Fragment of Destiny

Samuel was still eagerly waiting for any new updates from the dusk blade recovery team when Demetrius entered the small room.

“This is quite the set up for all the way up here,” Demetrius said admiring the hodgepodge of equipment.

“We do what we can,” Elroy said.

“I was told you needed to speak to me about something?” Demetrius said, turning his attention to Samuel.

“It’s about the plan to flood Central. We have decided to implement it. The only thing is we don’t have all of our people here.” Samuel said indicating to a grid Elroy had constructed on the view screen.

“We have other encampments here and here,” Elroy said making two red dots appear.

“So what’s the problem?” Demetrius asked.

“We had planned to move as one unit down to the city center and reopen the well. But Elroy has picked up an increase in seismic activity. I fear what time we had to prepare is about to expire.”

“Are there shapers in those two encampments? Demetrius asked.

“A few each,” Elroy said before Samuel could answer.

“Then this may work to our advantage. There are a few key spots geologically speaking.” Demetrius said indicating to several sections on the grid that were close to the scattered groups.

“These areas are like slow drains, the sediment there is very porous and can hold a lot of water. With how long the flooding went on before the cap was replaced, I’d say those sections are at capacity. If you can use the shapers to force the stone into a non-porous state, then it will increase the water pressure in the aquifer and speed up the flooding dramatically.”

“With where the shapers are now, this would work only we would have no way to keep them defended. Elroy believes that the malravians will be drawn to the shapers once they begin.”

“If that’s true then you may well be able to instigate their aggression to your advantage. Lure them away somehow.”

Samuel’s mind immediately jumped to Tess. She could work as bate but if they didn't bite the rest of them would be defenseless. Not completely defenseless, if they could get those dusk blades at least. The sound of gunfire pulled Samuel from his contemplation with a jolt. Before he knew it his V-2 was in hand and he had stepped outside.

In the direction of Central the sounds of gunfire rang out. What was left of the enforcers flocked to engage the threat. The malravians poured from an unseen hole just over the lip of the rim. They met the wall of let and died in droves always another malravian taking the place of the fallen.

A moment later the ground between the enforcers and malravians seemed to shimmer like rolling heatwaves. The waves shook so violently they nearly snatched Samuel’s footing from him. Then he noticed Tess. She was hunkered down with both palms in the dirt her face contorted with strain as if she was trying to carry the world on her shoulders. Then even more violent ripples raced towards the malravians when they collided, large stone spikes, hundreds of them, suddenly erupted from the rim impaling the charging malravians. Wave after wave the malravians came and each time they were met with rolling waves of death.

Samuel gaped openly, his barrier a splintered mess of what it should be. He could feel the strain of her actions, and so fears was the strain it was a wonder it did not rip her in two. Along with the strain though Samuel could feel her fatigue. She could not keep this up much longer. Already more and more malravians slipped past the kill zone. They were gunned down in two’s and three’s but it was not enough.

Then Samuel saw a reaper and his heart quaked. Could she possibly stand a chance tired as she was? Samuel sighted in on the reaper just maybe he could land a lucky shot and give Tess an opening. To his surprise, the reaper vanished from his cross hairs. Blood showered the ground at his feet as the enforcer beside him was cut down. Before he had time to react the reaper arced through the air away from him in a shower of blood and mist. Its body crunched and tumbled before coming to rest only feet from the oncoming stampede. The rest of the malravians washed over it like just another rock.

Tess collapsed beside him. She had been more than thirty feet from him only moments ago, but there she was. A feral moan escaped her lips as she pitched forward face in the dirt. Her body convulsed and Samuel could feel the rising presence of something alien inside of her. The hunger to kill bubbled up like molten pitch that splashed his barrier. The v-2 clattered to the ground and suddenly there was nothing but the struggle. As fiercely as Tess struggled, so did he. Fighting to hold on to the last shreds of what was human. Dully he was aware of hulking malravian bodies raining like bloody rags in the distance. The reaper was coming he could feel it as surely as Tess could.

As it pulled by some unseen force Tess straightened. A moment later the reaper salitified in the air in front of them. It stood frozen mid-stride the long blade poised like a lance for the kill. A barrage of fire targeted the reaper though no bullets struck. Instead, each round seemed to slow until they too froze midair. Purple mist jumped the gap to Tess’s now outstretched hand. Flashes of purple and gold washed over Tess like lighting that cracked with such ferocity that it drowned out the gunfire.

When the last of the mist had been transferred the body crumpled into a dark grey sphere twice the size of Tess’s fist. With a wave of her hand, Tess sent the gray mass hurtling towards the oncoming malravians. Before impact, the sphere broke apart into thousands of flecks that ravaged the malravian charge like a massive shrapnel bomb. For the briefest of moments, the hunger relented as it reveled in the ecstasy of the reaping. The opening was enough. Samuel reformed his shattered barrier and lunged for Tess. Black pits in the place of eyes roiled with purple flame and smoke as Tess stared up at him. With every ounce of his being he willed Tess to be at peace. Like a whirlwind being sucked into a bottle, the hunger was sealed away.

Tess gasped as if breathing for the first time in days, and relief flooded from her. The black pits melted to brilliant purple eyes that seemed to smile up at him. Tess whispered the words, “Thank you.” So softly Samuel was not sure if he had heard it at all.

Abruptly Samuel realized that the shooting had stopped, that and Elroy was trying to talk to him via a personal link. Hastily Samuel pushed himself off of Tess thankful that she could not see his face, even if she could feel his embarrassment. She pulled herself to her feet with more grace though she smiled her best mischevious smile at him.

