The Daemon Conflict
By: LadyBard
Chapter 21 - Final Journey
With her
organizer open, recording every nano of the event, Dot watched as Hexadecimal
gathered power in her hands preparing to open the portal. Next to her, she felt
Bob's strong, reassuring presence. He was always close to her now, the way she
wanted.
Now as the two of them
stood outside of the factory, with a glorious dawn breaking around them,
Hexadecimal brought the rest of their troops into the ranks. The portal was
immense, almost as big as he web portal that had plunged Mainframe into chaos
it seemed to Dot years ago.
As the soldiers passed
through the portal, the Mainframers went to work. Dot and the other command
center personnel registered each sprite and binome; made brief summaries of
their skills and asked each if they were willing to fight. For a time she was
so into what she was doing, she barely noticed anyone or anything else around
her not. She was just instructing a group of young men with military training
to check with AndrAIa on the weapons they were familiar with, when she heard a familiar
voice at her ear.
"Greetings. We meet
again, Ms. Matrix."
Dot sighed and turned,
"Captain Lynx."
"Surprised to see
me?"
"No. You agreed to
help, and Phong said you'd be here."
"Yes," he said.
"What would you have me do?"
"Are you
volunteering to fight?"
"I will if need
be."
Dot stared at him
critically, "My brother is here you know."
"Yes I know."
"He doesn't know
about your accusations and I'd advise against telling him. He'd take it
badly."
"I have no intention
of confronting your brother," Lynx said. "I have long since resigned
myself to whatever may happen."
The elderly captain
rubbed his beard, "Actually, I came over here to ask if you've seen a
companion of mine."
"Oh, you mean your
contact here?"
"So you remember?
Yes, I want to make certain he is well."
"Since my brother is
still processing?" Dot said darkly. She glanced over Lynx's shoulder when
she saw Bob approaching. Lynx saw her look and glanced back too. "Well
Captain Lynx? Was that the intent of your contact here? To delete my
brother?"
"No," Lynx said
without looking at her. "Merely to stop him, but if deleting became
necessary --," he turned back to her, "This is war, after all Ms.
Matrix."
"I don't think I
want you fighting or anywhere near us, but I don't have the authority here to
make you leave. When this is over and we return to Mainframe, I want you on the
next transport off my system, is that understood?"
"Of course,"
Lynx said just as Bob walked up. "Now about my friend?"
"What's his
name?"
"Neuron Cyber."
Unable to mask her
reaction, Dot glanced at Bob, before returning her attention to Lynx.
"What?" Lynx
demanded. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry,"
Bob answered. "He's deleted."
"What?" Lynx
looked from Dot to Bob. "How?"
"He was --,"
Bob began, then looked at Dot.
"He and Matrix had a
confrontation. From what I've been told, Neuron drew a pistol on Matrix and
fired without provocation --,"
"That's a lie!"
Lynx cried.
"Watch your mouth,
Lynx," Bob warned. "It'll get you in serious trouble."
"Your friend fired
on Matrix. Matrix returned fire. It was self defense." Dot continued.
"I'm sorry."
"Are you?" Lynx
demanded.
Bob stepped closer to Dot
and for a moment, Lynx faltered.
"So you still refuse
to see do you?" To Dot's surprise, there were tears in Lynx's eyes.
"Neuron was my friend. We were comrades in arms. His murder will not go
unanswered for."
"I hope you are not
threatening my brother, Captain."
"No," Lynx
said. "But if we survive this, I will see that justice is done."
"You do what you
feel you have to do," Bob said, "But if anything happens to Matrix,
you'll be the first person I come looking for."
Bob's threat had the
desired effect. Lynx made a hasty departure.
"Are you all right?
He didn't upset you didn't he?"
"No," Dot
looked after the binome. "But I think he'll cause trouble for us in the
future."
The Command.com of
Mainframe sighed, "Lynx isn't worth the effort and we have much more work
to do."
Her encounter with Lynx
became unimportant over the next few seconds and with the arrival of their
additional troops from Cascade and Harddrive, Dot was so busy preparing them,
that she put the whole unpleasant incident out of her mind.
