Stargazer

by Melanie Matthews

  “No, they have been given fewer rations than the other inmates. Dr. John Goode is feeling the effects the most. He is weak and can barely walk.”

  It had to be now. I had to put an end to this.

  “Let us through the dome, Medusa.”

  “President Pallas has granted your request. He is most anxious to see you, Ava. You will be escorted to his quarters. Your companion will be taken to the Examining Room.”

  “Like hell,” Zeke muttered.

  I patted him on the back, telling him to shut up. “We agree,” I told Medusa. “Let us in.”

  Medusa began pushing buttons. I heard a buzzing sound and then it stopped.

  “You may proceed.”

  I nodded and turned to Zeke. “Ready?”

  He nodded. “Ready.”

  He went first, walking straight through the glass dome, and got into position so that when he ran along the red-bricked path, he was in between two Retrieval Squad units, made up of twenty men each, leading straight to the Command Center in the middle of the dome.

  I could see his legs twitching, anxious. He truly was brave.

  I entered next, slowly, watching, as I did what I was supposed to do. As I passed through the dome, I slid my hand against my vest, as if I was merely adjusting it. I didn’t see anything, but I heard the success of my task. There was a loud buzzing noise, too loud that made my ears hurt. The androids weren’t affected. They must be independent from Medusa. That was risky on Julius’s part, but I assumed he wanted freedom from Medusa’s control. The humans on the other hand held their hands up to their ears in pain. I almost laughed at the irony.

  I looked over at Zeke. He held his hand clamped to his right ear.

  I panicked. “Zeke, are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” he yelled back. “I’m deaf in my left ear, so it’s not that bad!”

  “Can you make it?”

  But he didn’t answer me, taking off, swerving around the human guards, who could do nothing but watch him fly past. The androids were the problem. Already a dozen of them, walking quickly, advanced to intercept Zeke. I went into action. I wasn’t mad, but I was frustrated, and I hoped that would release my power. I struggled and struggled, but I didn’t erupt. I wasn’t mad enough. So instead I shrugged off the black vest and ran towards the androids. In swift and precise movements, I managed to crush all twelve of them. Their black metal frames were a crumpled mess upon the red-bricked path.

  The loud buzzing stopped. I halted, fearing Medusa was back in control. I looked for Zeke, but I couldn’t find him. Some of the guards drew their guns, targeting me, but still a showing signs of dizziness, swaying. The rest of the androids drew similar weapons from their body. I was outmatched and outgunned. I thought about letting them kill me, hoping that in my death, Julius would give up his own life too, but I wasn’t ready. I needed to give Zeke time to take down the dome. I needed to see Henrietta, John, and Loren again. I had to fight back.

  Thinking of my friends in prison, starving, it made me furious. I was furious at Julius for everything he had done, but I was more furious at myself, for loving him when I should hate him. I felt the familiar surge of energy within my core. It had begun. The wind blew fierce. The ground cracked and opened at my feet. I knew I had to control it, so I made the effort to target the threat before me. With the androids, I opened up a chasm in the ground, sending them down into the earth. With the humans, I conjured up lightning and rain, sending bolts, shocking their weapons, causing them to explode. They threw them down in horror. They were defenseless now, but were they still a threat? The men with no protection quickly scampered away like frightened mice. As they ran, others, citizens of Sanctuary, ran with them, ran away from me—the destructive alien. I expected more of a fight. I was glad it hadn’t come to that and glad that I had been able to quiet the rage inside me, bringing my destruction to a halt.

  I heard a loud noise like a boom. I thought it was an explosion, but I didn’t see any fire or smoke. I heard yelling. I turned to the glass dome but it was gone. I could smell and feel the air of the wild world where rebels lived. It was hot and consuming compared to the air of Sanctuary, which was clean and crisp. I preferred the former; that meant a chance; a chance at freedom.

  Zeke had done it. Selwyn caught up with me, bringing thousands of rebels behind him. He embraced me in a hug.

  “You did it!”

  I gently pushed him away. “See to Zeke. He’s in Central Command.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to go find my friends.”

