Space Dragon Allepexxis

by C. K. Pershing

  “There was somebody inside the crosshairs,” he said, his voice barely a whisper after his ordeal. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who. Or even if it was a man or woman. But there was something familiar about them. I was trying so hard to see. I was so close.”

  “Well, that would explain how you were able to focus on the crosshairs so perfectly,” Behlen said. “I’ve never heard anybody else describe such a thing and it goes without saying that I’m beyond intrigued. Thanks for telling us and we can talk more about it later. For now I want you to relax.”

  “Okay,” Paress said. “I just wanted to tell you before the memory was stolen.”

  Behlen and Casten looked at each other. “Don’t worry, that won’t happen,” Behlen said with stony conviction. “Before I elaborate on that, let’s go back to where we were. Casten had just synched you and #25 together. Then the circles appeared. Even though our windows were gone from your screen, we could still see you on ours, as well as a feed from the test.”

  “That thing you did with your mind to control the sticks was really cool,” Casten said. “How’d you think of that?”

  Paress felt a little better hearing Casten’s words of congratulation. “I don’t know, it just kinda came to me. It made sense at the time.”

  Behlen nodded. “It was very impressive. The other two candidates who got this far were also able to stop the circles with their hands on the sticks, but choked with the eight smaller circles. Congratulations on figuring out what to do.”

  “Thank you sir.” Paress started to cheer up. Behlen and Casten meanwhile, had started to frown.

  “Unfortunately,” Behen said, “we lost you as soon as you completed the first of the smaller circles. Everything just went black. The monitor showing you, your vitals, the test— everything. Its the first time someone had locked a small circle after the first two, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it damn sure wasn’t that. We could see massive power spikes coming from the main engine, which was pretty strange considering #25 never moved.”

  “Power spikes?” Paress asked.

  “Yes, like the kind of power output this Machine would create in the middle of a major battle,” Behlen said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. #25 was sitting perfectly still, but its main engine was really spooling up.”

  “It was getting pretty scary,” Casten said. “I thought Allepexxis was gonna take off through the ceiling or explode or…something!”

  “The smaller knobs,” Paress said. “There was a pattern to each one. After I got the first one, I started to see the pattern for each knob better….because the patterns all added up to make one big one. And after that happened, something really big happened.”

  He wanted to bury his face back in his hands. “But I don’t know what it was. I just know it was something really big and really beautiful. There was music…” He hummed the music as best he could. “But I can’t remember anything else…”

  “Because someone wiped your memory of what you saw and experienced,” Behlen said.

  “How did you know about that?” Paress asked, surprised.

  “As you can imagine, all Hyper Battle Machines carry heavy psionic shielding from outside forces,” Behlen said. “That keeps a powerful telepath from being able to get into Space Knights’ heads during battle. Our shielding is the best.”

  Behlen scowled. “Except for when somebody has access to some kind of backdoor built into the system. That’s what happened here. This person who invaded accessed some long-buried extra-dimensional code that was buried deep down inside of #25’s main computer. They got in, stole your memories, and got out before I could lock them out and get a powerful telepath to track them.”

  Behlen took Paress’ hand in his. “I’m so sorry, Paress. Believe me when I say that whatever you saw would have been of great importance to the Empire— especially considering how long this whole thing has been lying dormant, waiting. I was stupid and will never forgive myself for making such a colossal mistake. It never occurred to me that such a thing could happen while #25 was sitting here in one of the most secure places in the entire Empire. I still find it hard to believe, but the proof is obvious.”

  “A few minutes ago, when I was worried more memories would get stolen, you said that wouldn’t happen,” Paress said.

  “Yes,” Behlen said. “As soon as it happened the first time, I scoured the Main Computer with the help of The Sisters by quantum link. We found the code and any other similar back doors and destroyed them. There were two others, by the way. But no matter. They’re creepy, but The Sisters know what they’re doing and secured the Main Computer completely.”

