Only a tiny guarding quadrotor accompanied Devi Kali on her way through the maze of Ancient Echo¡¯s corridors. She paced ahead, gazing at the colourful mosaics set in the grey-brown floor. Members of her race preferred writing their history in the form of art, so every part of these walls was covered in bas-reliefs or murals. Step by step, she followed the scenes depicted from Deva Khvarrah¡¯s life, who was famous for the defence of their tribe from total extermination by an ancient dictator¡¯s hand.
She halted before the mosaic in a golden frame showing the last scene of the battle of Aeshma¡¯s Kurgan. On the emerald hill stood a silhouette resembling Deva, made up of golden and ruby stones. He held a sword with a rectangular blade in one hand and the head of a horned reptile in the other. Bright violet smudges and spirals spreading over the victorious creature pierced the blue sky. Well-formed, rounded letters of the words spoken by Deva on that day were etched on the frame.
Devi Kali bore her eyes into the red sockets of the creature. The longer she gazed, the heavier her armour seemed to become as if the servomotors supporting the exoskeleton were losing their strength, and coruscium plates were getting thicker, trying to crack the old Kehrian woman¡¯s bones with its weight.
Devi inhaled, filling her lungs with thick air, and closed her eyes.
How were you able to save the entire planet and I couldn¡¯t protect even five thousand civilians? she asked in her mind, thinking about the innocent creatures who¡¯d lost their lives in the firestorm.
¡°Devi?¡± spoke a following her person. He folded his hands and bowed his head. ¡°Master Captain Jangalee couldn¡¯t make a connection, he wanted to ask if you intend to participate in the staff meeting.¡±
¡°Not now, Nidar,¡± she replied. She did not need to open her eyes to know who stood behind her. Every Rakshasa moved in a rhythmic pace unique to him and his fighting style. Nidar was still an apprentice; his steps were fast and uneven as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere all the time.
Devi marched on, but the young Kehrian ran close and stood in her way. Symbolising his class, the recently embroidered golden arabesques embellished his simple red robe. Strands of black hair, too short to make dreadlocks of them, flopped on his left eye. His round, sky-blue face still did not bear keepsakes from any of the battles except a purple burn on his cheek that he sustained during his training with plasma weapons.
¡°Get out of my way,¡± she said without any emotions, ¡°please. I¡¯ll come when I¡¯m ready.¡±
Nidar stepped back, regretting the affront he¡¯d committed, but Devi knew his bratty nature and usually tolerated his too honest an opinion. He sensed indifference in her voice and knew that in this state, she would not care about the tone of her favourite apprentice.
¡°I heard about what happened on our planet too, and I completely understand your sorrow, Devi.¡± He breathed in sharply as if preparing to jump into the deep waters. ¡°But you can¡¯t let our shared grief outshine all our plans and actions. Time¡ does not stand still, we need to act.¡±
¡°Five thousand, doesn¡¯t matter if they were Rakshasas or common citizens, deserve the same long moment of silence,¡± muttered Devi. Nidar got out of her way and observed how the Kehrian woman turned to the entrance leading to the lifts.
If you don¡¯t do anything with this, the entire rebellion will end up deserving a moment of silence, he thought in spite of himself.
Only one week remained for the rebel fleet to prepare for action on Irkheor. All units gathered on the uninhabited planet to restock and let the commanders amend the last few details of the plan. Tens of ships drifted around the dead ball of rubble, and the largest of them was the Annihilator. Every ship seemed to be like a fly in front of the eagle when they flew close to it. Even the smooth and sleek Nelphian Echecatl seemed too small in front of it. Thousands of huge cargo ships surrounded the colossus, and the smaller delivery vehicles coursed between them and Annihilator¡¯s hangars. Insane chaos and haste dominated inside the Epifortress, although the crew sought to fulfil their tasks as best as they could.
The commanders of space, suborbital and land forces, strategists and engineers sat around the semi-circular table in the Annihilator¡¯s command centre. They had been carrying a discussion as ferocious as it was pointless for three hours. Each of them wanted his opinion to be the most important, ignoring the arguments of the rest. The majority of rebels were like that. They cared only about themselves and their planets, but their situation forced them to cooperate.
Devi Kali had set a clear condition ¨C all of them would act together under her orders, or they would never become strong enough to liberate their motherlands. Usually, the rebels did not live to see the freedom of their planets because Devi fought only for the rich planets of utmost importance, to begin with, leaving the other systems to fight on their own. She explained that such an action was necessary to wage war, but none of her Commanders, at least not the rational ones, believed in her words. Her forced allies would prefer to undertake the fight by themselves, but their forces were nothing in comparison with the enemy¡¯s modern armament and their numerous fleet. They had no other way but to forget their pride and keep a burning hope that one day they would attend the battle for the freedom of their homeland.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Sitting in the middle, Devi Kali looked at the gathered, trying to listen to and consider all statements but before one person could finish, the another broke in, imposing a whole new solution. They fought for every piece of her attention as loud and as violent as the hyenas tussling for a scrap of meat.
She tilted her ears back and pushed away from her seat with a screech. She stood up and gave them a scorching glance.
¡°Shut up!¡± she roared, gripping the edge of the tabletop.
A prickle of anxiety stung Antares, sitting right next to her. Like the rest, he pursed his lips and turned his head towards her.
¡°Don¡¯t stoop to the level of those primitives from Xibalba,¡± she barked, straightening up and crossing her arms.
Faces of the gathered still revealed combative bitterness and anger with everybody and everything, hidden under the mask of momentary embarrassment.
¡°You heard right. Xibalba,¡± she spoke again, twisting her wrinkled mouth scornfully, ¡°All that you seem to do is jump down each other¡¯s throats.¡± Devi Kali snarled under her breath. ¡°We¡¯ll never reach an agreement this way.¡±
A head taller than Antares, a Celestian with a long, sloppy and almost white braid, sighed and adjusted his sky-blue cloak. ¡°Can I?¡±
Devi nodded and sat down. ¡°Speak, Jarl Vindold.¡±
¡°If, of course, you won¡¯t deem it out of line, I wanted to show that there¡¯s nothing to think about,¡± he said, crossing his arms which were covered in angular script and twining spirals. ¡°Everything is already decided, and now you¡¯ve suddenly changed your mind, expecting us to adapt our plans overnight.¡±
¡°Nothing was decided,¡± Devi cut through. ¡°There were only a couple of suggestions about who carried out the raid. I¡¯ve chosen General Antares.¡± In uttering the last few words, another wave of pain and sorrow buffeted her, which she smothered straight away with her wrath.
Soon you¡¯ll pay for your foolishness, she thought, and the tips of her ears shivered.
Antares glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and clenched his fists hidden under the table. He wished that one day, somewhere in the darkness, he could ambush and attack the hated Devi, but her heavy, shining power armour aroused some kind of primal fear in him. He would rather not confront her fists and the golden plasma sword. Rapt in the ritual fury, the creature could crack his spine with one move in the blink of an eye.
¡°Why him?¡± asked Vindold and looked at Antares. ¡°His pilots, sorry General, but that¡¯s the truth, don¡¯t handle it well."
¡°That¡¯s why.¡± Devi lowered her head to take a moment to reflect, whereupon she carried on, piercing the Celestian with her sight, ¡°This is the war. The Union will stop at nothing. They¡¯re better armed and organised.¡± She cast a dominant glance on the gathered members, one by one, ¡°We have only forty percent of what they have. Our supplies are very limited. Our advantage is rapid strikes at the weakest points on the peripheral zones, which requires us to usually take ruthless decisions. Many of Antares¡¯s people will die, but due to this, we¡¯ll gain entry to the only database of SynthBreed Project present so far before the enemy transports the data copies to the other systems. If we don¡¯t hurry up, we¡¯ll get one of the many copies, which will be useless. Hence, my decision remains unchanged.¡± She quietened down, leaning her hands on the table.
¡°I have to agree with Devi Kali,¡± spoke an Ifrit, ¡°if we¡¯re about to lose somebody, we should lose the weakest ones.¡±
He glanced at Antares, who just tightened his lips and turned away. The Ifrit had his own selfish motive in agreeing with Devi. He¡¯d waited for the rebellion to liberate his world for ten years, but according to Devi, that planet was worthless. Only sparse bushes and short trees grew on the wastelands which lacked the valuable supplies. Nonetheless, the Union built factories there, displacing the natives or engaging them in arduous labour.
¡°However¡¡± began Jarl Vindold.
¡°Enough, Jarl,¡± said Devi in a calm but firm tone. ¡°We cannot wonder endlessly.¡±
¡°Perkele¡± the Celestian growled under his breath with a hope that the elderly Kehrian woman would not hear and understand his insult.
Devi pretended not to notice this and asked, ¡°Does anyone else have anything to say?¡±
"An idiotic question," whispered Vindold to himself, propping his chin up, "you don¡¯t care about who has what to say anyway."
The Commanders refrained from answering her. They looked at each other, plotting and planning about whom to establish an alliance with and whom to recognise as an enemy.
Antares had considered asking for the support of Jarl Vindold for a few years. He¡¯d noticed that the representative of Talvi did not like Devi¡¯s ideas too. Together they had a better chance to impose any action on the Kehrian sovereign. But the hardest decision remained¡ªwhose world should be liberated first; however, neither Antares nor Vindold were going to concede. They were ready to rival each other.
Devi stood up first and marched along the corridor, leading to the command centre. Only then the rest left their seats and headed towards the exit. Amongst the creatures of all four races, Antares spotted the tall Celestian in a blue cloak. They looked at each other, but Vindold did not stop. His face remained cold and uncongenial as if he wanted to say, we don¡¯t like the same person, but don¡¯t expect us to join hands and forge a great friendship.
Most of the rebel alliances ended in a similar manner. In the beginning, everyone was eager and open for a collaboration, but when it came to taking a decision about the target for the future attack, their friendship vaporised like a drop of water on a warm stone. If they weren¡¯t dependent on Devi Kali and her money, individual and scattered rebel cells would have been wiped out by the Union forces a long time ago.
"Enemies of my enemies aren¡¯t my friends at all," thought Antares, sizing up the Celestian with a far-reaching knowledgeable sight.
Chapter 7.1. A nosy eavesdropper
Three days had passed since Cerridwen Felvennis returned from Jalandhara. All that time she was hiding inside the Annihilator and eating what she stole from the unaware crew members. Energy bars, which looked and tasted like soap, were her spoils most frequently, and once she¡¯d found a bag with yellow powder that when mixed with water turned into a tasteless paste. Her clothes bore dried muddy smudges, and her hair resembled a clump of brown algae. Glued by sweat, dust covered her emotionless face, giving her the appearance of a bilious earthen figurine.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but after an encounter with Devi Kali, she decided it was high time that she realised her revenge plan. The thought that she could have saved her father on that day burrowed in her like a parasite. In every moment of her inactivity, she imagined other scenarios where she held Seth back and prevented her father¡¯s death.
She could have stayed at home instead of sneaking out without his consent. She would have noticed that Seth was doing something questionable on the display. It would have taken her just one moment to peek out of the flat and check what her brother had planned. She could have found the device and notified the suitable services. Then, her father would have been alive.
Cerridwen would have given everything she had to spend one more normal evening with him carrying on as usual. Every day, after the training, she would sit down for dinner. Her father waited for her, asking about her scores and praising her new accomplishments. Sometimes he discussed with her subjects shown in the news, but Cerridwen had not been too interested in them. She expressed her opinions just enough so as to not make her father feel ignored. Usually, she changed the subject right away.
Talking about the newest gadgets, weapons or wildlife on distant planets made her feel in her element.
Before she would leave the table, she always found out how Delian was doing in his work. He would mention some generic information but whenever he could, he tried to cut down the topic to avoid even thinking about those hated activities.
At home, the sound of rapidly approaching steps would be a signal for her to get out of there. Cerridwen avoided all confrontation with Seth whenever possible which was not so difficult. Her brother came back home only for the night, although sometimes he stayed away many days. Anytime Seth stepped into the house, Cerridwen holed up in her room. She¡¯d put her headphones on and watch the scientists¡¯ reports, discuss and share her interests with random people or learn the study materials given by her father.
Her one mistake ruined it all. She thought herself to be a person, adult enough to roam alone through the unknown districts of the vast city. Only due to the fast and decisive actions of the strange Kehrian woman, she¡¯d avoided being captured by the band of kidnappers. This coincidence turned out to be just the beginning of a nightmare, caused by an insane rebellious dictator.
Cerridwen decided to finish it. She rose and sneaked out of the tunnel, looking around. Life on the ship was moving in its normal, swift rate. Clothed in shabby boiler suits or worn coats, the Celestians crossed the corridors, trailing cases and boxes. Some of them stared at their devices, writing or sending data. A young Celestian girl passing them did not arouse any suspicion in them.
She did not want to face the fact that she¡¯d begun to resemble Zetherionians. Her ragged, smeared with dust, clothes smelled like sweat and mustiness. She still differed in appearance from them by her more strapping build and darker skin, but the loose sweatshirt and hood blurred the majority of the differences.
Cerridwen spotted Antares talking with Nadee and Quirinus and stepped back into the corner. All three of them were discussing, gesturing vigorously, but Cerridwen did not understand any of the words reverberating in the wide corridor. She followed them for several hundred metres, waiting for the moment when Nadee would walk away from the Celestians. Cerridwen had a great deal of work to do, and Nadee seemed to be the only person who could help her. Nadee was familiar with technology and at least did not demonstrate active hostility against her.
They turned into the side corridor and entered the room. By their nervous actions and raised voices, Cerridwen thought they were hiding something. She wanted to get closer with a hope she would hear something that she could use in the future, but too many people, who could notice her suspicious behaviour, hung around nearby. After Devi Kali¡¯s visit, Cerridwen was wanted for trespassing in the closed area, so she would rather avoid another trouble. Fortunately for her, Zetherionians did not care too much about such trivial incidents, especially before a crucial battle, and a few hours later, they closed the case.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
She took a look around and hid in the niche in the wall through which a ventilation shaft passed. Cerridwen slipped between the ducts and crouched down low near the cold wall and put her ear close to the tiny grid. She held her breath, trying to focus but could not hear anything except the rustle and unintelligible snippets of conversation. The vicious tone that they used indicated tension and mutual spite. There was a bitter discussion where both sides wanted to prove a point without any compromise.
Cerridwen sat for a few more seconds, then she straightened up. In this manner, she would not find out anything, and anybody could see her hiding and consider her as a conspirer. She ducked back with slow moves, but one sentence spoken by Nadee caught her attention.
¡°She might know something!¡±
Cerridwen clenched her teeth and with eyes wide open, she leaned over the grid again. She subconsciously felt they talked about her all the time, but she could not recall anything that the rebels would need from her. The loud howling of the pumped air drowned out the rest of the conversation, even though she narrowed her eyes with a deep concentration and strained her ears to catch some of the words.
The door opened. Cerridwen jumped to her feet and squeezed behind the thick ventilation pipe. She stuck out only her neck to observe the situation.
Antares left the room first, and Quirinus followed him. They halted in the middle of the narrow corridor, turning their heads towards Nadee who was standing in the doorway.
¡°We were so close,¡± barked Antares, pointing at her, ¡°but you screwed it all up. We still don¡¯t know who bankrolls the SynthBreed Project because of you.¡±
¡°If you had done what you were told to do, we could¡¯ve ended this thing,¡± growled Quirinus.
¡°I¡¯ve done it,¡± said Nadee, spreading her arms. ¡°That Celestian girl had nothing to do with it. They would¡¯ve attacked me anyway!¡±
¡°So you admit you¡¯re a weak spy?¡± Quirinus raised his eyebrow scornfully. ¡°In that case, why should we even have got you outta Eurydion¡¯s mess?¡±
He took a quick, deep breath to add something else, but Antares scowled at him. Quirinus averted his gaze and snarled, letting the commander continue.
¡°I ran a serious risk by taking you on trial. I was sure you could handle everything I told you.¡± Antares lowered his eyes and shrugged. ¡°As you can see, I was wrong.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll never return there!¡± shouted Nadee, frowning. She stepped ahead with clenched fists. ¡°Never!¡±
¡°Perhaps that is your ideal place,¡± mumbled Quirinus under his breath.
¡°You know I¡¯m not gonna keep useless people on this ship,¡± explained Antares in a calmer voice.
¡°You won¡¯t do it, Sir,¡± growled Nadee. She squinted and tilted her ears back.
¡°I¡¯ll have to,¡± he answered, turning away. ¡°And watch your tone.¡±
Cerridwen backed away and clung to the wall when an expression of real terror appeared in Nadee¡¯s eyes. She felt an inner responsibility to stand up for the attacked Kehrian woman. She needed to repay for Nadee¡¯s help while escaping the kidnappers on Ernef. She would rather not get in Antares¡¯s way, but she was not going to leave Nadee alone against the two furious Celestians. She deserved her support, regardless of all danger.
Cerridwen left her hideaway and stood straight with her arms crossed, like Antares. ¡°I know the person who might be able to tell you the sponsor of that project,¡± she said.
They turned towards her without hiding their surprise and irritation.
¡°You?¡± growled Antares. ¡°What are you doing here, Celestian girl?¡±
¡°I wanted to say¡¡±
¡°You¡¯ve messed up enough,¡± he said, glancing at Nadee out of the corner of his eyes, ¡°and you eavesdropped on us? Do you know I can kill you for this at any time?¡±
¡°I walked here accidentally,¡± she mumbled and raised the corner of her lips in a smirk, ¡°but I have something you care about.¡±
¡°How do you know what we care about?¡± interposed Antares, frowning.
