Published at 28th of October 2025 4:45 am

Chapter tempestas 12.13

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Elpida knew she could not let this girl die.

She could not fail this test; she could not fail Telokopolis.

It didnt matter who Sanzhima was, what she had done in the past, or what she might do in the future. It didnt matter that this trap was engineered to make Elpida responsible for the outcome of a no-win situation. It would not even matter if Sanzhima really was one of the Deaths Heads, tortured and cast out and turned into a weapon. Sanzhima had thrown down her wounds at the skirts of Telokopolis, pleading for aid. What worth would Telokopolis amount to, if it could not rescue a single girl in need?

Elpida could not afford failure. Not here, not now, not this.

She had known this test would come, but she had expected it weeks or months or years in the future, after structures had been built, after the responsibility had begun to pass from her hands. She had not expected it to arrive so soon, not in the form of a bomb-vest strapped to human wreckage. She had not expected it to come from the Deaths Heads, beneath the raging hailstones of the hurricane, deep in the dark of the tomb.

But here it was, in front of the most volatile audience.

The shadows of the tomb chamber were filled with revenants bottom-feeders, high-tech cyborgs, bio-modded predators, naked scavengers, power-armoured soldiers; all of them stood or slouched or squatted in close proximity to each other, not quite shoulder to shoulder, but closer than any zombies ever got out in the ruins, unless they were grappling for survival in close quarters combat. All of them had full bellies, some for the first time in years, and none of them were fighting over the gore-streaked prize of each others flesh. Some of the revenants out there had already slipped away, hurrying back into the dead veins and ossified abscesses of the tomb; Elpida couldnt blame them for being spooked by the bomb, or the threat carved into Sanzhimas back. But dozens of faces still watched from beyond the fifty-meter minimum safe distance line, marked by a sharp crimson light cast from up on Pheiris hull. Armour and weapons and naked skin were dyed scarlet and garnet by the bloody red backwash. Those zombies out there had accepted meat from Elpidas hands and listened to the words from Elpidas mouth; all of them had already accepted the promise of Telokopolis, at least in some embryonic form, even if most did not yet comprehend what that promise meant.

Dozens of zombies, starving yesterday, fed today, their eyes glued to this trial of Elpidas trust.

Some of the bottom-feeders had begun to paint their clothing with a crude version of the crescent-and-double-line symbol, copied from Elpidas own chest. How long would that symbolic identification last if they watched Sanzhima die? One of their own, made into a weapon aimed at the promise of Telokopolis, then reduced to greasy ash and charred meat.

Elpida could not let that happen.

For her comrades too, her new cadre, she could not allow herself to falter. Vicky and Kagami and Pira and Ooni and Pheiri and all the others, none of them would abandon the cause, of course. Even Shilu and Serin were committed now, each in their own esoteric fashion. None of them would blame Elpida if her failures ended in Sanzhimas death. Death was simply the way of things in the nanomachine afterlife. Death was less than cheap. It was meaningless.

Elpida rejected that. She had to reject that, or the promise of Telokopolis meant nothing.

And then there was Sanzhima herself a sagging corpse impaled on steel, tortured to within an inch of death. Between the bruised face, the hollow eyes, the massive blood loss, and the awful wounds in her chest and belly, Sanzhima looked truly undead. A body hijacked against the purposes of the mind within. Only the invisible miracle of nanomachine biology kept her on her feet.

Every time Elpida looked at Sanzhimas face she saw all the others she had failed her twenty four cadre-sisters, dragged off into the dark to be executed alone; Eseld, the first time they had met, struggling for life beneath Elpidas own hands; the revenants she had not even known, the ones who had left her resurrection chamber before she had awakened; the ones from this very tomb, the ones she had been too slow to save, who had died where Shilus handful had survived.

Sanzhima was all Elpidas failures, staring out from behind matted hair and a mask of half-dried blood, trapped in glassy, pain-blind eyes.

