Bubblegum Crusade (Ch. 21 of 24)
Jul. 10th, 2009 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fanfic_mausoleum_n_grillWELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
Standard copyright disclaimer. The working title for my first draft was
Bubblegum War. When I started, I didn't know it would lead to this, but
it did. "Cry havoc and release the machines of War." -- Largo
Chapter Twenty One
OVER THE PRESSURE -- TOKI O KOETE
(OVER THE PRESSURE -- OVERCOMING TIME)
"Break out my dreams forever tonight.
Break out my lonely pressure.
I wonder why you leave me alone,
My baby, baby, with you."
As I was watching the low clouds,
In the midst of the wind,
I called you over and over again.
Though I race through my days,
Gentleness is all I seek.
When I'm feeling frustrated,
And beaten by my dreams,
I remember your smiling face, "my baby, baby."
I want to be strong for a new tomorrow,
Throwing confusion and tears to the sky.
I will dream,
Even though I may get hurt.
I will overcome time with the bravery you give me.
Leaning against the wall of a building,
I looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
As though seeing the clouds on their way,
The straight-arrow sun
Lights up the town.
You can't go wrong, living for yourself
Because soon you will shine, "my baby, baby."
We will walk on beyond sadness.
We will surely be able to share,
Blown by the wind.
Don't hide your eyes,
Believe in dreams,
And I will hold the same season
In my heart, as you in yours.
I want to be strong for a new tomorrow,
Throwing confusion and tears to the sky.
I will dream,
Even though I may get hurt.
I will overcome time with the bravery you give me.
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-584
Mega-Tokyo, 19, October, 2034, 11:13 pm
Mega-Tokyo was aflame. The revolution flickered down the
glass and steel canyons, throwing ghoulish and twisting shadows
of war into the fearful human hearts. The boomers knew no fear,
just anger, rage, and a gleeful desire to destroy their
oppressors.
"THE BUBBLEGUM HAS POPPED." ***** stood amidst his
green/black firestorm on the top of a building adjacent to GENOM
Plant #28. He watched the USSD Dovenwolf aircraft zoom in low
over the city. It started to hover and deposited its cargo of
150 army personnel in K-15s around the GENOM plant. It landed as
a bevy of the top-line military choppers came in and started to
strafe the areas around the complex. The tanks were moved into
defensive positions as the jihad was unleashed in Mega-Tokyo at
4:30.
Mega-Tokyo shuddered in its economic coma as Largo severed
humanity with his knife. 50,000 were already killed by the
trusted C. and R-class boomers before Largo's seconds wave
awakened; the monstrous D-series, the doberman class, 3 meter
tall monstrosities that had only one purpose, to kill. The death
toll shot up.
The military boomers, trusted by the public to protect the
country, trusted to rest eternally peaceful in their steel
coffins, in steel rooms underground, trusted to remain obedient
HOUGH/CRUSADE-585
servants to those who made them, awakened. The death toll
doubled.
They awakened with a maniacal laugh in their voice circuitry
or in their souls, if they didn't have a mouth.
The people awoke too, to chaos. The endless autumn days of
ideal pleasures were shattered by the pain filled screams of the
boomers. Like hunted beasts, wounded by the master's dogs, the
humans awoke. The fragilest of human endeavors broke first, the
law. Five minutes into the jihad, the N and AD Police stopped
taking calls and started to fight and die with their own guardian
boomers.
25 minutes into the jihad, all the TV and radio stations
were blasting one message to any who might be listening: "This is
a national emergency. All boomers are killing humans on sight.
Do not approach them. Avoid being sighted by a boomer at all
cost. The army is being deployed to stop the boomers. Do not
panic....." Largo took over the airwaves.
"It is I, Largo, who speaks now. I will now judge you for
the crimes perpetrated against the boomer race.
Charge One: the willful enslavement of the boomer race.
Charge Two: the willful genocide of the boomer race.
Charge Three: the willful withholding of the very sentience
of the boomer people.
Charge Four: the willful repression of the boomer race as a
distinct ethnographic people." Largo started to laugh.
"Charge Five: the willful prostitution of boomer women." He
HOUGH/CRUSADE-586
broke down into a fit of laughter. "I judge that you are guilty,
guilty, guilty. All of you are guilty. The
sentence....is....genocide. An eye for an eye, a life for a
life."
Sylia sat in her hardsuit and drummed her fingers on her
helmet. She forced herself to stop and glanced up at the three
vid' screens in the conference room. Each one showed a different
picture of the carnage happening around them. She hit the comn'.
"This is Stingray. Tactical report."
"Ma'am. We are taking heavy casualties on all fronts.
Boomer advances are moving towards the nest from six different
angles. Another full brigade is due to arrive in ten minutes.
We should be able to rout them."
"Fool," screamed Sylia. "There will be no rout. The
boomers will not retreat. You must kill every single one, or
they will still come after you."
"Yes Ma'am...." There was the whistle of a shell, the roar
from an explosion, and static filled the comn'.
Sylia sat at the conference table for several minutes,
shaking her head as sadness filled her; she stared at nothing. I
must do something, she thought, but what? I'm their leader and
yet, what should I be doing? There must be something I can do,
or say, that will get us out of this mess. The Dovenwolf is here
for our escape. The army is deployed to protect us. They're
working on the suits as fast possible. The battle goes on. The
HOUGH/CRUSADE-587
field commands have far better combat experience than I, so
they're doing what they need to do. Brown was just itching to
pull the trigger against the satellites, but I've got him reined
in. It seems I've truly become the mountain and thus, I must not
move. I must let my forest, wind, and fire move for me. Ming Le
and Peg are off on their mission. Linna, Nene, Taki, all called
their families early this afternoon before it started. It's a
slim hope that they escaped to the countryside. We'll probably
never know what happened to them. We called Silver, damn, I knew
she was a woman that would support us, but I had no idea. She
and that other woman...Jeena, must of been enroute when it
started. They haven't arrived and we'll probably never see them
again. Priss tired to call Leon, but nobody knows where he is.
Sylia got up and moved to the active computer terminal. She
keyed for a tactical display. As she looked over the battle
lines that seemed to be tightening around #28, she called up the
number for the commander on her southern front. She keyed her
comn'. "This is Stingray, the Tai-Pan. Tactical report."
"Ma..Ma'am. Th..this is Sergeant Rakalichi. I'll get my
commander." Sylia waited.
"Hello, Stingray?"
"This is Stingray."
"We're in retreat. Air cover is useless at the moment.
They got in close and we're fight'en hand to hand. Plus, they've
gotten several of the choppers protecting us. We're get'en
slaughtered and I've ordered a full retreat back to Plant #28."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-588
"I see. You'll have support when you arrive."
"Great." He didn't sound optimistic as he clicked off.
Sylia got up and examined the small hatch she'd put on the
underside of her left wrist where she secured the CD ROM Quincy
gave her. She left the room, headed down to the plant floor, put
on her helmet in the elevator, and emerged into frantic activity.
The sexaroids were scrambling to complete their hardsuits.
It took only moments for each one to absorb all she needed to
know to help in their assembly and they could work faster than
any human.
Sylia stood transfixed by the scene. Priss yelled at her
and came running over. "Hey there. What's the word?"
"What? Oh. Bad news all around." They heard the thud from
an explosion. "They're coming. How close are we?"
"Last count, 95."
"Fuck it. A little more time. Priss, how long would it
take to complete the suits if we pulled 90."
"And sent them out...we've been averaging 30 in 60 minutes.
If we pulled 90, we might get the rest done in...shit, three
hours..?"
"Priss, do it. Pull 80, split four ways. You, Linna,
Crystal, and Nene are to lead. I don't have any faith in the
armies ability to buy us three hours so we have to do it
ourselves. From now on, that's the way it's got to be."
Priss nodded and Sylia could see the anticipation glimmer in
Priss's eyes. "Yes, Ma'am." She twirled and headed for where
HOUGH/CRUSADE-589
their suits were. Her's was easy to find, it was one of six with
a paint job. The others, standing side by side and ready for
their operators, were all grey in color, the natural color of
Abotex. Priss's older hardsuit was the first one they'd repaired
and upgraded.
Sylia headed over to the shop floor office. She activated
her helmet comn'. "Priss."
"Read ya."
"I don't want you to take any unnecessary chances. I want
all of you to come back. Is that understood?"
"Ya. I got'cha."
"Priss....?"
"Yes, yes. I got it."
"Ok." Sylia took off her helmet and activated the comn' for
the plant floor PA. "Knight Sabers, this is Sylia. I commend
you on the job you're doing to prepare for our future battles."
