by Dean Kutzler
“Commander! The dragons shot a bigger ball, and now they’re separating!”
“Evasive maneuvers, now! Get us away from this planet! They must’ve learned how to create the balls of energy individually—great!”
Playtime was over.
Innocent Gods or not, they were out for blood—her blood.
She was aboard the most advanced ship in the known galaxies, and by God-dammit—she hadn’t made it out of hell to die now! She’d do everything possible before firing on them. They weren’t in their right states of minds, nor did she know what would happen when something as powerful as a God got destroyed—if that were even possible.
Atmos responded immediately, maneuvering the ship away from the planet’s surface, banking left.
“Commander Thorn, if that ball of energy hits the planet, Genesis calc—the cataclysmic event would explode in our wake and even if Genesis survived, we would be vulnerable while the dragons planned the next attack.
“Correction: the trajectory of the ball of light has shifted and is now veering away from the planet and following us, gaining speed.”
“Void Stream capabilities?”
“Yes, but the probability that the ball would enter before the calculations for destination could be completed is too great. The explosion would collapse the Void Stream around us, incinerating Genesis.”
“Why wouldn’t they let it hit the planet and destroy us, Commander?” Ensign Brody asked.
“Either they can’t, or they don’t know what’ll happen to themselves—I’m betting. Atmos, I want a timer for that cataclysmic event on screen now!”
2:23
“Atmos—time for impact of the energy ball?”
“Two minutes twenty-seconds.”
“Fuck!”
“Restate the last command, Commander?”
“Atmos, at what angle and distance can you pull the ship up and skate along the planet’s surface heading at top speed?”
“Genesis’ safety protocols will allow a ninety-degree angle at a distance of two-hundred fifty feet.”
“Impressive, but I don’t think it’s enough. What is the—“
“I’ve tracked the increasing performance of maneuverability on the energy ball at a high rate per second. Your statement is correct. It is not enough.”
“Atmos, relinquish helm to Ensign Brody at once and override the protocols.”
“Yes, Commander.”
As a space pirate, Daxton was probably better suited for what she was about to do but, she'd never seen him in action. While Ensign Brody was still wet behind the ears, she was impressed with not only his academy flight records but also his Irish tenacity—that, she had seen
Go with what you know.
“Ensign, you got one shot. Make it count. I want you to dive at the planet as fast and close as you can before you pull her up. Eye on the timer. It has to be within the last five seconds.”
“Commander, what about the gravity?”
1:13
“Don’t worry about the gravity. Kahari isn’t like other planets if you haven’t noticed. Atmos now’s your chance to get back in my good graces. I want that Void Stream destination calculated for Aurailia and opened within the last five-seconds and closed the moment Genesis is through—confirmed?”
“Confirmed, Commander Thorn.”
“Commander—“
“Ensign Brody I have faith in you. Do as you’re ordered!”
Daxton’s mouth dropped. He wasn’t sure even he could pull off the maneuver—gravity or no gravity—and boy—was he damned glad she hadn’t asked him. He kept his opinion to himself, not wanting to add to the young man’s stress—but he’s seen Saren in action and trusted her to get them through this.
Grôk reached over placing a hand on his shoulder and said in a calm voice, “You got this Little Shite.”
1:03
Ensign Brody shook his head, a determined look of confidence washing away the indecisive wrinkle kinked up on his brow. He started to get up and ask where the helm was when his chair moved in place to the front of the viewscreen.
The seat morphed beneath him into a command center and a holographic representation of a helm with which he was quite familiar.
“The helm! It’s just like back at the academy! Except this cannot blow up!”
Atmos said, “The scan of your DNA when repairing your leg was comprehensive, saving an imprint of the electrical synapses consisting of your memories. It is designed to assist you in the best possible manner. The holographic interface is to achieve maximum safety.”
“Good to know,” Daxton muttered to himself, thinking about the scan and looking away.
