10. Carter

TEN

CARTER

L o and I braced the long metal cylinder between us as we made our way toward the security door.

"Do you really think this will work?"

I shrugged as much as I could while carrying the heavy, circuitry-covered rod.

"I don't know, but it's worth a shot. The code contained in this network node should include a security protocol to force the door open."

"And we couldn't just transfer the code out of the node into something easier to carry?"

I chuckled.

"Ignio had a similar suggestion when I explained the plan to him. However, the nodes are only meant to relay data to the next node in line, not provide files for download. It would take weeks or even months to figure a work around for that. Or, we can sweat a little and carry the node ourselves."

"Well, you just have everything figured out, don't you?" he griped.

"Far from it, but your suffering is at an end. We have arrived."

We set the heavy node down beside the secured door. I used a wireless signal to connect the node to the door's control panel. My heart beat faster when I saw that I had access.

"Yes, success! Now to tell the door to open."

I hit the combination of keys to open the door. A dissonant screech greeted my attempt and the keys flashed on and off several times.

"What's wrong?" Lo asked.

"I don't know. Let me try again."

I punched in the correct sequence, more carefully this time. Yet, I received the same result.

"Is it broken or something?"

"No. The motors which govern this door are working, there is power flowing, and I have access. Why is it not opening?"

Lo shrugged and mopped the sweat from his brow. Regular meals had put a considerable amount of meat on his bones. There were rumors he wanted to try for the Warrior caste, but he was also considered too old to begin the training.

I considered the door for a time, then consulted the readout display on the node. My eyes widened with sudden understanding.

"Aha. I get it now. The door won't open because of a security protocol."

"I thought the node gave you access?"

I nodded.

"It does give me access to the door controls. However, the door is shut because it thinks that there is empty space on this side. It's a safety feature to avoid venting atmosphere, or people for that matter, into the vastness of space."

"But we're not in space."

"I know that, and you know that, but the door's sensors were damaged in the crash. It thinks that it's still floating in open space, so the door won't open unless we repair the sensor circuits."

Lo scratched his head.

"How are you going to do that? Aren't most of the circuits inside the wall, where we can't get to them?"

"Can't get to them yet," I corrected. "Ignio and I have been experimenting with a Untarium alloy saw blade that might be able to cut the emerald metal."

"Did you bring one?"

"No, it's in the experimental stages."

Lo sighed.

"Then I guess we have to lug this thing back out?"

I chuckled.

"No, it can remain where it is for now."

"Thank the Architects."

We began the trek back to the maintenance shaft. My mind swam with possibilities as to how we could open the door. Who knew what lay beyond?

Perhaps my path home is right beyond that metal pane.

I slowed my pace, feeling my belly drop down to my feet. What if I did find the way home beyond the door? Then I could return to my own body at last.

I realized with a shock that it had been well over a year that I'd been living among the Masari. Wss my body even still alive? I was going completely on assumptions that the device switched minds and bodies around. For all I knew, Gro had effectively died when I entered his body.

Or perhaps Gro had done something stupid and gotten my body killed? There would have to be intensive study, and testing, before I could even consider using the device. Assuming I could even find one.

Why do I feel utter, dreadful panic at the mere thought of going back to my own body? Isn't this what I have worked for?

We neared the shaft. A sound akin to thunder rumbled down to us from the skies above.

"A storm?"

I squinted up the shaft, seeing a clear patch of azure sky above. Thunder seemed unlikely. The sound came again, and I turned to Lo. The young lad's face had fallen into an expression of utter terror.

"What's that sound, Lo?"

"The retort of a hand-cannon. The village is under attack."

"What?"

I went to haul myself up the ladder, but Lo grabbed my shoulder.

"Are you insane? Neither of us are warriors. Well, you used to be, but I never was."

"If the village is under attack, does it matter if we are warriors or not?"

"The raiders will not attack the Shunned camp. Should I die to protect those who won't even speak to me?"

He had a point.

"Stay here, then. I must go."

Arael's safety was my only thought as I raced up the ladder. When I thrust my body fully into the afternoon sun, a shadow passed overhead. I looked up to see the winged shape of a Masari wearing a flight harness.

He held a tube in his hands, which abruptly emitted a short blast of red energy. I'd seen such weapons before, but never had I seen them fired.

Thick smoke curled from the village as I raced up the slope. A glut of Raiders darkened the sky above, flying in formation as a smaller group of defending warriors tried to fend them off.

The raiders flew in as a team, covering each other's flanks and operating as a unit. By contrast, the defending warriors attacked individually, making themselves excellent targets. One by one they fell.

