Krikos: The Vertical Horizon

by Rishabh Dubey

  He stridently said, “Are you the holder? … Are you …ARE YOU THE HOLDER?”

  I didn’t know how to reply to that out of the blue question. Then some sub-conscious courtesy rose in him, and he replied to his question himself, “YES! YOU... it can’t be... you are the holder.”

  He started moving around in a mental turmoil as if in a labyrinth. Before I could put down my interrogatives, he jumped out of the safety panel. My general conjecture was that either he was too amazed by the results of reading the book or he didn’t know that I didn’t have my safety platform open yet and he would fall 439 floors and die (if he’s lucky). This somewhat of a suicide caused my royal guard to wake up.

  “Well, so are you up now? “, I asked.

  “Where was he? Did you shoot him off?” he said.

  “He jumped off the building. Don’t ask why? At least to me”, I replied.

  “He died, right? My job here is done, sir. I hope you are privileged getting the services of the Hon'ble Hexagon. Off to command then. “, he concluded our conversation.

  After all this... I went to my desk and saw the book opened to a particular page. Maybe the page that made him commit suicide. I started reading from the top –

  Insanity lives in our hearts. But those insane have a brain similar to their hearts. I can’t help but give in to the better of my ambivalent choices. Those meticulous idiots will not stand against the perfunctory yet discerning insane minds. The war had begun as soon as they exiled Kronos. Kronos, the penultimate, the son to the Holy Galacta, has shown me the way. People believe him to be a traitor, the one to deprecate creation. Creation, the infernal depravity, the only sin of the Almighty Galacta. Forgive me for saying this Your Greatness. But this is how it is. Krydon didn’t unfold the light. When Krydon, Kronos’ trusted brother and aide, created the Universe, with the giver of life, The Helios, as its core, Kronos created a sheet of darkness around the Helios to enfold the light and enlightenment it held. This new mass was named Krikos, the preserver. Light blinds… and only in darkness can you see the faintest of lights. Krydon, being the younger and more cherished by his mother, convinced her to destroy the sheet and restore the blinding Helios. She did so. But frightened by the might of his brother Kronos, Krydon compelled his mother to exile him to eternal banishment. Lamenting over her omnipotent helplessness, Galacta gave away her high chair to Krydon and vanished into the bright abyss of free space. There is a simple rule to creation – Only the creator can destroy his/her created, and only the destroyer can reincarnate his/her destroyed. In this case, only Galacta could bring back the Krikos and only Kronos, whose absence destroyed Galacta’s heart, can bring her back to the eternal lands. Kronos couldn’t be free without the eternal key. The key is held by an ideal holder of no intentions.

  Till date, Kronos has been awaiting his holder so that he could be free and bring Galacta to the eternal realm and show her the turmoil created by Krydon. Galacta has two choices. Either to reincarnate the Krikos or to destroy her creation of Krydon, along with which, his creations might also be doomed. I can’t help free Kronos. But I can just tell him…. That… The creator beguiles the holder- It is not me. It is in me. It is not he. For he holds- me, he and thee.

  Into The Dimension:

  Episode 7-

  Annaeax.

  H

  uman- a word used to define the old and yet surviving intelligent creatures of the ancient rubbled planet Earth. History reflected the human insecurities around other species. Civilisations once clashed for the title of greatness and power. But this human had only seen his civilisation. His alter ego reflected through the means of another human. So, what should be the case when this very human has come in contact with a ‘new’ civilisation. A first of its kind.

  Rush Demilzo, the warrior of the legends to be told. He was known all across the Krikos for his attribute of surprise-warfare. If he was found, it meant he was not trying to hide. The last living member of the Demilzo family, who were originally the keepers of the remnants of the Iconoclasts. And that Iconoclastic method of warfare had been passed down to him. But where had he been? Where had everybody been while Krawn had been resting in captivity? This question was not left unanswered… Not for Long.

