The Beginning of the End (Universe in Flames Book 4)

by Christian Kallias

  Yet Gaia had given no signs of life since his return, so Chase thought her argument was unfounded and sounded more like an excuse.

  But it had become clear to him that whatever frail relationship he had with the admiral before was now entirely gone. The only reason Chase was still a member of Earth Alliance was thanks to Commodore Saroudis, and perhaps the occasional appearance of Ares.

  His request to at least go find the Olympians or the Asgardians had also been denied point blank, and he had to fight every one of his instincts to just go do these things on his own and the admiral be damned.

  But he didn’t want to leave Sarah and Chris behind. Since he had seen them in trouble in his vision, he feared that if he wasn’t there when the next battle happened, they could get killed.

  Yet the stars beckoned him. He wanted to get out there and fight the enemy, not wait and give them time to build ships with which they could destroy everything and everyone.

  As almost every other day since his return, he was out training. He always chose a deserted place, to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone.

  Ares had been absent for a few days, and that made training much less efficient, but already Chase felt he could reach full power in much less time than before, though he didn’t manage to enter the same fury mode that allowed him to defeat Argos twice.

  It seemed only utter rage helped him reach this almost unlimited power. He did feel near, though, a couple of times during training, so he would keep training until he could unlock the secret to accessing this power consciously.

  Chase had chosen to train in the Death Valley desert today. It was so hot that the landscape appeared blurry and wavy. Chase closed his eyes and grew his aura. Soon he felt a tremendous amount of power burning within him. When he re-opened his eyes, sand was dancing around him like a tornado as he stood in the eye of the storm that his purple aura had created.

  Purple lightning ran over his muscles. He focused on a series of huge boulders he had brought from all around his training ground. He sent them flying high in the sky with his mind until they disappeared from sight. He then released his grip and sent a whirlwind shockwave in their direction as soon as he reacquired a visual. The shockwave randomly affected their trajectory and gave them a wild spin. He flew upwards at max speed, leaving a huge sand crater at the point of departure and sending large waves of sand all around. In less than a second he was approaching the large chunks of stones heading his way in the most chaotic fashion.

  Chase split the first boulder in two with a flying kick. Before completing his kick the next boulder almost crushed him and he had to use all his reflexes to dodge it. Even so, the boulder still grazed his face and cut him under the left eye. His reaction was immediate and he blew the boulder up with a well-timed fireball. The resulting shockwave altered the other boulders’ trajectory and created unexpected wind currents.

  Chase destroyed the third boulder with his knee before getting rid of the fourth by exploding it from the inside out with a powerful kinetic shockwave. The last boulder, the biggest one yet, approached at impressive speed. He decided to try to block this one.

  He extended his hands forward and braced for impact. The sheer velocity and giant mass of the boulder sent Chase flying with it down towards the surface, but soon he slowed its descent and was holding it with just one hand above his head. He lit up his hand with a powerful fireball and disintegrated it with little to no effort. He looked down at the debris from all the other boulders as it approached the sandy ground. He sent a rapid flurry of small fireballs and made sure to disintegrate every single chunk before it impacted with the sand. It drained a lot of his energy, and once the attack was over he was panting heavily.

  He let himself drop smoothly back to the sand as more dust from the destroyed boulders was deposited on the dunes around him.

  Then something fast appeared in the sky. It was flying faster than any Earth plane, and for a second Chase feared it might be a Fury.

  But soon a construction droid landed in front of him, spilling sand all around him.

  “Hu-Hello? What can I do for you?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Chase wondered why the droid was talking to him and why on Earth it cared. Then it hit him. “Gaia, I presume?”

  “Yes, I can use this droid body to communicate with you.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gaia. And to answer your question, I’m training.”

  “I see. As for meeting you, I wish I could say the same.”

  “Oh, why’s that?”

  “You are dangerous, and I’m still deciding if I want you on my planet.”

  Your planet?

  Then Chase remembered his conversation with Spiros, Cedric and Yanis. This did match what they had told him.

  “You have nothing to fear from me, Gaia, I assure you. I’ll give my life before I let Earth fall.”

  “That’s what Spiros told me, and the only reason I didn’t obliterate the shuttle you used to get down upon your return.”

  “Charming. Remind me to send Spiros a fruit basket to thank him for that,” said Chase, grinning.

  “I do not respond well to sarcasm.”

  “What do you respond well to, Gaia? Is saving this world twice over not enough to convince you I mean no harm to this world?”

  “I wasn’t born back then, but I did find evidence to support this and I thank you for it.”

  Funny way of showing it.

  “You’re welcome. I guess.”

  “But then there was Tokyo.”

  “Right, I’m not proud of myself, but—”

  “You were mad, angry at the man who had forced you to kill the woman you loved. I witnessed that fight and heard everything Argos told you. I almost intervened, in fact.”

  “Not sure what you could have done, really. But yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. There isn’t a single day when I don’t think of the damage and lives I might have taken during this fight. I’m not proud of myself, believe me.”