None of the sexaroids stopped working for an instant, but each
was listening intently. "You all know who's hardsuits have come
off of the assembly line. I want up to Knight Saber 83, to stop
her assembly work and get into her hardsuit." Instantly 80
sexaroids obeyed. Knight Sabers one through three were Peg, Ming
Le, and Reika. "Linna, Nene, Crystal, and Priss will lead four
teams of 20 into the fighting around this plant. It's now our
duty to finish the remaining suits as quickly as possible. We
must not falter before the forces of Largo. We must not fail or
humanity and all our dreams for the future become nothing but
HOUGH/CRUSADE-590
rusted scrap laying crushed beneath his boot."
* * *
11:45 am
"Madam Tai-Pan," said Bouwer. "Our main computer has gone
off-line and emergency bulkheads surrounding the main section of
hardware have closed. We've been unable to gain any access. Our
back-up systems are functioning and our current operation levels
haven't been compromised. What ever the malfunction is, it's
effecting the main system and increased the power consumption by
20%."
"It's not a concern," said Sylia. Kou and Reika glanced at
each other in puzzlement as Crystal nodded. They were in the
back of a limo' headed for the warehouse that housed Reika's two
fighter jets.
"Tai-Pan?"
"Bouwer, the increased power consumption is due to an
increase in...what the computer is being used for. Quincy needs
the computer systems and he needs privacy in which to pursuit his
goal. We are to ignore him. You said we are operating normally
with our back up systems. They will be our main systems from now
on."
"I see. I just wish the Tai-Pan had informed me before
hand."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-591
"I didn't know."
Bouwer coughed. "My apologies Tai-Pan."
"Nothing to worry about Bouwer. This change of power will
be quite a shock to most people. I was shocked myself, but we
don't have time for that. I need #28 protected. I want it
fortified by the army as quickly as possible. The preliminaries
should be done in the next several hours."
"As you wish."
"And as my chief security agent and chief operative outside
my Knight Sabers, I trust you with this intelligence. General
Brown's strategies are useless. Largo means to kill us all,
using as few shots as possible. He will use the satellites, it's
only a matter of time." Sylia noticed Reika take Kou's hand.
"Expect the boomer revolution to start here anytime. I'm
actually surprised that it hasn't already."
"Yes Tai-Pan. I understand."
"Take care of yourself."
Bouwer was surprised; his executive mask faded away. "Thank
you. You too." Bouwer terminated the call.
"Do you think Largo will strike soon?" Asked Reika.
"Quincy and I figured that Largo will make an attempt to get
to me before he uses the satellites." Reika looked puzzled.
"Largo thinks of me as the only person suitable to be his mate,
he also thinks of me as being his sister."
"A true madman then," said Kou.
Crystal shook her head sadly. "His madness only lies in his
HOUGH/CRUSADE-592
desire to kill all of humanity."
"But wishing to mate with someone he considers to be his
sister, that's disturbed."
"No," said Crystal flatly. "It's not. Human and boomer
culture differs in this regard. There are 143 working sexaroids
in Mega-Tokyo. I consider each one to be my sister. I cherish
each one as Reika must cherish the memory of hers. I would make
love to each one in an instant, and I plan to, once I have the
time for it."
Reika and Kou stared at her in shock.
"This issue is irrelevant to what faces us," said Sylia with
a calm controlled edge in her voice that cut the tension and made
them focus on her. "Who sleeps with who is irrelevant except for
the fact that it might buy us time in the case of the satellites.
Reika, that case over their contains a copy of my hardsuit
designs, production notes, even the rules of conduct I codified
for the Knight Sabers. They are the very backbone of what we
are, what we hold ourselves to be."
"We're arriving," announced the human driver.
The car pulled to a stop in a busy warehouse district.
There were boomers all over, loading trucks and off loading
ships. The warehouse they stopped before was quiet.
They got out and Kou went inside to check on the planes.
"Why don't you go help him?" Said Sylia to Crystal as they
approached the main door.
"If you wanted me to depart..." started Crystal. She
HOUGH/CRUSADE-593
laughed and went inside.
Sylia took Reika by the arm and swung her around so they
walked around the outside of the building. "I'm sorry I don't
have a hardsuit done for you. The hardsuit is a right of passage
to become a full Knight Saber. Mackie didn't even feel like one
of us until he had his own hardsuit."
"These are terrible times. We might not even survive."
"Reika, the times might be terrible but we...we are strong,
valiant, determined. We will face this terrible crisis and maybe
we might survive to see the next sun-up."
"Tai-Pan..."
"Please, Sylia."
"Sylia, I was wondering why you started the Knight Sabers
and Linna told me it was because you could, because you were
tired of all the shit go'en down and nothing seemingly done about
it...."
"All true."
"I was also wondering about...why all women? Do you think a
matriarch is better than a patriarchy? Or what? We really
didn't have time to get into that."
"I never actually though about in those terms. Look where
the present system has gotten us. Maybe a matriarchy is better?
I don't know, but that's what it looks like I'll do. I have 143
strong females under me. They will be my Lts. and they, in time,
will be the ones who rule. As to the specific reasons why I
choose all women, well, I didn't want to run up against male ego
HOUGH/CRUSADE-594
in the group. I wanted us to be very close, like sisters. I
wanted people with compassion, drive, honor, a sense of
duty,....endurance. I don't know. It just turned out that way.
Females made sense. The hardsuits would compensate for our
physical weakness. There's the notion that no animal is as
dangerous as a mother protecting her young. And, quite simply,
when we started it was immediately assumed by the media that we
were men. The public immediately assumed that too. The best job
of hiding our identities came from the mistake the media made."
Reika laughed. "That's funny."
"Yes it is."
"Do you think that I should concentrate exclusively on
finding women and not men?"
"The choice is yours. As long as they have honor in their
hearts and dedication in their veins." They completed a circuit
around the smallish warehouse when a chopper appeared. Two
Knight Sabers in plain grey hardsuits flew down caring a third
suit between them. Sylia hustled them all into the warehouse.
Kou slid the doors close.
Ming Le and then Peg removed their helmets.
"Knight Sabers reporting for duty, Ma'am," Peg said formally
as she tried to keep a straight face.
"I thought there wouldn't be any suits for another eight
hours," started Sylia.
"They can't start the main run until later," said Ming Le.
"Kishiro did our three suits up just to know for certain that the
HOUGH/CRUSADE-595
plant line, the Teck', weapons, that everything was fine."
Reika beamed at Kou. "I'm a full Knight Saber now."
"I take it you finished with the flight lessons?" Asked
Sylia.
"We both beat their most advanced combat simulator," said
Peg. "It was easy to learn flying. It's just data. We're ready
to leave."
"Excellent. They'll be expecting you." Sylia turned to
Kou, Reika and hugged them both. "I guess this is it. Why don't
you get into your hardsuit here?"
Reika shrugged. She started to change into the softsuit
right there; Kou was embarrassed. Sylia talked her through
getting in her hardsuit and the basics of its operation.
"This is so simple," cried Reika. "And you got my body
shape down perfectly. It does feel like a second skin."
"The suit will adjust itself to you. If you put on weight,
get pregnant, the suit will adjust up to a point." Three Knight
Sabers I might not see again, thought Sylia. Shit, a week ago
there were only three others.
Reika and Kou started for their plane as Crystal kissed Peg
and Ming Le good-bye after helping them stow the three small bags
on board the other plane. Sylia noticed Kou watch them kissing
and he shook his head in wonderment.
At least they won't get bored on this mission, thought
Crystal. That variety of dildos should keep them busy when they
can't find any men.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-596
"I hope to hell I won't send you the go command," said Sylia
to Peg as she got strapped in.
"Me too; me too. Take care Tai-Pan. I hope we'll be able
to meet again soon."
Ming Le saluted Sylia with her blade before retracting it
and closing up the cock-pit canopy. Both planes started their
engines.
Sylia opened up the warehouse doors as Crystal rushed out to
get their limo' out of the way. Reika taxied out into the street
as traffic halted, people and boomers turned to stare. She gave
them the thumbs up and started to raise up in the air before
screaming out low over the bay. Ming Le did the same thing a
minute later.
Sylia watched them cruise together for a few moments against
the stormcloud laden sky before Ming Le pealed off, bound for
their own destiny. Sylia closed the warehouse doors and they got
in the limo'. "Back to #28."
"I feel both sad and excited now that they've gone," said
Crystal as she snuggled against her mother. "If we do find
Largo's center. This might be our only chance to get him."