0:45
Ensign Brody’s hands flew over the helm, taking advantage of Genesis’ incredible calculating speed and navigated the ship into a nose dive toward Kahari.
The planet’s surface rapidly filled the viewscreen at an unnerving rate.
Daxton looked away, but Saren stared ahead, fists clenched—face hardened.
Red lights flashed on the data analysis screen.
0:23
“Is that the—“
“Stone table take us down in planet,” Grôk finished his statement.
0:17
“Really?” Daxton said, quickly looking up, then back down.
The table was swiftly filling the viewscreen. The black box on top could be seen shaking from the unstable core of the planet.
0:09
Sweat ran down the side of Ensign Brody’s face, both hands hovering steadily over the helm and eyes glued to the timer.
The energy ball was mere hundreds of feet behind Genesis. The table and black box were all they saw.
0:05
Fingers flashed over the helm, and the viewscreen became a blur.
Genesis arced over the table. The force of wind knocked the black box off to the ground. Metallic groaning sounded out from somewhere deep in the bowels of the ship as Genesis skated inches above the surface at an incredible speed, leaving a whirlwind of rocks and dust in its wake.
0:01
A Void Stream rift tore open the space in front of Genesis, and the ship slipped through. A brilliant flash of light enveloped the Genesis, blotting out the viewscreen for a second before snapping shut.
OUTLAWED
THE crew aboard Genesis collectively held their breath, waiting for the impact of the explosion to destroy the ship. The flash of light disappeared from the viewscreen, leaving them in complete darkness.
A second later, Atmos said, “Genesis has successfully navigated into the Void Stream without casualty. If I had a head for a hat, Ensign Brody, it would be off to you. I do not think I could have maneuvered Genesis in quite such a way regardless of my connectivity. You’ve shown skill I do not possess.”
“Excellent job, Mr. Brody! Excellent job!” Saren shouted, slapping her hand on the arm of the chair.
“What I tell you Little Shite?” Grôk said, gently smacking Ensign Brody on the back.
Daxton was jumping up and down, shouting, “Yes! Yes! Fuck yes!”
During the excitement, the object hidden inside Daxton’s vest flew out, his eyes were big as saucers tracking it, as he snatched it from the air, hoping no one noticed. The object was now blinking, and he cocked his head to the side, quickly stashing it away.
Daxton turned around and said, ”Looks like you’ll be flyin’ this baby after all!”
Saren was staring at him, making sure he knew she’d noticed before she looked away.
“Atmos, take over the helm for a bit. I want to have a meeting. Is there a conference room or command room?”
The tactical station around Ensign Brody disappeared, and he said, “Aye! A little warning next time, Atmos.”
“Yes, Commander Thorn. Both. Your command room is closest. I have illuminated the door for you to find it easier until you find your way about the ship.”
A blue outline illuminated a door just beyond the bridge down a short hallway.
> “Come on, guys. I want to have a talk before we reach Aurailia.”
Daxton’s face was pensive as he filed in behind Grôk and Ensign Brody following Saren; the ship’s sensors automatically illuminating the walls as they walked through.
Saren’s command room was as sleek as the rest of the ship; futuristic blue and silver furniture seamlessly integrated into the hull. The desk was a virtual command station where Saren could monitor all activity of the ship and interact with any system. Behind it, hanging on the wall, was a smaller copy of the last panel they all watched get installed on the rear hull, up, on the surface of Kahari: Genesis.
Daxton walked over to the window alongside the desk, overlooking the pitch-blackness of the Void Stream and said, “I wonder if this is a real window, or if I’m looking at a screen.”
Saren sat down, and the station came to life. A virtual wrap-around viewscreen popped up, curving around the desk at an angle where only she could see the display, invisible to everyone on the other side to ensure privacy.
In the most prominent spot dead-center of the viewscreen, ran a live feed of the most vital ship systems, and to the left and right, video feeds of different parts of the ship scrolled up and down. On the desk itself, a whole host of virtual buttons and tools to aid her command lit up everywhere.