* * *
The senior members of the
Resistance gathered in the command center for what everyone knew would be the
last time.
Katiyana was at Dot's
place now. Illuminating the room was a 3-D map, one of several that AndrAIa and
her team had acquired during the first confrontation. This one was of the hall
and the surrounding streets. The army was planning the best way to approach.
They hoped for the element of surprise, but doubted they would have it.
Dot, AndrAIa, Dom and
SiRCe were also around the console, examining the map. Zif was there; although
making some last minute calculations; was listening intently. The ship
captains, Irina (Bob couldn't help but be a little embarrassed around her) and
Max Covar (that introduction had been brief and rather tense and Bob later
learned of the death of Covar's second-in-command) were also present. Even
Little Enzo was there, after finally being given leave to move around and sat
with Melissa on top of a pile of boxes, watching the goings on with the
excitement only children could have for any given situation. Hex was taking a
much-needed rest and Matrix, Mouse and Ray had left for one last scouting
mission to test the waters within the city.
"When SiRCe and I
left," Katiyana was saying, "they hadn't repaired the gate yet. I say
we go through there again. It will be what they least expect."
Dot nodded her agreement,
"We don't want to spread our forces too thin but we have enough to send at
least four squads in by air and an equal number of ground troops."
"Yes," Katiyana
said, "Captain Irina, how goes the repairs on the Libertas?"
Irina glanced at Bob
before speaking, "It will still take some time to repair the damage that
was done. I'm afraid it will take at least three more cycles for my ship to be
battle ready."
Dot shook her head,
"We don't have that much time. Mai, will you and a team of your choosing
be able to pilot a transport?"
She smiled slightly,
"I will do whatever is required of me."
"The Mercurius
is armed and ready, Ms. Matrix," Max said.
"All right
then," Dot said, "We'll use the Mercurius to drive a wedge
through their forces and our fighters and transports can guard its rear."
"Excellent,"
Katiyana nodded her approval, "Bob, you'll be taking your team in with the
ground troops?"
"Yes," Bob
stepped forward and motioned to a section of the map. "We'll infiltrate
the Hall here. It's a service bay. We'll need four more teams to come in at
these points, if I'm reading the layout and the guard posting information
correctly. They'll be a diversionary tactic, allowing us to get near enough to
the Council Chambers. I can handle things from there."
"I'll go with your
team, Bob," Dot said immediately.
"No."
"What do you mean
--,"
"They'll need you
out in the field, Dot. Daemon may be expecting us, but she'll throw everything
she has at our troops. She's not just going to let us waltz in. Your experience
is there."
"But --,"
"Dot --," he
wasn't about to say in front of all those people that he didn't want her there
in case he failed. He didn't want to imagine what Daemon would do to her.
"He's right, Dot, we
will need you in the field." Katiyana said.
"You're really going
to allow him to face Daemon alone?" Dot said, "Wouldn't it be better
if his entire team followed him in --?"
"No," Bob said.
"Anyone else would distract me from my purpose. Also, I told you something
was in that room. Melissa said it was called Tentacles. I may not be able to
protect anyone else and I must face Daemon for what I must do."
Dot turned away, "So
who will protect you?"
"It's the only
way," Katiyana broke in. "We'll need the rest of our forces to subdue
the Guardians. We have a better chance since their keytools won't function, but
they will still be formidable in battle. Once Bob and his team infiltrate the
sanctum and we've dealt with the Guardians then we will converge on the
hall."
"Very well,"
Dot acquiesced, but Bob knew she was regretting it.
So that was it. The final
plan had been made. They were ready. With the dawn, they would travel to face
Daemon for the last time.
* * *
It was a smaller group
that met late that night at the command center as the rest of the Resistance slept.
All those with a stake and what was to come were gathered there as they
listened to the report by Matrix, Mouse and Ray.
"The city is
actually kind of quiet," Mouse said, "Which is a bad sign. We saw the
silent patrols out. People are terrified. No lights anywhere. You were right,
they're waiting for us, sugah."
Bob nodded grimly,
"As I suspected."
"You seem to have
formulated quite a plan," Ray said. "So have you chosen your
team?"