  Krawn sat and stared through the darkness of his room when he heard a sound from outside. The sound of multiple people walking. He didn’t react much to the opening of the door due to his self-indulgence in solving the mystery. They came in with another hostage whose face was unclear in the shadow of the room.

  “This one said he doesn’t know you. Though we found him in a jumpsuit around your ship itself. And he was holding this gun… No no no... I don’t care if he wasn’t with you. He has been declared a hostile already. It is not long before we kill him… and you. But just for general amusement and curiosity, I want to know. Who is he?” the stranger said. Krawn took a glance at the man to find that his build resembled the heavy one of Rush.

  “Can it be?” he thought. But he calmed down his inner excitement and said “I can’t see your face clearly… What’s your name?”

  One of the strangers punched and elbowed down the hostage and said “I forgot to ask you too. What’s your name?”

  “Aye Aye Aye… Where did you learn your interrogation? Slow at first man… you’d make a poor heck of a ‘bad cop’” the hostage gestured while being kicked in his gut.

  “You think you are over smart huh? NAME?”

  “I was planning to tell you when you asked… but you skipped that part… My name is Jimmy Page,” said Rush in a joyful tone.

  “Jimmy Page… huh? So, you guy there… What was your name again?”

  “My name is Krawn Xanethius… and I am quite sure that I know of no Jimmy Page.”

  One of the captors came near Krawn, bent down and said “A Xanethius. A big catch this time. Miniole… forward the message to Lord Sendei that we have caught a Xanethius. We have done the impossible… Again. Depart now.”

  The one he referred to moved back and gave a salute similar to the royal salute and said “Etiamnum Triumphos Sire.” And before he retired, the other guy replied “Etiamnum Triumphos”.

  And then the interrogator continued “So you the Xanethius claims not to know this Celestial who calls himself Jimmy Page. This far in the galaxy one cannot get without a mission as serious as the one under the Xanethius. He is not one of us for we don’t know any Jimmy Page.”

  Krawn smirked to the other hostage “As I have always remarked… a once… a thousand times. All of you… I don’t know any Jimmy Page…”

  “And you Mr Page have never seen the Xanethius… Even after being a celestial?” the stranger asked.

  “I can swear on my name, No,” he replied.

  The momentary inertness and serenity that marked Krawn’s face were indicative of the fact that ‘Jimmy’ was none other than Rush Demilzo. The strangers threw Rush down and tied him up beside Krawn and were going to leave the room. Just then, one of them turned to the other. Krawn could hear their whispering due to his trained auditory senses. The taller one was heard telling the shorter one “We didn’t find any such thing on him… No case… No brown papers… The Annaeaxian who stole it from Lord Sendei must’ve escaped the attack. We don’t know if he gave them any info or not.” The two then left. Just immediately, Rush picked his plasma lock and also Krawn’s and boosted him up “There there Captain… Bad times are here…”

  “Rush… Where are the others? Where is Mira?” Krawn asked.

  “I don’t know where they are. I, Witty and Muster escaped the Epilion right before they started ripping it apart. I could see only Cantor and Castino and you being taken hostage. We had to escape before they could see us,” replied Rush as he took out the holo-chip from his shoe sole.

  “So, what are your plans? Where are we?”

  “Muster and Witty escaped in the small carrier while I followed them secretively inside their destroyer which brought me here. I do
n’t know stars or anything, but I am quite sure that we are in Annaeax System. Those guys down in the control were continuously talking about it. I could hear only the most important part of it that is you being held here. So, I made a plan,” said Rush.

  “What is it?”

  “These may be bad times… But Rush… Is Worse,” he said as he tapped through the holoprojector and suddenly a loud explosion was felt coming from the chambers below.

  Rush hacked through the various gateways and they entered a corridor. There fell another hallway ahead with a large entrance. Rush lead the way inside to a small chamber. He started searching for something “Where is it? Bloody memory… Ah here.”

  He bent down inside a small desk to bring out a large rifle shaped weapon, the blue Magnus Gladius Mega Blaster “My baby… miss me? Ready for some Rush Raze, are we? Those bastards will be obliterated before they can even think of the phrase ‘we are under attack’. Hey, captain! Got some gift for you too. Found it in the lab below.”

