Red Eden: Sons of Mars | Chapter 8: The Merchant City
Jack ditched his barrel and waded ashore where he encountered a three metre high concrete barrier.
The others got off the boat. Lemieux cupped his mouth and shouted, “Hello? Anyone up there?”
Jack scanned the length of the wall, which spanned the entire coast. “I think I see stairs.” He led their ragtag group of twenty people down a narrow strip of the shoreline. The ocean tide periodically washed against their ankles, and seagulls squawked as they flew overhead.
Jack climbed the stairs, walked onto a road and collapsed to his knees. He took off his bag and Solokov and rolled onto his back.
“This is the wrong coast,” Derek said. “We should have went the other way.”
“So what?” Jack asked, too tired to care.
“So there's a giant river that cuts into Glasgow. We'll have to head to the city, cross a bridge, then come all the way back and keep going until we reach the naval base. That's an extra forty five kilometres to our journey.”
“That doesn't sound too bad.”
“Except for the fact that we've lost our ATVs. It'll take take us fourteen hours of straight walking just to get to the naval base. Well over twenty hours to get to the particle accelerator at Tyndrum.”
“Forget the naval base,” Jack said. “She got to it already.”
“Right, but it's on the way to the accelerator.”
“Then we'll just row back the other way,” Erwin said.
“We'll only get as far as the naval base,” Derek answered, “and we can't row faster than we can walk. Especially if it's just us three.”
Jack turned to Lemieux. “Can you guys row for us?”
“Absolutely not,” Lemieux said, “not with that monster lurking in the sea. What is your business here anyway?”
“We're saving the world,” Jack tiredly answered.
“I did not realize the world needed saving.”
“The monster that took out our boat,” Derek said, “the people piloting it are who we're fighting.”
“And who are they?”
“Soldiers of an ancient banshee far more terrifying than your succubus of a wife.”
“I shudder to imagine such a woman.”
“So what's our plan?” Erwin asked.
“We need transportation,” Derek said. “That boat's not gotta cut it.”
“How about horses?” Jack said. “I always wanted to ride a horse.”
“I don't think it's as easy as it looks in the movies,” Derek said.
“I can tell you for a fact,” said Lemieux, “that horses are absolute asses. I got thrown when I was a boy. Never rode one since.”
Jack saw a bunch of rusted cars sitting on the road. “Can we make one of these old cars work again?”
“It's possible,” Derek replied. “Cars are like mobile Faraday cages, so the electronics within would have been protected from an EMP. The batteries would have drained by now, but if they're solid state they could still be recharged. But this begs the question: why haven't the locals figured out how to recharge these cars? It's been a hundred years. I would have expected somebody to have figured out how to get a power station running.”
“Maybe they're just stupid,” Erwin said.
“We are not stupid,” Lemieux said. “All knowledge from before the Age of Eden was lost when the great fire consumed the world.”
“You guys can't read a book? Figure out how things work?” Derek asked.
“What books? For all their wisdom and godlike powers, our ancestors left no books. They kept all their knowledge in the library of the gods in a realm far beyond ours.”
“Sounds like cloud storage,” Jack flatly said.
“Which would have been fried with every other electronic device connected to the grid,” Derek said.
“So we need a car, a power source and a charging station,” Jack said. “I'll bet we can find everything we need in a big city like Glasgow.”
“If Sorenson's intel is right, there's a cluster of fusion reactors right in the heart of the city. The reactors themselves would likely have been shielded, but the power lines and transformer stations would have been destroyed by EMP. That means I'll have to fix part of the grid.”
“Would a nuclear reactor still work after all this time?”
“We're talking about hydrogen-boron fusion reactors, the same as we have on Mars. These are small and portable. The fuel is plentiful, non-radioactive and easy to store. We just need a power source to jump start the fusion reaction.”
“I'm sure you'll figure something out, Derek.”
“I dunno. It's a lot of work, and we're just three guys. It could end up being faster to just walk or hitch a ride aboard a waggon.”
“We're headed to Glasgow anyway. We'll check out the power station, and you can decide what we should do.”
“We should notify Ellen.”
