Fractured Earth Saga 1: Apocalypse Orphan (19 page)

As the jingle of armor approached, Wolf spun around, prepared to resume the battle. He relaxed when he recognized Onel, the tax collector, approaching with Captain Lintal and a detail of soldiers.

“Thank Jesu, we are not too late. We have been chasing this band of miscreants for two days,” Onel said. “They have plundered neighboring villages and committed atrocities I can’t mention in the presence of these people.” Looking around at the dismembered and decapitated men scattered from one side of the clearing to the other, he declared, “You have defeated them.”

“No, I murdered them. They were no match for me,” Wolf said with profound regret, still unconvinced he had done the right thing.

“These men were evil. They follow Jonar and only know rape and murder. They consume drynox, a horrible drug that rots their minds and turns them into animals,” Onel said. “The drug they take will never wear off and makes them meaner over time. They are the scum of the earth, roving across this unhappy land, killing at will.”

The tax collector added, “We have patrols out hunting them, but we can’t capture them all. Even if you had taken them prisoner, we would have executed them on the spot. Tell me, was a Templar dressed in silver armor with these men?” At a nod from Haakon, Onel said, “He is called Sylvaine the Cruel. He is the most powerful of Jonar’s men. Life means nothing to him. No, my friend, what you did today is justice.”

“It still makes me sad to take life,” Wolf replied.

“Look at these people.” Onel pointed to the remnants of the shattered community. “You have saved them. Sylvaine and his drug-crazed men would have raped and killed them all. They owe you their lives.”

Captain Lintal approached and reported, “Fifty-three ruffians dead, sir. Twenty were slain with spear and knife. All the others were ripped to shreds.”

“This is amazing. We have not killed this many in a long time,” Onel remarked with grim satisfaction. He said to Wolf, “The ones torn apart…is that your work, my friend?”

“Yes. I didn’t have time to draw my weapons until later. Can we change the subject? Did the king agree to grant me an audience?”

“Yes, my friend, our pursuit of these scoundrels is but part of the reason we are here. You have been requested to the castle by His Majesty.”

“When do we leave? I need to gather a few things first,” Wolf said.

“We can leave at first light if you desire.”

Turning to Haakon, Wolf asked, “Will you and your family be all right here?”

“Yes, my friend. These gangs range over a large area. There are probably no others for a hundred miles or more. We will be all right. Again, I thank you for saving us,” Haakon extended his hand to Wolf, and the men exchanged a warm handshake.

Wolf walked to Nala. At first, she blushed and shied away, but then embraced him and whispered, “Thank you for saving my family.” He then turned to her family, hugging each of them. Wolf walked over to the small knot of survivors and bid them farewell. After informing Onel that he would return before dawn, he set off into the woods with a heavy heart.

Twenty minutes later, Wolf approached the ship and called out, “Syn, open the ramp.”

The ramp lowered, allowing Wolf to board, and then it closed silently behind him. Syn greeted him with a sad expression in her all-knowing gray eyes.

“Are you all right, Commander? I saw what happened. You left the communication module on during the fight. I used it to pinpoint you and watched the battle using the satellites. Is there anything I can do?”

Wolf shook his head. “No, Syn. I have to work this out myself.”

Syn walked up to Wolf and touched a finger to his chin, tilting his face until his eyes met hers. She pressed her finger against his lips and hugged him, patting his back as a parent would comfort a child. Wolf wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She felt so
real
. He bowed his head to kiss her, but she pushed him away with a troubled look in her eyes.

Changing the subject to cover the moment, Syn said, “Commander, take a look at the work I have done on the communications satellite. I boosted its signal another fifteen percent.”

Wolf placed a hand on Syn’s shoulder and pulled her back to him. Their bodies made contact and she shivered, goose bumps forming on her tanned skin. As he looked into her eyes, he saw confusion and a hint of fear. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, amazed by the scent and feel of her. Then, he let her go with a reluctant sigh.

