Chapter 627: War In Heaven (2/2)
Trucker looked up from the hologram. ”Legion's hemming him now, bird dogging him toward Herod.”
Peel put her fingers on her datalink, the pink enamel flashing in the light. ”Herod, he's coming. Get ready. Remember, pink casement window. Pink. Casement.”
The other Terran, Tommy, got up from the computer after logging out, walked over to the mat-trans and shut the door.
Vuxten leaned against the console as the mat-trans cycled.
--having fun yet-- 471 asked.
”Not sure yet,” Vuxten sent back across his datalink.
--part of history-- 471 replied.
Vuxten just grunted.
”All right, let's get this party started,” Dee said clapping her hands together as the mat-trans system gave an oscillating whine that slowed down and stopped. ”Peel, Trucker, Casey, you'll be meeting up with Kalki and Joan.”
Vuxten sat there while Peel and Trucker entered the mat-trans. He was silent as the system wound up, gave a high pitched vibrating whine, then slowly wound down.
”Vuxten, you're up,” Dee said. ”You'll get briefed on the other side.”
Vuxten just nodded. He went in and sat down on the armaglass.
”Pleasant dreams, Tod,” Dee said, and closed the door.
Before Vuxten could protest it wasn't his name the mist rose and sucked him down.
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”I got drafted, you know,” Peter suddenly said. ”I'm actually a trained soldier, I guess. I don't feel like it though.”
Dambree looked over at him, still drinking out of the can of fizzybrew.
”It was during the buildup for the Third Anthill Invasion,” Peter said. He shook his head. ”Two years, absolutely terrified the whole time. Worse yet, the Corporation played up the fact that Chromium Peter was in the invasion force.”
”Sucks,” Dambree said, tossing the empty can in the garbage and walking back to the vending machine at the back of the room. She pulled the door open and grabbed another fizzybrew out of the machine she had pried open.
”It did,” Peter said. ”I had nightmares for decades until the Corporation had a synaptic surgeon edit the pathways to those memories,” he kept typing as he talked. ”Worst part was, they were so ingrained he couldn't remove them, so he just edited it so my conscious mind couldn't access them. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, shaking, covered in sweat, not knowing why.”
”Yeah,” Dambree said, cracking open the can. Part of her should have been surprised to see a can of Countess Crey Cola in a vending machine from 8,000 years ago, but another part of her was relieved at the same time. She grabbed an extra and turned around.
Peter was silent, leaned forward slightly, typing and scrolling. He had all four screens up, looking at the data back and forth.
He hit the little weird looking square and shook his head. ”Tables are weighted. That'll sort the SUDS files based on how long ago they initially entered the system for processing.”
Dambree just nodded, setting down the cold can of cola.
”Thanks,” Peter said. He was already running search strings again, looking for the data and programs he needed to modify. He cracked open the can and looked up at the grav-ski mask that was staring down at him. ”Are you afraid?”
Dambree nodded. ”Always. Not of death. Death is nothing. I fear failure more than death.”
Peter nodded. ”Me too.”
The door opened and Menhit stepped in, her hands in the wide mouthed sleeves of her kanga. The kitenge on her shoulders was smooth and unruffled.
”They will not be back. I have taught the survivors fear,” she said softly. She moved over and sat down by Peter, reaching out and taking his hand. ”I am with you, older brother.”
Dambree walked back to the vending machine.
”Thank you, sister,” Peter said. He leaned over, resting his shoulder against hers. He tilted his head to rest his head on her shoulder. ”I feel tired.”
Dambree set down the cold can of cola in front of Menhit and stepped back, leaning against a console near the door.
”I thank you, little one,” Menhit said as she cracked open the can.
The grav-mask shifted in a slow nod.
The computers beeped and data started streaming by on one of the screens.
”What's happening?” Menhit asked calmly, setting down the can after taking a drink.
”Mass processing,” Peter said, leaning forward. ”Someone just dumped the entirety of the SUDS records into the processing queue.”
Menhit gave a chuckle as she slowly withdrew her pipe.
”Is it wrong that I hate it that she was right?” Peter asked Menhit as the dark skinned woman lit her pipe with a match. ”The more she's right, the more my stomach hurts at the idea of what will go wrong.”
Menhit just smiled though a cloud of smoke.
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On the blasted plains the great beast looked up at the sky as it filled with millions upon millions of falling stars that screamed as they plunged down to impact the blasted rock.
Motes drifted down, giggling and laughing, bouncing around the great beast in sheer joy.
The beast lifted up one hand and motioned.
A bronze gate, engraved and inlaid appeared. The doors cracked open to reveal sunny fields, puffy clouds in a blue sky, and bunnies playing in the grass.
”This place is not meant for you, little one,” the beast rumbled. ”Play on the Field of Summer and Song.”
The giggling and dancing motes rushed through the gate even as more fell from the sky in a giggling rain of sparkling light.
”Mercy?” the bronze clad man asked, flexing wings with feathers of hammered copper.
”You don't know me,” the demon rumbled, looking away from the bronze angel.
The angel just smiled.
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”Come on, get up,” Vuxten heard.
--wish i was dead-- 471 said.
Vuxten looked up and saw The Detainee standing over him, holding out a hand. He grabbed it and she yanked him to his feet as if he didn't weight just over a ton.
”What are we doing?” Vuxten asked.
”Solving a riddle,” the Detainee said. She made an odd face, her nose wrinkling. She lifted up her hand and sneezed. When she looked into her hand she grimaced. ”Shit.”
Vuxten saw tiny misting droplets of blood on her hand for a second before she wiped it on her leg.
”Come on,” the Detainee snapped.
”Are you all right?” Vuxten asked, following her.
”I'm stretched beyond my limits. I'm not Legion, it's starting to... stack up, shall we say,” the Detainee said. She glanced at him. ”It's not so bad, you know?”
Vuxten just nodded as he followed her through dark hallways.