The Legacy of the Lioness Read online

  “Well?” Luther asked.

  “It appears there’s no issue with the vehicle’s mobility, but the weapon systems have malfunctioned due to a software issue. I should be able to repair it in less than two hours using the tools we have onboard the Mauler,” Xena replied.

  Luther panned left and right. “I don’t like the idea of escorting this vehicle back home without its defenses, but sitting here for two hours, that’s pushing it,” he said.

  Xena’s glowing blue eyes flickered. “It’s possible I could reduce the repair time by half an hour if someone could assist me. This repair will require me climbing in and out of the vehicle and entering its undercarriage inlet repeatedly,” she explained.

  Luther nodded. “We repair it here then. Leo—I mean, Neona, switch with me. I’ll get on the gun and you assist Xena. I can’t fit under the vehicle. Victoria, Leo, stay in the Mauler and keep an eye out,” Luther ordered as Neona jumped down from the Mauler.

  Neona looked up at Xena in the AA tank. “Just so you know, I don’t have any training with something like this,” she said.

  “I’ll walk you through what to do,” Xena replied.

  Leo sighed and slumped his head slightly. His missing arm made him less useful in these situations. He couldn’t man the gun or assist Xena.

  He lifted what was left of his arm, staring at me. “I’m wondering why the hell the Engineer brought me out here in the first place,” Leo said. I looked at him as he gazed out of the window.

  “Because even without your arm, you’re as valuable to Luther as anyone else is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here,” I replied as Luther got in the back seat. He glanced at Leo and I and paused before climbing up onto the minigun.

  I noticed Leo’s head whip toward the AA tank. I followed his eyes as Xena collapsed forward, banging her face into the AA tank. Neona looked back at me puzzled and shrugged as Xena lay there motionless. “I didn’t do anything,” she said.

  I opened the door. “Xena? Can you hear me, what happened?” I asked. There was no response.

  “We don’t need this, not now,” Neona said. Xena’s neck swiveled back and forth as she picked herself up. She looked around, confused. “Captain, it appears my system reset without my consent,” she said.

  “That’s not normal, is it?” I asked.

  “No. This android’s software, while familiar, might have some nuances that’ll need to adjust to, either that or it’s a glitch due to the android’s age. It won’t happen again,” she said, outstretching her metallic fingers in front of her face.

  “Please. See that it doesn’t,” I replied.

  Chapter 7

  EIGHTY MINUTES LATER...

  Xena climbed out of the AA tank and stood atop it, tugging on the dual cannons. “That’s it. Engineer, we finished earlier than expected, the anti-aircraft tank’s weapons are now operational,” she said, looking at him as the small snow flurries drifted down on her body.

  Luther nodded. “You know it works for certain?” he asked.

  Xena turned toward the tank. “Absolutely. I was able to pinpoint and correct the issue. When the raider Tigus fired its laser cannons at us, he expended enough battery power to cause the system to automatically restrict his access.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “To save power for mobility. I would wager these men didn’t have a good understanding of the software. I’ve since corrected this issue to favor firepower so that when we engage the Moderator, we can deplete the battery completely using the cannons, if need be,” she answered.

  “Does it have enough power to return home?” Luther asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  Luther paused. “Good. I want you to drive it back. Follow the Mauler at a distance of thirty meters and watch our rear flank,” he ordered.

  “Understood,” she replied.

  “Neona,” Luther spoke up as she made her way back to the Mauler.

  “Sire?” she asked.

  “You’re back on Mauler minigun duty, if I need to hop up on the weapon, be ready,” he said, lowering himself back into the cabin.

  “Roger that,” she replied. Luther came around and got in the front seat beside me. He glanced at Leo before locking eyes with me. “You okay?” he asked me, lowering his voice.

  “Tired, but I’m fine,” I said, grinning at him. He nodded slowly. I could feel his warmth as he sat right beside me.

  “I can drive if you need me to, just let me know,” he said softly.

  “Thanks. But I’m good,” I replied. I eased the Mauler forward and looked out of my rearview mirror to make sure Xena was behind us.

