Omnigalactic

by Christopher Conner

  Doctor Rupert ordered other medical staff to do this to that patient, and that to this patient. The cacophony drowned out the crashing waves and the birds cawing in the sky. I couldn't think. My mind was bankrupt of thoughts.

  I sat up when I heard Jord finally speak, although it was incoherent rambling. I asked him questions, but received no real answers, just more random sentences. I held my finger in front of his face and commanded him to follow it. I moved it back and forth, then from side to side. His organic eye refused to follow. Instead, it stared off into the distance, as if I weren't there. It was like his mind was in another dimension, completely uninterested in the situation at present.

  I snapped my fingers in his face and yelled into his ears. No response, just more rambling. I grabbed his shoulders and shook as hard as I could, shouting, “Jord! Jord! Snap out of it!”

  “It's no use,” Glennsworth said. “His mind is gone.”

  “Gone?” I asked. “What do you mean, it's ‘gone’?”

  “Your friend's consciousness is no longer on this plane of existence.”

  “Then, where is it? Tell me!” I shouted.

  Glennsworth looked down at his feet and stayed silent for a time. “I'm afraid I do not know.”

  I stood up and shoved him. “You don't know? How is that? You expect me to believe that?”

  He held his hands up in front of him. “I swear; I do not know.”

  I pushed him again, harder this time. “You've known everything up until now. Since the day I met you, you've spouted off nonsense about daemons, forbidden knowledge, incantations, and all that other shit.”

  “Calm down, Cadel. Don't take your anger out on—”

  I pushed him a third time. Glennsworth stumbled and fell into the sand. He cursed.

  “Sai!” Doctor Rupert screamed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  I cursed and stormed off into the minuscule jungle at the other side of Melville's only road. The creatures in the trees and bushes howled and hooted at my presence. They were scared of me. They should have been. If any one of them had gotten near me, I'd have grabbed them by the neck and strangled the life out of them.

  I sat on a rock near a wide patch of red-flowered, thorny vines. I turned around. Just the sight of those things reminded me of Shen'roth and how much worse my life had become because of him.

  In fact, my life was ruined. There was no questioning it now. I had been given a tool — my dad's book — and an opportunity to change course, and I’d completely and utterly failed. I’d failed at the business, and as a result, I’d failed my parents. Especially Dad. Shen'roth was alive and well; so, I’d failed Doctor Rupert and the people of Melville, too. I was even going to fail to pay the other two-hundred-thousand bitcreds — plus interest — to Valo. So, I'd probably get my brains bashed in by debt collectors. I’d put myself in a stupid situation, instead of just leaving Melville. Jord had to come bail me out once again; so, I'd failed him, too. But most of all, I’d failed myself for thinking I was good enough to run my own business. I was an idiot. A moron. A simpleton. A world-class loser who’d actually thought he could make something useful out of his life.

  I thought about Jord, and all the good times we'd had. He could have been friends with anyone else. He was a badass war hero. But, he chose me, some stupid, Anuran freighter pilot. I thought about all the hunts we'd been on, all the beers we'd drunk, and all the times we'd had each other's backs. I smacked myself in the head for even considering the thought of firing him. How could I have honestly thought I could have done it myself? Heck, I couldn't have even gotten the job done with him there. I should have never taken him up on a partnership. Then, he wouldn't have been the crazy, rambling wreck that he was now. And, it was all my fault.

  I felt my throat tighten, and I couldn't breathe. My eyes began to water. I thought about walking to the ship. I'd grab my hunting shotgun, put it against my jaw, and blow my brains out the back of my head. Or maybe I should have flown just above the atmosphere, jumped out, and burnt myself to a crisp upon reentry. Or tied a heavy rock to my feet and jumped into the ocean, sinking all the way down and suffocating in the black abyss. I might as well have. It was all over, anyway.

  There was a rustle in the shrubs ahead of me. I wiped away my tears and looked up to see Glennsworth standing there quietly.

  “What do you want?” I asked and looked away.

  “I'm sorry about your friend,” he said softly, but just loud enough that I could hear him over the howling jungle animals. “You two seemed very close.”

  “Yeah, well, sorry is not going to save my friend's sanity.”

  There was further silence between us. I had nothing to say to him. I just wanted it all to end. I stared out into the distant ocean, just trying to remember how Jord had been before he went insane. The wind picked up into a cold gust, and lightning streaked across the black, clouded skies.

  Glennsworth sat next to me and breathed in deeply, exhaling hard. “Despite everything, I wanted to thank you for getting me off the Hub. Not just anyone gives a fugitive man in wizard robes a chance to escape. You were right, you know - I'm as subtle as a gunshot.”

  I didn't respond, but I could tell he was trying to cheer me up. It wasn't going to work. Nothing would. Not at that point. Lightning zapped again; this time, with the echo of thunder six seconds later.

  Glennsworth cleared his throat. “And, I was serious.”

  “About what?” I asked. I kept my eyes forward. “About not knowing anything?”

