by Adam DiSalvo
He stepped over to the one kneeling next to Chandra.
“The Imperials will be thorough when they cleanse this place.”
The two stood up and turned around. Their comrades placed collars around Jaithen and Lilyth’s necks and bound their hands and feet to stretchers. They hauled the two off, leaving Chandra and Marcus behind. The group brought their prey down two floors and into the streets in front of the labs. The leader grabbed at his radio.
“Ten to pick up. Two for inspection.”
“Roger that,” his radio chirped back.
“We don’t have much time here. The Imperials are finally making their way through the tunnels.”
“Are we sure we’re even going to be able to launch?”
“We got codes that will allow our transports to at least get past the initial arriving Imperial forces. After that we have to get to the cruiser and get the fuck out of orbit. The Imperials are going trash this place for sure.”
His buddy laughed behind his face mask.
“No shit right? They're gonna fuck this place up!”
Three vehicles pulled up in front of the masked assembly. Lilyth and Jaithen were lifted from the ground and placed into the back of separate transports. The snatchers entered the vehicles and the caravan drove off. One snatcher removed his helmet and face protection and looked down at Lilyth. He had perfect white skin and ashy blonde hair. His pale green gaze moved over her.
“She always was so beautiful.” he observed, caressing Lilyth's face with his finger tips.
“You know this one Cordon?” asked the driver.
He turned back at the question.
“She’s Lilyth Steelmane. Marcus Steelmane’s daughter.”
“Hoo hoo!” snapped one snatcher as another whistled. “No shit?!”
“I’d recognize her anywhere.”
“Period. This girl's bad!”
“Don’t get too attached brother. We’re handing her over to Hardglave.” revealed Cordon.
“That fucking psychopath! What for?”
“Are you saving you want to keep an ether born around?”
“Nah man, you’re right. Fuck that.”
The masked man looked down at Lilyth.
“What a waste though. You know he’s gonna kill her, right?”
“That’s for him to decide.” Cordon replied. "She’s an ether. We bring all ethers to Hardglave for inspection.”
“What the fuck do you think they’re doing with all these people?”
“They’re fucking ethers man, who cares. Hopefully they’re chopping them up.”
“You’re a savage, Cordon,” exclaimed the snatcher sitting next to the passenger side window.
“You think ethers do that?” asked the driver.
“Do what?"
“Do you think they mutilate their own kind?”
“Dude, who gives a fuck?” Cordon laughed. "Every time we give them an ether it's one less here. Sounds good to me.”
“Yes sir!” applauded one snatcher from the back.
Cordon nodded is head.
“Don’t worry about it,” he assured his associate. “Ethers sure as styx would never be worried about you.”
“For real. You right about that. How long till we get to the old spaceports?”
“We’re not launching form there anymore. We’ve gathered the one hundred and fifty units and for our final launch we're taking off from the old stellar broadcast stations.”
“Those towers that can broadcast into deep space? The ones set into the massive dish carved into the valley?”
“Those are the ones. Take a left up here.”
The caravan wove though the underground city. The streets were now dark. Fire became the main source of light. Smoke choked the air. The transports rolled over debris and crushed the dead bodies filling the streets. The smell of burning death seeped into the cabs of the vehicles. The wipers caked ash onto the edges of the windshield as they passed though the destruction.
“We really fucked this place up, man!”
“And we’re getting off world!” cheered Cordon.
The three transports turned another corner and drove through two columns of the commandeered construction drones into the midst of a mobile HQ. The vehicles came to a stop in front of a large, bus-like vehicle. The soldiers dismounted, pulling Jaithen and Lilyth from the back of the transports. An older man exited the long command vehicle as the group approached. Cordon greeted his superior with a smile.
“Commander Hardglave!”
The Commander was average height with short, gray streaked hair and piercing blue eyes. The stubble on his chin and cheeks created a dark shadow along his sharp features.
“Mr. Bemhe! You have two for inspection!”
“I do Commander!”
Cordon turned around and waived up the men behind him carrying Lilyth and Jaithen. Commander Hardglave approached the specimens.
“Adults?”
“Yes sir. DNA check confirmed the male is positive but, isn’t from Skylauren. The female's a syren. Tempest, graven.”
Hardglave reached down and grabbed Jaithen by the chin, looking him over.
“Looks healthy. Should net around seven quarts. Well done Mr. Bemhe.”
Commander Hardglave stepped around Jaithen’s reinforced stretcher to Lilyth. He gripped her thigh tight.
“Hmm. About five.”
He turned to Cordon.
“Still, even between the two of them it's a lot of syren blood.”
The Commander motioned to two waiting soldiers.
“Put them on a separate transport incase there’s complications. We don’t want the rest of the units to be compromised if something goes wrong.”
The men shouldered their weapons and grabbed the bound couple and took them away.
He readdressed Cordon.
“Now about those Imperials coming down the tunnels. Mr. Bemhe, you’re the best suited man to cover our flank while we leave this place. You are more familiar with this place than any of us.”
“Yes sir.”
