Chapter Twelve: Ghosts and Machines
Allison stood amongst the massively cluttered belongings of Mister Cheng Yin. The man was no doubt a brilliant one as gadgets, gizmos and various other items and inventions were scattered throughout his home but despite his brilliance he was far from organized. She felt a bit awkward as she began going through his things often with no idea of what they were. Cheng had been one of the few citizens of City 12 that had agreed to leave. It'd been a day since she'd seen the soldiers outside the City wall and four more families had since joined their evacuation.
She held up each enigmatic device before the young scientist for his approval or rejection. He could only take with him what was absolutely necessary for survival and that meant only one box of belongings along with a bag or suitcase for clothing.
"That can stay here," Cheng said gesturing toward the invention Allison was holding, a strange device covered in coils and springs, "I know, I'll just bring my blueprints, that way I can remake the inventions."
"You make your own blueprints?" Allison asked picking up and eyeing another invention, this one an ordinary black box with a polished exterior.
"Put that down," Cheng insisted, "Do you want to lose an eye? Yes Miss Rogue I make my own blueprints, although I do have some that my Father passed to me. Some from Abstergo."
"Abstergo," Allison echoed absent-mindedly.
"Ah yes here they are," Cheng said coming out of a closet under the stairs with his arms filled with blueprints many of which fled his grasp as he tried to walk.
Allison rushed to the man's aid picking up as many of the furled blueprints as possible and setting them on the table momentarily. One of the documents caught her eye then. Without even thinking she threw aside the ancient seeming rubber band that kept it closed and unrolled it on the table. It was a more primitive version to be sure, perhaps even a prototype but she couldn't deny what she was looking at. Her eyes narrowed into angry slits that she leveled with devastating effect at Cheng. The poor man looked as if he was about to burst into tears. Allison loosened her visage and let her tightened fists go limp as she considered the document.
"Do you know what this is?" She asked with a hollow tone and Cheng nodded.
"My Father worked on it many years ago," Cheng replied, "They called it an Animus."
"They still call it that," Allison said rolling the blueprint up and eyeing a nearby Bunsen Burner. She flipped the burner on and a cold smile crossed her face as she put the blueprint close to the flame. Something in her stopped her though, whether it was some inner conscience or merely Cheng's distant-seeming insistence that she stop she didn't know. She rolled up the blueprint and tossed it into the box where Cheng was now placing the others. Destroying the blueprint for some archaic prototype wouldn't destroy her past.
"Cheng," She said softly as the man dashed to and fro in a frantic fuss, "About that sword you gave my boyfriend."
"Exquisite wasn't it?" Cheng chirped setting some dusty books into the box beside his blueprints.
"Where did you get it?" Allison asked fighting off the flashbacks.
"My Father gave it to me," Cheng replied, "It was a gift to him, he said, though he never told me who gave it to him. He told me it was very rare and that I should pass it on to someone as well. Since I have no children of my own I thought an assassin could make good use of a such a blade."
Julian dashed behind a nearby wall of a ruined building and listened to the rambling cries of the incoming zombies. He held the blade in his hand already wet with zombie blood. It was the sharpest blade he'd ever wielded and given it's out of this world origins he could understand why. He leapt out from behind cover now taunting the sightless demons with his presence. He dodged aside from a wooden palette struck by one of the slower zombies then dodged back the other way striking out with his sword at the fast zombie that barreled past him. He heard it cry out and hit the ground behind him with a thud. Now it was just him and the slow pokes, a half a dozen or so of the slower common zombie.
Julian calmed himself down and wiped the smile from his face reminding himself that these were human beings and that most of them were former residence of City 12. Still there was no denying that the work-out was doing wonders for his mental state. These were mindless monsters now, he decided, there was nothing left of who they used to be. And besides that if he didn't deal with them their group would never make it out of City 12 before the attack. That's what this little outing was all about after all, surveying the area to make sure they could make a clean getaway.
