Part 27: Earth-Shattering Kaboom

Chapter 22: Earth-Shattering Kaboom



The girl raised her hand and fire shot from it, scorching the demon's body but failing to halt its attack. Her motions were strange: not like those of a standard Foi technique, but more complex and more fluid. As the demon drew closer, the girl held out her sword, jabbing at the demon in a vain effort to fend it off. The demon reached out a clawed hand to grab her, and she struggled uselessly to break free.

Every night since my parents died, this was the moment I woke up.

This time, I didn't.



The girl screamed out for my help, but there was nothing I could do to save her. The demon tore her apart and tossed her broken body into the endless void below, and I could only watch.

If this was my afterlife, it sucked.



I heard approaching footsteps on a metal floor. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar smiling face above me.


Mother Brain was not to my liking. You were being held by Gaila, right? It's good for you that I happened to be close by. Your friends are also being revived right now; they should awake at any moment."

I was alive!

Wait, if I wasn't dead, then that meant...

"Can you let them sleep a little longer?" I asked. "It'd take too long to explain why, but there are going to be some awkward conversations when everybody wakes up, and I don't really feel up to that right now."

Tyler shrugged. "Suit yourself. I've already cloned fresh bodies for everyone, so they'll be ready to go when you say the word."

"Anyway, thanks for saving me. You must have been up here a while: it's been ten years since the last civilian spaceship took off from anywhere in Algo. It doesn't look like any place on Mota is safe for me any more, so I was thinking of hiding out on Dezo. Since you have a spaceship, maybe you could do me one last favour and drop me off there?"

Tyler's smile faded. "Before you go anywhere, there's something you should know. Gaila's collision with Palm was interpreted by automated defence systems on the ground as an attack, and surface-to-orbit missiles were launched at Palm's satellite network. The satellites retaliated by commencing orbital bombardment and... well, see for yourself."



Tyler pressed a few keys on the keyboard of the ship's computer, and a picture of Palm appeared on the viewscreen.



I stared numbly at the screen and watched a planet and everyone living on it reduced to molten debris. I knew I should feel pity or horror, but above all I felt an overpowering sense of strangeness. A planet I'd never been to, full of people who wanted me dead even though they'd never met me, no longer existed. It was hard to comprehend.

"One planet was destroyed," Tyler said, as if I couldn't see that for myself. "Who knows what will happen to Algo? I don't know what to say."

He sighed and shook his head.

"According to the news, you and your friends are criminals charged with destroying the Mother Brain. But I don't believe you could have done that, could you?" Tyler asked, his smile already returning. "Anyway, I'll take you to Paseo. I've already got your belongings loaded."

"Paseo? But even with Palm destroyed -- no, especially with Palm destroyed -- chances are the army is still looking for me..."

Tyler slapped his forehead. "Ah, I remember now! You were heading for Dezo. I've heard that there's someone there who can do things the Mother Brain can't." Tyler's smile widened into a broad grin. "But he might be of a criminal nature! You never can tell! Well, until we meet again!"

"Wait a minute! You have a spaceship and I don't! How are we going to--"



"--meet again?"

"What was that, Rolf?" Anna said. "Did you say something?"

I looked around, taking in my surroundings.

"Why are we in Paseo?" I thought aloud.

"Good question!" Shir said. "I mean, the last thing I remember is being in a prison satellite on a collision course with Palm. Well, no, the last thing I remember was that thing you did with--"

"No, I mean why are we in Paseo instead of Dezo? Tyler, you prick, you've marooned us on a planet where everyone's trying to kill us!"

Anna raised an eyebrow. "What are you going on about, Rolf?"

"Never mind. We should go to Central Tower; I have business with the Commander."



The Commander looked the same as ever. It was a great comfort to see his familiar face and know that at least one person on Mota hadn't betrayed me.

"Welcome back," he said. "I was worried sick about you."

It was just like the Commander to worry about the safety of one of his agents before the fate of an entire planet. I was his complete opposite in that respect, but I admired that kind of team spirit all the same.

If he had to choose between saving my life and saving Palm, I wondered, would he have done the right thing and let me die, like I let Nei die...?

