We ran down the stairs as everything around us shook. The distant rumble of the explosion was catching up to us; soon the shockwave would cover us too. The hotel's alarm went off, and all the guests started running in a panic, hell-bent for the exit. A moment later, the building shuddered a second time, and we had to grab the walls to keep from falling. The shockwave from the second blast reached us. Several people fell to their knees in front of me—complete chaos. I wondered how the wave had hit those closer to the epicenter.
Reaching the lobby, we saw the complete collapse of the elite system. They trampled each other trying to escape. Several servants lay on the ground in blood—trampled. The soldiers at the entrance tried to control the situation, but soon they too had to flee from the thousands-strong crowd. Seeing the horror before us, Durs and I decided to find another way out.
The alarm kept blaring, and the screams of people only added to the scene.
"What do we do? If we go down there, we'll die," Durs said, looking at the stampede of people.
"We need to find another way," I said, looking around.
"What way?" Durs asked several times, until finally I found one.
"There!" I shouted and ran toward an apartment from which an elderly woman in a white silk dress had run out just minutes earlier.
Entering the apartment, as expected, it was empty—all the guests had left. Around us were statuettes and decorations of gold and bronze; here and there you could find furniture inlaid with emeralds. The bed and sofas were upholstered in animal hides and high-quality leather, while on the tables lay dishes piled with aromatic side dishes and various seafood appetizers.
Looking around, I found what I was looking for. Running to the window, I started trying to open it. At that moment, Durs ran into the room too. Stunned by the luxurious life around him, he froze for a moment.
"What are you doing?" he asked, snapping out of it, watching me try to break the window.
"Trying to get us out of here," I said through clenched teeth as I fought the lock.
Soon the lock broke under my assault. I threw it to the floor, nearly hitting Durs. He jumped back.
"Watch where you're throwing things," he said sharply.
"Let's go," I said, opening the window.
After climbing through the window, I found myself on a balcony. I had to hold onto the walls to keep from falling.
The wind was blowing hard in my face, so I activated my helmet. Durs climbed out after me, and we both hung there at a height of twenty meters. Looking back, I saw another balcony. Swaying slightly, I gathered my strength and jumped. Landing on it, I nearly fell off.
"You okay?" Durs asked over the private channel.
"I think so," I answered, looking for another balcony that would let me climb lower.
Finding the next balcony, I jumped again—this time more successfully than the last. Durs started doing the same.
After jumping five more times, we reached the last balcony, from which we could safely drop to the ground. Jumping onto that final balcony, my feet slipped, and my body started sliding down the curved surface of the slab. I tried to grab on with my hands and nails, but it was useless. I had already accepted my fate when suddenly Durs grabbed my arm.
"Hold on," he said, then slowly lowered me so my landing wouldn't be painful.
Landing on my feet, I looked up, waiting for Durs. He jumped down and landed right where I was standing.
"Let's go," I said, hitting him on the shoulder, and we headed toward the road.
There, Lerk's car was waiting for us. Apparently, the old soldier knew we would need his help.
The car was parked a few meters from the main entrance. Many of those fleeing the building ran into it or swerved around it. Old Lerk just smirked, took a drag of his cigarette, and watched the chaos until he noticed us. He started honking and, rolling down his window, waved his hand.
Realizing we saw him, he started the car and drove toward us. Stopping in front of us, he opened the doors, and we climbed in.
"Where to?" he asked, looking back.
"Back to the complex, and fast!" I shouted, tapping the front seat. Something was filling me—something I can't describe.
We drove straight toward the complex. Drones flew everywhere, soldiers ran about, and fighter jets hovered over the buildings to ensure security. We were stopped twice, but once they saw two officers inside, they immediately let us through. Fear and animal instinct reigned all around—the very things that separate us from animals.
Not far from the complex, Lerk let us out.
"I can't go any further. Too many people," he said and opened the doors.
"Thanks for getting us this far," I told him.
He turned around and drove off in the direction we had come from. Looking around, I realized the complex was two blocks away.
"Let's go, quickly!" I shouted to Durs, and we ran through the crowded streets.
Pushing through the crowds, stumbling and even falling, we reached the street that led straight to the complex—the same street Durs and I had walked down our first time outside. Before us, the complex came into view: a massive building engulfed in flames and smoke, reflecting the sun's rays, while below, soldiers and firefighters launched drones to put out the fire.
Walking straight toward the complex, I noticed the fountain was gone. It had been destroyed by the shockwave, and parts of it lay scattered in the bushes—shattered and broken into pieces. Approaching the main entrance, I saw soldiers helping to evacuate the wounded and the dead. All these deaths and people were on me, on our conscience.
Remembering that Reni was inside, I quickly contacted him.
"Reni! Do you copy? How are you?" I called over the comm.
Only static and crackling answered.
"Reni! Answer me!" I repeated.
I turned to Durs, who was standing behind me, watching the drones take off with canisters of fire-suppressant mixture. Noticing me looking, he asked:
"Is Reni okay?"
