by R. Brown
Though her heart ached with pain for those she’d lost, she set her mind upon the tasks at hand. The two of them talked for hours, discussing dozens of possible scenarios and their best response to each. In the end, they held onto the distant hope, that they would find the way to save their friends.
“Ashlyn, I know that you need rest after the weight of our discussion. But, upon your waking, I would like to discuss your Transor abilities. You are far from reaching your full potential. It would be wise to use the next two days to explore them. You will not have time to master them, but if I can at least show you the abilities you had in the other timeline, you may at least learn to access them when called upon.”
“I don’t need rest. Besides, the exercise will do me good,” said Ash.
“I understand. I need to tell you about the pendant you wear. While it is not required to use your Transor powers, it is psychically linked with you. When you seek its guidance, it will help you. You will notice that it greatly heightens your intuition. It will help you stretch your grasp beyond what you think is possible. You should never be without it.
“It may even be the reason for you having chosen year four, for us to return to. You often used it to guide you.”
“Thank you for your patience with me.
“Keeper, I’ve been wanting to ask about the ability Enlil used to send the Draconians into the nexus—but based upon what happened to Hadaesia, I’m assuming Enlil inherited the ability from Steven?” asked Ash.
“That is correct.”
“And is it true, that my powers do not exist inside the nexus?” asked Ash.
“Your question is not an easy one to answer. We are uncertain if your powers do or do not exist in the nexus. Its purgatory-like state makes it a place that does not follow the rules of reality. We know that neither time nor death exist there. As such, it tends to slowly steal one’s soul, one’s memories—which may explain the loss of your abilities—if they exist there at all.”
“I remember. If not for Steven, I too would have been forever lost.” Ashlyn could still remember the feeling of drowning that had inundated her during her time in the nexus. It had opened the door for the darkness to follow her into the netherworld. A darkness from which Steven had barely managed to pull her out.
“As for the netherworld, I have seen much that is conflicting. In the many resets that Anu initiated to try and save you, there were times when you could shift form, and times when you could not. As were there times when you could access your Transor powers, and times that you could not. It was inconsistent.
“The one thing that was consistent, was that once inside, the rules were the same for each combatant. If you had powers or could shift form, so could Enlil. So, there is no clear answer. Only Anu seemed to have the foresight to know what rules would apply to you.”
“So, it’s basically wait and hope for the best,” said Ash.
“Yes, but I must ask. Why do you inquire about the nexus? Do you think you may go there, again?”
The question took Ashlyn by surprise. The Keeper was right in asking. It had been little more than a feeling, and the mere suggestion now made her skin crawl. “I don’t know, Keeper. I just felt compelled to ask.”
“Perhaps the necklace is already guiding you. If so, it shows we must be prepared for all possibilities.
“To help you, I have prepared a series of clips of the times I trained you. I believe you will find them insightful.”
Happy to be snatched away from her thoughts of the nexus, Ash sat down as the holo began to play. She saw her alter ego standing in the center of an empty, black-walled room with a green gridwork on the walls, floor, and ceiling. It then transformed into thousands of small circular devices inset into the wall.
Randomly, a dozen of them detached and began moving around the room, constantly varying their heights and distance with quick, precise bursts of speed.
From each of Ashlyn’s hands sprang a round, flaming shield. She twirled, spinning and dipping, stretching her muscles for the combat about to begin. The artistic movements were like watching a fan dancing performance.
In the background, Ashlyn could hear the Keeper’s voice. “Activating Training Program F-12, level 24.” A small chime signaled the start.
The devices began to spin, alternating their attacks, each sending a short energy burst at Ashlyn. She responded to each with lightning fast speed. Within moments, it had accelerated to such a frenzied pace, that it appeared as if Ashlyn’s holographic counterpart was losing bodily focus. Her body could be seen as multiple images, as if she were in several different places simultaneously. Watching her, whirling and adeptly evading each energy bolt—the twirling shields deflecting bolts back at the devices that had launched them, was magical, spectacular.
