CHAPTER 21
PALLADIUM
"This is bullshit", commented a soldier not far from me. "They think this will save them… have you seen those shields?".
"Don't underestimate them", I resumed. Those protections were perfectly in line with John's philosophy. The wall of shields that was forming was reminiscent of what the legions of the Roman Empire skillfully formed in ancient times.
I imparted the fire order and the remaining 25mm pieces we had left resumed breathing fire at those freaks of nature.
Immediately, the demi-humans stopped advancing and the shields were laid on the ground. Large caliber machine guns ruthlessly shook those seemingly fragile barriers but no matter how much the wall of shields was shaken and hammered, it didn’t break. Every now and then some shield would fall torn from the hands of its holder but was immediately picked up either by the same or another demi-human from the rear.
"They resist. Sons of...", Gates commented.
"I can see it. Go on with the mortars, forward!", I ordered. I called for artillery support from the officer I had delegated. Immediately several explosive shells started upward from the trench, but the demi-humans were still too far away to act accurately. A salvo from the rear departed with several thunderclaps and like hissing rain poured down on the enemy horde, disrupting them for good.
There was a reaction from the DGS ring, the same as the previous one. It was seen as a glow, then something cleaved the air above our heads and huge explosions were heard behind us followed by a whirlwind of wind, this time directed toward our faces filling our nostrils with dirt and grass.
The ground shook as in an earthquake for a few moments, and I was no longer able to talk to HQ. The network was dead. The demi-humans raised their shields from the ground and resumed advancing, this time running and screaming in a wild animalistic voice.
Blood froze in my veins. The wild tide was advancing so fast that the hope of launching a second salvo of artillery went up in smoke. I wanted to bombard the wall of shields from above, but they were advancing so fast that it was impossible for the artillerymen to hit accurately with each charge, and only one shot out of about fifty hit the mark, opening a breach in the wall. "Daith I'm in range for the light pieces!", warned Andrea.
"Yeah Gates, not yet! Firing at the shields from here is a waste of ammunition! They should have given us fucking anti-tank weapons!".
Then a soldier had a good thought: he took a mortar from the bottom of the trench and with great courage went out with the hot weapon under his arm, swung a couple of bombs through the air, and after fixing it to the ground with the barrel almost parallel to it, fired a shot.
The bomb had the effect of a cannonball against the wall of shields. We opened a breach hurling several shields and clouds of reddish blood into the air. Immediately the demihumans slowed their advance while those from the fast rear took the shields back into their hands to close the breach.
"Everyone! Fire in the breach! FIRE!", I ordered. Following my command, both I and the rest of the troop concentrated all the trench's volume of fire against that single breach, while the hero with the mortar opened others near the other trenches. Many demi-humans fell dead, even among those carrying shields so that the breach began to widen.
- The second heavy machinegun is also dead Daith -, Dunn warned me. The First had finished firing the big guns and my lead was thinning a little more. The demi-humans seemed to be in trouble, but from his boundless and ever-closer fortress, Charon was only playing with us. The tide was only two hundred yards away from us, and John's order came quickly to his devils.
The barrier opened so that between one shield and the other at least three demi-humans could pass through. Finally, they too opened fire. On either side of each shield on the ground stood a demi-human firing his own rifle well sheltered against the trenches, while from the space in between those emplacements came out other creatures launched in a merciless charge. The volume of fire to which we were subjected was continuous and precise. The poor soldier who had helped dismantle the line of shields with his mortar was the first to fall lifeless, riddled without mercy. Other soldiers, intent on firing at the charge of demi-humans, were killed by those behind the shields. Suddenly I noticed that from behind the same ones were no longer firing and that the advancing creatures were doing so with their firearms stowed on their backs as they ran at us with their famous knives. There were so many now in front of the wall of shields that the shooters would only kill their brothers.
"Here they come!", shouted a soldier referring to the demi-humans.
"We have to fall back, soon we won't be able to contain them!", enjoined Gates.
"If we even try those in the rear will kill us!", I explained.
"No way they’re gonna obey that order!".
"That Karlsson is clever! Behind us there are no Earth troops, but regiments of colonists and behind them other Earth people and so on! Believe me, those scumbags there would be neither hot nor cold, as well as ours behind them!".
"What can be done?".
"I'm out of ammo!", screamed another soldier in a panic. The demi-humans were advancing as if they had been endless. Hundreds per second were falling dead, but behind them tens of hundreds more were ready and fierce.
