After exiting, Alice saw that the ground outside was grey and rocky. She tried to look around but the shrouding mist obscured everything more than a few feet from her.
Beads of sweat quickly formed on her forehead. It was very, very hot. The dark, rocky world seemed to be even hotter than the sunny paradise of Oberon, but there was no wind and no noises of nature. It was eerily silent apart from the slow patter of their footsteps against the rocky ground.
With an alert gaze, Alice followed Annabelle and Leo as they carefully navigate the rocky terrain.
After a minute, Annabelle pointed to her right. "According to my scans, the fog should disperse as we head up this way. I'm detecting some life signs that way as well... Some seismic activity too..."
"Okay. Lead the way. Carefully..." Alice ordered, wary of what Annabelle's findings could mean.
"You know..." Leo piped up as he helped Annabelle climb up a rocky ledge. "Based on how long we were aboard Randell's ship, we have to be in Uranus' system of moons. There a few that were never colonized... Cordelia, Ophelia, Desdemona... I would bet we're on one of those..."
"But, there are life signs here..." Alice replied.
"There are," Annabelle interjected. "They're odd, though. There's twenty or so, six-hundred meters ahead, but they aren't moving... They have lowered heart rates... I guess they might be sleeping?"
"Let's head towards them. Stay on your guard," Alice cautioned. "Hopefully, we'll find some clear air..."
The three were silent for a few minutes as they climbed up the rocky slope. Loose shale slid beneath their feet and it made for slow going. Occasionally, they came across a steep ledge that they had trouble ascending, but by working together, they were able to scale the obstacles.
They were all clearly on edge. Each of them looked around cautiously for any threat that might emerge, but all was calm as they scaled the rocky slope.
After climbing up the jagged slope for a few more minutes, it began to level out, and the fog started to thin.
"Here we go... The fog is thinning," Leo remarked as they increased their pace.
The fog thinned dramatically as they walked forth, and after covering only ten more meters, they suddenly emerged from it.
"Let's stop here and get our bearings," Alice ordered as they stepped into clear air. Leo and Annabelle obeyed as they took in the strange landscape before them.
They stood atop a barren, rocky ridge that looked down thousands of feet to foggy and grey valleys below. Several large boulders stood around them, and a few meters to their right, the ground ended at the edge of a sheer cliff.
"Good thing we didn't take a wrong turn..." Leo remarked as he stared over the edge of the cliff.
"Annabelle hit him lightly on the shoulder. "You're not gonna take a wrong turn as long as you let me lead the way."
As Alice looked over the cliff edge, to the valley bottom hundreds of meters below, she realized that the fog was actually an enormous, dark, and slowly moving cloud that stretched for hundreds of feet, above and below.
Other massive, dark clouds painted the sky above, the valleys below, and the ridgetop around them like massive grey pillars that bridged the land to the heavens. Above and before them, a gigantic mountain stretched into the clouds, its peak hidden within the towering grey mist.Across the valley below, more mountains were visible, and they were all barren and grey.
There were clouds all around them, but the air was dry. There was no wind, not even the slightest, gentlest breeze. Still, Alice could tell it was daytime by the dim orange light that barely penetrated the towering clouds to give a fraction of illumination to those below.
"Interesting place..." Leo noted as he looked around.
"No wind, and no weather patterns at all according to my scans..." Annabelle revealed.
Alice eyed the ominous mountain on which they stood as she replied. "This place was terraformed, at least part of the way. The atmosphere is breathable, and the temperature is safe."
"But nothing could ever grow here..." Leo argued as he kicked a small rock over the edge of the cliff. "There's no soil. It's all rock. No one could live here unless they were supported by outside help. Do you think there was a terraforming accident?"
"The life signs are moving!" Annabelle suddenly shouted as she pointed farther up along the ridge. "They're coming toward us. Twenty, at least. Two-hundred meters away."
