《Eschaton: Book II》


 Introduction/Chapter I

    <h2>Introduction</h2>


    By the year of our LORD 2224 humanity had become a Type II civilization on the Kardashev Scale. With the activation of the Ohr-Ein-Sof Dyson Grid ¨C a network of solar satellites with the promise of energy for all ¨C they had at last put an end to the system-wide war for resources that had been raging for twenty years.


    With energy eternal, Mankind would stand unified in the undying warmth of the sun for the first time since the dawn of civilization. There they would dream of the world to come ¨C a world beyond all the pain and suffering that was the human condition. By this dream and virtue, we had at last achieved our return to Eden.


    By the year of our LORD 2239 that dream and the world it lived in had ended. Fire rained from the sky as biblically foretold, and great beasts were set free from chthonic prisons to strike Mankind down, bringing with them the returned nightmare of pestilence, famine, war, and death. Seemingly without cause or warning the Eden humanity had built for themselves became nothing short of Hell on Earth.


    Two-hundred years have passed since humanity''s second expulsion from Paradise and, despite their unguided descent into the bowels of Hell, they marched on ¨C struggling tooth and nail to survive in a time known as the Eschaton - the days after Armageddon.


    (Eschaton) /??sk?t?n/


    The final event in the divine plan; the end of the world.


    Part I: Theophany


    ¡°These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.¡± ¨C Rev 22:6


    I.


    The Glass Plains ¨C 2474


    Gold shafts of sunlight cut through the darkness of the skeletal silhouettes that made up the long dead city. The ghostly cries of night-birds rising in their roosts echoed out through those hollow bones of steel and ruin. The wind howled, crying out like all the lost souls who died there when the world ended two hundred years ago. It was a foreboding place, one twice ruined ¨C once when the world fell to monsters, and then once more when the massive ship crashed four years ago.


    The Verdant City was what people had called it, but there was nothing verdant about it now. No one knew why the ship fell, but it had with devastating effect. Nothing had survived its final descent. All that remained now were the wire frames of buildings and glassed earth ¨C granting the city it¡¯s new name: The Glass Plains.


    Before the city¡¯s second death, it had been shunned by all but the bravest of souls, and now wasn¡¯t any different. The titanic ship¡¯s fall hadn¡¯t made it any safer to travel, but instead made a no-mans-land for vultures to fight over. Piety was one of those vultures, a scavenger come to pick clean the bones of the crashed ship. However, her crew was small, and no match for the warring merchant lords who had carved up the surrounding territory.


    Under any other circumstances Piety would have written the ship off as a lost cause, a feast for bigger beasts than her, but she had recently come into information that could change that. Supposedly there was a hidden entrance, a path that would lead into the very core of the ship. That meant, while the merchant guilds fought for scraps as they spent weeks cutting through each bulkhead and door, she could sneak in and steal the choicest meat right off their plates.


    The reward would mean an escape from the outer-city slums. With a claim on the innermost salvage, her crew could buy their way into the Uppercity, away from the smog and rot of the world below. That was, if it were true. And that was what she was there to find out. Before she rallied up her crew for a deep dive, she would scout it out herself and see if there were any truth to the matter.


    Piety wasn¡¯t so brave or foolish to go completely alone however. Close above her was a drone, a quadcopter keeping a close eye on her and her surroundings. The name behind the watchful eye in the sky was Reverence, her twin brother and the only other true permanence in her crew. While she and her crew worked sites, it was his job to run the technical side of things, which he excelled at.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Temperature is still dropping,¡± announced a solemn voice over the radio. Piety turned on her open-mic and sighed, saying in reply, ¡°Means we¡¯re getting close. The broker said one of the signs was a drop in temperature.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also a sign of demonic presence,¡± Reverence reminded her. ¡°Keep an eye open and watch your back.¡±


    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what I have you here for, Rev?¡± Piety said with a chortle as she adjusted the cords of her NCI, her neural-control-interface. The NCI was connected to a pair of goggles that allowed her to see all sorts of worldly data displayed on a HUD right before her eyes. They even had an uplink to the drone following her, letting her see the area from a bird¡¯s view. What they were telling her now was both encouraging and worrisome.


    The temperature was dropping rapidly, sitting now at a freezing temperature of twenty degrees. It wasn¡¯t a comforting sign at all, but if her intel was correct, meant she was drawing near her hidden entrance. The ship itself was colossal, towering above her as she crept along its length, very nearly blocking out the cityscape behind it. She was somewhere near the middle of it now, on the port side. Piety was surprised she hadn¡¯t run into any other crews, even from a distance. It seemed they avoided the area ¨C which was good for her. She didn¡¯t need the distraction of a fire fight if they caught her poaching their claim.


    It was amazing how much of the massive ship survived the fall without so much as a dent on it. Piety wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it could still fly. And then she saw it, holes in the hull, ragged gashes that looked like something had taken a bite out of it. Most of them didn¡¯t make it past the thick layers of steel that made up the ship¡¯s outer hull, but one in the center seemed to have pierced into a duct of some kind. It was her hidden entrance; it had to be.


    Piety shivered as she drew near the gash, part from the cold, part from the excitement coursing through her. It was real, the info panned out. ¡°Do you see this, Rev?¡± Piety asked, struggling to mask her excitement.


    ¡°Seen and marked,¡± Reverence replied, as stoic as always. ¡°Though I wonder what possibly could have done such a thing. It must have been massive, whatever it was.¡±


    ¡°An Archfiend perhaps?¡± Piety idlily wondered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it took fire. Looks like something tore into it.¡±


    ¡°Comforting,¡± Rev uttered with a sigh. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve found your entrance. You should head back for now.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± exclaimed Piety, peeking her head into the hole. ¡°I¡¯m going in. Gotta see how far this goes.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to keep an eye on you in there,¡± Reverence cautioned. ¡°We might lose contact. It¡¯s not worth the risk.¡±


    That was where he was wrong. Escaping the hellhole that was the LOC was well worth the risk of her life, his, and their entire crews. It wasn¡¯t just about breaking the chains of poverty but escaping a past that had haunted them since the day they were born.


    Reverence and Piety were the sole survivors of a ritual gone wrong. Born into a sect of the Cult of Yaldabaoth, worshipers of a dark god, they were to take part in the summoning of a demon upon their thirteenth birthday, but something went terribly wrong. The ritual wasn¡¯t how their parents had painted it, they weren¡¯t to take part in it as members of the cult. No, they where the ritual, sacrifices to be made.


    Piety¡¯s memory of the ritual was fragmented at best. Both had been drugged and bound. She could remember seeing her brother on the altar, the fear in his eyes as they drew near with the knife. Then, nothing. They were all dead and he was dragging her to safety. But safety was never found. To this day, the cult was still after them. Whether it was to pull them back into the fold or finish the ghastly ritual they had started, neither knew for sure. They just kept running, year after year.


    Piety was tired of running, tired of the dogged pursuit, of living in fear with one eye always cast over her shoulder. They could hardly stay in one place for a year before having to pack up and change locations. But the salvage here would change that. The rights alone would sell for enough to get them access to the upper levels of the Megacity. Actively working the site would take time, but there was no doubt in her mind that it would set them up for life. But that was neither here nor there. There was one thing she had to do first, and that was to follow her white rabbit to the end of the tunnel and see if she ended up in Wonderland.


    Piety stared deep into the wound before her, sliding her hand down the jagged edges before turning her gaze up to the drone. ¡°I¡¯m going in, Rev,¡± she announced with a smirk. ¡°See you when I see you.¡±

 Chapter II

    II.


    It was a tight fit, but Piety managed to pull herself through the hole in the hull. They would have to open it further to get the crew in, but that wouldn¡¯t be as much of a problem as opening all the blast doors individually. Once inside, Piety turned on the flashlight mounted to her utility vest. She was in a hallway it seemed, and much to Piety¡¯s surprise, at either end, the doors remained open. ¡°It seems the lock-down didn¡¯t extend to this part of the ship,¡± Piety announced to her radio.


    ¡°Re¡­peat¡­ Losing¡­ Signal¡­¡± Reverence replied through a wall of static.


    Piety hissed and turned her radio off. Losing contact had been expected but was still vexing. She adjusted her goggles, doing her best to ignore the red flashing ¡®Signal Lost¡¯ in the corner of her view. ¡°Left or right?¡± Piety asked herself before settling on right. She was near the center of the ship, so the bridge was probably in that direction. If she could make it there, she¡¯d have the ability to unlock the whole ship if she wanted to ¨C something that was near invaluable. If she controlled the bridge, she controlled who got what, when, and where. The Merchant Guild would be at her beck and call. It was a notion that excited her to no end. They would be untouchable.


    At the end of the hall, Piety found herself at the start of another. Dark and shadowed, lit only by her flashlight, she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy as she gazed down the length of the hallway. It was colder there than outside, sitting at a frigid fifteen degrees. She quietly hoped to herself that that meant she was near. But near what? Was she prepared to take on a demon? Piety drew a pistol from the holster on her belt. Would it be enough? Demons were just another fact of life in the world after the apocalypse. Some were nothing more than nuisances, imps that were more likely to play tricks on you than harm you. Then there were others, greater demons whose whims were far more monstrous. Those were the demons the Cult of Yaldabaoth dealt in: demons who warped and corrupted the world around them, demons who could enslave the minds and bodies of man, whose voracious appetites consumed whole villages.


    Curiosity quickly outweighed caution. She would just be careful, she told herself as she walked down the hallway, dreaming of all the good things to come, of a life free from fear. She wasn¡¯t going to let fear stop her now, not when that life was nearly within her grasp. This hallway wasn¡¯t just an empty stretch but had doors on either side every twenty or so feet. Piety stopped at one and tried to force it. Like the hallway blast-doors, these ones remained unpressurized, sliding open sluggishly at her touch.


