General Athena 8’s hud buzzed. It had been doing that for a while now. Whatever the system wanted, if it had been important, the system would have forcefully opened the notification for her. Since it wasn’t, she did not have time for that.
Instead, she touched a button on her steering wheel. The centre dashboard of her six wheeled tank like dune buggy flipped on its axis to display a screen. Glitchy voices came from it.
“Co… Al…”
Boom!
“Re… Co… Al…”
Athena 8 touched the spot just over her eyebrow and grimaced. Where her one of kind quantum communicator was located. Now it was a broken mess.
“If I ever find that guy with that soul weapon…”
The large general shook her head and pulled back her shot hair from her face.
“BUV, turn on auto drive and establish a secure connection to the frontline command.”
The vehicle, the state of the art battle utility vehicle, turned on its own and climbed up a dune. Meanwhile she lowered sunglass like visors on her head. She didn’t have to wait long a connection was soon established.
“This is General Athena 8. Repeat your last comms.”
“Contact General. We have contact. I repeat, we have contact.” A female voice replied to her and before General Athena 8 could ask anything the Parvati on comms continued “Please hold General. Relaying live battlefield visuals and notifying the battle commanders.”
A tactical map popped open on the General’s visor. A red dot clinked angrily on the map. Athena 8 zoomed in on it. Hundreds of angry hell hounds engaged the troops on that side. Behind them a hundred or so nishachar night stalker lobbed magical artillery onto their front.
Athena started evaluating the skirmish. Her automated defences shot out round after round putting down the dogs before tey could heal up. The nishachars on the other hand remained out of contact.
Three videos popped up on her visor. After a moment a fourth one joined in too.
“General.” A smiling Taran greeted her.
“Keen.” Athena acknowledged her second in command and then nodded at others “Cheel. Tiny. Sigh.”
Athena greeted a Ruby, a Jay, and an Aditya respectively.
That was the difference between the old continuum and her faction. They had paid to change their names and create individual personalities. Now only they themselves remembered their old numerical names.
“It’s just a probing attack, general.” Keen reported.
“Take it seriously Keen.” The hulking Jay grumbled.
“I am taking it seriously Tiny. Look.”
Athena looked from the video of Keen speaking to the live pictures from the battle field.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Loud reports of old firearms came from their side. Projectiles zinged over the hounds head and impacted the nishachar artillery. Three of the mage types went down and only one got back up. Soon the first three shot was followed by dozens of more and the stalkers started creating barriers around themselves.
But the damage was done. And the nishachars started falling back. First in order and then, as more of them fell, they ran.
“Are those… Projectiles?” Tiny asked.
“Yes.” Keen laughed.
“Why?” Tiny asked affronted.
“Because bullets get lodged inside bodies. You need to take them out before you can fight on. And if the body heals around it. Your blood stream starts getting poisoned. Then you die a slow painful death.”
“Not a good way to die.” Cheel frowned.
“No.” Keen laughed gleefully and nodded “No, it’s not.”
BOOM!
Keen laughter turned maniacal “Looks like they found are sub terranean mines. Dig through that, you cannibalistic dung beetles.”
Athena saw a cloud of sand erupt into the air. It was more black than sand brown. And she could tell several of the enemy had been eliminated.
“Bullets!” Tiny tasted the word and didn’t like it “What’s next catapults and arrows?”
“Hey, if they work, I will use them.” Keen responded.
“Gentlemen.” Athena 8’s soft spoken word shut the budding argument down.
She continued “Your assessment, should I return?”
Tiny frowned in thought and Keen shook his head. But it was Cheel who spoke for the first time in a calm tone.
“General, you need to get your comm fixed. We need you at full capacity and your expertise in the battles ahead.”
“I can still direct the battle through my BUV.” Athena protested.
“Tell me you aren’t standing on top of the dune talking to us.” Tiny asked in his grumbling voice.
“Of course she is not. She wouldn’t waist time like that. She is rolling over dunes not standing.”
