Within seconds, the clouds vanished, making space to a greenish-blue phenomenon similar to terrestrial Northern Lights, except that these winds were much hotter.
Arkroid and his team, as well as the replication, ducked and took cover inside the small pathway between the statues. They covered their eyes and feared for their lives. If it weren’t for the tall statues there wouldn’t be any cover to protect them.
»God Heavens, Tranos!« Arkroid hissed through his teeth, making eye contact with Pi. He could see that Pi was afraid, but he maintained his composure.
»He won’t make it,« Pi replied mutedly and lowered his head. »A protuberance or a stellar plasma cloud must have graced the planet.«
»It’s a shockwave of heated gases that probably goes around the entire planet, heralding a great catastrophe!« Arkroid replied, clenching his teeth. »If it would’ve hit the planet dead on, then it would already be over with us. A protuberance collision would melt the surface and blow away the atmosphere. I think, however, that it won’t be that bad after all, just think about the animals.«
»What animals?« Maya asked, ducking a couple of meters away while wave after wave rushed by over her head.
»I’ve seen them,« Arkroid explained. »There were huge swarms of large birds in the night sky. They were fleeing in the opposite direction from the sun. I figure, they flew to the other side of the planet.«
»Is this part of the same story like the blooming meadows?« Maya mocked.
»The plants and animals exist! The fauna and flora adapted to the extreme conditions of this world,« he replied dryly.
»Unfortunately, we can’t fly or crawl under the surface to avoid the flames,« Herimos growled. »We Neo-Sapiens believe that death comes over us like a burning gmog, a mysterious giant insect. I never thought that our legends would come true.«
»We’re still alive,« Arkroid insisted. »Morgotradon lured us into a trap, but the fight is not yet over!«
As soon as the hot waves subsided, Herimos peeked cautiously from his protected location into the plain again. Almost without delay, it had become bright day light. The sun painted the surroundings in blood-red colors. The partially glassy surface glared in strange colors.
»The sun periodically changes its size and surface temperature,« Herimos explained. »I’m now certain that we’re not dealing with a nova. The Skull World must have gone through many of these cycles in the past – and the portal is still standing. Toiber is right, there’s still hope …«
Herimos stopped talking; his heavy breathing could be heard via the communication.
»Herimos, what’s going on?« Arkroid asked worried.
»I can see the stars,« he replied. »We’re definitely no longer in Scutum-Crux! I believe that the Skull World is not even inside the Milky Way plain. This variable star is located at the edge of a spherical star cluster. Look for yourselves!«
Arkroid left his position and ran, stooped, along the narrow pathway. Herimos was pointing at the horizon. Directly above the rising sun sickle was a gigantic stellar object. Although, the sun was blinding, the object was clearly visible, stretching over half of the sky, almost reaching the zenith.
A spherical star cluster! The clouds had prevented a clear sight. Herimos is right! Arkroid thought mesmerized. It still doesn’t help us. There’re hundreds of these clusters in the Milky Way.
»We know as much as before,« he whispered and tried to find Tranos in the plain, but didn’t see him. The heat wave had scorched the ground; thick smoke was rising from some of the deep crevices, creating a wall of smog.
»The Progonaut left in this direction,« Herimos announced, pointing toward a small hill in the distance. »He ran right into the fire wall. I can’t imagine that our defense shields can withstand such heat.«
»Why can’t we hear him anymore?« Kuster~Laap asked. »I thought that Nautilus’ comm-devices are very robust.«
»He probably shut off his transmitter,« Arkroid assumed.
»Why did he do that?« Paafnas responded nervously.
»So you didn’t hear his screams of pain during his death struggle, which would have prompted you to run after him through this Hell, trying to save him,« the replication suddenly interjected.
Maya threw an irritated glance at her replication and said, »I’ think, she’s not that far off with her assumption. Tranos didn’t want us to risk our lives for him.«
»How long until the next heat wave arrives?« Arkroid inquired. He assumed that the current condition was just the calm before another storm.
