The Esoteric Design Read online

  “The weapon is mine and mine alone. It is an extension of myself. No one else can wield it but I, and you had best stop trying to break it into pieces.” The Sorcēarian stared menacingly at Lebedev.

  “If you say so.” Lebedev was at least smart enough to know not to argue with the mysterious man.

  “Can we go now?” Aria asked, stepping from one foot to another.

  “Where is it that you plan on going to?”

  “I am unsure of our next target. I need to speak to James, President Clarke, before we go anywhere.”

  “I like that Mr. Clarke.” Lebedev nodded. “I am glad you take orders from him instead of that bastard Walten.”

  “No offensive to the business owners, but Mr. Clarke has risked his life over and over again for his city. I would much rather lay my life on the line for a man as respectable as him, than for someone like Mr. Walten, even if he owns us all,” Aria stated strictly.

  “No offense taken. I wasn’t always a business man. In fact, I fought against Mr. Clarke many times in the past wars. You are right, he is respectable. One hell of a soldier. Killed half my platoon in one strike once. Boy, was I angry,” Lebedev laughed. “But I always wanted to meet the man under passive circumstances, play a good game of chess and talk war strategies.”

  The Russites were an odd breed that was for sure.

  “He’d probably like that, sir.” Aria smiled.

  “How about this? You give your Mr. Clarke a call. Get for me the detailed report of the recent attacks and a copy of your map projections, and then we’ll talk about your release,” Lebedev offered.

  “We do that, and you promise to let us go, then we got a deal.” Aria nodded.

  “Good. I want as much as a fair chance to win this war as anyone else. And believe me…I’m not going to keep any secrets. This is a time for the people to stick together, as much as I hate uniting with others. These things are not human. We’ve either got a race of monsters on our hands, or someone’s military isn’t playing by the rules.” He eyed Aria severely. “And don’t think that Bio-Tech is off the hook. The only involvement I want with the company will now be through you and Clarke only, understand? I want none of this to go to that bastard CEO, got it?”

  “Got it,” Aria agreed without hesitation.

  “Good. Now let’s get you out of this dingy cell, shall we?”

  Much to Aria’s surprise, the meeting with Lebedev went much better than anticipated. Lebedev was taking an enormous gamble by setting them free, and she and her team realized his confidence in them. Soon after the agreement was made, Aria and the others were finally allowed to return to their hotel where she promptly made a call to Mr. Clarke on her private line through her DNAIS. The private channels were always sketchy. It usually took a couple tries to get the call through, let alone get a good sounding reception. James Clarke, however, must’ve been waiting impatiently on the other side. After the first ring through, Aria was answered by a very harsh voice.

  “I’ve been waiting for hours. You were supposed to call me yesterday. I feared the worst,” James Clarke’s low voice teetered with annoyance.

  “I know. I’m sorry. We had a run-in with the Cherno military. They thought we were involved in the attack.” Aria sat on the bed of her hotel room, talking with her fingers behind her ear.

  “I had heard that they had some suspects. I figured you were captured. You’re lucky you weren’t shot on the spot, Aria. But, never mind that. The news is rolling with the destruction of Athenia. You know anything about that?”

  Aria groaned, grimacing at the thought. “That man, Euclid, was here. He was in the process of stealing an Electrostatic Frequency Tuner made by Elixis.”

  “What would he want with that?” Clarke asked darkly.

  “We’re unsure. I have a feeling it has to do with merging of the realms,” Aria said. She glanced at the frantic Ivory, who was quickly packing her and Aria’s bags.

  “Merging of realms?” James asked with an almost sarcastic tone.

  Aria watched Ivory effortlessly take down her weapon into dozens of tiny pieces. “It’s kind of hard to explain, sir. But we figure these things are alter-dimensional beings. It seems to explain the reasoning behind quickly transporting from one location to another across the planet without detection.”

  “Whatever you say,” he sighed, giving in to the illogical idea.

