“Of course my love, I promise,” she says smiling softly at him
“Sin, do you have a link?” Zander says out loud.
Static pierces the air, and then fades away. They look at each other, and he runs a hand through his hair, as static once again erupts, this time followed by Sin’s voice. “Affirmative Captain Kane, the link is complete. How may I be of assistance?”
“Help us find a way off this sardine can,” Zander says quickly.
“I’m sorry Captain Kane, I do not understand the term, ‘sardine can’?”
“Just locate Touvler, and find us a way off this ship, fast.”
“Understood, I will run scenarios. As for Mister Touvler, he is being held several floors below you, awaiting execution. High Lord Quinn has sentenced him to death once the ship reaches the citadel. Which we are… zzzeedfffzzz….”
“Sin?” Zander calls out. He waits for a few moments, before glancing over to Gadamrie, his face wrought with worry. “SIN?” But still no reply comes.
“We must move my love. The longer we stand here, the more we run the chance of being cornered,” Gadamrie says.
“I know, I know, you’re right, you always are. Let’s try to find Touvler, then re-link back up to Sin, get back on board Betha and get off this crate,” he says with a smile as he lifts one of Quinn’s dead hands, and places it against the doors activation-pad. Seconds later it slides open, revealing a sea of federation soldiers waiting for them. Standing at the end of the hallway behind the soldiers, with an evil smile on his face, is High Lord Quinn. “Should’ve seen that coming,” Zander says through clenched teeth. He glances over to Gadamrie as he grips his blaster tightly. “You got something left in you?”
“Enough,” she says, placing a hand on his shoulder and the two disappear.
“DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!” Quinn screams out as the soldiers open fire.
Zander feels his head explode as the colour is ripped from everything except him and Gadamrie. Blaster shots rip through him, like a cool breeze. He looks over to Gadamrie, her face shows her struggle, her energy almost drained. He grips her hand and charges forward through the dreamlike landscape, passing through The Federation Soldiers as if they were nothing. He feels Gadamrie lose her footing and catches her as they both crash to the ground in a heap.
“I’m sorry my love. I-I-I, I don’t think WE can hold us here much longer,” she says.
He looks down the hallway, then back, pulling his blaster towards her. “What the hell is happening to you?”
“Stop wasting time, you must go my love. Find Touvler, free him, and get off this place if...” She takes a deep breath and smiles once more. “The first time we saw you was with a thousand eyes, and we knew we would gladly give our lives for you, for our seed, for what you will become,” she says as she leans up to kiss him, but he pulls away.
“You can’t get off that easy. We’re going to get the hell off this pile of scrap metal, and you’re going to tell me what the hell you’ve put inside me!” He growls, as he lifts her up and throws her onto his shoulders.
“Z-Z-Z-Zander don’t! You’ll endanger your own survival, leave u-us,” she stammers, as she tries to free herself from his hold.
“Lady, you’re not going anywhere except off this pile of junk with me,” he says, charging forward as the world explodes with colour and light. The Federation Soldier’s don’t know what hit them as Zander tears his way through them, blasting a pathway of blood towards Quinn. It only takes a few seconds before he feels blaster fire rip into his side, sending him crashing to the ground with the weight of Gadamrie’s armour pinning him to it. He clenches his teeth together as he drives his fists into the floors metal surface screaming and forces himself up as soldiers come from every angle to tackle him to the ground once more. For several moments everything goes silent, then Quinn strides towards him as the soldiers pull the struggling Zander to his feet.
“How pathetic. Did you really think that would work?” Quinn says.
“Sometimes improvising everything as you go has a strange way of falling to pieces. Unless of course, you plan it that way,” he says, looking to the ground with a smile. Quinn’s eyes follow Zander’s and comes to stop at his feet, where a neo-thermal grenade sits. Everything is engulfed in a white-hot light that lasts for a few seconds, and then it is gone. Slowly Zander opens his eyes, around him the burnt remains of The Federation Soldiers and Quinn are scattered. Gadamrie releases her grip on his leg, and her bio-kinetic shield, that protected them both from the explosion dissipates. He quickly pulls her to her feet and throws her back over his shoulder.
“How did you know we would save you?” She says softly.
“Because you’ve risked everything to protect whatever I’m carrying so far, I made a fair bet you’d continue.”
