Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4)

by Rodney Hartman

  The tunnel narrowed suddenly. Richard scrapped a metal beam on one side of the wall with his rear bumper. The hover-cycle wavered back and forth for a few tense gyrations. Somehow, Richard managed to recover and keep going. He heard a loud crash behind him. Switching a part of his battle helmet’s visor to its rear visuals, Richard saw the tunnel roof collapsing behind him.

  Geesh, said Nickelo. You need to do better than that.

  Well, if you think you can do a better job then be my guest, Richard said. Believe me, you won’t hurt my feelings.

  His battle computer didn’t give a verbal reply. However, Richard felt the right glove of his battle suit twist the cycle’s throttle full open. The hover-cycle leapt forward with a loud roar as the rear anti-gravity fan kicked into high gear. The tunnel walls became a blur as Richard felt the battle suit lean into turns on its own volition.

  Glancing at the green path to the exit on his heads-up display, Richard noticed it had changed.

  You’ve switched our route, Richard said.

  Affirmative, said Nickelo while giving a crazy-sounding laugh. The previous path was based upon your skill level. You’re riding with the big boys now. So hang on, because I was born to be wild.

  Richard was tempted to ask his battle computer if he was on drugs. However, since they were traveling down the tunnel at a hundred and fifty kilometers an hour, Richard decided to remain silent.

  A glance ahead made Richard begin to regret he’d given control to his battle computer. The roof of the tunnel was starting to slant downward. Just a hundred meters ahead, the tunnel roof appeared to be lower than the height of the hover-cycle.

  Nick? Richard shouted.

  I see it, said Nickelo. Hang on.

  With those words, Richard felt the battle suit twist violently. The hover-cycle fell on its side and slid along the tunnel floor. It passed beneath the low point in the tunnel at more than a hundred kilometers an hour. Once past the low point, the battle suit’s left leg kicked out and straightened the hover-cycle upright again.

  Once the cycle was back in its normal position, Richard felt a little better. But his relief was short-lived. Without warning, the tunnel floor gave way to a deep cavern. The cavern’s ceiling towered overhead. Its floor was lost in darkness so intense even the battle helmet’s night vision couldn’t penetrate it. The hover-cycle fell several meters before its anti-gravity fans caught hold. With a hard lurch, the cycle began rising rapidly.

  Richard risked a glance at his heads-up display. He looked at the green path which was his battle computer’s intended path. The ceiling of the cavern was only five hundred meters below the surface. The green path went almost to the ceiling before it cutoff to a side tunnel near the cavern roof. From there, the path was another five thousand meters of hairpin turns before it arrived at the mine entrance.

  Are we going to make it? Richard asked.

  Nickelo didn’t hesitate with his reply.

  Negative. We’re going to be a few seconds too late. Sorry, Rick.

  Then why bother? Richard said.

  You know why, answered Nickelo.

  Richard did know. He’d been a Marine. Marines never gave up, no matter the odds.

  Can I shift us into the void and get through the ceiling, Richard said knowing the answer before he’d even completed his question.

  Negative. Your Power reserve’s too small. You’d never make the five hundred meters. Your Power would give out before we made it halfway to the surface.

  Richard shuddered. The thought of coming out of the void and being entombed in solid rock scared him. He didn’t mind admitting he was claustrophobic. If he had to choose between being blown up and being buried alive, he’d choose an explosion every time.

  Sending scans out in all directions, Richard tried to sense anything which might help. He sensed the link to the staff. It was still dangling where he held it locked in place with his Power. The helper at the other end was jerking the link in an attempt to free it. Her efforts were to no avail. His grip was too strong.

  Richard sensed the Power radiating from the staff. The potential energy from the blue gem his niece and nephew had placed on the staff was enormous. But Richard knew instinctively he couldn’t access the blue gem’s Power directly for his own use.

  Another link caught Richard’s attention. It was the link the elf Shandria had attached to him during his first mission for ‘the One’. She’d used the link to train him in creating and protecting Power links. Shandria’s link was a dead-end since she’d died thousands of years ago, but her link was still attached to him.