    She didn¡¯t know what she had expected to find within, but a homely apartment wasn¡¯t it. ¡°People lived here¡­¡± Piety said to herself as she took a step inside. To her left was an in-wall shelf and a series of framed pictures to go with it. They showed humans, people without a hint of mutation to them, living their lives, happier than she ever saw anyone. Piety picked up one of the pictures. There was a woman and a man, arm in arm with a child between them. Behind their heads was a banner: Welcome First Seeds Generation Two.


    Piety replaced the picture and looked around the room. The dressers¡¯ drawers were left open, the closet too, as if someone had frantically dug through them without a care for tidying up. Piety looked to the kitchenette, to the bar dividing the room. There were still bowls on its surface, filled now with dust and the stain of food. They had been eating dinner when they were forced to leave in a hurry.


    It was painting an all too familiar picture. In the early days of the apocalypse people tried to flee the planet, wait out the End of Days in orbit on any shuttle that could fly. Eventually supplies would run out or mechanical failure would force them back. It was just delaying the inevitable. Piety heard that people who fled to Mars and the other colonies didn¡¯t fair any better. Or, if they did, they weren¡¯t telling anyone. She guessed they didn¡¯t want a bunch of mutated freaks showing up on their doorstep.


    In the end, the ship was just another dead hulk, a ghost that had long since been abandoned to space and was just now succumbing to a decaying orbit. It had probably been home to humanities best, brightest, and richest until everything went to shit, and they had to abandon ship.


    Piety left the room behind. There was probably some good salvage in each room, but checking each of them could wait. Forgotten knickknacks and familial trinkets weren¡¯t what she was after. No, she had to get to the bridge. At the end of the hall, Piety found the lift. She pried the doors open easily enough and stepped inside. In the upper right corner in the back was what she was looking for ¨C the emergency hatch.


    The hatch popped open with a groan and a clang that echoed up through the shaft. Piety holstered her pistol and reached up gripping the lip. Pulling herself up she peeked over the edge, hoping to find a maintenance ladder. ¡°Nice,¡± she thought audibly, spotting one. Piety pulled herself all the way up. It might not take her to the bridge, but it would get her deeper than anyone has gotten so far.


    The climb between decks was slow and arduous as she stopped at each floor to scan the writing above the doors. The hall she started at had been ¡®Habitat D¡¯ if the proceeding levels had any order to them, going from C through A.


    She was nearly halfway to the next deck when her radio burst to life, filling the empty shaft with the scratchy sound of static. ¡°Piety¡­¡± a voice called out, nearly inaudible. ¡°Piety¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello? Rev is that you?¡± she asked, pausing her ascent. ¡°Must have found a signal¡­ Rev, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Piety¡­¡± the voice uttered. ¡°You¡¯re going to die¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that, Rev?¡± Piety asked, taking the radio off her vest before raising it above her head. ¡°Repeat. I can¡¯t quite hear you.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The sound that came out of the radio next nearly spelt her doom. A horrific screech pierced through the static as the sound of screaming erupted in the shaft. Piety dropped her radio, startled, nearly losing her grip on the ladder as she fumbled to catch it. The ghastly wail continued for a moment longer before cutting off as abruptly as it had started.


    Reaffirming her grip and footing, Piety replaced her radio on her vest and seethed through clenched teeth. She could see her breath in a cloud before her, a cold reminder that there was a good chance she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Not Rev,¡± Piety said, pressing her forehead against a rung of the ladder as she composed herself.


    Piety was no stranger to demons. When scouring the wastes and ruins of the world, you couldn¡¯t be. Those who were, they didn¡¯t live long. She must have crossed into its weird-field, the bubble of effect that surrounds demonic entities of greater caliber. Whether it was psychic energy or some kind of magic, it wasn¡¯t known, but the high strangeness of its effects was well documented. People would hear things, see things, become entranced, or even succumb to fear induced madness within the field.


    Focus was key. A weak mind made itself a target. Piety had to concentrate, focus on what she was there to do. She was close, she could feel it! And not just to the demon, but to the bridge, to her goal, to the freedom it promised. She was so close. Reverence would be furious, but she decided to press on. Piety wasn¡¯t about to turn tail and run, to return empty handed.


    Rung after rung she climbed until she reached a door marked BD-1. ¡°Bridge Deck one?¡± Piety wondered out loud. Could it really be that easy? The ship was massive and probably had its own tram system to get to either end. Would her goal be so easily reached as to climb a few stories in an elevator shaft? Stranger things have happened, she told herself as she set out to pry the door open. The whole job reeked of too-good-to-be-true energy, why stop there?


    The doors parted with a hiss as frigid air spilled out into the shaft, and along with it a miasmic stench. It was an assault of the senses, making Piety choke and gag. She was close alright, close to the demon¡¯s den. Cautiously covering her mouth and nose, Piety looked through the parted doors. It was open air. What used to be part of a hallway had been torn open like a tin can.


    Piety pulled herself up and through the doors. She was somewhere near the top of the ship. With a shiver she stepped forward, drawing her pistol. It was colder here than anywhere. There was no doubt in her mind that she would run into the demon soon.


    Every fiber of reason warned her from going forward, warned her to stay back, wait for Reverence to assemble the rest of the crew. But something pulled her forward, tugging on her like the knotted end of a rope. There was something here, and she was meant to find it, she just knew it. It was almost warm that feeling of destiny, enough that the cold didn¡¯t bother her as she started down the hallway.


    The moon, now a shattered reflection of its former glory, was high in the sky, illuminating the ruined hallway in an eerie light. Piety found herself holding her breath as she inched her way down the path before her. She knew going forward was a bad idea, but she took those tender steps anyways, moving almost in a trance. When she made it to the end of the hall she let her breath loose with a mouthed curse.


    There was a doorway, jammed ajar by a thick meaty substance that grew across it like moss on a log. Piety prodded it cautiously with the barrel of her pistol. The growth tensed in reply ¨C it was alive! ¡°What the hell?¡± Piety uttered softly. Was this the demon? Piety shone her flashlight through the door. The substance was everywhere, spreading out like roots across the wall and ceiling.


    Going forward was a really bad idea, she told herself. Whatever this stuff was, it was connected to the demon somehow. She stepped forward anyways, cursing herself as she did so. ¡°This is it, Piety,¡± she uttered as she stepped through the door, ¡°this is how you die.¡±


    Piety gingerly stepped over the growth of biomass and into the hall. She held her pistol at the ready as she crept forward, and as she did, the hall began to change, transforming from one of bolted metal sheets to one of stone brick. ¡°The fuck¡­?¡± She uttered, sliding a hand across the cold stone. A distant cry drew her attention. It sounded like a woman. Were there survivors after all?


    The stone hallway seemed to stretch on and on with her never nearing the shadowed end. Piety¡¯s flashlight flickered as another cry echoed up from beyond. ¡°Help me¡­¡± a voice whispered in her ear, causing her to spin on her heels to face it. There was no one there, only darkness. But when she turned back around, she found herself at the end of the hall, standing before a stone archway. On either side were torches, whose flames danced wildly in the darkness, casting the hall in a twilit hue. Another scream pierced the air. It was close now, just beyond the archway.


    Piety came into a large chamber made of the same dour stone as the hallway. Massive pillars supported a heavy dome roof. At the peak was a hole that let in a seemingly solid beam of moonlight that was cast over an altar at the center. Upon the altar was a woman, heavy with child, strapped down at her wrists and ankles. ¡°Help me¡­¡± the voice whispered again, this time from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at once, as if the words were being transmitted directly into her mind. ¡°Please¡­ Help me¡­ Please, before they return¡­¡±


    Piety wanted to help, but for some reason she stood frozen on the spot, staring wide-eyed across the room. The whole scene felt wrong, as if she were watching a memory play out instead of real life. From either side of the room shadowy figures appeared, funneling out of the darkness one by one until they surrounded the woman on all sides. Piety watched in horror as one in the center drew forth a long curved knife.


    Some brave part of Piety wanted to call out to them, to fire a round in the air and demand that they stop. However, the words caught in her throat and her arms hung limp at her sides. All she could do was watch in terror as the blade was brought high and then to a sudden fatal low. The sound the woman then made as they carved into her would haunt Piety until the end of her days. ¡°With the seed of Saklas sowed in the lea of man,¡± the center figure bellowed, ¡°we give rise to the Yalda Bahut, the Child of Chaos!¡± The figure raised the dagger again before bringing it down across the woman¡¯s belly. This Piety couldn¡¯t watch. She shut her eyes and didn¡¯t open them again until another cry rang out. It was the cry of an infant.


    When Piety opened her eyes again, the room was empty, the cultists gone seemingly back to the shadows from which they came. The body was gone too, and in its place upon the altar was a lamb. It was a strange creature unlike anything Piety had seen before. It was as white as a cloud, a stark contrast to the bloodstained stone upon which it rested. With a head of seven horns and seven eyes, it watched her from across the room. Its eyes were entrancing, shimmering black stones that seemed to have trapped entire galaxies within them. ¡°Be not afraid,¡± a voice boomed like thunder, ¡°Marked One.¡±


    As the words met her ears, a strange warmth flooded her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. For some reason, she wasn¡¯t afraid, not of the lamb, not of the feeling it invoked. Piety took a few staggered steps forward as if reeled in by the voice. ¡°Help me¡­¡± said a whisper in the back of her mind. ¡°Help me¡­¡±


    ¡°H-how?¡± Piety stammered.


    ¡°Wake up¡­¡± said the voice. ¡°Wake up!¡±

 Chapter III

    III.


