Chapter 103: Bouncy castle from hell

They walked and talked. Or, more accurately, flew and shot at demons and talked. With their eight Wings forming a flotilla they floated over Brooklyn, allowing Jelly to guide them to obvious locations where they could wipe out Nem3’s while James reviewed the situation.

“If I understand what you’re saying,” said Kerim, putting up his M4, “this Belanger started making claims of an impending apocalypse back in the 1980’s?”

“No saying he wasn’t just plain crazy back then,” said Serenity, letting her M2 droop so she could cup her hands and light a cigarette. She inhaled, narrowed her eyes, blew out smoke. “It’s possible the Monitor’s chose him because they knew he’d not be believed.”

“Yeah, maybe,” said James. “But his file mentioned his wife coming back from the dead to make him offers, even back then.”

“Sounds crazy,” said Serenity.

“Sure, but the Monitor’s have appeared to me in Jessica’s form twice now. It sounds like something they’d do.”

“Yo, James.” Yadriel reached out to snag Serenity’s cigarettes. “Listen, like this is a tough question to ask, but like, why didn’t the Monitors appear to you in you wife’s shape? Why Jessica both times?”

“I think…” James stared out over the brownstones. “I think they knew I wouldn’t listen if they showed up like Laney. I’d just start blasting. But Jessica was different. Someone I’d actually talk with.”

“Helps that she’s hella cute,” said Serenity, cigarette popping up as she grinned. “Evil dominatrix Monitor version of Jessica must be something.”

Jason’s eyes widened. “She was wearing dominatrix gear?”

“She was not wearing dominatrix gear,” said James firmly. “But she was trying to tempt me. Last time with some heinous shit. Which, bringing it back to Belanger, sounds like he was dealing with.”

“It’s very interesting.” Kerim tapped his fingers atop his Wing. “When the Nemesis 1 appeared, we all received a clear warning that 60,000 years were up. Yet if they appeared forty years ago to Belanger, that would have made it 59,960 years. Doesn’t quite have the same ring.”

“If Belanger actually saw Monitors back then,” said Serenity. “Remember, they could have appeared to him just a few days before James, picking him because he wasn’t a credible witness.”

“Maybe.” James scratched at this beard. “But it’s mighty coincidental. Either way, there’s something about Belanger that drew their attention several days early. That and this Light Eternal. Either that’s a product of his delusions, or there’s something there.”

“Something like what?” asked Kimmie. “What are you hoping for, James, best-case scenario?”

James frowned. “I don’t know exactly. But say there really was something special about Belanger. Say this Light Eternal was a real thing. Then maybe they needed to defeat him, or kill him, or convince him of something to kick off the whole show.”

“Like Highlander,” said Jason. “Kind of. As in, maybe Belanger was charged with protecting this Light Eternal, and as long as he did so the demons couldn’t invade?”

“Yo, how the fuck’s that like Highlander?” asked Yadriel.

“OK, not so much like Highlander.”

“It’s been a couple of months,” said Denzel quietly. “What are the odds he’s just sitting around in Old Crow with this Light Eternal on his lap, waiting for us to show up?”

“When you put it that way?” James grinned. “Slim. Look, I want to be real upfront about this: it’s a long shot. I could be reading into all of this way too much. But it’s the only angle I figure that gets us outside the plan the System has for us. The only way to zig when it keeps wanting us to zag. Even developing War Hounds won’t change things enough. We keep winning our little battles and losing the war. This is our best bet to try and flip the chessboard.”

“That how you win chess games?” asked Kerim with a wry smile. “By flipping the board?”

James grinned back. “It is when we can’t see how many pieces the enemy has, and they keep bringing endless waves of pawns and knights to the game with more to come.”

“Fair enough. Very well.” Kerim inhaled sharply and looked at Denzel. “I’ve never been drawn to the Yukon, but there’s always a first time.”

“How are we getting there?” asked Kimmie. “The Wings would never reach.”

“Hackworth is chartering us a flight of some kind. Old Crow has its own airfield. We’ll fly direct and have our ride wait there till it’s time to return home.”

“Why can’t Belanger have been in the Caribbean?” asked Serenity. “Or Bali? Why’s it got to be north of the Arctic Circle?”

“That is how you know we face true evil,” said Olaf. “But it is not so cold. We get you a parka, good gloves, bottle of whiskey. You will be fine.”

“Hmmph,” said Serenity.

“Miriam?” James looked to the dark-haired new member. “You’ve been mighty quiet. Any thoughts?”

“I…” Miriam curled a long black strand out of her face. “I don’t feel like I have much to say or add. I feel incredibly out of my depth. I knew…” She glanced around nervously. “I knew that by going Remove Fear and Dispell Illusion I’d be making myself useful to the teams - Cindy and Star Boy made that clear - but I didn’t realize it would get me this far. So… if you all think we need to go to Old Crow to find this Belanger, then… sure. Let’s go.”

James held her gaze. “You have a voice in this group. I may be the leader, but I want everyone to feel heard. You sure you’re good to go?”

