Free The Phoenix Fallacy Book I: Janus by Jon Sourbeer

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    Leaving the tree, Jennings passed through an arched door above which a pair of strange symbols glowed in red light.  One looked just like an angular ‘R’, and the other was an ‘X’ between two vertical lines:

    “They’re called runes.  It means ‘Chariot of Dawn’,” Jennings gestured to the symbols. 
    He saw the look of confusion upon Janus’ face.  “These and the others like them around Valhalla are all that remains of a long-forgotten language.  I once knew a man who hoped fervently that there was a place for the brave souls of the world when they passed on.  He thought that the Corporations had forgotten something about humanity’s soul.  I am not sure I believe in it as he so fervently did, but I tend to agree with his assertion.”  Jennings motioned back towards the trunk, “this citadel is named in honor of that hope.  Valhalla, the halls of the brave.”
    Janus felt oddly privy to some strange revelation, but wasn’t sure how to react to it.  Jennings seemed surprised by his own revelation, too, because he quickly pointed back to the runes, “All of the flight launch bays use the first rune of ‘Chariot’ and either ‘Voyages’, ‘Protection’, ‘Dawn’, or ‘Hail’, each determined by whatever purpose is intended for the bay.   The ‘Dawn’ bay will eventually be used for scouting craft, but this section is mostly used for storage right now.”  As the door shut behind him with a solid thud, the long hall lit up dimly, with glowing strips of light illuminating the floor.  The lights raced just ahead of the pair, extinguishing behind them.
    “Power preservation,” Jennings commented.  All of the doors were shut, but Janus paused briefly to peer inside one.  It slid open to expose half completed suits of Trooper armor in the dim glow from the hall.  Jennings kept walking, creating a small island of light around each of them.
    Jennings called out over his shoulder, “Come on son, I’ve got something more important to show you than some rusty Trooper armor and I usually don’t give tours.”  Janus hurried to catch up, until the two islands of light once again merged into one.  At the end of the hall, Janus leaned forward curiously as Jennings waved open a heavy metal door decorated with the seal of ODIN.  It slid away silently to expose a wide hanger.  The hanger was deathly still, and Jennings footsteps echoed as he walked across the floor to the huge bay door.  Above him, Janus could see a pair of long, sleek shapes, with angular noses, like the prow of a ship.  Each had four engines, one situated on each of the four corners of the craft, with the front pair slightly behind the cockpit.  The strange looking vehicle had no wings to speak of, but many hatches:  two in the back and along the bottom, and two very heavy doors along the sides.
    Jennings glanced upward, “Longboats.  High speed armored transport and landing craft. The prow deflects incoming fire and can even ram into buildings and doors to create a hole.  They only need one engine to fly, two to hover.”  Jennings pushed a few buttons on a glowing display on the far side of the hanger and waved the translucent panel back into the wall.  There was the sound of heavy machinery churning and cranking.  He nodded to the pair of longboats again, “The side hatches operate on special hinges that can open in any direction for protective cover or convenience.”
    But Janus had stopped listening.  The great bay door was opening, creating a platform that slowly extended out of the city, and exposing a setting sun disappearing over a verdant green pine forest.  The tops of the trees looked like tiny green brushes from so far above.  A dull roar echoed from the earth below; the engines of Valhalla as they pushed the city gracefully along.
    As he walked out into a purple sky, a fresh breeze swept along the platform, wrapping him in its cool embrace.  With his back to the setting sun, he could