"Dunn! We must not fight them in here!", I shouted with as much breath as I had in my body. "These trenches will be our grave! We must face them in the field while we can, we will have more space. We will wait there for the order to retreat! Pass the word!".
It took a while before the message reached Dunn and came back. A running corporal came to relay the feedback. "Sir, Lieutenant Dunn says... he says...".
"What does it say? Speak damn it!".
"He says, you're fucking crazy, redneck, sir", reported the corporal with no small amount of fear.
"You always know if the message is from Dunn", I nodded feigning indifference. "Get back to your position!". The man nodded and ran off with his head down as I glared at Gates. "Well, he gets it".
"You’re really that crazy Daith! Leave the trenches??", he shouted.
"Die as you please, my friend!", I replied, hinting at a smile. "Soldiers, draw your swords, ready to strike first!", I ordered hardly expecting to see such commands fulfilled. I was surprised when they all simultaneously drew their shockblades from their scabbards.
"Turn on the power only when you are in need, save batteries! For Humanity! CHARGE!", I ordered with the last remaining edge of my voice. With all my might I leapt out of the trench followed light speed by a startling Ryan Dunn. Screaming at the top of my lungs and followed by more clumsy volunteers in camouflage, I threw myself with my sword at the torment of abominations that stood before me with equal fury. With a strangely familiar movement, I threw myself into the fray by twirling my sword from bottom to top in a coordinated gesture of arms and shoulders, cutting a demi-human's face and mask in two. Then I took to delivering blows in bulk, paying no attention to the rest of the battle. Soon I found myself totally surrounded by those creatures who passed by my sides totally ignoring me, while only those in front of me were hurling themselves at me.
In anger, fury and fear I would strike, cut, maim, kill, one slash after another without feeling anything for my victims. Inside me the rage grew every time one of those beasts succeeded in wounding me, until I lost my reason and the riastharta ended up possessing me whole. I took to swelling as it always did and with hearts racing and white eyes I began to kill tirelessly, wiping out demi-humans two by two. In that wild state, the creatures seemed to be drawn now against me, so I soon found myself detached from my unit, alone against millions of those beings.
*
I eared after a long time what was happening meanwhile inside the HQ. Matt with the Control staff and the assistant officers of the dean in command were following the outcome of the battle very upset, wondering how much longer they could withstand the pressure of Charon’s waves.
"Anything from our artillery?", asked dean Karlsson calmly. The man, a sinewy giant with black skin and ashen eyes, smoked a cigar while observing the projection on the tactical table and at the same time processing with his SAI the information gathered in real time. "No sir", an officer replied. "You should have the first images in seconds. It's as if our howitzers were sucked into thin air".
"An implosion weapon?", speculated another officer.
"No", the dean in charge interrupted him. "A remote teleportation. Used as a weapon. Interesting John, very interesting".
"A... teleportation?", the officer wondered, seeking explanation with his gaze.
"It doesn’t matter. The priority is to reorganize our artillery. Hurry up", ordered the dean, ignoring questions.
"First line of defense annihilated, trenches invaded, do I order a retreat?", asked a communications officer.
"Negative, in the meantime, order the colonists to bombard the trenches with their light mortars", Karlsson ordered. "As soon as ready, keep bombing. Is the Fleet in position? It would be a good idea to drop something from orbit as well".
"But sir, there are still...".
"Execute", he insisted without the slightest hesitation.
Inside HQ at base camp there were many tense faces. People coming and going with printed reports in their hands, people handing out paper orders to relays, others intent on observing on the large holographic table in the control room the progress of the battle. Starlink was offline but satellites were still mapping the terrain.
"We have artillery ready to fire again. The Dominion Fleet is in position to provide orbital support with their guns", warned a control officer.
"What a shame", sighed the dean. "Allow those filthy traitors to bomb Terra. All right, give them the coordinates. I want a merciless barrage".
"Received", communicated the same attendant. "Incoming".
"Impact confirmed, sending satellite report. Everything inside the trenches is… gone", communicated another officer in a resigned tone. It was Matt, who was following the satellite data in the control room. He tried to master his emotions; he still had an entire battle to follow. Never before, he said, was it difficult for him to hold back tears.
So it was that the shock wave from our own bombardment threw everyone into the air, human and demi-human alike. Scorching flames erupted from the bottom of the long pit and devoured everything within tens of meters.
