by Ross Buzzell
“She is part of the medical corp.”
Xero adds on trying not to laugh as every other Cryptea member stands at full attention and their eyes aim forward. The officer lays still on the ground whimpering like a beaten dog. E turns and almost skips over to Xero who hands her, her pack and her helmet.
“It is good to see you again cousin. Ja, it has been too long. I look forward to working with you again.”
Xero gives his cousin a hug. She reciprocates.
“It is good to see you too.”
The prince releases E and the three begin to head to the transport ship before them. Xero scans the wingless machine, oblong in shape with bulbous protrusions at the bottom of each corner giving off a low hum and burning with the light of the daytime sun. The side of the ship is slid open revealing seats and a weapons rack inside and not much else. As the three enter the ship Xero hears Ja speaking with E.
“It is good to see you too. Let us hope this time you do not have to set any bones.”
Xero sits down in the ship followed closely by E and Ja who take their seats across from him. The door slides shut and the hum grows louder as the ship lifts off the ground smoothly and begins to glide through the air toward their sought after target. Xero pulls up a hologram of the planet and what little known stats there are about it.
“Our mission is that of a survey mission. This planet was recently revealed through scans into the Dark Mass that is slowly recessing. That part of the galaxy seems immune to our probes and scans. Any ships that have gone into the Mass have never returned. I am hoping that this planet will give us some insight as to why our ships have disappeared. The important thing though is our scanners cannot pick up a true reading of the atmosphere. We know that at one point it was capable of sustaining life but something has corrupted the planet and its nearby star. So keep your helmets on. The filtration systems will protect us in case there is anything harmful in the air. I made sure our packs have everything we could need because our electron displacers will not work once we reach the planet’s surface. So should we need to abort, we will have to get back to the extraction site. Any questions?”
Xero looks at Ja’Sanfur first. She shakes her head. He looks over at E who has actually raised her hand. With a light laugh Xero nods at his cousin.
“Yes E.”
“I am assuming should the worst happen, our priority is to get you off world regardless of anything else.”
her bubbly demeanor had no effect on the gravity of her words, Xero shakes his head.
“The worst is not going to happen. We all get to the surface together. We all leave the surface together. The SCG’s in our suits will give us an extra layer since we will be harder to detect. Under no circumstances do we leave anyone. Am I understood?”
Ja says nothing. Her face says everything. She is worried about Xero, about the mission. Xero makes eye contact with her and almost immediately she puts her helmet on to hide her concern. Xero glances over at E before they both follow suit. The pilot’s voice echoes over the intercom.
“Coming out of displacement field as close to the planet as we can. All systems are clear. We are beginning descent.”
The ship shakes as it enters the planet’s atmosphere, Xero can hear the distinct rushing of the heat from entry on the outside of the ship as it rapidly descends to the planet’s surface. The ship rocks a few times as if caught in down drafts before finally leveling out. Xero stands to his feet. Reaching up, he grabs a strap hanging from the ceiling; Ja and E do the same. The ship slowly comes to a stop and the doors slide open; instantly a dark, heavy mist floods the ship. Xero’s heads up display flashes red for a brief moment, his computer analyzing the cloud and offering a breakdown.
“Atmosphere is extremely toxic. Survival time without filtration fifty two seconds.”
Xero looks back at Ja and E, nodding to them as he takes in their fully-armored forms. Reaching over to the weapons rack next to the door, Xero grabs a large rifle and activates the magnetic lock, causing the rifle to be pulled to his shoulder and held in place.
“If your helmet is compromised you will be dead within a minute. Do not remove your helmets under any circumstances. Arm up and move out!”
he hops out of the ship and hits the ground, hard, much harder than he should have. After taking a few steps he hears Ja and E leave the ship as well.
“Gravity is much stronger here, activating sensors.”
E’mellor calls out as a blue light flashes past Xero before the three begin to move on. Xero’s suit filtering the toxic atmosphere with each labored breath, each step using twice as much energy to take. This planet was clearly cursed. The prince kneels down and takes a sample of the soil, placing the vial in his pack as he surveys the rocky mountainous range before them. In the distance jagged rocks protrude from the thickened smog with the pollution warping the nearby star’s light. It makes the sky appear a blood red, only to delve into black darkness in the midst of the palpable, oily screen that encompasses everything.
The three hike in tentative silence, scanning every which way, taking samples of everything in an attempt to figure out what had happened to the planet. Through the smog, Xero’s HUD pings the outline of an object not far ahead; outlining the mysterious phenomenon. Xero crouches, lifting his rifle he aims it in the direction of the item. E and Ja follow suit as they slowly make their approach. Kneeling down Xero sees a stony figure buried half way in the ground which is blacked as if having been burned. Reaching down Xero plunges his hand into the coal and coils his fingers around a small figurine about eight inches tall. The moment his fingers touch the statue his vision temporarily blurs and he hears an inaudible whisper. Chalking it up to the strain the environment is putting on his body, he slowly pulls the figurine from the ground only to behold something rather unsettling.
