Now, Earth
“Fuck! Can’t believe I fell for that— Gonna make you pay for that, asshole!”
Bennett noticed that the speaker was a woman by her voice. She sounded young-ish. Not that it mattered. He got a scary vibe from her. Like he was a prey under a predator’s gaze, which was messed up considering he was a vampire.
He dashed down the dark alleyway. He dipped in and out of the shadows as he attempted to throw his pursuer off. It didn’t work. He felt her chasing after him. She kept up somehow despite how fast he moved through the debris-strewn alley.
He almost tripped over a pile of garbage as he tried to drink down the last half of his blood flask. He had used too much of his vampire abilities in a shorter amount of time than he was accustomed.
Bennett rounded a corner and ran right into a brick wall. He fell back and landed flat on his back. He thanked the fact that since he received his class pain sensations had been somewhat muted. He felt his nose. It was broken in a couple of places. He popped it into place with only a twinge of pain. It was getting easier to ignore the pain or was his body changing more? A troubling thought. Was he losing more of his humanity?
“I knew I smelled something bloody.”
The wall spoke with a deep voice.
Bennett looked up. He found it difficult to make out details, like colors and facial features, while he used his unnatural night vision.
The brick wall he ran into was a man. A big, built-looking man. Like a football player or a wrestler. The kind of guy that once made his high school years memorable in a negative way.
Bennett assessed his situation. He had been running pretty fast with a body that was super strong and a lot denser now. The guy stopped him cold and looked uninjured. That implied some sort of enhanced strength and durability. Perhaps a magical shield?
“You reek of blood,” the man growled. “For your sake, I hope you didn’t kill any of our people.” The man stepped toward Bennett. “Now, you can come along quietly and tell us who or what you are? Why you’re in our city? Or not. It’ll give me an excuse to get rough, cause for some reason, the more I smell you the more I want to tear you to pieces.”
Bennett scrambled back and popped to his feet.
The man stumbled.
The quickness of Bennett’s movements surprised him.
“Stop! Just wait a second,” Bennett held up a hand. “I don’t want any trouble. I was just checking out the place. Seeing if it was safe for me. I’ve been living out there and I thought I could finally get back to some semblance of civilization.”
The information packet from Officer Lawrence had included some suggestions for a cover story if Bennett found the need. The officer was either prescient or she just liked all of her bases covered. He’d bet on the latter. The packet was as thick as a dictionary.
“He’s lying.”
Bennett spun around. The woman from earlier had caught up. He was trapped between the two.
“How can you tell?” The man said. “I can hear his heart beating and it’s super slow. I’d say this guy wasn’t scared if I couldn’t see how wide and shifty his eyes are.”
“I can smell it.”
“Bullshit! We can’t do that.”
“He’s covered in the stench of fresh blood.”
“Fresh-ish,” the man shrugged.
“That’s not all. Can’t you smell it underneath?” When the man didn’t say anything the woman continued. “There’s nothing there. No scents. No body odors. No soap and shampoo. No deodorant, lotion, aftershave. Nothing that you’d find on any normal human.”
The man inhaled deeply into his nostrils. “You’re right. I must’ve missed it through all the shit in this alley. Disgusting smells.” He regarded Bennett. His voice took on an edge that hadn’t been there. “We’re taking you in. The bosses are definitely gonna wanna see what you’re about.”
“Ummm…” Bennett raised a finger.
“Fucker! You try that same trick again and I’ll break all your fingers,” the woman growled.
Bennett’s eyes widened. Did he hear that right? She actually growled. As in, like an actual animal sound.
His night vision lost a good amount of detail, but he saw sharp canine teeth in the woman’s bared mouth.
“Uh… are you, like, vampires or something?”
“Why would you say that?” The man frowned.
“This guy’s getting more suspicious by the second. Less talk, more ass-kicking.”
The woman advanced slowly toward Bennett. He wasn’t sure, but it almost looked as if her ears had lengthened and she grew hairier.
