Asunder Chapter 40

Chapter 8.4 (40)

The Disruptor

J.J.W.

Caerulum- a translucent mineral consisting of complex borosilicate and hydroxides of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, lithium, and sodium; found in transparent blue forms, that some use as gemstones. Physicists have found it to have highly conductive properties, and many scientists claim it to be a perfect superconductor. Interestingly enough, it can only be delineated from surrounding rock by specific retinal chromophores in a particular subset of humans.

- Present Day -

- The Year 2296 -

Ace and Korin had traveled nearly the entire night. The moon displayed fully in the night sky and lit their way. Korin was a master motorist and skillfully guided them through the rough landscape. At times, they could hear rumbling in the distance, evidence of the Watcher still seeking its prey. In multiple instances, they witnessed rocket streams overhead—Takers scanning the area. In these moments, they held their breath and found cover, which was reasonably easy in the terrain they traversed, with its thick trees and deep ravines.

The forest seemed to extend forever, with its continuous rising and dropping. River after river crisscrossed the landscape, and lakes emerged from nowhere and then just as quickly receded into the canopy of trees. At one point, they broke out onto an elevated clearing overlooking what seemed like flat white sand. A vast, colorful lake penetrated the middle of the clearing. Its rim shimmered like a rainbow. Ace recalled the star on the map Tkin had pointed out. Grand Prismatic Spring. Ace took in the memory of the place. As beautiful as it appeared in the moonlight, he was sure it was even more majestic in the day.

Ace turned to Korin, “It’s wild how this all came to be.”

“I know… it’s beautiful.” She whispered as she stared at the Grand Prismatic Spring.

“Oh, yeah, true, but I mean how we got all tied into this greater unfolding story.”

She nodded and looked ahead, “Yeah… crazy…”

“But this,” he spread his arms out, not wanting to take away from what she clearly took joy in, “This is beautiful too.”

He glanced at the woman as she took in the scenery. Her hair glimmered in the moonlight, and her eyes appeared lost in either wonder or memories.

“Where are you from, originally?” Ace continued. He realized they had been so caught up in the escape and run-ins with strangers and Takers they hadn’t really taken the time to get to know each other better.

“Far away from here.” She whispered.

“Where?” He questioned honestly.

“Far to the east. An easy two thousand miles from here.” she perked up more, appearing to exit the memories.

“So you were born in the mines?”

“No…”

“You’re a freeborn, then!?”

“Yeah...” pain seemed to well within her.

Silence hung in the air for a long moment. He placed his hand on hers as she leaned forward, resting her chin on the bike, staring at the natural wonder before them. “It’s okay, Korin. My family was taken from me, too.”

She turned and looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. “We kept ourselves hidden all those years—my parents and us kids. They had a boat we lived on for as far back as I can remember. It moved easily between the ocean and lakes...” she sniffed, looking back at the spring, “There were thousands of islands, swamps, and rivers. It was our world, and we owned it. All of it. Living off the land, the fish, the rain. Oh, how I miss the rain.”

“It sounds spectacular,” Ace whispered empathetically.

“It was.” She looked longingly at the water. “But it all came to an end,” she wiped her eyes and abruptly refocused her attention, “Just like it does for everybody in this world. I’m no different...” she composed herself and saddled back onto the speeder. “No different than you, or Tuck, or any other freeborn. It’s our lot in life. But, I’ve learned we can try to change that. That’s why we gotta find Commander Sylas.” She padded the seat, “Come on, let’s go.”

Ace nodded and hoisted himself behind Korin. “Thanks.” He spoke softly in her ear.

“For what?”

“For opening up.”

She smiled and then revved the bike.

§

They journeyed on for what seemed like hours. After finding a bridge and crossing a large river, they soon returned to the rising and falling trees. Following the landscape in the direction Tkin had mapped out for them, they eventually came to another wide river. Their travels took them northward until the river changed course, falling over a deep canyon. They stopped the bike for a brief moment and overlooked the waterfall.

“My map here says all of this area we’ve been traveling was protected land. Back then, they called it a national park.” Ace commented.

“What simple times. People must have had no cares in the world if they had the time to visit and take in these beauties.” Korin spoke dreamily.