    Piety awoke with a gasp for air, unable to move her legs. Looking down she found herself covered with the flesh-like substance, wrapping up around her legs and body like a coiling serpent. She cursed as she reached down to pry the tendrils off. Piety dug her fingers into the alien flesh. It felt like pulling off a scab where it touched her skin, a hot stinging pain as she peeled it away. It took all her might, but she managed to pull free from its grasp. ¡°Fuck-fuck-fuck¡­!¡± she cursed in rapid succession, staggering away like a newborn calf. Her head swam as dizziness overtook her sense of balance. Piety fell with a harsh thud against a cold metal floor. She was back on the ship.


    What had happened? She had been walking down the hall and then¡­ The demon, it had to be. She had strayed too far into its weird-field and got ensnared. Stupid ¨C she should have waited, but the allure of a better tomorrow had been too much to ignore. Piety lurched to her feet, using the wall to steady herself. Where was she? She was on the ship, sure, but no longer in the frigid corridor, but a large open chamber. There was machinery around her, dead consols and alien computers. Was this the bridge? It would figure the demon would make its nest right where she needed to be.


    Piety reached for her pistol but found only an empty holster. She must have dropped it in the trance. ¡°Dammit ¨C stupid!¡± She spat, cursing herself as she looked around the room. The demon¡¯s biomass covered everything, spreading out like veins across man and machine alike. That was to say, she wasn¡¯t alone. There were desiccated corpses hanging limp in fleshy cocoons dotting the walls. Others had fallen victim to the demon¡¯s weird-field, but unlike her, they didn¡¯t have the good fortune to wake up. She hadn¡¯t been the first to fall victim to this place, it seemed, but she was keen on being the last.


    Piety took a deep breath and began looking for a way out. She had to escape before the demon returned looking for its newest meal. The door was easy enough to find but prying it open was another matter. This part of the ship still had power and the door was sealed. Piety patted herself down ¨C most of her equipment still remained. She drew her knife and spat a string of curses as she tried to shimmy it between the doors to no avail. ¡°Fuck!¡± She hissed, pounding a fist on the door. ¡°Okay-okay¡­ Calm down¡­ Lets just take a look around.¡±


    Piety spun around in a circle, taking in her surroundings. There didn¡¯t seem to be any holes or crawl spaces the demon could use to get in, so that meant it had access to the doors somehow. She looked at the consols and went to the one least covered in dust. It lit up at her touch. ¡°Yes-yes-yes, baby we¡¯re in business!¡± Piety proclaimed as she searched for an NCI port. It was dangerous to plug in carelessly, but she didn¡¯t exactly have much of a choice. From the base of her skull, she pulled down a cord and plugged it in.


    Instantly a HUD appeared on her visor. It was corrupted and glitched out, throwing up error codes and warnings about using an outdated system. However, despite the errors, it granted her the access she needed. But then she heard it again, that distant voice. ¡°Help me¡­¡± it said so softly she could barely hear it. This time however, she could tell it wasn¡¯t in her head. ¡°Help me¡­ please.¡±


    Piety unplugged and cautiously stepped forward; brows knit as she tried to locate the origin of the voice. ¡°Help¡­ me¡­¡± it whispered from within the pulsating biomass. One of the demon¡¯s victims was still alive! ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Piety exclaimed, rushing over to the writhing mass. ¡°Hello? Can you hear me? I¡¯m going to try and get you out, okay? I¡¯m going to try¡­¡± Try what? The biomass was so heavily wound against them she couldn¡¯t even see them. All Piety could think to do was to start cutting.


    Drawing her knife she started in, cutting away the clinging tissue in slick bloody chunks. The tendrils of alien flesh writhed and tightened in defiance but was no match for the blade. Chunk by chunk she pulled it away until a face appeared. It was a woman, barely conscious. Piety dug her knife into the thickest part, trying her best to cut out the shape of her. It was no question the demon might sense her carving through its flesh and come looking. It was a matter of getting out before it returned.


    Finally, she cut through the thickest parts. Digging her fingers in she pealed the biomass away like the rind of an orange. The woman fell out with a sickening thud. Piety knelt down beside her and shook her by the shoulder. ¡°Come on, wake up!¡± she urged. ¡°It¡¯s gonna know we¡¯ve escaped, so we gotta go yesterday!¡±


    The woman struggled to her hands and knees, coughing up a black sick that dribbled down her chin. She was as bald and bare as a newborn child. Piety took her jacket off and offered it to her. ¡°Here, put this on, or you¡¯re likely to freeze to death before we can make our escape.¡± The woman stared up doe-eyed in silence for a moment before taking the jacket. With Piety¡¯s help she staggered to her feet on uneasy legs. She could barely walk, it was like she had been born anew, cut fresh from the womb. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± the woman mouthed, her voice hardly a whisper as she leaned heavily upon the wall of gore for support.


    ¡°Thank me later when we get out of here,¡± Piety said, offering her a hand. The woman took it. ¡°Follow me close, okay?¡± The woman nodded slowly.


    Piety quickly made her way to the previously sealed doors; it was time to see if her interface with the computer panned out. ¡°Open,¡± she said with a wave of her hand. The doors opened. Piety let out a sigh of relief as she pulled the woman along through the doorway. The doors led to a set of curving stairs, into a sort of antechamber beyond. ¡°Watch your step,¡± Piety cautioned as she tiptoed down the stairs, ¡°there¡¯s that crap everywhere.¡±


    This room she couldn¡¯t place. It was a large white chamber, empty besides quivering biomass and a single pillar in the center of the room. It was a curious structure, no doubt of some importance, but Piety wasn¡¯t about to stop to ponder it. No, she rushed past to the next doorway. ¡°Open,¡± she demanded with another wave of her hand. The doors opened with a hiss. Piety poked her head through. This doorway opened into a deep shaft. ¡°Looks like we found the tram system,¡± Piety commented, more to herself than her new companion. ¡°But the lift doesn¡¯t seem to be operational. We¡¯re going to have to hoof it.¡±


    Piety made to let go of the woman¡¯s hand, but she held on tight. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Piety said with a warm smile, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without you.¡± The woman¡¯s grip loosened, and she let go. Piety lowered herself down into the shaft before reaching out for the woman again. She took her hands and hopped down beside her. ¡°There we go,¡± Piety told her before looking down at the darkness of the shaft. She turned her flashlight on and sighed, wondering how long she had been out under the demon¡¯s spell. It felt like mere moments to her, but it had to be quite a while to cover such a distance.


    Piety looked to her feet. All they could do was follow the track and see where it led them. Each footstep echoed, sounding out like a drum beat as they made their way down the shaft. That wasn¡¯t optimal, hiding from their captor as they were, but speed outweighed stealth, Piety thought to herself. If they could stay ahead of the demon, they could make their escape.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± Piety asked softly. ¡°My name is Piety.¡±


    ¡°Piety¡­¡± the woman repeated, letting the name stew in thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­ There¡¯s so many in my head, I don¡¯t know which is mine.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Piety told her. ¡°You¡¯ve been through something traumatic, but things will come back to you. I can¡¯t keep thinking of you as ¡®woman¡¯ however, so let¡¯s think¡­ How about Sophia? It means wisdom.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very wise,¡± the woman said with a little laugh, the first sign of emotion Piety had seen from her.


    ¡°Well, wisdom comes from learning from our mistakes,¡± Piety offered. ¡°Let¡¯s learn from this one, and not follow demons into the mouth of Hell. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m gonna get an earful when we get out of here. How did you get captured anyways? Do you remember? What crew are you with?¡±


    ¡°Crew?¡± Sophia said with a squeeze of her hand. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. No, the First-Seeds¡­ I was part of the First-Seeds.¡±


    The First-Seeds? Piety¡¯s mind went back to the picture in the domicile welcoming First-Seeds generation two. It would seem she was part of the original crew, probably the last member. ¡°What else do you remember?¡± Piety asked, giving her hand a squeeze back. Sophia thought on it for a moment, then said with a shiver, ¡°Warmth¡­ Being warm. It was never so cold before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the demon¡¯s doing,¡± Piety answered, feeling bad she couldn¡¯t offer her more than her coat. ¡°They absorb heat from the air to feed on when food is scarce ¨C or something of the sort. I¡¯m no demonologist.¡±


    ¡°Demon¡­ The ship was attacked,¡± Sophia said softly. ¡°We lost control of our systems ¨C had to land, escape before it took total control.¡±


    ¡°See? Memory¡¯s coming back already,¡± Piety assured with a smile. ¡°It¡¯ll all come back to you eventually. I don¡¯t suppose you remember where this leads?¡±


    Sophia shook her head no, before saying, ¡°It leads to everywhere.¡±


    ¡°A ship-wide transport system, cool,¡± Piety said flatly with no small hint of sarcasm. ¡°We could be walking the whole length of the ship. BD-1, BD-1, BD-1¡­¡± Piety chanted as if repeating it would make it appear. ¡°That¡¯s where it grabbed me. I know the exit from there.¡±


    They passed their first doorway: AD-1. ¡°I knew it was too good to be true,¡± Piety said softly. ¡°But, at least we¡¯re on the right track.¡±


    ¡°Gardens are on A-deck,¡± Sophia announced as they passed it by. ¡°Strawberries, apples, oranges. We have a harvest festival every year.¡±


    ¡°Apples?¡± Piety echoed with a huff. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of those. Are they as good as they say?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to see about getting some when my crew gets in here.¡±


    ¡°Your crew?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Are you from another ship?¡±


    ¡°No, salvage,¡± Piety answered truthfully. ¡°Your ship has been dead for four years at least, or so everyone thinks.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¨C I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± her new companion would say sorrowfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay ¨C don¡¯t push it,¡± replied Piety. ¡°The demon had you in some kind of stasis for god knows how long, probably since you guys crashed.¡±


    ¡°So, everyone is gone?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°As far as I can tell,¡± Piety told her. ¡°Everyone on the outside thinks so at least. I was more than a little bit surprised when I heard your voice¡­ It woke me up, pulled me out of the demon¡¯s trance.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re gone,¡± Sophia began with a soft smile, ¡°that means they¡¯re safe, that they escaped.¡±


    Piety didn¡¯t know about that. Things off the ship were just as dangerous, if not more so. But she wouldn¡¯t tell her that. She would find out soon enough after they escaped, everyone did. ¡°So, what were you guys? Some kind of ark?¡± Piety began, but the echo of a loud banging sound stopped her dead in her tracks. It was the sound of machinery coming to life. Either the lift was activating, or they were no longer alone in the shaft ¨C neither of which was good. They had to get to their door quick.