I got up almost instantly and found myself almost alone and engulfed in the bodies of burned demi-humans. The wave of shock and heat evidently besides throwing me away from the trench had covered me with enemies, who in turn had shielded me from the flames.
With effort I dislodged the bodies, at least five of them, and freed myself. I had held my sword tightly in my hand and as soon as I was on my feet immediately I saw that more demihumans were coming. Still pervaded by my wrath, I threw myself into the attack. All around me were only black and motionless bodies, and regardless I trampled them caught up in the momentum. I charged in perfect solitude at the enemy host and resumed mowing down at top speed everything in front of me.
In the midst of the melee I was wounded several times and soon realized even so stunned by the serum that the army of creatures had advanced far beyond the front line trench. I was like an island in the middle of the sea struggling against the waves.
The multitude was beginning to cause me several problems, there were far too many of them, and I would not have lasted long, if at that moment something black and fast had not hurled itself at me with immense force, opening a gap in the crowd with sword strokes and throwing itself at me furiously.
I parried the blow only because of instinct by putting the shockblade perpendicular to the ground, nevertheless the impact knocked me down, causing my head to hit the grass. I immediately went in search of my new enemy and immediately met his gaze with eyes as black as the deepest abyss. That evil, demonic and cruel look once terrified me. But at that moment, pervaded as I was by my irrational fury, I felt only anger and resentment.
I recognized Deena but for her, inside that black demi-human uniform and with that curved, silvery sword in her hand, I felt only hatred. A huge, uncontrolled hatred that drove me against her without the slightest remorse.
I lifted myself off the ground and began to fight. The demi-humans took to ignoring me and as if I did not even exist resumed advancing toward the fusion power plant behind my back. I launched a top-down attack with my electric sword, a blow so violent that I almost felt the steel crack. Deena had almost no trouble parrying the blow, and after a brief showdown, she managed to break free of me, knocking me back again. My anger grew steadily and with it my strength. We fought long and bitterly, amid shouting and gnashing teeth, without either of us somehow prevailing. Our strength seemed to cancel each other out, and soon the flow of demi-humans from the fortress ceased.
Behind me the battle raged and had been going on for an hour as bitter and cruel as that fight. Suddenly, I succeeded in wounding her in the arm she was using to fight, and she at once changed the hand with which she held the weapon and wounded me in one eye, cutting part of my forehead and cheek with the tip of the blade. I screamed holding my scarred face and my anger reached levels I had never dared to think of. With extreme violence I delivered a blow that ripped the blade from her hand, then with the fortunately flat part of the sword I struck her in the head.
Deena fell to the ground and I hurled myself at her before she could attempt to react. I grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground, tightening my grip hard.
Our gazes met again, full of hatred. Now, however, hers was beginning to lose vitality. I was choking her, and between her stifled moans the light in her black eyes began to fade, until she almost closed them. In that instant a green glow shone from that slit. That atrocious vision was like a bullet in my heart. I suddenly came back to myself, let go so that she fell to the ground. The hatred left me and I fell to the ground panting, slowly beginning to feel the fatigue and wounds I had received during the battle. I slumped exhausted to the ground, holding my face with one hand and a bullet wound on my leg with the other.
I was disoriented; I couldn't quite remember where I was. I saw a petite, black figure lying slumped in front of me and immediately remembered part of what had happened. My eyes began to water as I repeated "what have I done?" in a low voice.
I tried to crawl closer, then suddenly I heard her cough, start moving again, and she quickly got up with her back to me. This time I was ready. I would feel no more pain in front of that cruel look.
For the umpteenth time I had to contradict myself, for resigned to facing death I had not prepared myself to face the joy that those bright green eyes that stared at me confused and frightened instead knew how to give me, set in that face now relaxed and fragile again.
Deena looked at me bewildered and confused, then walked over and without a word took me in her arms and began to cry.
"Daith, what have I done to you?", she moaned. I started crying foolishly. I wished I could hold her in my arms, but I could not speak or move. She saw the scarred and bleeding face and felt bewilderment. "Gods! What happened? It was me, wasn't it? I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to!".
"You have to... hide... they will come back...", I tried to warn her but I was too exhausted to be able to speak, barely able to stay conscious, the battle had drained me.
"I... I don't...", she stammered. "He… He is here," she said as if it was now too late. She leaned over me, wanting to protect me with her body. It had been a long time since I had felt that warmth, that tepid breath on my skin, that peace that only her presence could give me.