  From my peripheral vision, I could see him shake his head. “No. About slaying Shen'roth. You two had no knowledge of his power or what he was truly capable of; yet, you defeated him, regardless of that power. It was truly a feat of martial skill and ability.”

  “Shut the hell up. You probably see crazy shit like this all the time. You handled those harpies like nothing. You even took on Shen'roth without a gun.”

  “Firearm or not, it was an act of bravery to do what you did. You saved their lives. Things may seem dire now, but you fail to realize that you still have the chance to turn the tides. To make things right again.”

  I continued to stare into the approaching storm. It was like a clock, with each boom of thunder representing a click of the second-hand. Each second I spent there meant less time before that daemonic ward dropped. Shen'roth would come slithering his way up the beach and kill every last one of us.

  I could take the ship and fly out of there. Just leave them all to die as I went to live the rest of my life at the bottom of a liquor bottle, until Valo's goons came for me. I'd tell them, “Money? What money?” They'd say, “Valo's money. You know what we mean, you slimy, green swamp-rat.” And then, I'd say, “I don't know what you're talking about.” Then, they'd bludgeon me to bits.

  Or, I could try to save those people. Save Doctor Rupert. Most of all, save my best friend.

  “I wish I could make things right again,” I said.

  Glennsworth looked at me seriously. “You still can.”

  I looked him in his dark eyes, trying to find any trace of dishonesty within him. “What do you mean?”

  “I may know of a way to save your friend,” he said bluntly.

  “Glennsworth, don't play with me, man. An elder daemon destroyed my best friend's mind, I've failed my entire family and a colony of three-hundred Humans, and not even three minutes ago, I was contemplating killing myself. My psyche can't take any more punishment.”

  “I'm serious.”

  I stood up. “Then, tell me. How do I save him?”

  Glennsworth stood up and dusted the sand off his robes. “Come with me.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Jord

  The surface of Icto II lit up in a fiery blaze, like a match to a spilled drum of gasoline. Plumes of flame and black smoke rose sky-high, adding to the already poisonous fumes of the planet's atmosphere. Lightning slashed through the choking fog, blasting holes into the distant moun
taintops. If there ever was a planet that should have been renamed, it would have been this one. I would have voted for “Hell”.

  “Looks like the fleet's started their bombardment,” I said, peering through the view port. “Good; we're going to need all the distractions we can get.”

  Commander Martin's velvety-smooth voice crackled in my earpiece. “Now, why doesn't the fleet just blow up the entire place and be done with it?” she asked. “Not like the Icto care about their own planets. Just turn it to glass for them!”

  Another voice filled my head, this one regal with a hint of ignorance. It swam through like fish in the ocean. “That is not for us to decide, Commander. Nor shall we stoop to such depravity and barbarity. Such is the behavior of Hanzan pirates.”

  A three-eyed, brown-fleshed Wyn in black robes with blood-red embroidery appeared from the cockpit of our small stealth craft. “Isn't that right, Tresedi?” he said.

  I wasn’t into the whole bowing thing, so I opted to nod. “Yes, Lord Yan'nu.”

  “High Command does not typically resort to mercenaries on such occasions,” Yan'nu said. “But, your people have been a valuable bulwark against the Hanzan hordes. And quite simply, there are none left to finish the job. All other resources have been exhausted.”

  The arrogant Wyn turned away from me and stepped over to the viewport opposite mine. “I love you, too,” I whispered, cocking the bolt slide of my plasma cannon to muffle my voice.

  A flash of green lightning streaked across our ship, violently shaking us, like a tin can filled with rocks. Ampat, our Celyrian tech wizard, cursed and jumped in his seat. It wasn't like him to be so jumpy. Then again, it was the mission to end the war for good.

  I chuckled to myself. “And they said this war would never end.”

  Ampat must've caught me smiling. He flipped up the purple visor of his envirosuit. “How can you be so calm at a time like this?”

  I couldn't let the little guy fall into paranoia already. We hadn't even touched down yet. Maybe a little soldierly pep-talk would help. “Once you've seen one battle, you've seen 'em all. C'mon Ampat, you're a veteran. Act like one.”

  He nodded slowly, breathing in and out quickly, as if trying to psych himself up. “You're right. You're right. I'm just nervous, is all.”

  “The Tresedi is right,” Yan'nu said, waving a hand over Ampat's head in a mystical manner. “Fear not. You will bring great honor to your people and restore Wyn sovereignty. Do not lose hope now.”

  Ampat nodded again and slid his visor back down.

  A Golian, mouthless and slim as a twig, tapped my shoulder. With his needlelike fingers, he signed: Check suit. Very hot outside.

  For the third time, I ran diagnostics on my envirosuit. There were all green lights on my HUD. At least, he wasn't jumpy. A little overcautious, in my opinion, but I'd have taken that over fear any day. I instinctively gave him a thumbs-up in reply, but remembered that was an insult in Golian sign. His oval-shaped, green eyes narrowed. I quickly signed: All okay.

