by Paul Ormond
“What did you say your name was again?” XiaoFan asked, pushing closer to the door. She heard feet shuffling on the other side. At least three individuals as far as she could count.
“You can call me Mr. Big,” the man’s voice said followed by snickering from the man’s companions.
“Nice nickname, Ramon,” another man’s voice said.
“Be quiet, or you’ll ruin everything.”
“Mr. Big, did you want the full option or just the suite?” XiaoFan asked.
“As we discussed, I’m here for the full option. Please excuse my acquaintance. He has forgotten his manners after a long journey.”
“It’s understandable,” XiaoFan said. “Mr. Big, please come in.”
The door creaked open on its rusted hinges to reveal a hulking form standing in the doorway. Behind the man, two figures lurked in the darkness of the alleyway.
“Thank you for letting us in,” An obese young man with a scraggly beard said before he stepped into the shack. Following after him were a young Hispanic man with a shaved head and a middle-aged Caucasian woman with curly hair. They were all dressed in matching black jumpsuits and they carried what looked like motorcycle helmets under their arms.
“Jeez, Ramon, you really know how to pick them,” the young man said as he looked around at the hut and the debris on the floor.
“Your comments are not helping, Sanchez,” Ramon said, trying to remain calm. “I suggest you keep quiet and let me handle this.”
“I’m just saying.”
“And they can hear you.”
“I think you should take your cousin's advice,” the curly haired woman said.
“What do you know about it, Christine?” Sanchez snapped back.
“I know that this is a delicate situation, and we don’t want to attract anymore attention to ourselves than necessary,” Christine said.
“Why don’t you all take a seat? You must be exhausted after your journey,” XiaoFan said, cutting through the tension. “Yuan, get our guests some chairs. Would you like some tea? It will only take a minute.”
“That would be lovely,” Christine said, stepping forward while the younger girl brought forth a stack of short plastic stools and arranged them around a small table.
“Ramon, Sanchez, have a seat. Standing around gawking isn’t doing you any favors,” Christine said before she pulled the stool across the dirt floor and sat down.
“You settled in quick,” Sanchez said, dropping onto the stool. “My hands are still freezing.”
“I told you before. This isn’t my first trip to China. I did a few tech conventions and tours before I switched over to government work,” Christine said as she watched Ramon navigate his way onto the tiny chair.
“Oh God, look at that thing buckle under your weight,” Sanchez said with a laugh. “You're going to be on your ass in a second.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s your skinny ass that better watch out,” Ramon said, checking to see if the chair was stable.
“Please drink some tea,” XiaoFan said after she returned with 3 steaming paper cups on a tin tray. “And we’ll discuss our arrangement. I trust you’ve brought what I asked for?”
“We’ve got it right here,” Ramon said, tapping the pack on his back. “Is this where it all happens?”
“Everything takes place under this roof,” XiaoFan said. “It’s best to keep a modest profile when engaged in this type of work.”
“That is an approach I completely understand,” Ramon said while sipping his tea. “And that is insanely hot.”
“You must drink slowly, Mr. Ramon,” XiaoFan said as her sister joined her side. “Nothing good comes from rushing about.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Christine said, blowing into her cup.
“That’s all well and good, but we do have matters to discuss other than the contents of our cups,” Ramon said. “Perhaps we could see the goods and discuss the terms.”
“Getting right to it, huh,” Sanchez said. “I wouldn’t want to go on a date with you.”
“Yuan, fetch the package from the safe,” XiaoFan said. “We don’t want to keep our guests waiting. They seem to be in a hurry.”
“We’re not in a hurry,” Ramon said. “We’re just excited to see it is all.”
“That’s understandable,” XiaoFan said as Yuan returned with a large plastic container latched on all sides. “You’ll see that everything is as we discussed.”
“If it is then you will understand why we are excited,” Ramon said, pulling the case between his enormous legs.
“Carefully unlatch the lid,” XiaoFan said. “You don’t want to upset the contents.”
“Gotcha,” Ramon said, clicking open the top. As he lifted the lid, the room was filled with a strange glow lighting up Ramon’s face.
“Are we happy?” Sanchez asked.
“Yes, we are happy,” Ramon said with a smile. “We are very, very happy.”
CHAPTER FOUR
IN PERFECT SYMMETRY, the survivors of the battle stood in formation before Mother’s multi-legged form. To the rear of the platform, the cloaked Masters clutched their weapons and bowed their heads in reverence.
Breaking the silence, a flare of light tore across the darkened sky and bore down upon the deck. Amidst a roar of sound, Commander Holrathu landed to the right of Mother. With one swift motion, he rose to his feet and saluted his soldiers before bowing toward the spinning orbs in the distance.
“I hope you enjoyed your theatrics, your drama,” Mother said without looking in the direction of the Commander. “Is it done? Is it finished? I wouldn’t want to upset the Emperor with anymore unsettling news.”
“The prisoners are secure,” Holrathu said, coming to Mother’s side.
“Well, at least you can do something right,” Mother said. “You know what we do with those who fail us, with those who let their Emperor down?”
