It was at that moment that things took a turn for the worse.
*****
Arthur felt it first; the faint vibration in the stone beneath his feet, followed by a deep rumbling sound that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. His first reaction was to reach for Excalibur, retrieving it slowly from his back as he turned in a slow circle, trying to locate the source of the sound.
“That doesn’t sound friendly,” Lance said, readying Arondight.
“There, the lake!” Gwen shouted, pointing Andraste towards the slowly growing ripples in the water.
As they watched, the golden liquid began to bubble, the ripples growing larger as the deep rumbling sound grew louder. The ground beneath their feet shook again, making Gwen lose her balance and reach out to Lance to steady herself. The world around them seemed to pause before an enormous shelled limb pierced the surface of the liquid and anchored itself into the stone before them. It was as thick around as the lift that had brought them beneath the surface, glistening as the golden liquid dripped to the ground.
Triltan screamed as a second limb emerged from the water and embedded itself in the ground on the opposite side of the lake. They stood, frozen, as an enormous body began to emerge from the liquid, hundreds of times larger than the smaller creatures they had faced. The mouth was as big as the gangway on their ship, the pincers as large as a man, chittering rhythmically as the monster dragged itself towards them.
“Run!” Arthur screamed, pulling Lance towards him as a third leg emerged from the glowing pool.
They turned on their heels and ran, Lance leading with Gwen and Triltan close behind. Arthur hung two steps back, keeping watch as the remaining legs emerged from the pool and the full size of the creature became apparent.
It was easily as large as the scout ship, with eight long legs which dragged it along the stone floor. In contrast to its smaller offspring, the underside of the body had a large, pendulous egg sac, swinging back and forth as the creature advanced. Its movements were slow, but due to its size it was able to cross large distances easily, the legs soon scraping the ground around Arthur’s fleeing companions.
“Triltan!” Arthur yelled, slipping Excalibur back onto the bracket on his back. “Your rifle!”
Triltan turned mid stride and threw the rifle towards him, not pausing to see if it found its mark. Arthur reached out and grabbed it, pulling it to him as he turned back towards the advancing creature. He fell heavily onto his back, stock of the rifle tight against his shoulder as he raised it towards the body of the beast.
As he placed his finger against the trigger, he was shocked to see a targeting reticle appear in his vision. It wasn’t projected from the rifle, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet, but the reticle moved as he aimed the rifle. His first shot struck the creature’s mouth, the flesh around the pincers exploding. The second shot struck the egg sac, blasting it from the creature’s body.
There was a sound like a scream, high pitched and piercing as the egg sac fell to the ground and burst. The creature advanced with additional fury, Arthur rolling to one side as a claw was driven deep into the rock where Arthur had lay.
He scrambled to his feet and ran after the others, screaming at them to keep going, to run and not look back. The ice wall loomed large to their right, chilling the surrounding air as they pressed on towards the narrow tunnel and salvation. Arthur tucked the rifle under his arm and fired repeatedly, though he had no idea if he actually hit anything.
They were closer to the passageway, the lights from their shoulder-mounted torches bouncing up and down before them. Lance entered first, not slowing until he emerged out through the other side, Gwen and Triltan running into him as he collapsed to the ground with exhaustion. Arthur came last, still firing blindly, though there was no way the creature could have fit through the narrow passageway behind him. He dropped to his knees beside his friends and turned around slowly, sucking in as much air as his lungs would allow.
Three large, thick legs had followed them through the passage, but they were too far away to be a danger. They moved continuously, scratching at the surface of the rock, scurrying about in an attempt to find Arthur and his companions.
Once Arthur’s breath had returned, he looked to Gwen and smiled. “That was fun,” he said, which earned him playful punch on his arm.
“You’re insane,” Lance suggested.
“No, really,” Arthur continued with a grin. “You know the adventure’s over when we defeat the Queen.”
“Insane,” Lance said again, though he was beginning to laugh. Before long Gwen joined him, relieved that they were still alive.
*****
The return trip to the lift was uneventful, the smaller creatures nowhere to be found. They continued to transmit the frequency that had driven them away, but Arthur couldn’t see how the creatures could follow, unless there was another entrance from the lair not visible on the map.
It didn’t seem to take long at all to reach the lift, their mood lighter and their banter jovial as they passed through the caverns and passageways. Arthur was both surprised and relieved when he saw the lights from the lift illuminating the area ahead of them.
They approached the shield, surprised to see nobody around. “Daltas?” Triltan called. “Miltren?”
Silan Daltas emerged from the side of the lift, her face pale and drawn. She deactivated the shield without a word and returned to the inside of the lift, head low and eyes cloudy. Triltan exchanged a worried look with the others before running into the lift behind her.
“Daltas? What’s wrong?” Triltan demanded, though the image on the screen said more than words ever could.
The footage showed what remained of the planet Teela, split in two.
Chapter 9
Unlearned History
Earth Year 6239
Arthur followed Triltan onto the lift where he found the Teleri in shock, staring blankly at the screen or holding each other as they grieved. He recognised the planet in the picture immediately, he had marvelled at its beauty only days before, though it was beautiful no longer.
