Petriesen watched the Fallen enter the outer perimeter of the city through binoculars that trembled with fear. He licked his lips nervously as he watched the alien swarm seep into the city, devouring everything it touched, overwhelming and unrelenting. It was immediately obvious they could not stand against them. The Fallen could not be stopped. “Get everyone into Eden” he ordered in a quiet rasping voice. Wensly, the nearest of the five soldiers standing beside him in the gun emplacement, shook her head. She was trying to be calm, be professional, but she was scared. She couldn’t help breathing in short sharp almost panting breaths, her eyes wide and full of fear. This was it, what they had always feared would happen. The Fallen had come for them at long last. “We would be trapped. We can’t hide in there!” she hissed. “I don’t think they know we are here”, Petriesen replied. He handed the binoculars to her as he roughly cleared his throat. “Look at them”, he told her and moved aside so that she could peer out towards the outer edge of the city. “They are searching every building. They are looking for something. If they knew we were here they would come straight for us”. Wensly refocused the binoculars and watched the Fallen move between the broken buildings, scampering inside each and every one before darting to the next. She let the binoculars drop to her chest. “But Eden?” she persisted. “There is no way out of there! Once in…” “We can’t fight that”, Petriesen interrupted. “Look at their numbers! Even if they were only a fraction of what we are seeing, fighting would only reveal ourselves and once they knew we were here more would come, never stopping until they had slaughtered everyone of us”. He shook his head. “No, the only chance we have of surviving this is to weather the storm. We must hide, close the tunnels and barricade the entrances and hope they pass us by”. “What if they find their way in?” “Lets pray that they don’t”. "And you are sure? You can replicate it?" The splicer nodded thoughtfully, the claw of one of its upper limbs tapping its lips as it considered. "I am confident, but I need the original to be sure". The Kell growled low and long. "Everything resides on this. I have come too far for this to fail. You must be sure. You will be sure, splicer. You will be the first to die if you are wrong and it will not be pleasant". The splicer dropped to a low bow, its body shaking slightly. The Kell ignored it. "And you are sure what was done is as you believe?" The splicer thought slowly, carefully. "Splicers seek secrets", it said finally. "Splicers seek to make Eliksni better. Always better". "Mercy splicers were... different. A House devoted to biological [i]execution[/i] rather than biological [i]advancement[/i]". The splicer tapped each side of its head with the claws from both top limbs. "We listened to them". The Fallen bottom limbs gestured expansively. "All splicers listened to them. They perhaps more than any unlocked great secrets". All four limbs folded against its body. "But they were secretive. They were private and hard to hear". The splicer slowly extended its left lower limb and tapped the largest talon against its Chest. "But I heard. I learned". All four of its limbs unfurled and its claws opened wide to clutch at different parts of its head, chest and abdomen as if to protect them. "Safeguards", it said simply. Each claw clutched a little tighter, claws scraping against light armour. "Mercy made things to kill everything. Mercy Kell made splicers make him safe from such things. I... heard things. Experiments. Not unusual. Splicers experiment for good of..." The Kell moved with such sudden speed that the splicer was not aware it had moved until its claw was tight around its throat. "I told all of you I don't want to know what you do. You live because I allow it, but give me details and I will not allow it". The splicer struggled weakly making weak pitiful noises before the Kell dropped it to the ground with a dismissive growl. "Tell me you know what to do, splicer or I will rip you apart right here, right now". The splicer was visibly shaking now and bobbed its head furiously. "I know how to replicate the device made for the Kell of House Mercy" it cried loudly. "I know how to protect you from the weapon". The Kell turned away to lean over a holographic representation of the city and surrounds. A yellow mass made their way through the outer buildings, their forward progress slowing as they searched for the Guardian. [i]It must be here for the weapon[/i], it thought. [i]I cannot let them have it. It must be mine![/i] The Kell gestured and the map moved to show another mass, this one shown as orange, moving towards