"You are learning, human, learning and growing and becoming, but you have so far to go and we are legion, we are the sun that shines on your 'civilisation' and we will still shine when you are dust."
She thought she could taste a slight desperation in the sound, despite the sneer it put in 'civilisation'.
"I don't believe you. If you are the sun, then what is this place? This is not you, this is more than you. There are things bigger than you and your day will come."
She could barely hear herself, her words coming from far away as her awareness spread. With every word and every step she took away from her fear, she felt the universe opening up. She stared at the creature and pushed it away, then grew until she dwarfed it, filling the world. She smiled, imagining the terror she caused and smiling. Dad's face suddenly filled her mind and she bent until she was inches from the alien.
"You seem at a loss for words, my Lord."
She was taken aback slightly by the calmness in the tone as it responded.
"You are something we have not yet discovered, we will study you and then use you."
She shook her head, returning to her normal size and facing the creature. She was quite tall for sixteen, but it towered above her. She could picture herself, a young woman, tangled hair half in and half out of a plait, young face with eyes she felt must look a hundred years old. This slight girl facing a creature from nightmares, metres of green, bulging flesh and dark shell, dead eyes. She pictured it and she smiled.
"You're going to die today. Does that scare you?"
The creature cocked its head to one side and she vanished, coming back to her physical self in a rush.
She staggered away from the creature as contact was broken, reeling and dizzy. She could see the grim faces of the slaves she now called family and she waved a hand at the creature, moving away as fast as she could.
She heard the first blaster go off and turned to see as the bullets began to hit. Dark, viscous blood spurted from its wounds, the huge bulk being thrown backwards again and again. A scream, almost too high to hear, tore through her brain and she groaned, collapsing to the floor. She could vaguely hear Stem cry out, felt him also fall, then her world went black.
The lights came on as she dragged her eyes open. She squeezed them closed again as the headache cut into her and she whimpered, leaving her head resting on the floor as she lifted herself onto hands and knees. Opening them again as she stood, she looked around to see smiling faces, triumphant faces and she felt something inside her give. Tears streamed down her face and she sat down with a thump, only to be lifted up and hugged, warm unfamiliar arms wrapping her up. They were replaced seconds later with others and then yet more. Throughout it all, the sound of cheering, of fierce laughter, a sound strangely alien, echoed around the chamber. As her tears slowed, she finally escaped the celebrations and stepped into open space.
The floor around the lift was awash with blood, strange, almost brown blood. She walked over to it, skirting around until she could see in the lift. The body was almost unrecognisable. Both of the eyes were gone and most of its limbs had been severed. The thing that had ruled them for so long was a pile of flesh and shattered carapace. She spat, then caught herself waiting for dad to clip her round the head.
Shaking her head and feeling the tears well up again, she turned her back on it and went to find Stem.
Chapter Thirteen
As they left the lift room and made their triumphant way back through the corridors, she felt the reality sink in. They had done it, the Lord was dead, and they were all still alive. She grabbed for Stem's hand, gripping it tight as she smiled fiercely. He returned the look, his eyes dancing with something she'd never seen before.
"It's begun Ally."
His words were almost drowned out by the raucous celebrating going on around them, spoken as they were with a quiet intensity. She nodded, not yet allowing herself to think beyond getting to the Vale and off the Homeship. He brandished the camera, waving it like a flag. His voice was quiet, disbelieving.
"We've done something, actually changed something."
She squeezed his hand tighter, not trusting herself to say anything yet. She was still feeling wobbly, from both the journey she had been on when she touched the alien and the scream that had followed it. That scream had gone straight through her mind and she could still feel it, like a ringing in her ears.
They were passing other slaves now, people who had no idea what had happened only minutes ago. As the first approached, her heart sank. There were two of them, neither talking, or showing any signs of life other than a shuffling, idle walk. They passed them and could see there was no intent in their eyes, no purpose to their journey. She stopped, tugging at Stem to do the same.
"Hi guys, what you up to?"
They both looked at her, not quite drooling at the mouth, but definitely absent. Appearing to not understand what she had said, they continued their forward motion. Stem reached out and gently held the nearest by the shoulder. He stopped and stood, eyes facing forward but still not even registering what was happening. His partner, now solo, kept walking.
"What's happening? It's really scary Stem, what's happened to them?"
Stem reached down and took the man's hand, standing frozen for a second as he went inside. Slowly she could see as the slave came back to life, his eyes blinking furiously and his body once again looking like he had some control over it. She stepped down the corridor to where the other was still shuffling along and touched his bare arm.
His brain was still covered in the strange liquid, but there was no colour to it, none of the creepiness she had encountered in the others. It was as if he was still a slave, but one with no master. She, no they'd, hoped that killing the Lord would free everyone on board, but it seemed that the spell, or whatever it was that enslaved them in the first place, remained. It was like some kind of remote control, operated by the mind. With that mind gone, the slaves were effectively brain dead, ready for control by anything or anyone with the ability.
