The Phantom Strike
2047 Words
The attack came at midnight.
No warning. No scouts. No soldiers on the horizon.
Just a single shot that passed through Kaelen's chest and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
He dropped. Rolled behind a crate. His left hand pressed against the wound—flesh wound, the bullet had missed his heart by inches.
Zara was beside him in an instant. Blades out.
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
The Harvesters surged through Kaelen's mind. Searching. Scanning.
“Nothing. No heat signature. No implant signal. No one within a kilometer.”
“Impossible.” Kaelen peered over the crate.
The settlement was quiet. Guards were running now. Lights were coming on.
Another shot. A guard fell. Clutching his leg.
Still no shooter visible.
“It's not human,” the echo whispered.
Kaelen's blood went cold.
“What is it?”
“A Harvester. But different. Twisted. The Accord has been experimenting. Trying to weaponize the Harvesters. This one is... broken. Feral.”
“Can you stop it?”
“It doesn't respond to me. It responds to pain. To hunger.”
Kaelen stood. Ignored the burning in his chest.
“Where is it?”
“On the ridge. Two hundred meters east. Hiding in the rocks.”
He ran.
---
The ridge was dark. Moonless. Kaelen moved through the shadows, his cybernetic arm ready.
He could feel the Harvester now. A wrongness in the air. Static. Cold.
It saw him.
Another shot. He dove. The bullet passed overhead.
He rolled, came up firing. Three rounds into the rocks.
A screech. Not human. Not animal. Something in between.
The Harvester emerged from the shadows.
It had been human once. A woman. Accord uniform. Her eyes were blue—not the soft blue of the loyal Ascendants. The cold blue of the Harvesters. Her body was twisted, joints bent at wrong angles. Her fingers had fused into claws.
And she was crying.
“Please,” she whispered. “Kill me.”
Kaelen lowered his rifle.
“The Harvesters inside her are fighting,” the echo said. “She's still conscious. Still human. But she can't control herself.”
“Can you help her?”
“Maybe. If you can get close enough.”
The Harvester lunged.
---
Kaelen sidestepped. Her claws raked his dead arm—sparks flew.
He grabbed her wrist. Twisted. Pinned her against the rock.
“Hold still.”
She thrashed. Screamed. Her blue eyes burned.
Kaelen pressed his forehead against hers. The echo surged.
“We are here. We can help. Let us in.”
The feral Harvester fought. But the loyal Harvesters—Kaelen's Harvesters—pushed back. Surrounded it. Isolated it.
The woman's screams faded.
Her eyes dimmed.
She collapsed.
Kaelen caught her. Laid her on the ground.
“Is she...?”
“Alive. The feral Harvester is contained. We'll absorb it. She needs medical attention.”
Kaelen picked her up. Carried her back to Haven.
---
The healer worked through the night.
The woman—her name was Private Mira Chen, according to her uniform—had been missing for six months. Declared dead. The Accord had been using her as a test subject.
“They injected her with Harvester tissue,” the healer said. “Tried to create a controllable soldier.”
“Did it work?”
“No. She went feral. Killed her handlers. Escaped.” The healer looked at Kaelen. “There are probably more.”
Kaelen felt sick.
“The Accord is still experimenting. Even after Solenne. Even after Webb.”
“Someone is,” Zara said. “Someone with resources. Access to Harvester remains.”
“Thorne.”
“He's been with us. Could it be someone else?”
Kaelen walked to the longhouse. Thorne was studying maps.
“The Accord is still weaponizing Harvesters.”
Thorne looked up. “What?”
“Private Mira Chen. Six months missing. Injected with Harvester tissue. She attacked Haven tonight.”
Thorne's face went pale.
“I didn't know.”
“But someone did. Someone high up. With access to the research.”
“The Council?” Thorne shook his head. “They're in chaos. Webb is on trial. No one has the authority.”
“Then it's someone outside the Council. Someone who was working with Solenne.”
Thorne was silent for a long moment.
“There was a scientist. Dr. Aris Vane. He headed the bioweapons division. He disappeared after Solenne died.”
“Where would he go?”
“Sub-Basement 9. The old research sector. He knows the tunnels. The labs. The test subjects.”
Kaelen grabbed his rifle.
“I'm going.”
Zara stepped in front of him. “You were shot two hours ago.”
“Flesh wound.”
“You're bleeding.”
“I'll bleed later.”
She didn't move.
“Then I'm coming with you.”
“No. I need you here. Protect Mira. She might have information.”
Zara's jaw tightened. But she stepped aside.
“Three days. If you're not back, I'm coming after you.”
“Fair.”
---
The tunnels to Sub-Basement 9 were darker than before.
Kaelen moved alone. The Harvesters guided him—sensing the feral presences deeper below.
“There are more. Dozens. The doctor has been busy.”
“Can you save them?”
“Some. Not all. The ones that are too far gone... we'll have to destroy.”
Kaelen didn't want to think about that.
He reached the research sector. The door was open. Inside, the lab was empty. But the holding cells were not.
Glass cylinders. Dozens of them. Each containing a twisted figure. Eyes blue. Bodies contorted.
And in the center of the lab, Dr. Aris Vane.
He was older than Kaelen expected. Gray hair. Thick glasses. A lab coat stained with blood.
“Sergeant Vance. I was wondering when you'd come.”
“You're creating monsters.”
“I'm creating soldiers. Weapons to fight the Harvesters. To fight the Freeholds. To fight anyone who threatens the Accord.”
“The Accord is dying.”
“Then I'll build a new one.”
Vane pressed a button.
The cylinders opened.
The feral Harvesters stepped out.
---
Dozens of them. Twisted. Hungry. Angry.
