Arcoh adjusted his seat on the throne and began giving commands with a calm and collected manner.
"Get us out of this hangar now, Captain. Divert half of our engine power to our shields. I want them at 500 percent."
The colossal ship began its ascent through the hangar bay. It rose through immense amounts of artillery fire and protected the remaining ships that followed behind it. "Shields are at 500 percent, Your Grace."
"They won't last, sire! The computer says that our armor will only last twenty seconds after the light shields lose their integrity."
"Victory favors the bold, Captain, Do it."
***
We gazed through the magnifying windshield of the bridge at the triumphant rise of the Hammer, pushing through the relentless barrage of three hundred Remoran starships. Victoria looked towards Mark with concern and she began to pace around the upper deck of the bridge, gazing out at the windshield below. "All right, ladies! We need to focus all of our fire on that ship! We are going to bring him down today!"
I urged Virgil to carry me down to the lower deck of the bridge to the widespread windshield of the Remoran flagship. He willingly helped me down the stairs and past the command sphere to the windshield of the bridge overlooking the star carrier's very sleek hull and the outer atmosphere of Minerva. It was there that I, along with the entire Remoran fleet, would witness the true purpose of the Hammer, Arcoh's mobile palace. I then spoke out to Commander Wyman, who made his way down the stairs to us.
"Commander! Do you have anything stronger than artillery?"
"Nothing that won't put our soldiers at risk, Collin. We must wait until the ship breaks the exosphere."
***
{>-Legate Ivan Lennin-<}
-Minerva’s Stratosphere-
The Hammer began slowing its descent as it broke through the dark and furious storm clouds. "Your Eminence! The Hammer is slowing down! The fleets' firepower is preventing our ascent! We are not going to make the light jump!"
Ivan watched as Arcoh tapped his hand on the throne trying to contemplate a way to make it out of the fire alive with his remaining forces.
"Divert all power to rear thrusters. Once we breach the exosphere, redirect the power back to the shields. We are going to glide to our mark, gentlemen."
The Hammer then shot through the clouds—rocking and shaking almost uncontrollably—as the artillery collided against the ship's extremely heavy armor. Hulls began to breach, and segments of the Hammer began to fall to the earth. Metal and iron began raining down upon the surface of Minerva. The soldiers grasped onto their stations, as the Hammer made its rise past the exosphere. Arcoh shouted over the noise of constantly impacting artillery to his captain.
"Shields now, Captain!"
The shields came back online, and the artillery began to bounce away from the smoldering Hammer. The Remoran fleet showed no remorse as their mighty fleet began dumping entire payloads of missiles, rockets, gunfire, and artillery at the smoking bulk of the Hammer. They brought out their big guns—far too dangerous to unleash near the earth—enough to tear a planet asunder.
The soldiers on the elegant and decorated bridge of the Hammer looked on as the swarm of firepower was nearing them.
"Umm, sir?"
"FIRE EVERYTHING! GO!"
The Hammer's surface lit up in a marvelous display of light as almost every remaining orifice on the ship began releasing their salvos to combat the incoming swarm of artillery. Missiles, artillery, and gunfire collided with the tidal wave of weaponry that approached them.
The victorious soldiers on the Rayden and Minerva gazed up at the incredible display of firepower. General Wright looked on at what he called a firestorm in the sky.
***
I jumped up at the glass and it was extremely hard to tell what was happening due to the massive cloud that was created by the millions of impacting units. Explosions halted in place by the Hammer's incredible firepower. The cloud began to clear and we saw that the Hammer had disappeared in the smoke. Arcoh had made the light jump, and due to the incredible speed at which they were now traveling, there was no possible way to catch them before they entered Salaran space.
Victoria looked on in fury and slammed her fists down on the railing above the lower deck of the bridge, where we gazed on at the incredible spectacle that had unfolded.
"No! The coward son of a bitch!"
I stared into the shallow depths of space. I was distraught at the fact that the monster had escaped. Virgil placed his hands on my shoulder expressing the disappointment we all had felt.
"There are only so many more places where he can hide, kid."
The captain of the ship ran up to Mark with a cheery disposition.
"Sir! Our forces report a sector-wide surrender of the remaining crusader fleet scattered across the two planets."
Mark laughed, relieved at last along with the other soldiers on the bridge. He saw how angry and consumed I was, and I suppose out of compassion he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Come, Collin. There is something I want to show you."
"Hope you don't mind lending me a shoulder to lean on. I can't really stand right now."
"No problem at all, my new friend. Here, let me lend you that shoulder."
I slung my arm along Mark's broad shoulders as I had with Virgil and he began to lead me up the stairs past the crew of the bridge. They were scurrying to attend with the battle-damage assessments. We made our way through the bridge and down the white corridor. The corridor winded around in an elongated quarter circle. I looked at the many soldiers dressed in white as they scurried around the halls saluting Mark as we passed them by.
"Why are you here? Remorans have not been seen in half a millennia. Why now?"
He was puzzled by my question; perhaps he had expected gratitude for putting such a swift end to the crusaders' campaign. "We are to embark on a great expedition here very shortly, Collin, and we decided to make these worlds our first stop."