  “And hence my problem trusting you. On paper you seem like a good guy, but your emotions drive you, to the point where you sometimes lose control and let your rage guide your actions. What’s to say you won’t destroy this world if something happens to Sarah or your unborn child?”

  “You are well informed, I’ll grant you that.”

  “I see everything, Chase. I have linked with the planet on the biological level, every animal, every plant. I know everything there is to know about Earth. I speak for this world. Even those boulders you crushed a minute ago.”

  “Shouldn’t I have done that?”

  “No, that’s fine, and I appreciate your diligence in training far away from any populated area. However, you did injure a hawk earlier on. You probably didn’t feel it.”

  Chase closed his eyes and expanded his thoughts. He felt the bird about three miles away, its feathers warm from the contact with the burning sand.

  “Be right back,” said Chase, before flying toward the injured bird so fast it looked as if he teleported there.

  It was a majestic creature, and indeed it had a stone-sized hole in one of its wing and was bleeding. When Chase approached, it screamed.

  “Easy, my friend. I’m really sorry for hurting you, but let me fix you up.”

  Chase put his hand on the bird and in less than a second the hole in its wing had mended, and the hawk stopped bleeding. It flew upwards and screamed loudly in the sky, before flying back and landing on Chase’s shoulder.

  “Hey, buddy, feeling better?”

  The hawk bumped his head affectionately against Chase’s neck. He petted the bird from neck to tail.

  The droid landed nearby.

  “I’m sorry, Gaia, I will try to be more mindful in the future.”

  “Thank you for healing my brethren.”

  “I hurt that poor bird. It’s only fair I healed him.”

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  “I’m listening?”

  “We want
to help you train.”

  “We?”

  “I’ve spoken with Spiros about this. He’s the one who proposed we help you in your training endeavors. I was reticent at first, but he is very good at argumentation and he and your other friends hold you in the highest regards.”

  “Glad to hear it, Gaia. I hope I can win your trust as well one day.”

  “You’re on the right path. I sensed nothing but love for life when you rushed away from me to attend to that wounded bird.”

  The hawk, still perched on Chase’s shoulder, screamed as if to underline Gaia’s comment.

  “It was only natural. Wish I had something to feed you with, though.”

  “Why don’t you use the same technique you did to locate the bird to locate a treat for him?” inquired Gaia.

  “That’s an interesting thought. Let me try.”

  Chase closed his eyes, expanded his mind and located a flurry of insects under the surface of the sand. Two of them were dead, so he levitated them and brought them to the hawk, who ate them right away.

  “I doubt that will be enough. He would probably need to find some live prey, but I don’t have the heart to give him a live rodent.”

  “And so you shouldn’t. Let nature balance itself. It’s a complex equation, but one that knows what it’s doing.”

  “Right. So about training, what did you have in mind? Don’t take this the wrong way, Gaia, but I could probably dispatch that droid body of yours with a sneeze.”

  “We’ve already made some of them stronger, with stronger armor and powerful shields. We have a few ready and more are coming.”

  “How did you spin using these resources to help me train with Admiral Thassos?”

  “She doesn’t need to know. Spiros requested the resources for some R&D. In his eyes, making you stronger is the best way we can protect this world.”

  “Sneaky, but I appreciate the gesture. I don’t know what’s wrong with the admiral lately, but she doesn’t seem to understand the danger we all face.”

  “I agree. Our thinking was that you’ll progress faster fighting intelligent droids rather than squandering your energy exploding boulders.”

  “Can’t argue with that logic. And I look forward to some more intensive training. How intelligent are we talking about here?”

  “I’ll pilot some of them myself for maximum efficiency, and I will learn fighting tactics while doing so. That will in turn make them stronger and more able to provide the challenge you need to progress faster.”

  “Impressive. When do we start?” Chase was unable to contain his excitement at the thought of tougher training.

  “Let me show you what we’ve come up with. Follow me,” said Gaia, flying upwards and veering at ninety degrees towards the northeast.

  “Gotta go, buddy,” said Chase to the hawk, who also took flight.

  Chase was soon in the sky flying beside Gaia.

  * * *

  Daniel and Fillio were walking along the beach at dawn after their dinner date, hand in hand.

  “I had a really good time tonight, Daniel, thank you for the lovely evening.”

  “You’re welcome. I had a great time too. You’re a great gal.”

  She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

  “Gal?”

  “Did I say anything wrong?”

  “No, silly, I’m just teasing you. But while I appreciate these dates of ours and the fine time we’re spending in the sack, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

  “What impression?”

  “That I might be looking for something serious. Don’t get me wrong, Daniel, you’re a great guy. You’re funny, sweet and a good lover, but I’m still trying to adjust to life on Earth. This doesn’t feel right somehow.”

  “Oh . . .”

  “Let me rephrase that. I don’t want you to misunderstand what I’m trying to say. You and I, we’re both officers. In the old days we would not be able to fraternize the way we do at the moment. Even on Earth they have regulations against it. I’m really happy for all the quality time we’re having, but I . . . I have not been dealing well with the fall of the former Alliance. I-I lost everyone back home, my parents, my two sisters. The only one who survived is my little brother Yanis.”