  Richard sensed the frequency of Shandria’s link. It was the same as the frequency of the staff.

  That makes sense, said Nickelo who was obviously following along with Richard’s thoughts in their shared space. The staff was originally Shandria’s. A part of it’s connected to her old Power reserve.

  Gambling the staff wouldn’t rebel against its original owner, Richard took the end of the helper’s link and connected it to Shandria’s link.

  Power from the staff surged into Shandria’s link. Richard pulled the Power from the link into himself and made both the hover-cycle and him shimmer. He shifted into the void while taking the hover-cycle with him. Using telekinesis, Richard lifted the cycle upward straight into the cavern roof.

  Twenty seconds later, Richard’s head popped through the rocky surface of the planet. As soon as the hover-cycle was in the clear, Richard dropped his dimensional shift. Then Nickelo took control of the battle suit again. The hover-cycle’s anti-gravity fans roared as Nickelo headed for the rim of the quarry at max speed.

  Go! Richard urged.

  The link from the creature began to twist and jerk with increasing intensity. Richard had a feeling the helper at the other end was redoubling her efforts to free her link. Guessing it was only a matter of time before she tore her link free, Richard drew enough Power from the staff to recharge his Power reserve to one hundred percent. Then he released the link to the staff. As soon as he did, he felt the helper jerk the link away into the nothingness from which it had come.

  With the link’s departure, Richard no longer sensed the helper. Whoever or whatever she was Richard didn’t know. Even so, Richard felt a pang of regret the helper was gone. In spite of the situation, her presence had given him comfort.

  Nickelo jerked Richard out of his thoughts. The hover-cycle was just topping the lip of the quarry.

  It’s going to be close, said Nickelo. I’m going to try to get us a little more distance before the gate implodes. Brace yourself.

  Using his passive scan, Richard sensed the three spheres coming closer together. He realized his battle computer was right. It wouldn’t be long now.

  Chapter 49 – Orders

  _____________________________________

  Terrie beat on the door to the cockpit one last time. He knew he couldn’t delay any longer. His passive scan showed their danger all too well. The children were drifting in space. The black destroyer’s weapons were zeroing in for the kill. The three points of energy forming the gate were drawing closer together. The gate was shrinking correspondingly.

  The Defiant was also drawing closer to the gate with each passing second. The Defiant bucked as Sergeant Ron released another volley of missiles towards the black dreadnaught on the other side of the gate.

  “Sergeant Ron,” Terrie shouted. “This is your last chance. Turn around now. Don’t make me kill you.”

  Terrie concentrated on the Power he’d wrapped around the old sergeant’s heart. With a thought, Terrie knew he could kill the Defiant’s captain. He didn’t want to, but what else could he do? He had to kill Sergeant Ron.

  Then what? Terrie thought.

  He wasn’t even sure Margery could regain control of the Defiant after the death of its captain. But, Terrie could think of no alternative. He had to try something.

  Just before Terrie tightened the Power wrapping around Sergeant Ron’s heart, a thought from his battle computer
stopped him. A surge of data entered his shared space. The data was orders. They were orders from Wizard Scout Richard Shepard. The orders came from his friend through Nickelo to Margery and on to Taylor. Despite the orders convoluted path, Terrie had no doubt they were from his fellow wizard scout.

  Terrie didn’t understand the reason for the orders, but he didn’t hesitate. He trusted his friend. With a final look at the cockpit door, Terrie turned and made for the cargo bay as fast as his battle suit’s legs would take him.

  “Charlie,” Terrie said over the Defiant’s com-link. “Turn control of the portside weapons over to Angela. Then strap into your Warcat. We’re going for a ride.”

  * * *

  Sergeant Ron fired another salvo of torpedoes towards his enemy. The black dreadnaught seemed to float there on the other side of the gate taunting him.

  It killed my wife, Sergeant Ron thought. It’s going to pay. It’s going to pay today.