The zombies pressed in now. One lifted a rock and tossed it his way. Normally the spry assassin would have dodged to the side but instead he used his sword to slice the rock into pebbles. The smirk returned to his face as he rushed in hacking away zombie limbs as they grew in close before impaling one through the headcrab, swiping another's torso in two and then rebounding away just out of reach of the others. Of the four who remained only two had any arms and so Julian skirted past the harmless to cut down those that still remained a threat. He ran right past them and then spun swinging his sword to decapitate both of them and put them out of their misery.
Julian seen quite a few zombies in the two hours he'd spent scouting but he hadn't seen any Combine soldiers. That was precisely the reason he'd chosen this particular path to lead what was left of the City 12 Assassins, and any citizens that would tag along, to Hunter's Fall. Word had already reached Theta Prime. They would leave at the first light of dawn on the next day.
The assassin's ears suddenly perked up at the sound of nearby gunfire. He wondered if perhaps they were too late to flee and if the Combine were already breaching the walls. He sprinted toward the source of the noise scaling the city wall with ease and reaching the other side. He saw the source of the gunfire and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw several Resistance soldiers in conflict with zombies. A pack of fast zombies tore down the street evading the fire of the soldiers. Julian's eyes went wide when he saw the zombies make a turn towards the city proper. He could see that civilians were just a block or two away from the zombies.
The assassin had to act quickly, he leapt from the top of the wall to the closest rooftop the tips of his toes barely catching enough of the roof to keep going. He pressed on without thinking knowing instinctively the path he would take to get him ahead of the zombies. With ease unbelievable he leapt and swung using old broken power lines long dead to swing toward the building across from him and run along the wall before leaping toward another nearby roof. Once again barely making enough contact to maintain his balance he rushed forward with the summer sun beating down as he neared his targets.
The zombies were close to the civilians now but the assassin was closer. He leapt out in front of the fleeing citizens and cut down the first muscled fast zombie to smash itself into him. The next managed to flank him and clawed at his robes but the assassin moved quick enough to keep the zombies claw from even penetrating the cloth let alone his skin. He swept down with his blade clipping the speedy zombies arm as it tried to realign itself and attack. He cut away its fingers as its claws came in before cutting away its head finally. He turned toward the other zombies tackling one aside with amazing speed before it could sink its sharp claws into a helpless old woman. It crashed into an already broken store-window and turned back to face the assassin with shards of glass protruding from its grotesque red flesh. Julian watched as the mindless thing rushed him and he prepared to cut it down only to be bum-rushed from behind by the other zombie.
Julian felt claws biting at his skin. He kicked the first one away and impaled the other with his sword before rising to his feet. Other than a small cut to the forearm, which was mostly his fault for leaving his gauntlet blades at home, the assassin was fine. They lifted a ravenous cry as they rushed in, the assassin leapt up and flipped so that his head was facing the ground in a sort of mid-air cartwheel that also involved a sweep of the alien sword. The assassin landed elegantly, the zombies landed dead.
Julian looked around feeling the eyes of the City upon him. The last thing he wanted was for them to think of him as their champion again. Some cheered, especially the Resistance soldiers who thanked him for his assistance as they finally caught up, but many also spit and hissed. The assassin was glad for it as he sank back into the shadows, it made leaving that much easier.
"Our scouts put the numbers in the tens of thousands, probably in excess of sixty-thousand," one of his advisors said, "Sir even with the superior numbers of the City and our defensive measures we will not prevail."
"The wall turrets still work don't they?" Emil Nemico asked as if the entire battle would be decided by the outer defenses.
"Yes sir," General Cartwright reported, "But they won't be bringing down any Striders and our scouts report dozens of Striders being air-dropped just a few dozen miles West of here."
"We cannot give up," Emil Nemico replied.
"We need to be realistic," another advisor chimed, "Baron Brown would have evacuated the City, he would have-"
"Do I look like Baron Brown to you!" Emil screamed suddenly, "Get out of my office!"
"But sir," the first advisor complained before sheepishly turning for the door.
