22

I triggered [Cloud Barrier], and the nanite swarm jumped out of my body.

The blade sliced through the nanite cloud, but thankfully, they held against the force, knocking the quartz a step back. Several nanites dropped like flies on the quartz’s feet. My heart pounded as I scrambled back to my feet, my eyes locked on that deadly blade raising for another strike. With no weapons left, I had to act fast.

As the quartz brought the scimitar down, I dodged to the side and felt the blade slice through the air inches away from my head. I got up. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I grabbed the nearest object, a heavy metal piece from a destroyed drone, and swung it at the quartz with all my might. I was surprised I could even muster such considerable strength. The crate connected with the quartz’s head, knocking them off balance and causing them to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, I rushed forward to tackle the enemy, my hands grappling for the scimitar.

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the quartz swung its shield around and slammed square through my right side. I was airborne instantly, flailing in the air for a second before my back collided against the wall. My NVGs got knocked out of my head. I slumped to the floor, fearing I shattered my spine when I couldn’t move. I could feel the nanites inside my body start applying aid.

The quartz marched over to the deputies nearby.

Sparks stood frozen in terror, too close to the advancing quartz. Holloway’s frantic screams urging him to retreat fell on deaf ears as Sparks raised his arms to surrender. But that wouldn’t work. No, you idiot! Run away! The quartz raised their scimitar high and brought it down in a brutal arc, cleaving Sparks in two while I watched in horror.

The deputy’s blood sprayed across the cargo hold, painting the walls in a gruesome slash. The upper half of Sparks’ body lay lifeless on the ground, his vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling. His lower half kneeled for a moment before the quartz walked over it.

The quartz was not done yet. With a ferocious snarl, they grabbed the severed head by the hair and hurled it at Holloway with all their might. It collided with the other deputy, knocking him into a tangled heap.

Holloway struggled to regain his footing as the quartz approached, the scimitar dripping with Sparks’ blood, which dried then evaporated in a few seconds. Holloway scrambled to his feet, backing away from the advancing quartz who now had his sights set on him.

But the quartz was upon him before the deputy could even think of a plan to escape. The enemy swung their weapon with lethal precision, carving a deep gash across Holloway’s chest. The deputy stumbled back and made a strangled yelp as he tried to fend off the relentless attacks.

In the end, it was no use. The quartz was too powerful, too skilled. With a final, savage blow, the quartz brought their fist on Holloway’s skull, crushing it like a ripe melon.

Finley and the other FBI agent started shooting at the damn thing. The quartz turned his sights on Alonso and Freddie, ignoring the bullets.

Fuck. I needed armor to counter his blows—anything to protect myself. Prime, you better find me something to fight this thing!

Suddenly, the wall behind me shifted. Hundreds of thousands of nanites (which made up a fraction of the vessel’s hull) scurried forward and covered my body, melding with the armor I was already wearing and forming into a sleek power suit that almost hugged my form.

I have studied and calculated the quartz’s strength, forerunner. I hope this armor will be enough to resist their strike, Prime said.

I hoped it would work. I got up and yelled, “Hey! Over here!”

The quartz turned around. I wouldn’t say they looked surprised, but they paused, studying me. No. They were examining the nanites. There was recognition there, as if they knew who I was. They marched toward me instead.

“Tony!” Amelia shouted, firing her rifle until the gun clicked empty. The quartz ignored her. They had their sights on me, the forerunner.

Come on, come on, you big ugly. Face the big boss. I looked around for something to fight with, but there was nothing to find on this empty cargo except bodies and drones. All I got was a knife sheathed on my belt, so I took that out. It would be no use, but the blade gave me comfort. That’s when I spotted the cargo bay doors and prompted Prime to open them up. A powerful gust of wind entered the cargo hold, the dim darkness retreating from the encroaching sunlight.

Beyond, San Francisco was in complete chaos.

Half a dozen of the Navy was in flames, sinking into the bay. Buildings were on fire. Fighter jets were strewn and burning on the crowded streets where dozens lay dead. The second quartz vessel slipped past behind a skyscraper and realized that Prime, Nick, and Ben did a number on it before a purplish energy shot out and clipped Ben’s star-fighter, sent it hurtling downward, and crashed on the roof of a tall building.

No! Ben!

I got distracted, and it was enough for the quartz to lunge forward.

The quartz’s steps reverberated through the cargo hold, the sound of their heavy footfalls like a war drum. I braced myself, my fingers tightly gripping the hilt of my knife. The quartz closed the distance between us in seconds, their arms raised and ready to strike. I leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding their attack, and spun around to face them.

We circled each other, both waiting for the other to make a move. I darted forward, my knife flashing in the light, and the quartz countered with a powerful punch that sent me flying back.

I landed hard on the cargo floor, gasping for breath. It wasn’t as hard as before, and I only ended up a few feet from them. The pain in my side where the quartz had hit me quickly subsided. The nanite armor was working for the most part. The quartz still hit like a barreling train.