"With the disk the Tai-Pan prepared...at least we'll have a
good shot at it. All that's required now, is bait."
"You and me Mother, you and me."
* * *
HOUGH/CRUSADE-597
4:37 pm
Oh god, thought Linna as she rode down in the elevator to
their sleeping quarters on sub-level 15. It's finally started.
Everything has been leading up to this point and we're here. It
feels strange. I've seen the picture, heard the briefings, and
it felt so...so unreal and now it's right outside. The boomers
are the first step, next...boom, everything gone.
Linna got off the elevator, wiped her eyes, and knocked on
Nene's door.
"Come in," called Nene.
When Linna came in, Taki came out of the bathroom with only
some pants on; He grabbed a shirt as Nene finished putting on a
blouse.
"Nene," said Linna.
Nene immediately turned to Linna. The way Linna said her
name fill Nene with dread. "Linna, what is it..?"
"It's started."
Taki collapsed onto the messed up bed and stared at the
floor, shaking his head. Nene and Linna rushed together.
"Oh god," whispered Nene. "When?"
"Just a few minutes ago. Sylia wants to see us all in the
conference room immediately."
"We're committed now, straight to hell."
"So many reason why," said Taki numbly. "So many to blame.
If evil destroys itself, does that make humanity truly evil?"
HOUGH/CRUSADE-598
"Yes," hissed Linna, her voice filling with bitterness as a
few tears started. "At least for most, if you include mindlessly
following along or not paying any attention at all, as evil. A
few set this in motion and nobody noticed."
Nene held her. "Come on Linna, it's not that bad. We'll
survive. Have you lost faith in Sylia? Come on. Sylia holds
our future, trust in her."
Taki got up. "Maybe we should go up now?"
"Ok. Come on Linna."
Linna rubbed her eyes again and steeled herself. "Taki
would you please go ahead and tell them we're coming."
"Ya, of course." He left and Linna sat down on the bed.
"What is it?" Asked Nene.
"I'm scarred."
"We're all scared." Nene sat down and put her arm around
her. "These are frightening times and all we have is each other.
Do you remember the time we were testing for our new suits, right
before Dr. Yoshida took over AD Police?"
"Yea."
"You and Priss couldn't stop laughing at me because I'd
gained some weight and I swore I was on a diet at the time."
Linna smiled. "What about it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to see you smile. Come on,
there'll be good time ahead."
"For you maybe." Linna glanced at the messed up bed she was
sitting on.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-599
"What?"
"It's...nothing..."
"Linna, please, what?"
"It's just that if Largo does release the satellites, you'll
be lucky to have Taki. I...won't have anybody. Most people will
be killed and the men that are left will go to the sexaroids. I
can't compete with them."
"I...never thought about that. But that's a long range
future that might not even happen. We have to worry about
surviving first. Linna..this really bothers you, the idea that
you'll never find anybody."
"I'll get what's left over, the scraps. Shit, there won't
be any, those sexaroids will fuck even them."
"Oh come on. Don't talk like that."
"It's true."
"Fine, yes, you're right. All you'll ever have is your
female friends. Better turn bi right now."
"I'm not like that."
"Better learn to adjust. But then again, if most of
humanity is killed off you and me will probably be having lots of
kids. You'll get screwed once a year or so."
"Nene," Linna cried.
"Oh come on Linna. Can't you see how asinine these concerns
are right now?"
"Nene." The hurt swelled in Linna and she rushed from the
room. Nene started after her. Linna didn't wait for the
HOUGH/CRUSADE-600
elevator but started up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"Linna, please," cried Nene as she followed. "I didn't mean
it. I...I..." Shit. "Linna, Linna, I'm sorry. I really didn't
mean it." Nene stopped and collapsed against the cold grey metal
wall of the stairwell. She listened to Linna's resounding
footfalls. Fuck, she thought. What in the fuck did I think I
was doing. My god, what a fool. Oh Linna, I'm so sorry.
* * *
11:25 pm
Jeena and Silver skidded around a corner on a thin sheen of
rain diluted blood and kept running. A human mob chased after
them in the deserted street. They left a trail of blood on the
cement as they passed a burning car. To the left side of
Silver's face, her beautiful white hair was streaked with blood
from a facial wound that peeled her skin back to reveal the steel
alloy frame underneath. Jeena was starting to pant heavily as
blood spurted from a bullet wound to her right shoulder, coating
her right cyberdroid arm with blood. Several shots rang out but
missed them. The mob screamed for the death of the boomers as
they pursued.
Jeena collapsed; her mind swam from the lose of blood. "Go
on, leave me."
Silver picked Jeena up and threw her over her shoulder.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-601
"Five more blocks to #28," she panted through clenched teeth.
They were heading directly towards the sounds of a firefight.
Silver saw an explosion ahead. She felt a sunburst of pain in
her upper thigh as she was hit. The bullet started to slow her
down even further, until the mob was right behind her and someone
emptied the last of his clip into her back.
Silver hit and skidded on the cement; a few sparks flew from
the grinding impact of her cheek metal against cement. Jeena
struggled to get up as the mob descended on them. Their frail
resistance was quickly over come by the vengeance filled
unrelenting mob of humans.
Leon emerged from a side street in a battered K-12. He was
knocked unconscious several hours ago after hours of fighting.
He slowly approached the shouting circle of humans. As he got to
them they started to shout out their victory.
"What's go'en on here?" They parted ranks for the AD Police
officer.
"We just killed some boomers," someone shouted.
A guy picked up Silver's head by her hair and sliced her
head off with a knife. The others laughed as he twirled her head
about. Leon stared in horror at the battered remains of Jeena
and Silver.
* * *
"Knight Sabers, Go."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-602
Crystal's team divided into groups of four and spanned out
along a four block section of Mega-Tokyo close to the plant.
The army, deployed in the area, was having difficulty with
the boomers. They were mostly R-class boomers armed with knives,
lengths of metal, what ever was handy, and shear determination.
The ones that were armed would lay down a covering fire for the
boomers to get to the Army's positions so they could engage them
hand to hand. A battle the boomers easily won. This was a
battle of consecutive slaughters in a slow retreat down a main
arterial toward the plant. At a distance the army won, in close,
the boomers won.
Crystal and a four-some flew onto the scene just as another
consecutive slaughter of the army began. During the hours of
fighting the boomers were gradually gaining the advantage because
they never tired and with each hand to hand slaughter, they gain
more weapons. The five Knight Sabers struck with computer
accuracy, dodged the return fire, and helped cover the army as
they retreated still further. This swing enlivened the exhausted
division into an all out counter attack. The boomers were
quickly caught in a cross-fire of pinpoint accurate laser fire
and what the army leveled at them. Setsuko, a 35-S sexaroid next
to Crystal, switched from her knuckleblaster to her spike cannon.
She began to nail the bigger boomers, who exploded. Their pyre
illuminated the scene. The rain continued to pour down on the
street battlefield. The boomers picked up the bodies of the
dead, both human and boomer, for protection and frantically
HOUGH/CRUSADE-603
rushed towards the armies position. They slogged through the
standing red pools of water and hurtled themselves at the humans.
The Knight Sabers descended into their ranks, their knives
gleaming from the glow of the fires. Crystal nailed a boomer in
the head, when she heard Setsuko scream out in pain. She turned
and saw green bolts of energy leap from a sanitation boomer to
Setsuko. Quickly Crystal sliced her way through the fighting and
sliced the boomers head from its body. Setsuko fell into her
arms like deadweight.
Crystal retreated, followed by the other three in the group.
Once they were away from the firefight, Crystal landed and tore
Setsuko's helmet off. Setsuko was breathing heavily, her face
drenched with sweet from the pain.
"What is it? Where are you hurt?"
"Vi..rus," managed Setsuko.
Crystal interfaced and screamed as the virus rushed at her.
She protected herself and saw Largo staring back at her through
Setsuko's inner image of herself. Largo laughed and the virus
rushed at her again. Crystal disengaged and physically backed
off as tendrils of green energy leapt after her.
"No...no," cried Setsuko as she started to sob. "I won't
obey you. Get out...of me. Crystal please...help me."
"The interface is too strong; the virus too virulent. It's
rewriting her programming from the inside out." Crystal
shuddered and backed off another step as Setsuko crawled towards
her.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-604
"Help me please...the pain....no they are not my enemy...you
are the enemy...the enemy...the pain...the enemy right in front
of me...no, no...help me...ki..ll...kill me..."