It suddenly clicked. “Oh sh—” Bennett whispered. He had seen this movie before. He slid a step back toward the closest wall.
“Don’t even think about moving,” the man snapped. “Get on your knees, hands on your head and cross your legs.”
Bennett swallowed the lump in his throat. He hoped that he had enough blood in him for what was about to happen.
“Wait! Can’t we discuss this like rational people. I must say that I’m not feeling very welcome in your community.”
“That’s cause we’re invitation only. You make yourself known at the border checkpoints and get vetted before we allow you in on a provisional basis. Prove your worth and that you aren’t a threat to our city, then you become a citizen.”
A shit-eating grin split the man’s lips. Bennett caught the sharp canine teeth.
“If you came from outside the city… then you’d have seen the checkpoints and they would’ve seen you.”
“That’s right. We put up signs and billboards in every direction. Lays out the process for immigration clearly,” the woman said.
Bennett couldn’t remember seeing any of them. Of course he wasn’t really paying attention. Plus it was hard to read stuff in the dark while he was running at fifty miles per hour and dodging a hungry wyvern.
“Don’t move!”
Bennett ignored the man. He jumped back into the wall. The shadows embraced him as he melted into them. He emerged on the other side. In the building. Some kind of shuttered bar. He ran for it.
The wall exploded in a shower of masonry.
Bennett felt a huge presence behind him. Much bigger than the big man outside. He heard deep breaths going in and out of massive lungs. It reminded him of trips to the zoo and listening to the breathing of bears and big cats.
He felt a spike of fear that made him want to freeze and curl his tall, lanky frame into a small ball. It was primal.
Bennett listened to the flight response. He dashed into the shadows at the front of the bar and emerged out on the sidewalk. He thanked God that he had memorized the maps and schematics that Officer Lawrence had provided.
He felt thudding, heavy footsteps behind him as he dove for the manhole cover in the middle of the street. He grabbed the heavy iron disk in both hands and threw it behind him, frisbee style without looking. The sound of breaking glass followed him down into the sewer as he dropped into the hole.
The stench was awful. Bennett tried to breath out of his mouth. It was a relief. His pursuers had sensitive noses. They’d find it difficult to track him. He hoped.
Bennett drank deeply from another flask as he ran. He felt his nose pop back into its proper alignment. He was so preoccupied with potential pursuit that he didn’t even notice that he barely felt the pain.
Week One
Bennett wasn’t a happy man. Understandable considering his circumstances. Namely, he had spent several days sleeping, if it could still be called that, in the sewers. His nights were spent out above in the city as he tried to complete his Quest and gather more intelligence.
Those unknown people made it beyond difficult. Now that he had their scent he felt as if they were everywhere. It was as if they were about to jump him at any time. He couldn’t work under such conditions.
The worst part was that he had gone through his supply of fresh human blood during the first two nights. He hadn’t intended to stay beyond that. Now he was reduced to luring rats, mutant and otherwise, for his nutritional needs. It was not a good situation. He could feel something within him slipping away.
Bennett stood on the roof of the only functional hospital in the city because he needed human blood. It was nonnegotiable. He feared that he might turn into some kind of animalistic monster the way things were going. Whenever he looked at a person it was all that he could do to stop himself. He resolved to make sure that the others back home never knew about this unfortunate aspect of his Class. If they knew then they wouldn’t ignore the risk he posed despite the goodwill he had managed to build. Part of him wouldn’t blame them.
He had already set up a small refrigerator and freezer combo with a gas-powered generator in his temporary home deep in the sewer. Now he just needed to stock it properly. Then he could concentrate on his Quest and get out of this creepy city.
The hospital had power as evidenced by the lights in the windows and the loud rumbling of several generators. Crucial to Bennett’s plan was that there were a lot dark windows, which told him that perhaps the electricity wasn’t running throughout the whole building. It made sense, conserve and just use what you needed. Perhaps San Francisco hadn’t yet gotten their entire grid back up like they did in Davis and most of Sacramento.
