Kalian averted his eyes. “No one knows what I can do, not even ALF. That’s why I don’t care about his calculations and odds.”
“Is that what he told you up there?” she asked. “Did he tell you that you won’t survive?” Li’ara trusted the AI as far as she could throw him, but she didn’t underestimate his intelligence or processing power. His calculations were always accurate…
“No, he told me something else.” Kalian sat up in the bed and rested his elbows on his knees.
Li’ara could see that this new revelation bothered him. “What did he tell you?”
Kalian chewed over his response. “A long time ago, and I mean longer than there’s a number for, there was a group of scientists called the Kellekt. They were tasked with researching a new form of technology for their people.” Kalian met Li’ara’s questioning gaze. “Nanocelium. It was supposed to bring about a golden age for their world. But, three of the Kellekt had something else in mind for it. Once bound to them, it improved their mind and body. It seemed to them to be the next step in evolution. They discovered that the nanites could replicate if they had enough resources to consume, making it potentially endless given enough food.
“The nanocelium’s appetite for resources matched the Kellekt’s appetite for power, and once they’d had a taste of it they were insatiable.
“The rest of their people didn’t agree with the binding process. They didn’t want to be part machine. The Kellekt didn’t take their refusal well. They consumed most of the planet but they had to avoid the population since the nanocelium was coded to their DNA. They would have ended up with a whole population of people who had just as much power as them. So they left.
“The people of this world had a choice. Rebuild their civilisation and potentially place their future on track to repeat itself in generations to come. Or… they could forsake technology and return to a primitive way of life.
“When the Kellekt’s Vanguard returned eons later, unaware that this planet was its place of origin, it bound itself to one of the natives, intending to take on a host body. We now know that host… as ALF.”
Li’ara covered her mouth, overcome with shock and a thousand questions. “Evalan… the original Evalan is where it all began? That’s where nanocelium was made?”
“Yes, made by the Three. They were once humanity’s ancestors, natives to Evalan.” Kalian leaned in closer. “We made it, Li’ara. What just a few of our kind did made the rest of our ancestors forego all technology. Can you imagine being so ashamed of what your own species is capable of, that you return to living off the land, reject medical technology, and keep the truth of history from your children?”
“That’s not us, Kalian. We’re not like the Kellekt.”
“We have it in us,” Kalian countered. “Look at Earth’s history. Humans have always wanted more; we’ve always taken more from those who had it. Just in the time we’ve been in the Conclave there’s been nothing but war and death, whether it be Savrick or the Kellekt. Now we’ve taken a whole planet, we have a member on the Highclave. What happens when the rest of humanity develops Terran abilities? Trust me, Li’ara, thoughts of superiority will haunt every one of them. I know they haunt me.”
“You think you’re better than the Conclave?” Li’ara asked, more curious than concerned.
“I know I am. But that’s the key, isn’t it? Knowledge. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It happened to the Three, it happened to Savrick and the Gomar. Earth’s history is rife with examples of corruption due to power. The Terran were never corrupted because they valued knowledge.”
Li’ara tilted her head. “So, you know you’re better, but because you know that, you’re incorruptible?”
Kalian gave a mirthless laugh. “Something like that… Eventually, humanity will master these abilities and realise we were manufactured to be better. That’ll be our real test.”
Li’ara squeezed his arm. “With guidance, and a huge dumping of humility, we can do it.”
Kalian gazed into the distance, nodding absently. “Maybe…”
Kalian lay back again and stared at the ceiling. Li’ara hated that she was finding it harder and harder to read him. His mind could go places and see things she could only of dream of, which ultimately had her feeling left behind.
“So, the ancestors of humans created nanocelium, which wasn’t a bad thing in itself, but the Three who made it used it for bad things…”
“That’s probably the biggest understatement of all time,” Kalian quipped.
“Shh! I’m processing it as best as my little human brain can. So, they bound themselves to it and basically sent the original Evalan back to the Stone Age. Then they, what? Flew away in search of new civilisations?”
“They consume worlds and pretty much everything else in between,” Kalian replied with an exhausted tone.
“But why?”
“For knowledge, power, invincibility, greed, and just wanting more. The same things that have always driven humans across the universe apparently.”
Li’ara thought for a moment on the implications this might have on their status within the Conclave. “We can’t tell anyone about this, Kalian. There are still those in the Conclave who believe we are responsible for the destruction Savrick created. It doesn’t help with the timing of this invasion either, but if people found out that at the core of the nanocelium sat three humans…”
“They are far from humans now,” Kalian commented. “They left their original bodies behind eons ago in favour of new life forms. ALF’s description was kind of nightmarish, to be honest.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Li’ara continued. “Our connection to nanocelium is already suspect. We shouldn’t fuel the fire.”
Kalian nodded but he was again slipping away, his mind falling into a well into which she couldn’t follow.
“Did you find out anything about the nanocelium inside of us? Captain Fey looks younger every day.”
Kalian opened his mouth but his every feature froze, his gaze so distant he appeared to be looking through Li’ara.
“What is it?” she asked.
Kalian jumped out of the bed. “They’re here!”