Saren’s eyes were wide, betraying her impressed state. Different colors flashed across her face as she stared at the feed.
Ensign Brody stood in front of the desk and said, “Are ye okay, Commander?”
She looked up, the lights now dancing on her chin.
“I’m perfectly fine, why?”
“Ye face, it’s lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Daxton noticed the colors flashing on her face and stepped alongside her and shook his head, smiling. He walked back around, taking a seat next to Grôk and said, “Yup. It’s a virtual screen lighting up her face.”
“What? You guys can’t see any of this?” she asked, comically stooping her head down and peeking around the feeds.
“Nope,” Daxton said, laughing at her. “It’s invisible on this side I’m guessing for privacy.”
She hopped up from the chair and peeked around the edge of the desk. “What do you know?” she said, sitting back down. “I brought you all in here to discuss our immediate future, now that we’re not in danger. I also wanted to express my gratitude for your incredible dedication displayed in sticking with me through the mess we just experienced and how we worked together to get free.”
“Without you,” Grôk began, “none have made it through. It is we who should be saying gratitude to you.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Daxton said.
Ensign Brody vigorously nodded his head.
A warm feeling filled Saren’s chest, this being the best part of her job, and reassuring herself in her role as commander.
“Thank you, guys,” she said, closing her eyes and nodding. “Now I have to ask you a serious question. And I expect one-hundred percent honesty. First, Daxton and Grôk, I want to assure you both, once I have found my daughter and destroyed the Scarab, I will assist you each in reaching your goals, no matter what answer you give for the question I’m about to ask. By the way, Grôk, you never told me why you were on Kahari, to begin with.”
Grôk told them his life as a significant scientist on Kractoria and the sad story of the Razzers coming for his beloved partner, and finally, the foul play Valderôk served him.
“So that’s why ye be there.”
Grôk nodded.
“I was wonderin’ how you knew all that technical stuff,” Daxton said. “Sorry about your partner, big guy.”
“Grôk, we will find Rhangâr, and expose Valderôk, and the deceit he served the people of Kractoria. Daxton, we’ll get you a ship and help you find the honest living you led” she said, glancing at his vest, “before the Scarab reign.”
“Now, for your honesty, and this goes for you, too, Ensign Brody. Once we’ve reached Aurailia, each of you can part ways from me, returning to your prior lives and there will be no hard feelings, whatsoever. Ensign Brody, you can choose to be reassigned to another ship. Those of you who want to stay, and help me find Elyria and take down the Scarab, think carefully about the dangers we’d be up against before answering. As I said, you have until we reach—“
“No way,” Daxton said, cutting her off. “You ain’t gettin’ rid of me. Nice try, though.”
“I’m with ye, Commander. I think ye should know that by now.”
“No,” Grôk said shaking his head, surprising them.
He looked back and forth at each, shrugging, and said, “What? Like he said. No gettin’ rid of me.” He flashed that terrifying grin.
They all started laughing. As deadly as Grôk could be, he was equally funny, and it was nice how they could sit back and enjoy the moment.
“Now, I need to speak to Admiral Whuang Tog from the council. Grôk, Daxton, Ensign, go—explore the ship, and claim your quarters. Get some much-needed rest and report back to me in the morning on what you find. Ensign Brody when you’ve found your room, relieve Atmos of the helm and send him in here, please.”
The moment Ensign Brody took over the helm, Atmos spoke into the room, startling Saren who’d been reviewing the items on the desk. “Commander Thorn, due to the nature of my physique, I am at all times in each room. You merely just need to speak, commanding my attention and I’ll be at your side.”
“Okay,” she said, thinking about the lack of privacy. “Thank you, that—is good to know, Atmos.”
“Do not worry. I avert my consciousness the moment I am aware of personal private times.”
“Don’t tell me you’re reading my thoughts.”
“The Atmospheric race does not have such capability.”
“Then how did you know what I was thinking?”
“I read the look of disgust on your face.”