  Rush bent down again to take out the mesmerising white Magnus Gladius di-Xanethius. Krawn rotated the Hilt to find that the reactor had been temporarily deactivated because of the massive fluctuation inside of it back when Krawn inserted the sword in the Epilion’s main reactor. So, he set the sword’s Auto Activation, and it displayed a time span of 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The sword somewhat behaved like a stopwatch for their escape and they meanwhile exited the inner premises. They took an elevator down to a Hangar full of idiosyncratically old aircrafts. They were stopped by a group of seemingly organised militants at the hangar level –

  “You are in violation of the Diplomatic Prisoner Code of Conduct Article 4987, of the Stillite Colonial Law. Put down your weapons and be killed later or be killed right now. I will give a count till three. One ...”

  “The colonial law?” Krawn said as Rush put up his Gladius and started shooting at the militants. He disabled five or six of them and said “Eutopium Federation Laws suck… Kill no Human my foot. I’d make it worse than death for these nitwits.”

  They both got surrounded by soldiers from three sides and then a beeping sound was heard. The White Gladius was now fully charged. All the soldiers started shooting at them and when the smoke cleared, they both were seen standing quite still with a plasma shield around them originating from the White Gladius.

  “Too much Vivificated destruction. Let us now see you in action. Galacta… bless their souls,” Krawn said as he moved the Gladius in a definite pattern to produce a heavy impulse, throwing everybody outside the plasma shield off of their feet and rendering them unconscious. The very ease with which the small-scale battle ended hinted to the concentration of skills in the Xanethius or scarcity of them amongst the militants. Krawn held the soldier who was speaking earlier by his throat.

  “You’re brave… What’s your name?” he asked.

  “I’m… Veerus… Gruj… a loyal to the high Lord Sendei and …an earnest follower of Holy Kronos…” the man said and punched Krawn to no resolve. Krawn knocked him out and threw him away saying “This one shows the promise of valour… the same which has faded over years of the idealistic virtuality of cowardice.”

  “Yeah Yeah… A grain of sand in sea won’t help the desert… let’s get out of this place…”Rush said.

  “Can you fly one of these?” asked Krawn.

  “Now I miss Lina… but I am a man who goes with the flow. Better than staying here,” Rush replied as they got on an aircraft and took off in a sturdy manner outside of the station. As soon as they reached the outer space, they got the sight of the Planet Annaeax.

  “There it is… Our mission is successful captain.”

  “Almost successful… What do you think… are they down there? Is she… down there?”

  “Well, she is not up here no.”

  “We go down then,” Krawn said as they descended towards the planet.

  ♦♦♦

  Another episode from history. Fate seemed to be playing its usual riddle. The powerful Krydon descended the magnetic field where the Epilion had lost contact. After a thorough search through the rubble and bubble of the space station, VIN-die Kridious ordered its destruction. His reason being “We need to concentrate on the primary aim here. Distracting objectivities must be done away with.” The early warning intelligence drones helped the Krydon to keep permanent contact with the Genetrix, and it easily exited the Magnetic Field. The drones informed the Visi Computer on the Krydon about a huge asteroid field ahead, and so it anchored.

  Kridious’ answer to the general query regarding the massive difference between the capabilities of the Krydon and the Epilion always ended with the dramatic sentence “Products of Wars are always better than those of Peace.”

  “Should we destroy the asteroid field, sir?” Kurt asked Kridious.

  “First send in drone scouts through the asteroid field. We must ensure the Epilion is not stranded in there while we destroy it. Old Xanethius won’t take the heat easy,” he replied.

  “Sir, let me go assist the drones with the B11 jet-fighter. It can be that there is more to where the old space station came from,” said Lina.

  “I’d go too,” said Fusa.

  “And so, will I Sir” followed Colo.