"Yes," Bob
said, "I would like for you, Matrix, AndrAIa and SiRCe with me when we
breach the inner sanctum."
"What about
me?" Mouse said.
"Well since you work
so well with Dot," Bob said with a wry grin, "you're with her."
"Frosty, we get to
do some serious damage again, eh, sugah?" Mouse smiled at Dot.
"Um hm," Dot
leaned back in her chair and returned a grin.
"Bob," Dom
spoke up, "I would like to accompany you as well."
Bob gave him a puzzled
frown, but said, "All right, Dom."
"Zif can handle all
the tech stuff," Dom nodded at his friend who sat across from him. "I
want to - well, I've come a long way in this and Daemon destroyed my family
--,"
"It's okay Dom, no
explanations needed." Bob stood. "Then it's settled." Bob held
out his hand to Dot and helped her to stand. "We leave tomorrow at oh-four
hundred."
"Guess that's our
cue to get a few milliseconds of sleep," Mouse stood and looked over to
Ray. "Walk me to my quarters, sugah?"
Ray blushed slightly,
"Sure love."
"SiRCe wait a
moment," Dom said as she walked out, "a word, please?"
"Walk me back to the
infirmary?" Bob was still in his room there.
"Promise you'll be
good?"
Bob smiled, "I
promise -- nothing."
* * *
"Unit for your
thoughts, Sparky?" AndrAIa leaned against her handsome boyfriend as the
two sat under the stars. Neither one was sleepy, being too keyed for it.
"I was just thinking
about tomorrow," Matrix said, "AndrAIa, I don't know what will happen
and I know I've been acting really basic lately, but I just wanted to say
--,"
AndrAIa grasped him by
the chin, turned his face to hers and kissed him, after a few nanos, Matrix
returned the kiss, moaning softly as he drew her closer.
They parted and Matrix
muttered, "Don't turn around but we have an audience."
"So I noticed."
"I think it's
Melissa."
"Really? That's
good."
"It is? For
who?" Matrix actually smiled slightly.
"Hold that thought,
Lover, I need to talk to her. Don't go anywhere, okay?"
Matrix leaned against the
wall again, "Hmph, where would I go?"
AndrAIa walked back
inside, through the kitchen area. On the way, she opened one of the large
refrigerators and drew out a pitcher of something. She sniffed at it and was
satisfied it was drinkable, and then she found two cups and moved from the
room.
Melissa was sitting at
one of the tables in the adjacent dining area. AndrAIa approached her and set
the two cups down and poured them both drinks. "Hope you like juice."
She didn't speak.
"I needed to talk to
you."
"About SiRCe?"
AndrAIa leaned back and
crossed her legs; she's a bright girl, maybe a little too bright, "Yes."
"You want me to keep
secret the fact that she's an agent of my mother?"
Too bright. "Yes. What purpose would it
serve telling anyone especially now?"
Melissa shrugged, "I
suppose nothing. Do you trust her?"
"Yes," AndrAIa
said.
"Like Dariem and
Valadare?"
AndrAIa flinched,
"Would you call them Bob and Matrix?"
"They're not Bob and
Matrix anymore. I really hope you all know what you're doing. I suppose Hex and
I will have to clean up the mess."
"Have a little
faith," AndrAIa said.
"Dari - Bob said the
same thing."
"And he's
right," AndrAIa said, "So can I get your promise?"
"On one
condition," Melissa said, "Will you answer me a question?"
"Yes." AndrAIa
took a sip of her juice.
"Do you like kissing
Matrix?"
AndrAIa nearly choked on
her drink, "Um - yes - very much so."
"Oh," Melissa
regarded her cup, "Do you think Enzo would like it if I kissed him?"
That time, AndrAIa did
choke. After a few nanos of sputtering and throat clearing she said, "Um -
I think you're a little too young to think about that. Wait 'til you're older,
then I'm sure Enzo wouldn't mind at all."
"I'm a lot older
than people think," Melissa said, "but I'll take your advice."
"Good," AndrAIa
smiled. "Come on, I'll walk you to the nursery. Just what were you doing
up anyway?"
"Thinking about
tomorrow," she replied.