“You got another fifteen percent out of it? That’s amazing, Syn. You are unbelievable.” Wolf paused and then said, “I need to shower. I am filthy.” He walked away, feeling frustrated, lonely, and wondering how a computer-generated hologram could affect him so deeply. She was just a projection, yet she was so real, and her personality was so perfect. It was as if she had been created just for him.

Wolf entered the shower area and stripped off his clothes, tossing them in the recycler. He turned on the water to seventy degrees—not too cold, not too hot, and just chilly enough to settle his breathing and relax him. He decided that he needed to get away from Syn for a few days. She was affecting him in a strange way that was not unpleasant, but awkward. As he washed, his mind drifted back to their encounter minutes ago, and he felt something…desire for her. He wondered how that was even possible. Stepping out of the shower, he realized he was exhausted and said, “Syn, I need to catch a few hours of sleep before I return to the settlement. Wake me in two hours.”

“Yes, Commander,” Syn replied agreeably, although she had decided that she would let him sleep a few hours longer to recuperate from the skirmish with Jonar’s ruffians.

“Two hours, Syn…no longer,” Wolf insisted. Syn didn’t answer, and he smiled, imagining her rolling her eyes at him. He went to his quarters and stretched out on his bunk. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought,
If only she were…

If only I were alive…
Syn thought.
He wouldn’t hesitate. I know he sees me as a program, but I am so much more.
She watched Wolf as he closed his eyes and dozed off. She continued watching him long after he had fallen asleep. She found it odd that human thoughts were filtering into her programmed logic, yet somehow, the thoughts and feelings had become a part of her. Had her creator programmed her to experience these quirky human feelings? Or had her circuits been altered, either by the passage of thousands of years or from prolonged exposure to Nomad’s intense radiation?

It’s good that he’s leaving for a few days,
Syn reasoned.
I need to work on the holo-projectors…and I need to talk to Nala. Her farmstead isn't too far away, and Wolf will be going in the opposite direction with Waylan’s men. This will work out perfect.

* * *

Four hours later, Wolf sprang out of bed, disoriented and irritable that Syn had let him oversleep. His angst subsided when he smelled food cooking and he rationalized that he needed the rest. Syn was in the mess area preparing a meal and singing
My Girl,
a rhythm and blues hit recorded by the Temptations, a band once popular in Wolf’s forgotten world of the past.

Wolf stood by the door and listened. Syn’s voice was amazing. With a deep sigh, he entered the room dressed in a new, white NASA jumpsuit. It was form fitting and made of Kevlar. Emblazoned with the NASA logos and crisply starched, it looked impressive. He carried a silver Mylar bag that held the items he had packed for his trip: two spare uniforms, an extra Bowie knife, and several other articles of clothing. He had decided to take no weapons other than his Bowie knife. After all, what could hurt him?

“It smells fantastic, Syn. You’re aware of the trip I’m about to take, right?”

Syn nodded, stopped singing, and replied, “I allowed you to sleep a little longer, Commander. Your REM cycle showed you needed it. While you are gone, I will analyze the battle you fought. I saw the knight disappear into thin air. That was odd, since I continuously monitor the planet for power signatures, and I sensed no energy spikes or fluctuations at the timed he vanished. I also want to work on the shuttle. I believe I can improve its efficiency in several areas.”

Syn took a small object off a nearby table and handed it to Wolf. “I have made a locating chip for you, Commander.”

Wolf looked down and examined the chip. It was about the size of a small aspirin, skin-colored, and it blended with his complexion. One side was coated with a sticky substance that glistened in the light of the galley.

“This substance is polymer-based glue,” Syn explained. “I can’t inject anything into your skin, so I will glue it to you instead. It goes right here.” She touched the inside of Wolf’s ear on the triangular fossa. “It will not come loose unless I apply a solvent. The ear bud is waterproof, and it’s so small no one will see it. I will be able to monitor your communications while you are traveling, and I can talk to you without anyone hearing.”

“This is great work, Syn!” Wolf said, smiling and obviously impressed. “Put it in and let’s test it.”

Syn inserted the tiny chip in Wolf’s ear and pressed it firmly against his skin. He felt the chip heat up as it fused to his skin.

“Commander, can you hear me?”