Cerridwen rolled her eyes and shifted from one foot to another.
¡°You just said I eavesdropped on you.¡±
¡°Speak, then. What¡¯s the point?¡± He ground his teeth but gave no other sign of his aggravation, even though by imitating his posture and gestures the young Celestian girl annoyed him like an intruder sneaking into his territory.
¡°I¡¯ll give you the digits of the individual who might be in contact with this Project guy.¡± She stretched her wrist with the long-dead LiqWatch. ¡°You¡¯ll find and question him, then give him to me.¡±
Antares narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. He muttered something to Quirinus and after a moment of consideration, he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a habit of believing the first random person, but if you speak the truth, it can be a breakthrough for us.¡±
¡°Really?¡± asked Cerridwen with the astonishment of a child who¡¯d experienced zero gravity for the first time.
¡°Where is he now?¡± he asked, approaching her.
Cerridwen wanted to step back on impulse, but she tightened her muscles and restrained her fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I only have his digits in my LiqWatch.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± he agreed and headed towards a room. He swung his hand, saying, ¡°Come on. This is not the right place.¡±
Chapter 7.2. Not a prison
Antares waited until all three of them came inside and locked the door. The room resembled a cramped, almost claustrophobic cube that served only one objective. Nothing except a black flag with circles decorated the grey walls, and a little lamp offering weak white light was mounted on the ceiling.
¡°Stay there,¡± ordered Antares and walked closer to the table standing in the middle, ¡°and you, sit down.¡±
Keeping a wary eye on him, Cerridwen pulled back a simple, metal chair and sat on the edge. Shuffling her foot, she propped her hands on her knee.
¡°Everything you hear here must stay between you and me,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°Do you get it?
She nodded, observing his every move. Antares kept an eye on her too to get a sense of her emotions, especially her fear and hesitation which were seen when she lied. He knew she was afraid and had no confidence in him, that¡¯s what let him take control over the situation and force her to tell the information in a brusque manner.
¡°Tell me something more¡ his name, what he does, how he behaves.¡±
¡°His name is,¡± began Cerridwen, but then she hesitated. Something was constricting her neck muscles, preventing her voice from coming out. Forcing her throat muscles to relax, she took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She clenched her fingers to gasp out the two words.
¡°Seth Felvennis.¡±
¡°How do you know him?¡±
¡°Do I need to answer that?¡± Cerridwen asked in a trembling voice. She breathed in and blinked several times. She tried to keep her voice steady as she answered Antares, but the vision of Seth leaving home came back to her sharply and with a force of a ricocheting bullet. Gazing at the table, she kept all expressions off her face, making it look cold and stone-like. She answered in a voice without the slightest tremble, ¡°What matters is that I know where he might be.¡± The Celestian girl raised her head. She unbuckled her LiqWatch and pulled it off her wrist. ¡°I can give you his digits if you don¡¯t ask me any more questions.¡± Antares squinted and twisted his lips.
¡°Why? If we have to do anything, we need to know everything.¡± He stepped ahead. ¡°You act on my rules or we end our collaboration.¡±
Cerridwen opened her eyes wider and slid back on the chair, touching the hard backrest. She averted her gaze and opened her mouth to inhale the cold air.
¡°Can I, sir?¡± Nadee broke in before the Celestian girl said anything. She just wanted to spare the girl from the greater pain. If Cerridwen started crying or tried to run away, she would lose even the slightest trace of Antares¡¯s respect.
The Commander was going to say something, but he nodded and stepped away with hands hidden behind his back. He had no time for slow questioning, pumping the information out of the intruder one piece at a time. Nadee approached the table. She took a seat next to Cerridwen. She rested her elbows on her knees and gripped the edges of her sleeves.
¡°We won¡¯t ask you anymore,¡± said Nadee. ¡°Just give me your LiqWatch, and I¡¯ll do the rest by myself.¡±
¡°I want to see it,¡± interjected Antares and took the device. He viewed it, turning it around in his fingers and gave it back to Nadee. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°My calls to him. And a few messages,¡± answered Cerridwen. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find the identification number of his LiqWatch and trace him or whatever that you do.¡±
¡°Chandri, go check what you can do with it,¡± he commanded and smiled to himself. Keeping a stern face again, he glanced at Cerridwen. He lowered his eyes and mumbled so quietly that only Cerridwen understood his words, ¡°If it leads us to the source of the SynthBreed Project, I¡¯ll be in another one of your favours.¡±
Cerridwen clenched her teeth. She did not answer but felt as if she¡¯d just won a strenuous battle with an enemy mightier than her. She was not going to miss any opportunity to make use of the favours that Antares owed her for her own purpose. He was so stuck to his rules, but he had authority, skills and technology to lead her to Seth.
Cerridwen promised herself, and before that to her father, she would find her brother even if she had to sweep through the entire inhabited galaxy zone or beyond to deliver the most severe justice to him, as Devi Kali had advised. She¡¯d taken the first step in that long journey. Now the time had come for another.
¡°Can I go now?¡± she asked.
¡°Where?¡± asked Antares before Cerridwen could take a deep breath to answer. ¡°You have no right to knock around this ship. I¡¯ll house you in the fifth sector.¡±
Cerridwen straightened up, her exhausted eyes opening wider. ¡°Is that the prison?"
¡°It just looks like a prison. It¡¯s a closed zone, but you¡¯re officially not a prisoner. I¡¯m going to keep you there in case I need more information.¡± Antares tightened his lips. ¡°We may need you later.¡± He turned towards Quirinus, ¡°Captain Eadon, take her there.¡±
¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Quirinus and swung his hand towards her, ¡°come on.¡±
He marched ahead, keeping his eyes on the young Celestian girl all the time. Cerridwen straggled behind him, paying no attention to his hastened steps. She was busy making a plan in case Nadee tracked Seth. She focused on the escape from the closed zone at first. They could not watch every nook of this colossal machine all the time.
Passing the corridors, they exchanged no word. Cerridwen walked slowly, trying to take in everything that she saw and observing the setting to find the best hiding places or ways of escape that she would need after she sneaked out of her cell. The Annihilator¡¯s interior was full of shafts, hidden nooks and tiny, rarely visited rooms. Squeezing into one of them should not be an effort for the agile Celestian girl.
They reached the lift and got out as it stopped on the higher floor. The only people there were a few guards holding long shotguns. Strolling around the corridor in silence, they just nodded at the sight of the approaching Quirinus. He led Cerridwen to the front of the metal door. He touched the control panel on the wall with his LiqWatch to open the entrance.
¡°Get in.¡± He pointed to the room. ¡°Later someone will come to you and give you the essentials. And remember,¡± he frowned and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, ¡°don¡¯t even try to move anywhere without General Antares¡¯s approval. I¡¯m not gonna explain to him later.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± she agreed, shrugging her shoulders, and walked inside. The lock screeched, and the sound of the footsteps dampened. Cerridwen took a look around her new cell. She could cross the entire room in four steps. A metal table, short bench and a construction that was supposed to be a bed took up the majority of space. Next to the scaffolding of welded pipes and covered by a mattress stood a tin cabinet with the door ajar. A tiny lamp in the ceiling swept everything in a glaring white afterglow that reminded Cerridwen of the secret laboratory of a mad scientist.
The Celestian girl lay down on the bed and fastened the belts. So far she¡¯d slept in stores or other rarely used places, secured only by a makeshift harness. Pipes sticking in her bones seemed to be a far more comfortable option than floating in the air and hitting walls or random items.
She closed her eyes, trying to relax. For three hours, she tossed and turned, but sleep seemed to stay far away from her. Bright light hindered her rest, along with the sight she had in front of her eyes all the time. It was just a normal memory but appeared so real that she could touch it.
"Seth."
He stood still, keeping his peace and gazing ahead. His face expressed no emotions. Cerridwen felt like she was a target of an enemy¡¯s malevolent stare.
She opened her eyes. The sight disappeared, but a sense of being observed stayed with her. Cerridwen tugged at the blanket, and despite the smell of dust itching her throat, she wrapped herself in it. The exhaustion was killing her, but she lost all the will to sleep.
Chapter 7.3. A rookie guard
The swoosh of the sliding door jolted her awake. She lifted her head so rapidly that black spots loomed in front of her eyes.
A skinny Celestian stood at the doorway, holding folded clothes and a little box. He appeared to be just over fifteen years old, but he wanted to look older by his posture and stone face. Cerridwen found it funny but said not a word.
¡°Your things,¡± he said. He shot her a fleeting glance, but his expression remained stern.
Hissing through her clenched teeth, Cerridwen wiped her eyes. She unfastened her belts and slipped off the bed. Eyeing the stranger, she approached him. She collected the given items, but before she walked away, she leaned against the door frame and spoke, ¡°Can I ask what¡¯s going on there?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not authorised to give you any information,¡± he recited.
Cerridwen squeezed her eyelids and flicked her hair. ¡°I came here suddenly, I have no idea where I am or who you are.¡± She sighed, looking at the floor and digging through her pocket. ¡°I just want to go back home, I won¡¯t tell anyone about you.¡±
¡°Refer to General Antares with all questions,¡± he mumbled and stepped aside.
¡°Of course,¡± she called after him, ¡°stupid question.¡±
The Celestian tapped the lock button and walked away. Cerridwen placed the articles in the cabinet, kicking the doors several times to shut them. She came closer to the entrance and grasped the handle. Listening to the sounds from the outside, she took a breath and pulled on the handle. She¡¯d done it. She opened the door a few millimetres apart, then closed them back so as to not attract the guards¡¯ attention.
Frowning, Cerridwen clenched her teeth and smiled triumphantly. Her idea had worked. While she had been asking the guard pointless questions, she¡¯d slipped a packet of tissues between the door rails, so he could not close the door properly or lock them. That was the way she could hear what was going on outside.
She sat on the floor, listening and waiting for the right moment.
When the slight pain began to insert in her spine, she took a break during which she ate what she got. A yellowish mixture with the texture of a paste was tasteless, but a hunger too strong had squeezed Cerridwen¡¯s stomach for so long that she couldn¡¯t begin to make herself care about such petty things. She also did away with her muddy clothes and got changed in baggy cargo pants and a brown jacket. She tied her greasy hair and using the rest of the water assigned to her, she cleaned the dust off her face.
She¡¯d also prepared something more, what had to help her get out of there.
She had known the system of the watch guards. Soon, her cell should be guarded by the young Celestian, the same who had brought her clothes. She waited until he approached her billet, when she knocked on the metal door. He looked around and leaned over the microphone.
¡°What?¡±
Cerridwen lifted her head, squinting. ¡°Do you have a bathroom here?¡± she asked, forcing an urgency in her voice, ¡°or something that looks like it?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°I¡¯ll take you there. Stand back and put your hands up.¡±
She did what he ordered. The Celestian opened the door and aiming his shotgun at her, he commanded, ¡°Get out. And no sudden moves.¡±
Cerridwen backed out of the cell. Doing what the guard said, she crossed the corridor. The rest only observed their novice and his prisoner. Cerridwen entered the long, narrow room with him.
Watching her, the boy closed the door and stood in front of it.
¡°There.¡± He pointed at the aisle at the other end.
¡°Okay,¡± she mumbled and turned away.
She unzipped her jacket slowly. The Celestian raised his shotgun and stepped back. His face went white, and his hands started shaking when he put his finger on the trigger. He held the weapon with great difficulty, standing on legs shaking from fear.
¡°Yes, this is exactly what you¡¯re thinking about,¡± she said, piercing him with eyes full of madness. A brown-grey, cylindrical thing dangled from her neck, and a thread resembling the fuse string hung out from the bottom of it.
¡°Do as I tell or I¡¯m pulling the pin,¡± she ordered, gripping the string.
He put his trembling hand on the door handle, but Cerridwen shook her head.
¡°You better not. Do what I say, or we both,¡± she spread her arm, ¡°blow up.¡±
?Alright¡ fine,¡± he mumbled in a trembling voice, placing the shotgun on the sink, ¡°I¡¯m outta here, okay?¡±
¡°Stay.¡± She pointed at his weapon. ¡°Empty out the clip.¡±
The Celestian swiped the lock frame up and down several times. Bullets fell out of it, drifting in space in every direction.
¡°Done.¡±
¡°Show me,¡± she said and surveyed the weapon. She looked into his eyes ominously. ¡°And now listen. One mistake and we both end up like boiled-over stew.¡±
Gripping the empty shotgun, the young Celestian nodded, and drops of sweat shone on his forehead.
Cerridwen carried on, ¡°You¡¯ll lead me along the corridor to the lift. If anybody asks, you say that Antares wanted to see me. When they notice what¡¯s wrong, you¡¯ll stand back and let me run.¡± She raised the corner of her lips. ¡°The rest I can handle myself.¡±
¡°I have to¡ go against orders?¡± he asked, touching the door with his back.
¡°Yeah.¡± Cerridwen shrugged and twiddled the string. ¡°Unless you want me to pull this.¡±
¡°No! Don¡¯t do it,¡± he shouted, raising his hands.
Cerridwen put her finger on her lips and frowned, then she changed her expression to a friendlier one. ¡°See?¡± She smiled slightly. ¡°You can always solve problems peacefully.¡±
They left the room as if nothing had happened. Cerridwen wrapped herself in her jacket, gripping the string all the time. The Celestian calmed down and stopped shaking, but he still observed Cerridwen with an added anxiety.
Instead of her cell, she turned towards the lift, and her guard had no other choice but to follow her. He looked around hoping that one of his older associates noticed something questionable.
He exhaled noisily when a Celestian, guarding one of the cages, turned his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, kid?¡±
Help me! He wanted to scream, but feeling the eyes of the insane girl boring into him, he sped up his pace and answered, ¡°Antares wanted¡ I mean, General Antares wanted to see her and¡¡±
The older Celestian snarled. Narrowing his eyes, he raised his shotgun. ¡°If it were so, I¡¯d know about it.¡±
Without waiting for Cerridwen¡¯s reaction, the boy stopped. He gripped his weapon more firmly but after a while, he remembered it was empty.
¡°Cover me,¡± she growled into his ear and darted towards the lift.
The other guards fired, but Cerridwen charged inside, avoiding the bullets whistling over her. She locked the door before any Celestian could catch up to her. She hit the button with the largest number, and the pressure of the lift moving up squeezed her stomach.
After a few seconds, the sound of shooting metal bullets fell silent. Leaning against the wall, she breathed a sigh of relief. The adrenaline circulating in her blood calmed down like the sea after a violent storm. Amused by the gullibility and cowardice of the young Celestian, Cerridwen took off the fake bomb and threw it on the floor. No one could hear her, so she took a deep breath and laughed with all her might until she started coughing.
The lift stopped, twisting her guts again. Cerridwen pulled the hood on her face and looked out of the lift. She sneaked out, flickering like a wraith among the other Celestians. She distinctly remembered that Antares was beholden to her. After all, he owed her two favours.
Chapter 8.1. How it feels to...
Avoiding the guards¡¯ sight, Cerridwen scoured the other boards of Annihilator. She never stayed in one place for longer than an hour. She hid in the repair corridors, stores and machine rooms. Reaching the middle levels, where the command centre was located, took her two days, but she kept away from that site. It was too well guarded for her to sneak there unnoticed.
She holed up in a tiny store filled with boxes and barrels. She had a good view of the crowded corridor from here. Cerridwen tried to keep a watch for Antares among the many Celestians but after a few hours, she quit. Pretending to be one of the crew members, she left her hiding place and blended within the crowd.
Watching the area carefully, the Celestian girl passed the forks, bridges and corridors. She turned around when somebody shouted something unclear. Before she understood it, someone hit her flank so hard that she staggered.
¡°Watch your step!¡± growled Antares. Then he recognised the person in his way. Frowning, he clenched his fists. ¡°Wait, what the hell are you doing here!?¡±
¡°Me?¡± asked Cerridwen and shrugged, holding her shoulder. ¡°Nothing.¡± She stepped back and attempted to run, but Antares grabbed her arm.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be sitting in your billet now?¡±
¡°Maybe you should tell your men to watch me better,¡± she interposed, struggling. Anxiety gripped her muscles, but faking the bravery she didn¡¯t have, she tried to pretend to be the stronger opponent. ¡°Get off!¡±
Antares shook his head and hissed, ¡°You must be here only to piss me off all the time.¡± He walked towards the lift, dragging the wrestling Celestian girl. He tapped the button, waiting until the door opened. After a while, she stopped fighting and glanced at him.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯m doing here,¡± she said.
¡°Enlighten me.¡±
¡°I was looking for you.¡±
¡°Really?¡± he mocked, raising his eyebrow. ¡°What do you need the Commander of Independent Zetherion Army for?¡±
The indicator of the lift resounded, but he did not go inside.