  “Give a flying machine to this monstrous person and she shall need nothing else. Very well then. I’d lead the B11 squadron. Tref will tag along as my nav. The drone shall guide us in. Lina will be the winger and defence, and Colo and Fusa shall be following her in the third B11. We shall go in Explorer Formation. Whilst you Anaton… stay on the updates with the Eutopium. Don’t lose contact whatsoever. And you Kurt, Nahcas and Hex… be on full guard alert in the three wings.”

  The explorer B11 squadron took off and reached inside the asteroid at a slow pace following the drone. The drone examined everything and sent reports back to the Visi Screen which projected it to the Genetrix. After a certain degree of examination, they finally got readings of Identifiable Nuclear Core Radiation, most probably that of the Epilion. They moved ahead to find only metallic pieces scattered on one side of a huge asteroid. A sight implanting roots of unfavourable imagination in the minds of the Elite Warriors. They all returned with whatever they could gather from the ruins. Back at the central computer chamber of the Krydon, everyone awaited Kridious’ commands.

  “Sir, what do you think happened?” Asked Tref.

  Kridious remained silent for his lack of an answer to that question. He then recovered and said “Colo and Nahcas, ready all the reactors of the Krydon and power up the Armory. I need a full report of our weapons all the time. I don’t know what happened, but whatever happened it didn’t happen itself. Not with them. Not with Krawn… I need everyone to be at full guard. Lina, you hasten yourself at the hangar station. Anaton will keep updating you all along. Raymor, Hex, Fusa, and Kurt ready the defences and give me a full report. And Anaton gave me mission control now.”

  “And what about me Sir?” Firdigo asked.

  “You get ready with your jumpsuit. And forget about negotiations. I don’t know what happened there, but I know what is going to happen…. WAR.” Kridious replied in a heavy tone.

  “And what about the asteroid field Sir?” asked Kurt.

  Kridious smiled at him and said softly “What asteroid field?”

  Diaries of Flex:

  Episode 8-

  The translational duplicity.

  I

  t was a bright day in the month of Alxoro, year 398 E.E. . . .. It was one of those rare days when I could bring out my inner urge to read the book further. There had been many easy days in scientific history. Those mindless antediluvian ‘GREAT’ minds of the 23rd century, which could manage to think only outside the nucleons. Are quarks the smallest particles? A kid can tell they aren’t. The statement should have rather been like ‘Quark might just be the smallest particle in our dimension’. Well, then it could have had a little probability of being true. Flex was very fond of the Mu
ltiple-Dimensions. The positional uncertainty, as given by one of the few legends of the history that is Heisenberg, and modified yet by another legend Sir Arthur Angel, would apply to any of the dimensions above the 3rd. All this amazed Flex a lot. He wanted things to be certain. So, he tried his best to create an alternative theory. Not completely because he envied good minds but because he liked challenges (of the nonphysical kind). He worked for a full two years on Jupiter on this new theory, like he had no planet to make habitable. He never used to tell me about his surreptitious discoveries. So, I had to wait more than a decade to know what I am going to tell you now. What was it called – The theory of Translational Duplicity!

  Quantum Positional Uncertainty – When matter travels from a lower to a higher dimension, there is an uncertainty of its resultant position due to the uncertainty of the amount of energy in the transition.

  The following steps can calculate translational Duplicity – When matter travels from a lower to a higher dimension, its resultant position can be calculated as follows –

  Calculation of the maximum energy difference between the lower dimension and the dimension next to the higher dimension. The Aggregrion thrust on dimensions can be speculated by the theory of quantum speculation. This thrust, when multiplied by the average difference between any ten transitions, will give a value very close to the maximum energy.

  Fixing the transition energy to the maximum value.

  Creating exit and entry zone marks on the charts of both dimensions and clinging them onto each other.

  The dimensional co-ordinate difference between the dimensions must be calculated. It is these coordinates which will make the difference.

  The physical-dimensional alteration can be speculated on the basis of the surplus or deficit co-ordinates.

  This way, new exit coordinates can be mapped. It forms a duplicitous system of coordinates that is the old ones project the newer ones with a simple energy algorithm.