The Gambit with Perfection (The Phantom of the Earth Book 2) (30 page)

We will strike the iron fist
, he thought.

Water and blood splashed.

From it the blood of our kin will flow.

Hypothermia should be setting in soon. Or so he hoped, for he knew the transhuman body temperature wasn’t fixed, and the range, depending on the developer, was wide—some could survive with core body temperatures as low as ten degrees Celsius, while others could withstand heat in excess of two hundred fifty degrees. He’d never tested his limits like this.

We will strike the iron fist.

His vision dwindled to a tiny corner of his eye, as if a curtain had been lowered and twisted. He caught a movement, like shadow. White light streamed over him. The Janzers on either side stepped away.

From it the blood of our kin will …

Jeremiah’s vision vanished. Either the brightness was too much or blood oozed into his view. His trembling eased. He heard the door clank shut, a sound like rusted alloy scraping against cement. He felt a hand on his head, a hand covered in smooth gel or rubber.

Gods, please bleed me out or freeze me or starve me or— The hand gripped the bottom of his chin, squeezed, and pulled.

You’ll die when I’m prepared for your death,
Lady Isabelle told Jeremiah through Marstone.
Thanks for leading us to the eastern stronghold.

Jeremiah bristled, shaking his face loose from her grip.

Isabelle grasped his chin tighter than before.
The Beimeni Polemon are no more.

Her hot breath warmed his face, while her jasmine scent seared his nose.

Water and blood splashed.

Jeremiah responded,
Isabelle, you’re a terrible liar.

She chucked his chin.

Warm spit splattered on his face and dripped down his cheek.

“You will tell me where they are,” she said.

He heard the unsheathing sound of either a Reassortment baton or a sword. He hoped it was the latter.

“Tell me where!”

He gave no response.

“Tell me, and I promise you, they won’t be sent to the island.”

She had killed his commanders and she had killed Johann. Who was next?

Stop, light, Reassortment, elevators, valleys, mountains, Atticus, the tunnel to survival, stop, run, go, go, go.

We will strike the iron fist.
He cut access to his neurochip.

Isabelle inserted her consciousness into Jeremiah’s, and he felt her rummaging his mind.

The distraction of ice and pain and death overwhelmed his defenses. He wept.

I’m stronger than this. So much stronger …

The Polemon stronghold.

Silence.

Tell me where it is.

Silence.

Tell me, or when I find Connor I’m going to make him beg for death.

She splintered his mind.

Jeremiah convulsed before he regained control. His youngest boy lived. That’s all that mattered. He sent,
From it the blood of our kin will flow.

Her boot straddled his neck.

“Let me tell you something,” she said aloud, demanding, “I wish I could kill you right here. Slow. Painful. Much worse than anything you’ve endured thus far—”

Atticus won’t let you, will he?

The pressure released. Jeremiah’s breathing resumed. Isabelle leaned over him, spying, searching, sifting, lifting the doors that led to memories that led to images and mazes and nothingness. He felt the fire that burned beneath her skin.

I’ll break you. I’ll find Connor. I’ll find the BP. I’ll send them all to the surface, because of you.

Thanks for reading
The Gambit with Perfection,
the second book in The Phantom of the Earth series. I hope you enjoyed it. The supplemental material beyond this note contains Marstone’s Database and Appendixes 1-6. I thought long and hard about whether or not to include this material in each book or simply provide it on my website. In the end, I included the material based in part on beta reader feedback and in part because I think it provides useful perspective into the characters and world building of the Phantom Series.

Please visit
http://www.raedenzen.com/
for more information including a form for my newsletter, details about the first five books in the Phantom Series (all available now on Amazon), the spectacular concept art, detailed maps, and PDF versions of Marstone’s Database (labeled by book; to avoid spoilers, don’t skip ahead), Appendixes 1-6, charts, and graphs. I also included a page to credit the team; over the last three years, a talented group of more than thirty people, including readers, editors, scientists, and artists, among others, from six countries and three continents helped me put this project together. I also listed them, and other inspirational sources, in the acknowledgments on the product page and at the end of the book.

Finally, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could post a review to Amazon. Reviews are a great way for fellow readers to discover a new series like The Phantom of the Earth and for new writers like me to learn from mistakes and improve. Please feel free to email me at
[email protected]
with any other feedback you’d like to share with me.

August 2015

Marstone’s Database contains classified dossiers on citizens of the Great Commonwealth of Beimeni. All information herein is the property of the Department of Communications and Commonwealth Relations, and the Office of the Chancellor. This iteration of the database was derived from Marstone for the government and is current as of the 108th day of the year 368 AR.

