Nemesis

by Christian Kallias

  And sent us to rot in this dimension. Was that something you needed to do as well? Then when Erevos finally found a way to return to where it belonged, your kind interfered once again and sent my people straight to hell. No! Go away Olympian, before I decide to kill you.

  I’m already dead.

  Good. Then I’ll take pleasure in killing you again because apparently, the first time didn’t stick all that well.

  Charming. . .You’re a Fury, alright.

  Was the voice in her head really an Olympian or was it a figment of her imagination? Worse yet, was it one of Zarna’s new ploys? Nyx didn’t know nor care. All that mattered was trying to get free again. And this time, make sure she stayed that way.

  11

  Tar’Lock fired at the ejected quadrinium payload, hoping the Bellerophon was far enough away not to get engulfed in the major explosion that would ensue. The energy bolts ignited the cargo, producing such a blast that the resulting tremors shook the ship. Power conduits exploded nearby, and the lights in the bridge flickered madly for a few seconds. Fortunately, the shields had managed to divert most of the shockwave produced by the explosion.

  “What’s our status, Tar’Lock?” asked the captain. “Tell me we got rid of our pursuer.”

  When more plasma projectiles rocked the ship, Tar’Lock knew this hadn’t been the case. But then the spider ship flickered in and out of space for a moment before uncloaking completely as it emerged from the inferno. They had damaged its cloak. Tar’Lock didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing as he clicked frantically.

  “Negative, Captain. However, we seem to have disabled their cloak.”

  “On screen.”

  Tar’Lock transferred the rear camera images to the bridge’s main holo-screen. It flickered, forcing Tar’Lock to enter a few more commands to stabilize the image the best he could. Too many systems had already been damaged on board the aging Bellerophon, and it was only a matter of time before they lost power to critical systems like engines, shields, or life support.

  Talon looked at the spider ship still in pursuit.

  “My gods, this thing looks like a spider that crawled out of hell.”

  Even though Tar’Lock had seen a bigger version, the ship’s design looked as creepy as he remembered, and every fiber of his being told him they needed to get as far away as possible and fast.

  “What are your orders, Captain?”

  “Damage report? Did we make a dent at least?”

  “Most of the damage is superficial, their shields are still over sixty percent and recharging, no sign of a fluctuating power signature. It’s probably only a matter of time for them before they fix their cloak.”

  “Then I guess we need to find a way to be gone before that happens. How long until we enter the nebula?”

  Another hit from the spider ship rocked the Bellerophon hard, sending the captain crashing from his chair.

  “Captain!” shouted Tar’Lock.

  Talon raised a hand while getting back up. “I’m alright, stay on task, Tar’Lock. ETA on the nebula?”

  “Thirty seconds.”

  “Can we make it?”

  “I think so, Captain, but that ship will surely follow us inside.”

  “Well, unless you have a better idea…”

  Tar’Lock shook his head.

  “Hopefully,” Talon continued, “their sensors will be just as affected as ours once inside. At the very least, it should be dense enough so they won’t be able to get a visual lock on us, that should give us some options on how to evade them.”

  Talon sent Tar’Lock a flight path.

  “As soon as we enter the nebula, we’ll change direction and then turn off the engines completely. Perhaps if we don’t emit a strong enough signature, they’ll have a hard time finding us.”

  Tar’Lock clicked nervously but fed the flight path into the computer. The captain was hoping to lose the spider ship with some unorthodox maneuvers, which in itself was a not a bad idea, but his plans rested on the assumption that the spider ship couldn’t use its sensors inside the nebula to pinpoint their location once they went dark. It was one hell of a gamble, one that could cost everyone’s life on board the Bellerophon. Then again, their choices were limited at best. Tar’Lock, like the rest of the crew, would have to hope Talon was right.

  Another hit rocked the ship, and several holo-controls madly blinked red as sparks shot from the ceiling.

  “Shields down to three percent, one more hit and we’re history,” said Tar’Lock.

  It took the captain a couple of seconds before he answered. “Keep on course.”

  “Entering the nebula cluster now,” said Tar’Lock with a hopeful sigh. He activated the new flight plan and held his breath.

  The moment the ship changed course, Tar’Lock lost all sensor data and prayed that the same happened to their enemy. The next few seconds of silence on the bridge were nerve-wracking. If Talon chose the wrong tactic, the spider ship would destroy them. Time seemed to have slowed down, and seconds felt like minutes.

  “Status,” whispered the captain, finally breaking the silence.

  “All sensor resolutions are gone,” answered Tar’Lock, also whispering. “There’s no way to know if this worked.”

  “Well, we’re still here, so I guess to some extent, it did. There’s only one way to confirm if I made the right choice or not and that is to wait further.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Look on the bright side, if they do find us and fire, with the state of our shields, we’ll be destroyed instantly and won’t have time to feel a thing.”

  Tar’Lock clicked nervously.

  Thor was returning from training and was on his way to Loki’s room when he received a subspace call. It had an Earth Alliance signature. He swiped the call to his quarter’s holo-screen. The face of his dear friend, Poseidon, appeared.