  I looked all around, trying to figure out which one was Quadrant Echo. While I scanned the area, I noticed the large white cannons that had been targeting my ship in space were now slumped down—deactivated. I was glad Zeke had succeeded, but I felt sorry for Medusa. She had never done anything to harm me. She was just a programmed machine—like the programmed people of Sanctuary. I had warned Selwyn to order his people not to harm the citizens. They could defend but not summarily execute. I wanted everyone, including the doctors, even the Red Woman, pardoned. The only offender would be Julius Pallas—my Julius—my love.

  Without Medusa, without a map, I was lost. Where was Quadrant Echo? I found the narrow walkway where the android and I had fallen from. Quadrant Delta was the largest facility and the tallest. Inside was where Julius had engineered the ocean and the forest, bringing me back to a time long ago on Earth when we were carefree and happy. I destroyed it all when I escaped. I wondered if he had it rebuilt.

  Medusa said he wanted to see me in his quarters, but where were his quarters? Henrietta would know. But I had to find Quadrant Echo first. Everywhere, chaos ensued, as rebels and citizens ran around, screaming, confused.

  I caught a woman by her arm. She was young with strawberry blond hair. “Miss? Do you know where Quadrant Echo is?”

  She screamed at me and tried to pull away. I held my grip on her but not enough to hurt. Normally, I would’ve let her go, but this wasn’t normal times.

  “Please!” I begged. “Where is Quadrant Echo?”

  She was trembling and I thought she was going to faint, but she lifted her hand and pointed to a white building across from Quadrant Delta. It stood apart from the rest of the buildings and was the only one with the least amount of windows.

  I let her go. “Thanks,” I yelled at her as I ran away. She ran away too; glad to be rid of me.

  Guards rushed out of the building, their weapons targeted on me. I heard gun shots but it came from behind.

  “I’ll clear them for you!” yelled Selwyn.

  I turned to see him and Gina, along with other rebels, firing their rifles at the guards.

  “Be careful!” I yelled. “They can kill you in two shots!”

  He smiled. “All I need is one shot!”

  I dodged guards and had to throw a few out of my way as I advanced into Quadrant Echo, with Selwyn and his rebels finishing off the rest. I expected the prison alarms to be going off, but then I remembered Medusa was dead. Not trusting the elevator, I took the emergency stairs down to Sublevel 001, where I used to be, hoping that was where John, Loren, and Henrietta were.

  With Medusa shut down, I didn’t know if the door to their cells were locked or not, but I assumed they were because I didn’t see any prisoners running around, trying to find a way out. It was deadly quiet on Sublevel 001, and above, at the hundreds of other cells that lined the floors.

  I went to my old cell, and with all my strength, beat down the door. Even with Medusa shut down, the doors were still secure. I assumed it to be a secondary security measure in case Medusa was ever manipulated. Quadrant Echo had gone on lock down.

  “Henrietta!”

  I couldn’t believe she was there. I ran to her, holding her thin, frail frame in my arms.

  “Ava?” she said weakly. “What’s going on? Pallas said that you left us.”

  “He said that?”

  “He said that you were aboard the ship—that you had abandoned us
. I think he wanted us to believe that you didn’t care about us, but I didn’t believe him.” She smiled weakly. “I didn’t believe him, Ava.”

  “You were right. I would never leave you. And I really need you right now. Where’s Pallas’s quarters?”

  “He’s in Quadrant 1. Why?”

  “He’s there right now. I have to go to him. I have to end this.”

  “I’ll show you.”

  “Wait, where’s John and Loren?”

  “They’re a floor above, in cells 101 and 102.”

  We rushed up and again, I broke through the doors with my fists. I went to John, while Henrietta helped Loren out.

  “Ava?” John said weakly. He was thin and his hair was brittle, falling out. He lay on the cold, hard table—trying to move—to get to me. “He said you left us.”

  I went to him and held his hand. He was so cold. “I would never leave you. I love you.”

  He smiled. “I love you too.”

  “Now, c’mon and get up. The dome is down. The rebels are inside.”

  “Is it over?” he asked, wrapping his arm around my waist, trying to stand up.

  “Soon,” I said. “I have to see Pallas. Henrietta is going to guide me there.”

  “What about me?”

  “You and Loren make it outside. Go find Zeke, Selwyn, or Gina. They’re good people. They’ll help you out.”

  “Ava?” someone said weakly.

  I turned to see Loren, walking to me with Henrietta by his side. He was a bit stronger than John, advancing towards me. Even with John wrapped around me, Loren gave me a tight hug, and then kissed my lips. His blond hair was wilder than usual.

  “I thought—”

  “I know,” I stopped him. “I was aboard my vessel for some time, but I rallied the Resistance, and now we’re inside the dome. Medusa is…not going to be a problem.” I smiled weakly, still in mourning. “Zeke shut her down.”

  Loren smiled. “That little rascal; he’s got an attitude, but he’s smart as hell.”

  John held me tighter.

  “I got your message,” I told him, “the Morse code—warning me about the androids.”

  John smiled. “Good. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right. Loren taught me before…before he got hauled away. Are the androids out there?”

  “I took care of a lot of them. I’m sure the rebels will do the rest. They weren’t tied to Medusa, so they’re a bit more of a nuisance.”

  “That’s what I feared,” said Loren. “That’s why I wanted John to warn you.”

  “It’s good that you did. Zeke and I were prepared before we entered the dome.”

  “How did you do it?” asked Henrietta.

  I sighed. “I’ll tell you all later. Right now, I have to get to Pallas.” I gently pushed John away. “Loren, hold onto him. Make it outside to the rebels.”

  “But what about the other prisoners?” Henrietta asked.

  “Maybe we’re safer in here,” said John, sounding stronger. “It’s quiet in here. Everyone’s outside, attacking—chaos.”

  He was right. “Okay, stay here, in Henrietta’s cell. About the other prisoners, well, they can stay a little longer until the situation is under control.”

  “What situation?” Loren asked.

  “Pallas,” I said. “I have to deal with him.”

  “Are you going to kill him?”

  I shook my head. “No. He can’t be killed. He’s immortal.”

  They all looked at me, confused. I sighed. “It’s a long story, but basically, he can only die if he wants to die. I’m going to ensure that.”

  “How?” asked John.

  “I don’t know yet,” I lied. “I just need to find him before the rebels.”

  “I’ll take you. Let’s go,” urged Henrietta, holding out her hand for me.

  I smiled. “You want to bond?”

  She smiled back. “We might lose each other in the crowd.”

  I nodded. “Okay.” I took her hand. We were held together like glue. Before leaving, I turned to John and Loren. If I was going to go through with my plan, then I’d never see them again. “Take care of each other until help arrives, okay?”

  Loren nodded. “I’ll look after him.” He bonded to John so that he wouldn’t fall. He was still weak. “Be careful, Ava. Come back to us.”

  I just smiled and let Henrietta guide me out. There was absolute panic outside. People were running, screaming, and there was gunfire. I didn’t have time to process the scene as Henrietta ran, pulling me along on a red-bricked path. We passed several white buildings until she halted before Quadrant 1.

  “This is it,” she said, breathless.

  “Where is he?”

  “At the very top; the whole building is his, but his quarters are up there.”

  She pointed to the apex that was nothing but windows. They were clear, open; I wondered if he was looking out at me, longing for me.

  I turned to Henrietta. “Thanks and now get back to John and Loren.”

  “I could come with you.”

  I shook my head. “No, I need to do this alone. Now, please go!”

  Henrietta nodded and took off. I hoped she’d be safe on her way back. I could’ve had her wait below, but I feared she would come after me, and I didn’t want her to see me with Julius. I didn’t take the elevator, instead using the stairs. I ran up and up to the very top where the final door led out to a narrow passageway and then a large white door at the end. I was nervous, trembling, but I took a breath in and out, and approached the door. There was no knob, only the panel to the right to scan my hand. I thought about knocking, but didn’t know if he could hear me. There were several explosions going off outside. For some reason, I don’t know why, I put my hand to the panel. A blue light scanned it. There was a clicking noise and the door opened.

  Chapter 16

  Cautiously, I entered, looking for him, but I only found a large room filled with white furniture. To my surprise, there were lavender pillows on the sofas and a lavender rug beneath a white polished table. I walked to the next room and that was where I found him, lying on his bed; the sheets were lavender.

  He turned to me. He had been crying.

  Holding a clear glass of some liquid, he said in slurred speech, “Well, well—look who came back.”

  He was drunk. I tried to remain emotionless.

  “You knew I would. Why did you lie to John, Loren, and Henrietta?”

  He smiled. “I’m a liar. I lied to you. I never loved you—never! I’ve always hated you—you worthless brat!”

  I took a step forward. “Well,” I began, teasing him, “I loved you, very much. In fact, I’ll always love you.”

  He dropped the glass on the lavender carpet. “Oh, Ava, my love, come here! Come to me!”

  He opened his arms for me and I came to him, allowing him to hold me while we lay on the bed. He wore the same clothes I’d seen him in before—a black shirt, but unbuttoned all the way down, showing his muscular chest, with black pants; no shoes.

  We just lay there, looking at each other. I went to open my mouth, to speak, but he silenced me with his lips, kissing me softly, then wild, deep, passionate. I rolled on top of him, straddling his waist, running my fingers through his black hair. He moaned and turned, bringing me beneath him, as he freed my lips, trailing the tip of his tongue down my neck. I gasped, relishing the sensation, remembering the times we’d been like this on our home planet.

  “Let’s just stay here, like this, forever,” he said against my neck. Then he pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Avalora, please, help me! Call off the Overlord. Save me!”

  I sighed. “Oh, Julius,” I said, caressing his cheek. He was so warm. “I am the Overlord.”

  His face went still and then he smiled, bursting into laughter. He rolled on his back, bringing me with him to lie on his chest. He hugged me tight. “Oh, Ava! You, the Overlord! It’s…it’s…well, I don’t know what it is.” He looked at me. “It’s a good thing, right? I f
eared the Overlord’s arrival…that he was going to freeze me and put me in that containment pod like that scout did with you…but now that I know it’s you, well, this changes things.”

  I pushed away from him and sat up. “No, it doesn’t, Julius.” I got up and stood away from him. I had forgotten about the containment pod. I didn’t have to die. And he didn’t have to give up his immortality, dying too. But was that the right decision? Freezing him? What if in the future, someone freed him? Would he go back to his reign of terror?

  He sat up but made no move towards me. “What do you mean, my love?”

  I sighed. “There are so many out there who want your head on a platter. Do you have any idea how much you’re hated?”

  He shot off the bed. “I don’t care!” He advanced towards me and tightened his hands around my arms—his fingers digging into my flesh. It didn’t hurt. “I only care about what you think!”

  “You know how much I love you, but that doesn’t mean you’re pardoned!”

  “Ava…” He held me to him, caressing my back. “Ava, my love, please, you know me! You know me! I served you on Prominence. I did everything for you.” He pulled away from me but still held on. “Wasn’t I loyal? Wasn’t I good to you?”

  I remembered my conversation with Cory on the ship. “You were loyal because you loved me, but you hated serving. You hated being a slave. That’s why you’ve done everything—the dome—Sanctuary—the Corporation. You have to be in charge. You have to be above everyone else. What about me? I’m your Overlord. You serve me.”

  He smiled. “I’ve always served you, my love.” He began kissing me, trailing his lips down my neck. “Would you like me to comfort you like I did before?”

  I didn’t resist as he guided me towards the bed, my heart pounding in my chest. He got down on his knees and looked up at me. “You’ll always be my sweet princess.”

  I felt hot all over and found myself succumbing to his touch as he ran his hands up my legs. There was another explosion outside and I was reminded of where we were and who I was.

  “NO!”

  I shifted away from him. He looked at me with horror and then stood.