Chapter 21 Roxi
The pain in my side is gone, and only a faint awareness that I was injured, based on the stiffness, lingers. I can’t operate the way I used to, saving my healing ability until the last minute, because I don’t just have myself and my purpose to think about anymore.
I have Fracture. Well…Obsidian.
The entire time I rested, I dreamt of him, of his dark, smooth, strong body pressed against mine. And he was right. I didn’t even notice when we landed. I have no idea how long I was out. I would’ve been content to stay in bed and dream of him forever.
Lenarro’s familiar gravelly voice woke me. I knew he was in pain. And I can’t be comfortable if others aren’t. So I stitch together my broken parts and move on. But soon—Fracture is right—I will need proper time to recover and heal. It’s just not today.
We follow Lenarro to the CSP secret facility that the Solcrue were never supposed to know about and see it crawling with the scaly green bastards. The invasion eats at me, even though I know CSP invited them in.
Lenarro motions to a crew of CSP outside an access door to the twenty-foot-tall concrete border wall of the compound.
Every CSP soldier wears new uniforms in navy blues with silver stitched shields on their shoulders.
They’re all smoking and chatting like they aren’t bothered by the fact that enemy aliens walk by them.
All it would take is a single order to come down the Solcrue chain of command, and they would turn on CSP, murder them all without hesitation. They need CSP for something. It’s the only reason I can think of that they aren’t dead yet.
We sneak closer and tuck ourselves in a cluster of bushes. Lenarro motions toward a distant guard, then me to another, with a plan to attack the guards from opposing sides. When I look back to coordinate with Fracture, he’s gone.
What the hell?
A black cloud moves slowly across the sky with the hum of insects. Obsidian circles CSP at a distance and forms up behind the group. He takes two by the neck and snaps them with one quick move. Then he thrusts their limp bodies at the other two so hard it knocks them unconscious.
Obsidian shatters them all with simple touches, then scoops up and carries their clothes, armor, and weapons into the woods where we sit. We sift through the sandy clothes for their badges and patches.
“We can’t just walk around in there with him,” I say. “They have a no-Titan rule out here.”
“I had Atomizer take out my beacon. I should not set off alarms,” Obsidian says.
“Can you reshape into a shorter fat guy?” Lenarro asks. “Some of CSP are…not in great shape. That would be passable.”
“I cannot.” Obsidian looks offended. “I am a Titan or a cloud. I am not Shifter or Atomizer. My fragments, while amorphous in structure, were assigned specific breaking points so I would fit back together, though it was not so in the beginning. Technically, I am amorphous metal, not glass.”
I grimace. “That sounds awful.”
“It was not fun.” Obsidian tilts my chin up and draws my mouth to his. His tongue is hot and surprisingly soft as it glides over mine. “But it was worth it.”
“Stars…” Lenarro’s face screws up in disgust. He lifts his hands as if to ask, “Really, right now?”
Obsidian returns momentarily to a gray Titan, until he breaks contact with me. “Just wanted one more taste before we have to stay apart for a bit.”
“Wish you never had to let go.” I strain for one more kiss, and Obsidian obliges. “I like what your tongue does to me.”
“Gross,” Lenarro mutters. “Opening coming. Get ready.”
We wait for a visual gap in the walking patrols, then hurry across the grass and up to the doorway. Lenarro swipes his stolen card, types in a code, and we enter the facility.
Obsidian floats with us. As we walk into the passageway, we encounter a CSP soldier who studies the cloud around us.
“We’re late for the meeting,” Lenarro says. “Where is it?”
The young woman points down the hallway. “Third passage, second left. What is that?”
I look through Obsidian’s cloud. “I don’t see anything. Perhaps you have Void Delirium. You should get checked out.”
She backs away from us and walks quickly down another corridor.
We find the grand hall and thousands of CSP and Solcrue that have gathered. I realize we have a much bigger problem than I thought. Many more humans have joined CSP’s SAP.
I pull out the tablet Obsidian stole from Sickle as we sneak inside and circle one of the upper passages between the stands. I video everything I can, from faces of traitors to speeches on plans for CSP outreach on Earth Minor and meet-ups with Solcrue Motherships.
There are people here that I know, like Naiel, who used to work with the men in the resistance combat training facility, and Ysha, who processed CyberTech applications. I’m disgusted and frustrated.
Obsidian floats low now like a grainy dust cloud at our feet. When someone walks by, he clusters up against the wall. Sometimes they kick at him, and it makes me want to knock their lights out. But they don’t know, and if they did, they’d do far worse to him.
