Interphase

by Kira Wilson

  Analara squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to relive those horrifying memories, but she had no choice. They had to know. As quickly as she could, she told them about Jonathan's attack and the mention of Shalaron's name.

  =Damn,= Clyde murmured. =That is messed up. That is so bloody messed up!=

  =Why didn't he tell us?= Lucas exclaimed.

  =Thomas, I need to ask a favor of you,= Analara sent, trying to keep fear from clouding her thoughts. =Please go to Analath and find David. I'll meet up with the others and continue the search.=

  =As you command, my lady,= Thomas replied.

  =Damn it, I knew he was going to do something stupid!= Lucas growled.

  =Lucas, it will be all right,= Analara told him. It had to be all right. =Thomas, be safe. Bring him back.=

  =You have my word.=

  Analara turned to look for Jessica, but she was gone.

  Don't worry, I'm still here. But we need to be going.

  ***

  Thomas strode into Analath and raised his weapon. A strange floating crystal was firing a beam of green energy into the top of the gateway, suffusing the empty clearing in a soft verdant glow. Outside the grove, the shadows of evening made it difficult to see. Unsure if it would be successful, he chanted a small blessing to enhance his vision. There was a pause as the Analath system interpreted the requested alterations, and then Thomas's sight sharpened. Clyde's adjustments were still working. Night would be no obstacle now.

  With his enhanced sight, Thomas detected a fire nearby. Moving as quietly as he could in his heavy armor, he drew near to the encampment. Several figures ringed the fire, speaking quietly to one another. A tall man in a flowing robe approached from the edge of the camp. The firelight illuminated his features, and Thomas recognized the face of Shalaron.

  "The invader, David, has been subdued," Shalaron began. "I have left him imprisoned at the main camp for now. He will not interfere with our mission any longer. When the scouts return with the last of the shells, I will give you all your new forms, and we shall begin the Awakening. Tomorrow will herald a glorious day for our people!"

  The assembled men let out a loud cheer, clapping each other on the back and raising their weapons in triumph. Thomas backed away amidst the noise and headed out of the grove.

  David was being held at the main encampment, and Thomas had no clue where that was. With no other alternatives, he decided to try something out of the ordinary. =David, can you hear me?= he sent into the darkness.

  Seconds passed, with no answer, nothing to even tell if the message had been sent. Thomas sighed and prepared to head out into the wilderness when a strange response returned. =Message undeliverable, target incapacitated. Location tracer enabled.=

  Thomas felt a pulse in his mind, a beacon pulling him to a group of trees across the starlit plain. With no enemies in sight, he dashed across the open fields.

  The pulse was close. He charged into the wall of trees and burst into an abandoned encampment. It was obvious that this had been a staging ground for a small group of soldiers, but there was no evidence that they were still in the area. He looked past the dead fire at the end of the camp and saw David.

  Thomas ran to him and was shocked to discover that he was pinned to the tree by three foot-long shards of rock. Something about his condition interfered with Thomas's vision, as it appeared that David glowed a faint reddish color. As gently as he could, Thomas pulled the stones free, muttering a cantrip of mending over each of the wounds.

  David was still unconscious, so Thomas hefted him onto his shoulders and began the march back to the gateway. David seemed lighter, as if something had eaten away at his body. Worried that Shalaron had done more than just impale his friend, Thomas increased his pace, nearly jogging under his load.

  He slowed as they drew nearer to the gateway copse, and Thomas set David down just inside the eaves of the trees. He crept forward to see if there was any activity near the gate, but the shimmering portal stood undisturbed and alone.

  Thomas picked David back up and strode quickly toward the gate. He was no more than twenty yards away when a crash in the nearby brush put him on alert. Loud growls tore through the stillness of the night, and two large figures rolled out of the branches. The snarling and snapping creatures were fighting with each other, and Thomas tried to edge toward the gateway while they were distracted.

