“It’s no secret you want my psionics alive, correct?” Phylarlie said. “That transport could have easily finished them off by now. I couldn’t care less about them or the rest of the Hashmedai here. I just want Kroshka and one Psi, nothing more.”
“Making deals, yet you have nothing to offer,” Gengei said as the transport landed.
“You see the psionic on the ground? He’s recovering power. Even now he might have enough strength to fight back. You could fire your weapons to shatter her shields, and he could counter, taking one of you out.” The assassin continued her proposal. “Or I could take down the shield myself and stun one of them for you. But if I don’t get Kroshka, you’re on your own. And if Kroshka dies, you all die…starting with the soft humans. Just ask the one standing between the two females. He knows quite well what I can do.”
“Groom Lake— that was you, wasn’t it?” asked Chris.
Whigli and Chidorli spoke in the Hashmedai language, and the assassin from the shadows did the same. “It would appear they are willing to make a deal as well,” said Phylarlie. “Whigli offers to be your captive as long as you let Kroshka and Chidorli go.”
Gengei stared at the male psionic. He now stood on his feet with his hands in the air, ready to surrender. A brave one. Gengei didn’t know Hashmedai were capable of such acts.
“Have him step out of the shield’s protection and then stun him,” Gengei offered. “Do this, and I will order Xyniea to release Kroshka.”
More Hashmedai-speak ensued between the three, and finally Whigli embraced Chidorli before she irised her shield to create a doorway for him to step out of and away from her protecting grace. Almost immediately he fell to the ground, stunned by the assassin as promised.
“Fuck it,” Gavin said. His stun wore off, and his weapon unloaded bullets to shred Chidorli’s shield apart. She panicked, moving her arms forward to prepare an attack.
Gengei, too, panicked and fired the brainjack. A dart-shaped object entered her head, penetrating her skull. An audio sound indicated to Gengei that the brainjack successfully hacked into the target’s psionic chip.
He signaled for everyone in his group to gather close, and his fingers initialized a jump- port. Seconds before the port activated, James fell to the ground—an assassin stun disk. Why did he insist on being so far from the group? Blue mist caused them all to vanish from sight to reappear inside the transport.
Another flick of Gengei’s finger resulted in their brainjacked psionic releasing blue light that enveloped everyone inside the transport…and the nuclear bomb.
Chapter 22
The power from Kroshka’s pendant, an orb, contained a limited amount of psionic power capable of mending and healing. The psionic energy within the orb exited, bonding with Kroshka’s psionic force. From there her mind commanded this healing force to enter the intended recipient—Jazz. Like a mechanic fixing a car, the energy traveled throughout his body looking for damage and sickness to correct. It didn’t find much in terms of sickness but instantly found the stab wound in his belly. Blood was temporarily forced to stop heading to that area as the energy sealed the wound up at the molecular level. Tiny particles and atoms were forced to come together, working to patch up his body.
And just when the healing was halfway done, Jazz was shot multiple times. Fortunately for him, the healing psionic energy Kroshka had injected into him was still active and eager to take on a second task. The healing force placed the brain in suspended animation, preventing him from dying. As powerful as this psionic force was, it could only repair damage and prevent death—not undo it.
By the time medics found Jazz’s body, the shot to his head looked more like a burn mark than a bullet hole. His vital signs indicated he was in critical condition, so it was fortuitous that he was already at a hospital.
Jazz’s eyes slowly opened to the sight of a hospital room. Probably Cedars-Sinai, he assumed, since he was in the process of shooting the place up before…something happened. He couldn’t quite remember what transpired after Chidorli attended to him. Two uniformed men armed with rifles stood just outside the door to his room. It made sense since he had killed a marine, shot at another, and gotten into a fistfight with yet one more. And he had been in the company of a Hashmedai, so the authorities wanted answers.
“Finally awake,” said a voice at his side.
Jazz turned his head to see an old man in medical scrubs. “Yeah..,” Jazz said. “Unless this is just a dream—then, no, I ain’t.” He half-expected Hannah to walk through the door.