There was so much beauty throughout the land they journeyed through, making it nearly impossible to take it all in, especially in light of their current circumstances. So, they could only take mental notes and carry on.

After the brief stop and traveling northward again, they finally came upon an ancient highway, which they avoided for fear of being spotted by the Takers. Despite Tkin’s reassurance of the area’s lack of surveillance, they stayed within the tree line as they followed the old road north. It wound through canyons and ravines, rose mightily in elevation, and dropped into deep, broad valleys. Mountains rose on every side—massive peaks bordered by rolling hills dotted with trees and yellow grass. As they entered the large open expanses between the peaks, their hearts beat quicker. They felt exposed. Even with the massive ranges on all sides of them, the direct view overhead created an uneasy feeling, and Ace found himself scanning the sky continually.

They eventually met back up with the large canyon and its river, but luckily, the old bridges spanning its width were still intact. Ace’s map acted as a near-perfect reference for their location and destination. The land appeared untouched since the rise of the machines. The mighty river weakened and shrunk as they followed it eastward, then north again. Tkin’s directions luckily worked thus far, so they followed his path. The majestic slopes rose on all sides again, and they regained their tree cover.

The old highway flowed along the creek for miles until the road eventually broke northward, separating itself. At one point, they only appeared to be roughly fifteen miles from their destination. Still, after referencing the map, they viewed a mountain range of 12,000-foot-high granite peaks blocked their passage from the south. Realizing why Tkin had shown them the serpiginous path around the mountains rather than through them, they would need to travel around the peaks to access the lake.

With this devastating realization, they continued along the old highway, following it southeast, moving farther away and in the wrong direction. This detour created a heightened sense of anxiety in the two of them. The access was nearly eight times the distance it would’ve taken to travel over the peaks.

“You sure this thing can’t fly!?” Ace remarked in Korin’s ear as she sped along the valley at an uncomfortably fast rate.

“It’s just over that ridge!” He pointed off to their left.

“That would be nice!” She yelled over the rushing wind.

With this, she sped up even faster. Ace held on tight as they cruised through the valley at breakneck speed. They soon had to take to the road, as the terrain was rougher and more treacherous than it previously had been. Ancient, broken-down vehicles dotted the highway. The winding road passed lake after lake as they rose higher and higher in elevation, finally traveling north again until they reached the mountainous range where the road crossed the mountaintops. With the intense speed they had traveled and the massive climb the bike took to get them to this point, Korin informed Ace they needed to let the speeder cool down momentarily. So she stopped the bike and parked it along the road.

From atop the peaks, they could view the entire world. Mountains stretched for miles, and the moon shined like a giant spotlight, illuminating the countryside as though it were midday.

Ace looked at Korin as her face nearly glowed from the moon's brightness.

“How did you and Agro meet?” He implied much more by the way he asked the question than what one would generally assume. Her face tightened with the question.

“He...” she seemed to be searching for the right words, “He saved me. Saved me from the Takers.”

“Really?” The information dumbfounded Ace. Agro must’ve been working hard to create a perfect cover, Ace thought but did not say aloud.

“I mean, it all makes so much sense now. But I never thought of it the way I do until now.”

Korin walked over and mounted the bike. “Come on, it’s cooled down now.” She said as she revved the engine. Ace joined her but wished she hadn’t cut the conversation short. He wanted to know more about the woman. They began their descent, and Korin stayed quiet. The road networked down the side of the mountain until it landed in the canyon deep below, and so Korin had to take the declination slowly.

As they slowly neared the halfway point down the switchbacks, Korin suddenly spoke up. The fresh canyon air blowing in her face seemed to liven her, and she began to dispel more about her past.

“Long before Agro saved me. When I was a teenager,” she yelled back. “The Takers found my family as we were docking near a group of boats to search for supplies. We had done it a hundred times before with no problems, but the Machines were scouting out this area for some reason. They must’ve picked up on our movement or something. That’s when the Takers came. They brought me to a mining facility. I never found out what happened to the rest of my family.” She wiped tears from her eyes and then continued slowly steering them along the road as it reticulated back and forth, bringing them safely to the bottom.