Cerridwen narrowed her eyes and tilted her head ¡°You need me, right?¡±
¡°If I didn¡¯t need you as a source of information, I would have kicked you out a long time ago.¡±
She straightened up and firmed her hands, trying to control their trembling. ¡°Speaking of information, I want to know something too.¡±
¡°First of all,¡± said Antares, scowling, ¡°change your tone.¡±
Cerridwen glanced at the floor and sighed. Taking a deep breath, she crunched her finger joints. She repeated with a vein of contempt, ¡°Would you like to provide me with some information, Sir?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re,¡± she began angrily but instantly toned down her voice, ¡°I mean, you owe me. Twice. And debts have to be cleared. You are in my due, Sir. Doubly.¡±
Antares scowled at her words and exhaled. Damn you, clever creature, he cursed her in his mind. He leaned towards her and whispered, ¡°If you want to know it so badly, come on.¡±
He led her to the same place where they met two days ago. He turned the light on and locked the door. With crossed hands, he sat at the table.
¡°Sit down,¡± he said.
Cerridwen moved the chair away and sat on it. She tried not to show any emotions, so her face resembled a stone. She took several deep breaths so she could speak in the same, neutral tone all the time. She rested her hands on her knees to hide their trembling.
¡°All I wanted was for you to stay in one place,¡± he began, scowling at her. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right now, don¡¯t even try to be up to something. I¡¯ll repay my favours, and we part our ways.¡±
¡°I told you everything I knew,¡± she protested, crossing her legs under the table.
¡°How can I be sure?¡± Antares swung his hand. ¡°You came out of nowhere, you are in contact with one of the most important SynthBreed people and now you question me about the top-secret information on which our missions depend.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be honest because I need this cooperation,¡± she said. She leaned across, clenching her fingers. ¡°I know nothing more. I want only my repayment.¡±
Antares put his hands on the tabletop and looked into her eyes. Although a cold shudder ran down her back, she endured his look.
¡°Tell me what you want and finish these games,¡± he growled. He felt ashamed of himself, but her attitude made him consider her a worthy opponent.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Cerridwen gulped. The name she was going to utter ignited the same revulsion, pure hatred and shattering pain in her every single time. Frowning and scowling at the Celestian, she inhaled the chilly air which refreshed her mind to some extent.
¡°Where is Seth Felvennis?¡± she asked in a quiet, bland voice.
Antares switched on his LiqWatch and started tapping the screen, searching for the right data. His moves were slow and laborious as if he was doing something he hated. After a while, he raised his head. ¡°The source of his last signal came from the Irkheor territory.¡±
Cerridwen¡¯s pupils dilated. The feeling that this message gave her was like euphoria after a perfect strike. The plan for revenge was no longer a spectre, it had become clearer, taking shape slowly in her mind. She imagined the sight of her approaching victory. The day of her personal judgement was inevitably drawing closer to Seth. She only had to get into that place with Antares¡¯s help.
¡°Where is it?¡±
Antares looked at the ceiling and answered, ¡°Somewhere behind the¡ Viridovix line.¡±
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this planet.¡±
¡°No wonder. Actually, it¡¯s just rocks, sulphur and cyclones. There¡¯re no inhabited settlements or cities, only destroyed and dead ruins,¡± he explained, propping his chin on his hand. ¡°The only place worth its attention is the Narjahanam fortress.¡±
The Celestian girl gripped the edge of the tabletop. ¡°I want to go there.¡±
Antares looked down and sighed. The corner of his lips lifted as if he were laughing noiselessly. ¡°Believe me, you don¡¯t¡±
¡°Why?¡± she asked, spreading her fingers. ¡°I have an important thing to do there, that¡¡±
¡°We don¡¯t go there on a trip,¡± he broke in, frowning, ¡°but on a war.¡±
Cerridwen crossed her arms and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that¡¡±
¡°Do you even know what the war is like?¡± Antares put his fist on the table.
The Celestian girl nodded. ¡°I saw it in the news so many times.¡±
¡°And you believed them?¡± He smiled with incredulity. ¡°Total rubbish.¡±
¡°How can you say that?¡± She twisted her lips incredulously.
¡°Every thinking creature knows that all what the Union shows in news is just a propaganda to make them look good,¡± he said gazing at the tabletop. He hid his hands under the table when his fingers started quivering. ¡°I know because I was there.¡±
Cerridwen wanted to say something, but she tightened her lips and stopped. Antares¡¯s behaviour changed as if some distant memory overwhelmed his mind. His sight became vacant, only a gleam of dismay appeared in his eyes.
¡°Anyway, I must find Felvennis,¡± said Cerridwen, and Antares raised his eyes.
He straightened up, but his breath was still heavy and hoarse. He sighed and swallowed. ¡°Why do you care about him so much?¡±
Cerridwen had not predicted this part of the conversation. She feared how she would react at the mention of her brother. She had not expressed any emotions so far so as to not give the impression of being a victim, but fuelled by pain, her wrath boiled in her veins as if her blood had become caustic acid. She sprang out of her chair, pushing it away with a scrape.
¡°I told you not to ask me anything further!¡± she screamed. ¡°You don¡¯t know how it feels, so you have no right to talk to me about that! Have you ever lost the most important person in your life?¡±
She quieted, panting and scowling at the Celestian.
Taking a deep breath, Antares gazed up. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. He stood up and circled the table, stopping behind her back. ¡°Not just one. And not only people but also my home and the entire planet, the world I loved.¡±
Cerridwen turned around and looked at him with astonishment as if she¡¯d seen an apparition. She continued looking at him, waiting for further explanations.
Antares carried on, even though he had no idea why he took a stranger into his confidence, ¡°It happened overnight. I went to sleep that evening, confident that the next day won¡¯t be any different than the previous.¡± He gripped his arms. ¡°I was wrong. In the middle of the night, at exactly fourteen past three, a wail of alarm sirens woke me up. I heard it for the first time in my life. It could mean only one thing. Invasion. I sprang out of my bed, grabbed the first weapon at hand and ran out on the street. And my father...¡± The Celestian snorted angrily. ¡°Of course, instead of defending our planet with me, he escaped through the sewers, just like a rat.¡± He glanced at the ceiling. ¡°Then I saw them. Giant shadows, bigger than clouds, and flying out of them, smaller shining objects. I ran ahead straightaway. I heard the dull explosions and gunfights so I headed towards them. Before I fired even one bullet, they got me from the back and took me down.¡± His laugh had no vein of joy. ¡°And I, like every decent Zetherionian, wanted to die fighting for my planet, not playing the paperchase or hiding in the corners of the galaxy as I¡¯m doing now.¡±
Cerridwen listened to his every word, grimacing with disbelief. She tried to imagine what he had been through. She caught herself gifting her forced ally a bit of compassion.
¡°So, you know,¡± she asked, leaning forward, ¡°how it feels to lose everything?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t just lose everything. They took it away,¡± he said and breathed out, still looking at the door, ¡°but yes, I know how it feels. I gave up my life to the war to free Zetherion.¡± He stretched his fingers and then clenched it, bringing to mind all his reasons to hate the Union. ¡°And even if I have to die for it, I¡¯ll stop at nothing. I¡¯m ready to wipe out every single planet in this universe by myself to annihilate this pest.¡±
¡°So am I. Ready to find Felvennis,¡± broke in Cerridwen. She did not see Antares¡¯s face, but she noticed his trembling fists and heard his shallow breathing.
¡°Anyway, you stay on the Annihilator,¡± he said, turning his head. ¡°Why?¡± she interposed, lifting her eyebrows.
¡°I¡¯ll need you.¡± Antares pointed to her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know more than what you are telling. Besides, I bet you would die on the real battlefield before you even leave the ship. You would only distract us.¡± He grabbed her arm but not as violently as before. ¡°And now, go back to your billet and don¡¯t even try to escape. I¡¯ll assign you an extra guard.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she mumbled.
¡°If you haven''t learned yet, you''re supposed to answer, yes, Sir.¡±
Cerridwen just rolled her eyes. Antares drew her out into the corridor and stopped in front of the door. He touched his LiqWatch to the reader and yanked the door handle, but the mechanism stuck. He eyed Cerridwen and let go of her arm. He pulled the door one more time. It moved little by little and closed shut. Antares closed his LiqWatch to the device again, but when he turned around, no one was there. He looked at the passing crew members.
¡°Where are you?¡± he growled, observing the corridor.
The Celestian girl had disappeared as if she¡¯d vanished into thin air, but he was too busy to run after the escapee. A whole lot of other duties were waiting for him. He would order someone else to search.
Cerridwen deactivated the magnetic boots for a moment and, taking advantage of the lack of gravity, she leapt under the ceiling. Turning the magnets on, she clung to the ceiling and crawled behind a thick pipe. With a flicker of triumph, she watched as Antares walked away, simmering in anger. She praised herself for another successful escape. She jumped down and ran ahead.
Chapter 8.2. Possessed by the machine
Thousands of crew members on the board of Ancient Echo were preparing for the upcoming operation of the Narjahanam fortress capture. One of them was the Technician Operator. He stood in front of the closed gate leading to a vast hangar, listening intently to the scrape of the devices, the one-note clatter of heavy machines and the supervisors¡¯ communications emanating from the inside.
The Kehrians of Jalandhara¡¯s secret weapon was held there for almost two thousand years. Only several hundred people had access to it but no one, except The Technicians, could operate it. They handed this knowledge down from generation to generation, defending their secrets at all costs. The Jalandhara Tribe owed their existence, freedom and identity to The Technicians.
The hooded man glanced ahead and blinked. A counter showing the universal board time displayed in his augmented reality goggles. Since the day when the Technician¡¯s title was bestowed upon him, he wore the traditional gown ¨C knee-length, shimmery coat in navy blue colour with a triangular, crimson cloak. Golden arabesques and quotes of the first Technicians written in Savitri decorated the edges of the cloak, and an effigy of the sacred bird Simurgh shone on its back.
The Kehrian turned off the counter with a smooth movement of his thick glove, covered completely in sensors. Lights in the shape of oil lamps illuminated the corridor behind him, panelled in a material resembling stone. Parts of the carvings protruded from the walls, and the colourful mosaics, that even after hundreds of years did not lose their brightness, incrusted the floor. Every fine detail like the little, spiral inscription on the warrior¡¯s pauldron, was copied with incredible precision by the greatest craftsmen. If electronic displays did not intertwine with the carvings, this ship could be mistaken for an ancient temple.
That was the Kehrians of Jalandhara¡¯s main point. Faith and spirituality played a major role in each area of their life which was most noticeable during battles when hundreds of Rakshasas, enthralled in a ritual trance, darted ahead, reciting invocations and chanting verses dedicated to their Devas.
With this act, contradictory to the Ilionian Doctrine way, they became the enemies of the Union. Drawing the brutal lessons from the past, the Founders of the Union forbade believing in magic, alchemy and considering common people to be gods. The Kehrians did not accept their doctrine and declared war on the new, rising enemies.
He clenched his teeth, hearing the heavy hiss of the sliding gates as if a giant beast had taken its last breath. A mechanician, whose boiler suit was stained in black, shiny grease, stuck his head out the side of the gate.
¡°You got it?¡± asked the Technician.
The man nodded and brought a tiny, flat data carrier out of his pocket.
¡°We aren¡¯t sure if this is a good idea too,¡± he said and gave him the device. The Technician turned it around in his fingers and after taking a closer look, he slipped it under his glove.
¡°Our Devi keeps too high a hope on ancient technologies,¡± he muttered so quietly that no one heard him and walked away. The door grated as it closed shut, and the roar of the working machines become quieter.
He passed the hurrying crew, trying not to get in their way, even though due to his status, he had a right to do so. He stepped into a private area of Devi Kali, well-guarded by drones and sensors. He stopped in front of the golden door with the carving of the bird. Bringing the device out, the Kehrian looked around. This part of the Ancient Echo was the only place free from hustle and bustle which was found in the rest of the ship. The chosen few, who had a right to stay here, worked on more important matters.
The Technician licked the corner of his lips and inhaling the smell of herbs in the air, he closed his hand on the reader. The door slid open before him. Feeling tension gripping his muscles, he marched inside and stood in attention.
Facing the silhouettes of the stars, blinking behind the illuminator sat Devi cross-legged in the middle of the round, empty chamber. Her armour, reflecting the pale starlight, resembled a ruby sculpture. Slow breaths, muffled by a mask, broke the silence of the room. Hearing this mesmerising sound, the Kehrian felt a shudder of both inner awe and mystic rapture penetrate into his being. A deep breath of incense smoke enveloped his stomach and lungs.
¡°Devi?¡± he called out. He folded his hands and bowed his head, still glancing at her.
The Kehrian woman got up leisurely in one move. A hiss made by the servomotors of her exoskeleton accompanied her every action. She turned around, revealing her ancient weapon, the Khanda, a token of Jalandhara¡¯s warrior class. Gilded, double-edged sword had a blade as long as Devi¡¯s hand, tipped with a blunt point, and its hilt was sculpted in the shape of braided roots.
¡°Is this so important that you interrupted my Sho¡¯rin state?¡± asked Devi unintelligibly.
¡°Yes,¡± answered the Technician. ¡°It¡¯s about Kartikeya.¡± He could not look into her eyes, but he knew that this message touched her.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The Kehrian woman tilted her head. ¡°You should pronounce this name with more respect, Technician Operator.¡± She came closer, every heavy step echoed in the chamber.
¡°Obviously, Devi.¡± He glanced at the ground. ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you that we need to consider the fact that this machine, after a recent launch, is generating rather weird readings of our devices.¡±
¡°I expected it.¡±
The Technician narrowed his eyes. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t surprise you?¡± he asked, feeling her piercing sight, even though she still wore the helmet with the effigy of a legendary monster.
¡°Me? It should.¡± She nodded. ¡°But not you. You are the Technician Operator for a reason. You know Kartikeya better than anyone else.¡±
The Operator gripped his hands. ¡°All we know is that it was written two thousand years ago by unknown people.¡±
¡°Maybe we don¡¯t know who the authors of Khara Scrolls are, but I¡¯m sure those authors were familiar with their job. After all, thanks to them and Kartikeya, our ancestors won hundreds of battles and survived even the Golden Sun¡¯s Havoc while the other Tribes were wiped out.¡± She raised her sword, glancing at the beams of light reflecting on it. ¡°Deactivating it is like forgetting who we are.¡±
A sense of cold air blasted the Technician¡¯s spine. Arguing with his Devi was a hazardous gamble, but she valued him too much to get rid of him. So he hoped.
¡°We all care for this mission.¡± He grasped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t support the usage of that weapon.¡±
Devi held her peace for a while, then asked, ¡°Why?¡±
His pupils dilated. ¡°It¡¯s unpredictable.¡±
¡°Really?¡± She stepped towards him. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just afraid that your mind is too weak to take control of those tons of coruscium?¡±
Drooping his ears, the Technician recalled all the hearsay and a recording, which he brought here.
The first few seconds showed the cameraman, running through a square and passing the workers on his way. A prismatic shape, covered in dark blue foil, towered over the Kehrians in the background. All of a sudden, an animal-like scream came from near the object. Everyone in the hangar, including the cameraman, stopped and turned their heads. The crew members standing close drew back, but the person recording it fought his way through the crowd and halted ahead of the rest. Ten metres above the ground, something under the foil started struggling. The thrashing creature descended down, yelling out unintelligible words. The cameraman stepped back when four people in light armours ran into the scene. The guards aimed their rifles at the hidden creature, but they did not fire. They just ordered it to stay away.
A Kehrian, dressed in a blue coat, jumped in front of the shocked workers. He pressed his ears with all his force, repeating, ¡°Leave me alone, get out of my head, get away, leave me out!¡±
He took a few steps and fell down, curling into a foetal position. The guards approached him, asking questions, but the Kehrian leapt to his feet and darted ahead, gripping the weapon of one of them. The madman tugged the barrel, roaring, ¡°Do it, faster, he¡¯s inside my head!¡± He continued struggling until they overpowered him.
The armoured Kehrians were leading him out of the hangar when the cameraman zoomed his lens in to focus on the maniac¡¯s face. The Kehrian had not blinked from the very beginning, and in his widely open eyes appeared only the truest form of a primal fear as if all the unimaginable atrocities and the most gruesome nightmares of this or any other universe had gathered there.
Dragging the Kehrian, the guards were passing between a pile of sheet metal and an inactive cutting machine. A large circular saw with protruding edges stuck out of its jib. The madman seized the opportunity. He leaned back and swung his head with all his strength. Without a word, he smashed and skewered his skull on the metal prong.
Shouts of shock resounded, after which silence fell again. One of the guards ripped the Kehrian¡¯s head and removed it from the prong, leaving shreds of brain matter stuck between the tiny blades. Dark blood poured over his armour, from the breastplate to his heavy boots, and drained to the floor, forming a murky pool under his feet. The guard laid the dead Kehrian carefully on the ground and started wiping the slimy liquid away nervously. A few more unintelligible orders and snippets of the conversation sounded until the recording was over.
Those images stuck in the Technician¡¯s mind to such a degree that whenever he could, he kept away from Kartikeya. A shudder of dismay pierced his bones even when he only looked at it. Towering eight stories over him, the ancient tons of metal seemed eerie and ominous to him as something that should have never been built. He considered it a cursed and specious creation of the evil, just waiting to catch the souls of the unsuspicious beings. Devi dismissed those theories, but many Kehrians supported his attitude. Working with Kartikeya, the mechanicians never parted with charms, figurines and other items bearing Simurgh¡¯s effigy. Before they entered the hangar, they said the prayers which were meant to protect them or chanted the curses against the evil spirits nestled inside the machine.
What if Devi is right, the Technician asked himself, and it¡¯s all just superstitions to scare the intruders away?