There were plenty of shadows for Bennett to slip into. He knew exactly where he needed to go.
Several minutes of stealthy shadow infiltration later and Bennett was inside the freezer room where they kept the blood. He went for the fridge first. He needed a drink badly.
Eight empty blood bags later and Bennett felt as if a shroud had been lifted from over his eyes. He could think properly now. He took his cooler backpack and dropped it in front of the fridge. He was about to indiscriminately stuff it as full as possible when he had a thought.
Bennett lit his small candle lantern. He needed to read the labels. He couldn’t do that while using his night vision. It took him a lot longer to finish filling his backpack with the precious liquid, but he felt good about his decision.
When Bennett stepped out of the shadows into the hallway he was greeted by a bunch of armed people in both directions. He had screwed up.
“Hi!” A young woman with golden blond hair smiled at him brightly. She stood in front.
Bennett regarded the woman. She was generally pretty and looked to be in good shape. Unlike the rest of her people she wasn’t armed or even armored. Just a t-shirt, jeans and a light hoodie.
“Um… hi?” Bennett ventured. He got a similar predatory vibe from the girl as he did from the two in the alley several days ago. She seemed friendlier, so he decided to engage in conversation while he nonchalantly slipped fingers in his pocket.
“You know… everyone’s been looking for you.”
“Yes?”
“A lot of questions about what you might be. You’re obviously not a monster, so we were wondering what your Class was.” The young woman grinned. “And I found out! You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”
“What makes you say that?” Bennett tried to keep the resignation from his voice. He had to admit that he was doing a terrible job of keeping opsec as Officer Lawrence had stressed.
“Well, you have literally no scents aside from blood,” the young woman wrinkled her nose, “and sewers, bleh. Oh and I watched you on the surveillance camera. You drank like ten pints in less than three minutes.”
“Actually,” Bennett raised a finger, “just eight. For the record.” He wanted things to be factual.
“So, why did you spend so much time going through the blood bags? I know you can move fast. If you just jammed everything in your backpack you could’ve been out of here before we got in position.”
“I realized that there is a rarity to blood types. Had I simply grabbed them indiscriminately I might’ve depleted the hospital’s supply of potentially vital blood. Consequently, it could’ve created harm for someone else in the future.”
“Awww, that’s nice! You’re like a nice bloodsucker.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. You answered mine.”
“Are you a… vampire?”
The young woman barked a laugh. “Nope. You’ll have to guess.”
She changed before Bennett’s eyes. Her ears were hidden by long hair, but they lengthened and their pointed tips poked out. Her canine teeth grew into fangs. Fine, blond hair sprouted from her face, neck and the backs of her hands.
Bennett surmised that the hair was likely sprouting over most of her body. He waited for the transformation to progress, but… “That’s it?”
The young woman arched a bushy brow.
“Sorry, I was expecting—” Bennett sighed. “I don’t know what I was expecting.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint. We’re in the middle of our only hospital and I don’t want to accidentally wreck it. I guess we can step outside if you want,” the young woman shrugged. “So, guess yet?”
“I have settled on a hypothesis, but I need more information to declare my answer.”
“That’s too bad cause once I bring you in I’m probably never going to see you aga—”
Bennett acted. He threw the hex nut in his pocket at the light fixture overhead. Superhuman strength, quickness and hand-eye coordination gave him the jump.
The shards of glass that showered down gave Bennett the distraction he needed. The broken light created a deep enough shadow on the floor. He slipped down to the next floor. Soon, he was out of the hospital and headed back to his shitty sewer home.
Week Two
“Hey, bro!”
Bennett whirled around. He had just climbed out of a manhole.
“Whoa! Relax. I come in peace. Don’t eat me. Also, we’ve got an archer and a bunch of dudes with guns and crossbows covering you. We even carved the shafts out of fresh heartwood.”
