by Trent Falls
John and Scott were shot clear of the vessel into open space. John could hear his suit still pressurizing. He hoped to God that he wouldn’t get the bends!
Open space was incredibly calm. All the noise was gone. All the conflict was gone. The battle that raged on the Nanjing moments earlier was replaced with perfect silence. John again heard nothing but his own breathing inside his helmet.
John quickly realized that Euler was drifting along side of him at the same speed. Euler’s back was to John. The knife was spinning, also at the same speed, next to Euler through space.
John could see Euler convulse. He struggled for air, soon turning to panic. His arms flailed. Space was terribly silent. John could do nothing for Euler but watch him die from behind.
A part of him desperately wanted to help Euler. It seemed a terribly lonely way to die. It seemed horrifically brutal in its silence. A part of John felt terribly guilty. It was a guilt like he hadn’t felt since he first killed a man. Euler’s life was bleeding away from him in front of his eyes in the loneliness of space. John couldn’t turn away.
Euler flailed more. It was a painful death.
What had John done? What had he become? It was a most intimate setting to die; one man watching another’s life end as they floated through the star filled void.
Euler writhed for a few seconds more. His body expanded slightly.
Then it was over.
Scott Euler was dead, floating lifelessly away with John among a sea of stars. For a few seconds John became overwhelmed with sorrow. He cried in his helmet, if only for a few moments, for the life of Scott Euler. He cried for all who had died and for his own soul.
Remorse and sadness melted away just as quickly. John depressed the activation switch for his EPIRB. He then keyed in the com frequency to the Tequesta, where Lyle Ramirez was supposed to be monitoring him.
“Alright I’m out. Blow it!” John spoke loudly into the com.
It took a few seconds for anything to happen. John simply floated on through space next to Scott’s body.
Then a bright flash of light seemed to radiate everywhere. One of the large energy spheres fired from the planet surface. It blazed through space, slamming into the Nanjing.
The Nanjing exploded, ripping apart in a fiery blast to leave debris and burning gas.
It was over.
John looked up at his HUD to see his suit had ten minutes of air remaining. He closed his eyes and rested, hoping to be picked up quickly before his air could run out.
Chapter 28
The wind pulled at Julie Stevens’ long blonde hair, trailing it out behind her head in the ocean breeze. Her blue Xen jump suit was dirty and ripped at the shoulder. She was tired. She had seen both the incredible and the horrific. For the moment, she just wanted to take in the view of the alien ocean. She tried to relax her thoughts as she watched the waves roll in. Her uncle was right. They did break differently on that planet due to the minor difference in the gravity.
There was a massive muffled boom that shook the sky. It was low volume and deep, yet more massive of a presence than any thunderclap Julie had heard.
It was the second time that day that Julie had heard such a sound. She looked up to see another large white cloud outline high in the stratosphere. It wasn’t a cloud. The tendrils extending away from the cloud was debris. The cloud was expanding; exploding outward. It was the remains of the Nanjing.
“It is done.” Taos voice came from over Julie’s shoulder.
The blonde eighteen year old girl looked over her shoulder up at the towering balding humanoid male standing over her.
“That’s it?” Julie asked plainly. “They’re all gone?”
“Yes.” Taos answered.
“And my uncle?” Julie asked hesitantly.
“He’s okay.” Taos said in an even tone. “He’s being picked up now.”
“Picked up?” Julie asked curiously.
“It would be better if he explained.” Taos responded.
Julie looked out again to the sea. There were several spots on the ocean where smoke was rising into the sky. Not far away the remains of two Xen fighters floated in the ocean, both craft also on fire. The beach behind here was littered with debris, dropped weapons, and dead bodies.
“Your society believes in peace. It believes it’s evolved.” Julie spoke indirectly to Taos as she looked around. “Yet you killed thousands today without even thinking twice about it.”
“Over ten million humans were killed in your last war with one planet left uninhabitable.” Taos replied bluntly while turning away. “The loss of ten thousand or so humans is inconsequential by comparison.”
