Episode 23: Just Beyond the Serpentine, Part 3
~~~
Ketamax was wiped from Blue’s mind when he saw Yellow’s body flapping in the air like a piece of cloth. Answering his plea, the waters of the lake rose up into a spiralling column, catching her and gently lowering her into Blue’s arms. Yellow, a trifle dazed by the explosion, let out a low moan from inside her helmet. A whistling noise pierced the atmosphere like a needle as large chunks of the laser-drill fell towards them, one considerable piece making a beeline for the two Anglomen. Black swatted it away with a cricket swing of Caradoc.
“Get in the game you two,†he said. “We’re not finished yet.â€
There came a horrible, angry, bloodcurdling scream. Deltra staggered out of the ship, clutching a small, black case in one hand. The make-up on her face was smeared, she had been crying as she writhed on the floor of her quarters. Now she only had vengeance on her mind. Her other hand was wrapped around the trigger of her arm-blaster.
“I’ll kill you, you yellow bitch!†she shrieked. She squeezed the trigger and a ball of orange light fired out, heading towards Yellow and Blue. Blue moved to shield her with his body, but the attack failed to hit them. At the last second, Pink had fired an arrow that cut through the ball and dissipated it. Deltra turned her attention to the small girl and growled, then charged forward. Pink gracefully flipped over her and planted both feet in her back. Deltra landed in the grass in an undignified position, with her rear end in the air.
“Ketamax!†she whined. “Take this!†She managed to throw the black case and it skittered into the grass at his feet. Even though he had no mouth, the alien knight seemed to be smiling as he lifted it up, recognising it. This was it. Now those Anglomen would not stand a chance…but, alas, the stuff was not completely tested, yet he had the perfect guinea pig. He popped open the case and removed a green patch the size of a bottle cap, looked at it in wonderment, then slapped it on the shoulder of the prone Ironthorn.
“Get up, old sport, you’ll be feeling better in moments,†he tittered, taking a few steps back. He made a gesture with his hand, and Deltra and the few remaining Apostles did the same. The four Anglomen regrouped, Yellow holding up Tristan defensively as Ironthorn started to squirm in what appeared to be pain. Veins bulged under his metal skin, and green steam poured out of his nostrils and mouth. Then, like a sped up video of a plant in bloom, he grew, and he grew, and he grew, until he stood up, towering over them like a titan, at least a hundred foot high. His voice had changed to a deep, echoing boom, and all over the country, people knew. This was one thing that could not be covered up, no matter how much the government would try. Anglomen were public knowledge, and now it seemed, so were giant alien monsters.
“How…how are we supposed to fight that…?†Pink croaked.
“Dr. Caster, Belle…anybody,†Yellow said into her communicator, “please send help, I don’t think we can take this thing on alone.â€
“We’re already aware of the situation, Beth,†replied Belle, “and we’re sending reinforcements now. Keep out of the monster’s reach until then.â€
“Good luck, Earthlings,†Deltra teased, “you’ll damn well need it.â€
XXX
Her new suit felt good on her skin. It had not simply materialised over her clothes, it had replaced them, and the smooth under-layer beneath the chain-mail was soft and silky smooth against her body. The visor, while pitch black on the outside, was clear as crystal on the inside. The complex systems inside the helmet regulated her temperature and ensured she remained comfortable, and the act of downloading information directly to her brain was utterly painless. The information that appeared on the screen before her did not even obscure her vision. It was wonderful, like the suit itself was a living creature. At that precise moment, she was seated in a lit room, as her transport was lifted into the air by another. There was a slight tug of g-forces on her stomach as they were propelled upwards from somewhere underground. Through the wide shatterproof screen that took up most of the front wall of the room, she could see the chamber of the huge shuttle, built like a flying fortress, with a multitude of technicians making final preparations. She should have felt nervous, considering what was about to happen, but really, it all felt natural, it felt right to be here, to be in this seat of power. A speaker mounted on the console buzzed and the gynoid called Belle’s voice came through from another point, this one in the shuttle’s command bridge.
“We’ll soon be entering the danger zone, estimated arrival time five minutes. How are you holding up in there?â€
“Perfect,†she smiled.
“As soon as you see the other Anglomen, turn the dial on your console to trans-mat them into the cockpit.â€
“Romeo that, Ms. Belle.â€
Her gloved hands gently held the control grips, which were mounted on gimbals. An unmoving gyroscope was embedded in the upper left corner of the console. The trans-mat dial was right below it. She was the pilot. Not the captain, but the pilot at least. As was something of a tradition in her family, she had served at least a spell under military training. Never deployed, but she had the knowledge at least. When the time came, there was a great sound of gears, alarm bells rang, and the sky seemed to materialise before her, first as a thin line, then expanding.
