Standoff, page 65
Elder Han’s hand crashed onto the table, the impact sending shockwaves through the surrounding water. “This is all the confirmation we need. They—”
“Enough!” Rahim’s voice was sharp. “We will not let one man’s word throw us into this war.”
“With all due respect,” I said, “I am not just one man.”
Every eye locked onto me, and my body struggled with a fight-or-flight response. “I possess tech that no one has ever seen before. That no one should ever see again.”
“What do you mean?” Mira’s voice quivered, but she already knew this, she wanted me to tell them.
“I want you to know that…” I stuttered with my words. What I was about to say, what I knew was nothing but the truth, the whole truth. “What I trust you with is not just my life, but the lives of everyone in Artem.”
Here we go…muttered Apex tersely.
My fingers tapped the table, my HUD responding instantly. A fluid motion of my hand revealed my tech’s intricacies, projected for all to see.
“M-Corp’s helo program has been withering. They decided to take a radical path of experimentation, and I am the first successful iteration. I do not just have tech inside my body. I have the living mind of another.”
“What is that?” Anders tilted his head, indicating my spine. “I’ve never seen a TAP like it.”
“You wouldn’t have, and you might not again. This is what they dubbed the X-Series. It’s a specially constructed system that has to match; it has crystal pathways through it into the base of my brain, unlike anything created before. But where others have AI, I have—”
I displayed the mature walrat, its visage emphasizing my point. “His name is Apex, and his DNA is the bridge between my mind and this tech.” A murmur went around the circle.
“You have a walrat in your head?” Seza’s voice was barely audible. “And he’s…alive?”
“I do. He’s…he is my friend. Without him, we’d be dead. There’s no way I would have progressed as fast or with the tech without him.”
Damn straight, Apex preened.
“This tech, you didn’t have this the other day?” Rahim raised an eyebrow and stared me square on.
“No.” I shifted under his gaze. “I went in for surgery thirty-four hours ago.”
Elder Anak’s voice rose. “That’s impossible!”
“No, it is the truth. I feel no pain at all. This tech works perfectly with both Apex and myself. There was no need for drugs, extensive rest, or physio. I was good as soon as the skin healed over. And I have piloted drones with no pain, a seamless connection. I get tired, but that should go away with practice.”
“Why would anyone create something like this?” Anders’s expression twisted. “It’s barbaric!”
“They pulled him apart and welded him to you…” Seza was horrified.
“The walrats are sapient creatures of the ocean,” Elder Anak sighed heavily, “Originally created to help us with our crops.”
“But,” Seza’s eyes glistened. “They became so much more.”
“Yes,” I said. “I know. The walrat species here in Artem’s city center was bred for a very different purpose; I…we believe they’ve become something else on their own too. They’re a subspecies of the ones you have out in the oceans, evolved.”
“Do you…have you? Can you communicate with him?” Rahim asked.
“Yes. Apex. His mother is Sumi, and his brother is named Pim. Their sister is Ilia. As far as we know they’re all still…still walrats.”
Mira’s lips curved into a smile. “A family.”
I nodded. “Yes, a family we only just discovered is very much still alive and fighting to stay that way.”
“But you have no pain with a TAP?” Asan interrupted, his eyes hungry for answers. Even with his dreams of being a DP stolen, it still mattered to him.
“Not this one, no.”
“M-Corp will be going crazy,” Anders said.
“I agree,” Rahim added.
“Why? They’ve got what they wanted, right? Tech that can help protect the city.”
Rahim started to laugh then. “Oh, child, you have nothing but innocence in your blood.”
I cast a sidelong glance at Mira. “What?”
“Father, don’t tease him, please.”
With a forceful swish, Rahim’s tail drenched the table. “Sorry, Ruslan, forgive me.” After a deep drink, he pushed a refilled glass towards me. “The walrat species is as stubborn as they come. Pair that with you and your mentality. What do you think M-Corp has on their hands?”
“Oh.” I picked up my glass and drank. “They have a lot of trouble.”
“Exactly,” Rahim roared with laughter, Anders joining in.
“My brother is correct. I highly doubt you are what they wanted.”
“They would want someone they could control easily,” Elder Anak said. “That is not you.” “No, you are not. That is clear, and I am glad that is clear.” Rahim seemed extremely pleased.
“Why?” I asked him. “Why would me being stubborn or insubordinate make you happy?”
“With you being more trouble than you’re worth, they won’t be trying to take any walrats from us. They’re rare, now, Rusty. Their species has been in decline in the oceans for a while. The monster attacks—” Seza’s voice wavered, “—the attacks on the kelp farms have been worse. We’ve lost whole colonies recently.”
“Is this all related?” I asked.
“We believe so, yes,” her husband said. “The fact you have one in your head might be enlightening in different ways if we can get you out there to talk to those alive and well.”
Mira smirked lightly. “Water isn’t exactly Ruslan’s element.”
“Never is for the sky pilots,” Seza chuckled. “That is widespread knowledge for all of us.”
Anders gestured vaguely in the direction of the horizon. “But we have some access to Kadar and his tech, and…” He looked to Asan. “One of our own, who wishes to fly.”