Alice snapped her eyes to where Annabelle was, then reached into her left shoulder hoster to draw one of her four pistols. Just as she pulled the weapon, a group of black bobbing shapes rose above the ridgeline above them.
As the forms came into view, she recognized their distinct profiles as human. In her peripheral vision, she then saw Leo and Annabelle both draw their weapons.
"Let them come!" Alice commanded. "We'll order them to stop when they get within one hundred meters. If they don't, we shoot them! Use the boulders for cover!"
Annabelle and Leo hastily ducked down and knelt behind a large boulder to their right. Alice joined them a second later, then they peeked over the boulder, rested their arms on it, and trained their weapons on the approaching figures.
Alice watched the figures warily. As they neared, she could begin to make out their appearance. All were dressed in black, and all had pale bald heads. They didn't appear to be armed, but they were too still far away for her to be sure.
Alice distractedly realized her hands were sweating, so she released each of her hands from her pistol in turn and wiped them on her shirt. With a soft groan, she then stretched her fingers around the grip of her gun and eased the tension from her hands.
The group was moving quickly, and it was time to give them their first and only warning.
"STOP NOW OR WE WILL KILL YOU!" Alice screamed. Her words roared across the rocky landscape, unencumbered by the still silence of the ridge.
Alice was sure they had heard her, and she watched to see if they would obey. Adrenaline pounded in her ears, and tightly she squeezed her pistol when the group of figures kept moving ominously forth. They had heard her, but they hadn't obeyed.
"They didn't listen. Kill them!" Alice commanded. She hated giving the order. She didn't know for sure that the people were a threat, but their mission was too important to risk it.
"They're unarm...." Annabelle protested, but she stopped in the middle of her statement and then fell silent.
"We can't risk it!" Alice shouted. "Exony brought us here, and these people could be working for her."
"I agree with Alice," Leo bitterly agreed as he aimed his pistol towards the group who were now only sixty meters away.
"Fire now!" Alice ordered as she lined up her first target.
With a gentle squeeze of the trigger, her pistol hissed menacingly, and a gas-propelled projectile zipped out of the barrel. Alice's aim was true, and she watched with satisfaction as the head of one of the figures snapped back.
"Nice shot..." Leo grunted as he began firing. He squeezed off three quick shots, then paused briefly before firing several more.
Alice barely noticed Leo, however. Her eyes had never left the man she had shot in the head. She had expected him to fall when the bullet struck, but he hadn't. He was now only fifty meters away and still walking forth. He moved with a quick, rhythmic gate that the bullet hadn't interrupted in the slightest.
With panic and confusion growing within her, Alice fired again, this time without reservation. With squeeze after squeeze, she emptied the entire twelve shells in her clip. Then, without looking away from the still advancing group, she reached into her jacket to retrieve more ammo and reload.
Though all of Alice's shots had struck the advancing mob, none of them fell. None of them even broke stride. They just kept walking. They were only thirty meters away now...
After Alice finished reloading, she tossed the box of shells to Leo. He caught it with one hand and hastily began reloading his weapon. To his right, Annabelle had started firing. Her face was blank and expressionless as s
he repeatedly fired her pistol.
Alice turned her weapon on the advancing group once again. They were closer, and she could fire more recklessly and still hit her mark. She emptied her pistol again, but again, none of the advancing group fell. They were only twenty meters away and would soon be upon them...
Alice quickly holstered her empty weapon. The advancing mob was close enough so that she could see them clearly. They were people, but their appearance was odd to say the least. They were male and female, young and old, large and small, but they wore the same, black skintight clothing, and the same emotionless expressions. They had all been shot, too, and a silvery liquid flowed forth from their many wounds.
Alice looked over to Leo as he finished reloading and resumed firing at the group, now with reckless abandon.
"It's not hurting them," Alice yelled. "Fall back! We'll lose them in the clouds!"