“Sorry, I guess I’m an open book. I didn’t mean any disrespect by it.”
“None taken, Commander but thank you for thinking of my feelings.”
“I wanted to discuss a few things with you privately. Did Genesis scan anything unusual about Daxton? When he entered the ship?”
“If you are referring to the blinking item in his vest pocket, yes, but unfortunately Genesis’ database contained nothing regarding the item’s composition or molecular makeup. It is unknown.”
“It’s blinking now, huh? Did Genesis record when it started blinking?”
“The moment we entered Void Stream.”
“Peculiar.”
“I agree.”
“I want you to keep monitoring the item and immediately report any changes directly to me. I don’t want Daxton thinking I don’t trust him, but I’m also not going to put any of us at risk.”
“Confirmed.”
“What kind of communication capability does Genesis have? I need to contact Admiral Whuang Tog of the UFWA council on Aurailia.”
“Stating your command aloud is all that is required. Genesis has internal AI capabilities to understand the different inflections of your voice to determine a request and what is a conversation. Using Void Stream, Genesis can reach any part of the universe.”
“Thank you, Atmos. That will be all.”
“You are welcome, Commander. I will leave you to your privacy until you need me.”
“Genesis, establish a comm-link with Admiral Whuang Tog of the United Federation Ward of Authority on homeworld Aurailia.”
A dual-tone sounded into the room, and the UFWA's insignia replaced the ship’s vital systems on her desk’s viewscreen, pushing them aside. A moment later Admiral Whuang Tog’s surprised face replaced the insignia.
“Commander Thorn! What a pleasant surprise to see you. When every attempt at contacting the Avenger had failed, we feared you had failed your mission. It is good to see you, Saren.”
He looked at the wall behind her and squinted. “What is Genesis?”
“Long story, Admiral,” she
said, inhaling.
Saren relayed the Scarab invasion of Avenger, the events on and in Kahari, through the battle with the Dragon Gods, the acquirement of Genesis and leading up to the planet’s destruction.
Admiral Whuang Tog sat quietly, listening. His face went through all the appropriate emotional points of the story, looking genuinely impressed.
Saren exhaled, and said, “We no longer need a Terra-Disrupter Unit to destroy AARU. This ship has planet-destroying capabilities. Once I have located the Avenger and rescued my daughter and crew, the next priority is taking out the Scarab.”
Admiral Tog’s face clouded over adding to the frightfulness of his Japanese heritage mafia face. “Commander Thorn, while I sympathize with what you and your band of misfits have been through, ship commanders do not make admiral decisions.
“I give the orders, and you are to resume destroying the Scarab homeworld, immediately! We cannot endure any more risk. Do you understand if the Scarab discovers UFWA command is utilizing fossil fuels along with their measly power rations, UFWA command will be no more? I am sorry your daughter is lost, but your duties to this federation come first. You are to follow orders, Commander Thorn. Have I made myself clear?”
The tiny hairs on the back of Saren’s neck started to rise along with the rage, boiling in her stomach, threatening to come out of her mouth. Daxton wasn’t here to calm her down, and she needed to remain as civil as possible, knowing she was in a power of position with Genesis. It was a broken world, and he would still be a high-ranking official when she fixed that world.
“With all due respect, sir, I cannot leave over three hundred people, including my daughter at the mercy of the Scarab. I’m not certain, but they may already have docked on the homeworld and destroying AARU would be slaughtering our people along with them.”
“We don’t have time for this,” he spat. “They’re more than likely dead already, I’m sorry to say, Saren. You know the probabilities are high. The Scarab are slaughtering our people as we are having this futile conversation. Thanks to the fossil fuels you have been storing up for your revolution, we have been able to mine for more corundum crystals. In your absence, a warship has already been modified and sent out two weeks ago with a terra-disruptor unit on a course for AARU. We found a way to reverse-engineer the units, so we no longer need to steal them. Five more warships are being refitted and armed with the units, and will be ready to launch in the next couple of days.”