The Way of the Ram Read online

  “Can you call ahead somehow to make sure we don’t get arrested when we get uptown?”

  The crew muttered among themselves again. “There’s no one left to arrest you,” one of them confessed. “It will be a while before Chugg Cybernetics can churn out more clones. The power is out in part of the uptown district.”

  “OK, thank you. One more question. If you can get in and out through that tunnel, why hasn’t the monster used it to escape?”

  “We’re not sure it wants to escape,” Hork said. “We’ve seen it take out barriers much tougher than the concrete roadblocks we set up. It’s determined to do whatever it went uptown to do. But to answer your question, the tunnel has some big reinforced doors at either end, sealed from the inside with magnetic locks. You’ll need a keycard to get in.”

  “Can we borrow one of yours?” As soon as the words left Healer’s mouth, he saw the stir of anxiety travel through the group. He sensed their reluctance to part with their cards. “Or, even better, you could take a break and walk us down there.”

  The crew agreed to that. They led the two sheep away from the wall and down the main road until they reached a large storm drain. The pigs pulled off the manhole cover and jumped down one by one, followed by Dreamer and then Healer.

  Chapter 44

  The smell of the sewer reminded Healer of dozens of pig jokes he had heard at the primary school. He forced himself to think about other things as they walked. If he opened his mouth, there was no telling what sort of comment would come out.

  A few hundred feet down, the access tunnel was completely blocked by a massive metal door with a card-swipe interface. One of the crew produced his card and unlocked the door. It swung open on a motorized hinge.

  “How do we know you’re not trapping us?” Dreamer said. “We don’t need a card to get out through the other end?”

  The pig rolled his eyes. “You want us to trust you, but you won’t trust us?”

  Hork spoke up again. “I’ll walk them the rest of the way to prove it. The foreman will get mad if he finds out we were all off the job site for this long anyway. You all can head back.”

  Everyone else agreed, but not without some grumbling. The annoyed crew started back through the sewer tunnel the way they had come.

  “Suit yourself, Hork.”

  “Waste of time, if you ask me.”

  “How do we know you’re not trapping us? Sheep sometimes, I swear.”

  “I hear you, dude. Cowards to the core.”

  Healer and Dreamer ignored them and let Hork lead them through the metal door. It closed itself. This tunnel was damp and made of bare brick walls, not unlike the sewer they had left behind. The emergency lighting along the floor ran all the way to the opposite end of the maintenance tunnel.

  Dreamer hung back again, peering into her bag. Healer and the pig walked side by side.

  “Hork?” Healer ventured.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for this. We plan to do whatever we can to make sure this thing doesn’t hurt any more people.”

  “Other than a half-hearted attempt to upend a train, it hasn’t really hurt anyone except the clones that were attacking it. It just wants Chugg, which is pretty crazy. And I sure don’t miss those clones.”

  “You don’t?” Healer peered at the pig, genuinely surprised.

  “They’re thugs, man,” Hork replied. “They’re nasty. They do terrible things to pigs downtown who get caught doing stuff they aren’t supposed to. They beat my friend black and blue for stealing from an uptown electronics store. Even these warthogs are a menace. You’d think they’d show a fellow pig a little kindness, right?”

  Healer shook his head. He remembered what Caper had said about the situation of the common people of Megatropolis, but this still surprised him.

  “So, the leadership here leaves something to be desired, I’m guessing?”

  Hork glanced at him. “I’m really not supposed to be talking to you. But who are you gonna tell, right? Why do you think we’re slacking off at patching the wall up there? None of us on this side of town are all that torn up about what’s been happening. If that creature makes it up the building… well, those uptown assholes at the Chugg Corporation have it coming. They treat us like garbage.”

  “That’s good to know, Hork. Thanks.”

  “You know, you’re not bad for a sheep. Hey, we’re here.”

  The other metal door stood in front of them. Hork grabbed a lever and twisted it down. There was a click as the magnetic lock disengaged, and the door swung inward.