Elpida had received so much covert assistance, so much help from a hidden hand inside the network; what else could explain Eselds return, Shilus appearance, and the hurricane overhead not even to mention the smooth and easy conditions of her own resurrection, or the descent of Thirteen Arcadia from orbit. Something beyond her sight and senses had poured faith and hope and love into her.

Failure here would fail Telokopolis. Failure here would waste everything she had clawed back since Eselds murder. Failure here would plunge her deeper into a despair she had only just crawled out from under. Failure here was not an option.

Fuck sake, Elps, Howl hissed in the back of her head. Stop it! Just stop!

Stop what?

You know what! Treating yourself like this, like shit, like any of this bullshit is down to you! Nobody can take this pressure, not even you, you dumb fuck bitch! I wasnt your fault! Eseld wasnt your fault! Random zombies arent your

None of that matters. I cant fail here, not with all these revenants watching. You know that.

You mean we cant fail here. What, you think youre fuckin alone in this? All you, all Elps, boo-hoo-boo, Command is so lonely, its tough at the top? Fuck you, Elpida! Youre burning yourself out, I know you are, you

Im biochemically immune to panic attacks, hardened against all sorts of anxiety, and Im pretty sure the pilot phenotype cannot suffer burnout. You know how this works for us, Howl. Im fine. I can handle this.

Oh yeah? Look down, bitch. Your hands are shaking.

Elpida glanced down at her right hand. It was not shaking.

Kagamis voice crackled in Elpidas headset: Five minutes and twenty seconds to detonation. Ooni and Victoria are descending Pheiris side right now. Commander, if youve got a plan, you better put it into action, and quickly! Preferably before the bomb goes off, yes? If its not too much trouble for you.

Understood, Elpida replied. Give us updates at every thirty second mark. Repeat that order back to me.

Updates at every thirty seconds, yes! My ears work fine, thank you!

In front of Elpida, Sanzhima let out another blood-choked sob. Her breath wheezed through the holes punched in her rib cage. She was quivering all over.

Plea please, l-let it let it happ-en please plea just let me

Ilyusha hissed between clenched teeth, tail lashing back and forth. Atyle was eyeing Persephones group barely twenty feet to Elpidas left, half of them grinning, the other half stony-faced; Persephone herself observed with folded arms and an unreadable expression on her blue-black polymer face. Shilus eyes were glued to the explosive vest, flicking back and forth over the tightly wrapped bundles of explosive payload and the bars of welded steel wrapped around Sanzhimas torso.

P-please, Sanzhima whined again. Just kill me

Elpida extended her right hand, steady as a rock. Here, Sanzhima, take my hand.

Sanzhima stared at the hand.

Take my hand, Elpida repeated, slow and soft. With your left. Just put your hand in mine. Take my hand, and Ill do the rest. All you have to do is follow what I say. Come on, be a good girl, thats it. Thats it. You can do it. There you go.

Sanzhima did as she was told, though with great difficulty. Her hand was small and cold. She had no grip strength.

Elpida held on tight. She raised he other hand, made a fist, and signalled a withdrawal. Were pulling back behind the picket line. Haf, you peel back first. Atyle, Shilu, get inside. Illy, cover us.

Right on, boss! Illy snapped. She whipped her shotgun up and swung her ballistic shield out, sneering at Persephones zombies.

Elpida led Sanzhima back through the picket-line of drones, following Shilu and Atyle, passing by Hafina as the Artificial Human stepped to one side. Sanzhima could barely walk, stumbling and lurching, eyes glazed over, drooling a loop of thin and bloody mucus from slack lips. Elpida would have picked her up and carried her, or perhaps ordered Hafina to do the same, but putting pressure on Sanzhimas torso might tear those wounds even wider or set off the bomb.

