Bonecrusher: A Kaiju Thriller (The Armageddon Tetralogy Book 1) Page 16

  But more than that, it was blind in its right eye now, just like he was.

  And, like Silvio, it'd been blinded by a lucky punch.

  “How the fuck do you like it?” shouted Silvio till spittle flew from his lips. “How does it feel, having only one eye? How about I come over there and carve out the other one, you bastard?” ARTEMIS gripped the handle of the sword tightly and raced forth.

  He loosed a great, wide slash with the weapon, and this time, it didn't miss its mark.

  The blade sank into the Colossus' left flank with ease, bypassing the craggy plating on its exterior and carving through the soft flesh beneath. As the sword exited, a spray of brackish blood sailed from the new wound, littering the shore.

  The sounds that issued from the tyrant's craw were too awful for words. It toppled over, thrashing against the land with such force that it generated a tremor. It was hurting, and it knew it'd been outclassed. Any minute now the death-blow from that razor-sharp weapon was going to come from above. Its reign as alpha predator on this Earth had been fleeting; here it was, about to get dispatched on its back, shrieking like a frightened animal.

  It was enough to put a smile on his face.

  Silvio drew near and raised up the sword, preparing to jam it into the beast's exposed belly.

  From the side, came the Colossus' tail, however, blasting ARTEMIS' hands and knocking the sword from her grasp. The weapon sailed into the water, vanishing from view the moment it pierced the waves.

  “Goddammit!” Silvio reached for the blade, but caught a firm blow to the torso, instead. Then another. And another.

  The Colossus was going ballistic.

  It lashed out with the intensity of a creature backed into a corner, with the raw force of a being staring death in the face. The Colossus smashed ARTEMIS with every grain of power it had, beating its claw-studded paws into the mech's body till Silvio could feel the resultant vibrations in his teeth.

  Silvio yelped, felt ARTEMIS getting knocked off balance by the flurry of blows, and focused on delivering a kick.

  ARTEMIS' leg, too slow-moving, was caught up in the hold of the creature's tail, however. With a quick yank, ARTEMIS was sent to the ground.

  The blows didn't stop.

  Nor did the roaring.

  Silvio felt himself being jostled roughly by every hit, felt the power of the Colossus even as ARTEMIS put her hands up and attempted to block.

  There was no referee here to step in and stop the fight.

  He'd been happy about that, once, but it went both ways.

  “Silvio!” cried Dr. Deal from the comm line. “Hang in there, Silvio!”

  He could scarcely hear her, though.

  In the cockpit, things were growing dire. Whipped around in his seat like a rag doll, the patches were ripped from his body. Silvio felt the apparatus in his spine shifting. Something cool and liquid was splashed against his bare back. The thing had become disconnected.

  Even as his consciousness lagged, he knew what that meant.

  His connection to ARTEMIS was severed.

  Completely.

  Blasted around in his seat while the Colossus raged upon ARTEMIS, Silvio's head was dashed against the controls. Blood flooded his vision. He could taste it, smell it, as it washed over his face. The infusion apparatus gouged into his back, the potent pharmaceuticals within it spraying out now like a mist into the air. ARTEMIS was being picked up and slammed; in the resultant G-force, Silvio felt the bones and muscles in his chest flexing against his harness.

  Things were being broken, torn, inside of him.

  Unable to respond to the frenzy of screams and cries through the comm line, Silvio spat out a mouthful of blood and tried to breathe. The display was flickering terribly; in those rare moments when he could see through the veil of blood, he caught only snippets of activity through it. For a time, he saw the mech being pressed into the sand. Then, he caught sight of the sky.

  Finally, before losing consciousness, he saw the blue, crashing waves, and watched as ARTEMIS was thrown headlong by the beast into the ocean.

  Everything went black as the mech sank into the depths.

  28

  “So, what, exactly, are you trying to tell me?” General Coleman folded his hands and put his elbows on the desk, staring down the researcher before him.

