Time Reavers Read online

  Nicole let the trunk go. It fell through the air, picked up speed, then arced towards the forest where it reset. She fell onto her butt and cradled her aching head.

  “Dat vas amazing!” Melanie said.

  “Well done,” Rüdiger said. “You’re more powerful than I realized.”

  “Thanks,” Nicole said. She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath.

  High above, Daniel scrambled over the edge.

  Rüdiger cupped his mouth. “What do you see?”

  A silhouette looked down from Watchtower’s battlements. “The door into Watchtower is blocked! I’m going to have to make room and clear it! Stand back!”

  Rüdiger helped Nicole to her feet. They backed away to the clearing’s edge.

  The silhouette peeked over the edge again.

  “Hey, ladies! You might want to turn around when I do this! It’s not pretty!”

  Daniel vanished from view.

  “What’s he talking about?” Nicole asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Rüdiger said.

  A large, dark shape flew over the battlement, backlit by the morning sun. On the way down, Nicole caught a glimpse of metal segments and a dozen legs. The broken sentinel reaver plummeted down and crunched against the ground.

  Rüdiger shook his head. “I suppose that answers a lot of questions, though not the way I’d hoped.”

  Daniel tossed another shape over the battlement. Nicole saw four limbs and a head before the man’s corpse hit the ground with a wet squelch.

  “Mein Gott. Sind sie ganz tot.”

  Melanie turned away. Daniel threw corpses over the side one after another. Men, women, and reavers landed in a grotesque pile at Watchtower’s base.

  After several minutes of bloody work, Daniel looked down from the battlements.

  “Okay! I can finally swing the door open! I’m heading in now!”

  He disappeared from view.

  Despite his cool composure, Rüdiger let out a shuddering sigh. Nicole caught his eye. He smiled sadly at her.

  “Some of the faces I recognize,” Rüdiger said.

  There was nothing Nicole could say to that, so she didn’t try.

  “You okay?” Amy asked.

  “Honestly?” Rüdiger asked. “No.”

  Several more minutes passed. Nicole kept expecting to hear a reaver roar from within Watchtower, but the tower was silent. None of them said anything, each lost in their own morbid thoughts. Nicole couldn’t help wondering if she’d end up just like the Watchtower guards. Would any of them survive this?

  Something behind the Watchtower door moved with a grinding stone-on-stone sound, following by a series of loud clicks. The heavy black door rose. Daniel ducked out into the open, his hands stained red. He looked at the pile of corpses outside.

  “The inside is worse,” Daniel said. “Come on. You should see this.”

  Nicole stepped in after Daniel. Watchtower was divided into several floors with a staircase winding around the periphery. Human and reaver blood covered nearly every surface. Some bits of gore were still recognizably human, like a hand and part of a face. Others could have been cuts in a slaughterhouse.

  Nicole pulled her turtleneck over her mouth. The sewage and sulfur stench of reaver blood overpowered everything else. She swallowed some bile back down her throat and breathed through her mouth.

  “Follow me,” Daniel said. “The poor bastards didn’t stand a chance.”

  They walked down the stairs to the first basement. Reaver corpses covered the floor, mostly drones and pieces of creepers, though some parts might have belonged to a hive lord. Nicole spotted a pile of black rock atop a raised plinth in the center of the room.

  “What happened to the tunnel?” Rüdiger asked, pointing to the plinth.

  “Someone sealed it,” Daniel said. “Probably the reavers after they were done.”

  “Why do you think that?” Rüdiger said.

  “Because this is how they entered Watchtower,” Daniel said. “There’s another collapsed tunnel on the roof. The reavers must have dug that one. I think most of the tau guards retreated to the roof after the initial attack in the basement only to be ambushed up there.”

  Melanie looked ready to throw up. She put a hand over her mouth and ran upstairs.

  “Why are you showing us this?” Rüdiger asked.

  Daniel pointed to the collapsed tunnel. “Because reavers used a tunnel that connects directly to Chronopolis!”

  Nicole felt her stomach churn. She staggered towards the stairs.

