by Luis Robles
“They did what?” Rendeleor exploded.
“We first heard through one of the tap we have on them. And we were able to confirm it to be true. Seven of those colonies were destroyed... with no dignity, no mercy, no nothing,” Narendeo said, with sorrow in his voice.
Rendeleor’s pain was clear, as he fell to his knees in defeat. He felt the pain of those poor souls lost at the hands of beings that had no given right to be there in the first place. He punched the floor several times. “Damn it! Neveran will pay. He will pay,” he said through gritted teeth.
“There might be one good thing in all of these…” Veridiam said.
Rendeleor looked up as he, too, realized that perhaps not all was lost. Veridiam waited for him to speak again.
“What about the small group? Did they? Were they able to?” Rendeleor asked.
“We sent a surveillance pod to make sure. It appears that they were able to find the last machine. And it’s every bit as terrifying as the sources suggest, if not more. It looks like we still have a chance,” Veridiam said.
Rendeleor stood quiet for a few moments, thinking, plotting. “Does anyone else know about this?” he asked as he stood up.
“The only one that suspects anything, as far as we know, is Shairra. She became suspicious after she saw the large quantity of giant worms moving throughout the desert. She believes humans had recently scouted the area. She is now working on sending seekers to make sure,” Veridiam said.
“Seekers? Make sure you put a stop to any of their efforts in locating their whereabouts. Block as much as you can from them... keep them blind. Neveran must not know what is coming for them if the humans are to have a chance. In the meantime, things have changed, and we have a real chance now and a lot of planning to do,” Rendeleor said as he felt hopeful once again.
13
All or Nothing
Iris played the looping video file. Marcus appeared in front of the screen, with a background of smoke and flames and destruction all around him. He had deep gouges on his face, and only one open eye.
“I’m afraid... I’m afraid it’s too late... It’s too late for all of us. We tried to put everyone to safety inside the bunkers. But their weapons are just too strong... they’ve destroyed half of the mountain already. They came here, and we just didn’t have any kind of weapon to fight back. We think they’ve destroyed the rest of the Havens next to us as well. If... if by any chance you’re still alive, don’t come back here. There is nothing left. We still believe that humanity has a chance with you. Know that we all met our faith with peace in our hearts, and full of hope. We know that you will make these bastards pay for what they have done to humanity. Don’t giv…” Marcus was interrupted by an explosion, and the transmission ended.
Tears and watery eyes were the common denominator after they watched the video. Kenya covered her face with both of her hands and leaned on Arnold to cry it out. Arnold himself couldn’t hold a straight face. Jordan fell to his knees as he remembered his father. Avenn felt anger, an uncontrollable amount of anger; he clenched his fists as hard as it could.
“Iris, how far can the drone go away from Deimos?” Avenn managed to ask.
“If we extend Deimos’ receivers to their maximum length, a drone can go anywhere from 1500 to 3000 miles, depending on the line site,” Iris responded.
“Kenya, give Iris the coordinates of all the Havens around our own, 1B, 2B, and the rest,” Avenn instructed.
Kenya turned to face Arnold, still with tears in her eyes, looking for approval; he simply nodded. She then got up and punched the coordinates into the nearest screen inside the medic room. It took her a few moments to number all the coordinates, but she was able to do so successfully.
“It looks like all coordinates are well within range of Deimos’ drones. Would you like me to send a few of them there? They will be able to make the trip in just a few hours,” Iris said.
Arnold looked at Avenn as he had little experience with what the drones were, and how many they were.
“Yes, send a pair to each Haven. We have to see for ourselves what happened... we just have to,” Avenn said.
“Very well. Updates will be available upon request,” Iris said.
Fourteen drones flew off to find the Havens. On Deimos’ back shoulders, antennas extended and expanded, preparing for the drones’ long-range flight.
“There’s only one thing we can do now. We no longer have a home. We should... we should keep going. We should continue the fight,” Avenn said.
“Make them regret ever coming to Earth,” Arnold said.
They were silent for a moment, feeding the fire within them that began to burn.
“So, how’s our friend Clint doing? What are we gonna do about him? He is not going to like the news,” Arnold asked the group.
“We shouldn’t wait any longer to tell him. He has the right to know the truth,” Avenn said.
“One thing is for sure. We won’t be able to trust him again. But with so little humans left in the world, if we can’t trust each other, then who can we depend on? We have to try and talk to him and see what happens,” Arnold said.
“Let’s take a long break… We’ll meet back here an hour after we receive the news from the drones and the Havens. We have to know what really happened. Eat, sleep, punch the wall... do anything to remind yourself that it’s not over yet,” Arnold said as he got up the medical bed for the first time since they got inside Deimos.
The group parted their separate ways. Each one of them ended up in the most isolated place they could find, alone with their thoughts and sorrows. They each had lost something different when they lost the Haven; each had lost a little piece of themselves along the way.
Things did not become easier as they heard back from the drones, and they saw with their own eyes the devastating images of the Havens. Where once human colonies stood, the last chances for life, there was nothing left standing; all was destroyed, down to the very rocks that held them up.
One by one, they showed up back in the medical room, with Avenn being the last to get inside.
