Hero Born: Project Solaris

by Fox, Chris

  My skin itched and burned as the wound continued to scab. Each breath was a little easier than the last, and I was healing more rapidly than Jillian's bullet wound had. That raised a whole host of questions. I didn't think my regeneration was any stronger than hers, so why was it more effective? It had to be the place. Healing, like all our powers, required energy. It was all around us, infusing the ship.

  Summers knelt next to Jillian, delivering a series of sharp slaps until Jillian awoke and started scrambling backwards. "Good, you're awake too. Take a moment to get your bearings, then help medium-rare over there. We need to get moving before more of them show up." She had a boomerang in each hand, and had tucked one of the scanning devices into her jeans pocket.

  Jillian knelt next to me, taking me by the shoulder and helping me to my feet. I bit back a cry of pain as the scabs on my chest tore. I teared up and felt more than a little light-headed, but the feeling passed after a few moments.

  "Thanks," I mumbled. I pointed at one of the boomerangs on the floor near Summers. "Can you hand me one of those? I don't think I can bend over."

  Summers obliged, handing across the one in her left hand then picking up a replacement. "You and I are the only ones who can fire these, and I can only do it as long as you're awake. We have to keep you on your feet."

  "I'll do my best," I replied through gritted teeth. Every movement was agonizing. "Remember that they can still control you through your sliver. They can't do that to Jillian or I, which gives us an edge."

  "They can't control you?" Summers asked, eyeing me skeptically. "How the hell did you pull that off?"

  "It happened when we used Object 3," Jillian said. I leaned heavily on her as we limped down a path in what I hoped was the right direction. "We met a guardian of some kind. It called itself Ka, and it did something to deactivate the slivers."

  "I might be able to duplicate it," I said. The words hurt. Breathing hurt. "Need some time to study it, though. Maybe if we survive this."

  "In the meantime, I'm going to keep out of sight," Summers said, shimmering out of existence. What must it be like to have access to so many powers?

  We continued up the path, eventually reaching another clearing. This one was mercifully clear of grey men, though it did contain three cells, each occupied.

  The first held a slowly rotating Usir, his cold eyes scanning us as they passed. The next held a guard I didn't recognize, but it was the last one I was most interested in. Kali was inside.

  Her hair had been shaved, leaving a completely smooth scalp white enough to shine in the soft white light coming from above. That might grow back, but the rest of what they'd done to her was more permanent. The whites of Kali's eyes were just gone. In their place were the flat, black eyes of a grey man. The rest of her face was normal, jaw working soundlessly as she stared at us. If she'd been able to run and hide from us, I think she would have.

  "Oh my god," Jillian whispered, stiffening next to me. "What did they do to you?"

  "I don't know," Kali sobbed, though no tears came from those horrible eyes. "They're in my head. I can feel them, slithering around."

  "You're going to be all right. We'll find a way to fix this," I said, though I wasn't confident there was anything we could really do.

  "How do we open them?" Summers' disembodied voice asked.

  I concentrated on the control obelisk, and the bars melted into the floor. A moment later, the fields followed, and the prisoners abruptly dropped.

  Usir landed in a graceful crouch that belied his age; the others simply thudded to the ground. I'd missed it while focused on Kali, but I could have sworn Usir look a few years younger than he had when we'd arrived at the ship. That, too, made sense. He was feeding on the energy.

  "Well done," Usir said, rubbing the back of his neck as he approached. "How did you escape?" He eyed my charred shirt and scab-covered chest.

  "Our slivers have been deactivated," I explained. The pain was finally receding, but my chest still ached. "I broke loose and overpowered the grey man guarding me. They're powerful, but they tend to underestimate us."

  "How many have you killed getting here?" Usir asked.

  Jillian released me and moved to comfort Kali. The teen sobbed into her shoulder, arms wrapped around Jillian in a death grip. I knew what it was like to be ripped away by the grey men when you didn't understand what was happening.

