Energize (From the Logs of Daniel Quinn Book 1)

by Thomas R. Manning

  I think I got everything she would be willing to tell me at that point and for the most part, it seemed to be everything I needed. For Erebos to accomplish what she teased, he would need a small army. I turned away from her and walked away.

  “You should just run Daniel,” Cessa yelled out to me, “we all know that’s what you’re best at. You couldn’t stop me from assaulting the village. You certainly won’t stop him.”

  I stopped for an instant almost turning around to say something back to her, but thought better of it. That’s what she wanted so I just kept on walking.

  “I’ll kill you Daniel! You threw me in this cage like your pet Dawnians! I will find you all and cut you down!” She screamed as we walked out of sight of the encampment. I’ll admit that when I couldn’t see her anymore I stopped and rested my hands on my knees. She knew how to make me feel helpless, I’ll admit that. She was good. I would have to be better. She said I couldn’t stop him, but it wouldn’t stop me from trying.

  Idza and I returned to the village center and I brainstormed ways to defend the town and its people. I also had to find a way to keep Erebos from getting his hands on any empyreus, which was going to be fluxing hard. None of the Dawnians had any ideas other than shooting as many of them as possible with blow darts, but I doubted they had that many blow darts. Still, just to help them feel useful I told them to put that plan into action and get blowguns into as many hands as they could.

  I tried to think back to my training as a security officer without setting off any nightmarish images. During my lessons at the academy our instructor told us that when we are cornered into a tough situation, it was imperative that we use whatever assets we have available. Think as if you’re defending yourself from a well-oiled machine, just by disconnecting the smallest cog you disable the machine entirely! What did I have? A numerous amount of people who lacked any battle training and spent their days talking in song. What was I going to do, arrange a chorus to welcome Erebos in song?

  Stars above . . . That’s it!

  An idea presented itself to me and it was like opening a door to a room full of windows into additional ideas. I stood there in a daze, completely zoned out of reality as I calculated a plan inside my head. The music, the Belle, Al. For the first time, I felt somewhat hopeful.

  “Idza! Laraar!” I practically scared them when I called out their names.

  “I want a meeting with the townsfolk and authority right away. Go arrange it now!” They looked at each other then back at me, nodded, and left.

  “Al, you said the empyreus allows you to connect wirelessly and work with any device in the village. Are you able to access the Belle’s navigational system?”

  “To a degree sir. I have the ability to code in some of the systems automated functions, such as star charts and course plotting.”

  “No, no! Can you fly her from here?”

  “Negative sir. Even if you energized the Belle itself with empyreus the ship is still missing the key components to control her remotely.”

  Damn it. I took a deep breath and tried to tell myself there was always an option. If the Belle couldn’t be used without a pilot I would have to find another way to keep the situation from exploding into chaos.

  I literally stood in one place unmoving for what felt like an hour. I considered every option I could think of, every solution no matter what the cost would be. Then I nodded to myself and turned to the computer.

  “Al, make sure you keep your countdown running. I know it’s only an estimate, but right now it’s the best we have. I want you to be able to alert anyone and everyone when Erebos is close.”

  “Acknowledged sir. May I ask where you are going?”

  “I’ll be back. I’m just going to take the Belle for a ride before all hell breaks loose.”

  EIGHTEEN

  An entire alien race and one determined human stayed up through the night to plan and strategize for the impending invasion that Raymond Erebos would bring. I flew the Kestrel Belle to a secure location close by, but first I flew past the mountain of empyreus crystals. It towered above me and I mentally replayed my trip inside with Laraar, witnessing the unbelievably beautiful crystal structures and seeing how it was processed into the biomechanical fuel anyone would kill to have.

  I snorted at that last thought. Anyone would kill for empyreus and here the Dawnians hardly ever harmed a fly, or whatever their version of a fly was. They used the fuel in their everyday lives, sharing it together, connecting their love of nature and technology to form the ultimate society. Now that doom was descending upon them, their perfect society was useless against the might and intentions of Erebos and his men. I wondered what would happen to everyone on the planet without the empyreus. This mountain and its capabilities were at the heart of the problem. If worst came to worst, would they be willing to destroy it? Would they stay the way they were for a while, relaxed and content with everything in their life or would they begin to feel and crave for more out of their lives as the effects of the energy wore off?

  Once I safely secured the Belle and returned to the village Grimal led me to the Authority chamber room. I don’t know if that’s what they called it, but it sure looked like it. The walls curved in a wide circle with the familiar Dawnian dome ceiling. Rows of wooden benches were placed in four sections of the room, about ten benches down each row. In the front of the room sat the Authority who sang out a loud song, summoning their people to the chambers.

  I told everyone my plan, how it was not guaranteed to work, and how it would be necessary to potentially be in the line of fire. There was a good chance many Dawnians would die, but I tried to emphasize that they would die protecting their village and people. A lot of them seemed to sit up at that. Chorta had stood a long time ago singing out a tone of approval when I spoke. It felt good to finally be somewhat accepted by him. When I finished and the entirety of the room rose up in support of my plan, we all broke off into groups. My group walked out towards the open field outside the village where Al was nearly certain the enemy would land. The other groups went off into the forest as the golden sun was rising.

