into anything. There was barely two feet of space between him and the bed, which lay flush against the wall.


    Will sat on the bed and pulled up his right pant leg. With the other hand, he began unfastening the prosthetic. He pulled the metallic limb loose and carefully placed it off to the side before pulling his stump sock off. The flesh-colored tube sock was meant to be worn over the residual limb for cushioning, but now he wore it up high to hide his blackened, shard-pierced shin.


    The corrupted region was a lot larger than when it started, and black veins snaked up his leg. Will winced as he felt it throb. He channeled his field down his leg until the twitching stopped. Will grimaced as the burning sensation lingered. He needed to get to initiate level as soon as possible.


    A ping came from his pocket, and Will pulled out his slate. Several messages were in his inbox, and he checked to see if any of them were from his student service coordinator. He had been regularly checking for updates on his scholarship, but so far, there was no proper response from them.


    He scrolled through the list when a mail caught his eye. It was from the coordinator, asking to meet to discuss the issue with his financial aid. Surprised, Will nearly dropped his phone in a hurry to respond and quickly agreed to the meeting.


    The slate pinged again when the message was sent, and Will breathed a sigh of relief. His leg twitched again, and Will felt lightheaded. Feeling sleepy, he decided to take a little rest. He had been traveling since morning, and the fatigue had finally caught up to him. Before he knew it, sleep took him.


    Lights and colors danced before his eyes in a haze, and Will felt himself sinking deep into a dream. The world vibrated like a taut string, and time seemed to stop. A rapid set of incomprehensible images flashed by in quick succession, and Will was pulled into one of them.


    Skyscrapers crumbled as a colossal, spindly leg, taller than the high-rises themselves, thrust up from beneath the earth. Eight more legs followed, and people ran away screaming as they came crashing down.


    Will woke up with a start, clutching his head. In his fitful sleep, he bumped his head against the wall. The dream faded rapidly, and his leg stopped twitching. The transition was so abrupt that it left Will feeling disoriented. He was pretty sure that the crystal had activated itself while he was asleep and had gone back dormant the moment he woke up. The knowledge left him feeling a little queasy. How long had this been going on?


    Will stared at his right leg for a long while before a familiar buzzing coming from his pillow snapped him out of his reverie. Will fished out the slate hidden underneath his pillow.


    "Hello," answered Will.


    "Heyo," said Remy. "I found the doctor''s location."


    "What?" said Will absentmindedly, checking the clock on his slate. It was already evening. He had slept for five hours straight.


    "Yeah," continued Remy. "I found his current residence. Are you ready to make the move?"


    Will glanced at his right leg. The crystal was embedded deep into his flesh and was no longer visible. The dark veins spiderwebbed out of it and pulsed with the beat of his heart.


    "Yeah, I''ll be there soon."


    Will grabbed his prosthetic and fastened it on. There was something going on with his leg, and he wanted to know what. If the crystal was influencing him without his knowledge, then he was in big trouble.


    Will stood up and let out a breath. It was time to call in the doctor.

 Ch. 66 Ghost from the Past 1

    GHOST FROM THE PAST


    <hr>


    Will stepped off the train onto the bustling fiftieth floor. The crowd swelled with each passing second, and Will bumped shoulders with businessmen and office workers as he made his way through the throng. Fortunately, he caught the last train before the evening rush; otherwise, he would have been stranded at the station for quite a while.


    Will stepped out of the milling crowd and walked away from the congested platforms, with his phone pressed against his ear. It rang for quite a while before it was picked up.


    Becca finally answered the call. "I''m at the station, Will. Where are you?"


    "I just stepped off the train," said Will. "Send me your location, and I''ll pick you up."


    "Okay."


    Will waited for a couple of seconds, and his slate buzzed. He gave the map a quick glance before heading towards Becca. A minute later, he found her standing between two shops away from the crowd. She gave a small wave as soon as she spotted him.


    Will pushed past the crowd and was at her side a few seconds later. "Have you been waiting long?"


    "No," said Becca. "Where is Remy? He said he would be here."


    "He is at the freight station," said Will. "Come on."


    Becca walked beside him for a bit before it hit her. "Wait, the freight station? How do we get in there?"


    Will jerked his head towards the utilities section, and Becca caught sight of the ''employees only'' signboard.


    "Will..." Becca sighed. "There are so many people here."


    "All the better to blend in with," said Will, and pulled his hood up, obscuring his face. Becca sighed and followed suit. They quickly approached the utilities section, and Will flashed the keycard against the barred door. There was a soft click, and the door swung open.


    Will stepped inside, and Becca rushed in afterwards as if her pants were on fire. The door swung closed behind them, and she sighed in relief.


    "Come on," said Will. "Make sure to stick close to me."


    Becca nodded, and Will proceeded down the long, narrow corridor and took the stairs at the end. He escorted her through a maze of channels before they finally arrived at the station warehouse.


    Will put a finger to his lips and motioned for Becca to stay behind him. She nodded and followed Will into the warehouse. Stacks of crates were placed in a grid pattern, and bots darted in between them, adding and removing boxes.


    They froze as Will approached them. The strobing lights coming from his jacket gave them pause, and they stuttered to a stop before ignoring him completely. Will moved through the warehouse with Becca on his heels. More bots froze as they saw him, and they went back to work as soon as he was out of their way.


    They were out of the storage section a minute later and found three heavy transport vert-trains waiting to be loaded. In front of the last one was Remy, his jacket strobing chaotically. The brunette looked up from his slate and grinned when he spotted them. He stepped into the waiting train and waved them in.


    Will and Becca followed Remy. The train was stacked full of crates, and the bots rushed about securing each box. Will stepped out of their way and made his way towards the produce section where he found Remy lounging on one of the sacks of flour. Will plopped right next to him while Becca looked at the flour bags and sighed. Despite her reluctance, she didn''t complain and carefully sat on one of the bags.


    Letting out another sigh, she was about to speak when Will shook his head. He jerked his thumb towards the bots, and Becca understood. They remained silent until they had left the carriage, and the train doors slammed shut.


    Remy grinned and clapped his hands. "Finally!"


    The train shook as it disengaged from its docking port. A low rumble filled the carriage as the train picked up speed, and it soon descended at a steady clip.


    "Okay, Remy, spill," said Will. "What did you find?"


    "A lot," Remy waved his slate. "Our doctor is quite an interesting guy."


    "Where does he live?"


    "Whoa, hold on," said Remy. "I''ve got to give the backstory first to get you caught up. There''s no point in getting to the end without the start."


    "You''re stalling just to milk the drama," said Becca. "Just tell us where he lives."


    Will looked at Remy expectantly, and he sighed.


    "Fine. He lives on Tower floor 20."


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    Will groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Remy, we could have just met you on floor 20. Why did you drag us all the way to 50?"


    "Because of her," Remy pointed at Becca.


    "What, me?" Becca looked offended.


    "It''s evening rush," said Remy. "We would have never made it to twenty quickly. That''s why I brought everyone here. Also, this gives you time to catch up on everything."


    Will glanced at Becca and snorted. "You were right. He wanted to hold us hostage to brag."


    Becca chuckled and shook her head.


    "Alright! Alright! Settle down," said Remy and tapped his slate a few times. "Here, I''ve sent a file."


    Will fished out his slate before it pinged and spotted the dossier on the doctor as soon as it arrived. He quickly opened the document and scanned through it.


    There was a lot of information, but Will focused on the most salient points. "It says here that he graduated from Samberg with a doctorate in psionotronics. Most of his academic papers are about crystal printing of some kind, and he is a leading expert in biological interactions and etherite crystals."


    Becca looked up from her slate. "You said there was a story here? What am I looking at?"


    Remy tapped his slate. "Start from his medical history, and I''ll fill in the rest."


    Will scrolled through the file and found the section. His eyes widened as he read further. "He had psiono-signature deficiency?"


    "Yup," said Remy.


    "What is it?" asked Becca.


    "It''s a milder form of APS," Will said, clutching his metal leg. "At least the initial stage of it. There are a higher number of cases of it in the Tower since the signature is so static, and people aren''t exposed to varying signatures."


    "Yes," said Remy. "Luckily for the doctor, they caught it early, and he was able to live a relatively normal life. His eleven-year-old son, though, didn''t share his luck. He had the same condition and suffered a major attack which left him half paralyzed."


    "That''s horrible," said Becca.


    Remy nodded. "The incident left quite an impression on the doctor. Most of his work is based around field manipulation of biological etherite crystals. He has several patents on artificial field projection. The radioactive suits that we got were based on his work. They are cheaper and a lot more efficient. In a fundraiser a few years back, he said that his primary goal in pursuing the sciences was to eradicate the disease so that people of the world would be able to live under the sun once again."


    "That''s quite noble," said Becca.


    Will frowned and gripped his prosthetic leg. "This could be just a fluff piece. I''ll believe it when I see it."


    Remy nodded. "His work earned him quite a reputation and the academies lauded him as a saint. He was a rising star in their circle, but all that changed five years back."


    "What happened?" Becca leaned forward, now genuinely interested.


    Remy looked pleased, and Will couldn''t help but let out a wry smile. They were both now fully engaged, just as Remy had intended.


    He cleared his throat before answering. "It all changed when the doctor received an invite from Langen-Huber."


    "The defense contractor?" asked Becca.


    "Yes," Remy nodded. "The doctor accepted their offer, and the honeymoon period between the doctor and the academies ended."


    "Why would he accept?" asked Becca. "What did Langen-Huber offer him?"


    "Money," Will suggested.


    "I don''t know," said Becca. "I think there is something more to this."


    Will glanced at Remy. "Do you have any ideas on what he was working on?"


    Remy scrolled through his slate. "During his time at Langen, he published several papers on artificial crystal printing, and his latest work involved printing on a natural crystalline substrate as a base layer."


    "What does that mean?" asked Becca.


    Will scratched his chin as he stared at Remy, who had a wide grin on his face.


    "It means that they managed to print an artificial crystal on top of a biological one," Remy pointed at Will''s shattered leg. "Just like this one."


    Silence filled the carriage as the trio stared at the prosthetic leg. Will felt the shard pulse under his skin with a steady rhythm that matched his heart.


    "So, the argument about whether it was natural or manmade is moot," said Will.


    "Yup, it had always been both," said Remy.


    The carriage rumbled as the train slowed down and came to a stop. The doors clanged open, and bots spilled into the carriage. They strapped the boxes they were carrying in place. Once satisfied that all the crates were secure, the bots exited the train as quickly as they had entered. With the bots gone, the carriage doors slammed shut once again, and the trio waited for the train to pick up speed before speaking.


    "Okay," said Remy. "With that out of the way, now we get to the really interesting part."


    "Hold on, there''s more?" asked Becca.


    Remy nodded and turned to Will. "Steady yourself. This one is going to hit close to home."


    Will frowned as his slate pinged again and he received a couple of photographs. In the picture, Dr. Leibowitz was sitting in a cafeteria with a couple of his colleagues. They all wore matching white lab coats.


    Will zoomed in on the name tags. "Ike Galaway and Frederick Seymour. Who are they?"


    "Researchers who worked with the doctor," said Remy. "I don''t know much about them, but I ran into something interesting when I checked their backgrounds. Some very interesting names popped up."


    Remy sent a few more files, and Will received the dossier of two military officers with the surnames Galaway and Seymour.


    "Okay, they are related to people in the military," said Will. "There is nothing odd about that."


    "Look at the date of birth," said Remy.


    Will scrolled to the section that mentioned the date and froze. He shook his head and looked again.


    "How are they eighty years old?" Becca exclaimed. "They look barely thirty. And this... real-time age and subjected-time-shifted age? What is this?"


    Will stared at the slate, gripping it tight between his fingers.


    "What is it, Will?" Becca asked. "What''s wrong?"


    Will didn''t answer and continued to stare at the date.


    "There is more," said Remy, and sent more files.


    Will''s slate pinged again, and dossiers came pouring in. They were of military officers of different ranks, but all of them had the same discrepancy in their ages. All over eighty years old.


    "Wait..." Becca said slowly, comprehension dawning. "Time slows down beyond the gate. Remy, this..."


    "How are they related to Langen-Huber, Remy?" asked Will. "Where is the connection?"


    "Look at the last file," said Remy.


    Will scrolled to the final file and opened the dossier. It was another officer, green-eyed and square-jawed, with a head full of white hair. A scar ran around his neck, and Will''s blood froze as he met the officer''s steely gaze.


    "General Walter Tennyson Brask," said Remy. "He still leads the same Displacer battalion that got pulled into the gate fifty years ago, and now is a major stockholder in Langen-Huber. Not just Langen, he has connections to several defense contractors, and most of the department heads are all related to him by proxy."


    "Pulled into the gate?" Becca turned to Will. "That was fifty years ago! Do you know him, Will?"


    Will gripped the slate to steady himself. It was fifty years past Final October, and everything had come full circle. His eyes bore into the General''s green. "He was the commanding officer of the battalion that protected my family when the gate collapsed. All these officers are Displacers."

 Ch. 67 Ghost from the Past 2

    The trio sat in shocked silence at the sudden revelation. The only sound in the compartment was the crates rattling as the train rocked back and forth during its descent.


    "What does all this mean?" Becca muttered.


    "I''m not sure," said Remy, "but the chip war, the embargo, the airship bombings, and now the riots... They are all linked. There has to be a reason that all of it is happening now."


    Becca glanced down at the files on her dossier. "This is getting a little too big for us. How are we supposed to take on the entire military?"


    "One thing at a time," said Will. "We will focus on the doctor for now."


    "Right," Becca sighed. She paused and glanced at the train floor. "Will, are you okay?"


    Will broke out of his reverie and looked at Becca. "Yes?" he said uncertainly.


    Becca pointed at his foot. "You have been scratching your prosthetic for a while now."


    Will glanced down and saw that he had been unconsciously picking at his metal knee. The shard throbbed under his skin, and his shin felt raw and inflamed.


    Will grimaced and pulled his hand away from his leg. "This is nothing new. It will pass."


    Becca looked like she wanted to press him further but stopped herself when Will gave her a wan smile.


    "I''m fine," said Will, and Becca let out a breath.


    The carriage shook as the train began to slow down.


    "Floor 20," said Remy. "We''re here."


    Will turned to Remy. "Where exactly is the doctor on floor 20?"


    "He has rented a room near the municipal office," said Remy. "It''s pretty close to the station so we don''t have to go that far."


    Will nodded and stood up. "Let''s check the lay of the land first. We need to familiarize ourselves with the layout of the building."


    Remy and Becca got to their feet. The train crawled to a stop, and a few seconds later, there was a heavy clang as it docked into place.


    Will turned on the strobing lights on his jacket, and Remy followed suit. The train doors clanged open, and a group of bots swarmed into the train. The bots shuddered to a stop when they reached the trio. Will and Remy escorted Becca out of the train, and they quickly made their way through the warehouse. The subsequent tunnels and passageways went by quickly, and they reached the exit.


    Will strode forward and swung the door open, and the trio trooped into the station proper. The door swung closed behind them, and Will stiffened. He felt something was off the moment they stepped into the terminal. The overhead departure information boards all showed the same words: "All trains delayed. We thank you for your patience."


    The crowd gathered around the platforms looked agitated, and they were all headed towards the exit.


    "What''s going on?" asked Becca. "Why are all the trains delayed?"


    Remy glanced at his slate. "The network is down as well. Something is wrong."


    "Come on," said Will, following the crowd towards the exit. "Let''s go check."


    The trio silently followed the crowd, and as they approached the concourse, Will spotted the flashing red and blue lights through the glass doors. The police were gathered outside the station and were putting up barricades.


    "Oh no..." said Will. Past the police force were a sea of people. Loud chanting came from the crowd as they waved signs and placards.


    They watched the commuters from the station try to get past the barricade to no avail. The police wouldn''t let them pass.


    "Why are they not letting anyone through?" asked Becca.


    "The protestors probably came from the other floors," said Will. "They are blocking off the station to prevent any more from arriving."


    "We need to get out of here before things get ugly," said Remy.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "There are other exits," said Will. "The cops have just started barricading. We might still find a way out."


    "Let''s go," said Remy, and they broke away from the crowd. They quickly made their way back into the terminal and took one of the side passageways. A few minutes later, they were out of the station through one of the smaller exits.


    "What now?" asked Remy. "Things will only get more dangerous the longer we stay here."


    Will considered for a second. "Let''s go have a look at the place once before we leave. I don''t want us coming all this way for nothing."


    Remy and Becca didn''t object. Together, they made their way around the station. A few stragglers from the crowd hung around here and there. An overturned burning taxi shuttle lay in the middle of the road, and the trio walked around it.


    "Damn," Remy cursed.


    "Let''s keep our faces covered," said Will and donned a face mask. Remy did the same, and Becca tied a kerchief around her face. They circled the station until they spotted the barricaded entrance. Beyond the police blockade was a sea of people. The protestors stood shoulder to shoulder as they waved their signboards and placards.


    "Oh boy... This is bad," Remy looked aghast.


    Becca looked around worriedly. "What do we do?"


    Will looked past the waving flags. The municipal building was where the crowd was thickest. A barricade had been erected around it, and protesters clashed against police to breach the building.


    Will glanced at Remy. "You said the doctor''s place was close to the municipal hall."


    "It''s right next to it. That skinny light brown one over there," said Remy, and Will spotted it. Next to the municipal building was an unassuming beige apartment complex. Being so close to the government offices, it too was essentially walled off by the protesters.


    "Damn," Will cursed. His right leg throbbed and began to itch once again. Will shivered and began to sweat. He wanted to scratch his shin badly, but he resisted the urge. "Come on, let''s see if there is any way in."


    Will dove into the crowd of protestors, and Remy and Becca followed closely. As they squeezed their way through to the other side, the crowd''s chants became clear.


    "One Voice, One fight! Sovereignty is our right!"


    Will glanced at the placards which followed the same theme. They had slogans about self-governance and freedom for the zones.


    He tore his eyes away from the signboards and focused on making his way through the crowd. A minute later, they were on the other side of the door, standing in front of the apartment complex.


    "Finally," said Remy, and Becca panted with her hands on her knees, while Will looked at the building next to them. The front entrance was guarded by another barred security door. The bars were dented in by the mob, but despite the pounding, it still held strong.


    "That''s odd," said Remy, staring up at the building. "The doctor lives on the first story, and the entire floor is dark. Is no one home?"


    "Or he doesn''t want to draw any attention," muttered Will as he took a quick look around. "His apartment extends around the corner."


    "There is a side alley there," said Remy.


    "We could sneak in through the side and find a way in," said Will.


    He was about to take a step forward when Becca clamped down on his arm. "Will, wait. There is something wrong."


    "What is it?" asked Will.


    "Look at that guy in the green hoodie," said Becca.


    Will fell in beside her and nonchalantly took a look to his side. There was a young man with his face half-hidden in shadow. He scratched his chin with a gloved hand, and Will spotted the flash of chrome hidden underneath. Though he was chanting along with the rest of the crowd, he occasionally glanced at the apartment complex.


    Will let his eyes wander and spotted several other men who were equally focused on the doctor''s apartment.


    "Oh boy," Remy muttered. "What are the chances that they''re not here for the doctor?"


    "Slim to none," said Will. "They''re all cyborgs."


    "Don''t look directly at them," said Remy, and the three of them stopped staring at the group.


    Becca pulled Remy and Will close and spoke under her breath. "Why are they all here?"


    "Whatever the case, I don''t think we should wait and find out," said Will.


    "Do you remember the dossier that I sent you? About all those people being made to disappear?" asked Remy.


    "Yeah," said Becca.


    "Do you think the doctor is next on the list?"


    Will and Becca fell silent as they considered the possibility.


    "Shit," Will cursed as sweat beaded across his forehead.


    "The riots do provide the perfect cover," mused Becca.


    "But why now?" Will muttered under his breath. His leg twitched. "Why him? The doctor was the one that led the project."


    "Every boss has a boss," said Remy. "Maybe they think he is a liability now?"


    "Let''s not jump to conclusions," said Becca. "The question is, what do we do now?"


    Remy and Will fell silent. The crowd churned around them as a police bot rolled through the sidewalk with two officers who cleared the pavement. Will waited for the cops to pass by them before he spoke.


    "We have to get the doctor before they do," said Will. "I''m not about to let our only lead slip through our fingers."


    "Someone has to distract the cyborgs if we want to get in that building," said Becca.


    "There is one way," said Remy. "Get ready."


    Remy channeled his field to his hands and focused it into the center of his palms.


    "Remy, what..." began Becca, but before she could talk him out of it, Remy brought his hands together and clapped. The fields clashed against each other, and the clap went off like a gunshot.


    Screams rang out as the crowd panicked.


    "Gun!" yelled Remy, agitating the crowd even more. They began shoving each other in their hurry to get away, and the cyborgs got swept along with the crowd. Sensing the commotion, the police patrol hurried back to investigate.


    "Come on!" yelled Remy, and Will cursed, hoping no one got hurt in their little stunt. During the chaos, the three of them slipped into the side alley, and Will spotted a pipe running alongside the building.


    Their endless combat training kicked in, and they were up the pipe in a flash. When they reached the first floor, Will pried the small kitchen window open, and he squeezed himself through. Remy came in next, and Becca followed soon after.


    They landed lightly on the tilted floor and glanced around the pitch-dark kitchen. Will closed the window behind him, and Remy gave him a silent nod. Will nodded back. It was time to check if the doctor was in.

 Ch. 68 The Doctor 1

    THE DOCTOR


    <hr>


    Will looked around at the dimly lit kitchen. Cluttered pots and pans littered the sink, and the island had a fine layer of dust on it. Frowning, Will gestured with his hands, and Remy took point while Becca fell in behind him. They silently crept out of the kitchen and spotted the flickering lights coming from the left.


    The living room door was slightly ajar, and the television was on, playing a program on mute. In front of the monitor was a large armchair with a shadowy figure seated on it. Will let out a breath and gestured again. They had to take him by surprise. Remy nodded, and Will prepared the countdown. On three, they would secure the room and take the doctor down before he could resist.


    Will held out three fingers and began to lower them. Just when he reached one, he heard a rustle behind him, and something cold and hard poked against his back.


    "Don''t move," said a gruff voice.


    Becca gasped, and Remy turned around.


    "I said don''t move!" the voice growled, and Will felt the gun digging into his spine.


    "Doctor¡ª" he began but was cut off.


    "Quiet!" the doctor snapped. "You two, step into the room."


    Will''s heart pounded in his chest as he watched Remy and Becca back away slowly into the living room.


    The doctor poked the gun into Will''s back roughly, and he was forced to follow them.


    "Did you think that I would go down without a fight?" the doctor raged. "They should have sent more than three."


    "Doctor, let''s not do anything foolish," said Will.


    "You should worry about yourself. I''m the one with the gun," the doctor retorted.


    "Bullets can be deflected with a field," said Will.


    "Not at this distance, you can''t," the doctor poked the gun into his back.


    "You have two more to deal with after me," said Will. "You are not fast enough to take on them both."


    "Enough with your empty threats," said the doctor. "Stand down before I make you."


    Sweat drenched Will''s brow. His breathing was labored, and his heart raced a million miles a minute. He reached for his shard, and the connection snapped into place. The world vibrated, and time stopped. Will waited to be drowned in the sensations, but nothing came.


    Time resumed, and reality snapped back. Nothing happened in the premonition. He was never shot.


    Will coughed violently as he felt his reserves drain.


    "What''s wrong? Why did your field just shift?" asked the doctor, grabbing Will''s free wrist and pressing a thumb against his radial artery.


    "Erratic pulse, elevated body temperature, feverish, excessive perspiration," the doctor muttered. "Allergic reaction? Micro perturbations in the... What''s this? What is wrong with your field?"


    "Doctor¡ª" Becca stepped forward.


    "Stay where you are!" the doctor demanded. He let go of Will''s wrist and then touched his neck, proceeding to poke him up and down his body. When he reached his right leg, he paused. "This... This signature. How? Why do you have it?" he whispered.


    Will broke into a cold sweat, and his mouth went dry.


    He felt the gun press hard against his back.


    "Just what is in your leg?"


    "I... don''t know what you are talking about," said Will breathlessly.


    "Don''t play games with me, boy!" the doctor snapped. "I have worked with it for years. I know its signature inside and out. Why do you have it?"


    The trio remained silent.


    "Not talking, eh? Then I suppose I will have to hand you over to the authorities."


    Becca gave a sharp intake of breath, while Remy glared daggers at the doctor. "You are hiding in your own house with the lights turned off. I don''t think you would want the police involved either."


    Will tried to ignore the gun at his back and spoke. "Who are you hiding from, doctor? Maybe we can help."


    The doctor laughed. "You break into my house and say you are here to help. You have some gall. How did you come into possession of that shard?"


    Will grimaced but kept his mouth shut.


    The doctor sighed when he didn''t respond. Will flinched as the doctor grabbed hold of his wrist again.


    "Tell me, kid. Did you come into my home with nefarious intentions?"


    "No," Will grunted as he felt the doctor''s thumb dig into his inner wrist.


    "Are you here to do me harm?"


    "No," said Will.


    "Are you here to harm my family?"


    "No!" Will snapped, not liking the implications of the question.


    The doctor let go of his hand, and Will rubbed his sore wrist. The doctor had pressed his thumb right on his artery. Was he taking his pulse or reading his field?


    Will''s musings were interrupted when the doctor addressed him again. "If you are not here to do me harm, then why are you here?"


    Will exchanged glances with Remy and Becca, but none of them opted to speak.


    The doctor clicked his tongue and pushed Will forward. He stumbled into Remy and Becca, and they caught him looking stunned.


    "Why don''t the three of you have a seat," said the doctor. With a groan, he sat on his armchair and nodded towards the couch behind them.


    Remy and Becca hesitated for a second before sitting. Will glanced at the doctor, who was seated in his armchair with the gun resting on his lap. He was a middle-aged man with a thin face and neatly trimmed mustache and beard. Bright eyes flared from beneath thick square-rimmed glasses, which were fixed on him.


    Seeing no way out of the situation, Will slowly lowered himself to the seat and sat between Remy and Becca.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A crack came from the couch, and Will flinched. He shifted in his seat and brought out a broken toy mech from underneath him. Its right hand had snapped off when he sat on it.


    Will glanced at the doctor, who grimaced. "It''s fine. It''s my fault; I should have cleared the couch by now."


    The doctor regarded the three of them. Will and Remy still had their face masks on, while Becca had a kerchief tied around her face.


    "I can tell that the three of you came seeking answers," he said. "How about this: for every question you answer, I''ll answer one in return. Deal?"


    The three exchanged glances and reached an agreement. Becca turned towards the doctor. "What is this thing?" she pointed at Will''s right leg.


    Dr. Leibowitz snorted. "It''s a Heterostructural, multilayer CVD."


    "You are talking about multiplanar printing," Becca responded.


    The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You''ve read my paper. Yes, it is about multiplanar printing, but custom-built for the interface etherite. The goal is to create a buffer layer between the crystal and the user, which makes skill calling faster."


    Becca leaned forward in her seat. "I suspect there is more to it than that."


    "Yes," Dr. Leibowitz sounded enthusiastic. "It was first built as a purely analytical tool. We wanted to use it to decode the crystal, but we discovered that the buffer layer made calling on the shard''s channels a lot easier. Fascinating stuff, really."


    "And the first thing that you tried to do was create a weapon," Remy muttered.


    Dr. Leibowitz looked pained. He gave Remy a glance before fixing his gaze on Will. "Now, tell me how you got hold of that shard."


    "We found it when one of the ships crashed during the bombings."


    The doctor raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to embed an unknown etherite the moment you found it?"


    "No," said Will. He then continued to give the doctor an abridged version of events that happened that day. Becca took over the story after a bit and filled in the rest. In her cliff notes, she had discarded many of the things they did that had questionable legality and gave a highly edited rendition. Will felt Remy shift in his seat, and through the corner of his eye, he saw him poised to make a dash for the doctor.


    A sharp click came from the gun as Dr. Leibowitz locked on to Remy. "I suggest you sit back down. We had a gentlemen''s agreement to sit down and talk like civilized folks. Don''t be so quick to break your word."


    Will put a hand on Remy''s shoulder and spoke. "It''s a bit hard to talk about trust when we suspect you''ve had a hand in the airship bombings."


    Dr. Leibowitz looked shocked, then angry. "That is one hell of an accusation."


    "It is not just you that we suspect. It is the entire military," said Will. "The embargo, bombings, and the riots. You don''t mean to tell me all of these are just mere coincidences."


    Dr. Leibowitz scowled. "You three are working under some false assumptions."


    "What about the fact that most defense contractors related to this," Will tapped his right knee, "belong to the Displacer faction?"


    Dr. Leibowitz shook his head. "You have the facts yet arrived at the wrong conclusion."


    "Then what am I missing, doctor?" Will clutched the toy mech in his hands.


    Dr. Leibowitz tapped his armrest. "The Displacer faction does preside over the majority of the defense contractors, but it is out of grim necessity. How familiar are you with Tower politics?"


    "I know enough to know who not to vote for," said Will.


    Dr. Leibowitz chuckled. "The current political divide can be summed up as the clash between the new and old powers. The Tower factions had established their legitimacy by demonizing the past regime. It was because of their inaction that nuclear war occurred. The arrival of Displacers shattered that very narrative.