Miriam sat up a little straighter. “Yeah. You said this might be our best chance to changing the nature of this whole apocalypse. If I can help do that, I will.”

“Good.” James gazed out over the dark city. Dusk was falling but the street lights were dark, cars didn’t move in the roads, and windows were illuminated here and there by either emergency lanterns or candles. Beyond it all the towers of downtown and Manhattan arose like grave stones, dark and still.

“Whole city feels dead,” said Yadriel in a whisper. “Like we done gone lost already.”

“Yeah,” said Jason. “What are they going to do about the bodies, James? There’s hundreds of thousands of corpses in the street. They can’t just let them rot, right?”

Olaf sat up. “We are lucky it is still cold. Come spring, the bodies will begin to rot. The city will be unlivable.”

“Great, thanks Olaf,” said Serenity.

“I don’t know,” said James quietly. “Perhaps the Fabricators can come up with something. They’ll need to clear the streets before they can get the bodies out. I’m guessing… mass burials. Given the number of dead, maybe they’d load up the barges and drop the bodies offshore.”

“If that’s even a priority,” said Serenity softly. “If there’s anybody even kicking at that point.”

They sat on their Wings, gazing out over the still city.

“The fabric of society is breaking down,” said Kerim quietly. “The social contract. I’ve not heard from the mayor or local government in days. Were it not for Blue Light and the military, the city would be operating as an anarchic state. Manna bread has kept the worst from taking place, but with the loss of power and the prevalence of Nem3’s, I don’t think anybody can predict how society will metastasize and change.”

“Like Mad Max,” said Yadriel. “That what you’re saying?”

“I don’t know.” Kerim pursed his lips. “Groups organize to provide what’s scarce. Right now that’s security, which only the military and Blue Light have been able to effectively provide. As long as the water keeps running and people can produce bread, they’ll remain quiet. But if the water cuts out we’ll see true civil unrest.”

“Unrest?” Jason sneered. “Who will they protest against?”

“Less whom will they protest against, and more which leaders will arise within their ranks to offer answers.” Kerim raised a hand. “Not that there are answers, but people will follow those who pretend just as well as those who can provide actual solutions. Warring tribes. People hoarding weapons, fighting to hold onto the most defendable locations.”

“Hoarding Fabricators,” said Miriam darkly. “That’s where the real wealth lies. In folks like Jessica Miles. Whomever can create the most has the most power.”

They all sank into pensive silence.

“Not while we’re around,” said James at last. “We’re not about to sink into Mad Max just yet.”

“Brooklyn might not,” said Kerim. “But will you police every borrough? Jersey? New Haven? Philadelphia? Will you fly out to Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis?”

James frowned.

“Because that’s the kicker.” Kerim shifted his weight. “You did an exceptional job of trying to get other Blue Light groups up and running, but in the end we’re dealing with an entire nation of terrified, grieving people. From Miami to Houston, from Los Angeles to Atlanta, from Kansas City to Missoula, people are facing the same terror and uncertainty.”

“Which is why we need to get to Old Crow,” said James with renewed certainty. “We can’t make a big enough difference before the Pits open. But if we can change the fundamentals of the game…”

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Everyone nodded.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Serenity. “Shall we kill some more Nem3’s before we go?”

“Yeah,” said Jason. “Now that I can always get behind.”

“Speaking of which, there comes Jelly,” said James. “Let’s see what he’s found for us.”

Kames Jelly came zipping in, his blade-arms whirling. “Hello! I’ve found a group Nemesis 3’s escorting a dozen Nemesis 2’s in the direction of the north Brooklyn hive. Shall we?”

“Let’s,” said James, bringing his Wing around. “That sounds just great.”

* * *

Hackworth chartered a Gulfstream jet to fly them out of LaGuardia.

“A Gulfstream? Isn’t that like a millionaire plane?” Denzel looked to the others as they carried their bags through the lobby.

“It’s just over three thousand miles to Old Crow,” said Star Boy brightly, walking alongside. “Too far for choppers. And while the Air Force has bombers and shit that can make that flight, it’s just easier to commandeer a fancy jet. Like when they sent James and, ah, Bjørn on that little circuit before.”

“Works for me,” said Yadriel. “I was born to travel in style.”

“Get the fuck outta here,” said Jelly. “Did I say that right? Get the fuck outta here?”

“You said that right,” said Serenity. “Too bad I can’t hi-five you.”

Jelly raised a sword-arm and made it blur as he whipped it around, blender-style. “We could try?”

“Jessica said she was going to see you all off,” said Star Boy as they reached the wrecked entrance. “Want me to page her?”

“We can wait a second,” said James. “Not like the jet’s leaving without us.”

“Man, feels good to be so important,” said Star Boy. “So listen, we’re going to maintain communication with these satellite phones.” He handed Jason a black ribbed briefcase. “I don’t think you’ll be getting good WiFi out there, so hit me up if you need anything.”

“Great.” James reached and squeezed Star Boy’s shoulder. “You doing OK?”

