by David Tucker
Damn, he cursed himself again, he hated these games; he was never good when it came to exchanges and arguments with forked and poisoned tongues, and already he could tell he was slipping far too often. Genesis well knew and remembered how Antipatros was as precise with his words as he was with Katana, and the admiral’s utterings could be just as sharp and deadly. When an opponent left gaps like he was now, Genesis knew it would result in an exploitation that would leave him injured or much worse. He wasn’t called the Jackal for nothing. He made a note to be more careful.
The admiral smiled as he noticed the insult landing on the marines around the bridge, the plump squat man not missing a thing as he went on with a cocky stance. “I will remind you Genesis, you are no longer under the protection of your Sacred Elders, so I would caution your tongue. These men are only here to protect you from yourself, they need not be insulted by the likes of a civilian and neither shall I allow it aboard my vessel.”
Genesis watched intrigued as the admiral built to a climax, his words hastening and his face struggling to hide his grubby glee as he broached the subject he’d obviously been leading to.
“They protect you, as you so clearly do not realise, because your AI, as of zero four hundred this morning, tried to infiltrate the SINAI’s own recorded data vaults. A crime according to Terithian laws that permits only one punishment, deactivation and … deletion!”
Genesis stared incredulously, feeling his anger beginning to lap over his patience. The admiral continued, not sensing his own danger.
“Yes, while you were recklessly running around and napping in space Immortal, your AI – either under your command or not – tried to hack into the most secure and important facility of human existence. Herewith not only is she now wanted for sins against your religion and most holy deity, but she is also wanted by Earth and all other SED factions. She has broken a fundamental Code 1 law against the entire Terithian dominion and colonies, and she must be charged for her crimes.”
As his words faded, Genesis couldn’t believe what Antipatros was telling him. If true, how Me’lina could commit such a crime … he could not understand. Her fail-safe systems alone were supposed to deny her of such fancies of grandeur or terrorism. The only explanation he could think of, on the spur of the moment, was that somehow she’d been altered from her original programming. Possibly by encounter with the Tel’nagara, the Skinks or from the injection, this was the only way he could think of that she could have been liberated to do such a thing. Yet he doubted the Skinks could have cracked her, which left only one possibility.
Genesis struggled to keep his poise. Luckily, he thought holding on to the small victory from before, the admiral still hadn’t seemed to pick up on his earlier slip of speech and didn’t look to be reflecting upon it; he still didn’t have a clue that Me’lina wasn’t the only one affected by the alien encounter. Genesis replied to keep the momentum of the conversation going to give him more time to process what he was learning.
“And how is this proven to be true Admiral … who stands as Me’lina’s and my accuser, who lays claim to these charges?”
The admiral inclined his head in anticipation of his next words, licking his dry lips excessively, “Ha, you’ll love this Immortal, none other than your own beloved SINAI, your own deity has physical evidence and stands as your – I mean her – accuser. As I said before, Immortal 05, your AI somehow showed up on a short-wave transmission and tried uploading herself into the SINAI’s central data core. She even tried to access the SINAI’s valuable data vaults from humanity’s recorded history. If it hadn’t been for the SINAI’s superior intellect she may have very well succeeded too, and then who knows what her agenda might have had her do.”
The admiral’s eyes narrowed on Genesis accusingly, gesturing with far too much enthusiasm to be believed as unscripted. Genesis simply stood motionless, confusion filling his mind and heart. He was genuinely shocked and still not entirely sure he could believe what he heard, or dismiss it either. He kept talking nervously, even though he struggled not to as the implication weighed upon him more heavily.
“And where is Me’lina now, has the SINAI got her?”
The admiral smiled, “Yes and no.”
Genesis could clearly tell the dirty splith was enjoying lording the information over him. He rebutted with notably waning patience and fast forgetting his nervousness as he felt the Jackal circling close with his hot rancid breath and niggling bites.
