Vorpal Blade

32

“Okay, we’re out of here,” the CO said as soon as Weaver entered the compartment. “These things track in on electromagnetism. We’re just a big attraction to them. Wherever we go, they’ll follow.”

One by one the groups had been picked up as the Vorpal Blade scoured the area of surfaced Demons. Weaver, Miller and Miss Moon had been plucked out of a running gunfight; Dr. Robertson had been pulled off the roof of a building. The ship had then lifted to hover at ten thousand feet while the meeting took place. The agenda was obvious. Everybody living was aboard and it was time to leave.

“Sir,” the XO said uncomfortably. “I agree that we need to leave. However, we’ve got major damage throughout the ship. We’re not exactly air-worthy at the moment.”

“Then the Marines go in their bunks and we run like hell,” the CO said.

“Very well, sir,” the XO replied, nodding. “It’s only about eighteen hours to Earth. But we’re definitely not seaworthy. We’re going to have to land out at Dreamland.”

“Sir, if you’ll give me a moment,” Dr. Robertson said.

“Doctor, I appreciate your input—”

“This may be important,” the biologist said. “Runner?”

“Sir, I think everyone has noticed this hill,” he said, keying up a map of the local area.

“Yes, Master Sergeant,” Spectre said, holding onto his patience.

“I believe it is the source of the Demons,” the master sergeant said. “At least locally.”

“Say again,” the CO said.

“We were picking up odd seismic activity, sir,” Runner said, walking to the computer screen. “It was coming from the direction of this hill. The hill looks like a basolith, a granitic extrusion. But it has no secondary indicators of being one. There should be more granite around and there’s not. Then we were getting those seismic readings, moving towards us and the city. I couldn’t figure out what they were. Dr. Beach did, just before he died.”

“Tunneling,” Weaver said.

“Yes, sir,” Runner said, shaking his head. “It sounded sort of like mining, but not exactly, so I didn’t pick it up. But it was these things heading for us and the city.”

“They started coming out because of the electrical experiments the Cheerick scientists were conducting,” Miss Moon said. “When we got here it just moved up the date of the first attack.”

“Why are they attacking electricity?” the XO said. “And why not one of those boards?”

“Unknown, sir,” Weaver said, leaning forward and looking at the screen. “Captain, we’re beat up and need repairs. If we can stop these things, at the source, we can get those repairs, here, and save these people.”

“Commander Weaver, we’ve got, what? Ten marines left?” the CO said, exasperated. “And you want to send a forlorn hope?”

“No, sir, I want to lead a forlorn hope,” Weaver said. “I want to know what is under that mountain. And I want to have a culture to come back to. The boards take the weight of armor. We can drop from right here and take out that facility. Enter one of the tunnels, put an ardune warhead in it and that’s all she wrote.”

“You want a special weapon,” the CO said wonderingly.

“I was thinking one of the torps, sir,” Bill said. “Actually, I was thinking two; one for backup. There’s a way to adjust them to be selective yield. We can do this, sir. Now that we know the source of the Demons.”

“Captain, Tactical. We’ve got some boards coming up from the ground.”

“I don’t know why we’re even talking about this,” the CO said.

“We’ve got eighteen Marines shooters, sir,” MacDonald said, turning back from a quiet conversation with the first sergeant. “We are, of course, at your disposal.”

“You want to do this, Mac?” the CO asked in disbelief.

“Payback, sir,” MacDonald said, stone-faced. “I left a bunch of good boys down there. Lost more up here while I was running for my life. Hell yes I want to take them out, sir.”

“Nuke it from orbit,” the XO said. “Only way to be sure.”

“Granite’s tough stuff, sir,” Runner said. “It would take a full-yield ardune system to be sure of cracking it. Probably why it’s made of granite. Take it out and you’re pretty much going to take out the city.”

“And if we pop one inside?” the CO asked.

“The granite’s going to absorb most of it,” Bill said. “Trust me on this, I’ve done nuclear design. Granite that big, less than fifty kilotons? It’s going to shatter it and maybe toss some around. Not much. And ardune’s pretty clean stuff. Not even much fall-out.”