As the session slowed to a stop, Ash closed the fiery, burning shields.
“Level 24, completed.” Suddenly, Ashlyn fell to one knee, again extending the shields, one in front of her to ward off a frontal attack—while raising the second protectively over her to ward off a blow from above. From each shield, she returned fire, sending two fireballs at the final two devices.
“Tricky, Keeper. Very tricky,” said Ashlyn, standing tall. Closing her eyes, she recalled the shields. Folding her hands together, she erected a full shield of fire around her, and in one large blast, sent orbs of fire at every remaining device still attached to the wall.
The holo came to a stop. “I’m impressed. I didn’t know I could do that,” said Ash.
“It is just the beginning,” said the Keeper. “The shield, regardless of shape, can be used simultaneously as both a defensive shield and an offensive weapon. What you witnessed was one of the simpler combinations, using your gravitational and fire skills.
“All your skills can be formed into a variety of combinations. In time, you will master very complex patterns.”
Ashlyn was absolutely fascinated. “How did I move so fast? And, how did I know where the next shot was coming from? It’s like I know in advance where they will be.”
The Keeper smiled. “Gravity, can bend more than light, it can bend time. In the holo, you are using the gravitational forces to bend time around you.
“To put it simply, it gives you the ability to see where the raindrops are going to fall, and then walk between them. You were neither past, present, or future—and yet, you were in all of them simultaneously. It is why you saw multiple images. Each image of you was in a different time. You knew where to be, and where not to be. You called the ability, phase-shifting.”
For the next two hours, the Keeper continued to show Ashlyn skills that he thought might be useful. Each new skill strengthened her hope that she might have a chance against the darkness. She now had two days to learn how to use them.
Chapter 11
Two Days Later
Sitting in her command chair, Ash waited for their exit from the wormhole. With no idea of what to expect, they’d spent the better part of the last two days discussing and preparing for virtually all possibilities. She had the sheathed ‘Sword of Truth’ cinched about her waist, the pendant necklace clasped about her neck.
“Exiting,” announced the Keeper.
Ashlyn’s view of space came to life, Heaven looming big off Destiny’s bow. It looked just as she had left it, peaceful and beautiful.
“As I had feared, the time gate on this end has been destroyed. They have blocked our escape.
“Scans show three hundred and fourteen Draconian vessels in orbit. Sixteen are at other various locations within the solar system. There are also hundreds more on the ground, most of which are smaller, short range vessels. The defensive matrix is remarkably similar to the one I’d designed.”
Ash understood the Keeper’s inference. The strategically placed defenses had come from the mind of someone on the inside, someone who’d been shown how to best defend Heaven—Steven.
“All vessels in orbit are powering up. The nearest one, a destroyer class vessel, will be in fi
ring range in ninety-three seconds,” announced the Keeper.
“Come on, Keeper—find him,” said Ash. Lowering her voice. “I can feel his presence. I know he’s here.”
“Still scanning,” said the Keeper. “There are hundreds of thousands of Draconians in numerous cities around the planet.”
“Why not—” said Ash. “—they believe they defeated us.”
“I’ve located him.”
Ashlyn’s heart soared.
“I’ve located him, but—he is not in human form. His physiology is Draconian. If not for Lord Steven’s communicator, I may not have even found him.”
Though Ash was disheartened, it didn’t come as a surprise.
“Lord Steven is in the base that I destroyed, the one on the sea floor. It has been rebuilt. It is now one of the largest cities on the planet. It is likely the capitol city on Heaven.”
“And what about everyone else?” asked Ash.
“Though there is a lot of unexpected interference—I see no other sign of human life. It appears that the others we left behind are gone, nor is there any evidence of the sister ships we had hoped to find.”
Ashlyn sighed, her heart welling with sadness. She’d wanted nothing more than to be reunited with Steven and her children, and to see all the friends she’d left behind. She’d hoped to arrive at a time when the calamity had not yet befallen them.