  "Eight," I said, counting quickly. "That means there are at least sixteen left. More than enough to overwhelm us if they get the drop again."

  "Let's not let that happen," Summers said, shimmering into existence next to Usir. "Are there any other prisoners?"

  The last guard was a wiry man with grey stubble and a strong jaw. He cleared his throat. "I saw at least four more people led off in that direction. They were being escorted by Marcus and a few other supers."

  "We have to rescue them," Summers demanded, rounding on Usir. "I already know what you're going to say. It's too risky. Fuck you. I owe Marcus."

  "Be practical," Usir snapped, his eyes flaring a very unnatural green. I'd never seen anything like it, not among any of the supers. What the hell was he? "Our emotions are the reason they have the advantage. Logic is what will save us here. If you try to rescue Marcus, you'll end up captured, and they'll use you to kill the rest of us."

  "I hate to say it, but he's right," I said, squeezing Kali's shoulder in a show of support. The teen avoided eye contact with everyone, moving to stand behind Jillian. I wanted to comfort her, but now wasn't the time. "We need to seize control of the ship and do what we came here to do. That might mean we all die, but if we can shut down the beacon thousands of people will be free of the grey men. That's worth my life. It's worth all our lives."

  "I'm with David," Jillian said, turning to Summers. "I want to save Marcus and the other supers. It's even possible we can do that, but the best way is using the control crystal at the center of the ship. David might be able to shut down their slivers, but whether he can or can't, he needs to deal with that beacon first."

  "We need to deal with it," I corrected. "Summers has my powers, so she can help. We hack this control crystal. Deal with the beacon, then we free the supers. I'm not open to negotiation, so don't try. Let's move."

  So we moved.

  Chapter 30- Running Battle

  We headed toward the center of the ship, using the vaulted ceiling for navigation. We could easily see where we were in relation to the center, which meant we could always orient ourselves towards the control crystal. It was a simple and very practical design--a hallmark of the grey men, it seemed.

  I plunged to the front of the group, next to Summers, despite the pain each breath caused. It was manageable, but only just. I grabbed Summers by the shoulder. "If we're going to move, let's move smart. You and Jillian should cloak us. We can't afford to let them get the drop on us."

  She spun to face me, raising a boomerang to my face. Her eyes were wild, and her lip curled up in a snarl. "Don't ever touch me. Ever."

  I didn't even see Jillian fade out, but I definitely saw her reappear. Right behind Summers. She seized Summers' wrist in one hand, and the back of her neck in the other.

  "Don't," she breathed into Summers' ear. Her entire body was coiled, waiting to strike if Summers resisted. Summers didn't move.

  "Look, you're pissed. I get it. But this isn't going to get Marcus back," I said, stepping around her and into the lead. "Take it out on the grey men. They'll be after us soon."

  As if to punctuate my words, we heard the chittering calls of our enemies. Several sounded in rapid succession, from all around us. Everywhere except for the direction we were going, thankfully.

  "They're herding us," Usir said, joining me at the front of our little column.

  "How do you figure?" Summers asked, starting back up the path towards the control crystal.

  "That's the only reason they'd have let loose those calls," Usir replied, matching my pace with the easy gait of a lifelong athlete. This place w
as definitely changing him. "They want us to know where they are, or, more importantly, where they aren't. They'll have an ambush waiting at the crystal."

  It made sense. Hell, I'd read about being herded like this in everything from The Wheel of Time to The Fox and the Hound. You harry your prey, and get them to run face first into whatever you have waiting. They're too focused on what's behind them to even notice.

  "So what do we do about it?" Jillian asked.

  "We use the only advantage we have. Right now they underestimate us," I said, pausing to let Jillian and Kali catch up. Kali still wasn't meeting anyone's gaze. "Summers, you want to save Marcus? This is how we do it. You'll sustain invisibility on the entire group. Stay in the rear. Our only real weapons are the supers they can't control. That means me, Jillian, and Kali. The three of us unleash hell the instant we see anything worth killing."

