X-Calibur: The Return

by Jackson-Lawrence, R.

  “I am sorry,” Merlin replied. “Had I known what we would find at Ma’Han, I would never have allowed us to travel.”

  “How could you know,” Orlac 552 remarked. “You’re just a computer.”

  Merlin smiled, looking up at Orlac 552 as he continued to swing the makeshift sword with all of his strength. “Arthur told me the stories of Ma’Han,” Merlin said. “How the union of the great sky spirits, Orlac and Ulis, gave forth the realm of the Lady of the Lake. You, Lancelot, were lost by your parents and carried away by the Lady. She raised you in her faerie realm until, one day, you returned to the Earthly realm and proved yourself worthy of joining Arthur at his table.

  “Look at you now, regaining your skills for battle, ready to stand tall and defeat the Mori. You may not remember, but I do, and one day you’ll see it too. You were the greatest of Arthur’s knights, and you will be again. Your heart, and your honour, were unsurpassed.”

  Orlac 552 had stopped and listened, enjoying the tale as told by the holographic old man. He knew it was untrue, it had to be, but part of him wanted to believe it anyway. If he truly was the person Merlin believed him to be, there was no way the Mori would be able to defeat him. He would stand with Adam 359 and Eve 221 and free every slave on the hive.

  Merlin watched the expressions as they crossed Orlac 552’s face. “I will leave you to your training, Lancelot,” he said.

  Orlac 552 lunged with his makeshift sword before turning back towards Merlin and saying, “Thank you.”

  *****

  The final jump brought the small scout ship within range of the hive ship. As they returned to normal space, the enormous vessel was suddenly in front of them, filling the cockpit window.

  “Okay, Merlin,” Adam 359 said. “Do your thing.”

  Merlin contacted the hive ship, transmitting an image of four Mori scouts in the cockpit. The docking computers believed the scout ship to be returning from a long term mission to investigate a cluster of the Perseus arm on the Milky Way and granted them clearance to land.

  “Done,” Merlin said, his hologram bowing slightly. Adam 359 looked to the others with surprise, as though he never really believed Merlin could pull it off.

  “Where’s the asteroid?” Eve 221 interrupted. “It’s not anchored below the hive ship.”

  The others stepped forward to look through the window. Eve 221 was right, the asteroid was nowhere to be seen. “Merlin?” Adam 359 asked.

  Merlin slipped into the hive ship’s computer network, searching through the various files and records. “Oh dear,” he said, his image reappearing in the cockpit. “It would seem the mining operation was abandoned after your escape. The asteroid was untethered and cast out into space.”

  “What about the slaves?” Orlac 552 asked.

  “There’s no record of them being evacuated,” Merlin replied. “However, it does look as though the atmospheric shielding was disabled when the asteroid was untethered.”

  “They left them there to die,” Adam 359 said in disbelief.

  “Who gave the order?” Orlac 552 asked.

  Merlin searched the records, looking for their point of origin. “The office of the Mori-Gran,” he said. “The Morrigan?”

  “The Queen,” Eve 221 clarified. “She rules the hive ship.”

  “It’s my fault, I killed them all,” Adam 359 muttered. “You were right, Orlac 552, you told me it would happen. Why didn’t I listen?”

  “It’s not your fault,” Orlac 552 replied. “You didn’t disable the shield and cast them into space.”

  “In a way, I did,” Adam 359 said morosely.

  “No,” Eve 221 insisted. “The Mori-Gran killed them, not you.”

  “So why didn’t the Senate stop her?” Adam 359 asked. “What about Gar-Wan’s supporters?”

  “I’ll ask,” Eve 221 replied.

  Eve 221 tapped the communicator and waited for Gar-Wan to respond. It seemed to take an eternity as she held her breath anxiously, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “221?” Gar-Wan whispered, though only Eve 221 could hear him.

  “It’s me,” Eve 221 replied.

  “Jump away, immediately,” Gar-Wan said. “As soon as the hive ship spots you-”

  “It’s okay,” Eve 221 interrupted. “The hive ship thinks we’re someone else.”

  “That’s, but how?” Gar-Wan asked.