Now, her only hope was that she might yet save Steven, helping him to find his way out of the darkness.
“Beam me to Steven’s location,” instructed Ashlyn. “Then follow the protocols we discussed. If I fail, our fate will rest in your hands.”
“I cannot beam you to Steven. The base on the ocean floor is heavily shielded against the hydrostatic pressure that exists at such a great depth. The transporter cannot breech it. I am sorry.”
This was one contingency they hadn’t thought to anticipate.
“Enemy vessels will be in range in sixteen seconds.”
“Initiate escape maneuvers. Beam me down to one-thousand feet above the ocean’s surface over the base. I’ll do the rest,” ordered Ashlyn.
“Acknowledged.”
Near instantly, Ashlyn found herself tumbling toward the water below. The Keeper hadn’t told her that she’d be arriving in the middle of a fierce storm. Hurricane force winds blew across the ocean’s surface. Sixty-foot swells clashed, violently churning the water beneath her. On the horizon, tall water spouts spun. Pelting rain, driven by the intense winds stung her. It was a storm bigger and more powerful than any she’d ever seen on Earth.
Unable to gain control over the strong winds spinning her around, Ashlyn created a gravitational field, encasing herself within a protective sphere. As the glowing, translucent-blue sphere sealed and she came to a stop, hovering just feet above the waves rolling beneath her, Ash found herself flat on her back.
After wiping the sting of salt from her eyes, she sat up, and took a cross-legged seat within the bubble. Subconsciously, Ash took a deep breath, before lowering the protective gravity bubble into the water.
Descending into the void, Ash watched the green tinted light from above slowly grow fainter, until finally there was none to be seen. With little more than a thought, Ashlyn ignited two large orbs of fire outside her capsule, one to each side. Like headlights, the fiery orbs gave light to the surrounding dark water. Ash found the sound of her passage through the water comforting, the soft rumble reminding her of the long hours she had spent sitting in her fighter, guarding the lasers back on Earth. So much had happened since those early days of innocence—and yet, it felt like yesterday.
On her descent, a massive creature swam up to her, wanting to investigate the strange orange light that had entered its world. Ash marveled at its magnificence. Even its eye was larger than the size of her sphere. Its glowing fins radiated a soft turquoise color, its skin reflecting the shimmering golden glow of the twin flames Ashlyn had created. Bumping her bubble with its nose, he playfully pushed her a few times—before turning and lazily swimming away. As she watched to see if he might return—she spotted a soft white light far below. Redirecting her gravity field toward it, she headed for what she felt certain was the Draconian base.
It wasn’t long before the details of the city became discernable. “You were right, Keeper. It’s a lot bigger, even bigger than Challenger Sea Base back on Earth.” A dozen or more large warships were docked at various ports around the perimeter.
“It’s now or never.” Ash reached out searching for Steven, hoping the fugue would connect her to him. “Steven, can you hear me. I’ve come home.”
The raspy voice that returned to her in the meld was distinctly Draconian. “We await you, Ashlyn. A ship is being dispatched to intercept you. Stay in the holding area until you are given permission to exit. Disobedience will result in your immediate destruction.” When the message ended, Ash was saddened to have not heard any sense of human emotion in Steven’s voice. There was no sign that Steven existed at all.
Ash spotted the running lights of a vessel coming toward her. The ship approached slowly, spinning around as it came up beside her. The large hatch door of an airlock opened.
Into the belly of the whale, thought Ash as she extinguished the flames outside her bubble.
Like the arms of a giant octopus, long robotic tentacles extended, wrapping themselves around her gravitational shield. Her friend, the large fish who had visited her minutes before, came near—curiously watching the ship pull her inside. Ash gave the creature a small smile. “You probably think a monster is eating me.” Ash then laughed. “I bet you’re wishing you’d done it first.”
Looking behind her, Ash watched the large door close, sealing her inside. The water in the room drained, the room pressurizing.