"You're not the only
one." AndrAIa smiled down at the little virus. She's so much like I was
at that age. So fiercely protective of Enzo. It made the game sprite long
for those days again.
* * *
Dariem.
"No! I'm not
Dariem! I'm not that thing anymore!"
"You will always
be my Dariem. I'm waiting for you my love. Come to me. I will have you and
destroy everything and everyone you hold dear. Including your Dot."
"No, I won't let
you!"
"Bob!"
"Bob?"
Bob came awake in a cold
sweat, his core-com slamming against his chest. The panic returned as he stared
into the darkness. Then a soft voice came from the darkness, "It's all
right Bob, I'm here." Dot laid an arm across his chest.
She had stayed with him
again, but still there was no intimacy. Bob sighed and pulled her closer and
went back to sleep.
* * *
The troops were ready,
falling into perfect ranks on the ground and in the air. The newly commissioned
officers had seen to that. As usual Dot had everything running smoothly.
AndrAIa and Zif checked weapons. Mouse went over the battle plan with Katiyana
one last time searching for any unforeseen circumstances and Hexadecimal and
Melissa once again manned the big guns.
Bob briefed his team one
last time, pointing out possible places for ambush and where he wanted his
people to be. All the while, however, in the back of his processor was the
memory of the dream, but Bob shoved the panic back there with it. If Daemon
wanted him, he was on the way.
The air was filled with
many emotions, excitement, tension, fear, and worry. Bob spread the word for
everyone to remain as calm as possible and to keep any negative emotions at
bay, lest Daemon use them to gain control of them.
At last, all was in
readiness. It was Katiyana who spoke to the troops that time. Until the last
moment, Bob kept Dot close to him. When he parted from her, he didn't have a
chance to say a proper good bye, but the two exchanged a look of understanding
and then they began their journey.
Bob rode in the cockpit
of the ground transport, being piloted by Dom and SiRCe. Mouse had created some
makeshift armor for the two of them, and both were equipped with pulsar wrist
cannons. This particular transport was fitted with six side cannons and Matrix
and AndrAIa were standing by one two, while Ray manned a third. Bob would soon
join them. In the back of the transport also at the ready were forty or so odd
soldiers that were supplementing their team. Communications between the air to
ground troops were silenced when they reached the outskirts of the city.
Like Mouse had reported
all around was silence and darkness. The city that had once teamed with life
was now a graveyard. Its present condition a testament to Daemon's control. Bob
saw all of it and at the same time, saw nothing at all.
When they arrived a
sector away from the gate, Katiyana broke radio silence, "All right
everyone, we have arrived. User protect us all. Proceed forward with Battle
Plan 477. They're expecting us more than likely, so stay alert. Too many places
for ambush."
"Big guns ready to
fire," Dot's voice came over the comm and Bob suppressed a sigh. "All
right Hex, Melissa, hit them hard!"
The first strike from the
big guns set the sky ablaze and shattered the new construction of the gates
with an almost cataclysmic force. The battle cry went up and the air forces
once again poured into the city, opening the way for the ground forces to
converge.
For a moment Bob hoped
that he would be wrong, that they had caught them by surprise. Then the
floodlights filled the sky, and the enemy forces made themselves known.
Portals came to life and
Daemon's troops came in waves. Infected Guardians, sprites and binomes
converged on them from the air and over the ground. They came from the seemingly
abandoned houses.
"All forces engage
looks like they were waiting for us!" Dot was screaming over the airwaves.
Bob dashed for the rear
of the transport, "All guns, engage!" Then he manned the nearest gun
and as SiRCe and Dom drove forward, opened fire.
For a time, Bob was only
focused on acquiring a target and pulling the trigger. The transport drove
relentlessly through lines of enemy troops. Behind him, Bob was aware of Matrix
acquiring multiple targets with Gun. Light flooded the transport and Ray went
streaking outside on Baud, yelling over his shoulder for them to keep going and
that he would be right behind them.
The transport careened
wildly and for a panicked moment, Bob was sure it would turn over but Dom and
SiRCe managed to keep control. Bob left the gun and went up to the cockpit,
"How we doing?"