"He's not answering," I said briefly, trying again to raise Reni. Nothing.
"Then if he's inside, we need to get him out," he said and started running toward the entrance. I followed right behind him.
Stepping past stretchers carrying the wounded, we entered. The alarm was blaring, and destruction was everywhere. Smoke crept in from all sides, and the electricity had failed, blacking out the entire building. I wondered what those bombs had been made of to cause such destruction—or maybe something in the docks had detonated, making the explosion so powerful.
We had to climb the numerous stairs, as the elevator was stuck between the first and second floors. Reaching the landing between floors, we saw rescuers helping people trapped inside the elevator. A couple more minutes later, we reached the third floor. Smoke was everywhere, slowly seeping under our helmets, making it hard to breathe.
Durs and I ran down the corridor, turning left, then right, doubling back, climbing, descending. If Reni was somewhere in there, every second counted. All this time, I kept calling him on the radio, but only silence answered.
Rounding the last corner, I saw the door to Reni's quarters and sprinted toward it. Durs kept up, sometimes even overtaking me. Reaching it, we tried to open the door and shouted for Reni, but only silence answered. Even if Reni was inside—and not outside with the others—he was trapped, because the door was electronic.
Durs tried to hack it, but it was useless. We tried shooting it, but it wouldn't give, and the bullets ricocheted, forcing us to duck and dodge.
Soon we decided to blow it open. For that, we needed Durs's terminal. I had to open its back panel and cut the wires connecting the screen to the batteries so that when exposed to water, they would swell and explode. The explosion would be small, but maybe the door would give.
Planting the makeshift bomb on the door's locking mechanism, we stepped back. The bomb could go off any moment. Moving around the corner, we waited. Those were the most agonizing seconds of my life. Knowing you're helpless—that's the worst thing that can happen to a person.
A few seconds later, the bomb went off. After waiting a moment, we ran to the door and found it had been blown open. Praise the Emperor. Entering, we saw that smoke filled the room and visibility was zero. We had to crawl close to the floor to see anything at all. All the while, we called out for Reni, and thankfully, he was there.
Durs started shouting from the bathroom for me to come immediately. Straightening up, I went there. Entering, I found him crouching, putting a helmet on an unconscious Reni.
"Reni, you lucky bastard," I whispered, helping Durs.
Once the helmet was on Reni, we lifted him and carried him toward the exit through the smoke and fire, which had now reached the third floor. It was so hot that sometimes it was harder to breathe than not to breathe.
Heading down the stairs, Reni came to, coughing.
"Where am I?" he asked quietly, trying to look around.
"In hell, same as the rest of us," Durs said, and we kept descending.
"Did we get him?" Reni asked, looking at me.
I nodded in response. I couldn't imagine how much pain and joy he felt. He had given everything for this mission and could have died for it. And I felt ashamed that I had ever thought he might betray us.
Reaching the first floor, the staircase collapsed behind us in that same instant. I looked at Durs. We stared at each other for a few seconds, realizing that only luck had saved us from the fate of those who hadn't made it out. Stepping outside, Durs laid Reni on the ground, and several medics immediately ran over to help Reni and then examine us. A young woman in a white uniform with black curls wanted to examine me, but when she approached and tried to check me over, I waved her off. I didn't want any of it.
I walked a bit forward and sat down on the curb, taking off my helmet. I looked at it. In its lenses were the reflections of the sun and the building behind me. The entire exterior was blackened with smoke, and the little decorative ornaments had melted completely. Looking at all this, I smirked and set it down on the ground beside me, then took a deep breath of fresh air.
A couple of minutes later, someone came up behind me and sat down next to me. Opening my eyes, I saw it was Maron. Not expecting such a guest, I recoiled.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, still doubting it was really him.
"I'm your curator. I couldn't not oversee the mission's completion," he answered calmly, as if nothing were happening around us. "How is Officer Renod?" he asked, looking at the sky, where a column of black smoke was rising.
"He'll live," I said and looked up too.
Silence overcame us for a few minutes, and we sat looking into the distance as medics and soldiers bustled around us.
"Is Fen dead?" I asked hopefully, looking at him.
He was dressed in a standard uniform with circles on his chest and a few service marks. His hair was combed back, and his face was sharp and lean, like a bowstring or a guitar string waiting for its note.
He didn't turn to me.
"We assume so. The chance of survival is minimal," he explained and exhaled.
"But there still is a chance?" I cut in sharply.
"There is."
"But how is that possible? The whole dock was blown apart, and it'll never be rebuilt. We saw it ourselves," I began raising my voice, forgetting about the enemies around us.
"Kyle, his chance of survival is very small. Even if he survived, he can't get out from under the rubble. Rest assured, he's dead," Maron said, patting me on the shoulder. "Celebrate. Better yet, take care of your colleagues," he said and stood up.
"Where are you going?" I asked, starting to get up as well.
The wind blew across my face, and all the smoke from the docks changed direction.
"To headquarters. Since you no longer have a place to stay, the Children of War have set aside a place for you. In two hours, a car will come for you," he said finally and walked off toward the crowd.
