I see troubles ahead.
The Dean took the rag from his mouth and shouted,
“Try her again !”
Above, on a gantry in Moon-House’s No 3 Hanger, Jonz put down the wrench and flicked two switches on the control box, before striking the large red button at the Centre to engage power. Servo’s whined, auxiliary motors hummed and an array of LED’s across the diagnostics panel twinkled………
“Nothing !”
“Shite”, yelled The Dean as he hurled down the rag in his frustration. “Shite, shite, shite !”
“Two days, two whole f$%*+n days now we’ve lost thanks to that, that templar-thing and his Thunder Hammer !”
Outside, the Storm that had blown in from the Mountains still raged, the sheets of torrential rain casting strange shadows, filtering the poor light as it ran in waves across the Hangers sky-lights. The Dean had insisted Samuel give permission for the Hangars Blast-Shutters be raised to allow their use, arguing that the lighting in No 3 was just not up-to the task of illuminating work in the repairs to Lux’s shattered Knee.
The leg had already had a temporary replacement knee fitted, but it was just that as far as a stickler such as he was concerned - “temporary” !
“Come on Jonz, one more time from the top ! Auxiliaries ?”
“Check !”
"Primary servo 1 power-on ?”
“Check !”
“Primary servo 2 power-on ?”
“Check !”
“Primary servo 3 power-on ?”
“Check !”
“Primary servo 4 power-on ?”
“Check !”………
………
Clunk
………
………
"Damn and blast !”
At Bronze-Hearth, on the River slope the rain still poured and the shallow Bright River was now a raging torrent of debris and brown-green flood-water, a sign that things were pretty grim still higher up in the Mountains.
Alice, Nathan and Ben still sat up in the storm their wine glasses, now warmed and topped with Sallowclh* gently swirling them to prevent it curdling. Rain hammered on the thin roof and the thunder boomed in the Peaks. They remained huddled beneath plies fleeces and blankets in the cold dark of Alice and Bens lean-to out-house, in the dull orange glow of the kiln, periodically back-lit by the shocking electric blue freeze-frame of the lightning.
*Sallowclh - pronounced Sal-ok. An traditional strong spirit drink, brewed from an ancient recipe of fermented Snowberries, Morac milk and a secret plant extract that allows the successful blending of the two. Should be served in a warm glass.
“I doubt they’ll move in this.” said Nathan, leaning slightly towards Ben and Alice so his voice would not be lost in the hammering of the rain on the kilns hard roof, “probably take shelter in one the caves or those old mine workings if they‘re able. Its not a night to sit out on the slopes that’s for sure.”
They’ll have their cloaks no ?” offered Ben,” Remember mine keeping out the worst it could throw, once old man Orsan showed me how to wax them right. Smell a bit though when you first coat them.”
“I saw him at last light, haggling with one of the keepers at lights end market, looked very…”
“You saw old man Orsan at the lights end earlier ? Was it this light Alice, think, I need you to be sure ?”
“He wasn’t doing ought much, just standing there arguing with that trader from the Bends, the one with the dried fish, that trader came on foot with the other from Spire, looked like they was haggling prices, now Ben, your scaring me, what is it ?”
“Old man Orsan has been confined to bed for over 7 cycles now and in any case from what I've heard he could not stand un-aided, let alone shop !” Now Ben had all their attention !
“Kell ! That means they’ve sent a “shape-shifter” and they’re already here then. And when Carolynn's away, he'd see through those tricks in an instant. He'd be able too.....”
“Boys, boys ! We don’t know that, what if it was old man Orsan at the lights end for Kell’s sake !”
“I tell you he’s bed-ridden,” insisted Ben, “some problem with his balance according to Lora, his Daughter-in-Law. She was at the Kiln not two lights ago, to tell me she would not have her next payment on that Stove-Pot you’ve just finished for her for three more lights. Said it was on account of her Father-in-Law having taken to his bed and that she and her man needed the money up-front to pay the Apothecary !”