"You will not hurt him!", shouted Deena with all the anger in her body.
"It’s his choice", John's voice replied. He was walking along, hands behind his back, escorted by some men in black and a couple of demi-humans. A bored tourist in line at the rides, that's what he looked like amid the devastation and death he had caused. "He will continue to do so, serving as the dog that is his master".
"John", I called to him with a gasp. "You damn... bastard".
"I'm surprised to see you here in the mud, brother. I thought you had been dead for a while.
How did you survive?", he asked in mild astonishment.
"We Lesters are hard to kill!", I exclaimed proudly with all the breath in my body.
"I know", he said looking down at me, standing one step away. An explosion cleaved the air toward the station, similar to the one caused earlier by the light emitted by the Diĝir-ga-šum’s ring. "But not so much. You had a little help. An angel saved you, maybe?".
"An... angel?", I asked struggling to stay conscious. I was losing a lot of blood, the serum was losing effectiveness and my strength was leaving me.
"You won’t touch him", Deena growled, holding me even tighter.
"I won't. If you cooperate like a good girl. Now, Antony will put handcuffs on you and you will accept them. You will go back to the Fortress and when the time comes you will do what I tell you. You have my word", John said.
Deena cried. She looked at me for a few moments, gave me a kiss on the lips and gently left me lying on the ground on the burned grass.
A man in black approached quietly, she held out her wrists, and I heard a mechanical noise. John looked at me for a few moments, perhaps with a streak of contempt mixed with compassion.
"You're worse than the roachesaboard an old ship, Daith", he said, returning his gaze to the front. "Who knows. If you still survive maybe you'll find the courage to say thanks".
"Thanks for what? For committing genocide?".
"Humans are unable to understand the value of destruction, Daith. That's why… that's why we have to ascend".
I lost my senses. The night was replaced by light. As I opened my eyes I cleared my mind I also regained possession of my body. As soon as my vision came into focus I clearly saw broken blades of grass tickling my nostrils. I was confused; I could not remember anything. I was lying on my side, so I got up, putting myself perfectly prone with my hands resting on the ground at shoulder level. I crinkled my eyes, then looked forward. Long shadows were casting toward the end of the valley, where the mountains were hugging along the horizon line. Remembering everything, levering my arms I raised my torso and looked around. Deena was gone, around me lay motionless tens of thousands of demi-humans, some riddled, some in pieces, some burned. I sat down to look toward the power plant, which was now gone. Only smoldering rubble could be seen, and between me and them a sea of dead and wreckage of wagons and destroyed artillery pieces, bathed in the black smoke of the fires.
I got up, staggering to my feet. The wounds had almost closed but I was without strength. Shakily I took my first steps. The red of the sunset was everywhere, on the mountains, on the meadow, almost as if even the sun was smeared with blood. I searched with my eyes for something that could still breathe. A young man was sitting on a boulder not far away, his back to me and staring at the cold fusion power plant. Hoping that he was not a corpse, I began walking among the bodies to try to reach him.
As soon as I was close enough, I saw that soldier was enjoying a cigarette in the silence of the massacre camp. I recognized a deeply scarred Ryan Dunn, shaken and smeared with blood and soot. A bit like me after all. I don't know why, but without even turning around, he knew that I was responsible for the footsteps behind him. After greeting me, he stretched his arm back and offered me one, handing me the package.
"Is it over?", I asked, accepting willingly.
"Yeah", he replied, blowing tobacco smoke out of his lungs. "It's over".
*
"I can't believe you’re alive! I’m so happy!".
"Fowler, you have less than a second to let me go!", threatened Dunn more than irritated by Matt's loving embrace. The young man had come to us as soon as he had heard the news, jumping onto the hovercraft that was bringing the few wounded gathered back to base camp.
More than a base camp, however, it resembled a kind of ghost town. Of the thousands of men who had formerly crowded it, there was nothing left but a handful of cowards, who had fled the trenches and escaped fire from the rear, or heroes who had been wounded, often very seriously. Dunn and I in short were something of an exception.
I looked toward the ruins of the powerplant and understood what those explosions caused by the Diĝir-ga-šum ring were. The ground had areas removed integrally with the shape you leave on a pudding when you eat it with a spoon. The surface and what was on it had not been moved by an explosion. It was simply gone, disappeared who knows where. Those giant spoon like craters were huge, several hundred meters wide and several dozen deep.
