by Luna Hunter
“Whoooo are youuu to resissst?!”
“I am Riley Harper!” I yell defiantly. “And I resist you… Yo’x!”
The beast recoils. “Youuu rememberrr?”
‘I remember. I remember everything. I know exactly where we are, and what you’re trying to do. You’re using the power of the orb to silence my thoughts, to erase my personality. I won’t let you.”
“You are but a human! You can’t resist my power, you can’t escape my wrath. Submit!”
Yo’x voice loses its nightmarish quality. He doesn’t sound like a giant slithering snake anymore, but like a scared and frail alien.
“No,” I say. “Never.”
“Your friends are dead,” he spits. “Narek, Vilmar, Michelle, Thabo. They’re all dead. There’s nothing left for you in this world.”
His voice trembles slightly. I feel in my bones that he’s lying – almost as if I can read his thoughts. I can sense his fear, his uncertainty. We’re fighting a battle of minds, and my focus and determination is so strong that this psionic alien is frightened.
“You’re lying,” I say. Yo’x massive form is still towering over me, but I start walking towards him, keeping my eyes locked on him. With every step I take he shrinks, and I grow.
“No,” he says. “No, I am not. They’re dead! Look!”
The lifeless figures of my friends appear around me. They’re sprawled out on the floor of Yo’x throne room, all the color drained from their faces. I don’t dare to look too closely.
“An illusion,” I say. “You can’t trick me. You can’t harm me. We’re in my mind, all you can do is implant thoughts – and thoughts can’t hurt me.”
The monstrous figure of Yo’x recoils, his massive tentacles bristling as he hisses at me. I’m showered in a foul liquid that eats away at the floor all around me, the acid sinking through the stone. However, I don’t feel a thing.
It’s an illusion, like everything else around me.
“How is this possible?!” he screams. I feel his fear, his confusion, his horror at the turn of events. With every step I take I become larger, while he shrinks. “You are a human! You are powerless, a pest, a wild animal that should be caged, controlled, culled! You are nothing! Nothing!”
“I am Riley,” I say coolly. I grow stronger by the second. The thought of Thabo, and the recollection of the feeling he gives me is the motor that keeps me going. I can’t surrender to the darkness, I can’t give into Yo’x dark powers.
I love Thabo.
And it’s that love that gives me strength.
“How?! How?!” he screams. The purple alien throws a fit, giving me everything he’s got, focusing every last bit of his mental power on me, but it simply bounces off me. I’m as big as Yo’x now – and as I move forward, taking one step after another, he shrinks and shrinks, until he’s small enough to fit into the palm of my hand.
I realize I’ve crossed the threshold. He’s no longer in my mind – I am in his.
“You’ve lost,” I say. “You underestimated me – and all of humanity, for that matter. We may not have the strength of a Zoran, or the mental powers of a Tyk’ix, but we have determination. Grit. And most important of all, love.”
Yo’x spits on the floor. “Don’t make me laugh. Love is nothing compared to real, tangible power, like I wield. Empires will crumble before me. Centuries will be named after me. You are nothing but a footnote in history.”
“You wield nothing. You are a sad, power-hungry alien, who has already led countless men to their death. Why? What’s the point?”
“A small mind like yours could never comprehend,” he spits. “You have no idea what you’re interfering with.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I place my finger at Yo’x temple, and a second later I’m travelling through the maelstrom of his mind at a dazzling speed. His entire life, every memory that’s in that giant head of his flashes before my eyes, like infinite film-reels all playing at once. Now that our minds has crossed paths, I can use his mind-reading power against him. I sift through the chaos, trying to find the one memory that explains the evil plot.
It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack, and just as I’m starting to lose hope, I see him.
Orson DuPont.
That conniving little bugger. I let the memory play out like a movie in front of my eyes.