  A flicker of light from the direction of the copilot’s chair caught Sergeant Ron’s attention. He took his eyes off of the black dreadnaught long enough to look to his right at the copilot’s position. He drew in a deep breath as a shiver ran down his spine. Sitting in the cushioned chair dressed in a black and silver wizard scout uniform was the Commandant.

  “Sir?” Sergeant Ron said as he fumbled for words. “But… but you’re dead.”

  “Yes, I am,” said the figure of the Commandant. “And so will your entire crew and you be if you don’t stop what you’re doing.”

  Sergeant Ron shook his head. This can’t be happening, he thought. The dead can’t come back to life. I wish they could so I could see my wife one more time, but they can’t. This can’t be happening.

  “You’re breaking your promise to me,” said the Commandant with a look in his eyes Sergeant Ron had seen a hundred times before. The Commandant was disappointed. “You swore you’d take care of Rick for me. You swore you’d protect him. But you’re abandoning him on that planet and throwing your life away as well.”

  “But they killed my wife,” Sergeant Ron protested. He needed time to think.

  “I know,” said the Commandant. “Janice and I were there, remember? You saved our lives. I know it cost you dearly with the deaths of your crew and your wife. That’s why I’ve tried to watch over you these last fifty years. I tried to watch over you when you left the Conglomerate and joined the military. I tried to watch over you when you fought on Ashton Minor. I tried to watch over you when you left for years at a time in your pursuit of that accursed black dreadnaught. And that’s why I’m trying to watch over you now and help you keep your promise. You promised to take care of Rick. You know how important he is to our cause.”

  “But, you promised to help me destroy the ones who killed my wife,” Sergeant Ron said grasping at straws. “You didn’t. And now you’re dead.”

  “Yes, the Commandant is dead,” said the figure of the Commandant. “But I’m not.”

  The figure of the Commandant shimmered. It morphed into the figure of Wizard Scout Richard Shepard.

  Realization came to Sergeant Ron. “You’re a hologram. Margery, I know it’s you.”

  “Yes, I am creating the holograms,” admitted Margery over the cockpit’s intercom. “But my words are those the Commandant would have spoken if he was here. I was his battle helmet. I knew him better than any living person ever could. I calculate the Commandant would be ashamed of you, Sergeant Ron. And my next words are those of Wizard Scout Shepard. He told me to tell you he’s counting on you.”

  As Sergeant Ron looked at the holographic image of Richard, the figure spoke. Even knowing it was a hologram, Sergeant Ron was drawn to the words of the Defiant’s co-owner.

  “I don’t claim to understand how you feel, Sergeant Ron,” said Richard’s image. “But what you’re doing is wrong. Your grandson is dead if you don’t save him. So is Tia. So is your crew. And so am I for that matter. We need you, Sergeant Ron. Margery says you promised. The Sergeant Ron I know doesn’t break promises.”

  “But they killed my wife,” Sergeant Ron said weakly. The images of the Commandant and Richard might be holograms, but in his heart, Sergeant Ron knew their words were true.

  “I know,” said Richard’s image. “And I give you my word as a wizard scout, I will help you destroy that black dreadnaught and anyone else responsible for your wife’s death. But we can’t do it today. The Defiant will be destroyed, and the dreadnaught you hate so much will go free. Keep your promise, Sergeant Ron. Keep it, and I’ll keep mine. That’s wizard scout honor.”

  The insanity which had overcome Sergeant Ron’s mind slowly withdrew. He became more aware of his surroundings than he’d been in years. He could’ve been a wizard scout, but his pursuit of the dreadnaught had taken priority. But he still had his Power reserve, and the Commandant had taught him many tricks with his Power over the years.

  Sergeant Ron reached out around him with his passive scan. He sensed his grandson and Tia floating helplessly in space. Lines of energy from the black destroyer was zeroing in on their stationary forms. Sergeant Ron sensed Charlie and Terrie in the cargo hold strapping into their Warcats. He sensed his friend, Richard, moving quickly along the surface of the planet away from the mine entrance.