"You're going to get a lot of women and children killed," General Cartwright said with a grim tone to her voice, "At least send them to the shelters beneath the City."
"Shelters?" Emil Nemico echoed.
"Tunnels built by the Combine originally," Cartwright said, "they were sealed off after the battle of City 12 to be used in emergencies by the Resistance. The assassins built them."
"Very well," Emil Nemico said ignoring the General's tone, "Take what children you can to these tunnels... Now get out."
Emil Nemico heard the door shut as the last advisor and military leader left his office. He didn't like the sound of what was coming to City 12 and he didn't like that the Templars had seen it coming and left the city. Now his reign as Mayor, something he'd worked at for years and wanted more than anything, was likely to come to a spectacular end. All by design so it seemed. All by the deception of people he thought were his allies. He stood up and went to the window filled with utter disgust when he remembered the nights he'd spent beneath the sheets with Vera. She'd been betraying him, they all had, to the Combine. And what did they profit? What did the Templars gain from the arrangement they had?
"Are you enjoying the view Mister Nemico," a familiar voice hissed and though it frightened the Mayor he did not turn.
"What do you want?"
"Only what belongs to my employers," the G-Man hissed, "Only my property."
"The Apple," Emil nodded, "But I don't have it."
"I am aware of your, failures," the G-Man cooed coldly, "But I have come to see you redeemed. There are others interested in Eden Mister Nemico. See to it that my property is taken from the assassin."
"Why can't you get it from him yourself?" Emil asked, "What's the matter god? Rendered impotent by a mere mortal?"
"That one is no mere man," the G-Man replied, "Not like you anyway... Enjoy your last night as Mayor Mister Nemico."
Julian wished that he could say he was surprised but in truth he had suspected such a decision from the beginning. Shephard on the other hand seemed as if he'd anticipated a more animated reaction from the assassin. The middle-aged man seemed utterly disappointed that Julian was not going to question his decision. In fact Julian's expression was one of admiration and approval. Indeed it took a brave man to stand beside a doomed a city in it's hour of crisis.
"You heard what I said right?" Shephard asked thinking the assassin must have misheard him.
"Yeah I heard you," Julian laughed, "You're staying behind to fight for City 12."
"And you're okay with it?" Shephard asked with a surprised expression.
"You're far older than I am," Julian argued and Shephard's expression told him the man didn't understand, "You have to do what you feel is right."
"But you're the head of the assassins," Shephard tried to argue but Julian was shaking his head.
"Hassan," Julian reminded, "Hassan is the leader of the Assassin Order now and besides we bow to no one. Nothing is true-"
"Everything is permitted," Shephard said waving his hand dismissively, "I know the creed I just thought I'd get some opposition."
"You know I respect you," Julian replied with a grin, "and at the same time I don't want to see you get hurt. The captain doesn't always have to go down with the ship."
"General," a new voice said entering the conversation both men turned to see General Amber Cartwright, her hair tied back and eyes brimming like a little lass before Christmas, "What's this I hear about you staying behind Shephard?"
"I couldn't let you and your men have all the fun," Shephard joked.
"My men and I have fun all the time," Amber assured Shephard with a wink, "I suppose we could use help this time though."
"How bad does it look?" Julian dared to ask and Amber's expression turned grim giving him all the answer he really needed.
"If that fuckwit Nemico was smart he'd evacuate the non-military personnel," she lamented, "But at least he's letting us move the children. When are you folks leaving?"
"First thing in the morning," Julian said feeling swept by a sudden wave of guilt.
"Best of luck to you kid," Amber said patting him on the shoulder.
"I better go pack," Julian mentioned trying to stifle his conscience once more and remind himself leaving was their best option.
"Don't worry Julian," Shephard called as the assassin grew farther away, "We'll give those Combine bastards what's coming to them."
The assassin reached the secret rendevous point a few moments later administering the secret knock before he was allowed entry. Inside he found several of the citizens who were planning to accompany them. He stepped into a backroom to see the smiling face of Allison. She could see the pained expression on his face as he embraced her. She kissed him asking him repeatedly what was wrong between a passionate interplay of lips and tongue. He sat down in a heap seeming hardly moved and yet so clearly buried in turmoil.