The stage is Yo’x throne room – the same our physical bodies are still in. Yo’x is sitting on the throne, and Orson DuPont is kneeling in front of him. His brow is sweaty, and his voice trembles as he speaks. It’s clear he’s scared shitless of the lanky alien.
“What you’re proposing is high treason,” Yo’x says. It feels like it’s coming from my mouth, as I’m watching this through Yo’x eyes, and the sensation is unsettling. “I could have you mind tortured for all eternity for this.”
“But you won’t,” DuPont says, trying to force as much confidence into his voice as possible. “You understand as well as I do the massive opportunity in front of us today. We could rule the galaxy, the both of us. All we need to do is light a match. The timing is perfect. The Zoran aren’t at their strongest, and the Falur and Melek are so used to peace they’ve let their military wither away. However, the Tyk’ix are always prepared. Always.”
“This is true, Yo’x says. “Continue.”
“All it takes is one attack. I have just the guys – two gullible, xenophobic idiots I brought along. Recruited them from this terrorist human organization called Humans First. They actually approached me first about helping them hit a sensitive target. I’m not interested in their hateful agenda – but I know an opportunity when I see one.
“We’ll let them place a bomb on the Observer, some target that’ll outrage the public. You instantly declare war on humanity, the Zoran will interfere, and in the ensuing chaos, you can take control of the Alliance. The Falur and Melek will be easily ousted. They are so naïve, they’ll never suspect a thing. You’ll be stronger than the Tyk’ix emperor – in fact, you’ll be the strongest being in the entire universe, with the power of the Alliance at your fingertips. You can shape the universe as you see fit.”
“You are very persuasive, for a human,” Yo’x muses. This conversation is making me sick, but I can’t look away. These two men are making a deal to divide the universe as if they’re talking about buying a used hover-car! Millions of lives will be lost, but they don’t care. All they care about is power.
“What’s in this for you?”
“The same,” DuPont says, a nervous smile on his lips. “With such a threat barreling down on mankind, the human Federation will need a strong leader. I am that leader. I already have my people in place, who’ll help me make that transition.”
“A coup d’état, then?”
“I like to think of it as a regime change,” DuPont smiles. “But yes. I need a threat that’ll unite humanity, that will cause them to accept my rule. A war with the Alliance is exactly what I need.”
“What about the Zoran? They are a force to be reckoned with.”
DuPont is standing up now, a creepy smile on his round face as he realizes the Tyk’ix ambassador is more than interested in his devilish scheme.
“I’ll share their battle plans with you as needed, of course. We don’t have to drag this conflict out more than we have to. Within a few years we’ll come to a stale-mate, and sign a tentative truce. The fear of new hostilities will secure our rules for the rest of our lives. And if need be, the conflict can be rekindled as needed. The way I see it, we’re actually doing the universe a favor. Imagine, the entire universe divided between us both. There will be peace and prosperity for all.”
“Millions, if not billions will die before that,” Yo’x says.
“Billions will die, regardless of whether there’s a war or not. It’s a fact of life. This way, they’re dying for something greater. For an everlasting peace.”
“Under our rule.”
“Exactly.”
I ba
ck out of the memory, feeling sick to my stomach. I knew DuPont was a creep and a predator, but this? Staging a terrorist attack so he could incite an intergalactic war and overthrow the Federation itself? I never imagined him capable of such depravity, of such heinous crimes. It has shaken me to my core, and my grip on the alien’s mind is weakening.
“You see now?” Yo’x awful voice cackles. “You see what greatness you’re interfering with?”
“You’re horrible,” I say, absolutely disgusted. I feel like I’m going to throw up – and Yo’x is using this moment of turmoil to torture me.
“You’re just an assistant, an intern, you’re nobody, Riley Harper. Give up. Let go. Go to sleep.”
“Shut up.” I say. “Shut up shut up shut up!”
I place my hands over my ears and try to drown out the sound, but it’s useless of course – he’s in my head. Just like I could read his memory, he now has access to my every thought, every fear that plagues me.