  “It’ll be easier to explain in person,” Eve 221 replied. “If we dock, can you meet us at the landing bay? Get us into the hive ship?”

  “Land on level five-four-seven,” Gar-Wan instructed. “I’ll meet you there. Are the other two slaves still with you?”

  “Yes,” Eve 221 replied.

  “Don’t let anyone aboard but me,” Gar-Wan said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  *****

  Merlin liaised with the hive ship’s docking computers, tricking them into granting permission to land on level five-four-seven. Once granted, Eve 221 flew the ship in slowly through the large circular opening at the bottom of the hive. The lower landing levels contained thousands upon thousands of fighters and drop ships, while the higher levels had scout ships and cruisers on the thousands of circular landing bays.

  Eve 221 put the ship down on the allocated bay, a large black circular space with a red surround. Once the ship had landed and the anchors attached themselves to the landing gear, the red light changed to blue and a gantry extended from the landing bay, connecting it to the rest of level five-four-seven. As Eve 221 and the others watched anxiously through the cockpit window, they saw four Mori guards gather near the gantry, waiting for the Mori scouts to emerge.

  “Where is he?” Adam 359 asked nervously.

  “He’ll be here as soon as he can,” Eve 221 replied. “Keep down, don’t let the guards see you.”

  “Fear not, Arthur,” Merlin said. “The illusion I’ve cast means the guards can only see a single Mori pilot through the window.”

  “He’s projecting a hologram onto window,” Orlac 552 remarked. “That’s incredible.”

  “I prefer to think of it as an illusion,” Merlin said, sounding a little offended by Orlac 552’s description. “When I finally rid myself of this infernal machine, you’ll witness the true extent of my powers.”

  The ship’s intercom crackled before one of the Mori guards outside asked, “Pilot, is there a problem? Lower the gangway and disembark immediately.”

  “What should I tell them?” Merlin asked.

  Eve 221 relayed the question to Gar-Wan who replied, “Tell them you have important cargo, and a member of the Senate is coming to collect it. I’m almost there.” Eve 221 passed the message onto Merlin, who spoke to the guards with an excellent impression of Mori speech. The guards acknowledged and stepped back from the gantry.

  “I thought Gar-Wan was removed from the Senate?” Orlac 552 asked.

  “He was,” Eve 221 replied. “I suppose he’s hoping the guards don’t know that.”

  Gar-Wan arrived approximately five minutes later, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Senate, a dark red with black lines around the shoulders and waist. He spoke curtly to one of the guards, who stepped away from the gantry apologetically, before stepping confidently towards the ship. Eve 221 lowered the gangway and allowed him aboard.

  “221,” Gar-Wan said as he entered the cockpit, placing a comforting hand on Eve 221’s shoulder. “I’m so pleased to see you.” To Adam 359 he looked like any other Mori, with eight black eyes and chitin ridges around his head. However, on closer inspection he saw that the edges of the ridges looked thinner and cracked, betraying Gar-Wan’s age, and the shape of his central ridge looked softer and less severe than many of the guards he had seen in the mines.

  “Gar-Wan,” Eve 221 replied, smiling up at her master. “This is Adam 359 and Orlac 552.”

  Gar-Wan looked them up and down before retrieving three sets of green slave’s clothing from beneath his robes. Green was the colour worn by domestic slaves, and it was not uncommon
to see humans and Dorgans making their way about the hive ship, often without the supervision of their Mori masters. Eve stripped naked in front of them without a second thought, dressing in the green garments Gar-Wan handed to her. After a moment’s hesitation, Adam 359 and Orlac 552 did the same, though Adam 359 turned his back as he dressed for reasons he couldn’t explain.

  The clothes were far too small, straining painfully across Adam 359’s chest and barely covering Orlac 552’s elbows. “They’ll have to do,” Gar-Wan said with a sigh. “The guards won’t question me directly, but they might pass on any concerns to their superiors. Just follow me and try to look inconspicuous. We’ll go straight to my home and talk properly there.”

  Gar-Wan stepped from the scout ship, his three slaves walking in line behind him. He ignored the guards as they cast him questioning glances and led them from the docking bay to the hive ship proper.

