Isis
A young Erohsian lieutenant in the standard light gray uniform stands stiffly in front of an officer’s desk in an immaculately clean office. Light scintillates off small beads of sweat on his forehead and the only sound is the ranking officer’s fingers pitter-pattering over her glass keyboard. The lieutenant shifts awkwardly and looks out at the immensity of the Erohsian capital of Sunta from midway up the 90 floor military head quarters. In the far distance, at the heart of the city, glass and cement sky scrappers of incredible height reach up towards the sky like slender stalks of prairie grass.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” The ranking officer’s voice stabs through the silence. Her eyes remain focused on her paper-thin computer screen.
The young man instinctively winces away from her but quickly regains the little amount of composure he has. “Yes ma’am!” He squawks with a shocking amount of vigor that triggers a reddening of his face.
Isis finishes a thought and looks up at the standing officer with an unexpected fire in her pale blue eyes. “Then shouldn’t you start already?”
The man stares back at her, eyes wide, jaw slack, and knees on the verge of buckling from under him. “Oh… yes, right away!”
Isis shakes her head and begins to type again. Pathetic… and command wonders why we have problems.
The man looks over a holographic display emanating from a band on his wrist. “I have details from the latest report you requested on the new born ailment,” the shaking man announces. Isis looks up at him with daggers shooting from her eyes, and the man hurriedly continues while Isis goes back to typing. “In the heart of Sunta newborns for the month have reduced even further, which puts us down 18% from the average 5 years ago. The ailment is now measureable in some of the smaller sections of Sunta as well.”
Isis presses her fingers hard into her keyboard, causing her fingertips to turn white. “Lieutenant, do you happen to have any useful information? Even the human cattle could have predicted that,” she says without looking up.
“Yes ma’am, I was getting to the interesting part.”
“Do you feel my time is unimportant?” She looks up at the man and he shakes his head rapidly. “Well then maybe you should consider that next time you speak. Stop wasting my time and leave me to decide what’s important. Now please what was this ‘interesting’ information?” She finishes with a mocking tone.
The man swallows quickly. “The Nesivians are showing the greatest reduction, followed by the Borukins in Kiats, and the humans continue to show the most resistance. There seems to be a strong connection with the population density and the natural Aether abilities of the race to the effect of the aliment.”
“Wow and they’re just figuring this out? Perhaps you have some ideas on what is causing it?”
The man averts his eyes from her. “No…”
Useless… “What else? Anything new on the Havityn?”
“The latest havityn model confirms that Havityn Kasi won’t hit the city and there’s only a 20% chance of it actually collecting itself. We are making the proper precautions just in case.” Isis continues to type on her computer, the young man stands in silence awkwardly.
Finally Isis looks up. “Is that all?”
“Uh no, sorry ma’am.” The man looks at the holographic display and feathers several different views with flicks from his trembling fingers. “Oh yes! The high royalty of the Borukins, King Ramas, has confirmed his visit in nine months!”
“That’s good news.” Isis pauses for a moment before she types a new note. “Okay if that is all, I would like you to inform the office of the secretary of foreign affairs that I need a copy of the itinerary for their visit for security review as soon as possible.”
“Yes ma’am, right away,” he says with a quick salute and scurries out of her office.
Isis shakes here head and continues with her work. Before she can finish a sentence a small window on her monitor with red letters pops up and beeps.
INCOMING CALL: Lt. Co. Phillips
Isis taps the accept button on the screen and an image of a male Erohsian officer pops up.
“Colonel, there is a situation that requires your attention. We got a hit on the DNA and retinal scanners two days ago in the outer districts of Sunta that match a class 2 human named Kabel Reikyn who has known activity with the terrorist group Catalyst,” Phillips says.
“Then standard triple S procedure applies Lieutenant Colonel, take two squads, scan, search, and secure the area. Why do you need me?” Are you helpless as well?
“Because Ma’am, I don’t have the authority to make sure we catch him.”
“What’s the importance?” Isis asks. “If we arrest one, there’ll be ten more in his place and as far as I know he’s not a high priority.”
“Well Ma’am, my squads used the standard protocol and with an impressive amount of difficulty they were able to track him to the area around New Lur before losing him again this morning. In the process they made several Aether scans that suggest he was in possession of multiple essences.”
“Really and out in the open like this?” Isis looks to the side and runs her thumb along the edge of her right ear. “Did they get a reading on their strength and cast?”