Athena 8’s lip twitched upwards “I trained you all well battle commanders.”
The general saw her men and woman puff up at her words and continued.
“Now tell me, if I am going to the cities. What do you want from there?”
“A ship.” Cheel spoke instantly.
“More shields.” Tiny added.
“E65.” Keen said at the same time.
The general squinted at Keen “Keen, E65 is not something I can buy.”
“Yes, but I want his antimatter capabilities.” Keen groused.
“You have plenty of mines keen. Stop being greedy.” Cheel said in her calm tone.
Athena 8 had to congratulate herself. She had been right on insisting that her flight commander took a Still shard. Popular with the hand to hand combat experts and meditators, the shard had calmed down the fiery Ruby’s personality to create one of the best flight commander’s she had served with.
If that wasn’t enough encouragement, Keen’s next words and Cheel’s calm repost to them proved the value of the shard.
“Greedy! Greedy? You are asking for a ship, and I am greedy? No, you are greedy. You and your chickens.”
“Keen. Why don’t you and your groundhogs watch the floor and let me manage the air?”
Keen opened his mouth and stopped.
Boom!
Another plum of sand and ash flew up into the sky.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Well that was unexpected.” Tiny pointed to spot inside their lines and added “Did you miss a spot keen?”
“No.” Keen replied distractedly he tapped his hud while muttering “How did you get behind us?”
Athena glanced at Keen “Find that out Keen. I will see what I can do about Taran E65.”
Keen thumped his armoured chest and left the channel.
“I will see what I can do about the shields Tiny. But don’t hold up home. Everyone’s buying shields. Not many are left in the market.” Athena looked at Cheel’s calm face and sighed “Yes. It will be a small one. But yes.”
Cheel smiled serenely “Thank you General.”
Athena took her visor off and lost connection. She touched her eyebrow again. When nothing happened. She exhaled out her annoyance. Out of range for her Battle Vehicle to connect to the network she took manual control and continued driving. Her vehicle anticipated her wishes and assisted her in speeding up.
Driving over dunes and charting the shortest path to the Fire City she first missed the camouflage augs. Then her hud pined and she started seeing continuum soldiers in active camouflaged armours. They didn’t even twitch much less move to acknowledge her. Her vehicle on the other hand, it could identify the potentiality being used and that defeated the augs camouflage.
Augmented. The cyborgs were a deadly force when arrayed like this. But they were a static force. They needed active guidance from the Aug Queen in the form of clear orders. But when she was away, like right now, they all followed her last orders like good little puppies and didn’t stray far. Not that was not effective but in war, where battle lines shifted, they became canon fodder. And that’s how Heena used them.
The general needed a more reactionary to win the coming battle. Heck, if she was wishing why not wish for a belligerent force to take the battle to the enemy. But wishes weren’t fishes, and she was stuck in a desert full of ash and sand.
The ground flattened out and soon she was passing a few transport vehicles. The augs in the trucks gave her side glances. She caught one’s eyes and the man saluted.
“General Athena!” The man thumped his armoured chest.
The others followed the man’s example.
Athena 8 thumped her own chest and kept her eyes on the road to avoid any further distractions.
That was another thing. She was tired of being General Athena 8. The eighth of her kind and the first one who wasn’t still born. The longest living continuum officer. She was either a beacon to her people or a tyrant who they were afraid of. Every soldier’s augmented eye told her the same story.
Athena 8 missed her friends. The ones who welcomed her to their table, showed her affection and called her Tina. She would meet them soon. With that thought the General pushed away her bout of melancholy and looked in the mirror and was not surprised when she realised to see a chubby vehicle following her.
She rolled her eyes. She was Athena 8. The only system acknowledged General of the continuum. She had a job to do. And with Jay 7 and the aug queen away now was the time to do it. Tail or not.
Her BUV turned and the general finally made it to the fire bird’s circle. She hit a button and the vehicle screeched to a stop. The chubby troop carrier behind her was not expecting that and swerved dangerous. To avoid contact with her BUV, it pulled into an alley.