  Most of all, Sergeant Ron sensed the dots of energy which was the three spheres drawing closer together. The gate was being drawn closed as the distance between the spheres shrunk.

  Sergeant Ron could tell the black dreadnaught was no longer trying to get through the gate. With a clarity he didn’t know he possessed, Sergeant Ron realized the Defiant would never make it through the gate either. His ship would be destroyed as the gate shut around it.

  The last of Sergeant Ron’s insanity departed. He looked at Richard’s image. “All right, I’m back. What do you want me to do?”

  “Just listen to Margery,” said Richard’s hologram as it faded out of view.

  With the disappearance of the hologram, Margery began speaking over the ship’s intercom informing everyone onboard of Rick’s plan. When she was done, Sergeant Ron spoke.

  “And I thought I did stupid things,” said Sergeant Ron. “Rick’s even crazier than I am.”

  With those words, Sergeant Ron turned the ship’s overrides back on in order to let Margery assist with the required maneuvers. Then he hit the Defiant’s reverse thrusters as he turned it away from the closing gate towards the black destroyer.

  “Let me know when the last of our torpedoes have reloaded, Margery,” Sergeant Ron said. “We’re going in. They took my wife, but they sure as hell aren’t going to get my grandson. Not if I can help it.”

  Chapter 50 – Destruction

  _____________________________________

  Just as Richard crossed the crest of the hill overlooking the quarry, he sensed the three spheres come together.

  Remember your promise, came a final emotion from the green sphere.

  A bright flash lit the air around Richard. A wave of air and debris caught him from behind and knock him off the hover-cycle. Both Richard and the cycle went tumbling end over end along the rocky ground. The hover-cycle broke into pieces as it bounced along the sharp rocks.

  Richard kept tumbling as well, but his battle suit was the best the Empire’s technicians could devise. It was tough. As he rolled, Richard wrapped himself in Power and used telekinesis to slow down. Once he rolled to a stop, he stood up and looked towards the mine entrance in the distance. The entrance was gone. In a strange illusion caused by the fading time bubble, Richard saw a large explosion overlaid on the reality of the planet’s surface in the physical dimension. However, the explosion wasn’t destroying the buildings and equipment around it. The explosion was in the time-bubble. Richard pitied anyone who might still be in the collapsing time-bubble. From what he knew, their torturous death could take eons.

  The gate which was also the time-bubble flickered in and out of focus a few times. Richard caught glimpses of the black dreadnaught getting smaller as its
engines strained to get a safe distance from the gate. The dreadnaught disappeared completely as the gate closed. Its energy dissipated. Only the quarry in the physical dimension remained.

  Nick, Richard said. Get me into the destroyer’s computer.

  It’s going to be different, Rick, said Nickelo. It’s magic based.

  I’m depending on it, Richard said.

  Complying, said Nickelo. Give me control of an active scan.

  Drawing Power from his reserve, Richard formed it into an active scan. He wrapped it with a stealth shield and gave control to his battle computer.

  Follow along, said Nickelo. I can handle the logic, but you’ll have to take care of the magic part.

  Richard sensed the active scan stretch outward and upward. It reached out further than Richard had ever attempted to scan before. The end of the active scan touched a flow of energy. Richard recognized the flow. It was magic. The magic was familiar to Richard. It was as if he’d come home to an old friend.

  We’re there, said Nickelo. But I’m not sure what we’re looking at. The flows of energy keep shifting.

  I know, Richard said. We just have to anticipate the shifts. Magic has rules. It’s logical in its own way. Richard wasn’t sure how he knew those things, but he had the knowledge, and he was going to use it.

  I’m taking control of the scan, Richard said. Follow along.

  Complying, said Nickelo.

  Richard took control of the active scan and continued probing. He picked a flow of magic and followed along as it twisted and twirled. Somehow Richard anticipated its every move. The flow of magic reminded Richard of how the spells in Shandria’s spell book kept moving as if attempting to keep their secrets. He remembered how he’d helped Nickelo and Jonathan hack into the Crosioians’ Master computer by unlocking the secrets of its magic-based security.