I need to help, but how?

I rushed up toward the town square, and came upon a half dozen raiders ushering a group of frightened women and children into a hover sled with a cage fastened atop of it.

I had no weapon. I launched myself at the nearest one, reasoning they would not risk using their ranged weapons in the middle of a melee, lest they hit each other.

Gro's body was indeed unique among his people. Though I faced hardened warriors, I had two hundred pounds on the largest, easily. I grabbed the Masari, one hand on his chin, the other on the back of his head. I gave a violent twist, grunting with exertion. A grotesque snap echoed through the air as the raider went limp in my arms.

I threw his body at the next closest Raider. My attack had been so sudden they had yet to even react. His hand went for the silver tube at his side, but I grabbed his wrist and shattered it like glass.

One of the others drew their weapon. With a shout of alarm, I turned about, putting the Masari with the broken wrist before me like a shield.

A buzzing crackle raised the hair on the back of my neck. The body I held before me caught on fire. The Masari screamed, his body wracked with spasms. Steam issued from his throat as his scream turned to a mere gurgle.

I kicked the dead man in his chest, hard enough to send him flying into the Masari who'd just fired at me. Both of them went down in a heap. I caught hold of another Masari who rushed me from the side. I twisted my torso and flipped him head first into the support pillar of an arcing bridge.

With a growl, I leaped on the Masari who had shot his fellow Raider just as he disentangled himself. I ripped the tube from his hands and planted my foot on his throat.

"You should not have come here."

I pulled the trigger stud, and he turned into a masari-shaped inferno. I had to remove my foot before I got burned as well.

I broke the lock on the cage and bellowed at those trapped inside.

"Get out of here! Go to the caves!"

I turned away from them and tore the flight harness off one of the Raider's backs. I had not had much practice with the devices. The last time I tried, I cracked my noggin on the ceiling in my home.

I hoped necessity would be the mother of adeptness as I secured the wings across my back. I launched myself into the air with a prodigal leap, pouring my energy into the wings to achieve flight.

I rose into the air, much too fast. I shot upward like a rocket, the ground dwindling below me.

It's just like the spear. It's going to drain me dry at this rate. I have to control it.

I had one thought. If I failed, then Arael might be hurt. I imagined the energy passing through a tiny valve before entering the flight harness.

My speed diminished, and soon I came to a hovering halt. The village's flying island had dwindled below me until the raiders and deafening warriors appeared as tiny smudges.

I stopped putting energy into the harness. My body dropped like a rock. I stretched myself out like a missile to cut through the air all the faster.

Winds buffeted me, knocking me off course. I put energy into the harness, using it to keep myself level. I squeezed the trigger stud of the silver tube. A beam of angry red light lanced down and burned half of a raider company out of the sky. Their perfect V formation turned into screaming chaos.

I shot past their line and plunged to the ground. Panicking, I poured energy into the harness. My descent slowed, but I knew I would still impact. I twisted myself head over heels so I landed feet first.

Once I struck the ground, I tucked and rolled, eating up the excess momentum. I came to my feet, cursing as the tube in my hands sparked and grew too hot to hold. I dropped it on the street and examined my flight harness.

Torn, but I think I can make it work.

The silver tube emitted a high pitched whine, which grew in volume and intensity. The metal casing turned red, blurring the air with heat.

"Oh shit."

I launched myself away from the tube. A sharp crack, and then it felt as if someone beat the bottoms of my feet with a steel girder.

The explosion kicked me into a wild spin. Agony stole my breath, and I could not hope to understand where the ground lay in the kaleidoscopic madness of spins my world had become.

I slammed into something, and my vision grew dim. I barely felt it when I crashed to the ground a moment later. I'd flown into the side of the Sage's tower.

"Arael," I muttered. I managed to get one foot under me, and then the other. I stood up and took a couple of steps.

The next thing I knew, the ground rose up and slammed into my face. I felt the smooth, well worn stones beneath my fingers and knew that if I could feel, I still lived. If I still lived, I could get to my feet and find Arael.

I struggled to rise, and the darkness edging out my vision washed in like a tsunami.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring up at the sky rather than face down. I moved, trying to see if the harness could still function enough to let me fly, but I no longer wore it.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

I sat up, flinging a blanket off my body. I looked around until I saw the ramilar walls of the hospital.

Floran entered the room, his face knit with concern.

"Gro?"

He cautiously approached. It dawned on me that the Physicker worried I had reverted to the old, violent Gro.