  Behlen paused as if wrestling with whether to tell Paress the next bit of information. “I had a general distress sent out to Mriniw by one of my telepaths. It was a shot in the dark, but it worked. He responded almost immediately and told me that he’s put up psychic shields around you. I told you before that he may be the most powerful telepath in the Empire. Well, I think it’s pretty safe to say that with his protection, you’re absolutely safe from any further psychic attacks…”

  As Behlen spoke, Paress began to feel some relief, and with it, a bit of a memory he thought gone… “Elder Ahdoh!” he blurted out. “I remember the words ‘Elder Ahdoh’! Have you heard of it?”

  Behlen coughed and then scratched his chin. “Well, it’s a legend from the Ancients. A man of gold.”

  “Do you think that sleeping person I saw in the crosshairs could be Elder Ahdoh?” Paress asked.

  “Possibly.”

  “He wasn’t covered in gold or made of gold, though,” Paress considered.

  “Well, gold could be a metaphor for something else in this case. Like knowledge or something similar. Although there’re some scholars who think Elder Ahdoh could be a place. Who’s to say they’re wrong? We don’t know what else you saw after all…”

  “Yeah,” Paress said and frowned. “It’s all just so lousy.” He hummed a little of the music. “I’m glad I remember that at least. I begged the thief to let me keep that memory and they did.” He hummed some more. “It was so loud, I thought I’d go deaf, but I also loved it. I’m positive I could have died right after I heard it and I’d be okay with that.”

  “I’ll see what I can figure out,” Behlen said. “I’m glad you remembered that. We might still find some answers…”

  Paress wasn’t sure why he remembered those words: Elder Ahdoh. Was it that the invader left it on purpose? Or was it an oversight and the invader could feel Behlen and The Sisters— whoever they were— closing in, so they left the job undone, only to now be shut out completely thanks to Mriniw’s protection? He hoped he’d see the Felis again someday to thanks him.

  Behlen and the two boys sat in silence, thinking to themselves, when a warm glow on #25’s main view screen illuminated them and they looked up. Over an insignia of two flaming swords where the flames were animated, words appeared in beveled gold:

  FRANCESCAN IMPERIAL STAR NAVY

  APEX DESTROYER WEAPON

  HYPER BATTLE MACHINE #25

  “ALLEPEXXIS”

  A TRIUMVIRATE OF WAR HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED ON THIS DAY 2-10-508:

  MACHINE: #25 “ALLEPEXXIS”

  COMPANION: CASTEN

  (MACHTEN ATELIER DESIGN #70)

  SPACE KNIGHT: PARESS SIFFRID HANDREL

  HAIL AND GLORY TO THE CHAMPIONS OF THE FRANCESCAN STAR EMPIRE!

  MAY GOD BLESS THE EMPIRE AND ITS PEOPLE!

  They all sat there in silence for a moment before Casten started whooping happily. “We did it, Paress! We did it! We’re a team. Allepexxis accepted us!”

  He dragged Paress to his feet and started dancing around with him. Dazed at first, Paress soon forgot his sorrow when he realized what was happening. “Yeah! We have a Machine. This big crazy dragon is ours! I don’t believe it.”

  “Believe it,” Casten laughed. “We’re in. I don’t know what you did, or how you did it, but we’re all set. We got it!”


  They danced around the control seat, and even around Behlen who looked like a man who was told he’d be released from prison after many years. They paused, and then Paress and Casten hugged Behlen. “We did it, Doctor!”

  Behlen laughed and put his arms around their shoulders. “Damn, I can’t believe I actually forgot about whether you passed or not. That’s saying something, considering how long finding a pilot for this damn thing has been taking up my life. Maybe I can finally get a good night’s sleep.”

  “What happens next?” Paress asked.

  “Well, I think we’ll take the rest of the day off,” Behlen said. “A lot has obviously happened, both good and bad, and I need you well-rested. Are you gonna be alright? If you need to talk to somebody more about how all this makes you feel, I’ll get the best people in the Empire here for you. I want to make sure you’re fine, okay?”