He was not going to appear as a coward, especially a few hours before the battle. Devi would never forgive him for suddenly backing out. He tightened the muscles in his hands and straightened up. ¡°I am the Technician Operator. I can control every machine,¡± he said.
¡°I have no doubt.¡± Devi nodded slightly. ¡°After all, our mission depends on you. Now go and make sure everything is prepared for the upcoming battle,¡± she commanded, turning around and facing the stars.
¡°Yes, Devi.¡±
¡°And don¡¯t believe in those legends,¡± she added. ¡°Only the ones who fear the might of technology say that.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± the Kehrian relaxed his hand, showing her the device, ¡°this will convince you to think about it, Devi.¡±
She grabbed the item without looking at it and slipped it on her belt. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Kartikeya and the Technicians who control it are the pride of our civilisation. The day you make history again will be written on the walls of this ship.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°Win for future generations.¡±
The Technician returned the gesture and walked out.
Devi sat in front of the illuminator again and closed her eyes. She did not have to keep her eyes open to feel her bond with space, connecting with her then extending to the next. She believed that she and the dark, cold void were in unicity. All the stars, bright and shining and millions of light years away, were within her reach. Each of those celestial bodies, from meteors to supermassive black holes, coexisted together in perfect harmony.
The harmony that Devi endeavoured to gain after hours of struggling with thoughts, fears and concerns occupying her mind.
Chapter 9.1. The Narjahanam Fortress
The cargo ship carrying Seth descended into the atmosphere of Irkheor. Normally, either the cyclones raged or it rained caustic acid above the immense plains of the dead planet, but that one time the travellers got lucky. A suspicious peace prevailed over the landing site, foreshadowing the oncoming tempestuous storm.
Piercing through the thick clouds in the colour of rotting mud, the vehicle flew lower. Finally, the view of the surface of the planet emerged to Seth. The crannied desert extended many metres below, and the fortification remains and celadon green sulphur lakes disfigured it. Filling them was a boiling liquid, exuding swirls of toxic vapour. Covered in white sediment, brightly yellow scum encircled the basins. Resembling a frayed mass of orange metal, rusty parts of ancient war machines protruded out of the ground like the claws of buried monstrosities.
The semi-circular chain of mountains and volcanoes towered over the wasteland. The majority of volcanic peaks were extinct a long time ago, but some of them still manifested their devastating power by releasing subtle wisps of smoke. Within the semicircle, on the foothills of the mountains, soared a gigantic structure in the shape of a pyramid with a flat top. Fighting with the intensifying wind blasts, the ship was heading towards it. The machine flew over the massive, hundred metres high wall and approached the small landing slab sticking out of the ziggurat and touched down on it.
¡°Wear your mask and coat,¡± said the Kehrian pilot. ¡°The toxic rain may begin at any moment.¡±
Seth threw the thick coat on which reached up to the ground. He put on a dust-mask and pulled the hood over his head. The pilot did the same and pushed the button to open the door. As soon as the hatch opened, the gross, rotting smell of sulphuric acid filled the ship¡¯s interior. Seth could smell it even through the mask. He gulped and held his breath. He followed the guide keeping a fast pace in order to flee from the obnoxious environment right away.
Only when he left the cargo ship, he got a chance to marvel at the magnitude of the ancient fortress. Brown-yellow megaliths appeared even more majestic up close. Surrounding the armoured gate, a portal was carved in one of them. Standing before the two closed doors, Seth felt like one of those worthless grains of sand, hurled in all directions by the storm.
He walked closer and spotted something resembling bas-reliefs on the stones, but he could not discern what they signified. Since the fortress had been abandoned, no one had renovated them in recent times. The acid raining for hundreds of years ate away at the stone, and the blowing winds crumbled the surface of the artworks. The relicts of the old days, in which the most notable artists put their whole hearts, became contorted and scraggy caricatures of the ancient warriors and their deeds.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°This way, please,¡± called the guide, his voice muffled by the mask.
Seth took his eyes off the megaliths towering over him and followed the pilot.
Leading him, the man touched his LiqWatch to the dusty reader. He opened the door and together with Seth, he walked inside. He took off his mask and goggles and let Seth do the same. The chill and smell of the wet stone filled the interior, but the air was filtered and devoid of sulphur. The guide led Seth through the corridors. He slowed down at regular intervals to keep a close eye on his guest, who kept stopping near the walls and admiring the bas-reliefs, precisely laid mosaics and scraped murals embossed on them
Seth had been fascinated by history since his childhood. He spent his every free moment trying to deepen his passions until he got a job for one of Azhi Dahaka¡¯s collaborators. Since then, he had no time for scouring the libraries and galleries. He missed those long, solitary hours of wandering the museums and admiring the forgotten artefacts that no one cared about nowadays. He considered them to be a far more interesting companion than the always focused on his daughter Delian and the spoiled Cerridwen. Seth was bored by their continual talks about Delian¡¯s job or Cerridwen¡¯s passions ¨C weapons, the newest technologies and useless gadgets, on which her father did not hesitate to waste quite a modest fortune.
He was glad he¡¯d broken away from home, where nobody cared about him. The day he received the message that Dahaka was going to meet him in person was, for him, like getting his freedom, the key to his cage in which he had been trapped for many years. He knew it would mean even more work but in the name of independence and future career, he was ready to take up this challenge.
They stopped in front of the newly repainted door on the last floor of the ziggurat. Boxes, tins and ducts lay all around, and fresh, bright beige paint covered the walls. The owner had started to refit the building as if he wanted to stay there longer.
¡°Please wait. Mister Dahaka will open soon,¡± informed the Kehrian and walked away.
Wandering down the corridor, Seth viewed the scratched and renewed paintings in peace. Finally, the door opened, but no one stood at the doorway.
¡°Come in,¡± invited someone from the depths of the shady chamber.
Looking around, Seth stepped inside. The room was narrow and long, but the windows mounted on the entire wall enlarged it optically.
Who wants to see a disaster area like this? he asked himself, gazing at the distant peaks, enveloped in brown clouds.
A red carpet lay on the stone floor, and a large, elliptical table with its top made of synthetic crystal and standing around it, chairs filled the majority of the space.
Seth slowed down when he noticed somebody sitting on the broad, black leather armchair at the end of the room. The blue light of the LiqBoard illuminated the person¡¯s silhouette. The man in the black tailcoat raised his head, turned off the device and stood up.
¡°Seth Felvennis, right?¡± asked Azhi, walking towards Seth. He reached out his hand and smiled. ¡°Welcome to Narjahanam.¡±
Chapter 9.2. A hidden monster
Annihilator drifted over the lifeless planet like a dire shadow. Its universal board clock showed the time to be three A.M., but no one even thought about rest. Mechanicians and engineers were making the last repairs in the machines standing in the hangar and did not pay attention to the person walking along the wall, covered in a ragged, brown coat. He headed towards the corner where the wrecks, that never would be repaired, were stored. He stopped in front of the hatch of a seedy ship with dingy paint and bruised edges. As he tapped the shabby button, the door opened, screeching and scraping on its tracks. The person looked back to check once and climbed the lowered gangway.
The ship¡¯s interior was far more clean-cut. Boxes, layered on top of each other, piled up along the sparkling grey walls, and only the grains of sand from his boots messed the black carpet. The cockpit door was open. In the pilot seat sat a forty years old Celestian, slumped over the control panel. His clothes appeared to be more civilised than anyone else on the Annihilator. Instead of a coat sewed from scraps of old material, a glossy, black jacket with golden fasteners covered the Celestian¡¯s back, and a silver chain dangled from his neck. He had no symbols of being a Zetherion or signs of any other organisation.
Awakened from his slumber, the man moved his head on hearing the slow steps behind him. He looked back, flipping his shoulder-length hair, which shone like copper. The complexion of his face appeared livelier than the pale visages of raw-boned Zetherionians.
¡°Hello, Quirinus,¡± he said, turning around on his seat. Crossing his legs, he smiled innocently, and a sparkle of excitement twinkled in his eyes. ¡°What brings my fav client here?¡±
¡°The usual,¡± mumbled Quirinus and pulled his hood off.
¡°Well¡¡± The Celestian giggled under his breath. ¡°After you said you¡¯ll never come here again, I seriously thought I won¡¯t see you anymore.¡±
Quirinus ignored his words and began to rummage in his bag. The Celestian observed him with narrowed eyes.
¡°Although, I sensed that one day you¡¯ll come by to visit good old Smuggler. What would you do without me?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°I heard your promises that you¡¯re done with this, that you¡¯ll tell Antares everything and start a new life¡ I knew you were just saying that. It¡¯s stronger than you.¡±
Rubbish! I can stop when I want to, Quirinus wanted to reply, but he refrained. It appeared as if he did not want to hear this, but he was well aware that the Smuggler was right. He brought a gilded bird figurine out of the bag, found or rather stolen from Jalandhara. Giving the item to Smuggler, his fingers trembled as if he was feeding a venomous beast from his hand.
¡°What do you have for me?¡± asked the Celestian. ¡°Just junk again, I guess?¡±
¡°Gold and gems,¡± informed Quirinus ¡°may be worth about ten portions.¡±
Covering his mouth with his hand, Smuggler laughed soundlessly. He turned on the scanner and aimed the laser pointer at the figurine, mumbling under his breath, ¡°Gems, of course. Just glass. And that gold¡¡± he bit his lower lip and surveyed the graphs on the screen, ¡°full of some scrap additives.¡±
He put the thing on the control panel. Sizing Quirinus up with a leery sight, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯d you get this?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The younger Celestian crossed his arms.
¡°Better tell me how much is it worth.¡±
Smuggler opened his eyes wider. ¡°Did you steal it? Cos I don¡¯t think a Zetherionian would make use of a talisman from Jalandhara.¡±
¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m interested in something else.¡±
¡°Have you ever thought how long you¡¯ll be able to steal with impunity? It isn¡¯t your first time,¡± Smuggler waited for the reaction with unholy glee. Quirinus clenched his fingers on his arms and avoided the Celestian¡¯s gaze, but he held his head high. Smuggler peeked in the metal casket. ¡°One day, somebody will notice that the various items disappear because of you. Then Antares won¡¯t help you. As I know Zetherionians, they don¡¯t like when somebody takes their property without approval¡ especially for purposes like this.¡± He took three tiny syringes with dense, dark violet liquid. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find a more honest way of living?¡±
¡°Here?¡± The young Celestian raised his eyebrow. He looked around with faked wonder and shrugged. ¡°What can I do here?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to play dumb with me, Quirinus,¡± said Smuggler and stood up. He imitated a noble walk perfectly with his smooth moves. He approached Quirinus step by step, looking deep into his eyes with the hungry gaze of an animal starving for months and reached for his hand. Quirinus drew back. He clenched his fists when his hands started shaking. He became still as if a gust of wind had frozen his bones. His instincts warned him to run away right then.
He knew Smuggler¡¯s reputation well, not only from hearsays and stories. Rational people preferred not to get in his way. The ones who¡¯d never dealt with him claimed that he was just a sly freak, but few knew that for their own good, they should stay away from him. They thought him to be a dangerous psychopath who could harass his victims for long months to get what he wanted. This time he wanted Quirinus.
¡°Your eyes were always my weakness,¡± said Smuggler. He brushed Quirinus¡¯s hair away and touched his cheek with his fingertips. ¡°Accept my offer, and you¡¯ll get as many portions as you can inject into your veins.¡±
Quirinus gulped. ¡°Will you let me think about it?¡± he asked, taking a deep breath with difficulty.
¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about,¡± muttered Smuggler and put three little syringes on the young Celestian¡¯s hand.
Quirinus sensed the chance to escape. He fell back to the door in a stagger. He grabbed the door handle with his sweaty hand and tugged it sideways. He felt a spasm in his stomach when the lock did not move.
¡°Hold on!¡± barked Smuggler and added in a gentler voice, ¡°sooner or later, you¡¯ll have to accept my offer unless you want Antares to find out about it.¡±
Staring at the Celestian with fright, Quirinus halted in his tracks. He bent his legs and clutched the door handle, but the mechanism did not work again.
¡°I hear Antares does not tolerate fans of any drugs. You may be his favourite, but will he forgive you for a cowardice act like this?¡± Smuggler pointed at the casket.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°You¡ you won''t.¡± Quirinus shook his head rigidly. ¡°You won¡¯t do this, right?¡±
Looking at him with covetous eyes, Smuggler raised a corner of his lips. ¡°I can do what I want, when I want.¡± He sneaked up behind Quirinus¡¯s back and hugged his waist. Quirinus struggled, but he had no chance to tear loose of the grip of the assailant who was a head taller and twice older. Smuggler put his hand on the chest of his victim. He felt the fear in his racing heart and in his ribs, moving up and down with every trembling breath. Quirinus stopped breathing. He froze with terror and bored his eyes into the locked door. He just hoped that if he gave Smuggler a sense of control over the defenceless, the assailant would get satisfied and let him go.
The Celestian did not want to quit the good fun too fast. He pulled his victim closer. Then he could gloat over the shuddering of Quirinus¡¯s entire body. He leaned into his ear, breathing in the saltish smell of matted hair.
¡°Are you in a hurry?¡± he whispered, almost touching his ear.
¡°Not today,¡± spluttered Quirinus, holding back his tears. He felt the warmth of the Celestian¡¯s breath on his neck which was covered in sweat drops. ¡°Please, not today¡¡±
¡°Now you will let me think about it,¡± he mumbled. He tried to stall the moment, which was giving him great pleasure and satisfaction, for as long as he wanted to. He¡¯d achieved his goal. He took total control over the weaker, horrified creature. He could do with him whatever he was thirsty for, whenever he wanted to.
¡°Let me go,¡± cried Quirinus as if he was choking. ¡°I¡ will find something valuable. I¡¯ll pay for all of this, clear all my debts.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t live for money alone.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pay as you want.¡±
¡°Are you sure you know what I want?¡± asked Smuggler with a knowing smile.
Quirinus nodded. ¡°It won¡¯t be necessary,¡± he gasped out. ¡°I¡¯ll find the money somehow!¡±
¡°No,¡± barked Smuggler. He kissed his victim¡¯s neck, then licked his lips, savouring the salty taste. He reached towards the control panel to open the door, and the cold air and metallic smell of the hanger rushed inside.
¡°See you very soon, Quirinus,¡± called out the Celestian.
Quirinus did not expect that his assailant would let him go right away. Not waiting for Smuggler to change his mind, he darted out. He rushed across the junkyard for the wrecks without looking back. He slowed down only on the open space of the airfield and pulled his hood on. Pain throbbed in his head for holding his breath for so long as he did not want to provoke Smuggler, and blurred spots began to appear in front of his eyes. He did not remember the last time his heart beat so rapidly.
Never again, he kept repeating to himself the whole way, I¡¯ll get over it, meet Antares and tell him everything. Screw the consequences, I¡¯ll be free. This old crackpot won¡¯t bother me anymore."
He got to the door of Antares¡¯s billet, but he stood there for a while before he pushed his hand to the button on the wall.
He imagined his commander¡¯s reaction if he found out that the best of his captains was not as brave as he pretended to be and that he owed Smuggler for the drugs provided by him for everything he achieved. The guilt of disappointing and cheating his commander was the most painful punishment for him, like scorching his heart alive.
He dared to push the button. He did not have to wait too long for the door to slide open. Hiding his hands behind his back, he entered the room.
¡°Yes?¡± muttered Charon Antares without raising his eyes from above the display. The blue light of the LiqBoard illuminated his scrawny face and the dark circles under his eyes. He gazed at hundreds of reports and charts with a vacuous look. He leaned over a simple, metal table, propping his droopy head up on his closed fist. Hunching on a hard chair, he brought to mind a copper coloured gargoyle, carved from marble, as seen from a distance. Even his hair was like the ruffled crest.
¡°It¡¯s important,¡± said Quirinus, lowering his eyes.
¡°Quirinus?¡± asked Antares, opening his eyes wider and getting up, ¡°something¡¯s happened?¡±
¡°Yes¡ I mean, no, not that,¡± he answered and shook his head, but he did not know what to say next.
¡°You can tell me.¡± Antares put his hand on the young Celestian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You have to.¡± He¡¯d observed Quirinus¡¯s behaviour all along. He¡¯d sensed that something was wrong. His muscles were uptight and tensed, and he sighed frequently but faintly like it was an excruciating effort. A sense of fear loomed somewhere deep in his entreating, apologetic sight.
¡°I was going to¡¡± began Quirinus. He hesitated. He could not give Smuggler up. He did not know any other dealers brave enough to deliver Waves of Lethe or similar drugs aboard the Annihilator, knowing the threat of punishments for this. ¡°I wanted to apologise.¡± ¡°For what?¡± asked Antares, lifting his eyebrow.
Quirinus lowered his eyes to the ground and tightened his lips. He had no idea how to get out of this yet keep up the appearance of honesty, both at the same time. Regretting showing up here, he sighed. I should have known I never would have had the guts. He ran his nails over his forearm to stop his fingers from shaking or sputtering futilely.
¡°I was supposed to find out who finances the SynthBreed Project and¡ I didn¡¯t get that info.¡±
¡°Fine, I accept,¡± Antares replied in a calm voice and firmed his grip, ¡°but why did you remember it so suddenly?¡±
¡°Not suddenly¡ I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time.¡± He glanced at his Commander. ¡°I feel terrible that because of me, we won¡¯t solve this thing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s Chandri¡¯s fault, not yours. She drew the Union¡¯s attention to us,¡± said Antares. He knew that they both were guilty, but he wanted Quirinus to start trusting him.