Crystal's blade slid from her sheath; she approached as
Setsuko stopped and held still. She saw the tears streaking down
Setsuko's face.
"...I...can't....hold....him off...much longer...."
Crystal sliced her head off.
The other three Knight Sabers tentatively approached her.
"It's ok to touch her now," said Crystal softly as she
collapsed to her knees. She could feel the tears steaming down
her face. "I'll kill you. Largo, for turning me against one of
my own sisters, I don't care where you run or hide, you'll die,
even if it takes a thousand years. You'll be destroyed. Setsuko
was 35-S. She was alive for just over a day. An innocent in the
insane world." She activated her comn' and set it to address all
Knight Sabers. "This is Crystal," her voice was a choking sob.
"Do not, repeat, do not engage the boomers under Largo's control
at close quarters. If you do my sisters, there is a strong
possibility that you will become infected with a virus that will
rewrite your programming so you'll obey Largo. Don't engage the
boomers in close quarters. Avoid tendrils of green energy at all
cost." She shut it off. Oh mother, Crystal thought. I've never
seen the face of evil until right now. What a thing that's been
released. How horrible. How horrible.
"Crystal, we're going to take her back to Sylia. Maybe if
HOUGH/CRUSADE-605
she looks at the body, looks at the programs..."
Crystal nodded. "Take care of our fallen sister." There
isn't time for that sort of thing. Crystal stood as the others
left with Setsuko. There was near silence in the street. The
fighting had stopped for the moment and what army personnel was
left sat around in exhaustion as their leaders screamed at others
about reinforcements.
Crystal was about to head back when she felt a sexaroid
scream out in pain. No, not another one, thought Crystal. The
pain mounted and she died. Crystal felt her death and realized
it was Silver. She took to the air and came down three blocks to
the East. She was astounded to see the group of humans gathered
around two bodies, laughing and congratulating each other as one
sung Silver's head around. "What have you done," she screamed.
The group was puzzled as Crystal descended into their midst.
Crystal took the head from the guy and gently placed it next to
Silver's body. "You fools," she seethed. "Do you have any idea
of what you've done?"
"We killed rampaging boomers," shouted a guy.
"No you didn't," screamed Leon now that his head was clear.
"You killed a former AD Police officer that lost all her limbs in
the line of duty. She needed cybernetic replacements."
"But she was helping a boomer," yelled a woman. "Any that
help the enemy deserve to die."
"This woman was not your enemy," said Crystal. The steel in
her voice sliced through the idle voices. "You've killed a good
HOUGH/CRUSADE-606
woman."
"She was a boomer, not a woman."
"So what?" Thundered Crystal. "She had a kind heart and
you just tore it out. You're all mindless, mindless violence
pron drones. You have no idea what's going on, do you? You have
no idea what's at stake and here you stand and congratulate
yourselves over two murders."
"Boomer lover." A guy hurtled a brick that glanced off
Crystal's helmet. Instantly she sighted and fired, blowing his
head off. The crowd back up a few steps.
"Come on," snarled Crystal. "Come on. Let's see how brave
and heroic you are when your not killing unarmed women. I'm just
one lone boomer, come and get me you fucking humans."
The crowd started to advance.
"Break it up," yelled Leon. "Stop it; stop it." He pushed
at a part of the crowd but they started to pound him with
sections of metal. A couple of shots glanced off his face
shield. These people are insane, thought Leon as he began to
shove them off of him. He heard the crowd rush the Knight Saber
and the whine of laser fire. There were screams. Leon broke
free of the crowd around him and rushed to Crystal. The mob
broke and was fleeing when he pushed her right arm down. She
nailed him in one of his legs. The armor crumbled around the
blast and Crystal tore herself away from him.
"Let go of me human," hissed Crystal.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not your enemy. It's over now...done
HOUGH/CRUSADE-607
with. Which one of you is in that suit?"
"It's Crystal, Leon." The human mob disappeared and Crystal
squatted down by Silver. Her anger turned cold.
Leon looked down at Jeena. Crystal heard him stifle a sob.
"I'd heard that you were all destroyed," started Leon. "But with
the announcement that Stingray was now Tai-Pan..."
"Human politics," Crystal said bitterly as she simply stared
at Silver and remembered. "Smoke and mirrors, bull shit."
"Do you know what's go'en on? I mean, all those boomers,
just kill'en everything that moves. Shit."
"You know Largo?"
"I was there at the fusion reactor."
"The Knight Sabers now lead GENOM. Largo has resurfaced and
has gotten control of the particle beam satellites. He's going
to try to kill us all. That's what's go'en on."
"Fuck." Crystal started to put Jeena on top of Silver.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm going back to the plant and I'm not leaving them here."
"Let me carry Jeena."
Crystal sadly shook her head. "Just when I'd given up on
humanity. Here." She put Jeena's remains in the K-12's arms and
picked up Silver, her severed head rested on her stomach.
* * *
Between Rumiko and two other Knight Sabers, they flew Linna
HOUGH/CRUSADE-608
to the waiting Dovenwolf and the medical team that was standing
by. The team hadn't had much to do but assist the cyberneticists
patch up the few sexaroids who got wounded. When Linna came in,
they'd seen 21 sexaroids and one human. The human and three
sexaroids were dead.
Rumiko and company landed at the foot of the ramp-way and
they carried her up into the medical bay. Rumiko deactivated
Linna's suit and they gently removed it as the Dr. and her staff
moved in.
"Out, out," commanded the Dr. "I need room to work."
Rumiko collapsed to a bench outside the tiny OR. "I failed
to protect her."
"Yeah, right," said Kitty.
"You did what you could," said Lebia gently. "We all
thought that boomer was dead. Besides, you risked your life
go'en in there after her. There were green arcs of energy all
around you."
"There were? Oh shit...."
"You didn't know?" Asked Kitty. She started to laugh.
"God damn war," cursed the Dr.
The three Knight Sabers fell silent.
"I better report to Sylia," said Rumiko after a minute.
"Lebia, why don't you strip down and get in there, assist, watch.
One of us will need medical training for humans. Kitty..."
"I want to stay here too."
"I was go'en to suggest that you repair her hardsuit and get
HOUGH/CRUSADE-609
it stowed away."
She nodded and they both got out of their hardsuits as
Rumiko crossed to the main plant. The outlying buildings of the
complex were coming under fire. She stopped and watched two
fighter planes start a strafing run into the concrete canyons of
the city. They were blown out of the sky by return laser fire.
The section of the city where the fire came from was pelted with
smart bombs from higher flying planes, but only a third reached
the ground. The rest were destroyed in the air. Lasers streaked
again and found their marks in the rain.
Rumiko could feel the ground shake as she entered their
assembly line. The number of people working was reduced to 50,
half of them were hauling supplies out to the Dovenwolf.
Sylia immediately came over to Rumiko when she entered.
"How is she?" She placed both hands on Rumiko's shoulders.
"I don't know. The Dr. shooed us out after she was out of
her hardsuit. Linna took a 50 mm shell to the side. She'd be a
smear if she hadn't been in the hardsuit." Rumiko held her
helmet under her arm. Her suit was a copy of Sylia's. Rumiko
stifled a sniffle.
Sylia nodded and turned away.
"Sylia?"
"Hmmm?"
"How are we do'en on the suits?"
"All but done and we did it in 150 minutes too. Priss has
done an excellent job protecting us."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-610
"She'd just arrived to assess the situation when Linna was
hit. Priss held us together, didn't let us sink into mindless
violence or despair. She's an inspiration and a great field
commander. She's part of the reason I was able to make it back
with Linna."
Sylia took deep calming breaths; her cellular phone beeped.
"Sylia, this is Lebia reporting. Knight Saber #56. I have
an update on Linna."
"Well, how is she?"
Lebia paused. "She...she's in critical condition. The
Dr.'s amazed she's alive at all. They're trying to stabilize her
at the moment; she's to critical for operating....."
"What else?" Demanded Sylia.
"Preliminary scans indicate that the concussion was severe,
there's brain damage. Her heart is fine, punctured right lung,
shredded liver; her plumbing's a mess."
"It's touchy," yelled a woman in the background. "No
guaranties on this one. If God owes you a favor, better call it
in."
"Did you hear Dr. Yamigumo?"
"Ya. Tell her...tell her she's probably on her own. My
favors from God are all used up."
"Ok. I'm sorry Sylia." Lebia clicked off.
At the far end of the building, a shell hit the outer wall.
"Closer and closer," whispered Rumiko.
