X-Calibur: The Trial (20 page)

*****

“Arthur!” Merlin yelled as he hurried to the young man's side. Arthur laid where he had landed, legs twisted at impossible angles beneath his body. He was barely conscious, the pain of his injuries sapping the last of his strength.

“Go,” Arthur said quietly.

“I can't leave you like this,” Merlin protested.

“You have to,” Arthur insisted. “If Mor-Dred stops Triltan, this is all for nothing.”

Merlin hesitated, indecisive, but he knew Arthur was right. If Triltan was stopped they'd be trapped in the simulation, and the only hope for Lance and Arthur's injuries now was to shut it down. Merlin laid a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder before the air shimmered around him and he was suddenly standing in Mor-Dred's throne room, surrounded by the unmoving guards.

Mor-Dred was ahead of him, yelling at Triltan as she cowered before him on the throne. “You think you can just come in here and interfere?” Mor-Dred asked, raising his hand in readiness to attack.

Merlin reached out with his right hand and pulled on thin air, dragging Mor-Dred from his feet and away from Triltan's cowering form. “Finish it, Triltan!” he yelled at her, jumping aside as bolts of lightning surged towards him.

Mor-Dred was on his feet, screaming with rage. He saw Merlin duck behind another frozen guard and spread his hands wide, throwing the guards against the surrounding walls in the shock wave. Merlin was knocked off his feet, his left arm trapped beneath the heavy guard who lay across him. He tried to push the guard away as Mor-Dred turned back towards Triltan.

Triltan didn't notice the tables turn. She worked furiously on the nexus, deleting random segments, moving others, her mind focussed only on the task at hand. She could feel a shift in the surrounding room, the ground vibrating as walls shook and the throne itself began to pulse. She saw movement in the corner of her eye as Mor-Dred reached for her, his hand grasping for her throat.

Merlin raised his free arm and cast forth lightning of his own, striking Mor-Dred in the back. Mor-Dred stumbled and turned, both hands raised with lightning arching from each of his fingertips. The bolts hit Merlin's lightning and the air between them crackled and sparked, the blue haze moving steadily towards Merlin as Mor-Dred bore down upon him.

Finish him!
the fragment screamed.
No more games!

“So desperate to die, Merlin?” Mor-Dred cried. “Just think what will happen to your boy-king without you here to protect him? How much can he endure, do you think? How much before he snaps?

“He'll know you failed him, that you abandoned him. Do you think he'll blame you for his suffering? I do. The more it hurts, the more he screams, it will be your name he curses!”

Merlin felt the heat from where his lightning met Mor-Dred's, mere centimetres from his outstretched hand. Around him walls shimmered and disappeared, only to reappear a moment later upside down or in a different position. Patches of stone floor changed to wood and then grass before fading out of existence altogether, while the air grew cold and then hot, blowing around him. As Mor-Dred's electricity met Merlin's fingers, the guard lying across his body disappeared with a burst of high pitched sound which seemed to come from everywhere at once.

And as the sound stopped abruptly, all that was left was darkness.

Chapter 13

Truth and Consequences

Earth Year 6239

Merlin stood, no longer pinned down by the heavy guard or Mor-Dred's lightning. All around him was black, a world unformed. Mor-Dred was there, standing before him with his hands outstretched, his look of rage slowly changing to one of confusion. Without the simulation to manipulate, the code to rewrite on a whim, the conjured lightning no longer existed. The hive mainframe was effectively empty, shut down and awaiting instructions.

“It's over,” Merlin said confidently. “It's done.”

“No!” Mor-Dred insisted, turning full circle as he surveyed the surrounding emptiness. “You're done, Merlin! I beat you. I beat all of you. I'll restart the world and you'll be mine again!”

“No,” Merlin said sombrely. “I can't let you do that.”

“Try and stop me,” Mor-Dred snapped defiantly, stepping forwards.

“You were right,” Merlin continued, advancing. “We were more alike than I accepted. Like brothers, in a way. It's apt, you taking the name that you did.”

Mor-Dred stopped and stood listening to what Merlin was saying. Something about the old man was different, perhaps the way he spoke or the way he stood. Mor-Dred couldn't say exactly what, but whatever it was worried him.

“Perhaps I should thank you,” Merlin continued. “Your plans to expose me, to break me, they opened my eyes to so many truths. I can finally see everything and everyone for what they really are, a universe of possibilities exploding around me. Yes, I should thank you. Would you like that, brother?”

Mor-Dred felt scared, terrified. He looked for somewhere to run, somewhere to hide, but he was completely exposed. Merlin should be cowering, not him, but something about the old man's demeanour unnerved him. The worm had turned; somehow Merlin had all the power. Mor-Dred began to feel the darkness closing in around him, suffocating him.

“Thank you,” Merlin said. “You've freed me, and for that I will always be grateful. I do feel sad though, for what comes next. The old Merlin would have offered you mercy, in these, your final moments, but you have reminded me of an all important truth.