“You think that's wise, Derek?” Erwin asked. “Seeing as how Gabriella's clone boys can sense radio.”
Derek paused. “You're right. Maybe that's how they keep finding us.”
Jack thought about this. “When we got shot down, they were patrolling the skies anyway.”
“Yes, but what about just now? Why did that submarine fire a torpedo at us? For all they knew, we could have just been a bunch of natives on a trade mission.”
Jack was convinced. “Okay. Send Ellen a quick update. Then turn off long range transmission. Short range radio only. If the enemy's nearby, total radio silence from now on.”
“Done,” Derek said. “Now let's head to Glasgow.”
Erwin pointed at Lemieux's crew. “What about them?”
“We are coming with you,” Lemieux said. “Where else are we going to go? We have lost everything. You have the only supply of food, and you can protect us.”
“The more the merrier,” Jack said, “though you wouldn't want to follow us past Glasgow.”
“Oh, I believe you. If that monster of the sea is the calibre of enemy you're up against, I don't envy you.”
Jack stood up and brushed the dirt off his suit. “You know the way, Lemieux?”
“It is easy. Just follow the river.”
The group followed the road along the coast, passing through a quiet suburban town. Most the two-storey homes facing the sea had burnt down long ago – their roofs collapsed, the brick walls turned black. The trees that once provided shade now stood twice as tall as the houses. Tree roots tore up the stone foundation of the houses, and roots that grew near the road had cracked the pavement.
Up ahead, a couple of boys fished by the shore. When they saw Jack's group, they ran into their sandstone house, one of the few that had remained in relatively good condition.
Jack's group walked by a marina. There were still a few leisure boats docked in the harbour. Once powered by electric motors, these boats now had oars sticking out of them.
Human activity began to pick up once they reached the port. In one of the docks, workers hammered away at the skeletal frame of a wooden ship under construction. The ship sat on top of a wooden scaffold that spanned over the narrow waters of the pier.
Cooking fires rose from little huts erected around old warehouses. Children ran in and out of the warehouses, indicating that the locals had turned these into communal homes.
The road now ran parallel next to a railway. Once every fifteen minutes, a hand-cranked car would come rolling by carrying loads of metal sheets.
Jack's group passed by the remains of a small bedroom community. Here, the trees here had been felled down, leaving a clear view of the stone foundation where houses once stood. Jack didn't see any piles of rubble, so he assumed the material had been carted off for construction projects elsewhere.
After walking some more, they reached open pastureland where sheep grazed. A lone shepherd stood on the balcony of his home, keeping a watchful eye on his herd.
At this point, they had walked for two hours, Jack's feet were killing him, and they were still nowhere close to reaching the heart of Glasgow. He stopped and listened to the chugga-chugga of an approaching train. He turned and saw a convoy of hand-cranked carts returning to Glasgow. He ran onto the railroad and waved his hands over his head.
The convoy rolled to a stop. The man in the lead car shook his fist at Jack. “Get off the rails, ya lunatic!”
Jack approached the man. “Can we hitch a ride?”
The man had bushy brown beard. He wore an old baseball cap, a white shirt and blue coveralls. He looked Jack up and down. “What are ya, man?”
“I'm human, just like you.”
“Not what I meant. Why are ya dressed like that?”
“Who cares? I'm not questioning your fashion choice. Can you help us? We were shipwrecked. We're headed to Glasgow.”
The man passed a glance over their group. “I haven't seen a more pathetic lot in my life. Oh, alright. Hop aboard.”
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. “There are good people in this world after all.” He climbed into the lead car. “So what's your name, friend?”
“Harold.”
“I'm Jack.”
“Well, Jack, ya can repay me by pumping the crank. Me arms are gettin' tired.”
“No problem. Erwin, take the other one.” Jack took over the lever and started cranking with Erwin.
“So how did ya get shipwrecked so close to Glasgow?” Harold asked.
“You wouldn't believe us if we told you,” Jack said.
“I might. Lots of strange events going on lately. Meteor sightings. Animals behavin' strangely. People acting all crazy, waging war everywhere.”
“There's war here as well?”