And it’s going to cost me dearly.
“Thabo is not here to save you now,” he says. “He’ll never be! He’s a warrior, a violent psychopath at heart! Just like his father, you know. Like father, like son.”
“He’s not!”
“Oh, but he is. He’ll leave you, as soon as he takes what he wants – your virginity. You’re a trophy to him, another notch on his belt.”
“Shut up!”
“He doesn’t love you, Riley. No one does. How could they ever? You don’t deserve love. You’ve been a burden your whole life. Your father would have been better off without you.”
“Shut UP!”
My mind feels like it’s going to burst. I focus all my energy, all of my anger on Yo’x, and then there’s a blinding flash of white light. Yo’x lets out a terrible howl, as if his entire body is consumed by flames. I feel myself being lifted up, flying out of Yo’x sick, twisted mind. I’m glad to be gone from that evil place. I push him as far away as possible, and slowly but surely, I feel the actual, physical world return.
I feel the cold stones on my back, and an ache in my shoulders. A warm hand is cradling my neck, and a single finger traces my cheek.
“Riley?”
The deep voice is coming from afar. I fly towards it as fast as I can, like a deep-sea diver coming up from the depths down below.
“Please wake up. Please. Please. Wake up.”
14
Thabo
“How is she?” Michelle asks as she brings me a cup of cuhla.
“Her condition is still the same,” I answer as I accept the spicy drink. “Stable.”
“Do you think she will recover?”
I nod firmly. “Yes.”
She has to.
Michelle smiles. “Let me know if anything changes,” she says before leaving the room.
“I will.”
I grab Riley’s hand, squeezing it firmly. There was a fleeting moment where she was lucid, back in Yo’x throne room. I awoke from the slumber Yo’x had placed me in, disoriented, angry. Riley was lying on the floor, her legs moving as if she was running in a dream. I scooped her up and begged for her to wake-up. She opened her eyes for a split second, smiled at me, whispered my name, and instantly fell into a coma.
Meanwhile, Yo’x was thrashing about on the floor, screaming Riley’s name in horror. I can only imagine what happened. The Tyk’ix must have used that strange orb of his to channel his psionic powers – and somehow, Riley was able to resist him. Normally a Tyk’ix’s power is nothing a healthy Zoran can’t handle, but Yo’x had my mind completely trapped. I was lost in a deep, dense fog, with no way out.
If it wasn’t for Riley, who knows what would’ve happened?
Yo’x was promptly arrested by Valmir and Narek, while I haven’t moved from Riley’s side. It’s been three days, and her condition hasn’t improved. Narek has been kind enough to let us stay in his home while we wait for Riley to recover.
Riley’s fingers move, and my heart leaps into my throat. I grab her hand, squeezing it.
“Riley?”
She opens her big brown eyes for the first time in days. “Hey,” she says softly, her voice barely a whisper. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. I can’t stop myself. I hug her tightly, crushing her body with mine.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “How do you feel?”
There’s a thin smile on my mate’s face. “I’m okay,” she says with a weak cough. “A little tired. What happened?”
“I hoped you could tell me. I think you saved all of us.”
Riley sits up straight, rubbing her temples. “I barely remember.”
I quickly hand her a cup of water, and she gulps it down gratefully. “Where are we?”
“In Narek’s home,” I answer.
“How long have I been out?”
“Three days.”
Her eyes open up wide. “That long?!”
I nod, and lift up her sleeve to show her a patch that has been giving her the nutrients she needs to survive. After the shock wears off, she suddenly sits up straight.
“DuPont!” she yells. “We have to get him! He’s planning to—”
“Calm down,” I say as I push her back down on her pillow. “There’s a warrant out for his arrest. The whole Observer is on full alert. He’s not going anywhere, trust me.”
“You don’t understand, he’s behind all of this. I saw it.”
“You saw it?”