“There was an unusual amount of noise in the signal so there was no way to tell cast. Our extrapolation algorithm on average estimated the essences around a one on the Boltz scale. The stranger thing is, it was sporadically estimating values of four …”
“Four!? How did that slip by? Have the terrorists found a way to hide the signature?” Isis shakes here head. “Regardless, a class four essence would cause a lot of trouble if one of the terrorist members absorbs it…”
“I agree, Ma’am. That’s the last thing we need.”
Were these the ones stolen from research? I don’t remember any level four entities being held there though. Isis continues to play with her ear. “They must be transporting them and this may be our last chance to retrieve them before they’re absorbed or used. If we can locate him before night, we still may have a chance. Take four platoons of light infantry fully geared. Split them up into fireteams of three with one Aether detector for each team and search the area in and around New Lur. Have a levitraft ready with an equipped team of soldiers for me outside. I’ll see you within the hour at New Lur.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Isis exchanges salutes and ends the call. She finishes writing a couple messages and some notes and then grabs a white, ruler shaped object resting in a charging slot. With a little pressure the object snaps around her wrist and a large holographic screen pops up in font of her.
Good morning Colonel Belshiv.
Power Cell: 100% charged
She taps a virtual button on the holographic display and it disappears. On the way out, she swiftly grabs her hat and coat and turns down the light gray hallway with an evenly illuminated ceiling. After a couple of elevators, she arrives at a large main floor lobby where a series of guards and scanners monitor a stream of people coming and going from the building. A set of automatic doors opens at the exit and a rush of fresh air fills her lungs.
Among the cars waiting for passengers, she is quick to spot the aberrant, sleek lines of the levitraft that is supported by three landing feet. The dark, windowless vehicle shimmers in the light with a surface that has an obscured depth to it. Small adjustable ducts for thrust and control line the bottom with larger ducts coming out the back. Two armed soldiers stand on either side of the entry, exposing a bright white interior, where she sits next to a third soldier.
The soldier driving looks over his shoulder as his two companions get into the seats in back and shuts the entry that closes and seals from both sides like a mouth. The turbine engine ignites with a gentle accelerating hum and virtual windows of the surroundings pop up. “Activating the Yerantol cage when you’re ready Ma’am,” the driver says.
Isis closes her eyes and nods. The driver touches a button and Isis squeezes her armrest as she is thrust into a sudden gut wrenching free-fall that lasts for a few moments until it subsides into an uneasy weightlessness. The landing feet retract and the craft raises a meter off the ground with a gentle push from the air ducts as though it were as light as a feather. With a kick of the thrusters they gracefully zip through the base.
On their way out, they pass a group of heavy infantry in their metal combat armor marching in rows and an assortment of different vehicles of war. Off in the distance a few light bipedal mech units are performing agility drills with a fluidity and agility of a trained athlete through a course of large cement obstacles.
Once outside the base they follow a wide road lined with pristine but monotonous gray commercial buildings. The road eventually leads them to an imposing wall, 100 meters tall, that forms the edge of the city. They go through the large gate and accelerate on the open road, passing a long line of traffic waiting to enter the city.
“Take us as high as you can without risking the Skimmers. I’d like to have a look at the area,” Isis says.
The driver tips back the control stick and the levitraft shoots to the sky. Off to the side, the Carn River runs from under the walls of Sunta and is swallowed by a thick forest that appears to have a dark haze steaming off it. The Ferin Forest looks like a giant, dark green caterpillar with only a thin sliver of the Carn visible all the way down to the coast, 100 kilometers away. Isis pulls her eyes from the forest when a chill runs up her spine and drives a shiver through her body. You’re on my list you wretched forest. Enjoy your time while it’s still yours.
Half way to their destination they reach the acme of their elevation and begin to glide back down towards the ruined Human city of Lur. Eventually they lose enough altitude that they join the road again. The road takes them through a ragged wall made of a patchwork of different materials and ultimately New Lur, a pathetic town that was reestablished to give the humans some ownership. To think that we used to respect the humans… now they’re nothing but useless cattle.
The levitraft pulls up alongside several large transport trucks in the middle of town. Teams of light infantry are scattered about banging hard on doors and interrogating the frightened humans with an air of supremacy despite the Erohsians small size.
“Disengaging the Yerantol cage,” the driver says.
Isis grabs her armrest again as she suddenly feels like she is rocketing towards the sky. She clenches her gut until the sensation passes and the driver opens the door. Isis steps out of the levitraft and is quickly approached by Lieutenant Colonel Phillips.
Phillips snaps her a crisp salute at the top of his helmet. “Ma’am, we have teams of three scanning and searching the town as requested. The other platoons are searching the surrounding area.”
Isis taps her wrist computer and the holographic screen pops up. She pulls up a map of the area that shows little red dots, signifying soldiers, swarming about. “I can see that… Have you found anything yet?”