“Have ya been hidin' under a rock, man? The Edenites are at it again, pushing their filthy religion all the way into Scotland now. Edinburg's fallen and now they're camped outside Glasgow.”
“Not another damn war,” Derek said.
“And where have ya come from?” Harold asked.
“Larne,” Jack replied. “Whole town got burnt down.”
“So the people who burnt it down chased ya all the way here?”
“No. A sea monster sunk our ship.”
Harold guffawed. “Did a whale get ya?”
“It wasn't a whale.”
“Many a fisher folk come crying about tales o' sea monsters. Your tale is nothin' new.”
As Jack pumped the crank, he wondered if they could travel all the way to the particle accelerator this way. “Say, Harold, ever heard of a town called Tyndrum? Do you think we can get there by rail?”
“Ya can get to any town by rail on this island. In fact, it's how I do most my travelling. Just be careful you don't run into an iggit going the wrong way.”
***
The convoy crossed over a bridge and rolled into a train station the size of an aircraft hangar at the heart of downtown Glasgow. According to SolarNav, which was based on pre-Eden maps, they were inside a district called the Merchant City.
Jack, his crew and Harold's people hopped off the convoy.
“Cargo coming through!” A team of twelve men came bearing crates full of metal sheets. They dumped the sheets into the carts and walked away.
Harold clapped Jack on the back. “Come on. Ya look like a fish out of water. Have ya ever been to Glasgow before?”
Jack remembered visiting once or twice before via VR. “Not physically.”
Harold laughed. “So in your dreams, then?” He led Jack's group through the station. Everywhere, piles of old world junk sat in areas cordoned off by ropes. Everything from old smart-visors to lines of copper wire could be found here.
“Me sons and I go scavenging,” Harold said, “we bring our salvage back here and find a place to dump them.” He walked over to a cordoned off area and grabbed one of the metal stands holding up the ropes. The stand had a piece of board with a yellow hammer painted on it. “This marks the salvage as mine. Anyone who wants to buy has to come to me and negotiate a price.”
“Where are all the old trains?” Derek asked.
“There's a few underground, if ya want to have a look.”
“Why do you want to look at trains?” Erwin asked Derek.
“Because,” Derek replied, “the railroad network can take us directly to where we need to go. And where there's underground trains there's underground charging. And because it's underground, there's a chance the EMP apocalypse didn't fry them. Why don't you guys look around for suitable vehicles just in the case. I'll meet you back here.”
“What about us?” Lemieux asked. “We have no ship, and no money to purchase passage back to France, not that we are keen on going back to sea after our experience.”
“Stick with me,” Derek said. “I'm going to need labourers.”
“Haven't we already sacrificed enough for you?”
“And it would be a damn shame if it was all for nothing. Look, if I get power up and running, we can bring Eden Era machines back to life. And if you help, you're gonna gain a lot of respect from the locals. This is your new home, so think about it.”
“Ah, not like we have anything better to do. Very well. We shall do your bidding.”
Jack beckoned for Erwin. “Let's go car shopping.”
They left the train station and walked onto the busy street. Jack tapped Erwin on the shoulder and pointed down the road. “There's a big mall over there. I'll bet there's lots of cars in the parking garage.”
“From the cars I've seen so far, I'm not getting my hopes up,” Erwin said.
They walked down the block, taking in the bustle of activity on the street. Men loaded their waggons with shields, spears, swords, maces and suits of plate armour. Even to Jack's untrained eye, the quality did not look so good. The swords weren't perfectly straight. The armour looked bulky and symmetrical. The shields looked hastily hammered together and lacked polish. Quantity over quality Jack supposed.
The tinny clang of hammer blows rang onto the street from inside the buildings. Plumes of black smoke rose out of open windows. A layer of soot covered the surface of the buildings, and horse manure littered the road. Jack was certain the air smelt foul. Thankfully, he had his helmet on.
As he walked with Erwin, their presence attracted the eyeballs of the locals. Compared to Larne, the locals here were more reserved. Nobody reached out to touch them, and the people here merely looked rather than stand and gawk.
Jack and Erwin arrived at the mall's rear entrance. The building resembled a glass pyramid, and the glass had collapsed on itself. They followed a spiralling ramp up to a multi-storey parking garage.
