by C. S. Harte
“Deck four is completely exposed to space. Fires on deck two and three.” She swiped to another screen. “Force fields holding. Fire suppression system activated.” Alyana turned toward Jonas. “I think we did it! I can’t believe it!” She jumped up and down.
Jonas watched as Alyana did a funny dance and smiled. His mind shifted to the red ooze that killed the soldier earlier. Deck three is the bridge deck. Did that thing survive the fire? Is it still up there? Why did it help us?
Alyana ran into Jonas and gave him a tight squeeze around the hip. “I honestly didn’t know if we were going to make it. I’m starting to see why Nume believed in you.” She glanced up at Jonas’ face. Her expression changed to a frown. “What’s wrong?"
“That red ooze. Do you know what it was?”
“No,” she said while shaking her head.
“It’s OK. One worry at a time. How far are we from Raven’s ship?”
“Oh!” Alyana sprinted to her station. “Sensors say they’ve increased their lead on us. We’re 800,000 kilometers apart. They’re 2.5 million kilometers from the star’s gravity well.”
“Can we catch them in time?”
She quickly ran the numbers on her console. “It’ll be close.”
“Any way we can slow them down?”
Alyana’s eyes opened wide. “Hold on. It looks like they’ve plotted a different course to the star. They’re going through a denser part of the system’s asteroid belt.”
“That’s good, right?” Jonas raised his eyebrows. “The Zephyr is more maneuverable than an old transport ship.”
“Yes, but it makes little sense. It’s like they want us to catch up.”
Could Nume be forcing their thoughts and actions? Jonas picked up his rifle. “Keep on them. Try to get ion cell number one back online.”
“Where are you going?”
“The red ooze on the bridge, I need to see if it’s still alive.”
“Wait! What?” Alyana held onto Jonas. “You’re going to the bridge? To do what? Talk to it?”
He shrugged. “That’s the plan.”
“Do I have to remind you what it did to Raven’s soldier?”
“There’s been a helping hand with me ever since I left Wynter prison. I think it or something is on our side.”
“Then why hasn’t it said anything or shown itself to us earlier?”
“Well, that’s one of the questions I plan to ask.”
“Jonas, don’t leave me here alone.” Her lips trembled as she spoke.
With his eye movements, Jonas ordered Centuria-2 to defend Alyana. “You have this guy. I’ll be back.” He headed for the decktram. “Seal engineering too, just in case. Don’t let anyone in.”
Jonas pictured Nume’s face as he boarded the decktram. If you can hear me Nume, say something. Give me a sign you’re OK… The walls of the decktram faded to black. “Hello? Nume?” Jonas reached out into the darkness. Nume?
A spotlight appeared from above, shining down on Jonas.
The intensity of the light forced his eyes to close. When he opened them again, he was outside of his Obscura suit. Jonas tried to move but found his legs bound. As he tried to remove the rope around his legs, he discovered his hands tied behind his back. Jonas yelled into the void, but his words disappeared as they left his mouth.
The sound of footsteps approached him in the darkness.
Jonas felt a chill crawling up his spine and a weight pressing on his chest. His lungs burned as he struggled with each breath. He tried to turn on his strength neuromod to break his bondage, but his forearm was missing his BIP attachment. No, no, no… Jonas repeated in his mind.
Suddenly, a faint whisper called out to him. He strained his ears, trying to make sense of the words. The whispers grew louder after some time. His ears perked up. That’s Nume’s voice…
Jonas tried to call out to her, but he could only vocalize the same word over and over, “No, no, no…” As he repeated this, he realized it was Nume’s voice coming out of his mouth.
A faceless man appeared holding an injector and a glass vial filled to the brim with a violet-colored serum.
Jonas watched as the faceless man pressed the injector into his triceps. “No, no, no…” he uttered.
An overwhelming desire to sleep washed over Jonas. No… No... No...
32
The sound of a distant voice stirred Jonas from his sleep. His eyes fluttered open to see his HUD display and an unfamiliar face wearing an enemy uniform standing over him. Jonas reached for his rifle but found it missing.