  “See? Didn’t need a card. We weren’t tricking you.”

  “I know. We had to be sure.” Healer stepped out of the service tunnel, and Dreamer picked up her pace to catch up with him. “Thanks again, Hork. We’ll put an end to this.”

  Hork gave a shrug and a wry smile. “If you can’t, it won’t break my heart.” With that, the access door swung shut and the two sheep were alone again in the sewer.

  Chapter 45

  “Let’s get above ground,” Healer said, turning around to glance at his companion. Dreamer was looking in her satchel again. Her eyes were aglow. This time, he did not bother to interrupt her. He came up alongside her and looked in.

  He knew what he expected, but the sight made him jump. Inside her bag was the colorful orchid in a tiny pot, with bright green stems and leaves, five black petals streaked with violet, and a glowing white light at its center. The flower twisted to face right toward him.

  Dreamer pulled the bag away. “Look, I wasn’t slowing you down! It’s dark enough in here for him to come talk to me, OK? Just give me a second.”

  Healer caught his breath. “That’s… Arghast?”

  “Yes, my child,” came a soft male voice from inside the bag. “Join our conversation.”

  Dreamer came up to Healer and lifted the pot out of her satchel so that the little flower could see them both.

  “It’s good to have a word with you at last, Healer,” said Arghast. “I’ve watched you since your birth. You have grown into a fine young ram, worthy to carry on your father’s work.”

  Healer had to take a minute to compose himself before speaking. “You were watching from Dreamer’s window as I walked through the courtyard at University. You sent my father to talk to me, to get me to grow horns. How much are you doing behind the scenes, here? Are you going to do something about these other gods?”

  The Father Orchid chuckled. “Everything I do is through you both. My two gifted sheep.”

  “Wait, you gave us our powers? Then what about everyone else? How have you let your people get into this situation? Is Toxid stronger than you?”

  “Healer… Healer. We could discuss the state of the world for hours and hours, and you would never run out of questions. Your friends up above, the two that are sharing one body, need your help right now. Be satisfied with this answer: I gave you and Dreamer special abilities because I need you to accomplish something for me. For sheep.”

  Healer swallowed hard and looked away. “I understand. So… what were you and Dreamer talking about before I butted in?”

  “You tell him, dear girl.”

  Dreamer bit her lip. “Healer, I lied to you earlier. I was thinking some ugly things about Render… and us. I wanted to bring my concerns to Arghast before we went any further.”

  Healer sighed. “That’s why you were so insistent on having that orchid? Talk to me, Dreamer. I’d rather know what’s on your mind.”

  She sighed. “I was wondering if our friends are still there. After what we saw them do to Scurvert. I mean, I know the two gods can’t control them completely, and they still sought us out for help. They want to be free. But I can’t help but wonder if some part of them is truly gone. If we were to bring them back, would it be the same Ponder and Mauler we knew before?”

  Healer glanced at the orchid. “What was your answer?”

  Arghast’s petals twitched. “I’m interested to hear yours.”

  Th
e ram made a dismissive wave. “It doesn’t matter to me. Even if they’re different when they come back, they’re still our friends. We’ve all changed.”

  “That’s fair,” said the flower. “I told her that Karkus and Optera’s difficulty controlling them was due to her influence and yours. Your guidance had a profound effect on those two. Now, I’m looking forward to hearing the two of you hash out Dreamer’s second concern.”

  Healer shifted his weight, anxious to continue on their way. “Right now?”

  “This must be resolved before what comes next, yes.”

  Chapter 46

  Dreamer cleared her throat, suddenly afraid to speak. “I haven’t forgotten what I said earlier. You gave it your best effort to find a peaceful solution. You only turned to violence to protect me, and now you’re taking the fight into this city to save our friends. Even so… I can’t help but wonder if this is going to change us. I feel trapped. If we stop Render first, Chugg can go through with whatever they are planning. If we let Render attack first… are we any different from the pigs? How can we end this madness and still be good people?”