Are you okay, forerunner? Prime asked. How’s the armor?

“Not the time, Prime.”

The quartz advanced, their fist clenched around the glowing scimitar, the other blocking Alonso and Freddie’s shots. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t let them win. I lunged forward, my knife aimed at the quartz’s chest. Anything to distract it. Anything to keep it closer to the edge of the descending ramp.

But the quartz sidestepped my attack and grabbed my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back. I gritted my teeth against the pain, struggling to break free.

The quartz chuckled, a rumbling tone like crushing rocks together, their grip tightening. I realized it was talking to me, and in three seconds, Prime’s translations echoed inside my skull. “You are no match for us,” they sneered. “Do not fight. I will take you alive. Your blood will be worth the price of ascension.”

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I struggled under their fierce grip and noticed a small opening under their arm. It was the armpit, and it seemed vulnerable.

Prime! Give me another distraction!

A drone fell from a ceiling hatch and latched onto the quartz’s head, losing its grip on my wrist.

With a sudden burst of energy, aided by the nanites, I wrenched my wrist free, turned around, and lunged forward. I grabbed the quartz’s arm and maneuvered them into a vulnerable position. All it took was a slight pull, and I quickly took advantage of the opening and plunged the blade into the quartz’s armpit. They recoiled, howling in pain, the blade embedded into their flesh, gushing purple blood. Still, it didn’t bring them down. They got back up, fury coursing through their roar.

“Futile!” They screamed. “It is futile to fight us, forerunner!”

The quartz was ten feet away from the edge.

I took one last look at Amelia, Freddie, and Alonso charging to my aid before I turned around and tackled the quartz over the ramp.

The wind rushed past me. I held onto the quartz tightly, determined not to let go. We fell between skyscrapers, where I could see our reflection in the mirrors. The quartz struggled and thrashed beneath, trying to wiggle out of my grasp. The street came into view, where a large crowd pointed up and started running away.

The drone still latched onto the quartz’s head, broke free as I loosened my grip. It plucked me off the quartz, slowing my fall as I kicked the behemoth further down, sending it crashing onto the roof of a yellow taxi stuck in a traffic jam. The drone didn’t have enough thrust to put me down gently, and I slammed onto the roof of a nearby bus, tumbled over the edge, and hit the pavement.

I thought I was dead. My right cheek was burning. The pain was everywhere until I could feel the nanites inside my body stitching me back up.

Not dead. Not dead, I repeated like a mantra. I couldn't believe I had survived that fall. It was only a thirty-foot drop, but still. It hurt like a motherfucker.

Overhead, the forerunner ship crossed the sky, chasing the second quartz vessel with its depleted shields. Nick’s star-fighter and what was left of the Blue Angels were aiding in the pursuit, firing streaks of missiles at the enemy. I watched in awe as the vessel reeled sideways and plummeted out of my view.

I slowly got up, stumbling toward the taxi, and climbed the hood. The quartz stirred, still alive but barely. A shard of metal poked out of their torso. They extended their hand out as if asking for help from me. Anger burned from within, and I picked their scimitar from inside the taxi’s cabin (searing a gash on the passenger seat) and raised it over my head.

“Forerunner—” Prime’s translations were still working. The quartz struggled to speak. “We know who…you are. You’ll be…dead by the end…of the solar year. They…will..come.”

I nodded. “Good to know.”

I swung the scimitar, cutting off the quartz’s head in one swift motion. As its head rolled off the roof and landed on the ground, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me, but it was fleeting. The drone hovered above, waiting for my next orders. Fighter jets flew above the street, heading back to the harbor.

Just then, I noticed the people coming from where they were hiding. They had their phones in their hands, aimed at me. Filming me. I must have looked strange wearing this armor, looking human. I bet some already realized who I was. The guy who got abducted by the aliens on TV. And they just watched me decapitate an alien creature.

“Prime, is Lieutenant Amendola still alive?” I said quietly.

He is alive, forerunner. I sense his vitals. He is currently on the roof of an apartment complex. The star-fighter is forty percent intact. We can salvage it.

“Pick him up,” I ordered. “The star-fighter, too.”

At your command, forerunner.

“What about the quartz?’

All ships down, forerunner. They are grounded.

Well, that was good to hear. “Once you collect Amendola, pick me up at my location. I need to see from above what we should do next.”

I sighed and hopped off the taxi’s roof, ignoring the crowd filming me. I spotted a hotdog cart by the side of the road, the cook hiding behind it. My stomach suddenly rumbled. I walked toward it, fishing out a crumpled fifty-dollar bill in my pocket.

“How much for the hotdog?” I asked, out of breath. I spotted a can of Coke. “Maybe that Coke, too?”

The cook slowly stood up, unsure what to do. He shot a wary look at the floating mechanical drone behind me.

“Don’t worry. He’s harmless,” I said. “So, how much?”

“Um, that would be fourteen dollars and forty-nine cents?”

I gave him the bill. “Keep the change.”