Crash!
Athena 8 would have laughed any other day at the complete incompetence of the augs chasing her but today the general didn’t care for any of that. She only had eyes for the roundabout and the statue in the middle of it. Someone. and she thought she knew who, had broken the statue of the Yaksha’s pet. Through her evolved eyes, she could see angry bouts of ethereal fire still floating over the circle. But as expected, just like the augs underneath the fire, Jay 7 didn’t see the reaction to his action, and continued building a…
“By the gods. What have they done?” Athena 8 whispered to herself.
Those were dimenzian bars the augs were laying into the floor. She knew what was wrapped around those bars. Pieces of living flesh. That would help the new structure lock onto the destination. Then the ethericite dust would the augs had just started pouring in over the bars would power the flat structure. Then would come more dimenzian. This time in welded circles. And finally, nephrite cement would cover the floor creating in concentric circles of dimensional effects. Creating a fully operational and open, worlds ring.
Athena had seen it done before and it was even popular with rich multi world families. But those were small things. Placed in secure courtyards, protected by guards and used by family members by blood ties.
As she watched the augs work, ramifications of Jay 7’s began to dawn upon Athena 8. The mentor wasn’t going to use the temple as bait. No, he wanted to use an entire world. The world ring would allow an easy access to Earth. And that would be too fat a goose for the Raks to ignore. An unlimited supply of sentient flesh and blood. The raks would kill each other to get in.
Seven would use her troops, her tactics to cull the enemy. He would fight with the newly arrived humans. And just at the right moment, Jay 7 and his troops would pull back letting the weak fight the hoard and dying to them. Then he would bombard the hoard from a distance.
It would work. She knew it would work. It had worked earlier when they had lost the Fire City. Only costing the continuum forty soul while destroying the enemy army. But that had just been a temple. With the worlds ring, what would the enemy bring? She needed to stop this. No, it was too late for that. She needed to inform her faction. Reinforce the lines with automated turrets. She needed to…
Athena 8 closed her eyes and muttered to herself “This is no time to lose it. This is no time to lose it.” And kept repeating it until someone knocked on her window.
Athena looked up and found Pretty’s concerned young face looking in.
“General?” Pretty asked.
Athena 8 put her mask back on and smiled at the girl “Hello Pretty.”
Pretty smiled and pointed at the temple with “He told us to expect you.”
Athena 8 followed the girl’s finger. Just inside the gate, the new priest of the temple was standing waiting for her with his hands folded.
Athena 8 sighed “Of course. Priests.”
The general got out from her vehicle and made her way to the man. She raised her hands palms up and began.
“I apologise for my words when we met. I had just come out of a battle, and I said things I shouldn’t have.”
Joshi waved one of his hands to dismiss her words and sighed “What is done, is done, general. Frankly, I am sorry too. The yaksha, had just shown me the importance of warders. And the thought of my world losing them made me lose my temper.”
“They are not yours to command.” Athena stated.
“No, they are not. Something your people will understand soon too.” Joshi sighed and a bit of smoke came out of his lungs.
“Do you know something I don’t?”
Joshi laughed “Oh yes, general. A lot of things. Things about your people. Their plans. They have been busy while you have been away.”
Athena glanced back at the broken statue and frowned “Have we angered the yaksha?”
Joshi looked up at the larger General. He noted the worry lines on her ageless face and replied truthfully.
“Anger is strong word. Lord Agni does not like the continuum. When he pictures it, he pictures it as black mould. Growing over a perfectly good wall. And tainting the air.”
Athena did not know what to say to defend her people, so she took out five baskets of food and placed it just inside the temple.
“As an apology.” The general stated.
Joshi looked down at the baskets and nodded “Food fit to be blessed by god.” We waved his hand and all, but one basket disappeared. The priest continued his voice taking on heat “You will have to do better to apologise to the warders you know.”
“About that. Could you tell me more about them?”
Joshi smiled and licks of fire floated over his tongue “Having second thoughts?”