Then, Alice grabbed Annabelle's hand and began to pull her back down the ridge. Leo kept firing until he was out of ammo, then turned to follow. They quickly gained a head of steam as they stumbled down the steep incline.
"Careful! Watch your step!" Alice warned as they ventured back into the thick grey cloud. "Annabelle, scan for their position and tell me if they're following us through the fog. If they are, we'll have to fall back to the ship. There might be something there that can hurt them!"
"Yes, Alice," Annabelle responded.
Alice thought her response was strangely out of character, but they were in too much danger to give it more than a passing thought.
Within seconds, they were deep within the cloud, and Alice could only see a few feet in any direction. Still, they rushed down the slope together, stumbling dangerously as they went.
Alice kept a lookout for hazards as she led the way through the treacherous, loose terrain. She abruptly stopped, however, when a regal female voice cut through the mist from somewhere in front of her.
"Alice and Leo, my children. Please excuse the necessary inconveniences you are about to endure."
Alice didn't recognize the voice and strained to see who had spoken. The mystery of the speaker was quickly solved, however, when Leo said one quiet word behind her.
"Exony..."
Suddenly, Alice had only one thought and one purpose. She reached down to her and drew a weapon from her left ankle holster. She then raised it and prepared to fire through the mist.
Before she could pull the trigger, however, she was distracted by the sound of skidding rocks behind her and a frightened roar from Leo.
"They're on us! RUN!" he screamed.
Alice turned and saw him being pulled back through the mist by four of the pale human specters that pursued them. He quickly disappeared into the fog as he raged and struggled against his captors.
Alice immediately grabbed Annabelle, who stood frozen in shock as she watched Leo being dragged away. But then, more pale figures emerged out of the mist and reached sickly pale hands towards them.
"Fight!" Alice commanded as she unleashed a vicious front kick into the sternum of one of the pale, blank-faced figures. The blow landed perfectly, and he stumbled for a moment. He quickly recovered, however, then leaped forward with inhuman speed and grabbed Alice's left arm.
Alice watched Annabelle scratch at the eyes of the four figures who now surrounded them, but though the blows were powerful, the mob shrugged them off. Annabelle was quickly restrained by the four as they grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. Then, they lifted her onto their shoulders and carried her off into the mist. Annabelle looked at Alice as she was taken, but she didn't scream; she just stared back with blank eyes.
Then, more figures emerged through the mist behind Alice. She spun around and drove her elbow into the ear of one among the mass, but there were too many. They walked right through her strikes and seized her with impossibly string hands. They forcefully pinned her arms behind her back and grabbed her by the legs. Then, they lifted her up and began to carry her into the mist.
She could hear Leo somewhere in front of her. He was yelling profanities and grunting loudly, but she couldn't see him. Alice gave a few quick bursts of effort to try to break free, but the hands that restrained her didn't budge.
Alice's mind filled with questions as she struggled. Who were the odd abductors? Were they androids, or were they, humans, brainwashed and physically enhanced through Exony's technology? If she knew what they were, then she would be able to discover their weaknesses. She would be able to fight...
The abductors held Alice firmly as they skillfully navigated the rugged terrain. She thought they were taking her down a steep slope, but not towards Randell's ship. The fog made it extremely difficult to maintain a sense of direction, however, and she soon lost her bearings.
Then, the majestic female voice cut through the fog once again, this time right next to her. "Yes, Alice. I am sorry about this. Do not fret. Soon, you will know the truth."
Chapter 40
Leo stopped struggling when he heard Exony speak to Alice. He knew that Exony would not kill them, at least not until she had a chance to study them. That meant he would have many upcoming opportunities to break free from Exony's mindless servants and gain the upper hand.
His gift could provide the ultimate advantage, but he sensed that chaotic rage would not help him. Thanks to his recent experiences, he knew that only a pure state of mind could call the Void.
When he had regained consciousness in the alley on Oberon, saving Annabelle's life had been his only purpose. He needed to stay calm and wait for the right inspiration to bring his mind back to such a place. If that happened, he was sure that he would be able to use his gift again.