  Healer cocked an eyebrow. “Does it matter?”

  “Please take me seriously, Healer.”

  The ram sighed. “Render was right. We won’t have a place to make a garden until we pull the weeds. Right at the top of that building is the root. If we don’t get rid of it now, well… you heard Durdge. The pigs have an endgame. We have a chance here, Dreamer, and there won’t be another one like it. Imagine a world with no Chugg.”

  “Ponder and Mauler will know that we… used them. As a weapon. Just as Optera and Karkus intended to. The thought makes me feel vile.”

  “Think of it this way, love. If we want our friends back, we have to get Karkus and Optera out of their heads. You think we can do that by force, even with the powers we have? We’re more likely to get what we want if we get the gods to agree to leave them alone. And that won’t happen until Ponder and Mauler have done what the gods sent them here to do. It’s our only way to get leverage. Ponder understands the importance of bargaining power.”

  “I understand, but I still hate it,” Dreamer confessed, growing tearful. “What we’re about to do is evil. Just like what those gods have already forced Render to do.”

  Healer reached out and drew her to him, cradling her with his head and neck.

  “Is it evil, or is it war?” Arghast inquired. A green tendril reached out to caress Dreamer’s flushed cheek. “Listen to me, my dear. My children have all been battling for control of this world for a long time. Karkus, Optera, and Toxid all fight through the creatures they put on this earth. And they made those creatures a certain way, for a certain purpose. I am no different. I have a stake in this game too. You and Healer, like all other sheep, are the way you are for a reason. There will be a time in which you will be right to seek peace. But now is not that time. If we do not fight, the world will belong to Toxid forever, and even I will have no say in that. For now, I need you to follow Healer’s way. In time he will follow yours.”

  She shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I don’t want him to be right. After what I’ve seen… Yes, it’s still Ponder and Mauler. But they’ve changed.” She looked at Healer. “I see your horns and I wonder. Is the thoughtful Snapper I fell in love with still in there? Or has this new Healer replaced him for good? If that’s what we have to do to bring peace, if we have to lose a part of ourselves to get it, I have to wonder if it will be worth the cost.”

  Healer set his jaw, saying nothing.

  Arghast’s green stalk encircled Dreamer’s hoof and held tight. “My child. Close your eyes.”

  She did as she was instructed. In her mind’s eye, the image of Fleece City at night appeared unbidden. The storefront lights, the happily chattering sheep, the cool breeze coming down from the mountains, and the rippling glow from the Optera fountain reminded her of her first date with Healer—back when he was just Snapper.

  “Think of it this way,” Arghast said as he spun the vision into her thoughts. “The peace you pursue is not for you. It is for these people. You may change. You may lose pieces of who you thought you were. It is a sacrifice. Some people choose to carry the burden of having blood on their hands so that others may enjoy the benefits.” He paused, and the vision changed to the quarry. Dreamer saw the sweaty, toiling faces of the people she had grown up with.

  “These sheep are not capable of fighting for themselves,” Arghast continued. “You will see. The Chugg corporate machine will come for them in the end, and they will submit to their fate without a word. It is what they do. That is why I gave a few the choice to be rams instead. If not for their decision to fight, to trade away innocence and become a little like the monster themselves, all these people would be lost. The Healer understands this.”

  The vision faded, and Dreamer opened her eyes. It occurred to her that she’d been standing in this dark, stale sewer tunnel for far longer than she would have preferred. She sniffed and tried to smile.

  “I can be a ram too, huh? Even without the horns?”

  “You can choose to fight this war so that others can survive it peacefully. And you will still be a good person afterwards. Now, leave this place. Follow the Healer. I will be watching.” With that, the light in the center of the orchid’s petals went out. Arghast had departed.

  Chapter 47

  Grateful to be breathing fresh air again, Dreamer stared down the well-maintained asphalt road before her. Farther down, the ten-foot concrete barricades lay across the road. The manicured hedges and polished dark storefront windows told her that she was in the uptown district.

