Zander stands before her, his eyes wide with wonderment, his skin pale. He can feel his knees getting weak, and his stomach turning. “B-B-Bullshit!” He mutters.
“I have no reason to lie, not anymore. You are one of my favourite Zander’s, across all of realities. You have been the kindest of all your incarnations. I know you possess the ability to become the one, the Alpha, but you need to survive until the moment, until the birthing. Otherwise, you will be lost forever, as I said it is you I protect, not the seed. Many others have died, many others have been lost, but we cannot lose you,” she says, gently caressing his face with her hand. He pulls away, releasing his grip on her, allowing her to fall to the ground, she lets out a grimace of pain, as he stands at the edge of the vent, looking down into the darkness.
“Will it hurt?”
“The birthing?”
“No, getting my nails done. Of course the birthing, what else is there to talk about?”
“Yes, it will be very painful.”
“And these Orionat, can they be killed?”
“Yes, but only for a short time,” she says, as she pulls herself back to her feet, slowly making her way to his side.
“That’s not a real answer.”
“It is the best I have.”
“What are they like?”
“Who, the Orionat?”
“No, the other Zander’s, are they, like me?” He asks, turning to her.
“Some of them are almost identical, others are far different.”
“And this Danzian, is he still out there?”
“No, he died long ago,” she says softly, looking down to the ground.
“How is that possible if he existed in all realities at once, how could he die?”
“If he was to be killed in all realities, at one time, then he would die.”
“You killed him?”
She stands there in silence for a few moments. before looking back up at him. “No, it was not my hands that took his life, but the hands of my child. She grew jealous of him as she only wanted me for herself. So she killed him, she killed my maker, my father, my lover, my everything and then expected me to join her, to rule all together. I wanted nothing from her, so I left. I explored the stars on my own, while she…”
“She formed the rebellion, so she could battle the powers that control the galaxies, in hope of what, one day ruling all of it, across all the realities?”
“That is her plan, hiding behind the facade of lies, using the war to draw her power. Not just in this reality, but in so many others as well, some of the worlds are damaged beyond repair. But she cares not for anything, just herself. I was unwise to join with her, but I chose one, when it should’ve been all, that was my mistake.”
“How do I stop her?”
“You must join as one to survive. Find Halligans Box, learn it’s secrets and become the alpha, then rid her from all realities at once,” Gadamrie says as she collapses to her knees. “You mu-mu-must survive,” she mutters.
“Halligans Box is a myth, a story to explain an unknown event, like the extinction of the dinosaurs on earth.”
“It exists, and it holds the answers to the questions you seeeeEEEK!” She screams out as 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 as everything melts away like an ice cream on a hot day.
Quinn collapses back into his chair, his eyes wide with panic. His men move swiftly, knocking Touvler to the ground.
“STOP!” Quinn screams as he frantically gets to his feet. “Let them go and get out of here, ALL OF YOU!” The guards look around at each other, confused.
“SIR, TH…” But the soldier doesn’t get to finish his words as Quinn is upon him, lifting him high into the air before tossing him across the room.
“DO NOT MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF!” He screams as the guards quickly empty the room, until it is only the three of them left. Slowly Quinn picks his chair up from the floor and places it back into an upright position before sitting on it.
“Tell me how we’re going to win this war?”
“It begins with finding Halligans Box,” Zander says as he nervously wipes the sweat from his hands on his pants.
Quinn laughs as he swivels in his chair. “How did I know we were going to start there.”
***
“How long do you think it will take you to find them?”
“A piece of string, maybe less, maybe more. I’ve got nothing to go on except a name, but I know a few people who might be able to steer me in the right direction, who knows. All I can do is try,” Zander replies as he extends his hand towards Quinn.
Quinn looks down at his hand, then back to Zander before gripping it tightly with his own. “Be careful out there old-friend. You’ve got a target on your back now, and The Priestess will want you dead once she knows your coming for her. So remember, keep your nose down, and as soon as you find something contact me.”
“I will, and you do the same,” Zander says as he turns away and makes his way up Betha’s ramp, where Sin and Touvler await.
“Zander!” Quinn calls out. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m human, it’s our specialty,” Zander replies with a wry smile as the door slides down, and Betha’s thrusters fire up.
Elsewhere…
“Of course High Lord Quinn, I am pleased with your result. With Kane on our side, the war has finally shifted in our direction. Soon The Priestess and her pathetic rebellion will be no more. You have done a great deed on this day, one The Federation will not forget,” he says as he switches off his communicator. He turns in his seat and looks out of a large window into the vast space before him, smiling. “Soon the war will be ours to win. With you once again by my side, and Kane itching to kill that vile child of yours. The universe, and the very stars themselves will once more be ours to bathe in my daughter,” Balmires says as he turns to Gadamrie, who smiles softly.
Zander Kane
Will
Return
In
DARK STARS
THE
INFINITY TRAP
Dark Stars- Firelight Page 7