“Yes.” Athena agreed.
“Let me guess you are wondering if you are giving power to vindictive, maleficent and evil individuals.”
“I wasn’t.” General Athena took a step back and added “But, now I am.”
Joshi chuckled. It was a rumbling thing that made the hair on back of Athena neck stand up in fright. Athena kept a cool façade and did not show how disconcerted she felt. This priest was different. Something about him made her want take out her rifle and shoot. What had the Yaksha created in this man?
Joshi didn’t seem to realise the effect he was having and kept talking to himself “Oh, the boy. He is going to hate this. He is getting so much attention, and he doesn’t even know about it. That will rankle him. The girl, now that is different, she has never liked people. She is going to be annoyed for completely different reason.”
Athena 8 cleared her throat “Priest Joshi?”
“The weapon shards. The boy hogged them both but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Hmmm… refined potentiality would suit her better.”
“Priest?”
The priest looked up and his fire filled eyes cleared “Yes?”
“My question sir?” Athena asked.
“Huh? Oh, yes. The answer is complicated.” Joshi snorted and jets of fire flowed out his nose as he breathed “Is a tree evil if it soaks up all the water in a forest? Is death evil, if it comes to you on the battlefield. Is the end of the universe evil when the light can’t reach it?”
Athena 8 exhaled “What is with you priest? Why can’t you give me a simple answer?”
Joshi laughed “Priest? Priest, she says.” His hollow crackling laughter became louder and boomed across the temple. The fire around the priest flared and then slowly faded from his extremities faded. The man shook his head.
“Gods… Not again!” Joshi shook his hands out. He took a breath and grimaced “Ugh! Now my nose smell of charred wood.”
“Priest Joshi?”
Joshi looked at Athena 8 and whispered “Oh.”
“What just happened?”
Joshi licked his lips “You just had a conversation with Lord Agni.”
Athena 8’s eyes widened and Joshi quickly moved to reassure her.
“He likes you, by the way. He approves of your forces too.”
“Not enough to give me a clear answer.”
“Don’t blame me. I know what it is like not having answers to questions. I was a scientist you know before all this happened.”
Athena 8 raised an eyebrow and with a smile asked “You were a scientist?”
“Yes, a Helio physicist, a nuclear physicist and an astro physicist. I was making nukes to explode in space. And now I am here.”
Athena looked at the snorting priest and added “Well, you kept the fire theme going.”
Joshi gave Athena a chiding look “What you just said is so wrong that I don’t even know where to start. A star is not on fire. It is agitated hydrogen. Nuclear explosions are not fire. They are a release of energy that causes fire.”
Athena 8 raised her hands in defeat “I am just a soldier. Trying to find better ways to kill my enemies.”
Joshi exhaled “Sorry.” And this time only air came out.
Athena in a sober voice asked “So why did he speak through you? Is it because of the worlds ring?”
Joshi grimaced “That. No.”
Athena continued “Why did you let your people do that?”
Joshi gritted his teeth “I was in communion with the yaksha, and they gave their flesh behind my back.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Create a chance for us all.”
“What does that mean…”
Running footsteps distracted Athena 8 from her conversation and she turned.
Joshi decides her sighed loudly “I am sorry General.”
Athena 8 glanced back at Joshi and then the commander running towards her. The man skidded to a stop and glared at her.
“That’s her isn’t it?” Ari’s gruff voice asked Joshi from a distance.
Joshi sighed “Commander, please do not...”
“Where is he?” Ari asked while walking menacingly at Athena 8.
“Who?” Athena asked in a measure tone.
“Who? Who? Mbungwa!” Ari yelled.
Athena 8 looked at Joshi and genuinely asked “Who?”
Ari snapped. He sprung himself at Athena 8. His metal taped hand cocked. Athena turned calmly and flared her shards for just a second. She watched the metal hand approach her with a closed fist. From the side of her eye, the General saw Pretty and her people running through the gate. On the other side the young commander’s men piled out from deeper inside the temple.