“No ma’am, just… cattle,” he says with a bit of disgust, “and non-bonded at that.”
“Keep me informed and make sure that you do a thorough search of the old industrial buildings in the area. If you haven’t found him by dusk triple the patrolling groups east of the town to catch him on the run to the mountains. He’ll want to put as much distance as he can between himself and Sunta and probably look for sanctuary among the Borukin sympathizers. We can’t let him get that far. Notify me immediately if anything comes up.”
“Yes ma’am.” Phillips gives her another salute.
Isis gathers another team of three soldiers to follow her and the men from her levitraft with her driver now wearing a portable Aether detector on his back. She sets off on a direct path to a burning point of frustration in her mind, which brings her to the front of a well-kept blue house.
How disgustingly domestic… She surveys the blooming flowers filling the windows on either side of the main door.
Isis approaches the porch but before she reaches the top step the door opens. A strong, grim faced old woman stands in the doorframe locking eyes with Isis.
“Ah Nidella long time no see, coming out to greet us?” Isis says with no sense of friendliness and a superficial smile.
“Please leave my property… I have no business with you,” she returns with an equally cold air.
“Actually, we would like to search your… home… or whatever you call this heap.”
“No.” Nidella’s eyebrows rise with the short statement. “I have an agreement with the Erohsians… You can’t.”
“Oh I can’t?” Isis asks signaling to herself with her hands. “There is a terrorist in the area, so I can do what ever’s necessary to protect this country, and that includes searching your house. Especially since you’ve been known to collaborate with them.”
“Your father wouldn’t treat me like this. It’s unfortunate you didn’t inherit any of his good qualities.”
Isis’ face flushes momentarily and her forged smile drops. “Unfortunately he’s wasting his time pursuing fantasies, so he’s not here to protect you. I’m sorry…” A small cruel smile comes back as her face regains composure. “Last chance Nidella, will you let us in?”
“No―”
“Grab her!” Isis yells to her soldiers.
The two closest soldiers respond instantly with an unnatural speed created by their combat suits. Nidella reacts equally as fast evading their grasp on either arm and with an incredibly smooth motion she grabs one of the soldiers, spins him around, and yanks his arm up behind his back. Isis pulls a stun baton from a soldier’s belt and before Nidella sees what is happening, Isis slips the stun baton into her side. Nidella’s body tenses with a yelp and she releases the soldier, falling to one knee where Isis stuns her again until she collapses. The two soldiers quickly recover from their surprise and grab Nidella’s arms, bringing her limply upright.
Isis glares at the soldiers holding Nidella. “Send her to Capping and Extracting in Demeeurj and have Dr. Grantov run her through every scan his twisted mind can come up with. I want to know everything.”
“Ma’am, we could cap her here and let you know immediately,” the soldier that had his arm yanked behind him says.
Isis snaps her eyes back to the soldier. “I know it’s not fair, because you were probably born stupid and incapable, but I strongly suggest you stop thinking for yourself. If a cap would work on her don’t you think I would have asked for that?” The soldier looks down from Isis. “Now take her back to base.”
The three-soldier team that had joined her marches off with the stunned Fae while Isis and the three soldiers from her levitraft enter the house.
Isis looks around at the neat house, a twinge of anger flares up with a thought of Nidella. “Tear this place apart and bring me anything that looks suspicious, scan everything.”
The soldiers begin to methodically sweep through the house scouring every corner. Isis walks to the kitchen where a faint scent of a delicious breakfast lingers causing her stomach to turn over in hunger. A steaming kettle just on the verge of whistling catches her attention. Why not? She finds a silly looking mug and makes her self some tea, sitting down at the dining table to sip it while she pulls up information on her wrist computer.
Name: Nedella Coriteer (currently registered as Fae Underwood)
Race: Unregistered
Dependents: Orphans 345567091, 345567921, 345570159, 345570159, and 345570160
Notes: Contact General Belshiv with any questions.
She sweeps away the holographic projection in frustration and begins to pace about the house, stepping around the scoured contents of shelves and drawers strewn about the floor. She eventually drifts up the stairs towards the echoes of the destructive search.
One of the soldiers meets her at the top step with something small and silver hanging from his hand. “Ma’am, I think I found something from one of the children’s rooms.”
Isis frowns as the soldier hands her a silver chained necklace running through the end of a dark rectangular piece of flat metal. Useless― her heart nearly jumps out of her chest when her eyes catch sight of a series of gray symbols on the necklace, her frown disappears as fast as it came on and she drops the mug she was carrying out of surprise. She brings the necklace close to her face and inspects the symbols. “Ancient?”