Lenarro and I tuck ourselves into a corner and listen in. He tilts his head and shakes it, then purses his lips.
A man by the name of Commander Vosk leads communications with Captains Drashis and Michan.
Solcrue have arrived with some fifty command staff from different Motherships like Torskus, Nakag, Brecka, Sornig, and Alreyin.
It is a massive gathering that we can’t risk being in the middle of as it lets out.
I want to stay when they mention Lencio and the recently emptied base.
“Titansss have critical machinesss now to sussstain their performance, sssteal more women, more anajasss, and attempt to free remaining alliesss and rebelsss.” A Solcruean commander hisses over his microphone.
“Thisss isss unacceptable! Eliminate thessse threatsss, or we will all sssuffer a terrible end!”
Lenarro shakes his head and hugs his arms as we turn away.
“What?” I ask as we leave the conference hall and walk casually toward the nearest exit.
“Joey said something about Niavriths being this dust that turned Solcrue into what they are. It’s…
” He lowers his voice. “Folklore as far as anyone knows. But the story is that the Solcrue encountered this mass of energy in space. The emperor at the time made a deal with this spirit to accept strength to endure space while giving up the ability to dwell on land.”
“What do you think?” I ask as we weave through the corridors, heading for the forest.
He chuckles. “That they ran into a nebula of psychedelic dust that made them all high as fuck and think they had some amazing revelation, talked to some space mushroom spirits, and gained superpowers. When really I think they just adapted, as bodies do, to the stimulation of the environment. The trouble with evolution is that it takes many generations of maladaptations before the right combination of genes and environmental influences and chosen mates starts breeding stronger offspring. And I think Solcrue tried to weed out their maladaptations early. That’s why Jeris has RS…
because humans accept flaws. Solcrue don’t. ”
“But what do they need us for?” I ask him. “Terran supplies like food and ore? Is that it?”
“They don’t have the bone structure for that kind of gravity anymore,” he says.
“They need us to survive. And they realize that now. That’s why they’re trying to convert everyone, so they don’t get a mass uprising that causes food shortages.
I mean, they have gilkyworm and sardine farms on their ships.
But even they can only tolerate those two foods for so long before their bodies need some vitamins and minerals. ”
“You know a lot more than I remember.”
Lenarro shifts aside, taps his heels together, and salutes.
When I see the CSP commander pass, I do the same.
“What is with this dust?” he demands. “Get someone over here to clean this floor!”
“Yes, sir!” Lenarro and I reply.
He fumes and storms off. I don’t recognize the man. But it’s been five years. A lot can change in that time.
As soon as he’s gone, we slip into the shadows and make our way toward the door. When we step outside, we’re met by rapid fire. A hand tugs me back. Another grabs Lenarro. Obsidian flings us around the corner of the building.
The fire slams into him. He hunkers down and begins to pull apart.
“Obsidian?”
Green threads of light wrap around him, pulling him into pieces.
“Someone has phase-shifting controllers! They’re forcing my change!” Obsidian calls after us. “Run, Roxi!”
Lenarro is closer and grabs Obsidian by the hand. I reach around him and take the hand that pales to gray.
“Not again...” Fracture’s pale colors fade through, and he looks to me with the most fear I’ve ever seen in a Titan.
“Fracture, hang on!” I fight to hold onto him as I draw a gun and fire back at the one who holds the pair of destructive bars. A blast smashes into my back. I careen through Fracture’s shimmering cloud.
Lenarro yells, but I can’t see him through the green light, the flashing shards of Fracture, and the rapid pulses from a gun.
Boots shuffle up and stop beside me. “How are you not dead?”
I know just by his arrogant voice who it is.
Fuck off, Joey. “I could ask you the same thing.”
He squats down and eyes me with disdain. Inky veins of death crawl out from his shoulder, over his neck, up his jaw, and around his eye. I can see the threads woven into his iris.
“That looks painful.”
He chews on something. “Get her in a cell.”
Guards pick me up. When I look around, I don’t see Lenarro or Obsidian. I can’t even find the one who wielded the bars that tore my Titan apart.
Someone turns my head forward again. A coilgun peeps and whirs to life before pressing into my back.
“Don’t tempt me to pull this trigger again.”
The CSP guards drag me across the mowed defensible perimeter, down concrete steps into darkness and over a gritty floor stained with old blood.
“I’m not telling you anything,” I say.
“That’s okay. We already figured it out.”