“But you don’t know for certain he’s still ill do you, and jumping around in a panic is just going to make us all look like we’ve something to hide !” replied Alice, though with less than her initial conviction.
“Then I will find out !”, Nathan said, firmly and calmly, "but I cannot do that now in the middle of the dark, and we have friends that are in a lot worse shape than the three of us in all probability, so a toast, To Carolynn and Jed, and may they weather the storm and return to us by the light !”
“Carolynn and Jed.” Replied Alice and Ben sheepishly.
”Now, we have still the rest of the night to wait, and a lot to discuss my friends, shall we”, and Nate gestured back to the bales and blankets”……
“First servo rig on-line in 3, 2, 1, now”, Jonz hit the large red power button with the very last of his strength. This time however, the servo’s took the strain, and the massive Knight Titan rose to full height, much to the delight of all, especially The Dean, who had been like a cat on a hot tin roof these past two cycles’.
“Gentlemen, I, no We both thank you all for putting in all the extra time to get Lux fighting fit. Now, clearing up will wait, drinks won’t and Bar’s on Us, see you there soon !” and with that, he swung Lux effortlessly around and back toward the Hangar. Jonz dropped his own power coupling tools back into his belt as he watched them go. The Dean was a hard task master, but always there with them and always grateful, he could, and had done a lot worse when it came to his Boss.
“The Bar then Turtle ?”, he shouted over to the Moon-House’s big works foreman, a man fast becoming a good friend. He maybe slow, but he was an electronic genius. Over two cycles they had be sweating over that quad-servo rig, then along comes Turtle, takes one look, seemingly just swaps two servo’s around and it‘s humming like a Bee on Prozac. Still, he was not complaining. He unfastened his servo-harness, letting it lie where it fell, and stretched.
“Got a strong arm Turtle ?“
“Eye, whys that ?“
“Show you the rest of the dents we get to knock out tomorrow then.“ And so the two of them downed their remaining tools and set off to bankrupt the boss, passing the Prisoners wing at a trot, for there were some Kell awful sounds coming from down there today. Lord Samuel must have some his “old-friends” back !
“Kell it’s cold!” Carolynn shivered as his breath circled upwards in misty spirals, before flattening against the passage roof. He sat at right-angles to the wall, shotgun propped across his lap and Jed curled up, trying to asleep on his pack in front of him. Should have been Jed’s watch, but it was cold and wet and the lad hadonly grabbed moments of true sleep, so Carolynn had made the decision to leave him be. Outside thunder crashed around the Peaks and the lightning periodically flashed in the entrance to their home for the dark. They dare not risk a fire, for there were too many unknowns in this place, and besides, what would they burn up here, what could they burn now everything was sodden. He had no idea how these “lonely-ones” coped, but he suspected they had an alternative power source to steam. It was time for a Tea though, so gently sliding the spirit-burner from his pack, first he’d set to work making a fresh brew and when that was done, then he would rouse Jed from his fitfull sleep.
The smell of the freshly brewed Tea saved him the second task.
“Why’d you let me sleep ? Here, it must be your turn Car, there’s still a while yet before light, why don’t you…”
“Don’t worry Jed, there will be plenty of time for that when we get back, here, drink this, I needed to make sure one of us was fit and lively, and today that‘s you, alright ?”
“I suppose, I just…..”
“Well don’t, it was my call, my fault if it was a wrong one OK ?”
"OK I guess, no more of that Tea for me Car, tastes odd."
"Do you good though, and you'll need your strength, here, have the rest of the dried meat, I'll just stick to themy Tea."
Handing him the meat, Carolynn could see Jed was still very yired, and obviously anxious.
“Hard to imagine that raging torrent outside is the same one we swam in last leaf-fall the one in that grand valley where we traded for dried fish for the Snows ?”
“The one with the Shadowfins*?”
*Shadowfins was a local name given to large fish-like water mammals‘, similar to the fresh water Dolphins’ of Old Terra before the long-night.
“The very same, reckon there will be more around now they have stopped open Mining further up-stream.”
