CHAPTER 64 – IRREDEEMABLE

DATE: JUNE 10th, 7 A.U. (AFTER UNIFICATION)

LOCATION: SOL SYSTEM, OUTER ASTEROID BELT,

UNKNOWN FACILITY, CODENAME: DOGHOUSE

AMBASSADOR VANESSA GARDNER

I really wish I’d brought my gun! Gardner thought miserably as she chased down the enemy honor guards.

One fired at her but missed in their haste, much to her relief. The pair of enemies had frustrated her efforts to attack thus far as they worked together to keep her at a distance. Anubis and Set traded blows near the center as they tested each other’s will and defenses.

“YOU HAVE GROWN WEAK IN YOUR TIME IN THE DUAT, ANUBIS. HOW AMUSING IT IS THAT YOUR STRENGTH NOW MATCHES YOUR WIT.” Set taunted.

“AND YOU HAVE GROWN EVEN MORE ARROGANT, AS IF SUCH A THING WERE POSSIBLE.”

Gardner lunged at the closer enemy she chased, only for them to dodge just outside of her range with a dive and a roll. She planted her feet in an attempt to pivot in the new direction as the enemy scrambled to their feet. Her shields flashed orange as a particle rifle shot landed with a heavy punch which knocked her off balance. She barely avoided falling as the enemy she had been so close to striking began to widen the gap once more.

Stay STILL ALREADY! Gardner thought as she nearly gave into the impulse to throw one of her curved sickle-swords at them.

My lady, calm yourself and think through your strategy. You have lost more than half your shield, and the particle rifles they wield will penetrate your armor! You forget you have powers, you must make use of them!

You’re right, this isn’t working. She thought as she dodged another shot by what seemed mere millimeters.

She ran in a zig-zag pattern to frustrate the enemy aim, though it slowed her pursuit enough to allow the pair to trade off running and shooting in an attempt to force her back. With a snarl, she clipped her sword to her belt and formed a powerful TK field with her open hand. She focused the focal point directly behind the farther enemy as they turned to fire.

With a yelp of surprise, the closer enemy was ripped from the deck and thrown into the wall behind them with a sickening crack. She then turned and summoned a smaller, more focused field which ripped the rifle from the other’s hands and into her own. Her opponent turned and dove for their fallen comrade’s weapon as Gardner shouldered her captured prize.

It is ON, asshole!

Gardner stared down the sights and pulled the trigger and her rifle bucked into her shoulder. The muzzle flashed brightly and her target’s chest exploded in a splash of gore that painted the back wall. She then turned to the first enemy who sat in a twitching heap and put them out of their misery.

“GUARD YOURSELF, MY LADY!” Anubis shouted.

Time seemed to slow as she turned towards the source of the warning. Her eyes widened in shock as a horizontal blade of null matter impacted and her shield flashed red and failed. The null matter dissipated around her in a shower of high-energy particles.

“YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME, SET!”

A second, vertical blade followed, which forced her backwards in a desperate attempt to dodge.

“QUIT YOUR SNIVELING, CUR! YOU’LL NEED TO FIGHT HARDER THAN THAT TO KEEP MY ATTENTION!”

Gardner’s mind caught up with reality as time snapped back to normal. The null matter strike impacted bisected the rifle in place of where her torso had been moments before. Sharp pain warred with disbelief as her left forearm sailed through the air away from her along with the front of the rifle as she spun to the ground and hit the deck.

Oh shit, oh shit… shit! She stared at the cauterized stump of her arm as she fought against the encroaching blackness.

TRAUMATIC INJURY DETECTED; SEVERED LIMB ADMINISTERING PAIN BLOCKERS

ADMINISTERING STIMULANT PACKAGE

ADMINISTERING RAPID COAGULANTS

COUNTERING SHOCK RESPONSE

NANO-REGENERATORS DEPLOYED

“YOU SHALL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS, TRAITOR!” Anubis roared as he smashed Set’s null matter shield with a brightly charged repulsion strike using his gravity hammer.

Set crashed into his throne with a heavy crunch with his shield flaring a deep orange. He laughed defiantly as Anubis leapt after him with a downward slash of his null matter scythe. Set summoned a shield to block it at the last second.

“IS THAT YOUR BEST EFFORT, CUR? YOU ARE PATHETIC! YOU COULDN’T SAVE OSIRIS, YOU COULDN’T SAVE RAH, AND YOU WILL WATCH, YOUR BODY AND WILL BROKEN, AS I TAKE YOUR FALSE ISIS AS MY CONCUBINE!”

Anubis responded with a lightning-fast series of savage blows in an attempt to break through Set's defense.

“YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING! WHAT YOU DID TO OSIRIS SHALL BE SEEN AS MERCIFUL COMPARED TO WHAT SHALL BE EXACTED UPON YOU!”

Set’s shield seemed to hold strong against the onslaught, which seemed to frustrate Anubis all the more. Large chunks of the throne were sliced away as Anubis’ blows went wide and were deflected, revealing a bright steel interior under the the thin, gilded veneer.

“YES! GET ANGRY, YOU MANGY CUR!”

Gardner tried to rise to her feet, but fell back onto her elbows at the reality of her missing hand and the horrors of Set’s threats sunk in. The pain, at least, seemed to remain at both an intense, yet increasingly manageable level as the pain killers kicked in.

Rise my lady, and fear not, we can regenerate your arm back in the Duat, but first you must survive this battle! Now focus and find a way to assist Anubis!

I’m… not sure I can do this… Flashes of being eaten alive tore at her consciousness as she was faced yet again with the reality of her own mortality.

You must survive! Resist the memories; you must regain control. Clear your mind and focus on your breathing. Ground yourself in the sensations of your living body. You are the rock at the center of the storm, remain strong, and this shall pass.

The familiar sound of gunfire nearby distracted her train of thought and filled her with a sense of hope again. At the same time, Anubis’ attack s slowed for a moment, as the sounds of battle grew louder. Set chose that same moment to strike with a kick that swept Anubis’ legs out from under him. In a flash, their roles were reversed, with Anubis desperately defending himself on the ground as Set attacked with a vicious fervor using dual summoned null matter blades.

No! Gardner struggled shakily to her feet as she considered her options.

The gunfire seemed to die down at last as well as the welcome sounds of heavy footfalls arrived at the massive metal doors. A memory flashed through her mind, crushing her hopes as she saw the thick steel bar that had been driven through the heavy duty rings which barred the door.

They’ll never break through that in time…

She looked back to the increasingly desperate battle with Anubis, as Set knocked the gravity hammer far out of reach off to one side and he stabbed mercilessly while Anubis rolled desperately to avoid getting hit. Heavy pounding on the door paired with muffled voices made it clear in that moment that she had to do something. She looked frantically around the room for ideas until her eyes settled on the carved up sections of Set’s throne.

Perfect.

With a wicked smile growing on her face, she lifted the largest, most jagged sliver of the throne with her telekinesis and threw it at Set with all her might. Set’s shield, weakened by the extended battle and the rough landing against the throne, sputtered and failed. His null matter blades dissipated as the spike penetrated deep into the thinner scaled armor covering the small of his back. Set let out a pained howl as he fell to his knees. Anubis wasted no time and slashed sideways with his null matter scythe. The blade cut cleanly through the armored mask above the shoulder, taking his head with it.

“SO ENDS THE FOOL WHO THOUGHT HIS HEAD FIT FOR THE CROWN. FITTING YOU WOULD FALL VICTIM TO YOUR POISONED PATH TO POWER.”

A great wave of relief fell upon Gardner as the adrenaline faded and her knees failed her.

“Fire in the hole!” Her radio crackled to life as Anubis rushed to her side.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“STAY WITH ME, MY LADY! WE MUST NOT LOSE YOU! I.. CANNOT LOSE YOU…” He yelled out as the heavy doors were blown from their hinges.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was Anubis framed in flames of the explosion kneeling to lift her in his strong, sturdy arms.

My hero… She thought weakly as the darkness took her.

MEANWHILE…

DATE: JUNE 11th, 7 A.U. (AFTER UNIFICATION)

LOCATION: SOL SYSTEM, LUNAR SURFACE,

ABOARD UTRN FIST OF THE ARGONAUTS

LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER OLIVIA SEYDOUX

Olivia walked down the corridor towards the CIC with her datapad cradled tightly under her arm. As she ducked through the constricted doorway, she was hit by a flash of a bittersweet, yet amusing memory of Paul crawling through the comparatively tiny opening. She couldn’t help but smirk and chuckle lightly to herself before the thought soured.

That asshole had better come back to us safe and sound...

The fondness behind the thought surprised and confused her. She suppressed the feeling with a clench of her teeth and a crinkle of her nose.

We... can deal with *that*… later. She thought with quiet intention as she took a deep breath and rounded the corner.

“Sensors, I need that update on that spy satellite before it orbits out of communications range!” Commander Cutter’s gruff voice reverberated from down the hall.

“Aye, Captain, we’ve achieved geosync orbit over the target area… sending the pictures now.”

“Good. Ops, give me a status update on the heat dump.” The Captain ordered without skipping a beat.

“Right on schedule, sir. We’re drilled into the bedrock; heat sinks are at thirty-two percent and dropping.” Olivia overheard as she entered the CIC.