  David stirred and let out a soft groan. The two beasts disengaged from one another and turned toward the sound. Thomas swore to himself, lowered David and drew his greatsword. These were the same type of creatures he'd seen come through the portal when David first tried to show them this world. A name tickled the edge of his mind: eldranal. A single beast alone was quite a match; a pair of them together would be a dangerous fight.

  Before they could fully orient on him or bring their deadly tails to bear, Thomas charged the creatures with a loud shout. The noise might alert the Anrathians, but surprise was his biggest ally here, and he could not afford to give the creatures time to rally. Both beasts hissed a warning at him and backed away, seemingly unsure about how to deal with such imposing prey.

  Thomas swung his greatsword down in a mighty blow and cleaved through a thick bone plate, slicing a front leg of the first eldranal clean away. The creature shrieked in pain and tried to hobble backwards. A metallic screech sounded as the tail of the second beast tore into Thomas's unguarded back. Even with his armor's defensive warding and enchantments it seemed nothing more than a thin layer of metal to his enemies. He grunted at the pain, then turned to face his other foe, wincing as it ripped its tail free.

  Thomas thought back to the first encounter with the eldranal, and recalled how David had faced the creature down. The tail had a weak point, a softer joint about halfway down. He watched the creature coil up for another strike and saw it. A small spot with no bladed bone protruding outward. Hitting it would require a precise attack.

  He shouted his defiance and leveled his blade. The creature leapt backward and lashed out with the tail. Thomas aimed and thrust his sword. The joint severed cleanly, but the loose half of the tail continued its arc and buried several spikes in his shoulder.

  Wrenching the severed tail free, Thomas staggered back toward David. At the current rate, he couldn't outlast his opponents. He had to escape with his charge while he still could. Behind, he heard the wounded cries of the two eldranals. He bent down and barely succeeded in lifting David back onto his shoulder. Dragging his sword behind him, he inched toward the welcoming gateway. To the side, he saw the eldranals return, one limping, the other growling. He knew there was no way to stop them both. They charged toward him, and he braced himself for the attack. He had to reach the gateway…

  Hot air surged past Thomas's cheek, and the grove lit with red light. He turned and stared in amazement. The two eldranals were crumpled on the ground, afire. A scorched trail extended from their burning bodies back to a robed figure at the edge of the clearing. Shalaron watched him with a steady gaze.

  With all of his strength, Thomas turned and pushed through the gate, staggering down the stairs and falling to the ground. They were safe.

  Chapter 48

  A sudden burst of pain jolted David awake. He blinked to clear his eyes and slowly recognized the familiar sights of his hover-bike module. He was lying on his back. He struggled to sit up, but his shoulder and leg felt stiff and painful.

  The grove. Shalaron attacked me, burnt me. How did I get…

  David turned and saw Thomas lying on the ground. Blood flowed from several gaping tears, and he clutched his shoulder.

  "Oh hell, Thomas?"

  "David?" Thomas looked up. "I'm glad you're all right."

  "What kind of comment is that?" David demanded. "I'm a little sore, but you're bleeding to death." Groaning, he got to his feet and helped Thomas stand up. "Did Shalaron do this to you?"

  "Actually, he saved me," Thomas chuckled darkly. "A pair of eldranals ambushed us before I could get back through the gate."<
br />
  "Why on Phoenix would you go into Analath after I told you to stay?" David chided.

  "Analara told us what happened with your father. She asked me to go and find you."

  David bit back his retort and shook his head. It was his fault that Thomas was injured, his fault for going after Shalaron alone. Once again, he had Analara to thank for saving his life. "Thanks. Looks like you get to be my shining knight for once." He activated his wrist computer and tried to send a message to VERA, but there was no signal. He tried opening a tell channel to Analara, without success. "Damn it, the Analath system is bleeding through the gateway again. It's shut down communications. I need you to go get VERA and tell her that Shalaron is on the move again. He's planning something big. We need to blockade this gateway with whatever we can!"

  Thomas frowned. "If communication is down, will I be able to leave? I'd rather not have to fight that mechanical rover solo."

