The Heart of Caliburn - A Tale of the Pendragon

The Home Secretary stared pale faced at the reports scrolling through his tablet. He swiped from one to another and the staggering number of dead already reported. "Are we certain, Colonel?"

"Almost certainly. Gas, it has to be. A nerve agent. Something the Russians cooked up, I would place my guess on. Plus, there have been reports of a significant explosion near the epicenter of this event." A very serious looking man in a very serious looking uniform nodded to the Home Secretary.

"A-and our boys at the scene?"

"Several have already been lost, just as dead as the civilians. Even with NBC gear equipped. Whatever it is, it is insidious," the Colonel scowled, his moustache bristling with anger.

"After what happened to the Defense Secretary and the continued threats from Moscow over Ukraine funding and the financial sanctions..." The Home Secretary's hand was shaking as he set the tablet down on the table he was seated at. Implications of what this could be, and what it could lead to, were beginning to chill him to the core.

"Yes, sir. Exactly, sir."

"Wake up the Prime Minister. Inform Buckingham that His Majesty needs to leave the capital immediately with the entire Royal Family."

A sharp salute was presented and waved away by the secretary. The colonel turned smartly on his heel and marched away, leaving the Secretary staring at his trembling hands.

"Dear God," he whispered, half in prayer and half in existential terror. "It's all coming undone."

He pulled his cellphone free from his inner jacket pocket and quick dialed a number from within his contacts list. It rang several times, then was answered by an American accented voice.

"Mr. Secretary of State, this is the Home Secretary of His Majesty's government. Yes. Yes, I've seen the news. We believe it may be a chemical attack, possibly Russian in origin. Yes, this is an Article Five situation, sir."

There was a long pause as the Home Secretary listened to the American on the other end of the line. He sighed then made his position clear, "By this time tomorrow, sir, I believe we may be at war with the Russian Federation."

***

In Devonport, Portsmouth, and Clyde, sleek submersible vehicles slid out into the dark waters of the North Sea. Buried deep in their bellies were the nuclear payloads that were meant to protect the British Isles and NATO against the threats presented to them by the East and other foreign powers. Each vessel checked and double checked their orders. They were clear.

Go silent. Go deep. If High Command ceases constant updates on the wireless, fire upon the designated target packages.

High above the Earth, satellites captured images of empty moorings and drydocks. With this information, the counterparts of the British naval forces responded in kind. Murmansk, Archangel, and Vladivostok emptied their inventories, and Russian submarines disappeared into the depths, following orders nearly identical to those of the British.

The Americans were not far behind, nor the Chinese.

The death of billions waited like a promise deep beneath the ocean waters.

***

Mordred shrieked as he staggered away, Caliburn clattering to the ground. As Accolon had before him, Mordred's eyes had been burned clean out of their sockets. Burnt pits remained where once his eyes had been, skin that had endured the fires of damnation, was blistered from Caliburn's light. He clutched his face with both hands, gripping at his ruined flesh.

Artoria blinked a handful of times. Her vision had been dazzled, as if a camera's flash had been right in front of her, but her sight was already returning to normal. She scooped up Caliburn, feeling its familiar weight once more. She did not hesitate as she swung it laterally with both hands, and the Blade of Kings swept through both of Mordred's wrists and his neck as if they were made of air. The black knight collapsed in a heap, dead once more.