Issue 34: A Father’s Wrath
Could the solution be that simple? --Jonas “Eddie” Olsten
My husband often wondered what his role would be. Now he knows.--Nola Olsten
I always said it would be a team effort. Sure? Some of us were uniquely placed to handle certain types of combat or problems but in the end? Everyone else saved me.--Private Log: Sleeping in Starlight
Atlantis
Undercroft, Sector 1128
Arthon skidded to a halt.
He pressed his palm to the reader.
It turned a bright blue, <<Protectorate business?>>
Arthon replied, “X-ray, Two, Two, Zulu, Eight, Niner.”
<<Biometrics and Audio variance verified.>>
The door shimmered. He took the steps downward two at a time.
At’lan diverted power to the teleporter, “Omegas will meet you at the RV point. Good Luck!”
His nanosuit flowed over his skin. Muthra wards synced with his implants. His heartbeat roared in his ears as the energy faded. His HUD flashed red. He dived to the side as a massive metallic spider smashed one black digit into the dust of the asteroid. E’ratha gloated, <<What do we have here?>>
Arthon felt the pinprick against his skin. Lorain’s power washed over him. Altering his features. He blinked to clear his vision and rolled under E’ratha’s massive belly. He had to make this convincing. He placed the charges.
∞
Meathook crawled.
The cold surface had long ago ripped away his finger pads. His chest was a ruin. He no longer hungered. All of his vital organs had withered away. A new thread wormed its way through his spine.
Helios.
The Mother’s Arrival. The Banner and her twin had managed to integrate lost souls back into their proper soul cycle. As if that would save any of them. Many had tried to consume him. To no avail. He had already been twisted by Abbadon. Chronos. Even Lucifer. Nyx had taken credit for his creation. He snarled. A lower form of life. Granted the pale fire only at the behest of Chronos. He phased through the Devouer’s domain. His passage went unremarked for he no longer possessed the physical markers of his former shell.
Chronos’ obsidian eyes formed above him.
“Mother? Why do you fight me. We want the same thing. I raised Hextor and his armies.”
She curled about him. A mighty Ourobourous with dark whirlpools in the place of eyes.
“I know. I raised you well. But why consume me when you can consume him.”
Meathook squeezed under a slat of obsidian. His bones crunched and reformed to accommodate his new position. There was no pain. The glint on his left thumb drew his attention. A brass ring. Not a gift from Cain. Not possible. That one had fled. The dark sang to him. Meathook continued to bend. Let them eat each other.
The silence was soothing.
Eventually he could not longer go forward. His body contorted. He climbed.
With one final push he broke through. He settled into the compartment. People were crying. A mix of Litari, Typherian and Human. His hands passed through a blonde woman’s head. Her thoughts revealed quite the boon.
∞
Arthon “nursed” his left arm.
To most scanners it would appear broken. He dared not look within the Weave. The Omegas wanted to see where civilians were being taken. This particular outpost was mostly surveyors for larger companies. From all appearances Hextor didn’t have the ability to breach the Ouro in mass but his agents had been among those affected by the Ninth Array pulse triggered by Chronos.
N-Typha.
They had to crack it.
Everything would go into containment.
∞
Nuul adjusted the flight pattern.
His son’s signal a muted golden triangle on the sensors. Valkyrie and Sparta were curled next to him in the anti-grav harnesses. Weave space still contained dangers but with Convergence? They came out on the other side with new insights. At least now Chronos was forced to operate only within the physical layer. Everything else had been denied him. The Tarvelians controlled the flow of the Shield Worlds. He didn’t ask about any additional projects. This ship was made from previous cycle materials. Saved in the bowls of Tarkanan. House Urraden markers. The only reason the Weave didn’t immediately crush their ship was due to the controlled bursts of Light Shaman wards.
Tivus lifted his head from the engineering station, “All sectors report!”
Human, Typerian and Muthra responded.
A team of 60 men. Selected for a singular purpose.
Infiltrate N-Typha.
Spread the counter thread.
So it would be sucked into the Final Pattern.
A prison that would make the Ninth Circle look like a resort spa.
A universe that would never again touch the Light of the Creator.
The harsh crimson shape of E’ratha appeared on his main screen holo.
Black Scrawl speech flowed through the ship’s relays.
<<Standby for transference.>>
Nuul guided the ship from Weave space into the physical domain. His gaze hardened as other civilians were hauled into the prison barges. House Urranden banners prominent across the sides.
All of them had volunteered.
500 to throw themselves against the machinations of Hextor.
He sent one last dead drop to General Murphy then followed E’ratha into the breach. A black mirror gate. The outer edges cracked even as they past through. One time use. Tivus remarked, “The Weave and Soul tears at it even now. It abides no lasting horror.”
Nuul gave one tiny nod. “As is proper.”
A vast expanse of corridors formed.
Then the curve of a pristine planet materialized.