“Officer on deck!” The Commander didn’t so much as move as she walked up behind him, engrossed as he was in reviewing the zoomed images that dominated his screen.

“Skipper.” Olivia said in greeting.

“Ah, good, you’re right on time. How’s the mission prep?” He asked.

“Preliminary briefings are done, ordnance is being prepped, the reactor is hot, and Firefly is ready and awaiting her targeting data.” Olivia replied matter-of-factly.

“Good… good. What in the hell?” Commander Cutter said as he flipped through picture after picture at an ever faster pace. “This can’t be right…. Have you seen Victor? I’m gonna need him to weigh in on this.”

“After the briefing, he'd mentioned he was going to get some rest.” Olivia stated. “Shall I ring him?”

“Go ahead.”

She nodded and opened the comm. After a few trills, she heard Victor’s voice fill her expanded consciousness through her neural implant.

“Ah, Olivia, and here I was just about to get some shut eye. No matter, what can I do for you, ma’am?”

“You feeling up for a walk? Skipper needs your input on the satellite imagery coming in.” She replied simply.

“Oh, come on, don’t treat me like some invalid, the bullets passed right through the gaps in the shoulder plates meant it hit the meat, not the bone. The way that xenotech is working its magic has me healing up real nice, thanks for asking.” The emphasis on the last sentence bordered on openly sarcastic.

“Vic…” Olivia said in a warning tone.

“Alright, alright, someone’s not in a mood for banter today, it seems. I’m not far, so I'll be right up.” Victor said before he abruptly disconnected the call.

“He’s on his way.” She said as she took her place next to the captain.

“Good, how’s his shoulder? We don’t need him for the orbital strike, but we very well might need him if Paul’s team needs support.” A stab of pain twisted through her at his words before she refocused herself.

Later… Stay focused… She admonished herself before she turned to reply.

“He’s got those nanomachines working on it, the doc assured me he’ll be ready for field work within the next few days. It’s astounding the rate his muscles have stitched themselves back together. My real concern is his mental state. I’ve never known him to be so… unnecessarily sarcastic.” Olivia replied.

“Give the man a break, he just lost his best friend. Lance assures me that he’ll rebound and will be back to the consummate professional we know before long.”

“Well, if that’s what he says, then I’m sure it must be so.” She replied with mild amusement.

“You’re sure of what, now?” A deep voice asked from behind her, causing her to jump.

She turned to see Victor standing with his arms folded while the Captain chuckled behind her.

Thanks, Skipper. You’re a great help.

“I’m sure that you’re going to recover just fine.” She said with her best smile plastered on her face.

“I will. Thanks for your concern.” He said before he turned to the Captain. “You got me up here, what do you need, sir?”

“You seem to have a real handle on this time period. I’m hoping you can shed some light on what I’m seeing here. I can’t seem to find any evidence of massed tent cities here that would be anywhere near the numbers that would help locate the tabernacle. I admit I'm a little lost.”

“You’re not going to. If there’s one thing that the archaeology has been able to show, it’s that the biblical narrative in the old testament did not at all track with the reality on the ground at that time.” Victor said as he moved in on the other side.

“Alright, what? Forgive me, I’m still fairly new to all of this. Here I was thinking I had been smart in hunting down a judges era map from the study bible we'd had saved in the cultural files in preparation for this strike... Help me out here.”

“Where to begin? Alright, so the majority of the old testament was written much later than the narrative would suggest, mostly in the post exile period. I’m not going to speculate on the motive, but I can say that the Joshua narrative is almost entirely mythologized bullshit. The idea of millions of people escaping Egypt is also patently untrue, as is the whole concept of a united monarchy period, at least as written. I'm not saying there wasn't a core of truth to it all, simply that it was expanded upon greatly later, and in a way that had more to do with literary needs than a commitment to historical reality. The proto-Israelite population in the area at the time would have been in the tens of thousands, maximum a couple hundred thousand.” Victor stated.

“So, they inflated the population numbers, that fits with what I am seeing here, but how would such a small group have been able to conquer so much territory from established civilizations?” Captain Cutter pushed back.

“Here’s the rub, the Egyptians ruled the whole area in the south, and the Hittites ruled the north until the destruction of much of Canaan by the sea peoples during the late bronze age collapse. Though that won’t be for decades from our estimated point in the timeline. The exodus, if it happened at all, would have had to have occurred between the battle of Kadesh around 1274 and the campaigns of Merneptah around 1208 BCE. Most of the sites described as being conquered in the bible were already destroyed centuries before or, more embarrassingly, simply didn’t exist until the iron age. Jericho for example, was destroyed by an earthquake nearly two centuries prior. The only settlement at the Jericho site in the appropriate time for a hypothetical Joshua figure to attack was a small un-walled settlement at the center of the old city. I remember reading that of the nearly thirty sites the bible claims Joshua destroyed, only two or three show any evidence of violent destruction in this time period. Hell, most of the areas, like those in the Beersheba valley, weren’t even populated during the late bronze age.”

