Alien Devices: Tesla joins crew to prevent alien zombie apocalypse (The Secret War Book 2) (12 page)

Chapter 14

W
ill quickly filled in Rogers in on the
night's events when the knock came at the cabin door.
He was feeling more
comfortable now in his usual leather pants and linen shirt. His revolver was at
his side; his feet were up on the desk. Rogers opened the door to admit Abigail
and Tesla. Will noticed that even though Abigail had changed back into ship
pants and tunic, she wasn't obviously wearing her gun. There was still a smudge
of dirt on her cheek. Tesla was holding a mug of brew from the mess. He was
still in his shirtsleeves and bracers, but looked better than when Will had
last seen him.

Saira ghosted in behind them. His Arms master was wearing her
usual pants and open vest without a shirt underneath. Her long knives were at
her sides. She had obviously been to the baths as her hair was still wet. She
had painted a small red dot on each cheek, which Will knew had something to do
with her Goddess. He had gathered from what she’d said when they first returned
to
Wind Dancer
that fighting Petrov had been as much a spirit-battle as
a fight-with-knives. He had felt Petrov's power as well; it bothered him that
there had been no sign of such power when last they had tangled in Cairo. No
one went from being just mean and cunning to also being a spirit fighter in
under two years. Then there was the matter of Petrov having the same not-blood
as the man at the cabin. He felt as if they had stepped into something bigger
than they knew. None of his thoughts showed on the Captain’s face as he greeted
the new arrivals.

“Pull up a chair,” Will said cheerily. He waved his glass over
the offerings on the desk. “There is tea, or a couple of bottles. Wu also gave
up some of his dim sum if you are hungry.” He nodded wordlessly to Rogers who
stepped out to return with both Chang and Guang.

When everyone was seated, Will sipped his glass of rum and sat the
glass on the table. Abigail and Tesla were at his far left, then Guang and
Chang. The four of them sat in light, wicker chairs; weight was always a
concern on an air ship and most ships used light woods and canvas wherever
possible. Saira and Rogers stood by the door as there was no more room to sit.
If he was going to keep having meetings this large, he would need a bigger
cabin to hold them, Will reflected.

“It has been a hell of a night for all of us, I know,” Will stated.
“But I need to figure out what I’m doing with all of you, as well as where we
are going.” He pointed to Guang. “First off, I can still set you down and you
can make your way back to the city. We should still be in territory controlled
by the British, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. However, you
asked for sanctuary aboard Dancer.  Tell me why I should do that. Seems to me
that we've done our business.”

“I would agree that the dealings with An Fong that brought me
here are concluded.” Guang inclined his head at Will's words. “It is
unfortunate that I had to reveal myself at the tower. Now the other gangs and
the British authorities will be after me. Are you familiar with the Shining
Fist, Captain Hunting Owl?”

“Yeah. Some kind of secret fighting society, dedicated to
restoring the old Chinese ways. There are lots of stories about things their
adepts can do.” Will narrowed his eyes at Guang. “Are you going to tell me that
is how you can fly?”

“I am a member of the Shining Fist,” Guang nodded. “We have
been outlawed by the British. All we wish to do is restore China to her own
people.” Guang gestured around, referring to the movement of the ship through
the air.  “It is not flying as birds do, nor as we fly now. We have merely kept
the knowledge of how to use the Spirit, the Chi.” Guang paused, frowning, then
turned to Saira Brighton, the Arms Master. “You understand what I am meaning. I
have not the words in English. You are using a form of Spirit working here and now.”

Saira nodded, not taking her eyes off him. He must be referring
to her abilities at truth-seeing, as she customarily practiced in meetings such
as this.

“You are very good,” Saira replied. “I have not sensed the
Spirit Power within you.” She smiled at him. “I would like very much to learn
that flying trick if you may share it.”

While speaking so to Guang, she signaled to Will in their secret
hand-language that she could not tell if he was lying or not. Will Hunting Owl
leaned forward abruptly, pulling his Bowie knife.

“Give me your arm,” the Captain demanded, holding out his other
hand towards Guang. There was one thing he could be sure of, he thought. 