  The inside of the hive ship was nothing like Adam 359 expected. His only experience had been the narrow, dark corridors which led from the incubation pods to the drop ships. The corridor in which he stood was much wider and brighter, the ceiling high above displaying an image that looked like a pale orange sky. It was almost like walking through a street in an alien city, with hundreds of people bustling around them.

  Vehicles, similar in size to the Mori fighters but without wings, littered the street and flew back and forth in the air above them. Shop fronts and stalls displayed goods and wares, while off to his left Adam 359 noticed a simple fountain with several Mori children running through it. Several slaves passed them by, eyes fixed firmly on the floor at their feet as they carried out the orders of their masters.

  Adam 359 and the others mimicked the actions of the other slaves, eyes on the floor as Gar-Wan led them through the thoroughfare and towards a central lift. The lift took them up, through levels similar to the city street and then through what looked like factories and manufacturing plants before stopping. They stepped out onto a large, bustling platform, remembering to keep pace behind Gar-Wan, and waited for the monorail to arrive.

  The monorail looked like a long glass cylinder with a black metal base which hovered above the antigravity rail. As it pulled to a stop, sections on the side of the monorail just melted away, taking on a liquid form and flowing beneath the train. Some of the Mori recognised Gar-Wan’s robes and allowed him to board ahead of them, inclining their head to the left as a mark of respect as he acknowledged their generosity.

  Once the monorail was full, the walls of the compartment flowed back into place and the monorail set off. The outside passed by in a blur as the train accelerated, climbing level after level in ever decreasing circles. There was nothing to hold onto and Adam 359 and Orlac 552 were unaccustomed to the motion of the monorail. After taking a particularly tight bend, Adam 359 stumbled and knocked into a Mori passenger.

  Though Adam 359 apologised, the Mori passenger was clearly annoyed at the action and looked to Gar-Wan. Without hesitation, Gar-Wan pulled Adam 359 forwards by grasping his clothing and struck him twice about the face. Adam 359 was stunned, but knew not to object, especially after seeing the look of appreciation on the face of the Mori passenger.

  The monorail stopped at one of the topmost levels of the Mori hive ship, a level inhabited by senators and other Mori of significant wealth and position. Though lacking the artificial sky of the lower levels, it was still brightly lit and three times as wide as the corridors emerging from the birthing chambers. Doors along the walls were scarce, and when Gar-Wan opened the door to his own home it was obvious why.

  Gar-Wan’s home was enormous. The entry hall opened up into a large living space with comfortable chairs and view screens which simulated a large alien cityscape. Doors led to other rooms and stairs led to a large balcony which looked out onto a simulated skyline.

  As soon as the door onto the corridor closed, Gar-Wan let out a deep sigh. “Adam 359,” he said. “I’m sorry for striking you as I did.”

  “I understand,” Adam 359 replied. “He would have been suspicious otherwise.”

  “That was Salan-Marn,” Gar-Wan said. “It is said he has the ear of the Queen herself. After my past words to the Senate, failing to discipline a slave could cause me to lose more than my seat.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Gar-Wan’s brood mate, with her children standing behind her. They eyed Adam 359 and Orlac 552 nervously. “Gar?” she asked.

  “Sal,” Gar-Wan replied, his voice becoming softer. “Come, there’s nothing to fear.”

  Sal-Wan was almost as tall as her brood mate, though slimmer around the waist and shoulders. Like the other females of her species, her head bore the same chitin layers as the males, though the pauldrons at the shoulders curved down towards the arms instead of up. She wore a simple dress of dark red fabric, belted around the waist.

  “221, is that you?” Sal-Wan asked.

  “It is,” Eve 221 replied, dropping to her knees as the two small Mori children ran up to her, arms outstretched.

  *****

  Eve 221 sat on the floor of the large sitting room, the two Mori children taking it in turns to jump on her and knock her over. Eve 221 loved every minute of it, laughing and smiling as the boys decided to jump on her together and began rolling around on the floor as they wrestled.

  “Thank you, Gar-Wan,” Orlac 552 said, accepting the glass of water which was offered to him. “For everything.”

  “No,” Gar-Wan said humbly. “Thank you, for keeping 221 safe.”