  “We were in the convention center at the time, trying to stop Euclid. He had opened some type of portal and stole the machine. At the same time, he had somehow pulled in a reactor core from a separate portal. It was very unstable. He was planning on using it to destroy Cherno, which you know the possible worldly damage that could be caused by the vastness of that kind of explosion. Luckily, we were able to push the bomb back into the portal from where it came,” Aria paused. “Apparently, the portal was linked to Athenia. The reactor core came from Athenia’s reactor, and once we put it back into place, it went off. That’s the reason why Athenia was destroyed.”

  “So this guy was able to magically pull Athenia’s reactor core out of thin air? You put it back into place, and it leveled Athenia?”

  “Yes, sir,” Aria said meekly. “But at the time, we had no idea where it had come from. If it had gone off in Cherno, it could have possibly destroyed the entire world. We had less than five minutes. It was the quickest solution.”

  “I understand that. I’m glad you were able to save yourselves and Cherno. There are always casualties in war; you know that. Though the death toll was massive, it was still less damage than the potential of the destruction of Cherno…and the entire world. Still, I have Mr. Walten high up my ass. He just lost the company he paid trillions of units for.”

  Aria cringed. “Yes, sir. I realized that.”

  “You had best get your asses out of there. As far as I know, Walten has no knowledge of your location, but he has promptly sent a team in to investigate the attack. He somehow knows the attack on Cherno and Athenia is linked.”

  “Why is he suddenly going behind your back on everything?”

  “I don’t know, Aria. It’s got me concerned for sure. I’ll keep playing dumb until I can find out more.”

  “Any idea where the next projected attack will take place?” she asked.

  “That’s another point I wanted to talk to you about. There was an assault on Pierre this morning. We haven’t heard much about it. It seems no one can make contact,” Clarke’s tone sounded very grave.

  “Did you know they were going to be attacked?” she asked with surprise. She received a concerned look from Ivory, which she waved away.

  “They were on the projected route. We did send a team in to protect the city.”

  “And?”

  “Nothing. We’ve heard nothing. We can only assume the whole team was lost.”

  “How is that possible?! The whole city? The whole military? Gone?” Aria shouted.

  “It was a poor city-state, Aria. They couldn’t fund the proper soldiers, and it seems that our team was unprepared. Like you said before, they are used to fighting humans, not monsters.”

  Aria was silent, debating on giving him the ‘I told you so’ speech.

  “And you and Troy are the top soldiers in the entire company. What can I say? You have the abilities when coupled together to be equivalent to a dozen soldiers.”

  “That’s because we were trained by the best, sir.” She gave a small smile.

  “Ha! Flattery, girl.”

  “I know, but it is true.”

  “If only I had a whole team with the work ethic of you and Troy. You know how to get down to business when it matters. I need more soldiers like you.”

  “Just keep them armed with EMP technology,” she said. After some hesitation, she continued, “Sir, in order for us to be let free, we had to work with Lebedev.”

  “Lebedev? Are you mad?” Clarke sounded angry. “Walten will surely flip a lid.”

  “Or we would have been thrown in prison. Or worse. Just bet
ween you and me, we have a partnership with Lebedev. Walten’s not to know about this. I had to share my weapon’s technology with him, which worked wonderfully, by the way; let Dr. Camery know.”

  “I will, and I will okay the advancement of funding for our fellow soldiers.”

  “Good; they need it,” Aria said. “And Lebedev has agreed to let us borrow his private jet to get to our next location. He has also given us a nice little armor package to help us in our battles as long as we keep him in the loop of things. Lebedev doesn’t want destruction, James. He wants the world to be safe.”

  “I get that. I want the same, Aria. Sadly, Walten owns and manages everything. I will do my best to keep things on the down-low, but please keep our top-secret technologies to yourself from now on,” he spoke quietly as if someone else was listening. “But I’m okay with this Lebedev. He was always a strong soldier. Always wanted to meet the man…and tell him sorry for killing so many of his soldiers over forty years ago.”

  Aria laughed. “He would like that, sir. He mentioned playing chess with you.”