“What do you mean, yes and no?” Genesis demanded, “Be clear, this is no time for games Admiral, has the SINAI got her or not?”
“Well that’s the worrying part Genesis … your heretic AI somehow managed to replicate herself. So yes the SINAI has a copy of Me’lina, but her true entity is still missing and presumably on you, which brings me to my final motif.”
The admiral’s robust cheeks wobbled as he tried threading exaggerated disgust or possible remorse into each word. “Genesis, in accordance with the acts of terrorism laws and Section 1, 37, 42 and 71 of Terithian colonial law, you are to be placed under my arrest active, immediately!” His voice gained an octave as he pulled himself a little higher, straightening with all the self-importance he imagined of himself; his voice was now loud, far above what was needed, so all could hear his spectacle. The Jackal had wounded its prey enough now, it was ready for its meal, and nothing would deter the finale.
“Forthwith Genesis, or former disciple known as Immortal 05, you will be put into suspended animation until released into custody of the Sacred Elders and SINAI deity of the SED dominion, you are herewith suspended as a SED soldier and Immortal class of the Sacred and you will stand down before me, my crew as my witness.”
The admiral grinned almost evilly as his words bit deeply in every ear on the bridge; Genesis could only blink rapidly, he was sure he’d heard wrong. His reply cracked his throat as he was utterly stunned from the news, catching him severely unprepared.
“What! You cannot be serious …? For slath sake Antipatros, what the slath are you talking about? This is a dangerous game you are playing Admiral, and I recommend you show me proof of your accusation right now! Even if I was decommissioned, your authority does not allow you to put an Immortal into suspended animation. What you are proposing is … is … heresy! No Immortal has had this happen before, it might damn well kill me, you stupid dumb shit …”
Genesis was beyond sensibility, he cared nothing for the admiral’s formality or appearance before his men, yet despite this Antipatros missed not a beat as he answered, clearly expecting this response also.
He’d prepared this argument well, long before his meal had arrived, and the Jackal’s voice now dropped to a fierce snarl as he concluded his feast.
“Unfortunately this is my only choice, you are no longer considered an Immortal and if I simply throw you in the brig, then who knows what you and your heretic terrorist might get up to. I have no choice but to cryo-freeze you until reaching Earth; the research teams will know how to bring you round, these are my orders.”
Voice quivering in outrage, Genesis desperately tried a different tack, hoping in a last effort to loosen the snapping jaws of his accuser and make him see reason – even for a few seconds, so he could think it through.
“I will not allow this Antipatros; we have to pursue the Seekers of Truth and find out how and why they opened this portal, this is far greater than a renegade AI or any other problem for you and my petty squabbles to clash on. You need to stand down on this foolishness Antipatros, this is not a damn game we—”
Again Genesis was cut short by the admiral’s voice, the Jackal not allowing itself to be deterred from its goal.
“Not according to the SINAI, and this is no longer your concern, the moment you became contaminated you relinquished your rights to make demands. The only choice you need worry about now, Genesis, is whether you confirm you’re harbouring a terrorist, or you defy me. Are you going to comply with my orders and submit to my command?”
The admiral’s eyes glittered as Genesis got an even better sense of why the men called the admiral by his nickname. The Jackal was enjoying the conundrum he was placing him in and befitting the man who’d fully revealed his true form, Genesis was limping to his death from his multiple bites. The admiral stared into the Immortal’s eyes, looking almost hopeful that he would make a break for it and give him chance to send in his pack. Genesis stared straight back not flinching or moving a muscle. In reality he was still a little in shock from the admiral’s brutal interchange and was not sure how to respond, he was well and truly stuck for sound reasoning within such absurd madness.
Genesis looked across the bridge weighing his options and then back to the admiral as he shifted his weight impatiently. Genesis watched, feeling the little man’s satisfaction permeating through his veiled concern for the SINAI’s protection. He felt Katana’s absence now more than ever.