So, he stopped shouting, and he stopped struggling. He tried to clear his thoughts as the mindless servants who bore him walked smoothly over the rough, rocky terrain.
But then, Exony spoke to him.
"It's good to see you again, Leo. There is much left unsaid between us, and I would like to remedy that."
Leo remained silent. Though he craved the knowledge that he knew Exony could offer, he would not allow her to manipulate him. He would rather die than ever follow that path.
"I can understand why you would remain silent, Leo. I would too, in your place. However, you will soon realize that I am not your enemy. Once I've had my say, you will realize the sad necessity of my work here, and you will see that you have been sent to destroy me by those who would let evil destroy us all."
Leo listened to her, but he knew she was lying. She thought that he could provide some breakthrough in her research, or perhaps his gift was something that she wished to use for her own schemes.
"They would destroy all," Exony continued. "Through their willful ignorance of a profound evil that is slowly rearing its massive, devouring head within our societies. You've seen it yourself, on Osiris, and Oberon, and that is only a pale imitation of the death and misery that lie beneath."
Leo tried to ignore her, but her voice was right next to him. It penetrated his mind in spite of his will.
"They would have you believe that I wish to visit death upon all of humanity, but that is not the truth. I wish to save all of humanity. I wish to save them from the malevolent evils that shadow their lives every moment of every day. And I must, for I am the only one with the knowledge and foresight to make it so."
Leo kept silent, but he couldn't block her out. She had invoked his one weakness to his certainty that he should kill her. There was still the chance that the Council was lying.
Then, Exony's voice came even closer. "I do not blame you for coming here. I am glad you did. I'm sure you have many questions for me, and I will answer them in due time. That will prove to be cathartic for both of us, I'm sure. I know you and Alice desire my death, and as regretful as it may be, I can only allow that to happen once I achieve my purpose. I would also warn you that my children will not allow you to harm me, or to escape."
"Your children?" Leo suddenly asked. He couldn't hold his tongue any longe
r. "You mean my siblings, 'mom'?"
"No, Leo," Exony replied. "They are not your kin. Though I may be your mother, and the mother to millions, you have no family. You are alone..."
Perhaps it was her sad, knowing tone, or the fact that she had cut to the core of him so casually that made her words hurt Leo so much. He felt like he had been stabbed as her words washed over him.
"But, never mind that, my son," Exony continued. "Once you join us, you will be alone no more. Our journey soon ends."
Leo fumed, but held his tongue as he took note of his surroundings. The group of mindless servants that bore him had stopped moving. Then a rumbling, scratching sound cut through the quiet mist.
The noise quickly ceased, then Leo's bearers turned sharply to their left and began to carry him down a steep incline. A regular, bumping, and descending sensation made him suspect he was being carried down a long flight of stairs.
Leo counted the bumps, using the information to add to his mental map of the land shrouded by mist. After fifty bumps, the grey mist suddenly ceased. Like a warm, smoky wall, it ended, and Leo passed through it into a narrow shaft lit by a soft blue light.
He looked down, along his body and past the four mindless servants that bore him to see Annabelle emerge behind him. Alice appeared shortly after, and both were being carried just like him.
Leo was happy to see them alive but was worried by the way Annabelle stared blankly upwards. Alice, on the other hand, craned her neck around wildly to see her surroundings.
Exony was nowhere in sight, Leo observed with dismay as he looked around. She had been speaking right next to him, but now she was gone.
They were being carried down a long stone staircase within a narrow, round shaft that cut down through the rock. Leo was amazed by the perfect smoothness of every surface. Each angle was hewn to perfection. The shaft was a perfect cylinder, and the stairs were perfectly symmetrical.
The pale blue light that bathed the rock didn't seem to emanate from any bulb or fixture. Instead, it was as if the light was coming from the stone itself.
The Ganymede Legacy Page 34