“How the hell do you remember all this stuff?” Olivia asked as she tried to wrap her head around all the information.

“I’ve read a lot of books trying to discover the truth about our past, partly because I find it interesting. More importantly, I find the biblical archaeology mismatch puzzle to be the single most important unanswered question about our past there is. Having a neural supercomputer to help access long term memory and sort the intricate details also helps. Now, if I were the tabernacle, I bet it would be somewhere in this area…” Victor said as he moved in to take over the controls.

“I still can’t believe we’re really about to do this… Call it cultural programming, or whatever you like, but something still feels wrong about all this.” The Captain said as he ran his fingers through his hair with a distressed look.

Olivia put her hand on his shoulder in a show of support as Victor scanned the various settlements.

“Don’t fret too much about it, the proto-Israelites were henotheistic, not monotheistic, anyway, that much is clear from a deep read of the oldest parts of the bible. The later pro-Yahwist redactors couldn’t eliminate all traces of their belief in multiple gods during this time period. They wouldn’t become aggressively monotheistic until after the destruction of the first temple. They will have other gods to fall back upon in the meantime until we can roll through and liberate them from their delusions with facts and the promise of scientific and cultural progress.” Victor said in an almost manic tone.

I know these are our orders, I know they make sense… The evidence is overwhelming! So, why do I feel this way about them? Olivia thought as a shiver ran down her spine.

“Found it! You can forward this on to the strike team. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’m heading back to bed.” Victor stretched and yawned theatrically.

“No, that will be all, Chief, you’re dismissed.” The Captain said before he turned to Olivia. “You know your orders, now see to them.”

“Sir!” Victor replied with a salute. He offered one last glance at Olivia as he departed.

Shaking it off, Olivia turned to the captain. “I’ll get it done, Skipper.”

“I know you will, you always do. No matter our… personal feelings, the Captain is counting on us to get this done right.” His intense eyes seemed to see right through her.

In that moment, she knew that he understood, and he felt it, too.

Please… let us be doing the right thing…

With the silent moment taken to compose herself, she snapped off a salute and turned to exit the CIC. The bare bones of a flight plan were already forming in her head as she made her way to the Shadowhawk landing bay. She emerged into a flurry of activity as “Sniper” frantically worked off a checklist until a pair of ordnance techs arrived pushing a loaded cart.

“No! Not the thermobaric warhead! We’re trying to avoid unnecessary casualties! I told you to load two each of the two-fifty and five hundred kilo conventionals, did I not?”

“But Yulia said…” One of the ordnance techs complained before the weapons systems officer cut them off.

“Is she WSO? Ordnance is my department, and I expect what I order up to be what gets loaded up. I swear, sometimes that woman…”

“Sometimes she what?” Yulia asked as she jumped down from the upper level to land gracefully in the reduced lunar gravity. “I asked them to change out one of the five hundreds for a thermobaric. Isn’t the expression better safe than sorry?”

“Fine. Let’s load them up, but only because we’re running short on time.” He relented.

“Have I interrupted something?” Olivia asked in a bemused tone.

“No, ma’am!” A series of voices called out as her people stood at attention.

“As you were. Don’t let me stop you, as Sniper said, we’re on a tight timetable here.” Olivia said before she turned to Yulia. “Firefly, Sniper, if you would be so kind as to join me over here. We have the site photos and coordinates, and I’d like to finalize the strike plan.”

“Glad to, ma’am.”

Olivia inspected the face of her flight crew as the ordnance techs worked in the background to load the internal missile bays. Sniper looked cockily eager, as always, but Firefly looked troubled.

“Are you ready for this?” She began. Best be sure they’re in the right mindset.

“Just another mission, ma’am. I’m excited to finally get to blow some stuff up.” Sniper said with a cocky smile.

Olivia ignored it and bored her vision into Yulia’s face with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you want me to say? Victor already stayed behind with Lance to talk some more with us after you left. I understand the logic, and I’ll follow orders to the letter, but I am not going to hide the fact that I feel extremely uneasy. I come from a catholic family, it’s hard to shake the feeling that I am participating in a path that will doom us all to hell.”

I know what you mean. The words died in her throat. Olivia nodded slowly, knowingly, instead. What else is there to say?

With a heavy sigh, she pulled up the files on her datapad and forwarded them over to the wall display.

“Well, in that case, let’s begin.”