“I’m Dr. Jakins, by the way. How are you feeling right now?”
“‘Confused’ comes to mind. I know I got stabbed but—” He felt his belly. “Doesn’t feel or look like it. Pretty sure I got shot, too, though that memory is a blur.”
“Anything else? Tingling sensations perhaps?” Dr. Jakins asked.
Jazz thought for a moment. Indeed a strange sensation traveled from his stomach to his chest and then to his head. “Yeah, a weird feeling traveling through my body.”
“Ah, yes, sounds like the psionic force from Kroshka’s orb has entered your body to heal you. Now it probably can’t find a means to return back to where it came from.”
No regular doctor should be saying words like that. Jazz filled with anger. He didn’t like being played. “How the hell do you know all that?” Jazz firmly asked.
Jakins replied, “Would you like to know more? Easier if I just show it to you.”
“Show me what?”
The doctor’s eyes closed, and seconds later blue light escaped from the sides of his scrubs. A slow teleportation was in progress.
“Ah, hell,” Jazz managed to say before vanishing.
A voice called out to Jazz as he and Jakins materialized inside a strange and dark lab, which was surely built by nonhumans.
“Interesting…” A female voice echoed in his head.
He could see only two people present—Jakins and an Aryile girl. Looks like the same one who was on TV before the world went to hell. Odelea, they called her? Neither of them was speaking to him.
“What the fuck is this?” Jazz asked.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” said Jakins. “My life’s work—studying humanity, unlocking the secrets that your race has…among other things.”
“So you’re one of those Linl, I take it,” Jazz said as he walked closer to the two.
“My real name is Ure Telinei,” Jakins said. “Odelea was one of my students at a prestigious university within the Radiance Union—a university that will one day benefit from the knowledge this child will have to offer when she is older.”
Telinei’s hand extended toward a cryo tube with Hannah preserved inside.
Jazz swiftly ran toward it after taking note of who was inside. “Yo! What the fuck, man? Get her the fuck outta there now!”
“Oh, please do not be alarmed. She is safe.” Telinei held up a data pad aimed at Jazz. “But you…oh, my—the aura within you is reacting to her presence.”
“Shoot him. Shoot that man,” said the same female voice. Jazz looked about once again but did not see who was speaking.
“My gods,” Telinei said, a disturbed look on his old face. “These readings—this is impossible.”
Blood and brain matter sprayed across Jazz’s face as a projectile narrowly missed him and put a hole the size of a golf ball through Telinei’s face. Telinei’s body collapsed, and behind him Odelea held a Radiance magnetic pistol pointed forward. “Step away from the pod,” Odelea said.
“I ain’t going anywhere until I can free her.” The pistol was now pointed directly at Jazz’s head. Jazz raised his hands and backed away from the skinny girl with a gun—an experience he never would have imagined. He thought about overpowering her and grabbing the gun. Why risk it? He had cheated death twice in a row, and the third time is a charm. Let’s not give death that third time, he thought as he backed off.
Odelea used one hand to interact with the terminal mounted into Hannah
’s cryo tube, her other hand still aiming the pistol at Jazz’s head. The front face of the tube flipped open, and Odelea reached in to grab and hold Hannah.
“I know who her mother is,” Jazz said. “Let’s try to find her together.” Odelea’s replied by aiming the pistol back at him as she backed away and summoned the elevator. “Nice chatting with you,” he said as she vanished behind the elevator doors.
Jazz’s initial reaction was to summon another elevator and pursue. There was one problem—he was still dressed in a hospital gown, and those two guards by his room had probably by now alerted everyone to be on the lookout for him.
He frantically searched the lab, looking for something, anything, he could use to give him an advantage on the streets—and fast. There was no telling where Odelea could be heading with Hannah. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding a small locker room in the corner—magnetic rifles, gray jumpsuits, and Radiance combat armor and helmets. If a Linl could wear human outfits to pose as one, a human could easily wear Radiance combat gear and pass as a Linl.