Wolf’s jaw dropped as he stared at Syn. Her mouth didn’t move, yet he heard her voice broadcasting in his ear. She continued communicating as he stared at the beautiful hologram.

“Yes, Wolf, I am talking to you. Remember, I am a machine. This tiny chip now allows us to be covert when we need to speak privately. Say something, so I can test the link.”

“Umm…testing…Syn, can you hear me?”

A beautiful laugh sounded in Wolf’s ear bud and then Syn’s hologram responded, “Yes, I read you loud and clear.”

“You amaze me, Syn. You are truly an amazing woman…” Wolf’s voice trailed off.

Syn’s eyes widened. She stared at him for a moment and then said, “Eat, Wolf. You must leave soon.” Turning away, a single tear ran from her eye. She touched a finger to the tear, gazed at the moisture, and walked out of the room in apparent confusion.

Wolf finished his meal and then stood from the table. He grabbed his Mylar sack and headed off to the rear of the ship. When he reached the cargo bay, he said, “Lower the ramp, Syn. I’ll be back in forty-eight hours. What’s the range of this device in my ear?”

“Commander, it’s planet-wide. It’s boosted by the new military satellite.”

“Syn, you are a wonder! I’ll check in with you in a few hours. Let me know if you find anything on that vanishing knight.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Goodbye, Syn,” Wolf called over his shoulder.

Syn didn’t want to bid Wolf farewell as a hologram, so she watched him depart with her cameras from the ramp’s bay. “Goodbye,” she said. Turning off the mic, she whispered, “My love.”

Chapter 14

“Y
ou’ve come back! I thought you had left us never to return,” Trulane exclaimed, his face breaking into a delighted smile as Wolf emerged from the forest at the edge of Haakon’s camp.

“I always keep my word. That’s one thing you should remember,” Wolf said, shaking the young man’s hand. He spotted Haakon and Onel talking by the stream and walked over to them.

“Welcome back, Wolf,” Onel greeted him with an amiable smile. “After yesterday’s mayhem, we were worried you might not return.”

“I have come to realize some men are just evil. There is no talking to them. They need to be incarcerated, and if that’s not possible, slain. When can we leave?”

“I see your speech is quite improved. It’s almost flawless now,” Onel remarked as he studied Wolf’s array of unfamiliar weaponry.

“I have a gift for language. I learn new languages quickly.”

“We have just finished breakfast and were talking of trivial matters,” Onel said. “We can depart now. Let us say our goodbyes and be on our way.”

They walked back to where the survivors huddled by a small fire. Onel’s soldiers had dragged the ruffians’ corpses away from the area and thrown them on a burning pyre. The slain villagers had been buried in a makeshift cemetery. Onel promised to ask the king to send more soldiers to protect the locals. Finally, the men departed on the journey to Springdale Castle and the king’s court.

“The king’s land extends for days in all directions from here,” Onel said. “We have a three-day journey. Before the storm, it was a breathtaking stroll, full of natural beauty and pleasant scenery. The mountainous lands around the castle were not touched by the storms. The mountains shield the rich valleys where the crops are grown and the king’s flocks roam. Jonar has coveted these sheltered lands since he came to power.”

“Tell me, Onel, what are the Templars? The man Sylvaine…he disappeared into thin air. How did he accomplish that feat?” Wolf asked.

“We do not know. When Jonar first arrived, he preached of the quest, claiming ancients from this world's past had incredible powers, and their knowledge remains hidden in this world. His quest led him on a search for those terrifying powers, and he found them.”

“Where did Jonar hear of this knowledge?”

“Rumor has it that he descended into a deep hole in the ground,” Onel said. “At the bottom of the hole, he found an iron door, and after many days, he opened it. Inside, he found ancient manuscripts sealed in glass. He spent years reading and deciphering those writings, and he acquired vast knowledge. Jonar built his castle around this hole, and somehow he can make strange things happen. We have seen him infiltrate our lines to murder our nobles, cause buildings to collapse for no reason, rescue well-guarded prisoners, and make strange weapons that shoot lightning. The man is a snake.”