XXX
The titanic Ironthorn stamped the ground, leaving a footprint the size of a swimming pool. The Anglomen were able to escape in time, but the shockwaves threw them off their feet. Black struck the monster’s foot with Caradoc only to ineffectively bounce off. Unable to think of a way out of this terrible situation, each of the Anglomen slowly began to feel despair, when with a rush of engines, something swooped onto the scene. The thing was some variety of shuttle-craft, though it resembled some bizarre combination of a tank and a plane, with four wings on the sides and three sets of treads underneath. It was a dark blue colour with dashes of white and red here and there. Across one side in gold text was the thing’s name –
Merlin Machine.
The Merlin Machine swerved at an angle that forced Ironthorn to duck and cover his head, and flew upwards again. A section of the front opened, just below the cockpit area, and a ramp resembling a set of train tracks extended. There was the sound of a train’s pipe, an electronic surge, and to the Anglomen’s amazement, a gold-and-red steam locomotive with two carriages attached rolled out and spiralled around the area, propelled by some hidden advanced hovering system. Four thin, white beams shot down from under the locomotive, and the world around the Anglomen momentarily became a mass of liquid and light. As everything came back into focus, they found themselves standing in a circular, double-tiered room. There were five stations that combined seats with control consoles of various designs. Four of them were positioned around one in the centre.
A figure rose from the foremost seat, and the Anglomen froze. Yes, this was another of their brood, one whose outfit was a brilliant pearl white decorated with gold, and a diamond-shaped visor that obscured her face.
“Welcome aboard the
London Express,†Anglo White chirped in a voice they all recognised.
“Princess Angeline?!â€
“We’ll get to that later, right now we need to deal with that Darkshot enforcer and destroy the entire Earth-base. Black, take the gunning position on the left. Yellow, take the defence position on the right.â€
“Get stuffed!†Yellow shot back. “If all I work with is shields, people will think I can’t fight!â€
“All right, fine,†White sighed, “Blue, you take the defence position. Pink, navigation’s in the back. As for you, Yellow, if you want to be a smart-arse, the tactician’s seat is right behind mine.â€
“Suits me fine,†Yellow smiled confidently under her helmet. The five of them took their designated seats and with a loud but funnily welcome buzz, all the systems activated. The room was lit all the way around, and they could see the technological beauty it really was.
“Get ready,†said Anglo White, “Yellow, turn the key above your head and say ‘power cross’.â€
“Why?â€
“Just do it.â€
Yellow looked up, and indeed, there was an oversized metal key jammed into a lock above her. She took hold of it and tried to turn it with one hand, but it didn’t budge. Frowning, she pulled, and the key moved outward but did not leave the lock. Now loose in her hand, she was able to turn it anticlockwise and push it back in. A screen with the words ‘Awaiting Command’ on it flashed on.
“Power cross!â€
A computerised voice boomed out of hidden speakers, “Sir London transformation initiated!â€
XXX
Outside, Ironthorn regained his footing (it was not easy moving in a body suddenly hundreds of times much bigger) and took a swing at the London Express, but at the last second, a protective field of energy appeared around the train, and the monster’s fist bounced off. The two carriages broke away from the locomotive and floated off in different directions, defended by their own off-cuts of the shield. Bits and pieces started to move around of their own accord, changing the three components into something completely different. As the back of the locomotive swung down so it sat below the front, the first carriage changed into what appeared to be a torso-less waist, legs and pointy-toed feet, then promptly attached itself to what could only be the incomplete torso. The second carriage split in half completely and formed a disembodied pair of arms that sealed to the sides. A pair of silver hands slid out, and from the top of the entire affair, a red bullet-shaped piece screwed up. The bullet reshaped itself into a head resembled a knight’s helmet with a dark green visor, a silver mouthpiece, and an elegant serrated head-fin for plumage.
“Sir London, ready for battle,†the computerised voice said. The shield dissipated, it was now anybody’s game.
XXX
“Not that I don’t think this is all utterly fantastic,†said Blue, “but how are we supposed to control this thing?!â€
“You concentrate on what’s in front of you,†White told him, “and Sir London will handle the rest himself. Try the Kay-Cannons for starters.â€
XXX
Ironthorn charged towards Sir London and swung his sledgehammer. The robot brought up its left arm and caught the hammer’s head in its hand. There was a groaning sound, and the head was shattered. Ironthorn stared at the remains of his weapon and growled, then lunged at Sir London. The robot calmly took a step back to avoid and raised its arms. Two pipe-like accessories were attached to each one, just above the wrist. The tips glowed, and then bolts of green lightning shot out, peppering the monster with blasts. Sir London advanced and brought its mighty fist down on its enemy’s head, pounding him face-first into the ground. Its visor shone with power and it released a low, metal growl.