The picket line of drones closed up as Ilyusha slipped inside; Elpida and her team were bracketed between the drones on one side and the bone-white wall of Pheiris hull on the other, bristling with weapons. From fifty meters away, dozens of eyes watched the show, many revenants going up on tiptoe, some climbing the walls for a better view. Persephone watched from much closer, bright bionic eyes burning with sceptical light. Persephones girls adjusted their footing, as if preparing to flee before the detonation.

Let them panic, Elpida told herself. She would show them that Telokopolis does not fail even the most hopeless of cases.

Hafina spoke over the comms, her voice heavy and slow inside her helmet: Elpida. Maybe we should take her round the back? Everyone can see, out front, up here.

Negative, Haf, Elpida replied. Were going to do it here. Thats the point. They need to see that we wont fail them.

Hafina adjusted her six limbs, guns pointing far over the heads of the crowd.

Elpida left the other half unspoken; if they did fail, the breakage would be instant and complete. The promise would be ruins, gone in the explosion of Sanzhimas flesh. No going back. No excuses. No second chances.

Howl hissed: I told you, your hands are shaking. Stop doing this to yourself.

Theyre not.

They fucking are!

Kagami said: Five minutes, Commander.

Before Elpida could reply, two figures burst from around the opposite corner of Pheiris hull Ooni in front, Vicky trailing behind in her heavier armour.

Persephone shouted: What is this, Elpida? More of your girls to get blown up?

Vicky spared the giant cyborg only a single sideways glance, but Ooni almost skidded to a halt. Elpida shouted, Ignore her! Ooni, here, now!

Ooni jerked as if shot, then picked up her feet and carried on. She stumbled to a halt just shy of Elpida and Sanzhima. Vicky came trotting up behind, grenade launcher held low, eyes darting back and forth, sweating beneath her helmet.

Ooni panted, Commander, I

Ooni, Elpida interrupted. Repeat what you said over the comms, so everyone can hear. Then indicate where you think its happening.

Ooni nodded, dark eyes wide and eager. I think I know who made the bomb, it must be Kuro. This is her style. Shes booby-trapped corpses with this technique before. She runs a tiny electrical current through parts that dont seem like theyre important to the explosive, and then makes it so if theyre cut or broken, the bomb will go off. You cant cut the wires or try to remove the explosive, either. Its a trap!

Shit, Vicky grunted. Thats some messed up

Elpida silenced Vicky with a sideways snap of one hand. Ooni, where do you think she would run this electrical current?

Ooni glanced at Sanzhimas torso, then went pale and still. Um all of them? T-the metal bars, I mean. It could be all of them, or one of them, or

Shilu said: Its all of them. She is correct.

Youre certain, Shilu? Elpida asked. Shilu was staring at the explosive vest. You didnt say anything before.

I didnt expect to see it before, said Shilu. The trickle of current is tiny, no more than a few microamperes. I missed it because I was examining the structural composition of the cage and the explosives, looking for weak points where the steel could be broken. Shilu blinked. My apologies, Telokopolan. These Deaths Heads almost bested me.

Kagami snapped in Elpidas ear: Our paleo princess with her bionic eye should have spotted that too! That means you, Atyle, you blind bat! It took the fascist coward to point it out!

Atyle smiled. I see the machines of the gods, but I do not know all their ways. All your learning availed you nothing, either, Moon Princess.

Kagami snapped: Four minutes, thirty seconds! Hurry up!

Ilyusha opened her mouth, probably to insult Shilu, or tell Kagami off.

Elpida swiped one hand through the air, hard and sharp; Ilyusha, Ooni, and Victoria all flinched. Sound off, all of you, unless it relates to disarming this bomb. She did not wait for a response. I need a solution and I need it quickly. Ideas?

Vicky said, We could run our own current through She shook her head. Nah, sorry, that doesnt help, forget it.

Ilyusha spat on the floor. Cut her arms and legs off? Peel her out of it. Sucks shit, but shell live. Grow new ones after, whatever.

That will not work, little scorpion, said Atyle. The rods of iron pierce her body, we would have to dig her apart. There would be nothing of her left.