“We could’ve all died, and I was protecting you Zander, my lov…”
“Save it for someone who believes you. Right now I need you alive, so if you don’t have anything constructive to say, keep it shut. Understood?”
Silence follows, he can feel her tensing up with anger and grips her arm tightly.
“Understood?” He repeats.
“I understand, bu…”
“ZZZZZEETTT…. Sir, do you copy?” Sin’s voice interrupts.
“I’m here. What the hell happened?” He says as he cautiously makes his way down the hallway.
“A defence mechanism interfered with our communicator. I have since convinced Romana to disable the device and also give me the precise location of Mister Touvler,” Sin replies.
“How did you… No wait, I don’t want to know. I still have nightmares about what you did for that battleship in the Nourus Quadrant. Just tell me how I get to Touvler and find us a way off this hunk of junk.”
“I have already taken the liberty of mapping out a path to Mister Touvler, one of course that will give you the least resistance. Once you have him, getting off the said ‘hunk of junk,’ might be harder. Alarms are slowly popping up across the ship, and Betha is surrounded by a large assortment of troops. Quinn will not let us get off here alive Sir.”
“Just find us a way to get back on Betha, and I’ll handle the getting off. Okay?”
“Of course Sir. I will map the quickest, safest route from Mister Touvler’s location,” Sin replies. “May I ask you to be careful sir. This is not coming just from me, but Betha also wishes me to pass on that she hopes for your safe return as well, considering your condition.”
“Tell Betha not to worry about my CONDITION, I’ll be fine. You two just be ready, okay?”
“Of course Sir. I have uploaded the route to Mister Touvler onto your equipment and will work with Romana in finding a way off.”
A blue light on Zander’s bracelet flashes, signalling the arrival of Sin’s data. “Overlay visor,” he commands, as a visor like screen appears before his eyes, acting like a pair of glasses, outlaying the route to Touvler. Quickly he makes his way through deserted corridors, noticing as he moves, the ship's cameras pointing towards the ground. He allows himself to grin, knowing Sin obviously worked his magic once again. The screen glows red signalling for him to stop. Tossing Gadamrie’s now unconscious body to the ground, he quickly rips a vent covering from the side of the corridor, shoves Gadamrie through the opening and follows quickly behind her, then replaces the covering and seals it back in place. The sound of a dozen or more Federation Soldiers charge down the corridor, as Zander crawls through the ducts dragging Gadamrie behind him. This lasts for more than a handful of long sweaty minutes until he comes to an opening. His eyes widen as he looks around the large empty shaft, noticing a small rim that runs around its sides and connects it to several air duct vents. He tilts his head upwards and then downwards, focusing on the map in front of his eyes then lets out a nervous laugh.
“Sin, you can’t be serious?”
“I’m sorry Sir. Is there a situation?” Sin’s voice asks.
“Damn straight there’s a situation. Your map�
�s telling me to jump down into the main air vent,” he says as he settles himself on the ledge, peering over once again. Zander tightly squints his eyes hoping this time to see the bottom, but still only sees darkness.
“That is correct Sir. If you read my instructions, they tell you if you use maximum power and leap at an angle of at least one hundred and thirty-six degrees you will come into contact with the air duct for level six hundred and twenty-three at some stage of your descent. My calculations based on your current weight put it at about twenty-seven seconds from when you jump from the coordinates. Once you have successfully made the jump and landed safely, Mister Touvler is only several corridors away from where the duct vent comes out.”
“Maximum power? What the hell’s that supposed to mean? And what about Gadamrie? What the hell am I supposed to do with her? I’m not leaving her here, not while she’s got questions to answer!”
“If I could have a few moments Sir. I will readjust the information so it will be more current. As it was tailored specifically to you, and only you, if you jump at full strength from the location with Miss Gadamrie over your shoulder, you will not complete the task successfully.”
“I know, that’s what I just said.”
“Of course Sir. Your information should be updated, if you follow the new instructions they should assist yo…”
“NO! I’m going back the way I came. I’ll blast my way through whatever I have to, but I’m not jumping with her, I can’t risk it. I can’t lose her, not while she’s got answers I need.”
“You were always too stubborn for your own good,” Gadamrie says from the tunnel entrance, wincing in pain as she gets to her feet. “We won’t get out of this together. But you will on your own, if you try. So, ask your questions, let this be the place where all is revealed. Where everything becomes one.”
