Essence: Book 1 - Septima

by Nick Braker

  “Bring who in?” he asked.

  “Your crew for this mission.”

  Alta had been toying with him earlier, knowing these people were waiting outside to join them. His lust was so out of control he had never given it a moment of thought. He would have raped her for the fun of it and she had played him, or did she? What if Alta experienced the same desires? It was clear from Tohmas’ memories that she enjoyed their S&M relationship. The memories were intense. Could she want him as much as he wanted her?

  You can’t rape the willing. You should have done it when you had a chance. They can’t hear anything through those doors.

  Troy sighed. Would life be like this from now on? With his fear and shyness gone, would he be unable to control his primal urges? The part of him that was Tohmas would only make it worse. When the parasite was finished, the headaches would be gone. At least he had that to look forward to, unless that was a lie, as well.

  “How much time do we have?” Troy asked.

  “Almost three segments, sir,” Caiden said, walking in.

  Cienna, Septima, and his three friends followed Caiden into the large office. Cienna moved to stand to the right of Alta facing the group. Caiden moved to stand next to Troy, while his friends took various spots around the room, leaving Septima standing near the door, arms crossed, leaning back against the wall behind him. Troy could see the pain in her face and her eyes were puffy with dark circles. She obviously hadn’t slept much, or, on second thought, perhaps she slept like a little baby whore. His anger returned.

  She’s faking. Don’t buy into it. Remember she could have told you many times.

  They all waited in silence.

  “Okay, let’s go over this. What do we know?” Troy asked, intentionally looking at Alta, giving her the chance to speak first.

  “A scout force--” Alta said.

  “Caiden?” he asked, cutting her off.

  Caiden hesitated.

  “Uh, twelve Reptaurans,” Caiden said, “which is a typical scout force, suddenly veered off their normal patrol. We’ve tracked Reptauran activity near the base for years and this is very unusual for them. They’ve never come this close because the beauty in our location is its land-locked isolation. The red triangles on the map represent their current location.”

  “Something tipped them off,” Alta added. “We--”

  “Caiden,” Troy asked. “Any thoughts?”

  “Yes sir, but there is something I need to bring to your attention first,” Caiden said. “The shield wall was breeched last night. It can’t be a coincidence. I found out about it 10 increments ago.”

  “What the hell?” Alta asked. “Someone got into the facility--”

  “Caiden, finish your report,” Troy ordered.

  “Sir, someone left the facility for several segments and then returned. We know because one of our guards near the shield wall noticed footprints both leaving and entering. That’s not all--”

  Alta stepped closer to her desk putting her fist into it.

  “How the hell does someone get through the shield wall and it go unnoticed for segments?” Alta yelled.

  “Ma’am, I don’t know. Whoever it was knew our security codes.”

  “How the--” Alta said.

  “Caiden, what’s not all?” Troy said, interrupting her again.

  “I questioned the guard. He confessed to having fallen asleep.”

  “Asleep?” Alta screamed at him. “We’re at fucking war--”

  Troy put his hand up, motioning Alta to be quiet. Her face turned crimson red and he noticed Cienna take a small step toward him. Troy smiled inside.

  “Caiden, have the guard checked for drugs after we finish here. I bet he was intentionally sedated,” Troy ordered.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Troy watched Caiden pull his communication device out and text someone.

  “As I see it,” Troy continued, examining the terrain on the display. “The Reptaurans have to move through this ridge line here. They have no other clear choice.”

  Troy pointed to the map, continuing.

  “Some of these cliffs here, here, and here are completely impassable on foot. I gather they are on foot?”

  “Yes, sir. Reptaurans rarely waste vehicles for routine patrols and, since this group is already three days into theirs, they must have chosen to continue on by foot instead of returning. Whatever it was that redirected them, they decided to investigate immediately.”

  “Our intruder,” Troy answered.

  “Hell, yeah,” Chance said, finally speaking. “It’s time to kill some lizards.”