"Shephard's staying," Julian said with a sigh, "And I'm still not sure we're doing the right thing."
"We are," Allison said putting Julian's hand to her stomach, "Maybe its selfish to say but I'd like for my baby to have a Father. You can't protect everyone, you can't save everyone."
"I know that," Julian replied staring into her brilliant blue eyes, "We'll go."
Emil Nemico approached the house silently with his eyes slipping like serpents from shadow to shadow hoping he wouldn't be seen. He knew Julian's house was somewhere near here, reports from his spies placed it in this neighborhood. He hoped the assassin would be dumb enough to leave the Piece of Eden lying around and he wondered what the G-Man might threaten him with if he failed to deliver. Was there anything that strange being could even do? Emil wasn't sure who or what the man in the blue suit was though he knew it had something to do with the Pieces of Eden, devices manufactured by the gods themselves.
He froze in his tracks seeing shadows just up ahead. Figures moving in the darkness. He recognized the general shape of two of them, the distinctive armor of Synthetic Assassins. He remembered a time when synthetic assassins were more human and far more formidable. These knew synths were obvious cheaper for the Combine to produce though they lacked the skill and cunning of the real thing.
Out Emil dashed holding a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. He wasn't sure if he could take two Combine synths at once. He moved as quickly and as silently as he could sneaking up behind the first. The synth turned on him, as if sensing his presence preturnaturally, and pulled out a sword. Emil Nemico deflected the blade and fired four pistol rounds before needing to deflect yet another sword attack. The speedy synth knocked aside his gun now but this only created an opening for his sword, or so he thought. He watched the first synth sink to the ground only to feel cold steel against his spine.
"Stop!" he heard a voice shout before the synth could sink in its blade, "Don't kill him!"
Emil Nemico watched as the tall shadowed figure approached. He'd thought the voice familiar and somewhat inhuman and what he saw before him confirmed that. His eyes were wide with horror as the grotesque creature stepped into the moonlight.
"Not dead I see," Emil remarked as Ressian gestured for the Synth to sheath its blade.
"Where is Julian Miles?" Ressian asked.
"I came out here looking for him," Emil admitted with a shrug, "He's not here? Do your masters still want him dead?"
"They want what he carries," Ressian said.
"The Apple," Emil Nemico mumbled beneath his breath and Ressian reached forward and lifted him from the ground with one of her sickly claw-like hands.
"Get it for me," Ressian demanded.
"What will I get if I do?" Emil Nemico asked.
"I will spare your life," Ressian started but Emil shook his head with each word.
"There's already someone offering better than mere survival for it," Emil replied, "You'll need to do better."
"An attack on the City is coming," Ressian reminded, "I cannot stop the attack, it is too late for that, but I will tell them to show you mercy if you get me the Apple."
"And the children," Emil demanded.
"And the children," Ressian echoed with a nod, "Take these assassins with you."
"What assassins?" Emil asked and suddenly a handful of feminine figured synth assassins appeared from the shadows around them. Emil Nemico found himself, not for the first time and certainly not for the last time, wondering what he'd got himself into.
Theta watched the drill going on around her, the soldiers rolling out and taking cover. She could hear them shouting out commands and gesturing for their fellow squad mates to move up or lay down suppressing fire but she was not truly there. The drill began to fade now vanishing from her view. In its place came flashes of memory, bits of a faded and tattered past that flared across her brain like a shooting star. She could see the jungle around her and feel the heat as she descended into the stone structure. Lights flashed around her, the floor seemed to swim in blue liquid with ridges of light dancing along the walls. Images along the corridor came together to tell a story, a story long forgotten.