"We're almost there.
Our troops are in position and they're clearing the way for us.
"Be careful you
two."
Bob went back to the gun,
when there was a flash and an explosion and Matrix cried out. An errant shot
from outside had blasted the wall near him. Bob was by him in moments but the
brawny renegade waved him away. "I'm okay."
The transport came to a
screeching halt and Dom called from up front, "This is it! This is as far
as we can go. We've got to travel the rest of the way on foot."
The Resistance fighters
soon saw why as the transport was opened and the soldiers spilled forth and Bob
blasted at everything with his power. Matrix picked off anything that moved
with Gun and AndrAIa cleared the way with sweeping blasts from her trident. Dom
and SiRCe also held their own.
A gauntlet had been set
up. Machinery and transports had been piled high and the enemy soldiers now
used it for cover while they fired on the advancing Resistance troops. Then
reinforcements arrived for the harried Resistance. Three more of their
transports began to blast away at the barricade and when it fell, Bob and his
team drove their way through, uttering insane battle cries, sending the
remaining enemy troops fleeing.
Almost miraculously, as
Bob and his team made their way through the war-ravaged streets, the transport
commanded by Gavin, met then at a cross street. Their other forces were in
place creating a wedge that would break the enemy forces and continue to clear
the way for them. They hitched a ride on Gavin's transport and with Princess
Bula at the wheel; the enemy didn't have the opportunity to stop them.
"When you leave us
fall back and assist the other ground troops Gavin," Bob told him as they
neared Council Hall.
"Aye, Aye, Sir
Bob!" Gavin replied, "and good luck ta ye."
"And you, Crimson
Binome."
The air by now was thick
with fire, smoke and metal. Above them the final battle raged on, the participants
seemingly oblivious to what was occurring far below.
The air troops converged
on the hall, clearing the way for the ground troops and Bob's team. They hid
for a time, within the ruins of a building waiting for a searching enemy
platoon to pass. To Bob, nothing seemed real anymore. His world had shrunk to a
small space in which he was a mere automaton, reduced to three actions,
fighting, running and hiding. One scream of agony melded into another until
they were all one ponderous sound of death that Bob fought to drown out. All
his concentration was on reaching the Hall, of forcing his way within and at
last confronting Daemon.
And then he was there,
fighting his way through the main door. He knew his friends were beside him but
he had scant time to acknowledge this. More fighting and running and again the
screams of agony that he knew would haunt his days and nights for hours to
come.
Then came a new sound.
This scream was
different, a high pitched chittering that worried on the nerves and sent a
shudder through everyone present and in a murderous wave. Bugs, some almost
half the length of a child sprite, came at them every direction and from every
crack and crevice. Then Ray was there, forcing them back with wide blasts of
his power. An unfortunate soldier ran afoul of one of the larger ones and was
deleted between its pinchers nanos before Matrix had the opportunity to destroy
it. Then Bob's path was blocked by one. It was a horrid thing, half spider,
half scorpion, with acid dripping from its mouth, but surprisingly it made no
move to attack Bob and he realized that on a more primal level the bug still
recognized the viral side of him. It seemed to be the same for Matrix, as the
bugs also avoided him. It made it all the more easy for them to be destroyed.
At one point they were
pinned by fire within the corridor leading into the Council Chamber and Bob
would fire around the corner, then withdraw quickly. He saw Cooper was leading
this detachment of men, whom had formed a makeshift barricade before Bob's
final destination. Bob didn't want to hurt Cooper, but he wasn't going to allow
his fellow Guardian to stop him now. They were too close.
"Matrix!" Bob
called across the corridor to the renegade, "The ceiling!"
Matrix nodded his
understanding and fired a single shot upward. The resulting explosion sent
debris raining down and choking dust filled the corridor.
"Matrix can you see
anything?" Bob called. A few errant shots found their way down the
corridor.
"There!" Matrix
pointed, "Fire there!" Bob sent a golden bolt into the dust where
Matrix pointed and then led their forces onward, soon to be joined by more of
their soldiers. Bob walked forward and surveyed the damage and sighed at the
sight of the unconscious bodies, Cooper being one of them. Bob bent down and
felt his pulse. The Guardian was still alive.