………
Rina woke to the sound of someone knocking on her car’s passenger side door. She had spent the night asleep in her car after failing to find a motel or hotel with vacancy in Los Angeles. The knocking was a welcome wakeup call as the morning sun shone high in the sky—time to find a place to stay in this extremely overcrowded city.
The knocking continued. Right, may as well see what this person wants. She looked up to see the image of Odelea, the Aryile woman from the news who was holding a child in her arms. She looked concerned and skittish, as if she were expecting someone to come around the corner to start trouble. Rina opened the car door, and the Aryile got in and placed the fatigued child in the seat next to Rina. “I need you to take care of her,” Odelea said.
“What? Wait.Who is she?” Rina spotted the weapon in the Aryile’s hand and stopped asking questions.
“Whatever you do, do not take her aboard the Radiance ship,” said Odelea, and in an instant, she ran off.
Confusion and panic flooded Rina’s mind. What was she to do—call the police? They probably got their hands full. This is probably the least of their concerns. Rina shut the door as the child fastened her seat belt.
“Are you OK, sweetie?” Rina asked.
“Yeah, just tired,” said the child. “My name is Hannah Grey. What’s yours?”
“Um, just call me ‘Destiny’ for now.” Rina didn’t want to risk giving away her real name in case this whole situation went sideways. “Where are your parents?”
Hannah pointed to the sky. “My mommy is up there with Radiance, but I missed the last transport heading up there.”
Rina’s confusion and panic turned to sadness and pity for the child. Getting lost when your folks are located in the same city is terrifying enough for a child, but getting lost when they’ve left the planet?
“Are you going to be taking care of me?” Hannah asked.
“Yes,” Rina said. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you, OK?”
………
The Radiance armor was much easier to use than Jazz thought it would be. The suit automatically powered on as he donned it. The helmet that covered his entire face did the same, activating a screen directly in front of his eyes. Letters and numbers written in the Radiance language crossed the screen on the sides. Whatever those words on the screen meant, he hoped they were a good sign, as he knew nothing about their language.
Exiting the building, Jazz saw the streets jam-packed with cars. Even during an alien invasion, LA was still gridlocked. He shook his head and walked out, trying to ignore all the strange looks from the general public around him. He spotted a Radiance transport ship hovering just before an intersection…and Odelea crawling up inside of it. Fuck her for jamming that gun at me.
The clanking sounds of his suit echoed as Jazz ran toward the transport, waving for them to wait. He was wearing their uniform now, so who would know? In the worst case, he was armed with a magnetic rifle. Pop everyone on board, especially Odelea, and make an escape. The transport levitated above the Los Angeles skyline as Jazz climbed aboard.
A Vorcambreum piloted the ship. Four Radiance Union soldiers—two of them Javnis—and Odelea were aboard. The other two, who wore combat armor like the one Jazz donned, sat in the back next to him and Odelea. Everyone onboard spoke the Radiance language. Jazz did his best not to make eye contact with anyone out of fear they might try to chat with him. He hoped the strong silent types were as common within the Radiance Union as they were on Earth.
The view from the front window revealed the ship was approaching another part of LA. After landing, the exit doors swung open. Odelea walked over to the entrance and let out a smile at the person climbing aboard.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Kim.” He was human, and she spoke to him in English. Jason climbed aboard, and Odelea offered him a seat in the back. Once again the transport was on the move, this time to space, as the blue morning sky slowly faded into the star-clustered blackness.
“Did you find Hannah?” Jason asked.
“Yes, she’s now aboard with her mother,” Odelea lied.
“Thank God,” Jason said. “Alisha was worried when she got separated from us.”
Hold up—Alisha got on board? This news enraged Jazz. And Hannah, too? What the hell? Hannah was just with her, he thought. Odelea must have gotten Hannah sent up first.
“Hannah, is in good hands now. Don’t you worry, sir,” Odelea assured Jason.