“He can’t do both,” Elder Anak cut him off sternly.
“Yes, he can,” I interjected, holding Elder’s gaze, while noticing the slight upturn of Asan’s lips – his understated way of expressing approval. “You need to start to trust your younger generation.”
Anders’s eyes burned with intensity, a silent plea.
They don’t seem to like your troublemaking so much now, do they? Apex smirked.
I shifted my attention to Rahim. Facing his penetrating stare was daunting, but I drew a deep breath and held it. “Council Ereia, would you give me your daughter and son?” There was no ripple around the table this time, only a heartbeat of dead silence.
Mira sucked in a sharp breath. Asan’s hushed voice was just audible, “Patience, Mira. Hear them out.”
“You wish to be with my daughter above anything else?” Rahim’s gaze never wavered.
With trepidation but unwavering resolve, I affirmed, “More than anything.” My pulse throbbed in my ears.
“And you’d overcome your aquaphobia?” Rahim’s tone softened, hinting at understanding.
Resolved, I responded thinking of Kadar and looking at Asan. “We will be the bridge between the oceans and the skies. If you’ll let us.”
The soft voice of Apex echoed through the chamber then. “If you’ll let us.” Seza put a hand to her mouth, eyes glistening.
Rahim stared at me for what seemed like an eternity, then he broke away. “It is not an easy decision to make,” he said. “But it is also something I have thought of for the last year.” He glided gracefully towards Mira and Asan. Touching Mira’s face tenderly, he asked, “You truly love this keeper of the skies?”
“With all my heart, Father.” Tears welled in Mira’s eyes. “With every fiber of my being. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”
“Even if he’s taken away from you or you from him for months or years?” Rahim persisted.
With conviction, Mira uttered, “Yes.”
My heart couldn’t take much more of this.
Rahim then pivoted to Asan. “You once renounced our traditions for the allure of the heavens and yet to save your life we had to give you the one thing you hated the most. Do the skies still beckon?”
Asan lowered his gaze momentarily, then firmly declared, “They do.”
“Then we will do everything we can to get you there, despite your tail.” Rahim guided them towards me, then he held them back just a step away. “Airman Ruslan Korolyov, I entrust you with my world. With my legacy. Will you pledge your unwavering loyalty to them both?”
“Anything,” I vowed, the weight of his words pressing on me. “Anything you ask of me, it’s yours.”
“In our time of need, your allegiance to stand with us, will go unquestioned and unreserved. We’ll depend on it, and you.”
Holding Rahim’s gaze, I asserted, “Before this esteemed assembly, I vow my unyielding commitment. I shall be poised at your beckoning. I will not falter.”
With a gentle nudge, Rahim ushered his children into my embrace. Asan murmured into my ear, a brother’s plea, “Protect her heart.”
“I will,” I whispered back.
“Councilor Ereia,” Elder Anak, still recovering from the emotional tumult, remarked, “Now that you have just blown our minds, what do you propose we do from here?”
After a shared moment with the Ereia siblings, I straightened up, holding Mira’s hand, with Asan at my flank. The council reconfigured.
“If I may,” I began. “Here’s my proposal.”
68
By the time we had exchanged our final words and bowed respectfully to the Elders, the night had deepened, pressing on my senses. And it wasn’t the weight of the conversation or the presence of the company that troubled me.
“Anders,” Rahim said and nodded my way. “Ensure he’s cared for.”
“Of course, sir.” Anders was beside me in an instant, his movements graceful yet swift.
“Oh, ohhh,” Mira’s eyes brightened with a mixture of surprise and worry, as Anders effortlessly scooped me up in the water.
“You will sleep here,” Anders declared, his voice filled with an unspoken promise of protection. “All of you. We have enough room.”
“I should—” I tried to voice a weak protest, drowned by my own yawning, as Anders began to move. His care was evident; even if he didn’t tuck me in, he did manage to help me wriggle free from the confining wetsuit, and then I dressed myself into the embrace of warm fresh clothing. I collapsed into the comfort of a bed lying next to the water, a hand lazily wafting in its ripples.
Mira was absent from my immediate sight, and I sank into a pillow that felt like the soft embrace of a cloud. A blanket of exhaustion enveloped me, and the world faded to black.
***
Morning greeted me with the enticing aroma of freshly baked goods and rich coffee. An involuntary rumble from my stomach reminded me of my negligence. Damn, I’d skipped dinner.
Stupidly, Apex scolded. You only had to open your mouth and ask; Anders would never have let you go hungry.
A sudden, cool sensation brushed against my cheek, pulling me from my reverie. I blinked open my eyes and was met with the gaze of the most mesmerizing woman I’d ever known.
“You been there long?” My voice was thick with sleep, but I still managed a playful grin.
Mira’s response was immediate and passionate, her lips seeking mine with fervor. But when she broke the kiss, there was a teasing glint in her eyes.
“You’re killing me, doing that first thing in the morning,” I groaned.