"You plan on liberating Eden?"
"Not exactly, Mr. King, we strive to change Eden, and its people."
"A savior for all of mankind? Is that how you see yourself?"
Mark laughed as we had reached the elevator. He pressed the button and the horizontal doors spread open. "No, not at all. We are only here to guide Eden in the right direction, for these people have become lost, Collin. As for its savior, well, that is what we had rescued you for, my friend."
We entered the elevator and Command Wyman spoke his desired destination. He spoke to the carrier's computer ALI (Autonomic Logical Intelligence).
"ALI, bring us to the observation deck."
"Yes, Commander."
The elevator began to quickly rise through the ship and shades of white and green light quickly flashed over our bodies. During our ascent through the carrier's hull I could not help but think about what Mark had said. I mean, being the savior of humanity did not exactly appeal to me. Believe me I loved praise and adoration as much as the next, but as a savior, or a leader, it seemed like too heavy of a burden to bear. Not just that though, all I truly wanted at that moment was for things to return to the way that they were before. I did not care how impossible of a request it was.
"Commander, I am no savior. I don’t even know who I am."
Mark looked towards me, concern filled his consciousness, and he spoke words of wisdom to me when the elevator came to a halt. "We never truly know ourselves until we are tested by fate. It's that moment we can never predict, it's the choice that's presented to us—and when you took Virgil's hand, you were eager to know more. The question you must ask yourself is, how far are you willing to go to learn where your origins lie?"
The elevator doors opened to a square observatory room at the very peak of the ship. The walls around the room began to descend into the hull and my jaw dropped as I was overwhelmed by what lay before me. The room had been surrounded by walls of glass. I could see the GDR core worlds as well as the Outlander worlds.
I ga
zed on in amazement at the great Celerian Nebula that coated the entire sky. I had always seen the great nebula from the surface of Minerva, but I was only able to see but a portion of this piece of artwork created by the magnificent wonders of the universe. I had never seen it in this clarity. It was a backdrop for all of Eden, though it was seen most clearly by the Outlander worlds, and the Kingdom of Salaras.
Off past my smoldering home world of Minerva, a very bright and solid object illuminated the sky. It was like a shining star lying in the middle of the nebula. I jumped as Mark activated his transmitter.
"Admiral Andrews, power down the gravity weapon and pull back the clouds; we're heading home."
The bright light began to cease. I looked closer and saw that it was a giant cylinder, but it moved almost like it was alive. Seven colossal half-planet-sized wings swirled around it; it almost looked like an angelic octopus in the sky. The wings were like tentacles reaching out into space. I did not see them at first because they were emitting a beautiful rainbow of light, blending in with the planetary nebula. Upon closer observation I saw that a gigantic harness was built around the core of this strange object. The harness contained many thrusters and even a half-light reactor at its stern.
I thought if this weapon could truly manipulate the atmosphere of an entire planet, then these Remorans were capable of things far beyond the reach of any human in Eden. Unless of course it was not made by humans, so I had to ask the Good Commander.
"What the hell is that thing?"
"We call it the gravity weapon."
"What? What in the world is it?"
"Whatever it is, we only know the basic operations of it, even after five hundred years of study. We found it in the depths of the Remoran oceans."
"It's a weapon?"
"Not necessarily. It's a tool. It uses its giant wings to utilize the hidden dark energy that holds this universe together. Its capabilities are, unequivocally, boundless. In this instance we used this alien artifact to create an interplanetary storm."
"Wow . . ."
"It's quite a sight to behold, isn't it?"
I tried to comprehend the power of this artifact. I wish I would have had more time to bask in its glory, but then Commander Wyman's transmitter alerted us. "Commander Wyman, sir? General Zachary Wright has boarded the ship and he requests your presence."
"Copy that. Well, Collin, shall we?"
We made our way back to the elevator and into the carrier's main hallway. General Wright awaited Commander Wyman on the bridge. He was shocked, to say the least, when he saw me with Commander Wyman. I was glad to see I was not the only one who had made it out of Rayden One, before it fell to the earth.
"Collin, you're alive?"
"Mr. Wright!"
I saw after he made his way up the ramp that he was in a hovering wheelchair. He had lost both of his legs. Apparently his departure from Rayden One went horribly wrong, he was one of the few survivors from the dropship they picked up back in the hangar. Nonetheless, he was ecstatic to see not just a fellow Outlander, but a Raydenite. We had learned that Minerva had suffered the greatest losses of any world, and it was predicted that only less than 5 percent of its former citizens were still alive. I ran up to Zach and he proceeded to shake my hand. "I'm glad to see at least one of us escaped the capital in one piece. It's good to see you alive and well. What about your teammate Mickey?"
My smile faded as I remembered how Arcoh had murdered him in cold blood right before my eyes. I shook my head in disappointment. Although I was also curious as to if any of our former leaders had survived.
"What about the president, or the cabinet?"
He gave me the same look as we had both realized how much we had lost over this month's devastating events. Mark stepped up and shook Zachary's hand in an attempt to break our somewhat somber reunion.
"What will you do now, General?"