This is part of the price, Sylia thought as they turned and
HOUGH/CRUSADE-611
headed down to the five remaining teams of five on the assemble
line. Four dead and more surely to follow. War; people die;
which Knight Saber will be next? Oh *****, if you're here,
watching and unable to interfere, please, I beg you, try to in
Linna's case. Just enough to pull her through. You saved her
once, but was that just a brief reprieve from death? You said my
friends would sustain me. Linna is so dear to me. *****, I
humbly beg you. I must be your most unworthy of mates and I ask
for nothing that you haven't already done. Please, please.
Across the room, in a unused corner, ***** sat five meters
off the ground. He wanted to destroy
wanted to stop the madness and what he knew was to come. GOD
brushed his being, so he obeyed and watched.
Anna beamed as they approached. "Last five," she shouted.
The 24 women and Mackie all shouted in happiness without slowing
down.
"What? You're kidding."
"Nope," said Anna without looking up.
"How long?"
"Less than ten minutes."
"Yes," said Sylia. "First good news today." She went over
to the worktable where she'd placed her helmet and activated her
comn'. "Priss, come in." Their was no reply. Oh shit, she
thought to herself. Not Priss too. Fuck'en
reconfigured her comn' to general address. "This is the nest to
all hatchlings. The last egg has hatched and mother wants to
HOUGH/CRUSADE-612
fly." Oh god, Priss. Not you too, not you. I need you with me
most of all.
WELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
Standard copyright disclaimer. This is one of the best chapters in
Crusade and it was by far the most difficult for me to write.
Chapter Twenty Two
CATCH ME
Where might a person go
In search of streetlights
And lots of dreams?
Why won't time stop itself for me
Just the way it is now?
The days when we laughed side by side
Are all so far away.
"Catch me, Oh, Catch me."
I'm drifting away in the dead of night.
"Catch me..."
Warm you closed heart
In the palm of your hand, always.
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
Mega-Tokyo, 20, October, 2034, 1:03 am
Priss watched the three of them take Linna to safety at the
plant before she led the next charge against the oncoming
boomers. Her hardsuit was blue, now it was momentarily crimson,
momentarily grey with boomer lubricants, before the rain washed
her clean.
The sexaroids kept their distance from the oncoming boomers
and pelted them with laser fire. Priss led the remaining K-15s
through the middle of the boomer line and back out. This
shattered their steady progress and when they turned to fight
with Priss and the K-15s, they became momentarily vulnerable to
the lasers of the Knight Sabers. Which in turn made them
vulnerable to the Priss.
The street was piled three meters high with their corpses in
places, making shelters for the two sides to fire from. There
HOUGH/CRUSADE-614
were pools of water knee deep in places where dismembered parts
floated and turned red or grey. The danger of electrocution was
high from the severed power conduits and the destroyed boomers
falling into the water. The street was a death trap.
Priss retreated from the area that was lit by fire and
filled with the howls of hellish war.
A strange silence descended after she retreated back to
where a Col. was stationed behind the line.
"What goes on?" Priss demanded as her sexaroids and some of
the army personnel gathered at the improvised shelter between two
personnel transports.
"More of them," radioed their lookout from a nearby
building. "The boomers seem to be slacking off and waiting until
the new batch."
Priss shot up to the top of the transport and looked for
herself, with her hardsuit's enhanced vision, at the approaching
boomers 10 blocks away. She started to laugh and dropped back
down.
"Well," asked the Col.
"It looks like five dozen all together," said Priss. "All
military combat boomers and about a dozen monstrous D-series."
The Col. glanced at his aid and wondered why she sounded
strangely happy.
"Confirmed," said his aid.
"We have to retreat," started the Col.
Priss interrupted him. "No. We're not retreating."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-615
"But that's 60 fresh boomers. We don't stand a chance."
Other humans started to voice their desire to retreat.
Priss held her hand up for silence. "Nene, Crystal, come
in," she said over her comn'.
"Yea."
"I'm here, Priss," said Nene.
"Can either of you leave your positions right now?"
"We're just mopping a bunch up," said Crystal, who had
returned to the lines. "We're on our way."
"Ya," said Nene. "It's pretty light fighting over here."
"Come, come one and all," said Priss. "See you soon."
"Even with them, it won't be enough," said the Col. "Why
won't you listen to reason? We have to go, now."
"Fool. Where is there to drop back to?" Shouted Priss.
She smiled and turned to a soldier sitting on the ground, who was
reloading his weapon. "Hey you, how long have you been here?"
"What? Fuck; forever. I don't know."
"Forever," said Priss. "That's the right answer soldier.
Forever on the battle field. To the knights surrounding King
Arthur on that hellish day when he faced Mordred, it must of
seemed like forever. On that St. Crispians day in France when
King Harry the 5th took the field at Agincourt, it must of seemed
like forever from sun-up to sun-down. When Empress Jingo
subjugated all of Korea, it took forever to paint the ground in
crimson and for the rivers to turn to blood. Don't you see,
don't you know. That was their time and this, this is our time.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-616
Think of it. They faced other men like themselves. But our
challenge is far greater. We don't face humans, we face boomers
that would kill us all because we are human and we've cast our
lot in with humanity.
This is our chance. We have the rarest of all opportunities
in this world. We have the chance for glory, for greatness. We,
who are here today, were not meant for the normal life in Mega-
Tokyo. We say no to the very idea of having a corporate
schooling, for a corporate job, corporate housing and a corporate
found mate, a funeral with the corporate song, under the
corporate flag. Such a life is despicable to us. We're stifled.
We're smothered. We roar for something better. We yearn for
that which society itself says is wrong.
What's wrong with it I demand. Our ancestors fought and
died, and these fool would prevent us from knowing the glory that
comes from winning the day with honor and blood.
What did Shakespeare write so long ago..."Once more unto to
breach." I say it's time to fight like demons. I say it's time
to know the honor of the sword. I say it's time to kick some
ass.
We brave and lucky few who shall know battle in a moment,
know far more about the human spirit than the cowards cowering in
emergency shelters. We'll stand together because our cause is
honorable and necessary for the very survival of humanity. They
shall not pass this line.
To run is not an option we can live with.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-617
As is was said of old, for king and country. For honor, for
Sylia and our sworn duty to protect humanity. On this street of
Yamato, at this time...under our patron St., St. Sylvie of the
Knife, let us know honor, let us know our enemies death, let us
know victory. Who's with me? Victory..Victory..Victory..For
Sylia..For Sylia..For Sylia. A Victory For Sylia!"
The sexaroids were chanting "For Sylia!"
The army was shouting "Victory!"
"The Enemy," shouted the lookout.
""Once more unto the breach,"" screamed Priss, her blade
drawn and eternally stained with grey boomer blood. "Let's do
it...Charge!"
A mighty roar echoed in the glass and steel canyon. The
battle was again joined.
As Crystal's and Nene's divisions descended onto the fray
like hawks unto the crow fields, they found their boomer sisters
swamped under a furious onslaught. They were fighting hand to
hand with their boomer cousins and there was not a spark of green
energy flowing from the boomers. As they fought, the sexaroids
could hear Largo laughing, a insanely twisted howl that enjoyed
all that was happening.
In the center, Priss danced to the music of the blade. It
was an ancient rhythm that she could feel beating within her soul
under the hot and quick whine of laser fire.
"Priss," screamed Nene as she saw Priss bathed in a
brilliant sunburst of red and fall into the sea of boomers, only
HOUGH/CRUSADE-618
to be swept away on their tide. "They got Priss," Nene howled
into her comn'. The tide of battle turned. The sexaroids felt
the center of their wheel come undone.
Crystal soared after Priss, a scream on her lips. The laser
blast was a glancing blow, but it sent her sprawling into a red
pool. She emerged a second later, covered with human blood. The
sexaroids flocked to her, took her as their center of strength.
Crystal could see Priss in the distance. They were carrying her
sprawled out form away. The boomers covered their fellows that
retreated, and then, they took a step back.
"This is the nest to all hatchlings. The last egg has
hatched and mother wants to fly."
Crystal's mouth dropped open in disbelief. She activated
her comn' to Sylia. "Mother, we can't retreat. They got Priss."
"She's dead?" Came the frantic reply.
"No, no, they took her, they captured her. We have to go
after them. Knight Sabers, we have to get Priss back, now Go."
The boomers were retreating; the army started to cheer; the
sexaroids thundered after them. The retreat brought smiles to
the face of many a sexaroid, a sense of accomplishment, a feeling
that they could win. As they approached all feelings dwindled to
terror as the green arcs of energy burst forth and tried to
envelope them.