Is there some way we can stop the timer? Vicky said. Pause the whole thing, give us time to do, like, surgery on her?

Ooni said, Pheiri could

Kagamis voice cut in over the comms. No bombs inside Pheiri. Im sorry, hes very clear on this matter. And hes already poked at the circuit itself, its just a timer and wires and a radio receiver, theres nothing he can interface with or interrupt except jamming the detonation signal, and he already pulled that off. They kept the bomb as dumb as possible, probably to stop us shutting it down.

Elpida looked at Ooni, at her wide dark eyes and the greasy sweat on her face, lit from above by the bloody red backwash of Pheiris illumination. Ooni, you know how the Deaths Heads think. Is there a way out of this bomb? Yes or no?

Ooni shook her head. I dont know. I dont think so. Its just meant to hurt us, whatever we do. C-commander, you cant you cant let her die, please, please

Shilu said: I can do it.

Elpida replied, Explain, quickly.

I already told you I can cut the steel bars with my hands. I can cut her out of the vest, including the welds over her shoulders and beneath her groin, theyre all low quality. Ill be covert, nobody will see it happen. If Im touching the vest at the right spots, I can continue to generate and pass a current through the metal, so the bomb wont detonate.

Can you halt the timer? Vicky asked.

No, said Shilu. I dont have the network access for that.

Shit, Vicky hissed.

Ilyusha snapped, Some fuckin use you are, reptile!

Kagamis voice cut in again. Four minutes. And yes, the Necromancers plan still leaves us with a bomb that detonates the moment we pull the vest off the victim! What then, huh?

Elpida said, Kagami is correct. To get the vest off, well have to pull the rods through Sanzhimas body. Youll have to let go for that, Shilu. The bomb will go off.

Shilu said, I cant halt the timer, but I can slow down the detonation process. Perhaps for one second. Maybe two. No longer than that.

Elpida nodded. I can throw pretty far in one second.

Vicky let out a huge sigh, rubbing her face with a hand. Ilyusha grimaced and spat on the floor again, tail quivering, red spike-tip going in and out. Ooni bit her lower lip, staring at Sanzhima. Kagami hissed over the radio Great, fucking great. One second to pull the whole assemblage free, and then it blows up anyway. This is our best plan, this is what weve got? Youre going to yell fire in the hole and rely on your award-winnng elbow?

Another voice cut in over comms Serin. Coh-mander. I can make it quick. One bullet. She wont suffer.

No, Serin. We cant fail here.

Mercy is often as good as salvation.

No, Elpida repeated. No more casual acceptance of death. No more allowing this to happen. If the Deaths Heads get what they want here, then Ive broken my promise. We are going to save this girl. Thats final.

Sanzhima shook and whined, her eyes crammed shut, tears leaking from beneath the lids, drawing bloody tracks down her cheeks. Her left hand was still cradled in Elpidas grip.

Elpida glanced up at Pheiri, then at the floor, then at the cage-vest welded shut around Sanzhimas torso. Her mind worked fast, drawing on the available tools.

Howl hissed in the back of her head: Elps? Elps, what the fuck are you thinking?

Its the only way.

Its gonna get you fucking blown up!

Its not. Nobody will get hurt, not if I get it right. And its the only way.

Youre not nobody, Elps! For fucks sake! I saved you when you acted like an idiot and let Eseld put a gun to your head, but I cant save you from the shock wave of an explosion, you stupid fuck! Dont

I thought you said Telokopolis abandons nobody, Howl? Im not letting this girl die. You stood up for that principle a few moments ago. You threatened to fight Persephone for it. Why are you questioning it now?

Im questioning your fucking sanity! You dont need to sacrifice

Elpida spoke over Howl, into her headset: Pheiri, I need a line on the floor showing the exact limit of your shields. Can you do that for me?

Up on Pheiris hull, floodlights flickered and blinked; a sharp crimson line cut across the floor of the tomb chamber, halfway between Pheiris hull and the picket line of drones, about three paces to Elpidas right.

