Worlds Without End: Aftermath (Book 2)

by Shaun Messick

  All Dorange could do was stare in disbelief and fear. The spirit before him was right. He had achieved greatness, a human who had become one of the most powerful Gnols in their civilization. Shocked and in disbelief, he cleared his throat and tried to speak. “Y-yes, thank you, my Lord.”

  The whirlwind continued to whip and howl as Satan within glowered down upon him. “You have failed in your mission to conquer this planet.”

  Dorange averted his eyes and lowered his head in shame. “I-I am sorry, my Lord.”

  “And Koroan will have you killed for your failures.”

  The reality of the statement was true and, for the first time, cut Dorange through the heart. He had nowhere else to go. He couldn’t stay on Earth. His forces were decimated. There was the option of going back to his old identity, as Donald Garrett. But he knew that wouldn’t work either, because of the absolute hatred and disgust that he had for Earth and its human population. No, the only option he had was to return to Terrest and face Koroan Chast.

  The glow of the fierce red eyes of the spirit within the whirlwind began to soften. “Are you afraid to die?” the spirit asked.

  Even though he was petrified beyond belief, Dorange stood up tall and answered the spirit in his usual arrogant defiance. “No.”

  “You lie!” the spirit thundered.

  Dorange cowered as the presence before him seemed to engulf his entire soul.

  “But lies and deceit are what you are good at, Donald Garrett. I have had my eye on you for a very, very long time. Even though you have not recognized it, you have been a trusted servant in this ageless war for the souls of men. Your hate and anger is what drives you. And for that … I will reward you with your life.”

  Dorange quickly looked up. “My Lord?”

  “When you return to Terrest, Koroan will have you arrested and order your impending execution. He may even want to kill you, himself. But he will not.”

  “My Lord?”

  The wind from the whirlwind began to relent into a small breeze, and the tornado lowered its immense presence. The spirit’s eyes within changed from a shade of red to that of a bright blue, and he spoke with a softer, gentler voice. “Listen carefully. Koroan Chast will not kill you because you are vital to my plan – my plan to destroy the true God of this galaxy.”

  Satan’s last comment perked Dorange up a bit. “H-how is it possible to destroy God?”

  The red glow returned to Lucifer’s eyes and the black whirlwind around him disappeared, completely revealing his true self. The spirit was an intimidating presence, to say the least, as he hovered in the air a foot over Dorange. His black hair was long, stopping just past his shoulders, along with a neatly trimmed dark beard. The black robe that he wore shimmered from the fires that surrounded them and fluttered about as if he had gigantic black wings. This was truly the angel of darkness.

  Still on his knees, Dorange immediately lowered his head in humility. “My Lord, I serve you,” he said and then he looked up.

  Satan curled his lips into an ominous smile. “God can be destroyed. I know he can. That is why I have been working in the hearts of men for millennia. Before our Father and his beloved Son, whose name you shall never utter in my presence, created the worlds of this galaxy – worlds without end – he promised man three relics of supreme knowledge; knowledge about the galaxy and the destiny of its worlds. But our Father knew that if these three relics fell into my possession, I could use them to obtain a body for myself and my angels, as well as the untold power to destroy … even God Himself.”

  The burning hate and vengeance within Dorange seemed to ignite. There was hope again. All was not lost, but he still had questions. “My Lord, why would God create such relics if he didn’t want them in your possession?”

  “Because he knew that man would turn away from him in their mortal form while in their second estate. And it is with only these relics that man will learn the true knowledge of him. That is why I have been working so hard to lead the hearts of men away from him. To draw these relics out of hiding. He knew I would do this. That is why I was cast out. Damned to a prisoner on this pitiful planet on the outskirts of the galaxy.”

  “How, my Lord, will I persuade Koroan not to kill me with this newfound knowledge?”