Li’ara looked around, searching for evidence of his words. “I don’t understand.”
“Six ships just emerged from subspace,” he explained. He slapped the triangle of nanocelium to his abdomen and the black armour grew across his body.
“You can feel that?” Li’ara asked sceptically, though she wondered why anything he did surprised her anymore.
“It’s hard to explain. The universe is like one plane of existence, everything is connected. When a ship uses subspace they briefly tear that plane. To me, that feels as if someone is… scratching my head?” His explanation was hard to understand but he offered nothing further, instead, placing his hand on the glass desk at the end of the room. This quickly generated a series of holograms which jumped to life in front of him. Six nanocelium-based ships could be seen by external monitoring satellites.
“Are those feeds from the Clave Command Tower?” She asked, wondering how he had gained access from a smart desk inside a hotel room.
Kalian ignored the question. “ALF won’t be able to help while he’s operating on the Gomar.”
Li’ara hopped across the room as she put her clothes back on. “Six ships? Is that it? They’re attacking the most fortified planet with only six ships? Where’s the harvesting ship?”
Kalian turned his head to the left side of the desk and a new hologram popped up with images of Tagomar, in the Vellum system. The harvesting ship was in the process of latching on to the planet and spreading its tentacles deep into the earth. With the C-Sec fleet already redirecting, there was no space battle to speak of.
“They’re just scouts,” Kalian observed. “They’ve come to see what the capital has in the way of defences.”
Li’ara stood back as Kalian left the desk and made for the door. “Where are you going?”
He st
opped by the open door and turned back. “To give them second thoughts.”
And with that he was gone, leaving Li’ara to stand on her own in the gloom of the holograms.
Chapter 21
Kalian reached as far as the repurposed Starforge before he regretted leaving Li’ara so suddenly. He had informed her that they were about to be attacked and then he had just left. She would understand, he thought… he hoped. Kalian reminded himself that right now he was the only one who stood a chance at holding them back until ALF could use the Starforge. That level of responsibility was enough to focus his thoughts and compartmentalise all things Li’ara.
Before he could walk through the now active Forge, a hologram of Telarrek appeared beside it, generated by the technician’s console. “Kalian,” the Novaarian called. “We only have nine Nebula-Class cruisers and one Nexus-Class up there. They are designated to be part of the Evalan defence.”
“I know, Telarrek, we can’t afford to lose any of them. Order them to pull back and refrain from engaging.”
“What are you going to do?” the councillor asked with concern.
“Buy us some time.” Kalian didn’t waste another second. He expanded the nanocelium over his hands and face, ready for the vacuum of space beyond the Forge’s event horizon.
As before, he felt nothing when the bright light washed over him. ALF’s Starforge was behind him, powering down the wormhole.
“How’s it going in there?” he asked, pushing himself into space like a missile.
“They’re a little hostile but so far so good,” ALF replied. “I’m going to need a little more time before I can offer any help, though. Removing the Harnesses is delicate to say the least.”
“Why do you think I’m here?” Kalian would have enjoyed his flight through the solar system had he not just rounded one of the capital’s broken moons and laid eyes on the six enemy vessels.
“Use your size and speed against them, Kalian. You’re a hard target to hit.”
Kalian would have replied to the AI had three of the enemy ships not opened fire on the cluster of C-Sec battlecruisers. He increased his speed and managed to fly into the gulf between the cruisers and the incoming missiles, which were now streaking towards him. With an outstretched hand, he found the missiles, each of which felt just as connected to his body as any limb. He balled his fist and watched them explode, the flash offering a glimpse of the black ships gliding through space beyond.
All six of the scout ships unleashed their arsenal, only now they weren’t targeting the cruisers.
“What are you waiting for?” ALF asked urgently.
“Roland said that nanocelium-based weaponry cancels out other nanocelium, preventing it from repairing itself.”
“Kalian, you’ve got seconds before impact!”
That was a long time inside his mind. By the time the closest missile was within metres of his position, he had mapped out his flight path and attack vector. Kalian shot upwards, relative to his position in space, and watched as the missiles followed him, curving through the void to chase after him. He flew directly towards the nearest enemy ship, where he intended to give the missiles back.
Then they exploded.
Kalian was flung forwards, his direction no longer under the control of his telekinetic abilities. The explosions rippled across space as the domino effect tore the missiles apart prematurely. Kalian tried to shake off the shockwave that had engulfed him, but he was too close to the enemy ship. The nanocelium hull cracked and shattered under his impact and he skidded along its surface for half a mile before finally correcting himself.
“You pulled that move over Evalan,” ALF chimed in his ear. “They’re quick learners.”
“I’ve still got a few tricks up—”
“Incoming!” As ALF cried out, Kalian looked up to see another enemy vessel hurtling towards him.
Kalian dug his fingers into the hull and pulled himself along the length of the ship at great speed. It was too late, however. The enemy ship collided with its ally to devastating effect. Nanocelium was flung everywhere at a speed that exceeded Kalian’s. The two ships coming together under such force and speed caused the surface beneath him to swell and explode in a thousand million pieces of sharp nanocelium. His direction was once again taken out of his hands, leaving him to the mercy of more shockwaves.
