Crystalline Space

by A. K. DuBoff

  I drew my new sword, and the flame instantly ignited along the blade. “Keep moving forward. Get to the pickup site and watch each other’s backs.”

  “Time for the Dark Sentinels to finally fight the dark,” Toran said.

  I had to think for a second. “Oh, yeah! Team name.”

  “What?” Maris asked.

  “Our intrepid trio at the time nicknamed ourselves the Dark Sentinels,” I explained. “Seemed fitting.”

  She nodded. “The trio is now a quartet, but I like the branding.”

  I smiled. “Glad you approve.”

  My pleased expression only lasted for a second. One of the black creatures bounded forward through the dark mist, heading directly for me.

  I brought my new sword up in one swift motion, ready to cut down the loping beast.

  However, as it cleared the mist, I hesitated—its skin was rippling like something underneath it was trying to break through. I stared at the bizarre sight of what appeared to be hands and limbs pressed against the skin from the inside. It didn’t seem possible for the creature to be functioning.

  Despite my disbelief, it was almost on top of me.

  At the last second, I leaped to the side and flourished my sword. The flaming blade sliced the creature’s sleek side. But rather than blood and innards, six small, black bodies burst through the wound. The original creature turned to black dust around them.

  I recoiled with horror. “Stars! What—”

  “Not going to wait to find out.” Kaiden launched a fireball from my right side.

  The blast struck the front two of the meter-long creatures. They let out high-pitched shrieks and bared a double row of needle-sharp teeth.

  “How did that not take them out?!” I shouted.

  Kaiden paled. “What are they?”

  I had no answer for him. Their four limbs and a head were within my frame of reference, but their movement seamlessly alternated between using two and four feet as they undulated across the ground, their chalky, black skin hiding the details of their physique. Coupled with their tiny fangs and the lack of visible eyes, they were the most alien creatures I had ever seen—not that I’d been on other worlds before four days ago.

  Kaiden’s magic had been ineffective, but my sword worked better. I rushed the two beasts he’d hit with the fireball, swinging my new blade like a scythe at neck-level.

  One of the creatures ducked. The blade struck true with the other, severing its head.

  I braced for another wave of even tinier creatures to leap out of the body, but there was only thick, dark blood.

  The five other creatures hissed in unison.

  My skin tingled as a purple barrier appeared around me, presumably cast by Maris. As soon as the spell was in place, Toran rushed forward to punch the creature closest to us that was still standing.

  It yelped as the blow collided, knocking it to the ground. The four others condensed their bodies then pounced, launching themselves a meter or more into the air to grip Toran with their paws.

  “Gah! Why did you do that?” I ran forward so I could attempt to help him tear the creatures off.

  They snarled at us and tried to snap at my fingers.

  Toran was able to pry one off of his chest using his metal gauntlets, and I beheaded it the moment it was on the ground.

  He managed to fling another to the side, out of my reach.

  Kaiden concentrated a beam of electrical energy on it with his staff, and the creature fell motionless.

  We tore the two remaining creatures free, and I sliced one while Toran stomped on the other.

  The one remaining creature, which had managed to survive Kaiden’s first fireball and Toran’s attack, made one final attempt to sink its teeth into my thigh. I kicked it back and then buried my blade in its chest.

  “What are these things?” I asked no one in particular.

  “I don’t know, but I think more are coming.” Kaiden gulped. A herd of the larger creatures were advancing—too many to count.

  I tightened my grip on my sword, heart racing. “When is that shuttle going to get here?”

  “Two minutes,” he replied.

  Toran evaluated the approaching herd. “We might not make it that long.”

  “Not with a scattershot approach like what we just did,” I agreed. “Backs together! Maris, can you bolster that protection spell?”

  “I’ll try,” she said.

  “Toran, hang back on this one,” I continued. “We need to keep them at bay with ranged attacks. I’ll slice ’em if they get too close; get any behind me.”

  “Got it.” He spun around to face the opposite direction.

  Kaiden came in close on my right and Maris to my left.

  Maris held up her hands and a second purple dome shimmered around us only seconds before the first wave of large creatures broke through the dark mist.

  They charged forward, seemingly unaware of the barrier. When the first of them struck it, the beast stopped cold with a yelp like it has run into a wall.

  Kaiden took the opportunity to blast it with a concentrated beam of electricity, like what had been effective on the other. Energy crackled around the creature until the beast collapsed to the ground, then it arced to another coming up from behind. When a third beast neared, the beam split.

  “That’s it!” I cheered, thrilled with the increased strength of Kaiden’s spells since he got the circlet.

  I glanced at Kaiden and saw the strain on his face—he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long, artifact or not.

  Another beast looped around our protective ring and pressed against it. The barrier stretched at the pressure points, threatening to tear.

  I stepped forward from my place in the ring to impale it through the neck. As I pulled my blade back to drive it home, the snarls from the creatures outside stopped as a descending engine roared overhead.

  “That’s our ride!” Kaiden shouted over the rumble.