Thank you, Pheiri, she said, then raised her voice. Everyone else, whatever happens, stay outside that line outside the shields. Thats our fire pit for the bomb, the shields will protect us. An explosive on this scale is no threat at all to the front of Pheiris hull. Sanzhima? Sanzhima, I need you to move two paces to your left. Come on, one, two well done, thats it, right there. Good girl, you stay right there. Elpida repositioned Sanzhima and herself right next to the crimson line on the ground. With one hand she lifted her submachine gun off her shoulders and handed it to Ilyusha. Illy, hold onto this for me, I cant risk getting tangled. Shilu, get into position behind Sanzhima and get ready. Youre going to cut from the rear, Im going to brace from the front, where the payload is. Vicky, Ooni, I need you to hold Sanzhima by the shoulders and arms, firmly enough that she wont squirm, and

Sanzhima opened her eyes, breath hitching in her throat. N-no, she croaked. Please, p-please just shoot me, just

Never, Elpida said. Shilu, Vicky, Ooni, in position, now.

Three minutes thirty seconds, said Kagami. Work fast, all of you! Victoria, move your arse!

The others got into position. Shilu stepped behind Sanzhima, ready to start cutting the vest; Ooni and Vicky both looked terrified, though Vicky was handling it better. They gingerly took Sanzhima by the arms and shoulders, one on each side, trying to brace her against the inevitable pain.

Sanzhima suddenly whined louder, panting for breath, eyes darting left and right. Was this how the Deaths Heads had held her down when theyd strapped the bomb to her?

Sanzhima, look at me, Elpida said, clicking her fingers to get the girls attention. Look at me, look at me, not at them. Look at me! Look at my eyes. There, good girl. Sanzhima, were going to get you out of that vest. This is going to hurt, but I promise you, were going to get you out. I need you to stay still, as still as you can. Try not to move. Can you be a good girl and stay still for me? I know you can. You can do it. I believe in you.

Sanzhima screwed her eyes shut, tears running down her face, wheezing a rapid high-pitched whine. She jerked her head a nod? Good enough.

Good girl.

Elpida let go of Sanzhimas hand, preparing to grab the front of the bomb vest but Sanzhima groped the empty air, eyes flying wide with panic. Elpida caught her hand again and squeezed it hard.

D-dont Sanzhima whined. Dont l-let go

Elpida pressed her lips to the back of Sanzhimas palm. She tasted blood. Im right here. Im not going anywhere. Im going to be right here with you, all the way.

why?

Because youre a child of Telokopolis too, even if you dont know it yet.

Sanzhimas eyes glassed over. She let out a wet, ragged, bloody sob.

Elpida let go of her hand again and put both of her own on the bomb vest, searching for a good grip. She settled on one hand either side.

Kagami hissed: Three minutes. Hurry up, Commander! Do not make me scrape you all off the floor!

Vicky muttered, Shut up, Kaga. This is stressful enough without you Vicky cut off and winced; Kagami must have sent her a private reply.

Elpida raised her voice and spoke quickly. Listen up! Heres whats gonna happen! Shilu is going to cut the bars one by one. On the final bar shes going to have to hold the vest to maintain the current. Shilu, is that correct? Elpida received a nod in reply. Good. When Shilu is done, shes going to signal to me. Ooni, Vicky, youre to hold Sanzhima as firmly as you possibly can. Well have a count of three, then Shilu lets go, and I pull the vest off. Im going to throw it to my right, over Pheiris shield line. Pheiri will light his shields on three, so theyll be active to catch the blast. Any questions?

Ooni and Vicky both shook their heads. Shilu said nothing.

Ilyusha hissed, Fuuuuuck this. Fuck. Hate it.

Atyle stepped back and stood next to Hafina; neither of them said anything.