  "Try VERA's transference program. It's the best shot we have. I'll hold the line here until you get back with reinforcements."

  Thomas touched a small engraving on his bracer, and a screen appeared. He executed a command and vanished.

  David turned and faced the gateway. He tried to run a scan on the shield, but his computer was behaving erratically. Something from Analath was causing severe interference within V-Net.

  "Monar, is that you?" a voice asked from behind him. David spun around.

  He'd expected to see Anrathian guardsmen, but the four men standing there were all human. They had just finished dragging a dozen bodies through a transfer gate and onto the bottom stair.

  The first man addressed him again. "I thought Shalaron didn't have any extra shells to use. We were supposed to bring back the last of the hosts to prepare you and the others to leave Analath."

  David's thoughts raced. How did another human know about Shalaron or Analath? Shells? Hosts? An image of what Clyde had done to Analara and Jessica flashed in his mind.

  Oh hell. Shalaron is merging Anrathians into human bodies. There's no way I'm going to let this happen.

  David's eyes narrowed, and he lunged at the first man, striking him in the head with a quick punch. His target reeled from the blow and fell backward, tripping over the bodies on the ground.

  "You're not Monar, you're one of the humans," he shouted. "Attack. Capture him!"

  The other three Anrathians advanced on David and circled around him. They didn't want to kill him, they wanted to turn him into an Anrathian, like the others. Was this Shalaron's plan for humanity?

  David tried to load any of his avatars, but between his wounds and the interference, he couldn't concentrate enough to complete the shift. Desperately he lashed out, striking wildly at each of his attackers. He landed several solid blows, but his foes rushed him, knocking him to the ground, pinning his arms and legs, and punching him repeatedly.

  David started to lose consciousness, when a whooshing noise sounded just behind him. Something lifted one of his attackers up into the air and threw him away. A second attacker was peeled off and tossed. David watched in stunned silence as a metallic foot kicked his last assailant square in the chest, hurling him into a pile with the others. A strong grip seized his shoulder and pulled him upright. He came face to face with a Coldor heavy assault trooper.

  "Stand behind me, citizen, for your safety," the robot intoned in a deep voice. It raised its heavy pulse cannon and pointed it directly at the possessed humans. "Surrender. If you do not comply, you will be destroyed."

  The three attackers regained their footing, and looked from the robot to their companion and the bodies behind him. They turned and fled through the portal.

  David spun and grabbed the last Anrathian by the collar. "What is Shalaron planning? What is your mission here?" he shouted.

  The man merely grinned at him. "Siath protects me, outsider. You and your kind will be purged from this world, and it will be returned to its true people!" He spat in David's face and struck him in the stomach.

  David staggered backward, releasing his grasp. The possessed human turned and ran toward the track, but a single blast from the Coldor completely vaporized him.

  "Impressive, David, but not even your new toy will stop what is coming." Shalaron's voice echoed down from the gateway.

  David cried out as an invisible force lifted him off the ground and pulled him toward the glowing portal. He felt something release inside of him, and a strange power scorched him from within. A beam of red energy poured from his chest, smashing against the shield. At the same time, Shalaron threw his hands out, and the green beam from Analath intensified.

  The two beams wavered and shifted, then with a flash, they vanished. The surface of the doorway cleared, and Shalaron stepped through into V-Net.

  "You and your allies are so predictable," he mocked. "The armored boy couldn't resist blindly rescuing a wounded companion. He brought my program exactly where it needed to be. Now his foolishness and your defiance will bring an end to your dominion of my planet."

  The grasp released, and David fell to the ground. Crackles of energy appeared all around the module, and hundreds of Coldor and Talan soldiers materialized. David felt himself pulled away, and he appeared on the observation platform, surrounded by his friends. Analara threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  "The cavalry has arrived," Clyde gloated. "I managed to code up copies of Mierva's assault troops and load them en masse into the system. I don't think the Anrathians will have any clue how to fight against them."