    "The two were like oil and water from the start. While Towerites consider Displacers barbarians who resorted to nukes, the Displacers see the Tower as a parasite feasting on their great nation''s corpse."


    "But ideology aside, there can never be two tigers on a mountain. Regardless of what they believed in, the clash was inevitable. The Displacers, unable to make headway up the Tower, solidified their base outside it. They made connections and expanded the outer territory. Now they are capable of standing toe to toe with the Tower; they just need one thing."


    Will leaned forward in his seat. "What was it?"


    "A trump card. A strategic class weapon," said Dr. Leibowitz. "They were looking to make a Titan class mech. Currently, the Tower has six, and the Displacers have five. The new one would bring them dead even."


    "The current factional alliances are complicated. The Reformers are made up by the Displacers. Homestead, despite being a Tower faction, has declared support for them. The zones support the Tower. The isolationists are on the fence, while the Virtualists are firmly against the military."


    "Doctor, none of this rules out the military as a suspect for the bombings."


    "It does if you consider this simple fact," said the doctor. "The military is incapable of making a Titan on their own."


    "What?" exclaimed Becca.


    "They don''t have the technical know-how or the resources," said Dr. Leibowitz. "They need the Tower more than ever."


    "You''re kidding me," said Remy.


    "There is another reason," said the doctor. "Despite how much they disdain each other, both factions know that they have a greater enemy."


    "The Hive," Will muttered.


    "Yes," said the doctor. "Even with the combined might of the military and the Tower, I''m not sure if it is possible to fight the Hive. Their threat is too great to upset the balance between the factions."


    "So, you don''t think the deaths of the people working on the project is the military''s work?"


    "No," the doctor stated calmly. "They need the project to succeed, and they are going to need the Tower''s help to do it. Me being assigned as lead researcher was a compromise by both sides."


    "My work wasn''t focused on building a Titan. It was to analyze the etherite shard while necessary infrastructure for the Titan was built."


    "Doctor, while your arguments are sound, there are still a few unexplainable factors," said Will. "A rogue faction from either side could be responsible for the attack. Such a large-scale attack can be done only by someone internally."


    "Be careful of absolutes, son," said Dr. Leibowitz. "You will find that they are often untrue."


    "Alright," Will nodded. "If it is not the military or the Tower, then why are you here alone in this apartment?"


    The doctor grimaced as he regarded Will.


    Will pressed on. "Why were you let go as lead researcher?"


    The doctor looked like he was weighing his options. He looked at the three of them before answering.


    "The Hive is back," the doctor revealed.


    Will, Remy, and Becca went still at the revelation.


    "And by back, I don''t mean just their outposts," the doctor continued. "They are coming out of the gate in full force... and we don''t have much time."


    Becca gasped.


    "How much time do we have?" asked Remy.


    "Five to ten years," said Dr. Leibowitz. "The time dilation is quite steep given how deep they had gone. But it won''t be long now before we see their war machines."


    Dr. Leibowitz shook his head. "The admiralty is in panic. They need Titans to face the Hive again, but it takes years to build one, and we are running out of time. The Reformist party pushed for a faster timeline on the project, but the Tower, still suspicious of the military, delayed the request. In retaliation, the military enacted the embargo, cutting off supplies from the Tower."


    "They said it was done by separatist forces," muttered Becca.


    Dr. Leibowitz waved his hand. "None of this would have happened if the military didn''t look the other way."


    "They also fired you," said Will, "because compromises were no longer necessary. They needed the Titans now."


    The doctor gritted his teeth. "I burnt a lot of bridges when I went over to the military, and now without their protection..."


    He sighed. "What I''m afraid of is someone doing something stupid in their panic... something irreversible. If only we had a bit more time. We were nearing a breakthrough. If we had cracked this shard..."


    "What''s so special about this shard?" Remy muttered.


    Will felt sweat pool on his brow. His skin burned, and the shakes were getting worse. He was so absorbed in the conversation that it was only now that he had noticed that his shard was acting up.


    Will gasped and clutched his leg.


    "Will, what''s wrong?!" asked Becca.


    He felt someone take hold of his wrist again and saw the doctor crouched next to him.


    "This is a lot worse than I thought," he muttered. "You need your leg looked at."


    Will pushed the doctor back. "No."


    "This isn''t a joke, son," Dr. Leibowitz said angrily. "Your life could be in danger."


    Will''s eyes flicked to the gun that the doctor had left back at the armchair, and then he stared back at the doctor. "You were let go by the military..."


    Dr. Leibowitz looked confused. "Yes?"


    "You could have your life back if you turned me in. Why should I ever trust you?"


    The doctor pulled back with a sigh. "I understand."


    He stared at the toy mech on the couch for a long while before speaking. "I had considered the moral dilemma in bringing another weapon into the world but comforted myself by saying that my work was not related to it. The good that will come from a complete analysis of a Titan class crystal would only bring good to the world. We could finally solve signature sickness."


    He shook his head. "Weapons are necessary, but I strongly believe that if we unlock the full potential of this shard, it would be worth a lot more than just a few Titans."


    Remy leaned forward. "Doctor, just what is this shard exactly?"


    Dr. Leibowitz ignored Remy and stared at Will. "Having one or more Titans cannot change the war with the Hive, but if you manage to fully control this crystal, it would change everything."


    The doctor met Will''s gaze without flinching. "So, William... Do I have your permission to act as your doctor?"


    Will looked down at the saint of the Tower, the man who survived sickness, familial tragedy, and societal ridicule when he joined the military. Never had he wavered in his quest he had since childhood.


    The hands of fate were slowly turning. Right at this moment, Will didn''t need the shard that had given him the gift of foresight to show him the way. For better or for worse, he wouldn''t get a better ally than the doctor.


    Will stared back at Dr. Leibowitz and nodded. "Yes."

 Ch. 69 The Doctor 2

    "The corruption has grown," said Remy as he looked down at Will''s blackened shin. Twisted dark veins webbed from where the etherite had burrowed in, and the branching capillaries had almost climbed up to his knee.


    Will grimaced as he gazed down at his corrupted leg with distaste. He had his pant leg pulled up, and the top guard of his prosthetic was removed to expose his right knee. The rolled-down stump sock clung tightly to his amputated leg, clamping down on the dark veins running down his shin. The veins throbbed violently, and Will shuddered.


    "Steady," muttered Dr. Leibowitz. He had dragged his armchair by the couch, and in his hand was a grey psionometer. Frowning, he ran the pen-shaped device over the corrupted region and occasionally shook his head.


    "Strange," he muttered. "I''m getting three separate signature readings here."


    "Three?" asked Becca.


    The doctor nodded gravely. "One is from his natural signature, of course. The second is from the calcified region from his APS. The last one is from the etherite crystal."


    Will panted as sweat drenched his forehead. "So, what do you think, doc? Am I fixable?"


    "One step at a time, son," the doctor tried to smile reassuringly, but the uncertainty in his eyes didn''t assure confidence. "Your personal signature is misaligned. It is to be expected, of course, with all those heterogeneous energies battling for control within your channels. The constant exposure to these signatures has shifted yours out of balance."


    "So, what is our first step?" asked Becca.


    "First, we are going to scan his leg," said the doctor. He pointed to the corner of the living room where a sleek obsidian VR pod lay tucked in beside the wall.


    Will sat up with a grunt. "I didn''t bring my CAD with me."


    "It''s fine," said the doctor as he got to his feet. "We are just scanning for now."


    The doctor strode towards the pod. Will attempted to stand up, but his legs were shaky. Remy helped him to his feet, and the trio approached the pod where they found the doctor muttering under his breath. "Now what''s wrong with the machine."


    Remy gave a quick glance around before speaking. "Doc, the pod is not connected to the power." He pointed at the thick power cord that was coiled on the floor.


    "Ah, yes," said the doctor absentmindedly. "It was such a tripping hazard that I had disconnected it."


    Remy took the thick power cord and began unspooling it. He quickly connected it to the power, and the VR sprang to life. Its fans hummed as it booted up, and a minute later its top cover slid open, and a mist of cold air billowed out of it.


    Will didn''t waste any time and slid right into the pod without being prompted. He adjusted his legs on the horizontally reclined chair and shifted around until he was comfortable.


    The doctor nodded once he was in place. "Alright then, sit tight." He pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and the VR slid closed.


    Will watched as the outside world get reduced to a thin line as the cover finally clicked shut.


    "Welcome, user."


    A helmet slid down to cover his head, followed by the respirator. The helmet''s HUD flickered on, and a video streamed in. Will spotted the doctor, Remy, and Becca huddled over the controls.


    "Are you receiving the signal?" asked the doctor.


    "Yes. The signal is clear," said Will. "This is a bit different from the VRs at the academies."


    Dr. Leibowitz nodded as he tapped away at the controls. "It''s not a standard commercial model. This one is focused a lot more on analysis than simulations."


    Will breathed in deeply, and cold air entered his lungs from the respirator. The VR station started to hum, and Will felt heat wash over his amputated leg. He grimaced as the pressure steadily ratcheted up around his stump.


    ''Signature scanning in progress.''


    Through hazy eyes, he spotted the green text scrawled across the HUD. The pressure continued to increase and Will felt lightheaded. As the minutes ticked by, he felt his eyelids drooping.


    "Will," came a voice through the haze. Will blinked and spotted the doctor staring down at him. Remy was beside him, leaning over the controls, while Becca had her arms wrapped around herself, looking concerned.


    "Focus now," said the doctor.


    "Head''s a little fuzzy," Will muttered.


    "You need to stay awake for this," said the doctor. "How about this. We''ll talk about the next part of the procedure."


    "That sounds good, doctor." Will shook himself awake and focused on his HUD.


    "Well, we are going to try and realign your signature back to normalcy," said the doctor. "All those heterogeneous signatures in your system have to be suppressed. So, we are going to be fighting fire with fire."


    "What do you mean?" asked Will, puzzled.


    "Since it was the three signatures clashing against each other that knocked your signature out of alignment, we are going to do some controlled clashes of our own to knock it back in place," the doctor explained. "All your combat exercises, in fact, were doing just that."


    "Wait!" Will exclaimed. "Are you telling me that I''m in this state just because I finally got some rest?"


    "In a manner of speaking," the doctor chuckled. "It''s odd though..."


    "Yes?"


    "Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have expected your condition to accelerate so quickly," the doctor mused. "Then again, who has ever tried to embed this... monster."


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    "Doctor," Remy interrupted. "You have yet to mention what kind of rift beast the crystal is from."


    The doctor froze when the question presented itself.


    "And also," Becca continued. "Isn¡¯t rift beast crystals supposed to be embedded immediately after harvesting?"


    "That is correct," said the doctor. "The crystals degrade as soon as they are out of the beast¡¯s body."


    "So how?"


    "What makes you think the beast is dead?"


    "Wait," Will interrupted. "That makes no sense. How do you get the crystals out without killing the rift beast?"


    The doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You three really have no idea what you have in your hands."


    "This," he tapped the VR pod, "is a Titan-class crystal. It forms the core for the Titan''s engines."


    Becca gasped, and Remy looked dumbfounded. "You''ve got to be kidding me."


    The doctor snorted. "That is what you have been carrying all this while. A shard on the level of a nuke."


    Will got a flash of eight colossal spindly legs tearing up skyscrapers as they rose up from between the streets of old Belgrave. He remembered the eight glowing red eyes he saw through the smoke, and Will''s breathing became ragged. Heart beating in his chest, Will glanced at the doctor who was continuing his explanation.


    "The beast is still in the old capital. Most of the nukes were concentrated on the rift tyrant, but it still survived," the doctor sighed. "While it may have been injured, it is recovering. No one dares to provoke it in the exclusionary zone."


    Remy and Becca exchanged a glance, and Will knew exactly what they were thinking. They had been closer to the beast than anyone else in living memory. Thirty more miles to the city center, and they might have actually seen it. If they had gotten any closer...


    "But, Dr. Leibowitz," began Becca, "it still doesn''t answer the question as to how the crystal remained functional after being outside the body for so long."


    The doctor smiled. "It is precisely why the crystal initially came to our attention. Just think about it, perfect signature preservation. Even after fifty years of exposure. Well, not exactly, there is the time dilation that we have to consider, but still... Think of the implications. If we managed to duplicate the beast''s skill..."


    "This is all so confusing," Remy shook his head. "I thought the beast''s skill was future prediction."


    The doctor scratched his chin. "Another curious mystery."


    He glanced at the VR pod as its fans started to slow down. A ding came from the machine, and Will turned his attention back to the message displayed on his HUD.


    ''Scan complete.''


    A window popped up with a 3D representation of his vascular system. Veins, arteries, and channels appeared in a mesh, but there was one region in particular that stood out.


    The oblong etherite crystal lodged in his leg cast a hollow shadow in the mesh network, and several blackened veins webbed out from it. The corruption ran a lot deeper than what was seen on the surface. They throbbed with the beat of his heart, and where they met with Will''s personal signature, the fields clashed to form tiny localized field distortions.


    The doctor got to work and zoomed in on the region. Several graphs popped up beside the window, showing the sinusoidal waves of different signatures. All of them had different pitches and frequencies that changed over time, but that wasn''t what caught Will''s eye. It was the fourth hidden signature that appeared on the list.


    "Doctor, you seemed to have missed one," said Remy. Without a word, the doctor selected the new signature, and a small section of the etherite crystal got highlighted in yellow. Dr. Leibowitz rotated the 3D image and zoomed into the muddy yellow section.


    Remy and Becca leaned in closer to the image. Will squinted at the highlighted section with interest and saw thousands of tiny flecks of etherite breaking away from the main crystal in a stream.


    "What the hell," Remy muttered.


    They followed the mini shards as they made their way down his channels. They seemed to grow bigger as they traveled, and finally, they settled themselves near the junction points of adjacent nerve cells.


    The doctor zoomed out, and Will saw more mini shards settle in between the nerves. It was with growing horror that he realized that the light coating of yellow that he saw on screen were all mini shards. There were millions... no, billions of such shards, each occupying every connection point between every nerve.


    "Incredible," the doctor muttered.


    "What are we looking at here, doc?" Remy asked in a hushed whisper.


    "An impossibility," said Dr. Leibowitz. "It will be a long and exhaustive explanation, so I won''t bore you with the details."


    Remy and Becca stared expectantly at the doctor, who clicked his tongue. Will, too, had his eyes locked on the doctor, and he relented. "Fine. I''ll give you the cliff notes."


    He took a moment to collect himself before explaining. "Normally, rift beasts only have one etherite crystal because their fields clash against each other. Whenever there is a nucleation point for a second crystal, the former one always destroys it. This is the Bregoli''s exclusion principle. No two similar signatures can occupy the same field states."


    Remy and Becca nodded, and the doctor continued.


    "But the story changes if it is identical. If the second signatures have no deviation from the original, then there is no clash, and they start behaving as one object. This way you can have multiple etherite shards working in tandem. Or so the theory goes."


    "Which is the case here," said Becca.


    "Indeed," said the doctor. "The rift tyrant is the only known case to have succeeded. And I suspect it is through the future prediction ability that you mentioned."


    "How so?" Will asked with a frown.


    "They are predicting how the signature changes over time. Now keep in mind that your signature is dynamic. It changes throughout the day in tune with your metabolic processes. So, if the beast is able to predict..."


    "How the signatures change over time..." continued Remy.


    "It is able to have perfect sync," finished Becca.


    Dr. Leibowitz nodded and looked at Will. "I suspect your future prediction ability is merely a side effect, an emergent skill. These... secondary shards are reading the neuron signals and then giving you the future version of your nerve impulses."


    "That''s insane," Will muttered.


    "An impossibility," Dr. Leibowitz repeated.


    Will glanced at the scattered crystals all over his body. A single shard had caused him so much worry, and now seeing the endless multitude of them speckled throughout his body was unnerving.


    "This would be amazing if it wasn''t killing me," Will muttered.


    Dr. Leibowitz gave a bitter smile. "Have faith. You are not off the cliff yet."


    Will nodded and clenched his fist. "I¡¯m ready for the realignment, doc."


    "Good," said the doctor. "The procedure is simple. All you have to do is stabilize and hold your natural signature steady while I subject your channels to some stress."


    "Okay."


    "Now, if you had your CAD, this would have been much easier, but no matter. We are going to have to improvise. We will program your prosthetic to send the pulses into you."


    Dr. Leibowitz began tapping away at the controls, and a message popped up in Will''s HUD.


    ''Requesting access to G-class prosthetic limb,'' it read.


    Will gave confirmation, and lines of the prosthetic''s base code appeared on the HUD.


    The doctor squinted at the control panel. "Now, how does this go? Coding was never my specialty..."


    "I can handle that, doc," said Remy. He stepped forward and started editing the code.


    Dr. Leibowitz frowned as Remy continued his work. He observed for a few minutes before deciding that Remy knew what he was doing. Satisfied, he began instructing him on how to implement the pulse patterns according to the signature scans.


    While the two worked on the code, Becca stepped forward. She placed a hand over the VR pod and spoke to Will. "How are you holding up?"


    "I''m fine," said Will, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Just want to get this damn thing over with."


    Becca leaned over the controls and frowned at the display.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Will.


    Becca shook her head. "I don''t know. I just don''t like all that yellow in your system. It just looks wrong."


    Will glanced at the yellowed portion of his main etherite crystal. He had been unconsciously sending a tendril of his psions to touch the section. He kept brushing past it like he was wiggling a loose tooth. Becca was right; the signature felt like a decaying wound. There was something oddly familiar about the signature that he found off-putting.


    "Will," Remy called out, breaking him out of his musings. Their eyes met through the display. "The code is done. Are you ready?"


    Will nodded grimly. "Let''s do this."


    Remy raised a key fob and pointed it at the VR pod. "On the count of three."


    Will gave a shaky nod as his prosthetic started charging up. The doctor had a concentrated look on his face, and Becca had her hands clasped in front of her.


    Will kept a firm grip on his signature as he braced himself. It was now or never.


    "Three... two... one!"


    His teeth clattered as a massive pulse crashed into him.

 Ch. 70 Foreboding

    FOREBODING


    <hr>


    Will gritted his teeth as the pulse raced through his body, sending shockwaves through his channels. His energy fluctuated wildly under the assault, and the tiny yellow shards scattered throughout his system shook with the impact.


    "Increasing power," said Dr. Leibowitz. "Set pulse strength at sixty percent."


    Remy adjusted the controls, pointed the key fob at the pod, and triggered it. The second pulse hit Will, and his teeth rattled. He nearly lost control as the yellow shards violently repelled the pulse.


    "The mini shards have meshed together," exclaimed Remy. "Their fields are acting as one."


    "Increase the power to ninety percent," snapped the doctor. "Hold on, kid."


    Will clenched his fist as he felt the charge building up in his prosthetic. He had barely a second to prepare before the pulse slammed into him, sending shockwaves racing up his body. The wave traveled up his leg and slammed into his head, and Will blacked out for a moment.


    Reeling in his seat, Will spotted green text scrawled across his HUD. He glanced at the graphs of the heterogeneous signatures in his system and noticed that all of them had flatlined except for the yellow mini shards. They held on for a few more moments before collapsing completely.


    With the collapse came the sound of shattering glass. Will felt a chill and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the fields broke apart. Something snapped when the connection between the shards broke, and the residual energy from the mini shards bubbled over. Will felt something wild and feral rise up from deep inside his channels, and the yellow signature reared back like a raging beast before striking back at the pulse.


    Warning sirens blared in the pod, and red alerts filled his HUD. Panicked chatter came through the speakers, but Will, still dazed and confused, couldn''t make out the words.


    "Etherite... awakening! Shard... shut it down... skill."


    The doctor was yelling something about his original shard. Dazed, Will desperately clung to the doctor''s instructions, trying to figure out what he was saying when the world shook around him. It vibrated like a taut string, and time froze.


    Will cursed as he felt the shard''s skill activate on its own, trying to pull him into the dreamscape.


    "No! Not this time, asshole!" Will flared his field to the maximum and slammed it down on the shard. The etherite signature faltered for a moment, but then it clamped down even harder, continuing to pull him in.


    Will cursed as his energy reserves drained rapidly, and half-formed images flashed behind his eyelids. Visions came in a torrent¡ªthe old capital on fire, skyscrapers toppling, and burning silver streaks falling from the sky.


    The visions flickered in and out, but one particular image grew clearer. A dark fissure in reality tore open in front of him, and Will had a hard time believing this was just a vision. Something emerged from it, the color of bubbling tar, slowly forming in front of him. It boiled into being, feeding off his energy as it grew.


    Will desperately held on to his field, fending off the shard''s pull. He watched the writhing mass of bubbling shadow being summoned through the fissure. It expanded as more of it poured into the world. The thing slowly took a humanoid form, and from its shoulder blades, multiple arms burst out in a spray of blood and viscera. Metal fingers melded with red flesh peeked out from under the shadow, and its psionic field, tasting of crimson, spilled into the world. Eyes wide, Will finally realized who was in front of him.


    "Shit!" Will cursed as he faced the Order of the Revenant once again. Sirens went off in the VR pod as more of the crimson field ran wild in the machine.


    "Increase power to hundred and twenty percent!" the doctor roared.


    Will felt his prosthetic drawing a massive amount of power from the pod. The metal leg shook with the residual charge before sending its field crashing down on the shard.


    The shadowy figure behind his eyelids burst into flames, and a baleful howl came from the still-forming head of the crimson spider mech before it was sent hurtling back into the cracked fissure.


    The pull from the etherite ceased almost immediately, and Will was thrown back into reality. He gasped for air, fumbling for the emergency lever by his foot. He pressed down hard on the paddles, and the pod hissed open in a stream of mist. Will stumbled out, coughing.


    "Will!" Becca caught him just before he hit the floor. Gasping, he leaned on the pod, taking deep breaths.


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    Dr. Leibowitz rushed over and checked his pulse and his shaky field, which was on the verge of going haywire again. It flickered around him erratically as the doctor examined his signature.


    "How is he, doc?" asked Remy in a low tone.


    "This is a lot more complicated than I thought," muttered the doctor. "The printed control crystal has split."


    Remy looked confused, so the doctor continued his explanation. "I mentioned that we printed a layer of crystal over the shard for analysis and later found it also helped control the shard."


    "Yes," Remy nodded.


    "I suspect only half of the crystal is embedded in your friend. A small section of the artificial printed crystal broke off and is now held by someone else."


    "The Crimson Bishop," Becca whispered.


    Will remembered their time in the exclusionary zone and the battle against the two mechs. Both mechs were after the etherite in the briefcase. During the tussle, the shard must have split, and only half of the crystal must have gotten stuck in his leg.


    "So, if they have the printed control shard¡ª" the doctor continued, "it doesn''t matter how many times we realign the signature on our end. They can always start over from theirs. There will always be a backdoor."


    Will breathed heavily as he glanced at the dismayed faces of his two friends.


    "Is there a way out of this, doctor?" asked Becca.


    Dr. Leibowitz looked pained, but Will cut him off before he could answer. "There is one way," he gasped.


    The three looked at him, and Will pressed on. "I have to snatch the control shard from the Bishop."


    Silence fell over the group at Will''s pronouncement. Remy rubbed his face, and Becca looked stricken. "Will, that''s..."


    Before she could finish, a loud boom sounded in the distance, and the building shook.


    "What was that?" Becca gasped over the rattling mantelpiece. Remy strode to the windows and peeked through the curtains.


    He took a long look outside before he spoke. "Something''s wrong. The crowd is very agitated."


    A long beep came from the television, and Remy snapped his head toward the monitor. The screen, which had been playing the local news, shifted to display footage from multiple security cameras.


    Will glanced at the live footage and realized it was from the very apartment complex they were in. More importantly, he spotted dark silhouettes breaking into the ground floor.


    Will cursed when he noticed the hint of silver poking out of their trench coats.


    "Cyborgs," Remy spat. "We need to move."


    Will straightened up and glanced at the older man beside him. "Doctor."


    "Yes," Dr. Leibowitz sighed. "I knew this day would come eventually, but..." He trailed off as he stared at Will.


    "It can wait," said Will. "Let''s get you out of here alive first."


    Dr. Leibowitz grimly grabbed a dark long coat draped over his armchair and slipped into it.


    "Remy, go with him," said Will. Remy nodded, walked up to the large windows, and opened them fully. The curtains flapped in the wind as the loud noise from the streets filled the living room.


    "You ready, Doc?" asked Remy.


    "Yes," the doctor nodded with apprehension.


    Together, they leaped out of the window. Becca frowned as she watched them make their exit. When she hesitated, Will gave her a small nudge. She gave him a quick glance before reluctantly jumping out of the window.


    Will gave the room one last scan before he departed and noticed changes in the security footage. The cyborgs had paused in their rapid ascent up the building and were rapidly conversing with each other. After a furious discussion, the team split off, with one of the larger cyborgs approaching the doctor''s apartment while the rest sped off out of the building.


    "Crap!" Will cursed. "How did they know?"


    He stumbled towards the window, and his legs gave out from under him. Will grabbed the nearest shelf, scattering knickknacks everywhere. Before he could steady himself, a loud crash came from the front door. A large cyborg charged into the living room and spotted Will.


    "Shit!"


    The cyborg didn''t waste any time. He raised his gun and fired. Loud bangs filled the apartment, and Will dove behind the coffee table as bullets pinged off his field. It flickered in the wind like a candle about to be blown out and barely blocked the incoming lead. In his desperation, Will grabbed the table and tossed it at the cyborg.


    The glass top shattered as it crashed into the cyborg, but the furniture wasn''t enough to stop him. He tore through it, brandishing claws from his mechanized limbs. The blades made short work of the table before the cyborg charged at Will.


    Will cursed as he dodged the claws. He strengthened his limbs with his field as he ducked and weaved through the gale of blades, but he knew his resistance wouldn''t last long. He was nearly spent while his opponent was fresh out of the tank.


    Will clumsily backed away from the cyborg, narrowly avoiding the swipes. His mind racing furiously, he glanced around the room. There had to be something in here he could use to turn the tide of the battle. If he didn¡¯t figure something out quickly, he was done for.


    Will continued to back away, racking his brain, when his foot caught on something on the floor. With a yelp of surprise, he fell, narrowly avoiding a blade swipe aimed at his head.


    Will crashed to the floor and found himself cornered against the wall next to the VR pod. The thick power cable sprawled across the floor had been the culprit that led to his fall.


    Sensing his chance, the cyborg brought his blades slicing toward Will''s neck, who seemed to be sitting frozen on the floor, staring at the cable. Just as the blades were about to reach Will, the cyborg noticed the calculating look in his eyes. He tried to pull his blades back, but it was too late. The metal claws sliced into the thick cables that Will had raised in front of him as a shield and got stuck there.


    There was a loud crackle as hundreds of volts of current surged through the cyborg''s metallic body, flinging him across the room and jerking the cable along with him. The blades, however, remained stuck to the cable, and he trashed about on the floor as the current continued to flow into him.


    Will didn''t wait to see what happened to his attacker and stumbled towards the open window. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, he noticed the key fob that Remy had programmed to control the pulses from his prosthetic lying on the floor. Will grabbed it, and with one last look at his would-be assailant, he leapt out of the window.


    He had to get to Remy and Becca before the rest of the cyborg team. The attack could be imminent, and the clock was ticking.

 Ch. 71 Crimson 1

    CRIMSON


    <hr>


    The world spun around Will as his feet left the windowsill, and he barely managed to trigger his field before hitting the ground.


    "Watch out!"


    He crashed into a group of tightly knit protesters who took the brunt of his fall. Loud screams came from the crowd, and he got pushed roughly aside as the panicked demonstrators scattered. They were already riled up, and his sudden entrance only seemed to exacerbate the situation.


    Using the protesters as cover, he quickly took off his jacket and tied it around his waist. The cyborg team could still have watchers on the main street. Thankfully, he still had his mask on, and the crowd around him was thick.


    Will allowed himself to be swept along with the current of pushing bodies, and a minute later, he was far enough away from the doctor''s apartment that he felt safe enough to squeeze his way out of the rushing mob.


    As soon as he was out, he darted into one of the side alleys. The narrow backstreet was blocked off with broken pieces of furniture and traffic cones, but there was a small opening in the barrier, and he managed to squeeze through the gap.


    A wave of dizziness hit him as he stumbled into the alley, and he had to brace himself against the side wall to steady himself. Through blurry eyes, he scanned the abandoned alleyway and found more broken pieces of furniture littered about. There wasn''t a soul in sight. Remembering the cyborg team that could still be shadowing him, he decided to move. He had to find Remy and Becca as soon as possible. There was no time to waste.


    As soon as he took a step forward, a shudder ran through him, and Will doubled over. His channels burned. Among the myriad signatures coursing through his body, he could feel the yellow one stirring once again.


    Will clamped down on the foreign signature, and it wriggled under his grasp as it sent a tendril of psions toward his right knee. It made contact with his shard, and the crystal charged up. Its skill was ready to activate.


    "Shit!" Will desperately hunted through his pockets for the key fob. It was the only thing that could stop the attack now.


    "Come on! Come on!" Hands shaking and barely keeping himself together, he brought out the key when another jolt ran through him. Will fumbled, and the key fob went flying out of his hands, landing on a nearby grimy plastic table in the middle of the alleyway.


