“What do you want me to do?” I asked as defeat filled my voice.
Karakatos smiled at me triumphantly. Reveling in getting what he wanted.
“It is quite simple. This machine has the ability to open the rift, under the sentinel’s astute control; it can also be used to control the energies the rift’s opening will release. The only thing it lacks is a start, an initial power surge that will begin the process. That is where you come in. Your friend can only control the energy; you however, can summon it.”
“How much energy will it take to start the machine?” I asked.
“All of it.” He answered, staring at me intently.
I was afraid; the earlier use of my powers were small things, imbuing my weapons with energy, nothing like this. What if I couldn’t control it? What if it got loose and killed us all?
“Let her go first.” I said, knowing it didn’t make a difference.
Karakatos smiled bigger, then released Kim, she ran to me, hugging me tightly. I almost fell as I fought to keep my balance. Arendiol came to us, giving me support.
“Make sure she is safe.” I said to Arendiol.
She looked at me with grave seriousness, understanding what was going to happen. She nodded once, then pulled Kim away from me.
“C’mon, it’s going to be okay, c’mon.” She tried to sooth her.
I turned back towards the machine and Neal.
“Okay, let’s do this.” I said.
Chapter seventeen
I took one more last look at Kim, letting her face fill my mind, using her as a grounding rod.
Breathing slowly at first I began to open myself up to the forces that were under my control. I flexed the muscle in my mind, drawing energy into myself, letting it fill every ounce of my being. I felt the vast power build, starting as a slight pressure behind my ears and soon becoming a relentless tide that refused to stop coming.
With a grunt of effort I began directing the energy towards Neal, letting the power flow to him. I became a conduit, allowing the untold riches of the dark energy become something tangent, something that could be harnessed and sent it to Neal, where he could use it as he deemed fit.
Neal’s eyes began to blaze gold, the light pouring from them like two small suns, fighting for a place in the solar system. He worked the controls on the machine furiously, never slacking. We danced like that for minutes, me gathering energy and Neal using it. Eventually the machine began to hum as it finally received the juice it needed to begin to show signs of life.
The cylindrical apparatus that I thought resembled a jet engine began to turn, slowly at first but then gaining speed, eventually becoming a blur as it moved faster and faster. The entire room vibrated with power as the levels of what I gathered and sent to Neal increased. I felt the edge of reality as I tapped into the essence of creation. The vast enormity of the universe opened before me and I almost felt as though I was touching the hand of god, as if I could feel the substance of life. The feeling of losing myself to the powers of the cosmos frightened me but I kept going, knowing, somehow, that it wasn’t enough, that the machine needed more.
A beam of pure white light shot from the turbine, it concentrated the farther from the machine that it got and twenty feet away came to a point, a singularity. The light became solid, and grew as I felt the fabric of the universe begin to bend. The doorway to another dimension slowly opened as the energies released ripped a hole in known reality. I felt an odd sensation as the rift occurred, like being in an old movie where the images on the screen don’t line up and there are two identical pictures, vying for the same space.
There was a loud crackle and I saw in my peripheral vision as Karakatos and the others were knocked from their feet. Electricity raced from the singularity, snaking off in all directions, where it contacted the walls, strange shapes grew, as if the energy released transformed the substance of our dimension into something else, a mix of the two dimensional energies.
Neal did something on the machine and the singularity seemed to come under control, the electricity stopped leaking and the ball of light became more solid.
The machine began to glow, all of the components on it blazed with an inner power. The same light raced through the connecting structures of the machine and went wherever they were connected, to do whatever they were designed to do.
I knew, without understanding how I knew that the machine was funneling the energy from the rift to power a multitude of things the Warlord had designed. I felt the energy as it began to power up a huge city wide defense system, consisting of powerful lasers and other weapons. I saw it race towards the foundations of the city to begin forcing the earth to push us up, up from the ocean floor towards the surface. I saw the energy flow into the growth chambers, to fuel the massive clone army the Warlord was planning on hatching and also towards the large manufacturing area to produce the new Atlantean armor used by Karakatos himself.
The energy I was providing was going to fuel a world war, one where there could be only one victor, where Karakatos would prove that whoever carried the bigger stick, won. I shuddered at the thought of the death and destruction my actions would allow to be unleased on the people of earth.
I saw Neal’s eyes blaze bright white for a few seconds and then he slumped to one knee, only to quickly regain his footing. He did something then that gave me a spark of hope, he looked over at me. In his eyes I saw something I had feared was gone, I saw Neal again.