“Samuel…Samuel!” Elroy shouted in his ear.

“Yes, I am here, go ahead,” Samuel said eager to take his mind from Tess.

“The recovery team was able to outfit four additional dusk blades, but we are getting a distress signal from the militia shuttling people from sector three, and I can’t reach anyone in sector five.”

“Send them two dusk blades each and get the last one back here asap,” Samuel said. The shooting had stopped for now but how long did they have? Samuel eyed Tess a moment. She seemed fine now, more than fine really. Yet was she? Did he dare trust her to hold the line alone again?

Then there was urgency in Elroy’s voice. “Samuel, I need you back here asap, there is something you need to hear.”

“Ok, I am on my way,” Samuel said and terminated the link before turning his attention back to Tess. “The dusk blade recovery was successful. They will hold the line if the malravians come back, I need you with the shaper team who will be breaking the seal.” Tess nodded and made a brisk walk back towards the knot of shapers that huddled nervously next to a militia skimmer which had recently arrived from sector three.

Samuel took in the hastily assembled team of shapers one last time before he started for the communication tent. Even with dusk blade support, he could be sending them all to their deaths. The thought turned his stomach and it was all he could do to keep his barrier whole.

Upon entering the communications tent both Elroy and Demetrious radiated impatience. Samuel was acutely aware of Ju’s absence, but Elroy offered an explanation before Samuel could ask.

“She is with her father, they are helping the medical team.”

Samuel nodded and motioned for Elroy to go on.

In response, Elroy spoke into the microphone on his terminal. “Command to Blade team one report.”

“This is blade team one. Sector five is a boneyard sir, we found one of those reapers here it was gathering the crystals when we arrived. We took shots at it, but the thing phased right through the ground, nothing left here but a distress signal.”

“Blade team one, we are not getting a distress signal from Sector five. Can you patch it through the coms?” Elroy asked.

“Sending it now…” A coded frequency of chimes and beeps intermixed with static rang in the small room.

“Blade team one, send out a response hail. I want to know if there are people still alive down there.” Samuel said as he dove past Elroy to the mic.

“This is blade team one, standing by to assist, does anyone copy?” The sound of hope, slim hope, cracked in the pilot’s voice.

A choppy faded signal garbled by static played over the speakers. “This is enforcer team- infiltration and extermination mission- ravian tunnels. We have been- cave in, and need extraction do you-”

“I didn’t think there was anyone still alive in the tunnels,” Elroy whispered just loud enough for Samuel to hear.

“Blade team one this is Under Marshal Specter. We have no one available to assist. They will have to hold tight for the moment,” Stepping away from the mic he addressed Elroy, “Elroy are there any survivors in sector three?”

“Blade team two this is command, do you copy? Do you have survivors?”

The sound of gunfire roared over the com’s with the reply, “This is blade team two, we copy. We have survivors on the surface and a flood of malravians. Is there anyone available to assist?”

“Blade team one move one dusk blade to assist and the other stay in sector five to keep contact with the trapped team,” Samuel ordered.

“I know you are concerned about the team down in the tunnels, but there is nothing you can do for them. You don’t have the time or the resources to attempt a rescue.” It was Demetrius who had remained silent until now. “You might not like this with the situation as it is… just hear me out. This trapped team does not have to be a liability.”

Samuel furrowed his brow in confusion. Just what was Demetrius getting at?

“If you attempt to free what is left of this team you very well may have all the malravians left in Central drawn right to them. In the tunnels, the rescue team would die right along with the remnants of the strike team. A waste of both time and military resources, two things we can’t afford. Yet having the malravians drawn away so we can carry out our plan would be useful.”

“You just said it would be a waste of resources but now it’s somehow a good thing? Wait no, damn it Demetrius I can’t. I can’t leave them down there to die!” Samuel screamed in exasperation. Demetrius didn’t know what it was like being trapped underground with malravians around every turn, bursting through the floor and walls. Samuel shuttered at the thought. There had to be another way, something. But the more he thought about it the more he knew Demetrius was right.

“Samuel, that team should have already been dead. The only reason they are not is because of a fluke. Even if you leave them down there and go through with the flooding they would drown before we could get an excavation team to them. I know you don’t like it but at least make their deaths mean something.”

Samuel felt sick. He clenched his teeth as much from frustration as worry that if he didn’t the contents of his stomach would spill all over Elroy’s terminal.

“Elroy, can you patch me through directly,” Samuel said. If there truly is a god, please forgive me for what I am about to do.

“You’re live,” Elroy said, his face as grim as the waves that wafted from him.

“This is Under Marshal Spector to enforcer team ten,” He knew it was team ten because he had recognized the team leaders voice and knew him. Senior Novice Elstins. Samuel strained to keep the grief he felt out of his voice. Damnit facing down a pack of malravians had been easier than this, “As we speak the malravians are attempting to overrun our forces on the surface. We do not have the ability to reach you. Furthermore, the seal of the well will be broken and the tunnels completely flooded. In light of this, I have a new mission for you. By whatever means available to you, you are to gain the attention of the malravian swarm and draw them deeper into the tunnel system. These orders are effective immediately.” Samuel hung his head tears threatening to well up in his eyes as he waited for a response.

“Understood sir, we will do our best.” Then the comlink terminated.

“Send the last dusk blade to assist the central excavation team. And get me a status on all other teams.” Samuel said and he clenched his hands into fist to keep them from trembeling.

“I know it was hard. But you did the right thing.” Demetrius said.

“I hope so.” Samuel whispered, “I sure hope so.”