The Blood Solution (Approaching Infinity Book 3) (34 page)

Jav let out a body-racking sigh. He couldn’t escape a sense of foreboding which seemed to go beyond the bombardment. For the second time this morning already, he forced himself to move, to turn away from the window, and make for the jump deck that would take him to the war room.

Jav sat between Kalkin and Vays at the low, glass-topped table under which various screens flickered with data. Around the table after Vays were Brin Karvasti, Raus, Icsain, the three members of Blue Squad, and the 20th Generation Generals. Witchlan, as was customary, stood at the head of the room with holographic screens at the ready.

Witchlan wasted no time once everyone was seated. “As you are all aware, we are under attack,” he said. “Or rather, as invaders ourselves, we are being defended against. Mr. Barson has been helpful in the premature detonation of a large percentage of the incoming explosives, but it has been tedious work. Director Scanlan has made arrangements to intercept what comes our way for the time being with simple projectiles, but his methods will not carry us through to planetfall. We have devised a simple strategy that
will
, however.

“We have already started production of what we will refer to as a
jump lens
: an independent and expansive mobile scaffold of connected jump circuits which will precede us in our approach. Our choice of target planet is perhaps unfortunate under the circumstances, though it is by far the richest in the system. We will be making planetfall on the sixth planet, which means that we ourselves will be a target for all three populated planets for the majority of our approach. But after planetfall, the stalled orbits will enable us to use the sixth planet as a shield, preventing the other two from directing their mass drivers against us offensively.

“Now, the jump lens. As the explosive devices enter into the influence of the lens, they will be redirected back towards the source. Directors Scanlan and Haspel are working out problems with detonation which might compromise the physical structure of the scaffold itself as well as trajectory conflicts arising from potential collisions between incoming and outgoing explosives. After a fashion, both of these will be non-issues since proximity will preclude use of the local mass drivers.”

Witchlan paused, almost seeming to shut down entirely. That combined with the attending silence made Jav shiver for an instant, feeling that the scene here was the snapshot close to a dream, one filled with some symbolism which was vital to him on waking, but just beyond his understanding. The returning sound of Witchlan’s voice roused him. He ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair, tugging at it sharply to ensure that he was awake and lucid.

“Rather than put ourselves at the mercy of their combined forces for what might be a ten-day approach using conventional landing methods,” Witchlan continued, “we will, once the jump lens is deployed, re-engage the Stitch Drive and make what will likely be our most aggressive planetfall yet.”

Several Shades, mostly the veterans, were visibly stunned.

Wheeler Barson cleared his throat, and glanced around the table as he sat straighter. “Is that. . . wise, Minister?”

Witchlan cocked his head. “No, Mr. Barson. It is not.”

Witchlan was silent again for a moment, scanning everyone in the room slowly. Again, Jav had to fight the dreamy quality that seemed to creep into his head at every opportunity just now.

“No one knows better than
I
what this will mean. It has never been done before. The warp fields might tear the planet apart. If not, the impact may shatter the Palace. But we will soon be within range of the seventh and then the sixth planet. While their level of technology does not appear to be a threat in and of itself, the shear volume of explosives they will be able to direct at us, could put us at risk.” Witchlan made a hissing noise that none in the room had ever heard before, but its meaning was clear: exasperation at something that should not be. “The volume we are looking at, what our scans are indicating is that every mass driver employed by the denizens of this system is stockpiled with inordinate supplies of ammunition. Amounts which suggest that they have known we were coming long before they had any way—
scientifically
—of knowing we were on en route. There will be no end to the bombardment. But we have all come too far and sacrificed too much to bow before
catapults
. We will not risk compromising the Palace or the Vine while in this critical stage just prior to landing. After planetfall, however. . .” Witchlan trailed off and turned his head in a way that invited anyone who was interested to complete the thought. No one did. “Is that understood?”

“Yes, Minister,” Barson said, lowering his eyes.