  “I know. We’ve all lost everything and almost everyone we loved and cared about. I understand how you feel.”

  “And yet you seem to adapt to this new life of ours. I, on the other hand . . .”

  He stopped and looked into her eyes. “What is it, Fillio?”

  “Don’t you ever ask yourself if any of this is worth it?”

  “What do you mean? Any of what?”

  “Everything. Life, the war, all this senseless fighting. I’m getting tired of it.”

  He took her in his arms for a very long time.

  “Is there anything else bothering you, Fillio?”

  She looked at the waves ending their relentless travel on the sandy shore. Their sound had a calming effect.

  “I’m not sure.”

  Daniel sensed something bothering her on a deeper level. He wished he knew what it was so he could help her with it. “You know you can tell me anything?”

  She gently caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. “You’re so sweet. I apologize for crapping up the mood tonight. I think I’m just tired lately.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I just want you to know I’m here for you. No matter what it is, you can always talk to me about it.”

  She smiled and they resumed their romantic walk along the beach.

  * * *

  Ryonna was pensive as she watched the interstellar news broadcast in Tar’Lock’s flat. She hadn’t seen Ronan in almost three weeks, ever since he had been transferred to the Phoenix. She was proud of him, of course, but she didn’t like the fact that he was in Droxian space while she was on Earth.

  What was she doing here? she wondered. The admiral’s lack of aggression, letting Argos and his forces invade more worlds, really annoyed her. Perhaps even more than it did Chase. She hadn’t seen him in three days. He was training more and more lately.

  “You okay, Ryonna?” inquired Tar’Lock.

  “What are we still doing here?”

  “I don’t know. I think the admiral got shaken by the last attack on Earth. She’s playing it safe.”

  “Which is exactly the opposite of what she should be doing right now. I think it’s time for new leadership.”

  “Easy there, tiger.”

  “Don’t tell me you don’t think so too.”

  “Sure, the admiral’s conservative approach to planetary defense is worrisome.”

  “Conservative? Call it what it is. She’s a coward.”

  “And yet we haven’t been attacked, perhaps because the show of force around both Earth and Droxia was enough to give Argos pause. Have you thought of that?”

  “Or that’s exactly what he wants, so he can amass a vast stockpile of resources and let the Fury rebuild their ships in peace. This is a mistake! I can feel it with every fiber of my being.”

  “Have you tried contacting your connections on Droxia?”

  “I’ve asked my brother-in-law Jonas to relay a message to high command.”

  “And?”

  “And for the time being they are happy to abide by the admiral’s current defensive posture.”

  “Droxia hasn’t been attacked either since the first time the Destiny battle group and the admiral’s fleet intervened to save your world. They must feel indebted to her.”

  “Perhaps. I just hate staying here doing nothing. Don’t you?”

  “Well, after years of imprisonment in Hellstar and the very eventful weeks that followed, I’m actually glad for some down time; but I’ll grant you that days seem to pass slowly.”

  “You can say that again.” Ryonna exhaled in frustration. “I have to go see Sarah. I’ll be back later.”

  “Give her my best.”

  “Will do.”

  Ryonna arrived a
t Sarah’s place a little before the agreed time. She rang her doorbell nonetheless.

  “Hey, Ryonna, you’re early. Please come in.”

  They sat on her living-room sofa.

  “How are you doing these days, Ryonna?”

  “I’m going nuts these days. There’s nothing for me to do. I feel utterly useless.”

  “I actually enjoy having time to rest, even though I do miss the thrills of fighting with the StarFuries. I go on patrols from time to time but it’s not the same.”

  “At least you do fly.”

  “You’re quite grumpy. Can’t you go train with Chase?”

  “He doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “What do you think?”

  “That I wish he didn’t see me as a porcelain doll. I don’t care how strong he is, I can still teach him a thing or two about combat!”

  “He is overprotective at times, but he means well.”

  “And yet you two are not really on good terms. Why?”

  “I’d rather we talked about something else. Why did you want to see me?”

  “To see how you were doing and try to understand the tension between the two of you. But since you don’t want to talk about that I guess I should be on my way,” said Ryonna, getting up from the sofa.

  “Hey easy, sit down.”

  “But you just said . . .”

  “I know, but perhaps we can talk about it anyway. That’s why you came and I’m happy to see you. So please stay.”

  Ryonna sat back down and attempted a smile. “I know it’s none of my business but I’m having difficulty understanding what the problem is between you two.”

  “The problem is that Chase was willing to sacrifice the future for me. I would never have accepted that if given the choice. I was perfectly fine dying, if that meant the Furies stayed trapped where they belong.”

  “Let’s get one thing straight: the Furies deserve to be dead, no one is arguing that. I don’t know what the Olympians were thinking, trapping them instead, but one day or the other they would have escaped. It seems to be incumbent on our generation to deal with them.”