The planet Teela had been torn apart, the two halves beginning to drift apart as he watched. Magma and rock drifted between them and spilled out into space, while the Teleri fleet backed away and out of the picture.
“Triltan?” Arthur said, at a loss for anything else to say.
“Footage, from the Ardent Dawn,” Triltan managed to say before the power of speech escaped her.
Arthur stepped from the lift and pulled Lance and Gwen with him, his face sombre. Gwen tried to speak, but Arthur silenced her with a look. “Over here,” he said, walking around to the back of the lift and away from the those inside. Arthur felt sick, the image of the dead planet stuck in his mind. How many people? he wondered. How many dead because I was too late?
“Arthur?” Lance said, but Arthur ignored him, communicating instead with Merlin through the capsule behind his ear.
“Merlin,” Arthur said. “Can you hear me?”
“I can, Arthur,” Merlin replied. “I’m-”
“Link Gwen and Lance in,” Arthur interrupted. “We all need to hear this.”
“I’m sorry, I truly am,” Merlin began, speaking to all three of them.
“About what?” Gwen asked.
“Merlin, just tell us what happened,” Arthur said.
“The footage came through a little over two hours ago,” Merlin continued.
“What footage?” Lance asked.
“Just listen,” Arthur snapped, angry and upset by what he had seen.
“The footage from the Ardent Dawn,” Merlin clarified. “The tectonic activity on Teela had increased, so the Assembly gave the evacuation order. As the ships approached the planet, a sudden shift in the tectonic plates caused the planet to rupture, tearing it in two.”
“Oh no,” Gwen whispered, hand over her mouth. “How many?”
“Survivors?” Merlin asked. “In the hundreds of thousands I imagine, no more t
han that. Many of the evacuation ships were destroyed as they attempted to land.”
“But, we found it,” Lance said. “The super-heavy element. We found it.”
“I’m sorry, Sir Lancelot, I truly am,” Merlin said sympathetically. “We were too late, but you did everything you could.”
“Ready the ship,” Arthur said. “We’ll be returning to the surface soon and I want to head straight for Teleri space, do what we can to help.”
“All those people,” Gwen muttered as tears began to fall. Arthur wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him as they both wept for those lost. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled Lance in too. They stood together for a minute or more, composing themselves before braving the interior of the lift.
The Teleri were mostly where Arthur had left them, still in a state of shock at what had happened. “Merlin, we’ve seen enough,” he said. “Everyone, strap yourselves in. We’re returning to the surface.”
The screen went blank and Arthur, Gwen and Lance secured themselves into the seats, Arthur fastening the four-point harness across his chest. The Teleri followed suit, slowly and methodically as the lift began to ascend, slowly gaining speed as it approached the surface.
They sat in silence, staring blankly at the walls of the shaft as they rose, too lost in their own thoughts to care about the outside world. Triltan intermittently broke into sobs, while Silan Daltas barely moved, her face blank and expressionless. Miltren and the two other Teleri looked down at their hands as they used their capsules to try to contact their families, without success.
Once back in the laboratory, they changed quickly from their armour into the environmental suits and stepped out onto the surface of the plated with barely a word exchanged between them. Silan Daltas stopped outside the cargo bay door and turned to Arthur, looking up at him through the misty visor of her suit.
“Thank you, human, for everything you did,” she said. “We’ll return to Teela and do what we can to aid the survivors.”
“We’ll follow,” Arthur replied.
“You’re under no obligation to do so,” Silan Daltas said. “I’d understand if you-”
“No,” Arthur interrupted. “We want to help in any way we can. Please?”
“It is an honour to have met you,” Silan Daltas remarked. “I wish it had been sooner.”
“So do we,” Arthur said sincerely. “We’ll see you again, on the Ardent Dawn.”
Silan Daltas nodded and boarded her vessel with the remains of her crew.
Arthur, Gwen and Lance walked as quickly to their ship as their suits would allow, dragging their bundled armour behind them. As they neared the gangway, it lowered automatically, Merlin’s holographic image waiting for them at the top of the ramp.
“The ship is ready to depart,” Merlin said. “Just give the word.”
“Thanks, Merlin,” Arthur replied as he pressed the button to raise the gangway.
“And Triltan?” Merlin asked.
“She’s travelling back with Silan Daltas,” Arthur said as he began to help Gwen from her environmental suit.
“Understandable,” Merlin replied. “Such loss, it’s barely comprehensible. She’ll need her friends and family around her.”
“Let’s just leave,” Lance said sombrely. “The sooner we’re away from this planet, the better.”
*****
The two vessels made the first jump as soon as they exited the planet’s atmosphere, the first of the six jumps required to reach the Teleri system. Sat silently in the cockpit, Arthur was suddenly reminded of how hungry he was, his stomach aching and churning.
“Lance, Gwen,” he said, rising from his seat. “Let’s eat and try to rest, Merlin can always preform the next jump.”
“You’re right,” Gwen agreed. “I can’t remember the last time we ate anything.”