“Did you all see it?” Arnold asked.
They nodded, trying to hold themselves together.
“We have to tell him. We shouldn’t keep this from him any longer. No matter what happens, the choices are going to be his if we can trust him or not,” Arnold said.
They agreed and went up to the storage room where Clint was being kept. As they got to the storage room, Arnold was in front of the group. He had a patch on his right shoulder, with a sling immobilizing his arm. Avenn was right behind Arnold, and he was holding Arnold’s trusted knife from the handle, upside down; he was trying to conceal it is much as he could behind his arm. Kenya and Jordan stayed a little bit behind and spread out just in case Clint decided to run.
They opened the door and Clint did not move from his spot; instead, he just looked at them and then looked back down.
“We need to talk,” Arnold said.
“What have you guys been doing out there? If it wasn’t for the damn straps that came out the wall, I would have been a purée in front of you,” Clint said while he held his head. “I suppose you’re not gonna tell me that I am free to go, right?” Clint continued while the group stood quiet. “Yeah, hadn’t think so anyways. So, what is it going to be?” Clint looked at Avenn, “Is it you, Avenn? Are you the one that’s gonna finish the job?”
“If it wasn’t for him, you would’ve been worm food already. He was the one that brought you in,” Arnold said.
“No disrespect, Arnold, but I don’t think you could finish the job in your current condition,” Clint said, defiant.
“Look, I don’t know what or who got that kind thinking into your head. But I’ll tell you whoever it was, is clearly not here. So, I suggest you start thinking twice and shut up and listen for once,” Arnold said with clear anger in his voice. “A lot of things have happened... a lot of bad things. And there are much more important things in this world than
old grudges.”
Clint gestured with his hands to go on as he looked back down to the floor.
“There’s… There’s been an attack on the Haven. We just knew about it today,” Arnold said as he tried to be brave. “The Haven, and the rest of the Havens around it, were… They were completely destroyed.”
Clint got up in anger and began yelling, “You are lying. You are lying! I know you’re lying because it doesn’t make sense. The Havens’ been there for hundreds of years and they haven’t been destroyed before. They will be there for hundreds more! Why would they attack them now? I’m not stupid, Arnold. I am not stupid.”
“If only it could be a lie, Clint... If only things were that simple. But they’re not, and it’s not a lie. I really, really wish it was. The Havens are gone, Clint. Iris, can you play the video?”
The video began playing on the screen next to the door. Clint got closer to the screen to see it with more detail, something that he regretted almost instantly. The video played through, and Clint started hyperventilating, clenching his fist. He looked straight at Arnold.
“You know what, Arnold? You know what? This is all your fault! I blame you for this. If I had taken over this thing, I would’ve went back straight to the Havens, no questions asked. You should have stepped aside,” Clint said angrily, taking a step towards Arnold.
“This happened way before we discovered Ares. There is no way that we could’ve prevented it,” Arnold said, trying to stay calm.
Clint launched towards Arnold with a ready fist, but Avenn stepped in between them, using Clint’s own momentum to take him down. Avenn punched Clint square in the jaw as he held them down. Then, he put the knife to his throat.
“Look, this isn’t a fucking game!” Avenn shouted. Then, he lowered down his voice again, “We’ve all lost somebody... we all lost everything we’ve ever had. This is no longer about me, about you, or about us. This is about the survival of humanity. Are you listening?” Avenn asked with anger, putting pressure on the knife at his throat ever so slightly. Clint simply nodded. “Good. Now, what I need to know is if you’re with us, or if you are against us? If against us, then the show ends right here, right now. No more games. Because the last thing we need to be dealing with is a damn traitor. Do you understand?” Avenn waited for an answer. Again, Clint just nodded. “Now, you have a choice: you either cower, or you fight with us, so we can show those bastards, the Amphibian Slime, what humans are really about. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll... fight with you,” Clint said as a tear rolled down the side of his face. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry.”
As soon as he heard the right answer from Clint, Avenn got up and extended his left arm to help Clint get up.
“I think you owe them an explanation, especially him,” Avenn said, shrugging and gesturing towards Arnold.
The group went on listening to what Clint had to say; he let it all out, what his father was planning and the things he made him do. He said that all he wanted to do was make his father proud; he was the only one he had in the world. He didn’t know any better. But somehow, the words that Avenn said had touched him more deeply than anything his father had told him before. In many ways, by taking the fight to the invaders that were responsible for his father’s death, he will be avenging his father, and at the end making his father proud.
Avenn went up to the Central Control Bay to integrate with Deimos once again. The remaining four went to the drone cockpits, each one of them getting inside one cockpit.
“I might not be as much help with just one hand,” Arnold said.
“Just focus on aiming. Have Iris switch the controls to your left hand. Then, put the drone on autopilot to follow the ones we’re controlling. Having two persons aiming at the same time will be great,” Kenya told him.
“The controls are now switched. You will now be able to control the drones, aiming and firing rate only, using your left hand. The control settings will appear on the screen in front of you,” Iris chimed in.
“Are you sure about this, guys? It is really the best thing we could do?” Jordan asked.