    Piety stepped up the pace, pushing forward with quick purposeful steps. There was no telling how far the next door was. ¡°Faster, we gotta go faster,¡± Piety urged as the woman struggled to keep up. ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± The sound grew louder as if some great engine was starting up. ¡°Fuck-fuck-fuck!¡± A light blossomed in the distance, hellfire at the end of the tunnel. Piety ran, dragging her companion behind her. Some small vicious part of her wanted to let go, to make the sprint herself, but when the urge came, she held her hand tighter. ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± Sophia would say, ¡°I can feel it. There! Ahead of us!¡±


    BD-1, there it was. Piety made for it, drawing her knife to pry open the doors. The light was getting closer by the second, like a locomotive charging right at them. She dug the blade between the doors and pushed, prying them apart. ¡°Come on!¡± She shouted, pulling the woman between them into the room beyond. Just as she did, the tram sped passed them at blinding speeds.


    The wind from it was enough to throw them both off their feet. Piety just sat there heaving, contemplating how very close to death they had been. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sophia asked, pushing herself to her knees.


    ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know,¡± Piety said in reply, patting herself down. ¡°I feel okay¡­ Ten fingers, ten toes. You?¡± Sophia nodded surely and pushed herself up to her feet.


    ¡°Ten fingers, ten toes,¡± she repeated with a smile. She had a warm smile, one that made Piety smile in return, even laugh at their situation. Whoever Sophia truly was, she liked her. Sophia reached out, offering her hand. Piety took it and was quickly pulled to her feet. She was stronger than she looked, taking Piety by surprise. Sophia just smiled sweetly, thinking nothing of it.


    Piety looked around them, then back to the open doorway. Poking her head in she didn¡¯t see the light, but it was only a matter of time before the demon was on their trail. Piety sighed and looked back over her shoulder. BD-1 was a library of sorts, or maybe a rec room in general. There were a number of tables in the middle, all surrounded by walls of books. It would have been cozy if it wasn¡¯t for the cold.


    Sophia walked out into the middle of the room, seemingly drawn by something. There were still books on the tables, games that would never be finished. ¡°Each habitation block has their own rec room,¡± Sophia said, idly pushing some papers around. ¡°Every Saturday was game night. We had so much fun here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds nice,¡± Piety said. ¡°Homey.¡±


    Piety missed the feeling of home. Up until the end, she had thought of her life in the cult as normal. Sure they had rituals, but what religion doesn¡¯t? She never expected to become one. Up until that moment when they were going to take their lives, her parents had been supportive, loving. Then everything changed, and they became nothing but cattle raised for the slaughter. Damn them. Damn them all for what they took from her and her brother, for what they wanted to take still.


    Suddenly her radio burst to life, drawing her attention. ¡°Piety¡­¡± a voice said through a wall of static. ¡°Come in¡­ Piety¡­¡± Piety couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Reverence or another trick of the demon¡¯s weird-field. She prodded at her radio and asked, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Your name, someone said it,¡± Sophia answered. Piety quickly grabbed her radio and held it up above her head. ¡°Rev? Rev is that you? Come in, Rev,¡± she said, pacing back and forth. ¡°Reverence, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Ah ¨C Piety, there¡­ are¡­¡± he replied, voice broken up by the static. ¡°Haven¡¯t heard¡­ all morning¡­ What¡¯s your status?¡±


    Piety couldn¡¯t put into words how happy she was to hear his voice. ¡°Ran into our demon friend,¡± she answered truthfully. ¡°Got nabbed, but we¡¯re free ¨C we being me and another survivor. We¡¯re almost to the exit.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡± Reverence attempted to say, but his voice broke against the static wall. ¡°I repeat¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that, Reverence?¡± Piety exclaimed. ¡°Don¡¯t what? Repeat!¡± There was no reply.


    For a moment, Piety stood there thumbing the button on her radio trying to piece together her brother¡¯s cautionary words but couldn¡¯t for the life of her. Don¡¯t what? Don¡¯t go to the exit? Well, she couldn¡¯t damn well stay there with a demon on their heels! Whatever lied ahead couldn¡¯t be as bad as what lied behind them, she decided. They would go forward. Piety motioned to her companion. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re near the elevator,¡± she informed. ¡°It¡¯s a quick drop from there to the residential deck I came in in.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia said, holding out her hand. Piety smiled and took it. A warmth surged through her at the touch. It was strange, foreign, but oh so welcome in the frigid place. She had known her for hardly an hour or two, and already she felt as if she could fall for her ¨C for that warm smile and big brown eyes. Piety caught herself slipping and steeled herself, stamping down the alien feeling. This was neither the time nor place for it, and besides, she hardly knew her ¨C and she hardly knew herself. Still, she held her hand tight as they pressed forward.

 Chapter IV

    IV.


    Piety was greeted by a frigid gust of air as she tiptoed over the twists of creeping flesh that grew across the door frame. She took a deep breath of fresh morning air as she walked out under the dimming stars above. It felt good to be out in the open again, if only for the moment. She couldn¡¯t let herself get comfortable, not again, not where the demon had grabbed her in the first place. ¡°Come on,¡± she said with a coaxing hand. ¡°Just be careful not to step on the¡­ stuff.¡±


    Sophia stepped over the pulsing mass of flesh out into the dawning world beyond. For a moment, she stood there, staring skyward as if she had never seen the stars before, her mouth agape in wonder. Piety gently pulled on her hand, and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to stargaze when we¡¯re out of here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Sophia would say softly, ¡°than from looking out the window. I¡¯ve never seen the stars from below before.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to stargaze when we¡¯re out of here,¡± Piety urged with a tug of her hand. Sophia must have been born on the ship, she thought, one of the First Seeds second generations. It was a strange thought, that she might be as alien to the earth as the demon was. To experience everything for the first time, must be harrowing. ¡°Stay close,¡± Piety continued, ¡°and step where I step.¡±


    Sophia did as she was told, and Piety could feel that strange warmth flood her body as she neared. Piety shook her head to clear it. They were in no situation to get distracted by butterflies. The pair continued on, tiptoeing over the fleshy tendrils as they made their way to the elevator shaft. Once there, Piety paused for a moment, Reverence¡¯s words spawning fresh in her mind ¨C a warning. She decided to try and reach out. ¡°Reverence, come in,¡± Piety said, thumb on her radio. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Her only reply was a wall of impenetrable static. Piety looked back over her shoulder. There was no going back.


    Piety let go of Sophia¡¯s hand and motioned for her to follow. ¡°Be careful, alright?¡± she told her as she lowered herself down into the shaft. ¡°It¡¯s a long way down.¡± Piety searched for the ladder with her foot and finding it she pulled herself over to it. She looked down into the voidic darkness and sighed before saying, ¡°Alright, follow me. We¡¯re almost out. Just a few stories below and a hop and skip through the habitation deck and we¡¯re golden.¡±


    The descent was done in silence, one Piety couldn¡¯t help but break halfway down. ¡°So, got any hobbies?¡± Piety asked casually. ¡°What did you guys do here?¡±


    ¡°My mind is a little foggy,¡± Sophia admitted softly, but would try to answer anyways, saying, ¡°We spent a lot of time preparing to help the earth. Every day we¡¯d study what we needed to have a good life down here. Agriculture, history, all of it.¡±


    ¡°So, you guys were planning on coming back?¡± Piety pressed with a huff. ¡°That¡¯s a first. Most people would jump on the chance to get the hell away from this place. I know I would.¡±


    ¡°We never forgot earth, our home,¡± Sophia answered, a level of pride in her voice. ¡°We were going to make things right again.¡±


    ¡°I guess saving the world doesn¡¯t leave much time for hobbies,¡± commented Piety with a click of her tongue.


    ¡°I like to read,¡± Sophia offered meekly. ¡°And play with the dogs.¡±


    ¡°Play with dogs, and not run from them?¡± Piety questioned with another huff. ¡°You guys really did live up in the clouds, didn¡¯t you? Must have been nice, to be far away from all this, to be safe ¨C or well, not safe, because here we are. But you get what I mean.¡±


    For a few moments more they just climbed in silence with Piety kicking herself for showing her jealousy in her words. Now she had gone and offended her new companion. But then Sophia would speak, saying softly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t always peaceful¡­ We had enemies, people who want the world to stay how it is, who profit from the suffering. They sent the demon to attack us, to bring down our ship. We fought, but¡­¡± Sophia struggled to find the words, ¡°but we weren¡¯t strong enough. After everything, all our training, we couldn¡¯t stop one demon! Even with her holy flame lighting the way.¡±


    ¡°Her holy flame?¡± Piety echoed in question, but before Sophia could answer, there came a loud resounding bang from above and the scraping of claws against steel.


    Piety dreaded looking up, she already knew what it would be, that the demon had found them at last, but she would anyways. She could see it in the sliver of moonlight cutting through the doors above, staring down with shimmering eyes ¨C predator¡¯s eyes, glimmering in the darkness. ¡°Found you,¡± the demon said in childish singsong as its lithe body craned out over the shaft. From what Piety could see, it was a strange thing, a mess of lashing vines attached to a barrel-like torso, with a starfish for a face. On the end of each arm was an eyeball that darted wildly. Midway through its stumpy body grew two long and gnarled arms, with spider-like hands attached to both. It was nauseating to see and smelled even worse.