Jack turned on the light on his helmet. A quick inspection of the garage revealed that it was in a severe state of disrepair. Water dripped from cracks in the ceiling. Large sections of concrete had collapsed, revealing rusted rebar. Green and black mould grew everywhere, and most notably, a legion of bats roosted here.
Jack stuck his boot into a thick layer of bat guano. “I read somewhere that people used to mine this shit to make gunpowder.”
“If only the primitives knew,” Erwin said.
Jack scanned his beam of light across the lot. There were plenty of cars here, all of them covered in guano, and that didn't sit well with him as he had a sensitive stomach. Then his eyes fell upon a trio of motorcycles parked in a row at the end of the lot. They looked clean, and sexy as hell.
He nudged Erwin. “Hey. Check out those bikes.”
“I like your taste, Jack. Grab 'em.”
They hurried over to the bikes, scaring a bunch of squeaking bats along the way. Jack focused his light on the first motorcycle. It was electric, jet-black, sleek and curved in all the right places. It reminded him of his old ATV. Erwin hooted excitedly as he stroked the metal finish of a fire-red motorcycle. The third motorcycle was electric blue.
Erwin grabbed the handlebars of the red one, kicked up the kickstand and wheeled it towards the exit. Jack grabbed the other two and tried to balance them as he rolled them down the lot. Once they reached the ramp, Erwin jumped on his motorcycle and let gravity do all the work. Meanwhile, Jack struggled all the way to the bottom.
Finally, they got the idea to sandwich the bikes together and roll them as one, with Erwin pushing from the left and Jack pushing from the right. They didn't get far when a group of hoodlums armed with metal pipes approached them.
A blond youth dressed in a green hood that extended down to his shoulders stood at the fore of the group. He twirled his metal pipe playfully. His jaw moved in a circular motion, like he was chewing something.
Before Jack or the hoodlums could get in a word, Erwin drew his pistol and fired six times at the ground. The hoodlums scattered into the wind and vanished into the derelict old buildings.
Erwin holstered his pistol.
Jack nodded. “I am beginning to appreciate your style of conflict resolution.”
Erwin shrugged and resumed pushing.
Eventually, they returned to Glasgow Central. Derek was just walking out with Lemieux, Harold and their crew.
Jack waved. “Derek, got you a present.”
Derek grinned. “I used to own one of those. The blue one's mine?”
“You know it,” Jack said. “So what's the update?”
Derek's grin turned to a smile. “Trains are still in good condition. Even better, the underground charging station was undergoing repairs, so it had been disconnected from the grid. That means it survived the EMP apocalypse. All I have to do is connect it to a power source.”
“Finally, things are going our way,” Jack said. “So we grab a fusion reactor, and that's it?”
“I still need to construct a transformer to step down the voltage. I've already found I everything I need to build one, even the tools. Welder needs power, but I can jury rig one of our spare battery packs.”
“How long to get all this done?”
“A few hours? For sure less than a day. Oh, and I had to bargain with the locals to get my hands on some of the salvage. I volunteered you two for some mercenary work.”
“What?” Jack and Erwin said simultaneously.
“Harold will fill you in on the details. Basically, the locals want you to clear out the Edenites. By the time you're done, I'll be finished here.”
Jack shook his head. “Derek, I don't want us to get involved in their conflicts.”
“It was the only way to get the salvage. Besides, I was told these Edenites worship Gabriella. And Jack, you were the one who said we need allies.”
This made the coming battle only slightly more palatable for Jack. “Fine. We'll leave the bikes here. Harold, where are we going?”
Harold clasped his hands together. “Derek told me all about ya. It's not very often that starfolk come visiting us. The Mayor would be glad to have ya on our side.”
They walked down past the train station. Jack let his gaze wander. He found himself admiring the architecture, despite the black soot that covered everything. The decorative Greco-Roman columns carved into the stone around the windows reminded him of Tharsis City back on Mars. Very classy.
They arrived at a dead end. Before them stood a thirty foot brick wall erected in the middle of the road. Wooden stairs led up to the battlements at the top of the wall where spearmen stood guard.