Soon as the water was gone, Ash lowered the gravity field around her and took a seat on the floor—patiently waiting for further instructions.
The airlock was plain, typical, and no different than those she had seen a thousand other times. The engines whined, objecting to the heavy foot of the pilot, who seemed to be in a hurry to get home.
Ash waited, expecting to hear the sound of their passage through the hydrostatic barrier protecting the city—but it never came. The nose of the ship came up, beginning a steep ascent. Ash scrambled for a wall, taking hold of a tie-down bracket.
Her heart started to beat fast. They weren’t taking her to the city—they weren’t taking her to Steven.
“Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Stanley,” said Ash. Like Steven, she’d fallen in love with the old flicks, and she knew that Steven would have appreciated her small quip.
The sound of the ship rising from the ocean reverberated through the hull. The storm outside jostled the craft as it climbed. Ash was yanked loose by a strong buffeting windshear that pitched her into the roof. And just as quickly, as the craft regained control, she was sent rolling to the back, hitting the cargo door. “Okay, that hurt.” Ash arched her back, relieving the pain.
It was near a minute before the craft ascended above the storm, and the ride smoothed out. Intuitively, Ash sensed she was headed for Tryskellyon. She could feel the necklace guiding her.
Ash stood as she heard the thunk of the landing gear lowering in preparation to touch down—the whine of the engines softening as they settled to the ground. The large cargo door at the rear of the craft began to lower. Outside, a dozen armed reptilian guards were waiting for her. The lead guard waved his gun, ordering her out. Ash stretched, and started forward. “Thanks for the ride,” said Ashlyn as she beheld the wonderment of Tryskellyon up-close for the first time.
“You told not speak,” said the guard.
“Nooo—you never said that—so I win,” retorted Ash, more than a little surprised that the Drac knew English.
“Can I ask you a serious question?” said Ashlyn. “When you go to bed at night, do you sleep on a heat-rock, like my pet lizard?”
The guard took a swipe at her wi
th the butt of his rifle. Ash ducked below the swing and leg-swept him to the ground. Instantly, Ash put her hands in the air, surrendering. “He’s a little slow isn’t he. Hard to believe he was the fastest sperm.”
The guard, she’d sent to the ground, rose to his feet. His eyes conveyed his deep hatred of her. When she saw that there was no reprisal coming, she said, “Hmm—so you were ordered not to kill me?” Ashlyn laughed. “Nice to know someone cares.”
He pointed at two of the other guards, and in his native tongue, ordered them to shackle her.
“And I was just starting to like you,” said Ash. “And don’t forget to take the sword.”
“We told not take it,” said the Drac she’d embarrassed.
“Hmm, mutual respect. I like it. So why the shackles?” asked Ash.
“Commander trust you. I do not,” responded the Drac.
With a roll of her eyes, acting totally bored, Ash stood there, boldly staring back at the Draconian guards watching her being shackled. A second guard then checked the heavy cuffs, making sure they were locked. Feeling secure, he poked Ashlyn in the ribs with the tip of his rifle, ordering her to follow the departing entourage.
“You’ll never get any tail that way,” said Ash to her guard. “It’s downright rude to poke on a first date.”
Keeping her exterior form, Ash altered her molecular structure, allowing the cuffs to slide through her wrists and ankles and fall to the marble floor. The clang of heavy chain and iron cuffs echoed loudly, capturing everyone’s attention. To the guard’s dismayed look, Ash said, “Oops, my bad. Are you sure you checked them? Maybe they’re broken? They look really old.”
The guard growled, uttered a few words and motioned for her to keep moving.
“Aw—you guys are so thoughtful,” said Ash bashfully as she started following the two guards in front of her.
The walk through the city was a long one. The hundreds of Draconians, they passed along the way, all stopped to watch her, openly expressing their revulsion of her ugliness. Ash found their sneers and crude gestures entertaining. “I’m guessing that none of you have ever looked in a mirror.”