Suddenly she was somewhere else once more. It took her a moment to see the figures, the men in white coats. She was only a child and yet she felt like she was looking through a taller set of eyes. They kept talking about something. Their lips moved to the words as she sat in the waiting room. She could see them then, her parents, they were coming towards her now. The lights began to flicker, green lightning seemed to arc to and fro. There were other things there now, inhuman things, and her parents were there lying in pools of blood. She remembered her Mother's hand reaching, trying to get to her... and then she remembered him... whispering. Come little one, dry those tears.
Theta found the waking world returning to her eyes. She looked up at the shocked faces of the soldiers who'd been undertaking the drill each consumed with confusion and concern for her wellbeing. She waved them away as she got to her feet pushing through the initial dizziness and rushing away from their concerned calls. She had to get away.
She came into her room and poured herself a glass of water chugging it down as if it was a drug she was addicted to. She poured another glass and sat down in her seat realizing for the first time just how much sweat was pouring down her brow. Theta had had flashes of memory before but nothing like this. In fact her attempts to remember had met with failure nearly every time, it was exactly that fact which had led her to make her own destiny. She knew the Combine had something to do with why she couldn't remember, she knew they were to blame.
Now that memory had come to her she wasn't sure she wanted it... not like this. Not with Julian and a group of refugees leaving City 12 behind to visit her and among them Alyx Vance. Theta felt another brief flash of memory. The Animus. She recalled the device then though not in any real detail but she knew that it had something to do with memory. Perhaps it could unlock the secrets she held within, the forbidden story on the temple walls and the identity of the man in the blue suit who had spoken to her as a child.
Julian and Alyx led the way for the rest of the group as they departed City 12 early in the morning. The newly dawned sun had only begun its climb into the sky as they left through the Eastern gate heading Southeast. Julian had scouted the area a few hours earlier making sure that it was clear of both zombies and Combine soldiers. The convoy was fairly large now with more than fifty citizens and about fifteen Resistance soldiers but it was still nothing compared to the exodus Julian had originally envisioned. About a dozen feet behind the assassin Allison Rogue and Hassan Aldi walked along.
It was a risky thing leaving the city on foot. Originally Julian had wanted vehicles but with the Combine lurking around the city wall they couldn't afford to attract attention. They truly didn't have enough people to warrant vehicles either and the citizens had packed light. What little extra baggage there was fit perfectly fine on the small horse drawn carriage donated by a family of farmers. Despite being contained behind walls City 12 had several farms which helped to feed the citizens.
No sooner had they made it a quarter mile from the city the sound of distant gunfire and explosions could be heard. At first Julian wanted to believe it was just a skirmish with zombies like the one he'd witnessed the day before but the unmistakable roar of Pulse Canons from Gunships and Striders tore that comforting delusion from him.
The assassin had little time to let his conscience get to him. His sharp eyes picked out movement amongst the trees. He saw the figures darting behind tree trunks just ahead of him. He gestured for Alyx to show caution and she nodded having seen the figures herself. Julian tried to get a feel for what these phantoms might be and how many there were. He moved off away from the main group watching their movements, quick and silent and noting that they didn't seem intent on attacking. There were four of them he realized and soon it became clear that these were not intent on bringing down his entire group. One of them stepped out in the open and Julian's eyes grew wide. It was female, an assassin of sorts in a skin-tight black-armor though not the typical armor of synth-assassins. It wasn't the appearance that had him perplexed though but the insignia it wore, Theta.
"Who are you?" Julian asked drawing the blue-steeled alien blade.
The enigmatic enemy dashed in engaging Julian in a dazzling dance with it's own elegant sword. Sparks seemed to fly as steel met steel in an impressive array of parries and thrusts. Julian was surprised that he found himself on the defensive as much as he did very rarely getting the opportunity to put his new blade into action. He kept his distance and made sure to keep his wits about him knowing that this Combine assassin had friends close by.
"Why so silent?" Julian asked his enemy as he scored the first hit, a knick that barely penetrated the armor on her leg and didn't break the skin.
"Where is it assassin?" a voice from the shadows asked, a familiar voice.
"Where is it?" the enemy directly in front of him asked in exactly the same voice.