A six-storey building made of red sandstone stood at the right flank of the wall. The shop windows on the ground floor had been replaced by a brick wall whose grey colour scheme did not match the rest of the building. The windows on the second floor received a similar treatment. The narrow windows on the third floor and up remained open, and Jack could see a few archers poking their heads out.
“This is Red Castle,” Harold said, “the main fortress protecting our little corner of the city.”
“You guys have a solid wall going all the way around the city?” Jack asked.
“No, it would be mad to try and hold all of Glasgow as most of it is empty. We have walls erected around Glasgow Central and the old mall. The river protects our southern border, and we have guard towers to protect the bridges. We call our little corner the Merchant City.”
“I don't see nor hear any fighting going on,” Jack said.
“That's because the Edenites haven't budged since they arrived. They're camped out in the open in Ruchill Park. A big force, but not big enough to take the city. I think they're waiting for reinforcements. In the meantime, they've been raiding, probing our defences, and harassing folk who live outside the walls.”
“Why don't you clear them out while before their reinforcements arrive?”
“The Mayor's a cautious man and he refuses to leave the city. He would prefer that the Edenites break themselves upon our walls.”
“If you're strong enough to take them out, I say take them out.”
“Exactly. We've word that a massive force is headed our way from Edinburgh. If their two armies join up, we'd stand no chance of driving them off. Still, the Mayor refuses to attack despite everyone around him telling to act.”
“If that's the case, why's he still Mayor?”
“He's a good Mayor in times of peace, but in war, he's overly cautious. He still has a lot of loyal supporters, even though they may disagree with his tactics. We're hoping you can convince him to take action.”
“Why would he listen to us?”
“Because you're starfolk. The first living, breathing proof that the gods have returned from their war with the dragons. With you on our side, the Mayor would have no excuse to continue to hide behind his walls.”
Jack held his arms akimbo. “War with dragons, huh? That what Derek told you?”
“He told us where ya came from, and we put two and two together. He denied that ya serve the gods, but we beg to differ.”
Jack was amused. “If we had fought dragons on behalf of gods, we wouldn't be humble about it. Believe me.”
“Whatever your story may be, there's no denying you're starfolk. Now let's not keep the Mayor waiting.” Harold led them into Red Castle.
Candlelight lit up the interior, but it was still dark, so Jack turned on the LED lights on his helmet. This startled the soldiers who stood guard in the hall.
They drew their swords. “Stop. Who are you?”
“Relax,” Harold said. “They're friends.”
The soldier pointed his sword at Jack. “There is a strange light coming from his helmet. And the other one. He wears the skull of a dragon.”
“Aye. They're starfolk come to help us drive off the Edenites. We're going up to see the Mayor to convince him to sally forth.”
“If it means we can finally stop dawdling about scratching our asses, then go right ahead.” The soldiers sheathed their swords and stood aside.
Harold took Jack and Erwin up a stairwell to the fourth floor. The guards watching the stairwell stood aside after Harold explained to them what they were doing. They entered a chamber. Here, a balding man with a grey beard stood at a round table with a city map on it. He wore a black Kevlar vest with metal plates attached to the flank and the shoulders. He wore a blue long-sleeved shirt underneath the vest and black pants.
“Cousin,” Harold said. “I want ya to meet my new friends.”
The Mayor regarded Jack with a steely gaze. “I don't recognize their dress. And they're taller than any man I've met before. Where did you find these strange giants?”
“Out in the countryside. They said they were shipwrecked.”
“Why have you brought them here?”
“They're starfolk. They've agreed to help us fight the Edenites.”
“Are you drunk again, cousin Harold?”
Harold turned to Jack. “Show him what ya can do.”
Jack pointed at the stone wall. “You mind if I punched a hole through there, Mayor?”
The Mayor crossed his arms. “If you can manage it.”
Jack drew his Solokov, dialled it to max power and aimed at the wall. He pulled the trigger. The tremendous kickback threw him back a few steps. A thunderous clap shattered the stone in the wall, leaving a crater a few inches deep.
Five guards poured into the chamber with their swords drawn.