He stands there, looking down into the abyss, then looks over at her. He feels the sweat run down his face and hears it hiss as it drips from him, and lands on the metal sheets that are paved beneath his feet. “What’s inside me?”
“Our child,” she replies.
“What does that mean?”
“What do you want it to mean?”
“I want answers Gadamrie, not riddles!” Zander yells clenching his hands into fists. “WHAT THE HELL IS INSIDE ME!”
“As I told you before my love, my seed is inside you. Growing, creating. Bringing you together as one across the endless stars.”
“Okay, there you go again. What the hell does that mean, the endless stars?”
“It is better for you,” she says reaching out to him, and grabbing him by the arm. “If I show you.” Her eyes glow brightly as does his, and she sucks in a deep breath. For many silent moments that hover in the air, then they both fall to the tunnel floor. Zander frantically searches with his eyes, the information overpowering his senses.
“W-W-What you told me before, about being attacked all at once. Was that across realities?”
“Yes, we are the last. And soon we will be no more,” she says softly.
“And the one from before, who possessed your body. Who was she?”
She looks down gasping. “The original host of this body, the Gadamrie of this reality.”
Zander stumbles to his feet and casts a glance over to her, then into the abyss of the shaft. “Even staring into the face of death, you still lie.”
“Eventually my love, death is nothing, and all lies become the tru…” she doesn’t get to finish her words, as he pulls his blaster free and plants a shot to the center of her head. Her lifeless body topples over the edge, falling into the darkness of the shaft. He lets out a scream of frustration, driving a fist into the wall, then tosses his blaster into the shaft. Slowly he makes his way back up the ventilation duct, and out into the corridor where he finds himself surrounded by Federation Soldiers.
“Take me to Quinn, tell him we need to talk,” he says as he raises his hands in the air and falls to his knees.
***
Zander looks up into Quinn’s eyes, and he can see his disbelief. If he’s to win his freedom, and Quinn’s trust, he must do more than tell a tale, he must give him something tangible. But, like the sweat pouring from his body, the truth is anything but solid.
“I presented the Sumarian piece of trash to you alive as you requested. Then I graciously sat here while you whispered sweet nothings in my ear, nothings that tell a story I would be stupid to believe! So tell me, do you really think I’m that gullible?” Quinn growls as he leaps up from his seat and strides towards a window, looking out into the depths of space.
“Why would I lie? You know me. You know how I work. Do you think if I was trying to escape, I’d pull something like this? I’d rather go down fighting than give myself over to The Federation. It would be suicide, and last time I checked I was anything but suicidal.”
“Those facts are not lost on me Kane, but stories of beings older than time, multiple realities, and you locked in the middle of it all. It just sounds like you’re starting to believe all the stories they tell about the ‘great’ Zander Kane, the man who defied The Federation for the love of a woman,” he says, slightly turning towards him raising an eyebrow. “Prove to me you’re telling the truth, show me something, and I will see you’re treated fairly when you stand trial for your crimes.”
Zander laughs, “I’m not standing trial.”
Quinn turns around quickly, his face twisted with rage. “WHAT? You expect me to let you go?”
“That’s pretty much the idea.”
“Do you really think I’m that STUPID!”
“No, I think you’re one of the most intelligent strategists I’ve ever known. A man I could count on when everything was going wrong. A man who I knew, when the chips were down would be by my side. Quinn, you know the right thing to do here, you know it’s better to have me out there fighting against the rebellion, against that thing who calls herself the leader of the free people, than locked in some cell awaiting execution!”
They stare at each other for some time before Quinn calmly sits back down. “You always had a way with words, oral manipulation we used to call it. I can see you haven’t lost the knack. But if I let you go, The President would have me locked away instead of you, unless…”
“Unless?”
“Unless you can prove to me what you’re saying is true.”
“Gadamrie was my proof, but she’s splattered at the bottom of a service vent.”
“Then we are at an impasse, unless you can raise her from the dead,” Quinn says as he slowly stands up once more. “But just so you know, this brings me no joy. I would’ve died for you once, that still holds something within me. Unfortunately for you, I will not take a risk such as this on a tall tale.”
“I can show you proof,” Touvler announces, they both turn to him and Zander’s eyebrows raise with curiosity.