"By the Gods", Dunn exclaimed as he noticed the strange devastation up close.
"Now I understand why we always capitulated", I said lost in that surreal vision.
"Daith, that's a nasty wound… maybe you'd better stop at the field hospital", Matt suggested. In fact, I had half my face smeared with my own blood and the furrow of the scar was clearly visible.
"Gates is dead", I replied. "How am I going to tell Sophia?".
"Shit... Andrea's gone too...", sighed Matt. "Daith, the wound… a doctor, how about that?".
"No need, the doctors will have other things to deal with. You know I'm almost self-sufficient,
I don't need one", I replied. "I need food instead".
"Sometimes I envy you, I wish I was also immortal like you", he commented.
"What are you talking about Fowler?", asked Dunn confused.
"Um, metaphorically I mean", Matt lied. Dunn did not know about my gift and thought I was simply very lucky to still be alive.
"Anyway, let's enjoy our last gasps of air", I said, changing the subject. "Charon emptied the plant before he shot it down, right? Now he's going to go who knows where and activate the device. It's over".
"We could always kiss Burris's ass and hope he'll take us along on his personal shuttle and smuggle us to Luna", Dunn suggested. His proposal failed to disgust me.
"Yeah well... it's a good plan B but...", said Matt, "not feasible. Follow me to HQ".
As soon as the hovercraft was turned off and stopped near the field hospital, the three of us jumped off following Matt. I took my volunteer infantryman's helmet off my head and threw it on the ground. As I held it in my hand, I noticed how it was ruined by the blow Deena had delivered to my face. The girl in that state had the strength to cut even Kevlar.
We entered HQ and immediately noticed on the small ground floor of the apartment building a small group of people in clean and neat uniforms chatting huddled in front of a holographic screen on the wall broadcasting the latest news.
"What's going on?", I asked.
"Don't you have an SAI? This stuff has been on the net for an hour now", one of the officers there commented dismissively without even looking at me.
"We didn't know that", I replied in a stinging retort. "There's no time to fuck around online when you're in the shit".
That captain turned away annoyed by my response but stifled his intention to take me back, first looking at my condition and then at my rank.
Matt explained what was happening. "They've been broadcasting it since the battle was lost. It's the Grand Master himself! Here he is, starting over again. Permission! We haven't seen it yet!", shouted Matt trying to overpower the high volume of the holovision and grab the viewers' attention. "Hey there are two heroes here, make way!".
We managed to get to the front of the crowd after much jostling. Eventually I had the honor of seeing the face of the Grand Master himself, who, in his elegant black and gold uniform and white apron tied around his waist, was about to engage in an important speech.
The Grand Master, as is still the case, no longer had a name, having lost it by accepting office. No private property, no parental ties, no possibility of recognizing children he had while in office. Just a monstrous slice of pure, almost unlimited, power. He became Grand Master of the Grand Order of Humanity and Guardian of the Federation of Earthly Domains. A lanky, rosy, calm old man in both speech and expression. Behind such restraint was the piercing and intense gaze of two clear and bright eyes, in this case even shining and moved. He had a thick, gray mustache under his nose and short, dark hair on which rested the golden crown as it then was; a golden circle set with three circular stones: the opal in the center symbolizing Earth, a ruby on the left representing Mars and a diamond on the right, symbolizing Luna. Behind, invisible when viewed from the front, stood seven small brilliants, symbolizing the more distant colonies. It was exciting to watch it, even on holovision, perhaps because of what he was about to say.
"Citizens of Humanity. I address you on this sad day, as a harbinger of misfortune. Indeed, I inform you that the perhaps foregone outcome of the confrontation held today on German soil was for us, negative". He spoke without apparently reading a speech, staring deeply into the camera and somehow into each of our eyes.
"The glorious and, brave, volunteer militias and professionals of the armed forces all, motivated by the desire to live and protect, the inhabitants of this planet, have failed. Despite the bitter struggle and valor demonstrated, and the sacrifice, of thousands of men and women, they have been defeated. Today is a day of mourning and a day of weeping, for the brave men and women who gave their lives, to defend us. By an emergency edict, I declare the immediate need to cease all unnecessary work and production activities, until further notice. In this way, I give you all the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with your respective families, or close friends. I will not beguile you with hypocritical words. Terra, never before, stands on the threshold of a terrible event: the termination of the existence of the human race on this planet. In addition to the preceding edict, I also order, by a second official act, the total cessation of the services of all spaceports on the planet. No ship shall leave Terra until further notice".