  “Chess? Oh, he’s asking for punishment at that point,” Clarke chuckled.

  Aria smiled, feeling a bit relaxed for a change. James usually made her feel better.

  “I’m glad you are safe, Aria. Please be careful from now on. I’m pleased Lebedev is sharing with you. Next time you are home, we’ll have to get you some better defensive technology. I’ve already put in a work order with the lab.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Now, have fun in Saray, my dear.”

  “Saray?”

  “Next projected city-state. The attacks are increasing not only in intensity, but they are also occurring closer and closer together. I would like for you to depart ASAP. Tonight, there is a peace conference being held in the city square. There will be a peace treaty signing between Alijah Dizdarevic of Saray and Dario Benvenuto of Roma. They have been in constant war for nearly thirty years and have decided to end all conflicts based on the recent attacks around the world. It seems that the world is beginning to unify and realize there are greater threats to humanity. We feel an attack may occur during that time. Euclid and his army will not want cities to unite. He’ll most likely wish to drift everyone apart. With the cities hating one another all around the world, there are little our armies can do to protect each other from such violent attacks. Our goal is to ensure that the peace treaty takes place. With the help of Lebedev in the background and with the participation of Saray’s military, perhaps we can keep Saray and Roma safe.”

  “I understand.” Aria nodded.

  “Call me once you are in place.”

  “Will do.”

  “And Aria,” he hesitated, “stay safe.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  She ended the call, staring at the blinking numbers on her wrist.

  “Where are we going?” Ivory asked, dropping the two large luggage carriers onto the floor. She huffed, wiping a blonde strand out of her eyes.

  “We are off to Saray. We’re going to need a lot of armor. That place has been nothing but a battlefield for decades.”

  “Sounds…lovely.” Ivory frowned.

  Mr. Walten stared at his reflection in the window of his top story condo overlooking the City of Fountains. Slowly, he brought the crystalline glass to his lips, drinking the golden liquid inside. His caramel eyes moved to the shuffling reflection that entered the room.

  “Tell me you have some good news for me,” Walten said, quickly loosening his tie as he turned to face General Jeron Feyette.

  “The Elixis scientists have arrived safely. They are currently setting up their equipment in the lab.”

  “About damn time I received some good news. I really needed that building!” He slammed his glass onto his desktop and quickly refilled it. He didn’t hesitate to drink the contents and refill it once again. “Doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “It’s only a minor setback.”

  Jeron watched the CEO with emotionless eyes.

  “I have my scientists. They have their notes. They will just have to team up with Camery and start rebuilding the equipment that was lost. At least those menacing soldiers are out of the way now.”

  Jeron cleared his throat, interrupting the younger CEO’s raves. Walten turned his attention to the general, a shocked look on his face.

  “They are dead, correct?”

  “We have not been able to confirm that, sir,” Jeron answered in his baritone voice.

  “What do you mean, confirm? Haven’t all the bodies been identified?” he sneered.

  “So far, nobody has come up of anonymous origin. Seeing as the four had entered the city under false identities, there would be no way to identify the bodies. Everyone’s been accounted for, and all are legal Cherno residents and military,” Jeron replied.

  “And I assume you checked the military offices and prisons?”

  “Yes, sir. No anonymous beings were ever mentioned in the reports.”

  “Damn it!” Walten threw his glass across the room. It shattered into a hundred pieces against his rich mahogany wall. “Surely, those beasts would have murdered them brutally like they did to the men in Pierre. If not them, then the other military at least! I bet Lebedev is somehow involved in this secrecy.”

  “Would you like me to question Clarke?” Jeron asked with slight amusement to his voice.

  “No. Let me deal with Clarke. I want your men to keep a close eye on all private forms of communications. We can’t have those four ruining everything; I’ve already lost Elixis because of them. This is a delicate matter.” Walten turned to Feyette. His golden-brown hair was a ruffled mess from his constant running through. “I want those soldiers out of commission, you hear? I need that Sorcēarian and girl brought back to me. Understand?”