    ¡°Slide now, hurry!¡± Piety exclaimed, dropping several rungs down. ¡°Quick now!¡± Sophia did as she was told without question, sliding down the ladder after her. The demon set off, throwing itself into the elevator shaft in a whirlwind of lashing vines and groping claws. ¡°Fuck-fuck-fuck!¡± Piety cursed, unsure of whether they were close, or past their exit. But then she seen it, the top of the elevator and the hatch wide open. ¡°Hurry, we¡¯re almost there!¡±


    Piety slid off the last rung onto the roof, hitting it with a loud bang. ¡°Hurry ¨C hurry!¡± she hollered, urging Sophia to her side. Practically pulling her from the ladder, Piety helped her onto the roof. ¡°Down here ¨C quick!¡± Sophia threw her legs over the emergency hatch¡¯s lip and slid down inside.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the demon called after them, ¡°don¡¯t go out there! I¡¯ll give you good dreams this time.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Piety answered, flipping the bird as she jumped down into the elevator after Sophia before slamming the door shut.


    They could hear the demon strike the roof with a heavy thud before fumbling with the latch. There was no way it was going to stall it for long. The two fled the elevator into the hall beyond, not stopping to look behind them as they heard the door being wrenched off its hinges. ¡°Reverence! Rev, we need extract, RIGHT NOW!¡± Piety yelled into her radio, unsure whether he could hear them yet or not. ¡°Rev, send the damn drone!¡±


    Piety slammed up against the far wall in her mad dash for safety. They were right there, the gnashes in the hull, all they had to do was squeeze through. ¡°Go-go-go!¡± she urged her companion with a coaxing wave of her hand. The demon was nearly on them now, filling the hallway in lashing vines as it threw itself down upon them. ¡°What about you?!¡± Exclaimed Sophia, the worry in her voice giving rise to that warm fluttery feeling again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you!¡± promised Piety as she pushed her ahead. Sophia followed directions without another word, ducking into the crevice and out to the other side, hopefully to safety. Piety followed suit, pushing herself into the crevice hard enough to crack her goggles. Damaged goods beat demon food any day. She would just have Rev repair them when she escaped ¨C if she escaped.


    Right behind her, a wall of fleshy feelers burst in after her, each groping and grasping for her to pull her back into its clutches. Piety kicked and screamed as the demon¡¯s arms wrapped around her legs. Quickly she drew her knife and started slashing. Green ichorous blood sprayed everywhere as she cut through the multitude of arms. The demon wailed and retreated into the shadows, leaving an emerald stain where it had been. Finally, Piety pushed through to the other side, falling out onto the glassed ground heaving.


    ¡°And here is pest number two,¡± said a voice she didn¡¯t recognize, ¡°alive and well.¡± Piety looked up wide-eyed. They were surrounded, guns trained on them both. Piety quickly motioned for Sophia to get behind her. She reached for her pistol but remembered that she had lost it when the demon¡¯s weird-field overtook her. Instead, she raised her knife, cutting the air fiercely. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the fuck you are, but you better back off!¡± She threatened, a threat that had seemingly no effect on their captors.


    The owner of the voice would only laugh dryly and step forward anyways. He was a tall man as pale as death with solid black eyes that pierced her dangerous guise like tissue paper. ¡°And if we don¡¯t, little bee, will you sting me?¡± he asked amusedly with a wicked, black-lipped smirk upon his face. He wasn¡¯t the least bit afraid of her. Piety lunged at him, swiping the air with the blade, ¡°Back off!¡± She snapped, ¡°It¡¯s not a day to test me, I fucking swear!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I believe you,¡± the man said, sliding a hand over a bald scalp before whistling. ¡°I believe your threat is genuine, that you¡¯d gut me if given the chance. Choices, choices. I could just let my guard fire upon you, I guess ¨C cut out the middleman. We don¡¯t have to talk¡­¡± He¡¯d raise a hand, and his surrounding guards would step forward. They weren¡¯t like any merchant guards Piety had ever seen, all wearing thick mechanical armor that made them look more like robots than people.


    ¡°You¡­ You want to talk?¡± Piety questioned nervously, not seeing any real way out of the situation. She shot quick glances back to Sophia. She just stared back doe-eyed, not sure what was going on. ¡°Fine,¡± Piety said at last, dropping her knife, ¡°We can talk.¡±


    ¡°Good, good!¡± The man said with a broad smile, clapping his hands together. With a curt wave of his hand the surrounding guards would step back and lower their weapons. ¡°I like talking things through. It¡¯s so much better than the alternative ¨C torture ¨C ha!¡± The man would chuckle to himself and shake his head. ¡°Let¡¯s keep our hands clean, shall we? Sound good?¡±


    Piety nodded slowly. He wanted to know who told her about the hidden entrance, she thought to herself, betting she had scalped his claim. Piety stood up straight, trying to make herself seem less pressed against the wall than she was. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Who told you about the girl?¡± the man would ask surprisingly. ¡°That dipsy thing behind you. Who told you about her?¡±


    Sophia? He wanted to know about Sophia? Piety knit her brows in confusion before saying honestly, ¡°No one. She was trapped the same as I was, by the demon.¡± The man eyed her silently for a moment before saying with a sharp click of his tongue. ¡°You have no psychic abilities, no magicks¡­ So how did you resist my gallu ¨C the demon?¡± He said with a wave of his hand. ¡°How did you survive when all others perished?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Piety answered truthfully, ¡°I just woke up. I could hear her calling for help.¡± How had she survived, she wondered. She had that dream, and then she could hear her voice, her desperate pleas for help. Piety could feel Sophia behind her, placing her hand on her back. With it that wonderful warmth filled her body, radiating out from her touch. It was almost enough to give her hope of surviving this.


    The man tilted his head as if he could see the feeling she was experiencing. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not the first, you know, that he¡¯s sent.¡± he¡¯d state darkly. ¡°Though, I think you already know that already. It seems like every week we¡¯re up here cleaning up his mess.¡±


    ¡°I ¨C I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about. No one sent me,¡± Piety pleaded. ¡°We got word of some salvage ¨C an easy way to get inside to make a quick buck under the merchant lords¡¯ noses. That¡¯s all, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± the man would say with a smile. ¡°I believe you. Fools are the currency of the Misborn, after all. And you seem plenty foolish. I told them that it was only a matter of time before one of his darts hit the mark ¨C I told them!¡± He¡¯d glance over his shoulder to his guards, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell them? I did! And. Here. We. Are.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Piety would utter softly under her breath. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± the figure echoed before seemingly mulling it over for a moment. ¡°Well, we talked, so that leaves only one thing.¡± He raised his hand, and at his command his guards stepped forward, guns at the ready. Piety quickly raised her hands in defense, exclaiming desperately, ¡°Woah-woah-woah, wait! Wait! I told you the truth! No one sent me!¡±


    ¡°You did, and I believe you!¡± The man told her with a hapless shrug. ¡°We have to kill you anyways. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s for the greater good. You¡¯re¡­ infected, and we can¡¯t have you spreading it around. You understand, right?¡±


    ¡°The fuck I do!¡± Piety hollered, balling her fists as if she could fight her way out. She stood tall in front of Sophia, protecting her with her body. The guards trained their weapons on her and the man raised his hand high in the air, ready to drop death down upon them.


    That was when she seen it in the corner of her vision, the feed to Reverence¡¯s drone flicker to life. It was a sky view of them all, growing closer and closer by the second. ¡°Extraction in progress,¡± a solemn voice alerted from her radio.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Piety cried out, turning around to shield Sophia from the impact. The drone fell like a meteor, crashing in between the surrounding guards in a fiery explosion that filled the air with a cloud of smoke and debris. ¡°Go-go-go!¡± urged Piety, pulling Sophia off the ground, ¡°Run! RUN!¡±

 Chapter V

    V.


    The pale man coughed and fanned the air in front of him as he strode out of the cloud of dust wholly unharmed. He¡¯d sigh heavily and prop his fists up on his hips, saying curtly, ¡°Well shit.¡± He looked around, peering into the cloud for his guards. They were stunned, but equally undamaged. ¡°Come on, up and at them!¡± the pale man would say. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away. I¡¯ll be damned if Tzalmavet chose wisely this time. After them!¡±


    Staggering to their feet, the guards made to execute his order without word or complaint. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about them, ¡®the perfect soldiers¡¯ Xu called them ¨C their creator, a bastard and a madman in his opinion ¨C but it was hard to argue with results. They never argued, they never fought amongst themselves, they hardly ate or drank and were as tough as nails. Still, he wished they were a bit more talkative. These away missions were always so boring with no one to talk to.


    Just then his pocket began vibrating. For a moment he just let it, staring up at the dawning sky with reluctance in his heart. He already knew who it was, the one someone he didn¡¯t want to talk to. And now? Now he had to explain the situation. The pale man dug in his pocket and pulled out his communicator. It flipped open and he pressed it against his ear, saying firstly, ¡°Moshi moshi.¡±


    ¡°Status update,¡± a firm voice said.


    ¡°What, no hi, hello, how are you?¡± the pale man asked with mock hurt. ¡°Hello to you too Avon.¡±


    ¡°Cut the shit, Bohu,¡± the other demanded. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you radioed in yet?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to radio about,¡± Bohu would answer with an unseen shrug to emphasize. ¡°Still in pursuit of Tzalmavet¡¯s latest goon.¡±


    ¡°In pursuit, as in they¡¯re alive and running?¡± Avon pressed with irritation clear in his voice. ¡°The gallu failed, you mean.¡±


    Bohu sucked on his teeth before replying, saying as if it were no big deal, ¡°What can I say, they woke up, ran for the hills. They won¡¯t get far on foot.¡±


    ¡°They better not, for all our sake,¡± said Avon darkly.