Guang paused, and then nodded at this request. He pulled up the
arm of his suit and unbuttoned his shirt cuff. He leaned forward placing his
bare arm in Will's grasp, his gaze direct. Will held the eye contact while
sliding the sharp edge lightly across the man's forearm. Deep scarlet well up
from the shallow cut and Will nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright,” he said, leaning back. The Bowie disappeared. “You
can ride along for a while. I figure what you did tonight pays your way for a fair
bit.”

“Was that really necessary, Captain?” Abigail asked. She
stirred in her chair. “We saw Guang bleeding back at the cabin, did we not?”

“That could have been faked Noble Lady, to allay suspicion.”
Guang pressed a handkerchief to the cut as he spoke. “It would have been
necessary after the nature of the monster was discovered. I can think of
several ways to do such a thing. Captain Hunting Owl was correct to make certain.”
He gave a short nod to Will. “Thank you, Captain, for allowing me to remain.”

“Don't thank me yet, Guang,” Will said. “I suspect that things
are going to get a lot more dangerous around us than staying in Hong Kong might
be.” He turned to look at Tesla. “Now we come to you. . .”

“Forgive me, Captain,” Tesla said smoothly, “But I have a
proposal that may greatly simplify matters.”

“I am listening,” Will said neutrally, cocking his head to one
side.

“As I understand it,” Tesla continued, “You have contracted
with my friend Bardon to have me delivered like a package to some 'safe'
authority.  You have also agreed to aid Lady Hadley here in finding her father,
whom we have reason to believe is now at the site of his discovery.”

“Yep,” Will confirmed. “I was thinking of taking you to
Shanghai, to the British embassy, then going to find Abigail's father.”

“I had thought something on that order,” Tesla nodded. “I
believe that after tonight you would agree with me that there may be no safer
place for me than aboard this ship. Instead of taking me somewhere less safe, I
would like to offer to hire you to take both myself and Lady Hadley to Roberts'
site directly. I feel that Robert may be in danger there. You must appreciate
that if he is correct, and has found an intact Invader artifact, the implications
for the world are enormous. I must be there.”

“Seems to go against what Bardon and I agreed to,” Will
replied, tugging on his braid meditatively.

“Bardon did not know all the facts,” Tesla returned crisply. “If
he had, he would have come with us. An invasion of Hong Kong by the Russians,
or whoever, is of little note compared to what we may be facing. Besides,” here
his mustache twitched, “you know who I am. I can pay better than Bardon, I
believe.”

“That's pretty cold about Hong Kong, your wizardness.” Will
looked at the savant with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, I have here a note to
draw on the British Empire's purse. Last I knew Her Majesty had some mighty
deep pockets.”

“That may be true, Captain,” Tesla acknowledged. “However you
might consider collecting from both the Crown and my humble self. I can also offer,
as partial payment, the means to keep your crew safe from the Invader plague,
should there indeed be an artifact.”

Invader plague, as it was known, was a dreaded disease that
struck many people who attempted to resettle near an exploded Invader enclave.
It also affected, to a lesser extent, people who worked to reclaim land that
was blasted by the Spiders’ dreadful smoke weapon. The plague would strike mysteriously;
the first physical symptom was hair beginning to fall out, with no apparent reason.
Victims often died horribly in a matter of days. There was no known cure. 

“You have my attention,” Will replied appearing non-committal. “Care
to explain how you can do that? And also, would you mind adding in a few of
those 'facts' that make losing a place like Hong Kong small beans to the
British?”

“To answer your first question, Captain,” Tesla began, “We have
discovered that the plague is actually not a disease. It is the effect of rays
that were somehow generated by the Invaders. These rays live on, so to speak,
in the soil and other objects that have been exposed to them. I can make a
device that will detect where the concentration of these rays is great enough
to be harmful.” Abigail could not help but express her surprise at this turn of
events.

“You are referring to some form of radiant activity,” Abigail
turned in her chair to look at him. “I follow the journals rather closely. Why
has this discovery not been published?”

