Altered Destiny

by Trevor Gregg

Standing, she hit the door panel and it whooshed open. The raxi that were gathered around the door raised their pistols in response. She grabbed Darius’ body and heaved, sliding it out the door by a few feet. Far enough for them to see his sightless, glassy eyes.

  Lowering their weapons, they slowly backed away. The captain of the squad, a raxi identical to all the others save his insignia on his uniform, stepped forward. He raised his fist and thumped his chest.

  “Serve the Visikaji!” he said in a heavy guttural accent. The others followed suit.

  53

  Platypus Routine

  Kyren stumbled through the portal as shots rained past him, narrowly missing him as he spilled to the floor. Milliseconds later the portal closed. Shaking off the momentary disorientation of warp jumping, he scrambled to his feet and spun, scanning his surroundings for threats.

  The corridors were empty, illuminated by that dull orange glow. The walls appeared nearly black in the odd lighting, but he knew were a deep blue so rich it was almost purple. The circuitry tracing the walls glittered faintly.

  He chose a direction at random and set off down the corridor. He explored cautiously, but encountered no Crevak, nor anyone else. After some time, he came across a large round door set into the wall. As he approached the panels set into the jamb went yellow. A low tone sounded, and the door retracted.

  The chamber beyond appeared to be some sort of small control room. What could only be holoconsoles lined the walls, and a holoterminal sat in the center. The room lit up a warm yellow as the faint tracings of delicate gold circuitry illuminated with brilliant blue electricity.

  He jumped back as energy crackled, flowing out from the chamber and down the walls back the way he had come. The electricity quit crackling and the circuitry began to faintly glow instead. The lighting suddenly changed, from the dull orange to a brighter, more lustrous yellow. Tones sounded as an image coalesced above the holoconsole at the center of the room.

  “Welcome back, Kyren!” the holographic image of a strange alien being said enthusiastically. “Would you like to activate the platypus routine?”

  It had skin the color of the station’s walls, and was vaguely humanoid, but just vaguely. A narrow torso bore broad shoulders and an arched back. The limbs were long and the head was hairless and elongated, the eyes slanted ovals of liquid gold. Its mouth was a narrow slit as were its nostrils. Somniferous almond eyes gazed impassively at him.

  Stunned, it took him several seconds to respond. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

  “I am called Skotinicene, I am the station’s artificial intelligence, and you gave me your name seventeen-thousand years, two-hundred-one days, sixteen hours, thirteen minutes, twenty-four seconds ago,” the holographic image replied fervently.

  It spoke again, just as cheerily, “would you like me to activate the platypus routine?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand…” he said, at a loss for words. “What are you talking about?”

  “The platypus routine was created by you in preparation for the station’s defense. Do you wish to activate it?”

  “I’ve never been here before, you must have me confused with someone else,” Kyren stammered, stunned.

  “No, I have not. I analyzed your retinal patterns to verify your identity. You had expressed urgency when you wrote the routine, do you wish to activate it?” the hologram continued.

  “What happens when I activate your routine?”

  “Station defense will be initiated,” the construct explained.

  “Okay, defense from who?” Kyren asked, hoping for some sort of edge against the Crevak.

  “The Crevak intruders, of course,” the image replied.

  He had no idea how this crazy thing knew his name, but he knew he had never programmed an alien AI, much less been around seventeen-thousand years ago. Regardless, if this AI had resources to deal with the Crevak invaders, maybe it was worth playing along.

  “Okay, I’ll bite, Skotini… Skotty, I’ll call you Skotty, okay? What do we do when we activate the platypus routine?”

  “You will direct the station’s defenses against the enemy while I assist and advise,” the creature replied amiably.

  “First, can you find my friends?” he asked eagerly.

  “Yes,” Skotty responded warmly. “Unfortunately I cannot reveal them unless you activate the platypus routine.”

  “Okay, fine, activate it already,” he said, feeling like he was about to leap off a cliff before looking.

  “Activating platypus routine.” Skotty said enthusiastically.