¡°I know, but if I had watched her better¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It just sounded like that.¡± He shook Quirinus¡¯s shoulder, making him look into his eyes. ¡°I just want to know what do you really mean.¡±
¡°I mean, I was doing something else and¡¡±
¡°No,¡± he barked. He grabbed Quirinus¡¯s wrist when he tried to step back. It felt hot and slippery from sweat and his muscles trembled. Antares moved his finger closer to the palm and came upon a rapid pulse. Now he was sure that Quirinus was lying. He sighed and said in a calm tone even though an annoyance was rising in him, ¡°Stop these games. I know you want to confess something that is bothering you, but for some reason, you¡¯ve changed the subject.¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s all,¡± interposed Quirinus. He wrenched himself from Antares¡¯s grip and approached the door, but the Commander stood in his way.
¡°Otherwise, I can¡¯t help you.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± muttered Quirinus and marched past him.
¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± growled Antares, sitting on the edge of his bed.
Quirinus halted at the doorway. He twisted his lips and shrugged as if he did not understand what he¡¯d just heard.
¡°Why do you want to make me sit around in suspense and guess what¡¯s your problem?¡± Antares snarled, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, but you need to help me help you.¡±
The young Celestian walked away. Antares did not even try to stop him. Fury at Quirinus washed over him. He covered his face and dug his nails into his skin. He closed his eyes, bleary and searing from gazing at the screen for a long time. He analysed all the recent events in his mind, searching for the cause of Quirinus¡¯s strange behaviour. He regretted he could not get an answer out of him, but he was unable to pressurise him long enough. He feared that, because of methods like this, Quirinus had lost confidence in him and considered him an enemy. Antares would never forgive himself if he failed the only loved one. Instead of listening to him quietly, he let him go as if he forgot about the promise he¡¯d made seven years ago. There was no blood ties between them, Antares didn''t even signed any adoption papers but he treat Quirinus like his younger brother who needs protection.
I left him, he thought, pressing his temples to cast his headache aside, right when he needed me the most. He wanted my help, but he couldn¡¯t tell it. Or I couldn¡¯t listen.
The LiqBoard sent him an alarm with a click signal. Antares stood up shakily, and leaning against the table edge, he read the message. Commodore reported about the beginning of the final phase of preparations for the attack.
The Celestian rolled up the display and slipped it into his pocket. He tilted his head back and wiped his eyes, but it did not help him get rid of his sleepiness at all. He dragged a backpack, filled to the brim, out of a locker and stood in front of the door.
His gaze went up to the tattered flag on the wall. Antares reached his hand and brushed the rough, dusty material with his fingertips. He clenched his lips and bowed his head with both respect and disgrace.
Forgive me, all of you, he begged in his mind, tightening his eyelids.
He walked out, feeling as if he¡¯d dipped his hands in the blood of his betrayed people.
Chapter 10.1. Before the battle
Annihilator emerged from the spatiotemporal sphere. Right behind the shining silver giant, the rest of the fleet appeared. Inside the machine, light suborbital fighters, bombers and corvettes formed up ranks near the hangar gates. Their crews got into positions and waited for the signal. The throb of engines and communications given by the control reached the Celestians¡¯ ears. They sensed tension, but they did not let their doubts overwhelm them. Despite the outbalancing Union forces, they believed in victory as long as Antares was their leader.
Charon Antares was just heading towards his tiny gunboat, synchronising his brisk step with the vibrations of the engine. Usually, in moments like that, he marched proudly, admiring the warriors and their lethal machines surrounding him, but that time he wished to weave as fast as he could between ships and officers, running up to him every second. He stared at his LiqBoard, examining the data and statistics almost obsessively. He had to be sure that everything went according to Devi Kali¡¯s plan. He¡¯d received an updated statement which informed that the enemy had not taken any action against the rebel fleet so far, and all the ships executing the operation had arrived safely and were on standby.
Antares looked towards the small fighters, standing right in front of the gate. They had to start as the first ones and break through the ground defence to allow the corvettes to descend.
You¡¯ll be heroes, the thought came along with regret and respect for their pilots¡¯ valour. You believed in me from the beginning and you believe in me right to the end, even though I know I¡¯ve thrown you at the enemy firing line and made you think it¡¯s a great privilege.
He folded the LiqBoard in half and kept it in his hip pack. He reached his cargo ship and took a seat next to Nadee. The Kehrian woman nodded, but she did not take her eyes off the console with the data bars. She¡¯d served as a support and guide in Antares¡¯ ranks for several years, so she was prepared for every possibility. She had on a bulletproof vest, a patched, pale green uniform with a band with the logo of three circles on her arm, and a helmet. A thin cable connected her goggles and was attached to her belt device where she had stored all the necessary information.
Quirinus did not say a word too. He sat behind Nadee, turning his gun around in his hands. He pretended to check once again if his weapon was functional and loaded, but actually, he wanted just to focus on the battle instead of thinking about his talks with Smuggler and Antares. His Commander¡¯s words along with his last look full of anger and compassion were stuck in his mind. He did not stop his activity even when his Commander¡¯s steps reverberated in the cockpit. He pulled the dark goggles on to hide the violet tinge of his eyes and avoid everyone¡¯s gaze.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Antares noticed the change in his captain¡¯s behaviour anyway. He still wanted to believe that he¡¯d just imagined it, but he knew what he saw. Quirinus had lied to him once again. Antares looked away from the young Celestian and propped his head.
He had taken Waves of Lethe again. And because of me at that time. If only I could listen to him¡
A low alarm roared through the entire ship, and gates lifted with a screech. Light fighters took off right away and with a howl of their engines, they shot ahead. Like a swarm of metal hornets, they headed towards the surface of the ruined planet just to be slammed by an enemy strike, the same as insects.
Antares stared at the control panel, not bothering to think about lives that would end soon. He could not let remorse unnerve him in moments like that. He put a helmet on and tapped the icon on the screen to activate the machine. Lines of blue numbers, informing him about altitude, pitch, velocity and other parameters and gauges glowed on the console. ¡°First wave on the way,¡± he announced on his communicator.
¡°Understood,¡± replied Devi Kali. Due to the distortion caused by static, her voice sounded even harsher and stern.
The second signal resounded, and right after it, the heavier machines that resembled a bluster of colossal waterfall lifted off with a blast that tore the vast hangar space. Spurts of pale blue flames shot out of the jets of larger and better-armed fighters. Swamping the frozen void, the machines disappeared from the range of sight a few seconds later.
This short, elusive moment felt like endlessly prolonged hours for Antares.
Waiting for the adrenaline to fill his veins and give him the strength and courage, he bored his eyes into the control panel and concentrated on the objects shifting on it. He counted every beat of his heart to calm himself down, hearing only the silent hum in his head. He loosened his mind from the thoughts of the past mistakes, guilt and fear of the future, and he focused on what was there and then.
The alarm howled for the third time. Antares straightened out his fingers. He closed his hand on the blue rectangle. Nadee did the same and the start button got unlocked. Antares tapped it, and a gut-splitting vibration shook the entire vehicle. He sat in a save position, leaning his body against the shock-absorbing seat, and breathed in slowly before the machine took off and smashed out of the hangar. The G-force winded him, and the blurred, sandy-yellow spot on a black background presented itself in front of his eyes.
He knew that death awaited him somewhere on those sands. Like every animal with a survival instinct, Antares feared it, but he was ready to embrace it with dignity.
Chapter 10.2. New friends
¡°How was your journey?¡± asked Azhi, passing under the glass shelf with colourful bottles. ¡°Would you like something to drink, or are we going to explore right now?¡±
¡°No¡ thanks,¡± replied Seth Felvennis and placed his backpack on a chair. ¡°I¡¯d rather see what I have to work on, in the first place.¡±
Although Seth was more enthusiastic than ever when he saw the proposed payment, a strong dose of scepticism remained inside of him. In the beginning, he could not convince himself to fly to Irkheor. The planet had nothing more interesting to offer but sulphuric wastelands and volcanic peaks, there was even a lack of valuable resources. Seth wondered why Azhi chose a place like that, but he did not question him about it. He received three times a higher salary for one month of working there than on Ernef. In addition, he got his own lodging in a historic fortress, filled with vibes and spirits of the ancient ages. He finally broke out of the place he could never call his home.
¡°Won¡¯t you even taste it?¡± asked Azhi, taking a crystal blue bottle off the shelf. ¡°I ordered it from Voryva, for a special occasion.¡± He reached for two glasses. ¡°Long months of working together await us, I hope. It would be nice if we got better acquainted, right?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± said Seth. He took a glass filled with light blue liquid and stared at the mural covering the entire wall.
It pictured a tall Celestian in a dark iron-grey power armour, embellished with chromed edges and rosettes. He was rushing ahead, gripping a raised to strike sword in his sturdy hands, as if he was darting to attack. The edge of the weapon shimmered with violet and white light, and carved bones, feathers and charms dangled from its handle. Eyes, the colour of old, blue ice, full of wrath and fury, looked ahead from under his pale golden hair like two yawning abysses.
The background did not survive the test of time. Only silhouettes of snow-capped mountains and soaring buildings, wasted by fire, remained on the walls.
¡°Like a real¡¡± mumbled Seth to himself.
¡°Did you say something?¡± Azhi raised his eyebrow.
Seth tilted the glass, pointing it at the wall. ¡°Erilaz, The Eternal Champion. He looks so realistic... They kept even the actual size.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Azhi tightened his lips and crossed his hands. ¡°He¡¯s a bit¡ tall.¡±
¡°Even for a Celestian from Helvett.¡± Seth extended his hand. ¡°And this armour. It had to petrify everyone just by its appearance.¡±
¡°And it would work out,¡± said Azhi with a fleeting smile. Seconds later, he got serious again, and a shudder of horror ran through his back. ¡°I just hope that times like those would never return.¡±
¡°If we don¡¯t stop the rebellion, we¡¯ll be on the right way to it,¡± added Seth.
¡°The ones like him come from the rebellion,¡± muttered Azhi, narrowing his eyes.
They both quieted down, staring at the mural. Only the swoosh of the wind pressing the windowpane broke the silence. They were among the few who knew the history before the Union establishment, although after a thousand years of misstating and propaganda, they had no idea how far they could believe the available resources.
Before the Union was founded, a mysterious creature called Hyperion held dominion over hundreds of systems for over six centuries. In his time, millions of lives faded into oblivion every day, entire worlds were devastated by forceful weapons, and his fanatic warriors stopped at nothing to win another battle. However, without the order that he brought about, the planets assailed and ravaged by the rogue hordes of pillagers would have fallen into lawlessness and anarchy. War was the price that the galaxy had to pay for the glimmer of hope for a peaceful future.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Take a seat, you must be tired.¡± Azhi pointed to the opposite armchair.
¡°Thanks,¡± said Seth straightening up, ¡°I¡¯m sick of sitting after all those long hours of flight.¡±
¡°All right, then,¡± the older Celestian raised his glass. ¡°To a successful collaboration.¡±
Squinting, he drank the tipple and waited for the young man¡¯s reaction. Seth winced slightly at the sugary and horribly bitter taste flooding his palate at once. He¡¯d tried alcohol exactly for the third time in his life, and he was never going to do it again.
¡°How do you like it?¡± asked Azhi.
¡°A bit weird¡ but fine.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not a good liar,¡± he noticed, ¡°but that¡¯s okay. At least I¡¯ll trust you more. And I can tell you, I didn¡¯t like it too.¡± He looked inside the almost empty glass. ¡°Freaking weasels. They take the money and palm the cheap fakes off.¡± He spilt the leftover alcohol into the pot with a thorny plant and rolled up the sleeves of his black tailcoat. ¡°Why exactly did you accept this offer? Maybe the wages are high, but aren¡¯t you afraid of what you will work with?¡±
Seth eyed his interviewer. He hesitated to answer, but Azhi¡¯s affable voice induced him to confession. ¡°No. I have less confidence in the Union after they rejected the SynthBreed Project usage. Total foolishness.¡± He spread his hands. ¡°We have the technology to fight back, and they don¡¯t want to accept it. I know it¡¯s a controversial method, but every way is right while defending ourselves and the others from the rebels.¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t find a better person or a better answer,¡± the scientist interrupted with a slight smile and pointed to Seth. ¡°You have not only the knowledge but also the courage to be truthful along with a willingness to do our entire civilisation a service.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Seth¡¯s eyes flashed with fascination. He sat on the broad, black armchair. ¡°I just thought it isn¡¯t anything special, everyone thinks like that.¡±
¡°Not everyone.¡± Tightening his lips, Azhi shook his head. ¡°For example, Delian, your adoptive father.¡±
Expressions of disgust and bitterness appeared on Seth¡¯s face. He looked away from the older Celestian. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him.¡±
Azhi remembered only now that he had not told his new teammate about the incident on Ernef. The smile disappeared from his face. He folded his hands and moved to the edge of the seat. ¡°So, do you know anything?¡±
¡°I know. He voted against¡¡±
Azhi squinted and shook his head. ¡°No, not that.¡±
¡°Then what?¡± Seth leaned over and gripped the armrests.
¡°I should¡¯ve told it to you first.¡± Azhi glanced down. ¡°Delian is dead.¡±
¡°What?¡± Seth opened his eyes wide and clenched his fingers on the armrests. ¡°What happened to him? When?¡±
¡°Rebels. They planted a bomb right under your door.¡±
A shiver of anxiety ran through Seth''s body as he thought back on the fact that if he had left home a few minutes later, he would have fallen victim to the terrorists. ¡°What about investigators? Did they do anything?¡±
¡°They?¡± Azhi snorted. ¡°If we get lucky, they¡¯ll start doing something. In five years. And they won¡¯t find anything anyway.¡±
¡°They always work like this,¡± growled Seth and crossed his hands, wrapping them in his coat. ¡°All they do is collect taxes twice higher than our wages and sit in their warm offices or scribble some crap on LiqBoards while we work like machines, with fear that a bunch of rebels can assault us at any moment!¡±
He was going to say something more, pour out his wrath and vent his frustration, but he held his emotions back. He propped his head on his hand and sighed. Fury pierced him to the bone until it started causing imaginary pain as if somebody had stabbed his chest for real. Hate was growing in him like cancer, but those feelings were also filling him with a motivation to work even harder. Without them, he would become like Delian, resigned to an unwilling life or working like an automaton just to earn a living.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Azhi, seeing the motionless young Celestian.
Seth nodded and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Yes but¡ I don¡¯t even know what to think. I saw things like this in the news, but I never expected it to happen to me.¡±
¡°Calm down,¡± said Azhi in a low but mellow voice, looking into Seth''s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a moment. Work can wait.¡±
Seth fell silent trying to put the sudden torrent of information together in his head. He never valued Delian and considered him a self-absorbed workaholic, but he did not wish him that terrible fate. He¡¯d attempted to remind his adoptive father about his presence, needs and feelings so many times, but Delian always got rid of him with excuses about work, weariness or taking care of Cerridwen. Ignored by the only family members he had, Seth started to run away. Unlike his sister, he did not need to justify himself every single time, so he spent the majority of his free time on lectures and lessons. He¡¯d deepened his knowledge of history, which was his real passion, and neurobiology, which connected him with his future job area. It was the reason why Azhi Dahaka engaged him in the SynthBreed Project. Except for a roof over his head, Seth did not owe anything else to Delian.
Chapter 10.3. Azhis origin
¡°I understand you,¡± said Azhi, ¡°and I know what you¡¯re going through.¡±
The young Celestian did not answer, so Azhi continued, ¡°I understand you¡¯re afraid. I barely got out alive once myself.¡±
Seth raised his head and listened intently to Azhi¡¯s words.
¡°Do you know why I bear the name like the Ifrits? Because I never knew my real one.¡± Azhi gazed out of the window at the stormy clouds swirling over the desert. ¡°I was too young to remember it, but a couple of Ifrits, who took me under their roof, told me what had happened on Tian. The Union had captured the planet a few years before I was born, so revolts and conflicts were more common there than, let¡¯s say, on Ernef. One of them happened when I was four, on the outskirts of Jin Chan city. I don¡¯t know what I was doing there. It could be just an ordinary day for Jin Chan citizens, but in a second, it turned into¡ I don¡¯t know what to call it. Nightmare? Hell?
I wish I¡¯d never found out anything else. The witnesses described the rebels as a horde running towards them, shooting without restraint and throwing home-made grenades. They didn¡¯t seem to be an organised unit; they just attacked everything on their way. The citizens, who were on the streets at that moment, had no chance. My parents got into a building, but jostling in panic, survivors separated us. Later, when it was all over, I went to some camp under the care of soldiers. They looked for my family for a while, but you know how they work. Nobody answered. So they just gave me to a random family who left Tian and moved to the safer Ernef.¡± Azhi turned towards Seth. ¡°Did I bore you?¡±
¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± he sighed. From the moment Azhi started talking about his past, Seth had time to think over his previous words. Rebels¡¯ assault on Delian was not called down by the spitefulness of fate, an isolated incident. Tragedies like that afflicted dozens of worlds and ruined, or sometimes even took, the lives of a hundred thousand beings.
Feeling a wave of mounting anger, Seth clenched his fists. It helped him refrain from springing out of his seat and shouting his hate out or destroying anything within his grasp. He wanted to smash the crystal table into sherds but instead of that, he took a deep breath and flicked his fingers through his hair.
