Earthfall by Rhett C. Bruno

Author:Rhett C. Bruno [Bruno, Rhett C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781682303245
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2016-12-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN—CASSIUS

All of This Is for You

“Goodbye, Creator,” ADIM said into Cassius’ ear. They were words he’d heard hundreds of times before, but never had ADIM been the first to utter them. It made Cassius’ chest sting in a way he thought it no longer could, like the first time he bid farewell to Caleb before his human son went off to try and fix Earth.

It won’t be like that, Cassius told himself before he responded: “Goodbye, ADIM.” As soon as he said the words the feed went quiet, another oddity since usually it was him who deactivated the com-link.

There was no doubt that ADIM’s strategy was logical. The truth was that Cassius hadn’t planned for what would happen after he split apart Earth with Gravitum Bombs like he had Kalliope. What followed he’d always intended to leave in the hands of the Circuit. It was a dangerous proposition, one which clearly made ADIM uncomfortable. My creation after all, Cassius thought, holding back a smirk.

He stared through the viewport of the White Hand. The stars were the only source of illumination, as everything but the command console beside his seat was deactivated. After being hit by a rail on his approach to the Ascendant, the main energy line for the White Hand’s engines was severed, forcing him to divert power from the rest of the ship’s systems to be able to outrun the Tribune.

He could only hope that Sage was safe, since neither she nor Talon were answering on the established com-link channel. She also wouldn’t respond to the messages he’d transmitted through their twin HOLO-Recorders. His scanners did manage to pick up the Vergent ship Monarch retrieving her before he switched them off, but that didn’t mean she’d escaped the Tribunal fleet.

There was no time to blindly seek out the Vergents in the vastness of space. As it was the White Hand had taken more damage than Cassius could ever recall. The shot from a rail-gun came inches from crippling the engines, and had torn open a portion of the rear hull. With the power required to utilize the plasmatic shield impaired, the entire ship was peppered with holes and scorched by errant missile fire. Cassius’ own arsenal of weapons was low from having to destroy at least six fighters before he was in the clear.

They weren’t the results Cassius expected when he, ADIM, and Sage devised their plan, though it did successfully buy him the time he and the Ceresians needed, as well as provide him with a realistic explanation for having a Gravitum Bomb.

He reached up and switched on the com-link in his left ear, connected to his lesser androids on Ennomos. “My Creations,” he said. “I will be arriving at Ennomos in approximately four days. I expect the bombs to be ready upon my arrival. Prepare them for transport.”

“Yes, Creator. Preparations are set to be completed approximately one hour before your arrival.”

Just in time. His attack on Benjar had bought them exactly enough time, otherwise he’d already be on his way to conquering Pallus.

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