Chương 118: Chapter 117 – Closing Window

After Therza left him at the railing, Cole felt another subtle presence and turned his head just in time to catch Nona stepping out of her Soul Schism. She stopped, shocked a bit that she'd been detected.

"How did you do that?" she asked. Cole shrugged.

"Guess I've been around you enough to tell."

"Most people don't even notice me when I am visible. Schism reduces my presence."

"How's the tower?" Nona leaned over the rail, took one look down, and immediately backed up several steps.

"From what I saw, these guys are exactly who Therza claimed. Lots of kids—none of them from Earth. They're just trying to hold on. What'd you find out?" Cole thumbed the cluster of radio club kids with Alexa and Therza. Alexa had several cables hooked up to Archie, who had apparently reconfigured itself into a field antenna. He'd have to ask her how that ability worked in more detail if she became a permanent team member.

"They've got a decent idea who might have our boy. We're gonna give their comms a boost so they can confirm and check in with a few of the other survivor settlements. Then Therza's going to guide us through a pretty dangerous part of the city after sunset."

"That's something, at least," said Nona. She shifted the new firearm from the fight with the bots on the sling she'd tried to improvise.

"Finally got an otherworld gun?"

"I don't know if it was truly my gun. But Howie and Besson didn't want it, so I'm using it," said Nona. She adjusted it again as the wind caught her cloak and tangled it around the barrel.

"Here, let me see that," said Cole. Nona unslung her new rifle and handed it over. As soon as Cole touched it, his own gun sent a slight impression of jealousy. Cole ignored it and unworked the tangled sling, re-winding it around the handguard and stock of the stubby gun.

"Here. We're going to make the forward sling point on the inside and the back sling point on the outside of your shooting side. That way it'll hold the stock closer to your chest, make it more secure when you're moving. Norn and Bjorn can drill some actual mounts once we're home, but this will work for now." Nona watched his hands carefully as he worked. The whole gun had the same gunmetal grey luster of the automatons with a skeletal look, like it had come off a sci-fi horror movie set.

A red lens was built into the top of the receiver, and Cole sighted through the optic at a slightly fuzzy world as though it was an old television, one of the big boxy ones like his grandfather kept way too long into the smart TV era to watch VHS movies. Serviceable, he supposed. He pulled out his LF analyzer and tapped it on the otherworld armament. <LF Item det#%///. Hello! Greetings and ^*] welcome to the City of HexighaPERMISSION DENIED You wi#%/// find NO SOLICE//befitting challenge.

Fight and grow str#%//PERISH please wait, analyzing. Below average carbine of *##// Local resources insufficient to PERMISSION DENIED operating temperature may re#%// suboptimal performance. ERROR – robotic enemies within 300 meters are highlighted in this weapon's optic. >"What the fuck?" asked Cole. He handed the screen to Nona. She frowned.

"Hextant. Guess he found a way to speak to you after all."

"He hacked the analyzers?" asked Cole. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Nona handed the device back and took her new submachine gun.

"Analyzers read the Lewis Field. He's the next best thing to a god, here. And degraded or not, he's got the influence that comes with it." Cole read the screen again.

"Sounds like managing all that and directing his robot army is making him overheat." He looked up at Nona's blank face.

"Right. That's really bad news for computers." He took a puff on his vape.

"Think I got time to meditate and evolve my class?" A voice from the other side of the roof cut off whatever response Nona might have offered.

"Airborne, need you over here,""Guess not," he said, pushing off the rail and making his way over to the radio equipment. Alexa was the only one in the squad that actually called him Airborne. She had a radio handset plugged into Archie.

"I can reach Camp Hamilton from here. Major Beauregard wanted to relay some intel. They're grabbing him."

"Thanks," said Cole. He took the handset and pulled his earcup off to hear it directly—then paused.

"Alexa, could Archie do this on Vael?"

"Of course," she said.

"Why?" Cole frowned.

"Well, with this kind of range boost, seems like we could have kept in comms better with those check-ins." Alexa looked at him for a moment and then burst into laughter.