The figurine is that of a cloaked being with only the lower half of his face visible. Blackened and damaged wings sprout from its back and embrace the figure wrapping around its front and meeting at its feet. The image before Xero is unsettling to say the least. He feels as if, even though it is inanimate, that the object is watching him. Grabbing a collapsible container from his pack, Xero quickly places the image inside and attaches it to his belt when Ja speaks up.
“I got a weird energy reading from that when you picked it up Xero and some of it went into you. Are you feeling ok?”
Xero nods as he slowly stands up and faces the two.
“I’m fine, let’s just get out of here; I think we have enough of what we came…”
he stops mid-sentence. Through the toxic smog and the blood sky his heads up display catches movement in the darkness a few yards away. Xero raises his rifle and aims it between his two comrades. A loud roar fills the air as something bursts through the clouds of darkness trailing something behind it as the monstrous being soars towards Xero, Ja and E. Without hesitation Xero fires off two rounds of azure blue plasma light at the encroaching threat, both of which find their target causing two surprisingly large explosions as they ignite the toxic atmosphere around the charging locomotive. The shots do not slow down the being as it bares down on the three and at the last second all three Boronians dive out of the way as the massive humanoid lands, shaking the ground around them. As Xero pushes himself off the ground he realizes just how unstable the shelf that they are standing on is as the fiery orange light of lava seeping through the cracks made by the landing illuminates the beast from below revealing something horrifying.
“TITAN!!!!”
Ja’Sanfur screams in terror. He had never heard that in her voice before and for the first time in his life, Xero feels a very icy grip enthralling his heart. He knew what the Titans looked like; every Boronian did, as well as what they were capable of. Thinking they had been extinct for eons but never allowing themselves to forget what these creatures truly were. Behemoths, standing much taller than even Xero, who was enormous even by Boronian standards, with near limitless strength and a desire to conquer and kill
everything they come across. Only handfuls would be sent against entire armies and would obliterate every living being facing them. It is strictly because of the Titans that the Boronians created the Cryptea, just to have a hope at stemming their tide.
In the blink of an eye all three Boronians begin to fire everything they have at the monster before them. Be it male or female, adolescent or adult, it does not matter. All that Xero knew was that the Titan had to die. The combined impact of all the ammunition causes a massive explosion. The fire engulfs Xero, Ja and E and sends Xero skipping across the ground and slamming into a massive rock which cracks it. Xero looks up; pools of lava begin to ooze from the ground where he had skipped as if the planet were bleeding. The explosion had burned off the fog, all be it temporarily; it was just long enough for Xero to get a good look at the Titan. Marred in battle scars its rippling muscles twitch with anticipation of a fight. A sadistic smile forms on its face showing off his teeth which he had sharpened to a point. Eyes black as night and his skin was ashy, no doubt from being in this environment. The lava pool encompasses his bare feet which do not burn; ‘No respirator!’ Xero thinks to himself as his gut overturns. Boronians are one of the toughest and hardiest beings in the universe. This atmosphere would kill one in less than a minute and this monster does not have a respirator. He breaths the air as if it were life-giving itself.
The rifle had not worked. It would be insanity to try it again so Xero drops the weapon. The magnetization pulls the rifle to his back; reaching up Xero draws his sword and ignites the edge. The ignition of the blade’s edge sets the atmosphere around the blade ablaze. As the toxic atmosphere burns it solidifies and falls to the ground, dripping like glowing pieces of blood from a fallen foe. The fire itself burns red as it feeds on the toxic environment. Xero lunges at the Titan who charges right back. Sliding across the ground, using the enhanced gravity to his advantage, Xero ducks below one of the beast’s attacks and slashes at it with his blade, swinging as hard as he can at the Titan’s legs. Lava spews up behind him as the frail surface of the planet is scrapped up with the sheer force of Xero’s slide. The Titan staggers a bit as the blade makes a small nick in his leg. The Titan turns his attention back to Xero and begins to charge him once more; each fall of his massive foot causes massive quakes and sparks of lava to spew from the ground. He leaps into the air preparing to strike Xero, only for a massive long-handled hammer to slam into his face and send him skipping to the ground.
By now the fog had re-asserted itself but the tiny silhouette of E’mellor soaring through the air is unmistakable. She lands on top of the Titan and strikes a few nerve points. The beast lets out a scream of pain as she leaps off of him and grabs her mallet. As the Titan tries to get to his feet, E spins and slams her mallet into him so hard that it sends the Titan back into another standing stone that seems to be hiding in the murky air. The smog warps for a brief moment as Xero feels Ja’Sanfur lung past him and towards the Titan. This was his opportunity. Leaping as hard as he can, Xero takes to the skies and is high enough to see Ja make contact using both her shoulder and her blade. The blow shatters the rock like glass and as the two slide to a stop, the lava illuminates their silhouettes. Xero turns his sword to face the Titan. Ja rolls out of the way, undoubtedly her helmet warning of Xero’s incoming, just as the warrior prince slams into the Titan driving his blade through the heart of his foe causing a small eruption to rain molten rock down around them.
