Part 39 (2/2)
”Time to go,” says Spencer.
”Agreed,” says Jarvin.
The truth is we need you,” says Velasquez.
”Because of Sinclair,” replies Sarmax.
”Because otherwise we're nothing but his prey.”
She's in the home stretch now. Though she keeps wondering why Sinclair is making this so hard for her.
Especially when he needs her to finish what he's set in motion. Maybe this is her final test. Maybe he's trying to draw off some of her strength. If that's the case, it's not working. She's only growing stronger. She moves onto the final sequence- Let's do this,” says Lynx. The two men detach themselves-fire judicious thrusts from their motors as the antimatter drive drops away. Lynx has convinced Congreve's defenses that this fragment of the Harrison Harrison is about to try an emergency landing in the adjacent Korolev Crater. The two men plunge downward in their armor and watch the engine beneath them dwindle to a speck while Congreve's dome grows larger by the second. is about to try an emergency landing in the adjacent Korolev Crater. The two men plunge downward in their armor and watch the engine beneath them dwindle to a speck while Congreve's dome grows larger by the second.
Mountains are streaking in toward them. The Operative's working the controls, banking the escape craft beneath the highest peaks, letting it drop down toward the valleys. Maschler does a doubletake.
”Wait a second,” he says. ”This is-”
”Shut up and hold on,” says the Operative.
Spencer and Jarvin crawl through a narrow shaft that's nearly identical to the one they had used to enter the c.o.c.kpit on the Hammer of the Skies Hammer of the Skies. Spencer was tempted to rig the Eurasian AI with hi-ex, but he realizes that would stretch the word superfluous superfluous to whole new levels. He's got the files that machine downloaded in the back of his head. He's got no time to bother with them right now. They reach the last hatch, shove it aside, fling themselves out into the abyss. to whole new levels. He's got the files that machine downloaded in the back of his head. He's got no time to bother with them right now. They reach the last hatch, shove it aside, fling themselves out into the abyss.
How much do you know?” asks Sarmax.
”Enough,” she replies. ”He's been using us-”
”When did you figure it out?”
”After we realized we weren't guarding Sinclair.”
”When did he leave?”
”Some point before the war started, I guess. Now he's at the Room, I don't see how the h.e.l.l we can stop him in time.”
He stares at her. ”We can f.u.c.king try,” try,” he says. he says.
Terrain starts to appear in the windows of the drops.h.i.+p.
Ciphers so next-level that only a brain like Haskell's can hope to penetrate them. She's tearing through them on overdrive-making them think that she's she's the one who's created them. Who's now reversing them. She's through. The locks the one who's created them. Who's now reversing them. She's through. The locks click click through her mind- through her mind- A million shades of black and grey, a million lights flaring all around-and the soundtrack to all of it is silence as Linehan takes in the sight. It's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He suddenly feels that all the fighting and shooting and killing that's going on around him isn't really happening-that existence has dwindled to this tiny s.p.a.ce inside his helmet even as he looks at all those stars. It seems like there's a pattern all around, like somehow it's all meant to happen. He and Lynx are freefalling, tumbling downward, that engine-that's-now-a-bomb a distant firefly far below. Any moment now Congreve's defenses are going to come to their senses. But a few moments more and it's going to be too late- million shades of black and grey, a million lights flaring all around-and the soundtrack to all of it is silence as Linehan takes in the sight. It's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He suddenly feels that all the fighting and shooting and killing that's going on around him isn't really happening-that existence has dwindled to this tiny s.p.a.ce inside his helmet even as he looks at all those stars. It seems like there's a pattern all around, like somehow it's all meant to happen. He and Lynx are freefalling, tumbling downward, that engine-that's-now-a-bomb a distant firefly far below. Any moment now Congreve's defenses are going to come to their senses. But a few moments more and it's going to be too late- They swoop over one mountain, veer in toward another. A giant sinkhole stretches out before them, carved straight through adjacent hills and valleys. It doesn't look natural. More like- ”Someone had some fun with blasting powder,” says Riley.
”Couple of nukes,” says the Operative.
”Autumn Rain?”
”Several days back.”
”And you were there, huh?”
”Hey,” says Maschler, ”that looks like another s.h.i.+p.”