Taos walked away from the beach. He headed up the off-white sandy shore towards Elizabeth, who stood near the tree line.
“Please follow me.” Taos said in a calm tone over his shoulder at Julie.
Julie pulled her attention away from the sea to hurry up alongside of Taos. The two walked casually up the beach together.
“We had hopes for the Xen.” Taos admitted. “They left your planet in search of a better life. By that time the Earth had become poisoned and morally bankrupt.”
“We’re not like that anymore.” Julie argued.
“You’ve improved some.” Taos countered, looking over his shoulder at her as they walked.
Julie decided not to press the issue. Taos obviously considered himself to be of a superior race. His opinion of humanity didn’t seem likely to change. She also wasn’t sure of the kind of power he could wield, which still scared her a bit.
“What’s your planet like, Taos?” Julie asked.
Taos looked to his side at Julie, somewhat surprised by the question.
“The Norn is a collective of planets.” Taos noted to her. “Mine is not unlike this one. We’ve actually forbade weapons on my world. Greed does not exist. Justice is equitable. The sick are attended to equally without pause to consider their social standing or, as you do, to demand payment.”
Taos walked on a bit further in silence. Julie saw one of the rock monsters walking calmly a short distance away. The dark grey rock creature was still a terrifying sight to behold. The monster walked slowly into the tree cover and disappeared.
“What are those things?” Julie asked hesitantly.
“The Gorath.” Taos answered. “Really they are entities of energy programmed by us. They can assume any element as their form but the stone of these mountains seems to work very well. They are a defense mechanism.”
“They’re really… incredible.” Julie noted, eyeing the spot in the jungle where the rock beast had disappeared.
“The truth is we don’t like to use them.” Taos noted soberly. “We honestly don’t like any of this. Conflict is sometimes a necessary evil, one that we haven’t been able to disassociate ourselves from entirely.”
“You did this because one man shot at you.” Julie observed. “He panicked and you wiped out his entire crew. Two starships.”
“Those men came here with the intention to take our technology, some by any means necessary.” Taos responded. “We could not allow this. We needed to strike hard and completely. We couldn’t allow them time to regroup or shore up their defenses.”
“You’re not gods.” Julie observed in sudden realization. “They see you as gods but that man, Bradley, one of yours died. You’re not indestructible.”
“We are advanced but we don’t have the means to fend off death, no.” Taos countered. “Our science isn’t perfect. We’re not perfect, no.”
Taos and Julie finally caught up with Elizabeth. Julie looked ahead to the Norn female in her flowing white robe. She seemed somewhat warrior like the way she walked with her staff. She was different from Taos somehow. Taos had the presence of a leader but didn’t seem to be the fighter; not like Elizabeth or Lyle.
“It’s been decided that the human race is to be spared from any further threats of force by the Norn.” Taos noted aloud to Julie with certainty in his voice. “Your peopl
e, on Earth, Xin’Shi, and all of your colonies must be made to understand that they must improve as a society. We cannot stop you from expanding your presence in the universe but we cannot allow any more worlds to be polluted by your current behavior either. The worlds your people have discovered have thus far been uninhabited of advanced sentient life. This will not always be so. If your people displace any of these intelligent civilizations then we will return.”
Taos stopped walking and turned to face Julie. Elizabeth stopped as well to face them both.
“It is fortunate that you were brought here to us. It was providence.” Taos noted, looking directly into Julie’s blue eyes.
“Providence?” Julie smirked, obvious in her sarcasm. “You believe in killing. You believe in God. Makes sense.”
“That which has no explanation yet seems coincidental and convenient? Providence, maybe.” Taos responded evenly. “I can only tell you I don’t like ending life. I do what I must to ensure the other sentient life forms in the universe are protected and safe. Human expansion in the universe is the most threatening force the Norn have seen in a millennium.”
“Now that I can see being true.” Julie nodded.