He gulped and took the money. In a minute, he quickly arranged the bun and the steaming hotdog and prepared the condiments.

“Ketchup and mustard,” I said. “No relish. No pickles.”

The cook did as asked and handed the hotdog sandwich to me with shaking hands. I scarfed it down in four bites, opened the Coke can, and gulped it down. I realized manipulating the nanites always left me hungry. I dreaded having to pack for lunch every time I used the nanites’ abilities. Once all the food was gone, Prime told me he had picked up Ben and the star-fighter and was heading to my location.

I thanked the cook and strolled toward the taxi, hoping Prime (and the ship) would spot me easier. A group of boys no older than twelve had gathered around the vehicle, craning their necks to get a good view of the alien. One man and two women scolded them to get back as I approached. One boy remained with a broken windshield wiper he picked from the ground. He stuck it inside the taxi and gave the quartz a good poke. It did not stir.

He stepped back when I climbed up the roof. He was the youngest out of them, maybe eight or nine, looking up at me with awe, yet he held that windshield wiper as if it would protect him from me. I smiled and gave him a reassuring wave that I was harmless.

“Are you an alien, too?” He asked me.

“No,” I replied. “Just a guy doing what’s right.”

The boy mulled over what I said for a second. Meanwhile, the forerunner ship flew closer.

“Are you here to fight them?” The boy pointed at the dead quartz.

“Yes,” I said.

When my ship crawled to a halt a hundred feet above the street, people fled into the buildings. Some screamed. Others gaped in horror. One man grabbed the boy I was talking to, and they ran into a nearby cafe. A small platform flew out of the cargo doors and descended to where I was. I was tempted to say, “Beam me up, Scotty,” but I reckoned that was out of Prime’s technological capabilities. I stepped on the floating platform and felt its thrusters below countering my weight. I ordered the drone to pick up the dead quartz and bring it with us. We flew back to my ship.

Forerunner, the quartz captain requests to speak with you, Prime said.

“Oh? How convenient,” I mumbled, stretching my arms. There was a deep knot beneath my right shoulder blade, probably from that hit I took with the quartz’s shield. I wondered if the quartz was surrounding it. We just kicked their ass.

As I broke through the building’s shadow, I saw the scope of the destruction. The second quartz had crashed into Mission District. I had visited this city a dozen times with my family, and to see San Francisco laid to waste like this was heartbreaking. How many were dead? If only I had been careful, maybe the quartz wouldn’t attack me. Perhaps it wouldn’t lead to this. I picked myself up when there was no point in what-ifs. It would only cloud my judgment.

But as I reached and climbed onto the cargo ramp, Agent Finley aimed his gun at me. Quickly, I commanded Prime not to interfere. I didn’t want to add Finley to his body count. The other FBI agent aimed his gun at Freddie. Alonso and Amelia paused, looking at me for orders. I shook my head slightly, and they backed down. Deputy Garrett was the only one who didn’t pull out his weapon, stepping back from the line of fire. Agent Phan walked in from the doors with Tyler, Sheriff Goodwin, the other surviving deputies, and the FBI agents. They, too, took out their weapons.

“Get this ship on the ground now,” Finley said.

“I just saved your ass, Agent Finley,” I said, raising my arm. I gestured over to the destruction below. “Might have saved the city, too, but I don’t know how many quartz survived the crash.” I pointed up to the upper deck. “Their leader wants to speak to me. Let me go, and maybe I can end this.”

“Fat chance I’ll let you do that. What makes you think you’re capable of—”

He grimaced. I spotted a red splotch under his shirt by his right abdomen. “You should get that wound looked at. I can help with that. These nanites you saw, they can heal anything.”

“It’s true,” Freddie added. The other FBI agent motioned for him not to speak, but Freddie gave him a shrug.

Looking around, I noticed that more of them were wounded. The ship came equipped with a full stock of surgical nanites in the med bay capable of treating all of them.

“Let me help, Agent Finley,” I urged him. “You saw what you saw. Do you really want to arrest me now?”

He thought it over. I could see it on his face. The doubt crept in, but ultimately, he realized I was right. They needed medical attention fast. A few had their arms and legs broken, some with gashes from the quartz’s blade. It was a miracle only five died from the attack. It still ate me up inside that I couldn’t save Sparks and Holloway. Even Sheriff Goodwin had difficulty looking at their bodies, piled like a discarded heap of trash.

Agent Finley lowered his gun. “Stand down,” he said.

“But Andrew—” the other agent argued.

“I said stand down, Reeves. You too, Trina.”

Agent Phan lowered her weapon. She still eyed the drone cautiously. “We got two agents in critical condition back in that room.”

“Okay. The drones will carry them to the med bay, but before we can do that, you all need to do one thing.”

Agent Phan and Finley shared a troubled look. “What is it?” Finley asked.

I glanced over the drone and explained what needed to be done: accept my authority as a forerunner, and get treatment.

Surprisingly, they all said yes.