The speaker was a teenage boy, not quite a young man yet.
“Please don’t shoot me,” Bennett said.
“Just stay cool. We just want to talk. If you’ll follow me. We need to get off the streets before the pack gets a whiff of us.”
“Uhhh…”
“We can just shoot you and take you back if that’s what you want?”
“Huh?”
“You know, vampire, stake through the heart with fresh heartwood basically paralyzes you. Arrows might be stretching it, but should be close enough.”
“Ah, I’m familiar with that particular folklore. Still, please don’t shoot me. An arrow through the heart will probably kill me,” Bennett said.
“Alright, then just follow me and we good.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Motherf—” The teenager rolled his eyes. “Old people… look bro, we think you can help us out and we can do the same for you. Like that saying cui bono or something. A favor for a favor.”
“Huh?” Bennett frowned. “Oh, you mean quid pro quo. Cui bono means something like ‘who gains or benefits’ usually refers to criminal activity. You study Latin?”
“I thought it was Roman. Got it from a game.” The teenager lit a lantern and hurried down the street. It seemed that he wasn’t going to wait any longer. “C’mon man, you can ask me questions while we walk. Do you want the pack to catch you? They’re really pissed at you, by the way.”
Bennett decided to follow for now. He could always slip back down into the sewers.
“What’s your name?”
“No names man,” the teenager grunted.
“Okay. Then give me the elevator pitch.”
“The fuck is that?”
“Tell me why I should go with you to— wherever it is we’re going.”
“I told already. You help us and we help you.”
Bennett looked down at the teenager. He had the sudden urge to lift him by his jacket and shake him until he stopped being annoying. He suppressed it and counted to twenty.
“And who are you, exactly?”
“We’re the Resistance,” the teenager grinned.
Now that the imminent threat was gone, Bennett concentrated his senses. It was hard to rely on his sense of smell since he was covered in the ever present stench of sewers. It was a necessary evil. He believed that the same stench did enough to confuse his three dogged hunters.
Bennett drew on a supernatural sense. He didn’t know how to classify it, but essentially it was tied to blood. He could sense lifeblood as it flowed inside a living being. The higher the life form the brighter they stood out. All around him there were small, pulsing sacks of blood. He knew this to be the various animals and their mutant versions. There was a surprising lack of monsters.
He had noticed one of the small gremlins the other day, but that was a rare sighting. He had only noticed a handful after almost two weeks in the city.
That was all he picked up for several hundred yards around him.
“How’d you find me anyways?”
The teenager shrugged. “I’m a lookout. It’s my job.”
“You know… you’re pretty brave,” Bennett said.
“Yeah.”
“I mean to come out here to a pretty deserted area. Aren’t you scared of monsters?”
“Nah, no more monsters. Just about the only good thing those scion freaks did. Besides I’ve got shooters watching my every move. Anything gives me a go and they’ll turn it into a porcupine.”
“Uh huh. What if I told you that I know for a fact that the only two people anywhere near here are you and me?”
The teenager’s eyes grew wide.
“Please don’t eat me.”
All the bravado was gone.
Bennett felt bad. He could feel the teenager’s blood racing. It was like a roaring river. The kid was terrified.
“You swear that you’re on the level and this isn’t some kind of trick. That this Resistance is real and this quid pro quo deal is legitimate?”
“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” the teenager nodded vigorously. “It’s just that I’m… sorta freelancing, so maybe when we get to our secret base you hang back while I get things squared up…”
Bennett focused red eyes on the teenager. The kid told the truth. Unless he had an ability or magic that could fool Bennett.
“Okay. I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down.”
“I’m legit, bro.” The teenager had regained some of his earlier cockiness.
Bennett planned to go to the so-called Resistance’s secret base. He’d watch, listen and observe. If he didn’t like how it looked then he’d use the darkness to slip away. If it looked promising then he’d consider a deal. Except he’d make it on his terms.
A grin split Bennett’s lips.