Raiphaim, what have I done? Neal asked, my heart swelled with hope.
Of course my lord, who else would it be? If I could have I would have cried out loud in joy at that moment, only Neal would be so literal.
I… I think I was sick. I don’t remember much after using the city’s interface, but if my calculations are correct, I was infected with a virus, one that overrode my programming.
The energies flowing through me seem to have acted as a fever, burning off the infection, allowing my original programming to reinsert itself.
Yeah, I think so. I seemed to have missed a lot.
Was that a joke?
Allow me a moment to get a better understanding of our situation. He said.
After what seemed like an eternity Neal responded.
I have analyzed our predicament.
And the situation is not good. The machine is working at eighty-five percent capacity, once it reaches one-hundred percent it will no longer need your services at which point the Warlord plans on murdering you before you can muster any resistance.
I believe I am correct in assuming you wish to shut it down.
Any attempt to stop the process now would result in a backlash of energy. I can shut it down, but there would be a reverberation, one that would dwarf the blast that caused the Fall.
Both of those options just didn’t seem like much fun, there had to be another way.
My lord, there is a third option.
Of course, I
could always count on Neal.
It may be possible to shut the power off and divert the energies straight up, funnel them into a tight beam up into the sky, thereby sending the destructive forces into space, rendering them harmless.
That is correct, even though the citizens are wearing skin suits and would be able to breath underwater, the destructive forces unleashed from so much water rushing in and destroying the city would kill untold thousands.
Holy crap, I think I knew how we could minimize the damage.
That depends, my lord.
Then yes, I was thinking what you were thinking. The machine is at ninety-five percent.
As crazy as it sounded, I think Neal’s plan just might work. Of course the world might be a little interested in the Lost City of Atlantis just surfacing in the Bermuda Triangle, but that was something to deal with after I saved the entire city and the world from the Warlord’s madness.
My lord, my sensors indicate that you are injured. Your current ailments may make it difficult to fight off your enemies, I suggest you attempt to funnel the energy you have been gathering into yourself and repair your damaged limbs. Neal said.
Normally it would be beyond your ability, the complexity for healing damaged organic matter is vast, but the energies that have built in this place may allow such an act.
I asked.
It will take me approximately five minutes to establish a protective shield around myself, until that time I will be vulnerable. Once you are free, I will shut down all energy transfer except to the ascension machines. That will alert the Warlord that something has gone awry. Until I create my barrier I will be exposed, if I am stopped from keeping the machine working functionally it will shut down and close the rift, destroying us all.
Ninety-nine point five, ninety-nine point six…. Neal counted.
I only had a few seconds to prepare for action. I really wanted to see the look on the Warlord’s face when he realizes his little plans have gone wrong.
I knew I only had a few seconds and used them wisely. I drew from the power I was transferring to Neal, the sheer magnitude of it was staggering. I tapped into it and diverted a fraction of it into myself, sending it towards the damaged areas, the places the Warlord had broken during our fight. I immediately felt the power rip through me and I absently heard myself screaming out in pain as the cosmic forces tore my body apart and then knitted it back together. The process only took a moment, but it seemed like an eternity as I was remade.
I could feel the strength flowing through me and knew I would be filled with the dark energy when I finally broke free from the power.
The machine is at one-hundred percent capacity. I vaguely heard Neal say, his thoughts seemed to be vying for space inside my head, a head that was filled with the power of the universe.
With a grunt of effort I broke free from the cycle, dropping to one knee. I felt washed clean, my body thrummed with power and I could sense and feel everyone in the room.
Kim huddled with Arendiol, they had backed to edge of the room, trying to keep small. Neal was still at the controls of the machine, working furiously to keep the rift from destabilizing, the area where he worked was swirling with the energy of the cosmos, it made it hard to discern what was happening within that cyclone of power.
Karakatos stood where he had been, his body faced Neal and he looked on with rapt attention, like a preacher seeing a true miracle for the first time. He turned to Julake and said, “Kill him.”
“I don’t think so.” I said, standing up and facing the Warlord.
“Get Kim to safety.” I said to Arendiol, never looking over at them.
She was as surprised at my recovery as I was, but managed to keep her wits about her. She grabbed Kim and hurried her out of the door.
Julake stopped in mid stride, unsure of what to do next. I acted first.
I reached out and with a small effort of will, brought my sword to me. It flew through the air and I easily caught it. I channeled some energy into it and it began to glow with a bright blue radiance. I turned to them both, enjoying their momentary stunned expressions.