  “If they are lizard-like,” Geoff said, stepping forward, “how are they surviving in the frigid cold of this planet?”

  “They are geared for war,” Alta said. “They are masters of environmental tactics. In this case, their blaster armor also generates heat to sustain them. We tried to use it against them-”

  “Do they have communication ability?” Troy asked.

  “No, sir, Reptauran’s mindset is quite different. Once the patrol does not return, they will assume the worst and send a larger force.”

  “Air?” Geoff asked.

  “No,” Caiden replied. “They do not have any ships on the planet except for their transports which are used to deliver our Imagium to their main fleet.”

  For some reason, Caiden’s comment about the ship didn’t sound right. Wasn’t there another one?

  “Wait,” Troy said. “Alta, wasn’t that the stuff you mentioned when we first met? Who in the hell gave a power source a name like that?”

  “No one knows,” Alta said. “I did some research on it but came up with nothing. It’s lost in the archives, destroyed long ago.”

  “Land?” Geoff continued, ignoring the diversion of the power source’s name.

  “Yes,” Caiden answered again. “But not this patrol. When the next force comes in response to this patrol going missing, they will have vehicles, assuming we kill this group.

  “Are you sure this patrol doesn’t have vehicles?” Lakin asked.

  Troy interjected before Caiden could answer.

  “Caiden’s sure because according to their rate of movement, they’re walking and unless they are simply taking their time, they’re walking through deep snow,” Troy said, touching the screen where the red triangles were flashing.

  “We can ambush the bastards,” Chance chimed in.

  “Yes, we can. Right here, as they move between these two ridge lines,” Troy said.

  There were two ridge lines that were directly north and south of each other that ran roughly east to west. Flat and open ground lay between them. While it certainly made a great ambush point, the lizards would have no other easy choice but to move through there. His team would have to arrive first, leave no trail while scaling the small cliffs and wait.

  “How long before they arrive there?” Septima asked.

  Troy could hear the subtle hoarseness in her voice. His heart ached but was quickly crushed by his anger. She had lied over and over. Her charade didn’t fool him anymore.

  “A little over one and a half segments,” Caiden replied.

  “Hell, we need to move if we’re going to get in position first,” Chance said, a little louder than he should have.

  Chance was never one to shy away from a fight, especially dangerous ones. Troy motioned him to be quiet.

  “Agreed,” Troy said. “I’ll need your best marksmen, Caiden. We’ll need climbing gear, camouflage and hand to hand weapons. We’ll need three more Pirans, rounding us out to ten in number.”

  “Yes sir,” he said. “Have the three humans adapted to Piran cold yet?”

  “No,” Alta said quickly.

  Troy exchanged looks with her. Her earlier glare was gone, replaced with her sweet, coquettish smile from the first time he’d met her. Strange but he felt he was in more danger now that she was smiling than from her previous anger.

  “We’ll need heavy winter clothing for them,” Troy said.
“Meet at the north gate. Alta, I gather you have something to offer. You look like you’re chomping at the bit to tell me something.”

  “I have a surprise for our uninvited guests and I’d like you to deliver it for me,” she said sweetly.

  “Oh?”

  Alta’s eyes glanced at the doorway and then back to those in the room. He gave her a slight nod.

  “Everyone, gather your gear or get with Caiden for help. Meet at the north gate. Dismissed,” Troy said.

  The group left, including Cienna who tried to stay but Alta motioned her to leave as well.

  “I said you were dismissed, little bitch,” Troy said, shooing Cienna with his hand.

  Cienna clenched her fists, glared at him and walked out.

  “You know, you’re messing with a very deadly snake... one that will bite you when you’re not looking,” Alta said.

  “I can handle her.”

  Alta looked surprised, narrowing her eyes at him. It sent shivers of sexual energy through him. Nearly everything she did aroused him, some more than others.

  “You’re a better Troy,” Alta said.