  “Look, let’s finish this outside,” Daniel said. “Come on, Rüdi. Outside!”

  Nicole sprinted up the stairs and into the open. She lowered her turtleneck collar and sucked in the fresher outdoors air. Melanie leaned against a tree, holding her stomach and looking pale. Amy walked out with the others, holding it together fairly well.

  “It’s clear there’s nothing we can do here,” Daniel said. “We need to head to Chronopolis, and that means the Greek Road.”

  “I disagree,” Rüdiger said.

  “You what?”

  “I think we should head for Ludwigsburg Castle.”

  “Why? Because of Nicole’s dreams?”

  “Partly,” Rüdiger said. “The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced we’re dealing with a second borehole.”

  “Oh, come on!” Daniel said. “You can’t be serious!”

  “I am very serious.”

  “That theory is nothing but hysterical end-of-the-world nonsense. Even without the seal, the borehole doesn’t connect reaverspace and the real world.”

  “But it could.”

  “Would one of you please tell us what you’re talking about?” Nicole asked.

  “De vorst case scenario,” Melanie said, walking over but still looking pale. “De doomsday scenario.”

  “It’s where reavers build a second borehole,” Rüdiger said. “And connect their world directly to ours.”

  “Come on, Rüdi. If the reavers could have built a borehole they would have done so long ago. The Chronopolis original is thousands of years old. It couldn’t have taken them that long to copy it. Do you really think the reavers are that stupid?”

  “Wait a second,” Nicole said. “Why would this be bad? Sure reavers are nasty, but if they spilled out into the real world they wouldn’t be so impressive. You know, tanks, machine guns, laser-guided bombs. They wouldn’t last a day.”

  “And what about reavers that can tau shift like Daniel?” Rüdiger asked.

  “I… oh… I didn’t think of that.”

  “No defense in the world could stop them. They would kill every man, woman, and child on the planet. Babies with throats slashed in their cribs. Women gutted before they can turn around. Even the world’s best soldiers would be sliced to pieces, ambushed by horrors that emerge from nothing. What could a few thousand tau guards do against that?”

  “I see…”

  “Even if we went to Ludwigsburg, what could we do?” Daniel said. “If Nicole’s right and there’s an army of reavers building a borehole, then you’re asking us to march to our deaths. What good would come of it?”

  “We must see whether the second borehole exists,” Rüdiger said. “And if it does, we must determine how close it is to completion.”

  “Look, this is all fine, but we have our orders,” Daniel said. “All tau guards must return to Chronopolis as quickly as possible. That has not changed. You can give your theories to the triple-C when we get there.”

  “The five of us will not tip the balance of any battles at Chronopolis,” Rüdiger said.

  “And we could get ourselves killed if we go to that castle!” Daniel said. “We have our orders. We’re returning to Chronopolis and that’s final.”

  “Again with your orders.” Rüdiger shook his head. “Always so quick to fall back on that excuse.”

  “It’s called being dependable. Something you don’t know anything about.”

  “At least I’ve never
taken a human life. And if I had to, I’d at least have the decency not to kill the man in his sleep.”

  Daniel nearly pulled his sword out of its sheath before catching himself. For a moment, Nicole saw that cold look of determination on his face, the same look she glimpsed in his condo when she’d been caught snooping through his belongings. It vanished behind an angry scowl. Rüdiger held one hand behind his back, a fireball conjured in his palm.

  “Damn it, Rüdi!” Daniel said, sheathing his half-drawn sword. “You pick the worst times to bring up old crap!”

  “Verdammt arrogante Männer!” Melanie shouted, hands on hips and glaring at both of them. She launched into an angry German tirade. Nicole might not have been the best student in her German class, but she knew plenty of swear words. Every other word out of Melanie’s mouth was something like Scheiße or verdammt or Aschloche. She even said something about pulling down their pants and measuring. Rüdiger turned away and winced. Daniel looked on, completely dumbfounded.

  Silence fell after her speech. Nicole wondered where this argument would have ended had it only been Rüdiger and Daniel.