Judicious bursts of their suit-thrusters as they exit-and the Righteous Fire-Dragon Righteous Fire-Dragon is rus.h.i.+ng past, dropping beneath them as they gain height. It seems to have given up spitting nukes. It won't matter-it's still going to turn Copernicus into a big pancake. The sky above Spencer's head is alive with lights, the vanguards of the American fleet clearly visible as they vector out from behind the Moon to do battle with the onrus.h.i.+ng Eurasian fleet. Spencer can see quite clearly that the Yanks haven't a f.u.c.king prayer. The s.h.i.+ps of the East make the sky immediately above the nearside look like the center of the galaxy. The is rus.h.i.+ng past, dropping beneath them as they gain height. It seems to have given up spitting nukes. It won't matter-it's still going to turn Copernicus into a big pancake. The sky above Spencer's head is alive with lights, the vanguards of the American fleet clearly visible as they vector out from behind the Moon to do battle with the onrus.h.i.+ng Eurasian fleet. Spencer can see quite clearly that the Yanks haven't a f.u.c.king prayer. The s.h.i.+ps of the East make the sky immediately above the nearside look like the center of the galaxy. The Righteous Fire-Dragon Righteous Fire-Dragon is dwindling below them as it moves into the last stage of its final plunge- is dwindling below them as it moves into the last stage of its final plunge- They've seen us,” says the pilot.
Velasquez just nods. The s.h.i.+p rocks from side to side as its pilots keep the trajectory unpredictable, letting the craft drop lower all the while. Moon's filling the window now. It looks as if they're maneuvering amidst a mountain range. But Sarmax's vantage point prevents him from seeing the whole picture.
Which doesn't mean he can't be kept in the loop.
”Your friend Carson,” says Velasquez.
”Where's he going?”
”Right where we thought he would.”
She's got everything right where she wants. She's pressing her head against the surface of the door, feeling the vibrations rumble deep within. She envisions dominoes falling, endless chains of locks turning like gears, grinding in upon hinges that slowly start to swivel. She backs up, moving out of the way as the door to the Room starts to open.
The engine punches straight through the main dome of Congreve, red flaring out as a chunk of antimatter explodes into the city.
”Wow,” says Linehan.
”They were all f.u.c.ked anyway,” says Lynx.
And then some. The two men drop through what's left of the shattered dome, firing at everything in sight.
The Operative hits the afterburners, sending the craft on a barely controlled plummet into the sinkhole that sprawls across so much of Nansen Station. He rockets in toward the bottom. There's no way they're going to stop in time.
”What the f.u.c.k are you doing?” yells Maschler.
The Operative says nothing. But now all three men can see that what looks to be the deepest part is actually the beginning of a tunnel- A kilometer of disintegrating megas.h.i.+p crashes through Copernicus's dome, detonating as it goes. Enough of its fuel was intact to make it interesting. Thousands of nukes are going off, enveloping the lunar capital in sheets of energy, making the whole nearside shake. Radiation pummels the suits of the two men who are still several klicks above the city. They start playing evasive action with the debris that they're descending into. kilometer of disintegrating megas.h.i.+p crashes through Copernicus's dome, detonating as it goes. Enough of its fuel was intact to make it interesting. Thousands of nukes are going off, enveloping the lunar capital in sheets of energy, making the whole nearside shake. Radiation pummels the suits of the two men who are still several klicks above the city. They start playing evasive action with the debris that they're descending into.
”We'll need some new gear,” says Spencer.
”First things first,” says Jarvin.
They swoop down toward that smoking crater.
The s.h.i.+p lifts away from the sinkhole, pivots, drops in toward an adjacent valley.
”What the h.e.l.l's going on?” says Sarmax.
”Carson's gone to ground,” replies Velasquez.
”And we're not?”
”We're going in another way. Are you ready to get back in the fight?”
Sarmax nods. Tunnel closes in around them.
The door's as ma.s.sive as it is reinforced. As it swings open, Haskell can hear the creaking of doors behind it doing the same thing. A whole succession of gates, and she's cracked them all. She steps behind the first one, starts moving past the procession-starts to get intimations of the s.p.a.ce that lies beyond- The upper levels of Congreve are totaled. The lower levels are pure chaos. The fact that Lynx has hacked the inner enclaves of the city's defenses is only adding to the insanity. He and Linehan charge into the city's bas.e.m.e.nts, shooting in all directions, heading downward as fast as possible.
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