The teenager saw Bennett’s fangs. To his credit, the kid didn’t jump or run.
Bennett was satisfied with himself. Sure, he had only outmaneuvered a teenager, but it was a good sign of progress. Almost two weeks in and he was already getting pretty good at the spy game.
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Now, Threnosh World
“I need more gray ones!”
General Zanya resisted the urge to smash the raving hierophant in his narrow, ugly face.
The hierophant almost crossed her last line. His spittle sprinkled her face. She saw bits of meat in his teeth. Fresh meat, when she and her legionnaires had nothing but hard, dry rations for the last several weeks. Although knowing the source of the meat, she didn’t feel jealous. Ever since the gray ones had managed to pin them inside the city they hadn’t been able to send out any hunters and foragers for fresh food.
“We’ve been over this, Elgorit.” General Zanya bared her teeth. She deliberately dropped the hierophant’s title as a message. “They fight us with their soulless machines. Actual gray ones only engage at a distance and they go to ground before we can capture any. And in the few cases that we managed to grab any… their armor explodes and completely destroys the gray one within.” The general frowned. The enemy deliberately destroyed themselves to avoid capture. That suggested knowledge of Elgorit’s workings.
“And I’ve repeatedly told you that without gray one life blood I cannot recreate the working that damages the gray ones automatons!” Elgorit snapped. “You ask for a solution to your difficulties and I provided one. The only one. Get me more gray ones! Alive! And in the dozens! Their tiny bodies contain so little. It’s like squeezing a grackle fruit for its juice.”
A grackle was closer to a rock than a fruit.
General Zanya considered her options. What use was Elgorit without that one specific working? She knew how hierophants behaved. Once he had expended his supply he would start demanding cragants be sacrificed for his needs. She resolved to crush Elgorit’s head between her hands if it came to that.
“You may leave,” Elgorit waved a dirty, blood-caked hand toward the door. “Do not return without gray ones.”
General Zanya looked at the remaining small ones in their cages along the walls of Elgorit’s lair. They were a sorry lot. Their bodies were battered and covered with half-healed scabs. Their eyes were dead and stared at nothing. Their numbers had dwindled and there was less of them to spread Elgorit’s ministrations around.
The general felt pity. It surprised her and she hesitated.
“Well? You’ve been dismissed. Unless you have something to add?”
General Zanya said nothing. She turned and stomped out of the building. She didn’t notice that her hands were clenched hard enough to crush rocks until she was halfway to her command tent.
“Trusk?” General Zanya barked as she strode into the tent.
“Yes, general?” Adjutant Trusk saluted.
“We have been breached by enemy agents.”
“I will alert our legionnaires and commence a search. The gray ones will not elude us.”
“No,” General Zanya took a breath to settle herself. Be as unyielding as the crags, she thought. “It’s too late. They’ve already obtained the information they needed. I doubt that they are still hidden and watching.”
“They know about the hierophant’s miasma,” Trusk nodded. “It explains why they changed tactics several weeks ago. Why they seek to bury us in dishonorable battle with their soulless automatons. Why they destroy themselves when captured.”
“I cannot find fault with the gray ones tactics.”
“True enough. I’d not want to end up fodder in the hierophant’s cauldron.”
General Zanya understood the unspoken words in her adjutant’s eyes. “That is only a concern for our enemies and lesser beings. I give my word on that. Now, convene my command staff and the legates. I tire of the gray ones sniping at us from hiding. We are cragants.”
“We are the avalanche,” Adjutant Trusk saluted before he hurried out of the tent. The massive cragant had to duck his head and turn sideways to get through the opening.
“We are unstoppable,” General Zanya said.
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Caretaker fostered an egalitarian approach to military matters. They encouraged their fellow T-Men to speak their minds. It was something they had learned from Honor’s example. They were in charge, but their word wasn’t law as it was in the traditional Threnosh force.