    ¡°I know ¨C I know, you don¡¯t have to remind me,¡± Bohu replied. ¡°We¡¯ll have her back in stasis in no time at all. Don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head about it.¡±


    ¡°Just find them, and kill the agent,¡± growled Avon before hanging up. The pale man snapped the device closed and refit it into his pocket. He slid his hands down his face and groaned out his annoyance before saying with a sigh, ¡°Fucking Tzalmavet¡­ Every goddamned week. Okay¡­ okay¡­¡± he said, scratching at his beardless chin as if it would solve all life¡¯s problems. ¡°Just got to catch up and put them to the sword ¨C no biggie.¡± Bohu let out a loud whistle, summoning his hovercraft to his side. He leapt up onto the bed and slapped the roof to let the driver know he was ready. ¡°Fucking Tzalmavet¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡±


    --


    Piety ran like her life depended on it, which it very much did. Dragging Sophia in tow, all she could think of was escape ¨C to get as far as humanly possible from the imminent death that no doubt pursued her and her companion. Somehow, she doubted Reverence¡¯s suicide bomb was the last she¡¯d see of the strange alien figure or his guards. Be they dead or alive, she had to get back to home base. Then they could hop in their caravan and leave the wretched place in the dust.


    Sophia struggled to keep up, but Piety didn¡¯t let her faulter, pulling her along in jerks and tugs. Sophia heaved in exhaustion, barely able to drag her feet as she struggled to keep pace. They weren¡¯t going to make it, not before their pursuers caught up with them. Piety looked around for some place to hide, but there was only the ship¡¯s hull on one side, and glassed earth on the other. Piety cursed and spun on her heels. ¡°Rev, we¡¯re not going to make it to basecamp. Can you reach us here?¡± Piety called into her radio.


    ¡°Already on my way,¡± Reverence replied. ¡°Ten minutes out.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have ten minutes!¡± Exclaimed Piety.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to have to stall them,¡± Rev told her solemnly. ¡°Ten minutes.¡±


    Piety spat out another string of curses and made to pull Sophia along again, but she¡¯d only fall to her knees struggling to catch her breath. She groaned painfully and glanced back at bloodied footprints; her bare feet torn to ribbons by the glass.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± uttered Piety, wiping sweat from her brow as she stared down at her exhausted companion. A soft drone drew her attention up, back the way they came.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Two gold and white hovercrafts were heading their way, kicking up clouds of dust as they levitated above the cracked glass earth. Ten minutes, that¡¯s all she needed to keep them at bay for, and then the cavalry would arrive. Ten minutes. She could do that. She had been in dicier situations before. She was at her best when pressed up against the wall. At least, that was what she told herself.


    The hovercraft split up once they reached her, with each going to either side, blocking their escape route. The pale man was sitting at the edge of the bed of one craft, looking as healthy as could be despite the drone¡¯s direct impact. Once the vehicle stopped, he hopped off with a clap of his hands, saying while pointing at her with both index fingers. ¡°Hi ¨C I think you and I got off on the wrong foot. Yeah? Yeah.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you call trying to murder us,¡± Piety spat, trying to keep Sophia behind her. The mans mechanized guard leapt from their vehicles and made to surround them. There would be no escape this time. They trained their rifles on her. Ten minutes, Piety reminded herself, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°I do ¨C a real bad foot,¡± the man said with a shrug. ¡°Now, I still have to kill you ¨C but where I went wrong, was I didn¡¯t tell you why. Not fair to you. Life¡¯s not fair, yada yada¡­ But me? I try to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Do tell,¡± Piety said, pulling out her knife. She quickly took aim and threw it at him, thinking that if she were going to die, might as well take him with her. It struck true but bounced off like he was a brick wall. The man would stare down at the knife for a second and shake his head, saying as he did, ¡°You¡¯re so far out of your depth it¡¯s sad. But that¡¯s the ones he goes for, the dumb and desperate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about,¡± Piety claimed truthfully.


    Bohu stared at her with an obsidian glare, eying her up and down. ¡°I believe you,¡± he said flatly, ¡°I really do. You¡¯ve found yourself in quite the pickle, I¡¯m afraid. You see that thing you¡¯re so desperately trying to save, isn¡¯t human ¨C at least not anymore. It¡¯s an immortal being called an egregor ¨C a gestalt of souls. We¡¯ve been keeping it in an infant state for the safety of humanity. You¡¯ve put that safety at risk by just being near it. Unfortunately, you¡¯re one of the lucky ones ¨C resistant to mutation. You¡¯re more human than not, and that makes you susceptible to influence ¨C to infection.¡±


    ¡°Infection? What do you mean?¡± Piety asked, glancing back at Sophia behind her.


    ¡°Yeah ¨C infection. Tell me¡­¡± Bohu said with a wag of his finger. ¡°Have you had any weird visions, waken dreams? She gets in your head, literally. She infects your human soul like a parasite, forever tying it to her. So, when you die, you become part of the whole. Once infected, all she has to do is die, and you become the new host. It¡¯s a bit early for that, however, so there¡¯s still time to negate the effects. Hence, your timely demise.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a whole lot of shit to me,¡± Piety exclaimed, balling her fists.


    ¡°I bet it does!¡± Bohu said with a laugh. He propped his fists up on his hips and sighed. ¡°Well, I feel better about this. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Piety hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit here and just let you murder us for your bullshit greater good!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s your prerogative,¡± said the pale man with a hapless shrug. ¡°If you want to go down fighting, that¡¯s fair.¡± He clapped his hands together as if he thought up a brilliant idea. ¡°I tell you what¡­ Me and you, mano a mano. You get to die a hero. Sound fun?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ want to fight me?¡± Piety asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah, why not? You¡¯ve got the spirit in you,¡± Bohu said carelessly. ¡°You win, and I¡¯ll even let you go ¨C the both of you. Has to be better than death by firing squad, right?¡±


    That was true enough. Piety didn¡¯t want to die like a dog in the streets. Ten minutes she reminded herself. How long had it already been? If she could hold out against him for however long, with Reverence they could make their escape. ¡°Fine,¡± Piety announced. ¡°I¡¯ll do it¡­ But how do I know you¡¯ll keep your word?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± the pale man said flatly before adding with a smile, ¡°but the chance is worth it, right?¡± He turned to one of his guards and gestured, saying, ¡°You, throw her something that can actually cut me.¡±


    The guard pulled free a knife from his belt and tossed it to her. Piety quickly picked it up and brandished it. It wasn¡¯t just any old knife, she soon realized by the red-hot glow of its edge, but some kind of plasma cutter. It was a bit overkill, she thought, probably able to cut through steel, but she wasn¡¯t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.


    The pale man stepped forward unarmed, taking on a wrestler¡¯s stance. He smirked and then said, ¡°Ready when you are.¡± Piety lunged at him with the knife, swiping it horizontally, aiming for his throat. He ducked below and hit her in the chest with an open palm. Piety felt herself being thrown back and down into the glassed dirt. The man was strong, very strong. She groaned painfully as she stood up, pretty sure some of her ribs were broken. She staggered to her feet and spit up a glob of blood. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Bohu encouraged. ¡°Ignore the pain ¨C your life is on the line!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Piety yelled, throwing herself forward again with a flurry of slashes. He dodged left, down, back, and then struck her again, this time across her left shoulder, dislocating it. Piety rolled back with a scream stuck in her throat. She grit her teeth, barring it. Piety wasn¡¯t about to let him see her squirm. Piety swayed back and forth, feeling her consciousness fade in and out with the pulsating pain. Shit, she thought, she hadn¡¯t lasted a minute, much less ten.


    The pale man strode towards her. He looked disappointed, or maybe he just pitied her. Without a word he reached out and cupped her head between his hands. He was going to break her neck. Piety took the chance and stuck the knife deep into his shoulder. He didn¡¯t even flinch. She pulled it out and stabbed him again, over and over until her hand was covered in blood black as tar. He didn¡¯t so much as wince. ¡°You tried your best,¡± Bohu said pityingly. ¡°No one could ask more of you. You stood your ground and fought to the bitter end. And that¡¯s it, here we are, the end.¡± Piety spit blood in his face. Bohu huffed, sighed, and snapped her neck.

 Chapter VI

    VI.


    Sophia cupped her hands over her mouth to muffle a scream as she watched Piety¡¯s body slump down to her knees, dead, before toppling over. She stared wide-eyed at her murderer. He just stood there staring back without a hint of sympathy in his black eyes. Bohu pulled the knife out of his shoulder and then tossed it back to its owner. He then dug in his pants pocket for his communicator before opening it up with a nasal sigh. ¡°Oi oi, it¡¯s done,¡± Bohu said casually, pressing the device to his ear. ¡°Tzalmavet is getting closer, and I don¡¯t like that. Not saying they almost got away or anything, just further than usual.¡±


    Sophia crept forward, kneeling down beside Piety¡¯s body. She grabbed her shoulder and gently shook her. ¡°Wake up¡­ please¡­¡± She whispered, hardly even mouthing the words.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we need to move her,¡± Bohu stated, seemingly arguing with whoever he was talking to. ¡°The gallu didn¡¯t do shit this time. It¡¯s only a matter of attempts before he really gets lucky, and we lose the asset.¡±


    Sophia tightened her grip and shook as if she were trying to will life back into Piety¡¯s body. ¡°Please, please¡­¡± Sophia urged. ¡°I can¡¯t go back there¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and what about next week¡¯s attempt? Or tomorrows?¡± Bohu exclaimed angrily. ¡°We need a We??hekw on this, not another one of your pets! Get in contact with Aph or Chemah, someone who can replace Tohu¡¯s psionics.¡± Sophia looked up fearfully. She was surrounded with no chance of escape. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d get far anyways with her bloodied feet. Sophia grabbed Piety¡¯s lifeless hand and held it tight in hers. ¡°Please, I need you¡­¡± Sophia pleaded desperately, and when she did, something deep inside her awoke. A light blossomed at her core, blooming like the sun within her. She tried to focus that light, call on it. Sophia tightened her grip and with it she could hear Piety¡¯s bones righting. Somehow, by some unknown magic means, she was healing her. And then it happened, an explosion.