“Good. Once the jump lens is complete and in place, it will be fixed spatially with relation to the Palace so that it will always precede us. We have assurances that the lens will be ready within twenty-seven hours. If all goes according to schedule, we will engage the Stitch Drive, which will put us on planet in an additional fifty hours. Just as the jump lens makes contact with the planet’s surface, the jump circuits will be cut, but not before they prime the ground for us. The effect should break up and soften the earth, ideally reducing our impact, if only marginally.

“So, there is little that any of you can do, except hope that our Military Hardware and Astrophysics Divisions will do as they have promised. Mr. Barson, you will be responsible for securing your Gran for planetfall. Please make use of all available resources to ensure that the latest and greatest incarnation of Gran Kwes is not destroyed prior to its first sortie.”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Are there any questions?”

The war room was silent. There were at least a hundred questions, but not a single one that might change or affect what needed to be done. Jav looked around and guessed that his anxiety was representative of everyone else’s. Even the members of Blue Squad exchanged meaningful glances, but no one raised another question. The talk would start immediately after the meeting—fruitless talk, speculative talk, questions that could not yet be answered—but for now silence prevailed.

“Very well,” Witchlan said. “That is all.”

Kalkin corralled Jav, Vays, and Raus and directed them to a public area, the very one Jav had stopped by on his way to the briefing. From the window they could see the incoming bombs, but now they could also see Director Scanlan’s defensive measures at work. Lightning lashes from numerous Tether Launch bays intercepted and detonated the alien weapons far out from the Palace.

Jav realized that he hadn’t felt the results of any explosions for some time now. Using the Tether Launch stations was a simple, if temporary, solution to their problem, but Jav marveled at the idea of the jump lens, thinking that there was nothing Gilf Scanlan couldn’t do.

“What do you suppose it means?” Vays said to Kalkin. “The stockpiles, their preparation.”

Kalkin shrugged. “I think it means that they have means beyond science. Just like we do. Frankly, I’d be surprised if this really was the first time this has happened. But three planets so closely situated, this prepared, and working together. . .” Kalkin sighed. “That might be a first.

“Everything is speculation at this point, but I think it would be a good idea to expect resistance on an order as yet unknown to any of you.”

“And you?” Jav said.

Kalkin pursed his lips. “Not sure.”

“What about the Gun Golems?” Vays said.

“The Gun Golems were devastating, but single-minded in their programming. Both a strength and an exploitable weakness. I have the feeling that we’ll be dealing with a lot more variables this time, but it’s impossible to say exactly what we’ll encounter. The tech level we’re looking at is a good sign. That they were tipped off to our coming so far in advance is a decidedly bad one.”

Raus stood silently with his arms folded, just listening.

Vays, however, grinned and showed his teeth. “I can’t believe that this planet could offer something on par with the Gun Golems. What are the odds?”

“What are odds when reality speaks?” Kalkin said.

Vays’s grin faltered slightly.

“I’ve never heard of using the Stitch Drive within solar systems.” Kalkin looked out the window, put his hand to his chin, and took a deep breath. “The risk of one of the warp fields drawing in an unsecured satellite becomes untenable. Then there’s the impact of landing to consider. But clearly, the Emperor sees this as the best way. I think it would be wise to be prepared for the worst.”

Vays sobered and nodded.

“Go about your business. Train. Spend time with those you care about. Answers will start coming in three days. Until then, as Witchlan says, there’s little else we can do.”

At 1725 that day, the Vine shook with the first of the secondary bombardment to pierce Palace defenses, this from the seventh planet. Now it was impossible to intercept all incoming bombs. The jump lens was taking shape, a giant mechanical spiderweb in space, and was the priority for the Tether Launch defense efforts. The resulting Vine quakes were disorienting and unnerving, but according to all reports, were not of immediate concern. Jav had a hard time believing this and simply tried to ignore the little interruptions which came with increasing regularity.

He spent the day training with Mao, Dolma Set, and Stafros Lowe. Bela Fan had come by to speak with Dolma Set privately and Jav wondered if there was something between them. By the look of gloom and preoccupied frustration he saw on Set’s face afterwards, he thought that maybe there was, but that it might not have been mutual. When Slowe responded to that look by gripping Set’s shoulder, Jav was sure of it.