She thought of what she and Stem could do and shivered, feeling bile burn the back of her throat. The human race, assuming they were all like this, had been transformed into nothing but mindless tools, programmable and controllable. These were ideas she'd never thought of, never conceived that anyone would actually want to carry out.
The slime was even easier to remove without the Lord's taint and it vanished in seconds. She came out to watch the man slowly surface from the nightmare in which he had spent his life. Stem was speaking quietly to the first, helping him understand what was happening. The majority of the freed were still hanging around, waiting and watching, as they worked. She could see awe on some faces, not really believing that it was aimed at her. It was a strange feeling, that a power so close to the Lord's could lead to admiration.
She let the thought go, happy still to enjoy the moment. They continued their walk, passing more of the zombie-like slaves. She grabbed his arm
"Stem, if we go to Earth now, what's gonna happen to all these people? The freed ones are OK, but everyone else is just gonna be brain dead."
She could feel his emotions change at the thought, feel his savage joy fade. She braced herself.
"Crap. Oh bloody sod it, you're right. I don't think they could even feed themselves. We'd be... Oh damn it."
He paused, taking a breath. She'd already made her decision, but it would be much easier if he made his own as well. He looked down at her, frowning.
"How quickly do you think we can free them?"
"Well, we don't have to be subtle about it anymore, and it's not like they're gonna put up a struggle. But there's thousands of people on board, so, like, a while, you know?"
He was shaking his head, frustration pouring out of him. She rubbed the back of his arm, for once using her calmness to help him relax. He let out a few more big breaths, then nodded, slowly.
"When do we start?"
It was her turn to shrug.
"Now?"
She turned to the nearest slave when a colossal thud shook the Homeship. It was too big to rock, but she felt the vibration through her boots.
"What the hell?"
A voice, thin and oily, suddenly coiled into her mind like smoke.
"Your Lord has died, been killed and so another is here, I am here to keep you safe, to return this Home to what it should be. You are mine now, relax and I will make you whole."
The slaves around her were waking up, heads raising and eyes showing signs of life. The freed stood around her were holding their heads, some being sick and others crying. The effect of the voice, now so much less powerful for her was taking its toll on them. She stepped to a lady near her, supporting her as she vomited. She looked up at Ally with wide eyes, frightened eyes.
"Is that what it sounds like, is that another one? God, I thought we killed it, I thought it was gone."
She nodded, secretly relieved that the freed weren't losing themselves again, while casting around for something to say, something to make her feel better. Suddenly acutely aware of the pressure of the woman's arm on hers, she let herself slip in for just a second, calming the panic that was rising and threatening to spill over into hysteria. Realising what she was doing, she pushed the woman away, saved from needing an explanation as the voice began again.
"My brother died in pain, and in pain is how the lost amongst you will find themselves, the lost few who have brought such shame to your race."
The woman she had helped fell to her knees, gasping and retching. Ally realised that not only was she immune to the horrible effects of the voice, but the fear that had driven her to panic only a few weeks ago was gone. She hated the sound, longed to run from it, but she could stand it now. Knowing that it wasn't all-powerful, that there was something bigger, some place where she was its equal, had stripped away the terror. She stepped between the wretched group and grabbed Stem's arm. He was white, not sharing her new-found confidence and she shook him, feeling calm, in charge.
"We need to get out now Stem. It's either leave now or we're here for the long-haul."
She looked at her feet, reflecting in that moment just how far she'd come in the last few months.
"This has to be about everything, not just the people here. We have to get to Earth."
He nodded mutely, letting her pull him along through the people they had freed and were now leaving to fend for themselves. She forced herself to stare straight ahead, not sure she would keep moving if she didn't.
Then they were through and half walking, half jogging. The slaves were awake now and she could feel their stares as they watched them run past. She jerked to a stop, Stem nearly pulling her off-balance as he kept going, oblivious to the voice now creeping its way through her mind.
"Ahh, there you are, my brother's scream carried your taste with it, and how many humans are there with your talents? Easy to find, one mind among millions, you will come and visit me now."
She shook her head, the terror trying to find its way back in. She fought it, finding the voice and crushing it, silencing it within her. She could feel residual anger, a bitter taste that refused to leave with the creature's mind. It was a stronger emotion than anything she had felt within the Lord they had killed earlier and she understood that this was no longer a one-sided relationship. That thing wanted to kill her, to hurt her and keep hurting until she gave up everything she was.
She blinked, seeing Stem staring at her with something close to panic on his face. She shook her head, taking his outstretched hand.
"It knows me. It figured out who I am from hearing the scream. It hates me Stem, like you wouldn't believe."
He started to pull at her, dragging her down the corridor and towards the docking bay. She staggered, then got her feet beneath her and started to run. They rounded a corner, both breathing hard, when a slave threw himself at her, catching her round the throat, dragging her to the ground. She gasped, the light dimming as she tried desperately to suck in air. She was aware in some dim part of her mind of Stem, hauling the attacker off her and then she heard nothing, just the harsh rasping of her breathing.