"I am awake, Doctor. I still have no memories before a year ago, you may approach safely."

Floran stepped closer, using a device I had salvaged from the ship to diagnose me.

"I see no signs of internal bleeding or serious injury. How does your head feel? You had a crack in your skull, but the magic wand you gifted me helped knit the bones back together before my very eyes."

"It's a tissue regeneration unit, not a magic wand." I touched the back of my head gingerly. I felt some pain, but nothing I could not handle. "What happened to the raiders? Are we still under attack? I need to find Arael?—"

I started to rise, but he came to my side and pushed me back into the bed.

"Gro, listen to me. The raid ended many hours ago. It is now well past nightfall."

I should have felt some relief that the village still stood. Yet, a sickness gripped my core and left me shivering and weak.

"And Arael?" I dared ask.

Floran's expression grew grave.

"She was seen among the confirmed captives taken away by Ghroma Jark and his raiders."

"No!"

I pushed past him, erupting out of the bed and putting on my blood-stained clothing.

"I must go and get her back."

"Jark's raiders number in the hundreds. He can raise an army of thousands, perhaps larger if given the time. I'm sorry, but you should mourn for your lifemate, for she is surely lost to you?—"

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"No! Never!"

The fear in his eyes made me let him go. I stormed out of the hospital, past grievously injured warriors. There were so many, I wondered how much of the village remained.

When I stepped outside, my mouth fell open. Half the structures had been burned, and the bodies in the town square were piled waist deep. The raiders had not cared who they slew. Many of the shrouded bodies were much smaller than the others.

"Gro!"

I turned to see Lo rushing up to join me. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

"Lo. I'm glad you survived."

Lo straightened up and met my gaze, panting heavily.

"I am glad you survived, as well. I heard about Arael. We're going to get her back, right?"

I hardened my resolve and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Yes. And everyone else they stole from us."

"But how? Jark has a huge force of warriors."

I bit back a nasty retort. I had to remind myself that Lo was not my enemy. He was, in fact, a friend and ally. He was only asking a very reasonable question.

"We will need cleverness to overcome their numbers. I have an idea of how we may achieve that."

I spoke to myself as much as Lo, nodding. Yes, my idea could work.

"Lo, tell me, where do the warriors gather after a raid like this one? Surely they will want to regroup and consider tactics."

"The warriors have gone home, to their families, those that have any left…"

He swallowed, and looked up at me anxiously.

"I'm sorry."

"Never mind that. Go on. Why have the warriors gone home? Are they not planning a counter attack?"

"War Chief Paegus has sent them home. He is not planning to help those who were taken?"

"Why not?"

Lo shrugged.

"It is the way of a small tribe like the Starlost. When a larger tribe conducts a raid, you pick up the pieces and try to go on with what they didn't steal. You start over. It's the way of things."

I stopped cold in my tracks. I felt as if I'd been smacked with a fist full of ice.

"What's the matter?" Lo asked.

"It's the way of things," I muttered in response. "I heard that phrase many times in my life. It's just the way of things. Well sometimes you need to find a different way."

I shook off the lingering pain in my skull and faced him squarely.

"Take me to this War Chief Paegus."

His eyes went wide.

"You're going to challenge him for the War Chieftainship? I mean, everyone always thought you would, one day, until…"

"Until I lost my memories. Perhaps those prophecies will come to pass. All I care about is saving Arael, and all of our people. If I can do that and still have Paegus remain War Chief, that's fine."

He clucked his tongue as he gestured toward our path.

"Paegus lives near the Engineers Vault. His house is in the shadow of their tower at midday."

"You seem dubious, Lo."

"I'm quite dubious. I fear that by the end of the day, you or Paegus will lie dead."

I grunted in response, my throat dry and guttural. I'd been going on pure adrenaline, but now I realized how thirsty I truly was. Lo purchased a bottle of watered down juice. We passed it back and forth as we traveled to Paegus' house.

Feeling refreshed, I spotted Paegus' home right away. The practice dummies hanging from the rafters kind of gave it away. For a War Chief, he hadn't cliaimed a very large dwelling for himself.

I walked carefully between carefully cultivated rows of foodstuff plants to reach the front door. Masari custom is not to knock, but rather to bellow out at the top of your lungs. I didn't like it, but a knock could have been greeted with confusion or perhaps even aggression.

"War Chief Paegus! Gro of the Sages has called upon you. Will you answer?"

I waited. A moment later a set of shudders on the second floor opened up and an aging female Masari thrust her head out.