Cordon turned and waived for a group of soldiers to accompany him. Commander Hardglave grabbed his radio as he followed the two bound prisoners to their waiting transport.
“All units prepare to pull out. Head to your designated extraction points and prime for launch. Once airborne head directly for our cruiser in orbit. Do not deviate from you course or the imperials in space will fire upon you.”
Lilyth and Jaithen were loaded into the back of a blacked out, up-armored vehicle. Hardglave entered into the rear of the transport with them. The doors slammed shut. Jaithen stirred, groaning.
“My you're a tough one.” Hardglave observed. “Sainthood is deep within you.”
The collar around Jaithen’s neck began to chime. The green lights around the edge turned red and delivered a massive electrical shock to a helpless Jaithen. He screamed in pain. A second shock followed. Then another. Jaithen coughed and groaned.
“Ho-ho-whoa! You’re not tough! Your system draws naturally on the ether to heal yourself! Extraordinary! We’ll have to adjust the collar before it kills you. It won’t be so bad to allow your body to heal itself.”
The device delivered more shocks to Jaithen as the Commander reached down and grabbed it.
“These little devices are absolutely amazing. Aren’t they? Singularium designed them. They're one hundred percent illegal.”
He punched in a code and popped open a slide on the outside edge of the collar. He adjusted a few tiny knobs inside and closed it back tight.
"Every time you try to draw on ether you get zapped! The more you draw, the bigger the zap! It even works on those light speed mother fuckers! Crazy right?”
The vehicle's engine turned over while two more soldiers joined the commander in the back. The doors slammed shut again and they took off down the road.
“What's happening?” Jaithen groaned.
The Commander patted him on the face.
“Y
ou my boy are going the way of the horsesh,” he divulged, pointing to the soldiers around him. “So our little group here can hold together.”
“What?”
“They’re going to drain you and grind you up!”
Jaithen’s consciousness was coming back.
“Who are you?"
Jaithen tugged at the restraints.
“Hey, what the fuck, yo? Let me out of here!”
The cab broke into laughter. Jaithen looked over at an unconscious Lilyth.
“Not a chance in styx!” roared Hardglave. “You’re a fucking syren! Why would we let you go?!”
Jaithen’s eyes went wide. He jerked the restraints again.
“What the fuck are you talking about?! I’m not a fucking syren!”
Jaithen continued to struggle as his sleeve lifted revealing a small tattoo.
“Oh? What’s this?” smiled Hardglave, reaching down to grab Jaithen’s arm.
The Commander slid Jaithen’s sleeve up his arm revealing the whole piece.
“Well I can see why you wouldn’t want to believe that.”
He torqued Jaithen’s arm to show the rest of the men in cab to the sound of clicks and whistles.
“You’re New Fate!” he bellowed. “You’re an ether killer!”
Jaithen turned over his head and looked at Lilyth. She lie motionless, eyes closed, though she could not stop the tears from falling. Jaithen looked back up at the roof of the cab.
“Oh don’t worry.” Hardglave sneered. “You’ll pretty much be together until the end.”
“Fuck you! What the fuck are you doing here anyway?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” chuckled the Commander. “We’re forcefully taking you and your friend against your will!”
The cab erupted into laughter again.
“The best part is you’re a syren and we’re doing it anyway.”
“What the fuck man? Why do you keep saying that?”
“Saying what? Your friend? Is she your girlfriend?” Hardglave mocked.
He pulled out a pistol shaped phlebotomy tool and placed it against Jaithen's arm. He pulled the trigger and drew blood. Hardglave pulled back the device and read the readings aloud.
“Male. Cat three syren. STSr. Twentynine-hundred.”
“Your fucking machine’s broken."
He turned the tool around to show Jaithen the display. Jaithen went pale.
“It’s never wrong,” taunted the Commander. “If I were you I’d consider myself lucky. Would you rather we deliver you and your ‘friend’ to New Fate instead?”
The vehicle rocked back and froth. Jaithen lay silent, sweat gathering on his face.
“That's what I thought. How did you get into the organization as a siren anyway?” Hardglave pressed.
Jaithen stayed silent. Hardglave clapped his hands together.
“In any case I offer you this. If you cooperate I’ll make sure this is completely painless. Otherwise, I’ll have to insist they use stimulants to keep you awake and alive for as much of the procedure as possible,” he grinned. “Understand?”
Lilyth’s collar chimed and delivered such a charge her back arched from the pain.
“Oh! She’s awake!” applauded Hardglave through thick sarcasm.
He leaned in close to her face.
“No ether power sweetie,” he hissed. "Not unless you want an electrifying early conclusion. Got it?”
Lilyth screamed behind grit teeth, pulling at the restraints. The collar shocked her again. Again, she arched in pain. Hardglave shook his head.
“You don’t got it.”
He leaned back in his seat.
“Well the least you can do is keep yourself from boiling your own blood before Singularium can drain you of it.”
She screamed and writhed as the collar shocked her repeatedly.
“Lilyth! Stop!” Jaithen yelled. “Stop!”