    Cursing, Will rushed after it, but he didn''t get farther than two steps before the world around him went dark. Will fell like a puppet with its strings cut, and just as he was about to hit the floor, he felt it. The world vibrated like a taut string, and time froze.


    Dazed, confused, and half-delirious, Will opened his eyes and realized that he was no longer in the alley. A long, dark tunnel stretched out in front of him, with a pair of rusted train tracks running along it.


    Will staggered to his feet and looked around wildly. Visions of the subway had haunted him since the day he got embedded, but this time it was different. Strange glowing engravings adorned the tunnel walls. There were also giant metal stalactites and stalagmites that pierced the tunnels at odd angles. The tunnel walls groaned under the strain as the metallic formations grew in size, steadily increasing an inch at a time. Flecks of metal shards flaked off, falling to the tunnel floor with a clatter.


    Will shuddered, seeing all these new additions to the subway. Something bizarre and alien had invaded his memories, and he had a feeling that he wasn''t alone in here. Something wicked this way comes.


    Will whirled around to find a fissure opening up in midair, the same fissure he had seen in the pod. The portal burst open, and a thick tar-like substance oozed out of it, pooling onto the tunnel floor. The sludge coagulated and started taking a humanoid form, beginning from the feet.


    "Shit!" Will rushed forward and slammed his fist through the dark mass, scattering the built-up tar. He rained blow after blow into it, but the sludge kept pouring out of the portal in torrents, and he was swept aside by its sheer mass.


    Smoke hissed from the few bits of tar that clung to him. The acidic ichor ate away at him, but Will ignored his stinging skin and watched the dark figure take shape in front of him.


    It was an ungodly abomination of fused flesh and steel. Crimson plating covered every inch of the thing, and Will watched its chest spasm violently as its torso started forming. For half a second, he thought the creature was drowning in its own fluids when he heard a loud rasping sound coming from its half-formed throat.


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    Loud metallic chittering filled the tunnel, and Will watched in horror as a blood-red helmet took shape under the bubbling ooze. The creature''s lower jaw unhinged to reveal rows and rows of serrated metal teeth.


    Will cursed as he backed away. He was in no shape to fight this thing. His little stint in the tank had drained him, and a head-on battle was the last thing he wanted. Will scrambled behind one of the metal columns scattered around the tunnel and watched the crimson mech finish its transformation.


    The leftover tar got absorbed into the creature while its helmet took shape, and a few seconds later, the spider mech stood fully formed in the middle of the tunnel.


    "Y355s! t@#t5 6r3sh!" An earth-shattering screech escaped its maw, and Will hid behind the stalagmite, covering his ears. Breathing heavily, he waited for the tinnitus to pass.


    Will blinked his watery eyes, and as the ringing subsided, he was greeted with dead silence. He listened intently and only heard his heart beating wildly. The tunnel was as dead as a graveyard. Will strained his ears, and through the deafening silence, he heard a soft clink of metallic feet.


    "YoU H@ve gIven me quite the run around, little mouse..." The creature chittered in a thousand different tongues. It was an overlapping chorus of men, women, and children, old and young, all speaking in unison.


    The yellow signature stirred within Will with every word the creature uttered. The metallic clinking continued, and he held his breath as its footsteps drew closer. Crossing his fingers, Will hoped the spider mech would walk past him, but there was no such luck. It kept circling the area, trying to hone in on his location.


    "I''m surprised it hasn''t taken over your body," the creature hissed. "You should have been devoured by now."


    The yellow signature flared within Will, and an incomprehensible set of images and impressions assaulted his mind. He saw people with melted faces and twisting flows of water, along with stars twinkling in a non-Euclidean space that seemed to fold in on itself while expanding. The images were gone as fast as they came, and Will staggered as the sudden visions left him.


    "You were foolish to absorb it into yourself, but there is still time.... You can still give it up."


    More visions sprang forth, and Will braced himself as he was bombarded with impressions. The yellow signature in his channels churned under the assault. Will let the visions flow right past him and tried to center himself. While the impressions were a garbled mess, he could sense their hidden message. Somehow, he was able to read them. The creature''s bloodthirst was imprinted in every single impression.


    "Return it, and you have my word that you will come to no harm."


    Another set of images poured forth, reeking of deception. The doctor never explicitly stated it, but Will had a vague idea that his energy channels and the shard were now inextricably linked. Removal of the shard meant death.


    "I can make the exchange worth your while. We can make a deal."


    More deception. The thing in front of him had no intention of letting him go. He could sense the falsehood pouring out of its every word. Will was getting a far more intimate peek into the creature''s mind than he thought possible.


    The fact that he could sense the spider''s intentions hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes went wide as a terrible idea struck him. If he could read the Bishop, then that could mean...


    Will''s breathing quickened when he considered the implications, and a spike of fear shot through him. The metallic rhythmic footsteps of the mech abruptly halted the moment his pulse spiked, almost as though in response to his sudden dread.


    "Shock, disbelief, and dread all mixed up with a spike of adrenaline," the Bishop whispered. "That is an interesting set of emotions."


    Will was stunned. Ice filled his veins. The terrible possibility had transformed into a certain reality. The spider could read him. He was certain of it. Each of them held half of the titan shard, and now there was a bridge, a connection between the two of them, which formed the base of this mental world.


    Will glanced at the tunnel and the alien metallic pillars that had invaded his memories. The interaction went both ways, he concluded. This was a two-way street. Information was passing between both of them, and if this connection continued, soon none of his thoughts would escape the Bishop, not even his memories. The leader of the deadliest terror organization in the civilized world would have open access to his mind. He could figure out his identity and know the names of his friends and family.


    Will''s mind, which had been frantically racing to find ways to break out of the dreamscape, came to a crashing halt. Fear turned into cold determination.


    There was no time for calculating the odds or further deliberation. The longer he stayed here, the worse it would get. He had to put a stop to this right now.


    Will silently grabbed one of the pointed pieces of metal from the floor and blended into the shadows. He crept up behind the spider mech, which was now standing in the middle of the tunnel with its four arms spread wide.


    "It is rare for me to offer second chances," the Crimson Bishop addressed aloud, his voice echoing throughout the tunnel. "So what do you say, little mouse? Are you ready to make a deal?"


    Will brushed off another set of impressions that poured off the spider and focused on the creature''s neck. The gap in the armor plating was his aim.


    Moving like a ghost, Will burst forward, dagger at the ready. Just as he raised his makeshift metal shiv, he felt an ethereal connection snap taut between him and the spider. His very intention to stab the creature was a point of contact that alerted it.


    "Found you!" The creature screeched as its head snapped towards him. Talons flashing, it advanced. Will didn''t break his stride and flashed forward, his field focused on his dagger.


    The Crimson Bishop and the last son of Belgrave charged. Both shard holders rushed each other, blades drawn, determined that only one of them would leave here alive.

 Ch. 72 Crimson 2

    Dagger met metal claws in a sharp, cacophonous screech. The clash was so violent that it sent sparks flying, and Will glared at the Spider through the fiery flares. He tried to slip the dagger past the creature''s guard, but it was faster. There was a whoosh of air from his right, and another red blur came from his left, both aiming for his head.


    Will ducked and felt the Spider''s metal claws kiss the top of his skull, slicing through his hair. He nearly lost his head, but he didn''t stop. In a blur of motion, he got past the creature''s guard and thrust his dagger toward its throat. The dagger sped towards the gap in the neck guard, but before he could run the Spider through, its fourth and final arm flashed forward and blocked the strike.


    Another sharp metallic ting rang out. The Spider''s multiple arms reared back, ready to strike, and Will, sensing the momentum of the fight shifting away from him, quickly backed away.


    "Where are you going?" the Spider screeched as it pursued. Will dodged a flurry of whirling, flashing claws aimed at his vitals as he retreated, and metal chips flew from his makeshift dagger as it got chipped away with every clash.


    "You''ll reject my help once again?" the Spider snarled. "You think that crystal is going to break the chains of your birth?"


    Will remained silent as the Spider kept up its relentless onslaught, trying to goad him into responding. He didn''t utter a single word. If indeed, as he suspected, there was a connection between him and the Spider, then his every word, every action, would be analyzed and made into a weapon to be held against him. He had to make sure not to pass on any damning information about himself. His anonymity was his only shield.


    "I''ve seen many rats like you in the settlements," the Spider commented as it nonchalantly took a swipe at Will''s head. "Surviving off of scraps from the dump. Most of you dream about eating something other than nutri-paste, but some, very few, dare for something more."


    Will blocked an overhead strike and sidestepped another slash aimed at his stomach. The Spider''s words echoed in his ears as he dodged. What was it talking about?


    "That''s right," the Bishop continued. "You dream big. You think that you can use that shard to reach the big leagues. Go all the way to the top."


    Will was stunned. The Spider mistakenly considered him to be someone from the free zones. His surprise only seemed to confirm the Spider''s suspicions, and the creature pressed him further.


    "You dream of the Tower. That colossus they placed in front of all of us. Reaching heavenward... all those pretty lights that we see in the sky. You want to go there, don''t you?"


    Will''s heart raced the more he listened. There was a kernel of truth in the Bishop''s diatribe that resonated with him. Even under some false assumptions, the Spider was coming awfully close to his real goals and intentions.


    "What are you willing to sacrifice for that dream?"


    Will gritted his teeth and slashed at the Spider, trying to get it to shut up. The Spider easily dodged the strike, and Will closed in, his heart hammering in his chest. He feigned a jab with his dagger and followed it with a knee strike, but the Spider was already moving out of the way before he even raised his leg. The dodge was so sudden that Will stumbled. Frowning, Will tested the Spider''s defenses again. He threw out a couple more jabs, mixed in with some feints, but the Spider saw through all of it and countered with ease.


    Unnerved by the sudden change, Will pulled back his strike aimed at the Spider''s eyes at the very last second. His dagger was nowhere close to the Spider, and yet it jerked back its head well before the strike even came close.


    A chill went down Will''s spine.


    "If you want the Tower, you''ll have to pay its dues," the Spider chittered.


    A wave of incomprehensible impressions came from the Spider, and Will finally understood. It was that damn link between them. Will felt the yellow signature in his channels flare in tune with his natural field, copying it and transmitting his reactions to the Spider.


    Will was getting a garbled set of impressions and thought patterns from the Spider, so it was a good bet that it was receiving something similar from him as well. The spike in his emotions, along with his intent to strike, could be all the information it needed to predict his attacks. Will was being read like a book, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "So, what''s it going to be, hotshot? Ready for another deal?" the Spider snarled before it dashed toward him in a red blur.


    Will reached for his shard in alarm. The world vibrated as the skill activated, and time stood still. Sensations flew at him at a speed he would have thought impossible. A slash from the right took his ear off, and a stab from the left punctured his liver. Before he could even register the pain, a clawed metal hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the floor.


    Will choked as he felt the life being squeezed out of him. Wild panic set in as air escaped his lungs. Just as his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, the skill broke and time resumed.


    Will gasped as he snapped back into reality. Without a second to spare, he dodged out of the way of the clawed fist coming for his head. The red blur zipped past his face, and Will sidestepped another thrust aimed at his abdomen. Wind buffeted him as he avoided the claws by mere inches. He instinctively tried another feint but nearly lost his head as a metal hand came within inches of grabbing his throat.


    Silently cursing, Will moved deeper into the tunnel, where the metal pillars grew denser. He hoped to lose the Spider among the tightly packed pillars, but the creature was relentless. The tunnel floor fractured, and cracks ran across the stalagmites as they rushed up the tunnel.


    Will''s heart raced on the verge of panic. How was he supposed to fight someone of the Bishop''s caliber when all his cards were exposed?


    The yellow signature in his system was still sticking close to his natural field. Will watched it spike just as he was about to strike and saw how the Spider easily dodged his attack. It saw his dagger coming before he even made a move. There was no point in attempting feints and deception when all his intentions were transparent. If he knew, it knew.


    Will gritted his teeth. There was only one logical solution to this problem: even he shouldn¡¯t know when he was about to attack.


    Letting out a breath, Will emptied his mind. The Spider crashed through the pillars, sending metal chips flying, but Will kept only a cursory eye on the creature as he retreated. He sank deeper into his meditation, and when the Spider finally reached him, he dodged using only his muscle memory. The creature¡¯s multiple arms brushed past him in a flurry of whirling red blurs, but Will kept his focus clear. As the seconds ticked by, Will noticed that he was moving faster with each passing moment. He was not thinking, just doing, and as he got faster, he noticed the slight delay between the yellow signature and his natural signature.


    Will''s fist rocketed past the Spider''s crimson helmet and nearly clipped its cheek. A wave of impressions burst forth from the Spider, which Will interpreted as stunned surprise. It didn''t see that attack coming. Will was moving too fast for it to even interpret the emotional cues he was giving off.


    There was a delay between transmission and interpretation, and in that very delay, the Bishop was blind. A sharp screech rang out as Will''s dagger raked across the Spider''s armor. Another set of impressions came from the Bishop¡ªsurprise, disbelief, and then finally amusement. The Bishop was amused. Will frowned as he pressed his attack.


    The Bishop stopped going on the offensive and allowed Will to wail on him with impunity. All his attacks were deflected with only minimal energy. Will¡¯s confusion only deepened, and it took him about a minute to realize the problem. His internal reserves were draining rapidly. His speed came at a cost. He hadn''t noticed how tired he was getting with how focused he was. It wouldn''t be long before he ran out of gas.


    Will bit back a curse and fought even more furiously. This was going against everything he was taught in basic, but he had only a few more minutes of fight left in him anyway. This was a lose-lose situation. If he tried to preserve his energy, he would eventually be ground down by an opponent who could see his every move. Conversely, if he decided to stake it all on the next few minutes, he might get enough wiggle room to try and get past the Spider''s guard, but he could just as easily run out of gas and fall under the creature''s mercy.


    Will tightened his grip around the dagger. It was go big or go home. Loud metallic clangs rang out as his dagger connected with the Spider''s claws. Strike, parry, dodge, and counter all happened in the span of a few seconds as one move flowed into the next. Will moved as naturally as he breathed. While they fought on, he kept a close watch on the yellow signature in his system, trying to find a flaw.


    The foreign field still stubbornly clung to him, and Will moved his field in erratic ways to loosen its grip. It was only when he twisted his field out of frustration and suddenly reversed its flow that things changed. The yellow signature faltered for a brief instant, and his eyes widened. He found what he was looking for¡ªa flaw. For a brief moment, he had felt something... a discordance between the yellow signature and his own. If he could exploit this...


    Pain blossomed in his channels as his psion flow violently righted itself. It was a reckless move brought about by desperation, but it had brought results. Breathing heavily, Will took another look at his reserves. He needed to calculate how long he could keep this up. He needed just a little bit more time to figure this out. After a few quick calculations, he came up with an answer that made his heart stop cold.


    Three minutes.


    Ice crept up his veins. His breath came in short gasps as he processed everything. Will pushed down the rising panic and looked up at the grinning masked helmet of the Spider, who was soaking in his every emotion.


    "Tick tock, little mouse," it whispered.


    Will gritted his teeth and channeled his field to his legs. The tunnel floor started to crack under the pressure.


    Three minutes... one hundred and eighty seconds.


    It wasn''t a whole lot of time. Some would say it was barely a blink of an eye, but it didn¡¯t change what he had to do.


    Will''s field flared violently as he pushed off the floor and rocketed toward the Spider.


    Three minutes to live.


    Three minutes to die.


    Will fought on as the clock to his doom ticked away.

 Ch. 73 Crimson 3

    A loud boom shook the tunnel as Will crashed into the Bishop. He didn''t use any fancy tricks or feints that could be dodged, just pure power. He flared his field to the maximum and rammed into the Spider like a hammer.


    The Spider cursed as it defended. "You''re getting reckless as your time ends."


    Will ignored the taunts and continued hammering away. He kept a close eye on his channels as he fought, noticing that the yellow signature was having a tougher time holding onto his field now that he was moving so wildly. Will wanted to exploit this momentary lapse to further separate the two fields, but the yellow signature proved to be remarkably tenacious. The moment he stopped channeling, it went back to chasing his natural field.


    Will bit back a curse as sweat drenched his forehead. Even if he used overwhelming power to pry apart the two fields, they would just fuse back together a second later. He needed something more than brute force if he wanted to break free completely. Will''s eyes darted about the tunnel, his heart hammering in his chest. As the clock ticked away, he grew more desperate.


    "Is the reality of your situation dawning on you?" the Spider chittered in its many voices. "Are you finally coming to your senses?"


    Will said nothing as he kept up the reckless assault. With each passing second, his energy levels dwindled. If he didn''t find an answer soon, the Spider would gain full control over him.


    "It''s futile," the Spider chittered. "There''s no way out of this. We both know how this ends. You will be one of us. The sooner you accept this fact, the better."


    Will tried to shut out the Spider''s words. This was all just a ploy to distract him. Its words were meaningless.


    "You resist... That''s good." The Spider casually deflected his blows as it made light conversation. "Survival is a natural instinct, and only the dead have eternal peace. So... what is the peace that you desire? Your one true wish? I can grant it to you."


    Will''s heart skipped a beat. His bones creaked as his channels burned with the effort to keep pushing his field.


    "Is it money... fame? Maybe power?" The Spider wondered. "Go on, speak. I''m listening. It doesn''t have to be in words. You can think it, and I''ll feel it."


    A chill went down Will''s spine. Had the connection become so strong that it had started reading his mind, or was he so transparent that it was judging merely by his emotions?


    Will controlled himself and focused solely on running the Spider through with his dagger. His concentration was so intense that he almost missed the Spider''s next words.


    "¡ªOnce the process starts, it cannot be undone. Delay as much as you like... Try and outrun it... It matters not. At the end of your path... at the end of your journey, all you will find... is me."


    Will gritted his teeth. The creature''s words seeped into him like the tar it was born out of. They scratched away at the walls of his mind, trying to get in.


    "Nine thousand credits!" the Spider snapped, catching Will off guard. Confused by the sudden change in conversation, he missed the strike he aimed at the Spider.


    "Not enough?" asked the Spider. "Alright, then how about ten thousand credits?"


    Will took a sharp intake of breath as he realized what the creature was offering. Sensing the sudden change in his mood, a wide grin spread across the Spider''s helmet as its lower jaw unhinged once again to display a twisted smile made of rows of serrated metal teeth.


    "So you can be moved," it chittered. "Good. Eleven thousand credits!"


    Will fought to keep his hands steady. His dagger shook as he attempted a sloppy lunge at the Spider. The yellow signature came alive at his sudden weakness and started to exert more control. As his energy levels dipped, the foreign field began to suppress his natural one.


    "Twelve thousand credits," continued the Spider.


    Sweat drenched Will''s forehead. This wasn''t good. The yellow signature kept getting stronger, and he was losing a lot more energy keeping it in check than maintaining the defensive field around him. If this continued, he was facing a much tighter time limit than he had initially considered.


    "Fourteen thousand credits," the Spider snorted. "Don''t tell me you''re not interested in money. Every time I mention credits... Badum... Badum..." It thumped its chest in imitation of a heartbeat. "...I can hear it."


    Through hazy eyes, Will fought the Spider. The tunnel warped and twisted as the yellow signature seeped into him. It was steadily building up, traveling up his spine toward his brain.


    The Spider tilted its head to the side, eyeing him curiously. "You clearly want the money, and yet you say nothing."


    Will stumbled back, unsteady on his feet. He grabbed hold of his field and started channeling again. The yellow signature was fended off for the moment, but he had burned through a lot of his internal reserves to purge his system, leaving him woozy as his energy dipped dangerously low.


    "Is fourteen thousand not enough? Fine." The Spider snapped. "Give me a number, and I''ll match it."


    Breathing heavily, Will steadied himself. He was running on empty, and he didn''t think he had enough power left to even fight. Without taking his eyes off the Spider, he bent low and grabbed another metal shard off the floor. Now with two daggers in hand, he held both of them at the ready, the blades pointed at the Spider.


    "What?" the Spider hissed. A wave of impressions swept by Will too fast for him to decipher.


    "You want the money," the Spider chittered angrily. "You want it so badly that I can taste it. Just take the damn credits and hand me the shard!"


    Will said nothing and met the Spider''s gaze without flinching.


    "Free zones, free zones!" the Spider chuckled maniacally. "Always the case. Stubborn to the last."


    Will watched its manic laughter subside before it went deadly still. The Spider regarded him one last time and raised its chin. "So be it."


    The Bishop vanished with a thunderous boom, and Will barely had time to raise his right arm. The limb crumpled as it met the Spider''s metal fist, sending Will flying into a dense array of stalagmites. He smashed through the pillars, shattering them before ragdolling across the tunnel floor. Metal shards rained down as the pillars toppled. One collided with another, setting off a chain reaction, and soon all the pillars were coming down.


    A blood-curdling roar cut through the rising dust, making Will shudder. A series of impressions assaulted him, and he felt the Bishop''s rage within the swirling dust cloud.


    Will shakily got to his feet, his heart beating wildly in his chest. His whole body was a bruised mess, and the worst affected was his right arm, which hung limply by his side. Alarmed, Will tried to channel through the limb but stopped immediately when met with blinding pain.


    The Bishop had somehow reversed the psion flow in the arm, burning it from the inside. Will didn''t even have the strength to purge the Spider''s residual energy from his system and watched as the field around his arm slowly sputtered to a stop, leaving the limb completely unprotected.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Loud clanging footsteps jolted Will back to the present. Through the swirling dust, a dark humanoid shape stomped toward him, and Will felt a rising chill. He could feel it coming. His psion reserves were nearing their end, and he had a minute left before he gassed out. The yellow signature was still stuck to him, and he barely had enough power to keep standing, much less attempt to rip the foreign field off of him.


    A stab of pain shot through his dead right arm, but he ignored it. If he didn''t come up with a solution right now, he would lose a lot more than an arm.


    Sweat beaded on his brow as Will thought furiously. The problem in front of him seemed insurmountable. Even if he did find the strength to pull apart the two fields, the separation would last only a few seconds. There was no point in a few moments of freedom if he was going to get caught again.


    His right arm twinged again, and Will winced. The Bishop had done quite a number on it. The blow had been powerful, and judging by how vigorously the Spider was stomping toward him, it had plenty of energy left to spare. If only he had a bit of that power, he could...


    Will stiffened as a crazy idea struck him. He stared past the swirling dust at the dark, shadowy figure headed toward him as his mind raced. Everything he knew about the Spider, the shard, and the signature flashed before him, and Will connected the dots. A reckless plan started taking shape. Based on his thoughts, it might be possible to break the hold of the yellow signature. It would only be for a few seconds, but it granted him an opportunity¡ªan opportunity to reach out to something that had been waiting for him outside in the alleyway all this time. All he had to do was get to it before time ran out.


    Will''s jaw tightened as he straightened up and set his eyes on the approaching dark figure within the swirling dust cloud. The sharp clanging footsteps of the Spider cut through the rumble of the falling pillars, and out of the smoke and dust, the Bishop stepped forward, radiating danger.


    Will watched the Spider with bloodshot eyes and began retreating toward the toppling pillars.


    "You think you can hide?!" the Spider roared. The two made a mad dash down the tunnel, dodging the falling boulder-sized metal fragments. Will desperately looked around, searching for a place to make his last stand, and found a dense array of pillars that was still standing. It was closely knit, and the tight space could restrict the Spider''s movements. Gritting his teeth, he made a beeline for it.


    The Spider was hot on his heels as he approached the pillars. Will stumbled at the last second and tried to catch himself with his damaged right arm, but the limb refused to respond. Will crashed into the stalagmite, completely open to attack, which the Spider was all too eager to exploit.


    Four metal arms raced toward Will as he turned to face the Spider. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he ducked under the first pair of arms, which speared through the pillars, sending chips of metal fragments everywhere. He was barely done with the dodge when the second pair of arms came for him. Will raised his left arm and blocked one of the arms. A triumphant smile spread across the Spider''s faceplate as the last arm went for Will''s right. There was no chance he could block with his disabled right arm.


    Will watched with wide eyes as the Spider targeted his weakness. The Spider had always been able to predict when he attacked but never bothered with how he defended. It was understandable; there was so much information coming off him that it had to filter the signals in some fashion. His intent to harm was possibly the trigger it waited for. Unfortunately for it, there was no attack coming this time.


    Will raised his right leg and placed his sharded knee right in the path of the incoming blow. A flash of incomprehension came from the Bishop right before they collided with a titanic boom.


    A powerful shockwave traveled up his leg to the rest of his body, and Will felt the yellow signature falter for a brief instant before it flatlined completely. New sensations flooded in, and he smelled the stale Tower air mixed with burning metal and melted plastic. Everything around him had gone blurry, and he started seeing double. Both the tunnel and the alleyway flashed behind his eyelids, each trying to dominate the other.


    Through hazy eyes, Will watched the narrow alley flicker in and out of sight and found himself lying face down on the side road. As the broken furniture in the alley resolved itself, his eyes landed on the one thing he had been searching for: dangling off the edge of a table three feet from him was the key fob.


    With a wild look in his eyes, Will clawed himself out of the vision to reach the key. The Doctor''s modulated pulse, programmed into his prosthetic, was his only salvation, and he had to get to it fast. The separation would last only a few more seconds before he''d be dragged back into the vision.


    Blood dripped from his fingers as his nails bit into the asphalt. His right arm remained unresponsive, and he had to crawl toward the table with only one arm. Will reached for the fob with trembling fingers when an unwilling roar shook his very being.


    "I don''t think so!" the Spider screeched, and a giant metal hand clamped down on Will''s leg.


    Will desperately dug his fingers into the pavement, but it was no use. He was dragged out of the alley and back into the tunnel as the yellow signature began fusing back into his channels.


    "Damn gutter rat!" the Spider raged. "Do you have any idea how many resources I burned to get to you?! And after all that, you think you can leave?"


    The Bishop slammed Will onto the tunnel floor, and his split vision wavered. He desperately held on to the connection, but the yellow signature was relentless in its merger. The outside world grew dark as it fused, and Will''s outstretched hand failed to reach the key fob.


    "That''s enough!" the Spider pinned his arms to the floor. "This farce is over."


    Will struggled to breathe as the Spider drove its knee into his stomach. He fought to free his arms, but the Spider''s vice-like grip remained unmoved. In his desperate struggle, Will ended up under the table. The key fob was right there in front of him. All he had to do was reach out and grab it.


    "There is nothing that we hate more than sloppy work," the Spider growled. "And you have gone and f*cked us, haven''t you?"


    The Spider''s second pair of arms wrapped around Will''s neck and began to squeeze. "I''m going to enjoy ripping everything that you know out of that stubborn skull of yours."


    Will choked as his vision flickered. The key dangled two feet in front of him, but it might as well have been miles away.


    "And after that, we''ll do a little bit of adjustment," the Spider chittered. "A little snip here and a little nudge there. The new you will love to join us."


    Will''s blood went cold as he fought against his fading consciousness. The outside world flickered wildly, and the alleyway began to melt away from the edges of his vision.


    "Also, don''t worry about your friends and family. They''re coming as well," the Spider promised. "I''ll find them."


    Will froze as the Spider leaned in close. "In fact, you''ll tell me about them yourself."


    Will gritted his teeth and gave up on his arms. He tried to lift the Spider off him but only managed to shift his legs under the table. His foot banged uselessly against the table legs as he spasmed on the floor.


    "Relax. This will all be over soon," the Spider chittered as it pulled a tremendous amount of energy from within its shell, and its field began to coalesce.


    Will felt something coming. It built up like a crescendo to a finale, rising higher with each passing moment. It built and built, and his vision darkened. A shadow fell over him, and only then did he realize it was his own eyes. He had been out of breath for so long that he was blacking out.


    A rattling breath leaked from his lips as he struggled. Will desperately moved his foot inch by inch as the world faded around him. As his vision blurred, he kept his eyes fixed on the table and channeled the last dregs of his reserves into his eyes, trying to hold the vision for just a second longer.


    "Tenacious," the Spider muttered, its entire frame brimming with power as it scanned Will. "You''ll make a wonderful host."


    Will watched with bated breath as the Spider raised one clawed finger and placed it on his forehead with loving anticipation.


    "Welcome to the Hive, brother!"


    Will screamed as the metal talon pierced his skull. Blinding pain exploded from his temple as countless images rushed into his head. The feeble field he had been channeling to his eyes collapsed under the weight of the Bishop''s yellow field. Will immediately cut off the psion flow to his left eye and focused solely on his right. As the two signatures clashed, blood dripped from his eye, but he held on, refusing to let go of the last connection to the outside world.


    "Hush," the Spider murmured, pushing its claw in deeper as Will began to twitch wildly on the tunnel floor.


    He was losing motor control, and the alleyway dimmed to a single point as tunnel vision set in. Only the table in front of him was visible. Will painstakingly fought against his twitching muscles and moved his foot into position.


    His efforts didn¡¯t go unnoticed. The Spider sensed the incoming danger and tightened its grip on his pinned arms. "What are you doing?"


    With a defiant scream, Will used his last bit of strength to kick the table''s underside, sending the key fob flying towards his face. Even when driven into a corner with no hope, he had never stopped thinking. Blood dripping from his eyes, he jerked his head forward and bit the key fob out of the air, triggering it.