  I forgive, he signed back. Golian language difficult to learn. Keep practicing.

  I will. You ready? I signed.

  He loaded a magazine into his sniper rifle. I was glad he was ready. He'd be watching over our asses.

  More streaks of lightning shot past our ship, and the roar of thunder rumbled through the hull. If I lived through it, it would be one hell of a story. I'd never have to buy another drink in my life.

  “We're two minutes from the landing zone,” Commander Martin alerted us. “Ampat? Ready to disable the SAL sites?”

  Ampat whipped out his techpad and frantically tapped away. “Jamming their sensors now, Commander.” After another thirty seconds, he nodded in approval. “Sensors jammed. We should slip in unnoticed.”

  I held my breath, anticipating a red beam sawing our ship in half. Another minute or so of eternity passed, and the ship slowed to a crawl. A sudden jerk of the floor told me we had touched down. I exhaled slowly. Objective One completed.

  The Wyn grasped his temples with the three bony fingers of his hand. One glowing, white eye remained open. “I do not sense that we've been detected. We will resume as planned.”

  I scoffed. “You forgot your suit, Lord Yan'nu.”

  “My psionic gifts will shield me from the elements, but your concern is noted.”

  Arrogant bastard. I slammed a fist on the boarding ramp controls. “Then, let's move out,” I said. Then, I signed for the Golian to take point. I wished they took individual names, but that was considered too prideful in their culture.

  “I'll stand watch and make sure the ship's safe,” Commander Martin radioed. “Don't want this to be a one-way trip. Good luck out there.”

  We descended the ramp into the hellish temperatures of Icto II’s surface. Fields of radiant crystals lay scattered amongst the crags. Jagged rocks jutted up from the ground, making it a pain in the ass to traverse the terrain. Plenty of cover, though. I'd take that.

  I kept an eye on the Golian up ahead, who'd already found a nice little perch overlooking the Icto compound. A bolt of lightning struck the ground a couple hundred yards behind us. I glanced at the churning, black skies above us. They gave a fierce roar in return, as if in warning.

  An array of laser turrets guarded the entrance to the compound. Two bipedal, Icto mechs stood watch on a flat overpass. I glanced at my cybernetic hand. If there was one species I hated more than the Wyn, it had to be the Icto. They’d started the whole mess, and I was going to end it that day.

  “We must press on before we are struck down by the storm,” Yan'nu said. “Time is not on our side.”

  Ampat slumped next to me, techpad at the ready. “I can disable the turret sensors, but those mechs might be a problem.”

  “Why's that?” I asked.

  “The turret encryption system is dense with countermeasures. If I throw the mechs into the mix, it'll overload my unit's systems. They'll detect that someone's attempting to hack them. We'll be compromised.”

  I cursed. Nothing was ever easy. I looked up at the Golian, who was peering through his scope. “Golian, see those two sentries up on the overpass? You'll have to take them out before we can advance.”

  He turned to me and signed: You give signal. I shoot.

  I nudged Ampat. “Ready?”

  The little guy glanced down at his techpad, then up at me. “Just say the word.”

  A bolt of lightning stuck the jagged ground between us and the turrets, leaving a boulder-sized impact crater behind — as if the Icto's defenses weren't enough of a threat.

  “Do it,” I said.

  Ampat tapped away, muttering computer babble to himself. I peered over our cover at the compound. Nothing moved. We hadn't been detected… yet.

  Ampat was whispering something to me. I slumped back into cover. “What's wrong?”

  “I think the mechs are investigating the potential security breach. My unit's being overloaded. You have to do something, Jord.”

  “Golian,” I said over my comms. “Time to shine.”

  In near-silence, I saw two pink muzzle flashes from his sniper rifle. The mechs collapsed and stumbled over. He must've pinpointed their main processors. And to think Command had wanted to send someone else in with us.

  Ampat sighed in relief. “Okay, I've got it now. Turrets are down.”

  “All right, let's get moving!”

  The four of us leapt from cover and darted toward the compound. I winced in fear that the turrets would come back online and blast us into bubbling puddles of meat. We reached the compound entrance, and Ampat went to work on getting the hulking metal door open. Objective Two complete.

  Yan'nu held his temples with both hands. “We move as shadows, but I'm sensing a sinister energy about this place.”

  The Golian cocked his head in confusion and signed: What Wyn mean?

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked. “Lord Yan'nu?”

 
He convulsed and fell back, hitting his shoulder against the cold wall. “There is a great evil here. Come, let us finish the task.”

  “Will you make it? Can't have you slowing us down if—”

  He regained his composure and shook his head vigorously. “I am fine. Open the door.”

  The massive door hissed open. A mix of purple and blue light shone from inside. The whirring and scraping of machines and computers hummed through the air. I craned my neck around the corner, checking for targets. All clear.

  I waved for the Golian to take point. He stepped through with silent grace, like a stalking predator. Stalker, I thought. That'd be a good name for him.