"I am Paegus' lifemate. He will answer."

She withdrew. I waited. Lo paced back and forth, chewing on his nails. His tail shot back and forth so erratically it kept smacking me in the leg.

"Get some control of yourself, Lo. What could be taking him so long?"

"I hate to say it, but he may be disrespecting you on purpose. It's a common tactic for those who wish to hold onto their power?—"

The door opened, and an elderly Masari clumped out on a set of crutches. His left leg was simply gone from the knee down, and a bandage covered most of his face, leaving only one eye and his mouth visible.

"Gro. You come when I am at my weakest to challenge for the mantle of War Chief? I will answer your challenge, but the Story Singers will only write melodies of your cowardice until the end of time."

"I'm not here to challenge you. I want your help."

Paegus stared at me with his good eye for a long moment before responding.

"My help? With what? Look at me, Gro. Look at what Jark and his raiders have done. They have made me half a man."

His words rang in the air. Lo turned away, unable to deal with the pathos. I sneered.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to speak with War Chief Paegus, not this whining excuse for a warrior before me."

Paegus' eyes widened. Lo looked at me as if I'd grown a second head.

"You mock me?"

"I challenge you," I corrected. "Not for the chieftainship. I challenge you to overcome this minor setback and fulfill your duty as War Chief."

"Minor setback? My leg has been cut off!"

"Then you should fly a little faster through the air thanks to the reduced weight and drag."

He closed his mouth, opened it, and then bellowed with laughter.

"You, Gro…you have not lost your warrior's blood. You know just what to say. Very well, I pledge to help you however I can, for all that it is worth."

"Excellent. Tell the Warriors to gather at sundown."

Paegus nodded, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. He didn't think I would be able to convince the warriors to go into battle against a vastly superior foe.

For that matter, I didn't know if I could, either. I knew I had to try. I raced back to the Sage's tower, with Lo in tow.

"Slow down, Gro. Give yourself a moment to rest."

"I can't. If I slow down, if I stop working, I'll think about Arael. I—I couldn't protect her, Lo. They took her away from me."

My voice broke. We reached the tower and I shoved the door open without ceremony. Ignis looked up from his notes on the flywheel, his gaze filled with surprise.

"Gro? You are up and moving already? The whole village saw you crash."

"I am well enough, my friend. I need your help with the flywheel."

He blinked in confusion.

"Of course, but what is the urgency?"

"We're going to use it to take down Grohma Jark's army."

He looked from the flywheel to me and back again.

"Gro, I thought we determined that this was not some sort of weapon."

"We did agree it was unlikely to have been created as a weapon. However, it can still help us get our people back."

I opened up the plans for the flywheel we'd sketched out so far. The two of us bent our heads over them as I explained my idea to Ignio.

"You're mad!" Ignio gestured at the flywheel. "This is the most incredible discovery we've ever had, and you want to destroy it?"

"Is this artifact worth more than getting our people back?"

Ignio sighed.

"Ignio…"

"Oh, all right. You're correct. If it were my life on the line, I would want you to choose the artifact, but it is not fair of others to make that sacrifice."

"There will be other discoveries, my friend. And we still have our notes."

Ignio grunted.

"You're right, of course. If the Engineers would lend us their assistance, this task could be accomplished much more quickly."

I sighed.

"Yes. I will attempt to garner their aid."

"How?"

My eyes narrowed.

"By doing something I should have done a long time ago."

Leaving Ignio and the other Sages to work on the flywheel modifications, I stalked to the Engineer's Vault. I suspected the Vault had once been the raised bridge section of the crashed Precursor ship. They had added to the T-shaped tower over the centuries of the village's existence, creating a walled off miniature city.

The Engineers were the ones who repaired many of the devices that made our lives on the flying island possible. And they never let anyone forget it. They hoarded their knowledge and skills, as well as their technology, like mythical dragons.

I'd had enough of it. They were going to help me get my lifemate back, or they were not going to see another sunrise.

I reached the entrance to their vault, guarded by two Engineers equipped with armor and weaponry. They puffed up their chests at my approach.

"None may enter the vault without express, written permission from the Chief Engineer. You may obtain such permission at our offices on the town square, assuming the magistrate is in residence today. Otherwise?—"

I walked right between them and kept on going.

"Stop! Where do you think you're going?"

The two engineers caught up to me. One of them put his hand on my arm. I struck him across the temple and he folded like a wet blanket.

I restrained myself, not wanting him seriously hurt. It would not do my position any good if I clobbered every Engineer I came across.