  Suddenly the lighting went from warm yellow to harsh red and a wailing siren began to sound. The viewscreens lining the walls lit up and a huge holopanel sprang to life at the center console.

  “The station defenses are ready to be deployed, please issue your commands,” Skotty said, pausing.

  “What are these defenses you’re talking about? What do we have to work with here Skotty?”

  “There are twenty-seven drakor combat robots for internal defense and sixteen plasma turrets may be deployed for external protection. You may activate them at any time from the console.”

  He examined the console more closely, a strange feeling of familiarity settling over him. It was configured exactly the way his bot-fighting tablet had been set up, in a life so long ago. He didn’t have time for the twinge of pain at the memory of his brother’s last moments, so he put it aside for another time.

  “Now my friends? Where are they?” Kyren demanded.

  “Locating, please see the monitors,” Skotty said while images of the station’s interior flickered and flashed by. “There, I believe I have located them all.”

  Quickly scanning the monitors, he found Tharox. In a pitched firefight with several Crevak, he was being driven down a long hallway. Looking at the other screens, he could see a number of Crevak moving into the corridor in front of him, effectively trapping him.

  “We have a drakor in a service panel in that hallway, activate it from your console,” Skotty said helpfully.

  He quickly swiped through commands and initiated the deployment sequence. A maintenance door next to Tharox retracted into the ceiling and an eight foot tall bot stepped out. It was humanoid, but built the same as Skotty, narrow waist, broad shoulders, arched back and long limbs. The bot appeared to be built out of the same deep blue metal the walls were.

  He tapped a few more commands and the bot revealed its’ weaponry, two blue-hot plasma blades shot out, one extending off each wrist. A swipe sent it into motion, past a stunned Tharox and down the hall towards the Crevak that had been pursuing him.

  Kyren’s hands flew over the holoconsole, ordering the bot to dodge and weave as it barreled down the hall. Glancing at another monitor, he saw Tharox engaging the newcomers behind him, energy fire spraying the corridor and leaving smoking craters.

  As the bot dashed toward the Crevak, it juked and dodged, but still took fire. An image of the bot’s body began to show patches of red. He ordered in into a flying leap meters before the Crevak. The bot went up into the air and drove its’ two plasma blades down into the Crevak on either side, feet landing with a crunch on the one in the middle.

  With a swipe the bot dismembered the final Crevak before it could flee. He ordered it to return to Tharox immediately. It went sprinting past him and barreled into the other Crevak coming from behind, slashing and whirling, dishing out sizzling hot plasma death. Moments later, none stood except the bot, smoking and sparking from dozens of blasts.

  Tharox approached and spoke, “Who are you?”

  Kyren guessed there was a transmitter and spoke, “Hey Tharox, it’s Kyren.”

  “Found a nice weapon, I see. Thanks for the assist,” he rumbled back, looking at the damaged bot. “But I don’t think it’s going to last long, the way things are going.”

  “Okay, I’m going to find the others, follow the bot, it will lead you back to the ship. Hold our exit, I don’t know how long it’ll
take getting them,” he replied quickly.

  “Got it. Good luck Kyren,” Tharox replied grimly.

  54

  Dimaks

  Alis was terrified. She knew she had gotten herself into this but had not expected to be this deep in the enemy’s lair. Feeling trapped and claustrophobic, she attempted to act normal, to act like the other dimaks she was walking with, relaxed but full of malice.

  “What did you do to your prisoner, did you torment him ruthlessly?” one of the group asked her.

  “No, um, yeah, but only for information and stuff,” she replied awkwardly. “We left him intact for, um, the masters.”

  “That is good work, where have you been fighting?” the dimak asked, sidling closer.

  The creature’s wide nostrils flared and said, “not from our brood, are you? Hmmm, blood of a foreign brood could always strengthen our own. Perhaps you’d be amenable to…” he ran his long black claw down her arm, resting his hand upon her forearm.

  She attempted to recoil, but was held fast by his iron grip.