“It's alright,” Harold said. “So, Cousin, now that ya have seen what the starfolk can do, let's talk about how we're gonna drive the Edenites back where they came from.”
The Mayor unplugged his ears. “You've brought wizards to my home. Are you mad, Cousin?”
“They're friends.”
“You've just met them!”
“Well, they're no friend of the Edenites.”
The Mayor turned to Jack. “Why are you helping us?”
“Look, I don't got time to explain,” Jack said. “So how about me and Erwin go out on our own and take care of your business. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
“That's madness,” the Mayor said. “You're just two men against a thousand.”
“They can't touch us.” Jack pointed at one of the guards. “You. Go ahead. Stab me in the heart with your pointy stick.”
The guard lunged his sword at Jack's chest.
Jack only felt a slight tickle. “These suits were designed to take micro-meteor impacts. Not even Eden Era firearms can penetrate our armour, though it'll hurt like a bitch. Come on, Erwin. Let's get this over with.”
“Hold on,” the Mayor said. “I will not have my people saying that I allowed starfolk to fight my battles for me as I hid behind my walls. I shall lead my men to the fight, and ya can tag along if ya wish.”
***
Jack and Erwin rode in a chariot at the head of the Glasgow army. They came upon a short bridge over a stream. Here, the Edenites had blockaded the road into Ruchill Park with old cars, waggons, concrete barriers and wooden stakes. Edenite soldiers garrisoned in the buildings across the street started slinging stones and arrows at the Mayor's army.
The Mayor got off his white warhorse and drew his claymore. “Shields up, men. Over the stream we go!” He led the charge off the road and across the stream.
Jack and Erwin hopped off their chariot. Jack drew his Solokov and splashed into the shallow stream. A stone bounced off his helmet with a loud crack. An arrow struck him in the gut and bounced off. Unperturbed, he waded across the stream, climbed up a grassy slope and hopped over a short fence to the road on the other side.
A six-storey apartment complex stood before him. The soldiers inside started throwing javelins at him. Most of them missed, but one got him in the shoulder. “Ouch. That actually hurt.” He crashed through a patio door, sending bits of glass flying inside. Three men brought up their shields and pointed their spears. Jack sprayed them with bullets, killing them instantly. He felt a pang of remorse, but then he remembered they were fighting for Gabriella.
He stepped over their bodies, kicked his way into the stairwell, and ascended to the second floor. He burst into the hallway and gunned down the guards here. He kicked down the door to the first apartment unit and mowed down the archers. He moved to the next unit and gunned down three slingers.
He moved down the hall to find his next victims. Several soldiers burst into the hall, saw him and ran for the other emergency stairwell. The distinct buzz of Erwin's Shredder sounded from the floor below. Seconds later, pounding footsteps could be heard fleeing up the stairs.
At this point, Jack started to feel bad for these suckers. They stood no chance of defending themselves against him. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. He reloaded his magazine and chased the fleeing soldiers up the stairwell. Erwin's heavy footsteps and sporadic gunfire could be heard echoing from the other side of the building.
Jack reached the highest point in the stairwell. A blue metal door blocked the access to the rooftop. He turned the knob and found that it was locked, so he shot up the door. He kicked it down and charged onto the roof. A score of enemy soldiers backed to the edge. They locked their shields together and pointed their spears at Jack.
Erwin busted through the other door to the roof. He walked over and stood by Jack's side. “Let's finish them, Jack.”
Jack scrutinized the eyes staring back at him from behind steel helmets. He could see the fear in the whites of their eyes. He noticed the nervous shuffling of their trembling feet. The soldiers fell silent as they awaited their doom.
Jack felt sick from this one-sided slaughter. “Just surrender,” he told the soldiers.
They didn't lay down their arms.
“Have it your way.” Erwin opened fire.
The rapid rat-tat-tat of Erwin's Shredder filled Jack's ears. The squishy pop of bullets ripping through flesh made Jack cringe. The crisp crack of splintering shields, the screams of dying men as they flew off the roof... Jack hung his head and walked away. He returned to the ground floor and waited outside for Erwin. A few minutes later, Erwin joined him.
“How do you do it?” Jack asked.