“I was there for over five years as a Seer... well, you know how it goes. After some time, a group of us devised a plan to escape. Needless to say, we made it out, but the machines quickly discovered us in the process of running. Most of the people I escaped with got picked off by the Takers. I understood how to survive in the swampy landscape so I could keep hidden and move slowly. I eventually made my way to what I discovered was an encampment of free humans. This gathering is where I met Agro. He had been among them for months. Fully integrated into their coalition. I didn’t know much about him or take too much notice of him. I was more concerned about discovering where the machines had taken my family, even though my chances of finding them were low. This was because the machines stationed me in a mining facility far from where I grew up. After a while, I realized they could have been anywhere.”

“The group's main focus was to locate the rebels led by Commander Sylas. Our leader had heard of Sylas’ group and aimed to find the rebels and join the cause. We eventually found a contingent of Sylas’s rebels, not Sylas herself, but a large group of her followers. They were going west to meet up with her and recruited our ragtag group along the way. Mind you, a large group of humans traveling together was bound to be discovered, which we were. A squadron of Takers entered our camp one night, and just as I was in the grip of a Taker ready to take flight, Agro shot the machine square through the forehead. He had managed to take down multiple Takers and save a handful of the group. It seemed so heroic then, but now I see it for what it was...”

“Subterfuge...” Ace called out into the wind.

“Exactly. Agro must have known what he was doing the whole time. Gaining trust. Getting closer to others, only to get closer to Sylas and her plans.”

“I’m sorry about Agro, Korin.”

“I’m not... not anymore.” She squeezed his hand.

After reaching the bottom and traveling north through the canyon, they finally broke free of the mountains, and a vast valley spread forth before them. The sun began to rise, and the twilight of the morning cast a purple hue along everything. They cut eastward, making their way across the northern face of the mountain range they had just exited, and bobbed up and down the jutting-out ridges, making their way closer to the canyon leading to the base. They were on the home stretch.

Ace stayed keen for any Watchers in the distance, as they now lost the cover of the trees and canyon and remained out in the open. With daylight approaching, Korin sped along even faster now. Ace held tight to her waist. The rolling grassland flowing along the valley seemed a blur, and they found themselves speeding past old farmhouses and willow trees on the verge of losing their bright yellow and red leaves. By the time the sun peaked over the horizon onto the wide yellow valley, they began to turn into the canyon. At this moment, Ace peered into the distance, spotting a glint of reflected light in the grass—the hint his airship remained intact and hidden beneath its camouflage.

“I just saw my airship. It’s still there!” Ace yelled into the wind.

“Good, we may need it. There are different tracks here than any vehicles we’re used to. Look,” Korin slowed down and pointed to the ground as they hovered above the multiple sets of tracks. “Those are no magnograv tracks,” she continued.

Making their way back into the inner workings of the mountain range, they moved south again along the same road they had traveled just days earlier. The same road where he had met Korin. The shadow of the canyon’s west face blocked the rising sun, and the air quickly cooled back down, almost appearing as if they had returned to the night, albeit without the moon as their guide now. The ground appeared pierced by hundreds of divots like a herd of giant spiders had traversed the trail. Korin continued at a slower pace now, scanning the area. Ace pulled his rifle to his chest and studied the ridges through the scope sight, looking for signs of movement. Korin rotated the slung rifle she’d been given by Cheéte around her shoulder and rested the barrel in her lap, readying herself for what they would likely find ahead.

When they finally approached the massive gate, it sat cracked open. Black burn marks and hundreds of scratches scoured the border of the large metal door. Whatever had navigated the trail before they arrived had violently entered the cavern. Pausing and listening, no signs of noise came from within the facility. Whatever had come had already likely left... or remained in hiding. Not taking any chances, they pulled the speeder into a thicket of bushes and offloaded.

“We’re too late!” Korin hissed, tears welling in her eyes.

Ace, not knowing how to respond, nodded and grabbed her shoulder. “Let’s just check it out. Maybe there are survivors.”

Korin wiped the tears from her eyes, steadied her rifle, and nodded.

They readied their rifles as they approached the front gate quietly. Upon reaching the entry, they stood with their backs against the thick metal threshold. Ace pulled a small mirror from his pocket—the same one he and Diego had used to communicate with each other in flight. The mirror brought a sudden instance of heaviness to his heart. Images of Diego flashed through his mind. Then, his best friend’s voice echoed in his head and reassured him. ”I’ll always be here even when ya don’t see me, brova. I be guidin’ ya along da way.”

