Armor (46 page)

The captain in charge of the mission immediately fell all over himself trying to show not only the proper respect, but also that he wasn’t really that undone by it all. What he succeeded in displaying was his almost paralyzing sense of intimidation. The Great One rescued him. Charming, and friendly, making a great effort not to appear mighty while making it clear to all that the effort was a genuine courtesy on his part he did manage to calm them down a bit. He even insisted the captain merely call him “Sir,” a gesture which visibly shook his guards, even through their armor.

Next he started down the line, shaking the hand of each and every warrior. Almost no one present was aware of the true purpose of the guard that accompanied him down the line: to kill anyone insufficiently safe, courteous, or impressed. He wasn’t needed. All were awed.

He didn’t make it to Felix, at the end of the line. The sudden appearance of the ship’s Captain himself stopped the greetings. A brief ceremony followed, with the skipper loudly and dramatically bestowing his prayers, faith etc. on the Great One’s journey. The Masao handled it as if he had been accepting even greater honors all his life which he had.

Then it was time to go. The scouts were called to point. Felix was with them. He stepped out of the ranks and took his place in front. The noncombatants fled the chamber. Felix found that he was trembling. But that ended when the familiar pattern of Transit Lights began. He tensed forward eagerly. He was ready for this. He was ready for nothing else.

Then the lights went to green and he stepped forward. It would be his twenty-first drop.

And his last.

Fleet seemed to be getting the hang of it. They had said no ants and there were none about. Felix approved of the glimmer of professionalism though personally, of course, he was disappointed.

He scanned the area. No wind now, but evidence of a recent storm was everywhere. There were no mazes. And what few dunes did exist were smooth sloping things rising and falling with gradual grace. The landscape rose gently eastward in broad, widely spaced humpbacks. In all other directions, vision was unobstructed for several kilometers.

It was a good team. The warriors spread out without having to be told, forming the defensive perimeter. The Imperial Guard was even better. Their circle around the Masao was completed many seconds sooner.

Felix found himself in the center of both rings along with the CO, the techs, and the Masao. He couldn’t stand it. He offered to scout upslope while the first probe was being planted.

“Of course,” replied the CO, as if he’d ordered instead of approved.

He went almost two kilometers. Nothing. No enemy, no ants.

“Shit,” he mumbled and trotted back downslope. He was perhaps half a kilometer away from the rest of the team. They had just come into view below him when he stopped short.

He didn’t want to go back.

He turned around and looked back up the hill. That was where the ants were. Sooner or later. He looked back downslope. There was. . . what? Probes. A safe route, a quick route, then home. No ants. Just worthless readings and . . . and the Masao.

He didn’t want to go back.

And he wasn’t. He was actually turning away, toward Banshee and ants and oblivion, when the sudden bright glare off the gold caught his eye. He squinted. Then, seeing it, he gasped. His mouth went dry.

The Masao was coming up the slope.

There was another with him in a red suit. Suki, no doubt.

Felix began to shake. The urge to flee was immensely strong.

Anything. Anything! But not this. . . .

Yet he stood still where he was. Even when, at fifty meters, Suki stopped to let the Masao approach alone. Even then, knowing what it must mean even then, he could not move.

The Masao halted a mere two steps away. And during the brief silence before he spoke Felix could feel the Engine shudder. Then: “Hello, Felix.”

He sighed. “Hello, Allie.”

Allie stepped forward to join in the embrace. Felix stopped him short by thrusting his hand forward. Allie paused, looked at the black armored hand offered him, then slowly took it in his own.

Felix shook briefly, then dropped his hand. He had to moisten his lips before he could speak.

“Didn’t waste much time, did you?”

“That’s if you don’t count the two years it took to find you,” Allie replied with a laugh. He gestured about him. “Besides, I don’t much like this place.”

“Who else knows?”

“About you? No one but me.”

“And you won’t tell ‘em,” Felix sniffed sarcastically. Allie’s reply was soft with gentle hurt. “I wouldn’t do that Felix. You should know that.”

“All right. What are you doing here?”

“I came to get you.”

“And take me back to… to…”

“To Golden?”

“Yes. Golden.”

There was a pause. Felix stared at the sand.

“Felix, what are you doing in this place?”

