Read Online Valley of Fires: A Conquered Earth Novel (The Conquered Earth Series) by J. Barton Mitchell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. Barton Mitchell
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of it, his attention was still on the Wind Star in the distance. It had accelerated past the other ships, only about seven of them now, leading the charge toward the Assembly walkers.
Holt knew what was coming. It was only a matter of time.
From the giant shape in the distance, the machine that towered over the others, a single, bright beam of energy erupted. A massive column of heated death that streaked through the air … and slammed into the Wind Star.
“No,” Holt moaned.
Holt could see the Barriers along the front of the Landship flare to life and absorb the massive blast, but they couldn’t displace the momentum. The huge vessel rocked violently backward, its front wheels came off the ground and then slammed back down in a cloud of dust. Still, it kept going.
Gasps echoed from the crew as they watched the same thing Holt did. Another beam of energy erupted from the huge walker. The energy slammed into the Wind Star again.
Once more the Barriers flashed. The ship listed, losing its forward momentum, beginning to spin.
“No…”
Another beam. Another strike. And this time … the Barriers did not hold.
Holt felt his insides contort as he watched the energy split the huge ship almost down the middle, watching the hull burst into flame, two huge lengths of fire that spun out of control and disintegrated into the ground, spraying metal and debris into the superheated air. No one could have survived it.
Holt heard a gut-wrenching cry that only a part of him recognized as his own.
In the distance, Raptors strafed what was left of the Wind Star, covering it in plasma fire, incinerating what little remained.
There was no question. Mira was gone.
He felt his legs move, felt his body shift as he made to leap over the railing, to get to her, to save her …
… and then hands yanked him back. The world moved in slow motion, upending as he fell to the deck.
He saw Ravan above him, pinning him, yelling something, but he didn’t hear it. More explosions flared, Raptors roared past. The helmsman lost his grip on the wheel and crashed to the deck as the ship listed and Olive ran to take it.
The world was fire. And death. And he didn’t care. He kept trying to get up, ignoring Ravan’s shouts, ignoring everything but the giant plume of black smoke in the distance where the Wind Star had gone down. There was nothing there but flames now, nothing but fire.
A dim part of him knew that the last of the light Mira had brought into his life would die with those flames. When they had finished burning, there would be nothing left, not even ash.
6. ALLAY
ZOEY FELT THE POD SHAKE as it came to a stop, settling in place along the rack system. Unpleasant as the thing was, there was one blessing to being inside. There were no voices or projections in her mind, somehow it sealed away the Assembly’s thoughts, and it made for a blissful silence she hadn’t known for a long time.
The pod vibrated a strange, electronic humming sound, and Zoey braced herself for whatever was to come, to try and be brave. Light flooded in as the pod split into two pieces around her, each sliding back out of the way, and Zoey winced against the brightness. With the pod open, sensations flooded into her mind again.
Scion.
Welcome.
You are safe.
Scion …
You are home.
One after the other, hundreds of them, blending together into a stream of thought and emotion, and it took a second to remember to push it all back.
When her eyes adjusted, she could see the room beyond the chamber, its walls made of strange black metallic plates formed into wavelike shapes that circled her and stretched upward out of sight. Instinctively, her eyes followed the walls, and she saw there was no ceiling. Far above her, impossibly far, she could see the flickering, golden light from more of the golden entities, moving back and forth, thousands of them.
It was familiar, this room, and it took a moment for her to realize why. It was like the one the Oracle
Holt knew what was coming. It was only a matter of time.
From the giant shape in the distance, the machine that towered over the others, a single, bright beam of energy erupted. A massive column of heated death that streaked through the air … and slammed into the Wind Star.
“No,” Holt moaned.
Holt could see the Barriers along the front of the Landship flare to life and absorb the massive blast, but they couldn’t displace the momentum. The huge vessel rocked violently backward, its front wheels came off the ground and then slammed back down in a cloud of dust. Still, it kept going.
Gasps echoed from the crew as they watched the same thing Holt did. Another beam of energy erupted from the huge walker. The energy slammed into the Wind Star again.
Once more the Barriers flashed. The ship listed, losing its forward momentum, beginning to spin.
“No…”
Another beam. Another strike. And this time … the Barriers did not hold.
Holt felt his insides contort as he watched the energy split the huge ship almost down the middle, watching the hull burst into flame, two huge lengths of fire that spun out of control and disintegrated into the ground, spraying metal and debris into the superheated air. No one could have survived it.
Holt heard a gut-wrenching cry that only a part of him recognized as his own.
In the distance, Raptors strafed what was left of the Wind Star, covering it in plasma fire, incinerating what little remained.
There was no question. Mira was gone.
He felt his legs move, felt his body shift as he made to leap over the railing, to get to her, to save her …
… and then hands yanked him back. The world moved in slow motion, upending as he fell to the deck.
He saw Ravan above him, pinning him, yelling something, but he didn’t hear it. More explosions flared, Raptors roared past. The helmsman lost his grip on the wheel and crashed to the deck as the ship listed and Olive ran to take it.
The world was fire. And death. And he didn’t care. He kept trying to get up, ignoring Ravan’s shouts, ignoring everything but the giant plume of black smoke in the distance where the Wind Star had gone down. There was nothing there but flames now, nothing but fire.
A dim part of him knew that the last of the light Mira had brought into his life would die with those flames. When they had finished burning, there would be nothing left, not even ash.
6. ALLAY
ZOEY FELT THE POD SHAKE as it came to a stop, settling in place along the rack system. Unpleasant as the thing was, there was one blessing to being inside. There were no voices or projections in her mind, somehow it sealed away the Assembly’s thoughts, and it made for a blissful silence she hadn’t known for a long time.
The pod vibrated a strange, electronic humming sound, and Zoey braced herself for whatever was to come, to try and be brave. Light flooded in as the pod split into two pieces around her, each sliding back out of the way, and Zoey winced against the brightness. With the pod open, sensations flooded into her mind again.
Scion.
Welcome.
You are safe.
Scion …
You are home.
One after the other, hundreds of them, blending together into a stream of thought and emotion, and it took a second to remember to push it all back.
When her eyes adjusted, she could see the room beyond the chamber, its walls made of strange black metallic plates formed into wavelike shapes that circled her and stretched upward out of sight. Instinctively, her eyes followed the walls, and she saw there was no ceiling. Far above her, impossibly far, she could see the flickering, golden light from more of the golden entities, moving back and forth, thousands of them.
It was familiar, this room, and it took a moment for her to realize why. It was like the one the Oracle
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