  “Hey,” said Thor with a smile. “Long time no see.”

  “It’s been a while, indeed. How are you doing my friend?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you. What about you? Have you found a suitable planet to settle the Olympian survivors?”

  “I’m good, thank you, and yes, at last, we have found a suitable world. A couple of months ago, in fact. I wanted to call you earlier, but we’ve been busy, and well, you know the burden of command.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Poseidon. I’ve been busy too, we’ve had our hands full rebuilding a fleet to replace the ships that were destroyed by Arakan and his Furies during their attack on Asgard.”

  Poseidon nodded. “Glad to hear you’re keeping busy. How’s your father doing?”

  “He’s been better. The battle against Arakan’s special force drained him more than I thought it would. Our physicians are trying their best to raise his energy levels, but he’s weaker than I’ve seen him in years.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, my friend. Is there anything we can do? Would you like me to send one of our physicians?”

  “That’s very kind of you, but I don’t think it will be necessary. He’s lived for so long, perhaps his heart isn’t in it anymore. I think if I had lived over forty thousand years, I might feel the same.”

  “The burden of immortality.”

  “It certainly feels that way sometimes.”

  “I’m pleased to see you and get news, but if I may be blunt, that’s not the main reason behind my call.”

  “I had a feeling that was the case. How can I help, Poseidon?”

  “When we left in search of a new Olympus, we sent probes throughout the universe. One of them that happens to be traveling not too far from Asgard territory has been sending back some strange readings.”

  “Strange how?”

  “I wish I could tell you for sure. All I know is that there might be someone, or something, in your space that I don’t think belongs there.”

  Thor’s tattoos flashed brightly a couple of times. “I see. Any chance you could send me the sensor data?”

  “Alre
ady embedded in the subspace signal. Perhaps it’s nothing but paranoia on my part, but I thought I’d tell you all the same. Let me know if you can make sense of it, and should you need help in any way, don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

  “Understood. Thank you, my friend…It’s been good seeing you again.”

  “Good to see you too. Poseidon out.”

  As the holo-screen vanished into nothingness, Thor accessed the sensor data and sent it to the head of orbital defense operations requesting that he investigate the data further as a high priority order. If something was lurking in Asgardian space, Thor needed to know who or what it was.

  As Thor entered his brother’s quarters, he saw the light of a holo-screen reflecting on Loki’s face. Loki was standing at the end of the room.

  “Remember our deal,” said a voice.

  “I gotta go,” Loki hurriedly ended the call.

  The holo-communication went black.

  “Am I interrupting something?” asked Thor.

  “No, nothing important, anyway. Just catching up on some backlogged tasks. What can I do for you, brother?”

  Thor’s facial tattoos lit up slightly more than usual. “Nothing in particular, but I thought we had planned to train again this evening? When you didn’t show up, I thought I’d check that you were alright.”

  Loki held his neck and moaned. “I’m sorry, I should have called you. Yesterday’s training was a little rough on me, and I’m not sure I’m up for more training until my neck heals.”

  “I’m sorry, brother. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “No worries, wouldn’t be much of a combat training if we didn’t hurt ourselves from time to time. Mind if we leave it for another time?”

  “Sure, there will be other opportunities for us to train.”

  “Thanks for checking on me, though. I appreciate it.”

  Thor’s tattoos pulsed slowly.

  “Mind if I ask why you didn’t get into a regen tank after our workout?”

  Loki smirked. “You know me, brother…my pride often gets the better of me. And I find pain to be a great motivator.”

  Thor wasn’t sure if he believed Loki. Something about how his facial tattoos pulsated didn’t quite sit right. Nor did his explanation make much sense. Perhaps the God of Thunder was reading too much into it.

  “Well, if you’re not gonna use a regen tank, then have the doc look at your neck first thing in the morning. You know how cranky I get when I’m deprived of my favorite sparring partner.”

  “Sure thing, Thor. I thought that honor went to Poseidon.”

  “He’s not my brother, and well, he lives rather far, as you know.”

  “How are the Mjölnir hammer upgrades? Did my engineer come through for you?”

  Why are you changing the subject, brother?

  “He’s a fine engineer, even though I’d rather Kvasir were around. But, thank you for sending him. As for the upgrades themselves, I was hoping I could test them with you today, in fact.”

  “I’m sorry, brother. I’ll use the regen tank so we can spar tomorrow, I promise.”

  “Alright, then…Loki, you know you can always come to me if there’s something wrong, right?”

  Loki’s tattoos died down for a split second.

  “I’m not sure I understand, brother.”

  “I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but you don’t seem yourself tonight.”

  “I’m just tired. Long day, I guess.”

  Thor put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

  “Then you should get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow. Eight sharp?”

  “You can count on it.”

  Thor flashed his brother a thumbs-up.

  “Good night, Loki.”

  “Good night.”

  After Thor left his quarters, Loki turned the holo-screen back on.

  A dark shadow filled the screen.

  “Tell me you didn’t just hang up on me, Asgardian.”

  “I had to. My brother was here.”

