Chapter Two: [Hammer/Sickle]
Roland stared at the Matrix feed, his eyes burning, willing it to be a lie. They had swept the Matrix many times and had found the same results every time.
Morpheus…dead. Niobe…dead. Ghost…dead.
"Call Sparks," he ordered. "Find the Logos. We'll need that ship. Maggie, how's Bane doing?"
"No change yet, sir."
His eyes were red.
"I told them this would happen." Sparks said softly. "I always told them. But they never listened to me."
"Sparks," AK said patiently. "I feel for you, but we're coming to get you. Where's your ship?"
Sparks glanced to the side. "We're in an out-of-the-way spot down main line 32C. And get here quick, Squiddes are swarming all over the place."
"Alright," AK said. "Sparks?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
"Yea?" Sparks asked. "You know what? So am I."
He terminated the connection.
"Sir, we're coming up on the Logos."
Roland rubbed his eyes, suppressing a yawn.
"Bring us in."
The Hammer set down next to the Logos, lowering the door. Roland walked out, AK and Maggie walking after him. They climbed into the Logos. Sparks still sat at the operator's chair, staring at the Matrix feed. AK and Roland headed for the cockpit. Maggie glanced over and saw that it was a replay of the highway disaster.
"Right here," Sparks said, his throat raw, pausing the playback. The picture showed a young women yelling into a cell phone, as Trinity approached form the left on a bike.
"If I had been a little faster," he said. "Pressed the call button a little sooner…They could still be alive."
"Sparks," Maggie said. "You can't blame yourself."
Sparks slammed his fist into the keyboard, continuing the play. The two of them watched in silence as the car lost control and slammed into Niobe's vehicle.
"It is my fault," he said. "Nothing can change the fact that I wasn't fast enough, that I wasn't good enough. Maybe someone else could have saved them…but I couldn't. And now…"
He broke off, waving his hand to indicate where the bodies lay covered in sheets.
"It's working fine," AK said. "We've come up with a plan."
"If the Logos goes first," Roland continued, "We can punch an EMP here, at their weakest point. If we're lucky, the Hammer can get through the army. Now I have to ask one of you to undertake this mission…"
"I'll do it," Sparks said. "I've got no reason not to."
Roland nodded.
"I'm going with him," Maggie said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"You'll need someone to help you," she explained. "I can drive better, anyway."
"That was a long time ago-" Sparks began to say angrily.
"Dammit, Sparks, I'm not going to let you drive off and kill yourself so easily. You want to die, I'm dying with you. Anyway, what's the difference between dying here and dying in Zion? Either way, we're just as dead."
The intercom beeped.
"Sir? Bane's waking up."
"What's his status?"
Roland leaned against the bulkhead tiredly.
"He claims he doesn't remember anything."
"That's a load of bullshit."
"I know. Watch him, will you?"
"Yes, sir."
Maggie hit the power button, and the Logos rose onto its generators.
"Ready?" she asked, turning to Sparks. He nodded.
"Charge the EMP."
Sparks flipped open the EMP casing and put his hand on the switch.
"Let's go."
Maggie pulled the Logos into the air and shot forward. They zoomed past the smaller, slower Hammer and towards the Sentinel army, the Hammer close on their tail.
"Get ready," Maggie said. Sparks nodded again. They came out of the small pipe into the main pipe of the sewer system. Sentinels immediately spotted them and swarmed towards them.
"Here they come," Maggie said. "Hold fast."
"Lead them away!" Sparks yelled. Maggie turned left and shot towards the edge of the formation, Sentinels trailing after her.
"NOW!" she yelled. Sparks slammed the EMP. The blue light swept through the cavern, knocking Sentinel's to the ground. Maggie turned in time to see the Hammer shoot through the pipe and past the Sentinel army.
The Logos began to fall.
"Get to the back," Maggie yelled. They ran for the rear of the ship, but it was too late. The ship slammed into the rock wall, crushing the cockpit and throwing them from their spots into the Core. Then the Logos began to roll down the side of the tunnel. When they finally came to a stop, Maggie opened her eyes and looked down. She was covered in blood.
"Sparks?"