"Well, it won't be 'General' for much longer. The survivors of the Raydenite race are to appoint me as their leader. Seeing as I am the last remaining cabinet member, and I wouldn't be much use on the battlefield without my legs."
Zachary looked up towards Mark and cracked a smile.
"Commander Wyman, on behalf of our people I would like to extend my eternal gratitude for what you Remorans have done for us on this day."
"Peace and equality should belong to all, my fellow comrade."
Zach nodded his head and he diverted his eyes over to me.
"Well, I must attend to my people. We have a lot of rebuilding to do."
Mark placed his hand on Zachary's shoulder and showed his compassionate nature. "We will help you in due time, I give you my word."
Zach responded as he continued to stare at me with his constant smile. I always wondered why he was able to smile all the damn time. "I have already told your lady admiral many times, but you have forged an alliance whether you accept us or not. We will always be ready to assist you in any endeavors you decide to partake in."
Mark smiled as he made his way towards the command center with General Wright but the general moved towards me in his chair as Mark passed by him.
"Oh. Hey, Collin!"
Wright approached me and reached into his pocket.
"I may never get another chance to do this." He pulled out a set of first edition gravball cards and handed a pen to me. I smiled at the irony of this gesture, for the first time in a long while I felt a great comfort in my heart. "Could you do me the honor, Mr. Iceman? The greatest player the Rayden Comets have ever seen."
"Of course, Zach."
I signed the cards and handed them back to Zach. We felt a mutual relief between us. Even though Arcoh had not been captured on this day, at least that little moment gave me the closure I needed to try and put it behind me. "Our people will be happy to know that you're alive, Collin."
"Give them my regards, General."
"I shall, and hey, if you ever feel like going back to gravball we could sure use you. This will always be your home, Collin, and you know we will always treat you like family."
I was tempted by his offer, and to tell the truth, I probably would have happily considered it, had I not been so curious to travel to Remora. I felt a strange sense of wonder in myself and in these Remorans, so I declined his offer.
"In due time I might take you up on that, General, but for now I need time away from all that has happened here." We stood in silence for a minute basking in the moment of closure I felt we had both gained, and then Zachary saluted me.
"Long live Rayden!"
A single tear streamed down my face as I repeated his gesture and spoke from my heart.
"Long live Rayden. And never forget—some things are always worth fighting for."
"Wise words from a great man. Good luck, Mr. King."
CHAPTER 5 - ALL WE LEAVE BEHIND
Finally, the calm I had been waiting for had arrived. I never thought it would happen. My state of misery and despair had finally come to the end, thanks to the good will of the Remoran Protectorate, and their Good Commander.
Although I had finally attained some piece of mind away from the indescribable horrors of Salaran captivity, I couldn't help but think about what I had learned about myself—and the trouble I would have adjusting to an entirely new life.
I became angry just thinking about it, always so angry at everything. I knew nothing of the world outside my walls. It was only until they burned to ashes that I would see just how ignorant I truly was.
I rubbed my neck as I sat in the bed within the Alexandria's infirmary wing. The doctor scrolled through his holographic display upon his band and constantly shot glances at me, which annoyed the hell out of me.
"Hey, Doc, I know I'm pretty, but I need to leave."
The doctor cracked a smiled and continued to scroll through his medical reports.
"Things to do?"
I looked down and sighed. "Time to think."
"There will be plenty of time for that, Mr. King. We need to discuss somethin
g."
"Okay. What?"
"Aren't you curious as to how your leg is no longer broken?"
"I figured you guys—"
"No, we 'doctors' had nothing to do with that."
As soon as Mark had won his battle, he ordered his armada to return to Dilo. Dilo was the largest moon of Remora, and home to the humans who guarded the sacred planet of Remora, the headquarters of the Remoran Protectorate, or the Remoran Expeditionary Unit. I fell asleep shortly after my talk with Wright and when I awoke a day later, my leg had healed, and I found myself talking to this doctor.
"Mr. King, if you have any questions—"
"You have no idea."
"Ask away."
I looked to my forearm and saw the tattoo, the tainted skin—the light was faint, but it still moved and swayed in the same pattern. I wanted it gone.
"Get rid of this tattoo on my skin."
The doctor then sighed and turned off his holoband. He adjusted the eyepiece he wore and adjusted his chair towards me.
"We tried."
"And?"
"It's not a tattoo. That is your skin, it's an imprint; we tried to remove it, and when we did it broke a very expensive machine."
"Well, I don't feel bad about that, but how can my skin just . . . change color, instantly?"
"Well, it only stretches from your torso below your neck, above your waist, and before your wrists. This err mutation . . . has always been there, but you needed a trigger to see it."
"Thanks for calling me a freak, Doc."
"Think, Collin. What did you take? Right before the crusaders attacked?"
Then I remembered.
"The genome"
"Precisely. That's exactly what I thought."
I slammed my fists on my bed out of frustration. "So what can you do! What can you do to fix me?"
The doctor then laughed and handed me a small vial full of a strange liquid. "You got it all wrong, son, there is nothing wrong with you. Here drink this. It will help you relax, I have a theory as to the nature of your 'condition.'"
A New Divide (Science Fiction) Page 5