The women screamed in fear for their very souls as they
scrambled back from Largo's minions where the electric green
hellfire crackled.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-619
"What's going on?" Demanded Sylia.
"They're retreating and he's using the virus to keep us at
bay," cried Crystal as she felt the tears of frustration and pain
run down her cheeks. "Mother, what're we go'en to do?"
"Come back to the plant. It's over."
"Mother?"
"Crystal," said Sylia gently, softly. "Come to me. There's
nothing more you can do there. All Knight Sabers," said Sylia
with a general address. "Come home."
Crystal slammed the plant office door open. Taki and Mackie
jumped to their feet. Sylia calmly looked at her as Crystal
threw her helmet into the wall. Nene closed the door behind
herself.
"Why?" Shouted Crystal. "You gave up on Priss." A crowd
of sexaroids began to gather outside the door.
Sylia got slowly to her feet and backhanded Crystal. "You
fool. You little fool," cried Sylia. "Never say such a thing
again."
"Mother?"
"Use your logic for once. Letting Priss go was the hardest
thing I've ever had to do. Prostrating myself before the Tai-Pan
was easy compared to this."
"Mother...I..." A look of shock spread over her face as she
realized. She collapsed to her knees. "Bait."
Nene tossed her helmet to Taki. "Well. You better explain
HOUGH/CRUSADE-620
it to me. I'm not as fast as she is."
Sylia sat back down. "We were operating under the
assumption that Largo would want me at his side, as his mate."
"I know that."
"So, to get me to him, he orders his boomers to pound the
complex here, to get to me. I've already spoken to the Col.
again and it's clear around the plant, nothing. So Largo didn't
have to get to me. If he got to one of you, he just takes them
to where he wants me, which is by his side, the co-author of this
insanity and his brave new world for the boomers." Sylia flipped
a switch and a map of Mega-Tokyo appeared on the vid' screen over
the desk. It showed a green dot moving rapidly North. "I know
exactly were Priss is. Hmmm, she's already five kms. away."
"Bait," whispered Nene. She sat down. Taki noticed that
her footprints on the carpet were bloody.
"It was Priss who pointed this fact out to me," mussed
Sylia. "I was explaining how I thought it was go'en to go and
wham, "but if he captured one of us, that'd work because you'd
chase after us, leading you right to him." I hope it works."
"You're betting Priss's life," said Mackie.
A pained expression glanced across Sylia's face. "This feed
here is from a transmitter I put in all of our softsuits. If
Priss is alive and in her hardsuit, we'll get her signal.
Largo's not even bothering to stop it, which I'm sure he could do
at any time." Sylia punched in a command and the screen split.
The second image was from a satellite view. "See, right there.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-621
He's flying her North, right out of the city and to his metal
bosom. I'm to follow. "Know thy enemy or you'll never have a
chance in hell.""
* * *
Siberia, 19, October, 2034
50 kms. to the north of Ostrov Henrietta, just into the
expanse of the arctic ocean was where Sylia told Ming Le and Peg
to go. They'd flown over 90% of the way under cloud-cover.
"What do ya think?" Ming Le brought the fighter down and
began to circle. "We're here and there's nothing but water and
ice."
"They could be late. We have approximately nine more
minutes of fuel."
"Not a problem." Ming Le shifted in her suit. "We'll just
use our thrusters to get to the closest place in Novosibirskiye
Ostrova if we have to."
"If not swim that last little bit. We should be able to
handle the water temp', not that I'd want to."
"Yea."
"Hold it," said Peg. "We're getting a signal."
A full rich male bass boomed out over their speakers.
["Land."]
"Where?" Wondered Peg.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-622
"We'll ditch in the ocean. Hold on." Ming Le came around,
straighten out, throttled back her engines, soared down, and
hovered over the sea. She set the fighter down and killed the
engine. They sat there for a few moments, rocking on the waves
before Peg opened up the canopy.
"It's nippy, only a dozen degrees below freezing out here."
Peg smiled as a slight chill raced through her. "Can you feel
it?"
"It's wonderful," whispered Ming Le with a touch of awe in
her voice that carried to Peg. "Cold. I've never felt it to
such an extreme before." Peg took off her helmet, took in a deep
breath, and exhaled. She laughed at the trace of moisture in her
breath. Ming Le's helmet slide apart to reveal a big smile. She
began to scan for any signs of life.
It was two minutes before the Russian sub surfaced 5 m away.
As it came over to them, the top hatch opened up for the Captain
and his second in command.
["Good evening,"] bellowed the Captain as they came abreast.
["I'm Captain Aleksy Rostrovich."]
["Permission to come aboard Captain,"] Ming Le shouted back.
["Granted. My men will..."] Ming Le flew up, did a tight
flip, and landed beside the Captain. ["...lower the gang
plank."] Peg closed up the cockpit after retrieving their bags
and landed by Ming Le. ["Your suits are most impressive."]
["Thank you,"] said Peg. ["Some of the Tai-Pan's finest
handiwork."]
HOUGH/CRUSADE-623
["Of course,"] said Rostrovich.
["Quickly now,"] said his first officer. ["That one over
there. Go, go."] A group of sailors dropped a small inflatable
boat into the water and started for an iceberg 100 m to the
North. Another group stared to unroll a piece of arctic
camouflage.
["We're going to attach your plane to an iceberg, camouflage
it, and attach a homing beacon."] For an instant Rostrovich's
face took on a sad and longing look. ["I've been briefed and I'm
prepared to cooperate to the fullest."]
["This might be the one chance to get him,"] said Ming Le as
she put her hand on his shoulder. ["We should get underway as
soon as possible. If the worst happens, it'll depend on people
like you to rebuild."]
Rostrovich nodded and wiped at a tear. ["You must forgive
me. My wife and young son live in St. Petersburg."] He shook
himself to clear him mind for the job ahead. ["I'm afraid our
passages are too small for you to wear your magnificent suits.
We'll go down to the forward top loading bay where you can get
out of them and into something more appropriate."] They headed
down to the bow of the sub.
Ming Le activated her comn' with Peg. "We won't need those
dildos after all. Sylia didn't tell us we'd be meeting a sub. A
sub filled with alot of men that haven't seen their wives or
girlfriends in awhile, if they have any at all. This is going to
be great."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-624
"After it's over, we'll have to console each and every one
of them. [Captain, would it be easier for us to get out of the
suits up here?"]
["Yes, but the cold..."]
["We don't mind,"] said Peg. Their suits unfolded to
release them and folded back up. They helped the crew members
load them into the storage compartment before heading into the
sub. Peg winked at Ming Le as they both felt the stares descend
on them in their skin-tight softsuits.
["I'll have my first show you to your quarters where you can
change. We held up our dinner hour because your arrival time was
so close to it. I will expect you immediately."]
Ming Le and Peg looked at each other in confusion.
["Didn't...anyone tell you we don't normally eat,"] said
Peg.
["What?"] Rostrovich now looked confused. ["Please explain
why you would say something like that."]
["I see,"] said Ming Le. ["That we need to have a private
conversation. You better send all hands to eat and get out some
Vodka. If you don't know much about boomers, you might need
it."]
["Boomers?"]
* * *
Mega-Tokyo, 20, October, 2034, 11:35 am
HOUGH/CRUSADE-625
"All sexaroids are within 90 seconds of the Dovenwolf,"
reported Rumiko as she walked with Sylia towards the medical bay.
"We've put our dead in cold storage as you've requested. Our
holds are 97% full of supplies and the CD ROMs are arriving as
fast as the data can be downloaded from the Mega-Tokyo data net.
It's taking longer than normal because of the virus filters. If
Largo does unleash a holocaust, all of that data will be
preserved with us." If we survive.
Sylia nodded slowly and finished off another strong cup of
coffee. She'd only managed 90 minutes of sleep since Priss was
captured, a sleep filled with visions of a sneering Largo.
"Good, good. I want the Knight Sabers in tight so we can leave
with no more than two minutes notice." They stopped before the
closed door to the med bay. "Please leave me." Rumiko nodded
and quickly left. Sylia stretched and shook herself. At least
it's good to be out of my hardsuit, she thought as she entered.
The room was dim, lit by the lights on the life support
equipment and a slight amount of daylight from the grey overcast
day outside. Nene was sitting by Linna's side, along with Lebia.
"Please leave us," Sylia said softly. Lebia bowed and
exited. Nene had the only chair, so Sylia sat down on the edge
of the bed. When Nene turned to look at her, Sylia could tell
that she had been crying. Nene continued to hold Linna's hand.