Sparta growled. Barely above the rumble of the ship’s engines.
The surface of N-Typha was stark white. The forests that dotted the surface gleamed orange-red. While the waters were emerald. Extra orbital factories curled about. A black sun gleamed with a golden corona.
∞
Meathook withdrew his hands from the woman’s mind.
None of these were sheep. Would it be worth it to warn the Urraden? Meathook shook his head. No. His leash was finally cut. Away little bird. None had truly cared for him. Not even dear old Mommy Nyx. For a fraction of a second he snarled at the rest within this container. Muthra. Suicidal as always. Each side deserved the other. Good preached self sacrifice while Evil demanded obedience. He paused.
Considering his options.
He whispered, “Why not destroy all of them?”
∞
Arthon hung his head to hide his shock.
The creature crouched. Its ruined form twisted with N energy. Patches of yellowed skin clung to its withered bones. How was he seeing it? Curled fingers brushed against the side of a dark haired Typherian. It muttered, “Not sheep. Destroy both. Let Oversoul and False Mother die. Let Chronos die. Banner Twins. All must die.”
Arthon linked to his suit’s feeds.
It only detected the life around him. The base components of the transport hull.
The creature giggled. A wispy sound that made his blood run cold. The yellowed flesh reformed across the emaciated skeleton. Until its face was only a half ruin. One blackened eye on an elongated yellow stalk swiveled about the room. Sweat dripped down Arthon’s chin. He silently wondered, “How does Eddie deal with this? Wish he was here with me. He’d have it all figured out by now.”
Arthon’s hands tightened into fists as the other side of the compartment hissed open.
Hulking figures pushed their captives forward.
Typherians but twisted. Too many eyes. Hands. Legs.
Arms that bent every which way. A walking jigsaw puzzle of flesh.
Arthon reached out to grab one woman who nearly fainted.
He stared into his own eyes.
An Eternal Empire Muthra.
The Dominator of Athalas drawled, “You serve Hextor Urraden now.”
The green clothed demi next to him stared hard at each prisoner. “They all have standard healing nanites. Due to Doctor Impossible. No military grade wear.” His eyes passed over Arthon. Then he paused. His head tilted to the left. “But that doesn’t clear them. Recommend we place them all in the Gradiant until we can settle matters.”
∞
The Viper motioned to Dominator, <<Ugly splitjack from the C-N domain is taste testing these bags.>>
Dominator smirked, <<Anything we need to worry our esteemed leader about?>>
Viper eyeballed the previous cycle Artock hybrid. <<Maybe. Could be a bleedout from Helios. Lots of souls got pounded into mush. Not pretty.>>
Viper twitched as the thing clambered up the back of a Brood Mesh.
It eyed him with equal distaste. Madness burned in its solitary black orb.
Dom snapped his fingers. The prisoners were guided from the main station bay to the lifts. The surface of Typha would be the final destination. For the ritual. Almost made him miss the simple days of hunting slaves across the sands of Ta’rammon’s private terratha. <<Put one of your Hounds on this creature. Can’t be too sure of its motives.>>
∞
Meathook reached out to tap the little spider bot that followed him. His index finger passed through its milky outer shell. A few black threads shot out in response. It was biomechanical. Baseline thoughts echoed.
>>N-Energy detected. Rerouting to Source.<<
>>Previous Cycle DNA. Void Walker. Artock/Fallen Gemini<<
He poked it again.
>>Tu-in-55-99<<
Tu-in.
The words flowed across his tongue. A forgotten ember ignited.
First Shell.
Meathook smiled.
Yes. Now he recalled. His original form.
Oh yes. They would all burn. He hummed faintly.
“By first called flame we are.”
∞
Viper held the recorded words to the far side of the room.
He ran it through the translator for the 10th time.
By first called flame we are. Burned Void beyond.
Crowned in golden rays. Next to the sun.
Find us all little children. For the night is done.
Fall away to the distant shore. One by one.
Clear the land of mirrors for all is one.
Last in starlight. Run run run.
It was the first song of many. From the earliest days of the Eternal Empire.
Their first king who had been taken. Returned with forbidden knowledge. Other voices joined the recordings. Greek. Roman. From Earths and other planets long gone. That splitjack housed the last of the missing souls. Viper cross referenced the languages. He was no historian. Even his personal computer wasn't able to identify them all. How had that creature been able to consume that many?! He partitioned the data.
He walked briskly to Dominator’s quarters.
<<We need more Hounds. Every single one you can squeeze out of Hextor.>>
Dominator’s eyes widened as the controlled burst of data linked to his HUD. It deleted after a few moments but the message was clear. <<I think I know just the phrase to use.>>
That creature shouldn't exist.
None could hold more than one soul to a body.
He considered the possibilities.
“Bring me one of the Nameless.”
Viper nodded curtly. “As you wish.”
<<It flickered in my vision. An endless mirror.>>
Issue 33: Here
Issue 35: Here
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