Howl snapped, Yeah, you know what, Im with our little puppy down there. Elps, you know this is going to blow off your

I dont care. How many times, Howl? Failure is not an option. I need you to back me up, right now. I need you on this. I love you, Howl. I need you by my side for this. I

Fuck you, Elps. Fuckin

Howl! Elpida felt a dam break. I I cant do this alone. I cant I cant fail here. I cant. I think I might die if I do. I cant go down into that despair again, like after Eseld. I I cant. I need your help. I cant fail here. I cant!

Silence.

Howl?

Howl snorted. Im always by your side, you know that.

Then back me up.

I am.

Alright, Elpida said out loud. Shilu, ready?

On your mark, Telokopolan.

Go.

Behind Sanzhimas back, Shilu worked quickly Elpida could not see if she transformed her hands into bladed scissors, but Ooni squeezed her eyes shut at whatever Shilu did, while Victoria stared in muted horror. Shilu sliced through the shoulder-welds first, then the weld beneath Sanzhimas groin; the whole cage-vest structure sagged forward with the change in weight. Sanzhima gasped as if gut-shot.

Sanzhima, concentrate on the sound of my voice, Elpida said. Just focus on my words. Ive got you, Im right in front of you, Im here with you. This will be over in a few moments, the pain will be over, I promise you we are going to

The first metal rod popped free with a soft metallic snick; Sanzhima started to pant, mouth wide, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

She was Eseld. She was Howl. She was all of Elpidas sisters, everyone she had ever failed to save.

Sanzhima? Sanzhima, stay with me. Sanz

Elpidas headset crackled in her ears. Commander, said Kagami. Theres a a call for you.

What? Elpida snapped. Explain.

The second rod came free with a little snick of severed metal. Sanzhima jerked and gasped; Elpida felt her heart spasm.

Incoming radio signal, Kagami said, from the frequency we took from the victims pocket. It doesnt say anything, except that they want to talk to you, personally.

Ilyusha growled. Vicky sighed and muttered, Egotistic bastards. Ooni went wide-eyed with fear, mouthing no no no.

Shilu cut the third metal bar; Sanzhima flinched and jerked, like dead meat under an electrical current.

Elpida said: We have their signals jammed, correct?

Yes! Kagami snapped. Yes, of course we do. They cant trigger the bomb now, unless one of them is going to run in here and drop-kick you.

Vicky muttered, Dont jinx us, Kaga.

Put it through, Elpida said. I want them to hear.

Kagami said, Hear what?

Shilu cut the fourth steel crossbar. Sanzhima didnt even react, just whining for breath as if her throat was clogged with blood.

My voice, said Elpida. The voice of Telokopolis. Put them through.

Kagami sighed. Fine. Have fun, Commander. Here it is.

Elpidas headset clicked once, then filled with a distant static.

A voice trickled out of the darkness.

How did you like our little present, Elpida? it said, rough and scratchy, raw with damage, dripping with venom. Did it go off in the middle of a crowd, or did you manage to

Cantrelle, Elpida said.

The voice was unmistakable. Elpida nodded at Shilu to go ahead and cut the fifth and final crossbar.

Huh, Cantrelle grunted. it really is you. I suppose you survived the blast, then, and

Cantrelle, Elpida said, staring into Sanzhimas glassy eyes as Shilu cut the final steel bar. The whole cage-vest assemblage slid forward; Elpida held it in place with her body weight. Sanzhima was insensible, mute and empty, even her tears gone dry. I need you to understand, Elpida said. I am going to deal with you how I should have dealt with the Covenanters.

The who? I dont care about your

I suggest you run and hide, said Elpida. Find a very deep, very dark hole, and stay there. Because for this, I am going to hunt you down. Thats all. Kagami, cut the line.

Elpidas headset went click-click. Connection terminated.

Ilyusha spat: Fuckin ey!

Atyle purred, Noble intentions.

Vicky nodded. Well said, Commander. Fuck them. Well get them for this shit. We will.