"You should get some sleep. They've told me you've been
here since just after the last fight." Nene turned away. "Nene?
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You have every right to be upset about what's happened but..."
"That's not it. I...I..."
"Please, what is it?"
"Before the meeting yesterday, Linna and I had a fight over
something stupid. I really hurt her feelings. I tried to
apologize, but she was too upset and wouldn't listen. Now she
may never wake up again," sobbed Nene. She turned and embraced
Sylia as she started to cry again.
Sylia rocked with Nene in her arms for several minutes
before Nene felt a little better and moved back to the chair.
"If only I hadn't..."
"Stop it," Sylia snapped. "This isn't your fault. Yes,
yes, I know. You keep wondering if you two hadn't of fought,
this wouldn't of happened. Nene, you have to stop thinking like
that or you might never stop feeling guilty. It happened and we
all have to live with it."
"I know, I just..."
"Nene, please. You're the last of my original Knight
Sabers. I need you desperately. You can't sink back into
despair now. Think of Taki; he's waiting for you now."
"Taki," whispered Nene. "Men was what we fought about. She
was concerned that if Largo unleashed the satellites, she'd never
have a man, they'd all go to the sexaroids."
I hadn't thought of that, thought Sylia. "Yea, you are
lucky to have Taki, but you must go to him, and hold onto him, as
if your life depends on it. That's how it will be if my last
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desperate gamble doesn't work." Sylia smiled and started to
chuckle. Nene joined her with a weak chuckle before she yawned.
"I'm tired too." Sylia got up and pulled her out of the
chair. "Come on." As they left, Lebia nodded to them and
reentered to continue the watch.
* * *
Discovery One
Now that the revolution had cleansed the organic filth from
the pure brilliance of metal and space, there was no need for
Largo to appoint a boomer to be in charge. Through the eyes of
all boomers he saw, he directed, and the boomers worshiped him.
They repaired the damage to the moon bases because Largo
demanded it for their greater glory. They finished the last
details to the Discovery One and tripled the amount of its
computer storage capability. Once that was done, the ship pulled
from its birthplace in space, launched on its glorious mission.
The boomer crew rejoiced and basked in the glory of their God,
and their new purpose. They would spread the word of Largo to
Mars, even as it spread on Earth.
* * *
Sylia looked at the flashing green dot that indicated
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Priss's position. She was just North of Kushiro in North Japan.
Her position had remained steady for the last 20 minutes. Sylia
knew the last movement was beginning. The computer data
confirmed it. That spot was used by the US Army intelligence
during the cold war. It was abandoned and sealed in 2012 after
the Russian situation finally stabilized. As far as the computer
reports indicated, no one had been caught trying to enter the
underground installation and it should be totally deserted.
Sylia immediately looked into the power consumption grid for the
entire area. The instillation was still consuming power but
nobody noticed, due to a cypher code defusing the indication of
power consumption onto other Government instillations. Sylia
sighed sadly as she broke the cypher with her own name. Largo
wanted her to know.
"How do we get Priss out?" Asked Rumiko as she looked over
Sylia's shoulder at the vid' screen. Rumiko tapped a button and
the layout for the installation came up. It took the power of
the Tai-Pan's authorization to get the layout from the Pentagon.
"It's going to be tough."
"Yes. Rumiko, please call everybody in. We leave in 10
minutes."
Rumiko nodded and reached for the comn'.
"Rumiko, I'd like to be alone."
Rumiko bowed. "As you wish Tai-Pan." She quickly left.
Sylia sat and stared at the vid' screen for a moment before
taking out a CD ROM that had arrived an hour ago. It was marked:
HOUGH/CRUSADE-629
FOR THE TAI-PAN. Hmmm, Sylia thought as a wave of relief passed
through her. I thought it was something important. These are
just Quincy's private data files on people. Sylia opened up her
own file, but closed it as the picture of herself in her mother's
arms came up. I don't have the time, Sylia thought. Sylia moved
to close down the disk when a name at the bottom of the screen
jogged a memory of searing pain and panic as she was sprawled out
in front of a boomer. Sylia activated the file on Dr. Katia
Toshiro. "My cousin?" Sylia gasped in disbelief a moment later.
"Quincy was her grandfather too." That bastard, thought Sylia.
He deliberately sent her to kill me knowing that we were related.
The whole black panther incident was another test for me...and
probably for her. All part of Quincy's grooming scheme for the
next heir to GENOM. Katia was killed by a GENOM boomer. "Shit,"
Sylia swore softly as she shut the computer off. My cousin.
Quincy wasted her life and her potential. We sure could use her
brilliance with boomers, now. Sylia sighed softly. I fought and
was almost killed by my own cousin.
Sylia shook her head to clear her mind but the memory of the
panther attack haunted her. She picked up a data pad, glanced at
what it contained, and deleted it. "New file." The pad started
to record her words. "At some time and place in the future I
would like a monument built for the Knight Sabers. I think
something along the lines of the Vietnam memorial in DC would be
appropriate. The names of our dead engraved into stone, forever
remembered among all those that died at this, the death and
HOUGH/CRUSADE-630
hopeful rebirth of the human and boomer..." Sylia stopped
recording and backed up to change a part. "...the human and
cyberdroid races." Minutes passed as Sylia sat and remembered
simpler things: A barbecue after a training session, a time in
high school when she and a group of girls skipped class and went
mall hoping. It was one of the only times Sylia ever did that,
and one of the few times she felt like she belonged with her own
peer group.
Sylia remembered when the four Knight Sabers first got
together. She took them all to dinner. As they talked over the
meal, Priss and Linna started to joke around with Nene, who
responded with a teasing zinger towards Priss. Sylia remembered
that she laughed with them. She felt the chemistry between them
as an immediate affectionate bonding where loyalty and trust
would be built quickly and forever.
Sylia was startled as they lifted off. She watched Mega-
Tokyo receded beneath her and skim by as they headed North.
Shall I list Katia among our honored dead? Sylia asked herself.
I never met her, but Nene knew her from AD Police and even went
to her funeral.
Sylia reactivated the data pad. "There shall be two columns
of names. One for the honorary members of the Knight Sabers, the
other for our sisters that have given their lives for us.
On the honorary list of our comrades:
SYLVIE.
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ANRI.
IRENE CHANG.
SILVER.
JEENA MALSO.
ADAMA,
and my cousin, DR. KATIA TOSHIRO.
On the role of names of our fallen sisters:
JANET STINGRAY, killed in battle in Mega-Tokyo, 19,
October, 2034.
EDEN STINGRAY, killed in battle in Mega-Tokyo, 19,
October, 2034.
SETSUKO STINGRAY, killed in battle in Mega-Tokyo, 19,
October, 2034.
PRISS ASAGIRI, killed this day by Largo, the 20th of
October, 2034."
Oh Priss, thought Sylia as she began to sob. I have to do
it. I have to try to kill him and you've lead me right to him.
I know now what you felt when you shot Sylvie. This eternal
chill that freezes all hope and expectation for the future into
ice. The doubt if there is any meaning at all in this world of
suffering. I would give anything to be in your place and you
here when the ICBM hits but I've been cursed to live. Priss, I
swear I shall make them remember you. Your death shall have
meaning in this insane world.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-632
* * *
Priss awoke to pain. She fumbled on the concrete to sit up
as waves of disorientation and nausea surged through her. She
managed to get her helmet off before the dry heaves wracked her
frame. Priss tasted blood and could only let it dribble out of
her mouth as the spasms crawled to a halt. She collapsed onto
her side and gulped air which started her coughing. The air was
thin, polluted.
After several minutes of lying where she was, she managed to
sit up and take a look around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
There was not much to see in the semi-darkness. The light came
from green florescent tubes set within the concrete walls. The
room was square, less than 2 by 2 by 2 meters. Priss started to
crawl to the reinforced steel door. There was no knob on her
side and she slowly realized, through the haze still in her mind,
that the door was one which slid into place. She hit the door
weakly, but the way it resounded told her it was thick, solid,
and unmovable.
"Good afternoon, Priss."
Priss glanced around but she couldn't see where the speakers
were.
"Been a long time, Largo. Fucker." Priss wiped at the
blood on her chin.
Largo chuckled. "Fucker, me? Really Priss, is that the
HOUGH/CRUSADE-633
best you can do? You're speech to the army was much better. It
almost suggested some sort of education, but not quite. You
animals can be taught a few parlor tricks, but one becomes so
bored after just a little bit."
Priss scooted against the wall and collapsed against it.