The man pointed his weapon at Jonas then lowered it. He tapped his chest and offered Jonas his hand.
Jonas allowed himself to be helped up. “Who are you?”
The soldier motioned for Jonas to follow him. He slowly made his way onto the bridge.
“What’s going on?” Alyana called out over his suit comm.
“Let me get back to you,” said Jonas. “Whatever you do, don’t come to the bridge.”
“What? Why? What’s…” Alyana shrieked.
Jonas muted his helmet speakers. “Who are you?”
The strange man gave an uneasy smile as if he learned the act of smiling from watching others.
Jonas’ eyes opened wide. “You’re the soldier that held Alyana hostage.” He didn’t recognize the face which looked saggy and older compared to earlier.
The two walked onto the space-exposed bridge. Frost covered every surface of the room.
Jonas checked his suit sensors. 2% oxygen levels. How is he breathing? He took a step backward. “You’re not human.”
The soldier shook his head. He then pointed at himself and made a series of hand motions. With the last gesture he held his hands apart with one palm facing up, the other facing down.
“I don't know what you're trying to say. What are you?” Jonas stared into the man’s eyes. They appeared bloodshot. His gums were bleeding red. “You’re a Mimic…”
The soldier stared at his hands then shook his head. He turned toward the viewscreen and pointed at Raven’s ship. He placed his hands over his heart.
Jonas narrowed his eyes. “I don’t understand you. Let’s start from the beginning. Who are you?”
His eyes became unfocused. “Ace,” he vocalized in a shrill voice.
“Like the Pirate King coin? Your name is Ace?” Jonas raised his eyebrows.
“Bakals.” He tapped his chest.
“Wait. I’m trying to understand this.” Jonas took another step back. “Bakals? So then you’re a Red Mimic. Is there a difference between Red and Black Mimics?”
“Bakals…” Ace closed one hand into a fist and pounded it against the open palm of his other hand. “Mimics…” He repeated his hand signal from before with his palms apart, one facing up, the other facing down.
Jonas shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you."
Ace lowered his head. The skin on his face drooped even further.
“Black Mimics are the ones that have been destroying frontier Commonwealth outposts and taking the lives of Commonwealth colonists, like at Ostia Station…” Jonas slumped his shoulders. Where Nolan died…
Ace lowered his rifle to the floor. He reached for Jonas’ forehead.
Jonas backed away at first then stopped. He remembered his interaction with the Pirate King, Tycho. The encounter helped him recall bits and pieces of his time on the Endurance. Jonas tilted his head forward. “Go ahead,” he said softly.
The Red Mimic placed his palm on Jonas.
Instantly, Jonas straightened his back as a warmth flowed through his body. The ground disappeared beneath him. Jonas felt the sensation of falling. He landed gently on an invisible surface.
The med bay interior faded into view.
“I’m back in the med bay? On the Zephyr?” he whispered to himself.
Someone entered the room.
Jonas spun his head toward the entrance, not expecting anyone else. He saw a faceless person wearing clothing similar
to one of Raven’s soldiers, black combat suit with no markings.
The faceless person did not greet or acknowledge Jonas’ existence in the room. He held the mysterious Katok cube with the Guardian Essence in his hand. After placing the container on the counter, the faceless person's body lost its cohesion, coalescing into a crimson puddle on the floor. It then distorted and shifted, climbing up the counter, and condensed into a coin — the Pirate Ace.
“So you were the person who brought the Guardian Essence?” Jonas tried to pick up the coin, but the bottom fell out from under him, tumbling Jonas into a new darkness. Was he the same person injecting the serum into Nume?
Jonas landed to find chains binding his wrists. He struggled for a moment but stopped when a familiar face faded into view in front of him, Captain Armand Campos. The storage room of the Santos came into focus. Armand was speaking, but his words were unintelligible. He held the Pirate Ace in his hand as he spoke, flipping the coin in between his fingers.