“Please help us, Diego,” Ace whispered under his breath.

Steering his mind back to the present moment, he slipped the mirror around the corner and visualized the bowels of the cavern. What reflected back to his eyes horrified him. Lights flickered, revealing shredded metal containers, magnograv vehicles torn asunder, and bodies strewn all about. Char blazoned the walls in patterns of rage. The intruders had turned the entire facility inside out. Among all the carnage, no evidence of movement appeared and, sadly, no signs of life.

“I think the machines are gone,” Ace whispered.

“Let’s be certain,” Korin whispered back.

She stooped down and picked up a rock from the ground.

“What are you doing?” Ace hissed concernedly.

Korin quickly stepped around Ace to throw the rock into the large room, but Ace grabbed her arm. Surprised, she stood staring at him face to face as he held her arm.

“If they are still in there, then you’re about to tell them exactly where we are,” he whispered through his teeth.

“Ace, there is no other way into this facility, so it’s either the rock or us,” she stared deep into his eyes. Her irises glimmered emerald green. He had not noticed their brilliance until this very moment. They were not fierce but concerned. He could see the anguish welling inside them. All of her friends, those she called family, were among the bodies entombed inside the cavern.

He softened and relented. “Okay, just let me give you some sort of cover.”

“Thank you,” she emitted softly.

She bent down and, leaning around the entry, tossed the rock inside the large room. Ace quickly stuck his rifle around the corner, ready for any recourse. The rock tumbled to the ground, its impact echoing through the expanse. Nothing responded to the sound, no movement, no firing of deadly red plasma, no explosions or whirring of machines—just the faint tinkle of an echo as it continued down the corridors. They waited a moment longer and then entered, determining the coast was clear.

While kneeling, Korin leaned around the corner of the threshold with her rifle aimed inward, giving cover to Ace while he carefully entered the facility. The image reflecting in the mirror was worse when viewed with his actual eyes. The immensity of the massacre appalled Ace. The machines spared nothing and no one. Ace looked around the room for any evidence of life or danger. After a few moments, he lowered his rifle. The machines had finished their job and left.

Korin’s footsteps slowly approached, and he heard faint sniffles behind him. He turned to Korin, who was now overwhelmed by the sheer desolation. “Korin… I’m sorry...” Ace went to say, but her hand cut him off. She clenched her other hand into a fist at her mouth, looking at the ground, unable to take in the atrocity. Tears flowed down her cheeks. With her chest heaving, she dropped her rifle to her side and stood sobbing. Ace approached her and put his arms around her. She melted into his embrace and cried a deep, sorrowful cry. They both stood there, enveloped by the surrounding chaos. The minutes seemed like hours as Korin processed her surroundings.

After a long silence, she whispered, “We were too late.”

“Oh, Korin, there was nothing more we could’ve done. We came as fast as we could.” Ace whispered back.

She dropped her head back into his chest. Ace stood there consoling Korin but simultaneously processed their next steps in his mind. Anger welled within him. Why would Tkin send them here if everyone was dead? Couldn’t he foresee this? Now, not only was everyone decimated, but they were far away from wherever his sister was. The defeat felt overwhelming. He wanted to join in Korin’s crying. Everything seemed to be crashing down. But even with this, their apparent next move was to return to the dunes to find his sister.

He racked his brain on their best mode of transportation. They could ride the magnograv bike back, but it all seemed so out of the way. Then suddenly the lightbulb went off! Maybe Tkin sent them there to obtain Ace’s airship. Yes! Tkin had sent them there so he could get his Airship, which would give them more room to transport more people, like Jane and her baby! However, flying the airship while so many machines were on the lookout for them seemed excessively risky.

Ace was in the middle of mentally calculating his fuel reserve when a distinct sound broke the silence. The sound of a cocked revolver echoed in his ear, and suddenly, the feeling of a cold metal barrel pushed against the back of his head.

A woman’s voice spoke from behind, “Make any sudden movements, and I will blow your brains out.”

Ace took a deep breath. He had not heard the sound of a revolver since his childhood. Whoever held the weapon lay claim to some ancient technology, he thought. Korin slowly crept her head around Ace and spoke with a surprised voice.

