“Bridge here, Captain.”
“Maloy, get on the horn and inform the Nautallon that they can send a new team over.” Jed glanced at Fey. “And start a dialogue with their helmsman, we’re going to the Conclave.”
14
3 Months Ago…
Li’ara wondered at what point her life would flash before her eyes. Death was moments away; the bomb ticking down the seconds remaining on her life, and what a short life it had been. At least she would enter the next world knowing she had accomplished something that mattered. Soon the explosive device she had attached to the cube’s main-lines would erupt, filling the chamber with fire and a shattering force strong enough to blow the cube away.
But there were regrets…
Kalian’s image filled her mind. His smell, his smile and boyish charm that mixed perfectly with his sarcastic sense of humor. He was one of few who could make Li’ara laugh deep in her belly. She would never get to see him again, never get to tell him what she should have done so many times.
Sitting on the walkway, between the cube and the impenetrable door, Li’ara rested against the railing and ignored the pain in her hands. Banging on the strongest door in the galaxy had done nothing for her. She thought about putting an intrinium round in her head and ending it all now, on her terms, but she couldn’t. It just wasn't in her to take her own life, even at the end, and besides, the explosion would kill her just as fast.
The cube sat at the end of the walkway and somehow Li’ara knew it was watching her. Thinking about what the cube onboard the Gommarian had done to Professor Jones, the commander shuffled further down the walkway. If she was going to die today, it would be as a human, not some twisted monster.
The door creaked.
Li’ara whipped her head around and focused on the circular door. It didn't move, but there was definitely sound coming from inside of it. It was similar to when the hull of a ship would contract under the temperatures of a starspot. Li’ara slowly stood up, never taking her eyes from the door. It wasn't long before the sounds increased and the door was visibly under pressure, as the edges, where the cylindrical bolts slotted into place, started to crumple and snap. A screeching, high-pitched noise cut through everything else and offended Li’ara’s ears. Without warning, the solid rock that surrounded the door gave way and broke into chunks, falling onto the walkway.
Li’ara tapped her earpiece. “Roland, are you there?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
The door’s struggle ended as abruptly as it began. The moment of silence was shattered when the giant circular door was torn from its framework, bent out of shape, and cast aside, into the corridor beyond. The dust quickly settled, revealing Li’ara’s saviour, who in truth she had thought could only be Kalian or Esabelle.
Instead, it was the silhouette of death that stood in the ruined entryway.
Li’ara gasped and stumbled back, while her mind struggled to understand how a Gomar could be standing in front of her. The hulking black armour was partially hidden beneath rags and a dirty cloak, but it could not go unnoticed. A thousand questions should have run through Li’ara’s mind, but instead, she could only think of one thing.
Roland’s voice broke through her shock, but he wasn't talking to her. “We need to get back up to the chamber. We have to save...”
“Roland,” Li’ara commanded his attention, as the Gomar strode towards her. “Tell Kalian I…”
What should have been Li’ara’s final words never left her mouth. The bomb had exploded with a deafening crack. Before the light blinded her and the explosion claimed all of her senses, the Gomar could be seen to lunge the gap between them, with his arms outstretched. What happened immediately after couldn't be put into any kind of order in Li’ara’s mind.
The next time she opened her eyes, the setting was not as she had left it. There was no fire, no cube and no sign of any natural rock, as there had been covering the chamber. Instead, Li’ara awoke to a dark, cool room filled with pipes and cables lining damp walls. She was lying on what had perhaps once been a workstation but judging by the look of everything in the room, it hadn’t been used for some time. The only light source came from a single orb, which floated above Li’ara’s head and followed her movements.
Hopping off the bench was more painful than it should have been. Her muscles ached and all the cuts and bruises she had accumulated during their attack on Protocorps had settled in. Alarmingly, her side-arm was missing, along with her blade. Li’ara looked around frantically, searching for them, and then scanning the room for anything she could fashion into a weapon. The image of the Gomar lunging towards her was enough to get the adrenaline pumping.
A length of old piping caught her eye and she was tempted to pick it up, but then sense kicked in. It wouldn't matter what weapon she had to hand; there were only two people who could defeat a Gomar in combat, and neither of them was here.
Hesitantly, and with no small amount of caution, Li’ara exited the room through the single, unlocked door, and explored the new surroundings. The corridor outside was just as dingy and damp as the room and similarly lined with pipes and cable. After reaching the end of the corridor, Li’ara became aware of a growing rumble of sound. The commander followed the sound until it took her to another room, larger this time, and filled with familiar things. There was a makeshift cot against the far wall and a small table beside it. Random pieces of food and water were stockpiled in the corner and the wall to her right was entirely covered in monitors and holographics. There was a single chair in front of them all.
The sound of people and the thunder of footsteps brought her attention to the ceiling. It was higher than the room she awoke in, and the flat surface was broken up by three grates, which allowed for light to filter in, along with the sound of hundreds of aliens.
It’s not the Gommarian, but I've slept in worse conditions… The male voice in her head was gentle but no less alarming.