  “What’s wrong, young one? Don’t you know an offer of greatness when you see one. I am Reh’kan the Mighty. My deeds are well known amongst the fleet, surely you’re aware of my… prowess?” He wrenched her close, his fetid breath scorching her nostrils, watering her eyes.

  He leaned in and licked her cheek, jawline to hairline, with his rough tongue. As he licked, a huge strip of leathery red demon skin pulled away, revealing her natural flesh below. She trembled in his grasp as more skin began to slough off of her.

  “What the!?” Reh’kan roared.

  The slipping skin allowed her to break his grasp, so she bolted, wings withering and falling off as the last of the demon-like flesh puddled on the floor. She darted away but Reh’kan was faster. He stepped in front of her and reached out. She reacted by hitting the activation button on the belt she wore.

  A blue shield sprang into existence with a crackle, surrounding her in a smooth sphere of energy. Reh’kan impacted the shield as she ran, and was deflected. He snarled as she dashed past him. She could hear energy weapons discharging behind her, and the shield flared blue as she ran.

  Running with all the speed she could muster, Alis sprinted down the hall. She rounded a corner and stopped, a throng of dimaks milling about at the intersection. They were on alert, having heard the energy blasts. Spotting her, they raised their guns and fired. A barrage of death battered the shield, the bright blue energy flickering and dimming with the ferocity of the assault.

  Backpedaling, she spotted an alcove that looked like it could be linked to a service passageway and broke for it. She quickly scanned the alcove for any signs of a way out. There was nothing. She was trapped.

  “Thought you could run, thought you could hide, from your personal devil, you can never escape,” Reh’kan cackled. “I like you even more now that I know you’re a rillian. Why don’t you come out and play?”

  He pressed his body against the shield. She shrank back against the wall and drew the laser pistol she had been wearing. Aiming carefully she was about to pull the trigger, when she paused. This barrier might not allow energy out, either. Best not to find out the hard way.

  Reh’kan kept slamming himself bodily into her shield, and each time it appeared to dim slightly. He was depleting it, and soon she would be helpless, naked to him. She turned and scrabbled at the wall and floor, desperately seeking a way out of the box she was trapped in. He delivered another wicked blow, and the shield disappeared in a flash. A look of certain victory adorned his face.

  Suddenly the lights went red, bathing the corridor in a harsh glow. The deep blue walls appeared nearly black. The circuitry lit up and energy traced it along the walls and floor.

  Reh’kan was looking around in surprise, when the wall slid away behind Alis. His eyes grew wide and he lost the look of victory he had worn a moment ago. She glanced behind to see an eight foot tall midnight-blue robot with gold eyes step from a recessed alcove.

  Blue-hot plasma blades sprang from its’ wrists as it stepped past Alis. It wasted no movement, gliding straight into a forward strike. Reh’kan flowed around the first blade, but was not fast enough to avoid the second. Half his head and one horn were sheared off, leaving an arcing spray of black blood on the wall.

  “Follow me, Alis!” the robot boomed as it dashed into the corridor.

  “Kyren!?” she yelled back, following a few paces behind, relief flooding her.

  He was okay, and now he was saving her ass, which was okay with her. She wasn’t too proud to admit she needed him, probably as much as he needed her, she figured. The bot dashed into the hall and began to engage the dimaks with its plasma blades. It took fire on the way there, smoking and arcing where the blasts landed. But once it closed to short range, the battle was done quickly.

  Alis drew the laser pistol she bore and raised it, dashing after the robot as it made its way down the corridor. They rounded a corner and came face to face with a Crevak strike team, all heavily armed and armored. The bot’s arm shot out and pushed her back, then it broke into a sprint, dodging and weaving in a vain attempt to avoid the incoming fire.

  She watched around the corner as the bot charged the warriors. Taking hits the entire way, it lost an arm and was smoking badly by the time it reached the first, a large grendle. The bot swung its remaining arm, blade making a sweeping arc that took the grendle’s head clean off.