The other engineer took a step back, his mouth open wide.

"Take me to the Chief Engineer."

Without another word, he led me into the vault's lowest story. Inside, small teams worked to take apart and put back together devices recovered from the ruins. Some of them glanced up at me when I entered, but most were too engrossed with their work to even notice the presence of a stranger.

The guard escorted us to the top level, and then announced our arrival to the Chief Engineer.

We entered his office, not bothering to wait for a response. I wasn't sure what I had expected, but the Chief Engineer's office looked every bit the cluttered workshop as the rest of the vault.

A female Masari looked up from the circuit board she worked on. One of her eyes appeared grotesquely large due to the magnifying glass strapped to her head.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see the Chief Engineer."

"Speaking."

I stopped in my tracks.

"You are a woman."

"Am I?"

She looked at her hands, then opened her shirt and looked inside.

"It looks like you're right. Imagine that. I never realized."

If I hadn't felt the urgent need to rescue my lifemate, I might have found her sarcasm amusing.

"How did you get to hold this position?" Lo asked.

"The Engineers pick their own leadership. The other Engineers know I'm the most qualified."

"Then you must be the most talented of your number," I said.

"Not really. I just leave the other Engineers alone and let them do pretty much whatever they want, so of course they put me in charge."

I didn't like the sound of that. If the Engineers had no centralized command structure, it would be much larger to convince them to join our efforts to rescue the villagers.

"So you are not in charge here?"

"I didn't say that. Of course I'm in charge. I'm the Chief Engineer, after all."

I wiped a hand down my face and sighed.

"I have little time to play word games. I need the Engineers to help me rescue those taken by Jank."

The woman shook her head.

"You're mad. There is no rescuing them. Better you mourn them for dead, because you'll never see them again."

Lo took a step forward, his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"How dare you say that! You sealed yourselves up in your vault and hid while the rest of us fought for our lives. You owe the village at least the use of your skills."

I started to admonish Lo, but then I realized he had summed things up with great eloquence. I turned my gaze on the Chief Engineer instead. She threw her hands up in the air and issued a frustrated groan.

"Oh, by the Precursors…fine. We will help you. How can the Engineers help?"

I explained my plan to her. Her expressions revealed a cascade of ever changing feelings on the subject. At first, the Engineer was incredulous. Then, excited and eager. Then, very, very afraid. And finally, reluctantly optimistic.

"I do think that your plan will work, but your artifact will be reduced to an oversized fishing weight. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. It's the only way I can see that we stand a chance against Jank's forces."

She rubbed her chin, tail twitching back and forth with eagerness.

"I'm excited to get started on this. It's been a long time since the Engineers worked with the Sages."

"And whose fault is that?" I snapped. "The Engineers act aloof, as if they are not part of Starlost village. We would welcome the chance to work with you, and not just the Sages. All of the castes would gladly collaborate with you. But then, you'd have to share some of your knowledge."

The chief Engineer sat back in her chair and spread her hands out wide.

"This is the way of things."

"It doesn't have to remain the way of things. You're the Chief Engineer. You could change the way of things."

She pursed her lips, mulling my words over in silence.

"Maybe," she said at length. "But one step at a time, hey? Let's finish this project of yours, and then we'll see how the dust settles on any future alliances."

I supposed it was going to have to be enough.

"Then we have a bargain?"

"We have a bargain. I'll be at the Sage's Tower in about an hour with a team of Engineers. I don't know if your plan is going to work, but if it fails, it won't be for a lack of effort on our part."

"Thank you."

I led Lo back out of the Vault. The man I'd punched had received medical attention. He sat on the ground, holding his head and giving me a dark look. I didn't bear him any rancor. It wasn't' his fault I had to use him to set an example to the Engineers.

We returned to the Sage's tower, where the flywheel lay split in two, its carapace removed to show the inner workings. I went over Ignio's work and pronounced it sound before I turned my efforts to assisting him.

The Chief Engineer arrived with a dozen of her followers. With their help, the work went even faster. I began to believe we would make the sundown deadline.

When the daystar rested against the horizon, fat and blurry and red, I took my leave of Ignio and returned to War Chief Pageus' home.

I spotted the gaggle of warriors before I even reached the shadow of the Vault. I estimated their number at around two hundred. Not as many as I'd hoped. I was, however, gratified that they'd arrived fully armed and armored. They were prepared for battle, but could I convince them to shed their blood?

"What are you going to say to them?" Lo asked.

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to think of something."

I thought of Arael, and prayed that whatever I came up with would be the right thing.