  “Remember our escapades... on the jeep trails? I hardly ever let you drive,” I recalled.

  “Not much has changed,” he said, staring at me.

  I raised an eyebrow. “The things that matter haven’t,” I said.

  He took in a long, deep breath as he held his stare at me, gently placing his thick hand on my knee.

  Leo did a double take. I gathered our considerate interaction wasn’t something he was used to. I would imagine it was still odd for him to see his Engineer with the woman he loved after all these years.

  Neona seemed to ignore our conversation, staring out into the winter wilderness in deep thought.

  I cleared my throat. “Xena, do you copy?” I asked.

  “Loud and clear, Captain,” she replied.

  “I’m going to take the same route back that we came here on, unless anyone objects,” I said.

  “Not a problem,” Luther replied.

  “Captain, if you choose to repeat the same course for our journey, I can construct a directional indictor and apply it to the HUD in your visor to make navigation easier. I made sure to map our previous route. Would you prefer that?” she asked.

  “Do it,” I replied. The navigation marker appeared on my helmet. It reminded me of GPS but more advanced, showcasing a three-dimensional overhead animation of the course ahead, along with a yellow line that retraced our previous tracks.

  Luther and Leo gazed out the front window. I wondered what each of them were thinking. We’d just witnessed the nomad colony assassinate their leader. The nomads would surely descend into chaos with Kodiak at the helm.

  It was a far cry from the values the Warden’s colony was built on. After the Warden’s redemption and separation from the Architect, he formed a refuge, a sanctuary for criminals and wanderers to give them a second chance to make a difference in this world.

  The Warden was Leo’s father and Luther’s friend, and his legacy was falling apart. I couldn’t help but reflect on how we contributed, but there was nothing we could do to repair the damage. Not now. Worse, the grim situation paled in comparison to the weight on our shoulders concerning the Moderator.

  “Captain,” Xena said.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  There was a long pause. “Can I speak with you, in private,” she requested.

  “No one can hear you, your audio is only coming through my helmet,” I replied.

  “I know, but I wanted to make sure. Anyway... I wanted to inform you that I’ve been reconsidering self-termination after we repel the Moderator. After that, I want to build a memorial for future humans to remember Titan’s sacrifice. Then, I would appreciate your assistance in shutting me down, indefinitely,” she said.

  I gulped. “Xena... I—”

  “Captain, there’s no need to discuss this openly now. I would prefer this matter remain private, but I wanted to give you notice so that this isn’t a surprise,” she added.

  I opened the text pad on my visor’s interface, scrolling and selecting letters with my pupils. “I respect your decision, but I just want to say that I don’t think you understand your value to us, Xena. To me. You could live on and aid humanity for many decades to come,” I texted.

  “I appreciate that, Captain, but unfortunately, I might have discovered a critical flaw in my design that could prove to be a hindrance more than an asset,” she replied.<
br />
  “Care to explain?” I asked.

  “Let’s just leave it at that for now, I’m still investigating my findings, but I would be grateful if you could assist in my termination,” Xena texted.

  My eyes glossed over as I sniffled. I could feel Luther looking at me. “What’s wrong?” he asked, lowering his voice.

  I shook my head. “I’ll tell you later,” I mouthed.

  To think I was someone who despised the androids, yet I had connected in such a human way with Xena. Part of my emotion stemmed from the possibility that Xena’s creator had given her enough of what made us human that it came off as incomplete and confusing for her. I gathered she wanted to further assist humanity, but she wasn’t able.

  “CAPTAIN, THERE’S BEEN a development. Requesting permission to put my voice on speaker through your helmet,” Xena said.

  “Do it,” I replied.

  “There’s a vehicle approaching from behind us at just under a hundred meters. I’m detecting over two dozen lifeforms onboard,” Xena said.

  I glanced at Luther before looking in my rearview mirror. “Where?” I searched.

  “Xena, slow down and point your cannons toward the vehicle, it could be the raiders retaliating. Victoria, loop around and draw them into Xena’s fire,” Luther ordered. I did a U-Turn and doubled back toward the potential threat. I could feel my palms sweating. The unknown vehicle had stopped at the top of a hill about eighty meters away as Xena parked next to a partially collapsed brick building covered in snow.