“This ain't nothing new to me,” Erwin said. “I killed a lot of people back on Mars. Bad people.”
“The Hero of Huoxing. Did you feel like a hero up on that roof?”
“We're mercenaries, Jack. We're getting paid to kill bad guys for a good cause. That's good enough for me.”
“We're supposed to be fighting for our people's future on Earth. Now we're mercenaries hired by one gang of primitives to fight another, all so we can get our hands on some salvage.”
“I thought I made it clear that we weren't going to bargain with no primitives. We should've just taken what we wanted. Nobody could've stopped us.”
“Ah, I guess we need allies. The people of Glasgow seem decent enough.”
“Should we get back to the fighting?”
Jack watched as the Mayor's troops charged down the road towards a wall of shields and spears. He pointed at a building flanking the enemy lines. “Let's get in there and shoot them from behind. Once their lines break, the Mayor's men can handle the rest.”
He and Erwin walked to the building at a leisurely pace. Meanwhile, the Mayor and his captains barked out orders left and right. Nobody dared give orders to Jack and Erwin.
The two of them entered the apartment and made their way up to the third floor. They kicked their way into an apartment unit and took a window each. Jack opened the window and aimed down at the lines of spearmen forming a blockade on the road. Their backs were exposed to him. They were oblivious to his presence.
The Mayor's forces crashed into the spear-wall, and the line held. The Mayor's troops swung their axes and lunged their spears, but to little effect.
Erwin chuckled. “Let's watch this for a while. It's good sport. Much better than the CGI crap we see in the movies.”
Jack shook his head. “Bloodsport isn't my thing.”
“You recording all this?”
Jack noticed the camera icon still flashing at the corner of his virtual interface. “Yup.”
“Good. Keep the camera rolling. I'm gonna show this to Darren when he wakes up from cryo.”
“I am not going to release this footage to the public.”
“Why not? It's history. Just think of yourself as a journalist documenting the horrors of war.”
Jack chewed his lips. “Got to admit. That's a good angle.”
The Mayor's forces fell back, regrouped and charged once more.
Erwin snorted. “Alright, let's intervene before the Mayor's men get their asses handed to them.” He opened fire.
Jack started shooting. Their combined firepower quickly cut down the lines of Edenite spearmen. The Mayor's forces broke through with a resounding cheer. They pumped their spears and axes into the air as they passed underneath Jack and Erwin. “Starmen! Starmen! Starmen!”
A horn sounded repeatedly.
The Mayor's forces roared and chased after the routing Edenites.
A crackle came over the radio in Jack's helmet. “Jack, Erwin, you guys need to get back here ASAP. The Edenites managed to sneak a huge force right up to the walls of the Merchant City. They've broken through, and now we're trapped in the train station.”
“Can you hold them off?” Jack asked.
“Barely. The station would have fallen by now if not for me. Harold thinks they might have snuck across using an underground subway line. That army you're fighting was probably just a distraction meant to draw the Mayor out of the city.”
“What about the train?”
“I can't work on it if I'm too busy fighting off these Edenites.”
“We're on our way.” Jack ran down to the ground floor and made his way outside. He found the Mayor and waved him over. “We need to head back to Glasgow Central.”
“Why?” The Mayor asked. “We have them on the run. I say we finish the bastards before they can join up with their reinforcements.”
“Your city has fallen. This was just a distraction.”
“How do you know?”
“Our friend, Derek, just radioed us.”
The Mayor tilted his head questioningly.
“I don't have to explain the concept of wireless communication. Just take my word.”
The Mayor shouted to his men, “Fall back to the Merchant City. The enemy has taken our walls!” To Jack, he growled, “I knew coming out here was a mistake. Now come on!”
Link to table of content:
https://www.minds.com/ME2007Vigil/blog/red-eden-sons-of-mars-table-of-content-967907646284259328
Red Eden: Sons of Mars is the sequel to my first book, Red Eden: Homeworld Bound. To catch up on this series, please click the following link, which will re-direct you to the table of content:
https://www.minds.com/ME2007Vigil/blog/red-eden-homeworld-bound-table-of-content-913570321625583616
You can purchase the full novel on Amazon at this link: