Celestial Ascension (Splintered Galaxy Book 1)

by Eddie R. Hicks

  ………

  Anna awoke from her nap in the waiting room of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The crowd had quickly grown with more and more injured refugees. Some entered with burns on most of their bodies and others with blood-soaked clothing. Most of the people came from just outside Nevada and California. The state of their bodies and minds painted a horrifying image in her head of what was going on in the rest of the country…hell, the rest of the world.

  Dianna stood next to her, wearing a doctor's uniform and gently touching Anna’s shoulder after waking her from the dream.

  “Glad to see you made it,” Dianna said. “Since we don’t know how long Gavin will be gone, it might be best for you to make your home here until things return to normal. Oh, and sorry about waking you up like that.”

  “It’s OK. I was having that strange dream again,” Anna said, “the one with the little girl and two soldiers running after her.”

  “It is probably just stress,” Dianna suggested.

  Anna let out a comforting laugh. “Hell, I hope so.”

  “I have to check on a few patients. Can I get you something to drink?” Dianna offered.

  “Sure, and is Dr. Jakins in? I may as well see him while I’m staying here.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll tell him once he’s free.” She took a quick scan of the waiting room. “It probably won’t be anytime soon, but who knows?”

  Dianna left with a smile. Anna heard a helicopter landing on top of the building. Must be critically wounded refugees from out east, she thought. Dianna returned with a paper cup in hand, offering it to Anna. “Thanks,” said Anna, who drank it down fast.

  Dianna reached for the empty cup. “I’ll take it. The garbage bins are full out here.”

  “Oh, thank you.”

  ………

  A Radiance data pad rested in the hands of Dr. Jakins, who was better known by his real name and title—High Scholar Ure Telinei. He stood in the computer lab of Westside Institute of the Gifted, glancing over reports of his latest work and the status of fellow Order members on this world. Blue light flashed in the hallway just outside. The reading will have to wait. He put the pad down.

  “Still have this hologram up and running?” a familiar voice called out to him.

  “You never know—a human might stumble in,” he said.

  “Let them. It won’t matter soon,” the voice called back.

  He held the data pad again, flipping through several windows before coming across the hologram command for the room. Suddenly the image of the Institute vanished, replaced with a laboratory of Linl design. Black sheets of metal covered the windows and walls, blocking out all sunlight and projecting a holographic image of the Institute to the outside world. Rows upon rows of cryo tubes were lined up along the room. Tubes that were active held human subjects—Telinei’s test subjects—most of them children. A blue-and-white medical table with a computer terminal attached to the back of it was in the center of the room. A naked human man and woman lay side by side on the table, both sedated.

  With the illusion gone, Telinei was able to see the person he was talking to. It was his favorite psionic—Ure Sinzihea, who was known to the humans as “Dianna Lee.” She walked toward him, offering him an empty paper cup.

  He grabbed it with a puzzled look on his old face. “What do I want with this?”

  “Anna Chambers—she drank from it not long ago.”

  His face lit up. “Oh, aren’t you cunning?”

  “Traces of her DNA should be all over it.”

  Telinei rushed to the terminal in the middle of the lab. He placed the cup on a black disk- shaped object with dark blue rings in its center. The cup hovered for a moment before projecting a holographic image of a human DNA strand. “I can work with this,” he said about the newly acquired data.

  “Blood samples would be better, but we need to project the image that you’re too busy tending to other issues, to get hers.” Sinzihea walked toward the two human test subjects.

  “Exactly.” His face never left the sight of the hologram. “It has indeed changed since the last DNA sample we got from her a few days ago.”

  “Yes, you might want to make an appearance soon. Lots of refugees are coming in, and some of them have potential,” She stopped mid speech to receive a communication. “Well, well,” she said afterward.

  “Who was it?” he asked.

  “I shall return with a gift.” Blue light flooded the lab as she vanished.

  Seconds later Telinei’s data pad lit up with activity, and his withered hands interacted with the screen. A new video uploaded to it, a copy of Anna’s recent dream. Hermaei’s mind probing device at it again. It’s a shame the union removed the one from Chloe’s brain. She, too, was having the same dreams, so it would have sped up research considerably.

  ………

  Sinzihea’s body slowly rematerialized in a forested region on the side of a mountainous area. She still wore the doctor’s uniform, thus covering her cybernetics so her abilities operated slower than normal. The wind blew fast, her hair moving about in rhythm with the grass and trees. Before her stood a Celestial Order member she and Telinei had been waiting to see for a long time.

  “Xyniea, good to finally see you,” said Sinzihea.

  “My apologies for the delay. Gengei had me placed on emergency revival only upon our arrival.” Xyniea’s eyes took a quick look at the mountains, thinking about home. “Thankfully, Wayinea got me out of cryo earlier, thought I had other duties to deal with.”

  “Do you have it?” asked Sinzihea.

  Xyniea produced a data crystal from her jumpsuit’s side pocket. She firmly held it between her index finger and thumb. “Here it is—all the research data from our contacts in the Morutrin system, before they got caught by the union.”

  The crystal left Xyniea’s hand and traveled through the air toward Sinzihea’s telekinetic pull. Sinzihea hovered her hand below it. As she released her mind, it fell into her palm.

  “Finally. Send Parcisei my regards.”

  “If he’s alive. Last I heard they figured out he was one of us. He’s a wanted man.” Xyniea stared at the group of Celestial Order members who stood behind her. “Now for us…”

  “Yes, yes, there’s room in the lab for you all to stay,” Sinzihea said, placing the data crystal in her pocket. “The lab is located in a region Jerut has been instructed not to attack until further notice.”

  “We’re aware of that. Just tell him not to miss the region north of it. Our operations there are done,” Xyniea said.

  Sinzihea paused. “That means even more refugees. We need to speed this up.”

  “So is it true about Wayinea?” Xyniea asked.

  “Yes, she and Hermaei are dead,” Sinzihea said. “Minor setback to our plans, however.”

  “A pity. I really enjoyed her massages,” Xyniea said.

  Sinzihea stripped her top off. Teleporting Xyniea and her group would require her cybernetics to run correctly.

  Xyniea laughed. “Putting on a show for the lads?”

  Sinzihea rolled her eyes and then closed them to concentrate as her implants glowed blue.

  ………

  He wasn’t kidding, Chloe thought as Chicago came into view from the window of the cockpit. The trip in the Radiance transport took no more than three minutes from Baltimore to the Windy City. According to Gengei it could have been done even faster, but he didn’t want to risk overshooting the intended destination, a forward operation base (FOB) established at O’Hare International Airport.

  Since the invasion, the US military had annexed several airports across the country to be used as bases for launching and landing aircraft, troop deployment, or setting up medical treatment stations. With the East Coast more or less lost, heavy military presence in airports on this side of the country quickly became common.

  “Oh great,” Chloe said upon taking in the sights of the local area. The scars of war were visible. The Hashmedai have been here.

&
nbsp; “Guess we’re not dropping these civvies off here, then,” said Marlo.

  “It will only be a matter of time before Hashmedai ground forces take this city,” Gengei said.

  “Take us to the base anyway. They might need help,” said Chloe. “If things are too hot, Gengei, fly these people someplace you feel is safe.”

  Gengei replied, “As you wish, Captain Chloe Vaughan.”

  Well, that was awkward, she thought. “Uh, just call me ‘Vaughan’ for now.”

  O’Hare came into view from the window. Black smoke billowing into the sky attracted the attention of the marines onboard. Chloe was especially concerned. Her sister Sarah was assigned there.

  “Oh, shit!” yelled Henry.

  “This vessel packed a punch last time,” said Chloe. “Can we use it again to provide air support?” she asked.

  Gengei hesitated to reply. “Well, this is a transport ship. It has only plasma missiles loaded for defense, and I used the last missiles in stock to help you.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes and said, “So we’re just a flying bus at this point?” she added. “Guess we’re going in on foot.”

  The transport came to a full stop and hovered briefly above a runway before lowering to the ground. “Taking us down!” Gengei informed. Chloe, Henry, Marlo, and Chang stood in front of the exit, readying their assault rifles. Another battle with the enemy waited.

  Small vibrations rocked the transport from front to the back—it was taking fire. The civilians in the back had a pretty good idea of what was going outside, and it terrified them as they held on to one another. A few children were crying, and those who were religious prayed. Chloe wondered how many more were at risk back east. How many more are at risk around the world? The thought made her sick, and that sickness fueled her rage toward the Hashmedai. Make no mistake, human justice will be served, she thought, building motivation.

  Another vibration caused everyone to rock in unison with the transport. “Do not be concerned. The shields will protect us,” said Gengei. “But we will have to lower them to let you off the craft.”

  “Get them back up as soon as we’re through. Then get these people outta here!” Chloe shouted as the transport landed.

  Gengei arose from his seat and called Odelea to him. The two spoke in their exotic language. Their exchange ended with Odelea sitting up front and taking the controls of the ship. He placed a pistol in her trembling hands.

  The marines were eager to get into battle. “I’m coming with you,” Gengei informed them, reaching for his rifle.

  Chloe objected. “Gengei, I really need you to—”

  “You need me to provide assistance in the coming battle,” he said. “Odelea will operate the transport.”

  Gengei’s rifle powered on, making a soft humming sound, as he stepped up next to the marines as if he were one of them. He exchanged grins with Chloe, and Odelea interacted with the computer systems of the vessel. The doors swung open to reveal the airport-turned-military-base under siege. Four M16s and a magnetic rifle extended forward as the operators of those weapons sprinted out into the chaos, with Chloe and Gengei taking point.

  The constant popping sounds of rifles and machine guns firing echoed in the air. Many soldiers were still alive and fighting back. A nearby overturned baggage truck provided the group of five with cover as they ducked behind to it. Gengei peeked around the corner, while Chloe quickly glanced up at three Hashmedai wielding plasma rifles.

  “The Hashmedai have always relied on melee as their main means of combat. Plasma rifles are given to soldiers they deem too weak,” Gengei said.

  A Hashmedaian finger was pointed directly at them. The three Hashmedai charged over, their rifles powering up. Gengei stepped out of cover with his rifle pointed forward. Chloe followed suit, taking aim. Henry, Marlo, and Chang did the same.

  A flurry of human-made bullets and sub-light-speed Radiance bullets accelerated toward the three Hashmedai. Gengei’s shots ripped through the light armor plating of the Hashmedai on the far left. The remaining two eventually fell over, their bullet-riddled heads oozing blood onto the ground. The armor was tough enough to withstand M16 weapon fire, but their helmetless heads were not.

  “Let’s move!” ordered Chloe. The five traversed past burning fighter jets, helicopters, and the bodies of fellow American soldiers alongside dead Hashmedai warriors and knights. The sacrifice of the deceased soldiers wasn’t entirely in vain, as they had managed to tag a few Hashmedai before hitting the ground.

  More gunfire erupted, and Chloe turned to the airport terminal. Yellow lines streaked across shattered windows. The remaining military soldiers were inside and slowly being boxed in by the Hashmedai. They needed to find a way inside that would put them behind the attacking Hashmedai.

  Chloe stopped, her eyes frantically scanning the exterior of the building. There, an entrance! It was a good distance away from the action. Chloe pointed to it. “Over here! We can get in through there!” she yelled, perhaps a little too loud. A shirtless Hashmedaian man with mechanical devices on his body descended from the sky, blocking the entrance. Damn floater.

  The group came to a grinding halt as they laid eyes on the worst possible roadblock. The floater glared with orange eyes and laughed. He levitated to the sky, his bodily implants glowing blue—not a good sign.

  "Psionic! Take cover now!” yelled Gengei.

  Chloe, Gengei, and Marlo strafed to the right, hiding behind a cargo container. Henry and Chang ran toward a stationary baggage truck. The floater opened his eyes and raised his hands to the sky. Chloe felt the air below her waist drop in temperature—fast.