  A growl was the only thing the shadow used as a reply.

  “Look,” continued Loki. “I know my brother, he would never agree to this exchange. You need pentalium, and I’m happy to provide it to you at the agreed upon price. Something tells me you really need that stuff, so surely this interruption was better than having to deal with my brother’s objections on the matter. Trust me, we don’t want him meddling in our dealings.”

  “Very well…”

  “Are we still on for tonight?”

  “We are. You’d better not be playing me, Asgardian. If I don’t get the pentalium from you, then I’ll take your head instead.”

  “There’s no need to resort to threats. I told you I’d get you what you need, and I am a man of my word. Just have your ship orbit the coordinates I gave you. I’ll have the Asgard planetary defense sensors disabled for that quadrant. At three in the morning, when the royal guards change shifts, I’ll beam you directly to the throne room. That’s the only way you’re getting onto Asgard undetected.”

  “Understood. Make sure everything goes without a hitch, Loki. I’m leaving with what I came for tonight, no matter what.”

  This deal is getting more and more difficult. Too late to back down now though.

  “Follow my instructions, and we’ll all get what we want. I have everything under control.”

  The shadow growled once more as the holo-communication faded into nothingness.

  12

  “Captain, if I may have a moment?” said Tar’Lock.

  Talon gestured Tar’Lock toward his ready room. The bridge was too busy for a private conversation as most of the crew were now back at their posts. When they were alone, he turned toward the Gorgar.

  “What is it, Tar’Lock?”

  “We need to let the Earth Alliance know about the Spectre ship’s presence.”

  “We don’t know what it is.”

  “I know this ship, the last time the Alliance saw one, there was a Spectre in our dimension attempting a coup to overthrow the Furies. And that was only but one Spectre; he posed such a threat that many heroes, some of them I knew personally, died to unfuck the situation.”

  “You’re not making any sense, and watch that tone of yours. Remember your place, crewman.”

  Tar’Lock clicked nervously. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect, but please, Captain, you have to listen to me on this. That ship is bad news, and not just for us, but for all living beings in the universe.”

  “That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

  “Not when you know what Spectres are capable of.”

  “Even if what you say is true, you must know by now that I don’t like the Earth Alliance.”

  “And that’s your prerogative. While I’m no longer aligned with them per se, I know we’ll need their help on this one. You gotta trust me.”

  “No!!” shouted Talon. “They are the last ones I would call for help, you hear me?”

  Tar’Lock tensed his body.

  “We are in no position to be picky here. If we can’t send for help, we’ll be destroyed and countless others after us. If you’re willing to put all of our lives in danger because of it, I think it’s time you tell me why you hate the Earth Alliance so much.”

  Talon fixed his gaze on Tar’Lock.

  “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  “With all due respect, Talon, I think you do. Up until now, I’ve followed your orders blindly, and while I’m grateful you took me on board as a member of the crew, that doesn’t mean I should blindly accept your stance on the Alliance.”

  “You’re more than just another crewman, and you know it. I—I consider you my friend.”

  “And as such, I think I’ve earned the right to know why you’re so reluctant to contact them. They could have ships here within the hour to take care of this threat for us. Instead, Urgon is in critical condition in med-bay, and we’re being hunted down by a ship you and I both know
we have zero hope of destroying. So, please, Talon, help me understand?”

  The captain took three steps forward past Tar’Lock and locked his gaze on the orange-purple fog outside the ship. The thick gas layers in the nebula clusters had saved their hide but for how long? Talon took a deep breath.

  “Very well. But it doesn’t leave this room.”

  Tar’Lock clicked. “That goes without saying.”

  Talon turned to face Tar’Lock. Sadness masked his eyes.

  “My family was aboard a transport vessel from the Phoenix when the Obsidian unleashed their attack. My wife, my two daughters. I was Admiral Thassos’ first officer back then. Since I couldn’t take any leave, I requested that they be allowed to visit me aboard the Cronos. But having civilians on board a destroyer in a time of war is not exactly standard protocol, as you would imagine. Because the admiral respected my long years of service, she agreed to make an exception.”

  Talon took a long breath before continuing. “They never made it onboard the ship. The Obsidian Empire unleashed their full-scale attack, breaking the cease-fire and claiming the lives of everyone I held dear. I—I never recovered from that day. Perhaps because I knew full well it was my fault. If I never made that special request of the admiral…”

  Tar’Lock’s eyes dropped. “I’m sorry, Talon. But what does that have to do with your hatred for the Earth Alliance?”

  “Do you really have to ask? The Earth Alliance not only joined forces with the Obsidian Empire, but their Emperor, the one person responsible for my family’s death, is now the head of their council.”

  “I’ve met the Emperor. Believe me, he’s not the same man he once was. As a matter of fact, he risked a destroyer’s entire crew to save me and my friends during the Fury War.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better? This man’s actions are directly responsible for the death of my wife and children, there’s nothing he could have done after that day that would redeem him in my eyes. Surely you can understand that.”

  “I’ve lost family too, at the hands of the person I love, in fact. Ryonna killed my sister.”