“Killing ants.”

“I see,” Allie replied slowly. He took a frustrated step to one side, then back. “Yes, I had heard that. You’re good at it?”

“l am.”

Allie strode forward and peered at him. “So tell me, old friend. Does it help?”

“Don’t, Allie,” Felix warned and took a step back.

“I don’t think it does.”

“Allie…”

“You couldn’t even say Golden just now. . . .”

“Stop it.”

“So I don’t believe you dare think of the rest of it …”

“Stop!”

“...or of her…”

And Felix hit him. It was not a deadly blow. It was not even hard this was Allie, after all.

But Suki came running anyway, drawing his long sword. The blade glowed with the rich dullness of plassteel. Felix shoved Allie back and eagerly faced the charging guard. “Who’s the clown?” he called as belligerently as he could.

Allie threw up a golden arm. “Suki! Hold!”

The guard skidded to a halt. “But my Lord!”

“I am unhurt,” assured his master calmly. “Leave us.”

“You tell ‘im, Allie,” snarled Felix, spoiling.

Suki whirled to face him again. “You dare to speak that way?”

Felix pointed a blunt black finger. “You won’t believe how quickly I’ll kill you,” he said flatly.

Suki raised the sword.

“Hold, Suki!” commanded Allie. “Put that away.” Suki stared helplessly at him. He obeyed reluctantly. “Lord, how can you let him behave so?”

Allie patted his armored shoulder. “Suki, a Guardian Archon behaves as he will.”

“Don’t call me that!” Felix snapped angrily.

“It is what you are,” replied Allie firmly.

Suki had dropped to his knees before Felix. “My Lord Archon, please forgive me. I didn’t know!”

Felix stared at him. “Aw, shit! Just. . . just go away!”

Suki did not move. “I said ‘Go! ‘ “

“You know he can’t do that now, Felix.”

Felix groaned. Allie was right. He did know that. “You can do it, though. You tell him, Allie.”

“And shame him further?”

“Damn you, Allie!” he snapped. He hesitated, then stood over the kneeling samurai. He looked at Allie. “I don’t remember what to say.”

“Oh, come now, Felix” Allie snorted disgustedly.

“I don’t,” insisted Felix.

Allie peered at him. “Truly?”

Felix shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

“ ‘Rise, loyal one, forgiven, ‘ “ Allie intoned.

Felix repeated it. Suki stood, bowed, and backed away without a sound. Felix watched him go. He turned back to his friend.

“Allie, you set that up. You set me up.”

“Yes. I needed to know.”

“Well, you found out.”

“Yes. You buried it deep.”

“Let it stay there, Allie.”

“No.”

The ominous tone touched Felix. He felt something tearing far inside. The Engine warped violently in and out of the shadows.

“Allie, please….”

“Look at you! Look at what you’ve become. Wrapped up in that. . . that husk of yours. You look like a weapon.” “That’s what I am, Allie!”

“Yes. But whose?”

“My own.”

“That’s not the way it works, Felix!” He raised his gold covered hands and clenched them into fists before Felix’s faceplate. “Goddamn you, Felix!” he roared. “You are not dead! Stop acting like it!”

Felix lurched back as if struck. He knew it was coming. He saw it in his friend’s angry eyes. And he knew there was no way to stop it. There was no protection, no armor not for this.

“Angel is dead,” said the Masao.

Felix sank to his knees like a rag doll. “No, Allie …”

“She’s dead. Angel died.”

“No, please. . .” He was gasping, his arms folded tightly across his stomach. He couldn’t breathe.

“She’s dead. Your wife is dead. She died in a freighter accident…”

He vomited, tried to crawl away.

The Masao followed. “It was a freak accident. It shouldn’t have happened but it did.”

“Please, no …” Felix gasped.

“Yes! Yes! You know it. You found the freighter yourself …”

“Allie…”

“NO! You found the ship and you found her body! Or what was left of it after zero pressure had blown …”

“Noooooooo!” He rose back to his knees. His arms shot out from his sides, begging, beseeching. “NoooNoooo! Angel! Annngellllll…!”

And he screamed the scream again, that same scream from that same horrible ice bloody sight. He screamed with his mind and he screamed with his soul and he could not stop, not to breathe, not to forget, not to live.