"You're kidding, right, Airborne? Moriarty didn't even take his radio out of his bag after the first one." Cole felt his ears heat up.

"That asshole."

"Welcome to my life for the last two years," said Alexa.

"He gets results and gets owed a lot of favors. But he doesn't make a lot of friends and he poisons the well for his direct reports while he's at it. Why do you think I was willing to join a team with fewer missions and lower levels? No one senior in the department will touch anyone on that roster."

"I thought it was just my charming personality," said Cole.

"Don't let Roxy hear you flirting with me," warned Alexa, knuckling him in the arm. Before he could say anything else, the radio crackled in his ear with Major Beauregard's voice." Airborne, Hamilton Actual, we've got details on a possible threat. Are you ready to copy?"" Wait one," said Cole. He looked at Alexa.

"Can you patch this to the squad radios?" She glanced down at Archie and then gave Cole the thumbs up.

"Send it, Major," said Cole." We've got one hell of a radar contact two-three-zero miles west, moving toward the city. Spotted approximately three hours ago. Strength unknown, purpose unknown. ETA eight to nine hours."" Good copy," said Cole.

"Any idea what it is?"

"We've got a drone en-route, but in the meantime we're evaccing non-essential personnel. If you want to withdraw your team and pull back to Earth, Dabir needs to take those boats in within the next two hours or we lose the light and you're looking at a night pickup."" Understand all," said Cole.

"Give me a minute to confer with my teammates." Cole switched to his team radio.

"Anyone want to get off-world while the gettin' is good?"" What are the odds this thing is a coincidence?" asked Roxy.

"Considering our luck so far?" asked Cole." Good point. I'll follow your lead, Cole."

"Same," said Howie." But if we're going to push through before this thing hits, we need to move."

"Agreed," said Besson. Cole looked over at Nona and Alexa. Nona nodded, while Alexa gave him a thumbs-up that seemed a little shakier than the one she'd given a few minutes ago. Cole nodded and keyed the handset again.

"Major, we're continuing the mission. Got solid intel on a possible location for the rescue. We'll be radio black until we get closer."

"Good copy, and good hunting, Airborne. I'll relay to Director Bricker and General Barnes back at David. We'll keep the door open as long as we can."

"Thanks, Major. Airborne out." Cole handed the radio back to Alexa.

"Give Tern Tower twenty minutes to contact who they need to contact, then reconfigure Archie." He looked at Therza.

"Looks like we'll be missing dinner after all. Our team picked up something big headed this way. Any idea what might be coming from two-hundred miles west?" Therza paled.

"It's flooded inland sea in that direction. If we're lucky, it's a Protectorate Navy ship. Most of the fleet stayed intact when Hextant turned. They protect survivor cities and provide aid."

"And if we're unlucky?" asked Cole.

"An automaton dreadnaught," said Therza.

"One that made it past the Navy. I need to tell Coach. We can't handle something like that on our own."

"What exactly is it?" asked Cole.

"Part battleship, part assault craft. Packed with tin and governed by a tertiary hex-core that has an HB layer bond to Hextant almost as strong as real siblings. Bad, bad news." Alexa coughed into her hand.

"Sounds swell. I'll help you get the word out." She looked up at Cole.

"Can I change my vote now that I've heard the term automaton dreadnaught?"

"This was never a democracy, anyway," said Cole.

"Meet down on the parking deck in thirty mikes." Cole followed Therza down to the command center, where Besson was already awake and stretching out along with Nutmeg. The control room was already a buzz of activity. Coach looked up as they arrived.

"Hope you don't mind us listening in," he said.

"But thanks to ya'll, every cell in the city will at least be warned. Ms. Therza, are you still taking these bucks through downtown?"

"I am, Coach." The big man moved across the floor and wrapped her in a bear hug that she returned.

"You stay safe, girl. We'll be headed to the beach to meet those bots. And you," he put down Therza and wagged a finger in Cole's face.

"You keep my best teacher in one piece, you hear me?" Someone from the bank of radio operators pulled off his headset.

"Coach! I've got LouixCorp broadcasting!"