Taos turned his head to stare at Julie for a moment. He then looked forward again while they continued walking side-by-side.
“You are young and intelligent. You understand what we are saying clearly. Above that you have the unspoiled idealism of youth. That idealism is what will help change your people. Too often an advanced civilization will fall into the trap of cynicism. The older people become the more they tend to lose their idealism. They compromise their belief system to survive, seeing that the world around them is degraded and no better off despite their best efforts to make it a better world. This has happened to most races in the galaxy. It’s even trapped ours prior to our enlightenment tens of thousands of years ago.”
Taos grabbed Julie by the shoulders to stare at her directly. His eyes flashed briefly. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world. You must be the firebrand – as your mother once called it.”
Julie fell free of Taos’ grasp and took a nervous step back. She kept her confused blue eyes staring back up at him.
“I honestly find it a bit unnerving the way you people read my mind.” Julie responded, somewhat offended. “My favorite quote from Gandhi? Thoughts of my mother? It’s a little too intrusive.”
“I apologize but it was necessary.” Taos countered evenly. “We need you to know we’re serious. We only gleaned a few memories. Your mother was a very great woman. Very much like us in thought.”
“My mother.” Julie exhaled. “If she could only see me now.”
“She can.” Taos smiled at her as they started walking again.
Julie felt a bit calmer walking next to Taos. For a moment she saw him as a somewhat okay guy. She forgot briefly that he had just ordered over ten thousand people to be killed. That didn’t make him very advanced as Julie saw it.
“’Providence’?” Julie breathed in realization. “Don’t tell me you people have religion?”
“Some of us do. Some chose not to believe.” Taos explained. “The same as your people only we don’t kill one another over such beliefs.”
Julie looked at Taos with the remark. Walking along side of her he turned to smile back in response.
“That isn’t funny.” Julie smirked.
“It wasn’t meant to be.” Taos replied.
A loud noise grew over their heads. A shadow passed over them like some great winged beast. Julie, Taos, and Elizabeth looked up to see the Xen Northwind shuttle fly by only sixty meters or so overhead. Its repulse emitters screamed as loudly as its jet thrusters roared. The wind whipped up briefly as it passed overhead.
Julie moved away a few steps as she looked up to see the large shuttle fly by overhead like a gray steel monster.
“Don’t worry.” Taos urged her to return with an outstretched arm. “Alex is at the controls. Please. Remain calm! It’s alright!”
“It’s okay.” Elizabeth added her calm female voice to Taos’.
Julie stepped forward again to walk alongside the Norn.
“Your uncle was successful.” Taos said with surprise. “I honestly didn’t give him much of a chance at success. He’s very tenacious.”
“It’s all that marine crap in his head.” Julie stated. “It’s not crap, I mean. The training. He was made that way by the military. He just doesn’t give up. Never! Not when it really matters anyway.”
“A lot of that comes from your uncle’s character, not his military background.” Taos observed.
“I don’t know.” Julie breathed. “Sometimes I wish I knew the real version of my uncle, before the military got a hold of him.”
“That man is still there beneath it all.” Taos reassured her.
Another whine of repulse emitters grew overhead. It was a higher pitched sound and much more familiar. The long trapezoid shape of the Tequesta flew by overhead, also blocking out the sun briefly. The distinctive white lifting body with powder blue trim turned out over the jungle ahead. The trees ahead of the group wavered slightly at the Tequesta’s passing. The ship disappeared and fell below the canopy treetop, landing not to far beyond.
“Your uncle is on that ship.” Taos noted to Julie with a smile. “You should go and meet him.”
“There’s none of those rock monsters out there that’ll kill me?” Julie asked nervously.
“No, you will be unharmed on this island. Nothing will hurt you.” Taos answered confidently.
Julie rushed ahead of Taos and Elizabeth to head towards the spot where the Tequesta had landed. Her feet kicked up loose beach sand behind her as she ran into the short group of trees extending from the denser part of the jungle.