  The conference room was deathly silent. A team of government scientists had just been ordered there to share the results of a number of tests they'd been running. Their findings, however, were not a little controversial. Despite sharing their findings in full and discussing their methods, the assembly remained incredulous. The chief members of the NDC looked to one another, baffled.

  And then, they got angry.

  The lead researcher stepped forth, stammering. “W-well, sir, our study of the X-001 ARTEMIS unit has yielded an interesting result. Y-you see, it is made of a patented steel alloy that has been strengthened several times over by the inclusion of hitherto classified nanoparticles.”

  “Yeah, all right, so?” demanded the General.

  “So... after thoroughly studying the sample of the Colossus we picked up in Michigan, we've found that the Colossus' sturdy hide and the these nanoparticles are made of the same unknown material...”

  Coleman hammered his fist against the desk as the room fell into hushed whispers. “So, what? You're telling me that Aderhold had access to the creature? That he used parts of the creature in beefing up his super robot?” He shook his head fervently. “That doesn't make sense.”

  Director Smythe arched a brow. “I... I think it makes sense. I think... I think Aderhold's been holding something back. There's something off about this whole situation, and it stinks to high heaven.”

  “Where's that senator, Trask?” asked Coleman, peering around the room.

  “He wasn't in today,” squeaked one of the aides after looking through a document on a clipboard. “He couldn't make it due to 'other engagements,' according to my record.”

  “What other engagements could he possibly have at a time like this?” shouted one of the assembly. “Its the end of the damn world out there!”

  Secretary Nicholson barked to a group of aides. “Get Mayer Aderhold on the screen, now! Right now! Call him.”

  A few minutes of tense shuffling saw the smiling visage of Mayer Aderhold cast upon the screens of the conference room. “Good evening. What seems to be the problem?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. “You appear to be in a great hurry to speak to me tonight, gentlemen.”

  Coleman stood up, pointing to Aderhold. “You've got some explaining to do, Aderhold. Our researchers have just found something. After having a look at a piece of that behemoth out there, we come to find out that your robot's built partially of the same material. What's that about?” He then added, sharply, “Out with it, or I'll have you shipped to the US to stand trial before you know what hit you.”

  Aderhold's smile widened. And then, he laughed.

  Mayer Aderhold's laughter echoed through the silent room as the assembled members of the NDC looked on in outrage.

  “And just what the hell is so damn funny?” demanded Coleman.

  For a long while, Aderhold simply stared at the assembly, crossing his legs and folding his hands over his knees in a casual manner.

  “Where did your corporation get this material?” asked the General, growing ever more irate. “I demand to know where you got it for your robot!”

  Chuckling, Aderhold leaned towards the camera just a bit, giving the viewers a better look at his face. Then, without an ounce of amusement, replied, “That's simple, General. You see, my company is responsible for creating both ARTEMIS and the Colossus. The two projects merely shared some of the same materials.”

  The conference fell into chaos. Chairs were thrown, the air was filled with shouts and demands for blood. Standing, Coleman struggled for some minutes to calm down the assembly, addressing Aderhold once more when he could get a word in. “You'd... you'd better be fucking wit
h us, Aderhold. If what you say is true, then...” He tugged on his collar, giving his collection of regalia a jingle. “I'll have you tried as a criminal of war. No holds barred, you'll wish you were never born.” Shouts of agreement sounded from all around. “Because... you've created a weapon capable of genocide.”

  “At the very least I don't break my contracts,” was Aderhold's calm rejoinder. “I stipulated that you and your friends were not to study my ARTEMIS. Did I not? You've broken contract, General, and I'm very disappointed in you. There will be, of course, a price to pay for that.”

  Again, the room erupted into angry shouts and threats.

  It was Burrell, Director of the Department of Defense, who managed to quiet them and ask Aderhold another question. “What have you done, Aderhold? And why? Why create such a thing? How is it even possible?”