  "An excellent plan, David. Does everyone understand their role?" Usir asked, giving me an approving nod.

  There were some tense glances, but all of us nodded. Usir gestured up the obelisk-lined pathway, and Jillian took the lead. Kali and I followed after. The teen took several deep breaths, but looked like she was ready. More ready than I was, in all likelihood. I gave her a smile as cool energy washed over us and we faded from sight.

  "Follow the right edge of the obelisks," I ordered, letting my fingers brush them as I walked. "Take slow easy steps and keep one hand extended in front of you so you'll know when the person ahead of you stops. We have no idea if this will fool them, so don't assume they can't see us. Be ready to react to anything."

  We continued moving, slowly and steadily, towards the central crystal. As Usir had predicted, the chittering calls sounded again, a little closer. They came from behind and either side. Only the route to the crystal was exempted.

  Several minutes later, the central crystal came into our field of view. It was mostly obscured by obelisks, but there it was in all its sapphire glory. I could feel the strength of it, feel it yearning to join with my mind. If there hadn't been an ambush waiting I probably would have.

  "Kali," Usir whispered, just loudly enough to carry a few feet.

  "Yeah?" she whispered back. She was right behind me, almost touching my arm.

  "Thus far you've only mastered small bursts of fire, yes?" Usir asked.

  "I guess so. I can certainly burn things," she whispered back, her voice smaller and meeker than it had been.

  "I want you to try something a little more advanced," he whispered, forging on before she had a chance to react. "You're going to excite every molecule of air near that crystal. Heat them all until the very air burns. It will be faster and hotter than anything you've done before, and it will cause an explosion. That will knock them off balance and we'll begin our assault."

  "Uh, give me a minute," she said. I couldn't see her, but I heard her shifting back and forth from foot to foot. There was a long pause before she finally spoke. "Okay. I think I can do it. When do you want me to try?"

  "Like hell you're dropping a detonate on that crystal," Summers snarled from somewhere behind Usir. "Marcus could be there. Even regeneration won't save him if he's caught anywhere near ground zero."

  "Summers," Usir replied, giving a very vocal sigh. "You're becoming a liability. I'll give you one more chance to master your emotions, after which you become expendable. Am I clear?"

  "This isn't the time for bickering," I said, keeping my voice low. "If this is going to work, we need to work together, and that includes you, Usir."

  "I'm not letting her do it," Summers said, tone as defiant as ever.

  Usir shimmered into existence, stalking down the line of obelisks. I don't know how he knew where she was, but he reached out with a hand and a moment later Summers shimmered into view. Usir's palm was pressed to her forehead, and a pulse of sickly green light shone where the skin met. It wasn't the same green the grey men used. It was sharper. More primal.

  Summers began to twitch and shake, mouth lolling open as her gaze grew unfocused. It went on for maybe two or three seconds, then she dropped to the black stone. I wasn't sure if she was unconscious or dead, and I supposed given the circumstances it didn't much matter.

  "What the hell are you doing?" I snapped, stalking forward and grabbing Usir's shoulder. I spun him to face me. "There aren't very many of us, and you just took out the only other person who can control grey man tech. I needed her help to destroy the beacon."

  Usir's eyes flared an unnatural green, and his face hardened. "The last thing we need right now is an unstable operative. The grey men would have turned her against us."

  "You haven't heard the last of this," I shot back, leaning in until our noses nearly touched. "Right now we need each other, but that could change. Remember that, Usir."

  "Oh, I will," Usir said, turning towards Jillian. "Jillian, could you cloak our approach?"

  She hesitated a moment, catching my eyes. I nodded. Neither of us liked Usir's methods, but we couldn't exactly pick our allies at the moment. Her posture straightened, then a wave of cool energy pulsed from her, and we were once again hidden from sight.

  "All right, Kali," I said, stalking a little closer to the clearing with the control crystal. "I want you to use this detonate ability Usir told you about. After the initial explosion, Jillian and I will engage any survivors. I'll count down from three. Three, two..."