Xero’s sword protrudes from the Titan’s chest in a fatal blow. With the last of his strength the Titan begins to laugh, his voice is warped and dark. Even though Xero knows that he will not get back up the air chilling laugh alone sends a very terrifying shiver down his spine. Through the gurgling of the purple blood that oozes from his mouth, the Titan looks at Xero as if peering into his soul. His words drip like tar and burn like acid, piercing the warrior prince to his core.
“You will fall. The Dark Titan arises and with him a sea of darkness will sweep over everything and extinguish all life.”
With that the beast breaths his last breath, falling limp. Xero hesitates to even approach the corpse as all three soldiers are shaken to their very core at what had just happened. Unexpectedly the corpse of the Titan begins to rapidly rot away as if it had been contaminated by some malevolent toxin, slowly turning to ash before falling to the floor on the windless planet. In shock Xero slowly approaches where the Titan had been. Leaning down he picks up his blade which had shut itself off when Xero had released it. Ja’Sanfur slowly picks up her sword as well, both sheathing their weapons before turning to E’mellor.
“How did you incapacitate him like that?”
Xero asks. It takes everything he has not to let his voice shake, still rattled by the sight of such a monster.
“I have studied Titan physiology as a hobby; I know all their weak points.”
her voice is soft, just as shaken up as Xero and Ja are. Without a word Xero nods in approval to his cousin. The three begin to retrace their steps and return to the landing sight. No more words were shared that day. The shock and trauma of the battle carved scars into each of their psyches that would affect them for years to come. As the ship takes off Xero places his hand on the box that contains the figurine. He hears the inaudible whispers of something, a pull to some place which he does not know.
Chapter: 5
A holographic map illuminates the chambers of the High Council; most of the seats are empty aside from those of the High King, the Triad Generals and the Cryptea Drill Sergeant. The map displays the world designated ‘Dark World’ with a massive cloud around it that slowly resects revealing numerous other planets that were as of yet unknown to Xero and his people. The warrior prince slowly walks around the hologram with the High Council elevated in their seats above him, his cape, now returned to its rightful place on his back swoops behind him with each purposeful step.
“The readings from the planet designated Dark World are being analyzed as we speak but I fear we have a larger problem than that. As you all saw from the recordings from our helmets, the Titans are not extinct like we once thought and with the removal of that object from the planet’s surface, the impenetrable nebula that has been present since the dawn of our time has begun to resect.”
Xero zooms in on the nebula falling back and dissipating, revealing the formerly hidden planets. The High King nods as he observes the information shown before him before speaking in an even keeled tone.
“And what has become of this ‘figurine’ that you have brought back?”
“I have left it with the Cryptea. It was successfully sealed within the sanctum inside the compound. I made that call father as when I picked it up the Titan appeared. In case it is some sort of beacon, the shielding around the Cryptea compound will allow them to analyze it while keeping it safe from any outside sources. And on the off chance the shielding fails, there is no safer place than with our elite warriors.”
The High King nods in agreement with his son’s actions. Slowly he stands up and peers further over the glorified ‘desk’ that the High Council is seated at in an effort to get a better view of the hologram.
“And what do you suggest we do about charting this formerly unknown region?”
“Well father, I suggest we send a small group of people. A large force could be misconstrued as an invasion. And if there are any friendly life forms in this sector we could bring them into our alliance; and if the Titans are in fact back we will need all the help we can get.”
The High King sits back down. Xero can see the smile on his face; it was only when he was particularly proud that he smiled in that fashion. This causes the corners of Xero’s mouth to curl slightly as well. After a moment of silence the High King slaps his hand on the table.
“Xero, my son, you will take your OWS and do a diplomatic recon mission of this new system. If you can make allies, offer to bring them here so they may see our planet and people first hand. If there are any threats, do your best to bypass them. I do not
want to bring any unnecessary conflict. And if you come across any… I mean ANY sign of Titans or their out posts, you get right back into your ship, get into a high orbit and drop a fission bomb on them. I do not want you taking any chances.”
The High King turns to the Triad Generals as Xero pulls the hologram down and loads it back into his suit.
“How long until we can have a ship ready for this kind of flight?”
he hears his father ask before Xero begins to make his way to the top of the chambers in order to access one of the portal generators.
“For a mission like this? Tomorrow afternoon no problem.”
“Good, Xero, can you make your team ready by tomorrow?”
Xero smiles softly and nods at his father. Typically he would be ecstatic for an opportunity like this but something in his gut sits like a ball of hot led. He doesn’t say anything; he can’t bring himself to say anything, only to offer his father a slight nod.
“Good, make it so.”
his father commands. With that Xero steps through the portal and back into the Judicial Building where Ja’Sanfur and E’Mellor are anxiously waiting for his arrival.