  “I think it was the other way round,” Adam 359 remarked. “She saved our lives, down in the mine.”

  Gar-Wan looked down towards his feet at the mention of the mine. He took a deep breath before telling them what happened. “Once the Mori-Gran gave the order,” he began, “the tether was severed and the asteroid cut loose. There were still guards there, as well as the slaves, but she didn’t care. They all suffocated within seconds.

  “She had to show everyone, the Mori and the slaves, that any resistance would be crushed regardless of the cost. The images were broadcast throughout the hive.”

  “Couldn’t the Senate do anything?” Orlac 552 asked.

  “The Senate’s duty has always been to advise the Mori-Gran.” Gar-Wan said. “She is under no obligation to listen to that advice, and those who speak against her are more often removed from their seat, or worse. I’m lucky to have lasted for as long as I did. Many of those who once stood with me have since changed their views, at least publicly.”

  “What about the plan?” Adam 359 asked. “Eve 221 told us you’d help.”

  Gar-Wan looked to his brood mate and his children. “I was foolish to think change could be achieved so easily,” he said. “I’m sorry, but the Mori-Gran has shown how far she’s willing to go. There’s no way to convince her to settle humans and Dorgans on a world of your own, not anymore. I don’t think there ever was. If the slaves rise against her, she’ll cut you down without a second thought, killing each and every one of you if necessary. It’s hopeless.”

  “It’s not hopeless,” Adam 359 insisted. “We deserve to be free.”

  Gar-Wan chuckled morosely. “Free?” he said. “What does that even mean? We Mori are free, free to follow the whims of our Queen and smile in the face of her arrogance. Free to do as she orders or face punishment for daring to question her. Free to die at her command without reason or purpose.

  “The only difference between us, I think, is you get to see your chains.”

  “We understand,” Orlac 552 said, much to Adam 359’s frustration.

  “I’m glad one of us does,” Gar-Wan said. “Maybe there is something I can do. Stay here while I speak to those who share my views, see if I can find you a place within the hive ship, somewhere you’ll be safe.”

  Adam 359 was about to object when Orlac 552 interrupted. “Thank you,” Orlac 552 said hurriedly. “Anything, really.”

  Gar-Wan spoke quickly to his brood mate before rushing out of the door, his Sen
ate robes flapping about his ankles. “What was that about?” Adam 359 hissed angrily. “I’m not going back to being a slave, not even for some Senate member on the hive ship.”

  “Me either,” Orlac 552 replied. “But look at him, look what he’s got to lose. His plan is in tatters, his supporters gone. He can’t help us, Adam 359. It’s time to help ourselves.

  “Whatever we do, we’ll need time to make plans, gather resources. How better to do that than from within the hive ship, surrounded by potential allies?”

  Adam 359 listened hard to what Orlac 552 said. He was right of course, the three of them would have no chance against the entire ship. They needed a plan, and a good one at that. “Okay,” Adam 359 said at last. “Let’s wait and see what he can do.”

  Adam 359 watched Orlac 552 join Eve 221 on the floor. The children were wary of playing with him at first, but once Eve 221 knocked him over, they were both quick to jump onto Orlac 552’s back and try to knock him into submission. The time went quickly, fits of laughter helping them forget their situation for a moment at least.

  Gar-Wan returned two hours later. He looked a little agitated, but relaxed upon seeing his children rolling around on the floor. “I think I’ve found somewhere for you to go,” he said. “It’s not ideal, but you’ll be able to blend in without anyone noticing.”

  “Thank you,” Adam 359 replied.

  “You may not thank me when you hear where it is,” Gar-Wan said hesitantly. “I’ve secured you a place within the factories, on level six-six-one.”

  “It can’t be any worse than the mines,” Adam 359 said hopefully.

  “Perhaps,” Gar-Wan said. “221 will stay here with us, of course. I’m afraid I can’t give you the programming for working in the factory, you’ll just have to manage.”

  “We’ll be okay,” Orlac 552 said confidently.

  “And we really appreciate everything you’ve done for us,” Adam 359 added.

  “I wish it could have been more,” Gar-Wan replied. “Good luck.”

  *****