  “Okay,” Paress said. “I don’t know how I feel right now. I think I just wanna plunge into doing more here.”

  “I understand. And I wish we could,” Behlen said. “But we have to run some tests on #25 to make sure everything’s good and nothing else jumps out at us. Also, Casten here has done his first synch. His deep core systems will need some time to rewrite themselves to take the best advantage of the experience he’s gained. Now that he’s the official Companion of you and #25, his systems need to go from a general mode to a more specified mode to get the best possible results in future synchs. That’ll take a little time.”

  He turned to Casten. “How long?”

  Casten closed his eyes and said, “I’m at 5%. System optimization will be complete tomorrow morning at 9:16 a.m.”

  “Perfect,” Behlen said. “And thanks for not doing that whole down-to-the-second thing that Mechanisms always feel the need to do. It gets tedious.”

  Casten laughed. “Dr. Machten told me about that with you. She made me promise to never get overly precise with you unless you ask for it.”

  Behlen nodded earnestly. “A great woman, to be sure.”

  He led the boys out of the cockpit. When Paress climbed down on to the ground, applause and cheers erupted all around him. Jil and the techs had all gathered around with smiling faces and friendly voices. They clapped Paress and Casten on the back, saying all manner of congratulations. “I never thought I’d see it!” “I knew you were something special!” “I can’t wait to see what you do with this Machine.”

  Behlen let the applause and happy words go on for a while before gently trying to silence the crowd. They all turned and started to applaud Behlen instead. “You did it Doctor!” “You were always right!” “The Professor would be proud!” Behlen stiffened at the last comment, but nobody but Paress seemed to notice. Paress…and Jil. She caught Paress’ eye and made a slight shake of her head. Behlen was thanking the crowd and finally got them settled down.

  “My friends, it’s been a long, hard time. This Machine has been our focus for many years of toil and sacrifice. So many of you have given up so much. So much… God knows I have. But today, these two young men have shown us the light out of our darkness.”

  After more applause, he went on, “We generally think of cadets becoming full Space Knights when they graduate. While that’s true, the reality is that a cadet becomes a Space Knight when they’re recognized by a Hyper Battle Machine. Today, #25 has recognized this young man, Paress Handrel as its Space Knight. So allow me to be the first to introduce Space Knight Paress Handrel and his Companion, Casten!”

  By now, even more people had shown up, hearing the news from various surrounding areas and departments. The cheering was loud and happy as Behlen and Jil pulled Paress and Casten through the crowd and on to the rig. Paress found that along with the happy claps on his back, there were some hugs and small items pressed into his hands. Religious symbols and good luck charms from all over the Empire. He was honored and overwhelmed at the same time.

  Behlen helped him and Casten up on to the rig and as Jil piloted the little craft up into the air, a hush fell across the crowd below. They all bowed respectfully to Paress and he noticed some were wiping tears from their eyes.

  He looked down at the various icons that he’d been given and was reminded how in some parts of the Empire, Space Knights weren’t just seen as people with special abilities, but as religious figures sent from God. He’d heard that some believed, among other things, that Space Knights were angels given physical form while others believed they were the avatars of God. Thinking about this, Paress became worried. It was one thing being a champion of the people, quite another to be a holy prophet or savior, of which he was neither.

  Behlen noticed Paress looking at the holy symbols and charms. They were high above the crowd nearing the original entry level and out of earshot. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right to feel that way. And I won’t lie, there are going to be times when you’ll come across people who think that if they get a lock of your hair, or a drop of your blood, it’ll be some kind of blessed relic.”

  He shook his head. “Whoever thought to call the enhanced abilities the ‘Blessing’ should have thought better of it because it just feeds into the whole thing. Of course, in a universe with magic and semi-godlike beings, who’s to say those people are wrong? So far, none of them have been really dangerous, so I don’t think there’s any real harm. Just be careful where you go to the bathroom and what you do with your trash if you’re on one of those worlds.” Behlen winked.