Lilyth cried, still tugging at the restraints. Tears rolled down her face. Hardglave cocked his head, wrinkling his nose.
“Is that burning hair I smell? You’re a wild one.”
The communications officer placed his hand on the side of his helmet. Jaithen watched Lilyth as she wept. She turned her head, opening her tear filled eyes. The two syrens interlocked gazes.
“Sir. Mr. Calaris is awaiting a connection. Call is marked most urgent.”
“Excellent! Put him through! Looks like we’ll be able to keep all our heads after all!”
The men in the cab roared and cheered. The crescendo of voices praised Hardglave, in celebration.
CHAPTER 13
TAYTHA CUPPED A tiny flower in her hand, the stem between her middle and ring finger.
“Now,” Haitrion explained kneeling down next to her. “Focus on as much of the flower as you can. Behold it.”
Taytha focused her eyes intently,
"In your mind try to construct the rest you can not see. From the tips of the petals down to the roots. Control your breathing.”
Her breath slowed.
“That’s it. Find a rhythm.”
Taytha’s outstretched hand still cupped the little yellow flower.
“Focus,” Haitrion whispered. “Breath into it.”
Taytha let a slow breath pass through her lips.
“Yes."
Like witnessing the passing of years in moments, the flower began to grow. Tyath’s breathing quickened.
“Focus Sergeant.”
She reigned in control. The magnificent spectacle carried on before them.
“This is also the basic concept of healing,” he pointed out. "A talent of sainthood, though your knowledge of the anatomy of your subject is almost certainly required for healing. Growth is much simpler.”
Taytha shifted her focus to Haitrion. The plant ceased to grow.
“Like the flower, the human body knows how to grow and heal itself. In a sense, what we do is accelerate the process. In some cases push it further. This works for broken bones and diseases. Grave injuries however, will require more knowledge and power than just simple encouragement.”
Taytha looked back down at the now giant flower in her palm. She rubbed the pedals between her fingers.
“This is incredible.”
Haitrion smiled.
“The deeper you understand the subject the greater the affect you can have on its cells and other structures. It can be very dangerous though. Incorrect manipulation of the cells often results malignant, cancerous growths.”
Taytha huffed out a smile.
“Do not squander it Sergeant. Almost every saint has.”
“What do you think I’m supposed to do with this?”
“Only what you can.”
Taytha stood up, looking at her surroundings. The destroyed building they entered was filled with sacks of threshed grain and seeds. Flowers covered the ground where the floor had been broken out.
“What kind of building do you think this is?”
“Judging by the flowers and the seeds I’d say it’s a granary.”
“Did you see any fields from over head?”
Haitrion poured out a handful of grains from an open barrel.
“No, I did not.”
“Then where are they?"
“That’s a very good question, Sergeant. Do I detect a degree of curiosity?"
“I don’t know,” Taytha shrugged. "Maybe. I guess for a moment I forgot why we are here. Why I'm here.”
“You’re right where your feet have carried you, Sergeant.”
Taytha laughed.
“You’re right about that."
She stepped from a blown out hole in the side of the wrecked granary. Haitrion was close behind. They found themselves on the main causeway leading down the center of the strange alien city. The air was humid and smelled of rainforest and wet rock. The road was paved with flat beige stones, lined on either side by great columns. Atop the columns were tongues of flame carved from white stones which were capped with gold plating. As if holding the
licks of stone fire, just beneath, protruded the sculptures of three, four fingered hands. Water flowed down white brick aqueducts through the columns like modern highways from the city’s center beneath the light emitting power source. Trees with bright, light pink and blue blossoms were planted at the foot of every other pillar. Stamped into the causeway lay three sets of massive foot prints. Taytha knelt down to examine them. Haitrion walked up beside her.
“You see these?” Taytha asked.
“Yes. The same as before.”
“They couldn’t have been left by an arc suit, could they? You said ethers couldn't make it out this far without ships.”
“I’m not sure what to think now. This discovery only raises more questions.”
Taytha stood up.
“Whatever left these tracks might be what attacked those people.”
Haitrion pointed down the causeway.
“There are sets leading to and from the center.”
“You think they're still here?”
“If they are, that would mean the threat originated from inside.”
“These people couldn’t engineer something that could make tracks like this. Call me crazy but, these tracks look like they were left by bipedal robots.”
“It is very doubtful they engineered such a construct. The bulk of their technological prowess seems to be in stone carving and city planning. I haven’t seen any signs of machinery or any knowledge of higher chemistry. If the threat is still here, the tracks suggest it returned to the center."
“Returned?”
Haitrion nodded.
“You really think the threat originated from inside?”
“If the tracks were left by the threat they suggest they came from the center and then returned to the center.”
“How do you know?”
Haitrion pointed down to the massive foot prints.
“Which ever depression has an unbroken shape is the track that was left last. The most recent. Those tracks lead back to the center of the city.”
Haitrion had no sooner finished his words when the light disappeared from above. For a moment darkness filled every nook and cranny between them.
“Haitrion!”
Taytha’s visor snapped shut and her zero-light vision enhancement system activated. The area around them lit up on her display.