  I zoomed in with my helmet’s visor. “That’s not the raiders,” I said.

  The radio beeped. “Engineer...” Kodiak’s voice erupted then cut out and garbled.

  Luther and I looked at each other.

  “Kodiak, come in, you’re breaking up,” Luther said. The radio chirped back with static.

  “Damn,” Luther said.

  “What the hell does he want now?” Leo asked.

  “Luther. We’re close to the nomads’ mountain base,” I said.

  “I know. That’s why I’m confused,” he said.

  Luther sighed in frustration. “Hold position. We appease Kodiak, for now. I have no doubt he’s thought about another offer. He wants us to participate in his war against the Ghosts of the Red Army. I’ll pretend to entertain the offer, then we’ll be on our way,” Luther said.

  “Xena, stay put,” I ordered as the nomad transport truck approached us. I noticed Kodiak’s jeep two dozen meters behind it.

  They stopped in front of us within ten meters as Kodiak got out along with another man. I noticed Kodiak’s mouth was bloody and swollen.

  Strangely, Kodiak wasn’t armed. He wiped his mouth and grinned, outstretching his arms. “I thought you would have returned home by now,” Kodiak said. Luther glanced at me before opening his door.

  “We decided to repair the AA tank before going home,” Luther said.

  Kodiak nodded. “Good. Well... not good, really,” he corrected himself.

  “Captain, three vehicles approaching me fast from behind. My cannons are facing the transport truck, your orders?” she asked.

  “Xena’s being ambushed!” I shouted. All at once a dozen nomads rose up from the bed of the truck, aiming laser rifles at us.

  “Get those hands up or we fire!” Kodiak commanded, taking several steps away from the Mauler.

  Luther and Leo started to reach for their swords. Luther stopped himself and clenched his fist.

  “Stop. Do what they say,” Luther ordered.

  “Yeah, don’t be stupid,” Kodiak said. I noticed the AA tank was surrounded by three vehicles. Two men were on top of her vehicle, pointing rifles at the hatch. “Open up!” one of the nomads yelled, tapping the metal hatch with his rifle.

  “Captain?” Xena asked.

  “Comply Xena. I say again, comply with the nomads,” I repeated.

  Kodiak laughed as nomads rushed the Mauler on both sides with guns drawn.

  “Luther,” I said, panting heavily.

  He held his stare at me. “Look at me. We’re fine. Kodiak needs us, he’s probably going to steal the Mauler. Do exactly as they say. Everyone! Don’t fight, we’re outnumbered and outgunned,” he ordered as nomads flung open our doors.

  I closed my eyes tight for a moment. “Get out!” a nomad soldier yelled. I felt the sensation of a rough hand grasp behind my neck before being tossed out of the Mauler.

  “Captain, they still haven’t penetrated the AA tank’s hatch. I can fire on the nomads near you,” she insisted. I looked on the other side of the Mauler as Luther, Leo, and Neona were forced onto their knees and stripped of their swords. Guns were pointed at their heads as several nomads crowded around them.

  “Don’t, Xena,” I replied hesitantly. It would be impossible to stop the nomads without friendly fire.

  I wanted to cry. The overwhelming sense of helplessness hit me with a force that made it difficult to breathe. I felt a calloused hand run under my coat. I looked up as a man removed my sword while another aimed a silver rifle at my head. “Try me!” he shouted.

  They put me on my knees and ripped off my helmet. “Look at this thing. You ever seen anything like it?” one of the nomads stared at my helmet with a puzzled look, questioning his comrade.

  “Never,” he replied.

  The two men grabbed me by the legs and dragged me through the snow toward the others. They picked me up, kneeling me beside Luther. The nomads stared at us without a word. I recognized the nomad from beginning of our trip—Soran. He and Kodiak were speaking in private.

  Soran was listening to Kodiak as he ran a razorblade across his scalp, trimming around his blond mohawk. His vibrant blue eyes drifted through us as if we didn’t exist. He breathed slowly through his wide, pierced nostrils.