a series of deep tunnels and caverns. It hissed in satisfaction. Every Fallen it knew or suspected to have desires of higher position, that was not unquestionably loyal, was in this force. They had thought themselves granted a boon, perhaps even an opportunity to grasp the weapon for themselves. Instead they raced to their deaths. The Kell knew something had happened in the mine and it had assumed it was linked to the weapon it sought. Quite what had happened it did not know. Getting access to the buried Ketch would have provided answers, but none of the last party sent there had been able to do so and they had all died trying to find a way in. [i]A side-effect maybe? Something caused by the crash?[/i] It didn’t matter, it still wanted needed the weapon if it were to take on the other Houses and gain ascendency. And it seemed another House was interested in obtaining it by that mysterious abrupt communication it had received. [i]I will have it![/i] But it needed protection. It needed what House Mercy’s Kell had apparently held, something to avoid it succumbing to whatever had been unleashed. Those entering the mine would be the first to die, but even those that attacked the city would suffer. The Kell had fully understood the meaning behind the reports from the patrols it had sent to find the resting place of the Mercy Ketch. The earth was tainted here. Any Eliksni that stood in this land would be afflicted. Many of the horde, the majority of its house, that now raced across the desert would die, but it was of little consequence. The weapon and the means to protect itself from it was all that mattered. The House could be rebuilt as so many had in the past. “The Guardian could have it…” it hissed. [i]Take it. Use it. It does not matter to me. You cannot harm me.[/i] “Or the Dreg… it quietly mused. “The Dreg, great Kell?” the splicer questioned meekly. The Kell ignored it and tapped a talon on a small rune on the display before it. “Those entering the city, I speak to you now. Do not stop until you find the ghoul of the Great Machine. Scour every space. Search every structure. When it is found, bring the Guardian’s body back to me. You may also encounter a rival house. Destroy any not of our own and also bring their bodies back”. It thought for a moment and tapped another rune. “Those about to enter the mine, dig deep my warriors. Do not stop until you have what we seek. Be warned, you may also encounter a rival house. Destroy any that oppose you, but bring back the bodies of any you face”. It bobbed its head slowly. [i]Done.[/i] It gestured and the display zoomed out to show both coloured forces moving towards their objectives. Now it just had to wait. Mattaus watched the train depart down the tunnel. “I don’t like this”. Hausen grunted in agreement. “Me neither”. He looked around him. “But I don’t see as we have any other option”. “We can run”, Felicia said quickly. Hausen shook his head. “They are already in the city and if their numbers are anything near what Petriesen says they are there is no hope of avoiding them all”. “But burying ourselves underground?” Hausen nodded to the younger man. “I know, Mattaus, I know. It does not feel right to me either. But there is merit to the plan. They kill power to everything, seal the tunnels and block them beyond with the carriages and then close Eden behind its own protective doors. Even the most inquisitive of the Fallen will find only barrier after barrier with nothing seeming of value for their efforts. There is a good chance they will move on”. Mattaus fidgeted nervously as they waited for the train to return. “I hope you’re right”. Hausen took a deep breath. “Me too”. Petriesen walked over to the group. “We are the last, should be away soon”. Hausen nodded”. “Look, I’m sorry about how you were treated before”, he apologised. “We had to be careful”. “Still can’t believe there is a Guardian in there”, Mattaus whispered in awe as he stared down the tunnel the train had departed. “And now we have Fallen to worry about” Petriesen added. “You can imagine things have people a little on edge right now”. “You think they are looking for him?” Hausen asked. “Either him or why he is here – which I assume to be what’s happened in the mine. Either way it brings them on top of us”. He placed a finger against an earpiece and after a moment nodded absently and spoke his thanks. “Mirim is in the Eden medical facilities. She is fine, still sedated but no worse for the move”. Hausen smiled. “Thank you”. Petriesen smiled back. “We are all in this together. No time for unneeded animosity or suspicion. We are all going to need each other to get through this”. “Just get that bloody train back here” Felicia growled.