  Paress had a feeling he knew where Behlen was going and shivered, which got a small chuckle out Behlen. “I think it’s kinda weird people like that work here,” Paress said. “Isn’t it bad to have really religious people working on science stuff?”

  Behlen nodded. “Well, when you consider how much magic craftsmanship gets dumped into these things, I don’t think its too far off. But to be more pragmatic about things, some of the most committed, dedicated workers— if not the most committed— are the ones who are doing it for a holy cause. We’ve got an operation going here that can absorb decades of a person’s life, and in many cases, their entire life. The loss of time for family and friends and other things isn’t so bad if you believe you’re doing it for some kind of reward in the afterlife.”

  Paress was stunned. “A-are you saying you’re just using the religion of these people to make them work harder?”

  Jil docked the rig at the entry level and they got off. She floated away to store it and while the other three waited, Behlen sighed. “For better or worse, yes— although I do believe that ultimately it’s for the better. The universe is a big, scary place, Paress. The Empire’s already been close to complete annihilation four times— five according to some.

  “As we expand we attract more notice from God-knows-what out there. It’s our job to be prepared for whatever that may be. So, if working nonstop on Hyper Battle Machines for somebody’s entire life makes them think they’ll have a great reward in heaven, I’m okay with that. Because that person’s lifelong, fanatic dedication to getting the job done, may be the deciding factor in the wars to come.”

  Jil came back as Behlen was finishing his sentence. “Alright, let’s go,” Behlen said, herding them all back on to the turbolift.

  As they traveled along, Behlen asked, “Are you okay, Paress? Does my answer make sense?”

  “I think so,” Paress said. “I’m not sure I understand all of it.”

  Behlen smiled. “It’s fine. You don’t have to understand it. You’re young and you have plenty of time to think about this stuff. Try not to worry about it. Just remember that everybody on this planet who comes here, comes here voluntarily and only after the most rigorous vetting process. The people who are here know exactly what they’re getting into.”

  Paress wondered if those people knew that Behlen was happy to exploit their religious convictions to justify the end result. Maybe they did and were perfectly fine with that. It certainly wasn’t up to Paress Handrel, age 12, to tell people how they should act on their beliefs. Then agai
n, it wouldn’t be up to him no matter how old he got…

  For the rest of the ride, there was various small talk about everything from what to eat for dinner to what Paress thought of how the seat in the cockpit was upholstered. No matter what the conversational topic, Paress’ mind kept coming back to how this was supposed to be a very happy day— he and Casten had actually managed to become the pilot and Companion of #25!

  But so many other things had happened that day to disturb him. From the oddness of Mriniw to the Dread Phantoms, Jil’s hooded words about Behlen, his stolen memories, and having to deal with the fact that he was a religious symbol to people who Behlen was using to achieve his own goals.

  The turbolift returned to the back area of Behlen’s office. He turned to Jil and the boys. “I have to say goodbye here. There’s a lot of stuff I need to look up and check on now that #25 has been properly synchronized. Luckily, as the case may be, my predecessor left most of the needed material here, near the turbolift to the hangar.”

  He reached behind one of the bookshelves and pulled out a stool. Then he straightened and held out his hand to Paress. As Paress took it to shake, Behlen said, “I know today has been more than you expected. It was more than I expected. I’ll say it again, if you need to talk any of this out, don’t hesitate to tell me. All cadets and full Space Knights have periodic psych evaluation tests. We don’t want to wait for one of those to reveal something that we could have tackled earlier.”

  “Yes sir, I understand,” Paress said. The thought of speaking to yet another person— a stranger— about today’s events made him feel even more disconcerted and worried, but he tried to put the thought out of his mind.

  “Very good,” Behlen said. He turned to Casten, “No matter what, we can never forget that this is all thanks to you. A Space Knight’s performance with his Machine is only as good as the Companion who tunes and synchronizes that Machine. You did beautifully and I can’t wait to see what you do when your programming is finished rewriting itself. I’ll be sending Dr. Machten my highest regards for your excellent work.” He shook Casten’s hand.