  Healer nudged her. “You with me?”

  “Yes. Thank the Father Orchid for that.”

  “Maybe after this is done, I will.”

  Dreamer looked back at the roadblocks, then the other way straight down the main road. All around her lay the evidence of Render’s presence. None of the buildings or streetlamps seemed to have any electricity. Broken glass and cut power lines littered the sidewalks.

  “Let’s double back to the roadblocks,” Healer said. “If I remember correctly…” He set off without finishing his thought, forcing Dreamer to jog to catch up.

  “You do remember something about this place, I hope,” she said, if only to distract herself from her anxiety.

  “Aha. Found it. Here’s the border.” Healer came to a stop at a commuter rail that ran across the main road. The roadblocks lay just on the other side of the rail.

  A passenger train lay on its side several yards down the track. From here, they could see where the track had been cut and wrenched away from the ground.

  “What are you looking for?” Dreamer asked.

  Healer pointed. “There.”

  “What’s over… oh. Wow.” Dreamer’s breath caught in her throat at the unmistakable sight of the prison compound. It looked as if someone had swung a wrecking ball into the second story, leaving a gaping hole. “This is where it started.”

  “That’s right,” Healer said. “According to the memories you shared with me, Render tore around downtown for a while and then made it back to the opposite end of this main road. Let’s go.”

  The street came to an end at an elaborate fence. Inside that fence was the only lighted area as far as they could see. The Chugg Corporation buildings loomed at staggered heights inside the compound, illuminated by several spotlight beams pointing up into the sky. The gate had been torn out and thrown on the curb, showcasing a well-maintained lawn through the open arch.

  Healer started walking. “They’re around here somewhere.”

  Dreamer’s eyes drifted back in the direction they had come. The main road led in a straight line back to the wall entry gate. Atop the wall, the twin guns had a direct line of sight to the spot where the two sheep stood. “If I were them,” she said, “I’d be trying to figure out where those big guns are being controlled from. That’s what Ponder would do.”

  “Can you reach out to
them? Mentally? If Ponder’s mind is still in there, do you think you could form a connection the way you did before?”

  “I can try, but I’ll have to concentrate on that. I’ll need you to stay alert.”

  “No problem,” Healer said, and then Dreamer went quiet.

  Chapter 48

  Healer swallowed a hard lump in his throat and stepped through the ruined archway into the Chugg compound. The concrete and grass to either side of him were chewed up as if someone had been setting off dynamite. He looked across the lawn at the buildings looming overhead. Chugg Headquarters. Chugg Cybernetics, front doors torn down. Behind those, a long, low structure, kept tucked back and out of sight.

  There, Healer thought. That building must be the panic bunker that Hork mentioned. When Dreamer’s finished, we should take a look at—

  Dreamer grabbed Healer’s shoulder, cutting off his thoughts. “They’re coming,” she said. “I got through. I was able to look into Render’s mind. I could hear Ponder’s voice talking to me. Then all I could see was Optera’s face. She kicked me out of Render’s head.”

  “What are they doing? What was Ponder saying?”

  “Just as I thought. She said they had been trying to cut off the security system. After they came back from seeing us, they went looking for that ‘Swill’ person they mentioned in Scurvert’s cellar. Besides that, all she got to tell me was that they had no choice but to go up. They’re taking another run at the Headquarters.”

  Healer looked up. “Now?”

  “I think—oh no! Over there!” Dreamer pointed, and Healer followed with his eyes.

  Render had risen up from between two department stores outside the Chugg company grounds, sleeve-wings outstretched, gliding hundreds of feet in the air in a straight line toward the skyscraper. From somewhere inside the complex, a pair of floodlights came on. Their beams crossed on Render, illuminating its red body against the night sky.

  “Healer!” Dreamer shrieked. “They’re going to get killed!” Unwilling to watch, she pressed her face into the side of his neck. He held her and craned his head up to track Render’s progress across the Chugg compound.