  Lucifer’s eyes widened as if he had hoped Dorange would ask the right question. “The three relics that I speak of are three golden tablets. Each tablet contains the pure language of God and was placed on three worlds that are of destined importance to the plan.”

  “Terrest, Gnolom, and … Earth?” Dorange questioned.

  “Yes,” seethed Lucifer. “The tablet of Gnolom is already in the possession of one of my most trusted servants.”

  Dorange’s mind was reeling now, and everything was beginning to click into the place. “The goddess of light, she has possession of that tablet.”

  Satan nodded. “Yes. And Koroan has possession of the tablet of Terrest. All we need is the tablet of Earth.”

  Confused, Dorange shook his head. “But where is this golden tablet?”

  “It has yet to be discovered. But in order to save your life, you will tell Koroan that you know the location of the third and final tablet and that you need to return to Earth to retrieve it.”

  Defeat fell over Dorange’s face again. “I-I can’t lie, my Lord. Koroan will have my inhibitors taken, and he will read my mind. He will know I am lying.”

  The angel of darkness lowered himself to Dorange’s level, making his way closer to him. Dorange backed up in fear, hitting his head against the fuselage of his fighter. Lucifer curled his lips and seemed to hiss like a serpent as he spoke. “He will know you are telling the truth if you truly believe it.” The dark angel then reached out. A bright shining light shot out from the palm of his hand into Dorange’s forehead.

  The pain was incomprehensible as Dorange screamed. After a few seconds, the light stopped. Writhing in pain, he fell to the ground, holding his head. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the pain began to subside. He laid flat on his back, his vision blurry.

  Satan lowered himself down and whispered into his ear. “Now return to Terrest and tell your master, Koroan Chast, what you know.”

  Then Dorange watched with blurred vision as Lucifer transformed himself back into a violent whirlwind and spun away just before he fell into unconsciousness.

  CHAPTER 16

  Earth Time: 3 days later, July 26, 2042 – Temple ruins, outside of Talead, Terrest . . .

  Pure rage, hatred, vengeance, and jealousy spread through Koroan Chast like venom from a poisonous serpent as he stood gazing out toward the remnants of the city of Talead. The crystal glass that had once encased this magnificent room was now gone. All that remained were the stone supports that were used to hold the glass in place. Looking down, he peered at what was left over of the golden altar in the center of the room as his fingers wrapped around the golden tablet clutched in his hand. He knew this place now. This was where the golden tablet had been given to an ancient prophet of Terrest. It contained the knowledge of the true God of the galaxy. But luckily for Koroan, no human or Gnol alive could interpret the symbols etched upon the plate by God.

  The thought of Jehovah and his Father nauseated Koroan, causing him to tremble from every fiber of his being. This temple and everything it stood for needed to be destroyed. Clenching his jaw tight and wrapping his fingers tighter around the gold tablet, he levitated himself out of the open top room of the pyramid. He looked at thousands of his soldiers, civilians, and Terrestrian slaves standing outside of the blast zone that he had brought with him to witness his power. They dropped to their knees in astonishment of his ever-increasing powers.

  He allowed a pompous smile to grace his lips as he continued his downward descent toward them. He landed softly on the weed-ridden grounds and glanced over his men and women. They would serve him to the ends of the galaxy. “Arise,” he thundered.

  Everyone rose to his or her feet; most had looks of fear on their
faces, astonished at how their master had mastered his abilities. Others had expressions of respect and reverence.

  Koroan looked at General Aralt Thourad, the general in charge of his ground forces. General Thourad quickly abated his eyes in fear, obviously remembering the last time he questioned his lord and savior. This caused Koroan to smile even more. “Are all the charges in place, General?”

  General Thourad forced himself to look at his lord as a sign of respect. “Yes, my Lord.”

  “Good,” said Koroan as he looked back at the mass of subordinates before him, and with a thunderous voice, said, “Today, you will witness the destruction of this heathen temple before you! You will see the destruction of the false God the Terrestrians worshiped and recognize the power of your true god, standing in the flesh right before your very eyes!”

