Dawn of the Void
Chapter 24: Order from Chaos

Nemesis 2 Defeated

You are #178 to survive Global First Wave Nemesis 2 Incursion

16 Days till Nemesis 3 Released

86 Days till Pits Open

James stared at the text that had replaced his level-up info. Serenity no doubt was doing the same.

“What is it?” asked Mancini.

“An update. Whoever’s in charge doesn’t want us to lose track. 16 days till Nemesis 3.”

“That’s something, at any rate,” said Delvecchio. “Right?”

Mancini turned to his grenadier. “Singh, the feed get through?”

Singh jogged over to the cameras he’d installed. “It’s still live. CentCom’s received everything.”

“Good,” said Mancini. “Time to head back. I’ve a feeling our night’s just starting.”

“One sec.” James tossed his phone underhand to Serenity. “Record me?”

She bit her lower lip, tapped a bunch of stuff on his screen, then looked over the top of the phone at him. “Count of 3?”

James took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and stared at the little black lenses on the back of the camera as Serenity counted down.

“This is James Kelly. I recorded two videos before offering some advice. The hashtag that picked me up was lumberhomelessjack. I’ve started my own channel to better get information out. We’ve just killed the first Nemeses 2.” He gestured, and Serenity panned down to the corpses. “Early observations are as follows: they’re much more vulnerable to Smite-enhanced weapons and bullets than regular bullets. They’re fast, and they like to leap. My Lead Aura 5 burned them but didn’t come close to stopping them like it would a gremlin - I mean a Nemesis 1.”

Serenity panned back up. James felt a moment’s panic - how the fuck was he supposed to put a positive spin on this?

Ah, fuck. He’d just say what was on his mind.

“I’ll level with you all. Things don’t look good. It took a prepared US Army fireteam and my friend and I to take these two down, and I still had to spend an Aeviternum point to heal.” Did most people even know what those were and did? “You can buy those once you hit Level 5. They can maximize your attacks or heal you back from the brink of death.”

He paused, realizing he could have empowered his own skillet swing. Too late now.

“But while things don’t look good, I’m still going to fight. I’m in Brooklyn right now and was at Grand Army Plaza last night trying to help with the Fourth Wave. We’ve got almost no time to prepare, which means every minute is crucial. The mayor of NYC has asked me to head up a group of high-level citizens, folks Level 5 and above. I agreed, because - fuck. What else am I going to do? Our one advantage over these things thus far is our intelligence. We need to adapt and work together to fight these things off. Which means bringing the highest ranked together and finding ways to make the maximum difference in this war.”

James paused. Refused to second guess himself, to doubt his words.

“If you’re Level 5 and higher and in the NYC area, or can get here, reach out. There’s a contact link in this TikTok bio, or you can leave a comment, email me, whatever. Get in touch. Nemesis 2 is going to tear us a new one if we don’t come together. We’ve got 24 hours before the Second Wave. Let’s show them what we humans can do.”

Serenity lowered the phone, tapped at it, then tossed it back. “Good job. It’s uploading. I hope Jessica’s ready.”

James shoved the phone in his pocket. “We’ve got a lot to do. Mancini, we’re going to need to change our clearance system. I’ve got ideas. Can you get me in touch with Hackworth?”

“Yes sir,” said Mancini.

“I’m also going to need a new weapon. This skillet was good while it lasted, but now I’m thinking I’m going to need a spear. Something that the Nemeses 2 can impale themselves on. Also, we’re going to need to review the footage Singh caught. Was it detailed enough that we can slow it down, zoom in?”

Singh nodded curtly.

“Good. We need to get a sense of how much damage non-Smite bullets were doing. That’ll make or break any plan we put forward.”

“Look at you,” said Serenity, eyes gleaming. “You’re all grown up.”

He scowled at her. “I’ve gotta call Jessica.” He dialed her number, turned away.

She picked up on the first ring. “Good. You’re alive. Video is already getting traction. Responses are coming in.”

“We’re not waiting till tomorrow. Can you get the mayor and whomever else you think is important to a meeting? I’m going to talk to Major Hackworth and get him to bring the right military folks. We have to get started on our plans now.”

“I’ll try. Are you going to the NYCEM building?”

“Yeah. No sense in waiting. Can you get there?”

“I can get there. I’ve got updates of my own to share and will make calls on the way.”

“Singh,” said James, turning back round. “Can you get us to the NYCEM building?”

Singh looked to Mancini who was on his radio but who nodded.

“Yes sir,” said Singh.

“Good. Let’s get moving.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Serenity as they left the warehouse and its two dead demons.

“That if we don’t act now, we might as well not act at all. We’re not going to wait like we did for the Fourth Wave. We need to get the right people in the same place and come up with a strategy we can implement immediately and then scale up each day. The Monitor said we’d last five months, but honestly? These Nemesis 2’s scare the fuck out of me. We either get ready now, or we won’t last till the end of the week.”