    "No! Nooo!" the Spider screeched as a powerful pulse slammed into Will. The mental world it had created shattered as the prosthetic sent pulse after pulse into the etherite shard. With each strike, the Spider rocked back as its shell began disintegrating into ash.


    Will gasped as he found himself back in the alleyway with the shadowy figure of the Spider towering above him. A terrible rage burned in its eyes.


    It grabbed his throat with two crumbling arms and spoke in a deadly whisper. "You win this round, little mouse. But I have your scent now. The Hive will not be denied."


    With that final word, the Spider turned to dust, leaving Will alone in the alley. His face caked in blood, Will reached for his slate with a trembling hand and dialed his emergency contact.


    "Will? Where are you? Can you hear me? Will?!" Remy''s urgent calls were the last thing he heard before he drifted off into oblivion.


    "Will?!"

 Ch. 74 Old Friends 1

    OLD FRIENDS


    <hr>


    The metal wheels of the train screeched as it careened down the subway at tremendous speed. A full squadron of soldiers crowded the compartment, adjusting their mechs. Peppered among them were the reservists, who wore grey jumpsuits and carried pulse rifles.


    Within the drab black and grey squadron, there was only one mech with a splash of color. Metallic blue washed across its surface like an ocean breeze, interspersed with components that flashed silver.


    "Annie!" little Will yelled, trying to get his sister''s attention. He tried to part the sea of soldiers with his tiny hands, but a strong pair of arms held him back.


    The soldiers streamed out of the compartment in waves, and Will watched his sister disappear into the crowd. He struggled to break free, but to no avail.


    "Honey, stop¡ª" a choked sob came from behind.


    The last of the soldiers disappeared into the final compartment, and they started uncoupling the carriage from the rest of the train.


    It disconnected with a clang, and Will watched the carriage disappear down the tunnel as a howling, chittering mass descended upon it.


    "Open fire!"


    Flashes of gunfire lit the tunnel, and Will watched as the mass of living shadow crashed into the carriage and swallowed the compartment whole.


    "Annie!"


    Will jerked awake, his scream still ringing in his ears. Sweat drenched his forehead as he took in labored breaths, his mind still stuck somewhere deep within the tunnels.


    It was the low hum of the ventilation fan, along with the periodic beeps of a heart monitor, that broke him out of his stupor. Will blinked hazily and tried to rub the blur out of his eyes but found his arm held back by an IV line.


    "Easy now," said a curt voice, and Will found a sharp-eyed nurse bent over him.


    "Wha¡ª?" Will asked groggily. He felt drained, as if he had run for miles. His muscles twitched randomly, a clear sign of post-seizure shakes. "Where am I?"


    "Rockmore General Hospital," said the nurse as she checked his arm.


    "How did I get here?" Will continued, his speech slurred.


    "Perhaps the same way as the other patients," came the curt reply. "Hold this."


    The nurse made him press a cotton ball against his bicep and instructed him to apply pressure. While the nurse fussed over him, Will took a quick look around.


    He was in a general ward of some kind. Multiple beds were aligned against the walls, each separated by a green curtain. Across the aisle, nurses rushed to treat the wounded, most of whom looked like they were part of the protest.


    A cough came from the adjacent ward, and Will glanced at a thin-lipped young man through the gaps in the curtain. He had multiple face tattoos, and the armband tied to his sleeve hinted at his Free-Zone affiliations.


    Will frowned. Had he been picked up along with the rest of these injured protesters? What happened to Remy and Becca?


    Will turned to the nurse. "Did I come here with someone? I had two friends who accompanied me."


    The nurse shook her head. "I wasn¡¯t here when you were checked in."


    Will checked his pockets with his one free arm and pulled out his phone. He had five missed calls from Remy and plenty of messages. The push notification showed the latest message:


    Watch out. The cops are here.


    Will felt a chill. The cops were here? What the hell did that mean?


    "Open your arm," the nurse said, breaking Will out of his reverie. She removed the cotton ball and placed a fresh band-aid over his bicep. Will let the nurse work while he checked his messages.


    After a quick scan, Will quickly grasped the situation. It was Remy who had dropped him off at the hospital. Becca and the Doctor were doing fine. Remy intended to break Will out of the hospital immediately after he got his medication, but the sudden increase in police presence had him spooked. The cops were suddenly very interested in anyone being admitted to the hospital.


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    Will frowned, deep in thought, when the phone buzzed again. It was Remy.


    Two old friends from Fort Thornfield are here.


    Attached to the message was a picture of two men. The older one wore a leather duster, while the other wore a suit and tie. Will felt his breath catch as he spotted the pockmarked face of Detective Morrison.


    He nearly cursed out loud. He needed this like a bullet to the head. This was the worst time to play another round of twenty questions with the unpleasant detective. In the state he was in, the sharp detective would be sure to pin something on him, and Will didn¡¯t want to find out what. He¡¯d better make it out of here before the cops found him. Will made to stand up but suddenly felt very woozy.


    "What the¡ª" Will slumped back into the bed, his head spinning.


    "Don''t move about too much," the nurse advised. "You just suffered a low-level seizure and were administered Phenobital. It''s a mild sedative."


    "Doesn''t that one make you... sleepy?" asked Will.


    "Yes, so lie down," said the nurse as she examined a vial of blood.


    Will stared at the blood vial through hazy lids and then glanced at his freshly bandaged arm. His jumbled mind put two and two together as the nurse slotted the vial into a diagnostic machine, and the monitor flashed a single word¡ª


    Analyzing...


    Wide-eyed, Will stared at the screen. "Oh crap..."


    His blood went cold as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He had just finished a battle that had pushed him to the limit. Signature alignment was the least of his worries. There would definitely be markers left in his system that would lead to some very awkward questions, which might even lead to the conclusion that he was sharded.


    His eyes darted back to the messages on his phone and the picture of the two cops headed his way. This isn''t good. In fact, this was colossally, monumentally bad.


    The heart monitor sent a warning as Will¡¯s heart rate spiked. The surprised nurse paused mid-work, alarmed, and looked at Will. "Is something wrong?"


    Will shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.


    "You are going to be okay." The nurse patted his shoulder reassuringly. "We''re here. You have nothing to worry about."


    Sweat beaded on Will''s brow as the nurse returned her attention to the diagnostic machine. The clock was ticking. He had to leave before the cops showed up and somehow stop the nurse from completing the analysis of his blood sample.


    His mind worked furiously as he stared at the machine. There had to be some way to disable it. He could try going after its power supply, but the machine was fixed flush to the wall, and its power cable was hidden. Another option was to jostle the machine to stop the scan, but there was no way of doing that with the nurse around.


    Will considered the nurse. She was the real problem. If he could find a way to distract her by playing sick, and then... what? Nothing would change. She would just examine him, conclude that he was fine, and continue with the diagnosis.


    Will gritted his teeth. He was going in circles. None of these ideas would work. His phone buzzed again, breaking him out of his thoughts, and he found that Remy had messaged him again.


    I think they are headed your way.


    Attached to the message was a photo of the two cops walking briskly, making their way through the hospital.


    "Shit..." Will cursed under his breath. He had only a few more minutes before his whole world came crumbling down. A hacking cough came from the right, and Will glanced at the thin-lipped youth with the face tattoos. On impulse, he signaled to the guy and mimicked his mannerisms. Will slouched his shoulders and brought a glazed look to his eyes.


    The young man turned to Will and raised an eyebrow. "Skol?"


    Will quickly typed out a message on his phone and tossed it to his ward mate. He caught the phone and read the message:


    I''ve been licking snow all morning and I''m baked as shit. Now this Tower hun is running tests. Distract her for me, slim. Help a blood out.


    The young man finished reading the message and considered Will for a bit. After a few seconds, he nodded and tossed the phone back to Will, who breathed a sigh of relief.


    The guy proceeded to shake out his shoulders dramatically before clutching his heart and coughing violently. The act was so believable that even Will was surprised.


    "What?" the nurse exclaimed. She dropped what she was doing and rushed to the adjacent ward.


    As soon as she disappeared behind the curtains, Will sprang to his feet. He switched off the heart monitor and ripped off the electrodes and IV attached to him. After a quick look around, he made his way to the curtains and carefully closed his cubicle off from the general ward.


    Now away from prying eyes, Will approached the diagnoser. The machine was still ticking away, analyzing his blood sample, and Will felt around its boxy exterior for the access port. With a bit of fiddling, he connected the machine to his slate and started hacking it.


    It took a few seconds for Will to load the program, and he nervously glanced at the adjacent ward. The violent coughing from the other side continued, and he heard the nurse trying to coax his ward mate.


    A soft beep came from the slate, and Will gained access to the machine. He quickly dove into the code and found the save file location. He picked a random file and started replacing it with his.


    Each file was named with an alphanumeric string, followed by the patient''s name, cubicle number, and the date of admission. He renamed the file accordingly and started to assign the proper authentication tokens. He tapped furiously on his slate while keeping a close eye on his neighbor. The coughing was petering out, and there was the sound of shuffling footsteps.


    Just as he was about to finish replacing his file, his phone buzzed again. Remy had dropped another message:


    They reached the general ward.


    A blurry photo of the two cops was attached to the message, and before he could even process what he had read, the ward door slammed open. Will cursed as he went back to work.


    Sweat dripped off his forehead as he finished replacing the file. He opened the diagnostic results on the monitor before jumping into bed, but no sooner had his head hit the pillow than he remembered the vial of blood still left in the diagnoser. Cursing, Will rushed back to the machine.


    The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the room, getting closer by the second.


    Will grabbed the vial out of the machine and dumped it into the bio-waste basket in the corner. He then quickly jumped back into bed, his heart hammering away in his chest.


    The footsteps thudded in tune with his racing heartbeat, and Will waited with bated breath as the heavy-set boots approached his cubicle and finally stopped right outside his curtained ward.


    They were here for him.


    "Shit!" Will cursed.

 Ch. 75 Old Friends 2

    Will stared at the two silhouettes standing just outside his curtained ward. His heart raced wildly in his chest, and for a moment, that was the only thing he could hear. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. How had Tower Intelligence tracked him down so fast? They couldn¡¯t possibly be here for him, could they?


    There was a clatter of metal instruments from his right, and Will saw a smaller figure join the two shadows. He strained his ears to hear their rapid discussion and caught snippets of their conversation.


    ¡°¡ªAre you sure?¡± came a gruff voice.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t recognize any of them,¡± said the nurse.


    ¡°Hmm. We''ll take a look anyway.¡±


    ¡°All of the patients?¡± asked the nurse.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All right then.¡± The nurse stepped away from the two and opened the curtains to his ward.


    Will blinked as the light from the general ward streamed into his cubicle. Standing in front of him were Detective Morrison and his partner, Von-Bron.


    Morrison still wore his trademark leather duster, while his assistant was dressed in a suit and tie. Von-Bron held a slate in front of him, which seemed to be the sole focus of the two officers as they muttered about its contents in low voices.


    Will sank into his bed, trying to make himself inconspicuous, and the detective gave him a cursory glance. Just as he was about to look away, Morrison did a double take. A flash of recognition crossed his face when their eyes locked, and Will felt his heart sink.


    ¡°Anything else we need to add?¡± asked Von-Bron, but he found the detective distracted. ¡°Sir?¡±


    Morrison had his eyes locked on Will as he addressed the nurse. ¡°Is this your next patient?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the nurse replied uncertainly, looking at Will.


    ¡°Could you give us a moment alone, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The nurse took her leave, and Will tried not to break under the weight of the withering glares of the two officers, who seemed content to let him sweat while they waited for the nurse''s retreating footsteps to fade into the background.


    When they were finally alone, Detective Morrison greeted Will with a faux smile. "Well, William," he said, pulling a visitor''s chair closer and sitting down. "We seem to keep meeting in the strangest circumstances."


    "It appears so," said Will dryly.


    "Perils of an exciting life?"


    Will tried to keep his face even. "I prefer the quiet."


    "Not so quiet today, is it? Five hundred feet from us, the municipal hall is burning. You wouldn''t know anything about that, would you?"


    "No."


    "And yet here you are, in the presence of some very pleasant company." The detective looked around at the admitted protestors.


    "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Will.


    "Indeed? It''s curious... you were injured last time as well." Morrison leaned forward and inspected the diagnostic data. "Is that your blood work?"


    Will''s mouth went dry as the detective checked his medical chart. He didn''t have time to double-check the data. If by chance he mixed up an eighty-year-old woman''s file with his own, the discrepancy would be obvious.


    Morrison gave the chart a scrutinizing look before leaning back in his seat. "Your blood pressure is high. Maybe add more potassium to your diet."


    "Yes," Will¡¯s voice cracked. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Von-Bron examining his shoes and personal effects. Will struggled to breathe at the sudden intrusion, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. It was a small blessing that he had disconnected the heart monitor before the cops'' arrival.


    "So," the detective continued, "how did you end up here?"


    Will played dumb. "I was injured."


    "No," Von-Bron cut in, "why were you on the twentieth floor?"


    "No particular reason," said Will, turning to face the younger officer.


    "Were you visiting someone?" asked Morrison.


    Will shook his head, trying to think his way out of the question as his eyes darted between both officers. They were trying to shake him up with their rapid-fire questions. He also had a vague impression that Von-Bron was diverting his attention away from his partner for some reason.


    Sensing a trap coming, Will decided to flip the dynamic of the conversation and drew on the shard¡¯s power, channeling the skill through his eyes. The world vibrated like a taut string, and time stood still.


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    Multiple streams of images poured into his mind. In one, he saw Von-Bron step forward, slate in hand, which he unlocked with a few quick taps. Will watched the younger officer¡¯s movements with rapt attention through the many reflective surfaces in the ward. Each tap was read and analyzed until he had the whole password.


    1859310.


    The number was seared into his memory through the rapid series of images, and Will switched his focus onto Detective Morrison, who had been his original target. Von-Bron¡¯s sudden, big movements were not lost on Will as a draw for his attention. It was a distraction for the older detective to make a move.


    Through the corner of his eye, he watched Morrison pull out an odd-looking device with a quick, fluid motion that was barely perceptible, and felt something poke against his leg. It was only for a brief instant, but Will recognized the scanner meant for detecting metallic parts.


    The device turned on with a slight hum, and something fluttered against his field, scanning him from head to toe. When it finally reached his leg, it zeroed in on his prosthetic. In the next instant, it¡ª


    The skill cut off abruptly, leaving Will reeling. Von-Bron approached him with his slate, and Will felt something poke against his prosthetic, which was the only warning he got for the intrusive scan. Morrison had already withdrawn his hand along with the device.


    Will broke out in a cold sweat. If he hadn¡¯t used his skill, he wouldn¡¯t even have noticed. Why were they scanning him for metal?


    The answer came to him in a flash as he recalled cyborgs hidden among the protestors, hunting for the doctor. Will looked at the serious faces of the two officers, and his blood went cold. They couldn¡¯t possibly think he had something to do with it, could they?


    Will cursed internally as sweat trickled down his brow. Of course they would. It was the only reason they were here.


    Something had drawn the police to the hospital, whether by faulty intelligence or an actual sighting, he didn¡¯t know. They found him at the scene of the crime, someone they already suspected of being related to the airship bombings, now caught in unusual circumstances. If they weren¡¯t suspicious, they might as well hand in their badges.


    ¡°Well?¡± Morrison prompted, breaking Will out of his thoughts.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t visiting anyone,¡± said Will.


    Von-Bron held his slate in front of him. ¡°Do you recognize this man?¡±


    Will glanced at the nondescript male on the screen and shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± said Will.


    Von-Bron proceeded to flip through pictures of different individuals, none of whom Will recognized. It was only when they reached the final picture that his heart skipped a beat.


    It was the cyborg that had attacked him at the Doctor¡¯s place.


    Von-Bron paused mid-scroll when he saw the expression on Will¡¯s face and went back to the cyborg.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t recognize him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Will.


    Von-Bron frowned and skipped a few pictures to show him a smiling photograph of Dr. Leibowitz. ¡°How about him?¡±


    ¡°No clue.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Von-Bron said coldly.


    Morrison leaned forward, and both officers exchanged a glance. Will¡¯s breathing quickened as he tried to keep his face even.


    Von-Bron scrolled to another photo, which looked like a still from a video. The picture was grainy, and Will could barely make out the people fleeing from the burning municipal hall. Von-Bron zoomed in and focused on three people in the crowd who wore facemasks and hoods obscuring their faces, but Will immediately recognized Remy, Becca, and the doctor. His breath hitched in his throat, and sweat beaded on his forehead.


    ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± asked Von-Bron.


    ¡°No,¡± said Will.


    ¡°No?¡± asked Morrison icily.


    Will shook his head.


    ¡°I see,¡± said the detective with a grim smile. He slowly got to his feet and offered Will his hand. ¡°It was nice seeing you again, William.¡±


    His cold smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes as he shook Will¡¯s hand. ¡°The same goes for those friends of yours. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re still in the building. Tell them I said hello.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Not if I find them first,¡± Detective Morrison said ominously. Both officers gave the cubicle a cursory glance before stepping out, and the green curtains fluttered shut behind them.


    Will''s mask fell the moment he was left alone in the ward. His breath came in shallow bursts as he searched for his slate. He had to make a call. He had to warn Remy. If they found him now...


    Will dialed the number. The ringtone echoed in his ear, sharp and insistent, but the call went unanswered.


    "Come on, pick up," he muttered, glancing quickly at the shifting shadows outside his curtained ward. A chill crept up his spine as the curtains swayed.


    The hairs on the back of his neck rose, an ominous sense of danger settling in. Something was definitely off. His instincts screamed that he had overlooked something important.


    His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out the sound of his ringing slate as his eyes locked on the curtains.


    Why had they even bothered closing his ward? It felt almost like...


    Eyes wide, Will frantically searched the ward. Seconds ticked by. He yanked at the bed linens, shoving aside medical instruments. Then he spotted it¡ªa slate on top of the diagnoser, tucked behind some wires.


    Will stared at Von-Bron¡¯s slate in horror as the ringing in his ear finally stopped.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Remy answered.


    Startled, Will cut the call in a flash and snapped back to the partially hidden slate with dread. Grabbing the blanket off the bed, he wrapped it around his hand and picked up the slate, careful not to leave any prints. He quickly typed in the password with the sheet and unlocked the slate to find a sound recording app running.


    Will watched the timer on the recorder tick by and sucked in a sharp breath. He had been baited. It was a trap from the beginning. They knew he would call someone the moment they stepped out of the ward.


    Will bit back a curse. His eyes darted between the slate and the closed curtains, and a reckless plan started forming. He might never get a chance like this again. After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided to bite the bullet.


    Will rummaged through his pockets for a cable and got to work.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Five minutes later, rapid footsteps approached the cubicle, and the curtains were violently yanked open. Will lay still on the bed, pretending to be asleep. He strained his ears, focused on the sharp footsteps headed toward him, and held his breath when they stopped right next to his bedside.


    A tense pause followed, and Will felt the heat of a heavy gaze weigh down on him. A few heart-pounding seconds later, there was a rustle from his left, and the footsteps retreated.


    Will waited another minute before opening his eyes. The curtains were now wide open, and Von-Bron¡¯s slate was gone.


    Will exhaled shakily, tightening his grip on his own slate hidden under the sheet. Throwing aside the covers, he pulled it out and checked its logs.


    1038 files transferred.


    Eyes ablaze, Will scrolled to the first file and opened it. He quickly read through the file and moved on to the next. The more he read, the more alarmed he grew. He went through dossier after dossier, and a quiet dread crept through him.


    Will exited the file reader and dialed Remy again.


    "The number you have dialed is unreachable. Please try again later."


    Cursing, Will stumbled out of bed, half delirious. He fought through the drug haze and made for the exit. He had to get to Remy and Becca. If what he had read in the documents was accurate, then the Tower had finally gotten a lead against the Bishop. The window for his capture was closing fast, and they had to get to him before the police did.


    Because once the Bishop fell, they were next.

 Ch. 76 Paper Trail

    PAPER TRAIL


    <hr>


    Will was out of the general ward before anyone could stop him. After that, it was a mad dash out of the hospital, and he quickly blended into the milling crowd outside, dialing Remy again.


    Will''s head was on a swivel as he scanned the crowd. The possibility of being followed occurred to him, but the chaos of the riots would provide some cover. He made good use of the crowd as he moved away from the municipal hall.


    "Hello," Remy finally answered the call. "What''s going on? We¡ª"


    "No time to explain. I have important news," said Will. "Where are you?"


    Will listened intently as Remy relayed his location. Spooked by Will''s sudden disconnected call, Remy had already left the hospital, assuming it was a warning that the cops were after him, and had made it to one of the quieter districts away from the municipal hall.


    Will breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly headed toward the district. His head was spinning¡ªmaybe it was the drugs in his system or adrenaline withdrawal, but he felt a sudden wave of fatigue. He had been in fight-or-flight mode all this time, and now his body was shutting down. Will struggled to keep his eyes open.


    By the time he reached the outer districts, he was ready to keel over and found himself leaning on Remy. The brunet had spotted him about to pass out and dragged him away from the open street.


    "Come on, bud, let''s get you out of here."


    Barely conscious, Will vaguely felt Remy''s arm around his shoulder, leading him through the back alleys, away from prying eyes. The city sounds faded into a distant hum, and finally, Will surrendered to the encroaching darkness, the world around him dissolving into black.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Will woke up bleary-eyed, his head still foggy from the drugs in his system. His vision swam as he heard a nearby television playing the news.


    ¡°¡­Reports of violence in the Tower as protesters crowd the lower floors. On the scene, we have¡­¡±


    Will blinked, and his vision cleared enough to see the dirty couch he was lying on. The small, dark room was a cluttered mess, with monitors as the only source of light.


    Remy and Becca crouched in front of the computer, watching news reports of riots breaking out in different parts of the Tower.


    Burning taxi shuttles littered the streets, and the camera zoomed in on people lying prone along the boulevard, unmoving. The grim-faced news anchor finished the report with a somber death toll.


    "Oh my God¡­" Becca''s voice trembled, her hand covering her mouth as she stared at the carnage on the screen. Remy rubbed his face wearily, his eyes locked on the feed.


    Will tried to get up and nearly knocked over a half-filled can of soda. Overhead, a nest of dangling wires crisscrossed the room, connecting various cobbled-together devices. The whole ensemble was held together with duct tape and a prayer, and Will finally recognized Remy¡¯s apartment.


    Will pushed himself up from the couch with a groan, alerting Remy, who immediately came to his aid. Will accepted the help gratefully and spoke in a rasp, "How long was I asleep?"


    "Three hours," said Remy. "You had us worried. What the hell happened at the hospital?"


    Memories of the event came in flashes¡ªthe police interrogation, the trap with the recording, and the weight of Von-Bron¡¯s slate in his hand.


    A curse escaped his lips as he recalled the files he had scrambled to save before rushing out of the hospital.


    "I got my hands on something big." Will pulled out his phone from his pocket and quickly transferred the data onto the computer.


    Dossier after dossier popped up on the multiple screens, and Remy got to work organizing the relevant files. Most of the personal files were filled with photos of grim-faced military men they were already familiar with.


    "Aren''t these the officers who were part of that accident?" muttered Becca. "The one that got Dr. Leibowitz fired."


    "Yes, and they all died in the same fashion," Will jumped in. "Not just these dozens we found back at camp. There are a lot more people involved¡ªfrom janitors to assistants. A lot of people related to the project are now either dead or missing."


    Remy opened the post-mortem reports and checked the manner of death. The kills were quick and efficient, with one bloody exception that resulted in a shootout. In the end, the soldier¡¯s house was burnt down, and the fight ended in close-quarters combat where he was ripped limb from limb.


    Becca gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. ¡°What¡­ what could¡¯ve done that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s steel¡­ and carbon fiber splinters in the wound. So probably not a mech¡­ trace amounts of burnt hydrazine?¡± Remy squinted at the report. ¡°Best guess, this was done by a cyborg.¡±


    ¡°Revenant?¡± Becca whispered.


    ¡°Maybe," Will said hoarsely. ¡°But, that¡¯s not everything. Some of the soldiers show unusual activity related to their finances. They made some big purchases, out of nowhere."


    ¡°Bribes?¡±


    Will shrugged, and Remy stirred beside him. ¡°They¡¯re cleaning house. After that botched mission¡­ they¡¯re tying up loose ends.¡±


    Will rubbed his twitching knee. ¡°It¡¯s not just the soldiers. They¡¯re going after everyone.¡±


    Becca narrowed her eyes at Will. ¡°You said you found something big. There¡¯s more, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Will hesitated, then had Remy open a folder labeled ¡®Court Orders.¡¯ He had to scroll down a bit to find the relevant file.


    ¡°Tower Intelligence tracked down a Revenant operative. Marcus Crowley. His arrest is scheduled for four days from now.¡±


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    ¡°Who is he?¡± Becca asked, frowning.


    ¡°No idea, but his name pops up in a lot of files. From what I can guess, he was heavily involved in the airship bombings.¡±


    ¡°So if we can get to Crowley, we could get to Bishop,¡± Remy speculated.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big ¡®if,¡¯¡± Becca said, shaking her head. ¡°We need to know more.¡±


    ¡°There were no files on Crowley in the data dump. I do, however, have a full system image.¡± Will turned to Remy. ¡°Can you dig up something in the metadata? Anything hidden?¡±


    Remy nodded, already typing furiously. ¡°It¡¯ll take some time, but I¡¯ll find what I can.¡±


    ¡°Better work fast,¡± Becca said, her finger tapping the court order on the screen. ¡°We¡¯ve only got four days.¡±


    Remy muttered something unintelligible, his focus on the screen. Becca took that as a cue to leave and got up from her seat.


    "I¡¯ve got to go," she said, dusting herself off. "You two going to be okay?"


    Will nodded. Becca let out a tired sigh and made her way out of the apartment, avoiding the dangling wires.


    "I should head out too. Mom and Ellie will be worried." Will made to stand up, but his shaky legs refused to cooperate.


    Remy snapped away from his terminal and pushed him back down. "You¡¯re not going anywhere in that condition. Rest up. I¡¯ll call your house and let them know you¡¯re here."


    Will sighed and reluctantly sank back onto the couch. He lay there unmoving for a while, his eyelids growing heavy. As he drifted off, he grabbed his slate and opened another file¡ªone he hadn¡¯t shown the others. It was another court order, this time a search warrant for the underground rail network beneath the Hallucia temple.


    For a brief instant, the temple tunnels flashed before his eyes, and he remembered the bikes they had left behind in the subway. Their one loose end...


    Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Will drifted off to sleep, slate still in hand.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Will stirred, blinking awake. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and the couch creaked under him as he took stock of the empty apartment. Remy and Becca were nowhere to be seen.


    Will wrung out his sore muscles as he stretched into a sitting position and checked the time. He¡¯d been out for nearly twelve hours, which explained his stiff back. After a quick scroll through his notifications, he found a message from Remy.


    Done parsing the data. Checking out a lead. Find me at Orbital when you¡¯re awake.


    Will sat up, surprised. A lead already? Remy was quick on the update. He stuffed the slate back into his pocket and headed for the door.


    It was a brisk walk out of the neighborhood, and Will arrived at the station.


    The morning commute had always been a claustrophobic experience, but there seemed to be fewer people out and about. The trains were also on time, and Will took the normal route up the tower.


    Minutes ticked by as he nervously waited for his stop, and as soon as his station arrived, Will followed the crowd onto the platform.


    ¡°Welcome to Floor fifty,¡± an announcement came from the overhead speakers.


    Will split away from the crowd and took a lift to the Orbital. A group of tourists shared the lift, but they lacked the usual good cheer. Together, they alighted at the top floor, and Will took out his slate. Remy answered the call, and after a quick back and forth, he got the address.


    Will took a quick shortcut through the themed sections and slipped past a few anxious shoppers. Police were everywhere, gathered in groups or walking patrols, their sharp gazes sweeping over the tourists. Will kept his head down and headed for the outer ring.


    Old Henry started to chime in the distance as he reached the edge of the Orbital. Observation decks lined the parapet, and the sparse crowd, few that they were, gathered to gaze at the sprawling cityscape.


    Will scanned the crowd and finally spotted Remy and Becca, standing a short distance away, locked in what was clearly a quiet but intense argument. Becca¡¯s face was flushed with frustration, while Remy was staring out into the city proper with a satisfied look on his face, unfazed by whatever was bothering her.


    Will approached quietly, catching the tail end of their conversation.


    ¡°¡ªI can already tell this is a bad idea,¡± Becca hissed.


    Will stepped between them, looking from one to the other. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Ask him,¡± Becca snapped, gesturing at Remy.


    Will raised an eyebrow and turned to Remy. ¡°Any leads on Crowley?¡±


    ¡°Not Crowley¡­¡± Remy smiled. ¡°Von-Bron.¡±


    ¡°Von-Bron?¡± Will echoed, surprised.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been watching his apartment for the past half hour,¡± Becca said, crossing her arms. ¡°And this doofus refuses to tell me why.¡±


    Remy gestured toward the card-operated binoculars. ¡°Have a look.¡±


    The viewfinder stood at about chest height, connected to a sturdy steel base. A credit slot was embedded on the side, and from the small mechanical ticks emanating from the machine, the timer was running.