Nelli, Armand’s daughter, peaked her head into the room. She looked different from Jonas’ memory. Her features appeared blurry, making it difficult for him to recognize her.
All the colors in the room swirled and blended together. When it stopped, Jonas watched himself hiding in the secret compartment underneath the floor. After the hatch closed, Nelli transformed into the Pirate Ace coin. It was you. You saved me from the Alliance patrols on the Santos…
Suddenly the lighting sharply increased as the world brightened, turning everything white.
Jonas covered his eyes with his hands, waiting for them to adjust. “Where am I? I don’t remember this place…” he said to himself as he spun in circles.
A bright, spacious jungle replaced the cramped storage of the Santos. This new world was devoid of sound — no birds chirping, no leaves rustling, or wind blowing.
“Why are you showing me this?” Jonas shouted, but he could not hear his own voice leave his mouth.
An explosion sounded in the distance, breaking up the eerie quiet.
Jonas looked up to see a meteor streaking across the sky. When he returned his gaze to the trees, he saw an ape-like creature with gray fur climbing down.
It stopped a meter from Jonas and stared directly into Jonas’ eyes.
“Ace?” He mouthed the question.
The creature nodded.
“Why have you brought me here?” His words came out soft, barely audible.
The creature waved his hand.
The world faded to white as if they were the only two characters on a blank storyboard.
“It was you. You've been helping me all along.” Jonas finally heard his own voice.
“Yes. Whenever you needed me most, I was there for you.”
Jonas raised his eyebrows. “You can speak now?”
Ace nodded. “We are telepathically linked.”
“Can you explain who you are and why you’ve been helping me?”
“Bakals have no desire to be at war with humanity. We have been helping your species progress since you were a collection of amino acids in a pool of primordial ooze.”
Jonas' mouth fell open.
The jungle faded back into view. A meteor landed with a thunderous roar. Smoke and ash shot into the air.
A shock wave tossed Jonas to the ground. He curled into a ball, protecting his body. After a moment of quiet, Jonas stood. He watched as a humanoid creature, faceless, with prismatic, red-tinted skin touched a proto-human primate on its forehead.
“We have been guiding your evolution.”
“Why? To what end?” Jonas tilted his head to the side.
“Humans must stop the cycle.”
The cycle… The cycle… He furrowed his brow. “Do you mean the Mimic cycle?”
Ace nodded. “You must help Nume. She is vital.” He covered his heart with his hands.
“I know this. I’m trying.” He lowered his chin to his chest. “But it doesn’t look good. The Zephyr is badly damaged. Raven has a million kilometer lead on us…”
“You have help.”
“Who?” Jonas narrowed his eyes. “Who sent you to help me?”
A hissing noise sounded. He found himself back on the bridge of the Zephyr and inside his Obscura suit once again.
External Oxygen readings climbed to 70%.
“Turn on your damn suit speakers, Jonas!” Alyana’s voice blared over the ship-wide comms.
“I told you, I’ll get back to you!” Jonas growled.
“Wait! Jonas! Sensors are showing a faint life form next to you.”
“I know! I’m talking to it.”
“WHAT?”
Jonas sighed. “Focus on catching Raven’s ship. Jonas out.”
Ace dropped to one knee. Dark crimson ooze flowed out of his nose and mouth.
“Who do you work for? Who is helping us?”
The viscous fluid flowed faster out of Ace’s body, pooling on the ground next to him.
“Don’t go yet!” Jonas dropped to his knees.
The ooze expanded, morphing between different objects and faces, then shrunk back into the Pirate Ace coin. Jonas picked up the coin and rotated it against the light. This whole time...
“We’re gaining on Raven’s transport ship. Jonas, if you’re not too busy doing whatever you’re doing up there, can you come down to Engineering?” Alyana said over the intercom.
Jonas placed the Pirate Ace in a pouch on his belt and headed toward Engineering.