“There are some who feel that it is better not to release such
information.” Tesla spread his hands. “One theory holds that such areas will
continue to be deadly for generations. They fear the response of people who
still dream of reclaiming their lands. Among European refugees, such
devastation was very heavy. As both a Serbian, and a Scholar, I do not agree
with this policy.”

Abigail began to ask another question, when Will held up his
hand.

“Wait! Let's not get too far off course here,” Will said. “Abigail,
is what he says possible?”

“Yes, it is possible,” Abigail said reluctantly. “There is
little that is known about the phenomenon, however.” Abigail was clearly upset
about what Tesla had revealed. She gave the Savant what Will would have called
a disappointed glance. “Little that is public at least. I cannot believe that
such an important area of study is not public. It is outrageous!”

“I did say that I do not agree with the policy,” Tesla said to
Abby. Tesla turned back to Will.

“To answer your second question, I must tell you a story,
Captain.” Tesla paused for a moment. “Before the events with the. . .being who
was one of my captors, I was not sure how wide-spread such phenomena was. I
have been rethinking much tonight.”  

“I think we have the time for your story,” Will said.

“Very well,” Tesla nodded. “Some months ago, I was visited by
an old acquaintance. It had been sometime since we had seen each other.” Tesla
frowned in reflection, “He seemed different in some fashion, but I placed that
on the passage of time and his duties. If anything, however, he seemed more
physically hale and vigorous than when last we met.”

“Forgive me, I have told no one this before.” Tesla paused as
if collecting himself. “This acquaintance told me that a marvelous New World
Order was coming. He said that the 'initiates' of this order, of which he was
now one, had given him immortality. The Old Masters, as he called them, were
'immense intellects greater than man', whose knowledge would lead us into a new
Golden Age. There were also some unsavory allusions to 'sub-races and the
natural order.'   They were going to remake the world, he said. He asked me to
join with them.”

“When I professed no interest in such a thing,” Tesla bowed his
head sadly, “he tried to kill me. In the ensuing fight, I had an experimental,
Telluric device on my person, and he was killed. To my horror, from his wounds
came the same substance that you witnessed coming from my captor in Hong Kong,
and from the woman, Petrov.”

“I have examined this substance as best I can.” Tesla raised
his eyes, which held a haunted look. “That it is not of any natural origin is
the only conclusion I can make. Since then, I have been very careful to tell no
one. My theory is that someone, a hidden Savant perhaps, has learned the means
to alter a person's natural chemistry. If this is so, the implications are
enormous. The Old Masters' promise of immortality may not entirely be a sham.
Given this, there is no telling who they may have suborned to their cause.  

“I received Robert's plea to come here,” Tesla said, “and could
not pursue the matter as I would have liked. Given what has happened I must
assume that this 'New Order' actually exists. If such an organization is also
hunting for the Invader artifact, I cannot imagine a greater threat to us all,
save another Invasion by aliens.”

Silence spread through cabin in the wake of the great man's
story. Will caught Saira's hand sign that the wizard was telling the truth as
he knew it. Will leaned forward and picked up his glass.

“That's quite a story,” Will said sipping again and returning
the glass to its place on the desk. He looked at Abigail, “What do you think
Abigail? After all, finding your father and this thingamajig is your quest. Do
you want this man along?”

Abigail looked at Captain Hunting Owl in astonishment at the
question. Did she want to work with the greatest living mind in the world? Did
she want to fulfill her lifelong dream? Then she paused and thought about it.
Did she? Doubtless much of the credit for the discovery would go to Tesla. Also
there were the other members of the cabal of Prometheus to consider. This would
mean that the artifact would no longer belong only to them. With embarrassment
she remembered that her father had asked for Tesla's help.

“I would be honored to have Tesla accompany us,” Abigail said
finally, glancing aside at Tesla.

“Alright,” William Hunting Owl said agreeably. He looked at
Tesla, “Seems like you're along for the trip. I do still want that protection
against the plague though. Your passenger fee we can work out later.”

“Of course, Captain,” Tesla agreed. Turning to Abigail, he
said, “Lady Hadley, I look forward to working with you. I have followed your career
somewhat, and feel there is no one I would rather be working under on such a
project.”