  “How are we supposed to get up there with all these creatures around?” Maris asked.

  “I don’t know if my original plan to jump up and pull you inside is feasible anymore,” Toran said.

  “Don’t have another choice,” I replied. “You’ll have to make it quick.”

  “Can you make the barrier bigger, Maris?” Kaiden asked.

  She laughed. “I don’t even know how I’m making this one!”

  I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Not helpful.”

  “Just being honest.” She shook her head. “I already feel pretty drained. I don’t think I can do the big, grand thing you’re after.”

  My mind raced. “Okay, Toran, get Maris inside. She can maintain the shield from in there, and then Kaiden and I will follow.”

  “But—” Toran cut off his protest as the shuttle made its final descent.

  “Just go!” I shouted, barely able to hear my own voice over the engine. Loose strands of fuchsia hair whacked against my face from the turbulence.

  The creatures appeared to be over their initial shock from the shuttle’s arrival, and they crowded in around the perimeter of the protective sphere.

  Out of the corner of my squinted eyes, I saw Toran hoisting Maris into the shuttle. As she grabbed hold of the airlock handles, the protective shell started to flicker.

  “Hold it!” I shouted, but my voice was lost.

  The barrier collapsed.

  Creatures rushed in from all sides, a black mass moving as one. Each of their bodies contorted with the same pressing of limbs and heads inside. It was only a matter of time before the smaller creatures broke free, even if I didn’t cut them out to speed up the process.

  One of the large beasts reared in front of me, flailing hooved feet. I slashed my sword across its legs; amazingly the flaming blade sliced clean through the bone.

  The creature toppled to the side, its undulating torso still intact.

  Two more came for me. I swept my blade wi
thout thinking, twisting and bobbing through the creatures as they advanced.

  I lost track of how many there were or how much time had passed—it was just me and my sword. It found its mark every time. I was entranced by it. With my old sword, I had been using a weapon. Now, I felt like the sword was an extension of my own being.

  The creatures kept coming. I leaped over the bodies of the disabled creatures to fight the new wave. My friends needed to get to safety; that was the most important thing. I had to give them time.

  I ducked to avoid a hoof and then spun around to de-limb the creature. The wounded beasts writhed around me. The abdomens of the first to fall looked like they were about to burst.

  “Elle!”

  I didn’t hear the voice at first, thinking it a phantom in the wind.

  “Elle!” the shout came again.

  I snapped to attention.

  The bodies. There were so many of the felled creatures around me—dozens. Had I really done all of that myself?

  “Take my hand!” Toran shouted at me. He was up above, leaning down with his right arm extended.

  “Kaiden—” I started to ask, looking around for him.

  “He’s inside. Come on!” Toran shouted back.

  The abdomen of one of the felled beasts ripped open and six vicious creatures jumped out.

  Without hesitation, I sheathed my weapon and then leaped up to grab Toran’s arm with both hands. His fingers wrapped around my right wrist.

  “Go!” he yelled.

  The shuttle quickly gained elevation.

  Toran heaved me into the airlock. It was just the two of us, and the interior door was closed.

  He hit the control panel and the outside door cycled shut.

  I realized I was shaking. My heart pounded in my ears and I could barely fill my lungs.

  Toran placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’re okay, Elle. Breathe.”

  Closing my eyes, I took several slow, labored breaths. My pulse slowed and my breathing came more easily.

  “What happened?” I asked when I felt able to speak. My voice trembled.

  “I don’t know, it was like you were in a trance,” Toran replied. “I got Maris up and then climbed inside, myself. When I bent down to get Kaiden, you were slashing your way through anything that moved. We both shouted at you to come inside, but you didn’t seem to hear us. Kaiden and Maris went in to take manual control of the shuttle, and I kept shouting your name until you responded.”

  “What?” I leaned against the wall, shaking my head. “How long was it?”

  “A few minutes? I don’t know.”

  “I…” It had only seemed like seconds, maybe a minute, tops. How could I have zoned out like that?

  “We all made it out. That’s the important thing,” Toran said. “That was some good fighting down there.”

  “It’s all a blur,” I murmured.

  “And it looked it from up here, too, even without Maris’ special spell.”

  “What’s happening to me?”

  Toran shrugged. “These artifacts have special properties. Beyond that, I can’t say.” He opened the internal airlock door.

  I slowly rose to my feet. “This is going to be a wild ride.”

  “Speaking of which…” Toran motioned me toward the bridge.

  “Right.” I jogged toward the nose of the vessel.

  In the bridge, Kaiden and Maris were in their customary seats.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Kaiden said.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I strapped in.

  He glanced at me questioningly, switching the shuttle over to autopilot for the journey back. “What happened back there?”

  I shook my head. “Got in the zone, I guess.”

  He chuckled. “Was there even anything left down there? I think if Toran hadn’t pulled me up, I may have met a swift end by your blade.”

  “No, of course I wouldn’t hurt you.”

  “I dunno, you seemed like you were somewhere else.”

  I crossed my arms and slumped in my chair. “It was weird. I remember it, but it’s like it was a dream.”

  “More like a nightmare,” Maris interjected. “What were those things, anyway? Native to the world, or were they part of the Darkness?”

  Kaiden shrugged. “There aren’t any records of the lifeforms on this world—it’s not in the database, which is probably why it was such a safe place to store the artifact.”

  “Until this Darkness,” I murmured. Or maybe the artifact had been sealed away because it caused the user to go into a murderous trance. After what just happened, I wasn’t about to rule out any possibility.

  “Considering the state of the other organic matter, I’d hypothesize that the creatures were somehow born of the Darkness,” Toran chimed in.

  Maris drew into herself. “Where did they come from?”

  “Who knows?” I shook my head. “And I hate to say it, but there might be a lot more of those things. We’ll need to figure out the most effective attack against them.”

  “Unfortunately, that will require proximity,” Toran said, “and I’m not looking forward to being anywhere near them.”

  “We can deal with that later,” Kaiden said. “As long as Crystallis hasn’t been overrun, we shouldn’t need to face any more of them in the near term.”

  “And if the planet already is infected, we have bigger problems,” I added.

  “Exactly.”

  The shuttle traversed the remaining distance to the Evangiel. As it spun around to dock, I caught a glimpse of the planet we’d just left. It was now almost entirely dull black.

  I shook my head slowly. “Why do this to a world? Is it deliberate or just some awful disease?”

  “I can’t imagine this happened on its own,” Kaiden said.

  “If it’s caused by an enemy, then where are they?” Toran asked.

  Maris shuddered. “I don’t want to meet whoever could do this.”

  “With you there, but we likely won’t have a choice,” I said.

  The shuttle passed through the electrostatic field into the hangar, but rather than its typical docking location, it instead taxied to an open area away from the other craft. Crew members in hazsuits ran to meet us.

  “What a lovely welcome,” I said.

  “Can’t say I blame them for the precaution,” Toran replied.

  We walked to the shuttle’s common area and dropped the ramp. Workers were securing a tent around the shuttle.

  Tami, dressed in a hazsuit, approached the base of the ramp through a temporary tunnel. “Strip to your base layer. Leave everything else here and head straight to the decontamination booths.” She pointed to a marked tent ten meters away at the end of the tunnel.

  “Even the artifacts?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Trust me, Elle, we all want you to complete this mission. Everything is safe with us.”

  I nodded and did as I had been instructed.

  The decontamination process was as unpleasant as its name suggested, but within fifteen minutes the chemical scrub was complete. Afterward, I had to admit I felt really, really clean—the ultimate full-body exfoliation. A fresh shipsuit and undergarments were waiting for me in my stall, and I dressed.

  Kaiden stepped out from his booth moments after me. He grinned. “You look radiant.”

  I smiled back. “So do you. I guess having an outer layer of skin burned off will do that to a person.”

  “Good times.” He crossed his arms. “Can we get out of here?”

  I shrugged. “I assume so, since no one is telling us to stay.”

  Toran stepped out from his booth. Based on the way he exited the door sideways, I could only imagine how tight of a squeeze it had been for him to maneuver inside. “We should jump back to Crystallis as soon as possible.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “Let’s go check in with the commander.”

  22

  Colren released me from an aw
kward bear hug. I was a little stunned by that reaction to our story, but I guess successes had been in short supply for the past three months.

  “Well done,” he said for the seventh time.

  “Thank you. Just doing our part,” I replied as a variation on my previous acknowledgements.

  While we’d given him a recap of the events on the surface, he’d listened even more attentively than during our previous meetings. When we got to the part about the black creatures, he’d seemed particularly intrigued.

  “This information about the lifeforms is invaluable. We’ve never known if there was anything on the surface before now,” he continued. “This is the evidence we’ve needed.”

  “Evidence of what?” Kaiden asked.

  The commander took a deep breath and leaned his hip against the conference table. “We’ve suspected this was an attack, but we never knew for sure. Now that there’s a lifeform involved, it supports that this was by design.”

  “Those were a far cry from an intelligent invasion force,” I replied. “Seemed like mindless beasts to me.”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Toran interjected. “Watching you at the end, they were coordinated. Granted, many wild animals also use coordinated attacks, but that gets into a whole other matter of instinct versus intellect.”

  I crossed my arms. “Even if they’re ‘smart’, there’s a big difference between being an effective killing machine and being able to design tech that can blanket a world in Darkness. Those things down there don’t strike me as the scientist type.”

  “But, it sounds like they were very well designed for their task,” Colren cut in. “And the Darkness is, as well.”

  “That sounds like a leap in logic. There’s no evidence that those creatures were designed to do anything; it might just be a side-effect of the Darkness infection. We don’t know if they originated on that planet or not.”

  The commander sighed. “Perhaps I am just trying to see connections where there are none. It’s been so many months with no answers.”