  “Move now!” Gengei said.

  Chloe and Marlo complied, seeing Gengei get up and sprint out of cover. Seconds later their former cover spot was encased in solid ice. How is that even possible? Chloe thought.

  “Keep shooting it,” said Gengei, letting loose a storm of shots that reflected off the floater’s shields.

  Chloe disagreed with the tactic. She’d fought enough to know bullets wouldn’t drop them. “It’s a waste of ammo. That shield protects it from all sides!”

  “It is not a waste!” Gengei insisted.

  She shrugged and took aim as instructed, rifle shots spewing forth, and the rest of the marines in the group did the same. Five streaks of projectiles impacted the floater’s shield, sparking blue ripples with each hit. Its arms glowed orange, so everyone knew what was coming next and ran. Two white fireballs rained down on Henry and Chang’s general area as they ran. Two massive explosions went off, but the two were still alive as indicated by their continued weapon fire.

  The floater glared directly at Gengei. Whatever it was trying to attempt, it didn’t work as Gengei repeatedly strayed left. “The shield is generated from his mind,” explained Gengei, continuing to shoot and stray. “Stay in motion. Between that and the weapons’ fire, he cannot move you with telekinetics.”

  Marlo followed Gengei’s lead, and soon all five were running and gunning in circles around the levitating and frustrated Hashmedai.

  “The more pressure you put on him, the more he has to focus to keep up. Eventually he’ll grow tired, forced to either drop the shield or keep it up while ceasing to use his other skills.” Gengei made a lap around the floater.

  “Just like that?” asked Chloe. There was stress in her voice.

  “Yes, unless this is an Archmage. If that’s the case, we’re already dead and he’s just toying with us,” Gengei said.

  “Great,” replied Chloe.

  The floater propelled his body some seventy feet into the air. The sudden ascension caused the marines to lose their target, taking the pressure off his shields. No matter—everyone needed time to do a quick reload. Gengei maintained his assault, and the small screen atop his rifle auto-zoomed to an image of the floater. The accuracy, range, fire power—without the need to reload his weapon—was absolutely mind-blowing to Chloe.

  Henry’s body suddenly launched into the air—a critical rem
inder for the rest to keep moving. Gravity eventually took hold with deadly results as he crashed down onto the runway, his body exploding on impact like a melon falling out of a high-rise building.

  “Man down! Man down!” shouted Marlo.

  Continued weapons’ fire all but came to a halt at this point. Their target being so high up and floating about rapidly in random directions proved to be troublesome. Only Gengei could keep up. Then the Hashmedai disappeared from sight as the sky flashed blue. Gengei’s rifle became silent, since not even he knew where the enemy was at that moment.

  “Where the fuck did he go?” asked Chloe.

  Nine burning fighter jets scattered across the runway trembled as if a massive invisible hand were trying to pick them up—which in a way turned out to be somewhat accurate as one by one they slowly left the ground and floated to the sky.

  Gengei backed up in shock. “We have a new problem!” He ran toward their original destination, the airport terminal.

  Chang turned to see nine flaming hulks now in the sky, positioning above them. “Are you fucking serious right now?” he shouted.

  “Move, move, move!” exclaimed Chloe as she and the rest gave it their all to keep up with Gengei. How does he move so fast with combat armor like that?

  Visual with the floater was reestablished as he hovered above the ATC tower with his arms stretched upward and his technical parts glowing bright blue. As the nine burning craft floated above the group, the floater lowered his right arm while waving the other back and forth. The glow all over his body ceased along with his telekinetic grip on the nine craft. What goes up, must come down.

  A deadly cluster of melted metal and burning jet fuel crashed down in a fiery display of power. Nine massive explosions went off, one after another after another. The final blast launched Chloe forward as she made it to the doorway. A heavy falling object knocked her to the ground. Intense heat and flames from the nearby blast encased her body. Well, this is it. Stay strong, Sis, she thought.