Stem was kneeling beside her, hand stroking her hair. She pushed up, got to her knees and put one hand to her neck, wincing at the pain. The man lay on the ground, unconscious but oddly peaceful. She looked up at her boyfriend, waves of gratitude flowing to him and he grinned.
"So, turns out we can put someone to sleep if we think at them hard enough. Another freed to stay here and cause mischief."
She coughed, shaking her head.
"Or get screwed over by the new master."
He looked away, and she felt a twist in her at the look on his face, wishing she could take it back. She stood up and he turned back, gentle hands helped keep her steady. She smiled wanly at him and he tried hard to give it back.
"Sorry, I'm just, you know."
"Yeah. C'mon, we need to get out of here. Why did that guy attack us, I mean how did he know?"
"The Lord knows who I am now. If he can get into us one at a time, he must be telling as many slaves as he can to look out for me. Guess he got lucky."
Without waiting for a reply, Stem pulled her again towards the bay. They walked this time, her throat still protesting even as she took shallow breaths. They paused at the door to the bay, looking out over the huge, dark expanse. There was no one there and they nipped out and across the floor towards where the Vale sat.
She was keying the door code when they heard a shout from the door they had just come through. She ignored it, finishing the code before glancing round. Two more men were coming towards them, sprinting now. They threw themselves into the ship, yanking the door back down and closed. Stem began ignition as she strapped in. As her screens came to life she could see the men heading back across the room towards a cabinet that hung near the door. As the Vale began to vibrate they opened it, drawing from it guns, blasters like the ones they had used against the Lord.
"Stem, how long?"
He was grunting, face red as she spun to look at him, but seconds later the light changed and the ship roared into life. The inner doors opened in response to the engine and she lifted them from the floor. Spinning it around, she danced the ship towards the slaves, short jerking movements that had them swinging their guns wildly. At the last minute she aimed straight for them and watched with satisfaction as they threw themselves to the floor. Pulling it around, she headed for the airlock, passing through the doors and then pausing, holding her breath.
There was a chance, quite a big one, that the Lord had disabled the airlock, made it impossible for anyone to leave. She hoped that it didn't expect them to be ready, or hadn't thought that far ahead. Behind them, the inner doors slid closed and, as she let out a huge sigh, the huge portal in front of them cracked open, the stars beckoning them.
As the crack got wider, she flipped the Vale side on and slid out. Before them lay freedom, Earth and all that meant. Behind them--
"There is no welcome for you on Earth, we are ready now, and we have your taste, we know you, Alicia. Many like you have been sent to the war, so many still sleeping, but you are awake and you will take yourself to the war. We are hunting you, little girl, start running."
She yelped, sweat breaking out on her forehead. She felt her frustration boil over and screamed and screamed, kicking at the support and thumping the arm of her flight seat.
"Ally, what's wrong, what's going on?"
She turned to him, her eyes filling with tears.
"We can't go to Earth. It knows me, everyone of those things knows me. Wherever I go it knows me."
She sobbed, letting her head sag. He touched her hand, crouching next to her and she looked up at him. Her voice was quiet, every word tearing her throat and fighting through her tears.
"It said we were going to the war. I don't know where else we can go. They are everywhere else. But it wants us to go there. Oh god, what do we do Stem?"
He looked down at her, helpless, then stood, lo
oking over her head into the distance.
"We have to go to Earth, we have to change things."
"Maybe if we go to war they'll forget about me."
She was whispering, knowing all too well how pathetic she sounded. Her eyes flicked across the screens. The Homeship was dwindling in the rear view, as they flew, suddenly aimless, into the vastness. How ridiculous that it had come to this. They'd planned for so long, dreamed of running for years and here they were, finally free but with nowhere to run to. She snorted, the unexpected laughter breaking the horrible silence that had filled the cockpit.
"We're going to the war. It said it had sent others like us, like us but sleeping. If we can find more people who can do what we can, it has to be worth it. We can wake them all and go to Earth with an army."
That had been four long days and nights ago and, since then, the ever present fear of being caught had left her here, pacing and sweating. She glanced around and into the bunk room where Stem lay sleeping. His face was peaceful when he slept and reminded her of days on board ship, before they had woken up. She could never bring herself to see them as good days, but she'd liked it when he'd smiled and their dreams had been filled with hope and not blood and fear.
She was gazing at him when she got the urge to check the screens. She turned, and swore - three ships, coming up fast behind them, the nearest already firing. She kicked the bunk and threw herself into the flight seat.
Stem was past her and into his own within moments, rubbing his face with one hand whilst the other dragged his belts into place. They didn't talk, feeling their minds begin to join and mesh together. The Vale began to dance as she sang to it, her hands becoming part of the ship.
They'd had to hide their talents in the last few weeks, but out here they could let rip, without fear of discovery. Within what seemed liked moments the ships had caught them and were all firing. She danced between the bolts, all thoughts lost to the glory of the flight.
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