  Jeron saluted roughly to his advisor. Coldly, he replied, “Yes, sir.”

  "Dovian’s Portrait"

  Chapter 14

  Aria watched out the small window beside her leather seat of Lebedev’s private jet. In only twenty minutes, they were hovering over Saray–a city of stone and rounded architecture. It was a harsh contrast to Fountains, having an old-time feel rather than modern. Far below, on the dull landscape of browns and grays, she could see the blasts of gunfire and explosions of flame rupturing near the outskirts of the city. Even though Saray was about to negotiate a peace treaty, they continued their fighting. Most likely, the bullets would only cease after the papers were signed. Actually, it was kind of pathetic. No one really knew why Roma and Saray were still fighting. At this point, it was a matter of honor and reputation. A city-state didn’t go up against the Romas and expect them to turn their backs on a war. Two bullheaded countries were up against one another. It was possible the two would fight for the rest of time. But, if the two joined sides, they would certainly be a force to reckon with.

  Aria’s gloved fingers trailed over the black helmet in her hands. Lebedev was certainly more generous than he needed to be. He stocked the small group with their own sets of body armor and plenty of ammunition to help with the possible attack on Saray. And, with Saray being an ally of Cherno, Lebedev had also set up negotiations with Saray’s military to work with Aria and her team. No more sneaking around. This job should unfold much more professionally. It was certainly a relief.

  Ivory sat in her chair, fidgeting with her breastplate. She had insisted on wearing her helmet throughout the whole duration of the flight, her face completely hidden. With the technologies in the visor, she most likely was watching the ant-like vehicles on the land up close and personal with a data read on each one. Sporadically, her fingers would press against the small nodules on the sides of her helmet, selecting the different view modes and trying out the various tools. Despite the interesting technology, she was uncharacteristically quiet. Perhaps it was because she was feeling uncomfortable under Dovian’s icy stare. With eyes like that, he had a way of putting someone on the spot. Aria cleared her throat, gathering the Sorcēarian’s attention. His
cold eyes lifted to hers, his features relaxing a bit as he turned up the corner of his mouth into a gentle smile. Aria gave him a weird look, darting her eyes to Ivory. His smile flipped into a frown as he returned his gaze to the other woman who looked out the window with feigned interest. Then, he lowered his head and gave a small shrug. He apparently was still concerned about Ivory’s momentary personality shift in the holding cell.

  “Quite the battle going on down there,” Troy’s voice infiltrated the quiet cabin. He was sitting across from Aria, gaping out the window. He, too, was in his body armor which fit his form perfectly in a dark gun-metal gray, his helmet in his hands. “Hopefully, we don’t get dragged into it. We’re here for more important issues.”

  “Lebedev said he spoke with General Kovacevic. They are to assist us, and we are not to be involved in their squabble,” Aria said, glancing at the giant blast that took out an entire flanking fleet. These guys just didn’t know when to quit.

  “I won’t hesitate shooting one of the bastards if they so much as try to get in our way,” he muttered.

  “You’ll have plenty of monsters to shoot, I’m sure,” she said.

  “Not exactly something I’m looking forward to, but this armor definitely helps!” He moved his arms, testing the give and flexibility of his suit.

  Aria smirked and returned her stare out the window. “We’re landing. Brace yourselves,” she mumbled, watching the cracked and busted runway near as they descended.

  The plane rumbled intensely as the landing gear touched down, running over the bumps and holes on the paved surface. The group grabbed the armrests of their chairs, their bodies quaking violently. Slowly, the jet turned and parked near an old airport, the Saray military circling around the vehicle.

  “Come on, let’s make some friends,” Aria said, slipping on her helmet.

  Outside, the land was dry and sandy. Wild winds kicked up miniature dust devils, spiraling around the rough and tired looking Saraian soldiers. Aria and her entourage descended from the jet, weapons at the ready if needed. A man in a tattered uniform with makeshift armor decorated in scribbles of hash marks and names neared them.