  Those of us in the field equipped ourselves with dart guns. I had my rifle, which was powered up on empyreus and ready to go. I paced back and forth down the defense line making sure everyone was motivated and ready at moment’s notice. I put on a brave face and strode down the line like it was my job to command these people, when in fact I was terrified. I had no idea if these people were ready for this or if they could even comprehend what was about to happen. Hell, I didn’t know if I was ready.

  Laraar joined me handing me a small device that looked somewhat like his translator. He held it up, wanting to put it around my neck. I let him.

  “Created . . . myself . . . Using our technologies.”

  Suddenly a voice was speaking to me. Al.

  “Captain? Do you read me?”

  My eyes glossed over.

  “Al, you don’t know how happy I am to hear your voice.”

  “I am incapable of discerning human emotion Captain so you are accurate, I do not know. If anything I would assume from your vocal pattern that you are in distress.”

  I laughed at his comment.

  “Happy distress at the moment Al.”

  With the empyreus connecting all devices wirelessly it was a simple job for Laraar, working with Al, to create a portable communication device allowing me to speak with him on the fly. Laraar and Idza would also have the same ability with their translators. The idea and execution was brilliant. I rehearsed all the scenarios I could come up with for when the attack began and I could only hope Al could adapt to what happened around the village. Now I wouldn’t have to wonder. Some of the nerves receded. Not nearly enough, though.

  The stage was set and all the pieces were in place except for one. Laraar gave the people around us his version of a thumbs up and the two of us walked back to the village. It looked like a ghost town that would have fit in perfectly with one of the western sto
ries my grandfather loved to tell me as a boy. I kept a lookout for tumbleweed but didn’t see any.

  Cessa was standing in the middle of her cell and watched us approach. I didn’t let her get the first word in.

  “Look!” I yelled, “It’s your two favorite people!” I could have been imagining things I suppose, but I thought I heard her growl at us. Of course, I forgot that Laraar was the one currently holding onto her sword. That was like pouring salt into an open wound.

  I raised my rifle to her. “Place your back to the door and hold your hands together”

  She hesitated for a moment wondering if I was serious, but ultimately obeyed my command. Laraar, using a durable type of dark red rope secured her hands behind her back. When he was satisfied with the work he did he nodded to me and moved to the front of the cell, unlocking it. Cessa looked at both of us, dumbfounded that we would do something so idiotic.

  “Don’t try anything Cessa. You’re going to walk slowly with us. I know you’re fast, but you should know my gun is seriously doped up on some groovy energy. One pull of the trigger and half of your body might be vaporized.”

  I was slightly bothered by the words I used. That didn’t sound like me, but then again I was trying my hardest to keep a stern and determined focus on defending these people. I guess when you do that you tend to get a little extra aggressive. Cessa seemed both shocked and amused by my words. She stepped out of the cage and made no attempt to escape. Laraar grabbed her arm and led her forward. I kept my distance on the other side of her in case she tried to use her legs to take us down. She was surprisingly obedient as we walked back to the main group.

  A chorus of the musical equivalent of boos and hisses erupted from the crowd as we stepped to the forefront. Everyone here knew who Cessa was and the destruction she caused. She didn’t seem to be affected by the noise as she maintained a bored expression and stared out into the open field. I could only imagine what was going on inside her head. It must be a scary place in there.

  The group had been standing and waiting for over an hour and some decided to rest, sitting on the ground. Laraar maneuvered behind Cessa so he was standing right next to me. He was about to say something when my communicator buzzed. Al was calling. I knew what he was going to say.

  “Captain. The enemy ship is approaching the planet. The device I’m connected to does not have an accurate scanner to determine the exact design model.”

  “That’s okay Al, I think we know who’s coming. Stand by for my command.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  My stomach spun in circles, turning my insides as if they were stuck in a turbine on one the Belle’s wings. I yelled out to everyone to stand by and be ready. Laraar stood next to me staring up in the sky; everyone did including Cessa, though she held the same bored look on her face. The only thing we could do now was wait.

  The wind picked up and blew past us as if it was fleeing the scene. I wish it could have taken me with it. Confrontations were never one of my strong suits, which is likely the reason I couldn’t get hired for a mercenary job if my life depended on it. Mercs were paid to accomplish their mission by any means necessary, and I could only ever accept doing what I considered to be the right thing, whether ignoring an order to kill, kidnap, or steal from someone I didn’t think deserved it. What was the right thing to do in this situation? I didn’t like to kill people, but would I have to do just that in order to save the Dawnians from extinction or slavery? Was that even possible at this point?