“Show me your proof,” Quinn says.
“It’s not that easy. I can show you what Gadamrie said, but it involves preforming a Terk’lock.”
“Do you both think to play me for a fool now? I’m well versed in Sumarian rituals, and the Terk’lock is one that has been outlawed for centuries. One miss-step and my brain could be liquefied. So you’ll have to try another way to prove your story.”
“You want proof, we’re offering it. Or don’t you really care?” Zander says turning back to face Quinn.
“Don’t try and use my words against me, it will get you nowhere, so jus…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, as the room starts to disintegrate around them. He clenches his teeth together and makes fists with both hands. “How long have you had me under your pathetic thumb?”
“As soon as you asked me to show you proof,” Touvler says.
“Then don’t waste time, take me to her,” he says. The room flashes with light, and then the three of them are hovering above the ventilation shaft, as a distraught Zander peers over.
“What’s inside me?” he asks.
“Our chil
d,” Gadamrie replies.
“What does that mean?”
“What do you want it to mean?”
“I want answers Gadamrie, not riddles!” Zander yells, clenching his hands into fists. “WHAT THE HELL IS INSIDE ME!”
“As I told you before my love, my seed is inside you. Growing, creating. Bringing you together as one across endless stars.”
“Okay, there you go again. What the hell does that mean, endless stars?”
“It is better for you,” she says reaching out to him. “If I show you,” she says touching him. Her eyes glow brightly as does his, and she sucks in a deep breath as the world fades away until they are both standing in darkness.
“Why does this feel familiar?” Zander asks as he spins around in the darkness until he is facing her once again. “WHAT IS GOING ON!”
“This is the between place, where time is but a moment of nothingness. This is my home.”
“BUT WHY DOES IT FEEL FAMILIAR!” He yells grabbing her.
“Because you are merging. You are becoming one with your others, experiencing moments of their lives through the darkness.”
“I don’t understand,” he says letting go of his grip and taking several staggered steps backward.
“You’re still an infant my love. But soon you will begin to grow, and you will understand that the world out there is endless, not just on one plane of reality, but on countless worlds, on countless stars, in countless Zander Kane’s,” she says forcing a smile.
“Countless Zander Kane’s? Are you saying I’m a clone?”
She laughs, “As I said, you’re still but an infant, I cannot explain the intr…”
She doesn’t get to finish her sentence, as he is upon her once more, driving his blaster into her stomach and slamming her against the wall of the tunnel. “DON’T BE SO SMUG!” He yells. “TELL ME WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME!”
“You realise that weapon has no effect here.”
“Doesn’t stop me from feeling mighty safe with it at your head! TELL ME GADAMRIE!”
She swallows and stares deep into his eyes as images explode before him like a film projector. “When the universe was born, so was he. His name was Danzian, a being existing across each ever-expanding reality. One mind, moving, shaping all to his own will. After countless centuries he grew tired, lonely. For even though he was seen as a god in many of the realities, he was alone, with no one to enjoy the existence with. So, he sought a way to create a mate, one who was as eternal, and as one across the stars as he. For many years he searched, burning his way through the stars, through lovers, until he returned to the place of his birth, and met with the first beings. The Orionat, those untouched by the ravages of the stars, undiluted by the ever-expanding realities that splinter off each other every time something new takes place. Here he found out his true origins, and how his existence was possible, but for him the more important revelation took place when he found how he could create a mate. The Orionat disproved of Danzian’s plans, and instead offered him a place with them outside of the stars, in the darkness. He immediately declined their offer, telling them he needed to be out in the stars, not locked away hiding. They took it badly and attacked him. As the fight waged on, they realised it was a fight they were going to lose. Danzian was skilled, having lived outside experiencing the worlds, while they had hidden themselves watching, wasting their existences. One by one they fell, broken, and it was in this state, it was in defeat that they revealed their true form, that of scavengers. Worms who prey on those who fall outside the stars, who you will one day see for yourself, as I did. For they will call you, as you get closer to the moment of joining. You see my love, Danzian, across all the realities, laid his seed inside me, as I have you. The hive I control is not one of many, it is one across countless realities. And the mind who took me over earlier, she was but one of the versions of myself who vied for control over who I am now, as you will one day face,” she says.
Dark Stars- Firelight Page 6