Ooni said nothing. Shed gone pale as fresh bone.

Elpida said, Shilu, is that all the bars cut?

All five. Ive got my hands on the connections, providing current. On your mark.

Elpida tested the cage-vest. The bars slid and raked inside Sanzhimas torso. Sanzhima wheezed; she had nothing left to give. Elpida said: Kagami, youve got Pheiris high-res scans. I need to know for absolute certain these bars are not going to snag on a rib when I pull.

Kagami snapped: Yes! Yes, Commander, youre clear! And you have forty seconds!

Elpi! Vicky almost shouted. Elpi, we do it now or we dont do it at all! Come on!

Ooni had her eyes wide open, lips moving rapidly in a hushed prayer.

Elpida said: Ooni, Vicky, you hold onto her and you hold on hard! I need leverage and I need it instantly. This comes free in one pull, you understand? Understand?! Shout it for me, both of you!

Yes, Commander! Ooni almost screamed.

Do it, Elpi! Vicky shouted. Weve got her!

Elpida spoke into her headset: Pheiri, ignite your shields on three. Ready?

A sharp little acknowledgement ping sounded in Elpidas ears.

Elpida raised one booted foot and planted it against Sanzhimas right thigh; if the girl felt the boot, she gave no indication.

On three. Elpida glanced rapidly between Ooni and Vicky. One. She swallowed, trying not to feel Howl bracing in the back of her mind. Two. Elpidas heart rate spiked the heritage of Telokopolan genetic engineering, preparing her body for one lightning-fast second of action. She flexed her shoulder muscles, relaxed her arms, and exhaled.

She would not fail.

Three!

Elpida pulled on the cage-vest with all her strength. Five severed steel bars slid forward through Sanzhimas flesh, scraping against broken ribs and ripping past the ragged wounds in her ruptured belly.

Sanzhima threw her head back and screamed. She thrashed and kicked, foaming at the mouth. Ooni screamed with her, but held on tight. Vicky gritted her teeth, eyes winced shut.

The bomb-vest tore free in a fountain of blood and bile and excrement, spraying stinking crimson mess into Elpidas face. She ignored the burning in her eyes and kept them open she could not afford even a split-second of distraction. Two steel bars popped free from between Sanzhimas ribs, slick with blood, vibrating as they burst forth. Two of the three in her belly came out clean but the third dragged out a loop of intestine as it came, snagged on a coil of Sanzhimas guts.

Elpida felt the world stop.

She had failed.

She could not throw the vest, not without unravelling Sanzhimas innards and hurling half the victim after the bomb. All this work had been for nothing. All these children of Telokopolis were about to watch Elpida kill another helpless zombie, watch her fail to render aid, watch her rip out the guts of an innocent

Ilyushas right hand darted across Sanzhimas belly. Bionic claws slid from black fingertips and severed the loop of intestine.

Sanzhima screamed even louder. But the bomb-vest slid free.

For a split-second, Elpida was paralysed. She had failed. She felt herself sliding down into a pit of despair, like a mouth opening beneath her feet and

Come on, bitch tits! Dont get lazy now!

Howl took control of Elpidas limbs just a twitch, a jump-start, to get her moving once again.

Elpida let go of the vest with her left hand and hurled it sideways with her right.

Pheiri crash-started his shields right on cue a shimmering wall of electric blue burst to life two feet from Elpidas face, an interlocking mail-matrix of hexagons, backed by sheets of hissing energy and a smooth dome-curve of shining white, drowning the shadows in the tomb chamber with blinding light.

Elpidas arm passed harmlessly through the shields pre-approved low-velocity penetration hauling the vest and the explosive payload over the line.

She opened her hand to drop the vest, reeling back to extract her arm before

The bomb detonated.