He fainted, the only way.

When he awoke, he was lost. He tried to rise but something held him fast. Something strong and gold. Allie! And it all rushed back in waves of pulsing agony and he wept as only once before he had. The golden arms curled around him, holding him, as his body jerked and heaved with each racking sob. He clung to Allie, trying to make it. And it helped. Even through the armor, it helped.

But he couldn’t do it. He reached for the forearm panel to pop the suits. Allie’s powerful arms, possessing all the leverage, clamped his arms too tightly. He struggled, but could not get them free.

“Oh, Allie, I want to die!”

“Is that all?” asked his friend gently. “Just die?”

“That’s all.”

“And so you came here?”

“I. . . guess so.”

“But you forgot you can’t ‘just die. ‘ “

“Why can’t I?”

Allie held him tighter, cradling. “Because, despite it all, you are Felix and must be killed.”

Again, he slept.

When next he awoke the sobs were much less devastating. His body could no longer support them perhaps. Soon they stopped. He lifted his helmet from Allie’s golden lap and sat up. Several meters away, the warriors and guard were gathered into small groups, sitting and talking. And, obviously, waiting.

“I’m sorry,” said Felix. “How long was I out?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Allie said gently. “You feel better?”

“Yes. I can’t believe I could sleep. I just got up.” He indicated the others. “Haven’t they said anything?” “Forget them.”

“But the drop. . .?”

“Forget that, too.”

“But. . .” He stopped, seeing it. He faced his friend. “It was all a fake. The drop. . . all for me.”

Allie nodded slowly. “Mostly,” he admitted. “This is Banshee, however. And we are carrying probes. Of course they don’t work.”

“They never have.”

“So I understand. Lovely war, this.”

“How’d you do it? You said no one else knew.”

“And they don’t. No one here, except Suki, knows.”

“Then how, Allie?”

Allie shrugged. “The master of the Terra was most cooperative. He gave me a drop of my own.”

“He went along, without even knowing why?”

“I am the Masao.”

Felix smiled. For some reason, he had always found his friend’s astonishing arrogance endearing. He gestured toward the others. “And the CO?”

“Oh, much easier. Command Voice and all that.”

Felix winced. “He’s not a pet, Allie.”

“Oh really? Then what’s he doing here””

He laughed, started to say something else. But it came again, without warning, doubling him over, grinding up and out. He wept and wept.

He had been sitting and staring at nothing, thinking of nothing. He was numb, exhausted, wrenched flat. And, he realized with amazement, relieved. He didn’t know exactly what it meant. He didn’t want to know. Or at least he didn’t feel like examining it. Beside him, sitting patiently and waiting, with his back to all, sat the Masao. Felix smiled he had his legs crossed Buddha fashion.

All his life he had known this man. He was closer to him than any other human. Despite the fact that they were from two different planets and two different cultures, they had managed to stay in touch since infancy. Most of the major events in their lives had been joint ventures. Allie had been Best Man.

But what really, he thought, did they have in common? Only that their recent ancestors had been rich enough and tough enough and egocentric enough to establish favorite monarchies on the two richest planets in known space. Even in that respect the two were different. Felix had been but one of twelve candidates for Guardian. The Masao had been the Masao from conception. He had always known it and always loved it that way. Whereas, Felix. . . .

Still, he loved him. In his short life, there had been only the two who had touched him. Now one.

He glanced at the time. Damn! Two hours here!

“Allie, we’ve got to get out of here. Call the ship.”

“Suddenly you’re in a hurry.”

“I’m not. The ants are. They must’ve sensed us by now.

They’ll be coming.”

“Fleet reports say no ants here. It’s why I picked it.” Felix stared at him. “Fleet reports? I thought you’d been keeping track of this war.”

“Hmm. I see what you mean. Fleet isn’t here.”

Felix laid a glove on his shoulder. “Let me tell you something, old friend. Fleet is never here. Call the ship.”

“I can’t. Well, I could, of course. But we need to go somewhere else to get picked up.”

“Why is that?”

“Dammit, Felix. This is supposedly a probe placement. They pick us up at the end of the line when we’ve finished planting them.”

“Where?”

“About ten kilometers, I believe.”