  Aderhold was only too happy to answer. His ordinarily calm eyes grew wide, and his teeth gleamed white and sharp in the dim light of the office where he sat. “I created the beast, it is true. Years back, before any of you knew Aderhold Corp. as a household name, I'd dabbled in genetic modification. A start-up of mine was rolled into Aderhold Corp. nearly two decades ago. Its operations were kept under wraps, you see, lest the public grow outraged. The people... they simply don't understand the value in diversification! We were working on unconventional things... but it was the cutting edge. I doubt that anyone has outdone the work we did back then, even now. We developed such strange and frightful things, using all sorts of DNA. We started by trying to breathe life into long-extinct species, but... our appetites continued to grow, and we decided to focus our energies on developing far more exotic things... the Colossus is but one of those pet projects.

  “You all look on, frightened, outraged... but how can you know the utter pleasure that comes from bringing new life into this world? I did not create a child, did not waste my energies in bringing up new humans. No, I ushered in a new age, reached into the abyss and brought a god back with me for all of my efforts. I am a visionary, advancing the hands of the clock and furthering evolution while you cowards look on slack-jawed. It is not that I don't understand your anger; it is infuriating to glimpse the inadequacy of our species when compared to the likes of my Colossus, is it not? Nevertheless, the proper response is reverence! Mankind's day has come and gone. New forces lord over this Earth of ours now... unless mankind has the strength to persevere, to earn its place at the top of the food chain. That is why I built ARTEMIS. ARTEMIS is the answer, the only hope of this miserable species. If mankind wants to live, to succeed against this new champion on the path of evolution, then it must fight. The X-001 ARTEMIS is the culmination of human technology, the greatest invention of all time and the species' only saving grace. I rolled the dice... gave mankind the choice to submit or fight. And instead, you fools chose betrayal. The Colossus and his brothers will bring about a new age, gentlemen. This chapter of history is near its end.”

  The assembly fell silent. Gulping, Coleman approached the nearest screen, looking up at the image of Aderhold with fright in his trembling eyes. “You... y-you mean to say that there are more of these things?”

  Aderhold laughed wildly. “Oh, yes. Many more. The Colossus was grown in Michigan, with Lake Liliana serving as its womb. But there are others peppered all throughout the world, in places where you can never hope to find them.” He cracked a grin. “Not until it's already too late, that is.”

  “You... you goddamned monster,” uttered Secretary Nicholson. “We're going to find you and put you down like an animal, you hear? Enjoy your freedom while you've got it, you smug prick, because we're coming after you now. There's nowhere to hide. Don't you realize what you've done?”

  Aderhold was amused by this, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “Well, gentlemen, if that's how things are going to be, then I'm afraid I must defend myself in some way from your aggressions. You broke the contract and are now threatening my life.” He picked up a phone, punched a few buttons, and began giving brief statements in rapid German.

  “The hell are you doing?” barked Director Burrell.

  Clearing his throat, Aderhold replied. “For your threats on my life and your inability to honor our contract, I've decided to loose the rest of my creations upon the world. Even as we speak I have technicians the world over waking such beasts as you can scarcely imagine from their slumbers. There are things up my sleeve that make the Colossus appear as harmless as a cat. What a shame, for all of you. It's true that I created the villains, but I also developed a hero for you. ARTEMIS will never be able to handle my entire family of beasts, however. You could have had the remedy, could have worked with me to develop new technologies. Instead, you are all responsible for forcing my hand and seeing the world overrun by new and more terrible things. Mankind is truly irredeemable.”

  With a casual wave, the screen went blank.

  The assembly was still as the grave. Every brow in the room was pale and damp with sweat at the implications of this exchange.

  Coleman looked to the others at his table, panting. “Do you... do you think the bastard is bluffing?”

  29

  The sound of the ventilator had melted into the ambient din. The hospital room felt cold, and the scent of antiseptic stung at her nostrils.