    Will bent low over the device and peered into the eyepiece. Through the lens, the city skyline stretched out in front of him, dominated by towering buildings.


    ¡°You see the Renada Tower?¡± asked Remy.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°To its left¡ªthe corner¡ªyou can see a pillar building.¡±


    Will tried to swivel the binoculars but found it was fixed in place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother moving it,¡± Remy advised. ¡°What you¡¯re looking at is Von-Bron¡¯s current place of residence¡ªThe Cardinal.¡±


    Will strained his eyes and examined the building from the corner of his eye. Like Remy had said, it was a pillar building. Tower Atlas had massive pillars running through its axis to support each floor. There were major pillars like the ones the Tower stations were built around, and then there were minor ones that supported smaller buildings.


    The Cardinal wasn¡¯t as cramped in as the other high-rises, as the multi-level highways kept clear of the pillars. The skinny apartment complex extended all the way to the top of the floor and connected with the roof.


    ¡°Notice anything interesting?¡± asked Remy.


    ¡°Looks pretty normal,¡± Will muttered as he scanned the many balconies lining the building. His eyes wandered to its base, where he found perimeter barriers and the heavily controlled access points. There were also a considerable number of security guards. ¡°Now, that¡¯s not normal.¡±


    ¡°A lot of the residents are members of the police force,¡± explained Remy.


    ¡°This is a cop compound?¡± Will asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± said Remy. ¡°This is just the spillover. The police housing complex couldn¡¯t fit all of them, so some of the junior members live here.¡±


    Will pulled away from the viewfinder. ¡°Why are we looking at Von-Bron? Wait, hold on¡ªhow did you even figure out his address?¡±


    ¡°Location data,¡± said Remy. ¡°Cross-referenced it with one of his drone delivery service apps, and here we are. He stays on the 107th floor, apartment 5B.¡±


    ¡°That would make it at the very top of the complex.¡± Will frowned. ¡°Alright, we have a cop and his house. What else?¡±


    ¡°This.¡± Remy brought out his slate and showed him the list of dead soldiers. ¡°We were so focused on the military that we glossed over some very interesting people.¡±


    Remy handed Will the slate, and he scrolled through the mugshots of some hard-edged men. Radiation burns covered their skin, and some had their fingers chopped off from frostbite.


    Becca peered over Will¡¯s shoulder, squinting at the files. ¡°They don¡¯t look like they¡¯re from the Tower. Wait¡­ these are¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Remy whispered. ¡°Former Revenant members. They¡¯re purging their own.¡±


    Becca¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    Remy shrugged. ¡°My guess? Anyone involved in the airship raids is being¡­ handled. They¡¯ve all gone missing over the past month.¡±


    Will¡¯s mind raced. ¡°And Crowley?¡±


    ¡°One of the last holdouts,¡± Remy speculated. ¡°He¡¯s now in the wind.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Becca said, shaking her head. ¡°Why do this? Wouldn¡¯t it cause an internal revolt?¡±


    Silence hung over the group as they processed the information. Will tapped his fingers against the railing, deep in thought. ¡°We need more intel.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll get it,¡± Remy said grimly. ¡°From Von-Bron.¡±


    He took the slate back from Will and began going through the data. The metadata Will had extracted came into the picture as Remy began opening folders containing .mdf and .db files.


    Will frowned as he recognized the file format. ¡°What database is that from?¡±


    Remy smiled and tapped the slate. ¡°I can spoof the phone and access the account.¡±


    Will frowned at the evasive response. Was Remy saying what he thought he was saying?


    ¡°Password?¡± Will asked.


    ¡°It was written in one of his notes,¡± said Remy. ¡°All I need is access to his home network. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll check the IP of every attempted login.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are you¡­¡± Becca began, looking alarmed, as there was only one database that could hold the information they needed.


    Will looked down at the list of files and made the connection. They would definitely get all the intel they needed from there. He gripped the railing hard as he stared at the city skyline.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Will began.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Becca said weakly.


    Will gave a grim nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go raid the police database.¡±

 Ch. 77 Shadows in the Snow

    SHADOWS IN THE SNOW


    <hr>


    The following day passed in a blur as they gathered information on the Cardinal. Becca managed to track down some online apartment listings for the place, from which Remy pieced together a floor plan. It wasn¡¯t by any means comprehensive, but it gave them a basic idea of what to expect inside. Yet the pivotal question remained ¨C how to get inside the building?


    "It''s impossible," Becca fumed.


    "It''s not impossible," Remy muttered, not really believing his own words.


    Will sighed and leaned back against a dusty shelving unit in the school storage room. It was a quiet place to discuss things since the academy was still in its offseason. Only senior students like them bothered visiting the academy for their final year projects.


    "It is," Becca insisted. "There''s no way this can be completely covert."


    "It has to be," Will interjected.


    "Then it''s impossible," said Becca, pointing at the map. "The ground floor is a dead end. It has a 24/7 manned entrance, and the back exit is shut tight with reinforced doors. There''s no midway access up the complex. No nearby highways or connecting structures that give access to the building. And to top it all off, no railings or shuttle taxi lines running up the building."


    "It''s because it''s a residential building," Remy sighed. "They usually don¡¯t have those."


    "Are you sure we can¡¯t use the normal entrance?" asked Will.


    "We''ll be seen," said Becca. "It¡¯s a gated community for a reason."


    Will rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing at the map. With enough time, they could probably find a way to sneak in. They could steal maintenance uniforms, clone some IDs, maybe even stage a distraction. But that would leave traces¡ªfootage, suspicious guards¡ªand that wasn¡¯t ideal when dealing with the police.


    He glanced at the heavily guarded entrances, then up at the top of the map. ¡°If we can¡¯t go in from below, then maybe we should come in from above.¡±


    "I told you, no highways¡ª" began Becca, but Will shook his head.


    ¡°No¡­not there,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Look higher, all the way up.¡±


    "But that''s..." said Becca.


    "Oh..." Remy grinned. "That''s good."


    "No," Becca protested, her eyes wide. ¡°What about the panels... the temperatures?¡±


    "We''ll do it when they''re off," said Will.


    After another round of intense arguing, Becca relented. ¡°Honestly, Will, you''re getting as bad as Remy.¡±


    "That''s settled, then," Will said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    Time flew by as they rushed to finalize their plans. Becca scouted out observation posts around the Cardinal, identifying the best vantage points where she could keep watch. Meanwhile, Remy and Will were busy procuring materials on the black market. There was a sudden influx of auto parts from shuttle taxis, which the duo took full advantage of.


    After acquiring the necessary supplies, Will got to work. He was in the school storage room, bending a sheet metal panel over a small metal frame. The exterior resembled a typical bot, but it was merely a disguise. The interior of the fake bot was hollow.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What do you think?" asked Will when he finished bolting the sheet in place.


    "The angle is a little off here," Remy pointed out, "but it''s fine. We just have to pass a cursory glance."


    Will nodded. "After the paint job, we''re done."


    There was a lull after that statement. Will sensed Remy was here for something else and waited expectantly. After about a minute, Remy finally spoke.


    "I read the court order," he said simply.


    Will glanced at Remy and knew that the brunet wasn¡¯t talking about Crowley¡¯s arrest warrant.


    "What do you reckon?" asked Will, worried. "Did we leave anything incriminating back in the tunnel?"


    Remy looked pensive. "The temple is fierce about its independence. No Towerite, much less a spook, would be allowed to set foot on the mountain for an investigation. They won''t allow it, no matter what happens."


    Will stewed in silence for a long while before replying. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing stopping the priests themselves from conducting an investigation, is there?¡±


    Remy sighed, unwilling to lie. ¡°No¡­¡±


    "Great!" Will said bitterly. "Any more bad news?"


    Remy gave a dry chuckle. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re asking¡­¡±


    Will sighed, and Remy continued, ¡°We¡¯re really tight on time. Any way you look at it, this is a rush job¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThere¡¯s no way to automate this, is there?¡± Will guessed.


    ¡°Nope. We¡¯ve barely enough time to get a crawler operational, and someone has to control it in person. There¡¯s too much delay doing it remotely,¡± said Remy.


    ¡°Someone has to¡­¡± Will repeated slowly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Remy nodded.


    Will sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Remy nodded again and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Now with that done, we just might make the deadline.¡±


    The door of the storeroom opened, and Will turned toward the rapidly approaching footsteps.


    Becca burst in. ¡°Is the bot finished?¡± She inspected the newly assembled frame and nodded. ¡°Good. I have the patrol schedule.¡±


    Will took her slate and began going through her notes. ¡°Is this right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Becca breathed. ¡°They¡¯ve stuck to that every day.¡±


    ¡°Finally, some good news,¡± Will muttered and handed the slate to Remy.


    ¡°Great,¡± muttered Remy. ¡°I also have a few questions.¡± He dragged Becca away, and the two rapidly began discussing the notes.


    Will rubbed his tired eyes as he considered his options. There was nothing he could do about the temple, and by how things were going, it would be the Bishop that got to him first before anyone from the Tower.


    Will shuddered at the parting words of the spider promising retribution, and his right leg twitched. As though invoking a demon from the abyss, the mere mention of its name brought the creature to the surface. The yellow signature stirred in his system, and Will waited with bated breath for a flare-up, which never came. The signature went back to being dormant, as if it had never moved in the first place.


    Will let out a shuddering breath and grabbed another metal sheet. The temple would have to wait. The Bishop took priority over everything else.


    He began bolting the sheet to the bot¡¯s undercarriage, deep in thought. He just hoped he was making the right call.


    ¨‹.¨‹.¨‹


    The wind howled through the narrow, snow-covered streets. The visibility was near zero, and a man, wrapped in a heavy coat, stumbled forward, his breath fogging in the air. Each step was a struggle, the deep snow pulling at his legs, threatening to drag him down with every move.


    Panting, he glanced over his shoulder, his wide, terrified eyes searching the swirling white void behind him. Shadows darted behind the curtain of snow, rushing toward him.


    A terrified yelp escaped his mouth as he broke into a blind sprint. A heavy crash followed as he ran headlong into something, sending him sprawling into the snow. The sound of footsteps slowed to a stop, and six long shadows fell upon him.


    "No¡­ no, please!" His voice broke as he scrambled away. "I said nothing!" he cried out, his voice barely audible over the storm. "I said nothing!"


    The six figures were clad in thick cloaks that concealed their faces, their forms barely discernible in the storm.


    Panic surged through the downed man as he crawled backward, his hands sinking deep into the snow. His breath came in short gasps, his eyes wild with fear.


    "No, wait! I can be of service! I¡¯m useful!" he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. The cloaked figures remained silent, standing over him, their faces hidden beneath their hoods. They watched his struggle without a word.


    The man¡¯s voice turned into a scream. "Crowley!" he shrieked, grasping at his last chance. "I know where he is! I can lead you to him!"


    One of the hooded figures made a subtle gesture, and three of them stepped forward, their movements bringing with them a smell of blood and metal. Two of them grabbed the man roughly, yanking him to his feet and pinning his arms behind his back, while the third figure approached slowly with a black bag in hand.


    "No! Wait!" The man struggled, his words tumbling out in a frenzied plea. "I can get you Crowley! I can¡ª"


    His voice was drowned out by the bag pulled over his head. Muffled screams came from him as his legs kicked desperately in the air. Wet gurgling soon followed, and the man went still.


    The snow fell harder as the wind picked up, burying the body in a sea of white. A pair of vacant eyes stared up at the stormy sky, a silent witness to the violence to come. The hunt for Crowley had begun.

 Ch. 78 Touch the Firmament

    TOUCH THE FIRMAMENT


    <hr>


    Will sat cross-legged in a dimly lit room, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and deliberate. He felt the hum of energy within him as the psions flowed freely through his channels.


    The silver thermal suit he wore flared up in tune with his breath, and his field stabilized. Days of preparation had led him here, and it was time to take on the Cardinal.


    With one final exhale, Will opened his eyes. Across the room, Remy and Becca were prepping the gear.


    ¡°Electronics... receiver, transmitter¡­ check. Rangefinder¡­¡± Remy muttered under his breath, marking off each item on the list.


    Next to him, Becca sorted through the small pile of equipment and packed it away. She pulled out a chalk-white cylinder and frowned as she found more similar pieces. When she reached the last piece of the puzzle, she froze.


    "Remy, what is this?" she demanded, holding up the chalk-white, 3D-printed pieces of a rifle.


    Remy gave the dismantled gun a casual look and shrugged. ¡°Just insurance.¡±


    Becca looked incredulous. ¡°Insurance?!¡±


    Will, curious, took the printed part from her hands before she could protest. The material was dense and had a bit of weight to it.


    ¡°This is a ceramic-plastic blend?¡± Will guessed, raising his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s going to crack and melt when it overheats. How many shots can it even fire?¡±


    ¡°A few dozen before it starts to deform,¡± said Remy. ¡°Better than nothing, right?¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Becca snapped. ¡°What were you even thinking?¡±


    ¡°We''re not going to need it¡ªuntil we do. You saw what happened with the doctor.¡± Remy said defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without being armed.¡±


    Becca sighed and snatched the printed piece from Will. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯ll be holding onto this.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why?¡± Remy exclaimed.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the spotter,¡± Becca said coolly. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m the better shot.¡±


    Remy clicked his tongue but didn¡¯t argue. He turned toward Will. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Will stretched, feeling his signature stabilize within him. ¡°Ready.¡±


    He glanced out the window. The Tower had entered its night cycle, and the dark streets were lit by dim street lamps. They were at the very edge of Floor 50, and he could vaguely make out the Tower¡¯s outer wall, lit up by the surrounding high-rises.


    Will zipped up his silver thermal suit as Remy rolled the bot toward him. The two-meter-long machine clicked open, and Will climbed into the hollow interior.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re not feeling claustrophobic.¡± Remy grinned and gave him a mock salute. Will stuck out his tongue as Remy closed the lid. It clicked shut, encasing Will in darkness.


    The sound of gears shifting echoed around him, followed by a lurch as the bot began to move. Will swayed with the motion for a few minutes, then there was a soft clang as something slotted into place.


    A crackle sounded in his earpiece. "You¡¯re hooked onto the taxi rail line," Remy¡¯s voice buzzed.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Got it," Will acknowledged. The bot moved at a steady clip, and Will''s eyes darted around the dark, listening to the monotonous hum of the motor.


    Minutes passed as Will listened. The engine¡¯s whine changed in pitch as the bot began to slow down. Another clang sounded, and the bot jerked upwards. Will braced himself as he was forced to his feet when the bot righted itself. More clangs followed, and the bot began to climb.


    ¡°Will?¡± Remy¡¯s voice crackled through the earpiece.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    "Things are looking good," said Remy. ¡°I can see you climbing up the wall now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± said Will, feeling a little queasy.


    "This is going to take a while," said Remy. "Becca and I will head to the Cardinal. In the meantime, I¡¯ll keep this channel clear. I¡¯ll keep you posted if anything changes."


    "Roger that," said Will.


    The bot continued its slow, rhythmic ascent, the engine¡¯s hum rattling the onboard equipment.


    Will was itching to turn on the light and check the gear, but he held himself back. The lights and external camera would drain the batteries if he wasn¡¯t frugal, and losing power mid-mission would be catastrophic. A little rattling was nothing to worry about.


    Exhaling slowly, he waited. The bot kept up its ascent, and minutes rolled into what felt like hours. Sweat trickled down his back as the air inside the bot reached sweltering levels. The thermal suit kicked on, barely able to regulate his body heat. The rattling worsened, and the rail ride grew bumpier as they climbed. Will glanced upward, listening to the engine whine. They must be getting close to the top.


    Will tapped his earpiece, his brow slick with sweat. ¡°Remy?¡±


    His heart was beating wildly as the rattling outside continued. His finger hovered over the button for the external camera, but he hesitated.


    ¡°Remy?¡± he called out again, but only static greeted him. A flicker of unease sparked within, and that was all the excuse he needed to turn on the camera.


    The lights flipped on, and the tiny monitor in front of him flared to life, displaying the view outside.


    It was breathtaking. The entire Floor sprawled out in front of him, the high-rises glimmering in the night. A labyrinth of glowing streets and twisting highways wound through the towering buildings, a few of which stretched all the way to the top of the Floor. Will angled the camera upward and followed the pillar buildings to the very roof.


    The Tower''s ceiling loomed above, and the massive sky panels, currently deactivated, radiated waves of heat. Projecting the artificial sky all day had left them blisteringly hot and in constant need of repairs. Thin rail lines ran between the panels, and hundreds of bots zipped back and forth along the tracks, performing repairs and maintenance work on the panels.


    "Will?" Remy¡¯s voice finally crackled through the static. "The connection is a little iffy. How are you holding up?"


    ¡°I¡¯m melting in here,¡± Will muttered, adjusting the temperature gauge on his suit.


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected,¡± said Remy. ¡°You¡¯re nearly at the top. The rails will be transferring to the roof right about¡­ now.¡±


    With a loud metallic thunk, the bot shifted again, locking onto the upper rail system. Will felt a sudden jerk as the bot reoriented itself, sending him from a standing position to lying flat on his stomach.


    The camera displayed the vertigo-inducing sky view of the city below, and his stomach flipped.


    ¡°Oh crap!¡± Will cursed, going green.


    "Don¡¯t look down," Remy warned, as if reading his mind.


    Another jolt ran through the bot as it started moving. Will gasped. The cityscape sped by as the bot picked up speed, and he was now soaring through the skyline alongside hundreds of other repair bots.


    ¡°Will, you there?¡± Remy¡¯s voice crackled through the comms. ¡°Sit tight. We¡¯re almost at the observation point.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Will as he kept an eye on the camera. The other bots zipped past in a hurry, and he kept his distance from them. Instead of taking the direct route to the city center, he adopted a more winding path, avoiding the densest cluster of bots.


    Half an hour later, midway through the journey, Remy contacted him again.


    ¡°We¡¯re in position.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± said Will. ¡°Any updates on Von-Bron?¡±


    Static filled the line as Becca answered. ¡°Still not home.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here,¡± said Remy. ¡°It¡¯s just quarter to one. There¡¯s still time.¡±


    A rapid clack of keystrokes crackled through the earpiece. ¡°We¡¯re right on schedule,¡± said Remy. ¡°Judging by your trajectory, you¡¯ll reach here in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Will muttered, avoiding another group of repair bots.


    The bot rattled along the ceiling rail, inching closer to the central district. High-rises passed by, and Will had to double-check his route. It was around the fifteen-minute mark that he spotted the long, skinny pillar building dominating the skyline.


    Will felt his pulse quicken as the Cardinal loomed closer.


    ¡°Will,¡± Becca came through the earpiece. ¡°I have eyes on you. The path is clear. Approach from the east side of the building.¡±


    "Roger that," Will muttered as he steeled himself. This was it. Letting out a breath, he headed toward the pillar building.


    ¡°Set the clock. The real mission starts now.¡±

 Ch. 79 Von Boyage

    VON BOYAGE


    <hr>


    The bot hummed softly as Will steered it around the pillar building, circling slowly toward its east side. As he got closer, he could see the Cardinal¡¯s fake upper floors. The topmost section, closest to the sky panels, was too hot for anyone to live in, so a fake fa?ade had been built around the pillar to obscure it. Even from this distance, Will could see the peeling paint and warping windows of the fa?ade¡ªscars of years spent baking under the relentless heat.


    Will made it around to the east side of the high-rise and tapped his earpiece. ¡°Becca?¡±


    A moment¡¯s static filled the line before her voice cut through. ¡°I see you, Will. Stay on course. Your entry point is the cable duct on your right, just below that exhaust vent.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Will muttered, his eyes fixed on the duct. He slowed the bot as he approached, bringing it to a complete halt mere inches from the high-rise. With a few taps on the controls, the bot latched securely onto the side of the building and docked.


    Will exhaled slowly, adjusting the camera to focus on the duct. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he felt around the small cabin. His hands brushed against the coiled data cable he had stashed earlier, and with a flick of his wrist, he began unspooling it. Once he had enough length, he grabbed one end and attached it to a long segmented machine with multiple tiny legs¡ªthe crawler. Mounted on its head was a camera and several folded mechanical arms, each equipped with various tools.


    After a quick glance back at the screen, Will opened a small hatch to let the crawler through. Heat slammed into him like a wall, stifling and thick. Will grunted as he shoved the crawler through the opening. The data cable followed the crawler, and he quickly sealed the gap. Heat still crept through the opening for the cable, but it wasn¡¯t as oppressive as before.


    Will ignored the sweat dripping down his nose as he stared at the unblinkingly camera feed. The small drone came alive as he took control, quickly latching onto the cable duct. He guided its arms and activated the buzz saw attachment. The tool emitted a high-pitched whir as it cut into the duct, and a minute later, there was a clean, circular opening. Will carefully stuck the removed section to the duct wall with quick-acting adhesive and proceeded inside.


    The drone disappeared into the duct, and Will switched the feed to the crawler¡¯s camera. The duct was pitch-black inside, and Will fumbled with the controls for a torch. Light streamed from the crawler¡¯s headlamp, a narrow beam illuminating the cramped interior. Will was greeted with a bundle of wires and cables running along the duct. The crawler stuck fast to the bundle, its legs clinking softly against the metal walls.


    Will breathed a sigh of relief. He was in.


    ¡°First hurdle down,¡± came Remy¡¯s voice through the earpiece.


    ¡°Only ninety-nine more to go,¡± said Will.


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± Remy said seriously.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Will muttered as he nudged the crawler further along the duct. The drone descended, its segmented body making soft clinking sounds as it snaked down the cables. The thick bundle of wires held strong under its weight, and Will kept the bot steady, feeding the data cable slowly as they progressed downward. After every dozen feet, the duct branched off into side conduits that led to different floors, but Will ignored them, keeping count of how far he had traveled. Remy was doing the same with the sensors attached to the cable.


    ¡°Ten¡­ twenty¡­ thirty feet,¡± Remy counted softly. ¡°You¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Will continued unspooling the cable until Remy¡¯s count reached about fifty feet. The crawler swiveled its head around the duct, and its torchlight illuminated the smaller conduits branching off from the main pipe.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Alright, Will. That should be the floor,¡± Remy¡¯s voice came through.


    Will paused, staring at the two paths ahead on the screen. The duct had split into two, and it was a coin toss on which way to go.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Will asked.


    Remy exhaled long and loud as he considered, but Becca had no hesitation.


    ¡°Left,¡± she said firmly. ¡°The floor plan¡¯s patchy, but the apartment should be somewhere around there.¡±


    Will nodded. It was a good guess.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the general area,¡± Remy agreed.


    Will steered the crawler carefully, shifting it onto the left branch. The wires were tighter here, and a sudden scrape against the pipe made him wince. Will navigated the cramped space for the next few minutes. The pipes were a tedious maze, and the crawler took wrong turns more than once, forcing Will to backtrack.


    ¡°Good thing we packed extra wire,¡± Remy muttered. ¡°At least we¡¯ve got some wiggle room.¡±


    After what felt like an eternity of trial and error, Will paused, the camera feed showing a thin pipe leading directly into an apartment wall.


    ¡°Found it. I¡¯m in position,¡± Will whispered into his mic, looking at the back end of the plastic cover plate. Threaded through it was a thin coaxial cable that had split off from the main bundle of wires in the duct.


    Remy¡¯s rapid typing came through the earpiece. ¡°I¡¯m looking at the sensors¡­ yeah, that¡¯s most likely Von-Bron¡¯s apartment.¡±


    ¡°Most likely?¡± Will muttered.


    ¡°Or it¡¯s his neighbor,¡± Remy replied with a chuckle. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s comforting,¡± Will exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow. He eyed the outlet for a few more seconds before making up his mind. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going in.¡±


    Will guided the crawler¡¯s arms forward, the tiny blades slicing through the plastic cover plate in a clean circle. With a flick of the controller, he turned off the crawler¡¯s torch. He didn¡¯t want to enter the apartment with flashing lights. Will waited as the screen flickered and the camera adjusted to the low light.


    A couple of seconds later, gray shadows flitted across the screen, and Will proceeded to remove the circular plastic piece. He tucked it away safely and had the crawler peek through the new opening.


    The apartment was dark. A large window overlooked the city skyline, casting long shadows across the cozy living room. In the dim light, Will saw a plush sofa set, shelves cluttered with personal items, and a mounted flat-screen monitor beneath the shelves.


    He carefully scanned the room. There were no signs of movement¡ªno lights on, no sounds beyond the occasional hum of the building itself. The coast was clear.


    Will turned to the large windows and had the crawler flash its headlamps on and off.


    ¡°Visual!¡± Becca exclaimed. ¡°Signal confirmed. You¡¯re in the right apartment, Will.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped Will, and Remy let out a celebratory whoop.


    ¡°Now we just need to find the modem,¡± he cheered.


    Will was about to respond when a metallic clink echoed faintly from somewhere deeper inside the apartment. He froze, his hands hovering over the controls.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± he whispered, scanning the camera feed again.


    ¡°No,¡± Remy replied, his voice immediately on edge. ¡°Becca?¡±


    ¡°Nothing here,¡± Becca responded.


    Will tapped his earpiece, boosting the crawler¡¯s audio channels. He sat perfectly still, listening. The apartment remained silent for a moment¡ªuntil another clink-clink of metal echoed from deeper inside.


    ¡°There it is again,¡± Will muttered.


    Becca¡¯s voice came in sharply. ¡°Will! I spotted Von-Bron. He¡¯s headed your way.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Will hissed. He had hoped for a bit more time. He took stock of the wall outlet he had come out of and scanned for the coaxial cable. The thin wire led up the wall toward a shelf, where the modem rested.


    ¡°You need to wait until he¡¯s in the apartment and has fallen asleep,¡± Becca advised urgently. ¡°Safer that way.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Will quickly reeled the crawler back into the wall socket. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. The sound of jingling keys came from the front door.


    Von-Bron entered, looking exhausted. He was still in his suit, though his tie hung loose around his neck. The apartment lights flicked on, and Will blinked at the sudden brightness. The camera took a moment to adjust to the new light.


    Von-Bron dropped his keys on a nearby table and looked around the apartment. Will¡¯s breath hitched as the clinking sound echoed again from the far side of the room. The soft tap-tap of tiny metallic feet got closer, and he spied a tiny metallic figure slink into view.


    It was a cat drone¡ªsleek, metallic, and covered in tiny silvery threads mimicking fur. The chrome pet robot strode into the room like it owned the place, its glowing eyes scanning the room. It trotted toward Von-Bron, emitting a soft purr as it rubbed against his legs.


    Von-Bron chuckled and knelt to scratch the drone behind the ears.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Will muttered under his breath.


    Remy¡¯s voice crackled through the earpiece. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Will sent the live feed through the comms. Von-Bron gave the robotic cat a final pat and headed further inside the apartment. As soon as he was out of sight, the cat¡¯s eyes lasered onto the wall socket, its metallic fur bristling.


    Shocked, Will sank the crawler deeper into the wall socket, and the cat hissed, its hackles raised.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Remy breathed. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

 Ch. 80 Bell the Cat

    BELL THE CAT


    <hr>


    The cat drone bounded toward the wall socket, its metallic paws scraping at the opening with sharp hisses. Will quickly jerked the crawler deeper into the outlet, but the cat remained persistent, trying to dig its too-large paw into the small opening.


    ¡°That thing¡¯s going to ruin everything!¡± Remy groaned in dismay. ¡°If Von-Bron finds this, we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°I can patch it,¡± Will said gruffly, ignoring the tightening knot in his stomach. He activated one of the crawler¡¯s tiny arms and retrieved the circular plate they had cut from the wall socket. ¡°It¡¯s a clean cut, and the adhesive works fast. No one will know the difference.¡±


    The problem, though, was getting the cover back into place without provoking the cat. The feline kept swatting at the opening with fervent zeal, and Will hovered the crawler near the opening, muscles taut. He waited with trepidation, not daring to make any sudden moves that might trigger the cat¡¯s suspicion. But just as abruptly as the attack started, the drone-cat stopped.


    With a flick of its metallic tail, it slinked away with graceful indifference and eventually curled up on the floor to groom itself.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± asked Remy warily.


    ¡°For now, at least.¡± Will exhaled, tension slipping from his shoulders. ¡°How did we miss this?¡±


    Becca chimed in, her voice sharp. ¡°We were only watching during the day when Von-Bron was out for work¡­ and not once did we see a cat.¡±


    ¡°It probably went into sleeper mode.¡± Remy groaned. ¡°What kind of guy would keep a cat as a pet? A dog I¡¯d understand. But a cat?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with cats?¡± asked Becca.


    ¡°They¡¯re cats,¡± Remy retorted, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Cats and geese are the worst.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re stupid.¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough,¡± Will interjected, rubbing his temples. ¡°Focus. How do we get out of this mess?¡±


    Remy snorted. ¡°Simple. Just shoot Mr. Kitty between the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Remy!¡± Becca gasped, horrified.