She backed away, and when I let out a chuckle her frown spread up to her eyes. “I have much to learn, especially after my father’s public acknowledgment of you.”
“He wasn’t kidding at all with that speech, was he?”
She swayed gently in the water, making ripples around her. “I never expected it either. I expected to have to fight him all the way.”
Despite the cold water clinging to my attire, I held her close. “I would have fought him at every step.”
She pressed a soft peck on my cheek, just as my stomach gave another embarrassing grumble. “The bar opens soon, but Apex already invited your friends here for early breakfast.”
Thank you, I said to him.
They were worried.
Mira left me and I slipped out of bed to dress. As I made my way to the dining area, the ambiance was warm, filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking cutlery. A spread of golden pancakes and the smoky allure of faux bacon tantalized my senses.
There were smiles and laughs at the table, but Malaki’s eyes bore a grave message.
“Morning,” Justin teased, raising a steaming mug in my direction. “Or is it afternoon?”
I clocked my HUD and the time, yep, it was afternoon. I had slept and slept well, but I needed it. I chuckled, sliding into a seat next to Malaki and reaching eagerly for a plate of pancakes. “Feel fresh as a daisy.”
“When you didn’t come back,” Malaki leaned in, lowering her voice, “I messaged Apex,”
“We knew something big was going down just by the way you reacted last night,” Justin added, a shadow passing over his face.
“It was, and it did.”
Mira’s entrance, alongside Asan, caused a noticeable stir. Hushed murmurs traveled amongst my friends, their attention clearly drawn.
But the atmosphere shifted palpably when Anders and Rahim followed, joining us at the table. The seating arrangement was notably divided, half of us on one side, the Elders on the other. Sneakily, Mira slid into the seat beside me, and our fingers entwined beneath the table, a silent gesture of solidarity.
“Allow me to introduce Councilor Ereia to the Steel Spiders,” I began, “Meet Justin Bridger and his DP Kadar Silao, and my Pilot Malaki Canlas.” Then to my friends I said, “Meet Councilor Rahim Ereia, Mira’s and Asan’s father.”
My friends rose in unison, offering deep, respectful bows.
“A pleasure.” Rahim inclined his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Please sit, eat.”
As we all dug in, Mira and Asan skillfully navigated the conversation. It was evident that Rahim had a particular curiosity towards Kadar, intrigued not just by his tech, but his life as a DP. Kadar, being ever articulate, delved into explanations that even I would have found challenging.
The atmosphere around the table was palpably collaborative. Despite the tense discussions and weighty decisions of the previous night, a newfound unity formed amongst us.
However, duty called. Standing up, I announced, “We need to head out. There’s a mission to prepare for.”
Mira tugged me to her, and she kissed the side of my face, then my lips. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” I glanced to Asan. “We’ll talk soon.”
After exchanging a firm handshake with Asan, I turned towards Rahim and Anders, offering them a respectful nod. “Thank you, especially to Cookie, for the warm hospitality as usual.”
“You’re all very welcome here, anytime.” Anders, with a playful smirk, drew Cookie close. “Aim high…”
Unified in response, we echoed, “Fly fast. Fly home.”
***
Exiting the bar, our steps were purposeful, heading straight for the helo pads. We were aware that engineers had been hard at work overnight, but we needed to ensure everything was optimal.
Malaki examined the new helo, the X101, with her characteristic intensity.
I clocked her stats –
X101- Prototype
Here we are again, right? This is your own personal hybrid – Air/Sub
As untested in the field as the 718!
Go fly or dive!
M-Corp holds no responsibility if this thing leaks…your call!
Crew
2
Passengers
8
Propulsion
Twin Turboshaft Engines
Engine Model
X-01
Engine Power (each) 4x
1,410 kW
1,890 shp
Max Speed
270 km/h
146 kts
210 mph
Service Ceiling
3,700 m
12,000 ft
Range
700 km
377 nm
434 mi.
Empty Weight
6,895 kg
15,200 lbs
Max. Takeoff Weight
10,433 kg
23,000 lbs
Main Rotor Diameter
16.36 m
53 ft
Main Rotor Area
210 m²
Length
19.71 m
64 ft 8 in
Height
5.23 m
17 ft 2 in
Max Height to Dive
??
??
Max Dive Depth
??
??
Armament
APKWS
AI Assisted - If Applicable
RAMICS
AI Assisted – If Applicable
2x
Torpedoes
8x
Missiles
2x
Lasers
Spotting a potential stress point in her demeanor, I approached, attempting to provide some solace. She leaned into me, her concerns evident. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she whispered.
I put an arm around her, noting Justin watching from by his helo. “I know, but we need to follow orders.”
“It’s not going to go right; something will go drastically wrong here.”
“In what way? The helos are in top condition; they’ve been given a massive overhaul lately. We’re also on top form.”
“You’re just about managing,” she said and rolled her eyes at me.
“I’m doing fine.”
“Fine isn’t good enough.”
“What do you think?” a soft voice asked.
We both turned to see Elias and Malaki’s father walking towards us. “I’ve never seen anything like her,” Malaki said gratefully. “She’s fantastic.”
