Wondering why Allie didn’t just throw the switch up to full power rather than
one-tenth maximum capacity, Gabriel realized that he could feel a thrumming vibration through the floor that hadn’t been there before. There was an almost imperceptible whine in the air as the Spires of Infinity powered up.
Stepping into the courtyard, Gabriel and Sam found Kari and the twins already
waiting near the huge gate, which was already standing wide open. As he joined them, Sam sighed reluctantly before following. She didn’t want other women getting hooks into him, but why didn’t she like the twins? Dislike by association?
Flashing a triumphant grin at Kari as she looped her arm around his, Sam
practically oozed smugness. He supposed it was her way driving home the point that he was spoken for, but Gabriel felt somewhat annoyed over being treated like an object rather than a person. It had to be universal payback for all of the women he’d treated the same way earlier in his life.
Looking through the open gate expectantly, Allie appeared amongst them.
“Any minute now,” she nodded.
Looking toward the approaching cloud of dust, Gabriel could just make out the
forerunners. The head of the pack was a big man without many years behind his belt, sporting cat ears and tail. He carried the wildly flapping Imperial Standard in one arm like a lance, with the butt of the staff grounded in his right stirrup. As he drew closer Gabriel recognized him as captain Maxen, the officer he and Sam had spoken to the last time they’d encountered Imperial soldiers. What were the odds of that?
Gabriel estimated that there were about five hundred men left of the thousands that they’d seen riding to the Quarantine Zone. Most of them appeared injured, wearing bloodied bandages, with arms in slings and some even missing limbs. Many of them did not appear armed.
Captain Maxen pulled back on his reins, halting his cathor’s frantic gallop and raising his free hand to signal that the others behind him do the same. Trotting his mount through the gate, he came to a stop before the small group waiting for him.
“I thought you were headed north, Lawman,” he eyed Gabriel up and down.
“This is not Bremain.”
“I noticed,” Gabriel shrugged. “Figured I’d lend a hand while I was in the
neighborhood.”
“An extra set of the Emperor’s elite hands are always welcome. Captain Alain
Maxen of his imperial highness’ cavalry. Might I ask who is in charge here?”
Turning to Allie, Gabriel found her, and everyone else for that matter, pointing at him.
“What? Me! You’ve got to be kidding me! Why me?”
“Your Imperial ID gives you the highest stated rank,” Allie shrugged. “Therefore you have command until another of higher rank is sent to replace you. I was
programmed to follow strict chains of command. However, if this Captain has official orders to take command then his claim takes precedence over yours. Captain?”
Shaking his head, Captain Maxen started as he really looked at Allie for the first time, swaying as though he might faint before recovering himself. Semi-transparent, two-dimensional people were obviously not an everyday sight for him.
“There’s an incoming army of mutants escaped from the Quarantine Zone,” Alain
said, reining his cathor around to look back to the east. “They’ll be here in minutes.
Reinforcements are on the way, but they won’t reach us for two days. I don’t know what their goal is, but we must not let the mutants take control of the Spires of Infinity. If they dig into a place as well fortified as this we’ll never flush them out again. I place my men at your command to help defend the walls as you please.”
Nodding, Gabriel gestured toward the courtyard. “Get them inside so we can
close the gate.”
Turning to his command, Alain began shouting orders, gesturing wildly with a
baton that he pulled from behind his belt, tossing the banner to one of his officers. The soldiers filed into the courtyard and arranged themselves in ranks. They were a sorry lot, downtrodden and exhausted.
When all of the soldiers had come through the gate it closed behind them with an ominous clang.
“Excuse me,” Alain said, looking between Gabriel and Allie, not sure which one of them to address. Dismounting, he seemed to decide on Allie. “There are stories that this place has a weapons stockpile?”
“I wish,” Allie threw back her head and laughed. “This is a scientific outpost, not a military facility. The only weapons I have are defensive. Robot sentries, wall guns, and my energy shield, not much more than that. I suppose that you might be able to find some fire axes and other such cutting tools that could be improvise as weapons, but that is about it.”
Slumping in his saddle, Alain seemed to realize that his men were watching him.
Drawing himself up he took a deep breath and began bellowing orders
“Those too wounded to fight, gather in the north end of the courtyard. Everyone with a firearm, up on the walls. Everyone else form up at the gates and prepare to repel anything that gets through! If you’re too wounded to fight, give your weapons to someone that’s not!”
“Nothing will get through my energy shield,” Allie laughed. “We can sit in here safe and snug until your reinforcements arrive. The only thing that can take the shield down is activation of the Gate, power depletion, or a systemic failure. I appreciate the help manning the walls, but that is all I will need, a few more spotters to help me aim the particle cannons.”
Particle cannons, Gabriel thought at Allie.
“High powered lasers based on gamma radiation particles,” Allie replied in his ear. “They are attuned to the frequency of the energy shield so they can fire right through it like it is not there at all. They basically cause all organic matter to come apart at the figurative seams.”
“Sergeant Connely,” Alain shouted at one of the men setting up at the gate.
“You’re in charge down here. Take command if I fall!”
“Yes sir,” the sergeant gave a snappy salute.
“Is there anything you would like to add,” Alain asked Gabriel as men began
filing up several staircases around the inside of the wall leading up to the top.
“I’m about to leave. You’ve got things well in hand.”
“Leave,” Alain cried. “But, the Apostle! The army of mutants! You can’t just leave!”
“I have a vital mission to complete.”
Looking up at the dark sky, Gabriel could see the sun’s corona around the edges of the planet Altima.
“What sort of mission takes precedence over protecting the greatest Imperial asset against the greatest Imperial enemy,” the young captain asked.
“Why do you think he’s here,” Sam stepped in. “Do you really think he was just headed to Bremain? He couldn’t tell you his true orders. They’re secret.”
Eyeing Sam up and down, Alain made no attempt to hide the fact that he was
having fond fantasies of diving into her cleavage. Despite the fact that she was flaunting it for everyone to see, Gabriel still felt jealous anger bubbling up inside of him. The Captain’s eyes came to rest on the pistol at Sam’s hip, and his mouth twisted in something that might have been a combination of revulsion and understanding. Sam, for her part, seemed completely oblivious to the man’s attentions.