  He then turned back to General Thourad, handing him the gold tablet. Thourad took the tablet and placed it in a solid Omutx case, closed the lid, and locked it. Koroan then turned to face the pyramid and closed his eyes. He knew that what he was about to do would exhaust him almost beyond consciousness, but he had to. He had to demonstrate his godlike powers to everyone present, demonstrating to them who their true savior was. Everything he had worked so hard for was on the brink of destruction, and this would surely remind everyone who was in charge.

  Raising his arms out before him, he focused every ounce of mental energy he could on the pyramid before him and the charges that had been placed within. The image of the building, its contents, and charges were now locked in his mind like a space fighter locked onto its target. The ground underneath their feet began to tremble, and he could hear the astonished voices of the thousands of witnesses behind him.

  The ground continued to shake violently as Koroan levitated himself off of it a few feet in the air in order to focus on the pyramid. A hot, burning wind began to rip through the crowd toward the pyramid, shaking its very foundation. The stones of the temple began to vibrate and crumble from their two thousand-year-old resting place. He heard the audible gasps of everyone behind him as he lifted the pyramid off of its foundation with a thunderous roar. Then, focusing all of his mental energy on each one of the charges within, he clutched his hands into tight fists. An explosion rocked from within the center of the pyramid, then another, and another. Clenching his fists tighter, he was beginning to feel the fatigue. Suddenly, he opened his hands and clapped them together. The pyramid exploded into a hot red and orange fireball. He felt the hot rush of the shockwave hit him as well as the crowd behind him.

  Opening his eyes, he used every ounce of energy he had left to stay conscious and turned around as pieces of stone and ash rained down upon him and the crowd. Awestruck faces immediately bowed. Gnol and slave alike all knelt in quiet reverence to their god before them.

  Koroan managed a small smile of satisfaction, and with his last remaining strength thundered, “Now! You know who your true god is!”

  * * * * *

  Scott Air Force Base. Earth . . .

  Just outside of Scott Air Force Base lay a wooded area on a hill. And it was here where Kevin Palmer stood, dressed in clean Air Force fatigues. Tears streamed down his face as he glanced at his daughter, brother, John, and Christopher Peterson. There were also other military personnel – who weren’t on duty – and civilians present who wanted to pay their respects to the young man who had saved the lives of hundreds of civilians by holding off an onslaught of Gnol troops.

  Hidden within a small grove of trees was a hole. Next to the hole was a makeshift wooden casket holding the body of Adam Palmer. The day was hot, and humid, and the skies were still gray. The smell of death still permeated the area. It was nauseating and repulsive. But life had to go on, the dead put to rest, and everything rebuilt now that the Gnols had apparently left the planet.

  Kevin didn’t want any special favors for his family. Most of the dead from the attacks were being put to rest in a mass grave just a few miles from the base, but the civilians who Adam had sacrificed his life for insisted that he be laid to rest with a proper military burial.

  Reaching up, Kevin wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his uniform. Ashley held his arm in a tight viselike grip with tears pouring from her eyes as well. He looked past her at Adrian and nodded. His younger brother returned the nod and stepped forward, standing next to the casket. Kevin had asked him to give the eulogy.

  Adrian cleared his throat and wiped his own tears away from his face. “I would like to thank all of you for coming today. Most of you didn’t have to, but you recognized – like I did when I first met Adam – the strength, courage, and goodness that he had within him.

  “I didn’t know Adam very long. As you know, I’ve been out of town for a while. …” There were a few chuckles and Adrian allowed himself a small smile. “When I first met Adam, we were being held prisoner together. It was at this time that I saw the potential that he had. I saw it in his eyes. Those eyes had a strength about them, and I was so impressed with how he was able to hold it together.