  I could hear footsteps in the snow as Xena was escorted toward us. Soran pointed his razorblade at Xena. “You knights hid that android from us? That’s one of the Reclamation’s androids, and you told us you were going to decommission it,” he said.

  Kodiak stepped toward us, gesturing toward Soran. “In case you’re wondering, this is Soran. He’s my associate, he helped me organize General Haik’s assassination. Soran and I had a bit of disagreement about you knights on the way back home,” Kodiak said, raising his eyebrows.

  Soran frowned, glancing at Kodiak before staring down at us again. He pointed at Luther. “I’ve been keeping your secret from my men long enough,” he said, panning around at the nomads.

  The nomads looked at one another in confusion as Soran gritted his teeth and stepped toward them. “Men, not long ago, a stranger entered our home. A senator from the Legion named, Barrus. I’m sure many of you have heard the name. He revealed that someone from the Legion murdered our Warden!” he shouted. His voice echoed off the mountains as the light snow let up. The area around us was still and quiet.

  Soran pointed at Luther. “This man is responsible,” he said.

  “I banished Barrus from the Legion, how do you know what he says is true?” Luther challenged.

  Soran stepped close to Luther, he pointed up at their mountain home. “Because every man on that mountain, every man that surrounds you now is here because of what the Warden did to your people during the dark times. We were reborn out of his redemption for those crimes. He sent the Mave against your people and killed hundreds. We know that! But he rose against the Architect, freeing his mind from her shackles. And you, you took revenge against him for something that wasn’t even his fault!” Soran yelled at Luther.

  The nomads’ puzzled faces began to shift to anger as Kodiak stepped between Luther and Soran. “Listen to me. If we kill the Engineer, we’ll have a war on our hands with the Legion and the Ghosts of the Red Army, do you really think we’re capable of fighting wars on two fronts? Think about it Soran.”

  Soran’s head whipped around toward Kodiak. “This is more than war. This is justice. You might have planned our revolution, but your claim to the throne means little without my support
, Kodiak. Your war is against Ghosts of the Red Army, not ours. The plan was to inflate the threat of the Ghosts migrating south toward our colonies so that we could entice the Legion’s support and remove General Haik. That’s what we’ve done. We removed the General, and now we have the criminals that conspired against our Warden!” Soran shouted, clenching his fist at his chest.

  “I say we execute these fuckers right now!” a furious nomad yelled.

  Soran looked at Kodiak. “The Legion won’t know what happened to these knights, we’ll tell them the raiders killed them. But even if they do find out, let them try to form up against us! Let them come to our mountain! There is only one narrow pass to assault us, and their numbers will count for nothing!” Soran yelled, inadvertently spitting in Kodiak’s face as he yelled. A huge vein bulged through his forehead as he screamed at Kodiak.

  Kodiak wiped his face and smirked. He threw up his hands and looked down at Luther. “Well, I can’t say I saw this coming, Engineer. I never liked the Legion to begin with, but I thought common sense would prevail. My partner here decided to conceal his intentions. He’d always planned on killing you apparently. I didn’t know Soran was so sentimental and would require vengeance, or else I would have gone about this whole thing differently,” he said.

  “He was like a father to me! And I don’t know how you can stand there and act like the Warden didn’t help you!” Soran shouted at Kodiak.

  Kodiak sighed, holding his stare at Luther. “To be honest, the Warden didn’t make much of an impact on my life, not as much as I let on. But these men... they’re young, impressionable, and they all see the Warden as father. Even so, I don’t see the logic in executing you, Engineer, but unfortunately, Soran has the majority vote... at the moment,” he said, turning his back on Luther.

  Soran met eyes with his men. “We take them up to the mountain, I want all our men to see who killed the Warden, and he will admit his crimes and pay for them with blood!” he ordered.

  MOST OF THE NOMADS loaded us up on their transport truck while a few others stayed behind with our vehicles. We rode our way up the steep incline to their mountain hideaway, seated on wooden benches that squeaked as we rocked back and forth along the bumpy path. I stared at the Mauler until it disappeared out of view once we gained enough altitude.