“She is the best candidate we could have asked for.” Elizabeth observed aloud to Taos as they both watched Julie run ahead and out of earshot.
“She is.” Taos confirmed. “We could only hope her people listen to her.”
Julie made it to the clearing in a few minutes. The Tequesta was parked ahead of her but was still sealed up. Its outer body was still warm and radiating heat. The Northwind was parked a short distance away. The Northwind was a bit larger than the Tequesta, standing next to it like some great metal dragon.
Alex emerged from the back of the Northwind. He looked worn and still injured and bloodied yet still walked out of the shuttle in a relatively healthy stride.
Julie was shocked to see Captain Shin was with him. Alex pulled Shin ahead of him by the upper part of his right arm. Shin’s hands were bound in front of him. The Xen captain had a dull gaze, with his eyes fixed ahead to stare into nothingness. Shin appeared drugged or mentally impaired. Alex set Shin to sit down at the bottom of the ramp.
Elizabeth appeared from the trees to Julie’s right. She moved forward quickly with her staff to stand guard at the bottom of the Northwind’s ramp. Alex, freed of watching Shin, walked quickly towards Julie.
“Hey!” Julie hugged Alex with her outstretched arms. She squeezed him tightly, glad that he was alive. Still, she looked over his shoulder as she hugged him to eye Shin again. “What’s with him?” Julie asked Alex as they parted.
“He’s a prisoner.” Alex explained. “We made a deal. What you’ll do for us with Earth he’ll do for the Xen.”
Julie stared at Shin some more. He appeared exhausted. Shin lapsed from whatever gripped his mind to look down. Shin placed his head in his hands in fatigue – or grief. It was hard to tell. He looked to be relieved one moment, then seem as a broken man.
“He is to be our emissary.” Alex added.
“If he gets that far.” Julie noted. “The Xen will probably put him in a cage and interrogate him for years after what’s happened here.”
“His recollection of us will be limited.” Alex explained. “He will know only enough to be convincing.”
The back of the Tequesta hissed. The long rear ramp lowered on its two thick robotic arm stru
ts. Julie turned around immediately to watch the ramp lower. She eagerly waited to see her uncle again. The seam at the ramp was dark, as though the lights were off inside. Sunlight eventually illuminated the interior.
Lyle Ramirez, in his military fatigues, walked down the ramp before it could completely settle into the ground. The Latino human turned Norn stepped off of the ramp and walked to the side.
John appeared behind him. His legs were visible first as he walked down the ramp. He was still wearing the white pressure suit, which was covered in soot and dirt. As John walked down the ramp he was in the process of removing the heavier white metal yoke collar of his space suit, which still held the facemask in front and helmet extension in a recessed rear compartment.
Julie ran up to greet her uncle. He dropped the metal yoke collar on the ramp before Julie reached him. Julie and John hugged for what seemed like an eternity. Julie whimpered in joy as they held on to each other.
“I told you I’d be back, right kid?” John looked at his niece.
“I was so scared you wouldn’t come back!” Julie smiled broadly back at him as a tear streamed down from her right eye. “Damn it!” Julie breathed, laughing in a few breaths out of pure stress relief. “It’s over, right?!?”
“Yeah.” John replied calmly. “It’s over.”
John looked over Julie’s shoulder as they hugged again, past her towards Taos. John kept his eyes on Taos and Elizabeth as Julie backed away again.
“As I was telling your niece, the Norn have decided to leave the human race alone. We will leave this planet and this system and leave you to your own course.” Taos spoke with authoritative clarity. “As you expand into the universe you MUST also evolve yourselves as a society. You are as your own ancestors were in the new world. The Norn will not allow you to spread into other parts of the galaxy simply to exploit and pillage new lands. The planets that you are tearing apart for resources were their own evolved domains millions of years before your species ventured into space.” Taos’ eyes seemed to stare through John as his voice lowered. “We will be watching you.”