Pheiris shields absorbed the blast; the explosion flowered right in front of Elpidas face. A vortex of fire and shrapnel smeared across the concave interior of the shields. Shrapnel pinged and plinked off Pheiris front armour. Debris whizzed through the air, sparking and flaring against distant corners of the shield-dome. Larger chunks of metal rained to the floor amid the floating cloud of greasy soot and dark smoke, clang-a-clanging against the tombs black surface, tumbling across the ground, spiralling away like iron raindrops.

Elpida felt the pain-blockers flood her bloodstream before the explosion died.

Smoke parted. Soot settled. The blossom folded up.

Elpidas right forearm was gone. Her elbow was a ragged stump.

The twisted remains of the bomb-vest lay on the floor a few snatches of blackened steel, splattered with a wide smear of dark blood, several chunks of steaming, charred meat, and a few recognisable fragments of bone.

Pheiri extinguished his shields with a soft thunderclap of collapsing energy. The sound of the hurricane rushed back into the silence, filling Elpidas ears with a storm of static.

mmander! Commander! Respond! Youre bleeding! Elpida! Somebody grab her before she

Elps! Elps, fuck! Focus! Elps! I cant what are you doing, I cant take

Elpida took a step back. Her stump followed, blood trickling to the floor.

She turned away from the remnants of the bomb. Vicky and Ooni were down on the ground, cradling Sanzhima as she bucked and jerked in a spreading pool f her own blood. Ilyusha had her hands over the girls belly, trying to stuff her intestines back inside.

Beyond the picket line revenants were rushing forward, the fifty-meter safe distance no longer relevant. Faces whirled, crowding the shadows, dyed darker than crimson.

Somebody grabbed Elpidas stump. A sudden, sharp burning sensation overpowered the pain. She jerked back, away from Shilu?

Shilu held up one hand, rapidly fading from red-hot back to the light brown of her human disguise.

Cauterization, said Shilu. Telokopolan? Are you there?

Elpida looked down at her stump. It was no longer bleeding; the flesh was blackened and charred, the wound sealed with heat. The pain was closer now it made her break out in a sheen of cold sweat, made her stomach clench and her ribs creak. But Telokopolan painblockers did their work. She was coherent enough.

Elps! Howl snapped. Youre fuck, this isnt shock, you havent lost enough blood for that. And I cant take over! What are you

Victory gave Elpida all the strength she needed.

The others were still shouting at her Kagami over the comms, Howl inside her head, the others down on the ground. But Elpida knew what she needed to do.

Elpida turned back around and stepped toward the steaming remains of her own right forearm. She almost fell over, stumbling and staggering; had she taken more damage than she realised?

for fucks sake! a voice howled in her ear. Howl?! Howl, are you in there? Stop her! Haf, Haf, grab her before she faceplants on

Hafina came for her, but Elpida ducked and weaved. Even seriously wounded, an Artificial Human was no match for a Telokopolan pilot. She slipped around Hafs six arms, went down on one knee, and scooped up a chunk of blackened meat from amid the debris of the bomb. Elpida lurched back to her feet and turned around, then walked the few paces to where Sanzhima still lay.

She held up the bleeding nugget of her own burned and blasted arm. She showed it to the crowd beyond the picket line.

Meat! she roared to the onlookers. My meat! All of you, understand this! What I did here, Telokopolis does for all of you! No one is left outside, nobody is abandoned! Those who send weapons like this against us, they have nothing, nothing which can truly touch us! Telokopolis cannot be killed, not in any way that truly matters!

Elpida fell to her knees beside Sanzhima. The girl was insensible behind a mask of agony.

Look at me, Elpida croaked. Hands were trying to grab at her shoulders and pull her up, but they had no strength compared to victory and vindication. Look at me, sister I mean, Sanzhima. Sanzhima. Look at me.

Sanzhima made eye contact. Elpida reached out with the gobbet of her own charred flesh, and pressed it past Sanzhimas lips.

A cheer went up a wild howling from the crowd of the undead.

Or maybe that was the blood pounding in Elpidas ears.

She looked down at her left hand.

It was shaking.

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