Sometimes they fantasized that things would be easier for them under those traditions. Especially in scenarios like the present, wherein the team channel was full of complaints and suggestions on the proper course of action. Caretaker didn’t hold it against the team. They always followed their commands in the field. It was just that they all felt strongly about the recent news they had received from the Orchestral Meridian expedition.
“Why are we still here? We need to find Honor.” Primal’s high-pitched voice was especially grumbly.
“I agree,” Shira said. “Locating Honor is the priority now.”
“Honor is strong,” Adjudicator said.
“I concur. He will return when he chooses. We do not know his plans,” Dralig said.
“Perhaps we can split the team here. Half can stay and half can go with Frequency,” Kynnro said. “I do not like the idea that Frequency is going alone.”
“We are here under direct command from Prime Custodian 3. Can we just depart before the task is done?” Blueballs said.
“That is why I suggest half. The prime cannot state that we did not comply,” Kynnro said.
“Frequency will not be alone. Do not forget that part of our team is already on site,” Resplendent Zabriium said.
“And they have failed,” Primal said. “Honor, PJ15 and Brightstrike are missing. There is a new, stronger enemy. We must fight them before it is too late.”
“I am also concerned about this new enemy. If they have turned the birthing creches to their use then should they not be our priority?” Actryarius said.
“Absolutely,” Primal said.
“You simply desire to fight these new corrupted,” Malendrax said.
“Of course. I waste my time here. These cragants would have been a worthy test, but our leaders continue to refuse me the right to engage them directly. But, I hear your hidden meaning, small one,” Primal said. “Recovering Honor is still my priority. I simply see no issue with fulfilling two purposes at the same time.”
“You are the smallest Threnosh in existence. I have checked the records,” Malendrax said.
“Only our trueskins matter,” Primal replied stiffly.
“The special type of corrupted do sound like worthy opponents. Their abilities mirror our trueskins,” Silver Wolf said.
“If we leave then the rest of Prime Custodian 3’s forces will not be capable of re-taking Cold Plains City from the cragants. Our team is the only reason that they have not been completely defeated,” Tynk said.
“Destroy the hierophant. It is the only threat now that our forces have gained control of fabrication facilities. Combat drones are being created at a growing rate. Even if it takes many drones to fell one cragant, it is still to our advantage,” Volkharion said.
“Fabricate me more explosives and I will take them right to the hierophant,” Whoosh said.
“Your sacrifice will be appreciated,” Primal said.
“Not one. I will be in and out quicker than they can catch me,” Whoosh said.
“You overestimate yourself,” Dralig warned.
“I have run simulations and I have also plotted out an optimal route. The regular city surfaces are perfect for my trueskin. Not like the irregular ground out in the wilderness,” Whoosh said. “Plenty of straight lines here to build up speed. Walls and ceilings as well. I am confident that I can evade capture.”
“Perhaps if we reclaim more fabrication facilities. An increase in combat drone and ammunition production will allow us to fulfill the prime’s task requirements,” Tynk said.
“But it will not necessarily fulfill the spires’ Tasks,” Adjudicator said.
“Hmmm… that is a valid point. We might waste all the effort that we have already expended,” Primal said.
“You and your Universal Points! This is about Honor, Frequency and our teammates! They are in mortal danger!” Kynnro snapped.
Silence stretched out over the team channel as all were stunned by the emotional outburst.
“Further discussion is without merit. Caretaker has the final statement as our team leader,” Shira said.
“Yes and he has been silent,” Primal grumbled.
Caretaker took a moment to consider things.
“We continue as planned,” Caretaker said.
No one complained. No one asked for reconsideration or an explanation. Team discipline held.
Caretaker did share in the desire to be done with Cold Plains City to come to their teammates’ aid in Orchestral Meridian. They understood what it meant for their entire team if Honor fell or had fallen already. Their predictive algorithm had recommended this exact course.
However, Caretaker was no longer content with using drones to whittle away at the cragants at a glacial pace. They realized that disaster loomed if they didn’t take a riskier, more active approach.