The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus (7 page)

Janus craned his head back as far as he could.  Gigantic glass panes surrounded the top of the pillar, creating
the cascade of light that bathed the giant hall.  He was transfixed, however, by a huge circular window that dominated the very top of the city.  It was stained red glass of a great warrior, having but one eye and clad in fearsome armor, astride his six-legged mount.  The warrior held a massive war spear easily at his side, his fierce expression daring anyone to challenge him.

Light poured through the window, casting
a huge multicolored display upon the grounds below.

Jennings stepped up next to him
, raising an outstretched arm, “Welcome, to Mercenary Legion ODIN and its Avalon citadel, Valhalla!”

Chapter 9: Adepts

“Everything you see here has a purpose,” Jennings continued.  “Despite its tranquil appearance, this entire city was built for war,” he motioned with an arm around the massive citadel, from the sweep of the sunlit greenery to the giant stained glass window.

“The seal you are so transf
ixed by is that of our emblem: the great god Odin, astride the mighty Sleipnir, his warhorse, charging into battle.”

Janus tore his gaze from the window to look at Jennings, “
But why am I here?”  Janus was still wary, “And why did you shoot me?”

“You still have a lot to learn,” Jennings chuckled.  “
I hope you are eager to be here, because Clara wanted you to know she expects the best from you.”

“Clara?  Is she safe?  Where is she?  Can I talk to her?”
Janus interjected. 

Jennings raised his hands, “She’s safe at Cerberus.  I made sure of that, and as long as you remain here, it will stay that way.  Middleton knows better than to test my patience any further.”

Janus latched onto his words, “As long as I stay here?”

“Yes, you’re a part of ODIN now,” Jennings nodded seriously.

“And what if I don’t want to be?”
Janus asked.

“You can train and learn with us; but if you don’t wa
nt to stay, you don’t have to.”  Jennings said matter-of-factly.  “We are an elite military group, small in numbers against the massive forces of the Corporations.  We won’t have anyone who doesn’t want to fight alongside of us.  You don’t have to stay.  Would you rather go back to Cerberus?  I can send you right now.”

Janus took a moment, but shook his head.

Jenning nodded approvingly, “Good.  While you’re here, we will watch out for you, and Clara.  But I have an obligation to ODIN first; if you leave, my protection of Clara ends.  We can’t afford to waste any resource, even the slightest influence, on the others outside these walls.  Understood?”

Janus nodded, “I don’t plan on leaving, and I don’t plan on dying
.”

“No one ever does,” Jennings replied.  “As for talking to Clara,”
he shook his head, “I’m afraid that Cerberus is out of range by now.”

“But I’ve seen S.T.s using radios to communicate all over Cerberus. 
You must have radios?” Janus asked skeptically.

Jennings smiled kindly, “Of course.  But I’m afraid it doesn’t work quite like that.  There are limits to range, especially with the Corporations controlling what few satellites are left.”

“Satellites?”

Jennings pursed his lips, “It would be difficult to do the subject justice right now.  You’ll have the opportunity to learn soon enough.  But to answer you
r question about why I shot you---my apologies.  I meant only to cause superficial damage.  Enough for Middleton to release you – sometimes we find good uses for those not qualified to be Mercs, and I thought it would be far better than your fate as a slummer – or as an S.T.  Unfortunately, I did not anticipate you reacting as you did, trying to rescue that young woman.  You leapt right into the bullet.”  Jennings smiled, “But on a positive note, you certainly passed the test.  You are an Adept.”

“A what?  What test?”

Jennings nodded, as if he expected the question, “An Adept.  That is what we Mercenaries call ourselves.  Sounds better,” he chuckled.  “Before anyone is allowed to become an adept – or a cadet, for new recruits like you – they must pass a test.  It is usually a reaction test.  In this case – I shot you.  I wanted to see how your companions reacted.  You may have noticed that not everyone did – although I would hardly blame you if you missed it.  Half of your fellows followed my actions and understood what had happened, the other half did not.  Adepts absorb information and react upon it at almost twice the speed of everyone else.  It is an uncommon trait, and it makes them vastly superior soldiers upon the battlefield.  Does that answer your questions?”

Janus was skeptical, “For now.”

Jennings’ smile became broader, “Well then, for now, I will answer your other questions about where you are.”  He pointed to the center of the city, “This is the main hall of Valhalla.  We are currently located at the Medical Branch of the city.  Each section of the city is connected via bridge to the central pillar, or trunk, as we like to call it.  Why do you think that is?”

“Because the architect was too stupid to put doors between them?”
Janus smirked.