Kuster~Laap silently conferenced with his guards and then said, »Less than twenty minutes of your time units. The next wave will be much stronger. Maybe it’s wiser to abandon the Jamal-Combs and defeat the portal’s blocking scheme. Vasina and Tranos have no chance against Morgotradon, they’re probably dead by now.«
»We came here to fight Morgotradon,« Herimos replied grudgingly. »I think it’s time we do something along that line. If you want to give up, Chiropter, then go to the portal! I, for my part, will go after Vasina and Tranos!«
Arkroid raised his hands to calm Herimos.
»We stay together. We can only manage as a group. If we split up then that’s the end for all of us!«
Herimos nodded and huffed in agreement. He let his heavy weapon slip from his shoulder, aiming it at Voit Masgur’s dead body.
»First, we have to honor our friend by sending him into the realms of eternity. We cannot leave him here like that, disgracefully murdered! My people honor their dead by burning them. We need to pave the way for Voit to enter the cosmos of eternal peace. He’ll wait there for us and thank us when we join him one day.«
Pi’s eyes showed his respect for Herimos. He hadn’t expected such a deep spiritual sentiment of a Neo-Sapien.
»Also on Earth, we burn our dead. In most cases, however, we bury them in the ground. This will be difficult at this place with all the rocks,« Pi replied in a hoarse voice.
Herimos pointed his weapon toward the ground and adjusted the energy output. A bright beam left the nozzle, burning and evaporating the ground two meters beside Voit’s body. Minutes later, he had created a rectangular hole, wide and deep enough to contain the dead body.
After the ground had adequately cooled, Arkroid and Pi cautiously laid the stiff body into the grave. Covering his body with a foil, Herimos cut out a thin plate from the bottom of a nearby statue. He then placed the plate on the grave and covered it.
After the work was done, Herimos shouted a loud battle cry and slammed his fist against his chest. It was his way to show his respect while the others surrounded the grave in silence for a minute.
After the minute of silence, Paafnas climbed on Pi’s shoulder, patted him on the side and said, »Let’s go Pi, our friends need help!«
Herimos nodded, shouldered his heavy weapon and took the lead.
»Paaf, pay attention to the surroundings! If you just get a whiff of Morgotradon. Let me know immediately,« Pi reminded him.
Right behind Herimos followed the replication while Maya was just a couple of steps behind them, having an eye on her sister. The Chiropter and his guards cued up behind her while Arkroid was last, securing the team’s back.
Herimos led the team toward the direction where he had lost visual contact with Tranos. The team followed him one by one, avoiding deep, smoldering crevices and sharp-edged, cooled off lava bubbles. They were heading toward a small hill chain, which obstructed the view at the landscape behind it.
Arkroid looked back at the stone faces looking at the direction the next heat wave was coming from.
We don’t have much time! he thought and shouted at Herimos to pick up the pace.
We need to find a safe place
Vasina awoke to Morgotradon’s grinning face. She had met him before and never forgotten his eyes!
She wanted to check if the Jamal-Combs were still in her pocket, but she couldn’t move. She was suffering from the after-effects of a stun weapon with wh
ich Morgotradon had captured her. Under the cover of his disguise field, he had kidnapped her.
She was fighting the paralysis effect but was not yet successful. Vasina was lying on the hard ground which was covered with sharp gravel. She was literally in his hands.
»Vasina of Atlantika,« she heard him say. »At the end it was child’s play. I just had to leave my Jamal-Comb behind so you couldn’t notice my approach. It was so easy to outsmart you.«
Vasina went through waves of muscle cramps as she replied with a twitched voice, »That won’t change your death sentence!«
Morgotradon laughed mutedly.