“Ellie! You’re alive!”

“Stop!” The woman erupted.

“Ssss... stand back, ttt... turn around, I’m warning you.” She quaked.

The fear boiled up within the woman, and Ace could hear it in her voice. The barrel of the gun rattled as she held it to his head. Ace slowly turned around and stepped backward with his hands in the air. Korin carried a puzzled look on her face but also seemed to be sensing the fear and distrust in the woman, so she quickly complied.

“Ellie, it’s me, Korin, everything is okay.”

“Shut up! J... j... just stop, okay! You were with Agro last, weren’t you? You two worked together!” The woman’s voice faltered and then exploded. Accusations filled her words.

“Ellie, Agro was not who he said he was,” Korin spoke slowly, the pain rising within her voice.

“Don’t you think I know!?” The woman fumed now, her eyes filled with tears. “He led them here, then he went through so many people, killing so many people. He was Agro, but he wasn’t.” She looked lost in thought and haunted by her memories.

“Listen, Ellie...” Korin started but was immediately interrupted.

“No, you listen!” she erupted. “How do I know you aren’t one of them, like Agro?” She shook the gun at Korin now. “And... and... you roll in here with a stranger, who’s this, another one of your cyborgs?”

The words deeply stung, as Ace could see Korin cringe at the thought of Agro. “Ellie, Agro turned on all of us. He killed everyone on the mission. We escaped and tried to get here in time to warn everyone, but...” she trailed off, her voice cracking and filling with emotion, “but we were too late.”

The flow of tears filled her eyes again, and the woman holding the weapon began to falter. The gun shook in her hands. Ace now looked at the revolver. It appeared to be ancient. It also looked exactly like the same black Kimber K6S his father owned as a child. He eyed the barrel, and an inscription bore the initials:

J.J.W.

His father’s initials. It was his father’s revolver! He looked at the woman now.

“Where did you get that gun?” He spoke sharply.

The woman lifted it higher and more focused again. Aiming it at Ace. “I...”

He gained more fearlessness as he examined the gun and realized the cylinder contained empty chambers. The weapon appeared to be unloaded unless the only loaded chamber within the barrel, the only chamber he couldn’t see, had contained the only bullet in the gun.

“I said, where did you get that gun?” He spoke firmly, standing tall.

Korin interjected, “Ace, she is scared!” Korin looked at the woman, “Ellie, I’m sorry. We’ve just been through a lot, as I’m sure you have.”

“No, Korin!” Ace interrupted, then looked back at the woman, “That was my father’s gun! Where did you get it?”

Through her tear-stained eyes, the woman suddenly shifted from fearful and angry to bewildered.

“Www… what did you say?” She spoke doubtfully.

“I said that was my father’s gun. How did you get it?”

She looked at him as though a sudden realization washed over her, and she dropped her hand holding the gun, observing Ace with a softened expression.

“Abey?” She spoke softly, examining him.

Ace looked at the woman. A sudden recognition sparked in his brain, and he now saw the woman for who she was—a silly little girl who loved to jump on his back and play horsey. The same little girl would fall asleep in his arms as they listened to their father tell stories at night—his sweet little Eliza.

“Eliza?” He questioned, hopefully.

She stepped forward and cupped his face in her hands.

“Oh Abey, it is you,” she spoke softly and affectionately.

Korin stood in astonishment.

“You know each other?”

“Ha, well...” he reached in and wrapped his arms around her, giving Eliza an enormous hug. She fell into the hug and squeezed him back. After a long moment, they released. Ace turned to Korin and then grabbed Eliza’s hand. Korin stood still, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, Korin, we know each other... Eliza is my baby sister.”

Korin’s jaw dropped, “Is Ellie the sister you have been talking about? The one we are supposed to meet?”

Ellie frowned. “Sister, you were supposed to...” The realization struck her. “Jane’s alive?”

Ace glanced at his little sister and nodded.

“Listen, Ellie, I’m sure we have countless questions for each other, but,” Ace started, but Korin suddenly cut him off.

“How did you survive all of this, Ellie?” Korin splayed her arms out, taking in all the carnage.

“I was hiding in a duct system adjacent to Commander Sylas’ bunker. The commander and a few others were in...”