  “Adam had such a light and goodness about him. He had told me that he wanted to become a fighter pilot like his cousin, Jake, and me. And I knew right away that he would have made a magnificent pilot and leader in the military. …”

  Ashley began to sob, burying her head into her father’s shoulder.

  “But he never got that chance,” Adrian said, beginning to choke on his words. “W-when we first learned that the Gnols were coming to attack the base, Adam was one of the first ones who volunteered to fight. I didn’t let him … but … I …” Adrian had to stop for a few seconds, trying to control his emotions before the floodgates opened. He regained his composure and continued. “I told him to help get the civilians into the bunker and to protect them with his life. And that is exactly what he did. With no regard for his own safety, he helped a wounded woman who was left behind. She is with us today because of his bravery.”

  Kevin looked up into the crowd of civilians and saw the woman that his son had rescued. She made eye contact with him and gave him a warm smile. He returned her smile and turned his attention back to his little brother.

  “Then defying all odds, Adam held off twenty-eight Gnols all by himself. I can’t express enough how impressed I am with this. I have been fighting the Gnols for a long time. They have abilities that we can only imagine, and to hold off that many … well, that’s impressive indeed.”

  Kevin stood up a little taller. He was so proud of his son and for what he was able to do not only to save him and his sister, but the civilians as well.

  Adrian continued. “And it is because of that bravery and courage we are here to honor Adam Palmer today. Once we were able to establish communications with Mount Weather and President Thompson, I told him about Adam and what he did. And even though Adam was not in the military, President Thompson has given Adam Palmer the honorary title of Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.”

  Surprised, Kevin made eye contact with Adrian. His brother never told him this. But knowing this was the dream of his son, he smiled at Adrian, letting him know his appreciation for what President Thompson did for Adam.

  Adrian accepted his “thank you” with a nod of his own. He then looked at Lt. Colonel Christopher Peterson and nodded. Chris stepped forward and walked toward Kevin. He stopped, about faced, and looked at him with his own tear-filled eyes. Chris then pulled a medal from the pocket of his uniform. Kevin’s eyes widened with astonishment. It was the Medal of Honor that President Thompson had awarded to Chris at Mount Weather after he and his team successfully rescued his family from the clutches of Koroan Chast.

  Adrian continued his eulogy before Kevin could protest. “President Thompson has also awarded the Medal of Honor to Adam Palmer, which is the highest and most prestigious award given in the United States Armed Forces. It is hereby awarded to Adam Palmer for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an
enemy of the United States.

  “Since we don’t have any medals, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Peterson has graciously volunteered to give his medal to Kevin Palmer, Adam’s father.”

  Chris took the medal as Kevin looked at him with gratitude. He lifted his arms over Kevin’s head and secured the medal around his neck. After the medal was secured, Chris took a step backwards, stood at attention, and saluted.

  Kevin stood a little taller, smiled, and nodded in appreciation for what Chris had done for his son. Chris returned the smile, glanced at Ashley, and returned to his last position. From behind the casket, a soldier began playing taps from his bugle. As soon as the soldier finished, four other soldiers next to him fired volleys of shots into the air, startling Kevin with each one.

  After the shots, the small crowd began to dissipate. Kevin turned to Ashley and hugged her. She hugged him back almost as if she did not want to let him go. She then whispered into his ear, “I love you, Dad.”

  Kevin dug his chin into her shoulder. “I love you too, Ash.”

  Soldiers and citizens, wishing to offer Kevin their condolences, waited for father and daughter to let go of one another. Ashley finally pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. “I’m going to tell Chris that I’m going with you to Terrest,” she said.

  Kevin nodded and watched as she walked away with Chris. He then turned and began shaking the hands of the guests expressing their appreciation for his son. The last guest was the woman that Adam had risked his life to save. She held her baby in her arms. “Mr. Palmer,” she said. “I just want to tell you how thankful I am for your son and how sorry I am.”

  Kevin smiled warmly at the woman. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she continued. “I never introduced myself. My name’s Sarah and this is Malory.”