  On one there was a sudden flash of light and a concussion of sound. The blast knocked me back into the obelisks. The sudden burst of pressure sent fresh pain through the wounds on my chest and I began to tear up.

  "Now, David. Go, go," Usir said urgently.

  I charged, running heedlessly between the columns. I could hear Kali's feet slapping the stone behind me, and the others a little farther back. I charged towards the central crystal, sizing up the situation as I arrived.

  Six charred bodies greeted our arrival. Marcus was the farthest from the blast, half-burned dreads still recognizable despite the extensive burns ruining his back. The other five were all human, but it was impossible to identify them beyond that.

  "Where are the grey men?" I asked quietly.

  "All around us," Usir said, cursing low in a language I didn't even recognize, much less understand. "They're waiting, because they understand our objective. We try for the crystal. They attack. We have no choice but to walk into it."

  "Maybe we could wait them out?" Kali asked. Her voice was shaky, probably from the adrenaline. I met her gaze: flat, and black, and unnerving. But it was still Kali.

  "Won't work," I said, softly but with authority. "Time is on their side and they know it. Hell, they may have already called for reinforcements. We need to end this, and end this quickly. They know that."

  "Assuming we survive this, you'll make a fine strategist," Usir said, tone clearly pleased. "We have no choice but to walk into their trap. Are you ready, David?"

  "I'll activate the crystal. The rest of you be ready to defend me when they attack." I took a deep breath and approached the crystal. I circled it twice, walking around the multifaceted surface as I studied it. I was just delaying the inevitable, and I knew it. I was terrified. The moment I touched that crystal they'd know, and odds were good I'd be disintegrated immediately afterwards.

  Chapter 31- Meet the Grey Men

  Touching the crystal was like diving off the Golden Gate Bridge, a long slow fall into a very deep pool of knowledge. It crashed over me in a frigid wave, and it was all I could do to keep my head above water. So much information, so many separate systems and data feeds. I felt like a child.

  I closed my eyes and tried to orient myself. This wasn't really all that different from the internet, though the twisting flows of data winding around me were certainly more complex. But, like the internet, if I could learn it then I could master it. After all, I'd been working with computers since Junior High. I opened my eyes again, studying the colorful flows. It was dizzying--all that code, all those bitstreams--but I quickly spotted a pattern.

/>   The data flowed in tides, just like the ocean. Depending on where I was, it pulled me in a specific direction. I found that, if I tried, I could drift along those tides, moving through the system at an incredible pace. Having some semblance of control eroded the panic, and I began breathing normally.

  My confidence was further reinforced by the fact that I was still alive. Unlike in most movies or books, time did not appear to pass any less quickly inside a computer, so the grey men had already had plenty of time to attack. In fact, my allies were probably battling for their lives at that very moment.

  I could probably find out, but not yet. My time here was extremely limited, and right now I had to make an impossible choice. I might be able to help my friends, I needed to destroy the beacon, and most importantly, to me anyway, I might be able to find out what happened to Mom.

  I froze, indecision gnawing at me. I had to know. Mom took priority, besides, if I was fast I could take care of the other things too. I dove into the data flow, sifting as I sought records. It didn't take long to find the data store where they housed information about their experiments.

  Unfortunately, there were hundreds of thousands, and they spanned millennia. I closed my eyes for a moment. There had to be a way to filter the data, to query their database looking for specific information.

  I began sifting based on today's date, looking backwards. Then I added a gender filter, and tacked on an age filter. Then I added a geographic region filter. Each filter narrowed the list by an order of magnitude, until I was left with a half dozen. The very first one was familiar, but it wasn't mom.

  It was Kali's mother, the picture was too similar to be anyone else. She'd been returned the previous day, her experiment marked as concluded. I wasn't sure what that even meant, but it least it looked like she was alive.

  I searched the other five records. Mom was the last one. The record contained an attached bundle of information unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was something like a video, but when I observed it was more like a direct memory that had been recorded somehow. It included sounds, smells, even emotions.