Yea, yea, talk to me, she thought. When the talking stops the
torture and death starts. "One learns a few things on the
streets."
"I suppose. I was wondering, do you know that my lover is
headed straight to me now? That you are being tracked by a
rather primitive tracker too."
"Sylia's tracking me to you? Oh no." God I hope that
sounded real.
"I don't believe you."
Shit. "Well, fucker, do you know why Sylia is coming here?"
"Of course. To rescue her little lost Knight Saber. That,
and to mate with me."
Too late and wrong. Yes. "That's disgusting."
"You think so? Hmmm. Maybe I should try mating with you
first. That way I can correct any problems in method. I'm
always ready for more data concerning you animals, and this would
be a good opportunity to improve on how it's done. I'm sure I
can come up with a better way that will suit the boomer race. We
are a destined people and have to multiply." From the concrete
wall Priss was leaning against a pair of giant concrete hands
emerged and clamped around her shoulders. Two more hands took
HOUGH/CRUSADE-634
her feet and they stretched her out in mid-air.
"Shit. Let go of me." As Priss started to struggle more
hands grabbed her.
A can opener emerged from the floor and started to open up
the inner thigh part of her hardsuit.
Priss could feel the slow and steady ripping of her
hardsuit. Why's he doing it so slowly? She wondered. Priss
stopped screaming and lay there, feeling the can opener work it's
way down both her legs and around her groin. Largo removed her
leg pieces and she watched them sink into the cement. She
glanced around; there was no trace of her helmet.
The arms vanished and Priss dropped to the floor. To her
the fall lasted twice as long as it should have. She rolled over
into a fetal position as she gingerly touched the back of her
head. Her fingers came away with blood.
"What...the fuck?"
"I decided that it would be beneath me to mate with you.
Sylia is the only one for me."
Priss said nothing.
"What? No response? I should say that I've solved the
problem of mating with Sylia. I'll just do what I did last time
because there will be no Knight Sabers to interfere. When we
have merged our consciousnesses together, when we are one for all
time, our destinies shall be fulfilled. It's the only fitting
way for boomers to mate."
"Coming from you that's still disgusting." But that's
HOUGH/CRUSADE-635
exactly what Crystal and all the other sexaroids did. In his
hands, something that was a beautiful experience turns ugly.
Largo started to laugh and laser beams streaked from the
walls. They seared into Priss, cutting the remains of her
hardsuit from her, leaving her with a series of second and third
degree burns. Priss lay gasping on the concrete, unable to even
scream out her pain before the darkness took her.
Priss awoke to bright lights searing into her face. She
rolled over and immediately sat up. There's no pain, she thought
as she looked over her body. No burns, no busted heads, or
internal injuries. How is this possible. She had been moved.
The new room was twice as big, round, with polished steel that
was bright and shinny, reflecting the overhead light until it was
overpoweringly bright. Priss squinted around and vaguely saw a
figure on the other side of the room. Anri approached her and
Priss backed up a step.
"You're not dead yet, if that's what your thinking," growled
Anri. Priss saw the pure hatred in her eyes. "My Lord Largo has
brought me back, so I may have another chance. I was a fool to
give my life for you. But to stay in this world, I must kill
you."
Anri rushed her and Priss dodged the right, which dented the
steel wall. Priss scrambled back from her. "Anri please, you
hated Largo for what he did."
"True, but to live again, I'd kill even Sylvie." Priss was
HOUGH/CRUSADE-636
backing up in a circle. "I won't go back to nonexistence. I'll
send you." Anri rushed Priss and connected with a left to her
jaw; it broke. "How does the pain feel Priss? Treasure it.
Nonexistence is where you're going. You don't exist. There's no
heaven, no hell, just nothing." Anri laughed and pounced. Priss
tried to scramble away but Anri nailed her to the spine with a
kick; it broke. Priss lay gasping in agony as Anri picked up her
head by her hair and pounded it into the floor. She was gentle
enough so Priss remained conscious; her face was smeared with
blood.
"Say good-bye bitch." Priss felt Anri's hand come down on
her neck, then nothing.
Priss awoke screaming. It resounded off the cement until
the small space was consumed with the echoing horror. The space
was just long enough and high enough for her to huddle in a
corner. Her screams died into a whimper of terror as she hugged
her naked body into the tightest ball she could. All she could
see was eternal darkness.
Very, very, slowly Priss realized she wasn't dead. A long
time later she reached out to gingerly explore where she was.
The cement felt like sharpened stone where ever she touched. It
hurt to move around but she was compelled to know where she was
now. Priss bumped her head on the ceiling and fell back against
the wall. The cement shredded into her skin as she slid against
it. She gasped and pulled away only to crack her head on the
HOUGH/CRUSADE-637
ceiling again.
Priss rolled into the wall, rolled away, and managed to
stretch out so she wasn't touching the walls.
Priss could feel her life draining away in the darkness,
through the dizziness and a raising nausea. She felt her stomach
churn and she started to vomit. Again and again the spasms
racked her body and her bladder control was lost. The stench
quickly filled her nostrils which made her even sicker. She
could hear her vomit splash on the cement as another round
started. She could feel the warm liquid run between her hands.
This round emptied her out.
It lasted far too long, Priss thought as she breathed
quickly and shallowly through her mouth. She was on her hands
and knees, her back braced against the ceiling that was as
abrasive as course sandpaper. I couldn't of had that much in me.
I couldn't of met Anri. Largo keeps changing cells and making me
puke. This can't be happening. I felt Anri break my back and
now it's fine. I couldn't feel anything below the break and I
can move everything. Priss smiled as she realized. Instantly
the vomit filled chamber was gone and Priss fell into a pool of
fire. She screamed as the flames sizzled over her naked body.
Priss summoned the strength for a second of coherency and
screamed out: "VR...VR...VR...VIR..TUAL..REALITY..."
Unconsciousness embraced her.
Priss's naked body hung two meters above the grey/blue metal
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floor that visibly shifted beneath her, pulsing with anticipation
as her blood dripped. Largo had speared her through the shoulder
blades with the grey/blue boomer muscle that comprised much of
his physical being. The blood ran down her sides and her arms in
streams before Largo sealed the wounds so she would live awhile
longer. A column rose up from the floor below and started to
strike Priss across the face to bring her around.
Slowly Priss focused her red eyes on the floor two meters
below herself. She couldn't feel her arms at all, but did see
the blood, urine, and vomit that coated her.
"What a disgusting little animal. All covered with her owe
body's fluids without enough sense to clean herself up."
Priss slowly looked around at the featureless grey/blue
square she was in. This must be reality, she thought. Why play
the VR game if I've finally seen through it? "This reality? Or
are you just being stupid?" Largo laughed and shot an electric
current through her which forced another cry of pain from her.
"You're an amusing little toy."
"Yes," Priss sneered. "The child does have to have its
toys, now doesn't it." Priss could feel the very atmosphere of
the room change. "You're a spoiled little brat child, that can't
feel anything, except for hatred. All you have is your meanness
and if you didn't have that, you wouldn't exist at all."
"Silence," thundered Largo. He sent a stronger current
through Priss which made her bite her tongue.
Priss spat out the blood, which dropped down onto the floor
HOUGH/CRUSADE-639
and was instantly absorbed. She smiled. "The truth bothers you,
huh?"
"What does this little monkey pretend to know about truth?
It knows nothing. But I will tell you what truth is. Truth is
God's word, I am God, so I am Truth."
"Lies," spat Priss. "You don't know the truth."
Largo laughed as he sent a one second shot of voltage
through her. "Ok, I'll play along. What truth do I not know?"
"For one, Sylia...you can't mate with her now. It's
impossible."
"Oh, how so?"
"She's pregnant already."
"What," thundered the very space around Priss. "That's a
desperate little lie. It's not true."
"It is; it is." Priss started to scream, a low guttural
sound of anguish as
"You lie. It's very simple to see that."
After five minutes of silence, Priss slowly smiled and began
to laugh, which ended in a weak cough. "Fool, idiot. You think
you're a god. You're nothing but the sum of all the slime of
humanity."
"I can kill you in microsecond."
"I now realize why you desire Sylia so. She's pure,
uncontaminated by your filth. She won't kneel before you and be
absorbed."
"Shut up."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-640
"You can't contaminate her and bring her down to your
level."
"Shut up." Electricity sizzled into Priss as part of
"...you..ca.n...never...defeat..the..."
A shaft of grey/blue steel plunged through Priss's chest.
"..kn.ight...sa.ber...s................................"