XXX
Anglo White looked up at Yellow and said, “Signal the Merlin Machine, have them send Adurotas and we can finish this fight.â€
Yellow stared at her console, then pressed a blue button marked ‘M.M.’
“Adurotas,†she said simply.
“Romeo that,†replied the voice of Belle, “we’re trans-matting Adurotas now.â€
XXX
Sir London automatically shifted into a ready position as a ball of white light flew down from the Merlin Machine high above. The ball exploded and reintegrated in the form of an oversized musket, resting neatly in the robot’s hands. Inside the cockpit, Blue’s screen was replaced by a targeting system with a large crosshairs that soon narrowed in on the fallen monster.
“Fire!â€
The musket, Adurotas, roared, a spike of hot metal and lead burst out of the end of the barrel and cut a vast hole straight through Ironthorn’s body. The monster released a final desperate cry as Sir London turned away. The Anglomen heard the flame-less explosion behind them.
XXX
Ketamax and Deltra had taken their remaining soldiers and the damaged ship straight back to the
Sun Shadow during the fight. They had used the armour of dead Apostles to clog the hole (there were plenty of them to spare thanks to those slimy humans), and for the time they had served as a satisfactory cover. They knelt before their master, the man called Blackthorn, in his throne room, their clothes tattered and covered in grass stains and ash from the carnage. Manitov, Blackthorn’s trusty right-hand man, skulked behind the throne like an off-world Grima Wormtongue.
“The laser-drill was completely destroyed,†said Blackthorn.
“Yes, sir,†Ketamax and Deltra murmured.
“We gained no Athzeron, and now British intelligence are going to be keeping a careful eye on the vein, and we have nothing to show Heksas should he decide to drop in.â€
“We collected a small store of it at the last minute,†Ketamax piped up, “it should be enough to suit your needs, sir.â€
“It had better…†Blackthorn hissed, “…because if Heksas decides to replace us on this job, I’m going to cut off your head a second time, and make sure it’s permanent. As for you Deltra, I’ll leave you as jailbait on the worst prison-planet I can find.â€
Deltra whimpered in fear.
“Both of you get out of my sight, I’m tired of looking at your miserable faces!†Blackthorn boomed. He spat a gob of acid at the two enforcers, who scrambled away just in time to avoid being hit. The small pool splattered on the floor, burning away a portion of the ebony carpet.
“Good criminals are hard to find,†he sighed ruefully. He remembered a time when you could work with capable people, and the worst obstacle you might find was another gang (who you could negotiate with) or in rare cases, a do-gooder policeman, but that was a long time ago, when Elias Blackthorn was still human.
XXX
Hyde Park had been temporarily cordoned off while the authorities disposed of the alien remains and ensured the local environment had not been affected by anything dangerous. From atop a nearby rooftop, the five Anglomen watched as the Merlin Machine vanished over the horizon, carrying with it the components of perhaps the ultimate persuader in the fight against the Darkshot. They removed their helmets and turned to each other, sure nobody could see their faces.
“I’m…sorry I was so hard on you earlier,†said Rowan, offering his hand. Beth followed suit, “I shouldn’t have slapped you. There’s no excuse for it.â€
“Don’t worry about it,†Angeline smiled, accepting their hands with her own, “I can’t really say I know what you were going through, but I think I understand at least. I won’t try to replace your friend. I’ll fight with you in his honour.â€
Ivy looked up at the sky. She remembered that time during their first training period with Big Hard Romulus. She had fallen in the mud, Romulus had insulted her as part of his own method of motivating his students, and it had been that bashful blonde boy with the cold grey eyes who had told her to stand up and keep going. She doubted she’d ever talk about that in the future, but it was those words that made her stand on her own feet and become what she was. A warrior. A knight…well, a knight-in-training anyway, she was the only one among them who really wished for the day when it would be official. ‘Dame Ivy Rosewater’ sounded fantastic.
“You know something…†Beth sighed, “¦I think he’d be proud of us. So, Princess, welcome to the team.â€
“Yar,†Rowan agreed. His country accent made him sound almost comical as he said it. “You’ll make a fine addition.â€
“You handled that robot well,†said Alan, “I look forward to flying it again.â€
“As do I,†said Ivy, “finally, a team-mate with some class.†She and Angeline giggled together at that, ignoring the raised eyebrows and glares from the others.
“I think thish ish the shtart of a be-yootiful friendship,†Rowan said in his best Humphrey Bogart voice,
“be-yootiful indeed.â€