The soldier relaxes a little and nods his head. “That’s what I was thinking ma’am. I picked it up with the detector so it may even be active.”
A small but genuine smile forms on her lips. “Okay we’re done here.”
*****
Isis hurries from the house with long strides towards her levitraft. Just as she passes an uninhabited house a blur shoots out from the side and smashes into her. She jumps back and tightens the grip on the necklace in her hand while registering the blur as a scrambling young, human boy. Her anger flares immediately and one of her soldiers grabs him roughly by the arm as soon as he jumps up. She glares down at the skinny child and with some satisfaction she sees him shrink away. Pathetic human…
“What are you doing out here boy?” Isis asks coldly.
“Umm… errrr, aaaaa.” The boy looks around frantically for inspiration before his gaze finally rests at his feet.
“Hey!” Isis snaps. “What are you doing?”
The boy winces and keeping his head turned down, he looks up at her with his eyes. “Making breakfast?”
Isis shakes her head. Unbelievable… “Scan him anyways.”
The soldier with the Aether detector approaches him and points the handheld device connected to his large pack at the boy, causing the child to clamp his eyes shut and noticeably shake. The soldier pushes a button on the top of the device where a red bar flashes and beeps. He tries it a few more time with the same results. The boy slowly opens one eye and then the other, puzzlement falls over him. He looks down at his body and tentatively pats himself in several areas.
The soldier shakes his head and frowns. “No Aether Ma’am. I’m not even getting a reading.”
Isis shakes her head in disgust. Wow, a true gem among the cattle… Isis returns her cold stare to the boy. “Alright human, get out of my sight!” She jerks her head to the side and the soldier holding the boy tosses him into a pile of rubble.
*****
“It’s ancient alright,” says a svelte Erohsian scientist, with bright blue eyes and cropped blond hair. “And it’s in amazing condition.” He stands up from a lab bench where the orphan’s necklace is lying under a light on a flexible arm.
“Can you tell me anything about it, Alec?” Isis asks, as they walk through the lab.
“Come on Isis, what do I look like, a miracle worker?” Alec asks.
“Well I thought you were smart and I don’t say that often. Maybe I was wrong?”
“Oh please, you’re just egging me on now.”
“What? Are you not up for the challenge?”
“Trust me Isis, I need no motivation to look into something like this,” Alec says while rolling the piece of metal in his hands. “You just need to understand that this is an incredibly rare piece and a majority of the ancient technology I’ve seen were inert, so it’s going to take some time. But I can tell you this: compared to the four know active pieces similar to this one, it’s in superior condition. I have a feeling this piece is going to open up a whole new door for us.”
“Is there anything you need that will speed up the process?”
“Besides the equipment I’ve been asking you for?” Alec thinks for a second. “Well considering the condition of this piece, it must have been kept in a vault or a semi sealed area, so naturally you could expect there to be more treasures of the sort, which could increase funding and accelerate the deciphering process. Where did this come from?”
How could a bunch of orphans get their hands on this? “I need time to figure that out. For now see what you can do. I’ll be back later.”
“Yes Ma’am!” Alec says with a mock salute.
Isis shakes her head with a smile, turns on her heals, and quickly walks out.
After a ride in an elevator from the depths of the military headquarters, she arrives back in her office with the orange light of the sunset playing against her walls. She sinks into her seat and calls Lt. Co. Phillips. “Phillips what’s the status on the search around New Lur?”
“Colonel, we’ve been trying to reach you. We haven’t found the suspect but we picked up his trail leaving the old industrial district and I’ve sent a full platoon to follow. We also traced a faint essence signature through the old industrial district and found five empty canisters in what appears to be a hideout filled with a collection of junk from around the area. The canisters have no Erohsian markings and look to be similar to what the terrorist have used. We compared several hair samples we found with our database and learned they belong to orphans registered to Fae Underwood.”
“Tell me you haven’t pulled out or that you found the rats…”
There is a slight pause from Phillips. “Sorry Ma’am, as soon as my platoons finished searching the town and the industrial district, I set up patrols of the eastern area as you requested.”
Damnit! I shouldn’t have been so careless… Two problems could be solved if I find these children. “Alright Phillips, get soldiers back there immediately and monitor Underwood’s house. Expand your patrol East of New Lur, the coast, and in between Sunta. There’s no way to know where these orphans could have gone but I doubt they’re stupid enough to go through the forest. I want them to bring in everyone they find and I don’t care what rules they have to break… Do you understand Phillips? I want those humans!”
“Yes ma’am!”