“We punish them accordingly.”
“That is correct, correct. But who do we punish in this situation, after this humiliation, after this terrible blow? It is the weak leader that blames one's opponent for their loss. For in one’s own action lie the seeds of defeat.”
“Our soldiers fulfilled the will of the Emperor and kept the enemy at bay. Their hearts are filled with love for our leaders. They must not be punished. It is I who let the Emperor down, and it is I who must be punished.”
“Throwing yourself on the sword, are you? That is very noble of you, Commander Holrathu, but, it is an unnecessary sacrifice. It is I who let the Emperor down.”
“You, but you are… Well, you are…”
“I know what I am and I am well aware of my shortcomings. Yes, you heard me correctly. There is no such thing as omniscience. It is an impossible goal. This is the nature of reality as we have come to know it. Even if we control the simulation, we cannot control the outcome.”
“I fail to see what this has to do with our defeat.”
“Our defeat. Who said we were defeated?”
“I thought you said so just now.”
“I don’t think you have been listening, been listening. I asked you who we should punish, punish. I never said we were defeated. In fact, I would consider the events that transpired a victory on all fronts. We returned to Jarkadu to finish what we started. Finished it now, haven’t we?”
“We managed to escape the aftermath intact with a pair of valuable prisoners. The planet is lost, but it was done for regardless of our actions. However, I still fail to see it as a victory.”
“Then you are not seeing the universe for all the stars, my dear Commander. We returned to Jarkadu to drain it of its last remaining resources. The machine did its job, and we successfully extracted enough energy to fulfill the needs of the Emperor.”
“If this is a victory, then why must we punish those that have failed us?”
“I look out on our soldiers, beautiful, strong and brave and my heart is filled with joy, with love, for I know these brave souls have tuned every fiber of the
ir beings to the will of the Emperor. But there are those who resist us, resist the power of the Emperor. It is they who must be punished. It is they that have let the Emperor down.”
“We will crush them all.”
“And why didn’t you crush them in the first place? It seems to me that you are slowing in your old age. Either that, or all these riches have gone to your head and you’ve lost the taste for battle.”
“I haven’t lost a step and my lust for battle roars like a fire within me.”
“And now we’ve come to the true source of your shortcomings. It’s this bloodlust that is your constant undoing. The greatest victories are those won without bloodshed, but you seem dead set on spilling guts across the galaxy. How are we supposed to build an empire with these crude tactics?”
“I was only following orders.”
“That is what a fool would say. Your orders were to hold back the enemy while we drained planet. I arrived in the middle of a bloodbath that ended in carnage.”
“I thought you said it was a victory?”
“It may have been a victory, but at what cost? Our ranks were shattered and our enemies have escaped with the Emperor’s crown jewel.”
“We underestimated the Jarkadian survivors’ ability to muster an army. When a people face annihilation, they tend to rally together. That, coupled with the theft of the artifacts by your dear boy and his newfound friends, compounded the situation.”
“And who was in charge of that operation? I tell you, Commander, it’s not like you to bungle things up like this.”
“We have been caught off guard, but there were a number of elements that were out of my control.”
“Like your old friends showing up. The ones you assured me wouldn’t be a problem. This is what happens when we don’t tie up loose ends. An unprepared army is all but guaranteed to lose the battle. And who is left to blame but the leader of the operation. I’m not sure if I will be able to trust you as we move forward.”
“I will not disappoint you again. I will personally hunt down our enemies and reclaim that which was taken from us.”
“That won’t be necessary. There will be no need to hunt them down. I know exactly where they are and what they plan to do.”
“Then we will move immediately. They will not escape my grasp again.”
“Although I appreciate your eagerness, I’m afraid this operation will require a different approach. Besides, you’ve got plenty of work to do before you set off on the next phase of development.”
“And what might that be?”
“We’re still suffering from the fallout of your first failure, Commander. This is what happens when mistakes are made. The effects ripple across the universe, plunging our efforts into chaos. But it is time for us to write the wrongs and put everything back on course. If I’m not mistaken, things began to fall apart the moment we set our sights on simulation 1127. And here it seems that the blame must fall upon your shoulders again. It was you that thrust responsibility on that foolish man, and it was your operation that allowed the escapee to slip through my portal.”
“It is true that I placed a great deal of trust in Robert, but there was nothing out of line with my approach. We have operations in multiple realms. I’m ill-equipped to micro-manage every one. I followed protocol and dissented the information as instructed.”
“Just a cog in the wheel, aren’t you? I’m starting to notice a pattern here, Commander. You continue to find a way to blame others for your failures. But all of this happened under your watch, so who else is there to blame but the Supreme Commander of the Emperor’s army.”
“If this is the direction things are headed, then I would appreciate it if you would move on to the execution stage. I’d rather not be the center of a show trial. If I am guilty of failing the Emperor, punish me as you see fit.”
“That was quite the outburst. But your execution will not be necessary at this point, not now. The fact that I have to bring up these mistakes you made is a little alarming, unsettling, but it must be done in order to pinpoint where we went wrong and how we can fix it, repair the damage.”