    Will remembered the disassembled ceramic gun Remy had packed, realizing his friend wasn¡¯t entirely joking. He sighed. Days of tension were finally fraying everyone¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a breather,¡± said Will. ¡°Forget the cat for a moment. Is there anything mission-critical that we missed? Did we forget anything?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± said Remy. ¡°Just connect me to the modem and we¡¯re golden.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°So, the cat is our last hurdle,¡± Will muttered. ¡°Past that, we¡¯ll be in the clear. Now think. What¡¯s our next step?¡±


    A brief silence settled over the group as they each mulled over the problem.


    ¡°Can we lure it into another room?¡± Becca suggested tentatively.


    ¡°How?¡± Remy clicked his tongue. ¡°The moment we bring the crawler out, it¡¯ll be all over us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more interested in us than in any bait we might use,¡± Will added grimly.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll wander off on its own?¡± Becca hoped aloud. ¡°If we wait¡­¡±


    ¡°Waiting is risky,¡± Will pointed out. ¡°We can¡¯t sit here forever. The longer we wait, the more likely something will go wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it can get worse,¡± Remy mused, then corrected himself. ¡°Well... there is one way it can.¡±


    Will¡¯s gut twisted as he caught Remy¡¯s drift. He tapped his earpiece, listening closely as he boosted the audio feed from the crawler. Faintly, from deeper inside the apartment, came the sound of running water.


    "I think he¡¯s in the shower," said Will.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Remy.


    ¡°Will,¡± Becca interrupted sharply. ¡°Try zooming in on the cat¡¯s collar.¡±


    Will glanced at the screen and noticed a black collar peeking through the drone¡¯s silver fur. Surprised, he zoomed the crawler¡¯s camera in for a closer look; Becca had a sharp eye. As the image came into focus, a name appeared, etched into the leather¡ªMittens.


    ¡°Well, at least we know its name now,¡± Remy muttered dryly.


    Will narrowed his eyes at the screen, noticing something else. Along the border of the collar was a company logo accompanied by a string of words:


    Marlin V-9.


    Will frowned as he mouthed the words. ¡°Remy, look that up. See if you can find a product sheet or manual with the name Marlin.¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± said Remy.


    Will sat quietly, listening to the rapid clicks of Remy¡¯s furious typing over the comms. On the screen, Mittens continued grooming itself, completely unbothered by the world around it. Minutes later, Remy¡¯s excited voice crackled in Will¡¯s earpiece. ¡°Got it! Marlin V-9¡ªpet bots.¡±


    A soft ping sounded as Remy sent over images to Will¡¯s console. He glanced at the display¡ªa sleek robotic cat, eerily identical to Mittens, stared back from the screen.


    ¡°Listen to this,¡± Remy read from the product description. ¡°Experience the joy of feline companionship. State-of-the-art bot designed to mimic the curiosity, independence, and playful energy of a real cat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that all checks out,¡± Becca remarked quietly. ¡°Is there anything in there that we can use to turn it off?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡± Remy¡¯s voice trailed off as he scrolled through the document. ¡°Interactive play features, mood-driven behavior, self-entertainment, infinite curiosity mode¡ª?!¡±


    ¡°That explains a lot,¡± Will sighed, watching as the cat''s head snapped back toward the wall outlet the moment the crawler shifted. He quickly retracted the bot, and the cat relaxed, resuming its grooming routine.


    ¡°It¡¯s fast, I¡¯ll give it that,¡± Will muttered.


    ¡°Will,¡± Becca interrupted, her tone sharp and uneasy. ¡°We¡¯ve got a bigger problem.¡±


    His heart sank. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Check your external camera,¡± Becca said urgently.


    Will switched the feed to the bot¡¯s external camera, and his heart stuttered to a stop. A repair drone was cruising along the rail, headed straight toward him.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Will cursed.


    ¡°Any chance it¡¯s here for something else?¡± asked Remy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Will replied. ¡°And it¡¯s not like it matters. I can¡¯t exactly move while I¡¯m piloting the crawler.¡±


    The repair drone drew closer, emitting a series of soft pings, and Will¡¯s heart raced as he received a transmission signal over the open channel.


    ¡°It¡¯s hailing me,¡± Will whispered.


    ¡°Do not respond,¡± Remy hissed urgently. ¡°Stay quiet.¡±


    Will held his breath, fingers frozen over the controls. The drone sent another ping, waiting expectantly. When it received no reply, it extended a pair of mechanical arms, and the clamps snapped around Will¡¯s transport bot.


    Will cursed as the transporter lurched, throwing him off balance. Red lights flashed on the monitor as damage reports flooded in.


    As he struggled to steady himself, a harsh metallic groan reverberated through the transporter. The shell began to dent and buckle under the strain, and Will¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    The repair drone was about to crush the transporter¡ªand him along with it.

 Ch. 81 Devil on your Heels

    DEVIL ON YOUR HEELS


    <hr>


    Will crashed hard against the side of the transporter, banging his shoulder painfully into one of the metal bracings. Wincing, he scrambled toward the controls.


    "Will, what''s happening?" Remy¡¯s panicked voice crackled over the comms.


    ¡°It¡¯s trying to drag me off the pillar!¡± Will wheezed, wrestling with the controls. The metallic arms of the repair drone clamped down harder around the transporter, denting the shell. ¡°It thinks the transporter is a dead bot!¡±


    Remy groaned in frustration. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Just strobe it!¡±


    Will¡¯s fingers were already flying over the keypad, and the LED strobes installed on the transporter lit up in a blinding burst, flooding the repair bot with chaotic, strobing light.


    The VDoS attack worked as intended. Even though it looked random, there were specific patterns in the flashes meant to confuse the bot. The repair drone crashed to a halt as its visual sensors struggled to process the images flooding its systems. It released its grip on the transporter and began to rock back and forth, dodging imaginary obstacles popping up in its visual feed.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Will gasped, his heart pounding in his chest as the repair drone continued to sway unsteadily. The relentless strobe lights had it drifting closer, and the drone crashed into Will¡¯s transporter once again. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in deep now,¡± Remy said grimly. ¡°That thing¡¯s gonna reboot in ten minutes and broadcast a distress signal. We need to move now. There¡¯s no time.¡±


    Will glanced at the other bots patrolling in the distance. They seemed innocuous now, but if even one picked up the distress signal, hundreds would swarm.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Will whispered, swallowing hard. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like getting ripped apart for spare parts today. So, give me something¡ªhow do we get out of this?¡±


    ¡°The plan was to wait for Von-Bron to go to bed,¡± Becca said nervously.


    ¡°Like I said, no time,¡± Remy cut in. ¡°It has to be now or never.¡±


    ¡°So, any ideas?¡± asked Will.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we do the same thing with the cat like the bots?¡± asked Becca.


    ¡°Use the LEDs to crash it?¡± Will asked, confused.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Remy interjected. ¡°The crawler doesn¡¯t have any strobes, and even if it did, it¡¯s too small. Not enough spread.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Will said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s something to that idea.¡±


    He skimmed through the cat drone¡¯s manual, taking stock of the gear they had on hand. Countless plans came to mind, only to be noted and discarded. In the end, after running through the scenario, he arrived at one conclusion.


    ¡°We need to use the gun,¡± said Will.


    ¡°What?!¡± Becca gasped. ¡°Have you gone crazy? You said this has to be covert, and that¡¯s the worst way to go about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the gun, just its laser sights,¡± said Will. ¡°Look at the manual¡ªcheck under the interactive play features.¡±


    Rapid typing came through the earpiece as Remy scanned the document. ¡°Interactive play features¡­ Fetch, pounce, swat¡­ Chase laser dots?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Will. ¡°Do you have the rifle on hand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m holding it right now,¡± said Becca.


    ¡°Will it even reach the building?¡± Remy muttered.


    ¡°One way to find out,¡± said Will. ¡°Becca?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she replied, still uncertain.


    ¡°Do it,¡± said Will.


    Becca gave the affirmative, and Will held his breath as she positioned the rifle. The transporter shook again, and a quick glance at the external camera confirmed the repair drone was still stuck in its reboot loop, faint wisps of smoke curling from its vents. Time was running out, and Will could feel sweat beading on his forehead.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Ready," Becca said firmly, and Will switched his view to the crawler. He could feel her concentration over the comms. Becca had a very low margin for error, given the distances involved. Even a minor misalignment could cause her to miss the target by meters.


    Mittens, who had been grooming lazily, froze as a red laser dot appeared on the far wall. Its glowing eyes was glued to the moving dot, which Becca maneuvered in slow, deliberate figure eights. Unable to contain itself, Mittens pounced, batting at the elusive dot.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Remy crowed with delight.


    ¡°Go, Will!¡± Becca urged, her voice tight with focus.


    Will didn¡¯t need telling twice. His fingers flew over the controls, and the crawler scurried through the cover plate, following the coaxial cable toward the modem. Its tiny claws clicked on the modem¡¯s surface, and several open ports appeared on Will¡¯s screen. A few quick commands, and the crawler connected to the LAN, finally utilizing the data cable it had dragged across the complex. The cable locked into place with a decisive click.


    ¡°Remy, status?¡±


    "Almost there," Remy muttered, fingers flying over his keyboard. ¡°It¡¯s connecting.¡±


    Will exhaled in relief as he glanced back at the cat drone. Mittens had lost interest in the laser and was now calmly curled up on its charging mat. Its glowing eyes flicked once toward the wall socket and the new trailing wire but quickly dismissed it as unimportant. Perhaps it only cared about things that moved.


    Satisfied, Will boosted the crawler¡¯s audio feed to listen for any signs of trouble. From deep within the apartment, the sound of running water continued. Von-Bron was still occupied in the shower.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± said Remy finally.


    ¡°Good. Five minutes, tops,¡± Will replied, watching Mittens twitch in its sleep. ¡°I can¡¯t keep the repair drone distracted forever.¡±


    ¡°Heads up!¡± Becca¡¯s urgent voice cut through the comms. ¡°Check the drone¡ªit¡¯s acting weird!¡±


    Will quickly switched to the external camera and felt a spike of panic. The repair bot had stopped rocking and was now drifting slowly away from the transporter, stuttering as it gradually regained control.


    "It¡¯s going to reboot," Will muttered, panic rising. "Remy!"


    "I know," Remy snapped, his fingers hammering the keys. "I just need a little more¡ª"


    ¡°Just grab what you can on Crowley! Don¡¯t bother with anything else!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Seconds stretched into what felt like hours as Will focused on the drone, watching it drift, stuttering to a stop every so often. His heart pounded with every lurch, and just when his nerves couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Remy¡¯s triumphant voice crackled through the earpiece.


    ¡°Download at 95%! Get ready to pull out!¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± Will gasped, glancing at the screen. The repair drone was still drifting¡ªuntil it suddenly stilled, completely motionless, like it had died. Then he realized: it was out of the strobe light¡¯s coverage.


    Will¡¯s stomach dropped as he saw the drone rebooting. Moments later, he received a ping. The hail wasn¡¯t just directed at him¡ªit was on an open channel, and all bots within a fifty-foot radius froze. Beeps and clicks came from the machines as they stood still, processing.


    ¡°Crap! The drones are alerted,¡± said Will, his hands flying to the controls. ¡°We have to leave!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t move!¡± Becca¡¯s urgent voice stopped him cold.


    Will froze, breath caught in his throat. Apart from the thudding in his ears, he heard no other sound and realized the constant stream of running water he¡¯d been keeping track of in the apartment had finally stopped.


    Von-Bron was done with his shower.


    As the bots amassed outside, Von-Bron stepped into the living room, a towel draped over his head, wearing only a loose bathrobe.


    Ice filled Will''s veins; a choked gasp escaped Becca, and Remy cursed under his breath. They collectively held their breath as Von-Bron walked past the dangling data cable attached to the modem.


    His vision half-obscured by the towel, Von-Bron ignored the cable and strode towards the switchboard, with the cat drone trailing at his heels. Yawning, he switched off the lights. As the room plunged into darkness, sounds of retreating footsteps crackled through the earpiece, and a few seconds later, the bedroom door slammed shut.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Remy shouted over the comms.


    Will didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He yanked the crawler back through the wall socket, hastily sealing the hole with quick-acting adhesive before shoving the removed section back in. What followed was a mad dash back to the surface. The crawler bolted through the ducts, hauling the data line behind it. Reaching the facade floors, Will pushed the crawler full throttle, not even bothering to be quiet¡ªthe crawler clattered through the narrow duct passageways, racing back to the transporter.


    The crawler came flying out of the duct, and Will yanked it back into the transporter. He switched to the external feed, and his heart plummeted¡ªhundreds of repair bots were converging on the downed drone, responding to its distress signal. They swarmed from all directions, closing in fast.


    ¡°Get out of there!¡± yelled Becca. Will took the controls, and the transporter shot down the rails, narrowly dodging incoming bots by switching tracks. The swarm was focused on the disabled drone, and Will threaded through the crowd of drones, zipping in between them and charging out of the chaos.


    He didn¡¯t stop until they were far enough from the mayhem. Only then did he slump back in his seat, tension melting from his body.


    Becca let out a relieved laugh, and Remy¡¯s triumphant whoop filled the comms. ¡°And that¡¯s how you end a mission! That was fun!¡±


    Will let out a tired snort, his heart still racing. He set the transporter on autopilot and watched the cityscape drift by. They had pulled it off, and now they were only one step away from reaching the Bishop. They were so close to ending all of this.


    Will¡¯s hands tightened around the crawler as he watched the Cardinal fade away in the distance.


    ¡°All that trouble better be worth it.¡±

 Ch. 82 Morning After

    MORNING AFTER


    <hr>


    Colors shifted, morphing and swirling until they blurred into a vast, dark, snowy expanse. Will stumbled, head pounding and knee-deep in snow. Shielding his eyes from the icy wind, he squinted through the storm, struggling to regain his bearings.


    Where was he?


    Figures took shape in the swirling white¡ªa line of them, each one clad in the same deep crimson armor that haunted his nightmares. Some were fully armored, while others had only chest plates or exposed helmets, but all shared the same empty expression, their mouths hanging slack as if caught in some trance.


    ¡°Flesh is but form,¡± they intoned.


    The thrum of voices bored into his mind, and Will staggered back.


    ¡°And form is a lie,¡± the chant continued, their voices rising like an oppressive tide.


    Will backed away, the snow impeding him with every step. The armored ones kept their gaze affixed to him, their heads moving in eerie unison. The synchronized movements of these people¡ªthese crimson drones¡ªchilled him to the bone as he realized what he was facing.


    A sinister buzz filled his ears, overpowering the storm. Frantic, Will scanned the crowd, searching for the Bishop. None of these drones could be the real spider. He knew the creature¡¯s essence signature through and through, and the figures standing before him were mere conduits; somewhere within that crowd lurked the real one.


    His eyes locked onto something deep within the crowd, and felt it looking back. The horrid gaze chilled him to the marrow, and Will lost control over his field. The yellow signature he had suppressed sprang to life, racing toward his right knee.


    The acrid scent of blood and tar sliced through the icy air, and he watched in alarm as his prosthetic began to transform. The once-neutral plating now twisted, warping into the same crimson that covered the drones around him. His flesh and metal fused together, a grotesque blend of man and machine. The armor crept upward, slowly, deliberately, consuming him inch by inch.


    ¡°Return,¡± the crowd chanted in unison, their voices pounding in his ears as the crimson crawled higher, binding his leg in a relentless tide of metal and flesh. Panicked, Will struggled to suppress it, but the armor ignored his resistance, inching up to swallow him whole.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°You must return,¡± they chanted again, each word a hammer blow, beating him down, drowning him in a sea of oppressive intent. Just as he felt himself slipping under, a sharp pulse jolted through his knee.


    Another pulse struck, then a third, breaking through the red like shattering glass. Will gasped as the nightmare shattered around him, dragging him back to the waking world.


    Will jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat, his field flaring erratically. Beneath him, his prosthetic whirred, the machinery humming fiercely, charged and ready to strike.


    Breathing hard, he fumbled to deactivate it, cycling the power down. Will looked grimly at the smoking prosthetic¡ªhe¡¯d rigged it to send pulses into his knee the moment it detected any erratic field fluctuations, a failsafe that had just saved him.


    Will exhaled a shaky breath, sinking into the faded cushions of Remy''s couch. The dim monitor glow cast jagged shadows across the cluttered room, while overhead, tangled wires swayed slightly, reflecting the sporadic blinks of amber and green LEDs.


    He had crashed at Remy¡¯s place after the mission. They¡¯d planned to go through police files, but he¡¯d barely made it past the first few lines of boring bureaucratic jargon before he found himself nodding off. He was asleep before he knew it.


    Will pulled out his slate, squinting at the screen. It was six in the morning; he¡¯d barely gotten four hours of sleep. Bleary-eyed, he scrolled through the multiple notifications and tapped the first one¡ªa message from Remy.


    I found something in the data. Going to check it out.


    Will be back soon.


    Frowning, Will dialed Remy¡¯s number and was greeted by an automated message:


    The number you¡¯ve dialed is currently unreachable. Please try again later.


    A knot of worry formed in the pit of his stomach. The message was from two hours ago, and there was still no sign of Remy. Will opened up his contacts, his finger hovering over Becca¡¯s number. He wanted to make the call but thought better of it. It was too early.


    Shaking off the worry, he decided to clear the piled-up notifications, hoping the mundane task would calm him down.


    His mind only half on the task, Will went through his messages. About a minute later, he came across something interesting that made him sit up. There was a new comment on a post he¡¯d made on the Mech Battle League forum. It was a scathing review of a popular pilot, Romanof, speculating that he was artificially boosted by the league and was the worst technical player on the roster.


    Needless to say, the review didn¡¯t go over well. It was so badly received that it was buried deep in the forum with almost no interaction. But today, he finally got a new message.


    TechRabbit - 1 hr ago


    Didn¡¯t others correctly think otherwise, rookie?


    Literally, every imprudent Battlemech operator will inevitably take zeros.


    Will sat bolt upright, heart pounding. He looked at the first letter of each word and decoded the real message.


    DOCTOR


    LEIBOWITZ


    Will nearly leapt off the couch, his haze of sleep forgotten. It was their prearranged code, one they¡¯d agreed upon in case the doctor ever needed to make contact discreetly. Excited, Will skimmed through other posts made by the doctor and decoded each hidden message.


    There were certain markers the doctor could leave if he was captured and under coercion, but they all came out clear. From his latest post, Will extracted the hidden password for the relay point Remy had set up for contact.


    Heart racing, Will quickly dialed the number.

 Ch. 83 Finding Answers

    FINDING ANSWERS


    <hr>


    ¡°Hello?¡± came a gruff voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Doctor.¡±


    ¡°William, it¡¯s good to hear a human voice,¡± Dr. Leibowitz sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck indoors listening to bots for the past week.¡±


    Will chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you too, Doctor. How are you? Has anyone been able to track you down?¡±


    ¡°No, everything is fine. It¡¯s been quiet so far,¡± the doctor reassured him. ¡°And this is the first time I¡¯m using this line, in case you¡¯re worried.¡±


    They exchanged small talk, with the doctor rambling on about his current isolation. Will was glad to listen, realizing how much the older man missed human connection.


    ¡°Enough about me,¡± Dr. Leibowitz eventually said, his tone turning serious. ¡°What about you? How¡¯s your leg?¡±


    Will hesitated. ¡°The same¡ªoccasional attacks, but lately¡­ something odd¡¯s been happening. I¡¯ve been having these dreams.¡±


    He explained the visions in detail, from the crimson armor to the indistinct figure directing the crowd. With each word, the doctor grew quieter, his questions more pointed.


    ¡°How many armored people were there?¡± Dr. Leibowitz finally asked, his voice somber.


    Will thought for a moment. ¡°About two dozen.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s silence stretched longer this time. ¡°How very peculiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Doctor?¡±


    ¡°The Hive functions by unifying personal signatures,¡± the doctor began, slowly gathering his thoughts. ¡°The drones attune their signature to a central figure¡ªa central hub or controller, if you will. There are a few theories on how it¡¯s done, none of which we¡¯ve managed to replicate. However, the most curious thing is the number of people you saw in that vision.¡±


    ¡°Too many?¡± asked Will.


    ¡°No, too few!¡± said the doctor. ¡°All the known Hive factions have been around for decades, and they number in the millions. So¡­ where in the world did this nascent Hive come from?¡±


    They sat in silence, the weight of the revelation settling over them. A new Hive, right at the Tower¡¯s doorstep. Who knows how long this has been going on?


    ¡°How deeply troubling,¡± the doctor muttered.


    ¡°Doctor,¡± Will began apprehensively. ¡°Could I be wrong about the numbers? And why are they always armored? I don¡¯t even know what these dreams mean.¡±


    The doctor took a measured breath. ¡°It¡¯s not a precise science, Will. Your case is particularly atypical. Thanks to the etherite shard, you now share neural pathways with the Bishop. The mind interprets unfamiliar data in ways it can handle. Think of it like a translation¡ªwhat you see in the dreams is likely just an interpretation, a glimpse into the Bishop¡¯s mind that your brain is translating.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not literal?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Dr. Leibowitz. ¡°The brain is a complicated thing. Let¡¯s say the color red is represented by a certain sequence of pulses from your neurons. That same information may be encoded in a completely different way in the Bishop¡¯s mind. That said, since both of you are from the same species, certain patterns tend to follow a common neural encoding, but there will still be differences.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± said Will, trying to wrap his head around it.


    ¡°However, things need not remain static forever,¡± said the doctor. ¡°Both minds will adapt. The more the two of you interact, the clearer the interpretation will be. Right now, you see the Bishop in his armored form because you first saw him in his mech. It left a strong impression. But very soon, as your mind begins to adapt, you may see past all that armor and glimpse the spider¡¯s true face. Peer into its mind.¡±


    ¡°Or him into mine,¡± interjected Will.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The doctor sighed in frustration. ¡°The connection goes both ways. The Bishop will be able to see into your mind as well. But who sees whom first? It all depends on who adapts faster.¡±


    Will¡¯s gut twisted. ¡°What happens next? When our minds become fully synchronized?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°I suspect they would be granted full access to the mind,¡± said the doctor. ¡°They could implant thoughts, emotions, even control the limbic system. All manner of ways to coerce and turn a person into something they are not.¡±


    A chill ran down Will¡¯s spine as he pictured the cold, dead eyes of the hidden figure in his dreams. The spider lurked in the back of his mind, twisting his thoughts like a puppet on strings.


    ¡°But William,¡± Dr. Leibowitz¡¯s tone softened, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this not to make you despair, but to prepare you. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± sighed Will.


    ¡°You must reach the initiate stage as soon as you can,¡± said the doctor. ¡°Not only would you have better control over your field, but it would also be easier to defend yourself from foreign signatures. I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way. There are a few loose ends that I have to tie up before I come out of hiding. I still have a few connections I can pull, but it will take a while. And when I¡¯m out, we¡¯ll work on you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Doctor.¡± Will smiled, about to dive into another topic when his slate vibrated. Becca¡¯s name flashed on the screen.


    ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m getting a call,¡± said Will. ¡°Can we pick this up again tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± said Dr. Leibowitz. ¡°Chin up, William. You¡¯re not in this alone.¡±


    Will thanked him and switched the call to Becca.


    She was talking before he even greeted her. ¡°Did you find anything in the reports?¡±


    ¡°I just got up, Becca,¡± said Will.


    ¡°Weird.¡± Becca snorted. ¡°Knowing you, I¡¯d expected you to work through the night.¡±


    ¡°That was the plan, but I fell asleep,¡± Will yawned. ¡°Remy found something, though.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Becca asked excitedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. He left a message saying he found something important and went to check it out, but he hasn¡¯t been back since,¡± Will replied, his worry seeping through.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming over,¡± Becca said firmly, cutting off any protest. The line went dead.


    Will drummed his fingers on the armrest and glanced at the glowing monitors. Instead of waiting around, he could dig through the files and find out exactly what Remy had found. Will got up. Navigating around the clutter, he took his seat in front of the computer and booted it up.


    Sifting through the user accounts, he selected the guest profile. It was password-protected, but a pop-up box provided a hint.


    ¡°Remember the goose?¡±


    Will shook his head, recalling the silly saying, and typed in the other half of their greeting. The screen unlocked, and for the next few minutes, Will took stock of the various reports they had managed to grab. There were a lot of them. Will couldn¡¯t help but shake his head; Remy just couldn¡¯t help himself. He hadn¡¯t just pulled Crowley¡¯s files¡ªhe¡¯d grabbed everything remotely related.


    Will remained glued to the reports, fully absorbed until there was a knock on the door. Realizing who it was, he pressed a button on the desk, buzzing Becca in. There was a loud creak as the front door opened.


    ¡°Will?¡± Becca called out.


    ¡°In here.¡±


    Becca picked her way through the clutter, her expression a mix of annoyance and bemusement as she cleared a spot for herself beside Will.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± She glanced at the open files on the multiple screens.


    ¡°The police files,¡± Will leaned back with a sigh. ¡°They all still have their system names. It¡¯ll take a while to sort through them.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± Becca muttered. ¡°So, Remy. Any idea where he is?¡±


    Will pointed to his slate, showing her Remy¡¯s message. Her brows knitted together as she read. ¡°So, he found something big enough to check out immediately? And couldn¡¯t wait to share?¡±


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Will muttered. ¡°Might as well keep looking through the data, see if we can find what he was onto.¡±


    Becca agreed, and the two of them started sifting through the files. It was tedious work, and they gained a new appreciation for Remy''s skill with data analysis. Compared to them, he¡¯d probably have the answers all wrapped up by now.


    ¡°I thought we were only looking for Crowley¡¯s files,¡± Becca said, exasperated. ¡°Half of this has nothing to do with him.¡±


    Will ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in the chair. He opened a report on the riots erupting outside the Tower. ¡°Here¡¯s something¡ªa report on the situation in Derbent. It¡¯s a mess over there.¡±


    Becca glanced over his shoulder, frowning as she scanned the document. ¡°Where¡¯s Derbent again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that settlement that took a shot at us when we flew past on the way to the Hallucia temple.¡±


    ¡°That feels like ages ago,¡± she muttered. Her eyes darted to another report on the screen, listing other cities¡ªKarnokov, Maltan, even settlements outside the Tower¡ªall marked by similar riots.


    ¡°These happened while we were still training at Fort Thornfield,¡± said Will. ¡°Remember how training suddenly wrapped up? Things were going south, even back then.¡±


    He kept scrolling, lost in thought, until Becca pointed to a document. ¡°Found more related files¡ªcourt orders, permits, summons. Tower Intelligence has been busy, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Not surprising,¡± Will replied, tapping his finger on the desk thoughtfully. Reading between the lines, it was apparent that the Intelligence departments were expanding their oversight of the military. The Tower was stepping in to clear up the mess outside.


    ¡°Just what the hell is going on?¡± Will muttered uneasily. The situation outside was spiraling out of control.


    ¡°You going to pick that up?¡± asked Becca, and Will realized his slate was buzzing. A familiar name flashed on the screen, and they both froze.


    ¡°It¡¯s Remy!¡± Will¡¯s excitement mirrored Becca¡¯s as he answered.


    ¡°Remy! Where are you?¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    They asked in unison, and Remy chuckled in response. ¡°One question at a time! I just got back into network range.¡±


    ¡°We tried calling, but you were unreachable,¡± said Becca.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been deep in the tunnels under the Tower,¡± he explained, sounding a little out of breath. ¡°No signal down there.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing down in the tunnels?¡± Will asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Arranging transportation,¡± said Remy. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long journey, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Will interrupted. ¡°Becca and I are looking at the files right now. We didn¡¯t find Crowley¡¯s location yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, check the file marked Case-1462-1-0.¡±


    Will¡¯s eyes widened as he found the file and started reading. Becca scanned over his shoulder, gasping as she took in the contents.


    ¡°Look alive, guys,¡± Remy¡¯s voice came through, resolute. ¡°We¡¯re heading to Derbent.¡±

 Ch. 84 Into the Depths

    INTO THE DEPTHS


    <hr>


    Will hunched over his duffle bag, muttering under his breath as he checked his gear. The bag¡¯s contents spilled over the edge as he fished around, pulling items out and laying them on the bed: wire cutters, wrenches, screwdrivers, and a small collection of customized tools. He ticked off each item on a mental list, then double-checked, his fingers jittering with nervous energy.


    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he had forgotten something. Letting out a slow breath, he turned his attention back to the bag. The major items were in place, but Derbent wasn¡¯t just any destination. The settlement¡¯s reputation preceded it¡ªvolatile, dangerous, a place where even the smallest mistake could cost everything. He had to be sure everything was ready.


    Crouching down again, he resumed his meticulous checking, this time digging deeper into the side compartments. His fingers brushed against something cold and unyielding, and he froze. Slowly, he pulled out a 3D-printed pistol.


    His breath caught. Remy had made one for each of them¡ªa precaution, he¡¯d said. Insurance for the unexpected. The pistol felt heavier than it should, its dark frame glinting faintly under the light.


    Will stared at it, the weight in his hand mirrored by the heaviness in his chest. Training was one thing; this was something else entirely. This was real. For the first time, they were heading into truly hostile territory, a place where anything could happen and the consequences could be... final.


    He sighed and set the pistol down on the small table beside him, his hands lingering on the cool surface before dropping to rest on the table¡¯s edge. His head bowed as the questions he¡¯d been avoiding pressed in on him. The training wheels were off. Were they ready? Was he ready? For all the preparation, he didn¡¯t feel like it.