Alyana glared at Jonas as he approached her. With her arms crossed she said, “I thought I would never see you again. Perhaps you forgot we’re chasing a rogue ship with clandestine soldiers that kidnapped our friend who happens to be the only hope against the grand conspiracy within the most powerful military in the known galaxy which is somehow tied to a massive alien invasion the likes of which humanity has never seen.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Alyana.” Jonas took off his helmet and set it on a nearby console. “Status report on the transport ship?”
Alyana huffed. “Come over here.” She moved to a long, rectangular table in the center of the room. After typing a few commands, a three-dimensional holographic map of an asteroid belt appeared above the table. “Here is Raven’s transport.” She pinched the ship with her fingers.
A red sphere appeared around it, making it easily visible among the dark brown rocks.
“And we’re here.” Alyana marked the Zephyr with a blue sphere. “We're about 50,000 kilometers apart. They’ve really slowed down for some reason. We’ll overtake them in about 60 minutes. Have you thought about how we would get Nume off the ship safely once we catch them?”
Jonas rubbed his chin as he spoke. “Maybe we’ve been thinking about this wrong. Maybe they never intended to warp out of this system. Maybe they wanted to go to this section of the asteroid belt.”
“Why?” She tilted her head. “What’s here?”
“I don't know, but I suspect we'll find out soon." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do we have disruptor type weapons on this ship? Like the ion beams that knocked our engines offline?”
Alyana nodded.
“Our priority is Nume. The first step is to disable their engine. Make sure they can’t run away. Then we’ll dock with their ship, disable all their defenses, find Nume — hopefully unharmed — and bring her back.”
Alyana snorted. “Not one part of that sounds easy.” She fixated on the path of the transport ship. “According to the ship’s trajectory, they’re intentionally going into this cluster of asteroids.” Alyana used her hands to zoom in on Raven’s ship and the thick cluster of asteroids.
“Hmm," Jonas rubbed his eyes. “Today has been a very odd day.”
“What other odd events have you encountered?”
Jonas gave a short laugh. “For starters, I think Nume tried to contact me.”
“WHAT?” Her eyes protruded. “When? How? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
“Just before I went to back to the bridge, I sort
of blacked out. My vision darkened, but I wasn’t unconscious. I could see a bright spotlight and hear things around me, but it didn’t feel like it was coming from my own senses. I think Nume was trying to communicate that Raven is drugging her, and that’s why she’s unable to speak to us telepathically. And I remember her hands and feet were also tied.”
“Poor Nume.” She frowned. “We have to get her back. Who knows what they’ll do to her.”
Jonas thought back to the time Raven implanted a masunog worm into his abdomen. “It won’t be pleasant.”
Alyana punched Jonas. “Don’t say that. You’re not supposed to say that.”
“Sorry.”
“You said unexplainable events, plural. What else did you encounter?”
“I saw a Red Mimic.” Jonas took out his Pirate Ace and held it in his palm.
“A what!” Alyana looked at the coin and jumped back. “That’s a Mimic? Why are you doing holding it?” She tried to slap it out of his hands.
Jonas avoided her strike. “His name is Ace, and apparently he’s on our side. Did you know anything about this?”
Alyana shook her head. “Nume never mentioned that we had a Red Mimic friend. It’s something I think I would remember.”
The blue sphere marking the position of the Zephyr on the holo-table flashed.
“We’re close.” Alyana returned to her command console. “Less than 10,000 kilometers.”
Jonas stayed at the holo-table. He zoomed in on the cluster of rocks, magnifying the display so that one asteroid took up the length of the table. “How accurate are our scanners?”
“According to Kovat, the Zephyr has the highest resolution sensors in Fleet. Why do you ask?”
“These high-res sensors are showing signs of life on the asteroids…”
33
Jonas initiated a deep scan of the asteroids along the flight path of Raven’s ship and found multiple, massive life signs. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
The holo-table updated in real-time, showing behemoth serpent creatures darting from one asteroid to another as if they were hopping stones on a pond.
“Judging by the surprised look on your face, you don’t know what those things are.”