"Shit," Julian said as four other female assassins all marked Theta stepped out to surround him. The first one to engage him reached her arms up and took off her helmet.
"Now you know who I am," she said though her synthetic mind did not understand why the assassin would want to know or why he now stood with his mouth agape wearing an expression of horror.
"It can't be," Julian said with his knees nearly buckling, "Theta Dark is dead! It can't be!"
Julian had to defend himself as five blades came swinging in. He decided to use three blades this time. Each gauntlet had a blade and he still carried the sword Cheng had given him. It was awkward wielding the third blade but even with all three the assassin felt pressed by the five swords that cut in around him. He dodged and ducked parried and deflected all with the precision of a machine and yet it was machines of a sort that he was fighting and their own speed and precision was matching his.
He could hear Alyx and the others calling for him now and he knew they were close by but he wasn't sure they would get to him in time. He spun realizing that each assassin he faced wore a Theta marking as though Theta Dark had become some sort of standard model synth. That idea, the idea that the Combine would so dishonor his fallen ally, drove him to fight harder. Alyx was there then and Hassan as well the elder assassin and youngest member of the Order joining battle with the enemy.
Alyx soon found herself with two swords facing her one blade but Alyx's one blade was a kris, a curved dagger that had been given to her by Jara Aldi. With the memory of Jara burning inside her Alyx fought on staving off the enemy with relative ease though she found herself backing farther and farther away from the others as she did. She batted aside one blade and tried to find an opening but the other synth covered any and all chance she had at offense. She spun then sacrificing her safety to cut at their shins, the first assassin went down to one knee as her kris sliced away at its leg but the other dodged out of the way and stabbed down catching Alyx in the shoulder with the tip of a sword. Alyx pulled away before the blade could get too deep and deflected the injured enemy's blade before driving home her kris into the synth's neck.
Alyx kept moving and stayed ahead of the other synth as she finished the first off. She became accutely aware that other eyes were watching her. Julian and Hassan, who had apparently killed their targets, looked on. Alyx felt a bit of pressure on her and it was more than just the pressure to survive and overcome her enemy. The synth darted in far too quickly for Alyx, she panicked then side-stepping just enough to avoid certain death she grabbed a knife from her belt and hurled it at the synth. The synth was charging again but as it dashed in Alyx threw knives out. Four knives hit the Theta assassin and though the enemy made it to within striking distance of Alyx she was dead before she could get her blade up to make the kill.
Alyx breathed a sigh of relief before turning toward Julian and the others. She moved her shoulder trying to work the pain out and figure out how bad the hit was.
"You could have helped," she scolded wiping the blood from her kris.
"You had her," Julian said.
"Oh my God," Alyx gasped looking down at one of the assassins, "She looks like.. but she isn't is she?"
"They all look like this," Julian assured her, "But it isn't her... it's different. It's what they made from her, a killing machine."
"The Combine aren't doing a very good job," Hassan remarked, "We killed five with only three. I thought the idea was to make a perfected version of a human assassin and Theta Dark was indeed better at killing than these versions."
"Cheaper to make," Julian reasoned, "They can never capture the real thing. Theta Dark was the closest they got."
"What do you mean?" Hassan asked.
"Theta Dark wasn't the first."
Emil watched the assassin and his rag-tag group walk away and for a moment he considered turning back. The sounds of Strider's tearing into the city's defenses instantly changed his mind. For better or worse he was following the assassin. He wondered how long it would take them to realize it. In fact he wondered if he might even disguise himself as one of the citizens along for the journey. The idea fled his mind with a chuckle as he examined the last body.
Ressian's Theta brand assassins had proved of little use though truly Emil was far from surprised. He was fairly certain that if he met the assassin in a one on one fight he would lose quite soundly. That was little problem for Emil Nemico though, he had grown accustomed to taking things through possessing unfair advantage. Perhaps things weren't so bad after all, he thought lifting a vile of green liquid as he neared the group. His eyes went to Cheng Yin and a wicked smile appeared on his face.