  Dr. Deal looked down at Silvio, the bags under her eyes growing increasingly heavy, and waited. He'd been comatose for days. After that fight against the Colossus, he'd been left in terrible shape. The beast had thrown ARTEMIS into the ocean, cast it away like a worthless stone. Silvio had been inside, however. It was only through a miracle that he'd stayed alive. Though unable to breathe on his own, ARTEMIS' systems had flooded the cockpit with concentrated oxygen that sustained him until help arrived. She could still remember the way they'd labored, after the Colossus had disappeared into the ocean, to recover ARTEMIS and her sword from the ocean floor.

  Last she'd heard, the Colossus had fled to the Mariana Trench. It was probably nursing its wounds there, resting, waiting for the day when it might rise again and wage its campaign of revenge against the surface-dwelling species that'd so gravely injured it.

  Silvio, though, hadn't regained consciousness. He was deep into a coma. It was possible he would never wake up. This would be a difficult thing for her and the rest of their small team, but for mankind, who'd been depending on his training, it would be a far heavier burden to bear. Without Silvio at ARTEMIS' helm, there could be no defending against the Colossus, should it return.

  There was a soft knock at the door.

  Dr. Deal looked up to find a young woman standing there. In tow was a girl, no more than three years old. She smiled at them, though their expressions were anything but happy.

  “Dr. Kim Deal?” asked the woman, sauntering into the hospital room and going white-faced.

  Dr. Deal rushed towards her and offered her a seat. “Y-you must be Sarah, is that right?” She gave a weak smile, placing a hand upon the visitor's shoulder and supporting her as she swayed. The woman was about to faint, caught up in a panic.

  “T-that's right,” Sarah finally said. “You were... you were the one who called and said that Silvio was here...?” She gulped and led the child closer to the bed.

  Silvio was still, his face obscured by various tubes and bruises.

  Sarah began to weep. “I've... I've seen him banged up before,” she sobbed, “but never this bad. What... what happened?”

  Dr. Deal wasn't sure just how much she could say. Could she admit to this woman that Silvio had been the heroic pilot at ARTEMIS' helm, trying to save the world from the Colossus? Would it have been a breach of her contract to fill in Silvio's loved ones in such a way? She hesitated. “Well, I'm the doctor who's been assigned to his care. He's fallen into a deep coma after sustaining extremely severe injuries. I'm sorry to say we don't know whether he'll ever awaken...”

  Sarah's arms went slack so that she could scarcely hold her daughter's hand. “How... how did this happen?”

  You
have to tell her. You can't just let her live in the dark. Not about something like this. She deserves to know what he was doing. Dr. Deal was about to speak when the door opened and a stern-faced solider peered inside the room.

  “Dr. Kimberly Deal?” said the man, a rifle slung over his shoulder.

  She startled at the sight of him. “Y-yes?”

  “Come with me,” he ordered, opening the door a bit further and revealing a number of other soldiers waiting in the hall.

  Dr. Deal excused herself and ambled slowly through the door, where she found both Conway and Emil waiting. They were surrounded by armed soldiers, and stood silently. Conway, in particular, looked positively enraged, but he said nothing and hovered near Emil. There was another man there, too, whose uniform was covered in medals. She thought she recognized him as the General they'd been assigned to work under by Mr. Aderhold.

  “You're all here,” said the General, closing the door to Silvio's room. “I'm General Coleman, member of the NDC. From here on out, anything we discuss is to be kept classified. Understood?”

  The trio nodded.

  “You three comprise the team lent to us by Aderhold Corp. for maintaining the ARTEMIS unit. I am here to tell you that the US government's relationship with Aderhold Corp. has ended. Technically speaking, as important members of Aderhold's R&D team, you are all criminals in the eyes of the law.”

  Dr. Deal gasped. “Wait, what?”

  “This is ridiculous,” spat Conway, stepping towards the General. A pair of soldiers got in his way, however, and he got the hint, skulking back a few paces.

  “Mayer Aderhold has been found out as the creator of the Colossus. You'll all be briefed on that matter later. In the meantime, I'm here to make an offer. Take it or leave it. You three can either surrender yourselves and all research surrounding the X-001 ARTEMIS unit, and work for us in developing new technology in that vein, or you can rot for the rest of your lives in a jail cell where no one will find you.”