Li’ara swivelled on her heel, flicking her red hair out to the side. Filling the doorway was the same Gomar who had ripped the vault’s door from its hinges. The nanocelium exo-suit covered every inch of his body, concealing his face. The rags still hung off of him, though they appeared singed and blackened since the explosion.
The sight of the killer made her step back, though in truth she had no plan or strategy. Li’ara wasn't fast enough, strong enough or smart enough to survive any kind of encounter with a being that had been alive for two hundred thousand years, fought in the bloodiest war the galaxy had ever known and could literally crush so-called indestructible objects with their mind.
“Why am I still alive?” she finally managed. “How are you even alive?”
Though his face remained hidden, there was no doubt in Li’ara’s mind that the Gomar before her was Sef. He had been Savrick’s personal bodyguard, along with Lilander, and had disappeared shortly before the Helion plummeted into Naveen’s surface, burying the Terran outpost. He had been thought dead, crushed by the starship along with Savrick and Lilander. Kalian had always suspected that he could have survived, but no one really entertained the idea, not even Li’ara.
You don't live as long as I have and not pick up a few things about survival along the way.
The mental intrusion wasn't as uncomfortable as she thought it would be, and somehow she was aware that he had spoken with a slight smile on his face. It was a new form of communication for Li’ara, but she knew that Kalian and Esabelle had spoken to each other in this form before. He had always hated it, but Li’ara found Sef’s voice to be incredibly soothing and uncharacteristically gentle.
“I’m more of a details kind of person,” Li’ara replied dryly. “And why are you in my head?” It suddenly occurred to her that Sef might be rummaging through her thoughts.
Sef didn't reply straight away but appeared to consider his answer as he stepped towards Li’ara, who instinctively took another step back. With one hand, the Gomar pulled the torn cloak from his armour and cast it aside.
/> You fear me, Sef stated.
“Your people have provided more than enough reason to…” Li’ara knew that she would already be dead if that was what Sef desired, but his menacing armour only worked to put her on edge.
You don't have to fear me.
Sef turned his hand palm-up and used his other hand to manipulate the holographic menu that projected from his fingertips. The suit responded immediately, with the plates around his neck and head shifting down. A moment later and the dark helmet had been dismantled and absorbed into the suit, revealing the Gomar within. A typical Terran face greeted the commander, with symmetrical features, a strong, smooth jaw and strikingly beautiful blue eyes, similar to Esabelle’s. He had cropped blond hair and pale skin, no doubt a result of being inside the exo-suit for so long. Li’ara took him in, his beauty undeniable, and realised she was looking upon the face of a killer, for all his handsome features, Sef was still a Gomar.
“Don't think for a second that those pretty blues will convince me to trust you. I saw you by Savrick’s side. When he attacked the capital, you were there, you chased after us and nearly killed Kalian. You murdered everyone aboard the Helion and are just as responsible for every death when the Gommarian destroyed the capital’s atmospheric shield.” Li’ara tried circling around Sef to position herself between him and the door, but he didn't budge an inch. “On Naveen, you entered the outpost to kill us, leaving Kalian to fend off Lilander and the beast.”
Sef sighed, but refused to move away from the door. Immortality is a long road and isn't without its regrets, Li’ara. There are deaths at my feet and I am responsible. I would never cast that off; the lives I have taken are worth more than that. But my life had a different start than yours. I was born into war, my parents killed before I could truly know them. When Savrick saved me, I was ready to pay the Terran in kind for their short-sightedness, and he was only too happy to unleash me. The civil war lasted many years, and in all that time I never regretted taking a single life, whether it be quick or slow. I was filled with hate and the power these suits gave us was intoxicating. Finally, the Harnesses were useless to contain us and we had control, as long as we wore the suits.
“Wait, stop.” Li’ara rubbed her head. “Can you speak normally? The whole voice in my head thing is starting to get a little weird.”
Sef’s lips parted as if to speak, but he remained silent. I have not spoken aloud since I was a child since my parents were alive.
“Oh. Right…” Li’ara didn't know what to say, the whole thing was very surreal. “So at what point did you regret all this?”
It was a long time after the civil war had ended. After we discovered that a planet had been seeded, Savrick had what few of us remained brought back to the Gommarian. As you already know, it was thousands of years before we found Earth.
“Another death toll you won't be shirking?” Li’ara really wanted to choke the life from him at that moment. Her father had been among the billions dead that day.
Sef blinked slowly and looked away, unable to meet Li’ara’s eyes. You have been in Savrick’s presence, yes, but you never met him. He could not be questioned nor defeated. He was the most powerful among us, and he had the respect of every Gomar. He had personally rescued most of them.
“Kalian defeated him,” Li’ara replied boldly. “A twenty-eight-year-old history lecturer from San Francisco, who had never known war and certainly had no idea of what he was capable of, brought Savrick’s reign to an end. How can you, a veteran of Terran war, stand there and say he couldn't be questioned, couldn't be defeated? There's no sob story in your very long life that can explain your cowardice. You stood by and watched him commit genocide after genocide. Because of what? Were you afraid? Kalian was afraid and he still found the courage to stand up to all of you.”
Shadows danced across the room as people walked over the grates above. Li’ara knew she was insulting a being that most would compare to a god, but right now she didn't care.