“I was created as a weapon of war.”

Merlin advanced, confidently,  and didn't stop until none of Mor-Dred's code remained.

*****

Triltan awoke, the birthing chamber slowly coming into focus around her. She got groggily to her feet and sat at the console, analysing the readouts. The hive mainframe was down, just as she'd hoped, and the pods had reverted to stasis mode. Without instructions from the mainframe, the pods had reverted to their default setting. The bodies and, more importantly, the minds inside were being kept safe until the pod was opened.

Triltan worked quickly, calling Lance's pod down from high up on the curved wall. A mechanical arm moved up and along, selecting the correct pod and then transferring it to the dais behind her. It hovered just above the shiny metal surface of the dais, expectantly.

Triltan pressed  a button and the pod hissed and opened, spilling the viscous fluid onto the floor beneath it. Lance came next, falling and hitting the dais with a thump. Triltan rushed over to him, ignoring the slippery fluid which covered his body and wrapped her arms around him. Lance was disorientated, confused, his legs weak as he tried to stand. The mask that had covered his mouth and nose dangled a short distance above his head and he looked at it questioningly.

“Lance?” Triltan said, wiping more of the viscous fluid from his face. “Lance, it's me, Triltan. You're out, you're out of that simulation.”

Lance looked down at his left arm, raising it slowly. He moved the fingers tentatively, opening and closing his hand, and his lips displayed the barest hint of a smile before he broke down and cried.

*****

A short while later, Arthur, Gwen and Triltan stood at the monitoring station looking over the various readouts. Over a million Mori remained suspended in the birthing pods, their cerebral activity minimal. Triltan had asked about releasing them from the pods, but with no power to most of the hive, as well as limited food and supplies, the best place for them was where they were. Their bodies were being kept healthy while their minds were sedated, a welcome break from the time they had spent in the simulation.

“Triltan? Finally,” Caran Doc's image said from the large screen above the console. “I've been trying to contact you for hours!”

“I'm sorry, father,” Triltan replied, looking down at the floor.

“You're safe,” Caran Doc continued, his anxious tone easing. “That's something at least. You certainly know how to worry me.”

“Really, I'm sorry,” Triltan told him, her eyes growing milkier as she stood under her father's watchful gaze.

“No, I'm the one who should be sorry,” Caran Doc said. “I've been thinking a lot about what you said, last time we talked. You're not a child anymore and you're right, I shouldn't treat you as such. It's not easy. You'll always my little girl, the one who used to fall asleep in my arms at night and laugh when I tickled the backs of your knees, but I need to accept that you've grown up.

“I'm proud of you, Triltan, so very proud, and I know your mother would be too.”

Triltan's eyes clouded completely and she stepped back from the console, overcome with emotion. Arthur stepped forwards, taking her place.

“She saved us,” Arthur said. “She saved all of us. I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise, but if she hadn't come to our rescue I don't know what would have happened.”

“We'd still be trapped inside the mainframe,” Gwen said. “At Mor-Dred's mercy.”

“I really don't think she need anyone to look after her,” Arthur continued. “You're right to be proud of her, of who she's grown up to be.”

“She grows more like her mother every day,” Caran Doc muttered quietly to himself, making Gwen and Arthur smile. “What of the others who were trapped in the simulation with you?”

“Still in the pods,” Arthur explained.

“And what do you hope to do for them in the long term?” Caran Doc asked.

Arthur looked at Gwen, who nodded. “We were hoping to offer them a home at Camelot,” Arthur said. “The hive ship is crippled and drifting through space.”

Caran Doc looked thoughtful as he sat back in his chair. “That many people,” he said after a moment. “It would need to go to a vote I expect, but you'll have my support. Gar-Wan too I'd imagine.”

“These people have suffered as much as anyone,” Arthur added. “It's my fault this happened to them. I owe it to them to make it right.”

“Over a million people,” Caran Doc continued. “It would be easier if the evacuation ships were empty, but we'll make it work.” Someone drew Caran Doc's attention and he nodded in response. “The gravity engines are ready for the next jump,” he said. “I'll contact you shortly with the rest of the council.”

“Thank you,” Arthur replied and the screen want blank.

Arthur left Gwen at the console and crept slowly down the metal stairs to the dark corridor below. Lance had wanted some time alone he'd said, time to think. They were worried about him but Gwen had suggested they let him go.

“Lance?” Arthur said quietly. “You here?”

Lance stepped out from the corridor, looking up at Arthur before sitting on the lowest step. They were both so broad that Arthur had to sit a few steps above him, the stairwell too narrow for them to sit side by side.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur asked, instantly chastising himself for the stupidity of the question.

“It doesn't feel real,” Lance said, looking down at his hands. “Is it real?”