»The truth is: you should’ve died a million years ago! The infected Kokradian advised me, however, to let you live. I didn’t believe that time that someone was able to look into the future that was still a million years ahead, he was correct. Today, I know that the degenerated technology enhanced his abilities greatly. Now, your mission is accomplished. You brought me the three keys, Progonaut Queen and former Princess of Atlantika!«
Vasina’s eyes looked despairingly as she replied, »You once were an honorable fleet leader. The House of Persia was proud of you. What happened to the man my father adored – a murderer and criminal! You became an enemy of all people and an insane oppressor!«
Morgotradon’s eyes glowed as he crouched down beside her, looking her straight in the eyes.
»You should be thankful. You’re still around because I wanted you to survive all these years inside the sarcophagus! Your name would have been history, otherwise. Since I’m the master over your life, I also determine when you die! That’ll be today!«
»You’re a damn liar! Nothing you just said is true,« she said calmly.
Her eyes showed her astonishment; otherwise, she had herself under control and suppressed her emotions perfectly.
Morgotradon displayed his famous devilish grin as he continued, »You don’t remember what went down that time. You’re still brooding over the events and trying to fill the gaps in your memory. You’re wondering about how you survived and how you were rescued from your icy abode, right? You don’t even remember the death of your first shield-bearer! Let me assure you, he did everything in his powers to save you, well knowing, that his attempt to kill the Globuster Lord would fail.«
Vasina tried to free herself from the paralyzing effects, but her limbs didn’t react to her brain’s commands.
»Give it up, monarch over an extinct society! This planet is the last stop on your journey through time and space!« he stated sarcastically.
She hated him, but looked on fascinated at the mysterious glow as he joined all four Jamal-Combs before her eyes.
»Five are required to thwart off the parasite galaxy, no more – no less,« he whispered in her ear.
His warm, moist and strange smelling breath disgusted her. He knew the myth about the keys.
»You were one of us once, but the Dark Brotherhood made a monster out of you,« she hissed. »You’ll receive your punishment soon for what you did, if not from me then from the hands of my companions!«
»I am … the Dark Brotherhood!« he replied harshly, jumping up and briefly gasping for air. »Your friends are as good as dead and I have four Jamal-Combs! I rearrange the future and manifest the time line which will make me the supreme ruler over this galaxy!«
»You’ve completely gone mad, Morgotradon! You betrayed your own people and all other galactic civilizations, even your masters! The Protectors will hold you responsible and drive back whoever is causing this dimensional transfer.«
Morgotradon threw his head back.
»Protectors … huh? They’re a myth … a Genorantan invention, wishful thought! Can’t you see the truth? The portal engineers decided a million years ago to give up the galaxy. These cowards fled and abandoned the Milky Way! Humanity never reached the evolutionary stage to become Protectors, as dreamed up by the Genorantans, I made sure of it … but you knew that already Progonaut Queen!«
Vasina was breathing deeply.
»Do you really think that you can influence the future? That you can select different probabilities like ordering a meal from a menu? You’re more insane then I thought. Nobody can change fate, not even you … you disloyal deserter!«
Instead of reacting angrily to her accusations, he bowed down to her, smiling, »You can’t insult me. So far everything went according to my plans, my dear Vasina. Tell me: who is laying here on the ground, you or me? Even the place we’re at right now has a history and was well selected! You’ll understand what I mean, just before you die! I’ll be long gone by then and, together with my new queen, on the way to establish a new empire! You’re enveloped by a weak protection field. The defense shield surrounding us will burst like a soap bubble when the next heat wave arrives. The sun will burn the life out of you as it did with your shield bearer during the first wave! I’ll go now, get my future queen and then leave this world. A ship is waiting for me … death is waiting for you!«
He barely finished his sentence as suddenly his defense shield glowed. Surprised, Morgotradon turned around. Vasina felt the effects of a pressure wave grazing her weakly while Morgotradon was hit dead on. He staggered and screamed in anger. It was, however, not the expected planetary heat wave that hit him rather Tranos’ shot from his energy weapon. Vasina was able to move her head and saw him approaching from between two geysers that spewed their hot steam into the air.