"No need to worry about me, Commander. I'm sure your life would be simpler if you still believed I was dead, but you're the only person I know who might be able and willing to lend me a spaceship. I need to go to Dezo."

I was asking a lot of him -- giving a spaceship to a convicted terrorist would constitute at least three distinct capital offences -- but as always, he was only concerned about me.

"What?" he said. "You're going to Dezo without a rest?"

"You have to admit, it's the last place Mother Brain's robots would think to look for me. Besides, I have reason to believe that I can find out more about Mother Brain's recent problems there."

"... I see. You must have thought it out. Use the spaceship on the rooftop. But remember that you are still suspects. The Palm incident has made them desperate. Make sure you take care of yourselves."

I nodded, and gave a salute. "Thank you, Commander: not just for your help, but for believing in me."

There were still a few things I needed to do before leaving for Dezo. First, I stopped by Central Tower's library.


as criminals for making Mother Brain go wrong?"

"I don't know. Anna says the world's gone insane, and sometimes I believe her. I thought the Palman government might have been at fault, but the Commander tells me the remnants of Mother Brain's army are still after me. I'd always assumed that Mother Brain's core was on Palm, but her systems on Mota are still operating. So I guess I don't know anything any more. All I know is that Mota isn't safe any more. I've received a tip that there's a man somewhere on Dezo who knows secret information related to Mother Brain, so that's where I'm going. Maybe I can find a way to clear my name."

"What? Someone who has a key to Mother Brain is in Dezo?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly classify my source as reliable, but at worst I can hide more easily there than here. Be sure to take good care of things here while I'm gone."

The librarian smiled. "That's right... now that Palm is gone, those of us who are in Mota have to sustain Algo. Rolf, please do your best!"



Amy had been uncomfortably silent ever since we came back to Paseo. Finally, as we were walking home, she spoke.

"So... we're going to Dezo together?" She shot a pointed glance at Shir. "All of us?"

"I am," I said. "You're not."

Shir did a little victory dance.

"Not you either, Shir. In fact, Anna, you can stay home as well, if only to keep Amy and Shir from killing each other. A planet was just destroyed and I'm still on the run from the law; I have more important things to worry about than petty personal drama."

Amy started to cry. I tried to put an arm around her and she pushed me away.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I know that sounded harsh, but everything that's happened since Gaila has given me a whole lot to think about and there's no way I can deal with all of it at once."

I opened the door of my house and walked in. Everyone was at home, and Kain seemed mercifully sober -- or at least, as sober as he ever was.

"Okay," I announced. "This is how it's going to go. Anna, Amy and Shir are staying home. Rudo, Kain, Hugh, you're all coming with me. Rudo, don't complain that Hugh can't fight. I've seen him fight. You haven't."

Rudo stared at me in shock. "Rolf, you're alive? The news is saying you crashed the prison satellite you were on in a suicide attack on Palm!"

"There'll be time to explain everything on the way. Come on, let's go."

"Fine!" Shir shouted as I walked away. "Run to another planet to get away from me! See if I care! But don't expect me to be here waiting for you when you get back!"



I left home, taking the men of our group and all our healing equipment with us. The Crescent Gear turned out to fit Rudo perfectly.

"Where're we goin'?" Kain asked. "We already done opened up th' dams, so where're ya takin' us now?"

"We're going to Dezo to find out more about Mother Brain. But first, there's one more thing I need to do..."



I stared out at the rippling ocean, stretching out seemingly endlessly in all directions.

"Yes," I said to myself. "This should be far enough."

"If you don't mind my asking," said Hugh, "what exactly are we doing out here?"

"We're holding a funeral," I told him.



I felt the sword's malevolent will pulling on my mind as I took it out, but I was ready for it this time, and resisted its commands.

"This sword represents everything wrong with the world: anger, hatred and violence escalating in an endless, meaningless cycle. Amy made me promise to get rid of it when I opened the last dam, so that's what I'm doing."



I tossed the sword into the ocean and watched it sink.

"So do you think this is the end?" Rudo asked. "Once we get to Dezo, will we find peace there?"

"I hope so."

I paused for a moment.

"Probably not," I added.