That left everyone speechless. Was he planning to kill us all?
"I will not allow the panicked rush to the spaceports, anticipating not only inhumane scenes of warfare, atrocities and selfishness to get a seat on a shuttle but also I will not allow any space travel company to profit from such a terrible, terrible situation. On this planet, we are all brothers, one people living on one planet. And I, as your Grand Master, will set the example, as all of you, I will stay on the planet. But I will not stay to mourn or to curse the person responsible for this. I will stay and fight. Preparations are underway for an assault against the Flying Fortress, the cause of our suffering. For this very reason, I urge you not to run away, but to fight back. In every town there is an enlistment office for infantry volunteers. I urge you to crowd them, sign your boarding papers and leave together with your brothers, and by all the Gods to kick that ugly son of a bitch's ass up there on top of that damn fortress! Agdgadu!".
I found myself with my mouth wide open staring incredulously at the screen, totally shocked by that last sentence.
"He looks really pissed off", Dunn commented amused.
"Another assault?", wondered Matt.
"I’ll be there!", exclaimed one of the spectators behind us.
"Me too!", joined another.
"Shut up he's not finished!", shouted Dunn.
"But we will not be caught unprepared again. Finally, after enormous efforts, a new weapon is ready. The trump card we have been waiting to use for a long time. I officially announce the existence of the largest construction ever made by man, the most impressive and technological spaceship ever seen traveling between the planets of Sol. I am announcing today the Palladium. Soon images of such a masterpiece will be disseminated to all of you. May they serve to give you strength and push you beyond your fears. We will fight united under the shadow of the new flagship of Humanity's fleet, which will soon finish its entry into Terra's atmosphere.
I will make it clear from the outset, my brothers and sisters, that there will be no clemency or mercy whatsoever for those who, taking advantage of the present situation, decide to engage in rioting, looting or other seditious or destructive activities. I authorize FMP forces on all continents to execute on the spot anyone found in the fragrance of rioting, looting, pillaging or other similar acts. I hope to meet you again on the battlefield".
A few moments passed, then after about ten seconds of black screen, the Grand Master's face reappeared and the speech resumed from the beginning.
"Bollocks, switch channel!", joked Dunn.
"Gates is dead... thousands more have died and thousands more will die soon. We apparently have a second chance left. We all have to think about how to take advantage of it!", I exclaimed.
"Well, certainly now Charon will return to his base", Matt explained.
"Meaning?", I asked.
"It has perched near New Jerusalem on a plain near the city. Along with the fortress, four other buildings, made of anti-meteor steel, have fallen, apparently generating a powerful energy shield".
"So with that will be two", I said, remembering Burris's briefing.
"Exactly. Basically, it's a losing battle", Dunn concluded. "Let's resign ourselves to using nuclear bombs and enjoying a long winter".
"Do you know why you stayed lieutenant, Dunn?", asked Burris's voice behind us. Ryan's eyes widened, he turned a hundred and eighty degrees and stood at attention with his hand on his forehead. Matt was equally quick, while I flinched much less, merely keeping my back to him. All the soldiers behind us were equally chest out and belly in, stiff as dried codfish. "Because you lack imagination".
Dunn was visibly offended but did not have the courage to reply.
"Be merciful to him sir", I defended him. "On the battlefield he’s one of the best."
"Major Lester. Still alive, good", the dean greeted me.
"Major", I repeated in disgust. "Nice favor you did me, sir! I was totally unprepared for that role and was unable to do anything more than suffer Charon's advance!".
"Yes, I witnessed... I realize that you first time as commander was sudden, unexpected and out of control. It is like that at every age and at every onset in life, believe me. I need you to gain experience quickly, Major. Don't be discouraged, you still resisted to the bitter end against those filthy animals, far more than many other formations. Charon has tested and defeated all our commanders and continues to challenge our forces and organization. Just think, we won't even be able to pick up the fallen. Two fighters will clean everything up with napalm. These are really uncivilized times, we don't even have the strength to bury our heroes".
"There are more of them than we think, sir".
"More of what, Lester?".
"Heroes," I replied.
"Sir, they released you quickly", Matt interjected.
"Of course, my good Fowler. You have seen the speech, haven’t you? We have a new plan. My plan".
"Did they finally listen to you?", I asked.
"Of course. You know how it is… these days, everything is useful, even the most unthinkable. Please son, follow my lead. It's time to finish what we started weeks ago".
*
After the battle, Burris had loaded me onto his personal hovercraft to take me to a spaceport near a town not far from the attacked fusion powerplant. From there we then boarded a shuttle bound for New Jerusalem. Traveling swiftly, we arrived there in no time, preceding DGS by a long way. My poor body had to undergo another temperature change.
The air at base camp outside the historic city was cold and dry, very different from the humid air in the mountains of central Europe. It was late at night and stars could be seen at the time of our arrival. Immediately I was led to my new quarters to rest, placed inside the camp HQ. This time it was an old villa of a wealthy landowner in the area, expropriated without much remorse by Humanity and turned into a small fortress. I was housed in the best room I had seen in the past 6 months, even more cozy than the contrived sophistication of the Jaurès. I slept in a large, spacious double room furnished in oriental style, with warm carpets and fluffy colorful curtains. The windows were strangely elongated and overlooked a dusty countryside with palm trees and golden fields of grain. The bed was amazing and I immediately sank into the comfortable mattress, trying to sleep.
After a few days, many hovercrafts and shuttles went back and forth unloading equipment, vehicles, and hundreds of freshly drafted volunteers and the last remaining real soldiers available, now busy training new comrades.
In the east, far away, solemn and silent, could be seen the immense Diĝir-ga-šum motionless surrounded by its four dark fortresses placed at strategic points in the valley.
They were tall pyramids towering a hundred meters high, while in width they measured half the altitude and in depth a quarter again of the height. The outer side, covered with black anti-weather steel, glowed like a Christmas tree at night, so many were the illuminated openings from which small cannons and heavy machine guns peeked out. Whatever the Grand Master's strategy was, it was sure to cost a great sacrifice in terms of lives.
I spent my first day in the infirmary, and around afternoon I was finally free to stretch a little. So it was that in one of the inner courtyards I heard Burris calling me, informing me that Charon had appeared on the net.
"When?", I asked shocked.
"About half an hour ago. Where have you been?", asked Burris.
"In the infirmary, scanning for teleportation. I forgot to reconnect to Starlink. Is it still available on the network?".
"Let's watch it together, come to my office".
I followed Burris inside one of the rooms of the mansion repurposed as an office and waited for him to turn on a small holographic screen hanging on one wall. "I know you prefer screens to your BRAIN, I'll project it here", he said. I was filled with rage as soon as I saw John's face, in the foreground against a black background.
"Good people of Terra, esteemed exponents of Humanity", he began in a mocking tone. "Never thought your favorite watchdog would eventually find out your game, did you? Now you would love to run away but your Grand Master keeps you with your butt glued to the ground and you feel confused. The gods do not listen to you; you seem to have to fend for yourself. Maybe you think the old man has something up his sleeve. I know you angels are not accustomed to fear. It must be a new experience. I have taken what you have built and turned it against you and now I am preparing to send you all to hell. Soon I will reclaim the planet and its satellite and no god or angel will ever dare to set foot on it again unless they want to end up the same way. It is over for you and your gods. I will exterminate you all and finally Terra will be free. And this is only the beginning". Burris turned off the projection, sighing.
"What the fuck is that lunatic talking about?", I asked completely shocked by those rambling sentences. "John's brain has really melted!".
"You don't get it, huh?", commented the dean.
"I can understand that he wanted to reply to the Grand Master but… what the fuck is he saying? To whom would these threats be directed? There are even people blindly following him aboard that thing!".
"Well, if that was a message for someone it certainly got through. Can you think of anything?", he asked, scrutinizing me carefully.
"No!", I exclaimed sincerely and increasingly convinced of John's folly.
"Very good. Tell me son, how did it go in the infirmary?".
"Well... as you can see, I had my hair cut", I said running my hand through the short strands. "I see… I see… now you look like one of the SpecOps!", he complimented. "What about that scar on your face?".
"A souvenir from Germany, dean", I explained.
"I had seen you with blood on your face... but I wondered how".
"Well... you know that demi-humans are armed with cutting weapons…" I lied.
"Sure, I understand. At least the eye is safe", he said holding up the game.
"Yes".
"Any plans for lunch?", he asked.
"Not really, sir. I have more tests and some training in the afternoon", I listed.
"Will you have lunch with me major?".
"Yes sir, gladly", I agreed.
"Good. Get dressed up. Formal. One o'clock in the big courtyard. On time and in order".
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