“Me?” Richard pretended to look around in surprise. “Oh, I’m great! Ever since I proved myself a genuine hero I’ve got the Fabricator chicks just all up in my grill.”

“Dude,” deadpanned Yadriel. “That don’t mean what you think it means.”

“Get the fuck outta here!” chimed in Jelly cheerfully.

“All right, who taught him that?” demanded Serenity.

“Seriously.” James gave Star Boy a little shake. “You cool?”

“Yeah man, I’m cool. I’m frosty. Turns out I was born for this shit. Apocalypting and all that.” Star Boy grinned. “No, for real, it’s almost weird how cool I am. I’m not saying this is fun, but if you ignore the millions dying every day, the demons, the end of the world, and my favorite WoW server crashing, this is pretty fun.”

“You’re fucked in the head, Star Boy,” said Serenity.

“Right?” He grinned. “It’s the only explanation. But I think I already was fucked in the head, but it’s only now that the world welcomes my personal eccentricities, which means this is the best possible world for my personal brand of fucked up-edness -”

James held up his palms, cutting Star Boy off. “Good to hear.”

The sound of high-heels clicking rapidly caused them all to turn to where Jessica was approaching, looking effortlessly beautiful and casual as always, the sleeves of her beige jacket rolled up her elbows, her hair pulled back in a French twist, her mechanicus hanging from her belt.

“Sorry I kept you waiting.” She smiled at them all. “Things are heating up below. We’ve reached a critical mass of development and all sorts of synergies and discoveries are happening. It’s an exciting time, albeit a frustrating one. If we could ramp up production to take advantage of what we’re unlocking, it would fundamentally change the nature of this fight.”

“Oh?” James smiled. “Anything good?”

“I’d say.” She smiled back. “You know the Righteous Obelisk power? We’ve discovered a way to embed them in towers that causes their blessings to flow like electricity. In effect, it might be possible to create circuits that direct Obelisk blessings along pre-arranged routes, allowing us to - well. You can imagine. That and a new synthesis between Engineers and Structuralists that result in self-directed gun turrets. Think low-grade Anima Sola’s operating Smite-enhanced machine-gun emplacements with no cap yet on how big we can make the guns.”

“You had my curiosity,” said Star Boy. “Now you have my attention.”

“That all sounds great,” said James. “But like you said, it’s all about production speed.”

“Yes. Which is what I’ve been focusing on, the creation of infrastructure that will allow us to ramp up production at an exponential speed at the cost of up-front production. We’ve a large online presence now presenting our findings and best practices to people all over the world, and are collaborating with international groups on how best to refine resources, farm them, all kinds of stuff.” She blew a lock of blonde hair out of her face. “But anyways. A lot going on. Sometimes it feels like I’ve become this crazed inventor locked away in my basement. Hard to keep track of how things are going up here in the real world. How was the Hound?”

“Pretty fucking fantastic,” said James. “Though I had to leave it in Jersey in order to get back here on time.”

“I want one,” said Serenity leaning in. “But can mine be hot pink with black accents?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Jessica seriously. “We’ve got six more in various states of production. They’re very resource intensive, but Star Boy’s analysis of its battlefield impact makes it clear they’re worth developing.”

“What comes after War Hounds?” asked Yadriel. “War Rhinos?”

Jessica laughed. “I’m unlocking that schema now. There are all manner of avenues of exploration. One area involves developing autonomous Anima that can run the War Hound 24/7, another involves recharging stations that would plug-into the Obelisk network. A third looks to be a newer, bigger, badder model. It’s listed as an Ira Munitionis, or Rage Castle. We’re going to need to institute better resource gathering before we can bring one of those online.”

Star Boy let out a low whistle. “A Rage Castle? That like a bouncy castle from hell?”

“Yes,” said Jessica, looking at him over her spectacles. “That’s exactly what it’s like.”

“Get the fuck outta here!” said Jelly happily.

“Well good luck with all that,” said James. “I look forward to hearing what you’ve gotten done when we get back.”

“Here,” said Jessica, pulling out a briefcase. “Major amulets for every stat for everyone. Also nine Aeviternum battery packs. I’ve had each charged with five points. You can draw on them as needed and refill them a couple of times before they lose the ability to hold a charge.”

“Battery packs?” Serenity raised both eyebrows. “That’s a thing now?”

“As of last night,” said Jessica with a wry grin. “We got some talented people down in Staten. And - well. Good luck.” She leaned in suddenly and gave James a hug.

“I get a hug?” asked Serenity.

“Sure.” Jessica grinned and hugged her in turn, then shoved Star Boy when he opened his arms and stepped forward. “Good luck, everyone.”

“Thanks, Jessica.” James tucked her case under his arm. “With a little luck we’ll be back in a couple of days with some good news.”

“I know you will.” She stepped back and crossed her arms, Star Boy turning to stand beside her as they watched Crimson Hydra leave. “Go kick their asses.”

James gave them both a two-fingered salute and stepped out into the night after his crew.

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