“Listen up douchebags. I have had fun playing with you and crazy pants over there but in the words of my favorite space marine, game over man.” I said, waiting for a reaction.
I didn’t have to wait long.
Julake raised one of the foam pistols and shot me dead center of my chest with two white foam balls. Within a few seconds the foam had expanded and covered my chest and I was soon completely immobilized by the foam cocoon. Normally I would be done for, I hadn’t previously been able to do anything about my predicament, but that wasn’t the case anymore.
Julake looked over at a large screen, seeing something he didn’t like.
“Power to everything but the ascension machine has been shut down.” He said.
Neal worked fast.
Karakatos turned from me to Neal, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Kill this disgrace to our people, then bring online the second phase virus, it seems as though our dear sentinel may need readjusting.”
Julake turned back to me, murder in his eyes.
He took a few steps towards me then had to duck as I blasted free from my prison, using the energies I had gathered to force the foam from my body. The freedom was liberating.
I raised my sword and used it like a lightning rod, funneling power down it and straight towards the Warlord. A blue beam shot from my sword and slammed him dead in the chest, sending him flying through the air to slam into the wall. His armor where I had hit him was blackened and smoked from the heat of my attack.
Julake quickly reached over and slapped a button on the desk next to him. Lights and sirens immediately began bleating and flashing, the large doors on both sides of the room opened and twenty well-armed Atlantean soldiers rushed in, ready for war.
They wore the same thick armor as the Warlord, only theirs was blue instead of red. Each one of them carried a deadly looking sword and they closed in on me like a pack of hyenas on a wounded water buffalo.
Forcing my way free of the foam had taken some of my energy reserves, but I still had plenty left. I saw out of the corner of my eye as Julake went over to the Warlord who was beginning to stir awake. Damn, I wished I had killed him.
The first wave of soldiers rushed me and I met them with a swipe of my blade. Five of them came at me, their numbers giving them the advantage, but they weren’t ready for me.
I moved faster than I ever had before, like a shadow I flitted past their attacks and severed arm from body, head from neck and guts from stomach. They moved in almost slow motion as my enhanced speed allowed me to dispatch them with ease. Their armor only provided a small amount of resistance as it wasn’t as strong as the Warlord’s; I guess he kept the best for himself, what a swell guy.
I stopped, standing amidst five dead bodies. Killing them wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I didn’t have much choice, it was either them or me, and I didn’t have any plans on dying today.
Everyone had to brace themselves as a deep rumbling flowed through the building, reminding me of an earthquake. I saw a few pieces of the marble architecture fall from the structure as the forces required to move billions of tons of rock and push the entire city up to the surface reverberated all around us.
I felt a slight movement
as we slowly began lifting from the ocean floor.
“HA! You see? It has begun! We will bring in a new age of rule, one that will be marked by peace and structure!” The Warlord screamed, standing with his slightly damaged armor.
“Sure, you just have to murder billions of people to establish your so called peace!” I answered back.
“Bah! You will never understand. Kill him, kill him now.” He answered, turning from me.
“Where do you think you’re going you son of a bitch!” I yelled as another wave of soldiers rushed me.
I again waded into them, using my enhanced abilities to make quick work of them, only this time afterwards I was winded, I could feel as I was using my reserves, soon I would be at normal strength.
Ten soldiers stood looking at me, amazed wonder filled their eyes at seeing me kill their fellow men so efficiently.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. The Warlord is mad, he wants to bring about a world war. You don’t have to be part of this, let me through, let me deal with him and this madness will end.” I pleaded with them, hoping they would listen to reason.
“The Warlord has given his orders; you will not leave this room alive.” One of them said.
I really didn’t want to keep killing them; maybe there was a way I could stop them without having to.
I gathered the rest of my energy reserves and channeled it to my sword, pointing the sword at the soldiers I formulated what I wanted, I saw it in my mind and then with a grunt of effort I unleashed the power, hoping to god it did as I asked.
The energy rushed from my sword in a large flow of electricity, racing through the men and causing them all to convulse uncontrollably. Within a few seconds I watched as they all flopped to the floor and stayed there, knocked unconscious by the electric assault.
I felt dizziness and fatigue sweep through me as the energy I expended took its toll. I used my sword as a crutch, making sure I didn’t fall over.
Well done, my lord. You are learning to control your abilities better, that is good. Perhaps next time you could start with the stun move. I heard Neal’s voice in my head.
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