Jennings laughed, “Actually, no, it prevents the base from being overwhelmed by invasion forces as long as the Legion controls the trunk.  After locking down the base from central command,” he pointed towards the very top of the central tower, “the city is only accessible by use of the trunk and bridges.”  Pointing at the sides and the windows, he added, “The waterfalls act as a humidity control and cooling measure, while the windows are heavily reinforced plastics that become fully armored with blast doors in a combat situation.”

He made a motion behind him as the pair walked, “As I said, behind you is our Medical Branch.  One of the finest available, I might add.  We have an entire lab devoted to Nanyte control and production.”

“Nanytes?”
Janus asked curiously.

“In brief:  Microscopic pseudo-cells we create synthetically in a special lab to treat medical conditions.”  Jennings smiled at Janus’ uncertain look, “You will learn more about them soon, but we used them on your shoulder.  I think you can see their benefits.  Did you see the blue gel next to your bed in the medical bay?”

“Yes.”

“Electrogel.  It keeps the Nanytes live until they can be injected into the body.  Nanytes can repair almost any injury, but have a few limitations.  Namely, they are rendered useless in a short time as their power depletes rapidly, and they become inert with no ability to recharge.  And while powerful, they are dangerous if administered in high doses.  They over-repair and over-build the body’s systems.”

“That still doesn’t sound too bad,” Janus commented.

“It is if the Nanytes overbuild your heart and it becomes so large it can’t pump in your chest,” Jennings said matter-of-factly.  “And unfortunately, they are also prohibitively expensive.  None of those tubes in the rooms were filled with Nanytes; they are used for transport to a patient.  To treat every Adept in this base with the maximum treatment every day for a month would cost more than what it took to build this place.’

‘
We can accommodate hundreds of soldiers in the Medical Branch, plus we have the ability to quickly expand into the landing bay below us.  Pilot Barracks are across from us.  Below them are the fighter launch bays.  Each pilot has a quick access chute to his craft.” 

He pointed down to the ground and to the left.  Janus could see a huge arch with a constant stream of Adepts flowing in and out.  “Next to the ground floor barracks is the mess hall and meeting forums.  You will be down in the cadet barracks, across from the main mess.  And all the way at the bottom of the city, underneath the main tower floor, are engine control and power, and the arena.”

“What’s the arena?”  Janus asked.

“That too, you will be experiencing soon enough,” Jennings coughed. “Although fortunately, playing in the arena is limited to full-fledged Adepts.  Once you join your fellow cadets, you can have the grand tour.”

“So I can point out flaws?”  Janus ribbed.

“Unlikely.  As the designer, I spent years refining it,”
he gave Janus a piercing look.

Janus cleared his throat, “Ah,” and quickly changed the subject, “But how did you come by such a place?”

Jennings ignored Janus’ discomfort, putting a hand on the railing, “Actually, it’s amazing this place was even built.  It took an incredible amount of resources.  Few can even afford it, let alone take the risk of building such fortresses these days.  Avalon citadels were once considered the future, but that time is passed,” Jennings said regretfully.  “Avalons are powerful, but also vulnerable.  A new Avalon hasn’t been seen in a long time.  Corporations decided long ago that such fortresses were not worth the investment, but for Adept Legions like us – an Avalon like Valhalla is invaluable.  But to answer your question simply: we stole it.”

“I thought you said you designed it,” Janus asked incredulously. 

Jennings nodded, “I did.  But I didn’t build it.  We stole it from SPARTAN.”

“Is SPARTAN another Merc – Adept
Legion?”

“Indeed, and an extremely wealthy one.  Or was,” Jennings added with a grim smile.  “SPARTAN had many years of success with,” Jennings paused, a slight wrinkle along his brow, “
little competition.  But an Avalon class fortress requires more than wealth to build.  It requires expert design, which I supplied, if unwillingly.  But knowing how an Avalon will be built also means you know the perfect time to attack and take it.  There will be no love lost between me and SPARTAN.”

Janus paused thoughtfully, “But Legions fighting amongst one another, doesn’t that make you vulnerable to an attack from a Corporation?”

“Not as vulnerable as you might think,” Jennings did not smile.  “And I believe I can show you.”  His face was grim as he motioned Janus to follow, “Come with me, we should be passing over it now.”

Janus furrowed his brow at the remark, but followed.  His curiosity piqued, Janus no longer felt quite so ill at ease.  Instead, he felt a strange empathy for the man.

Leaving the tree, Jennings passed through an arched door above which a pair of strange symbols glowed in red light.  One looked just like an angular ‘R’, and the other was an ‘X’ between two vertical lines: