Hypernova Series: Worlds At war

by Paris Cavanah

  “Wait! Stupid human, and little girl!”

  Kiwok clambers towards us. Each step he takes sends reverberations through my feet.

  “I help to!”

  “But, Kiwok, don’t you hate Ron and me?”

  “Yes. But teachers say you is family. I am soldier. I protect family. Even if they are tiny and stupid.”

  “Oh...ok.”

  “Besides-” Kiwok nudges between Naki and me.

  “-Ron let me fly ship! Nobody let me fly ship. That was nice. I like!”

  Albeit confusing, I’m glad Kiwok is starting to like us. My shoulders rise and fall nonchalantly.

  “Whatever you say, buddy.”

  He grins showing me his set of pearly whites.

  “Buddy.” He contemplates the word. “Me like sound of that!”

  ∆∆∆

  “Wait!”

  A shrill cry stops us in our tracks. Roxie is standing several feet away from the three of us. Her hands are knit together, and her arms are trembling. It’s a strange sight compared to her usual terrifying demeanor.

  “Get in the Transport Ship instead, fire up the engines...we’re going to save Ron together.”

  Naki and Kiwok grin but I’m not so quick to trust her.

  “Why change your mind all of a sudden, Roxie?” I demand. “I thought my brother wasn’t worth it.”

  “He’s not worth it, or- he shouldn't be! But...when I see how much you guys care for him. I can’t help but let my heart get the better of me…I know what it’s like to lose somebody you love on the field of battle. I won’t let that happen to you too, as long as I can help it.”

  And with that, the four of us embark on our current quest. To save Ron from Odium’s villainous clutches. A rush of determination sets my body alight with adrenaline.

  I’m coming to save you...Ron!

  I’m An Awkward Teenage Idiot

  Naki, Roxie, Kiwok and I pile into the nearby Aqua Class Transport ship. Clambering into the pilot’s bay, Roxie takes the lead. Firing up all systems, we blast out of Dree’s dome-shaped forcefield and approach the epipelagic zone moments later. Our A.I adjusts our internal pressure and readies our craft for space. As we cautiously approach the stratosphere, far beyond, a monstrous ship painted blood-red and gold looms over the planet.

  “Initiate cloaking mechanisms” Roxie demands.

  The A.I complies. We hear a slight humming sound and a blue hue erupts around our craft.

  “This is the same cloaking tech as Eunoia, so does that mean we can approach Odiums vessel without being detected?” Just like Ron back on Earth. When he snuck past Air Traffic Control.

  “Most likely,” Roxie confirms. “Odium is using Raider tech, which is outdated compared to the Citadel.”

  She frowns.

  “Although, that doesn’t guarantee we’ll get inside his ship.”

  As we approach, I can feel the emotions in the cabin growing tense. My companions stand beside one another. Out-of-the-blue, Naki grips my wrist.

  “Finn, follow me. I need to talk to you before we reach Odiums ship.”

  I’ve always hated the sentence- “we need to talk”. Even worse she looks tense. I send the others an awkward head nod as she leads me into the hall and into the nearest empty room, which happens to be a maintenance bay. The blue lighting from above compliments the pastel shades of her face. Naki tucks her head tail behind her ear as if it is a strand of hair obscuring her vision. She’s tense. Her eyes dart at the floor before finally meeting my own.

  “Finn, I think I know something that might pertain to Odiums relationship to you and Ron.”

  Shock crosses my face, my mouth opens slightly.

  “What is it?”

  Her silence is haunting.

  “Naki, don’t stop now.”

  She contemplates with her lips shut tight. She can’t back out of this conversation now.

  “Please.” I lunge forward holding her wrist in a vice grip. Don’t you dare get cold feet! Her voice is soft as she inches closer to me.

  “When Ron first arrived here on Altair, rumors were going around that he was...troubled…”

  My confusion is tangible. She rests her palm on my chest to soothe me. My hand falls to my side letting go of her wrist.

  “S- sorry, please keep going.”

  She does,

  “Kisoi mentioned that Ron was always by Ulmu’s side. Unlike other Fledgils, he was ordered to stay with the Godosnion. Even now, Ulmu shows particular interest in humans. It makes no sense…”

  “Wait. Go back a bit. What do you mean by “Ron was troubled?”

  “I only know what Kisoi told me. But Ron was showing signs of PTSD or...possible abuse. He flinched when people touched him. Had dark marks under his eyes from lack of sleep and he was always trying to cover his burn from other students-”

  My brows crinkle. I cut her off,

  “Well that makes sense. Poor guy was abducted by Raiders. It was probably traumatizing.”

  “Not just that.”

  She sounds bold in response to my own hasty questioning,

  “He was sent in for medical checks every second day. Other Fledgils thought it was because he was mentally unsound.”

  I can feel my heart breaking.

  “That’s why even now despite being so nice to others he’s being ostracized. They think he’s crazy.”

  The puzzle pieces of Ron’s past are coming together. This information is interesting, but not yet vital. I shake my head,

  “Naki. I still don’t understand why you need to tell me this now.”

  “What if Ron’s trauma is due to Odium? What if they met before Ron arrived on Altair.”

  All-at-once the world falls silent. I’ll admit. Naki’s hypothesis makes sense. She’s one smart lady. I contemplate this information for a moment. My breath hitches. It seems...unbelievable.

  Then again, Ron did spend time with those Raiders. Could it be he met Odium then? When they were children?!

  “If you truly think that, Naki. Why does Ron not remember Odium?”

  “Remember those constant visits to medical facilities I mentioned? They could have been to ensure that his memories remained erased…”

  “W- what? You’ve lost me.”

  “There is no doubt Odium knows Ron. He’s said it himself multiple times, and if Ron can’t remember him that means that those memories have most-certainly been deleted.”

  A sudden chill sweeps through me, as if a cold wind has cut through the room. She looks down at my chest rising and falling in rapid succession.

  “I’m not telling you this so you’ll panic.”

  She squeezes my hand drawing my attention back to her.

  “The Citadel uses Memory Erasal Technology on Infant Planet prospects all the time. When we rescue Ron, you need to ask him what happened to him immediately after he was abducted. Locked memories can be triggered by key words and phrases, so start there.”

  Finally, I slip out of my daze and look her in the eyes. I didn’t realize how close she was. Her presence is so soothing.

  “I will.” I burst into a smile. “We’ll get through this. I’m sure of it.”

  Her chuckle is sweet as sugar.

  “That’s the spirit. I’m glad you’re always so determined, Finn.”

  That’s when the oddest thing happens. We become paralizyed. Staring deep into eachothers eyes. My lips part. Eyes darting down to her own before back up at her emerald gaze. Crap, I think my palms are sweating. She smirks leaning in closer. Oh no! What do I do?!

  My entire body tenses. Is she going in for a kiss? I probably have smelly-fish-breath like Chad always said. Should I try to give her a high-five instead?

  The world is moving in slow motion. Despite my mind being a wildfire of insecure thoughts I manage to grip her waist and tug her against my chest.

  Keep calm, Finn. Just remember, girls like confidence...wait...when was the last time I put on deodorant!?

  The A.I’s male vo
ice explodes over the loudspeaker breaking the tension, pulling us apart like two plus-sided magnets.

  “Exiting Dree’s exosphere. Approaching enemy vessel.”

  We clear our throats. She shuffles past me.

  “W- we better get going.”

  “Right. Time to get back to work. Let’s save Ron.”

  Kiwok Makes A Tough Choice

  We stare up at Odium’s vast ship, so big that it blocks out the entire starfield.

  “Man…” I groan. “What an egotist. Why does Odium need such a big ship for one person?”

  Naki interjects.

  “It probably belonged to Zho-Zho before…”

  She pauses to glance at Kiwok, implying “…before he was killed by you”

  “It looks like a transport ship as well,” she continues. “They use these to imprison trafficking victims. At the least, for stolen goods or tech.”