  My thought process was interrupted when I saw movement in the clouds. My eye counted off the numbers of ships flying in. One, two, three, six, ten, fourteen . . . fourteen ships flew on route to us. They weren’t large cruisers, but instead shuttles. Except for one. One of them was larger than the others, but still not a full size cruiser. If anything it was a heavy trooper carrier. As they broke through the clouds into the blue sky my bionic sight zoomed in on them to get a more accurate reading and my heart dropped into my stomach when I realized they were familiar shuttles. I recognized their shape, their power output, and the name of their mother ship that was painted on the side. ESA Echelon. Sarah King . . . she was here. For all I knew she was on one of the shuttles. I just wanted to collapse to the ground, curl into a ball, and scream at the top of my lungs. Cessa sent out a message that was picked up by the fluxing Echelon, the tainted ship of the ESA fleet, the home to all my nightmares.

  “Flux . . . no . . . it can’t be,” I whispered to myself.

  I could suddenly feel eyes on me, a lot of them. Every Dawnian within my sight was staring at me, and what were they seeing? They all looked at a man who promised to protect them, staring up at the ships terrified. I couldn’t let them down. I couldn’t let myself down. I forced my eyebrows together and tightened my jaw in a scowl. I checked my rifle and set it to EMP rounds. Then I mustered all the vocal power I could and turned to the people counting on me and shouted, “Stand tall and ready”! They didn’t understand me, but Laraar translated for them and it made me feel a little better shouting it.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. Laraar smiled at me.

  “Gratitude . . . you stand here . . . fight your own people . . .” He said to me.

  “These aren’t my people. Humans are flawed and imperfect, but most of us have the potential to grow and learn, show compassion, and stand up for what’s right. But there are others who refuse to adapt and evolve and they start living only for themselves. Those types of humans are who descend on us now.”

  I turned to Laraar and extended my hand to him. He looked at it for a moment then mirrored my gesture. I pushed my hand into his and gave him a firm grip.

  “These people were always my enemy, but I am honored to fight with you. No matter what happens know that it has been an absolute pleasure to know you.”

  I looked around at each and every Dawnian who stood beside me. I felt like I should say something to them, something to motivate them to help them get ready for the inevitable battle ahead. I took a few steps forward then turned around to face the crowd, asking Laraar to translate as best he could.

  “The empyreus that flows in each and every one of you reacts to your emotions and amplifies them. As time passed and you felt safe and secure, it calmed your state of mind, your body, and your life force. The time for serenity is over! People like the one who attacked your village are about to land to take what belongs to you and possibly kill or enslave you. Focus on your anger. Remember that you are a race of honorable beings and your home needs to be defended.”

  Laraar sang out in a loud, but beautiful tenor voice translating everything I said. I thought of how the late Grent had made a fool out of me in our first meeting. The Dawnians truly had power. I told them that the enemy would arrive with weapons and that the key to defeating them was to get in close and fight hand to hand. I told them that I would stand beside them and fight for them and, like I told Laraar moments before, to meet them and make first contact with them was a true honor.

  When Laraar stopped singing the people raised their hands up in the air and sang back to us. Baritone and tenor voices all joined together in melody, in harmony, shouting out an epic progression of sound. I could feel the music inside of me, giving me courage and strength. I felt taller, figuratively of course, and more than anything I felt hope. Laraar didn’t wait for them to finish as he walked up to me, his eyes glazed over with tears. I gripped his hand and gave it a supportive squeeze then turned to the incoming ships with my rifle raised.

  Although I felt righteous at the time, the ESA being here drastically escalated the situation. At the same time it didn’t really change the game plan all that much. Knowing that helped me calm the storm raging inside me, but only slightly. Eleven of the ships landed on the ground, while three including the heavy transport ship hovered in the air. I made sure my eye had the chance to scan every one of them, locking on sight in case I had to attack quickly.

  “Al,” I said. “I count three airborne ships.” I wanted to make su
re I kept him appraised at all times.

  The aft doors opened on the grounded ships and two types of troopers poured out. One group wore the standard military battle suit of the ESA and the other group was dressed more casually. They reminded me of common thugs, but thugs holding intimidating weapons. The mixture of thugs and troopers confused the hell out of me, but I stood tall and held my ground as they lined up opposite us. Two figures, a man and woman from the lead ship stepped off and walked toward me, both of them smiling, both responsible for why I was here. I wanted to throw up when I realized that the Echelon was meant to pick up the transmission.

  Raymond Erebos and Sarah King stood in front of me, together.

  “Well, well,” Erebos said clapping his hands together. A cold feeling crawled up my spine listening to his voice once more. “This is quite the welcoming party. Thank you, Mr. Quinn.”

  What do I do? What do I say? At the moment my thoughts and voice betrayed me and I just stood there like an idiot. No, I couldn’t allow that to happen, not again. The last time I let Erebos shut me up was during our first meeting. I had to stand up for myself for once in my life. I had to stand up to a man who terrified me and a woman I hated more than anything.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call this a welcoming party,” I said to him. The first word out of my mouth was a little shaky but my vocal chords came through and supported the words I spoke. Erebos, being who he is, smiled at my comment.

  “Despite whatever this is,” he said, waving his hands in front of him. “You have accomplished the duty I requested of you. Depart back to your ship and you will be given a bank account with a large sum of money available to do with as you will.”

  “Like hell,” Sarah interjected. While Erebos was amused by the scene, Sarah King was focused solely on me, her eyes sharing the same hatred I had, her mouth twisted in a snarl.