”Nate said it was the chemicals they used to wash the Crystals that messed up the water,” remembered Jed, “He said that they’d recover now and there’d be more of them in the coming cycles. He said they used to help them by rounding up the fish in the shallo's, said he'd show me next time.”
It was good to see Jed’s enthusiasm come back, for Carolynn had seen the anxiety gnawing at him, he’d just needed it side-tracked is all, something positive to think about.
Carolynn figured they could chat for a while and sit this thing out, storm would pass soon, of that he was sure, he‘d seen enough of them to know the big ones blew themselves out in time. With light and better weather, they‘d have a clear run back to Bronze-Hearth.
“Bronze-Hearth“, he smiled, remembering how disappointed and let down he‘d felt upon finding out the Cities name-sake was a serial number. Maybe Jed wasn’t the only one who could use some positive distraction. It had been a long struggle and as yet there seemed to be no light at the end, a bit of peace and quiet was welcome even if it were colder than a.... "
"Click", out there in the darkness, Carolynn tilted his head. About 40 yards due North, and above them. That put the source deeper in the passage. Folding the burner had it turned out and packed in a single motion, concluded with the sealing of the front of his pack so the ammo roll could open freely. A second “scrape” had it at 35 +, closing ?“Jed, tie your pack, then with the lasgun, behind me and to my left at one length.”
Carolynn swung the light and shotgun in two probing arc’s first thinking the passage had a leak, as a bright flecked “wave” seemed to be approaching them. The second sweep of his light revealed something far more insidious. Beetles, metallic beetles about 1 ½ foot long and well over 4 score of them and coming their way in a hurry.
Carolynn, with revised tactics, slammed home a magazine of HEAP* slugs, those being top of his deal-with-pretty-much-anything list.
*High Explosive Armour Piercing in solid Slug form, similar in many respects to grenade launcher rounds, though obviously smaller. These rounds are also hollow-tailed to prevent them from tumbling in flight.
“Jed, I need you to fall back to the opening, see if its secure, and set-up two thermite char…..“
“Thermite ?” said Jed.
“Kell,” Carolynn had not covered anything more than basic charges, nor heavy munitions’ with the members of the Clan in the start-up or refresher classes Nathan, himself and others taught during early dark, when the snows were holding the ground.
“The ones with the Red Tape, 2 of those Jed.”
“Will do, wired in series Car ?”
“Excellent Jed," at least what he had learnt had stuck, "then hold your perimeter and cover me !”
“Will do !"Carolynn, shouldered his pack whilst still prone, thumbed his shotgun to “Fully-Auto”, and pulled !
The passage way roared into stroboscopic carnage, a freeze frame maelstrom of destruction as the stream of HEAP Slugs poured into the metallic beetles. Their momentum temporarily unchecked, saw the second rank overspill the first, only for they themselves to be torn apart. The passage way in front of him ringing a sharp, metallic peal and choked with smoke and fragments of grenades and beetle, Carolynn took this temporary lull to sidle back toward the opening, sliding in another magazine, this time of 50:50 hard shot and HEAP. He had only 1 full HEAP magazine left, and he knew spots could get tighter than this, they always did somehow.
Clear of the passage, Carolynn flopped down in cover next to Jed.
“Pass me the loom Jed , and Las anything that comes out of that passage !”
Carolynn desperately struggled with the wires, his cold fingers not as responsive as he’d have liked. 1st wire wound, 2nd not contacting, “Shite !”
“Try again, come on, you are no rookie, you have done this enough times, deep breaths, slow yourself down. Focus ! “
Gently, Carolynn wound the last strands of a badly frayed wire to the terminal.
“Tssuch, Tssuch”
Two well placed Las rounds from Jed severed a Beetle from its head, sending both pieces tumbling back into the void of the passage way.
“Way to go Jed, here, take this”, Carolynn handed him the Shotgun.
“Set it to semi-auto, and watch as she kicks a little to the left, and hold her tight or you’ll have the mother of all bruises.”