    A sharp knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Alarmed, he yanked the duffle bag over the pistol, hiding it from view.


    ¡°Will?¡±


    The door creaked open, and when he turned, Ellie stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her face etched with worry.


    ¡°Ellie? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Will asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving again,¡± she said quietly, her voice thick with accusation.


    Will sighed, motioning her into the room. Ellie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He patted her head gently, her hair soft beneath his fingers. ¡°It¡¯ll just be for a little while,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said last time,¡± Ellie mumbled into his shirt.


    Will scratched his chin, looking sheepish. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always busy now,¡± Ellie said, her voice muffled but no less sharp. ¡°You¡¯re never home.¡±


    The ache in his chest deepened. ¡°I¡¯ve been away a lot, haven¡¯t I? Tell you what¡ªthis time, I¡¯ll... try to come back sooner.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± Ellie said fiercely, pulling back to wipe her eyes.


    Will smiled faintly. ¡°Hey, can you grab my coat for me while I finish packing?¡±


    Ellie nodded, her steps brisk as she left the room. The door clicked shut behind her, and Will¡¯s smile faded. Try to make it back sooner? His words rang hollow.


    His gaze fell to the wall, where a small locket hung on a nail. He reached for it, fingers brushing against the worn metal, and flipped it open. Inside was a picture of his mom and Ellie, both smiling brightly. For a moment, he let himself linger on the image, drawing strength from it, before snapping the locket shut and slipping it around his neck. His breathing steadied.


    He slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and stuffed the 3D-printed pistol into his pocket. When he stepped into the cramped living room, Ellie was waiting for him with his coat in her hands. On the table, she had set out a tin of Spam.


    ¡°You should eat before you go,¡± she insisted, her hands on her hips.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Will didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse. The little imp seemed to sense that something was afoot. The Spam was her way of delaying his departure, and he let her. Finally, the time came. Will ruffled Ellie¡¯s hair one last time, offering her a final round of reassurances before stepping out the front door.


    Will broke into a run as soon as he was out of the apartment. His breath came in short bursts as he glanced at his slate. Barely enough time. His feet pounded against the uneven metal pathways as he made his way out of Undercity, soon finding himself in the service tunnels.


    The stale air thickened around him, and Will slipped on his rebreather. The device hissed to life as it clipped onto the lower half of his face, and filtered air filled his lungs as he ran.


    With every step, he sent a pulse of psions to his feet. His field was like a coiled spring, storing energy in his muscles before releasing it in one quick burst, propelling him forward. Will zipped ahead, trying to keep tight control over the technique he had borrowed from the Bishop. All his encounters with the Spider hadn¡¯t been without merit; he had picked up a trick or two by mimicking the field control methods it used.


    Dr. Leibowitz¡¯s dire warnings still weighed heavily on him. Understand the Spider before it understands you¡ªhis advice could not have been clearer. The mindscape was abstract and elusive, but patterns were patterns. If he could interpret the Spider¡¯s moves, he might see through its deceptions. Knowledge was a weapon, and in this battle, the one with more information would hold the upper hand.


    Will skidded to a stop as he exited the service tunnel. Dodging past crowds of maintenance workers, he made his way to the transport hub. The walkway was congested, and Will squeezed his way through to a sprawling distribution center. Its cavernous space was filled with the rumble of engines and a cacophony of voices. Massive trucks lined the area, their trailers loaded with goods as workers scurried to secure the shipments. With the airships grounded, most goods had to be moved by road. Will slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the number plates of the passing vehicles.


    ¡°Oy! Will!¡± a familiar voice rang out.


    Will turned toward a moving truck. Its trailer doors were open, and Remy stood there, grinning, his hand extended.


    Without hesitation, Will sprinted forward, dodging workers and crates alike. The truck was picking up speed, but Will surged ahead. He caught up with the truck and grabbed Remy¡¯s extended arm.


    ¡°Up you go,¡± Remy grunted, hauling Will into the trailer with a firm tug. The trailer¡¯s metal floor groaned as Will clambered in. He took a moment to steady himself before helping Remy slam the doors shut.


    As the echo of the clanging doors settled, a head poked out from behind a stack of crates. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Becca said, her voice flat, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of worry.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Will panted, wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°Had to settle some things at home.¡±


    Becca waved him over, and Will stepped around the crates, his boots thudding softly against the floor. He found a small corner cleared of clutter, a rolled-up rug propped against the wall serving as a makeshift backrest. Remy plopped down first, sprawling with an exaggerated groan. Will settled beside him, his movements more cautious as the truck jolted beneath them.


    Raising a walkie-talkie to his ear, Remy called out, ¡°Hey, Big Joe. You can speed up now; everyone¡¯s aboard.¡±


    A low grunt crackled through the radio. ¡°Aye. Strap in, and don¡¯t forget¡ªwallets ready by the end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your credits,¡± said Remy.


    ¡°Not Tower credits. Infils,¡± the driver shot back gruffly.


    Remy groaned. ¡°Who even uses Infils anymore?¡±


    Another dissatisfied grunt came through the speaker, and Remy relented. ¡°Fine, fine. Infils it is. Over and out.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± came the grumbled reply before the radio clicked off.


    Remy tossed the walkie-talkie onto a nearby crate and clicked his tongue. ¡°I picked him because he was cheap, not for his charm.¡±


    Will swayed slightly as the truck jolted over a bump. His eyes darted to the crates lining the walls, their contents rattling ominously. Despite the noise, none shifted¡ªwhoever had loaded them had done a good job securing everything.


    Becca shifted beside him, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she kept a wary eye on the cargo. ¡°How long are we going to be stuck in here?¡±


    Remy shrugged, leaning back against the rug. ¡°Couple of hours. These trucks travel slow.¡±


    Becca sighed. ¡°Great.¡±


    Will turned to Remy, his voice low. ¡°Any news from Derbent?¡±


    Remy hesitated, his usual mirth faltering. ¡°Not good. The military¡¯s cracking down hard¡ªriots, gang violence, looters. There are also rumors of several prominent members of the settlement disappearing.¡±


    Will absently thumbed the locket beneath his shirt, its edges cool against his skin. ¡°It¡¯s a powder keg,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Remy agreed grimly. ¡°There are whole districts in Derbent even the military avoids. Crowley¡¯s not deep in those areas, but he¡¯s far enough down the pit to make me nervous.¡±


    Becca crossed her arms, her expression mirroring Will¡¯s unease. ¡°This feels like a mistake.¡±


    Will rubbed his chest, the tension settling like a weight behind his ribs. There were so many unknowns. They had Crowley¡¯s location, but beyond that, they¡¯d be at the mercy of whatever chaos awaited them on the ground.


    ¡°Either way, we¡¯ll be ready for what comes,¡± Will said finally. ¡°Both of you rest up. I¡¯ll take first watch.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice,¡± Remy said through a yawn, stretching out on the floor with his hands behind his head. Becca shifted, trying to find a comfortable position for her head. She gave up and leaned closer to Will.


    ¡°Will,¡± she whispered, her voice soft enough not to disturb Remy. ¡°What do you think we¡¯re going to find there?¡±


    Will stilled, Crowley¡¯s file vivid in his memory. Reports of charred corpses and wailing children flashed before his eyes.


    Will looked grim. ¡°Something ugly.¡±

 Ch. 85 The Mad Professor

    Rummaging in his coat, Will pulled out his slate and reopened the report he had been reading earlier. The screen¡¯s soft glow illuminated his face, sharpening the furrow in his brow.


    His eyes lingered on the grainy image of a hollowed young man¡ªCrowley from the case file. The man¡¯s sunken eyes seemed far older than his actual age, etched with exhaustion and madness. Crowley had once been lauded as a prodigy: graduating from Almere University at seventeen with a bachelor¡¯s in chemistry, completing his doctorate in just five years, and then spending a decade as a professor. He could have continued on that prestigious path, but something in him had shifted.


    The report detailed Crowley¡¯s decision to leave the Tower, forsaking the comforts of academia to teach in the outer settlements. At first, he had been celebrated as a hero, an altruist bringing knowledge to underprivileged children. But those happy times didn¡¯t last. The same man who had built schools eventually began destroying them.


    Will scrolled through graphic reports of bombings, the devastation etched in stark, sobering photographs: charred buildings, bodies of children half-buried in debris, and grieving survivors clutching at the ruins of their lives. His fingers tightened around the slate, the cold metal digging into his palm as the weight of the images bore down on him.


    The bombings continued for years. Though whispers of the Revenant¡¯s resurgence grew louder, the organization never officially claimed responsibility. Instead, Crowley became a specter, a boogeyman invoked to terrorize those who opposed the Revenant.


    ¡°What a monster,¡± Becca breathed beside him, her voice heavy, echoing his thoughts.


    Will turned the slate away from her, shielding her from the worst of it. ¡°You need to rest,¡± he said gently. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    Becca hesitated but eventually settled beside him. She lay down, draping an arm over his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down,¡± she murmured, already half-asleep.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Will promised, watching her drift off, her arm curling lightly around his hand. He waited until her breathing evened out before turning his attention back to the slate.


    The minutes dragged on as the truck rocked gently along the uneven roads. Will kept a close watch on their route, noting every turn and shift. Big Joe seemed trustworthy enough, but that was no reason to be complacent.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    About an hour later, Will noticed a distinct change in the atmosphere. The air grew colder, and his field prickled as the static around him intensified. The truck had activated its field. They had crossed the Tower¡¯s border, entering the harsh lands beyond.


    Will woke Becca for her shift and laid down to sleep after a quiet exchange of words. His body ached from hours of stillness, and it took a while for him to drift off. Sleep didn¡¯t come easily. His dreams were chaotic¡ªshifting colors and vivid, disjointed imagery that blurred the line between memory and imagination. The static hum of the truck blended into the cacophony of his mind.


    A firm shake jolted him awake. Will blinked blearily, Remy¡¯s face coming into focus.


    ¡°You up? It¡¯s time,¡± Remy said, his voice low but urgent.


    Will stretched, shaking off the remnants of sleep as Remy moved to wake Becca. The truck had come to a halt, its rumbling engine now silent.


    The walkie-talkie crackled to life. Big Joe¡¯s curt voice came through. ¡°Come on. We¡¯re burning daylight here.¡±


    Will flung on his coat and patted the inside pocket, feeling the reassuring weight of the pistol. Satisfied it was secured, he turned his attention to his duffle bag, retrieving gear and passing it to Remy and Becca.


    ¡°All set?¡± Will asked, slinging the bag over his shoulder.


    Remy gave a thumbs-up as he adjusted his gear.


    A sharp banging came from the front cabin.


    ¡°All right, keep your hair on!¡± Remy called out, annoyance lacing his voice.


    The trio navigated through the stacked crates and flung the doors open. The wind howled, bringing with it a flurry of snow.


    One by one, they jumped out, their boots crunching against the icy ground. Will quickly slammed the trailer shut, securing the latch as Remy rounded the truck to speak with the driver. Becca wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as the cold seeped through her layers.


    ¡°So cold,¡± she muttered, her breath fogging in the air as she rubbed her gloved hands together.


    ¡°Put your rebreather on,¡± Will instructed, pulling his own into place. The device hissed softly as it activated, filtering the sharp, frosty air into something breathable. Becca followed his lead, flipping up her hood and disappearing into the shadows of her gear.


    Shouts broke through the wind, carrying over from the front of the truck. Will and Becca exchanged a glance, pausing to listen.


    ¡°Derbent is still a bit further off! Only a five-minute drive!¡± Remy¡¯s voice called out.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t a taxi shuttle!¡± came the driver¡¯s retort, his tone gruff and final. ¡°I¡¯m not risking my cargo anywhere near that place. Now pay up!¡±


    Will trudged through the snow toward the commotion, but by the time he arrived, Remy had already finished the transaction. The driver slammed his door shut, and the truck¡¯s engine roared to life. With a spray of snow from its tires, the vehicle rumbled down the icy road, its trailer swaying precariously as it disappeared into the swirling white.


    Remy let out a visible sigh, his breath fogging through the rebreather. ¡°Guess we¡¯re on foot now. It¡¯s not far.¡±


    Will adjusted the strap of his duffle bag. ¡°Ready?¡±


    They both nodded, determination etched into their faces.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Will took the lead, his boots crunching through the snow as they trudged forward, eyes fixed on the horizon. Derbent awaited.

 Ch. 86 Derbent

    DERBENT


    <hr>


    Will¡¯s breath fogged in the biting air as he trudged forward, each step crunching over a thick blanket of snow. Flakes fell lazily from the gray sky, but the sun¡ªhidden somewhere overhead¡ªoffered no warmth. Visibility was poor, the landscape ahead little more than an endless swirl of white.


    Remy grumbled beside him, muttering curses about the trek. His words were half-lost in the wind, but his frustration was clear. Will forced his legs to keep moving. A faint crackling accompanied their march as their tightly controlled fields, hidden underneath their overcoats, met the steadily rising radiation.


    "We must be close," muttered Remy.


    Will stayed alert, and a few minutes later, dark shapes poked through the snow haze. Ahead was a ten-foot-tall chain-link fence, and beyond it, faint outlines emerged through the mist: hundreds of towering smokestacks pierced the sky, belching thick, black plumes into the frigid air.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Remy whispered, his voice low and tense.


    The wind shifted suddenly, and they were trekking against it. The black smoke blew overhead, and Becca gagged. There was a hiss from her rebreather as she let out a loud sneeze.


    ¡°Crap,¡± she muttered, covering her nose in a futile effort to stave off the sneezing fit.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Remy asked, glancing at her with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s that same smell,¡± Becca said between sneezes. ¡°That rotting stench from the exclusionary zone.¡±


    Will frowned as he remembered their first foray into the zone. ¡°It must be the Tower garbage dump. It¡¯s quite close to the settlement.¡±


    The dump was inconveniently positioned between Derbent and the old capital. Whenever the wind shifted, the acrid odor wafted across the area, making it impossible to ignore, and Becca had always had a sensitive nose.


    ¡°I heard they harvest leftover hydrazene from the dump and use it as fuel,¡± said Remy, adjusting his own rebreather. ¡°The whole pit must smell like that.¡±


    Becca scowled, cranking up the filters on her radiation suit. ¡°Lovely.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Will chuckled, expecting Becca to say something cutting, but her sudden exclamation caught him off guard.


    ¡°Hey, look¡ªpeople!¡±


    Will followed her pointing hand and squinted. Through the haze of falling snow, dark figures emerged. They moved like shadows against the white, all wrapped in heavy cloaks, their shoulders burdened with snow.


    The trio instinctively slowed, watching the small stream of wandering figures. Will regarded the drifters for a moment before moving to join them. The drifters didn''t react at first, but things changed when they passed a few hooded figures in the group. Will felt their gazes¡ªsharp and assessing¡ªgiving him and his companions an unmistakable once-over.


    Will¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his hand drifted into his long coat. The hooded figures stiffened, and a long second passed as each group sized the other up. The moment passed, and the one leading the drifters backed down, his party following him.


    ¡°Friendly,¡± Becca muttered, and Remy snorted.


    Will kept a close eye on the belligerent group, but they didn¡¯t attempt anything. They were busy making their way through the snow. The trek continued unabated as they approached the fence. The drifters slipped through a jagged gap in the rusted links, and the trio followed suit, carefully stepping through the opening. Beyond it, Derbent revealed itself in full, grim glory.


    The mining town sprawled within a colossal crater of immense size¡ªa scar so deep it seemed bottomless. The ancient quarry had long since depleted its surface ore, forcing the miners to dig ever deeper. Now, the town descended in uneven, step-like levels, a chaotic maze of buildings and makeshift supports clinging precariously to the pit¡¯s sheer walls. Each tier housed a patchwork of haphazard constructions that grew messier and more unstable the deeper the levels plunged.


    Buildings leaned into one another like drunks at a bar, held together by little more than hope and prayer. In stark contrast, the factories near the upper levels stood sturdier¡ªsquat, industrial giants processing ore by the ton. Mining equipment droned endlessly, and a constant stream of caustic black smoke poured from the stacks, darkening the skies. The mining town¡¯s production churned on, undeterred by the looming threat of riots.


    ¡°Welcome to Derbent,¡± Will muttered as he followed the drifters toward a set of narrow, uneven stairs carved into the earth, leading to the first level.


    The trio began their descent, careful not to slip on the snow-covered steps. As they reached the bottom, angry voices rose to greet them. The street ahead teemed with people¡ªfar more than Will had expected.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Becca hissed, her eyes wide.


    The narrow street was packed. At the far end, atop a makeshift podium, someone addressed the masses, but their words were distorted by the howl of the wind.


    Will focused instead on the crowd, catching snippets of conversation. Angry mutterings swirled around him, and from the broken fragments of dialogue, the picture became clear: there had been another failed attempt to capture the Derbent leadership, and the local forces were gathering for a retaliatory strike.


    The speaker finished their speech, and the crowd erupted. Several gunshots rang out as a few militants fired rifles into the air. The crowd roared in approval and began to march.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Remy muttered.

 Ch. 87 Watchers Unseen

    WATCHERS UNSEEN


    <hr>


    The crowd surged ahead, and the trio were left stunned by their tumultuous welcome into the city.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Becca asked, her voice clipped with urgency.


    ¡°Keep to the mission. What else?¡± Remy replied quietly.


    Will jerked his head toward the gathering mob. ¡°We tail this group.¡±


    Remy blinked at him. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good cover,¡± Will shrugged.


    Becca shot him a sharp look. ¡°We need to disengage before level three. Crowley¡¯s there, and if we get swept too deep¡ª¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Will assured her. ¡°Stick close.¡±


    With little choice, they fell into step behind the crowd, jostling for space as the mob churned forward. The narrow streets became rivers of angry humanity, a steady stream of workers, drifters, and militants pouring toward the town center. Will tugged his duffel bag tighter against his side, fighting to keep it from being yanked away in the crush.


    The street tilted dangerously near the edge of the level. Will glanced down and immediately regretted it. There were no guardrails. The drop to the next tier below was a sheer thirty feet¡ªor more. He imagined a misstep, the crowd¡¯s pressure sending someone tumbling over. Best case? Broken bones. Worst case? He pushed the thought away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down,¡± Remy muttered, his face pale.


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Will replied, sidestepping away from the edge.


    As they marched, the crowd carried them deeper into Derbent. They passed through a trading district, though the word hardly seemed appropriate. The buildings here were little more than ramshackle booths and shanties, pressed shoulder to shoulder along the narrow street. Merchants ducked behind counters, hurriedly shuttering their shops as the mob advanced.


    Will''s eyes darted from one face to another, noting the tense expressions and nervous movements. More people joined the march with every passing moment, swelling the crowd to a size that could spell serious trouble.


    "If this crowd gets any bigger," Will muttered, "the military is going to have a real problem on their hands."


    Becca¡¯s head snapped up. "Hold on," she said sharply, pointing to the edges of the throng. "Look there."


    Will followed her gaze and spotted what she had noticed¡ªindividuals standing apart, watching the crowd with sharp, calculating eyes. Their movements were subtle but telling. A pair shifted positions to cover each other¡¯s blind spots, and their hands rested near their sides, ready for a fast draw. The small details spoke volumes.


    "Those are soldiers!" hissed Remy under his breath, his jaw tightening.


    Will¡¯s stomach sank. If they were here, it meant the military already knew what was happening. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get caught in an op,¡± he said grimly. ¡°We need to finish our task and get out, fast. Come on.¡±


    The trio slipped out of the main procession and ducked into a narrow side alley. The sound of the crowd faded as they descended a set of icy, uneven stairs to the second level. Although crowds were forming there too, it wasn¡¯t as chaotic as the upper levels. As they jogged down the road, Will kept a sharp eye on the scene below.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "We¡¯re in the right sector and only a level above," Will muttered. "We should be able to see Crowley¡¯s hideyhole from here."


    They searched the area quickly, eyes scanning every building and shadow for any sign of Crowley¡¯s hideout. The second level gave them a better view to the third, but the cluster of ramshackle buildings made it difficult to spot anything definitive. It was only about a minute later that Becca finally found something.


    ¡°There!¡± Becca exclaimed, pointing to a structure on the third level. Will¡¯s eyes landed on a partially buried weapons depot, its walls scorched black and its roof weighed down by snow and rubble.


    ¡°Matches the description,¡± Remy said in an excited whisper. His eyes darted toward the edge as though he wanted to jump to the next level then and there.


    Will put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait."


    "I wasn¡¯t going to jump," Remy chuckled. "There should be a set of stairs further ahead. We can climb down it and double back."


    Will didn¡¯t let go of his shoulder, and Remy gave him a puzzled look. Will shook his head slightly. ¡°Walk slow. No sudden movements. We¡¯re being followed.¡±


    Becca and Remy stiffened but continued walking, their steps measured and deliberate. Remy cast a casual glance to the side, his eyes scanning the shadows. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Four o¡¯clock. Grey coat,¡± Will replied quietly. ¡°One of the observers from the march.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Remy muttered, his voice tight.


    Becca frowned. ¡°Why are they following us? We didn¡¯t do anything to stand out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because we left the procession?¡± Remy suggested. ¡°Could have tripped some alarm.¡±


    Will¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Other than the one in grey, there are two more.¡±


    Remy inhaled sharply, and Becca tapped her arm nervously.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± she asked, her voice low but urgent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try losing them in the crowd,¡± said Will.


    They quickened their pace slightly, weaving through clusters of pedestrians. But no matter how deftly they moved, their pursuers kept pace, their presence a constant weight pressing on Will¡¯s nerves. As they neared the stairway to the lower level, Becca whispered, ¡°We¡¯d better lose this tail before we get there.¡±


    ¡°How do they keep finding us?¡± hissed Remy. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly making it easy for them.¡±


    Will had been wondering the same. They wore similar drab colors as the rest of the pedestrians, and there was nothing remarkable about them. Were their pursuers just that perceptive, or was something else at play?


    Will swept the area once again, and his eyes landed on his duffle bag. Realization struck him like a hammer. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°What?¡± Remy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the bag,¡± said Will. ¡°No one else is carrying one.¡±


    Remy snorted softly, steam hissing from his rebreather. ¡°Right, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°We could ditch it,¡± said Becca. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything important in there.¡±


    Will gave a reluctant nod. They were already geared up, and only some spare flares and ties were left in the bag.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll make a break for it and ditch the bag,¡± said Will. ¡°Do you see any places where we can make a quick exit?¡±


    There was a brief exchange as they discussed their route. A minute later, it was decided. Becca steeled herself, fogging the air with a deep breath, while Remy shook out his arms, loosening up.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Will asked.


    Both nodded.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The trio broke into a sprint, weaving through the crowd. The sudden burst of movement startled their pursuers, but they quickly gave chase. Will led the group down a side alley, dodging pedestrians and nearly knocking over a stack of crates. Ahead, a group of three men ambled down the street. Without slowing, Will thrust the duffle bag into their arms as he passed by.


    ¡°Hey! What the¡ª¡± one of the men shouted, staring at the bag in confusion.


    Behind them, shouts rang out as the three soldiers descended on the unsuspecting group. Will didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°Walk normally,¡± Will said quietly, forcing himself to relax. The trio quietly blended into the crowd and wove their way down the stairway to the next level.


    Only when they reached the bottom did Becca break the tense silence.


    ¡°Do you think we lost them?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Remy said, exhaling heavily. ¡°But why were they following us? Did the bag set something off?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Will shook his head. ¡°Besides¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re here.¡±


    They turned their attention forward. The abandoned factory loomed ahead, half-buried under a landslide of snow and rubble. Its walls were charred but mostly intact, standing like a grim sentinel over the desolate landscape.


    Will adjusted his rebreather and strode forward, his eyes hard with determination. ¡°Let¡¯s go get Crowley.¡±

 Ch. 88 Depot

    DEPOT


    <hr>


    The weapons depot loomed ahead, half-buried under rubble and snow. The avalanche had swallowed much of the structure, leaving only jagged walls and a collapsed roof jutting out from the wreckage. Rubble spilled into the streets, forcing anyone passing by to detour around it.


    Remy let out a low whistle. ¡°Bombed to rubble. Appropriate that Crowley took up residence.¡±


    "He shouldn''t mind a few visitors, then." Will didn¡¯t slow his pace, eyes focused on the depot, getting closer with each step. ¡°See any ways in?¡±


    "We could always try the front door," muttered Becca, "but I don¡¯t think making our interest in this place obvious would be wise."


    Her eyes lingered on the growing crowd nearby, slowly gathering to join the march. Will followed her gaze, his expression tightening as the murmurs of the group began to rise.


    "Let¡¯s circle our way to the back," said Will. "Keep an eye out for a route where we can enter the building under cover."


    Remy and Becca nodded. The trio slipped away from the main road and the crowd, beginning to circle the weapons depot. As they drew closer, the scale of the destruction became more apparent. Scorched walls bore the marks of explosions, and shattered windows revealed the hollow shell within.


    Gang symbols¡ªtwo dots flanking a dash¡ªwere painted across the blackened exterior, a warning that the territory was still claimed despite the depot being abandoned during the chaos of the gang war. While the damage was too extensive for rebuilding, the gang wasn¡¯t about to give up a valuable piece of land.


    While Remy and Becca searched for a way into the depot, Will swept his eyes over the surrounding area, scanning for any signs of movement or hidden observers. A few stragglers lingered near the edges, but they drifted toward the crowd on the main road, paying no attention to them.


    Will¡¯s attention shifted from scanning the area as Becca drew in a sharp breath, pulling his focus to her.


    ¡°I see a way in,¡± said Becca. She pointed toward a mound of rubble piled against the building. ¡°See that window on the first floor? It¡¯s right beside the mound and hidden from the main street.¡±


    Will gave the window a long look, evaluating its position. It was tucked out of sight, offering a way in without drawing attention. "Good. Let¡¯s move."


    They began making their way toward the broken-down outer wall. Remy and Becca slipped through, while Will gave the area one last scan to check for any observers. At first, nothing, but then his eyes caught sight of a group of rough-looking men lingering in a side alley, smoking and watching the street. One of them shifted, revealing mottled radiation burns crawling up his neck.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Guards? Lookouts? Will couldn¡¯t be sure. The burned man shifted slightly, his gaze beginning to rise as if sensing something, but before he could fully raise his head, Will was gone, disappearing behind a mound of rubble.


    "Watch your step," Remy gave a hushed warning. "There could be buried stray explosives. Don''t blow your leg off."


    The trio picked their way carefully through the snow-covered debris, mindful of their footing. A minute later, they stood in the shadow of the towering mound of rubble piled against the depot. Above them, the window on the first floor waited¡ªone step closer to getting inside.


    Remy climbed first, his eyes shining with excitement. So close to their goal, he scrambled up the pile quickly. Will followed, his movements steadier, eyes scanning the surroundings for any threats. Becca brought up the rear, equally alert and cautious. The rubble shifted slightly underfoot, but they reached the window without incident. Remy, unable to contain his eagerness, started to pull himself inside.


    Will¡¯s eyes caught a faint glint in the dim light. ¡°Wait!¡± he gasped, reaching out and grabbing the back of Remy''s coat.


    The brunet froze mid-climb as Will pointed toward a nearly invisible thread stretched taut across the window frame.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Remy hissed, backing away from the booby-trapped window. Will shaded his eyes and took a quick scan of the room. The tripwire led directly underneath the window. Will stepped forward, crouching in for a closer look. He traced the thin wire, following its path to a crude detonator rigged to a plastic casing tucked against the wall beneath the window.


    His breath caught as he spotted the explosive. Working quickly, Will took out his tools and carefully disarmed the trap. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he secured the wire and neutralized the trigger. He let out a shaky breath. ¡°Alright. Safe now. We can go in.¡±


    Will climbed through the window first, and Remy and Becca followed. They dropped inside the depot¡¯s dark interior. The stench of ash and oil clung to the air. Shadows stretched across rusted shelves and heaps of broken machinery.


    But what immediately caught their attention were the wires.


    Bombs. Everywhere. Strung across doorways, lining the walls, and hidden under debris. Enough explosives armed and ready to blow the entire warehouse to kingdom come.


    Becca gasped, and Remy sucked in a breath.


    ¡°Mad! Insane!¡± Remy choked out. ¡°A stray breeze will set this off before any intruder!¡±


    Will''s jaw tightened as he brought out his gun. He checked the chamber, cocked it, and engaged the safety. Remy and Becca exchanged a tense look before readying their weapons as well.


    The trio moved cautiously through the dimly lit room, their muzzle lights cutting through the shadows. The faint glow illuminated the chaos around them¡ªrusted equipment, debris, and tripwires webbed around them like a tapestry spun by a drunken spider. Every time they caught the light, a shiver ran down Will''s spine.


    Reaching the stairs, they paused. Will knelt and ran his fingers along the first step. Solid stone¡ªno pressure plates. He exhaled softly, gesturing for the others to follow. The three pairs of eyes scanned the surroundings as they ascended, their weapons at the ready.


    Halfway up, Will raised his hand. They froze. He tapped his ear, signaling them to listen. Faint, distorted voices drifted through the stairwell. Ranting. Raving. Angry yells carried on the stale air.


