The Machinery Of Light Part 24

"Should have guessed," mutters Jarvin.

Give me one good reason I shouldn't just pull this f.u.c.king trigger," says Lynx.

"That's your reason right there," says the Operative, gesturing in the direction of the gunfire.

"You already backstabbed me once!"

"For a chance to win it all, you'd have done the same."

"And look where it got you," says Lynx. "Standing here with my guns aimed at your head-"

"And nothing in yours," snarls the Operative. "The Manilis.h.i.+'s approaching activation. Sinclair's still at L5. He may have a full triad with him. He may have more more. And meanwhile your scam to nail Szilard has gone so far off the rails you can't even see the f.u.c.king tracks-" tracks-"

Another blast shakes the room. Much closer now. Linehan looks at Lynx- "s.h.i.+t or get off the pot," he says.

"Let's get the man a suit," says Lynx.

Power-suited infantry are storming into the InfoCom command bunker, firing at everything in sight.

Explosions start ripping apart consoles. Smoke's everywhere. It's pandemonium.

"Get the president out of here!" screams Control.

But the bodyguards are already moving. One of them releases the restraints on Haskell, slides a helmet on her, seals her suit, and pulls her from her berth. Her neck hurts like h.e.l.l. She flops over the shoulder of the bodyguard while he starts scrambling after the others-vaulting over more consoles toward the emergency exit that's opening in the wall. She gets a glimpse of oncoming shock troops-sees the insignia on their suits.

"s.p.a.ceCom," she says. she says.

"I noticed," mutters the bodyguard.

Along with everybody else. Virtually all of the bunker staff are suitless. They're trying to surrender. They're being given no quarter. It's a total ma.s.sacre. Montrose's bodyguards charge into the escape pa.s.sage. Haskell can see the consoles that house Control getting shredded.

The elite of the Chinese Fifth Commando kick down the elevator door and start shooting. Blood and bodies fly.

It looks to be totally out of control.

Though really it's quite targeted.

"So much for the Russians," says Spencer.

"Bet you this is going on across the fleet," says Sarmax.

"Try throughout the Coalition," says Jarvin.

Certainly throughout this s.h.i.+p. The view's becoming a lot clearer as the Chinese zone dissolves its Russian counterpart. The EMP surge from earlier was just an opening salvo. Camera-feeds show suited Russian soldiers getting zapped in their armor, suitless technicians getting exposed to vacuum as airlocks open.

"So much for the great partners.h.i.+p," says Sarmax.

"Had to end sometime," says Spencer.

And no better time than now. With the East on the brink of winning the war, China's chosen to get its blow in first. It's obviously been planned that way. Across the vast fleet in Earth orbit, Russian soldiers and pilots are being purged en ma.s.se. A bombardment of the Russian homeland is in progress.

"How's your Mandarin?" says Sarmax.

They're moving out of Szilard's audience chamber at speed. The Operative is wearing one of the less-damaged suits of the bodyguard. The smell of rotting flesh a.s.sails his nostrils. He considers himself fortunate that his own isn't going the same way. He meshes his zone-capabilities with Lynx and they start devising strategies while their suits kill everything that moves.

"Why the h.e.l.l aren't we heading for the hangars?" yells Linehan.

"Shut up and keep shooting," yells Lynx.

The Operative nods. They've got enough to do without Linehan demanding to be kept in the loop. Every s.h.i.+p in the Redeemer's Redeemer's hangar is forfeit. The shuttle the Operative rode in on was the first to get blasted. So now they're closing in on a very different objective. The Operative's not surprised that the combat they're hearing nearby is tracking in the same direction. hangar is forfeit. The shuttle the Operative rode in on was the first to get blasted. So now they're closing in on a very different objective. The Operative's not surprised that the combat they're hearing nearby is tracking in the same direction.

"They're not stupid," says Lynx.

"We'll take them all the same," replies the Operative.

Back out in vacuum: the bunker escape hatch slams shut behind Montrose and her escorts. Haskell's got a feeling it'll be opening again soon enough. She's still slung over the bodyguard's shoulder-still watching the flames of the suit-thrusters of the man as he holds formation with the rest of them. She has no idea what Montrose intends to do next. She wonders if Montrose knows either. The walls of the pa.s.sage widen as they come out into a larger chamber-a subrail station. The bodyguards hustle Montrose into the first car of the train that sits in the center of the grooved floor. The bodyguard holding Haskell straps her into one of the seats. For a moment she's face to face with Montrose.