Jed took the gun, slinging the Lasgun across his back, he straightened his stance, as he’d learnt, pulling the new weapon tight to his shoulder. Carolynn frantically wound the generator’s stubby handle, the standard 20 turns, with another 10 or so for the wet, for it was still pouring. Jed’s Las shot seemed to momentarily slow the remaining beetles, that or an uncertainty in their group consciousness’ faced with what by all accounts be the “unknown” of the space beyond the familiar. After this strange reticence, suddenly buoyed by an uncertain signal that Carolynn’s mind felt, they overcame their reluctance and surged forwards. A mistake.
Jed fired, the first round a hard shot pulverised a beetle. The second was a HEAP round, this time blasting a half dozen or so, sending beetle parts spiralling off in all directions and blowing away a section of the lip to the hole, which plunged downwards, taking more beetles with it. Almost simultaneously, Carolynn sent the bound charges sailing after it into the passage.
“Fire in the hold”, and the two of them prostrated themselves, arms covering their heads as the ground shook. They remained prone as chunks of rock and earth fell back in time with the rain, which dispersed the dust as a new crater in the rocky landscape began to fill with water. Picking themselves up, Jed handed Carolynn the shotgun.
“Got to get me one of those Car, its awesome !“
“After your shooting today, I’ll buy you one !”
“For real ?”
“For real Jed !”
They stared at their handiwork for a while, the water deepened and not a single trace of any “Beetle” remained. No sign that there ever was.
“Time to be someplace else I reckon”, said Carolynn, and sliding on packs, they were gone into the mist and driving rain.
The staccato-beat of the rain on the kiln roof was hypnotic, but the sent of fresh Snowberry Wood smoke and the slow murmur of a City coming alive snapped Nathan back to wakefulness. Therhythm of the storm, warmth of the kiln and the Sallowclh had gently coaxed a restfulness from his anxious mind , but now they returned and his guts tightened as Nathan stared out into the steady drizzle at the low cloud that had descended from the peaks, covering them in animpenetrable grey mist.
“Kell guide them.”
“And bring them safely home, here, have some it’ll help settle your stomach, I could hear it in the Pod !” Alice handed Nathan a bowl of grilled Morac steak and eggs and a mug of hot caffine enthused milk. She then gently roused Ben with the same offering, and the three of them sat to eat.
“I’ll check-out old man Orsan later, I know his Daughter-in-Law so it won’t appear out of the ordinary,” said Nathan, pausing between mouthfulls.
“Sounds like a plan that ! I’ll get some real food on for the two of them," Alice replied, "they’ll be hungry I’ll wager and Jed will have probably have had enough of Carolynn’s “Magical Tea” to last a lifetime.”
“What does he put in that shite, apart from way too much honey to make it half-way palatable ?” asked Ben.
“Some kind of herbal concoction he won’t divulge, but seriously, have you tried it, it’s strong enough to raise the dead that stuff, I can remember when Lukas got lost in the high grazing, kept the two of us going for nearly three days whilst we were searching, others had to give up, turn back. It was the reason, the sole reason Lukas was found. “
“Well”, said Ben, “I’ll have a pint of that every morning from now on, twist his arm for the recipe as soon as he’s….he….they’re back, they’re back ! Alice, get some stove hot, we have customers. Carolynn, Jed, over here, we are all over here !”
The two figures that emerged from the mist looked only vaguely human, covered in mud and rock dust, pale faced and hollow-eyed, Jed slumped against Carolynn. The adrenaline gone and with little of Carolynn’s Tea to sustain him, tiredness had rushed back.
“Nathan, give me a hand will you”, Carolynn released his hold on Jed, letting Nate take the strain, “He’s had a rough time of it for his first trip-out, certainly did us all proud though, and I owe him a Shotgun!”
Nathan looked puzzled as he part supported, part carried Jed to the Bales. Ben cranked open the fire pit beneath the kiln and tossed in some more wood and bricks.
“Soon have you warm.”
“Alice” called Carolynn, “can you get some hot water on please, and Nate, help me get these wet things off him, then I’ll tell you all a grand tale.”
MK
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