"Bob?" It was
Matrix standing beside him. AndrAIa was guarding their backs, but Bob knew her
attention was on them.
"Fall back to the
designated position."
"But Bob --,"
"Do it!" Bob
turned to his friend. "You know it's imperative that you keep any
assistance from getting to Daemon."
"I just got you
back," Matrix said, "I won't lose you again."
"Don't worry,"
Bob smiled, "It's not like we're never going to see each other
again."
Matrix smiled slightly,
"You heard Bob! Everyone to fallback positions. Stay at the ready, we
don't know what's going to happen!"
Bob, Guardian 452,
stepped forward. He took a deep breath and faced the immense metal door, carved
in the likeness of a bloated spider.
* * *
"Keep in ranks
everyone!" Dot cried over the airwaves. "Attack formation 7046. Hit
them hard and fast!"
At he helm of her
transport, Dot caught an enemy fighter in her sights and obliterated it with
one well-targeted shot. She could hear Mouse over the comm as well, issuing
orders to the squad she commanded from the cockpit of Ship and giving
cavalier yells as she gave the enemy the ASCII-whipping they deserved.
The moment the air forces
had met with their opposites, the fiery battle kept the sky ablaze. Dot was in
the midst of the fray and focused all concentration on her singular purpose -
shooting as many of their enemies out of the sky as possible.
Dot's squadron forced
their way through the enemy ranks creating a breach that their additional
forces filled. The action not only enabled them to pick off the now scattered
enemy fighters but it stopped any errant fighters from attacking their ground
forces.
Whenever one of their
fighters or transports went down, Dot took it as a grave insult as well as an
injustice and with single-minded determination, would pursue the guilty party
and deal with them.
The Guardians, almost
helpless without their keytools, had to resort to conventional means of
fighting. They manned transports and fighters, since being in the midst of the
fray without their keytools would have been suicide.
More portals opened and
Dot muttered an oath. More enemy reinforcements would turn the tide of battle
and that could mean defeat at that point. With an animalistic cry that would
have done Mouse proud, Dot steered the transport for the glowing sphere. It was
in her sites and she yelled, "Everyone, away from the portal! All forces
fall back!"
Dot smiled evilly and
depressed the trigger.
The transport pulsar cannon
fired a blast that cut through anything in its path and slammed into the
portal. For a nano it seemed that nothing happened. Then the portal darkened
until it was a shadowy orb. A pinpoint of light came to life at its center,
sparkling like a new star.
Then the portal exploded
with a blinding luminance, sending a shockwave rushing away from its center.
"Get us out of
here!" Dot screamed, and even as she did so, she knew there wasn't enough
time.
The shockwave engulfed
every thing, and when it slammed into Dot's transport, the force of it threw
Dot from her seat with a cry. She felt the transport flying out of control. The
next few nanos were a nightmare of screaming and confusing. With tears
streaming from her eyes caused by the light, Dot crawled back to her seat and
grasped the controls, and finally had the transport under her command again.
"Everyone still with
me?" She asked of her transport team, who was picking themselves up off
the floor. "All forces report!"
A familiar cry came over
the comm, "Dot you are totally random!" Mouse said.
"Thank you. I
thought you'd appreciate that move," Dot gingerly checked herself
for bruises.
The sky was still
over-bright. Dot wiped the tears from her eyes. "All right everyone, back
in ranks! Now! Drive them back, you know the drill."
Still it took time before
their forces could reassemble. They discovered that those nearest the portal
had been obliterated but as far as Dot could tell, many of their forces were
still processing. To Dot's utter amazement and relief, the other portals had
dissipated when the shockwave had hit them.
"Come in, Dot!"
Katiyana's voice came over the airwaves.
"Dot here."
"We've just received
confirmation that Bob's team have infiltrated the Council Hall."
A brief moment of terror
seized her. Dot closed her eyes and gripped the controls, fighting with her
emotions.
"Dot?"
"Affirmative,"
Dot snapped. "All available squadrons converge on the Hall!"
Then the Command.com
trained a steely glare on the battlefield once more.