Athena 8 knew she needed to put an end to this and quick.
The ageless general effortlessly sidestepped the blow. She punched out. Her right fist contacted Ari’s diaphragm and drove all the air out of the commander.
“Calm down ascended.”
Ari’s eyes widened. He did not know what had just happened. One moment he was launching himself at the large woman and in blink he was doubling over. No, he couldn’t go down like this. Ari gathered his will and with all the effort he could muster he kicked out at the dark skinned woman with his metal covered feet.
Clank.
Athena looked down at Ari. He had kicked her. She hadn’t even felt the blow. That was the difference between a class zero and a peak class one. But he had chipped the matt paint on her armour and now she would have to get that portion painted back.
Athena 8’s eyes slightly narrowed in annoyance. She grabbed the man by his throat and lifted him up. She looked into the man’s maddened eyes and exhaled. Carefully, trying not to injure the man, she slammed the new ascended to ground.
“Ooow!” All the air inside Ari’s chest flew out.
He rapidly blinked to clear his vision and saw Athena 8 looming over him. Before he could react he felt something cold touch the neck of his skin. It punctured his skin and then he heard a hiss.
Ari pushed of the floor and rolled to his feet. He brought his hand up to fight and felt a cold sensation flow through his brain.
Athena 8 held up syringe gun in her palms and announced “Balancers. They will help you think clearly.”
Athena 8 slowly straightened. She shot a challenging look at the commander’s men. And locked onto the man inching forwards with a long black knife. The turbaned man jutted his chin out and moved to the commander’s right.
“Sir?”
Ari wheezed and climbed back to his feet. He coughed and lifted his hand to stop his man “It’s okay Singh.”
The commander looked around and stood there stunned.
Slowly Ari realised how badly he had messed up. He had just attacked a General in a land she controlled, with her troops all around her. If they weren’t on friendly-ish terms his men would be dead by now. And he would be the one to blame.
Ari looked at Athena with a shameful look and muttered “I am sorry general.”
“Better?” Athena 8 asked.
Ari nodded “Thank you.” As his team inched closer to him.
A second later the perseverance members arrived giving the Earthlings challenging looks.
“Stand down people.” Athena’s people lowered their guard and gave the commander and his men an amused look.
Singh looked at Ari “Commander? Are you okay?”
Ari nodded “Yes.” After a moment he asked “What happened to me?”
“You have a Khara neuro shard in you. It is driving you mad with anger.” Athena 8 shook her head and added “I told you to get that taken care of.”
Ari shot Joshi an accusing look.
Athena 8 turned to look at the priest.
Joshi sighed “He doesn’t trust me. He thinks my loyalty is divided because I am a priest of Agni now. That is why he won’t let me take care of his shard.”
“Well, with what I just saw, he is not wrong.” Athena responded.
Joshi grimaced “He won’t… I won’t… Ah!”
The priest threw his hands up in the air.
“Ha! So, the commander was right.” Singh stated in a growl. He shot a harsh look at the priest.
Joshi just shook his head and stomped off.
Athena 8 turned to look at the turbaned man “Yes, your commander is right. But a khara shard, that is not good either.”
“Why? Ari asked.
“Khara’s are a tentacled space fairing species. They are pacifist with three brains. Their shards are created to drive aggressive ideation. With three brains they can balance out the shards effects out. Even so, their people avoid the ones with the khara shard.” Pretty explained
Athena 8 shot the younger woman a look.
“I have been reading.” Pretty blushed.
Athena 8 slowly noticed how close Pretty was standing to the commander and smiled faintly.
“Come with me. I know of a man who would be happy to help with that shard.” Athena 8 said helpfully.
“How do I know I can trust you?” Ari asked.
Athena 8 gave the young commander a chiding look “What would I want from you? I am just going to introduce you to the expert. Bring silver, gold, or platinum. He’ll take his payments in precious metals.”
Athena 8 started walking away and Ari called out “I don’t have all that.”
The general hung her head “Right. Come anyway. I will loan you the money.”