"You really f.u.c.ked this up," says Haskell.

"It's not over yet," says Montrose.

The train slides out of the station.

The screens show L5's inner perimeter crumbling. Hammer of the Skies Hammer of the Skies moves in toward its quarry. The Russians in the c.o.c.kpit who've surrendered are being summarily executed. Vacuum-pumps have been turned on to drain the blood from the zero-G. Chinese soldiers are mopping up. moves in toward its quarry. The Russians in the c.o.c.kpit who've surrendered are being summarily executed. Vacuum-pumps have been turned on to drain the blood from the zero-G. Chinese soldiers are mopping up.

"They'll be coming down here next," says Spencer.

"Not if we convince their bosses they already did," replies Jarvin.

The garrison of the Redeemer Redeemer is trying to defend against the incursions now cutting through it, but it's tough going. All the more so as the attacks are along angles that the original defenders didn't antic.i.p.ate-straight out of the off-limits high-security area along its axis. Alarms are sounding throughout the s.h.i.+p. Reserves are scrambling into their suits, all too many of which are getting hacked. is trying to defend against the incursions now cutting through it, but it's tough going. All the more so as the attacks are along angles that the original defenders didn't antic.i.p.ate-straight out of the off-limits high-security area along its axis. Alarms are sounding throughout the s.h.i.+p. Reserves are scrambling into their suits, all too many of which are getting hacked.

"They're f.u.c.king reeling," says Lynx.

"It may not matter," says the Operative.

"What's that supposed to mean?" says Linehan.

"Szilard might blow this s.h.i.+p at any moment."

"Why the h.e.l.l would he do that if he's on it?"

"Don't you love it when you answer your own question?"

"This whole thing was a trick?" trick?"

Neither Lynx nor the Operative bothers to reply. Of course the whole thing was a trick. It's the only possibility that makes sense now. But as to what the Lizard's game is ... they're still working on it. And right now they've got more tactical concerns. Marines block the way ahead-Lynx f.u.c.ks their suits while the Operative springs open the triple-locked doors behind them. The three men blast on through. The Operative looks around at the room they've just reached.

"Made it," he says.

"Not so fast," says a voice.

The train abruptly slows, slides to a halt.

"What the h.e.l.l's going on?" demands Montrose.

"Not sure," says a bodyguard.

"Then get out there and find out!" snarls Montrose.

But the bodyguards are already opening the doors of the train, heading out into the tunnel. Lasers and explosions start flaring. One of the bodyguards gets blasted back into the car. The s.p.a.ceCom marine who just shot him leaps in, followed by several others.

"President Montrose," says one.

"You're under arrest," says another.

Hammer of the Skies and and Righteous Fire-Dragon Righteous Fire-Dragon pour fire onto the L5 fortress at point-blank range. They've suppressed enough of the defensive fire to start deploying troops: clouds of power-suits billowing across the gigantic central station and its attendant war-sats. pour fire onto the L5 fortress at point-blank range. They've suppressed enough of the defensive fire to start deploying troops: clouds of power-suits billowing across the gigantic central station and its attendant war-sats.

"Impressive," says Sarmax.

Neither Spencer nor Jarvin reply. They're too busy trying to keep up with the s.h.i.+fting Eastern zone within this megas.h.i.+p. The Chinese zone continues to consolidate, taking control. But as it does, Jarvin's mind slides in behind it, Spencer riding shotgun in a maneuver as quick as it is elegant- "Got it," says Jarvin.

The last of L5's guns cease firing.

The room is almost empty. It contains only a single console-and a door, through which Maschler and Riley have just entered, their guns still smoking.

"Figured I'd find you guys here," says the Operative.

"You always were quick," says Riley.

"A little too much so," says Maschler.

"And guess who's holding your zone-leashes?" says Lynx.

"You're kidding," says Riley.

"Try us and see," says the Operative.

Though he knows they're figuring it out for themselves. He and Lynx snipped their link back to Montrose all too easily. Whatever s.h.i.+t's. .h.i.tting the fan back at the president's HQ made that move even easier. Meaning that the two men who held his reins the whole way up just got co-opted. And they're going to find it very difficult to do anything that Lynx and Carson don't want them to.

Though right now everybody's got the same objective.

"We've been trying to figure out the sequence," says Riley.

"We're one step ahead of you," says Lynx as the Operative starts keying commands into the console.