Tranos’ chest armor showed signs of great heat exposure, charred at several places. He looked like a walking dead man. The heat had singed his hair. His skin showed burn marks on the arms and legs, indicating that his defense field must have partially collapsed. It was like a wonder that he was still walking at all. Nothing seemed to hinder him in performing his duties. Vasina could clearly see that he was in a lot of pain. The only thing, not apparently damaged and still shiny, was his shield!
Tranos held the shield in such a way that it reflected the rising sun, momentarily blinding Morgotradon.
The shield in one hand and the Progonaut sword in the other, he stormed forward to face Morgotradon. With a battle cry, he jumped forward and put all his might into the first strike. Sparks flew as Tranos’ sword hit Morgotradon’s blade who had, lightning-fast, pulled his own sword to defend himself against the young attacker.
Morgotradon blocked Tranos’ blow, swiftly turned and aimed for the legs. Tranos was well versed in sword fights and saw it coming. He dodged the move and assumed a better position.
Morgotradon’s face displayed his rage and anger – he hadn’t expected this turn of events!
»You should be dead!« he yelled. »Your body is supposed to lie in the plain, burned to charcoal! You don’t want to die, you don’t want to give up protecting your little queen, eh? Now is your chance to prove yourself, Shield-Bearer!«
Morgotradon raised his sword to attack Vasina who was lying defenseless on the ground. Tranos, however, was faster and turned his shield toward the tyrant.
»Don’t you dare, you radrin!« Tranos used the Progonaut equivalent to the terrestrial son of a bitch to divert Morgotradon’s attention away from Vasina. He released another pressure blast, which however, was easily compensated by Morgotradon’s defense shield, even on such a short distance. Morgotradon hardly staggered.
»You want to finish it this way?« he yelled at Tranos and wielded his sword. With his powerful blow, Morgotradon wanted to destroy Tranos’ shield with his archaic looking sword, which was able to cut through a steel beam like a knife through butter. He failed to even scratch the shield! Morgotradon’s sword broke at the cross guard! Angry about his failure to rob Tranos of his defense, he threw the grip away and activated his disguise field instead to avoid hand-to-hand combat, although Tranos wasn’t in command of his full strength due to his injuries.
Pointing his sword forward, Tranos was waiting for Morgotradon, one eye watching his shield scanners. He slowly turned around, assuming that Morgotradon had changed location.
»Fight, you disho
norable coward!« Tranos yelled into the plain, but didn’t receive an answer.
After a couple of minutes, he felt confident that there was no immediate danger and turned to Vasina.
»Tranos! You defended the honor of our house! Morgotradon surprised me and stole the combs! He’s going to leave this world as soon as possible!« Vasina advised. »I’m paralyzed and can hardly move. He won’t come back, he’s running out of time!«
Tranos established a bell-shaped defense shield and attended his queen. He pulled out an injector from his First Aid kit and injected Vasina with a serum to counter the paralysis effects. Hastily, he looked around while massaging the serum into Vasina’s arm. Morgotradon had vanished, however. Tranos believed that he was still around, though!
»Tranos, you’re injured!« Vasina said with a weak voice. »Your burns need to be taken care of. How did you survive the heat wave?«
»The shield, my queen,« Tranos replied exhausted. »The shield protected me from the worst. I’m detecting a second heat wave which rolls around the planet with supersonic speed. It’s coming closer. We need to find a safe place; there’s not much time!«
»First we need to warn the others!« she insisted. »Morgotradon thinks to know the future. He is possessed by his vision. He’ll do anything to make his fantasies come true!«
Tranos raised his head. Something had caught his attention.
»Morgotradon?« Vasina asked anxiously.
Tranos shook his head and said, »Something is going on with the planet, can’t you feel it?«
Oh, my God
It started with a slight vibration, then it turned into a strong earthquake. Strong wave-like tremors ran across the plain. The team was struggling standing on their feet. Even the strong Herimos staggered.
The ground around the team broke open. The hard glassy rock fractured, throwing debris in the air caused by high pressure gases. A rain of sulfur descended on the area.
NEBULAR Collection 6 - The Great Tremor: Episodes 27 - 30 Page 17