………
“They’ve seen us!” Chloe shouted after observing two Hashmedaian riflemen float down the corridor of the ship.
The infiltration of the Hashmedaian corvette was proving to be a tricky operation. Gengei failed to mention that this leg of the mission was going to be a zero-gravity battle. The force of their weapons tended to propel them backward as they shot and killed several of the ship’s crew. Gengei stayed back, controlling Chidorli as if she were a remote-control car. She’d taken over most of the ship’s computer systems, locking the crew out with her mind.
As such, no distress signal was sent, no communications established, as the five traveled from room to room, deck to deck, killing all Hashmedai in sight. The cockpit was secured first, while the Hashmedai in the barracks were vented into space via the main entrance to the ship. This, of course, put time constraints on their efforts. It was only a matter of time before other Hashmedaian ships took notice of hundreds of knights and warriors adrift in the vacuum of space.
“If I am reading this correctly, those are the last two,” Gengei said, examining the brainjack’s screen.
One of the fleeing riflemen released a quick barrage of plasma at his pursuing adversary. One shot narrowly avoided Chris as he returned fire. Chloe pulled her weightless body into a nearby passageway. Chris grabbed a grenade and turned to Gengei. “Gengei, can I get a telekinetic push for this?” he said, pointing at the grenade.
“Stand by,” Gengei said, inputting a series of commands in the brainjack. “Arm your device when ready.”
The pin was pulled and the grenade tossed down the corridor toward the pair of Hashmedai. It being weightless, however, meant it didn’t travel as quickly as it should…until it was propelled by a telekinetic push thanks to their psionic pet. The grenade flew across, exploding in front of the two Hashmedai. Their shrapnel-shredded and burned bodies floated backward toward Chris and Chloe.
Chloe aimed her weapon, launching a barrage of bullets at the Hashmedai. She wasn’t taking any chances—the whole crew needed to be neutralized.
Chloe and Chris reunited with the team in the ship’s cockpit. Gengei came up behind them much later, Chidorli in tow. Chloe glanced at the lifeless body of the psionic, whose eyes were still open with small beads of blood leaking out of the hole in her head from the brainjack device.
“Is she still alive?” Chloe asked.
“Yes, though she is experiencing a slow death every second the device is connec
ted,” said Gengei. “Fifty percent of psionics who get hit by this die after an hour or so.”
“Then we need to hurry,” Chris said.
“Can you fly this thing?” Chloe asked.
“This psionic’s mind is still connected to the systems of the ship. I should be able to control it from here. Keep in mind…I have never done something like this.”
“That’s promising,” Sarah said.
“We just need to get close enough to the mouth of the command ship, and its tractor beams will do the rest,” Gengei explained.
“What are we going to do with her?” Chris said, pointing at Kroshka as Xyniea held her.
“She will make an excellent shield,” Gengei said. “The Hashmedai on board the command ship will reconsider attacking us with her in front.”
………
Phylarlie checked on the status of the medical systems installed on Onatiasha and Zhinbryo’s suits. Their suits were working in overtime to recover their wounds as they floated in the back section of the Hashmedaian transport ship. Zhinbryo would need real medical attention, but the suit could keep him alive for a few days. Onatiasha, though, would make a full recovery within the hour.
Whigli had remained silent since teleporting everyone back up, and Phylarlie couldn’t blame him. Not only had the mission failed, but now they had lost Chidorli to a brainjack device. Taking the Voidwrath was now a questionable assignment.
“Is that all you got?” said Phylarlie’s captured human from the base below, James he said his name was. She admired her handiwork. His arms and legs were in rectangular restraints. His dark chest was exposed, revealing slashed burn marks—from her daggers—traveling across in random directions.
“No, I have much more for you,” said Phylarlie, floating back to the front of the cockpit. She picked up a memory recorder from the front dashboard and gracefully spun around to show her prisoner the small triangular object in the palm of her hand.
“I’m supposed to be afraid of that?” he said.
Celestial Ascension (Splintered Galaxy Book 1) Page 35