A genuine, real-life firearm. This was something so astoundingly illegal that it could not even be compared to other forms of contraband like tobacco and psychotropic drugs. All manufacturing and possession of such devices had been banned more than a hundred years ago, and rightly so, as they were nothing more than instruments of death, weapons that existed for no other purpose than to end lives.
Narain pulled the trigger, and another shot rang out. One of the pursuers fell to the ground, and it was only then that I knew for certain these people were not human, as not a single drop of blood flowed from his gaping wound. The other spectators up on the street cried out in horror at the sound of gunfire, and had already begun to flee the scene. Narain jumped into the boat and continued firing away at the human facsimiles as he backed into the cabin. Yet these “people” did not stay down once shot and quickly got back up to their feet. It was not right. There was nothing right to be found here.
“Damn it,” Narain grunted. “Hey, you know how to drive one of these things?”
“A boat? No, absolutely not! I can’t even drive a car!” I said.
“Then trade places with me,” he said, dropping the gun at my feet as he climbed into the cabin.
Oh, god, no. There was simply no way—I would rather attempt to drive and get us both killed than pick up a gun and start firing. But our pursuers were rapidly closing in, and the man at the front of the pack was already attempting to claw his way up onto the boat. I had to do something. I mustered up all of my nerve, got up on the rim of the cruiser, and stomped on the man’s face as hard as I could until he let go and fell backward into the water. I lost my balance and fell back into the boat, landing hard on my rear end against the deck. The boat swayed slightly in the water from the recoil, then finally began to pull away from the dock. The rear engine puttered to life, spraying water all across the faces of our would-be captors.
“Try not to fall in, now,” Narain yelled from the cabin as he piloted the boat out into the bay. I hurried to my feet and grabbed one of the stability rails along the gunwale of the boat. Back on the dock, our pursuers were now standing stock still, just watching in silence as we pulled away. Further back, I could see the teammate we’d left ashore, still pinned to the ground.
“Lei!” I cried out in vain, unsure if my voice would even reach.
14
The low, droning hum of the engine was the only sound. There was nothing else around us out here on the open ocean. The only three things that could be seen were a clear and cloudless sky, the endless arms of the Pacific stretching out all across the horizon, and two monumental Titans.
The harbor behind us grew smaller and smaller as we slowly built up to the boat’s maximum speed. Though most of the functions were apparently automatic, its navigation system was as antiquated as the boat itself, so Narain had to come out onto the deck and make manual adjustments from time to time. I huddled in a corner of the narrow deck with my head in my hands, having nothing to do but sit alone with my thoughts for the time being. I thought of the professor and Lei. I was so certain that they’d be all right, and that we would be able to see them again soon, even if they were apprehended by Titan temporarily. But the thought that Lei’s captors had been phalanges disguised as humans filled me with a palpable sense of unease. Our once-subservient workforce had been released from the restraints humanity had originally placed on them, and what I’d just witnessed had shaken me to my core. And I couldn’t help but wonder: Would these creatures even want to be our allies once this was all said and done?
“They’ve probably been working on those things behind the scenes for a good, long while,” said Narain, who was currently seated out on the deck with me. He still gripped the gun in his hand. “Not like they could’ve just designed artificial humans overnight. Which means the UNDP has been developing their own army of subservient agents behind closed doors for a long time now, though what they intend to use them for, your guess is good as mine. Something not entirely on the up-and-up, obviously.”
“You say this like you’re not a member of the UNDP yourself.” I said, unable to contain my distaste with Narain’s affectless tone any longer. “Do you have any idea what your employer has just done? The CFI laws were put in place for a reason, you know! It’s for humanity’s safety! You can’t just arbitrarily remove those restrictions, or else—”
“Or else they’ll be free,” Narain interrupted, and I held my tongue as he slowly gazed out over the ocean. “Just like those two.”
I followed his gaze over to where a sky-high colossus now greeted his towering bride. They really did look the part of the deities their kind were named for. We were now watching from a distance of about twenty kilometers from the rendezvous point, and didn’t want to get much closer, lest we distract from the meeting itself. Still, despite the distance, there was nothing between us and them, so we had front row seats for what was about to take place.
At Phoebe’s feet was the massive boat she’d used to paddle her way over here, though she’d already stepped down from it into the water by this point. Because they were standing relatively close to shore the waters hardly reached up past her ankles. The two Titans now stood facing one another in silence, hardly more than an arm’s length away from one another. I checked the time.
“Well, I’d say we’ve done just about everything we can on our end,” said Narain, pulling out a cigarette and setting it alight. “We successfully evaded the UNDP’s unlawful kidnapping attempt, and it doesn’t seem like they’ve even dispatched boats to give chase yet. All we’ve got to do is keep giving them the runaround until the meeting’s over, and we’re officially off the clock. Might as well kick back and enjoy the show..”
He blew out a puff of smoke, then rested one elbow on the edge of the boat and his head on his palm, settling in casually to watch the two Titans as though he were about to watch a movie from the comfort of his own home.
“No telling where they’ll go from here, or where we will, for that matter. But that’s not really in our job description at this point. Humanity’s left all those decisions in Titan hands, so all we can really do now is wait and see,” said Narain. “Time to see what kind of work these things can really do.”
I watched the numbers on my watch switch over.
It was now twelve o’clock.
15
First came the music.
Gentle, eerie sound waves with both rhythm and melody. It sounded like no other instrument I’d ever heard, yet not a vocal performance either. I could tell that the sound was emanating from Phoebe’s end, and although I didn’t know by what means, I did know that this Titan form of music that filled the air for miles around was hauntingly beautiful. Before long, the sound split into two, and Coeus began emitting similar frequencies and reverbertions as well. The way their voices joined and overlapped in harmony with one another sent chills down my spine, both from the beauty and fright. It felt as though I was hearing something the universe should have forbidden, a music not meant for this world.