You have every right to hate me. It will take more time than we have for you to see as I do, but it is my hope that you will come to understand my actions.
“You want me to understand? Then start at the beginning.” Li’ara dropped onto the makeshift cot and waited patiently.
I will, but right now we have to take care of your leg…
Li’ara frowned and looked down at her leg. How had she not noticed the robotic-looking worm coiled around her calf? It appeared burnt across the surface, with scorch marks and holes throughout, but the end was clearly sticking into the side of her leg. The commander jumped up and shook her leg instinctively, but the worm remained firmly attached. She stopped moving for a minute and wondered why she couldn't feel it.
“What is it?” Li’ara asked frantically.
Before the explosion, you were distracted by the sight of me. The cube took advantage of this and extended one of its tendrils. I was able to shield you from the blast, but not quick enough to prevent it from reaching your leg. The rest of it was destroyed in the explosion.
None of this made Li’ara feel any better about having an alien parasite stuck to her leg. She went back to pacing while searching for a sharp implement to prise it off. The panic was rising inside of her, with thoughts of Professor Jones creeping into her mind. With no tool in sight, Li’ara reached down and gripped it with both hands, determined to tear it from her leg.
Don't do that…
Sef’s warning was too late. The worm constricted and the pain shot through her leg and up into her back, almost crippling her. Li’ara collapsed to the floor and screamed, gripping her leg as she did. The pain brought tears to her eyes and threatened to consume her. As the world began to take on a blurry edge, Sef was suddenly crouched over her, his exposed hand cupping her face. Li’ara felt the ground fall away and with it the pain. She was in Sef’s arms, looking up at his flawless face.
I can keep the pain at bay and stop it from spreading deeper into your body.
“Get it off of me…” Li’ara managed.
I was in the middle of preparing another room before you awoke.
“What kind of room?” Li’ara was gaining her senses back, now that the pain was subsiding.
I will try and remove it as best I can but… my telekinetic skills are not as fine as is required. Savrick only trained us for war, I'm afraid.
Li’ara knew exactly what he was saying. “Have you ever done anything like this before?”
Once…
“Is it sterile, the other room? Do you have sedatives or, anything?” The thought of her leg being minutes away from amputation made Li’ara feel uncomfortably nauseous.
Have no fear. Sef’s face suddenly became very hard to define, along with everything else in the room. I will take care of you, Li’ara.
Li’ara wasn't sure if hours or days had passed when she next opened her eyes. The light was blinding and the world still held its blurry edge, but the sounds of machinery and a constant beeping found her ears. She tried to speak but her mouth was dry.
Remain calm. Sef’s soothing tone came from everywhere.
Li’ara caught a glimpse of the Gomar out of the corner of her eye, moments before the world went dark again.
This happened at least two more times that she could successfully recall before Li’ara finally felt the strength to lift her head. The room was brighter than the others and illuminated by multiple floating orbs, with no natural light. The gurney she was lying on was surrounded by monitors and holographics, displaying her vital signs and the levels of different drugs that were apparently in her system.
Her body was covered with a sheet and a blanket, her top half hidden beneath a black vest top. For the most part, she felt numb and stiff, leading her to believe that she had been lying on the gurney for at least a day. That was when everything came flooding back to her. The parasitic worm strapped to her leg! Li’ara sat up and tried to ignore the wave of nausea, as she pulled back the sheet covering her legs. Her gasp was cut short where
she lost the will to make any sound.
Everything below her right knee was gone.
A sense of dizziness soon replaced the nausea, which left almost immediately after Li’ara vomited on the floor. She wanted to get up and run away from the whole scene, but she had just enough sense to know that running was something she could no longer achieve.
Easy…
Sef appeared by her side, surprisingly quiet for someone wearing so much armour. Using telekinesis, the Gomar helped Li’ara to stand, which she wasn't ready to do yet. Sef caught her fainting form in his strong arms, and Li’ara felt a mental tug which stopped her from losing consciousness.
You need to eat and drink. You’ve been out of it for a couple of days.
“Days..?” Li’ara couldn't take her eyes off the wad of bandages wrapped around her knee.
I was unable to remove the infected nanocelium with telekinesis. I tried for some time to take it out molecule by molecule, but it continued to use your tissue to feed its replication.
Sef carried her over to a table at the other end of the room, where a plate of hot food and a glass of water was waiting for her. There was no pain, which was about the only thing Li’ara could be thankful for right now. The smell of the food reminded her stomach how hungry she was, though it was clear to see from the hanging bags of fluid surrounding the gurney, that Sef had kept her hydrated.
Halfway through the meal, Li’ara was able to collect her thoughts. “Where did you get all this stuff? I assume we’re still in the capital?”
There are countless rooms and access corridors behind the walls of the capital. Most are abandoned now, repurposed for sewage works, water supply and miles upon miles of cables that run the length of Clave Tower. I have been able to use these tunnels to move around unseen, and my telekinesis allows me to take objects without actually being there.
“Do you know what’s going on out there? Have you heard anything?” Li’ara was only thinking of a handful of people she needed to know were okay.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 112