  “Melanie, please,” Rüdiger said. “If you would just—”

  “You can fight again! But I vill not patch you up dis time!”

  Slowly, Daniel let go of his sword hilt.

  Rüdiger let the fireball fizzle into blue smoke.

  “We weren’t going to fight,” Daniel said. “We’re… we’re just all on edge. That’s it. Right, Rüdi?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Anyway, Nicole, Amy, and I won’t be going to Ludwigsburg,” Daniel said. “If you want to separate and go alone, you’re welcome to it. I won’t stop you.”

  Rüdiger grimaced. “Give us a moment.”

  The German cousins stepped to one side and spoke swiftly in their native tongue. It was too fast for Nicole’s high school language skills to tell her anything beyond Melanie’s continuing penchant for swearing.

  After a few minutes, Rüdiger and Melanie walked back.

  “We have decided to accompany you to Chronopolis,” Rüdiger said.

  “Great,” Daniel said. “Well, let’s head back to the train station and—”

  “I’m not going,” Nicole said.

  “You what?” Amy said.

  “You, you, you…” Daniel stammered. “What do you mean you’re not going?”

  “I decided I’m going to the castle,” Nicole said, glad her voice didn’t crack.

  “But… but what the hell? Why?”

  “Like Rüdiger said, it’s important. More than that, I know it is. I can feel it. There’s something big in Ludwigsburg, and I’m going with or without you.”

  “But aren’t you afraid?”

  “Of course I am, Daniel!” Nicole said. “How could I not be? The reavers terrify me. I’ve lost count of how many times they almost killed me and Amy. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in days. I’ve been killed twice in dreams that feel so real I can’t tell the difference. I am dreadfully afraid, but I also know this is something we have to see through. Ludwigsburg is important, maybe not in the way Rüdiger thinks, but we have to go there and see for ourselves. So I say screw your orders and come with us.”

  “You don’t know what happens to guards who disobey orders,” Daniel said.

  “People like Daniel are sent to kill them,” Rüdiger said.

  “Oh, shut up already!” Daniel said.

  “Rüdiger, cool it, all right,” Nicole said. “Come on, Daniel, are you with us?”

  “I… I…”

  Nicole stared straight at him with what she hoped was steely confidence.

  “Come on, Daniel,” Nicole said. “We need you.”

  Daniel sighed. “Ah, damn it. All right, but let it be known I think this is a horrible idea.”

  “Duly noted,” Rüdiger said.

  “All right. Fine!” Daniel said. “Then let’s get moving. Rüdiger, would you drop us out of here?”

  “Certainly,” Rüdiger said. When Daniel’s back was turned, he winked at Nicole.

  Nicole felt a tingle at the base of her skull. The Watchtower vanished.

  * * *

  On the path back to the train station, Nicole and Amy fell behind with Melanie.

  “So what’s the deal with Rüdiger and Daniel?” Nicole asked when they were far enough back.

  “Long story short?” Melanie asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Daniel killed Rüdiger’s brother. His name vas Jörg.”

  “Oh my God, you’re serious! Why would he do such a thing?”

  Amy whispered in her ear, “Maybe your boyfriend is a bit of a psycho.”

  “Not now, Amy!”

  “He vas ordered to,” Melanie said. “Daniel is von of Viktor Surikov’s assassins. All tau shifters are automatically assigned to de triple-C Overvatch, and Viktor Surikov commands dem.”

  “Triple-C?”

  “Chronopolis Central Council. It’s de city’s ruling body.”

  “I see. So what happened when Rüdiger found out?”

  “He almost killed Daniel. And vice versa. Fortunately, I vas able to stop de fight and heal deir vounds. Dey actually get along pretty good now, considering de past, don’t you tink?”

  “I can’t believe Daniel would do such a thing.”

  “It is not too hard to believe.”

  “Wait a second. Doesn’t that mean Daniel killed your cousin?”