“This is the only thing we can do, the only thing we should do,” Arnold answered.
“Hey, how many drones you said we can control at a time?” Clint asked.
“You can control up to 25 drones at a time,” Iris said.
“Make sure you strapped on because you might feel this. Are you ready?” Avenn asked through their cockpits.
“Let’s get the ball rolling,” Arnold said.
Deimos began to walk and then broke into a run. As he was running, he expanded his rear wings and turned on the two turbine engines on his back. Each step made him faster than the last, and with each step, he covered more distance. The turbines roared with raw power, making Deimos takeoff the ground. As he was in midair, his body began to transform and contract in a more aerodynamic form, letting him gain speed with ease.
“Holy crap! You guys could have warned me of this!” Clint said as he felt Deimos’ g-force.
“We did!” said Arnold as they headed straight into the lion’s den.
14
Abaddon
It took Deimos five hours to reach the edge of the desert, and where life started once again. He slowed down and landed, digging his feet on the ground, causing a loud noise and making the ground crack underneath his feet. The swarm of drones slowed as well, lining up behind Deimos.
“I’ve never seen so much green in my life!” Arnold commented, mesmerized by what he saw through his cockpit screen.
“I did not know this much green existed. Is this what the world used to be like?” Jordan said.
“Well, proceed with extreme caution from here on out. This area might be heavily defended. I think the drones should scout ahead,” Avenn communicated to them.
“I’ll take a group of them to the front. You should follow loosely behind,” Kenya said as she made three drones go ahead.
The forest around them was teeming with life; Avenn was extra careful not to take down more trees than necessary as he moved through it. It was not the same for the drones, as they were easily able to maneuver through the thick forest in silence. They traveled for two hours straight, with Kenya’s drones staying just a few miles ahead.
“Is that white stuff that we’re beginning to see on the trees the thing they called snow?” Jordan asked.
“My records indicate that that is snow, precipitation in the form of ice crystals. Temperatures are beginning to drop on the outside. I believe we should see more of it as we head north,” Iris said.
“The forest gets less thick up here, but everything is covered in white,” Kenya said.
“Hey? Shouldn’t the sun be setting a few hours ago? Why do we still have daylight?” Clint asked.
“This far up north, the sun does not set every twelve hours. There is sunlight twenty-four hours a day until later in the year. Until the autumn equinox, approximately September 21, the sun sinks below the horizon,” Iris explained.
“I’m out in the open now. There’s a river up ahead. I think we are approaching the line,” Kenya updated the group.
“Keep your eyes open, and let us know if you see anything strange,” Arnold said.
As Deimos exited from the tree line and went out in the open, he armed himself with the small machine gun once again. The swarm of drones divided into two, flanking him. It was not that the giant trees provided any kind of camouflage for him as he towered over them, but it was way too quiet for comfort.
“Drone three is down!” Kenya shouted over the coms. “I can’t see the enemy! Now, drone one is down... Drone two also...”
“I can feel it is coming from the right,” Avenn uttered as he turned to the right and Deimos turned with him.
A large monster-like creature was coming straight towards them, picking up speed with every step it took. The creature was just as huge as Deimos, if not bigger. It made the ground tremble as it approached, a testament to its weight and size. The c
reature had short, stubby legs, a hunched body, and four large tentacle-like arms. On its back, there was some sort of weaponry, and at the tip of each tentacle was a large blade.
Deimos fired his machine gun at the creature, but it was to no avail: the creature didn’t seem to be hurt or slowed by it. The drones began to open fire on the creature as well; their combined fire managed to slow it down. The creature was met with a storm of bullets. But as the creature got angrier, the fire power seemed to have less and less effect on it.
“What the heck is that thing?” Avenn asked as he reached for the electromagnetic railgun.
“That is a Shinka, one of their most destructive weapons,” Iris responded.
Deimos locked on the target and waited for the railgun to fully charge. Once it charged, he fired. The projectile traveled the distance between them almost instantaneously, piercing the creature through and through. The creature collapsed on the ground, but it wasn’t long before it began to get up again. The drones zoned in on it, attacking it from every angle, but it seemed they were only irritating the creature and causing it more anger. The creature swung at the drones with its tentacle blades, destroying a couple of dozen drones with every swing.
“The Shinkas have the ability to regenerate tissue and organs, making them incredibly resilient,” Iris said.
The monster roared as it was regenerating, and it fired its weapons at Deimos. Its weapons were powerful, causing a whistling sound as they moved through the air. Avenn raised Deimos’ hand as if by instinct, and a plated shield formed before him. The shield was composed of several heptagons held together by an energy beam. The monster’s weapons slammed against the shield, causing an array of explosions but no significant damage to Deimos.
“Shit… Close combat it is,” Avenn said as he put back the railgun and reached for the sword.
The sword extended and lit up with concentrated plasma on one side as Deimos held it in his hand. The sword was long and heavy; Avenn was able to feel its considerable weight compared to the guns, but he was able to hold it with just one hand. As the Shinka got up, it began to run towards Deimos, rampaging and roaring on its way. Deimos put away his shield and began to run towards it with the large sword to one side of him.