  “That’s right. Ron was abducted by these guys a long time ago.” They probably stole him away in a ship just like this. After my conversation with Naki the idea is fresh in my brain and causes my skin to crawl.

  “Grr, bad guy should be alone! All friends are dead. He lost. We win. He loser.”

  Kiwok rebounds with confidence.

  “We have nothing to fear. Warriors beat tiny alien to bloody pulp.”

  Roxie rolls her eyes, looking to say something sarcastic but, instead, offers a genuine compliment.

  “I like your enthusiasm Kiwok. And you’re correct. My Etis companions captured the remaining Raider troops scattered around the city. The other soldiers should be dead. It’s just Odium and Ron in that enormous ship.”

  That should be comforting. But I can’t help but feel uneasy. Odium has his prize. He has Ron. He should have burst into hyperspace as soon as the trade was complete.

  So why is he still here?

  Does he want to lure us into the ship? If that’s the case, why didn’t he list that in his demands in the first place?

  Odium’s motives (other than waging war on the galaxies) are still unknown, and he’s the toughest bastard I've ever faced in combat. Leaving me with a sinking sensation in my gut and a chill that crawls up my spine.

  We linger near the underbelly of Odiums vessel. Roxie orders the A.I to search for a way in. The A.I. begins a scanning process, attempting to find any flaws in the Raider A.I tech that can be discreetly hacked.

  “Several firewalls detected,” the soft voice chimes. “All firewalls deactivated. Alarms are now currently disabled. Security Cameras are inactive. No signs of enemy interference. Opening landing platform seven and initiating emergency landing procedures.”

  A large landing platform, protected by a neon-orange forcefield, is lowered. We make our way towards it. As soon as we pass the barrier, Odium’s ship scoops us up into a decompression room that blasts air in all directions.

  From the right-hand side, far below, a spiral shaped door rotates on an axis. A strip of red lights in the center switches to blue. I assume that means the decompression procedures are complete. It’s time to go.

  I’m coming to save you, Ron!

  The four of us exit our ship and move carefully and quietly across the loading bay, ready for anything. Our plasma pistols are armed and our fingers tease the triggers. Roxie takes up the lead. I have no issues with that. After all, she’s putting her life on the line to save my older brother, and she is my superior. Getting on her bad side won’t do me any favors.

  We tuck behind a large silver crate filled to the brim with gadgets and gizmos. Roxie peeks around the corner, her tail flicks in contemplation.

  “Suppose we have no choice. This is the only exit.”

  We funnel through the spiral door and enter a circular hallway. Haunting red lights dimly illuminate the passageway. Roxie moves forward with me by her side. We’re followed closely by Naki and Kiwok, although Kiwok’s lumbering footsteps aren’t well suited for this stealth mission. By the time we round another corner, I realize that Odium will know we’re coming just by the sound of our laboured breathing.

  Roxie puts her hand on a closed door.

  “It’s locked.”

  She taps her Jericho Watch.

  Perhaps she’s attempting to hack the ship again?

  But she doesn’t get the chance. A different door, further down the passageway, turns blue and opens. The others remain firmly shut.

  “I hate to say this,” I begin, “but I think Odium already knows we’re here.”

  Naki nods agreement.

  “You’re right, Finn, and he’s leading us right to him.”

  Roxie sees the tense look on Naki’s face and encourages her.

  “It’ll be ok. We outnumber him. All we’ve lost is the element of surprise.”

  Naki regains her confident composure.

  “You’re right. As long as we’re aware that we might run into a trap and stick together as a team, we’ll save Ron.”

  Although I’m seriously riled up, I know from experience that our victory is not assured. I take up the lead, charging into the next hallway with the others tailing me.

  “Finn…” Roxie warns. “Be careful.”

  “Right.”

  I raise my pistol and approach a large open corridor leading into an airlock. We enter the airlock, exit on the other side, and approach a row of huge elevators; with enough room to pack a car or two. Only one elevator opens. We load inside and the A.I carries the elevator all the way to the top floor.

  The door opens.

  It takes a moment to fully process what I’m looking at due to the fact that it fills me with blood-curdling rage.