    Will and Remy exchanged a wary glance, and Becca gave them a firm nod. They pressed forward.


    At the top of the stairs, they stepped into a cavernous room. It was almost completely bare. The depot¡¯s control center had been stripped of most of its equipment, leaving only a single workstation powered on. Multiple screens flashed streams of scrolling data, bathing the room in an eerie glow.


    And there, pacing in frantic circles, was Crowley.

 Ch. 89 Crowley

    CROWLEY


    <hr>


    Rail-thin and gaunt, Crowley looked like a ghost of the man he once was. His scraggly beard hung loosely around his sunken cheeks, and his disheveled hair stuck out at odd angles. He muttered incoherently, his voice rising and falling in sharp, panicked bursts.


    ¡°No... no... no...¡± The words tumbled from his lips like a broken record.


    The trio stood mere feet away, yet Crowley didn¡¯t seem to notice them. His hollow eyes stared past them, locked on something only he could see.


    Will exchanged a confused glance with Remy. Becca, however, gave them a sharp nod and motioned forward.


    ¡°Grab him.¡±


    Steeling themselves, Will and Remy stepped into Crowley¡¯s path. Still, he didn¡¯t react. It wasn¡¯t until Will reached out and grabbed his arm that Crowley snapped to life.


    His head jerked up, eyes wide with shock that quickly morphed into rage. ¡°You!¡± he shrieked.


    Will barely had time to brace himself before Crowley lunged. The thin man thrashed with unexpected strength, pummeling Will with his fists.


    ¡°You! I¡¯ll end you!¡± Crowley howled, his voice raw and primal.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Will cursed as he struggled to hold Crowley back. Remy jumped in, grabbing one of Crowley¡¯s arms, while Becca tried to pin the other.


    Crowley fought like a feral animal, biting and clawing, spittle flying from his mouth as he screamed. Remy staggered back with a grunt as one of Crowley¡¯s fists connected with his jaw.


    ¡°Ow! Damn it, he¡¯s cyberized!¡± Remy growled, rubbing his jaw. ¡°Most of his body is augmented!¡±


    Will dodged a wild swing, his eyes darting to Crowley¡¯s exposed arm. The metal joints gleamed under the fluorescent lights.


    ¡°Stop flailing,¡± Remy spat.


    Crowley snarled and thrashed harder, his rage building into guttural growls. Will saw no way to subdue him without escalation.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Will snapped before driving a fist into Crowley¡¯s temple.


    Crowley crumpled instantly, his body going limp. Will staggered back, breathing heavily.


    ¡°By the All-Mother, what was that?¡± Remy groaned, rubbing his jaw again.


    Becca knelt beside Crowley, checking his pulse and lifting one of his eyelids. His eyes were rolled back, and his breathing was shallow but steady. She looked up, visibly disturbed.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Will said, nudging her shoulder. He pulled out a steel cable from his coat. ¡°Let¡¯s tie him up.¡±


    Together, they secured Crowley to a chair, ensuring the restraints were tight. His head lolled to the side, unconscious but no less unnerving.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Remy asked, wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°Do we wake him or...?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Will said firmly. ¡°We need to prep first.¡± He gestured toward the computer terminal.


    Remy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Right. Let me see what I can find in there.¡± He moved quickly to the workstation, fingers flying over the keys.


    Becca sat down beside Crowley. ¡°We should power down his cyber enhancements too. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± Will muttered, kneeling to examine Crowley¡¯s prosthetics.


    Together, they worked quickly to disable all of Crowley¡¯s augments. Becca severed power conduits and detached control nodes, while Will drained the reserve batteries feeding the implants. They left nothing to chance, cutting off redundancies until the augments were reduced to dead weight.


    As Becca examined Crowley, she paused and frowned. ¡°Will, there¡¯s something wrong with his field.¡±


    Will looked up, curious. He brought his psionic field closer to Crowley, expecting the usual repulsion caused by a living body¡¯s natural defenses. Instead, Crowley¡¯s field flickered and hissed at the contact, crackling and popping unnaturally.


    ¡°What the hell...¡± Will muttered, his voice trailing off.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Remy called out from the workstation. ¡°You need to see this.¡±


    Will and Becca looked up as Remy gestured to the lines of data scrolling across the monitor.


    ¡°Tons of data in here,¡± Remy said, jerking his thumb toward the screen. ¡°This is the largest file, and it contains diagnostics from a mech¡ªand not just any mech. It¡¯s a Web-walker.¡±


    Will sat bolt upright. ¡°That¡¯s the Bishop¡¯s mech.¡±


    ¡°Same make, same type,¡± Remy confirmed. ¡°But this one¡¯s heavily modified. And the data? It¡¯s massive¡ªterabytes¡¯ worth.¡±


    Becca looked confused. ¡°How did Crowley get his hands on it? Was he spying on the Bishop?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so,¡± Remy said in a hushed whisper. ¡°And for a long time, too. Some of these entries date back years.¡±


    Before they could process the discovery, a groan interrupted them. They turned to see Crowley slowly coming to. His eyes opened, but there was something vacant about them.


    Will stepped forward cautiously. ¡°Marcus Crowley?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Crowley ignored him, instead mumbling incoherently. ¡°Okay, class, what is two plus two?¡±


    Will and the others exchanged bewildered glances.


    ¡°Jamie, sit down... and put the glue stick out of your mouth,¡± Crowley continued, his tone light. ¡°And Liddy, any more mischief out of you, young lady, and your mother will be hearing about this.¡±


    A chill went down Will''s spine.


    ¡°He¡¯s mad,¡± Remy whispered.


    Will tried again. ¡°Crowley, do you know where you are?¡±


    Crowley¡¯s vacant eyes looked through him as he hummed under his breath. ¡°Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream...¡±


    Frustrated, Will stepped closer and placed a hand on Crowley¡¯s chest. He sent a tendril of psion into him, probing deeper. But the moment his field made contact, it hissed and popped like bursting bubbles. The lack of resistance was unsettling.


    ¡°Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.¡± Crowley continued humming.


    Will turned to Remy. ¡°Was there anything else in those files?¡±


    Remy scanned quickly. ¡°Some kind of inventory list. And ledgers¡ªmoney transactions.¡±


    Becca¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great! If we understand the Revenants¡¯ networks and connections¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWe can track down their leadership,¡± Will finished. But the triumph was short-lived. A sudden jolt of fear coursed through him. He flinched, his eyes snapping back to Crowley.


    Becca leaned in. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Will didn¡¯t answer immediately, his focus entirely on Crowley. He delved deeper with his psionic field, and there was still no resistance to his probing. Inside, he found damaged tissues and ruptured blood vessels. As for his psion channels...


    ¡°His channels are torn apart,¡± Will said in a hushed whisper.


    Becca reeled back. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°And it looks self-inflicted,¡± continued Will, aghast. ¡°He did this to himself.¡±


    The discovery left the group stunned. Becca began examining Crowley more closely, confirming Will¡¯s findings.


    A slow dread crept through Will, but he pressed his field into Crowley despite his instincts. The gnawing fear ratcheted up the deeper he went, and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing.


    As he dug deeper, something stirred within Crowley. It awakened with a snarl, and Will felt a tremor run through his system as the yellow signature within him greeted its brother. The signatures rushed to join their twin, and a pair of orange eyes flashed before Will, locking onto him.


    With a gasp, Will wrenched his hand away from Crowley.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Becca asked, looking horrified.


    ¡°Hive,¡± Will gasped. ¡°Crowley is part of the Hive.¡±


    Remy and Becca stared at Crowley, in shock as he slowly came to. The jolt from merging fields had roused him, and now his hollow eyes fixed on the trio as though seeing them for the first time. When his gaze fell on Will, he shuddered in recognition. He knew.


    "You too?" Crowley croaked, his voice raw as the yellow signature writhed within his fractured channels, struggling to break free.


    "Yes," Will said hoarsely.


    "Yes?" Crowley asked, his wild eyes searching Will with desperate hope.


    Will nodded. "But they don¡¯t control me¡ªand they don¡¯t control you. You broke free, didn¡¯t you?" He crouched closer, his voice urgent. "Tell me how. How did you get out?"


    Crowley¡¯s eyes drifted out of focus, his expression flickering as he teetered on the edge of consciousness. For a moment, he seemed lost again. "You can¡¯t stop it, Jamie," he murmured, his voice hollow and distant.


    Will grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Tell me how! How do I get out?"


    Crowley¡¯s focus wavered, his breath shallow as he drifted between lucidity and delirium. His mouth opened, but no words emerged¡ªonly the sounds of his brittle field were heard as it seeped out of his broken channels. His broken, shattered channels. Will froze mid-shake as the cold, hard truth hit him.


    Will gritted his teeth. He shook with an emotion he couldn''t describe as his fingers tightened around Crowley. He refused to accept it. Not like this. Will knelt down and began untying Crowley¡¯s restraints.


    "Oy!" Remy began uncertainly. "What are you doing?"


    The steel cable fell to the floor. Will held Crowley firmly in the chair. "Is there no other way?" he demanded. "Answer me!"


    Crowley blinked awake, his eyes locking onto Will. "The connection was severed," he croaked. "It broke¡ªand so did I."


    "There has to be another way!" said Will, hoarsely.


    "No." Crowley shook his head weakly. "Run away, Jamie. Run away."


    "I¡¯m not one of your students," said Will, his voice tight. "I¡¯m not running away from the Bishop."


    At the mention of the Spider, Crowley¡¯s breathing grew ragged. Rage twisted his features, and he strained against Will¡¯s grip, nearly breaking free.


    "Bishop!" Crowley roared, spittle flying from his mouth. "Get away from my kids!"


    Will and Becca grabbed Crowley¡¯s flailing arms, holding him down as he thrashed.


    "He¡¯s losing himself again!" Will gasped, struggling to keep Crowley contained.


    Crowley¡¯s eyes darted to Becca, wild and unfocused. "Run, Liddy. Run¡­" he muttered, his voice breaking.


    Becca froze, tears streaming down her cheeks. "They did this to him. They did it to break him. I thought he was some kind of monster, but he¡¯s¡­"


    "I know," Will said softly.


    Becca grabbed Will¡¯s hand, her grip trembling. "Will, you¡­" She couldn¡¯t finish the sentence, but the fear in her eyes said it all. She was terrified.


    "It''ll be alright, Becca," said Will. "I... The Bishop won¡¯t¡ª"


    Crowley¡¯s head snapped up, eyes blazing with sudden clarity. "I''ll have you, Bishop! I have your face and I have proof!"


    "Proof?" Remy exclaimed. "Do you have a picture? A video? What is it?"


    Crowley¡¯s expression twisted, his words descending into incoherence. "Bishop, Bishop¡­" he muttered, his voice a broken whisper.


    Remy didn¡¯t wait. He dove toward the workstation, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he searched for the files.


    "Not real! Masks upon masks," Crowley rasped. "Bishop was a lie! Flesh is but a lie!" He continued to mumble as Will struggled to keep him upright.


    "Found it!" Remy shouted, tapping a key to play a video.


    The screen flickered to life. The image was shaky, captured from inside a moving vehicle. The camera panned to reveal a massive scarlet spider mech¡ªheavily damaged and smoking.


    Will felt a chill pass through him as the cockpit hissed open. Smoke billowed out, half obscuring the glow of the circuitry lining the mech''s interior. Neon veins of the psion integration system pulsed along the walls, converging on the shadowed pilot''s seat.


    Will leaned in closer, his fingers trembling. "Slow it down. Zoom in and go frame by frame."


    Remy nodded and scrubbed through the footage carefully. The video stuttered through the frames, zooming in on the mech''s internals. The level of sophistication of the power convergence and synchronization left Will stunned.


    "It¡¯s Tower made," he said in a hushed whisper.


    Remy looked awed. "This is unreal. A U4? Maybe 5? The Hive couldn¡¯t have made this."


    Will looked at the screen grimly. Hive tech was focused on cyberization while the Tower on mech synchronization. That was one aspect they were ahead on the enemy, and the Spider had taken hold of that advantage.


    "Do they have connections high up in the Tower?" Becca wondered, dreading the implications.


    "Faces, faces," Crowley mumbled, his voice barely audible as he stared blankly at the screen.


    "Continue playing," Will said grimly.


    Remy unpaused the video and Crowley jerked awake. He grabbed Will and cupped his face, looking deeply into his eyes.


    "Jamie, you must stop..." he pleaded.


    "Stop who?" Will asked, his eyes darting between Crowley and the screen. Mist continued to spill from the mech''s cockpit as a figure emerged.


    "Stop her." Crowley croaked.


    A slender leg stepped out first, followed by a lithe frame encased in sleek, black armor. Burn marks marred the armor, its helmet warped by intense heat. A pair of orange eyes shone through the visor. With a sharp motion, the pilot ripped off the helmet and let it clatter to the ground.


    Will¡¯s breath caught.


    Dark hair tumbled free, framing sharp, angular features. Her eyes¡ªvivid and burning orange¡ªonce kind, were hard and unyielding. A burning yellow field radiated from her, snuffing out the fire within the mech.


    Will stared wide eyed at the screen and the world stood still as memories came unbidden.


    "The evil princess is going to getcha, Will! Run, run!"


    "Don''t you get tired? You have so much energy, kiddo."


    Laughter and giggles that filled the park faded and he was pulled back into the subway.


    Will stared at the screen, stunned while the blare of the train horn echoed in his head.


    "Annie..."

 Ch. 90 Denial

    DENIAL


    <hr>


    Will sat frozen, dead silent, staring at the screen. The image of his sister burned itself into his mind. The world around him faded into muffled echoes, distant and unreal. His breath hitched, and his vision blurred as memories of laughter and childhood games collided with the sight of Annie emerging from the mech.


    Remy stood abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor. "This is not possible," he muttered, his voice trembling. His eyes darted between the screen and Will, searching for an explanation.


    Becca¡¯s voice rose, sharp and frantic. "What is this? Will, what does this mean? Say something!"


    But Will couldn¡¯t. His thoughts spiraled. His sister was the Bishop? His Annie?


    Becca stormed toward him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him hard. "Will!"


    Will blinked, the world snapping back into focus. His chest heaved as he breathed out a single word, "No."


    "Will, you¡ª"


    "No! This can''t be! There has to be a mistake." He turned sharply, striding to Crowley, who sat slumped in the chair. Grabbing him roughly, Will demanded, "What is the meaning of this, Crowley? What the hell is this?"


    Crowley¡¯s breath hitched. His lips trembled as if struggling to form words, but only a hoarse rasp escaped. His eyes rolled back, and his body jerked violently, convulsions overtaking him.


    Will¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized the symptoms and moved in to stabilize Crowley. His psion field flared to life and charged into the mad bomber, finding the yellow signature within his system raging. Despite being held prisoner by the broken channels, they all acted in unison, stretching out and reaching toward something in the distance.


    Almost as if they were homing in on something.


    "They are coming," Crowley rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "I feel the call."


    Will¡¯s blood ran cold as he staggered to his feet.


    "What happened?" Becca asked, noticing his panic.


    Will didn¡¯t answer. He rushed to the window, brushing away soot and ice. Pressing against the wall, he peered outside.


    His breath caught. Hooded figures, cloaked in shadow, moved in eerie unison through the snow-covered streets. Their steps were deliberate, purposeful. The sight sent a shiver down his spine.


    "They¡¯re here for him." Will spun around. "We need to move. Now."


    "Revenant?" asked Becca.


    ¡°The Revenant? The Hive? I don¡¯t know at this point,¡± said Will. ¡°But we need to leave before they get here.¡±


    Becca nodded and moved toward Crowley, but he was limp, slumped in the chair. Will¡¯s stomach dropped as he remembered¡ªthey had disabled all his prosthetics. He wasn¡¯t able to move.


    Will gritted his teeth. "I¡¯ll carry him." He moved to grab Crowley.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, hold on!¡± Remy interrupted. ¡°We can¡¯t take him with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving him here,¡± said Will angrily.


    ¡°Think, Will,¡± Remy hissed. ¡°What¡¯s it going to look like if we drag half a dead man through the streets? We can¡¯t carry him and run at the same time.¡±


    Will clenched his fists, every instinct screaming to resist, but the cold logic in Remy¡¯s words hit hard. He froze, torn by indecision¡ªuntil he felt a hand on his chest.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    It was Crowley.


    His breathing was ragged, but his eyes were clear, burning with sudden lucidity. The servos in his arm whined, pulling the last dregs of power from the reserves. A single finger weakly gestured toward the workstation.


    Will followed the gesture and saw a briefcase sitting at its foot.


    "Remy?"


    "On it." Remy moved quickly, dragging the case out and flipping it open. Inside, neatly arranged, were hundreds of packets of Infils. Resting on top were about a dozen drives.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the money and data I have,¡± Crowley choked out. ¡°Take it.¡±


    Will glanced back at the broken man, unable to speak.


    ¡°In the end, I wasn¡¯t able to get out,¡± Crowley said weakly. ¡°But you still can. Take the data and go.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Will began.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    There was a snap as Remy closed the briefcase. Will stood, his eyes still locked on Crowley as the man¡¯s clarity began to slip. The light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by the familiar glaze of delirium.


    Remy grabbed Will by the arm, pulling him toward the door. Becca hesitated for a brief moment, then followed.


    Will gave Crowley one last look as the door swung shut behind him. The heavy thud echoed in his chest like a final farewell.


    "Come on." Remy pulled him forward, down the stairs. As they thudded downward, they came across the tripwires again. Cursing, they skidded to a halt halfway down the steps.


    The same thought went through all their heads¡ªthere was no way to carefully navigate through the maze of tripwires before they were found.


    "What now?" asked Remy, his voice tight.


    "The roof?" Becca suggested, looking at the two.


    Will looked up past the ceiling. It was the only choice. "Let¡¯s go."


    They rushed back upstairs, urgency driving every step. As they climbed, Will glanced out a shattered window as they passed by. Hooded figures with flashes of chrome underneath their cloaks were climbing a mound next to the depot. They had the same idea: bypass Crowley¡¯s bombs and head straight to the second floor.


    "Dammit!" Remy groaned. "They''ll be on us in no time."


    "Move faster then," Will urged, pushing forward. The group surged up the steps, the sound of their breaths and boots reverberating off the cracked walls.


    Stomping up to the top floor, they found the roof access locked. Gritting their teeth, Remy and Will kicked the door open. The rusted door flew off its hinges, and they stumbled onto the roof, gasping. Ice and snow whipped around them, stinging their faces, and Will paused for half a second, bewildered.


    "That way," he gasped, leading Remy and Becca to the side of the building where they had made their entrance. The mound leading to the first floor was still there, and without hesitation, they jumped.


    The landing came hard, slamming their knees despite the snow cover. They stumbled, tucked, and rolled, struggling to regain their footing.


    "Shit!" Remy cursed, limping a little. Waving off looks of concern, he followed.


    Staying low to the ground, they rushed through mounds of rubble and made it past the outer wall. Will¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he straightened up, walking briskly.


    "Look normal," he muttered, and Remy and Becca fell in place beside him.


    They quietly made their way down the street with the intent of disappearing down a side alley, but as they approached, a harsh voice stopped them.


    "Not so fast." A scarred man stepped forward, his dark eyes locked onto Will. The dim light caught the ridges of the radiation burns twisting up his neck, raw and mottled like melted wax.


    "What did I tell you, Ckeeze? There was someone sneaking about," he chortled.


    Will¡¯s stomach tightened. It was the same gang they had spotted earlier, loitering around the depot. Five of them¡ªragged, lean, and armed. They smelled of stale smoke and sweat. Will¡¯s eyes flicked between their stained hands and the glint of steel peeking from under their coats.


    "What are you looking at, kuza?" the gang leader sneered, stepping closer. "This is Barta-Salva territory. You think you can just walk up here without paying tribute?"


    A gang member chuckled. "Shake ''em down, Jura. Pretty boy¡¯s bound to have some Infils."


    "What you got in that case, boy? Let''s see ''em," another said, glancing greedily at the briefcase held by Remy.


    A sharp rasp split the air as one of the gangsters unsheathed a blade.


    Will cursed internally. He could see it in their eyes¡ªthe hunger for a fight. Even if they paid, these men weren¡¯t going to let them leave unscathed.


    Sweat trickled down his brow. They were still in view of the depot. If a fight broke out here, it would draw attention. They had to get out of this fast.


    Remy stepped up beside him, his hand resting on his belt where his gun was holstered. "You Barta fuckers looking to die?"


    Will caught the drift immediately. The only way to make them back down was to convince them they were attacking a rival gang. Only a show of strength could get these grunts to reconsider.


    "Step aside, and we can forget this happened," said Will.


    Uncertainty flashed in the burned man¡¯s eyes, but he remained obstinate. "Pay the toll," he spat.


    "Or what?" Remy sneered. "You lot won¡¯t get a single credit out of us."


    "Credit?" The leader¡¯s face contorted in confusion before shifting to fury. "Towerite!" he snarled, the word dripping with venom.


    Before anyone could react further, the world exploded.


    A deafening roar split the air, and the shockwave hit them like a hammer, throwing them to the ground like ragdolls. Smoke and fire poured into the sky, turning the snow an eerie shade of gray.


    Will groaned, coughing soot and ash. Struggling to his feet, he glanced back and saw a wall of fire.


    Rubble rained down as blackened shards of metal clattered across the street.


    The depot was no more.

 Ch. 91 Bite the Bullet

    BITE THE BULLET


    <hr>


    "Oh no!" Becca gasped. Will and Remy stared open-mouthed at the conflagration, ash-faced and covered in soot.


    The depot was a blazing ruin, its charred walls and beams teetering on the brink of collapse. With a deafening crack, a critical support gave way, sending half the structure crashing down and leaving a precarious sliver of the second floor engulfed in flames.


    "Towerite!"


    Will spun around, his heart hammering. The burned gangster was staggering to his feet, bathed from head to toe in ash. Rage contorted his features as he tried to blink past the soot covering his face.


    Will¡¯s gaze flicked between the gangsters and the burning depot, unsure what to do.


    "Towerite," the man spat again, stepping closer, his hand diving into his coat. The other members of his cohort were on their feet, all staring at the three with rage.


    "Quiet," Will said coldly, his focus still locked on the depot.


    Such blatant disrespect seemed too much for the gangster. With an incoherent yell, his hand flew toward his coat.


    Will moved without thinking, his instincts honed by long hours of military drills.


    Gunfire shattered the stillness of the secluded alley as Will poured round after round. Beside him, Remy and Becca fired, their pistols flashing.


    The gangsters crumpled to the floor as a dull ringing filled Will''s ears. It was over before it even began. The thugs didn¡¯t even manage to get their field out. Blood pooled on the snow, and one of the men twitched in his death throes.


    Remy stepped forward, grim-faced, his boots crunching in the slush. He raised his gun to finish off the lone thug, but the man let out a choked gasp before falling completely still. Remy didn¡¯t even blink as he fired another round into the man¡¯s head for good measure¡ªinsurance.


    A choked gasp came from beside Will. Becca''s gun fell to the snow with a soft thud. She stood trembling, her hands clutched over her mouth, her eyes wide and unfocused, locked onto the carnage they had just wrought.


    "Becca!" Will tried calling to her, but she couldn¡¯t hear him, lost in the shock.


    Will clutched her shoulders. "Becca, get it together! We need to get out of here before¡ª"


    He froze mid-sentence. A slow, cold dread spread through his veins as the yellow signature within him stirred, drawn toward the burning depot.


    It searched, homing in on something within the conflagration, trying desperately to reach out.


    Will''s gaze snapped to the second story of the smoldering ruin. There, up high, something stirred. Wreathed in flame, a hulking figure slowly emerged from the inferno.


    A large cyborg stepped out of the fire, flames licking its frame. Its hooded cloak had long been burned away, leaving behind steely, silver plating. Emblazoned on its chest was a dragon curled up around a fallen angel.


    Will¡¯s stomach dropped.


    It was the same cyborg that had led the hunt for the Doctor.


    The cyborg¡¯s silver eyes fixed on Will, reflecting the fire like molten metal. Horror gripped Will as he felt the yellow signature within him reach out to the towering figure.


    The cyborg tapped his earpiece and spoke. A crash followed as more figures emerged from the flames. Glowing red irises pierced the shadows, chrome bodies reflecting the fire''s glow.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Remy cursed.


    ¡°Move! Move! Move!¡± Will barked, grabbing Becca¡¯s arm and yanking her toward the alley.


    The yellow signature roared inside him, its hunger lashing against his efforts to suppress it. It tried to reestablish a connection with its kin, but Will shoved it down, focusing on running as they sprinted through the narrow passage.


    A loud crash came from behind them, followed by the sound of metallic footsteps. Will took the first turn out of the alley and into another side street. The trio ducked under crumbling beams, hurdled over piles of debris, and slipped through tight gaps between half-demolished walls. The sound of thudding metallic footsteps followed unabated.


    Will risked a glance over his shoulder. Three of them. Their metallic bodies glinted in the pale light, each step sharp, their pace relentless. With every second, the cyborgs gained on them, barely pausing as they crashed through the cluttered side street.


    Desperate, Will slammed into a pile of roofing supplies, and they came tumbling down, blocking the road. The cyborgs faltered, their pursuit momentarily slowed, but their hesitation didn''t last long.


    A sharp gunshot cracked through the air, the sound splitting the cold stillness. A shard of stone exploded past Will''s face, grazing his cheek. He ducked instinctively, heart pounding as he cursed under his breath.


    His field flared around him as another bullet slammed into him.


    "Shit!" Remy cursed.


    Will spun mid-stride and fired, his bullets sparking uselessly off the cyborgs¡¯ armored frames. Frustration bubbled up as the relentless machines continued to gain. Will took a breath, aimed higher, and fired again. The metal men flinched as the bullet raced past their heads. Raising their hands to shield their faces, they continued their charge.


    "Aim for their heads!" Will shouted.


    Remy grunted in response, his gun blazing as he unleashed a fierce volley. The barrage forced the cyborgs to hug the side walls, buying the trio a few precious seconds.


    ¡°Move!¡± Will barked, seizing the moment.


    They sprinted through the labyrinth of alleys, weaving and dodging obstacles. Will''s eyes darted back and forth, trying to find a way out. For a split second, he glanced at Becca and froze. Her hands were empty, trembling at her sides. The memory of her dropping her gun back at the depot flashed in his mind. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow, and every movement screamed of someone barely holding it together.


    "Becca!" Will called, his voice sharp. She didn¡¯t respond, her steps faltering as her foot caught on a loose slab of stone.


    Will grabbed her arm, steadying her. "Focus! Look at me!" he snapped.


    Becca blinked, her gaze locking on his. The fog in her eyes cleared slightly, and she nodded, pulling herself together just enough to keep running.


    ¡°We are in deep!¡± Remy shouted, throwing a glance over his shoulder. "These clankers don¡¯t stop."


    ¡°How close are we to the stairs?¡± Will panted, his breath forming clouds in the frigid air.


    ¡°About a hundred feet round the corner,¡± Remy grunted.


    ¡°Perfect. Keep moving!¡±


    They burst out of the alley onto a bustling main street, shoving their way through startled pedestrians. The stairs to the upper levels of Derbent were just ahead. Relief flickered in Will¡¯s chest¡ªuntil a sharp glint in the sunlight caught his eye.


    ¡°Down!¡± he yelled, diving to the ground.


    A gunshot split the air, the bullet whizzing past their heads. Will looked up to see two hooded figures at the top of the stairs, their weapons trained on the trio below.


    ¡°Damn it! They had backup?¡± Remy spat, yanking Will to his feet. "Keep moving!"


    They took off again, running full tilt, their boots crunching against the snow-covered pavement. Pushing past pedestrians, they raced toward the next stairway.


    The yellow signature inside Will stirred, its presence growing stronger. He gritted his teeth, focusing on suppressing the connection, but the psion field pulsed insistently, reaching toward the figures pursuing them.


    Will¡¯s vision blurred for a moment, his awareness expanding. The pounding of metal footsteps and the barked commands of the cyborgs grew louder. He felt the outlines of the cyborgs in the distance, their movements a ghostly impression in his mind. As the connection strained to settle, Will snapped the reaching tendrils, cutting the link.


    Just as the connection was severed, he got a flash of impressions of the cyborgs following them. The group tailing them was making quick progress, and right above them, another group was keeping perfect pace, preparing to intercept.


    ¡°They¡¯re still on us!¡± Will gasped, pointing toward the commotion on the upper levels. There was a lot of screaming and yelling, and someone was nearly thrown off the side ledge.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Remy growled, his face twisted with frustration. ¡°They don¡¯t want us going up the levels. They¡¯re going to box us in and run us dry.¡±


    Will¡¯s mind raced. The stairs ahead were a trap. The cyborgs were already moving to cut off every route to the upper levels. He scanned the surroundings, his gaze settling on a rusted stairwell leading downward¡ªa path into the lower depths of the city.


    ¡°We go down,¡± Will said.


    Remy turned to him, incredulous. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t go up, we go deeper. Into the pit,¡± Will said, his voice firm.


    Remy cursed, but a moment later, he nodded. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Will didn¡¯t wait. He grabbed Becca¡¯s hand and pulled her along, leading the group toward the crumbling stairwell. Together, they raced down. Down into the bowels of Derbent.