SEX:
Female

HEIGHT:
180 centimeters (5’ 11”)
WEIGHT:
62 kilograms (137 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Blonde, red, brown
EYE COLOR:
Gold, silver
BIRTH YEAR:
173 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
187 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Navita
BIRTHPLACE:
Livelle City, Natura, Underground West
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Pierre Adao
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Second Ward, Palaestra City, Palaestra, Underground Northeast
OFFSPRING:
Neka Adao, Tex Adao
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
Yes
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Former RDD scientist; Harpoon developer
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
203 centimeters (6’ 8”)
WEIGHT:
86 kilograms (190 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Blue-violet
EYE COLOR:
Orange, silver
BIRTH YEAR:
188 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
199 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Zwillerzweller
BIRTHPLACE:
Angeles City, Angeles, Underground West
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Hyacinth Adao
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Second Ward, Palaestra City, Palaestra, Underground Northeast
OFFSPRING:
Neka Adao, Tex Adao
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
Yes
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
Constructed
E. decontamination
, a synism designed to ingest nitrogen gas, used by the Reassortment Strain to obtain energy
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Former RDD scientist; Harpoon developer
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
198 centimeters (6’ 6”)
WEIGHT:
101 kilograms (223 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Yellow-green
EYE COLOR:
Red-orange

BIRTH YEAR:
127 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
N/A

DEVELOPER:
House Phanes
BIRTHPLACE:
Livelle city-state
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Previous: Donna Dupree (deceased); Present: N/A
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Comb Cove, Gallia, Underground Northeast
OFFSPRING:
Farro Alalia (deceased), Zentaro Alalia (deceased)
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
N/A
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Former commander of the strike teams
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
N/A

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
188 centimeters (6’ 2”)
WEIGHT:
105 kilograms (231 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Greenish-gold
EYE COLOR:
Bluish-brown

BIRTH YEAR:
247 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
254 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Perunineian
BIRTHPLACE:
Xerean City, Xerean, Underground North
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Svana Wenelow
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Second Ward, City in the Vale, Cineris, Underground Central
OFFSPRING:
Tahlia Algol, Dryden Algol
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
Yes
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Albian Consortium Granville sky engineer
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
195 centimeters (6’ 5”)
WEIGHT:
112 kilograms (247 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Dark green

EYE COLOR:
Bright green

BIRTH YEAR:
288 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
294 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Dragonet
BIRTHPLACE:
Arrowhead City, Columbia, Underground North
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Previous: Martha Tonian (deceased); Present: N/A
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Third Ward, Piscator City, Piscator, Underground South
OFFSPRING:
Perla Andretta (deceased)
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
No

NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Former farm owner; former Block fisherman; BP spy
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
Five

SEX:
Female

HEIGHT:
165 centimeters (5’ 5”)
WEIGHT:
55 kilograms (121 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Dark blue, green, brown, orange, yellow
EYE COLOR:
Reddish-violet
BIRTH YEAR:
354 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
N/A

DEVELOPER:
House Nueleio
BIRTHPLACE:
Beimeni City, Phanes, Underground Central
ETERNAL PARTNER:
N/A
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
First Ward, Beimeni City, Phanes, Underground Central
OFFSPRING:
N/A

ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
N/A
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Courier of the Chancellor
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
218 centimeters (7’ 2”)
WEIGHT:
115 kilograms (254 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Dark red
EYE COLOR:
Gold

BIRTH YEAR:
288 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
N/A
DEVELOPER:
House Nueleio
BIRTHPLACE:
Palaestra City, Palaestra, Underground Northeast
ETERNAL PARTNER:
N/A
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
First Ward, Beimeni City, Phanes, Underground Central
OFFSPRING:
N/A

ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
Yes
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Former Courier of the Chancellor; Lieutenant, Department of Communications Law Enforcement Division
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Male

HEIGHT:
198 centimeters (6’ 6”)
WEIGHT:
91 kilograms (201 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Reddish-brown
EYE COLOR:
Light bluish-gray
BIRTH YEAR:
367 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
368 AR (First Trimester)
DEVELOPER:
House Variscan
BIRTHPLACE:
Vivo City, Vivo, Underground Central
ETERNAL PARTNER:
N/A

LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
First Ward, Palaestra City, Palaestra, Underground Northeast
OFFSPRING:
N/A

ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
N/A
NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Harpoon candidate
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Female

HEIGHT:
183 centimeters (6’ 0”)
WEIGHT:
63.5 kilograms (140 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Brown, black, green, red
EYE COLOR:
Blue-gold

BIRTH YEAR:
287 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
292 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Ectasian

BIRTHPLACE:
Gaia City, Gaia, Underground West
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Ilario Matheson
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Lovereal Citadel, Silkscape City, Lovereal, Underground West
OFFSPRING:
Macaria Matheson, Yue Matheson
ATHANASIA-QUALIFIED:
Yes

NOTABLE PROPER CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE SIGNIFICANT CONVERSION:
N/A
NOTABLE OCCUPATION(S):
Minister of Lovereal Territory, Underground West
THREAT LEVEL (ONE TO FIVE):
One

SEX:
Female

HEIGHT:
183.5 centimeters (6’ 0”)
WEIGHT:
73.5 kilograms (162 lbs.)
HAIR COLOR:
Brown, silver
EYE COLOR:
Blue-yellow
BIRTH YEAR:
217 AR

AUCTION YEAR:
225 AR

DEVELOPER:
House Olenikan
BIRTHPLACE:
Luxor City, Luxor, Underground South
ETERNAL PARTNER:
Charleigh Gabel
LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE:
Phanes Citadel, Beimeni City, Phanes, Underground Central
OFFSPRING:
N/A