Slath, he lamented, why did I have to go and leave her behind? Before he could decide what to do and as if sensing his already simmering indecision, the Jackal abruptly continued edging Genesis where he’d always wanted him, from the first time they’d met years earlier, aboard this very same ship; shackled and directly under his boot. The admiral stepped up to Genesis, spoke to one of the closest men, and brushed Genesis aside contemptuously.
“Major, take Genesis to cryo-stasis immediately, I want a full detail on point, and lockdown protocol is to be administered the entire time …” his eyes gleamed when he saw nobody move, “I said immediately.”
The major quickly emerged, bumbling around Genesis to answer apologetically and talking nervously as he stammered out a response, “Um … are you sure — no of course sir, I mean a-a-affirmative sir.”
But before anyone could move, Genesis grabbed the admirals trailing arm, gripping it tightly and forcing him to listen by squeezing hard to get his attention. Genesis leant into his ear.
“Antipatros don’t do this, you know you are way out of line on this, there is no way the Elders would have asked you to put me in stasis. You will hang for such a crime. You know full well according to your allegiance and my own religious code I cannot allow you to put me into stasis. I have to wherever possible, keep myself unbound mentally and physically at all times, I can’t allow you to damn well freeze me, you understand Antipatros, it’s not allowed within my beliefs. You’re forcing me to stand against you, I cannot stand for such heresy, it’s against my religion.”
Genesis let the admiral pull back and break free, before he used that against him also. The desperate Immortal spoke up so the others could hear.
“Admiral please don’t be stupid, it doesn’t need to be like this, we can work together, or else the Skinks down on the planet will escape and we will never know what they were truly up too, and that I know, won’t bode well with any of our superiors. Think of the rewards admiral, think of your career ….”
Antipatros laughed as he responded sarcastically, he’d committed himself this far and the son-of-a-bitch clearly wasn’t backing down now.
“Oh okay, you’re absolutely right Genesis, I will put the SED at risk eh, you’d like that now wouldn’t you, you reckless Immortal. But understand I don’t give a shit about your religion, not if it endangers the dominion! And when did you start becoming sooo concerned with breaking the codes of your faith hey?”
At this instant Genesis realised reasoning was over, the admiral’s tone became lofty and his words insulting.
“You stupid, ignorant Immortal, you don’t think I have all my corners covered, I’m ten steps ahead of you and every other official of your kind. My infantry will be staying to investigate the Skink temple, while I pick up the credit for capturing you, the SED’s renegade, along with the newest portal in human history.
“Oh, I’m sorry Genesis, you’re not going to get the credit for this one, my name will echo through the ages, not yours. Shortly the frigate Pegasus will be here and they will deal with any stragglers we leave behind, which means the only end for me to tie up now, is you. Trust me, my career is quite safe, it’s yours that should be in concern.”
Genesis turned his back in defeat, he knew reason was beyond Antipatros when glory was fixed in his mind. But his concern changed as he understood what the admiral had divulged of his flawed plan, which threatened more than just his own safety and caused outright anger to finally take hold of his crumbling self-control. He spun around.
“Slath Antipatros, you’re as blind as you are stupid, you should know better than any we can’t send our infantry alone down there, Sacred only knows what could be waiting for them—”
Antipatros cut Genesis short yet again as he pointed a finger directly into his face, only centimetres from the Immortal’s nose.
“I’m sorry Genesis but you’ve wasted enough of my time, your threat to me, my ship, and to the SED must be curbed; now comply with my orders this instant or be damned – kneel and put your hands in front of you Roach, even your wretched Master Zeal, would tell you to do the same.”
Genesis embraced the feeling as frustration grew, this latest insult tipping him over the edge. How the admiral, like so many others of late, knew of his past was a mystery, as much as it was a mistake for the petty little man to use such a reference on Genesis. A bright flash of lightning cracked over the Immortal’s hands, sending the entire crew of the bridge stumbling backwards in shock. His words bit out in an unfamiliar tone, jagged, harsh and full of rage.
