The Impossible Future: Complete set by Frank Kennedy (mini ebook reader .txt) 📕

James cursed. He hadn’t been paying attention to surroundings. His long-range tracker warned of an approach. The running lights of two ships chased toward the facility, ahead of the familiar hum of Scramjets. They broke apart. One veered toward the center of the facility. The other maintained a direct line toward James.

Col. Miguel Lennox signaled the alert as soon as James reacted.

“Evasive action, Lennox. Defend yourself. Soldiers, prepare for bombardment. Splinter.”

Valentin taught them well. James watched as the seventeen live soldiers left their groups and escaped on individual routes. The other three remained down, their bodies yet to reanimate.

James pointed skyward to the nearest approaching Scramjet.

“Is this our death?”

“It is, James.”

“Think again, Father.”

He threw Emil to the ground and stormed out of the ruined structure, unshielded, and dropped his rifle. James balled his fist to his sides and awakened the monstrous child who called out to him when it wanted to play.

The dark washed over James in an instant of exultation. His blood turned black. He embraced limitless stars and unleashed the dark, that it might drown them all. A nuclear storm gathered upon his breath and morphed into a missile which enveloped and atomized the enemy craft. But it didn’t stop there. James shoved the nuclear spike far beyond the horizon, as if a god were hurling a fastball. James didn’t care where it landed, though he saw the distant glow of city lights.

Deep inside the facility, Scramjets blasted energy slews at each other while ground fire rose into the sky as tracers.

James stood over Emil, who was caught between awe and terror.

“Tell me about this betrayal, Father.”

“I won’t give a creature like you the satisfaction.”

James shrugged. He raced his tongue over his lips to wet them. James wanted this to be slow and agonizing. As he treated his father to a taste of his fiery breath, James heard an explosion from behind. A ship crashed into the facility.

“For the record, Father, this gives me satisfaction.”

Emil Bouchet died screaming before he dissolved into ash.

James expected joy, but the emerging reality blunted his celebration. Even before he learned the fate of his crew, James recognized he made the worst strategic mistake of his life.

40

Ericsson Research Station

Tamarind

E ND. SENSATION. A VOICE. A LIGHT. Someone needs me. My head, it hurts. What happened?

“Michael. Come on. We don’t have much time.”

He recognized the voice. He heard it before he awoke that night inside Entilles Club. She saved his life, stabbed a man through the heart. The voice, so familiar. The name? The name?

“Sam?”

“Michael, I need you up. They’re coming for us. We have to go.”

The background echoed of rifle fire, explosions, and screams. He smelled smoke. A noxious fume.

A roundhouse slap did the trick. Michael opened his eyes and squirmed. Maya sighed, but she wasn’t smiling.

“You’re back. Sit up.” He did. “OK. Do you know where you are?”

“I think I’m … yes.” His life flashed before him, but not as a final reflection upon death. Rather, his memories reset, as did the last minute before all went black.

“Fuck. Maya. He shot me. How am I …?”

Searing pain pulsated directly above his left eye. Instinctively, he touched it and felt an indentation. Soft tissue where hard bone should have been. Is this real?

“Yes,” she said. “You were shot in the head, but you were lucky. It was a flash peg that ricocheted off the wall. It’s a superficial wound. You’ll be fine. We’ll sort it later, Michael.” She pointed beyond him. “We have to go. Now or never.”

That’s when Michael realized they were inside the lab. Lights flashed. One of the globular tanks holding Void energy was leaking, its fumes filling the wide chamber.

Michael, feeling a sudden burst of restorative energy, hopped to his feet and scanned the chaotic scene. The lab door was closed, but blast rifles were engaged in close combat on the other side. Scorch marks scarred the light tables upon which holowindows transmitted data in sporadic flashes. It seemed as if a laser fight had taken place. As if …

He pivoted to view the entire chamber. Shit. He grabbed his Ingmar and moved toward the nightmare.

Though the Anchor seemed unharmed, and its foci arms active, nothing else here made sense. Many bodies lay on the deck. Three – all in white suits – lay closest, each with laser burn holes. He recognized Oliver Huron, second in command of the science team. Oliver’s eyes were open above a giant hole where his right cheek used to be. Beyond them, Michael saw unfamiliar faces. Some clearly civilian, but at least four Guard.

Aldo Cabrise massaged the side of his abdomen as he inspected the Anchor, a laser pistol dangling from his right hand.

“I found it,” he announced. “Manual insertion for the sleeve. It’s on the destination arm.”

“What is this?” Michael asked.

Aldo twisted about, as if stunned to see Michael.

“Damnation,” he shouted before turning to Maya. “OK, so you were right. Let’s get on with it. The sleeve!”

As Maya started forward, she tucked her pistol away. Michael took quick stock: One of his blast rifles was missing. It was … he saw it on the floor a few feet from where he woke. Whatever happened here involved more than laser pistols.

“How quickly will the field shift?” She asked Aldo.

“Can’t say. We’re trying for manual override. Without poor Oliver’s help, we’re on our own. The sleeve?”

Maya held up the metallic sliver Maj. Nilsson gave Michael three hours ago. She handed over the pattern sleeve and asked Michael, “Are you ready?”

“Hiebimini? We’re going then?”

“Yes. It’s time.” A fresh explosion rocked the chamber. “There’s nothing we can do for them. We were all betrayed, Michael, but there’s no time. We have to go.”

Aldo