    Sophia ducked over Piety¡¯s body as debris and shrapnel filled the air. One of the hovercrafts just exploded, taking out half its crew with it. Sophia looked up, trying to spy the cause of it, but all she could see was fire and panic as the strange soldiers rushed to fill ranks. Bohu had been knocked off his feet and was crawling on his hands and knees in a daze. The mechanized soldiers rushed to one side, shooting wildly at something beyond the blaze, but in one thunderous burst they were thrown back as something opened fire on them. Whatever it was didn¡¯t do much to pierce their armor, but even still, each bullet struck with the force of a truck.


    Sophia could hear it now, the roar of engines over a heavy rhythmic thumping ¨C footsteps as something drew near. A large metal hand reached through the fiery wreckage and wrenched it out of the way. A giant made of steel strode through the lingering flame, eyes of emerald green scanning the battlefield. ¡°Piety, where are you?¡± a voice sounded over the mech¡¯s loudspeaker. This must be the person Piety had been talking to, Sophia realized. ¡°Over here!¡± Sophia screamed, pulling Piety¡¯s limp form up into her lap. ¡°She¡¯s hurt!¡±


    The mechanical titan started her way before a barrage of plasmatic blasts pushed it back. The soldiers had regained their faculties and began firing back beams of light that scorched the mech¡¯s armor, leaving deep wells of melted steel wherever they struck. The mech stumbled back under the assault, nearly tripping over the other hovercraft as it did so. It knelt down and flipped the craft over, using it as a shield. The alabaster armor fared better than the steel against the plasma beams. With one great kick, the titan launched the hovercraft forward and into the assailing ranks.


    Bohu was staggering to his feet, barking orders as the world swam around him. ¡°Take it down,¡± he shouted to no avail, ¡°take it down!¡± The mech fired off another burst of bullets, peppering the arena in a wide arch. Catching the brunt of it, Bohu was sent tumbling back down into the dirt with a doggish yelp. The mech knelt down beside Sophia, lowering its free hand for her to climb on. Without hesitation she crept on, pulling Piety¡¯s body on with her. ¡°Firing gas,¡± announced the voice over the speakers, ¡°hold your breath.¡± Out of shoulder-mounted carriers burst a round of cylinders, each spinning through the air with tails of gray smoke.


    Within seconds the whole area was veiled in a dense gray fog, bringing the visibility to near zero. Bohu pushed himself to his feet again, coughing as the smoke burned his lungs. He spun on his heels, trying in vain to spot the mech in the wall of smoke. ¡°Fuck ¨C fuck ¨C fuck!¡± He cursed, sliding a hand down his face. There was no trace of them.


    ¡°Bohu, what¡¯s going on?¡± He could hear Avon call out from his phone. In a rage Bohu smashed it underfoot instead of answering. ¡°Okay-okay, it¡¯s not over yet,¡± Bohu said, cupping his face as he tried to compose himself. He looked around him. It seemed most of his guards survived the attack, and one hovercraft. It was pocked with blast marks, but it was probably operational. ¡°Get that damned thing flipped over! We need to be after them yesterday!¡± Bohu cursed under his breath. How had he not seen the mech coming? There was obviously a third after the suicidal drone. ¡°Fuck!¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    --


    The mech sped across the glassed wasteland crouched upon ankle-bound wheels. It was faster than walking, but not by much. Sophia held Piety¡¯s body tight in her arms, cupped in the mech¡¯s free hand. She shook her gently, trying to find that light within herself once again. She couldn¡¯t. Sophia had to hope that what she had done, however she had done it, would be enough. ¡°Wake up, please¡­¡± She uttered in a desperate sob. She got no reply beyond the roar of the engines.


    ¡°So, who are you?¡± Reverence asked over the loudspeakers. ¡°Why were those people after you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sophia offered honestly. ¡°But she called me Sophia.¡±


    ¡°Well, Sophia, this isn¡¯t the first close call,¡± he told her sympathetically, ¡°or the first time we escaped with a bloodied nose. Once we get to basecamp, we can get everyone sorted out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be very worried,¡± Sophia suggested. ¡°She could die.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the game we play,¡± Reverence answered coolly. ¡°She knew the risks; the same risks we take every time we delve into dangerous ruins. Sometimes you lose. Just have to wait and see which today is.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t have a response to that. He seemed cold and uncaring, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. All she could do was wait and see. Sophia pulled Piety closer and waited, watching the sun come up.


    Basecamp slowly crept up on the horizon; a pair of large tents and an armored bus between them. There were half a dozen people drudging around doing this and that until they saw the mech roll up in worse shape than it left. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± exclaimed a burly man with a twisted and scarred face. ¡°What the hell did you run into, kid ¨C an asteroid field?!¡±


    ¡°We met with some resistance,¡± Reverence stated casually. ¡°Don¡¯t know which outfit they¡¯re from, but they might still be on our trail. Should pack up and be gone as soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± the barrel-chested man said with a huff before turning around to face the others. ¡°Alright ¨C pack it up ladies! We leave in ten!¡±


    Ten minutes, Sophia wondered if they had so much time. She glanced over her shoulder, back the way they came. She didn¡¯t know why the strange man was after her, but she knew she was putting them all in danger. Sophia looked up to the head of the mech and called out, saying, ¡°You¡­ you should leave me behind. They¡¯re after me! Piety, she¡¯s hurt because of me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he replied flatly. ¡°They¡¯re willing to kill for you, and that means you¡¯re worth something to someone. You¡¯re the score. We¡¯re not leaving you behind.¡±


    Sophia frowned and looked away. Piety had treated her like a victim, someone to save, but Reverence, he saw her differently ¨C like a paycheck. He made her uncomfortable. She pulled Piety close and held on tight as the mech began to move again.


    Their next stop was one of the tents. The mech would stop and hunker down. With a hiss of air, the chest opened upwards, and a set of stairs extended out to the ground. Sophia watched cautiously as a man appeared, stepping down with quick purposeful steps. He wore a black pilots skinsuit, plated with custom armor pieces across the chest and forearms. What was most notable about him, however, was the full facemask he wore that made him look more robot than human.


    Reverence made his way to her spot in the mech¡¯s hand and without any word, scooped Piety up into his arms. ¡°Doc, we need a checkup!¡± He called out, his voice marred by static from the modulator.


    ¡°Piety again, no doubt?¡± a voice called out in return. ¡°Well, bring her in here and set her on the table. What did she do this time?¡±


    Reverence disappeared into the tent, leaving Sophia standing alone by the mech. Should she tell them, she wondered, what she did? She wasn¡¯t sure if she believed it herself, that she healed her somehow. How had she done it? Sophia stared down at her hands. Just who was she? What was she?


    A yelp drew her attention back to the tent. There was a commotion, thrashing, and then Piety burst forth from the tent clutching her chest, eyes wide and wild. Two others followed her, Reverence and a lithe man who Sophia assumed was ¡®Doc¡¯. ¡°Nothing that a little adrenaline can¡¯t fix,¡± the man proclaimed proudly, crossing a pair of arms while propping up another set upon his hips. Piety stumbled about before falling to her hands and knees, heaving like she just couldn¡¯t catch her breath. Her wild eyes locked on Sophia as she slid a prodding hand around her own neck. Piety knew, knew she did something to save her.


    ¡°We¡­ we gotta go ¨C now!¡± Piety stammered out.


    ¡°Already on it,¡± Reverence replied calmly, drawing near to put a hand upon her shoulder. She pulled away, staggering to her feet once more, exclaiming, ¡°No ¨C NOW! Reverence, we need to go now!¡±


    ¡°As soon as we¡¯re packed up, we can leave,¡± He offered gently, but she wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°Leave the shit!¡± Piety hollered. ¡°We can¡¯t fight our way out of this ¨C I tried! And¡­¡± She rubbed her neck. She could still feel the pain and the abrupt end of it. ¡°We¡¯ll come back for the equipment!¡±


    Reverence stared in silence for a moment before striding over to the mech once more. He reached inside and grabbed the mic. ¡°Alright, everyone in the caravans ¨C we¡¯re leaving now!¡± he called out over the loudspeaker. ¡°Leave what you can¡¯t carry behind! Now, move it people!¡± Reverence turned to face Piety again. ¡°You should take our friend here and get in the truck. I¡¯ll follow in the mech in case they show back up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Piety said with a relieved sigh. She turned to Sophia and held out her hand. ¡°Come on, lets get the hell out of here.¡±

 Chapter VII

    VII.


    The pair sat in silence in the back of the tarp covered truck bed. Everyone else was chattering, speculating on why they had to leave in such a hurry. Piety didn¡¯t correct them. She didn¡¯t know the truth about it herself, just that they were in danger. She just sat in silence; eyes locked on Sophia across from her. Sophia looked away. She didn¡¯t know what to tell her. She didn¡¯t know who that man was, or why he wanted her, or how she had saved her life. Sophia dug her nails into the palms of her hands and bit her lip. There was so much she didn¡¯t know and when she thought about it, it was like a thousand voices all trying to talk at once.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in Eastend in two hours,¡± a voice called out over the intercom. ¡°Sit tight. No sign of pursuit yet.¡±


    Yet¡­ The word stuck at the forefront of Sophia¡¯s mind. The man was no doubt on their trail, and it was only a matter of time before he caught up. He¡¯d kill them all because of her. No witnesses. But why? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Piety said, breaking the silence as if she had heard her thoughts out loud. Sophia gave her a questioning look in reply. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why he¡¯s after you, just that he is. It¡¯s reason enough for me to want to help you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ died¡­¡± Sophia uttered, her voice barely a whisper. Piety rubbed her neck and stuttered a sigh. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said softly, ¡°I¡¯m still trying to come to terms with that myself. You¡­ did something, didn¡¯t you? To save me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sophia answered honestly, looking back with doe eyes. ¡°I just¡­ wanted to fix you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you did,¡± Piety said with a soft chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re special, I can feel it,¡± announced Piety, reaching over to give the woman¡¯s knee a squeeze. Sophia smiled and placed her hand on hers. It dwarfed hers in size. Piety hadn¡¯t really noticed how much larger Sophia was before. She had seemed so small and frail when she found her, but now she could see that she practically towered over her. ¡°You¡¯re not just any old human, are you?¡±


    Sophia shrugged, pulling her hand back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am, not really,¡± Sophia claimed sadly. ¡°My memory isn¡¯t whole¡­ I¡¯m not whole, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Piety asked.


