Waking Gods (Themis Files #2)(16)
Yep. Just give me one sec. Time index … Let’s try three o’clock … No.
[Earlier. Try one thirty.]
Yep. It’s raining.
[We can’t see anything. Switch to infrared.]
Holy shit!
[The rain isn’t touching the robot at all, anywhere. Nice thinking, Jamie!]
How’d we miss that?
[We didn’t detect anything so we forgot to look with our own eyes. Can you measure the field around the robot?]
I get … 28 cm. Now, do we call the General?
[I have to call Kara. They won’t be able to defend themselves. Like a lamb to the slaughter.]
FILE NO. 1439
INTERVIEW WITH VINCENT COUTURE, CONSULTANT, EARTH DEFENSE CORPS
Location: Somewhere in the Atlantic
—How long until you reach your destination, Mr. Couture?
—We’ll be there by morning. It’s a good thing too, I’m starting to get seasick. We’ve been hitting rough seas for the last couple days.
—I understand all too well. I do not fare well at sea.
—I’m glad you called. Kara just got off the phone with Dr. Franklin. What’s this I hear about an energy field? They told us we didn’t detect anything around that robot.
—We did not. We are still unable to detect anything. But I have seen the video footage and you can trust me when I say that nothing will come closer than eleven inches to that robot. Dr. Franklin also believes that, in the event of a fight, your energy weapon will not reach the alien robot, nor that it could vaporize it, as it does normal matter.
—That I figured out on my own.
—How?
—Made sense. The energy weapon we fire through the sword is just a focused version of the omnidirectional burst Themis releases when she’s saturated with energy. If it were really harmful to her, we’d have obliterated ourselves when we destroyed Denver airport. So I know it won’t vanish if we fire at it, but will our weapon do anything?
—Your weapon might not be completely ineffective. According to Dr. Franklin, it could have some effect on the alien device, like a push or a blow, if it reaches it. It most likely will not inflict significant damage.
—A push? You mean we were wasting our time training on that weapon? Kara’s aim is getting pretty good.
—You were shooting at water.
—We blew a rock to kingdom come, once.
—Was it moving and shooting back?
—No. But it was a big rock. What about the sword and shield? That definitely has an effect. We left a ding on Themis’s left foot with the shield during training. Is there any chance it could go through that energy field?
—We do not know. But even if it did, General Govender was quick to point out that you have had very little combat training, absolutely none against a real opponent.
—We’re a little short on two-hundred-foot people to spar with. What about your friend? Can he help?
—I do not know which associate of mine you are referring to.
—You know who. The one who told you about Themis, about her name, Titans, aliens. You know, your friend.
—I … I can not—
—You’re trying to come up with a way to tell me you learned all of this without anyone’s help and you “can not” think of anything that doesn’t sound completely preposterous. Am I close?
—In the vicinity. Suffice it to say that if such a “friend” did exist—
—I’m sorry, but your way out of this is a hypothetical?
—It has been a long day. As I was saying, if such a friend did exist, I would unfortunately be unable to secure his help.
—Then you need better friends. Why won’t he help? He can’t really wish us all dead.
—Perhaps he does not know how. He might also believe the outcome of this encounter to be predestined or unavoidable. Either way, I believe his intentions are good even if I do not fully comprehend his reluctance.
—Hypothetically … Sounds to me like he’s holding something important from you. But what do I know? I never met the guy.
—I do not completely disagree.
—So, let me get this straight. No one will help. Our one long-range weapon won’t work. The sword probably won’t do anything either, and even if it did, we’re terrible at it. Do you have anything nice to say?