“Captain, sorry, Tactical again,” Lieutenant Souza said, nervously. “It’s Lady Che-chee, the queen and some of her guards. They’re getting pretty close.”

“Tell the COB to get a party up on the sail hatch,” the CO said. “I’ll receive her there.”

“Okay, okay,” he continued, looking at the group. “If you really want to do this, Mac, you can do this. But you need to leave soon. Get every clerk and jerk in armor. We don’t have enough boards, though.”

“Some arriving, sir,” Bill said. “And I suspect they’re going to be willing to loan us some…”

“This is a bold plan, Captain Blankemeier,” the queen said.

Most of her party was clearly overwhelmed by the ship. But the queen along with Lady Che-chee and General Chuk-tuk just as clearly refused to appear surprised. The queen had allowed the captain to escort her to the wardroom, disdained the apologies for the conditions and then listened, carefully, to the translation of the plan. Actually, it couldn’t really be called a plan. The synopsis. The outline. The guess.

“Can you not leave?” the queen asked.

“Our ship has sustained damage,” Spectre admitted. “We could run home, possibly, but we’d rather repair damage first and…”

“And… ?” Miriam asked.

“Just translate it as closely as possible,” the CO said.

“And you don’t care to run away with your tail down,” the queen said, her nose pulling back.

“That too,” the CO admitted.

“Why do you tell me?” the queen asked.

“First of all, the weapon we are going to use is going to do damage beyond the mountain,” the CO said. “We could strike the mountain from space and remove the threat entirely and with no danger. But that would destroy your capital as well.”

“You have weapons that powerful?” General Chuk-tuk asked. “And yet you fight on the ground.”

“Different needs, sir,” Commander Weaver said.

“Yes, we do,” the CO said. “But by putting it in the mountain, it will do less damage. Less, not none.”

“I see,” the queen said, nodding. “The Demons will wipe us out entirely. Do it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the CO said. “We also need three or four more boards. We’re going to drop all our remaining Marines from up here.”

“You have them,” the queen said. “I will lead this force.”

“No you will not,” General Chuk-tuk said. “You will remain safe on this ship. I am your war-leader. I can be lost. You cannot. Your Daughter is still a Breeder—”

“I am your queen—”

“Ma’am,” Weaver cut in. “The general’s right, you’re not. Don’t go gettin’ your fur in a fluff. And, General, with all due respect, I think you should send Lady Che-chee. She’s younger, fitter and less important than you while still being of high enough station that you have participation.”

“Are you sure you want me to translate that?” Miriam said.

“What did he say?” the queen squeaked imperiously.

“You won’t like it,” Miriam said, then translated.

The queen flicked her ears indignantly as General Chuk-tuk smoothed her whiskers in satisfaction, then squeaked in laughter when the general’s nose went back in a snarl.

“Yes,” the queen said, still squeaking in laughter. “The commander has it. Lady Che-chee, do you accept this quest?”

“With delight, Your Majesty,” the Lady said. “But we must make haste. The Demons seem to have retreated for now, but they will be back.”

“Agreed,” the CO said. “My Marines are suiting up now. Commander Weaver, defer most tactical decisions to Captain MacDonald. I hope we all agree that the ground commander is Commander Weaver?”

“Agreed,” Lady Che-chee said. “Your Majesty, could I take a contingent of guards?”

“Ten,” General Chuk-tuk said. “No more.”

“Problem,” Miriam said. “I can’t be in two places at once. None of the Cheerick, that I’m aware of, speak English. Someone is going to have to translate on the boat and someone is going to have to translate on the ground.”

“We try Ekish,” the queen squeaked. “Ko fit.”

“Miss Moon is not a fighter,” Commander Weaver pointed out.

“Is fit,” the queen squeaked. “Ko.”

“Miss Moon?” the CO asked.

“I think I have to go with the ground force,” Miriam said, standing up. “I’ll meet you in ten minutes in the Wyvern bay.”

“I think she’s going to go panic,” Miller said as she left the room.

“I think I’m going to panic,” Weaver said.