Occasionally, he had doubts about the Union or Azhi¡¯s activities. They applied the same, or sometimes even worse, methods than those of the rebels, and sourced the goods through the exploitation of inhabitants of the poorer worlds.
Isn¡¯t it better to sacrifice the minority to save the majority? Seth asked himself. Everything, especially peace, has its price. Sometimes it¡¯s worth to pay it.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
¡°I just wanted you to know the scale of the problem which these rebels are,¡± explained Azhi. ¡°Besides, I think we should be honest with each other.¡±
¡°Are you looking for them?¡± asked Seth. ¡°Your parents?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still doing it,¡± he replied, glancing at the surging storm again. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re alive.¡±
¡°I hope so too.¡±
¡°And you?¡± Azhi looked at the young Celestian. ¡°What exactly did you do before you got here? Who were your parents, where did you live earlier?¡±
¡°I wish I knew it too,¡± muttered Seth. ¡°When are we gonna going to see my work-space?¡±
¡°What? Delian never told you about your past?¡±
¡°No¡ he didn¡¯t.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Every single time I asked him about it, he said the same story: rebels attacked you, you survived and I adopted you.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Azhi settled down on the armchair more comfortably and propped his chin. He reflected for a few seconds, then continued, ¡°He could be right.¡±
¡°About what exactly?¡± Seth leaned across, listening to the answer.
¡°Not everything he said was a lie.¡±
¡°In this case, what is true and what is not?¡± he asked, frowning and clutching the armrests. ¡°You know something but¡¡±
¡°I know. Delian used to work for me, but later he quit.¡±
¡°I know that too. Why did he quit? And what happened that he wanted to adopt me, even though he was about to have his own child? He told me about rebels too. How was it all related?¡±
¡°Easy easy,¡± interrupted Azhi and stretched his hand. ¡°He worked for me, but I couldn¡¯t control everything. He did only what I commanded him to. Same as you. And that incident with rebels¡ things like that happen, always and everywhere. They targeted our facility, Gavida, because it was near them.¡±
¡°They chose that particular place where Delian and my parents worked?¡±
¡°The target was easy because I couldn¡¯t bring the entire Union fleet to protect my private project. This station was located just two lightyears away from the enemy territory, but there was nothing I could do. An assignment is an assignment. I admit, we worked there on the weaponry, same as here. You know why facilities like that are attacked more often?¡±
¡°Destroying the weapons, we overwhelm the enemy,¡± answered Seth without any hesitation.
¡°You see. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody had it for your family. Rebels kill everybody on their way.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I want to do something!¡± growled Seth, standing up.
¡°Me too. I need you to defeat them.¡± Azhi approached his young friend. ¡°We have much in common. Our stories are almost identical, so are our goals.¡±
¡°So you don¡¯t know what happened to my parents?¡±
¡°I know as much as you do.¡±
¡°Too bad,¡± muttered Seth and together with his employer, he left the chamber. One day he would get the truth out of him.
Finally, he felt understood, and that the universe was not set only against him. The talk opened his eyes. Though he still believed in the Union¡¯s high ideals, he had no trust in their methods. They had no chance to defeat rebels by the continual sitting, discussing and negotiating. Only power, ruthless and brutal, could prevent further incursions and expansion of the enemy¡¯s views. Seth promised himself to do whatever it took not to let another innocent creature suffer like him or his new friend.
?
Chapter 11.1. The heretics
Azhi led Seth through a maze of corridors, and the echo of the pounding on the stone drowned out their steps. They passed the machines which were set up on the floor with cables twining out of them and boxes full of building materials. Standing on the scaffolding, builders smashed the stone, carefully avoiding the ancient bas-reliefs, laid down ducts and mounted devices or sensors.
Seth walked slowly through the corridors, looking around and admiring the art that he never got the chance to see outside the museum. The deeper he ventured in the underground bunkers of the ziggurat, the better the shapes and colours of the stone figures were preserved. Neither acid rains nor tempestuous winds could reach them there with their devastating power.
Seth felt the dead eyes of the stony silhouettes staring at him silently. They stood in rank with faces hidden under their hoods. Serpentine pipes and cables poked out of their metallic respirators and connected with some cylindrical tank behind their backs. Edges of their floor-length, dark blue liveries were covered in slightly effaced, geometrical inscriptions. Seth bent over them, trying to decipher the angular letters.
¡°And even the death itself¡¡± he muttered.
¡°¡will fear me eternally,¡± finished Azhi
¡°Yes, I think so,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°How did you know that?¡±
¡°It puzzles me more about how you could read this inscription.¡±
Azhi looked behind. ¡°The Union forbade reading any ancient texts from the Hyperion¡¯s reign. Where did you find access to them?¡±
Seth crossed his arms and eyed the scientist with a nervous glance, but he chose his words confidently. ¡°Recently I was on Eurydion for the course you recommended,¡± said the Celestian, looking sideways ¡°We always had about four hours free in the evening to ourselves, so I often explored the town. I came across a small, old building once¡ a museum was in it, amateurish and unkempt. I didn¡¯t find anything there that I¡¯d never seen before¡ shell-cases, batteries of plasma swords from the fifth century, some figurines and pieces of common metal captioned as remains of Fenrir¡¯s helmet. The only person there, besides me, was a sleeping guard. And then, quite by accident, I bumped and smashed a gilded vase. I bent down immediately and started sweeping the pieces under the cabinet when I found a data carrier covered in mud. I hid it in my pocket and walked out, pretending that nothing had happened. This guy didn¡¯t even open his eyes. After I got home, I tried to recover some data¡¡±
¡°And what?¡± Azhi cut in. He held his breath, and his pupils dilated.
¡°The carrier had recorded data over a thousand years, but the only things that remained were a few texts and quite a primitive translation.¡±
¡°What did it tell?¡±
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Seth shook his head. ¡°For me, it was just nonsense. I barely understood¡¡±
¡°Tell me,¡± hissed Azhi through clenched teeth.
¡°It said¡ once there were creatures that,¡± the young Celestian looked around and took a deep breath, ¡°that would have had no right to exist today.¡±
Azhi dug his fingers into Seth¡¯s arms, forcing him to explain further, ¡°Cyborgs¡ clones¡¡±
¡°So it¡¯s true!¡± Azhi yelled out. ¡°The Union will never tell you about it! The Ilionian Doctrine forbids many things, primarily believing in living gods, but according to it, the worst crime is the genetic modification of intelligent creatures and using machines to control or improve brain function. Have you ever met any cyborg?¡±
¡°Yes, most of them were on Eurydion.¡±
¡°And did you notice that the only implants they had, replaced their limbs or internal organs? None of them, not even the ones sick with neurobiological illness, had brain implants.¡±
¡°It¡¯s obvious,¡± answered Seth half-heartedly. ¡°Brain implants are never used. It¡¯s an area that shouldn¡¯t be violated in any way.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
The young Celestian hesitated. He¡¯d never reflected upon it. For him, just like for all the inhabitants of the Union systems, the subject remained a taboo that nobody ever mentioned. He was taught not to think about it, but the knowledge and views of his employer planted a seed of hesitance in him. The Union had the technology to help people with brain damage, but for some reason, they did not do it.
¡°Why?¡± repeated the scientist.
Seth shook his head. He felt a massive weight pressing on his stomach as he thought of how he would be punished for talking about subjects forbidden by the Ilionian Doctrine.
¡°The Union drew lessons from the past. They feared that somebody could begin to produce genetically or cybernetically modified abominations.¡±
¡°But¡¡± began Seth. He stared at the Celestian with eyes wide open and stepped back. His face paled, and his jaw began trembling. He¡¯d understood the risk from the very beginning, but it was only now that he realised how scared he was. The Union kept their punishment methods a secret, but sometimes photos of their victims leaked to the underground Web, where Seth looked for hidden information about history and ancient cultures. Sometimes he scrolled through those images, but he never paid attention to the charges that those people were sentenced with. Their pictures were not described and even in the underground Web, they usually disappeared after a few minutes.
He put everything together. The Union never hid common criminals like murderers or terrorists. Only the ones who broke the main premises of the Ilionian Doctrine disappeared under unexplained circumstances.
¡°That¡¯s what we plan to do¡ The SynthBreed Objects! They will kill us for it!¡±
¡°We plan to save thousands of lives that way,¡± said Azhi. He drew back too, giving Seth the feeling of safety and freedom of movement.
¡°If the committee figures out¡¡±
¡°They won¡¯t,¡± he interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s why I relocated to this forgotten by the universe planet. The Union thinks I just wanted to bilk money for another super-weapon, the opposition is roasted for spreading conspiracy theories, and we can carry on our research safely.¡±
Seth looked around unsteadily, breathing in the dry, chilly air.
¡°We¡¯re surrounded by thick walls that will protect our secrets,¡± proceeded Azhi, approaching Seth placidly. ¡°These ancient corridors are crossed only by the trusted hand-picked people. The Illonian Doctrine doesn¡¯t apply here.¡±
The young Celestian nodded.
¡°Come on,¡± said Azhi, waving his hand.
Seth walked after Azhi uncertainly, observing his every move with suspicion. His heart returned to its natural rhythm after a while, but he still felt shivers of anxiety under his skin.
I¡¯m breaking the Doctrine, he said to himself. I may be a criminal in their eyes, but a criminal doesn¡¯t save thousands of lives.
Chapter 11.2. Masters of Creation (+ 100 followers special)
The lift stopped on one of the lowest storeys of the fortress, and the metal grate slid open with a rasp. Two Celestians walked along the low and wide corridor cut in the brownish rock. Mounted under the ceiling, the provisional lamps shed a weak but dazzling light, and thick pillars propped up the ceiling every few metres. The long tunnel ended with armoured gates in the shape of a trapezoid.
¡°I¡¯ll repeat once more, that what you¡¯ll see here might be quite¡ shocking,¡± warned Azhi.
Seth nodded. He¡¯d read earlier that if he wanted to take up a job there, he would have to be ready for, as his employer had termed it, quite some unusual situations. Piercing chilliness began troubling him, same as the claustrophobic tunnels and white light. Trembling with cold and nerves, he zipped his jacket up and hid his hands in its pockets, glancing around with insecurity.
They stopped in front of a gate which was two storeys high. Azhi typed the code on his LiqWatch, and then on the control panel beside the door. Lighting up, the red check lamp changed its colour to green. A second later, the muffled sound of scraping metal reverberated, and the heavy gates began to lift up. It stopped three meters above ground with a deep hiss.
¡°That¡¯s how,¡± spoke Azhi, spreading his arms, ¡°a technology for the year 1643 looks like.¡±
Seth wanted to say something, but a constriction in his throat made him speechless. He could not believe what he was seeing was really happening. The thought that something was wrong with Azhi¡¯s drink crossed his mind.
Almost five hundred exoskeletons stood in even rows. The hangar, as enormous as an ancient cathedral, was. Thick armour in shiny, pewter colour with blue edges protected the four-metre-high machines. Wires connecting to the two supercomputers as big as an isolated house, protruded out of the exoskeletons, fastened to their brackets. Workers bustled around the mighty metal silhouettes, mounting parts and checking the working systems, and drones hovered over their heads, carrying or giving them the tools.
¡°You¡¯re incredibly lucky,¡± shouted Azhi, covering his ears as the drone of a drill driving through the coruscium filled the entire chamber. ¡°You¡¯ll be working on a revolutionary project that may turn the fate of the universe!¡±
Seth smiled and nodded, although he did not hear the scientist¡¯s sentence. He passed another row of machines, observing with attention and admiration the precision with which they were built. Pride began filling him at the thought that those majestic constructions would partly be his creation.
At the end of the hangar, Azhi opened the door leading to the lower level. He crossed the narrow corridor, where a few lamps cast a pale afterglow, and ran down the metal stairs. Touching his LiqWatch to the reader, he turned on the keyboard and only after he typed three long passwords, the blockade to the other entrance was deactivated.
¡°Welcome,¡± said a horned reptile, standing in front of the door. His olive green boiler suit shone like new. He held a rectangular device emitting blue light, at which he glanced constantly.
¡°Hello, Inann.¡± Azhi raised the corner of his lips and pointed at Seth. ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t met my new co-worker yet.¡±
¡°Inann Ishme, the supervisor of the SynthBreed Project,¡± said the Ifrit. He narrowed his eyes, sizing the strange Celestian, and bared his short, sharp teeth in too mild a smile. ¡°Ah, this is the young talent you¡¯ve been telling me about so many times?¡±
¡°Yeah, this one.¡± Azhi looked at Seth as if he wanted to give his new co-worker more courage.
¡°Seth Felvennis,¡± said the young man haltingly. Feeling the stare of the two key figures on him, he hid his hands behind his back. He sensed the contempt in the reptile¡¯s tone and although he did not want to get into a conflict on the first day of his job, he attempted to distance himself and let Inann know that he was not a stupid kid who could be easily manipulated.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°Let me present to you our creation.¡± The reptile swung his hand, and the lamps went out. Only his vivid celadon green eyes glowed in the darkness.
¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for twenty years,¡± whispered Azhi and smiled in awe, gazing ahead.
Inann approached the large, cylindrical chamber in the middle of the room. He tapped a few buttons on the control panel and typed a code on his device. A hydraulic mechanism hissed, and the metal cover lifted up, exposing a glass enclosure with an immobile exoskeleton inside, and standing next to it was a new, tightly-closed dangerous waste barrel.
Seth approached the glass, leaving a white circle of steam with his every breath. The exoskeleton¡¯s visor was raised, so the Celestian could see the face of the quiescent Kehrian behind the respirator. The subject had his eyes shut, and a part of the implant, connected with the helmet, protruded out of his shaved head.
Inann moved his finger on the screen. The Kehrian opened his eyes wide and peered at each of the scientists one by one. He flexed his muscles, attempting to move, but the locked servomotors just let him breathe rapidly.
¡°No!¡± he cried out. His voice sounded mechanical as if it came out of a synthesiser. ¡°You won¡¯t¡ you won¡¯t dig through my brain!¡±
Seth shuddered and fell back as his eyes met the Kehrian¡¯s stare. Dismay, pain and animal fright that the Kehrian had to feel froze the blood in Seth''s veins as if somebody had injected him with liquid nitrogen.
He knew it was necessary. The brain was the most powerful computer. Other machines could not control exoskeletons like that. Only the sturdy, complicated mind enabled connection of natural reflexes, awareness and instincts with the computing power and the strength of the servomotors. Due to this, the brain could pilot the machine as if it were its own body of flesh and blood.
¡°Easy, there¡¯s nothing to fear,¡± assured Inann and knocked on the glass, ¡°he can¡¯t hurt you.¡±
Until I make him, he added in his mind.
He switched something on the device again. The Kehrian screamed once more, then stopped struggling and froze. He wanted to move, but his muscles did not respond to the commands of his brain. Extraneous, computer-generated impulses ran through his nerves.
He raised his armoured hand involuntarily. As he strove to lower it, he completely lost control over his own body. Instinct dictated him to fight for his survival with all his strength, although he had no chance against the machine that inhibited all his reactions. He moved his eyes in all directions, looking for help, but he saw only the faint, red light and three silhouettes deep within the chamber.
He stomped closer to the barrel. He leaned back, and with a single shooting punch, he drove through the cover. The subject tore his fist out of the metal sheet and drew back into the middle of the enclosure.
He knew he was losing. Despite the panic, he slowed his every breath and heartbeat to the rhythm ordered by the machine as the artificial impulses pierced his brain with double strength. The Kehrian closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles. He stopped struggling against his own body, letting the computer dominate his reflexes.
¡°Now you¡¯ll see how the SynthBreed proves itself from a distance,¡± informed Inann.
Controlling the Kehrian¡¯s brain via the computer made him lift up the multi-calibre rifle, lying on the floor, and turn towards the coruscuim shield.
Seth held his breath when the hydraulic servomotors raised the weapon, almost as heavy as him, without any effort.
¡°It¡¯s all under control,¡± mumbled the Inann and raised the corner of his lips in a smirk. The caution and distance with which his new team member reacted to every action of the subject made him laugh.
The machine pulled the trigger, flooding the shield with a hail of bullets. Three seconds passed and glossy shell-cases covered the entire floor. A coiled trickle of smoke plumed out of the rifle barrel, fading away in the thick air. The exoskeleton placed the weapon on the ground and froze, resembling a quiet metal statue again.
¡°Now you see why it¡¯s good to be on our side, right?¡± asked Azhi, smiling at the machine, then at Seth. ¡°We have the technology that can crush all rebellions.¡±
Seth did not pay attention to his words. He stood in front of the glass, staring at the devastation that the subject had wrought, with a blend of fright and pride. The cover of the tank, which could survive thousands of years in extreme conditions, had been ripped apart like a piece of paper. Large holes with scraggy edges darkened the shield which was made of the same material as the tanks, and scraps of silver metal lay on the floor among hundreds of golden shell-cases.
He gulped, imagining an unarmed person in the line of fire. He did not hear anything through the glass, but he felt the strong vibrations under his feet while the subject was shattering the shield.
Even bones would turn into bloody mash...
¡°The activities of the radical rebels demand radical eradicating,¡± stated Azhi, leaning against the glass.
Inann nodded and spoke, ¡°SynthBreed can do much more. Let¡¯s get to¡¡±
Before he finished, a deafening alarm roared out of the speaker above the door. The reptile squinted, baring his teeth.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± shouted Seth, looking up at the dust falling from the ceiling.