“In… in Yo’x’s mind,” she says. She closes her eyes and a painful frown forms on her beautiful face. “I… remember. Our minds were… linked, somehow. He was inside my head… and I was in his.”
“What did you see?”
She swallows the lump in her throat, her eyes shut tight.
“Don’t exert yourself,” I say. “We have the time.”
“No, I want to remember,” she says. “I could see Yo’x memories. I saw how DuPont came to him, and I saw how they made a deal. They wanted to start a war between the Alliance and humanity, so Yo’x and DuPont could both seize power.”
It is as I had feared. “You prevented that singlehandedly. Yo’x is arrested, and DuPont is on the run.”
Riley smiles faintly. “DuPont said he has people in the Federation who support him. This is not over yet.”
“It is for now,” I say. “You’ve done more than enough. You’re a hero.”
A blush forms on her pale cheeks. “I’m not. I don’t even know I did exactly.”
“You saved my life, as well as Michelle’s, Narek’s, Valmir, and all of his men, as well as prevent Yo’x from seizing power and killing billions in the war. That’s what you did. None of us were strong enough to resist Yo’x powers – except for you.”
“Stop,” Riley says. “I didn’t do any of that stuff.”
“That’s exactly what you did, I suggest you get used to it. You know they’re renaming the station in your honor, right?”
Riley’s warm laugh fills the room. “Now you’re just making stuff up!”
“Maybe,” I smirk. “But you are a bona fide hero. More than I’ve ever been.”
“I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like me. I didn’t… I didn’t set out to save the world. I just wanted to… save my friends.”
She avoids my gaze, her face burning brightly with embarrassment. “That’s what you did, and more.”
She closes her eyes. “I want to talk but… I’m so tired…” she says.
“It’s okay,” I answer. “Rest. I’ll be here.”
Within seconds she’s back to sleep. I want to scream from sheer joy, but I manage to control myself. I don’t know if she’ll make a full recovery quite yet, but it’s looking very well so far. When I’m sure she’s fast asleep I walk down the hall, where Michelle is flipping channels on the holo-feed.
“Riley just woke up.”
Michelle springs to her feet. “Really?! Why didn’t you call me?!”
“She was really tired, and fell asleep again, but it’s looking good.”
“Did she remember what happened?”
“Parts of it. She saw in Yo’x memories that him and DuPont had schemed this all up.”
Michelle shakes her head in disgust.
“Can you look after her for a moment? I have a call to make.”
“Sure!”
I’ve been mulling this decision over for the past three days, but Riley’s smile just now sealed the deal for me. The way she makes me feel… it’s indescribable. All my life I’ve felt broken, and only when I’m with her do I feel whole. Only when I’m with her do I feel like I can make a positive change to this universe.
I’m not letting such a good thing walk.
“Thabo.”
The holographic image of my king is staring me in the face. I haven’t filed a report on everything that has happened yet – I needed to get my thoughts in order first.
“Sir.”
“I expected to hear from you days ago.”
“I apologize, sir. I didn’t have all the facts yet, and I wanted to make a full report.”
“Go ahead, then.”
I tell my leader everything as it happened. The trip, our welcome, Riley’s speech, the attack, the riots, and the confrontations with DuPont and Yo’x. He’s appalled to learn of the human’s leader apparent involvement.
Vinz leans forward, his fingers resting below his chin. “Hm,” he says. “It seems like you’ve prevented this incident escalating into a full-scale war.”
“To be perfectly honest, it was mostly Riley Harper’s doing,” I say.
My king raises his eyebrows. “Really? General Thabo sharing the glory with a human? That’s not the general I remember,” he jokes.
“A lot has changed, sir.”
“Indeed. The human and Tyk’ix betrayal is regrettable, but fortunately you two were there to stop this plan from reaching fruition. I will hold a ceremony in your honor as soon as you return to Exon Prime!”
“About that…”
I pause for a moment. This is it. There’s no turning back now. I’m diving head-first into the unknown.
“Yes?”