A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter Six

"By the most optimistic estimation, it will only take four hours for Caul's force to gather here." Sophie started. Concern clouded everyone on the war council.

"And the worst?" Miss Bittern asked.

"One hour." Sophie said, "If they had everything ready and use the pocket loop in Fort Atropos."

"And we can't just hide in the loop wait for them to pass?" A councilor asked.

"They will find us. Loop diviners are their standard requirement for loop assaults." Sophie replied.

"So, assuming they can track the hollow, which has a questionable source—" A councilor said.

"It will make sense if they can." Olive interrupted, "Our mission is too easy, like they want us to capture the hollow."

"—they will be able to get here and find the loop entrance." The councilor finished.

"I have already deployed scouts in the modern-day Swamp Town. If they are coming, we will know." Noah Albiar said.

"They won't last long out there." Miss Bittern said. "Tell them to retreat immediately when our enemies arrive."

Noah Albiar nodded.

"Can you lockdown the loop?" Olive asked. "Like what the ymbrynes did in Devil's Acre?"

"A Quilt the size of even just a house needs at least ten ymbrynes to maintain." Miss Bittern said, "I can't shut down this loop alone."

"How's the panloopticon?" the ymbryne asked Sharon.

"There's been some technical issues. Even if we can activate it in in time, we can still only evacuate the civilians to four loops." Sharon pointed at a spiral mark on the map. "The California Loop in 1925, the New York Loop in 1919, the Kansas Loop in 1899, and the Everglades Loop which is too risky to go since we suspect our enemies already know about it."

"We will evacuate people to the California and Kansas loop," Miss Bittern decided.

"Spread the message, tell the civilians this is a drill." Miss Bittern continued, "And surround Greenwood Medical Center with our defenses. We must buy time for the civilians to evacuate."

"This loop was designed to be easy to defend." Sophie said, "The entrance and exit to the present days are separated. The exit is simple, just walk through one of the doors to the morgue. But the entrance is different. The only way into this loop from modern times is to jump down a stairwell from at least fifth floor. The well is only wide enough for one man to pass, and they will need cushions to land safely."

"So if we destroy the building, we will be able to annihilate their force one man at a time." Albiar said. "We will place five legions around the loop entrance, three defending Talon Base and evacuating civilians. They will not take this loop!"

*

One lone soldier ran out of Greenwood Medical Center. "They are here!"

Behind him, someone fired a shot, and he collapsed.

"Destroy the building." Albiar shouted from an empty building they used as temporary command center.

Hidden within the blocks, the Transporter Erector Launchers launched a dozen missiles. The first one hit the south wall and generated an explosion so loud that shook the whole loop. Flame and smoke rose so high that its visible even in the Talon Base.

The rest of the missiles followed, colliding with the burning building.

"Again!" Albiar ordered. "I want to see the building reduced to ashes."