Arthur led them to the galley, where he requested the dispenser produce meals for each of them. They sat around the small table together, staring at their food, picking away at it without a word.
“My Knights,” Merlin said, appearing at the foot of the table. “This journey hasn’t gone as I’d hoped.”
“We’re not the ones who’ve suffered,” Lance mumbled.
“Maybe,” Merlin agreed, “but you have been forced to learn a harsh lesson. Not every quest you undertake will be successful.”
“Is that supposed to make us feel better?” Arthur asked.
“No,” Merlin replied. “This is merely the reality of life in Camelot, or anywhere else for that matter. However hard you try, you cannot save everyone.”
“So, what?” Gwen asked, anger creeping into her voice. “We should just forget it? Accept it and move on?”
“Far from it!” Merlin said, his voice deep and commanding. “It is vital you remember this day, how you acted and how it made you feel. How else will you learn? You may not be able to save everyone, but you should never stop trying. That is the life of a knight!”
They were silent and taken aback by Merlin’s words. “I think I understand,” Arthur said after a moment, watching as Gwen blushed at Merlin’s tone. “Just because we failed, it doesn’t mean we’re failures? We did our best, and we should remember that, try even harder next time.”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” Merlin said with a wry smile. “Never stop standing up for what’s right, even if the odds seem insurmountable.”
“I’m sorry, Merlin,” Lance said. “We’re upset, angry. I can’t stop thinking about all those people.”
“Me too,” Gwen agreed. “I didn’t mean to get mad at you.”
“No need to apologise,” Merlin replied. “That you care at all shows you to be good people.”
“How are you feeling?” Arthur asked.
“Yes, all those people,” Merlin said. “If the Teleri we’ve met are representative of their species, this has been a huge loss to the galaxy as a whole. I hope we’re wrong, and more were able to flee the planet before the quake.”
“I hope so too,” Lance agreed. “Have you heard any more from the Ardent Dawn.”
“Only the initial pictures,” Merlin replied. “I’ll contact them again when we get closer, determine how best we can help the relief efforts.”
“Okay,” Arthur replied. “Let’s not distract them until we’re closer.”
Merlin disappeared and allowed them to continue eating, though despite their hunger they each found they were lacking an appetite. Once the broth was well and truly cold, Arthur pushed it away and sat back in his chair.
“Do you think Merlin’s okay?” he asked out loud.
“He said so,” Lance replied.
“I know,” Arthur continued. “It’s just, the glitches? He didn’t seem to remember them.”
“Triltan said she’d ask the Teleri scientists to take a look at him,” Gwen remarked.
“I suspect they’ll have other things on their mind,” Lance said quietly. Gwen blushed again, looking down at her food.
“Maybe I’m worrying over nothing,” Arthur said. “I’m just worried about him. He just seems to have been, I don’t know, off somehow these last few weeks. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.”
“He has seemed a little strange,” Gwen agreed.
“It’s Merlin,” Lance said. “How can you tell?” That made the others smile, though it seemed forced.
“Let’s just wait and see,” Lance continued. “Maybe the Teleri scientists will be happy to check him over, make sure everything’s okay.”
“I hope so,” Arthur said sombrely. “I really can’t imagine what it would be like without him.”
*****
Merlin overheard what Arthur and the others had said, their concern for him and his altered behaviour. Merlin thought back to when they had mentioned the glitches, but there was nothing he could remember that would explain what they had heard.
He realised though that he was beginning to feel that something was wrong, that something was being hidden from him, kept
secret. He’d had such thoughts and feelings before, during his years of isolation on earth, but they’d vanished once Arthur and the others had come into his life. In recent days though they’d begun to come back, fleeting doubts and suggestions that something was wrong or out of place. Part of him believed that if he could recover what was lost, everything would be okay.
During the time between jumps, Merlin attempted to access his system programming, to look for errors or anomalies. Unfortunately, much of the system code was off-limits to him, just as his DNA had been when he’d had a living, breathing body. Though he’d learnt to make copies of pieces of himself, to fool the security system on the Mori Hive ship, he was no more able to understand the complexities of the code than Arthur or anyone else.
He even used his access to the Teleri vessel, hoping the advanced computers aboard could help him, but something within the code seemed to block him at every step. He wished, and not for the first time, that he could remember his transition into the computer, the reasons why he did it and who, if anyone, had helped him. Though he understood the workings of computers from his time studying the Ark, the idea of programming one to store his mind and memories seemed beyond him, though he would fervently deny that if anyone were to ask.
No, he would have to wait until the Teleri scientists were able to analyse the code for him, to work out what was wrong and put it right. He only hoped that it wouldn’t be too late.
*****
An hour before the engines had recharged to perform the last jump, Arthur tried again to contact the Ardent Dawn and inform them of their arrival. He’d tried several times before, but all without success.
“Silan Daltas has been trying as well,” Triltan explained when Arthur contacted the Teleri vessel. “We’ve been unable to reach them since they transmitted the initial images.”
“We thought they might be too busy with survivors?” Arthur replied.
X-Calibur: The Descent Page 12