  “Huh?” he said. “What’re you getting at?”

  “Examine how you handled this tactical briefing. Would you have been able to handle a team of ‘A’ players like you did when you were back on Earth?” she asked.

  “You’re trying to justify your evil act,” Troy said.

  “It wasn’t evil, Troy,” Alta said. “An entire race of innocent people needed a miracle. I gave them that miracle.”

  She walked around the desk again, standing next to him. His sexual energy detonated inside him. How did she have such an effect on him?

  “Speak with Kenn before you leave. He has some explosives left over from our previous battles with the Reptaurans. You could use them on your mission.”

  “And why did the group have to leave so you could tell me that?”

  She rolled her eyes, mimicking the human affectation.

  “Because I have a reputation. You, on the other hand, do not.”

  “Are they really from the war?” Troy asked.

  She paused.

  “No.”

  “And?” he asked.

  “And nothing. Go find Kenn on sub level two. He can get you the equipment.”

  Troy waited for her to add something else, she did.

  “By the way, you and Kenn served together in the war. He idolizes you. Kenn knows you’re here and he knows about your memory loss. Funny, he sounded relieved to learn that. I wonder what you two did that was so bad he’d actually be relieved you couldn’t remember? Hmmm?” she said, grinning evilly at him. “He’s a noble old man, past his prime.”

  Alta returned to her chair.

  “I felt you should know,” she added.

  Alta shooed him with her hand, already diving back into her work and ignoring him.

  ____

  Pira - Several minutes later.

  Troy knew he didn’t have any time to waste. He had to find Kenn and retrieve the explosives he supposedly had in his possession. Troy took the stairwell to the lower levels and, since he knew the area Alta referred to, he knew roughly where Kenn would be. He hadn’t met the man yet and he only knew that Kenn was their mechanical engineer. Kenn maintained the equipment, heating, generators, et cetera. It was Kenn’s contribution to the war now.

  Alta had avoided telling him where the explosives came from, but her avoidance confirmed they were linked to her somehow. Why would she keep explosives only to pretend she had nothing to do with them? The obvious answer was maintaining her fake reputation, but Troy was more concerned with the real reason. He felt he knew the answer but his memory was not cooperating.

  He stopped at the fourth level down, navigating his way through the military complex. This floor had very few walls but was instead filled with machinery. It looked like a factory, granted, a futuristic version. One obvious difference in this equipment than what he was familiar with on Earth were the sounds. There were no harsh grinding engines, loud banging or vibrations. The entire floor was quiet with the exception of a soft hum. It was low-frequency but it emanated from every point around him.

  An illuminated path ran along the floor from the stairwell, going deeper into the area. He followed it, finding Kenn leaning back in a chair inside an office. The office had large glass windows starting at knee level and extending to the ceiling. Kenn noticed him, standing as Troy approached.

  “Oh my god,” Kenn exclaimed. “Tohmas. I had heard you were back. Alta contacted me a bit ago and said you were on your way. I couldn’t--”

  “Kenn,” Troy said. “Good to see you.”

  “You remember me then?” Kenn asked, taken aback.

  “Only that your face looks familiar and for some reason I feel a certain kinship with you,” Troy lied.

  His smiling, wide-eyed stare confirmed Alta’s comments about him.

  “You know why I’m here then?” Troy asked.

  “Oh yes,” he said, chagrined. “My apologies.”

  Kenn lifted a backpack from behind his desk and handed it to Troy.

  “I got it ready for you. I knew you’d come back. I heard you died but I didn’t believe it. Not for a second.”

  “Your faith is well placed. I always have a backup plan,” Troy said, stumbling on the words but finding the phrase rang a bell with him.

  “That you did,” Kenn said, slapping him on the back. “That you did.”

  Troy knew he needed to get moving but Kenn’s hero complex for Tohmas needed to be handled with care. He didn’t want to hurt the man’s feelings. Apparently, if Alta was telling the truth, they were close friends.