  As one, the soldiers opened fire on Shalaron. Magnetic slugs soared through the air alongside bursts of molten plasma. Shalaron raised his hands, and a transparent globe surrounded the doorway, effortlessly deflecting the projectiles.

  As the group watched the barrage, the rest of Shalaron's soldiers came through the portal and surrounded him within his protective sphere. Once they were inside, Shalaron lowered one hand and stretched it toward the massed troops, opening it wide. The plasma bursts stopped ricocheting off the shield; instead they vanished into it. The orb began to glow a bright orange. With a shout, Shalaron threw both hands down, and a wave of energy burst outward. The robots ceased firing and simply vanished.

  The group ducked beneath the edge of the platform as the energy passed above them. David struggled to his feet and looked down at the empty module below.

  "Pitiful fragments of a dream world that has finally discovered its own irrelevance. Is there nothing in your world that can truly challenge me?" Shalaron shouted.

  A bright flare of blue energy blazed on the steps below Shalaron. "You may try me on for size if you wish, but you will find yourself sorely tested."

  VERA appeared from the pillar of light, anger plain to see on her face. She strode toward Shalaron and launched a beam of blue light directly at him. Shalaron raised his shield again but staggered back when the beam struck. Sweat beaded on his brow as he matched his power against the ruler of Phoenix. Slowly, he was losing.

  "The fate of this world shall not be decided in this place," he gasped. "Nor will it be determined by you. Enjoy this victory, for it shall be your last."

  The shield orb glowed green, then flared and vanished. A similar glow surrounded the bodies still lying on the stairwell. When the light faded, Shalaron, his soldiers and the captured humans were all gone.

  ***

  As the final transfer completed, Shalaron gasped for breath. Relocating the essence of one of his people into a human body was considerably more difficult outside of Analath. But it was done. All of his men wore human appearances now, and all could leave this dream and enter their real homeworld.

  "By Siath's will, my Sage, I will accomplish my tasks for our people," the last soldier said, and disappeared from the system.

  Shalaron bowed his head. "Siath, if your essence remains anywhere on this planet, guard us, and guide us back to our true home," he intoned. His men had departed to fulfill their missions, and it was his task now to ensure that they could.
/>
  Shalaron reached across the sprawling human network and accessed Analath's Core. As quickly as he could, he pulled strands of code into the human systems and struck at several focal points. He immersed himself in the dream battles and watched defenses crumple under the force of Analath's attacks. He sensed the humans' protector vainly fighting back against him, but the Core was more powerful than anything she could muster.

  The damage was done. Releasing the code streams, Shalaron gauged his next move as his intrusion was beaten back. Let the humans think that they had won the battle. His attack had not been meant to disrupt anything inside the system. Reality itself had been changed, and his men would now have no impediment to their missions.

  =Thal,= Shalaron sent. =Have you located what I asked?=

  =Yes, my Sage,= Thal replied. =I have found a suitable host for you. Are you certain that you wish to enter their world? I am prepared to travel through their lands myself to eliminate your foe.=

  Shalaron pondered the suggestion. =No, Thal, David is my nemesis, and I must face him myself. When you receive the signal, take the crystal from beyond the gateway and bring it into the human world. Analath will take care of the rest.=

  =So be it. May Siath guide you, my Sage.=

  Fixing on Thal's location, Shalaron bent the reality of the world around him and shifted himself to his target. He materialized inside a wide, bare room. Dozens of humans practiced a strange form of unarmed combat, led by a powerful human with a white robe tied by a black belt.

  The man approached Shalaron with a look of disapproval. "I do not appreciate having my class disturbed. Please leave. If you have business, we may speak after I am finished."

  Shalaron studied the human. He had strength and a subtle grace to his movements. Mastery of his art would certainly make him a formidable host. Before his target could react, Shalaron's hand whipped out and grasped the man's throat. "Be still, and succumb to a true son of Analath," he whispered.

  Releasing the hold on his own essence, Shalaron marveled as his senses distilled and condensed, flowing to the Core and then back into the human world. The room around him went white, and he lost himself in a place with no memory at all.