“I will do all that I can to fulfill the Emperor’s will.”
“It is far more important that you learn from your mistakes. This is the problem with you and your kind. As much as you are able to manipulate reality, you have no ability to see yourself in an objective manner. No way to comprehend that which you are. It is this tunnel vision that drives you to repeat your mistakes. Time and again you felt your strength gave you the upper hand, but it has thus far turned out to be your undoing. You must consider all aspects of the campaign before rushing into combat.”
“I have patience. I am always in control.”
“That is hardly the case. Just take a look at the last battle you fought. Your opponent lured you into combat with nothing more than a gesture and you in turn played directly into his hand. He used your strength against you to accomplish his goal.”
“I bested Teron in combat, and he and his Councilors now await their fate in the depths of the Emperor’s dungeon. How could he have possibly accomplished his goal?”
“Perhaps besting you in combat wasn’t his aim. Destroying the mechanism was clearly a ruse to lure you away. With you occupied, our enemies were able to escape with the artifacts and the Goddess.”
“They may have gotten away, but I can assure you it wasn’t a part of Teron’s plan.”
“That remains to be seen. Next time do not be so hasty to enter combat. We’ll leave this matter to rest. There are more pressing issues to discuss. Our current circumstances have not derailed the Emperor’s plans. In fact, the events that led us to this position have illuminated our next course of action.”
“The universe reveals itself one galaxy at a time.”
“Wise words, but we are not concerned with galaxies at the moment. One seemingly insignificant blip has evaded the Emperor’s grasp for some time now. This minuscule atom in the vast expanse of the multi-verse is the very source of our malcontent.”
“Earth. It will be my greatest pleasure to crush that planet under my boot.”
“You’re doing it again, Commander. That’s a bad habit you have developed. Bending the universe to one’s will is not a simple as it seems, and as we have seen, our best laid plans have a way of being disrupted by the forces of chaos.”
“I hope you are not trying to sideline me.”
“Not at all. I am encouraging you to take a different approach.”
“And what approach might that be?”
“A return to form if you will. The subterfuge used during the initial conquest was on point, but your subject was lacking in value. I suggest you use your remaining contacts within the extent to go after a bigger fish.”
“A bigger fish than Robert Chapman?”
“Precisely, Mr. Chapman may have been the right fit according to the data available, but this time around we will need someone with the clout necessary to bring the population to heel in a swift an orderly fashion. I’m not interested in another pointless battle. We’ve had far too many of them in the last while. Reach out into the network and find someone who can get the job done. The greatest victories are the ones achieved without weapons.”
“I understand. And what of our escapees? The tributes were released during the procedure by none other than Mitch Mythic himself.”
“I am aware of this. But you leave that to me. The Goddess and her cohorts are well within my grasp. I am laying a trap for them as we speak. Focus your efforts on Earth and redeeming yourself to your Emperor.”
“It will be done. Regarding the prisoners, would you like me to begin interrogations?”
“Have you not listened to a word I just said? You have been given a mission, and I expect you to see it through. The prisoners have a part to play, but for now they will stay as they are. Let the simulation do its job.”
“What about the mutant?”
“That mutant as you say happens to be very dear to
me. He may have gone astray, but that was due to your carelessness.”
“I fail to see how that was my fault.”
“That is why you fail. But KiGuan is in a safe place now, and we were able to recover one of the artifacts from his person, so not all is lost. When the time is right, I will bring him back into the fold. For now, we push forward. You have your orders. It’s time for you to execute the next phase.”
“I understand what you ask, but why are we focusing so much of our efforts on such a small matter.”
“A small matter? Is that what you think this is? As you are well aware, nothing in the multi-verse is a small matter. And Simulation 1127 is no exception. In fact, according to the calculations, 1127 is as close to base as we have come.”
“Close to base? How is that possible?”
“It is infinitely possible. How can we possibly fathom the greatness of the multi-verse? But from the data available, it looks as though we may have stumbled upon something more than significant in 1127. That is why we must approach it with caution and restraint. Any disturbances will throw off the balance, and we do not want anything disrupting the Emperor’s new home.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I’m back in a tunnel again,” Mitch said as he crouched beneath an overhanging rock.
“I can’t believe I forgot how annoying it was to listen to you complain all the time,” SoHee said from behind.
“You’re entirely missing the point,” Mitch said over his shoulder. “I never signed up for this grand tour, but you’d think traveling around the multi-verse would be a little more scenic.”
“You may have a point there,” SoHee said, clambering over a stone. “All we’ve come across are wastelands and deserts. It could be worse, but I’m trying to imagine how.”
“I can think of a few ways it could be worse, but it’s a pretty short list,” Mitch said while squeezing through a narrow gap. “It could be a frozen ice planet or a swamp planet.”
“You watch too many science fiction movies,” SoHee said. “Although they have found some planets suitable for life, scientists have discovered that the majority of the objects in the hospitable zone are barren wastes.”