They drove south and then cut toward downtown. Jessica texted updates. The mayor was willing to meet. Hackworth confirmed that he’d be there, and would have the colonel who was in charge of Fort Hamilton as well as some other key players video call in.

The Aeviternum point had totally invigorated him. Combined with the enhanced Strength and Power, he felt like a professional athlete who’d just chugged a black coffee after a fantastic night’s sleep. Ideas spun through his brain.

“You’re not looking nearly as terrified as you should be,” said Huffman from across the Humvee.

“That’s because we’re alive.” James said this with absolute certainty. “And while we’re living, we’ve got hope. Imagine how fucked we’d be if this had happened two hundred years ago. But this is the 21st century. We’ve got missiles, drones, and who knows how much other secret tech that the military hasn’t shown us. We can turn this around.”

Huffman made a noncommittal face and looked out over the tailgate.

The sight of his first Nemesis 2 in the wild shook James, however. It clung to the face of a brick building, two stories up, still as a praying mantis, only its white masked face turning to track them as they drove away. Then it scampered up the wall and was gone.

Freaky shit.

The NYCEM was as active as ever, but the mood was different. There were few reporters, and the people who stood outside looked more lost, adrift, alone even in a crowd. Quite a few of them were chewing on chunks of yellow bread.

James and the others climbed out of the hummer, but nobody recognized him without his fur coat and beard.

That was fine. Better to start fresh with a more serious look.

Jessica stood inside the lobby, a sheen of perspiration over her brow, her blazer folded over one arm.

“You all right?” asked James once they passed through security.

“Fine. Cycled here. Uber’s having… difficulties.”

“Where’d you get a bike?” demanded Serenity.

“I stole it,” Jessica said coolly. “I’ve a bunch of updates. Walk and talk?”

James smiled, recalling their first meeting. “Lead the way.”

“Kelly,” called Mancini. “We’re going to wait here for Major Hackworth. We’ll see you upstairs.

James nodded and followed Jessica to the elevator.

“First and most importantly, I’ve received a notification window. It happened just as the Nemesis 2’s appeared.”

James stared at her. “You skipped the first round?”

“No.” Jessica took a moment to compose herself. “Very different. It seems I’m not to be a combatant. I’ve copied out what I saw. Easier if you just read it.”

She handed him a paper.

Serenity pressed in close to read over his shoulder.

Initial Nemesis wave complete.

Personal Statistics Unlocked

You are #1,232,711 to unlock Class: Fabricator

86 Days till Pits Open

“Fabricator?” asked James.

The elevator doors opened.

“I believe it’s a support class. My sheet is very different from yours. Much simpler. Here.”

She took the paper and turned it around, revealing more of her precise writing:

Name: Jessica Miles

Class: Fabricator

Rank: Apprentice 1

Specialization: None

Aspect: None

Gifts: Create Manna

Aeviternum Points: 1

Will: 6

Creativity: 5

Discipline: 6

Inspiration: 4

Unspent Points: 5

Again James looked up. “Create Manna?”

“I’ve conferred with everyone I know who wasn’t served an acknowledgement window.” Jessica stared straight ahead at the reflective steel elevators doors. They dinged and opened. “Everybody has started with the same gift. It runs off Will. With it I can create, well, here, I’ll show you.”

They stepped out into a busy landing, complete with copy machines to one side, more of those glass walled cubicles, phones ringing, the most urban and normal setting ever, yet somehow Jessica was able to raise her palm and in its pale center a mote of gold did glow, and expand into a sphere of soft radiance that then hardened into a large, pale gold loaf.

Wordlessly, Jessica handed it to him.

It was warm, and if fresh out the oven. Unsure, James tore a chunk off, then hesitated.

“Oh, give it here,” snapped Serenity, took the chunk, and popped into her mouth. For a second she chewed energetically, then she slowed and gave a low moan of appreciation.

“Oh shit. That’sh good. Like cheesh bread. With a little butter.” She chewed faster, swallowed, then tore off another chunk.

“So it would seem half the world has become divine bakers,” said Jessica wryly as she resumed walking. “Which is good news? Depending on this loaf’s nutritional profile.”

“How many of these can you make?” asked James, lifting a chunk to sniff at. It smelled faintly of cheese, a light, delicate aroma.

“I’m not sure. That’s my fourth since we last spoke. I can feel a waning in my ability to make them, however; it’s tied to my Will, so perhaps it’s capped by the strength of the stat.”

James took a bite. It was good. Chewy and warm, with a rich cheesy taste, doughy as if made not from wheat but something slightly rubberier. Substantial, too; he could tell just by that first bite that a loaf would hold him for a good while.

“So good,” said Serenity tearing off a third of the loaf. “Fuck the calories, this is all mine.”

“Do divine loaves even have calories?” asked James. “That seems against the whole divine gift thing.”

“The repercussions of this development are a little beyond my ability to game out,” said Jessica, leading them down another hallway, “but I’m willing to wager this is our first stroke of good luck since this whole shitstorm began.”