    ¡°Only little things,¡± She answered, ¡°the smell of the commissary at breakfast, getting lost in the garden,¡± Sophia smiled, ¡°playing with the dogs.¡±


    ¡°You had dogs?¡± Piety pressed with arched brows. ¡°The only dogs I¡¯ve ever seen were the kind that wanted to eat me.¡±


    Sophia nodded with a smile. It was a warm memory. She sighed softly and looked Piety in the eyes. ¡°There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t remember. Maybe there¡¯s a reason, a good reason, that man is after me.¡±


    ¡°He consorts with demons, what good reason could he have?¡± Piety said with a huff. ¡°Listen, whatever his reasoning is, it¡¯s bullshit. Having his pet demon trapping people¡­ No one deserves that.¡±


    ¡°But what if I did?¡± Sophia asked faintly. Her stare was distant now, sad, as if she held the world on her shoulders. Piety didn¡¯t know what to say but just looking at her caused a consuming warmth to flood her body. It made her feel like she needed to do all in her power to protect her. Before she could speak, however, a voice would call out over the intercom again. ¡°Dust cloud spotted a couple miles back,¡± the voice announced. ¡°They¡¯re headed our way.¡±


    Piety gritted her teeth and balled her fists. They were still so far away from Eastend, there was no way they would make it there before they caught up. ¡°Alright,¡± Piety said, slapping her knees as she took to her feet. ¡°Everyone, listen up! Arm yourselves ¨C we¡¯re under attack!¡±


    ¡°Bandits? Goons from the Guild?¡± one of the workmen asked as he shuffled to his feet, motioning to the others to do the same.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know who they are, but they¡¯re not fucking around ¨C they mean to kill us,¡± answered Piety.


    ¡°Another fun day in the wasteland!¡± barked another of the crew. They lifted the bench seat up exposing an arsenal of weaponry within. Each one took a rifle and ammo.


    Sophia stared in a strange mix of dread and wonder. There wasn¡¯t a single terrified face amongst them. ¡°This isn¡¯t our first rodeo here,¡± Piety said, noticing the look on her face. ¡°Sometimes we do some side work for whatever warring faction has the pay.¡± Piety reached up and grabbed a handle hanging from the ceiling. With her free hand she grabbed her radio. ¡°Reverence, how¡¯s the mech?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Worse for wear,¡± he answered solemnly. ¡°Their plasma beams ate through the armor like it was nothing. Once we get to Eastend I¡¯m going to have to do a complete refit.¡±


    ¡°Can it fire though?¡± Piety pressed.


    ¡°Reloading it now,¡± Reverence said in reply. ¡°Moving the carrier to the rear so I can fire from the truck bed.¡±


    ¡°Good, that¡¯ll give us some steel between us and the crew,¡± Piety uttered with a sigh before making her way to the weapons cache. She pulled up a rifle and checked it over. Looking to Sophia she then said, ¡°Do you know how to use one of these?¡± Sophia shook her head no. ¡°Well, it¡¯s never too late to learn.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Mere moments later, Sophia stood firm, weapon in hand. She understood the concept, she thought ¨C point and fire. She swallowed hard and held the rifle tight to her chest, hoping she wouldn¡¯t have to use it.


    ¡°One bogie coming up fast on our rear,¡± the speaker announced. ¡°A couple heartbeats out!¡±


    ¡°Alright, you heard the man!¡± Piety exclaimed as she made her way to the rear of the caravan. ¡°Free drinks on whoever takes the bald bastard out!¡± The workmen cheered and got into position behind the caravan¡¯s tailgate. There wasn¡¯t enough room for all of them, so they would have to take turns firing and reloading, moving in and out when their mags were emptied. Piety placed herself in the first row, crouched down behind the tailgate, rifle over the edge.


    Just as planned, Reverence had moved the carrier truck between them and their pursuer, blocking their view while keeping them from harm. It wouldn¡¯t be until the mech was out of commission that they would have their chance against the hunting party, but they were prepared for when, not if, that would happen. Piety steeled herself and waited at the ready.


    The wait was a short one, ended moments later by the sound of the mech¡¯s rapid fire cannon. Reverence had already taken out one of their hovercrafts, so with any luck he¡¯d take out the second leaving them dead in the water. The hovercraft darted to the side, trying to overtake the carrier. The strange man¡¯s soldiers opened fire on the carrier, aiming for its wheels. Reverence¡¯s mech pivoted on the flatbed to face them, but before he could fire, the hovercraft fell back and shot to the other side where they continued firing. This put them in full view of the proceeding caravan, however.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± Piety hollered, taking aim. The others did as she commanded, firing upon the vessel in wild bursts. The barrage of rounds didn¡¯t seem to have much effect on the soldiers, but the hovercraft itself wasn¡¯t nearly as armored. The soldiers returned fire, shifting their target from the carrier to the caravan.


    Beams of light cut through steel and man alike. ¡°Get down!¡± Piety cried, ducking down behind the tailgate, as good as that would do her. Four men died in the first volley, but more were in their place within moments, firing blindly as they crouched down beside her. Piety reached for her mic and shouted into it, saying, ¡°Reverence, we need that hovercraft taken out!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Reverence replied in what would be considered an emotional outburst for him. ¡°If only it would stand still.¡± The mech¡¯s cannon burst to life again, this time striking true while the soldiers were distracted. It tore up the rear side of the hovercraft, pocking it with holes the size of a fist. ¡°Gotcha bastard!¡±


    The hovercraft began to sway back and forth, losing control. Smoke billowed out of it, a sure sign they hit something vital. That was when she seen him, the bald man standing up in the middle of it all, trying to waft away the smoke. Piety took aim and spat out an obscenity as she pulled the trigger. Her aim was true, hitting him center mass, knocking him off his feet, and hopefully ending his life where the dagger had failed.


    Her hope was dashed when he stood back up, angry but unharmed. His black eyes met hers and she knew that he was coming for her. The pale man lurched forward, stepping up on the face of the vehicle, and then jumped. With a bang he landed on the carrier behind them beside the mech. Reverence raised his gun arm high and brought the cannon crashing down upon him. Bohu, the pale man, caught it with one hand, though it forced him down to his knee. With the other hand he slapped the arm at the joint and shouted, ¡°Skel-tehk!¡±


    The joint groaned as the metal twisted and liquified, bursting apart with a spray of hydraulic fluids. The man took it in both hands and tore it free from the base before tossing it over his shoulder. With the cannon disabled, the mech had no real way to defend itself. Reverence raised its remaining hand to try and grab him, but his assailant was gone, vanished from his sight ¨C if only for a moment. Reverence looked about, trying to spot him in vain, but then he heard banging outside the cockpit. The pale man was on top of him. He slid into view and waved at him within. Reverence¡¯s eyes shot wide as a curse escaped his lips. Bohu pulled a fist back and brought it down on the cockpit¡¯s hull plate. It was reinforced steel, Reverence thought, not something someone could just punch their way through, but he watched in quiet horror as the man tried. Bohu struck over and over and over, and with each hit Reverence watched as the metal dented inward ¨C he was getting through.


    Reverence reached up to try and pull him off, but he was too late. The pale man dug his fingers into the steel and pulled apart, exposing Reverence within. ¡°There you are, my sneaky little friend,¡± Bohu said with a vicious grin as he peered through the opening. ¡°I owe you for earli-¡­¡± Reaching down beside him, Reverence pulled out his emergency firearm, a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun. Without missing a beat, he placed the barrels square on Bohu¡¯s forehead and pulled the trigger. The blast sent him tumbling backwards onto the truck bed.


    For a brief moment Reverence dared to think that was the end of it, but then the man began to stir. ¡°You got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Reverence uttered. Just who and what was this man? Hands shaking from the adrenaline, Reverence struggled to reload the shotgun as Bohu staggered to his feet, hands cupping his face.


    ¡°You sneaky little shit¡­¡± Bohu cursed, wiping blood away from his forehead. ¡°You actually got me with that one. Any more tricks up your sleeve? No? Shame.¡± Bohu started forward again with angry stomps. Reverence raised the shotgun again but before he could fire, the man would reach in and tear it out of his hands as if he were taking a toy from a child. ¡°No, enough of that,¡± Bohu stated as he crushed the steel barrels in his fist. Tossing the ruined weapon away, he then reached in and grabbed Reverence by the collar and began pulling him out. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk, shall we?¡±


    Just then, the hovercrafts damaged engines went critical. Blue fire erupted from its sides as the engine housing imploded. The ensuing blast was enough to send the carrier tipping over onto its side. The carrier crashed down onto the glassed earth with devastating effect, flipping forward onto its face before landing still in the dirt.


    ¡°Reverence!¡± Piety shouted from the back of the caravan, her eyes wide with shock. She grabbed her radio and called out again. ¡°Reverence, please come in! Come in!¡± There was only silence. No small part of her wanted to stop the caravan and turn around, go back for him, but she knew that would only mean their deaths as well. Piety grit her teeth and gave the order, ¡°Keep going, to  Eastend.¡±