"We made it!" Roland shouted. Everyone cheered. "Call Zion. We'll need gate three open."
AK nodded and turned to his task. He reached for the console, but the lights onboard flickered and died.
"That maneuvering must have blown a fuse," Roland said. "Mauser, go check it."
"Yes, sir," he said, rising from his seat and heading downstairs.
"Here," he called, weakly. Maggie crawled over to find him.
"They made it," she said, taking his hand in hers. "They'll be coming for us soon."
Was that the clank of metal outside or just her imagination?
"I know."
"Sparks?"
"What?"
That was definitely something outside.
"It wasn't your fault."
"It was."
Sparks felt water touch his cheek and saw Maggie crying softly. He reached up and brushed a tear away from her eye.
"Hey," he said. "It's not your fault."
"I just wish I could have made you see reason before now."
There was a loud crash from outside, and the unmistakable buzzing sound of flying Sentinels.
"It's not too late," Sparks said. "Not yet."
Maggie leaned down to kiss him. There was a sudden increase in the buzzing from outside, a loud ripping sound and cold air flooded into the ship. Maggie broke her kiss and looked up, straight into the cold, red eyes of a Sentinel.
"Goodbye, Sparks."
"Goodbye."
Mauser slammed the fuse back into its housing and turned it sideways.
"Got it," he said, as strong hands encircled him from behind.
"Mister Aragon."
"What?" Mauser said.
"I remember you…a small little thing. Frightened, scared, like a rodent. You agreed to help us almost right away…but that Niobe tricked us, and you got away."
"Bane? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. It won't matter much longer anyway."
Mauser slammed his foot backwards into Bane's stomach. Bane gasped and let go. Mauser turned and slammed his foot into Bane's head, knocking the man over. Bane fell to his knees, grabbing a shard of glass.
"Bitch," Mauser said, cocking his foot back. Bane shot up, grabbing Mauser's side and slamming the glass into his neck. Mauser coughed once and fell, clawing at his throat. Bane placed his foot on Mauser's neck and pressed down until the rebel stopped struggling.
"Sir?"
"Yes, AK?"
"Zion confirms that it will open gate three for us when we are within range. They want us to punch the EMP as soon as we get there. Locke wants to talk with you."
Roland sat down in front of the view screen. "Yes, sir?"
"Captain Roland. Have you heard from Niobe?"
"Sir…"
"What is it?"
"Niobe was killed attempting to contact Morpheus."
Locke opened his mouth in shock, quickly covering his surprise and looking away. His fist clenched.
"I always knew he would be the death of her…When he gets back here…"
"Sir, Morpheus is dead too, as is Ghost, Sparks, and my medic, Maggie. We haven't heard from the Neb, but we assume the rest of them still live."
"Hurry to Zion," Locke said, ignoring Roland. "Or there won't be anything left to save."
Colt slammed the door to his room shut and sat on his bed, head in his hands. Headaches sucked, and this was one of the worst ones.
"Hello."
Colt looked up. Nothing. He shrugged.
A hand grabbed his shoulder. He whirled around and saw Bane. Bane slammed his hand into Colt's stomach and smiled. Colt was washed away by darkness.
"Sir, I can't find Colt or Mauser."
"We'll, have you checked the fuse area?"
"Not yet."
AK let himself down the hole, and spotted Mauser's corpse.
"Jesus H. Christ…" he whispered.
He turned around to spot Colt.
"Colt, thank God. I found Mauser!"
Colt grabbed him and pushed him back to the wall. Bane appeared from around the corner and walked forward, smiling evilly.
Roland saw AK and Colt enter the Core.
"You found him?"
AK nodded. Colt began to laugh. The door swung open and Bane entered, holding a plasma rifle.
"What the hell?" Roland asked. Bane fired.
"Commander Locke."
"Yes?"
"We have an entry at point one-seventeen."
"Tell Mifune."
"I already have."
"How long til the Hammer gets here?"
"Twenty minutes."
"This will be tight."
The Hammer, now controlled by the three real-world Smiths, continued its flight toward Zion. Bane looked over at Colt and smiled. The three erupted into eerie laughter.
"Mister Anderson…"