“No kidding. Especially if you look past Create Manna. You’ve got Specializations and Aspect listed here, too.”

“Ooh, specialize in sushi,” said Serenity. “Please? I’ll be your best friend.”

“I don’t think that’s what it means,” said Jessica wryly. “Notice the Class title. The dictionary definition - assuming this power is being precise - is ‘a person who makes things by art or skill or labor’. Thus I don’t think the Class should be understood as Cook, or Nutritionist, or what have you. Fabricator indicates the potential to craft or create any variety of objects. What, though, remains to be seen.”

James studied the paper again. “Will, creativity, discipline, inspiration. Those all sound relevant to creator types. This could be a really big deal.”

“Yes. Now, onto the next item.” They’d stopped a ways down from what was clearly the entrance to the huge board room. A crowd was gathered there as before, but Jessica didn’t yet want to engage them. “I’ve heard from friends that the mayor has suffered a sharp decline in his mental health. He was always a little… precarious, but what used to be waved off as eccentricities or lapses in judgement are now really becoming a problem.”

“I just saw the guy like a day ago. Was it a day ago? Two days ago.”

“A lot has happened since then. Nobody even knows what the death toll is, but he is receiving universal blame for the nature of the response.” Jessica took a sharp breath. “The reason I’m sharing this is because he’s now both heavily medicated and erratic. You’ll need to treat him carefully when you go into the meeting.”

James thought of all the petty bureaucrats and cops who’d made his life hell over the past seven years, and how he’d had to learn the exact right blend of respect, conciliation, and when to just shut the hell up. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Got it,” he said.

“I’ve heard he’s going to enforce a curfew and has mentioned to several people he might leave the city altogether to run things from his estate in the Hamptons.”

“Not a good look,” said Serenity. “Unless he’s willing to take us along?”

“Not a good look,” agreed Jessica.

“Who’d replace him if he stepped down?” asked James.

“The New York City Public Advocate, a Mr. Joshua Green. He’s an elected official who serves as a direct link between the electorate and the city government, but nobody’s been able to locate him in over twenty-four hours.”

“Not a good look,” said James dourly.

“So. My advice is to give the mayor an out. He’ll get… anxious… if you involve him too much. Make a case, ask that your office as Deputy Commissioner of the DRC -”

“Democratic Republic of the Congo?” asked Serenity.

“Department of Ranking Citizens,” said Jessica. “Ask for your office to be invested with the powers to handle this situation, and then adjourn the meeting so as to continue it with the right people. Think of this next meeting as just a preliminary hoop to jump through in order to get to the decision-making part.”

A group of military men rounded the corner led by Major Hackworth, who strode up to shake James’s hand. Somehow the major still looked polished and roguishly handsome. James had no idea how he did it.

“James Kelly. The man of the hour. Sergeant Mancini speaks very highly of you and has confirmed my estimation. I’m glad to hear that you’ll be accepting an official role in the DRC and look forward to working closely with you to resolve this Nemesis 2 situation.”

“Major.” It still felt surreal to be talking to these people as some sort of equal. “Thank you. I’ve got some definite ideas, the first and most important being that we have to move fast.”

“Something we’re all too well aware of. Anything I should know before we go inside?”

“I’m gonna ask for authority to work with the army in setting up more efficient clearance zones. That and I had an idea: bussing. I googled how many school buses are in the five boroughs on the way here: 9,500. That’s a carrying capacity of over eight hundred thousand. My thought is we create new zones out of Port Authority and Penn Station where people board, hit the interstate, then when their Nemeses trigger they’ll appear on the shoulder of the 95. The bus keeps barreling along at 70 mph, and returns to the city, leaving the demon somewhere south of East Brunswick.”

“Interesting. Especially for the fourth wave. I see some immediate problems, but I like the thought. Anything else?”

“I’m going to focus on clearance zones for now, but we also need to get a handle on what these new demons are gonna do with their spare time. Go to ground? Wait to wonder the streets by night? Actively hunt? I was thinking you’d be the best means of figuring that out. Maybe some Killer Eggs with special forces guys looking down at the city with night goggles and that heat sensor stuff from Predator.”

“Infrared, yes. I agree, and it’s clear we have much to discuss and little time. Shall we begin the meeting?”

“Yeah. Thanks. And thanks for giving me a chance. For assigning Mancini and his fire team, for the phone, for everything. It’s made all the difference.”

“I’ve an eye for talent and opportunity. I’m glad we met. Now, let’s start wresting some order out of this chaos.”

“Yes sir,” said James, and followed the major down the hall.

“Yes sir,” he heard Serenity repeat mockingly under her breath, but when he glanced back she just gave him a teasing wink.

He reached back.

She took his hand.

He gave it a squeeze, then let go.

The doors to the board room opened, and James, squaring his shoulders, stepped inside.

It was indeed time to start wresting some order from this fucking chaos.

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