  Firstly, Ron is laying on his side on the floor of the command center with his hands behind his back. He’s bound with three metal rings. One around his chest, the second around his stomach, and the third around his legs. They are locked at the back with a metal clasp. His hair is a tangled mess. His lip is cut open and his face is covered with purplish-green bruises. His eyes are closed making me believe he’s unconscious. Behind him is a huge window fitted with dark-orange projector screens illuminating ship functions and coordinates. Rows of chairs behind square monitors have been left abandoned. This makes the room feel hollow and haunted.

  Second, Odium is standing over Ron’s comatose body. At the sight of us he tilts his head in amusement and raises his foot. He starts to press down on Ron’s jugular with the heel of his boot.

  “You bastard, get away from my brother!”

  I’m about to hurtle myself across the room. My body surges with adrenaline and I prepare to rush at the enemy...but somebody new stops me.

  Finally, a bulbous, shadowy figure in the corner moves. It steps around Odium and Ron, standing before the four of us with a grim expression. The Kiquit growls at me before turning to Kiwok.

  No way...why is he here?!

  “Son.” Woya acknowledges without a hint of emotion.

  “Dad!” Kiwok gasps.

  Woya is wearing his Aver uniform but it’s visibly ripped and torn. The Kraken sigil on the back has been sliced in two with a knife revealing Woya’s lizard-like scales. In the center of his chest is a crystal shard. The incision looks painful. Woya’s muscles are bulging and shifting while the crystal infects his veins.

  “Why you here?”

  For the first time since I've met him, Kiwok’s voice is hushed.

  “I was giving Altair by-pass codes and coordinates to my lord, Odium. I was also in the process of extracting my revenge on this stupid human.”

  Woya’s eyes are filled with hate. He glares at my brother before turning back to his son.

  “It took me fifteen years to attain my position at Altair, but Ron...all he had to do was smile at Ulmu and he gained the same power within months! Missions that were supposed to be mine were given to him. My opinions started being ignored, my actions deemed violent and in contempt...all because Ulmu favors Ron!”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Has Woya really betrayed Altair just because he
hates humans? How treacherous can he be!?

  “Despite all my hard work,” the Kinquit continues. “The Godsonion refuses to accept my brilliance! I’ve been demeaned and belittled due to Ulmu’s pathetic favoritism of a weaker and dumber species.”

  Kiwok is dumbfounded. I highly doubt he hasn’t heard his father’s opinions in the past...but to see him betray The Citadel because of it? That’s gotta’ sting.

  Naki interrupts.

  “Ulmu promoted Ron because he’s trying to make Earth a Known Planet. He’s struggling and needs our help! This is about equality. Is it so hard for you to understand the concept of teamwork? That’s what Ulmu is always preaching to us! To love and support our fellow soldiers. To lend them a hand when they are down and defeated. But you...Woya, you’re selfish and clearly a narcissist!”

  Roxie steps forward.

  “I couldn’t have said it better, Naki.”

  Roxie gives Woya a death stare.

  “Woya, I am hereby placing you into custody for treason. You’ve shamed the Citadel with your treachery, and we’re going to take you down!”

  “Not so fast,” Odium purrs. “There is another matter we need to attend to before we begin such bloodshed. Kiwok, you must share the same feelings as your father? Why don’t you come over here and give this man a hit or two across the face? It’ll make you feel better.”

  Ron wakes up just as Odiums’ boot presses harder against his neck. My brother gasps. His eyes flickering open in alarm before setting his sights on me. Looking at my traumatized expression...he smiles. Once again telling me telepathically, “It’s ok, I’ll be fine.”

  “Son, look at me. We are no longer members of the Citadel. Leave those fools and join my side. We will kill them together.”

  Woya reaches into his pocket (the same one I had my eye on in the arcade). Woya brandishes another shard. Talk about double-trouble. It pulsates, infecting him, turning the veins under his scales black as night. Just as it did to Ron on Aronevia, it begins amplifying his evil intentions. His eyes form slits and he laughs.