If It Meant Living: Tales

Leviathan, Part II

Watson:  Skepsis System, Sigurd’s Cradle

“You are a go, Admiral.”

The shuttle door opened and she jumped to the ground.  Their immediate surroundings were just as James had described – uneven dirt with occasional piles of gathered rubble.  To their left in the distance were the outlines of several low- and mid-rise buildings.  The sky was overcast; given the noticeable chill in the air, it threatened sleet or snow.

“Keenon?”

“No unusual readings, ma’am.  Commercial communications do seem abnormally low…no news reports about a coup or military takeover – nothing at all.  No declarations of martial law or a state of emergency.”

“Okay.  Keep monitoring the channels for any alerts.”  She hit her comm and called up Bryson’s contact data that had been recovered from her father’s lab.  “Dr. Bryson, do you read me?  This is Admiral Shepard.  I’ve come – ”

There was garbled static, then a hushed female voice.  “I read you…need to…they’re everywhere…I can’t…”

“Ann, where are you?  We can get to you, but I need a location.”

“…basement…locked in…tried to hide…coming for…”  The communication broke up into static.

Her eyebrows raised as her eyes rolled in an exaggerated expression of mock annoyance.  “Okay – sounds like we will have hostiles.  The construction site shouldn’t have a basement yet, so she must be in one of the nearby buildings.”  Then her expression hardened in a way that let you know that she had never been kidding.  “James, you’ve got point.”

They were rather out in the open, so they moved quickly to the first building that could provide some cover.  Shepard peeked in the window along the back wall.  Office workers could be seen working at terminals, moving deliberately down the hall, and otherwise going about their business.  It all looked normal – which made it immediately suspicious.

They moved along the building’s wall to the north, still skirting the edge of the commercial area.  The construction site was to the west though – eventually, they were going to have to move in.

“Litha, I need eyes on the street.”

“You got it.”  Litha hurried up the alley, shimmering out of existence as her stealth activated.  A moment later she came over the comm.  “I’ve got minimal activity; a couple of people traversing the streets, but nothing of note going on.  Just another day in Mayberry.”

“How the helldo you know about Mayberry?”

There was a brief pause.  “Everyone knows about Mayberry, Admiral.”

“Right…hold there, we’ll be to you in a minute.  She switched channels, not missing a beat.  “Ann, do you read me?  I need to know what building you’re in.  Can you tell me anything?”

There was nothing but static, and she was about to cut the connection again when Ann’s muffled voice broke through.  “…east…Saron…lication…”

“EDI?”

“There is a Sarona Applications office in a building southeast from the construction site.”

Shepard grinned.  “Excellent.  Let’s go.”

They moved down the alley; after a quick check of the street they stepped out, trying not to look like the heavily-armed military squad they quite clearly were.  Halfway down the block, as they were about to pass the doors to a warehouse, those doors opened and a man walked out.  He started to head down the street, then suddenly stopped and turned to them.