I watched him go, weaving through the people until he disappeared, blending in with them. Strange and mysterious as he was, he was definitely better than Fen—at least, that's how it seemed to me, I thought, then got up and walked over to Durs and Reni, who were sitting by the medical tents talking.
As I approached, Reni noticed me and greeted me with a tired smile.
"How are you?" I asked, leaning down.
"Been better," he said weakly and smirked.
"Be that as it may, in two hours a car will come for us and take us to headquarters," I said, looking at Durs.
"Who's driving? And who told you that?" he asked, confused.
"Maron," I answered calmly.
"Maron was here?" he asked, surprised. "What did he want?"
"He wanted to see how it went," I explained, but Reni interrupted.
"Who the hell is Maron? Your boyfriend?" he said and laughed.
"Kyle's curator," Durs explained to him.
"So you've met your curators? Finally, some progress," he concluded. "What about your curator, Durs?"
"We haven't seen her yet," I explained to Reni.
Durs's curator was a complicated person. She was a young woman who served directly alongside the Galt Emperor and was always at his side. Her being here was simply impossible, so I wondered why she had been chosen as his curator at all.
"I see," Reni said and reached for a cup of medicine.
I sat down next to him and started telling him what had happened to me before we got him out of the trap. I told him about the buildings and the checkpoint, about the soldier being beaten, and about much else that had happened. That was how we spent the next two hours or so, until I received a message on my terminal with coordinates where a car was waiting for us. Fortunately, it wasn't far.
Reaching it, we helped Reni get in, and we were driven to the Children of War's headquarters. This time, Lerk wasn't driving—two masked rebels were. We drove for quite a while, passing through different districts and turning down quiet streets where we wouldn't be found. After a couple of hours on the road, we stopped at a massive wall as tall as the hotel we'd shot from. On the wall was painted the number twelve and a large skull, with an inscription beneath:
THE WILD LANDS. ENTRY FORBIDDEN.
We had to get out of the car to get past them. Approaching the massive structure, our friends launched grappling hooks and threw them over the wall, then began to climb.
We followed their lead. The higher we climbed, the windier it got. The ropes swayed in the wind, making it hard to keep balance, especially for Reni. Fortunately, reaching the top, we found a staircase leading straight down. We jumped onto it and began descending. The lower we climbed, the more we could see, since the top of the wall was in the clouds.
Once we had descended far enough, I saw vast empty plains stretching for thousands of kilometers around. In the distance stood some barracks and ruins, and cargo ships flew overhead, coming in for landing.
Reaching the bottom, we stepped onto sandy, dusty ground. This was where that storm had come from—this was its home.
Another car was waiting for us, rustier and more beaten, with a skull and crown symbol on its hood. Getting in, we were driven deeper into the desert. Looking back, I saw Apollo receding into the distance—at least, the Apollo I had known.
During the drive, I looked out the window, observing and memorizing the terrain, and I noticed a few interesting things. All around were the ruins of an old city. Here and there, giant human faces and chunks of skyscrapers peeked out from the sand.
"What the hell…" Durs said, noticing a giant stone hand appearing on the horizon, rising from a dune. It was enormous.
"A landmark," one of the rebels, who had been silent the whole time, said briefly.
"But why? There's nothing but sand," Durs asked, looking around for what the hand could possibly mark.
The rebel smirked.
"You'll see."
We started accelerating straight toward the dune the hand was rising from. I started to fear that the rebel had lost his mind and was about to kill us all.
"Where are you going? We're about to crash!" I started shouting at him as the distance shrank. Durs was shouting too, until we entered the dune. But there was no impact.
I opened my eyes and saw tiny electronic particles scattering around us, simulating sand and the dune. It was a hologram. Soon we were driving through a tunnel, descending deeper and deeper, until finally we stopped.
Before us were gates with the same skull. One of the rebels honked three times, and the gates slowly began to slide apart. Dust and sand fell from them, and the noise they made as they opened was unbearable. Once they were fully open, we drove inside.
And before us appeared a vast, enormous facility. There was no end to it in sight, and everywhere stood military equipment, warships, and rebel soldiers running about. It was an entire underground nation. Sparks from welding flew everywhere, people shouted, and nuts and bolts littered the floor. Along the walls hung enormous white banners with a red skull. We drove deeper.
Watching the soldiers work and train, I felt a surge of strength—the realization that we had such a powerful ally. Soon we parked and got out of the car, where other soldiers were already waiting for us. Greeting us, one of them handed me a flat sphere.
"What's this?" I asked.
"A call," he answered modestly. "You need to answer."
Examining the object in my hands, I noticed a red dot blinking on it. Pressing the button next to it, a hologram of a man appeared before me.
He was old, and his face showed the weariness of the burden he carried. He was dressed in white robes adorned with gold patterns, and on his head was a crown of olive branches. His hair was white as snow, and his eyes were blue as the ocean.
"Good evening, Kyle."
It was the Emperor. Our Emperor.