Kaelen raised his rifle.
“Don't,” Vane said. “They'll tear you apart.”
“Maybe. But I'll take you with me.”
He fired.
The bullet hit Vane in the shoulder. The doctor stumbled. The feral Harvesters turned toward the sound.
And charged.
Kaelen ran.
---
The tunnels were a maze. Kaelen knew them, but the ferals were faster. Stronger. They climbed walls. Dropped from ceilings.
The Harvesters guided him.
“Left. Now. Right. Duck.”
He ducked. A feral sailed over his head. He fired. It fell.
Another came from behind. He spun. His cybernetic arm connected with its skull. Bone cracked. It crumpled.
But more kept coming.
“There's a maintenance shaft ahead. Narrow. They can't follow.”
Kaelen ran. Dove into the shaft.
The ferals clawed at the opening. Reached for him. Missed.
He crawled. His chest burned. His side ached.
The shaft opened into a service tunnel. He kept moving.
Behind him, the ferals screamed.
---
He emerged near the Lower Decks.
Viktor's bar. The lights were off. The door was locked.
Kaelen pounded on it.
“Viktor!”
The door opened.
Viktor's one eye went wide. “You look like hell.”
“Feel like it.”
Viktor pulled him inside. Locked the door.
“The Accord is making feral Harvesters,” Kaelen said. “Dozens of them. Vane is controlling them.”
“Vane? That bastard. I thought he was dead.”
“He's not. And he's not stopping.”
Viktor poured a drink. Pushed it toward Kaelen.
“What do you need?”
“A way back to Haven. The tunnels are crawling with ferals.”
“There's an old sewage line. Runs under the arcology to the Perimeter. It's disgusting, but it's safe.”
“Show me.”
---
The sewage line was exactly as advertised.
Kaelen waded through filth for three hours. The Harvesters kept watch. No ferals followed.
He emerged near the Perimeter. Dawn was breaking.
Zara was waiting.
“You're late.”
“There were complications.”
She saw his face. His wounds. The exhaustion.
“Come on. Let's get you to the healer.”
“Later. We need to talk. The Accord is building an army of feral Harvesters. Vane is their commander.”
“How many?”
“Dozens. Maybe more.”
Helena joined them. Her face was grim.
“Can they be stopped?”
“Yes. But not by bullets. The Harvesters need to absorb them. Like the first one.”
“Can your Harvesters do that?”
Kaelen closed his eyes. Listened.
“We can. But it will take time. And we need to get close. Very close.”
“They'll have to get within touching distance.”
Helena shook her head. “That's suicide.”
“It's the only way.”
---
The council met that afternoon.
Kaelen laid out the plan. A small team would infiltrate the research sector. Distract the ferals. Give the Harvesters time to absorb them.
“Who would be on this team?” a clan leader asked.
“Me. Zara. Thorne. And volunteers.”
“You're volunteering the commander?”
“He knows the sector. He can get us in.”
Thorne nodded. “I'll go.”
Zara grabbed Kaelen's arm. “You're still bleeding.”
“I'll be fine.”
“You're not fine. You're human.”
“So are you.”
She didn't argue. But her grip didn't loosen.
---
They left at dusk.
Kaelen, Zara, Thorne. Three scouts. Twelve volunteers.
The tunnels were quiet. Too quiet.
The Harvesters sensed them first.
“They're waiting. They know we're coming.”
“Vane knows.”
“Yes.”
They reached the research sector. The door was open. Inside, the feral Harvesters stood in rows. Silent. Watching.
Dr. Vane stood behind them.
“Sergeant Vance. You're persistent.”
“You're insane.”
“I'm practical. The Accord needs weapons. The Freeholds need to be controlled. The Harvesters need to be eradicated. My soldiers will do all three.”
“They're not soldiers. They're victims.”
“They're tools.”
Kaelen stepped forward.
The ferals growled.
“I'm giving you one chance. Release them. Let the Harvesters heal them.”
“Or what?”
“Or I'll do it anyway.”
Vane laughed.
“Kill him.”
The ferals charged.
---
Kaelen didn't raise his rifle.
He raised his hands.
The Harvesters surged through him. Reached out to the ferals.
“We are your family. Your ancestors. Your future. Let us help you.”
Some ferals stopped. Hesitated. Their blue eyes flickered.
Others kept coming.
Zara met them with blades. Thorne with his pistol. The scouts with rifles.
Kaelen walked through the chaos. Touching ferals. One by one.
The Harvesters absorbed them. One by one.
The ferals collapsed. Human again. Unconscious. Alive.
Vane watched in horror.
“What are you?”
“The bridge.”
Kaelen reached him.
Vane stumbled back. “Stay away from me.”
“You're infected, Doctor. The Harvester tissue. It's inside you. Growing. You're becoming one of them.”
Vane looked at his hands. The blue light was spreading.
“No.”
“The Harvesters can save you. If you let them.”
“I'd rather die.”
“That can be arranged.”
Kaelen touched Vane's forehead.
The Harvesters surged.
Vane screamed.
When it was over, he lay on the floor. Human. Weeping.
Kaelen stood over him.
“Take him to the Freeholds. He'll stand trial.”
---
The battle was over.
The ferals were saved. Vane was captured. The research sector was destroyed.
Kaelen walked back to Haven. Zara beside him.
“You touched every single one.”
“Yes.”
“You took their pain.”
“Shared it.”
“You're going to break.”
“Maybe. But not today.”
He looked at the sky.
The arcology glowed in the distance.
Somewhere inside, someone else was planning. Someone else was building weapons. Someone else was trying to control the Harvesters.
The war wasn't over.
- Writer