¡°Air attack,¡± answered Azhi with an unreasonable calm, ¡°we¡¯re staying here.¡±
Chapter 12.1. Summon the war machine
Antares watched the transmission from one of the fighters which had just broken through the planet¡¯s atmosphere. Approaching the ground, the machines split up into smaller formations and encircled the fortress. Storm clouds surged in the sky, and hurricane winds hindered the precise manoeuvres of the light ships battling the wall of fire. Anti-aircraft guns hit some of them before they fired the first shot. Powerful lasers melted the plating on the fighters, and land batteries spit bullets ceaselessly, bringing down enemy vehicles one by one. However, the fighters that survived the cannonade got the defenders¡¯ back, agilely avoiding hits and firing salute by salute. They circled over the ziggurat, then turned sharply and nosedived all of a sudden, swamping the land guns with hundreds of high explosive shells. Wrapped in wreaths of black smoke, blazes of flame spewed out of the battlements, and sherds of metal and stone soared into the sky.
As the first wave broke the land defence, the landing carriers escorted by the heavily armed fighters, arrived over the storm-lashed desert.
Few but severely damaged anti-aircraft guns defended the fortress with their remaining power. Several bullets traversed the sky before the barrels delivering them vanished in the infernal cloud. Some of the overloaded rebel carriers were not fast enough or easily manoeuvrable to flee from the stacks of lead sweeping in their direction. Tons of iron, scraped deeply or pierced inside and out, fell down in the pitchy smoke, trailing long streaks of flame, and slugged on the ground, scuffing up plumes of sulphuric dust.
Pioneering corvettes landed on the secured area and lowered their gangways with a deep hiss. Ten-metre long tanks loomed out of their holds with a blast of their engines. Each machine bore the red flags with a golden bird, the coat of arms of the rebel unit from Jalandhara, hanging on long poles and tossed by the winds. Land carriers with assault troops ranged themselves right behind them. Heavily armoured vehicles assumed a V-shaped formation, making space for the monstrous Kehrian carrier.
Ruby red machine in the shape of a prism descended unstably, with the fighters circling around it, guarding the valuable cargo inside it. As it approached the ground, the stabilisers scuffed up expanding dust clouds which, after a while, resembled a tornado with its size and force, carrying away even stones and lumps of rusted scraps. The ship sat on the levelled surface among the swirling wall of sand, unlink a container fixed to its underside and soared back in the air. As the container walls spread open, the armoured machine formation moved away, escorting a construction five times larger than them.
Towering over them, the Kartikeya looked like a tank from a distance with a disproportionately long barrel. Its grey-brown armour, resembling stone, was embellished with carved arabesques and inscriptions which described the terror and destruction that this weapon carried in itself. Curls of steam from the atomic reactor¡¯s cooling plumed out of an exhaust pipe as thick as the trunk of a centuries-old tree. Friezes, portraying figures battling with each other, covered a side skirt laid over the tracks. Obviously, carvings with images of the Simurgh on their armours were victorious.
The six-stories high Kartikeya crumbled every stone and wreck under its tracks and splashed sulphuric slush around. A few Unions, who¡¯d dared to climb on the battlements, shelled it with rocket-propelled grenades, though their defence remained as successful as hewing obsidian with a stick. Fifteen kilometres from the fortress, the metal monstrum positioned itself in front of the building, aiming for the gates of the fortified wall.
The operating chamber in the Kartikeya¡¯s guts appeared completely cut off from the external world. It was totally dark, and no sound from the battlefield reached inside. Only a monotonous sough of life-supporting apparatuses and tranquil breaths of six Technicians broke the silence. The Kehrians stood on circular platforms, facing the wall. The respirators gave them oxygen, and virtual reality goggles covered their eyes. They held their hands raised over their heads like entranced shamans who wanted to summon their Devi with a sorcerous mantra. Thick controlling gloves, linked with the board supercomputer let them pilot the Kartikeya precisely through the slightest of moves and gestures.
Taking the mid place, the Technician Operator grimaced on hearing an automatic communication in his headphones.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
¡°Distance to the target: fifteen¡¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Technician Cannoneer, ignore these data.¡±
¡°Why?¡± asked Cannoneer, still standing motionlessly like a statue.
¡°The weak point of these gates is right between the door leaves, near the ground. Fire there. Technician Kinaesthetician, hold the direction.¡±
¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Kinaesthetician and increased his pace on the round treadmill.
Operator sharpened the view in his goggles. He relaxed his muscles, seeing that everything was going as planned.
The machine rolled towards the fortress, leaving behind deep and wide trails. Dozens of bullets shelled by the anti-aircrafts and lasers ships cut through the ginger clouds. Resembling a crashing horde of furious bulls, the smaller tanks and armoured vehicles covered Kartikeya at the front and on the sides. Time and again, blazing buds grew out of the cracked ground like poisonous blooms. Sometimes they met with the rashly driven machines, turning them into jagged, burning piles of scrap.
¡°Kinaesthetician! Stop!¡± Operator heard the words in his headphones. It was a Technician Navigator¡¯s scream.
Kinaesthetician answered something, but a wave of interference and static filled every channel. An explosion in the old mine, used against the largest war machine, shook the entire vehicle. Three Kehrians lost their balance and slipped off the platforms. Operator grabbed a bunch of cables hanging from the ceiling and with a hope that he would break through the interferences, he yelled into the microphone with all his force,
¡°Communicatee! Tell them to transfer all the power to the reactor and disconnect the rest of the power supply!¡±
¡°Tech¡ don¡¯t und¡ at¡¡± screeched the voice in the communicator.
¡°Supply!¡± repeated Operator, clenching his fingers on the cables,
¡°Reactor!¡±
He heard only an inarticulate noise as his answer.
¡°The computer is overloaded! Transfer all to Operator,¡± ordered Communicatee. He unfolded a control panel in front of his eyes with a wide swing of his glove. He moved his eye and activated several orders, then he blinked to confirm them. Another wave of interference reached his senses. A pulsing pain swept over his head, and a high-pitched squeak resounded in his ears. For a while, he thought he would lose consciousness, but he kept his balance.
Operator shook his head, striving to get rid of the dull hum in his head.
¡°Anyone¡ anyone read me?¡±
He entered the communication settings and checked the channels. All counters showed zero. At that moment, a stabbing pain shocked his nerves as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. The tingling in his entire body along with the most severe headache he¡¯d ever experienced in his life, overwhelmed him. He could not inhale the dense air in his petrified lungs. He wanted to scream but instead of that, he bent down and started coughing.
The Kehrian felt an alien presence, creeping into his brain awareness. It reminded him of nothing known. It was like a parasite which could devour the brain of its host within a few minutes. It initially cut his memories away to make way for further expansion and settled in his mind, intercepting every part of the host¡¯s identity, piece by piece.
¡°Turn it off!¡± screamed the Kehrian, dropping his head and hanging on to the wires like a crucified criminal.
In the last flash of his consciousness, he grabbed the cable connecting his brain to the board computer. Despite having no sensation in his hands, he tugged hard. Pain shot his nerves as he yanked the plug out of his head, but he bounced back and ripped the virtual reality goggles off his face.
¡°Operator, go back!¡± yelled Technician Communicatee, ¡°you need to offload the system or the reactor will break down!¡±
¡°This damned machine won¡¯t take my mind!¡± growled Operator and jumped off the platform.
He did not remember where he was, but a red diode above the door seemed like a sign to him. He tugged on the door handle and rushed into the narrow corridor. He saw the shocked faces of the other Kehrians operating the stuff as if he were looking through the water surface. Because of the engine rumble and reactor heat, the Technician felt like he was going to stumble and drop on the grated floor. Leaning against the metal railings, he hurtled to the ground floor. He tripped on the last step, but he still ran. The Kehrian gripped the handle of the wide hatch and began pushing. The door did not move. He punched the metal desperately and only after a while, he noticed a little screen on the wall with a displayed hand contour. He put his palm on the reader. The gate slid open, letting palls of sand inside. Ignoring the Kehrians calling him, he leapt outside.
¡°What are we gonna do?¡± asked Technician Cannoneer with dread and uncertainty in his voice.
¡°Kinaesthetician, hold on. We¡¯ll transfer the overload to you,¡± said the serving henceforth as a commander Communicatee. ¡°Cannoneer, fire! Now! No matter what, fire!¡±
The monstrous barrel belched out a bullet. It rammed under the armoured gate, scuffing up a dense sand circle and chipping the brick surfaces off the walls. The gate seemed just scratched from a distance, but a wide crack between the gate leaves and a shallow crater under them loomed up from the dust.
Chapter 12.2. First step on the battlefield
Antares drove the carrier downwards, preparing for the landing. Defending him, the heavier and less manoeuvrable fighters flew in front of him. He rounded on as sharp a bend as the engines of his ship let him. As the trailing white wisp of a torpedo flitted a dozen metres past him, symbols on the control panel lit up red. When the ship was getting back to the normal position, a dull rumble came from the hatch.
¡°Chandri,¡± asked Antares, ¡°what was that?¡±
¡°Nothing. A case lost its adherence.¡±
¡°Fine. Brace for landing.¡±
Right before the prow, one of the fighters exploded. Its remains beat against the carrier, leaving deep scrapes and dents on the charred plating of the vehicle. Flagrantly white flare blinded Antares for several seconds, but Nadee nosedived left. Despite the shocks and turbulences, she rebalanced the ship flight a few hundred metres above the ground. Another noise in the hatch unfocused her. She turned her head and raised her eyebrows.
¡°Open this bloody hatch!¡± yelled a young, female voice.
Antares¡¯s sight became clear again. He wiped his eyes and looked back. ¡°No, just don¡¯t tell me¡¡± he began and smashed the button to open the hatch.
Cerridwen crossed the doorway, barely keeping her balance on the swaying board. She leaned against the doorframe but before she could say a word, the ship cornered. She tumbled forward and stopped right in front of the edge of the control panel. Antares tugged on her hood and pushed her back.
¡°Sit down! Do you wanna kill us?¡±
Cerridwen grasped the armrest and fumbled for the belts with the other hand. She fastened them a second before another violent dodge. Remnants of a humble meal swam up to her throat as the ship did a clumsy barrel roll. Cerridwen tightened her lips, but yellow, dense fluid poured all over her belly and knees anyway. She coughed and spat the remains of the sour vomits.
¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± growled Antares without looking back. ¡°How is it possible that¡¡±
¡°I told you, I have to find Felvennis!¡± she mumbled, mopping her mouth with her sleeve.
¡°Do you know what you just walked into?¡± He scowled at her and pointed at the illuminator. ¡°This is a fucking battlefield!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she muttered and shook the slimy saliva off her fingers.
¡°You know nothing,¡± hissed Antares and bent over the control panel.
¡°We¡¯re gonna land,¡± interrupted Nadee.
Cool until now, Antares gripped the armrest, stifling the fury and desire to execute the intruder right then.
¡°Seven hundred metres,¡± said Nadee.
¡°You¡¯ll die there,¡± growled Antares, boring his sight into the control panel, ¡°and I won¡¯t feel any pity.¡±
Cerridwen was preparing a riposte when the world around her spun, and smoke, dust and sulphuric smell poured into her lungs. The wreckage of a larger machine, falling around the carrier, impaled itself between the hatch and cockpit, tearing the ship in half. Cerridwen shouted and curled up, covering her head. Instead of wall and door, she saw a hole edged with flames out of the corner of her eyes, the outspread wires tossing sparks and the ginger dirt fragments blending with the grey shards.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Her muscles stiffened, and she flattened herself against the backrest. Thuds of explosions and the roar of the wailing engines joined the wind bluster. She heard orders being barked among this cacophony until a deafening bang and tremor knocked her unconscious.
The smokey vehicle dug its prow into the ground and stopped a dozen metres away in a pall of sand. Cerridwen lifted her neck and despite the blood oozing out of her head, she looked around. The ripped wires jetted white gas under pressure, and the sandy-yellow mist wafted around her, veiling blazing explosions.
Three breaths in the polluted atmosphere were enough for Cerridwen to feel a tickle in her throat and tears flooding her eyes. She rose, spitting and gasping. She stepped ahead, then leaned against the back of the seat. Her legs trembled and each time she coughed, she bent over and gripped her stomach.
¡°I¡¯m covering you,¡± said Quirinus and stood at the edge of the wrecked board. He grabbed the ruptured wall and leaned out, observing the area.
¡°Not yet!¡± Antares shook his head. ¡°Wait for my order.¡±
Quirinus nodded and recoiled. He rested his leg on the seat, attempting to hold its quiver back. He reined his will to dash into the fight, but the Waves of Lethe coursing through his system enticed him to do it.
Cerridwen battled with all her might for just a pocket of air, but as the black spots obliterated her view, she knew she was losing. Her nostrils and throat burned as if she¡¯d drunk boiling water, and clear, runny saliva trickled from her mouth. She found the remains of strength within herself to raise her head and look at the shattered wreck and the hostile, barren earth. She bored her desperate stare at the nearest person.
Antares breathed a short sigh of relief at the thought that he would get rid of the inconvenient intruder in a bit. No emotions disturbed him while he observed the Celestian girl suffocating in a polluted environment.
Just another victim of war.
He braced himself for a run. He tensed his muscles and focused his senses on the setting, but when the choking Cerridwen groaned in distress, he turned his head.
The Debt!
He would repay it, even towards his enemies. Cerridwen had saved his life once and supplied noteworthy information in addition. He allowed himself to defocus for a few seconds. He brought out spare goggles and respirator from his belt bag.
¡°Wear it,¡± he said and threw the two items at her.
Staggering on shaky legs, Cerridwen caught them. She carried out his order even though she was bent over all the time while the pain was spreading in her chest.
As the roar of the machines approached, she turned around. Oncoming, at as high a speed as the stony ground let them, armoured vehicles bypassed a crashed ship, leaving behind a wall of dust.
¡°Get down!¡± shouted Nadee, hunching.
In the place where a late troop carrier was rolling in, a fire cloud in the shape of a mushroom blew off into the sky with a thunderous rumble.
Cerridwen darted ahead and crawled under the seats like a frightened rat. A wave of panic swept down every single muscle of hers, petrifying her body. She heard nothing but her own, unnaturally rapid heartbeat, not even the reverberating bangs of explosion and shots. She lay in an embryonic position, covering her ears and tightening her eyelids.
He was right. Antares was right by making me stay in my billet!
She spent three long seconds there when unintelligible words and low thuds reached her ears. Somebody yanked at her leg, dragging her up from under the seats.
¡°Follow me! Now!¡± roared a male, muffled voice.
Cerridwen jumped to her feet and bolted away. She gasped the air filtered by the mask hungrily, which let her stay on her two legs, but she saw nothing through the goggles smeared with mud. Blurred, vividly orange points flashed somewhere among the vast plumes of smoke and ash. Cerridwen identified Nadee from the Zetherionian coat of arms sewed on her sleeve. She sped up so as to not lose sight of Nadee. She slipped on the edge of the sulphuric puddle, landing in the water on her knees, but she got up and driven by pure survival instinct, she rushed ahead.
Chapter 12.3. The Cult of War
The V-formation of the troop carriers, surrounded by the heavier vehicles, approached the wall gates. Fire from the battlements faded, only two remaining cannons were shooting short salutes, jamming or overheating all the time.
Carriers and armoured vehicles drove between the gates alternately, avoiding the obstacle by millimetres. A few of them disappeared in a wave of fire and turned into smoking wrecks, but nothing could stop the rest of the assaulting rebels.
Three heavily armoured battering engines charged the frontal gates of the ziggurat at full throttle, spotted by their yellow deposit. Their prows, cased with coruscium, rammed the gates, but they just left scuffs. The machines backed up, letting the other vehicles shell the hinges. The tanks fired hundreds of bullets within one destructive salute, chipping the sherds of the gate frames off and scraping the metal slabs. The battering engines redid the charge several times, but the ancient construction remained untouched.
Cerridwen followed Nadee, who stayed at the end of the minor group of rebels and watched the situation on her LiqWatch constantly. The Celestian girl caught up with her and attempted to stick with her despite the ragged and slippery ground. She lost her sense of direction completely in the chaos and dust palls. All she saw was the wandering silhouette of the Kehrian woman. She felt the vibrating and shaking ground under her feet, and her hearing began to adapt to the deafening clunks of fired salutes and exploding bombs.
¡°Felvennis!¡± called an indistinct female voice, ¡°Felvennis, hold on!¡±
She stopped dead and turned around. Nadee and a few others ran between the fortress wall and a smoking wreck. Cerridwen rushed in that direction. Several metres away from the point through which she¡¯d just run, a thousand-year-old unexploded shell went off. Pushed by the shockwave, Cerridwen dropped down. Stones fell on her back, starving her of her breath, and a dull ringing hum sounded in her head.
As the shrill bang echoed, Nadee leaned away from behind the wreck. She looked around and spotted the Celestian girl, lying face down amongst the floating sand and black ash. Cerridwen raised her head and tried to get up, but due to headache and dizziness, she collapsed and fell on her flank.
¡°What are you doing?¡± shouted one of the troopers. ¡°Stay hidden!¡±
Nadee remained deaf to his call. So close to her, another innocent life was nearing its end. She felt saving that life was her duty. She had to do it. She could not give life to the ones she killed, but she wanted to rescue just this one being.