  Reversing its swing, the bot decapitated an unlucky thevar next. Left unguarded though, several Crevak warriors opened fire on its’ face. The head detonated and the body crashed to the floor. Terror renewed, and she was about to bolt when she spotted two more bots rounding the corner behind the Crevak.

  They turned but it was too late, the bots cut through them like they were paper. As the last of the Crevak fell, the robots spoke in Kyren’s voice, “Sorry about that. These guys are tough but not indestructible, as you can see. Follow these two back to the ship, Tharox will be waiting. Get us ready to go, we’ll be making a hot exit.”

  She nodded and followed the bots as they dashed away.

  55

  Skotty’s Sacrifice

  Kyren continued programming bots and dispatching them, throwing them into the fray, clearing a path for his companions to make it back to the Radiant Star. But there were too many Crevak, he knew. Down from twenty-seven, he had only nineteen drakor bots left, half of which were fresh and yet to be deployed, thankfully.

  If he was going to keep the Crevak away from his friends, he needed a better strategy than just brute force. The bots were deadly, and pretty quick, but a fully armed Crevak death squad could gun one down before it could reach them.

  He brought up a three dimensional map of the base and spun it to a top-down view. “Skotty, can you show me each Crevak on the map? And the bots? And my friends?” The map began to light up. Shit that was a ton of red dots.

  Kyren glanced over his shoulder and spotted a monitor filled with static. “What’s that about,” he asked, pointing at the screen.

  “That is Elarra, or at least where she is. It seems there may be a malfunction with the surveillance equipment,” Skotty happily offered.

  “Malfunction my ass, Elarra did something. I bet she did it. I bet she killed Darius. Show me all the cameras surrounding her location.”

  Images appeared and he quickly panned through them. He found a wide corridor, filled by a knot of raxi. There! At the center, barely visible, was Elarra. She appeared to be directing them. They were engaging the Crevak warriors in brutal close-quarters combat, and didn’t seem to be faring well.

  Routing bots to the location as quickly as possible, he held his breath and watched, keeping an eye on both Tharox’s and Alis’ progress in the meantime. The bots arrived and charged the Crevak that were harrying Elarra and her raxi. The raxi turned to fire on the bots but restrained as they bolted past.

  The bots began to even the score, laying into the Crevak and giving Elarra a chance to slip away. The ra
xi followed, but not all. Some remained, keeping the Crevak occupied. He didn’t miss the significance of the sacrifice, realizing Elarra had done more than just kill Darius. She had claimed some sort of mantle among her people.

  “Elarra, follow my bots, they’ll get you back to the Radiant Star,” he relayed. She nodded but otherwise didn’t react.

  “So what are we going to do, Skotty? We’re outnumbered, and it sounds like outgunned too. What is operation platypus’ endgame, anyway?”

  “You decided the best option was to cut and run. Station self destruct sequence is prepared and ready to initialize.”

  “No, it’s not time for that yet. I think we need to cripple that battleship first or she’ll just warp away before detonation. How about those plasma turrets?”

  “Bringing turrets on line. Shall I aim for the engines?” Skotty queried just as cheerfully as ever, despite the gravity of the situation.

  “Fire on the engines now!” he cried.

  Panels slid open in the sides of the pyramids and plasma turrets popped out. Streams of blue-hot plasma tore into the docked battleship, sending pieces flying and generating clouds of debris. A stream of fire concentrated on the aft of the ship, sending out showers of sparks as more of the ship was blasted free.

  “Show me an overlay of the bulkhead compartments,” he commanded, and lines appeared demarcating the boundaries between bulkhead sections.

  “Evacuate D1 through E17, now. Vent ‘em to space!” Kyren commanded.

  The sectors went red on the map. “Good, that’ll cut off their reinforcements for awhile,” he noted. It might just give his friends enough time to escape, he thought hopefully.

  “So Skotty, how exactly do we know each other?”

  “You came to visit me seventeen thousand two hundred…”

  “Yeah, yeah, seventeen thousand whatever. That’s just not possible. But go on, why did I come visit you?”