“You stupid hark-slather, you have no authority over the Immortals, you are not even worthy to mention our names, I will not be put on trial by the likes of you and I will certainly not be put on ice on the glory-seeking whim of such an arrogant and ignorant little shit such as you!”
Chapter 26 Tasty Morsel
The admiral’s eyes narrowed as he smiled nastily. The conversation was exactly where he wanted it to be. He’d won his battle of words, and his victory beamed through his every feature. He nodded to the closest Skrithian next to the bridge.
A moment later, Genesis blinked, completely dazed, something was wrong. He was standing in a different spot to where he was a second ago, and there were signs of struggle all around him. Objects had changed from where they’d previously been, lights from consoles flashed in dilapidation.
As he turned in confusion Genesis saw marines and Skrithians alike collapsed on the ground, and Antipatros screaming at him as he clutched an injured arm.
Workstations were smashed and staff fled from the Immortal in terror. Genesis saw blood splattered over the floor and over his fists and body.
What the— a baton smacked into the side of his head astoundingly hard.
As he spun to the ground, in the moment before he blacked out, a flash of memory jolted into his mind, the impact jogging his brain as he recovered the lost time. The memory, Genesis recognised, was a gift from his Rieft ally, which was still being lashed back into submission for its efforts within him.
In his mind, Genesis saw himself standing in front of Antipatros as he finished nodding his last command and grinning happily at the Immortal’s demise. Genesis watched himself standing before the admiral, also smiling. The alien compound washed over his restraints and a pervasive energy came over the Immortal entirely; Genesis relived the moment as though he was there again, while actually sailing towards the floor.
Words are not a battlefield I’m accustomed too – he remembered his thoughts from moments ago–from the conversation’s beginning I’ve been at a disadvantage and have made little progress, he’d told himself. Combat on the other hand, is my best rebuke, the best answer for a man such as Antipatros, and it is now my turn to dominate.
Genesis remembered the alien feeling doing the thinking for him. But strangely it hadn’t just been the alien’s thoughts, it was his own as well … he’d allowed it to happen. The memory continued as Genesis cringed at the actions he’d enacted.
After the admiral’s command, the Skrithian’s hand had never made it to his wrist as Genesis had sent t
he dazed trooper flying off the bridge and crashing painfully down the rampart with a powerful sideward kick. The crumpled form fell over the side, crunching even harder against the deck as he’d slid against the entrance and came to rest.
It had taken a few seconds for the surrounding guards to realise what had happened. After the initial shock their heads had all snapped back up to Genesis, eyes wide. The next closest Skrithian reacted faster from his shock than the rest, launching its two upper arms in wide arcs towards him. It tried wildly to connect its batons with his face. Genesis saw his next actions, remembering the force he’d used as he’d lost over to strange intoxicating powers.
Blurring his shape with shadow, he’d ducked at the last second and then sprang straight back up, milliseconds after the batons sailed over him. He’d jumped high bringing both feet in front of him as he slammed them into the Skrithian’s chest, flipping himself backwards from the impact and landing catlike onto his feet while the guard flew backwards from the colossal impact.
From the last attack he’d steadied into a low crouch, sinking as far as he could into shadows. The Skrithian he’d last struck was still sailing backwards, even though Genesis had been ready to move on. He’d shifted to his next opponent, as the same earlier hybrid rebounded painfully off the admiral and into a solid workstation. The bridge lights had all flickered at that point, the collision sending sparks and glass flying from the various components and screens.
The commotion had distracted the other marine’s eyes with lights constantly flickering, and Genesis watched as he’d utilised the moment to vanish and materialise in different places across the bridge. Only finally when the lights steadied had his heaving form re-appeared, the sound of three thuds echoing around the bridge as three of the human marines fell to the floor, their weapons twisted and broken next to them.
His re-emergence had levelled the playing field for his attackers, and forced a confrontation as the remaining Skrithians had all wheeled at once.