“You're out of the simulation,” Arthur replied, startling Lance as he touched his shoulder.

“My mind keeps telling me it's gone,” Lance continued, his voice distant. “I can see it, feel it, but it's not really there. Is it real?”

Arthur looked down at his friend, lost for what to say. Gwen thought he just needed time, time to come to terms with what happened to him, but Arthur wasn't so sure. It had all been so real and he still winced when he climbed to his feet, certain that his broken bones would collapse beneath him, the agonising pain still lingering at the back of his mind, waiting to return.

“You'll be okay,” Arthur said, not sure if he really believed it. “Whatever if takes, I'll make sure you're okay. I promise.”

“It'll be okay,” Lance replied, though his voice lacked any conviction. “This is what's real. It'll be okay.”

*****

Arthur and Gwen sat together on the dais, arms around each other in companionable silence when Merlin's hologram appeared before them. “Merlin,” Arthur said with a smile. “What have you found?”

Arthur moved to stand, Merlin offering him a hand though it passed right through him. “That's going to take some getting used to again,” Merlin said, disgruntled. “I quite enjoyed having a physical form.”

“Maybe that's something we can look into,” Arthur replied. “But please, what about the mainframe?”

“Mor-Dred must have been more connected to the simulation than we first imagined,” Merlin told them. “He disappeared as soon as the simulation did. I've scoured every point of the network but he just isn't there.”

“Could he have escaped?” Gwen asked with concern. “Transferred himself to another computer somewhere?”

“Apart from the Vanguard, no other computers are connected to the hive,” Merlin reassured them. “I've deleted all the code that made up the simulation. I can only imagine that Mor-Dred was deleted with it.”

“I hope you're right,” Arthur said nervously.

“Trust me, Arthur,” Merlin continued, his face earnest. “You won't see him again.”

Gwen smiled back at him, gratefully. “Thank you, Merlin,” she said. “I don't know what we'd do without you. I'm so sorry we lied to you, it was stupid of us. We should have trusted that you'd be okay.”

“Please, stop,” Merlin said. “I understand, and in a way I'm grateful. Knowing the truth, I feel a little less certain about myself, about the future. Believing in fate, in destiny, it made life much easier, knowing it would all work out for the best.”

“With you by our side,” Arthur said. “I know everything will be alright.”

Merlin bowed slightly. “My
King
,” he said, his smile growing wider.

“And you can stop all that!” Gwen said with a grin.

“Really?” Arthur asked in mock disappointment. “The son of Uther Pendragon denied his title? That's the same as letting Mor-Dred win!”

“Perhaps in private,” Merlin offered, enjoying the banter. “I'll whisper it to you whenever we meet?”

“Sounds perfect,” Arthur agreed, winking conspiratorially at the older man.

“You would say that,” Gwen said, nudging Arthur gently in the ribs. “Are you sure it was Mor-Dred who had the delusions of grandeur?”

“Hey,” Arthur exclaimed, laughing. “Less of the delusions!”

Gwen laughed with him, shaking her head slowly. “Really, Merlin,” she said. “How did you cope, spending all that time alone with him?”

“It was a trial unto itself,” Merlin remarked.

“Not you too!” Arthur complained. “Next time I'll leave you to slay the dragon.”

“Let's hope there isn't a next time,” Merlin said. “I'll see you on the Vanguard.”

As Merlin's hologram disappeared, Triltan joined them at the dais. She had been sat at the console, scouring the network herself for any sign of Mor-Dred. “Did Merlin find him?” she asked.

Arthur repeated what Merlin had said, Triltan's face showing more and more confusion as he spoke. “I'm surprised,” she said at last. “My own examination of the network suggested Mor-Dred was entirely separate to the simulation, that was how he was able to control it.”

“Merlin seemed positive,” Arthur said.

“And he'd have no reason to lie,” Triltan continued, still looking puzzled. “The simulation has been deleted, just as Merlin told you, and I haven't found a single trace of Mor-Dred's code anywhere.”

“So he really is gone,” Gwen said, sighing. “For a while there, I never thought we'd escape.”

“It was all down to you, Triltan,” Arthur continued. “Don't worry about Mor-Dred, Merlin was confident we'd seen the last of him.”

Triltan relaxed slightly, accepting what Arthur told her. He was right, there was no evidence of Mor-Dred's code anywhere. She still felt nervous though, apprehensive. Something about it just didn't sit right with her. Mor-Dred had been composed of independent code, autonomous and intelligent, just like Merlin. It didn't make sense for him to have crashed or been erased when the simulation was sabotaged.

“Honestly,” Gwen said, interrupting her thoughts. “He's gone and we're safe, all thanks to you. Try not to think about it anymore. In a few days your father will be here and we can all go home.”

Home,
Triltan thought, smiling.
It feels strange to be thinking about home after everything that's happened. Maybe Earth really can be my home, with my friends and my father beside me.