  “The Reptaurans aren’t waiting--”

  “Look here,” Kenn said. “I want you to know that if you need anything from me, anything at any time, all you gotta do is ask. In fact, look me up when you get back. I have something for you. I didn’t have time to get it, but I’ll have it for you when you return.”

  Troy nodded. What could Kenn have that he thought was so important? Troy exchanged goodbyes, turning to leave.

  “Oh my god,” Ken said as Troy left. “Oh my god.”

  Chapter 21

  REPTAURANS

  Pira - Thirty minutes later.

  Troy joined the group at the base’s northern gate. The electronic shield wall was designed with four gates that allowed entry to the facility without exposing the base to electronic detection. The only thing keeping them alive was the fact the shield wall had never dropped in all these years. A base like this, generating the power it did, would easily show up on Reptauran sensors half a planet away. Humans though, even with electronic gear, would not generate a signal strong enough for detection. They could leave without fear of discovery.

  Troy’s team stood ready. Geoff, Lakin, and Chance were in heavy parkas with thick gloves and boots. The others wore lighter protection from the harsh winter cold. They watched him, waiting for his orders.

  “Let’s go,” he said. “The lives of everyone here rests on our shoulders. We cannot and will not fail.”

  Troy hoped that was enough. It sounded cheesy to his ears but really, what did they expect? Several nodded at him, loading up their gear and following him to the north gate.

  “Open up,” Troy ordered.

  The guards complied, opening the large metallic gate and letting them pass. The electronic barrier remained active and was slightly visible to the naked eye at this range. It hummed like the machinery did on Kenn’s floor. Was that where the shield generator was housed?

  Troy extended his hand, trying to touch the barrier in front of him. He felt nothing as his hand passed through it to the other side. His curiosity satisfied, he continued on through it. There was no discernible difference being on this side of the wall as opposed to inside it. He shrugged.

  Troy picked up the pace and the others followed. They plowed their way through the snow, sometimes forced to work through hip high snow drifts. It was ten minutes lat
er while looking back when he realized the group was getting farther apart from each other. He stopped, waiting for them to catch up. Troy repeated this process several times along the way, allowing them to regroup. His three friends were generally right behind him, then came Septima and Cienna and then the rest of the group, including Caiden. The lower gravity made it easier for the humans to sludge through the snow and terrain, giving them an advantage over the Pirans.

  As Caiden explained it during their previous training sessions, the Reptaurans were also stronger than Pirans and were geared for war. They would have blaster rifles and blaster-resistant armor to contend with. It would not be an easy fight, but the height of the cliff walls would give them a huge edge.

  Troy scanned the area around them. Both in front and behind him, evergreen-like trees dotted the bitter cold terrain along with other trees which were barren of foliage. Visibility was at four miles in front and behind, though the densely packed evergreen forests on each side prevented seeing anything through them.

  “Tr--, Tohmas, it’s fucking cold,” Chance said.

  “Bro, it won’t do any good to complain, so stop,” Troy said.

  They were all adequately protected from the cold, so his friends were not in any danger of hypothermia. Their gear, as white as the snow, blended easily into the arctic ground covering, granting them some measure of camouflage. Still in the lead, Troy had his eye on a tree line ahead when he heard someone step up to walk next to him.

  “You know,” Cienna said, whispering. “You shouldn’t give your friends orders like that.”

  The thought of pulling his blaster out and accidentally shooting her replayed over and over again in his mind.

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “Because, little human, Chance will no longer complain about the cold again and I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll realize why,” Cienna said.

  She was goading him. She loved to taunt him like this, making him look like a fool. What was she not telling him?

  “He never listens to-” he said, realizing his mistake, “shit.”

  Alta manipulated his friends to be more suggestible and controllable. They would follow orders, almost blindly.

  “Chance,” Troy said, “be sure to tell me if anything truly bothers you, cold or otherwise.”