Witnessing all of this, Jav thought of Mao. Heat suffused him suddenly, and he could think of nothing else. He glanced at her unconsciously, and the sight of her exercise-reddened cheeks caused a stirring in his clothes that might prove embarrassing in mixed company. His breath, hot and thick, caught in his chest and punctuated the urgency he felt. He needed to take her somewhere. Now. It was past finishing time anyway, so Jav gripped Mao’s hand. The warm but firm pressure surprised her a little, and she turned to look at Jav, their eyes meeting.

What she saw in his gray eyes mesmerized her. She had never seen Jav’s desire for her so plain, so immediate, so intense. Overwhelmed slightly, she swallowed hard and nodded without realizing she was doing it.

“We’ve got to get going,” Jav said. “See you both tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Set said. “Counting down to planetfall, right?”

“Right,” Jav said, grinning, but only half engaged. He and Mao were already on their way out, Mao wide-eyed and momentarily incapable of intelligible speech. She finally managed an explosive, “Bye!” but the door closing cut the word in half.

They were already kissing each other hungrily as Jav pushed them through the door to the quarters they shared. They pawed at each other’s sweat-soaked clothes, peeling each other bare in a matter of seconds, and Jav directed them without a break in their entangled lust to the shower.

Under the warm rush, he raised her hands high above her head so that he could admire the perfect curve of her petite frame. He released her hands but she kept them upraised, and closed her eyes as he nuzzled her neck first, then descended to her pert breasts, sensitive and waiting. He reached blindly but accurately for the soap and proceeded to make her slick with with it, caressing her, kneading her, loving her with his hands. He returned his attention to her lips, kissing her again, as insatiably as before. She dropped her hands around his neck and clutched him in an embrace, reciprocating. She writhed against him, getting him soapy, and they started a synchronized rhythm of slipping, pressing, rubbing that neither could or would allow to stop.

They squirmed together like that until the narrow confines of the shower proved too limiting for their escalating passion. Now rinsed, but still entwined, they shut off the water and moved somewhat clumsily out of the stall as one body. Warm air whipped suddenly and automatically through the bathroom, drying them for the most part, as they continued on their way to the bed.

They were ravenous for each other. He eased into her, tentatively at first, but she was ready for him and insistent. He pushed harder, and she pulled at him in turn, urging him ever deeper. He had never felt like this before, so close, so connected, so in love, and yet when he looked at her face, rapt and flushed and beautiful, a strange but not unfamiliar vertigo snared him like gravity. He seemed to fall through her, as if she were receding into herself, threatening to leave him forever. He pushed into her, grinding electric pleasure into and through them both, seeking to catch her. They
were
so close and so connected, and yet, at the same time, she was falling, falling.

He reached his arms around her, lifting her without interrupting their rhythm, and resettled them so that he sat upright and she sat astride him. Mao wrapped her legs around his waist, and they both gripped each other in an unbreakable embrace, rocking urgently, both wet with fresh sweat.

Mao’s breath came in hot, hungry gasps now, and they rose together, their senses straining, both well beyond their previous notions of satisfaction, until climaxing in a white flash, a rolling succession of paroxysmal waves that shook them as one for what seemed an eternity.

They sat together like that, Mao shuddering and going limp within his arms. He kissed her cheek and held her tight. He caressed her hair, taking in its familiar scent and loving it. He frowned, though. What they’d just shared was incredible, but in the end, despite their shared climax, he hadn’t caught her. He was still plagued by the nagging thought that, despite her being right here in his arms, she was already gone.

Salton Stoakes woke to suffocating darkness. He felt like a loose collection of aches, pains, scrapes, and burns but found that he was essentially whole. Pressing down upon him, though, was a mountain of charred trees and ashen soil mixed with dirty snow and great chunks of fused ice. Once the disorientation passed, freeing himself was a simple matter. He went Dark and rose through the breaks in the apocalyptic detritus, returned to normal, and took a seat atop what he’d been buried beneath. He wasn’t worried about detection, no one was about and wouldn’t be for some time now if at all.