The Kehrian woman sprinted ahead. Cutting through the greyish ginger clouds, she ran up to Cerridwen. She bent over the Celestian girl and reached out her hand, saying, ¡°Come on!¡±
Cerridwen nodded. Feeling a throbbing pain on her neck, she clenched her teeth. She got up, leaning against Nadee. At home, she¡¯d learned during training what to do to cushion a fall. She did not break her bones due to that drilled reaction. She brought a gun out even though she would not be able to hit anything.
Stolen story; please report.
¡°Where did you get it from?¡± asked Nadee, leading her towards the wreck.
¡°I borrowed it,¡± muttered Cerridwen, and Nadee looked at her, shaking her head.
Led by Antares, the company gathered under a craggy wall. They waited for the entry signal in silence and deep focus. The majority of them had only jagged coats and provisory armours made of sheet metal or rubber. Their trembling was more from excitation than fear as their fingers rested upon the triggers of their Ascalon-type shotguns.
Finally, they heard their Commander¡¯s word that acted like pulling the pin from the grenade on them.
¡°Attack!¡±
They darted along the right gate. The cannonade had entirely ceased when all of the defenders died or escaped to the emergency ships.
Assailants hacked their way through the crack blocked by the wreckage. They halted behind the barricade formed by armoured vehicles.
Quirinus endeavoured to hold still, although his moves appeared as if he did not control his limbs. His face was covered by a respirator, but he still gasped and choked. His heart pumped blood rapidly mixed with Waves of Lethe. Due to that substance, he forgot about the fear during the landing and did not even notice the deep, bleeding cut on his arm. He used a little dose of the drug so as to not go into the rogue rage, but he still felt indestructible. Massive megaliths seemed to him a wooden fence, and he considered the hundreds of enemies waiting behind the wall as rag dummies at whom he had to just shoot, like during everyday training. Death became nothing to him.
Positioned under the walls, the carriers began to lower their gangways with a hiss of air. Enormous, red silhouettes flashed inside them.
Muffled by helmets, a low howling froze the blood in the veins of even the bravest creatures.
¡°Is that... them?¡± whispered Quirinus and licked the foam off his mouth.
¡°Yes, Captain,¡± replied Antares. ¡°I had a chance to see them in combat. I admit it was a pleasant experience to watch them rip the Union scum to bloody shreds.¡±
Before the gangways touched the ground, from the darkened holds, the Rakshasa warriors darted out one by one. They moved flowingly with the grace of a cobra bracing for an attack. Clad in heavy power armours, glistening in red and gold, the monsters raised their heads, howling and growling as if they challenged the sky itself. In a low harsh tone, similar to an automatically generated voice, fifteen Kehrians began to chant at once the long, rhythmic verses of hymns and mantras in their language. Their words echoed among the fortress walls, making it sound like thunders and blasting hurricanes, roaring at a distance.
Gripped in an autohypnotic Sho¡¯rin trance, the Rakshasas felt the presence of their Devi around them. Her divine energy circulated in their veins, so dread and pain were nothing to them. They were ready to rush in the very heart of the battle to win or die.
The Kehrians brought out their swords, with wide blades and blunt points, and Rudra-type rifles with barrels in the shape of the open jaws of the beasts. This weapon owed its name to the deafening, ear-splitting roar which it made while firing the bullets.
¡°Incredible, right?¡± whispered Antares.
Quirinus did not answer. He gazed ahead, gripping his shotgun. Even after being influenced by the Waves of Lethe, the Kehrian horde ignited a sense of primitive fear in him.
The Kehrians of Jalandhara Tribe were renowned for psychologically pressurising their enemies. For the less experienced assailants, the very image of the masked creatures in ornate armours rushing at them was a sufficient reason to retreat. Golden masks with large eyes and jaws full of bare, sharp fangs escalated the impact. In the olden days, the legends of Beasts in Red were known and feared even among the tribes ruling the galaxy. The tribe that decided to invade Jalandhara gave up future conquest plans only after a few clashes with the Rakshasas. Unstoppable might, violence and fanatic allegiance to their Devas awoke terror in the hearts of the enemies of that tiny planet.
The Kehrians finished their ritual display. They divided into three groups and ran towards the fortress gates.
¡°Follow them!¡± ordered Antares.
Chapter 12.4. The carnage
Antares'' company barely kept pace with the five raging Rakshasas. They crossed the square and turned left. They reached a small side door hidden under the camouflage canvas cover. One of the spies, Observer E, had informed them that the entrance was the least guarded, and a majority of the Union forces defended the main entrance or exits.
Two Kehrians ripped the canvas cover from the wall, uncovering the door. They raised their rifles and pulled the triggers. Their weapon made an ear-piercing burr, spewing out large bullets into the hinges and lock. When cracks appeared on the wall, the creatures charged at the barrier. With the entire mass of their hefty bodies, they rammed the door leaves that crinkled under their force. The Kehrians stepped back, and one of them gathered momentum and sprang, breaking the door with a kick. The metal leaf fell to the ground with a dull bump and scuffed up thousand-year-old dust.
The Rakshasas looked around and ran into the dark corridor, giving a sign to follow them. Antares and the rest of the Celestians took a position at the end of the formation. He did not let the others notice his rage that the Rakshasas had picked up all the glory for themselves again, making him stand back and wait for the open combat.
Damned Beasts, he thought, my people will die, and they¡¯ll claim all the credit for themselves or celebrate the victory they gained due to our sacrifice.
Waiting deep in the corridor, a group of the Unions greeted the invaders with a spate of fire and grenades. Their bullets just ricocheted off the Kehrians¡¯ armours and stuck into the walls. In the gloomy and cold interior of the fortress wafted the smell of gunpowder, melting metal and sweat of the horrified defenders. The excruciating clunk of shots, the rumble of exploding grenades and accompanying them, the mechanical roar of Beasts pierced the musty air. Pounding into the walls, floor and ceiling, the bullets and sherds sheared off fragments of the murals and scuffed up clouds of dust until a thick, brown layer of dirt covered the shining Kehrian armours and the ragged Celestian coats.
Ambushed in the empty tunnel and protected only by bulletproof vests, the Unions could not save themselves from the hail of lead. One by one, they dropped dead, screaming and spilling pools of blood. None of their weapons perforated the Kehrian armour. They ran deeper and deeper into the fortress, passing riddled corpses of their companions.
Leading the assault group, the Rakshasa fired several times more, then clipped his warm rifle to his belt. Ignoring bullets hitting his armour, he fell to his knees in the middle of the corridor and spread his arms. Metal claws slid out of his gloves like a ravenous creature.
¡°Devi!¡± he roared, and his harsh voice drowned out the exploding grenade. ¡°In your name, I, Jangalee, take the lives of those who stood against you!¡±
He rose up from the ground and darted ahead, right at the petrified Union. He sank his claws into the enemy skull and with one move, he slammed it against the wall. Pink-red pulp covered the old murals as if a furious artist had spilt a bucket of paint on his work.
The Rakshasa raced on. Leaning across, he attacked from below. With a long, smooth move, he caught the stomach of a Celestian girl and ripped her guts out, breaking her spine and several ribs. His prey screamed for a while until the Beast sliced her lungs. Jangalee halted and tilted his head, staring at the scraps dangling from his claws. Red, mushy leftovers of the Union¡¯s last meal drained out of them and dripped on the Kehrian¡¯s boots. He expressed his scorn and disgust through a soft growl and brushed the twisted pieces of flesh away.
Stolen novel; please report.
Only when one of the Unions cried out, the rest ran for their lives. It aroused even more primitive savagery in the heart of the Beast.
Jangalee got bored of the pointless carnage. Cutting his way through the Unions with sweeping moves, he caught a tall Ifrit. He wanted to dig his claws into the reptile¡¯s face, but his prey blocked the stroke even when pure terror gleamed in his eyes.
¡°A challenge?¡± whispered Jangalee and smiled behind the golden mask.
He grabbed the creature¡¯s horn, wrestling with him only for fun. Eventually, he charged and pinned the reptile to the wall. Sticking out of his armour, the golden ornaments pierced the Ifrit¡¯s thick skin. They both roared at once, the Ifrit with pain and Jangalee with fury. The Beast clamped his claws on the opponent¡¯s neck. Slashing through the thin skin in that part, the blades reached the Ifrit¡¯s spine and wedged between the vertebrae.
¡°She will reward me for the glory I bring her,¡± hissed the Kehrian and tore the reptile¡¯s neck open.
Panting hungrily, he stepped back, letting the body slump over and flood the dusty floor with dense, claret red blood. Fragments of skin and flesh stuck to his gloves, and crimson ooze covered him up to his elbows. He stood astride, raising his head and gazing at the ceiling with an empty sight.
In his pulsing veins, he felt not only the surging adrenaline but also something that the narrow minds of the uninitiated could not comprehend. It was like a presence of unbodied, otherworldly being, warm and brisk, filling him with serenity and quiescence. He sensed that his Devi herself had permeated his mortal body for several seconds, flooding it with her divine magnificence.
He dropped his head, and even though his legs became as weak as a new blade of grass, he remained on his feet.
Thank you, Devi, he thought and turned towards the motionless allies.
The other Beasts stared at the floor, folding their hands in front of their faces. Only after a prolonged silence, they raised their eyes. The Zetherionian rebels resembled the herd sculptures. Even Antares did not dare to move. The Zetherionians often used violence to solve their problems too, but they had never seen a primordial wildness that harmonised with such precision.
¡°Engineer,¡± Jangalee spoke to Nadee, ¡°what are the orders?¡±
The Kehrian woman gulped, saliva blocking her tight throat and with a trembling jaw, she gasped out, ¡°Talvi¡ Einherjer Kalma¡¯s company from Talvi said to... keep going down this corridor.¡± She took a breath so silent that even Jangalee could not hear her. ¡°We have to ambush the Unions and¡¡±
¡°Told them there is nobody to ambush,¡± interposed Jangalee. ¡°We¡¯re carrying on the database search.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± she replied, nodding rigidly.
The group of rebels marched on, but Nadee slowed down. She grabbed Cerridwen¡¯s hand and pulled her closer. The rebels standing at the front blocked the Celestian girl¡¯s view but listening to the horrifying screams and the crunch of cracking bones, she guessed what had happened to the Unions.
¡°Listen now, Cerridwen,¡± whispered Nadee, leaning over her, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to look at this.¡±
Cerridwen narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± she asked in a trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±
The Kehrian woman gripped her hand tighter. ¡°Just¡ don¡¯t¡±
¡°Fine¡ As you wish,¡± she mumbled and closed her eyes. She lost all the will to pretend to be brave.
¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes.¡± Nadee hugged her and sped up. ¡°What happened here¡ it terrified us all.¡± She lowered her voice, and only Cerridwen could hear her. ¡°Except those Beasts.¡±
Cerridwen did not see anything but felt the slippery slime under her feet, splashing around with harder, thicker fragments floating in it. The plopping of flesh accompanied her every step. Several times, something crushed under her shoes. Even through the mask, she smelled the fresh meat, blood and rotting remains of the victims¡¯ guts. Her stomach wanted to dispose of the recent meal, but she clenched her teeth and swallowed the sour bile back. Her heart pounded as if it wanted to break her ribs and tear her muscles. Nadee told her every time when to turn or raise her leg higher. The Celestian girl tripped once, but she did not open her eyelids. She could only imagine what had happened with the Unions.
Even though a deep, petrifying fear cramped her every muscle, Nadee¡¯s warmth comforted her. She felt a bit safer, even when the cold, ancient walls surrounded her and low, mechanical voices of the real-life monsters reached her ears. She cuddled into Nadee¡¯s dusty uniform. The smell of wet wind and sweat did not repulse her; she just needed to be close to the only person who did not want to hurt her.
Chapter 13.1. The bunkers
The alarm howled incessantly, giving Seth a headache. Unlike him, Inann did not wait for anyone¡¯s instructions and locked the door first. He also tried to make contact with people outside the underground bunker, but the rebel hackers had blocked every signal.
Seth could only wonder about what was going on above them. No sounds from the higher storeys reached there. The ground had stopped shaking a while ago, and all the devices turned out to be useless. Only the unaffected exoskeleton with the barely breathing Kehrian inside stood still, gazing right at Seth with its dark, empty sockets. Even though it was deactivated, the young Celestian could feel the gaze of the petrified creature locked inside the tons of coruscium.
For the good of us all, he repeated to himself, glancing at the machine from the corner of his eyes.
¡°We have no way to call for help,¡± informed Inann to his employer.
¡°They should trace my transmitter by now. Where are they?¡± growled Azhi, looking around.
¡°Why is nobody defending us?¡± interrupted Seth, spreading his arms. ¡°No aerial or land defence... What¡¯ve you got me into?¡±
¡°I cannot afford luxuries like this,¡± answered Azhi, reminding them that he¡¯d had to pay another bribe to the committee members earlier.
¡°What are we supposed to do?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡± Azhi shrugged. ¡°Do you see any way other than waiting until somebody comes for us?¡± He sighed, looking at the young Celestian. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Seth nodded but with no confidence, glancing at the metal monument again.
¡°Shake your fricking leg,¡± hissed Inann to himself and began marching around the room. His eyes gleamed like two embers. The shadow cast by the horned reptile resembled a dragon creeping in obscure caves and guarding its treasures against looters.
Leaning against the box, Azhi calmed his breath down and tightened his lips. He kept silent, switching on his LiqWatch sometimes. He did not show any fear but looked with sorrow at his creation, enclosed in glass. Twenty years of his work had to be in vain. Even if he took a few machines with him, he would need to destroy the rest to hide the new technology from the rebels and the evidence from the Union.
He glanced at Seth, circling around the enclosure. The young Celestian remained his only hope for rebuilding or even improving the SynthBreed Project. He¡¯d abandoned his confidence in Inann a long time ago, the same way as he did with Delian. Maybe the Inann was clever, but he could only modify the known rules from the textbooks in his creations, instead of introducing his own innovations. In addition, he treated the whole thing as a job that he just had to do to earn a living. No passion to bring about a change drove him.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
A triple bang at the door, louder than the alarm, broke through the Celestian¡¯s reflections.
¡°Dahaka, Ishme, Felvennis!¡± called someone through the microphone. ¡°It¡¯s the rescue group, open the door!¡±
Inann turned back, darted towards the door and unlocked it. Before the door could slide completely into the wall, ten people in long, grey coats charged inside. Each of them held a rifle, and goggles and respirators covered their faces.
¡°You¡¯re coming with us,¡± ordered the leader.
Azhi nodded and together with the Ifrit and Seth, he followed the guards. Six of them ran at the front, and the rest protected their back. Every few seconds, somebody called out orders to hurry them up. They left the corridors leading to the bunker and entered the narrow tunnel to avoid the main paths, which the rebels had already invaded.
The last three Unions, who¡¯d survived the fury of Rakshasas, rushed through obscure tunnels, leaving behind blurred stains of blood and mud. One of them dropped his weapon before his companions died and did not even think to come back for it. The others were trembling and too petrified to defend themselves.
They stopped at the end of the corridor, in front of the high gates. The Nelphian jumped to the control panel. With rapid, nervous moves, he hit the buttons, trying to recall the right code.
¡°Faster!¡± barked a Celestian, kicking the door, and his other companion tugged its handle. Distant hisses of servomotors, metallic stomping and harsh breaths did not help the Nelphian, who was trying to focus. Panic began to cramp his fingers. With his echolocation sense, he felt that the monsters were approaching fast.
¡°Aim at this one!¡± called out a Rakshasa, marching in the first row, and raised his weapon.
¡°No!¡± growled Jangalee, putting his hand on the rifle barrel, ¡°at least, not yet.¡±
His companion lowered his weapon. ¡°The Pride of Talvi and their plans¡¡±
The Union Nelphian found the right number sequence. He left blurred marks of sand and slime-like sweat on the control panel. As the gate began to withdraw, the Unions squeezed through the slit and ran into the vast chamber.
¡°Now you can!¡± barked Jangalee and added under his breath, ¡°you¡¯re so generous today, Devi.¡±
The rebels fired. Their bullets tore the air and took the two Unions down, but the Nelphian leapt over the pile of debris. While landing, he tripped over a cracked vase and fell down on a protruding wire which gored through his arm. The Nelphian turned on his flank, and gasping with pain, he propped up on his hands. Blue blood, gushing from his deep wound, spattered on the floor. The Nelphian slipped on it, falling down. The deep thud of impending danger rushed towards him like an iron avalanche. He turned his head and regretted that action.
Speeding right at him, the Rakshasa bored its bottomless lenses at its victim. The Union crawled several centimetres away, leaving the blue ooze behind. He leaned on the ground and lifted his skinny body but before he could get up, claws slashed through his ribs. A rapid jolt tossed him up. He hit the floor on his back, and a petrifying impetus bored through his bones and guts. An unnaturally strong grip of freezing cold almost like an iron hand clutched his throat. The Nelphian lost the ground under his feet when the Rakshasa lifted him up like a bag of feathers.
The Rakshasa gazed at its trophy and whispered something in a monotonous voice. With a single move, it sent the Union up, towards the ceiling. The Nelphian hit the floor several metres away, feeling his bones crack like a porcelain figurine. Lying face-down, he struggled to inhale a breath of air into his lungs which were pierced by his broken ribs. Before the Beast severed his skull from his spine, the view of bared fangs and blood-red sockets froze his barely beating heart.