“Sylas? She’s alive?” Korin asked hopefully.

“Well, as far as I know. After the sounds of the machines died down, I heard their voices. I was too scared to leave my spot. I... I... saw what those machines were capable of. By the time I got out, they were gone.”

Korin grabbed her arm and pulled her in. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said.

“Is there anyone else here?” Korin asked.

“Not that I know of. It’s been like this since yesterday morning, and I’ve looked everywhere. There’s no sign of anyone else.”

“Well, we gotta get out of here and find Jane.” Ace reminded the women.

§

Making their way through the corridors, Ace, Korin, and Ellie stocked multiple bags with food, water, weapons, and ammunition. After about an hour, they reconvened in the large hangar and readied themselves. Ace found a functioning magnograv speeder and loaded their bags onto the back. As he pulled the bike through the large metal door into the outside world, he looked over and noticed the large, intricately carved stone ring.

The “Ammíleeluua.”

Recalling Tkin’s advice, Ace remembered his need to find Jane and bring her back to this place. He looked around at the graveyard, and now Cheéte’s words rang out in his mind.

“... then that is their fate.” 

If there was any thought of desecration, the scene of horror surrounding the holy ground fulfilled the word. Be it superstition or actuality, it was not Ace’s place to determine. Glancing at his sister, Ace realized Tkin had been right about many things. Ace doubted Tkin when they first arrived, but he could see what the man foresaw now. Eliza needed them, and Tkin had led them to her. Without Tkin, Eliza would be alone and lost.

Eliza had informed Ace and Korin that if they had not arrived, she would have left the facility in the evening and made her way to the valley where they grew up. If they had looked for Jane before making their way to the base, they would have missed Eliza, and he likely would never have found her.

“Thank you, friend...” Ace whispered aloud as he set his hand along the carved face of the stone ring. He hoped somehow the rock would speak to Tkin, sending his gratitude across the vast distance as a prayer. Looking back down at the carnage all about him, Ace shook his head to free himself of the pain and then continued his way outside. The two women sat on the other magnograv speeder, already geared up.

“I really can’t believe it’s you, Eliza...” he shifted the artillery onto the back of the speeder.

“I can’t believe it’s you, Abe!” She smiled.

“Only a Wilder could survive a world like this and still find each other all these years later.” He smirked as he strapped the luggage down.

“Jane is alive, then, Abe?” she asked.

Korin revved up the magnograv engine.

“Yep. We are going to find her. You know, try to have a little reunion.” He jumped on his speeder and ignited the engine.

“Are there any others?” She asked over the sound of the whirring engines.

“We had Ishmael for a while, but he got sick. The machines took him...” Ace replayed the moments in his mind again. Sorrow began to take him, but he shook it off. “He’s gone.”

She nodded in agreement and looked down. “So is Sarah...”

The words stung his heart.

“You all had quite a big family, from the sounds of it!” Korin yelled over the ramped-up motors.

“Still do!” Ace winked at her and pulled back the throttle, turning his speeder toward the trail.

§

Carefully making their way back out of the canyon, Ace thought of his sister, Eliza. Out of all the people who could have survived the attack, how was she the one? How had he not noticed her when he arrived with Diego at the base? Realizing she was only four years old when he last saw her, there was no way he’d recognize her on a whim. She looked so different than he remembered. She was much shorter than Jane, and her once stark white childhood hair was now a strawberry blond. He shuddered at the thought of her being one of the people who didn’t survive the attack. He would have never known. The possibility sickened him, and so he focused on their current state.

She was safe. 

They were safe... for now.

He looked ahead and saw Eliza’s hair whipping around in the wind as she held tight to Korin on their way down the canyon. His family, at least what was left, were finally making their way back to each other.

§

By the time they reached the airship, it was past midday. After quickly unloading the bags onto the craft’s hull, Ace began inflating the balloon. The airship was completely intact, never noted by the onslaught of machines that invaded the valley the day before. Eliza and Korin helped fold up the camouflage cover, and within an hour, they had loaded the magnograv bikes and were afloat.

The wind beat against his face, and the world below felt like home. Guiding the airship southwestward, they ascended into the cover of a sea of cumulus clouds. The sun began its descent along the horizon, and the last bit of its warmth brushed their faces before entering the cold particulates of water.