  “Ja, but Jörg was an idiot.” Melanie shook her head. “No disrespect to de dead, but Jörg openly opposed triple-C. Sabotage even. He believed in us intervening in the rest of de vorld, just like Rüdi does. I vorry dese days. Rüdiger valks a dangerous line. I’m amazed Viktor hasn’t ordered him killed.”

  “Really?” Nicole said. “Wow. Is this sort of thing normal in Chronopolis?”

  “It is not as bad as it vas a decade or so ago. But ja, it is common.”

  “Giant killer insects invading our world and we’re still killing each other,” Nicole said. She shook her head sadly. “How very human.”

  “Vell put.”

  Chapter 12

  Oblivion Boundary

  The public bus drove through the city of Bietigheim on its way to Ludwigsburg Castle. From the back, Nicole stared out the window, watching the city pass by in disjointed patches of new and old architecture. She did her best to ignore Daniel, who sat crammed next to her.

  “You know, I’m beginning to think you’re mad at me,” Daniel said in his twentieth attempt to start a meaningful conversation.

  “What gave you that impression?” Nicole asked.

  “I don’t know. The glum attitude. The short answers. The fact you haven’t looked my way the whole trip. You know, small stuff like that.”

  “Maybe you should take a hint.”

  “Or maybe you should tell me what’s bothering you,” Daniel said. “Come on. I’ll tell you some cool stuff if you do. You want to know what they keep in Area 51? I snuck in once. It’s not quite as tentacled as I’d guessed, but it was still pretty cool.”

  Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes.

  “Or how about—”

  “Stop trying to impress me. I don’t care.”

  “Ah, come on. Don’t be like this.”

  Nicole turned to him and whispered, “You really want to know why? Okay, answer me this. How many people have you killed?”

  “Oh, so that’s what it’s about.”

  “Yes, that’s what it’s about. How many?”

  “Well… I don’t really know. It’s not like I’ve kept count.”

  “That’s horrible!”

  “Look, I’m not proud of what I do, but I’m not ashamed of it either,” Daniel said. “It’s messy work, but someone has to do it. Every society has its disruptors, and when those people can set you on fire with a thought or slit your throat before you blink, the response has to be harsh.”

  “Oh, so they were all bloodthirsty criminals,” Nicole said, looking him st
raight in the eye.

  “Well… mostly…”

  “Mostly!”

  “Things are a lot better than they used to be. Back when I was growing up, political killings were pretty common.”

  “And were you an active participant?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “Good grief! How young were you when you started?”

  “Around eleven or twelve, I think.”

  Nicole shook her head in disbelief.

  “But things have really improved in recent years. You have to understand where these people come from. Do you remember reading about the so-called psychic gap during the Cold War?”

  “No, and what does that have to do with anything?”

  “During the Cold War, some people in the States thought the Soviets had developed psychic weapons and we were lagging dangerously behind. Like the bomber gap and the mineshaft gap.”

  “The what?”

  “Haven’t you ever seen Dr. Strangelove?”

  Nicole shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “You haven’t?” Daniel looked shocked. “Oh, you’re missing out! It’s a classic. It’s got lines like ‘You can’t fight in here! This is the war room!’ I love that part. It cracks me up every time.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “The end of the world.”

  Nicole shook her head. “Right. Very cheerful. Look, can you stick to stuff that actually matters?”

  “Okay, fine. As I was saying, the psychic gap was just one of the many shadows people jumped at back then. They had all sorts of crazy ideas, from super soldiers with psi powers to mind control howitzers and giant dowsing rods in space satellites. Only this scare had a grain of truth. Three out of every five tau guards are born in Russia. Heck, I’m descended from Russian immigrants.”

  “So you’re telling me Chronopolis was built by Soviets?”

  “Actually ‘founded’ is a better term. The city was already there when the Russians discovered it in the fifties.”

  “Okay. So what? The Cold War is over.”

  “The people who rule Chronopolis don’t care. They stopped being Soviets a long time ago. With the reavers to worry about and Chronopolis at their disposal, they formed their own society. All I’m saying is it pays to know where they came from.”