In the blink of an eye he was entirely engulfed by nanocelium as the two enemy ships lost their shape and cohesion, though he knew everything they did was calculated. This kind of attack wasn’t suicide for them, but it might be the death of him. Alarms were blaring inside his HUD, warning him of the damage being inflicted on his armour by the nanocelium shrapnel. Every time he tried to push away another shockwave of nanocelium detonated, throwing him about until he was flung into the storm again.
“Kalian!” ALF shouted inside his helmet. “They’re all colliding into each other! Kalian!”
He couldn’t answer; he could barely make sense of his surroundings. With no gravity or even a line of sight beyond the constant barrage of nanocelium, Kalian was becoming more and more disoriented. He roared in frustration and thrust out his hands, telekinetically blowing a path through the explosions. It was a small opening but he took it. With his arms by his side, he flew through the black glass that threatened to open up his exosuit.
The beautiful vista of open space greeted him when his upper body pierced the conglomerate of swarming nanocelium. It didn’t last. The only ship still intact crashed into the hole he had made, slamming into Kalian with enough force to crater a planet. The sheer mass of it all overwhelmed him, pummelling him from every side as yet more explosions sent nanocelium flying in every direction. More alarms flared inside his helmet, but he couldn’t concentrate to make out the statistics it was offering him. He didn’t need a computer to tell him his chances of survival were dropping dramatically.
It took a few more moments before he began to realise that the bombardment was becoming less intense. The shards of nanocelium were impacting his exosuit less and less and the space between him and the swirling mass was becoming bigger, allowing him to correct his position and take back some control.
“ALF,” he said through laboured breath. “What’s happening?”
The AI replied with one word. “Backup.”
The storm was ripped apart and Kalian caught glimpses of space again. With every second that went by, more and more of the nanocelium was being pulled away from him and cast aside. By a measure of minutes, the entire mass from all six scout ships was spread out over several kilometres, shapeless in the void. It looked to Kalian like a sandstorm, incapable of finding cohesion but clearly trying to head in the same direction.
You are not alone, Kalian Gaines.
Behind him floated Sef, Vox, Garrion, and Ariah. All of them wore a fitted exosuit of nanocelium identical to Kalian’s. Gone were the bulky and cumbersome armoured contraptions designed to counter the Harnesses. All four of the Gomar had their hands out towards the vibrating mass of nanocelium, each exhibiting a level of control he had always dreamed of for them.
“What should we do with all this?” Garrion asked over their shared channel.
“I’m on my way,” ALF answered. “I’ll absorb it into the Starforge. Should make this thing work a little faster!”
Kalian partitioned off a small area of his brain and set it to the task repairing his injuries. The exosuit was still one piece, keeping the vacuum at bay, but there were fragments of sharp nanocelium between the plates, piercing his skin here and there. He could feel a particularly painful piece in the side of his thigh, prompting him to shut off his pain receptors in that area of his leg. The exosuit began the process of extracting the foreign shards and leaving them to float in space.
“How does it feel?” Kalian asked across their channel.
The four Gomar looked at each other, all perfectly in control of their balance and position in space, while simultaneously keeping the cloud of nanocelium in their grasp.
“I can feel everything,” Garrion added.
“I want to take the fight to them,” Vox said eagerly.
Sef’s voice spoke inside their minds. The super subconducer has allowed us to understand our abilities, but we still have much to learn.
Kalian glanced at Vox, sure that Sef’s words were meant to sober her lust for action. He had to remind himself that Vox, and all of the Gomar, had been warriors for a very long time. They had performed acts of violence that Kalian couldn’t imagine during the Terran civil war and that was without the level of control they had now. He couldn’t imagine all the things Vox would want to do to her enemies with all the potential of a Terran.
ALF’s Starforge emerged from behind one of the broken moons, its crescent shape gliding effortlessly through space. The Gomar maintained their hold over the cloud of nanocelium, which continued to spasm within its invisible prison as ALF took the station through the middle of it. The nanites did their best to avoid contact with the Forge, a protocol that the Three had programmed, but the Gomar prevented the cloud from getting away. ALF continued to fly through it, black globs smearing across the hull like flies on a windshield as the nanocelium was caught. The patches slowly faded as they were absorbed, until the Starforge was once again entirely bronze, the AI’s choice of colour.
When Kalian turned back, everyone but Sef was flying around space. Vox was flying down the length of one of the Nebula-Class battlecruisers, stroking the shiny red hull with her hand. Garrion and Ariah were performing impossible acrobatics achieved only through the power of telekinesis.
They were like him now…
It brought a smile to Kalian’s face, though it was hidden behind his helmet. Looking to Sef, however, it seemed the big man was always happy to stand as a sentinel, or in this case float. Kalian hoped that with a Terran mind, Sef would find a way to compartmentalise all the things he did for Savrick during the civil war and come to terms with them all. Over time, he could even find a way past the murder of his parents and perhaps learn to use his voice again.
Legacy Page 20