The s.p.a.ceCom soldiers keep their guns trained on Montrose and Haskell while the train reverses back along the tunnel. Montrose is offering them riches beyond their imagination if they'll let her go. They're not saying anything in reply. They just let her plead while they keep an eye out of the windows on either side. The train pulls back into the station. Montrose and Haskell are hustled out.

A man's waiting for them on the platform. He's so tall his suit's obviously custom built. His smile's clearly visible through his visor. He looks down as Montrose and Haskell are thrown at his feet.

"Hi there," says Jharek Szilard.

The sack of L5 is in full force. There's a lot of it to bust up. The main structure is a kilometer across. Sections of the Lincoln Lincoln have melted in the DE bombardment like wax in an oven. The thousands of Chinese soldiers storming through what's left are meeting with little resistance. Feeds from the suit-cams of the a.s.sault troops churn through Spencer's head as the soldiers close on one section in particular. have melted in the DE bombardment like wax in an oven. The thousands of Chinese soldiers storming through what's left are meeting with little resistance. Feeds from the suit-cams of the a.s.sault troops churn through Spencer's head as the soldiers close on one section in particular.

The prisons.

"What the h.e.l.l's going on?" asks Sarmax.

"We've got control of this s.h.i.+p's net," says Jarvin.

"Sure," says Sarmax, "but what about Sinclair?"

"We'll know in less than thirty seconds," says Spencer.

The Redeemer's Redeemer's disaggregation sequence is an absolute last resort. The fact that it needs to be triggered manually is one of several failsafes that keep it from getting activated accidentally. But the Operative and Lynx have already hacked through all the precautions. They've won through to this backup control room and killed almost everyone in the vicinity. disaggregation sequence is an absolute last resort. The fact that it needs to be triggered manually is one of several failsafes that keep it from getting activated accidentally. But the Operative and Lynx have already hacked through all the precautions. They've won through to this backup control room and killed almost everyone in the vicinity.

And Maschler and Riley were thoughtful enough to take care of the rest. They didn't know they were working in coordination with the Operative and Lynx. They didn't need to. All anyone needs to do now is hold on- "Do it," hisses Lynx. hisses Lynx.

The Operative hits the last command. Sirens wail. Airlocks slam shut. Explosive charges throughout the s.h.i.+p detonate.

"On to the next round," says the Operative.

"G.o.dd.a.m.n," says Maschler.

The Redeemer Redeemer is breaking into twenty modular pieces. Designed for emergencies that might befall the mother-s.h.i.+p in Mars...o...b..t or beyond, each is a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p in its own right. Each starts maneuvering into the L2 fleet on routes already established by the Operative and Lynx. Some of the L2 guns begin firing at the anomaly that's sprouting in their midst, but most of them hold off in the absence of orders-even as the is breaking into twenty modular pieces. Designed for emergencies that might befall the mother-s.h.i.+p in Mars...o...b..t or beyond, each is a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p in its own right. Each starts maneuvering into the L2 fleet on routes already established by the Operative and Lynx. Some of the L2 guns begin firing at the anomaly that's sprouting in their midst, but most of them hold off in the absence of orders-even as the Redeemer Redeemer's fragments close in on them-even as one fragment in particular closes in on- "That one there," says Lynx.

"Everybody brace yourself," yells the Operative.

Still don't think it's over?" asks Haskell.

"Shut the f.u.c.k up," says Montrose. "Jharek, this is an says Montrose. "Jharek, this is an outrage outrage. You shoot your way into my headquarters and-"

"Please, Stephanie." Szilard raises a hand. "No need to make this embarra.s.sing. We both know the game we've been playing."

"I've been trying to win this war-"

"And trying to win the war against me while you were at it. Yes. And now you see why you couldn't. I'm never where anyone expects me to be."

"You're a traitor," says Montrose.

"I asked you not to make this embarra.s.sing."

"Spare me and I'll put the InfoCom net at your disposal."

"It already is is at my disposal," says Szilard. "Except for one thing." at my disposal," says Szilard. "Except for one thing."

He gestures at two of his men, who grab Montrose's suit-she kicks against them, but they ignore her as they rip away the suit's safety seals. Montrose starts screaming. They haul off her helmet-hold her suit upright while she convulses in the vacuum. It's over quick-and when it's done, they drop her back onto the ground in front of Szilard. He turns to Haskell.

"So nice to finally meet you," he says.